Talking Book
Cross passes by a town and gives a little girl a strange book. He says that it talks. The little girl hears nothing at first. She looks at the red haired man with doubt.
"I hear nothing," she says.
"Try again," he says.
Later on, she thinks she hears whispers but she can't understand them clearly. Cross says that someone will pick it up and maybe help her understand those voices.
Obviously the book doesn't talk. Cross is playing with the little girl. He tells her about the underground room as well where he got the book. He thought it was innocence but it's just an old book filled with magic.
Bookman arrives in that town and searches for the room. She shows him the secret room then the book. She asks if he can teach her to understand it.
"A book doesn't talk," the red head says.
"He says it does. Teach me to hear it."
"Okay," the red head says with a smile.
More than a year later, they meet again but she wasn't able to recognize the red head general in the train. She was too busy trying to escape with Bookman. Cross didn't recognize her either.
When finally settling down on their seats in the train, a hand suddenly grabs him by the collar.
"Pay up, brat," says a red haired man with a mask covering half of his face.
"It was an accident. No harm done..." says the young man with a forced smile and hands in surrender. Shit. This is bad. He acts like his last persona.
The little girl stares at the strange man. She feels fear even if her face does not show it.
"Can you please let him go? Will these do?" she tries to ask calmly while handing a bag of coins.
"Rin, you don't need to do that. Just get away. I'll think of something," he says in a different language to the little girl with a hopeful smile.
"Yes, Bookman," says the little girl but didn't move when the red haired man suddenly hits her mentor against the wall of the compartment.
"Don't think you can get away without paying. Give me that, kid," says the man with a hand waiting for her to hand it to him.
She walks towards him and hands out the bag but before he gets hold of it, she hits him hard in the weakest point.
"Sh*t! F***ing-"
The young man and little girl run away fast and get off the train before it starts to move.
"Hahaha... We almost got killed there," says the young man laughing hysterically.
The little girl laughs along with him before asking, "Who is he anyway?"
The man may have not acted like he knows her master but the young man has shown recognition.
"Someone my last persona knew."
"He didn't look like he knew you."
"He is like that. He is still unreasonable getting pissed off over something like that."
"He looks like a prideful man."
"A womanizer, full of vanity... Where'd you get the money?" he asks curiously.
"It... it was from someone we passed by. I figured out something like that might happen."
A few years later...
As an exorcist, she knows that she should have reported that she has seen the general alive but she thought it wasn't necessary and she shouldn't interfere more than she already has. She is a Bookman apprentice first before anything else. No matter how her heart feels, she can't act on those feelings.
He is probably still alive even after how many years but he kept his presence well hidden. She only met him by chance on the train.
And she realizes she is indebted to him. Without the general, maybe she wouldn't be where she is.
She wouldn't know how to understand a talking book so she'll keep quiet about him being alive for now.
Ezekeel: This is a oneshot loosely connected to Bookman's Apprentice, The Apprentice and The Journey. Hope you guys had fun with this. Please tell me what you think of it. :)
The little girl is an orphan Bookman picked up to be his apprentice. Years later, she records on the side of the order.
You may read my other fics to know more about her.
Thanks for reading.