Poor Misguided Souls
Chapter 8: The Lion and The Snake
Vanessa was enjoying a moment of peace and tranquility in the refurbished yard of the Ramshackle Dorm. Since it was still her responsibility to care for the place, she made some deals with the students in the science club. She would acquire the items they needed for their various activities and in return they would do the yard work to her satisfaction. It had been worthwhile as the items had actually been quite easy to acquire through Azul's long line of connections. Now that she had a garden that practically glimmered with gorgeous gem colored blossoms, charming vinery, and thick soft grass. The trees had been trimmed to healthy bushes, and the excess leaves and debris were swept up and disposed of leaving a beautiful homey landscape.
"Another successful partnership." She held up a cup of tea, toasting the gardens, before sipping it. The warm liquid soothed her throat and she sat back smiling in the shade of the tree, enjoying the spoils of her latest transaction.
"Speaking of partnerships…" Vanessa opened one eye and saw Leona leaning his elbows on the stone fence surrounding the property. "We need to talk "
"Of course." She motioned the spot in front of her. "Step into my office, Mr. Kingscholar."
Leona nimbly leaped over the fence and strolled up calm as you please. He sat cross legged in front of her and accepted the cup of tea she offered him.
"This is a nice little setup you have going for yah." He complimented and sipped the tea. His ears twitched a little as he tested the flavor, then gave it an approving nod.
"I enjoy it." She set her own cup aside. "I take it you're here for your payment?"
"I am." He pulled the letter from his vest and handed it to them.
"Thank you, and the sample of your handwriting?" She held her hand out and accepted the next piece of paper he offered. She studied it and pulled out her magic pen. "Hmmm, hmmm, hmm how does one correspond to a tiny prince, I wonder."
"Any way you like, I don't care. Just get it done so that his parents get off my back." He crossed his arms.
"Very well… Dear Cheka," she waved her pen, the words she wrote appearing on the empty parchment. She composed a polite yet moody letter addressing all the questions and comments had made in his letters. Once it was complete she handed it to Leona for him to finish it off with his signature and seal. "There you go. One heartfelt letter to your nephew. I look forward to next month's correspondence."
"Much obliged." He placed the envelope back in his vest then eyed Vanessa with a calculating stare. "So… you're really gonna stay like this?"
"I am…" she raised a brow. "I was under the impression you didn't care."
"I don't, it's your life so you should live it the way you want. I have no business interfering with that."
"Then why comment on it at all?" She lounged back again, asserting dominance even in a laxed state.
"Because someone asked me to interrogate you about your contract." He shrugged and sipped at his tea again. "They seem to think I can bully you into it."
"Oh?" Her brow raised. "Who thinks that?"
"Can't tell you." He smirked, crossing his arms. "That would be a breach of contract so to speak, and I like the deal I made… unless of course you can better their offer."
"You can be as selfishly calculating as Azul, you know that?" She smirked. "I have no intention of letting you bully me, Leona. I will, however, play a game with you."
"Oh? What kind of game?"
"A wager… if you can guess where I've hidden my contract, then I'll give it up to you to do with as you please."
"What if I lose?"
"Then you have to tell me who persuaded you to interrogate me, and you get to do your own correspondences from now on." She held her hand out. "Deal?"
"How many guesses do I get?"
"One."
"How about five?"
"Three."
"Heh, deal." He closed his hand over hers… felt the surge of magic locking the deal into place. It wasn't powerful like Azul's contracts… but it would still be painful and annoying to back out of. "Three guesses huh… better use them wisely then."
"Do you want to redeem them now or later?"
"I'll guess now…" Leona recalled the conversation he'd had with his… he supposed he would define it as an employer. His employer speculated she kept it on hand… or somewhere close by. Maybe disguised as a trinket or an item of convenience.
His eyes caught the shimmer of her necklace and he smirked. He reached out and hooked a finger into her necklace.
"Guess number one."
"This? " She unhooked her necklace and handed it to him. "What makes you think that's my contract?"
"It's radiating magical energy," he admired it in his palm. "Very suspicious if you ask me."
"Not to mention obvious." She raised a curious brow at the look on his face. "If it was my contract, what would you do with it?"
"What Azul should have done the moment he knew things had gone awry." His eyes hardened as herS went wide.
"Now hold on just a min-"
"King's Roar!"
"Damn it!" The necklace turned to sand just and her palm struck him hard across the face. "You dumb, dumb, dummy head!"
"Ow! The hell?" He noted she hadn't changed and just looked furious. "Was that a bluff?"
"Do you really think I'm foolish enough to keep the genuine article on my person when there are people like you, and Malleus who could easily overpower me?" She picked up the sand, sighing with aggravation. "Floyd gave me that necklace as a welcome gift. Do you know how pissed he's gonna be when he finds out you destroyed it?"
"Well so much for Jamil's theory." Leona muttered.
"Jamil?" She raised a brow.
"Yeah, he's the one who bartered with me to find out where your contract is hidden."
"You know you have two guesses left right?" She frowned at him. "Why barter for more when you were just gonna tell me after one?"
"Well I didn't know I'd get the bejeezus slapped out of me, did I? Besides, Jamil didn't really pay me much. He just said he'd have Kalim cover for me the next time there's a dorm head meeting." He slouched back. "Why was it exuding so much magical energy if it was just a damn trinket?"
"Floyd made it, so he probably put some kind of tracking spell on it or…" she blinked and groaned. "Damn… wait for it."
"Wait for what?!"
"Oi!" Floyd ran over at top speed, tackling Leona and pinning him to the ground, his eyes wild and hand closed around Leona's throat. "The hell do you think you're doing to my Nessy?"
"Let him go, Floyd." Vanessa sighed heavily and puree more tea into her cup before sipping casually. "It was a misunderstanding."
"Get off me, leech!" Leona kicked his legs up sending him over his head. Floyd twisted and landed gracefully back on his feet. His body was tense and still poised to fight, but Vanessa's cool stare made him click his tongue in agitation.
"Why do you always let these guys go? You should let me squeeze them til they can't talk."
"It's fine, Floyd… and besides Leona's sorry for breaking your gift. Aren't you, Leona?"
The King of Savanaclaw only grunted.
"Whatever… I wash my hands of this weirdness. I told you who to blame… but I'm gonna hold onto my two guesses for the time being. I still need those correspondences."
"Alright. Have a good day…" she waved at him, smiling sweetly until she knew he was long gone and out of earshot. Then the fangs came out. "If that no good, scheming dirty snake thinks he can outsmart me he's got another thing coming."
"Ooh does this mean I get to squeeze someone after all?" Floyd beamed.
"Oh yeah. Come on, Floyd." She pulled the hair tie out of her hair to let it fly loose and free in the wind. "Time to go cause a scene."
~ Cafeteria ~
The Cafeteria was only lightly packed with a few students scattered here and there. Whether it was for studying, enjoying the dinner specials, or just hanging out with friends, it was the ideal place to mingle about. Kalim and Jamil sat quietly on their own, enjoying the meal that had been prepared carefully by Jamil's hands, discussing the upcoming history exams.
"You're gonna be a senior next year, Kalim, you should take more care with your studies."
"I know, and I am trying Jamil, honestly. I've just been so distracted lately." He sighed heavily.
"What happened to the techniques I showed you? There are ways of making studying more fun in order to center your attention."
"You make it sound so easy…" he trailed off when he saw Vanessa and Floyd enter the room. He watches her eyes scan the crowd then lock onto the two of them. With a lift of her chin she briskly walked over, with Floyd happily trailing her. "Van-chan?"
"What?" Jamil nearly choked on the rice in his mouth. He turned just in time to see the two merfolk towering over him.
"Hello, Kalim. It's good to see you. Jamil…" Her smile was quick and a little wicked to match her irritated tone. "...might I have a private word with you?"
"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you." He tried to hide his nerves by taking a calm sip of water. Kalim blinked in confusion.
"Is something wrong, Van-Chan?"
"I had hoped to spare you the embarrassment, Kalim, by taking Jamil somewhere private." She rolled her shoulders. "However, it looks like he wants to do this the hard way. Oh well."
Vanessa snapped her fingers and Floyd circled the table to stand behind Kalim.
"If Sea Snake won't join us…" Floyd's hand lay on Kalim's shoulder. "...then maybe Sea Otter would be nice enough to join Nessy and I for a little chat, instead?"
Jamil spat out water and immediately got to his feet.
"Wait, wait, wait, there's no need to drag Kalim into this."
"Too late, you already got him involved." She snagged Jamil by the ear and dragged him towards the door.
"Owowow! You're yanking out my piercings! Let go!"
"So long as you don't give me any more grief, I will." She pulled him along. "Floyd, Kalim, let's go. I'd rather do this away from prying eyes."
"We're right behind you, Nessy." Floyd happily hummed as he helped Kalim up to his feet and hooked an arm over his shoulder in order to keep him close.
"I don't get it…" Kalim obliviously followed."Has Jamil done something bad?"
"Gee I wonder…" Floyd laughed sarcastically. Vanessa waited until they were alone, tucked into an empty classroom, before addressing Kalim's question.
"I wouldn't say he did something bad… but he sure as hell didn't do anything nice." She slammed her hand down on an empty desk, preventing Jamil from maneuvering around her. "Do you want to tell him, or shall I?"
At his silent contemplating face Vanessa grit her teeth in a smile.
"You've got some nerve, Jamil, coming at me like that. I expected this kind of behavior from the guys in Diasomnia, but you? I didn't think you cared enough to pull this kind of stunt."
"Jamil? What is she talking about? What did you do?" Kalim looked fearful, not liking where this was going.
"I'm sorry, Kalim, but I had to get involved. I don't trust her…" Jamil addressed Vanessa next. " I did what I did because I know your game." Jamil whispered at first, but his tone raised little by little. "I know about the deals you've been making and how you've been making them. Your tit for that, favors for favors attitude. It's all a ploy. You're gambling with people's good will for a much grander scheme. I know it!"
"That so?" She laughed at him. "What scheme would that be?"
"I… don't know yet… but I know Azul. He started out the same as you. The benevolent friend who was always willing to help or lend a hand so long as there was something in it for him. The more he helped, the more he got in return until he became too greedy. He overblot for that exact reason."
"Is that it then? You're worried I'm gonna Overblot?" She shook her head. "I didn't realize you cared so much, Jamil."
"Yuu was my friend as much as she was Kalim's. I'm so angry I could spit that she let a broken heart turn her into Azul's puppet."
"I'm no one's puppet…" she sneered at him. "I thought I made that clear the other day."
"You still take orders from him!" He snapped and unleashed the monster raging inside Vanessa.
"Because it's my job, you idiot!" She screamed at him, surprisingly all three boys. "I'm his executive assistant, he is my boss. I don't know what that means to you, but for me it means I still have to show him a grain of professional respect. Outside of work I don't owe Azul anything. He doesn't dictate my life and neither do you!" She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and gave him a hard push against the chalkboard. "Keep your nose out of my business Jamil." Vanessa warned him. "Or the next time I swear to the Almighty 7 I'll make you regret it!"
"Jamil!" Kalim started forward but Floyd kept a firm grip on him.
"Easy there, Sea Otter, let her say her peace before you fly to his rescue."
"Do you always resort to violence when people get too close to unveiling your mask, Vanessa?" Though the pain made him wince, he still managed a confident smile. "That nervous about people poking into your business, huh?" He grunted when she gave him another shove.
"Oh please, I'm talking about my contract. Leona destroyed a precious keepsake Floyd gave me because you put it in his head that that's where my contract was. You should've at least had the balls to interrogate me yourself, but that's not really your style is it?"
"Tch… so I take it that my notion was wrong."
"I'm not stupid. I wouldn't wear it on display with a great big "Here I Am" sign posted to it. There is a reason I'm keeping it hidden from anyone's eyes but mine, you idiot."
"Really? What reason is that?" He dusted himself off when she finally let go. "What are you so afraid of?'
"I'm not letting anyone near my contract because I fully intend to stay exactly as I am. More than one person has indicated that they have intentions to turn me back and I refuse to let them. It's MY life not theirs!"
"So you've made that clear… but I still say you're hiding something.
"Tch…" She flicked hair over her shoulder. "If you're that curious about my "partnerships" then why don't you two come to the lounge tonight and I'll show you what I've been up to?"
"Why the lounge?" This came from Kalim.
"Because it's the center of my work. The reason I made all those deals to begin with was to support my work at the lounge. Besides it's the weekend, we're open late and we offer special entertainment for late night patrons." She twirled a price of hair around her finger. "Are you interested or not?"
"We'll be there!" Kalim shouted, making Jamil groan.
"Splendid!" Vanessa's smile went bright as she turned to Kalim. "I look forward to seeing you both there."
"Ugh, I'm gonna regret this. I know it." Jamil groaned.
"You'll find out soon enough. Until then mind your own business and maybe, just maybe we can be friends again." She tickled Jamil under his chin, then pulled her fist back and punched him square in the jaw.
"Oof" Jamil hit the ground.
"THAT was for my necklace." Vanessa huffed and rubbed her knuckles as she turned to Floyd. "Let 'im go, Floyd. We're done here."
"Mmm I love watching you work, Nessy!" He let Kalim go so he could rush to his collapsed friend, and then skipped merrily behind Vanessa as they exited the classroom.
"Jamil! Jamil, are you okay?" Kalim helped him up, and fussed.
"Yeah I'm fine… except for the fact that more than my ego was bruised." He held his sore jaw. "She really laid into me."
"Can you blame her? You really upset her, Jamil. I told you I didn't want to push the whole Yuu thing on her. Van-chan is her own person, with her own goals. You don't know what's going on in her head."
"That is precisely why she scares me, Kalim." Jamil sighed and looked down at his feet. "Oh well… may as well see what the fuss is about. I'm gonna tell the others what transpired. There's safety in numbers."
"You're right about that." He helped Jamil up. "Come on, let's get some ice on that cheek."
"Thanks." He managed a small smile. "Guess you're not as annoying as you were before.
"Hahaha, there's my Jamil. Don't you worry, everything's gonna work out fine, you'll see."
~ Octavinelle ~
"That was close, huh precious?" Yuu gently stroked the genuine article between her fingers "I knew Leona was acting off, but to think he actually did somebody else's dirty work for him. It totally threw me off my game."
"Good thing I made you that decoy, huh? Guess the annoyance was worth the effort… but now what are ya gonna do about Sea Snake? If you perform your normal song for him he's bound to find out what you plan on using it for." Floyd asked, sitting backwards in her desk chair and lazily spun around.
"Don't you worry about that, Floyd…" She slid the contract back into its true hiding place and turned to Floyd with a smirk. "Much like the necklace, I have the perfect cover. One that's sure to leave him stumbling out of the club dumbfounded."
"Hehehe, Nessy you're so bad. I love it." Little hearts danced around his head. "Can I squeeze you?"
"When I get back, sure." She picked up a brown parcel from her desk. "First I gotta run a little errand." She leaned over and gave him a slow deep kiss. "Mmmm be a doll, Floyd, and cover for me with Azul while I'm gone?"
"Mmmkay…" the hearts exploded around his head and he hummed as he left the room. Vanessa's face turned serious once he was gone and she looked back down at the parcel.
"Time to close the door on this distraction."