Pine Garden

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya was all too aware of self-loathing.  It was something he dealt with everyday.  He generally dealt with it with scathing sarcasm.

Sakura would deal with it with penance she actually didn't deserve.

He cupped her cheek and said, "You've already suffered enough.  You deserve to be happy.  So does Tsumiko and Rin.  I'm pretty sure you served whatever sentence you think you deserved and then some.  And I want to help you.  All of you."

Then he took the letter and asked, "Mind if I read it?"  As he asked the question, he pulled out his reading glasses and put them on.  His glasses were actually made to dull his extraordinarily keen eyesight.  With out them he would start noticing the grain of the paper and lose track of what was actually on it.

Sakura

Sakura mumbled to herself. She really disagreed with Archer on that point. How many people were personally responsible for destroying half the world?

Even Hitler or Mao hadn't managed that.

"Yeah, you can read it." She handed it to him and then sat down on the counter quietly, thinking about Archer's words.

[Aiden]

Carin's Letter

To Tsumiko - not the other ones.

'I'm sorry that we had to part so suddenly before. I really enjoyed our time together while you slept. I left you this letter to thank you again for helping protect my precious follower, and to say that if you ever want to meet again all you need to do is think about me and ask. I would really like to speak with you again sometime - I think we could do a lot of good as friends! If you would rather not then I understand and I won't try to contact you again.'

Love, Carin.

PS: Um, I don't know, I just heard humans like to put PS after the end of their letters!

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya cocked his head as he read the letter, thoughtfully studying it.

So Tsumiko does have friends, he thought as his lips quirked up ever so slightly at that.

He thought of the gun she had in her room, the one that he was going to make a proper stand for.  Partly because he couldn't stand having a weapon just laying haphazardly like that; it was a huge point of disrespect to it, and it seemed important to her.  Her face had lit up when he mentioned making the stand.

He didn't pry any further, but he figured he'd analyze it later to see its history and get some clue why the girl had it.

He looked up at Sakura and said, "Of course you should let her read this.  If she has a friend . . . that could help her out a lot.  Would-be goddess or not."

He snorted as he remembered Ishtar.  "Hopefully this goddess isn't a bitch like the one I had the misfortune of meeting."

[SINIB]

Emiya

Emiya cocked his head as he read the letter, thoughtfully studying it.

So Tsumiko does have friends, he thought as his lips quirked up ever so slightly at that.

He thought of the gun she had in her room, the one that he was going to make a proper stand for.  Partly because he couldn't stand having a weapon just laying haphazardly like that; it was a huge point of disrespect to it, and it seemed important to her.  Her face had lit up when he mentioned making the stand.

He didn't pry any further, but he figured he'd analyze it later to see its history and get some clue why the girl had it.

He looked up at Sakura and said, "Of course you should let her read this.  If she has a friend . . . that could help her out a lot.  Would-be goddess or not."

He snorted as he remembered Ishtar.  "Hopefully this goddess isn't a bitch like the one I had the misfortune of meeting."

Sakura

Sakura clenched her fists and began to shake. Her form became a bit less concrete as her concentration lapsed, replaced by fear.

"That's what I'm afraid of! She looks evil! She looks like how I looked when I destroyed the world! How can I-how can I entrust a face like that with Tsumiko!?!"

Suddenly, they heard a creak, and Tsumiko walked down the hall, except-

She had her hair up in twintails, and was wearing a large red overcoat.

"I'm going out for a walk, I need some air after hearing-that." She sounded tired and defeated. Depressed. "Bye. I'll be back before morning."

Rin headed out for the door.

[Elf]

Emiya

"There's a Mesopotamian goddess who's a dead ringer for Rin, but is nothing like her," Emiya said as he reached out to take Sakura's shoulder.

He smiled, slightly lopsided, and said, "Tsumiko should have friends.  Being over protective isn't good for either of you."

Then he heard a creak and turned to see Tsumiko emerge except, it wasn't Tsumiko.

The hair was styled in the familiar twin tails and she was wearing a long, red overcoat.

"I'm going out for a walk, I need some air after hearing-that." She sounded tired and defeated. Depressed. "Bye. I'll be back before morning."

Emiya rubbed his forehead with a sigh and said, "I should go after her."

[SINIB]

Emiya

"There's a Mesopotamian goddess who's a dead ringer for Rin, but is nothing like her," Emiya said as he reached out to take Sakura's shoulder.

He smiled, slightly lopsided, and said, "Tsumiko should have friends.  Being over protective isn't good for either of you."

Then he heard a creak and turned to see Tsumiko emerge except, it wasn't Tsumiko.

The hair was styled in the familiar twin tails and she was wearing a long, red overcoat.

"I'm going out for a walk, I need some air after hearing-that." She sounded tired and defeated. Depressed. "Bye. I'll be back before morning."

Emiya rubbed his forehead with a sigh and said, "I should go after her."

Sakura

The door outside slammed shut in an overly agressive manner. "Probably. I can feel her anger, her rage, and her hurt." Sakura answered, kicking her feet. She seemed to be relatively calm about the emotional state of her sister, simply staring at the ceiling quietly.

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya sighed and reached out to stroke Sakura's hair.

"It's a horrible situation for the both of you, I'll do what I can," Emiya said as he straightened up and made himself as presentable as he could.  Which was making sure there wasn't any fluids staining his clothing and that everything was in its proper place.

"This is probably going to end up in a fight," he grumbled to himself as he hurried after Rin.

[SINIB]

Sakura

"I'll-go with you. For moral support. She doesn't want me telling you where she is, but I'd rather go with you, if that's ok."

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya nodded, even though he was pretty confidant he could find Rin on his own, but it made sense for Sakura to come along.

"Of course, you might want to stay out of sight though.  She might not want to talk if you're there too," Emiya said with a shake of his head.

[SINIB]

Sakura

Sakura just laughed. She knew Rin would know where she was at all times, anyway. They were sharing the same body, after all.

But, she walked up to Archer, pressed herself against him, and then melted into his back. He could feet her firm breasts pressed right up against him in one moment, and then the next she was etheral.

Formless as she was, he could still feel her presence. "I'll just watch your back."

[Elf]

Emiya

Emiya blinked as he felt Sakura press into his back.  His cheeks heated up again as he felt her soft breasts against the heat of his broad back.  Then she was ethereal and untouchable.

He shivered and said, "Warn a guy before you do that, Sakura."

Then he squared off his shoulders and went to find his former Master. 

[SINIB]

Rin

As Archer walked outside, all he was greeted by was the familar feeling of Sakura's magic, no other traces of Rin remaining.

"We're pretty slippery, when we want to be." Sakura quipped.

[Elf]

Emiya

"Well, you were really slippery earlier," Emiya retorted.

He looked around, and saw a fire escape to one of the building's nearby.  It had roof access, which is just exactly what he needed.  He hunched his muscles and jumped easily too it before climbing up to the rooftop.

Once he reached the roof he reinforced his eyes to sharpen them even more and began to look for a familiar flash of red.

[SINIB]

And, there was no sign of her whatsoever. All that greeted archer was the cold darkness of the nigh, the people walking around by the clubs, as well as the everpresent noises of cars driving people around.

[Elf]

Emiya

Has she gotten that good at glamors?  She's not fast enough for her to lose me this quickly, unless Tsumiko's body is providing stuff to Rin that Rin didn't normally have before, Emiya thought with a frown.

"Damn, I lost her," he said with a frown.

Rin's a big girl.  She can take care of herself, but that's Tsumiko's body too.

"Fuck," he said, gnashing his teeth.