thehometree | But my life is more than a vision--

Entry tags:

But my life is more than a vision--

| 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.

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[ 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.

[ 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... ]

[ 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... ]

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

[ 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. ]

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. ]

[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]

[ 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?

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.

[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]

[ 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.

[ 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.

I know that. [he hugs that berry tighter because he can't do much of anything else in front of him without dropping him] Until I can think of something better, I'm looking for the flavor right now.

[and that was when Archer said something that be really shouldn't have listened to, but...

he's listening to Archer. Damn it.]

You have a plan?

It's possible to create fire out at a distance from the tree.

[ He faces Shirou squarely and forces himself not to think too much about just who it is he's talking to, who it is he's addressing as an ally. Rin--and probably Saber too--requires better food. That trumps his petty grudge. ]

I propose we build a kitchen out by the mist.

Foolishness? [ Her body trembles in his hold as she weakly raises a hand to rest over her eyes to keep some of the rainwater away from it. ]

A little bit of rain won't stop me from continuing our work.

I see.

[ She's trembling. Rin Tohsaka shouldn't tremble--she should stand straight and proud. Something in him aches. What is it? It can't be his heart; he sacrificed that a long time ago. ]

Then, Rin, I shall oppose you and end this.

[ His hands suddenly tighten on her waist. ]

Seriously?! [the prospect of fire and potentially greater meals for his houseguests and anyone else that may need it also trumps his uneasy feelings towards the man in red. over the time that he'd come to know and face him, one thing was always a certainty with Archer. he was honest. whether he told the full truth or not, he wasn't a liar either. which meant that even if there was more to this than he was letting on...he could at least trust what was told by him. he'd ask how he found out later, or thank whoever did discover the use of fire away from the tree] I guess it makes sense... If the tree has something like a bounded field around it that repels fire, no wonder Tohsaka couldn't do anything. [it was the best that he could do as her apprentice to rationalize the situation]

Alright. I'm in. [he still wanted to drop the blueberry off at home at least so he could try and use it later until this said kitchen was completed, but...]

The kitchen appliances are going to be a challenge...

I thought we agreed to-?

[ Was he going to undo all of their hard work after he asked for her help? Her hand falls back to her side, discouraged easily by his words. ]

Mmm.

We'll return to our work after the storm and repair what has been lost then.

[ And suddenly he's scooping her up into his arms to hold her as if she's a princess to be carried. ]

For now, my Master will be my captive until she's safe.

Hmmm. For now, let's just make a room for cooking. We can attempt solutions for cleaning later. There's one machine I'd like to make, but we should be able to put that together--

[ He pauses, here, and adds something he considers important, something he can't help but bring up. ]

Incidentally, don't talk as if you know anything about Rin's magecraft; she is at a level far above you, and you'll never be suited to be anything like an apprentice to her.

Hey, watch it! [ The fire that hasn't been drowned out flares up again within her. ] You can't just pick me up and carry me off wherever you please!

[ Except he's doing just that. Her tiny body curls up in his arms, unconsciously relieved that she no longer has to stand up to the torrential downpour on her own. ]

Are you really capturing me? That's not fair at all.

[ah, so they were going to use projection to create them. for Shirou, it wasn't something he was used to, but that should have been easier for him now. for now, he'd follow Archer's lead, if not toss in his own ideas and create the little necessities. there were frying pans to consider, woks, proper knives and other utensils for pulling apart meat if they smoked it and-]

... [his gaze narrows at Archer. did he really want to argue with him over this now? he was the one that proposed they make a kitchen. even if hearing that from him pissed him off. that was his words, not what Shirou Emiya believed]

[fishing for his gemstone in his pocket, he grabs it as the dragonfly wings flash into existence on his back, holding onto the blueberry as he begins to float in the air. it wasn't heavy in his arms, but if they were going to get started, they better move. after bringing it home, he'd follow Archer's lead]

I'm going to drop this off at home. I'll follow you to where we're gonna start putting up this kitchen after.

Very well.

[ Some lingering irritation, though, pushes him to continue as he watches Shirou lift into the air before him. He hates the sight, hates seeing him fly free like that. ]

But remember you'll only bring a girl like Rin Tohsaka inconvenience and frustration if you try to follow after her.

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But my life is more than a vision--

⚒ MONDAY, MAY 4 ⚒ closed to Shirou

⚒ TUESDAY, MAY 5 ⚒ open

⚒ TUESDAY, MAY 5, NIGHT ⚒ closed to Rin

⚒ THURSDAY, MAY 7 ⚒ open

⚒ FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY, MAY 8 TO 10 ⚒ open

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