Recollection Log: April
The camera flicked on with a click, the red light on top blinking silently as it watched the men sitting in front of it. One was dressed in all black, a small clipboard in hand and a pen in the other. He sighed and began reading from the first page on his clipboard, a monotone as he followed a routine he had grown increasingly tired of.
"Today is April 20th. We are conducting our monthly recollection interview with Mr. Therapist. The purpose of this meeting is to identify any current gaps that exist in his memory, giving us time to sure up deficiencies and possible threats before they grow dangerous. Joining me is-"
The white-haired man sitting across from the french villain cleared his throat, before waving to the camera. An exagerated motion that nearly hits the rat cage sitting on his desk. The occupant doesn't seem to react, however, maintaining a blank silence as it stared directly at De Jais.
"ME!!! I'm Mr. Therapist! Thanks for having me on the show, De Jais!"
The darker villain sighed as he responded.
"It is not a show, sir. It is a recorded interview we conduct every month..."
"Boooo! You should play with me on that one, you'd have more fun!"
De Jais mouth grew taut, but he refrained from snapping at his employer. Instead, he simply flipped to the first list of names on his clipboard.
Patients
De Jais
"Hahaha! Kind of silly to ask me about yourself, don't you think Monsieur Black?"
De Jais clicked his tongue, brows creased. It was impossible to see behind the sunglasses, but he was almost certainly glaring.
"It is not. Your perception of your allies is more important than anyone else. We must record what you know, and what you don't. The last thing we need is for you to forget about us in your time of need."
The Therapist sighed, sliding down his chair. The smile he usually wore was traded for a pout. To an outsider, it almost looked like a parent admonishing a child.
"I guess you're right or whatever... Uhm, De Jais - Paul Crémieux. You were the top Villain in France, and had a rivalry with the number one hero in the country, Renard. Over your 6 year career you performed nearly 400 heists, including several on the Louvre and the Bank of France. You're the reason that the Venus de Milo is still missing! And, y'know, a couple hundred million euros in stolen goods. I met with you 4 months ago, and you have been a big help!"
De Jais nodded, leaning back in his recliner.
"Assez proche. Could use more detail, but that's the big picture. What do you think of me?"
"That's a bit forward - maybe we could have dinner first? Hahahaha-!"
De Jais stared blankly as the Therapist laughed at his own joke for nearly half a minute.
"Phew! Uh, let's see... I think you're a kind man. Even if you can act a bit gruff and stoic, I can tell that you want to make things easier for the people around you. You're a loyal friend to those that earn your trust - don't tell the others, but amongst my patients, you're the one I'm closest with. You're kind of like my guard dog!"
De Jais clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he looked away from the white-haired man.
"Merde. Looks like you've got some stuff wrong there. I'll have Justice Man give you a briefing when he gets back from his roadwork."
"Boooo! He smells when he finishes running! If it was me calling you a dog, I take it back! Aie pitié, Monsieur Black!"
Suslik
"I met Suslik around 2 months ago. I had cut ties with... Hm, I can't recall right now... Anyways, after leaving, I was a little low on manpower - so I hired Suslik from some real nice foreigners that were visiting Tokyo on a business trip! You'd like them De Jais, they had a ton of guns!"
The dark-clothed man cocked his eyebrows a bit in faux-interest, before swirling his hand in a 'go on' gesture.
"I paid to have Suslik in my service for a year, though with how well he does his job, I'll see if I can make his stay permanent! You wouldn't believe how much people struggle against a big guy like him!"
De Jais nodded as he responded. His gaze is distant, cheek propped against his fingers.
"His quirk is versatile. Unique and potent durability, physically powerful, and can hasten his recovery as long as he can access a ubiquitous resource. I'm sure he could bypass a lot of security measures if he had proper training..."
"He's way too serious though! Every time I talk with him, he always acts like a soldier or something! That's not healthy! I want to see him relax and not be on high alert all the time. I invite him out to Karaoke with us, and he only ever sings Russian songs when I force him on the mic. One time I tried getting him to sing Matryoshka, but I don't think he likes Vocaloid..."
De Jais huffed under his breath.
"Who does?"
"HEY!"
Chiami Tenko
"Tenko-chan! She's super into movies y'know! Especially the super old pre-warlord era films. I've been watching some with her the last few days, and I think I might organize a movie night with some of us! Oh, next time you see her, you should be like 'One last job and then I'm out, Tenko-san' in that brooding voice you do sometimes!"
"What in the hell are you talking about, Sir?"
"Nothing important, haha! Let's see... Tenko-chan is really handy to have around - she can see people through walls, or even if they're invisible and stuff! Very useful at stopping surprise attacks or being stalked, especially with that octopus hero getting on my case recently... She's more shy than Suslik is, if you can believe it. I always end up having to order her food for her, and sometimes I have to jam some memories of meeting someone in her head before she can talk to a stranger."
De Jais frowned as the Therapist spoke, filling the awkward silence that followed with his own commentary.
"She's been seeing you quite frequently. If you'd like, I can recommend she restrain herself. I do not wish to put you through unnecessary stres-"
"A-ah no, I can handle it! Please, she needs me!"
A look of panic crossed Mr. Therapist's face, before he stared off in the distance, eyes glazed over. De Jais swore under his breath.
"You're right, you're right. My apologies, Sir. I should not speak out of turn."
The man sitting across from him look confused for a second, before smiling and waving his hand dismissively. "Hm? Oh, it's okay De Jais! Don't worry about it!"
De Jais sighed. Better to move on now than risk touching a nerve on the same subject.
Villains
Midas
"He's one of the bigger villains in the country - you've probably heard of him! He leads the Night Parade, and was the one that invited us to the summit!"
De Jais sunk into his seat, eyes narrowed.
"I do not think going to this 'summit' is a good idea. I've operated in France for years and we've never had anything like it. Villains don't typically associate without good reason."
"Blech! Lame! C'moooon, it'll be fun! Besides, if we can do reconnaissance on all the other major players at once, I won't have to do the 'stalk people with rats and birds' thing."
When De Jais did not immediately object, Mr. Therapist smirked to himself and continued.
"Midas is capable of manipulating gold in a large radius around himself - and anything that gold touches can be turned into more gold. He's an 'instant-kill' type, so we'll have to be careful."
"You see, this is why I-"
The footage cuts abruptly. Static dominates the screen for a second before it returns.
Desolator
"Ah, another old timer! This man has been a danger to Japan for decades - though I heard he's looking a lot younger nowadays... Wonder what happened there!"
"Is it true? That he is-"
"Yep! Like Callous, this guy's Quirkless. And a heck of a sharpshooter - I might even have something I could learn from him!"
De Jais coughed, before turning away. A man more skilled than Mr. Therapist in any discipline was exceedingly rare - especially with something so common. If he was had even a little bit of physical competence, he'd be a monster in a fight.
"I think he'll be at the summit, so I'll try and learn a trick or two from him there. Worst case, it won't hurt to introduce ourselves, right?"
"Hmph. Whatever you say, sir."
Buried Dagger
"Never met her. Why, is she important?"
"Luddite thinks she might be a good candidate for recruitment. Physically powerful metal-form. Can assume gaseous and aquatic states at will. Shapeshifting."
"What, a sidegrade of Suslik?"
De Jais shakes his head, clearly exasperated.
"Suslik can't punch a hole through a brick wall, or slip through an air vent."
"And I doubt this woman can destabilize a building's foundation as easily as he can. If the opportunity to talk comes up I'll meet with her - but we're not desperate for muscle, right?"
Imamu
"He's kind of a big deal in Africa - I remember reading about him while doing research on the continent. He rules a small nation and is the head of a religious movement based on quirk-worship. Some of his business dealings are a bit messy for my tastes, but if his people are happy with their faith, who am I to judge?"
"I am not a fan of these 'Red Finger', sir. They nearly took you away! We should avoid them at all costs. Maybe even run counter to them, disrupt their smuggling operations..."
The Therapist looked confused for a second, eyes glazed over. De Jais bit his tongue. No, of course he didn't remember the incident. Shouldn't talk about things that trigger him. Right. The Therapist stayed silent for a few seconds before the smile returned, and he laughed at some imaginary comment.
"Hahaha, yeah, Puck! I really wish you got to meet him, I think you two would have hit it off! Maybe he'll come around, I think the Red Finger might try bailing him out of prison soon."
"Y-yeah... You're probably right, sir."
"Anyways, I'm neutral on the High Priest. Maybe I'll change my tune if we talk at the summit!"
Brain Drain
"I'm not a fan."
De Jais's eyes widened slightly behind his sunglasses, but he quickly slid back into his professional demeanor.
"That's... rare. Did something happen when she visited us recently?"
"Not really, no. She came by to offer me the same deal that Puck gentleman did, and apologize for how they got a little pushy. She even requested some of my services."
Mr. Therapist stiffed slightly as he continued, eyes narrowed.
"But I've read about her. People turned into husks of their former selves, acting like monsters while she commits crimes... It make a mockery of all the good I'm trying to accomplish. With her here in Japan, in the same city... I guess I just don't want to get the negative attention she'll attract. If she scares away even one person who might have asked for my help, that is one less person who I can save."
A minute of silence followed. When Mr. Therapist refused to comment further on the woman, De Jais moved on.
Rescue Ray
"Our partner in Therapy! I'm quite the fan of his. Did you know he rebuilt his youth center after it was destroyed using funds from his own agency? Most heroes would just request a grant from the government for charity work like that, but RR chose to-"
"RR? You seem a bit too familiar with him, sir. Even if he is helping us now, please remember that at the end of the day, he is a hero."
Mr. Therapist looked confused as he responded.
"Umm, yeah? So are we."
Several tense seconds of silence pass before Mr. Therapist speaks again.
"His quirk has some pretty interesting applications! I saw one of his experiments while he gave me the tour - he apparently managed to make a dragon! Pretty cool, huh? If he's up for it, I might graft a doctorate in biology or anatomy into his brain."
He shrugged his shoulders absently, before snapping towards the camera with an excited look on his face.
"Oh! And did you SEE his youth center!? Wow! So many kids there that need my help! I already treated a few students, but..."
The smile faltered slightly as Mr. Therapist's gaze grew sharp. His voice lacked any of it's familiar warmth, and De Jais felt a chill run down his spine.
"...I can't wait for my first day."
Reaper
De Jais stared hard at the Therapist. The Reaper had slammed Paris during his trip to Europe, hitting it harder than any other city in his time outside Japan. The city was still standing, but with the irreparable losses it suffered, it was a shadow of it's former glory.
De Jais still felt a pang in his chest whenever he saw the Tokyo Tower. How come that survived, and the Eiffel didn't?
Mr. Therapist seemed confused for a second, before laughing.
"Oh, sorry, it took me a second! I remember being told he'd be at the Summit! Other than that, I don't really know much about the guy. Sorry!"
The foreign man closed his eyes. Of course Mr. Therapist wouldn't know.
Why the hell would he remember someone so terrible.
"It's... for the best. Don't worry, sir. I'll keep you safe."
"...? Thanks, I guess!"
Dr. Ivon
"Yes, I've read some of his papers from back when he was more active in the scientific community. Interesting stuff! If I ever meet him, I really want to discuss one of his earlier theses."
Mr. Therapist reached for one of the drawers of his desk, retrieving a large stack of neatly-ordered papers. He shuffled through them for a few seconds before pulling out a hefty bundle of pages, turning it over to face the camera. The font was small enough that the camera could only make out a small portion of the content - the title of the paper itself, the header of the abstract and body, and a few long and intimidating mathematical equations near the bottom of the page. The Therapist turned it back to himself, smile widening slightly as he read the title.
"'Laplace's Demon: Precognitive Quirks, Determinism, and the Myth of Free Will.' It's my favorite that he's written, even if it was early in his career. It was even published in Quirk Science! Very difficult Journal to get your work into, especially with such a controversial title."
Mr. Therapist flipped through a few of the pages absentmindedly, before handing it off to De Jais. The man frowned as he looked at the front page for a dozen or so seconds, before sighing and handing it back.
"I cannot read this, sir."
"Huh? I could have sworn I threw some English into you alongside the Japanese... Might need to do that agai-"
"It is too complex for me."
The Therapist paused for a brief moment, before breaking into another abrupt bout of laughter. De Jais' expression didn't change, though he visibly tensed.
"Hahahaha! Oh man, let me tell you, you should NOT check out his later stuff! I can barely parse through 'Genomics of the Modern Quirk: DNA and the Death of Thermodynamics'. And anything after 'Plasmid Induction of Quirk-Adjacent Genes' may as well be gibberish!"
Mr. Therapist grabbed the stack of papers and returned it to the drawer of the desk, a brief look of exertion crossing his face from the weight. He closed the drawer and turned his attention back towards De Jais.
"Where was I? Oh, yes - he's quite the brilliant man! It's a shame that he has stopped publishing as much in recent years. If I ever meet him, I hope he won't mind dumbing down some of his later papers so I can better grasp them!"
Kodoku
"We bought poison from her once, I think. I don't have much to say about her, to be honest."
A few seconds go by before Mr. Therapist speaks up again.
"Um... She can project nearly any kind of toxic substance, but that isn't too useful for our work so I didn't pay much mind. I offered to train some of her pets, but she wasn't interested. Probably for the best, I'm not very good with bugs..."
Queen Carnivore
Mr. Therapist smile widened as he held his arms out, before expertly miming a hibachi chef. He flicks a few pieces of imaginary food towards De Jais, until the latter pretends to catch one in his mouth.
"Haha! Nice! Ah... I met Noriko-san a couple weeks ago. Some clients were very appreciative of my work on them, so they took me out to a fancy restaurant. Komorebi, if I remember right. She was looking through the window and drooling, so I decided to invite her in for a good meal. She must have been really hungry, because she ate nearly ¥100,000 worth of meat before we cut her off!"
De Jais clicked his tongue and shook his head.
"That woman was quite disruptive. Our client didn't touch their food because of how unrefined her table manners were. I don't think we should associate with people like that, especially when we had to foot her bill."
"I thought she was nice! She was very appreciative, at least. And besides, it feels good to help people in need - I think she's homeless... I'll offer to cook if we ever see her again! Do you think she'd eat gyūtan?"
"She'd probably eat escargot while the snail is still alive..."
Heroes
Akkoro
"Oh! This one. Don't tell her if we see her again, but she can be a bit bothersome... She managed to beat up two of my stronger supporters with barely any injuries! And she didn't even want to go sing Karaoke with us..."
"Désolé. She is... quite the opponent. Not as crafty as Renard, but we were unprepared for the tricks she had up her sleeve. My apologies."
The Therapist's smile fades as he holds his hand to his chin. For a moment, he appears lost in thought.
"Camouflage, water breathing, enhanced maneuverability... She's pretty scary! I don't want to mess with people's brains too much unless I have to, but maybe I'll make an excuse for her... Oh! I know! Next time we see her, just teleport Suslik on her and he'll swallow her! Then she'll choke."
"That's easier said than done... She shouldn't be able to use the same trick she did last time. I don't see her beating Suslik easily, and I won't be caught a second time. Don't worry sir."
The Therapist's gaze sharpens as he stared at De Jais. The foreign man did his best to return the look, but it was only a few seconds before he had to look away. The tension in the room felt like it could be cut with a knife. When the man spoke again, his voice was much colder than usual.
"I don't like seeing my friends hurt. You understand, right?"
"Y-yes... sir."
The therapist clapped his hands together, eliciting a jump from De Jais. Just like that, he was all smiles again - the pressure that seemed crushing only seconds ago was completely gone. He chuckled a bit, and then suddenly perked up.
"Hey, I just thought of this - do you think she's the #8 Hero because she's an Octopus? Eight tentacles, right? That's a pretty cool coincidence!"
"Yes, sir."
Saurus
"ROOOOAAR!!! Hahaha!"
Mr. Therapist held his hands out, hooking them into small claws as he roared. He falls back into his chair and laughs as he finishes.
"Definitely one of the more visually impressive Heroes. He's got a lot of younger fans as a result, and he's a bit of a meme online."
Mr. Therapist leaned a little closer to De Jais, his voice low enough that the audio was barely picked up by the camera.
"I think he's kind of scary! Don't tell anyone, I don't want to get bullied by the other patients."
Wash
"He's alright. I'm not too interested in most heroes, but he's a lot better than someone like Endeavor. I think I used to be a bigger fan of him - I own a lot of his videogames."
"He has games? What about? Washing dishes?"
Mr. Therapist nods, not recognizing the sarcasm in De Jais voice.
"Yeah, that's 'Wash's Dinnertime Dash'. I prefer his newest game 'Power Wash Simulator' - it's a little boring, but it helps take your mind off things. I'll lend it to you sometime!"
Amahagene Himekō.
"W-woah, she's still alive? Wow! Really impressive for someone whose quirk doesn't enhance her lifespan."
"I am unfamiliar with this woman. Can you elaborate?"
"The Amahagene clan matriarch. Back during the Warlord Era, she was responsible for taking out one of the most brutal warlords in Japanese History, as well as his entire army. Very rare accomplishment, especially by someone whose still alive! Her quirk allows her to create very heavy blades and control them telekinetically - she used to have a decent fanbase in China due to her tendency to ride atop flying swords. Nowadays she doesn't do much hero work, but I believe she started teaching at Shiketsu recently..."
Mr. Therapist pulled out his phone and typed briefly, before pulling up a familiar looking blue board. He opens a thread and holds the phone towards De Jais.
"Even though she retired over 50 years ago, she must still be very popular! Take a look - she gets a ton of posts talking about her on quirkchan!"
"'Popular' might be a bit of misnomer, sir..."
Vaccine
"I... No, I don't recall..."
"Reasonable. He is not a very highly rated hero. We were curious, because-"
"Who are we talking about?"
"...No one, sir."
Students
Callous
"Oh! I know this one! His dad contacted me pretty early in my career to help ease him into an arranged marriage. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way they should have... Hm, I can't really recall though..."
"He's in the incoming freshman class at Shiketsu. As long as we stay in Kyoto, we should gather as much information on them as we do for the heroes. Anything you remember?"
Mr. Therapist looks guilty for a second, but eventually leans in conspiratorially.
"He doesn't have a quirk!"
De Jais' eyes widen behind his glasses. Some Quirkless getting into a Hero course at one of the top schools in the country? He had heard that Shiketsu's reputation had taken a hit over the last year, but things must be pretty dire... or the kid was good enough that they didn't even know.
"Is he like Justice Man?"
"Nope! Only thing I ever did to him was read some memories - didn't add a thing. He's just really tough!"
Mr. Therapist holds his hands up and throws a few playful punches while humming the theme of some movie boxing movie he watched with Chiami.
"Well, I suppose this is good... He can't pose too much of a threat-"
"He's one of the more dangerous students. Have to be to get as far as he did without a quirk to fall back on. I say we avoid him - oooh! Or we can try playing matchmaker again! I love going to weddings! I wonder if he changed his mind yet..."
Dust Devil
"Ugh... I think I know this one..."
"'Ugh?' I didn't know you could react that way to someone."
Mr. Therapist grimaced as he looked away, clearly nervous.
"His quirk empowers him when he eats dirt, dust, and debris. He can also make some kind of construct out of it... I... I think he's met with Suslik before. But I can't remember..."
De Jais was silent at the revelation, but he clenched and unclenched his free hand, the sound barely audible in the footage.
"Don't worry, sir. We'll keep him away."
"T-thanks..."
Teocoatl
"...I don't remember. Are you sure I met someone with this name?"
"Non. Not directly. We encountered them a week ago, at a Daily Yamazaki. I mentioned missing croissants, and you thought some poor Japanese imitation would satisfy me."
"Yes! Okay, that I remember! I thought they were pretty good - went nice with the crepes I made, at least..."
De Jais shook his head ruthfully.
"I'm sorry, sir. Not even your cooking can make me forgive how the Japanese butchered my countries cuisine."
Realizing how far he was getting off topic, De Jais coughed and drank something from his flask. When he finished, he capped it and continud speaking.
"While you were reading through the magazines they had for sale, he came in. While the clerk and I were frightened, you were completely fine."
"Wow! He must have been pretty spooky looking! Glad I don't remember."
"Mm... I teleported us away when he was out of sight. Some research points to a student at Shiketsu as being the likely culprit. If you cannot remember him, then it means the school has someone especially dangerous to us..."
The Therapist waved his hand dismissively.
"Whatever you say. It can't be too important if I don't remember."
Yako
"Chihiro-san. That's her real name. I don't know what her Quirk is, but she's really good with a sword!"
De Jais nodded, before giving the Therapist a questioning look.
"You've met with her before?"
"Yes. She assisted me when the Red Finger assaulted my clinic - even refrained from hurting them! A very kind young woman, I can tell."
Mr. Therapist tapped his desk a few times, lost in thought.
"She was a bit... reluctant. I didn't get to talk with her long, but I can tell there's something eating her deep, deep down. Even if she won't admit it, she's the type of person who would benefit a lot from my help. I hope we can meet again sometime!"
His smile widened.
"I would love to thank her. "
Fukukiri
"Scion of the Amahagene clan. They're used to be a pretty big deal here in Japan, y'know! I can't recall what her quirk is exactly, but it's definitely a bit violent... Takako-san was the other student who rescued me."
"I see... Well, I'm glad you were saved by someone of note. I trust she doesn't remember you?"
"Nope! I'm a bit shy, especially around heroes. I didn't get the chance to see if she needed any help from me before I had to leave though..."
Mr. Therapist pouted, like a child whose toy was taken away.
"I hope she's okay - must have a lot of expectations, right?"
"I'm sure she''ll be fine. If we meet again, I'm sure you'll have time to ask."
The smile creeped onto his face once more after hearing that comment, and he chuckled lightly.
"Yes, yes. You're right! You know just how to cheer me up, De Jais! Though, you might be off on that front - last time we talked I got the impression she didn't really like me."
Silence.
"Well. I'm sure she'll change her mind. Haha!"
Reibai
"Never heard of her!"
De Jais pursed his lips. For a moment, he considered telling the Therapist what he knew.
"She's just another student at Shiketsu. Nothing of note, sir."
He decided against it.
Supporters
Emilia
"She helped me out once. I got injured, pretty bad. She found me when I was all messed up and healed me! The details are fuzzy, but she seemed nice enough."
"She's employed by Shiketsu. I'm surprised she didn't call her coworkers to apprehend you. Does she... remember meeting you?"
Mr. Therapist shrugged.
"I don't recall. She probably just didn't recognize me. Or maybe I charmed her, haha!"
The Therapist laughed for a few seconds, an awkward silence coming over them soon after. Evidently, the Therapist didn't know enough about her to comment much. De Jais was about to move on before the white-haired man interjected once more.
"Hey, don't tell her this, but I really like her name~!"
De Jais stared at the list of names in front of him. They had covered every one of them, and while some were... spottier than others, the Therapist was generally whole. But something tug at the back of De Jais mind. Something he had wondered for months now.
Who was 'Mr. Therapsit'? He didn't have a costume like most villains - no mask, mundane clothes. Disarming. His name didn't evoke fear like the Reaper or the Desolator. The only reason De Jais knew as much as he did was because he spent a lot of time - and even more money. Researching, greasing palms, and burning favors he never thought he would need .
De Jais reached into his shadow, his hand manifesting several feet away and turning the camera off. Didn't want to record this part. Most of the supporters wouldn't be happy with this last name.
"Un de plus. Please tell me, sir... Do you know-"
█████ ████
De Jais stared intently at the Therapist. A look of recognition crossed his face. For a single instant, De Jais thought he saw fear in the eyes of his employer.
And then it was gone. Ephemeral. So quick he may as well have imagined it.
"Hm? That doesn't sound familiar. Who is he?"
De Jais closed his eyes. For a brief second, he contemplated sharing what he researched. He didn't know much, but it was likely more than the Therapist knew.
"Il n'est personne. Don't worry, sir. I was... I was just curious."
De Jais reached into his shadow, the misty form of a hand appearing next to the camera. It pressed against the play button before turning solid, and the camera began recording once more.
"This concludes the monthly recollection interview with Mr. Therapist. Results are to be analyzed within the next 72 hours and shared with all higher personnel."
The Therapist leans out of his seat, body strewn over the desk so he could stare at the camera. He waved his hand, knocking over several smaller desk toys in the process.
"Hope you liked it! See you all next month!"
Click