A/N: And I'm back for yet another chapter.(: Glad you guys liked the last one, and thank you so much to Guest, xenocanaan, PiaWithPie, Lena-luvs-cats, lizy2000, and Tzipporrah for all being kind enough to leave reviews!^-^ As always, love hearing from you guys! Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: No, but I look forward to the day I publish my own works and others have to disclaim my stuff. It'll be sweet, sweet revenge! *insert evil cackle*
Chapter 5
Time Frame — Morning of April 16th, 1889
—1st Person POV—
My lips curled up into a satisfied smirk, completely shattering my poker face as I set my cards down before the group of hard-faced of men, declaring, "Royal Straight Flush! Aha! Take that you boneheads!" I cackled gleefully, sweeping up the piles of cash heaped upon the center of the table. Predictably, they rose in a sweeping roar of accusations, becoming additionally enraged when I simply laughed and childishly stuck my tongue out. It was all the more satisfying knowing that they knew they couldn't do crap about it. They'd seen me come in with General Cross; a little girl like me was certainly not intimidating, but the General undoubtedly was! They knew they couldn't touch me. The sadistic side of me was satisfied being able to take their money when they could do nothing about it. Suckers!
"So!" I begin with a toothy grin. "Who wants to go another round?"
"Fuck you!" one of them growled, and one by one they spat curses at me, unceremoniously tossing their cards at me and stalking out of the bar with the little dignity they had left. Despite the cards that had slightly smacked me across the face before fluttering to the ground, my smirk was still in place, though now more amused than arrogant. With a simple shrug, I swiftly gathered my cards, snapping a rubber band around the pile, before shoving it into the pocket of my coat. I then took my sweet time counting the money, and once I'd done so, I carefully pocketed it before skipping over to the General's side.
"How'd you do?" he asked me blandly.
I beamed. "Pretty well. I've made enough to cover the next week at the inn."
It wouldn't be the first time (nor would it be the last), but I was once again immensely grateful that I was girl. It meant that in the past year I'd been traveling with Cross, he'd never once thrown me at his debt collectors. In fact, he usually just tossed me over his shoulder and booked it. It was by my own choice that I'd decided to learn how to gamble. Since Cross refused to put down the Black Order on his tab (as he didn't want to be tracked down by them), it was more difficult to find places to stay at, and so I used the money I earned to cover our food and inn expenses. I left Cross to deal with all the debts he had from every bar he frequented.
"I'm going to head back to the inn," I added, covering my mouth as it widened into a cat-like yawn. Stretching out my stiff and achy muscles, I said, "I'm feeling a bit dead on my feet already, so I'll see you later, yeah?"
"Alright," Cross conceded. "I probably won't be back till morning. And careful; you make sure to kill any creep that comes your way."
I laughed and waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, okay. See ya!"
Eager to get back to our room and into bed, I didn't waste another second and skipped out of the bar (I didn't have to look back to know that Cross was glaring at anyone that thought to look my way). It was a little eerie, ambling about the darkened streets on my own; the only light source was the occasional street lamp casting long shadows along the cobblestone roads, and though I used to find it a bit daunting, I had long grown used to it. And out of habit, I slipped off the glove from my left hand, simply keeping its deformed appearance hidden in the pocket of my coat. Whether it would be against an Akuma or a random assailant, I was prepared to activate my Innocence weapon at a moment's notice. (I'd had too many close calls to not become paranoid.)
The walk was all of ten minutes, and I could see the inn we were residing in coming into view, just down the street. Involuntarily, I began to relax slightly.
And then a scream shattered the calm silence.
For a moment, I froze—before breaking out into a determined run, feet slapping against the ground, legs thrusting me forward. Breathless; shaking; adrenaline pumping. With a gasp, I skidded to a halt, eyes squinting into the darkness of the alleyway. From my position, I could just make out the silhouettes of a child and a Level 1 Akuma mid-transformation (or at least the was my guess; though the shadows enveloped everything, the snap of an Akuma peeling off its human skin had become all too familiar to my ears).
Gritting my teeth at the sight, I hissed, "Innocence, activate!" The flash of light momentarily blinded me, but I didn't allow it to deter me, and within seconds I had rushed forward and racked my claws in the Akuma's general direction. I smiled in relief as I felt it slicing through my Innocence weapon like butter, before bursting into cinders in a rumbling explosion.
"W-w-what the hell…?!" the boy standing before me squeaked.
I squinted up at him, belatedly realizing that the "child" was in fact taller than me. Though I couldn't make out much more than that; the flare of light from activating my Innocence had cast dots upon my vision, and it didn't help that the alley was practically pitch dark. "Err, hi," I grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of my head, and then belatedly thought to ask, "Are you okay?"
"Um, I-I think so, y-yeah," the boy stammered.
"Heh, well you're not a pile of ashes, so that at least counts for something," I remarked with a bit of a nervous laugh. I couldn't make out his features very well, but I had a feeling he was eyeing me apprehensively, as if I were the insane one. "Um, well, I guess I should get going! Bye!" Without another word, I whirled around and ran off.
"Hey! W-wait up!"
But I didn't. And I think the poor kid was in too much of a shock to chase after me. Sucker.
The next afternoon found me situated in a secluded table, towards the back corner of the inn; their ground floor doubled as a tavern, and the innkeeper's wife had been kind enough to make me a bit of stew as an early dinner, when she caught sight of me. The place was a bit crowded and rowdy, but lively; the sun hadn't even set, but those that had gotten out of work early were already getting drunk. Exasperated, I rolled my eyes and pushed my empty bowl aside. Pulling up my small satchel from beside me, I spilled its contents upon the table and began what I'd set out to do originally.
Tapping my pen against my lips in thought, I momentarily contemplated my opening words before getting to work. Once I'd started, the words easily spilled out, and with a small grin, my eyes darted once more over the words, rereading my correspondence.
Dear Miss Anita,
I hope this letter finds you well. I apologize; it's been a while since I've last written to you, hasn't it? Sorry, it's just been so hectic this past month! It's only now that Master Cross and I have just returned to England and settled for the time being in a small town. We probably won't be here for more than a week though, so when you send your next letter to me, be sure to address it to London!
Anyway, I have to tell you, this past month was absolutely amazing! As you know, this past year I've been training hard with General Cross; I've even defeated my first Level 2 Akuma! It was quite the challenge, but I'm proud that I've gotten so far. Now that my training has improved and it's not as imperative, I decided to take advantage of the fact that General Cross is practically traveling all over the world. Not that he usually cares where we end up (as long as there's a bar to provide alcohol, he's good), but I thought it'd be nice to visit some extraordinary places. It took a little convincing, but after I told him that being in larger cities would probably be easier to hide in than in some small town where he sticks out like a sore thumb, he finally gave in!
And so, we spent a whole month in Paris, France! As expected, it was quite dirty and bit smelly, but it was worth getting to witness the sight of the Eiffel Tower in person; it was magnificent! (I don't know if you've heard of it; after all, its construction only started two years ago, but it just opened up for sighting last month. It's a wrought iron lattice tower standing at almost a thousand feet! Unbelievable, right?) I also visited many other sites, such as The Louvre (a museum), Notre Dame de Paris (a church; stunning architecture), and the Arc de Triomphe (a national monument). I wish I had a camera, so I could've taken pictures to send you! But even that's out of my gambling budget. I did include some rough sketches though! I hope you like them!
It was all very fascinating, but I'm glad to have returned home, where I can actually communicate with people; I did learn a bit of rough French during my time there, but it did get frustrating. And Master Cross certainly wasn't much help when it came to that, even though I'm positive he speaks fluent French. Speaking of General Cross, there's no need to worry about him; he's doing as well as ever. Constantly drinking and evading his debt collectors (it'll definitely be a while before we venture back to Paris). Though I know he misses you; he keeps mentioning wanting to go back to China soon, so I'm sure we'll eventually pop in. (And of course, I certainly miss you as well!)
I think this site-seeing thing might become a tradition though! I've already begun contemplating where I want to go next: Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Dublin, Ireland; and so on, and so forth. I've even brought up the idea of going overseas, to visit North and South America, but I'm not sure I'd succeed in convincing Master Cross of that; he says immigration overseas is a pain the ass, so maybe I'll save that for when I better learn to persuade him (maybe a little help from you would sway him?).
In any case, how have you been doing, Miss Anita? How's Mahoja? I hope you've done more than just spending time cooped up in that brothel trying to keep track of all the girls! You need to get out more, Miss Anita. I know your mother's legacy is very important to you, but you need to learn when to take a break. Go out with the sailors and enjoy an outing on your boat! Have fun so that the next letter you send me will be filled with all the amazing things you've done!
And don't forget, General Cross and I love you very much, Miss Anita!
With much love,
Allen
With a contented smile, I folded up the letter and sketches before sealing them up in an envelope. Over time, I'd grown more open with Anita; I'd first been apprehensive of how I should write to her, because I'm certain no seven-year-old could have written a letter such as the one I'd just written, but after demanding more details about everything that I would discuss, the words sort of just spilled out. She never made much mention of it though, which I was grateful for.
I rolled up the remaining parchment and stashed it away, along with my pens, into my small satchel. It was cute little thing made out of beads and leather that Anita had sent to me for my seventh birthday, four months ago. For the life I was living now, I felt quite spoiled by her, and I let her know how embarrassed and thankful I felt (and though it wasn't quite obvious, I felt like all throughout her response, she must have been quietly laughing at my mortification).
Once I was set, I got up and ambled towards the exit.
"Where are you off to now, dear?" Mrs. Ironwood, the innkeeper's wife, asked me as she passed by with stack of plates balancing precariously in her hands.
Waving the letter I gripped in my hand in her direction, I replied, "Just dropping this off at the postal office. Then I'm going to seek out Master Cross; make sure he isn't getting into any more trouble!" What I didn't mention was the fact that I would probably hit another bar for a little more gambling.
"Oh yes, but do be careful! I heard some awful men were chasing him last night," she called, as she disappeared into the kitchen.
"Got it, Mrs. Ironwood!" I answered, before ducking out through the doorway. Noticing that the sun was beginning to set, I quickened my pace. And fortunately, I arrived at the post office right before they were about to close for the night. Running over, I waved my letter, calling, "Wait up!"
"Cutting it quite close there, aren't you missy?" the older gentleman shook his head, but fortunately he accepted my letter.
"Thanks, mister!" I saluted him with a cheeky grin, before sauntering off in search of a new bar to loiter. I couldn't very well go back to the same one; the patrons there would recognize me from the previous night and warn the others off. And so, I went looking for a new one; preferably, one on the other side of town. That meant searching by foot, since no decent human being would give a seven-year-old directions to a bar. My physical age had its ups and downs, but it was something I'd learned to live with.
It was about another fifteen minutes later, that I unexpectedly heard someone shout, "It's you!"
Curious, I turned to glance around, but I didn't get a chance to do much more than that before I was being tackled down by some other, snot-nosed brat. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" I shouted indignantly, fumbling to toss him off me, but the kid had a vice grip!
"No way! I'm not letting you go until you answer my questions! I know it was you!" the boy snapped.
Why did his voice sound so familiar? "Eh?! What are you accusing me of, you brat?!" I demanded, teeth gnashing, wriggling within his hold.
"I don't know! What are you guilty of?!" he retorted back snidely—why that cheeky little smart mouth!
I huffed, trying to calm myself down. "Huh? Whoever you are, you're being absurd!"
"And you're insane, if you think I'm going to let you go after what happened last night!" he hissed, not budging one bit.
"Okay, okay," I sighed, belatedly recognizing him as the boy that I'd rescued the previous night. "Why don't both of us just cool down, and speak calmly and rationally," I spoke serenely, hoping to get him to relax enough so that I could escape his grip.
The boy seemed to contemplate my words, before asking, "And you won't run away this time?"
"I promise," I insisted, trying to reassure him. Finally—finally he released me, albeit hesitantly. So as not to incur his further wrath, I rose unhurriedly to my feet, though I pointedly rubbed my wrists, irritated. In the dim lighting of the street lamp, I was better able to make out his features this time around. Eyes widening, I couldn't help but gape.
"Um, sorry about that, I guess," he apologized reluctantly, though slightly sheepish, ruffling his hair. "Bit of an overreaction, but after last night, I'm sure you can understand. Anyway, I don't really have a name, but you can call me Bookman Junior."
"Hey, hey little girl!" a voice obnoxiously broke me out of my daze, a pair of fingers snapping directly before me. With an irritated growl, I viciously slapped their hand away. "Ouch! Sheesh, are you bipolar or something?"
"What? No!" I huffed, arms crossed defensively. But it didn't deter me from my continued observation; I was meeting yet another canon character from the series! And a main one, at that! It was quite extraordinary, being able to witness them in real life. Curiously, I leaned forward, patting Lavi's cheek as if to make sure he was real; the notion was instantly proven when I had my own hand slapped away. "Hey! Hasn't anyone taught you that hitting girls isn't nice?" I demanded.
"No," Lavi deadpanned.
Underneath my breath I grumbled, "Well, someone should have." Shaking the irritating thought away, I then added, "Anyway, nice to meet you, no-name. I'm Allen Walker."
A bit aggravated himself, Lavi huffed, "I said it was Bookman Junior."
"Whatever, book-boy. If you want an explanation, you're going to have to follow me. No way am I going to stick around here during the middle of the night," I remarked, ambling away and heading back towards the inn we were staying at. So much for making more money…
"I said it was Bookman Junior," he grumbled again, though more to himself this time, seemingly put-out. Either way, he followed after me. It was as we were nearing the inn that he turned to me and demanded, "Why do you keep staring at me? Do I have something on my face?"
Embarrassed at being caught, I blurted out the first thing I could think of: "Um, you're kind of funny looking?" (I tried not to wince when I realized it came out more question-like.)
With a deadpan expression, he replied blandly, "Gee, thanks. It's not like you're so good-looking yourself, little Miss boy-impersonator."
"Hey! I'm pretty cute!" I protested, sticking my tongue out at him for effect. "And I do not look like a boy!" I always made sure to wash my face and brush my hair, which had grown down to my mid-back in the past year (speaking of which, I'd have to cut it soon). There was no way I could resemble a boy now.
Lavi scoffed. "What kind of little girl wears trousers and a trench coat? A weird one, if you ask me!"
I blanched. Who was he to talk about style?! "Yeah? Says the poncho-freak! And what's up with the stupid scarf? It's too big for someone of your puny size!"
"Puny?! You're practically a munchkin compared to me! I bet you need a booster seat to even reach the table, you freaky little shortstack!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"What on heaven's earth is going on around here?!"
Lavi and I simultaneously jumped, and then turned beat red in reaction to being caught amidst out childish squabble. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'd sunk so low! I hadn't even realized we'd caught her attention once we entered the inn! Avoiding eye-contact, I mumbled in reply to Mrs. Ironwood's demand, "Um, sorry Missus. Didn't mean to add to the chaos." And by that, I was referring to the patrons that were becoming quite raucous.
Exasperated, Mrs. Ironwood simply shook her head. "Alright, dear. You and your friend go have a seat, and I'll bring out some dinner for the both of you."
Too embarrassed to protest and remind her of the fact that I'd already eaten earlier, I nodded and gave her a meek, "Thanks." Once she rushed off back into the kitchen, I turned and went back to my previous table, pushed up against the back corner of the room, and sat down, Lavi taking a seat across from me. It wasn't until Mrs. Ironwood had been kind enough to serve us dinner, that Lavi and I became comfortable enough to speak once more.
"So, my first question," Lavi began, "What exactly was it that attacked me last night?"
Glancing up at him, I simply replied, "It was a demon disguised as a human; we call them, Akuma." He appeared puzzled, and before he could launch into another round of questions, I asked, "Say, book-boy, has the Bookmen Clan ever told you about the Holy War? Or at least, showed you their archives on it?"
Lavi came to a sudden halt, eyeing me suspiciously. "How do you know of my clan?"
"It's not like they're a secret from us," I scoffed, "After all, they were involved in recording our last war. From the opposing side."
His single, forest green eye narrowed. "I see. And no, the old man has never spoken to me of previous recordings. We're constantly traveling around, recording even more wars caused by humankind, so we rarely every return back to the Bookmen Clan Headquarters. If you're telling the truth though, then that's where any of the archives of the last Holy War would be kept."
"Hmm. That makes me curious," I murmured. "Master rarely speaks of what happened in the last war, inquisitive as I am. It'd be nice if I could get a hold of those archives." Noticing that he was now blatantly glaring at me, I rolled my eyes. "Sheesh, calm down. I wasn't implying anything. In any case, both wars have the same, basic foundation. Since, like you mentioned, you're unlikely to be returning to your headquarters soon, would you like me to tell you about it?"
Nothing could catch the attention of a Bookman like the idea of learning something new. So it was an enraptured Bookman Junior that I had on my hands as I explained the basics of the Millenium Earl, the creation of Akuma, the Noah Clan, the Black Order, the Exorcists, and Innocence. At some point, I think I even threw in a little tidbit about the Second Exorcist Project. Once I'd described the critical points, Lavi practically launched into a monologue. In a daze, I missed most of his theoretical musings and the detailed questions, and by the time he'd finished and was gazing at me expectantly, I simply glanced down at his hardly touched food, and asked, "Are you going to finish that?"
With a grimace, he pushed the plate in my direction and grumbled, "You didn't hear anything I just said, did you?"
Digging in with gusto, I shrugged and mumbled out between bites of food, "I'm smarter than your average seven-year-old, but you can't throw everything at me at once and expect my full comprehension."
Lavi hummed noncommittally, his gaze critical. He then remarked, "You have quite the appetite for someone your size."
"Like I said before, my Innocence weapon is a Parasitic Type. Requires a lot of energy, so I have to constantly eat," I explained. Internally, I contemplated if the original Allen just had a major love of food, because in all of my time, I don't think I'd ever consumed the amount of food he'd been depicted to in one sitting. Maybe it just came with age. "Anyway," I piped up, as I scraped up the last of the food, "I have a proposition."
"Hmm? What kind of proposition?" Lavi asked, his slouched posture seeming apathetic, though the curious glint in his single eye told me otherwise.
I grinned. "I propose that while you're out doing your Bookman thing, and I'm out doing my Exorcist thing, we exchange letters! And for every letter you send me, I will answer one of your questions."
Appearing conflicted, Lavi pursed his lips in thought. "… I don't know. How is it going to work if we're both constantly traveling around?"
"The same way Miss Anita is able to send letters to me," I replied with a shrug, and before he could ask about Anita, I moved on to explain, "You see, right before I send my letter to you, I'll let you know in which location I'll be in, in the next few weeks, and I'll keep an eye out around the postal offices. If for some reason we need to make a quick getaway, I'll just send you another letter, letting you know."
"Hmm, I guess it could work," Lavi admitted reluctantly. His fingers drummed against the table in thought, and he finally gave in, "Alright, I'll do it. But for two questions each."
I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, yeah." And then added with a bright beam, "I can't wait to become friends with you, my dear Bookman!"
"Eh?! Who said anything about friendship?!"
A/N: Haha, oh Lavi.(x And a gold star to Tzipporrah for correctly guessing that she would be meeting Lavi!(:
So, you can all expect another time skip for the next chapter; it should be another year. And if you guys would like, I'll even toss in a letter from Lavi!(; In any case, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Please review!^-^