513/Somebody Out There

Somebody Out There
Date of Scene:	28 August 2014
Location:	Dun Realtai
Synopsis:	Dun Realtai receives a most unexpected visitor in the form of one Emiya Shirou when his reality abruptly Unifies, leaving him stranded in a strange land with no apparent way to return home...
Cast of Characters:	346, 560

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Saber (346) has posed:
     It was late afternoon at Dun Realtai, the sun nearing the horizon painting the fields and groves in various golden hues, making the landscape appear more as its natural season. Though it was autumn, the unnatural winter from the presence of its benevolent winter guardian was only beginning to fade, the trees already bare and the vestiges of snow melting, though the lakes remained largely frozen. Unfortunately, soon the natural winter would be upon the land, and the townsfolk worked fiercely in a race against the approach of the season to restore their decimated village. But under the watchful eyes and skilful guidance of the new lord and lady of the land, that work was proceeding at a rapid pace.

     Yet, as the twilight approached, the cacophony of tools had gradually abated as the workers prepared to end their toil for the day and sit down to dinner. Signals passed along the chain, indicating that they were given the all-clear that the work day was over. Laughter and chatter replaced sawing and hammering, and the chimneys of the newly-rebuild houses came alive with the smoke of a dozen fires. The Inn in particular was bustling with activity; the houses had been restored but the pub on the ground floor was nevertheless an excellent place for a meal.

     Among the passed the erstwhile lady of the land, though she was hardly dressed as a lady; any visitor would easily mistake her for another one of the workers as she was dressed in the simple clothes of the workmen. In fact, even with her flaxen hair bound up as it was, one could hardly be faulted for concluding that the woman was in fact a man...albeit a rather short, androgynous one.

     What might have set her apart, however, were several attributes a person simply didn't find outside nobility. The first was her practised grace in moving, almost like a dancer; she carried herself with a regal elegance as if from years of training. The second was her aura of command. There was something about her that seemed to be used to issuing orders and organising teams of villagers. Currently, her orders were a release from their current work and that they were free to go home to their families or retire to the Inn, visiting each group personally to deliver the signal. It might have been strange for someone so used to command to do so, but that personal attention had endeared her and the lord to the beleaguered people of the land.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Trace, on."

    For Emiya Shirou, it's been an exhausting day. He's spent nearly all evening with Ryuudou Issei mending things at school. Following that effort was a lovely dinner made very strange by a certain wild animal - err, teacher... a routine he's been used to for years.

    Just like his habit, his routine, of heading every night to the old shed and practicing Reinforcement magic. He's almost deep in a trance when--

    Without warning, the world shakes. The boy's eyes blink open. "Mh?" But he doesn't get a second chance. Reality distorts and comes apart around him, swallowing him in a ripple in space!

    For the Multiverse, it's just Thursday. Sure, the news will report about a new version of Earth showing up, that's nothing spectacular. And the Mage Association will be having a fit, as will the Holy Chuch. Somewhere, an old man and user of true magic is laughing.

    Shirou's plight is a little different.

    "Whatthehellisthis?!" The boy yells, gasping, as he suddenly tumbles and rolls down the roof of the inn in Dun Realtai. He appeared in a ripple of light, Magic Circuits still energized, and hit with a loud thump! But as he reaches the edge, he scrambles for a grip... and fails to find one, thanks to a wet roof from recent melt. Down he tumbles! "H-hwaaghk!" WHUMP!

    ... Facedown and halfway sunk into a big pile of wet, packed snow that fell off the roof earlier.

Saber (346) has posed:
     And suddenly, the now-daily routine came to a screeching halt. A few workers yelped in surprise at the abrupt and unceremonious introduction, but relaxed after a moment when the bright red hair emerged from the snowpile. Even these townspeople of a simpler time were becoming accustomed to strange, alien visitors dropping into their village. Although...perhaps not quite as literally as that.

     On the other hand, the plainly-dressed worker with her hair in a braided bun had been on alert at the moment of Unification. There had been no mistake: those were active Magic Circuits she had sensed. Weak, untrained...but unmistakeably they had been magic circuits.

     The Servant was already on guard before the unidentified falling magus cried out and dropped like a rock right into a nearby snowpile. She relaxed her guard the moment the boy dove head-first into it, conveniently hiding any way to identify him for the moment. The guarded stance was replaced with a visible wince; that /had/ to have hurt. Well, better fish out their hapless involuntary visitor.

     Gingerly, she started to disengage the poor boy from the snowpile, taking care not to injure him further. "Ah, are you hale, young si..."

     ...And stopped short when she finally got a good look at him. Jade eyes snapped wide as she most certainly recognised the young man. He was far younger than the last time she had seen him, but it was definitely Emiya Shirou. "...Ah."

     There really weren't any suitable words for this. Other than this being Thursday in the multiverse.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Grrfghk?" Shirou splutters despite the pain into the snow when unknown hands shift him around. He's already somewhat soggy from the experience, and having the wind knocked out of him didn't help much. But he's physically fit, and a little pain's not gonna stop him.

    "It's cold." He stupidly states, before the efforts to free him finally pay off. He rolls over slightly, reaching out wildly and, by chance, grabbing Saber by the wrist (clothed, probably?) just as he gets on his side to see what's happening.

    Brown eyes crack open while he sucks down a few pained breaths of refreshingly crisp and cool air. He'd go for warmer, after the impact, but this is no situation to complain in.

    Because when he spots Saber's face, he just starts staring, stupefied. The completely innocent awe soon melts into shock though. His eyes go wide, he even gapes a little. Not just for the powerful presence of the Servant before him, but...

    It's pretty obvious what has him stumped, as he finally wrenches his gaze away from Saber long enough to look left, and right. ".... Yeah," He finally gasps out, as if that was nothing. "Thankfully the snow was here. Speaking of... here? Where is this?" He wastes little time getting to his feet and assessing his clothing, releasing Saber right away. He doesn't seem to have caught on to her gender, but he's still giving her a somewhat curious, and even more confounded look.

    As if something should be clicking here, but just isn't.

Saber (346) has posed:
     It took a bit of work to free the red-haired magus from the packed snow, but a Servant's strength was certainly a boon here. "Ah...yes. I do apologise..." Since, it really isn't supposed to be winder at the moment. On the other hand, that fall could have snapped his neck if the snow hadn't been there.

     Her grip -- covered by thick working gloves -- was certainly strong enough to qualify for masculine. Even if she was being careful, it was nevertheless a solid grip and the petite boy -- or girl -- did not so much as waver off-balance as the involuntary visitor grasped at her for balance.

     Just as he blinked in surprise, the Servant too was baffled; he hadn't recognised her. That might make things rather awkward, especially if he was unaware of beings such as Servants and the Grail War. Still, he was clearly a magus....somewhat.

     "Hm. Indeed. You are in Dun Realtai...", which, due to the translation effect, Shirou would understand it to mean "Fort of the Stars".

     The knight frowned, slightly; there was a lot to explain, but first things first. "Come...it is clear that you have need of warmer and drier attire. I shall do my best to answer all of your questions, in the meanwhile."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou is clearly somewhat baffled by this turn of events. Something this bizarre is just hard to process. But there's a kind young... man, here? Even if they don't feel human, his gut feels nothing at all bad about it.

    No, there's no need to worry about Saber's monstrously powerful, even inhuman presence, is there? "H-hold on a moment, I don't want to impose--" Hrmngh. Nope. He cuts off those words, thinking better of it. Or rather... "Brrrh!"

    Yeah, he's wet, and out in the trailing edge of winter. A sudden chill gets him wrapping his arms around his body briefly to fend off the wind. "... b-but it seems I'd better. Okay, thank you!" Suddenly smiling, he gazes expectantly at Saber, as if to say 'lead on.'

    "I'm Shirou. Emiya Shirou.... Fortress of the Stars?" The name sounds so different when he pronounces it in japanese words instead, then immediately frowns. "Dun...Realtai. That's what you said." But not what he heard.

    If onlookers only knew the kind of sudden mental self-check Shirou's forcing on himself... because this is just crazy.

    "And... thanks for helping me out of there."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Of course, Saber hadn't missed the peculiar looks she was getting; even an untrained magus couldn't possibly miss a Servant's overwhelming magical presence. She was going to have one hell of a time explaining that one. The King of Knights stifled a sigh, keeping her expression carefully neutral. Explaining the multiverse might even prove easier.

     She awarded the red-haired magus a bland expression as the chilly wind wafted through the town; true winter would be upon them soon, and the winds still contained a bit of the cold of the artificial winter. And of course, he was in snow-soaked clothing. It almost said /Don't be daft, you'll freeze out here/ without the need for words. Fortunately, he thought better of it an relented, which the Servant was not about to accept.

     She tilted her head slightly, pausing to consider whether she should get into the issue of Unification now or not. He certainly was confused enough as it was, but that was the only possible reason she could think of. The multiverse was a strange phenomenon, and even after five years she was still as clueless about its true nature as she had been after her own Unification. "Indeed, it is. I shall explain the situation you have found yourself in to the best of my ability...once out of the path of the winter winds."

     And then there was the issue of her name. As strange as it was going to seem, she decided that being straightforward was probably best. "Well-met, Emiya Shirou. I am Arturia Pendragon, though I am more often called Saber."

     Yep, girl. Even with a weird nickname.

     The neutral expression faded into a slight smile as they reached the entrance to the keep. "You are quite welcome. It is our custom to offer hospitality to all in need," she explained. "Not only is it a virtue of chivalry, but it is also an ancient law of our original homeland."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "I'd be really grateful if you would, er, Saber... which do you prefer?" It seems he might subconsciously prefer Saber. Or maybe he's just avoiding thinking about the 'Pendragon' attached to that name for the moment, to avoid a mental overload beyond what's already facing him.

    For now, anyways.

    Then it registers. She's a girl. He grabbed her wrist a moment ago. And she's just plowing on as if nothing happened. He makes a strange choking noise. It catches in his throat, going nowhere, but he clamps down on the shock for now, while his thoughts whirl on the complications involved in whether he should apologize.

    He steps inside the old castle with eyes partially full of wonder and the rest just confounded. "If there's a castle like this around, I'm somewhere in... Europe? B-but that's halfway across the world! And it's like I'm in the past... that's ridiculous. No way this is anything I did..." He's mostly talking to himself... thinking out loud.

    He faces Saber, smiling again. "Ah, is it? .... If someone toppled into the snow where I live I'd be doing the same... well, I'd rather not be the one imposing. Sorry, Saber."

    If nothing else, he's earnest as he nods gratefully at her.

Saber (346) has posed:
     There was a slight tilt of her head, a regal equivalent of a shrug. At least, as dignified as a shrug could be. "I am most frequently called Saber, if for no other reason than it is simpler." It was difficult for her to tell if it was a natural preference or the fact that the idea of someone with some kind of connection to the mythic 'King Arthur' would be more than just a little strange for anyone. More than likely, it was the latter...and it was going to take a lot of easing into that particular fact.

     On the other hand, there were two more Sabers about, at which point things were going to be even /more/ confusing. But she decided she would worry about crossing that particular bridge when she got to it.

     Oblivious to his internal agonising over apologising to her, the petite knight led him into the great hall where the fire blazed away in the hearth. However, a simple hearth-fire -- no matter how big -- could not have possibly warmed a hall of that size...unless some modern construction techniques were involved. In fact, there was no sign of draft apart from the entranceway, and nothing of mould or mildew as one would expect from an ancient castle.

     Perhaps fortunately for Shirou's peace of mind, Saber answered his questions, even if they had not been specifically directed at her. "Ah, that is where the difficulty of explaining your situation begins. This is not Europe...nor Earth, for that matter. I am not certain this is a world, not precisely."

     Perhaps she had better let that sink in slowly for the moment.

     Even when they reached the stairs with proper windows instead of loopholes, there was a mysterious lack of cold and draft, like a modern building. When she reached the third floor where the guest quarters were, she stopped her ascent and began hunting for an unoccupied room, stopping to regard him with a slight smile. "The beginnings of chivalry, it would seem."

     She shook her head slightly. "But worry not about imposition. Brehon Law may be required of a knight, but chivalry calls for generositas." The wonders of the multiverse translate the Latin into a number of different things, not only generosity and charity of materials, but of spirit and kindness, that charity should never be given grudgingly.

     Finding an unused guest room, Saber entered and went to the trunk at the foot of the simple straw mattress, opening it and rummaging through the clothing in it. Experimentally, she pulled out a simple woollen tunic, trousers, a belt and leather boots. "Hmm...this should do. Perhaps they are somewhat large, but they should suffice until more suitable clothing can be found."

     Before she left to let him change, she gave the red-haired magus a sympathetic smile. "I do apologise for the confusion...I realise it is a great deal to take in."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The words just keep rumbling around in his head. Words that don't feel quite right. Chivalry, the knights' oath? Then this girl - who is so much more - is a knight? Shirou blinks a few times the moment Saber's looking away and on the way out, while he rummages with the presented clothing. Such old style! "Well, it'll do great for here..." He mumbles approvingly.

    Turning about as Saber's on the way out, he answers her explanation with a simple, warm, "What are -you- apologizing for? You didn't work some spell to call me here, right?" Or, in other words, don't worry about it!

    It is gonna take some time to sink in. For the moment, the wonders of the castle and its very luxurious lack of miserable draftiness is going unnoticed, because Shirou's quite busy pondering over the rest of things.

    It's a matter of simple logical deduction and fact-checking in his head that takes about as long as it does to change his clothes once he's sure there's some privacy. He neatly folds up his wet clothes, holding them in his hand to keep the wool from getting all damp. Damp wool wouldn't help anyone. And he doesn't want to lose his clothes in some strange not-a-world.

    "Not a world? Not even Earth? What could she have meant..."

    When Shirou emerges from the room, he's in the new attire, and still adjusting it periodically. Not quite used to this sort of wear. And he wastes no time spotting Saber. "A lady knight... seeing someone like you around cheers me up. I'm in your debt. Erm, so.... Saber. If this isn't Earth, and isn't even a world... where is it? You seem so calm, I guess you know what happened?"

Saber (346) has posed:
     In all, Shirou was taking it rather well. Internally he might be having a hard time holding himself together, but there was definite potential there. Saber had never particularly noticed before; she had not gotten to know the magus-in-training terribly well while she had been living in the Tohsaka manor with her previous Master.Though he had treated her in a friendly manner, even restoring her motorbike after Gilgamesh had destroyed it, his time was spent in Rin's company for obvious reasons. It would be rather interesting to see how he had been when he was much younger, the young man so entwined with the lives of the Tohsaka sisters.

     His comment before she left drew a soft chuckle. "Hm...that is true enough."

     The jade-eyed knight did not leave the hall, however, waiting outside for him to change into the provided temporary garments. Shirou would find her outside with her arms folded, leaning against the wall, looking up when he emerged shortly. "I do, indeed. This way," she replied, leading him back down the stairs into the great hall. Stopping at one of the long tables near the hearth, she indicated for him to take a seat. Seating herself opposite from Shirou, she did so with what was for her a languid movement, yet for all the years of a careful act to project the image of a perfect king, was made with a practised elegance.

     "Now then," she began, her hands folded in her lap. "What has happened is a process known as Unification. In essence, it is when a world or even a universe merges with the multiverse. What has happened is that your world has now become a part of the multiverse, which is made up of countless worlds and universes."

     Saber raised her hand to her face, her finger tapping her chin thoughtfully. "As for this particular world, I am not certain. Occasionally, lands of a similar type seem to merge -- such as different oceans from differing realities -- and form a new land which would appear to function as a proper world. This would appear to be one of them."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    In comparison to Saber's elegance, Shirou is an enthusiastic, sliiiiiiightly clumsy, but earnest, well, peasant. he follows along with no particular demeanor, just taking even steps and regarding Saber with some amount of awe. The kingly demeanor draws his attention, but perhaps not quite in the spirit it's intended to.

    Which might be why, when he's suddenly invited to sit across from her, he starts stammering - clearly startled out of his thoughts. So he seats himself without much care, struggling to calm his heart and spirit alike while listening.

    "Unification?" The young man repeats the unfamiliar word, and folds his own arms while listening. But the explanation leaves him jawdropping even when it's only halfway through!

    "Hghkh?" BOGGLE. Shirou just blinks.

    Silence reigns for quite a bit. During that time though, the redhead's expression keeps shifting. Eventually, he just sighs out, "How ridiculous can this day get?"

    Settling in the chair better now, he turns a serious face towards Saber. "I see." He probably doesn't, but what else can he SAY to that? "A dimensional distortion... that's way more than anyone could hope to deal with? ...hm.... so, if this Unification just happened, then you wouldn't know where Fuyuki City is... great, I couldn't be more lost." There's a hint of grouch in his tone, but only a hint. Al in all, he's still in a good mood."