SATAN SLASH

That’d come as a shock to Levi later on, that his comrade was basically raising the son of Satan, and moreso the fact that he’s giving that child a piggyback! Shadows of movement seemed to catch his attention, and he lightly sped up his pace of walking. Whatever it was, he had no business dealing with it until afterwards…But something made his scales stand on end. Perhaps his protectiveness was an instinct deep down he hadn’t really thought about since… Since he died. Someone so important in Levi’s life, that he’d felt so incomplete without him. 

It took a few minutes of walking, but as soon as there seemed to be a stall in sight, a few figures emerged between them. One looked wholly human to the young boy. Dark hair and very piercing eyes, sure, assuming Rin could see from that distance. What Levi saw, however, was clouds of Coal Tar. The other figures were in the shape of hounds. Rotting, large hounds. Levi stopped briefly, worrying about what Ghouls look like to someone without a taint… His pace still kept even after a moment, but now he was steering clear of the other. Surely, there’d be no reason to attack as long as he kept a low profile, right? It’s not as though he dressed similar to an exorcist… “Alright. We’ll try to get you some food as soon as we can.” He tried to gently add. Whomever that demon was, they were searching about.

                 Rin was, for the moment, unaware of what was happening around him, it was not as if he could really see it yet, they were just people moving around doing their own thing to the young boy, so he paid them little mind, even the one who seemed to be looking for something. However, something deep down told Rin that something was wrong, perhaps he was picking up on Levi’s uneasiness. He hunched down a bit to try and stand out a little less than he was, because he seemed to be the only child out and now he was a little nervous of the small group around them.

Very Fortunate, though Rin’s disposition towards Shiro and Levi’s line of work as a teen (assuming of course he didn’t share it now) would be a little agitating and ironic. Still, the male continued on walking along the darkened streets, careful to avoid any particularly infested Coal Tar area. He was tall, and while his lungs did heal from breathing in the creatures, he knew they would slowly rot a human’s lungs. As far as Levi knew, this was an average human child and not actually the Prince of Gehenna. Since, for all intensive purposes, he was a demon prince. 

“That’s alright Rin. I’ll get you some yakitori on the way back. And we’ll keep it just a little secret if Father Fujimoto happens to send you to bed without food. I dunno how strict he’s been nowadays with you guys.” He left it open ended for the little one to comment. Just a few more steps, he quietly told himself, then he would be free to get Rin out of danger. In truth, that’s what the piggy back ride was for. Longer legs means more ground to cover. 

                    Rin settles in for the piggy back, it’d been a long day for him and he was still young so he was understandably tired, even for a halfling, not that he knew that yet. He was watching the scenery as they walked, just checking things out that he normally couldn’t see because of his height, still listening to Levi as he spoke to him. It was a little odd that he felt safe with a complete stranger, but Levi had not given him any reason to think he’d do him harm and the fact he knew Shiro helped settle the idea of that.

As long as Rin grew healthily and didn’t stretch his joints too much in growing, then all should be okay with being tall! Levi, unable to see much of Rin between the clumps of hair he owned, and anatomy in general, kept an eye out while he walked. They were still in the Red Zone for this Colony of Goblins. While Goblins normally weren’t malicious…They were lower level demons. Usually lower level meant that something higher on the food chain could control them. There was also collectives of Coal Tars too in clumps of dark corners. Almost an unusual amount of them. Either way, Levi knew that, unless the demons had young, they shouldn’t bother them. Made him leery, nonetheless… 

When Rin spoke up, Levi could almost hear the gurgle in Rin’s stomach when the realization of hunger came to him. Granted it was only a little bit after sundown… Surely there was some food stalls open, once they had traversed out of the Vatican’s designated Danger Area. Levi deemed then, with turning his head forth, that he would at least get some food in Rin’s belly. Shiro used to be a hardass, and did worry he’d send Rin to bed with no dinner. Granted the little one already felt bad about what he’d done, surely treating him to at least a stick or two of yakitori wouldn’t spoil dinner either if they had saved him some food. It’s not like he had Shiro’s number to call or anything… “Well then. How do you feel about yakitori?” He asked, smiling and tilting his head just subtly so Rin could pick up on Genuinity, just in case he couldn’t read the tone. “I’m sure I could get you some food since it would be a pretty long walk without eating.” 

                  It was....fortunate that along with his demonic nature, that Rin’s ability to see demons was sealed away, unlike Yukio, though he was very much still a half demon, that little fact was unknown to him, he didn’t believe in monsters anyway, it would do him no good now to see any goblins or coal tars flying around, still, Shiro had told him a few times that he should be inside before it gets dark, or at the very least on the grounds of the monastery, to keep the creeps, human or otherwise from getting him. he old man made no effort to hide just how terrible the world could be sometimes, whilst stilling doing his best to make sure that Rin and Yukio had as normal of a childhood as they could.

Indeed! Levi wasn’t too into testing the little one’s strength if he could avoid it. He was rather…Lucky to have run into Levi. A few of the exorcists were, due to their strict training regiments and nevermind the bullshit that happened with Section 13, a little adverse to kindness. He and Shiro both, cut from similar cloths… Ah well. Good he glamored himself to look different, or the kid would wonder why Shiro had a similar twin walking about. Thank Kami for Demons, this one guesses.

“Ah, well…” Levi started, attempting to figure out how to best approach the fact that Rin had run off. “It’s nice to meet you, Rin. And I’m sure Shiro is more worried at you running off than whatever you ran off for in the first place.” Given that it was so late, he wondered if the entire Monastery would be hunting for the little Okumura and if he’d have to wait. Ah. Well helping a kid would be an easy ticket out of a mission…Especially if this one was one of Shiro’s. Levi would have to ask the Old Timer if he’d turned the Monastery into an Orphanage. To Rin asking the question, Levi nodded, and turned his back for the little halfling while squatting as low as he could, and assumed the position with his arms…Just in case Rin hooked his legs there instead of his shoulders. For some reason, Levi felt like Rin would plop right on his shoulders with his legs. The ‘invisible tail’ subtly moved so Rin wouldn’t accidentally tromp on it, scrambling up his back. “Just hold on tight. I’m taller than Father Fujimoto, so I don’t want you to be falling.” 

                  Rin was sure he’d get lectured about running off, though it was hardly the first time he’d been more than a handful to the old man, Shiro was still his father figure, even if he made it clear that he wasn’t their father, that he and Yukio were orphans being raised in the Monastery after their mother unfortunately died. Little did he know he’d learn later in his life why she died. The old man always skirted around the issue when the boys asked, making up a much happier story than the truth. They were far too young to know.

Levi listened with interest, watching the little one fluff up like a threatened kitten. He had to strain from smiling at the display due to the fact that it was, well… Cute. Though what he couldn’t hide was the gleam of realization to Shiro’s name. Was this the little boy Shiro was talking about making an exorcist? He felt the scales on his tail ripple softly inside of his coat, as if prickling at the sudden thought of sending a kid to fight goblins at an early age–! Wait. This one didn’t have glasses. He was certain the tiny exorcist wore them, despite not meeting the young Yukio. 

“You’re quite a way from Shiro–I mean, Father Fujimoto.” Came the casual slip, thus showing Rin he could trust in him to a degree when he stated the following. “I can get you back home to Father Fujimoto. I’m Levi by the way. Just Levi. I…Don’t really have a last name. Was an…Orphan, y’see.” Well, not really an orphan per se, but it was true. He technically had no parents. His hand moved to scratch one of his great sideburns, left eye closing while he watched Rin. Who was this kid? “I’m pretty tall, do you want to ride on my shoulders or are you okay with walking?” Must’ve ran a distance or something… Levi figured he’d been wandering for awhile. 

                  Rin was kind of used to people smiling and patting his head when he puffed up like he did, despite that he still tried to act bigger than he was, he was a surprising amount of strength in a small package. Even with his demonic side sealed away. He perked up a bit when he realized the other knew Shiro, at least they knew the man, probably still a little too trusting right then, considering this man was a total stranger to him. He huffs his hair out of his face, he didn’t like getting it cut.

The tall, tan male turned his head, blue eyes observing the little one before him. Something was off about this kiddo…But considering Levi stood around the same height as Shiro, he chalked it up to the fact that kids normally find him intimidating. Maybe it was the teal man bun and facial hair?

Shrugging, he knelt down to Rin’s height, smiling kindly to the little, albeit undiscovered, halfling. “Hey there, Kid. You lost or somethin’? It’s a bit late for you to be away from your family.” He kept his tone calm and even, as to keep Rin from not panicking. In truth, he was on an assignment to look into a nearby nest of demons. It was in his best interest help the lost one out, lest they end up with a child with who could see demons. Even if goblins were little terrors that should be easy for someone his rank, protecting a kid from your own lightning would make things…complicated. And probably emotionally traumatizing. 

                    Rin puffed up a little in order to try and hide his nerves. People tended to judge him based on the fact he had a little bit of a temper problem, prone to acting before he thought things through, even if he’d feel bad about it later when he’d calmed down, like that time he broke Shiro’s ribs, he still felt bad about that. He looks up at this...stranger carefully for a long moment until he’d knelt down in front of him and Rin didn’t have to strain his neck to see him.

"Hey Little One" - Your choice whether it's Levi (an Exorcist) or an AU Summer!

Send “Hey, little one” for a starter where my muse is a child, wandering lost and alone