Quiet and melodic steps resound in the silent hall, two pairs of feet making their way. They're side by side, a Cautus and a Lupo. Both are young in appearance, the Lupo even more so, his stature only peaking at the Cautus' shoulder.
If you've forgotten who these two are, it's Amiya and Emiya.
They're not in any rush. In truth, their slow steps may even be deliberate. But who could confirm this? Emiya, of course.
It wasn't hard for him to notice the telltale signs of curiosity, and Amiya didn't bother to hide or knew how anyways.
It started when she began leading him toward their destination, the cafeteria. A few strides away from the exited door of Kal'Tsit's office, she slowed to his sluggish pace, matching his stride, step by step.
At first, he wondered if he was perhaps walking too slowly, so he took longer and quicker steps. Still, Amiya was right beside him.
When encountering forks in the road, it played out quite coincidentally. Emiya would slow down, and Amiya would take the initiative, only to match his steps again when they were well on their way.
Eventually, he chose to break the ice, not very comfortable under Amiya's gaze.
"Ask your questions," he finalized, an edge of annoyance present. Giving the bunny the flattest stare he could manage, flatter than a one-dimensional plane, he awaited, stopping dead in his tracks.
"Uhm," the bunny stuttered, stopping and meeting his gaze. "Your name," she quietly stated, staring ahead. Name? "Your name is Emiya, correct?" Amiya asked.
A nod confirmed it so.
"Are you related to the Doctor by any chance? He's the only other person I've known with the name Emiya," she thought aloud, interest coming full circle.
A moment of silence to think, a hand coming under the chin. "It's too much of a coincidence," he proposed, along with a gesture of the same hand.
A pair of large ears drooped in response.
"However, your intuition isn't unwarranted," he continued. A little theoretical wouldn't hurt, no? "Things aren't always clear-cut, after all. But let's say, hypothetically, that we were related. Why would that matter?"
And at that, the same pair of ears were back to their full height, quite content by the looks of it.
"I'm not sure," Amiya truthfully responded. "But the Doctor looked so glad when he saw you. His burden, at that moment, felt a little lighter."
"...a little lighter, huh," he echoed. "I don't know what the fool expects me to do, but I might lend him a hand if he begs for it."
A chuckle unbefitting of a child followed, amusing the listening Cautus, who in turn let out a small giggle.
"Well then, lead the way."
Amiya nodded, and the rest of the way remained quiet.
The door opened, giving way to a sizeable cafeteria. Emiya's first reaction was to flatten his ears, the noise incomparable to the silence he'd been experiencing. Following that was a slight tilt of the head, nose raised, eyes closed, and a slow inhale.
"Not bad," he complimented, light entering his opened eyes once more.
"I'm glad it's up to your standards," spoke Amiya, entering through the still-open door. Emiya closely followed behind, observing with a critical eye.
It's what you'd expect of a cafeteria: tables, chairs, people, and food. There were a variety of Terrans, chattering away with their table mates. Most, if not all, seemed intimately familiar as if they had such meals together for a long time now. A few sat by themselves or noticeably distant, and as much as they caught Emiya's eyes, he, in equal measures, attracted theirs. One, in particular, made his shoulders visibly shake.
In the corner of a conveniently unlit corner, a Sarkaz, presumably from the horns symmetrically adorning the side of their head, observed his form with no small amount of interest. Their piercing amber gaze unsettled his very soul and rooted him in place. Their lips, thinned into a fine whimsical line, swelled dread in his gut. Their head of silver - seriously, what is with all the silver - contained not one but three exaggerated cowlicks(locks of hair). The symmetrical ahoges of red, with a shorter silver in the middle, resurfaced complex emotions beyond his current means. Overwhelmed, Emiya fell back into the basics: breathing.
"Huu..." A deep intake, as eyelids shut closed.
"Ha..." A slow exhale as they emerged open.
It's ludicrous how much breathing effectively can benefit you.
Mentally relaxed, his mind's eye went into full effect, and an eternity of experience over the countless years as a Counter Guardian funneled into discerning the source of uneasiness building inside of him. Mere milliseconds later, his eyes effectively trained on the Sarkaz's face, and it snapped in place; the reason, the cause, why trepidation filled him.
"Are you alright, Emiya?" Asked Amiya, who, after ordering curry for two, was questioned why she was. Confused, she turned, and low and behold, it was strange she'd order that many for a single person. After retracing her steps, she eventually came across him again in the middle of a staring contest with W, the Sarkaz mercenary. Worried as the good bunny she was, she couldn't help but voice the question.
"Uhm, yeah. Just a roach," the boy responded. "C'mon. You've probably ordered something already." And with a little push, they were well on their way.
W felt the urge to sneeze as she watched the little Lupo and Amiya walk away.
On their way back to find a seat after securing their respective plate of curry, a voice called out to them. The Lupo and Cautus both turned: Amiya, in recognition, and Emiya, in mild annoyance. Their eyes landed on a hooded individual waving their gloved hand enthusiastically in invitation. Sitting with the individual were three others unfamiliar to Emiya. Two of the strangers turned to glance while the other continued to dig into a scarily red-themed dish.
"Hey! Over here!" Shirou shouted, hand moving left to right from where he sat with his plate of food.
Emiya sighed, legs already carrying him toward the rectangular table. Amiya, as he expected, was ahead of him in that regard, his feet trailing after hers. The Cautus settled next to Shirou, giving him a friendly smile.
"Are you enjoying the food so far, Doctor?"
"Mhm," he accentuated with a nod, "tastes great. Though I wish I'd be allowed to cook too.."
Amiya adopted a stern expression. "You can't, Doctor. Not after your last incident."
"I'm fine, Amiya. Nothing happened," Shirou casually brushed off. "And aren't you going to sit, Emiya?" asked Shirou, who noticed a lack of slander.
Emiya gave a glare in response, earning the Doctor a sigh.
"They won't bite, I promise you. Right, Ling?" asked Shirou, seeking support from one of the perpetrators.
Straight across from Amiya, the blue-haired woman in white, Ling, gave Emiya a friendly smile.
"Truth to his words; I've no desire to use this mouth other than for good food, drink, and poems," the she-dragon answered.
Emiya looked no more convinced than before.
"If it makes you feel any better, Dusk won't put you into one of her paintings. Right, Dusk?" Shirou nudged the girl on his left.
"Correct. Given that you have offered me adequate offerings."
"She means snacks," Shirou explained.
Emiya stared for a moment longer before his shoulders visibly slumped. He released a long sigh, expelling whatever doubts, worries, and plans he had built up in that short time. Further from being assured, he just looked defeated. Because, of course, Shirou fucking Emiya has Gods, plural, as Operators.
Settling down into the only chair left between Ling and the other unintroduced dragon, Nian - who was a masochist as far as Emiya could tell - his nose found itself greeted with a cup of wine.
"Fancy yourself a small dosage of relief?" The Goddess, yes, he could call her that, offered.
"Ling, he's-" 'Underaged.' Shirou tried to say before his mouth was duct-taped.
Emiya placed the roll of tape on the table, flashing a smile at Ling.
"I would be honored, O' Goddess," he accepted, taking the cup into his hand and then downing the contents in one go.
"Ow. Ow. Ow. My head," a young voice cried, hand clutched to their head in obvious pain. "What... What happened yesterday?" the boy wondered, his eyes wavering on the illuminated ceiling. A cyan hue coated the room, the light source radiating just beyond the left of their peripherals. They were on a bed, a pillow propped underneath, as far as the Lupo could tell.
Emiya turned, intrigued by the light, only to turn the other way. White hair, skin, and silver eyes beneath eyelids greeted him, and the exposure was no less comfortable, but at least it was bearable. He breathed a sigh of relief, turning on his back.
"Assuredly, better sights welcome your gaze than the gray confinement of these walls?" a voice whispered into the left ear. A chill ran across, involuntarily causing a shudder. And to give Emiya some credit, he didn't freak out - merely squeaked. Like a mouse would, at the mercy of a lioness.
"L-LIN-?!" Suprise and instinct moved his body, only to connect with a finger pressed against his lips as a shush silenced him.
"Shh. The wolf sleeps still. Fun, she had. Now rest she has." The Goddess smiled at the pup. "Trouble recollecting events prior?" Ling asked. Emiya made a coughing gesture without any sound.
"You're correct, O' Goddess. I seem not to recall anything before your offer," he relented.
"A fault not belonging to yours entirely. I, too, lay blame. Young in appearance, yet time told differently. Regaled me with many intrigues you spoke numerous, and vastly. But what say I? Sorrow fills a cup; woe invites a friend." Ling's sleeveless arm extended a cup in a gentle gesture. Does she carry liquor in a pocket dimension or something, always at the ready?
Comfortable and patient, her form outlined against the blue hue behind her back, whatever it was. Matching hair, unbridled without a bun, flowed like many rivers into the sea. Her eyes glistened with a soft glow, mystical in nature, of a magenta sky under deep cavern blue. They held him in place, slowed his heart, and washed away the growing hesitance. Does he even have a choice here?
"If you will have me, O' Goddess." The wipe of eyelids to ready oneself, as a pale hand grasped white ceramic. And with a turn and a tilt, liquid filled his mouth, sweet yet not overly so, with a bite as strong as frost but soothing like midnight melodies. It trickled down, gulped silently in the view of a given smile. Soon, warmth spread, uncomfortably so. The smile parted, coveting his frame into a closer hold, giving way to chime-like giggles.
"Sworn here, a companion," those same giggles commemorated.
The same sentiment was on the tip of his tongue, yet all that came out was a yawn. He felt strange, flushed, a lack of a better word, and also quite sleepy.
"I-"
"Apologies unheard of, little one." Emiya gave a slow nod in response, a knowing smile on Ling's face. "Rest. It's been short hours since your stupor. Let us convene under sensible conditions next meeting. For now..."
A hand was placed atop his head, rubbing slowly back and forth.
"Sweet dreams."
Emiya slowly awoke to familiar white and an all too eager grin. Lappland stood over him like a great giant, her eyes filled with unsettling intensity. Her furred ears twitched in excitement as his prone form showed signs of activity, rousing himself from sleep. His legs bent, as did his arms, pushing against a soft surface. He rose into a sitting position, head craning from left to right. Spare decorations met his inspection, bare of many, if any, personal touches.
His eyes landed on a desk, and he couldn't help but smile. On top were a photo frame of Lappland and another, a Lupo with straight black hair. She was grinning while the other looked annoyed. And messily taped onto the side was a picture of him, a recent addition, he summarised.
"Is this your room, Lapp?"
"Yep," replied the Lupo sitting by the bedside, waddling her dangled legs. "Took you long enough, bro! You'd usually wake up way too early," she exclaimed. Taking a sharp turn, Lappland crawled close to him, a grin framing her ferocious yet playful face.
"That dragon lady on your mind?"
"No," he answered calmly with the strength of a jet engine. And that's true: he was not high on love or friendship, but rather it was something more cheaply bought, drugs. Whatever Ling carried around with her, it had hit hard enough to knock him out within mere seconds.
"Kuhahahahaha!" Came annoyingly, in Emiya's opinion, the laughter of Lappland, who was jabbing his face in sheer comedic euphoria. "Y-you should see the look on your face!" She continued howling, rolling onto her back, hands on her stomach, and pressing her unruly hair against Emiya's stomach.
"You-!" His hands turned into pincers, pulling roughly at the laughing Lupo's cheeks, distorting their laughter.
"Okay, okay- Haha," Lappland mouthed, a finger drawn to wipe the tears forming at the edge of her eyes as she finally stopped laughing.
"Are you going soon?" Emiya asked, hands still on Lappland's cheek but not pulling.
"Aye. Gotta do some make-up missions!" She answered, her hands stretched upward to the sky, expelling a satisfied sigh.
"..Okay. Could you show me to the medical wing first? I really should get myself checked."
"Sure thing, bro!" Lappland answered, lowering her arm to pinch Emiya's cheeks into a smile. "You could at least look a little sad," she cracked, grinning.
"And you could at least look a little happy," Emiya snapped back, pulling her cheek into a frown with a snarky grin of his own.
"But it's so boring!" She whined, accentuating the "so." Lappland released her hold, clapping her hands together into a makeshift pillow on Emiya's lap. "I'd rather sleep here for a few more hours."
Soft strokes went through surprisingly soft hair, a soothing sensation filling Emiya's hand as he slowly waded through it. "Do a good job, and I'll see if kitchen privileges can be allocated."
"Is that a bribe?" Lappland gasped in fake disbelief. "I taught you better than that!"
Emiya raised an eyebrow.
"See if Texas privileges can be allocated too!" The wolf explained.
"Ah, so that's what you mean. I'll see what I can do."
Lappland gave out a hearty laugh before jumping out of bed. Emiya shortly followed, but not before tidying up the sheets and pillows.
"Will I be staying in your room?" The young Lupo voiced once they were out in the hallway.
"Yep," Lappland answered, pulling out a keycard from her pockets. With a flick of her fingers, the card flew into the ready hands of Emiya.
"Any preferences?" He thought to ask, shuffling the card into a secure pocket.
"Ah. That "steak" thing you made for me."
"Hamburg steak? Rhodes Island thankfully has ingredients."
"So you mean it'll taste better?" Lappland asked.
"The two can't be compared." Emiya couldn't help but smirk upon seeing Lappland's exciting features. It continued this way all to the medical bay, small talk about the most mundane of things exchanged back and forth.
It may be boring, but it's a privilege Emiya hasn't received in a long time.
As always, thank you to my Beta Reader: Adrien!
Readers, if you're seeing this, then I have fully given up. Today, at 5:35 p.m., I rolled Kohaku from the famous Tsukihime series on Mudae, a discord bot. But sadly, I did not have a claim up, and no one was able to do so in time. And so, I have lost. I am defeated, devastated, and left in despair. I've known pain, but not a pain such as this. It's a terrible, cold, and angering emotion.
Anyways! Review, review, reviews! Please give the best feedback you can if you have any, because just like me, I know we all can learn more each and every day. :)