Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!
Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.
Let's go!
You know, I'm surprised I've written this much about my history in this little journal. I had originally started this as a half-hearted attempt to humor Harbinger, yet now I find myself actually giving serious thought to what I'm writing down. It's almost as if a part of me is glad to finally have the opportunity to write my story out for others to read about.
...Or maybe I'm just as drunk as Cooter Brown, who knows?
Either way, just to give a quick summary of what happened after we finally arrived in at land: We snuck off the ship with the necessary supplies we needed, left to locals to whatever was left on the ship and began traveling inland. From there, we faced something resembling what we found in Japan, bandits and the like, though wild animals more or less took the place of trained soldiers attacking us.
After several weeks, we finally crossed the border into China. I don't have much to say about it: Opium trade and all that. Never touched the stuff and have no intentions to. Once again, we were attacked by bandits and occasionally the odd patrol of trained soldiers whenever we accidentally caused trouble in populated towns (like accidentally, though I would have had no problems doing it purposely, blowing an opium den skyhigh, or killing a corrupt official that thought he could mess with us).
Eventually however, after perhaps a year of wandering every which way and that and being caught up in some things I'd really rather not talk about, we ended up saving the life of a Frenchman by the name of Jean-Pierre, who, in gratitude, managed to smuggle us aboard a ship bound for France. We endured the several-month long trip (as to how they never found us, we're just good like that. Superspeed is a godsend in places like this.) and eventually found ourselves in France during the reign of Napoleon III, the Second Empire.
It was during this time we finally got clothing that would help us blend in better. Funny enough, we all chose to wear men's clothing, as Lilynette took one look at those dresses and made perhaps the funniest face of disgust I've ever seen. It also helped that due to her age she could pass for a boy with a falsetto voice. I noticed that she went for something that had more color than her normal white clothing, choosing a brown coat and trousers with, of all things, a light-pink undershirt and blue tie, alongside a brown hat. I guess she was just really tired of wearing only white and black. Starrk just went with the standard black coat and trousers with white undershirt and black tie, though even he changed it sometime later to a light grey.
Unfortunately, as we were now passing alongside 'civilized people', we always had to keep our weapons out of sight. Myself and Lilynette could actually summon our swords whenever we needed to so it wasn't much of a problem, but Starrk didn't have that luxury. So, he fashioned a cane of sorts out of the sheath so he could look at least somewhat inconspicuous, not to mention his sword was long and narrow enough for such a thing to work.
Our time in France? Well, that was a step-up in some ways. We didn't have to worry about being attacked by bandits; they seemed in-touch enough with civilization here to understand that my thousand-yard stare meant I would have no problem beating them to death with my bare hands. It was cleaner living in several ways, and once we got past the language barrier, it wasn't half-bad.
At the same time though, there were far more pricks and ungrateful bastards here than back in the Third World. Save a man's life there, he would be in your debt at least until he fulfilled it. Save one here, and you would have to keep one eye on him in the event he tried to backstab you. We also got in trouble with the police a lot more, probably because it was a hell of a lot more organized and willing to respond to disturbances to the peace that we so unfortunately caused.
But hey, at least here we were guaranteed something soft to sleep on every night more or less, so I couldn't complain too much. I admit, I myself was in particular amazed by Paris. It was a sight I never thought to see, so large that it made most other cities I had seen beforehand look tiny in comparison. Even my forgotten homeland of Titania was but a hill basking in the splendor of a mountain.
The food and wine was also rather good as well. I've never seen anyone get drunk on just one glass, but maybe he was just a lightweight.
In the slums of Paris we also found more of those ghouls that we saw on the ship, though they were easy to be rid of. We even found one or two more of those Dead Apostles, which again, were no match for us despite being far more powerful than normal humans.
After a couple of months of this, we made our way to England, where we found pretty much more of the same, save that now we traded French for the surprisingly easier English, something my companions knew how to speak for sure. We eventually made it to London, and I must admit that it was in many ways different from Paris, most noticeably in feel. Paris felt like you were among the newest things, the finest of all Europe's desires flocking together. It created a sense of 'here and now'. London, while certainly similar in terms of modernality, had a slower, more nostalgic feel to it of days gone by. In many ways, it reminded me of home, which is probably why I recall it more fondly than Paris.
It was also where we had our first real contact with Zeltrech once again.
We weren't even expecting to find him. If anything, he found us. We had taken a moment to settle down at a cafe in the downtown area, quietly sipping some black coffee (well, I was. Lilynette was having tea and Starrk was drinking with some cream. I prefer my stuff strong.) and looking at a newspaper. It was quiet, peaceful, and all-around rather pleasant.
I think I had almost given up my quest to find Zeltrech by this point and was just aimlessly wandering to enjoy the sights, to which my companions couldn't have agreed more to. This world truly interested them, and they went about experiencing it with gusto. I was just sort of along for the ride with the task of leading. I had even begun to truly feel like I had something to live for again: My two companions had become the only constants in my life, quirks aside, and they had given me strength to keep living every day without those dark thoughts from before. If anything, I had begun to see them less as originally somewhat annoying tagalongs (more so Lilynette than Starrk) and more as friends... and dare I say: family?
Then my calm day was shattered when a familiar voice sang out next to me, "Enjoying your journey so far?"
I nearly choked on my drink as I started coughing, trying to get out the coffee that went down the wrong way. I turned my head to see, big shocker, Wizard Marshal Zeltrech near me with his own cup of coffee and a book... which I could have sworn appeared to be some sort of porn gallery...
"What the hell are you doing here?" I managed to get out between coughs.
He looked hurt. "Well, I happen to call London my home, good sir. If anything, I should be asking what you and your friends are doing here."
The 'friends' in question looked like they were about to pull out their weapons, but Zeltrech held up a hand in appeasement. "Please, please, let's not fight in a public place."
Starrk and Lilynette looked reluctant, but I waved them off, so they relaxed. While their expressions were still guarded, they were now also filled with curiosity.
"So," Starrk began slowly, "You're the Wizard Marshal Zeltrech that Oswald's told us so much about: The man who's responsible for him saving us."
"Indeed I am," he replied pleasantly, taking Starrk's hand and giving it a firm energetic shake. "It's a pleasure to properly meet you, Mr. Coyote Starrk." He then turned towards Lilynette, hand outstretched in greeting. "As it is for you, Miss Lilynette Gingerbuck."
Lilynette just stared at it like she was considering chopping it off. I gave her a 'do not even think about it' look, to which she just rolled her eyes and finally shook it. "Yeah, likewise."
Zeltrech then looked at me again, taking a sip from his drink. "So, what brings you to the fine city of London?"
"Random roving," I responded. "As a matter of fact, we didn't even know you would be here."
"My good man, I'm wherever I think will be most entertaining," he chuckled as he flipped a page in whatever book he was looking at. "Though I won't lie when I say that London is one of my preferred stomping grounds. A whole lot of interesting phenomena makes its home here."
Suddenly, I remembered exactly what I needed to do if I saw him again. "By the way, there's something I've been meaning to say to you for a long while..."
"Yes-"
Quick as a flash, I finally managed to sock that old fool in the face. Luckily for me, the part of the cafe we were in happened to be rather devoid of spectators, so there were no witnesses to the deed. I don't what the charge and sentence was for assaulting an old man in public in those days were, but I had no intentions of finding out.
"That was for just leaving me there with these two to wandered around the world and for all the other shit you pulled," I told him. "I've been waiting to do that for a while, and be damned if it didn't feel good."
Zeltrech shook his head briefly, though it was likely more to clear it than disagree with what I had to say. "Well," he gasped, pinching the bridge of his nose to be certain it wasn't broken, "I won't deny I probably deserved that one..." Apparently satisfied his face was in no way damaged save for a small bruise on his cheek, he looked at me with an appraising eye. "Now that you have that out of your system, have you given time to think about that offer I made you?"
"Offer?" Then I remembered something about Zeltrech offering me a second chance or some such nonsense. "Oh yes, that offer..."
"You didn't even give it a second thought, did you?" Zeltrech deadpanned.
I shook my head.
"Of course you didn't," Zeltrech sighed. "Oh well, I never elaborated on it anyways, so I suppose it's partly my fault as well..."
"What was the offer?" Starrk asked curiously. "This is the first I've heard of it."
"Well, you and your friend were unconscious at the time, so that makes sense," Zeltrech replied. "Basically, I wanted to offer your good friend Oswald a chance to lead a new little organization I'm been dreaming up."
I put my drink down. "Okay, I'm leaving."
Zeltrech looked at me. "Could you at least listen to the pitch before you reject it?"
I snorted. "Look, even if I did believe for a moment you could form some secret organization..."
"I'm the reason you even met your comrades across entirely different dimensions," Zeltrech reminded me. "If I can do that, who says I don't have the pull to start my own organization?"
"...And even if you do have that ability, why in the world would you choose me to be its leader?" I finished regardless. "I'm not leadership material..."
"You lead us pretty well," Starrk pointed out as he sipped his drink.
"We're a small group of three people," I told him. "Not a large-scale organization. I'm not qualified for such a thing."
Zeltrech sighed. "Well, my only other options are a lazy bum who would rather sleep than do any paperwork (Starrk shrugged.) or a teenager with anger issues ("Hey!" Lilynette yelled indignantly.), so you're the only other one left."
I just stared at him for a long moment. I still don't understand why the hell I didn't just walk out of that cafe: Nothing was stopping me. I could have just upped and left right then and there. What need did I have to get involved in the politics in this world?
I may not have known much about the world in full, but did know there were at least three major powers that had some pull on the supernatural aspects of the world: The Mage's Association headed by the Clock Tower (which like an idiot I only figured out later was based in Britain and even more so in London); the Holy Church, who hunted Vampires and Dead Apostles and had a sort of cold-war relationship with the Association; and of course the Dead Apostle Ancestors, essentially the 'leaders', for lack of a better term, of said Vampires and other Dead Apostles and more often than not in direct conflict the previous two.
Forming a large-scale organization as Zeltrech was implying? That would put me in potentially direct conflict with all three, who probably wouldn't take kindly to an usurper in their little power struggles (well, the Association definitely would. The Church and DAAs would probably consider me at best a nuisance, something that had to be watched to ensure it didn't do something incredibly stupid for the sake of the human race and their own existence respectively. The Association would oppose me for the simple reason that I'm an irregular existence that shouldn't belong in this world anymore and would be a perfect specimen for study in the name of Thaumaturgy's advancement).
Yet why was it I couldn't bring myself to exit that cafe? Why did a part of me want to stay and listen to the words of this man?
Zeltrech noticed my hesitation. "Interested?"
For a moment, I once again seriously considered leaving. This could only get me in trouble one way or another.
Then I looked over at Starrk and Lilynette. To my surprise, they were both staring at me with a familiar look. It was the look they gave me whenever we were about to fight a battle, the look that said they entrusted their very lives to me and my decisions. That whatever happened next, they would accept and follow me willingly.
Perhaps it was that realization that I wouldn't be alone in whatever followed is what finally made my decision.
Finally, I sighed. "What did you have in mind, old fart?"
Fuyuki City, Emiya Residence
"Alright then: Soul, take Taiga's left arm. Maka and Lambda, grab the legs. Shirou, get the door."
With a jingle of keys, the door to the Emiya Residence was open, and Shirou took a moment to take in the sights and smells of home. He then quickly moved out of the way, allowing the procession carrying the still-unconscious Taiga Fujimura, face still with that blissful expression, into the house.
"Alright," Maiya said as they maneuvered into the living room, "let's set her down gently."
There was a brief thud as Taiga's head impacted with the doorframe, caused by a too-quick and miscalculated turn.
"I said gently, Soul!"
"You're as much to blame, Maiya!"
Despite that mishap, Taiga's rock-hard head didn't seem to register anything save a brief snort. They managed to get her into the room and quickly chose the spare sleeping mat in the corner, laying her down gently.
Maiya sighed, then looked over at the others. "Well, I suppose someone should show Noel around. Anyone here willing to do that?"
Shirou raised his hand quickly. Maiya rolled her eyes at the sight, then shrugged. "Alright then. I'll leave your stuff in your room." She then turned to Maka and Soul. "You two staying the night as usual?"
They nodded. It wasn't uncommon for either of them to crash at the place for a night or two after coming back from a trip, or even just in general. There was certainly enough room for them all.
"Well, help me with your stuff then."
The three adults left the room for the bags, with Maka giving the other two a nod of encouragement before leaving. For their part, Shirou and Lambda just stood there for a few seconds, expecting and waiting for the other to say something. The only thing breaking the silence was Taiga's occasional snore.
"...How has she not choked on that piece of candy yet?" Lambda finally asked, staring at Taiga's mouth. "It couldn't have dissolved that fast."
"No idea," Shirou replied simply. "It might have something to do with the candy, or just Fuji-nee in general."
Another brief pause, then one of them seemed to realize just how stupid they looked just standing there.
"So!" Shirou quickly said, clapping his hands together and briefly surprising his companion, who looked for a moment like she was about to start hurling swords before calming down. "About that tour, eh?"
...
"So Soul, is there something you want to tell me about your friend Noel?"
The two of them were currently carrying their respective luggage into the house, with the exception of Maiya holding Shirou's, and had just stopped in front of Soul's room when she finally asked that question. The Weapon briefly glanced towards Maka's room, in which the named occupant was currently busy unpacking some of her stuff, then back towards Maiya.
"I don't know," Soul admitted. "How much did Maka tell you when you met her back at the airport?"
"That she was a new recruit with nowhere to go. Since she seemed to hit it off well with Shirou, Edgar decided it might be best to let her live with someone who had a 'normal' life and wouldn't take advantage of her."
"She said that?"
"It was what it more or less translated to," Maiya replied, opening the door for Soul. "This 'hitting off' with Shirou, it wouldn't have anything to do with that scar on his forehead, would it?"
Soul was silent for a second as he tried to think of a nonhazardous way to break this, then sighed. "It would..." He noticed the slight shift in her stance and quickly added, "By accident, for the record. You really think Shirou would allow someone in his home that tried to seriously kill him? Or Edgar would allow someone like that around?"
Maiya relaxed slightly, turning her head slightly to notice Shirou showing Noel the dining area, the latter seeming to only be half-listening to whatever the former was saying: Probably to do with cooking.
"True," she admitted. "I suppose I just have trouble trusting those who hide their eyes for some reasons."
"Probably didn't want to attract unwanted attention," Soul replied. "She has red eyes like me. I can at least get away with calling it albinism."
Maiya chuckled slightly at that, then her face grew serious again. "Still, if she attempts to hurt him..."
"Then she'll pay for it," Soul finished for her. "I don't see that happening though. I haven't known her long, but she's good girl: Quiet and a little weird, yeah, but nice. Just give her a chance, the same one you gave Maka and me."
Maiya was silent for a moment, watching as Shirou guided Noel back outside, then sighed. "I suppose you're right." She then began to walk towards Shirou's room. "I'm still watching her, you hear me?"
Soul had to bite back a laugh. This was truly a far cry from the old Maiya from seven years ago, who could at best just sort of stare and comfort awkwardly when Shirou was sad and needed cheering up, and seemed to treat such things as 'fun' like foreign languages. Now she was a protective mama-bear protecting her cub from any potential threat.
'Shouldn't mention that to her face though,' he quickly thought. 'She'd probably shoot me... or worse, prevent me from eating tonight's dinner!'
...
"And this is my workshop!"
Lambda just stared at the interior of the shed, taking note of the dust piled up everywhere and the junk scattered every which way, with a bigger pile near what appeared to be a desk of sorts. Upon it rested what appeared to be an old microwave taken apart.
"I would recommend a cleaning spree," were her only words at the spectacle. "A broom and a dust pan would work well. Perhaps a mop and bucket for a more thorough process."
Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but that's what happens when you're gone for a few weeks." He then pointed towards the appliance on the desk. "I was actually working on fixing that before we left. I can probably finish that tonight actually."
Lambda just continued to look around. "This is where you practice Magecraft?"
Shirou nodded. "It's the easiest and best place to do so. The rest of the house is too open for an effective workshop, so I do it all here." He coughed briefly as he inhaled a cloud of dust upon entering. "Still, I guess some cleaning wouldn't be such a bad idea."
"...Do you require assistance?"
Shirou waved her off, already moving for the broom in the corner. "Nah, I've got this."
To his surprise, it was Lambda's hand that grabbed it first. He looked at her for a moment, though he was simply greeted by her pair of shades. "I insist," she persisted. "Mr. Silverstein asked me to help you and the residents if needed, so I shall."
He thought about arguing for a moment, then thought back to every argument he had ever had with a girl, and how they all (well, almost all) ended.
"Alright," he acquiesced as he grabbed another broom. "You can help."
The two passed the time in relative silence, only the scraping of brooms on the stone breaking it. Finally, Shirou looked towards Lambda.
"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something."
"Really?" Lambda didn't look at him when she said that, but the tone she used seemed to indicate that she was listening.
"Do you... remember anything? About your old life?" Shirou asked her, then quickly added. "I mean, I know Ms. Ciel told me you had amnesia, but I was just wondering if you..."
"No," Lambda replied simply. "It would appear that something interfered with my awakening process, thus forcing me to purge my memories in order to safely recover. I don't have any memory of anything, save my name, abilities and how to react in certain situations."
"...Oh," Shirou finally said, then mentally cursed himself for such an answer. "I-I mean, sorry for bringing it up..."
"It's fine," Lambda answered calmly, though the way her grip seemed to tighten around her broom made him inch away a little bit. "I have no reason to try and pursue what would most likely be a hopeless endeavor. Whoever I was in the past is not as important as who I am now; there's no real need for me to try and learn more."
"You don't care if someone might be looking for you?" Shirou asked, surprised by her response. At least with him, he had no need to try since everything that had made him him before the Great Fire, including family and friends, was gone. Trying to dredge up memories of those times would only bring more pain. But if she still had people searching for her...
"Impossible," came her straight-forward answer. "When Mr. Silverstein and Dr. Ciel found me, I was essentially clinically dead for an unspecified amount of time, barely revived through their efforts and even then should have remained in a coma for an unspecified amount of time. The fact I awoke but the next morning is tantamount to a miracle." She finally looked towards Shirou, her eyes still hid by her glasses. "By that logic, anyone that knows me would no doubt think me dead by this point, and therefore, no one would be searching for me, and even then only for a proper burial."
Shirou wanted to say something, but was stopped by her tone. It seemed almost... regretful?
"I am dead to anyone who knew me in my former life, and perhaps that is for the better," Lambda finished, turning back around to sweep some more. "Either way, I have no reason to remember my former life, for it is dead to me."
"...I'm sorry."
Lambda flinched when she suddenly felt something wrap around her shoulders, not uncomfortably, but still firmly. Turning her head, she was greeted to the sight of Shirou staring into her face, his eyes filled with sadness. A part of her wanted to push him away, but she was too surprised by his action to do so. "What?"
"About what I asked," Shirou replied. "I'm sorry about bringing it up to you like that."
"No, why are you hugging me?" she clarified, already getting ready to break free, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden contact. "Just because I told you about my-"
"Because I know how it feels to have everything you once knew be stripped away, without any memory or chance of getting it back," Shirou answered simply. "And I'm sorry that you had to go through with that."
She stopped her efforts to break loose before they had even begun, though it wasn't so much the words themselves that stopped her as the tone they were delivered in. They were filled with regret, empathy, and understanding, the likes of which only someone who had suffered in a similar fashion to the one being consoled could bring up, things a person who knew about what had happened to her firsthand could get across.
Lambda would be the first to admit she didn't fully understand emotions, and probably hadn't had a good grasp even with memories. However, even she could tell this wasn't something that could be falsified for someone's benefit. This was genuine feeling.
Suddenly, something occurred to Lambda: This sense of empathy and common ground. Perhaps that was why Shirou had been chosen for her to live with by Edgar. Similar experiences? Maybe he thought it would be an effective way for her to reintegrate with society if she did alongside one who more or less had?
Or maybe she was reading too deeply into all of it?
So caught up with these sudden questions, she didn't realize Shirou had removed his arms from her until he spoke again. "Um, Lambda? You okay?"
She blinked once, then twice, unnoticed by Shirou due to the sunglasses (she didn't know what had inspired her to get them, but she couldn't deny their usefulness), and then finally refocused her attention on him. He was currently staring at her uncertainly, no doubt because, from his perspective, she had just been staring at him for the past two minutes without a word, which was sort of unsettling when you couldn't see her eyes.
"I'm quite alright, Shirou," she finally settled on saying, deeming it safe enough to defuse any further conversation on this subject. "Thank you for your kind words. They were... mind-settling, to say the least."
Shirou had a look on his face that said he didn't quite buy her words, but nodded. "Well... if you ever want to talk about it more, I'll be there to listen. My dad Kiritsugu often said I was good at that."
Lambda didn't quite smile at those words: It was more like a brief twitch of the lips, but it was something. "My thanks then, but we should be finishing up here."
She then swept her broom suddenly as if to punctuate that statement, causing a cloud of dust to stir up and hit Shirou in the face, to which he responded with another coughing fit.
"*cough!* Yeah, y-*cough!*you're right," he gasped out. "Still *hack!* need to fin-*hack!*finish that *wheeze!* tour. *gack!*"
That time, a small smirk was present on her face.
'Things promise to be interesting, at the very least...' she thought, then something he said earlier struck her.
"My dad Kiritsugu said I was good at that."
Suddenly, she clutched her head with her hand. 'Kiritsugu...' she thought before something strange happened.
Suddenly, she felt like she wasn't in the shed, but rather in some sort of black void. Before she could wonder anything though, she suddenly heard voices.
"Alright Kerry!" came a girl's voice. "Today's the day of our first mission!"
"I wish you didn't call me that," came a boy's voice, slightly older but seemingly a teen's. "It's Kiritsugu, remember? And are you always this excited?"
"...Sheesh, I was just trying to lighten the mood," the girl grumbled. "You're just like this one girl I knew, Homura. It's almost scary how similar you two are, actually. You both use firearms and seem to move unbelievably fast."
"I suppose I should feel honored," came the sarcastic reply. "but from the way you said her name, I'm gonna guess you two didn't get along, huh ******?"
"Uh, Lambda? You alright?"
Lambda blinked as she came back to the real world, once again looking at a concerned Shirou. She slowly lowered her hand.
"I... I'm fine," she finally said, then gestured out of the building, "Shall we be going?"
On the inside though, she was wondering that was about.
'Was that... a memory? But... why did feel like they were and yet weren't talking about me?'
...
"And this is the dojo," Shirou finished with a brief sweep of his arm. "One of the most used places of the household, if I do say so myself."
Lambda allowed her gaze to spread over the rather bare room, stopping for a moment upon the rack of shinai in the corner. Strangely curious (and eager to get her thoughts off what had happened in the shed), she found her body suddenly in front of the rack, briefly grazing the hilt of one of the swords with her hand.
Shirou actually grinned behind her. "I see you've noticed those."
Lambda looked behind her. "May I?"
He nodded, and she allowed herself to fully grasp one of the shinai, taking a moment to adjust her grip on the plastic handle before giving it a few slow experimental swings, slowly increasing her speed as she got used to it. She frowned slightly at the sword regardless though.
It was strange: Despite having never held one of these in her life up to this point, as her preferred weapons weren't exactly equipped with handgrips, she still had a sense of deja vu upon holding it, as if she had used a sword at least somewhat similar to this at one point.
But that was impossible... right?
She was snapped out of her reverie (seriously, she had to stop doing that) when she heard the sound of another wooden blade being removed from the rack. Turning her head, she saw Shirou with his own blade walking towards the other end of the room.
"Used one of these before?" he asked her.
"...I'm not sure," she answered. "A part of me feels like I've used something similar in battle before, but I have no memory of it. And not just because I have amnesia: As in I feel I've never done so."
Shirou stopped, then grinned slightly. "Well then..." he stated as he assumed a ready stance, sword out in front of him with both hands on the handle and feet spread comfortably. "want to test it out? See if you're any good?"
Lambda stared at him for a second, weighing her options. The idea wasn't that bad, all things considered, and it might very well-
An image of him crossing blades in front of her neck came back to the fore of her mind, his eyes filled with sheer determination and will to beat her.
"...No thank you, Shirou," she replied quickly. "Perhaps another time." 'When I'm certain I can actually use it.'
Shirou frowned. "Oh, okay." He then placed the shinai back on the rack, Lambda following his example. "Another time then."
There was something strangely funny about staring at Shirou's disappointed face that made her want to laugh, but she held it in, instead opting to try and cheer him up. "Do not worry, Shirou. You'll have your chance to fight soon enough. You are, after all, the best swordsman here."
Shirou, to her surprise, chuckled nervously. "Actually, that's not true," he admitted while scratching his head. "There's one person in this household that I've yet to beat, even with all my skill."
"Is it Mr. Evans or Mrs. Albarn?" she asked, remembering that both of them used blades in combat from what she had been told. "Or perhaps Ms. Hisau?"
Shirou chuckled again, remembering this was a common mistake people unfamiliar with the Emiya household made. "Actually, it's-"
"SHIROU! NOEL!" came a thunderous roar, not unlike a tiger, from the main building. "IT'S TIME TO EAT! AND YOU'RE COOKING SHIROU-CHAN!"
Lambda was silent for a moment as Shirou rubbed his head some more. "...It's her, isn't it?" she deadpanned.
"Yeah."
"..."
"...We should go."
"Yes, we should."
Some Time Later
Everyone in the household with the exception of Shirou sat on the ground crosslegged and bare footed around the table, each with their own set of plates, bowls, glasses, and utensils to serve them. On one side, Maka and Soul, who were no longer wearing their jackets, sat side-by-side directly with Lambda directly across from the former. On the right end of the table, Maiya sat patiently, while Taiga sat in in a similar fashion on the left end. Directly to the right of Lambda and right across from Soul laid the empty seat of the missing Shirou.
As for the location of said missing person, one need only turn their attention towards the kitchen, from which could be heard the sizzling of food and the faint clink of dishes as it was piled onto individual serving plates.
Lambda had to resist the urge to fidget nervously. While normally such an instinct would be easily ignored, it was especially evident with the lack of conversation among the seated, who seemed content to wait in silence (or in Taiga case, faintly whimper at the smell of the waiting food). She was even restless due to the removal of her jacket, beret, and sunglasses, as she felt somewhat naked without them but also didn't feel like wearing what would normally constitute as outdoor clothing all the time.
Finally, she just decided to say something, if only to settle her own mind.
"If I may ask, shouldn't one of us go and help Shirou prepare?" she said aloud. "Surely feeding all of us would require quite a load of work for just one person."
Maiya, currently dressed in sweatpants and a grey shirt, glanced towards her. "Normally yes, we would. However, Shirou has a sort of... tradition that he likes to follow whenever he gets back from out-of-country trips."
"Really?"
Maiya sipped some water. "He takes it upon himself to cook and serve the entire evening meal by himself, likely as a way to ensure he has not lost his touch at cooking. It's one of his major points of pride, and he gets rather... stubborn and irritable when someone interferes."
Soul suddenly had a coughing fit, which sounded vaguely like "fork butt stabber", before being stopped by Maka's stern gaze. Ignoring it, Lambda then turned her gaze towards Taiga, who was still staring at the kitchen door and waiting for the food, intending to ask about Shirou's claim that she was the better swordsman of the two.
However, that wasn't the question that came out.
"Fujimura-san, are you... drooling?"
Taiga blinked once, twice, then shook her head, rubbing her face as she turned towards Lambda. "W-What!? Of course not! What would make you say that, Noel-chan?"
The blonde's eyes drifted down to the back of Taiga's right hand to see a wet patch, but decided not to comment. 'This girl is really Shirou Emiya's superior?'
Before any more words could be spoken, the kitchen door opened to reveal the man of honor himself, somehow balancing four plates piled high with rice, meat, fish, and salad; three bowls of soup and tempura; and two dishes containing some sort of sauces; all upon his hands, arms, and even his head. Maiya and Maka quickly moved to grab some of the dishes before he could drop them, and all of it was carefully placed on the table without so much as a single spill.
Lambda couldn't help but stare. She had never seen anything this before. Each dish had what could be considered food in a five-star restaurant, gleaming with the sauces and spices used in their creation. It was like looking at one of those famous portraits of kingly banquets, each color brilliant and alive in its own way.
And the smell (good God the smell!), it was practically divine, all of the freshly cooked foods' steam mixing together like an orgy of pleasure that threatened to overload her very senses. It was not just food... it was The Food.
Lambda then shook her head, resisting the urge to slap herself. 'Snap out of it!' she snapped to herself, 'Don't let yourself be hypnotized by The Food's allure... darn it.'
She quickly checked to see that, luckily, she hadn't started drooling. The same could not be said for Taiga, who was now freely doing so as if she was in a food coma, while Soul seemed to be trying to and failing if the way he rubbed his face was any indication, and Maka was apparently keeping herself occupied by helping set down the food safely. Maiya's face had yet to change, and Shirou himself was simply beaming at everyone's reactions, suggesting this was standard for these particular meals.
Finally, the last dish was set down. Shirou took his place next to Lambda, and then they all prepared to eat.
"Thank you, Shirou-chan!" Taiga yelled as she went at the food like the tiger she was, only to be stopped by the iron rod that was Maiya's own utensil.
"Where are your manners, Taiga?" she asked her. "It's only right that the first one to choose should be the guest who will be staying with us in the times to come. This is her first meal here after all."
Taiga seemed to wilt under her gaze. "Yes Ma'am."
Realizing that was her signal, Lambda grabbed some rice, a few tempura, some meat, a piece of fish, a bit of salad, and some soup. She ignored the almost pathetic whimpering that Taiga made every time she grabbed something else, tuning it out until her plate was filled.
Taking a piece of meat, she slowly lifted it up, pausing for a moment to savour the sight, and then placed it into her mouth, slowly chewing it up.
It was a testament to her self-control she didn't just faint at the taste.
Her taste buds, even if she did not, remembered much about the things she had eaten before this point. And while some of it was horrible, some edible, some good, and even some amazing, all of it paled before this feeling like a sand castle before a tsunami. They were aflame with pleasure and delight, a feeling that spread throughout her entire body like wildfire. She was in her own personal nirvana, and it was glorious.
"Um, Noel?"
She was brought back to reality by Shirou's concerned voice. Turning her head, she saw that he had yet to touch his own plate, simply staring at her with some slight concern, as was everyone else, (though Taiga's was somewhat ruined by the tempura end sticking out of her mouth).
"Yes?" was all she was able to safely get out. Her mind just sort of drew a blank.
"You alright?"
"Of course." Two words, she was making progress, and it was coming back faster. "I was simply... savouring the taste."
"Oh." His face shifted from concerned to curious. "Did you like it?"
"...I quite love it, actually."
And with that, Lambda dug into her meal with barely restrained relish. The Food would not deny her.
Soul couldn't help but internally sigh. 'Another victim of Shirou's cooking. Nothing will ever taste the same to her again.'
He then lifted his own piece of fish and bit into it, savouring the taste. 'Then again, it's not the worst fate for someone to suffer.'
Sorry, I couldn't resist putting that ending part in with the cooking. Inspired by an omake I saw in the fic called "Nerve Damage", where Shirou summons four Sabers and 28 Servants are summoned in total for a massive battle royale to the death in the Fifth War.
So, what will happen next? I guess you'll just have to read on!
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