Rin grips the handrail while going downstairs, her steps shaky, her eyes marred with bags from a sleepless night, her glower intensifying when she sees the cause cooking in her kitchen, whistling, smiling, and enjoying life.
'I so want to strangle you…'
"Morning Red, how you-Woah…"
Lancer's smile falls when he sees the worse than usual morning mess that is Rin Tohsaka.
"Didn't you get any sleep last night?" He asks while trying not to look at her squinted eyes.
She almost attacks when she sees Sella enter the room with a contended yawn in casual clothes while brushing down some of her bed head.
"My, aren't you relaxed?" Rin says, making Sella glance away.
"Is it…that obvious?"
"Yes." Rin says at the same time as Rider and Archer materialize in the room.
Archer sneezes, and Rider coughs a moment.
"…Did you two catch a cold?" Sella asks.
"Yes." Archer says.
"No…my throat is sore from singing all night to drown out the…uh…" Medusa trails off, trying to find a word.
"Night long noise complaint from your room." Rin says, making Sella blush brightly before leaving the room with a cute squeak.
Cu looks away while finishing the breakfast and bringing it to Sella.
'I thought things would get better…' Rin thinks before sitting down to breakfast.
"Archer, you can make things other than weapons right?"
"I…guess? Divine weapons and Excalibur are beyond me, but I can do repairs. Do you want to me to make insulation for their room?"
"No, I want you to make money to pay for a hotel room."
"Absolutely not. First off, there is an exceptional amount of security measure in currency to prevent counterfeiting, and second that is just plain wrong."
"Do you want to go through another night like this?"
"Hearing Medusa sing again would be very nice." Archer says making Rider blush again.
"Then I guess I have no other choice." Rin says while getting up and getting ready.
"Where are you going?"
"The temple…we can't take another night like this, especially since we only have 3 days left! We need to be in top shape, and make some semblance of a plan if we are to have any chance against those bastards and whatever they are planning!"
===
"You're…a bad girl…" Shirou says with vacant eyes.
Gilgamesh would normally reprimand him for that lackluster delivery.
But he is too tired from his own sessions to muster the energy.
"You are…a true Jezebel…" Kirei says with equally vacant eyes.
"Seriously? I kinda dug the holy thing you're doing when this started but this is getting too much! Can you be less preachy?"
They all look at each other and hang up at the same time with the same thought.
'Fuck Rin and her extortion.'
===
Rin sluggishly goes up the steps, taking a few breaks to wake herself so she doesn't trip and fall backwards.
"What are you doing To-" Issei stops when Rin looks at him with pinpoint hollow eyes. Issei remains rooted in place even after she leaves.
'That glare…it was like a gorgon!' Issei thinks while shivering in the sun.
Meanwhile Rin finds Kazuma making Saber and Illya pose reluctantly in either white armor with red accents and a horned helm, or a school girl uniform respectively.
Leysritt meanwhile is wearing a black frilly dress, boots, and has a blindfold over one eye so she can see as she follows every instruction with zeal.
"…Why is she enjoying this?" Saber asks.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I think she's so bored from maid duties, anything else is a thrill…"
"You must really suck as a master." Rin says.
"How dare yo-oh God!" Illya pales from Rin's glare.
"You're scaring the talent, get out!" Kazuma says.
"I want her back."
"What?!" Kazuma and Illya say at the same time. Then Illya grins.
"Did your blackmail backfire?~"
"Horribly…" Rin says, making Illya freeze from the direct honesty.
"…You must be tired if you're not even arguing…" Kazuma says.
"I am…"
"…Are you willing to do an-"
"Yes."
Everyone present looks on in silence.
After a moment Kazuma speaks.
"What the Hell happened last night?"
"Lancer has 'Battle Continuation', and so does Sella." Rin says in monotone.
"I could have gone without hearing that…" Illya says with vacant eyes.
"Try hearing it all night." Rin says before sneezing.
"Great…I got Archer's cold too…" Rin mutters before sneezing again.
Kazuma waits a moment before raising a hand, drawing sour looks from all the women.
Even Medea looks flatly at him.
Leysritt even stopped grinning.
"Go ahead…I'll even risk flashing on the way back if it gets me a decent night's sleep." Rin says with vacant eyes.
"Cure Poison." Kazuma says and a magic glow appears around Rin, and a moment later she stands straighter, eye bags gone, eyes darting in shock.
"I…feel better? I even feel like I had a good night's sleep!"
"That spell gets rid of poison and toxins…guess it helps with sleep deprivation too." Kazuma says and Rin looks at him a moment longer in silence.
'Huh…That was surprisingly dec- wait a minute…'
"…Do you just want me wide awake for whatever deranged outfit you want me to wear to get peace for the next 3 days?"
"That is one reason. I also figured we should probably go over the plan a few times since we only have 3 days, and you looking like Rider's legend wasn't going to help."
"…Fair enough." Rin says and they go into a room to discuss the plan.
===
Archer materializes back onto the roof with a pot of tea and two cups. Rider is covering her ears.
He pours a cup and starts humming loudly so Rider can drink without hearing the limit testing of a mattress.
"Thank you…I'm surprised you're here again after the cold."
"I recover quickly. Besides, the tea will help and I thought it would help with your throat after the strain last night."
"…I would have offered to make some but, I am not much help in a kitchen."
"You do seem unused to it, which is hardly surprising." Archer says drawing a frown from Medusa.
"That came out poorly…I meant because you are a servant."
"So are you, and your meals are delicious."
"I am unusual among servants. The vast majority were warriors or rulers or other figures that we're not known for proficiency in domestic matters."
"Heracles did clean stables as one of his labors." Rider says with a grin.
"Somehow I don't think causing a flood counts." Archer says, getting a small laugh from Medusa before they sip in silence.
Then they hear the stress testing again.
"…It is getting late. Want to help me with dinner?"
"Did you forget how pitiful I am in the kitchen?"
"Would you rather stay up here with-"
"Lead the way."
===
"I get what we are supposed to do, but…" Saber trails off, now back in her usual attire.
"How are you going to distract Gilgamesh? I doubt he'll fall for the same trick you used before." Medea says.
"I…got that covered." Kazuma says, drawing suspicious glances from Illya and Saber.
"I have plenty of experience in distracting foes much stronger than myself…or at least annoying them into tunnel vision." Kazuma says and they all look at him before realizing he is right.
"…I feel a little hurt you didn't even try to talk me out of that dangerous task."
"You excel a being an unpardonable pest; you angered me into using my Noble Phantasm on the first night." Saber says.
"You made the last day a living Hell with fabric." Illya says.
"That too." Saber says.
"I thought it was nice." Leysritt says.
"Likewise." Medea says, getting looks from Saber and Illya. Then they look at each other and smile, making Medea feel a chill.
"You still annoy and puzzle me even now." Rin says.
"How do I puzzle you?" Kazuma asks.
"Uh…well you-"
"By my command seal, I order you to put on this outfit!" Saber says, making Medea gasp before standing up and walking, bag in hand to the changing room.
"…I'm surprised you didn't think of that sooner." Kazuma says.
"Some of us have standards~." Saber says with a smile as Medea leaves the room, gasping once more as she sees the outfit.
"Kazuma help!" Medea shouts.
"How?!"
"Bribe Saber again!"
"I can't! I was banned from the kitchen! They have a 24/7 watch for me!"
"You were what?! How did you get banned from the kitchen?! Your meals were your only redeeming quality you bastard!" Saber shouts with a slam on the table.
"It's because I refused to shave my head!"
"Then shave it, you degenerate! I'll help!" Saber says, Excalibur in hand now.
"Think we are getting side tracked…And should you really be using a holy sword to cut hair? Seems more likely you'll scalp him." Leysritt says.
"I'm sure he can survive a little scalping."
"Not sure anyone can…And he has some decent qualities." Rin says before blinking at her own words.
"You're just saying that because you're both cut from the same depraved amoral cloth…Magical Baby girl." Saber says, drawing a glare from Rin.
"You really want to talk about morals, miss seduced by steak?"
"I wasn't seduced, I was bribed!"
"Oh, what a world of difference….we both know you open your mouth real easy whenever meat is brought up~." Rin says with a shrug of her shoulders.
"You say that like you didn't deserve it." Saber says, a cracking sound from her knuckles as she tightens the grip on her blade.
"You say that like a woman wronged~."
Saber points her blade at Rin.
Rin brings out a giant jewel and raises her other hand, ready to bring Archer here.
"Yeeeees, it's happening again!" Leysritt says, halberd ready, making Illya look flatly at her while drinking tea.
"…So what are my other decent qualities~?" Kazuma asks, making Rin point the jewel at Kazuma with red cheeks. Saber nudges the sword against Rin's neck.
"Answer the question, you scarlet wench." Artoria says with a smirk.
"…I shouldn't be surprised you're taking his side since he's feeding you lots of mana~."
"Watch your-" Saber stops when she sees Rin poke out her cheek with her tongue.
Saber raises her sword, making it glow.
Rin starts to channel mana into the jewel.
Kazuma starts to panic.
"EX-"
Saber stops when she feels Leysritt's halberd against her neck and three of Illya's birds perch on her arms and head.
"Will you calm down?! I may not have much time left, but I want to live it damn it!" Illya shouts.
"What do you mean you don't have-" Kazuma starts to ask until Saber turns the blade onto Leysritt's neck.
"You think I have a strength rank lower than B like those two idiots?" Saber asks Leysritt.
"You think I wouldn't want to try, O cross dresser of Camelot?" Leysritt says, making Saber stammer before shaking with fury.
"I think we are getting a little too-" Kazuma starts before a scream outside nearly makes them all attack each other.
Going outside they see Medea crimson cheeked in a revealing dancer outfit of white thigh socks, sashes of whiter material barely covering her chest and groin, now further helped by her arms as she looks at the equally red faced Issei.
"You will forget this sight!" Medea squeaks out.
"I will never forget this sight." Issei says, making Medea form tears at her eyes until she tries again and fails.
She eventually succeeds in making Issei think it is a lurid day dream instead.
She then runs away to change back to her normal attire.
The women look at Kazuma in shock.
"How…were you planning to make me wear that?!" Saber asks.
Kazuma is unable to respond, still enthralled by seeing Medea in that outfit, the memory rendering him unable to respond even among the glares from the trio.
"How many of that outfit do you have?" Leysritt asks with a smile, making the trio look at her in shock.
"By my Command Seal, return Rule Breaker to me Saber!"
"But I don't have- ACK!" Saber yells out when Rule Breaker lodges itself into her head, making her fall to the ground.
She gets up and walks over to Medea, knife still in her head, until she gets closer and pulls out of her head, handing it to Medea with the most venomous glare, maintaining it even as she is stabbed again.
"…I don't think this alliance is going to last another here days…" Rin says.
"The outfit was from a surprise package…I'll return the one outfit and talk to the store owner about this…you can also have Illya back to help maintain sanity on your end." Kazuma says.
"Thanks…Would it be possible for me to learn that spell?"
"I'm not sure…learning magic from that world probably works differently than here."
"Shame…Would be useful for me." Rin says before leaving with Illya. They stop when they see Leysritt stand there.
"...I think I should stay here to help make sure Saber doesn't kill them."
"…You want to dress up more don't you?" Illya asks.
"That is one reason…I also think Saber is ready to go on a killing spree."
"…I'll send Rider over here to help keep the peace." Rin says.
"Thanks…" Kazuma says as they leave the temple and separate, Rin and Illya for Rin's place, and Kazuma to this special clothing store.
Illya looks up at Rin.
"So what are his other good qualities~?" Illya asks.
Rin grabs a fistful of Illya's hair and drags her back by her hair the entire walk back.
===
The walk back eventually ends, and Rin lets go of Illya's hair. They enter and hear whispers in the kitchen.
"Was this what you meant by help~?"
"No…But I'm not against this if you a-" Archer stops when he sees Rin and Illya come around the corner, both of them open mouthed at seeing Rider with Emiya's arms wrapped around her, her hand caressing his cheek in return.
They separate, Archer with slightly red cheeks and scratching the back of his head, and Medusa with fully red cheeks as she flees, dematerializing in mid run.
"…Dinner is almost ready."
"What the Hell Archer? I specifically got her back to deal with those two!" Rin says as specks of ceiling material fall on top of Rin and Illya as a now familiar creaking is heard above them. Illya looks up with wide eyes.
"Is…that…"
"Yes…"
"Oh my God…And I thought Kazuma made the temple a den of sin, but you outdone him in spades Tohsaka!"
Rin drags Illya up the stairs.
"I don't want to see that!"
"Too bad!" Rin says with a sadistic smile.
'…Eh, only got 2 days now, I'll do that later tonight.' Emiya thinks as squeaking screams are heard a moment later.
===
"Welcome! Here to make a purchase so soon?" A red haired girl in a white coat, black mini skirt, and black leggings says as she returns to the counter.
"I didn't expect you back, so what would you-" She stops when Kazuma places the bag with dancer outfit in front of her.
"I'm returning this."
"Oh, really? Thought for sure you would like that surprise outfit…"
"I…do, but it caused a lot of issues." Kazuma says and the red head tilts her head, her side ponytail swaying slightly.
"Surprising…None of the other outfits did?" She asks while taking the outfit back and begins the process of refunding Kazuma.
"They did, but none like this Ritsuka."
"Call me Gudako. Think we are beyond formalities after this many purchases."
"Sorry…guess I'm just not used to normal girls after this long."
"…Are you falling for me?"
"No!"
"Didn't think I was that repulsive…"
"No, you're cute and- wait…I forgot your brother mentioned you're kind of a smartass…which makes sense with what you sell here." Kazuma says, making Gudako blow a raspberry at him.
"…You're lucky to have such great variety of clothing."
"Not lucky, I got connections…do you want to do an exchange instead since you're here? Got some new outfits an hour ago."
"You know it!"
