But my life is more than a vision--

[steelmyself]

| characters | Archer, Shirou, Rin, and whoever wants to join them in their endeavor. Feel free to tag multiple headers and jump threads within them!
| date/time | Monday, May 4th, onwards through the rest of the week.
| location | Outside the tree, near the mists.
| rating | PG for now, who knows later.
| summary | A complicated series of domestic scenes unfold as Archer, Shirou, and Rin set to work building a miniature kitchen out where they can have real fire, only to be interrupted by a storm.

It's been almost three weeks since Archer and Rin arrived in the center of the tree and gained their wings, only to be met by Shirou and Saber as well. That's just about enough time for it to dawn on those who might be concerned with the domestic details of day-to-day life that they have such a thing here, in between the confusion, the struggle to organize, and the fears of more giant spiders.

Archer's highest priority might be the salvation of all the souls around him, as much as he hates it, but bit by bit a new concern creeps up on him, almost unconsciously. Every time he serves Rin a subpar, barely-cooked meal, it pains him a little deep inside where he thought he was only hollow.

He decides to act.

Comments

⚒ MONDAY, MAY 4 ⚒ closed to Shirou

[steelmyself]

[ By the food altar, he corners the young man with the orange hair who stirs so many feelings of disgust and loathing in him. Archer keeps his expression neutral, which he hopes means it's a bit intimidating. He's not sure it'll work, though, knowing all the things this version of Shirou has seen. The thought only makes him feel more wretched. He keeps that under wraps, too. ]

Well, we have a truce already, but as loath as I am to suggest it, it seems we need more, Shirou Emiya. An alliance will be required for a greater purpose.

[onlypath]

[the storage room had come along nicely with everyone's help- though a part of him couldn't help but think about how much time had already passed since coming here. they didn't want to get too cozy, yet they wanted to preserve the food that they earned here as best as possible. they didn't have a smoker, but a freezer was about as best as they could manage thanks to Tohsaka's help... he saw her when he could, but otherwise he spent his time supporting Saber and looking after Illya. the amber he carried with him was something that he didn't use yet, doing his best to adjust to this world before that]

I'll start with a blueberry for now... [it really did feel like this was their new home for now, wasn't it? circumstances were causing his brain to turn just about every single day, but he managed to look straight ahead regardless. he'd figure everything out eventually. for his sake, for Saber, for Tohsaka, Illya, everyone here... even,]

What are you talking about, Archer?

[he turned to face him with the large berry held in his arms as if he were holding an oversized aerobic ball]

[steelmyself]

[ One eyebrow twitches on Archer's face. ]

Just what sort of meal do you think you can make with a giant blueberry and no fire?

[onlypath]

[he knew he was being judged. but asked by anyone else, it would have been a genuinely curious question that he didn't expect backlash for. so he answers honestly]

I was thinking of beating some egg white into a meringue. Since we don't have normal sugar, I thought I'd try adding some of the juice from this to make a dessert.

[blueberry meringue? it could work]

[steelmyself]

[ Immediately, he falls into criticizing cooking; it's only natural to him. ]

That will be difficult, Shirou Emiya. Making proper meringue requires specific materials--the egg white can't be whipped in just any bowl, or it won't form peaks correctly.

[ ...

He just started to give a cooking lesson to Shirou. Damn it. ]

Well, my point is, we need to take stock of our culinary situation and improve it.

⚒ TUESDAY, MAY 5 ⚒ open

[steelmyself]

[ It's a simple enough thing to start the project. Somehow, amazingly, Archer is not trying to kill Shirou, and so the two of them have begun gathering materials. Pebbles are the size of anything from large bricks to small boulders, but still the two of them settle in to begin making a pile of them far away from the tree, near the mists. Here and there, Rin can be seen helping, when she isn't bickering with one or both of them; sometimes her activities are more arcane than that, as she studies the ground beneath her feet near the mist and direly mutters short, staccato spell words that might once have been in German. The men around her seem to take such antics as a matter of course rather than a sign of her insanity. They continue to bring pebbles, twigs, and fallen leaves over to their chosen building site by the mist.

But nature has a gang aft agley in store for them, as it's wont to do, and before they can accomplish more than a few piles of materials, great drops of rain begin to fall. The stubborn builders keep working for a while, all the same, as the roar of the storm above intensifies and the winds pick up dramatically. This may be a cause for concern... ]

[2wei]

[ Guess who's peeking in rather curiously (i-it's not like she has an onii-chan radar or anything) trying her hardest not to speak up even as Ruby floated alongside her. But she's actually rather curious as she watches them. Are they going to be okay by themselves-? ]

What are you guys doing?

[ She's not asking anyone in particular, instead just asking the group as a whole in general... She's rather curious, after all! And curiosity killed the cat. She has to know now. Clearly. Especially since it might look somewhat dangerous. Which prompts a somewhat worried look on her expression and face. ]

( rainfall: closed to shirou, illya + saber, but rin and archer are welcome to participate early)

[knight_king]

[ She is aware what Archer wants, he spoke of it during the gathering and gave tools to a castle builder to start making the constructions they need. But there are other rooms that take priorities before the kitchen, more houses, an infirmary, a new storage room for medical supplies. She has not realized it that the Counter Guardian has taken up a project on his hands until Shirou told her during dinner last night. She nodded her head and smiled softly, glad to learn that Archer had finally approached Shirou and did so without a murderous intent.

The next morning, she watches them from afar as they peacefully collect their materials to begin working side by side without disputing (except when Rin bickers and that is fine; because it is how the magus expresses her affection). She stays a few minutes, sometimes an hour, and she moves on. They do not need her help and, if they need it, they would have asked her. She focuses on other obligations she has, meetings and arrangements to make for the long list of improvements this place needs. It surprises Saber to learn how many duties she has taken in the tree. It should not be, because they were more of them when she ruled as King.

Occasionally, she slips back to the distant King role. It is a comfortable, dignified one too after she restored her wounded pride and decided to defend her ideals. That is probably why she watches them come and go without getting too close. It feels similar to what it happened then, after she slain her uncle and was officially was enthroned. The gap grows and she is happy to see them content in their perfect picture of domestic bliss which completes once Illya joins them. She vows to protect it from interference, even hers, as she walks away.

(Part of her has retracted for good. It shrunk away, in confusion, brandished with a heavy sense of unworthiness, when Archer asked if evil of the corrupted Grail still lurked in her heart. She has been occupied earlier to notice, now it has begun to deepen, after the gathering concluded.)

She has not planned to return, not until the night, but then the rain starts to fall, and each drop threatens to drown a person, and all her cold and calculating agenda evaporates. The King crumbles once more and she is Saber again. Shirou! Rin! she thinks while she spreads her folded wings and darts outside without a single moment of hesitation, snapping a pair of leaves during her flight. She arrives as soon as she can, outstretching her arms and holding the leaves up, flying from a side to a side tirelessly in an attempt to catch the rain and keep them dry.

The roar of the thunder shakes her, but she lingers above, fighting against the wind that has started to increase in speed and ferocity. She gnashes her teeth when she loses one of the leaves to the wind and water; it has slipped away from her grasp and carried up the sky, into the mist, out of any possibility of retrieval. ]

Master!

[ Who is she talking to? Shirou? Rin? Both? She can't see well with the rain splashing her face. She still gazes down to search for them. She knew this weather would be troublesome, she has expressed her fear when she talked to Ren. ]

Return to the tree!

[onlypath]

[this...was going to put a damper on their operation, wasn't it? it started as a few drops here and there (granted they were dangerous already.) one had even engulfed Shirou, the feeling of water rushing up his nose causing him to have a splitting headache. but this was nothing compared to the frantic thoughts that coursed through his head as the speed and ferocity of the storm continued to pick up. it was difficult to see, rain splashing in his face and the roar of the thunder nearly drowning out his voice as he tried to call for those around him]

Tohsaka!! Illya!!

[it was hard to think. hard to rationalize. just when he was going to attempt to trace a weapon in a fruitless effort to slice through the drops of rain, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him. looking up, he spots a familiar face amidst the storm]

Saber! [not yet...! he had to make sure everyone was safe first. if he could see that everyone had returned to the tree, he'd return as well]

[2wei]

[ Illya had been watching from the sidelines this whole time, but when she heard the all too familiar voice, she can't help but whip her head in the general direction of where her 'older brother' and Shirou was, already clad in her Kaleid Liner outfit, none of the water seeming to touch her.

(But that was because she was cheating, using Ruby's magic to create an umbrella over her head, a shield made out of prana.)

Running towards the two of them with a hop and skip, the smaller girl ran through the puddles of water beneath her feet, waving to them with her free hand. ]

Onii-chan! Saber-san! Are you guys okay? [ It seems that she had similar priorities as Shirou, as she seemed rather worried about them. Especially since things were getting rather stormy. ]

[knight_king]

[ Water does not have any effect on her, even if it is soaking her from head to toe, she is a Servant impervious to mundane sickness and vulnerabilities . She will not be the one who will be ill by the storm. She goes to Shirou’s side immediately when she hears his shouting. She knows what he wants to do, but her priorities are to keep him safe. Rin has Archer, she rationalizes, and Archer will protect their Master with his life.

She descends from above and wordlessly reaches out to seize Shirou by the shoulder; she is about to drag him away—by force if she must— when she notices Illyasviel rushing toward them. She seems dry… for now, but the wind has become stronger and her grip tightens on Shirou. He is strong, but this gust of air is like a typhoon, it could knock him down without the reinforced strength she possesses.]

I will take you to the tree.

[ She states so firmly and unflinchingly, glancing at the two of them that she makes clear there will not be rooms for objections. She will come and save those she can for them but after they are safe and dry. ]

[braavado]

[The approaching storm is a bit of a concern for Korra, who remembers how many of them had nearly been injured by the hail that fell a while ago. What might have been harmless to them once is obviously going to do a lot more damage when they're this size.

So when she sees a group of people still outside, working in the worsening weather, she slips out to help them out. As she nears them, Korra raises her hands. The rain that's falling around them slows and then moves out of its natural path until there's a solid-looking dome of water surrounding the work area.]

Looks like the storm's going to get worse. You guys should probably start heading inside.

[steelmyself]

[ Straightening up from where he was crouching by a particular pebble, Archer pauses to study Korra, looking quite unconcerned. ]

That's an interesting ability you have, young lady.

[ ...he does not address what she actually said. ]

[braavado]

[Korra lifts her shoulders in a shrug, without breaking her hold on the water.]

You think so? There's a lot of people with some kind of ability here. [She eyes him and the materials they've gathered.] What are you trying to make anyway?

[steelmyself]

[ A cynical smile briefly flashes onto his face. ]

Yeah. A lot of people...I might know a few of them.

[ He glances back at the piles of materials behind him. ]

We are creating a small kitchen. It's irritating to not be able to cook properly.

⚒ TUESDAY, MAY 5, NIGHT ⚒ closed to Rin

[steelmyself]

[ Over the bitter years of his life and everything that came after, Archer made some headway in learning when to give up on certain tasks. That's why, when the storm intensifies beyond toleration, he finally returns to the tree. He dries off, there, and he spends a while with his latest project: experimenting with the plants he's found around the tree in an attempt to make a meager herbal tea for Rin.

But eventually, he realizes that Rin isn't returning to have and complain about her latest cup of not-really-tea. The terrible truth dawns on him, then: Rin, still reluctant to accept her new limits as a small and fragile creature, is still out there in the storm.

There isn't the slightest question of what he should do. His feet and his wings carry him rapidly back out into the roaring cold and wet. There he fights his way back to the site of the would-be kitchen, struggling fiercely against the winds all the way, helplessly seeking out the sight of a small, vulnerable human frame in the dark... ]

[gandere]

[ It's cold. It's wet. Yet, Rin Tohsaka can't give up no matter how weary she feels. After a couple of miserable attempts to stay dry have failed her, she focuses instead on salvaging what she can of their work. Creating enchantments that could withstand the damage of water or have it bounce off of it is a difficult task when it's covered in water already. They'll need to make a shelter next, she decides as she picks up one of the washed away pebbles to return it to the pile.

The added weight of the water soaking her hair and clothing makes it harder to stand so once she's made it to the rest, she just collapses to her knees before them, coughing in the rain. The droplets are big enough that every time one splashes across her face, it feels as if she's breathed in water while swimming and stings her nose.

It's really troublesome, but she won't let simple things like a storm keep her from protecting this precious memory. Seeing Archer and Shirou work together is a remarkable sight, so she wants to guard their dream every step of the way. All she needs to do is get up out of the bed, get back on her feet, and pick up another stone before it's swept away.

She doesn't stop to consider how they would feel if she was swept away because the thought's absurd. Nothing, not even Mother Nature, can tell her what to do. ]

[steelmyself]

Rin--!

[ The voice is distant in the torrential noises of the storm. But what happens next is not distant at all.

Suddenly Archer's arms are around her shoulders, pulling her up to her feet. ]

[gandere]

Huh? [ There's no physical strength left in her after the cold wind has sapped her of it, but she manages to stand with his help. ]

Archer, what are you doing out here? You'll get soaked.

[steelmyself]

[ When he speaks, it's directly into her ear, so that the storm doesn't drown it out. ]

A more pressing concern is that I might fall prey to the plague of foolishness that has kept you out here, Rin.

⚒ THURSDAY, MAY 7 ⚒ open

[steelmyself]

[ In the wet morning after the storm finally fades, the dripping quiet abruptly shatters with a bang.

A sleek arrow-like shape blazes from a slender branch of the tree all the way down to a spot by the mist, where it buries itself in the ground and explodes with furious magic. The energy of it blasts a great crater in the muddy ground, splashing damp earth and small bits of rock and undergrowth all around. And in case anyone thinks it's over after that, another explosive magical arrow follows, deepening the wide hole.

With no further ado, the team of kitchen-builders return to the scene of the crime, once again bringing pebbles, twigs, and leaves. Archer and Shirou set about digging the crater deeper to form a small room, the walls of which they shore up with their materials. If they trade insults in the meanwhile, no one need pay too much attention to that. Rin can once again be seen pacing around the edges of the hole, tracing magical runes into the earth so that bits of it in structurally important places surge upwards to form larger walls.

They work tirelessly through the day, or at least until Saber shows up to make them stop for meals. ]

[knight_king]

[ The storm has passed and a new day promises the weather will be stable at least for now. Just like before, she has vowed she will not interfere with them. Not unless she is needed or if her presence is requested. She is content to watch them from afar, how they laboriously work and cooperate as is natural. Archer and Shirou could insult each other, but that will not change, at least they are working to grasp the same goal rather than turn against each other.

Time flies and is already noon and they have not stopped to–or to feed her— she deliberates what to do. She does not want to bother them, but Shirou and Rin need food, even if Archer does not. In the end, she reluctantly approaches the construction zone, holding five servings of what the food altar offers. Yes, perhaps Archer does not need food but it offers magical energy in any case, and she does not want to make him feel left out.

Back in Fuyuki, Rin and Shirou took her to their date, but he was left behind. She will not let that repeat itself.]

You are missing lunch.

[ She points out, lowering the leaf-pack she carries where she has stored the berries, mushroom and nuts she has obtained from the tree.]

[steelmyself]

[ At first, Archer doesn't respond. He glances over at Saber, then deliberately turns his face away and keeps working on reinforcing the makeshift roof of the building.

But the thought of Saber standing there, sadly expecting food, tugs at the blackened husk of his heart. The thought of sitting down to a meal with her just kind of nags at him, popping unbidden into his head and refusing to leave.

How embarrassing.

After a time, he gets up from his work on the kitchen and strides over to Saber. ]

You can leave, you know. Set the food down and leave us to our tasks.

[knight_king]

Very well.

[ She does not argue against his suggestion, instead she accepts it without objection almost automatically. It is better this way, lest her presence will disrupt their cooperation. She kneels to unpack what she gathered for them and entrust the ingredients to Archer. ]

If I leave immediately, do you promise to eat your serving?

[ She cannot ask him anything else. It makes her feel sick with guilt to demand anything else. He told her he died protecting Rin and she had assumed the worst circumstances of her involvement. Even so, she knows Shirou enjoys eating the result of his cooking, at least it seems he did when they lived together in Fuyuki. ]

It is a poor cook if he does not sample his own meal before serving it to others.

⚒ FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 8 TO 10 ⚒ open

[steelmyself]

[ The building takes shape progressively over the following days—

By the end of Friday the sunken walls are intact and work has begun on a roof made of leaves and twigs reinforced with magecraft to a strength that can withstand storms--or at least, so they hope.

By the time Saturday is over, items have been hauled out of apparently nowhere into the new little building. A large grill set over a newly-made firepit and some simple shelves and racks with a handful of pots and pans stored in them appear to start with. After that, Shirou and Archer spend most of the rest of the day putting together a strange person-sized contraption; they'd probably finish sooner if Archer didn't keep needling Shirou with verbal barbs.

Sunday, at last, is a quieter affair, as Rin mercifully takes over the operation, busying herself setting up strange magical runes about the little kitchen: spells of automation and protection.

In the end, all they need, at last, is food. ]