Our Infinity & Symmetry
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A/n: I'm on a roll! I hope this isn't stopping soon.
Thank you for reading, and thank you specifically CrazyAnime3 and KuriSari for the nice reviews. :3
This fic does contain light spoilers if you aren't up to date with the manga.
Prompt: Table-B .006 First Meeting
Disclaimer: The owner of Soul Eater is Atsushi Ōkubo. Our Infinity & Symmetry belongs to me. I gain nothing material by writing this and do it solely for fun.
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When they first met, it wasn't exactly pleasant. They didn't even exchange names. Their conversation (if it could be considered one as Kid was the main speaker) consisted of lecturing and objective views. That brief time, nearly 30 minutes exactly, they fought. Their first meeting wasn't…preferable. So Death the Kid decided to give a fresh introduction.
It took some time after Crona was added to the group of his friends. He wasn't angry, not really. He just didn't know what to make of it. Even Soul had forgiven Crona for nearly killing him upon their initial meeting. The nervous, blue-eyed Meister was apparently terrible at introductions.
Taking it upon himself to make amends with the person he didn't seem to understand, Kid suggested a party at Death Manor for all to attend and enjoy a tensionless atmosphere. When he placed his hand on the wallflower's boney shoulder, he felt a surge of reluctance, but he wasn't a rude person (just blunt at times). It was just different, comforting someone he'd battled. Then again, that's how his friendship with Black Star and Soul began, with fighting.
"Take your time. Join our group at your own pace. No one's going anywhere." He offered a simple friendly smile. For a moment, his insides twinged. He wasn't a stranger to loneliness, though he handled such things much better than most with the mindset that all he needed was to tilt the world into a natural equilibrium by protecting the innocent from madness. Such is the life of a Shinigami, he presumed. Still, he felt a rare pity for Crona.
Their meeting at the party, a more casual and pleasant one, was acceptable. Even with Black Star's sudden intrusion it was satisfying.
Time, however, changes things; like people and their minds. Crona's decent into madness had left a bitter taste in Kid's mouth. It was obviously hardest on Maka as the Scythe Meister had to bear the pain of fighting for a loved one with no intention to be saved. Kid didn't personally know such an experience, but understood as much as he could. The tears in his friend's green eyes, the betrayal glazed over determined care, gave him all he needed to know.
The Shinigami could respect Maka's reckless determination to save her friend. Even he had needed saving from madness when Noah had captured him, and he'd been too out of sorts to ask for help when it finally arrived. It took practically all of his friends to bring him back to normal, particularly Black Star. However, Crona's "normal" wasn't stable, and she'd managed to evade Black Star during their fight courtesy of her Snake Witch mother.
She was out of control.
Yet, after the monstrous battle of madness aside madness colliding on the moon, the friends were all together in one piece. The young Shinigami hadn't expected it, but it was all he would ask for.
Months passed and things seemed much calmer. Not many missions had cluttered Kid's schedule as it seemed the Battle on the Moon had scared lower level villains into hiding. Today he busied himself with an errand; aiding his father with the school after class hours. Here in the empty halls of Shibusen he found Crona wandering. She seemed surprisingly happier, at peace with herself and the world.
It hadn't been that long since they'd last spoken, but now that Kid had the chance to think on it, he'd never really spoken to the Makenshi alone. The young man strode up to the quiet pinkette and greeted with a polite "Hello." Her clear gray-blue eyes watched him without malice or fear, merely neutral and a tad curious as to what the always focused boy had to say. "How're you doing?" Her eyes widened a bit, Kid noticed. 'Is it really so strange for me to ask that?'
To Crona, his friendly concern was foreign. She felt comfortable enough claiming him as a friend, but the two weren't particularly close. "I'm alright. Just…" She looked away in a pause, searching for the best word. "bored."
Kid nodded. "Nothing much has been going on around here. That being said, do you want to help me organize the assignment board?" Not too hesitantly, Crona agreed.
He showed her how he wanted it arranged and what needed to be corrected, and Crona wondered if he remembered the time he explained its use and system to her. Though she doubted it came to his mind, the Makenshi felt rather content and placed the boards as he instructed. It feels nice to help, she thought.
"By the way," the amber-eyed Meister began, waiting for Crona's attention to fall back on him as they worked. "I've never properly introduced myself to you, all this time." Crona looked at him innocently and patiently to continue. "I'm Death the Kid. It's nice to meet you." Kid smiled that simple friendly smile from before with an outstretched hand, and Crona felt as if he was more relaxed this time.
Stumbling in her mind on how she should react, she managed, "I-I'm-… I'm Crona." There was a light red hue to her pale cheeks. "Oh, um, n-nice to meet you, too. Kid." The two had paused from placing boards and stared at one another, as if really seeing for the first time. It took her a minute, but Crona realized she'd been smiling. Then they were organizing again, side by side in comfortable speechlessness. Both had felt a warmness at the small exchange; happiness, simple happiness at a random and simple gesture of friendship. Kid smiled to himself, feeling accomplished, and Crona sighed softly in a happy sort of relief. Sometimes first meetings take a few attempts to get right.