DISCLAIMER: I do now own Soul Eater.
Oh yay Soul's going to play piano for us!
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Soul in Wonderland
Liz arrived with cake in hand as peace-offering with Frank, her husband, by her side hand interlocking with one another.
The couple entered Death's mansion both were welcomed by Kid at the front gate with an artificial smile.
Kid thought that, as the host it would be improper for him not to greet his guest. As soon as Kid spotted Liz and that guy-with-the-face, Kid quickly fix his black velvet tie, though it's already perfect, it's a habit when he's upset.
"Hey Kid, wow, packed already. We're not too late are we?" Liz commented, seeing as the mansion is already filled with people gathering, chattering, and dancing among one another.
"Not at all," Kid said shrugging nonchalantly.
Kid saw what-his-face about to say something to him, Kid quickly asked "Where's Patty?" tying to alienate Frank completely out of the conversation.
"On her way with Maka."
"Let go Liz?" Frank said gently in her ears which made Liz frown and blush eying the jealous Kid with the corner of her eyes.
To be candid, Liz was actually enjoying this side of kid who's jealous of her. But put the thought away by throwing herself in the crowd since it seems as though it reflects how Liz can be quite sadistic.
The mansion is as beautiful as ever, Liz commented to herself. The party's held in the ballroom, the heart of the mansion. Galore of ivory magnum opus placed symmetrically on either side of the vast scope, accompanied by antique candle chandelier in the shape of Lord Death hung here and there which protrude flames of various gradation.
For Kid, he would simply describe it the mansion as "Perfection."
By the time Soul entered the party with his orange motorcycle-that he just polished, the mansion was brimming with meisters and weapons throwing themselves in reckless abandon to the music.
Black*Star noticed Soul who has just arrived wearing a non formal black leather jacket with a white shirt underneath, and a burgundy pants that made him look out-of-place since everyone else is going for the theme semi-formal…well, everyone except Black*Star.
But in contrary, even plain clothes doesn't seem to faze Soul's exotic carnivorous features.
"Soul!" The blue haired boy screamed as he walked toward Soul who grinned in return.
The two did their special handshake before striking up a conversation.
"Thought you wouldn't show up, Soul."
Soul shrug, "How uncool would the party be if I didn't show up?"
Then, Black*Star spotted yet another late guess coming through the door. It was Maka Albarn, the bookworm accompanied by Patty Thompson.
"Maka you're late! That's twenty-dollars!" Black*Star grinned with arms out in Maka's direction waiting for his money.
Maka grumbled and pulled a crumbled twenty-dollar bill towards Black*Star. Earlier on that day, the two made a bet. If Maka came to the party late he owes Black*Star twenty-dollar, "Next time it's you who's going to owe me money."
Black*Star does his boisterous laugh and said, "I wouldn't count on that. Don't you know you shouldn't bet with Gods?"
Patty ran up to Liz as soon as she spotted her next to the stage with Frank. While Black*Star dashed toward the buffet which was placed in the middle of the room in a horizontal table.
As soon as he noticed the maids holding out new hot fresh dish for the next course, Black*Star didn't hesitate. So does the herd of hungry meisters and weapons, with only little groups of people left on the main party floor.
Maka was about to join Black*Star and the parade, but Soul stopped her asking, "Have you seen Kid around?"
"You haven't seen him?"
"Not yet." Soul said certain as he shook his head to emphasize.
Maka pondered about where in this commodious place would Kid decide to be. And by ponder she means use her weird power she acquired since she was eight years old; soul perception.
There, she found Kid's soul. Its supreme vigorous blue orb can't be mistaken as anybody else, its Kid's. Next to Kid's soul there's another informal soul, not as powerful, which belong to Kim Diehl.
"Probably his room arguing to Kim about his tie that's not symmetrical no matter what he does to fix it."
"His tie?"
Oh, did Maka blurt out that part too? Whoopsies.
"Call it 'women's intuition'."
"Thanks."
"No probs." But before Soul could ask Maka to give direction to Kid's room, Maka was pulled by her classmates, the demon twin; Liz and Patty which leave Soul to venture for Kid's room all by himself.
After two long hours of venturing, Soul entered a peculiar hallway which protrudes the scent of fresh laundry.
As Soul walked closer, curious, he notices the slight temperature change and a warm tropical breeze from the wall.
At the end of that hallway, Soul noticed a line of laundry that hung from one wall to another vertically intentionally covering a door behind it.
Soul knocked on the door twice. With no answer, he opened it to find a rainforest and a lion charging at Soul's direction, hunger and blood thirst in his eyes.
Of course, Soul quickly slammed the door close, and run away from the hallway as soon as possible. But stopped as soon as he was sure he's saved from the tropical beast, Soul returns his 'cool' aloof posture.
Soul noticed a hysterical laugh behind him. When he turned around he saw Frank, Liz's husband on the floor helplessly laughing and pointing at Soul.
"Did he follow me?" Soul thought.
"I sa—hahahah—I saw that stupid face of yours ahaha!"
Soul irritated asked, "What are you doing here?"
Frank wipes his tears and said, "I'm not following you if that's what you're thinking," he stood up and fixes his composure, "I'm lost."
"Where were you trying to go?"
"Are you offering direction?" Frank said sarcastically.
"No." Soul retorted.
Frank sighed in desperation, and give Soul further explained to Frank why he's lost in the first place.
"I was looking for Liz, she always disappears on me like that…just tell me if you saw her, I'm going back to the fun room."
Soul thought Frank has this mad deranged look about him.
As a hunter, Soul was taught to investigate on any strange behavior, and everything is not coincidental. But Soul's is not a hunter, not anymore he's not. He made it perfectly loud and clear that he retires as a hunter permanently.
How did Soul even tolerate all this year of being a hunter among his father and brother and the hunter community in general? He didn't belong there. Then again, he doesn't exactly belong here as a normal human either.
Suddenly, Soul's phone interrupted his thought. It was Kid calling him. Then another bubble of thought sprouts in Soul's head suddenly angry at himself for not thinking this earlier, "why didn't he think about calling Kid for direction in the first place?"
"Soul? Where are you?"
From the background he can hear another melodious voice belong to a girl he recognizes; Kim.
Then he recalls an earlier conversation with Maka. "How does she know Kid was with Kim if she just arrived?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"...I'm lost." so not cool.
"I see."
"Aren't you gonna help me here?"
Kid was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Well some people go to the right, some people go to the left, but I prefer the shortcut."
"What short—are you quoting 'Alice in Wonderland'?"
"It's not a crime is it? And by shortcut I mean that door you're stepping on."
"What doo—"Soul didn't notice the silver marble door at first. That's because the door blend with the floor itself.
"cool." Soul commented with awe. Then he noticed yet another problem; there's no knob or any sort.
"But how do you open the door Kid?"
"You jump." Kid said matter-a-factly.
"I jump?"
"Yes, Soul."
Soul gave it a try and jump. As soon as he jumped, the door turned wide open and without warning he fall down head-first in a large indoor pool. Everything was drenched, even his cheap fifty-dollar phone.
"Kid you ass!" Soul yelled.
"Pardon me Soul; did I mess up your make-up?" Kid said teasing Soul.
"I'm not a make-up whore, Kid."
"Look at him, Kim," Kid said pointing at Soul whose still floating in the pool. "He's so bashful. There's no denying it Soul, aren't we friends?"
Kim who was standing behind him snickering while took pity at Soul and used her witch magic to get Soul out of the pool.
"Are you…high Kid?"
"Yes. Very," Kim answered for him. "And that's fifty-dollar for you, canine boy."
Soul studied Kim and asked, "What are you doing here with Kid?"
"I was warning him about witches and whatnot." Kim said, with disgust.
"Are they planning something?"
"What do you care, you're not a hunter anymore right? And for your information, they're always planning for something."
"Kim," Kid interrupted. "Would you mind—"
Kim knew that it was her cue to leave. It's not like Kid's listening to her this whole entire time since he's too high to listen to what she has to say.
"Fine, I'm out."
"Wait, Kim does Maka know you're with Kid?"
"Hmm? Ox does but I don't know, I haven't seen her."
"You know your way, Kim?" Soul asked remembering his two hours of struggles making his way to Kid's room.
"I can manage." She said as she closed the door letting the two talk in private.
Kid brings soul to a room next to his. It was empty except for a large grand piano in the corner hidden by thick curtains of shadow.
"Soul, this is a serious matter."
"So serious, we had to move to another room? What's this about?" Soul said hesitantly.
"My father, Lord Death he's been gone for three weeks now and I need you to track him."
"Are you sure he's missing?"
"Yes. So will you help me?"
Soul gives it some thought and decides that he'll agree to help Kid search for Lord Death.
Kid grinned and shakes Soul's hand as a form of gratitude.
"Should we head back to the party?" Kid asked.
"You should go."
Kid look to the grand ebony piano behind Soul and understands, "…I'll see you later then." And leave Soul alone in the dark room with the Piano.
Soul pulled the shadow curtain back to find the Piano that's silently whispering a melody so callous and poignant, it beckon Soul to play.
He decides to give in and eloped himself in the shadow, letting him loose himself to the melody.
He pressed the low 'A' note with a slight momentum. The rich condensed notes—which indicate that it's tuned correctly—protrude itself out of the instrument, letting that one note echo in the room.
Soul grinned, bemused and commences to play the piano.
Maka needed to use the little girls' room.
She could've won against Patty in 'who could take the most shots' and win her money back from Black*Star, but her body calls mercy.
What's worse, she's lost. It's been a long while since she stepped in Lord Death's mansion, and with all that shot she drank, the possibility of using her soul perception is unlikely.
Surrounded by demented murals, Maka feels the more steps she takes is a lost cause. Maka noticed Black*Star's raucous voice seems farther away, and the need to go the restroom is more urgent than before. Crap, crap, crap.
Suddenly out of the blue, Maka heard a piano being played. Its melody muffled by the thick wall, as if not wanting anyone to hear it.
The urge to find the source of the piano became her goal, and she disregards her bladder urgency.
Maka opened the thick door design much like Taj Mahal's; it's ten times her size yet it's lighter than Maka by comparison. All it takes was a slight push to open.
Arabic words are carved by its side in gold, blue, and red as a boarder. It's simply mesmerizing. Maybe it's Maka's imagination. But the woods seems as though it's dancing to the melody of the piano.
She walked toward the curtain of shadow and listened closely.
The pianist is unaware of the unexpected guest. Soul is being taken hold of the melody's captive.
Sitting down in that piano,
Soul looks so….
…resplendent
It's spell-binding almost.
More.
More.
"I want—"
"Maka?" Soul asked crimson flame locked on Maka ready to fire. Snapping Maka away from his enchanting spell back to reality.
"…Soul."
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know that you're an amazing pianist."
"…thanks."
"I mean it Soul."
"Hmm."
"I like it. It's hypnotic and demented but really beautiful."
Now Soul was bashful.
"You're the first one who complemented, so thanks."