AN- This has been such a palaver to put up! I've decided to rewrite these chapters and as promised, it's all sorted now. That's the last time I update with my phone... Good old reliable computers for me from now on. Anyway, enjoy!
Back in the comfort of his own home now and away from Maka's emerald eyes, into a more clinical symmetrical beauty. Kidd's kitchen. His pride and joy.
It's not very threatening to be a culinary genius, so Kidd didn't like to mention his passion for food but with a metabolism of a Reaper, Kidd needed to eat lots. And eating lots, he found, was hard without enjoying the food - hence his practise in cooking for himself.
This was made all the easier by the perfectly pleasing symmetry of his kitchen. A huge oven at the centre of the U-Shaped kitchen side with a sink on each end and matching refrigerators. One for meats and the other for veg with a freezer beneath both. His kitchen has an island, naturally and tall stools (eight of them - four on each side).
Finishing up his spaghetti bolognese for dinner at eight o'clock, Kidd unwraps his black and white striped apron from around his waist and hangs it up on the hook to the left of the room. The next evening he will use the one hanging on the hook to the right of the room, to keep the balance.
Alone again.
"Why did those two have to be so stupid? Now I'm all alone" he says to nobody in particular.
The quiet house responds with silence. Usually, Patty would be chowing down on the spaghetti, making a mess and Liz would be picking at it, complaining about carbs. Kidd feels a pang of loneliness when he realises just how empty his life is going to be without them. He would have no unconscious lumps to wake up in the morning. Nobody to shout at when they only had five more minutes before they had to leave the house. Nobody to make sure he gets a grip when some random teacher's tie is wonky. What would he do if he had nobody to pry him off said teacher's back when he attacked him to merely straighten the abomination of a necktie? Nobody to bail him out when he gets into trouble afterwards...
What was he going to do?
Grin and bear it. Find a new, symmetrical weapon, or two. I, opossible. Just something to fight with. Someone to live with. Someone to cook for. Anyone. The quiet he once longed for was driving him mad.
Then he saw the phone beckoning him from across from the living room.
He knew that with a phone call he could get them back.
After his spagbol, Kidd slips his single dish into the left sink with the rest of the washing up in the bowl filled with hot, soapy suds, and stalks into the living room with a fowl expression. He slumps into the plush sofa and leans back, rubbing his eyes symmetrically in an effort to rub away his problems. His face is hot and a little flushed under stress and his hands are freezing in comparison. He sits, face in hands for a while, thinking of things other than Liz and Patty. When the girls momentarily invade his thoughts despite his best efforts keeping them out, he decides to go and wash up, rolling up the sleeves of his long purple shirt to his elbows in preparation as he walks through the grand black door joining the dining room to the kitchen.
Plunging his hands into the hot soapy water, Kidd loses his thoughts staring into the pitch black outside the window above the left sink. He imagines seeing Patty's reflection in the window and smiles. Surely his pride could survive a mere apology so he could re-hire the two menaces under a strict agreement that they promise to stay quiet and not get rowdy. He decides to call his Father to get them back. Kidd rejoices in the fact that he doesn't have to look through any more weapon applicants, leaving him smiling as he finishes washing up and begins to dry. He just can't tolerate dripping dishes - or... dish. The thought makes Kidd sigh as he weighs up the probability that his dad will want Liz and Patty back after the conversation they had earlier that same day. It wasn't looking good.
Let's not get rid of those weapon applicants just yet he thinks to himself. Something outside in the dark catches his eye and with a crash the porcelain dish in his hands falls to the ground, still dripping wet, and shards go everywhere. Normally, this would send Kidd into spasms but what he could see outside in the dark has peaked his interest so he drops his towel and runs to the nearest door.
Outside, Kidd wishes he had thought to turn a light on as he stalks through the dark after a figure he can barely see, running from the property in dark clothes. If that doesn't warrant investigation Kidd doesn't know what does. He decides that the figure knows he is chasing them and that stealth is no longer an issue. He speeds up, using all the superhuman grace he can muster from his Reaper heritage and when he nears the target, springs forward on his toes, tackling the retreating figure to the ground, quickly pinning them to the driveway of his mansion.
"What are you doing trespassing on private property? This land is owned by the Death family so know that any illegal doings will result in great consequences." Kidd whispers with as much power and assertion as he can muster whilst being on top of someone and dodging full-on attacks. The intruder is strong, strong enough to push his weight (albeit not much) off of them in seconds, though the intruder is no bigger than Kidd himself, he notes. Oh if only he had Liz and Patty around now he needs them. Though he was trained in the majority of existing martial arts by age 8 to the sensei level, Kidd found he disliked using any physical force on any still sound soul.
After having been thrown off the intruder and gotten back up, Kidd realises that they are up and already running. Sensing his disadvantage, Kidd decides to pull a trick from up his Reaper sleeve. Extending a hand out towards the small form running from him about 15ft away, Kidd forms a chain of soul energy and whips it towards the intruder, knocking them over once again. The dark body stays on the floor this time. Kidd smiles at his victory and proudly strolls over to the intruder, pondering what to do with them. The figure put up quite a fight to not only out run a Reaper but also throw one off of them and run again. Kidd isn't exactly a heavyweight but with all the force he was exerting onto the body in an attempt to keep it immobile, not many would have been able to get up. This thought confuses Kidd as he bends down to reveal the intruder.
At a glance he can tell it's a she. And that she is built petite and dressed for running with supportive trainers and dark clothing perfect for hiding her from sight. If he hadn't had the amazing 20-20 vision has, Kidd would never have been able to see her through the reflection of the inner lights on the window and his own face staring back.
Regardless of the fact she was breaking the law and ran from justice having gotten caught - an act of cowardice, Kidd finds himself delicately picking up the tiny girl and carrying her with care back to his house. He feels immediately caring towards the girl but pretends he is merely being a gentleman because he doesn't want to believe that he is so desperate for company that he will take any vandal he can plow down outside into his home and treat them to leftover spaghetti.
Just this one.
He lays her on the sofa and removes her hood. An unremarkable yet not displeasing face with no evidence of makeup use and no wrinkles. He would estimate her to be in her late teens or possibly early twenties at a stretch but when she opens her eyes he can tell she has experienced plenty in her life.
She sits up, not breaking eye contact with Kidd as he sits up in unison on the other end of the sofa,
"Shit" she fumbles, "Oh I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for that to be my first word. First impressions and all that-"
Kidd feels the need to smile at her obvious distress.
"It's just... I thought it was you living here but I didn't think you'd look how you do and... I'm sorry. I was trespassing and I shouldn't have run from you but I can't go to prison, please! I didn't steal a thing and I didn't break anything, so please- I need to go." She goes to stand but Kidd places his hand on her shoulder and pushes her back down onto the sofa. She tries to sit up again against Kidd's hand and manages to push him back. Kidd is confused further by her apparent strength for such a small girl, but tames her rebellion with a disapproving glare. Using his scary image to his advantage, he threatens her,
"If you don't sit down I'm going to call Lord Death right now. I needed to call him anyway. This way I can give him an excuse for calling."
She stops, leaning back and for a moment Kidd revels in the thought that he has her scared. But when a menacing glint appears in her eye and a smile curls on one side of her mouth, a wave of unease sweeps over Kidd, his bravado fading.
"Yeah that'd be great. I'd love to talk to Gr- Death" she corrects herself. Why would she refer to Lord Death as 'Gr-' Kidd wonders.
Her smile returns and she crosses her arms in defiance. Okay. If that's what you really want Kidd supposes as he stands and ambles over to the phone.
The girl on the sofa flinches when the phone's dialling tone is audible even though it's pressed against Kidd's ear but she regains her composure when she convinces herself that she has a plan. Lord Death would know what was going on and how she got to be in Death City when she last remembered going to sleep under a bridge in England and how the season has changed though she remains in her original hemisphere. She hadn't expected him to actually pick up the phone but oh well. She shrugs, snuggling down into the squishy sofa and making herself comfortable. She felt a lot more comfortable now, feeling she was commanding control of the situation. Getting caught hadn't been part of her plan but she could adapt.
"Ah, Father, hi, it's Kidd I have a problem..."
The girl can hear sound from the phone but nothing coherent catches hear ear.
"Yes Father but there's been an intruder at the house-"
"Yes. Oh? Have you? That's not good. What do you think it could be? Chaos? Wow. That's terrible. Yeah."
"Well yeah, I can deal with her. Yeah. Okay Dad... Um, before you go, about Li-"
Kidd sighs and the stranger raises a sceptical eyebrow in response.
"Yes sir. I understand. If you change your mind or need me there just call. Goodbye."
He hangs up the phone and places it back on its little stand, visibly drooping with the crushing weight of having had the opportunity to bring back his weapons but failed to verbally push his point across. Kidd looks up at his intruder, remembering his father's instructions. 'Do what you see fit to punish the intruder but keep the breach in security on the down-low. No sense in alerting everyone to the Reaper family's temporary soft spot. There are many families of high prestige looking to take over from us, Kidd. One day you will be dealing with these matters and have to defend an entire city, defending an entire world.'
"Father told me to do what I see fit to punish you." Kidd states flatly, looking away from the girl's intense stare from on his sofa.
"And what would that be? Why can I not see Lord Death?" she asks, her voice having faintly lost its previous smug undertones.
"He is otherwise engaged dealing with some anomalous energy readings from earlier today. He is conducting an investigation into it as it could pose a major threat to everyone here in Death City. Speaking of which, why don't you tell me your name and I will tell you mine. Then we can clear up the issue of why you were on private property." Kidd retorts, feeling suddenly drawn into a verbal match.
"I know the answers to all those questions. Why would I involve you? Sounds like you get more out of this bargain than I do." She states nonchalantly, turning away from Kidd and burrowing down deeper into the sofa.
Rolling his eyes thinking Do I just attract smart arses?, Kidd pushes himself from off the small table atop of which the retro rotary dialler sits between two identical notepads and two pens.
The stranger looks up from analysing the grubby nails of her right hand to see the fuming owner of the house she is trespassing in. Boring. She glances around in an effort to find something to do since she knows the boy in the purple shirt won't kick her out. He tries to act tough but he cooks alone and is missing someone. He has a soft spot for me evidently since I'm currently on his sofa and not a police station. I could even swing this to get a place to stay out of him.
"I know how to twist people to get my own way." She states, standing up and sauntering over to a photo frame upturned on the desk. Turning it back over she sees an image of two girls in matching outfits sitting either side of the boy behind her. She holds it up to his angered figure to check if his face had changed from the image to the real thing. It hadn't but in the picture he was... sort of smiling.
"Would you mind sitting back down please?"
The stranger holds up her hands in submission, picture frame still in her grip and sits back down on the sofa in mock obedience.
Kidd begins to pace, his irritation clear and causing an irritation to rise in the intruder also.
"Could you just not pace then please?" She demands, throwing her arms down against the seat in despair.
His feet slow, "Ah yes. Sorry. You see, I have-"
"Bigger things on your mind right now? Yeah. I get it. You want these guys back."
"How did you know they were even gone?" Kidd questions, raising one eyebrow and crossing his arms before noticing his offset symmetry and righting himself again. His OCD was always worse when stressed.
"You cooked too much spaghetti and there's only one dish in the sink. You ate alone. Yes I was watching. When laying the table you picked up three placemats and had to put two away again. So now that's cleared up, what's going on at Shibusen?"
Kidd is taken aback by her bored tone but responds anyway, neglecting to question why he feels the criminal is worth telling the truth to.
"There have been some crazy energy readings that have been deemed potentially dangerous but it's all under control, like I said. I am not at liberty to say nor do I know any more. Their names are Liz and Patty by the way." Kidd answers, leaning back against the side of one of the recliners.
"Those are nice names," the girl comments dryly and Kidd almost feels like the intruder recognises them but his suspicion is forgotten when the girl goes on to ask, "Who were they? To you I mean?"
"My weapon partners." Kidd answers, turning his head and looking vacantly out of the large full wall window on the opposite side of the room.
"Oh. I see," is her only reply.
A moment passes with both of them in silence, Kidd glancing at the darkness outside and the stranger looking with a calculating stare into nowhere in particular. She decides on something and, sighing as if to signal the passage of time and indicate the need to move on, she probes the Grim Reaper's mood with an exploratory question.
"So Erm... mister Death, will I be going to jail tonight? Because if not I had better find someplace to sleep. If you'd like to provide me with a nice cosy jail cell it'd be appreciated for a short amount of time. Probably until tomorrow when sleep isn't at the forefront of my mind and liberation has become an objective."
Kidd cringes when he realises that the only choice is for him to offer for this total stranger to stay the night. She really does know how to get people to do what she wants. Or was it just that he was lonely and had no spine?
When the Reaper doesn't repond, the girl stands, brushing off the grass from her backside onto the floor and smirking as she notices how much it irritates him.
"FINE! You can stay here the night. I'm sure Patty has left something you can wear to bed behind and there's an abundance of rooms to be slept in." He rolls his eyes, expecting her to deny his offer cooly but she thanks him and walks towards the stairs as if she knows the layout of the house already.
"Okay. I'm beat so I'm gonna go up now. G'night mister Death," she rubs her eye sleepily whilst deliberating in the doorway.
"Yeah... goodnight." Kidd replies absentmindedly, forgetting the one he is bidding a good night to is a felon.
"Oh, sir," the girl starts, though by looking, an outsider would assume her his elder, "you really should make up with your weapons. Those girls... whatever they did, you're hurting yourself to think you can get along without them. Just call them. Work a little Reaper magic. Goodnight." And with that she lets go of the doorframe and trudges upstairs, dirty trainers in one hand whilst rubbing her eye with the other.
Kidd watches the empty doorframe and listens to her slumping feet on the hardwood stairs. He hears her shut the door of Patty's old room, which is possibly a lucky guess and possibly because of her watching him. He hopes in that moment that she hasn't been watching for too long, but wanders over to the rotary phone and picks it up, dialling the Thompson sisters' new number and bracing himself for the fight ahead of him.
Upstairs, pulling on giraffe print pyjamas she is sure Patty is missing, the now welcome intruder snuggles down into a bed in Death the Kidd's house and sleeps well