First Trace [Action]

[inb4gar]

[Meanwhile out in town, there will be a certain red-head having a date with a drone teenaged girl. Nothing out of the ordinary since it's just another young couple leaving the movie theaters with his arm around the girl and leading her to her house. And who can ever end the date with a kiss at least

Comments

[expiatrice]

[My way home from the groceries when someone I've never seen before is screeching the Tohno family name on the top of his lungs and coming this way.

...Goodness. She stops and turns around to look at you, but doesn't move out of your way. Are you going to crash into a girl, Shirou? Archer is understandable, but a girl?]

[inb4gar]

[That didn't stop him with Mia at all. ;w;

But since you asked about it, he'll just go right around her and keep on going.]

OI! TOHNO!!

[expiatrice]

[Dammit Shirou. The one woman who can totally take you running into her, and you don't do it. She'll sprint after him, then.]

Excuse me! Do you mean Tohno Shiki?

[inb4gar]

That's right, I'm trying to find him. Have you seen him anywhere today?

[expiatrice]

Earlier on at school, I have. How do you happen to know him, if I may ask? I don't think that I've ever seen you around before.

[inb4gar]

[Shirou makes no other comment after hearing that. bbl, darting towards the school]

[expiatrice]

[oh no you don't

guess whose shadow just got Black Key'd]

It's not polite to run off after someone asks you a question, young man. Being in such a hurry like that, you're really becoming more and more suspicious.

[inb4gar]

[Eyes are going around to see what the fuh is going on-- oh is that a sword? I have this nice fascination with these sword things. It makes me want to read their blue prints by looking at them. B|]

It's between me and him. He's got a lot of answering to do and I'm not going to stop because someone is holding me back.

[expiatrice]

[Good thing you never saw Kotomine pull those from HF, huh. Otherwise that would be AWFULLY SUSPICIOUS right now.] I'm glad to see that he knows other boys his age, but I can't let you go if you have any intentions of harming him. Plus, if you'll be staying here for a while and are acquainted with Tohno-kun, then we're definitely going to be seeing each other quite a bit. I would rather not have any misunderstandings happen between us, so I will have to insist that we clear a few things up before I can let you go.

[inb4gar]

That would depend if Tohno has either done something since I was last here or if he has done nothing all of this time. And if he has done nothing, then he will get socked at the face. I'm not going to lie about that.

I am not going to accept that Tohno did nothing after hearing what has happened while I was droned.

[expiatrice]

[So he's been here before and... came back? She makes note of that.] He has done as much as any other can, trapped in a city like this. If you intend to just try to punch him, then that's fine. I know that he's gotten into similar fights with Inui-kun before, and you do look a little like him, but that still doesn't make your reason a very good one. No one chooses to be droned, and no one chooses when to snap out of it, either. If you do believe otherwise, then what is your reason for thinking so?

[inb4gar]

No one chooses to come here either. That's why we agreed to do what we can to find a way to cure it all and take care of the people of authority that bought us all here to begin with. And like I said, I can't accept it if Tohno did nothing even when I was gone. If he is doing nothing, then I'll just do it all by myself.

Now would you kindly let me go now?

[expiatrice]

[...]

These are good intentions, but you shouldn't overestimate your abilities either. To be convinced of that would just be foolhardy idealism, but maybe Tohno-kun will be able to knock some sense into you. He's not so weak or defenseless, either.

After I learn your name, I will.

[inb4gar]

Overestimating or not, if nobody is doing something then someone has to do it. And if I have to shoulder it all, then that's just fine. As long as these people are finally free and these people above us are dealt with... then I'm ready to take on any challenge I'll face.

Emiya. Emiya Shirou.

[expiatrice]

So you like to play hero. Very well; it's not my place to say anything about that. Emiya-kun, is it? I'll remember that name. We can talk again some other time, when you're not in a rush like you are today.

[That said, she removes the Key, and it vanishes.] School is already over, so he should be on his way home. 503, Ricardo Street. I trust you know your way, Emiya-kun?

[inb4gar]

Play hero?

Yeah, I know the rest of the way.