Vampstuck, chapter one
Title: Untitled for now, fondly known to me as Vampstuck
Chapter: I
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Soul Eater
Characters: Soul Eater Evans, Tsubaki Nakatsukasaa, Maka Albarn
Warnings: supernatural
Summary: AU. Death City. A town where creatures of the occult gather. Soul Evans has just moved here after being told to study abroad by his parents, and teams up with an unlikely paranormal investigator named Maka Albarn.
His parents had been the ones to suggest studying abroad in America. Part of him - a cynical, cold part - knew it was simply to get him out of his older brother's hair. After all, Wes was the genius of the family, the gifted one, so it only made sense to send the annoying little brother out of the way so he could concentrate on becoming a famous musician in peace.
Soul slung his backpack over one shoulder before picking his dufflebag out of the boot of the taxi, paying the cabbie his fair so the guy would stop badgering him for it. The taxi driver muttered something in Mexican before getting back into the car and driving off. Soul - for all his juvenile fifteen years of age - childishly stuck his tongue out once the car was gone before rolling his eyes and beginning to walk up the steps leading into the city that was going to be his home for a while.
For some reason the driver didn't want to enter Death City. He'd caught murmuring of demons or something among the man's mixed language, but Soul had his headphones on for more than half the drive from Los Angeles International Airport before the battery of his mp3 player ran flat.
So far, Death City hadn't made much of an impression on the young teenager. It was late afternoon but the town seemed to be sleeping. There was a few people about but not too great a crowd. A large building stood at the back of Soul's new home, making him stop and examine it for a moment with a raised eyebrow. Quite frankly it looked like something out of a horror movie or Tim Burton had been allowed to build it. Not to say that Soul didn't appreciate gothic architecture.
Looking around to ask someone for directions, he spotted a girl coming from a shop, a bag of groceries in the crook of her arm. She looked nice enough. Shrugging and deciding to take his chances, Soul called out to her. The girl looked around and when she was about to turn her head away he waved, catching her attention. She gave him a smile and he wandered over to meet her in the middle. "Uh, hey. I was wondering if you could give me directions to Shibusen Academy...?"
She blinked a little before smiling softly, giggling a bit as a hand rose to her mouth. "Oh, you're new to Death City? No wonder I didn't recognize you." When he nodded, she gestured towards the building Soul had been staring at, making him look at it again. "Shibusen Academy is right over there." At the look on his face she lowered her hand, hefting the grocery bag around her elbow. "I know it's probably difficult to believe but yes, that is a school. My name's Tsubaki Nakatsukasaa, I'm a student there myself."
"Soul."
"Pleasure to meet you, Soul." She didn't question the lack of last name, instead turning towards the school before looking back at him. "I could show you around if you like. I was just heading back myself."
"Sure, if that's okay with you." Soul let his shoulders visibly relax at that, and if she saw it Tsubaki didn't say anything. Still, she smiled and turned in the direction of the school, gesturing for him to walk with her. The start of the walk towards the castle-like building is quiet, mostly through Soul's nerves but the black-haired girl breaks it a few steps down the road.
"If you don't mind me asking, why are you in our humble town of Death City, Soul?" When he looks at her, Tsubaki wonders if maybe she asked the wrong question before he shrugs, bags shuffling slightly with the movement.
"My parents decided it'd be better if I studied abroad." He didn't elaborate any more on that and Tsubaki didn't push, which he was thankful for he decided as he turned his head away, looking around. He'd mainly come here to get away from being in Wes' shadow after all.
"You're from England?" She blinked a little when he looked at her out the corner of his eye, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice the accent. It's kind of hard not to."
"Yeah, Westminster in central London." He looked like he was about to ask her something too, and when he didn't she turned back to looking ahead before he spoke. "Is there...demons or something in this place? The cabbie didn't stop rambling about how this place was pretty much Hell Central."
Tsubaki laughed a little, an eyebrow quirked before she raised a hand to scratch her cheek with a finger before sobering up a bit. "I'll be honest with you, Soul, a fair bit of supernatural shenanigans happen around here." She gestures towards the Academy. "That's why the school was created - to provide those with blood of the occult to study at relative peace without fearing judgement from the rest of the world."
Soul pursed his lips together at that. His parents had sent him to some weirdo school in the middle of America. Figured. It was probably a jab at the freaky red eyes and shark teeth that he didn't get from either of them. That explained why Tsubaki hadn't freaked when she saw them, and she didn't seem like the type to go out of her way to point out someone's faults. He realized she'd continued talking without noticing the look on his face, tuning back in to the conversation.
"The city itself is protected by the head of the vampire colony here, Lord Death, and the pact he made with the surrounding territories eight hundred years ago. The Academy is his as well, though he also allows humans to study on the premises as well." Tsubaki turns her attention back to him, smiling gently as they finally reached the gates of the Academy. "Any other questions?"
When he shook his head she smiled. "I live in the city itself. The Academy offers dormitories for those who can't quite afford their own apartment just yet. The front desk will set you up with your own room." Tsubaki looked at her watch and let out an "oh!", giving him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, Soul. I'd show you the way there only I promised my roommate I'd cook his favourite for dinner tonight so..."
He blinked at her before shrugging, waving his hand nonchalantly. "S'cool. Thanks for all your help, Tsubaki."
"I'll see you in class sometime, alright?" With that, she ran off, leaving Soul standing at the gates by himself. Looking at the school he sighed and drew his backpack over his shoulder again, throwing his duffle bag over the other and beginning to walk in through the gates before he collided with someone.
The collision sent both of them flying back, Soul's bags scattering away from him as he fell onto his back, his head hitting the pavement. With a grunt, he propped himself on his elbows, ready to yell at the person who'd run into him to watch it before he saw it was a girl. She was rubbing the back of her head, pigtails bouncing up and down as she opened an eye to look at him.
"Watch it!" she snapped, getting to her feet before he had the chance to offer her a hand.
That made him bristle. "Hey, you're the one who ran into me in the first place." He snarled a little, showing rows upon rows of sharp, shark-like teeth. She seemed a bit unfazed by them, so he guessed she was either one of the regular humans Tsubaki had told him about or supernatural herself.
She huffed, beginning to make her way around him to walk away. "Whatever. British freak." Without so much more of a word to him, she stormed off, disappearing as Soul heard something that definitely sounded like a name being called. A red-haired man came charging through the gates, dashing past the boy on the ground and after the girl.
Soul had to wonder what was weirder - the supernatural or that.
Chapter: I
Rating: PG-13
Fandom: Soul Eater
Characters: Soul Eater Evans, Tsubaki Nakatsukasaa, Maka Albarn
Warnings: supernatural
Summary: AU. Death City. A town where creatures of the occult gather. Soul Evans has just moved here after being told to study abroad by his parents, and teams up with an unlikely paranormal investigator named Maka Albarn.
His parents had been the ones to suggest studying abroad in America. Part of him - a cynical, cold part - knew it was simply to get him out of his older brother's hair. After all, Wes was the genius of the family, the gifted one, so it only made sense to send the annoying little brother out of the way so he could concentrate on becoming a famous musician in peace.
Soul slung his backpack over one shoulder before picking his dufflebag out of the boot of the taxi, paying the cabbie his fair so the guy would stop badgering him for it. The taxi driver muttered something in Mexican before getting back into the car and driving off. Soul - for all his juvenile fifteen years of age - childishly stuck his tongue out once the car was gone before rolling his eyes and beginning to walk up the steps leading into the city that was going to be his home for a while.
For some reason the driver didn't want to enter Death City. He'd caught murmuring of demons or something among the man's mixed language, but Soul had his headphones on for more than half the drive from Los Angeles International Airport before the battery of his mp3 player ran flat.
So far, Death City hadn't made much of an impression on the young teenager. It was late afternoon but the town seemed to be sleeping. There was a few people about but not too great a crowd. A large building stood at the back of Soul's new home, making him stop and examine it for a moment with a raised eyebrow. Quite frankly it looked like something out of a horror movie or Tim Burton had been allowed to build it. Not to say that Soul didn't appreciate gothic architecture.
Looking around to ask someone for directions, he spotted a girl coming from a shop, a bag of groceries in the crook of her arm. She looked nice enough. Shrugging and deciding to take his chances, Soul called out to her. The girl looked around and when she was about to turn her head away he waved, catching her attention. She gave him a smile and he wandered over to meet her in the middle. "Uh, hey. I was wondering if you could give me directions to Shibusen Academy...?"
She blinked a little before smiling softly, giggling a bit as a hand rose to her mouth. "Oh, you're new to Death City? No wonder I didn't recognize you." When he nodded, she gestured towards the building Soul had been staring at, making him look at it again. "Shibusen Academy is right over there." At the look on his face she lowered her hand, hefting the grocery bag around her elbow. "I know it's probably difficult to believe but yes, that is a school. My name's Tsubaki Nakatsukasaa, I'm a student there myself."
"Soul."
"Pleasure to meet you, Soul." She didn't question the lack of last name, instead turning towards the school before looking back at him. "I could show you around if you like. I was just heading back myself."
"Sure, if that's okay with you." Soul let his shoulders visibly relax at that, and if she saw it Tsubaki didn't say anything. Still, she smiled and turned in the direction of the school, gesturing for him to walk with her. The start of the walk towards the castle-like building is quiet, mostly through Soul's nerves but the black-haired girl breaks it a few steps down the road.
"If you don't mind me asking, why are you in our humble town of Death City, Soul?" When he looks at her, Tsubaki wonders if maybe she asked the wrong question before he shrugs, bags shuffling slightly with the movement.
"My parents decided it'd be better if I studied abroad." He didn't elaborate any more on that and Tsubaki didn't push, which he was thankful for he decided as he turned his head away, looking around. He'd mainly come here to get away from being in Wes' shadow after all.
"You're from England?" She blinked a little when he looked at her out the corner of his eye, smiling sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice the accent. It's kind of hard not to."
"Yeah, Westminster in central London." He looked like he was about to ask her something too, and when he didn't she turned back to looking ahead before he spoke. "Is there...demons or something in this place? The cabbie didn't stop rambling about how this place was pretty much Hell Central."
Tsubaki laughed a little, an eyebrow quirked before she raised a hand to scratch her cheek with a finger before sobering up a bit. "I'll be honest with you, Soul, a fair bit of supernatural shenanigans happen around here." She gestures towards the Academy. "That's why the school was created - to provide those with blood of the occult to study at relative peace without fearing judgement from the rest of the world."
Soul pursed his lips together at that. His parents had sent him to some weirdo school in the middle of America. Figured. It was probably a jab at the freaky red eyes and shark teeth that he didn't get from either of them. That explained why Tsubaki hadn't freaked when she saw them, and she didn't seem like the type to go out of her way to point out someone's faults. He realized she'd continued talking without noticing the look on his face, tuning back in to the conversation.
"The city itself is protected by the head of the vampire colony here, Lord Death, and the pact he made with the surrounding territories eight hundred years ago. The Academy is his as well, though he also allows humans to study on the premises as well." Tsubaki turns her attention back to him, smiling gently as they finally reached the gates of the Academy. "Any other questions?"
When he shook his head she smiled. "I live in the city itself. The Academy offers dormitories for those who can't quite afford their own apartment just yet. The front desk will set you up with your own room." Tsubaki looked at her watch and let out an "oh!", giving him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry, Soul. I'd show you the way there only I promised my roommate I'd cook his favourite for dinner tonight so..."
He blinked at her before shrugging, waving his hand nonchalantly. "S'cool. Thanks for all your help, Tsubaki."
"I'll see you in class sometime, alright?" With that, she ran off, leaving Soul standing at the gates by himself. Looking at the school he sighed and drew his backpack over his shoulder again, throwing his duffle bag over the other and beginning to walk in through the gates before he collided with someone.
The collision sent both of them flying back, Soul's bags scattering away from him as he fell onto his back, his head hitting the pavement. With a grunt, he propped himself on his elbows, ready to yell at the person who'd run into him to watch it before he saw it was a girl. She was rubbing the back of her head, pigtails bouncing up and down as she opened an eye to look at him.
"Watch it!" she snapped, getting to her feet before he had the chance to offer her a hand.
That made him bristle. "Hey, you're the one who ran into me in the first place." He snarled a little, showing rows upon rows of sharp, shark-like teeth. She seemed a bit unfazed by them, so he guessed she was either one of the regular humans Tsubaki had told him about or supernatural herself.
She huffed, beginning to make her way around him to walk away. "Whatever. British freak." Without so much more of a word to him, she stormed off, disappearing as Soul heard something that definitely sounded like a name being called. A red-haired man came charging through the gates, dashing past the boy on the ground and after the girl.
Soul had to wonder what was weirder - the supernatural or that.