Chapter 5
Twelve Days Later
Shirou was getting worried as he had not seen Rin or Abraham having a misstep. The final day of the bet was after tomorrow, Friday. They got along fairly well, and there were a few times where the students talking about Rin behind her back or continuing with those rumors were flabbergasted on how the new student wasn't having it with them behaving as such around him. They found it weird in their eyes how he defended her when he barely even knew her.
"Well then, Shirou. I'll have you know in advance now that I'm asked to go to Tokyo again this weekend, so I might not be here on Saturday."
Oh, that is certainly a curveball... Abraham was planning to go back to Tokyo this weekend? And he's just going to leave Rin back here in Fuyuki by herself? What in the world could he possibly be doing back in Tokyo? Is it a business thing or something else?
"... Wait, you're going back to Tokyo? But... won't you just leave Rin here by herself with all the rumors spreading around and such?"
Abraham responded with an acerbic tone. "I'm leaving early in the morning for this business trip. Why would I skip school? Do you really think I'm a coward and try to go back on my word, bro? And Rin… she's capable of handling herself; we both saw how she handled that Matou boy."
Shirou grimaced as he recalled the harsh words she gave Shinji just a few minutes ago. It's safe to say that Shinji wouldn't be trying that again anytime soon. "Oh no, I wasn't doubting your word! I was just wondering why you're leaving Fuyuki so soon, since it's not like you need to pick up any more packages." Shirou pauses for a bit as a thought occurs to him. "Uhm, you'll still make it back in the afternoon tomorrow, right? You just have to do something important in Tokyo, then you'll be back."
"It'll be a quick trip. Brother Brando had met a Japanese kid that had encountered him when his family was vacationing. He said the boy was a bit of a loner, so he asked me to check up on him when I can. There's also a friend in Tokyo that I made the last time I was there, and we decided to have meetings whenever possible."
"Hm, I see. So you'll be leaving past the time when the bet ends, so it doesn't really count as leaving her alone for a full day, right? And with the reasons that you gave, I think I do understand now. Though, could I ask, is there any purpose to the meetings with your friend?"
Abraham calmly answers his pestering roommate. "Our weekly meetings have to do with her family's business. I'm interested in the company her father manages, so when we first met, she thought it would be great if I could meet with her father and start an internship of sorts. Although, I do think that the woman is trying to interview me to see if I got what it takes."
"And what would this business of hers be?"
Abraham pulls Shirou around the wall and into an empty classroom. The sudden action frightened the boy as he was taken without warning and everyone else that had been around them seemed to not care or realize what had happened.
Once Abraham was satisfied that they were now in privacy, he answered the boy. "You've heard about the Speedwagon Foundation? Well, her father is Joseph Joestar, the Real Estate Tycoon and head CEO of the Foundation."
Shirou feels his throat constrict as he's suddenly dragged into some quiet room and he's now alone with Abraham.
Shirou was a bit confused as he's still processing that Abraham had said he met a Joestar. "... You... you've met Joseph Joestar?"
Abraham hushed the teen. Knowing that this information was quite volatile since he needed to remain incognito and not get any more attention for himself, he told Shirou as much as he could in a serious manner. "His daughter, not the man. It was just a coincidence."
Shirou now calmer, but still a bit shocked continued with his annoying "Oh... oh I see... So... when you meet Mr. Joestar... well, Joseph's daughter, are you planning on asking about the man himself?"
"If I know how Holly is, she'd likely share having met me with her parents. Also, she's married and is referred to as Mrs. Kujo, so there's a bit of privacy for her life here in Japan. And no, I am not intending to go past a platonic relationship with Mr. Joestar's daughter, and start an affair that ruins her family. She's too kind to be treated like that."
Shirou seems a bit surprised and also relieved. It seemed out of character for his "manipulative" roommate, and now he knows why: he's trying to respect Mrs. Kujo as well as her family's privacy. "Right, of course not. So you're just staying platonic friends with her, right?"
"Yes, I am. Her family and herself have been very kind to me, so I wish to give that kindness back. Now... since the topic of my friendship with Mrs. Kujo was brought up, would you like me to introduce you to her? I've mentioned before that I can be a good wingman, right?" He says with an ironic smirk, knowing that this would get Shirou to drop his justice crusade of invading his privacy every damn time Shirou found him doing something potentially strange. It was as if the kid wasn't trusting him.
"Eh, I wouldn't... I..." Clears his throat "Well, since you already mentioned her a few times already, maybe it wouldn't..." He's beginning to blush like an idiot. "Would she be okay with you introducing me to her like that?"
"I'll ask her during this Saturday meeting. Now, why don't we return back to our classroom? Our bet isn't over yet and Rin hasn't shown any signs of hating my personality."
"Right, of course. I can still win this bet; Tohsaka hasn't shown any negative signs about your quirky behavior just yet."
As they're walking back to the classroom, he's thinking about the introduction part to Abraham's friendship with Mrs. Kujo.
'Well, now that he seems to be pretty serious about it, maybe I shouldn't have thought that he would try to... no, he can't. This is stupid.'
Continues walking in this silent thought train for a bit, until Abraham stops walking and looks at him.
Abraham stands near the entrance of their classroom, hearing the rumors of the students unsupervised as they enjoyed speculating gossip about the people that weren't there.
(RANDOM STUDENT 1): "I heard that she's bisexual. I mean, why else would she gravitate towards the pretty girls and compliment them?"
(RANDOM STUDENT 2): "Bro~, you must be joking with me here. Tohsaka is just being friendly; why else would a person that helps out with the student council members, when she isn't one herself, btw, behave like that? Besides, she keeps to herself most of the time, and mainly seems aloof to the rest of us as it isn't her business."
Shirou hears those conversations as he stands next to Abraham, and it does seem to grab his attention, particularly because of his own interest in Rin. "Hm... I guess the rumors are just rumors... then again, it isn't the weirdest one I ever heard."
Shirou then notices the tense muscles on Abraham, seeing his grip increase as he tries to remain calm. He didn't know what was bothering the guy, but it was concerning as he seemed to have his veins visible from the pressure he had in reacting like he was right now.
Shirou looked at him with a slightly concerned expression, noticing just how much he was tensioning himself. "Abraham... is something bothering you? Is it the gossip I just heard that was bothering you? I know it can be annoying but you are letting it get to you as evidenced by your grip and muscle tightening."
"Ah..." Abraham softens his grip. It would do him no good if it was revealed how much and why he felt like that. He didn't feel confident in himself to even reveal such a secret to others besides Dio or the Joestars, so he tried to play it cool.
"Words have meaning. Sometimes they have too much when piled... but a ton is still a ton, whether it be a pile of feathers, or a pile of rocks, they'll weigh the same."
"So the gossip words really did get to your head, huh? You do realize that they're just rumors, right? I think it's safe to say that Tohsaka is just as kind and polite to anyone regardless of their gender. I guess some people just like starting trouble for their own entertainment."
'...Rin... she's been isolated in this world. I can't tell whether I should be glad she's alive in this world, or sad that she's lonely and has no true friends to stick by her...'
Abraham sighs. "You are right, Shirou. It's just childish behavior. I'm not the authority to correct them in the first place."
'...yet..'
Shirou was able to tell just from the way he was acting that something more than simply the rumors was bothering him, but he's respectful about it and decides not to pry. "Right... Well, since things don't seem to be bothering you anymore, I guess we can continue to talk about random topics while this 'day' is still ongoing. So then... got anything else that is interesting to discuss? Not like there was something else that was bothering you or anything..."
Abraham smirks, having been collecting some recipes that he would want Shirou to make.
"How familiar are you with Paella, kid?"
"Huh? Paella?" He seems confused. "Isn't that a Spanish dish? That's the only thing I know about it. Why do you ask?"
"Our bet is closing in on the finish date, and I'm looking forward to that dish, Shirou."
A sense of fear grew in Shirou after hearing that. 'I really am going to have to make that difficult dish for him, aren't I?' Then he realizes that, to a degree, he kinda wants to make that dish as well. "Oh... I see. You want me to learn how to make Paella for you, then?"
'Oh God, this boy is too naive for his own good.'
"Well, you might need to do that soon. Taiga does love to lounge in your house and eat our food, so you won't have any free time to do that if she's going to be around."
Shirou realizes that Taiga can be a problem, and he needs some practice time before the bet is over... But, he also understood that practicing for this bet that he still has about a day left might not be his top priority. "Yeah, you're right. I didn't really take into account that Taiga would take most of my time with her being in the house."
On the last day of the bet
Abraham continued working on his notes, finishing the last transfer of his miscellaneous memories into it, further clearing his mind and sharpening his mental capacity. Even though he liked to say he was a strong-willed and sanguine individual, his youthful body still wasn't practiced enough to have gotten to that state. The addition of all the unnecessary details his large archive of "lives" he lived were also complicating his person, and would likely ruin the mission if he simply let them remain.
He needed to remain focused on success...
Soon after, Abraham felt the familiar presence of Rin open the door, just as she promised when they had made this partnership.
He smiled whilst keeping his eyes closed. "Have you brought your sample of work for me to proofread now?"
His eyes stay closed, enjoying his moment of rest and relaxation. He can tell by the sound of her footsteps that she did enter the room, and assumes she's going to give him her work. That is, until he hears a slight giggle and then something hitting/falling on the floor. This breaks his focus immediately.
"Did something fall onto the floor? I hear that you're here, Rin, and..." His eyes go wide open in alertness.
"Yeah, something did fall. Sorry about that~." He can see that she was giggling a bit. That's a bit strange. She hasn't been this playful with him before, usually not even cracking a smile if she's working with him like this. Abraham notices a piece of paper on the floor and, while still suspecting nothing, he picks it up to read. Then, he realizes that she left a bunch of papers on his desk, each with the same topic of writing.
Abraham felt himself turning a little bit red in embarrassment as he saw that the first little note had some 'confessions' written like a cheesy love letter from the old era... And the handwriting belonged to that very same Rin that just gave it to him. She must've written all of these in such neat and beautiful handwriting and taken hours to waste his time. Still he hadn't thought this out yet: why the hell would she write these?
He realized he could work with this. "Rin...did you just..."
He knew the Rin from his world behaved like this before she broke. He hadn't noticed the signs before because back then, she was a little kid and he was just a young boy entering his teens. This was a call out for help.
HE HAS TO ACT.
In a quiet voice, just loud enough for Rin to hear, he began. "I didn't know you were hurting this much..."
She's taken off guard by his sudden understanding. While she was hoping to pull off a good romantic play, she didn't want it to be taken this seriously. The thing is, with her history of mental and emotional issues... She really did need that help from him, but the pride and mindset she had instilled in her from her father didn't allow Rin to fully give in.
"W-well... it... it was... u-uh..." Her voice turns a bit quieter, as she's too nervous to explain herself that easily. She's unsure of how he would take her actions.
'Damn it, Kirei. Now I need to pretend like I'm a maiden in distress.'
Abraham understood the restrictions holding her from acting. He couldn't blame the girl as he had seen what Tokiomi had done to his daughter. Now he was going to have to assist a version of her that grew up with this mindset for much longer.
In an empathetic tone, he gave Rin a convincing excuse. "It's the haters. They keep making fun of you, hoping that your reputation is associated as a degenerate rather than the good person you are."
She blushes as his words are really getting to her. It's like he's a therapist, and can see what bothers her... She's glad that he understands it, but she is getting a bit shy and worried how the exchange student was capable of this.
"Well, that's... part of the truth behind it, yeah. But... the other... the problem is..." 'I need to keep milking more information out of him. It's embarrassing, but…I'm doing this. For the success of the Tohsaka family.'
"You don't have someone to hear you out. No family or individual you trust to listen to your problems, and on top of that, as a Tohsaka, you're expected to keep your family honor as it has been seen since your family was a highly respected clan when Fuyuki was first founded."
Rin's impressed by his accurate judgement of the situation, yet while she seems surprised by his words, she's also wondering how he's already found out about that. "Yeah, exactly... But how did you know all of that? You're not even a permanent resident."
"That doesn't exactly matter if you study and ask the authorities for available history. You want to get back at them. To make the haters fools of themselves without breaking the school rules."
Her eyes were beginning to sparkle, but she stayed defensive despite the tempting offer. "Y-yeah... I don't want them to look down on me or treat me like I'm nothing. They're always trying to humiliate me, and I'm sick of them! But... I don't know what to do... I have nobody to support me in doing that..." 'Whatever he decides to do from here will let me know what sort of person he is. Then I'll be able to handle him like I always have with the boys.'
Abraham was rather Thoughtful with his words, which caught Rin off guard. "I can be that friend. The students don't know me so well, so they might make mistakes with their assumptions of who I am, thus, they wouldn't dare to fight me so soon as I'm an unknown variable."
This was the chance she had been wanting for a while now. She was hoping to hear those words... And she finally did. Her heart beat very fast at the very thought of it, and her blush became brighter. She was going in for the kill and put the boy into the main course.
"And... what will people say when they see you are now my fiancé?"
Abraham felt himself taken aback, but he kept himself in place, only letting his eyes blink a couple of times.
Politely, he navigates around Rin's idea. "You mean engaged to you since before the students knew I even existed? I'm rather impressed that you'd like to turn the tables on them like this, having me be your secret fiancé, but it will mean we'll have to put in the work to make it convincing."
"It's a good idea. I've actually... I have been wanting to do something like this for a while. I have felt the weight of my reputation being damaged over the past few weeks, and it has been getting harder on me mentally." Her voice becomes softer, as she continues. "But I believe we can make this look convincing enough for those bullies of mine. We just need to act the part, right?"
Abraham calmly nods, then softly smiles to reassure her. "Correct. Besides, it will be entertaining seeing them make fools of each other trying to solve 'the mystery' of why I have yet to crack their faces in just for spreading humiliating rumors about my fiancée with such words."
She can't help but feel excited at this point as his smile made her blush again. "Heh... yeah, they'll definitely try finding clues on what's happening. But they're not gonna find it so easily. But... How do we begin? How should we act in order to make people believe that we're engaged?"
Abraham thought about it for a bit. In all of the memories he had living, he had never experienced this before. It was new to him, but he wanted to help the girl to his best ability. Thus, he decided on trying with a romanticist approach.
He gave her such encouraging advice. "Why not present ourselves as being more familiar with one another, set the mood that we share as one of a couple that like each other. You know, like the sort of pair found in romance movies that are presented as the OTP?"
She blushed again, feeling her heartbeat increasing as this idea came from him. If he was indeed as dangerous for her as Kirei had said, then this boy was good at his task. "That... that actually sounds pretty good. We would just need to act like we already have that sort of intimate bond, and make them believe that we've already been dating for a while... Do you think just that is enough to make them believe that?"
'I'll have to be treating her like my late friend. It might be hurtful and a betrayal to her memory, but this is still a version of her, and I made a promise in the past that I'd protect her, even if this isn't the same girl.'
He nodded slightly. "We should be able to pull it off. Let me give you my contact information, in case you need to talk to me or send a heads up on any upcoming issues that can ruin the plan. We can have dates that can double as our meetings to improve any aspect of failures in our plan as well if you'd like."
"Of course! We have to work together on this, and get to know one another better in order to prepare ourselves for how others might perceive us as together, to make them think we actually are a romantic pair. And I'll hand you my info as well as the residence, since it would be best that 'my fiancé' knows where I live, or else this plan could fall apart... But then again, shouldn't we keep this a secret to make sure people are surprised about us? Besides, I don't think anyone will expect this sudden shift in our relationship, so we don't need to get in the way of anything."
He smiled widely and chuckled. "For the meantime, yes. While we're on those 'secret dates' and treating each other kindly in school, should anyone find out that we are 'Dating' we can then reveal that it's not a big deal, since we are 'engaged' and that will make them a bigger buffoon than they are as they tried to ruin your reputation with that information. The more they are confused, the better it will be when the people that are always pushing to harm your reputation are turned on by the regular gossipers."
Abraham's idea certainly made Rin giggle softly. He seemed too empathetic and nice to be as bad as Kirei said. "Heh... yeah, that would be pretty entertaining to see them trying to grasp the idea of our engagement... And they'll try to spread those kinds of gossip again, not knowing that we're not really dating, just 'engaged' as you have pointed out. That will get them even more confused, and people will realize how stupid they are. We're going to destroy their reputation and make them look really dumb."
Rin was actually starting to feel better now that she has a plan with someone to get back at those stupid people she couldn't retaliate unless she was willing to risk Kirei getting involved if it escalated too far. If only she could do something like that as a child. "By the way, Abraham, how do we make ourselves act like 'a romantic pair'? Like, do we just pretend to be really good friends that care about each other, or something similar to lovey-dovey couples we see in movies?"
"Close friends," He said without really thinking. He then realized that he was overwhelmed by his nostalgia, but it seemed that Rin did not pick up on this and just happily agreed, glad that he wasn't taking advantage of this and trying to pull a fast one on her.
"Close friends... got it. Well, we are going to look like the closest friends, the perfect pair, after all this is all just a joke to trick those bullies, hehe."
As the two finished detailing how their plan would be practiced in public, they both decided it was getting late and needed to return to their respective households. Rin then suddenly decided to hug the young man, giggling softly as she found a friend she could trust to help her out, then left the school grounds as she needed to get back to her house.
The action had left Abraham stunned for a bit, as it was quite similar to how he recalled his Rin had done the same to him when she was extremely trusting of him. He then brushed it off, knowing he was required to get back to the Emiya residence to settle the bet with Shirou.
As Rin was approaching a street crossing to enter the path to her own home, she was still thinking about that moment with Abraham when he accepted the task of acting as her fiancé. She hadn't felt this good in a while... She could feel her depression and negative thoughts slowly fading away.
"...he's so trustworthy." She smiled softly to herself as she was trying to find excuses to make herself believe how he'd help her to get back at them despite initially getting close to him as part of her duties as the Second Owner. That was what she needed, and he was right on his conclusions on her.
"But..." She sighed, as her thoughts became a bit worrisome again. "He still doesn't know who I really am. I'm spying on him and still he has the kindness to try and help me with this mess I'm in... What is he going to think when he finds out? I'm sure he'll hate me by then. I don't want him to hate me... he seems to be such a genuine person..."
At the Emiya Residence
Shirou was sitting in the living room, practicing his Projection magecraft. He was quite tired from his intensive routine, but he still heard Abraham's footsteps as he came back and hid the evidence of his usage of it.
Abraham was ecstatic and grinning. "Guess who won the bet, boy."
"... you won the bet... didn't you?"
Abraham noticed as Shirou had shifted his arms to hide what he was doing, but made no mention of it. After all, Eudora had humans that could manipulate energy, just as there were also magic users, so it wasn't a surprise to him if this world had something similar.
"I did. So...Would you like to make that dish for me tomorrow, or shall we enjoy it on Sunday?"
"I'll make the dish for you by tomorrow, alright." He then stood up, stretching a little bit. "You look happy... What happened? Did you have a good day today?"
Abraham decided it would be best to keep the details a secret, so he only gave Shirou the basic gist of how things were going.
With a prideful tone for completing the feat, he began."Tohsaka-san has decided to continue our partnership. I'm trustworthy in her eyes. And the best news of all... I'm not someone who annoys her."
Shirou nodded, seemingly relieved to hear the news. "So, things went well today for you, huh? You looked pretty ecstatic with that grin on your face. It looks like she has come around to trust you, and that she really likes your presence. That's... good. I think that she is coming to accept you as a familiar person."
Abraham was a bit irritated by the perceived backhanded insult. He could tell that Shirou had an interest in Rin since he observed the students in school, but he wasn't going to let the boy insult him like that. "What? Shirou, you forget how you said that she's probably only accepted helping with my writings because she felt obligated to do so. I managed to get a fair relationship with her where we are equals, so no 'Noblesse Oblige' to hide their reasoning for sticking around."
"Huh... I didn't mean to demean you there... I'm just saying that I'm happy for you, actually! I'm glad she's come to trust you, considering that she rarely shows these feelings to others..." He suddenly remembered how Sakura came to trust him as well, and she really appreciated him because of it. "In a way, it's a... good thing that she's come to trust you, after all... after knowing others for so long, I'm beginning to understand how much it is... appreciated."
"Right. I'll be heading off to bed. Need to rest in order to start Saturday off just as it starts."
"Yeah, same here... good night, then."
As Abraham left, he was left alone again and began thinking. 'Abraham... I should tell him about what I feel, maybe he'll…' However, he decided to push that thought to the back of his mind, and lay down on his bed, drifting into a comfortable sleep.
Maybe Shirou didn't need to worry too much about it, as perhaps Tohsaka was more open than he had initially thought.
Tokyo, Saturday 6:50 AM
Abraham had arrived at the corner a few blocks away from the School Dio had informed him Kakyoin was going to. He mentioned that the kid had red hair, and was fairly tall, but that was most of what he remembered in terms of basic details. As such, he pulled out his phone, seeing a photo that was sent to him by Dio.
In the photo, Kakyoin was sitting on a park bench, reading a book by himself. His hair was indeed red and thickly combed, and he was quite tall as Abraham was informed. He still looked so innocent, which meant he didn't look like he'd be a potential threat; he truly reminded Abraham of a normal high school student.
'Dio's personal view of the world comes in handy when I need the details to work with these subordinates of his now. Might as well present myself while I can.'
"Noriaki Kakyoin? I am Abraham Ruel. Am I right to understand that Dio has informed you of my current stay in Japan... and of the assistance I require?"
He looks up from his book, slightly surprised to be talked to by a random stranger, but as soon he saw Abraham, he realized that the person standing before him was the one Dio had told him about in their communication.
"Yes, I do believe that Dio has told me about you. And it is correct that he has asked about an 'assistance', however, I do not have any clue as to what it is."
'Good. It seems he is not given orders, so he wouldn't make any mistakes on either engaging against the Joestars or getting killed.'
He controlled his words carefully, knowing that Kakyoin would possibly react negatively. "It is a rather dangerous mission, but one I believe is necessary and requires the best people possible. There is this Priest that manages a church in the city I am taking residence at, and I believe he is a threat that cannot be ignored. You'd understand if you met him... but I do not wish such an experience to anyone unprepared for what might happen."
This 'Priest' certainly raised Kakyoin's eyebrows more than once. Kakyoin's expression then changed to a determined one, as he realized this might be a serious threat when Abraham mentioned it.
"I see... you mentioned a 'dangerous mission'... if I am to help you out with this threat, what should I do to assist you?"
"For now, it would be best to remain in contact with me while the rest of the team arrives. You wouldn't need to leave school while everyone else is not even ready. Additionally, I do need to prepare a small procedure with you, but I just need you to stay still for a bit."
For a bit, Kakyoin was slightly confused regarding the small procedure Abraham was talking about, but he decided to not pry on the matter too much.
"So, all I have to do is just to keep in touch with you while everyone else is ready. Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Though, what is this 'small procedure' that you have to do with me, if I may ask?"
Abraham quickly restrained Kakyoin on the park bench, laying him on the ground as he then pulled out a needle and UV flashlight. He injected the flesh bud with a paralysis fluid, causing the foreign cells to loosen its hold on the boy, and then flashed it with the UV light. The process was now completed, with no issues of it reacting horribly and attempting to retaliate towards either of them.
In a reassuring tone, Abraham informed Kakyoin the 'truth' that he had decided would not cause the young man to turn coat on him. "When you left Egypt, Dio had given you one of his flesh buds to ensure that one of his subordinates that he was suspecting to be working against him wouldn't try to hold anyone else hostage, thus this foreign entity was placed on your personal. It was a safety measure, in case they tried to attack you directly inside your head, which would have meant instant death. Now that I removed the flesh bud, you should feel like your regular self and be capable of using your full potential with your stand."
The flesh bud removal process was certainly new and a bit surreal to Kakyoin, but he managed to remain calm. He didn't struggle too much when Abraham restrained him, and when the process was finished, he did suddenly feel relieved, as if something that was causing him discomfort was finally gone for good. Kakyoin had some suspicions about the flesh bud given to him, but after what he had just witnessed and felt, it had quickly answered his doubts. Kakyoin was now determined to help Abraham's cause.
"Thank you for removing it. I feel much better now, my thoughts are clearer and I can feel my mind being more free. I feel that I can now fight without the fear of being overwhelmed by those foreign cells."
"No problem. I need to head over for my next task now."
"Oh. Mr Ruel! While I'm waiting for the others to arrive, what should I do?"
Abraham wondered for a bit. Perhaps he could give the boy a small task, like keeping tabs on Jotaro for him, and see how he was reacting to how his mother's meetings with Abraham were affecting Jotaro.
"If you may, I'd like for you to keep an eye on Jotaro Kujo. Don't engage with the young man, but certainly try to get info on him regarding how his house life is affecting him. Think of this as a test of espionage, alright? Other than that, I require you to study as much as you can of human anatomy."
"Oh, yes, I'll be certain to do that, and I surely can keep an eye on Jotaro. I'd just have to observe him from a distance, right. Do I have that right?"
"Correct." He then proceeded to shake the Redhead's hand, and left towards his meeting with Holly Kujo. He was not looking forward to whatever she had planned for him.
As Abraham left, Kakyoin got back up, and began heading to the library for a medical book on anatomy. He'd later go looking around the area for Jotaro, as he was quite good at detecting people's presence, so it wouldn't be too hard for him to keep up with Jotaro during the day; all he needed was just to not go too close. Kakyoin was sure to not fail his task and would begin to keep his distance from the young man, observing and studying him...
Kujo Residence, 9 AM
Abraham arrived as he had planned, knowing that Holly had asked for him to visit at this hour. It seemed that she too liked to take care of business as soon as possible during the day, so he thought nothing of it. However, he did wonder whether or not Jotaro was home right now.
He couldn't tell which was worse: that the kid was home or wasn't?
He decided not to worry about whether Jotaro was home or not. The less he thinks about any possible complications, the easier the situation would be to handle, after all. As he approached the house, he kept his mind clear of any intrusive thoughts; he just needed to maintain his composure and play it cool. He then knocked on the door, and waited for the door to be opened.
She then opened the door, her face neutral as usual, but the corner of her lips turned up into a slight smile. "So, you have kept your promise and decided to come. I have something important to talk about with you..."
Holly smiled, and began leading Abraham to the living room.
"As I've said before, I have something very important to discuss with you... can we talk about it here?" She pointed to the couch, where she sat down, while Abraham had no choice but to take a seat right next to her.
Holly began thinking about the subject she was going to discuss. While she was certainly pleased with Abraham remaining true to his word and coming over to visit today, she decided to play her best cards for him. "So, have you given some thought about when we can go through with our 'plans'?"
'The hell does she mean by...'
Abraham nodded, understanding that Holly wanted to be reassured that Abraham's employer had been working on backup plans.
At least, that was what he was understanding.
Right?
"Good." The way she was talking, and the way she was looking at Abraham felt somewhat intimate- almost like an exchange between two lovers. However, Abraham quickly put those thoughts aside since he knew that he was just imagining things, since Holly was, like, a good 25 years older than him.
She had started thinking about something else, and looked at Abraham again, her smile somewhat more seductive and flirty than before. "But, before we discuss that, may I ask about something?"
He felt confused by this unexpected and sudden change of topic, but he didn't let it show too much. He just kept his composure, hoping to be ready for whatever Holly was about to say. "Sure, I'm listening... what is it you want to ask me?"
"Have you ever had a girlfriend or a lover? Or are you still single?"
His face turned bright red with embarrassment from the sudden question, as he was completely unprepared to answer such a personal question. He quickly shook his head, as she smiled even more flirtatiously than before. Was he being... hit on right now...?
His mind blanked as he heard this
In all honesty he never had one, but to be technical with his experience, he was currently going to be together with Rin soon, so he'd rather remain faithful to his word.
Once Abraham gained control of his senses again, he continued. "I am actually entering a relationship right now. I'd like to be true to my word, and not harm the woman I've made my promise to."
She kept smiling, her expression going even more seductive than before. "That's a very noble act, I applaud your commitment to your vows. However, I must ask, is this love genuine? For you only started a relationship with her only recently, haven't you? I'm simply wondering."
'My love for her has spanned since the beginning.'
"It is the first time we've come to an agreement on how we would behave in public with each other. She doesn't want people to mistreat her behavior, and so she's agreed to make some changes for our benefit."
"I see... so you two have been in love with each other for a while then? You've only now decided to make it official, then? That seems quite curious, but regardless, it's still nice to see that you have given it extensive thought before taking this big step with your partner."
Her smile then returned back to normal.
"You must be happy with finally making this commitment? Having a stable love life can make one feel more secure... although, I doubt that your partner is enough to suppress whatever desire you may have to keep up with your work, right? I can certainly help you with those desires..." Holly's implied message scared Abraham.
Abraham decided to play the Sigma Male Energy method, and went with his personal rejection process.
"I am sorry Mrs. Kujo. I'm an Asperger and am on the Ace Spectrum. We barely know each other and I don't feel like I could provide for you to live like this. I mean, could you imagine me being capable of rearing a wonderful child like your son has ended up?"
Holly was obviously surprised by Abraham's rejection, and she stuttered for a bit after he started talking about his Asperger's Syndrome. She was caught up on the fact that Abraham was an Aspie, and that she would never have expected that from a person who looked as stoic and professional as him. Holly then put her hand on her mouth, slightly embarrassed by her attempt at seduction. She was quiet for a bit, before speaking again.
"I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have brought this subject up..."
"It's okay... people make mistakes when lost. Just... Please try not to do this sort of thing to me as I don't like that sort of culture."
"Alright..." She took a deep breath, her face returning to how it was before she began flirting with Abraham. A sense of embarrassment hung in the air, but she was trying to avoid making this situation even more awkward than it had to be. She then began thinking about something else, and changed the topic to something else.
"So, have you completed the preparations for our..." She was going to say 'our business', but she stopped short before saying it, stopping herself from revealing her true intentions.
Abraham was confused, but remained collected for the most part. "Preparations for what, Mrs Kujo?"
She was taken aback by Abraham's innocent and pure question, considering that she was trying to be very flirty with him earlier. She decided to tell him the truth, and she spoke once more in a stern but neutral tone, her face becoming expressionless.
"I'm talking about the business we originally had in mind. You see, I'm currently working on backing a candidate for a political position. That is what I initially came here to talk to you about; and then..."
Ah... It seemed as if Holly wanted him to help her navigate the political world. That was a rather familiar aspect of his life, but Holly wouldn't exactly appreciate what assets he brought to the table.
He relaxed. "Then let's talk."
She nodded her head as he accepted to listen to her, and she cleared her throat before speaking again with an expression that was now being more neutral and serious, "There's a candidate who I believe has a good shot at winning the election. The problem is, he's too inexperienced in the political world, and I believe that he needs proper guidance from someone who has experience dealing with politicians and their ways."
–Later–
Abraham was about to take his leave, when he remembered the discussion he had with Shirou. He said that he'd asked Holly for a meeting, but never did he say he'd guarantee that meeting. An attempt would suffice.
"Mrs. Kujo, if you may please hear me out, I have a friend that had asked for a meeting with you. He's my roommate, and was rather intrigued by you requesting me for our weekly meetings. He wanted to know if it were possible for him to also meet you."
'Whether Shirou has to deal with her advances will be on him. I feel Sorry for Sakura if the kid can't get himself out of the trap, though.'
She felt intrigued by Abraham's request, especially since she was curious as to which friend of his would have the balls to request a meeting with her. She then smiled slightly, and answered his request.
"Ah, how intriguing. Yes, I suppose I can meet him. You may tell him to come over any time he wants."
'Looks like I'll have to train the boy... He won't survive any of Jotaro's beat downs if I don't…'
He nods and politely smiles. "Then I shall let him know of this update."
"Please do, dear."
She then started thinking about something again, and then spoke once more, her expression becoming neutral. "If I may ask, what's your friend's name?"
"Shirou Emiya."
Holly was surprised, but she did well in keeping her cool and hiding her shock about who she was going to meet, as that Surname was somewhat infamous as her family's organization had kept a tab on the man who was well renowned as an extreme utilitarian. "Well then, next time you come, please do bring him with you. I'd like to meet him."
Emiya Residence
Once Abraham returned home, he dropped his bag and fell back on the sofa. It was a tiring Saturday morning and he wasn't looking forward to his next meeting. Hopefully Holly did inform her father about the threat to humanity by now.
"Ah! Shirou! I asked Mrs Kujo about your request. She said she accepted to meet you, so we'll be seeing her together on Saturday when I return to Tokyo."
Shirou was just about to ask Abraham if he had talked to Holly. Thankfully he came just at the right moment; as a sigh of relief left his own mouth when he heard the news.
Shirou was a bit surprised. "Wait, she accepted right away? I thought she would've dismissed it as a joke that would've been hard for her to take seriously or anything like that. She was nice enough to accept so quickly?"
Abraham nodded his head. "She is. However, I'm going to have to give you some training so that you'll be socially adept enough to navigate around these types of people. They are the elite, so they think in a manner quite different from the common folk."
Shirou seemed surprised, and somewhat relieved to hear that Abraham was going to train him to become an adept socialite. He then replied to his roommate with a bit of nervousness, not knowing what to expect.
"U-Uh huh! That's... certainly a great idea. I mean, I'm not that bad with dealing with people, but... I guess it's better to learn some skills and tactics in dealing with them, for future reference, right?"