This chapter has been delayed for months, there's reasons including work, mental health and all sorts of other nonsense... This probably doesn't make up for it, but I will try to update more now that I'm done with Uni for now.
The day was over, the group departed from class and made their way to the bottom floor, the meisters all stopped by the bulletin board. it seemed more jobs for collecting Kishin-egg souls were back up and things were back on track too.
Maka, Black*Star and Kid observed the jobs and took note of the ones they saw they could do, within minutes the group carried on their way out of the building. Eruka also left the room and was on her way out when she saw the group which she had to keep an eye on, she soon had a great idea.
"Hey!" Eruka shouted, the group turned around simultaneously, Eruka noticed that Black*Star and Soul looked like they couldn't be bothered to talk, Crona looked away rubbing his shoulder. Naturally the girls welcomed Eruka with a smile, since they had no idea who she really was.
"Don't you mind them Akire, the guys seem rough around the edges with their quirks, but they're nice when you get to know them!" Maka stated, offering Eruka a handshake.
As the girls began to get to know 'Akire', the guys huddled together a little, "So whatdya think about this girl then?" Soul asked the others. There was a small bit of silence, the only noise being the girls chatting behind them.
Black*Star scoffed, "I don't like this, I don't like anyone new coming in and trying to steal the attention...".
Kid rubbed his chin, "Figures you'd say that Black*Star... However, something about her seems familiar, but like Maka said, it's probably just the fact we haven't moved on from past events, it can blind us in a way". Crona kept quiet, he was sure he recognised her, he knew he had seen her before, her voice rang a bell, but who?
Maka gave Eruka a soft smile, "Well, you're welcome to hang with us for time being, it must be odd since you're a year or two older than us but I'm sure it'll be fine".
Eruka nodded and laughed, sweating ever so slightly, "Thank you, that'd be great", she laughed only because now she had a sure-fire way to watch this group, and spy on them as of when she wanted.
Back to the guys, Black*Star was still going on about how he thought it wasn't a good idea, boasting how only he could be the center of attention. Crona was deep in thought, pondering just where had he seen this woman before? She definitely seemed to have this calm exterior that felt eerily familiar.
Kid was just ignoring Black*Star as he shouted his excellence to the group, Kid inched his way over to Soul. "Despite Black*Star's ego, I'm actually wondering what having her hang with us will be like" Kid said, trying to not make it obvious he was looking over at her.
Soul glanced at her, "Yeah, we'll find out, she's pretty cute, but I'm just wondering how she'll fit in with us honestly". Soul turned to Kid, "I mean, we're a group of oddballs and freaks, which is how I like it, but how's she gonna fit in with us? She looks pretty normal and tame to me...".
Kid pondered, his voice drifting off, "No idea...".
Liz shouted over at the group, "Come on guys! Don't be shy!", the fact that Liz shouted like that made all of them a little embarrassed... Plus many eyes were now looking over, amplifying the awkwardness.
After exchanging hellos and the sort, the group descended the large stairs of the academy, "So you're not from Death City?" Maka asked. "Well, we can always show you around if you want a feel for the place".
Liz stood on the other side of Eruka, "Yeah, there's no sense in wondering around this place aimlessly, we'll help you out if need be, just ask".
Patty appeared between Liz and Eruka, "Yeah! Big sis has helped me through a lot! You can trust her! One time, I-", Liz pushed Patty's head down a little, "Thank you Patty for that, but Akire doesn't need to hear that right now...".
Eruka looked at everyone confused, "Thanks... Thanks a lot". Their kindness and acceptance had already could Eruka off guard.
"Don't mention it" Liz said tipping her hat a little, Patty could be heard babbling her anecdote still.
Tsubaki walked with the others as Maka went and caught up with Soul, Tsubaki spoke up, "If there's anything to do with the academy that you don't get, I'm sure I can help. I always have to run around the place for Black*Star, he forgets things a lot, but it's all in practice" Tsubaki said with a smile.
Eruka was surprised, they were all so nice, she didn't know what it was like to have actual friends, the only thing she could count as a friend or more were the Mizune sisters but, somehow this group seemed genuine.
Eruka kept her suspicions up though, she thought they were on to her, she'd have to play into it longer to fulfill her plan with Medusa. "Thanks, all of you" Eruka said, she slowly began to talk to the others and get to know them further.
A few steps ahead were Soul, Black*Star, Kid and Crona, Kid was currently lecturing on the time he ran ahead after the Kishin and came across the 'bomb pattern'. "Ugh it was disgusting" Kid began, "They were arranged poorly, no sense of correlation or pattern, no symmetry! Can someone so well organised to have constructed that plan be so messy?!".
Soul grinned, "Yeah, sounds like the end of the world!", his voice sounding very dramatic and drawn out, he even placed his hand on his forehead to add more exaggeration.
The others laughed, Kid went along with the joke and carried on, "I couldn't go on, it made me feel sick! It was thanks to Patty that-".
Soul was tapped on his left shoulder, he saw Maka walking with him, "Oh, hey, so you broke in the new girl huh? Isn't it a little odd since she's, y'know, older?" Soul quizzed.
Maka looked back at Eruka, then to Soul, "Hmm, a year or two doesn't mean much Soul, as long as she's a good person, there's many married couples a few years apart, like my parents were for example".
Soul knew Maka had a point, "True, I wonder if she has any meister or weapon history?".
Maka gazed off a little, "Like, she used to be a weapon or meister?".
"Yeah, I wonder if that's why she's here, like, wanting to relax, maybe it's not for her" Soul guessed, beginning to think of what possibilities lead to her arrival here at Death City.
Maka did the same looking to and fro, "I don't think so, while it's true most teachers have had genuine experience in the field, she's just an assistant and she doesn't look like a weapon or meister person. For all we know she could just be really interested in the idea, she looks academic enough".
Kid carried on his tale, Liz had an idea strike her mind, "Hey, why don't we head to Deathbucks Cafe? We haven't worked there in a while and I'm sure Master would be glad to see us! We may be able to get something like a discount".
Patty jumped in the air, "Grrrreeeaaatt idea Sis! Let's go!", Kid overheard his weapons, "That sounds wonderful! I haven't been there in ages, I recall going there a while ago but I suppose I haven't had the time to go there again".
Maka groaned, "I would guys but Soul and I have to practice that new technique".
"We do?" Soul asked, trying to walk with Kid, Liz and Patty.
Maka's foot soon crushed Soul's own foot into the ground, "Gah!" he squealed.
Maka glared at Soul, "Yes, we do, I've decided as your meister".
Soul soon rolled his eyes, "Ugh, fine, let's get a drink first, this heat's peaking...".
Maka and Soul were now at the woods by the academy, a training area they used often and many times before, one time specifically when Maka tried to replicate the 'Genie Hunter' technique. Many marks and scars were left around the ground from Maka and Soul's continuous attempts to pull of moves, but it helped them better themselves to see that they worked for it.
"Alright Soul, like Sid said" Maka ordered, holding her hand out.
"Yeah, got it" Soul nodded, turning into his scythe form, Maka caught the handle and spun it around to catch the upper-half with her other hand. "So lemme get this straight" Soul said, "I have to send soul wavelengths to you, but you don't send them back? So you're basically absorbing them?"
"Yeah, exactly" Maka confirmed, her stance ready.
Soul wasn't too sure, but Maka put her trust in him, so he went for it, "Alright, let's give it a try" Soul said, he began to send soul wavelengths to his meister. Usually when performing a resonance the pair would glow blue, but Maka and Soul were growing a more Orange tint, most likely due to Soul's wavelengths being dominant and Maka's soul was sapping them into her own soul.
Afterwards the two rested, the technique seemed useful for some situations when you need to get around your opponent, if agility and maneuvering was your goal. The only issue was it drained Soul out pretty bad, "Just, gimme a minute" Soul said, "Jeez, you took a lot from me". Maka sat next to her weapon the sun was beginning to set in the afternoon sky.
The two enjoyed the silence that followed, the breeze was gentle, and combined with the warmth of the sun, it was quite relaxing. Maka broke the silence, "So they've got new jobs up, a few kishin-eggs that are lurking around the city right now".
Soul, still out of breath, still had the energy to be sarcastic, "Really? Of course, some new threat was 'bound to show up".
Maka lay on the tree behind her, "We'll handle it, I'm sure we can handle anything, we'll just get stronger".
Soul leaned forward, "Yeah, we'll cover it, if anything too big shows up, just get the others in and we've got it too one-sided in our favour!".
Maka felt confident too, "Yeah, we should keep up with our training!", psyching herself up for the events that would no doubt be coming their way in the future.
Soul chuckled a bit, "Yeah, but we shouldn't forget about relaxing and socialising too Maka, remember that, speaking of which, we should have the guys around again I think".
Maka shrugged, "I don't see why not, but, why now in particular?".
Soul rubbed his head, "Well, Crona's been a little edgy recently, dude didn't even smile when he was with us earlier. He usually at least grins or smirks at our jokes and humour, plus I think Kid's been a little stiff lately for some reason. Dude seems just... Off".
Maka looked down, "It seemed to start when he saw his Dad about something, he hasn't mentioned anything about it either. How odd does that look? He goes to see his father, the head of the DWMA, and then seems distant and spooked".
"Yeah, that's a little odd, but Kid is often secretive about stuff, we should have another gathering I think", Soul confirmed, he was set on sorting out what was wrong with his close friend.
Maka put her gloves back on, chuckling, "We probably should while we can, because we're not gonna be young forever!".
"Don't say that, you'll freak me out!" Soul said laughing.
Maka hopped up, "Let's go and check on the others at the Cafe, we need a place to wind down before dark".
"Yeah, I agree", Soul added stretching his arms and slightly yawning, "Let's make a move".
Maka turned to Soul, "I just hope they're still ope-", Maka wasn't checking her footing and her foot had made contact with a semi-small rock.
She began to fall over, within seconds her hand was grabbed, Soul caught her, and tugged her back up onto her feet, "Careful there, look where you're going" he said, sounding slightly stern.
"Y-yeah, sorry" Maka stuttered.
Soul moved closer to Maka's face a little, "What's up with your face? Is it the heat?".
Maka took seconds to realise she was blushing a little. "Oh! No, well, yeah it's probably the heat, heheh..." Maka quickly said rubbing the back of her head.
Soul straightened up, "Alright, let's head to the cafe then, they probably have air conditioning to cool us down".
Soul walked off, Maka stood there shocked, "What just happened? I didn't just do that, no way, I mean, Soul's a great partner and all, but it is just the heat, right?". Maka thought, she noticed Soul waving over to get her attention, Maka woke up and walked over to him, still in deep thought. "I've never even been with someone before, it's not like he'd feel the same, he always was evasive whenever Papa brought the subject up. Ugh, what a time for this to happen, I bet it's just a fluctuation of emotions, it's nothing".
Soul turned when Maka reached his side, "Come on, I think the heat's getting to your head, let's head there now, chances are Liz and Patty's connections got them a table".
Surely enough, Soul was correct, Liz and Patty had gotten a table reserved for the group for a few hours. Tsubaki was checking the place out, what with her not being there before, Black*Star kept downing coffee, one after another "Another one please!".
Liz and Patty were talking about when they used to work here, reminiscing on times past and sharing laughs, Kid was remembering visiting here when he caught Liz and Patty in his eyes as potential weapon partners.
Black*Star was still demanding coffee, Eruka was sat between him and Kid, "Are you not drinking yours Akire?" Black*Star asked.
Eruka shook her head, "No I'm fine, honest...".
"Can't let it go to waste!" Black*Star blubbered, drinking all of it within seconds. Black*Star belched a little, "Ahhh, I may have some more in a little while, gotta let this sink in". Eruka was baffled as to how quick he drunk the beverage, this was not a gut that should be messed with.
Crona was sat on an individual chair, looking upon his drink, soon a pair of hands over him took the cup and began glugging, Ragnarok was pretty thirsty. Crona smiled, "I'll get another one then...".
Ragnarok misunderstood his meister's claim, given he just stole his drink too, "Yeah! Get some more forme! I bet I can beat Black*Star no problem!".
Black*Star heard Ragnarok's claim, "Oh you're on! I'm already three cups ahead!".
Crona got up and went to the counter to order more coffee, Ragnarok was turned around talking to Black*Star and competing, "Yeah well let me catch up! Then we'll see who's the best! Three cups?! I could have that in my sleep!".
Crona came back with many cups, Tsubaki only just realised what was happening, "Oh dear, there's no turning back for Black*Star now" she thought out loud, smiling in acceptance.
Liz took notice too, "You guys are lucky that these cups are on the house for today only, so you might as well gorge yourselves...". Eruka looked at the group, seeing them involved in the activity, Ragnarok and Black*Star were chugging them cups down real fast.
"You're a colourful cast huh" Eruka said chuckling slightly.
Black*Star put a cup down and patted Eruka on the back, "Come on loosen up! You're more tightened up than Crona can be!".
Crona took that to heart, "I'm sorry, I just-".
"Don't worry Crona" Tsubaki said, "I'm sure Black*Star would prefer I don't tell his friends about his escapade of sneaking into the woman's springs...".
With that Black*Star shut up entirely, he went back to drinking, "Hey! Wait up!" Ragnarok shouted doing the same soon after.
Kid put his drink down, "Sorry Akire, it must be hard to drop into a group like ours on such short notice. We only want to make you feel comfortable, well, most of us anyway" Kid said glaring at Black*Star still drinking. "Nevertheless" Kid carried on, "You're welcome to take your time, it was the same for Crona too".
Crona nodded, "It's true, b-but I slowly loosened up, they really are nice!".
Eruka laughed nervously, "Yeah, thanks" she said, still confused why they were being to nice, soon a bell rung, customers had entered, Soul and Maka saw their friends to their right and sat with them. The two sat on a two-seated sofa angled by the three-seater that Tsubaki, Kid and Eruka were placed, which was facing it's back to one of the large front windows.
After exchanging greetings Soul and Maka made an order and soon had their drinks too, Maka caught up with Tsubaki, and Soul noticed Ragnarok and Black*Star in their contest.
"What's going on here? You guys having a competition?" Soul asked leaning forward.
Kid spoke up, "Yes, they're competing on who has a bigger stomach...".
Soul grinned, "Alright, let's make this interesting, how about we make whoever wins outta you two have a reward?".
Black*Star and Ragnarok paused, "A reward?!" they both shouted dribbling coffee a little.
"Ew! Ragnarok!" Crona shrieked as coffee went into his pink hair, and stained his blackened clothes...
Soul carried on, "Let's put a wager in", Soul placed 3000 yen on the table, "Now you guys put in 1500 each then that's 6000 yen total, I just want to watch this for my amusement", he said snickering.
Kid smiled, "This should be interesting", soon the two put in 1500 yen each, the stakes grew a little, Maka saw Ragnarok and Black*Star go even further.
"So Tsubaki, how's things with Black*Star? Training-wise I mean" Maka asked, seeing Black*Star whiz through more and more mugs.
Tsubaki leaned toward Maka a little, "Not too bad, but watching out for him is like having a child if anything, but I can tell he's getting stronger and I'm proud of all of us for beating Asura. But I feel proud of him the most, he conquered so much in that war between the DWMA and Arachne, I think he may actually surpass God".
Maka could sense that Tsubaki really grew to Black*Star, those two had enough strength behind them to take down a God, it was just Black*Star's mentality that needed to change a bit. Tsubaki then spoke up, "Black*Star's gonna ruin his heart at this rate... What about you and Soul? How're things with you two?".
Maka was caught off guard, "What? What about me and Soul what? Nothing, nothing really".
Tsubaki turned her head whilst looking at Maka, "Ok... Nothing? You two went through quite a bit, I think we all did".
Maka coughed nervously, "Yeah, sorry, we did, actually I didn't even tell you guys about what happened to us in the final battle".
Maka had a metaphorical light bulb illuminate above her head, she spoke out to her friends, "That reminds me, Soul and I were thinking about having another gathering at our place! You're all invited of course!".
Patty heard Maka's invite and broke away from her conversation with Liz, "Oh! A sleepover! A sleepoverrrrrrr! I demand a sleepover!". Patty even began to lay on the floor to further emphasis what she meant...
Liz couldn't argue with her sister's suggestion, "Yeah why not? It's been ages since we slept somewhere where Kid doesn't dominate the furniture arrangements...". Liz then pulled her sister off the floor to stop her making a scene.
Kid clasped his hands together, "Sounds eventful, I don't see why not, what day?".
"Friday! Friday!" Patty cheered, Liz struggling to pull her up.
"Jeez Patty what did you eat that made you so damn heavy!", Liz questioned, actually strained.
Kid turned back to Maka, "Is Friday ok with you Maka, Soul?". Soul and Maka looked at each other then back to Kid.
"Don't see why it would be a problem, least we got a weekend after right?" Soul said, he then put his attention back to Ragnarok and his competitor, Black*Star.
"Come on Black*Star! You can do better than that!" Soul groaned.
"Shup up! I'd like to shee you djo thish!" Black*Star gargled in the background.
Maka turned back to Tsubaki, "Yeah Friday might be a good day, we have our shots that day, those guys are lucky they don't have it. What's more is I'll tell you guys about what happened on that night, since I don't want to kill the mood here".
Tsubaki understood, Eruka got up, "I gotta go, you guys, have fun and all", she briskly exited the shop, not giving anyone a chance to stop her.
Kid sighed, "She's very evasive isn't she?", Kid glanced at the two buffoons who were chugging too much caffeine. "Maybe our environment isn't cut out for her... Maybe she should come to that sleepover? We may need to keep those two in check though".
Maka nodded, "Yeah she is invited too, but I'm not sure if she wants to go, we can ask her tomorrow".
Soul saw that Black*Star and Ragnarok were both on their sixteenth cup, they were both feeling sickly, yet energised.
Soul clapped twice, "Alright, final cup, which one of you can stomach it?", he asked with a slight game-show host voice. Black*Star groaned, he saw the final challenge before him, spiraling in it's goodness... Ragnarok rubbed his head and saw the same obstacle before him, all they had to do was have one more drink, one cup in front of each of them.
With the final obstacle tackled, one of them would claim the prize!
Kid ignored the two as he was sure one of them would puke soon, Liz called his name and he looked to his left at his weapons. "I was just wondering how you're coping?" Liz asked.
Kid looked away, whispering, "Either way father's, going, and I have to face that Liz, so I should shape up and accept it...".
Liz looked somber, "At least talk to your Dad and tell him your last words before it's too late Kid.. You don't wanna miss the chance and have that in the back of your head forever...".
"I-I might, but it's hard to face him...", Kid admitted, "He's so happy all the time, even when death is around the corner for, well, Lord Death".
Liz couldn't respond effectively, "Well, you just, have to Kid, I guess, he wants to have his last memories of you being positive ones".
Patty then spoke up, "Your Dad probably isn't happy having it on it himself Kid, you need to make him smile!", Patty put her index fingers in the corners of her mouth to pull a wide smile.
Liz looked at Patty, "As rare as it is, Patty's right Kid, you do". Patty laughed happily knowing she helped.
Kid laughed briefly, "You're right, I'll get to it when I can...".
Liz and Patty nodded, "That's the spirit Kid!" Patty said, eating some cookies that Ragnarok ordered but forgot about due to the contest, though she spat a few crumbs as she spoke.
Ragnarok put his cup down, "Ugh, ugh! God damn it!" he buried his face in the cup, splashing a little coffee on the table.
Black*Star held his stomach, "I'm starting to regret this..." he said, pulling himself up and struggling a little, "I-I can do it! Nothing's too hard for me!".
Soul rolled his eyes, "You're drinking coffee, not climbing a mountain dude...".
Black*Star picked up the cup, wobbling violently, his eyes shaking vigorously his stomach couldn't take any more, but Ragnarok was still drinking, and Black*Star stared at his enough he put it down, "I can't... I can't..." he mumbled.
Soul looked to his right, "Well Ragnarok, I guess you won", but Ragnarok didn't respond, surely he'd be rubbing his victory in Black*Star's face by now.
"Ragnarok?" Crona said, poking him. Crona sighed, "He's passed out...".
Soul sat shocked, "Huh, how about that, well Black*Star since you didn't pass out, I guess you win...".
"Hell yeah!" Black*Star exclaimed raking in the yen.
The group left the Cafe, Liz yawned, "You know next time, Master will probably charge you for all that stuff if you order that much again".
Crona was carrying Ragnarok's head in his hands, Ragnarok was out cold, thus he couldn't go back inside Crona's body, "I think he's learned his lesson" Crona said, giggling.
The others began to joke about the contest, Soul admitted it was kind of his fault that it worsened, everyone took it all in good fun though. Soon everyone had parted ways, Maka and Soul had bid farewell to Black*Star and Tsubaki and were now to head home.
"Well that was more fun than I thought it'd be!" Soul joked, strolling beside Maka.
"Yeah" she replied, "I hope Black*Star doesn't throw up on the way home, he looked all sloshy". Maka got to their door and unlocked it, "Well we're halfway through the week, so all we got to do is march through tomorrow and then everyone will be here on Friday".
The two entered, "I would make a drink" Soul said, "But seeing those two take down so much coffee makes me feel ill, I think I'll pass".
Maka glanced at the kettle, expecting to be boiled, "Ehh, I may have to agree on this one" she muttered.
Soul flicked on the TV, "Heck, nothing's on again, maybe something's on that classic movie channel again", Maka sat next to Soul, her legs together resting her hands on her skirt. "Hmm" Soul said, "The night's still young, so there's nothing too good on, just some love-story mesh".
Soul grunted and got up, Maka watched him leave, "You're going?".
"Ehh, I just don't care for those films Maka, I'm gonna go get some sleep or something... Don't stay up too late ok?".
Maka looked down, "Alright, good night...", with that, Soul went into his room and closed his door. Once inside, he turned around and leaned the back of his head on his door, he sighed and walked to his desk.
"As much as I don't wanna, maybe studying for once and actually trying might help Maka and I get even stronger..." Soul admitted. With that in mind, he grabbed his desk chair and sat, ready to try and learn before catching some shut-eye.
Maka was left on the sofa, the movie had been on for about 15 minutes by the time Soul had landed on the channel. The movie was going slowly and it had slightly cheap quality too. Maka suddenly slumped back on the sofa, sinking a little into the cushions, "Just, stop, thinking about it Maka, it won't happen, wait, I thought it was a fluke? So, it's not? No, it is... You can't have thoughts like this. Even if it did hypothetically happen, look what happened to Mama and Papa... I don't wanna become that". Maka looked at the table in front of her, she saw a piece of paper and a pencil, her artistic side kicked in and she was soon drawing.
Soul was attempting to study, "So, if there's a witch, then you have to approach them like, argh." Soul dropped his pen, "Damnit I can't do this...", Soul turned in his chair to look at his room, "I work better with others, not on my own".
Soul hoisted himself up, "Maybe I can ask Maka", Soul went and was about to grab the door, "On second thought, she seems to want to be alone, and I DID just say I'd sleep". Soul looked back at his desk, "Ah, crap...", he looked at his bed, "The smarter choice, an early night could help me out". Soul dressed into his nighttime attire and collapsed on his bed, he was asleep within seconds.
Maka was doodling, it was a drawing of her, standing, one foot on Asura's body, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Liz, Kid, Patty were with her just like the battle. All of them striking poses they would, Kid was doing some ludicrous symmetrical pose, Patty, behind his left, was crying laughing, and Liz, behind Kid's right was tipping her hat. Black*Star was pointing to himself, obviously, and Tsubaki was smiling next to him, her hands behind her back. Maka added in Crona and Ragnarok too, beside Kid, she drew them hi-fiving, she was having fun and was actually not bad at drawing her friends.
Maka was smiling as she did the details, then she came to draw Soul, her hand shook a little, "Damn it" she thought, looking at a blank space next to her, she then put the pencil down, "I think I should sleep, that'll let my mind have a clean slate tomorrow". Maka grabbed the paper and took it to her room, upon placing the drawing on her desk, Maka landed on her bed, sat looking at the wall. She then looked back at her drawing, still, lifeless, waiting, Maka grabbed it and put it on her wall by using tacks to pin it in place.
Her drawings were pretty decent, the time was only 8:30pm, she decided to draw some more whilst she was at it. Maka began to delve into memories past, even drawing an accurate representation of what happened during the super written exam (this included Black*Star on the chalkboard, writing his signature on the blackened surface).
Eruka walked by Maka and Soul's home, unaware that the place she was passing was the home of two people she was meant to keep an eye on. Soon she was rounding a corner and descending many groups of stairs where the serial killer and keshin-egg 'Jack The Ripper' was last seen before Maka and Soul disposed of him months back.
When going down something caught Eruka's eye, she slowly rotated left to see Medusa, "Come Eruka, down here".
"Right away, Lady Medusa", Eruka vanished amidst the shadows, she was now in a concealed alley with Medusa and Free.
Medusa sat on a crate, kicking her legs, "Having a fully developed body is so much better than that pitiful, child one I had before. So tell me you two, have you progressed as I've asked?".
Free scratched his neck, "I, uh, haven't exactly made much progress on finding any of Asura's remains, it's tougher than it seems".
Medusa frowned, "It's fine, I understand, what about you Eruka?".
Eruka glanced to Free then back to her leader, "I hung out with that group today"
Medusa raised an eyebrow, "Really?", she smirked, "Where?".
"At that Deathbucks Cafe" Eruka confirmed.
Medusa clapped a few times, "Excellent! Earn their trust, that will make it easier to sabotage them as a group, you know what to do this Friday don't you?".
"Yes, I'm going to sabotage Maka Ablarn's shot with the Black Blood so she will undergo madness".
Medusa laughed genuinely, she even had to pace her breathing at one point, "Meisters are more susceptible to the madness than weapons, this will be interesting when it's constantly inside her... Not like that one time where she used it briefly. No, this, THIS, will be her undoing".
Eruka twirled her hair a little, then stopped, "Crona was there too".
"Oh? How is my child?", Medusa quizzed, not because she cared for her child, no, to see how what she thought was her potential pawn, was doing.
"He seems comfortable, maybe he made a choice on whether or not to join us again", Eruka theorised, "For all we know, he could've told them about us".
"Yes, maybe, I'll have a word with him soon...".
Free spoke up, "Well, this has been great, I'm gonna try and redeem myself, see ya", Free leaped away.
Eruka watched him disappear suddenly, she turned to Medusa, "Wait, can't you see everything I've done through my eye anyway? With your snakes?". Eruka thought she had a fair point, why ask her what she had been doing if she could see through her eyes she was so high and mighty?
Medusa sighed, seeming quite gloomy, "I wish I could, I need my crystal ball for that, and that's long gone...". Medusa hopped off the crate, "I'll get my hands on one soon enough, I'll take a few snakes out of your body for this Eruka, you've done well, so far".
With that Medusa waved her hand signalling Eruka to leave, and that she did, "Only two more days to go until the shots happen" Eruka said smiling.
Back inside the academy, Crona and Ragnarok lay on their bed, Ragnarok had regained consciousness, "Gee, that Black*Star kid got lucky, I'll beat him next time". Crona didn't respond, Ragnarok noticed this, "Hey, you alright?", Crona still didn't speak, he just checked the window from where he lay. Ragnarok leaned over, "Are you STILL thinking about Medusa? We agreed to tell her that we're not interested!".
"I know but, what if she's not happy with that answer?" Crona worried, he was beyond anxious of what Medusa might do.
Ragnarok folded his arms, "In case you've forgotten, she's a witch, she'll have to remove her soul protect and then her cover will be blown!".
Crona nodded, "Good point, I just don't wanna tell Maka and the others, I don't want to risk hurting them, I just with Lady Medusa would leave...".
Ragnarok put his hands on Crona's head, looking out the window too, "Hopefully she'll buzz off, crazy-ass witch... Thing is Crona, Medusa is a pest".
Crona glanced up, "How do you mean?".
Ragnarok was silent for a moment, then continued, "Some people like her just don't know when to quit, you can't reason with them, you can't tell them to just go away, they thrive on misery".
Crona was shocked at how profound Ragnarok was sounding right now. It was almost like he was someone different, at least compared to his past self, he was thinking about others rather than just himself. Ragnarok went further "If all she's gonna do is keep fighting to get us, then we're gonna need to fight back, tell the others if we have to. It'll only do more damage if we hold off. At least I think".
Crona really couldn't argue with what Ragnarok was saying, "You may be right Ragnarok. We should think about that definitely". He then walked over to his bed, and lay down, "You know, you really are different now, you're way nicer even if you don't know it" Crona stated, blushing a little, he was really happy his tormentor was now his brother essentially.
"Tch-!" Ragnarok knew Crona was right, but he tried to act tough, "W-well, it was just obvious that's all! I could pound ya into the dirt if I wanted to!".
Crona began to giggle, Ragnarok was taken aback, "Wh-what's so funny! I could!". Crona began to laugh even harder, it was becoming a genuine laugh.
The two playfully joked around before drifting off to sleep, meanwhile, Maka saw that the time was now 9:00pm, the earliest she'd sleep usually. Maka had made many drawings but let out a slight high-pitched yawn, she could sort through them tomorrow or the day after, they were yet to organise the time for the sleepover.
The night sky was a deep purple, the moon grinning, it's bloodshot eye looking out at nothing, yet everything, no blood showed in it's teeth this night. It seemed peaceful in the streets of Death City, but there was more to come...