Chapter 18 – Friendly Conglomeration, Part 2

Sai Summers

Soul was back at the front door of the coffeehouse with his upper half hanging out of the door, yelling in Kid and I's general direction. "Hey Sai, Stein wants to see you."

I looked at him with disappointment. "Can it wait?"

"I already asked for you." Soul shook his head. "He says no."

I sighed. I had a feeling I knew what was coming. "Fine. Tell him I'll be there in a moment."

***

Stein and I sat in a back corner of the coffeehouse. The walls were a dark green, and the wooden two-person table we sat at had a simple, black finish. I sat in a black wooden chair while he slouched in a dark-green half-booth seat opposite me.

The strange thing about the Professor was that he was almost attractive. It wasn't the clothes he wore – they hung fine on him even with the cross-chest stitching. Maybe if he didn't have scar across his face. Eh, maybe it wasn't that, I debated. Maybe it was just the oversized flathead screw sticking out of the right side of his head. That was surely attraction issue.

Or maybe because he came off as somewhat crazy, no matter how intelligent of a thing he said.

And he had a lot to say this time. But sadly none of it seriously crazy.

"I need to talk to you about Monday." He stated matter-of-factly.

I kept my head hung. "I figured as much."

Stein absentmindedly stirred a cup of black coffee in a white mug with a metal spoon; the spoon clinked against the cup every few moments.

His voice was even. "I feel bad for having to restrict you, but you can't accept anyone as a partner or take on any assignments until I've verified that you can attend them. I predict we can only send you on anything that involved having other teams, that way the souls aren't lost."

That was a serious problem for my ego. "You want me to go on assignments in which I'll gain nothing?"

He let the spoon rest in the cup. "You have no other options at this point. Without knowing what the trigger for your soul capture ability is, neither of us have a choice. We don't want to raise suspicion that there's a Weapon who can't gather souls a Shibusen."

I leaned back in my chair. "I'm really that much of an embarrassment to the school, huh?"

He leaned back in the seat and watched his cup of coffee. "It's not that." He paused. "It's that we could have a social backlash against you. You're initial abilities are impressive, but you lack a vital skill." He made a closed fist and shook it lightly. "Many will wonder why you were accepted in the first place." His voice trailed off as he was deep in thought.

I eyed the mug of coffee myself. "It took me two years to gain Shinigami-sama's approval and the paperwork completed for my admittance. I'm not going to let rumors keep me from coming here. I've already given up a lot to be here."

Stein nodded. "I know, I know. But that's not the back of the backlash I'm talking about. I'm talking about a serious problem."

I could feel the annoyance creeping in. "What 'serious problem?'"

Stein put his elbows on the table, crossed his arms, and put his hands on the opposite shoulders. "If you can't gather souls, but you have abilities…people may begin to suspect you as a witch. We have to make every effort to prevent any suspicion from arising." He whispered.

"I'm not a witch…" I muttered. "I can't believe anyone would assume that."

"I know that, and you know that, and everyone you know in this room knows that, but the general public and the rest of the student body doesn't. And…rumors spread fast. Better to give people no reason to start talking."

I could feel my voice rise in volume. "If people think I'm a witch then they're the ones who are ignorant; that shouldn't be my fault!"

Stein leaned forward pounded his right fist on the table. "It's not, but if something plants that idea in their heads you could be immediately expelled under general suspicion! And that's the best version of the problem! What if someone gets the idea in their head that you are a witch, and decides to take matters into their own hands! You could be killed on sight!"

Tears weld up in my eyes and I held my eyes shut.

Stein's face and voice softened. "You don't have any idea of your own value do you?"

I sniffed, and watched the mug.

Stein relaxed back into his seat. "With both sets of abilities, you could easily become both a Death Scythe and a Three Star Meister. You have the chance to be great. Easily worthy of being a Shinigami's Weapon or an Elite Meister, but you've got to trust us." He gesticulated with his hands, trying to emphasize his conviction.

I looked at him through my burning eyes. "Us?" I asked curiously.

Stein gave me a crooked smile. "It was Shinigami-sama's idea to limit your school activities until we know more. I'm really just following through with his orders."

I eyed him with a crooked smile. "I don't think that kind of conviction comes from just following orders."

He started to stir his coffee again. "You're a lot smarter about people than I think those other people realize. You pick up peoples' emotions quickly. I bet we can use that ability."

My eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

He sank slightly in his seat. "Now if I just had some idea what to actually do with the ability we'd be all set."

It was my turn to sink my seat. "I take it it's going to take some special planning."

"Not so much that as I don't know enough yet to figure out what to use as training. Which is for me…" He picked up the coffee cup with his right hand and took a sip. Stein made a face like it was too bitter, and set the mug back down. "…the real reason I want everything to be as normal as possible. I need you to buy me some time for me to research specific training methods for Independent Weapons. I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what I was doing this time. And I'll decide if any group assignments come up that you would be fit for as we go on."

I felt a little better knowing Stein had valid reasons for what he was planning. "Alright." I told him with a nod.

Stein leaned over the table, and looked at me over the top of his glasses. "So, will you do me a favor?"

I looked at him curiously. "Hmm?"

He gave me a crooked smile. "Behave yourself. If you really are related to Evans, you probably attract trouble."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Professor, I'll behave."

"Hey now, I'm serious…"Stein started, but was cut off.

"If it helps, I'll try to keep her out of trouble." I heard from over my left shoulder. It was Kid's dark voice.

Stein looked up and over my head, and snorted a laugh. "Yeah, you're another one that attracts trouble. Shinigami or not, trouble seems to follow you around."

Kid stepped to his right, and took a seat in a wooden chair at the table next to Stein and I's. He shrugged. "Everyone has to have hobbies. If I chose to collect trouble as you say, maybe I have my reasons."

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that made no sense to me.

Stein rolled his eyes and patted his legs with his hands. "Suit yourself." He slid out of the booth and stood at my right. "I will see you two on Monday, then." Stein gave a wave, and walked towards the front of the café at my back.

I sighed. That was one of the toughest conversations I had had since arriving in Death City.

Kid sat sideways in the chair, leaning on both its back and on the black table it was at. He eyed me with consternation. "Is everything alright? The conversation sounded like it got a bit heated."

I turned towards him in my seat. "Professor Stein's worried. I guess I can't blame him. This situation could get ugly if…" I shook my head. "…never mind, I shouldn't talk about it."

He bit his lip and looked down. "If this is about the soul capturing thing, Soul already mentioned it to me."

I shook my head in annoyance. "I swear, he's got such a big mouth. He'll tell anyone anything."

He half-smiled. "I'm glad he told me." Kid paused and inhaled noisily. "And in all seriousness, if you have a problem, or you need help getting out of trouble, let me know. I can easily make sure no one bothers you." There was a look of pride on his face.

I giggled. "Thank you, but that sounds pretty damn creepy. People just start disappearing in your wake."

Kid tried to act innocent. "Well, I am Death." He stated like it was not a big deal to him.

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, be quiet. One of these days that joke will get old." I stuck my tongue out at him.

He grinned. "Only when you're dead."

I fell silent, and stared at him with wide eyes.

Kid blinked, and then his face fell. "Ah…that…was a terrible thing to say. I can't believe I said that." He covered the left side of his face with his left hand.

I started to laugh. "Okay, well, I have one for you then – you know how I know my life is a mess?"

He put his hand down and looked at me. "I'll bite. How do you know?" He asked nonchalantly.

I bit my lip. "Instead of laughing in the face of Death, it took the time to come laugh at me." I snorted a laugh at the end.

Kid pretended to take offense. "But you laughed in my face anyway!" His gold eyes twinkled, so it was hard to take him serious, even about death.

I put my head on the table and laughed to the point of the shakes. I decided that Death – and maybe even death – was funny, and that I was stressed beyond belief.

"Hey Sai!" Soul calling from the front of the shop. "Maka and I are going to take off in a minute or two."

I sat up and looked at Kid, but he avoided my gaze. "I think I'm going to go with them. I'm really tired." I then felt the need to apologize for trashing the plans he had outlined in such detail. "I'm sorry."

"Hey Sai! I didn't ask, you coming with us?" Soul yelled.

I turned towards the front of the shop and yelled back. "Yeah, I coming, gimme a minute!"

His voice was soft. "It's certainly not your fault. It's been a strange twenty-four hours, I must say. And…oh!" There was a look of surprise on his face, and he started to pat down his cargo pants. He seemed to find a pocket that he was looking for and pulled it open. There was the irritating sound of Velcro being pulled apart, and he dug in said pocket.

I eyed wearily. "Not another gift..." I mumbled.

He smiled. "No. Something you already own. Here, put out your hand."

I offered my right hand. In it he placed a jumble of black beads. They were warm from being in his pocket; a sharp contrast to how cold his hand felt.

I was immediately excited. "My mala! Where do you find it? I was looking for it this morning but I couldn't find it."

"I found it this morning on the stairwell and thought it might be yours, but I forgot to mention it in all of the chaos." He told me quietly, with a slight smile.

"How did you know it was mine, anyway?" I asked him curiously.

Kid smiled and his eyes shined. "I do know a little about religion. I figured it fight with your…abilities."

"Thank you. I'm glad you found it." I said, happily expressing my gratitude; I wound the long, circular strand of beads around my left wrist.

Kid's cheeks tinted pink, and he scratched the back of his head with his right hand. "It's not a problem. I'm happy to return them to you."

"Sai…." I heard Soul whining.

"Okay!" I told Kid. I patted my lap once with my hands, and then got to my feet. "Gotta go. He's disturbing the other customers."

I leaned over, put my hands on his shoulders, and gave him a peck of a kiss on the right cheek. I could feel Kid become statue-like under my hands. "Thanks again. I'll see you on Monday." I told him quietly, and ran to meet up with Soul at the front of the shop.

Soul eyed me with suspicion. "Didn't you say you'd stay out of trouble?" He asked with a touch of faux venom in his voice.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "You're just jealous."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want my cousin kissing me?" He asked, holding open the front door to the coffeehouse. We wandered into the street and started the fifteen minute walk back to the apartment.

I rolled my eyes. "So remind me since I was gone for a while, when exactly did you become this much of an ass?" I asked snidely.

Soul laughed and rocked on his heels. "You of all people should know better than to ask me that; people in our family are born with this attitude, m'dear."