Sitting across the table from Reiji, in the Pureblood's room, Hikari could see how quickly he was becoming frustrated with her. Reiji had spent the last hour drilling different German phrases into Hikari and yet she felt as if they were getting nowhere. She was even willing to bet the rest of the mansion could feel the tension from within the room, as it had been disturbingly silent outside for the last hour. Hikari wasn't even quite sure how this impromptu lesson had started. She was just in his room and noticed a book written in the foreign language and asked if Reiji could speak German. To which of course, he said that he could, and Hikari casually mentioned she thought it might be interesting to learn another language. Apparently to the Pureblood, that meant she must learn right at that very moment. When Hikari asked if he was sure that he needed to teach her right then, he simply stated that of course he would not have offered if he didn't mean it and to quit being such a troublesome servant, when he was offering up his precious time. However, Hikari was wondering if the man was now regretting his idea as she was doing nothing short of butchering the language.
"Again. Repeat after me." Reiji demanded, eyes focused on the girl sitting across the table from him. He quickly flung another complicated line of German at her and waited for her reply. Taking a deep breath, straightening her shoulders, and hoping that luck was on her side, Hikari tried again. The unusual words felt weird on her tongue and knowing that she failed miserably before she even finished, she slumped back into the chair. She squeezed her eyes against the angry tears that were welling up at her failure. "I'm normally a pretty quick learner. I've been able to pick up difficult equations and formulas faster than some university students. I can remember entire excerpts from history books. Everything else seems to come easily to me, why not this?" Hikari thought miserably to herself. Failure was never a thing that Hikari was comfortable with, she always strove to achieve the highest marks. She also knew that failure was not an option in front of Reiji.
"Your poor posture will not help to distract me from the fact that you cannot repeat a simple sentence," Reiji replied in an even tone. Fixing her with a composed look he rose from his seat and crossed the room. His calm demeanor had Hikari on edge, knowing that danger was closer the calmer Reiji was. Hikari quickly fixed her posture and waited to see what he would do next.
"I'm sorry Reiji-san," she whispered, knowing that he would hear her words. The blonde girl refused to take her eyes off of the man in front of her. He was standing now, with his back to her, as spoke again.
"How impressively poor your results are. However, there is no use in apologizing if you are not giving it your all."
"But I am!" Hikari's voice came out harsh, in the otherwise silent room. Lowering her voice to its normal meek tone, Hikari tried to convince him again. "I am trying Reiji-san. I really want to learn this." Along with failure, Hikari hated when others doubted her. She wanted, no needed, Reiji to believe that she was truly giving every attempt her all.
"Hm, you say you want to learn...maybe you just need more motivation," the vampire's tone suddenly taking on a hint of amusement. There felt to be a sudden change in the atmosphere of the room, almost like a cold breeze had whipped through the room. It sent a shiver running down the girl's spine and caused her heart to beat faster. "M-motivation?" Hikari squeaked as Reiji turned around, whip in hand. Realizing what was next to come, Hikari begged.
"N-no, Reiji-san, please." Looking through tear filled eyes, she visibly started to shake in her chair. Cold, crimson eyes bore into her violet ones, as he walked closer.
"Stand up." Reiji demanded in a cold tone, not even moved by the girls' pleading. He now stood next to the girl waiting for her to rise. But Hikari couldn't move. She sat frozen in her chair, tears now freely running down her cheeks. "P-p-please Reiji-san. I will try harder. I can do better." Gripping the sides of the chair. Hikari begged once more, hoping to the fates-that-be, that assuring him of her determination would change his mind and course of action. But the fates were apparently not smiling on her that day. Or any day since coming to the Sakamaki mansion, for that matter.
Realizing that she had no other choice, Hikari started to push herself from the chair, but apparently not fast enough to the liking of the waiting vampire. Faster than her eyes could register, Reiji's hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. Pulling her swiftly from the chair, Hikari flew out of the seat. Then just as quickly he let her go. The movement so sudden, she didn't have time to catch herself. So instead of standing, she landed on the floor at Reiji's feet. "What a deplorable young lady," Reiji said with a sigh. "First you can't repeat a simple line and now you cannot even stand on your own two feet. While servants should fall to their knees, this is a further waste of my time. I see now that you are truly in need of more training."
Lifting herself from the floor quickly, Hikari stood in front of Reiji, trying to get a hold on her emotions before she said something that would be irreversible. But her anger at the situation soon took prominence, as she inevitably opened her mouth. "It was your fault that I fell in the first place," she accused. "Furthermore, I told you I was going to try harder. You could at least allow me to attempt another time before jumping to your harsh actions." As the last words left her mouth, all she could do is hope that the floor would open up and swallow her before Reiji got his whip on her. As no such action was feasibly possible, she braved a look at the vampire in front of her. But his face was a mask of indifference.
"That insolent tongue of yours is not befitting of any language, is it young lady? Maybe I should grant you favor by removing it?" Reiji asked with a smirk. Clamping her mouth shut, the blonde quickly shook her head in the negative. "Good then, if you are done showing this rebellious streak, turn and place your hands upon the table." Doing as she was told, Hikari turned her back to Reiji, and placed her palms flat against the tabletop. Eyes squeezed shut, she felt the soft leather of the whip as Reiji stroked it down her spine. Awaiting the sting that was to come, Hikari was shocked when it did not. Braving a look to the man behind her, he was instantly at her side. Body pressed against hers, he took both of her small hands within one of his own and braced them harder against the tabletop. Hikari flinched at the crushing pressure. With Reiji's body hovering over her, his mouth sent a cold breath across her ear. Shivering as he spoke again, " Even though you have so impolitely asked that I give you another attempt, against my better judgement I will allow you to do so. But know that upon your failure, my punishment awaits." Again Hikari merely nodded her head in response. His mouth still pressed to her ear, he repeated the earlier phrase, "Now you?" The blonde girl swallowed the sudden lump in her throat and gave it another try.
Hikari cried out at the immediate sting of the whip, as Reiji brought it down on her lower back. "Incorrect. Again!" he demanded of her. Again and again she desperately tried, and yet continued to fail time after time. Reiji was relentless with his whip, bringing it down on her back each time as the ill-formed words left her mouth. The girls hands had long since gone numb under the pressure of the Pureblood's. Her clothing offering the only small respite from actually breaking the sensitive flesh of her back. Welts bright and stinging had her back feeling as if it were on fire. At her last attempt, Reiji struck higher on her back than the times before, the tip flicking against the bare skin of her shoulder. The pain was blinding, as she felt something begin to drip down her shoulder. At the last strike, the whip broke open still healing bite marks left by the vampire. Reiji suddenly released the pressure from Hikari and inspected the whip in his hands. Sighing at the rush of blood back to her hands, Hikari's relief was short lived.
"You have sullied my whip with your blood. What's more, you have pulled attention from the lesson at hand, with the scent of your blood." Placing the whip on the table, he pulled the blonde girl to him, her back flush with his chest. Strong arms wrapped tightly around her body, pinning her arms to her sides. "We will have to continue the lesson with a different form of punishment." Hikari struggled against the his vice-like grasp to no avail. "Are you afraid?" Reiji whispered darkly, mouth brushing against her shoulder, causing her body to respond with shivers and goosebumps down her arms. At her silence, Reiji seemed to take that as her confirmation. "That's good, you should fear me." Letting his fangs graze the soft skin of her shoulder, he collected the pooling blood on his tongue, with a soft groan. Then pressing down, he pierced her flesh with his fangs.
The stinging pain of Reiji's fangs reverberated throughout her body, as he pushed his fangs deeper and deeper. With every pull of his mouth, she could feel her body warming and her lifeforce draining. Her body overwhelmed by the onslaught of pain and pleasure. She could feel his strong frame warming against her own smaller one as he drank deeply. The world around her was quickly fading. Letting her head fall to the side, she submitted herself entirely to the man embracing her. Her last attempt at the phrase came out barely above a whisper, before she was swallowed by the darkness.
Pulling back, now cradling the girl within his arms, Reiji gazed down on her pale face. A smile graced his lips, as he quietly spoke, "You did well."