AN: And so we move on to another story arc. It's just hit me that it's been nearly a year since I first began this story anew! Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, and sorry to keep you waiting for another chapter! This one isn't quite as immense as the previous ones, but that probably will change as we move ahead. Also, if you've been reading other fanfics, you might recognise a certain city name...
Arc VI: Songs of Sorrow
People live by wearing different masks. Thus, the person you know and the person they actually are may be entirely different people. The power of one's soul is therefore limitless, due to the many sides they harbour. Yet, beyond it all, there is a true aspect of a person's power. The 'Persona', the inner self set free.
Whether they command raging flames or soothing remedies, they give those with strong hearts powers they could only dream of. Yet, there are ways to fabricate that power, and those who do so risk corrupting their entire existence. Now, a vast number of genuine souls have achieved the determination to wield the power of Persona I have given them. Yet, that is the only thing I can do.
Some may detest my inability to fight. However...
I am thou. Thou art I.
I am always with them, and as they fight, so do I. And they will not lose.
Chapter 56: Oracle of Wisdom
|August 22nd|Aeternus Headquarters - Meeting Room|7:30 am|
The events of last night had been rather spectacular, to say the least. Carlos was assaulted by not only the ex-Commander Blaine Spencer and his fellow rebel comrades, but Tomas Weiken - a leading scientist working for Aeternus - had aided this attack. The confusion quickly spread throughout the base, and with Nihane still out of commission, it was up to Archibald to organise the meeting today. Perhaps the Ater Vox could reach an agreement on how to proceed.
Archibald was naturally the first to arrive. He enjoyed the time between his arrival and the next member's, as it gave him a good opportunity to think to himself or touch up on project reports. Today, he was planning to dig through his old belongings after the meeting. He had stashed them away after the headquarters were constructed, but with the amount of work he was undertaking, he hadn't had a chance to look at them in years. Soon, he heard footsteps.
"Well, this is unusual." Archibald said, looking at the door. "It's not like you to be so punctual."
"And yet you're still the first one here. You enjoying your precious thinking time?" Pierre chided. He stood in the doorway, eyeing the papers at Archibald's desk.
"Exactly. Perhaps some more thinking might make your tricks and illusions more effective against your enemies." Archibald said. "Sit down, Pierre. I think you will agree that after yesterday's events, we need to take counter measures. Especially regarding Tomas Weiken."
"Seriously? Why do I have to help? That old guy's in your department. He's your problem." Pierre said, apathetically.
"Not entirely. He did try to overpower Carlos in a fight, after all. If he had succeeded, Lucille Victoria Crossman might have been 'rescued' by her darling Blaine. Now if we had lost here, where would we be? We haven't the slightest clue where the next Divine Spark will be, and by manipulating her friendship with Shirley, we stand a better chance of finding that out. Thus, it's our problem." Archibald said.
"I hate it when you're right. Damn, you're too smart for your own good. Is it any wonder Josephine hates you so much?" Pierre grumbled.
Moments later, the others were present, sat in their preferred seats. Josephine looked agitated, whilst Nina seemed withdrawn - no doubt because Nihane was out of action. Carlos, however, was furious.
"Alright, Archibald! What is going on?!" he demanded. "Something odd's been going on ever since the Nova Albion Divine Spark. Just before it happened, you and Nina showed up!"
"What the - we were never there, Carlos!" Nina protested. "You were the one in charge of making sure that went ahead."
"Bullshit!" Carlos shouted, loud enough for Pierre to cover his ears. "You two were there, but you were different. You were on about how Nihane was called...uh..."
"Called what?" Archibald said. "Are you referring to his name before he took his deserved title?"
"I don't care about that title stuff he prattles on about." Carlos said. "You know what I mean! His birth name! I don't even remember it...but then you mentioned something about my misdeeds. It was like you were upset with me, for some reason. Then you teleported everyone away, just before it happened! I was lucky I wasn't swept away."
"We teleported them away?" Archibald said. "That's ridiculous. We don't have access to Traesto."
"Exactly. Plus, why would we be trying to slow down the Ater Vox?" Nina said. "Plus, I'd never pass up a chance to sacrifice my own sister."
"How come you hate that girl so much, anyway?" Pierre asked. "Some big sister you turned out to be..."
"Oh, give it a rest. She was never wanted. An unwelcome surprise, and an ungrateful brat." Nina said. "With the Divine Spark, I'll get the chance to rid my family of the undesirables."
"We're getting away from the subject, you fools!" Carlos said. "Archibald! Don't you remember what happened with the Takanawa Divine Spark? Someone teleported Ornatu Legion soldiers to another location! That had to have been your doing, as well!"
"That's absolute tripe. I was present then, and I never had an occasion or a desire to protect those weaklings." Archibald said. "Carlos, I'm just as confused as you are. But you have to trust me on this. I'm not a double agent, like Mr Spencer. Nina here, as hateful as she might be, is no traitor either."
"Oy!" Nina said. "You don't understand at all! She was a curse upon the family the minute she was born. My parents wanted a chance to rest. I was seventeen! I had long since grown out my childish dream of being a big sister. All she turned out to be was an inconvience.!"
"Nina, I doubt any of us give a shit. Let's do as Carlos says and stay on topic. We need to make a decision about Tomas Weiken. We've already established that he's got a fake Persona without authorisation." Pierre said. "The Persona doesn't fit any description in our company database."
"Actually, Pierre, that's not correct." Josephine said, proudly. "I had the foresight to carry out some investigative work myself, and I've found traces of a project codenamed 'Puppetry of Hell'. All that remained were several photographs, including some of the Persona Tomas used, as well as the one his mystery friend has."
"My my...well done, Josephine." Archibald said. "I trust you'll show us these screenshots on our monitors?"
"Yes. I've put them on right now. As you can see, it's name is Nebiros, and the other is Belial. There's two more pictures, though." Josephine said. As she pushed a key on her console, everyone gasped.
"Now this is uncanny." Archibald said as he scruntinized the macabre scene in front of him. "I had no clue my subordinate was quite so...sadistic."
"I can't believe he'd be capable of doing that to those boys." Pierre said. "Even we didn't go that far with developing Personas."
"Indeed. We might have sacrificed many Persona users, but this is something else." Carlos said. "Fine, Archibald. I'll accept that he's acting outside of your orders. But how are we going to stop him?"
"Hehehe..." Archibald started to laugh. "We're the ones in control here, still. If he has a fake Persona, then regardless of the horrific way he developed it, we can communicate with it. We can make sure of this situation, and reap some good benefits."
"I see. So you're planning to trick him someway." Nina said. "Trust Archibald to toy with his prey before going in for the kill. What about his friend? Who is he, anyway?"
"You couldn't tell? I'd say it's none other than Rudo Furaha." Josephine said. "So, Archibald, it would appear that your friend Tomas really has been busy over the years, keeping that hidden! You had better be sure we can stop him, or we'll have to face the consequences!"
"Spare me the melodrama, Josephine. Sooner or later, he'll stop himself. Let's just say we're going to speed things along." Archibald said, grinning evilly.
|August 27th|Real People Offices|10:42 am|
Ever since Kaman and Keisha joined their group, the other world had been rather quiet. Blaine and Dan were still anxious, but they did their best to keep calm. Kaman seemed to be adjusting to the circumstances, although he spent a lot of time by himself - and Aimee pointed out his eyes looked wet when he emerged again. Keisha, on the other hand, was a rather more energetic character - except she didn't seem to be winning many fans. Her cheeriness felt so put on, somehow. Perhaps she was just excited to have fellow Persona users to fight with. What bothered Amara was the lack of detail she gave about her past. Where did she come from? And what led to her awakening to the power of Lorelei?
"What's wrong, Amara?" Sheila asked. "You and Zao having problems?"
"Oh, not really." Amara said. "I've just been worried about...uh...my art."
"Really? You're worried about that, of all things?" Lucy asked, laughing. "Your art is fine, really. I mean, it's not Da Vinci, but it's better than anything I could do. Come on, what are you really worried about?"
"Um...I can't really talk about it. It's kinda hard to describe." Amara said, nervously.
"Oh, I get it!" Sheila said. "Just feed Zao some oysters, and he'll be back in action faster than Colette buys a new dress." Uh...oysters?
"I heard that!" Colette said. "Oh, look at the time. It's time for the interview."
"Now Colette, do you remember everything I told you?" Lucy said. "Stay calm, but don't get too serious. Try and have fun. There's a perfect balance between professionalism and being laid back, and I'm hopeful you can find it."
"Thanks. It's just, I can't believe it's here so fast!" Colette said. "But I won't screw up! I'll do what I can for this magazine! Wish me luck, everyone!"
"See you, babe!" Juan said. He waved the whole time as she left for the elevator, noticeably trying to keep it together.
"That's my girl." Karen said, smiling. "The rest of you should keep working too! After all, we've got an important trip coming up soon. We're going to write a series on Glasswater."
"Huh? Where's that?" Juan asked. "I've never even heard of that place."
"Oh, it's a small kind of place in the US. While it's not quite as big as New Motus City, it's got a lot of beauty in it. If we're good, we can make it stand out as a hidden gem." Lucy said.
"But wouldn't that make it less hidden?" Sheila asked. "Or is that the point?"
"Exactly. We should encourage our readers to travel, or at least read up on cultures other than our own." Lucy said.
"...This trip was your idea, wasn't it?" Amara asked, grinning.
"Indeed it was." Karen said. "Lucy is very persuasive when it comes to professionalism and integrity."
"No kidding. She criticised me for using 'piss off' as a casual way of saying bye to a bad date." Sheila said. "I mean, if the date went badly, why not tell him that?"
"There are politer ways of doing that." Lucy said, sighing. "Whatever. All of us are going to be in Glasswater for a few days, so I hope you're all looking forward to it!"
"Oh, I guarantee it will be a splendid time." Stella said, lightly tapping her forehead with her finger. "You can trust me on that."
Lucy wandered off to check her email, whilst Amara continued drawing. As she was drawing artwork for Sheila's column, she noticed Stella angrily gazing at her computer screen.
"Let me guess, you can't beat the high score at Bejewelled?" Amara teased.
"I..." Stella said. "No, this isn't a joke." She turned back to her monitor, and scrutinized it further. "Dammit! Why the hell is she messaging me?!"
"She who?" Amara asked. "Doesn't sound like a friend."
"Please. When I was growing up, I wasn't exactly the homecoming queen." Stella said. "Sorry. I got a message for a girl I just happen to have known in my youth. This vicious girl was something of a bully. She liked to throw her own weight around. And there was another girl she loved to target - a sad one who had an embarrassing secret."
"What was that?" Amara asked. "Did she have a fake ID?"
"...No." Stella said, serious. "The girl was completely bald. She tried to cover it up with wigs, but everyone could tell they weren't real. She must have gone through at least twenty different wigs since she got alopecia."
"I see..." Amara said. "That must have been hard. And kids can be so cruel..."
"That's very true. Kanaloa's educational facilities aren't known for fostering tolerance and understanding. It's a wonder how I managed to survive. Oh, and the bald girl, of course." Stella said, running a hand throughout her hair.
"Yeah, I see where you're coming from. Not everyone in Kanaloa's as nice as Blaine or Dan." Amara said. "So what about the bully? What did she do?"
"Well, she decided she'd teach the bald girl a lesson. You see, the bald girl told the bully's boyfriend that she had been sleeping with his best friend behind his back. So the bully dragged her to the roof, and dangled her over the edge, ripping off her wig. I...saw it." Stella said, sadly. "It was so humiliating. For her, I mean. But the worst part is..."
"What?" Amara asked. "...Don't tell me the bald girl fell?!"
"That's right. The bully lost her grip, and her victim was gravely injured. She barely survived, but it took months of treatment and therapy to be able to walk again." Stella said. "Her plan was to become an accomplished gymnast, but even today, she can no longer perform any of the flashy moves she was once a master at."
"How do you know?" Amara asked. "Do you know that bald girl?"
"Not exactly. You're forgetting how powerful my psychic abilities are." Stella said. "In fact, I know that Lucy is planning another date with Blaine this Saturday after he finishes work, and she's planning a special treat afterwards -"
"Hey!" Lucy shouted. "Don't use your psychic powers for that! Can't you find out whether Blaine and my cousin Edmond will get along? He'll be here soon, and I really don't want them to get into a fight..."
"My apologies, Lucy." Stella said. "Let me see. I sense immense tension...a judgmental viewpoint, clashing with a reckless, carefree attitude. You may wish to tread with caution here."
"Oh..." Lucy said. "Edmond is judgmental. That's why I'm so worried. Dammit. Amara, what do you think?"
"Relax." Amara said. "Just tell Edmond what kind of guy Blaine is. That'll give him time to prepare before he arrives. Besides, Blaine's a great guy. He'll be fine!"
"If you say so..." Lucy said. "I'll try phoning him tonight. Thanks."
Amara could hear Karen giggling during a phone conversation. Either the client on the other line had a great sense of humour, or Roger was taking time out of his work to call his beloved. Amara smiled, and decided to send a few messages to Zao.
"He'll send you pictures of his grandfather's latest catch." Stella said. A few minutes after she sent her message, she got a reply with an attachment.
"Stella, you're right once again." Amara said, now admiring a particularly large trout.
|Lucille Valley High School - History Dept.|2:30pm|
"Here we are again..." Serena said, as she and Kyle went inside the History classroom. "God, I'm so bored of this class already."
"Oh, good afternoon Serena." said Adam Richmond. A red-haired and somewhat stuck-up boy, he was one of the highest performing students in his year. History was his best subject, and he prided himself on remembering all of history's moments, bad and good. "So, today we're getting marks for last week's report. I hope you manage something higher than the 50% range. After all, it'd be nice to have some real competition."
"Whatever." Serena said. She shrugged, and looked outside the window. Amara and the others must be having a lot of fun today, she thought. While she was stuck in here in her worst class. In previous years, she dreamed of overcoming Adam, but she quickly gave up that goal. Besides, why waste time improving her marks in this class when she had more important tasks to attend to?
"Morning, everyone."
An unfamiliar woman entered the room, and went over to the teacher's desk. Serena raised her eyebrows. She clearly wasn't Mr Henry, the usual teacher.
"Hey! You hear anything about Mr Henry resigning?" Kyle whispered, looking at Adam.
"Be quiet! And no, I did not!" Adam said.
"Alright, I can tell there's some confusion." the woman said, smiling. "The truth is, Mr Henry has been undergoing health issues for quite a few months now. As for now, he has been hospitalised, and I have been assigned to take his place for the foreseeable future. Which means that as for today, I am your History teacher. My name is Mrs Maria Barrs."
"Whoa!" Serena said. "I never thought that old guy was sick..."
"Are you serious? He was coughing a lot, and I heard something about him collapsing outside in the parking lot!" Kyle said. "I didn't think his health was that bad-"
"Pipe down!" Mrs Barrs said, glaring at Kyle. Adam laughed, and Serena glared at him. "Now, I'm sure you're all shaken up by this, but your education is what you should be focused on. It just so happens that he was able to grade your reports before he had to be checked in, and there's one student he really wanted me to work with."
Adam smiled, but Serena noticed Mrs Barrs staring at her. "Kyle, I think she's talking about me…"
"Why? You're not that bad at this class, are you? No one else is really at Adam's level, so don't worry about it." Kyle said.
Mrs Barrs handed out the reports, and Kyle smiled when he saw his mark - 76%. Adam got 94%, and he simply nodded. Clearly, he had anticipated yet another high grade. However, Serena shivered when Mrs gave back her report.
"Whoa!" Kyle said. "You are bad."
"Shut up..." Serena said. "40%. I was in a rush! Whatever. It's not like I was out to be a historian."
"Maybe not, but I don't think this lady's going to be a pushover. You'd better watch your back." Kyle said, nervous. "Oh yeah, I've got to train with Lucas after school. Such a waste of time..."
"Don't say that. It'll be good for you to get some exercise!" Serena said. "Look how skinny you are. You could use some toning up."
"Perhaps you're right...I look so puny compared to everyone else." Kyle said.
The class continued as they went over questions in a textbook, most of them about post-war reforms. Serena, however, couldn't help but think about the history she learned about from Eugene Dwight's story. Saragel or Legarte, either one of them would be the next Divine Spark location. She hoped that Tomas was working hard on his plan to erase the Shadows, because if he wasn't, they would be forced to watch the Ater Vox win again.
The bell rang, heralding the end of the school day. As Serena was about to leave, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Wait just a second, missy." Mrs Barrs said. "I need a moment of your time."
"Oh. Okay..." Serena said, gulping. Kyle gave her a reassuring smile, but Adam just laughed. Everyone else left, and Serena stood there, hesitantly.
"Now then, Serena." Mrs Barrs. "Your previous teacher may have let you slide by with average scores, but that's not what I do. It's my mission to get everyone up to scratch. And I don't think a 40% grade on this report is going to cut it, do you?"
"I...well..." Serena said, looking away.
"Don't look over there. Listen to me. You're probably just bored of this class, like plenty of other students." Mrs Barrs said. "My husband was never any good at this either. The only history he was interested in involved alcohol over the ages. I'm just glad he's selling the beer, rather than drinking it."
"...Miss, I thought you wanted to have a word with me about my report. Why are we discussing your husband?" Serena said.
"Don't look so scared. Take a seat." Mrs Barrs said. "I just like to ease the tension, to help students like you settle down."
Serena sat down, and smiled a little. "Well…I'm just not very keen on History. I'm not like Adam - I can't come anywhere near to his level. I just don't have the same passion he does."
"Oh?" Mrs Barrs said. "I'm not sure about that. When it comes to creative writing, you're rather able to research historical events and figures. It seems to me like you just need more focus on actually excelling at explaining the history, rather than just pointing out the details. That's where I come in. So how about every week, we have a revision session?"
"Really?" Serena asked. "But I can't ask you to give up your spare time for that!"
"I'm offering you the time, silly!" Mrs Barrs said. "Besides, my husband's working all evening. Since he owns a bar, he has to run it every night like clockwork. It's better than sitting at home waiting for him."
"Alright then..." Serena said. "When do you want to do these revision sessions?"
"Perhaps Wednesdays, after school." Mrs Barrs said. Serena nodded, and glanced at her new teacher's desk. A picture of a man was there, and he looked happy. That must have been her husband.
Suddenly, she realised who that man was. Kaman Barrs, one of her new allies in the other world. Then this was the wife he had lost was Maria Barrs - her new teacher.
"Is something wrong?" Mrs Barrs asked. "Ah, that picture. Handsome, isn't he?"
"Um...sort of." Serena said. "I thought I recognised him, but I guess not."
"I'd hope not. If I find out you've been at the Motus Lounge, there will be hell to pay!" Mrs Barrs said, laughing. "Alright, that's all I wanted to say. We might not get you up to Adam's calibre, but we'll get as close as we can. Have a good night - studying, I hope."
"Oh. Yeah." Serena said. "Thanks, miss!"
Serena left the classroom, and looked out the window in the hallway. Somehow, she felt like she was going to enjoy History classes. Now if only her meetings with the school staff were as exciting.
|Nathan's House|6:24 pm|
"Honey, your father's on the phone." Priscilla said. "Please, talk to him."
"Alright." Nathan said. He got up from his chair, leaving the puzzles for another time, and went to the phone. "Hello, father."
"Good evening, Nathan. You know what occasion is coming up, correct?" Reginald said. "Twenty nine years ago, you were born. That was the day my life felt complete."
"Not complete enough, though. Right?" Nathan said, bitterly. "Or was Josephine an extracurricular activity to you?"
"Stop it!" Reginald barked. "I am not going to be lectured by my own son! I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry I never told you about any of this. You shouldn't have had to find out that way. But you are still my only son! And if you think you're cutting me out of your twenty ninth birthday celebrations, you're mistaken. So are you going to let me come over this Thursday? Or do I have to barge down the door?"
"...I will." Nathan said. "Dad, I...I'm glad you called."
"Now that's more like it." Reginald said. "I can't leave my company in your hands if you're going to act like a child. When you started working for me, do you know what I felt? It was more than upholding family tradition. I was proud. My flesh and blood, refusing to rely on family connections, working day and night for the business."
"I'm happy to hear you say that. I'm sorry. I just hate the idea of you betraying mother..." Nathan said.
"You and me both, son." Reginald said. "Remember how angry she was when I bought that limousine without telling her? I swear she would have broken my arms if you hadn't been there."
Nathan laughed, remembering his mother's anger during those times. Despite their wealth, his mother never did like to spend too much. His father, on the other hand, liked to make the most of his success.
"Alright, Dad. I'll see you tomorrow, and as for the birthday...it'll be one to remember." Nathan said.
"Oh? I'm looking forward to that, then." Reginald said. "Have a good evening, son."
"So what was he wanting?" Priscilla asked, walking into the hallway.
"He just wanted to know what was going on with my birthday." Nathan said. "I can't believe it…next year, I'll be thirty. I just hope my hair still looks this good."
"Relax, I'd love you even if you were as bald as those hairless cats." Priscilla said, smiling. "It's good that you're speaking to your father, though. He's been so depressed lately."
"Hey, who are we inviting?" Nathan said. "There's my dad, your parents, Tara, Adrian..."
"Would you mind if I invited Joe Kowalski?" Priscilla asked. "He could use some cheering up. His father's condition does sound very serious."
"It is." Nathan said. "Alright, he can come. Who else?"
"Why not some of those friends of yours who came to the barbecue?" Priscilla said. "I mean, Blaine might not get on well with most of our friends, but I'm sure he'd behave himself."
"He will. As long as he doesn't go overboard." Nathan said. "That man could drink me under the table any day! Sure, I'll ask him. Maybe Serena and Amara, too. Now then, are you planning a surprise present?"
"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not!" Priscilla said, with a coy smile. "It's not a surprise if I tell you, is it?"
"Of course not." Nathan said. "There's a great film on tonight. You take a seat, and I'll bring out the cheeses."
"Cheese and wine on a Monday night?" Priscilla said. "We are a classy bunch."
"Indeed." Nathan said, as he left for the kitchen. The classiness was subdued somewhat by his painful yelp, as he stubbed his toe into the breakfast table.
|Motus Lounge|9:20 pm|
"Mondays, the graveyard shift." Kaman said, laughing. "Well, there's a few people around, but I think we can sit back and relax for now. So how was your weekend, buddy?"
"Pretty good. Me and Lucy went out to see a movie, some crap about bridesmaids. I was so bored, but I tried to act like I enjoyed it. Turns out she hated it too, so we had a good laugh making fun of it later." Blaine said. "Then we went for a walk along the beach, admiring all the sandcastles. Some amazing stuff...but never mind that, what about you?" Blaine asked.
"Well, me and the wife were out celebrating her new job." Kaman said. "Today, she's the new History teacher at Lucille Valley High School. She's been waiting a long time for a permanent position, so we celebrated in style. I took her to some fancy French place in Nova Albion, the place I took her for our first date."
"Nova Albion, huh?" Blaine said. "Man, I used to resent everyone who lived there. So upper class, with their huge theatres and palatial houses. But...life outside the glitz and glamour ain't so bad."
"That's the spirit!" Kaman said. "Oh, here comes an office crowd. Some good looking women in there. Go get'em, tiger!"
Blaine laughed, and pretended to do a growl. Kaman's howls of laughter might just have implied Blaine was not cut out to be an animal impersonator. Regardless, Blaine attended to the big crowd, exchanging a few winks with the women. There were many drinks to be poured, but Blaine did not falter. Rather, he kept up his charm as he served one drink after another. It seemed to have worked out well for Blaine, due to the rather hefty tip he received.
"Not bad, dude." Kaman said. "You'd better watch out - I think that redhead's got a thing for you already!"
"Who wouldn't?" Blaine said, with a sly smile. "Just don't tell Lucy. She'd kill me if she saw me chatting to those girls."
"The jealous type, is she?" Kaman asked. "Of course, she would be if you greet all our customers with 'baby'!"
"Habit of a lifetime, man. I was quite a heart-breaker in my younger days." Blaine said. "Of course, the girls did their fair share of heart breaking themselves."
"Oh?" Kaman said. "Well, from what I've seen, you and Lucy are made for each other. Just don't screw that up. Take it from a happily married man. I'll give you all the tips you need!"
"Really?" Blaine said. "Okay...when you met her family for the first time, how did that go?"
"Oh god. That was a complete nightmare. They wanted their precious Maria to marry an intellectual. They're kind of stuck-up, even today." Kaman said. "Still, they've gotten used to us being together. So my advice is, even if her family don't like you at first, don't let that get in the way. If you really like Lucy, you won't let any disapproving uncles or aunts come between you."
"Alrighty." Blaine said. "I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I gotta take care of this guy." He walked over to the next customers, an older gentleman and his wife, and smiled. "Evening, partner. What can I get ya?"
Later That Evening
"Phew, look at the time." Blaine said. "My shift finished half an hour ago..."
"Really? Shit, I didn't realise. My bad." Kaman said. "In that case, I'll have to pay you a little bit extra. Can't have you working for nothing, can I? You go and get some sleep! It'll be closing time soon anyway."
"Alright then. I guess I'll see you guys later! Take care!" Blaine said. The other bartenders waved, and Blaine left, yawning. It wasn't like him to exit a bar without being even a little bit tipsy. Dan was probably waiting for him, wondering what was keeping Blaine. However, Blaine was still thinking about the other Kaman. The widower, who had lost everything he ever loved. Having seen what Kaman was like in this world, he realised just how much Maria meant to him. And Blaine started to think about how important Lucy was to him.
Blaine decided to send a message to Dan. Hopefully, he was in bed and he could get away with coming home late...
|Dan's House|11:57 pm|
"Shit...I should have been in bed hours ago. Sheesh."
Dan looked at the TV screen, and realised he had been watching a documentary about old steam engines. Trains...they just go the same route, until they're no good anymore. That was his life. Drive buses, the same old routes, come home, have a few drinks, and go to bed, only to start over the next day. In the old days, that routine seemed fun. He had Matthew to attend to then, and that was quite a handful. After work, he gladly spent the evenings helping out with homework, or watching Matthew's favourite cop shows.
Blaine made those days fun, too. The two of them would talk about their days at work, and laugh at Blaine's attempts to get girls passing by the construction site to whistle at him, or Dan's playful winking at the female passengers. Of course, they'd discuss more serious issues, such as paying bills, Matthew's education, and what their own futures would be like. Dan remembered telling Blaine one evening what he'd really like - to have his own family some day. Blaine was confused, until Dan explained that looking after Matthew really made him feel like he'd be great with his own kids. All that he'd need to do was find a pretty woman - but Dan felt pretty confident he could turn on the charm. After all, their nights out had given him much practice.
Looking back, Dan shook his head. There was no chance of his future being so bright and cheerful. The one thing that he focused on - Matthew - wasn't there. So what difference did it make if he met some nice lady? Matthew wouldn't be there to meet her, and tell Dan how lucky he was. He wouldn't be there to congratulate them for getting engaged. He wouldn't bet there at the wedding, cracking jokes during the speech. He wouldn't be there to babysit whilst Dan and his wife went out for a meal.
Dan wiped his eyes, and gasped. Tears had been rolling from his eyes the moment he started dwelling on Matthew. He hated nights like these, when Blaine was at work and he didn't feel like going out for a beer. He could have hung out with some of the other bikers, but they weren't anywhere near as close to Dan as Blaine was. Indeed, Blaine was the only person who made his life feel worthwhile. He was happy, with a job he excelled at and a gorgeous girlfriend. But Dan was left behind, still daydreaming about his little brother.
"Huh?"
That moment, his mobile rang. Confused, Dan reached for it, and saw that it was an unknown number. Shrugging, he took the call.
"Yeah, who the hell is this?" Dan answered.
"Now that's a different take on a friendly greeting." a young boy's voice said.
"Whoa. Is that Kyle?" Dan said. "Geez. Sorry, little guy. I'm just a bit grumpy. Home alone, and a lot of beer to drink by myself. And there's some boring ass documentary about trains on. Hey, how come you've got my number? I never gave you mine, did I?"
"No, Serena did. She got Blaine to give her the number. The thing is..." Kyle said. "Well, I feel like a right idiot now. It's really late, and I should be in bed, but I just wondered if you wanted to talk sometime-"
"Don't worry, buddy! It's cool. Better than listening to some old guy discuss train tracks. Alright, so what's on your mind? Fighting off the girls at that school?" Dan asked.
"Um…no. That's never been a problem. Should it be?" Kyle said, nervously. "I mean, Serena's the only girl I hang out with -"
"Ah, I get you. Love's young dream, right?" Dan said. "C'mon, I can see it miles away. She looks like a nice girl, too."
"Whoa - stop it!" Kyle said. "Stop making fun of me!"
"I'm not, I'm just teasing you! But seriously, you two would probably make a great couple." Dan said, smiling. "Okay, so what else is going on?"
"Well...Lucas, the school champion athlete and head boy, wants me to take part in this wheelchair race." Kyle said. "He's trying to teach me that I can be fit even thought I'm stuck in this thing."
"Ah. Let me guess, he's put you on a diet, and set up an exercise regime?" Dan asked.
"How'd you know?" Kyle said, sounding surprised. "That's exactly what he's done. Guy won't let up...I wish he hadn't signed me up."
"Don't sound so negative! It might be good for ya. After all, you're kind of a stick insect. Maybe you could end up with a body like mine!"
"I dunno about that. I'd need a really big wheelchair." Kyle said. "Lucas is really tough on me. He's determined for me to do my best, but he doesn't think I'm trying."
"Maybe that's the problem." Dan said. "Listen, kid. I bet you most of the other people in the contest thought like you before. That being disabled meant they couldn't do anything. But there's still tons of things you can do, and this is one of them. So man up a little! Get out there, and race!" Dan said
"You make it sound so easy!" Kyle said. Dan could tell he was feeling better already, despite his words.
"It is! Tell you what. I'll come cheer you on when the day comes. You better not give up halfway through!" Dan said, smiling. "Anyway, you'd better get to bed. Wouldn't want you falling asleep during those lectures now…"
"Alright. Sorry to bother you -"
"Who said you were bothering me? Lighten up, boy. I'm just happy I had someone to talk to. When I'm sat here on my own, it's fucking boring. So thanks for that. I'll see you around, then."
"Okay. Bye!" Kyle said, hanging up.
Dan turned off the TV, and suddenly, everything felt okay again. Talking to Kyle cheered him up quite a bit, even if it was only for a little while. Dan chuckled to himself, and went upstairs. It was things like this that kept him going. Without them, all that would be left were painful memories of Matthew. And a life mourning him was a miserable one indeed.