White Ink

25

Sakura Matou approached consciousness as routinely as a clock approaches the hour. In fact it wasn't until she had gotten up and started heading towards her wardrobe to change that she realised that her wardrobe wasn't there; and she wasn't in her pyjama's and that this wasn't her room. She started racking her brain trying to find out how she got here when she noticed something unusual.

The worms in her body that had been her constant companions for her entire life were silent. They no longer writhed about causing her pain nor lust and she felt calm and in control over herself for the first time in her life. Even as she marvelled at their lack she felt sudden nervousness wash over her as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Awake I see," the voice came from her peripherals and caused her to jump and spin in place.

Turning she saw the image of a handsome man with both black hair and black irises. He had the features of a westerner and seemed to be only one or two years older than herself. He was dressed in an expensive looking suit and had a gentle smile upon his features.
"No need to panic," the man waved his hand at her in a disarming manner. "You're safe here, nobody in this house wishes you any harm." At seeing Sakura's still nervous look he continued. "If we were going to harm you then why would we treat you and bring you back into our house to rest." The man suddenly looked towards a watch on his wrist. "It's ten 'o clock and you have been asleep for the past fifteen hours, you must be hungry, there is food waiting for you downstairs. Just turn left and head forwards and down the stairs and follow your nose. There are clothes waiting for you on the desk behind you. If you have any further problems then just yell and I will appear."
With that the man turned on his heel and headed out of the room leaving behind an overwhelmed Sakura. Taking a few deep breaths to steady herself she decided to comply for now. She changed into the simple dress that she noticed with some unease fitted perfectly on her body. She broke into a sweat at the thought that somebody had seen her defiled body. Taking deep breaths she calmed herself. They might not know she thought, it would take a magus for them to identify the worms and there was no evidence that the person in front of her was anybody but a person who had found her collapsed and taken her in out of compassion.

Stepping out of the room clad in the given vestments she followed the man's instructions. Almost immediately upon heading downstairs she began to smell the breakfast that was promised to her. The smell was mouth-watering and Sakura's stomach grumbled as she quickened her pace. Stepping into the kitchen she was confronted by the sight of two people already in, one she recognized and one she did not.
The person she recognized was the man who had appeared when she woke up. He now wore an apron and a chef's hat and was frying bacon in a pan over the stove. The one she didn't recognize was a woman just a bit older than her age with brown hair and with bloodshot eyes that hovered over a cup of coffee like it was her lifeline occasionally taking sips from the strong substance like she was a drowning woman and the drink was her oxygen.
She hovered in the doorway not wanting to disturb the two when the woman at the table noticed her. "Nine, she's come down. You can dish up for her now."
"I am aware of that Lady Yumizuka," the man who Sakura now identified as Nine stated. "I need not remind you that my senses are sharper than yours, especially in your sleep-addled state. Now that I mention it I would like to reiterate my beliefs that you would better assist my master by going to sleep."
"Fine," the woman who was apparently called Yumizuka said and got up. Smiling at the purple headed visitor to the house despite the tired look in her eyes she spoke. "Welcome to this residence. I'm afraid the owner is currently asleep and being cuddled to death." Behind the girl Nine let out a snort of laughter as the image of a stationary Shirou being cuddled up to by a similarily unconscious Arcueid flitted through his mind. He had refrained from taking pictures because he had a feeling it would annoy his master but it was a mental image that he would carry for a while.
"If you have any problems ask Nine. He's both a butler and one of the few who are still awake and not currently working," the brown haired girl continued, Nine nodding in assent behind her. "I'm taking the far room on the ground floor Nine," she called out to the butler and he nodded his assent.
Sitting down at the table she started to eat the traditional western breakfast that was laid before her Sakura started to speak to the butler. "Excuse me , what exactly happened last night,"