Criminally Inspired
May 19, 2025 at 1:55 PM
For nearly the last week, their anticipated trip to the Black Market had been delayed over and over again. Sometimes, it felt as if their creditors were watching them and purposely sent out the interlopers to keep them from visiting. From Serika's kidnapping to the surprise attack from Problem Solver 68, every single time they were ready to head out, something stopped them. Today was going to be different, there was nothing that was going to stop them this time. If anyone chose to stand in their way today, it was going to be hell to pay. As they gathered in their meeting once more, they made no hesitation to make their preparations and the moment everything was prepared, they hastily headed off.
As they finally arrived at the Black Market, Ja'vassa scoffed slightly. "For all the talk about this being some big criminal underground, it doesn't look all that impressive." He mused, glancing towards some of the various merchants with the illegally acquired goods. "At least it smells better than the marketplace in Riften... and we won't have to worry about the Thieves Guild poking around our pockets."
Hoshino laughed softly as she listened to Ja'vassa's musings. "The Thieves Guild, huh? They don't sound like they're all that pleasant to be around." She replied, looking towards him with her usual sleepy grin.
"Filthy vermin scurrying about their Ratway... I'm not sure how you could call yourself a member of an organization when they're so willing to betray each other over the clinking of coins." Ja'vassa shook his head, and just as he was about to continue speaking, the sudden, frantic yelling of another person caught their attention.
"What do you want from me?! I haven't done anything to you!" She cried out, running as fast and as hard as her legs could carry her.
Ja'vassa's ears perked up as the familiar sounding voice hit him. "Is that...?" He muttered, his eyes widening as the familiar shape filled his eyes.
This wasn't at all how he planned to meet with Hifumi again, seeing her fearfully running down the market's streets caused him to prepare himself for conflict, especially once he saw the three girls chasing her. In her confusion, Hifumi paid little attention to what was in front of her, at least until she had barreled into Ja'vassa.
The sudden, unexpected tackle caused both of them to tumble onto the ground; Hifumi safely landed on top of Ja'vassa, though he was clearly surprised by it, he looked towards her with some slight concern. "Hifumi? Are you alright?"
They slowly returned to their feet, Hifumi giving him a surprised, but apologetic look. "Sensei? Oh, uh, I'm alright! Sorry! I'm in a hurry." She said frantically, glancing back towards the students that had managed to catch up.
"Nice catch! If you wanted, we'd be glad to split the ransom. That Trinity girl will fetch us a nice price from the Tea Party." The mini-gun wielding student stated. "Just hand her over and we'll begin working out the details for our trade."
Chasing and threatening Hifumi was one thing, but insinuating that he'd even consider offering up someone as precious to him as she was caused anger to briefly flash in his eyes. Without any hesitation; he stepped forward and employed his Disarm shout. "Zun... Haal Viik!" He yelled out, unleashing a blast of energy that ripped the firearms out of the hands of Hifumi's pursuers.
Taking further advantage of their confusion, he'd quickly use his Telekinesis to drag the fallen weapons away to ensure they couldn't recover them. "I don't think I'll be giving you anything. You can walk away now, or you can advance and you'll find what else I'm capable of." He raised his right hand, flames dancing on top of his palm.
Hifumi's eyes were wide with shock at the strange display from Ja'vassa; she hadn't seen him in action the last time they met and seeing this was an almost frightening surprise. She hadn't said anything, but her pursuers seemed torn.
Their weapons were out of reach and now, they were staring at this strange cat-person holding a ball of fire in his hand. Deciding not to test their luck, the leader of the group scoffed slightly. "Fine... we'll be going. Consider yourself lucky, Trinity girl. He won't be there to protect you the next time." Despite the apparent threat, the trio of attackers were quick to flee.
Hifumi let out a sigh of relief as she turned to Ja'vassa and the other Abydos students. "Th-Thank you, Sensei. I'm not sure if I would've lasted much longer on my own." She said softly, bowing slightly in gratitude.
"I can't say this is how I was intending to see you again, Hifumi, but I'm glad to see you're safe." Ja'vassa replied, giving her a warm smile. "But... What are you doing out here? This doesn't seem like the place for someone like you."
Nonomi shot a glance towards her classmates, a little surprised that the two of them knew each other so well. "Um... sorry to interrupt, Sensei. But, how is it that you know each other?" She asked curiously.
"Let me guess, you got lost while looking for Trinity?" Hoshino asked, a knowing smirk crossing her face.
Rolling his eyes at the tease, Ja'vassa nodded in response. "Yeah... she was the first student I bumped into while on my way to Trinity. She helped find both the academy and lodgings for the night. I'm glad I finally got to repay her kindness."
Hoshino shook her head, that smirk never disappearing. "You really are hopeless, Sensei." She crossed her arms, letting out a playful sigh. "Though, why are you out here? You don't look like the type to frequent the Black Market."
A slight blush dusted Hifumi's cheeks; avoiding their gaze for a moment, she seemed hesitant to answer them. "I... I came to buy something that's been discontinued elsewhere in Kivotos." She replied softly.
"Oh? Looking for some old weapons or accessories?" Shiroko asked, her interest peaked.
Her blush only deepened as Shiroko asked her question. "N-No! Nothing like that. I... I came to find discontinued Momo Friends merchandise." She admitted, holding up her phone to show them a picture of a Peroro plush.
Ja'vassa looked baffled as she held up the photo, "You came all the way out here... to a place filled with criminals and shady merchants for a toy?" He asked confusedly.
"It's not just a toy, Sensei! It's a collector's item, any real fan would take the same lengths I am to see that their collection is complete!" Hifumi retorted, huffing slightly as she spoke.
Nonomi clapped her hands together, nodding in agreement. "As a Momo Friends fan myself, I agree completely. It's adorable, so I understand the lengths she's going through to get it. Surely you understand, Sensei... haven't you gone to extreme lengths to acquire that special treasure of yours, right?"
He wanted so badly to argue with her, but he couldn't. She was right; he had routinely gone to extreme lengths to acquire some rare items and followed ridiculous rumors only to find that they were false. "I guess you're right, Nonomi. I can't say I understand all of what this is, but it seems important to you."
Hifumi gave off a triumphant smile, nodding at Ja'vassa. "See? I'm glad we can make you see the light. Though... What brings you here, Sensei? Are you searching for something, too?"
Hoshino nodded in response. "Sort of. We're trying to find buyers that can help us settle Abydos' debt a little bit while maybe finding some information on our creditors." She explained.
Ja'vassa had fallen silent as his attention was stolen by a van guarded by several motorcycles. Taking note of the logo on the side of it, his expression suddenly became serious. "Hey, Serika. Can you remind me who takes your payments?" He asked her.
"Kaiser. Why do you ask, Sensei?" Serika seemed more than a little confused, but she'd soon notice the very same van. "Wait... that's the van that took our payment this morning."
Hifumi's own expression softened a bit, "You did business with Kaiser? While their operations are technically legal, their reputation isn't the best, so most of their business is done through the Black Market Bank."
Their creditors' connections with the shady underground was concerning, and their concerns only grew bigger as they saw the very same person who took their payment that morning emerge from the van.
"This might explain why they'd only be willing to take cash payments from you, less of a paper trail this way." Ja'vassa suggested, leaning against the wall slightly. "Their business goes through here, the weaponry we recovered from the Helmet Gang implies they do much of their business here as well.. both have been aggressively targeting Abydos High School. I can't help but feel they're connected."
Ayane nodded in agreement, "It seems that way, but... how would we be able to prove it? Even if we did prove any connection between them, there's not much we could do to stop them..."
The group had fallen silent, it didn't seem any potential solution they had in mind would solve anything in the long term. After a moment, Shiroko spoke up. "We rob the bank. We don't need the cash, but perhaps we can recover some of their recent transaction logs. We can get a record of our payments that way, and maybe we'll be able to see if there's any connection between them and our recent attackers."
None of them much liked the idea of delving into a serious crime like that, but there weren't too many options. Hoshino released a sigh of relief, "I guess we'll finally get to live out Shiroko's dreams of becoming a criminal. But, we'll need disguises and... I'm not sure if Sensei will be able to join us. We can all wear masks, but who else in Kivotos wields a sword like that and wears outdated robes like he does? If he joined us, it'd be all too easy to figure out who we were."
Ja'vassa nodded in agreement. "I'll stay out here and wait for your return. Just... don't do anything crazy there. Get in, grab what you need, and leave. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
Shiroko smiled slightly at his concern, nodding at him. "We'll be quick, Sensei. You don't need to worry about us... and as far as disguises, I'm prepared for that." She took several multicolored masks with numbers embroidered into it.
"How long have you had these, Shiroko?" Serika asked as she put on one of the masks.
"Long enough." Shiroko replied, eagerly putting hers on. "Though, I had only prepared enough for us... Hifumi doesn't have one."
Hifumi looked towards her with slight confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
"You are going to join us, right? Sort of an exchange for us helping you earlier, right?" Hoshino asked, an expectant smile on her face.
Ja'vassa seemed just as confused. "Hang on a second, as capable as she is, I don't think it'd be a good idea to have her join us. I can't imagine it'd look good if the Tea Party found out." He reminded them, glancing towards Hifumi with a bit of concern in his eyes. "We don't even have a mask for her..."
Unsurprisingly, Shiroko was prepared for this. With an old paper sack, she cut out some eyes and marked it with the number 5. "There. This should work for her." Without any hesitation, she placed the bag over Hifumi's head, nodding her approval at her fine handiwork.
"But... but..." Hifumi whined, though her pleas fell upon deaf ears. She turned to Ja'vassa, silently pleading with him as well. "Sensei..."
Ja'vassa bit his lip, sighing in defeat. "I'll cover for you in the Tea Party if anything goes wrong, Hifumi. I've got your back."
It seemed she had lost his support as well, and without many options left, Hifumi unhappily went along with their plans. With their weapons in good condition and the plan in mind, they quickly rushed into the Black Market Bank.
Upon first entry, Shiroko fired several rounds towards the ceiling. "Get to the ground and make no sudden movements!" She ordered, quickly rushing towards the counter. While she dealt with the clerk, the others monitored the entrance and kept a careful watch on the bank's employees and patrons.
Amongst the terrified civilians watching them was none other than Problem Solver 68; despite their nerves, Aru looked upon them with a mixture of surprise and admiration. "Look at the way they instill fear into everyone... like true outlaws!" She exclaimed softly, sparkles in her eyes. "So cool..."
Kayoko rolled her eyes slightly at her boss' reaction, leaning over to Mutsuki. "Think we should tell her?" She asked quietly.
"Nah. I think it'd upset her if she knew the Abydos students were involved... I doubt she wants to cause further trouble with her and Sensei." Mutsuki whispered back, glancing towards Aru and then over towards Shiroko. "Besides, I want to watch this play out."
Shiroko shot a harsh glare towards the clerk behind the counter, holding her rifle firmly in front of them. "Do you have the transaction records from the van that just pulled a few moments ago? That's all I want from you."
The clerk frantically nodded. "Take it, take whatever you want, just don't hurt me!" He pleaded, quickly filling the bag that Shiroko gave him. "Here's everything, please go!"
With a pleased smile, she gladly took the bag from the clerk and motioned for her companions to leave with her. "Come on, we got what we needed!" Shiroko called out to them.
Lagging slightly behind them, Hifumi bowed towards them. "I'm sorry for the trouble!" She yelled out.
As they reunited with Ja'vassa outside, Shiroko made another motion for him to follow them. No doubt guards were going to arrive soon, and the sooner they left, the better it'd be for them. They ran for miles, only stopping once they felt they were a safe distance from the bank.
"That went better than expected... Did you get what you were looking for, Shiroko?" Ja'vassa asked, leaning over the railing of the bridge.
She was silent as she opened the bag, revealing that they indeed had retrieved the transaction records they were hoping for, but beneath them was piles upon piles of cash. Shiroko didn't seem too bothered by the money, but the others stared on in surprise.
"I-I thought we were just getting the records? Where'd this come from?" Ayane asked with obvious surprise in her voice.
"Maybe the clerk was confused by her orders?" Nonomi suggested, her eyes never leaving the money on the ground.
"We could use this to pay back some of our debt! Maybe this trip to the Black Market wasn't such a waste after all." Serika cheered, a wide smile crossing her face.
"I don't think so. Using this money to pay off your debt could come back to bite you in the end." Ja'vassa stated, crossing his arms slightly. "If they suddenly find that you're able to pay off so much of your debt, that'd leave them suspicious and if they're able to connect the crime to you, that'd give them enough of a reason to foreclose on the school." He added, sighing softly.
"But... we... we've worked so hard for this." Serika pleaded, looking towards Ja'vassa with desperation in her eyes. "We can't just... we can't just ignore this."
Hoshino placed her hand on her underclassmen's shoulder. "Sensei's right, Serika. Maybe it'll help us, but we'd be no better than them if we used it. It's dirty money. We'll find a way to pay off the debt, but not like this. We just need the transaction records; leave the money behind." She suggested, her tone soft as she spoke.
"You're a hard worker, Serika and I know you want nothing more than to help your classmates, but this has the risk of bringing more trouble to Abydos. We've already taken a risk by doing what we did." Ja'vassa gave her a warm smile. "Don't let this hold you back from moving forward. We'll pay off the debt, little by little, we'll get there. We'll just have to find other resources for it."
Though everything in her was screaming at her to ignore their words and take the money, she relented and nodded at them. Hesitantly, she stepped away from the bag of money. "You're right. I'm... I'm sorry, I just... I just wanted to make things easier for us." Serika replied quietly.
"You're a real sweetheart, Serika. You've got a good heart. Things will be better down the road, you just take it step by step." Ja'vassa assured her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, let's head back to Abydos and see if those records have anything important for us."
Hoshino couldn't help but chuckle at the heartwarming sight. "You know, Sensei, you're a lot gentler than you'd make yourself out to be... a big, bad vampire lord being so soft and sweet to our precious Serika. It's touching, honestly."
Ja'vassa rolled his eyes in response, beginning to walk ahead of them. "Oh, shut it. I'm not that soft." He argued.
"Whatever you say, Sensei." Hoshino teased, though she suddenly jumped into a more defensive stance. "Someone's coming."
Much to their surprise, it was Aru rushing up the road to meet with them. Without any hesitation, everyone besides Ja'vassa quickly covered their faces with the masks they used for the robbery.
As she caught up to them, Aru hobbled over to catch her breath. "I... I saw you at the bank. You looked so... incredible there, like real outlaws! Everyone was terrified and followed every order without hesitation. I... I want to be just like you." It didn't seem she noticed Ja'vassa was there just yet. "Who are you? I have to know your names!"
None of them were quite sure how to respond at first, but after a moment, Nonomi came up with a quick story. "I'm Christina of the Masked Swimsuit Gang, striking fear into the hearts of all those who oppose us!"
Aru's eyes sparkled with a childlike wonder as she listened to them, her smile widening. "Do you have any advice for up and coming outlaws like myself?"
Hoshino nodded, giving her a thumbs up. "Always stay true to yourself. Never give up, no matter how difficult the road ahead seems. You've got a long way to go, but you'll become a great outlaw someday."
The childish glimmer never faded away as she soaked up the advice given to her. "I'll become the greatest outlaw Kivotos has ever seen. I'll make you proud!" Aru said triumphantly, though her expression briefly faded away as she finally noticed Ja'vassa. "S-Sensei?! What are you doing here? You're not here to arrest them, are you?"
Ja'vassa quickly shook his head. "Of course not, Aru. I... I was just taking a stroll in the neighborhood when I bumped into them. I don't think I have the authority to arrest them, anyways. Uh... I'll see you next time I'm in Gehenna for our ramen date, yeah?" He added, quickly beginning to head back towards Abydos in order to prevent himself from saying anything stupid.
Even after all that had happened in the day prior, Ja'vassa still hadn't called off their little date in the future; that was enough to cause Aru to blush. She received some wonderful advice from hard-boiled outlaws and it didn't seem Ja'vassa was angry at her despite her actions. "Y-Yeah... I'll see you soon, Sensei!"
As they went their separate ways, Aru had met back up with her Problem Solver 68 comrades. "Weren't they incredible? Sensei still wants to meet us again for lunch, even all that we did to them." She sighed happily, in a much better mood now.
"I'm glad Sensei still wants to speak with us, but, Boss... didn't you recognize the girls on the bridge?" Mutsuki asked, a devilish smirk on her face.
"No, why?" Aru's smile faded away and was replaced with a puzzled expression.
Kayoko rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Boss, those were the Abydos students. Surely Sensei's presence should've made it clear, right?"
Silence washed over Aru for a moment as she processed their words. "Wait, what?! That was them?! I..." She took a step back, surprised by the obvious revelation. "I thought... but, that means Sensei was in on their robbery." Most people would've been upset by such an idea, but instead, Aru only seemed more impressed. "He's... he's even cooler than I could've hoped. Maybe he could teach me more about being a great outlaw when we meet next."
Mutsuki giggled softly, her devilish smirk never leaving her face. "You're hopeless, Aru, but... at least you'll have something to talk about with him the next time we meet." Despite her teasing tone, she was secretly just as excited to enjoy their ramen date with Ja'vassa in the future.
Later in the day, as the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, the Abydos students had made it back to the school and made a shocking revelation as they looked through the documents they received. "So... if I'm reading these correctly, they've been accepting all of your payments like they should, but then, it looks as if they're using the money you're giving them to fund and supply the Helmet Gang... and it looks like they were also the ones responsible for hiring Problem Solver 68." Ja'vassa mused, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes. "That explains why they're doing all of their operations in the Black Market Bank as well. Doing so in a more public bank would draw too much suspicion."
Serika nodded at him, anger evident in her eyes as well. "What do we do now? What if we brought this information up to the General Student Council, then maybe they could do something about Kaiser?" She suggested.
"What good would that do? You've requested their help before and they hadn't done a damn thing... and even if you did, couldn't Kaiser flip this around on you? The missing money, the fact that you have your hands on confidential information. There's too many risks involved with going to them." Ja'vassa replied, heading towards the window for a moment. "I'm not sure if there's much we can do right now, but we need to be careful moving forward."
He sighed softly, staring out towards the dying sunlight in the distance. "Just... just what makes Abydos so important to them? They've swallowed up practically the entire district despite it being a barren desert. What is it they're looking for here? None of it makes sense."
Hoshino shrugged, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes. "I'm not sure, but... maybe we should get some rest? We've had a long day. Let's head home for the night and group back tomorrow."
The others ultimately agreed with each other, giving their farewells. One by one, they shuffled out of the room until it was just Ja'vassa and Hoshino left behind. "Sensei... can we talk for a moment? I... I need to tell you something." Hoshino's voice was soft, laced with uncertainty.
"Of course, Hoshino. What's on your mind?" Ja'vassa asked, taking a seat beside her.
"I know what Kaiser is after, but... if I told the others, it'd only worry them. Can... Can you keep this between us, Sensei?" Hoshino asked, lightly resting her hand on top of his.
Ja'vassa nodded in response, clasping her hand in his. "Nothing we speak about leaves this room, I promise."
Flashing him a brief smile, Hoshino sighed softly. "They're after me. I've... received a few letters and even had a meeting with a higher up from Kaiser. They seem to think I'm some special treasure... promising that if... if I joined them, they'd wipe the debt and leave Abydos alone." She explained, clearly holding back several tears of her own.
Ja'vassa was shocked to hear her explanation, but his tone remained gentle. "They're not wrong; you are a special treasure, Hoshino, one that's very much worth protecting and fighting for. It is strange to hear that they've been pursuing you, I urge you to be careful going forward." He'd gently squeeze her hand, attempting to offer any form of comfort.
"I'm.. I'm afraid that if I do join them, I might be forced to fight against you and my classmates. But, if I ignore them, they're only going to continue to come after us. What do I do, Sensei? I'm... I'm scared. I want my classmates to live without having to worry about a debt that isn't theirs in the first place, but.. I don't want to risk them getting hurt again." Despite her best efforts to hold them back, tears began to stream down her cheeks. "I... just... What should I do? Is there a right answer here? I... I don't want to be alone again."
Ja'vassa's expression softened further and he'd quickly wrapped her in a warm, protective embrace. "The path you're on isn't easy.. it doesn't seem like there's a right answer here. But, you're not alone, Hoshino. We're all here for you. To protect you, to fight alongside you. Do what your heart thinks is right. You've got a heart of gold and all of us are better for having known you. Given Kaiser's recent actions, I wouldn't trust them to uphold their promise, but, in the end, the final decision is yours." He whispered, holding Hoshino close to him. "Just remember... you're not alone, Hoshino. You have your classmates and you have me. We'll always be here to support you. To give you a shoulder to lean over when you need it. You're carrying heavy burdens on your shoulders, but you don't have to carry them alone anymore."
Hoshino sniffled softly, looking up to him; her eyes puffy from the fallen tears. "Thank you, Sensei... that means a lot to me. When you first arrived here, I wasn't certain we'd be able to trust you... but, I'm glad I was wrong about you." She snuggled closer into his embrace, almost afraid he'd disappear if she let go. "It's... selfish of me to ask, but... please don't leave us, Sensei. I... I know you have people that need you back home, but... we need you too. It's been less than a month, but we'd miss you terribly if you disappeared."
Ja'vassa was silent for a few moments, looking towards her with a surprised expression. "I... I'm not going anywhere, Hoshino. I promise. I promise."
After Hoshino calmed herself down, she'd slowly peel herself away from Ja'vassa's embrace and stood up, giving him a warm smile. "Thank you for that, Sensei.. I almost forgot what it felt like to be held like that. I'll see you tomorrow. Be sure you get some rest as well."
Ja'vassa nodded, waving towards her as she stepped out of the room. "Of course. Sweet dreams, my dear. Rest up and I'll see you here tomorrow. Be safe on your way home."
As the moon had risen over the horizon and Hoshino finally left for the day, Ja'vassa returned to his office to get some much needed sleep for the night. Despite the sound, peaceful sleep he was in, he found himself fighting an internal battle. Kivotos wasn't his home, he'd have to return to Skyrim someday and leave this place behind. He couldn't really be expected to choose the world he had known for less than a month versus staying behind with the group that had loyally served him for well over a thousand years, and yet, he found himself growing more and more attached to Kivotos with each passing second.
There was nothing but love and admiration for his companions in Sjel Blad Castle, but even amidst all the chaos that Kivotos has brought him thus far, this has been the happiest he's been in a long time. Feeling the warmth of his students, seeing their smiles, feeling that sense of purpose he's been longing for. Would he really be able to bring himself to abandon his students, even after they've managed to find a way to deal with Kaiser? He wasn't so sure, but he also knew he couldn't just abandon Skyrim either. It didn't seem like there was a right answer for his internal conflict. There was no telling if Relumara and the others would be okay with the idea of him staying in Kivotos, especially after serving him for so long. Perhaps it was time he held a meeting with his Inner Council, or maybe briefly returned to Skyrim to meditate at the Throat of the World. Whatever decision he'd make would no doubt leave him with upsetting one group; his beloved students and his loyal servants.
