Sorry for another long absence, fellas. Earlier this year I reached the conclusion that I wasn't happy with my current life anymore, so I'm channeling my inner Jasper and aiming to improve it. I'm back in college, trying to quit drinking for good, and even met a nice girl on the side.
Which reminds me, I never mentioned if this story will include a romantic subplot (or twenty). Here's the answer:
I HOPE NOT
(Abydos Autonomous District – Six Hours Earlier)
Her phone alarm woke her up at 7:00 sharp, as it always did on weekdays.
The bed's inhabitant yawned as she rubbed the lingering drowsiness from her eyes with a fist, her free hand searching for her phone. She found it after a bit of semi-blind fumbling and hit the snooze button, a part of her wishing she could sleep in a little longer.
The corners of her mouth twitched upward. She sounded like Hoshino just then. She hoped her lazy senior wasn't rubbing off on her.
Channeling her athlete's discipline, the girl swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head of grayish-silver hair, another yawn escaping. She meandered over to the window and slid it open, smiling faintly as a light breeze ruffled her wolven ears.
"Nn. Another gorgeous day… That's good," Sunaookami Shiroko mused aloud.
Her morning routine was intimately familiar by now. She showered and got dressed in her dorm's private bathroom, made her bed, and whipped up a quick breakfast of granola and a protein shake. Shiroko slung her trusty SIG 556 over her back before leaving her room and heading downstairs to grab her bicycle.
As she took the bike outside, the blue-eyed student reflected, not for the first time, on how far she'd come since enrolling at Abydos. It took many months of self-improvement and hard work to convince Hoshino and Nonomi that she could be trusted to live on her own.
Yes, she was the dorm's sole inhabitant… but it still had power and running water, and she was content there. Besides, the other girls did enough for her already. It was the least she could do to thank them by pulling her own weight.
Shiroko began the long ride to school, navigating by memory alone down sunscorched roads while expertly avoiding numerous cracks and potholes.
It was quiet out – even with her extra set of ears, the only sounds came from her bike's tires crunching over sand and the wind whipping through her hair. It was a stark difference from the usual bustle of Kivotos' other districts. Not that she minded.
She looked into the horizon as she took a sip from her canteen, taking in the vast expanse of ruined buildings that was Abydos' former downtown district. Once-impressive skyscrapers tilted at dangerous angles, threatening to be swallowed by the sands of time and the encroaching desert. Occasionally she'd spot remnants of vehicles peeking out beneath the dunes, the paint long since faded, the bodywork invariably caked with rust.
It was a sad sight to say the least – the last vestiges of what was once the academy city's wealthiest and most powerful autonomous district. Shiroko would've loved to see it in its prime.
Her travels took her through the metropolis' ruins, then an abandoned manufacturing plant. Serika made a fuss yesterday about her riding through there on a bike, insisting it was risky, though the silver-haired girl simply brushed her classmate off. It wasn't as though she'd gone in blind; she'd scouted the route the day beforehand to make sure it was safe. It shaved a whopping eight minutes off her arrival time, too.
So, no, cycling through decrepit places didn't worry her.
The Helmet Gang, on the other hand…
Eventually, after nearly a half hour's worth of pedaling, Shiroko arrived at the gates to Abydos High School: a quaint three-story building on the outskirts of the district's most populated town. To her quiet delight, she made it just in time to see Ayane getting off the bus.
The bespectacled girl waved at her with a smile. "Shiroko! Good morning!"
She returned the smile with a soft one of her own. "Good morning, Ayane. It seems like the Helmets didn't give you any trouble… that's good."
"Thankfully they know better than to attack public transport," she replied with a rueful smile. Her sunset-colored eyes wandered to Shiroko's bike. "You're here earlier than usual. Did you cut through that old factory again?"
"Nn… maybe."
Ayane sighed. "Shiroko… I won't tell Serika, but she's right to worry when you ride through places that are literally falling apart."
"I'm being careful," Shiroko insisted as the two of them approached the main school building. She stopped to lock her bike to the rack, her classmate waiting patiently as she did so.
The girls entered together and walked through a sand-strewn hallway before ascending the stairs to the second floor. They navigated down a second, much cleaner hallway lined with recently polished windows – Nonomi had been busy this morning, it appeared – and soon they found themselves in front of a nondescript classroom. Or it would've been nondescript, if a piece of paper printed "Abydos Foreclosure Task Force" wasn't taped over the room number.
Shiroko allowed Ayane to enter first and shut the door behind them. The room was designed for small-scale tutoring if what Hoshino said was true, though it was still big enough that the school's five remaining students saw fit to convert the space into a makeshift headquarters of sorts.
Over by the dry erase board, Shiroko saw Serika's fuzzy cat ears perk up and swivel at the noise. She paused, turning her head and giving her friends a brief smile before she resumed writing down the topics of today's meeting. Shiroko nodded back and took a seat next to Nonomi, exchanging polite greetings with her fellow second-year.
As for Hoshino…
"Zzzz…"
A casual onlooker would've assumed the older girl died slumped over the table without her snoring.
Nothing out of the ordinary, then.
Ayane took Serika's spot in front of the board and clapped her hands together, signaling it was time to get to business.
"Welcome to another meeting, everyone!" she began. "As you all know, yesterday we successfully paid off another eight million yen in monthly interest. It was tough going, but we managed to pull through."
"Kaiser must get a sick kick watching us run ourselves ragged like this," Serika openly groused.
Nonomi frowned and leaned closer to the cat girl. "I've been meaning to ask this, Serika, but are you feeling okay lately?"
"O-Of course I'm feeling okay! Why wouldn't I be?!" she snapped, a bit too defensively in Shiroko's opinion.
"You've got bags under your eyes," Nonomi pointed out. Her frown deepened. "What is it you do to help repay Abydos' debt, anyway? I know that Shiroko goes spelunking, and Ayane dismantles and sells building materials, but it worries me that you've never said how you make money."
Serika sweat-dropped, averting her ruby gaze as all eyes suddenly fell on her. "Oh, I uh… Nothing illegal, I just do, y'know…" She fidgeted in her seat. "I just do… stuff."
"What kind of stuff?" Shiroko prodded.
"The kind of stuff that'll pay off our loans, that's what!"
"You're not investing in Shibacoin again, are you?" Ayane had every reason to sound concerned about that particular possibility.
Serika banged her fist on the table and yelled, "No, I haven't! Even though it's bound to turn a profit soon! Then we'll have missed out and you'll all be sorry!"
The noise and impact startled Hoshino awake. Her halo flickered to life and she jolted upright, looking around as her mismatched eyes blinked rapidly. "Huh, whuzzat? Did we start already?"
She arched her back like a cat and stretched. Shiroko heard something pop.
"Ahh, that's better. These old bones aren't what they used to be…" She gave an apologetic giggle. "Did I miss anything good?"
"We've only just begun, actually-" Ayane got out before Serika interrupted.
"Hoshino, you're the senior here! Explain to the others how cryptocurrency shouldn't be anything to be afraid of!"
"Calm down, Serika," Nonomi chided gently.
Shiroko was content to stay silent, having nothing valuable to add. She'd seen this same scenario play out a hundred times before. However, no matter how repetitive or heated things often got, she wouldn't trade them for anything – even a mountain of cash big enough to clear their debt instantly.
She loved being with her friends, it was as simple as that. They'd given her so much, too: clothing, an education, life experience, companionship.
They'd given her a home here. And Shiroko would do whatever was necessary to keep it.
Hoshino rubbed her chin, humming. "I don't know much about crypto-nonsense; that's more of a young people thing… though last night I heard rumors about an operation to get that big ol' tower over in D.U. up and running again. Sounds way more important if you ask me."
"I heard about that, too!" Nonomi excitedly chimed in. "And it must've succeeded, because when I passed by the subway entrance this morning, I saw people going in and out! We're not cut off from other districts anymore!"
"While that is great news," Shiroko interjected, "I wouldn't bet on the General Student Council answering us all of a sudden."
"Shiroko's right, unfortunately." Serika sighed. "Even before their president's disappearance, the GSC couldn't be bothered to help save a school with only five students enrolled. I don't see that changing now."
Nonomi, in typical fashion, tried to stay optimistic. "Look on the bright side! Now we can search for work outside of Abydos!"
Hoshino's shoulders slumped. "That's true, but it doesn't change the fact we're still on our own..."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that."
Everyone turned to face Ayane. The elf girl pushed her glasses up with a finger and continued, "This coincidentally leads us to the main topic of today's discussion. Have any of you heard about the Federal Investigation Club yet?"
Their reply was a collective "No".
"Check your phones. Look for an email from the GSC."
The four girls did so immediately, though it took Shiroko a bit longer to find it than her peers. She'd changed the settings long ago to automatically move any GSC-sent emails straight to the junk folder. The politicians obviously didn't care about Abydos, so why should she give a damn about anything they had to say?
After a few seconds' scrolling, she found it between an invite to Wild Hunt's slam poetry night and a donation link to the President Cherino Delicious Pudding Foundation (whatever that was).
She was halfway through its contents when Serika chose to make her disdain at the overly formal message known.
"Extrajudicial authority? SCHALE? What do any of these stupid buzzwords even mean?" the cat girl groused.
Nonomi answered without taking her eyes off her phone screen. "I think it means that instead of solving the problems of Kivotos' student body directly, the GSC created a powerful third-party organization to do it for them," she surmised.
"Sounds inefficient. And lazy. Basically, it sounds exactly like something the General Student Council would do," Hoshino snarked.
She let out a rueful sigh. "But it also sounds better than nothing. Hey Ayane, how's about penning up a letter to this 'Federal Investigation Club' and seeing whether they'll lend these poor, suffering students a helping hand? Let's find out if this is all just a hollow attempt at getting some goodwill back."
"I'll get on it right away." Ayane folded her hands behind her back and nodded.
Bang! Bang!
A spiderweb crack spread from where a small-caliber round lodged itself in the window.
"Not again," Hoshino let out another sigh while Nonomi started fussing about just having cleaned that window. The pink-haired girl slid her chair back and grabbed her trusty shotgun. "Darn Helmet Gangsters. Shiroko, wanna help this old geezer remind these whippersnappers why they should always respect their elders?"
Shiroko was already on her feet with White Fang 465 in hand. She inserted a magazine and racked the charging handle. "Gladly."
The older girl promptly smashed the window and vaulted outside. Shiroko followed after her, but as she took aim at the first Helmet Gangster, her mind drifted to a peculiarity about SCHALE that went unmentioned during the meeting.
According to the email, the club was supposedly led by an "experienced advisor".
Shiroko wondered what they were like.
(D.U. Outskirts - Present Time)
Morizuki Suzumi supposed that in hindsight, she should've expected Jasper Finch– or rather, Finch-sensei, to be doing something stupid when she arrived.
He was out of his prison suit and facing away from her, though the absence of a halo along with his dumb haircut allowed Suzumi to spot him easily. As she drew closer to Schale's main entrance, she saw him exhale on the window, then doodle on the glass with a finger.
She frowned. He was outside, exposed with his back turned – not smart. An assassin could've been aiming for him and he would've been none the wiser.
She cleared her throat. "I said I'd text you when I got here. Seems like you couldn't wait for me."
To Sensei's credit, he only flinched for a moment before turning around. Suzumi got a brief look at his window art: a crude drawing of a giant, devil-horned Hasumi rampaging through the city, engaged by tanks and fighter jets.
She suddenly recalled how the GSC expected this man to be a teacher.
"Oh, hey Suzumi," he greeted. "What the hell took you so long?"
"What do you mean?" She blinked in confusion, caught off guard. "I told you it would be a 45 minute trip. Sorry if I ran into a little traffic along the way."
"You sure it's only been 45 minutes? Because it feels like I've been waiting for over six months!"
Suzumi put her hand on her hip and raised a silvery brow at him. Sensei got her message.
"Whatever, not important," he sighed. His posture straightened. "Anyway, there's a few places I'd like to hit up today, so we'd best get a move on. I'm also thinking of grabbing lunch later, maybe around 3:00. That cool with you?"
She studied him for another moment. Despite Finch-sensei's outward appearance and attitude, he was at least aware of his own fragility. He'd made a smart decision requesting a bodyguard. And while she wouldn't admit it aloud, a part of Suzumi was flattered that he'd asked her specifically.
"Sounds like a plan." She nodded. "Though I'm also not familiar with this area, so I'll have to pull a map up on my phone."
"Okay, sure. No problemo. As long as we get where we need to." He paused to scratch his beard. "I really appreciate you doing this, by the way. Deadass."
He missed her smile as they descended down the front steps to the sidewalk, side by side, ready to begin a relaxing day out together.
Sensei had another question. "Do you know if there's a Men's Wearhouse in this city? I desperately need some new duds, but I also don't wanna be caught dead at Hot Topic or Victoria's Secret or wherever the fuck you Kivotos girls get your outfits."
Suzumi glanced at him with a vaguely amused smile. "I've never heard of those brands, if that's what they are. However, I did see-"
A couple of unknown girls across the street, pointing their phones at them and whispering.
All rational thought evaporated instantly, replaced by raw combat instinct.
"Get behind the car!" she shouted to Sensei. He tensed up, but frustratingly just stood there like an idiot.
"Wha-?"
"Move!" She shoved the clueless adult into cover before priming her signature weapon with practiced ease. "Deploying flash grenade!"
She aimed it perfectly. The grenade hit the ground between the potential assailants' feet and detonated with an ear-splitting bang; both girls reeled in shock, crying out and covering their ears. With their hands away from their weapons, it was time to bug out.
"Now's our chance. Let's get out of here! Quickly, follow me!"
Suzumi grabbed her dazed Sensei's hand and hauled him up. She fled with the teacher in tow, running with a sense of urgency through intersections, alleyways, pedestrian bridges– anywhere that would put more distance between them and the suspicious students.
"What the fuck's gotten into you, kid?! Hey, quit tearing my arm off! Suzumi!" Finch-sensei protested loudly. She ignored him.
It was only after they'd barrelled through the front doors of a somewhat busy department store that she finally relaxed enough to slow down and address him. "...Phew. We should be safe now," she panted. "To think they would target you in broad daylight… How bold."
"The fuck are you on about? Who was t-targeting me?" Sensei was wheezing, hunched over with his hands on his knees.
With the danger a long way behind them, Suzumi was free to calmly explain what she'd seen and how it motivated her to act.
Sensei's annoyed expression told her he wasn't buying her answer. "So let me get this straight," he said flatly. "You assaulted what was probably just a couple of ordinary students because they were looking at us funny?"
"You think they were just regular students? Don't be naive, Sensei." Suzumi huffed. "You saw the way they were holding their phones, didn't you? They must have been trying to take photos of you to report to their superiors."
It happened in Trinity all the time. The problem with a school district populated by the children of numerous wealthy families was that it also attracted scammers, gangs, and other thieves looking to make an ill-gotten fortune. Students were often discreetly scouted out by potential kidnappers; the richer and more influential they were, the likelier they'd be taken and held for ransom.
It became such a huge issue that some students – sick of living in constant fear – quit relying on the Justice Task Force for protection and taught themselves how to fight back instead. Thus the Vigilante Crew was created, and while they had next to no proper funding or leadership and weren't technically even a registered club, they proved effective enough peacekeepers that the Tea Party was willing to look the other way. And Suzumi was proud to be a member of that force.
She closed her eyes with a smile, confident in her assessment.
"Or – and hear me out – they saw a weird guy with no halo and wanted a picture to show their friends." Finch-sensei casually torpedoed that assessment.
Her smile faltered. "That's… also a possibility," she admitted.
"I thought you were the normal one…" she heard him mutter. He looked around the department store. "Anyway, this is actually a good first stop. Let's find the men's section, then I'll treat you to a little fashion show, yeah?"
Finch-sensei, as she quickly learned, had some interesting views on formality.
He'd flatly rejected a nice three-piece suit the moment she showed it to him, claiming it wasn't his style. Same with the matching dress shoes. And the next suit she suggested. And the one after that. Suzumi began to suspect he harbored some type of grudge against business suits.
In retaliation, she vetoed any T-shirts with vulgar wording on them. She put her foot down when Sensei complained, reminding him that he was a teacher now and how he needed to become a good role model for his students.
The irony that a guy like him outplayed the infamous Kosaka Wakamo just 24 hours ago wasn't lost on Suzumi.
He'd still carried a big pile of clothes with him when he disappeared into the changing room. That was almost fifteen minutes ago, and Suzumi was getting bored.
Still, she was patient. She browsed MomoTalk as she waited on a cushioned seat, one leg folded over the other; though her red eyes flickered toward any passing shoppers who drew too close to her personal bubble. Who knew what sorts of unsavory people could be lurking in the crowd…
As she privately debated whether or not to knock on the changing room door, Finch-sensei finally emerged, wearing a proud smile and a, uhh… Suzumi was going to call it an eclectic mixture of ideas.
Giving credit where it was due, he'd done a lot right. He'd taken some of her advice, choosing a beige suit jacket over a white button-up shirt, as well as black shoes with white trim and laces. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, showing off his tattoos and a monochrome LED watch on his left wrist – a nice addition, in her opinion.
The outfit sort of fell apart from there. He was wearing jeans, and he'd clearly given up on the skinny fuchsia necktie. He didn't bother tucking his shirt in, either.
She saw what he was going for: a business casual type of look. He'd just leaned way too hard toward the "casual" side.
"So? Whaddaya think?" he asked her eagerly. Suzumi chose to be honest.
"You look like a washed up college professor," she bluntly replied. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle when his face fell. "I like it, though! It's creative, but in a good way."
She watched amusedly as Sensei's confidence visibly rebounded. His cocksure grin returned as he adjusted his tie. "Yeah, well, what can I say? Your boy's got a unique style. Not a lot of people can pull off this look," he bragged.
"You're really one of a kind, Finch-sensei." Suzumi rolled her eyes. "Are we done here?"
He shrugged. "I guess so, unless there's anything you've got your eye on. I'll pay for whatever you buy. My treat."
The Trinity student blinked before looking away. "Oh. That's… very kind of you. I-I'm fine though," she said with a bit of difficulty.
She honestly hadn't expected that. For her teacher to offer her a gift… Come to think of it, she couldn't recall the last time someone did such a nice gesture for her.
Sensei was full of surprises.
Although another, less welcome surprise occurred when they tried to pay at the self-checkout kiosk.
"What the fuck?" Sensei griped when his shiny golden credit card declined. He swiped it again and again, though it failed to read each time.
"Maybe it's expired?" Suzumi suggested.
"It can't be; I just got it this morning!" He put the card in his back pocket, grumbling. "Useless plastic piece of shit. Hang on, I've got another one…"
He produced a second card, a silver one, and it worked without issue. With that little oddity out of the way, the teacher and student duo left the department store behind for the busy city streets.
She turned to him. "So, where to next?"
"Point us to the nearest electronics store. It would be handy having a separate work phone," he said.
"Good idea. I'll check my-"
Suzumi suddenly caught somebody, a humanoid feline, watching them from the corner of her eye. Her words died in her throat, and she immediately drove all thoughts of the shopping trip from her mind– Sensei's safety needed to come first.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and pulled out a stun grenade. "Someone suspicious is standing over there! Flash grenade!"
"Aw hell, not this again…!"
"Look, I get that you want to be a good bodyguard, and I seriously appreciate all the effort you're putting in. But you've got to learn to loosen up." Finch-sensei continued to lecture Suzumi as they made a brief return trip to Schale.
She fidgeted in response, refusing to make eye contact with the adult. "I don't know if I can do that. Just the thought makes me nervous… If I let my guard down, and something happens to you…"
"Then it'd be my fault and I'd take full responsibility." Sensei nonchalantly finished for her. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself, Suzumi. You've already got high school and stuff to worry about, right? All this extra stress isn't healthy for someone your age."
"I see your point… but…" she trailed off.
He sighed. "How about this: If someone pulls a weapon on us, then by all means, go bananas. Otherwise, just try to leave them alone. Think you can do that?"
"...No promises, but I'll do my best." She nodded reluctantly. "And… sorry for being a nuisance. I was only trying to keep you safe."
"I know you were. And you're not a nuisance," he kindly reassured her.
They arrived back at the Schale building a few minutes later, Sensei's lanyard ID letting them into the lobby. He dumped the shopping bags on a couch and turned around to face Suzumi.
"Look at me. I'm gonna teach you a street tip."
Her red eyes slowly lifted to meet his dark brown ones.
"Your grenades draw a lot of attention even though they ain't lethal. In my experience, the best way to avoid starting shit with people is to make them not want to start shit with you. Here, watch." His expression and posture became lower; meaner. "Hunch over a little, put your hands in your pockets, and scowl. Pretend like you know where you're going even if you don't. Tell me, do I look like someone you wanna fuck with right now?"
Suzumi shook her head. He looked genuinely intimidating, and the tattoos definitely helped the image.
"Boom, lesson learned." He smiled at her, then glanced at his watch. "Ready to head back out? We've got plenty of daylight left."
"You still want me to accompany you?" She blinked, caught again by surprise. "E-Even though I acted so extreme before?"
"Believe me kid, I've hung out with way worse." Finch-sensei brushed her concerns off. And frankly, she believed him.
She nodded slowly at first, though it gradually quickened as his words began to hit home. She pulled out her phone and opened a map of the district. "Then I'd be happy to. Though if you'll allow it, I have an idea on where to go next."
Kivotos was so radically different from Jasper's hometown that it might as well be on a different planet.
Wait, no, it already was. Or a parallel planet. A papallanet?
Not the point. He hadn't gotten much chance to sightsee since his arrival (Thanks, Kirino), but now that he finally wasn't getting shot at and had capable protection in the form of Suzumi, he took the time to admire the city and just… take it all in.
Jasper observed a stray cat dart into an alley, then shifted his gaze to a humanoid cat-man browsing a window display depicting a human girl with a cat's tail flashing a cutesy pose.
He still didn't understand how this world's logic worked. Like, at all.
Chinatsu and Rin have elf ears. Does that mean pure-blooded elves exist here? How would I even tell them apart?
What the actual fuck is my life becoming?
"Something on your mind, Sensei?" Suzumi asked, the white-haired angel girl carefully matching his pace. Then she suddenly tensed. "Do you sense trouble?"
"No! No. Nothing like that," he hastily assured her. She'd shown much better restraint the second time around, and Jasper was dead set on not giving her an excuse to blind random people again. "Just… thinking about how Kivotos compares to Las Vegas, is all."
He saw her blink curiously. "What's Las Vegas?"
"A city back where I'm from. It's known as the gambling capital of the world. Oh, and also the suicide capital."
"Sounds like the Odyssey Maritime Academy with none of the charm," she snorted.
"...Suuuure." Nothing about that statement made sense to him. "Don't get me wrong, though– Vegas was a beautiful city. Absolutely gorgeous. It's just that everything there, and I mean everything, is designed to dazzle and lure you into spending money. Casinos, bars, you name it."
They joined a small group gathered by a crosswalk. Likely out of protective paranoia, Suzumi forcibly inserted herself between Jasper and the person standing closest to him.
She looked at him and asked, "Is that the only difference?"
"Nah, there's more." He sighed, wondering how to form his thoughts into words. "...With Vegas, everything felt oversaturated. Fake. Like it was an awesome place to vacation, but an awful place to live."
He shrugged. "I might be wrong though; I don't know anyone who lives there. Which maybe proves my point, now that I think about it."
The pedestrian light turned green. Jasper and Suzumi followed the foot traffic across the street.
"Kivotos, on the other hand," he continued, "feels like it's more full of life. Which is pretty fucking ironic considering we passed a store having a sale on hand grenades a minute ago."
That got a chuckle out of his bodyguard. She was a good kid, he thought, smirking in her direction.
"Everything I see in this city looks colorful, vibrant, and real, and I'm not just talking about the zany hair colors, either. Two words: Vegas strippers." He expertly sidestepped a piece of gum stuck to the sidewalk pavement. "I guess my point is that even if it ain't home, I could get used to living here, maybe. It's refreshing. I feel like if there was ever a place where I could get a clean fresh start, this would be it, y'know?"
Suzumi nodded and smiled up at him. "That's an admirable way to view your situation, Finch-sensei."
"See? I can be smart."
"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Old enough to remember Cool Math Games," he answered cryptically.
The Trinity girl didn't seem to know how to respond to that, so they made the rest of the walk in silence until she stopped them in front of a modest single-story brick building with large window panes.
"We're here!" she announced.
Jasper looked at the sign hanging above the door. "A gun shop?"
"You can't have students around protecting you 24/7, Sensei. In the event the worst case scenario happens, you'll need a way to defend yourself," Suzumi reasoned.
Ignoring the minor inconvenience of not having bulletproof skin, that still left the whole "convicted felon" thing.
"I'm not legally allowed to own a firearm, just so you know," Jasper told her.
"Hmph. Maybe that's the case where you're from, but you're in Kivotos now." Suzumi stepped through the front door, silvery hair flowing behind her.
Damn. He couldn't argue with her logic.
"Welcome to Rex's Small Arms Surplus. Name's Rex. Feel free to look around. If you need any help, just holler at me." The doberman behind the counter introduced itself in a gruff tone of voice. It returned to reading a copy of Frisbee! Magazine without giving the duo a second glance.
Suzumi had already dragged Jasper toward a rack full of weapons before he could ask how a canine without opposable thumbs got permission to open a friggin' gun store.
She folded her arms, giving him a scrutinizing look. "Before we start searching for the gun that may one day save your life, how much do you know about firearms?"
"Barely anything," he admitted, scratching the side of his neck. "Yesterday was the first time I ever fired a gun. I have no idea how Hasumi lugs that damn thing around, honestly. It's too big and heavy."
He snickered. "Kinda like her, heheh."
"Finch-sensei, this is serious!" Suzumi scolded. She sized him up and down, rubbing her chin. "You were brought here to be a teacher, not a frontline combatant."
He bit his tongue to avoid making a sarcastic comment.
"Something small and portable should do the job. Semi-automatic too; there's no chance I'm letting a rookie buy a select-fire PDW." She scanned the rows of guns, nodding thoughtfully. "I have an idea. Follow me."
She led him to an aisle with an open display case housing an assortment of pistols. This is NOT how gun stores work, Jasper thought as she procured a familiar model and handed it to him.
"The Glock 19," she stated proudly. "A tried-and-true workhorse. Lightweight polymer frame, high capacity, legendary reliability, and an endless aftermarket. The stock sights are pretty crappy, but that's my only complaint – and I have high standards when it comes to weapons."
Jasper inspected the pistol. "My brother had one of these," he absently remarked.
Holding it dredged up ugly memories. He vividly remembered stuffing the gun under his hoodie, and the shiver that ran through his fingers as he drew it on the store clerk. He remembered it clattering to the floor as the man's pitiful tone drove Jasper into a mental breakdown, the realization of what the heroin made him do – what he almost did – reducing him to a sobbing, shameful wreck.
He'd ruined his life that night. He came perilously close to ruining Mark's, too.
"I didn't know you had a brother." His student's voice shook him out of his momentary funk.
"Probably because I never mentioned him before. He kept a G19 in a locker under his bed, except his was brown and had a little hoop thingy where the magazine goes in."
"That would be a Glock 19X. It's, um, got a few key differences."
He put the gun back in the case. "Don't like it."
"Huh? Why not?" Suzumi sounded confused. "It's the gold standard among handguns, Sensei! Very few pistols gained such a proven-"
"I'm not using a Glock, Suzumi." He quietly interrupted.
She looked ready to argue with him, but instead she sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "Fine, have it your way. Don't listen to the girl with real combat experience or anything," she passive-aggressively snarked. "Pick out whatever you like; I'll appraise it."
Whatever he liked, huh?
Although Jasper's knowledge of ballistics was shaky at best and learned mostly through video games, he had a rough understanding of how different ammo types worked. Larger caliber bullets did more damage, right? And bigger was always better. Especially in Kivotos where every resident had superhuman durability.
His eyes wandered to a Colt 1911 with an engraved slide and wooden grips. The American in him instantly grew giddy.
He snatched it up, pausing to relish the grip angle from God before showing it to Suzumi. "How about this one? It's a .45 and it looks fucking sick!"
"No," she said with zero hesitation.
"Ah c'mon, why not?"
"The capacity, mostly." She patiently explained. "You won't get far with only seven rounds. Every missed shot would be extremely costly, and I mean that both figuratively and literally – .45 isn't cheap in today's economy. Plus I've heard it's a pain for beginners to disassemble and clean."
"But it hurts more than 9mm, right?"
His student appeared to weigh her answer. "Well… yes and no. While .45 is the bigger cartridge, it's crucial to also factor in bullet velocity. Heavier rounds travel slower than lighter rounds when fired from the same barrel length, leading to less kinetic impact."
She paused. "There are exceptions like .40 S and 10mm Auto, and I haven't even gotten into variables like chamber pressure, but that's the general rule."
He… sort of grasped it. "How do you know all this stuff?" he asked in bewilderment.
She shrugged. "I have an 86 in my physics class."
Deciding to take her advice to heart, Jasper reluctantly parted with the 1911 and continued his search for the perfect emergency sidearm.
Nothing in the store's selection really jumped out at him, however. While the Beretta 92FS felt good in his hand, he couldn't envision carrying a chunky, metal-framed pistol all day every day. He simply couldn't get the hang of the Heckler & Koch P30's weird paddle-style magazine release. And he lost trust in the SIG Sauer P320's safety mechanisms after the local news channel reported a negligent discharge injuring a fellow Arizona native.
They were all good guns – they just weren't the right guns.
"Can't find anything you're comfortable with, huh? That's too bad." Suzumi seemed mildly disheartened after they'd cycled through the whole selection.
"Don't sweat it, kid. It'd probably be too late for me anyway if I ever needed to draw a gun."
She didn't look cheered up at all.
Jasper switched tactics. "You hungry? All this shopping's left me starved. I could go for a burrito."
Suzumi agreed, and the pair made to exit the store. As they passed by the counter, however, Jasper happened to spot something on a rack of miscellaneous tactical gear.
"RoverTac multitool…?" he muttered, feeling his interest pique. "Hey buddy, how much for the fancy pocket knife?"
The doberman glanced up from his magazine. "The folding one with the accessories? 2,650 yen. No discounts."
Guns were made to do one thing and one thing only, but knives? Especially with a slew of extra bells and whistles? He'd get a hell of a lot more practical mileage.
Jasper turned to Suzumi, grinning. "Coming here wasn't a waste of time after all, eh?"
It was late in the afternoon when the pair retired to a public park to enjoy their lunches. Jasper dug straight into his burrito, savoring the taste of cooked beef on his tongue.
"Oh my god," he moaned in utter bliss. "Thish ish sho fucking good. I haven't eaten real food in yearsh."
"I'm happy that you're enjoying it, but could you not talk with your mouth full?" Suzumi requested.
"Shorry." He swallowed. "Sorry."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Suzumi appeared to be in deep thought, taking only occasional bites from her food. He noticed, but figured he'd refrain from asking until she spoke up.
Eventually, she did. "Finch-sensei… about your brother…"
"He and I aren't on good terms, if that's what you're gonna ask," Jasper curtly interjected. He sighed. "It was entirely my fault, to be honest. He was always trying to teach me responsibility and I never listened."
"Oh… I see." She coughed into her fist. "Um… I'm sorry for bringing up a sensitive topic. I'm an only child, so I was just curious."
"It's fine, I'm not mad. Here, check this out." He rolled his right sleeve up all the way, pointing to an ink drawing of two zombified heads with the word 'Brotherhood' written over them in cursive. "That's Mark and I. My first tattoo, junior year of high school."
"I can't tell if it's more flattering or creepy," she smirked.
"Funny, that's almost exactly what he said."
Any further conversation was abruptly interrupted by a pair of haggard-looking girls crossing the grassy lawn adjacent to their secluded bench. The teens moved with purpose toward a small convenience store at the park's edge– and they had their weapons drawn, he noted.
Suzumi saw them too, and she also had clear suspicions regarding their motives. She turned to face him. "Sensei… I know I'm supposed to be your protector, but…"
Jasper lazily gestured to the store. "Have at 'em, champ."
"Thank you." She stood up and readied her assault rifle. "This shouldn't take long, though I advise you to take cover until the shooting stops."
"You kids play nice!" he called after her while she marched into action. He grabbed her unfinished burrito, stretched after getting up, then headed toward the restroom building.
Gunshots went off almost as soon as he leaned against the concrete wall. Typical fucking Kivotos, he mentally sighed as he helped himself to the rest of Suzumi's food.
His shiny new aPhone suddenly vibrated in his pocket, startling him so madly that he dropped the burrito. He wasn't used to having a phone again yet.
It was a new MomoTalk message, this one from… Hanekawa Hasumi?
Hasumi: Good afternoon, Finch-sensei. I'm glad to hear you're recovered.
Senseitional: O shit whaddup
Hasumi: …
Hasumi: Listen, I believe we started off on the wrong foot yesterday.
Senseitional: Gee I wonder whose fault that was
Hasumi: Which is why I'm hoping you and I can possibly arrange an outing for this evening. I'd like to treat you to dinner, as a token of apology.
Senseitional: I'm actually out with suzumi rn but name a time and place and I'll be there
Hasumi: Suzumi? You mean the girl from the Vigilante Crew?
A familiar-sounding bang echoed nearby along with a pair of panicked shouts. Jasper paid it no mind– he was content to let Suzumi do her thing.
Hasumi: On second thought, let's discuss that later. Meet me at L'Oiseau Bleu in Trinity at 7:30. Don't worry about dressing up.
Senseitional: U owe me a burrito
Senseitional: Anyway I don't hear gunfire anymore so I'mma check on my bodyguard. Brb
Hasumi: What do you mean you no longer hear gunfire? What on earth are you two doing?
Hasumi: Sensei? Hello?
This chapter's like... 75% done... I'll upload the rest when all these assignments aren't fisting me in the ass, so be on the lookout for that.
What do you think will happen next? Will Jasper's totally-not-a-dinner-date with Hasumi go without a hitch? Will they be able to bury the hatchet for good?
If you answered "yes" to either of those questions, then you're as hopelessly optimistic as Yume.