They prattle on about my ability. About a natural gift. A young genius. They never speak to me, but about me, around me. I hate it the noise the adults make. It's like white noise but I can't cover my ears. If I do they will take me to the people again. They will ask questions, many questions, repetitive questions. I hate the people.
"Franken Stein?" Her voice was low trying to sound soft but it wasn't really. I shot her a glance and returned my view to the floor. Why was this tile under my shoe loose? The others were fine; is it broken? There is no grout around the edges like the other… "Stein! Are you listening to me?"
"nn"
"Are you ready?"
I nodded. Today I was joining a new school. The school wasn't new, I was new. It was a new place, new country. I spent most of my years being passed from place to place, people to people, around London until yesterday, when my current guardian and I flew to Nevada so I can join Shibusen. From what I was told it is a place I can put my 'talents' to use. Where I can become a meister and help stop-
"Stein!" I glanced up to notice three people staring down at me. I blocked out the white noise they made and was in thought. What did I miss?
"Please go in, little one," a large fellow said behind his white skull mask. His long, black cloak concealed most of his body except a gigantic white glove that was pressed against my back. I wonder what he looked like. Why was his hand ridiculously large? I want to cut it open and see if there is some genetic anomaly, but I believe he is the headmaster and that would not bode well for me.
I stepped into the large lecture hall, it was bright and hot. I did not like it. In fact this whole area had been overly warm for my taste. It made it hard to concentrate on what I wanted. Inside the room rows upon rows of seats filled with faces that watched me. I could see from under my fringe that their ages and genders varied from my own.
"Genius" "London" The teacher was talking about me to the students. It was embarrassing and caused the room to explode into whispers. Scoffs. Judgment. The noise was loud and I couldn't think. I looked towards the door but that large robed figure blocked the exit. "Would you like to say a few words?" I jerked and shook my head.
"How about we see what he can do, yes?" The headmaster suggested. I glared at him.
"Great idea, but who could we partner him up with?" I looked out at the sea of faces, all of them exhibiting the same contempt as I.
"I know," the masked man spoke, "Spirit Albarn"
"What?!" a loud voice screamed from the assemblage.
"You need a new meister since you ran your last one off,"
"I did not run him off! He couldn't handle me!"
"Let us see if this one can handle you,"
"This is not fair…" he muttered as he stomped unwillingly down the stairs. He stood before me, sizing me up letting out a displeased sigh. I peered up at him as he pushed a few carnelian locks from his blue eyes.
"Why not introduce yourselves!"
"Ugh," He sighed as he looked down at me, "I'm Spirit Albarn, a demon scythe; I'm older than you and have been here longer than you so you will address me as your senpai!"
"S-sen…" I murmured, "…pai? I'm Fra…"
"What?" He yelled. I jerked back, cowering. My conditioned response was from a previous guardian but I quickly composed myself and repeated, "I'm Franken Stein,"
"Very good, let's get you some sparing partners, how about," the teacher went down a list, "Shelly and her weapon Mari,"
"Mari and Shelly? Crushing Mari and Dark Shelly," Spirit repeated. He had a quirky grin on his face, as if it was some inside joke. I turned to watch the girls descend the stairs. Both were Spirits age, Mari was shorter than Spirit and had short blonde curls that bounced as she followed Shelly, her nearly opposite. She was taller than Spirit, with dark hair and skin almost as pale as mine. She wore a dark dress that was not meant for fighting. They did not look threatening. "Alright, shrimp, let's see if you can handle me!"
Truth be told I had synced with a few weapons before but only fought with one, once. It was still something new to me. I watched as Shelly grabbed Mari's hand just before her body shifted into a single black and gold tonfa.
I turned to Spirit and reached a hand out. He grabbed it. Not as I predicted. I expected as if a hand shake but he interlaced his long thick fingers with mine. His hand was much tanner than my own but surprising soft and warm. He was very warm. His body began to shift and his warmth turned into a length of black steal. He was very much a demon scythe, simplistic in design but great in length. This would be idea for and adult but for my body it was a tad awkward.
'Well you can handle me transformed but can you wield me?' he asked. His talking directly into me startled me. I was not familiar with communicating this way. 'Focus! They are coming! Watch for Mari, her attacks are powerful!'
"Right," I watched the ebony hair girl charge at me. I took a step back and absorbed my surrounding before I headed at her. I must survive. To live and breathe is to survive. To stop your opponent's breath before your breath stops is to be victorious. She swung her weapon towards me but I managed to jab Spirit's length into the floor, vaulting me over the girls. With out missing a beat the girl returned with an attack, luckily I was able to block, but it was powerful like Spirit said and sent us both back a few meters. I lunged forward, jerking my weapon forcing her to fall to a knee. I preformed a quick full striding slash up but it was blocked. These girls were stronger than they looked. I twisted Spirit for a down left angle slash; I caught her off guard. Another complete rotation forced her against the wall; I rest the long scythe across my shoulders incase I need another attack but as I jabbed my soul wave into the girl's abdomen it was over. Both girls screamed and fell to the floor. I held my weapon to the back of the girl's neck.
"Amazing," The headmaster clapped before he grabbed my shoulder pulling me from the injured girls. I felt that warmth that was Spirit disappear from my grip. He ran over to the girls to make sure they were alright. He let out a sigh of relief and returned to me.
"Not bad, kid, a bit over the top, but not bad."
"He's a bit rough, but resourceful, I'm sure if he had you as his partner you two could become a dynamic team, and he seems like one that could turn you into a death scythe," the teacher gushed. I didn't know what a death scythe was but something inside my stomach wanted to be his partner again. I looked at the hand that wielded him. I wanted that warmth back.
"Then it's settled! Spirit, meet your new meister, Stein,"
"Ugh, but he's still a kid,"
"And so are you, now why don't you help him move his belongings in later today, you will be living together from now on; so, be sure to look after him!"
"What?" what did that mean? Living together? Was he to be my new guardian?
"But, that's so unfair!"

After class Spirit informed me to follow him to my new home. He seemed to take this as a troublesome task because he took large fast strides that caused me to run after him or else I would be lost within the maze that was Death City. If he wasn't speeding off he was standing around chatting up his friends or girls or both or just random people. He was a social bug. Every time he opened his mouth his own brand of white noise would emerge, blathering on about nothing. When we finally arrived at the dumpy apartment I was wondering how long I was to call this home. The room was askew with clothes and books toppled everywhere. He started labeling the rooms to me, as if I couldn't plainly see that was a kitchen, and this was a living room. He opened a door informing me that this was now my room. It was fairly empty, some clutter left over from his last partner. I looked up at him.
"You don't talk much, do you? Anyways, this is where you will be staying; we'll get your stuff tomorrow. If your hungry there may be some pizza left from last night"
"nn,"
"Why don't you go take a shower, I'll lend you a spare shirt until your stuff gets here,"
" " I shook my head taking a step into the room.
"Look! You got a little lucky today but don't think you can talk down to me!" He stepped towering over me. I was quite sure I didn't talk down to him, "You are not going to become all stinky while living here and you are taking a shower!"
"I don't…" He reached at me. I covered my head but his hand grabbed at the waist of my pants and hoisted me up, carrying me like a sack of potatoes. "S-stop!" He kicked open the bathroom door and began pulling my clothes off of me. "Stop!" I cried as he dropped my nude form into the porcelain tub. He twisted a knob and ice water sprayed down on me before turning to a warm.
"I want to be the best and for that I need the best meister, and I doubt that is you, but we are forced to work together. I could give a shit about what you do in your free time or even the grades you get in school but I will not have you slowing me down!" He leaned close to me, "You do well, I'll give you rewards, but if you do bad-I will punish you." He stood again looking down on me. "Do you understand?" I nodded, "Do you understand?"
"Yes,"
"Good, speak when I talk to you, now clean up," he said as he tossed soap next to me. He finally left, closing the door behind him. My mind went into overdrive as I tried to figure out his type. A bully type, but a bully's touch was never as warm as his. I was not sure what kind of reward or punishment he had in mind but I would rather not find out. I quickly but thoroughly washed myself. Standing in the tub long after I turned the water off, just contemplating thing, how to become a good meister, the route we took to this apartment, the academy, the plane schedule we took to arrive in this country, the bus depot we took… The door opened and shirt was set on the rim of the sink. I looked at it and for Spirit but he had already left. It was a black shirt with an atrocious design, like a concert shirt that hoodlums wore. The shirt was much too big for me, coming down to my knees and nearly off my shoulders.
"Done," I breathed as I stepped from the bathroom. He walked up to me, I wanted to run back but he just grabbed at my head, jerking it from side to side. Bending my ear forward, parting my hair, he was checking to see if I was clean enough.
"Good," he nodded, more as if he was proud with himself, "are you hungry?"
"N…no, I'm going to, um, go to bed," I was about to close the door to my room when he called my name. I turned to him and once again his hand was on my nape pulling me towards him. He pushed our lips together.

Everything was silent and warm.

I stared confused into his eyes that were barely parted, observing my reaction. I could see myself in his oceanic eyes as if I could swim in them. My whole body became warm and hot, and not in an uncomfortable way. It just lasted a moment before he pulled away, but the warmth lingered.
"Your reward for today," he patted my head before closing my door for me. I sat on the bed staring at the wall. Slowly the warmth faded and the noise came back. My first kiss, it was not unpleasant. I blushed as I noticed the reaction it caused my body. A new peak formed under Spirit's shirt and I did not know what to do about it. I knew it was caused by blood and I could cut and let the blood flow from it but I didn't have my things. It might also cause Spirit to become angry so instead I just pushed it down between my legs as I rolled on my stomach to sleep.