10 Father and Daughter
Kaya drummed her fingers along the cold steel railings. Cold rain met concrete as she walked under her umbrella. Chilling winds whipped in the air as tree branches snapped under the pressure. Thunder lit up the sky in false daylight with horrific booms.
"And he wonders why I don't go outside," Kaya said blandly as she walked along the sidewalk.
It's been a week since Kaya was adopted. She stays inside of an apartment located on the edge of Vatican City, Rome with Dulio. Dulio gave a notice to the church about how he adopted a child and would need a break from his duties for a while.
Not wanting to potentially upset one of the strongest exorcists, they gave him all the time he needed and would only be called back incase of emergency or it was a urgent message from an angel.
Kaya walked down the barren streets as she stopped by a familiar convenience store. Recognizing the name she internally cringed. Sighing she quickly walked away from the store she bought her ,now lost, ghost plushie at.
When she first wasn't both physically injured, or too emotional, she immediately set her sights on her lost ghost plush. And she was manic. The only reason she didn't rush out to find it during her stay at the hospital was due to the physical therapy, though most of the damage was fixed using her excess magic reserves. Dulio had to constantly cook food to distract her or watch severely long movies to prevent her from escaping to find it.
After that day even bringing up the plush was officially taboo.
"You're fine, you're fine, you're fine, you are okay." Kaya whispered to herself in order to repel the anxiety welling in her heart. Once she the store was no longer in eyesight she sighed. "I'll find it one of these days.. magic can do wonders after all," she said with a hollow chuckle.
'I miss it already. Raine.'
Without even noticing it, she walked 5 blocks and made it towards the entrance to the apartment building. It was a decent looking building with clearly aged marble pillars and limestone walls. Dulio made the wise choice, as much as he disliked it but ultimately accepted, to not choose a building with religious markings carved into every nook and cranny. Although not as painful as speaking of about it, it still stung a bit if she stared too long.
It was about five stories tall and had good living conditions, hence their decision in living there.
Walking inside nonchalantly as she closed her absolutely soaked umbrella, Kaya walked up a set of stairs until she arrived to the 2nd floor. Standing in front of the doorway she walked in before setting her still wet umbrella into a container.
Kaya flopped onto the couch as she wrapped herself in the blanket she may or may not have stolen from the hotel.. possibly. She couldn't hear Dulio in the two bedroom apartment so she made an executive decision to take a nap.
As she began to slip into unconsciousness the front door opened revealing a disheveled Dulio with parts of his shirt torn. He walked into his room before changing out of his soaked clothes into a t-shirt and sweatpants and sat on the couch.
Kaya and Dulio's eyes met as they both collectively agreed. "There's a new episode of Angels on Earth." Dulio liked it because well... angels. Kaya liked to watch Dulio make a fool of himself as he pauses the show to explain how angels don't actually act the way the do in the show. Win-win.
...
Griselda was 𝐧𝐨𝐭 happy. In fact you could say she was quite un-happy. First her potential blue-haired student is lackluster in her efforts during training. Second a fellow exorcist, Dulio Gesualdo, walks into the Vatican, drops off a notice saying he adopted a child, and then leaves with no other information other than to only contact him if he is required for a mission.
Griselda rubbed the bridge of her nose as she felt like her hair was beginning to gray as she read the note on her desk. Michael himself gave the blessing to raise the child, stating 'It was Father's Will'. Griselda immediately stopped planning on dissuading Dulio from taking care of the child.
Gripping her pen tight enough for it to snap under the pressure she yelled, "XENOVIA! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!"
After hearing a few panicked screams and the faint 'We'll remember your sacrifice,' from a couple exorcists that heard Griselda yell. A 13 year old blue haired girl, a year older than Kaya, walked into the office with a nervous expression and her holy sword Durandal on her waist.
"Y-Yes Sister Griselda?" Xenovia stammered nervously.
"You're going to Dulio's apartment. Although even Lord Michael approved Dulio's decision, I need you to make sure he's doing a good job at it. This is a one-time thing, go check on the 'adopted' child in question and ask if he or she is being taken care of. He's an irresponsible ass who leaves at the mere thought of food so you must understand my apprehension of letting him raise a child." She ranted slightly towards the end as she handed the 'Dulio Location Beacon' to Xenovia.
The 'Dulio Location Beacon' was made by a group of angels whom deemed it necessary to have a locator for the exorcist incase they need to contact him while he is on a food-fueled road trip.
"Y-Yes S-sister!" Xenovia said as she still was panicked from her mentors yell. Promptly walking -running- out of the office, she followed the directions the beacon was giving her.
...
Xenovia walked down the streets as water from the now finished storm drained into the sewer. The bottom of her exorcist attire slightly dragged upon the wet concrete causing her to expel a small amount of magic to make it dry again.
After a short period Xenovia stood outside of the apartment building the person she was looking for was living in. She felt a few odd glances from tourists due to her exorcist clothing, which was a long golden robe with religious depictions of angels.
Stepping inside she walked up the stairway before standing in front of Room 11 where the beacon indicated Dulio was located. As she was about to knock on the door she felt a devil's energy right next to Dulio's holy energy.
Thinking that the devil was an enemy, she barged into the room with Durandal in her hands as she swung at the devils head. Curiously, the devil seemed to unconsciously lean away from the strike.
Expecting the devil's head to be separated from her shoulders, she smirked victoriously. Or at least she did until Dulio deflected the sword with his finger with an absolutely murderous expression.
Xenovia shivered at the sight as she remembered all the times Dulio treated the exorcist-trainees kindly. Thinking that he was being controlled, she swung another attack at the devil with red eyes.
Dulio once again stopped the sword, instead this time with a magic coated hand. "Xenovia.. you have 10 seconds to explain why you are here before I do something I will regret but am currently to angry to care." Dulio said with a large amount of anger in his words
"Move out of the way! Can't you see that devil is corrupting you!?" She said as she pointed a finger at the blanket cocoon with Kaya's head popping out.
Dulio's expression turned absolutely furious, "Please, explain why my daughter would be.. 'corrupting me'?" Kaya let out a cute smile when she heard 'daughter.'
Ignoring the completely enamored ghost watching from the window, the exorcist and exorcist-in-training continued their heated conversation.
"W-wha? Daughter? A devil?" Xenovia said in utter confusion.
Dulio began to speak before Kaya stopped him, "Why did you interrupt our showtime?" Kaya said as she was peeved at having the show interrupted but not almost being murdered.
Xenovia blatantly ignored her as she focused on Dulio. "Sister Griselda ordered me-" she was about to finish before she was cut off.
Dulio's hand cackled with electricity, "Kaya, pause the show." He said as he motioned to the still playing TV. "Did she order you to kill my daughter?"
Xenovia scoffed, "So that's the devil's name? Sadly no, she ordered me to see if you did a good job playing house."
Dulio clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood, "Xenovia. I frankly don't care enough about your mission right now. Leave my house, don't come back. Tell Griselda that if she has a problem with me adopting a devil as my child that she will have to take it up with me. And if I ever.. 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 find you trying to hurt my daughter again..." He paused, "You will regret it. I can always.. persuade Michael into taking Durandal from you if you show such.. despicable behavior again. It is unbecoming of an exorcist in training."
Dulio pushed the teenage girl towards the door, "The only reason you aren't being reprimanded further currently is since you are still a child. Children make mistakes. Just don't make this one again." Dulio, even when enraged, still gave advice.
Dulio shoved Xenovia out of the door before slamming it closed. Dulio's furious expression quickly dissipated as he smiled kindly at the observing blanket devil.
"So. Angels on Earth?" Dulio asked with a smile as he hopped back onto the couch.
"Yup" Kaya said while popping the P.
...
Raine was feeling murderous.
The only thing keeping her happy about the interaction was when Kaya smiled. The absolute sheer bliss she felt upon seeing her beloved bless the world with her glorious smile was immeasurable.
However that.. bitch had the sheer audacity to attack 𝐡𝐞𝐫 Kaya like that? Twice? If she was in the room with Kaya that blue-haired girl would already be smoldering ash. Along with the rusty, dull sword she carries around.
'Stuck watching and watching. When will those three hags let me comfort you?' Raine thought in frustration as she nervously floated in circles.
Raine floated around looking for an outlet before a mental lightbulb appeared above her head. She turned invisible as she looked down at the angry Xenovia walking down the streets towards the Vatican Church.
"Hehehe. Payback payback!" She chanted happily as she tailed the blue-haired girl.
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Concept Progress:
Fire: (Expert)
Earth: (Master)
Water: (Expert)
Wind: (Basic)
Shadows (Canis Lykaon): (Master)
Fate: (Basic)
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Items: Blanket of Endless Warmth
Stalker: Raine
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Sacred Gear Progress:
Canis Lykaon Telumkinesis: (Half-Expert)
Balance Breaker: (Locked)
Further abilities unknown.
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Devil Progress:
Devil Energy Reserves: Peak Mid-Class
All-Seeing Eye/Eyes of Providence: Half-Awakened
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(A/N: Honestly don't really like Xenovia that much. Her personality at first is 'Make baby with Issei,' and be as blunt as a truck. She's alright later on I guess.)
