Silence | Book 1

3-8: Stolen

They left the police museum a little after four o'clock, the both of them a bit wiser and more informed.

"I quite liked that." Tristan nodded to himself, as he held up the umbrella again. "A bit more history than I expected."

Beside him, Hibiki grinned widely, answering with a heart, which made Tristan smile as well.

"I'm glad you had a good time." He said, genuinely enjoying seeing Hibiki so passionate about a topic. It was unmistakable he was smart and knew about quite a few things, but criminology really seemed pivotal for him. Before he had considered it a bit unorthodox, wondering if Hibiki had maybe picked an arbitrary career to go for just because he had to, but now he genuinely believed it was what he wanted to do.

"I didn't see a lot of psychology though... or the legal side." The museum had mostly consisted of historical anecdotes and antiques, leading into modern times. But Hibiki shrugged at that, clearly not all that bothered.

'Criminal psychology is only a few decades old. Most countries can't even get mental health right for normal people'

"It's difficult to run a country right. Half of the time it's a feat not to dissolve into corruption and civil unrest. It's easy to forget how many people there are, all running in different directions, wanting different things, and that's even without the institution attracting the kind of person that wants power without the effort and responsibilities." Once more he had led himself into talking about a conundrum he cared about, and now he had started there was little he could do but see all his gripes through.

"It's easy to hate the government as this large, faceless apparatus, but the truth is that a fair share of people can't even be brought to vote. How can you expect something from it when you don't let it hear your voice? And there are issues, there are outdated systems, and there certainly are forces that shape the system so it benefits them, but they are met with apathetic silence. People see the government as an enemy, not realising they are led to wage war against the one thing that should be in their favour. Organised religion isn't a particularly better option, and corporations certainly aren't on their side. But I suppose, then again, most days the government isn't either."

He sighed realising he'd undermined his own argument.

"We need more people that care... but that's easy for me to say, and it only goes to shove the blame onto someone else again. I have to take my own responsibility in all this? Even if some days I don't believe I am the right person, I need to keep working towards it, because I can't trust anyone else to do so more than I can trust myself."

Beside him he noticed Hibiki smile at him, and he smiled back a little sheepishly.

"I'm sorry, I went on a bit of a rant there."

Hibiki kept smiling, answering with a slow head shake.

"I promised to be more positive, and here I am going on about the apathy of the people and the futility of the state."

'I think you're pretty positive'

"Am I?"

'Yeah. You believe in something, and you want to improve it. It makes sense you would be frustrated by something you really care about, I don't think that's negative'

"I think I'll probably get a stroke at twenty-five from how much I care."He chuckled softly and smiled, realising that if anything he took these complex things too close to his simple heart.

"Maybe I should just forget about it for today." It wasn't like he could change anything about it anyway. "So, what are we going to do now? Meet up with the others?" Tristan asked, realising they had been walking down the street more or less without aim.