Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless, Kouga Yun does.
Woohoo! Finally the weekend, and to top it off, I've updated!
Thanks so much to klagana1, xXMewzikLuverXx, Vampirelle, izzy, Rikka-sama for the reviews, you keep me writing!
Also, upon Vampirelle's request, I have elongated this chapter by about 3-4 pages. (Please let me know if you like the length better this way, or if you want it shorter or longer)
Lastly, I HAVE A POLL UP! I am giving you, YES YOU, the right to choose whether Soubi and Ritsuka fail or pass the exam. I have a plot for both, but want you to pick how the plot plays out. The poll will most likely remain open till the later parts of the exam, but the sooner you vote, the sooner I can plan out what will happen!
Okay, moving on, here is the latest chapter, Enjoy!
Ch. 5: The Written Test of Doom!
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The fighters had almost wrapped up taking the exams, Soubi finished quickly and easily consider he was the ideal fighter and stared out the window, continuing to wonder how Ritsuka was fairing. He wasn't sure what kind of prompter he had received or anything regarding the other half of the participants' exams for that matter.
"Alright then everyone, the hour is up, you are now dismissed, you need to go back to your rooms immediately because your sacrifices had a late start and will be leaving later than originally planned. The names of units moving on to the next portion of the exam will be posted at 10 p.m. tonight in front of the northern corridor. If there are no questions…then you may all go." The fighting units' prompter smiled kindly, she was too sweet, which created confusion among the participants of why she became a prompter.
After she finished her speech, the classroom full of fighter units filed out, Soubi trudging out as one of the last ones to exit. 'I won't get to see Ritsuka for awhile.' The blonde adult thought as he sighed.
"Hey Soubi….Soubi….Soubi…Soubi!" a red haired teen approached him.
Soubi continued to ignore the blaring child and kept walking back to his temporary estate.
"Hey Soubi, how do you think our sacrifices are doing. Youji isn't very good at tests, but Ritsuka is so he might do well, and he was studying…." Natsuo continued blathering on, while the sapphire-eyed grownup tuned him out.
The two proceeded down the hall, while the young boy continued jabbering about the test. Soubi had a feeling the other refused to stop talking just to irritate him, but also assumed it was because Youji was still in the testing room and Natsuo felt slightly lonely.
"..and so, yeah, I'm a little worried because I heard Ryota Takeo was the prompter."
Soubi immediately came to a halt and looked at the other in disbelief; his usually apathetic appearance altered instantly, "Who?"
"Some guy named Ryota Takeo, why?"
Soubi shuddered, Takeo-sensei, as he had referred to him so long ago, was the epitome of mental sadism. He twisted phrases and adjusted wordings so well, he was known to drive people to insanity.
"Soubi, hello? Who is he?"
Soubi once again ignored the others questions and headed off in the other direction. He needed to find Ritsuka, he didn't care if they didn't pass the exam, Takeo was too brutal and Soubi feared for his sacrifices wellbeing.
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Ritsuka had managed the first three problems of the test, but it seemed they progressively got harder and harder, so difficult, that Ritsuka was struggling gravely. He peered up at the clock, it had been 25 minutes since the test had originally been administered. Ritsuka continued his gaze from the clock, to the rest of the room, he scanned over the students, the higher ups, and most of all, his prompter. Ryota Takeo terrified him, his bulk, his voice, his presence, he screamed savagery. Takeo had matched Ritsuka's gaze and the neko immediately dropped his eyes back to his paper. He looked over the forth problem of the exam and then rethought about the process.
'If we start off with a perfect score…and get deducted points for each one we don't do…and each time we get caught cheating...caught…by saying caught he insinuates that cheating is necessary for the exam; but…if that's the case, how do I not get caught?' Ritsuka continued thinking about the issue, but eventually lost all hope. He lifted his gaze from the paper and depressingly glanced at his surroundings. Tears began to well up as he thought about how he had failed as Soubi's sacrifice and how he would have to spend the rest of his life with someone he didn't want, didn't care about, and didn't love.
'Of course I wouldn't love him, after all I am Loveless.'
As Ritsuka's tears persisted down his face, Takeo snickered to himself. He was waiting for the first one of them to break down, and whom better than the Loveless sacrifice.
"You have half an hour left on this portion of the exam, those of you who have received zeros for cheating, you will be dismissed now with a failing result of the test."
The participants looked up in shock, some of them were going to be disqualified before the exam for even over.
Takeo did a once around the room, picking up the paper the higher ups placed the marks for cheating on.
"If I call your seating number, you will get up without complaint, head back to your dorm, and inform you other half of the results, " he looked up menacingly, proving the point that his word was in fact law, and then looked down at the papers and proceeded, "Number 34…"
A boy in the back of the room stood up, he looked about 17 and on the verge of tears. He walked quietly, his head hanging low and lumbered out, his weeps heard on the other side of the door once he left.
Takeo simply smiled a cryptic grin, and started speaking again, "Number 72, 18, 36, 4, 3, 7, 68, 45…"
One by one the exam takers sulked out of the room, overcome by failure, yet Takeo continued smiling cynically, and read each of the number without regard for anyone's feelings.
Ritsuka stared incredulously at the prompter as the others left the room.
"Number nine, leave." Takeo responded coldly.
"But I didn't cheat!"
"My word is law, you are on the list. Leave." Takeo repeated intimidating the rest of the students.
Ritsuka stood infuriated, "I told you I did cheat! I don't give a shit what the paper says! I don't care what you say, and I certainly don't believe you word is what you make it out to be!," the neko shouted, "I didn't cheat once and I plan on completing this test and passing it with top marks.!"
The room was silenced, disbelief on everyone faces, including that of Youji, who would normally find this sort of situation amusing.
"My word is law, do you oppose it." A threatening voice retorted back.
"I only oppose what's not truthful." Ritsuka stood firm. He was terrified, which was easily noted in his trembling hands, but he was going to pass this exam if it killed him. He would stand his ground for freedom, for himself, and most of all…Soubi.
"Number nine, what is your name?"
"Ritsuka Aoyagi."
"Your real name?"
"Ritsuka Aoyagi." The raven haired boy replied bluntly and directly, staring straight into Takeo's eyes.
Takeo was taken aback by the boy's courage and content of his statement, but regained composure.
"Number nine, be seated, Lee," he directed his attention to one of the higher ups, "Retrieve his test."
The man who he was referring to then walked up to Ritsuka's desk and took the test from him.
"Hey, wh.."
"You refuse to follow my orders, you have failed to corporate with the rules of the test, therefore it was taken from you."
Ritsuka stared at him wordlessly and slumped back down into his seat.
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Ritsuka had a sullen presence while he waited for the final minutes of the test to tick away.
Finally, the hour mark was reached, and Takeo spoke again for the first time since his verbal duel with the Loveless sacrifice.
"Everyone put down you pencils and leave immediately, your fighters are waiting for you. The results of those who will move on will be posted at 10 p.m. in the northern corridor. Dismissed."
Everyone, too afraid to spend an extra second with the assumed sadist, left vigorously and as quickly as possible, including the higher ups; all but one. Ritsuka remained unmoved, he was still slumped in his seat, his eyes foggy, his mind somewhere distant, when Takeo walked up to the other side of the table to throw him out.
"You're quite a stubborn one."
Ritsuka snapped out of his reverie, "One could say the same about you."
Takeo was shocked, he had known people had thought this way about him, but no one even stated it directly to his face.
"Why did you put my name on the list of cheaters?"
"Some I feel are not cut out need to be removed, and obviously from your outburst, you cannot handle situations in this world very well. Obviously your fighter is ashamed of you"
Ritsuka knew Takeo only said these harsh words to get him to leave, so the child stood and headed toward the door, as his hand hovered above the handle, he turned his head back, "Believe what you wish Takeo, but as a sacrifice, we give orders, not take them."
"Why do you think this?"
"The school's beginner book of sacrificial duties, chapter 5 section 2 page 247." Ritsuka admitted, losing his tough façade.
Takeo attempted to stifle his laughter and waited for the boy to continue his answer.
"I believe I spoke for myself as well as my fighter. I don't want to give orders, but I will stand up against them. I don't want any lies or unfairness."
"Such a childish response."
"It may be Ryota, but calling out random number to see who was willing to leave without a fight seems childish as well. Consider my words compared to your actions." After that, Ritsuka had left swiftly, leaving Takeo to his thoughts.
Takeo was taken aback once again by this boy once more; not only had he used his first name without any honorifics, but he had called him childish and stubborn to his face. 'Ritsuka Aoyagi. You're an interesting one.'
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Soubi had been waiting outside of the sacrifice testing room for a good 45 minutes. The other students had filed out long a few minutes ago, but Ritsuka still hadn't come out.
Soon enough though, the door creaked open, revealing his adorable sacrifice.
"Hello Ritsuka." The adult greeted pleasantly.
Ritsuka continued to stare at the ground, passing his fighter in a shameful manner. He may have had the confidence to stand up to Takeo, but Soubi was different. He entered the exam for the purpose of showing Soubi his strength and to leave the academy once and for all, but he failed, and now he had to explain that to the blonde-haired adult.
As Ritsuka walked down the halls, his fighter shadowed, not speaking, but silently observing his sacrifices distress.
They eventually reached their room after the drawn out lumber down the halls, and Ritsuka immediately flopped himself onto his bed and allowed the tears to flow freely into his pillow.
"Ritsuka." Soubi stated sympathetically, and approached him. He unattached the neko from the pillow gently and held him to his chest. The child allowed him arms to grasp the older man's waist and sobbed frantically into his shirt.
"Soubi. I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for Ritsuka."
"I do…I made a mistake and failed the exam so now you can't my fighter and it's all my fault and I don't know what to do and I'm sorry Soubi…" The boy broke down into a fit of hysterics.
"Shhhh…Ritsuka, you won't know you result till 10 tonight."
"But Takeo said…"
"Takeo is a very skilled psychologist who can break people down very easily…"
"You mean…I didn't fail…" the boy sniffled.
"Not yet you haven't." Soubi reassured.
"Soubi, thank you." Ritsuka hesitantly replied.
"You don't need to thank me Ritsuka," the adult then lifted the younger ones chin up and brushed their lips together sweetly, "I love you Ritsuka."
"Soubi!" the child yelled while his face grew increasingly brighter.
Soubi kept one hand tight on the small of his back, preventing his sacrifice from getting to far away, and began trailing kisses along Ritsuka's arm.
"Soubi…" the flustered boy squeaked.
"Yes?" the blue eyed counterpart asked in between kisses.
"St…stop.."
Soubi stopped his actions immediately and stared deeply into the amethyst eyes of his sacrifice.
"Did I provide a good enough distraction?"
"What?" the boy questioned.
Without answering, Soubi checked the clock.
"It seems it's not time yet, perhaps we should go get some food?"
Ritsuka then put two and two together, "Wait a minute. You just did all that in an attempt to distract me from concerning myself about the exams?!?"
"And to cheer you up." Soubi smiled.
"Pervert." Ritsuka mumbled.
Soubi's smiled transformed into a defined frown instantly, which made Ritsuka giggle.
Relieved to see the small boy happy, Soubi repeated his question, "Would you like food Ritsuka?"
"Um…no thanks…I'm not hungry …but a little tired…so wake me up later okay…" 'How can I eat when you just gave me butterflies?' Ritsuka thought, furthering his embarrassment.
"Yes master."
Ritsuka sighed, but despite his stress, he manage to fall asleep rather easily.
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"Ritsuka, they will be posting the results soon, you need to wake up."
The boy grumbled and rolled over, not fully comprehending what was being told to him.
"Ritsuka, if you don't want to go see the results, we can always stay here and do something much more eventful." Soubi teased as he caressed the neko's ears.
"Don't you try anything!"
Soubi chuckled, "Not unless you wanted me to, but shouldn't we be going?"
"Uh, yeah…" Ritsuka hopped out of bed, still groggy from his afternoon nap, grabbed Soubi's hand, and walked away.
They scuttled to the northern corridor and found a diminished crowd of participants hovering about the door.
"Soubi, go see if we made the list." Ritsuka said with uncertainty.
"Of course." Soubi let go of his sacrifice's hand momentarily and slid through the crowd to view the list, then in a very short amount of time, returned to Ritsuka side.
"How did we do?"
"We're on the list."
"Really?" Ritsuka asked shocked.
"Yes, the next part of the exam will begin tomorrow, so why don't we grab food and then go to sleep."
Ritsuka, now lost in thoughts, allowed himself to be pulled down the hall by the strong but warm grasp of him fighter.
'I passed. I actually passed, but Takeo….never mind him… I can't face failure now, I'm gonna try my best!' The younger one reflected in a very determined mood.
'Takeo only passed people that interest him. Ritsuka must have done something memorable.' The fighter chuckled as the two walked slowly, both thinking to themselves in a comfortable silence. The next perils seemed to have no affect on them, whatever danger was coming, they would let it, and established they would fight gallantly against it.
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Okay guys, that's the end of this part!
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