Chesed [LIBRARY OF RUINA]

Chesed has long and messy blue hair tied back into a ponytail that rests on his left shoulder. He is usually seen wearing a casual yet relaxed expression. He wears a blue overcoat that splits in half at the back with white trimming on the front, alongside white stitching on the shoulders with white stripes at the sleeves and 3 small black buttons on the cuffs.

Underneath, he is wearing a gray shirt, a deep blue necktie with a blue and black orb on top, nay blue pants and black shoes. He carries around a black coffee cup with the Library logo imprinted on it.

Chesed is amicable, intelligent, and rather talkative. He has a gentle demeanor and speaks softly, often ending his sentences with a playful tone. Chesed is very knowledgeable about coffee blends, and uses the beverage as an analogy for sociology. He is now much more relaxed, and often tries to string together excuses to hang out with his floormates Gebura and Tiphereth. Chesed also has an exceedingly smug personality, often teasing Gebura and picking fights with her. Although he appears to enjoy mocking his fellow Patron Librarians, he deeply cares for them and wishes to get closer with them.

Roland enters the Floor of Social Sciences, noting the smell of coffee. Chesed greets him warmly, inviting him to sit down and have a cup. Roland is flattered by his hospitality, to which Chesed cheerfully remarks that he needs to show solidarity with a fellow librarian.

To his surprise, Roland is disgusted by the coffee and believes it might be spoiled. Perplexed, Chesed wonders if he hasn’t yet mastered the art of reconstructing materials within the Library. Roland invites him to try it; Chesed does so, remarking that it tastes perfectly fragrant to him. Roland claims that it is far too bitter, though Chesed informs him that the blend is known for being acidic.

A confused Roland claims that coffee is just a bitter drink meant to be loaded with sugar. Curious, Chesed correctly guesses that Roland is from the Backstreets, noting that Kali had the same reaction as him when he first brewed coffee for her. Roland questions who Kali is, to which Chesed identifies her as Gebura, asking if he has ever heard of “The Red Mist.” Roland coughs through his next sip of coffee, startled by the notion that the legendary Red Mist could have made the same expression he did. An amused Chesed remarks that her expression was indeed something.

Roland asks if he is referring to a memory from his first life, which Chesed confirms. Roland guesses that the mood back in the old Outskirts laboratory must have been upbeat, to which Chesed replies that it was, at least initially. He remarks that this “shabby” laboratory, to him, was cozier than any place in the City. Roland assumes that the tragedy that followed must have come abruptly; Chesed corrects that said tragedy did not befall them suddenly so much as it slowly seeped in. Roland understands, musing that his own tragedy may not have been sudden, but had in fact always been fated to happen. Chesed interjects with the claim that things in the laboratory weren’t awry from the beginning, to which Roland clarifies that he is simply speaking of his own experience. He thanks Chesed for the coffee despite his not enjoying it. Chesed mentions that Kali is now fond of coffee despite her initial distaste of it, and believes the same will eventually be true of Roland.

Roland asks Chesed to open the door for him, as his hands are full of books. He’s in disbelief that he managed to carry so many books up to this floor, to which Chesed responds that with enough time, one can get used to anything—such as drinking coffee. He offers Roland a cup of macchiato, believing that it will better suit his tastes. Roland is surprised by how sweet it is, believing it to be the best coffee he’s ever tasted.

Chesed mentions that Gebura also began with this brand of coffee. He explains that he had learned coffee in the Backstreets was often strongly sweetened to hide their low-quality ingredients. Roland remarks that some of the Backstreets’ coffee was “just plain bitter”—he often consumed it only to stay awake or kill time. Chesed commiserates with him, saying that a fresh cup of coffee was the only thing that could help him endure the misery of working at Lobotomy Corporation. He held zero expectations that his work as a Sephirah could change anything: none of his plans to protect his employees ever manifested, and he was forced to watch as they fell prey to Abnormalities again and again. Like a cooling cup of coffee, his passion to make a change slowly faded.

Roland asks if his passion has returned, to which Chesed confirms it has. With so many resources available to him in the Library, he can try many different things—such as various blends of coffee. Roland remarks that despite this, he is still bound by Angela’s orders. Chesed responds that he has in fact chosen to follow her this time, especially because he is now in a position where he can better protect his librarians if he puts the work in. Roland is surprised by the flexibility of his thought process—especially his claim that the changed circumstances might be a form of mercy. Chesed explains his suspicion that Angela may have revived the Sephirot for their own sakes, though he admits that it is sometimes hard for him to believe. Roland is skeptical, claiming that there seems to be little mercy in the path Angela is taking.

Roland notes once again how tasty the macchiato is. Chesed promises to introduce him to other types of coffee, and expresses a wish to get to know him better.

Combat Entrance "If only we could all pursue a noble path together~" "Let’s try our best and finish this job so that everyone is safe~" "Don’t be so down~ I’m sure we can do this well." "It’s not a good idea to overwork yourselves~" "We could lose everything if we hesitate." "Adjust your breath, and stay calm, yeah?" "I don’t want anyone to die here." "Sometimes, you’ll have to get bold in order to protect something." "If you won’t back down, we have no choice but to stand our ground." "If there’s a meaning to this fight…" On Kill "That was smooth~ Let’s take our time and get things done." "I could’ve been the one leaving the stage if I was just a little slower." "It’s a huge shame, all that strength and power was wasted on fighting." "It’s sad, but I’d hate for us to suffer damage even more." "I think I’m slowly getting used to this job." Teammate Death "Anyone would want to end this kind of fight with haste." "We need to try harder to minimize the damage…" "Let’s not make any more meaningless casualties." "Let’s not get fretful. I believe we can still do this." "It’s alright. We’ll fight harder in that librarian’s stead." Death "I guess this is as far as I can go…" "Was this… just too much for me?" Victory "See? We can make it through if we try. Good work, everyone~" "How about a fragrant cup of coffee for all~?" "I’m glad we could finish this~" "Thanks for keeping up ‘til the end~" "I guess we can take these books now? Let’s head back, then~"