Chapter Text
"Good morning, Doctor. You have another mission for me?" Lee casually said as he stepped into their office. The more he came to visit the landship, the more the room felt just as familiar to him as did his own office back in Lungmen. Maybe he was starting to see this place as a second home.
The Lung was expecting the hooded tactician to be waiting for him behind their desk, but instead he was greeted with their small assistant and the leader of Rhodes Island herself, Amiya.
"Oh, Mr. Lee! Uh- yes, in a minute, please!" The Cautus was busy rearranging files in a nearby cabinet, and hastily finished her task to greet him. "The Doctor is currently busy dealing with urgent matters, but they requested that I'd give you the details while they were out."
They were in charge of managing most of Rhodes Island's facilities and staff, so you can’t have too much freedom when you’re one of the heads of a big pharmaceutical company. He wasn’t sure how Amiya had that freedom to be their assistant, though.
"Well, alright then," He promptly took a seat. "What's the situation this time, Miss Amiya?"
The caster before him grinned. "Well, I’m sure you’re working hard for Rhodes Island as per our business agreement, and I believe the Doctor thinks so too. So…”
She pulled out a folded piece of paper from the clipboard she picked from the desk and slid it across the table to him. He picked it up, to see it was a tourist pamphlet about the Bolivarian city of Dossoles, containing brief info about the city’s biography, history, attractions, and other must-see tourist locations.
“...Is this your way of saying I’m on leave?” He chuckled. “I’m not against taking a day off, but this all just seems out of the blue. On such short notice, I don’t think I can even accept this.”
“There’s more to it than that, actually.” Amiya explained. “We’ve suspected that something is afoot in Dossoles from our intel, so we dispatched a few of our operators there to ensure the city stays safe. In the event that something goes wrong, however, the Doctor wants you to assist them as back-up.”
So in a way, it doubles as a work trip too. It was a shame he couldn't bring his agents with him, they would have loved some time to play in the sun as well.. But it's all just for a mission, they'd understand once he informs them about it. He smirked at the thought. “Well, if you put it like that, I suppose I could rearrange my schedule for this. I’ll accept the mission, then.”
“That’s great to hear, Mr Lee. Although, you won’t be going alone.”
“Is that so? Well then, who’s coming with me?”
Before Amiya could answer, knocking was heard from the front door, getting the two’s attention. “Oh! That must be her. Yes, you may come in!”
The door opened, and a familiar figure appeared before them. A tall young woman, who's petite physique disguises the impressive strength she withholds. Her golden blonde hair tangled on her horns, and lightly brushed the floor she stood. Even off the battlefield, she chooses to don her Victorian uniform with pride, as a gracious reminder of her undying faith for her homeland.
“Amiya, Lee! It’s wonderful to see you two again,” Saileach beamed upon finding them waiting for her.
Lee flinched upon seeing her enter the room, but kept his cool. “Ja- Saileach, lovely to see you too this time around…" He tipped his fedora to conceal his flustered expression, yet the caster next to him could tell he was tense. She couldn't understand exactly why, however.
“The Doctor called me here a while ago, so I’m assuming I'm needed for another mission?“ The Vouivre queried, taking a seat next to the blushing detective.
Amiya nodded. "I already filled Mr Lee in on the details, but long story short, the Doctor assigned you two to assist our operators currently dispatched in Dossoles as back-up."
"Ah, the city in Bolivar? I've heard a bit about it, and it sounds like a pleasant place," Well, sure, minus the whole terrorism plot that has yet to unfold once another certain dragoness takes a vacation there as well. But that's besides the point.
"And you'll have all the time you need to get comfortable there. The Doctor and I agreed to let you two take a day off before the mission, so you two can familiarize yourselves with the city and have a bit of a break while you two are there. Rhodes Island will cover the fees for you both, so there’s no need to worry about the finances." The Cautus added. The Doctor heavily emphasized the 'break' part of the mission when they instructed her what to do before they left.
After taking a moment to recollect himself, Lee finally spoke up, now with a newfound enthusiasm in his voice. “Well, how about it, then? A little rendezvous to the beach for a few days wouldn’t be too much trouble for you, would it?"
“No, not at all! I’m sure it’d be quite lovely,” Saileach replied. "I can start packing my things in advance."
Satisfied with their responses, Amiya smiled. "Wonderful. For the rest of the day you will be free to prepare for the mission. The departure to Dossoles will be a day from now, so I advise you two to rest well before then."
They were then promptly dismissed from the office, and after a moment or two the back door swung open to reveal the Doctor, who just came back from whatever it was they were doing. They made sure no one else but their assistant was in the room before speaking.
"And…?"
"Oh, welcome back, Doctor. Yes, operators Saileach and Lee will be heading off to Dossoles soon."
They sighed in satisfaction. "Perfect. Thank you for letting them know in my stead."
Amiya smiled. She could sense a bit of excitement from underneath the darkness of their mask, but regardless she was glad to be of help. "Of course. They're two of our most capable operators, so I trust your decision without a doubt."
"Although, now that I think of it… I can't help but feel like you have some ulterior motive to send them together..." Her eyes shifted away from them for just a moment. “Are you trying to set them up again?”
The Doctor almost choked on their coffee at her accusation, but remained calm. "Amiya, that's absurd. Would I really use my position as their superior to manipulate them into such a trivial situation?"
Yes. Yes they would.
This wasn't the Doctor's first time plotting something like this either. Only Amiya knew how much they get a kick out of playing matchmaker; Not just for those two, but for several other operators under their employment as well. It was honestly impressive how they kept getting away with it by being discreet. Although to her, it was more of being in denial than it was subtlety. It was honestly a wonder how Kal'tsit hadn't caught up to their schemes just yet.
"It’s okay Doctor, you don’t have to lie to me. I'll let it slide for now.“ Amiya sighed. She knew they just wanted to help find love for their operators, and she even admires them for that. But there’s a time and place for everything, and this just wasn't one of those.
Her lighthearted expression then switched into one of seriousness. “But after this mission, you aren’t allowed to interfere with the love lives of other people, especially the lives of our own operators. We have more important matters to focus on, you know. Love can only bloom when you preserve the life that exists within."
"...You do make a point. Sorry.” The Doctor sighed. “I'll refrain from making such schemes from now on. I promise."
They settled back down on their desk to be greeted by the stack of paperwork waiting for them to finish dealing with. “You’re starting to sound more like Kal’tsit now, you know.”
Amiya chuckled. If anything, she saw it as a compliment. “Well, maybe that’s a good thing.”
And so the room returned to silence, as the two continued their separate duties. Pen swiveled on paper, and books shifted from one place to another. But in the back of their minds, the two could only hope for the safety of their operators. People could get hurt, and lives could be lost. No matter how casual they made it out to be, a mission was still a mission.
And yet, they chose to frame it as a vacation, didn’t they? No use feeling glum over a vacation.
“...I will say though, Mr Lee did start acting strange when Miss Saileach entered the room.”
“Oh, did he now?”