#kami (soul eater)

[beeejayy]

Kami could be really funny come on guys . Also a drawing where it's one of the rare times kami is in Maka's childhood and it's just uncomfortable probably

[bcbdrums]

Maka Albarn, age 5, is an unreliable narrator.

Her mother is gone. She doesn't know why. Her mother has told her "Papa bad" and what other choice does a toddler have but to believe it? (Honestly the way some people talk, I think they have never spent any significant time around toddlers...)

And how else is a toddler gonna interpret the biggest celebrity in town smiling at other women who aren't her mommy? Especially when her mother isn't there anymore. And tiny Maka doesn't understand why and needs to find a reason.

[cishetlou]

bro was caught cheating again 💀 (twitter trend)

[takeyourcyanide]

Seven Sentence Sunday

Thank you for the tag, @mellancholy-morose! Here’s one of the two fics I’ve been working on. I figured I’d use the Spirit one since I often use the Stein-adjacent fics.

Spirit gripped the edges of Kami’s marble countertop with a fervor he was not aware that he possessed; his knuckles just as white as the petals of a daisy, his fingertips vermillion. As he stared down into the sink, not daring to face himself in the bathroom mirror, he forced the bile rising in his throat back down, a stirring cocktail of trepidation, fear, anxiety, nervousness, excitement, joy, shame, and grief falling upon him all at once.

“Spirit… I’m pregnant,” the words screamed repeatedly within the confines of his shaken skull, the perturbation in his lover’s voice still just as apparent as it had been mere moments ago.

He had given his whole life away for the sake of one night of pleasure and passion. Or multiple nights. There’s no telling when and where the growing fetus was conceived if he was being entirely honest with himself.

Albarn threw his head back and forth, a repetitive motion, as his hushed nose scrunched, his eyebrows furrowing in terror.

I suppose I’ll tag @bcbdrums, @puppys-teeth, and @memethebum (I know we don’t interact, but I couldn’t think of many others haha).

[neg-im]

Ok but this post also made me think about Kami having a bad bad bad postpartum depression + not having any family support from anyone outside her/Spirit's Shibusen "colleagues", probaly rejected for her family for being a young mom which probably leads to her rejecting Maka in all imaginable ways

Maka was that baby who's left on her own crying hours long until dad came home to tend her basic needs or until her little throat couldn't produce any more sounds. Spirit wasn't at home as much as Kami since he needed to work to support Kami and Maka, probably being a young Death Scythe meant him doing loads of administrative work while Kami was on maternity leave.

Kami probably was too direct with her rejection towards Maka, not picking her up, not taking photos with her, avoiding the school events as much as possible, etc., but Spirit kept trying to fix things convincing Maka that "mommy didn't mean to be rude, she's just having a bad day" in hopes that Kami would magically turn into a good mom some day (because he's also young and dumb and knows nothing about parenthood or healthy family dynamics), which ultimately only leads to Maka blaming him for everything, in her little mind daddy and his affairs is the only one responsible for making mommy mad, if he wasn't like that mommy would be nice to her.

I think Kami would take administrative missions at every chance, so she would not be near her family ever. Slowly she starts to take small combat missions alone or with temporary partners and then she dies, probably very short after the divorce. But since she almost never had communication with Spirit or Maka during those missions they weren't in her emergency contact info, so it takes a while before someone notifies Spirit, thinking that he should already know.

Spirit then makes his responsibility to keep the "postals" coming and faking Kami's presence in Maka's life, until he stops with the fake cards shortly after the Battle on the Moon, still he can't bring himself to tell Maka the truth.

And later on that's a motive for Maka to *truly* hate Spirit.

I think she would understand at some point that mom wasn't as good as she thought and dad wasn't as bad, her relationship with Spirit slowly healing, still she doesn't know about her mother, what happened to her or where she's now.

Maka fears mom has a new family and forgot about her. Did she really hate her that much?

Spirit tries to do it in the best way possible but is there a "best way" to tell your daughter that her mom has been dead for a couple years already?

[memethebum]

Love how Spirit and Kami wanted to beat the “they should be at the club” allegations by either going on vacation forever/doing the hanky panky with everyone in town fhenenwnwm

[sunnyisinsane]

Okay but oh my god spirit is genuinely such a good person because if I had a baby at eighteen I'd run the next mile and actually die I would not be able to handle that shit at all yet Spirit raised that little girl and she became the most important thing in his entire life!!;;;;!!!!; He did his fucking DAMNEDEST at raising her I'm not crying I'm NOTTTT

[ryanthel0ser]

Most fics: *angsty Stein and Spirit, Spirit is hurt and they have a falling out once Spirit finds out Stein has been experimenting on him*

What probably happened:

"all these scars never seem to heal, I got this a month ago and it's still raw"

"what? that's from last night"

"what do you mean it's from last night"

"I was checking out your liver again, wanted to make sure the one I gave you was working well"

"..."

"..."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN AGAIN STEIN, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU OPENED ME UP??"

"Spirit did you really think the damage you took in missions was enough to warrant stitching up? Or that a small cut takes that long to heal?"

"WHY DID YOU DO IT WITHOUT TELLING ME ASSHOLE"

"I honestly thought you were aware of it, yknow since it's not normal to wake up with a new cut in your chest"

[dreaming-wavelength]

The Kami/Spirit discourse will never die. 😓

[mintmatcha]

Minty!

Give me a random anime :D

grips you

tomorrow DUNGEON MESHI COMES OUT ON NETFLIX. TOMORROW. DUNGEON MESHI. TOMORROW. DUNGEON MESHI

[beeejayy]

This took me a while to . Do when it was supposed to be shorter

[bcbdrums]

Okay. It's generally agreed upon that Maka's mother ("Kami" in fanon) stole Spirit away from Stein at the last minute, getting the last few souls to ascend him to death scythe. But the question is....

Did she date Spirit first and then take him away from Stein? OR...

Was her motivation to steal Spirit all along, and that's the whole reason she dated him?

These are the important questions, friends...

[mytheoristavenue]

SE Teenage!Franken Stein x Reader - Out of Sync

N/A: For the sake of plot, I'm going to be calling Maka's mother Kami, as that seems to be the most commonly agreed upon nickname for her!

Summary: After a falling out, the bond between you and Stein fractures, and your souls are no longer in line.

Warnings: Possessive behavior, violence, poor mental health, verbal altercation

You were walking home after school with your meister, Stein on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Ever since Spirt had left Stein to partner with his girlfriend, you had been his replacement.

You lived in the lab with him and in return, you did the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. That sort of thing. Today was no different. "Hey Stein, I going to the store. Do you need anything?" you asked, grabbing your purse as he headed to his room.

"Pick up some more tea. We're out." he replied with an emotionless tone. You took a mental note and went on your way.

Stein's POV

I heard the front door slam, indicating that (Y/N) had left. I shrugged and turned back to my homework. "She despises you, you know that don't you?" the familiar voice creeped over my shoulder. I waved it off.

"She's my partner. She doesn't hate me. Now go away." I spat, trying to regain focus on the essay I was researching for.

"She's scared of you. Scared you'll tear her apart like you did Spirit." I rolled my eyes at the distorted echo.

"(Y/N) knows I'd never do anything to hurt her, now fuck off." I waved my hand again to thin air, as if the entity was physically a fly buzzing about my hair.

"She's looking for a way out, you know. She's trying to leave you alone, just like Spirit did."

"Spirit left because he thinks he's in love and he doesn't understand my research, not because he was afraid of me. We just didn't fit well together, Lord death said so." I reasoned, knowing in the back of my mind that my data collection had been reported to the dean and that had been the true reason I was reassigned. "And (Y/N) is not trying to leave."

"You're not going to let her walk out on us, are you?" Out of frustration for the static growing between my ears, I twitched my neck ever so slightly, at least I thought I had. To my surprise, my neck popped with a satisfying crack. Did I jolt harder than I thought I did, or had I just been sitting too long? Come to think of it, what time was it?

I sighed, rolling out my chair and leaning back on it as it reclined, turning to check the clock on the sutured wall. I hadn't been home that long. "There is no us, you're just a figment of my imagination."

"Kill her, Franken." Did it just say my name?

I was shocked at the words, even more so that now, I could recognize what used to be the shrill nagging of a little red demon, as now disturbingly similar to my own. I didn't say that, did I? Regardless, I jumped up from the chair at the notion and it rolled away into the abyss of darkness behind me. "No, I don't want to hurt her!"

"You know you want to tear her open, see what's inside." the siren called, now mirroring my version of phonics, the quirks of my speech down to a tee. "Girls are different from boys, you know, your research is never going to be complete without a female specimen to compare Spirit to."

"No, I don't!" I screamed, a giggle forcing itself out of my throat. "I-I'm different now, I'm in control!" I held my head tightly, fingers digging into temples, as if physically holding myself together.

"You want to pin her down, so she can't run away, don't you, Franken?"

"N-No!" I choked out between laughs. Gradually, lack of air supply wore me down to the cold cement floor, the fits of laugher evolving into a deranged, uncontrollable cackle. From my stupor, I could hear the front door swing open with the sunny chirp of:

"Stein! I'm home!" Shit. She had to have heard me. "Stein?!" I heard panicked footsteps running toward my room at an alarming speed. (Y/N) appeared in the doorway, the light from the hallway framed her silhouette. She looked angelic as she bent down to my aid.

"Stein! Stein, are you okay?" I could feel her delicate fingers gripping my shoulders and gently trying to shaking my body into consciousness, to no avail. I was watching from deep within as the Madness overtook my body, and I was no longer there with her.  Suddenly, my body froze, eerily serene and my head turned to look at her. She looked absolutely petrified. My fingers carefully wrapped themselves around her fragile throat as I stood, raising her off the floor as I went. I couldn't control the words that slipped out.

"(Y/N), you mean nothing to me. All you will ever be is an insect under my scalpel. You are nothing but a subject from which I can collect data. I could end your worthless life the moment I decided to. Don't forget that."  I dropped her to the floor with a wicked smile, "Start running."  My lips uttered as I finally began fighting my way through the muck of the abyss and rising back to having control over myself again, just in time to watch her scramble to her feet and bolt to her bedroom sobbing, fearful for her life.

I ran to her door, pounding on it as hard as I could, desperate to clear my name. "No, no, (Y/N). I'm so sorry! You don't understand! Please just let me in and I swear to Death, I'll explain everything!" I pleaded. I pressed my ear to the door, hoping to hear the shifting of the clothes or footsteps coming closer, but all I got was muffled sobs. I guessed that she was hiding, maybe even covering her mouth as she cried, so as not to alert me to her whereabouts. In a way, it worked. Never the less, I persisted. "C'mon, (Y/N), we have to talk about this! I promise I'm not going to hurt you!"

The only response that would come of my begging would be a shrill, "Stay away from me!" Her voice cracked when she spoke, terrified and anguished and longing to be rid of my presence. She continued to sob, as I laid my back against the patchwork door and miserably slid down it's length to sit on the floor. My eyes wandered to the gleam that spread across it. The entire lab had been mopped earlier that day, something (Y/N) did every Sunday. It came across my mind how well she took care of me in contrast to Spirit. He never really cared whether I ate or not, but she cooks for me every night and day. He was never as concerned for the cleanliness of the building, and didn't care for the upkeep, but (Y/N) cares about it a great deal. I recalled a time, when she'd first moved in, when she'd dragged me to the market with her because she was worried that the chemicals she typically used to keep would negatively effect me or my work, and she wanted me to pick out brands that I would approve of.

"Please, let me in..." I plead one last time, voice tired and cracked from the agonizing emotion of the moment. She continued to weep, each little hiccup hitting me like a bullet to the skull. Knowing I had made her cry gave me a migraine. For a while I just sat there, listening to her spill her woes, letting myself learn of the monster I truly was with every passing moment. After what seemed like hours, I came to realize that I hadn't heard her move through this entire ordeal. The possibility dawned on me that my presence was inhibiting her from moving about her locked bedroom freely and I decided to give her some space, and retreated to my room. Try as I might, I earned no sleep that night, nor did I deserve any.

-----

The next morning, I arose much later than I usually did. There had been no sweet wake up call from a chipper girl, beckoning me to greet the day. Getting dressed and exiting my room, I noticed the lack of delicious aroma in the air. Breakfast had not been made. Shrugging I walked into the kitchen to find (Y/N), buttering a slice of toast and swiftly scarfing it before packing her school bag. "Good morning." I gave a sympathetic smile, hoping to have some sort of leeway into a conversation over last night. I was not surprised to find myself ignored. I was however, caught off guard to find her already leaving home to begin her walk to school so early. "Where are you going? We always walk together?" Once again, she paid me no mind, and began to walk away. I sighed and decided to let her go, knowing I'd meet her there.

When I arrived, I found (Y/N) standing beside Kami and Spirit, seemingly looking over the Missions Board in the hallway. "Ivan the Terrible? What kinda name is that?" He mumbled as I grew closer.

"A terrible one, obviously." Kami laughed.

"Good morning, what are you talking about?" I asked, glancing up at the board to find our team's name underneath one of the new missions.

"We got a new assignment." the redhead answered. "In Russia, apparently." Before I had the chance to react, the four of us were called to the Death room, I assumed to be briefed on the assignment. As Spirit and Kami began to leave, (Y/N) in tow, I stayed behind, grabbing her wrist, pulling her back to stay as well.

"We'll catch up." I called and he waved me off.

She turned back to look at me with a expression I couldn't place, somewhere between fear and disgust. "Don't touch me." she snapped, wriggling out of my grasp.

"(Y/N), we have to talk." I stated as calmly as I could.

"There is nothing I have to say to you." she spat, walking off to find our teammates, and obscuring herself between the hordes of students in the hall.

"(Y/N), stop!" I whispered as she glared at me over her shoulder. I began to feel embarrassed at the prospect of being seen by her as less than equal. After all, she needed me, I was in charge. "As your meister I order you to stop!" She did as I asked, if only for a moment, slowly turning to look back at me. I suddenly became hyperaware of the way every inhabitants of the school was staring holes into me. Without another would, (Y/N) bolted away from me, just as she had last night, and I was forced to shamefully follow, weaving my way through the humiliation of what I'd just said.

-----

"Greetings, hiya, how's it goin'?" Lord Death chirped as we filed into the room, each of us standing before him. Typically, we stand with our partners, but today is an abnormality. "So how are we all feeling about the new assignment, hmm?"

"With all due respect, sir," Spirt piped up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Russia? Isn't that a little far?"

"I suppose you're right, but I don't think you four will have an issue with it. You're target, if you aren't already aware, is Ivan the Terrible. He's the current tsar, and he's put the whole country in quite the tizzy, I'm afraid."

"He's a tsar..? Isn't that like a king?" the redhead once again remarked.

"Very astute of you, Spirit." Death confirmed. "Last year, Tsarina Anastasia, his wife, passed away, allegedly from poisoning. Still grieving, Ivan is being consumed by Madness and slaughtering his people out of paranoia."

"Madness...?" I thought aloud. "It's stretched that far?"

"It has," the dean answered, catching me off-guard. "And I need my top students to put an end to it. Aside from that, this is a big opportunity for you all. We have reason to believe that Ivan has been stock piling human souls and force feeding them to his army. He's become increasingly scared to consume who he feels may be betraying him, for fear of being poisoned like her majesty."

"Those poor people..." (Y/N)'s voice pierced though the silence, small as it was. "They're all just at the mercy of what ever delusions this man conjures up? They must all be so scared." My chest tightened, wrecked with guilt. She must be connecting with connecting with his victims on a personal level.

"It's not all black and white," Lord Death corrected. "Believe it or not, your target is a victim too." he laid his hand on her shoulder as he explained. "Madness is a terrible disease and spreads like one too. It's entirely possible that he thinks he's doing what is best for his people. In his mind, he's protecting them. I want to you to try and see things from both sides, (Y/N)." She nodded sadly as we were dismissed. I sometimes forgot how compassionate she could be. "Well, I think that just about wraps things up, don't you? You better get a move on, class dismissed!"

-----

We were released for classes for the rest of the day to go home and prepare for our flight to Russia. Try as I did, I couldn't convince (Y/N) to speak to me. Not at home, while packing a suitcase, not on the plane, not even when we landed.

Now that we were in Moscow, it was time to locate Ivan and eliminate him. The sooner we did that, the sooner I could go home, today had been much too long. I sighed heavily, listening to Kami and Spirit argue, playing tug-of-war with our only map, while taking in the scenery. Suddenly, the sickening sound of tearing paper filled the air, and their aggression with each other increased significantly. I couldn't help but feel irritated that Spirit had left me to partner with someone he barely even got along with. My eyes floated over to my current partner, keeping steady distance from me, but also from them, not wanting to get caught in their fight. I quickened my pace to come to her side.

"Are you okay?" I asked flatly, refusing to lead on too much worry. She neglected to answer me, simply readjusting her earmuffs and scarf. I sighed and dug my hands into my pockets. "Look, if its about last night-" I began.

"Stein, I don't want to talk about it." she finally answered, albeit coldly and without meeting my gaze.

"(Y/N) we need to, this is important, is we don't communicate, it could cause problems with our partnership." I tried to reason, but she wasn't accepting any of it.

"That's fine with me." she huffed, her lips expelling white air against the snowy landscape.

"What do you mean?" I asked cocking a brow, anger and anxiety bubbling in my chest, knowing what she would say.

"I don't want to be your partner anymore."

Her words stung and prompted me to push back even more hurtful ones, but I resisted, sticking to denial as a response. "You don't mean that." I snarled. "You're just upset."

She threw her hands in the air and dramatically brought them back down to slap her thighs. "Yes I am upset and-" she seemed to be looking above me, and no longer at me as she continued. "Stein, duck."

"Duck?" I tilted my head sarcastically. "How do you expect me to-"

"Stein, duck!" she repeated, tackling me and shoving my head down, just in time for a dark mass to fly over us. After all this time of wandering around looking for him, we never thought Ivan would find us first. Though, we were practically on his palace's front door. We should have been more careful.

"(Y/N), transform." I ordered cautiously. She gave no reply but did so anyways, leaping into he air and morphing into a (w/f) with a graceful twirl. As I waited for her to land, I positioned myself to catch her, and turned to the kishin. "Ivan the Terrible," I addressed, as was protocol of the DWMA. "For your crimes against humanity, we've come to reap your soul." As if to punctuate my threat, (Y/N) landed in my grasp, to which I instantly grunted and threw her into the snow. I seethed while holding my gloved hands, looking them over to find the fabric burned through and blisters forming on my palms.

"Hey, what the hell was that for?" she raged, but I ignored her as warm blood began to drip from my nose.

"Stein!" I heard Spirit call as he took the first few offensive hits to the enemy with his partner's guidance. "You okay?" I paid him no mind as well as I wiped my nose, studying the crimson that stained what was left of my gloves.

"What the fuck..." I muttered, as (Y/N) now reverting back to her human visage ran to me, skidding on her knees to meet me as I fell to mine, my stomach bubbling with blood where it shouldn't be.

"Stein, what's wrong?" she asked, concern being the only emotion her face portrayed. It would have felt nice to once again feel her compassion had the circumstances been lighter.

"My stomach hurts," I groaned, cradling myself as the pain grew, before suddenly coughing, red sputtering over my lips.

"You're bleeding internally..." she realized, holding my head in her left hand and my charred one in her right. I suddenly jerked away from her touch as her fingertips grazed my wounds. She obviously noticed. "Stein, your hands!"

"I can't hold you," I choked out, attempting to stand with some success. "You're metal's too hot."

"How can I be too hot?" she puzzled. "It's like ten below here!"

"Uh, guys, little help here?" Kami yelled, putting all her effort into using Spirit's shaft to distance her face from the blade of Ivan's sword.

"We can't fight like this, our soul wavelengths must had fall out of line." I huffed charging myself up for a solo attack. "Just stay behind me, I'll protect you." Without another word, I charged the kishin, connected my wrists and pressed both palms to his chest, driving my wavelength directly into his heart. Luckily he took enough damage to give Kami time to fall back.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw (Y/N) running into combat beside me one of her arms in the form of a (blade/barrel/hammer head),  (slashing/shooting/swinging) at Ivan with what little she had.  "I told you to stay behind me." I stated, charging up for another attack.

"When are you going to realize that just because we're partners, doesn't mean you own me?" she spat back. "A partnership is about equality!"

"Is this really the time?" I asked, dodging and rolling out of the way of one of his swings.

Before she could answer, the tsar retreated from the fight, fleeing into the safety of the palace walls. The three of us chased after him, I at the head of the pack. I burst through the castle doors and paused taking in the room before me. It was filled with beady red eyes shrouded in darkness, with Ivan at the head of the room, sitting atop his thrown. It was a trap, and I lead us straight into it. Kami and (Y/N) waited from the steps as I was effortlessly overwhelmed, both swiftly swooping in to assist me. I watched from the floor, in between beatings as the two girls, along with Spirit went straight to work in decreasing the numbers of demonic troops. The sight inspired me to keep fighting my way out of the heap I found myself in.

Suddenly, just as I had gotten odds back in my favor, Kami was flung across the room, her back slamming against the decorated wall and all wind being stolen from her lungs. Her boyfriend quickly transformed and crouched beside her. Just as I was beginning to climb to my feet, I felt a sting sink into my ankle. Looking down, I found a small dagger protruding from my Achilles tendon. I cussed, pulling in out and stomping on the fingers it was attached to.

That's when I saw (Y/N) standing at the head to the room alone, ready to face the target without any help. Her visage was bathed in the angelic light that shown through the stained glass window behind the thrown. She looked the way she did last night when she found me.

"What the hell are you doing, (Y/N)? Your gonna get yourself killed!" I called out, voice hoarse and strained. Her screams pierced through the air as she forced the power inside her to build to never before seen heights. I held my breath as I limped over to her, as Ivan raised his sacred sword, fully aware of the possibility of witnessing my partner's execution. 'I have to do something.' I thought. Mustering all my strength, I enveloped her in my arms, as I expanded my soul passed my body. My eyes unscrewed when I heard the sound of his blade ricocheting off the shield I'd unknowingly raised.

"What is this?!" she asked, shock written on her tired face.

"Something new I've been working on." I mumbled looking up at the kishin and counting how many times he brought his weapon down on the bubble. "(Y/N), I need you to transform." I panted, trying to be as patient as I could with her, but I didn't know how long this protection would last.

"I won't work!" she protested, still in my arms, likely afraid for her mortality.

"Just trust me!" I pled as she flew into the air, transformed, and fell heavy into my hands. She weighed so much more than usual, I could hardly bring my exhausted muscles to lift her up to level. I could hear her agonized screams resonating through me, echoes bouncing off the shield, it was deafening. My hands were once again beginning to burn, and my stomach ached.

"We cant do this! Were hurting each other!" she shouted through gritting teeth. "Death, my head! Stein, it hurts!"

I tuned her cries out as best I could and I tried to gather myself, be strong enough for the both of us, but I was beginning to hear that shrill little voice creep up on me again. 'She's scared of you. Scared you'll tear her apart like you did to Spirit.' repeated in my head. "She doesn't want to be your partner anymore, there's no sense in saving her now."

"I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that, right?!" you yelled my voice desperate and tired. Her hesitation nearly killed me. "I'd never hurt you, (Y/N), please know that!" With one final thwack of Ivan's sword, the bubble began to break, a thick crack running down the side of it before bursting it all together. I turned to the man with distain in my eyes, heading to smite him before I remembered what Death had said.

'It's not all black and white. Believe it or not, your target is a victim too.'

"Ivan!" I called out to him, prompting him to lower his weapon ever so slightly to hear me out. "You're not evil, you're just sick! Madness is a disease, and you're hurting!" Something in his wild eyes told me he understood as he lowered the blade entirely and took a step toward me, and I him. "You're grieving your wife, aren't you?"

"I am avenging her." he bellowed, looking me over cautiously. "And protecting others."

"But you're hurting people. You know that, don't you?"

Ivan scowled and stepped back toward his thrown. "How could a child possible begin to understand my pain?"

"Because I'm sick too." I confessed, ascending the steps to his chair. "Sometimes I want to hurt the people I care about because I'm hurting, but that's not right." By now I'd forgotten the weight of my partner or the burning in my palms; now I had someone who understood. "You're not leaving this room alive, but there's still time do atone for your actions. Bow you're head and pray, and I'll reap your life, and repurpose your soul for the better." Obviously, the tsar hesitated, and I wasn't lost on why. All his paranoia was still prominent inside him and there was no way that I could prove to him my sincerity. "Ivan, her majesty wouldn't want all of this bloodshed. I can send you to be with her with honor."

For the first and last time, Ivan smiled, not a deranged, crooked grin, but a soft and gentle smile as he knelt down onto his knees. I gave him a moment, watching his hands fold and lips move, mumbling sacred words to whatever savior it was that he subscribed to. When he was finished, I raised my weapon in the air, looking down on him with the sadness of a child saying goodbye to a friend who were moving away. "Will it hurt?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"It may, a little. I'm going to give you the most merciful death I can." I answered truthfully. In some odd way, I felt a connection to this dementia ridden old man that I hadn't even felt with (Y/N). An understanding of the struggles that infection harbored. I did fully believe that he had the best intent, and deserved a king's sendoff.

"I'm ready." he smiled, clothed in serenity, and I wasted little more time in executing him, watching the flesh that was once his cranium unravel like ribbon carried on the wind. I found his soul hovering out of the abyss as it was unveiled. I delicately laid (Y/N) down where he sat so she could collect him, after which, she and Spirit began to divide those of Ivan's guards. I let my body fall down to sit in front of the thrown, feeling overwhelmed with sorrow over the loss of who may have been the only other person to possibly understand my plight. At least it was over, I was ready to go home, then again, we still had a problem to solve.

-----

Later that day, after we'd returned home, we both went out separate ways. I to my room to see what I could do for the damage to my body, and her to the bathroom for a shower. Once I had heard the water shut off, I knocked on the door, informing her where she can find the proper supplies to treat her own injuries. Without much more contact, we both laid down in our respective beds, and fell into a hard, yet restless sleep.

The following days were given to us to stay home and recuperate from the mission in Moscow, and were miserable, to say the least. Physical pain aside, (Y/N) was still not speaking to me, though in her defense, I was no longer putting in much effort, simply for fear of another argument. I was exhausted from the assignment, and my body healing. On top of that, I still had to find out how to realign our soul wavelengths. What a mess.

" I've been yelling that dinner is ready for ten minutes now." (Y/N) said as she harshly dropped the metal tray on my desk.

"Sorry," I gave a sheepish sigh, pushing away from my computer. "I've been busy trying to find a way to solve our problem." With little emotion, she simply ignored me turning back and exiting the room. I rolled my eyes, grabbing my food and following her to the kitchen table. "Does your head still hurt?" I asked sitting down with her.

"A little. My vision is still a little blurry too." She answered, stabbing a fork into a head of broccoli on her tray.

"Keep taking the medicine I gave you and it should clear up by the end of the week." I reassured, taking a sip of juice. "I can't remember the last time we sat at the table." I nervously remarked.

"I always eat at the table, you're just always in your room." she replied coldly.

"Right..." I trailed off, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with the knife that she was currently using. "I'll try to be present more often."

"You don't have to do this." she finally sighed, neglecting to meet my gaze. "We can just go back to you locking yourself up in your room and me doing everything else. It worked before."

"Things are different now," I said flatly, setting down my fork. "I don't think they'll ever go back to how they were, not exactly."

"Then we'll fake it 'til we make it." she offered, dramatically rolling her eyes, mouth half full of food. I could tell this was irritating her.

"That won't work either, you know that." I wasn't entirely sure why, but that sentence had been the last straw for (Y/N). Maybe her mood had just been building, and made worse by my sitting down, or maybe she was genuinely bothered by what I'd said. Regardless of how I could deconstruct her feelings and why, she stood up from the table, slamming her palms on it as she did, causing it to shake, and her drinking glass toppled.

"Obviously, I don't, Stein!" I could see that she was trembling, chest heaving with emotion that I didn't understand, and she quickly came to her senses, quirking her gaze down to the spilt juice on the tabletop. Tears began to brim her eyes and she suddenly darted out of the kitchen. "My head hurts, I'm going to bed." She sniffled, already halfway there.

I looked at the pool of red as it slowly crept over to my tray. I wasn't hungry anymore, so I carefully picked it up and scraped the uneaten food into the trash and set the dishes in the sink, before grabbing a rag for the mess.

Later, after having washed the dishes for the first time since (Y/N) moved in, I retired to my room, slumped in the desk chair. For one of the first times in my life, I felt clueless. I was entirely unsure of what to do next. We were scheduled to return to school in two days, and we couldn't risk getting sent out again without repairing the bond between us. My eyes began to drift to the bookshelf to my left, scanning over each title, hoping maybe I owned something to do with resonance or how souls aligned. Instead, I found one of (Y/N)'s books. It was an old copy of 'The Princess and the Frog' that she had gifted me a few months back. Suddenly I had an idea, firing up the browser on my computer to compile my research.

-----

With new found courage, I retrieved a scalpel from my medical kit, and headed for (Y/N)'s room. I was going to gain access one way or another, this was my house, after all. Once in front of her door, I first knocked to give her the chance to open willingly. When I was greeted with silence, I went right to work picking the lock. As I inserted the blade, it dawned on me that trespassing into her space was wrong, and that, perhaps I should just give her time. I then remembered the pain that we were both still recovering from, and that if my research was correct, it could quicken the pace of healing exponentially. I also realized that, if I was wrong, I may soon be looking for a new partner.

The door unlocked with a satisfying click and I gently pushed it open to reveal a dark room. "What the hell, Stein? You can't just barge into my room!" A stuffy voice shrieked from the far side. "Just go away!"

At the sound of her, much of that confidence drained from my body and I swallowed painfully as I approached the bed. "(Y/N), I have something very important to tell you." I said as sternly as I could as I sat on the edge of the mattress, facing away from her. "I know why our souls are no longer in sync."

"I do too," she whispered, and my neck snapped to where I assumed she was in surprise.

"You do?" I asked, sympathetically, hoisting my knee up onto the bed so that I could fully turn towards her. I could just hardly see her now, he light from beyond the open door illuminating her just enough for me to make out were her face was.  

"It's because of me," she hiccupped, rubbing her eyes. "I'm just worthless and weak and I let my emotions get the better of me. I'm sorry, Stein, you deserve better." She spilled out, sobbing throughout. I was truly taken aback. Since we got home, she must have been blaming herself, and couldn't bring herself to face me. Guilt tugged at my insides, metaphorically and physically as my stomach began to hurt again.

"No!" I blurted, reaching out for her, to which she withdrew further. "It's my fault! (Y/N), I'm sick and I knew that could hurt you and I hid it from you."

"Was what you said to Ivan true...? Are you infected with the Madness?" Her voice was broken and frightened, even more so when I confirmed her fears.

"I am...I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." She remained silent and I couldn't discern if she truly lacked words fit for the emotions she was feeling, or if she simply had nothing to say to me at all. Regardless, I persevered. "I know you're finding it hard to trust what I said after the other night, but I can't stress enough your importance to me." I professed with a much higher sense of urgency than I would've cared to use, taking both of her hands in mine. She wriggled out of my grasp like so many times earlier this week, and scooted away, driving even more maddening distance between us.

"(Y/N) please stop moving away," I asked, letting my head fall back against the nape of my neck in frustration. "I promise, I'm not going to hurt you. Actually, I think I've found a way to realign our wavelengths."

Her eyes widened. "Y-You have?" she asked, her voice cracked. "How?"

"We have to learn how to trust each other again." I stated flatly. "We need to be honest with each other." I could barely make out her expression contorting with fury, her teeth grinding behind her lips.

"Trust, honesty?" she raged, her posture improving significantly as she developed from a slouch to her most intimidating height. "Stein, I've never once lied to you! I've always been honest whether you liked it or not!" she shouted, throwing a pillow my way. I caught it and calmly set it to the side.

"(Y/N)-" I tried to explain further but she wouldn't let me speak.

"No, Stein! Don't '(Y/N)' me! This is your fault!" she shouted, reaching again for the pillow to hit me, but I swiftly tossed it onto the floor and out of her reach. "You were the one that lied and now you tell me to be honest? I don't think so!"

"(Y/N), please-"

"No! Why should I have to help fix a problem you made all on your own? How dare you-" I finally  grabbed her wrists, pulling her dangerously close and stared down at her with stern eyes.

"Just shut up and let me kiss you already." I said, calmly. Her eyes widened and a blush spread across her cheeks and nose, even dusting the tips of her ears.

"W-Wha-"

"Let me kiss you." I repeated. "I think the Oxytocin released may help repair the bond."

She shifted awkwardly, looking askance.  "Enough with the pseudoscience, Stein."

"I'm serious." I reiterated. "Studies show that perfect strangers can develop a long lasting bond off of the chemicals released during a kiss. I have proof to back my findings, if that would help you ease into the idea."

Apprehensive, she continued to dodge my gaze. "What if it doesn't work?" she  wondered cautiously.

"Then I imagine we'll both be reassigned on the grounds of incompatibility." I half lied. The truth was, (Y/N) was it for me. Most students don't even get the chance to change partners, let alone twice, and especially if said student had been the cause for both reassignments. She would be matched up with someone else in no time, but I on the other hand, would likely face expulsion, if Lord Death's words are to be believed. "Plus, you'll get the very rare right to brag to whole school that for the first, and last time, I was wrong."

She gave a sad giggle at my attempt to ease the tension, and finally relented. "Well, I guess we can kiss...If it's the only way."

"I assure you, it is."  Slowly, I crawled closer to her, cupping her cheek with one hand, and running the other through the back of her hair. This had to be perfect. Carefully, I leaned in, beginning to seal the gap between us, and she hesitantly did the same. I could feel her breath hitch her her throat, indicated by the disrupted pattern of breaths that hit my face. It felt like two puzzle pieces connecting at last, when your lips finally met. Hers were so warm and soft, they tasted like honey. I relaxed a bit, feeling her arms snake themselves around my neck, her fingers finding their way into my hair. I gently began moving my lips against hers, as I became in tune with her breathing and felt the rest of the world fall away. Gradually, we began to fall back into place, together, but this in a different order.

I began to feel a tingling feeling in my chest, dull at first, but it soon intensified into a nearly stinging electric shock. I had pulled away, wondering it she'd felt it too, which judging by her reaction, I assumed she did. "Did you feel that?" she asked, panting slightly.

"I did, I think that was our souls reconnecting." I smiled. "Do you feel like you trust me?" I asked, already knowing she had, if only due to the Oxytocin. I felt it too.

"I've never trusted anyone so much." she answered, pecking me on the lips again. She began to separate and untangle herself from me, causing my heart to drop. "So...I guess it worked."

This is where we return to our normal lives, isn't it? This is where we move on and pretend that this never happened, or that it didn't mean anything.

"Well, we have to go back to school soon so maybe we should get some-" she began excusing me from her presence.

"No."

"What?" she asked, startled.

"No. I can't go to bed and wake up pretending this didn't happen."

"Stein, what do you mean? We kissed, but just to get our souls realigned, right?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Are you really going to tell me it didn't mean anything else to you?" I grabbed her hands and held them in mine. "You felt the same things that I did, you can't deny that, (Y/N)."

"I did..." she looked away solemnly. "But it's like you said, it's just the chemical reactions or whatever."

"But what if it wasn't?" I asked, more to myself than anything else. I had spent a lot of time overthinking about Spirit leaving me to be with Kami and how I felt so superior to him for not partaking in those nonsensical ideals, but I never stopped to consider the likelihood of love being real, albeit with scientific reasoning behind it.

"(Y/N), when I think about having you as a partner compared to spirit, I can't help but observe some abnormalities." I began, unknowingly using a display of intelligence to compensate for the lack of control I had over the situation. "You seem to care a far greater deal about me than he ever has. And to my surprise, I you."

"Stein, what are you saying?" she asked, cautiously, giving me a sideward glance.

"I trust you with my life, (Y/N), and that's not something I ever thought I'd be able to truthfully say to anyone. You're important to me, and...even thought I wouldn't consider myself a believer in love, I'm not ignorant to the possibility." My palms had long since began to seat, and I anxiously wiped them on my pants. My unease intensified when I heard her snort a giggle at my confession.

"The possibility of what?" she asked teasingly. I always found it annoying when she forced me to verbalize things she already understood from context.

I took in a sharp inhale, stifling a curt reply, aware how how easily this moment could be ruined. "That I might...love you."

In the light that shown though the doorway, I could see a very soft smile playing on her lips. Not a mischievous one, but a genuinely blissful grin. "I think I might love you too, Franken." I blushed at the velvet coating of her words, gaze averted by embarrassment, only made worse with a peck to the cheek.

Finally, when my fluster faded a bit, I faced her again. "I can't promise that I'll be the best romantic partner, but I'd be grateful if you'd give me a chance?" I asked, nervously. To my relief, she giggled again, eagerly accepting and leaping into my arms.

"Let's give it a shot!" she chirped, pecking my lips. I held her for a moment, my face nuzzled into her hair as we enjoyed the moment. For once, all felt serene, save for the mild static growing between my ears.

Wait, static?

[takeyourcyanide]

Until I Ache

AO3

Content Warning: Alcoholism, intoxication

Fandom: Soul Eater

Character(s): Spirit Albarn, Franken Stein, mentions of Maka Albarn and Kami Albarn (Maka’s Mother)

Word Count: 2 113

Tag(s): Excessive drinking, alcoholism, hurt/comfort, bars and pubs, angst

Summary: Essentially, Spirit ends up too wasted to walk home and calls Stein to help him get there.

Note(s): This is another relatively short one. I’d like to write some much longer ones as I have once before, but the brain fog has been tormenting me lately. I hope that this isn’t the absolute pinnacle of mediocrity! I don’t want my work to suffer. (I don’t say this for any sort of pity.) I feel as though I could do so much more with his alcoholism and really delve into it, but whatever. Perhaps I will in future fics. I greatly enjoy detailing themes of addiction and self-medicating in my writing, so I most likely will.

The warm lighting of the pub gently flickered above Spirit’s head as he sat, slumped over on one of a ton of barstools.

The idea of even stepping foot into Chupa Cabra’s made him shiver, a sharp pang prickling his spine. He’d have to see Blair if he did as such, and any reminder of his Maka would send him surely spiraling even further down the wormhole than he already was.

“Another, please,” Spirit outstretched the hand in which a shining shot glass was held, holding it out expectantly in the direction of the barkeep.

“No, way. Sorry,” the bartender shook his head, cleaning off a martini glass. He set the glass down once sparkly, grabbing the one Spirit shakily held.

“What? Why?” Death Scythe pouted childishly, his eyebrows pinching sorrowfully on his forehead.

“That would be a legal liability, sir. I can’t afford anyone suing this bar just because they were too wasted for their tortured livers to handle,” his face was stern despite the small chuckle escaping his lips.

Spirit straightened his back, grimacing in pain as his temples felt as though they might just burst.

“I wouldn’t do that,” he assured sincerely, and rather desperately.

“Psh, I don’t care if you supposedly would or would not do that, I’m not risking it! You know that happened to another pub just a few blocks away? No way, no how! My apologies, Death Scythe, sir.”

A deep and melancholic sigh racked Spirit’s frame as he stood, the weight of a thousand suns on his chest and shoulders. He stumbled out of the bar, soon being met with the sight of the bloodied and wrangled moon.

How long had he been there?

He peered down at his watch, wobbling on his feet as he tried his hardest to stand still.

The hands of the miniature clock read “1:29.”

Spirit pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling and exhaling slowly. He soothingly massaged his throbbing forehead, squinting his eyes in the direction he came from, attempting to plan his route home in his clouded mind.

‘One foot in front of the other,’ he reminded himself of how precisely to walk, as began trudging along the cobblestone streets.

……

Spirit yelped as he nearly face-planted into the sidewalk, his hands and knees surely scraped. Evidently, “one foot in front of the other” would not be enough. He fought back tears as they pricked in his eyes, feeling as though he were a pathetic child who couldn’t handle a minuscule scratch.

He hoisted himself upwards, leaning against the wall of some shoe store, fumbling for the cellphone buried in his right pocket.

The scythe dialed the only person he knew would be awake.

“Spirit?” A confused and sonorous voice rumbled through the speakers of the phone.

“Need help,” he slurred, the waterworks beginning.

“With what?”

“Can’t get home. Too drunk,” he whimpered pitifully, scrambling to conceal himself in the shadows of the dingy alleyway beside him.

“You know I live outside of the city, Spirit. It’ll take me a second to get… Wait, where are you?”

“I don’t know… ‘M so stupid,” his shoulders shook with a sob, as he slapped his palm against his forehead repeatedly.

“Calm down, Spirit. Do you see a street sign anywhere?” The voice was more stern than that of the barkeeper’s, and more intimidating, but a stable source of guidance for the drunkard.

“Uhm… I think so.. It says Morena Street,” he poked his head out cautiously, examining the sign carefully as he squinted.

“Okay. I can be there in just a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” he sniffled, a hand placed over his mouth in order to muffle his weeping.

“Yeah,” the caller hung up.

……

Stein scanned the dimly lit streets, his hands in his pockets and he walked. There was no sign of Spirit.

That is, until he moved closer to a certain alleyway.

The sounds of a familiar cry seemed to leave that narrow spot, flowing down the streets despite the weapon’s best efforts.

“Spirit?” Stein called out, entering the horridly-smelling alleyway.

“Stein!” He plummeted into the meister, face against his chest, as he wrapped his arms around his taut torso.

Stein’s eyes widened impossibly large, his arms glued to his sides. “What are you doing, Spirit?”

“Please don’t dissect me! Just get me home!” He bawled, Stein frowning as the fluids emerging from the scythe’s face were surely soaking into his turtleneck by now.

“Okay, then. First you have to remove your arms from around me, please,” Franken awkwardly suggested, struggling out of Spirit’s hold.

“Oh, sorry..”

“It’s fine… Here,” he allowed for the ginger’s head to rest against his shoulder, his own arm reaching out to steady the clumsy man as they exited the premises.

“Did I interrupt anything you were doing? ‘M sorry,” Albarn gazed at Stein sadly and guiltily, his blubbering certainly not coming anywhere close to ceasing.

“I didn’t have much to do, really. And stop apologizing, there’s no need to,” he reassured him.

“Okay…”

“So, why’d you get so drunk this time, anyway?” Stein questioned curiously, sparing a quick and inquisitive glance down at his former partner.

“Don’ even know anymore,” he began, sulking whilst wearing possibly the most petulant face the meister had ever seen. “Just didn’t feel good. I never feel good anymore, Stein. Maka hates me, too. Prob’ly partly ‘cause of this.”

“That’s not true, Spirit, I can assure you of that,” he spoke solemnly with an air of wholeheartedness.

“Whaddayamean i’s na true?” Spirit drawled, a whiny twinge to his voice like that of a young child. “She ma’es it so clear!”

“She doesn’t truly hate you, Spirit. She loves you. She’s always loved you. That’s why it makes the whole divorce and all that happened between you and Kami so much more difficult. She resents you, she’s bitter. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you. She’s still so young, and doesn’t know how to handle all those conflicting feelings - Hell, no matter your age, conflicting emotions are incredibly difficult to deal with and navigate, but being so young certainly doesn’t help by any means,” Stein elucidated, raising valid points even in the midst of Spirit’s hazy and inebriated mind.

“You mean it? You really do?” The scythe sniffled, his bottom lip gently quivering.

“Of course, Spirit. It’s a glaring fact. Haven’t you noticed how worried she gets when she sees you injured? She’s mad at you. She doesn’t hate you.”

A strident sob poured from Death Scythe’s lips, as he seemingly threw the idea of stifling his weeping entirely out of the window. His abdomen contracted, his entire figure trembling strenuously.

“It’s a good thing we’re going home, huh?” Stein chuckled.

Spirit produced a strained sound in agreement, harshly and uncoordinatedly nodding his head, something he would soon come to regret when the alcohol-induced vertigo came to strike him.

……

“Wanna be loved, Stein,” the redhead bemoaned as Stein fumbled with the keys he’d had to grab from Spirit’s pocket, eventually pushing the apartment door open. “And not jus’ for my body, for once. Not love. They want me for sex. Always. Never for me, is it?”

“Isn’t that normal?” Stein questioned genuinely. “I mean, isn’t it normal for people to seemingly only want you for your body?”

“Well, everyone else seems to not think so. Or maybe it is? Dunno. But other people love.. and it’s love,” he slurred into Stein’s shoulder, allowing himself to be maneuvered onto the comfort of his bed.

“Stein.. I know you aren’t the type, but do you love me? Don’ even mean romantically.”

“I don’t know how to, Spirit. It’s just not in my nature. But would it help if I were to tell you that you’re my favorite test subject of them all?” He asked as he tucked the man in, adjusting his pillow, and ensuring that he lay on his side.

“Hm. Kinda, I guess. ‘M certainly not Maka’s favorite. Maybe not anyone’s.. But maybe yours. But that means you wanna dissect me!” Spirit exclaimed, his bottom lip sticking out more and further than ever.

“Why, of course it does, my dear,” he shot the weapon a sarcastically adoring smirk.

“You’re so mean…”

“If I’m so mean, then why did I just tuck you into bed like a kid?”

“To dissect me.”

Stein sighed, laughing a little in response. “I don’t even have any of my scalpels or utensils, in general, with me at the moment. You needn’t worry,” the meister perched himself upon the very edge of the fairly empty king-sized bed, right up against Spirit’s legs. “Now, before you inevitably fall asleep, do you need to vomit?”

“Don’ think so…”

“Okay, well, make sure to stay on your side unless you want to die of asphyxiation tonight,” Stein gently patted his former weapon on his calves.

“Asphyxiation?” He slurred in his drunken state.

“Do you want to gargle and choke on your vomit, Spirit?”

“Ew, no!” Spirit yelled out, grimacing.

“There you go.”

Stein lifted himself from his position on the bed, taking strides toward the bedroom door, his hands resting in their habitual and almost designated area; his lab coat pockets.

“Wait!” Albarn exclaimed, his hands zooming out from underneath the warmth of his plush comforter, making grabby gestures at Stein.

“What is it, Spirit?”

“I’m not sure if I ever told you this, but.. I like your voice. It’s calm.. Well, most of the time. Can you read to me?” He averted his gaze from Stein’s, humiliated, ashamed, and tense with trepidation.

“Aw, the baby wants me to read him to sleep?” Franken Stein teased, stepping closer and closer to the flushed weapon.

“Sh- shut up, Stein. Just- please?” He stared up at him longingly. Stein found it almost cute.

“Sure. Is there anything specific you would like me to read?”

Spirit retrieved the book on his nightstand, handing it to the meister, of whom had once again sat himself directly beside his legs.

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, hm? I hadn’t known that you enjoyed such literature,” Stein examined the detailed cover, looking over each and every speck of the book with his typical inquisition.

“I used to read it to my little Maka all the time,” his voice shuddered as his tear glands somehow managed to secrete even more salty liquid.

“Now, now, no more crying, Spirit. Your eyes are already all red and swollen. At this point, I’d figure that it would be painful to cry,” he thumbed at the older male’s under-eyes and cheeks, attempting to dry the moistness. “Are you sure you’ll be able to handle me reading this? Perhaps you shouldn’t have it on your nightstand anymore if it upsets you so much.”

“No, no! I can handle it, I swear. Please, Stein. That’s the book I want,” Spirit blinked whatever teardrops that were left in his eyes away, rolling them upward and into the back of his head.

“All right, then,” Stein patiently agreed, acting as the sturdy force, the glue currently holding Spirit together. “Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it,`and what is the use of a book,' thought Alice`without pictures or conversation?'”

Spirit’s eyelids slowly fluttered shut as Stein continued to read from the first chapter, though one last tear did managed to slip from his eyes as he fell down the abyssal rabbit-hole that was sleep, allowing each soothing, yet stirring hand to drag him down into the land of dreams.

“…In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a very deep well,” Franken ceased his reading, peering over at his weapon.

‘That was quick. So, he still looks just as peaceful when he sleeps as he did all those years ago,’ Stein thought to himself, a mischievous and nostalgic smile decorating his face as he reminisced on each incision that he had left scattered all over Spirit’s body.

He quietly shut the book, placing it back onto the nightstand with a hushed “plop.” Steadily, Stein stood from the bed, and step by step, he took strides towards the door once more.

“Good night, Spirit,” Franken muttered underneath his breath, sparing a quick and curious glance back at the weapon.

[not-souleaterpost]

Maybe anti-Maka's mom propoganda will gain more traction

[crowsyart]

I’ve always headcanoned that Kami (Maka’s mother) and Marie were meister weapon partners before Kami switched to spirit and there’s lots and lots of fun feelings floating around between all of them