towerofanimus | arrival

Entry tags:

arrival | open

Characters: Sakura Matou and YOU
Setting: Dorm Floors, Library, and Cafeteria though meeting her in between floors works as well.
Format: Action, while I can do prose it takes me longer
Summary: Sakura arrives, becomes confused, and then becomes even MORE confused after meeting the people she meets. And then she solves her problems with cooking. That's legit, right?
Warnings: None for the actual post but I know the thread between her and Rin is probably going to get violent. I'll add more if needed.

[Dormitory Floors]

[ After arriving and eating her god awful oatmeal, Sakura enters room 1-01 to find her things and take stock of everything that she's arrived with in her trunk. Not a lot, but it's still comforting to find that she has some things from home. After perhaps talking with a few roommates, she exits her room and wanders on the other dorm floors, mostly to try to find anyone she knows. Particularly Senpai, Nee-san, or Rider, but for some reason she has a feeling that they aren't here. ]

[Library]

[ While she's not a book worm by any means, she knows that being here without any knowledge is a bad idea. Sakura's a smart girl so she hits the books, trying to flip through and find any information about where she's stuck at.

Of course, she's not having much of any luck. ]

[Cafeteria]

[ After all of that, she decides to relax a bit by cooking a meal later in the day. Fried rice is on the menu, served over the best cuts of fish she could find in the Tower's stock with tons of veggies and other goodies stuffed into the rice. She's even cooked a sauce with a bit of spice to it to serve over it. She made enough for multiple people, and she doesn't particularly care who comes to eat, so feel free to serve yourself and join her for a meal. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She knew Kariya was here, and she had already met one. But two?

And this one had black hair. His face was unharmed, except for one blinded eye.

Really, she'd had just enough of the second magic for one day as she could handle. Forgive her if she's not as enthusiastic as he is, she's still happy to see him, but she's still a bit wary. ]

Uncle. You must be hungry. Sit down, I'll grab you a serving.

[Considering most of his enthusiasm didn't manage to get through at all, it's only natural that the reactions are in relative equilibrium on both sides. Sakura has always been more muted than Rin with her expressions, even if that means nothing for how deeply she feels.

She's always reminded him a little of himself in that way.]

Ah... Thanks.

[He takes a seat without further ceremony, mostly because he's still pretty bewildered, and seguing naturally into worry over the fact that she's actually here. It can't have been easy on her, considering all the landmines waiting in the Tower for anyone from the War.]

When did you arrive? Is everything all right?

[Worried uncle time is go.]

[ She serves him a large plate of food, probably too large for him to actually eat, and sits down across from him. ]

Just today. And yes, I'm fine.

You appear to be doing better as well.

[ Yes, that was a casual comment on his appearance. She sounds a little aloof about it, considering that she thinks it means that this Kariya didn't stand by her. Granted, she thought that made him a bit smarter than the other Kariya, but Sakura was still going to be bitter about it. ]

[It is definitely way too much, and though on the days where Shirou got around to cooking at home the portions were plentiful, this... might be on another level entirely. The intention is clear, at any rate.

It's as embarrassing as it is touching to have his niece tacitly comment on his diet like this. He looks up, though, at her words, carefully putting down the utensil he'd just picked up.]

... I'm glad you're adjusting. [She doesn't seem entirely all right, but he can keep an eye on that until they're past the initial confusion. Because--] So you've met the other me, huh?

[He... might be trying pretty hard to sound casual, too. The other him is still a touchy subject, even if he doesn't want to alert Sakura or anyone else important to the fact. The problem is between he and himself.]

Edited 2013-03-18 04:43 (UTC)

Yes. That Kariya is the one that I am more familiar with. I don't like to remember much from my childhood, but I do remember that he suffered. You appear to be much healthier than him, and I am glad.

[ She isn't trying to be antagonistic, just honest. To her, an uncle is an uncle, a cherished family member no matter what. But she has to understand how they differed and why. ]

Edited 2013-03-18 04:50 (UTC)

[That... He should have been prepared for that. There's a lot loaded into those few sentences, and none of it is anything he wants to hear. But he'll listen, because this is Sakura and she more than has the right. It's this Tower's nature, of course, to reach into the past and yank loose as many threads as possible.

He's not sure, at times, that he knows what to hold on to anymore.

Outwardly, Kariya drops his eyes, picks up his spoon again and digs it into his food a little listlessly. He doesn't think he would taste it if he tried it now, and what a pity that would be. His voice is quiet.]

Your last name, Sakura -- what is it?

Matou.

[ Had it been possible that he was from Rin's world? Maybe. She'd know soon enough if her family name made any difference to him. ]

[For a moment, he does forget to breathe -- but only for that second, because he was braced for it. He's not stupid. Talking about that ghost of him in the past tense, with that hair and those eyes...

He would have to blind his other eye not to see what was right in front of him.

Instead, he leaves his seat, makes his way around the table where they're both sitting, and carefully puts his arms around her. It's a light hug, undemanding, but getting there has dragged up the courage and the words he couldn't find.]

I'm sorry. [He speaks very softly; it helps the illusion that his voice is steady.] Since he isn't there anymore... You can blame me, if you want. I am the head of the Matou clan.

[He smiles, a little self-deprecating. The words are familiar: last time, they'd been on paper. Is this the first time he's managed to say them to 'her'?]

[ The hug feels awkward at first, but Sakura manages to close her eyes and try to savor the moment. Maybe she really had been a Tohsaka to him. But shouldn't that have been apparent by the color of her hair?

She had so many unanswered questions, and most of them she didn't even know how to ask for. She doesn't hug back, but she will lean slightly into her uncle. ]

I don't blame you, I can't blame anyone. This is my burden and no one else's.

[ Even if she was lead down a path with thorns, she still traveled that path, and therefore all of the consequences were hers to live with and hers alone. Sakura would always have to live with the fact that she killed tens, maybe even hundreds of people during the fifth war and there was nothing she could do to change that. All she could do is live without doubting herself and try to live as much as possible for all of those people that never got the chance to. ]

[He lets go, doesn't try to prolong it too much -- she's not his niece, just as Shinji isn't his nephew. He'll always have moments where he forgets to take care with the distinction, but this, at least, isn't one of those moments.

Instead, he sits beside her, and almost as an afterthought tugs his plate across the table. It's a strange time to take the small bite that he does, but if he lets it get cold, she'll probably never forgive him and he wouldn't forgive himself, either.

After a moment, he begins speaking again. It's still quiet, but oddly, a lot more awkward.]

If it's a burden that in any way came from being a Matou, then we share it. [It's strange to sit here and say this to a girl he technically barely knows, but she is Sakura, and she deserves to hear it even if he probably can't do much to help with whatever it is she's carrying.] I know it's... hard to think of the Matous as a family. It may be impossible. There are too many things-- ah, I'm not getting this right, am I?

[He takes another bite, thoughtfully. It's familiar, this atmosphere. The little girl in his memories has unmistakably grown up a Matou, sad as it is.]

I guess what I want to say is that no matter what your name is or what's happened... Sakura is my niece. You are my niece. And if there's anything you need or-- don't need from me, let me know. Okay?

[ Even though she always knew it was impossible she really always did want to be a family. To get along with the Matous. That's probably the only reason she endured Shinji as long as she did.

But he was still wrong. Wrong about them sharing the burden of being a Matou. There's no way that Kariya could have been carved into a vessel for the holy grail. He couldn't possibly understand how it felt to turn on everyone you love and try to destroy them by any means necessary. ]

You don't need to tell me that we're related, and I that can count on you. Nothing can change that, regardless of what your reasons were for not participating in the fourth war.

[ Yes, she just did go and assume that. Sakura was never very good at trusting in people, and had even doubted the man she loved and her own sister at one point. Besides, she certainly wouldn't have blamed him, and would have considered him the smarter of the two Kariyas. ]

[Being a Matou makes you into a lot of things, but 'family' is probably among the least of them. The mansion has been a house of glass walls since he was born, proof against anyone's efforts to do more than crack them. They might even be older than Zouken. Just how many generations of Matous have cursed this family? Their karma had to come from somewhere.

And Sakura was family long before she was a Matou.

It makes her words hit all the harder, but maybe that was necessary, to crack that glass wall. He'd never even stopped to contemplate the thought, never mind the fact that she'd think it.

... It's not surprising that she'd think it of him.]

Sakura. I did fight in the Fourth War. [There's a certain resignation in his voice.] I don't have proof, other than being a magus, but please believe me.

[ Sakura lets that sink in, thinking about it for a bit. All she could think of was a myriad of possibilities which only seemed more impossible than the next. ]

I suppose for whatever reason your body acclimated to our magecraft better than you did in my world. I apologize, I made an assumption that was incorrect.

[ Though she's still going to assume that he died during the fourth war as well. After all, in her mind, him living to see the fifth war would have been impossible. ]

... You don't have to be so formal. [It's disorienting enough to try to dissociate her from the Sakura he knows when she looks just the same, even if he's pretty sure he could distinguish them otherwise. It's just uncomfortable to have her talking to him in such a stiff way on top of it.] This entire Tower is filled with Second Magic, it can be a little hard to navigate. So you don't need to apologize.

[He sighs a little, wondering what else he's overlooked. He has some idea of what kind of world she must have come from, even if he doesn't want to. The Tower seems so intent on mocking him; it's no longer a surprise.]

I was born with enough magic to sustain the Crest Worms, and Berserker. You've met... the other Kariya Matou here?

A-Ah, I apologize. [ The request made her drop her guard a bit, but she'll do her best to comply. Sakura does want him to be comfortable around her, he's still Uncle... ]

I have met him, yes. As you can tell, he was not born as fortunate as you were.

[And there she goes, apologizing right after he told her not to. It forces him to suppress a smile, but Kariya doesn't remark on it, because he knows how it goes. Even if he'd rather have avoided the other topic.

He doesn't have the first clue how to approach it, even if it's inevitable -- not with Sakura. The only thing he knows is that she shouldn't be troubled by the fact that her uncles can't resolve things between themselves. That's the one thing she should never have to see.

After a long moment, the words he finally manages are somehow matter-of-fact.]

No, he wasn't. He's stable, though -- he probably gets some help here in the Tower.

[It's help he wouldn't otherwise get, if Kariya knows himself and the War; but he keeps that part to himself.]

I'm very glad to hear that. But I'm just as glad to see that you're doing well.

[ Less for her to worry about, since in her eyes she's going to have to mother the other Kariya a bit... and try to figure out who all was helping him. Sakura has a lot of pies to bake... ]

I'm doing just fine. Even for us, though, it's an adjustment, isn't it? Though you've probably not been here long enough to see much of the Tower.

[And if he knows Zouken, and the Matou magecraft, he doubts Sakura is as prepared for this place as she could be. It's honestly difficult to say which alternative is preferable in a situation like hers.]

[But still, in that case, he has responsibilities as her uncle that he can't ignore. His next words are considerably more serious.]

This isn't a safe place, Sakura. That's something you need to keep in mind while we're here -- the cafeteria and the dormitory rooms are all right, but you should avoid going most other places alone. I don't know if they're summoned creatures or just wildlife here-- [wildlife in a tower, really] --but there are a lot of them.

[A moment to let it sink in, then he relents, going back to his food.]

I'll do my best to help you, but you need to be careful, all right?

[ She wants to protest, but even she understands how useless her magic is here. If anything, during a tight spot, she'd probably be in the way instead of being helpful.

So instead, she just slaps on another smile. ]

I understand, I'll do my best to be careful. But when you say wildlife... do you mean wild animals, or something else?

Edited 2013-03-26 04:13 (UTC)

It's hard to give a name to all of them -- there are some in the shape of animals, and others in the shapes of people or toys, so you can never be too careful. They're manifestations of the Tower. Some floors are particularly dangerous.

[He hums thoughtfully, turning a brief, contemplative look on his not-quite niece. He's not normally an expert in self-defense, even with all his unwilling experience, but Sakura, too, is a Matou magus. There are certain things he can do for her that he otherwise can't.

One of which is raising the level of her magecraft, but that possibility is easily discarded. It's selfish of him, in a way, but that's the one thing he absolutely won't do.

When he starts speaking again, it's a little abrupt--]

If you ever need help, just call for me. One of my familiars will be nearby.

[He hasn't made anyone else aware of their surveillance, but this Sakura might be able to understand. In some way. Rin, too, is far too aware of the Worms and what they can do -- but she's far too headstrong to accept more direct protection.]

[ She manages a nod. Sakura's trying to imagine the monsters that might lurk around and was hoping to get a more clear idea of what she was getting herself into by just being here; but it seemed like even Kariya didn't know what to expect. Not a good sign. ]

I can manage that. I have a servant of my own here as well, so I should be just fine.

I don't know if anyone's made a catalog, but-- Ah. [He looks down at his food in an inexplicable fit of embarrassment, which just comes across as a sudden stumble in his speech.] I have been taking some pictures. Some of the creatures are a little hard to capture, but those might be more helpful than descriptions.

[Yes, uncle does stroll around the Tower snapping candid photos of the wildlife. It's not exactly his area of expertise, but it's at least helpful enough for him to remember what to send a single Worm after and what to run away from really fast.

He just hadn't thought to show it to anyone else so far.]

... You said you have a Servant? [He's not sure why he didn't expect that. If Sakura is the Matou heir, then--] That does help. I'll be able to sleep easier, too.

[All these mixed blessings.]

Who is it?

I would love to see them sometime.

[ Not only would it be incredibly helpful, but Kariya drawing is something that she wants to see as well. ]

It's... ah, well, it's the black Saber here. I don't know if you've met her yet, but please, keep in mind that just like every servant, she has my best intentions in mind.

[ She honestly has no idea how Alter Saber would get along with Kariya, but her instincts say that they wouldn't get along too well... ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

arrival | open

It's true, everyone loves free food that they don't need to cook themselves HAH

If they don't there's something wrong with them!!!

Basically her cooking is almost as good as Shirou's if not better

I need to replay F/SN ufufu more like Food/STAY NIGHT

Fate/Stay In The Kitchen

Fate/Stay Hungry

Heaven's Cooking

Unlimited Bowl Works

Unlimited Feast Works

Unlimited Blade Worms okay no I ruined it goodbye

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