Neri Mantovani's Story

Cross was watching until some kid showed up and told the other kids that some other person was in trouble. He noticed the name and thought that was enough info for one day. Any more and someone would have to pay him up front before the week was through. "Well, that was weird. I guess people do have woes in this school," he said, playing with one of his bangs. "Watching those guys made me hungry. We should get something to eat."

Akira tore his eyes away from the fight, which had stopped when the brown-haired kid with a serious look on his face ran with the other brown haired student - oh hey, it was Aobane! Akira wondered what was up for him to have that look on his face—it was probably something bad—and looked at the scene curiously, wondering what was going on. Maybe he should ask?

Well, it wasn't any of his business. Plus, Akira didn't think they'd be pleased if a complete stranger followed them. He watched neutrally as the blonde boy blocked the white-haired boy's kick and yell something that stopped the white-haired first year mid-punch, causing him to cock his head to the side like a confused bird. He wasn't close enough to hear what the blonde kid said, but evidently it had been serious enough to stop the fight, since the white-haired student dropped his fighting stance to run after him as the blonde-haired guy chased after Aobane and the brown-haired first year.

"Schools aren't normally like this, yeah," Akira said wryly. The third year flailed and followed the first years as he turned to face the two of them, face thoughtful. He was getting hungry, and eating alone at home was unappealing when compared with eating with his new found friends. "That reminds me, I guess there's a place we could stop by for dinner - oh, hi Luka!"

"Yo." Luka gave them a lazy wave from where he was, walking towards the gates. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." Akira shrugged. A thought occurred to him, and he smiled. "Hey, wanna come join us for dinner? We're going to the cafe. To scout out the lay of the land. Before the battle begins."

It wasn't often that Luka went out to eat; he often enjoyed having his meals alone at home. But having company once in a while wasn't too bad, he supposed. Besides, Akira can be a pretty persistent guy sometimes. He was off from work today anyway, so... "Why not?" Luka decided, shrugging. He could leave the "lay of the land' thing to Akira. He turned, waiting for them to catch up. "You can introduce me to your friends while we're walking. It'd be pretty rude if I just called them "new guys", after all," he teased, flashing a small grin at them.

Florence has yet to consider the thought of dinner, but eating out was probably better than whipping something up for herself. Making a mental note to go shopping soon, she followed Akira, Luka and Cross into the cafe. It was larger than she had expected, with several chairs and round tables in its interior. There was a stall there, with a menu board on top tilted slightly to make it easier to see. It seemed to be offering a variety of pastries, from muffins to croissants. Coffee was sold too, as well as several other varieties of soft drinks.

"Wow," a girl's voice exclaimed, "You're a genius, Rosa!" At a table in the middle of the cafe were a group of five girls, with their purses to their sides and a bunch of schoolwork on the table, as well as several beverages and muffins. In a clockwise order, they were Tomoe Tachibana, Rosa Kuromaku, Lala Wakahisa, Erin Saito and an unfamiliar third year student. Looking at Erin and the third year, one would have to wonder if they were all girls. They were in the process of doing their homework, or at least Tomoe was. All the other girls were pretty much finished (with the exception of Erin, who didn't seem too enthusiastic about her work) and Rosa was assisting Tomoe with some rather challenging math problems—only that Rosa was merely answering all the questions Tomoe would get stuck on, which was at least half of them, and wasn't doing anything to actually help Tomoe understand what she was doing. Tomoe wouldn't stop showering her with praise every time Rosa answered a question merely by glancing at it.

"Well, this stuff is really quite simple," Rosa told her, spreading her fingers and touching her own chest, "or at least they're rather simple for me. I just happen to have a gift for math." Rosa happened to have a gift for a lot of things, it seemed, and Rosa definitely wasn't humble about these 'gifts' either. Rosa talked a big talk, but no one could ever remember a time when Rosa didn't just meet expectations, but surpassed them.

"You need only remember the formulas." The third year - Neri Montavani - said, flicking a lock of wavy pink hair behind his shoulder. It fluttered down to rest against his back, ending at his waist. The teen was dressed in drag again, this time in the girl's school uniform. The only difference was that there was a smooth grey vest underneath the jacket, that flattered his lithe figure and gave it a more elegant look. He looked at Tomoe seriously, sipping a cup of black coffee. "It isn't hard, so long as you focus in class."

Tomoe pouted. "Yeah, but y'know, sometimes I just can't focus! Like, y'know when you have something on the tip of your tongue, but it's not something you're saying but it's something your thinking, but it's not all that important to you, but you can't help but think about it?" Tomoe received silence from every direction. "Well," she reiterated, "I was thinking about those boys in their underwear." Erin gave a sudden, curt chuckle. "You know," Tomoe continued "Those boys that ruined Rosa's clothes, and her phone!" An air of uneasiness had suddenly swept over the table as many eyes looked toward Rosa to see how she'd react. Rosa acted as if she didn't hear it, however. Tomoe leaned forward and asked Lala, "By the way, Lala, are you keeping those clothes?"

"Hmm..." Lala looked at Tomoe thoughtfully and then looked at the uniform she was wearing which is technically Rosa's. It's very notable to the eyes as well, though not in the manner of a fashion statement. More of, it was making a bold declaration due to the mud and dirt stains splattered about. At the very least, it was a good thing that it was dry now. "I don't think so. They're not mine to begin with. I'll just grab my gym clothes later and get changed." Lala added with a smile and then took a sip of her bottled water, before showcasing a slight pout on her lips due to remembering about Math, because of Tomoe asking about it to Rosa. Numbers do not mix well with Lala and that is simply that. "It would be best if Math just didn't exist..." Lala sighed after that as she knew that it was just wishful thinking in the end.

Rosa glanced at Lala. Then, with an air of dignity, she told her, "Perhaps you should return those clothes to me on the weekend. Clean, I'd expect. For now, I'll give you permission to keep them. Just treat them with the utmost care." Rosa brushed her hands through her hair as her eyes were shut, giving her a sort of aloof look as she was speaking to Lala. Rosa then gave a light smile. "Possibly, if you aren't busy," she offered, "you could stay over for a little bit when you return them." Tomoe seemed rather intrigued. Erin sucked loudly through her straw where there used to be an iced coffee. It wasn't often that Rosa invited her friends to her house.

Lala looked at Rosa with a bright smile on her face and somehow, it felt like there are invisible sparkles around her. "Of course, I'll return your clothes in pristine condition." Lala nodded her head visibly energetic to serve as assurance. It was already a given that Lala would return the uniform, but she did not expect the offer of staying at Rosa's house. Lala was aware that Rosa was not the kind to readily invite anyone to her abode, even them. Lala did not doubt Rosa of course, for she knew it was a nice gesture extended. To Lala, Rosa was a nice person and that was it. "That would be lovely indeed." Lala answered with that small yet gentle smile before glancing at Tomoe and Erin. There was something up and about, and Lala was about to speak of an idea to Rosa when Neri took her moment which she was not offended at all.

"Allow me to visit then." Everyone stared at him. Even if he looked convincingly like a girl, everyone around the table knew he was male, and the idea of him staying at Rosa's place for a sleepover, painting nails and talking about boys, was disturbing. Neri raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at them, placing his now empty cup of coffee back on the table with a sharp click. "Not for a sleepover," he said in disgust, as if he knew what they were thinking. He saw no point in joining in on girly activities. "I've made that dress you asked for last week, as well as a shirt for Lala. Going to your home to check on the both of you will allow me to save time. I do not think there will be any misjudgements in my measurements, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Oh! You made me a shirt, Neri-kun?" Lala asked with those eyes of hers twinkling in excitement, similar to the precious rubies found in jewels. "I can't wait to try it on! You always make very beautiful and cute pieces!" She clapped both of her hands before looking at Rosa. "Don't you think so, Rosa-chan? It would be nice. We can try Neri-kun's clothes."

Rosa glanced at Neri while stirring the last of her cappuccino at the bottom of the cup with her straw. With a slight pause beforehand, Rosa answered, "Fine, as long as it doesn't take as long as last time. Also, those measurements better be perfect this time." Rosa had a strange tendency to pause before answering people, as if she were either considering how to answer them or was reluctant to. It was this sort of aloofness, this lack of overfriendliness, that somehow attracted others toward her instead of repelled them. Many female students, both her age and younger, aspired to be as talented and mature as the glamorous idol Rosa was.

"Please," Neri's voice was full of contempt and distaste from the memory. He sat back against the chair, reaching up to tuck his hair neatly behind his ear. "I do not take as long as other tailors do. The only reason it even went that long was because you wouldn't let me near-"

The doors swung open with an extreme force. A silhouette of a figure carrying an umbrella stood at the door breathing a bit heavily. "Finally!" Lyn yelled being a tad loud compared to the fairly quiet coffee shop. She gazed around swinging her head left and right to scan the room. "Bingo!" she said out loud. Rosa was in her sights sitting next to Neri and the others. She walked over a bit fast in a silly manner still a bit tired. She approached the table, grabbed a chair from a different one and eased her way in. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late! You see, there was this guy that said girls can't play football so I put down my umbrella and," she continued her highly detailed story and how Lyn ended up performing better than the star players of the team. "..And then I headed here! Pretty fun day overall!"

"Ah, another person at the table?" Lilith said a bit sarcastically. "You need anything?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Good to see you coffee lady!" Lyn happily replied.

"Good to see you also," she responded with a grin on her face.

Lala perked up in seeing Lyn as she smiled and spoke her welcome, "Hello Lyn-chan!" She even offered a small wave to emphasize her greeting before looking back at Erin, recalling her need to say that idea of hers, yet again the moment was taken, this time by Erin.

"How about a water, lady," Erin spoke up, sitting up from her slouched position, "Glass'a water, that is, if that's, uh, alright." Although Erin was never allowed to wear her black leather jacket in class, she sure enjoyed wearing it over her uniform everywhere else. Erin glanced at Rosa, who's gaze was fixed elsewhere. Erin called to her, "What's up, Rosa?" Erin looked in the direction Rosa seemed to be interested in, a quartet of students who entered the cafe recently. Erin recognized one of the students. "Hey, that's the new guy," she mentioned, "In my homeroom, he's, uh, new... Come to think of it, I think that girl's new too."

"New students, hmm?" Rosa seemed very interested in them. Understandably so. New students weren't completely familiar with the social order of the school, after all. Rosa had to make sure they knew who were the right friends to make and who were the wrong ones. "Lala, Lyn," Rosa ordered, "I think it would be best if we gave them a warm welcome to the school. What do you girls think?"

"Of course! It's wonderful to meet and have new friends! I'm up for it!" Lala said with a rather cheery smile on her face, and was sincerely concluding nothing but good intentions in what Rosa meant as warm. Her eyes looked towards the direction of the new students. Lala had a thoughtful look while biting her lower lip. There was something odd about those two new students. It was something she can't put into words, but it won't be nice to avoid them because of such a bias. Then, Lala had a flash of recognition when she recognized Akira. "Oh, Akira-kun is there! We should go and say hi."

"If you do, pass this to Shinsato." Neri said, reaching into his bag. He pulled out a brown paper package and passed It to Lala,. "It contains the outfit he asked me to make for him. I had intended to pass it to him tomorrow, but since he is here, I might as well hand it over now. Thank you."

Lala looked at the package on her hands thoughtfully before giving a enthusiastic nod. "No problem, Neri-kun! I'll give it to him!" She ended that with a smile and a thumb's up to prove the positivity of her answer and also the confidence that it will be done.

"I love giving warm welcomes! Hmm, but like...what if it's too hot today? Should we give them a cold one?" Lyn said as she began pondering. She placed her hand to the side of her face in a thinking pose. "That really would be a problem with this rising temperature with weather. How would we go about this," she continued rambling to herself in deep thought.

By this time, Lilith had already come back with the glass of water for Erin and the rest of the requested items. Lilith was pretty entertained by their commentary since they all had distinct personalities to say the least. Out of all of them, Lilith found Rosa the most interesting. As the coffee lady at school, she's heard countless stories about her influence, bullying, and rule over the school. Certainly doesn't effect Lilith though seeing as she isn't a student, but it was one of those things she's found intriguing.

Luka gave a yawn as they entered, covering his mouth with his hand. The place was alive with chatter, and both Akira and Luka noticed Rosa's crew as the source. The duo simultaneously chose to ignore them and look at the menu instead. Rosa and her 'minions' didn't target anyone who wasn't disrupting the peace or on their blacklist, but it was best to not attract their attention. Akira did shoot a friendly smile Towards Lala, Lynn and Neri before they took their seats around an empty table, though it was brief.

"Hmm..." Akira hummed under his breath thoughtfully, flipping through the menu. The chocolate milkshake was delicious, but the set meal A served fruit tea and would make a proper meal instead of just a drink. Well, he could always get the shake later. He turned to the others, an easy smile on his face as he rested his elbows against the table. "Alright, decided! Set meal A, passion fruit tea. What about you guys?"

"I'll get the same." Florence said after a brief study of the menu. She didn't know what the food here will taste like, not that it'd matter much to her supposed skewed sense of taste. Flavor was not something very important, as long as the meal was enough to fill her stomach she'd be fine with pretty much anything.

"Set B for me," Luka said lazily, closing the menu and placing it down on the table. He relaxed back against his chair, placing his hands behind his head. He had been about to declare the same set meal Akira and Florence had chosen until he'd spotted the drink choice for set B. It was a no-brainer after that. "Strawberry milkshake for the drink, please."

Staring at the menu intensely, Cross placed his fingers on line to read the smaller printing more easily. He was having a tough time trying to figure out who's idea it was not to put pictures on this menu, though the reason it was something he aimed for was unknown. "I'll get meals A through C. Ooooh, and maybe a side of the rich coffee."

"Great decision," Lilith said smiling. She memorizes the orders instead of jotting them down for practice on memorizing details of a heist. Doing these type of orders are child's play.

Meals A through C? “You can eat all that?” This guy must have an endless pit for a stomach. Luka leaned back against his seat when he caught movement from the corner of his eyes. He made the mistake of turning his head to look, a single brow rising when he saw that Rosa was walking towards their table. Wonderful…

"Why, hello guys," Rosa greeted with a grin. She tried her best to make her tone seem friendly, but she just managed to make herself sound somewhat sinister and vaguely condescending. "I wasn't interrupting anything was I?"

"Not much, really," Akira replied cordially, turning to face the girls. "We're just waiting for our meal, that's all." he smiled politely at Rosa, shooting a more friendly one towards Lyndis and Lala. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I've just heard that we had a few new students come to school," Rosa continued, glancing at Florence and Cross consecutively, "and I just thought that it was absolutely vital to introduce myself—ourselves—to them." No matter how hard Rosa was trying to give the impression that she was being friendly, she could never lose her hubris no matter how hard she tried. She looked at Florence. "My name," she put her spread fingertips on her chest, "is Kurokmaku, Rosa Kuromaku. Of course, you can always call me Rosa. I don't need formalities when speaking with friends, after all." Once again, Rosa's tone and her intentions were mismatched in her voice. "Of course, these girls," she gestured to Lyn and Lala on either side of her, "are my friends," her tone made her sound possessive of them, "Lala Wakahisa and Lyndis Kyori." 'Can't you see what pretty friends I have?' is what she might have will been saying with her pose.

"Yep yep! We're good ole friends," Lyn said reacting to Rosa's sudden kindness.

Lala smiled warmly at the group. "Hello there! It's a pleasure to meet you all!" She then looked at Akira. "Akira-kun! Here! Neri-kun wanted you to have this!" She handed the bag which contained the outfit. "I bet you would look good in it for sure." She made a thumb's up at that.

"Thanks. Lala! Sweet," Akira grinned, the appreciation at the gesture clear on his face as he took the package from her, placing it inside his bag gently. "I asked him to mend my stage clothes," he explained, turning back around to face them again. "They had a tear in them from one of the swords in the box that night. I had a spare, but I asked Neri to help me mend it since he does it for free."

"Glad to be some help! I can't wait to see you in it." There was not an ounce of insincerity in Lala's words as she truly believes that Akira would look good and the fact Neri makes wonderful ensembles.

Cross looked over his eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had seen some things throughout the day, but this confirmed it. Truthfully, he was more phased by the fact that it took him that long to realize, but he glad he did. No, he was glad he mad the choice to start talking to Akira. Boy, was he a pimp. He waited for Akira to get his shirt back, then nudged him and winked, giving him his proper kudos. He was relieved too. At first when those girls came out of nowhere he thought they had wanted something, especially when the one who seemed to be the main talker referred to them as "friends". However, he imagined that if they were cool with Akira then they were alright. When she finally finished talking, he looked over at her friends that she seemed to be presenting. More and more this was starting to look like a street affair even though he was sure these girls went to the same school that he did. He tossed it up to everyone having there types of people. Usually he wouldn't go for the floozy types, but he figured they'd be okay since they were dressed well.

Lala felt something nagging at the back of her head. It was not that idea which she had yet to say, but more of an instinct telling her to pull Rosa away. It was all due to her sights landing on one of the new students, specifically, the male one. "Ah... Rosa-chan, we -" Her sentence was not completed as once again, her best efforts were thwarted by the said new boy who did what was her gut feeling was probably warning her about.

Without a moments hesitation, Cross stood up and wrapped an arm around the girl who called herself Rosa. "Nice to meet you, Rosa," he said slyly. "My name's Cross. How about we get out of here and get something to drink eh?"

A girl approached them? "It is a pleasure to meet you, Rosa, Lala, Lyndis." Florence's eyes rested on Rosa disinterestedly as she introduced herself and her friends, not feigning her boredom one bit. She wasn't too interesting as far as Florence was concerned, they were new students, sure, but Florence saw no need to reply. All she wanted to do was to get her dinner, anything else was a slight hindrance. However, her interest was piqued when Cross wrapped his arm around the girl that seemed like she was the 'leader'. A mixture of surprise and amusement filled her eyes for a second as her mouth quirked into a half smile that faded as soon as it came. This was definitely something else. Was Cross trying to flirt with another girl? Her eyes looked a little confused as she turned to Akira, tilting her head as if in a question of what to do next.

Akira stared, eyes wide as Cross hugged Rosa, Queen of the school and its dictator, around the waist. His jaw dropped with shock, and only his stage training prevented him from dragging Cross to hide with him under the table or laughing at the colossal, massive blunder Cross had just made. The urge to laugh maniacally out of the sheer impact of Cross's social life ending on his first day (first day man, first day!) was suddenly overwhelming, and Akira made sure that any hint of even a smile was off his face and stuffed into a locked box into a closet where it would never see the light of day. If he laughed, it'd make things even worse for Cross than it was already, and Akira didn't want that. Distantly, Akira knew that he should be dragging Cross into apologizing so that Cross might get off Rosa's blacklist, but he was too stunned to do anything other than stare and gap like people who had seen his magic shows for the first time, only with the feeling of rapidly arriving doom instead of wonder.

With his chin resting against the palm of his hand, Luka watched with mild interest until Cross hugged Rosa. His eyes flickered over to look at Rosa’s face, just to see what kind of face expression the Queen will have. “Pfft—“ Oops. Luka cleared his throat and managed to hold back his laughter; but the smile on lips still lingered.

Rosa cried "Bletch!" It almost sounded as if she were giving a violent scold to a delinquent child. In that instant, whatever she called a friendly attitude turned into one of complete hostility as in one swift motion, Rosa swung around and smacked the boy, Cross, with the back of her hand. It was beyond audible and could be heard throughout the small cafe. Cross's face followed through with the smack, leaving his face turn to the side. He rubbed his cheek as if he were a boy who had just been smacked by his mother. "Wow. Here I thought we were being friendly," he grinned. "Either that or you're just a tease." He was beginning to think that maybe everyone was like this in school. Hard to understand by what they say, so he decided to be more focused on what he sees and not hears.

"Akira? Is this... normal greetings in Japanese Schools?" Florence was genuinely curious. Akira didn't seem too disturbed, so it must have been something commonly seen, right? Perhaps it was the norm in this country, to flirt with someone as a first meeting. Maybe Cross was more learned than her on that subject, and she's been doing things wrong ever since she got there. So many possibilities.

"...No, Florence, it's not." Akira said, speech suddenly coming back to him. Ahaha shit. Akira had a sinking feeling that Rosa wouldn't let this slide even if Cross apologized a thousand times. He shook himself back into closing his mouth before any flies got in and quickly made sure that the expression on his face was a neutral one that showed no emotion on what he was feeling - namely, the urge to laugh and never stop, which suddenly became a lot easier when Rosa slapped Cross. It was nice knowing you, Cross. See you in the afterlife... if Rosa or Akako doesn't eat your soul, that is.

But maybe the slap was all there would be to it. "Uh, dude," He said uneasily, getting up from his seat. "Sorry about him, he doesn't have much manners." he said apologetically to Rosa, pulling Cross away from her by the arm. He smiled at her, all charm and goodwill. He shot a meaningful look at Cross that said Don't talk and let me handle this, and continued to turn up the charm, hoping to defuse the situation, "Rosa, this is Cross, its his first day here. He's also not from Japan, so he doesn't really know the culture. What did you come here to talk about?"

"Rosa-chan, may be we should just leave it at that, okay?" Lala looked at Rosa with concern and then back at the group. "They're new and they're about to have dinner. We should let them have it, right, Lyn-chan?" Lala turned to Lyn to at least dissuade the tension she could definitely feel rising. It's unexplainable, but Lala knew that something from this point would only escalate into a bigger scene which she really didn't want to happen. "I bet Tomoe-chan needs help in math and you know, I'm no good at that. Okay, Rosa-chan?" The problem was... Rosa was set on her sights.

"He's certainly unenlightened," Rosa muttered with great contempt, "a typical woman-hungering creature, an inferior kind of a human, a man." The trio of guys frowned at that, displeased. Rosa shifted her glare away from the boy and looked toward the girl, who hadn't yet introduced herself. Rosa chuckled sardonically as she examined her own fingernails. "I'm sure you understand," she told the girl without addressing her, "how very unfortunate it is that somebody like yourself ended up with a crowd like this. Honestly, girl, I feel for you," Rosa grabbed Lyn's hand to examine her fingernails, "You're new, after all, so I suppose you don't really understand... how things work. You're deserving of better friends, ones that will teach you how things actually work." She let go of Lyn's hand to examine Lala's fingernails. Rosa then offered her hand out to Florence, in order to check her fingernails. "What do you say, girl...?"

Grab the hand girl, Rosa thought, and pledge your allegiance to your Queen. Offering to check Florence's nails may have been a way for them to be able to touch hands, a sign of friendship and trust, but Rosa's true intention was a different sort of bond. In having the girls allow Rosa to check their nails, a very small and insignificant gesture on its own, was a way to display that not only they were her friends, but that they were submissive to her and would bend to her will without Rosa having to say anything. They were her property, which like any curator of treasures or shepherd of a flock, she examined carefully to make sure they were in check. In a seemingly harmless gesture to check Florence's nails, without saying a single word, Rosa was checking to see if Florence wasn't only trusting of her as a friend, but was also ready to bend to her will, without a single word needed.

Florence observed the exchange with feelings mixed with confusion and amusement. That girl, Rosa checked their nails? It was perhaps some sort of ritual unknown to her, and as a hand was extended presumably to check her own Florence glanced at her hand before looking back to Akira, Cross and Luka quizzically. She never did like making decisions all by herself, this was a troublesome matter. However, she didn't agree to Rosa's words. "Firstly, I will not offer any excuse to your first statement for Cross, but Akira appears to be quite different from my observations. Secondly, I am certain that the friends I have now will teach me the ropes, or at least, I do not need anyone else to tell me which crowds I should stay with, or which friends I should make. And lastly... It's Florence. Florence Sterling. A pleasure to meet you as always, but I'd appreciate it if you could stay out of my business."

This made Lala worry. She wasn't offended by Florence's words. The new girl had the right to speak her mind, but it was a different matter when it comes to Rosa. Her ruby red eyes filled with trepidation as she reached out to Rosa by placing a hand on the shoulder. "Rosa-chan, we should just go. It's their first day after all. We can come back and talk to them, next time." Lala was doing her best to appease Rosa for she knew what was to follow. Her instincts were telling her that without fault. "Ro---" She was unable to continue her next words as Rosa, much like panther jumping on its prey, grabbed hold of Florence. This was bad!

There were hundreds of things you didn't do to Rosa, but no matter what Cross had done or could have done in that cafe to Rosa would have compared to the sort of action Florence had just preformed. Florence directly defied her. Many students had done things to displease or attempt to disgrace Rosa in the past, but not a single person was ever stupid enough to defy her, and speak up against her at that! Florence may have been careful with her words, but her tone said it all. You aren't the boss of me. Oh how little this naive little upstart even knew. Now, sure, accidentally defying her may have been slightly excusable because she was new, but Florence didn't even take her hand. One didn't refuse the hand of a Queen as if it was a dirty beggar's fingers. Rosa's face shifted into a look of sheer disappointment, one that made anybody want to shrivel up in shame, as she stared directly into Florence's eyes, her hand resting right in front of her, palm down. Did this girl even care? Then, with a sudden, violent jolt, Rosa snatched at Florence's wrist, like a toddler's. "Listen–!" Rosa caught herself suddenly as somebody approached, releasing Florence's wrist and holding her own elbow.

"Excuse me." It appears that she had offended Rosa for whatever convoluted reason. How was Florence to know why? She was just considering her options when the grip on her wrist loosened.

The clicking sound from plates and the refreshing smell of fresh food began to fill the area. The meals are ready accompanied by the drinks requested from the table. Lilith held it easily with one hand walking towards the table, then stopped right between Rosa and Florence. "Your food is ready," she directed towards the table. "But before you guys dig in, I have one thing to say," she paused for a brief moment as her face shifted to one with dire seriousness. The pleasant aura around her changed as she said, "This shop prides itself on having a peaceful atmosphere so if you're not willing to cooperate, then I'll have to ask or force you guys to leave. With that being said," she regained her waitresses smile, "please enjoy you meal!"[/color][/b] Her last line was said with almost an award winning actresses smile. She shifted to a complete different persona. She walked off and began to tend to other tables.

"A-Ah, thanks. Sorry," Akira turned around jerkily, his heart beating fast in his chest.The serious look that appeared on his face when Rosa grabbed Florence faded away into a thankful smile. The tension receded, and he reached out to help distribute the meals to their respective buyers, mentally bracing himself for impact. The tension was still there, and the wide-eyed stare of excitement and curiosity Cross had been shooting at Rosa like he'd been expecting a catfight had morphed into a frown after the waitress Lilith warned them, like the one he and Luka had (nd which Luka still had) only seconds ago.

"Ah, such a nice lady," Lyn replied misunderstanding the situation. She may have not pieced together that Rosa and Florence were arguing. "Florence and Cross seem pretty nice also, just weird." Forgetting they were right in front of her.

Lala felt that a big bone was pried out of her chest when the waitress entered the scene. The disaster was averted and she was really grateful for that. "Yes, she is really a nice lady, Lyn-chan." Lala agreed on that statement but on a different context than what Lyn was commenting about. "Lyn-chan, please it's not nice to say they're weird in front of them." Lala glanced at Lyn before looking back att the group. "Uhm, please enjoy your meals." She noted before looking back at Rosa.

Rosa was somewhat caught off guard by the sudden, stern warning the woman had, although she didn't show it. She waited untill the waitress had left before she gave off an indignant huff. She turned toward her girls, Lala and Lyn and looked at them up and down, as if she were trying to figure out what to do next. Rosa looked back at Florence, biting her lip, and then at Akira. "You understand," Rosa told him cryptically, "don't you? What happens them now, that is." Rosa sighed and turned her back toward the table. "Come on, girls," she declared, "we have no reason to associate with those two. We have things to chat about."

Lyn picks up her umbrella as she gets up from the table. She opens it elegantly and does a random spin. "Goodbye guys," she says with a wink. She does a slight bow with her right hand pulling up her dress only slightly as a formal farewell. "May we meet again," she says as she's quoting some movie she saw about the history of Japan culture. She began following Rosa as she skipped along.

Lala nodded at Rosa's words and then looked back at Akira and his companions. "Have a nice nice day, everyone." Her eyes landed on Akira as she silently mouthed an apology made of one word. 'Sorry...' Akira's lips twitched into a minuscule smile that meant it was okay, and she then smiled at all of them kindly. "I hope you do not close your doors for all of us being friends. Because you'll never know when that person after all will become a big part in you life, right?" She asked and the quickly added. "That is what Lucci-sensei said earlier. Well, I'll see you around!" She waved at them before turning her back at them going to where Rosa and the others are.

"Mm?" Florence sipped at her tea slowly, her mind already forgetting what events had just conspired. In her mind she had done nothing that notable, Rosa had tried to tell her to reconsider her choices, and Florence just disagreed. Why she had offended the other girl was frankly not a matter of interest to her at that point of time. Not to say that she wasn't curious to know more about Rosa, but it was none of her business what she does anyway, so as long that it didn't concern her.

"Well," Cross said as the ladies left the area. "That was sure something wasn't it? Not everyday you have some girls talk to you for no reason." He looked over at Akira and nudged and winked at him again. "I suppose that's what happens when you hang around someone with pick up skills like you, eh Aki?"

"Dude!" Akira said, sounding both scandalized and amused. Luka snickered as Akira shoved Cross away lightly, his cheeks pink tinted a faint pink at the implication. "I'm not a pimp man, look for someone else." He leaning back against his chair with a shudder, trying not to laugh himself. The idea of Rosa dating someone was both funny and disturbing, and now that the tension had died down Akira had the sudden urge to laugh with relief. "Especially not for them, I want to live a long life, thank you very much."

Cross nodded. "I see what you mean. Marrying someone who likes to play rough might breed for a short life."

"More like playing till their limbs break off instead of rough." Akira sighed, humor receding back into seriousness. The situation was really bad now that the two of them had gotten into Rosa's shitlist. On their first day too, what were the odds? Akira grabbed his cup and took a sip of the tea, wetting his lips. He had to explain what was going to happen next, and that wasn't something he liked doing. "They're not all that bad, but I guess I should start at the beginning. Luka, help me if I get anything wrong." Luka nodded as he drank his milkshake through a straw, and Akira leaned forward, resting his head on against his hands. "That girl Cross hugged just now was Rosa, and..."

"Hey Rosa!" Erin spoked up slightly above indoor voice. "Spot-on with that hit! I would have punched him in the mouth if I were you, or twisted his finger, maybe." Rosa gave Erin a wordless glare, which caused Erin to slink back a bit, looking to her side as she slurped away at her water. Tomoe fought the urge to snicker and just stared at her textbook like it was spilled milk. Rosa merely sat back down wordlessly, giving a sort of uneasy silence to the table. Erin broke it. "So, uh, I guess we're not talking with those two anymore, huh?"

"I personally don't care about the womanizer, Cross," Rosa said truthfully, "but the girl, Florence, is a moron." Rosa examined her own fingernails again. "She's also quite vicious, a person of the wicked sort. Perhaps we should tell people to avoid her, for their own good of course. Somebody text Akako."

"Yeah, uh," Tomoe spoke up, having given up on the homework, "Where's A-ko again?" Tomoe squinted, before lighting up in realization. "...Oh yeah! I remember. She's with those club boys, huh, doing you know what." Tomoe giggled at that while Erin clicked her tongue. "You know, just giving those twins a bit of a scare. They're not actually hurting them, right?" Rosa didn't answer. "And do we have to do anything about them as well?"

"No, not really," Rosa responded surprisingly suddenly, "we don't have to worry about those two upstarts, at least not anymore. The boys will have dealt with them and those two will be out of our hair. They will have learned their lesson. If they haven't, well, Akako is supposed to bring us their underwear." Tomoe giggled as she unwrapped her BluScreen from her wrist and began idly browsing. Erin chuckled before giving her water one big gulp to finish it. "Although, to be perfectly honest, I don't care too much about those boys anymore. They weren't really much of a threat anyway. Honestly, they probably don't even deserve whatever's coming to them, but whatever." Rosa glanced around the cafe and saw the clock. "Besides, they should be finishing up soon anyhow, so we should as well."

"Uh, Rosie?" Tomoe was reading text messages when she spoke up. "I think you should see this."

---

---

Collaborative post between Lloyd999, Alle9009, moahi, Pandora's Melancholy, taigaxx and KumoriKitsune.

At the word 'go', most of the students involved in the breadwar started to charge, the noise level exploding from the decibel of the screams. Some leaped on the tables to use them as a stepping stone to the godbreads, while others crowded through the narrow openings between the tables and chairs to try and push their way through to the bread in a classic example of a zerg rush. Yet more slipped through the cracks between the people, only to get stopped by the people crowded around the statue, and everyone was throwing and exchanging punches or kicks or scuffles. Some of them had already broken from the main group clustered around the statues to scuffle with each other, snarls on their faces as they tried to take each other out.

It was pure pandemonium. Not for nothing was the title called breadwars. The scene resembled just that - a war being fought by soldiers who banded together, determined to snatch the bread, looters who aimed to steal it, lone warriors who prefered to attempt for the bread alone and knights clashing their swords against each other, all in an effort to grab the bread. And at the center of it all stood the five godbreads, the statues being seiged by so many people that it bore a twisted resemblance to that of the rush hour in early mornings, people crowding near the entrance and trying to elbow others away so that they could board the train first.

The Breadwars - the war of the epynomous godbreads. The war that over a hundred would join, but only five could win. And it had just begun.

Close to the edge, people were shoved out of the way as Ryuu pushed his way through, slipping through the space between people when he could and elbowing them away when he couldn't. Those who reached out to try and stop the rapidly advancing blonde, meaty hands reaching out to grab him with a nasty grin - and found themselves emptyhanded when he avoided their grabs and knocked them down with a couple of well-placed punches or elbows or kicks before going on his way, determination shining in his eyes, movements still fluid despite the injuries he had. Dumbfounded and out of breath, they gapped at his back in an attempt to figure out what just happened, forgetting about the battle for a moment. Impossible! He was new meat, new to both the school and the breadwars and injured to boot. They were the ones who were suppose to defeat him like it was a light workout to them, not the other way round. How could a diminuitive first year defeat them, veterans of the breadwars?!

Those who knew enough to associated Ryuu to the Mad Hatter, either through face or hat, barely raised an eyebrow. They had been there, after all. They knew what he was capable of.

As for Ryuu himself, he didn't really care what people thought so long as he got the bread. He knew that he'd made a pact with Chester (who had disappeared from sight) to help each other get the bread, and he was determined to do the best he could, keeping an eye out for people and an ear out for announcers. Duck dodge ugh, thank goodness I'm short enough that people won't see me go through them - wait forget that train of thought. Where's the bread? Who has it?

Chester muttered to himself, though he pulled the hood of his jacket more firmly abouve his head to hide his brightly colored hair to avoid being spotted. He stood with the crowd, though he was as still as a stone in the stream of people, blending in as yet another annoyed student as he waited for his chance to strike.

"Ah, seems like Mariboshi has the Herabread!" A student dressed in grey was sprinting down the sides like a linebacker doing his last play, face crossed with determination as he pushed people out of the way - only to trip on someone's outstretched leg. The watchers winced in sympathy as he landed on the ground with an earth shaking thud. "Ooo, that's gotta hurt folks! The Ice Witch knocked him down with one of her deadly legs, famous for their high kicks to the face! Poor Mariboshi won't last long - but wait! He's not running. He's staying to fight!" The announcer rose out of his seat, eyes wide with excitement as he tracked their movements. "Good block there, Mariboshi! But the Ice Witch is just warming up - wait, the bread isn't in their hands! Where is it?! Who has the bread?!"

Before anyone else could strike, Chester's arm shot out with a blur and snagged the bread without a pause, mentally thanking the announcers for doing their job. Of course, now he was going to be on the receiving end, and would have to evade the many outstretched arms of the crowd. Instead of shying away however, Chester stuffed the bread under his jacket and dived right in. The god bread was going to get a little flattened, but it was a small price to pay for its ownership.

"I don't believe it!" The announcer roared, standing up from his seat. The two fighters yelled and charged at Chester, but he ducked swiftly out of the way and and dived into the crowd. "GHOST HAS GOTTEN THE BREAD! Appearing out of the crowds, the Ghost, has snatched the bread! While Moriboshi and Ice Witch were distracted, he apparated out of the crowds like his namesake and disappeared back into the crowds as quick as he came! Finding him in the crowd is going to be no easy task! For a newcomer who only got his name last month, he's doing surprisingly well!"

"Hey, get outta the way!"

PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFT

"What the-" "EEK!" "Gross!" "What the hell, dude? Wait, who?" "Did she really just-?" "Hey, you-" Thwap!

"Pwa~aah! Ain't nuthin." A short haired girl spat toward the boy who laid at her feet before grinning wickedly with a canned soda in her hand. She quickly began to chug the drink until her cheeks were full and the can was empty. That was when she locked eyes with Chester as people avoided standing in the direction she was facing. If she covered that bread in spew, nobody would dare touch it. It was gross, but that didn't bother Erin as the bread would belong to her anyway. Rosa declared it so, after all.

"It seems someone is up to the challenge! Erin has loaded another round of cream soda into her mouth! I'd pity the poor guy who got spat on just now, but he really should have gotten out of the way of the Spitter. Cautious about the soda she's just spewed and wary that more might come their way, the participants part ways around her! She's making for Ghost - but wait!"

Elbowing the last person standing in his way aside, Ryuu burst into the small bubble of space Erin had created at a run and sprinted to tackle her from behind, fedora jammed firmly down his head like a helmet as he charged quietly at her back. Erin, however, seemed to expect him coming—her basketball experience possibly attributing to her spacial awareness—and made a wild swing backwards. Flinging his torso backwards, Ryuu ducked under her arm and skidded on his knees on the floor like a limbo dancer on wheels, bringing himself to a stop in a crouch near the edge of the circle. Leaping to his feet, Ryuu quickly brought his fists up in front of him, lowering his center of gravity as he glared a challenge at Erin. They looked silently at each other, eyes refusing to break their gazes from each other as the commentator continued to yell from the side, the air surrounding them crackling with tension.

"It's the Mad Hatter! He's intercepted Spitter!" the announcer crowed enthusiastically. "It seems that he's covering for the Ghost's escape, and isn't willing to take no for an answer! Will she be able to defeat the Mad Hatter, or will the Mad Hatter triumph?! Or-" he slammed his hand on the table dramatically " - will she ignore his challenge and go after the Ghost, who has disappeared into the crowd like a clownfish hiding in a bed of coral?! What will the Spitter do now?!"

Erin seemed to have a moment of hesitation as she breathed heavily through her nose and sloshed the liquid in her mouth from cheek to cheek. Her ultimate goal was the bread, yet truly, Erin didn't really care about the bread, besides the fact that Rosa was relying on her to get it, even if it meant getting a stupid nickname like 'the Spitter'. The 'Mad Hatter' here had managed to gain one of the breads last time, so he definitely was a threat that Rosa had warned about. Also, from what Erin was aware, this was one of the boys that Akako believed was there to beat the crap out of the MAA club leader. Naturally, he was going to be a target for Rosa, so it would be sensible to take him down here, to get rid of his prestige and raise her own, all for Rosa's sake of course. Even if the real reason Erin was compelled to fight this guy was simply out of selfish desire, Rosa would still forgive her, right?

Eventually, Erin concluded that Rosa always had a plan that they could fall back to if need be and that simply fighting this guy would still be beneficial in the long run. With that reasoning, Erin could finally start thinking for herself and have some fun for this brief moment, as long as this guy didn't hold back because she was a girl. Erin cracked her knuckles and hunched over in a fighting stance not too dissimilar to a basketball one. In one swift motion, she went for a powerful upward jab.

She needn't have worried. Ryuu dodged to the left as he deflected the blow, rushing forwards with a punch of his own as the announcer began doing his job - yelling about what was happening like a maniac, mostly. "And it seems like the Mad Hatter and the Spitter has begun!" The announcer leaned out of his seat, craning his head this way and that to try and get a grip on what was going on. "The Spitter goes for first blood, but Mad Hatter dodges and gets in a blow of his own! They're going at it like rabid beasts! Care to explain more, Neri?"

"Naturally." Neri turned towards the two fighters, eyes narrowed as he tracked their movements. "Interesting! Spitter seems to have adopted an offensive style, sending blows towards Mad Hatter fast and wild," He said, voice ringing out clear above the sound of the crowd. "Although she is showering furious blows towards Mad Hatter - his style seems to be cautious and focused on deflecting blows while landing the occasional hit on her, a good tactic to use in this situation." Despite the blows raining on him, Ryuu kept calm, evenly deflecting and blocking any blows that Erin sent his way. The audience roared as his arm lashed out like a coiled spring to her right, Neri's voice resounding above all the clamor as he continued to narate. "Strong punch, and fast too. A formidable opponent indeed. What shall Spitter do?"

Erin dodged to the left, a smug look in her eyes that widened with surprise when Ryuu followed up the feint with a whip-like kick to her face from the left, body twisting gracefully as his foot made his way towards the side of Erin's head. His leg landed against Erin's arm with a thwack as she raised it up lightning quick to shield her face, and she swayed to the side from the blow. Scowling, Ryuu tried to tug his leg back but couldn't - Erin had reached up with her other hand to grab at his leg, holding him in place.

"Good block and grab, Erin." He sounded somewhat impressed by the fight. "Mad Hatter, however, is putting up a fight just as good, as seen by the impossibly fast roundhouse kick to the face with his other leg, using her iron grip on his leg as an anchor to carry out the blow. But oh - The Spitter let go of him and he fell to the ground! Mad Hatter gets back to his feet. But they're not out yet - they're back to exchanging blows!"

However, Neri had not forgotten what was at stake here. Breaking his gaze away from the brawl taking place, Neri scanned the crowd for a hint of blue hair, someone holding a container. "Although the fight seems to be on even/odd terms, It seems Mad Hatter has accomplished his goal." Neri said drolly, voice blasting out over the microphone he was using. Hidden by the people, Chester shot Ryuu a grateful look for the diversion. The announcers' attention was mostly fixated on the fight, giving Chester the opportunity to blend in as another member of the curious crowd, making his way slowly but steadily toward the counter. It was going to be their victory if this situation continued, they could split the bread among themselves later. "Ghost has disappeared from sight, and it is doubtful that Spitter would ever hope to find this particular needle in this constantly moving hay stack." It seemed that the two of them had realized it too. Ryuu's face broke out into a satisfied grin, proud of his success.

"So," Neri said curiously, almost bored, leaning forwards against the table. He steepled his fingers, eyes locked on Erin's figure. "Mad Hatter has completed his goal, while Spitter has failed hers. What will they do next?"

Erin appeared to be protecting her face, her pressing against her mouth tightly while. Her cheeks were still full with that sticky drink. What could she possibly have been saving that for? Erin then wipped the corner of her lip with her thumb and confidently smirked. All the attention was on her, and Erin didn't mind it at all. After all, they weren't commenting on her fashion sense or her social status, they were ignoring those entirely. Those things didn't matter to Erin anymore, only her toughness and her ability to fulfill Rosa's will. Although the bread was now far from her grasp, little did the little fly know that he was being led into a trap. As long as Erin grabbed everybody's attention with a show that everybody was looking for, nobody would pay attention to the acts that could only be committed in the shadows by the true masterminds. That's how Rosa would have put it, at least.

That's it, Neri. Pay attention to me like I was some spoiled princess of death!

---

---

At some point, Lala left Rosa and the others just for a little while when the bell for lunch echoed through the school. She of course made sure to tell Rosa and that she would be meeting them at the cafeteria where the most entertaining part of the day would begin. Actually, the girls are going to join in too, so it would be definitely be exciting. She would also have a front row seat as she's one of the announcers so to speak for the infamous, 'god bread wars'. It was rather funny to think back how she got involved in all of it, but there was no time for her to reminisce since she does have a schedule to keep as she took a deep breath and then had this timid look on her face. Those crimson eyes of hers looking at the bento box she was holding in her hands. This was for her brother, Daiichi, but...

"I'm fine on my own, okay!?"

The conversation from the other day played in her head. It was really depressing even more so, when she didn't get a chance to talk to Daiichi last night and even this morning. He was avoiding her and that only made her sadder. Is she a terrible sister that she didn't notice? Is that why he doesn't want her to be around him anymore? She really wanted to cry now as she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes. "Lala-chan?" She instinctively looked behind her to see a classmate of hers whose initial expression of curiosity changed into that of worry. "What's wrong?" She lightly giggled at this and then wiped away the tears. This caused a confused expression of her classmate who didn't expect that reaction. "I'm trying to see how long can I not blink!" An answer given with a bright smile and enthusiasm, nothing was completely wrong at all.

"Eh?" Confusion was understandable as Lala simply used that to her advantage. "I'm going to tell Lyn-chan about this! I wonder how long she can do it... Hmmm.... I'll see you later okay?" She excused herself and gave a wave before happily skipping away. She got out of that one as for her depressive mood earlier it was now altered into that of determination to find his little brother somewhere in this school. This was not something new or hard to do especially for her, when she wants to see something or someone, it just comes to her which she often relates to a woman's intuition. During these moments, she simply goes with her gut and that's what she did. "This way!" She happily announced to herself while carrying the bento box she made, though she didn't move to that direction immediately. She looked at corner leading to the stairways with a rather pensive expression.

"Tsuneo-senpai, did Rosa-chan call for you?" There was a light laughter which sounded eerily as the hallway was vastly empty with only the two of them present. Lala's grip on the bento tighten. She never felt at ease when the purple-haired senior is present or even if he's a friend of Rosa. This man is very dangerous. He can't be trusted that's what her intuition is telling her. The laughter stilled and then he came out from the corner with that playful smile of his. "I'm still a student here, don't I? And I just wanted to see the cutest dolls around Namimori." Those eyes of his that held the color of rustic orange gazed on her form. It made her shiver in fear as she took a step back. "And here I found one, how are things Lala-chan?"

"Everything seemed to be fine, though, Tsuneo-senpai about Ishiki-senpai..." Tsuneo placed his index finger on his lips. "The Queen has spoken and that is all there is to it." He winked at her and then walked passed her. "Be careful, Duchess, you wouldn't want to go against the Queen, then again, it might be fun." Lala bit her lower lip and then glared at Tsuneo's back. "I'll never betray a friend! I'll never betray Rosa-chan!" The only reply she got is laughter and Tsuneo vanished without a trace. That guy is really bad news. She had told Rosa about her feelings about him before, but she was told that it was not a concern at all, but her gut tells her that was not true not even one bit.

She lowered her head and came to see the bento. "Dai-kun!" She quickly made her way to her little brother as if nothing scary had happened before.

Daiichi can't help but to mentally and physically bang his head on a nearby glass panel that's thankfully reinforced. His sister found him which was a given. He swore his sister must have some inborn tracking system that would make all technology and those sniffing dogs cry in shame, but that's not really the reason. He was now in the cafeteria forced (he says so, because he only promised so he won't see her sister cry and he's very weak to that which always happens) to eat the overly decorated bento box in which he could feel every manliness of him would be erased in each bite.

The other reason would be these ridiculous fights for some breads elevated to godhood. He doesn't even know how to start with how this sounds completely crazy. "Am I going crazy?" He can't help but ask himself that question ever since he entered Namimori High, because nothing about this school is normal at all, but everyone else think otherwise.

"Lala-chan? An upperclassman asked her. "Hmm, yes Senpai?" She looked and saw that her senpai was pointing at the direction of her little brother. "Is he alright?" Lala nodded happily at that question. "Of course, isn't he cute, my little brother?" Her senpai looked back at her and sighed while Lala waved back at her little brother who now shook his head in defeat. There was just no going around his sister, but in the end, he just really can't deny her. That's why he is here really, going to eat the bento and watch this, in his opinion, idiotic fight over a piece of bread. He will just surrender for now... yeah for now.

In regards to Lala, she was on high today. She forgot the reason why she was in tears earlier already or her encounter with Tsuneo. She was more attune as to her brother eating the bento she made. She was also excited to do her announcement duties. She really wasn't a spokesperson of using violence and all of that. She isn't even a combat-oriented person, but she does respect the tenacity and determination of the students who participate in them. They really worked hard for something and somehow, it's rather sweet of them and very passionate. That's something she does understand well. She soon reached the announcer's table and saw familiar faces. She seemed to miss some of the action, but it didn't mean she would not witness the rest.

"Hello everyone! So, where is the rumble?" She found Erin and waved happily. "Hey Erin-chan! Give them your best spit!" Just like that, Lala joined the mess of an entertainment segment of lunch time.

Things exploded into action immediately, with everyone jumping recklessly into a fray centered over the little boxes at the back of the room. Even Damien raced off, carving a path through some poor students and disappearing into the commotion. Ieyoshi simply stared, bewildered by his own past actions.

Why had he changed his mind so suddenly? He still didn't feel like being here, but...

Ieyoshi brought his thumb to his lips, kneading them as he engaged in a deeper level of introspection. What he'd just agreed to wasn't really logical. It didn't line up with his current goal of going back home. So why had he agreed to participate? What had derailed his train of thought? Was it Damien's prodding? Nah. He was fairly confident he wasn't susceptible to peer pressure, and he made sure to keep an eye out for that. Was it his brother?

Ieyoshi glanced sideways at Ieharu, whom simultaneously glanced at him. They met eyes for a moment, but Ieyoshi looked away before anything meaningful could be exchanged. Ieharu had a way of seeing through his twin brother like no one else, and that's not the type of exposure he desired right now.

Or maybe... hmm... maybe it was Yume?

Thinking of Yume-senpai always made Ieyoshi feel strange. She brought back into the forefront of his consciousness the precarious position is was in, the constant balancing act he was forced to play, and the delicate mask he was required to maintain. Not that he particularly minded, it was just—

A firm grip on his forearm pulled Ieyoshi back to reality. Snapping his head to the right, he noticed that Ieharu had snatched his forearm out of the air and was gripping it rather ferociously.

Ieyoshi raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. "What?" He almost hissed, his tone indicating slight annoyance.

"Get out of your head, Yoh," Ieharu chided, looking his brother in the eye. "I know I f-ed up yesterday," he began, slowly casting his eyes downward as he did, "and I know you're mad at me for yesterday and I'm sorry, but don't just stand there." Ieharu flashed his brother one of his toothy grins. "Didn't you say you were gonna go get one? You're missing the fun!"

Ieyoshi twisted his way out of his brother's grip. Something seemed to shift in his demeanor, his aura, after coming into physical contact with Ieharu. His shoulders slumped slightly, his stance becoming less tense. With a sigh, Ieyoshi closed his eyes briefly. Yeah, his brother could see right through him sometimes. Kept him grounded. "I'm not mad, dummy." That was the truth. He wasn't mad at Ieharu. How could he be? None of it was his fault. "Anyone that messes with us gets their ass kicked. Period. Even upperclassmen. Even Godot." They hadn't seen much of Godot since yesterday's events. Ieyoshi still wanted to have some, er, words with that gun-slinging douche bag.

Ieyoshi swept his eyes over the scene before him a second time. The twins must've been standing there for a while, because the scene was already different. One or more of the so-called Godbreads had already been taken.

Interesting.

Ieyoshi wasn't particularly tall, so he couldn't see to the core of what amounted to the giant mosh pit, but relying on his intuition (and pointers from the familiar voices shouting out announcements), he was able to pinpoint several different people of interest.

The first thing he noticed was Erin. Initially, he'd mistaken her for an older male classmate, with the way she was throwing people around and—was she spitting at people?

"Eeww," Ieyoshi muttered under his breath.

Rosa's goons were to be avoided. He'd already had his fill of them yesterday.

Next he noticed Shou, leaning against the wall off to the side. Ieyoshi half-way wanted to join him, but... if Shou was here, that meant his brother was too. Enn. The bounce-off-the-walls one that would talk your ear off. Ieyoshi sighed again. Great.

Suddenly, Ieyoshi activated, moving forward at an expedient yet measured pace. Ieharu lagged behind for but a second before catching up to walk beside his twin.

"So you're gonna do it? You're fight for the bread?" Ieharu asked, voice filled to the brim with an otherworldly exuberance. His brother was excited for reasons Ieyoshi could only imagine.

Ieyoshi shrugged. "I guess."

As they walked forward, the crowd parted before them like the red sea. Those that were fighting in the immediate vicinity paused to gawk as they passed.

"Mad Hatter, however, is putting up a fight just as good," Came a familiar voice. It seemed to be projected over a loud speaker system of some kind. "As seen by the impossibly fast roundhouse kick to the face with his other leg, using her iron grip on his leg as an anchor to carry out the blow. But oh - The Spitter let go of him and he fell to the ground!"

"What is a 'Mad Hatter'?" Ieyoshi asked, curious.

"Damien tells me that's Ryuu!" Ieharu responded, grinning. "And Damien's the Hokage!"

Ieyoshi grunted in response, which amounted to an effective eye roll. "And if I get this bread, do you have the money to pay for it?"

Ieharu halted immediately, as if his feet had turned to stone. "What? Yoh! No! That's not fair!"

Ieyoshi turned to face his brother. Those that had paused their own battle to eye the twins tensed. Were they about to fight one-another?! "If I do the work, you pay for it." Ieyoshi pointed at his brother as he spoke.

Ieharu pointed a thumb at his chest. "I'll pay half."

"You pay all of it," Ieyoshi corrected, "and you can get..." He chewed a number over in his mouth for a moment. "20% of the bread."

"50. Half!"

"25. 40% of it goes to Yume."

"Then 30! Don't be unfair!"

Ieyoshi eyed his brother for a moment before cracking a short-lived smile. "Fine. We'll split it. But you're paying for it." Ieyoshi looked up towards the ceiling, scratching the side of his head. "I, uh, actually didn't bring my wallet anyway."

Ieharu shook his head, feigning a hurt expression. "So this was your plan all along?!"

"No," Ieyoshi responded, stepping closer to his brother and grabbing the boy's arm. "This was." Like a ringside announcer at a boxing match, Ieyoshi raised his brother's arm into the air and proudly declared in an eerily calm voice to all those watching: "This is my brother, Ieharu Sawada. He's the guy you saw kicking ass yesterday morning before school. You losers better not mess with him or he'll take all the Godbread, so watch out."

Mortified is not a strong enough word to describe the look on Ieharu's face. His eyes grew wide as he noticed everyone hone in on him like hungry wolves. "Wait, what?"

"You're gonna be the bait," Ieyoshi muttered offhandedly, as if his intentions were as clear as day.

"B-b-but—!"

Ieyoshi dropped his brother's hand and began walking away. "I'll catch you later."

"Wait!"

But it was too late. Ieyoshi had already melted away into the crowd, and though Ieharu tried to follow, his path was cut off by those around him. One tall and particularly portly fellow stepped out from the crowd to confront the younger twin.

"They call me B.O." The guy declared both to Ieharu and to all those around him.

"Yeah, cause you smell like shit!" Someone in the crowd laughed. Another student, a lanky blond girl, took that as an opportunity to attack, and lunged at another nearby student. Suddenly, the all-out brawl resumed in earnest, with Ieharu in the middle of it. He immediately raised his hands as if surrounded by police, the universal sign of surrender.

That's when B.O. stepped forward, literally bowling over several fighters like a bowling ball would a set of pins. Most of them slid across the floor to collide with others. Many held their noses, eyes scrunched. It seemed that there was something more terrible than his size: his odor!

B.O. turned his attention towards Ieharu, leveling him with an icy stare.

Ieharu scrunched his nose a bit, taking an unsteady step backwards, his hands still up. "Uh... um... I'm not, uh, playing this game. You see, I'm just a, er, well, I don't want any bread or anything so—"

As Ieharu stumbled backwards, B.O. pressed forward, matching the Sawada twin step for step. "You're that kid from yesterday, right? The one queen Rosa marked for death."

"Marked for what?!" Ieharu squeezed between two brawling first-years, hoping to escape his pursuer, but B.O. plowed through them, too. Was this guy unstoppable? And what was he even talking about? "I told you I'm not playing!"

"Then fight me, ya lil' bitch!"

Okay, this guy wasn't getting it. With a panicked squeal, Ieharu turned on his heels and began running through the crowd, though in which direction he wasn't quite sure. He just wanted to find the cashiers, the exit, and the relative safety they would give him. Several others noticed him and assumed he was making a play for one of the Godbreads. Though he was surprisingly agile and quick on his feet, it didn't take long for him to collect a gaggle of pursuers, and they were closing in fast. He knew B.O. was among them, thanks to the burning sensation that attacked his nose and eyes.

Dammit, Ieyoshi! Dammit dammit dammit!

Elsewhere, Ieyoshi walked with purpose, dodging and weaving through what amounted to different battlefields. Some people were slapping each other. Others were rolling around, laughing. Others still were in "serious-business" mode, engaging in epic combat with one another.

This whole thing seemed so chaotic and unorganized. It was surprising that a school would even allow something like this to occur... but then, this was Namimori High. Not only had crazier things happened, but they'd already happened within the last 24 hours.

Following his intuition alone, Ieyoshi slithered his way through the vortex of fists and kicks and shouts until his target came within view: one of the Godbread statues. It was the Hera statue, which held the "Herabread," or, rather, it used to. Someone had already nabbed that Godbread. Oh well.

Maybe it'd be fun to chase after the person who had the Herabread? For a moment, he seriously considered it, but then Ieyoshi slumped his shoulders, losing interest. Again, he wasn't quite sure why he was even participating in this thing. Plus, he wasn't really in the mood to work for his food. He'd already brought a lunch from home, after all. Ieyoshi sighed. "Whatever," he muttered, turning away from the Hera statue and resolving himself to leave the area. He'd fulfilled his piece of the social contract, right? This was enough interaction for today. Maybe he'd just ditch and go home early.

As he began walking away, Ieyoshi felt something—someone—lay their hand on his head. For a moment, just a split second, it felt like... well, like his father. Like Tsunayoshi.

Ieyoshi whipped his head to the side, eyes wide, his expression unusually animate, but when he swiveled on his heel in search of the source, there was no one there. No one was close enough to have done that.

Did he just imagine it? Blehk. Physical contact itself was already annoying enough, but he absolutely hated when people touched his hair!

Though the person that had laid their palm on his head was nowhere to be found, Ieyoshi noticed a familiar face in the distance over by one of the other Godbread statues. Without turning as he did, he would have missed it. Missed him.

It was Damien. He was single-handedly holding off what looked to be an entire army of zombie-like bodies reaching for the Godbread he protected.

Ieyoshi smirked, clenching and unclenching his fists a few times, as if testing them. That's right, Damien was in this game too. And when was the last time they'd gotten to spar one another? Ieyoshi couldn't stop his smirk from growing wider and wider until it overtook the entire bottom portion of his face. Those within the elder Sawada twin's vicinity noted the shift in atmosphere instantaneously and began putting distance between themselves and the enigmatic first-year.

News of what Ieyoshi had done to that one kid yesterday morning had spread like wildfire, and few in the vicinity wanted a piece of that action. This was supposed to be a game, after all, not a serious fight...

With re-purposed resolve, Ieyoshi stuffed his hands into his pockets and began walking towards Damien. Maybe this thing would turn out to be fun. But if anyone touched his head again, he'd kill them.

He wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.