April 11
Monday
Clear
Getting to Shujin was a bigger hassle than he expected. His trip through the subway systems the day before had helped a bit, but he still had gotten extremely lost and missed one of his connecting trains. Why were there so many lines? So many people too. When people would say that standing in those subway cars makes you feel packed in like a sardine, they weren't kidding. Even with all these problems, he was still early enough that he could make it to school, but he would be cutting it close.
Walking out of the station, he immediately saw a pretty blond girl in a Shujin uniform. She had long blond hair pulled into two pigtails and was very cute. She was shorter than him, but taller than most Japanese girls. He only had a handful of non-Japanese classmates in his life, so this was an oddity.
Maybe she knows a fast way to get to Shujin. He approached her and was about to ask when a car pulled up alongside them.
The car rolled down its driver's side window and a man peered out to smile at her. He had a very strong jaw and short, puffy, curly hair.
"Ann-Chan! You're going to be late to school, want a ride?" The driver asked.
The girl nodded slowly, looking hesitant for some reason. The man's eyes trailed over and he noticed Akira. His smile twitched a bit, not enough to be noticed by most people but Akira had learned how to look for small details
"How about you, you need a ride?"
There was a look in his eyes that seemed threatening, warning him that he needed to reject this offer. The man gave off a dangerous vibe that Akira didn't feel the need to deal with. He shook his head side to side, indicating no, and the man rolled his window up without giving Akira a second look. The girl, Ann, walked around the other side and got into the car. They rode away soon after.
...Oh! Shit! He forgot to ask for directions.
Akira opened his phone and tried to pull up his navigation app.
"SHIT! Did that pervert just leave with her!?" A boisterous voice called out.
Looking towards the voice Akira saw, what seemed to be, a stereotypical delinquent. Bright blond hair, unbuttoned shirt, bright undershirt, loud voice. His unbuttoned shirt had Shuji colors. He could ask this guy for directions, but not wanting any trouble, Akira turned away. He walked in the direction the car had departed in.
"Wait! Dude! Did he take her!?" The blonde cried out.
Akira felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to face the other student. The guy looked very upset.
"Uhh yeah, is that a problem?" Akira asked while he calmed removed the guy's hand from his shoulder.
The other student didn't seem to notice his touch and Akira was happy for that. The delinquent was, once again, shorter than him but also taller than a normal Japanese person. He should probably stop calling the guy a delinquent, it was kind of like the pot calling the kettle black. He felt proud of himself for using that English idiom.
The delinquent looking kid kicked the ground and tsk'd "Shit, what's that pervy bastard going to do to her." He raised his hands in the air in rage and growled, before throwing them down into his pockets. "Wait, I shouldn't be saying this, are you going to rat me out to Kamoshida!"
The guy moved towards him threateningly. Akira had to calm down some of his old impulses before he made trouble. This guy probably wasn't going to do anything, he really shouldn't fight on his first day. He took a calming breath.
"No, I don't even know who that is. It's my first day."
A look of realization dawned on the other student's face. "Oh! You're a transfer student!" A huge smile grew on his face and he took a step back. Good. "Well! Nice to meet you! Kamoshida's that prick who drove away with the girl. He thinks he's the king of the castle here at Shujin. Watch yourself around him. He runs this place."
The delinquent looking student seemed a lot friendlier now. Still not wanting any trouble Akira nodded his head, turned back towards the way the car went, and walked away.
"Wait!" Akira turned around, again, "You're going to Shujin right? You're going the wrong way, here follow me. I'll show you a shortcut!" The unnamed blonde turned on heel and began to walk down an alley. Appreciatively Akira began to follow him. He didn't think this guy was going to try anything.
"I'm Sakamoto Ryuji by the way!" Akira nodded and introduced himself, before they fell into a comfortable silence.
"What the…" The blonde, Ryuji, muttered out.
What the was right. This was not the school Akira had visited, not the school at all. In its place was a giant castle that consumed everything in sight.
"I swear this is the way to school."
Akira didn't doubt him either.
They had walked back the way they came and took a different route several times, each time Ryuji exclaiming it was the right way this time. Akira honestly didn't even know where he was anymore so he just had to trust him.
For some reason, every other person on the street was gone. There wasn't a single person in sight, anywhere. There wasn't a single car, a single animal, there was nothing. It was terrifying, and it was affecting them both.
"Damn dude! This is like, the fifth time we ended up here!" Ryuji was getting very flustered.
He could tell that Ryuji was getting scared.
They finally approached the castle and pulled to a stop in front of it. They had to have been walking for nearly half an hour. Pulling out his phone he saw that he was now, officially, late for school. He tried to call someone, but then remembered he didn't have any contacts in his phone. He had deleted everyone in a rage before he entered Juvie. Oh yeah! He had Sae! He perked up and pulled up her number.
Wait, bad idea. He doubted she would want to hear about how he got lost on his first day and ended up at a castle. She would probably get him drug tested.
Ryuji seemed to get the same idea. He pulled out his phone and was fiddling with it.
"What the hell dude, I can't make a call!" That wasn't good. "None of the buttons are working either! I can't get online!"
Akira closed his contacts and tried to go online. In an instant, his phone froze. The screen went pitch black, before a bright red eye took over the entire front of the screen.
"What the hell! What's this eye!" Ryuji thrust his phone towards Akira's face.
Akira showed Ryuij his phone and showed that he had the same problem. Thinking back, he had seen this eye app before. It had been a few weeks ago but he had. He thought he'd deleted it too.
Ryuji stepped up towards the castle "I don't think we have a choice anymore, let's check out inside." He walked towards front door of the castle.
Akira didn't follow at first. He looked around at every street he could see. The lack of anything living was scaring him. There was a complete and haunting silence here, something he hadn't once experienced since entering Tokyo. He didn't want to enter this monstrous looking castle. Something about it seemed… off. He was hesitant to go in, but the only living person in sight was entering it, and he didn't want to be left alone.
They entered the front of the castle with no fanfare. It was creepy inside.
It looked like what someone would expect a castle to look like, complete with torches and paintings on the walls. However, every painting seemed to be about volleyball, or it had that man in the car in it. It was unnerving, and was pissing off Ryuji quite a bit. If that was anything to go by.
Akira didn't know what to think of the guy. Enough time around actual, dangerous, criminals let him know that this guy wasn't a threat. He was just a loudmouth looking for attention. He didn't have the edge a lot of the guys Akira was used to hand. He didn't seem like a bad guy.
Overall, he had no strong opinions on him. Brash, but not dangerous. When they got out of here Akira doubted he would see much of him again, if he could.
They pulled into the Great Hall of the castle. There was gold everywhere. Beautiful chandeliers hung from the ceiling. It was a beautiful room fit for a palace.
The most glaring object in the room, the thing that ruined it, was the giant painting of that man, Kamoshida, plastered on the far wall. Not only was it tacky, the painting also unnerved Akira greatly. Its piercing yellow eyes seemed to stare into his very being. Something inside of him was screaming at him to destroy those eyes.
"Seriously. What's going on." Ryuji's face had lost a lot of the apprehension it originally had. It was easy to read him with how expressive he was. He was equal parts furious and scared now.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here." Shocked, Akira leapt backwards like a cat, away from the voice. Walking towards them, followed by several massive men in armor, was Kamoshida. Except now, he was wearing a cape, a crown, and only a pink speedo.
It wasn't the best look on him, if Akira was being honest.
As he got closer Akira could match up to him. This man was massive. He had to be over seven and a half feet tall, and with his guards dwarfing him, it made Akira and the shorter Ryuji look like ants.
"What the hell Kamoshida! What is this place! Where's Shujin!" Ryuji snarled at him.
Akira looked into the man's eyes, a bright, evil looking, sickly yellow color. The voice that had been in his head rumbling earlier was now pounding in his skull. It felt like something was trying to escape from his brain. It scared Akira a bit, why was this happening. The voice was making him angrier and angrier too. It was feeding his rage, building on his fears, and stroking his inner fire.
"You're not in Shujin Academy anymore." Kamoshida calmly strolled up to the two of them and looked Akira dead in the eyes. "Welcome to My Castle."
He seemed to completely ignore Ryuji, as the boy yelled and taunted something. A small smirk grew on Kamoshida's face before he snapped his fingers, turned on heel, and strode off down the hall with a few guards following.
"Where do you think you're going!?" Ryuji tried to move after him, but he got nowhere. The guards moved, quicker than Akira thought they could, and slammed a shield into Ryuji's side. He was sent flying to the ground, crying out in pain as he smashed against the hard surface.
Alarms were blaring in Akira's head. One of the guards grabbed Ryuji by his arms and began walking away. The hit had taken most of the fight from him, and he was around the corner and gone in seconds. The rest of the guards, all four of them, surrounded him in a wide circle. He had to get out of here.
Akira moved, he had been in a situation like this once or twice and knew what to do.
To be fair, it was against people that were smaller and weaker than him. Not against giant men made of metal. But it was his only chance.
He shot out like an arrow, straight for a gap in between two of the guards. The two closest to him lurched forward to grab him. Before they could get a hand on him, he turned, and used the opening made for him by the guard behind him that had overextended himself trying to reach him. He was out of the circle in a moment, moving with all the speed he could, before something smashed into him from behind.
He was sent sprawling to the ground as a shield bounced off him back. It knocked the air from his lungs and left him gasping for breath on the floor. His vision blurred from the pain. One of them had thrown their shield at him and actually hit him? That shield had to be over a hundred pounds! They shouldn't have been able to throw such a heavy shield with such strength, what were they? These weren't people. These weren't people at all.
Two of them grabbed him by the arms and Akira couldn't help but be pulled along. He was gasping for breath as they took him down the same corridor they took Ryuji earlier. The fire that had been building inside of him was only getting stronger. The voice was only getting louder. It wasn't saying words, it was only screaming.
Pain flared in his back again as he was brutally thrown against the ground. Akira gasped loudly and began spasming, trying to keep his back off the ground. Something really hurt back there and he didn't know what. He could hear the cell door slam shut behind him.
"Dude! You okay!" Ryuji rushed up to him and helped him roll onto his stomach. It was nice of him, and something that Akira desperately needed. He let out a sigh as he rested for a moment.
After a few seconds, he picked himself up with Ryuji's help. Neither of them spoke as they looked into each other's eyes. What the hell was going on.
The cell door was reopened soon after being closed. The giant man, Kamoshida, and three of his guards came into the cell. His smirk took up his entire face, the man was very happy. Ryuji and him stood silently next to each other.
"Now now now, what are you two doing in my castle?" He snapped his fingers and the guards moved towards them. He tried to step in front of Ryuji and stop them, but his resistance only lasted a second as the guard hit him with his shield and sent him to the ground.
Ryuji joined him soon after. Two of the guards put their weapons at Ryuji's throat while the other picked him up and slammed him against the wall.
The same pain erupted in his back, the left side he had now noticed. The knight let him go slack and then smashed him again with his massive shield, knocking the air from his lungs. Akira moved desperately, grabbing at the shield, doing everything he could to get some space between him and the knight. He couldn't even budge this monstrous being.
Kamoshida, clad in his pink speedo, strolled further into the room.
What was happening? Was this his doing? WHAT WAS HAPPENING!?
In a moment of clarity, one thought calmly entered his mind.
I'm going to die here.
Kamoshida was laughing. He was speaking to Ryuji, but Akira wasn't paying attention.
I'm going to die here.
I'm going to die here.
I'm going to die here.
The thought raced through his mind an impossible number of times. His brain shifted into overdrive. He began to look around wildly, getting Kamoshida's attention. A cell. He was in a cell. Oh god, he was going to die in a cell!
"So, what is the Criminal doing here?" He sneered at him. When Akira didn't respond the man hit him with a strong backhand on his cheek. There was joy in his eyes after the hit.
"I said." He grabbed Akira by the chin and forced him to look in his eyes. "What are you doing here? Criminal."
He was in a cell. He was going to die in a cell. Ryuji began making a commotion, distracting Kamoshida before he could hit Akira again. He left Akira alone to go taunt Ryuji more.
Would he die in this cell? The more he thought about it, the more he panicked. This feeling, this unimaginable terror, was pumping the fire through his veins. He had promised himself so many months ago that he would never die in a cell. He promised himself that he would never be put in a cell again.
How dare this man? How dare this monster? His breathing started to get heavier, coming out in slow pants.
A buzzing grew in his ears as his brain raced. He had sworn so long ago that if someone ever tried this again, he would bury them. He would never be taken prisoner again. He would never be locked up. His vision started to turn red.
His muscles began to feel stronger. His reddening vision began to focus on one thing and one thing only. Kamoshida. Breathing was no longer slow deep gasps. It was getting faster. It was getting harder to breathe, the fire building inside of him was growing. Kamoshida began speaking again and Akira focused.
The voice in his mind was drowning all of this out. Its screeching was deafening.
"That's enough fun for one day." Kamoshida laughed to himself, "Alright kill little Ryuji here, slowly. We'll get to the Criminal next." Kamoshida walked up to Ryuji and put his foot on his back. He snapped his fingers, "I got an idea! Let's start with a throwback! Break his legs."
Ryuji started desperately squirming. He was yelling something at the guards who slowly approached him. He was begging for his life.
He was going to kill them. This wasn't an if or maybe. He was going to kill them. He was going to kill him!
No. That wouldn't happen. Akira wouldn't let it.
It came onto him like a rushing river. The fire. A white-hot fire that felt like it would consume him and burn him alive. Looking at this man was causing waves of overbearing heat to flow through him.
Akira was going to kill him. He didn't know how, but he was going to get out of this. He was going to grab Kamoshida. He was going to grab him by the throat and crush it. Akira felt like he was burning alive. He was going to kill Kamoshida.
Time slowed down to near a halt.
"This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none." Possibly the weirdest part of the day, a blue butterfly floated past him, "But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you." The butterfly disappeared soon after saying this. Akira wasn't given much time to think about it.
"STOP!" Akira screamed.
The guard slammed his back into the wall again, knocking the air from his lungs. There was nothing he could do. A deep chuckling resounded in his mind.
Kamoshida sneered at him. "Hit him harder, I don't like the look in his eyes."
"Is this it? Are you simply going to watch?" A monstrous, yet poised, voice boomed in his mind. "Are you forsaking him to save yourself?"
"You will die if you do nothing. That boy will die if you do nothing. Are you willing to accept that?"
Akira couldn't move. No, he wouldn't.
"Was everything you've done a mistake? Do you regret fighting against injustice?"
No! I don't.
The voice chuckled with its incredibly deep voice "Very well, I have heeded your resolve. Now show me the truth to your words."
Pain exploded in his forehead. It felt like something was trying to force its way out, digging through his skull to escape.
"Vow to me. I am thou. Thou art I. Thou who are wishes for the strength to get revenge on the world and impose thy justice. Call upon my name and release thy rage!"
A blue fire exploded from Akira's forehead. It flew down his body at rapid speeds. It came off him in vicious waves, turning the guard holding him into a black mist. Winds began whipping around him with ridiculous strength, blowing the other occupants of the room off their feet and slamming them against the walls. The fire was burning with amazing intensity, blackening the walls and melting the bars. It felt incredible.
"Show the strength of thy will to ascertain all on thine own, though thou be chained to hell itself!"
The fire exploded out of him with unrelenting fury.
It died down slightly, enough that Akira was able to feel that a mask had formed on his face. He knew somehow, to rip it off. The fire somehow picked back up in intensity as he grabbed its edges, the room felt like it was on the inside of a volcano. He tore with all his strength.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. He screamed a rough, guttural screech of pain as he tore the skin from his face. Blood poured down as the mask ripped the entire front half of his face off. Blood splattered his clothes as he reached the end. The fire increased in volume and intensity as it got closer and closer to coming off.
With a final tug, the mask came loose and he threw it to the ground. A final wave of fire flew from his body, before vanishing entirely and leaving him standing there.
Ryuji, still on the floor, lifted his hands off the top of his head and looked at Akira.
"Woah." He looked stunned.
Akira looked down at his body. He now sported a solid black ensemble. He had on, what looked like, an armored dress shirt, bright red gloves, and a long, solid black, trench coat.
"What are you doing! Kill him!" Kamoshida yelled from the ground against a wall. He had been slammed there and was picking himself up slowly.
He had dropped his coat, which now was on fire to the side, and sat in just his speedo, his crown having fallen off too. His guards moved fast. In seconds, they were up and ready to go.
Inside of Akira there was a voice, screaming for blood. It was deep, just like the voice that had spoken clearly to him earlier.
It had a guttural rage that should have frightened him. It only made the fire in his veins burn hotter. He wouldn't disappoint it. He took off.
Sprinting, faster than he ever had before, he went straight at the terrified Kamoshida and his guards. He leapt over Ryuji, seemingly flying through the air, and, on his way down, slammed his heel into the side of Kamoshida's skull. There was a loud thud as his head was smacked against the wall.
Kamoshida swung with one hand wildly, forcing Akira back. He grabbed at his now bleeding head with his other hand and fumbled his way away from Akira.
"AAGGHHHH! YOU FUCKING PUNK! KILL THEM, NOW! KILL THEM ALL!" Kamoshida fell on his face, holding it in both hands. He pushed himself into a corner as his guard swept with his sword at Akira, making him jump back.
A large knife had formed in his hands somehow. It was a mix between a machete and a dagger. It was of medium length, most of it was thick like a machete, but had an edge on both sides. Near the end it narrowed out to a sharp, vicious, point that looked like it could pierce anything.
Akira swayed slightly out of the swords reach, before jumping back in. He landed on the knight's torso and slammed his new blade into opening on the guard's visor, turning the knight to a black mist.
"Use me." The deep voice resonated within him.
He somehow knew what to do.
"ARSENE!" A bright red monster made of fire erupted from him. It tore the other guard apart, punching a hole through its armor and then tearing it in half. Now it was just him, Ryuji, Kamoshida, and Arsene.
Getting a closer look at the fire monster Akira was able to make out a few of the beast's details. It was wearing a bright red tuxedo, complete with a large top hat. It seemed like it was about to head out to a ball, rather than massacre whatever monster was just in front of him.
This wasn't to imply that it looked kind. Arsene looked demonic. It had features that separated it from ever possibly looking like a true gentleman. Massive clawed nails on the ends of its hands were the first thing. They looked like they could rip a man apart with ease. Its massive frame supported this idea. It had to have been nearly twenty feet tall and looked brutal.
Its face was its most noticeable, and intimidating, feature. Eyes made of pure fire. They were alit with a glee, and fury, with an intensity that Akira had never seen before. Looking into his eyes felt like looking into a bottomless pit, the anger inside of it was all consuming. It should have terrified him. He should have run away at just the sight of this… thing.
Instead, he felt a connection. A primal, unexplainable connection. This demon was him. He was this monster, this beast of death and destruction.
It made him feel… complete standing next to it.
Seeing him stare into its eyes, Arsene's mouth, made of more fire, lit up in delight. Its teeth, which was the best way to describe them, were just brighter flames. The grin nearly consumed the monsters entire face, with an intensity and ferocity that would shame even the deadliest of predators.
Akira couldn't help but smile back.
Akira looked down at the pathetic sniveling man in the corner. He could only feel contempt for this man. The fire burning inside of him had been quelled slightly, but he could still hear his blood pounding in his ears.
The voice wanted him to destroy this man.
"Dude! What the hell!" Akira jumped a bit, having forgotten for a moment that there was another person in the room.
Ryuji had gotten up and had moved towards him. He didn't look injured. "What is up with your outfit man! And what the hell is that… Thing?"
Arsene became a bright blue and black smoke and returned into him.
Looking down Akira had to agree. His new outfit was weird. "I have no idea." Ryuji rubbed his head at that and sighed. Both didn't know what to do.
"What about Kamoshida." Ryuji motioned his head towards the crying man.
At the movement, the man collapsed in on himself and tried to push himself even farther into the corner. Akira reached down and picked up the key ring Kamoshida had dropped, it could come in handy.
Akira wanted nothing more than to take his new knife and gut the man who had nearly killed him. He wasn't a murderer though. He didn't know what was going on or even if this "Kamoshida" was real. But he wasn't going to go around killing people when he didn't even know what was happening.
He also doubted Ryuji would be very happy if he started beating the man to death.
"We can lock him in here. It'll take his guards some time to get here and we can be out by then. I remember the way we came, it'll only take a few minutes to get out of here."
Ryuji nodded and they quickly moved out of the cell. They locked it behind them, and made their way down the hall.
They made quick work through the castle. Akira decimated most foes they met before they could even see him. If he could get to them before they saw him, he could stab them in the head and kill them quickly. If they avoided that, or were too strong to die from a single hit, they would transform into several different monsters he would have to then fight. It was beginning to take a toll on him, but he powered through.
"WAIT!"
Shocked at the sound, Akira threw his back against a nearby wall and crouched down, looking for the voice. Where was… what? There was some kind of cat… thing.
"You're not soldiers of this castle right!? Get me out of here! Find the key! Please!" The thing begged.
"What the hell!? What are you!" Ryuji shouted. He seemed just as surprised as Akira was, he just so happened to be more vocal about it.
"I'm a prisoner! Look, we don't have much time! Please let me out of here, I know a nearby exit!"
"No way dude! We don't even know you! You don't look human at all! Akira, we're leaving behind this cat, right?"
"Don't call me a cat!" The cat yelled at them, which went ignored.
"Come on man, I mean it doesn't look like a monster but it could transform when we let it out! Who knows in this place."
Akira looked down at his pocket, towards the key ring, and weighed the pros and cons. Ryuji brought up a good point, it didn't look like a monster but it also didn't look like a person. You couldn't trust anything in this place either. However, the cat continued with a good point, why would it be locked up if it wasn't a threat to Kamoshida? Akira had sympathy for a fellow prisoner. What to do, what to do.
It took him a few moments but he came to a decision. He doubted the castle would put an enemy behind bars for them to unlock, and then it would attack them. It must have done something to piss of Kamoshida. And, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, or something like that. Akira grumbled to himself and then pulled out the keys, to Ryuji's shock and the cat's purrs. It took him a minute or two to find the right key.
"Thank you kind sir! I owe you a debt." The cat bowed and flourished before prancing out of his cell.
"What's your name, cat." Akira asked.
That seemed to set the creature off, it rounded on Akira and narrowed its eyes. It was about to make a move when Akira palmed the hilt of his knife, which stilled it.
"I'm not a cat! Don't ever call me a cat or I'll make you regret it, understand!" The… thing yelled.
Akira nodded slightly and its eyes softened. Alright, it didn't like being called a cat. Wasn't hard to just not call him a cat, maybe it was some kind of slur to it? Akira didn't know what was offensive to monstrous looking creatures but no point in making enemies.
"You may call me Morgana." The creature added.
"But you are a cat!"
...Dammit Ryuji. Akira sighed and took his hand off his knife as the two of them started arguing. He started walking away and was a decent distance apart from them before they noticed and jogged after him.
"Sorry about that, this idiot doesn't know his place. You can call me Morgana." The creature told him.
Akira nodded his head.
"Know my place!? Screw you, cat!" That started a whole new wave of arguments.
He needed to get out of here. He was becoming more and more exhausted and frustrated. He wasn't nearly as angry anymore after killing so many things, but those two arguing wasn't helping. He walked away again.
It only took a few minutes to get out of the castle after that. Morgana didn't lie, he took them to an open-air vent and they were out.
"This is where we part ways." Morgana nodded his head appreciatively at him as they reached the gate. He blew a raspberry at Ryuji. "I thank some of you for your help, I don't like to need it but I appreciate it. I'll pay you back for your assistance someday." Apparently busy, it jogged off back towards the castle.
They had only known the thing for a bit, and while it wasn't enjoyable in the slightest, the thing was knowledgeable. In the few minutes, they traveled together Akira had learned more about where they were then he ever would have figured out on his own.
Cognition, Palaces, Persona? So many things that were vital to what was going on. That thing would make a good ally. If he ever came back that was.
On the way, out they had seen some students that Ryuji had known, locked in the cells. They weren't given any time to try to rescue them, to Ryuji's horror. He had screamed about coming back for them.
Akira had no idea what to do, Ryuji said he hadn't seen them in weeks, which made sense as school hadn't been in session in weeks. So, there could be real people locked in there, like he was a few minutes ago. It was all confusing.
Akira didn't like the castle, but hadn't he promised himself a long time ago, as well as to Arsene more recently, that he would help anyone in need? The students locked up were innocent as far as he knew. But he really didn't want to come back here. This was a tricky situation.
Getting back to the task at hand, Akira pulled out his phone. If what Morgana had said was true, all they had to do was use that weird app on their phone and they would be out. Akira pressed the button like he was told, and to his surprise, it began to work.
His vision started to swirl and he got a blaring migraine. It lasted for a few seconds and then, when he opened his eyes, he was back in the real world.
Looking down, his school outfit was back on. He grabbed at his face and felt that his glasses were back on as well. He sighed in relief.
"Dude, seriously, what the hell is going on today?" Ryuji said as he clasped him on the shoulder. Ryuji pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it. "That eye app is still there too. Damn man, what… Wait. WE'RE FOUR HOURS LATE!"
Looking down at his phone, Akira confirmed the worst. He was indeed four hours late to class now. This day, physically, couldn't get worse.
"Hey! You kids! What did I just hear!" Two large police officers walked towards them.
He had thought too soon, it could get worse.
But this wasn't too bad, he could talk his way out of this. Two street cops? They probably wouldn't care if he could make a good lie.
"Nothing! We were just talking about how we found a castle over there and then we were here and more time passed than we thought but nothing about being late to school or whatever!" Ryuji word vomited out.
What the hell? Akira couldn't help but look dumbfounded at the guy. How had this guy made it this far in life? Damnit Ryuji. He didn't know if he could recover from that.
"What he means to say is, we got lost on the way here. See I'm a transfer student, and it's my first day. I took the wrong line this morning and met this guy. He has a hard time with putting together his words and thoughts."
Akira leaned in and spoke very slowly and very quietly for the next part, "I really don't think he's all there, you know? His student badge says he has a learning disability." He leaned back as the policeman nodded his head.
It was a dumb lie, all things considered. A single look at Ryuji's actual student ID wouldn't have anything written on it, so this was pretty brazen. But if they looked Akira could duck into the alleyway and be gone while Ryuji fumbled around. Luckily, the man didn't actually seem to care.
"Alright, well, if I catch you two out here again I'll have to take you to the station! Now get to class." He took a step back and went to move away.
He stopped and turned back around "Wait, sorry blondie. I didn't mean to sound insensitive. If you ever need help getting around and see me or any policeman just ask. We understand and can help you get what you need." The policeman said. The two walked away after that.
Akira assumed they thought he would take care of Ryuji now. That worked better than he thought it would. Whether it was because Ryuji actually seemed like he could have a learning disability, or the fact that they both looked like delinquents, it didn't matter. They had left them alone. Turning back towards Ryuji, Akira had to grin. Ryuji looked quite miffed.
"Dude! Why'd you say I have a learning disability! I'm normal!" He waved his hand down at his, not so normal, self. Bright blonde hair, a severe slouch, and an unkempt uniform. None of it looked like what a regular student would look like.
"What did you want me to say? You can't just yell that we got lost in a castle. Everything you said sounded insane. You're lucky I stepped in before you got us both drug tested."
Ryuji kicked the ground and slammed his hands into his pockets. He turned towards the alleyway they went through earlier to get to school.
"Whatever man. You say next to nothing for hours, then you're talking like crazy. But it's just to call me 'special'. I don't get you." Ryuji muttered out as he walked.
Akira followed him down the alleyway, he still didn't know how to get to school. He didn't really care if it upset Ryuji. He didn't want to hurt his feelings, but the guy shouldn't have shouted that they got lost in a castle in downtown Tokyo.
Within minutes, school was in sight. Ryuji perked back up immensely at seeing it. Luckily, any possible hurt feelings didn't seem to matter to him anymore.
Ryuji grabbed his shoulder before they reached the end of the alleyway. "Yo, after school, lets meet on the rooftops. I know how to unlock it. We gotta talk about what just happened." Ryuji let him go after Akira nodded. They walked towards the school.
A large man stood outside the front door at the top of the stairs. Why he was standing there? Akira didn't know. Maybe he just liked standing, waiting for kids to show up late. Whatever it was, it made Ryuji kick the ground lightly.
Getting a better look at him, Akira saw that the man had no real defining characteristics. Average height. Stern face. Large glasses. He looked like the stereotypical hardball teacher. Probably wasn't that hard.
"Sakamoto! You! Where were you two! You're four hours late!" The man yelled at the two of them.
"Mr. Ushimaru, sir! Sorry, we got lost." Ryuji replied.
Well, at least Ryuji didn't say that they were stuck in a castle this time.
"Unacceptable! We got a call from the police about you two! You!" He pointed at Akira, "Are you the new transfer student?"
Akira nodded. The man's stern expression grew into an intense sneer. Well, that wasn't unexpected. He probably knew his record.
"Get in here. We're going to the Principle and you will explain yourselves!" Before they could go up the stairs, another man came out the front door.
He was tall with a carefree smile. He made his way towards Mr. Ushimaru, "What's going on here?"
He recognized him immediately. Kamoshida. The man in the speedo.
It was easy to see that Kamoshida was actually really tall. Did Japanese people ever get that tall? When he reached Mr. Ushimaru, he towered over him. He was shorter than in the palace though.
Akira's jaw tightened. This guy had tried to kill him.
His blood boiled the more he looked at him. Did he know what that other version of him had done to them? He didn't look furious at seeing them, so probably not.
Akira desperately wanted to kick his face again. To hit him over and over until his skull caved in. Looking at this man was driving him insane. He had to forcibly distract himself by focusing on Mr. Ushimaru.
It didn't work and he was soon stirring himself up by looking at the man.
"You seem so carefree Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning runs on the track team." Kamoshida's voice was teasing, but the carefree and jovial smile made it seem like he was just being friendly.
Akira could see the truth in his eyes though. He had gotten good at reading people's faces, looking for what they truly believed. This man hated Ryuji.
Ryuji hated him too, "Hey! Shuddup, it's your fault that -"
Mr. Ushimaru cut in before he could finish, "HEY! Watch the way you speak to Mr. Kamoshida!"
Flabbergasted Ryuji responded, "He was the one that -"
"Now, now. I might have stepped over a line." Kamoshida interrupted, neither of them seemed to want to let Ryuji speak. "We both messed up, let's forget about it."
At his words, the other teacher quieted down. He bowed his head slightly, and stepped back. Akira noticed the power shift. Such a stern teacher being showing deference to a gym teacher? It seemed Ryuji wasn't kidding when he said the man ran the school.
"And you? Are you the new transfer student?"
Akira nodded his head, and the hate on his face became more pronounced. This man really didn't like him either. He probably liked him less than he liked Ryuji too by the way he wasn't even trying to hide the hate on his face. Mr. Ushimaru couldn't see his face now though, maybe that had something to do with how blatant he was being.
"You better watch yourself." The words were biting. There was a massive amount of aggression in the way he spoke and the way he held himself. It was a direct threat. Try anything and he would be there. He'd like to see this man try to stop him if he wanted to do something.
"Lay off him!" Ryuji cut in.
That surprised Akira. Ryuji stood up for him? That was nice of him, unneeded but nice. Akira looked at him and nodded his thanks. Looking back Kamoshida didn't look happy.
"Hey. I'm trying to be a nice guy here. Sakamoto, you need to watch yourself. You're on thin ice as it is. You too Kurusu." Kamoshida voice lost its playfulness. He was being just as aggressive with Ryuji now. It quieted Ryuji.
"Get in there and get to class. I'll overlook this for today, but I don't want to see you late again. Especially you Kurusu." Kamoshida turned around and headed back into the building with Mr. Ushimaru following him.
He would overlook this? Did he have the authority for that? He'd ponder it more later. A few moments after the teachers entered the building, Ryuji walked towards the entrance.
"Come on dude, as they said, we're on thin ice." He mocked, "I don't know why you are though. You just got here." Luckily, he didn't ask anymore and they parted ways soon after that.
Ms. Kawakami was standing outside the door to his classroom when he arrived. She also didn't look happy to see him. He was getting used to it.
"Where were you!? I've been worried all day about you! I can't have a new student already skipping class!" She chastised him, "And you were with Sakamoto!? This is a bad start for you." She shook her head side to side and he felt a little bad.
That feeling died quickly when he remembered how she looked at him the day before.
"Come in and introduce yourself. Please don't say anything weird, please." She opened the door for him.
He entered the room and looked around. Everyone in the room tensed up as he entered. All the chit chat stopped. People were looking at him with fear in their eyes.
His blood ran cold. They knew. His mouth went dry as he thought about it. They knew.
He recomposed himself. Couldn't show weakness.
"I'm Kurusu Akira." He paused then walked over and took the only open spot available, behind the pretty blonde girl he had seen earlier. She looked at him with the same fear in her eyes as he passed her. She was with Kamoshida earlier too. Maybe they had some kind of thing together? Now he was starting to hate her too.
He stayed quiet as Kawakami restarted her lecture. How had everyone found out about his record? Had it been leaked by a teacher? He had just started there, how had he made any enemies. Wait, dumb thought. Of course he had enemies. Every teacher he met so far outwardly disliked to hated him. It wasn't a stretch to think one of them, or a few of them, had leaked his record to try to get him forced out.
Well, he could deal with that. People not liking him? People afraid of him? So what. No matter what happened Juvie, well basically prison, was worse.
He just didn't like the sidelong glances everyone in the room was giving him. It was putting him on edge.
When he found the person who leaked his records, he could only imagine what he would do. Thoughts of dark alleys and broken bodies filled his mind.
The bell rang half an hour later. Many students packed up and left, while others began whispering to their friends. It was lunchtime it seemed, and Akira hadn't brought anything.
Oh god, oh god, he's in our class.
I heard he murdered someone and that's why he was sent to Juvie.
Don't look at him. I heard that he nearly killed someone for looking at him wrong. Oh SHIT look away!
Akira left the classroom after that. Walking through the halls wasn't any better. Every single student was looking at him the same way that his classmates had. He was taller than everyone in the halls so he couldn't hide behind anything. He made his way up the stairs as fast as he could, and went to the roof.
The door was unlocked. No one was up there though, and Akira wanted to keep it that way. He looked at the lock on the door and saw that it was a simple turn based lock that could be undone from the outside, but would need a key from the inside. Relocking it, he walked behind the building that held the staircase and sat down in the shade.
What had happened to his life? He bit back angry tears at the thought of it. He would not cry.
He had been way too optimistic. He thought at least the students wouldn't hate him. Now, there wasn't anyone left that he could interact with. The only person possible was Ryuji, but even he would probably not want to talk to him after he learned about his record.
His thoughts spiraled around in his brain about how lonely and miserable this next year would be. He was getting more and more depressed as he sat there. He had no one left.
His feelings of insecurity and fear gave way to anger. His body started to burn up as he thought about the people that had wronged him.
How dare the student body judge him like this? They didn't know him, his situation, what kind of person he was, his innocence!
How dare a teacher, a person that was supposed to look after him, do this! His breath was coming out in heavy pants now. He curled up against the wall and rested his arms on his kneecaps.
The voice that was in his mind earlier was now chanting. He could feel it driving him up the wall. Good thing he was alone, if someone had been around and looked at him with those scared eyes he wasn't sure if he could hold himself back from going off on them. He just wanted to yell at one of them.
Why did he care though? It was just some dumb students.
He breathed in deeply. Just some dumb students. None of them mattered. If people wanted to be afraid of him, fine. If any of them tried anything, he would give them something to be afraid of.
He took some more calming breaths and tried to clear the haze in his brain. He read a few times that meditation and deep breathing could help a person calm down. It took a while but it worked. The voice inside of him quieted.
Looking down at his watch, he saw that he had only ten minutes left before he had to get back to class. He was starving, but he could grab something on his way 'home'. Maybe he could use his measly amount of yen to buy ramen.
He got up. He was alone now. There would be no one on his side. That comforted him for some reason. He was used to that. No one had been on his side for a long time.
He had been through worse. Get through this year, move away, start a new life. None of this would matter soon. He could do it.
The school day passed by quickly after that. The stares and whispers didn't stop, but he was getting used to them. Surprisingly it was starting to make him feel better. It was good to have people afraid of you. In Juvie that had saved him a few times. He didn't believe that being happy that people were afraid of him was normal, but if it was improving his mood so he didn't think too much about it.
Akira waited in his class for a few minutes after the final bell and then moved back upstairs. He was 50/50 on if Ryuji would be there. After hearing about his record the guy probably decided he would rather investigate on his own or something. He reached the entrance to the roof, and after confirming that no one was watching, opened the door and headed out.
There he was.
"Yo! Dude!" Ryuji came walking over from the side, smiling and waving.
"You're here?" Akira asked, surprised.
Ryuji frowned. "Yeah? Why wouldn't I be." It took him a moment but then his face lit up in understanding, "OH! Your record! Yeah dude, I know, I don't really care. You did your time. Isn't that the point of Juvie? Do your time and you're forgiven? Plus, you saved my life and got me out of that 'Palace'. You can't be that bad." He was smiling again.
Akira smiled at him. A genuine smile. At least one person was willing to talk to him.
"Thank you. I appreciate that." Akira said.
Ryuji nodded and waved his hand, as if to say it was no big deal. It was, but Akira didn't say anything.
"It's no problem man, I'm sorry for the rest of the students though. Who leaked your record? I bet it was Kamoshida!" He slammed his fist into his palm.
He was probably right too. Kamoshida was a likely candidate.
"I don't know who did it, but it doesn't matter. I don't really care how anyone looks at me."
"That's good dude, stay positive! We gotta talk about that place we visited though! What the hell was that!" Ryuji pulled sat in one of the abandoned desks on the roof, "The cat explained a bit, but do you think that it was real though?"
Akira didn't know what he meant by that, of course it was real. "Well, yeah, how else would we both have seen it."
Ryuji scratched his head at that and hummed.
Akira continued "Check yourself for bruises. Mine healed up when the fire thing happened, but maybe you still have some."
Ryuji pulled his shirt up slightly, and there it was on his side. A large purple bruise. Proof that what had happened was real.
"It wasn't a dream…" Ryuji looked dumbfounded and Akira couldn't blame him.
How the guy hadn't felt that massive bruise on his side before this didn't make sense, but nothing really made sense today. Ryuji was kind of thick to be fair.
"Well… do we go back?" Ryuji looked hesitant after saying that.
"Go back?" He still wasn't sure if he wanted to or not. "Hmmm…"
He thought about it, go back to the place where he had almost been killed?
Ryuji's face grew stern, "Yeah, remember those guys we saw in there. We have to go save them." He looked solemn after remembering them.
His fellow students, right.
Akira was even more torn now. He didn't like any of the students in this school, he was starting to hate them actually. But did anyone deserve to be locked up in there? He knew firsthand how awful it was. His sense of justice was calling out to him. Hadn't he promised himself that he would help people in need? People that deserved it? He had reaffirmed that to Arsene when they met, so could he just ignore these students? They might not even know him yet, considering they had been trapped. He didn't think they deserved to be locked in there.
But to go back? To where he had almost died? Could he put his life at risk again and go back into the castle and see… Kamoshida.
Remembering the man made him grind his teeth. His pulse quickened as he thought of the man threatening to kill him, and almost making good on his threat. How dare he try to kill him. The thought of the man telling his guards to finish him off sent waves of rage coursing through him. That pushed him over the edge.
"Yeah, we go back." He had to go back. He had to wipe the grin off that man's face and shove him into the ground. He had to beat that man savagely for ever even thinking of trying to kill him. Save the student's too, he guessed. Somewhere in there.
That excited Ryuji who began wildly smiling.
"Alright! After school tomorrow then! We can meet up and retrace our steps!" Ryuji hopped off the desk and walked towards the stairwell. "I gotta get home, but let's meet in front of the school after class tomorrow! Here give me your contact ID." They traded numbers. This would be Akira's first contact, after Sae. His first friend in a way too.
"You know, I think we're going to get along just fine as delinquents. See ya dude!" He waved his hand and left Akira alone, who followed after him shortly. His first friend huh?
"Kurusu-san!" A voice shout out.
Seemed like another person wanted to talk to him. Turning his head, he saw an angry Makoto Niijima approaching him. She had already known about his record, right? Why was she mad?
"Yes, Niijima-senpai?"
"I've been waiting for you all day! I showed up early to try and meet you, where were you!" She looked very frustrated. Why was she waiting?
"I apologize, I got lost on the subway. Why were you waiting? Does Sae-san need something?" It felt a little awkward to call her Sae-san. Maybe he would refer to her as Niijima-san and see how that felt. Sae also had his number, why wouldn't she just text him?
"You were missing during lunch too!" She continued, "It's been very hard to track you down. Then I hear you showed up late with Sakamoto? You really shouldn't be seen with him. On top of that, while he's not the best student, he knows the area, there's no way he would be four hours late normally. I don't know what happened, but you're not starting the school year well." She looked exasperated.
Another person telling him off for being with Ryuji. People around here really didn't like him. That made Akira want to see the guy more.
"I'm sorry, I found somewhere quiet during lunch so I could be alone."
Her look softened a bit after hearing his reasoning. She had to have heard the rumors being thrown around school about him.
She nodded, "Well, that's acceptable, but I've been looking for you. I was requested by your teacher to tutor you, to help you catch back up to the curriculum."
Ahh. Now, that made sense. It would look bad on the school if they failed to rehabilitate the criminal they took in. They would look weak.
"You could have had your sister text me. But yeah, that's fine."
She blushed, and then looked slightly surprised at that, she must have expected him to say no.
"What times do you want to study?" Akira asked.
It took her a few seconds to clear her throat and reorient herself. Just another person assuming he was a good for nothing criminal who didn't want to learn.
"Well, we can meet after school in the library. I have a lot of work to do but we can get a lot done in an hour or two. We can have you catch up a decent amount by the first wave of tests."
Akira nodded, "When do you want to start?"
"We can start tomorrow."
Oh, that wouldn't work, he had just made plans with Ryuji.
This was difficult. He couldn't say no to her as, admittedly, he needed the help. Self-teaching oneself for a full year didn't prepare him well for actual school. The Juvenile hall he was sent to wasn't well known for its thriving population of scholars. No good teachers, or even decent teachers, ever taught there. If a teacher even came at all. It wasn't safe for teachers there.
Akira had been left, mostly, to his own devices for the past year. Any teachings that were possible he accepted, but those classes were always extremely rudimentary and he never learned much. They always were cancelled soon after they were started too.
But he couldn't say he made after school plans with another delinquent, it might scare her off helping him. She would think he wasn't interested in learning. But he also couldn't cancel his other plans.
"I can't start tomorrow."
Makoto blinked a few times, not expecting that. "Why not? How would you have plans on day two of school? We have to hit the ground running on this. You're taking Pre-Calculus and English two, both of which I'm not sure you're ready for."
She was right. How did she know his classes?
She noticed his confused look "I saw your folder..." She looked bashful at that, and a little nervous, "I didn't mean to pry but the Principal wanted me to know. He said it was important I know, as student council president, about you. I couldn't say no." Makoto didn't want to admit, but she had been a little curious about him too. She could have not actually read any of the notes, but she wanted to know more about the guy that would be living with her.
Akira didn't mind too much. But it did make him think, if the man was willing to share his folder so easily, what else was he willing to share? Maybe he shared his record? That didn't make much sense though. The man had let him in, why try to force him out? Why accept him in the first place then? Akira didn't know, but god help whoever did release his records when he found them.
"It's not that big a deal. You would find out soon anyways. I'm not sure why he felt that necessary, but at least now you know what you're working with." He let out a short laugh at his own expense. "My history is okay but you're right. I'm not ready for any languages or any math."
Makoto nodded at him knowingly.
Akira continued, "Sakura-san wants me to come back after school tomorrow so he can show me something. I'm not sure why it's important but he thinks it is." He lied. No point in telling her he was going to spend the day with Ryuji. She might find out if they were seen together, but he would just have to be careful.
"Alright, fine, we can start on Wednesday. Tests come fast so we have to get ready."
Akira nodded.
"I have to go now, but don't forget. Wednesday. I'll meet you after class." She turned around and left.
There were plenty of whispers popping up about the two of them already, just from that short talk.
Wow, this was a gossipy school. Whatever, he wouldn't let it get to him ever again. The rest of the students gave him a wide berth as he walked down the hall. No one was even going to try to see if the rumors were true, they were too extreme. The first person to test them though, to see if he was as scary as people thought, was going to regret it.
He made it back 'home' soon. He was getting used to the train system in Tokyo. Walking into the cafe, only Sojiro was there. The bell rang and alerted the man who looked up from one of his brewing stations. He didn't look happy.
"Hey, I got an interesting call from your school today. Late on the first day?" He was tapping his foot and looking at him expectedly. He looked more furious than Akira had ever seen him.
But, admittedly, Akira had only known him for three days.
Akira shrugged. "I apologize. The subway was more difficult than I thought and I got lost. It was an accident."
Sojiro looked away and sighed. He seemed to have accepted his answer. The anger on his face had disappeared almost immediately.
"Four hours though? You really don't have any leniency. Be more careful and leave earlier tomorrow. I don't think you can be late again without repercussions." The man grabbed his hat and walked around the end of counter. He moved towards the entrance, passing Akira. Before he could reach the door, his phone rang.
"Hello? Yeah. I closed half an hour ago. I'll be home in ten minutes. I'll tell you about it when I see you. Well, just wait. Don't take that tone with… alright fine. I'll be back soon."
Talking to the mysterious person who lived with him again? Akira wasn't going to bring it up.
Sojiro hung up his phone and finished his walk towards the door. "Go to sleep. I'll lock up today but you're going to have to start taking care of that tomorrow. Turn off the lights too, I'll see you after school."
He hesitated as he reached the door.
"Just, don't be late again. I tried to cover for you but they didn't believe me. I can't help you much here." Sojiro left after that.
Akira was incredibly surprised. Sojiro tried to cover for him? That man didn't make any sense. Furious at him one second, then the nicest man he'd met in a year the next.
Before he reached the stairs, he noticed a fresh plate of curry sitting out on the counter. Another kindness? Sojiro, for all the confusion, was earning Akira's favor very quickly. A quick meal, it was even still warm, and he was back upstairs and off to sleep.
It wasn't good sleep. All he could dream about was a blue prison cell and its unique wardens.
A/N
Jesus Christ, what a chapter. This thing ballooned up WAY more than I thought it would. In my plans I knew this chapter would only be one day, as there was so much to cover, but to be this long!? Over 10k words for a single day, jeez. This took forever to write.
To clarify a few things. In the future, I really want to have a chapter to be two days, at most three. I don't know if that will happen with the amount of content I want for each day, but I don't want the pace of the story to be a crawl. If every chapter is a single day, this will take forever to get anywhere. There's a lot to get to that's not just the Kamoshida chapters.
That isn't to say I'll cut a day off before it's done. I have a lot of events to get through, especially with the massive amount of things I want to add, so we'll have to see how this goes.
The next chapter really starts the deviations. I don't like to write out scenes from the game, as we've all played the game I imagine and don't need to see and hear the exact same conversations that happened in game, so I want to start getting away from that. It gets a little annoying having to watch a walkthrough to remember exactly what was said or what happened.
It also makes me happier and feel more excited to write new scenes.
The story will follow the same structure as the game, but take a lot of different roads. You will have to keep reading to find out more.
On this chapter, this was particularly hard to write because I don't want to write many scenes in Palaces or Mementos. I will write the ones that are valuable to the story or have some kind of change in them, but I'm going to glass over most cognitive realm scenes. There's still a lot of scenes that need to be shown, but I don't want just chapters on chapters of dungeon crawling.
I'll just sum up what happens in a paragraph or so and characters will talk about it. I'd much rather spend my time on real world character interactions.
On Akira, I have changed him quite a bit from canon. Physically he's now more like 6'2 or 6'3, taller than his 5'9 self that they have him promoted as. The average height for a Japanese male is 5'7 and a half. So he's a lot taller than most people.
He's bulkier and more fit too, from his year of being in Juvie. I thought this would fit his look as a dangerous delinquent more than his average height, lanky self, in game.
He's still in his second year by the way for anyone confused. The assault happened a year before canon, so he spent his first year of high school in Juvie. In the game, the assault happens before his second year, but in this it happened before his first.
Back on his new self. Appearance is everything in some cases, and being bigger might make it more difficult for him in some instances when he's dealing with people, but easier in others. It will really shape some new interactions.
He's got a lot of baggage too. I don't want to go into his time in Juvie as those are major plot points that will be explained in time, but it shaped him a lot.
He'll talk more about his feelings when he gets closer to people.
Finally, I got a lot of great reviews last chapter. A few that were critical of my writing and I appreciate and understand that. I put in a lot of effort to fix the grammatical mistakes I made last chapter when I wrote this one. Not saying that all of them are gone, but I tried to do better.
Not that it's an excuse, but this is my first fanfiction and I'm not a writer by trade. I edit this by myself, but when I read it I know what I mean so it's hard sometimes to notice mistakes. I'm trying and I think my writing will improve over time. I hope the storyline will keep you reading.
Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favorites, and so on. I really appreciate them. Knowing people want to read what I wrote makes me want to write. Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about the story or have a critique.
I plan on writing a lot for this so please keep coming!
Last thing. This chapter took a little longer than a week to come out due to tests, and how it ballooned up so much. The next one should take about as long. I'm going to try to get it out in a week, but I have a lot going on. Thank you for your time and thank you for reading!