Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...
Fang Vice Addiction
Chapter Twelve: The Goodman Factor
By Traingham
The sweat was beginning to slip down Negi's forehead as the small exchange between Takane and himself had escalated in to a staring contest that urged him to end it quickly and run, yet at the same time warn him that it wouldn't be in his best interest to do something so foolish. He recalled Chachazero's words about the girl that something was false. He wasn't completely understanding of his familiar's words but something managed to click in his mind. Ever since he first crossed paths with Takane he started to see a lot more of her. Never mind the fact that she was going to be one of his co-workers.
One more thing managed to make itself clear and it was the one thing that lit the fuse within Negi. He was aware that Takane was a magistress of the sort and that she had connections with other mages. This meant that she kept in touch with those other mages and if something were to slip about him using magic so openly around common people then he could very well get in trouble. Takamichi may be aware of the complex relationship he had with his students, including Evangeline, but he was sure that the young woman standing before him might have different sentiments. Then came the possibility that Asuna could come out of the bathroom and call out his name by mistake.
...He couldn't allow that to happen...
"Farewell." Negi bided Takane quickly as he turned away from her and started to walk but to his worse fears, Takane called to him. He turned around, observing the look of suspicion on her face and asked, "Yes miss?"
"Just who are you?" Takane asked. "Tell me your name."
"...Oh my god!" Negi cried out unexpectedly. Takane saw the look of terror on his face and whipped around in fright to see what was causing the young man's distress. Now, Takane was a very intelligent young woman and she new this very well. Hell, she even went as far as to take an I.Q test when Mei managed to perplex her once but when she found nothing behind her and no one in front of her she felt retarded. The mysterious man had just utilized the oldest trick in the book and she played right in to his hands.
"Dammit!" Takane growled, narrowing her eyes furiously. She looked around to see where Negi had gone and a devious grin flashed across her face briefly as she took off running. She sensed a dark aura among the people crowding the stands and combed through the crowd in search of the magi. Negi, who was trying hard to find a place where no one could see him take off, stole a glance over his shoulder and pumped his legs harder when he got a glimpse of a nurse cap making it's way through the students.
I messed up! I messed up! If Takane catches me then she'll probably tell the others about me! Negi felt his heartbeat accelerate to the point that he feared it would burst out of his chest. His eyes darted around for a clear spot and a look of fierce determination washed over his features when he saw the ledge of the shrine grounds. He was going to have to take off from there. I know Asuna is going to have her way with me when she finds out that I left her, but I don't wanna be turned in to an ermine! Negi ran to the ledge and jumped off without a second thought. He saw the festival stands below and grinned when he found a secure place to land. His adrenaline pumped through his body when he made the landing and he resumed his run despite the fact that he managed to lose Takane.
I'm home free! Negi cheered inwardly as the biggest grin crossed his lips. That was until he turned on the next corner and saw Evangeline and Chachamaru coming his way. The grin on his face dropped instantly and pure terror gripped his heart. Evangeline turned away from Chachamaru when she was done speaking to her and the next thing she saw felt so surreal that she could have sworn that time stopped. Her legs went completely still and goose bumps crawled through her arms. The chibi-vampire made sure to remember what was the last thing she drank because at this moment Nagi stood before her and her heart was pumping at a speed that she thought it would have never be capable of again.
Nag- The vampiress blinked and he wasn't there anymore. It was as though he were an illusion that whisked away with the air. It was an illusion that she was desperate to keep true. "Wh-what was that? Is my mind playing tricks on me or did I just happen to lapse into a day dream?" Evangeline was a little shaken by the bizarre moment she just experienced.
"Mistress, are you alright?" Chachamaru asked Evangeline when she heard her rambling on to herself.
"Did you see anything?!" Evangeline demanded to know. If Chachamaru got a little glimpse of what she saw then it would be possible to play it back in her memory files.
"I didn't see anything odd mistress." Chachamaru replied much to the vampiress's dismay.
Kotaro blushed deeply as Chizuru held his hand while they walked together as if they were brother and sister. This was no way for him to be seen, especially by Negi. What would the young magi say if he saw him being treated like a little child? He wouldn't stand for it! Kotaro turned to Chizuru quickly and said, "Look Chizu-nechan! It's about time that you stopped treating me like...er..." He lost his flare when Chizuru cocked her head to the side curiously with a loving look on her face. He felt himself blush and tried to go on. "...I'm t-trying to say...that..."
"You look so cute, blushing like that Kotaro!" The well-endowed girl squealed tenderly before taking the boy in to a hug that allowed him to confirm just how gifted her assets were...not that he really cared! This wasn't the sort of thing he was in to at all!
"L-let me go already!" Kotaro yelled, but to his dismay it sounded more like a strangled plea. He started to squirm in her arms but he paused when a distant look came upon Chizuru's face.
"Who is that?" She said in a questioning tone. Kotaro worked his way around her chest to turn his head and see who she was talking about. Negi walked slowly as he tried to steady himself and froze again when he looked to the side and saw Chizuru and Kotaro looking at him in the distance. Before a look of recognition could flash across Kotaro's face, Negi had already started to make tracks and disappeared in to the crowd.
"That guy looks really familiar." Kotaro observed aloud before saying his last words quietly. "And I could feel power coming off of him like crazy."
"He kind of looks like Negi-kun!" Chizuru exclaimed absent-mindedly. "Maybe sensei has some family on campus? How nice!"
"...I doubt it."
"Chamo is going to have a ball with this one." Negi muttered woefully, looking up to the sky as he walked on through the crowd.
"Hey Ako! What's up with that big thing on your shoulders? I thought we weren't doing any festival stuff until later!" Yuna called out to Ako when she saw her up ahead of her and Akira. "Wait up will ya'?" She gestured for Akira to follow her and they jogged up to Ako.
"It's for practice!" Ako replied shyly as she gestured to the bass guitar in the case. "Kakizaki and the others invited me to play in their band so...I'm in. Heh, heh."
"Yeah! I remember you saying something about that. Gawd, I'm jealous!" Yuna joked with a grin. "I'd play too but I suck with instruments."
"That's alright." Ako suddenly felt herself falling off balance. "I-I swear, this thing is so h-heavy!" Yuna and Ako tried to reach for her in time but to no avail-
"Whoa!" Negi grunted when he felt something bump in to him. He looked down to see who it was and asked, "Are you okay Ako?"
"Huh, um yeah." Ako replied, turning to see who caught her. When she saw Negi her entire world started to focus on nothing but him alone. She felt her legs go weak and her heart skip a beat. Her face burned up and no words would leave her mouth in fear that all that would come out would be blubber.
"You're in a band, huh?" Negi asked when his eyes fell upon the guitar case that was still against him. He helped her get her feet back on the ground and waved them all good-bye. "That's great! I'll be sure to come bye, okay?" And with those words he walked away. Akira looked to Ako with a questioning look and cried out excitedly.
"That guy! That really cute guy! Who is he?!"
"I-I don't know." Ako replied faintly, her hand still at her cheek.
"Don't lie! He totally called you by your first name!"
"He looked familiar." Akira mused as she watched Negi walk away. The cheerleading squad walked out of the Starbooks with drinks in their hands and Misa saw Negi pass by. It was like her whole world was rocked at first sight.
"Hey!" Misa nudged Sakurako to get her attention, almost making her drop her drink in the process. "Get a load of him!" She whispered to her fiercely.
"Wh-what?" The startled girl asked uneasily before feasting her eyes on Negi as well. "Who...is that?" Sakurako asked dreamily.
"H-He's c-cute." stammered Madoka, in a similar daze. The cheerleaders kept their eyes on Negi until they felt a breeze pass behind them and saw Asuna running in Negi's direction for all she was worth. Seconds later they saw the red-head deliver a flying kick to the back of Negi's head and sent him flying. (Love Hina style)
"What's the big deal ditching me like that jerk?!"
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Back at Asuna's dorm...
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"I-I'm telling you the truth Asuna-san!" Negi cried out, before shuffling to the side when he noticed how close Ku-Fei was sitting beside him. "She chased me out of the shrine. I think she's spying on me!"
"...So you're telling me that there are more wizards on campus now?" Asuna asked, massaging her temples. "How does this Takane girl know you in the first place? Why didn't you tell me anything about this until now?"
"I didn't think she was..." Negi paused when Ku-Fei appeared to be right beside him again. "Master Ku?"
"Yes disciple?" the Chinese girl asked as she nuzzled his arm.
"C-can you move over a little? It's getting sort of..." He trailed off when he realized that the other girls were sitting on the same couch him and Ku-Fei were on, making it impossible for her to move over. He opted for standing up much to the girl's disappointment and opened the jar on the table beside Chamo and Chachazero.
"Which one of these reverses the effect Chamo-kun?" He asked desperately.
"The blue ones aniki." Chamo answered. Negi nodded and popped a blue one in his mouth, reverting back to his young self in a puff of smoke. "Mmmm, cotton candy flavors." The young magi said with a grin. Kazumi, Ku-Fei, Konoka and Kaede all whined at the disappearance of his older persona and crossed their arms with pouts on their faces. Makie was out practicing her dance routine for the festival and the Library pair headed back to do their shift.
"Anyway, as I was saying before, I didn't think she would be watching my every move." Negi walked over to Asuna unsteadily due to the large clothes that were practically falling off of him. "I don't know what to do next time I see Takane. She might've already figured out that it was me she was chasing."
"She can't do anything unless she has proof." Setsuna assured him. "As long as she doesn't get a confession out of you or find these aging pills you're in the clear." Setsuna leaned against the door frame with a nod and went on, "Don't worry. I'm sure the headmaster wouldn't be mad about you going out there looking like an adult as long as you don't do anything wrong."
"But...just for a second...could you grow up again?!" Konoka squealed cutely. "You looked sooooo cute!"
"I don't want to waste these!" Negi declined. "Chamo spent most of my savings on this!" He turned an annoyed glare on the ermine. "Right?"
"W-well. These weren't exactly cheap." Was Chamo's lame excuse.
"Eva-san might be getting impatient master. We should head home." Chachazero suggested.
Negi knew that this might be true. Especially when he basically ran out on her during their breakfast together...which might not have been enjoyable regardless since they were having such an awkward conversation. The best thing to do now would be to take the jar of pastilles back to Eva's with him. There would be no suspicion if he kept them in the residence of an all-powerful vampire as opposed to a student's dormitory. Negi looked to the girls who were watching him intently and decided that it would be best to take his leave, but not before getting his normal clothes from the bathroom. When he was done getting dressed he stashed the clothes that the girls bought him in a bag and stuffed the jar inside as well.
"I'll be going now." Negi announced, perching Chachazero on his head. He turned to Asuna and felt terrible that he wasn't able to help her enough to get her confident for Takamichi. "Um, Asuna-san."
"What is it Negi-bozu?" Asuna asked him with a hint of anger in her voice.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't much of any help."
"...I guess it wasn't really your fault anyway." The red head retorted with a sigh. "Take care."
"But before I go...I just want to say that I think you already have the confidence to face Takamichi. You don't need any practice dates because you already have it in you." Negi patted her hand with a smile. "Besides, how can Takamichi possibly say no to someone like you?" Asuna blushed at his words, but she turned away so he wouldn't see it.
"J-just go already!"
"A-alright!" Negi headed to the door and left the dorm room without another word.
"Negi is quite the charmer, huh?" Konoka teased Asuna.
"Whatever..."
Evangeline's Residence...
Unrequited love was the last chapter of Evangeline's life just before she was imprisoned on the grounds of Mahora campus. It was perhaps the only thing that usually filled the chibi-vampires thoughts other than her evil schemes and for her to see a ghost of her past appear before her, even for a few seconds was enough to bring her down. Nagi was the only person in Evangeline's life that was able to make her feel unsure of her actions and thoughts. He could turn her world upside down if he wanted to and just as easily set her back on her feet. At least that is how she thought of him. No moment in her life ever felt so welcoming and sweet as the moments she spent with Nagi Springfield.
"Why did you go on and leave me here you damn fool." Evangeline questioned the air darkly as she whirled the wine in her glass. She would have given the world for him to be by her side and all he did was spurn her love simply because he didn't want anyone to hold him down...or at least that was his excuse for always avoiding her. At the beginning when he saved her from falling to her death she believed that it was a simple crush that she developed but in time she grew to love his personality and who he was. He was carefree and able to face his problems on his own two feet without making decisions he would regret. But most of all she loved him for his ability to accept anything regardless of how tainted or meager it was.
"How ironic that it would be your son of all people to become my homeroom teacher. Oh no, but the irony doesn't end there." Evangeline took a long drink from her glass and sighed. "How ironic that it would be your own son who could make me feel this way again. I haven't felt so excited all my life as the day he wanted to become my disciple. For him to become something that I can call my own."
There was a ripple in the dimension and Chachamaru stepped in to the resort with Negi beside her. She lead Negi to Evangeline, who was sitting on the sand near the shore in her adult form and announced, "Negi-kun has arrived mistress." Negi felt a doom feeling when Evangeline simply took a sip of her wine and dismissed Chachamaru with a few flicks of her wrist.
"Shall I get you something to drink Negi-kun?" Chachamaru offered Negi before she left him alone with the vampiress.
"I'm fine. Thanks Chachamaru."
"Y-you are welcome." With that, Chachamaru dismissed herself with a bow. Negi stood where Chachamaru left him, regarding his master silently. There was something about the way she behaved in her older form that made her seem like a tragic character. In her normal form she was mischievous, blunt, and down right evil but something about her now didn't express those qualities...as much. Right now she looked calm and somewhat inviting yet at the same time a bit melancholy.
"So, are you going to just stare at me all day?" Evangeline asked him, still keeping her gaze on the body of water before her. "Sit with me."
"Yes master." Negi obeyed and sat down beside her on the sand. He tried not to take notice of the fact that the only thing she really had on was her underwear and her cloak. Evangeline wasn't really the type to mind wearing so little. She'd been living in this world far too long to worry about trivial little things such as nudity, however, she still did have her pride and dignity.
"Something funny happened to me today." Evangeline started off, her voice lacking her usual spark of mischief.
"What?" Negi inquired.
"I could've sworn that I saw your father." Evangeline set down her empty wine glass on the sand and chuckled. "I was just walking through the festival area with Chachamaru and before I know it he's standing before me. Do you know what I did Negi?" She asked him as she finally turned her head to regard him.
"W-what did yo do?" This was the first time she spoke his name in such a friendly fashion and it kind of unsettled him, however, that wasn't the only reason he was feeling a little fidgety. He also realized that she was talking about him from earlier. Should he tell her the truth? What would she do to him if she found out he was running around campus looking like his father? He was having some trouble deciding whether it would be a good idea or not to tell her anything regarding the practice date and the aging pills, but the way she was looking at him right now with such dull eyes made him feel a little down himself.
"I did nothing." Evangeline replied simply. "He was standing there and I just felt my legs go weak. I was petrified on the spot. I made no movement, no action; even my mind came to a sudden halt for a moment." Evangeline's eyes started to lose their life again and she bowed her head slightly. "I don't understand why. I wonder what would have happened if I attempted to reach him at all. Would he have awaited me or would he have ran away again? Something tells me that I wasn't staring at some illusion." Evangeline leaned over to Negi and asked, "So do you think I'm weak Negi? I want you to be honest with me."
"Of course not!" Negi answered.
Evangeline finally smirked. "What would you have done?"
"If what?"
"If you were in my situation. Would you have gone to him?"
"I'd like to say that I would but I wouldn't be sure unless I was there." Negi replied hesitantly. "I mean...I haven't seen him in so long. Sometimes I wonder if he's even still alive."
"So you think it was just a figment of my imagination?" The vampiress asked, leaning a little closer to Negi much to her disciple's rising discomfort. She only came so close for two things and that was to bite him for a drink or to mess with him. Inwardly he preferred the latter because the first one always left him a little tired depending on where she was sucking the blood from. A bite from her to the neck made him feel a sensation he couldn't describe but he felt a complete loss of energy after she was done while a bite to the arm or his fingers felt ticklish and tingly. Now if he weren't so preoccupied about thinking how he would prepare himself for what would happen next he would have answered her question.
"Are you listening?" Evangeline asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Um, yeah. I'm listening."
"Then answer my question."
"Well...you see." Negi swallowed hard and fidgeted with his fingers. "It wasn't a figment of your imagination. What you saw was real." The look on his master's face was simply priceless. Evangeline had a look of utter confusion plastered on her lovely features from hearing what Negi had told her. He wasn't even there with her when she saw Nagi and yet he has the audacity to say that what she saw was not an illusion so confidently? It was funny; no it was just ridiculous and yet at the same time she wished his words rang true.
"That's a response I wasn't expecting to hear at all." Evangeline said with a grin. "I'm wondering if I need another drink just to help me digest those odd words that just came out of your mouth. How could you possibly tell me that he was real so seriously when you weren't even around?"
"...Actually I was."
Evangeline blinked...
"You were? Where?!" Evangeline got on all fours and crawled to him until she was practically hovering over him. Negi fought to keep his eyes from wandering over her breasts, which were almost touching his face and laid back on the sand with no escape. "Yeah, that's right. I forgot to inquire about where you went earlier this morning didn't I?"
"W-well...you see..." Negi's voice was a mere squeak. So low to the point that Evangeline had to turn her head to the side and lean down even lower before saying, "Speak up! I can't hear you if you're speaking at the level of a mere mouse."
"I was at Asuna's dorm to see her." Negi replied a little louder.
"You went to see her, huh?" Evangeline's eyes narrowed and she faced him again. "So you're telling me that you ditched me on our breakfast to see her? Quite the gentlemen you are Mr. Springfield! I'm not sure whether to be disappointed or simply a little hurt to hear this."
"Yo-you're not letting me finish! It was a little emergency!"
"An emergency? Just what was this little 'emergency', hmm?" Evangeline started to scowl. "Was the girl in danger? Was she failing a class and you were there to tutor her? I can understand if those girls told you that she was being rushed to the hospital and you just wanted to be there for the blood."
"No, no! She was having some trouble doing something."
"Be specific with this "something" as you see fit to call it."
"She wanted to go on a date with Takamichi so-" Evangeline started to sweat drop when she heard him say that. At the moment she wasn't sure where he was going with this but it was starting to sound like it wasn't holding any water. What was he doing, playing matchmaker?! Was he sending messages between the two or something?
"...Er...go on." Evangeline lead him on.
"Asuna wanted to go on a date with Takamichi so Chamo-kun, "Negi saw the vampiress's eye twitch when he mentioned the ermine's name, "figured that it would be a great idea if I took her out on a practice date to boost her confidence!"
"Dating a boy who is four years younger that you doesn't boost your confidence boya." Evangeline said skeptically. "Unfortunately for you, your story holds no water at all. Do I appear to be a fool?"
"I'm not finished!"
"Go on if you really believe that it's necessary." Evangeline sighed, rolling her eyes.
"So I said, no way! I didn't think it would boost her confidence to date me either but he suddenly brought out this jar filled with aging pastilles."
Evangeline quirked an eyebrow...
"And he made me eat one. It turned me in to an older teenager! I mean, I was taller, stronger and my voice was much deeper too! It was like I actually skipped a few years in a mere two minutes!" Negi started to get consumed in his own explanation. Evangeline on the other hand was starting to feel that there was some truth to this story, keeping in mind that he mentioned some aging pills. "So after Kaede, and Makie are done getting me some clothes they send me out on a date with Asuna-san."
"You became a young man?" Evangeline's mind seemed to stay focused on that one bit of information.
"Er..yeah." Negi saw a strange twinkle in her eyes and he was starting to feel even more discomfort from practically being pinned to the ground by her. "So, uh, while I was dating Asuna we headed over to...a, er...shrine..." Negi wasn't sure if she was really listening to him anymore but he went on regardless. "...And Asuna said she needed to use the bathroom so I waited for her to come back. While I was waiting, this other mage named Takane Goodman caught up with me somehow."
"And what happened?"
"I think she kind of figured it was me so I distracted her and ran away. She tried to catch me but I reached the ledge of the shrine and I jumped back down to the campus festival grounds." He stopped when a look of realization washed over Evangeline's face and she licked her lips.
"So that was you? That "Nagi" was you?!"
"Y-yeah!"
"And you were planning on telling me...when?"
"...Um..."
"Just how long would you have waited if I didn't call you to have this conversation, hmm?"
"I-I don't really...know."
"So I seriously just poured out my heart to you..." Evangeline placed a hand on his forehead and started jamming his head in to the sand with a cruel smirk. "...and you just sat there. You waited until I was at the peak of my momentary state of depression to reveal that you were the root of it all?!"
"I...am so...sorry." Negi apologized, wrapped both his hands around her wrist in an attempt to pull her hand off his forehead. He was sure that it was going to take a long time to get the sand out of his hair after she was done with him. He opened one eye when she suddenly stopped grinding his head in to the sand and saw a thoughtful expression on her face. She released his forehead and grinned at him mischievously.
"So tell me...do you still have those aging pills?"
"I brought them home with me." Negi didn't know how much he lifted Evangeline's spirits to hear that he called her house his home so casually.
"Why don't you pop one in to your mouth and show me how you look?"
"Are you serious?"
"I am." Evangeline stood up, placing her hands on her hips and looked down at him. "You owe me for ditching me earlier. I have the perfect idea on how you're going to make up for your rudeness."
"...How?"
Evangeline's solution...
Evangeline removed her bra and laid down on a towel while Negi opened the bottle of lotion he had in his hand. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was inwardly wondering why she didn't make him do a few hundred laps around the resort with some weights strapped to his legs. Instead the vampiress had him transform in to his older persona, wearing just his pants which meant he was bare chested, and lotion her body...wait a second, he didn't really register that part properly.
"Um...master?" Negi called to Evangeline in his new deep voice.
"Call me 'Mistress Eva'." The vampiress corrected him.
"...Okay. Um, Mistress Eva?"
"Yes Negi?"
"You just want me to do your back right?" He asked hopefully.
"Not just my back. I want you to do my legs, my feet, my arms, and my stomach." Evangeline turned her head to look at him with an evil smirk and asked, "Is that going to be hard for you?"
"N-n-no." Negi stammered.
"I also want you to massage me while you're at it."
"...Okay."
"Go easy on me...it's my first time." Evangeline teased.
"S-seriously?!"
"That's right." Evangeline replied. "It's not like anyone would want to touch a blood sucking vampire."
"...I can't believe it. I mean...you've been alive for a long time right?!"
"Yeah..."
"And no one has given you a massage?"
"No."
"Have you ever heard of a massage parlor?"
"What part don't you understand about me never getting a massage?!"
"Well...I've never gotten on either." Negi said out of the blue.
Silence...
"Are you serious?" Evangeline questioned in disbelief.
"W-well, yeah. It's not like I have Chachamaru around! Why don't you ever ask her?"
"She's a robot designed mainly for combat. The last thing I need is for her to activate one of her weapons by mistake and slice me in half."
"...Oh." was Negi's only response. He never really thought of it like that, but he wouldn't think of Chachamaru ever making such a mistake. She was a android of precision and limitless intelligence right? Hakase created her for crying out loud! Naturally Negi did nothing while all of this went through his mind so the vampiress started to grow impatient with the way he was neglecting her body.
"Hey-loh?!"
"I-I'm sorry Mas-"
"Mistress Eva."
"Mistress Eva!" Negi got down on his knees and proceeded to run his moist hand down her back. He could feel her shivering from the tingling sensation of his hands running through her skin. It was at the moment that Negi realized how different this was from scrubbing her back. She was actually allowing him to touch her. If only Asuna knew what Evangeline was having him do; she'd probably try to launch the chibi...well not so chibi at this moment, however, Asuna would still try to launch her in to orbit just the same.
"That feels nice..." Evangeline purred, causing Negi's entire body to go crimson. She felt him waver a little in his services and moaned, "Don't stop now!"
"Y-yes Mistress Eva!" Waterfalls were threatening to flow from Negi's eyes. There was something so wrong about all of this but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it the way she regarded him when she saw him in his adult form or was it simply the level of excitement she was suddenly filled with at the thought of this 'punishment'? Maybe it was just him but at this point his mind was completely jumbled up with foreign emotions that perplexed him to no end. He could really tell that the vampiress was genuinely enjoying this from the way she shivered in pleasure and her light moans. He was tempted to snatch his hands away from her skin and faint.
Evangeline was in pure blissful heaven at the moment. She trembled with pleasure at Negi's very touch. His hands were so large and soft which was something she felt she'd never find in one package and yet here she had it in the form of her own disciple. Now if only he wasn't so hesitant about his activities. She knew he wasn't putting all of his effort in to because he had never touched her in such a way and naturally he would hold back in caution. She found it rather amusing in a way but at the same time her mind was formulating other ways to make use of Negi's new body...that wouldn't be too inappropriate mind you...at least not until much later when he was old enough.
Wait a second...what am I thinking? I doubt the boya would stay with me long enough to see him grow up. He'll eventually leave the campus when he's old enough... Evangeline found herself slightly disturbed at the thought of Negi leaving Mahora for good, but it was going to happen sooner or later since Negi was on his way to becoming a full fledged combat mage. He would want to travel all around the world much like his father did and recruit friends and companions. She didn't really think about it before but Negi could very well live to be just as much a hero as his father was. He would be defending towns and even cities from evil wizards just like her. People would hire him to take care of wyverns and other magical beast in the magic world and while all of this happened, where would she be?
"I might stay here for..." Evangeline stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at Negi. She was so lost in her thoughts that when she felt his hands on her again she almost jumped from the sudden sensation. Negi wouldn't leave her on campus while he did all his traveling would he? He wouldn't be so heartless as to leave her behind after all they've been through together, right? They had their up and downs but she was sure he thought of her as a friend and a master as well. "Hey boya?" She called to him.
"Yes Mistress Eva?"
"Do you remember your promise to me, the night of our duel on the bridge?"
"You mean when I saved you from falling in to the river?" Negi made sure to add that little detail, missing the scarlet hue that appeared briefly on her cheeks.
"Yeah...would you say it to me again?"
"S-sure...if you want. I promise that when I become a full fledged mage that I'll break the curse on you." Negi recited. He was confused when the vampiress broke out in to laughter. He didn't think that it was funny. Did she doubt him? "What's wrong, Mistress Eva?"
"Nothing, nothing." Evangeline assured him. "It's just good to hear those words." She felt his hand move down to her lower back. "Hey, you missed a spot on my upper back boya!"
"Wh-what? I passed my hands over your entire upper back like twice already!"
"Are you talking back to your mistress?" Evangeline asked with an edge in her voice.
"N-no Mistress Eva!"
"Then get to it!"
Chachamaru looked in the fridge and cocked her head to the side when she found that there was nothing to cook for dinner, nor was there anything to cook for breakfast. It seemed that since there were two consumers in the house now that the food supply was being depleted at a faster rate which was quite natural since a growing vampire was one of those consumers. Chachamaru figured that she could go about this a few ways. She could have Evangeline and Negi just join her for breakfast and Satsuki's tomorrow or she could head over to the Mahora market and buy some groceries, with Negi of course. That would give her more than enough time to enjoy his company. All she had to do was say something along the lines of, "I am going to the market now. Do you require anything Negi-kun?", and he would reply, "How about I go with you?"
"Yes. I believe that is exactly what will happen." Chachamaru said to herself with a nod. Now if only she could find a way to part Chachazero from him. The puppet had already developed a strong attachment to the young magi. This was natural for the sadistic puppet since her last master was a female and switching over to a male master would intrigue her. Sometimes Chachamaru wondered how life would be if Negi were her master...ahem...
Chachamaru slowly went to the door of the kitchen and poked her head out to find Negi sitting at the couch in his normal state again with Chachazero bouncing in his lap like a giddy little child. She wasn't sure what the puppet told Negi but it caused him to laugh and that didn't sit well with the android much at all. If there were any chance she had to have Negi accompany her it would be now. Evangeline just might decide to come out of her room at any minute and force Negi to amuse her again. That would get in the way of her plans.
"I am going to the market now. Do you require anything Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked.
"Well...how about I go with you?" Negi offered. Chachamaru inwardly pumped her fist in the air at his response at her cleverness. That went almost as precise as she expected. She sensed a little hesitance in his voice but that didn't seem to effect his decision much. Chachamaru, however, forgot to count on one thing happening and that was for a certain puppet to say-
"Can I come with you master Negi?!"
And for Negi to reply-
"Of course Chachazero." Negi perched her on his head as usual and gave Chachamaru a thumbs up to inform her that he was ready to roll. The android paused for a moment to gather this data so she would find a way around the "Chachazero factor" next time she would have Negi accompany her with something. From the way her tactical systems responded from the received data it looked like she was going to have some trouble with this one.
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At Mahora Campus market...
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Mei stole another glance at Takane who had her head slightly hung and deduced that the blonde magistress failed at yet another attempt to get information out of Negi Springfield. Ever since the first spoke with Takamichi about the young magi, Takane had been all over him like bees to honey. Sometimes she wondered if Takane was really doing this to make Gandolfini proud or to satisfy her own guilty pleasures. Maybe she got a really kick out of forcing herself in to unnecessary missions. Honestly she really didn't care. Right now the only thing that was on her mind was buying some food that they could take to their dorm to eat.
"Hey onesan?" Mei called to her distant superior.
No response...
"Hello? Takane-san?"
"What?!" Takane suddenly cried out, causing Mei to flinch in fright. Takane realized what she had done and recomposed herself before asking calmly, "What is it Mei?"
"Aren't you going to pick anything to eat?"
"Just get me some instant stuff. I don't really mind." Was Takane's answer before she went on autopilot again with the shopping cart. Unlike Mei, food was not the one thing on her mind right now. At the moment her mind was formulating little scenarios that she could follow the next time she crossed paths with her clever equal, Negi. Well, at least she thought of him as her equal to be able to outsmart her every time she tried to have him in her clutches. Takane wasn't naive, not at all. She was perhaps the only one, besides the girls who saw Negi transform, who knew the true nature of the "Nagi" double. She was very much aware that she was facing Negi up at the shrine earlier in the afternoon.
"How was he able to get his hands on such magic?" Mei heard Takane question softly.
"What onesan?"
"W-what?!" Takane cried out when Mei pulled her out of her stupor again.
"S-stop doing that!"
"I'm thinking her Mei. Do you mind?"
"I'm sorry, but do you have to be so loud?"
Negi walked beside Chachamaru while she pushed the cart around and looked around just to make sure nobody was spying on him. Ever since that Takane girls showed up around campus, Negi had been a little more careful about where he went. This was especially true when he was aware that people like the blonde magistress were now around monitoring his every move just to catch him whenever he did something considered wrong. She could pop up anywhere and this was the main reason he was a little hesitant about going out at this time. He stopped walking when he realized that Chachamaru stopped beside the condiment rack to stock up on some things.
"Do you need any help Chachamaru?" Negi asked.
"Could you reach the salt on the bottom rack Negi-kun?" Chachamaru asked, pointing to the bottom. She could reach it herself but she knew that Negi wanted to help her out so she wasn't going to deprive him of such satisfaction. Negi nodded and grabbed the salt for her before handing it over. "Would you like anything in particular Negi-kun? The price doesn't really matter to me."
"Um, no. I'm fine Chachamaru."
"I insist Negi-kun? Do you eat cereal?"
"Sometimes."
"Miso soup?"
"Y-yeah."
"Then please get whatever you wish." Chachamaru told him with a slight bow of her head. She figured that this would be the best way to understand Negi's tastes. When she collected all the data she required she would be able to buy him whatever he liked whenever he ran out of it. This way she could surprise him on days when he least expected to eat his favorite dish. Maybe she could even make him bento boxes for school whenever he was hungry for lunch after a long morning of teaching. To say that Chachamaru was on a roll would be a complete understatement. She knew she had competition amongst the girls in her class and she wasn't planning on failing to win Negi's attention. Chachazero on the other hand was able to do such a thing without even trying and this only served to annoy the android.
"Let's go get some noodle master Negi. It is your favorite right?" Chachazero asked Negi.
"That's right!" Negi replied cheerfully.
"Then onwards!" Chachamaru pulled out her blade and used it as a charging signaler. Negi nodded and went on, leaving Chachamaru behind and turned at the corner to come face to face with Mei and Takane. For this to happen ever so often was beginning to work on Negi's nerves. It never failed! All he had to do was turn a corner and Takane would fins some way to be there waiting for him. Chachazero narrowed her eyes at the pair and fought the urge to launch her at the blonde magistress. She didn't like Takane at all.
Takane saw Negi freeze in place when their eyes met and a devious smile crossed her lips. What were the odds of her crossing paths with him again? It was as though fate was guiding her to meet Negi whenever she least expected it. "What a pleasure to see you again Negi-sensei. How have you been?"
"Fine." Negi replied. He figured that if he used short responses that the conversation would end just as shortly. "And yourself?"
"I'm doing quite fine. Thank you." Takane remembered that Mei and Negi had never formally met and introduced her. "Negi, meet my underling, Mei. She's sort of like my little sister in training."
"Good evening, Negi-sensei."
"Good evening to you Mei-san." Negi greeted her back. "This is my partner Chachazero." Negi motioned to his familiar.
"Charmed." Chachazero said coldly.
"Let's tone down on the sort of stuff, huh? " Takane said quietly. "we don't want to expose our true nature to the students right?"
"I guess you're right." Negi said with a nod.
"Negi-kun?" Chachamaru called to him as she strolled beside him with the shopping cart. "Who are you speaking to?"
"Ahh. She was with you when we first bumped in to each other wasn't she?" Takane observed with a grin.
"That is correct. I remember you as well." Chachamaru replied in Negi's place. "You are a mage, correct?"
"So you know about the wizarding world as well?"
"I am partly a production of the magic world." Chachamaru replied, catching Takane off guard.
"A production you say?" Takane asked hesitantly.
"I am an android." Chachamaru replied.
"Everybody who know her can tell." Negi added, making Takane feel even worse for not noticing. This was a really weird campus for them to be allowing androids to study as well.
"So are you Negi-sensei's guardian?"
"I am his friend." Chachamaru answered.
"His friend?"
"That's what she said. Can't you hear anything we're telling you?" Chachazero asked bluntly.
That little puppet is much more aware than I figured it would be. Takane thought darkly before turning her attention away from Chachazero. If she was going to get Negi to take her in as a friend then she was going to have to get him alone. That way she'll be able to gain his trust and extract information from him in the process. It would all go so smoothly!
"You know Negi, I believe we haven't had much time to talk with each other. You know, get to know each other." Takane began with a welcoming smile. "Are you going to be busy tomorrow?"
"Well...I don't know." Negi replied hesitantly. Something about the way Takane was speaking to him was getting him a little suspicious. "I might be."
He senses that something is amiss...I'm really starting to develop an interest in Mr. Negi here. Takane thought to herself. "Well, if you're not then why don't you join me for lunch tomorrow. It'll be my treat, huh?"
"Where at?"
"There's this mobile food stand tha-"
"You mean Chao's restaurant?" Negi clarified for her.
"I-I think so." Takane replied, not expecting to be cut off like that.
"...I'll see if I can make it."
"Very well then!" Takane exclaimed as she clasped both of her hands together. "I hope to see you there at around one o' clock. I'll be waiting for you there so please don't leave me there alone."
"I wouldn't think of it." Negi assured her with a grin, causing the girl to blush. His vampiric charms was working it's magic on Takane and he didn't even realize it.
"We should hurry Negi-kun. The mistress might be hungry by now."
"Alright." Negi complied before turning back to Takane and Mei. "It was nice to meet you Mei-san."
"L-likewise Negi-sensei." Mei replied shyly with a blush of her own.
"Take care Takane-san."
"I will see you tomorrow Negi-sensei." Takane watched as Negi and Chachamaru walked away and fidgeted with her hands nervously. "Maybe I should've asked him to come as a man."
To be continued...
And the plot thicken...sort of. I hope you enjoyed!
To MakoEyes 13: I'm not sure if this helps on Evangeline's character, but I just try to make her as cruel as possible while incorporating a little mischief. I can't make her pure evil or I'll ruin her entire personality; She has her soft side for Negi as you can see in the Manga...anyway, I hoped that helped!