"Master, do I have to wear such clothes?"
That was fast Haru thought as Saber emerged from the dressing room, dressed in completely new attire. One moment she's as moe as a female protagonist, and the next she's back to being an amazon warrior! He had never seen such a quick change before. Perhaps it was just her way of acting whenever they were in a crowd or in the middle of a fight or something. Regardless, he had to admit, the choice of clothes he bought for her with his extra money certainly did wonders.
Rather than the skimpy white outfit she wore previously, which he admitted with no shame that she looked utterly hot in, she was dressed more like your next door neighbor kind of girl. A black hoodie over a white tank top with "GOOD or BAD Civilization?" written over a blotch of mixed colors, paired with a black skirt with white stripes along the hem, knee-high socks with tears designed into them around the calves, and knee-high leather boots, kept in place with laces. Her hair, which was actually short, having mistook the veil she wore as hair, tied back into a small ponytail, and around her neck were red headphones.
On a scale from 1 to 10 on the sexy meter… it was definitely a ten. He should get a job in picking out clothes! Saber definitely brought out the appeal of the neighbor type of girls! Now, if only she went back to her cheery and gentle self when they were alone back at the park, she'd definitely be a lot more cuter. Instead, she was stoic and stone-faced, bearing the familiar stern face that the Student Council President herself was known for. Regardless, the clothes were necessary if he was going to introduce her to his parents.
"Unless you can change clothes, yes," he said as he paid the cashier. "Also, for the sake of me not getting killed, you're going to have to..." Wait, why was he hesitating? Okay, sure, Saber was capable of ending his life if he did anything even remotely stupid, b-but this was serious! His mother was not a woman to be trifled with dammit! "T-to act as my girlfriend when we meet my parents."
"Understood."
"W-wait, you're fine with this?!"
"Of course." He replied evenly. "You are my Master after all."
… He wasn't sure to be relieved or worried by how she seemed to have a one-track mind. Either way, he supposed this was a good thing. He was worried her stoic attitude would raise alarms with his parents. That worry lasted all the way back to the house. The lights were still on, meaning that his parents were still awake. He had hoped they would have gone to bed by now. Once he reached the door, he gave a sigh. "Time to face the music," he said dejectedly as he used his key to unlock the door. Once it clicked, he turned the knob and opened the door. "I'm back," he called as he entered. Saber soon followed, but paused when she saw Haru's body suddenly freeze. The Servant frowned, and peered over her shoulder.
"It took you long enough, Haru-chan," the woman who stood before her master remarked. She looked quite beautiful, wearing a red dress that came down to her calves, bearing a black frilly design, though it bore a more noble and sophisticated design than the intended gothic look. Her hair was long, jet black and falling past her shoulders with greenish blue eyes, narrowed towards her apparent prey, and a fierce smirk. "Its not rude to keep your family waiting."
Haru remained still for a few more moments, face set into utter shock and terror before he yelled, "What the holy hell are you doing here, you damn youkai?!"
"How rude," the woman huffed, crossing her arms. "Is that any way to talk to your grandmother?"
"Grandmother you say...HOW THE HELL CAN I CALL YOU GRANDMA… IF YOU DON'T LOOK A DAY PAST YOUR MID-TWENTIES?!" Haru cried in absolute outrage with a twitching brow.
Saber blinked, staring at the woman in confusion. This was her Master's grandmother? If so, she must agree with his statement. She barely looked any older than her twenties, early thirties if she was pushing it. However, soon she narrowed her eyes, feeling an unmistakable feeling emanating from her. The familiar sense of prana dancing in the air. She is...a Magus, she realized, readying herself for battle should the woman attack. Though she was her Master's family, she would fight and end her if necessary.
"Oh, there you are, Haru!" the redhead's mother called, poking her head out the living room, a face of disapproval clear. "Honestly, if you were going to stay out this late, tell me next time! Mother has been waiting for you to get home so she could say hello!" Haru turned away, scowling while the woman known as Haru's grandmother smiled widely. They then notice Saber, who immediately tensed up. "Oh..."
"You must be Haru-chan's girlfriend," her Master's grandmother said, sizing her up. "Amano, is that correct?"
Remembering what her Master wished her to do, she bowed her head. "That is correct," she said politely. "I am Yuuma Amano. Pleased to make your acquaintance, miss..."
"Tohsaka," the woman introduced herself, stepping forward and offering a hand. "Rin Tohsaka. A pleasure to meet you, Amano-chan."
Saber grasped the hand and firmly shook it, silently taking note of how Rin's eyes widened a fraction for a second before returning to normal. "Is there something wrong?" She asked.
"N-No...I was just surprised by how strong of a grip you have..."
Saber didn't buy it for a second. Now practically close to her, her thoughts were confirmed. The woman before her was a Magus.
"Oh, Haru!" the redhead's mother cooed, looking at Saber with an expression that looked as if Christmas had just come early. "You should have told us you were bringing your girlfriend here! Oh, she just looks adorable!"
"M-Mom..."
Miki Hyoudou ignored her son's exasperated look and walked towards Saber. "How do you do, Yuuma-chan? I'm Miki, Haru's mother!"
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Saber greeted politely in turn. So this was her master's mother… she seemed to be normal. Unlike his grandmother, the woman before her seemed to appear her age, maybe even a bit younger. And based on her analysis… she did not sense any prana from her body, despite the presence of magic circuits. This meant that hers continued to lie dormant… how odd.
She glanced back to her Master. His circuits were only partially open, yet the prana that poured out from him… it was at least as potent as that of Rin's. That same prana was being supplied to her, courtesy of the bond they shared as Master and Servant.
"Say, Yuuma-chan," Miki clapped her hands. "How would you like to stay over for dinner?"
Immediately, Saber responded. "It would be my pleasure, Hyoudou-san." While she did not require human sustenance due to her status as a Servant, she needed to be by her Master's side at all times. It would also give her a chance to learn more about his family, especially the Magus.
Haru sighed as his mother had, more or less, dragged her to the kitchen. "She's quite the catch," Rin said, smiling devilishly as she looked at Haru. "I hope this means you're no longer the pervert Miki has been telling me about these last few years."
"Screw off, youkai!" the young teen snapped. "What I do is none of your business! In fact, I don't want anything to do with you at all!"
"Aw, that's harsh."
"HARSH?!" he screeched. "WHENEVER I SLACKED OFF, YOU WHACKED ME WITH YOUR HEELS! IF I TRIED SNEAKING A PORN MAG, YOU'D BURN IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! AND LET'S NOT FORGET THE TIME YOU MADE ME LEARN GREEK AND SANSKRIT! WHO EVEN KNOWS THOSE LANGUAGES, ANYWAY?!"
In spite of his outburst, Rin smirked. "Ah, but you unlocked your grandfather's trunk, didn't you?" she said, causing Haru to balk. "Yes, I saw it. I'm surprised you actually figured out the code." The woman sighed, shaking her head. "Then again, you can blame that little brat for that. She comes up with the easiest combinations."
Haru quirked an eyebrow. Little brat? Well, anyway… at least now he knew that the trunk did belong to his grandfather. Actually, since they were on the subject...
"... Granny—" He squeaked when Rin gave him a death glare. "Er… R-Rin-san… about the pictures in the trunk… that was Gramp, right?"
Rin nodded, smiling softly as she looked at the ground, her eyes reflecting great sadness. "Yes, it was… to be honest, I'm relieved it was still there. There aren't many pictures left of Shirou, you know. "
"Shirou?"
"Your grandfather's name. And he looks exactly like you."
"Oh."
That would explain it… but it also begged the question… why weren't there more pictures of his Grandfather? Were they lost in a fire or something? Come to think of it… he never knew much about his grandfather in regards to what happened to him. His grandmother never brought it up...
"Well, I should get going," Rin said, causing him to blink. Wait, she was leaving already? Even though she apparently waited for him to return home? She turned to the living room where Miki handed Saber her plate. "Miki, I'm heading back home. Give my regards to Gorou?"
Miki smiled brightly. "Hai, hai."
Rin smiled thinly, and turned back to Haru, walking past him. The redhead scratched the back of his head. Once again, the youkai is hard to understand, he thought. Since he made her wait, he could at least show her out. With that said, he followed her out the door. Thinking back to his earlier thoughts, he decided to ask about his grandfather. "Um, Rin-san, about Gramp..."
"... Haru." The boy blinked. That...was the first time she actually called him by his name, rather than the affectionate nickname she gave him. She turned to look at him dead in the face, her mug utterly serious. "That girl… she's not really your girlfriend, is she?"
Instantly, the boy began to panic. Oh, god dammit, you youkai! his inner chibi-self screamed in frustration. Can't you let at least something in my life slide?! I've been through hell today! C'mon, throw me a bone here!
"W-well, that's—"
"And where did you get that mark on your hand?"
Alarmed, his attention snapped toward the red dragon markings on his hand. Shit! He forgot to cover them up! "W-well, you see, uh..."
Rin gave him a low stare before she sighed. "I won't pry any further," she said slowly before she took out something from the pouch on her belt. It looked like an envelope, black with a dark blue seal on it. "But… if you want to know what you got yourself into, you should go see your aunt."
"My aunt?" he questioned, taking the envelope. "But… Mom and Dad-san don't have any siblings."
"Your grandfather's sister," Rin clarified. "Whether you want to go or not is up to you… but for your own sake, it's best that you do. If you take anything after Shirou, chances are… you're going to find yourself in more trouble than I want to see."
Haru was confused, but accepted it. As he slipped it into his back pocket, Tohsaksa began to walk away. As she did, she turned to look at him one last time over his shoulder. "And one more thing," she warned. "If you see anyone else with a Command Seal on their hand, be wary around them. They're your enemy, Haru."
Enemy? What did she mean by that? But before he could question her any further, she was already out the door. He would have chased after her, if not for his mother calling for him from the kitchen. Reluctantly, he re-entered the house, a thought plaguing his mind.
How did his grandmother know about the mark on his hand?