Fate/Alternative

7 - To Have a Party

"You're a good person." Jason's voice came through Karma's phone.

"I know where you live."

"Anyway... it makes things easier. You can keep an eye out in the crowd and I can sneak around."

"Fine. Just don't fuck up. It would be a shame if all I had for Five was bad news."

He hung up and dropped his phone next to him. He was sprawled out on his bed. He sighed and attempted to fall asleep again. His body had recovered after a lot of resting. He was definitely milking it, it was a way to stay in bed after all.

He could hear footsteps in the hall outside. He knew it was Harry coming to wake him up. He had a bad feeling about today already.

"Hey, you should get up." Harry opened his door, "You have to go to that party today, don't you?"

The brown haired boy sat at the edge of Karma's bed.

"I know your tired so I made some coffee." He stood back up, "And breakfast is waiting."

Karma stayed still and covered his eyes with his arm. He really didn't want to get up. But he needed to attend that party to assure that Jason stayed out of trouble on his own. Normally this role would be switched, but he also needed to look after Artoria because of his promise to Arthur.

He stood up and walked downstairs, yawning as he entered the kitchen. He poured a cup of coffee and joined Harry in the dining room. Seated at the table was Shorou and some younger girl with purple hair that Karma couldn't recognize.

He sat down and drank some coffee.

"So... who's the riffraff?" He asked.

"That's rather rude you know." Harry put a plate in front of him, "This is Sakura Matou."

"Nice to meet you." She bowed her head a little.

"What's the plan for today?" Karma slowly picked at his food, "I mean your plan."

"I'm probably just going to hang around. You know, relax a little." Harry said, "Maybe share some recipes with these two."

"That sounds like you."

Harry had always been like that. Rather he had always been normal. Which is probably why Karma was attached to him. He had never had anything normal. Not a childhood, not parents, not family. That was all taken away.

"I'm going out for a bit." Karma stood up without eating very much, "I'll be back in time to get ready."

"Be careful!" He heard Harry but didn't reply as he exited the house.

He, of course, was going to One's grave. He needed a place to think. A place where he couldn't be interrupted.

The party would be a dangerous scene... normally. Before, he would have had to sneak in. Now he had a formal invite, sort of. He was technically Artoria's plus one. He'd be able to find people he recognized from Atlas, and make sure they recognized him.

Karma stood next to the wooden cross. It hadn't occurred to him before that there wasn't really a body under the ground here. It was more or less something they placed here to remember him. A place for the others to mourn.

That's right, he thought, I never felt sad for him. What was the point of sadness he wondered.

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"He's really nicer than he seems." Harry washed a plate, "He's just got a lot on his mind this morning."

"I still think he's a delinquent. I mean, honestly, who just constantly acts out without reason?" Tohsaka had arrived a few minutes after Karma left.