Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing, although I wish I did. Everything belongs to Moriyama Daisuke, ADV and Gonzo.
Author's Note:
Wow! 6 reviews in one day! Awesome! Thank you everyone. Ok, just to state the obvious, I've changed the Abbey slightly so that it also functions as a sort of Catholic boarding school.
I've never been to a boarding school before, so I'm just making this up as I go. Anyway, to my reviewers.
ruby-dream
Thanks for your reviews. I don't really know how I'm gonna make the Elder perverted without my version of Chrno ripping his head off or something. I'll still try to fit it in somewhere, but can you or anyone else throw ideas at me about how I should do this? You'll find out who her room-mates are soon.Die Kikyo Die
Hello again! Nice to have you reviewing! It would be awesome to see what kind of story you come up with! Thanks again for continuing to read this story.ChibiSamiSala
Whoa! Central Park sounds really bizarre. Ok, I'd like to borrow that suggestion about central park that you made a while ago. Is that ok with you? I'll wait for your reply before I do use the idea. Thanks so much for reviewing.NightElfCrawler
Sister Kate will be all shocked and angry very soon, never fear. She doesn't like Chrno, and he's going to be virtually like a prisoner coz he'll be confined to the Elder's workshop (in theory anyway, hehe). I'll try to explain why she didn't seem as wary in this chapter. Thanks for pointing that bit out and thanks for reviewing. I hope that you'll continue to offer feedback for my story, so that I can correct any holes or inconsistencies, which I may miss.
Chapter 6: Squabbles
Sister Kate:
How could Rosette just disappear like that? All I did was to leave her in the hall to have dinner with the others for an hour or so, and she just vanishes! None of the other children seemed to know where she had gone either.
I paced anxiously about the entrance hall, stopping short as the door slowly opened. Rosette peered inside slowly.
"Rosette!"
She flinched immediately and looked towards me with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry Sister Kate. I didn't realise that bed time here was so early."
I sighed and shook my head. "I suppose I should have told you about it before, but I hadn't expected you to run off before dinner was finished. Where have you been?"
She scowled at this and straightened up. "I went to find Chrno."
My concerned expression faded, as I glared disapprovingly at her. "I did not give you permission to see him."
She glowered back stubbornly. "You never said that I couldn't go find him myself."
"It was implied!" I felt so exasperated. I hoped that she wasn't going to be this aggravating for the rest of her stay here.
"I didn't pick up on it." Rosette replied petulantly, folding her arms in defiance.
I sighed. I had the feeling that I would be spending most of the next few years arguing with this child. "Fine. But I am saying it now. You are not to go looking for Chrno without permission." As her scowl deepened and she started to reply, I continued. "Disobedience will lead to harsh punishment for both of you."
"That's not fair! He hasn't done anything wrong, so why are you treating him like a criminal?!" She frowned at me fiercely, standing tall with hands on hips.
I was astonished at the outburst. It had been quite a while ago since a child had talked back at me in a raised voice. Recovering from my surprise, I gave her a most unpleasant look.
"He is a demon! They are evil and go against everything that the Order stands for. Against my better judgement, I have already allowed him to stay here. This was for your sake, your peace of mind." Shocked, Rosette stumbled back from me. "I don't trust him, and you should be thankful that he is not currently chained in a room surrounded by crucifix barriers."
I regretted sounding so harsh to her, but she needed to realise the danger of what she had brought in. I tried again in a gentler tone. "It's not only that we want you to minimize contact with him. We don't want his presence to be widely known. If you constantly visited him, you may draw him to the attention of the other children here. I will not risk their safety as well."
"Chrno is no danger!" she balled her fists in anger.
I gritted my teeth in frustration. Here I was, in the middle of the night, quarrelling with a bull headed child. "I will discuss this no further. Go back to the dormitories, Rosette. Your classes begin tomorrow morning, so you will need your rest."
It was a standoff. She glared at me while I stared stonily down at her. She finally broke off, giving one last mutinous glare before marching off.
I sighed as I watched her disappear up some stairs. "I don't know how we'll manage with her in the next few years."
"You have to admit she's got spirit though."
I turned around, unsurprised. Minister Remington was standing in the shadows. "A spirit of defiance you mean." I said with a raised eyebrow.
I had long ago given up asking 'how long have you been there for' and 'what are you doing here'. The man had an odd habit of stealthily turning up in unexpected places at unexpected times. You either became accustomed to it, or spent the rest of your life getting heart attacks.
Remington merely grinned. "Her energy just needs to be rechannelled. I'm sure she'll make a fine exorcist, given enough time. We just need to be patient with her."
"It's hard to be patient with such a contrary child, who is resolved to having her own way. She is determined to remain in contact with the demon. But why? I cannot determine the nature of their relationship." I frowned in contemplation. "The demon does not seem to have an ulterior motive, but I find it strange that he would choose to follow an orphaned girl with no special abilities nor traits."
Remington replied carefully. "They do seem to be very close friends."
"It is this closeness that worries me." I sighed. "Hopefully it will change after a while. I have roomed her with Josephine, Elizabeth and Katherine. They are well-behaved girls, so I'm hoping that they will be a good influence on her. Perhaps after a few weeks of interaction with other children of her age, she will find them better company than the demon."
Remington nodded thoughtfully, but had a doubtful look still. "Hopefully."
TBC
Originally this chapter and the next chapter were one, but it was getting too long, so I decided to post it as two chapters. This means that both chapters were written in one go, then split. Hope it's alright. Please review and continue to provide feedback so that I can consider or fix up inconsistencies or errors. Thanks again for the previous reviews.