3121/Welcome to Woodvale

Welcome to Woodvale
Date of Scene:	30 September 2015
Location:	Paragon City <CoH>
Synopsis:	There's a disturbance in the zone of Woodvale, in Paragon City. Faith Maccabe and the Woodsman call for aid.
Cast of Characters:	346, Karian Icefang, 560, 769, 821

---

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Woodvale is a very nice part of Paragon City. Even with the omni-present blue glow of the War Walls, this zone feels almost secluded. Very natural, despite the urban sprawl. The smoothly paved roads into the countryside allow for easy, safe driving. They even have their own Circuit Court and police station. And now Faith Maccabe, a doctor who works at Vasilikos Laboratories, is providing medical aid while a new hospital is being built here for children and families. It's part of the Vasilikos Medilock program, which seeks to establish hospitals and medical care facilities throughout not only Paragon City and Primal Earth, but the Multiverse as well.

    However, the red-haired young doctor has been in contact with a hero by the name of the Woodsman. And while the Woodsman has been helping to rebuild in his own way with his nature powers, he has also become aware of some sort of ill-feeling tension. A presence, maybe. He isn't sure. But he isn't the type to jump at shadows. So Doctor Maccabe has asked for other heroes to come help him investigate. Though much of the rest of the zone is full of greenery, hills, parks, and so on, the area near the entrance into the zone, known as Arcadia, is full of skyscrapers and parking garages and businesses. Signs of human development rather than nature.

    It's not until one drives/runs/leaps/teleports/flies beyond that, and beyond the block of Crey-owned warehouses to the south, and even further beyond the 'family living' neighborhood in the center, with its well-manicured lawns and its white-picket fences, and its nursery and the Circuit Court and police precinct mentioned previously, and all of that, that there is simply a huge expanse of near-wilderness.

    From the perspective of a human being living in the middle of a massive city like this, however, this is practically a national park with the signs of human civilization just a concrete island in a sea of green.

    Faith Maccabe is standing at a nursery, just south of Adeva Towers, to the north. The Woodsman stands nearby talking with her.

Karian Icefang has posed:
Karian Icefangarian and his usual retinue of Wolfguard and the massive Thunderwolf make their way into the city. To them, it reminded them a little bit of Terra, except for alot more trees. "What a wierd world, Jarl. Why are we here again?" asked one of the wolfguard. Karian, the man in front with the eye patch, looks back. "We're here to help them. That's all you need to know. So keep your eyes open and your senses keen." He says. With that said, he walks towards woodsman.

Saber (346) has posed:
     The leonine roar of a V-Max engine permeates whatever quiet there is. It wasn't a terribly subtle machine, not was it easy to handle, but its power and speed made up for it. Though she could technically 'ride' any mundane vehicle, the motorbike was as close to a horse as one could reasonably find in the modern era. It was a comfortable mount for the King of Knights despite her diminutive size.

     Bringing the motorbike to a smooth halt, the roar faded to a low rumbling purr until Saber cut the engine and dismounted easily. Clad in her business attire of a black three-piece suit, tie, and gloves with a grey dress shirt and brown loafers, her hair pulled back into a low ponytail, she might have made a curious sight riding in on such a machine, particularly when everything else about her seemed subtle and quiet. Yet, she carried herself with a practiced regal grace as she approached the doctor and the nature-powered superhero. "How may we be of assistance?" she asked.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou is passenger to Saber's wild riding, as the fastest and HOPEFULLy safest way of getting into Paragon without running into trouble alone. After all the other muddles in this place, he's almost expecting the sewer accesses to explode and ooze forth with goopy villain gangs at any given moment!

    Because this place is crazy.

    But for now he just hangs on, slightly embarassed and awkward at having to hang on to Saber at all. For all her grace and majesty, she is so TINY. And physically, even younger than he is.

    That's kinda weird, all things considered.

    But finally the crazy ride ends and Shirou hops off, stretching a bit before he does anything else. He's dressed in his typical clothing - jeans, and a two-toned shirt... white for the torso, and grey-blue sleeves. The shirt neatly conceals a fiber-weave armored vest of Union make to protect his vitals, too!

    Because he can't go around wearing HEAVY armor all the time, despite having a set (thank you Santa Claus?!) and using it here and there...

    But upon hopping off and getting a load of the Woodsman's getup, the boy rubs his chin and ponders otherwise. IF you can get away with walking around in THAT around here, you can get away with walking around in pretty much ANYTHING.

    Karian and his forces are met with a similar disbelieving stare when they pull up. Well, at least they definitely look like they can handle anything!

    There is another change on Shirou, too, since last time he's made an appearance before Certain People coming. The presence of a strange tri-segmented crimson emblem on the back of his left hand... VAGUELY shaped like an ornate sword. Command Spells?

    Huh.

    He's strangely on guard today. Magic already flows through him, even if only barely. Reinforced vision sweeps around the area, scanning the city for any signs of coming trouble.. even if he can't see much from the streets.

    Training for a year straight is really starting to pay off!

    but he hails the Woodsman right after Saber does! "We came as quickly as we could. What's happening in these parts?"

Archer (821) has posed:
    Soon enough, stepping up to the building to join up with everyone, a woman in red with long black hair approaches the group, looking around in a mix of interest and caution. However, her gaze fixes rather pointedly at Saber and Shirou, a look of recognition and familiarity on her face.

    And, at the sight of the blonde... a look of repressed sorrow and tentative uncertainty peeked out behind her gaze, almost imperceptible to most, which keeps Tohsaka Rin from introducing herself at first.

    However, after a long moment of calming herself internally, she reasserts control - it's only because Archer told her in advance the pair were coming that she was anywhere near composed... and even then, Rin suspected it was only Saber's presence that made him give her any forwarding.

    Letting out a final breath, she calmly approaches the group, first extending a greeting to Karian - "Hello. I don't know you, though I can only assume you're here to help." Then she turns to the other pair... and the smile she gives is considerably warmer, her gestures more familiar.

     "Hi. It's been a while from my perspective... but it's nice to see you, Emiya-Kun." She speaks casually - more so then she would normally - expecting him to recognize her easily. After all, she didn't look /that/ different, or so she thought. "Nice to..." - she pauses at Saber' as if banishing some dark shadow from her mind that taints her image of the King of Knights. "... to see both of you. Though I doubt you'll remember me, Saber - Servants don't keep their memories of past summonings after all... and that's assuming you're the same one I knew."

Archer (821) has posed:
    Above, a silent phantom stood watching atop the nursury, having told her in advance of who Rin would meet... though he almost hadn't.

     In spite of the hell he would have caught for it, Archer would have preferred seeing Rin flounder at the sudden meeting with the boy, whom he could see from atop the nursery was still coming. He'd have enjoyed watching Emiya Shirou's mental image of Tohsaka Rin as a perfect school idol crumble in addition to his Master's embarrassment.

    ...

    But then... he'd seen her... and that all went out the window.

    His entire perception of the world stilled when he saw her, mind freezing and breathing stopping even as the image caused something deep within to break free -

     'I ask of you... are you my Master?'

     He winced for one moment, the memory drifting back to the surface past the field of endless blades for the second time in the past few months... but this time the image of her armor-clad figure, shrouded in moonlight and the sky beyond the doorway to that shed, didn't fade from his minds eye.

     And for the first time in perhaps a long time, a small, genuine smile appears on Archer's face, replacing the shock he had felt at seeing her again.

    This one hadn't changed at all. She was still the same in his memory, even in the suit she now wore.

     ... after a long moment of just staring at her ever-serene visage, Archer decided to forgo trying to embarrass Rin and instead had told her what he saw.

    He was glad he did - the shock Archer felt through their link was so palpable that he almost believed Rin would start to have a fit over it. Then came the storm of questions - was it the same one? Would she remember them? Was she Emiya Shirou's Servant still? Only the last could be answered by him, and only because he had been pouring through Union reports to learn the boy actually had contracted her knight Gawain.

    In turn, Rin, now prepared to see her again, asked Archer to stay put until she called him.

    He was glad to oblige - let her break the ice, so to speak. After all... given what happened last time he met the boy, he wanted to be sure he wouldn't be immediately attacked.

    He didn't want to fight her... and not just because he knew he couldn't win.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    The Woodsman smells of nature to those with keen senses of smell. He smells like damp earth and new-fallen rain, and grass shoots and autumn leaves, and of flowers' perfume and of wolf fur and deer antlers and fluffy birds, and most of all of clean air. Plant and animal and weather all surround him in scent like a cloak that he wears without wearing. He turns when he sees or perhaps hears the armored figures approaching. He's no small man, but even he is short compared to these giants. He lifts his chin in greeting and says, "Welcome to Woodvale. I am the Woodsman. Have you come at the behest of Doctor Maccabe?" He doesn't recognize these heroes who are clearly part of a Super Group of some kind, but they have little other reason to be here.

    When Saber and Shirou ride up and mention that they too are looking to render aid, Maccabe takes only the time to smile and wave to a mother as she leaves with her small child. A daycare and child-treatment center like this nursery is the closest thing to a hospital this area has after the Rikti blew up the old one. Thankfully a new one is being built... But just how VULNERABLE this area is right now is not lost upon her. She turns to face the King of Knights and the rather nondescript hero who has come to be known as the Blacksmith in Paragon City. Both Saber and Shirou have made a name for themselves.

    The arrival of Rin gets another smile and a nod, and a polite chin-raise greeting (if he bows, he runs the risk of impaling someone with his antlers). Maccabe explains, "I'll share what we know. The Rikti invasion a few years ago caused a lot of damage to Woodvale, but with the help of heroes like the Woodsman here, we've rebuilt and turned a large section that was previously destroyed into an open wilderness area. Everything seems to be going well, but Portal Corporation's main headquarters is located here as well... And no matter how safe they say it is, the Rikti invaded Earth through portals that just appeared out of nowhere. So I decided it was better to be overly-cautious in this case than to wave it off as nothing."

    Woodsman chimes in with, "Something is not right with this part of the city, and I am having difficulty pinning it down. I am more connected to nature than most, but it feels like a disturbance in the natural order, and yet somehow hidden by nature as well. To be honest, I have never experienced something precisely like this before. I do not necessarily believe it is the alien invaders, but I also can not dismiss the possibility either. I would greatly appreciate it if you could lend aid in scouting the area for that which I can not find alone. There are mission markers I can provide coordinates for. The doctor has a hand-held computer for each of you if you do not have your own."

    Oh, crap, Rin is expected to handle a COMPUTER!?

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian nods towards the Woodsman. "You could say that...though you yourself are a mystery. You seem like a shaman, given your scent. But you are right to have your concerns. My brothers and I are more in tune with wolves, and their hunting aspects. If you'd like, we can take a look in the forest for signs of disturbance." He offers. Ygdril, the wolf, walks over to Woodsman and sniffs him curiously.
    As for the others, the wolfguard recognize Saber somewhat, and offer the King of Knights a hearty greeting. "Hail, Jarlessa. A pleasure to see you again." Emiya and Saber get a nod, but would likely notice they were being watched closely. The Wolfguard take their job seriously, after all.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou can't help it. Once he sees the older magus he squints at her. Well, he's not had many experiences with Tohsaka himself of any epic scale, nothing past school...

    ... and a few dangerous-sounding stories about the Holy Grail War that don't make any sense (they couldn't have meant THAT Tohsaka family, after all...)

    Yes, yes, he squints. But that smile, that face... his eyes are wide, gone huge with recognition, but the gears in his head grind and clank and slam and spin. The voice is right, the manner is right, but it's just not computing.

    Particularly since she is talking about MAGIC STUFF!

    "T-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-" Shirou stammers out, not believing what his gut wants to label her as even as his head rejects it.

    "T-tohsaka?!"

    That's a wham to the gut alright.

    But there are important things afoot over here too, and the moment the woodsman starts speaking he splits his attention, favoring the mission just ever so slightly. "Distortions in nature? Maybe all of us can scout around-- wait..."

    Although he accepts the mission markers on his Union-issued PDA, bringing up GPS/map mode with a few button presses, he is quickly right back at staring at Rin. But although he wants to say something, he desperately WANTS to say something intelligent...

    instead he just sort of stares dumbfoundedly, mouth a bit agape.

Saber (346) has posed:
     As Rin approached then, Saber's otherwise neutral face actually shifted into a slight smile. What might have been even more disturbing to some was that it contained a subtle yet unmistakeable warmth to it. But before she could greet her previous Master's sister, her smile faltered as Rin hesitated before greeting the two of them. The magus certainly seemed the same from outward appearances at first, but as she drew near there was something very wrong. The sense of loneliness, tragedy in spite of appearing somehow younger...it was assuredly /not/ the Tohsaka Rin she had met shortly after her reality had Unified. Not the Rin who had overseen the ritual to link Saber and Sakura as Servant and Master, nor the firebrand who had called Gilgamesh "King of Losers" to his face. What ordeals she had faced, Saber couldn't say.

     The neutral expression reasserted briefly. "Hello, Rin," she replied, though her mask slipped slightly at the mention of the usual circumstances for Servants. "The situation is rather...complicated. But I am afraid explanations must wait until our business has concluded. I assure you, however, that I will be able to answer most, if not all of your questions."

     Her gaze fell on Shirou. "And, it would seem, yours as well." She probably should have explained that part.

     A smile similar to her earlier one returned as she greeted Karian. "And to you as well, Wolf Lord," she replied. "I trust that you and yours are hale? It has been some time."

     The petite blonde listened intently as the group was briefed on the situation. "I see," she replied, accepting the device without hesitation. Her eyes flicked to Rin; even with some years behind her, the elder Tohsaka had always passed such things off to her much more technologically-savvy sweetheart. "You...might need to assist her," she murmured to the young red-haired magus beside her.

Archer (821) has posed:
Rin nods at the greeting from Karian, giving a small smile of affirmation. "Shaman... I guess so, though I use the term 'mage' and I daresay I'm a good one at that." She passes at his offer. "I do have someone who can scout for me... but if you'd be willing to do so then I won't complain about getting extra information."

    For a long - and increasingly tense - moment, Rin watches Shirou squint a bit at her, obviously trying to recognize her. Her smile is still present... though it becomes more visibly forced with each moment.

    Then when the wires connect and Shirou blurts out his surprised reaction, Rin's nose scrunches up in annoyance as she frowns. "You don't have to sound quite so shocked, you know. I don't look that different."

    Yet after a moment, her smile seems to regain some trace of genuine affection to it in seeing his shock. "Geez... here I thought you'd have changed somewhat, but you're still the same old Shirou."

    When Saber greets her - and expresses recognition of her - Rin's body becomes tense. It's imperceptible to all but the trained eye, but Rin surely knows that Saber of all people can see it.

     Another flicker of concern appears in her eyes, this one more visible - and similar to Shirou's; she has questions she wants to ask. She wants to know if this Saber is the same as...

    Like before, Rin's smile is one of forced cheer, though this time out of anxiety instead of irritation, as she nods. "Yeah. We have more pressing matters... and..."

    The smile then drops this time, her expression becoming a bit more serious. "Well, you don't have to hide it - I know you saw plain as day... so you'll probably will want to ask me a few things yourself, huh?"

    When handed the PDF, Rin... rather comically freezes, looking at the device in a mix of agitation and suspicion, as if it were shrouded in the flames of hell. "A... PDF, you said? Uh... guh." However, she takes the device up determinedly when Saber offers assistance - "I'm fine! It's nothing complicated... uh... right?" She says this last part after trying - and failing - to unlock the touch-screen, brows knitting together in frustration that she is bottling up so as not to be embarrassed by a piece of plastic, silicone and wires. Seeing the young Rin undergo this was awkward enough - the adult Rin, even more so.

    All throughout this, the still-invisible Red Knight watches with a look of extreme amusement on his unseen face, wondering how long she will try to access the device before it inevitably - and perhaps literally - blows up in her face.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Maccabe hands over the hand-held computer to Rin and when the magus starts having trouble, she says, "Ah... Don't touch the screen, please. You'll just smear it with skin oils. The buttons below are used. Just follower the marker on the screen, like you would a compass. When you reach the destination, look around for anything suspicious, and then if you don't find anything, press the 'up arrow' to target the next marker. If you find anything suspicious, well, you are the heroes, so I am certain you can deal with it. Though reporting to the rest of us by whatever method is preferable to you so that we know would likely be a good idea."

    The Woodsman seems unperturbed about being sniffed and opens his mouth to remark on the 'shaman' thing, but Rin has interpreted the comment being addressed to her, and he is not the type to correct a stranger over such a simple misunderstanding, so he just says to Karian and his group, "That would be a good idea. Perhaps two teams. One to search the woods, and another to search the city. I noted the places I felt might need investigation in both. I will remain here and keep an eye out for any trouble. This would be a poor place to leave undefended in the case of villains appearing."

    And so the teams are divided up by whatever method is decided upon!

    Mission Objectives: Investigate the area at each marker for signs of trouble.

    The woods team should go to the river known as the Serpentine first, to the south-west. The other team should travel south-east, to the historical plaque to the west of Crey's storage facility. If they both work around, one clockwise and one counter-clockwise, then assuming they don't run into any trouble, they should meet in the north at Adeva Towers.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Of course I'm shocked!" Shirou answers, hiding his embarassment behind a bit of awkward, bitey indignation. He's normally very good at recognizing people. But, well...

    He's never seen her in that outfit or hairstyle, and for that matter... "That and you do look different! What's that supposed to mean..." Same old Shirou? Hrmph.

    Making matters worse, here's Saber ALSO recognizing her... and on a personal name basis, at that.

    He can only watch in amazement. As usual though, Shirou keeps his more sarcastic thoughts to himself. like how he's starting to wonder if Saber isn't keeping so many things she knew hidden from him just for her amusement, maybe.

    Siiiiigh.

    he's brought out of those thoughts when Saber points out Rin's fumbling. "eh?!" Although he picks up on Rin's distress quickly enough.

    KArian and his brethren are given a nod... then Shirou hurries over to Rin's side. Awkward though this is, his first instinct is to help someone having problems. He stands next to Tohsaka, though nods at Maccabe. But he can't help but ask, tone disbelieving, "You've never handled a computer or PDA? Wait, never mind that... what are you doing here? This city's insanely dangerous. It's like something out of an action manga or TV series."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian nods towards The Woodsman. He motions for his team to rally around him, and even the wolf seemed to know that gesture by heard. "Aye. That's a good idea. I'll lead the woodland party." He then starts on his way. Meanwhile, one of the other wolfguard begins working with the PDA, synching it with his team and sharing the information. "Allfather keep us all safe." He says as a final blessing.

Saber (346) has posed:
     Rin had two things working against her when it came to hiding her reactions from the flaxen-haired knight. The first was that Saber was keen of eye, able to discern subtle differences in posture, body language, and inflection of voice. The second was that she knew her and her mannerisms; a different version of her, to be sure, but it was Rin nonetheless. Something had indeed happened differently in her Grail War than that of the Rin she knew. She had heard of different conclusions, some more tragic than others, but Saber had no way to know which one of them applied. Or even if any of them did. Perhaps this Rin had seen a far more terrible conclusion than all the other possible ones so far.

     "The most immediate question would be one pertaining to our current situation," Saber replied calmly. "That is...is the Servant in this vicinity your own?"

     For she indeed sensed Archer, as only the Assassin class had the ability to conceal their presence from their fellow Servants. Though she was unable to discern his identity from his hidden position, she knew he was there. It was certainly not the cheerful and open Gawain, and it was likely neither the Archer nor Assassin of Brown, who were focused on other endeavours mostly pertaining to their own War, the latter of whom she would have been unable to detect regardless. Nero was right out. Perhaps it was the tainted Avenger, but she doubted that, as well. She suspected a Servant she had not yet encountered.

     Sea-green eyes flicked back to Dr. Maccabe, then to Woodsman before she nodded slightly. "Understood."

     The Servant regarded Shirou and Rin thoughtfully for a moment before she addressed them. "I believe the best option is for me to accompany Lord Karian," she mused. "Is that arrangement agreeable?"

     Of course, her reasons were more than out of practicality. The knight was definitely making the elder magus uncomfortable, which would compromise their effectiveness at the very least. That, and she was simply reluctant to make her uncomfortable.

Archer (821) has posed:
Rin's brow twitches when warned off from touching the screen, seem to take it like a reprimand. After a moment of touching the buttons - in an increasingly random order trying to correct one 'error' message after the other - she starts to look like a dam on the verge of breaking under a sea of hate for the device in her hand.

    Though, thankfully, Shirou draws her attention away, prompting her to cast a half-annoyed expression at him. "I should be the one saying that to you... not that it ever made a difference." She sighs in exasperation, glancing at the Command Seals on his hand.

     "I'm more then qualified for this. But... rather then explain it, I think it's better off if I just show you..." then, for a moment, she takes another breath and looks at him somewhat apologetically, another hint of apprehension in her expression. "And to apologize. I didn't have any direct hand in it, but... I've caused you some trouble lately, haven't I? Or rather... my Servant has." She then glances to Saber. "And yes... he is my Servant."

    In a smooth motion, Rin - rather pointedly dropping the device to the ground - lifts her arms up and tugs away the glove on her left hand. Not entirely taking it off... but pulling it back just enough to make the three red marks - two crescents facing each-other and a small dash at the base of one - visible.. Marks that Shirou and Saber to recognize all to easily.

    Then... Rin drops - or rather invites - the next bombshell down on Shirou, casting a glance upwards out of the corner of her eye. "You don't need to stay up there anymore. Go ahead and come down here, Archer."

    There is a moment of silence... and then something shifts atop the nursery, dropping off the edge and landing deftly at Rin's side, the shimmering image gaining shape and solidifying quickly...

     Into possibly the last person Emiya Shirou ever expected to see alongside Rin.

    Casting a glance back at her, Archer's face is impassive, though his eyes seem to probe for something unseen. "Out of curiosity, do you know how many tactical advantages you just gave up?"

     "None we needed" Rin replied, stance and voice shockingly business-like as she crosses her arms at Archer. "Why hide from our allies?"

     "If they believe they have support, they will feel more at-ease throwing themselves into the fray" Archer replied. "That can make the enemy suspicious and tip our hand. It's harder for them to plan a defense to ranged support if not even your allies know you have it."

    Rin simply snorts at this, though. "And it'll piss our allies off too, you Jerk." After that, her focus directs on Shirou, waiting - with slight anxiety that only Saber could likely see - how he will respond to this.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian nods. "It would be my pleasure, Jarl Saber." He says. While he knew the servant's real name, there were protocals when it came to names. As he turned and walked with the King of Knights, he had to ask. "Who is your friend losing his mind over? Another like you?" He asks, trying VERY carefully to speak in a manner that wouldn't offend. But he doesn't simply stand there, he was walking into the woods, his wolf taking the lead and sniffing the ground. His wolfguard were likewise moving in, but they did so with careful coordination.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou came here with Saber! He wasn't expecting her to go off with Karian. But... he's not so sure about Rin's abilities and safety. Saber can take care of himself, but who's going to take care of Rin?

    Then she displays her Command Spells and Shirou feels a dark, cold lump forming in his gut--

    Oh, right. Who'll protect her? THAT GUY, apparently.

    Chunk by increasingly huge chunk, Shirou's image of Tohsaka Rin is clubbed to pieces. And this disparity is written ALL over his face. Hints of misery, disbelief, and mounding consternation mix in a tumutuous broth fit to explode... but it doesn't.

    Instead he just gasps out exasperatedly, "Why is it that guy of all people?!" In an 'oh well, maybe it can't be helped' tone.

    Well, one thing EVERYONE knows is that Shirou finds it really hard to show any serious disdain or disgruntlement about ANYONE openly, but for whatever reason he has no such compulsions regarding Archer.

    Shirou falls silent for a few moments, focusing on keeping his calm and cool. this is NOT a good time to explode. Not a good time at all. No, he needs to be focused here, like Saber is. Like any Magus should be.

    "Mmrgh... I get the feeling it couldn't be helped, Tohsaka. I'm not mad at you or anything. REALLY CONFUSED though... you're too old to be the Tohsaka from my timeline, wherever it is..." He ends up rubbing his forehead now, even more confused than before when Archer appeared.

    What the HECK is going on here?!

    Well at least he's his usual, forgiving self.

    But he can't help but give Archer one of those cross glances he's been doing far too often the red knight's way. Grrrr!

    "Why did you summon a jerk like him?" He mumbles under his breath, before turning around to locate the first waypoint they'll be heading to and starting to walk.

    Walking will help keep him focused, instead of falling to the temptation to forget the mission and continue freaking out about Tohsaka's bizarre presence.

    In the end he nods to Saber. "sure. Don't worry about us Saber. We'll be fine."

Saber (346) has posed:
     Flaxen eyebrows raised slightly at the sight of a Servant she hadn't seen for nearly five years. Just as Rin was not the same Rin she was familiar with, she doubted that this Archer was the same. That was only confirmed when he didn't smirk at her just yet. It was coming, she knew, but the Archer of some years past would have already graced her with one.

     Saber suppressed a sigh. It wasn't going to be a smooth ride, either way. Particularly not after she pointed out a simple fact. "You held less of an advantage than you might think. I had already sensed your presence, which indicated you were not an Assassin. Similarly, the distance of your vantage point suggested a ranged combatant. Caster and Lancer both lack the distance sight necessary for their skills, and a Rider would nevertheless be unable to close the distance quickly enough," she pointed out.

     What might have seemed strange was that Saber appeared to be unsurprised at the revelation that Archer was her Servant. Her expression remained neutral as the magus revealed her Command Seal, except for the slight frown of bemusement furrowing her brow. It was as if she had all the necessary pieces but could still not complete the puzzle. "Then you are not from the Fifth War," she observed bluntly.

     And then Shirou was losing his mind. Oh dear, this was a problem. Fortunately, he appeared to put it behind him for the moment. With a nod, she reminded him, "If you do not forget your training, you will be all right," she told him. "Rin is no apprentice magus. Even on her own, she wields a great deal of power and the training to properly use it. As for her Servant..."

     Her eyes flicked to the white-haired Archer. "Remember your training." Likely, she meant the discipline aspect of it rather than the physical.

     Silently noting Rin's discomfiture, Saber frowned slightly, puzzled. But her personal sense of honour deemed it impolite to comment on it. "It is a story for another time, Lord Karian," she told the Wolf Lord. "It is a rather convoluted one, I fear."

Archer (821) has posed:
    Rin seems visibly humored by Shirou's reaction to her. "If it makes a difference, I think you're taking it better then my world's Shirou did." However, Shirou's reaction to Archer makes it pointedly clear her prior fears were validated - the boy is already on the wrong foot with her Servant. So, for his sake more then anything else, she gives them an excuse to separate.

    Turning slightly, she kicks the device at her feet over to Archer - thumbing her nose up at it while she does so, as if it were something unclean - and gestures for him to take it. "Go scout out the north area... or whichever direction that piece of garbage was pointing at. I'll keep an eye on Emiya-Kun."

     Translation; I'm staying near him so that you don't keep prodding him, or worse.

    Sighing in mock exasperation, Archer picks up the device, though he has a somewhat mocking smirk on his face as he does so. "As you wish, Master. Try not to ruin the boy's image of you too badly - he used to look up to you."

     "/Used/ to-?!" but before she can retort, Archer walking off, giving one last wave to Rin and Shirou - as well as a somewhat bemused smirk at the young Emiya's undisguised dislike of him - before heading for one of the northernmost markers on the device's map.

    When Archer has taken his leave of their immediate area, Rin rubs her temples as if warding off a headache. "Geez, that guy..." she tilts her head back to Shirou in a half-shrug when he asks about Archer. "Don't ask me how I ended up with him - /twice/. And to think that the second time around I was actually happy to see him again at first. What the hell was I even thinking....?"

    After a moment, she pauses when something dawns on her. "Sorry about surprising you like that... though I'm actually somewhat surprised that you didn't recognize me. I mean... yeah, it's been a /few/ years from my perspective" - her tone hints that she is somewhat angered by Shirou's comment about her age, as if he somehow called her an old woman - "but I'm not that different from the 'me' that you knew in your world, right? I'm still a mage and a Master and I even have the same Servant."

Archer (821) has posed:
    It is only when he separates from his Master that Archer finally allows himself to directly acknowledge Saber.

     ... However... he seems to make a point of not making direct eye-contact with the King of Knights until this moment, though he does not smirk. Instead, more surprisingly... he gives something of a gentle smile, as if seeing something treasured again after having lost it.

    Another hint to what happened in Rin's Grail War... and, if Saber looks closely, the momentary resemblance to the boy with that smile is disturbingly striking.

    However, it is gone quickly - When Saber speaks, the familiar sarcastic smile appears on his face. "I expected no less from you... King of Knights. After all, you did not express surprise when I appeared, nor did you react when hearing I was her Servant, so I can only assume you met a version of me already. However, I can only assume you noticed the same as I haven't been quite so guarded around you - a courtesy I would not extend to a stranger."

    At the last bit of her statement though... Archer again seems to falter, his expression hardening a bit behind his eyes even though his smirk does not drop. "As for the last part though... that's actually not true. I am from the Fifth War. So were you, actually - the same Saber for two wars in a row. That was where I learned who you were. But, apparently... I remember it differently then you."

    With this, he turns and starts heading for the northward marker more directly, making use of Reinforcement to boost his speed as he travels.

    He does not offer for Saber to accompany him or to tag along. He only is just now getting used to the sight of her again - the real her... and not the monstrosity she was left as when she was bathed in the grail's contents.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    The trip through the suburbs, if Karian and Saber take their time to be cautious, takes awhile. They see plenty of children and parents and couples, at work and at play. There are parks, along with buildings one would expect to find in a town (and Paragon City is basically a massive city comprised of other cities and towns, so this zone might as well be considered one), and eventually they make it to a river. Clean-looking, with gently sloping banks, a sturdy-looking wooden bridge leading to the other side, and trees on both sides. Though the vegetation seems to grow denser on the opposite side. Most of these trees were transplanted here or rapidly grown through the Woodsman's powers, so most aren't that tall yet. Big enough to provide shade, but not towering over everything. Everything is very neat and orderly, lending the illusion of natural growth.

    There doesn't appear to be anything out of place at this first marker... The next is to the north-west in the middle of a huge open field, with hills, scrubby grass, and boulders scattered throughout. It actually looks a bit like the highlands of Scotland, which may or may not cause some nostalgia for those present. The next marker is in there somewhere.

    Meanwhile, the marker for Rin and Shirou, to the south-east takes them along a similar route through the suburbs, though they pass by the Circuit Court as well, where there doesn't seem to be much crime being dealt with. Mostly civilian matters of records, no prisoners being hauled around in orange jumpsuits or anything flashy like that. Overall, it just feels like a really peaceful part of the city, not like all the other zones in Paragon City so far. Of course, the sight of Crey scientists and agents hanging around at a paved parking-lot-looking area with four warehouse-like structures, surrounded by a high metal fence, may have Shirou itching. Crey does not make a very good impression upon most heroes, even those from outside of Paragon City.

    Yet somehow they manage to bypass all negative public opinion with their ad campaigns and propaganda and lobbyists. The power of money can be kind of sickening sometimes.

    If there's cause to be concerned about disruption to nature, then after the recent visit to the polluted wasteland of Crey's Folly by Shirou and companions, Crey definitely seems like a good suspect... The historical plaque is welcome to be examined as well, where the computer display shows the mission marker at. If it is, the following information is revealed.

    'This plaque commemorates the death of Galaxy Girl, who fell in the first battle with the Rikti. When it became obvious that the heroes would have to fall back, Galaxy Girl insisted that she be the last to retreat. Remaining on the front lines, she used her healing light to save the lives of many of her retreating comrades. Witnesses say that she used her last bit of strength to heal her friend Ms. Liberty, rather than to save herself.'

    The next mission marker is a bit longer of a walk, crossing to the north of the Crey complex, and into the more industrialized portion of Woodvale. Another historical plaque, to the north-east.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian looks over the area, sniffing the air a bit. Despite his dislike of modern medical tech, he always has an extractor and vials with him. He takes a knee and draws in some water, even going as far as to taste it. Thankfully, his body was able to nullify most poisons, but he would know afterwards. "Seems quiet. Almost suspisciously so...." He then looks over and once they move on towards the nest zone, he looks to Saber. "I've heard your old kingdom had lands like this...Do you miss those days?" He asks quietly of his companion. But soon enough Ygdril trots back over, to get a mission. "Ygdril, go scout ahead. Head this way, and if you find anything...well..you know what to do." He tells the wolf, giving the direction. With a whuff and head-bob, the thunderwolf takes off like a shot.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "What are you saying? I only just learned you're a Magus at all!" Shirou blurts, brow furrowing. His gaze is all scrunched up, but he's definitely troubled by splitting his attention between this overwhelming issue and the matter at hand. he can't be a hero if he's distracted, right?!

    But he can't ignore Rin either. "I don't know anything that's been going on! First I tumble out of my futon into a medieval village mid-winter and meet Saber, then I nearly get killed taking a train while trying to find Fuyuki... no, there's been a lot of incidents like that. Everything from vampires and zombies to supervillains and three or four Holy Grail Wars..." He gives Rin a rather dismayed look. the more he speaks, the less he can believe what he's saying. For that matter why is he just blurting everything to her so easily?

    Maybe it's just nice to have a familiar face. But speaking of that, he eyes her a bit more critically. Finally he just sighs, defeated. "... fine, it's being taller and the different hairstyle, alright...?" Siiiighs.

    "Topping it off, I find that my old man had a family he never told me about, and was a Master in the Grail War... topping it off, there's that guy and now you show up and--" Shirou just keeps rambling until that point, where he's not really sure what to say.

    HOW DID ARCHER KNOW THAT? He starts showing the hints of a blush, gah.

    "We'll have to talk more later... I can't afford to do a poor job here. being lax might get people killed." He exhales deeply with that note.

    "Bedivere'd be pretty mad if I lost my cool over this," he suddenly murmurs, thinking on what Saber just told him... and mentally chiding himself.

    Thankfully he does have plenty of opportunity to talk.

    "I've been told that I'm supposed to end up a Master in the Fifth Grail War... with Saber there as my Servant." He has a hard time believing this. He's hardly a worthy Master for her. Hardly a worthy Master for Gawain either in other ways, but...

    "But nothing like that's happened... with no idea where Fuyuki is, I've just been focusing on doing some of the things I can do."

    In other words, he saw trouble that needed heroics and just threw himself at it.

    Without any of the training that he would have normally had in the Fifth War, from Rin...

    Shirou frowns at the sight of the Crey uniforms. "Crey workers are around? What in the world for?" He does indeed wonder, but is momentarily distracted by the plaque as they come across it. But does he feel anything? Every so often he pauses and attempts to 'scan' the ground for any weird sensations or distortions using Structural Analysis.

Saber (346) has posed:
     At long last, Saber was in for the first genuine surprise of the day. Not that Rin and Archer had reappeared, nor that they were separate versions, or that Rin had somehow summoned the same Servant as she had originally. No, it was the honest smile from Archer which caused her mask to drop in a fleeting expression of naked surprise. Whatever it was that happened during their War, it must have been truly terrible.

     "You are correct," she replied once she had recovered. If she was annoyed by the smirk, she hid it flawlessly. The fact that she hadn't reacted in shock when he used the sobriquet for her true identity was proof enough of the assertion that she had indeed met a separate version of the bowyer. "It would seem that the multiverse contains more than simply a few differing versions of our world, at different points in time. Stranger still are those of different Wars entirely. At least one is currently taking place in America, as you are perhaps aware."

     The petite blonde shook her head. "I never made it to the Fifth War," she admitted, seeing little reason to hide that fact. "My reality Unified at the end of the Fourth War. All that I know of the War which would have followed is second-hand information." She glanced back at the two magi. "From them, in fact."

     Once more, there was a distinct lack of surprise from Saber as Archer departed, though not for the reasons she imagined. Turning to join Karian, the Servant went on her own way.

Saber (346) has posed:
     The Wolf Lord certainly had a point about things being a little /too/ quiet, going so far as to make a soft 'hm' of agreement. But they could do nothing for the moment but move on.

     Their next objective was indeed nostalgic, reminding the King of Knights a little of the moorlands throughout Britain. "It did, indeed," she told Karian. "The moors of Britain are still there, in fact. Perhaps not as much as in my era, but many remain."

     The question itself was not surprising, but her thoughts on it took even Saber by surprise. "In truth...not as much as I believed," she admitted. "I regret that I was unable to save my kingdom, but Dun Realtai has been a blessing beyond measure. What I miss are my knights, my family, my home before I became King."

     Jade eyes regarded the handheld device, and she simply followed where it led, though she maintained her alertness. Even here, it was possible for them to be attacked if they weren't careful.

Archer (821) has posed:
     This time it's Rin's turn to look surprised, eyes widening as she stares in undisguised amazement. "What?? You... you're /just now/ learning I'm a mage?! Then you don't..." she hesitates, wondering if it's even a good idea to say anything... but then she steels herself, figuring it better off if he knows.

    However, she ought to ease into that bit as she has questions - and shock - to work through of her own. "You're saying you haven't been in the Grail War yet?? You don't know anything about me or... or any of what happens?"

    Rin wasn't sure what to say at the moment - this Shirou was spouting a recounting of some increasingly insane experiences he'd had after apparently just dropping into a different reality when his world unified; possibly a one in a million chance.

    However, when he finishes... Rin can't help but start giggling to herself, seeming a bit more relaxed when he points out her different appearance. "Yeah, well it's a bit odd for me too, you know. I'm used to having to look /up/ to make eye-contact with you back home" she states, pointing out that, due to the age gap, she's actually a bit taller then him, which she seems to be rather deeply enjoying the thought of if her tone of voice is any indication.

     "So you fell through the floor the exact moment your world unified and got swept up to a place where Saber was." Rin laughs again at this. "That figures. Only you would be so unlucky as to have something like that happen to you. Heck I have no idea how you'd survived before I came along-" she pauses, realizing she needs to prefix her statement a bit. "By that, I mean... I kinda helped teach you how to use magecraft back in my world. But not everything's different - it sounds like... like you met Illya again" - again, a trace of reproach. Another bitter memory of her own grail War.

    However, it's forgotten when she sees Shirou start blushing slightly at Archer's comment, shooting a glare in the direction the Servant vanished. Then that is in turn forgotten as she listens to his account of what he knows... and what he endured all on his own.

    This time, a look Shirou has never seen from Rin crosses her face; one of admiration and, dare anyone say it, awe, at all he's apparently done just because he felt it the right thing to do.. It soon fades though as she gives an ernest smile, speaking warmly. "You really are the same as before, you know that? You're still just... amazing. Stupid, but amazing."

    However, anything further is cut off at the sight of the Crey, brow narrowing as she turns serious. "You think they're looking for the same thing we are? You don't sound like you think it's just coincidence."

Archer (821) has posed:
    As it turns out, Archer had only just started to move north when he looked at the device and realized, to slight annoyance - and bemusement - that Rin had given him the directions while looking at the screen upside-down.

    She couldn't even read a digital compass right... and it was just an image with a large red arrow pointing exactly where you needed to go.

    Shaking his head to himself, Archer turns and heads for the northeast marker, searching the area with both the device and his structural grasp magic... until he stumbles across something roughly intersecting with the marker's location.

    As it turned out... the item ended up being a plaque, worn with age, inscribed with a memorial message;

     'In 2000, Woodvale was still a pleasant neighborhood where families picnicked with their children and where Synapse liked to jog. When the Rikti invaders struck, Synapse's first act was to use his super speed to carry as many people out of the area as possible. Though he regretted not being able to join his comrades in battle, he managed to save 87 lives that day before the fire from the Rikti plasma weapons tore Woodvale apart.'

     ... for a long moment, Archer stared at the memorial with narrowed eyes, a feeling of bitter nostalgia welling up inside him for a moment.

    This city... it was like Fuyuki. It had been scarred by war and chaos... and the scars still remained.

    Were the events connected?

    Once again, Archer utilized structural grasp, this time touching a hand to the plaque to see if there were any direct ties to it with something else; "Trace; On."

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    For the team investigating the more wild section of Woodvale, Karian's gathering of samples goes uneventfully. If he can analyse it right NOW, he finds it's almost... TOO clean. TOO pure for a place so close to human development. Maybe that is actually the point. Why have befouled water near a place families are expected to live and grow? They probably have a treatment facility somewhere making the water safe. Well... Good for them! Cleaning up after themselves! At the second marker though...

    There's... Something here. Something... Something... That's all it is. Just a feeling like there's SOMETHING here in the vicinity of the next marker. Too vague to be called a presence. Just a sort of tickling feeling like not all is as it should be. Is this what the Woodsman was feeling? It doesn't appear to be magical in nature whatever it is, and there's no unusual scents in the area... So isolating its location may not be possible. But it's definitely something to make a note of. Maybe a team with more diverse sensory abilities can make something of it on another trip.

    The next marker is to the north-east, near some cliffs. Nothing unusual is found here. There are striations visible in the rock face, but nothing else. Far to the west a large, futuristic-looking facility of some kind can be seen. It's a bit odd to have such a piece of human engineering and scientific development seated among trees and fields and cliffs and streams, but it doesn't seem to be polluting or anything. Unlike whatever Crey is probably doing down near the other team...

    Speaking of the other team, Shirou's attempt sense structrual irregulaties only reveals gopher holes and tunnels beneath him, or something like them. Not big enough for a person or even a small cat to fit into, they're very much the work of burrowing animals. Though they stop abruptly at the point where concrete replaces soil. Many of the tunnels are partially collapsed and none of them seem to have any motion or activity within them. Whatever lived in those tunnels hasn't made use of them in a very long time. Probably ever since Woodvale was built, cutting off access to the passages for their builders and forcing them to live elsewhere.

    Or perish.

    The fact this reminder of the cost of urban development is seated right next to a Crey facility, a corporation that continues to get away with gastly crimes simply because they can afford to pay the right people to make the problems go away, may be a bitter pill to swallow. But with Crey workers just doing whatever they're doing with no OBVIOUS sign of law-breaking, there's little Shirou and Rin can do right now.

    Archer's scan of the plaque does not reveal anything per se. But there are still skeletons buried in pieces beneath the ground, of the remains that were never recovered when Woodvale was rebuilt after the destruction.

    The next marker is directly north. And nothing unusual seems to be happening here, except for a momentary sound of metal joints clanking and steam boiling... But tracking that down, if attempted, turns out to be too difficult among all the noise of traffic. By the time the site of the sound is found, there's nothing there except a puddle of water.

    The meet-up point in the north-end of Woodvale, at Adeva Towers, can be reached once both teams have investigated their markers. Woodsman will already be waiting for them there, since he can watch the nursery from this point and speed up the process of reporting in.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian hrm's softly. "This doesn't feel right....almost as if chaos were involved somehow..." He muses in his native tongue (which likely will be decoded for saber). Still, he makes his way on. "This seems too much like a paradise. If I didn't know better, I would suspect The Woodsman myself, but.....we'll see." He says, continueing without a word towards the meeting point.

Saber (346) has posed:
     Something was definitely wrong here, though what precisely that was stumped the flaxen-haired knight. "Whatever it is, it does not involve mana, per se," she observed with a slight shake of her head. "It is not the Woodsman. I can feel the winds of mana about him; they are very much a part of this place...that is, the parts of it truly connected to the world. This, however..."

     Saber made a vague gesture at the wilderness and its unnatural pristine condition. "This is not a natural part of the world. It is nature, and yet, it is not."

     She turned silently, making her way back to the meeting point, pausing once more to give the moorlands a last glance. She was missing /something/ here...but /what/?

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    What in the world. Rin is GIGGLING over Shirou's miserable mess of increasingly bizarre experiences. Part of him is analyzing things as he's hearing them, trying to stay focused, but it's very, VERY difficult with the person he once looked up to so much almost guffawing over his misfortune.

    The boy's expression cracks.

    The last of his image of Rin as the perfect school idol just got smashed under Magus Rin's heel.

    But... well, maybe that's fine.

    But the weird look Rin gives him leaves him puzzled. he doesn't quite recognize why anyone would be awed at him. Until she goes and calls him stupid... while seeming HAPPY about it.

    Shirou's quick to make a flabbergasted noise, his brain simultaneously overheating at the praise and flaring with anger at the insult. His jaw does in fact drop.

    Head still a-whirl at this, he stammers out a few things, trying to cover a dozen subjects at the same time... yeah no, that's not going to work.

    "Tohsaka... you sure can say some stunning things." The boy responds in a clipped voice, totally unsure WHAT to feel after that treatment. It is the tamest, most polite way he possibly can describe her ego-cleaving tongue.

    "I'm going to track down Illya the moment I find Fuyuki again! She can't be stuck living in that situation... never mind that. Yeah, the Crey company has a really mixed reputation. Dangerous experiments and shady practices. They're maybe just as likely to be behind it as they are hunting for it, but I'm not jumping to conclusions."

    Odd though, he starts to think. why is the mission marker leading to commemorative plaques? He increases his attempts to analyze the ground beneath him every few steps, wondering if anything weird might be there...

    Shirou's reminded though, that the world under his feet is a weirder place than he thought before. Maybe that effort's a waste. "how do you even investigate something this vague?" He wonders aloud, puzzled.

Archer (821) has posed:
     Shirou's expression and response once again makes Rin giggle to herself, seeming feminine in a surprisingly gentle way compared to how she was speaking before. However, her brow quirks a bit when he remarks about what she says. "I think you - my world's you - said something like that too after finding out I was a mage in the War."

    But the biggest shift comes when Shirou mentions Illya... and not Sakura. Her eyes widen the slightest bit, before a small, almost sad frown crosses her features. "I see... so you don't know about that either." While she was happy Shiroy knew about Illya... a more selfish part of her wanted him to do the same for Sakura in his timeline.

    In the end... that served to steel her decision... and she once again chastises herself for having become too soft, as the old her would never have gotten involved in the timelines of others like this, friends or not.

    But then again... Shirou wasn't just a friend. He was... well... for lack of a better word, he was family.

     "Emiya-Kun... Saber's already expressed interest in talking with me the first chance she has. I want to offer the same with you." She takes a small breath. "If you want me to... I'll tell you everything about the Grail War we were in - or at least how mine went since there's no guarantee yours, if it even happens, will work the same. But I'm warning you now... you'll probably hear things you don't want to hear. A lot of it will likely shock you. But if you want, I will tell you... provided you promise me one single thing."

    She was being selfish - she knew that... but she'd always been a selfish girl at heart. And this was something she didn't intend to regret - if she could do just in one part of the Multiverse what she'd failed to do until the last minute back home... that would be more then enough. "I want you to promise me that, after you hear what I have to say... that, the same as Illya... you'll save Matou Sakura too. That you'll save /both/ of them."

    It was unfair. She /knew/ it was unfair to do that - to tell him Sakura was going to be dragged into the Grail War and not tell him how or why... but she'd tell him that when they met again after this. Whenever that would be.

    With that out of the way, Rin's attention returns to dubiously glancing at the Crey, seeming to glare at them when their experiments are mentioned. "I guess some things never change. There's always people like that no matter what, huh?" After a moment, Rin sighs as she looks around, not sensing anything herself. "I don't think we'll find anything... not that I'd trust these satanic contraptions to function properly enough to do so to begin with. We should probably just meet up with the others at this point."

Archer (821) has posed:
    While he outwardly shows no emotion, Archer inwardly winces as he detects the remains beneath the ground - the ruins of a battle long gone.

    Was it really just coincidence that the marker was at a memorial point? After all, from what he could tell - glimpsed through their Master/Servant link - Rin was also at a memorial with the boy.

    Then he picks up the sound, and he moves almost faster then the thought processes, intermixing his Structural Grasp along with Reinforcement of his hearing to try and trace the location.

    However, when he gets there... all he finds at the spot he was sure the sound originated from was a puddle of water.

    He'd scouted the area a bit when he and Rin came here... and the fact that a puddle was here when one of the sites - the one Saber and Karian visited - was at a riverbed was not lost on him.

    Something was connecting these things... but what was it they were /missing/ from the equation?

    Narrowing his eyes in a mix of suspicion as he glances around the area, Archer finally accepts the fact that they aren't going to find anything alone, moving to follow the last location on the tracer due north. He informs Rin of this through their link, obtaining conformation she and the boy will be there as well.

    He knows it's the right move - they can't figure out any more then they have today. Not yet.

     ... yet for some reason, Archer cannot shake the sense of dread in the back of his mind - a feeling of anxious anticipation that had saved him from more then one demise - that this was hardly going to end well if they or someone - anyone, really - didn't figure this out soon.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    There, someone said it. The name that brings Shirou's pace screeching to a halt, heart thumping loudly in his chest and brain grinding to a halt.

    MATOU SAKURA.

    His stride freezes and all the boy's visible skin gets rather visible goosebumps in a hurry. "Sakura?" Demure, cheery Sakura needs to be saved?

    Whatever from?

    Once again a lump forms in his throat. The name did come up earlier. Matou, Tohsaka, Einzbern...

    BILE now rumbles in Shirou's spirit, if not his actual gut. he looks like he might be sick...

    And he clenches a fist. "Dammit, how can so much have been going on around me and I never learned any of it?!" Kiritsugu is how of course, but he's not about to curse him or anything. He had his own reasons, right?

    But that doesn't stop Shirou's jaw from clenching and teeth from grinding.

    There's something troubling Sakura that he doesn't know about? And she hasn't told him? Could that be...

    "I'm hoping you're wrong about Sakura being in trouble. Maybe that was just your timeline..." yeah. maybe. He's almost praying that is the case.

    He ends up nodding though, trying to change the subject. "Let's meet up with the others. this isn't really getting anywhere. All we've found is that the Crey company is hanging out here."

Archer (821) has posed:
    Rin's gaze seems somewhat distant when Shirou asks his bitter question. This in turn prompts Rin to smile sadly, not an ounce of happiness in this one. "That's how magi operate - we don't share our affairs with others."

    She sees Shirou struggling to try and cope with what he was told... and she already knows that it will hurt. Not just for him, but for her - she watched him /break/ last time. She watched him change so radically as the boy she knew cast aside the ideals he so cherished to save the girl he felt he had let down... the girl who, in her timeline, he came to love.

     As they walk back to the meeting point, Rin feeling as though her legs are dragging, she continues to talk. "If her name is still Matou, which you didn't say it wasn't... then it's probably the same" Rin replies solemnly. She won't tell him everything - not here of all places. There would be too much to say anyway.

    But... at the very least, there is /one/ thing he ought to know. One thing that will confirm why he should talk to her.

     "I say that because... because Matou isn't her name" Rin finally says it bluntly. "Not her original one. She's adopted. She was given to the Matou by another of the magi families to be their heiress... and their Representative for the Fifth Holy Grail War. Their Master... and your opponent."

    She's still walking - she can't stop. She'll never start again if she lets herself focus on this instead. And if you want to know how to stop it... how to even try to stop it... you /promise/ me, damn it." Sorrow leaks in for a moment, but her expression remains serious and stern. "You promise me that when you save your sister... that you'll at least try save /mine/ as well. Even if you can't do so alone and I've got to interfere in your war directly and help you, you promise me that..."

     She takes one last breath... and she says the last words.

    "That if want me to tell you anything about the Grail War... that you'll at least try to save /Tohsaka/ Sakura from what I tell you is coming."

     ...

    After Shirou gives his response, a simple, solemn nod will be the only reply Rin gives him - an affirmation of his choice, her expressions muted. The rest of their trip back will be without a word, where she will rendezvous with Archer.

    And on the way back home... wonder just what the hell it is she is trying to accomplish with having said what she did.

    Or rather... who it is she thinks she's trying to save.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "...There's no need to even ask that." Shirou states resolutely after quite a long stretch of silence. This is way, WAY too much to take in. Sakura would never... she would never fight in a Grail War!

    That very notion just makes him look even more nauseous. "Tohsaka... Sakura.." He mouths the name, utterly bewildered...

    "No need to ask, Tohsaka. I don't know how much of this applies to my timeline, but everything's way too crazy to just ignore. I'm going to bring an end to these Wars and save everyone from this pointless misery. Especially if Sakura's being dragged into it!"