Dreams in the Mist

By: Angelus Erreare

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. Serph, Argilla, and Heat belong to ATLUS USA.

A/N: Imari-chan, I know you've waited for a long time for this fic's completion. I'm sorry for the delay. But nonetheless, here it is!! I hope you like it.

Please bear in mind that I've written this as objectively as possible, never imposing and most certainly not judging your opinions or your choices…

Once more, I hope you like it.

WARNING: COMPLETE AU, WAFF, FLUFF

WARNING: This fic will contain sensitive political and cultural issues/opinions. Topics on sexism, homosexuality, ethnocentricity, discrimination and prostitution shall be explored. If you are offended, please leave now.

Chapter 1: In Our World

"What is this called?"

The pink-haired woman scratched her head, quelling the pink tinge that was surging within her system, intent in tarnishing the otherwise flawlessly pearly white skin on her cheeks as embarrassment flooded her senses at hearing the man's soft question.

"Erm…" coughed Argilla as she fought for precious seconds that she wanted to use in order to remember what the answer was to the man's harmless inquiry.

'Damn…What was that again…?' she thought, feeling her confidence plummet.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a barely audible chuckle and again, she froze as she saw the male's gentle smile.

"It's called Retail Lending System." came the calm reply.

"Yea! That's it…!" she concurred, laughing nervously, "I was just about to say that!"

The unimpressed look on the man's face told her that he didn't believe her. She sweat-dropped at that.

"Ahem!" she said, clearing her throat, "Now, where were we, mentor?"

"Don't call me that." the man retorted softly, "I'm just like you; an employee. No more and no less."

She rolled her eyes at that; he had always been the overly modest one, hadn't he?

"Then what shall I call you then? Person?" the pink-haired woman shot back, getting slightly irritated.

The male shook his head with his eyes softly shut before opening them once more in order to peer into the female's pink pools and responded calmly, "Call me by my name. It's Serph. Not mentor. Not sir. And not any other name."

Argilla wrinkled her nose, "Why can't I call you mentor? You are my mentor you know?"

Serph shook his head; they had been at that mentor-name-calling business for days now. And still, she had insisted that she called him that instead of his name.

Oh well…

Well, it wasn't really a problem for him, per se. He had a job to do. And that was to train her. What ever she wanted to call him shouldn't bother him in the least. Not in the least…

"Let's just continue…" he trailed off, tearing his gaze from the female, now letting his sights fall onto the computer screen once more.

Argilla couldn't help but smile at that, 'He gave up…Oh well! Heheheh! Another round won for me!'

xxxx

She sat at the reception, her hands balled into tiny fists, her eyebrows knitted in concentration…

She suddenly felt herself shrinking on the couch in which she situated herself. She had felt an insecure air about her ever since she had walked in that office…Right from Day One.

She wrinkled her nose.

'There are just too many of them here… And no one like us…' she thought with a nod. That's right. Amongst all the people working in that bank, in that particular branch, she had been the only one from her home country of Svathisthana.

Granted that all of them were expatriates in that country, it didn't change the fact that she was different from the other expatriates in the bank.

She had been the only one to have that…Oriental look.

Everyone else had been different.

Including Serph.

Yes; he wasn't any different. Like almost everyone there, Serph was from the Sub-continent of Muladhara.

Argilla blinked easily at that thought. Not that she minded or had any ill will or ill feelings towards other people from other cultures or races…

No. Not at all.

'It's just that… It feels lonesome that I'm the only one here… Everyone seems to…'

Everyone seemed to treat her as if she had been the next tourist attraction!

'Or the next act in the circus…' she thought with another frown as she remembered the numerous curious glances that she received every time that she would walk into the branch and sit beside Serph…

Many of the males from Muladhara even had the audacity to approach her and ask her questions that she deemed…personal.

But then again, she didn't let that bother her. They were just curious about her, right…? She groaned again. There had been times when she had felt overly uncomfortable. There had been many instances when the males would interrupt her training session with Serph.

There they were, going to speak to Serph in their own language…rendering the pink-haired Svathisthanan feel totally awkward and aloof. There and then, she would find herself looking everywhere and nowhere, fidgeting with her hands and fingers.

'And then they'd just laugh and leave!' she thought with a snarl.

And when she would ask Serph what they had said…?

He'd say…

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it. They were just kidding."

Kidding eh…?

But about what?

As perverse thoughts flooded her mind, she shook her head, 'Maybe I'm better off not knowing…'

Wanting to release herself of those seemingly pointless and useless thoughts, she focused on…other and more pertinent thoughts and questions…

And at that point, millions of thoughts had flown within her mind and for some reason none of them pieced themselves to be coherent…

Too many questions flooding her consciousness…

'Why did I decide to work for a bank…?'

'What am I doing in here…?'

'Why can't I remember that stupid name!?'

'What name? Retail…something-something…' she internally grumbled, all the more feeling frustrated within herself.

She had been in training for almost four days now…and still, the female felt as if she hadn't had the feel of the working environment…

Granted that it had been her first job; the very first job that she had ever undertaken. She frowned as she felt the pang of regret.

'Damn…why ooh why didn't I ever go for a summer jobbbb…?' she internally whined.

Her indecision in the past had finally caught on with her. A fresh gold fish in a sea of sharks. Argilla's stomach suddenly did a summersault and she groaned.

'Ugh…when will I get the hang of all this crap…?'

'If it weren't for Serph I'd…' she trailed off. Ah, yes. Him. He had been the only good thing about this job. He had been very gentle in the way that he had taught her. He had been very patient in the fact of her lack of experience…

But that wasn't what bothered the pink-haired young woman.

'I'm just so dumb in this!' she growled.

Yes; there was a part of her that lacked confidence in what ever she had learned…

'Yea…that is if I can just remember half of what he taught me…' she told herself in self-defeat.

Her stomach churned at that thought.

'Not adapted yet huh…?' she thought with dismay, 'If I don't adapt soon…damn, what'll happen to me!? I'll probably get fired after a month or so!!' she internally screamed, her heart racing uncontrollably as she envisioned the grim scenario.

'Then…then…what will dad say!?'

Aa…

Yes.

Her father.

'He'd be so disappointed and think of me as a…failure…' she thought sadly.

"Hello there…"

She snapped back to reality at the sound of the voice.

The woman bolted upright and turned her head to the side, "Serph! You scared me!"

The man sweat-dropped, 'She's…strange. Too jumpy…' he thought.

"Sorry about that." Serph replied with his sheepish smile, "Anyway…"

"Anyway!" she exclaimed, cutting him off, "What's up?"

He blinked, "Actually, that was what I should be asking you. I just came back from having my lunch…and well, I just saw you hunched over and…looking too serious… I just came, wondering if anything was wrong." he finished with a slight frown on his face.

She lightly giggled as she saw the concern written on her colleague's face, "Don't worry about me Serph! I'm fine!"

That was a lie.

She wasn't fine.

She was annoyed.

There she was, waiting for her idiotic brother to pick her up. She had been waiting for over and hour and still he was a no-show!

And the fact that she was using her break time waiting and being hungry didn't help the case either.

Serph raised an eyebrow as he sensed deception within her voice and there he wasn't disappointed in his feeling of skepticism as he heard something.

It was a low moan.

Or was it a growl…?

Argilla blushed.

Was that…?

Serph couldn't help but smile. She was hungry wasn't she?

The second low growl that he now knew originated from the bowels of his colleague's stomach confirmed his suspicions.

"You hadn't lunch yet?" he stated more than asking.

Argilla wanted to shoot herself at that point.

Well, not really.

She wanted to gut herself.

'Damn straight…! Gut myself and rid myself of this damn stomach!' she thought with malevolence for the helpless organ within her body.

"Erm…no." came her honest reply. Well, there really wasn't any point to hiding anything anymore.

'What's the point? He already heard me anyway…' she thought, internally drawling.

Serph smiled tightly, somewhat glad that she came clean. Slowly, he held out his hand for her to take, "Come on."

Argilla looked at him confusedly, "Eh? Where to?"

"Let's get lunch. I'm famished."

She blinked; confused, "But didn't you just say that…?"

He shook his head, "I'm not full yet."

At that, she smiled. He was such a sweetheart, wasn't he?"

Seeing the sincerity and the concern in his face for her, the young woman took his hand and his offer, "Lead the way boss!"

Serph mentally groaned at hearing her choice of words.

'There she goes again with that…'

xxxx

Argilla tilted her head from side to side. She blinked rapidly and said nothing. There they were within the premises of a quaint café, having their lunch.

Her pink pools fixated themselves upon the silver-haired man in front of her, silently appraising his eye-pleasing appearance.

She blinked as she did a quick once-over of her trainer…

'He's…not bad looking. Nice voice. Well dressed…' she mentally trailed off as she noted his neatly ironed polo-shirt with his I.D. clipped on his necktie.

'Nice accent too.' she thought with a slight snicker.

It wasn't a secret that those who came from Muladhara had quite the funny way of speaking the internationally spoken language of Sahasraran.

But then again, like she said, Serph had a decent accent.

However…all that aside…

She frowned, 'He may be cute…but…He's just too quiet.' she told herself. 'Just like now…'

"Something wrong?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

Serph snapped into attention at the sound of her voice, "No…! Of course not!"

She made a face as she heard him. She knew full well how his deep silver eyes penetrated her eyes and made a dive for her thoughts every time their gazes would meet when they were at the office…

She knew full well what those gazes meant. He was studying her. He was attempting to get at the real her, wasn't he? And he succeeded; she knew that too.

But, just because he could read her didn't mean that she couldn't do the same.

She was reading him at that moment…

And his response wasn't impressive.

"Come on Serph. I'm not stupid." she said with half a sneer, feeling a bit insulted that he would attempt to conceal his apparent discomfort.

Discomfort?

That was right. Discomfort.

He was feeling uncomfortable, wasn't he?

"Why are you being too quiet? Something on your mind?" she asked curiously, her pink eyes widening in curiosity, her head tilted from left to right, scrutinizing him, "And don't lie…"

Serph sighed as he smiled a bit.

They had met only a few days ago and although he would admit that she wasn't exactly a girl that caught his eye, but nonetheless he felt a certain air of easiness when with her. So, then, why did he feel uncomfortable now?

He slightly blushed as he gathered his thoughts…

"Serph?"

Her quaint voice brought him back to reality and again their eyes met.

"What?" he asked; confused, forgetting all at once what he had been thinking.

Argilla rolled her eyes; was she right in over-praising him? On all the days that she had been his trainee, she had seen how dedicated he had been at his work. She had seen how well he had handled their work's pressure and how smart and quick-witted he had been.

But now…

'Why did he turn veggie all of a sudden?' she thought with a frown.

"What the heck is wrrrrooonnggggg…?" she drawled, "You keep disappearing on me!" she responded with a frowning face, "If there's something wrong, you can tell me."

His silence and lack of body language nearly pushed her off the cliff of patience and tossed her over to the arms of irritation. She quickly stood up, "Look, if I'm bothering you then…"

"No!" he quickly responded, cutting her off, "It's not that! It's not like that…Please sit back down…" he softly spoke, his silver eyes silently pleading with her pink orbs.

She said nothing and complied, "Then?" she asked, urging him on.

Serph cleared his throat, "Erm…There's nothing wrong Argilla…And you're not bothering me. Not at all…" He then sighed, "It's just that…You're the first girl that I invited out in this country."

Argilla slightly leaned back as she heard him.

'The…first girl…?'

xxxx

A/N: This story takes place in our modern era. It takes place in a conservative and yet modern society in which I will not name.

Ahem! So, for the readers, here are the breakdowns of names of places:

Lokapala: (the entire country in the story) pertaining to the virgin country with black gold. This country follows very conservative religion that is monotheist, does not accept homosexuality, does not allow followers to convert to other religions, enforces virginity and bans pre-marital sex, specifically defines male and female roles in society and enforces it with strict accuracy and imposes severe punishment for the transgressions of.

Ajna: (a city/territory in the story) pertaining to a suburban city in Lokapala.

Svathisthana: (Argilla's country); a country to the Far East, the Orient; follows religion that is monotheist, open to all other religion (marriage into or conversion to), promotes freewill and accountability, in which enforcing of religious laws are lax.

Manipura: (Heat's/Harley's country) pertaining to the Kingdom in the Mid East; follows Lokapala's religion.

Muladhara: (Country of Serph) pertaining to a country primarily on the South Sub-continent; follows Lokapala's religion.

Muladharan: (language of Serph) pertaining to the Language of Muladhara.

Vishudha: (another nearby country) pertaining to a country almost neighboring Lokapala and Muladhara; follows both Svathisthana and Lokapala's religion.

Sahasraran: (accepted/universal language accepted in Lokapala) language of Sahasrara; functions like English in most countries; atheist society.

Northern Tribes: other cities in Lokapala aside from Ajna.

Ahem! Now with the banking terms (WHICH I DO NOT OWNNN OR CLAIM TO OWN!!); (I don't want to be sued here):

RLS/Retail Lending System: Banking software used in processing personal loans and auto loans.

RBE/Retail Business Executive: Title of bank representatives that process personal loans and auto loans.

DoB: Date of Birth