Disclaimer: This chapter contains scenes of trauma and abuse that are sexual in nature, viewer discretion advised.
Chapter 9
The Hermit's Plea and Lust's Assault
"He was here… Uncle Youji was here…" Futaba repeated.
Revland was confused, "Who's Uncle Youji?" he asked softly.
"Revland… help me get Futaba to her room…" Sojiro said in a low voice.
He was about to protest but after meeting Sojiro's eyes, he nodded and picked her up to carry her in his arms. He marveled on how light she was as they went upstairs and laid her down on her bed. Revland went to stand but Futaba's hand found his, seeming to cling to it as she let out a small whimper that only he could hear. Sojiro stood in the doorway and saw that Revland's face went from shocked concern to a softened expression.
"Shhh… it's alright, I'm not going anywhere… just sleep for now… I'll be right here till you do…" Revland whispered softly.
Futaba was staring at something that Revland couldn't see. After her mom passed, she went from home to home never staying for more than a few weeks to months at a time. The time she spent with her uncle was, by far, the worst of them all. Her first unpleasant memory was when she first arrived at his apartment, it was dark and filthy from all garbage strewn about the floor as well as a strange odor that came from the sink. Her "room" was about the size of a small closet with no light and he wasted no time pushing her in and locked the door. She screamed for what felt like hours before he finally opened the door, only to bet met with closed fists while being called a "freak" or a "monster" for what she did to his sister. If she was lucky, he would just close the door and leave her a bruised and weeping mess.
This was a near daily occurrence, save for the times that her uncle was either too drunk to take notice or just plain forgot about her. An old acquaintance let slip to Sojiro about her poor living conditions in an effort to get custody away from her uncle. Unfortunately, the damage was already done and she became reclusive as a result, which included Sojiro. It was some time before she eventually opened up to Sojiro, but only after she was able convinced herself that he wasn't going to do anything to her.
Revland watched as Futaba managed to close her eyes and drift to sleep. He didn't let her go until the grip on his hand loosened, making certain that she was fast asleep. After double checking, he found a note pad and wrote down his contact info, placing her glasses on top so she'd see it when she woke up. He noticed that her sleep became fitful, causing her to wince and whimper. Before he could stop the impulse, he carefully lent down and placed a small kiss on her forehead. That small amount of contact with Revland seemed to banish whatever nightmare Futaba was trapped in, allowing her to sleep soundly. Revland stood, gave Sojiro a nod and quietly left the room, closing the door on the way out.
When they were back on the main floor, Sojiro waved Revland over to the door and gestured him outside. Once outside, he lit a cigarette and sighed as he waited for the questions to begin.
He's involved now… seen her break and was able to comfort her… she didn't even fuss when he picked her up.
Revland looked up to the sky, feeling a slight breeze rustle his hair before deciding on how to phrase his first question.
"How often does that happen…?" He asked quietly.
"About once a month now… it use to be worse but she's doing better…" He took a long drag off his cigarette before continuing. "When she started living here, she almost never came out of her room. She wouldn't open the door for anything… or anyone for that matter… all I could do is leave her some food and tell her that it was there. Only reason I knew she ate at all was when I brought her next meal, there'd be an empty plate." Sojiro explained.
Revland remained quiet, listening intently.
"About a year ago, I got her out of a pretty bad spot with her uncle… it wasn't good…"
Sojiro thought about what all he should tell Revland but decided that if he managed to bring Futaba back once… if he knew the whole story, he might be able to do it again.
"Her uncle, Youji Isshiki, is partly the reason she's the way she is..." He admitted.
"Wakaba's brother?" Revland asked to clarify.
"The very same…"
"Why would he treat his own niece like that?"
Sojiro took another drag off his cigarette and continued, "Remember what I told you about Wakaba… that how after her death, Futaba wasn't the same?"
Revland nodded.
"What I didn't tell you… was how she died…"
Revland remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Wakaba… committed suicide… and it was right in front of Futaba…"
Revland looked to Sojiro with eyes wide.
"And her family blames Futaba for it…"
"Bullshit!" Revland exclaimed but Sojiro already had a hand up to stop him.
"I agree and I don't, nor will I ever, lay the blame on her shoulders… no matter how much evidence someone tries to show me."
Revland thought back to their conversation the other day, "She was blamed for something that was beyond her understanding…"more a statement than a question.
Sojiro nodded, "Futaba was passed around from family member to family member, each one with the same amount of distain as the last. Unwanted and unloved…"
"Why would they blame her of all people…?" Revland whispered.
"They found a suicide note the day of the accident. According to the investigator, it was paternity neurosis… some form a separation anxiety that causes a parent to hate their own children... though it was news to me." Sojiro added.
Revland remained silent and looked forward, "… you… wouldn't happen to still have a copy… would you?"
Sojiro paused at the question and felt a small familiar heat build in his chest, "Why…?"
"… It's just not adding up. Everything you've told me about Wakaba is telling me she was a loving mother that any child would want, regardless of her having to raise Futaba alone." Revland started to ramble through his thoughts, "You said you still have a few of Wakaba's things … did she have a journal or a diary… if you had the letter then we'd have something to compare it to…" Revland finished with his hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
That stunned Sojiro for a moment, Revland's first instinct was to confirm and verify instead of believing it to be fact.
He's not taking it at face value… of course he'd want proof… It's the type of person he is.
"No… if it's still around, it be with police… good thought though."
Revland cursed under his breath as he continued to think. "Futaba was there… did she notice anything strange before the incident?"
He sounds like an officer on the scene… maybe he has a knack for this.
"Not that I know of, she doesn't like to talk about it. Even if she's the one to bring it up… she starts to shut down after a while."
"Bad memories tend to do that." Revland added thoughtfully.
After a moment, Revland asked the question that Sojiro was waiting for. "What exactly did he do to her…?" He asked in a cold voice.
Sojiro explained the state that he found her in and how he found out about her living situation. As he went on, Revland could imagine the constant state of fear that Futaba was subjected to for nearly a year. When Sojiro explained the types of abuse that she was subjected to, his blood started to run cold then grow warmer as he continued. Before long, Revland's hands were clenched so hard they were starting to go numb.
Revland forced himself to ask one more question, one that he knew if answered a certain way would either sign the man's death warrant or calm himself down so he could think straight. "Did he do anything else to her…?"
Sojiro thought he knew what he was asking but wanted to be sure. He could see that Revland was trying to hold down his rage which did more to add to his earlier suspicions. "That could mean a lot… he didn't feed her, allow her to bathe or even give her a bed to sleep on." He added.
"You know what I mean… Did He. Do. Anything Else…?"
Sojiro nodded stiffly, "According to the investigation that was done as part of the change in custody…" He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Yes… He did…"
Revland rounded on Sojiro, rage evident in his features but Sojiro held up one finger to forestall Revland.
"I had Dr. Takemi give her a full physical examination when she first got here and asked her to keep it quiet…" He took a breath so to gather his thoughts. "She found that; while there was evidence of the psychological side effects of sexual trauma, from her fear of people to others touching her, she's still a…" he paused to clear his throat, "remains pure…"
Revland felt his anger abate but only slightly, but a part of what Sojiro said suddenly registered in his mind.
Wait, she doesn't like to be touched? Then why did she… reach for me…?
As if reading his thoughts, Sojiro continued. "And low and behold, the first boy she meets is not only able to talk to her… but is even allowed to hold her for an extended period of time. Have to say, I'm kind of jealous." He said with a small smile.
Any traces of anger were extinguished and replaced with something different, not quite embarrassment but something similar that made his stomach flip and his chest feel warm.
I'm the first one she's allowed to get so close…?
Revland leaned up against the wall as he started to get lost in thought, some of the things Futaba had said started to make some sense now that he had context.
"I'm not imagining it this time am I?" she said that when she climbed into my lap.
"Has anyone else tried to talk to her?"
Sojiro lit another cigarette, "A few times but not very often. From what the doc told me, due to the nature of the abuse, it caused an adverse reaction to the same senses that were placed under severe stress. In Futaba's case, she'll try to run away from situations which make her uncomfortable and if that doesn't work she'll simply breakdown. If someone tries to touch her, she'll lock up, starts screaming and try to escape." his voice grew softer as sadness crept in.
"She started screaming when you came to get her… didn't she?" Revland finished.
Sojiro nodded as he took another long drag off his cigarette, "It's when I started to suspect that he did more than just hit her…"
"When did she start to realize that it was you?" Revland asked.
"She didn't… for the first few months, she didn't even make a sound. The lights were on but no one was home as the doc put it. From time to time, I'd hear her open her bedroom door just for it to close just as quickly."
"Sounds like that might have been a nasty trick that was pulled to make sure she'd stay put… when did she start to recover?"
"About six months ago, she came down one day, not saying a word, and sat at the table." Revland could see the smile on Sojiro's face. "I didn't even need to ask if she was hungry because the sound of her stomach grumbling could've been heard from a few blocks over." He finished with a laugh. "After that, it wasn't long till she started talking and asking for things. At first it was just clothes and a pair of glasses then it was computer stuff, books, action figures you name it and she's probably asked about it. She was the one that found that guitar." He said gesturing to the case at Revland's feet.
Revland looked down at the case as the same feeling of calm washed over him like when he was alone with Futaba.
He looked to Sojiro and saw that his expression had changed to that of a protective parent. He was certain that he knew where this was going now. "So… is this the part where you tell me to keep my distance from Futaba and try not to get involved?"
Sojiro let the question hang in the air as he finished off his cigarette. "As a matter of fact… no. As much as I would like for you to stay out of this, you're already involve. You're going to be staying at the shop for the time being… so you may have to deal with him in one form or another."
Revland blinked, this is the part in all the movies and T.V. shows where the father figure told the main character not to get involved for their own safety only for him to go do it anyway.
Sojiro sighed as he removed his glasses to rub at his eyes. "That… and it would break Futaba's heart if you suddenly disappeared… especially after tonight."
"So… you do want me to stick around?" Revland finally asked.
"In this… personally no… but I don't have much of a choice. If he's sniffing around… I need to know that Futaba is safe first and foremost. It'd be good to have someone I can contact to check on her and if she trusts that person then I'd consider it a bonus."
"And my record?"
"Which we both know is so full of bullshit that I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. With what the officer said and your actions as of late… it doesn't make sense that you're labeled as dangerous… someone like that wouldn't sit with a freighted girl till she falls asleep."
After letting what Sojiro said sink in, he let the silence wash over them before speaking again. "Thank you… I think I needed to hear that…" Revland cleared his throat before continuing. "What's the plan then?"
Sojiro held out his hand, "You got your keys on you?"
Revland handed them over without hesitation.
Sojiro reached into his pocket to pull out another set of keys, removed one, and put it on Revland's before handing them over.
"Now you can check on Futaba if he's ever in the area. I'm going to continue to keep the front door locked while I'm out of the house. This way you're able to get inside without having to wait for Futaba to open the door."
Revland placed his keys in his pocket as his expression grew serious. "What does he look like?"
Sojiro pulled out his phone and selected an old family Photo that had Wakaba and one other person in it. The man was in his late thirties and was overweight with mostly generic looks. The only telling feature was his eyes which he shares with both his sister and his niece. "This is Youji Isshiki, Wakaba's brother and unfortunately, Futaba's uncle."
Revland committed the image to memory for later use. "You have any idea why he's here… he's not after Futaba is he?"
Sojiro shook his head, "No, at least I don't think so. Though I wouldn't put it past him to try to use her as leverage. If you take on an additional child as a foster, it's considered a form of adoption and the government will assist you financially… it's a system that helps those who are good hearted enough to open their home to another in need. But like any system it has its flaws, like not being able to determine if a home is fit for the child or even if the adult is fit to oversee said child." Voice filling with distain as he continued to explain.
Revland had an idea on why Youji would be wondering around again and clarified, "He's after that foster care supplement… so he's after the money?"
Sojiro nodded, "That's what I was thinking. The last time he came snooping around, he was deep in debt due to gambling and needed cash. He threatened that he would go to the authorities over Futaba being a shut in, said he'd regain custody if I didn't give him something. I gave him half of the inheritance that was left for Futaba and told him not to come around here again… seems like he's broke again."
Revland thought on what would happen if he regained custody, she'd be sent right back to a hell she didn't deserve and all of Futaba's recovery would have been for nothing. "Hate to say this… but you should've called the authorities on him instead. He's been investigated for "Negligence" once already and if that investigation showed any signs of abuse he wouldn't stand a chance in court."
"Can you say I'm doing much better?"
"Fuck yes I can! You're not calling her awful names for something that was out of her control! You're not kicking in her door and beating the ever loving Christ out of her! You're a patient, kind hearted individual who's way more considerate than that fucker!" Revland felt his pent up anger flow out of him. He knew that it wasn't directed at Sojiro but more at the situation as a whole. "She is you're DAUGHTER where her father is nowhere to be found. You're the father she's never had because you're her only family that even seems to give a damn. You. Are. Here. When no one else would be!"
Sojiro was stunned by Revland's sudden outburst but he could see that the boy was trying to drive the point home. Listening to the young man that he's only known for three days, defend him and what he's done so far for Futaba brought a smile to his old face.
Christ I'm being consoled by a child… really starting to feel my age…
Sojiro breathed in the cool spring air and cleared him mind, "Thanks, guess you repaid the favor… appreciate it."
Revland was breathing heavily, he didn't intend to yell but it felt like he should. "No problem… sorry for yelling…"
"I think it was deserved. You should get back to the shop, you do still have school tomorrow."
Revland looked down at his watch and saw how late it was getting. With a final farewell, he returned to Leblanc and managed to lay down. He thought about the castle, the bicorn, Morgana, Sojiro and lastly Futaba with her face stricken with fear but also the smile she gave him while in private.
"Hey Arséne?"
"Hmm?"
"You think I'm doing the right thing…?"
"You have doubts?"
"Only partly… I know that this guy is a piece of shit… but Sojiro already has so much to worry about."
"I don't believe he see you as a nuisance… not anymore at least."
"It's not about being a nuisance… I just thought that… if this guy somehow managed to find out that Sojiro was having a criminal staying in the vicinity of his adopted daughter… that he'd be able to make an argument for why she shouldn't be able to stay with him anymore…"
"Weren't you the one who said he wouldn't have a prayer in winning such a case?"
"I still think he wouldn't regain custody… but if he wanted to hurt her… he could…"
"By casting doubt on Sir Sojiro's ability to raise Lady Futaba?"
"If he's able to prove it, he could get Sojiro's custody revoked and she'd go back into the foster system… no one wins… no one's happy."
"Hmm… then what is it you think we should do?"
"Why do you think I'm asking you?"
Arséne thought for a moment and decided that this would be a good opportunity to put the young man's problem solving abilities to the test.
"Perhaps instead of thinking on how things could go wrong… Think on how it could be prevented…"
Revland laid in bed and tried to think of ways that he'd be able to protect Futaba from her uncle and found that his thoughts always came to the word protect instead of help. Sleep took him as thoughts of her smiling face filled his thoughts.
The last twenty four hours have been quite eventful for Ryuji. First he met the new transfer student and had to run for their lives, then they ran into two truant officers that said transfer student somehow convinced them that not only were they not trying to skip class but were attacked while on their way to school. After they got to the school, he got sent to class with a pass of all things… even the teacher thought it was forged until they went to verify. Then after all that craziness… Shiho confesses to him right as he was about to leave with… fuck what was his name again?
To be fair, he was a little distracted by his current company. Shiho was walking next to him with her hand in his and seemed like she couldn't be happier. She'd asked to hold it until they made it to the school for which he happily agreed, though he's still having trouble believing that it all isn't just a dream. It's not to say that he was unhappy about the situation, on the contrary he was the happiest he's been in quite some time. He hadn't had someone willing to walk to school with him since he was kicked out of the track team so it felt more than a little strange, especially with all the jealous looks he got from some of the other guys.
They stayed up late the night before texting one another and agreed on a spot at the train station so they could meet up. From there, they were nearly inseparable as she leaned closer so to lay her head on his shoulder and rest her eyes, trusting Ryuji to lead the way while allowing her to live in a moment that she'd been dreaming of for some time.
Shiho remembered that Ryuji had been talking to the new transfer student when she found him and the look in his eyes said much about the subject matter that had her feeling nervous. Antrie did however see that she was trying to talk to Ryuji and excused himself so he could give them some privacy.
"Don't forget that you still need to catch up with Antrie-Kun." She reminded.
Broke from his trance, he shook his head to clear it. "Antrie…?"
"The new transfer student, you two were talking about something when I found you."
"Oh!" Realization finally dawning on him, "You mean Revland, forgot his name for a minute."
"How could you forget something like that?" She lightly chided.
"Well…" flexing the fingers that were intertwined with hers, "I've been a little distracted as of late… you see, a childhood friend confessed to me out of the blue and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it… you wouldn't happen to know who's responsible… would you?" he asked in a soft tone.
Shiho giggled and his heart started pounding, "I might have some Idea…" she whispered before placing a kiss on his cheek. She giggled again when she saw that shocked expression on his face that was now a dark shade of red that reminded her of a tomato.
"That's not fair..." he playfully wined.
"Oh, how so?"
"This close to the school, I can't repay your kindness the way I would like…"
"And how would you repay me?" She asked with a small smile.
"Well… I guess I could give you a small sample…" he whispered in her ear before lifting her chin and giving her a quick kiss that both wished would last longer that it did. It was Shiho's turn to blush, less out of embarrassment and more out of being flustered that he took the initiative and managed to catch her off guard.
They continued walking and turned down the same ally he went down yesterday before he and Revland found themselves at the castle. He was half way through before this fact hit him as he became tense and his heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. Shiho felt his grip on her hand tighten and felt that something was wrong. She looked up at Ryuji and saw that his eyes were darting from side to side as if he was looking for something.
"Is everything alright?" She asked cautiously.
"Hmm?" he said, his eyes still scanning.
Shiho stopped and stood in front of him so he would look her in the eyes. His eyes came to rest on her and she saw that he started to relax, but only slightly.
"Is everything alright, you look like you're expecting something to jump out at us?" she asked, concern evident in her eyes.
Ryuji stared into Shiho's eyes and managed stop his racing thoughts for just long enough to remember the story that Revland had told the two cops. He felt at ease when she was with him and just her presence alone was such a comfort that he didn't want to remember what it was like to not have her around.
"Yeah… I'm okay… it's just… this is where it happened yesterday, before we got lost." Ryuji admitted.
Shiho's face drooped, while she was caught up in her fantasy, she forgot that the whole reason she confessed was the rumor that he might have to transfer out of the school for his safety.
"I'm sorry… I should've been thinking." She muttered.
"Hey now… it's not your fault. Honestly I think you were helping, you had me so distracted that I didn't realize where we were till we were almost out. If anything, I should be thanking you." He said with a reassuring smile.
Shiho felt her heart soar when he smiled at her, making her smile in return. The two embraced each other as Ryuji whispered a quiet "Thank you" into the top of her head. It felt funny but she nuzzled her head against his chest all the same. After another private moment in a quiet embrace, the two separated and continued towards the school.
With the rumor of gang activity in the area, a teacher was posted outside of the gate to ensure that only students are able to enter the grounds. Unfortunately, the teacher that was on duty was Kamoshida and no sooner did Ryuji spot him, he spotted Ryuji. What seemed different about this confrontation was it started with a look of surprise when Kamoshida saw who was standing with him. That surprise was followed by a brief glimpse of anger that was masked by a greeting smile. Ryuji was certain that if it wasn't for yesterday's trip to the castle, he wouldn't have thought twice about the sudden change in attitude.
"Suzui, missed you at practice this morning… you know the rules… right?" Kamoshida asked but Ryuji could sense the malicious undertone of his voice.
You can't hide from me ass hole…
Shiho stiffened but with Ryuji there, she was able to find her courage, "The rules say as long as it's an excused absence there won't be replications of any kind, I contacted my homeroom teacher and informed him I'd be late as I was escorting a fellow student to school. He even applauded me for thinking of their wellbeing…"
"Is that so, then you wouldn't mind if I go ask Mr. Ushimaru myself then… you know any time off has to be approved by me in the end."
Ryuji felt his blood begin to boil over at his condescending tone but Shiho took hold of his arm and he kept his anger in check.
"You're more than welcome to, he should be in the faculty office." She said with a smile though Ryuji could feel her start to tremble through his jacket.
"I might just do that, but I have to keep guard out here in case someone tries to bring trouble into the school." Kamoshida said while glancing at Ryuji.
The final straw, Ryuji's thoughts started to leak out. "Maybe you should try looking outside of the school instead of inside it. Either that or you can just go look in a mirror…" The traffic of student's never stopped though the world seemed to have stalled for a few moments.
"What… was that…?" Kamoshida said with malice lacing his words.
"I said… if you want to find trouble, you should start by looking out there instead of in here… either that or go look in a mirror…"
Ryuji saw Kamoshida's mask slip and for a moment he saw the King in all his lecherous glory, staring down at him from atop his throne. Shiho couldn't see that reality was bending to show Ryuji this image but she wasn't looking for it… he, on the other hand, was.
Revland woke that morning feeling well rested despite the previous day's events. He checked the time and noticed that he was up earlier than normal. The sun was just starting to rise and the shop was still closed with no sign that Sojiro had even arrived. Taking the opportunity, he gathered a bath kit and decided that it would be a good time to visit the nearby bath house. The bath house was large enough to fit over twenty people comfortably and had locker access to store his belongings. Revland found that it was relaxing and with it being so early, there wasn't anyone there but himself. While securing his things in a locker, his phone slid off the towel he set it on. With feline grace, he swooped down to catch it just before it hit the floor and, at that moment, two things hit him. One was the fact that was able to catch it and the second was that it didn't hurt.
His suspicions were confirmed when he removed his shirt and saw that his bruise that was giving him issues the day before, was gone. He felt where it had been yesterday to see if he was just imagining it but it did hurt to touch.
"What the-…?" He muttered to himself.
"How very interesting…"
"What happened…?"
"It would seem that you have fully healed for your last encounter…"
"I noticed… How?"
Arséne thought for a moment as his hypothesis started to take shape, "When you formed your contracts with the Apostle and Death, I told you that your body was brimming with an energy I wasn't familiar with. It's possible that your body, in an effort to repair itself, used some of that energy to bring you back to full strength."
Revland thought on that while he washed up. If forming those contracts granted him that kind of energy, why didn't he feel it when he made the contracts with Igor or the twins?
Wait… it did feel like my heart was humming after the contract was formed… accept this time I have Arséne with me… Maybe I just didn't have a reason to use any of it until the castle… if that's the case, what else can I do?
Revland finished up and returned to the café and found that Sojiro was just about to unlock the door.
"Good morning." Revland greeted.
Sojiro looked up in surprise, "Oh, good morning. You're up early."
"Yeah, felt like I slept for days though. I don't remember the last time I've felt so rested."
Oh to be young again… Sojiro thought to himself. "Well since you got so much energy, you can help me open the shop."
Revland nodded and agreed to help after he got dressed. After the shop was open and breakfast was served, the pair sat in a comfortable silence to enjoy their coffee.
"How is she?" Revland finally asked.
Sojiro didn't have to ask who he was talking about, "Still sleeping and soundly I might add, at least she was when I left."
"Glad to hear it." Revland sighed, relaxing ever so slightly.
"You seem to be feeling better yourself. How's your chest, it still sore?"
Revland hesitated, "It's… fine, no better than that. It's like it's not even there."
"Good, I'm glad you're doing better. Just try not to use too many pain killers alright."
Confused at first, Revland didn't know what he meant by that. It dawned on him that Sojiro thought he was using some kind of medicine to keep the pain away where in truth it was already healed.
"Don't worry, I won't be using much more after today."
Looking up at the clock on the wall, he finished his coffee and thanked Sojiro before heading for the station.
On the way to station, he had a few more questions that he hoped Arséne would be able to answer.
So, if I have all this energy inside me then how do I use it?
"Unfortunately, there's much about it that I still don't quite understand."
What can you tell me then, some explanation is better than none.
"Hmm, I would think of it in terms of magic… with a bit of Occam's razor."
Simplest explanation is often the best?
"The very same, as we discussed earlier your magic is heavily dependent on your emotions."
Stronger the emotion, stronger the spell.
"Correct, Morgana stated that your 'spirit of rebellion' relies on a similar concept."
He said that it based on the strength of your heart and the bonds with those close to you… or something like that.
"It's something that's inside of everyone. It's a strong desire that only you have, to go against those that appose you and to protect those close to you." Morgana explained.
"So even my own friends have something to do with my persona's strength?"
"You interact with your friends almost every day don't you, why wouldn't they help shape who you are."
The stronger my bonds… the stronger my persona is… do you feel any different?
"Not particularly, but what about you? You showed quite the impressive display of agility this morning."
When I caught my phone?
"It had finesse and grace that I myself once possessed."
Meaning?
"It's merely a thought I'm having, but what if our memories aren't the only thing that we share?"
Like…?
"Your skill with magic for example, then there's the reflexes you exhibited this morning."
Your point?
"We may be sharing one another's skills. The previous night you asked me to sing with you."
Revland nodded in acknowledgement.
"Before I could tell you that I could make a screeching feline sound like an angel, I matched your tone and was able to harmonize with you."
Revland thought of the last few days and of his actions while inside the castle. His movements felt fluid and, aside for the bruise, he didn't feel the strain that would normally come with new activity.
So I'm able to move like you do?
"Not perfectly but I think with time and some training I'm certain you will be."
Revland was about to ask another question when something caught his attention. A presence that was not only watching him but also following as well.
You feel that?
"The young woman following you? Yes, she's been at a consistent distance since the train station."
Have I met her before?
"No one I recognize, she is wearing the school colors though. Possibly a classmate?"
Revland kept his face forward while looking for a reflective surface to get a look at the person tailing him.
Slim, short brown hair, vest, skirt, long legs with black leggings and… an upside-down book… now why would you be following me…?
Arséne seemed thoughtful as he posed an idea. "I've had junior constables tailing me better than this young lass… Should we have a little fun then?" he asked with a hint of humor.
What did you have in mind?
"What does a novice hunter do when they lose sight of their quary?"
Revland smiled at the thought, Panic and run to the last spot they knew where the target was, alerting the target in the process.
Seeing a large crowd, he stepped in keeping his head lowered till he found an alleyway to slide in to. His tail did exactly as predicted, she jogged up to the sea of people that he faded into and tried to look over everyone's head to get eyes on him. She looked nervous as she started to walk through the traffic of people.
How long do you think she'll keep looking?
"Depends on how badly they want you."
He noticed that she was getting closer to where he slipped out of the crowd and placed his back against the wall of the building to keep out of sight. When he saw the girl pass by, he began to follow her instead.
Just before they were within sight of the school, Revland revealed himself to his would be tail.
"You know, following someone could be considered rude…" He said in a polite but stern tone.
The girl jumped and turned to face him her eyes wide, "H-h-h-how did you…?"
"But I'll let it slide because I've never been tailed by someone quite like you before."
Revland continued as he held up two fingers, "I noticed after I left the train station and…" stepping forward, he plucked the book from her hands, flipped it and returned it. "A book should be read with the correct side up… don't you agree?"
Makoto's face turned red as she tried to hide the book behind her back. Realizing that she was practically presenting her chest to the guy, her face grew hotter before deciding to hold it against it instead.
"So you decided to give me the slip?" she asked to hide her embracement.
"Not only that but I started following you to see what you were you'd lead me." Revland said.
He could tell that the girl was far beyond being embraced and decided to just get to the point.
"You go to Shujin I take it, why were you following me?" He asked.
Makoto paused for a second before answering, "Because I was asked to find you by one of the teachers…"
"Find and follow are two different things… why didn't you just approach me at the station, it would've been easier."
"Because you have a-" she cut herself off but it was too late, he knew what she was going to say.
"Right-Right, my record… so instead of finding out for yourself you justify your actions based on a rumor then? That's some detective work…"
"You wouldn't know the first thing about be a good detective!" He seemed to have struck a nerve.
His gaze grew cold as he met the fire in Makoto's eyes, "Oh…? Then let me tell you what I do know then… one is supposed to go off a basis of fact, not rumor or opinion, before casting final judgement…"
There was no heat to his words but she flinched all the same.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to yell, please forgive me…" She said with a bow.
Well that deescalated quickly…
"Forgiven, I'm sure you have your reasons to be suspicious of me."
Makoto felt sheepish, the only thing she had to go on was that he had a criminal record but she didn't even know what for. The file that Kawakami gave her was for the incident yesterday and didn't even mention him having a record. "Well… no… I don't have a good reason…"
Revland sighed, "You said that a teacher asked you to find me, which one?"
"Mrs. Kawakami, she asked me to show you around and to help keep an eye on y-… I'm sorry." Her hand came up to cover her mouth.
Revland waved his hand dismissingly, "Don't worry about it, I know Kawakami's looking out for me. I wasn't feeling well yesterday and she offered to send me home early so I could recover."
Makoto snapped her fingers and reached into her bag to pull out a file with his name on it. "Kawakami gave me this and asked me to give it to you when I was finished with it."
Revland took the file and recognized it as the incident report that he received yesterday from Hasegawa. "You seemed to be well informed." He said with a hint of surprise, just who is this girl?
"Yeah sorry, I didn't mean to snoop… I was curious about you so I read it." She said as they started towards the school.
"Think I would be too if I was given something and told not to look at it, no worries then eh? So now that that's out of the way, my name's Revland." His hand out stretched in greeting.
"Niijima, Makoto Niijima." She took it and shook but was startled by the look of shock in Antrie's eyes.
"Niijima… as in Daisuke Niijima…?" he asked.
"Y-yes… how did you know my father's name?"
"I'm an idiot… I'm so sorry… I… I didn't realize… I said something awful and I didn't mean to."
Makoto hesitated before continuing, "How… how did you know him…?"
"Personally I didn't, but he was a friend of my parents before they moved to the country. 2 years ago the house went quiet one day after a news cast said that he had died in an accident. After that they started to tell me about him and how he was such a good detective. I didn't know he had a daughter though."
"It's alright… you didn't personally attack my father's memory and I did instigate it… so as you've already done for me… you're forgiven."
"Appreciate it."
The pair continued to the school to see that three people were standing outside the gate, Revland recognized them and started towards them as he saw that things were about to get heated just by Ryuji's posture.
"I said… if you want to find trouble, you should start by looking out there instead of in here… either that or go look in a mirror…" Ryuji said coldly, staring into Kamoshida's eyes.
Kamoshida right arm twitched backwards as if he was about to grab Ryuji. Revland saw and broke the tension. "Hey Ryuji, Suzui-san. How'd things go yesterday?" He asked as he placed his left arm on Ryuji's shoulder and his right hand on the strap of his own bag. That was way he would be able to at least block the first blow with his bag.
"Revland? Where did you come from?" Ryuji asked, noticeably more relaxed.
"Antrie-san!" Suzui had a look that conveyed 'thank god you're here'.
"Just got here myself." He looked to Kamoshida, who Revland noticed was wearing his fake smile.
"Everything alright here?" Revland asked.
"Everything's just fine, just informing Suzui-san of possible consequences for missing practice… excused or otherwise."
"Excuse me, if she was excused from an event by a teacher then there are no consequences. If there's a problem, then you should speak with her homeroom teacher Mr. Ushimaru…." Makoto added.
"Don't worry, I'll be talking to Mr. Ushimaru as soon as I'm done here…" Kamoshida added with a 'this isn't over' under tone.
Liar… Revland and Ryuji thought in unison.
"Then we should get to class and let you speak with him... when you're ready of course…" Revland said.
Remembering Kawakami's warning, Makoto stayed with Revland as they entered the building and until they were on the second floor before separating for the day. Ryuji and Shiho went to their own classroom and Makoto to the student council's room next to the faculty office. She had noticed that when they were walking in that Kamoshida was staring daggers at both Revland and Ryuji. After talking to Revland and seeing him defuse a situation that she herself had seen get out of hand once already and coupled with Kawakami's warnings, changed her perception on the guy from thug to normal student.
He doesn't seem the criminal type… yet everyone is so afraid of him. She thought to herself while sitting at the table to go over the morning review.
Revland, on the other hand, found his way to his seat as the bell rang signifying the beginning of class but to him, they sounded like the bells of war...
And so it begins…
Author's note:
Okay, it's been a minute sense my last update… hasn't it. Well, the reason for that is I had a bit of writer's block when it came to this chapter. Went from posting three chapters last month to only managing one, so I can see some frustration and do apologize for it. I'm sure some of you have noticed that I have been skating around the subject in question for the last few chapters, particularly whenever Kamoshida's been present. As someone who is outside looking in, I'm not sure if I'm handling this kind of trauma well or if I'm just failing to convey my thoughts correctly. I feel like I'm being clumsy while trying to talk about a sensitive subject that I don't know much about outside of books and T.V. shows.
So… About Futaba… In the original story, it is never explicitly stated that she was sexually abused by her uncle but the sign upon looking back are there in context alone. The idea that she would lock up or freak out whenever she saw him in Leblanc was similar to how I would picture someone trying to recover from such trauma would react. It reminded me of another character that reacted similarly and it was the result of sexual abuse. Was it hard to write her this way, yes and no. She already had these symptoms before meeting the protagonist, so I have the unfortunate duty of trying to elaborate for the story. But it also allows be to create a stronger bond between the two.
Could I've just glossed over this story arch with Futaba or just have left her out? I could have, if I did though I'd feel like I did the character a disservice by removing a flaw that in the end became an endearing factor for the character. But I could have come up with a better way to have her and Revland connect. Some reason the hero thing works out well and gives him more of a reason to continue his work as a phantom thief… I'll be diving deeper into that shortly…
Okay… Kamoshida… the next few chapters aren't going to be any easier, especially with what's going to happen within those chapters. Personally, I feel awful for what I'm about to do but I can't stray too far from the source material… but it will be a little bit different…
Just to alleviate some possible concerns: No, I am not about to kill Suzui. Will she still try to do what she did, I can say that hasn't changed as of right now… it's what happens afterward that has.
Alright I've prattled on long enough, Thank you to everyone who's enjoying and thank you for helping me reach 1,000 total views. Never expected to make it this far… only took ten chapters…
See you next time.
