I was in a very good mood today. si I decided to post Chapter 3 early.
Enjoy. (Probably cause you're gonna have to wait for Chapter 4)
Abslon
Splash!
I could hear the numerous crashes and waves of water that came within the span of impact. Nonami was swimming again, and enjoying it by the passion I had noticed she was putting into her butterfly and her breaststroke maneuvers.
Or maybe she was just trying to get me to watch her. It makes sense, seeing as we don't spend a lot of time together these days.
Three months had already passed since I began my therapy with Chisato. It seemed to be making progress, since Tristan seemed confident enough for me to accompany him on his trip to Europe.
He said it was for an audit for the Moonshade Corporation. I believe otherwise obviously, but still didn't stop him from offering this chance to see Europe again.
I shook my head. Now was not the time for Tristan. That was what I believed.
Refocusing my attention on the laptop on my lap, I sunk deeper into the rough pool chair laid out just outside of the pools white tiles.
Nonami had existed the pool already. Probably for a second dive, I assumed.
Back to work I guess.
Abruptly, my fingers began to move across the QWERTY keyboard. Flowing together as though there were one fluid motion. At some point, I forgot what I was even writing about when I existed the 'zone' I seemed to be in.
Right, time to take a break. Immediately I accessed my steam account and had begun to play games once again today.
Olympia on the bottom right, M14 on the top left.
I memorized these locations like clockwork in Zombies mode.
Grab the M14, look for the loot crate, turn on the power and earn some points.
Shoot eight times then knife.
When you pull the pin, the grenade is not your friend.
"Black Ops, huh?" Nonami called out. I noticed that she didn't make a single sound during the second dive she took. So her appearing in the water was a bit of a shock.
"Already guessed."
"You're so predictable now."
"Comes with living together for nine–ten years."
"What is even interesting about shooting people in the face through a screen?"
Huh, never once had I pegged Nonami not to like videogames, but perhaps that is because of Tobio living with her sometimes. I went back to focusing on the screen.
I had had earned 1000 points, unlocking the upstairs door on the right. The loot box was nowhere to be seen during my panic-inducing ninth round, but at least I had gotten a sub-machine gun.
I paused before I could continue, taking note of Nonami exiting the pool, clad in her white lace undergarments. And blue tights. "Why do you always look like you're going to sleep in the pool each time you swim?"
Quickly, she scanned her body up and down.
"You mean like this?"
"Yes."
"Do you have a problem with it?" she asked, fetching her white towel from the pool chair nearby.
I shrugged. "Not really. You know that."
My conversationalist skills were lacking, I noticed.
Nonami began by wiping herself dry with the towel, before making her way too me and leaning on my back. Elbow on my shoulder in order to keep her balanced.
"Play it."
"Huh, you talking about Black Ops?"
"Obviously."
"You don't like videogames."
"Admittedly, I'm a tad bit interested in this one."
"You're bored." I stated.
Nonami sheepishly rubbed her head. "Too obvious huh?" she questioned.
"Not really, I just happen to know you like Netflix more than 'silly' videogames." I sarcastically replied, feeling my face go stoic.
"You got me there. Anyways, I'm just about done there." She motioned towards the pool. "You want to take a quick swim?" Nonami asked.
It sounded like a good idea. After all, I haven't swam in a while.
"Think I'll take you up on your offer, Nonami." I closed my laptop and prepared to get up from my seat before I was pushed back down by her.
"Let me just prepare the water before you go in and freeze to death."
Nonami must have seen the confusion on my face, because she immediately prepared a short explanation.
"The water is cold."
"And? I don't see the problem here."
"You don't do well in the cold." Nonami elaborated, moving towards the far end of the diving board to turn on the heated water jets throughout the entire pool.
"I take ice-cold showers all the time." Normally when it's been a rough day in the sun and I needed something else to think about except for the dying heat.
"Last time you swam in the private pool back in the Moonshade Manor you were bedridden for a week. Diagnosed with pneumonia after spending thirty minutes in the pool." It was Nonami's turn to give me a stoic look while she folded her arms.
As I tried to come with a retort, she interrupted me.
"There was this one time, while we were in Siberia during winter, you got severe frostbite whilst you were having a snowball fight with Tobio. And had to stay indoors with the heater on for the rest of the trip." To be fair, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
"And there's a whole slew of other similar stories. All of them involve me finally carrying you back home. Bridal style." Nonami lectured whilst turning on the final jet.
She gave me a nod, then I lowered myself down and sunk my feet into the pool. The turquoise water was deceptively warm, as though it were a gigantic bath.
Moments later, she joined me. Dipping her feet in the water beside me.
"It's not that I don't want you near cold things, it's just… that, that I'm worried about."
"That?"
"You know…the thing you always do, when your body gets too cold."
"I'm not always conscious at that time, so you're going to have to elaborate on that." I said, moving my feet up and down, left and right. Trying to enjoy the warm water.
"When blood leaks out of some holes in your body? You know, like Ebola. But not, at the same time." Nonami explains, shifting her vision towards her slim feet dipped in the water.
Sharply, I turned towards Nonami, feeling my eyes widen with disbelief. "I don't ever recall that happening to me." I stated.
"Yeah. It's because by the time you noticed, you either passed out from the pain, or Tristan sedated you." Nonami then gave a shrug and she turned to face me. "To be fair, it hasn't been happening recently, and it commonly occurred when you were young, when your pain receptors were still slightly damaged from the—"
Nonami, eyes widened with shock had immediately covered her mouth with both her hands. Then she turned to me, eyes filled with sorrow, seeking apology.
I waved it off. "It's fine Nonami, you were just concerned for me."
"I doesn't change the fact, that what I was about to say had still hurt you, right?"
Sadly, she was right. It had hurt, hard. But I didn't have the heart to tell her when she was looking like that. When she was only trying to help me. "I'm sorry."
She gave a sorrowful chuckle. "What are you saying sorry for?"
"It just seemed like the right thing to say."
"You're so weird."
"I am, aren't I?"
"That's just like you."
"What's just like me?"
"The fact that you're probably the only kid in the world that thinks sarsaparilla tastes good." Nonami commented, covering her eyes and tilting her head back, as though she was hiding a giggle.
"I'm sixteen."
"You're still in horny jail." She teased.
A chuckle bellowed out of my hoarse throat. "How did we get from snowball fights in Siberia to horny jail?" I asked.
Nonami only shrugged before looking at me, and I, looking back at her, stared into her emerald eyes.
And for some reason, we both began to hysterically laugh. Laughing until both of our spleens were blown off.
To this day, I still never knew if it was the Black Ops mission, or her mentions of horny jail that had got both of us laughing like we were on something fierce.
But after that moment we shared, both of us just stared at each other. What we looked for in each other's eyes, neither of us knew at that point.
Eventually I placed both my hands on the pools ledge and hurled myself into the warm water. Making such a big splash that it made it towards where Nonami was sitting. Instantly getting her wet again.
When I had risen to the water's surface, all I saw was the smirk on Nonami's face before I was blinded by the water droplets that had landed on my eyes when she cannonballed into the pool.
Then it was silent when I finally got a clear sight again. The warm pool water coming to a still ripple against my movements.
Suddenly, with a big splash, she had arisen and captured me within her tight embrace. Brandishing a bright, hearty and joyful laugh.
I smiled. As one of the most important people in my life, I loved seeing Nonami playful and jubilant like this.
After sharing a laugh, suddenly, her giggle ceased.
"Hey, Abslon." She called.
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"If there was a real zombie apocalypse, what kind of a person would you want at your side?" Nonami asked.
"Should I start worrying about Nemesis showing up in my room?" I teased, only for the embrace to tighten as a result.
"Nope. But you really should answer the question."
I had honestly forgot how impatient Nonami can be at times.
"Honestly, I don't know. Not a lot of people are going to be worrying about that sort of thing when people would be backstabbing others in that situation." I answered, gently pulling Nonami off my back.
"What makes you say that?" She asked, placing her hands at her sides.
I floated in the water till I felt my back gently hit the pools ledge, then using my arms to support my weight, I leaned against the ledge.
"Zombies are not as dangerous as normal people. Unlike us, they will only have one thought process in mind." I rose both of my hands outside of the pool. "Kill him, kill her, and kill everyone!"
"They are dedicated to one task, and they lack morals and emotion that would otherwise hinder them from performing their task of killing. We humans aren't like that."
"We think a lot. And that hinders our ability to make a decision. These thoughts make us feel emotion, which makes us able to hesitate. And question our resolve for the sake of social morality."
"The inability to decide, when humans are blissfully and freely given a choice, is what makes us inferior. And furthermore, defective."
"…"
Utter silence had descended upon the pool area once again. The silence had made me aware of what I was forgetting to answer.
"So basically, I think I'd go for a Psychopath."
Nonami's eyebrows curved in surprise. "Psychopath? Why would you chose that kind of a person?"
"Because Psychopaths care not for society, nor do they see the beauty of the lie named Equality. They march to their own tune, with most, you'd be able to tell what they are thinking because unlike normal people, I feel like Psychopaths don't have anything to hide."
"If they want to do something, they do it. Whether it involves something as peaceful as cooking, to something hostile like killing." I explained, gradually moving away from the pools ledge and heading towards Nonami.
"To something like torture…?" Nonami interrupted.
"…"
Both of us could tell that the reference to the event this time, was absolutely intentional. I guess she had meant it in a way to keep me quiet without intending to say something that might hurt me.
"Do you like psychopaths, Abslon?" Nonami harshly questioned.
"I hate them."
"Then why would you want them to be at your side in that situation?"
"Because I have no choice."
"You do."
"I don't."
"What do you mean you don't—!? "
"I'm…tired of dying, Nonami."
"…"
Without anything to say, I had turned my back to her. Allowing the sounds of the small little ripples of the warm pool enter my mind.
Suddenly the ripples began to grow louder. Then, once again, I felt Nonami's arms brandish my chest from behind. Locking me into a tight embrace, which had seemingly served to camouflage her warm tears.
I wished to hold her at that moment, but in the end, I felt that was not what Nonami needed right now.
"I shouldn't have said that..." Nonami started, in a small, shaky voice. As though some of her tears still haven't let up.
"You shouldn't have." But she did.
"The wound, is still fresh. You're still hurting. My words must have been very painful." It was, it had hurt to hear that of all things from her.
"It was."
"I shouldn't be here."
"You should."
"Why?"
"Because you're one person that I would not mind dying for, Nonami."
"…"
She gently drove her forehead onto my large back. And we had stayed there, just like that. Until the water began to turn cold.
Finally, as she was about to let go, she spoke to me again.
"Can I ask you something?"
I tilted my head back until I was looking at the ceiling light. And gave a little nod.
"…"
"Do you, hate humanity?"
Sona
July 8, 2018.
This was the date that Kuoh Academy's midterm final would begin. Only two weeks till summer break.
Sona had wondered what she would do for summer break. After the Three Factions Summit, the Chaos Brigade in Kyoto and the Rating Game match between Rias and her cousin Sairaorg. She had to admit, things have gotten a tad bit peaceful after the success of the School Festival.
Perhaps her peerage deserves a break. Sona knew that they've definitely had earned it after the amount of hard work they've put in for her in the past six months.
Maybe she would put it for discussion between her and her queen today at school.
But for now, she had to get up.
It was 06:30.
The Tyrannical Student Council President definitely should not be late today.
With a small murmur of sudden wake-up drowsiness, Sona had strolled out of bed. Removing the sheets off her bed and motioning her hand towards the bedside lamp where she kept her spectacles.
She felt a pleasingly soft furry texture before suddenly her glasses were well within reach.
Quickly, she placed them on and when she noticed that it got slightly blurry, she brandished a silk cloth and began to clean them.
Only then did she put them on, and looked towards the table that kept her bedside lamp.
There she saw her chestire cat, lazily resting on the part of the desk which the lamp was not occupying.
Sona could only assume that coincidently, the cat gave had helped her locate her glasses. She gave a warm smile, and gently brandished her hand across the cat's fur and head. Petting it. Then she cooed in a gentle voice.
"Would you like to have breakfast with me, Jewels?"
Sona constantly stroked Jewels fur until she could hear her purring in her sleep. She gave a light, warm chuckle.
"What a lazy cat." She interjected.
Jewels was a Stray cat that both Serafall and she had found during a walk seven months ago. Sona remembered that it was at the time the Four Devil Kings, The Archangel Michael and the Leader of the Fallen, Azazel. Were congregating in Kuoh for the Three Factions Peace Conference.
Serafall was naturally staying with her at that time. It was the day after the both of them, had some sisterly fun in the bedroom.
Sona could feel her cheeks burning red as she recalled that night, how neither of them could get up from bed afterwards the next day, and how she was almost late to school at that moment.
It was the afternoon after the Open Day at Kuoh, Sona could remember walking ahead of her sister. Trying to put some distance after Serafall had embarrassed her during the Open Day events that time.
Moments later, she had noticed that Serafall had stopped following her. Looking as though she was distracted by something.
When she closed the distance between them to investigate, she found Serafall riddled with little slashes across her face, giving a complex yet hearty laugh with a single tear in her eye, as the chestire cat in her embrace tried its damndest to run for all nine of its lives.
To this day, Sona still doesn't know what had prompted to take her home, nor what convinced her into taking care of it. By all rights, the cat belonged to Serafall.
Even though Jewels never liked her much.
Sona couldn't tell if it was because Jewels was scared of the power her older sister was emanating as a Satan, or was it just Serafall's cringe-like naming sense.
Perhaps she had kept it because taking care of Jewels alongside her older sister had made her reminisce about old childhood memories. Like the number of times they played doctor in Serafall's room at night. Or when they played 'House' in the garden.
Remembering this caused a small laugh to arise from Sona. She wondered if she'll always have to play the 'Father' when it came to her bubbly older sister.
But during this moment. Life had to remind her that today was July, 8.
And she had to begin midterms with Physics.
As she dug in the wardrobe for her Kuoh Academy uniform, Sona had tried to suppress a sigh.
Physics was never her strongest subject. It had annoyed her to no end, and it was only through her hard work and persistence was she able to secure an A at every assignment and test.
Knowing it was the first test that they had to write during the future five grueling days she would have to stay inside a classroom instead of her comfortable office made her regret getting up this morning.
She shook her head. She didn't have time to regret anything she did, even if that had included waking up in the morning for a physics test.
Sona headed down to the kitchen when she was finished dressing up. There, she saw her gracious everyday breakfast set. Two slices of toast, some semi-raw scrambled eggs, two hardboiled eggs and some coffee in the coffee machine with a note attached.
It was only when she had read the note did Sona realize that her queen must have gotten up early as always to make her favorite breakfast set.
You have a test today, Physics. Make sure you skip the oats this time,
President.
-Tsubaki.
Quite amazing of her to notice she had been skipping breakfast and instead opting for oats at the Seven-Eleven on their way to the Academy for this past week. Sona thought she had been more discreet than that.
She looked at the time.
06:40
She was early, and she didn't even have to make breakfast. She definitely had to find time for her queen and the rest of the peerage to have their rewards and her thanks.
Perhaps she could plan a vacation with them after midterms should everyone do well. Not the Underworld this time, she noted.
If she played her cards right. She'd be able to use that as an incentive for the Student Council to excel once again.
Except for Saji. Sona had felt that a different approach was needed for the love-struck disciplinarian.
Ceasing her current thoughts, Sona dug into her meal. Starting with the overcooked toast and moving towards the semi-raw scrambled eggs.
The toast was seemed hard, but in actuality was soft when she bit into it. It seemed that the breakfast set was here for a while. The scrambled eggs were soft and nice to eat, though Sona felt it was a pity that she had left it to get so cold like this.
The hardboiled eggs were still slightly warm though. So she felt as though the set hasn't been left here for as long as she had originally thought.
Eventually, she had finished her breakfast set. And before she went to the machine, she looked at the clock on the microwave to see if she actually had enough time for coffee.
07:00
Fortunately, she did.
She made her way to the machine, poured the black coffee into a mug and took a single sip. Noticing it was warm, even slightly hot. But not enough to scald her tongue. The type of coffee she really enjoyed before, during and after school.
She still had an hour to get to school, which lay in a walk approximately fifteen minutes away from the academy entrance.
Even so, she could always just use her magic to transport herself to the council room, But Sona doesn't dare to use her powers for a silly reason like that.
Walking towards the living room, coffee in hand, she sat on the couch and brandished the TV remote. Only now, did Jewels choose to come from her bedroom and join her on the couch, opting to rest on her lap as she browsed through the various channels.
Occasionally, Sona would stroke the fur and the ears of the warm cat that had begun to lazily rest on her lap.
"There's going to be a full moon again tonight." Sona had taken the moon cycle notation on her phone for the sake of midnight activities within the peerage.
A Full-Moon night is where they would be the most active.
Sona couldn't help but feel that within the next year that seems to be approaching fast. Everything was going to change.
Not now though. She looked at the time again.
07:15
She still has Physics to worry about.
Abslon
Nighttime came soon enough, my Saturday once again, was spent sleeping early. Unfortunately for me, it's been happening a lot these days since the time I began therapy.
Nonami trailed behind me as we made way towards my bedroom, still as silent as when we left the pool hours ago. Perhaps she was in deep thought again or maybe she was still daydreaming.
Whatever it was, it stopped the moment I had opened my bedroom door.
"It was a stupid question, wasn't it?" she asked.
None of her questions were ever as stupid as she claimed, the only reason that she had thought they were stupid was because I couldn't answer them. There were many of my own questions that I couldn't understand, why I ask myself such questions? And how can I answer them.
In the end, I shook my head. "I can't answer them."
Nonami looked into my eyes again, without that little glare she had when she was trying to force the truth out of me. It had still made no impact as to how later it'll make me crack under the pressure of those green eyes, and pour my soul out to her.
But in the end, she didn't say anything. She had just kept staring into my eyes, and occasionally looking away. A pained expression on her face.
I had wondered what she was thinking about. That had kept hurting her like this. It was the rare silent and melancholic moments like these between us, where I wonder if I was the only one who had gotten hurt at that time.
My hand had begun to trail away from the door handle, and silently closed the distance between us. Doing something that I've been wanting to do ever since the situation at the pool.
I had brought her into a tender embrace. It wasn't tight, I had made sure at first that she had more than enough room and power to force her way out if she did not wish for my console or pity by her natural assumption.
"…"
She hadn't spoken a word. But I had begun to feel her hands slowly trailing up my spine, seeking to tighten the embrace. As to respond to her, I closed the distance further. And had begun to feel her warmth and heartbeat.
It contrasted with the wetness I felt against her cheek. She had been crying again. She knows that I notice each time, but for reasons I almost never comprehend, she deflects my questions or bluntly decides to not tell me.
Feeling her tears on my cheek, I felt the sudden sorrowful and painful squeeze of my beating heart. It hurts. It hurts almost as much as remembering. And remembering also hurts her.
"…"
Both of us knew, that no one had wanted any words of encouragement or conformity from each other. We knew that our hearts were more shaken by the single action we shared, than the thousand words we can tell each other in that moment.
The two of us, both kindred souls.
"Good night."
Had only seeked the comfort that could only come from the beauty of understanding one another.
Nonami slowly began to break away from the embrace. And when she finally did, she gave me a small grin. I'm glad. That little grin of hers always meant that she was feeling better.
She gave me a small wave, turned on her heel and went all the way back to the other end of the barely lit hallway.
When she disappeared, I opened my bedroom door and dove into the sheets of my bed. Spread out across the mattress, staring into the ceiling. Watching the ceiling fan turn round and around till I got slightly dizzy.
What was I doing?
I gave myself a slight face palm. Covering my eyes and parts of my forehead. I could begin to make out little spots when my eyes were covered. And I was starting to feel a little lightheaded. My thoughts were dizzying up through the night.
Right. Time to go to sleep.
Slowly, I had begun to strip. Off came my jersey, and later my shirt. Then my shoes, and then my pants.
I picked up my phone from the bed, and opened its screen. A little past midnight. It was later than when I was intending to sleep.
Clad in only my white boxers, I pulled away the sheets and laid myself on the mattress, pulling them to cover me again. I had laid there for a few minutes, trying to sleep until I had begun staring at the ceiling fan again.
Round and around it went.
In a never-ending circle.
The spots came back again when I closed my eyes to try and sleep. I became slightly dizzy again after staring for too long. And that dizziness quickly and had subtlety turned into slow-inducing drowsiness.
It did not take long for my eyes to get incredibly heavy, or for me to constantly blurt out yawns. But I didn't even remember when I suddenly drifted off to sleep.
"…"
Something smelled.
"…"
It stunk. It smelled absolutely rancid.
But it was familiar. And did not seem to be unwelcome to me.
Opening my eyes was a challenge, as I was always quite the heavy sleeper. I was able to see a little bit of the roof. It had almost the same ceiling fan, but different stone walls. It didn't have chiseled concrete. Nor did it have the grey cement finish or air conditioning.
It was run-down, I could see the roof truss through the ceiling. I remember the one piece of cement that was keeping the ceiling light from falling on me. And the horrible screech it would make each time the wooden blades spun against it
I remembered this place, the hard bed and the cold ground. The moldy stench that made my eyes tear up whenever my senses would recover enough to pick up from the smell.
It was night time too, the air carried the certain blueness it always had this time of day.
Shuffle…Shuffle…
Before I had met Tristan and Nonami, this was my home. A small, run-down little apartment-like room within one of the dark, back alley streets leading up to the little stone bridge.
The front door and alleyway was lit up from only one warm light street lamp. The fluorescent street light had dulled out over the years they mentioned. Had nothing else to say about the lamp because I didn't care in the slightest about it when I was here.
I could feel extra weight pressed onto me. The weight felt quite warm, but there were parts of me that felt cold. It could've been because of the old blanket with holes I've been using. But the extra weight had meant this was the bedroom. I had remembered sharing it with the others that lived in this place with me.
Three of them were the youngest. A dark skinned boy, a pale skinned girl and another boy who was missing his left eye. They usually had clinged to me as we slept, the dark skin spooning the pale girl, and the right-eyed boy clinging to my left.
There was one middle child, her name was Emma. I remember her having long, beautiful brunette hair. Mainly because Emihide combed it constantly as a pastime. She took care of the youngest children, indulging them in their constant playtime. She was the best storyteller we had in this house, perhaps also best cook.
Then there was us. Me and Emihide and another girl named Valadia, who was Emihide's best friend. We were considered the oldest in the house. Keeping it afloat and keeping everyone safe and fed.
We were a bunch of special children. Which had meant either of us beheld a special power that the researchers had wished to exploit, or were part of a special race. Which they had either wanted to breed or experiment on for the sake of creating hybrids.
Valadia and Emma were the only two people in the house who was not human. Emma had a large affinity for fire, because she was a type of fire spirit. Salamander I think she mentioned. Her large red tail was the subject of many an abuse with the younger kids. Even myself when I had first met her.
Valadia had once mentioned that she was a Fallen Angel. She was often asked by the kids to differentiate herself from normal angels apart from the obvious shift from white to black.
There were the angels that had, by committing a sin, lost their grace. Falling from Paradise, all the way towards the Earth as their pearly white wings turned ashen black with despair and madness.
Ironically, Valadia was the one with the least control over her racial ability. Many a time have I seen those feathered wings harden to sharp black blades when she was angered, also popped out a few feathers when she sneezed. She often had a habit of unfurling her wings when she got too relaxed. Even though she had always seemed like she was a hardball.
She had always slept next to Emihide on the far end to my right. Behind the pale girl that clung to me.
I could feel the two youngest children nudging against me in the bed, seemingly enjoying a very pleasant dream judging from how little frantic movements they were making in this kind of place.
Slightly, I could feel my lips churn up to a smile at this sight. This was one of the memories that I treasured. Even if all of us were force to share one large bed, we kept each other warm beneath the dusty and old blanket.
Fwoosh!
On cue, Valadia's black wings had popped up again. Covering the entire bed with a shroud of feathery darkness.
"Psst!"
I had heard that towards my far right. When shifted slightly to avoid waking up the younger children. I saw that Emihide till this time, had still layed wide awake. Facing me as though she had known that I too, was not asleep yet.
Ah. I remembered this. This marked the first night that I have gotten to know of her midnight escapades.
"You're still awake, Abslon?"
I had layed still facing her. Admiring how her violet hair and lavender eyes glowed beneath the moonlight that shone and reflected through the single broken mirror we had for a window.
Emihide smiled. "Want to see something cool?" she asked, slowly and silently pushing away Valadia's wings and dragging herself out of the rough bed.
Slowly, she tiptoed towards where I was sleeping with the young children. And gently, she had pried their hands off my arm. Then she took my hands in hers, and dragged me out of the bed. Allowing me to stand on my feet.
Even as I stood next to her, she still never let go of my hand. Instead opting to silently drag me out the bedroom. Being mindful of the chain-like restraints I had on my arms, feet and neck.
As we closed the door and descended the stairs towards the front door. The dull streetlight outside the run-down building blacked out. Putting the alleyway street in darkness.
This had made Emihide churn out a giggle. "You're not scared of the dark are you?" she asked, before opening the door and rushing and dragging me outside into the dark street.
After silently closing the door, she dashed upside towards the little stone bridge. Sticking to the dark shadows of the land, creeping quietly to avoid the various researchers that crowded the area.
Eventually we had reached the area beneath the bridge, which consisted of a freezing cold water stream and a small rusted ladder. Emihide took one look at me and stopped her accent up the stairs.
"You shouldn't move around much. You're hurt, silly!" She said whilst giving me one of her favorite child-like pouts.
I had remembered being slightly more excited than I had been lately, but also a little scared. I had remembered how safe I had felt when I was travelling in the night with her like this. So often so that I had forgotten how hurt and scared I was at various times.
"Oh, I suppose you can't help it. You haven't seen things like this before in that Crypt right?"
I didn't want to remember what I had experienced down there. Even for Emihide. But she had made remembering that I was there at one time slightly less painful than when I try to remember by myself because I knew that she too was once inside the Crypt.
Emihide ascended the stairs first, and gave an elated gasp of excitement. I remembering asking what were we doing outside this time of night. What were we going to do?
"To look at the castle silly! Look at how beautiful it looks at night!" I remember her replying with the equal amount of energy she used to express her elation.
When I joined her, that was the first time I had ever saw Estrella Castle in the distance beneath the ethereal moonlight. Looking as beautiful as she had described. But I had known better.
For a while, Emihide and I sat side by side. Staring at the ever distant Estrella Castle. With each moment passing me by, just vaguely remembering what had occurred there.
"Hey. This Castle, what does it look like to you Abslon?" Emihide asked, turning towards me with a small grin.
Despair. Was what I had wanted to say in that moment. But as I looked into the face Emihide was making in that moment, that look was there rarest thing you could find in a place like this. A look of hope. The gesture one makes when they are looking at a dream.
I couldn't bear to break that smile. Because of my own sadness.
So I guess that this was the point, that I was forced to lie about my own despair and sadness.
Perhaps that was what she had wanted in the end.
"It's beautiful, Emihide."
For my despair to encompass and still the world, alongside the woman who had graciously shown me its alluring beauty.
Nonami
She couldn't sleep. It was evident by the time she had woken up and unlocked her phone. Just to check how long she had been staring at the ceiling fan.
There was nothing else that Nonami could find to do in her dull room. And so she found herself at the cusp of midnight, small footsteps trailing on the wooden tiles as her baby blue negligee blew against the wind.
She had spotted a small area nearby the hallway, still casting a warm light on a small table in the distance.
On the table. A glass full of little ice cubes had caught her vision. Soon filled to the brim with what seemed to be the whiskey she had stashed in the bar recently.
To Nonami's lackluster surprise, she had found Tristan sitting on the bar stool at the far end of the table. His back facing the cupboard where numerous choices of alcohol had layed, refurbished and restocked to her knowledge.
Tristan seemed to only take one glance at her, before he gave a dry chuckle and his lips formed a wide grin.
"I should lay off the whiskey, because I'm starting to see shit." He said, reaching under the desk to pull out an ice bag, before revealing a second glass and pouring the contents of the bag inside it.
"Oh?" Nonami questioned.
"Don't see you up late very often." He explained, turning his back and opening the cupboard.
"I just have a lot to think about tonight. That's all."
"Mind sharing?"
"It's the kind of thought that keep you up at night. And causes your hair to bald."
Tristan stepped away from the cupboard. Placing a bottle of whiskey in between our two glasses. "Should I be worried? It'll be a pity if you're walking around with a head shinier than the dishes you wash."
"I'm good. Not losing my hair anytime soon." Nonami let out a dry chuckle. Reaching for the whiskey and pouring a little inside her glass.
"Might turn grey though."
"I think you'll look good with gray hair."
"Of course you would. That's your fetish."
Both of them shared a small laugh before taking a drink in silence. Listening to the many crickets sounding in the distant night.
After taking a few shots of whiskey, Tristan finally saw it fit to break the comfortable silence. "You seemed a bit down today. Even after tossing shade at Emily." He stated.
"You noticed?"
"Yeah."
"I was thinking about Abslon again."
"Really?"
Nonami gave a nod.
"You know. I was up for that same reason tonight." Tristan said. "I was thinking about how often he thinks about what had happened in that place. It had somehow gotten me to thinking about what happens when he goes to sleep each day."
"Does he still remember? Even when he chooses not to? Does it still hurt even though he's asleep and can't feel the phantom pains?" Tristan questioned, slowly tightening his hold on his glass.
"Before I knew it, I walked here, sat on this stool at 2 am. With old-faithful in my hands. Drinking the night away. Wondering just how many regrets and demons he has inside of him." He lifted up the whiskey bottle, revealing the black label behind it before turning it around. 'Jack Daniels' it was named. Seemed like 'old-faithful' referred to the bottle in his right-hand.
Nonami remained silent, her own hands tightening into fists beneath the table. Whilst she bit her teeth in sadness. "Ah, so you're back to drinking that piss. I just restocked the bar you know." She said, attempting to bring the conversation into a lighter tone.
"I know. It just so happened to be one of those "I-wish-I-hadn't-got-out-of-bed" type of days. Piss like this seems great for the atmosphere." Tristan reasoned, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Can I ask you something?"
Nonami blinked. "Sure, go ahead."
"Why do you think that I let Abslon drink, as young as he is?" Tristan asked.
"I've always wondered that for a while. Didn't think you're actually dumb enough to let that happen though. I dunno. You answer." Nonami shrugged, taking a small sip of her whiskey.
Tristan chuckled. "See, for the damndest reason, this was the question in which I had spent hours here trying to come up with an answer for. That didn't sound like total rubbish parenting."
"You have an answer then?"
"I do."
"Mind sharing?"
"It has something to do with what I had said earlier. With wondering if he still thinks about that place even without wanting to." He said. Taking a small sip of his whiskey before pouring a refill from his Jack Daniels bottle.
"Alcohol tastes disgusting. It smells like medicine, it tastes horribly bitter and it kills your kidney. But do you want to know why people drink it often? It gives them something else to think about. By thinking about how bad it tastes like, how bitter it is. Like it is with certain books, people would want to delve deeper into that world or sustenance that gives them something, anything else to think about other than the current problems they have."
"Drinking and reading are two different concepts but are the same nonetheless. One just makes you drunk and after 2 am, is responsible for most of the world's population growth rate, and or death rate." He explained. Tristan then gave a melancholic smile as he slightly shaked his glass of whiskey.
"This isn't about upholding the social standards of being a good parent. It about caring enough about him to give him something else to think about other than his dead friends every day."
"Because let's be honest, I'm not the only one in this house who thinks he needs a drink. Minor or not. After what he had went through. He doesn't seem opposed to it, and neither am I." he said, before giving a big sigh and turning to Nonami.
"I'm not making much sense, am I?"
She shook her head. "On the contrary, I think I understand what you're saying. Although, I really don't approve of it. It's better than him just sitting there staring at the blank TV screen all day like he had used to." Nonami had taken another sip from her glass before turning to the TV in the other room.
"That's mainly the reason, after sitting here for hours I came up with an idea of sending him to school." Tristan said.
Nonami had felt crust in her eyes break away as they suddenly widened with surprise. "Wait, seriously? You're sending him to school?"
Tristan nodded. "I'm seriously considering it."
"Why?"
"For the same reason I explained. I want to give him more things to think about other than, that." He them gave a small smile. "During his days, he'll think about upcoming tests, projects, assignments, physics, exam time…there are times where he'll even think of what to do after school before or after he gets home. And—"
"And?"
"On the very off-chance he makes friends here. Perhaps he'll be able to forgive himself or maybe even move on from that event." Tristan explained, taking away the whiskey bottle and putting it back in the cupboard. Closing it afterward.
Nonami folded her arms. Motioning Tristan to continue. "It's not like I'd send him alone down there. I'd probably ask that you go with him."
"I don't know about this, Tristan."
"That's why it's still an idea. Albeit a good one. I'll probably have a decision tomorrow when Abslon returns from accompanying Chisato to the Airport." He said.
"…"
Silence then was brought forth. The ice cubes inside the glasses had begun to melt. Nonami checked the time on the clock nearby.
03:13 AM
She had not wanted to oversleep, so she stood from her barstool and gave a small smile to Tristan. "I'm glad you talked to me about this. Although sudden, this conversation made me feel a little better about your idea." She said.
"That's what friends are for. I'm probably going to give him a call. See what he thinks about all this." Tristan stated, taking one final gulp of whiskey, while making sure to eat the ice cubes. A certain habit of his.
"Right. You do that then. I'm going to sleep." Nonami gave a little wave before disappearing into the dark corridor, heading towards her room.
Tristan stared at the hallway aimlessly for a few second before pulling out his cell. He dialed a few numbers before setting it on speaker and placing it on the desk.
Few seconds of ringing later and a voice sounded over the phone. "Whoa! Haven't heard from you in a while!"
"Yeah, yeah. Last time you were here we did a bar run across Massachusetts. Remember waking up in the trash heap the next day?"
"Damn right I remember, I needed a chiropractor because my back wasn't straight for that week. Of course it cost extra to hire one because my wings got all rigid after that."
Both Tristan and the voice on the phone shared a hearty laugh.
"So what's new with you?"
"Actually I was hoping to reach you today, Azazel."
"Oh? What for, a new project in the works? You know how I love tinkering."
"I was hoping for your opinion on something else actually."
The voice in the phone, now known to be Azazel, sounded like he was pondering something. "Really? What did you have in mind?"
Tristan chuckled. "You might want to be alone for this one. Oh! And get some whiskey too. You're going to be here for a while."
Sona
The test didn't seem too bad. Sona had thought the teachers would want to get a bit even with her during the physics exam. But it seems that for this month, no teachers were angered by her, nor garner a grudge.
The rest of the day had panned out just as she had expected. Students sharing various answers during lunch break, or internally panicking because they either realized that they wrote the wrong answer or wrote the right one, but erased it because they couldn't trust themselves.
Even she was not privy towards checking herself for the right answers. As proven by the little physics notebook she was carrying with on her journey to the classroom with Rias. Constantly mumbling little scientific facts under her breath, trying to remember if she had written it down.
Some of these days, Sona had despised this type of normalcy a Pure-Blood like her had to endure. Such as being so worried over a physics test, granted it was her one subject that she was never good at.
Eventually, she had dropped the textbook on her desk when she had reached her council room. Her other peerage members had already taken their positions in their respective areas to aid Sona as the Student Council. Embarrassingly, it seemed as though she was the last to arrive.
By routine, Tsubaki had greeted her first. Performing her bow. "Madam President, how was your day today?"
Sona gave a small smile. "It was sufficient, the test posed no problem. I must thank you for the early breakfast Tsubaki. You had truly outdid yourself." She felt as though small praise for each of her council members will suffice for now as both Tsubaki and she begin planning a reward for them.
"Your words honor me, President." Tsubaki said, standing back up and guiding Sona to her desk. Before leaving the room to prepare her favorite coffee.
When the door opened once again, she had thought Tsubaki had returned too early for the coffee to finish being prepared. Instead, Tsubasa came rushing inside. Document in hand. And before Sona could greet, Tsubasa interrupted with a surprising message.
"Azazel had sent these. He said next year, on April 4th, we'll be receiving a new student transfer."
Had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially the wholesome one with Sona and her cat.
Chapter 4 is probably going to take a while so I ask you to be patient.
Other than that, feel free to comment or offer criticism.
till next chapter!