They liked the darkness much better– the room, the transport, all came in pitch black. It was the sun of the courtyard that burned them, the sweet air overwhelming their senses.
Brighten up, buttercup. Think of all things there'll be to eat here.
They shivered, more like a twitch. "I don't want to," they groaned.
Eruka tilted her head. "What was that, Crona?"
"N-nothing." They pulled at their yukata glumly.
Medusa only brings you for one reason, kiddo. Time to devour– destroy–
Another fluttering whine ached in Crona's throat.
"It's alright," Eruka chimed as she patted Crona's shoulder. "Medusa should be here any minute."
Comfort could not be dug from any inch of that sentence as Crona scraped their nails into the wood of the engawa. Mother, don't make me. Mother, please. Mother, mother–
Mother, mother, mother! Quit whining, you little fuck!
"Crona." There was no telling what was worse– that black voice in their head or the sweet lilt of the new one in the room. Medusa slid through the door, closing it behind her as she carefully approached them. "I'm so glad you made it here alright. I really do need you right now, you know that?" A tender hand fell to the back of their neck, but the nails almost instantly tightened against Crona's skin. "It's time for you to make a few new friends."
Soul leaned against the wall, the dull ache in his head starting to threaten towards a throb. The knock at the door didn't help, but at least the pause brought him hope that it wasn't his brother. "Come in."
Franken entered, his usual medical bag in hand.
"I didn't call for you," Soul grumbled.
The older man chuckled in reply. "Star happened to say something to me in passing, and I wanted to see if my little hypothesis was correct."
"I'm eatin'," he tried his first excuse, watching as it only made Franken's grin blossom deviously.
"That would be the answer if Maka had said something," he chided with building amusement as he sat across from his young charge.
Soul knew he was being peeled apart, but he tried to refuse it all the same. "I haven't been doin' anythin' too strenuous–" The throb came again, cutting his words and making his eyes shut tightly.
"Has the fever started yet?" Franken questioned clinically.
"I don't know what you mean," he muttered back but brought his hand across his forehead all the same.
"Headache will be the first symptom of withdrawal," he began as he started to pluck vials and assorted goods from his bag. "Fever is second– along with the usual chills and sweating. Muscle aches and weakness." He picked one tincture, holding out the bottle to Soul. "Drink this."
"I-if it's my medicine, I don't want it." His hands shrunk to fists on the legs of his hakama.
Franken chuckled. "It's for the headache, and it'll help keep your fever down."
Soul reached for the vial, steadying it in his fingers as he stared at Franken. "You're not gonna stop me?"
"Would you like me to?" He returned with a languid smile.
He dropped his glare back to the medicine.
"I will warn you– not to dissuade you but so you know the possibilities. High fever could damage your mind permanently." Franken went back to his sorting, taking out a few cloths and herbs. "But the longevity of your imbibing will make the withdrawal all that much more dangerous. There is a chance—neither high nor low—that you will die."
While that should have erupted fear in his heart, Maka's words rang true in reply: "No matter what you think you are, dying little by little at your own hands isn't something that you deserve."
"If that's what it takes," Soul whispered. "I'd rather be free."
The room was set more for tea than a treatment, leaving Maka's spine tingling with that primordial urge to flee.
"I'm so glad you accepted my invitation," Medusa cooed as she motioned towards the trays. "Please, come, sit."
Maka tentatively followed the orders, sure to keep her eyes on each minute movement of the woman in front of her. "Soul said you had done the same for his mother, which assured me I should trust in your expertise. Producing an heir of his blood is very important, or so I'm told."
"What a dutiful dove you are…" Medusa reached for her tea, toying a finger along the lip of the cup. "It is very important to both your lord and mine, so I'm thankful to see you wanting to get right to work." She snapped her fingers sharply, calling a younger woman with long, gray hair and an orange kimono into the room. "This is Eruka, my apprentice."
"Hello." Maka attempted all the warmth she could, but it was mostly rebuffed by the girl's silence.
Eruka brought a new tray with a series of vials, all of them housing an oily black substance that slowly crept like honey along the sides. She placed them next to Medusa who began to inspect each one. "You'll have to understand that this—just like any remedy—comes with a few risks and burdens to bear."
"I am to be Soul's wife. If this is what is expected, this is what I will do." Maka barely swallowed the foulness of it, finding it an even harder task as Medusa's smile beamed.
"Dutiful, dutiful dove," she repeated. "You'll agree without even knowing the specifics? You truly are a find."
"I'd do anything for him." There was a frightening amount of truth in that, both in the note of her voice and the one in her heart. I-I think I mean that. I'm terrified that I really do.
A fleck of annoyance hit Medusa's eyes as a coolness leaked into her smile. "Isn't that admirable."
"So what is the regiment?" Maka motioned a cautious finger towards the vial in Medusa's hand. "Will I be taking those with me?"
"I prefer to be with you for the administration…" She paused, eyes narrowing for a moment as a shuffling sound starting to emanate from the door Eruka had come from. "Don't haunt the doorways. Come in."
Maka raised her eyes, focused on the blackened opening as a figure sulked in the shadows for another moment. Finally, they emerged, wearing a loose black yukata that limply hung off their thin, tall frame, with hair pale and eyes. They were a flimsy reed in the wind, swaying as they walked to hide behind Medusa and Eruka.
"Crona," Medusa rasped as she waved a hand towards the open seat next to her. "Come and actually join us." She didn't wait for the figure to move, just turning less than patient eyes back to Maka. "This is my son, Crona."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Maka bowed her head as Crona did the same.
He didn't utter a word, just his lip contorting into something close to a smile.
"I apologize for him"—Medusa paused to place a firm hand over Crona's as it rested on his thigh—"since his manners are still in development. I admit he didn't have much socialization as a child– I was too protective of him. Actually, my lady…"
Maka smiled, batting her eyes in waiting.
"Do you think you'd mind spending some time with him? If he can get more comfortable with you, I assume he could then befriend the lords." Medusa nudged Crona. "Don't you think, darling?"
"I-I'd like that," Crona murmured.
He does seem… sheepish? And with a mother like that… "I don't see why not." Maka's grin brightened as she leaned a little closer to Crona. "Why don't you come by for tea after dinner tonight?"
"Oh, won't that interfere with you seeing the young lord?" Medusa raised an eyebrow.
Maka swept a placating hand. "We planned to see each other after this, so I assumed he'd spend the evening with his brother or mine." That, and I'm not sure how much I can see him right now. I still feel like a fool after last night and then I didn't even think about the way I comforted him this morning! My hands all over him, touching him–
"No need to be embarrassed, my lady," Medusa teased as Maka realized the flush of her cheeks.
She nodded, one hand coming up to quell the warmth while she motioned towards the vial again. "All I have to do is drink it?"
"Yes, the whole thing. I can't attest to it tasting very good but…"
"I do what I have to for my lord." Maka extended her hand, letting the other drop to her obi as she yanked out the handkerchief.
Medusa unscrewed the cap and handed her the vial. "It's thick, so it's best to follow with some tea."
Maka's nails clinked into the glass as she brought the medicine and cloth together, making all appearances of a proper lady trying to avoid a spill. "You don't suppose it'll give me a headache, do you?"
It should entirely go without saying as to why headache was the trigger word always used between Maka and Star, and thankfully it was so deeply ingrained that it only took a second before the door slid open with a crash. There was little need to fake the shock on Maka's part, and she simply gave into the rattle of her heart until it shook all of her and the contents of the vial. It easily slipped out of her hand into the open handkerchief.
"What the fuck do you think you're doin'?" Star grabbed Maka by the elbow, yanking her to her feet and letting the vial fly to the floor.
"Brother!" Maka yelped.
"I heard from Soul that they're expectin' you to take some kind of medicine?" He flashed a menacing glare at Medusa. "What the hell's the excuse? There's no proof she can't give him whatever whelps he wants, so don't try to feed her your bullshit." Star tossed Maka towards the open door, barking the rest at her: "Get back to the house and stay there until I say so!"
Maka feigned a sob, clutching the handkerchief to her chest as she ran from the scene. She could still hear Star's bellowing all the way to the arbor, only fading as she hit the courtyard. Perfect! One glance over her shoulder told her she had no followers, giving her the freedom to add victory to her steps up the engawa. She flew to Franken's room, knocking softly against the door.
"Come in."
Following orders, she slipped inside the comforts of the homely room, finding Reina drawing quietly at her father's feet. "Reina, you didn't go to school today?"
Reina first looked at her father and then to Maka. "No. Papa told me to stay home."
"Oh…" Her joy wavered as she walked to Franken's desk.
"I assume everything went according to plan?" He offered her a glass beaker over his shoulder, watching out of the corner of his eye as she deposited the cloth.
"Fine. Star should be finishing up his yelling now, so I thought I'd go see Soul."
"Stay here for a while," he quickly corrected as he put the container back on the desk. His hand waved her towards Reina. "Soul may come by later."
"But–" Why? Does he not want to see me? She couldn't escape the childishness of it, and let it settle in her heart nonetheless.
"Just detained. Nothing to give too much thought to."
"Alright… then, is Marie home?"
"No. She's in the kitchens. She'll be by later."
Defeat started to settle in her gut, all of the excitement of a successful mission starting to fizzle. She moved to Reina's side, sitting half-heartedly next to the little girl as she ran a hand over her golden curls. I thought after this morning… Air warbled over her lips in a sigh. Maybe this is what I get for doing exactly what Marie said. Maybe he's keeping me at a distance, and he deserves to. I just… I didn't think it would hurt like this.
The medicine had put an insignificant dent in the pounding in his head, but Soul made his way through the arbor nonetheless. There was already the soft twitter of voices—Maka's especially—and they offered a pleasant pull regardless of the ache. He slowed his steps to avoid stumbling up the engawa– the promised muscle weakness starting to inch up his thighs. "Maka–" he started, but immediately bit off the rest, settling his eyes on another man sitting across from her in the living room.
They were obviously sharing tea– Maka's smile was all too bright as he caught her mid-sentence. "Oh, Soul. I thought maybe you weren't coming today."
"No, I…" He glanced back at the lithe figure with a face that denied neither masculinity or femininity. The other man's expression seemed blank, watching Soul with the same intent. "Who's this?"
"Oh!" Maka flustered, motioning towards the man. "This is Crona. He's sort of shy, so I was just helping him to get used to all of us since he'll be here for a while."
"With you?" He tried to keep the warble from his voice and only found a modicum of success. Don't. Don't do that. Your heart is a burden, and you can't do that to her. She's free, and if she wants to have tea or– or anythin' at all with someone else—
"No, he…" Oh, it was deliriously painful to watch her giving Crona a comforting smile. "Soul, he's Medusa's son."
The huff of air that left his mouth was nothing like the laugh it should have been. The joke struck him somewhere between odd and unfair, so he turned from them, giving both a view of his side. "Well, I-I'll just leave. You've got–" he waved a weak hand to finish that as he stepped off the engawa.
"Soul!"
The cry of his name did nothing to change his steps that brought him already faltering in the courtyard. Don't. A hand came to his head, both to hold the split together and to try to tramp the thoughts down. Don't follow me, Maka. Please, don't.
"Soul, wait!"
"I'm just not feelin' well," he threw over his shoulder as he continued in vain towards the arbor.
"Then stay, and let me"—she finally reached him and got enough of a grasp on his kosode to slow him to a stop—"just let me help you."
"No," warbled from his mouth as he raised his arm in an attempt to tug his sleeve out of her grip. "I've asked enough from you today."
"I don't understand," Maka murmured.
Instead of an explanation, all Soul managed was to yank the fabric free and continue on his way.
