The girls were poking on the now conscious Crona. After apologizing multiple times to Kid who had just laughed it off with a wave of his hand, she found she had hated all of the clothes she had brought. Or rather, that her mother had sent. The girls took it upon themselves to think this meant they were free to make new ones themselves for her.
"So how did you do it?" Kid asked joining Maka at her spot on the bed. There weren't many more places to sit in the room, or at least not where she could get such a good view of the show.
"I'm not sure. I just kind of told her stories." She really wasn't sure how Crona's head cleared. Really she didn't feel like she did much of anything but slack off. "I do have a question though.
"Proceed." He answered after her short pause. His eyes were forward facing watching the girls with careful detail. She could tell he desperately wanted to be involved so that the clothes would be symmetrical.
"She had this thing inside her. In her mind. She called it Ragnarock." She had his attention and the quizzical look he gave her lead her to believe she had stumbled upon something. "It was huge at first and made the gates to her mind, but once we were done cleaning out all The Black he was small enough to fit in a jar. She said he was left over from her father."
Kid flinched. "Hmm. Strange indeed. What exactly is your question?"
"Well I had this theory. I had heard you talking to her in the room before. You know," Maka lowered her voice before glancing over to the occupied girls. "the bandage girl."
"Ah, yes." Kid rested his chin on folded hands as he thought. "What of her?"
"Well… what is she… I guess. I mean I know she's some kind of madness. She says she's my body but obviously, from the ways she comes and goes, it's not true but….. She is real?" He seemed to think on this a bit longer.
"In a way. She is the way The Black manifest your soul. It cannot corrupt a soul that has control of itself so instead it combines all the worst parts of yourself into a being to induce your decline into madness."
"So then…is Ragnarock madness too?"
"Somewhat, yes. He is something of that sort but from what I would guess he is less of the evil desires and more of a creature planted there."
"Does everyone have something manifest?"
"That is unclear. They are beings of our mind. If they don't want us to know they are there, then we won't and they simply work from behind the scenes. I believe you humans call it an ID."
"The Black is in humans too?" Maka managed to keep her features schooled but worry leaked out. She hated to imagine the pain of what she had passing on to Soul or her father.
"The Black latches on to the soul. It's how good souls are corrupted and travels with them through rebirth. However, they don't know it's there like we do. But they do not remember the pain; it occurs when they first come into your world." He tacked on the last part sensing her apprehension.
"Then how did I see mine and how could you for that matter?"
"Well, firstly Maka you are no longer human. As for me, I too have my own demons. It seems our counterparts have taken active interest in each other. The Black is all encompassing, every bit of it has come from the same original drop. It would make sense they still hold some connection."
"What should we do then?"
"Leave them be for now. Both seem relativity harmless and we can hope they stay that way. "
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"So Crona. How much longer are you here?" Maka asked from the small kitchen table. She was drinking her tea over dinner and a certain bushy tailed fox was fighting to get in through the window.
Ohhh you brought me a new toy! The bandaged girl appeared behind Crona much to Maka's annoyance. Lately she seemed to come and go as she pleased.
"Usually for a few more weeks. But I don't know this time. Since I was supposed to…" She trailed off with a bright red face and the girls chuckled. Maka found her to be a very quiet thing, so unlike her mother. She was awkward in social situations but seemed to have a kind heart overall. She found any resentment she may have harbored to have disappeared.
"Well, you are free to stay as long as you wish Ms. Crona. My home, welcomes you." Kid pointed out from his place next to Maka. She noticed that lately he was never more than a few feet away from her.
Oh? What's going on here did I miss something. She zipped over to Kid and Maka noticed Crona flinch in her seat.
"T-thank you."
I'll fill you in later.
I do love good gossip. Tell me… did he use his tongue?
LATER!
Alright geeze. No reason to get snappy.
The rest of the meal went normally after her madness vanished. Liz and Patti fighting and occasionally pulling a very uncomfortable Crona into it. Maka wasn't sure when it happened but at some point she had grabbed Kid's hand underneath the table and was running her fingers softly over his skin. For the first time in a while she felt normal. Like they were just a bunch of kids eating dinner and hanging out. There wasn't an impending dread hanging over them, she was just sitting next to a guy she liked and was holding his hand.
"Um, Miss Maka?" Crona called from the sink. Maka was clearing off dishes while Kid attempted to eat his food symmetrically. Now that any immediate threat was out of the way he had seemed to fall back into his old ways.
They had just finished up desert and Patti was passed out on her chair with a distended stomach. Liz had ran off to find a bucket, when Maka started to ask what for Kid simply shook his head.
"Crona. After all we have been through, I expect you to just call me Maka." She smiled happily and brought over the last of the remaining dishes. She took up a towel next to the long haired beauty and began to dry.
"O-okay." Maka was distracted by the movement of her hand. Every few seconds Crona would need to pull her hair back behind her shoulders. It would fall into her face and sick to the wet dishes.
"You have so much hair. Is it hard to take care of?" Maka vaguely remembered being young and wanting long hair. However, her father told her that if she had it she had to take care of it. After a week she was in the barber shop.
"Yes… I really don't like it." She puffed out air from her cheeks as another stray stand wandered in front of her eyes.
"Well why don't you cut it?" Maka asked as she grabbed another plate.
"Mother said it was prettier when it was long. And how no one would ever like me if I wasn't pretty."
"You mother has some screws loose Crona."
"My mother has screws? I don't know how to handle that." She leaned back and the curtain fell over her eyes as she hid.
"I mean, that idea is a very messed up way of thinking. You don't have to be pretty for people to like you."
"But you're pretty and I would like to be like you." Crona's eyes shot up and she jumped away. "Ah! Wait no. That sounded weird. I am sorry."
"No it's sweet. So you think I am pretty?"
"Yes Miss Maka. Very pretty."
"Is my hair long?"
"No."
"Then there you go. We can cut yours later tonight if you want. I used to cut Soul's all the time. I don't imagine it would be that different." It took a few chop jobs before she had gotten the hang of it. Thankfully they were too young for it to really matter.
"I would like that. Thank you very much." Crona ripped her hands out of the sink to curtsy. In the process her dripping wet fingers streaked down her dress.
"Oh no your dress."
"It's okay. I don't think I like pink anyway." The girls both laughed and fell into a comfortable cycle of washing and drying. Kid finally finished and swept up before wandering away with Patti over his shoulder. He muttered something about not wanting to see it.
"Maka… I know you have already done a lot for me." They had just finished up and Maka was stacking the dishes in the cabinet.
"Oh it's nothing Crona. You are a very sweet girl."
"Oh… is it really nothing?"
"No trouble at all." She turned to the shy princess now sitting in front of the cobblestone fire. They had taken to eating in the garden's kitchen lately. Kid never ate much and the girls didn't really care so it was more for Maka's preference. She loved how cozy it was compared to the large dining room with it's many servants.
"Then c-could I ask for your help with something?" Maka shifted her head to the side curiously. Crona seemed to take this a signed the answer was no. "Gah! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. Forget I said anything!"
"It's fine Crona." Maka laughed out with a smile. "I will gladly help you with whatever you need."
"Well, at dinner… I saw her."
"Who?" Maka asked curiously as she moved to take the seat next to Crona.
"The girl who looked like you, but covered in wrappings." Maka stalled a bit before sitting down.
"Oh." It's not that Maka hated her madness it was just that it seemed like such a bad thing for others to see. Like she was crazy and needed to be locked up. "I didn't know anyone else could see her other than Kid. I am sorry if she scared you."
"No it's fine. I-I have one too. You met him remember." Crona rubbed her arm self-consciously before pointing to her head. "When we were… inside."
"Oh? Is he still trapped in a bottle?" She asked as nonchalantly as she could. She was really having strange conversations these days.
"Well… no. I did what you said and tried to get to know him but he's so loud and mean. He scares me."
"Well at least you are trying."
"I was wondering… do you think you could help me with him a bit. You get along with yours so well I thought that maybe-"
"Of course. Although I don't think I am subject to really speak on the topic but I can try. Well start tomorrow." She stood up intending to hunt down the young reaper for some sleep. Sometime he slept with her and others he didn't but usually he would at least wish he goodnight.
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"Okay now that you are relaxed try calling him out." Maka sat on her bed staring at the newly changed Crona sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her clothes had come in from the tailors and she was dressed in a simple, although symmetrical, black and white floor-length dress. As it turns out, cutting womens' hair is much more difficult than cutting boys' hair and Crona's came out pretty choppy. However, the girl insisted she liked it and refused to go to someone more qualified to fix it.
"Okay… how do I do that?" Maka had to think for a moment. Her's always came when it felt like it.
"Um… well she usually comes in perverted situations or when I am upset or tired."
"So I think perversely?"
"No! I mean maybe but let's try some other things first. It's bound to be different for everyone." She thought for a moment while Crona regulated her breathing. "Okay, imagine him in front of you or in the palm of your hand. Think about what he looks and acts like."
"O-okay Maka… whatever you say." Crona crunched up her soft face into a scowl. She was visibly shaking as she tried to imagine her madness.
"Try calling him by name?" Maka was running low on ideas. She was never really meant to be a teacher,
"Um… Hi? Ragnarock? Could you please come out?" Crona peeked open an eye and sighed when he wasn't there. Maka had to do something fast before Crona lost all hope.
Oye! You whiney little puss! What in the hell kind of summons was that bullshit? I shouldn't have even come out for that weak ass shit.
"Ah! Maka he's yelling! I don't know how to handle this!" Ragnarock had sprouted from a spot on her shoulder, not her hand, and was banging the side of her head with his oversized fist. Maka was sure it didn't hurt her much but it still needed to stop.
"Crona? Why not ask him to stop?"
"Please… Please stop?"
Oh? I am sorry puissant, I couldn't hear you over the sound of you being a wimp!
"Louder Crona. Like if you were saying it to your mother."
"STOP IT RAGNAROCK!" Maka was a bit taken aback. She was hoping for maybe a slight change in tone but Crona went with an all-out yell.
Heh? Finally got some balls, huh? Well why don't you tell me what you dragged me all the way the fuck out of here for.
Maka nodded to the girl with a reassuring smile. The pinkette braced herself and tried her best to look the little demon in the eyes. "I-I don't want to have to fight you and I know you don't like being kept in that bottle. I don't know how I feel about this but can we try to… be friends?"
There was a moment of silence from the stunned Ragnarock. Bahahahaha! Friends with you? What a fucking joke!
Maka glared at the small black figure and he froze. Slowly he shifted to look at her only to flinch back when he met her gaze. Crona's head was still down so she didn't quite register the exchange.
B-but I guess I could try to not hate you. But only if I don't get put back in that damned jar. There's no fresh air in there!
"Really?" Crona held out her hand with a tentative smile. "My name's Crona."
Fucking DUH! Just don't get all cutesy with me. I hate that shit. Name's Ragnarock. He looked at her hand before he just nodded her hand in acknowledgement. It wasn't perfect but at least it was a start.
Yeah I am sorry for the boring chapter. Just had to set things up. WARNING: the next few chapters are gonna be pretty high intensity.
Soooo Ramble:
As some of you may have read I had issues writing this chapter from lack of motivation so I went to look up good KidxMaka for some inspiration. There is like no good M rated KidMa that's well written and marked as complete. I found a few here and there but most were just badly written or long enough they just obtained reviews from being around so long. Made me very sad. Maybe when I am finally done with this I can get another good story in the completed archive.
Ramble over.
Review!