Entry 001

[chippedsoul]

Sender: Kazuma Asogi
To: Everyone
Subject: Apology

A few days ago, a coward led some people uninvolved in the situation to confront me in the forest, despite being aware of how dangerous that was. I would like to take this moment to apologize to those that I've caused harm to. It was not my intent and that outburst won't happen again.

Locked To: Castmates Only
If you're worried I will come after the Prosecutor again, don't be. I have questions that need answers, not from that man.

Locked To: Soldier: 76
76. How are you doing? And are you available to meet?

Comments

[chippedsoul]

...It's true when I told the others that my last memory is after I regained them. To be more exact though, I was staying overnight in Dunkirk, France.

[That should give Yujin enough details as to what happened just before that. He was on the same ship with him, even if they never saw the other.]

[professorbestie]

[Dunkirk... A simple name should not hold such ominous undertones, yet there's no denying it. That night in question held quite a bit of tragedy, in hindsight.]

Then, you hadn't yet returned to London to hear of Inspector Gregson's fate.

[chippedsoul]

No. A self-proclaimed famous detective had to fill me in, in that other world. [Still bits and pieces. Only thing that mattered to him at the time was knowing his father's innocence and hearing Barok was the accused.] Regardless...doubt had already filled my heart long before that.

[He crosses his arms, glancing to the side.] That other world, it was a world that assigned you a character from a story, and you are given powers based around that character. I was given a character who was constantly in conflict with himself, the good and evil. Maybe you've heard of the tale, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

[professorbestie]

[Said detective clearly didn't do a good job of filling Kazuma in, since the young man was still missing so much information that it led to a misguided attack on Van Zieks. That's just like Holmes, isn't it? Not that Yujin can talk; he's also excelled at holding information back.

At the mention of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he raises a hand to his chin. It stirs memories of cozy flames crackling in 221B's fireplace and managing to read perhaps two pages at a time, only to have his attention whisked away from the book by Holmes and another case.]

Yes, I'm certain I've read it when I was still in London. That was well over ten years ago, though. Dr. Jekyll created a potion which had him transform into the fiendish Mr. Hyde, correct?

[chippedsoul]

That's right. Although...I didn't need a potion. As we gradually help the Story Teller restore the stories, "Hyde" eventually surfaced within me all on his own. [It felt like a curse than a blessing to help save that world for him.]

My mind became twisted, and I ended up committing terrible crimes in that world. [He shakes his head.] Eventually I just accepted it, that there was no turning back after what I've done. [Meaning he didn't really care much for himself anymore, as long as he completed his mission. His soul had been tainted beyond what is forgivable, at least to him.]

[professorbestie]

Kazuma... [For a long moment, he doesn't quite know how to respond to that. The term "terrible crimes" wouldn't be used lightly, raising the implication Kazuma must have a very heavy conscience. And then... Then there's the incident of the other day.]

... What became of Hyde after you left that world?

[chippedsoul]

Gone in a sense, but still a part of me. [His hands ball up, clenching.]

Eitherway, the damage has already been done. . . [There's a moments pause, his brows furrow. He then lowers his hands, and goes into a low bow.] I'm sorry. [He hasn't been the ideal, well behave not!son as he should be. Fortunate they're not officially family, so he doesn't need to carry this disgrace. All the same, the disappointment is enough to make him feel guilty of doing so.]

[professorbestie]

[The bow catches Yujin off guard, and the apology even moreso. He shouldn't be too surprised, as Kazuma is still a man of honor and he'd undoubtedly be tormented by the memories of what Hyde's done. Even so... Yujin hesitates for a moment, then reaches out to place a firm hand on Kazuma's shoulder.]

Please, there's no need for apologies. This was not something you could control, by the sound of it. What matters most is that we ensure it does not happen again.

[chippedsoul]

. . . [May not be in his control, but that thing came from him. There's no denying there's a far crueler side to him. He doesn't flinch from the hand being on his shoulder, but it felt like comfort he didn't think he deserved. Taking a deep breath, he straightens himself up, unable to meet Mikotoba's eyes.]

Of course. Although...what I've come to understand about these "worlds", we're usually left to the whims of it.

[professorbestie]

[Yujin keeps his hand where it is for now, because even with Kazuma avoiding his gaze, he'd like the young man to understand that he's right here. He's not going anywhere.]

Human beings are often left to the whims of their surroundings. That's nothing entirely new. We must simply do what we've always done, and that's to control what we can control. [He smiles.] No matter how far from home, one can always make the best of things.

[chippedsoul]

[...Well, Mikotoba is right to say that, but these worlds hardly follow any logic one can grasp onto.]

I think you'll soon find out how challenging that can be, in places like these. [This isn't Kansas Great Britain anymore. Or Japan]

...Though I suppose, seeing familiar faces again is one good thing. [Even if he's being a little difficult around everyone. He still misses them, even if he's not openly saying this.]

[professorbestie]

[He knows very well he may be taking a naive stance in all this, but he'd rather be an optimist than a pessimist. Kazuma rather needs that optimism right now, he's sure.]

And you can see those familiar faces as often as you'd like. The home that Susato and I share is always open to you; I trust you know that.

[chippedsoul]

. . .Yes. I know. [It's a comforting gesture that he knew they would always welcome him. Evenso, he feels it may be better to keep some distance between them for now. For their own safety.]

The tea will go cold, if we continue to stand like this.

[professorbestie]

[He breathes a quiet little chuckle, bowing his head a bit before reaching for the back of the nearest chair.]

So it will. I apologize.

[chippedsoul]

[He'll wait until Mikotoba is comfortably seated before joining him.]

I do have a question...how is the Prosecutor doing? [He'll proceed to pour the tea for the both of them.]

[professorbestie]

He'll recover in due time. I do hope he'll take it easy until then, though. [Once the tea's been poured, he reaches for the cup with one hand and nods in gratitude.]

You gave him quite a fright.

[chippedsoul]

[As the teacup reaches his lips, he stops. He tries to hold back a smile when hears how spooked the prosecutor was. Good.]

He won't sit still for long. [Knowing what he remembered when he worked for him, that man was always doing something, going somewhere, a thorough investigator.]

He agreed to a demonstration and I gave it to him. [A "demonstration".]

[professorbestie]

[He saw that flicker of a smile, Kazuma! He saw that.]

I'm sure we both know that is not what he meant. [He takes a quick sip of his own tea.] ...I will not force you to get along with Prosecutor van Zieks, nor even to forgive him. I only ask that you bear in mind he was a victim as well, ten years ago. The dark forces which were at play back then... They made a fool out of each and every one of us.

[chippedsoul]

Hm. [He knows, he really does. There are just some things that will take time, especially when he's been clinging to a false truth for years. He takes a sip of tea before properly responding.]

I already plan to speak with him again when I'm well enough. Under better terms. [He's not looking to make friends, but he did leave things in an awkward place.]

[professorbestie]

Of course. That's all one can ask, really.

[Because as he said, he's not going to force Kazuma to get along with this man. It's not any of his business who Kazuma befriends and he understands just how complicated their history is. He just doesn't want there to be any more physical confrontations on either side. And really, he considers the topic dealt with for now.]

... So, you met Holmes in that other world, did you?

[He's not asking because Holmes is his best friend, he's asking because of the chronology of it all. Kazuma suffered amnesia before he ever truly got to meet Holmes, and then just after getting his memories back, he was whisked away to another world. This implies that his encounter with Holmes in this other world would have been the first substantial one, and a chaotic one at that.]

[chippedsoul]

. . .I did. I didn't know he was a trusted friend of yours until recently. [A story he is admittedly curious about. How did they meet, how did they even became friends? Just being around that detective was exhausting. He sets down his tea.]

He was the one who jogged my memories.

[professorbestie]

[Oh boy, the stories Yujin could tell... Though, he's been withholding them for ten years already, so it'll be strange to be so open about it now. He smiles wryly.]

Is that so? I should hope it was more of a gentle nudge than a harsh shove. [Holmes can be a very coarse person, so he wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.]

[chippedsoul]

...There might have been a shove on my part. [He glances to the side, clearly feeling bad about what happened. It was on the subject of his father, all right.] He wasn't exactly very forward with the information he knew.

[professorbestie]

... Ah. Well.

[That may have been indirectly Yujin's fault, actually. The whole Professor situation is a very delicate matter kept hush hush for the sake of everyone involved, and Kazuma's lost memories were indirectly tied to all that. If Holmes wasn't forthcoming about it, chances are he kept his mouth shut for Yujin's sake.]

Holmes got right back up after that proverbial shove, I should think?

[chippedsoul]

...Well, after some rest, he did. [He was fine.] I apologize. I was overwhelmed in the moment.