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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 15, 2007 17:32:04 GMT -5
The heavy frown that had been carved into Mako's face melted into a tiny smile as he took the piece of chocolate. The other's apology made him feel better. Mostly. He didn't care so much about losing to him anymore, how he had acted.
"Thanks," blue ears perked up before he began to nibble away. He was a slow eater, so it took him a few minutes before he was able to ask, "How can you eat so much sugar? Don't you get cavities?"
He had to look down at the other before he spoke, of course. It made Mako wonder how old he was; he was so... short.
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 15, 2007 17:53:36 GMT -5
"Hmm? Oh, Jun says if I brush my teeth, I won't get cavities. So every night before bed I brush them."
He sounded like such a kid, different than the Sacrifice in that battle. Now, he seemed like a normal boy, albeit immature. A series of quiet laughter poured from the boy's lips as he looked towards the school and at the approaching figure.
"It's JuuJuu!!"
And sure enough it was the priest walking towards the car, and even from that distance one could see the frown slapped upon his face. He knew that other Sacrifice was here, and he really didn't want to deal with the boy's stupidity. So, without looking at the teal-haired kitten, the Father unlocked the car doors.
"Let's go, Ando-kun."
"But JuuuuJuuu~! I have a letter for you!"
Bounding over to the dark-haired feline, Ouji shoved the crinkled envelope into the Father's hands before walking towards the road that lead towards a residential area, waving goodbye to the two of them as he disappeared into the young night.
Juujika said nothing as he got into the car and slammed the door.
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 15, 2007 18:07:02 GMT -5
The blue-haired boy retained his smile even while getting into the car, licking cocoa-scented fingers stained brown from chocolate. Father still seemed angry, but then again he always was. It was strange; none of the nuns were ever as stern as he was, and when they did scold someone they did it with love.
Why was Father Juujika so different?
Maybe Mako could cheer him up...? The conversation from earlier with Ouji rung in his mind.
"Hey, Father," the blue-haired kitten looked up with wide, curious eyes. He actually looked more like the child he was now. "What do you like to eat?"
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 15, 2007 18:14:07 GMT -5
But the priest wasn't listening, he was too busy opening the envelope the boy had given him. Completely ignoring the other's question out of sincere interest in the note, those maroon eyes scanned the first line with a startled expression. Without even realizing it, he had uttered something out loud.
"It's...It's from Osami..."
It was at this point when anyone would start to wonder who this 'Osami' person was. Neither student nor teacher had ever heard of Juujika's personal life outside of the school or church. It must have been someone important for him to be acting this way.
He sat there for a good five minutes, rereading that note over and over again. It looked as though it had been through a lot, either that or it was very old. Nothing left the man's lips as he read it either.
Until finally, the engine started and he pulled out from the parking lot, silent as the grave.
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 15, 2007 18:30:41 GMT -5
Mako, too, remained silent for a while, his eyes piercing towards the teacher's direction. Curiosity began to blaze within the depths of his mind. Osami...? Was that one of Father's friends? Father actually had friends?
All of this was so odd to process. He had to ask; he couldn't help it, even if it was kind of rude.
"Who is Osami?" The blue-haired one's ears pricked up considerably. He wanted to pay special attention to the answer. "I won't tell anyone about him."
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 15, 2007 18:37:09 GMT -5
Fire burned in the Father's eyes when the boy asked that question, as if the very thought of another knowing was intensely infuriating. To Kaoru, it very much was. Verbally expressing his angry, the man snapped out at the younger male as he turned the corner on the street.
"It's none of your business," barked the priest, fury dripping from his chords, "don't ask foolish questions! If you really want to know, he was a sinner, a disgusting child of the Devil!"
He sounded so mad, so angry, but there was a small amount of hurt in the Father's voice, as if those very words were difficult to say. He let himself calm down for a few minutes before addressing the blue-haired boy once more.
"Where was your house, Ando-kun," said Juujika in a strangely hushed tone, "was it down that street, or the one a few blocks away?"
Whoever that Osami person was, it seemed to be a soft spot for him, how rare that such a cold and uncaring man could have such a weakness. But the unanswered question still hung in the air.
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 15, 2007 19:04:45 GMT -5
"Um... it's a few more streets down." Makoto murmured, feeling a bit submissive after the other's outburst. Who could blame him? Father was terrible when he was angry! Everyone thought so.
A heavy silence hung in the air after this was said. The kitten's lips were pressed tightly together. He was unsure of what to say next; he didn't want to step on another landmine. With his head turned as he stared out the window, another question flew cautiously from his lips.
"Hey, Father... where do you live?"
This question seemed even more innocent than the last; it was much less personal, more... more appropriate.
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 15, 2007 19:15:42 GMT -5
Continuing down the street, the priest seemed to me murmuring something to himself under his breath, not loud enough to be strange, but just enough to be noticed. It was as if he were chastising himself. Shaking his head, he stole a maroon glance over at the blue-haired kitten, eyes narrowing in an apologetic manner.
He wished he hadn't exploded like that, he really didn't, but the words shot out all by themselves. He noticed how the younger one had reacted, and he felt guilty about it. They were supposed to be a team now; there shouldn't be a rift of any kind between them now. They were supposed to be...
"I'm sorry I snapped at you, Ando-kun. It wasn't something I like to discuss out in the open, so I was caught off guard."
After his small apology, he had gone silent once more.
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 15, 2007 19:35:13 GMT -5
"...that's okay." The blue-haired one muttered, ears pressed flat against his skull. That was the second time Father had ignored his question. The memories of the fight from before embedded themselves once more into his brain. A frown appeared.
"... could you explain everything?" He wanted to understand more about this whole thing. "Why were they calling us... Faithless? You aren't faithless; you're a priest."
He understood if someone called him 'faithless', but... Father? That sounded weird, like a - what was the word? - oxymoron.
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 16, 2007 18:15:19 GMT -5
Turning once more after a few blocks, the priest released a heavy sigh as he kept his eyes on the road, trying to formulate some sort of response. He truly didn't want to explain the tangled mess the two's lives had been thrust into, it would only bring things back from the grave to haunt him. He also knew that nothing would be solved if he remained silent.
"There are two types of people in this world; regular humans and Spell battlers. We are the latter. When a child is born, there is a chance he or she will be like what we are, the chance is slim but still out there. We fight others of our kind; we fight with words as our weapons."
The elder male's worlds seemed to spin themselves into a physical aura; it was warm and soothing, pleasant to the ear. Pausing to park the car, he waited until the engine was shut off before he continued.
"The Sacrifices, like you, are the martyrs that take on the pain from the opponent's attacks; they take on the hurt so that the Fighter, like myself, can continue to battle. Fighters are the tools used by Sacrifices to battle, they belong to the martyrs. Both are connected with a name given from birth in the form of a scar. We are known as Faithless, and to answer your last question, I do have faith..."
Letting his sentence die off, the dark-haired Father looked down at the crumpled piece of paper lying on the floor of the car and narrowed his eyes in scrutiny, as though angry at the contents of that note.
"In short, you are to use me as you see fit to protect yourself, because there are those out there that wish to kill you."
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 16, 2007 18:31:22 GMT -5
There was a lengthy silence on the child's part as he listened to the elder speak; it was filled with intent, graveness, as if hearing this would be a matter of life and death. Maybe it was, after all; he didn't want to participate in something he knew nothing about.
"Oh..." Mako's face held a look of slight awe. "So, I can make you do whatever I want, and you'll do it...? Like a slave...?"
While that did have its advantages, he didn't want to look at it that way. Slavery was wrong; Kaoru should have been able to have free will and such. He didn't want to force others into unwanted tasks. It was simply how he had been raised. His mother never forced him into anything, so he simply grew under the impression it was wrong.
Makoto grabbed his bag, slinging it back onto his shoulder before looking out the window towards his home. It seemed to be the only house in the neighborhood; it was so large. It was white, too, with a light blue shingle roof, and looked like an old American home. Several trees, including a seemingly imported willow surrounded it, and in front was a long, semi-circular driveway. All this was enclosed in an intricately-designed, black iron gate.
He sighed, waited for the other to unlock the door.
"...can I have your number then...? I might need you sometime..."
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 16, 2007 18:55:50 GMT -5
Without missing a beat, a small slip of paper was in the elder one's hand, said paper now being handed to the blue-haired boy. It seemed as if the priest knew the other was going to ask for such a thing. And indeed, a moment later when he spoke again, he had.
"I was wondering when you would ask, Ando-kun."
His voice seemed dry, weak, as though he were in need of some water. I must have been from all the speaking he had done. He mused on his thoughts, unlocking the car door as the faintest smile broke out on his lips. It had been, what, five years since his last Spell Battle? He couldn't help but laugh at his own thoughts; he was such an unruly devil back then, such a terrible sinner.
Even so, he couldn't help but miss...
He shook his head, eyes staring out the windshield, hazing out of focus; tomorrow would be that day, wouldn't it?
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 16, 2007 22:22:19 GMT -5
Makoto took the small piece of paper, clenching it tightly between thin fingers and causing it to crumple. Father was being so pleasant now again; it was confusing as to whether he really hated him... or was just hard on him for reasons he didn't know. Still, he forced a smile as the door slowly opened and he climbed out of the car.
Mom was probably waiting for him. He could imagine her watching from the window at this point.
With a friendly, short wave of goodbye, the blue-headed child began to walk toward the gate, unlocking it with ease and stepping inside, before disappearing off into the distance, across the great driveway to his home. Despite the semblance of childish happiness he was giving off, there was serious thought erupting within his mind.
Maybe...
Maybe he would read like Father had asked. Just this once.
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Post by The Wonder Fox on Jan 17, 2007 17:24:11 GMT -5
For the longest time, the dark-haired male sat parked outside his student's house, sitting there are he reread that note over and over again, until he nearly memorized the entire thing. He could never forget that wispy handwriting, he had never seen any so elegant since Osami. He uttered the name out loud, it left his lips like poison.
Tomorrow would be...
"Good morning, class. I am Father Roland, most of you know me from Biology. Father Juujika won't be here today, so I am to be your substitute."
The next morning, indeed he wasn't there, the priest. Kaoru hadn't been seen all morning, he hadn't even sent in a notice of his absence. It was as if he merely vanished overnight. As to where the elder male was, he was about three towns away.
Standing next to a shorter figure, the dark-haired Father released a heavy sight as he stared at that stone slab before him, the teal-haired youth standing before it in Shinto prayer. Clutching a bouquet of brightly colored pink and white flowers, Father Juujika stood in front of the grave in silence.
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Post by Ed-chan on Jan 17, 2007 23:30:44 GMT -5
The blue-haired boy couldn’t help but stare at Father Roland, eyes ballooning with bafflement. Why wasn’t Father Juujika here…? Did it have something to do with that letter? Or… or was it his fault?
A frown had visibly etched itself into Makoto’s face in those few moments, before a familiar, feminine voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Mako-kun…?” It was Yumi. She sat next to him, after all, and they always snuck conversations in between lectures. A gentle sort of smile was upon his lips. “Are you okay? You’ve been really daydreamy.”
The boy smiled, or at least forced one.
“Yeah. It’s just weird Father Juujika’s not here.”
“He’s never been absent before. Maybe your bad marks killed him.”
“My grades aren’t that bad.” Mako grinned with half-embarrassment. “I just saw him yesterday. I’m just glad we won’t have a quiz.” He had forgotten to read like he had planned. It was hard to remember to do something you never did.
Yumi giggled, her eyes still staring towards her friend. He was so lazy sometimes; it was wonderous how he ever kept up in his classes, or at least Father’s class. He was really lazy in this one, lazier than any of the other boys.
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