Lesson of Choas

"Heard you were with a vampire last weekend?"

Michael laid out on the couch, his legs perched up against the elevated end as he stared at the news running tv. Yin sat across from him, a small book crossed against her fingers as she quickly flipped through the pages.

Michael turned to her, his silver eyes lost in tired thoughtlessness, "huh? You said something?"

Yin sat up, "are you ok? You've been acting weird since you came back from the last mission."

"No no, I'm perfectly fine."

Michael stared straight, the bags under his eyes tightening as he watched the news play the same story over and over again. Yin stood up as Bijou looked up from his desk, his sharp red eyes piercing into her retinas. He quickly pointed at Michael, telling her with his hands that she needed to help him.

"Really?" she mouthed out under her breath.

Bijou stared serious.

"Ok..." She leaned over Michael, "hey. Let's go out on the town, you seem like you need a break."

"Huh? Oh... Yeah... Yeah! But your paying."

---

They walked through the city. The corner store delis covered in sketchy odd-looking people. The small diners, each one pulled out against the corner of the street, with long rowed tables filled with parties and families. Michael sat across from Yin. His small glass of water dripping sweat as he slowly sipped from it. Yin pulled up the menu.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"The burger. I haven't had the burger yet."

"Ok, fine, the burger it is."

She ordered him the burger, and her the salad. After a quiet long stare back and forth, she leaned forward, slightly pissed by Michael's reluctance to talk.

"What is up with you? Can you at least introduce yourself to me. I don't even know you."

"Oh... Yeah..." He lowered the glass of water, "I'm Michael and I'm... I'm an aspiring photographer."

She looked at the small camera dangling from his neck.

"So then why did you join Atlus?" she asked.

"I... Well, at first I joined because of my Dad. Then I joined because of the money. And now..."

He looked at the surrounding tables. The families, friends, and parties that seemed to not care about him.

He spoke up, "can I talk to you about some stuff?"

"Yeah yeah, anything you want off your chest."

Michael pushed his face up against the table cloth, his hands pressed against his legs.

"So, I hate this city! I absolutely hate it! The people. The bars. The restaurants. I honestly just want to go home."

"Really? That's it? I thought you were gonna tell some deep depressing shit to me."

"I don't really get depressed that often, I'm just kinda feeling lost. Like I don't have a meaning in this city."

Yin laughed under her breath.

"What is it?"

"It's funny. You know everyone thinks the same way when they first come to Portsluck. Atlus has about twenty members all across the city, and I've trained about half of them for their first year here. And Michael, let me tell you. They all think the same way."

"Really?"

"Yeah... Here..."

She tapped him on the shoulder.

[Teleport]

They suddenly disappeared and reappeared on the top of a tall cylinder tower that sat on the top of the tallest building in the city. The tower sat with its long twisting staircases bending down its long spiraling pole. Michael looked out over the city, his trench coat flowing in the wind. Yin leaned up against the railing, her suited tie flapping with the breeze. She looked at his glowing silver eyes and flapping blonde hair.

"You're special Michael. You have something special within you. Something powerful. And this city accepts and rewards those types of people. Crime, murder, fighting, jobs. All types of peoples, all types of powers, all types of minds. And these people shine, but at the same time, they create absurd chaos here. Look..."

She pointed to a flashing rainbow off in the distance, its glittering rain as it coated the sky. She then pointed to the other side of the city. To explosions and fire. She pointed to a dragon. A large marshmallow. A cube of water floating in the sky. She pointed to the large metal platform high up.

"You may be special, but you are also not special. What happened to you, with the robbery, with the vampire." She smiled, "that's just the beginning. You haven't even seen the beginning of what this city can bring down."

Michael lifted up his camera.

Click!

He took a photo of the city. It's erupting chaos.

"Thank's Yin. Trying to cheer me up. Well, I don't know if that was really cheering me up, but whatever. Thanks. But... Again... I still hate it here... I hate it alot. But I also like it. I like the small things. The little things. But the big things are what I hate. The buildings. The crime. The murder. The jobs. The running and hiding. The monsters. The... That vampire lady... I hate it, but at the same time, I want more. So thanks. Thanks..."

"No problem. But let me give you a little lesson before I head back to the base."

"What lesson?"

[Teleport]

"Huh?"

She disappeared leaving Michael alone on the top of the long spiraling tower.

"Wait... Did she just... Leave me here alone?"