Eating Souls, Act One: The Beginning

3: A day on the town: Rivin looses it?

"Uh, um..." Crona gripped his right arm so tightly that his hands trembled, "Rivin?"

"Yeeeeees?" Rivin stared out over the city. The two of them were up on the roof of the DWMA. The light over the desert was vivid red, making the sand look like a sea of blood. Rivin didn't have a good feeling about this, but the kid - Crona- was generally so shy. For him to have asked to talk to her alone was a big thing... Especially since this was week three of her attending the DWMA and they'd successfully caused each other to go mad at least once a day.

Besides, Kid knocked Ragnarok out earlier and he hadn't been seen since. What was his deal, anyway? He was always complimenting her symmetry and sticking up for her, even against his teammate, Soul. Not to mention that he wasn't afraid of her, like, at all... And he was always so warm...

"....?" Crona tilted his head, "Did you hear me?"

Rivin giggled awkwardly, "No, sorry. I got distracted."

"Oh..."

"I'm sorry!" she fell on him and hugged him until he was afraid, "I'M SO SORRY CRONA I LOVE YOU HUG ME BACK NOW DAMNIT"

"WHY ARE YOU HUGGING ME I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH HUGS LIKE THIS!"

"SORRY!"

"WHY ARE WE YELLING!?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Rivin giggled and released him, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"oh..." Crona trembled some more, "Well, you see..."

Rivin shut her eyes tightly and then covered them with her hands. "Nope." The wobbles were starting. Foxes nipped at the back of her mind. Strange noises peeling away her sanity. Stein's voice in her imagination, The static is so loud!

"Ehheh..." Crona stepped back. "I... I was wondering about..."

Rivin peeked at him out of one eye, then sighed and regained a more serious composure, "About?"

"A-about... Well, um...." He fidgeted, "Who... Who is this Diomedes person? Ragnarok keeps talking about him and I don't understand."

"Oh." Rivin turned to look out over the desert again, "Leila's probably looking for me. I should get going."

Crona half reached for her, "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"He's my father, okay?" Rivin stared coldly across the red sand. She couldn't look at Crona, or she might be sad... Crona, strange as he was, was warm for everyone. He was too sweet for his own good. Not to mention he had her Raggy. "He tried to attach Ragnarok to my soul and turn my blood black... He failed, obviously. The witch Medusa stole all of his research and applied it to you. Go away now."

"I..." Crona hung his head, "I'm sorry..."

Rivin glared out over the red sand until Crona's footsteps faded away. She wondered if she could count them. One, two, three...

Kid stepped back to hide in the shadows as Crona passed by. He contemplated what he had just heard. So Medusa's research on the black blood was stolen from Rivin's father. And she was the first test subject... I wonder what Dad knows... No, wait, I think I'd rather find out more myself first. He watched Rivin for another minute or so, then turned and left. It was time to have a chat with Leila.

The couch beneath Leila was old, but the latex cushions had aged well. They were both squishy enough to hug, but firm enough to provide support. They were a dark brown, redone with microfiber, and they contrasted nicely with the lighter brown carpet. No matter how much time she spent there, she just couldn't get used to the fact that she had a permanent place to live again.