The Versatile Prodigy - STAND in Life

S1~05: You Look Well...

~ Kyoto - Hoshiko Hospital - V.I.P Floor - Room 2000 || 5 Years Ago - Afternoon ~

"Look, Ramuda." 9-year-old Artemis said, tone placating and teasing all at once as she nudged the handmade sweet towards him. Her arms and legs were covered in a gauze as she was dressed in the same hospital top and shorts like the Amemura Clones. "It's not so bitter like that now, isn't it?"

Currently, the World's Greatest Versatile Prodigy was inside a white room with what Chuohku deemed the 'problematic clone'. She doesn't really care since Artemis could secretly tell the clones have different interests despite they were all copies. They're all different once they were exposed to a certain topic.

The 'problematic' Ramuda was curled up on the floor with his legs against his chest, his back pressed against the corner he's curled up in, glaring up at the girl sullenly. "Disgusting." He spat at her, watching her amused features in undisguised hatred. "I'll fucking die before I eat that."

"Yes, you will." Artemis said, sympathetically. But, she stayed where she was, eyeing the lumpy pink treat with scientific interest. "I suppose this looks pretty gross." Even she was disgusted at the flavour, but never said it out loud. "Dr. Amayado (Amayado-sensei) said making it sweeter would mask the bitterness of the medicine, and I find it silly if I made it pink."

"Don't you ever shut up, you midget?"

Artemis blinked, innocently, slowly tilting her head to her right. "I believe we are pretty much the same height given my age." She pointed out, not realising her words made the pink-haired man flinch at the comeback. "You are even older than me, counting the time you were in the cryonic-"

Ramuda's glare darkened, and Artemis backtracked quickly.

"Apologies." She apologised, realising she's out of line. "Insensitive of me." She looked between the sweet in her wrapped hand and the angered boy a couple times, before pocketing it in her shorts. "I'll take this back if you don't want it, alright?" She gave him a kind smile. "I disapprove of placing your favourite thing within the bitter taste of your meds, but it would be nice to make it more bearable so you don't keep puking it up and then running away to hide because of your distaste of injections..." Artemis trailed off when Ramuda turned away, pointly, ignoring her.

He hoped that she'd go away on her own like a pesky flea. But, pesky fleas were pesky for a reason, and they don't leave so easily.

"Very well." Artemis said, brightly. "Delicious pea stew-flavoured tablets it is for you, because of your cuteness!" A glint appeared in her rubies. "And dissolve them in your drinking water~"

Ramuda made a gagging sound. "Strawberries..." He muttered under his breath.

Artemis' imaginary cat ears lit up. "That's more like it!" She giggled, softly. "It really suits you, doesn't it?"

'Even if it did...' Ramuda thought, bitterly. '... isn't it all the same with everyone else? Manufactured tastes. Manufactured everything else.'

"Mu-chan happens to like peas, I have you know." Artemis mentioned, wagging her finger and winking at him when he looked up at her suddenly.

Ramuda didn't realise that he'd spoken his choice of flavour out loud.

"And Kappa-kun thinks sugarless cherry coke is way superior, even though I haven't the faintest idea where he heard it from." Artemis sighed in exhaustion. "Dr. Amayado must have been sneaking in cherry coke into the lab."