A young and fair woman with short violet-black hair wearing a newsboy cap, her sharp purple eyes staring straight through my own, with what looked like a faint scar from her leftmost eye down to the cheek. A uniform sweater thrown over her shoulders, a checkered skirt that reached down to her knees, and a skin-tight black shirt sat underneath her dress shirt. She adjusted the suspenders latched around her shoulders, a book in her off-hand. She looked up at me with a quizzical stare. "You are Seth's child, yes?"
"U-Uh, yes!"
"Why are you nervous?"
"W-Well... I think anybody would be nervous if the Student Council President themselves came to interrogate them."
"Why'd you figure that I came to interrogate you?"
"Uh...?"
"You were right to believe that, though, it seems you're better at reading the mood than I thought. That's one rumor off the list."
"D-Do you need something?"
"I need you."
"Huh?"
"I need information. I'm looking into your case."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because it's unfair, and I owe your father a favor."
I blinked, "Uh... thanks? But... the case is done and over."
"No, it's far from over. Just because your name had technically been cleared doesn't mean the case has been solved. It simply means that questions had been left unanswered due to negligence and that there wasn't enough evidence to pursue the case any further than necessary. Helped that your father is the Chief of Police as well."
"Didn't help that much. Even if everything has... become this, where y'know, I'm not what they say I am. I still have that perception lingering over me. Pursuing it, I dunno, I'm just not... into the idea, I guess. We're too far in, I just don't think something like that can be recovered."
"Well, I didn't ask you anyhow. I wanted to do this on my lonesome because I wanted to, and I believe that you could become an asset, an ally."
"You want me as an ally?"
"I knew how you were back then. You have potential. Violet could agree."
"You know her? A-Also, please don't bring her up."
"Felt it was fair to mention."
I scratched the back of my nape, "So... like... You need me as an ally, for what?"
Naomi placed a finger on my chest, "You're a lot like me. More like me than you think. I need someone like you to be on my side." Naomi's expression went from stern to a bit befuddled as she pulled her hand back. I understood why, but I don't want to talk about it.
I was flustered for a second but continued, "What are you, preparing for war or something?"
"No... It's just sad watching potential be squandered like this. So I want to help, and I want you to be mine."
"H-huh!?"
Naomi blinked, "I misworded that, but same difference, I want you to work under me."
"You want me to join the Student Council...? Or something?"
"Surely you wouldn't mind, no?"
I shook my head, "N-No way, way too much responsibility, I'm gonna be honest."
"You don't have to do anything, you just have to entertain my quandaries."
"What does that mean?"
"You'd be more of my... detective assistant than someone who is a part of the Council."
"I still don't get it." I had a thought then. I never really gave it much consideration before, but I never quite figured out what club Violet represented. "Hey, is Violet a part of the student council? I know she does school request stuff, but..."
Naomi blinked, "I have been caught, yes, she is a part of the council."
A moment of silence. "Did she convince you to speak with me?"
"No."
"For real?"
"Yes."
Violet is a bit of an upstart. A young, energetic girl with long curly black hair that carried a bit of an eccentric demeanor, often reciting poetry or random lines from random plays she'd indulge in every so often. Honestly, she'd often come to me, attempting to drag me into her shenanigans within what I now know is the Student Council, but I often rejected her since I didn't want to be involved with anyone for a while. However, now... honestly, I don't have a reason to refuse.
I've always been a fan of Naomi, anyhow, so this could be a good opportunity. I finally have something that —well, I don't exactly like how I'll put this, but it's the most apt way to describe it —these abilities essentially gave me the will to live again, to be someone.
I sighed, "Okay... uh... sure. I don't have anything to concern myself with anymore, so sure, I'll do it. But, why me though?"
"You are the child of Seth Driskoll, and you have a righteous heart. I can trust you. That's why. I don't drag people I don't trust into my business. I chose Violet exactly because I trust her-- my trust is hard to come by, after all."
"Glad to be looked at with such a high standing then..."
It helped to be in this position now, since, as an official member of the Student Council, looking into that murderer may become easier than if I just stayed as I was. Stagnant, in no position to look into such issues-- it would've caused more problems than I would've liked in hindsight, so being in a position of authority helped.
I'm not the biggest fan of talking to Violet, though...
Naomi led me to the Student Council Room to officially sign up, immediately seeing Violet pop up in excitement at the sight of me.
"Holy shit! Naomi! You did it!"
Naomi looked to me for a moment, "I'll grab the sheet."
I nodded in response, watching as Naomi crossed the room to her desk. Violet jumped up from her seat to greet me, holding a hand out expectantly, "Glad to have ya, bud!"
I sighed, "You finally won, how does it feel?"
"Fantastic, thank you for asking." She insisted on a physical handshake, almost poking me with her hand.
"Fine," I mumbled, finally shaking her hand.
"Honest, I can't believe it took this long!" Violet chuckled.
"I dunno, was feelin' different today, I guess. Maybe all of your years of pestering and your tomboyish charm finally worked on me."
"I knew it'd work eventually."
I blinked, no, it fucking didn't.
Naomi returned with the sign-up sheet, handing it to me before giving a curt, respectful nod. She then headed back to her desk, which had stacks of paperwork layered atop its wooden surface.
I signed up immediately, now 18, and it was easy to do so without my parents' permission, turning it back in almost instantly after receiving it.
"Grazie." Naomi stashed the sheet away and scanned me momentarily before looking to Violet, "Could you give us some privacy for a moment?"
"Huh? Why?" Violet gave a smug look.
"Call it a hazing ritual."
"Alright, if you need me to give ya some privacy, I will." Violet snickered as she left, clearly having a misunderstanding of some sort.
"So, why just us? Is it that important that Violet doesn't hear about this?"
"I was curious about something. Wanted to test a suspicion of mine."
"What suspicion?"
"Were you involved with the late-night vandalism that had occurred at the school two days ago? Blood was found at the scene, so I became curious and looked into it further, discovering some interesting results. The problem is that there's only so much I can gather from basic inference and guesses.
I didn't understand what she was referring to at first until she mentioned that there was blood at the scene, which led me to make only one assumption about what she was referring to. Is she someone I could trust? Is it better to play it safe? To not say anything? Would she even believe me? I narrowed my gaze, attempting to look like I was ignorant of what she was talking about, but was still thinking about it anyway, just in case. I sighed, "I... I'm not sure to what you're referring."
"I see... well. No worries. There isn't anything else I need you for, so you can leave."
I nodded, but just before I could head out the door, Naomi somehow appeared right beside me. My hand was wedged into the latch of the door, and an audible click could be heard, but I dared not move it further for now as Naomi stared me down.
"The problem is... I found something left on campus that very same morning. You wouldn't mind if we compared your prints to the ones found on this flashlight, would you?"
I swallowed hard, "I... uh... what are you talking about? You scared the hell out of me just now, how'd you--"
"You're not very good at lying, Gael."
"H-hey, look, it's not what you think."
"There's a pretty simple solution to this misunderstanding, then."
"W-What would that be?"
"Show me it, your 'Boon'."
"What?"
The ends of Naomi's hair turned white, and something that looked like a mannequin carved out of diamonds was standing before me. Segments of its body were disconnected, its stomach seemingly carrying the core of what could only be described as a planet. This being, or creature, had appeared out of thin air.. "Saturn, freeze."
Naomi quickly placed a hand over my own, and just before I was about to pull away, my hand was stuck to the door, ice forming from her fingertips, trapping me in place.
"Do not doubt my ability. Aside from being the student council president, many are afraid of me for more than just that. So... do you have it? An ability like mine?"
Almost immediately after going back to my classes, I found myself in another predicament. Whether she is an ally or foe, I've found myself in yet another conflict against someone with unknown abilities similar to my own, right now.