Chapter 3 - It Starts Off Good…
/_\
The bus lurched to a stop just outside a small convenience store, surrounded by other shops or fast food stores. Raylan stepped off the bus, with the doors immediately closing behind him before leaving.
A quick glance at his phone revealed where he was, he was within a five minute walk of his new housing. He memorized the route and began his walk.
Although he was quick with his pace, Raylan still took the time to examine the surrounding area, the places, the shops, the people. Despite how there were fewer people out and about at this time of day, the people that were out still seemed busy.
From someone who looked as though they were fetching coffee for their office whilst also speaking to someone over the phone, to another who sat in one of the outdoor seating areas to a deli-shop working on two laptops and a phone all at once. He had to admit there were a few… anomalies among the people he noticed.
For one, there seemed to be a group of teenagers, probably sixteen or seventeen, who were in the process of arguing, or rather bullying, another smaller group of teenagers. The bullying group was the odd one though, it screams typical douche group, although two of the young girls in the group could only be described with the word Gyaru. One of them went the whole way with the dyed dirty blonde hair in a ponytail, with the shortest skirt she could likely get away with in the girls' school.
Raylan did note how, of the entire bully group, she seemed the most reluctant to join in the insults and belittling. She seemed to act more like a lookout for the group.
Which was only confirmed when she got the attention of the others in the group and pointed to a rather irate looking adult coming over to them before Raylan could even attempt to intervene.
Both groups, the bullies and the bullied, quickly fled the scene when the shouts from the irate shop worker had started. With the teenagers having retreated, the worker returned to his shop with a rather exasperated look across his face.
Well, he at least dealt with the bullies by scaring them off before Raylan had the chance to. Although yelling at them wasn't really how Raylan would have dealt with that situation, talking them down was how he would have done it but he had to concede that the annoyed worker ended the arguments before it escalated into a fight.
Another weird one Raylan had noted on the way was what could only be described as a gothic lolita walking down the street, on the other side of the road, in the opposite direction as the young man was heading. He only just caught the sight of her as she had passed him so he only got a view of her from behind. Her attire drew the attention of a few of the people around her, with some even looking at her with… disgust? Anger? Annoyance?
Whatever it was, they weren't exactly positive reactions.
Not that the woman in question seemed to care all that much judging by how she ignored everyone around her and disappeared around the street corner.
Yeah, Raylan wasn't expecting to see some of the sights he had on his way to his new residence but he supposed this city was gonna be… different from most others, and that no doubt went for the people as well.
The young student was certain he'd meet real characters through-out the city over the coming years.
/_\
Compared to the university and its grounds, his new apartment complex paled drastically. Where Aeon was modern, crisp, and out there, this complex was more normal, real even. It didn't scream important or special, it blended in for the most part. Apart from the fact that it was the tallest building on the block there was nothing abnormal about it, and honestly Raylan could appreciate that.
Aeon was sure to be incredible during his tenure there but Raylan was willing to bet that the environment would get old fast so to have something normal to come back to every day was nice. Turns out his late application was a blessing in disguise.
Would other students of Aeon see it like that? Probably not.
They'd probably see it as more hassle to deal with, picking between a well maintained dorm room on campus or some crumby old apartment Raylan figured that nine times out of ten people would pick the simple, easy, and paid for dorm room.
Their loss.
Raylan pushed open the front door of the building and stepped inside, upon entering he was greeted by the main reception and lobby area. The central vocal point, he supposed. On the right side of the lobby was what looked like a reception desk, which it wasn't considering this was an apartment and not a hotel, beyond that a door that led to an employee office which belonged to the apartment manager if the little sign on the open door that said manager's office was any indication.
On the left was a row of cushioned benches, used as a waiting place for residents of the building or friends who came to visit.
At this current time there weren't many other people about, save for two young women sitting talking to one another over in the waiting area. Although Raylan didn't eavesdrop on what they were talking about, whatever it was seemed to have the two ladies quite excited if their over animated movements were anything to go by.
Other than those two though there didn't seem to be anyone else around, so if Raylan had to guess that meant the apartment manager was likely in their office waiting for his arrival.
He moved over to the manager's office and stepped into the open doorway. He was greeted with the view of a Japanese woman, likely in her late to early thirties, sitting behind her desk with her head buried in her hands. Her hair was black, long, but tied in a ponytail. Her figure was slender, but still held some small curves, and judging by how small she appeared in her seat she was likely only five foot, five inches. She wore more conservative clothes, a long skirt that reached just above her ankles, with flats. A loose sleeved, shoulders exposed white shirt and a small silver necklace completed her attire.
Honestly, despite how attractive she might be she looked exhausted, tired, and weary all at once. There was no hiding those dark circles around her eyes, and the way she held her head in her hands only reinforced that stressed out vibe she carried.
She didn't appear to notice his arrival either, clearly too deep in thought on some other matter surely.
Knocking on the door as he took a single step further into the office, the woman looked up from her hunched position, straightening up, as she locked eyes with him.
"Ah," She gasped as she composed herself, standing from her seat. "Apologizes for not noticing you." The woman apologized, maintaining a positive exterior despite the view Raylan had just seen from her.
"It's fine, ma'am," Raylan replied softly.
"You wouldn't happen to be the Aeon student I've been expecting, would you?" She asked as she gave him a brief once over. His appearance might not have screamed student, but his accent likely helped her come to that conclusion.
"Yes, I believe I'm to be housed here for the duration of my tenure at Aeon." Raylan explained, "I was told to meet the manager of the building."
"Well, you've done just that," The woman replied as she moved over to a cabinet on the other side of the room. She was in and out in seconds, turning back to him with a key in hand. "My name is Yae Kamisato, I'm the manager of this building."
"Nice to meet you, miss." Raylan inclined his head in her direction as he said that.
The woman responded with a hum before speaking, "You're here earlier than expected honestly, I was told you'd be later in the day."
"My journey here was quicker than expected," He explained.
"Thankfully that seems to be a good thing, saves me waiting around all day wondering when you might show up." The woman walked past him, with Raylan standing to one side to allow her to pass. "Come along then, let's get you settled in. You're no doubt tired after a day of travels."
With Yae leading the way, Raylan followed behind.
It was off to see his new abode.
/_\
Yae led him to the ninth floor, the second highest floor in the complex, closer to one of the ends of the building. Raylan had remained mostly silent during the walk as Yae had explained some of the house rules of the building.
No loud parties past nine, damages must be covered by the tenant unless under special circumstances, and tenants must come to check for their mail at the front desk every Saturday, and that his fridge had the basics for enough meals for a day but he'd have to get his own food after that.
She also informed him, given his attendance to Aeon, that rent was covered by the university since they were the ones that could not house him in the dorms. Although Raylan already knew that he didn't speak out of turn.
Finally she'd gone over a few other basics about his apartment. He could move things around in the room to his liking within reason, even getting new furniture if he so desired but he couldn't sell anything that didn't belong to him so he'd have to inform her beforehand so she could bring in an extra hand and move the furniture into storage. Then there were the drills, obviously. That one Raylan was sure to pay close attention to.
Soon, they reached their destination.
"This is it." Her voice drew his attention toward the door they both now stood in front of. She was quick to open it and step inside, "Come in, I'll give you a little tour." Raylan followed her inside.
And to his surprise, the little studio apartment he'd been expecting was nothing like the reality before him.
A modern, crisp, clean, if still small, apartment opened out in front of him on both sides, with the main doorway being at the center of the room with two large squared fogged windows opposite the doorway, giving him a skewed view of some of the buildings around.
The room was more narrow and long than it was wide and open. Furthest left of the door was his new kitchen and dining area, which only consisted of some cabinets, a black fridge, electrical stove, and sink, with white wood countertops. By the wall opposite was a table attached to the wall, which acted more like a bar table with the stools beside it, and a large silver bin in the far corner.
At the far wall was another door that Raylan would reasonably guess held the bathroom, the only missing component from the room laid out before him.
On the right side of the room was the living area, study area, and bed all in one. A love seat sat against the wall facing the windows with a single armchair tilted at an angle alongside it, a rather average sized flat screen tv on top of a black wooden stand with several openings across the bottom to use as storage sat opposite the seating area.
Further beyond that was his bed and study area. The bed was actually held above his study area on a small perch, with a wooden ladder as access. Underneath was his desk and chair, alongside a small drawer for various goods.
There were several other items around as well but they were your typical trivial items one might find in any apartment but he paid them little mind.
Honestly, this arrangement was better than he'd been expecting. It might not exactly have been a penthouse suite kind of luxury but it wasn't exactly a dump either. So how could he complain?
Simply put, he couldn't.
"It's better than I was expecting. By a decent margin." Raylan freely admitted loud enough for Yae to hear. "Impressive, honestly."
A small smile crept across her tired face at his compliment of his new abode. "I guess this place is to your liking?"
"It works perfectly for me." And it was. Not overly flashy, big, or pompous. Something almost normal, and normal was welcome in his opinion.
"That's good to hear," Yae held out the key for him to take, which he did, also a little business card. "I'll leave you to unpack, and rest. Should you need any assistance then please call me on that number," She gestured to the one on the card she'd just given him.
"Appreciate it, Miss Kamisato." Raylan nodded to the weary woman.
With that, Yae gave a small bow and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Raylan was now all alone in his new home, once again taking in his surroundings. He truly felt as though this was a fresh start with the atmosphere of the room.
The young man moved to the right side of the apartment leading to his bed area. As he neared the ladder that led to his bed he tossed his bags over to the base of it before dropping himself down into the armchair.
He sighed heavily, finally allowing his body to relax after all the moving about he'd done today. He'd been carrying his luggage with him, and was forced to travel across the city in various modes of transport before he could really just relax full-on.
Minutes passed before Raylan sat up from his position, leaning forward as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the flier he'd been handed earlier.
Raylan examined the details of the filer once again, noting the address, and when the party was to take place. He still had another few hours before the party was to start but there were still some things for him to do. Unpack, shower, change, and generally just settle in, then he'd also need to purchase new clothes, food, and other supplies he might need for his lectures.
Raylan checked his phone for the time, mentally planning out what he could get done today before the party. By the end of it he prioritized just settling in and prepping for the night ahead, he could buy new clothes and food tomorrow. There was still another two days before Aeon kicked off, even if that didn't stop students jumping into studying the course material preemptively.
With renewed motivation, Raylan got up and began to unpack his things. Better to get stuck into it now, and relax later without a care in the world.
Unbeknownst to the young man, a certain glowing blue butterfly fluttered past his window just outside his field of view.
/_\
As dark out as it was at night, the abundance of lights on the main streets made it simple enough to follow the signs to the venue of the welcoming party.
Just down the block, was his destination. A hotel called Carnation, apparently nicknamed Scarlet Carnation by the locals due to their most frequent color being scarlet red. From their interiors, and uniforms, to even their symbol being that scarlet in color.
"At least they're consistent." Raylan thought to himself as the hotel hoved into view.
The building itself was actually quite large, not only was it tall it stretched down both sides of the block. Nearly taking up the entire lot. It's exterior matched many of the more modern and crisp buildings in the area, a common theme in this city.
The young man paused just as he reached the front of the building, "Let's see what the night will bring." He thought before pushing on again.
Raylan entered the building, he was greeted by a lavish receptionist lobby. Marble floors, marble columns decorated with scarlet red banners draped from ceiling to floor. Red carpets and matts decorated the floor, pointing all who enter through the main entrance to the receptionist's desk.
He made to move toward the receptionist but before he could he was stopped by a voice calling out to him from off to his right side.
"Sir." The feminine voice called to him, causing him to turn to see a middle-aged woman standing just off to the side of a set of double doors. She wore a scarlet red hotel workers uniform, so it didn't take much effort to figure out she worked here. Likely a lookout for any students that came their way, directing them away from the rest of the staff and hotel-goers.
"Yes?" He responded to her call, turning to face her.
"You wouldn't happen to be here for the Aeon First Year welcoming party, would you?" She asked with a small, pleasant smile across her face. The young man only now approached her once she mentioned the party he was looking for.
"I am, yeah." He replied. "This was the place listed on the flier I was given on campus." But he couldn't help but wonder how she'd figured he was an Aeon student.
"You seemed to have been looking for something, your fellow students were much the same when they first started showing up." The hotel worker probably guessing what his line of thought had been. "Name please?" She asked as she held out the clipboard she was holding.
"Raylan Sinclair."
She traced a finger down what Raylan assumed was a list of names before coming to his name. "Ah, yes, you're here." Once she finished, she gestured to the double doors just behind her. "Through those doors are the rest of your peers, they've already begun the party even if it's not quite as lively as it will get later," Not his peers but he remained silent, "you're one of the last students to arrive, fourth last in fact." She informed him, "Your professors and Aeon staff are scheduled to arrive in an hour or so."
"And here I thought I'd be the last to arrive." It was a fair assumption as he figured all the other students would be eager to get there and start mingling or socializing but apparently three other people weren't as pushed by all this as he was.
"Thank you," Raylan nodded his head toward her as she did the same with a pleasant smile on her face. The young man swiftly made his way over to the double doors and pushed through.
On the other side he found a large mostly open room full of people, all Aeon first-year students no doubt.
The room itself was mostly open in the center save for a few scattered standing tables, by the walls were sets of tables, chairs, and the occasional bench seat. On one side was a full bar, without a barman but with various drinks stacked across the bar allowing for anyone to take one as they pleased.
"Aeon splashing out for some drinks it seems." The young man thought as he eyed the drinks on display, even if he noted the quantity of alcohol wasn't anything dangerous it was still generous. They weren't forcing students to pay their own way for the night, they could just enjoy themselves before the year threw everything at them. However, Raylan held back on that front.
There was some socializing going on, whether or not the drinks would help with that was up in the air, but the room wasn't exactly completely silent. Plenty of chatting going on, but it was civil, quiet. No shouting, yelling, or loud music, even if there was a classic song being played on low.
Kinda cringe-worthy to think anyone in this room was sophisticated enough to be listening to classical music on a night out, but he supposed Aeon had an image to maintain. Playing rock music on full blast might not have meshed well with the reputation they held.
The first thing Raylan did was head toward the bar, grab himself a seat at said bar, and turn to examine the people in the room once again. Mostly looking over the people who stood alone, or were in small groups such as pairs. He took note of a few individuals around the room, some he even recognized from his brief walk through the campus earlier.
There was flier girl off to the side, standing by a wall, perfectly straight posture and all, like a stick up her ass kept her that way. Dressed to impress it seemed if the more casual but modest style skirt and jacket she wore was anything to go by. Despite that she didn't have anyone around her, and neither did she look around for anyone to join. In fact, she barely took her eyes off her drink. It was like she wasn't there, or at the very least people didn't seem to even take notice of her nor did she take notice of them.
Another two he recognized was the blonde money man he'd seen before, and once again he wore what looked like designer clothing. Although still simplistic, his clothes looked immaculate, and his jacket looked more expensive than other peoples entire outfits. If Raylan was a betting man he put money on the idea that this guy might be one of the richest students of the year, perhaps in the entire academy.
He seemed to be alright as he was interacting with a pair of women who seemed to be quite enamored with whatever the fuck he was talking about. His appearances and the professional aura he seemed to generate seemed to have the two ladies interested.
Even if his own interest in them didn't seem all there from what Raylan could tell.
But leave them to it, he supposed so the young man got back to searching the room once again.
To his surprise, the other one was the woman from before who had the kid with her. And low and behold, she was with her kid again proving that she was in fact a student of Aeon as well as a mother. And judging by how she was here with her baby boy, Raylan doubted the father was still around if she was forced to look after him like this. She sat alone at one of the tables, mainly just taking care of her son who was constantly trying to get her attention, and succeeding in that task.
Even if Raylan did notice how she was rather alone by herself, catching her small glimpse around the room. She looked rather worried as if concerned by the looks others might send her way. Was that for her sake or her sons? He didn't know.
She was definitely someone Raylan would like to get to know better. Anyone going through what she was going through was someone he wanted to know and help. All he needed was the right opportunity, but tonight might not have been the right time.
Continuing his examination of the room, Raylan found another person that caught his attention. A larger guy, standing at what the young man guessed was six-foot, five inches, brown bedhead hair that reached his neck, with freckles across his face. Although tall, he wasn't bulky. He seemed leaner than he was bulky, like the body of a seasoned swimmer. Dressed simply enough with a long-sleeved gray button-up shirt, a maroon zip-up casual jacket similar to that of a blazer, black jeans with a silver belt, and a pair of casual chuck taylor style shoes completed his attire. Although there was also a set of biker glasses resting atop his head.
Again, he stood off by one of the walls alone like the others, but unlike the others his eyes seemed to search the room, glancing between several of the groups multiple times like he was waiting to spot something.
"Perhaps he's looking for the chance to join in one of the conversations?" Raylan thought. It was a decent guess but as to why he didn't just go for it or strike up conversation with any of the single people in the room he couldn't say. Maybe nerves or he was just shy? Even if he didn't look the type.
Finally, the last person to catch his eye was someone who stood completely to himself. He seemed a bit more… dressed up for some reason. Like he was trying too hard to appear better off. Wearing what appeared to be trousers off a black suit, with black leather shoes and a pristine white shirt tucked into said suit pants. He really didn't blend in with the rest of the students here, most of which were dressed modestly but still casual, with the occasional bit of personal flair to make a better impression.
But he seemed to act differently to the rest in the room, just as Raylan was he seemed to be scanning the room as if examining those around him. Always looking away at the same moment someone might have turned his way. For what purpose was this guy doing this, he couldn't say. Was it as innocent a reason as his own? Merely observing? Or was it something else?
As Raylan observed the young man their eyes met for the briefest of moments, the two young men had a silent stare down for only a single second before his opponent looked away without a second glance.
"Seems like I didn't have whatever he was looking for," Raylan concluded in his head. The young man sighed once he'd finished his observation with one last glance around the room.
The young man relented from making any moves yet, the night was still young and there was still the staff of Aeon to arrive. He had time if he at any point felt like socializing. For now though he turned back to sit on the bar properly and taste his latest drink.
Unfortunately, ten minutes later he wouldn't get the opportunity to make a good first impression.
The double doors flew open with enough force to slam against the door frame. The sound it created was enough to startle ninety percent of the room, with almost everyone turning in unison to the doors.
Raylan, however, didn't turn from the bar, instead, he glanced over his shoulder toward the entrance. Four young men, all around the same age as the students of Aeon, walked into the room with the one in the center leading the other three.
All of them looked big enough and pretty intimidating. Muscular, Raylan would say. The way they were built they were clearly athletes of some kind, perhaps rugby players or something of that kind. Maybe wrestlers?
Whatever they did it certainly built them up bigger than anyone else in here, although the main lead seemed to be the biggest of the four. Raylan himself, and maybe that guy with the biker glasses were built enough themselves, even if they were leaner in nature.
The one leading them stood at a solid six-foot, six inches, standing only three inches taller than Raylan, but his body, arms, and legs seemed more muscular and bulky than Raylan. He had short fade-cut autumn brown hair, with a small beard of the same color. His facial features were sharp, chiseled even. Even his expression was a sharp scowl, with narrowed eyes.
"So much for a peaceful night out…" Raylan thought to himself, eyeing the four-party crashers cautiously. Well, he assumed they were the party crashers as not long after he had arrived the final three students had followed. So these four were uninvited guests, so to speak.
Of course this would have happened, that was just Raylan's kind of luck.
None of the Aeon students made to move, it seems nobody wanted to make a scene just yet.
The leader stepped forward as he scowled across the room's occupants. Once he'd finished that he snarled, "So, this is Aeons pool of exceptional talent, huh?" He gestured to everyone in the room. "I see nothing special."
It instantly clicked with Raylan why he was here, likely to cause trouble for the first-year students of Aeon.
Jealousy.
"He couldn't get in to Aeon himself, likely having been rejected or simply looked over so he's here to give those who did a hard time." The young man thought as he eyed the intruders over his shoulder.
The four-party crashers made their way further into the room till they were practically in the center, with many of the students shifting to the sides of the rooms to avoid their path.
"How much money did it take to bribe your way in, huh?!" He yelled out, startling a few of the smaller meeker people in the crowd, "Do any of you fucks have anything worth your admission to Aeon?!"
He waited for anyone to announce the fact they did deserve to be at Aeon, but none answered and Raylan could have probably guessed why.
This guy was looking for a fight, looking to vent his frustrations in some way. A fight was on the table unless someone managed to disarm the situation.
And it seems a rather meek girl was gonna be the first to speak.
"Enough Jack!" So that was the leaders name. "Don't do something you'll regret later on." It seemed this girl knew this guy. Perhaps they both attended a school in this city? It was possible, Aeon wouldn't ignore scouting talent in their own backyard.
It just proved the theory that he was an Aeon reject was correct.
"Shut your fucking mouth, bitch!" He yelled, leaning his head toward her as he did. His volume and tone swiftly throwing the girl off as she went to cower within the group of students she stood with for protection, as did the others in the group.
Raylans eyes narrowed slightly, his left-hand clenching as he watch the whole scene. But he did nothing, not when nothing but mere words were slung around.
"None of you deserve your place in Aeon!" He began shouting, his speech now underway, "I've been training since I was ten to get into Aeon, I learned every single secret to help me get in, and made my grades stand out in my class and you spineless weasels take my place instead?!"
He scoffed, "None of you fucks deserve the chance you've been given!" His words seemed to have various effects on the people in the room, some showing contempt and anger, whilst others seem upset and surprisingly even guilty.
Raylan, on the other hand, merely brushed his words off like they were nothing. Which, in fact, they were. His words meant fuck all to him, so let him go about his tirade. Sticks and stones as they say.
Yet despite his words having effects on others in the room none seemed to make a move against this Jack guy, not even vocally disagreeing with him. There were a few who looked as though they wanted to do something, particularly flier girl and that athlete dude he'd spotted earlier.
Raylan glanced away and back toward the bar counter and wondered why that might have been, since they had more obvious reactions from their expressions. He soon realized why that was the case.
They didn't want to jeopardize their position in Aeon.
If they got into a fight it could well be the end of their tenure at Aeon, a violent first impression wasn't exactly a great start. They were scared of losing the opportunity of a lifetime because they couldn't keep themselves in check.
After all, the perfect people of the world have no need for violence, right?
And honestly, that might be what this prick was aiming for.
If he can't be in Aeon, why allow others to have their chance?
"Pathetic," Raylan muttered to himself, shaking his head at the thought of it all. He wondered where the hotel security or staff were at this time, they might be able to help defuse this situation before it escalates into something much worse than a screaming match.
"Oi, fuck face by the bar, you say something?!" The pricks voice yelled out. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was referring to either.
Raylan slowly turned on his barstool to face Jack, their eyes locked onto one another. He could feel the anger emanating off this prick, like an aura.
But Raylan kept his cool.
"Me?" He asked cheekily knowing full well he was the only one sat at the bar, although keeping his tone flat as not to anger the prick too much either.
Jacks face scrunched in anger as he began walking up to Raylan with his cronies not far behind him, "Yeah, you." He got right up into Raylans face, "You got something to say to me?" He growled out in a threatening manner.
Raylan was oh so tempted to say something, fuck everything, and put it up to this guy. But he was better than that, he wouldn't give in to temptation just because he was annoyed by this random prick.
So he remained silent and didn't say a word, but he made sure he locked eyes with this pompous bully. They had a silent staring contest, with no onlookers even making a sound.
Seconds passed without either backing down, until Jack sneered in frustration. He quickly brought his hand upward and slammed the underside of Raylans drink, throwing its contents all over his face and chest but otherwise not harming him.
But Raylan remained still, he merely blinked to avoid the liquid getting into his eyes. But otherwise allowed the drink to run down his face and onto his clothes, he didn't even drop the glass that had held his drink.
Raylan didn't react.
At all.
And that just seemed to piss the guy off more as he sneered at Raylan who remained staring at him as best he could.
Ultimately though, not getting the reaction he wanted out of Raylan, Jack turns to the rest of the crowd and begins walking back to the center of the room with his three cronies fanning out around him.
"You worthless shits can't even stand up for yourself, and you expecting anyone to believe you can be worthy of graduating from Aeon?!" Jack began yelling, once again starting another angry tirade.
At this point, Raylan just tuned most of the blow-hard was spewing. Just more angry man nonsense. The room was oddly silent save for Jacks angry rambling but also the crying of that students precious baby boy.
It seems all the yelling has upset the small kid, and frankly, he could understand why.
Loud, angry, and aggressive, all three could make any child cry like that.
Raylan began running a hand down his face to help wipe away any excess liquid, and generally just clean up his face.
Jack growled out once more, frustration having reached a boiling point as he turned to in the direction of the mother and kid.
"Shut that fucking kid up right now!" Veins showing on his forehead and spit flying from his mouth as he roared at the poor mother and child.
Raylans hand stopped dead at the bottom of his face as soon as he heard those words. His eyes looked up at the figure of the prick who'd said them and narrowed.
Dangerously so.
The kid continued to cry, which drew the attention of the four-party wreckers and even some of the students themselves as they began looking between the mother and the assholes harassing everyone.
Without looking away, Raylan reached behind him and placed the glass he'd been holding on the bar counter, stood up from his seat, and began to walk forward with intent behind his steps.
Jack growled as the cries continued, "You have ten seconds to shut that kid up or-"
He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as he was silenced by a punch to the face that sent up him stumbling backwards across the ground until he tripped and landed on his ass.
Everything remained silent except for the crying kid, whose mother was slowly calming the child down. The silence of the room wasn't of the awkward kind, it was a stunned and shocked silence.
Jack, his cronies, and every single student turned to see Raylan standing there with his fist clenched in his hand with the tiniest trace of blood on his knuckle.
Jack barely noticed a warm trickle run down his lip as he reached up and touched under his touch. Warm and wet. Which could only mean one thing.
He pulled his fingers back to find blood smeared across them, and then he knew what had happened.
Jack got up just as his boys all raised their fists in various ways, all moving into a stance of some kind, ready to beat the ever-living fuck of Raylan for what he'd just done.
"You've fuck up now pretty boy." Jack hissed as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. This fuck face thinks he can punch him and get away with it? Nobody fucking does that to him!
Raylan's eyes merely narrowed as he rolled his right shoulder before shifting into his own fighting stance.
"We'll see about that."
C3: End
And another chapter down for the count. This should be where things begin to kick-off for the main Persona and Shadows plot in the next chapter if all goes well. This chapter was longer than I anticipated, don't expect that to be the norm unfortunately I just had somewhere I wanted to stop at.
We also got to see glimpses of characters, I'm sure some of you recognized them throughout the chapter. They're not their official introduction, for the most part, but at least characters are being mentioned.
But have you enjoyed the characters mentioned and shown thus far? You'll be meeting some of them officially soon enough.
Thanks again to everyone who has submitted characters and taken the time to both read, review, and interact with the story. I appreciate the positive support this story seems to get.
Review Responses: (From both Chapter 1 and 2 since I forgot to do it last chapter. R.I.P)
arans: Glad you liked the little intro sequence to the story, I won't confirm or deny anything since I don't do spoilers but I'm pleased to see it well received with people coming up with their own ideas as to what was happening there. I prefer an aged-up cast because then we can deal with other sorts of issues and have more mature themes in the story. People seem to accept the MC so far, which I'm happy about, but we'll be seeing more of his character as the story goes along. Let's hope he's to people's liking.
Obie527: Can't promise quick updates all the time though, at some point a chapter could take months to come out. I don't want to promise something I might not be able to deliver. Let's just say I make mentions of characters for a reason early in the story.
Roggi: Well, gotta start somewhere for a story, right? Let's get the foundation built before jumping into the thick of it. I fixed the character descriptions since more than one person said they didn't like it. I'm just trying to avoid misrepresenting a character someone created for this story, why not use the words of the creator themself? But I see people don't want that so I went ahead and changed that.
LuxuryKiwi: Fixed the character descriptions as I previously mentioned, I won't be making that mistake twice. It'll be all set-up or backstory for the beginning before we move onto the fun social links and the like but I'm glad you enjoyed what I've done so far!
Anyway; with the responses out of the way the chapter is done.
As you can probably guess, the next chapter is when we get some violence going. And soon after we jump into the Persona portion of the story. So look forward to that! Try to guess how things are gonna play out if you want, I'm curious to see if anyone can get close.
Also, when the fight starts next chapter play the song "Pledge of Demon" or "34 tusk" from Yakuza 0. It's more fun that way. lol
Nothing left to say so I'll see you in the next chapter and I hope you enjoyed it!
AlcatrazDGold - Peace!