Restoring Mankind (NieR Automata) Chapter 9 preview. Part 3/4 (Patreon)

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The setup of the Mess Hall was that of your typical canteen. The tables and chairs were utilitarian and grey, the logistics of war not allowing for personalized luxuries. On the far end was a food counter with plates and utensils for the hungry pilots to eat at. When Damian heard that food was ready, he wasn't exactly thinking they were going to get a steak dinner. According to the Colonel, they were asleep for a long as while. He was hungry. Absolutely hungry. Shit, he would even find a tasteless ration bar the most gourmet meal he had eaten in his entire life. 

He was wrong. 

A rich inviting smell filtered into his nostrils. The rich tangy scent of stewed meat, the soft steam of vegetables, the fluffy wet smell of steamed rice. 

"Welcome to the Mess Hall! Please, have some food!" greeted Devola, apron on and a spatula in one hand. next to her was Jackass, still aproned up and singular eye brimming with excitement to serve him and the other pilots. Damian automatically got one of the plates from where it was kept and held it out to Devola who gave him more than generous portions of food. Damian glanced down at the rich spread on his plate. 

There was fluffy white rice, softly steaming. A stew of meat he didn't really know the source of, only that it looked tender and was swimming in a rich and succulent brown sauce that had a shine under the light and lastly, an assortment of vegetables he swore was some type of curry. 

"Eat well, sir," Devola smiled at him. 

"Oh, I will," Damian said, thanking Devola as he went off to find a table. He found a good one at the far end corner and deposited his plate. Taking out his utensils, he cut into the meat and brought it close for him to smell. It had a faint porky smell to it so he figured it was pork of some kind. Shrugging his shoulders, he placed it into his mouth. 

Oh sweet Jesus, you are merciful. 

The meat was truly tender, literally falling apart into his mouth as he chewed into it, each chewing motion filling him with flavour and gravy juices from the meat. It was rich, absolutely rich to the tongue and not entirely overpowering. Mixing it with the rice, it was truly a wonderful meal that sealed the deal. 

Seeing his reaction, Devola smiled. 1D and Popola were in the back, cooking up extras should ever they needed more. Another Pilot came up, plate in hand and clearly excited as he saw Damian's look. "I'll have whatever Cruz is having," he said, turning to Devola. 

"Of course, sir. Enjoy," Devola replied with a smile, a shudder going through her body as she took the man's plate. 

As the pilots went ahead to have their fill of food, their android hanger-ons were watching from outside the Mess Hall. 12H watched Damian with a mixture of worry, elation, and a large amount of jealousy. Oh, she was happy that he was getting food to eat. Unlike her that only really needed water sometimes, humans needed food to feed their bodies of nutrients. She was glad that he was getting a balanced meal of carbohydrates, protein, and greens. Those twins and their newfound staff really knew what they were doing. 

But that was the problem. 

It was them making the meal that was making Damian happy in his meal, not her. 

Cooking...it wasn't exactly something that she knew how to do nor was she programmed for that but she was going to learn and be the best damn cook humanity has ever seen. If anyone was going to make Damian say those wonderful noises, it was going to be her. 

Next to her, the other androids, resistance types, weren't exactly making their thoughts hidden. 

"Should we join them?" 

"I don't know, can we?" 

"I mean....we can eat, right?" 

As androids, they really didn't need to eat. They ran on a internal power system but as they were all built to be as close to humanity, they could enjoy a meal though never really had the occasion to. There were androids who indulged in cooking and culinary arts but their creations were...mixed. Now though, they could enjoy some fine food made by the Twins and their newfound staff and be close to actual humans?

"Oh, why the hell not? Let's go," an android whispered to his buddies.

"But...can we do? I don't think we have permission," another android reminded him, earning looks of defeat all around. 

It was then, Anemone's voice broke through. "What the hell are you all doing crowding around the door for? If you want to eat, go and eat." 

Heads turned to see Anemone standing by the side of Colonel Smith who looked at them in amusement, on the other side was Commander White whose stern look sent shivers up the spines of the YoRHa androids there. 

"It's a mess hall, go and eat. You guys can eat food, right?" Colonel Smith asked, his head tilting slightly. 

"Uh, y-yes sir. We can," 12H spoke up, her voice a squeak. 

"Then go and get in line," Smith said, earning smiles from the androids who rushed in to join the queue. Smith shook his head as he urged his own androids, Anemone and White to follow him. 

"Sir?" Commander White raised an eyebrow. 

"Join me. Beats eating alone," Smith said, looking forward to eating the fare the Twins prepared. From behind the food counter, Devola caught sight of the Colonel at the back of the line. She momentarily forgot about the crowd before him, smiling widely seeing the experienced Colonel. But then, her lips curled when he saw her speaking with both Anemone and Commander White. 

A series of complicated emotions rolled in her core. 

"Uh...my food, lady?" The pilot across the food counter blinked. Realizing she was still serving people, Devola quickly got back to work and handed the man his plate. 

"S-sorry, sir. Enjoy your meal," Devola smiled awkwardly. The pilot accepted the plate, a single dark eyebrow raised at Devola before walking off. Devola resisted the urge to scream in the inside. Great, now a human probably thought she was weird! Internally despairing, Devola stood ready to serve the next one in line only for her to realize that the next one in line was not a human but an android. A YoRHa Healer model to be exact. 

She blinked. 

"Uh....one of everything, please," 12H said, looking at the presented food and making her order known just like how the humans had done. She had to admit, doing this felt rather exciting. She was ordering food just like a human! It was a rather remarkable novel experience, something she felt that the humans liked to do. 

Queuing and saying the magic words to get sustenance. 

Truly, what a magnificent species their creators were. 

Devola thought about before shaking her head and taking 12H's plate. In her laser focus in serving the hungry pilots, she hadn't noticed that her fellow androids decided to go get a hot meal too. "Uh, here." Devola said, returning the Healer models plate who took it with a nod before happily skipping over to where Damian was sitting. 

As she approached Damian, 12H's inner core beeped with apprehension and excitement. Oh, what was happening with her? She was a YoRHa model, the most advanced android model in the Army of Humanity. She could heal any android of any afflictions as easily as one could breathe. Why on Earth was she getting nervous? 

"Take it easy, girl .Take it, easy." 12H told herself. Taking a breath, she walked up to Damian's side. It took iron discipline for her hands to not shake. 

"U-um...Sergeant Damian?" Oh for the love of, why did her voice sound like a squeak!

The sergeant turned, blinking on who could be calling him before his eyes landed on the hour-glass figure of 12H. Immediately, he grinned. "Ey there, 12H. You want to join me for lunch?" He asked, glancing at the plate in her hands. 

"u-um, y-yes! If it's no bother!" 12H said, excitement and euphoria coursing through her as the human invited her to join him. Damian chuckled as he motioned to the empty chair across him. 

"No, you aren't a bother. Come on, sit." Damian said, inviting her. 

'Oh my god, he said I wasn't a bother!' 12H all but screamed internally. Happily skipping along, she sat across Damian. The chair did not at all break under her weight. A similar scene was happening all throughout, androids going on to sit down with their favoured humans, all equally bashful and some confident in their approach. Either way, the sight of it all made Smith's old heart smile. 

Now, the line had gotten shorter and it was his turn to go get his food. Beside him, Anemone and White felt even more apprehensive as the line got shorter and shorter with Smith coming ever closer to Devola. Upon seeing him, a face-splitting smile appeared on her face. It infuriated White who saw the rather angelic smile on Devola's face. Was that really necessary?

"Colonel Smith," Devola greeted him. "Already back for my cooking?"

Anemone glanced at the food that was being warmed up by the counter. "Not bad, Devola. I had no idea you had it in you," the Resistance Officer remarked, her sight turning to Devola.

How brazen of you to do this, Devola, was what was unsaid. 

Devola's smiled remained sweet. "Oh, I'm an android of many capabilities, Anemone. This is simple one of my many skills," she remarked, making sure she locked eyes both with Anemone and White.

I can do more for Smith than what you two could ever do, was Devola's erstwhile reply. 

Smith on the other hand was not an idiot. He lived long enough to know and detect hidden meanings. Rolling his eyes, he picked up a plate. "That's enough from the three of you," Smith said, his voice like thunder to the three androids. He offered his plate to Devola. "I'll need the fuel, Devola." 

"Of course, sir," Devola said demurely, batting her eyelashes at Smith as she took his order. 

Eventually, the Mess Hall settled onto a calm sea of dining and light conversation as pilots and androids interacted with each other. Devola herself felt a wave of pride grip her. The...encounter with Anemone and White aside, she and her sister with the assistance of 1D and Jackass managed to go ahead and feed a team of human pilots as well as numerous other androids. 

At this point, 1D and Popola left the kitchens to join Devola and Jackass who....promptly took her own plate and swaggered onto a table where a lone human male was seated at. From the tags on him, Devola could see that the human had the name C.Sharpie and judging on the glint on Jackass's eye, she had more things in mind than just idle conversation. 1D too had meandered off, her own plate in hand, and trying to find a human she could sit with.

"Sis," Popola greeted her Twin, her steps demure and feminine. Between them too, Popola was always the refined one while she was the more outgoing and wilder one. 

Devola smiled at her before turning back to the dining crowd. "If you told me way back that we would be feeding not just one but a whole crowd of humans in the desert, I think you would have lost your mind." 

Yes, Smith did forgive them both on behalf of humanity for their sins, perceived or otherwise, but it still felt surreal that in one burst of light, all their sins were washed and the object of their devotions, hers and all of the androids of the Army of Humanity, were now here and with them. Not only fighting with them, but now laughing, talking, and dining with them. 

"It still feels surreal," Devola confessed, slowly untying the hairnet on her head and the apron around her. 

"I know how you feel. I...I feel it too," Popola answered. Her eyes glanced down at the floor, a moment's silence gripping her as she processed everything that has happened so far. "But...I'm not scared. I...I'm starting to hope again, Devola." 

Devola smiled truly. "Me too, sis." She glanced back to the dining crowd. "Me too." 

Her smile then died when saw that Smith was seated with Anemone, White, and 1D. And he was laughing. 

Anemone and White, she could understand. But 1D? She took that scamp under her wing and this was how she was going to repay her and her sister?

Betrayal. 

Popola watched the dark look on Devola's eyes with amusement. "Jealous?" she said teasingly. 

"I am not jealous," Devola insisted. The grin on Popola's face made Devola roll her eyes. 

"Okay...maybe a little bit," Devola admitted, crossing her arms. "Aren't you?" 

"Oh sis," Popola laughed softly, as if nothing was bothering her. A soft smile appeared on her face. "I may not look like it but inside? I am absolutely furious." 

Devola turned from glaring at Anemone and White who seemed to detect her stare but ignored her, their focus only on Smith who was conversing something with them and back to Popola. "We need to do something," Devola asserted. 

"What should we do? We've already done enough," Popola pointed out. 

Devola thought carefully. "You still have your lute?" 

"I do, why?" Popola asked before her eyes slowly widened in intrigue. She then blinked. 

"Devola, you never sing unless you're dru-" 

"Get your lute!" Devola urged her sister. 

Back with Damian and 12H, the two were locked in conversation. Damian found 12H to be, while shy, was confident in the field of healing. On 12H's part, she saw in Damian a teasing soul who had seen quite a lot of the world before...before the Legion nearly plunged humanity into darkness. 

"Back during the heigh of the Legion, it was a...difficult time," Damian said, recalling those dark days. "I was in the Middle East when the Dragon and the Giant appeared in Tokyo. It was surreal, watching it all happen. And the chaos and the confusion...it wasn't a great time to live." 

12H nodded, listening to Damian recalling the lore days gone past. Her heart sank into the deepest pit as she listened to the trials humanity had to go through. 

"And then the nuke happened and WCS was spread all over. It was...terrifying. In basic, they prepare you for what war and the battlefield was going to throw at you. But WCS? The Legion that came from it? No amount of training will ever prepare you seeing your friends and family turn to salt in front of you or turn into...monster." Damian chuckled, a dark one. Humor to soften the pain of everything. 

"Where...where was your family in all this?" 12H found herself asking. "I-I'm sorry if this is a bit too personal to ask..."

Damian shook his head. "Oh, it's no problem. My dad had died way before all that, liver failure. He was a massive drunkard you see. I was the only child and only him and mom's was my only actual family. My mother, she was a doctor, you know?" Damian said, regaling to 12H a bit of his background. "I suppose you could figure out what happened to her," 

12H thought about it carefully before her eyes widened. "No..." 

The smile on Damian's face was pained. "She died in her hospital, trying to treat people who were first afflicted by the WCS. Stabbed in the back by a Legion monster." 

The YoRHa model glanced at Damian and felt like weeping. She knew she was violating protocol with the amount of emotion she was feeling. But frankly, that rule could take a Goliath's fisting. At this time, she felt nothing more but the intense desire to hug Damian, bring him into her arms and tell him everything was okay. That she was going to protect him. Damian later continued, his tone slightly happier.

"It was in the hospital she met my dad. He got super drunk and had to be taken to the hospital. The first thing he said upon seeing my mother was a question," 

12H leaned in closely. "A question?" 

Damian chuckled. "Are all doctors this beautiful or is it just you?" He shook his head. "I dunno what was going on in my dad's head at that time but he swore he was just drunk. My mom though...she thought it was hilarious." 

12H's heart fluttered. While it was rather inappropriate for Healers to fraternize with their patients, she had to admit she found the story...heartwarming. Could she have that too? 

She looked at Damian briefly, her core in turmoil before she found courage in herself to speak. "Um...Sergeant?" 

"12H, please. Call me Damian," replied the Sergeant. 

Stop smiling at me like that. No wait. Don't stop. I love your smile. 

"O-okay," 12H said before taking in a breath. "Are...."

"Are?" Damian asked, tilting his head to the side. 

"A-are all s-sergeants handsome or is it just you?" she asked meekly, her cheeks a furious blush. Damian sat, shocked at her audacity. 12H cringed internally, watching the look on the sergeant's face. Had she overreached? Was she not allowed to do that? Oh, she needed to be deactivated. She had brough dishonor on herself and her entire model line. 

Then, Damian laughed and all her worries died off. With slightly red cheeks, Damian finished chuckling. "You're good, I'll give you that." 

"I lean from the best, Damian," 12H asserted with a puff. 

"The best being me?" he asked teasingly. 

"Y-yes...." 12H whispered. 

At that point, the two glanced at each other. While 12H was still definitely shy, the look on Damian's eyes filled her with confidence. And she leaned in, to take all of him in. Damian for his part, after relieving dreams of nightmares in his mind, found 12H to be a fresh and welcome reprieve. He leaned in too, loving the heart-shaped face she had and how bright her lips seemed to be...

Then, a lute started to be strung. Blinking rapidly, the two realized what was happening and turned away. Damian found the ceiling to be rather interesting and 12H found that her braids were rather fun to play with. At the very front, Devola and Popola was stringing a lute and Devola...sang.

[spoiler=Recommended OST: Song of the Ancients]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhgEuhL0jxI[/spoiler]

"Kuwata (soba) tsuno wovalai,
Tsurizhi (swakhna) pura alekai

Kondəvain (kondəvain) umbu fərtun blonnuwail

Shurtətei (skora) chegi hiato,"

Popola sat cross-legged on a chair, soft fingers skillfully stirring the lute's strings to life as Devola sang with a voice as soft as clouds, yet with the stirring emotion of the waves crashing to rest against the sand. They played and sang with apparent joy and peace, the presence of humanity a balm to the pained past that all of them shared. Humanity with the Legion, the Twins with the failure of Project Gestalt. Anemone, White and the other androids with the Machine Wars. 

"Chinnata (bamba) iferih pulei

Lechona (nawa) sowethi anei

Shijako (shijako) alekhni fatalinya

Nih pisha (fali) unhore sile,"

The pilots smiled, finding comfort in the song. They thought about the old world of horror they had left behind, and the new world that they were going to build. They glanced to their androids who looked back, knowing the challenges ahead yet...neither of them felt fear. 

They felt hope. 

"Utrashain aforen zhəkuraswa

Towa ihatosei, ihatosei tsufralai

Utrashain aforen zhəkuraswa

Towa ihatosei, ihatosei tsufralai," 

As they sat, Damian and 12H listened to the performance quietly. Erstwhile...their hands travelled towards each other. Slowly, gently. Their fingers touched on the cold metal of the dining table, now warmed with Damian's touch. They slid into each other, interlocking in a soft union of android and human. No...

"Keisha!"

As man and woman. 

"Ulilya kozhizhi chachu kaija

Nyame fetsu mekri, fetsu mekri ling ganal

Ueri manja khutei araku

Ali laraga chei, laragath yei shindulo,

Kuwata (soba) tsuno wovalai,
Tsurizhi (swakhna) pura alekai

Kondəvain (kondəvain) umbu fərtun blonnuwail

Shurtətei (skora) chegi hiato,"


At that, the music slowly died off. Devola and Popola paused, looking towards where Smith was sitting, hoping, that he was smiling. 

To their delight...he was. 

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A/N: This has got to be the most wholesomest shit I ever written