final spring.

[springsfall]

thanks to official art, sakura will be wearing this sort of dress to the ball! as for the mask, it'll be something like to the right

[springsfall]

" You'd think by now there'd be a love column in the paper." some people seem to desperately need it.

[animepopheart]

★ 【蒼辰】 「 flower 」 ☆ ✔ republished w/permission ⊳ ⊳ follow me! insta • x • bsky

[springsfall]

when it comes to fantastical creatures, there never seemed to be any end to them in this city. she had grown used to the side of the boombirds and the pixies, the mischevious foxes and the periodic denizens hulking forms peering through the fog of the Mistwood. but this..........this was something new.

whatever it was, it was round. and pink. with eyes that looked as if they held not a single thought behind them (but in an almost....naive sort of way.) that wasn't really what had her stunned into momentarily silence, though. it was the fact that the rice ball she had offered to the creature was vaccumed into its mouth.

she blinks once, twice, a third time, looking from between her hand and the creature. " I take it that was...good?" could it even talk?

@kirbykaabi

[springsfall]

every so often, Sakura has found the need to go somewhere quiet. to seek a place with a unique sort of solitude, where she was the only living soul to be found for miles. such was impossible in Spirale, but she managed to find a spot. tucked away behind a narrow dirt path, where a canopy of trees shaded it from prying eyes. she liked to feed the birds every evening around 5pm. they didn't mind her presence, never flinching at her figure. it was as if she didn't exist in the first place to them, which made it all the easier.

and today, she can pick up on the faint footsteps behind her. head turning, lavender eyes catch sight of an unfamiliar face and before anything said, Sakura places a finger to her lips, voice just a whisper.

" Careful. They have their children with them." her focus turns back to the small family of birds hopping along the grass, the two smaller ones eagerly chirping.

@anghexescu

[springsfall]

" No, I don't think there's shrimp of that size in this city....." she doesn't recall ever witnessing what the other is explaining, but given how.....odd things can be here, it isn't that out of the ordinary. many things are witnessed with each eclipse and who was she to say that there was a giant shrimp, frying rice? and if there was, of course it would come up when someone inquires about shrimp fried rice.

" You could try the market on the boardwalk in Golden. Perhaps a fisher caught one of that size that you could use."

@swordsovereign

[springsfall]

okay now that i've finally finished playing the ME trilogy and my braqin is released from the hold that had one me, I can focus on writing!

this will be an uncapped starter call for sakura as i get back into the swing of things!

[springsfall]

the keys jingle faintly as they turn in the lock, granting the young woman access to a house that was as welcoming as she remembered, the silence it fave more comforting than worrying. the cool air from inside rushes to greet her, granting reprieve from the summer heat as she closes the door behind her. it's a familiar routine-- trade her shoes for slippers, set her bag on the entranceway table, discard her light cardigan to hang on one of the hooks.

perhaps she should have called or even sent a text first but Shirou had insinuated that this was her home, just like before. that there was no need to knock. but perhaps knocking would have saved a certain sister the fire of embarrassment.

ah.

there Rin was, perched atop the counter. in one hand was a large-sized tub of cookie dough and the other? a spoon, currently busy delving into the bowl to plop another ball of dough into her mouth. she obviously didn't notice Sakura yet, too engrossed in the frozen treat. which made this moment perfect. out comes her phone and with a few flicks of her fingers (making sure the shutter noise was off) a picture is taken. tucking it away, she then decised to loudly clear her throat.

" No wonder Shirou has to spend so much on groceries now......you know you're supposed to bake them first, right?"

@inheirit

[springsfall]

" Arson is a bit extreme as a form of revenge, don't you think? Especially when so many loudly and happily proclaim that they'd engage in it."

[empty-dream]

And now, I'm walking together with Sakura. As if we're trying to regain the eleven years we lost. I walk together with Sakura in the time that has started moving.

[springsfall]

" If i have my math right, I should have enough left to order the cake. And I need to pick up the gift later today...." she's mostly speaking to herself while counting off her tasks on her fingers. " Oh but I can't hide them at Shirou's place, he's a liability risk...maybe Illya will let me store them there? At least until I finish buying the party supplies."

[originsword]

⠀⠀... Strange— that was the first word that came to his mind during this conversation, listening to Sakura sharing her thoughts over his question. Nothing about what she said seemed... wrong, in the strictest sense of logic. And yet, it still rubbed him the wrong way— the callous tone, as Sakura herself put it. It's difficult to put into words, but he can't stand there and mull it over forever— and there's one detail that he knows she was wrong about, one that didn't need hard thinking to catch.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"— Of course I want your help, Sakura." He couldn't let that slide, the doubt of certainty. She can try to downplay the connection all she wants, but that can't be enough to erase what he knows— what he's seen take place on this island. The facts of what she said may be true; the unfortunate way their time together was limited... coupled with the different circumstances of the Holy Grail War. But even so—

⠀⠀⠀⠀"Nothing changes the fact that you two are sisters, after all— it's not like the both of you turned into complete strangers over time. I'm sure you're just not giving yourself enough credit, Sakura."

[springsfall]

you're giving me too much credit is what remains unsaid and though he means well, the words spoken strike a nerve. you two are sisters. yes, by blood, that is indisputable. but by strength of bond....? it wasn't that simple, nowhere near as cut and dry as Shirou hopes or wants it to be. nothing can change the fact that although it was still Rin, what had happened to Sakura didn't happen to her. the finale of that Holy Grail War she knew was not the one they did. Rin doesn't have the memories of the months spent with her younger sister after the war had ended, months taken to try and repair what had been fractured since childhood. Shirou doesn't know what had to be sacrified in the end. Rin doesn't know the feeling of her own sister goading her into killing her.

it's not like the both of you turned into complete strangers over time. but they did. that's exactly what happened. once the Matous had taken her in, she ceased to exist to the Tohsaka family. no longer their daughter, no longer a sister, but simply the daughter of another family. she was left alone, cut off from the only family Sakura had ever known and the only one who tried to change that was made out to be a lesson to her.

the fact Shirou can say that so.....casually angers her. it's not his fault. he doesn't know but to assume so easily? did he truly think time spent on this island could erase all of that so easily? her and Rin-- it's as if they were starting from scratch again. and strangers don't become the best of friends overnight. hands which had been clenched so tightly into fists unbeknownst to the woman relax, leaving small crescent moons in the flesh of her palm from her nails.

no. don't lash out, Sakura. all of that is already over. don't ruin their happiness by blaming them for something they didn't even experience. " You're not listening to me, Shirou. We were strangers. None of that gets fixed in just a few months, no matter how much you may want it to be. When I say that I don't know her as well as you or Saber might, I'm not doubting myself. I'm telling you the truth."

[springsfall]

" Honestly.....I can't say I know too much what she would like." it's common sense, is it not? out of everyone Shirou could come to in order to get some sort of holiday gift for Rin, logic says to turn to the sister. the only blood family she has within the city. but that answer would be wrong.

" We only grew up together for a few short years before the Matous took me in and afterwards, I only ever really saw Rin at school. " " Plus, what you and sister experienced during the grail war is different than my own." it isn't something Sakura brings up often and for s good reason. even Rin and Saber only knows a few details, not the whole thing, for if she had told her, the younger sister knew it would snap the other's heart in two.

Illya being the only one who knew the truth makes it a bit easier to keep it quiet from the others.

" It sounds callous, but you'd be better off asking Saber. She would know more about her than I do. Are you sure you want my help?"

@originsword

[descensionstar]

she nodded immediately. "in this world, we're known as outlanders. someone who comes from abroad — or in our cases, further afield". setting aside the bemused look on Paimon's face, Lumine gave her full attention to the young woman. "this isn't the first time those Stars have released us outside the island, so they're bound to draw us back in. guess it's about what we do until then".

since encountering others who would fit the criteria of Descenders, she had been wondering about what precisely this Fontaine was — a simulation or illusion? or was really the real thing? she'd had to act accordingly as if the latter were definitively true, not to waste a second that the people could scarcely afford. but still... the question of how to resolve the issue remained unanswered.

"if it would make you feel at ease, we can stick together. I'm Lumine, though some stick to the Traveler, and this is Paimon. don't mind her gawking, she doesn't seem to remember anything about that island. even though others do. it's a kind of weird grey area we're not used to".

[springsfall]

brows furrow momentarily at something Lumine says. not the first time? Sakura isn't exactly new to the antics of the Stars and the chaos that sometimes follows, but she can't recall ever being released outside of the island. a troubling thing and even more puzzling, but there's no point in dwelling on it for no answers will be found unless the Stars wanted them to be found. in a way, she was reminded of the secrecy of mages. that thought leaves a bitter taste in her mouth before being cast aside.

"Lumine? A pretty name. I'm Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you both." circumstances aside, that is. but the offer is comforting and one she'll take without hesitation. in any unknown situation, being around somebody who knows something is better than being alone.

" She doesn't?" odd. " Maybe it's like what happens when someone from the island is sent back home and they forget every experience in the city. You could be remembering because of something unique about you."

[seithrveined]

⠀⠀... He might have lost track of time a bit there— that might be partly due to not having many chances to... actually talk about food stuff like this. And it's not like Ragna himself is a world class expert... but— spend enough time in this place, and you pick up on hobbies. Or in this case, expand on old hobbies. ... It could also be that the younger woman was too polite to slow him down or interrupt.

⠀⠀⠀⠀"— Oh, well..." The realization of his lengthy rambling momentarily has him taken aback, though he tries to not let his mild embarrassment be obvious. "I guess... not everyone would be able to tell the difference— but it does help to know what you're working with if you wanna aim for a certain kinda taste and stuff."

[springsfall]

" Not unless they went to culinary school, no. And you don't exactly look like the type who went to such a school so, if I can, how do you know so much about this?" perhaps her phrasing came off as rude or even insulting, but her intentions meant well. when it came to cooking, there were few she could talk in depth to it about. yes, there was Shirou, but he had a job and a life. The same goes for her sister but it was more of a hobby for her than anything else.

" I was thinking of using some to combine with a salted-caramel chocolate cake but if it affects the taste, I want to make sure I don't end up overpowering the cake itself."

[sommiar]

“You’re too far. Do I have to go there? Can’t you just come here?”

the pessimism is not entirely unfounded. she still can’t float as she should, and it makes her daily life more ordinary but that is beside the point. those are her additional inches, not everyone is Morgan who grew up and had the gall of walking with heels. Artoria gets that she is short but it doesn’t mean she has to enjoy it. her sister can be a prodigy with magecraft and the like, the one thing she envies from her is not needing to look up to nearly the whole island.

sighing loudly, she throws a doubtful glance to her skates and then, the ice. curse her curiosity for all the festivities can offer, it is almost as bad as lying. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

[springsfall]

she both looks and sounds like a grumpy puppy who is refusing to play with the others. it's somewhat endearing, though if she said that, it would most likely cause the other to react much like her sister did whenever someone brought up the obvious to her face. so the mage relents, instead choosing to wait in expectant silence. Artoria wanted to see more of the festival and as such, she would! even if it meant Sakura had to wait for an hour or more, there was zero intentions to just let the other sit on the sidelines and go against earlier words.

from underneath her scarf does two of her familiars pop up, peeking curiously at the Caster from afar. then, without an order from Sakura herself, they hop down and slide across the ice with little grace to reach the other.

" Look-- they're guiding you. Just follow them and you won't fall before getting to me." and as she draws closer, Sakura holds out a hand. " Almost there....just grab my hand and I'll take care of the rest."

[lethalramifications]

"No, it is not." She answers bluntly. But then (thankfully) adds right after: "If you intend to get some for yourself, I will not buy them all."

Restraint will be initiated. Not easily, though. Not easily at all. Not. At. All.

[springsfall]

oh. well, she hadn't given that much thought before interjecting. did Sakura want to buy any.....? habit stated she gather the ingredients and make some herself but they did look rather delicious....

" Maybe one but the rest you can have if you want."