#if there's anyone in this world that's the closest to kanda after alma

[duskgathers]

Allen: How did you escape back then, Marie?

Marie: I was injured and unconscious, and Kanda rescued me, from the looks of itーbefore the laboratory sunk down whole, that is. When I woke up, I was lying atop a pile of rubble with Kanda beside me. After that, we were found by Fō, Branch Supervisor Bakーhe was Section Chief back thenーRenny Epstein and Master Zu, and they hid us in top secret.

Bak: Renny was rescued by my mother and Grandfather Zu, because she’s the Epsteins’ only heir.

Lavi: So Kanda’s case file at the Order really is fake, after all. I’ve always thought it seems dodgy.

Marie: But back then, Kanda and I couldn’t trust the Order, the Branch Supervisor and everyone else at all. Kanda was dealing with his past self’s memories and his guilt for destroying Alma, and he was unstable. I took him along and we fled from the Asian Branch together. Now that I’m thinking back, it was quite too easy an escape. Especially when Fō was supposed to be guarding the gateway between the Asian Branch and the outside world.

Bak: That’s because Fō was helping you out.

Marie: So it really was her. I knew it.

Bak: We were worried sick! Them lot from Central was in a panic when you guys went missing. After a while we received contact from General Tiedoll and finally learned where you guys are, but the general’s fury was terrible to behold back then. Well, it was to be expected, though.

Allen: But you didn’t know anything about the Second Exorcist Project, did you, Bak-san?

Bak: But regardless, I as heir must shoulder the burden of the sin my clan committed.

Lavi: To think you’d somehow return to the Order after all that, Marie. Well, since you’re accommodated to Innocence there’s no choice but to return anyway, I guess.

Marie: It’s because I just can’t leave Kanda alone. He’s my savior, after all. Besides, with him being the way he is, I just can’t stop worrying.

vol 26. komui’s lounge. 

i love kanda and marie so much you can take this friendship out of my cold, dead hands. 

[raioseucliffe-cheney]

Immortals (Chapter 4)

Hearing the name of the red-head, he only nods and heads now into his own living space. Something is bothering him about Lavi. Even though he feels the same presence around him as with Alma, there is also something ancient around him. Like with their Mentors. But the one thing bothering him the most is the fact that Lavi seems to be so lifeless. As he lays now down on his bed, arms crossed underneath his head he stares at the ceiling and thinks. Why would someone granted with such a gift wish to be dead in the first place?

Almas shocked face while hearing those words as he approached them is still in his head. So whatever the red-head went through, it obviously traumatized him quite a lot. A deep sigh escapes now his lips. How do these old geezers think he’s going to manage the observation in the first place? This is a task he can’t burden Alma with. So he needs to think up a strategy how to keep a close eye on Lavi without making it too obvious he was ordered to do so in the first place. Actually right now he is only a little bit relieved to know, that there is someone else besides him and Alma sharing the gift of Immortality.

Even though he isn’t showing it properly, he does care about Alma a lot. That won’t change at all only because a new one appeared on the scene. Closing his eyes right now, a short sigh escapes his lips. This will become for sure stressful. Taking care of Alma and Lavi. He will be able to handle it, hopefully. Otherwise he’s going to complain at the Council of the Elders to grant him a space all for him alone to live.

*-*

Weeks pass by and one change happened so far, he really welcomes from the minute on. Right from the first day Lavi starts to live with them, he notices the Soba to be prepared in the way he loves them to be and when Alma admitted, he had asked Lavi to help him out, the red-haired young man was assigned to the kitchen. Because every time when Alma tried to cook for him, it always ended in a culinary disaster. Besides, he finds the red-haired young man either outside on the patio starring at the sky for hours or in the library browsing busily through all the scripts, scrolls and books he can find. Always with that lost and lifeless expression on his face.

First he acts like, he doesn’t care at all, but actually it really starts to annoy him to see Lavi like this. He hadn’t saved him for being such an unmotivated burden to Alma and himself. Spending right now some of his free time with Alma, he thinks of a way how to figure out the reasons of the emptiness within the red-haired young man while he lazily brushes through some of Almas strands.

“Yuu?” “I’m fine”

is he responding right now in his usual short clipped tone, staring at the ceiling as he can feel now Almas head resting on his chest.

“You are actually worried about Lavi” “I’m not”

is coming from him with a light growl, ignoring the fact Alma obviously knows very well for what signs to look. Only as his childhood friend is starting to poke him into the side he directs his gaze to him.

“What?” “You are bad in hiding, when you are concerned, Yuu” “Che”

is all he responds with and sits now upright on the sofa. Only someone like Alma would know this fact and somehow he dislikes this side. But at least he always stays honest with his childhood friend.

*-*

His own guardian spirits are close by as he meditates as usual in the front yard garden. Sometimes he really wonders why a cougar and a wolf ended up becoming his closest friends next to Alma Karma. But actually he really enjoys their presence. Just as he decides to get up in order to train a bit with Mugen, he suddenly notices a reddish-brown rabbit hidden in some elderflower bushes not far away from him. A short gaze to his own companions is enough to figure out, this rodent is also a spirit animal. Now that his own curiosity is awakened, he walks slowly over and picks now up the rabbit. He doesn’t know why, but somehow his inner voice tells him this spirit animal can only belong to Lavi.

This is really surprising for him. Alma and he, Kanda Yuu, have taken years to find their companions after Innocence was discovered within them. So how come the red-haired young man has obviously his soul companions already with him? Could it be, that Lavis Innocence is already activated? His gaze rests now on the rabbit within his arms as he walks now inside into his own living space. Why would Lavi in the first place ignore his companions? A slight anger rises inside of him rapidly. Obviously he has to knock some sense into the red-head. Otherwise there won’t be a possibility for Alma and him to come along properly with Lavi at all.

“I wanted to thank in Lavis behalf for helping him” is he hearing the rabbit now saying to him and a short sigh escapes his lips.

“I was sending out prayers to the other spirit animal in order for help” “While I was searching for a place for Lavi to live his way”

is he hearing now another voice and as he gazes to the left, he sees now a slender red fox approaching him. Slightly gritting his teeth he just realizes he had followed the plea of this rabbit. To hear the soul companions of the red-head tried their best to help Lavi and Lavi still doesn’t show one sign of appreciation makes him even angrier on the red-haired young man.

“How come the two of you are with him?” “He called out to us” “Even though he rather followed what that old man was telling him” “We stayed, even though we were ignored” “Simply because he is helpless without us”

is the fox saying as he sits down on his bed, the rabbit still in his arms and his own companions close by as well.

“You can trust šuŋǧíla. I rather rely more on working with him than the Coyote” “He is sly, but at least his pranks won’t hurt anyone”

are his own companions now explaining him and he nods while staying reserved towards the fox. Because in a way he is cautious when it comes to foxes. Shortly raising his eyebrow he wonders now, why they always warn him from Almas companion the Coyote. Do spirit animals also have someone they trust and distrust? It kind of seems to be this way to him as he is putting down the rabbit now, then he heads over to the dojo in order to train with Mugen.

*-*

The talk with Lavis soul companions was kind of helping him to figure out why the red-head looks currently so lifeless. The old man the fox had mentioned must have had a great impact on Lavi. So he decides to go and train with him in order to make him talk in the first place. Alma is currently assigned to a simple mission and will probably return at nighttime. Going outside accompanied by his companion the wolf he leans at a wall and watches for the time being how the red-haired young man is focusing on some Martial Arts training.

Somehow it looks like Lavi is forcing himself to go through this kind of training. A short sigh escapes his lips while he crosses his arms and continues to watch him. Simply the way the red-head does his moves are in his eyes not done in a natural way at all. Slowly he walks now over to him, a serious and stoic expression plastered on his face while he blocks a punch of the red-head with ease.

“You aren’t yourself at all” “Shut up”

is the red-haired young man only replying and with closed eyes he blocks the incoming punch. Staying calm throughout the entire training session, he observes every single move and it really hits him to see so much desperation, frustration and anger flickering in the emerald green eye while evading and blocking the wild, uncoordinated punches of the red-head.

So what exactly is it that is bothering the red-head so much since he had brought him here? In order to help out, he needs to understand first. So he begins to push back and dish out punches and kicks while observing how Lavi quickly starts to struggle with his defense. Even though he has to admit, the red-head has good reflexes, they aren’t at proper use right now.

*-*

After the training session he sits next to him on the ground gazing at the panting red-head while he somehow hopes to get some answers right now. Silence lays heavily like a blanket over them, then there are finally some movements coming from Lavi.

“Are you going to talk or do I have to beat the crap out of you?” “I really would, but I can’t talk at all”

is he hearing now right now the red-head saying and a slight “Che” escapes now his own lips. But what kind of stupid excuse does the red-head think he’s using here?

“Better you start talking right now, Baka-Usagi”

are the words now coming from him, not looking at the red-head next to him while one arm is resting over his knee.

“You are for sure persistent, Yuu”

is the red-head now replying and a short smile appears on his lips. After a while Lavi starts to tell him about living as a trainee Bookman and how he’d messed up the final exam. He simply listens closely to what the red-head has to say while gazing at the sky right now. Just as he thought. The old man had truly a major impact on Lavis development.

“You don’t need to think and act like them any longer. Bookman is therefore not any longer your concern”

is he simply saying right now, looking at Lavi as he’s standing up and reaches a hand out to him. He means what he say right now. Because Lavi is no longer a part of Bookman and his world. Lavi now belongs here with him and with Alma.