side story: dinner
(right after tea)
The Akuma waitstaff was bustling about, and Lavi was quickly shoved out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea. Their tea just wasn’t as good as what he could make but he just had to settle with what they gave him for now. It was the first time he’d ever been invited to one of the dinners. Normally he sat by himself in the tea room or the library, pouring over books, or ventured about town to listen to the newest rumors about the black coated Exorcists.
Sighing, the redhead made his way into the dining room and took a seat near the foot of the table. His plan was to simply sit back and observe everyone, if it were just more than him and the Earl. Lavi truly didn’t know what to expect, but he knew there had to be some form of information that he’d gather here and now.
“Ho~, another family dinner.”
Lavi looked up. It was the cheating poker player, Tyki, dressed in a formal suit, his wavy hair pulled back half and half, and someone hanging on his shoulders.
“Oh Tyki! It’s not that bad!” Rhode exclaimed, hanging on him, finally peeking her head out from behind his back. “Sennen-ko always has the best food! Huh?” she looked up. “It’s the Bookman.”
“It is,” Tyki agreed, wiggling Rhode off his shoulders.
“What’re you doing here, Bookman?” Rhode questioned, leaning on the table. It was then that Lavi saw Rhode, too, was a Noah, the crown of thorns easy to see below her short bangs. Her golden eyes focused on him with a glint of deviousness. She looked like she was up to trouble.
“The fuck’s he doin’ here?” The words resounded loudly, interrupting Lavi before he could even speak. It was the twins he’d met before. They didn’t seem too friendly, pointing their guns at him while he simply read on the couch.
Their appearance was even more bizarre now that Lavi was able to see them both from the front instead of just their guns. They sure were a pair, with their unusual pants and shirts. They also were pointing their guns at one another. Strange Noah they were.
“Jasdebi! You made it!” Rhode shouted excitedly at the pair.
“Only because we fucking had to,” the black-haired one frowned.
“Yeah!” the blonde echoed.
Lavi stared. Tyki leaned against the table. “That’s Jasdero, the other’s Debitt,” Tyki explained, pointing each of them out to him. “This is normal for them,” he added with a sigh.
Tyki seemed so cultured. These two were opposite. New people entering the room grabbed Lavi’s attention quickly. All of them had the grayed skin, the crown of thorns, and the golden eyes. They were all Noah. He’d seen one of them, the man currently fawning over Rhode, but the others he hadn’t. There were more Noah than he’d thought.
The Earl soon came in, skipping and humming a tune. It was the same tune Rhode had hummed when Lavi first arrived. There had to be some sort of meaning to it. The Earl sure was a strange fellow. He looked kind of like a giant ball with a top hat, somehow staying up straight. He was almost a caricature of a human Earl. “Dinner time~♥”
Most of the Noah seemed to simply pick a spot, Tyki next to Lavi, and Rhode next to him. Cyril sat across the table from Rhode, and the other two he hadn’t seen before sat on the other side of Lavi. Jasdero and Debitt didn’t seem to move but instead whine.
“Sit down~♥” the Earl commanded threateningly, though his face seemed to tell another story. Lavi’s stomach turned upside down. There was something incredibly creepy about how he threatened those two. And the two seemed to respond in the same manner, slinking over to the table and pouting.
“Good~” the Earl grinned calmly, though Lavi’s stomach was still twisted in a knot. “I want everyone to meet our resident Bookman, Lavi~♥.”
Lavi offered a friendly smile.
“No fucking way,” Debitt leaned over the table. “You’re a Bookman?”
Lavi nodded, “Sure am.” He wasn’t just some human in the Noah’s household or a Noah. He nearly stared, however, when he saw what was for dinner. He’d never eaten something so lavish before. Being as he traveled almost constantly, he generally ate whatever he could get his hands on. That usually involved whatever they caught, found, or were given.
“How old are you, Lavi?” Rhode leaned curiously over Tyki, who simply reached through her to get some food.
Lavi nearly missed the question, watching Tyki intently. Did he really just see that or was that some sort of illusion? Lavi wanted to know everything, but it was as the Earl said, in time. Lavi reasoned he needed to gain their trust first. Perhaps a little rare information about himself would help the process along. “I’m 15,” he replied.
“So young~!” Cyril exclaimed, rather surprised. “The same age as my darling Rhode~”
“I’m not really 15, papa,” Rhode pouted at Cyril. “I’m still the oldest Noah here!”
“So cute~~~” Cyril fawned over her pouting.
Lavi propped his chin on his hand and simply stared for a moment. “No way.” He just couldn’t see it. He figured Rhode to be the youngest, about his own age even, given her appearance and mannerisms, reasoning Tyki or Cyril to be the oldest. But that wasn’t the case at all. Was it all an act?
“It’s true, Lavi~” she leaned on Tyki. He seemed so tolerant of her. “Maybe one day you’ll see the real me.” She held a finger to her lips.
There was more to these Noah than Lavi had ever imagined. He had to gain their trust somehow and learn as much as he could about them. They were all so different than any Bookman could have ever imagined. They each had their own personalities and separate abilities. They all also had the ability to take on a human form and a Noah form. But it was Rhode and the Earl who had him most interested. They weren’t as they appeared to be. None of them were.
Who were the Noah really?
The Akuma waitstaff was bustling about, and Lavi was quickly shoved out of the kitchen with a fresh cup of tea. Their tea just wasn’t as good as what he could make but he just had to settle with what they gave him for now. It was the first time he’d ever been invited to one of the dinners. Normally he sat by himself in the tea room or the library, pouring over books, or ventured about town to listen to the newest rumors about the black coated Exorcists.
Sighing, the redhead made his way into the dining room and took a seat near the foot of the table. His plan was to simply sit back and observe everyone, if it were just more than him and the Earl. Lavi truly didn’t know what to expect, but he knew there had to be some form of information that he’d gather here and now.
“Ho~, another family dinner.”
Lavi looked up. It was the cheating poker player, Tyki, dressed in a formal suit, his wavy hair pulled back half and half, and someone hanging on his shoulders.
“Oh Tyki! It’s not that bad!” Rhode exclaimed, hanging on him, finally peeking her head out from behind his back. “Sennen-ko always has the best food! Huh?” she looked up. “It’s the Bookman.”
“It is,” Tyki agreed, wiggling Rhode off his shoulders.
“What’re you doing here, Bookman?” Rhode questioned, leaning on the table. It was then that Lavi saw Rhode, too, was a Noah, the crown of thorns easy to see below her short bangs. Her golden eyes focused on him with a glint of deviousness. She looked like she was up to trouble.
“The fuck’s he doin’ here?” The words resounded loudly, interrupting Lavi before he could even speak. It was the twins he’d met before. They didn’t seem too friendly, pointing their guns at him while he simply read on the couch.
Their appearance was even more bizarre now that Lavi was able to see them both from the front instead of just their guns. They sure were a pair, with their unusual pants and shirts. They also were pointing their guns at one another. Strange Noah they were.
“Jasdebi! You made it!” Rhode shouted excitedly at the pair.
“Only because we fucking had to,” the black-haired one frowned.
“Yeah!” the blonde echoed.
Lavi stared. Tyki leaned against the table. “That’s Jasdero, the other’s Debitt,” Tyki explained, pointing each of them out to him. “This is normal for them,” he added with a sigh.
Tyki seemed so cultured. These two were opposite. New people entering the room grabbed Lavi’s attention quickly. All of them had the grayed skin, the crown of thorns, and the golden eyes. They were all Noah. He’d seen one of them, the man currently fawning over Rhode, but the others he hadn’t. There were more Noah than he’d thought.
The Earl soon came in, skipping and humming a tune. It was the same tune Rhode had hummed when Lavi first arrived. There had to be some sort of meaning to it. The Earl sure was a strange fellow. He looked kind of like a giant ball with a top hat, somehow staying up straight. He was almost a caricature of a human Earl. “Dinner time~♥”
Most of the Noah seemed to simply pick a spot, Tyki next to Lavi, and Rhode next to him. Cyril sat across the table from Rhode, and the other two he hadn’t seen before sat on the other side of Lavi. Jasdero and Debitt didn’t seem to move but instead whine.
“Sit down~♥” the Earl commanded threateningly, though his face seemed to tell another story. Lavi’s stomach turned upside down. There was something incredibly creepy about how he threatened those two. And the two seemed to respond in the same manner, slinking over to the table and pouting.
“Good~” the Earl grinned calmly, though Lavi’s stomach was still twisted in a knot. “I want everyone to meet our resident Bookman, Lavi~♥.”
Lavi offered a friendly smile.
“No fucking way,” Debitt leaned over the table. “You’re a Bookman?”
Lavi nodded, “Sure am.” He wasn’t just some human in the Noah’s household or a Noah. He nearly stared, however, when he saw what was for dinner. He’d never eaten something so lavish before. Being as he traveled almost constantly, he generally ate whatever he could get his hands on. That usually involved whatever they caught, found, or were given.
“How old are you, Lavi?” Rhode leaned curiously over Tyki, who simply reached through her to get some food.
Lavi nearly missed the question, watching Tyki intently. Did he really just see that or was that some sort of illusion? Lavi wanted to know everything, but it was as the Earl said, in time. Lavi reasoned he needed to gain their trust first. Perhaps a little rare information about himself would help the process along. “I’m 15,” he replied.
“So young~!” Cyril exclaimed, rather surprised. “The same age as my darling Rhode~”
“I’m not really 15, papa,” Rhode pouted at Cyril. “I’m still the oldest Noah here!”
“So cute~~~” Cyril fawned over her pouting.
Lavi propped his chin on his hand and simply stared for a moment. “No way.” He just couldn’t see it. He figured Rhode to be the youngest, about his own age even, given her appearance and mannerisms, reasoning Tyki or Cyril to be the oldest. But that wasn’t the case at all. Was it all an act?
“It’s true, Lavi~” she leaned on Tyki. He seemed so tolerant of her. “Maybe one day you’ll see the real me.” She held a finger to her lips.
There was more to these Noah than Lavi had ever imagined. He had to gain their trust somehow and learn as much as he could about them. They were all so different than any Bookman could have ever imagined. They each had their own personalities and separate abilities. They all also had the ability to take on a human form and a Noah form. But it was Rhode and the Earl who had him most interested. They weren’t as they appeared to be. None of them were.
Who were the Noah really?