3 Emotions and Meeting Another Investigator

POV Change - ??? (MC)

I looked at the glass knowing that behind it was some kind of inspector looking at me. If I strained my ears enough, I could even hear the slight sobbing, or at least I could when the person behind it was still there.

These enhanced senses were...odd. Even I knew that this wasn't something that a human should be capable of. Well, under the assumption that Doves can't raise their senses to such a level - there should be distinct limits to a human's senses, right? System?

[Yes and no, Host. Yes, that there are limits, and no, that humans cannot have senses as acute as yours. You're still in the realm of Human senses at this point. You're not even at the limit for a Human's senses. Some more experienced Doves train their senses to aid them in reacting to different threats, such as Ghouls who try to ambush from the darkness, thus they train their senses to the limits that they can. Different people have different limits, but most humans find their limits somewhere between 15-20 in terms of the Senses stat.]

Huh, well that's humbling, I guess? But still, it feels otherworldly to know that my senses are so acute, yet this isn't even the limit for me. If I had to say anything, I'd say that I'm quite excited. But I'd also say that that is the child-part of me reacting to a way to get stronger and kill Ghouls.

Clutching my chest, my face twisted in pain as I felt the familiar emotions of hurt, dismay, and loss attack my insides making me feel nauseous. Then came the anger.

The hatred.

The utter despise I felt for Ghouls.

I felt myself merging with that child-like part of me. The two of us coming together to make one being. Or rather, it was like whatever was in that part of me was finally being merged into me - my emotions were returning to me.

In my lack of control for the moment, I stood up from my chair and using my new Constitution stat, I flipped the heavy metal table up and into the one-way glass.

Once this was done I covered my face with my hands, feeling a volatile mixture brewing inside of myself, and I let out a cry of desolation. One that any child would let out when they've just experienced their parents dying in front of them.

But it was more than that. It was a declaration. That I would kill Ghouls. Ghouls like the one who killed my parents.

I cried, I screamed; I let it all out. It was weird. It wasn't me.

Yet it was incredibly cathartic.

Emotions are weird. I don't need memories to tell me that.

When I was coming to the end of my...'episode' I heard a fed-up voice coming from the direction of the door, "Are you done yet, you sniveling brat?" the voice was tired and when I looked up I saw a middle-aged man with long, white hair and sunken cheeks - Honestly he looked like an emaciated corpse come back to life.

One of his eyes was bulging and the other was squinted and his lips were curled into a smile that was between derisive and disdainful in appearance.

I found myself glaring at this man I was ever so familiar with.

"I'll grieve however I want, old man," I spoke in a crackly voice, my violent emotional state making itself known just in case someone couldn't see my glaring eyes and tear-soaked cheeks.

But my glaring and sharp tone was met with laughter.

"Hahahahaha!" the corpse-like man in front of me brought a gloved hand to his face and held it, peeking through at me through the gaps in his fingers. He soon came to the end of his laughter and brought his hand down back to his side, "I must admit; I didn't expect such a sharp response! I seem to have misunderstood your screaming...it wasn't just from the pain, was it? But instead a declaration of some kind? Am I right? I am, aren't I?" he chuckled once again, a slightly manic look appearing on his face as he walked closer to me.

He looked between me and the metal table I'd flipped and raised his eyebrows slightly, seemingly in surprise at my strength. When he finally got in front of me, his mania had developed into a savage smile showing off his pearly whites.

"You're pretty strong for a kid your age - I looked at your file on the way over - and you're pretty tall for a 9-year-old as well! Say, kid, do you want to be a Ghoul Investigator?" he kneeled down until he was on eye-level with me, "Because if you do, say the word and I'll have you in the academy by tomorrow!" he looked me right in the eye, seeing whatever anger and hatred was in them, "Brilliant! Another like-minded human!"

He stuck out his non-gloved hand, smiling just as psychotically as before.

"My name's Kureo Mado, it's nice to meet you, brat!" I looked down at his hand before bringing my hand up to grab it. Once I did, I looked back to meet his eyes before returning his greeting.

"I don't know my name for some reason," this caused his eyes to twitch in confusion but I carried on, "but I guess it's nice to meet you, Mado-jiisan."

His confusion didn't last long before he seemed to shrug it off and just laughed while squeezing my hand tighter, seemingly trying to test my strength. I figured that I might as well humor the crazed old man - he was a good teacher in the series, after all.

Squeezing back with nearly as much strength as I could, I saw Kureo's face light up like a kid on Christmas Day before he released my hand just as the door opened again. Kureo quickly spun around and addressed Iwao and Misato who'd entered.

"Kuroiwa-san, you need to check out this kid's strength!--No, not just that, check everything about him! He could be a real gem!" he laughed, not fazed by the looks he was getting from the two of his fellow Investigators in front of him - like they were looking at an insane asylum patient - before he carried on, "And you should probably get him evaluated; he can't remember his name, so I'd assume there are other things he can't remember!"

This finally knocked them out of their thoughts and Iwao quickly looked past Kureo and toward me, who'd moved back to the chair I was originally sitting on.

"Do you really not remember your name, boy?" his voice was calm and gentle but there was an underlying worry there.

Shaking my head I simply uttered a hoarse, but soft 'no' and it was at this point that Misato sprung into action when seeing my wet cheeks. She pushed Kureo out of the way, glaring at the man and possibly thinking he was the cause for my tears. She kneeled in front of me and smiled up at me before dabbing my cheeks with a handkerchief.

"Your name's Kiro Midori, try to remember it this time," she light-heartedly joked, smiling even more fiercely. But I could see the tears threatening to spill from her face and could tell she was smiling for both our sakes.

But I didn't mind that. I was just thinking about how beautiful she looked at the moment. How selfless she seemed. Like some kind of angel. She was much prettier than the Manga gave her credit.

And before I knew it, I was hugging her and she had gone stiff.

"I'll try to remember it this time, now that you've told me it, Onee-san," I whisper into her ear before snuggling myself into her nice-smelling neck. It felt nice. She soon enough picked me up and sat down on the chair with me on her lap. I could feel her glaring at Kureo but I didn't care and just enjoyed her warmth.

She stroked my hair and my back and simply tried to comfort me.

The room went silent for a while before I separated myself from Misato and looked to Kureo.

"Mado-jiisan, you said you can get me into the Academy?" I spoke with a now calm voice, the emotional crackles gone. Kureo looked excited as he stepped forward, nodding his head rapidly, so I carried on, "Then please do so."

Iwao and Misato seemed reluctant about this and Misato even put a hand on my shoulder, eliciting for me to look toward her and hearing out what she had to say.

"Are you sure about this, Midori-kun? This is a big decision and I think you should think about it when you're less..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say and how to say it without hurting my feelings.

What a nice woman.

"Less emotional?" I asked in reply to her indecision, with maybe a little mirth to my tone. She looked slightly shocked but nodded nonetheless, which caused a small smile to appear on my face, "Then do not worry, I understand my circumstances and will not let my emotions get in my way, Onee-san. Let me ask you this: If I don't go to the Academy, where will I go? I could try my luck in a foster home but what will that achieve? A life of mediocrity? A life where I cannot improve on myself and fight the very thing that took my family away? I don't want such a life. Even if the life of a Ghoul Investigator is full of hardships, it's the life I choose," I looked at Misato, dead in the eye, getting my point across calmly and evenly, before turning to Iwao and Kureo to gauge their reactions.

Iwao was surprised but still a bit reluctant, while Kureo looked at me like I was some kind of gem or a diamond in the rough. Ignoring the crazed middle-aged man, I turned back to Misato to see her looking at me with a slightly troubled face.

Silence once again pervaded the room.

Well, it was silent until Iwao let out a sigh before nodding to Kureo who seemed overjoyed by the action. While Misato still looked troubled over my decision.

Kureo nodded before he came over to me and put out a hand toward me, "Come, Kiro Midori, we have tests to run on you before we send off your paperwork to the Academy!" his voice was still slightly crazed, but it had a certain warmth to it now.

Looking at the gloved hand, I took it and began my journey to become a Dove.