A/N: Heeeelllo~ Nothing really to say this time, besides the fact that I'm happy I'm really interested in writing this story and knowing you guys are as well! Although some of the people that have submitted OCs seem to...not be reading? Or something? Makes me a little miffed. Spent so much time fleshing them out too…. *mutters* Does anyone ever read the A/Ns?
To TheWalkingGnome: Garrett is super fabulous! I'm pretty sure almost everyone has something going on at some point~ And I agree, Amatsuki's pretty messed up, I guess I could say. Seems like everyone is mostly saying a family member, but I'll keep quiet about that 'cause saying anything would change your mind a lot about the poor professor. I think everyone's a little torn about who to call their favorite pairing :P
To Original509: It's alright! Fabulous! Sage is like a little boy when it comes to fighting...sometimes… I'll leave it at that. I'd ship all of them as BrOTPs :P *gasp* Serious guesses? I'm blessed! But here's a hint to the mission: finding someone or something :3 Don't worry about the length of your reviews, the longer the better~
To AlphaDave: Thanks! Rawr back :P It's a shame I didn't do a canon-verse Soul Eater fic, maybe I'll try that next time. *catches muffin* I love muffinsnomnom
To sco23: Thanks, as always!
To Soul and Heart: That's fine, no need for apologies. Madness all affects us in different ways, and probably some people are more susceptible to it. The effects of it, though, are still unknown...to you guys at least. :P Mino being Corrupted is part of her backstory though, so that will be revealed later~ Sage and Iris are probably like the mismatched pair that sometimes spars together. Risket is a weapon, actually… Shhh~
Well, if Garrett's that fabulous now, it means that Kanaya and Sage really did a number on his confidence, in a good way!
Thank you!
To Precious Cow: Thanks, I agree. Well, most of the professors as well as what Shinigami-sama did in those 10~13 years after Asura's awakening. You might be right on that~ I'm glad you like, almost all of them! :P
To petit vanille: XDD I'm squealing every time I write the cute parts, trust me. Are you that type?! PM me :) Kidding! I'm trying to fit as much in this fic as I can, but sometimes, I think it might be too much… I guess I'm reassured by all these reviews that I'm not doing a bad job~ STOP THE FEELS IM SORRYYYYY
Anyway! I'm sorry if it seems sloppier than usual...Ugh... Like always, I don't own anything except for my own OCs and maybe this storyline. Enjoy~
Edit: There won't be an update this Sunday, unfortunately... My finals and SATs are really taking a toll on me, so sorry for the no-update!
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"E-excuse me?"
Raymond timidly knocked on the door to the treatment section. In his other hand, he clutched the bouquet of sunflowers that he had bought earlier closer to his chest. Risket kind of put him off a little; he wasn't sure if it was the gray eyes that eerily reminded him of his sister's or because of his slightly unemotional demeanor.
The door swung open and a frazzled-looking Risket stood by. With closer examining, he realized that there was a yellow ring on the outside of those unnerving gray eyes... "Oh. Raymond, come in," the doctor waved his hand and let go of the door. "Close the door behind you though. I think Aden's just waking up."
The redheaded boy eagerly scurried into the office, closing the door with the softest click. He turned around quickly, a flush of red on his cheeks. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so jumpy and he took several deep breaths before following the doctor.
Raymond clutched the sunflowers tighter until the shiny paper was almost completely crushed in his grasp.
"Aden?" The doctor called, then motioned for the other boy to step into the partitioned section of the office. Risket, with a pause, closed the curtains behind the slightly nervous red-haired boy.
On the bed, the blonde boy was propped up on a couple of well-placed pillows, maybe because of Iris. To Raymond, the doctor didn't seem like the type to bother with things like comfort. His eyes were half-lidded, slightly open, but when Raymond inched towards the empty chair by the bed, Aden looked up dreamily.
"R-raymond?" His voice was impeccably soft and the twitch of his hand made the young redhead sit down quickly and grab the vase. "It's...good to see you again…"
"Hey, don't stress yourself out okay?" Raymond had noticed Aden's hand attempting to grab at the flowers to put them in the vase, but the he snatched the other boy's hand and shoved it back under the blanket. "I'll do that…"
"It's nice...You always bring nice flowers," the blonde murmured and laid back down on the sheets. The tilted sunlight shone on his face so that the shadows of his lashes elongated. The redhead blinked, staring at Aden's face, but then quickly shook himself, going back to transferring the sunflowers into the vase. Oddly enough, the gardenias had already started to wilt, but only the ones closer to Mino's partition.
Raymond frowned slightly.
He pulled out the yellowing flowers and gently slipped the sunflowers into the vase. Then he panicked slightly, staring into the vase to see if it needed a water change, but the water was midway and clear.
"Thanks for visiting," Aden turned his head, smiling at the red-haired boy with closed eyes. "It makes me happy to know...someone cares…"
After placing the vase back on the desk, Raymond leaned closer to his friend, brushing a stray strand of hair out of the boy's face. "I'm your friend, aren't I?"
Aden's hazel eyes opened, the usual brightness dulled from weakness and the medicine circulating his system. "Oh...yeah…" He turned away, back to facing the ceiling. "Friends…" The way he seemed to unfocus was vaguely uncomfortable to Raymond. It was like looking at a different person that the guy he had seen a couple days ago.
"H-hey," Raymond tried to distract the blonde boy. "Do you know when you'll be out?"
The bedridden young man twisted his face slightly, before replying, "Doctor said about a week. I'm still...sluggish."
"I can see that," the redhead patted Aden on the soft puff of blonde hair that stuck out from the bedhead he was sporting. "You look like a little kid, all wrapped up in those sheets."
The blonde just eyed him quietly. "Really, now? I guess another childish thing to say...I want my green turtleneck back. It's cold." A small pout formed on his face and Raymond grinned slightly with an exhale. Sometimes the blonde really could be a child.
"If you want, I'll get it for you—"
"Would you really?"
Aden's eyes widened and his pout turned into a childish smile. "It's from my father and I really like it, so…" His hand covered his mouth. "Oh, what am I saying…" He trailed off awkwardly and Raymond just laughed quietly.
"It's okay, I'll be back in a bit, then."
The red-haired boy drew back the heavy curtains and glanced back once. The dimming sunlight shone over the resting sickly boy, illuminating him in a bright orange color. His blonde hair almost looked like it was on fire, brilliantly alive, and his skin was a glowing shade of orange.
"I'll be back in a bit, Doctor," Raymond bowed quickly to the gray-haired man still sitting in his rolly chair. Risket raised a hand in farewell, before going back to his work. Heading out of the office, just as the young man opened the door, he suddenly bumped into two people that were about to open the door from the other side.
A purple suit, a ruffled dress, white hair, the redhead blinked, before stepping to the side. "U-um, sorry! I didn't—"
"It's alright," the white-haired man smiled softly and gently maneuvered the little girl around Raymond. "If you'll excuse us…"
Just as quickly as he moved out of the way, the small young man bowed his head slightly with wide eyes and scampered his way out of the sickbay.
Art patted Muse on her shoulder, making her look up at him with round, lavender eyes. "Make sure you greet him nicely and ask how he's doing, okay?"
The white-haired girl pouted and nodded, "I know, I know…"
He smiled wider, before ushering her towards Risket. The doctor glanced over, watching the two head towards him.
"Hello," Art waved slightly and Muse bounded towards the labcoat-sporting man.
"Uncle, Uncle, how is your arm?" The girl smiled widely, hopping onto Risket's lap. The doctor was taken by surprise and nearly jumped up, if it weren't for the weight on his legs. She clambered over his body slightly, nosing at the bandages on his arm like a small animal. "It looks better, right?"
Her guardian chuckled softly. "Don't climb all over Doctor like that, he might get hurt again trying to get you off."
Risket tossed a glare towards Art. "I'm not a glass cage, in case you didn't know."
"Of course not," the white-haired man smiled, but the doctor didn't know whether or not to take it as a genuine apology or just mockery. It was vague when it came to the constantly smiling, constantly calm male.
"Will a kiss make the pain go away? Those bandaids aren't pretty, you know," Muse piped up. "Art always tells me that it works and it works allll the time when he kisses me because he's really special!" She leaned over Risket's arm and pecked at it with a childish grin, but it faded when the bandages were still there.
"Muse," the white-haired man gently lifted her off of the doctor's lap and Risket inhaled sharply. He was starting to lose circulation in his legs. Muse had really put on some weight from the food Shibusen provided… "It only works between us, okay? I need to have some words with Doctor, so go play by the door."
The little girl provided no resistance and eagerly bounded away.
Art turned towards Risket. "No lasting damage? I wasn't sure of my power level when we sparred, honestly. I'm…" He looked at his hands curiously. "Not sure how strong I am, still."
The doctor coughed and leaned back slightly. "Trust me, you're plenty strong. I didn't get infected with whatever blood you have, though, if that's what you meant by lasting damage."
Purple eyes looked doubtful, but his mouth opened, "That's...good. I know that Muse and I...are considered a danger to Shibusen."
Risket replied, "That's been established for a while, yes."
"Are you sure it's safe for us to be taking a part of the classes? Wouldn't it be better...to lock us up?" Art's voice significantly dropped. "If any of the students found out, I'm sure we would be hated. But I'm of no use to you. Even I don't know anything about...anything. It was as if I was a child when I first woke up."
The doctor was silent for a moment and his eyes glanced at the curtain separating them from his current patients. "With an honest mind, if Shinigami-sama allows it, it should be fine. Out of all of us, he handles the Kishin's better because he has the experience. If there are any troubles, he will be the first to know."
Purple eyes flashed angrily. "What if we endanger everyone by suddenly changing?"
Risket glared at Art and cocked his head towards Aden and Mino's resting areas. "Lower your voice. They'll hear. No guarantees they'll remember, but we can't take any chances."
"Sorry." The white-haired male shrunk slightly, looking off to the side.
"And," Risket began, attracting Art's attention again. "Why are you so concerned about our safety? Aren't you...supposed to be the 'bad guys?'" Casually, with those stinging words, the gray-haired man adjusted his round glasses, staring eye-to-eye with a furious purple gaze.
"Is it just because of the silly prophecy you heard?" True to his word, Art's voice was quiet, but it was sharp, like the edge of a blade. "That we must be the antagonists?"
"Of course," Risket commented, turning away from the young man. "Kishins are the embodiment of Madness, after all."
"Don't you dare turn away from me!" Art's suddenly loud voice made even Muse look up concernedly. The doctor swiveled his chair back and stared at the livid, pale-skinned male with bored eyes.
"What did you want?"
He was silent for a moment, before speaking in a strained voice, "If we're dangerous, chain us away."
Risket frowned, then replied, scratching his arm absentmindedly, "Why do you want so fervently to get locked up? People like you normally want to be free and escape this place."
"If you let her run amok, something is bound to happen. And you, as well as everyone else, will not like the results." Art's voice dropped to a cold minimum as he took a step forward towards the doctor. The tired man just tilted his head up to look him in the eyes. "I know it will happen, and so do you."
"Isn't it just a feeling you have?" Risket's quick reply had Art taking the steps back now. "I'm not the one to disobey Shinigami-sama. Tie yourselves back up, or aid in the effort to destroy the remaining enemies from the previous Kishin. Do whatever you want." The doctor stood up, the same height as the young man in front of him.
He jabbed a finger to Art's heart, almost nose-to-nose with the male now. "Do you not understand the strength of this?" Even from a finger, he could feel the dull thudding of the organ inside his chest. "If you're strong, you will overcome that Madness. It's as simple as that. I don't believe that you're the Kishin, even if you have Madness inside of you. Muse is, isn't she?"
Risket's gaze drifted towards the girl happily playing, tapping her fingers on the walls and imagining stories with all of her mind. "Take care of her. Go to class, Art."
Art didn't speak when he turned away. With unreadable purple eyes, he silently walked towards the door, gently grabbing Muse's hand and opening the door.
"A-Art, w-why—?"
"Muse, we're going."
The white-haired man left without another word and Risket only sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Feels like I'm the bad one here. Just following the rules 'cause he won't let me not." He adjusted something on his desk.
The two sides of his desk were symmetrical and an unconscious smile surfaced on the doctor's face. "Nice."
xxx
Shinigami-sama stood in front of his mirror, the skull hiding his worried expression.
"Akatsuki, how is Amatsuki doing?" From the smooth surface of the mirror, the neat-haired professor's face rippled slightly as he opened his mouth to speak.
"We're in a safe spot so far. He's...alright, so far," Akatsuki murmured. His red eyes flitted to the side. "I would let you talk to him, but he's sleeping."
However, Shinigami-sama noticed the doubt in his voice.
"Is he stable?"
"He let go a little, when we encountered a Corrupt nest," the professor admitted. He shifted slightly to the right, then back.
"Do you need me to send Blake and Lisanna—"
"No!" Akatsuki burst out, but he blinked and muttered, "Sorry, sorry." The Death God let out a good-natured laugh.
"Is this because the last time Lisanna tried to—"
"Of course not, Shinigami-sama," the brown-haired professor deadpanned. "I know they're strong Death Scythes, but so are we. We can take care of ourselves, as long as we don't go overboard."
The black-cloaked God nodded his head in agreement. "I trust both of you to find out where she is, okay? I'll send word to the others about the situation."
Akatsuki had a small smile playing on his lips. "Thanks, Shinigami-sama."
Shinigami-sama tilted his head to the side questioningly.
"For letting me take care of him for once," the brown-haired man looked to the side, away from the eyeholes in the skull mask. "He's always protecting me, so..."
"No big deal, don't worry. Keep him in check! I'll call you later to see how it's going," the Death God waved a large white hand around and with the wipe of the mirror, Akatsuki's face and upper body disappeared, leaving just the reflection of the black cloak that hid his body.
xxx
"Class, these are our new students," Sage called, patting Art and Muse on the shoulder.
Mutters went through the desks, at seeing a girl of barely 11 and a man that looked 20 entering their class together.
"Make sure you take good care of them." The professor adjusted his rounded glasses and then continued, "How about you tell them about yourselves?"
Muse quickly took initiative with a smile that melted the hearts of most of the people present.
"Hi! My name is Muse and I think I'm eleven years old. I like my older brother, Art, a lot and I think he's really cool! Please give me sweet and beautiful things to eat!" The last sentence made people burst out laughing and the little girl joined in as well.
"Ah, my name is Art. And as she said," he rubbed the top of Muse's head fondly. "I'm her older brother. I am a weapon as well as a meister. Please take care of me." The class erupted in applause and Sage pointed at the empty seats beside John and Min.
"Go ahead and sit over there, we can do some introductions later," the black-haired professor directed and then shifted some papers around.
"I've got a couple of announcements of missions available, so whoever's really eager to hunt some Corrupted Human ass, come get the mission papers here. Some of them are...Nests, though, so less experienced pairs shouldn't take those," he gestured to the newly sorted pile. "I'll be right back, need to check on something with Risket."
He left a lingering glance on the white-haired pair on the right side of the room.
The second he closed the door, Lin scrambled over to greet the new students. With a bright smile on her face, she stuck her hand out for a handshake.
"Art, Muse, I'm Aislin Emers, but just call me Lin," she chirped and her grin widened when both of them took their turns to shake her hand. "My meister is that silly guy...over there in the chokehold."
From across the room, Taeyang was being choked by a very angry Chiyoko. "I'm gonna make you PAY for all that cleaning time you put me through! Apartment still smells shitty, you know!" But the black-haired boy was having trouble breathing because he was both being semi-suffocated but also because he was laughing too hard.
Youya was watching in the corner with a concerned look on his face.
"C-chiyo—"
"No, Youya, shut up! This guy needs his punishment of NO AIR!"
Petra raucously laughed in the background, at both Taeyang's situation and at Adeline's predicament. Somehow, the silverette had managed to piss off Wyatt, which was amazingly rare.
"N-no, of course you're not cute...Well, maybe a little, but STILL! Um, can I say that other people are cuter than you?" Her yelps only made Petra clench her fists and double over, face reddening.
The long-haired blond stalked his meister into the corner with an oddly sadistic smile on his face. He leaned in closer, eyes glinting, before whispering, "I am not cute and that's final." Adeline nodded her head rapidly, her hazel eyes wide with apprehension.
Echo stood up, gently putting the bookmark into her book, and headed towards Lin, who was still talking about her group of friends.
"Pardon, but I'd like to introduce myself?" The purplette said, tapping the taller auburn girl on the shoulder.
"O-oh! Echo! S-sorry!" Lin exclaimed and literally jumped out of the way with a sheepish smile.
The shorter girl didn't say anything to the auburn-haired girl, but instead bowed slightly to recognize the two. "My name is Echo Blasinger. Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise," Art bent his head slightly and when Echo turned to Muse, the younger girl bounced up and down.
"I remember you! Big Sister Echo who lost her locket!" Muse pointed a pale finger at the purplette. The way the girl bounced up and down and side to side made the purplette crack a small smile.
"Yes, I am," With a gentle motion, Echo ruffled Muse's neat hair, making Art frown.
From faraway, a sleepy-eyed Himi stared at the back of Art's head thoughtfully. Although at first glance he was beautiful, she got creepy vibes from him now. Turning slightly, she glanced at the profile of her weapon. Itsu was bent over a book, his dark brown eyes skimming over the pages quickly. He had removed the veil that shadowed his mouth normally, but no one noticed, except Himi.
With a small smile, she laid her head down, watching her childhood friend enjoy himself. He made her comfortable wherever, so it made her happy to see him comfortable...
But before she could fall asleep, the door to the classroom swung open again, and Sage shuffled back in, with multiple folders in his hands.
"No one got the mission papers?" He sounded vaguely surprised. "Oh...speaking of which, where's Garrett and Kanaya?"
No one really knew, which was strange.
Raymond piped up, looking oddly alone at the table without his blonde-haired friend, "I think they're on a mission. This morning, they were rushing out of the dorms with cloaks on, so..."
"Ah," Sage nodded. "Can't be helped. I've got the information for each of these missions, but honestly, I don't wanna teach and I'm sure you guys know everything so I'm gonna be putting this stuff on the boards, alright?"
He shook his head, almost making the round glasses bounce off his nose. Then with an annoyed sigh, he took off again.
"Freedom!" All of the students chorused and some took off immediately. Who was left in the classroom was the quietest pair, John and Min, and Art and Muse.
"Hmmm," the little girl swung her legs back and forth on the bench she sat on. "Art?"
"Yes, we're leaving in a moment," the young man replied, reading through a lightweight brochure he pulled from his bag.
A sudden tap garnered Muse's attention. When she turned, she saw an older girl with white hair just like hers, but with slanted, ice-blue eyes.
"You look like you could do with some color," Min said. In her hands was a red ribbon, silky and long. "May I tie it in your hair?"
Muse's eyes sparkled. "Yes! It's so pretty!" She turned around and Min's hands stroked her white hair, parting the sides to tie the ribbon. The red band passed over her bangs and parted her hair into two sides, the bow in the middle.
As Min worked, she spoke, "My name is Min. I'm a weapon under the usage of my meister, Johnathan...He's back there...And done."
Muse spin around with a cheerful giggle. "Is it pretty on me? I think it looks wonderful!" She clasped her hands together and pulled on Art's arm.
"Look, Art. Min gave me a ribbon!" The white-haired man looked up sharply, but his eyes softened.
"It's cute," he replied, and to Min, who was heading back towards John, he said, "Thanks for the warm welcome."
She paused, then replied, "It's not a problem."
The classroom was met with a comfortable silence that broke when John and Min left to do their own duties. Art shuffled in his bag and pulled out several, slightly crumpled papers.
"Muse, we need to work on your weapon form."
xxx
"Men are useless trash," a scathing, feminine voice spat.
A man was thrown to the ground mercilessly. His hay-colored hair was long and messy, most of it darkened from blood and grime. His face was covered in bruises and dirt that hid scars.
From above him, a slender figure sat in a throne, draped in black veils and smelling of faint, exotic perfumes, her nails vividly red, like the spots of blood dotting the floor.
"You can never replicate the beauty of a woman, Fallow. Leave my premises, you failed experiment," the disdain clear in her voice. Her leg kicked out and pushed the beat-up man several feet, but he coughed out blood. She had hit his stomach.
With a rattling cough, he stood up, swaying erratically from the effort. The clothes he wore weren't even clothes, just rags sewed together.
"I promise...I will send someone for your head, you witch," Fallow muttered with the last of his vocal strength and then hobbled off, revenge clear in his mind.
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A/N: I'm really tired. And I feel like I need to actually work on the drawings? DDDD: I'm sorry I haven't started on them, finals make me busyyyyy. *muted screaming*
The questions for this part are: What's Muse's weapon form gonna be? Who are the two mysterious people introduced at the very end? Are you prepared for waterworks? :D
As always, review to make Vis a happy camper!