[ On the other end of the spectrum, Gray tuned out what Rin was saying about a sentence in, in favor of immediately trotting over to greet their errant mage. Unlike everyone else in the immediate vicinity, she's honest with her emotions and wears an open smile as she approaches. There's clearly something going on with Rin's appearance, but that's a smaller matter next to the simple fact that Rin is alive. ]
Rin! I'm so glad...
[ As she reaches Rin, she neglects to slow down; she takes advantage of her head-start by fully running into Rin with a relieved hug. Lately, she's lost some of her dearest friends — so a friend returned feels all the more precious. ]
[Reflexively her arms wrap around the smaller girl, and in an effort not to stumble and fall down into one of the precious flowerbeds, Rin lets them twirl around once in a circle so that the weight of Gray's momentum goes somewhere. Gently she lets Gray back down on her feet as color floods Tohsaka's cheeks.
How completely unfair for her to be so warm and cute! Her blush is interrupted a little by a patch of scales near her cheek, but that's no matter. Her gaze looks up to see if Mordred will still be intent on sending her back to The Tree after just getting back while Gray remains in her arms.]
[ Even Mordred isn't immune to the sight of a happy reunion hug... so instead of committing any acts of violence, she clicks her tongue and tries (fails) not to smile. Just looking at her, it's obvious that she wants to join in, but her stubbornness wins out — she decides that Gray has things covered, and opts to cross her arms instead, as if Banishing All Hug Thoughts. ]
Tch... seriously? You worry too much, idiot mouse. I told you she'd be fine!
[ But her lively attitude fades almost as quickly as it came. ]
What's with the new parts? [ For the third time, she asks about Rin's condition with absolutely no subtlety, and also completely ruins the mood. 🥳 ]
[ Gray sets back down on her feet and lets Rin go, satisfied. She steps back next to Mordred with her relief undeterred, the admonition sweeping past her. ]
Mm, well... Apparently I was strong enough to be considered for the hunting of my shard and experimentation of my body.
[So Dark's assumption that "she has to be dead not to yell at me," was right. Tohsaka sighs and fidgets with her bangs a little to better hide where the horns meet her skin.]
Hunting? Experimentation? The hell are you talking about?
[ She knows it's stupid to just echo Rin's words back at her, but she's honestly too stunned to do anything else. Her expression darkens, though she does her best to keep her tone level; the threats of a moment ago replaced by open concern. ]
Time out for a sec. Ignoring all that crap... [ as utterly impossible and ridiculous-sounding as that might be, ] right now, are you okay? Not okay-okay, but okay enough that you won't go dyin' on us — I mean, on the mouse? And don't you dare lie.
[She feels it. The urge to use her powers to hush them up. It's like an itch. Like spider legs crawling under her skin. As it is... she's able to stop herself from doing so by looking at their faces. Knowing they both care enough to be upset.
Rin takes them both by the hand, and leads them back to the original plots of land sectioned off for her and Mordred. Where the truthblooms flourish.]
I won't be able to lie by these flowers. Will that be enough for you?
[ Oblivious to the h*nd h*lding, Mordred lets herself be led, wondering what Rin's intentions are... then makes a noise of understanding when she sees the flowers. ]
Oh, I get it. That's why they're called Truthblooms! And that means... everything you said about me back then was absolutely, completely, one-hundred-percent true!
[ To Gray: ] You'll never believe it, mouse. Red said she—
[ Foolishly, she stops to grin at Rin before she finishes her statement, giving her time to be killed. ]
[ Gray lets herself be led as well, only blinking once at the gentler-than-expected touch of Rin's hand. Before she can think too much about it, her attention is being drawn to the truthblooms. What powerful flowers...
She waits with open curiosity for Mordred to finish her line. What did Red say!! ]
[ Concern immediately floods Gray's expression, her hand tightening around Rin's. Any installation or removal a magic crest is supposed to be painful even when compatibility exists between mage and crest, so for one to be forced upon her...
That said, mages are proud creatures who don't like attention being drawn to their struggles, so Gray reins in her outward worry as much as she can, aside from her grip on Rin's hand. ]
[Gently she pushes up her sleeve on her left arm to reveal the false crest. The turquoise portions glow as she gently makes to activate and reveal her family crest. The fake looks like an unnatural expansion of what she inherited from her father.
Tohsaka's brows furrow, and a cold sweat breaks out along her hairline. With grinding teeth she worries at the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from falling into the urge to cast even just a little bit of Zenith born magic on either of them. Only when the iron taste of her own blood slides down her throat does she let the two crests fade. The darker outline of the false crest remains when the bluish glow fades. Much like a tattoo.]
[ Mordred's overly dramatic hopping comes to a grinding halt once she sees the state of Rin's crest(s), and she stares intently at the other girl's arm as the lines fade. ]
Tch... this sorta shit's way too familiar to me. My old lady was always using other people's lives as pawns in whatever fucked-up plans she concocted. [ Growling: ] It pisses me off! I mean, it really pisses me off! Kill people the normal way, you goddamn freaks!
[ All typical Mordred reactions... but just as quickly as she riled herself up, she's suddenly all business. ]
But we have bigger concerns right now. Red, would that medicine you use help with this? If not, is there something else you can think of? Even if there's just a chance of it working, no matter how slim, don't you dare hold back with your suggestions. The two of us will aid you however we can — right, mouse?
[ Gray is relieved for Rin that her family crest is intact, though it's still concerning that there's an alien element attached to it. Knowing how much goes into the cultivation of a mage's crest, seeing one appended like this drops a sick feeling into Gray's gut.
She nods in ready agreement with Mordred, even if she has no clue how non-mages like the two of them could help. ]
What does that... false crest do? Is it interfering with your family crest?
Not as far as I can tell. Aetos had said it was an enhancement, and I am assuming it is simply their imitation of a mage crest with different rules.
[Because even if the mysterious figure had explained it, Rin isn't sure she trusts it fully. Everything could be some test, an experiment with variables that she wasn't made aware of. After all, it's not as if you can tell your little lab rat everything — right?
Rin tongues at the blister on the inside of her cheek. Slowly healing from when she bit down to prevent herself from crying in front of strangers. Though... in the end that proved futile too.]
I think I just need to get my discord stabilized. I really want to...
[To use it. To show them not to pity her, but to look on with awe and grand admiration.]
[ Is all she says to that, though there's an element of frustration in her voice. She hasn't cleansed discord for someone else before, but she still knows it's best done with someone from the opposite faction. In other words, not her. ]
Guess you're up, mouse. Don't worry — if she goes berserk, I'll hit her 'til she's unconscious. Then we can stabilize her while she's out.
[ If she goes berserk?? Gray is suddenly concerned about the idea of this nice reunion turning into an impromptu bludgeoning session. ]
Hopefully we won't need to go that far...
[ But either way, she's up for a bit of Discord-dispelling. She and Rin have already done it before, so she figures it should be straightforward. Gray steps closer, considering how they should do this efficiently. With Rin's level of Discord, it might take a bit more than just chatting to get things done in short time. In the end she settles for some nice, clean h*nd-h*lding, and reaches for Rin's hand accordingly. ]
So it was Aetos. Did they say why they wanted to do this to you?
[AHHHH IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE INITIATES IT. Tohsaka's cheeks start to glow with healthy color as her eyes dart off to look at... something else. Like the dirt.]
A-ah, yes. They had said they wanted sturdier shards to work on. I wasn't the only one there.
[ Even Gray can see that Rin is feeling awkward about the h*nd-h*lding, though it's very strange indeed that she'd feel that way when she initiated the h*lding of not just one, but two h*nds about a minute ago. Mages are strange creatures.
Gray ignores Mordred's goading and continues to stand there and hold Rin's h*nd at a normal pressure like a normal person, noting absently that it's a very nice h*nd. ]
[Tohsaka is ready to snap at Mordred, but Gray's question brings her back. Before she answers her hand twitches in Gray's grip — nervous about how the scales will feel in contrast to her normally unblemished skin.]
Hm, his name was Dokja, I believe.
[Sorry, buddy. She's just ratting you out. It's not like she gains anything from withholding the information.]
[ Gray looks like someone just smacked her across the face... Her hand tightens on Rin's unconsciously. Puzzle pieces are falling in place that she feels quite stupid for not putting together before. (She does not pay attention to Mordred.) ]
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Rin! I'm so glad...
[ As she reaches Rin, she neglects to slow down; she takes advantage of her head-start by fully running into Rin with a relieved hug. Lately, she's lost some of her dearest friends — so a friend returned feels all the more precious. ]
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[Reflexively her arms wrap around the smaller girl, and in an effort not to stumble and fall down into one of the precious flowerbeds, Rin lets them twirl around once in a circle so that the weight of Gray's momentum goes somewhere. Gently she lets Gray back down on her feet as color floods Tohsaka's cheeks.
How completely unfair for her to be so warm and cute! Her blush is interrupted a little by a patch of scales near her cheek, but that's no matter. Her gaze looks up to see if Mordred will still be intent on sending her back to The Tree after just getting back while Gray remains in her arms.]
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Tch... seriously? You worry too much, idiot mouse. I told you she'd be fine!
[ But her lively attitude fades almost as quickly as it came. ]
What's with the new parts? [ For the third time, she asks about Rin's condition with absolutely no subtlety, and also completely ruins the mood. 🥳 ]
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What happened? Everyone was worried about you.
[ Maybe not everyone, but manyone. ]
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[So Dark's assumption that "she has to be dead not to yell at me," was right. Tohsaka sighs and fidgets with her bangs a little to better hide where the horns meet her skin.]
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[ She knows it's stupid to just echo Rin's words back at her, but she's honestly too stunned to do anything else. Her expression darkens, though she does her best to keep her tone level; the threats of a moment ago replaced by open concern. ]
Time out for a sec. Ignoring all that crap... [ as utterly impossible and ridiculous-sounding as that might be, ] right now, are you okay? Not okay-okay, but okay enough that you won't go dyin' on us — I mean, on the mouse? And don't you dare lie.
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If there's anything we can do to help...
[ A little bloodsharing, some Quality Bonding?? ]
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Rin takes them both by the hand, and leads them back to the original plots of land sectioned off for her and Mordred. Where the truthblooms flourish.]
I won't be able to lie by these flowers. Will that be enough for you?
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Oh, I get it. That's why they're called Truthblooms! And that means... everything you said about me back then was absolutely, completely, one-hundred-percent true!
[ To Gray: ] You'll never believe it, mouse. Red said she—
[ Foolishly, she stops to grin at Rin before she finishes her statement, giving her time to be killed. ]
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She waits with open curiosity for Mordred to finish her line. What did Red say!! ]
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It's rude to interrupt a woman who just had a false crest implanted on her, don't you think?
[Yeah, she's totally going to use the victim card to get out of this one.]
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[ Rin and Gray can now have a serious conversation while Mordred hops around on one leg. ]
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A false crest?
[ Concern immediately floods Gray's expression, her hand tightening around Rin's. Any installation or removal a magic crest is supposed to be painful even when compatibility exists between mage and crest, so for one to be forced upon her...
That said, mages are proud creatures who don't like attention being drawn to their struggles, so Gray reins in her outward worry as much as she can, aside from her grip on Rin's hand. ]
What about your family crest?
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[Gently she pushes up her sleeve on her left arm to reveal the false crest. The turquoise portions glow as she gently makes to activate and reveal her family crest. The fake looks like an unnatural expansion of what she inherited from her father.
Tohsaka's brows furrow, and a cold sweat breaks out along her hairline. With grinding teeth she worries at the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from falling into the urge to cast even just a little bit of Zenith born magic on either of them. Only when the iron taste of her own blood slides down her throat does she let the two crests fade. The darker outline of the false crest remains when the bluish glow fades. Much like a tattoo.]
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Tch... this sorta shit's way too familiar to me. My old lady was always using other people's lives as pawns in whatever fucked-up plans she concocted. [ Growling: ] It pisses me off! I mean, it really pisses me off! Kill people the normal way, you goddamn freaks!
[ All typical Mordred reactions... but just as quickly as she riled herself up, she's suddenly all business. ]
But we have bigger concerns right now. Red, would that medicine you use help with this? If not, is there something else you can think of? Even if there's just a chance of it working, no matter how slim, don't you dare hold back with your suggestions. The two of us will aid you however we can — right, mouse?
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She nods in ready agreement with Mordred, even if she has no clue how non-mages like the two of them could help. ]
What does that... false crest do? Is it interfering with your family crest?
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[Because even if the mysterious figure had explained it, Rin isn't sure she trusts it fully. Everything could be some test, an experiment with variables that she wasn't made aware of. After all, it's not as if you can tell your little lab rat everything — right?
Rin tongues at the blister on the inside of her cheek. Slowly healing from when she bit down to prevent herself from crying in front of strangers. Though... in the end that proved futile too.]
I think I just need to get my discord stabilized. I really want to...
[To use it. To show them not to pity her, but to look on with awe and grand admiration.]
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[ Is all she says to that, though there's an element of frustration in her voice. She hasn't cleansed discord for someone else before, but she still knows it's best done with someone from the opposite faction. In other words, not her. ]
Guess you're up, mouse. Don't worry — if she goes berserk, I'll hit her 'til she's unconscious. Then we can stabilize her while she's out.
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Hopefully we won't need to go that far...
[ But either way, she's up for a bit of Discord-dispelling. She and Rin have already done it before, so she figures it should be straightforward. Gray steps closer, considering how they should do this efficiently. With Rin's level of Discord, it might take a bit more than just chatting to get things done in short time. In the end she settles for some nice, clean h*nd-h*lding, and reaches for Rin's hand accordingly. ]
So it was Aetos. Did they say why they wanted to do this to you?
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A-ah, yes. They had said they wanted sturdier shards to work on. I wasn't the only one there.
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Careful, I think Red's coming down with something. You'd better hold on a little tighter in case she faints.
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Gray ignores Mordred's goading and continues to stand there and hold Rin's h*nd at a normal pressure like a normal person, noting absently that it's a very nice h*nd. ]
Who else was there?
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Hm, his name was Dokja, I believe.
[Sorry, buddy. She's just ratting you out. It's not like she gains anything from withholding the information.]
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Don't know him. [ More petulantly: ] Are either of you even listening to me?
[ pay attention to heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer ]
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Mr. Dokja...?
[ Gray looks like someone just smacked her across the face... Her hand tightens on Rin's unconsciously. Puzzle pieces are falling in place that she feels quite stupid for not putting together before. (She does not pay attention to Mordred.) ]
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