Story 2 Concept#1 ch 2
Expect the Devil in Disguise
In the end, they didn't get to do anything, as Arthur received a call and left Rin in the middle of the town centre, with a message to meet up in three days at the place they last met.
Rin scowled at the ground despite the excitement bubbling inside him - why did he have to have a girly name to train under a golden, girly man?!
It was unfair, but he needed to train if he wanted to survive - to protect his ignorant family from demons. He shoved his hands in his pocket, kept an eye at the corners of his vision of any demon deciding to target him, and grumbled the rest of the way home.
Luckily for him, the only demons were dust bunny clouds with eyes.
He arrived at home, his brother waiting on the steps of the monastery. Teal eyes roamed over Rin's form, noting the bruises and scratches on his person.
'Nii-san, did you get into another fight?' Yukio hurried up to his older brother and pulled him inside.
Rin laughed sheepishly, technically the accusation was the truth, it just wasn't with a human.
'Dad's going to be mad...' Yukio began on his rant, leaving Rin to try to pay attention, though his mind was elsewhere. Three days - he had three days to meet up with his teacher, his new exorcist teacher. A grin began to form on his lips, Yukio side-eyeing his brother's expression and then proceeded to add another lecture of warning.
His grin dropped when he remembered that Arthur .Didn't. Give. Him. A. Time. His lips formed into a scowl when he was reminded -by his ever zealous brother- that he had school on that day.
Three days later, Rin decided he'd meet up with the man after school, if possible, straight after it, but, as usual, he was forced to stay behind with the teacher.
It wasn't his fault! No one should bully his brother without consequences! Rin glared at the back of one of the bullies, and gritted his teeth.
'Rin-san,' the teacher called out, grabbing his attention, 'you shouldn't hit other people.'
Rin narrowed his eyes at the adult, 'Tell that to those bullies!'
The teacher grimaced, giving him a gentle admonishing look, 'I will, but, if it happens again, please tell a teacher.'
Rin didn't comment, but scowled at the ground, his arms crossed.
'I've called your father-'
At this, his head snapped up, eyes widening and heart constricting tightly. His dad wouldn't be mad, but his disappointed gaze pierced through his chest - he'd regret taking a kid as troublesome as he was, even after he had made a promise to not hit anyone. Tears began to spring up in his eyes, his ears a buzz, he couldn't even hear the teacher talk anymore. Everything was numb.
He was a disappointment. A man who wouldn't keep his word. He was a failure.
No!
He shook his head, rubbing his eyes. No, Yukio needed him, wanted him. He was his younger twin, he was needed, right?
By the time he calmed down, Rin realised he wasn't at school anymore. He was at the meeting place with Arthur watching him from his position.
'Why are you crying?'
'I'm not crying!' He sniffed, 'I just had water in my eyes.'
Arthur raised a golden brow, 'Follow me,' ignoring the crying boy, and turned around, 'we will discuss your apprenticeship somewhere private.'
Rin scrambled to follow, his fist clenched. He watched as the blond man walked purposefully to a door, stuck a key inside, and stepped with one foot in, his head turned to the boy.
'Well?'
Rin ran up to him, following the man inside, stared and gaping at the view. Floor to ceiling windows replaced what wall was left; white-yellow accents decorated the room; a long couch and four armchairs surrounded a coffee table above a soft, yellow carpet; four large bookshelves filled with books of all kinds, a few indoor plants, and a vase of pink-white roses on the coffee table. In a daze, Rin followed Arthur to sit down on one of the armchairs, and squeaked as he sank in.
Arthur watched emotionlessly.
'First, I will ask you some questions, and you will answer them - to the best of your less than stellar comprehension skills,' he muttered the last part under his breath.
He waited for the boy to nod and leant forward, his chin resting on his intertwined fingers, 'Does anyone in your family see demons?'
'No.' Rin wouldn't be there if they had, he was sure his family would help train him survive against those demons.
'Are any of them Exorcist?'
Rin gave the blond a look, as if contemplating if he had forgotten his first question. When he received no reaction, he replied with a negative.
'Do you want to tell them?'
'N-' Rin hesitated , his eyes darting from place to place, flashes of their smiling faces and laughter echoed in his head. 'No,' he finished more firmly. Not if Rin had any say or action in it. He would do his best to keep them as far away from the dark, secret fights going on in the world.
Arthur stared at him, his gaze digging into his soul, judging, weighing, 'Are you a half-demon?'
Rin blinked, an incredulous expression on his face. Does he look like one to him?
Arthur stared him down.
Rin glared, 'No.'
The immediate 'You lie!' Was unexpected, and wholly unwelcomed. Was the man blind?!
His denial only seemed to egg the blond more.
'Your strength is abnormal at your age - being able to wrestle demons bare-handed is not unheard of in halflings.' The man snarled, a cold glint in his eyes.
Ignoring the shiver going down his spine, Rin shook his head, fists clenched in his shirt, 'I didn't know!' He cried, a brand new water work starting, 'I didn't know. I'm not-I'm not a- I'm not a demon!'
Sharp, jagged eyes stared at the curled child, his fingers twitching to his weapons. 'My duty, is to kill demons,' he stated coldly, 'Halfing or not.'
Rin tensed.
'If I see any demonic influenced behaviour, I will end you.' Arthur declared, forcefully staying his hand. He got up, walked to the child, gripping his chin, and pulled him close, not caring of the shakes and tears, 'Do you understand?'
The demon halfling nodded.
He let go, wiping his hand on his pants and went back to his seat. 'I am your master, not your teacher. You will obey me, answer to me, and carry your own weight. You will not question me. If you follow this, I will spare your life.'
Rin wipes his eyes, hands trembling at the effort. The atmosphere was choking him, weighing down on his young body - he wanted to run away and hide, safe from the man that had been given the wrong name at birth, but, it was too late for him. He was at the man's most advantaged field, at his very experienced hand, and only mercy was keeping Rin's life in the world. He swallowed, 'I will follow your instructions,' his voice shaky.
A harsh, winter smile appeared on the man's lips. 'My ambition is to become the best. To be The Paladin. I do not need, or want, a burden, a baggage, or a helpless, stupid, ignorant, pathetic idiot.
Rin flinched.
'It cannot be helped in the beginning,' he sighed, as if the world just gave him a pile of trash to clean up. 'I will hold your pathetic hands at the start of your apprenticeship, but afterwards, you will carry your own weight. If your academically stupid, I will force you to be smart.' He gave a long, hard look at the wince from the child. 'I do not want laziness, or excuses. The only period were you do not train is when you land your halfing-self in the hospital. If you are weak, a waste of my very, valuable time, I will destroy you.' The thought had a twisted smile appear on the blond's face.
Rin did not want to know.
'You will learn respect and manners for everyone you interact with. I will tame your temper, drill you patience, and bludgeon your head with knowledge. I despise mess, and you will clean it all. Capiche?'
Rin nodded, if had denied the man, the boy was sure his head would fly before he took another breath.
Arthur twitched, 'Answer me verbally!'
'Yes sir!'
'It's master to you!'
'Yes Master!'
The man nodded, 'Now, your training will begin once everyone in your household is asleep between nine or eleven. You will meet me at the place you me with me today. I will give you a key; your instructions will be on the coffee table if I am not there. Training will finish at six in the evening in this time zone, three breaks through it all.' The man rolled his shoulder. 'Lastly, you said you didn't want your family to know,' he waited for the boy's nod, 'keep your word,' he warned with narrowed eyes, 'only monsters break their word, understood?'
Rin paled, he had broken his word before! He gulped the panic down, 'Yes Master.'
'Good,' He nodded once, walked back to the entrance and use the key. 'You may leave.'
The unspoken disgust of a demon lingering in his home floated between them.
Rin ignored it. He hurried to his exit, body trembling, and bade his farewell.
Arthur observed as the bulging scurried away, a smirk on his lips. 'Let's see you survive, Gabrielle,' and he closed the door.
A/N: Wrote all this on the phone, and now my thumbs are sore.