Hilarious and serious at the same time. Hehe. I'm posting a day early because my beta reader (my twin sis) is elsewhere this weekend. I wrote this chapter in like…four and a half hours. I am on a ROLL. So, you get a huge chapter early. I do too much for you guys. I don't own D Gray-Man or any of its characters. Enjoy.
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MusicOfMadness: Thanks for reviewing and story alerting. Wonderful penname, by the way. Totally suited to this story.
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The sound of the doorbell dances around the mansion, disturbing the sleepy late afternoon air. Ring. Black shoes hasten, but do not rush, across marble floors with a gentle urgency. Ring-ring. "Yes, yes," the butler mutters, panting slightly. It crosses his mind how undignified he must look right now, sweating and waddling through gloriously luxurious rooms, oak-panelled doors and under gold chandeliers. He breathes a silent prayer of thanks that the house is in a virtually empty state at the moment.
The butler had thought that the trouble would have ended when Lady Evelyn had led her newfound friends in one night, and promptly left to explore the world the next morning, but apparently he would now be proved wrong. The doorbell resounds again, an understated, strangely melodic sound, with a touch of something noble, as if the person behind the door is someone particular.
Crawford pauses before the giant oak front doors, emblazoned with the crest of a singing blackbird on a branch, and straightens his lapels, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. Stowing it in his pocket, he assumes the appropriate polite but slightly condescending expression of a butler in a distinguished house, opens the door, and murmurs, "Apologies for the wait. May I ask if you are expect–" he gapes at the figure before him. Golden eyes, sable hair, rakish top hat, dark coat and tuxedo of the finest cut, gentleman's cane, noble bearing and the slightest hint of humour in a cocky smile. Young, but strangely respectable.
Tyki tries not to laugh as he tips his hat at the flummoxed butler. "Lord Tyki Mikk, to see the master of the house, and of course you can take my coat, dear man, Evelyn's told me all about you." No she hasn't, but I'll indulge your ego. Tyki's voice radiates effortless power and the polite but slightly superior tone of one accustomed to high circles. As he continues, he shoves his hat and coat into the butler's shaking hands, brushes Crawford's feet out of the way with his cane, moves around him and strides into the hall.
Quailing, Crawford queries, "So is your lordship…acquainted with Lady Evelyn?"
"Yes." Tyki offers no other information.
Crawford opens and closes his mouth a few times, like a fish gasping for air, makes helpless motions with his hands, and finally manages, "If you'll just wait in the library, my lord." Crawford motions to the left with a hand.
"Excellent." Tyki leans his cane against the bookshelf, and gracefully strides into the library, where he stands very still, examining the room. The butler scurries away, muttering to himself about the degeneration of a butler's duties.
Tyki lets out a slow breath, and looks around him. The mahogany tables and chairs are polished to a gleam, and the silver chandeliers above him send specks of light dancing on the glass windows mixing with pools of fading sunlight. Rows of books, old, new, dusty and clean, line the bookshelves from floor to ceiling. The seal of the blackbird is suspended in a coat of arms above the mantelpiece. Tyki almost laughs. "Oh, Evelyn," he sighs. "You must have been awfully bored to leave such a place. But I am very glad you did."
A voice, commanding and powerful, comments, "I can't say the same."
Tyki spins, to find a well-dressed, stout man with silver hair and an enormous moustache standing in front of him. "Sir, I–"
The man stops him with a raised hand. "You know my daughter, Evelyn?" Despite his appearance, his dark violet eyes twinkle with wit.
"Yes, sir." Somehow, addressing him this way seems right.
Evelyn's father walks over, and extends his hand to Tyki. "Lord Jonathan Merle. But feel free to refer to me the way you were, Lord Tyki."
Tyki fights back a wince as his hand is crushed in Lord Jonathan's grip. Instead, he returns the pressure, meeting his gaze full on. They stare at each other for a moment, then Evelyn's father nods and steps back a pace. Tyki resists the impulse to rub his hand.
"Good strong handshake," Lord Jonathan remarks. "Well. I'm not sure I want to know, but how did you meet my daughter?"
"Ah. It was…uh…"
"You two were gambling, weren't you?" Lord Jonathan says drily.
"I don't know what you're–"
"Please, Tyki." – (Tyki recognises the use of his first name) – "I know my daughter, so what did you do to impress her?"
Tyki grins. "I drew against her in a game of poker, Lord Merle."
Lord Jonathan's eyebrows rise imperceptibly. "I had no idea I was facing a poker master."
Tyki runs a hand through his hair, and jerks it back down when he realises what he's doing. "Oh, well, we were both cheating, so it really doesn't count."
"Obviously. How else would you have bested her in the first place?" Lord Jonathan rolls his eyes in a motion so like Evelyn's that Tyki starts with surprise.
Choosing his words carefully, Tyki says blandly, "You care for Evelyn a great deal."
"I adore the ground she walks on." Lord Jonathan's smile spreads warmly, then becomes wry. "It seems like you do too."
"Uh…" Unbelievably, Tyki blushes crimson, cursing himself inwardly for doing so.
Lord Jonathan, seemingly supremely unaware of Tyki's embarrassment, continues on with relish. "Will we be seeing a lot of you?" His eyes flash with amusement.
Tyki's ears could explode with heat. "Maybe?"
"What does Evelyn call you?"
"Uh…her favourite is Moron," Tyki mumbles.
Lord Jonathan walks over and slaps a hand onto Tyki's shoulder. "Relax, son. She must like you a great deal if she's doing that." He tilts his head. "What would you want to know?"
Tyki's smiles hesitantly. "Could you do me a favour? I need to know..." He mutters something quietly.
"Why didn't you ask her?" Lord Jonathan smiles knowingly.
"She said a gentleman always knows his lady's birthday," Tyki says, and turns beetroot as he realises what he has just said. His hand plays with his poker chip.
"Fine. Stay for dinner and I'll tell you." Lord Jonathan leads Tyki away, adding, "Tell me how Evelyn's doing, will you? And do take good care of that poker chip in your pocket. It's Evelyn's most treasured possession."
Tyki's steps hitch. Like father, like daughter. Never ceasing to surprise.
(:~:)
Evelyn mumbles, slowly opening her eyes. She sees soft white, feels the smooth sheets of a hospital bed beneath her, tries to get up, and finds she can't quite muster the strength. Sighing, she turns her head to the left, and her eyes widen in astonishment.
Kanda leans back in a hard-backed chair beside her bed, wrapped in pyjamas and a hospital coat, hair undone, and fast asleep, looking somewhat like a dark-haired puppy wrapped in comfy cloth.
Evelyn resists a laugh, but remembers what he said in the Ark, and decides to stay angry with him. Stretching a hand in front of his face, she clicks her fingers together with a sharp crack.
Kanda's dark eyes snap open, and he bolts upright, the sudden motion upsetting his chair and sending him crashing to the floor. He groans, blindly reaching for Mugen, absent from his side. After a few seconds of scrabbling, he freezes with the shocked look of prey caught in a hunter's line of sight, and slowly turns his head toward Evelyn.
"What were you doing?" Evelyn's voice is carefully blank.
Kanda straightens, brushing dust off his hospital coat. "Uh…waiting for you to wake up?"
"Well, I am now," Evelyn mutters.
"How do you feel?" Kanda asks awkwardly. "Uh…are you alright?"
"What do you think, idiot?" Evelyn growls.
From beside them, Lenalee makes herself known with a chuckle. "Kanda, get out of here before the Matron finds you."
Kanda doesn't reply, but gazes unflinchingly at Evelyn.
She sighs and rolls her eyes. "Fine. You're forgiven."
"Thank you." Kanda almost smiles, but he pauses. "But…"
"You'll owe me a favour. And this doesn't mean I won't find a way to punish you."
Kanda looks warily at Evelyn's trademark evil smile, and his heart sinks. "Um…ok."
Evelyn's gaze switches to something over his shoulder, and she says happily, "Oh, look, by the pricking of my thumbs."
To Kanda's horror, the Matron's voice sounds by his ear. "Something wicked this way comes, indeed." Kanda turns, eyes pleading, but, reaching out a wiry hand, the severe woman takes Kanda's left ear prisoner. As he struggles and yells, the Matron screams deafeningly in his ear, "WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE YOUR WARD?"
Evelyn grins, as Kanda is forcibly dragged away, navy hair billowing about him, and listens to his howls of pain and curses echoing down the corridor.
"Nice." She turns over, smiles at Lenalee and Miranda, and goes back to sleep.
Barely ten minutes later, the sound of uncontrolled wailing wakes Evelyn. She cracks open an eyelid to see Komui sobbing by Lenalee's bedside, and Lenalee bemusedly avoiding the seemingly endless pool of tears and snot collecting on one side of her bed.
"Really, you cry far too much, brother," Lenalee admonishes.
"BUT LENALEE'S BEAUTIFUL HAAAIIIIIRRRR!" Komui cries, hammering the mattress with his fists.
The Matron stalks in the ward, glares at him, and yells, "Really, supervisor! If you're just going to dirty the bed sheets, I suggest you leave!"
Lenalee, face growing steadily redder, mutters, "Stop saying such embarrassing things, brother! You have many things to do, I'm sure."
"But…but…" Komui wails.
Lenalee smiles, and her bandaged face becomes sweet. "I'll bring you your coffee when I'm better."
Komui takes a huge sniff, and smiles through his swollen eyes, stroking Lenalee's hair affectionately. "Yeah."
Suddenly, Lenalee looks like she is about to cry.
The Matron pushes Komui out of the ward, ignoring his loud protests and the ridiculous talking doll of himself that he waves at Lenalee.
As the doll's wails of "Go to sleeeeeep, sweeeet Lenaleeeee," fade down the corridor, Evelyn laughs, and Miranda comments, "You must enjoy seeing the supervisor, Lenalee. You look so happy."
Lenalee grins, and Evelyn raises an eyebrow. "Does he ever get over his sister complex?"
"No," Miranda and Lenalee answer.
Then a crash resounds from down the corridor, and Kanda's indignant voice yells, "Master, get out of the way! I'm going back to my room!"
Tiedoll's voice, lower in pitch than usual, drifts over to them. "Go back to bed, son."
"I'm not your son!"
"An apprentice is the same as my child." Tiedoll's voice oozes in adoration.
"ARRGHHHH!"
Evelyn slowly gets out of bed, pulls on a hospital coat, and steps out into the corridor. Quietly, she paces over to the other ward a few doors down. As she stops before the open door, she fights back a laugh.
A full-blown battle is exploding into motion, with Tiedoll (holding flowers) bodily keeping Kanda from leaving the room, and Kanda, in demented-hedgehog mode, throwing a temper tantrum by hurling things at his master.
Evelyn straightens and clears her throat just loudly enough for the sound to carry. Tiedoll and Kanda freeze in mid-fight like a bizarre pair of dancers, and quail together under her fiery gaze. The other members of the ward, all male, chuckle quietly to themselves.
"What are we doing, boys?" Her voice is low and dangerously quiet.
Tiedoll straightens, knocking Kanda to the floor, and mutters, "I was teaching him a very important lesson."
Kanda bites back a curse as he brushes hospital-issue (urgh) custard off his hair, and slowly stands. He avoids her gaze. "Master's right, Evie."
Tiedoll hands the flowers he has in his arms to her. "For you."
Evelyn smiles sweetly, accepting them. "Thank you, Master Teddy." Kanda coughs from beside him. She gives him a hard stare, spins, and strides off nonchalantly, calling over her shoulder, "Now please be quiet. I'd like to sleep."
Kanda walks slowly over to his bed, and flops down on it with a pathetic creak of bedsprings, pulling his pillow over his head. Tiedoll gives him a weak pat on the shoulder before wandering out of the ward.
(:~:)
The next morning, Evelyn is given leave to explore the order, after her meeting with Hevslaka. The fact that it didn't freak her out is a growing indicator of how strange her life must be getting. Hevslaka had held Evelyn to her forehead and muttered, "15…40…67…80…93 percent." Komui had congratulated Evelyn on her excellent synchro rate with Innocence, and welcomed her formally as a member of the Black Order. All a little overwhelming, really.
Evelyn wanders down to the science department, where Acumen is stacked in a glass chamber, being tested for its capabilities. She strides over and presses her hand against the cool surface of the box, and inside, the cards vibrate, and a humming fills the room.
All the instruments go haywire, sound exploding through the air.
Evelyn darts away from Acumen, and Reever quickly shuts off the noise. "Did you have to do that?" he asks tiredly, striding over.
"Sorry," she winces.
Reever gestures at Acumen, his other hand brushing his hair into spikes. "You can have your weapon back in a day or so. We just need to run some tests."
Evelyn feels someone's gaze falling on her, and turns. She sees half of the younger science department members look away from her quickly, a few of them blushing.
"Ignore them, immature idiots," Reever says breezily. "They've already placed bets on who can ask you out first."
Evelyn narrows her eyes. "Oh, we'll see." There is something in her smile to be feared, and Reever slowly backs away as her gaze darkens. As one, the guys scramble away.
"That's better." Evelyn turns back to Reever. "I was wondering –"
"Evelyn! I've got something for you!"
Evelyn swivels to find a curly-haired young man with thick glasses running towards them. Reever sighs and facepalms. "Johnny…"
Johnny slides to a stumbling stop before them, panting, "Johnny's the name. Nice to meet you, Evelyn. Enough with pleasantries, more importantly, I'VE GOT YOUR NEW UNIFORM!" His smile spreads crazily.
Evelyn slowly reaches forward and accepts the paper-wrapped package. "Um…thanks?" Incredulity laces her voice.
"Glad to be of help!" Johnny positively salutes before scuttling away.
Reever winces. "Yeah…sorry about him. He designs all the exorcist uniforms." Suddenly, he perks up. "Hey, do you mind explaining to me how your cards work? They seem very powerful, and strangely attuned to you."
"Ok." Evelyn shrugs, and takes a seat that Reever pulls out for her, immediately gaining him glares from the other members of the department.
Reever runs off to get coffee, and a few guys grab him and whisper urgently to him. Evelyn watches his shoulders sag. Reever returns with two steaming cups, and she accepts one gratefully. Rolling his eyes, Reever looks over his shoulder and the giggling boys, and sighs, "They want to know whether you're in a relationship with anyone."
Evelyn tilts her head, and gives a ghost of a smile. "I think…maybe…yes."
Reever swings around and nods at the guys. Their faces crumple. Sighing, Reever perches on the edge of the desk, sipping his cup of coffee. Unconsciously, the pen in his hand begins to flip as he makes it dance around his fingertips. "How does Acumen respond to you?" he asks, with a dazzling smile. Half the men in the room stop to stare angrily at him.
"I listen, and Acumen speaks to me," Evelyn answers, almost to herself.
"What do they tell you?" Reever asks gently.
"Many things," Evelyn whispers. Her eyes watch something far away. "Good…and bad."
Reever decides that it is written in the stars, that it is his destiny, to cheer her up. "They seemed very effective in stopping that Noah you were fighting, from what I…" He stops as he sees the expression on Evelyn's face.
Evelyn lowers her gaze. "Maybe later. I've…I've got to go." Shoulders hunched, she darts across the carpet and out the door, uniform clutched to her chest.
Reever still has his hand extended towards her. "Did I say something?" he wonders aloud. Cursing himself for being so insensitive, he turns and grumpily returns to examining Acumen, pretending to ignore the chuckles from around the room.
(:~:)
Evelyn quietly opens the door to her room, her own room, which she had been allocated that morning. Slowly, she makes her way over to the bed and drops her uniform on the quilt. Turning, she lowers herself onto the blanket, and lies there silently, looking at the intricate white patterns that decorate the ceiling. Her heart is blank, and so empty she has no room for tears. Her eyes wander about the room, over the sparse decorations and few pictures she brought from home. Strangely enough, the order had known her family crest, and engraved the seal of the blackbird, beak open in song, on her wall. The colours are so vibrant the bird almost seems ready for flight.
A bitter laugh escapes Evelyn. She misses him. His chuckle, his socially inept personality, his way his golden eyes smile, and his mastery of music. I wish I had something to remember him by.
A rustle as she shifts her weight startles her, and she is astonished to find a small, neatly wrapped package and letter in a corner of her bed. "What…?" she whispers, reaching for them. The parchment is warm to the touch, with Evelyn written in elegant script across the front. Slowly, wonderingly, she opens the letter; and breaks out in tears of joy.
Dearest Evelyn,
I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner. You must have been worried. (You were worried, weren't you? Did you think of me?) I owe you a million thanks. You taught me to control my music, and think you will be glad to know I am free. Well, in a way. I am master of my dark side now, and have successfully kept this secret from the Millennium Earl. He thinks I've forgotten you. Of course I haven't; how could I?
I can't come and see you today; Fatso's watching my back, and I can't leave his side for more than an hour at a time. I promise to visit soon. I left this in your room when no one was looking (I wasn't stalking! I was observing).
You told me that a gentleman would know his lady's birthday, without the need to ask her. And I know your birthday is tomorrow. So, allow me to say, Happy Birthday, Evelyn. I got you a present, and if you don't like it you are free to whack me around the head the next time you see me.
Forever yours,
Tyki
The letter falls into her lap. Suddenly Evelyn finds herself laughing, and dancing about her room, her heart as light as her feet. Moron, I'll thrash you within an inch of your life for putting me through this. Her gaze falls on the paper-wrapped package, and darting forward, she tears away the paper with barely controlled excitement. A velvet box tumbles out.
She gasps at its contents. A fine silver chain, polished to a mirror gleam, with an elegant charm of a small ace of spades next to a poker chip. Evelyn realises the chain is almost identical to the one Tyki wears on his hip, except for the pendant. She looks at the chain, then at her new uniform. Fashion, she smiles, is life or death.
(:~:)
The science department guys stare woefully at Kanda. The cafeteria is crowded and noisy, but Kanda sits alone, methodically eating his soba. The only difference about this scene is the absence of Mugen by his plate. Still, his expression is enough that no one dares come within two tables of him.
One of the science department members, a young man with floppy brown hair, mutters, "I bet she's going out with him." He points at Kanda. "I heard that he waited five hours by her bedside for her to wake up."
Next to him, his friend tugs on his earring and snorts, "How is it possible? No one can get to Kanda."
"Shut up, the both of you, I can ask her out," the third and final man, the one with a cheeky grin and dark blue eyes, confidently declares.
"Bet you a tenner," Floppy-Hair and Earring say in unison.
"You're on," Cheeky-Grin laughs. "How about I–" he stops, mouth agape.
Evelyn had entered the cafeteria. A murmur goes around the room as she strides easily over to Jerry the cook. Her coat is of deepest black, sleeves sharpening to points on the back of her hands, rimmed in silver, and flowing in an elegant, yet somehow deadly cut down to her ankles. A silver chain with a small pendant hangs from a chain at her hip. Dark ankle boots encase her feet in leather. Cut-off gloves cover her dainty hands, now brushing her waterfall of liquid dark hair behind her ear.
The science department guys are too gobsmacked to notice Kanda's brief glance upwards at Evelyn, and the unreadable look that passes over his face.
She thanks Jerry quietly for her food, and winces as he says loudly, "I didn't know we had two people who liked soba noodles in the Order. I'm so happy." Kanda begins to eat even slower. Evelyn considers the room, and ignores the science guys' blatant attempts to get her attention. Then she smiles, a scheme forming in her mind. Cheeky-grin breaks off from his friends and begins to move toward Evelyn. His friends watch him eagerly.
Moving fluidly, Evelyn crosses the tiled floor and slides beside Kanda. Off to the side, Allen looks up from stuffing marshmallows into Lavi's face. Lavi chokes on a marshmallow, Allen spits out his miturashi dango, and Lenalee whacks them both on their backs. Lavi gasps in a lungful of air, and raises watering eyes to examine the scene before him. Lenalee nods in understanding.
The hitch in Cheeky-grin's step is very noticeable indeed. His expression, though, only wavers for a moment. He approaches their table, opening his mouth to express his heartfelt…
…Kanda looks up and glares at him, sending daggers in his gaze. Only Kanda would be able to gather so much fire and destruction in a single look.
Cheeky-grin breaks out in sweat, his feet carry on past their table and back to his own, and his hands move to give up his money to his friends, who are exploding in immature laughter.
From beside Kanda, Evelyn smiles. "Very nice."
"What do you want?" Kanda mutters, keeping his face expressionless. His chopsticks hover above his noodles.
Evelyn keeps her dazzling smile plastered on her face. "Oh, I've decided on your punishment," she says conversationally. "Help me keep the science department away, and I won't tell Master Teddy about you hurting my feelings."
His eyes move fractionally over to her. "This is blackmail," he murmurs, lifting a small bunch of soba off the rest.
Evelyn gives a crystalline laugh, causing everyone in the room to stare at them for a moment. Kanda scrunches himself into a smaller figure, staring into his plate. "Do I have a choice?" he moans through gritted teeth.
"Of course not," she whispers in his ear.
They say nothing more, and Kanda struggles not to curse as he notices all the young men in the room giving him death glares. Lavi watches him with a bemused expression, and grins at them. Kanda tries not to slam his head into the table.
When they are done eating, Evelyn grabs Kanda's hand and skips out of the cafeteria, laughing all the while as people gawp at them. Kanda scowls, moving quickly, head down. Evelyn leans back to him and says dangerously, "Look the part."
Reluctantly, Kanda straightens and forces his facial muscles into something resembling a grimace. Lavi chortles, and Allen grins happily.
Once they are out of sight, Evelyn drops Kanda's hand, and as she dances down the corridor, she calls over her shoulder, "That was fun, wasn't it?" Laughing evilly, she speeds away.
A voice breaks into Kanda's reverie of shock. "Duuuuude." Kanda turns to see Lavi and Allen smirking at him. "Does little Yuuuuu have a girlfriend?" Lavi coos. "I thought he was an insensitive idiot," Allen comments.
Kanda snarls at them and stomps off, cursing all the while.
Lavi shrugs, and he and Allen returns to their seats beside Lenalee. "Was that for real, do you think?" Lavi wonders.
Lenalee grins. "No. It was his punishment for upsetting her."
"How low will girls sink to get revenge?" Lavi sighs, running a hand through his flaming red hair.
"Depends on the depth of her grudge," Lenalee laughs. "You could find out in the future." Her gaze turns sharp.
Lavi tries unsuccessfully to squash his dread.
(:~:)
"Evelyn?"
Evelyn looks up, startled. She had been immersed in a book for the longest while, lingering on the beauty of language. The library in the black order was enormous, bigger even than the one she had at home.
"Sorry to startle you," Reever says, leaning against the bookshelf. "I was…I mean the science department was wondering if you could give a demonstration." His blond hair seems to have grown into demented mode.
Evelyn returns the book to the shelf behind her, and slowly stands. "Demonstration?"
"With Acumen." Reever raises his hands in question.
A slow, slow smile spreads across Evelyn's features. "Oh, I have the perfect plan." Radiating evil, she turns and paces soundlessly across the carpet of the library. Reever scurries to keep up.
"Where are you going?" Reever asks hurriedly.
Her dark hair flashes as she swings her head around, not breaking her stride. "To find a sparring partner."
Still completely flummoxed, Reever follows Evelyn to a set of innocuous-looking doors. "Are you sure–" he begins.
Evelyn raises an eyebrow, her hand on the door handle. "Yes," she says, and pulls the door open.
Inside the simply furnished and well-lit room, Kanda turns his head away and allows himself a moment to sulk. "Yes?" he growls. "I'm meditating." His blue-shirted back curls inward.
Evelyn paces over the comfortable carpet and yanks on his arm. Kanda stays resolutely cross-legged and anchored to the floor, eyes scrunched closed. So she says loudly in his ear, "Sparring practice. Now." Kanda shakes his head. Evelyn smiles, and whispers, "This would be the favour I was talking about." She sees Kanda's shoulders slump, and knows she has won. As they leave the chamber, Reever has the sense to keep away from Kanda's scowling, grumbling figure.
A murmuring group of scientists are gathered in the training arena, and the murmuring increases when they see Kanda. Wordlessly, he stomps over to the armoury and begins to examine swords.
"Here." Evelyn turns to see a young man in a lab coat, with dark blue eyes and a cocky grin, holding out Acumen reverently.
Evelyn motions with a finger. The cards fly in an unending arc from his hand to hers, shimmering with an unearthly light. As the flapping noise of the cards fade, a neat, ordered stack rests on her palm. She ignores the admiring gasps from the others and turns to the arena. Kanda is already waiting, at one end of the wooden floor, his right hand hovering above the handle of the katana belted at his hip.
Reever clears his throat as Evelyn takes her place at the far end of the arena from Kanda. They glare at each other, as if they could kill with their gazes. Reever calls, "Alright. These are the rules. Evelyn, don't use your full Innocen–"
"Sod your rules!" Kanda leaps forward, over three feet of polished metal singing out of its sheath. The harsh gleam of the edge reflects the battle-hunger in his dark eyes.
Evelyn skips backward on a flurry of cards, laughing. She never feels more alive than when she is fighting. "Dancing, are we?" she smirks. Her sable coat swings around her. Feeling the surge of Innocence through her, she taps into it and allows it to flow down her arm, through her fingers and into Acumen, sending amethyst electricity flashing across the rose star on the backs of the cards. Evelyn grins as she raises an arm to the heavens, cards following, and whips them down in a curving arc that scythes toward Kanda's sword.
Kanda adeptly flicks his sword at the whirlwind of cards, but they catch on the motion and weave their way up the back of the blade, toward his hands. With a growl, he slams the flat of his blade into them, knocking them off course. An ear-splitting crack echoes as the two weapons clash.
Reever cries into the maelstrom, "Really, could we talk this over before–"
"Shut up or we'll shave you bald!" Evelyn and Kanda yell together, each weaving around and dodging attacks. Kanda sprints towards her, and Evelyn, knowing she will never outrun him, leaps onto a wave of cards, and uses Acumen to glide around him, like a figure skater. Leaning left and right, she evades his attacks, Acumen darting around them like a serpent, sinuous and coiling and evolving, but Kanda is unrelenting.
Cursing, Evelyn senses the proximity of the wall at her back. As Kanda knocks her leading card aside and moves in to slash at her waist, Evelyn feels the wall behind her, and uses Acumen to boost herself up and over him, fingers feeling for his hair tie.
Evelyn chuckles as she lands behind Kanda, his white and silver hair tie woven around her fingers. The laughter dies on her lips as he pivots, faster than humanly possible, and brings his sword up to her throat.
"I win," he pants, his blade tickling her neck. His eyes hold elation and determination, seen from a foot away.
"We draw," she gasps, meeting his gaze.
Kanda looks down and curses as he realises Acumen is pressed into his stomach, Evelyn's hand holding them in place. He raises his eyes to Evelyn's face again, and sees laughter in her eyes.
The sound of clapping breaks into their argument. "Well done indeed, the both of you," Tiedoll booms, stepping down to the arena. "Now shake hands."
Kanda and Evelyn hold their glare for a few moments, then Kanda surprises her by sheathing his sword and holding out his hand. Evelyn brings Acumen into the bag at her belt, reaches out, and grasps Kanda's fingers. They solemnly shake hands, then Evelyn begins to smile.
Reever gets to, "What's going–" before Evelyn explodes into laughter, nearly falling over from mirth. Tiedoll's expression is adorably fluffy as he watches Evelyn chortle and Kanda fail to hold back a grin.
"Now," he says, "We'd better–"
"Are you the exorcist Evelyn Merle?" the voice is like frozen iron, polished smooth.
Evelyn looks up to see a moustached man with severe eyes and thick eyebrows looking down at her from the seats of the arena. "Yes?" she answers warily. Beside Evelyn, Kanda subtly moves in front of her, sword tip hovering above the floor. He glares at the man, making no attempt to hide his distaste.
"Inspector, should you–" Tiedoll begins.
The man's lips twist in a mocking smile. "Inspector Malcolm C. Leverrier of the Vatican. You, along with Allen Walker, are to be tried for heresy." In the ensuing gasp from the others in the room, he leans forward, gaze boring into her. "Evelyn Merle, you will tell me, in trial, what you know about Lord Tyki Mikk."
Did you like Evelyn's family crest? 'Merle' means singing blackbird. So. A singing blackbird with violet eyes! The next chapter will have epic, sad, and sweet moments, and comedy mixed in. See you then.