Chapter Four- Witch Hunter's Debut? The Quest for a Worthy Meister!
(Author's Note: Soul Eater is owned by Atsushi Okubo. The only things the author owns are the OCs and story.)
"Bye you two! Have a good day!" Marie called after the pair, waving wildly as she held her wriggling infant. They made their way to school, entering the park without saying a word to each other.
As pairs of students happily conversed around them, excited at what the day had in store, Crona glanced over to his new roommate. He was starting to feel indignant, neither speaking to the other all morning. It wasn't he didn't want to, the pink-haired boy just didn't know how to start a conversation with the cantankerous red-head. Staring straight ahead, Jesse didn't appear to notice. She was concentrated on bracing herself for the long day of classes, searching through her memory of the classroom to figure out where the best place to sit would be. Placing herself at the front caught a lot of attention, perhaps she should sit at the back, possibly by the window.
Unable to take the silence anymore, Crona cleared his throat, catching the girl's attention.
"So," he began, gaining an awkward look from the girl.
"Yeah?" she asked, finding the boy's hesitation annoying. Jesse knew she could be difficult, but seriously?
Exiting the park, the pair where a few blocks away from Ragnorak's favorite café, giving Crona an idea for an icebreaker.
"You, want to grab some coffee? We have enough time, if you want to," he said.
Pondering for a minute, Jesse looked over to the youth.
"Sure. Think they make a proper Irish?" she asked, skeptical she could get one so early in the morning.
"I, don't know what that is." Crona confessed, honestly not being much for coffee. He usually got tea, his favorite being Earl Grey with honey.
Ragnorak came forth, annoyed at his meister's lack of knowledge.
"You idiot. An Irish has cream liquor in it," the weapon proclaimed, warranting a strange look from the boy.
"How do you know that?" he questioned. Ragnorak had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. He didn't recall ever coming across such a drink.
The tiny demon sword scoffed at the inquiry, folding his stubby arms.
"I had a life before you," he stated. Crona had never given it much thought. He just assumed that the weapon had always been a demon sword.
"How old are you?" he asked.
"Non ya, as in non ya business!" he yelled down at him, pulling at the teen's pink tresses.
"Oh, stop it. That hurts!"
"Make me pansy!" his partner yelled, their new classmate cringing at the display. They were starting to get some odd looks from passerby.
Grabbing the boy by the arm, Jesse pulled them into the shop, finding them at the end of a long line.
"Still have time?" she asked.
"Yeah, we should be alright," Crona said, checking his watch before answering.
Ragnorak groaned halfway through the line, realizing that the top-heavy barista was off shift that day. Crona rolled his eyes, feeling indignant at the weapon's griping. His partner found no point to waiting if she wasn't there, complaining about getting his drink from a guy barista.
"He'll just mess it up! No one makes it like Gina!" he yelled, pounding his little fists upon his meister's head. Crona ignored his tantrum, the dwindling size of the weapon causing no significant pain when he bopped him.
With his confidence growing, becoming comfortable in his new world, Ragnorak had begun to shrink smaller and smaller, a fact that made him worry. The weapon's size was about that of a dagger now, ineffective in long range combat. Tsubaki was right, he needed to find a new partner, and soon. The boy wasn't certain how much longer he'd be able to use Ragnorak, a fact that made him nervous. Though annoying and abusive, the demon sword had always been with him. He never voiced his worries to Ragnorak, but he was apprehensive at the thought that he might just disappear altogether, something he wasn't quite ready to deal with.
"That's not how you make it," Jesse finally voiced, both turning to face her.
Sighing, she gazed up at the massive board behind the counter, relieved it was far enough away to read.
"A true Irish has a shot o whiskey in it, then a small spoona lemon and orange juice."
"Oh, why the juices?" Crona asked, thinking the drink sounded weird.
"Yeah, sounds gross!" Ragnorak chimed in. The meister groaned at the weapon, thinking he was one to talk, preferring his coffee have pepper and cayenne in it.
Folding her arms, the girl looked forward, stating, "The citrus increases th' acidity while blendin' th' sweet notes of the Irish whiskey." She dryly stated, finding the combination obvious in her mind.
"Oh," he said, returning his eyes to the front. He found the description interesting, gaining a little bit of insight into the girl's mindset. She seemed to know a lot about flavors, perhaps she had an interest in cooking? He would like it if that was true, he was still learning and would appreciate some help in the kitchen.
Placing their orders, Crona pulled out his wallet to pay, pausing when he realized he was short. 'Great,' he thought, and this detour had been his idea. Seeing the panic in his eyes, Jesse huffed, pulling out an impressive wad of cash out of her pocket, handing some to the cashier. As they left, Crona rushed to catch up, taken aback by the amount of money she had.
"Where'd you get all that?" he asked.
Initially giving an odd look, she shrugged her shoulders, stating, "Had a life before here."
Walking along the cobblestone streets, the witch hunter glanced up to her roommate's passenger, the miniature weapon greedily sipping his beverage.
"So, what's your story?" she asked.
"Huh?" the partner's offered in unison, unsure of what she meant.
Cracking the lid of her cup open, Jesse removed a flask from her worn leather jacket, pouring in a fair amount of whiskey to her drink. 'Hell with it, least it's a half Irish now,' she thought, feeling a headache coming on. The teen glanced over as she took a sip, pointing up at the linked weapon.
"Hm? Not much to tell there. Hey! You gonna hog that all to yourself?!" Ragnorak yelled, opening up his own cup.
"I'm older than both of you anyway! Come on Red, fill er up!"
Jesse chuckled as she pulled her flask out again, standing on her tiptoes as she filled part of his cup. Crona cringed at the camaraderie, not too thrilled about his weapon drinking alcohol.
"Hey, I'm going to feel that too you know," he said, pleading eyes peering up at his partner. The weapon scoffed at him, stating that the meister needed to loosen up a little, something that the red-head appeared to agree with.
"Sure do. Can't stop till ya start, am I right?" she said, gaining a grin from the tiny passenger.
"Hell yeah! Cheers!" he proclaimed, the two weapons tapping their paper cups together, much to Crona's chagrin.
He couldn't believe that of all people, Jesse was becoming friends with Ragnorak first. They did have a bit in common, when he thought about it. Neither really seemed to care what others thought, doing as they pleased regardless of the consequences. Guess it made sense, he thought, taking a solemn sip of his beverage. The boy started to feel dizzy, feeling the effects of the drink as his weapon chugged the concoction down. He hoped he would be able to keep it together in class, embarrassed beyond words if anyone found out he was tipsy.
"So, what the hell are ya?" she asked, her previous question going unanswered.
"Well I'm definitely not a tumor," Ragnorak quipped, reminding the weapon of her prior statement.
"Hell, I figured that much," she replied, ignoring his attempt.
Tossing his cup into the street, the weapon retracted back into his meister's body, suddenly feeling the need to nap. Jesse looked to Crona, awaiting an explanation. The youth groaned, attempting to pull his thoughts together to give the best answer he could muster.
Jesse patiently listened as the boy elaborated on how the pair came to be, giving a light laugh as she was forced to help him up the staircase of the academy. She was amused at how much of a light weight the teen was, barely getting a buzz from her drink. 'Cripes, it was only three shots,' she thought to herself, agreeing with the small weapon's observation of him being a pansy.
As he finished his story, the pair made it up to the entrance, Crona thanking her for helping him.
"Sure thing," Jesse replied, feeling a tinge of guilt over getting the boy drunk before class. 'Might as well stick close to him,' she thought. The hunter didn't feel like getting in trouble again. 0-2 didn't really appeal to her, especially on her second day of school.
Something the teen had said caught her attention, a witch being responsible for melting down Ragnorak and replacing the boy's blood with the mixture. He explained that they were inseparable, two people bond to the same body. It sounded rough to her, not being able to imagine having another person fused with her. Being under a witch's control for over a decade sounded unbearable, the meister gaining some respect in her eyes for surviving such an ordeal. 'Maybe he's not as weak as I thought.'
Reaching out, Jesse grabbed his arm, curious over the identity of the enchantress. Crona eyes went wide at the question, never having to divulge such information. Everyone relevant in his life already knew. Hell, they'd met her. The boy's eyes glanced to the ground, his flushed face making the girl smile. He was kind of cute, all flustered and drunk, unsure of what to say.
"She, she was my mother. Sorry, my biological mother." He corrected himself, wanting to distance himself from the woman as much as possible. Though she birthed him, Medusa had never acted like his mother. That designation went to Marie. His adopted parent more than made up for the hell the witch had put him through, always having a kind word or hug for the shy child.
Jesse's smile faded at the confession, feeling bad for pressuring him to reveal such a thing to her. She was a stranger to him, and he was disclosing things about his life she was sure he would be too nervous to state if sober. The hunter glanced away, the pair held tight by an awkward silence.
Crona was growing anxious, wondering what a witch hunter would think about living with a halfling child. He bowed his head, figuring that this would be the beginning and end of any kind conversations between them. He prepared for the worst, his eyes going wide with shock as the girl behind him said the last thing he expected to hear.
"My ma was a witch too." She said, feeling she need to disclose something unpleasant about herself. Though her relationship with her mother was close, her father was another issue, everything going to hell in a handbasket after her mother was killed. Still, her mom being what she was caused so much heartache and pain, more than enough for a few lifetimes.
Glancing over his shoulder, Crona watched as the hunter slowly approached him. Her solemn look denoting a sense of understanding, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"It's how someone like me's made, my pa being a weapon. They didn't mean to, but they fell hard for each other, willin' to be on the run all the time for doing what they'd done. For bringin' me into the world," she said, barely at a whisper as she divulged her deepest regret, feeling partially at fault for what had happened to her family. If she had just been born a boy, no one would have been the wiser, free to live their lives as they pleased.
Taking in a deep breath, her attention was brought to the tight binding around her chest, unable to inhale as much as she'd like. The girl had hated the fact to the contrary, despising her growing chest for being a constant reminder of all she'd lost. What she would give to go back in time, finding some way to fix everything that had transpired.
"Jesse?" the boy asked, the red-head turning her attention back to him. The look he gave her made her nervous, regretting she had told him.
Straightening up, Crona offered a light grin, stating that they should probably get to class. He wasn't too keen on being late again. Deep down, he was thankful that the hunter told him a little about herself. The girl gave a half smile as she followed after the youth, both silently feeling a little better about not being the only halfling in the room.
The pair entered the threshold, relieved to find the door still opened up.
"Hey, look who the cat dragged in," Liz teased, the group halting their discussion as they turned to greet their friend and classmate.
"What's up Crona?" Soul asked, smiling at the pair as he leaned back in his chair, his feet up on the table.
"Oh, uh, not much. Everyone, this is, Jesse. Is it okay if she sits with us?" he asked, gaining a nod of approval from the silver-haired weapon.
"Sure thing. The more the merrier."
As the teens took their seats, Jesse placed herself right next to Crona, taking the chair closest to the middle aisle. 'This won't be so bad,' she thought, feeling at ease as she tilted her cup back, finishing off her morning cocktail.
"Woah, what's that smell?" Black Star asked, his keen nose picking up the smell of alcohol.
Jesse froze, worry washing over her. 'Shit.' The girl's job for the day was taking attention off them, lest they risk anyone finding out that Crona was intoxicated. Oh well, she could play it to her advantage, used to her role as the raucous outsider.
"Someone getting the party started early?" the blue-haired assassin inquired, voice dripping with sarcasm. Turning around to face the boy, the hunter gave a playful smile, holding up her cup for all to see.
"Can't stop till ya start," she said, expecting to gain the same reaction the demon sword had given. She had made a bad miscalculation, Crona slamming his head against the desk as his friends were rendered silent. Squirming in their seats, Soul put his legs down, allowing Maka to peer over him.
"Um, we're not allowed to have alcohol in here," the pig-tailed meister informed her, met by an innocent stare from the new girl.
"Oh, really? Huh, okay. My bad…" she said, walking over to the trash can to throw the cup away. Slowly approaching the group, Jesse scratched the back of her head, taking her seat next to her roommate. She figured she should say something, the group's jovial nature left in a tense silence.
"Hey, uh, sorry bout that. I didn't know."
Wiping out a cigarette, the hunter turned to Maka, warranting a wide eyed look from the meister.
"Can I smoke at least?"
"No, you can't do that either."
Hearing something drop on the table, Jesse whipped her head around to look at it, quickly finding the source of the object. Stein was glowering down at the teen, his stern eyes causing her to flinch.
"Nicotine gum. Use it," he stated, turning away as he walked up to the front of the room, opening up a book. The doctor had spent a long night in the clinic, not in the mood to deal with any adverse behavior that day.
"Turn to page 215 of your textbook. We're going to look at the finer points of phasmology today."
Following suit, the students opened up their books, perusing the words on the page. Knowing she didn't have the text yet, Crona leaned over, pushing his book to the middle of them. Jesse glanced over, huffing as she returned her gaze to the board, unable to decipher the tome's words.
Furrowing his brows, the boy pulled the book back to himself, feeling dejected as he read along, misunderstanding the reasoning behind the teen's defiance. She didn't have the heart to tell him she couldn't read it, the lines of sentences appearing like a blur to her. Jesse hoped the professor would be writing a bit up on the board. She could see that just fine.
Just as she was starting to get into the lesson, the intercom system ticked on, Stein pausing as the announcement rang out.
"Jesse McCoy, please report to the nurse's station. Jesse McCoy, to the nurse's station."
All eyes were quickly on her, the red-head sinking down in her seat at the attention.
"Jesse," Stein said, pointing to the door. He watched as the girl slowly rose from her chair, walking down the aisle towards the exit.
"Know what it's bout?" she asked, the stitched up teacher shrugging his shoulders.
"Who knows. It's down the hall to your right. We'll go over what you missed at home." He said, returning to his task as he finished writing on the board.
"Now, the part you need to know for the upcoming test concerns this minute structure here. This particular factor is crucial to proper soul resonance…."
Jesse walked down the vacant halls towards the nurse's office, apprehensive as to why she was summoned. Did someone rat her out? Will Crona get in trouble too? The thought was making her antsy, used to being under scrutiny herself, yet not wanting to drag someone down with her.
Jesse paused as she made it to the door, hesitant to open it. Taking a deep breath, she reached out to the handle, the door creaking as she entered, shutting it slowly behind her, the hinges squeaking in protest. Turning around, she was confronted by the sight of two people, Sid and Nygus staring her down.
Folding her arms, the teen returned the stare, her face stern as she waited for one of them to speak. Faced with silence, Jesse removed her hat, braving a few steps forward to gaze in at the glass shelving, filled to the brim with a number of medical supplies and jars.
"So, mind tellin' me what I'm doin' here?" she asked, walking over to a chair as she reached for a cigarette. Assuming the reaction she'd get, she settled for the packet of gum as she pulled out the small white piece, the outer coating crunching against her teeth as she chewed.
Taking a step towards her, the bandaged nurse maintained her gaze upon the teen, cradling a clipboard against her.
"Nothing special, just needing to do a physical for our records. Every student gets one before going out into the field," Nygus stated, motioning the girl over to an exam table. Hopping up on the cold slab, Jesse swung her legs back and forth, feeling like a small child as her feet dangled over the edge.
"Sweet, bout time we got to it," she stated, grinning at the pair.
"I've been itching to kill me some witches. Come on, I won't bite cha," she said, teasing at the caution the teachers were using.
Glancing over at the zombie, her smile grew wider, knowing he was most likely there as a protective detail.
"He gotta be in here? A lady's due her privacy, after all."
Nodding to her meister, Sid made his exit, his shadow visible on the other side of the frosted glass.
"Hmph, what's his deal?" she asked, the nurse saying nothing as she proceeded with the examination, placing a blood pressure cuff around the hunter's arm. Realization came to her. 'He's here in case I run,' she thought, watching as the weapon scribbled down some notes after removing the cuff.
She couldn't help but chuckle at the reinforcement, warranting a passive glance from the nurse. She knew that Lord Death had decreed that she needed close supervision while fighting, the teen unaware that there'd be two instructors every time it was necessary to confront her alone. Figuring that the rules must've changed after her sudden departure the day before, she took out another piece of gum, disinterested in whatever the female was doing.
Nygus received her undivided attention when she pulled out a needle, grimacing as the nurse approached her.
"What's that for?" she asked, scooting back as the woman got closer, keeping a close eye on the sharp instrument.
"Every EAT student gets a full blood panel. The academy needs to make sure the people they send out are healthy." Nygus reasoned, placing the needle on a nearby table as she wiped an alcohol-soaked cotton ball against the inside of her elbow. Jesse squirmed, grimacing at the hypodermic needle, acting as though the object would jump up and bite her.
"Don' like needles," she said, the weaponized nurse pausing as her hand neared the pointy object, turning a sympathetic look at the nervous teen. The hunter's skin had went pale, pupils dilated as she gripped the sides of the table, going white knuckled. Nygus felt a little guilty. The kid was obviously petrified, regretful that the deed had to be done.
Lifting the syringe in the air, Nygus braved a few steps towards the teen.
"Sorry kid. I gotta do it. Hope you won't hold it against me."
Leaning away, Jesse started to panic, her body going in a cold sweat. Not only did she hate needles, the hunter knew what the nurse would find if she looked at her blood, the girl drinking far more than the coffee she had that morning.
The teen hadn't been drunk that night at the bar, dividing her drinks between herself and the flask in her pocket, the metal tinging lightly against the steel table. The container was completely empty, polishing off half of it before leaving her bedroom, building up the courage to go back to school. If they found out, she imagined she'd be in some trouble. The way her classmates had reacted earlier telling her all she needed to know.
"Touch me wit' that, an' I'll stab ya in the heart wit' it." She coldly warned, pushing herself against the stone wall as Nygus paused.
"Come on, it'll be over in a second. I'm pretty good, you won't even feel it." The bandaged weapon said, growing frustrated as the teen hopped off the table, rushing around to find an exit.
"Nuh uh, no way," she replied, eyes darting around, the main route blocked by the zombie outside. Eyeing a window, Jesse made her decision, flying a fist at the nurse, the teen quickly finding herself slammed into the ground.
"Sid!" Nygus called out, the meister rushing in as the weapon pinned the girl to the floor.
"Git the hell off me!" Jesse screamed, wriggling furiously as the pair switched out, the tall zombie pulling her up while keeping her in a head lock.
"Come on, kid. It's just a little needle," Sid stated, grunting as the slight teen thrashed against him.
"I don' wanna! Let me go! I want outta here!"
Getting her good arm free, Jesse transformed it, keeping Nygus at bay as she swung wildly. The girl was in full panic mode. She no longer cared if someone got hurt, so be it. It was their own damned fault.
"Hey! Knock it off right now!" Sid hollered, receiving a head butt from the girl for his troubles.
"Go to hell, rot bucket!" Jesse yelled back, wincing as the meister's grip tightened.
"I can' breathe!" she called out, beginning to hyperventilate as tears streamed down her face. She felt like the room was closing in around her.
"What the hell is going on in here?!"
The trio turned to see Stein standing in the doorway, stunned at the scene before him.
"We can hear you down the hallway. Sid, for cripe's sake, let her down!" he demanded, the zombie realizing how quickly the situation had spiraled out of control.
Crumpling to the floor, the girl gasped, greedily getting as much air into her lungs as possible. Nygus took a step towards the men, calmly explaining what had happened. Glancing down at the kneeling teen, the professor approached her, helping her up as he took her back to the table.
"I'll take it from here. Sid, would you mind taking my place? I was finishing up a lecture on soul resonance."
Looking over to the distressed student, Sid agreed, silently leaving the room to head to the classroom. Giving Nygus an assuring nod, the weapon departed, heading to the Death Room to fill out an incident report.
Pulling up a chair, the professor sat backwards in it, watching as his newest tenant sobbed through her gasps, hugging herself in an attempt to calm down. Pulling out a pack, Stein pulled out two cigarettes, holding one up to the teen.
"Guess the gum didn't cut it, huh?" he asked, Jesse saying nothing as she reached out a shaky hand to retrieve the tobacco. Her hands maintained their shake as she leaned over to the flame of his lighter, quickly removing the stick as she sharply exhaled, the professor replacing the lighter back in his pocket.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?" he inquired, the man's calm nature in sharp contrast to the lively commotion she was just a part of.
"Don' like needles," she offered, hoping the meister would swallow the half-lie.
"Hm, kind of overkill, don't you think?" he asked, inhaling a long drag, looking skeptically at the child.
Contemplating, he locked eyes with the hunter, knowing that she was hiding something.
"There any reason you didn't want them taking a sample? All students have to do it."
Glaring over at him, Jesse took another drag of the cigarette, preferring to smoke over talking. Realizing she still held his gaze, she groaned, pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged. Stein crossed his arms over the back of the chair, tapping his fingers against his sleeve. It was no use, he wasn't going to let her out of this. By the way he carried himself, the professor gave the impression he had all day to wait.
Sighing, Jesse bowed her head, holding the cigarette gingerly in her good hand, flicking the ember lightly.
"Yeah, there's a reason," she finally said, receiving a narrowed look from the doctor.
"Figured as much. Is it the same reason Crona's been acting funny?"
She wasn't expecting that, turning her bowed head away from the meister.
"Odd? Odd how?" she asked, feigning ignorance. Stein took another drag a before speaking.
"Enough crap, kid. What did you take?" he asked, the teen shrinking at the statement. She knew she was in deep now, might as well fess up.
"Whiskey. I had a flask," she said, pulling the empty canister out her pocket, holding it up to the teacher.
"Crona didn't drink any, but Ragnorak did…" Jesse mumbled as he took the flask out of her hand, shaking it to see if there was any more.
"Hm," was the only response she received, anxious over what the meister would do. Will he throw her out, call her a lost cause? Would he have to tell Lord Death about this?
Jesse held her face in her hands. Why did she always do this? All she managed to do was mess everything up. Now she dragged an otherwise good kid into it.
"Sorry," she weakly offered, the doctor glancing up at the hunter. Tears flowed out as she awaited his reply, prepared for the worst. They had treated her so nicely, and all she had done was throw it back in their face. Why does she act like this? Of course no one wanted her, feeling confirmation to what her father always said. She was a mess, a total train wreck. All she did was push others away. She deserved to be alone, she thought, sobbing harder as Stein went unnoticed as he approached her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't throw me out," she said, the professor frozen in place at her last statement. Throw her out? Why would he do that? He watched as the teen looked up at him, green eyes blazing through her tears.
"I know I ain't any good, I know I'm just trash, but please don't kick me out. I don', I don' know…"
Jesse went wide eyed as Stein reached over, placing a hand upon her head, ruffling her hair. Exhaling sharply, he said, "You're not trash, Jesse. You just have a problem. Everyone has their vices. Hell, I'd have to throw myself out."
The red-head peered up as he removed his hand, a confused look on her face.
"Is, is Crona gonna be in trouble?" she asked, receiving a grin from the professor.
"I'll be having a talk with Ragnorak, but no, Crona won't be in trouble."
She sighed with relief, thankful that at least the boy wouldn't be receiving any punishment. He didn't do anything, after all. Fiddling with her fingers, she glanced at the floor as she asked, "So, does, does that mean that you won' be tellin' Lord Death bout this?"
"Oh no, I'm definitely telling him. You're not getting off that easy," he bluntly stated, letting out a laugh at the disappointment in the teen, groaning at the proclamation.
"Tell you what, I'll offer up a treatment plan to get you off the booze. I think Lord Death will appreciate a proactive approach over expelling you right off the bat," Stein said.
The girl's eyes lit up at the news, her face beaming in appreciation at the offer.
"Really? You'd do that?"
"Sure, as long as you're willing to comply with the treatment."
"I'll do it! Whatever ya want!" she exclaimed, leaning forward from her perch.
The professor's eye twitched, holding back a maniacal smile as he replied, "Careful, you might regret that."
Exiting the office, Stein escorted the teen back to class, explaining since class was over, he would head to the Death Room to talk with the grim reaper.
"Kay but, why do I havta come here?" she asked, the professor turning away as Sid approached the girl.
"Sid was supposed to take you on a tour of the school. He'll be helping you find a partner."
"Eh, seriously?!" she asked, feeling incredibly indignant for her prior assumption.
Turning to the zombie, Jesse cringed as she looked up at him, the meister's nose plugged up with tissues to stifle the bleeding. Letting out a nervous laugh, Jesse bowed her head, ashamed of her handiwork.
"Uh, sorry, bout yur face," she said. Sid stretched before heading out the door, waving his hand at the apology.
"You aren't the first kid to do it, and you won't be the last. Got a good workout at least, holding you still," he said, the student following close behind him.
"So you jus gonna forgive me, jus like that?" she asked skeptically.
"Yup. No use holding grudges. You must really hate needles," Sid said, chuckling at how much the child had panicked.
Looking away, Jesse's face flushed with embarrassment, realizing she'd caused quite a scene.
"Yeah…"
Finishing up the tour, the pair stopped outside the massive field where students were preparing to spare, the student pairs helping stretch each other out. Turning to the red-head, the undead meister placed his hands on his hips, grinning.
"So, ready to find a partner? Everyone's out for gym class. Go ahead, don't be shy," he said, giving the teen a slap on the back, pushing her onto the field.
"Sure that's a good idea? I ain't allowed to fight less there's two of ya," she said, the teacher waving at Marie across the way.
"I'll be sticking around, no worries."
Jesse groaned as the two approached the blonde instructor, the woman waving happily.
"Hey guys! Did you enjoy the tour? Quite a big place, huh?" she asked, the student scratching the back of her head.
"Yeah, wus fine," she said, Marie motioning her to join the others.
"Get out there! Let's see if we can find you a meister!" the Death Scythe called out, cheering on the red-head.
"Easier said th'n done," Jesse muttered, looking out to the numerous students. Most of them were already sparing, pairing off into teams of four, established partners squaring up against their fellow classmates.
Sighing, she walked over to a small group sitting on the sidelines as they watched on.
"Hey," she said, gaining the group's attention, Crona sitting amongst them.
"Any o ya meisters?" she asked, gaining a handful of raised hands in response.
"Well, any y'all wanna try and use me?" she asked, the meisters standing up.
"Sure thing," one replied.
"Wouldn't hurt to try, right?" another questioned, Jesse giving the excited students a half-hearted smile.
"Yeah…wouldn't hurt…"
Jumping up in the air, the teen transformed, a large broadsword swinging back to the ground, plunging into the dirt.
"Sweet! You're a sword!" a student exclaimed, eyes dancing with excitement at the discovery. Crona kept to the back of the crowd, patiently waiting in the forming line.
"Awesome! Whose going first?" a girl near the front asked, a tall, muscular boy approaching the blade.
"This weapon's too heavy for someone scrawny like you! Watch how it's done."
Reaching a meaty hand out, the boy was shocked before he even touched the transformed hunter, falling back on his behind. A vein pulsed out of his temple as his peers laughed heartily at his expense, the teen quickly getting up to approach the sword.
"What the hell was that about?! I didn't even touch you!"
"I can' help it!" the weapon called out, wriggling defensively.
Another youth stepped forward stating, "It all depends on your wavelengths. You guys must not be a match is all."
The boy grumbled, walking away from the group to plop down some distance away.
Some students got further than others, being able to at least touch the large blade. Picking her up was another issue, all struggling to pull the weapon out of the ground. Jesse grew frustrated, yelling at a few when their wavelengths flowed into her, backfiring as she was shocked upon contact.
Hearing the whistle, everyone prepared to go back inside, Jesse transforming back as she sat on the grass. She was sighing at her misfortune as Crona approached, holding his arm, nervous to talk to the frustrated weapon.
"I can' believe this! Not one could pick me up? What a crock o' shit!" she exclaimed, reclining back as the boy stopped short of her, sitting down beside the red-headed teen.
"Hey, uh…" Crona trailed off, unsure of how the weapon would react to his offer.
"Do you, mind if I try?" he asked, warranting a confused glance from the young hunter.
"Don' chu already got a partner?" she asked, Ragnorak bursting out of the teen, berating the pink-haired boy.
"Yeah, he does! What the hell am I, chopped liver?!" the weapon yelled as he yanked at the teen's hair, the pair getting into a mini grappling match.
"What, just because I'm smaller now I'm not good enough for you?!"
"That hurts, stop it!" Crona yelled, stubby arms pulling at the boy's cheeks, pulling him back and forth as Jesse watched on, cringing at the display.
"You better watch yourself! I'm gonna put thumbtacks in your shoes! Good luck finding them!"
"Hey guys," Jesse said, sitting up as she put up a hand, trying to calm the pair down.
"No, I can't take that! Thumbtacks hurt!" Crona called out, neither hearing her over their bantering.
"No shit sherlock! That's the point!" Ragnorak yelled back, Jesse standing up, unnoticed by the pair.
"HEY!" she yelled, the two whipping their heads up to the girl.
"WHAT?!" Ragnorak hollered, Crona waiting to hear what she had to say.
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Jesse exhaled sharply as she returned her gaze to them.
"Look, if ya really wanna try it…then fuck it. Give it a shot," she said, transforming once again.
Standing up, Crona approached the large weapon, his current partner scoffing as he retracted back into his body. Her weapon form was rather impressive, especially up close. The massive blade was double-edged, sharpened to razor precision. Up the middle, Crona noticed intricate patterns, realizing upon closer inspection that the patterns were actually writing, some of the letters he recognized. 'Witch writing? On a witch hunting blade?' The irony was not lost on him, considering the girl's heritage. To think, it took a witch to create a witch hunter…
"So, we gon' do this or what?" the weapon asked, growing impatient with the ogling youth.
"Yeah, sorry."
Reaching out, Jesse rolled her eyes, figuring the same result would be had with her roommate. He was so damned skinny, there was no way he'd be able to pick her up. The red-head was left speechless as she felt herself lifted off the ground, the experienced swordsman swinging the blade with ease through the air. Picking up the pace, Crona flung the sword up, catching it as he thrusted the weapon forward, parrying against an imaginary opponent. The youth halted after giving the air a final slice, watching as a stray leaf split right down the middle, the helpless foliage falling silently to the ground.
The broadsword glowed as Crona released it, Jesse shifting back into her human form. The teens looked at each other in stunned silence, turning their heads to the source of the cheering they heard from the stands. His friends had been watching for some time, deciding to stick around to see how everything went. Patty squealed with delight, her sister whistling at the pair. Maka waved as Soul remained seated, giving an approving smile. Kid and Tsubaki grinned on as Black Star hopped on top of the fence, cheering loudly at the pair.
"Hell yeah! Bout freaking time!" the assassin hollered, jumping down to approach the youths. The small crowd followed suit, congratulating Crona on finding a new partner.
"This is awesome, now you can join us on missions again." Soul said, grinning at the two as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
Maka glanced to the silent red-head, the girl standing to the boy's side as his friends excitedly welcomed him back to the field. Jesse was feeling incredibly out of place, feeling a bit like she had been conned into agreeing to the attempt. Reaching out, the pig-tailed meister touched the weapon's shoulder.
"Hey, this is kind of a big deal for you too, right? You've never been able to match wavelengths with anyone before huh?" she asked, the group turning their attention to the hunter. They had been so focused on their friend finding a new partner, they kind of forgot about the young hunter. They instantly felt bad, leaving the girl out of the celebration.
Throwing an arm around her shoulder, the silver-haired weapon grinned at her, the teen remaining speechless.
"Hey, sorry about that. Crona's been looking for months, we just got caught up in the excitement. Guess that makes you part of the group now," he said, Jesse giving him a half smile.
"Yeah, guess so. Thanks." She said, Black Star joining his buddy, throwing an arm around her open shoulder.
"We should go out and celebrate! They got that new sushi joint downtown. You in?" Black Star asked, Jesse's eyes lighting up at receiving the invite. She'd never been asked to join in on a night out, relishing the thought of painting the town.
"You betcha," she said, offering to pay for the group's meal, since she knew the rest of them had a limited amount for their allowance.
"You don't have to do that, we're the ones who invited you," Tsubaki said, the hunter waving a hand at the concern.
"S'all good. Got plenty a cash from m' last bounty. Been burnin' a hole in my pocket," she admitted, patting her jacket.
The blue-haired assassin lit up, proclaiming, "Oh man, I'm gonna eat so much food I throw up!"
"Hey, that's not cool man. She just offered to foot the bill, not go broke." Soul quipped, feeling embarrassed enough for the both of them. Just as well, knowing his buddy had no since of shame.
"That's cool, bet I can eat more," Jesse replied, making Black Star laugh at the challenge.
"I'm gonna make you eat those words," he said, taking a few steps over to the rest of the group.
"Well, what're we waiting for? Onward to sushi!"
Jesse walked up to her new meister as the teens trailed off, Crona pulling out a small mirror to make a call.
"Hey Stein, Jesse and I will be out for a while. Our friends wanted to take us out to celebrate."
"Oh?" the doctor said, intrigued.
"What exactly are we celebrating?" he asked, pretty sure he already had a good idea.
"Finally find a new partner?"
"Uh, yeah, actually," he said, tilting the mirror over to include Jesse, the girl giving a light wave.
Stein grinned at the scene, leaning back in his chair. He had been finishing up grading papers when his son called, thankful for a good excuse for the break.
"Good. I'm glad you guys got that sorted out. Hope you have fun. And Jesse? Behave yourself. No drinking, alright?"
The teen gave a thumbs up, remembering their prior agreement.
"You got it." She said, Crona giving the girl a panicked glance. He forgot about the girl's penchant for alcohol.
"Good. See you when I see you then." Stein said, waving at his charges.
"Bye," the pair said, disconnecting the call as Marie entered her husband's office. Draping her arms around the professor, the blonde rested her head against Stein's neck, smiling warmly as she closed her eyes.
"I think it's a good thing they paired up." She said, feeling him nod in agreement.
"It's not surprising when you think about it. They're both children of witches. It makes sense they'd be able to link so easily. Wish we would have thought about that sooner." He confessed, being far too busy to put that simple correlation together.
"I just hope it all works out," he added, leaning back against his wife as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, giving the doctor a questioning look.
Stein grunted as he rose from the chair, stretching before turning to face his spouse.
"While I'm glad they both found partners, there are a few concerns I have regarding those two."
"Oh, like what?" Marie innocently asked, Stein sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. His wife really had a bad habit of always looking on the bright side of things.
"Well, I'll have to have a talk with them about not using soul resonance. Crona's black blood runs a significant risk of spreading to her if they resonant too high or for long durations. That, and Jesse's wavelength is too unstable to handle much in the way of matching with Crona. It was honestly a miracle they could link up at all…"
They pair thought for a moment, Marie raising a finger up to get his attention.
"Well, if you're worried about instability, Crona's really grown up in the last year. I think he'll be a good influence on her. That, and you'll be working with her to help her get over her addiction. I believe it'll work out better than what you think."
Locking eyes with his spouse, he let out a sigh, knowing that he was probably overthinking the issue.
"I suppose you're right. We'll just have to wait and see how this all pans out…"
Realizing they had an empty house for the evening, Marie snaked her arms around her husband's neck, reaching up to plant a gentle kiss on him.
"The kids are out and the baby's sleeping. You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked, giving the meister a sultry smile. Stein's eyes lit up, grinning as he pulled the weapon close, catching Marie in a passionate kiss.
"I think I can make time in my schedule for that," he whispered huskily in her ear, making the woman giggle.
"You know, with Aura growing up so fast, I was thinking we try for another soon," she confessed, the man halting halfway down the hall.
"Don't you think having three kids in the house is enough right now?" he said, lightly chuckling at his wife's desire to have a yard full of children.
"Tell you what," he said, putting a hand against the wall, "let's get the older two out of the house, and we'll revisit the matter in the future," he said, Marie pulling her hair out of its bun, her blonde tresses falling around her shoulders.
"I can handle that," she said, Stein giving a warm smile as he pulled his glasses off, laying them on a nearby table. For what they were about to do, a fully 'hands on' approach was far more appropriate…
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading chapter four!
I got a feeling that these chapters are going to continue to be long ones.
Good thing you guys like them that way, right?
Anyway, seems Jesse and Crona have a night of fun ahead of them!
How will the evening go? And how will their partnership continue to develop?
What will Ragnorak have to say about all this?
Stay tuned to find out!
As always, reviews are encouraged and greatly appreciated.