A mask hides many things.

A much needed break, Chapter 6

"Speaking out loud"
'Thinking'
"Screaming/Pain in voice"
Emphasis of actions
:Telepathy:
"Sacred gear speaking"
:Sacred gear speaking with host:
|Memories playing out|

Dear god I've been away for a while, Life got complicated. Also my birthday passed December 1st. :D 

I've seen many... many kind words of praise in both private and on some of my story posts, I can't thank you all enough for the continued support and motivation I desperately needed in this part of my life. Thank you all for giving me a reason to keep writing. 

With that out of the way, once more I am sorry for the delay between chapters on both stories. I'll be trying to get them out more frequently but it might be sporadic. Sorry in advance! 

Also, Managed to make myself cry many times with this chapter so that's a thing... Enjoy a very wholesome and much needed reunion~! Ontop of some actual wholesome yet painful interactions. It won't always be this light hearted... But, This was something I needed to write on a personal level to move forward with a few events in my actual life. 

With all that said, Let's get to it shall we? 

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                          Around 1:30 PM, The mansion once more

Issei and Artemis could be seen preparing to go visit her "family's" forest before the trip standing in the center of a magic circle clearly going to retrieve two pieces of wood perfect for the gifts he intended to make alongside some scrap wood to practice before going into the final product. No room for error with materials this high quality after-all. He basically will only have one shot at making both of them properly. 

The boy could be seen texting both Murayama and Katase for the details of their usual bokken(s)- A VERY detailed list down to their center of balance, size, weight, curvature and grip size. Making sure to make everything as precise to what would be comfortable in their hands. 

As he finally got all of the measurements he took the time to screenshot the texts and even pin them on his note-pad app to make sure he didn't lose them.

'He was meticulous when it came to something he set his mind to.' which was a horrifying thought if he really ever set his mind to revenge... Something that was a clear passing thought in Artemis' head watching this all unfold. She'd reach up and gently clap her hands against her cheeks to clear her mind of any thought like that though. 

"So, Have you thought about which color bokken will go to which? Considering the woods we'll be using are so distinct." The goddess mused over to the boy as the teleport began to take place. She asked this knowing Kuroka was listening in from the stairs like a gossip monger and quite comically as he went to answer the teleport went off cutting his words off.... Leading to one VERY angry black cat.

Though they couldn't hear it, Artemis could feel it in a weird sense as Kuroka yelled "THIS IS BULLSHIT!" At the top of her lungs back in the mansion. Alarming both the maids and Koneko, Though her sister assumed she was just playing a game or something. 

                       Around 1:35 PM, The storage shed in Artemis' woods

As the finished stepping through the portal and into the woods Issei's senses were immediately hit with one simple sense... Serenity unlike anything he'd ever felt before as he walked forward slowly spinning on one heel with his jaw dropped staring at towering trees taller then anything he'd ever witnessed before and animals he couldn't have ever imagined. In the first branch he spotted a family of small glittering silver squirrels that turned pitch black blending into the shadows of the tree branch as he set his eyes upon them damn near making him question if he really saw them in the first place.

He took a few moments to process everything above him as his eyes fell to the forest floor searching it only to spot flowers more vibrant and beautiful then any he'd ever seen before more curious how light reached down to them through the leaves that formed a sky all their own more then anything else. His very own goddess was delighted seeing how entranced he was by her forest she cultivated by hand.

As she gave him ample time to truly draw it all in, her voice rang out to bring him back down to earth and into focus. "My question can wait until you truly see the materials... If this sight was enough to get your motivation and inspiration going. I feel your grandfather's influence and will is going to run wild once you actually get your hands on the materials you'll be using." She'd chuckle to herself clearly amused at how he'll react to new things in the future.... He truly was an innocent bright eyed boy when it came to exploration just like his grandfather before him it seemed. 

To which, He simply nodded reaching out gently holding her hand to follow her. He was in too much awe of his surroundings to trust his own footsteps currently and he felt her grip his hand tightly with a giggle. "My my, Still so distracted ya don't even trust yourself to walk~?" She'd call over to him to which he'd just slowly nod watching various birds and even a snake fly by much to his surprise, It had passed right before his very eyes even stopping to hover in front of him with its tongue flicking out a time or two before the goddess shooed it away.  

"The animals here are only really used to my presence, so they're pretty curious now that I've brought a mortal they can sense here I suppose." She'd muse out-loud as she finally began opening the door stepping forth into a building that was far more grandiose on the inside then the out once more completely blowing away any expectations the boy had of how the world worked as he often did to others.... He was like a kid in the world's biggest candy store if you could consider artisanal supplies candy to a craftsman skittering around from point A to B to C to D and so forth just inspecting everything with the knowledge and respect not to directly pick things up. 

It was moments like this where Artemis would damn near forget how much was going on in his head towards negativity and evoke feelings of regret in a way.... How joyous it would've been to have taken him away when he was younger to protect that delightful innocence in a way. Regrettably, She couldn't do it due to stipulations of the gods and supernatural as stupid as that is to her which lead to her letting out a deep sigh.

The boy had mistaken her sigh for impatience and straightened himself up returning to her side only to receive a small pat on the head with the kindest a gaze as she spoke up on her true feelings for once "When you were younger, I wish I could've brought you and your grandfather here.... Even if it were just once." In the corner of the room he could see a massive picture of both a younger boy with brighter eyes then he had now and an old man with a bow across his back. The goddess had clearly taken the photo and kept it wanting to give him it at a later time in life. 

Something that had alerted Artemis was the fact time stopped the moment he set his eyes upon it as if Cronus himself had descended upon the building.

There was a moment of silence as he slowly walked up and fell to his knees weeping uncontrollably simply awestruck by the sight of his 'grampa's' smiling face once more and something happened that not even Artemis herself could have imagined in that moment.... The man himself appeared behind Issei hugging him so tight that the boy could barely breath as his voice rang out. "Hello my boy, It's been a long time hasn't it?" A clear golden halo could be seen above his head and a woman was standing beside Artemis now with the deepest gold hair, a beauty unlike any other and a bitter smile etched into her visage as a hand was placed upon the goddesses shoulder.

"I'm probably breaking a few rules by letting this happen and I'm sure father time is going to rip me a new one.... But, I would fall if I were to not allow this honestly.... The boy needs it regardless of the joy he's shown the past few days... He's a ticking timebomb in the worst of ways and far too good at hiding it... I too have been watching over him... Though with a different reason I suppose~" Gabriel herself would speak to her long time friend watching the scene unfold clearly hinting at knowing Aretmis liked him causing a damn near nuclear blush as Issei had turned to see his gramps smiling at him. 

The weight of years upon years of pain and agony all came crashing in at once completely shattering what mask he held onto at all times and he clung to the old man screaming and crying in sheer disbelief... If this were a dream he never wanted to wake up from this very moment and the old man could physically feel all the sadness, anger, confusion and just sheer pain in full force causing his wings to flicker for a moment or two due to hearing the boy slowly pouring his heart out over everything that has happened, At how much he missed the old man and how he's done everything in his power to honor the legacy he left to him... What Issei wouldn't know was that it happened because the old man was so pissed at his own son for allowing things to get this far he genuinely considered murder for a moment.

 A sight that shocked the elder seraph and even Artemis to no end as this was the kindest man they'd ever met. But, As they say even roses have thorns... The kindest people are fucking terrifying once you give them a reason to be... Instead of showing that anger, the hostility he felt he only showed compassion and understanding pulling the boy down into him for the tightest a hug. Further showing where Issei's boundless kindness originated from. 

The old man would carefully bring the much older Issei up onto his shoulders as he did when the boy was still young and carried him over to a forging station clearly letting him watch from atop his shoulders as he'd slowly work clearly beginning to create a custom set of tools for the boy. It would be his last gift he could deliver in the time that Gabriel had managed to allow for him after-all.

The whole time, He talked with the boy reminiscing of better times, Getting to know about his new girlfriend. Getting to know of how things have began to change for the better as Issei slowly prattled on between bits of listening and talking. All the while Artemis and Gabriel were catching up over some tea not seeming to mind this in the slightest, even snapping a few pictures here and there throughout the entire time of Issei's smile rather then the moments he would frown or look sad.

They wanted to create a picture book solely of memories of this day for the boy to remind him that even if the world is bleak, He still has the love of his grandfather and many of those around him.