Chapter Text
The morning sun cast long shadows across the courtyard of Death Weapon Meister Academy, its rays filtering through the gothic spires that reached toward the sky like gnarled fingers. You stood at the edge of the training grounds, watching other weapon-meister pairs practice their synchronized attacks with an all-too-familiar knot in your stomach. Another day, another failed partnership attempt.
"Alright, settle down, you lot," came the authoritative voice of Professor Dorian as he emerged from the main building. Despite being a guillotine in his weapon form, his humanoid appearance at DWMA was surprisingly commanding – tall, broad-shouldered, with an aura that demanded respect. His presence seemed to fill doorways even when he wasn't literally one, maybe his alt form should have been. "We've got some partnership adjustments to make today."
You glanced over at your best friend Cam, who was leaning against the academy's outer wall with his usual scowl. Even in his weapon form as a shield, his personality had always been unmistakable, but here at DWMA, his human appearance somehow made his grumpiness even more pronounced. Dark hair fell across his eyes, and his arms were crossed defensively over his chest as he watched the other students with barely concealed disdain.
"Another thrilling day of watching people fail to appreciate our obvious superiority," Cam muttered as you approached him.
"Speak for yourself," you replied with a dry laugh. "At least you're not the weapon everyone's afraid to touch because you might burn their hands off."
"Fair point." Cam's expression softened slightly – about as much as it ever did. "Though I'd argue that being a weapon no one wants to wield because they think you're 'too aggressive' isn't much better."
You and Cam had bonded over your shared experiences of being difficult to partner. While your soul wavelengths were completely different – yours crackling with an energy that most meisters found overwhelming, and his radiating a protective intensity that made people uncomfortable – your personalities meshed perfectly. You were both blunt, sarcastic, and had little patience for superficial pleasantries. More importantly, you understood each other's frustrations with the partnership system.
"Speaking of partnerships," you said, nodding toward the training area where Skips sat alone on a bench, staring at his hands. The emo guitarist looked even more dejected than usual, his dark hair covering most of his face. "Looks like our resident rockstar is having another rough morning."
Cam followed your gaze and his scowl deepened. "Yeah, well, Benji switching meisters was bound to mess with his head. Can't say I'm surprised – most weapons around here are more concerned with prestige than loyalty."
You winced. Skips had been partnered with Benji for almost two years, and everyone had assumed they were perfectly matched. Benji was talented, ambitious, and had been climbing the ranks quickly as a scythe weapon. But last week, Benji had requested a transfer to work with one of the top students in the advanced class, leaving Skips behind without much explanation. The official reason was "seeking optimal resonance for maximum growth potential," but everyone knew it was about status.
"Alright, listen up!" Professor Dorian's voice boomed across the courtyard, immediately commanding everyone's attention. "As you're all aware, we've had some recent changes in partnerships that need addressing. Skips, front and center."
Skips looked up reluctantly, his shoulders hunched as he made his way to where Dorian stood. You could see the tension in his posture, the way his fingers fidgeted with the hem of his jacket. Losing Benji had clearly shaken his confidence.
"Now then," Dorian continued, his tone business-like but not unkind, "we need to find you a new weapon partner. As it happens, we have someone who's been having similar difficulties." His eyes found yours across the courtyard. "You. Over here."
Your stomach dropped, but not entirely from nervousness. Another public pairing attempt meant another chance to potentially embarrass yourself in front of Skips – and you'd been harboring feelings for him for months now. But you forced yourself to walk over, ignoring both the whispers from other students and Cam's knowing look from across the courtyard.
"Professor," you started, but Dorian held up a hand.
"I know what you're going to say. You've tried partnering with twelve different meisters in the past six months, and none of them have been able to handle your soul wavelength. But hear me out." He gestured between you and Skips. "Sometimes the most unexpected partnerships work precisely because they're unexpected."
Skips looked up at you with curiosity rather than the apprehension you'd grown accustomed to seeing from potential partners. His eyes were a deep brown almost black, and despite his emo aesthetic, there was something genuinely kind in his expression.
"I mean, I'm willing to try," Skips said quietly. "Can't be worse than having no partner at all, right?"
You appreciated that he didn't pretend enthusiasm he didn't feel, or make empty promises about how "this time would be different." His honesty was refreshing.
"What's the worst that could happen?" you replied with a shrug. "You drop me, I revert to human form, we both feel awkward, and then we never have to talk about it again."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Skips' mouth. "That's... actually kind of reassuring. Low expectations."
"Exactly. I'm all about low expectations these days."
Professor Dorian stepped back to give you space. "Alright then. Standard procedure – soul resonance first, then we'll see if you can manage a basic transformation."
You took a deep breath and began the familiar process of opening your soul to synchronization. Your wavelength felt wild and crackling as always, like electricity looking for somewhere to ground itself. You'd grown used to the moment when potential partners would flinch away, overwhelmed by the intensity.
But Skips didn't flinch.
His soul wavelength reached out tentatively, and instead of being repelled by yours, it seemed to... absorb it somehow. Like your electricity had found not just a conductor, but a complementary frequency that could handle and channel your energy without being damaged by it.
"Whoa," Skips breathed, his eyes widening. "That's... that's actually really cool. It's like..." He paused, searching for words. "Like feedback from an amp, but in a good way. Musical."
You stared at him in amazement. "You can actually feel it properly? Not just getting overwhelmed?"
"Are you kidding? This is amazing. It's like having a guitar that's perfectly tuned to match your voice." His enthusiasm was building, and you could feel his soul wavelength strengthening, becoming more confident. "Can we try the transformation?"
For the first time in months, you felt genuinely excited about a partnership attempt. "Let's do it."
You concentrated on your weapon form, feeling the familiar shift as your human body dissolved into energy and reformed. But instead of the usual jarring, incomplete transformation you experienced with incompatible meisters, this felt smooth, natural.
When the light faded, you found yourself as a sleek, modern weapon in Skips' hands – your form reflecting both his musical aesthetic and your own personality. You were a guitar-axe hybrid, with a sharp, crescent-shaped blade forming the body of the guitar while maintaining all the functionality of a musical instrument. The neck served as the handle, and the strings hummed with an energy that could cut through both sound and flesh.
"Holy shit," Skips whispered, and you could feel his amazement through your connection. "This feels... right. Like, really right."
"Language, Mr. Shadley," Professor Dorian said, but his tone was pleased rather than scolding. "Though I have to admit, this is quite impressive. The resonance between you two is remarkably stable for a first attempt."
From your position as a weapon, you could sense everything Skips was feeling – his relief at finding a partner who could work with him, his excitement about your combined potential, and underneath it all, a deep-seated fear that this too might not last. That Benji's abandonment had left him questioning his worth as a meister.
*Hey,* you communicated through your soul connection, *for what it's worth, Benji's an idiot for giving this up. This feels incredible.*
You felt Skips' surprise at the mental communication, followed by a wave of gratitude. *Really? You're not just saying that?*
*Do I seem like the type to spare people's feelings?*
His mental laugh was warm and genuine. *Fair point. You and Cam are definitely not the sugarcoating types.*
*Speaking of Cam,* you said, sensing your best friend's approach before you saw him.
"Well, would you look at that," Cam said, his voice carrying its usual sarcasm but with an undertone of genuine approval. "The reject weapon actually found someone who's not completely incompetent."
"Cam," you warned, even though you knew he meant it as a compliment in his own twisted way.
"What? I'm being nice. For me, that's practically a love declaration." Cam moved to stand beside Professor Dorian, his critical eye assessing the way Skips held you. "Though I have to admit, you two look... functional together."
Skips carefully shifted you back to human form, and you materialized standing beside him, both of you slightly breathless from the intensity of the connection.
"That was..." you started.
"Insane," Skips finished. "In the best possible way."
Professor Dorian nodded approvingly. "Excellent work, both of you. I want you to spend the rest of this week practicing basic resonance and transformation exercises. We'll work up to combat applications once you've mastered the fundamentals."
As the other students began to disperse for their next classes, you found yourself walking alongside Skips toward the main building, with Cam trailing slightly behind you both.
"So," Skips said, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "want to grab lunch later? I mean, if we're going to be partners, we should probably get to know each other outside of the whole weapons-and-souls thing."
"Sure," you replied, surprised by how easy it felt to agree. "Fair warning though – Cam comes as part of the package. We're kind of a matched set."
"The grumpy one and the explosive one," Cam added dryly. "We're like a two-for-one deal, except both items are defective."
Skips actually laughed – a real laugh, not the polite chuckle you'd heard him give other students. "Honestly? That sounds perfect. I'm pretty defective myself these days."
"Great," you said with a grin. "A trio of rejects. This should be interesting."
As you walked through the corridors of DWMA, you caught sight of Benji in the distance, practicing with their new meister partner. The scythe weapon moved with fluid precision, but for just a moment, you saw Skips' expression darken, his steps faltering slightly.
"Their loss," you said, not bothering to hide the fact that you'd noticed his reaction.
"Yeah?" His voice was so uncertain.
"Definitely. Anyone who gives up a partner without even trying to work through problems isn't worth keeping around anyway."
Cam, who had been eavesdropping on your conversation with the awareness that came from years of friendship, snorted. "Plus, Benji's new partner is a pretentious ass. I give it three weeks before they realize they made a mistake."
"Cam," you and Skips said simultaneously, then looked at each other in surprise.
"What? I'm just saying. Some people don't appreciate what they have until it's gone." Cam's expression was uncharacteristically serious for a moment. "Benji's going to figure out eventually that skill isn't everything if your partner doesn't actually give a damn about you as a person."
You felt a surge of affection for your best friend. Underneath all his grumbling and sarcasm, Cam was fiercely loyal to the people he cared about. He'd been watching you struggle with partnership after partnership for months, and you knew it had frustrated him almost as much as it had frustrated you. He'd also been dealing with your increasingly obvious crush on Skips with remarkable patience, considering how much he usually complained about 'mushy emotional garbage.'
"Thanks, Cam," you said quietly.
"Yeah, well, don't get used to me being all touchy-feely. I've got a reputation to maintain." But his scowl was softer than usual, and you caught the small smile he was trying to hide.
The three of you made your way to the cafeteria, and for the first time since starting at DWMA, you felt like you might actually belong somewhere. You had a partner who could handle your intensity, a best friend who understood your personality, and the possibility of actually succeeding at this whole weapon-meister thing.
It wasn't going to be easy – you could already sense that Skips had his own issues to work through, and you knew your own tendency toward bluntness and impatience would probably cause problems along the way. But for the first time in a long time, you felt hopeful.
"So," Skips said as you found a table in the cafeteria, "tell me about this whole 'similar personality' thing you and Cam have going on. Should I be prepared for twice the sarcasm?"
"Oh, you sweet summer child," Cam said, settling into his chair with a wicked grin. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."
You laughed, feeling lighter than you had in months. Maybe this partnership thing was going to work out after all.
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End of Chapter 1