Ficcage because her interweb is being an asshat

[sayasama]

Yo. Because for the last few days, everytime Saya tries to upload something onto fanfiction.net, it comes up to HTTP 400 error, and Saya can't stand not updating for that long without a good reason, Saya's gonna start posting her most recent chapters here for now, so that she can still update while ff.net's being a bag of duche.

But of course, for those of you who haven't read her stories yet... fic links!

Title: A Black World Washed White
Pairing: KandaxAllen, TykixAllen, one-sided LavixAllen, one-sided LenaleexAllen. Basically, Allen's a free-for-all.
Rated: M for Allen-torture in various forms, mental, phyical, emotional, all the good stuff.
Warnings: Well, it's yaoi...but you already knew that, surely. No spoilers, because it's seme-AU.
Disclaimer: Saya owns the play, but not the actors. They belong to Hoshino.
Summary: Allen's a bit too fake for Kanda's liking, and Kanda's found out just a bit more than he should've. But the most important thing about Allen's past is what Kanda remembers. It might just ruin them both, but things have to get worse before they get better.

It's a long story, that's gotten into the 60's chapter-wise. Saya's aiming for 100. This is chapter 62. It's sorta depressing, how Saya has no life :]

62. Color

Lavi was in a pretty good mood, as he brought up lunch to Allen. He and Satoru had been switching off the job every day, so that Allen wouldn’t have to eat hospital food. Even if the Order’s hospital food was better than most, it was the principle of the thing. Lavi was humming quietly to himself, thinking of how happy Allen always looked when ever anyone ever brought him food. It was kinda like a puppy-ish look, absolutely adorable. There were other things he was looking forward to, too. Kanda had started going to the hospital ward daily now, he didn’t do much, he just sat in the corner and read, occasionally looking up and calling him an idiot, but it was a start in the right direction. And Satoru had been up there everyday, he only ever really left after visiting hours were over. Lavi could tell that Satoru was really happy when Kanda started coming too, because then he could see his brother all day without having to neglect Allen, who needed everyone’s support the most.

It was always times like that when Lavi really hated that he was a moon and not a sun. He couldn’t save Allen with his own strength, he couldn’t get Kanda to stop before it all started, and he couldn’t make Satoru happy by just being there. He gave off the illusion of shining but he couldn’t do it on his own, and damn did he hate it. But Lavi shoved all thoughts of self-loathing to the side, today was a good day, he had the day off from his Bookman duties. He wasn’t really sure why, maybe it was a reward, because he’d done an unusually good job at record-keeping while worrying for Allen, and now that the other was back he was getting a break? Lavi would like to think that anyways, but really, he knew that the old panda was just fed up because as soon as Allen got back Lavi kept getting distracted and sneaking away and his elder had just gotten fed up.

“Lunch is served lovelies!” Lavi called happily, as he pushed the trolley into the room. He could already see Allen practically gushing over the thought of more food, he obviously missed Jerry’s cooking.

“Thank you!” The younger boy chirped in a sing-song voice. The simply joy that could be brought on by food was amazing, really. As Allen inhaled his food (and Lavi would forever refer to it as such, now that he found out Satoru agrees with him in thinking Allen’s breathing it in), the rest of the group talked, about the random trifles that run through the male mind...well, any random mind really.

“Hey, Allen, when’s your birthday?” Satoru asked. He kinda felt like visiting Allen was getting more and more like a party everyday, a thought which made him think birthday parties, which made him decide to ask Allen about his birthday.

“Kusmah” was Allen’s reply, he really should’ve swallowed his food first.

“He means Christmas.” Kanda said, and everyone looked at him, more than a little surprised. Except for Satoru, who didn’t realize it was somewhat unexpected of Kanda to know that. “What?”

“I didn’t know you knew that Yuu-chan.”

“Well obviously I know more than you know I know.”

“Try saying that ten times fast.”

For some reason, Lavi decided to actually try saying that ten times fast. He got to nine, Satoru got to 5, Allen was too busy eating and Kanda thought it was ridiculous.

“Hehe, I won Sat-chan!”

Satoru stuck his tongue out in a childish manner, and huffed a little. “Don’t call me Sat-chan, my name is Satoru, and “-chan” is for girls and kids!”

“But...Sat-chan is a kid...” Lavi said, looking like a hurt puppy, he looked a lot more childish than Satoru did.

“I AM NOT A KID!” Kanda sighed, he felt so bad for his poor brother, because no matter what either of them did, they’d never get Lavi to stop using those damn nicknames and that girly honorific!

“It’s pointless Satoru, he’s never listened to me, I doubt he’ll listen to anyone else.”

“Have you tried threatening him?”

“More times than I can count.”

The two sighed, feeling very resigned, they’d have to deal with being Yuu-chan and Sat-chan forever...

“So, Sat-chan, when’s your birthday? Since yours is the only one I don’t know.”

“May tenth.”

“Hm...” suddenly Lavi started inspecting Satoru, it was more like he was doing a Chinese fire drill, only Satoru was a person, not a car. “Interesting...” Satoru kept his eyes on Lavi, moving to make sure Lavi was never behind him. This seemed to annoy Lavi a little, apparently, it was getting in the way of his inspection. Satoru didn’t believe there was anything special on his back, so he didn’t feel the need to let Lavi be behind him.

“Lavi...what are you doing...?” Allen asked, having cleared his plates and finally swallowed.

“Interesting, you’re a Taurus, and you’re definitely conservative enough to be one, but you seem to lack the materialistic tendencies they have...” Satoru stopped his spinning to head-palm. Horoscopes. Lavi was talking about his horoscope.

What an idiot...

“Excuse me.” Satoru said out of habit as he slid a tray out from underneath one of the mounds of plates that were all over the trolley that had once held food. He did so in such a way that the plates weren’t at all disturbed, it was a trick he’d spent years learning, so that he could eliminate the harsh clanking sound the plates made while he served meals to the nobles he once worked for. Of course, that was all completely irrelevant to the fact that he fully intended to use the tray as a weapon.

He hit Lavi over the head with it, and then politely thanked Allen for letting him use the tray so improperly. “Idiot. Horoscopes and the time of year you’re born don’t really have anything to do with a person’s personality. I mean, they say Leos are dignified, and you sure as hell don’t fit that description.”

Lavi sniffled a bit as he nursed the bump on his head. “Ow...what a way to add insult to injury... you’re so cruel Sat-chan...”

“Though you are dramatic, so I suppose the idiots who preach that stuff aren’t too off...”

“Sure...just keep that verbal abuse comin’... and you seem to know a lot about horoscopes for someone who thinks they’re crap.” Lavi pointed out. He had an excuse to know random stuff about how people thought what stars you were born under dictated how you would act, what was Satoru’s excuse?

“Hm...you’re right.” Everyone fell just a bit when Satoru said that, it was like he didn’t even realize he knew something he wasn’t supposed to. “Wonder why...I never studied it...never knew anyone who was particularly interested...” He thought a for a few more seconds, before he realized why he knew this. He was the Noah of Knowledge, which apparently meant he got to learn random bits of trivia too. He wasn’t about to say that though, as doing so would probably dampen the happy mood of the room. “Well, whatever, onto the next topic.”

“Born in May, hm?”

“I said the next topic, not the one before baka.”

“Well, it is a new subject. Your birth stone is the emerald.”

“So?”

“Your eyes are that color.”

Satoru was tempted to get the tray again, his eyes had nothing to do with anything.

“Yup, yup, the color of newness, growth, health, and good fortune. Emeralds were said to being good luck to those who carried them, and were supposed to have healing powers, there’s a million myths about them from all over. I guess ‘cause you’ve got two that makes you doubly lucky?”

Satoru snorted at the idea. “Never brought me any luck.”

Kanda understood his brother’s meaning without the other going into detail. Satoru was practically bastardized because his eyes weren’t the usual dark silver of their family. Kanda had always known that Satoru would’ve done anything to have the same eyes as him, but Kanda would’ve switched colors with him any day. He’d always liked the way his brother’s eyes looked, they were so different, and so much prettier than the same old gray he saw everywhere. Still, even if he liked his brother’s eyes, everyone else saw them as some type of proof of his mother being unfaithful. Had Kanda been the one born with those foreign eyes, his legitimacy as the next heir to the clan and to the curse probably would’ve been questioned to the point where Satoru ended up saddled with it all. Kanda was fine with having what he thought were plain eyes if it meant his brother wouldn’t have to deal with the curse that was quickly stealing his life away.

“What’cha talkin’ about? You, the brother who was lost in a world so large, not knowing if you’d ever see your dear Nii-sama again, was fortunate enough to stumble upon Allen, who was able to send you to your brother! And you ended up saving Allen too! Your eyes are totally lucky! And they match mine!” Lavi finished his speech-in-miniature by glomping Satoru. The little Kanda shuddered at being hugged by another boy.

“Nii-sama make him get off of meeeee...”

Satoru hadn’t even needed to ask for help, because as soon as Lavi had made contact with Satoru’s person, he’d stood up, radiating a aura that was deadly just to be around.

“Baka Lavi... Release Satoru now or I’ll quarter you.”

Lavi went from hugging Satoru to hiding behind him. The Satoru-shield quickly betrayed its user by stepping aside and giving Kanda a clear shot at Lavi.

Allen, who had shrunken back in fear of the murderous aura Kanda was sending out, decided that he should intervene somewhat.

“Um... could you guys not kill each other... as entertaining as this is...”

“YAY! ALLEN MY SAVIOR!” Lavi ran to Allen’s side, looking at him like he was a god. He would’ve loved to have glomped Allen too, but his wounds were still healing, both physical and mental. It seemed as though even when they were all happy and in a good mood, they were still walking on eggshells. At least they were doing so joyously though.

“Perhaps you should get that trolley out of here though...just in case Satoru decides to brandish that tray at you again.”

“Ehe...right, right.” Lavi quickly got to removing all the plates, silverware, and trays from the room. They’d all eaten lunch up here, so there was a lot more than what he’d brought up originally.

Starting down the halls, he was a little surprised when he found he had company.

“Eh? Sat-chan? Weren’t you just freaking out over my existence a second ago?” He asked, curious as to why he was being followed by someone who hardly had any more tolerance for him than his brother did.

“I’m not Sat-chan! And I’m only out here because Yuu-nii was going into Big Brother mode...”

“When I think of Yuu-chan in big brother mode, all I can see is him in Komui’s beret with a giant power drill.” That mental image was enough to make Lavi believe that if the two elder brothers joined forces, they could rule the world by fear. He wasn’t expecting to hear Satoru stifling laughter though.

Noticing the inquisitive look he was getting, Satoru stopped his laughter completely. “What? It was funny, that’s all.”

Satoru’s attempt at pulling himself together was reminiscent of a younger Yuu. Maybe that’s why he teased the kid so much? Thinking of it that way, Lavi almost felt a little bad, it wouldn’t be fair to Satoru if he was looking right at the kid and only saw the shadow of his older brother.

“Ya know, I meant before when I said you were lucky. I mean, the world’s a big place, and that you just happened to be brought directly to someone who could tell you where your brother was? When that someone was in confinement? That was a ridiculously lucky thing. The Order’s lucky you came here too, you helped us find Allen, and it was luck that when you found him he was still able to trust you enough to send you here. Any other exorcist probably would’ve taken you to be an enemy, and told you nothing, and you would’ve ended up meeting your brother on the battle field, and not at our front gate.” Lavi didn’t know why, but he felt like he needed to make Satoru feel ok with his eyes. He could tell that there was something about the color that got to him, but he wasn’t gonna pry if he could help it.

“Hm...I guess that is lucky, but it has nothing to do with my eyes. Because of this color, people used to tell me I wasn’t my father’s son, I wasn’t Yuu’s brother, that I wasn’t a Kanda. I didn’t really get what they meant when they called me a bastard, I didn’t see what was so wrong with me. But I realized it eventually, my brother had the right eyes, the ones that all people who are born Kandas have, but I have the wrong ones. Other kids in the family wouldn’t play with me, and older family members looked on my mother and me with scorn and I couldn’t understand why. Yuu-nii was the only one besides my parents who was nice to me, and he spent all his time making sure that I didn’t hear the things they said. I guess I kinda hogged him, and that’s probably why he never got used to dealing with other people. Still, me stupid eyes made things hard for my brother and parents, they aren’t lucky at all.”

Lavi thought the situation over, it wasn’t all that uncommon, a family scorning and neglecting what they thought to be an illegitimate child, but he wouldn’t deny that it usually had bad effects.

“Tell me, were both of your parents born Kandas?” Lavi asked, thinking that there might be a reason behind Satoru’s eyes being how they were.

“Of course not, we might’ve been an old family, but we weren’t inbred. We’ll leave that to your European royalty, thank you very much. My mother married into the family.”

“And what were her parents’ eye color?”

“Dunno, never saw them.”

“Satoru, there’s a pretty good chance that you got it from one of them. It was simply pure coincidence that you happened to get a recessive gene color.”

“Hm... never even thought of that...”

“Obviously, you weren’t the only one.”

“...That still doesn’t make them lucky.”

000

Kanda sat back down when Satoru left, things suddenly felt...awkward. He hadn’t been alone with Allen since he’d apologized, and honestly, he’d never thought beyond that point, because he never thought he’d actually get to it. He was almost afraid of being alone with the other, what if he did or said something stupid that completely ruined any chance he might’ve had at being somewhat redeemed? No, no, Kanda had no intention of giving up, he’d work until he died to get a shred of forgiveness.

“I never even blamed you for anything...not really...”

“You once told me that you’d rather die than have your choices taken away, whatever happened to that?”

“...don’t make me say it.”

Allen had been able to forgive him back then, Allen had still cared about him, even with all that he’d done, even though Allen wouldn’t outright admit it, he had held Kanda close to his heart. He’d cared so much about someone who didn’t deserve it that he didn’t even blame Kanda for what he was doing. Kanda wasn’t about to let all of those emotions go to waste. Those damned Noah had come at just the perfect time to screw everything up for both him and Allen, so Kanda would eliminate them, he’d get rid of anything that ever dared to threatened Allen. Once Allen felt safe from everything else, Kanda would show him that he was safe too, even though he hadn’t always been. Then, maybe things could get better.

Things can’t get much worse, they have only one option now.

Title: Opposites
Pairing: KanAre, Lucky, RhodeLena
Rated: M for lots of uke molest <3
Warnings: Well, it's yaoi. And the ever-cliched High school AU. Kanda's way outta character, in Saya's opninion...
Disclaimer: Saya owns the play, but not the actors. They belong to Hoshino.
Summary: Allen's the perfect student, who just transferred in. Kanda's the school's black sheep. Allen get's involved in Kanda's trouble one time and it all goes from there. Add in a couple of undercover Noah, and you've got a lot of secrets, and a lot of confusion. More of a comedy than anything, until the last chapters.

Actually, that's the original series, and it was finished sometime in the summer. It's sequel, A Promise is Made to be Kept is the one that was updated. Saya just figured that if you're going to check out this story, you'd want to see what came before it, so you dont get lost. This is chapter 25.

 
25. Life Stories

I was a little unsure of how I should go about talking to these kids, but I supposed that the best thing to do would just...act like I usually do. I don’t usually go around giving out my life story though, so that might be a bit difficult. Oh well, it didn’t feel weird to tell these kids everything, because they were like me. I mean, anything I say probably won’t be anything new to them. So I took one last deep breath and started.

0 Flashback age five 0

Running, I’m always running. Running away from those mean kids who always beat on me, and call me things like “monster” and “Freak”. Running from the adults, who try to keep me trapped in that stupid orphanage. Running from my victims because if they realize I’ve robbed them and they give chase, I have to be far ahead of them or I’ll be caught and sent back. Running from everyone and everything that’s going to hurt me. I don’t need anyone, just the money in their pockets.

Speaking of money... there’s someone coming up, who looks like they’re either a traveler or have just come back from a vacation. He’s got suit cases with him, he’s like a walking target. I hope he’s a traveler, they always carry more money than they need. They carry more money than I need.

The streets were bustling, and that worked to my advantage, which is why I “worked” here. The crowd would bump me along, and all I had to do was search their pockets. Which is what I was doing, letting the others carry me towards the man until I was close enough to steal his wallet. Unfortunately, I hit him at an angle that made me fall. Luckily, the wallet was already in my pocket.

“I-I’m sorry sir...”

“It’s all right...” he looked at me with something like worry or surprise, and I wondered if that meant he knew I was robbing him and was surprised that I’d try to, or if he was worried about a little kid being alone of the streets. I don’t know which I’d rather, adults who pry and get worried are the ones that never leave me alone, and they’re always the types to bring me back to that damn place.

“Where are your parents? You lost kid? It’s dangerous for you to be out here all alone.” Yup, he was a worrying type, just what I didn’t want to deal with. I’d only escaped yesterday, it would be a shame if I couldn’t stay out of that orphanage for at least three days. Actually, I’m going for a week this time. This guy’s such an easy steal though, he’s worrying about me, and I’m counting the bills in his wallet.

“I’m fine, I live in this area, know it like the back of my hand.” Yup, I know the area all right... “I’m sorry again, bye!” I said hurriedly, because I didn’t want to deal with this guy anymore, it wasn’t worth the risk, any minute he could realize he was missing his money.

I ran down the street as fast as I could, not bothering to look back. It seemed like I was going to get away too, and I was already mentally celebrating; There was a lot in this wallet, it seemed to me. However, I heard hurried footsteps behind me, and realized I’d been caught. Oh well, I had the head start, I shouldn’t just give up because the guy was bigger than me.

However, I couldn’t help but scowl when I saw that they person had caught up to me, and now he was just jogging to keep up... jerk. I stopped, realizing that the jig was up.

“What?”

“Wallet.”

My scowl deepened, damn adults, they can be all nice and caring one minute, and then they’re giving you that “Damn brat” look the next!

“What makes you think I know what you’re talkin’ about?”

“It’s only got ones in it, it’s practically worthless.”

“Damn...” I started fishing for the appropriate wallet in my collection, though that was a bit difficult...of course, now I couldn’t help but think this guy was a bigger jerk, he could’ve at least let me get away out of pity, a few euros wouldn’t break his bank.

“If you live in this area, why do you need to steal?” he asked, I wondered why he’d care.

“Desperate cry for attention.” I don’t really know what that means, but the head nun always says that’s why I run away, so I’m guessing it’ll work for this too. However, he was giving me this strange look, like I’d just said something funny. Maybe that didn’t fit right here?

The man squatted down to my level, which kinda annoyed me, no need to lower himself to my level... dumb adults.

“Well, kid, would you mind lendin’ me some money? See, I’m really scatter-brained, and I seem to have lost my money. But I’ve got all this luggage with me, and I look like a walking target. Think you could spare enough money for me to get a taxi?” So he realized he was practically wearing “Rob me” on his back too? However, it seemed he was going to let me get away, and I was grateful, but it was embarrassing. I don’t want people’s charity...

Pouting, I fished through my pockets for what I thought would be enough. If he was planning to walk the rest of the way originally, then he probably wasn’t going that far.

“You know, acting like you don’t know what happened doesn’t work after you’ve already told me to give you your money back...” I mumbled, putting a few bills in his hand. He looked a little surprised, obviously he knew that he hadn’t just gotten his own money back, but someone elses. His eyebrow raised curiously, but he said nothing.

“Thank you ...um...”

“Allen. Just Allen.” I realized he was looking for a name, and that’s the one the nun’s called me by, so I figured that one was mine.

“Thank you Allen.” He gave one smile, and then left. I couldn’t help but blush from embarrassment, who says thanks to the kid who just picked their pocket?

000

A week later, I was back at the orphanage. At least I made it to a week though, next time I’ll try for a week and a half! But that’s got nothing to do with what’s going on now. Today’s one of those days when adults come and ogle everyone here. I hate this day, because the nun’s make us dress up, and they always make me wear this tight ribbon that’s really annoying! Of course, the fact that we’re all put on display is a bit grating too. I hate it... these stupid grown-ups come in, act all nice and say we’re cute, but then the nuns have to warn them about my arm. It’s just like shopping really, the workers have to mark their merchandise if it’s got a problem, and nuns have to label kids if they’ve got red arms.

I was bored with the whole deal, so I just sat on the top of the stairs, along with the rest of the kids who had lost hope for getting adopted. They were mostly older kids, so I stayed a good distance away from them. They’re always talking about how parents don’t want to adopt older kids, how they always go for “puppies” or something. I don’t know what dogs have to do with kids.

It really annoyed me though, how these people would come in, act like they have some interest in me and then leave the moment they found out I was different. After the first few times, I realized there was no point in bothering. Still, I could never quite get myself to stop that false hope from rising every time...

“Oh Allen! Please come down here, I think someone’s looking for you!” Ugh. I knew that face, that nun was wearing the “maybe this time, for sure!” Look, the one that said I was to be inspected and such, then rejected. Like a circle, it never ends.

I got up to head down the stairs, being careful of the older kids, they especially like to pick on me. I don’t get how someone can feel so great when they’re pickin’ on a five-year old (well...we think I’m five...)

I looked around for the person who was going to be let down, I’d know them when I saw them, because they’d be waiting expectantly for the nun to come back. I nearly tripped when I saw whom it was.

“You?” I pointed at the guy, not believing that he was here looking for me. This was the guy I robbed just a few days back! What, did he want his money back now all of a sudden, or was he a stalker?

“Allen! Be more polite.” The nun chided, the man just chuckled.

“That’s alright, the response was expected.” The nun stepped back, giving us time to talk, like they always did.

“What are you doing here?” I got straight to the point, I didn’t feel like beating around the bush.

“Well...ya see...” He seemed a little awkward, and now that I bothered to look, he seemed a bit young, late twenties, maybe? He didn’t really know why he was here either, I could tell.

“I don’t really know why I came here, actually...” I was right on the mark. “I guess it’s ‘cause you said you were “just” Allen...made me wonder why. Guess I know now.”

“That’s good for you.” I was ready to leave, this was pointless.

“You look ready to bolt. Talk a while, I’m not that weird, am I?” I gave him a funny look, what was this guy’s deal? I mean really...

Still, for some reason, I felt the need to stay. “You are, but what the heck? So what’s your name?”

“Mana, Mana Walker.”

0 end 0

“After that day, he kept coming back. At first, I thought it was a little cruel, I guess, ‘cause he was starting to make me hopeful, and I kept reminding myself that he would never come back if he knew about my arm. But I wanted to believe ... that things wouldn’t always be that way. And they weren’t, ‘cause guess who decided to adopt me on Christmas?”

The kids’ eyes were wide, I guess they’d gotten a little more into the story than I thought they would.

“So... the guy you pick-pocketed... became your father?” Ranmaru asked, tilting his head, I could see where it’d seem a bit confusing.

“You keep talking about your arm, I think you should show us what the heck you’re talking about. I mean, you said you’re like us, so prove it.” Ayumu said. Kinda strange really, considering he was the one who pointed out that we can all “Feel” each other’s innocences resonating. I nodded in agreement, and started undoing the buttons on my uniform, the sleeves end in gloves so there’s no way to just pull them up. However, once that was off, there was just a plain white shirt, and it was easy enough from there to just pull up my sleeve.

“This thing in my hand, it’s called innocence. I was born with it. It has the power to destroy Akuma, weapons that take on human appearances. There are 109 pieces of it floating around the world right now, some of it’s been converted into weapons, and some, like mine, change parts of the human body into weapons.” I showed them as much of my reddened, leathery skin as I could, I would’ve liked to show them where it connects to my arm too, but Yui was hiding her face in the back of Ayumu’s shirt, and I could see her ears had gone red. It seemed that she didn’t realize I intended to stop after taking off my coat.

Ranmaru looked at the cross in my hand in awe, and there was something else, too. It was hard to explain, maybe it was some kind of desperate hope? I could understand that, that feeling of wanting all the false hopes to end, of wanting something to finally be real.

“Destroying akuma is a good thing...right?” He asked, he sounded almost afraid.

“Yes. Akuma are made from dark matter, which is infused with the soul of a dead person, who’d been brought back by a loved one. The akuma then kills the one who brought it back. People with innocence become exorcists, and they help destroy these things, so that the person who controls them can’t destroy humanity.” The three seemed to agree that killing akuma was a good thing.

“So... if I was like you...that’d mean I haven’t done anything wrong, right? I’m like you, right?” Ranmaru seemed to be almost panicked, as he started undoing bandages that covered his fingers, I wondered how I didn’t notice those before, it was so much like the way I always wear gloves. It was like he didn’t want to wait for an answer, like he didn’t think I’d wait for him to undo the wrappings.

When they were all finally undone, I saw what he’d been hiding. His fingers, starting at the first joint, looked just like how my arm did, except the colors were different. They were black, and the nails glowed a greenish-white color, like innocence. “I’m...we’re like you, aren’t we?”

The three of them were looking at me with a fragile hope. Acceptance, I could see, was all that these kids wanted. It was all any parasitic-type would want, especially with the way we always seem to get thrown out.

I gave them the most reassuring smile I could, and took one of his hands in my own innocence-laden one. “Yes, we’re just the same, you and I.” He looked so happy to hear that, and his smile, mixed with this happy flush that was coloring his face, were so adorable it made me wish I could pull off Mpreg.

“Huh? Yui?” Ayumu stepped aside, looking a little confused as Yui came out from behind him and stood in front of me. Her hands went to her collar, she was wearing a turtle neck despite how warm it was. She pulled it down, and I could see why. There was this thing, that looked almost like a bruise, going all around her throat were deep purple-blue lines, they looked like a chain. Actually, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say there was a lock pattern in the front.

“Ranmaru was born with his hands like that, but Yui wasn’t. Her parents used to really care about her, but then one day she put a necklace on and it fused with her neck like that. It worried her parents, but then something happened, and they were so afraid they left her here.” Ayumu stated, as though it were a story he’d recited a thousand times. “She can’t speak anymore, so I speak for her.”

“If she... can’t speak, how do you know all of that?” I asked, ‘cause unless he was speaking with her telepathically (which now that I think about it, seemed likely), he shouldn’t know.

“She wrote it down for me once. She can write, she just can’t speak.”

“I see. So...what about you?” He was the only one who didn’t seem somewhat happy about the whole deal. He seemed a bit on the apathetic side really.

“You’re looking at my innocence, as you so called it.”

“Huh?” I was looking at his face, but nothing seemed to scream “parasitic-type!” to me... then I realized it. “Oh...your eye.” One was the bright green of invocated innocence, and the other was nearly black, it was such a dark shade of brown. How did I not notice that? I guess I’m just used to strange sights...

“I see visions, all the time, of people dying, those akuma you were talking about, I’m guessing, and their victims. It frightened my parents, who were extremely superstitious, until they just got fed up with dealing with it and dumped me here.” He didn’t really sound like he cared, but I realized now that was just how he coped with it. I mean, its bad enough to actually be in the fight, at least I understand what I’m seeing and doing, but to have to see all these monsters, and people you don’t know dying for reasons you don’t understand, all the time? That had to be horrible. It made sense that he’d end up numb to things like death, and fighting, and that he wouldn’t think anything was really so bad that he had to get emotional over.

I had to wonder about something else too... “Can you see their souls?”

“Yes.” I felt so bad for him, I would know better than anyone that those souls are horrible to see. Sometimes the innocence can be so cruel.

“I see... Well, now that we all know about each other, I’ve got a deal for you guys.”

They all looked eager to hear what I had to say (except for Ayumu, of course).

“Like I said, people with innocence become exorcists, so, my question is, would you three like to join the Black Order with me? I don’t know the exact details of what would happen, but I have been told that if you want to come with me, you’d end up being my disciples. Now, if you don’t mind having an air head like me for a master-and I promise I’m not like my Master- would you mind coming with?” I don’t know why I thought they would know who Master Cross is, but he just seemed like someone who’d be that infamous.

“Yeah! Yeah! I wanna save the world! And of course, I’ll be the leader!” I couldn’t help but laugh at Ranmaru’s enthusiasm, he seems to be the most energetic of the group. I mean really...first he’s glaring and mistrusting, then he’s panicking, and now he’s hopping around like he just won a million dollars. Looking around , I could see Yui nodding, though she’d somehow made her way back to Ayumu’s back without me realizing it. Ayumu just sighed and shook his head, in a resigned way, not as a negative answer.

“You two should really think about this more... but since they both wanna go...I’ll go too. Someone needs to make sure they don’t get themselves into trouble...” Ayumu seemed a little disgruntled by Yui and Ranmaru’s quick responses, I could tell that even if Ranmaru was obviously their “leader”, Ayumu was the big brother than kept everyone in line.

“Well, if it’s all decided on, I’ll tell the General, and we can be off, after he goes through whatever formalities.” I smiled again when I realized that I wasn’t being listened to, that Ranmaru was saying something about him being like the red power ranger, that Yui was silently laughing at Ran’s babbling, and that Ayumu was just tuning everything out.

ah kids...