Chapter 3 (Sorry this took forever if anyone is reading this)
The sun didn't have a chance to peak through the curtains until Crona opened them to allow it. She awoke to the sound of the main menu of her DVD playing on repeat, which made it surprising that Ragnarok didn't wake up to complain about it. She gently pulled the thick curtains open, releasing the sunlight into the room. It looked like it might be a dreary day.
She slowly sat up and looked at her clock that read 8:27am. She stretched slightly then swung her feet to the side of the bed to get up. Her slender frame made its way to her dresser to change into clothes for the day. The dresser was filled with new clothes that Crona had no hand in picking out. They were gifts. Almost every thing Crona now had was a gift.
At first Crona hated the new clothes Maka, Tsubaki, and the sisters had gotten for her. Shorts, skirts, and tank tops felt too revealing. Even if no one else saw her in them, she felt exposed. She slowly adjusted to wearing certain clothes, but would never leave her room without something longer or the occasional robe that Maka had given her. But even that felt out of place, Medusa would have thought that was a lazy clothing choice.
When she first moved in, she had to readjust her whole life style. Maka felt bad that she only had two sets of clothes; her dress and her party clothes, and she did not like seeing Crona sleep in the same clothes or being in the long black dress on a hot day, so the first thing was a full wardrobe. Shortly after that, Maka and Soul became open about their relationship and movie into the same room together, which freed up Maka's old room to give to Crona.
After living with Medusa, sleeping in a dreary dungeon, and then their couch, Crona completely broke down when Maka showed her the new room that they had repainted and filled with new furniture.
She was still uncomfortable in many of the outfits. So again, it was a similar black dress with less length. She grabbed her clothes in her arms and quietly opened the door, checking to see if anyone was awake. Crona hated being the last one up, but she also hated people seeing her in pajamas. Hearing no voices or motion in the house, she crept toward the bathroom to shower and clean up.
She set her clothes on the edge of the sink as she brushed her teeth and turned the shower on. Once she had access to it, hygiene was probably her favorite thing about moving in with her friends. She could shower when she wanted and at whatever temperature. Her first weeks living there, Maka had to assure Crona that she could shower whenever she wanted. She was no longer on Medusas demented schedule of when Crona deserved a shower or the DWMA's terrifying underground bathhouse.
Crona loved to be the first to shower because that meant she got all the hot water. When she cleaned herself, she turned the water as hot as she can take it. The extreme heat made it almost feel like a punishment to Ragnarok and it helped her feel somewhat clean. The luxuries of shampoos, conditioners, and scented soaps also took some getting used to.
She was working over her fear of using too much scents because people began to notice. She didn't smell unpleasant before but several days before at the Academy, Ox had casually complimented her on her hair smelling nice which made her face light up and sent her out of the classroom.
Her favorite smell, if she had to pick, was vanilla.
After her shower, she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself then tried to wipe the fog covered mirror. Seeing a small window of her relection was all she needed to brush her short hair that flipped droplets of water all around with each stroke. She dried off quickly and opened the small bathroom window to let some of the steam air.
Once her skin was dry enough, she removed her towel and changed into her dress.
After her hair gave its last few deposits of moisture on her shoulder as it dried, she made her way down the hallway. She heard the phone in the living room begin to ring but she didn't rush for it. Crona hated answering the phone and the calls were never for her anyway. After several rings, it beeped and then went to message.
'Hey Maka, it's Tsubaki. Just wondering what time we were all getting together to do fittings. I will try you again later, bye!'
Crona stared at the plastic machine. Today is fitting day. Which means she was getting dragged along and she still had yet to find something to wear. She had her normal white suit that she liked but it was Maka's day. Crona had not heard anything about 'bridesmaids' or anything but after hearing Liz and Patty talk about it, she wasn't sure she wanted to be one.
'Maybe I can slip out before they have a chance to invite me' Crona thought. She shook her head. 'No, that would be mean after all she's done for me'
"Holy shit, just go find Pigtails before I starve to death" Ragnorak said, popping back to his perch on her shoulder.
"I'm not going to bug her, she's probably at the Academy taking her test anyway" Crona argued.
"Ughhhh" Ragnorak groaned, slumping over. The apartment was dead silent with her friends not there to fill it with noise. Soul would have music or Maka would have all the windows open to welcome the breeze. Crona walked back to the living room and sat on the sofa to peer out the window to look at the people below. The street was slower with it being earlier in the morning on a weekday and with the weather looking dangerously close to rain.
The only people out on the street was a man with his bread cart searching for customers and two elderly women on a stroll. The towns people were either at class, work, or home waiting to see if it would down pour later in the day.
The front door to the apartment opened causing Crona to quickly bring her gaze to meet who it was. She almost immediately regretted looking so fast.
Soul walked in shirtless in a longer pair of shorts and tennis shoes from his morning run. Crona quickly snapped her eyes back to the window, hoping he didn't notice.
"Hey, you're up" Soul noted, pulling ear buds from his ears which continued to play the music he had at high volume.
Crona nodded, not turning around to see if he had accepted that as an answer. She heard his footsteps come closer which made her pull her feet up to her chest on the couch which also heightened the redness in her face.
She wasn't scared of Soul, but she was nervous that if Maka wasn't there as a sort of 'shield' that Soul may not be as gracious.
"Well good to see you're ready 'cause after I shower, we're heading out"
Shock struck Cronas face "...Where?" she chocked out.
Soul opened the fridge to grab a cold water bottle and snapped it open.
"We got the fitting thing, were gunna meet Maka and the others there" he said as he took large drinks of water.
Cronas anxiety slightly subsided once she heard Maka would join. The one thing that Crona did notice about Soul is that he never gave her options in the way that Maka did. The was no 'do you want this or that?'. Soul would just tell Crona what or how something was and that was it.
"...O-Ok" Crona said. Soul downed his water then swiftly exited to shower, before he turned down the hall she noticed much of the sweat on his body which made her blush all over again. Blair remained in cat form as she lept on the couch and nudged Crona, signalling she saw her embarrassment. Crona sat in silence and focused back on the sky and anything else until Soul emerged shortly from his brief shower 10 minutes later.
"Alright, lets get to it" He said, grabbing his messenger bag back off a kitchen chair and waving Crona over. Crona stood up and noticed Blairs look of disappointment of seeing Souls shirt back on. She followed him over to leave the apartment as he opened the door and waved her to exit first.
Making their way down to the street, Crona folded her arms in front of her and had a goal in mind of talking as little as possible during their walk. The clouds rolled overhead, with the gray lumps teasing earth with beams of light that would try to pass through.
Luckily, they didn't have to walk too far before seeing a familiar face.
"Wait UP!" a voice yelled from behind them.
Crona and Soul turned to see Black Star racing up behind to join them.
"I thought we were meeting you at the school?" Soul asked.
"Nah, I didn't go. Gods don't need to gift the academy with their presence on days like this" he boasted. Crona never quite understood why he thought he was a god. From old legends, God's tended to be untouchable and cruel to their worshipers. She thought of Black Star as scary, but not evil. She had seen evil and that defiantly was not him.
"What's up, Crona?" Black Star greeted, trying to be overly welcoming. Usually at some point, every time Black Star hung out with Crona he would nearly bring her to tears. Crona dipped her head a little lower to let her bangs fall over her eyes. Maka said to try and be more social, but she had all day to attempt that.
"We still have to go that way anyway, Maka had her test and Tsubaki had class, right?" Soul asked
"Yeah, yeah. Not all of us can be Death Scythes yet asshole" Black Star shot back, sounding brash as ever. Soul smirked.
"What about Kid and the girls?"
"He said something about renting out the dress place before we got there or something" Black Star said disinterested "We can meet him there"
"We gotta grab Ox and Harvar, too" Soul added. Black Star rolled his eyes and groaned. He loved showing those two up, but found them annoying. Crona didn't talk with them either.
"Hey, the wedding partys gotta be symmetrical in people too if Kid's the one planning it" Soul joked.
After reaching the academy, Maka, Tsubaki, Ox, and Harvar walked out to their friends and the group headed down town to an upscale dress and tuxedo boutique. The group walked through the enormous glass doors and Tsubaki and Maka exchanged gasps and giggles between each dress they passed through the main plaza. The inside of the building was a white stone color, making the building feel even more extravagant. The floor was polished perfectly and gave off a glossy pearl shine.
Maka approached the front desk, sliding a small card to the woman sitting there. Like many of the men and women working there, her style matched the proper upscale of where she worked. Her cheekbones were high and her brown hair was pulled perfectly on top of her head.
"Hello, I'm Maka Albarn and I have an appointment?"
The woman looked up and slipped the card into her hand to search on her computer for confirmation. As she typed, her fine nails made even more clicking noise along with her keyboard. She found what she was looking for and her straight expression changed into a warmer welcome.
"Ah, yes. Right this way" she said as she stood up and smiled. She led the group up to elevator and hit the button for the third floor. After the ascended, the were pleasantly surprised by the decor. The third floor was more lavish than the lobby.
"Lord Death insisted that this floor would be more to your liking, so we had it rented out to your party for the day at his request" she explained.
Crona had never seen so much white, gold, and silver in one place. There were small stage-like circles that were surrounded by white couches and plush looking seats. Mirrors built up several boarders. At one end she could see exclusively white dresses, while different colors lined the other side. A man stood off to the side at what appeared to be a commodity drink station, which seemed weird to Crona. I hope I don't spill something.
"If there is anything at all you or your party needs, there is a full staff on this floor to cater to your needs. My name is Tana and I will also be in the lobby and you can call at anytime" she said to Maka who was still in shock and just offered a simple 'ok' in response.
She boarded the elevator and went back to her desk. The second the doors closed, Maka and Tsubaki erupted with excitement.
"This place is so beautiful!" Maka said, covering her mouth in disbelief as Tsubaki grabbed her arm and they began to bounce up and down.
"It was pretty cool of 'Lord Death' to hook us up" Soul agreed. Originally, he was prepared to pay for a small somewhat normal styled wedding, but Kid insisted that they deserved the best.
"Thats not polite of you to mock your host" Kid's voice corrected as he and the girls emerged from one of the backrooms. Both Patty and Liz had their arms full of dresses. As soon as they saw their friends their, they tossed them onto one of the couches in the center of the room and ran over to gush.
One of the workers in the back of the room showed great worry as he watched the thousand dollar dresses be tossed around. All of the employees were told that price was no issue since Kid said he would cover anything bought. Soul had originally planned to pay for his own wedding but his version would have been a small, intimate ceremony. Kid insisted that he would be the one to cover everything and give them the grand wedding they deserved. He also wanted a say to make sure all of the suits, dresses, décor, and locations would be symmetrical.
Even the lavish room they were currently in was picked by him. He couldn't see how anybody could focus if the room didn't have balance.
"Isn't this place amazing!" Patty squealed "I can't for Kid to bring me here when I get married"
Liz rolled her eyes. "Well get in line behind me. Anyway, check out these dresses we thought would look amazing on you. I prefer the sleek look but Patty was saying maybe something with a bigger skirt..."
Crona could tell as the conversations went on that it would be a girls day. The boys talked nothing about suits and just joked about the amount of liquor Black Star would consume at the reception. She tried to stay engaged in the conversation about length, style, and all other aspects of a dress but it was hard. She had no idea there was so much to know about clothes!
She crossed her arms and stood uncomfortably while the girls chirped back and forth.
"Alright, you ladies get to it and we will be in the other room" Kid announced, leading the other two out. Soul gave Maka a quick peck before leaving the girls.
"Okay! First things first, lets get you trying stuff on!" Patty said as she began to pushed Maka to a dressing room. Crona and Tsubaki took their seats on the white sofa as the sisters and workers helped Maka into her first dress.
"It's so nice isn't it?" Tsubaki asked sweetly. Crona had no idea what she was referring to, but Tsubaki was the kind of woman that didn't make her fearful. She found herself sometimes wishing her own mother had been like her.
"Oh...yeah" Crona agreed, confused but not wanting to clarify and look stupid.
"I love that weddings bring everyone together. Everything about them is beautiful and seeing the love between them is so wonderful" Tsubaki said, smiling. Before Crona could respond, people began stirring.
"Okay, get READY!" Patty ordered, running out to join them on the couch so she could see the dresses presentation too. Maka came out in a elegant slim fitting dress with a large train that was carried by Liz. She carefully stepped onto the platform so everyone could get a look at every angle of the dress. Tsubaki's smile gave its own wordless approval.
"Well what do you think?" one of the working assistants asked as she listed more details about the form and designer.
"I love it!" Patty said which caused Liz to nudge her to remind her it wasn't her call.
"I like it...but I don't think I can dance or move very much in it" Maka doubted.
"We know you defiantly need to be able to move after the reception" Liz hinted making Maka blush. Crona wasn't sure why she was embarrassed. It was no secret that the couple wasn't exactly celibate, Black Star tried to tease them about it all the time. Sometime she wondered if the two forgot that she was around because some sounds were audible...
Whenever her friends got on the subject, she tried to play dumb as best as she could. She wasn't oblivious to what people do. She understood it, she just didn't want to dwell on it. The thought of even kissing someone herself was so far out of her reach that she just pushed it aside.
After some debate, Maka stepped down and changed in and out of several different styles of dress. She even tried on some non-traditional colors. Finally she settled on the perfect one, a large ballroom gown with floor length that tied with a set of ribbons going down her slender back. All of the girls loved it. Even Crona thought she resembled something out of a fairy-tale.
In the time it took just Maka to pick out her dress, the boys had finished picking, getting measured, and ordering their tuxedos. As they tried to round the corner, Patty ran around to push Soul back.
"NO NO LOOKING, NOT BEFORE THE WEDDING IT'S BAD LUCK!" She shouted as she shoved him back the opposite way. The other four joined Crona and Tsubaki on the couch, getting a kick out of Patty the Enforcer.
Black Star took a seat between Crona and Tsubaki, making Crona feel like he cut away her safety net. Kid sat on the other side of her. Ox and Harvar stood behind the couch. Luckily, the sofa was large enough where they could all sit comfortably and be far from touching.
The workers measured Maka and sent her order in. Once she was back in her normal clothes, Patty allowed Soul to join everyone. He sat on a chair across from the large U-shaped couch and Maka came to sit on his lap. Employees worked behind them to put dresses away and keep the area in pristine condition.
"Alright, time to check you guys out" Maka said, looking at Crona. Liz and Patty excitedly ran off to the changing rooms as Tsubaki followed.
"Check what out?" Crona asked, getting more worried as she saw Tsubaki pick up a red dress that matched the two sisters. The three of them went to some of the dressing rooms right next to each other down the hall. Ox and Harvar snickered, making Crona feel even more discomfort.
"Well you guys have to get fitted too"
"I'm not in the ceremony" Crona insisted. She was hoping she was only invited today just so she didn't feel left out. Maka shook her head.
"No Crona, you're a good friend of ours. Of course you would be involved!"
"You live with us, how could we not have you in the wedding party?" Soul asked.
"Ragnarok...wouldn't like it" Crona opposed. For once, she wished he would pop out to object.
"Well I'm sure he would agree if I told him he could he couldn't have unlimited food access unless he helped us out" Maka bribed, calling out Crona's bluff.
"Just go try it on already" Black Star demanded, annoyed that she was still so shy. Maka glared at him for his tone. Crona stood up, grabbed the dress and followed toward where the girls were. As she came closer she could hear giggling and the opening and closing of doors. While the changing hall was out of sight of the main room where the others sat, once Crona rounded the corner she saw much more of the back and forth.
"Zip this for me!" Patti exclaimed, emerging from her changing room half dress to bang on her sisters door. Her sister opened her door to further shock Crona as Liz was in mid-change and stood in her bra and undergarments as she leaned out to help her sister. Crona froze. Did all girls get dressed so openly?!
"Do you think this is too tight?" Tsubaki said, pulling at the front of her dress.
"Not tight enough if you ask me!" Liz answered back.
"I feel like its not supporting enough" Tsubaki explained as she messed with her cleavage to better arrange herself. Crona spun back around to exit and head back to the others.
Halfway back, Maka walked across the room to meet her.
"That was fast" she noted "Did you try it on?"
Crona shook her head.
"Do you not like the color?" Maka asked "Cause Soul actually picked it out and it matches well with the suits but we could..."
"No I-I like it, just trying it on is...very open"
Maka looked confused. Kid noticed the two talking and walked over.
"Well once they do the measuring the size won't be so big if your worried about the open back..." she explained.
"I don't mind the style either" Crona said. Maka was still unsure of what she meant then. Kid interjected.
"Maybe you prefer to try it on in a more secluded place?" he asked, trying to sound helpful. Maka looked at him, then back at Crona who nodded lightly.
Kid insisted he would take care of it and ushered Maka to sit down and not worry. He went to a staff member and asked if there was an alternate changing area. She lead them down an aisle of dresses and around a pillar to a set of extra changing areas for people planning large weddings with multiple people. The woman unlocked the door and left them to it.
Crona stood with the dress hanging over her crossed arms. Kid looked for a moment then motioned at the door.
"I can wait outside" he said, leaving to give her space.
She quietly closed and locked her door. Turning around, she was greeted by a large mirror that was reflecting her worried expression back at her. After a moment of standing there motionless, she hung her dress carefully on the wall and began to take her shoes and other dressings off.
Ignoring the mirror as best as she could, she slipped into a strapless, long elegant ruby dress Maka had chosen. It was very form fitting until about knee length where it fanned out to exaggerate her figure. There was a small layer of black fabric near the bottom of the dress that trailed up the side. Something inside her hoped that Ragnarok wouldn't ruin this dress. She smoothed the dress as much as possible, then attempted to zip the back. After struggling for several minutes, she understood why girls had to become comfortable with asking other people to do small tasks like zipping.
Crona's stomach dropped when she heard a small knock on the door.
"Excuse me, Miss Crona?" an unfamiliar voice asked "Ms. Maka wanted me to let you all know that she does want to see the dresses on"
"Okay" Crona said, trying to dismiss the woman as soon as possible. She heard the footsteps fade away. She sat down on a small white chair in her fitting room. Should I yell across the store for Maka to come help?
Another knock sounded on the door.
"Sorry, I tried to keep her out. Do you need any help?" Kid asked. 'Oh no, all the other girls must be out there already' Crona thought. Her heart began to race.
"No, uh yes. Well, no. I don't know. Can you zip a dress?" Crona asked frantically. She almost immediately regretted asking.
Kid looked at the door and smirked. "Yes, I know how to do that" he tried to hold back a chuckle. He could tell by the sound of her voice that she was frazzled.
"B-but don't look. Just...zip" she said, opening the door a cracked and looking at him.
"Alright" he agreed, looking up and away as he reached his hands through the door. Crona lined up so she wouldn't have to step out of the room to allow anyone else to see. Kid misjudged and accidentally put his first hand on her waist then pulled it away quickly. His second hand brushed against the fabric on her lower back as he found the zipper and closed it up slowly, being sure not to catch her skin. Kid pulled his hands out and stepped away from the door.
A moment later, she opened the door. He tried not to look up too fast but the red was very eye catching, even though it was half hidden behind the changing room door.
"You look fantastic" he said, smiling "Let's go show Maka"
Hoping to coax her out, he waited a minute. After taking a second to hid her noticeable blush she stepped out. She didn't have her dress shoes yet, which made her footsteps completely silenced. He noticed she was still nervous and offer his arm. She stared for a moment then accepted. Linking her arm in his made it easier to pretend she was just a shadow as he lead her over to the group.
Maka was in the middle of having a staff member adjust and re-pin Tsubaki's gown as she stood on the small, stage-like circle. She noticed Crona and grinned.
"You look wonderful Crona!" she exclaimed, causing the rest of the group to look over. Soul gave an approving smile while the sisters hustled over. Ox looked shocked.
"Wow, that is a great fit on you!" Liz added, pulling Cronas arm up so she could get a good look. Crona removed her arm from Kid, allowing him to sit with the guys.
"I knew red would suit you all nicely" Soul added.
Patty came over to investigate. All the girls began buzzing about the beautiful pictures they would all be in and how great the dresses would shine while on the dance floor and for once Crona felt involved. She had the same dress as the others and was proud.
"Very balanced" Crona heard Kid say "It looks great" he added, making direct eye contact with her and giving a small smile. She looked away but felt a feeling of giddiness in her stomach at the though of him still looking.
Once everyone had their measurements finished and ordered their attire, Kid paid for it all as Maka and the girls thanked him profusely. The group emerged from the boutique after their several hours of shopping. Ox and Harvar dismissed themselves for a class they were about to be late to and Patty and Liz continued their shopping excursion for more accessories for their outfits.
"I'm starving, do you want to grab lunch?" Soul asked Maka and the remaining group.
"No thanks, I have to get back to my father soon" Kid declined.
"I'm not very hungry" Crona said. 'Maybe I'm getting sick with this weird feeling in the stomach...' she thought.
"We're in!" Black Star agreed. Tsubaki nodded.
"Well we can make something at home I guess if Crona doesn't want to go" Maka said.
"No, it's okay. You deserve time out" Crona assured.
"I'll make sure she gets home safe" Kid offered. Maka looked a little hesitant but relieved. She knew Crona hated long walks alone in Death City because she feared Eruka or her mother would approach her again.
"Okay" she agreed "We'll be home before dark"
The group thinned even more as the two left for home.
Crona walked in step with Kid silently. She crossed her hands in front of her again and he walked calmly with his hands in his pockets. After several minutes she felt she should say something. Anything.
"I can walk home alone if this is boring for you" she said quickly. Kid looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to"
She looked straight ahead again. Embarrassed that she couldn't show as much confidence as Patty or Liz. 'They would never tell a boy something like that'.
Their silent walk continued. She began to wonder why he wasn't talking. Was he offended she didn't thank him earlier?
"Thank you for helping me earlier" she said, hoping to get more out of him.
"Of course"
Crona disliked long conversations, but this was ridiculous. She was putting in an effort. After ten more minutes of silent walking, she decided to try one more time.
"Do you like movies?" she asked. Kid smiled at the random line of questioning.
"Yes I like movies" he chuckled as they turned a corner, passing a sweet shop.
"I do too"
He grinned at her general statement.
"Well?" he asked, changing his smile so he wouldn't make her feel embarrassed. Crona looked confused.
"What kind of movies do you like?" he asked as they neared her home. Her eyes shifted as she thought about lying.
"I-I can't pick" she fibbed. The way he looked at her, she was certain he knew that was a lie.
"Ah. Well I like drama" he informed. Crona opened the gate to the fence in front of the apartment and entered.
"I've never seen a drama" Crona admitted.
"It has a sort of balance. If the theme is tragedy, the whole plot will revolve around it" he explained, giving his point of view. Crona nodded.
"Have a good night, you looked great today" he said as he began to walk away and gave a small wave. She waved back and felt Ragnarok finally begin to stir as she hurried inside, watching from the window as he walked away.
"Woah, what did I miss? Why are you being creepy? But more importantly, when are you going to give me food?" he asked with his small hand on his belly. Crona blocked him out as she sat in the window thinking. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed several items of junk food to keep Ragnarok busy while she grabbed her DVD and threw it in for the 3rd time in two days.
More to come eventually!