.

.

"Hustle up, Diarmuid. We're going into town."

Diarmuid shifted from spirit form, wearing his armor instead of civilian clothes, kneeling in front of her.

"Uh, you don't have to do that," Rin said, frowning.

"Ah, forgive me. It is a rather old habit." He stood up from the kneeling position, rising to his full height. "May I ask why we are going to town?"

"I want to double check that your curse has been lifted," Rin said. Behind her, Caster sighed, loudly.

"Of course it is lifted," Caster said, loftily. She was lounging on the couch, perusing a magazine and nibbling on a piece of chocolate she had found in the kitchen. "But go into the city if it will assuage your doubts. I will have to warn you, however, that it is a school day and you are truant. No doubt my Master will be marking this on your record."

Rin rolled her eyes. Caster had taken to staying at Rin's place whenever her Master was at school ("I get bored at the temple and this place seems rather amusing," Caster said, by way of explanation), and now she found herself hosting not three, but four Servants at a time. "A pity I cannot take Assassin," Caster said. She examined her toes and magically conjured a bottle of pink nail polish, which she uncapped, delicately. "But one does have to acknowledge one's limitations, from time to time."

They rode the bus, Diarmuid materialized and in civilian clothes while Rin stared at the dorsum of her hand. The command spells for Diarmuid manifested as a series of ornate arrows beneath the command spells for Archer, making her hand look like she had a very angular, very tribal flower tattoo. "Cool tat," someone said. Rin covered her hand self-consciously.

Rin felt tired. It was one thing to supply mana to one Servant - and an Archer-class one at that, whose mana consumption was on the low-end of things - but having to supply mana for two Servants was a considerable strain. She felt like she had pulled an all-nighter and then ran a half-marathon afterwards.

Forgive me, Lady Rin. I shall try to conserve my mana usage as best I can.

Rin startled, still not used to having a telepathic connection to Diarmuid as well. Don't worry, Diarmuid. It's not a problem.

They walked out of the bus station. Rin pointed to a woman standing in the street. "Go ask her for directions," Rin said. "It's the perfect opportunity. We'll check to see if she can understand you, first of all, and then if the curse is still in effect."

Diarmuid nodded, then walked toward the woman. Rin watched as Diarmuid pulled out a map and asked her something, ostensibly a lost foreigner with a good grasp of Japanese. The woman pointed on the map, then gestured to the street. Diarmuid smiled and thanked her, walking back to Rin.

"So?" Rin said. Diarmuid grinned broadly.

"She understood me. And she did not find me attractive in the slightest."

"I hope you didn't actually ask her that," Rin said.

They walked around a little more, Rin sending Diarmuid to a few shops here in there, to gauge people's reactions. No one batted an eye. Except for the fact that he was European, no one really seemed to care one way or the other. Rin had never seen anyone look so happy about being ignored.

xXx

.

He hadn't seen Arturia since the curse had been lifted. "Caster?" Saber had said, when Rin explained it to her. Her eyes had widened a little, her face grew just a shade more pale, and after that she had refused to come over.

"I don't see why she is so afraid of me," Caster said, offended. "I only wish to study her and get a better grasp of her form."

"You spied on her in the bathroom, I'm pretty sure you're creeping her out," Rin said.

"Tsk," Caster said. "I cannot help myself. Your Saber is a walking porcelain doll."

In spirit form, Diarmuid hovered, restlessly. He was unused to not sleeping, and the steady stream of mana being supplied to him also meant he had more time to think and worry needlessly. His curse was gone, and even though Saber had high magical resistance, that wasn't to say the curse didn't affect her as well.

She was getting undressed. Diarmuid watched quietly as Saber unpinned her hair from its bun, falling in unkempt strands over her shoulders. He hovered behind her, uncertainly.

"Arturia?"

"Yes, Lancer?"

"May I ask you something? And you promise you'll answer, truthfully?"

"Of course," Saber said. Diarmuid sat carefully on the bed, hesitating.

"Do you still love me?" he asked.

"What?" Saber said.

"If you do not, I understand-"

"Of course I love you! Did I do something to make you believe otherwise?" Saber said.

"No, it's just-" Diarmuid blinked. "Arturia. My curse was lifted."

"It was?"

"You couldn't tell?" Diarmuid looked at her, incredulously.

"Oh," Saber said. She smiled, ruefully. "In truth, I hadn't noticed."

"Really?"

"In point of fact, you are still as ridiculously handsome and bewitching as ever. If we were to meet on the battlefield, I am fairly certain I would be at a considerable disadvantage."

Diarmuid sighed. "Now you are teasing me," he said. Saber smiled at him, playfully.

"On my honor, I am not. It is taking all of my willpower not to mount you here and now!"

"I suppose I was foolish for having worried, then. But Arturia, this worries me - could it be that you want me only for my body?"

"Well it is a very nice body," Saber said. "Although I will admit, I do not mind the man that comes with it, as well."