Awakening #6

"You look like shit." Sabine giggled, taking a large sip of her whiskey. She turned to Arthur sitting beside her, who was holding an entire bottle of bourbon. "C'mon, talk to me." She bugged.

Arthur frowned, before taking another sip, ruffling his hair, and replying with an uninterested groan. "None of your business, screw off."

Vincent sighed, putting down the polishing cloth and the wine glass. "Arthur, you of all people are well aware that when Sabine wants something, she'll keep pestering you until she gets it. As her husband, take it from me."

Arthur frowned at the honest man, who just smiled back. "Fine. I'll tell you after you give me another bottle."

"Deal!" They said simultaneously.

Arthur frowned at their excitement. "Basically..."

"So... you're telling me, I'm going to be suspended?" Arthur angrily shot up from his seat. "That's bullshit! That was self-defense! He threatened me in class, He attacked me first-- even used magic-- yet I'm going to be suspended!?!"

The President gulped and tried to calm Arthur down. "I'm sorry, but please calm down--"

"Calm down!?! You want me to calm down!? Do you have any idea--"

"Please calm down." The president said, resolutely, her earlier expressions turning hard. 

Arthur sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose, furrowing his brows with frustration. "I'm sorry for my outburst-- it's just..."

"Unfair?" She finished. "It feels unfair doesn't it?"

Arthur sighed, sitting back down on the chair. "Yes. Such bullshit."

The president nodded, leaning forward. "That's why we have to win my re-election. If professor Pugman sits on this chair, who knows what would happen to the commoners." She said. "Because of a certain incident, a generation or so ago-- Professor Pugman wasn't always like that."

"No way, there's no absolute way that that pig was human before."

"It's true..." The president muttered. "A long time ago... he had an affair with this commoner girl-- this was when we were still seniors in the academy-- he was... love-struck to say the least. He severed his engagement with me, just for that girl--"

"whoa, Whoa, Whoa-- slow down. You and that asshole were engaged?"

The president frowned. "Nevermind, please continue."

"His story was a beautiful one at first before it spiraled into suffering. Long ago, this group was named the Reformists, they were basically a revolutionary group spouting idealistic doctrine. They wished for the abolition of the class system--"

"And they were squashed." Arthur finished.

"Yes." She nodded. "But not before killing hundreds of nobles and the commoners that associated with them."

Arthur's mouth fell open. "You're telling me-- He lost her didn't he?"

''That he did."

Arthur took a sip of the bottle, taking beak from the heart-breaking story when vincent finished it for him. The man had been quiet throughout the whole tale except for now.

"Her death forever changed the man, and hatred for influential commoners grew in his heart-- is that correct?" Vincent guessed. "What a common story." he scoffed, finishing his glass of wine.

Arthur smiled at the old man. "That's correct, and it is a very common sob story," he said, finishing the second bottle. "Barely fazed me, if I'm being honest-- I just had to trick the principal into thinking I actually cared."

Both men nod affirmatively at each other and toast their drinks and turned to the third member of their little gathering, who was busy crying.

"S-Sabine, are you c-crying?" Arthur asked. "Am I drunk? No, I'm not drunk."

"N-No... I'm not crying... There's d-dut in my eye." She sobbed, receiving Vincent's handkerchief to wipe her tears. 

Arthur turned to Vincent. "She's had too much to drink," he whispered after taking a look outside the window. "I have a meeting in just a few minutes-- I can't have her crying a river over here."

"That's true." Vincent agreed. "Then, We shall take out leaves-- I hope you have a fruitful meeting." he waved bowed his head slightly to say goodbye before carrying Sabine. He looped his arms around her shoulders and behind her knees before lifting her up bridal-style. "The keys are in the back of the country Arthur, so make sure to close up."

"You got it, Vincent." Arthur waved goodbye. He looked at his feet to find his duffle bag. "It's showtime."

Gantz Galileo nervously stepped out of the carriage car, making sure to grab the large suitcase spanning the length of his head to his knees. He looks at himself through the reflection of the obscure, high-end bar.

The curtains were closed, blocking his view of the inside and the inside view of him. Gantz reached into his suit's pocket to grab a small handwritten note, parchment paper with a smear of blood. In it wrote the address and the time of the meeting with a small note at the bottom, urging him not to be late.

"This is it..." Gantz thought. "Tonight, at this bar, at this time-- I'm not late, but what is this uneasy feeling?"

Gantz sucked in a sharp breath of air and set his hand on the doorknob of the bar, and putting his hand over his heart, he opened the door and stepped into the bar. The smell of aging alcohol met his nose, a beautiful smell; and the melodic playing of music touched his ears.

The door opened making the bell overhead chime. The man across the room turned his head towards Gantz, not removing his hand from the piano. "You came, how surprising." The man said.

Gantz flinched because he recognized that voice. It was a masculine voice, deep but exactly fully developed-- it was that of a pubescent teenager who just reached adulthood. Putting all that aside, the man before him finished his melodic piece and stood up. 

Gantz observed his mysterious benefactor, who wore are beautiful, custom-tailored black suit. His hair was black and lush, his skin pale and blemishless, and his eyes covered by a masquerade mask.

"You must be Lupin, Aresene Lupin." Gantz bowed his head. "I must thank you for your efforts in saving my life and uncovering that horrible crime."

Lupin smiled, revealing his pearly-white teeth. "That was nothing, so raise your head," he said, waving it off.

Gantz nodded. "That may be so, but I am honored to have an audience with you." he insisted, his hand still on his heart.

Lupin sighed. "If you're this insistent, then I can't do anything about it. Have a seat"

Gantz watched lupin go behind the bar and reach for the highest drink on the topmost shelf. He slowly approached the bar, set the large trunk on the ground, and sit on the stool directly across from Lupin.

Gantz swallowed his spit nervously as he watched Lupin pour him a drink. "Why have you summoned me, great sir."

Lupin hummed, passing him the other wineglass. "I wonder... Do you have an Idea perhaps? Sir Gantz... Galileo."

Lupin watched the man flinch, his shoulders visibly shaking. "H-How did you know... How did you know my real name..."

Lupin just smiled. "I have a few friends, now Baron--"

"Galileo. It's just-- Galileo now."  Gantz grit out, his hands curled into fists so tight, his knuckles turning white and his nails digging into his palm.

"... Do you have clue about why I summoned you here?" Lupin continued, ignoring Gantz's angry tone.

The man calmed down after taking a large sip of the exotic drink. "...legacy..." He whispered. "You want to discuss my Father's legacy."

"Not quite, although it is a part of it." Lupin corrected. 

"What do you mean?" Gantz gasped. "Did he not come to ask me about it?"

Lupin shook his head, taking another sip off the wine glass. "I summoned you here to discuss your revenge, which also includes your father's legacy..."

Gantz jumped from the bar stool, and jumped back, reaching for the gun in his pocket. "H-How did you--" He gasped. "M-My last name... Father's Legacy... and My revenge!? How did he know!?

"Oho~" Lupin hummed, not flinching from the loaded gun. "Aren't you jumpy? When you were captured, you were quite calm-- is there perhaps a difference in both situations? Hmm, ~? "

Gantz aimed the gun directly at Lupin's head while fetching the large suitcase. "W-Who are you!? Lupin Arsene isn't a real name! it's an alias! Who are you!? Are you from the church?!"

"Why don't we postpone this discussion to a later date? Perhaps tomorrow? How does that sound?" Lupin asked, sighing with disappointment. 

"Fuck this!" Gantz cursed, slowly making his way toward the exit. When he put his hands on the knob, he hesitated.

"When you've finally calmed down and come to your senses, come here again at this time. We have much to discuss." Lupin called out, finishing the wineglass's contents. "Such as shame, but it's an understandable reaction."

Gantz gruffly huffed, opening the door and running into the raining darkness, only to turn back and glance at Lupin once more, before turning away and running.

Arthur removes his mask and sighed, closing the open bar door. "If I'm not mistaken, his family was brought to ruin because of the Church. After all, the church wholeheartedly believes that the earth is flat. However, Science on the other hand debates otherwise."

"His family debated, and they were probably giving valid points for the church to eradicate their entire family." Arthur sighed, pouring himself another drink. "He'll come around, I know he will for his revenge-- and it will be glorious."