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Who: Hayate, Signum (Archer), Light and Mitsunari
What: ~~Those Wacky Yagamis the Sitcom!~~ ~~Super happy awkward family fun times!~~ Light and Mitsunari come to do business and find the new member of the family.
When: Before the Amestris investigation
Warnings: AWKWARD.

A few pots bubbled in the kitchen, the young girl tending to them like a magician of the kitchen. Delicious smells wafting through the house, Hayate hummed a bit to herself, preparing a meal. She always did have the habit of making too much, however, despite spending most of the time by herself. She had grown accustomed to cooking for her tutor and her small family as well, so it seemed to come naturally to think in groups of four or five when it came to food.

And Signum did always seem so hungry.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Would you mind helping me set the table, Archer?" Hayate called from over her shoulder.

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"Of course, Hayate."

For her part, Archer had gladly settled in to this house. There was nothing to indicate that any other Servants were in the area, or using the Destiny Crystals, and with orders not to go out and look for trouble, she was quite satisfied with playing her role of Servant literally for the moment.

The knight stood from where she had been reading and began carefully and precisely laying out silverware at the smaller, more informal, and far more frequently used dining table in the Yagami manor.

And at that moment Light walked into the dining room.

"Hayate I'm... home...?"

Archer was definitely getting a look.

The attack on Ringford had necessitated long hours spent discussing defense with Sawa's top generals, and Mitsunari spent his nights trying to extend his precognitive ability to reach King Bradley's court. But before he sent his advisor into enemy territory, Mitsunari was going to make sure Yagami spent time with his sister... even if he had to temporarily relocate the court of Sawa to the Yagami family's dining room.

"Oh, is this the maid you said you'd hire to take care of Hayate while you're away?" he asked, completely oblivious to his advisor's look of surprise.

She had not heard Light or Mitsunari come in, so seeing the two of them surprised her. What surprised her more, however, was Light's expression. Why was he looking at Archer like that?

Looking toward Mitsunari, she tried not to seem too grateful for him saying something. "That's right."

Archer's gaze, in turn, is locked to Light's, returning the look even as her instincts tell her she's just encountered someone extremely dangerous, despite his lack of a weapon or any noticeable magical ability.

A few seconds of solid staring later, Hayate's voice brings her attention back to reality and she remembers to bow, breaking eye contact with Light as she adjusts to the situation.

"Yes...as Mistress Hayate mentioned, I'll be taking care of her domestic needs and education," she says, keeping her head down for an extra second on the assumption that one of these men is the Governor Mitsunari Hayate had mentioned. "My name is Archer. It's an honor to meet you."

Light brings his hand to his head. He vaguely recalls a conversation about this... did he really...

This situation feels off, but Light does seem to remember saying it was OK. What's done is done, so Light resolves to put on a good face.

"So Miss... Archer... you are the one her tutor sent to take care of business then? Excellent. I appreciate your assistance with domestic needs, please remind me to dig out the paperwork, I should be able to compensate you appropriately for both services."

Mitsunari looked from the pink-haired woman, to Light, and then back again. Why was she giving him that... look? It was the kind of glare one might expect to see on a battlefield, yet this Archer was a maid and Light was only a court official. He couldn't imagine either of them with a weapon in hand.

"Well, that's wonderful, isn't it? Now Miss Yagami won't be all on her own! Allow me to offer my thanks as well, Miss Archer. I'm Mitsunari Ishida, the governor of Sawa, but there's no need to bow on my account. It's much easier to talk to people face-to-face, rather than talk to the tops of their heads."

Extremely thankful for Mitsunari's unique ability to be oblivious to tension, Hayate focused in on him, trying to feed off his easygoing energy. "Would you two like to join us for dinner? I think I might have made too much."

Signum straightens and gives a faint smile to both the guests, having gotten over her surprise. There's still something about the man she's pinned as Hayate's older brother that bothers her, but she puts it aside for now.

"Room and board is sufficient, especially with Hayate's skill in the kitchen. I'm here as a favor to a friend, after all," she replies to Light. For some reason, the idea of accepting pay for jobs she wasn't qualified to do bothered her more than actually doing them.

"And I appreciate your thanks, Governor Ishida. I entrust myself to your care while I'm in your kingdom, and hope you'll accept Mistress Hayate's invitation," she adds, in what she hopes is still a reasonably polite manner these days.

While Light was certainly suspicious, the fact that he didn't have to pay her did brighten his mood a bit. Finances were tight and with the promotion he was hoping to move more money to Hayate's medical care.

"We weren't really planning on lingering very long," Light says, "but since the food is already prepared it'd be a shame to go to waste. Lord Mitsunari and I do have some business to conduct, but that can wait until after we've eaten."

"We'd be happy to stay," Mitsunari confirmed with a smile. "Amestris may be a pressing threat, but family comes first. I already told your brother that he's not leaving Sawa until he enjoys a proper dinner with his sister!"

Amestris weighed heavily in his thoughts, but he couldn't let Hayate know how worried he was. Hopefully, even in the event of an attack, the Yagami home was far enough from the capital that it would be spared... but even then, Hayate could lose her brother. The frightening future Mitsunari had seen in his vision had yet to come true, but Hayate still faced danger.

That definitely brightened her mood quite a bit. It had been a long time since she had had an actual dinner with her brother, and Mitsunari's company was always appreciated. "Really? You'll both stay? My Lord, that's really nice that you'd think about me!"

Looking over the various dishes going in the kitchen, she looked back toward the group. "Dinner should be ready soon. You can wait in the parlor if you'd like. Archer, I can finish setting the table. Thank you for your help."

"Of course," Signum says, showing her master's brother and his guest to the parlor, and taking a seat after they do.

Hopefully someone else was planning to start conversation, however.

Light seats himself at the table.

"So, Miss Archer, how have Hayate's studies been going?"

"Thank you, Miss Yagami. Your brother and I will be sure to help with the clean-up!"

Light's strange reaction to Miss Archer - and her strange reaction to him! - still puzzled Mitsunari. Yagami was an excellent advisor precisely because so little escaped his notice. He seemed unlikely to entrust Hayate to a stranger. Of course, with the attack on Ringford and the Amestris investigation, even the most capable man would feel his attentions stretched thin. The issue of finding a tutor had simply slipped his mind, and he'd been understandably surprised to see a new servant in the house. But that didn't explain why Archer had looked at him with such intensity... unless...

Suddenly, it all made sense. Mitsunari broke into a grin and leaned towards his advisor, whispering.

"No, Yagami, you should ask her about herself! I think she likes you!"

Signum is about to respond to Light when suddenly, Mitsunari strikes.

A rather stunned silence of almost exactly five seconds follows.

"I...with respect, sir, we did just meet," Signum says carefully, with less profanity than she would in a less delicate situation. "And that would be inappropriate for several reasons regardless..."

Her knightly bearing and training are just enough to keep her from facepalming.

Light is the other side of this stunned silence.

"My... My lord!" he says, the only words of protestation that will come to mind.

"Oh, don't be shy, you two! You can't let reason stand in the way of true love!"

Mitsunari nodded resolutely to himself. While his lifelong service to the Emperor meant that he'd never had the opportunity to accrue much personal experience in the field of romantic encounters, he'd studied the works of all the great poets. Star-crossed lovers could put passion before duty and run away from their troubles... Mitsunari could not. But there was no reason why Light should be bound to the same fate.

As if she knew to save the 'lovebirds' from further ridicule, Hayate called from the dining room. "Dinner is ready! Everyone, come eat!"

Signum mentally thanks the World for small favors, rises, turns, and goes to the dining room. Quietly. Before she yells at de facto royalty.

Light also heads to the kitchen, but not before shooting Mitsunari one of his patented "as your loyal advisor I think this is a terrible idea and you should stop talking" glares.

"Eh?" Mitsunari blinked, not sure what he'd said that was so wrong. "Yagami, don't tell me you're shy...?"

As they came into the dining room, they would notice that the food was displayed rather nicely on the table, four places set. Hayate was bringing over the last of the dishes as they came in, and set it down before gesturing for everyone to sit down. She looked quite happy to be hosting something larger than a party of two.

Signum smiled slightly, at the meal and at Hayate's obvious pleasure in having guests. And at the distraction, but she'd noticed how empty this house had been the entire time since she had been summoned, and while it suited her just fine, it clearly disagreed with her Master.

She waited for the other two to pick seats before seating herself and, hoping Mitsunari doesn't keep on the previous subject, starts a new one. "The food looks and smells delicious, Hayate," she compliments.

"Yes," Light agreed, hoping to head off his Lord before more bad ideas came tumbling out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much of late, I'll be sure to cook next time."

"Eh? Yagami, you cook too? Were you the one who taught your sister?" Mitsunari gave Archer a significant look as he reached for the nearest platter. "He really is very talented. D⁯id you know he raised his sister all on his own? So he already has the skills of a good housewife!"

"Of course, he's also a talented magistrate, which means he'll be very busy until we can get this business with Amestris sorted out," he continued, forcing a smile that he didn't feel. "But you don't have to worry about that, Miss Yagami. Sawa won't be going to war."

Much like her brother, Hayate was very observant. To say that she had not heard the conversation they were having was a lie. While there was a part of her that was deeply amused and wanted to add to the banter, she also knew that she did not want to make her brother or Archer mad. The former would definitely have a few things to say, and Archer certainly did not deserve it.

Laughing a bit awkwardly, Hayate purposely moved to sit between Light and Signum, before Mitsunari could move the two together. "He did. But I've done a lot of reading myself, but I wouldn't have been able to figure it out without Light."

When Mitsunari Sawa's position on war, a weight that she had not realized she had on her shoulders was lifted. She sighed deeply. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want to think of what would happen if we were to go to war..."

Signum once again counted herself lucky to have been somehow summoned by a woman with at least a bit of mercy.

"I'm generally aware of the Yagamis' family situation," Signum says without any comment whatsoever on Light's housewife skills, "and I'm very impressed with young Hayate. You should be proud of your sister," she adds, looking a few inches to the left of Light's head.

As she starts to serve the food, she adds, "I'm new to this country in general and haven't heard much news. Tell me, if it's appropriate for the dinner table...what's this situation with Amestris?"

Regular movements of armies were unlikely to have anything to do with the Grail War, and she had gotten a general impression of Amestris's attack on Ringford (wherever either of those are compared to Sawa) from monitoring her Destiny Crystal, but it never hurts to ask.

Light considers for a moment, mulling over how much to say.

"Not great, but we've never been friendly. The Emperor has called for inquiries on their practices, so it is my hope his Majesty is finally growing wise to their deplorable strong-arm tactics and hopes to do something about it. They've used their position as a Riftguard and their military strength to push the other Kingdoms around for far too long, I think."

"Amestris is ruled by a dishonorable tyrant, and the men who serve under him are even worse!" he answered, spearing a piece of potato with his fork for emphasis. "My heart goes out to the commoners, but... just as with Ringford, there's nothing I could do."

Mitsunari shook his head, not wanting to disturb Hayate after she'd put so much work into making dinner. The political discussions could wait until she'd gone to bed... and hopefully this Archer would be sensible enough to keep her from eavesdropping.

"So you're new to Sawa, Miss Archer? In that case, welcome to the kingdom! Where do you hail from?"

Quickly stepping in, Hayate answered Mitsunari's question instead. "I believe you said you studied overseas, right Archer? You just came here recently to travel and learn about Dagaria. But maybe I'm remembering it wrong."

She only hoped that Archer would play along and come up with more details.

"Right. A ways to the northeast, actually. One of the few dozen countries that claims to be 'Belka', which if you know your ancient history is mildly amusing," she elaborates without technically lying.

"While I'm here, I'm as much a student as a teacher, I suppose."

"Why one would want to be associated with THAT empire, I could not say," Light says with a scoff. "Although I suppose unbeatable technology and a warlike reputation can't hurt."

"Now, now, Belka is ancient history!" Mitsunari interjected, holding up a hand to quell Light. "Those old animosities are hardly relevant to the modern day, Yagami - I think you've been sticking your nose in too many dusty old books!"

"Oh, and speaking of books, Miss Archer... if you happen to come across a leatherbound book with a cross on the cover, please bring it to Yagami or myself. I have reason to suspect it's something dangerous, and I wouldn't want you or Miss Yagami getting hurt!"

Leather bound book. The book that Archer had been summoned from. Hayate tried not to look toward her, but could not help it. Had they still been looking for it? And what would they do if they found it and, even worse, if they found out Archer's origins?

Fortunately, Signum was already holding a cup to her mouth to cover biting her tongue at Light's remark. She just had to pause with it there for a second longer when Mitsunari mentioned the Book to compose herself.

"Lord Yagami's case docket, perhaps? Although that would only be dangerous to criminals. It would have to be something magical for a kingdom that loves the pen this much to consider it dangerous," Signum observes, testing out how much the governor might know.

Light lets the comment pass, although he certainly makes note of it.

"We have reason to believe a magical book is going to lead to a horrible future for Hayate, and if at all possible we want to avoid it. Here."

He slides a small crystal, about large enough to fit in the palm of one's hand across the table.

"This crystal can detect magic. To activate it, hold it in your hand and it will cast a light forward. Anything that is magical will glow red under that light."

"W-well, we don't know for certain that the book itself is dangerous, only that it may be dangerous. Some magical artifacts seem to operate on completely different logic than we human beings do."

Mitsunari could only admit to himself that that alienness was part of the reason why he hadn't involved Sawa in the defense of Ringford. He distrusted magic and magical beings on general principles. His own power was a curse, but he couldn't keep himself from relying on those little glimpses into the future... but the more he saw, the more the visions ate at him.

"I'm sure we were just mistaken about the book, Yagami. After all, nothing's turned up yet... maybe that future has already been averted?"

"Maybe," Hayate agreed, doing her best to not seem too eager. "Things are constantly changing, right?"

Signum takes the detection crystal. "We'll keep an eye out for it," she says levelly. "You have quite an impressive collection of books here, so we shouldn't have too much of a risk of running across it."

She pockets the detector without testing it and moves to continue eating.

"That's my hope anyway," Light replies. "I don't really trust the idea of magic books so for all we know it could sneak its way into our shelves without us even knowing it."

"Books don't just grow little legs and sneak into people's homes!" Mitsunari laughed. The whole idea of an evil magic book targeting Hayate of all people was ridiculous, especially when it came from his stoic advisor's mouth. Light had enough to worry about without his own lord going off on fanciful delusions. "Hayate is right - the future is always changing. That's why prophets are always so flaky."

"But I don't think you're flaky, My Lord." She said, finally taking a bite of her food. She certainly hoped that slowly moving the subject in another direction would ease the tensions at the table.

Signum refrains from elaborating on flakiness, but she does ask the obvious followup question. "You have some insight into fate and prophecy, Lord Mitsunari? That's fascinating."

"Unfortunately they always seem to cause problems," Light said with a sigh. "Are you certain there isn't any way to get rid of them, my lord?"

"Ehehehe... er... something like that," Mitsunari replied evasively, glancing in Archer's direction while avoiding Light. He'd only managed to cause more problems for Yagami, who suffered enough as an advisor to a foolish lord. "I was probably just imagining things! Next time, I won't trouble anyone with my visions."

If he'd been wrong about Hayate, maybe he was wrong about the Emperor's murder, too? Mentioning that vision would only upset people.

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Sorry about the wait

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