This is my first Soul Eater fanfic so I'm sorry if the characters are super OOC. Anyway, just a warning, this story is definitely one dealing with darker elements such as sex slavery and gambling.
My story starts with my name.
Maka Hope Albarn
It's rather ironic, my middle name. Hope is supposed to be a beautiful emotion. I learned the hard way that hope is deadly and one of the darkest emotions a human can feel. Hope is what destroys a person when they have nothing left.
Sometimes I wonder if my mother thought I would have a good life if she gave me my middle name of Hope. Or maybe she just had a twisted sense of humor. It's not like I can ask her why since she died when I was five from lung cancer.
My father went off to war when I was four and said that he would come back and tell me all about the adventures he had. He promised he would tell about the exotic lands outside of our little town known as Death City. I couldn't wait to hear his stories.
Three years later, at seven years old, I received notice that he had died in action. His plane was gunned down and fell in the Pacific ocean. That was the day that I stopped fantasizing about the day my father would come to take me away from the orphanage. I grew up in that orphanage until I was eighteen, old enough to leave and live on my own. By then, I had grown cynical and bitter. I saw the glass half-empty and always sought out the negatives in life. I was the exact opposite of what my middle name represented.
"Maka!"
Sighing, Maka directed her gaze to the sky, silently praying for the patience she desperately needed and fast. Turning, with what she prayed was a realistic smile plastered on her face, she faced one of her closest friends. Or used to be close friends.
"Hi, Tsubaki."
The kind black-harked beauty in front of her, smiled cautiously before asking, "How are you? I haven't seen you in such a long time! Everyone has been asking where you've been for the past seven months."
Maka winced at Tsubaki's mentioning of their gang of friends. She was especially afraid of what Liz would do to her. The older Thompson sister would surely skin her alive for her uncalled for absence.
"Yeah, something just… came up."
Tsubaki frowned at Maka's half-assed, and quite frankly, pathetic excuse, but didn't say anything about it.
"Well, you should come by my apartment sometime and have dinner with the whole gang." She paused. "We really miss you, Maka. Even Black Star."
Maka scoffed at this. Black Star worried about something other than his ego? Then again, they were childhood friends. He did actually care about his friends more than he let on.
"I don't know why you've been avoiding us," Tsubaki continued, "but whatever is making you, I swear we can try to fix the problem. We'll understand! Just… please come back."
Maka couldn't bear to look at Tsubaki's wide, imploring eyes. They were so full of sorrow and confusion. She looked down at her combat boot clad feet to avoid her pleading gaze.
"Yeah… Okay. I'll… come by sometime."
Tsubaki just gave a one final sigh before giving her a hug and continuing on her way.
Maka lay on her bed, staring at her ceiling. There was a long, winding crack on it. It seemed to have spread farther every time she looked at it. The sight began to unsettle her stomach since it reminded her too much of her own heart.
Lying and deceiving her friends like this was beginning to eat away at Maka's conscious. They would be furious, demanding an explanation for her actions. They would be disappointed that she hid her torment from her behind smiles instead of telling them. Black Star would want to kill her boss, so would Liz and Patty. Kid would be more reasonable and try to pay him off. Tsubaki wouldn't leave her alone, silently being her support. She would beg her to stop forcing her to abuse her body to try and solve her father's problems.
She was too scared to face their anger and disappointment and most of all, pity. She couldn't take it if they kept giving her pitying looks all the time, constantly asking if she was okay, if she needed help.
There was no way that she could ever tell them, even if it saved her from this dark hole that she keeps digging for herself. They won't know about her grave until she's lying in it.
"Maka!" Tsubaki embraced her in a hug as soon as she saw the platinum-blonde haired girl standing at her apartment's doorway. Maka, standing a bit stiffly, awkwardly hugged her back.
"Where the hell have you been?!" Maka cringed at the older Thompson's voice. She sighed.
"Hello to you too, Liz." The blond haired woman was storming towards her. Liz stopped in front of her and coolly stared Maka down.
"Well? Where have you been for the past seven months? I swear to god… You made Tsubaki and all the others upset. I thought you were better, more responsible, than this." Liz berated her.
"I'm a grown adult, Liz! I don't have to tell you guys where I go and what I do every single day!" Maka fired back at her.
"The point is that we were worried about you and neglected to think about that!" Liz exploded. "You weren't responding to any of our calls or texts and just fell off the face of the Earth. It's been more than half a year, Maka! We were worried." Liz's voice softened at the end and her eyes gained a caring air to them.
Throughout Liz's lecture, Maka just stood silently.
"Liz. She doesn't have to explain her actions to us just yet. Just let her in for the moment and have her dinner."
Maka silently thanked Kid for interjecting. She turned to see the golden eyed man standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
"It's been a while, Maka. We missed you." He said, smiling slightly at her.
"So I've been told."
It was during dessert after a delicious meal cooked by Tsubaki when the doorbell rang for the second time that night.
"Coming!" Tsubaki got up and went to answer the door.
Maka finished her mouthful of apple pie before asking, "Who else was supposed to come tonight? I thought I was the only one."
"My old best friend, and a new addition to the gang, he moved back to Death City when you were AWOL." Black Star explained through his mouthful of vanilla ice cream.
"No one wants to see your mouth full of food, it's unbecoming." Kid snapped.
Black Star just grinned at him before continuing to scarf down his food.
"Maka."
Maka turned to face Tsubaki. She was accompanied by a tall, slender man that looked around her age. He looked normal enough except for his shock of white hair and blood red eyes.
"This is Soul Evans."
"Hey, you must be Maka. I've heard a lot about you" Soul said.
Maka raised a brow.
"Oh? I hope it was all good things." She sent a glare to the rest of her friends. Liz just smiled and shrugged.
"Mostly" Soul smirked.
"Soul! I got that new Halo game. Come over some time so I can whoop your ass at it!" Back Star yelled at the silver haired man.
Soul just scoffed.
"In your dreams, Star."
"Do you doubt my glorious skills, Eater?!"
Maka rolled her eyes as she watched the two slip into a comfortable banter with each other. She was intrigued by Soul. His burgundy eyes had a lazy air to them and his snow white hair was a contrast to his tanned skin. He was, undoubtedly, an attractive man. Maka was surprised at her attraction to him. It's been a while since she felt any type of attraction to anybody after her past months' experiences.
She finally tore her eyes away from them to finish her apple pie and caught Liz's eye. Liz was smirking and flicked her eyes towards Soul and back towards her. The smirk grew. Maka just shook her head and continued eating.
Maka did not think she would see Soul again outside of the gang's company. She was mistaken.
Maka stared, dumbstruck at the attractive white haired man leaning against her apartment's door frame.
"Why… Ho-How do you know where I live?" Maka asked flabbergasted.
Soul just shrugged simply saying, "Liz told me. She wanted me to check up on you, so did Kid for that matter. Don't know why, you're an adult, you should know how to live your life."
Maka restrained her groan of annoyance. Only Liz would send over a complete stranger, to check up on her, who was, technically, an adult at eighteen years. Soul probably thought she had special problems or something, or maybe that she wasn't mature or responsible enough to take of herself. Oh god, what does he think of her now? Wait, why does she even care what Soul thinks? It's not like she wants to do anything with Soul that requires two mature adults… Maka immediately blushed and shut her thoughts down. With all of her experience, she shouldn't blush at things like that.
Soul raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment on the blonde's suddenly red cheeks.
"So… you gonna let me in? Or should we just talk out here? Not that we're actually talking or anything…"
"Oh… yeah… come in"
Maka moved back to let Soul in and after a second to collect herself, followed him. She prayed to whoever wanted to listen to stop her from thinking dirty thoughts about the older boy.
"This is where you live, huh?"
Soul was currently scanning the tiny apartment and taking in every detail. Maka felt self-conscious. Her apartment wasn't very messy or disgustingly hideous or anything. It was fairly modest and was rather cozy. But seeing Soul is examining it made Maka feel like Soul was looking into her soul and judging it.
"It might not be the biggest or fanciest apartment, but it's nice. It does its job. At least I have somewhere to live." Maka said defensively.
"Woah," Soul said, putting his hands up, "I never it wasn't nice, Maka. It seems fine. I was just wondering if it wasn't too small for you."
Soul seemed to truly be curious, and Maka thought she saw a little glimmer of concern in his crimson eyes. No, Maka thought, that he barely knows me. Why would he be worried for me?" "It's fine. I actually kind of like it. It's easier to clean that way." Maka finally responded with a tiny smile.
Soul just shrugged. "If you're fine with it, then okay."
They stood in an awkward silence before Maka remembered her manners.
"Ah… Did you want something to drink or something, Soul?" Maka asked awkwardly.
Nope's lips curved into an amused yet faint smile.
"I'm fine, Maka."
He then moved to Maka's old, ratty, green couch and made himself quite comfortable before saying, "What you can possibly do for me though, is tell me why Liz feels the need to send an adult over to another adult's house to check on her. Care to explain?"
Maka wanted to crawl into her bed, burrow under her covers and just die. So, he really was observant enough to see the problem with this scenario. No, one didn't have to be a genius to question Liz's weird request.
Instead of running to his room like she wanted to, Maka just sat down in the brown chair that was adjacent to the coach while avoiding Soul's gaze. When she finally lifted his head to meet Soul's eyes, the boy just raised a brow, silently urging Maka to speak.
"Liz just worries a lot. I was gone for seven months and didn't contact them or anything and she thought I was avoiding them or something."
Maka wasn't going to tell Soul that he was, in fact, avoiding them.
"Huh. Something tells me there's more to the story though. Liz, and Kid, are worriers, but they also understand when a person is an adult and needs their space. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, just remember that Kid must be pretty worried for make me your bodyguard." Soul said nonchalantly after listening to Maka's explanation. So nonchalantly, in fact, Maka almost disregarded Soul's last sentence.
"He what?"
Soul just smirked.
"Maka! What a pleasant surprise!" Kid immediately smiled upon seeing the slender girl at his door.
"You. Why would you… I'm a grown adult!"
Kid just stared confused at the seething girl before looking past her and seeing the white haired boy behind her.
"Hey, Kid." Soul nodded at him.
"I see."Maka with an apologetic look on his face.
"It's not what you think?"
"Then, please, elaborate."
"Why don't you come in first?" Kid asked, moving to let Hope and Noel in.
"Here's just fine, thank you." Maka answered in a clipped tone.
"Oh, just go in the house already, Maka." Soul said, exasperated, pushing the blonde into the house and following her in.
"Be gentle with her, Soul!" Kid said, frowning slightly at the other boy.
"She won't break."
"Yeah, you shouldn't be harming your charge since you're my bodyguard." Maka interjected bitterly.
"Bodygua- Soul I said to help look after her!" Kid said exasperated.
"What's the difference?!" Soul said, throwing his hands up.
"The choice of words is the difference, no wonder Maka is upset! You make me sound like some paranoid worrier!"
"You are a paranoid worrier." Maka muttered.
With a final glare at Soul, Kid turned to Maka, his features softening to an apologetic one.
"I'm just concerned for you, Maka. You've changed. It wasn't just the unannounced absence. We couldn't contact you and when you came back, you were like a totally different person. You're quiet-"
"I'm always quiet!" Maka exclaimed.
"Well, not like this. You barely talk or eat and you shut yourself away… I thought that Soul, someone new, could open you up and help you." Kid looked at Maka with pleading eyes.
Maka almost gave in to Kid, the guilt for making him worried was eating at her conscience. Images of his disgusted face at her habits and clips of him abandoning Maka flick through his head and Maka reverts back into her shell.
"I'm fine, Kid. I don't need help. I don't even know Soul!" Maka replied flatly back.
"Than try."
Soul moved to stand in front of Maka after speaking.
"Try to know me. Who knows, maybe you'll like me. No, I know you'll like me." Soul said with a confident smile.
Maka coolly stared at the pair, realizing they wouldn't leave her alone until she let them do something.
"Fine." She said flatly before turning on her heel and leaving the Death mansion.
Maka's client pushed her back onto the bed before proceeding to suck on the blonde's porcelain skin and sliding his hands south. Maka softly moaned just like she was trained to.
"Oh, baby. I'm going to make you scream tonight." The black-haired man growled into her ear.
Maka, after two months on her new job, learned how to detach herself emotionally in order to minimize the scarring effects of her job. Just like an on and off switch, it wasn't healthy, but it did the job.
If only her father wasn't a gambler. If only he cleaned up his debts before going off to war and getting himself killed. What kind of father puts his own daughter up to be a sex slave as payment in poker? Maka used to think her father was one of the kindest men in the world. Sure, he was a player and a jackass sometimes, but she always thought that he has good intentions and was a kind soul. She stopped believing that false truth seven months ago when she turned eighteen and Asura turned up to receive his payment.
"Coming!" Maka shouted, turning the heat off o the stove and running over to her apartment's door. She opened the door, revealing a tall, black-haired woman with a flowing black dress on.
"Maka Albarn?"
Maka frowned slightly before answering.
"Yes, who is asking?"
The woman smirked.
"Arachne Gorgon. I'm here to collect the debt that Spirit Albran owes me. You, my dear, will be my newest slave"
Maka would never forget Arachne's smirk when she delivered the words that would forever change Maka's life. It was a cold, cruel smile. The type that said that Arachne was detached and didn't care that she was about to ruin a young girl's life. It was the smile that haunted Maka at night and one that she could never erase from her mind.
At least it wasn't a permanent position, Gorgon only made Maka serve four years as a slave. She said that her young, innocent look would make enough clients turn up to pay the debt in that amount of time.
Maka automatically moaned again as her client ground against her. She usually thought of nothing but darkness during these times and when she "climaxed." But this time, Maka imagined seeing a pair of deep, crimson eyes and she could've sworn that she heard a certain white haired man's soft, smirking voice.
