~Chapter 1: Home~
No one could feel the familiar presence as it crept along the hallways of the Iscariot orphanage.
It watched as children walked past, chattering about homework or even slight gossip overheard from one of the townsfolk.
It watched as familiar old faces trotted past, their arms full of books and on their way to class they had tutored many times before.
The presence seemed to still and take it all in, remembering the one word it used to describe this place: Home.
Meanwhile…
'Drat.' Yumiko said in her mind as she looked up.
'Ohhhhhhhh, watch it, language sister.' Yumie chuckled back in their mind and made fun of her sister.
Yumiko ignored Yumie and focused on the problem at hand.
She'd been in the library for an hour or so, collecting books for her and Angelo (mostly for her so she could study some of the plants in Angelo' lab and find out more about them).
Angelo had even agreed to allow Yumiko to help him with a new area of the lab, specifically for herbs designed to heal and aid. Yumiko remembered quite a bit about them and Angelo had asked her to grab him a book by Michael Tierra 'Planetary Herbology' and Yumiko had eventually managed to track it down.
Right on the shelf out of her reach.
She'd tried tip-toeing and even standing on the books, the cover just grazing against the pads of her fingers.
'Just stand on the books and hold onto the case woman.' Yumie was beginning to get impatient, certain that the book could be reached without them going to ask for assistance.
Yumiko decided to humour her sister (also embarrassed at having to ask for help) and placed her books on the floor again, standing on top of them and reaching up.
'Al-most….got…it.' Yumiko stretched and grasped a hand out, careful not to put too much weight on the shelf.
"Here, allow me." A voice behind her almost made her jump, and she caught sight of a pale hand going past hers and clasping the spine of the book she wanted. It pulled out easily and the book was placed into her hands, Yumiko sighing in relief.
"Oh thank you very much." She took the book graciously and stepped down off her books and turned around to properly face the person.
The young male dipped forward and Yumiko caught sight of familiar long blonde hair, tied back in a braid. She was almost reminded of Maxwell.
"It's not a problem Sister," the boy said as he scooped up her books off the floor and straightened himself out, "but you shouldn't be worried to ask for someone's help next time.
"Oh thank you very much." She took the book graciously and stepped down off her books and turned around to properly face the person.
The young male dipped forward and Yumiko caught sight of familiar long blonde hair, tied back in a braid. She was almost reminded of Maxwell.
"It's not a problem Sister," the boy said as he scooped up her books off the floor and straightened himself out, "but you shouldn't be worried to ask for someone's help next time."
Yumiko gasped at the figure before her. He was older but she now recognised the hair and the glasses as an old friend.
"Oh! Father Abel! I thought you'd gone back home to France?" She smiled up at him, memories flooding back from her past.
"I had done. It was...a family tragedy. I stayed for a while at the local church to help rebuild it, but I finally found a suitable replacement for myself there. And please, Sister Takagi, you may call me David." He bowed politely, maintaining a sweet, gentle smile on his face all the while.
"Well then...David, you may call me Yumiko." She smiled politely back at him and the two began to converse happily.
Across the library, Yumiko didn't see Angelo standing there, watching her. He was frozen to the spot ever since he'd seen the communication between the two, a bubble of something hot and unpleasant in the pit of his stomach. He'd been worried about her collecting all the books by herself, and thought he'd surprise her by sneaking up behind her and giving hr a secret kiss in the library corner.
But he just watched as she laughed with another man.
"I'm so sorry to cut our conversation short," David looked at his watch and frowned slightly, "but I unfortunately am not late to tutor a class."
"Oh! Oh dear, I hope I haven't kept you," she bit her lip and smiled at him, "but it was lovely talking to you again."
She held out her hand for him to shake, a custom she'd grown attached to growing up.
David smiled warmly and clasped her hand in his, before catching Yumiko off guard by turning it over and placing a gentle kiss against her skin.
From across the library, Angelo had had enough. He turned and walked out of the doors and back to his lab, papers flying out from the desks around him as he temporarily seemed to lose control of his powers.
Yumiko didn't see Angelo, just thought that someone had accidentally knocked into some of the desks. She paid more attention to David as he walked calmly off.
She smiled happily and walked away, clasping all the books to her chest, the Herbology one closest to her.
She was so calm, engrossed in Yumie' teasing rants, that neither noticed the presence.
With it's attention solely focused on her right now.
And it swore to make her and everyone else pay.