Disclaimer: I don't own D. Gray-man
Chapter 2
Miranda was rather surprised that it was only noon when they had reached the bustling town, she had thought it was much later in the afternoon when they had left. But there they stood, just after noon, in the town.
"Where do you need to go?" Miranda asked Marie. She herself needed to get some soap, and a small local store sold a type of soap she preferred, but she didn't want to be a bother, since she was invited to come. She planned to go buy what she needed after Marie went wherever he had initially planned to go.
"The music store," Marie answered, and added a moment later, as if as an afterthought, "There's an old piano at the Order, I need to see if they could repair it."
"Oh, I didn't even realize there were any type of instruments at the Order," Miranda blinked.
Marie chuckled, "I didn't either until I offered to help the Science Department clean out an old storage room. There was a piano, and an old violin."
"That's really interesting," Miranda smiled. She had never really been able to play any musical instrument she had attempted to learn to play. She always ended up breaking the instrument, or just doing everything wrong no matter how many times someone corrected her. Music just wasn't her talent, sadly.
"There was also an old bird cage. I think I remember when one or two of the old Exorcists kept birds. Teidoll always loved to keep birds," Marie reminisced.
"I didn't know Exorcists were allowed to keep pets. What happened to the birds if their owner..." Miranda didn't want to finish her sentence, but Marie didn't need her to finish.
"Then they're usually given to another member of the Order. Or sold to a pet store," he answered, "It was generally discouraged, though. The last person to really own a pet within the Order was Teidoll. He had to get rid of them when he became a General because he began spending so much time away from the Order. He had a pair of songbirds, though I can't recall what type they were."
"That sounds like it would have been lovely," Miranda smiled. She had never trusted herself to keep pets, but she loved to watch birds, "Song birds really are pretty, don't you think?"
Marie didn't answer right off, he was actually trying to remember what they looked like, but Miranda spoke again before he could answer.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! That was truly inconsiderate of me, I forgot! I'm so sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude," Miranda suddenly began babbling, every other word or so sounding like an apology.
"It's fine," Marie smiled. He knew it was easy for people to forget he was blind; he never acted like he was, anyways.
"No, I really do need to be more considerate with the things I say," Miranda sadly shook her head and denied his reassurance.
Marie, despite his calm nature, sighed in frustration, "Miranda, you did not offend me, I promise."
Miranda still seemed more than a little reluctant to believe him. They soon reached the music shop, and Miranda decided it was wise for her to wait outside. She could hardly walk through a library without knocking a shelf down, and unlike instruments, books weren't breakable.
Marie went in, asked if they could repair a piano, when they could repair it, and when he should have someone drop it off at the small shop. It didn't take him more than five minutes before he left the shop.
In those five minutes, unfortunately, Miranda hadn't faired too well. A carriage had drove through a rather large puddle beside the sidewalk and splashed her, and then someone had stolen her wallet right from her pocket.
"Are you alright, Miranda?" Marie could tell something was wrong with her as soon as he could hear hurt pulse and breathing.
"Oh, of course," Miranda lied. She could always earn more money by helping the Science Department clean some of their storage rooms.
"What happened?" Marie was unconvinced.
"I got pick-pocketed," Miranda sighed despairingly, "And my clothes are soaked."
Marie focused on all of the sounds around them, and heard someone talking,
"Yeah, she was so easy to rob. She didn't even try to chase me."
"Miranda, I think I found the person who stole your wallet," Marie said and began walking in the direction. He knew Miranda would follow.
Miranda followed in the wake he left in the crowd. Someone of Marie's height could easily create a path through even the most dense of crowds; Miranda gratefully kept up. Since she was someone of rather short height and stature getting through large crowds always troubled her, she always got pushed around and knocked down.
"Hey, it's the lady you got that wallet from," one of three teenage boys exclaimed to his two friends when he saw Miranda.
They took off, and Marie effortlessly picked up his own pace to follow them. Miranda, having far shorter legs, had to run quickly to keep up. She was gasping for breath by the time she skidded to a halt behind Marie.
"How did you not notice she had such a scary guy with her?" one of the three boys quietly hissed at the pick-pocket.
"He wasn't there when I took her wallet, I swear," the boy who had taken her walled answered back.
"Uhm, excuse me, but could you please return my wallet?" Miranda asked, barely looking around Marie to make sure it was the boy who had taken her wallet.
"Yeah, sorry for taking it. That was just a joke, right guys?" the boy quickly handed her wallet back and went back to cower behind his friends.
"Thank you," Miranda smiled.
"That lady was weird, but never, I mean never, steal from her again. I don't wanna make that guy mad," one of the boys with the pick-pocket said after Miranda and Marie had left.
Miranda looked at the over-crowded cafeteria with unease. She hardly knew any of the other exorcists or finders and usually preferred to find a less crowded table and sit there, where she wouldn't be in anyone's way. Unfortunately for her, however, there were no empty tables. After ordering her food and getting her plate she scanned the room. She was relieved when she saw Marie sitting at a table. Thankfully, she noticed, there was an empty chair next to him.
"Excuse me, Marie, but is the seat to your right taken?" Miranda asked.
"No one is sitting there," Marie responded.
Miranda sat down and began to eat quietly.
"How have you been enjoying the Order?" Marie asked.
"It's very nice here. I'm glad I can finally be of at least a small use to people, or will be of some use eventually," Miranda smiled.
Hearing Miranda speak so negatively about herself made Marie sad, but he didn't show it. Voicing this would just make her think more negatively about herself.
"I'm glad you like it here. How long have you been here?" Marie knew she hadn't been there long but he wasn't exactly sure how long she had been there.
"Just over a month, I think," Miranda answered, "Not long enough to do anything, really."
"Oh, Marie, you're needed in Komui's office," one of the members of the Science Division said as he hurried by their table with a stack of papers.
"Alright," Marie called back.
Later on by another table the scientist told Daisya he was needed in Komui's office as well.
"You're probably going on a mission, right? Good luck, come back safe," Miranda said to Marie as he left.
"I'll see you when I come back," Marie smiled back.
Sadly, neither would see each other for a long time after that.
A/N: Hey y'all, thanks a bunch for reading :D Reviews are appreciated. Any advice on writing, am I getting them in character?