"YAHOOOOOO!" a boisterous voice echoed through the halls of the Academy. His howl attracted the looks of everyone in the vicinity, already familiar with who was behind it.
"Black Star, we should be respectful of others here. Some people might be studying," his partner advised, attempting to calm the boy.
"Studying is for losers," he said almost too loudly to be acceptable in a learning institution. "I'm riled up for our next mission. With every loser kishin egg I beat, I get closer to being a god without studying at all. HAHAHAHAHAH," he laughed in his hand-on-hips power pose.
Marie and Azusa watched the pair from a few feet away. Marie, with the warm smiled she always carried, looked at the two endearingly.
Azusa, on the other hand, was not as impressed. "It's like Sid adopted him as a newborn and he just hasn't developed mentally since then," she said as she pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "I don't understand how his partner deals with him."
"Really?" Marie smiled, "looking at those two reminds me of you and Joe walking through these halls when we were still at the Academy."
Azusa stared at her friend in silence. She was confused. On one hand, the tone and facial expression indicated that Marie meant no harm in her words. On the other hand, the substance of that sentence felt like she was trying to start a fight.
"If you're trying to imply that I'm similar to Black Star, the only conclusion that would be reasonable for me to assume is that Stein's madness has spread to you too," Azusa replied.
Marie put her hand on her chin and pondered, "hmm… I wouldn't necessarily say that you were as outgoing and loud as Black Star. I mean moreso in the dynamic between you and Joe is very like Black Star and Tsubaki."
"She seems to be his handler rather than his partner. Joe and I were not like that."
"I think everyone else would disagree," Marie laughed, "you were always going around tattling on everyone and bossing everyone around. Even now, Stein and Spirit watch themselves around you."
Azusa nodded her head with pride, "as they should. Those two had no business going around doing what they were doing."
"That's right too," Marie agreed, "but to be honest though, in the early years we just let you prance around like that because you were the baby of the group and we thought it was cute. Joe was also there to keep you in line."
"So, Joe promised all of you that he would keep me under control if you let me boss you around?" How had so many years passed and none of her friends told her the truth.
"At first it was like that, when you first came to the Academy. When we got older, you kept us in line for real when we needed it. I still love how disciplined you are, Azusa-chan. You made us all better people, even if Stein and Spirit would rather die before admitting it." Marie said as she placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Thank you, Marie."
"It was pretty funny too. You were so small when you were young, just a little peanut with glasses, going about bossing around everyone who was bigger than you. And behind you always trailed Joe, who looked like an oversized mother bear, apologising to every person that you victimised." The two women laughed at the thought.
"I had no idea that's how everyone saw me," Azusa said. She didn't really mind. She was an adult now and mature enough to acknowledge that she was perhaps not the most likeable child. Her partner always made her feel at home though. "I miss him," she admitted. His passing was not too recent but Azusa had never brought it up around Marie. Marie lost a past lover that night, but Azusa lost her older brother.
Marie held her friend's hand. "I miss him too."
"It's my fault, I should have been there," Azusa's voice was shaking and her eyes began to water, "they found a gun on him the night that he died and he still couldn't protect himself. If he had been wielding me instead, he wouldn't have died. It's all my fault."
"Don't say that," Marie said as she hugged Azusa. "It's not your fault."
Azusa's entire body was shaking. From the moment Azusa came to the Academy at the age of nine, she was taking in by a thirteen-year-old Joe. He had basically raised her. Not only did he make her a Death Weapon, he made her the person she was.
Azusa returned the hug and buried her face into the other woman's shoulder. Tears gushed down her back as Marie pat her head. "I never got to say thanks for everything he did for me."
"You didn't have to say it. With Joe's soul perception abilities, I'm sure he knew all along how grateful you were for everything."
Azusa stepped back from her friend's tight embrace and looked at her in the eyes, "I still want to tell him. Will you come with me to his grave tomorrow?" She asked pleadingly. It had been many years since Marie had seen the King of Committee Chairman so vulnerable.
"Of course."