When Soul was five, he had a dream that he played a concert in front of a large crowd, all white smile and and elegant gleaming jewels. He woke up thrilled and ran to the incredibly expensive piano on the bottom floor, the one for show, not for play. He smashed out a couple of notes before the maids' stare's burrowed holes in the back of his shaggy white head. His big brother sleepily patted his head and told him to try again later.
He called Soul's piece "cute."
The day after his sixth birthday, Soul is gifted a chess set. He promptly declared himself chess master and challenged every maid and butler to a instructed by his parents, the service staff quickly showed Soul that he was not anywhere near an expert. They crushed him, each and everyone. At the end of the day, Soul is left alone in his playroom, sulking and flicking over each piece one at a time until they tumbled to the floor.
When Soul was eight, he got a bicycle for his birthday. In his prepubescent excitement, he stole a bunch of fancy paints from his mother's art room and tried to paint flames on the body.
They looked like red and orange ghosts.
At 12, on his way to the DWMA, he imagined his meister would be some badass, someone who would take his super cool scythe powers to the next level. Whoever he was partnered with would be really cool, into motorcycles and and kicking kishin ass.
The things in his head didn't always work out quite the way he planned.
But Maka.
He' was 27 when, on the couch Maka curled into his side, book in her hands. His headphones stay firmly in his ears, but the sound is low, low enough to hear her chuckle or growl at the pages. He bites back on the smile that invades his lips, and pulls her closer. It knocks her off the perfect comfort position and she wiggles around until she's comfortable again, her sharp elbows digging into his ribs.
Maka's hair clogs the bathroom drain. She leaves her books all over the living room, and threatens to throw out his albums when he does the same to her precious books.
She's better than any fantasy he's ever had.