Black Love, Assassinated- 11 inch Taller
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"You left your gloves in the art room again didn't you?" reprimanded the Japanese student as he glared at his companion. The latter had been busy rubbing her palms together ever since they stepped out of the school. The winter this season had been harsher than usual, as nature decided to blow its icy fury down at humans.
The young girl nodded her head sheepishly and looked down at her toes.
"Hmm." Grunting, the boy began to remove the glove finger by finger, despite the little girl's protests. "Shut up." With careful movement, he slipped the glove into the girl's right hand and stuffed her left one into his right glove. There, they were sharing the glove in between them and she was having the other glove to keep warm. The cold bit his left fingers but he ignored it. He had already been upset at how white the girl's hand had been- if only he had spotted it earlier, he grunted yet again.
The sight of the kendo school soon came to sight, the place where her father, Mr. Black, had set up for kids in the neighborhood to learn basic sword skills.
"Fuyu and Yuu, you two are finally here! Come come…"
Two hours later, just before the lesson was ending, the two had been paired for a final duel. They had been fighting among their own gender and the final emergent from each side was to compete with the other side in the end. Everyone had always known that Kanda was the best student and there was no way the female ones could win.
"Go Kanda!"
"Go Fuyu!"
"HI!"
The final chop landed hard on the opponent's shoulder, before Mr. Black walked in to break them up. After bowing to each other, they retreated back to be swallowed up by their team.
"Oh my god, what happened to you, Kanda?"
"Shut up."
The crowd soon dispersed when Mr. Black dismissed them, and Fuyu was told not to wait for her father. As she stood outside waiting for her grandmother- who will definitely nagged at her dad later back at home, she tapped her shoes softly on the white snow and marveled at how fluffy it seems. It was winter, her favorite season which she had been named after, but she hated her name. It sounded… ridiculous. Why would anyone be named after a season? Then she remembered the duel just now and began to boil inside. Ironic for winter to burn, but then again…
Perhaps it had been speaking of the devil, Kanda appeared out of nowhere. It had been the spark that ignited Fuyu's candle to a full-blown catastrophe.
"Oi YOU," she yelled as she crossed the distance towards the Japanese boy. "Did you think that I had been so weak that you had to give way to me? I may not be that good but there is no reason why you should…"
"Shut up."
"What?"
Kanda stopped abruptly at her exclamation. It was better not to say anything more. With a sidelong peep, he noticed that her hands were now clothed with a new pair of gloves- her father's. Good.
"Raven?" A gentle affectionate voice suddenly called out from the midst of white snow. It was her granny. With immediate reaction, the girl ignored her classmate and ran up to her grandmother's side. With the same hand that he had shared a glove with, Fuyu grabbed onto her grandmother's hand.
Kanda sighed in relief, though he was slightly disappointed that they had not said a proper goodbye, he was glad to see her fine. Not knowing what made him so, he decided to take a last look at her. Those gray scarf, black uniform, and cream wool beanie… and a pink tongue sticking out?!?
Alarmed, Kanda quickly glanced away when he realized that his classmate had also turned around to check on him, and had stuck out her tongue in return to him.
As if it had been a way of saying goodbye.
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The group, her comrades, had not asked anything about what Tyki had said even though she could see them trembling with questions. Sorry, really. Perhaps they just felt that that Noah was too pedophile to be taken seriously?
The next door opened to reveal a scene stolen from a child's fairytale. Stolen- because the cheerful-looking paintings of butterflies and rainbows had a deadly aura to it. They were fake, artificial and full of deception- like him.
"Exorcists?"
That had been the greeting to them perhaps. Skinn Boric; the wrath of Noah. The sad American who had unwillingly became a Noah that suffered so much that he had to feed on sweets whose artificial colorings were rotting his teeth.
"He's mine."
The protests and objections of the rest fell on deaf ears as the Japanese slowly made his way towards the enemy. Why, he had even sent his attacks after them in his bid to chase them away. Yet she had known better than to stop him, as much as she wanted to. She was the last one to say her farewell and was reluctant to, because he was supposed to return after this. Everyone would be alright so no farewell was needed- that had been what she strongly believed in. However, despite her thoughts, she went to the unsuspecting exorcist, punched his left shoulder with her right fist, and walked away before he could even hit back. It was as if the tongue that she had stuck out had been her way of saying good bye.
Lightning are just the light conjured up by God when he takes snapshots of us, Kan'.
It was time to go.
The next room would have been a lot quieter if those two Noahs could stop complaining about Master and his debts. Why does it concern her and Junior? Sighing, Fuyu took a long absorbing look at the surrounding as she prepared for the next stage of war- Library.
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How can I just let you walk away?
Just let you leave without a trace?
When I stand here taking every breath with you
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me?
When all I can do is watch you leave?
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain
And even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
-Take a Look at Me; Phil Collins
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"Z…y…x…" muttered the student to herself as her fingers ran lightly passed the rows and rows of thick books that were either dusty or musty. She hardly visited this section of the school library, where cupboards of books towered over her threateningly, and was now to spend the next few minutes finding a book. Furthermore, it certainly did not help that the librarian, one old lady whose wrinkles outnumbered that of her hair, was drunk in dreamland, and she would have to shake the Earth to wake the latter up.
"V… van Gogh!" Fuyu's eyes lit up almost immediately when she finally saw the bold gold 'V' embossed on the maroon leatherback book. However, her happiness only lasted for a splint second when she realized that even though she was tipping her toes, she was barely touching the book. As much as she would like to pull the heavy book, which she suspected could be made from lead; out with the tips of her fingers so that it would drop on to the floor for her to pick up, it would be too hard an impact on the fragile-looking biography.
Frowning as she got back to her feet, Fuyu scrutinized the ancient library for some signs of ladders or anything that could bring her up there to get that darn book. However, her attempts were in vain and she went back to stare at the book in the hope that the librarian would wake up soon, or it would come down on its own.
Except that it was no longer there anymore, she gasped in astonishment and horror. It could not be, it was there a few seconds ago- had it really flew down on its own? Her thoughts raced in her mind as she stared at the obvious gap in between the rows of books which looked like a missing tooth. Just then, a cough behind her sent her back to reality.
"I believe you wanted to reach for this, Fuyu?"
That voice. That deep alluring voice.
Her teacher stood beaming friendly as she turned around, her shock stark naked for all to see. There he was; standing at more than six inches and towering over her like those darn cupboards and holding out the thick book as if it had took no effort to extract the annoying tooth. Book, she corrected herself. And she hated tall people at times.
Fuyu shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah thanks, Sir." The weight had startled her a little when she got hold of the book. It sure would have sent the Earth a quake if she were to proceed with her first plan.
"No problem," said Mr. Mikk, smiling as usual, "Vincent van Gogh, hmm? Trying to catch up with all those lessons you dazed through, eh?"
The art student almost glared up at the teacher when she heard the sarcasm in his words. She did not sleep through the lesson- why do all teachers love to assume things? She had only wanted to take a more in depth look into the great artist's interesting profile. "Perhaps you're correct, Sir." She smiled at him with her lips suppressed, controlling them as they quivered with anger.
"Alone?"
Fuyu shook her head. "No, Chloe's joining me later."
Hearing this, Mr. Mikk almost sighed out. He did not, but instead, pointed out to a reading corner not too far away from hers. "I'll be there if you need help, Fuyu." Had he been playing with the last word? Fuyu could not remember as she only thanked her teacher yet again and went back to her corner. Now if only she could focus on the tiny words printed on the glossy white paper instead of wandering to the other corner…
"Tyki? What are you thinking?"
As if he had been a raven that had been disturbed in the tree by a hunter's shot, the Noah of Pleasure immediately crashed back to reality to find his niece staring curiously back into his face. He was holding a thick maroon book. "Oh, it's nothing."
"What's that," asked Rhode as she pulled the book down to her height for inspection. "Vincent… van Gogh? Who's that?"
"No one special, Rhode."
"Hmm, okay," muttered the young Noah. "Anyway, I can't detect Skinn and that Japanese exorcist you were so jealous of anymore."
"Hmm."
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A/N: Ah, I know Vincent van Gogh was only famous after his death in the 20th century (he was born in 19th century though) and the story is set in the same 19th century, but he was the only one I know who did something incredulous which I will mention in the later chapters. So sorry -Bows- I really need to take up art history. ): And please do correct me about the feet/inch thing because I do metres. ): Hope you enjoyed the story!
