Why am I still writing this? Why, why, why? I mean really, just because I'm a fool for gender bending, doesn't mean I should continue, right? I mean, this is stupid, huh? I'm wasting my talents (?) on an idiotic idea. I should, eh, work on something else! . . . Oh, who am I kidding. Me and you both know I'm getting a BIG kick out of this. For seerz, man. This is uber fantastical. I mean, female Kanda is / would be so hot. No, no, no. She is / would be HAWT. With an a and a w, no less!
Let me get this straight before I continue this. I. Don't. Really. Like. Yullen. Yes, I will read it from time to time, but hell, its not my style. So this probably won't turn on that pairing, if it has any pairing at all. I'm reaaaal sorry. I have weird taste in loveloveromance ships. You know what I think is cool, you guys? Kanda x Tyki. Yeah baby, I'm an odd one. Just warning you, I do think thats a - okay. (WOULDN'T THAT BE SUPER HOT THOUGHT? I MEAN, FOR SEERZ?) Anyways, read on, you fools!
Even if she did get to her bed before midnight, her mind wasn't put to rest for a long while after that. Finally, after an hour of restless tossing and turning, she sat up, back against the wall, blankets forcefully pushed off of her legs. Her head lolled to one shoulder, and her teeth bit her bottom lip forcefully. Her eyes squeezed shut, as if the more force she used, the likelier the chances she would pass out.
No such luck.
Kanda groaned, and swung her legs over the side of the bed, shivering as her feet touched the chilled ground. She was too excited from the earlier events. She needed to punch something. Snatching her robe from the hook on the wall, she slid one arm into the sleeve, before realizing it wasn't the best choice of clothing.
In fact, why would she even need a coat? She flung it onto her bed, and instead reached into her drawers for a pair of pants (because she wasn't going to walk around in a tattered shirt), and grabbed her boots from under the bed.
Within the minute, her door was flung wide open. The only sound she could hear was Mugen slapping against her thigh, and her heels clacking against the stone floor. Walking down a flight of stairs, Kanda shoveled all of her hair to one shoulder, before digging through her pants for a hair tie. She rolled her eyes when her hands came up empty, and resolved to buy some new ones before the week ended.
The gate was in sight. The small feeling of excitement caused her to frown. She needed something more—challenging. Kanda hoped that mission would come sooner than later.
--
"Yeah. We all miss him too, you know?"
"Remember that one time? When we were in that bar, and he told that girl—" the man that sat beside her looked down into his bowl of soup with an opaque expression. The slightly larger one patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, "Yeah, he was a real riot." He said sadly, before shooting off into another story about the nameless dead finder. Another one.
Kanda was absolutely sick of these stories. The man was already gone. He was not the first, and he would not the last.
The more they spoke, the more familiar the person became. She didn't care if they mourned him—but that didn't mean she had to as well. Squeezing her chopsticks with a deadly grip, Kanda stared at her white knuckles with a slowly dimming expression. She'd had enough. They could talk about the dead man later.
"Stop talking about him." She hadn't even seemed to direct the words at the group, but they instantly knew who she was talking too. Her gaze flickered from the bowl to their slightly shocked faces. "He's dead."
The larger man blanched, before his expression turned to a blooming red rage. "Say that again, you bitch?" he shouted, rising from his seat with his arms flexed. As if he could intimidate her.
Kanda's eyes narrowed. With each word painfully accentuated, she gave him what he asked for. "Stop talking about him. He's dead."
His eyes showed the comprehension of a severely angered animal. Kanda looked at him monotonously. "Damn it," he whispered hoarsely, "We Finders risk our lives for you, and you have the nerve to be like this!?" his voice rose with each word, and she knew he wouldn't be able to hold back his anger much longer.
"Finders are easily replaceable. One day, you will be gone too." She frowned, "Why should even one of you matter to me?"
He snapped. She'd expected it. "You bitch!" he shouted, arm rearing back. His fist didn't hit her jaw. It didn't even hit the hand she was planning to use block his punch with.
His wrist was caught in the brat's hand, the kid looking into the angry man's eyes with a serious expression. "Please control your anger."
Did he just . . . ? The corner of her eye twitched. Did that idiot dare interrupt in her business? As if she couldn't take care of it herself? As if she needed his help? Oh, she was not happy. Before the man could reply, a very forceful, very scary voice penetrated the silence of the cafeteria.
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
The brat looked at her, and then to the man. As if wondering who just said that to him. But then he realized, no matter how high pitched the man (not that he would need to be that high pitched to mimic her), no one could imitate the feminine tone of a real woman. And besides that fact, Kanda looked pleasantly pissed off, which was a great tip off.
He blinked. "Um, excuse me?"
"You heard me, you little twerp." she hissed, ramming the full force of the hatred she felt for him that moment into a very, very intense glare. "What gives you the right to interrupt into my business?" Kanda said, folding her arms with frustration.
He gulped, still confused, "I was just trying to help you."
Her head tilted, "Who said I needed help?"
The brat dropped the now forgotten Finder's arm, and said in a tone of disbelieving, "He was about to punch you."
Kanda rolled her eyes, "Who said I didn't deserve to be punched?"
The kid paused. He'd obviously heard the conversation, and knowing his type, he probably thought she did deserve it. He thought for a moment, about to say something, before he shut his mouth tight.
Kanda smirked, "Hm. What I thought..."
The brat looked at her with a look of reluctance. She was ready to leave, but he looked as if he had one or two words he needed to pump out of his system. She waited.
"Kanda! Allen! Over here!"
She glanced towards the entrance, and spotted Reever (Followed by Lenalee, who waved, if it matters), smiling towards them enthusiastically. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. Finally, a mission. Far away from the damn order, and this stupid kid.
"Eat your food in ten minutes, and come to the command post!" he hollered, "You two got a mission!"
You two? Maybe that could be used in a different way. Maybe they had separate missions, and they were getting them at the same time1. Because there was no way in hell she was going to be with him for more than a few seconds.
She was going on a mission, and she was going on it alone. Of course.
--
Stepping over strewn papers and books, Kanda half wondered how deep down the floor was. Was it a thin coating? Or would you have to dig? Not that it really mattered. Kanda frowned, and kicked up a few loose –as in not pounded into the ground—papers. He needed to clean up this shit. Bad.
Reever walked over to a currently sleeping Komui (Dumbass...), and started to whisper in his ear. She scowled. What the hell was he going to do to wake him up? Knowing Reever…
"Lenalee!" Komui shrieked, slipping on ten or so papers in the process of shooting up from his sleeping position, and falling onto the table. "Lenalee! How could you get married without telling your loving brother!" he cried, tears soaking into the paperwork he was laying on top of.
Kanda was mildly disturbed, lips curling into an unmistakable grimace.
A few seconds later, she was shown to the couch by an understandably embarrassed Lenalee. She smiled apologetically, and offered her a cup of coffee. Kanda shook her head, before settling into the couch, and making herself comfortable. She was keeping positive (if that was possible). Just because they were being shown their missions at the same time, in the same room, and by the same person, did not mean they were going on it together. That little twerp was not going to go with her. Ever.
Komui had now controlled himself, and began to explain what was going on. "All right, we don't have much time, so after you hear the summary, move out as quickly as possible" Kanda nodded. Sounded good to her. "If you want more detailed information, just read this packet on the way to your destination." Lenalee handed one to her with a small smile, and another to albino boy. Same packet too? Tch. That didn't mean anything.
Komui paused, before looking at them with a neutral expression, "Oh yes. You two will be going as partners."
Oh, god... She cast the brat a sideways glance, before folding her arms and decidedly looked away from him, as if the very sight of him disgusted her. Which it did. He looked thoroughly offended, before looking off in his own direction with a huff.
Komui raised an eyebrow. "Err, you two don't like each other already?"
--
If this kid asked one more fucking question, they were going to miss the fucking train.
"But wait, I just have one more question." He said nonchalantly, as if they weren't leaping over a higher-than-one-story-building, and preparing to jump onto down to a possible death. Landing with their feet planted on a bridge, Brat caught sight of the lump of metal screeching its way down the tracks. She couldn't see him, but she knew his eyes boggled, "We're jumping on that!?" he shouted, confusion heavy in his tone.
"Just shut up for now!" Kanda hissed, not even half a second before she leaped to the potentially dangerous hazard bellow. She landed flat footed, a pang circling its way up her ankles, and up to her spinal cord. She winced, before falling backwards onto her behind. Where was that damn opening?
"Over here!" the finder yelled, his voice almost completely drowned out by the whistling wind. Kanda moved her head to look at him, but all she could pay attention to was black hair whacking her in the face. She cursed, before bunching the ponytail in her hands, and crawling towards the hatch. She pushed herself to the edge, before letting gravity do its job, landing with a surprisingly necessary flourish. She was soon followed by the white haired shortie.
While the finder said la di da2 to the train attendant, Kanda was trying her best to fix her currently wind-ragged hair. Combing her fingers through the obviously well taken care of strands, she blatantly ignored everyone who was staring at them with confused looks. Once satisfied, she took the hair tie from between her teeth, and knotted it tightly.
She focused her attention back on the finder and attendant. "Black Priests?" the attendant said with awe, staring directly at the rose crest stitched into her jacket3, and then to her and her companions profiles. He bent down in a hurried and shaky bow, "Yes sir! Please follow me!"
--
Lounging in the first class compartment, with a book hanging between her fingers, Kanda was expecting –hoping—for a quiet ride. But luck was a cruel mistress. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but about that question I had earlier…" Kanda internally sighed. Yes. She did mind him asking. He looked at his papers, before fixing her with that same serious stare that he gave her when he was, well, serious. "What does this eerie legend have to do with innocence?"
Kanda scowled. "Tch…"
She really didn't want to answer. I mean, couldn't he see she was reading? God damn, this brat talked too much. And did he seriously not know? Kanda rolled her eyes.
"Don't you know already?" she stated blandly, glaring at him with a look of impatient annoyance.
He frowned, "I apologize, but I don't know at all."
Her frown deepened, "Figures." The kid attempted not to look offended.
She leaned on the windows ledge, looking out it with little to no interest. "Innocence is a kind of substance that's changed from the time of Noah, to the present." She explained voice completely uninspiring, "In the beginning it was rotting away at the bottom of the sea, but—like it was luring us to it, we discovered it. Its appearance changes every time we find it, so it could appear as anything, at any moment. They're always showing up as some eerie illusion, for some reason." Her gaze flickered towards him, half wondering if he found this boring. His eyes gleamed with understanding. "So that means that the Ghost of Martel might have something to do with innocence?" he inputted, cocking his head to the side.
She nodded, "Mm."
"In an eerie place you'll find innocence." She quoted, sounding sarcastically ominous. "That's why the church searches places like this. Whenever they think something's more than likely there, they send us in."
Her speech faded into silence, Kanda giving more than her fair share of words in less than five minutes. Her attention was once again focused on the papers in front of her, though her mind was wandering somewhere else. How did the little brat not know about something as basic as that? Was that damned Cross that bad of a mentor? that he wouldn't even know the basics of innocence? Sadly, she didn't think twice about that theory. He'd always been her least favorite general, if she had a favorite at all. He'd always been a prick.
"That's right."
The words vibrated throughout the compartment. The abruptness of it gave those two words an almost hypnotic presence. Kanda zoned in on the door. The finder had something to say apparently. His voice carried through the barrier of the door. "I too was a part of the investigation, so I have seen it before." Kanda assumed it was the innocence he was speaking of. Was what he had to say something important? Her lips pursed in concentration.
"The Ghost of Martel is a doll."
Doll…?
Oh, you all know Allen is a gentleman. I don't diss him for it. But, you know, girly!Kanda does. Because, well, you know he / she would. Sorry for any OOCness (if any) you find sad, or revolting in here. I didn't mean it. Also, I'd like to know something. What is Kanda's name . . . as a girl? I mean, I know Yuu is super fun, yo. But, for seerz, does that seem like a girl name to you? What would her name be? Yuu-a? Yuu-a-rina? I need some input if I'm going to play along with this.
And last but not least, I AM SO SORRY FOR ALL THIS RAMBLING DETAILS. I do it. I do. And I don't mean to. And you know what sucks even worse? My details are stupid. For seerz, I would say "Blue-y circular-y bowl" if it came to mind. So yeah. Review. And stuff. So, I, like, you know, know.
And I only read this over once, so mistakes a - go - go.