Bab 61: The Doctor's Appointment
"Then the people in the bar applauded us loudly. They loved our song. I think this last song is not even close to the rock music we play. Although the acoustic versions are all-time favorites," Ru said, a hint of pride in his voice.
"You are the songwriter and composer, Lirui. And yet I sense that you don't like the song. May I ask why?" Dr. Claude Leblanc inquired, his tone gentle.
"I just like the dream that inspired the song," Ru replied, his eyes distant.
"That's deep... Would you like to talk about that dream?" Dr. Claude asked, leaning forward.
"No," Ru said, his voice flat.
"All right, Lirui. Let's go back to that night at the bar. Let's talk about what happened after you stepped off the stage."
"Of course, a lot of people liked us. They bought us drinks and so on. That's how it is..." Ru replied, a smile playing on his lips.
"When you say 'us', who is the person or persons you mean?" Dr. Claude asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Are you that interested in me? So much so that you don't know who's in my band?" Ru said, looking a little sad.
"I'm sorry, but I've realized that it's difficult for me to have a professional session with you," Dr. Claude said, his tone apologetic. "As I mentioned before, why don't you let me find you a therapist?"
Ru ignored Claude's suggestion and continued, "Vaelan, Clockmaker, and I, of course. I'm not that crazy, Doctor. People generally like us. Maybe they like me a bit more. I mean, I have a natural charm, and people often compliment me. I'm cute, they say."
"Mm-hmm," Dr. Claude Leblanc replied, his voice neutral.
"What does 'mm-hmm' mean? Would you agree that I'm an attractive person?" Ru inquired, expectant.
"You are, perhaps..." Dr. Claude Leblanc said as he adjusted his glasses. Then he leaned back in his chair. He crossed his legs, put his pen between his notebook, and closed it.
"Don't tell me your time is up," Ru protested, straightening up from his reclining position.
"Relax, we've only been talking for five minutes," Dr. Claude Leblanc said, checking his watch.
Ru gazed at the doctor, indicating his readiness to switch roles. "You seem nervous today. What's going on?"
"We're not discussing me," Dr. Claude Leblanc interrupted him.
"Would you like to have a conversation about yourself at some point?" Ru asked a playful glint in his eye.
"You'll have to find another psychiatrist for that, Lirui," Dr. Claude Leblanc said, tucking a strand of pearl-white hair behind his ear and smiling faintly.
Ru zeroed in on Claude's aura. It was as colorful as a rainbow, pure as water, sparkling, and almost sacred. After all, he didn't need the help of another psychiatrist.
"I have a doctor like a unicorn, why would I want another one," Ru said with a grin.
"Are you saying I'm as rare as a unicorn? Thank you for the compliment," Dr. Claude Leblanc replied, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Could you please lie down again?"
"Sure. Here, I'll lie down. Let me continue," Ru said, settling back into his reclining position.
"Please," said Dr. Claude Leblanc and opened his notebook again.
"We were drinking at the bar. Vaelan started with, 'Come on, man, let's pick up two girls from here. The girls are crazy about you, man,' blah, blah, blah. And I was like, 'Fuck off, man, I'm not in the mood.'"
In those moments,
"Go away, man, I'm not in the mood," Ru said.
"You always turn around when it comes to girls, I'm starting to doubt you," Vaelan had replied, his tone teasing.
"Oh my goddess, if I was interested in a guy, it wouldn't be you, don't worry," Ru had retorted, his eyes rolling.
"Are you gay?" It was a sentence uttered by three voices at different times. One of the voices belonged to Vaelan with Clockmaker and the other to Dr. Claude Leblanc.
Ru answered both at different times: "I don't seem to care about anyone's gender."
"How nice," Dr. Claude Leblanc had said, his voice neutral.
"Wow!" Vaelan exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Blah," Clockmaker had muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Ru glanced at Claude with a big, bright smile on his face and then went on, "I didn't care about Clockmaker's reaction. Lately, I've been thinking about the girl who called me from the VIP number. Of course, my feelings for that girl are mixed, so I can't call it love."
"Let's talk about this situation," Claude had said, his face expressionless.
"No. I'll tell you about the incident at the bar," Ru had insisted, his voice firm.
"So be it, I am listening to you," Claude had replied, his tone neutral.
"That night at the bar, I noticed a mysterious woman. She was an exotic beauty with a brunette look and an exquisite aura. Her features were mesmerizing, with hair like that of Cleopatra and a prominent nose, while her almond eyes glowed a deep blue. She was sitting alone at a corner table, perched on her chair with regal grace, like a queen. She was probably sipping some dry vodka.
I went up to her and said, 'Hi'.
And he looked at me and smiled mischievously and held out his hand. 'Amunet,' she said in her alto voice.
'Ru,' I said.
And she pointed to the chair and asked me, 'Would you like to join me?' Her accent was different, she was obviously from another country. She could be an opera singer, I thought. And I asked that question to her."
That night at the bar,
"I'm not, thank you for the compliment," Amunet said, pouring vodka into her glass. "Would you like a drink?"
"No, thank you."
"Are you always this shy, Ru?" Amunet asked, her voice laced.
"I'm never shy," Ru retorted, his confidence returning.
"Well, we picked the right person," Amunet said, a mysterious glint in her eye.
"What do you mean, we picked the right person? For what?" Ru asked, his curiosity piqued.
Amunet pointed with her index finger to the wall behind her. There was a large poster, advertising "Lord Zharqasti's Living House Show." The poster featured an intricately designed chateau, with miniature scenes visible through small windows, effectively conveying the enchanting and unique nature of the show.
Ru couldn't help but wonder, "Which lord is that?"
"Vampire Lord Dekaris Zharqasti," Amunet replied rather flatly.
"Vampire? Ha-ha-ha, in this day and age? Have you been exposed to too much fantasy fiction, ma'am?" Ru scoffed.
"You've got to be kidding!" Amunet said, filling her glass and placing the bottle in front of Ru.
"What exactly are you?" Ru asked, his voice filled with a mix of disbelief and intrigue.
"Where has your kindness gone?" she said teasingly.
"Or are you one of the vampires living in our city?" Ru asked, looking hesitantly at the bottle.
"It's no surprise you got the part of the jester," Amunet said, her voice deep and powerful.
"What do you mean?" Ru asked, his confusion growing.
"I know you're Fanfar from the Marionette of Dream card," Amunet said, then pointed her head at Vaelan, who was trying to approach a group of girls, "And that poor guy over there must be Chrono from the Marionette of Destiny card, the rider."
"I see, you're a programmer or something. You're going to release a new game, it will be virtually realistic, and you need testers. So you gave us envelopes and..." Ru stopped. He took a sip from the bottle and stood, slamming it down on the table: "Hey! Or were you the one who kidnapped me?"
"Good boy, you're smarter than you look," Amunet said, not changing her stance for a moment.
"Why?" asked Ru.
"It is unacceptable for the people we choose for the show to prostitute themselves in hotel rooms," Amunet said, gesturing for Ru to sit down.
"Hold on, you moralist! You injected me with something! And I know you painted me. You did all those things without asking my permission."
"A little, sorry," Amunet said, no trace of emotion in her voice or expression.
"I'll report you to the police, you'll see," Ru threatened.
Just as Ru turned away, Amunet grabbed his wrist.
"The police cannot protect you from demons," Amunet said, her voice filled with a chilling intensity.
"How do you know about my delusions?" Ru asked, surprised.
Amunet let him go and said, "What do you mean?"
"I made it clear that you were a figment of my imagination as well," Ru said before getting up from the table. He walked out of the bar without talking to anyone, just staring ahead. While walking down the stairs, he finished the bottle and wiped his mouth with his hand before continuing on his way.
At present,
Ru concluded his tale by recounting to the doctor what happened on that night.
"Vampires, demons, and so on. I know you want me to say it's all nonsense because you don't believe us," Ru said, sitting down and clenching his fists.
"Okay, take a deep breath and try to relax," said Dr. Claude Leblanc as he put his notebook and pen on the coffee table. He poured a glass of water and handed it to Ru.
Ru held the doctor's hand and took a few sips of water. Afterward, he lay down and focused on his breathing.
Claude paused, his cheeks turning red as he held a half-full glass of water. "Are you okay, Lirui?" he asked quietly.
"I'm fine. I'd like to continue, Doctor. If it is possible to extend the session..." Ru replied, his voice filled with determination.
"Actually, we have ten minutes left, and whatever you want..." Claude said. He put the glass on the coffee table and sat down in his chair.
"After that, the voices came back, little girls' voices.
They told me, 'Dad, Dad, you can't miss this invitation. If you do not enter the House, your world will be destroyed.'
Little girl voice, you've heard of Clockmaker. Unless you still see Vaelan as an actor or ventriloquist using light lenses," Ru said, his voice filled with frustration.
"My opinions don't matter, Lirui. The important thing here is you," Claude replied, his tone gentle.
"Look, your devil-may-care attitude has worn me out. Stop playing games. I'm not crazy; you know I'm telling the truth," Ru insisted, his voice rising. After taking a breather, he issued a threat. "I will eventually cut myself and rise again. Then you will believe me."
"Please don't hurt yourself. I'm here to help you," Dr. Claude Leblanc replied, his voice filled with concern.
"Yes, don't let me hurt myself," Ru said, raised an eyebrow, and asked skeptically, "How many dollars do you usually charge per session?"
"Don't worry about the fee," Dr. Claude Leblanc said, writing in his notebook: 'The patient has had a sudden change of mood for the fourth time.'
"Why are you helping me, Doctor?" Ru asked mockingly.
"It's my job, don't question it," Dr. Claude said as he continued to write something else in his notebook.
Ru soon got bored and came up with a new plan. "Can I have my coat?"
"Of course," Claude said.
Ru stood up and went to the coat rack. There was another jacket next to his own, and he quickly checked its pockets. When he found nothing, he took the vintage envelope out of his pocket and returned to his seat.
"Here, Doctor, this is the envelope I was talking about. The Marionette of Dreams, the jester, and the Marionette of Destiny, the rider, came out of this envelope," he said, almost thrusting the object up the Doctor's nose.
"It smells quite nice," Claude said, his satisfaction evident in the smile reflected in his sparkling eyes.
"Here. Look, the jester card is still inside. I think Vaelan took the rider."
"Let me see," Claude said, picking up the envelope. He opened it carefully, put his finger inside, and took out the card.
The card he had drawn read 'Marionette of Fortune'.
Character Name: Killian
Class: Priest
Profession: Physician
Age: 22
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone