week 21

141

5/21 (The next ten days will all be KxC from an outside perspective)

Medusa (Tw: Child abuse and dehumanization.)

"Now that is simply pathetic." She picked away across the battlefield. Her monster stood, trembling but standing, in front of Lord Death's son. "What are you going to do Crona? Save him?" Medusa tsked. "That is not what I raised you to do."

"I-I-I-I l-l-love him." Crona held Ragnarok straight out. "You w-w-wont hurt him."

Medusa laughed.

"Love? How can a thing like you love? I made you to go insane and even then, you're useless even when you're crazy." She waved at them. "Kid won't ever return your feelings. I'm your best chance Crona. Return to me and I promise, he die quickly."

142

5/22

Lord Death

His son was standing in front of him, chin up and eyes defiant. Lord Death smiled behind his mask.

Kid had always been a handful.

Crona was the complete opposite. Eyes down and every line of their body tense as a drawn bow string. The black blooded miester couldn't even look him in the eyes.

"Kid, are you sure you're making a good decision?" Death spoke. (He'd asked the same question when Kid had brought home two gangsters from New York to serve as his personal weapons.)

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life father. I love Crona." Kid's grasp on Crona's hands tightened. Lord Death an over exaggerated sigh.

"Well alrighty then! Welcome to the family Crona."

143

5/23

Ragnarok (Crona using they/them)

On and on and on he had to fucking listen to this bullshit.

First Crona flirting with that bastard reaper.

Then Crona crying about that bastard reaper.

Then Crona fucking murmuring his stupid name in their sleep.

Ragnarok was sure Odin was testing him.

So one day, Ragnarok did something about it.

"C-can you show me again Kid?" Crona leaned in closer to the textbook. "I dont think I quite-" Without warning Crona stiffen as Ragnarok shout out of their chest.

"Surprise motherfucker!" he grabbed Kid and pulled him into a half headbutt half kiss with Crona. "Now shut the fuck up so I can fucking sleep, loser."

144

5/24

Liz

At first the idea of Kid dating Crona kept Liz up at night. It would never work. Neither was stable enough to handle a relationship. Kid was her OCD nearly-indestructible younger brother. Crona would send him into spirals of unsymmetrical loathing, she was sure.

But then Liz saw them together.

Crona was one of the only people she'd ever seen who tried sincerely to comfort Kid during one of his anxiety attacks. Crona always kept a hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low comforting tone, assuring him, no he wasn't trash, no he would be a great Reaper like his father, yes Crona would always love him, even with the stripes.

Well.

It was going to be fine, after all.

145

5/25

Patti

Patti feels real bad for Crona most of the time. Her and her sister's upbringing wasn't exactly all sunshine and daisies. Most of the time it was a lot of hanging out with gang bangers and pimps and then running from the cops, but from what they manage to find out about Crona's past, makes that lifestyle sound fairly mild.

People don't give Patti a lot of credit for her ideas. She doesn't mind playing the ditz, but she does want it noted that she was the one who told Kid to move his ass and ask Crona out. She was also the one who played up Crona's backstory to convince Kid to move them to the Gallows as a permanent resident, although that didn't take a lot.

Still, Patti looks forward to Kid and Crona's wedding day so she tell everyone it was her idea.

146

5/26

Maka

Contrary to popular belief Maka did not hate Kid for beginning to court Crona. Was she highly suspicious and rather protective? Of course. Did she threaten Kid with things much worse than disembowelment if he ever hurt Crona? Certainly. However, would Maka support her best friend if this was something that made Crona happy? In a heart beat.

"Are you really okay with Kid?" Soul asked dubiously.

"Yes. Mostly because I know, he knows I know how to kill a man with a scythe as tall I am."

147

5/27

Soul

"Loving another person is the bravest thing you will ever do." Soul said suddenly. Crona looked up, confused. Soul and Crona were alone in the apartment, Maka having run off to do the shopping. Soul was doodling in a sketchbook with his Ipod in, and Crona was reading a book.

"Think about it though. It means opening yourself to another person and trusting that they won't fuck you up some how, you know? It's the bravest thing you can do." Soul said nodding his head in a definitive sort of way. Then he went back to drawing, shaking his leg it time to the beat of his music. Crona watched him for a moment longer, head tilted, before shrugging and returning to the page.

Years later, when Soul and Maka were married and Crona was dating Kid, Crona finally understood what Soul had been trying to say that afternoon.

And completely agreed.