Hello again, dear readers~! Welcome to the fourth chapter of this string of one-shots!
So, yeah! This is a thing now, and it's going to stay for some time! It's mainly going to be a side-project as I focus on writing A Gamer's Fate, so the upload schedule will be inconsistent as my mandarin skills (which are terrible). Anyways, enjoy!
Rhodes Island is, for a lack of a better word, hectic. It runs constantly, never seeming to stop, with every single operator moving on their own with seemingly no coordination. Still, despite that, and the sheer chaos of it all, they still had time to treat those infected with oripathy, acting as a strange mobile hospital of sorts.
That, and after a certain Doctor's…'revival', sanity seems to have gone out of the window.
It's only natural for one to feel a sense of respect for it, and to wonder why a pharmaceutical company needed such a massive attack force, though if what the rumors said about them and reunion are true, then perhaps such force is understandable.
It was why Emiya found himself exploring the community area allowed by Rhodes Island, looking around at the many patients waiting for their examination while he himself waited. Not for his own examination, mind you, but for his sister's, who'd been hired to act as a member of the company's special forces.
From when he first came into this world and saw the infected, he was...intrigued. A disease that originates from the build up of originium in the infected's blood, causing strange crystalline-like structures to begin puncturing out through the body. It almost sounded like nuclear radiation, but gave you superpowers instead of just crippling you.
Fairly early into his life, he'd discovered how adverse and wide-spread oripathy was, and how he was strangely immune to it. Whether because of Avalon's lingering affects on his body or his previous affliction as a Servant, he wasn't sure. Perhaps he could just have a powerful immune system?
Of course, old or young, he was still Emiya Shirou, and old habits were hard to break. He tried to help every infected he found on the street, but just like in his previous life, it was endless. For every illegal originium mine he disbanded, several more were established. For every corrupt individual exploiting the masses he took down, a couple more would rise.
And then the ravine between the infected and those who were not grew wider, and conflict continued.
More people soon gave up and turned to reunion, where they gained a semblance of control, lashing out against the world.
And the cycle continued, feeding itself on the twisted balance this world stood on.
But it wasn't so easy to stop, because while oripathy is a disease, it too is a boon, granting those infected with originium arts, powers and skills comparable to the servants of the throne. If so, then if they're blood becomes even more infected, would their power grow? How much power could they get simply by becoming even more infected?
It was why he respected Rhodes Island's efforts, despite knowing some of the more shady aspects the company had to offer. Still, such a thing was understandable, and from what he managed to survey and analyse, the desire Rhodes Island held was very much pure, intent on finding a cure to the damned disease.
That all aside,
He took a look at his watch and grimaced slightly. The examination usually lasted around an hour, and it'd only been ten minutes since Lappland had been called. The time was nearing noon, and he was ravenously hungry, having to skip breakfast due to the sudden mission he'd been called to do.
At least the pay's good. He frowned slightly, wondering why the man had given him such a large sum just to deliver a small, safe, and rather uninteresting package to who he assumed was his co-worker.
Well, who knows. He was a mercenary, and asking too many questions would only lead to things he rather not know about.
He sighed, leaning back against the wall, attempting to fall asleep to pass the time. Then, as he began to relax, his stomach growled, and he groaned in annoyance at the slight ache in his stomach.
"Hello~? Are you okay, mister?"
Emiya quickly snapped his eyes open, surprised by the sudden call, to see a girl, with bright orange eyes, blonde hair and a pair of bear-like ears atop her head.
"...Ah, I'm okay."
"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure I heard your stomach before…"
He wanted to say otherwise, but his E-Rank luck kicked in at that moment, and his stomach decided to put out another growl, much to his embarrassment. After a short moment of silence, he coughed into his fist and smiled. "I'm a little hungry. I haven't eaten breakfast quite yet, you see?"
"Eh!? You missed breakfast? You must be really hungry!" The girl yelped, worried, and he found it quite endearing actually.
Yet the panic in her eyes was strange, and the near frightened shudder that passed through her body worried him slightly. Subtle it may be, but the overwhelming panic she held for his hunger, especially considering he'd only skipped breakfast, was odd, yet slightly familiar.
He could've tried to use his Structural Analysis to find out why, but she carried nothing of significance with her, and his magecraft worked rather poorly on clothing, so all he could do was speculate.
"It's fine, really." He said, trying to wave off her concern, but the girl remained worried. "Are you sure though? I can get some food for you!"
"...There's a restaurant here?" He asked, genuinely curious. Because if there is, then...well, it wouldn't be all that surprising actually, but he'd still be pleasantly surprised.
"Well, there is, but it's really~ full right now, so you'll have to wait a while!"
...Huh. Perhaps he should take a visit there next time. It'd been a while since he last ate at a restaurant actually, so it'll be a nice change of pace for him. "Still, it's full right? And I won't be staying here for too long, so I'll be fine."
"Mm…" The girl muttered, and he stared at her, wondering if she had another suggestion, before she suddenly shouted, "Ah! I'll just get some food from the kitchen!"
"Well, I don't want to impose, so-"
"Come on!" Before he could do anything, he was suddenly yanked forward by the girl and found himself unable to escape, trapped by the girl's surprisingly strong hold on his sleeve. He was stronger, but it'll be terribly rude for him to suddenly force someone younger than him to suddenly stop.
So, with a sigh, he resigned himself to fate and let the girl drag him further into the confines of Rhodes Island, passing by some of the company's operators and gaining several raised eyebrows in the process.
Soon, after some time, and many, many sympathetic smiles from some of the people, they finally reached the kitchen, which felt a lot more like a local cafeteria with how noisy and crowded the place was.
It was then that he saw first-hand the diversity of those that worked in the company, from those still young to old veterans, from a feline to a laterano, from those infected and those who were not. It...was rather familiar actually, as if he'd somehow been in a similar situation before, though when or where he wasn't sure.
"Huh? Who's this?" Another ursus, this one with blue eyes and brown hair, with stripes of red down the left side. She looked to be around the same age as the girl that dragged him here and wearing a similar uniform under that coat of hers. Are they classmates? Emiya couldn't help but wonder.
"Oh, he's...uh,"
"My name's Emiya. I got dragged here." He quickly said, and understanding dawned in the girl's eyes. "I'm guessing you were hungry?" She said, and he nodded, once again wondering how many times the blonde ursus had done this. "Well, sit down and order something big guy. The cook here's not bad, but they don't serve beer." She said, glaring at nothing in particular, before continuing, "Oh, and I'm Zima. She's Gummy-"
"...Ah, she's gone."
What? He turned around and just like before, the blonde girl, Gummy, was gone. "Is she an Assassin?" He accidentally blurted out, and Zima simply laughed. "Nah, she's just really fast."
"...I see." Emiya said simply before he took a good look around, staring at the others currently eating here as well, and at the strange and diverse set of weaponry some of them held close. He managed to get a glimpse into some of their lives, and he couldn't help a small wry smile, now knowing Rhodes Island was just as fun and crazy as it was serious.
"Something caught your attention?" He shook his head at the question. "Not really. Just surprised at how...hectic this place is."
"It is, isn't it? I was surprised too when I saw a hospital like this." Zima said, smiling at a distant memory. "But I won't change it. It's kinda this place's charm."
Strangely, a memory of two masters flashed in his mind, one that fought against the end. He shook the thought away. "Anyways, why're you here? Waiting for a check-up?" Zima asked. "No," He said, "I'm waiting for my sister's to finish."
"Sister?" Emiya nodded. "Mm. She works here actually."
"She does? What's-" She then stopped herself and looked, really looked at the man sitting before her. White hair, silver eyes, and a lupo. There's only one person working for Rhodes Island that she knew held those same traits, and she nearly choked. "W-Wait, you're the brother of Lappland?!"
"You know her?"
Everyone knows her! Zima almost screamed, because who didn't know of Lappland, resident battle maniac and Texas chaser. She's seen some stuff alright, but every of the lupo's mission reports sounded more like a horror movie than anything else! If she wasn't out fighting, then she'd be waiting around Rhodes Island, trying to get Texas to duel her.
Well, then again, for how crazy that girl is in battle, she's rather cordial and polite when talking. Perhaps she got it from him?
"She's pretty...popular." She says cautiously, worried the brother might take offense. He easily saw through it though, but to her surprise, he merely smiled and laughed. "I assume she's a troublemaker here too?" She nodded, and he sighed, an amused smile on his face. "Well, she's always quite troublesome. I hope she hasn't been too much of a handful to take care of."
Thankfully, before Zima needed to explain anything, Gummy returned with two trays filled with an assortment of food. "Here you go!" She said cheerfully, and Emiya looked down upon it uneasily. "Are you sure this is alright? Isn't this a bit too much?"
"But you haven't eaten breakfast, haven't you? This is to make up for that too!" She easily answers, and in the face of that blinding smile, Emiya can only sigh and comply. "Itadakimasu." He said quietly as he clasped his hands, before he began to dig into the large pile of food Gummy had brought back for him.
And...colour him surprised, but for a cafeteria, the food wasn't all that bad. The texture could have some work and he could tell the chefs aren't as brave as they could be with the spices, but overall it didn't taste all that bad. Actually, for a normal person, this would probably taste good, but his tongue had simply become too used to his own cooking.
Ah, cooking. How long ago since he last stepped into a kitchen and cooked something for himself? His frequent and rather long missions forced him to eat on the go, and his arms ached to return to the kitchen to prove their worth once more. Then again, he no longer had a stable living area he could stay in, so cooking could only be shoved further down the bucket list of things he wanted to do.
"So, so, how does it taste?"
"...The vegetables are fine. The bread's texture could be improved, probably by kneading it more. The spices used could've been more diverse, but the cooks are probably not allowed to use as much spice as they wanted, so the slight lack in taste is forgivable." Was his answer to Gummy's questions. He's suddenly met in silence, and he looks to Gummy, who'd taken a seat next to Zima and raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
The two girls remain silent, staring and gaping at the surprisingly intricate explanation. "Um, Emiya, are you a cook?" Zima asked, and to that Emiya smiled. "I do cook in my off time, but I hardly ever have any breaks in my line of work, so it's been a while since I was last in a kitchen."
"Hue~, does that mean you're a good cook, Emiya?" At this he smiled slightly, somewhat embarrassed but somewhat proud as well. "Well, Lappland always said that 'she'd kill everyone and everything to taste my cooking', so I think I'm quite adept at cooking. I don't think I'm the best though."
It was at that moment Gummy and Emiya became friends, and the first time Zima ever felt left out by someone she was fairly close to.
"Hmm? I didn't think I'd see my brother here." Zima nearly bolted out of her seat when a certain familiar voice spoke behind her. She quickly turned around to see Lappland, standing there in all her glory and with that same usual polite yet feral smile. "I was quite surprised to see him disappear, but I guess this is fine too."
"H-He was waiting for you?" She asked cautiously, and Lappland merely smirked, before looking back to her brother. Emiya and Gummy were still stuck in their own world, discussing their similar interests and exchanging tips and recipes over new possible dishes to make. Her smile grew slightly more melancholic at that. "Isn't that nice."
"...?" Zima stared curiously, surprised at the sudden change the usually feral girl had. "Ne, are you friends with him, Zima?"
"Ah, well, we're acquaintances, I guess." She answers. Lappland stares at her, as if looking inside her for something, and Zima couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable under that intense silver gaze. The lupo then sighed, before taking a seat next to her.
"I see." She says. "It's been a while since he's been this carefree with someone else."
What? Zima wanted to ask, but Lappland had already gone silent, instead simply watching her brother talk with Gummy, a small smile present on her face. Zima stared in wonder, surprised to see the lupo like so.
Once again, Zima couldn't help but feel left out.