"Are you all set?"
"Of course! They're home-made!"
"Who're you giving it to?"
"Kaname."
This sparked laughter and giggling from the group of girls.
"Everybody's so excited."
"That's because they're getting ready for St. Xocolatl's Day tomorrow," Yuki explained to her friend.
"All girls go around, giving chocolate to the boys who they have crushes on to proclaim their love for them. I don't get it. It's completely absurd! Has everyone forgotten that this is a school of higher learning?! I am against it in every way, shape, and form."
"You know, Class Rep, you might get chocolates, too," Sayori pointed out.
He gasped and seemed to daydream.
"Yeah, but we're not going to get anything, anyway," sulked one boy.
"Yeah! It's all going to go to those Night Class guys!"
"Hey, Yori, are you giving chocolates to anyone this year?"
"Hm? No, not interested. What about you?"
"Uh? No, I don't think so."
"Hmm.. So, then, what's that?"
"Ah? Oh, this, here? This doesn't mean anything!"
"Then, what's it for?"
"Uh.."
"I may be wrong, but I believe someone behind us is glaring at you."
"You're a member of the Disciplinary Committee, yet you're giving him that?"
"Ah, no! This would just be a token of my appreciation to someone I'm indebted to. I haven't even decided if I'm gonna give it to him yet. Let it go.."
"What? Zero?!"
Someone giggled.
"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! We have Zero!"
"Right! Top of the brain curve and a jock! You're our only hope, Zero. Get some for us, too!"
Said male turned a menacing glare towards the other student who spoke to him.
"It's probably best if you don't.."
"Yeah.. Good idea… Nevermind."
"What's St. Xocolatl's Day?"
"What?! Asae, you've never heard of St. Xocolatl's Day?!"
"Have you been living under a rock?" another girl accused.
"I guess you could say that," the ravenette stated, chin resting in her palm in boredom. "My guardians didn't really teach me about holidays, or anything much about the outside world."
"Oh, yeah. You were home-schooled, right?"
She nodded.
"No holidays? Then when did you get breaks from school?"
The teen in question shrugged. She couldn't be bothered to feign fake regret about lost opportunities for fun. She was trained for one thing, and anything else was deemed unimportant for her to learn about.
In truth, there was much she didn't know, and not a lot that she wanted to discover. She only agreed to leave her 'home' when it was requested of her to do so by higher-ups. If they had never contacted her and her guardians, she could have very well stayed there all her life.
Asae let her eyes wander to the window, now ignoring the gaggle of girls trying to explain the reason behind the ridiculous celebration. She'd much rather be out in the sun than in the stuffy classroom.
The moon hung low in the sky as it made its slow ascent into the stars above. Asae sat in the branches of one of the taller trees toward the outskirt of the Academy grounds. She was sure the Disciplinary Committee was somewhere else, so she was comfortable, but not at ease. How could she relax knowing a class full of vampires was taking place on the same soil as she was?
Her face was looking up, basking in the silver light. Unable to help herself, she cupped her hands over her mouth, tilted her head back, and let out a low, elongated howl. Off in the distance, roughly a minute after her's ended, another picked up. She smiled almost fondly at the sound. Several more howls chorused in, all unique in their own right. How she missed running among her friends.
Kaname looked outside the classroom windows, his hearing easily picking up on all the noise from the wolves. Undoubtedly, some of the other Night Class students did as well, but he didn't bother to listen to their off-hand comments about how rowdy the animals were that night. He had a sneaking suspicion he knew what kicked up their activity, and he didn't like it.
It was disgusting, the way that the human girls lined up to give the Night Class chocolates and letters, like they were all celebrities instead of the monsters that they were. Asae couldn't stomach watching any of it, especially the way that Cross girl acted around the Pureblood, knowing exactly what he was. How could she proudly declare herself human whilst remaining infatuated like a child?
Unable to stomach much more, the huntress left the scene. Perhaps she was just anxious from being in a large cage. She would take the weekend to bask in the lack of students, and maybe that would settle her nerves. She hated crowds. The smells and sounds bothered her senses.
She could see it, Zero's reasons for being so reckless. He picked a fight with a majority of the Night Class seemingly out of nowhere. She didn't plan on stepping in, wanting to examine how they fought, to find out their own special powers, but that damn Yuki showed up again, making them leave before anything more than a mere flip occurred. She was really starting to annoy Asae.
Now, however, with how the Kiryu boy was acting, she would have to keep a closer eye on him. It appeared he was de-evolving already. At least something was happening to keep her entertained.
Cries and wails erupt from dorm to dorm as Yuki went around and took banned items from the girls. A lot of them were angry and upset at the Cross teen, blaming her when she was just doing as told.
Eventually, she got to Asae's room, hailing a cart full of items.
"Alright, I know you haven't been here long, but it's inspection time."
The huntress peered at her via the crack between the door and the frame.
"...fine."
She moved aside and let the Disciplinary member inside. The room was dark, and the bed was so well-made that it didn't even look used. Which would be absurd, as where else would the ravenette sleep in Yuki's mind?
"It's so neat and tidy," she commented, looking around.
Clothes were hung properly, and some were folded in the drawer. Other than that, there seemed to be no other items belonging to the new student. It shocked Yuki how bare and impersonal the room appeared. Did she really bring nothing else from home with her?
Upon having nothing else to search, the brunette went to open the bottom drawer of the nightstand when her wrist was grabbed. Gasping softly, brown eyes looked up to meet pools of hardened tree sap.
"That's enough."
"Uh, but I, I have to check everywhere," she tried to explain.
"I have a note. From my guardians, and the Headmaster. For what you find in there."
She released her arm and took a step back, holding out a paper for the other to read.
Yuki hesitated but did as she was silently told, taking the paper to examine.
It basically said that she was permitted to have the item for self-defense due to 'special circumstances', and it was signed by three people. She assumed two were her parents' while the last did, indeed, belong to Headmaster Cross.
Yuki opened the drawer and, low-and-behold, a knife sat. It was sheathed in a leather cover which also had a harness attached. This meant it was made to be worn, much like how the Guardian had her Artemis Rod. It was weird for her adoptive father to allow a human student to keep weapons, as they were banned from everyone, including the vampires. But, she had to abide by his wishes. He signed the document, so he knew she had it. Maybe she'd ask him later.
"Right.. I'm sorry. I'll be out of your way now."
Bowing, the Disciplinary Committee member left, not wanting to stay around the cold girl any longer. She would check with the headmaster just in case the signature was forged, to be safe.
Asae watched as her dorm door was shut with a huff. It wasn't like she had anything to hide. She would have just preferred that no one knew about her hunter's weapon so that it would be a secret.
"Oh well.. So long as she doesn't blab, no one else will learn about it."
"Alright, class, time to begin. Everyone take your seats."
"Okay!"
Quiet suddenly, Yuki stood up from her desk and took off running.
"Huh? Hey, Cross! Where are you going? Hey!"
Asae watched, very aware that Zero wasn't in class, and of the scent of blood the night before.
'Did she.. not know?'
"To be honest, I didn't think you'd accept my invitation, Headmaster Cross. How is the Kiryu boy these days? I have to think, by now, he's becoming quite a handful."
"Actually, no. Kiryu remains quite stable. The Hunter's Association has nothing at all to know about. I'm disappointed you'd assume there would be a problem at Cross Academy."
"I think I'll wait for someone else's report to determine whether or not that's true."
"Not only is there Asae, but I've sent him to check on things. For a second opinion, of course. If he senses any danger at all, he will show no mercy to the person responsible for creating such peril."
Asae's nose twitched as she bolted out of the school building. A wide smile crossed her face as she ran up to the tall man in a tan trench coat and eye-patch. As soon as she was close enough, however, his hand lashed out and grabbed her arm, and he flipped her over his shoulder.
Taken aback, she managed to twist just right to land on her feet instead of her back, and she kicked out at his gut in return. He caught her ankle and held it for a moment before dropping it.
The ravenette pouted and stood, brushing off her skirt.
"I haven't seen you in a while, and this is how you greet me? So rude."
"Tsk, you shouldn't let your guard down, squirt. We're on duty."
The teen nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Yagari."
Two uploads in one day since I feel motivated. It's longer, like I said.