Chapter 7
Death's Appraisal and the Hierophant's Doubt
Revland eventually left the school on his own, especially after seeing the look on Suzui's face. He understood because he was in that same position when he finally asked out Yumi.
"You really shouldn't dwell on the past Sir Antrie…" Arséne said as Revland's thoughts started to drift.
He jumped and started to look for where the voice was coming from. Realizing that it was Arséne he sighed, you're going to keep doing that, aren't you?
"I do apologize, I don't mean to startle you."
Revland shook his head and took in a few deep breaths to calm his heart.
No, it isn't your fault… not entirely any way. I'm just not quite use to the idea of having someone in my head… and having them respond back…
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be able to speak?"
Well… if you didn't… then I would be able to convince myself that today was all just a really… really bad dream…
"Your wound… it still bothers you…" Arséne said, more a statement than a question.
Revland gently touched the bruise on his chest and wince.
It isn't just the bruise… it's the fact that… when I thought I was going to die… I thought I would be scared… but instead… I welcomed it…
"…"
For a moment, Arséne didn't know what to say. He knew that the human heart was a frail thing and had broken his fair share of them. But it was the first time that he was involved in the mending of one. In his other life, he only had one true love, the thrill of the chase and the rush that came from being hunted. He didn't remember if he had ever truly loved another person. After some thought, the image of a young woman in Victorian dress entered his mind as he began to day dream. She was the only woman that made him want to leave his work behind and try to live a normal life. God, unfortunately, had other plans and brought her home while bringing another life into the world. Clarisse… an old wound, long forgotten, made his heart ache.
"Heart break… is something one never truly recovers from… but all we can do is continue moving forward… for their sake if not your own."
Revland saw images flash through his mind, he saw a young woman fancily dressed in a white gown with her face obscured by a thin white vail. Her most defining feature however, in Revland's opinion, was her smile and the way she looked up at him.
Who…?
As soon as he tried to focus on the images, they vanished. "That was not meant for your eyes…" Arséne said coldly.
I agree… just as Yumi wasn't meant for yours… Revland thought back. But I think I'm beginning to understand what you said before. I am thou, thou art I… you are me… and I am you… for we are one…
Both fell silent as Revland continued toward the train station. After about a few minute Arséne spoke. "I want to apologize for my earlier behavior… just as you, I need to get used to having another person sharing my thoughts. However, this may be to our advantage if you haven't already noticed."
Though Revland couldn't see Him, he could hear the smile in Arséne's voice.
How do you figure?
"Remember when you were explaining magic to Ryuji?"
Of course, remembering their conversation on the dangers of healing magic.
"You were correct in telling Ryuji that magic in that regard is dangerous and that I agreed to teach you… but I have yet to show you anything…"
Revland went to argue, having the memory clearly in mind. When he went to explain however, he noticed that it wasn't one that he recognized. He remembered that it was hard to concentrate that day for whatever reason, probably because he felt nervous about being watched. It took several attempts, but he finally managed to summon a small ball of blue light. He remembered the excitement of finally managing to cast his very first spell… but they weren't his feelings … they were Arséne's.
I could have sworn it was… Revland trailed off.
"You saw a memory of mine, subconsciously awoken by your discussion with Ryuji. Magic was nearly impossible for me to understand and just as difficult to make it a reality. You, on the other hand, have the gift that I was sorely lacking. Based on your emotions, I'd say you'd do well to specialize in shadow magic."
Revland's heart sank a little, he remembered the power that magic gave him and how it felt to use it. If that was the type of magic he was good at, what kind of person did that make him?
"Breathe young one, magic is never absolute nor does it define who you are."
Revland felt relief flow through him but was still confused.
"Allow me to explain." Arséne took a moment to gather his thoughts so it wouldn't overwhelm Revland's mind and began.
"Magic… is only as complicated as one makes it. But in order to use it, you must first understand the basics. To cast a spell, you must have three components: a target, emotion and intent. Other spells, such as healing magic, require a bit more than that but I'll explain it to you when the time comes.
Revland nodded, filing the information away for a later date. His hands itched as he wanted to take notes but didn't have the time.
Arséne chuckled, "Don't worry, I'll refresh you whenever you desire. The first is self-explanatory, in order to cast a spell, you must have a target for its effects whether that'd be yourself or another person. Second is emotion, every element of magic is laced with an emotion of some kind. When you were defending yourself in the castle you used your anger as a source of power and lashed out. The problem with using any negative emotion is that is can be unpredictable and could easily backfire or, as you witnessed firsthand, not carry the same amount of force as the one before exhibited. Third and most important is intent, if you are casting a spell with the goal of hurting or destroying the target, you must hold that feeling all the way until the spell leaves your being. Otherwise, it won't do much more than irritate the target."
Thinking back to the fight inside the cell, Revland remembered that he wanted the guard to disappear and the spell obliterated it. But during his second fight, he remembered that he just wanted the guard to 'get out of the way', now it made sense why it didn't do as much the second time.
"So you see, simply wanting a person dead when they themselves are trying to kill you… doesn't make you an awful person. It means you defended yourself and contradicts your willingness to welcome death."
Revland thoughts froze at that, he understood what Arséne was telling him. If he truly wished for death, he wouldn't have fought the way he did just to escape. To be honest, the only time he was ready was when he thought he was about to die, not before.
Arséne continued, "In that moment, your emotions are justified and it was the only thing a novice like yourself would understand in such a short amount of time. But, as I said before, magic isn't an absolute, it's ever changing. For example, tell me the first thing you think of when I mention fire?"
Revland thought for a moment as he approached the train platform, wanting to give a well thought out answer.
Heat, pain, rage, passion, creation, destruction, love.
"Notice that a number of your answers, though still correct, are based on negative emotions. But others are positive. A burning passion is strong enough to ignite a fire user's flame just as easily as one that is relying solely on anger. They also have an easier time controlling that type of magic as well. Now, can you tell me the difference between love and hate?"
Now he was sure he was confused, You want the literal meanings or…?
"Whichever you feel more comfortable in giving."
Revland ensured that he put enough thought into his answer, nothing that he or even his father would consider half-assed.
Well, I guess hate makes you feel awful and if you continue to feel that way it would only get worse. Where love is not only difficult to find but even harder to keep if you're not careful. It makes you feel like you can take on the world if the one you love is beside you.
"So, to simplify… what is the difference? What is the major difference between the two?"
… Both can be dictated by other's actions…?
"That is how they are similar, but you are on the right path. You have already given me a partial answer in your first explanation."
Revland ran over his answer to see what he could've meant. When he came to the part about love, he heard a small pinging sound within his thoughts. Thinking that he was just given a hint, he thought over the answer before putting it into words.
Love… is harder to find... but hate is easy to come by….
"Excellent, Well Done Antrie!"
Feeling his face flush, Revland rubbed the back of his neck.
"Love is the most difficult emotion to use than any of the others and it's partially due to its very nature. Love is a nurturing force, not a destructive one, not to say that it hasn't ever been bastardized for another's purpose. It is a strong emotion and should be cherished, but… I'll let you in on a little secret.
Revland listened intently.
"The young woman from the other day, Lady Futaba, you could say that it was an act of love that pushed you to intervene in the way that you did."
"Wait, What!?" Revland exclaimed.
Revland noticed that others on the train started to give him weird looks.
"Sorry, reading a good story. Came with a twist…" He explained.
Still wary, most of the other passengers turned back to their own devices.
"I merely jest Sir Antrie.", Arséne chuckled. "But only just, upon my warning you trusted your instincts and rushed to the correct location. You also held her for as long as she desired without making her feel uncomfortable and though you originally compared her to Yumi, you quickly found the differences and still hold to them."
Revland felt his face begin to turn red again. How can you be certain that she isn't just a stand in...?
"Because I can see that you don't view her as such." He answered without hesitation.
That caught Revland off guard.
"You forget, I can see your thoughts… and I wouldn't bring up Lady Futaba if I wasn't certain she had a positive influence on you."
Any way we could discuss this later…?
"Of Course. Now where was I…? Oh yes, as you already put it, love is hard to find and even harder to keep. Hate, on the other hand, is easier to find and even easier summon but you can't stay like that for very long without feeling some draw backs."
Silly question… what kind of draw backs?
"Physical draw backs such as your appearance, fatigue or other attributes. Another can be the psychological danger to your mind as well. If you hate everything and remain angry at the world, then you leave no room for hope or joy. The longer you hold on to hate, the more likely you lose yourself in it."
What if I can't help but hate them?
"Hate is still a normal emotion just like any other. All I warn against, is holding on to it."
Speaking from experience?
Arséne hesitated for a moment but seeing that it was in the boy's best interest, there would be no point in lying to the young man, "Yes…" he relented.
That surprised Revland, he wasn't expecting Arséne to be that honest with him. He thought that he may be feeling some of the draw backs from the magic he used earlier but a few calm words from Arséne reassured him that it takes a lot more than a 'fear for one's own life' to have some negative effects on ones psych. But the real-world effects are another matter and Arséne warned of any stress or trauma from the day's event may not show any signs until much later. Revland only had to think back to when the school shifted from the hall to that of the castle and how he reacted after seeing it. The very thought made his heart start pounding and he could feel sweat building under his uniform.
I don't think I could go back in there Arséne…
"No one is forcing you to… take a day and put it out of your mind. I don't have much control of your mind, but I'll do what I can to keep that memory at bay."
Thank you…
At the end of the conversation, Revland noticed that he was at the front door of the café. He didn't even notice the time he spent in Shibuya or the trip to Yongen-Jaya. It suddenly dawned on him that if he was missing from class for the first half of the day, what would have been the first place that they would have looked? He bowed his head and collected his thoughts as he pushed open the door and enter Leblanc.
Sitting in the principal's office for the second time in as many days, Kawakami was holding the final police report on the alleged kidnapping attempt that took place earlier that day. Reading it over, she was able to fill in some of the holes that Antrie had left out when they were in the faculty office. She understood why she was there, seeing that she was his homeroom teacher. What she didn't understand was why Kamoshida was present for this meeting.
"This is very troubling." Kobayakawa sighed, "I thought you said that the area was safe from this kind of thing Kamoshida-kun."
"Come on sir, you can't honestly believe the word of a criminal can you? He was caught outside of the school and was seen by not only by myself but other students on their way here. He hasn't even here a day and he's already causing problems." Kamoshida protested.
"I would've agreed with you Kamoshida, but the statement that Mr. Antrie provided was very specific." Kawakami interjected. "Not to mention the nurse's assessment of Mr. Antrie that the officers themselves requested and after looking over the photos of his injuries, it isn't hard to understand why. If he's trying to lie… there are easier ways of going about it."
"Okay that explains…'him'… but not Sakamoto. He's been a troublemaker since that incident last year." Kamoshida continued.
"I had the same thought and had him to report to the nurse's office for an assessment as well." The principal added.
"And?" Kamoshida asked.
Kawakami turned the pages of the report till she found the section with the medical assessments for both students. "Sakamoto suffered significant trauma to the abdominal area as seen by the bruising around his ribs and sternum as well as around his face. It should also be brought to the attention of the school that Sakamoto was a suspect in the assault of a fellow student, R. Antrie. It is the nurse's recommendation that these charges be dismissed as Sakamoto shows no damage or bruising along the knuckle or inner hand areas, which would be consistent with injuries suffered during fights while on campus." Looking up as she finished. "You did at least read the report, right Mr. Kamoshida?"
Kamoshida stared at her, sending a shiver down her spine just like the last time but was able to hide it, showing nothing.
"Please Kawakami-san, Kamoshida-kun is very busy with practice and probably didn't have the time to read it thoroughly."
She looked at the principal dumbfounded, noticing that no one was taking this as seriously as she was. She's had the report for as long as Kamoshida has and known more about what happened then he did. Kobayakawa was even making excuses for him and her eye narrowed on the toad like principal.
"So, our students are in danger and two of them have already been hurt…" She started.
"We don't know if they are yet, this is the word of a known criminal and a violent student. They might have been the ones who instigated the whole thing." Kamoshida said, cutting her off.
"The fact that they ARE hurt is NOT up for debate… MISTER Kamoshida…" Kawakami continued, now standing and trying to keep her anger in check. "What IS being discussed is that two SHUJIN students, regardless of their reputation, were assaulted while in route to the school and, by your own admission, noticed Mr. Antrie on his way to the school no more than a few blocks away." Finished, she turned back to the principal with her eyes still narrowed. She could feel Kamoshida's eyes boring into the back of her head.
The principal started to visibly sweat under her gaze, "W-w-w-well… what do you propose we do?"
"You're the principal aren't you, why are you asking me?" Kawakami asked.
"You seem to be awfully concerned about Mr. Antrie's wellbeing Ms. Kawakami." Kamoshida offered.
"Because you don't even seem to care. You're supposed to be in charge of school discipline which includes this school and the surrounding area. It shouldn't be what I think needs to be done, it should be what YOU should be doing next." Kawakami corrected, feeling her anger started to slip. She knew something was up with Kamoshida after their last meeting and now she was starting to see what was making her worry. Here stood a teacher, whose job is to help protect students, and he's downright refusing to do anything to help, simply because he didn't like them. Those same students should be able to rely on him for their safety while within the walls of the school.
Sensing the tension building, the principal tried to continue. "I m-m-m-ay have a solution, one that I planned on doing later but it seems that the needs outweigh the risks. My plan was to have eyes on Mr. Antrie in case we heard he was starting to cause trouble. Niijima-san, could you please come in."
The door opened and in stepped a girl of average height, slim figure and brown eyes that appeared red, lending to the impression that she wasn't one to irritate. She had neck length brown hair and a French –braid styled headband that one could easily mistake for being part of her hair. She wore the standard school uniform but without the overcoat. Instead, she had a black halter vest over a white long-sleeved turtleneck, school standard plaid skirt, black leggings and dark brown shin high boots.
"I'm sure I don't need to introduce you all to our class president." The principal greeted.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kawakami saw what looked like confusion on Kamoshida's face. "This is Makoto Niijima, a third-year student and the president of the student council." She introduced and immediately wished she hadn't. The chilling feeling intensified when she saw a look in his eyes, making her blood run cold. It was the look of a predator sizing up his next kill. As soon as she blinked, the look was gone, replaced with that of an ordinary teacher.
Did I just imagine that… what did I just do…?
"As the principal said, I've been pretty busy with practice for the upcoming meet. So, I haven't had that much time to socialize with my students." Kamoshida explained.
Right… sure you were, we were all present when she was elected. Kawakami thought to herself.
"She will be keeping an eye on our new transfer student and will report to the nearest faculty member should he be causing any trouble while he's at school." The principal continued.
"So now we're spying on our students?" Kawakami asked.
"No ma'am, by assigning Ms. Niijima I'm ensuring Mr. Antrie safety. Should Mr. Antrie find himself in a similar predicament as he did today, then he can go to Ms. Niijima and she'll then report to me." Kobayakawa explained. "It is as you requested, is it not?"
Kawakami knew that this was a way to accomplish the task without the teacher's getting involved. By having the student council be a middleman, it allowed the school to "ignore" the issue until it became more prudent. She didn't like it, but she knew that Niijima wouldn't act out of malice towards Antrie… unless he deserved it. That and if she spent her time with Antrie, then it would put her out of harm's way if anyone would try to hurt her… that is, if her suspicions turn out to be correct.
"Alright, when will you start?" Kawakami asked.
"I will start when I see him at the train station tomorrow morning. I noticed Mr. Antrie on the way to school today, so I already know what he looks like." Makoto answered in a polite tone.
Kobayakawa nodded in approval, "Excellent, glad to have that sorted out. Now about this business with the volleyball rally that's going on in a few days..."
The conversation didn't include either Kawakami or Makoto, so they showed themselves out. On their way back to the faculty office, Kawakami passed the police report to Makoto and opened the door. After checking to see that the office was empty, she turned to Makoto and started to whisper. "When you're done with that, return it to Mr. Antrie… stay within eyesight of him and keep close… if Mr. Kamoshida asked you to go anywhere, don't go with him alone… understand?"
Makoto looked at Kawakami confused, "If I'm to be keeping an eye on him, why would I want him to see me?"
Jesus Christ how naive could you… calm down… she's still just a child… no matter how mature she may act.
Taking a deep breath, she continued. "I want Mr. Antrie to feel welcomed. I don't want him to feel like he's an outcast while he's with us. So, what better way to accomplish that than to have the student council president show him around and personally ensure that he continues to stay out of trouble…" She knew that it went against what Kobayakawa just told Makoto, but it was the best way to keep them both safe.
Makoto, on the other hand, seemed to take what she said into consideration and nodded. "Okay… that makes some sense I guess… but what about the part about Mr. Kamoshida?"
Kawakami sighed, what she saw could have meant nothing, but her instincts were screaming at her that he was dangerous and no one should be left alone with him. She tried to think of a way to phrase it so she wouldn't scare her or have her running off to try confirming it for herself. "Please… just… whatever you do… don't go anywhere with him… try to take someone with you."
Makoto went to say something but was cut off, "Please! Promise me Niijima!"
Seeing the fear in her teacher's eyes, she nodded. "Okay, I promise to stay with Mr. Antrie and I won't go anywhere with Mr. Kamoshida… alone." She said softly.
Kawakami relaxed, "Thank you, do you have any other duties today, I'm just going to collect my things and leave for the day, want to walk with me?"
"Uh, sure. I just need to grab my bag from my classroom."
"Perfect, I'll go with you. That way we can leave together."
She didn't know it, but this sudden burst of inspiration on Kawakami's part may have saved Makoto's life as a tall figure around the corner from Makoto's classroom cursed under their breath and walked away.
Entering the café, Revland saw a uniformed officer enjoying a cup of Sojiro's coffee as he turned to see the new arrival. A spark of recognition went off in his mind as he saw that it was one of the truant officers that found him and Ryuji.
"And here's the man of the hour. Come on over and have a seat, we have quite a bit to discuss." The officer said.
Revland looked over to Sojiro and saw that there wasn't much in the way of anger in his face, if anything there was concern. He looked around the bar and saw that there was another person sitting in one of the booths.
His immediate impression was that she was a puck rocker, light black hair but when he looked at it with the light reflecting off it, appeared blue. She looked to be in her early twenties with grey eyes laced with black eyeliner, red nail polish, a black jacket and a dress which was a dark teal blue with a spider web design on the lower left starting at the hip, black leggings that were ripped in odd places as well as strappy high heels that went up to her shins. Sensing that she was being stared at, she looked up in his direction as Revland moved his gaze back to the officer at the bar.
He took a seat next to the officer, careful not to stretch his chest too much. "It's good to see you again. Where you able to find anything?"
"Nothing yet unfortunately, but we do think we found where you escaped from." Revland felt a trickle of fear begin to seep in as he thought of the castle and the horrors that he managed to escape.
"There was a building near the school that appeared to look like a lot like a dungeon. But since the building is abandoned, there's only so much we can do from here." The officer explained. "However, that isn't the only reason I'm here" the officer pushed a file towards Revland for him to pick it up. "That there is a full report of the incident that you and Mr. Sakamoto were involved in, along with the medical assessments that we requested from your school nurse."
Revland flip through the report briefly, he saw the summary of his statement along with the prime suspect being labeled as POI: "King". Continuing, he found the pictures of the abandoned building's "Hidden Room" said to be blocked by a shelving unit and a stack of pallets. The shelving unit was on hinges and the pallets had wheels, making them easier to move. It looked like a BDSM nightmare with the amount of leather that was said to have been confiscated. What made his stomach turn however, was the pictures of "Suspected" dried blood and human or animal body parts. After meeting the King himself, he suspected the former over the latter.
"You still need something, don't you?" Revland asked looking back to the officer.
The officer looked stunned, "Sharp kid… yes, there's something else." The officer took his glasses to clean them, giving Revland a chance to sip at the coffee Sojiro had placed in front of him when he wasn't paying attention and to study the officer's profile.
Tall, slim but knows how to use it, late thirties… early forties maybe, long black hair, goatee, rimless glasses, dark grey eyes.
"Unfortunately, you are a minor who happens to be under probation and while what happened to you doesn't violate any terms of said probation, it does raise some questions."
"And that's why you're here… talking to my guardian…" Revland finished for him.
Mouth still open, the officer looked at Revland and nodded in agreement. "That would be the case yes. From what Mr. Sakura has told me, you were responsible for saving his daughter from falling down a set of stairs in the dark. Just from that, I can tell that your past record doesn't match with your personality."
Both Revland and Sojiro looked at the officer as he sipped his coffee, "I must say, this coffee is delicious. You make everything here in house?"
"Y-yes, all the beans I have are ground in house." Sojiro said, surprised at the sudden change of subject.
"You're saying I should've been found innocent?" Revland asked disbelieving.
"While I can't say anything in an official capacity… I'm on break. I do think that the conditions around your trail and subsequent conviction are rather odd. Sorry, I went snooping when your name came up as probationary." The officer said. "While there isn't anything I can do personally, you won't have to convince me that you aren't a bad person…"
"So… forgive me if this sounds rude… why are you here then?" Revland asked.
The officer chuckle, "It's quite alright. As I said before, due to the fact you're on probation I had to come by and inform your guardian. I figured it would be better if it was done in person. But now comes the hard part Mr. Antrie."
Revland looked into the officer's eyes to see what he meant by that and saw the wrinkles around his eyes curl up as if it was a smile. He immediately pegged it as a kind of tell for when the officer was about to lie but it wasn't as serious as he thought.
"I need you to undress again." The officer said with a straight face.
The young woman behind them nearly spit her coffee over the table and started coughing. While Revland understood what he meant by the statement, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed by the fact that a stranger had overheard that last part. He stood from the bar and started to take off his jacket as the woman started toward him. He paused to step out of the way so she could leave but she stopped in front of him.
"Kind of hard to examine a wound if I can't see it kiddo." She said with a small smirk after seeing his face go red.
Revland looked back at the officer as he placed his hand on his forehead. "Right sorry, this is Tae Takemi. She's a local Physician with a clinic not far from here, she's agreed to give you a once over just to be sure you weren't hurt too badly."
Takemi looked back at the officer as if to add something but decided against it. "Right… it isn't anything I haven't seen before." She said turning back to Revland as she was putting on a pair of black rubber gloves.
Taking a deep breath, Revland unbuttoned his shirt and removed his undershirt to show his bare chest. With the exception of the officer, both Sojiro and Tae took in a sharp breath. She started around the edges of the bruise asked him when it started to hurt. After inspecting the bruise, she started to gently feel around his ribs saying she was checking to see if any were broken or possibly crack but found that they were intact. Next, she gave him a quick physical, checking his reaction time, heart rate and blood pressure.
"Other than the fact that he's as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a rocking chair factory, he's as healthy as a horse. The bruise should heal in about two weeks, after that he should be just fine. Sleep deprived and a little malnourished but nothing a few good meals and a couple good nights of sleep shouldn't fix." Tae said as she finished up.
"Wonderful news! By the way, what is that delightful smell?" The officer asked.
Now it was the officer turn to be the odd man out as he looked around the bar and noticed that everyone was looking at him expectantly.
"What… did I say something funny?" he asked.
"Oh it's nothing, dinner's just about ready. Why don't you two stick around, this ones on the house. Revland, if you're up for it, mind giving me a hand?" Sojiro asked.
Both Tae and the officer were about to object but he had already agreed and was behind the counter. They discussed the different type of coffee that Sojiro had in the shop and, much to Revland's surprise, realized that he was an encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to the types of coffee beans. From where they originated to what the perfect mix would be when one was brought up. After dinner, the officer asked about the severity of the injury and what Revland should expect.
"To be honest kid, it looked like you were hit by a runaway car… several times. But as I said before, take your time, don't push it and you should be fine." Tae explained while sipping on her coffee.
"He should be able to return to school tomorrow then?" Sojiro asked.
"Of course. They went in today after we found them, much to my partner's disbelief." The officer answered.
"Promised I would… and I try to keep my word." Revland added.
Sojiro glanced at him and saw that he was looking down at his coffee cup, hardly touched, with a distant look in his eyes.
Should I tell him or should I wait for Futaba? Could bring him over and have her give it to him then… I know she'd like to see him… he also seems like he needs a distraction…
"Well, I think I that concludes everything I needed to discuss. Thank you very much for the meal Mr. Sakura." The officer said as he stood up putting his cap back on.
"Not a problem, you both are welcome any time. We should be the ones thanking you Officer… come to think of it I don't think I know you name." Sojiro said while scratching his beard.
"Oh? Damn, must have slipped my mind… my apologies. I'm Officer Hasegawa, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise, have a safe trip home." Sojiro waved.
Revland stood from the bar and walked over to Hasegawa holding his hand out. "Thanks again for what you did today, hope I'm able to repay you someday."
"I'm sure you'll find a way. Just remember, if you're ever in trouble don't hesitate to call." Hasegawa mirrored Revland's movement and shook his hand.
Apostle…
Revland's eyes widened slightly as he felt his heart begin to hum. He gathered himself and turned to Tae.
"Same to you, thank you for giving me a checkup."
"Don't worry too much about it, beside I already know how you can pay me back. Here's my contact info, if you ever get yourself hurt again just give me a ring and I'll see what I can do for you. I still recommend that you go to a real hospital if it's anything serious though." She said as she held her hand out.
Revland took her hand in his and the same feeling ran through his body.
Death…
Two… How on earth...?
After a final farewell, they left. In the back of his mind Revland could hear a soft chuckle that wasn't Arséne. Unfamiliar with this sensation running through Revland's body, Arséne posed a question.
"What was that just now…? Your body… I can feel the energy coursing through every inch of it."
Somehow… I think I just formed two new contracts with the Apostle and Death.
Mentioning the two, perfectly clear images came to Revland's mind. It's the same for anyone that I've made a contract with or suspect might want to make one with me… I think.
"You think?"
He thought of Futaba and the word "Hermit" entered his mind much like when he first formed the contracts. A near perfect image of her entered his mind and remained clear.
I know I don't have a contract with her, so why can I see her so clearly?
"This is all new to me, but what of this Igor character? What's his stake in this?"
Revland replayed the memory of their first meeting and the "rehabilitation" that he was assigned with, figuring that it would be easier to just show him instead of trying to explain everything. Arséne seemed to ponder over the memory and fell silent.
Sojiro placed a hand on his shoulder startling him back to reality. Trying to find out where his heart ended up, he realized that to Sojiro it must have looked like he was spacing out. "Sorry, forgot you might still be a bit on edge." Sojiro apologized.
Revland shook his head, "No, it's not your fault. Just spacing is all. How long had I been standing here?"
"About five minutes, didn't realized you hadn't moved till I tried to call you and you didn't answer."
Note to self: when reviewing one's thoughts, hold off till it can be done alone… alone with your thoughts… get it?
Arséne sighed, "Vain attempt at humor my friend."
He turned back to Sojiro, "You need any help cleaning up?"
"That's what I was going ask you, I'm going to close early today and take some curry home for Futaba."
"Great, just let me get cleaned up."
Sojiro watched him as he went behind the counter to wash up and couldn't help but envy the kid. In the span of a few months, he's had his whole worldview shaken from the assault charge to almost getting killed. He just kept moving forward and tries to hold his head high.
"Revland…"
"What's up?"
"Are you sure you're alright?"
Revland paused. Thinking back on the day's events, he remembered having this same conversation with Ryuji after they managed to get away. He had asked him how he been able to remain so calm and had told him that it wouldn't last forever. Suddenly his chest began to ache as his vision became blurry, Revland fell to his knees as he began to hyperventilate. Fear was overtaking him, Arséne was trying to push it back but with a word from Revland, he stopped.
It… it needs… to… happen… otherwise… I won't ever be able to get past it.
"You have to remember that you are no longer alone in this."
I know… thank you…
Sojiro came around the counter in a flash and had Revland sit down properly on the floor. Grabbing a warm rag, he knelt and started to dab at Revland's forehead, around his eyes and down his cheeks. Funny enough, he's had plenty of experience with Futaba and her panic attacks. Revland however was quicker to recover and was controlling his breathing in a matter of minutes. With an effort, and some help from Sojiro, he managed to get into a chair and Sojiro had a cup of what smelled like tea sitting in front of him.
"Just breath in the steam, it'll help calm you down." Sojiro instructed.
Revland did so and felt his body start to relax. "Thank you…" Revland muttered when he was finally able to speak.
"Don't mention it." Sojiro said as he lit a cigarette. "You want to tell me what happened?"
"No… Not really…"
"You going to anyway?"
Sojiro's tone wasn't pushing but reassuring, letting Revland know that someone cares enough to listen.
Revland took a deep breath and focused on the memory of the castle and started to explain what happened. It was almost the same story that he had told the officers, but he went into more detail about the escape. He omitted Morgana because he wasn't the cause of his fear. When he got to the part about the bicorn, his voice got quieter as his skin went pale. He told Sojiro that a large man had been kicking him in the chest was about to stomp on his head but heard something and went to investigate, after that he passed out. When he came to, he and Ryuji made a break for it and didn't stop until they were about to collapse.
"After that you pretty much know the rest." Revland finished.
Sojiro sat in silence until the end so he could give Revland his full attention. "Small wonder you were able to keep it together until now." He added.
"Had someone there that was depending on me, if I had lost my nerve… I don't think me, or Ryuji, would have made it out alive." Revland explained as he finished off his tea.
Sojiro thought for a moment on what to say next but couldn't think of anything that wouldn't run the risk of setting Revland off again. So instead, he went with his original plan, "Would you like to visit Futaba tonight?"
That threw him for a loop, "Beg pardon?"
"I'm asking if you would like to visit Futaba, as in come over to my place for a bit." Sojiro explained.
"That's… I'd like that…" Revland admitted.
"Alright, then we better hurry before Futaba believes I've left her to starve."
After the store was tidied up and food prepared for travel, they made their way towards the exit. "You got your key?" Sojiro asked.
Revland patted himself down and located it, "Yep, got it here in my pocket."
"Good, so shall we go?"
"Yeah, let's not keep the little lady waiting."
For the first time since the trial, Revland felt completely at ease. No lingering tension, no doubts, no self-loathing, just a sense of peace and it's partly because when he looked at Sojiro, he felt safe. For the first time in months… he felt like he belonged and was wanted. It would be a feeling he would cherish and would grant him strength… in time.
Author's Note
So, I'm back again and this time I had this one churned out in record time and it partly because I had some decent motivation. So on the subject, I'd like to discuss the two reviews that I received while in the process of writing ch. 7. Quick disclaimer though: when looking at reviews, I am looking for critics on my writing style, my pacing, general word play and how I am handling the characters as a whole. With that out of the way, let's get going.
So, as some of you may know, I have a separate "story" that is just a bunch of character bios. The title is Person 5: Unforgiven Character Bios. The description is as follows: general character bios for the Unforgiven storyline, will update as more are introduced (or become relevant). So with the title clearly saying its character bios and the description making it clear that it wasn't a story, I would think that it wouldn't be mistaken for one.
Guest/ chapter 1/ Feb 13
A fucking fictional character bio on FFN, 1/10 wouldn't read, its trash just like P5.
Well… I was wrong. Let me be clear just in case, I am not angry or upset about the review. Everyone has their own opinion and I know, you know, he's/ she's missing out. What does irritate me however is for the above reasoning. This, in no way, helps with trying to be a better writer. My takeaway from this was: I don't like it because it exists on the site and it's about Person 5. The original purpose for these entries were to be more of a note keeper, that way I can keep tabs on what I have written and what I have planned for in the future. It developed into adding info that I haven't written about yet and give a hint into what the character is thinking. Also, so it could be seen by other people because of the rating. Personally, if I had received this back when I first started… I might have taken everything down and given up. Now… I know a troll when I see one. Now for the opposite end of the spectrum.
(Redacted)/ chapter 6/ Feb 15
I really love the changes you've made to the original Persona 5 story so far. It's definitely nice seeing our protagonist get closer to Sojiro faster and see my personal favorite girl Futaba early. The characters feel more fleshed out and the danger of the Metaverse so far seems much more deadly, especially now that wounds can carry over into reality. I definitely like the persona's being able to talk to the characters, it adds more to their inner monologues and helps them think more clearly, like Morgana deciding not to go too far with teasing Ryuji, and I can't wait to see more of what you have in store, but I of course will remain as patient as needed. Take your time and I hope your writing inspiration stays strong!
This is the type of review that I'm looking for, not because it's extremely positive (which helps) but because it's giving me feedback on how I'm doing. For a series that has had very little feedback in general, these are the first reviews I have ever received on the site and I came here because of mass effect… don't judge… stop looking at me like that… fine. It was the Unbreakable Bond Story by: TheLastReckoning. They were kind of the inspiration behind adding a bio section for Unforgiven. And yes, before you ask, Tali Zora vas Normandy was my love interest throughout my first and second play-throughs… couldn't resist. So if you're interested in a decent love story, go check him out.
Alright, I think that just about wraps it up for this chapter. To the "Guest" I'm sorry you didn't like the bios but they aren't going anywhere, not anytime soon anyway. To the second reviewer, you single handedly lit the fire under me and gave me the drive to get this chapter done, so I guess this one is dedicated to you. To the ones who favorite and follow, I thank you all and hope you enjoy what's to come… don't worry too much… the scum bag will get his comeuppance.
See you all in the next chapter!
