Chapter 5
Lastation/Hotel Room/Morning
"Ugh..." Sean was still knackered from yesterday's heist. True it was the most fun he had in the past few months, but it was also the most mentally taxing to the point that he had to regenerate his SP during the heist by drinking coffee.
"Don't be lazy now; get up." His talking cat tried to awake him.
"Hearing you – of all people – say that merely makes me want to sleep more..." Sean groaned.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" The cat snapped.
"Use a dictionary and find out." Sean said with sarcasm.
"I can't even open a dictionary with this mouth or my paws..." Morgana muttered as she looked downcasted.
"Nothing is impossible if you simply try." Sean commented which cheered the cat up.
"You know... Your right! Just because I'm a cat, doesn't mean I can't do things humans can do!" Morgana's expression brightened.
"Anyway, it seems like it's going to be four days till we need to go to Planeptune to help IF out." Sean stated "But we need to leave on the third day to catch the train there." He sighed "So that leaves us with two days for your tail to get scrubbed, if you catch my 'drift'." He stated to which the cat nodded in confirmation.
"So what's up for today?" Morgana asked.
BZZT BZZT
"Checking my phone, that's what."
◇◇◇
Chian: Did you see what happened?!
The Fool: What happened?
Chian: Some guy named "The Phantom Thief Of Gems" utterly destroyed Avenir.
Chian: Illegal records were reported by Famitsu Interviews and even a list of all the conspirators were there.
Chian: Turns out the reason the Black Heart Basilicom wasn't doing anything was because Avenir had already invaded their ranks.
Chian: The cards literally littering the streets is proof of that; how did you miss it?
The Fool: I was gaming all day yesterday.
The Fool: I did hear some commotion, but I mostly just ignored it.
Chian: Sucks to be you then, you just missed people legally throwing stuff at Avenir.
The Fool: It wasn't legal though.
Chian: Its legal because you can't arrest the whole of Lastation for something everyone did.
The Fool: That still doesn't make it legal, it just means that it's tolerable.
Chian: Your point?
The Fool: None really.
Chian: Exactly.
Chian: Anyway, I am a bit livid that i missed most of it and I only came back to see the ending part.
The Fool: Sucks to be you then.
Chian: UGHHHHHH
Chian: At least I threw something!
◇◇◇
"Kinda ironic if you think about it." Sean commented.
"Agreed." Morgana agreed.
'Can't deny it.' His personas also agreed.
◇◇◇
Chian: Anyway, I'm back in town and I just wanted to say hello.
The Fool: Funny, I'm leaving town in three days for a job in Planeptune.
Chian: Oh is that so?
Chian: In that case come by Passe when you can.
The Fool: ?
Chian: I got you a present.
The Fool: Ara ara trying to seduce me, eh?
Chian: Ew no.
The Fool: And there goes my pride; shattered into millions of pieces.
Chian: lol
Chian: Anyway, come by when you can.
Chian: gtg bye.
The Fool: Bye.
◇◇◇
"Looks like she's back in town." Sean muttered.
"That's great, you can go there to order a new gun or maybe go to the cafeteria to order some food." Morgana commented "You can definitely get me some nice catnip."
Sean looked at her.
"Pretty sure catnip is drugs for cats." Sean muttered.
"Eh!" Morgana was shocked "But my fellow cats say that it tastes great!" She looked downcasted "It can't be..."
"Meh, I'll get your favourite brand of burger." Sean commented "I'll splurge."
"Really!" She grinned but then became thoughtful "Eh, but I thought you gave away all the loot from Avenir to Famitsu Interviews to give them to their rightful owners?" She asked.
Sean raised an eyebrow at that.
"I still have a normal job." When he said this the cat smacked itself.
"Oh right..."
BZZT BZZT
"Its Ryza." He muttered as he raised an eyebrow.
◇◇◇
Normal Alchemist: Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey
The Fool: Hey
Normal Alchemist: Guess what?
The Fool: Then I guess 'what'.
Normal Alchemist: MUUUUUU I MEAN'T MAKE A GUESS NOT LITERALLY GUESS WHAT!!!!
The Fool: Calm down.
Normal Alchemist: NOOO I REFUSE!!!
The Fool: I'll flick your forehead if you don't.
Normal Alchemist: Hah! You can't do that! Your in your home!
The Fool: First, I reside in a hotel.
The Fool: Second, obviously I can't do it now.
The Fool: Third, I'm really petty when I want to be.
Normal Alchemist: Uwaa~ I can feel some ominous aura coming from that last line.
The Fool: Anyway, what's up with you?
Normal Alchemist: Something good happened yesterday!
The Fool: Phantom Thief?
Normal Alchemist: Me finally having an answer and Phantom Thief.
The Fool: Answer?
Normal Alchemist: Its not wrong to help the people in front of you! You can't save everyone hence why you should help only the people in front of you!
The Fool: I see... I'm glad you were able to draw your own conclusion.
◇◇◇
SHATTER
I AM THOU... THOU ART I...
THOU HAST DEEPEN YOUR BOND WITH THE STRENGTH ARCANA...
STRENGTH 11-XI (Reisalin Stout) RANK 2
"That... was easier than normal." He muttered as he realised that he was in Gamindustri for 9 months and this was the easiest level up for a confidant.
◇◇◇
Normal Alchemist: And thanks to lifting that burden off my shoulders I could finally make a break through in my alchemy!
The Fool: I see... I'm glad.
Normal Alchemist: And it's all thanks to you!
The Fool: ?
Normal Alchemist: Without your guidance I wouldn't have been able to make a solution!
The Fool: !
The Fool: I refuse to accept that.
Normal Alchemist: ?
The Fool: Those were your efforts, your sweat, your tears. The only involvement I had was giving you motivation.
The Fool: And that's just me being generous towards myself.
Normal Alchemist: ...
Normal Alchemist: Hey.
The Fool: ?
Normal Alchemist: Thank you.
The Fool: No problem.
Normal Alchemist: Welp I gtg.
The Fool: Oh yeah, I'm going to go to Planeptune for a job for a bit.
The Fool: So I can't explore the ruins with you.
Normal Alchemist: Aww... That's a damn shame...
Normal Alchemist: I was really looking forward to it too...
The Fool: I'll see what I can do when I get back.
Normal Alchemist: Okay... Bye.
The Fool: Cya.
◇◇◇
"Its good to see that she's doing well..." Sean muttered whilst Morgana merely nodded.
BZZT BZZT
"Its Mrs. Demon Flame." Sean said out loud to which Morgana twitched an eyebrow, Sean sighed "Its IF." realisation set in her eyes.
◇◇◇
Wind Walker7: This the right number?
The Fool: No, Mrs Demon Flame who strikes down angels.
Wind Walker7: UWAAAAAAAA HOW DID YOU HEAR OF THAT?!
The Fool: People talk.
Wind Walker7: Just how much people know it's me?!
The Fool: Meh, I only realised when they mentioned that you used Katars.
The Fool: Also, were you drunk?
...
Wind Walker7: Yes, I was drunk.
The Fool: For some reason I doubt that.
Wind Walker7: I'm an avid alcoholic!
The Fool: Uwaaa~ with how short you are you'd probably be sent away at the door step.
Wind Walker7: Oh screw you! I can definitely enter an alcohol store without being turned away. Probably.
The Fool: And thus you have answered for me.
The Fool: Lying is bad...
Wind Walker7: I didn't lie!
The Fool: Anyway what'd you want?
Wind Walker7: I said I'm not lying!
The Fool: Yeah, yeah get along with it.
Wind Walker7: Anyway, before you accuse me; no I'm not going to encourage you to come by quicker.
The Fool: Then why?
Wind Walker7: A friend of mine wanted some pictures of the Red Card incident.
The Fool: ?
Wind Walker7: You know what happened in Lastation?
The Fool: Yeah.
Wind Walker7: Its officially been labelled as the Red Card incident because of the cards signifying no more chances are left for Avenir to regrow.
Wind Walker7: And the card part is kinda self-explanatory if you look out the window.
The Fool: Why red?
Wind Walker7: In soccer the red card means there's no chances left or it was foul play.
The Fool: I see.
The Fool: I'll see what I can do.
Wind Walker7: K, ima go then. Cya.
The Fool: Bye.
◇◇◇
"Guess I've got something extra to do." Sean muttered as he grabbed his bag – which Morgana jumped in – and put on his shoes.
BZZT BZZT
He reaffirmed his fake glasses as he saw it was a video link IF sent. It was about what Famitsu recorded. He slid his phone back into his pocket and exited the Hotel Room.
Lastation/Eastern District/Morning
□□□
"Yesterday was so stress relieving..."
"Go! Go! Phantom Thief!"
"What has Lastation come to when we need criminals to reform the place?"
"Hey, you see that Famitsu video?"
"Oh, your talking about that one where the Phantom Thief stripped them naked and put them in compromising positions?"
"Nah, I gotta see that one too; I'm talking about that one where the Phantom Thief And his... monster cat(?) beat down the so-called goddess-killing machines! It was so cool!"
"Really? I liked the ending part in which he tugged his gloves and gave a peace sign to the camera. It was as if he was taunting anyone to dare catch him."
"WOOHOOOOO I CAN FINALLY LIVE IN A HOUSE AGAIN!!! Now if only my wife would come back to me..."
"Really gotta give it to Famitsu, always trying her best to give the good news."
"Ugh... Cleaning the streets of the cards is going to be insane..."
"Why do you even want to clean the streets of them? They're clear representations that a great event took place here."
"Ugh... I guess so."
□□□
Sean had finally finished walking around the entire city taking pictures of places that would show the state of the city. Honestly, it looked better when Avenir was still here but the people are definitely way happier. Or maybe that was merely his own bias preconception.
"And send." Sean muttered as he sent the images to Wind Walker7.
BZZT BZZT
She sent a message back saying her thanks.
"Hey you!" Someone called out to Sean and to Sean's morbid surprise it was the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper had light aqua blue hair with eyes of the same shade. It was the shopkeeper who had the one-sided conversation from before.
"Thanks for that advice you gave me last time..." He said quite shyly which went against the personality he had before.
'Probably built up stress.' Sean concluded.
"Thanks to it, I held up enough for the Phantom Thief to save me." He muttered as he pressed his fist to his heart "So really, thank you."
Sean shook his head.
"Its no problem."
"Don't be so modest... Tell you what, come to my store whenever you need something and I'll give you a discount." He smiled as he said this
"How about I work as an employee for that discount? After all, it wouldn't sit right with me to benefit from your suffering." Sean responded with a mild frown.
'Ah... said like a true Gentleman Thief.' Arsène commented.
"Your really kind." The sky kid muttered "Fine then, it's a deal! However keep in mind that I don't really need an assistant."
"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself... 'Sean Lupin' was it?" He asked to which Sean nodded and then he continued "My name's Jack. Just Jack. Sorry for my manners last time, I tend to speak like that when I'm really stressed."
"No worries." Sean replied as he noticed Jack was offering a handshake.
He took his hand shake.
CRACKLE CRACK
I AM THOU... THOU ART I...
THOU HAST ACQUIRED A NEW VOW...
IT SHALL BE THE WINGS OF REBELLION THAT BREAKETH THY CHAINS OF SUBMISSION.
WITH THE BIRTH OF THE FAITH ARCANA THOU HAST OBTAINED THE WINDS OF BLESSING THAT SHALL LEAD TO FREEDOM AND NEW POWER...
'New Arcana, huh...' Sean inwardly muttered 'Neat.'
"Oh yeah, give me your contact information for when I'll decide if I need your help." He asked to which Sean complied.
◇◇◇
Blood Youth: Uhh is this you?
The Fool: I don't know, is it the guy who's right in front of you?
Blood Youth: Lol, yeah it is.
◇◇◇
"Anyway, I gotta go, see ya later." Jack said as he ran off somewhere.
Sean nodded as he saw his energetic back filled with hope and faith in the future.
It was worth it.
"Oh yeah, Chian asked me to stop by." Sean muttered as he headed towards Chian's factory/shop which resided in the Southern District surprisingly, considering that that Southern District is commonly known as the Housing District and most tend to be in the Northern District.
Well, not entirely surprising considering that every district is called with something. Northern District is the Wealthy Living District, Eastern District is the Commerce District and the Western District is the Entertainment District.
Lastation/Southern District/Morning
Sean walked towards the Southern District and noticed that there was someone on top of a building. He looked average except he wore dark clothes. It was fucking Kiritsugu Emiya, the young version.
'Oh shit!' Sean thought as he turned away as naturally as his max rank expression social stat let him. Sean had seen other people who resemble certain characters from media in this world (probably an AU or something), he didn't really care much considering that most of them came from slice of life anime, like that one blue-haired dude who managed to save his daughter from her disease. Think he was seen in Clannad. But Kiritsugu fucking Emiya?! The dude is more likely to lynch Sean considering he's a thief, and Kiritsugu's form of justice is way more crooked than Sean's.
'Like seriously: kill the few to save the rest? Bullshit! I'm the fool who'd rather search for another way even if it's impossible.' Sean exclaimed inwardly. Needless to say, Sean hates Kiritsugu's philosophy. 'If you only look through the lenses of death then death will be the only solution you will think of!'
Sean sighed as he approached Passe's factory. 'Hopefully, we don't meet again.'
Lastation/Passe/Morning
Sean entered the factory and he immediately came upon the cafeteria. The factory – in actuality – was quite small compared to the rest of Lastation's factories and Chian generally gets more customers for the cafeteria, although she is known to be very good with building random stuff like rocket launchers, cars, guns and even fireworks. She's kinda random.
Sean's first encounter with Chian was like a week inside the world. Sean needed a weapon and she was renown for cheap but useful products, it's a no-brainer that he would visit her. Although, when they first met she was being harassed by Avenir because apparently she could be so much more useful, needless to say that Sean offered her a offer to rant at him about her problems. Then, he began to just generally talk to her on occasion which somehow – up to now – raised her confidant rank to 2 and eventually he became some sort of pesuedo-assistant. I think she seems him more as a stress reliever than a friend.
Anyway, long story short: people make orders for food and items in the cafeteria.
Sean entered and saw that the cafeteria was bustling.
'Probably cause of yesterday.' Sean thought kinda arrogantly. Why you assuming it's cause of what you did?
Sean slid his hands in his jeans as he approached the counter that was free with a lean in his back.
"Hello, what would you like to order? Food? Drinks? Items? Cars?" The shopkeeper asked to which Sean shook his head.
"No I was told by Chian to come here, could you call her?" He asked to which the counter owner bumped a fist on her hand.
"Oh, you must be the person she asked me to look out for; she's in the back." The employee pointed to back as Sean nodded in thanks as he went to approach the door and enter it.
Sean soon found himself in a living room with a certain short dark sea-blue haired and honey-eyed woman who was tinkering with... a colourful cube.
"Morning." Sean greeted the woman who was wearing a red coat over a black shirt that revealed everything below her chest.
"Morning~" She yawned as she rubbed her neck which had a tied up cloth.
"Late night?" Sean asked.
"You'd be surprised how much customers I got when i got back..." She replied with fatigue.
"Can I borrow your kitchen?" Sean asked.
"Huh? Oh sure." She half-heartedly agreed as Sean entered the kitchen and made some coffee.
"What are you making?" She asked in curiosity.
"Coffee." He responded as she raised an eyebrow.
"You never said you could make coffee?" She stated.
"You never asked." He replied.
She seemed frustrated at that answer somewhat.
"No~ my dear assistant is hiding secrets from me~!" She groaned in a joking manner.
'More than you know.' Arsène commented.
"Oh how cruel~ to leave such a beautiful violet like you unattended for with my godly-coffee skills which surpasses Celestia itself! But alas, I must finally relent! Oh I am such a sinful man~." Sean sassed back in a monotone voice.
"But seriously though, I never knew you could make coffee." She stated which made Sean realise that she was probably probing for more info.
'Eh. Why not?' He shrugged as giving this bit of information away wasn't really special "My mother owned her own café, but it had to close down for... reasons..." and then he proceeded to say more than needed, but luckily she took the hint at his tone of voice which seemed solemn.
Truthfully, his mother doing what she did to herself was the final push for Sean doing what was needed.
"Done." He muttered as he handed over her coffee "Your coffee beans were average at best, but I made do."
She gave a small thanks as she took a sip. Her eyes lit up!
"What the hell! This is actually really good!" She muttered as she proceeded to burn her tongue.
"Drink slowly, it's still hot." He spoke as she gulped it down, not caring for his advice. "Thanks."
There was a moment of comforting silence as she finished drinking.
"So tell me a bit about yourself." She asked out of the blue which raised an eyebrow from him. "Well, you see... Usually it's me doing the talking and you just listen – your a good listener by the way – but you generally never speak about yourself but you did today, which – not gonna lie – kinda makes me curious." She explained as Sean nodded in understanding.
He thought for a moment but relented as even Morgana peaked out the bag to look at Sean.
"There's not much to say, but if you want to listen then I guess I can speak a bit about myself..." He offered – somewhat unsure – as she nodded.
"Hmm, well my mother was the owner of a café which went downhill after... complications with the people who ruled the city. My father, was a magician – the street kind – that worked in a circus although he passed away when a... 'colleague' of his made a mistake which defamed his whole legacy." Sean stated as he felt somewhat... Heavy, as he never really expressed how he felt about it to anyone, and when he did they were generally lies to gather information from someone.
There was a moment of silence as Chian spoke up.
"Hmm... Then tell me about yourself." She spoke which raised an eyebrow from Sean "You were talking about your parents but you never said anything about yourself."
He realised what she meant.
"I guess... I'm 19 years old, nearly 20 in the next few months – just a bit near the end of the year actually, on the 21st – my hobbies are gaming, cooking, reading, practicing things and helping people." Sean stated 'Oh and also my I'm a mega Kleptomaniac to the point that you can search this fanfiction up with the name 'Kleptomaniac'.' He inwardly thought.
"What about your likes and dislikes?" She asked as she began to write something down.
"Well, I like... generally anything... i dislike shallow thoughts, I think. And I guess you could say I hate abuse of power." He responded slightly unsure if he should've said the last bit as it could be linked with his 'job'.
"Wow... Your so... mysterious? Normal? Mysteriously Normal? Yeah, mysteriously normal is the term I want I think." She thought aloud as Sean awkwardly rubbed his neck.
After speaking with Chian a bit he decided to leave, although she did give him a small box to open at home.
SHATTER
I AM THOU... THOU ART I...
THOU HAST DEEPEN YOUR BOND WITH THE HANGED MAN ARCANA...
HANGED MAN 12-XII (Chian Passe) RANK 3
Lastation/Lastation Centre/Evening
"Well, that was worthwhile. I haven't got to get that much off my chest in years." Sean muttered as Morgana peaked out the bag.
"So, how much of that was true?" The cat said slightly suspicious of the human.
"All of it, though I did leave out some details." He spoke as if he was on his phone to not garner suspicion from anyone.
"Really?" It asked intrigued.
"Yeah; I may give misinformation and misdirect information but I'll never tell a lie." Sean stated as Morgana nodded in understanding.
"Well, the best lies are half-truths."
Sean wanted to speak up and say 'that's not it' however he let it go since it's a convenient misunderstanding, and he didn't feel like sharing anymore of his past than necessary.
"Anyway, send the 'letter' and come back later." He spoke to his cat which jumped out of the bag to send the calling card, he already scouted the Tailed Gem's whereabouts anyway and the thing with Avenir was merely a sort of... exercise.
Lastation/Hotel Room/Evening
"Guess I'll increase my charm..." He muttered as he entered the bath and soon after the bath he fell asleep on his bed.