A/N - Quick update today! There's a big reason for this: Once I started, I couldn't stop writing this little chapter until it was done. It was just so fun. I suppose it's because it was a big change of pace from the usual, and you know what they say about variety being the spice of life!
This chapter is quite a bit shorter than usual, clocking in at only about 2000 words without author's notes. But considering that the last two chapters were over 13000 words combined (Why oh why didn't I do the smart thing and split it into three chapters? Why don't I listen to my brain?) I think the shorter word count is a little excusable.
On to the reviews! Thank you to MegglesGG, SmolderingBlackRose, little101, and Meilong101
To MegglesGG: I'm glad that you like it! You're right about the planning bit; I've been looking forward to writing that last chapter for a while now. I guess I ended up trying to get to it so fast that I burned myself out reaching it. In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed it! (Especially the ending; that was a last minute addition so I'm glad it's well-recieved.)
SmolderingBlackRose: Oh, thank you! ^_^ I'm glad you like the flashbacks; they're the main reasons I split this arc into two chapters instead of three like I really should have. As for more flashbacks concerning Tempus and Alecto's early days, don't you worry. There will be a lot of those coming up in an arc that'll be happening soon. (The arc after next, to be precise.) And yes, Alecto and Tempus are both bisexual. I didn't originally plan them to be bi, but it suits them.
little101: Aw, sorry that you feel that way. :( In all honesty, I'd originally planned Alecto's crush on Tsubaki to be a tad more platonic than it turned out to be. I blame my sister, honestly: she was the one who asked me if Alecto was "totally lesbian-ing it up" for Tsubaki. (Her words, not mine.) She planted the idea in my head, it's her fault! :T Okay, no, I'm the writer and I really liked the idea of one-sided crushing, so I rolled with it. If there is anyone on whom any blame should be placed, it is me.
Meilong101: Oh, don't worry, Alecto and Kid are definitely going to be endgame. Do you really think I would have this tagged as OC/Death the Kid if I planned for Alecto/Tsubaki to be the final pairing? (Unless it was all a lie and it's actually NADIA who gets with Kid but that would be silly so we're not doing that.) As for the requests about action and bonding, you won't have to wait long! Next chapter will have some Kid/Alecto fluff, and the next arc is all about Alecto's combat prowess! And yeah, I know I can be a bit slow on the plot development sometimes. Sorry. ^_^". I think that's why I added this chapter in the first place; Tempus Fugit's Big Original Plot Arc doesn't actually officially "begin" for another few arcs because I am a slow-turtle when it comes to foreshadowing and build-up, so I needed something to whet everyone's appetites!
As for Alecto/Tempus and Kid jealousy moments, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to nip that rose in the bud and say "no can do" on that one. There are two main reasons for this. One: A Tempus/Alecto/Kid love triangle was planned, but scrapped. I've mentioned this before, I think; the main reason was that I thought it detracted from the relationship Alecto and Tempus currently share and that a love triangle wouldn't add anything two the plot. (Also: in the planned love triangle, it was Tempus who was the jealous one. So there's that.)
Reason number two (and this relates to a topic I've wanted to gush on the internet about for a while, so buckle your seat belts): I don't think Kid would be jealous of any closeness between Tempus and Alecto because Tempus and Alecto are supposed to be close. In Soul Eater, a character's most important relationship isn't necessarily with their boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other. It's with their partner. Be that relationship platonic, romantic, or familial, the most important person in a meister's life is their weapon, and vice versa. (With the possible exception of Crona, but Crona's an exception to a lot of rules.) That's part of the reason why partners can resonate souls. They're soul mates in the most literal sense of the term. Kid being jealous of Tempus and Alecto being tight wouldn't make any sense, because as a meister, he would understand that. It's be just as weird if Alecto were jealous of Liz and/or Patti. A student's partner comes first, always, no matter the exact nature of their relationship. So yeah, Kid doesn't strike me as the jealous type.
Erm, sorry about that, I just have huge dokis for meister/weapon dynamics. Best part of Soul Eater, in my opinions. Anyway, those are the two big reasons why a Tempus/Alecto/Kid love triangle is not really going to be a thing that will ever happen. Sorry. :( I can definitely promise action and fluff, though! Those are two things that will be in great supply in the coming chapters, trust me!
Notes will be at the end of the chapter.
DISCLAIMER: Soul Eater is the intellectual property of Atsushi Ōkubo. I have no intention of monetizing my fanwork, and this is merely an enjoyable passer of time.
Chapter Thirty - Intermission - The Snake and the Lioness Share Tense Warnings
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa. Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa."
Most of the time, witches who lived outside the Realm did not come together in groups, preferring to work either alone or with a small group of trusted friends or family.
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa. Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa."
Witches didn't trust strangers easily. And why would they? Lord Death, the head of the Academy, the judge of what was good and what was evil, had judged them all to be wicked, giving students the go-ahead on killing witches they came across. When the threat of a meister's weapon at one's throat was very constant and very real, the idea of giving trust freely to every person that caught one's fancy was risky at best and downright suicidal at worst. So, most witches kept to themselves, with the exception of the occasional havoc wreaking here and there.
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa. Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa."
After all, no friends mean no one to stab you in the back, right?
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa. Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa."
But there were times, and there were places, where witches would gather together in large numbers, freely and without fear. One of those times and one of those places was the Witches' Mass, a ceremony of sorts hosted by the grand witch herself, the spatial witch Mabaa.
In the crowd of people were many witches of note. There were the Mizune sisters, a group of six mice witches who barely spoke outside of vague squeaking sounds. There was Eruka Frog, a young silver-haired woman with an affinity for amphibians and a particular fondness for explosions. There was Angela, the chameleon witch and the youngest amongst the crowd, along with her taciturn bodyguard whom no one really cared to speak with. And then there was the snake witch, Medusa Gorgon, alongside the meek demon swordsman Crona and the demon sword Ragnarok.
Medusa wasn't aware of it yet, but she was being watched. Another witch attending the Mass had her eyes on her. This witch was tall with lean but powerful muscles rippling under her tawny, fur-lined dress and cinnamon-brown scarf, identifiable among the crowd by a mane of wild, fiery red hair and catlike eyes that reflected the moonlight.
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa. Jo ma, Jo ma, da barasa."
It was about halfway through the Witches' Mass when Medusa finally sensed the gaze focused on the back of her neck, and turned around to see the red-haired witch staring her down. Chartreuse cat eyes met cold golden snake eyes, and for a few brief moments, the tension was taut enough to cut with a butter knife. Then Medusa turned her attention back to the Mass, and the red-haired witch did the same.
"Jo ma, jo ma, da barasa."
When the prayers of the Witches' Mass finally ended and the brief period of mingling began, the red-headed with was nowhere to be seen. This wasn't surprising; like most witches, she came and went as she pleased, and her particular brand of magic made trying to keep track of her location very difficult. But the red-haired witch was also fond of attention. If she wanted to make her presence known, make no mistake, she would.
And she did. Several minutes and one run-in with Eruka and a Mizune sister later, Medusa was walking down a dark alleyway with Crona and Ragnarok in tow when the approached sound of high heels against weathered cobblestone stopped her in her tracks. She stared into the shadows ahead of her, and after a moment the red-haired witched emerged, her stance elegant and imposing as she stalked into the moonlight. "Medusa," she said, her voice a purr tinged with an accent that was a mix of several Southern European dialects. Her gaze flicked over to the orchid-haired demon swordsman, who recoiled under the intensity of the stare. "I see that you're still abusing children for fun and profit."
"Panthera Leo," Medusa replied, her voice smooth as silk but dripping venom with every word. "You really are the perfect hypocrite, aren't you? You've killed how many children in your experiments?" Her civil smile turned into a wicked grin too wide for her mouth. "I heard all about the little incident in Fall River with Lizzie Borden. Don't tell me another of your subjects got away?"
"At least I try to grant the children a swift end, if I can," Panthera sniffed, "and I'm not quite so despicable as to violate the natural trust between mother and child. As for Fall River..." Her haughty gaze turned into a frown that was almost a sulk, and she looked down at the ground. "Borden didn't escape. I let her loose. Her mind had been lost, but she was useful enough as a tool of destruction. It's just a shame she was claimed so easily. So, how did you know about that?"
"As the school nurse of the Death Weapon Meister Academy, I consider it my duty to keep myself informed of the missions that my students are on," Medusa replied, adjusting the sleeves of her yellow-and-black snakeskin coat. Her answer was perfectly orchestrated and rehearsed, down to the false note of pride on the word "students." If this were a friendly chat, Panthera would have been impressed.
As things stood, she was not. "You mean you want to make sure there aren't any witches being hunted who could spill your little secret."
"Yes, that too." Medusa's smile disappeared. "Now, if you're quite done making idle chatter and questioning my parenting abilities, I really must be getting back to Death City. I'm a very busy woman, after all, and unlike you I don't have all the time in the world to spend doing meaningless things."
She moved to leave, but Panthera took a step forward, blocking her exit. "Not yet, Medusa," she said, her sharp canines glinting dangerously in the moon's light. "I'm not here to talk to you about Crona, or Fall River. I'm here to talk to you about the... incident in Italy."
Medusa eye's narrowed into slits, and she frowned before speaking. "Crona, be a good child and stand over there. This will only take a few minutes." Her words with thickly saccharine, with only an faint underlying layer of maliciousness betraying the threat of punishment that her tone truly indicated.
"Y-yes, Lady Medusa." Eyes downcast, the child went over to the assigned spot, where he was promptly put in a headlock by the black, barely-humanoid form with bulging eyes sprouting from his back.
Now that they were alone, Medusa spoke. "I suppose it's no surprise that you heard about that. I must admit, I wasn't expecting the Academy's best meister and Lord Death's own personal scythe to join to show up." The corner of her mouth curled upward into another unnatural grin. "But it was a good opportunity to test Crona's progress. I found it lacking."
Panthera scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest and tapping a sharp fingernail against the tanned skin of her upper arm. "A good opportunity for you, maybe. It was a pain in the ass for weeks. Do you know why I was in New England again, Medusa? Because after your little stunt in Europe, there were suddenly a dozen high-ranking meisters sniffing around for witch activity not too far from my caverns. I barely had time to cast Soul Protect and flee to my secondary base before they found me, no thanks to you." It was the lioness witch's turn to narrow her eyes, her mouth set in a thin-lipped grimace that would have intimidated a lesser witch. "Rome is my territory, Medusa. I'd suggest you conduct your business elsewhere."
Medusa was not a lesser witch. "Territory?" she said through an amused snort. "You may spend all your time around beasts and petulant brats, Panthera, but you really shouldn't emulate them. It doesn't suit you. Rome is no more your more territory than mine, and quite frankly I couldn't care less if the Academy skins you and uses you as a throw rug."
"I see." Panthera hadn't come to the Mass expecting any other answer, but a lioness had to bare her fangs sometimes, even if only to remind others that she had them. "Very well, then. If that's how you want to play it, so be it." She turned and began to walk away, gracefully stepping over the cracks in the cobblestone despite the high heels of her sandals. "From one woman of science to another, let me give you a warning: if your experiments interfere with mine again, I will kill you and feed your corpse to my beasts for lunch. Are we clear?"
Medusa didn't answer. Instead, just as Panthera was about to disappear back into the shadows, she revealed the ace up her sleeve. "There's a new time meister at the Academy." Panthera froze, her hands automatically clenching into fists as she looked over her shoulder. Knowing that she had caught the taller witch's attention, Medusa continued, not bothering to play nice anymore. "I know the last time meister you went up against gave you quite a bit of trouble before you managed to properly dispose of her and her partner. This one is younger, less skilled, but has a great deal of raw strength. She's the one who dealt with your little mess in Fall River." She wasn't smiling anymore. "It was would very easy of me to leak information regarding you and your specific brand of magic to the Academy without betraying my cover. I suggest you remember that next time you decide to make threats against me."
Panthera turned back towards the shadows, standing completely still for a few moments. Medusa tensed herself, half expecting the red-haired woman to whirl around and pounce. But she merely incanted, "Leo sum, lee leo," and vanished into the shadows.
Medusa took a moment to bask in her victory, however brief, before snapping at Crona to follow her an continuing the long walk home.
"A time meister..."
Panthera stared at the single lit candle illuminating the windowless room she sat in, her gaze following the flickering flame as it sputtered and jumped about. "That could pose a problem. After all, that last time meister was the one who nearly did me in. If this one has the amount of strength that Medusa said she had... hmm. I suppose that I will have to continue laying low. I will make extra sure to keep my experiments contained; even one getting loose could end with Lord Death uncovering my location and sending that time meister after me." She looked over at the large cage in the shadowed corner of the room, where something lurked in the darkness, a low growl erupting from its throat. "If I die before I succeed, then these decades I have spent working towards my goal have all been in vain," she said.
"And I cannot allow that to happen."
A/N: I was hoping to keep Panthera's name a secret until much later in the story, but it just wouldn't have made sense to keep it hidden at this point.
You guys can see why this chapter was fun to write, right? Medusa is a tricky character to nail (the levels of smug, snarky superiority has to be just right, or it doesn't work), but I think I did a good job. Writing the snark off between her and Panthera was a real blast, I swear. Place your bets: Medusa versus Panthera in the verbal smackdown of the century: WHO WILL WIN?
Spoiler alert: It's Medusa. It was always Medusa. Sorry Panthera, I love you, but Medusa is just so casual about how she doesn't give a fuck. That level of nonchalance is just too great for you to evil handle.
So yeah, this chapter was a last-minute addition whipped up on the spur of the moment, but given the circumstances, the characters involved, and the timeline, I think it made a lot of sense for this particular scene to occur. Plus, I think I wrote some pretty good lines in this one, if you ask me.
No Alecto in this chapter, so no translations this time. Wow, two chapters in a row without significant Latin. I'm losing my touch. Plenty of Latin next chapter though, so look out for that!
Next chapter will return to your regularly scheduled arcs, and will be up soon. In the meantime, feel free to favorite and leave a review!
