Teito Souhma's Story

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A clock was ticking quietly as it set among the wall, each second being counted by no one, as the two student who resided in the large room where this clock ticked were quite busy with their own work to pay attention to the time. Teito sat at one of the desks, a large window behind him illuminating the room so that no electricity was needed. Though it was clear now that the light was slightly and ever so slowly beginning to dim as the hour grew later. Normally the room was much more boisterous, full of conversation and laughing despite the work the students were usually swamped with. This was the student council room, however the only one's present now were Teito and a boy named Matsuri, the 1st year representative. Where could the res of the council have gone? To attend the special "event" that happened every day around this time.

Teito rose from his desk and let out a relieved sigh, a smile of accomplishment on his face. "Finished with this set!", he said happily before pulling the stack of papers together and tapping them on the desk to straighten them.

"We'd get this done a lot faster if we didn't have fan girls for council members." Matsuri let out a large breath and slumped over his desk, not caring that the pen he was using fell and rolled across the floor. Teito gave a small shrug at his friend's complaint. "There's no helping it. I'm sure they're just excited about the ball coming up." Teito walked around his desk and picked up the dropped pen as Matsuri spoke again.

"That's exactly why they should be here instead! How do they expect just the two of us to set everything up?!"

"Actually, I'm sorry about this but I really have to get going. If I don't leave soon I'm not--"

"Yeah, yeah. Leave me alone to wallow in self-pity. Don't worry, Pres, I know you have other work to do." The 1st year student sat up, taking the pen from Teito's hand, and waved his own to show that he accepted the older boys apology.

"Right thank you and I really am sorry. If you could just finish that part--" His eyes, currently a silvery color, moved to the clock above the doorway for just a second and he suddenly looked worried. "Is it that time already?! Ah, I'm sorry!" For the third time he apologized, feeling guilty about having to leave his friend behind. He didn't have much of choice in the matter though, as his job as a Prefect often overlapped with his Student Council duties. The upcoming ball would certainly have him on his toes.

He picked up his school bag and pulled the strap of a larger case, one that contained his weapon, over his left shoulder and quickly made for the door. "Please do your best to get that bit finished before curfew!", he said to Matsuri before hurrying out the door and rushing down a set of stairs. The gates to the Moon dorms would be opening very soon. Teito might be a fast runner but chances were he would be late.

It took him a couple minutes to get from the Sun dorms to the bridge, having had to stop for a second to pull the band that labeled him as a Prefect over his sleeve and pin it in place. As he reached the end of the bridge he down, spotting the other two Prefects who looked to have arrived a short while ago. It seems the gates had only just opened as well. "In the nick of time!"

He came to a slow stop in front of the other two students, taking a small second to catch his breath before perking up and giving them a bright and somewhat apologetic smile. "Looks like I'm just in time! Sorry I'm a little late, Xavier, Sera-san." He turned his head to each of them as he said their names, then moved his attention to the now open gates of the Moon dorm. "Looks like a messier crowd than usual. We should get to work now so we can have a path cleared for the Night students when the door opens."

He looked back and forth from Xavier to Seraphine, blinking in curiosity. "I didn't butt into anything, did I?"

Bong, bong, bong. The persistent grandfather clock began it's duty to wake up the inhabitants of the Moon Dormitory. Within the darkness of a room, a pair of azure blue eyes cracked open. A tired sigh escaped from the individual as she reluctantly removed herself from the mass of silken sheets and blankets. Mornings, the dreaded challenge every high school student was forced to go through. To this inhabitant of the Moon Dormitory it was no different. In two quick strides, the girl made her way to the curtains. A swift motion with her arm and light washed away the darkness, revealing the room to be quite spacious and very large. At the far end of the room, a cherrywood door opened and the dorm's maid appeared.

"Akane Delacroix, it's time to wake up. Hurry or you'll be late." She said flatly. Akane slowly turned her head to the door and nodded. Across the room, the dorm maid smiled and bowed slightly before leaving as quickly as she appeared. It was like being visited by a ghost."I wonder, shall I try and escape today?" The girl mused and placed a porcelain hand on the window. From here, she witnessed the numerous female students rushing to crowd the entrance of the Moon Dormitory. She pressed her mouth into a tight line. This was the norm at this academy. The Night Class was a show to these girls and their obsession for some of the students was unnerving. "The Disciplinary Committee will really have trouble tonight..." By now the crowd had begun to get out of hand. Akane turned away from the chaotic scene and decided that she would be ditching today. An avid memory of the Headmaster Cross deciding upon having a Spring Ball as the next event furthered her motivation to leave. Her irritation at this crazy scheme appeared on her face in the form of a scowl. The Night Class had enough problems already. If anything got out of hand it fell on the Purebloods' shoulders.

"Well time to get ready...." She said with a sigh. Getting dressed took a mere few seconds with the help of vampiric abilities. However, the ribbon was a bit stifling and she tossed it aside. She left the first buttons on her shirt and jacket were open. As usual she let her hair untouched as always. She hated the idea of looking presentable. It was too much if a hassle in the morning in her opinion. At the back of her throat a sudden itchiness halted her usual routine. That's what I get for not taking last night's dose. She mentally scolded herself. Her fangs unsheathed themselves in anticipation as she made her way to the desk by the window.

From a small drawer, she fished out a plain bottle and unscrewed the cap. Inside were white tablets the size of the dime and she dumped a handful of these into her palm. In one gulp they disappeared and the itchiness dulled. "That's disgusting." She mumbled to herself and pulled out two bars of chocolate from another drawer. One was devoured in a few bites, the other for a snack later. Finally, she slipped on a pair of knee high black socks and a pair of black combat boots before finally heading out the door. Time to conqueror the day, or at least survive.

What greeted her outside her room were a few admirers from the Night class. She received the usual good mornings and bows with a nod, not really paying any attention. The Pureblood status was huge irritation. Everyone wanted your favor, your attention, and your labor. She mentally cursed the Council and it's stupid punishment.

Nearing the entrance to the moon dorm, a crowd of students had already formed around the door when she reached it. "Let's go! One...two....three!" A cheerful voice said. One of the more enthusiastic students was leading the charge. Whoever had the courage to do such a task had her undying thanks. Usually the Purebloods would be leading the class and today, or any other day, she wasn't looking forward to doing that.

Slowly students filed their way out of the door, suddenly picking up speed because of something. "Wait a go, Kazoku." Someone by the window smirked. In curiosity, Akane looked outside as well. Somehow one of the prefects managed to make the Day class retreat to their dorms. "Heh, good job indeed." She glanced back at the stream of students filing out quickly and moved to a position near the end of the crowd. There the excited whispers of wonder reached her ears. Her face remained calm, inside she was imaging bashing the students in the back of the head with something nearby.

What greeted the Night class outside was silence. It was peaceful. She had to thank the Prefects for at least this. With room to actually breath, everyone began breaking into their little groups and chatter began. Gaggles of girls were debating on who they would ask to the Spring Ball, a few on test scores spouted, a conversation on family, and all of which could be gathered under the general topic of gossip. The boys were laughing amongst themselves and were having similar conversations. She refrained from joining any of the groups. All she would receive was a shower a compliments she hoped to avoid.

However, as the group passed the prefects the conversations became more hushed. A few of the students even shot death glares. Despite the fact that they provided safety between the two classes there was a radiating aura of dislike for them. Even so, she could understand their job was difficult and she didn't feel any particular animosity towards them. "Oh Sera, just to let you know, we'll be having to let a handful of students closer to the night class students." The statement cause her eyebrow to twitch. On second thought, maybe the Prefects did deserve their hatred. Today wasn't going to be pleasant at all. KYYAAAAAAAA~!!!!!! Someone please shut them up.

Yukina Shiro had been locked in her room all day, while the other Night Class students slept. She did what she always did when she was bored, besides sleeping. In front of her was what looked like a tree, about a meter tall, and completely frozen. She extended her left arm out, formed a tiny, delicate snowflake on the tip of her finger, and added it to the tree. The tree's back was made ouf of ice, it's insides made out of ice, the branches, the twigs, all made out of ice. If one observed closely, they'd see extreme detail and the care to attention that had been taken in making this tree. Detail wise, it looked like a real, natural tree. Each piece of bark was it's own separate tiny and detailed scale. The branches jutted out from the top, some thick, some thin, eventually getting thinner near the ends, with smaller branches and then smaller twigs all jutting out from the branches. Some twigs were broken, some branches were broken or looked like they had been eaten through or rotted away. Little by little, she had placed a single snowflake on each branch again and again, then on each snowflake another, again and again. Until eventually there was thousands of snowflakes acting as leaves. On the floor around the tree, was ice-bark, ice-twigs, tiny blades of grass made out of ice, and leaves out of snow. Each and every detail had been carefully taken care of and added by her hand.

It has been a project she had started when she came to Cross Academy three years ago. Of course, with her ice powers, she could make another tree in minutes, but it wouldn't have as much detail and it wouldn't mean as much. She spent years on this tree, putting her time, attention and care into it.

Tick...tick...tick... She picked her head up. Subconsciously she had been counting the seconds since she started making the tree. Seven thousand one hundred fifty five seconds. She was half a minute from having worked on it for two hours. She stood up, then and looked around her room. The air in her room was always kept below freezing, but her room was insulated so the extreme temperatures in there wouldn't affect the rest of the Moon Dorm. She yawned. Her curtains had been permanently frozen shut with such thick packed ice that little light would go into her room. It was almost pitch black save for the dull blue glow of the sunlight refracting through the ice, making her room glow faintly.

Thump-thump-thump. Someone had knocked on her door. The knocks sounded dulled, muffled, as the sound had a slightly harder time traveling through the thick air in her room. She understood. There was only a few precious minutes until the Moon Dorm's Gates opened, and her and the rest of the Night Class left the dorms and crossed over to the main academy building. She went over to her bed and put on her black hemmed white Night Class uniform, then she crossed the room and opened her door to the main hallway. The outside room temperature air blasted into her room like a furnace. She quickly shut the door behind her and sighed. Yukina pulled a mint lollipop out of her pocket, froze it through, then started sucking on it to keep her mouth cool.

Tick...tick...tick... bonnng. The clock said, signaling the next hour. She walked out of the dormitories, and outside with the rest of the Night Class, keeping the air around her cool with her powers. When the gates opened and the shouting started, she toned out everyone. She ignored Nemaeus's rage, after all he was always annoyed. She went oblivious to Mikari's flirting, the Perfect's struggling and Ciel's lateness. She walked with a bored expression in her eyes, seeing everything in front of her but not acknowledging it all.

"It's Kirei-chan! She's so tiny and cute!" "Kirei-chan, Kirei-chan!" "Shiro." She said quickly but sharply, snapping to attention and to annoyance. She sighed quickly, a sharp exhale of breath, and looked to the other Night Class students. Some enjoyed the attention, others ignored it, and others were peeved at it. She looked ahead again, waiting anxiously for the moment when they had passed all of the Day Class students. Sometimes she was in the mood to be playful, other times she was a bit of a stalker. At this moment, she was quiet and annoyed.

Xavier could tell he was in trouble or at the very least, the stage just before the in trouble started; a silent Sera was similar to a shark swimming up to you, it may not make any sounds but it's intentions were still the same. Fortunately for him, his luck was still holding out as the always energetic Teito came into play, taking the heat off the nervous prefect for a split second. "Hey my little Teito-chan, how's student president life treating you today?" He chuckled out loud, giving the smaller boy a friendly nudge in the ribs with his elbow, his cheerfulness was short lived when the female vampire hunter focused once more on himself. "It would seem you have made a deal with the Day Class. How delightful, you have a knack for negotiations, Xavier-san." Despite a brief brow twitch and muttering himself to cram the honorific up some a certain hole, the boy was for a lost of words, he wasn't to sure whether to take the comment at face value or if the more senior prefect was simply being sarcastic but before he was able to make a desision Sera was off in a moment, her duties coming into play.

With a soft sigh he walked over to a group of students, mainly girls, who were calling his name. "So you're the ones who want to take me up on my offer then? He asked casually, the group wasn't as large as he had expected but non the less he had no dout they would be loud enough with the front row seats they had secured. The response he got was the usual array of screams, yes' and wide eyed gawping; so he took them closer than the usual boundary that they were allowed making sure his formidable mass was always between them and what would be the night classes location. "Now listen you lot, I'm possibly going to get chewed out a second time this day for you lot being this close so would you ple-" The rest of his sentence was drowned out as the small group behind him and a sudden rush of bodies against his back and raised arms almost knocked him off his feet.

After quickly regaining his balance he noticed the source of the sudden ferocity of his fellow day students; Namaeus, he had picked the one group which was devoted to the only vampire that despised his fanbase more than he did authority, the latter trait also being shared by the now struggling prefect. Whilst his muscles strained against the constant pressure of the students behind him, he tried his best to give a relaxed smile to the now approaching rule breaker, he didn't want it to come off strained since he genuinely liked the vampire's attitude towards rules and even had turned a blind eye to some of his more harmless rebellions whether Nemaeus knew it or not. Once the prowling figure had reached him and his ever so loyal fans, the ferocity of theirs struggles to reach him, doubled, having to snag a few arms before they could grab what ever they could of the night class student Xavier had more than his hand full.

With his ears almost screaming back at the painfully loud calls and screams of the students behind him, he almost never heard the rebel casually ask. "Anyone like vampires?" Despite such a small remark what had already been a constant strain against his body became tenfold, he was beginning to lose ground as he slowly was pushed further and further into the general direction of the night class. With the damage done, Xavier watched as Nemaeus walked away and with the thought of resisting the struggling students, at least if I'm trampled to death it saves me from being killed by Sera, one of the more smaller girls from a lower year managed to slip under his aching arms. "Come back, Nemaus-chan! She screamed immediately bringing her to the prefects attention, if she hadn't have shouted after the vampire she would have made it to him without the struggling boy even realising what was going on but her otaku nature was hers and the night student's little plan undoing.

Without letting pressure go with his stance against the restricted students, the prefect snatched out his right arm and by the width of a hair was able to snatch the fabric of her jacket which gave him the leverage to not only pull her back but swing the girls petite body onto his shoulders. The girl squealed and thrashed out with her arms and legs for a moment before giving up in defeat, a sigh of relief escaped his lips, it had been a close call and definitely would have caused harm to the boy's authority if he hadn't dealtt with it as soon as he did. "Curfew is in session for the Day Class. Whatever my fellow prefect promised beforehand is null and void due to your inappropriate behavior and lack of decorum." At the sound of Seras voiced raised, Xavier turned his head to look at the girl. "At the count of three, if you are still here. The Spring Ball shall be cancelled." And without prompt the senior prefect started to count down and never before in his life had Xavier seen a group of people move with such speed and purpose, he stared at the rushing mass for a moment before he felt the girl he was currently restraining struggle against his grip.

"Jōkū-san you're going to get the ball cancelled!" The girl cried, prompting him to place her to the ground gently before she sprang after her classmates. He looked around to see if there was any stragglers who had decided to try and lurk about until they could spring on their favourite student but besides from the prefects and the night class the place was deserted, he caught the eye of the pure-blood Akane Delacroix and gave her a friendly smile and a small wave only taking his attention away when Sera approached him. "I appreciate your initiative. That's a good sign." She beamed at the taller student, allowing himself to revert back into his usual relax self he was completely off guard when a sudden pain in his ear forced hi down to his superiors height. "But remind me not to put you in any future negotiations." She released him with the same smile she had been giving before the rather unnecessary punishment. "At least it limited the damage, instead of at least fifteen nut jobs trying to upset our special students it was just the handful!" He stated casually, hoping the joke wouldn't go to waste.

When Teito was with them, Sera started to speak again but the tallest of the prefects attention drifted to the vampires, he scanned them one by one out of casual curiosity more than duty, he had come to recognise all of them and even had spoke to some, not exactly the type of conversation he had with his fellow humans since the glares did get tiring after a while but non the less it was better than nothing. After his gaze fell on Akane again, his dull blue orbs shifted their sight lower to the floor and spotted the other pure-blood Ciel Rin, the "grown child" as some of the more malicious day students called him. Hehehe look how small and cute he is. He chuckled to himself, temporarily forgetting that the little earl was rumoured to be able to read minds, his attention returned back to his group as Miss Prefect finished her sentence, oblivious to what she had said and with a familiar growl emitting from his stomach. "Anyone else want me to cook something up for a quick bite before anything?"

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Teito had taken up his usual spot near the entrance, careful to be sure that there was plenty of room for the Night class students who were now making their way out of the dorm building. The Day class students who had gather around had started off quieter than usual. However, as anyone would expect, the silence didn't last very long and the voices of girls and some boys erupted into mixed shouts as the rest of the Night students left the building, it getting especially loud as the popular Nemaeus made his appearance.

Despite the boisterous crowd and screaming girls, Teito never seemed to have any real problems keeping the crowd back. The Day class students that he stood in front of just didn't look like they were prepared to go shoving into him as they did his fellow prefects. Harsh words were rarely thrown his way, and he even had a couple of students ask him if he was planning to take anyone to the ball, which he declined in a most apologetic manner. With his job as a prefect and his duty as council president he just wouldn't have the time to enjoy the ball himself.

The Night students had nearly cleared the area, and with a loud whistle from Seraphine she grabbed the attention of the crowd.

"Go back to your dorms immediately, if not I have been given full authority by the Headmaster to cancel the Spring Ball and all events afterwards as I see fit."

"That's Sera for you." Teito gave the girl a small smile, though his eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she shouted more orders.

"At the count of three, if you are still here. The Spring Ball shall be cancelled."

The students quickly rushed away from the Moon dorm gates, fearful of Seraphine's threat. Of course the head master would never cancel anything like that, but Sera sure made it sound convincing.

Teito continued to watch the Day students as they left, just to keep an eye out for anyone who might try to sneak off in the direction of the Night students, or perhaps hide behind the dorm. When he was assured that they had all done as they were told, he made his way over to the other prefects just as Sera released Xavier's eyes from a death grip.

"This must be a busy week for you. Don't stress yourself too much."

Teito shrugged his shoulders, readjusting the strap of his weapon case as he did so. "I've just got a little extra work to do is all. It's no trouble."

"Xavier-san, you and Teito-san would be patrolling together. Like as always, gentlemen."

"Roger that!", he said cheerfully, giving the girl a playful salute, but dropping it slowly as he heard a quiet grumbling noise that seemed to have come from Xavier. Teito couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the sound, though he did his best not to be to loud.

"Anyone else want me to cook something up for a quick bite before anything?" One could tell that the taller boy hadn't heard what Seraphine had said. Come to think of it, Teito hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and that only consisted of a bag of potato chips that weren't very filling. He was too busy to actually get lunch from the cafeteria.

"Maybe it would be best to eat something. It's not healthy to work on an empty stomach and--" Teito raised his free hand and placed it on his stomach. "I haven't really eaten much today." His other hand was still holding his school bag. He'd run right over from the student council room, not having time to leave his bag in his room or get a quick snack. "Let's not take too much time with that though, okay?"

The screams were deafening from both sides! Akane stole a quick glance at the crowd to her right and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. They were definitely closer than usual. Just a few more inches and their outstretched hands would be able to touch the Night class. Wait....that means they could possibly grab someone, right? A small smile spread across her face. She wondered if the prefects would be able to catch her after this little idea.

However, her devious thoughts were interrupted by the approach of her fellow Pureblood. "Good evening, Ciel." She said in an even voice. She had seen him at a few parties in the past and now went to the same school, but they were only acquaintances and only worked together through a form of mutual agreement. Nothing more nothing less. The idea of friendship was something she found interesting, yet she didn't bother with it. In her mind friendship went like this; you pick someone you like and you do stuff with them. It was very fascinating watching the process. But, it wasn't something she would attempt anytime soon.

Suddenly, the already unbearable screams increased in volume and ferocity with the chant of one vampire's name. To Akane that meant only one thing. "Nemaeus has appeared." She mumbled under her breath. He was one of the few vampires the Council has specifically warned to keep in line. Unfortunately for them, she had no intention of carrying out what she asked. Though she did try to keep the Night Class in line. Her train of thought was quickly severed when the shadow of a towering student in the Day Class student approached her. He was out of breath from fighting the crowd by the looks of it and the fact he had her attention wasn't helping. His breath only grew more ragged when she looked him in the eyes. "May I help you? It wasn't a question at all and she was dreading what the student would ask her.

"Please go with me to the Spring ball! The student managed to croak. A polite smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, formed on her lips. "No thank you. I don't care for balls." She said softly. Disappointment appeared on his face and he quickly retreated into the vicious crowd. With that she started walking again, not a damn was given about the heart she just crushed. Ciel was probably tottering after her so she slowed down her pace only slightly. Then....CIEL-SAMA!!!! RIN-CHAN!!! PLEASE GO WITH ME TO THE BALL!!!! The oppressive aura given off by the female fans nearly knocked her off her feet. The urge to make a dash for the door was very tempting, but before she could decide on such a thing, one girl had managed to get past the outstretched prefect's arms and make a quick grab for Ciel.

There it was. Her opportunity to slip away off this prison of inappropriate behavior and broken toys. Just before the girl's hands could get a grip on Ciel, Akane quickly shoved him out of the way. "Sorry, I promise to do half the paperwork for this favor. She whispered to him before getting dragged into the sea of doom. The mass of bodies started pressing, squishing, and smashing her as soon as she entered. How the prefects managed to keep such a monstrous power back was unthinkable. It was like some form of torture. Despite the forceful jostling Akane managed to get a hand free and produce a piece of paper from her jacket pocket. With a bit of concentration, a drawing sprung off the paper and came to life. It was a body double of herself and on closer inspection it was easy to tell it wasn't her. However, right now wasn't the time to think about that. Then, she kicked the body double out of the crowd to where Ciel was hopefully waiting. In a mere few seconds all of this had unfolded.

The plan was going as expected and though she wasn't fond of breaking rules, she couldn't stop now. Punishments would be issued if she were caught and the head prefect wasn't going to make them pleasant whatsoever. As if on queue, Miss Prefect spoke about canceling the Spring Ball and the vicious mass of students began to clear out before Roseau reached the count of one. With that crowd Akane took her leave as well. She quickly detached herself from the girls on the way to the Sun Dorm and with a vampiric burst of speed ran towards the gates of Cross Academy. She didn't feel any regret about this and the thought of thought of leaving Ciel to deal with the Night Class himself was quite amusing. No one could catch her now.

Well no one but the Night time gatekeeper. Hopefully the gatekeepers hadn't changed shifts yet and she paused briefly at the gatekeeper's window. "Ryugen, are you there?" Silence. She frowned and discovered the compartment was empty. That was rather foolish to not have anyone watching over the gates. Well that wasn't her problem that the school was now unguarded. She then turned her attention to the task at hand. With a graceful leap she made it over the gates and went on her merry way to the town ahead. The feeling of having escaped her cage for the time led to humming a very mirthful tune.

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Meanwhile, the drawing of Akane had reached the steps of the main building to only explode in a spray of black ink. Whoever was standing by it at the time would be very unfortunate.

Ciel strode alongside to Akane, regarding her closely. The air around her was different today… was she planning something? But of course, she almost always was every day, thinking of new ways to escape the school. In fact, he would be quite surprised if she turned up to any of the lessons on time at all. He gave a quiet sigh as he toyed with the idea of going into her mind for a little peek, to find out exactly how she was planning to sneak out, but decided against it. It took a considerably large amount of will power to enter a fellow vampire’s mind, and he would need that for later, just in case. After all, it was hard to say if she would get offended by that, and he tried not to get onto anyone’s bad side for now.

Just as they were about to exit the crowd, the ear piercing screams seemed to kick up another notch. Ciel winced slightly as the crowd started screaming, chanting and asking to go to the spring ball all at one time. His mind came to the immediate conclusion. Nemaeus. He was one of the more rebellious of students, always getting into the prefects way and making life difficult for them. What was he up to this time? He watched, slightly amused as he flirted with the girls, causing them to act even more crazily, if that was even possible for them to.

He watched on as the prefect, Xavier struggled with the frenzied students, feeling a twinge of disappointment as the prefect managed to subdue them, before being distracted by the screams of the day class students. Ignore them, ignore them he repeated over and over again in his head, shutting his eyes with irritation as if to keep the noise out. He just needed to get out of the crowd and go to class. Perhaps he could get Akane to go on time for once, but he doubted it. Just as he was wondering if he should bribe her with chocolate, he felt a push as he was shoved, causing him to stumble forward. “Wah-“ He was just about to protest to whoever pushed him when he heard Akane’s whisper. Sorry, I promise to do half the paperwork for this favor. Before he could react, she had already disappeared into the mass of bodies in the crowd.

Heaving a sigh, he quickly regained his balance and pushed through the crowd, waiting for her outside, safe from those crazy humans. Soon enough, he saw her, or what was supposed to be her come outside the crowd. However, his sharp eyes soon spotted the crude lines and some markings on her usually unblemished skin. Although it was, in his opinion, much to easy to spot out, he couldn’t help but admire the older vampire a bit for her power. That will be extremely handy in times like those, without actually exposing her identity. Still, first things first. He grabbed the body double and steadied her balance. “Well, off you go then, Akane no. 2, classes are starting.” He spoke to the double as if it really was her, faking the fact that it was not. Though he didn’t really enjoy being an accomplice, it will be quite interesting to see the students reel in shock as Akane exploded, and as a bonus, he could use some help with the paperwork. He doubted that she would try to promise him something that rash again after she saw what he had to deal with. It was worth taking care of the night class until she comes back at least, and he could always say that he didn’t notice that it was a fake.

Walking away from her leisurely, he walked slightly closer to the prefects curiously, his eyes flickering in red as he trying to probe Seraphine’s mind again. No luck. For some reason, her mind was totally closed off to him, and she was one of the only people he could not get access to. How was a matter he could not comprehend. In the process, he unintentionally heard Xavier’s thoughts as his mind wandered off. Slightly irked, he shot a glare in his direction, while giving them a mock bow “Glad to see you’re all doing your jobs so well, miss prefect. It could be considered a miracle that none of the night students were injured by you subordinate’s brilliant plans.” He intoned slowly, giving them a sweet smile. “And yes, Xavier, even a small, cute child could come up with a better plan than yours,” he added before turning on his heels and following the rest of the night class inside for classes. They are his temporary responsibility after all, no matter how annoying they are.

As Xavier expected, Seraphine declined, he hadn't put much hope into the girl accepting but he was determined to make her like him at least on a friendship case even if he had the feeling she didn't think too highly of him as a prefect; Teito on the other hand accepted his proposal saying he too was hungry. "Let's not take too much time with that though, okay?" The slacker grinned widely, he wasn't planning on abusing this free time he was given but he had no intentions to not take full advantage of it and with his grin turning into a sly smirk, he gave the smaller boy a gentle nudge in the ribs with his elbow. "Sure, what ever you say, Teito" He turned back to the senior prefect, she was getting ready to leave for her duties. "You two, go ahead and grab something to eat. I’ll handle things here for a while." He nodded as a thanks, in truth he promised to himself that he was going to make it up to her and do something nice for her since she always sorted out what ever problems he landed himself into.

Standing out of her way, the prefect was about to let his senior pass when another figure joined their trio. The figure as it turned out to be was none other than the pure-blood Ciel or the Little Earl as many were fond of calling him, the same vampire he was thinking about just a moment ago. “Glad to see you’re all doing your jobs so well, miss prefect. It could be considered a miracle that none of the night students were injured by you subordinate’s brilliant plans.” The vampire addressed this to Sera but Xavier couldn't help but to notice the poorly hidden sarcasm and annoyance hid behind a smile that seemed like a sickly dessert to the boy, yeah right, if the day class students really could harm one of you lot then I wouldn't have had a chance in hell of joining this school, he thought casually whilst the female prefect replied to the response giving an equally condescending sentence. “And yes, Xavier, even a small, cute child could come up with a better plan than yours,” The diminutive vampire added as he began to walk away to which the prefect merely smiled and gave a small wave but mentally gave him the finger and thought 'out loud', well next time you're on one of your little play dates with such children, let me know and I'll ask them for some ideas.

Also if you ever speak like that to anyone of us like that again, I'll personally place you on the naughty step so you can have a time out, okay, Kiddo? He added casually just as he had the previous thought. Once the rather small confrontation had removed itself, Seraphine began to head off to her duties, "Well, I’ll catch up with you two later. Don’t take too long. Keep him focus, Teito-san." He waved off the girl as she walked away and once she was out of sight, he turned to Teito and smiled. "Well off to my lair it seems." He chirped cheerfully before grabbing the smaller boy around the midriff and half guided, half hauled him towards his dormitory to which they made it to in no time with no distractions to take them of course. Once at their destination, Xavier realised his grip from his partners small frame and opened the door, standing to the side to let his guest though before coming in after him and closed the door shut, "Well make yourself at home. He stated as he marched towards the small kitchen he asked the headmaster to install when he arrived, throwing off his jacket as he did so.

He immediately started to rummage through the fridge that faced the doorway and after several moment produced three boxes of half a dozen eggs each, three blocks of cheese, an onion and a box of mushrooms. He set these down on the kitchen counter by the oven and placed a pan on the hob with one hand whilst turning it on with the oven; he grabbed a small bowl from a cupboard, cracked a few eggs so their runny treasures poured into the bowl and immediately started to whisk them with a fork. "I hope an omelette's all right for you?" He asked pouring the now combined eggs into the now heated pan."Since I'm not allowed the time to make us something proper like an English Breakfast."

It didn't take long for him to produce their meals along with two cups of tea, one large omelette for Teito and three large ones for himself; he handed over the small boys meal, with a fork and knife, taking a seat as he did so with his meal so tantalisingly close that it made his mouth water.The first one was gone in minutes his stomach groaning with delight as it began to devour something besides itself but he began to take his time with the second one savouring each bite of the slowly diminishing omelette, "Sera doesn't like me very much does she?" He asked suddenly facing the boy, eying him up as he did so but shook his head in the way. "Ah never mind, what about you, Teito, how's the council holding up? Need any help with it? He asked, the frown which had come over his face briefly disappearing into his usual casual smile. "And oh before I forget, has anyone asked you to the dance yet... He trailed off trying his best to look embarrassed, hoping he could make the boy fall for his bluff. "It's only just I.. I- know a couple of girls in my classes that have taken interest into you, so how about it, fancy dancing with an older woman?"He chuckled loudly.

---

---

"Keep him focus, Teito-san."

Teito gave the girl a small nod, acknowledging her words but not taking them in too serous of a manner. It was a shame she wouldn't be joining them for a quick dinner. After all Xavier was on amazing cook and it would be nice to spend time with them both, but at least one of them had to start patrolling. Besides, Seraphine seemed to take her duty as a Prefect quite seriously, something Teito found to be admittedly inspirational. Being a Prefect was never what he had planned to do, and if given the choice he'd most likely go back to just being a regular student. He wanted to enter Cross Academy for other reasons, though he wasn't entirely sure what those reasons were either..

"Well off to my lair it seems."

Teito blinked out of his thoughts at Xavier's voice, turning slightly as his smile returned to his lips, though a somewhat surprised expression crossed his face as the taller boy's arm was placed around Teito's waist. The surprised look changed back to it's original smile as the two of them practically shuffled their way to the sun dorm, Xavier only releasing him after they reached the Prefect's own dorm room.

"Well make yourself at home."

That's right. As it turns out this was actually his first time at Xavier's dorm. He made his way inside, stopping a few feet in to look around as the door closed behind him and Xavier headed towards the kitchen. Teito watched in awe as Xavier moved about, preparing the ingredients swiftly as if he'd done it a hundred times. It reminded Teito of the way his mother would prepare dinner as if she was a chef in a five star restaurant, even when making the simplest of meals.

"I hope an omelette's all right for you? Since I'm not allowed the time to make us something proper like an English Breakfast."

"I haven't had an omelet in a while actually!", he said with a hint of excitement in his voice as he sat town at the table. "As long as you're making it I could eat anything."

Come to think of it, he hadn't yet informed his parents of his new Prefect job. He called them when he first settled down in his dorm, but he rarely had any time since then. "I should talk to them soon..

Suddenly there was a plate set in front of him and Teito perked up, leaning in a little to take in the aroma for a moment before sitting up and thanking Xavier for the meal. He eagerly took his first few bites, mentally joking to himself that his mom had some competition.

"Sera doesn't like me very much does she?"

Stopping mid-bite, the fork in Teito's hand lowered slightly and his eyes moved up to look across the table at Xavier. He was a little confused at the sudden question, wondering why Xavier would ask such a thing. "You don't think she likes you?"

"Ah never mind, what about you, Teito, how's the council holding up? Need any help with it?"

"Uhm, well I've been really busy with the ball coming up." "He changed the subject."

"And oh before I forget, has anyone asked you to the dance yet..."

Teito took another bite of his food, though he seemed to prolong the chewing a little as Xavier continued, a way of procrastinating his answer. He had had a couple of girls in his class ask him, but he really wasn't the dancing type. Not to mention his council duties already had him busy on the night of the ball, though he still had to talk to the Headmaster about putting off his Prefect job that night.

"It's only just I.. I- know a couple of girls in my classes that have taken interest into you, so how about it, fancy dancing with an older woman?"

"Ah, I don't think I'd be a very good dance partner." He could feel his cheeks turn a light pink color as sheepishly scratched his cheek with a free finger. "Girls usually like taller guy too, right? I bet you've been asked by someone."

Finishing up his food, he stood up and took the last drink of tea left in his cup, though it had begun to go cold. "We should hurry up or Sera-san might show up and drag us out by our tails.", he said with a chuckle before rinsing his plate and placing it in the sink.

It only took a minute for the two of them to clean up and head downstairs, Teito stopping by his own dorm to drop off his school bag. Upon reaching the front doors though it was discovered that a storm had started to pour down, likely starting only a little while before the boys finished eating. Rain was never something that Teito was fond of. There was just something eerie about this type of weather, especially the way the stars would be covered by a blanket of darkness.

"I left my umbrella in the council room...and Matsuri borrowed my jacket..", he mumbled to himself. Though he could not see it himself, his eyes had now turned their light blue color. Anyone could say the rain was responsible for the color, which was likely the case this time. However even in the best of weather his eyes could change.

"Sorry, Xavier. I need to run to the council room, but I'll hurry back okay.", he said with an apologetic smile as he turned to the other Prefect. "By the way, I think Sera-san is hard on you because she cares about you, so you shouldn't worry." He then gave a small wave and left, falling into a quick jog but careful to watch his step so not to slip on any wet grass or mud. It wouldn't take him more than a few minutes to reach the classroom building, though his hair and clothes were already quite soaked room the heavy downpour. Hopefully the weather would discourage any vampires or day student from sneaking out.

“You know that was not what I actually wanted, right, Nem-kun?” He did not regard her in the slightest, simply continuing to move ahead. ”Do not concern yourself with the affairs of others. It is impolite, Mika-chan.” As they neared the classroom, Nemaeus suddenly made note of the lack of Pure-bloods within the crowd.

He continued to keep pace with Mikari in the throng of night-class students, but as soon as they entered the door, Nem made a low-profile change in direction, angling his body to continue with the flow, but also heading towards the exit at the back of the classroom. It did not take him long to simply exit as soon as he entered, and Nemaeus was soon padding along the halls until he slipped into one of the barren, day-class rooms.

Wandering silently over to the window, his fingers meddled with the latches before popping the pane open and slipping outside. He didn’t bother to close it behind him, and after gazing up at the darkening skies, he was even less compelled to do so- let the classroom get soaked in that little corner. It wasn’t his problem. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair before opening his eyes once more to stare out into the darkness. While the city beckoned to him like a siren’s song, Nemaeus refused to leave the gates of the academy for once, figuring he could make more trouble here. In fact, the windows weren’t that bad of an idea, and they all opened inwards. The storm that was coming looked like a nasty one, and figuring that the wind would be blowing harshly and angling the rain into the classrooms, Nem returned inside and quickly made work of opening all the unoccupied rooms’ windows.

By the time he had gotten half-way through them, which in all honesty didn’t take him long to do in the first place, the storm was upon the world, and raindrops beat harshly against anything they could touch. With a smirk, the noble vampire quickly finished the rest of the windows, slipping out the last one once more into the night. The rain pummeled harshly against his face and clothes, but he hardly cared. It was simply an irritation that could be ignored, though he did wish he had his jacket. That was another thing he humored the academy with- he stuck mostly to the dress code, though every time he went out he would just return to the Moon dorm and grab it before he left.

However, it was pointless now seeing as he was already soaked, and tracking water into his room was just something he didn’t wish to do. A bored look was displayed on his face as he wandered, his mind taking its leisurely time at concocting new ways to make the staff and prefects’ lives a living hell. As he turned the corner, his sight marred by the trees and bushes that clustered around the sidewalks, something firm smacked right into him.

Despite the speed that the thing had prior to running into him, Nemaeus only stumbled back a step. A dark look seeped into his eyes as he peered down at whatever had run into him. It was none other than the little Prefect, Teito. His eyes softened slightly, but only from the confusion of the moment, or so Nemaeus reasoned. Why the prefect was out in the rain without any cover was certainly strange, especially since the boy always seemed so well prepared.

"You're going to catch a cold, Teito-chan."

Standing outside in the rain Xavier thought back on what he and Teito had been discussing about. "Girls usually like taller guy too, right? I bet you've been asked by someone." He sighed to himself as the rain washed over him, drenching him to the bone; the school uniforms were useful at keeping out the cold or even being able to stay cool in the summer depending how one wore it but even with the jacket they were next to useless, but an umbrella couldn't hurt I suppose, he mused enjoying the sensation if the water rushing over and around him. He always found a downpour like the one tonight as refreshing, it cooled the air and brought a certain freshness back into it especially after a long dry spell but even so it was no use to merely stand around when he still had a job to do, so the prefect made his way around the Sun Dormitory, his pace a casual stroll as he made his way slowly.

As he circled the building, he scanned his surroundings lazily not believing that any of the day-class students would venture out into this weather even if the night-class were still on the prowl but he knew that Seraphine would punish him in some way if he made another mistake in the same day, a newbie to the whole vampire secret or not. As expected there wasn't a living soul out, not even the dedicated miss prefect herself, "By the way, I think Sera-san is hard on you because she cares about you, so you shouldn't worry." The thought popped up into his head as sudden as he dismissed it, "Yeah right, I don't think it's in her nature to care about anything but her duties." He said out loud and added. "But hell she is one hell of a worker." He mumbled, he didn't hold it against her he hardly held grudges against others but it was hard for him to work with someone who didn't show at least some interest outside of their job.

He was so deep in thought with the subject of Sera that he was completely oblivious to the open window until it was too late. Walking full speed, his face thudded with the surprisingly firm resistance of the hinged wood and glass waking him up from his concentration with another painful alarm. "Crap who left that opened?" He asked aloud, the fingers of his right hand coming up to the burning sensation of his lower lip, he prodded at the feeling and felt a stinging pain flare up as he did so. He held his fingers up and saw a faint speck of blood on the digits which was quickly washed off by the rain, damn busted my lip, he licked his lower lip and tasted the coppery tang of his ichor. He looked at the perpetrator at his injury and then began to see the larger picture, a large portion of the windows had been left open by someone, who? He couldn't say but all that he knew was that he'd have to sort the problem out by himself.

Not bothering with the doors that were halfway around the building, the drenched prefect vaulted through the window, not that it was graceful but no one was there to see this which he was grateful for. Once inside even though it was dark he could tell what the damage was, everything was soaked and even worst off than him, he grunted to himself as he thought of what he could do but gave up on anything more than turning the heaters on and closing the windows since there wasn't much he could do till the rooms were dry. He tried rolling up his sleeves but found out due to all the moisture they had soaked up they were unable to obtain their shape for long before falling down, he tried several times but with no avail so abandoned the idea and began to scrape up a pile of leaves that had managed to get themselves blown in all the while he hummed a tune to himself. After flinging out the leaves through the window he shut it tight and turned on the individual radiators and proceeded to repeat this for several other rooms.

After some time he was just finishing up the last of the rooms, having turned on the radiator before hand he was just closing the window when he noticed a lone figure walking in the rain, just when Inthought I was finished, with this thought he proceeded to vault once again through the window and into the rain, as he was just getting dried, making his way towards them. He was about to ask what they were doing out at a time like this and in this sort of weather when he heard, "Someone, give me a reason," come from their lips. "Sera?" The query sounded obscure in his head as he could tell who that voice belonged to no matter what but unlike the girl he had seen only hours before the person standing in front of him almost bared no resemblance to the proud and stoic prefect he knew.

What he could see was a defenceless and broken young woman and something inside of him clicked as he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her whilst also taking the umbrella off her, opening it up. "You're going to catch your death out here like this," he grabbed her hand gently and began to lead her toward the building, "Is everything alright? Where have you been? He questioned relentlessly, not giving the poor girl a chance as he opened a door leading into the main building for her. "Bloody hell, we need to get you dried off before you get sick." He was beginning to worry about his superior as he was unsure what to do, having never seen her in the state she was in but gave her a warm smile as the rain dripped off his frame, not wanting to seem as helpless as he felt. "So your place or mine? He joked trying to make light of the situation.

---

---

Drawing a deep breath from his cigarette and exhaling a cloud if smoke in return a man made his way towards Cross Academy, as the rain tried but failed to drench him, held back by the water proof leather of his clothing and hat; he walked with a confidence that came from years of experience and each step was carried out in a unusually methodical way. He passed the gate house giving the gatekeeper a slight nod and handed over a document which he pulled out from a satchel he was wearing only to be given it back after the other man had read what little it said, his eyes widening much to the disinterest of the stranger. After he had placed the document back into his satchel he began his unusual walk and headed over to the location of the headmaster, it took the tall man a few attempts to find the illusive Cross but eventually he found the frivolous character in a type of greenhouse filled with roses of all kind.

Unsmiling he gave the man a firm handshake and once agin produced the document again only with a letter stamped with the orders seal. "The Italian division of the order sent me over a few nights ago. They are beginning to doubt that the Japanese division motives and commitment to the cause so they sent me to monitor you and the school along with any activities of your sector." He shook his head, his hand coming up to sort out the eye patch that covered the remains of his left eye. "And also I'd like to make an enquiry on the progress of Xavier Kazoku."

---

---

As his uniform soaked in the water from the pouring rain, Teito's clothes became heavier around his body. Not that the weight was a problem, but it was a bit of a nuisances since the cloth seemed to sag just a little, making his uniform seem slightly too big for him. He kept up his fast jog, wanting to get to the council room as quickly as he could so he wouldn't leave Xavier waiting for too long. Forgetting something as simple as an umbrella shouldn't of been a problem for him, but he'd been in such a rush to get to the gates to help Seraphine and Xavier that evening that he even left without reminding his friend to return his jacket to him. Thinking of this, Teito couldn't help but let out a small sigh. He didn't want to complain, but between preparing for the ball and going about his prefect duties, it was amazing he found the time to sleep.

There was a small mud puddle only a few feet in front of him, something that pushed his thoughts away as he noticed it. Careful not to slip, he took a wide stride and made a small leap, placing his foot firmly on the other side. He would've kept going, but he came to a harsh stop as he felt himself ram into something. Stumbling backwards, he instinctively placed a foot behind him to secure his balance, however his foot ended up sinking into the puddle he'd just avoided. As if he wasn't soaked as it is, the shoe on his right food was now filled with muddy water that dripped off of his pant legs as he lifted the foot out of the puddle. Another sigh escaped him as he looked at his now muddy shoe, but his attention quickly turned to whatever it was he ran into as he heard a familiar voice.

"You're going to catch a cold, Teito-chan."

"So will you," was his immediate response, but he seemed to become more alert once he realized who it was that had unexpectedly blocked his path. "Nem-san...Ah! You're supposed to be in class!"

The male vampire seemed to be just as wet from the rain as Teito did, so he must've been outside for a little while already. It wasn't much of a surprise to see him out of class, even in this kind of weather. Sera had caught Nemaeus a few times, and he was well known for his mischievous behavior. Even so, Teito never thought badly of him. Of course it would be out of his nature to think badly of anyone.

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, giving the taller boy a concerned expression. "Nem-san, I don't want to sound forceful but it's prohibited for Night students to be wandering school grounds while class is in session." He tightened his hand around the navy blue strap of the case that contained his weapon. "I'll escort you back to class, er...if you don't mind," he ended his words with a sheepish smile, knowing he'd have to escort him back anyway.

This would cause him to spend a little more time than he originally planned, but Xavier would be able to take care of himself just fine. Hopefully Nemaeus wouldn't cause too much trouble for him. Though Teito would take care of any issues if he had to, he'd much prefer not having to fight, especially in the rain. He'd gone without having to use his weapon for quite a while now and hoped he wouldn't have to break that record. He still takes the time to train when he can, but he didn't want to have to hurt anyone.

"If we stand out here too long we'll both end up sick. I'm on my way to the classroom building anyway."

”So will you.”

Did the little prefect even realize who he was talking to? Nemaeus’ gaze hardened slightly from the irritation that stemmed from the tone or assumption that Teito was taking towards him- as if he were a human Day Class student. However, the boy was quick to make the connection of voice to persona, and Nemaeus squared his gaze to lock with Teito’s. “I'm a vampire, Teito. I don't catch colds. If that were the case, I would have died a long, long time ago….” Nem had dropped that comment rather carelessly, but anyone looking at him and paying attention would have been able to plainly sense the agitated sorrow that slunk across his eyes and shadowed itself around his facial features.

The display had disappeared as quickly and as smoothly as it had appeared, yet if it had not been for Teito speaking up once more, Nem might have lost himself to a past that he did not want to be forced to remember. ”…Ah! You're supposed to be in class!"

Nem quirked an eyebrow in mock disbelief. Teito was surprised to see him out of class? Nem scoffed lightly at the thought- not so much the reaction as it were the thought of himself actually in class being an obedient little test subject. And speaking of tests… ”…It's prohibited for Night students to be wandering school grounds while class is in session." Nemaeus was hardly listening after he heard ‘prohibited’, but he was still paying attention.

”It’s also normally prohibited for vampires and humans to have anything to do with one another, but look where we are now.” His tone was a wee bit sarcastic but otherwise not unfriendly.

"I'll escort you back to class, er...if you don't mind," Nemaeus sighed internally, though externally he only showed a bit of his exasperation to the smaller male. Lifting his hand and running his fingers through his wet hair, he pushed back the locks and stared up at the weeping sky for a second before returning his lax attention to Teito. ”If I don't allow you to escort me, I will undoubtedly be blamed for your catching a cold.” Of course that hardly seemed logical, but knowing the other prefects and the annoying purebloods in their makeshift ‘clan’, if Teito ended up getting sick and those specific persons knowing that Nem had been there during the incident, he would most likely be blamed.

He would allow Teito’s company back to the building, but it was unlikely that he would return to class. Silence settled in as the duo turned and made slow work of getting back to the building. Nemaeus refused to skitter about in the rain and try to run for cover, as the rain did not bother him in the slightest, and he did what he wanted regardless. Unfortunately though, once the normal silence of the rain pattering harshly against the pavement and earth resumed and the distraction of Teito’s voice ended, the dark memories that haunted the back of Nemaeus’ mind clawed their way forward to occupy his thoughts and drag him back into the recesses of his past.

With a rather empty look and the rain pelting aimlessly down on his head and shoulders, Nemaeus slipped his hands into his pockets and stared straight ahead without really seeing where he was going, only half aware of Teito beside him. Subconsciously, he knew exactly where he was going because it didn’t take much thought to find one’s way around the Academy. Teito had already been heading towards the educational building in the first place, and the obvious fact that he was without an umbrella hinted that he had inevitably forgotten something in the class president’s room.

He didn’t utter a single sound as the two of them walked through the downpour, and if Teito had said anything, it probably would have been missed. It was obvious that Nem’s attention was elsewhere. By the time they finally made it to the building’s entrance, nothing had changed in that manner. Nemaeus did not slow down one bit as he opened the door and pushed it open wide enough for Teito to scurry in behind him if the little prefect were fast- Nemaeus didn’t hold doors open for other people.

The vampire knew all the outs and ins of the building, and it wasn’t surprising that he did not slow down near any of the learning halls but rather continued on up to the other floors where the president’s room would be located. But while the darkness of the building itself and the clean walls and floors could be seen, Nemaeus was somewhere very, very different.

When he had been outside, it had not been rain but rather snow that was falling down and clinging to his form to bite at him with chilly fangs as he walked. He could hear only the deafening sound of whistling wind and the faint echoes of screams and curses. But once inside, everything settled down and he found himself in probably the only pleasant aspect of his previous life- that time when he was so young and in the small city with the young boy and the bread.

Reliving that entire scenario as he pushed open the door to the council’s room, Teito still somewhat close behind him, he stepped inside and stopped close to the door. A lost sort of look was subtly portrayed in his face, but his eyes were unfocused like they had been the entire walk back. As the little prefect entered behind him and went to do whatever it was he was going to do in the room, Nemaeus wandered over to one of the locked cabinets and pulled a thin piece of metal out of his pocket. That boy all those years ago… he never knew me, He thought silently to himself, still not realizing what he was doing in the present, unlocking the doors to get at what was inside. Why had he been kind to me…? A soft click emanated from the little mechanism on the door to the cabinet, and Nemaeus pulled them open, his hands shifting over the shelves.

He probably got beaten because he shared what was his with me…. Nem’s hand rested on a towel and he pulled it towards his chest, holding it in his clammy, wet fingers. Did he regret it…? The vampire wandered over to where Teito was currently looking, stopping silently behind him. The white cloth suddenly found itself dropping on top of the little prefect’s head, and Nemaeus’ hand was set firmly above it.

I never even thanked him. That lost look still remained in his eyes, and sorrow subtly shadowed his expression as he ran the towel over the other’s hair to dry it off. What kind of monster am I?

Nemaeus suddenly blinked, his mind returning to reality as he realized where he was and what he was doing. Teito had undoubtedly turned when he felt the towel on his head, so Nemaeus had been staring at the little prefect’s forehead for the duration of that short interaction. His orbs suddenly flickered downward to meet the other’s, and he blinked once more in slight confusion. However, that did not last for more than a millisecond as Nemaeus suddenly frowned, glaring down at the prefect for a split second before abruptly snapping his head to the side with a, ”Tch,” grabbing a corner of the towel and pulling it down over Teito’s eyes before shoving his palm against the prefect’s covered forehead, forcing the other backwards.

Nemaeus swiftly turned away from the boy, practically storming out of the room in silence, the door slamming loudly behind him. He closed his eyes in irritation, tilting his chin up for a moment and scrunching his nose as he glared at the backs of his eyelids. Opening his orbs once more, he slammed a fist against the handrail of the staircase before descending it.

What the hell was that? He snarled at himself as he returned to the first floor. There was no way that he was going back to class, now more than ever. He was going to head right back out those doors and disappear into the woods.

---

---

”If I don't allow you to escort me, I will undoubtedly be blamed for your catching a cold.”

Those words resulted in nothing but the feeling of relief. It seemed Teito wouldn't have to be forceful with him after all, though even for someone like himself he still couldn't help but feel a bit cautious about how easily Nemaeus agreed to his offer.

He gave the taller boy a nod and smile. "Great! I have to stop at the student council room, so you're free to come with me before going to class if you want."

There was no reply from Nem as the two began to make there way through the rain. There was no sort of conversation at all really, but Teito didn't mind the silence. They made slow work of getting to the classroom building and Teito soon had his hands tucked under his arms as he made a frivolous attempt to keep from shivering. He didn't make a single complaint though and it only took a couple minutes before they reached the entrance and he quickly shuffled in behind Nemaeus. He took a second to remove his shoes, not wanting to trek mud into the building, before having to hurry up the stairs to catch up to his fellow student who continued on without such concerns of leaving dirt behind.

He had already noticed that Nemaues's attention seemed to be elsewhere. His body knew where it was going, but it looked as his his eyes were in some other world that Teito didn't know of. Still, Teito took no action to distract Nem from his thoughts. He didn't really have the right to, after all, and he was sure whatever was on the other boys mid was none of his business.

Once they reached the council room, Teito allowed a long sigh to escape from him. The warmth of the building had soothed the shivering that had overtaken him while he was outside, and he stretched stretch the arm that wasn't busy carrying his shoes over his head as he approached the middle desk on the other side of the room. He could see the jacket that he lent to his friend had been left on his desk for him, something he'd have to thank his friend for later. He tried to be as quick as he could, slipping his dark green jacket over his wet clothes and getting a large handkerchief out of the top drawer of the desk to wipe the mud off his shoes.

As he finished cleaning his shoes though, he felt something fall over his head. "A towel?"

A hand was then placed on top, in which was obviously Nem's, and he stood quietly for a moment, feeling slightly confused at the gentleness that was currently being shown to him. This normally wouldn't be odd to him, but it was simply the fact that it Nemaeus who was taking the time to dry him off. It did feel kind of nice though, kind of like the way his mother used to dry him off as a child.

He slowly turned around, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at the taller boy. "Nem-san?"

When he realized that Nemaees still seemed to be only half-aware of what he was doing, Teito gave him a kind expression. "You don't have to do that, you know. I'll be going back outside again, so you should be the one drying off."

With a sudden blink, it appeared that Teito's words had caught Nemaeus's attention, or perhaps he had snapped out of his thoughts by himself. Either way, the frown that now shown on the vampires face was a clear sign that he wasn't spacing out in his own mid anymore.

"Um..are you..okay?"

"Tch"

Teito had suddenly found his vision gone as the towel was pulled down over his face. Before he had time to react, the hand that had just seconds ago been so gently drying his hair was now pressed against his forehead and he was shoved backwards. He tried to find his footing, but his socks on the wooden floor made it quite slippery and he probably would've fallen flat on his back had the large desk behind him not been there to support him.

"Nemaeus-san!", he shouted as he pulled the towel away from his face. The night student was already gone and the chances of Teito catching up to him were little to none now. He'd have to report his mistake to Seraphine in the morning...

As he slipped his now clean shoes back on his feet and retrieved his umbrella from the desk drawer, he couldn't seem to stop feeling worried. Not about Nem not returning to class, but how the way he had acted before making his escape. Maybe he only did that to distract Teito from keeping his guard up? That was a horrible though that Teito quickly shook off.

There wouldn't be much point in returning to Xavier now, something he'd make sure to apologize for as soon as he had the chance to. Instead he decided to spend the rest of his time cleaning up the water in the hallways that Teito and Nem had left behind. It would be dangerous for the day students to be walking through the building with wet floors. He didn't want anyone slipping and injuring themselves.

By the time he finished mopping up he reached the end of his shift. There were now only a few hours left before class would begin for the day students and himself. These were the few hours he had the chance to catch up on rest, but first he needed to take care of something. This wouldn't be the first time he made his way to the Headmaster's office, however the man never seemed to ever be there. This time would be different though, or so Teito convinced himself to believe as he stood outside the door.

He gave the wooden surface a few knocks. "Excuse me, Headmaster. I need to speak to you about arrangements for the ball if it's not to much trouble."

There was no reply, as usual, but Teito decided to wait a few minutes anyway. There was always a chance that he had just stepped out for a few minutes, right? "Or he could be sleeping at his desk...or maybe he's not come in yet...or..who knows."

A yawn escaped him as he waiting with his back against the door. Now that he was just standing here, he suddenly felt quite tired and he had to fight with his eyelids to keep them from closing.

Xeron smiled upon seeing Akane before him. It was polite and casual as it comes. "Good day, Lady Akane. You look lovely as ever." In his greetings, they were never just a passing fancy. He had always stated what he truly sees and feels at the moment. The Pure blood princess had suggested to discuss their matters in private. Yes, that would be for the best. The issues he wanted to speak of does require a certain delicacy. With a nod, he followed Akane's lead. "After you, then..." It was much like a scene out of fairy tale, as it is rare for pure bloods to congregate or even be together with their kin. They tend to isolate and deal with their own matters in complete privacy.

Once they were in a room and was certain they had their privacy. Xeron regained a rather stern posture and demeanor. He could conclude that Akane will be informed of the current situation induced by Kalis. "Kalis is making her move. I do not expect you to do anything unless you are threatened." He was not going to ask anything difficult or have her be committed to something. That would be a luxury and as much as possible, he disliked having others get involved in such dangerous matters. "I would be asking a favor. Just be vigilant." He stated with a tone of calm and polite intentions. "I will handle Kalis personally." Those eyes of his held a strong amount of anger in it. He was deadly serious. After all, Kalis has brought pain to someone important to him.

---

---

Richelieu has managed to lose the trail of his pursuers, namely his staff. He really dislike paperwork. It would be probably better for him to designate someone to sign for him in such instances. Anyway, he would have to deal with the aftermath of having the Italian Association getting involve in this jurisdiction. It only meant that there was a rather large movement. He released a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. He was well-aware of everything happening around him even if it seems that he could care less and act like a happy fool.

As if on cue, Rich soon found Teito hanging around his office. He simply passed by just for the fun. "Hello, Teito-chan!" He greeted with his blinding smile while saying it in a rather loud voice. It seemed the boy was rather tired. It couldn't be helped since he is a prefect. "So, sleepyhead do you have something to tell me?" If he could guess right it would be about the upcoming ball. Oh!!! He has so many ideas.

But before that, he would also have to speak to Seraphine and probably expect the visitation of Xeron. This will be indeed a busy day and all. Narrowing his eyes while looking at the door of his office, he then looked at Teito. "Let's talk somewhere else!" He held the boy's hand and began dragging him away. "Come, come, before they catch me." He meant his staff of course.

---

---

Ever so slowly, Teito's shoulders began to inch their way down the door of the Headmaster's office. He was only barely aware of his slipping consciousness, but his body would not allow him to stay awake much longer. Normally he wouldn't fall asleep so easily, especially while standing up, but he hadn't slept much the night before. One of his council members had been sick so he took the time to finish up her paperwork for her. It seemed the lack of sleep was catching up to him now that he had been left along in silence. It only took a few moments though for a loud and energetic voice to jerk him out of his half-sleep.

"Hello, Teito-chan!"

He jumped slightly at the sound of the Headmaster's voice, his eyes snapping open and immediately becoming alert. "C-Cross-san!", he said quickly, feeling his face turn warm as he realized he'd just shouted without meaning to.

"So, sleepyhead do you have something to tell me?"

A deeper red shade filled his cheeks, feeling rather embarrassed and a little ashamed to be caught sleeping in the hallway. His mind was a ball of fuzz and it took him a second to recall the reason he was here. He had just been shocked out of falling asleep, after all. "Actually, Sir, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while." With a deep breath he prepared to relay everything he'd been planning on saying to the blond man. Yes, this was finally the chance he'd been waiting for.

"I'd Li-" "Let's talk somewhere else!"

The Headmaster grabbed hold of Teito's hand and tugged him away from the door, tugging him along as he hurried down the hallway. "Come, come, before they catch me."

He was definitely referring to the assistants whom he was always avoiding. Even Teito could see that. "If you didn't run away from your work all the time then maybe you wouldn't have to worry about them catching you..."

There would be no use in trying to resist, so Teito followed without complaint, but he would like to go back to his dorm and get what sleep he could before having to go to class. "Um, Headmaster Cross-san, you're aware of the responsibilities I have as president. On the night of the ball it-" He paused to watch his feet as they hurried down a flight of stairs so he wouldn't go tripping and falling, then continued once they reached the flat surface of the next floor. It will be very difficult for me to tend to my prefect and president duties. So, if it's alright, I'd like to ask for my job as prefect to be held off on the day of the ball."

That was it. He'd finally had the time to request a day off! He stopped his feet at the doorway, pulling Richelieu's hand lightly to hopefully get him the halt for a second. "That's all I needed to ask, Sir. Once I have you're answer I'd like permission to go back to my dorm so I can prepare for class. If you have any ideas or concerns for the ball.." He hesitated...perhaps his next words might be pushing it a little. "Then..please submit them properly on paper, if it's not too much to ask," he said a polite smile in hopes of the man agreeing to his requests.