Moments
The First:
Parties and Pianos
Yeah, parties are not Maka's thing.
She's never been the kind of person who's been able to enjoy a crowded room with little time in between words to think. It's how she's always been, even since she was a child. Her mother would often tell her stories of a mini-Maka clinging to her leg and hiding her face when a stranger greeted her. Her mother would tell her that mini-Maka loved books and learning, slightly different from the children who would much rather go outside to play.
In other words, Maka has always been a bit boring. She knows this about herself, and she's accepted it.
But here, in Shibusen, she would learn to be something more than boring ole Maka. She is going to be great. That path to greatness starts with finding a partner...
Except she doesn't like parties.
And this party is about meeting meisters and weapons alike... so finding a partner starts there in terms of making connections...
Things are already looking a bit grim for her.
Maka takes a sip of her sparkling cider as she wanders the halls of her home for the next few years. The architecture is beautiful, and it reminds her of a castle she once visited in Germany. Gothic and gorgeous. Long hallways, exquisit paintings, chandeliers that look more expensive than a year's worth of her rent- it's amazing here. She has been so lucky to be accepted.
Although, with her parent's celebrity status here: she doubts she would've been rejected. The Shinigami loves her. She grew up knowing a lot of the staff and a few of the students.
Maka takes a hard right down a hallway she's never been down before. Her eyes trace paintings, and some music echoes in her mind that she hums along to. The smooth jazz played on a piano is a nice change of pace from the frighteningly fast music in the dining room.
Wait, can she hear the music?
She stops humming and realizes quickly that the jazz music is not in her head. It's gotten louder the further she's traveled down this hallway, and it makes curiousity sprout within her. Where is it coming from? Surely Shinigami doesn't have a speaker system here...
She travels further down the hallway and, sure enough, the music grows louder. She follows the path and takes a left, abandoning her glass of cider on a rail when she needs to hike up her skirt to climb a set of stairs.
Maka draws nearer and nearer to the mournful sound of the music. Eventually, she reaches an open wooden door, and she peers inside.
A boy sits at a piano, his hands dancing across the keyboard deftly. She takes notice of nothing other than the way the music reflects in her soul. It's suffering, desperate... but it's hopeful too and oddly optimistic. His talent shines through his quick movements- he knows he's doing well, but there's an air of indifference about it. Does he not enjoy making music?
His song continues for a few moments before he ends on a light chord. Maka can't help herself as she claps, the boy sitting up straighter. It's only now that she takes notice of his appearance as he turns himself around to face her.
Deep crimson eyes stare back at her, a white eyebrow raised against tanned skin. His similarly white hair sticks up at odd angles, although Maka finds it cute more than anything else. He wears a black pinstripe suit with a white undershirt and matching crimson tie. He seems to get over his surprise (if he even felt that) and smirks at her, showing off his impressively sharp teeth.
"Well hey there." He says smoothly, seeming to relax in her presence. "I didn't hear ya' come in."
"That was beautiful." She tells him, clasping her hands in front of her body. "I've never been a huge fan of jazz... but that was absolutely... it was amazing." Now he looks surprised. His smirk drops off his face, and his eyes widen ever so slightly- it's almost unnoticable.
"Glad you liked it." He replies, his deep voice reverberating through the room. "That was me." Maka smiles despite herself.
"Then you must be amazing." She says, watching him chuckle before standing up. He crosses the room to her, and she takes note that he's slightly taller than her even though he's slouching.
"Soul Eater," he says, holding his hand out for her to shake. She takes it.
"I'm Maka Albarn." She replies. "It's nice to meet you, Soul."
"Likewise." He says, his eyes running up and down her front. She gets the feeling that he's not being weird about it, but she blushes anyway. So she shakes off the feeling.
"What are you doing here at Shibusen?" She asks, the male leaning against the opposite side of the doorway.
"To figure out what I want to do with my life." He tells her, the girl nodding. "I'm a weapon."
"You are?" She would've guessed he was a meister, but she supposes you can never know just by looking at someone. "What kind of weapon are you?"
"Demon Scythe." He replies, and it's music to her ears.
"I'm a Scythe meister." She muses, the male smirking at the information as he folds his arms across his chest.
"Cool." He says, just as smoothly as before. "I like you." The words make her eyes widen, and she stifles a giggle behind her hand. "Let's be partners."
"Just like that?" She wonders aloud, although she isn't opposed to it.
"Just like that." He responds simply, pushing off the wall and walking backwards toward where they both came from. "Is that a yes, or a no?"
"It's a yes!" She says, although a certain annoyance creeps up within her unexpectedly. "But usually you ask in a more formal way." His eyebrows furrow as she catches up to him easily, the two side-by-side as they make it to the end of the hall.
"Why does it need to be formal?" He questions, the girl sighing.
"Because!" A pause passes between them, and she shoots him a small glare. "Just because!"
"Well that's not a very good excuse." His hands find his pockets and the girl rolls her eyes.
"What have I gotten myself into?" She mutters.
"A very cool partnership." He states with confidence. Maka lets out a small breath at that. He's probably right.
"It better start getting cool real quick-" He bumps her with his hip.
"It already is. We're in it."
"That's not a very good excuse." She echoes from earlier, hearing him chuckle. It makes her heart pound, and she shoots him a smile. He returns it and Maka gets the feeling that maybe parties aren't the worst thing in the world.
Sometimes you can meet some pretty cool people.