That night they played, Kanda with his old, worn but extremely well cared for violin and Allen with her beat up keyboard. Both of them bickering back and forth, on the song, who would start first. The list really was endless, but they meshed. They both knew it, and on some levels it was liberating and on others infuriating.
"Hey Lavi, what'd you think those are doing?" Lenalee asks, lying on the couch in Kanda and Lavi's living room.
"Dunno." Lavi says, voice lazy. Lena was currently using his lap as a footrest, not that Lavi really cared. He was too tired, and he was trying to catch the slight tune that managed to drift down the empty street.
"What's that coming from?" Lena asks quietly, the music had grown slightly louder.
"Probably them. Yuu hasn't played in years though." Lavi says, wondering. Not that Kanda knew he knew about Kanda playing the violin. Of course Lavi knew, Kanda was an idiot. But this was the first time in a long time he'd actually heard the man play.
"So what'd you think of her?" Lenalee mumbles sleepily.
"Dunno. She's like a cat I guess. Sorta like Yuu, but she has more secrets." Lavi replies.
"So you've noticed it too…" Lena trails off, she thinks a moment before speaking again. "She's really like a sister to me. A few years ago I was stupid, went to a party and got wasted. Bad situation all around, some guys had taken me to the back. They'd slipped something in my cup. Then Allen walks in, lips all tight and giving off the scariest vibe I've ever felt. She went and punched each of them so hard they were spitting up blood. I couldn't move, but I saw it all." Lavi realizes Lena's crying, a far off look on her face. "Then she went, fixed my clothes and picked me up. Took me to her place until morning."
Lenalee lets Lavi bring her up and hold her. She kept crying though. Lavi didn't particularly blame her. He just kept rubbing circles into her back, until she fell fast asleep.
Three Weeks Later.
"Hm cutie, what's your name?" A dark haired man asked her, leaning against the wall of a building. Kanda beside her lets off a glare that probably should have put the guy off, but it somehow doesn't.
Allen just ignores him, until he steps in her path. Towering over her he was certainly intimidating, not that Allen particularly cared, she'd learned over the years that intimidating didn't necessarily mean dangerous or a threat.
"You look familiar, so what is it?" His voice is sickenly sweet, and rings something in Allen's head. He runs a finger through her hair and down to her cheek, and for some reason she couldn't muster the ability to move. Every fiber of her being was panicking though, in that awful way that leaves you incapable of thinking even.
"Fuck off and leave the guy alone." Kanda steps in, forcing himself in front of Allen. She could have kissed him, seriously. He may be a jerk but he wasn't that cruel apparently to leave her like that.
"Oh and may I ask why you care?" The man raises an eyebrow, smirking. He runs a hand through his curly hair, making it stick up slightly.
"Che. Does it fucking matter? Leave. Him. Alone." Kanda glares, and grabbing Allen's arm pulls him away down the alleyway.
The man calls out after them. "I remember now, number fourteen wasn't it? You look way different now; the Earl's been lookin' for you too." His words make Allen pale. That voice, that number- she didn't know but it scared her witless.
After making Kanda stop, (he complained of course, but didn't put up too much of a fight.) Allen composes herself. She couldn't loose it now, they had an exorcism to take care of and she had a Kanda to train. Pushing back the waves of nausea she finally is able to bring herself to her feet, the melody of her song running through her mind- soothing her.
Kanda just watched Allen regain his bearings, wondering just what about that asshole's words had set him off. And it made Kanda wonder, number 14, Earl? Just what was the fucker talking about? He resists the urge to run away, until the fucking beansprout stopped shaking, it was hard though, he looked so vulnerable, like he could shatter at any moment and it fucking scared Kanda to death.
Tyki Mikk was in a rather good mood, not that he'd tell the Earl who he just saw. God, the last time he had seen the girl was after he was combing a city for her after she ran, he'd let her go because he had a soft spot for the kid.
She really did look different now, not that it was a bad thing. Apparently she was passing off as male from what Tyki could see, and that one guy who got in between them had no idea most likely. Not that he exactly blamed Maria, he couldn't really.
If he'd run when he had the choice he'd be dead of old age right now and probably happy. But he hadn't, and here he was stuck in a limbo of time, stuck with no real way out. Hanging onto his humanity got harder and harder with each day, but somehow he still clung on stubbornly.
Her hair had also changed into a startling white, which was good in a way- another identifier gone. The only reason he'd been able to recognize her in the first place was because of her eyes. Those startling silver grey eyes that the Earl searched the world over for constantly, those eyes he remembered from when she was a girl. Full of fire and ice, secrets- and entirely too stubborn.
"First, set the barrier." Allen commands, watching as Kanda activated Mugen. She'd already activated her innocence and was running him through this for training. Komui flew them to a city in the next state over, to take care of an akuma that had shown up around a month ago.
"Che." Kanda sets the barrier, muttering the phrases Allen had had him memorize. The whole thing clicked into place and he nearly smiled out of relief since it took a lot more than he had thought it would, he held it in though. He didn't smile.
He was actually frightened, on many levels. He can't help but remember just how his parents died, and Allen lying in a pool of his own blood on the floor. Fear was stupid though, it made you do stupid shit. So Kanda decides to convert that energy into anger, his trusted and well known friend.
Allen nods at Kanda, a slight smile on his face and leads Kanda into the building. His eye, the one on the side with the scar, it started glowing slightly with a red light. Allen just raises a hand to his lip to shush him before Kanda could come up with a retort and scans the room, and points to a far corner.
"My eye detects the akuma in their ethereal form. That's why its glowing." She whispers to Kanda, crouching on the smooth concrete floor. She had managed to completely block out the panic from before, smothering it in her song. Allen knew it wasn't exactly a good thing, she'd pay dearly one day or another- but not today.
"Che. What next?" Kanda growls, staring intently at the corner Allen had pointed to. He had done well with the barrier, it was a difficult spell that took a lot of concentration, she probably should have told him beforehand. She didn't though, because mainly Kanda deserved to find it out the hard way and he had annoyed the hell out of her on the plane. Fucking flicking bits of paper at her head? Not cool.
"Bring it out. And perform the exorcism of course." Allen sits back on her heels, smiling smugly. Kanda just glares at her before standing and collecting himself. He'd have to go through a few passages and such, this lower level was good practice for someone just getting into the field.
Shit, something was wrong. Her eye stung with the intensity of the akuma, and she swears internally. It was higher level than she thought, she couldn't let Kanda go out like that! Bloody fucking hell on ice. "Kanda move!" She screams while pushing him to the floor, blasting several bullets from her innocence at the forming figure after a well controlled roll.
This one was different than the last, and apparently more cunning seeing as it was disguising itself so well. Kanda just stares at her; she can feel his eyes on her back.
Beansprout had pushed him onto the floor, and frankly he was furious until he saw the forming figure she was shooting at. It was horrible, impossibly tall with claws and fangs and horns, pulling himself to his feet he brings out Mugen, and calls on the innocence, reasoning with it to do what he wanted.
And then he jumped, slashing. The… Thing screamed, "Kanda don't listen to what its saying remember!" Allen calls out, breaking his mind from the words of the akuma which had almost ensnared him. Rolling away he gives Allen an opening again, and she shoots rapidly, moving fast- no wonder she'd been trying to get him to go faster when they sparred. Faster she had said, you have to get faster.
It was too fast though, dodging each of her glowing bullets. Kanda curses and readies Mugen, watching the thing's movement patterns.
"Danjal, desino!" A man shouts harshly, with a shock Allen recognizes him, he was the man from earlier. The akuma stopped, completely still.
"Oh, so you became an exorcist eh? You shouldn't have come here you know. Last time you pulled this your poor father died, remember?" Tyki says, striding into the building. "Or do you not remember? In any case, I am Tyki Mikk; I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
Tyki waves for Allen to approach him. So she does, since she had the sinking feeling he'd release the akuma again if she didn't.
"What the fuck was I supposed to do Kanda!" Allen yells, she was so utterly done with everything. She was tired and bleeding, and had more than enough things she'd rather not remember thrown in her face.
"I don't fucking know idiot- figure it out! You don't fucking make deals with them!" Kanda yells back.
"Oh well sorry for saving your stupid prick of an ass," Curtsying mockingly Allen continues, "Mistress Kanda, of course I will remember the fucking tea next time." Raising herself to her full 5 feet 7 inches she stands a bit below Kanda, but she manages to be intimidating. "Tyki Mikk offered to save our asses. I accepted." That's all Allen says, her eyes stinging she stalks off, out of the hotel room and into the dark streets.
She needed to get drunk. Roaring fucking drunk, as much as she despised the stuff- as long as it wasn't wine she was fine though. She manages to pass off for 21 in the liquor store, beforehand she'd picked up a thing of diet root beer. Haha, vodka and root beer, wouldn't Cross be so fucking proud. He was a wine person though, drank for taste.
She doesn't particularly care about Kanda anymore, so she heads back to the hotel.
"What the fuck are you doing beansprout?" Kanda asks, finally getting out of the shower. Allen was apparently drinking something out of a cup, leaned up against his twin bed.
"Drinking. What the fuck does it look like." Allen says, swirling the half empty cup idly. She takes another large gulp, and doesn't even wince as the alcohol burns its way down her throat.
"Idiot." Kanda mutters, sitting on his bed. He holds a hand out for a cup though, so Allen pulls out another cup and mixes him up one. He drinks it quickly, and sputters. But he composes himself and takes another sip, slowly this time.
Allen can't help herself, she laughs. She laughs and laughs, letting out all the pent up energy. She can't really see it, but Kanda just smirks softly.
pssssssst, review. it makes aariah super super happy and she hasn't been doing too well lately. okie dokie
Aariah out.