Half of the Heart
Two
She could hear the taunting slaughtering sounds clearer than day. It was thick and made a sick spurting sound like that of an animal being chopped to pieces and the gross sound of blood coming heavily out of whatever was sliced. And then came the screams. Such blood curling, haunting, distressed and agonized noises of disembodied figures. This is when Noa would wake screaming at the top of her lungs. Sweat rolling down the poor girl's body in rivulets and she grasps her heart gasping breathes.
"Are you alright Noa-Chan?" Linalee, the girl that was lying next to her but now holding her in her arms, says in a calm almost soothing tone. She runs her soft fingers through Noa's hair,
"Y-yes" Noa replies yet her free hand grips the white sheets of the comforter uneasily. Linalee bore her innocent dark green eyes into lavender,
"You sure?" she checks. Noa nods her head; the dream was always the same, so even though she still awoke screaming she no longer vomited from the horrifying sounds. Noa stares at Linalee's dark, long hair and immediately reaches out her small hand and runs her fingers through it. It was silky and thin, like the feeling of velvety fabric.
"You have such nice hair," Noa says not sure whether she said it as a compliment or as a fact.
"Thank you" Linalee responds,
"Try to get some rest now, we have a big day ahead of us".
Komui introduced Noa to Linalee as soon as the Cardinal left, and at first the young girl's reaction was scared and pure shy. But after a few hours with kind Linalee they became good friends, which in many ways relieved the chief. His sister showed Noa all of the Black Order Headquarters ranging from the office to the cafeteria, dorms, and a little beyond the science division; that was all they were allowed to see.
Linalee introduced Noa to as many people possible but the only ones she could memorize were a few members in the science division and two exorcists. The exorcists were the ones she could remember every detail of. One went by the name of Yu Kanda, a rather pretty boy who had the longest dark hair Noa had ever seen, and such wild yet oddly sad eyes that was surrounded by creamy milk skin.
According to Linalee he was the apprentice of an exorcist general named Froi Tiedoll, a kindly man who was supposedly amazingly artistic and loved his students as if they were his own children. Yu Kanda had a nasty personality that could match with the attitude of a minx.
When Noa was first introduced to him he seemed calm enough, but because of Noa's shy and slow to coming nature Kanda became easily annoyed and told her some words that her priest would consider words of the devil. Linalee told her not to mind him, that was just the way he was, and if it made her any happier he was like that towards everyone, even his master.
The other exorcist was Hevleska, a very large woman who's innocence had enveloped her body causing her to form into this giant but beautiful creature with light purple tendrils and no eyes but a nose and puffy purple lips. Hevleska scared Noa at first, but the moment the soft giant spoke with her gentle slow tone Noa immediately befriended her. Yu Kanda was a bit intimidating for the girl but she somewhat grew a liking for him as well. And after a long day of pure exploring the sky had turned completely dark it was time for the girls to retire to the welcoming comfort of their shared bedroom.
The next day Noa was introduced to the kitchen crew, the head of the kitchen being a guy known as Jeryy, a jolly, really fruity, man who had nicely braided corn rose which stopped mid-way down his back and wore sunglasses indoor. His nationality was Indian so he had this adorable accent that made Noa giggle every time he talked, though the man didn't know that she was giggling over him.
"Well, what'll it be doll?" Jeryy says staring down at cute Noa.
"Uh…" the cardinal had always fed her without her need of asking and she didn't know any particular meals or foods that she liked or disliked. She didn't even remember the actual taste. When she was with the cardinal, there were more things important than savoring food.
"You can order anything you want" Linalee says,
"W-well, I don't know what I want…?" Noa looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Tangling her fingers in the fabric of her light green dress and clicking together black-laced boots at the hills. Jeryy laughs heartedly,
"Don't worry hun, I'll fix you up something you'll never forget, k?" he says, Noa nods her head. Linalee lets out a giggle, she never thought there would be someone as fragile and shy as her. Jeryy fixed up a nice big bowl of hot porridge with extra brown sugar, a hint of salt, butter and a ketchup smiley face drawn on the top.
"Whoa, that smells great and looks good" Linalee says, Noa nods her head. She breathes in the arousing smell of sugar and oats and sighs in delight. She took a spoon full and pops it in her mouth, ignoring the intense heat, tasting the delicious flavor of melted sugar and ketchup.
"Amazing" Noa cries.
"Hmph, I don't see what's so amazing about food" Kanda Yuu conveys as he walks over to the table the two girls resided and sits next to Linalee.
"Ya eat it, and that's it, what's so special about that?"
"I guess how it tastes" Linalee remarks,
"Mhmm" Noa agrees. Kanda rolls his dark eyes and lands them on Noa, who was too busy eating hastily to notice that he was staring at her.
"What's up with you anyway, what's your innocence, there's no way Central would just let you in and your not even an exorcist" Noa swallows the last bit of porridge and answers shyly,
"Central doesn't know I'm here". Both Linalee and Kanda's eyes widen in surprise.
"B-but, you are an exorcist, right?" Linalee says,
"That's what the minister told me," Noa says matter-of-factly.
Kanda leans across the table to get closer to Noa and whispers to her,
"Don't tell anyone else that dummy," he then leaves the table and off to handle his affairs.
"W-what did he say?" Linalee says.
"Not...Nothing"