World Tree MUSH

    With the demonic infestation of Peacely behind everyone, it was time to once again pack up and get moving. Anna is not the type to want to particularly want to remain in one place for very long, anyway due to the fact that she is literally being hunted every step of her journey.
    So with the small hamlet of Peacely receding into the distance behind her, she rides off; urging her pony to a slow meandering pace rather than rush anywhere in a hurry, as she consults the map spread across the small horse's back in the first rays of the morning sun.
    "The next town on our way is Glenmouth." She says. "It's several days ride from here but hopefully we shouldn't encounter anything we have to worry about if we stick to the main roads, Sir Emiya." She says matter of factly to her erstwhile travel partner.

    Honestly, Shirou did not expect for Anna to have another destination in mind right after dealing with the halfling that called the demonic infestation to the... Well, the well in Peacely. But the instant she said there was somewhere else to go, Shirou didn't even so much as bat an eye before simply declaring, "Alright, I'll come with."

    Because that's just the kind of guy he is.

    Of course, he did not exactly have the time to get better at horseback (or pony-back?) riding in the time since, and Anna was treated to another case of the red-haired boy struggling at mounting the saddle. Even the pony is probably getting dubious about all this by now. And wouldn't you know, he seems very... stiff there on the saddle now, hands on the reins and eyes peering down at his mount with a vague measure of nervousness. Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall...

    "There's some places to stop at on the way, I'm hoping?" he says to her, apparently not at all having issues holding a conversation, at least, in spite of his akwardness with horseriding itself. "I didn't exactly pack up camping gear. If we're going to be at this for long, I might have to though..."

    That does remind him of something else, though. Drawing his amber gaze up from the pony, to the runaway princess he's accompanying, and asks, "Did you give any thought to what I said before we headed to Peacely? About coming off-world with me?"

    Anna probably had to help poor Shirou clamber into the saddle again. Though she does so without comment and without reproach, the pony at least bears Shirou's weight without complaint. So not falling? That's on Shirou to manage.
    "There are a few wayhouses, small inns, and towns along the way to stop at and get food, supplies, and a place to stay." Anna confirms. "So I would not worry about having to camp put unless they were all full- which is unlikely at this time of year with no major events in the kingdom at the moment."
    So that is a problem she thought out at least. Nevertheless, the princess does dip her head in a nod.
    "I have put a great deal of thought to it. That is why we are headed to Glenmouth. Just another day's travel from there are where the vines usually open up to leave for other blossoms."
    So it looks like leaving IS her intent. But that is where she purses her lips. "As for how far together we can go..." She says trailing off for a beat. "Sir Emiya, I am constantly being hunted. It would not be safe for me to remain where you live for very long..."

    "You've really thought of everything," Shirou notes with a faint hint of a smile. Even if what she's tacked on to the end of her state of intent does bother him a little bit, still -- despite already knowing that to be the case more or less. "You're saying you will have to keep moving even when away from this World."

    He considers this silently for a few seconds, and his gaze turning from Anna to the road up ahead. Humming quietly in thought.

    "It might be a little easier to stay in one place a bit longer anyway," he suggests. "But honestly... I don't really strictly speaking 'live' anywhere now either. I can't... go back home." This thought pains him some, now that he is reminded of it. The uncertainty of the state of the place he was forced out of, and the people he had to leave behind. But he's more focused on Anna's issues, now.

    "Either way. Even if we couldn't find any place to shelter you in... At the very least, if you have some way to call, I would always come. For whatever reason. Remember what I said that night?"

    And he peeks back to her meaningfully with that question.

    "I can't ignore a girl's pain just because it might be dangerous to me."

    "I have no choice but to think of everything, now." Anna notes over the soft clop-clop-clop of her pony's hooffalls. She gives a bit of a grim nod. "Yes. I will liekly have to keep moving even once away from Rosalia. You are not the only one who can not return home." She points out.
    But that's when the girl puts on a bit of a wan smile.
    "I remember." She says softly. "And you are kind, Sir Emiya." She says. "But I simply cannot rest until the killers of my tribe are brought low. But..."
    There is a but as she taps her lower lip, sucking on her teeth in annoyance.
    "I left my smartphone back in the castle." She admits. "I think I'd have to buy a new one to call you, should we ever be separated."
    ... She had a cellphone. Had key word, sure, but she had one.

    "Oh, I see. Well, that shouldn't be too hard of an issue to-WAITAMINUTE?!"

    Shirou damn near falls right off of his pony when what he just heard fully catches up with him, and his head snaps to give her a wide-eyed look of utter surprise. "You had a-- smartphone? There's smartphones here? ...I mean, I guess I did see some guys wearing clothes like mine before we headed to Peacely and this place is in easy access of other Worlds so that probably shouldn't be too surprising..." Oh, damn you, logic and reasoning. But then he's dipping his head down, russet brows furrowing together while he considers something else.

    "...Wait, would phones even let you make calls across the Worlds...? I never thought to ask the people who housed me if there was special equipment or something made for that... Anyway!"

    His head lifting back up, he turns his visual focus to the road again, and ceases his overt animation so that no unfortunate accidents with the pony come to take place. "I'll buy you one if it comes down to it. You must have spent a fortunate on that sword so it's only fair..."

    Oops he almost fell out of the saddle. That gets something of a curious look from the princess as she looks over her shoulder at the youth.
    "Yes?"
    She totally had one! The world has been so integrated with the tree that fantasy and technology have melted together at some point. It's why there are Warlocks with cars and shinki, and why the inns thus far have all had pretty stable wifi.
    "I don't know..." She admits. "I've never had to really call on anyone before. The phone I had was locked down pretty hard by the royal family's protective controls. So I suppose we can find out when we're at a larger city." She considers.
    But then she shakes her head. "That sword was a gift." She says simply. "I couldn't ask for something like that in return regardless of the expense."

    While Shirou does understand why a princess in a world like this would have a cellphone, his brain is still having trouble fully coming to terms with that. It's just such a massive clash of world images, you know?

    But in spite of himself, he manages to move on from it, and the pony he's riding picks up the speed briefly to bring him riding astride with Anna again after that brief hickup.

    "It sounds like it might be for the best you have to get a new one anyway, if that's the case..." He points out. He has no idea if the royal family would have someone who *could* track a phone's signal, but at the very least these protective controls she's mentioned would have been a pain in the ass to deal with, he's sure.

    "I-I mean, it's not that I didn't appreciate it," he murmurs a bit more akwardly, with a brief surge of a redder flush of color at his cheeks. "But it must have been really expensive too, right? With the silver coating and everything, so I wasn't sure if I even should be giving something like that to someone like me..." What is *that* supposed to mean?

    "It likely is for the best I get a new one." Anna considers in agreement. "The last one had the girliest case and color, and I sort of hated it, you know?" Plus the freedom of a new phone without the restrictive super parental controls would be nice. And it would probably be harder to track anyway.
    "Someone like you?" Anna does ask, arching a brow delicately. "What ever is that supposed to mean, Sir Emiya?" She asks a beat later.
    "I certainly think it will serve you much better than pipes and sticks." She does point out, raising a finger to emphasize her point.
    Her cheeks are a little warm, too, though. But she shakes it off, clearing her throat.
    "The cost wasn't important. As long as it is worth it, that is all that matters."

    "You don't like girly things, huh..." That does sort of track, just based on what Shirou knows about Anna so far, honestly-- but still, he can't help but give her a bit of a look-over, and consider the... well, the dress she's wearing under the cloak and hood. Hmm. "Should we go buy new clothes for you when we're off-world, too?" Roughly two seconds later, just what exactly he said fully sinks in to himself, too, and he finds himself stammering suddenly. "Er... I mean, you know... to help make you less recognizable and all that. So you won't necessarily need to wear the cloak over everything all the time."

    She calls him out on the wording he used a moment earlier, though, and... he genuinely seems confused by *that*. He cocks his head to the side and looks to her with visible confusion. "Hm? It just seemed like a bit much for me, you know?" That doesn't really answer the question at all, does it?

    "I mean, it's not that it wasn't easier to use and even Reinforce than just grabbing whatever I happened to find on hand, but still... you know?"

    Ultimately finding himself unable to provide a proper argument for why Anna should *not* have given him such a gift, he briefly runs his hand along the aforementioned sword - sheathed and slung to his belt at his left hip - and offers to her, instead:

    "You could think of a phone as a gift to you too."

    "Not particularly." Anna replies on the topic of girly things before pursing her lips. "Some new clothes could do me well, though, I suppose. I would blend in much better. That can be added to the list of things to do after Glenmouth." She considers, guiding her pony with little nudges of her knees down the road.
    Only to turn and flash the biggest winner's grin at the youth when he can find no counter arguement to her gifting him the blade. "Use it well, and I'll be happy with that." She says simply, opting to shelve the topic of the phone for later.

    "I'll... do my best...?" Shirou offers back. Somehow he ends up feeling like he might have come out as the loser in this particular discussion (in his own twisted view anyhow), and that he'll definitely have to bring it up again come the time for the phone matter. But he's okay letting it go for now.

    "...You know, it occurs to me," he pipes up after a moment, though without actually looking back to Anna. Definitely not just because what he's about to say is a little akward. "...You don't have to call me 'Sir', you know. I mean, if I should be calling you 'Anna', it... doesn't feel right anymore, you know...?"

    Anna wins. Flawless victory.
    There's no arguing it, the sword is Shirou's now and his to do with as he pleases. The phone matter can be an issue for another day.
    "Hm?" Anna does blink, glancing up from the road.
    "... Would you prefer just 'Shirou', then?" She asks after a beat.
    "... I can do that."