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I am officially stating that: episode 15 is a waste of time, Alviss has a major mental issue (even as a 10-year-old kid), Phantom is a complete perve, Peta tries too hard to be in charge and Jack is really a try-hard Nanashi.

Conflictions; Perfect Agony

Alviss watched the snowflakes fall onto Rolan's silky hair, lost in deep thought. It was strange to think that, only ten years ago, Alviss hated this man with all his heart. Rolan was the embodiment of what he strived to be; another nut that was obsessed with Phantom. To think that Rolan was what he could've become...

But now, all the intense feelings of hatred and their power struggle - red versus blue - were all gone. Alviss never felt like this for someone before. He wanted to make him smile. He couldn't remember his parents. Alan, Gaira and Danna had been somewhat like caregivers towards him, but even back then he didn't need looking after.

He sighed and put an arm around the dozing man. He studied Rolan. It never struck him that Rolan had been incredibly brave throughout his life. Like himself, Rolan had been alone since an early age. But, unlike himself, Rolan was truly alone for some years. Alviss made friends and allied with the Cross Guard. Rolan wondered the desert alone. Alviss trained hard. Rolan starved on the streets. And when Alviss drunk and ate well, partying into the night listening to Danna's stories, Rolan was brutally punished for a crime he didn't commit. And, Alviss thought, Where I met Danna, you met Phantom...

After MAR's victory over the Chess Pieces, Rolan - like all the other remaining Chess - disappeared. Alviss celebrated with the others, but inevitably they all went their separate ways. Alviss bought a 2-bed roomed flat and ran his own business; making signs.

Two years later, Nanashi found his way into Alviss's life. It seemed that he had that he had quit his job as Leader of Luberia after striking it rich with a magazine, but then became bankrupt after spending all his money on entertaining girls. After much persuasion, Alviss inclined to let Nanashi stay at his house on one exception; Nanashi had to get a new job and pay his share of the royalties. He worked at a diner for a few months until he couldn't take it anymore. He begged Alviss to let him off and Alviss, feeling oddly generous, did so.

And after all this, Alviss noticed something. The graveyard across the road - which was never visited, as it was where many undesirables were buried - looked cleaner. Since he worked at home, he decided to get to the bottom of this mystery.

One day, while he was watching the place, he sighted a small figure stagger its way up the path. The person came to a halt right where it was said Phantom was buried and sat there, crying into the empty sky. Alviss watched for seven more years, feeling pity for the person, but also curiosity. Who could it be? he wondered to himself. Who loved him that much? The answer was fairly simple.

There were only three people that Alviss knew of that loved him that much: Peta, Rolan, or Candice. Seeing Peta was deceased - or so he thought at the time - and the person couldn't have been a girl, that left only one person; Rolan.

Rolan looked up at him, red eyes meeting blue. He stared long into them, as if trying to penetrate his thoughts. For some reason beyond Alviss's comprehension, he felt warm and fuzzy; certain parts of his anatomy becoming heated. He knew he was blushing, but why? Rolan was coming closer, his eyes wet and needy. Alviss felt drawn to him. Just before their lips met, Alviss broke away, flushed. He stood up rigidly and said, as coldly as possible, "It's getting late, let's go home."

Rolan was frozen. He blinked hard, in shock. He had felt a pull to Alviss. He wanted to kiss those rosy lips, to suck on them, to feel his warmth. But Alviss pulled away.

How could I let this happen? Alviss stormed angrily in his mind, leading Rolan home. From now on, no more Mr. Nice-Guy. I'm going to help him get better and then I'll send him packing, he promised himself, yet he felt deep down that maybe... just maybe there was more to this...