DEALINGS

two weeks after Asura

It was still hot out, even though the sun had set four hours ago.

They still hadn't found their way to the new apartment that had been assigned to them. Ms. Mandy had managed to procure one prior to their arrival, and since they had gone straight to the acadamy, they hadn't had time to check out the town during daylight hours. Rudy stumbled and leaned heavily against a brick wall, groaning in irritation. She was so hot, why was it so miserable here?

"Come on. This way." Rudy glared at her sister; this is why they were lost. For all the things Agnes could do right, navigation was the single thing she couldn't manage; even if they had a map with a big, red arrow pointing to the apartment on it, she would still get them lost. Rudy shoved past her sister, grabbing her hand hard and pulling her along. When Agnes kept stride with her for a few minutes, she released her and after a few more twists and turns, they were in the right area.

After checking their numbers twice, they were relieved -and Agnes' pride suffered- to find the door leading to their new home. They couldn't wait to go in and sleep in their clean beds. Agnes took out the key and jiggled it a bit, twisting the knob and pushing the door open. It was completely dark inside, and Agnes felt her heart speed up; there was sweat on her palms, the black void pulling her in. She hated the dark. She hated the dark. She hated-

Rudy flipped on the lights, picking up on the subtle hints of her sister's pending anxiety attack. She felt her heart drop when she actually looked around a bit.

"I wish we had packed something. Anything."

There was a living room; a couch big enough for three and a chair were the only pieces of furniture - they were both a dark red, smooth velvet covering them. The floors were all wood, running throughout the house. The kitchen had nothing except for a sink, a stove, and a refridgerator with no food in it; the walls an off-white with a faint blue hue. There was a door at the beginning of a narrow hallway, and it had a single bed, nightstand, and dresser in it.

A bit further down there was a bathroom; it was small, but it had a shower, toilet, and sink. At the very end of the hall, stood an open wall. It lead into a larger bedroom, though the bed was only a twin. There was another nightstand, and a bigger dresser. This room also had the only window in the entire apartment.

"I concur, however we didn't know exactly what our roles were to be here... At least we have beds."

"Yeah, but they're in different rooms!"

"Then quit whining and help me move our only furniture."

Rudy made an unflattering face before skulking towards the back of their new apartment. Ms. Mandy had arranged for everything, according to Lord Death. Their apartment was paid for, and their papers had already been approved. He told them they could begin class tomorrow.

Agnes had a particular aversion to darkness and night, so the girls had shared a room their entire lives. Rudy had suggested that they let it go for the night, seeing as how they were both exhausted; Agnes wouldn't hear of it. She had a way of bullying her younger sister into doing what she wanted, if she wanted it bad enough.

Agnes took the bottom of the frame and lifted it before tugging it out so Rudy could squeeze between the bed and wall. They were twin beds, not big enough to give them much trouble -except for when Rudy got her right and left mixed up and they got the bed wedged in the doorframe- and after about an hour of grunting and arguing, they laid on their new beds, staring at the same ceiling.

"What do you think we should expect?"

"Well, Kilik made it seem like NOT! students don't know how to transform fully. They also seem to not have already picked partners, but since we're sisters I don't see a problem."

Rudy blew a stray hair out of her face, staring at the ceiling. She didn't want to go to school to learn how to turn herself into a sword, but she didn't exactly want to risk her life in the EAT class. The two had agreed on their long trek to join NOT! class and do their best from there, but perhaps they could just go back to China. The beds weren't familiar and the house was cold and barren.

Somewhere in her thoughts, Rudy fell asleep. Agnes glanced over at her snoring sister before turning over, thinking about how her sister was probably entertaining throughts about leaving. Her sister was always a bit cowardly, but Agnes could only hope she would pull through.

They wouldn't be running late if Rudy had woken up when Agnes kicked the edge of her bed, at 6. It took a small fire to wake the weapon up, and even then she was half-asleep as they ran through the unfamiliar alleys of Death City. Agnes tugged her every-which way, but the older sister had the worst sense of direction in the world and neither of them payed attention to the tour Kilik gave them the day prior.

Rudy was positive they were getting further and further from the school when she saw a little kid with a hat on staring at her from the other end of the alley. She stopped her sister and pointed sleepily at the Pot of Thunder, who was quickly joined by the Pot of Fire who was rapidly approaching the sisters.

Kilik quickly appeared, looking slightly worried; they had run off, making him ditch Black*Star so he could find them. Apparently, they had run to the new kids from the day before. They looked a little different in school uniforms; Agnes had on a long skirt, a white, long-sleeved shirt, and a yellow sweater, while Rudy was wearing gym shorts and a Death City t-shirt.

"Hey! Agnes and Rudy, right? You guys are gonna be late soon, what are you doing here?"

"We're lost." Agnes shot her sister an angry look while Kilik laughed, and the Pot of Fire tugged on her thumb. She smiled down at the shaman before beginning a conversation with the two. It seemed one-sided to Kilik and Rudy, who heard no words from the Pots.

"I'll help you guys get to school, follow me. NOT! students are usually excused from being late a few times because of the city's confusing layout." He motioned for them to follow and he began to navigate the city before Rudy began to ask questions.

"What are you doing here, then? Won't you be late, too?" Kilik smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"I ran into my friend, Black*Star this morning and we got to talking. Say, can either of you play basketball? Why don't you join us today after class?" They gave him a strange look; he almost began to wonder if they even knew what basketball was. He didn't know why he offered, either - they seemed like nice kids, but they didn't exactly seem to be the type his friends would hang out with.

"Uh, sure! Can we meet right by the stairs? We don't really know any place other than the school." Her words were a bit huffy as they began to climb the stairs. Once again, neither girl had noticed the layout of the town. Kilik and his weapons seemed too interesting to pay any attention to the buildings and streets. He chuckled and nodded, not a single harsh breath coming from him. He must have climbed these steps every day for years.

He lead them down a hallway, then up two sets of stairs, down another very long hallway, and then they went up another four flights of steps. How could this school have so many stairs, Rudy wondered vaguely. Even Agnes was showing wear from all of the steps. Were they really this out of shape?

"Well, here we are. Look for me after class, we'll probably be out before you."

"Wait, where's your class?" He had that smirk again as he jabbed a thumb at himself, then at his Pots.

"Remember, we're in EAT class. Our classroom is on the other side of the school, in the Moon section. I'll see you guys later!" He walked away and waved back at them, his weapons following him reluctantly. They walked into class and almost groaned out loud.

Everyone in there was eyeing each other up, with varying looks of superiority. They had already started mingling, and a blue-skinned man came towards them.

"You two must be the transfers, Agnes and Rudy. I see you've already partnered up, so go ahead and stand over there. We're going to gauge your abilities." He said the last bit louder so everyone could hear him, and they all slowly shifted around the room. He had the weapons on one line, and meisters on the other. He had each person partner with another and try to transform. Most people could only turn their leg or arms, some their heads or feet. Rudy stunted her transformation, her arm turning into a reverse-blade katana. The blade itself was dull and chipped, and overall unimpressive.

The blue man, who had called himself Sid, told them to continue talking and looking for partners. Each sister was asked by at least two people to partner up, leading to many disappointments. The next two hours went by and they continued talking to other students, trying to get more information about what this school was like. At the end of their class, as promised, Kilik and the Pots were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. He once more guided them through the streets and alleys, keeping them so distracted that they thought the basketball court was right next to the school.

"Hey, Kilik! Whoa, who're the new kids?" His hair was blue, and he had a star tattoo on his shoulder. His voice was loud and he seemed to puff out his chest. He pointed a thumb at himself, flaring his nostrils as he began shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I am the great and mighty Black*Star! I have surpassed God, and I have surpassed fear itself! Bow in my presence, because who knows who I'll beat next!"

"That's Black*Star, and I'm Tsubaki. Kilik, who did you bring with you?" A young woman with long, black hair approached them with a gentle smile and held out her hand. Rudy grabbed it and motioned to herself and Agnes.

"I'm Rudy, this is my sister, Agnes. We're new in town, we just joined NOT! class. We met Kilik the other day on the way into town."

"Oh, where did you come from?"

"Southern China." Agnes' quiet voice reached her ears and Tsubaki found her smile widening. While China and Japan weren't the friendliest countries, Tsubaki's family was closer to their traditions. The two girls began to chat about different foods, as Tsubaki was a bit of a chef. Rudy was enamored by the descriptions of food, until Black*Star butted in again.

"Tsubaki, are you trying to take my spotlight? I'll just have to challenge you to a game of basketball! Pick your teams, me and Tsubaki are captains. Loser has to cook me dinner for a week!"

"But, Black*Star, I usually cook..." She sighed as he began to cackle again. Rudy chose Black*Star's team, and Agnes teamed with Tsubaki and Kilik(the Pots sitting on the sideline). There were other people on each team, a boy with black hair (and three white stripes on half of his head), and a boy with white hair were on Rudy's team, and two blondes -who Agnes assumed were sisters- was on Agnes' team. Rudy punched her palm before opening her mouth as the ball flew into the air.

"Oh! We don't know how to play basketball!"

It happened fast, and no one heard her. The game continued and eventually Rudy had the ball. She held it tight and shoved past Tsubaki before side-stepping and spinning around her sister, and dunking it.

"Whoa- that is totally not how you play basketball!"

"Yeah, that's not a point! That should be a counter-point!"

"What, no, that's cheating!"

Kilik and Black*Star argued for a solid few minutes before Tsubaki finally broke them up. She convinced them that they could just run over the rules for the girls; Black*Star argued that if they couldn't play, they should go home. Kilik was almost embarrassed because he had brought two noobs. But once again, Tsubaki spoke sense.

"They're from rural China, of course they've never played basketball." Tsubaki glossed over a few of the basic rules showing them a proper dribble and traveling, before they were sure they could handle it.

"Alright, we can try this again. Ready?" She threw the ball into the air and Kilik smacked it towards Agnes, who jumped to meet it in the air. She grabbed it and with a sudden arch, she threw it with all her might to the other end of the court, where it went straight into the net.

Black*Star was surprised by the 180 in their forms. His gaze travelled from Agnes to Rudy, who was clenching her jaw; her eyes were filled with ire, her hands balled into fists at her sides. It was very quiet for a moment before they heard Rudy speak up in a gravelly voice, completely different from her normal, bouncy-tone.

"Pass me that. This is personal."

At the end of their match, Black*Star's team had won because of his aggressiveness on the court, but he almost lost to Agnes' tenacity. The two teams decided to go back to Black*Star's for dinner, since Tsubaki had wanted to cook with Agnes to learn her recipes. On their way back, Rudy struck up a conversation with the white-haired male, Soul.

"So, Soul, is everyone here in EAT class?"

"Yeah, usually my partner is here too but she's still in the hospital."

They continued to talk about his partner, whose name was Maka, and Rudy got the strong impression that they were hopelessly in love. Either way, Soul convinced her that Maka was not only perfect, but he also convinced her that there was no one who could beat her. He told her about the Kishin, Asura, and their recent battle with him. Rudy was in awe at his recap of the entire event, to which the others -excluding Kilik- added their input from taking part in the battle.

It didn't take very long for her to grow irritated with Black*Star, either. Every time a new conversation cropped up, he would interject with stories of his greatness. Rudy also began to realize that she was cut off the most frequently - and usually with scathing comments. It seemed that the self-proclaimed assassin didn't quite care for her.

They also were formally introduced to Death the Kid and his twin pistols, Patti and Liz Thompson. As Rudy continued to listen to their recount, suddenly Kid was right in front of her. Their noses were touching as his golden eyes bored into her own. She felt fear for a second before she saw his eyes begin to water as he grabbed her face, taking another long moment before turning to her sister and doing the same thing.

He collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his nose and mouth. Patti fell over as well, though peels of laughter escaped her as she kicked her feet into the air. Liz looked at each girl before sighing and pressing her hand to her forehead.

"Damn, your freckles aren't symmetrical. Sorry guys, but we gotta get Kiddo here home before he decides to Sharpie on more. Good game though!" Patti hoisted him over her shoulder and the two waved goodbye as they dragged the reaper back home. Rudy couldn't help but think that it was the strangest thing, and it only became stranger as the rest of the group continued on without a care in the world.

"Is, is he gonna be ok?"

"It happens to him all the time. He's got this bad OCD about symmetry. He'll be ok later, he just likes to steal the spotlight." Black*Star supplied an answer for her, and she felt slightly more at ease. The tone he was taking with her before seemed to vanish, and she hoped it meant that his petty anger was no longer an issue. He dropped his voice down before he spoke again.

"You can't hide it from me."

"W-what?" She felt a cold sweat break out. They hadn't broken any rules yet, had they? Rudy was so nervous for him to continue, unsure of what his response would be. What did he know? Had they been compromised?

"You think you can eat more of Tsubaki's food than I can. But that's where you're wrong! I will devour the entire Earth!"

"Oh, you think I can't hold my own? Challenge accepted, be prepared to lose."

Tsubaki unlocked their front door and the two wrestled to get in and take a seat at the table, sitting down at the same exact time. Their glares were becoming corporeal and they were clashing over the table as the rest of their group lounged around the living room, lazily chatting as Agnes and Tsubaki began to prepare meals. Tsubaki had prepared for Kilik and Black*Star's appetite, and she seemed to have plenty of food.

Until she began to serve.

Everything that touched the table was gone the instant she turned back to see if they needed seconds. Black*Star and Rudy had seven bowls and twelve plates stacked up, and soon it began to grow dark. Kilik and the twins rose, having been chatting with Agnes, Soul, and some limited conversation with the Pots and Tsubaki.

"Sorry guys, I gotta get these two home. They've got homework to do." Kilik stretched and bid goodbye to everyone, telling Rudy (who acknowledged with a nod of her head before shoveling food into her mouth again) and Agnes that they should come by and play ball again sometime. The Pots grudgingly stood from their spots beside him, and the Pot of Fire walked over and hugged Agnes' legs again. She paused in her cooking to lean down and return the hug, and she noticed the child-like shamans rubbing their eyes sleepily. They trudged towards the door, where Kilik was waiting for them, and he picked both of them up. They were immediately asleep, and he closed the door with a soft click.

Soul left soon after, telling them that Blair would kill him if he wasn't home by the time she was, but Rudy was sure he was really going to see Maka before going home. He had admitted to being concerned for her, as she still hadn't woken up after sleeping for the entire past two weeks.

Rudy was still eating after her eighteenth plate, which is when Black*Star fell back with a hand on his stomach, completely passed out. She laughed aloud as she finished her twentieth plate and seventeenth bowl before she, too, fell back and yawned. She closed her eyes, ready for a long nap.

"Oh, they seem to have fallen asleep." Agnes sighed in relief. They hadn't had a chance to eat yet, as they had continued cooking on and off for the past few hours. There had been snacking and sampling, but the house was now quiet and they could enjoy a meal together.

Tsubaki served Agnes, sitting down by Black*Star. The broke apart their chopsticks and began to eat; occassionally, they would comment on each other's sides; Tsubaki hadn't rubbed a leaf or two when preparing kimchi, and Agnes' tonkatsu was way over-cooked. But they had enjoyed cooking together.

"Hey, Tsubaki... Tell me, how did you end up with Black*Star?"

"I was the first weapon in my family to attend the academy. The Nakatsukasa clan is a renowned family, known for our versatile weapon forms. Usually, the first-born son is gifted with the abilities; smoke bomb, ninja sword, and kusarigama. But I was given these abilities instead of my brother. My first few days were rough - I couldn't find a single partner capable of working with me...

"But one day, I had been running late - and as I climbed the stairs, do you know what I hear? 'Look at me, I am the greatest! I will surpass god! Look at me, I can do anything!' and I listened to the whole thing, I missed an hour of class, too. But someone who could get up and say all those things - and keep saying them, believing them, when no one else would listen... I needed that. It just kinda worked out for us." Tsubaki seemed a bit flustered at Agnes' reaction; the meister was leaning forward on the table, her elbows propping her up. Her eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them - she looked strangely like Rudy did when she was up to something.

"That sounds so... Nice. Sadly, I was stuck with this sap since day one." She sighed and sat back down, finishing the last bits of food on her plate. Tsubaki laughed before taking up their plates. Agnes watched her rinse them and thought about what she had said, a small smile on her face. She stood up and joined her friend at the sink.

"Let's clean up, Tsubaki. I guess we have to take care of these two." Tsubaki chuckled as they began to put the few leftovers in containers and washed the dishes before Agnes hoisted her sister over her shoulder and left the apartment. After two hours of wandering, she somehow managed to find her way back to their apartment. Lazily kicking the door shut, she eyed the clock on the stove and saw the time was 11:08. She groaned, something she never did, before opening their bedroom door and throwing her sister onto a bed and soon she was laying on her own unfamiliar bed, falling asleep as she tried to plan for the coming weeks.