Here I am! I promised before to update once a week, and this is it! Hope you like it! There are going to be a few chapters about little Touga... he's adorable.

Million thanks again to my lovely, dear, wonderfull reviewers and their encouraging words.

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Chapter 2. Childhood Memories I: The professor

...therefore is obligatory to camouflage your scent wherever you go to, save for the private times shared with the members of your pack as scent is a fullproof way of discerning both the physical and emotional state of any youkai. Every and each person have their own unique scent which defines and identifies them; we, youkai, are able to know wether a person is lying or not by their scent. Of course, no noble or spy will ever show their natural scent; as it is, they will be able to lie succesfully by sublty manipulating the flow of both scent and aura. Only the most proficient of them will be able to actually hide the truth and the signs of emotional and physic stress without completely hiding their scent (or huge sections of it) which is very noticeable and instead be able to proyect whatever emotion they want you to see. Hmm, this is an ability you will perfect in time and... are you even listening to me?

Hiro's startling green eyes narrow threatingly as he spits out the words between clenched lips, unfortunately to the distressed professor, the object of his attention is much too preocupied with the object in his hands to react properly to what would have been a marvellous hissy fit. Pun entirely intended, being that Hiro, man with hair as black as night, inmaculate appearance and laidback actitude, is a neko youkai.

Although I suppose using hissy fit, wouldn't be at all correct, Hiro after all, is a renowned veteran of war, close friend of both the Lords of the West since many centuries ago and a youkai whose rage has sent soldiers fleeing while calling their mommies without all the additional effects of this particular rage attack, such as the previously mentioned hissing, spitting mad words and completely maddening increase of youki.

Not that the youth in question, that is, his completely unobservant, obnoxious, absentminded, hardheaded student would have the courtesy of feeling thorougly chastised, and more than a little frightened at having to face his teacher's wrath.

Touga, still fidling with the unknamed, unknown item in his hand, surreptitiously tries to hide it within his long sleeves, while inocently smiling and peaking between his lashes at his teacher with his suddenly very interested (Hiro snorts) eyes.

Hiro narrows his eyes even more, succeding in making them appear black slits in his pale face, and bites his next words:

-Touga...

Said pup raises the hand not acting as a hideout for his little item, and rubs the back of his head while chuckling nervously.

-Uh...

Exploding into an incoherent fit of rage, Hiro all but bellows.

-Touga!, give me that thing you obviously deem much more important that your studies right now!

The inuyoukai grins even more and has the gall to shake his head.

-I can't right know, Hiro-sensei, I haven't finished yet.

He whines.

He whines.

Touga is whining.

Whining!

Hiro can't see anything but red while he aproaches the youth, his evident fury all the more powerfull as evidenced by his appearance, or actually, the inability to actually take a look at him or his eyes (covered by his fringe) and see to what degree of madness he's descended right know. You might guess by looking at his mouth, curved in such a malicious expression that half the palace staff feels, even in the distance, their hairs standing on end.

Touga widens his eyes, eeps! and jumps from his seat to the floor and then all around the room while nicking the tiny source of his problems with his claws as quickly as he can.

-Tougaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

In a movement too quickly to be seen, HIro appears in front of the sneaky pup and just as he is about to deliver the:

A) I'm-about-to-tear-your-head-off-do-all-the-homework-I-give-you-and-pay-attention-or-else rant of hell

the:

B) Woe-is-me-I'm-only-trying-to-help-you-and-you-demean-me-so-sniff-sniff that makes Touga feel terribly guilty

or:

C) the announcement of Doom or I'm-going-to-call-you're-parents-and-you'll-see! complete with much snivelling and crying (on Touga's part).

Touga pulls out the big guns and Hiro stops in his tracks at the sight.

The child's big, big eyes, water and his full bottom lip starts trembling slightly. He is like the poster guy of Innocence, and if Hiro didn' t have as much experience as he does with the routine puppy eyes he would have felt almost, almost, ashamed of himself for thinking bad, bad things of his poor, innocent charge. As it is, he stands still, gathering all his willpower together at the sight of not any pair of puppy eyes, but The Puppy Eyes complete with sniffing sounds and quivering limbs.

Hiro, nonetheless, hasn't lost quite yet, so he starts to prepare himself to deliver the final blow when...

...directly in front of his nose appears a...statue of something made of stone portraying a cat. Touga doesn't wait for the shock to leave his teacher and strikes swift and true.

-D-d-don't you like it?

Hiro gazes at his pupil's face, now solemn as the tears dissapear as quickly as they came. He must tread carefully for Touga is no longer playing; he actually seems rather worried about his reaction.

Hiro takes the cat, and observes him carefully; It's made of precious black stone and modelled by the hands of his young charge, as evidenced by the tiny but sharp marks that give form to the statue. Instead of eyes, two jade stones with the symbol of the House, shine brilliantly replacing them and he is full of wonder, because imperial jade is a present fit for the imperials, and all stones of this precious material are sent to the Lords. Even more important, the jewels are marked by the Lords themselves, for none other have the ability to make a brand such as this, modelled by the acid both his Lord and his heir are gifted with. Being given something such as this is priceless, a symbol that identifies him as... pack of the young lord, as someone beloved by his prince and the throne. He clears his throat, moved and when he smiles it's something of beauty. -It's... wonderfull Touga, more than I would have expected... ever.

It's actually kind of embarrasing to feel tears forming in his eyes. He is after all, a cat between dogs, and altough he fought for the West in the Great War, he is still considered a stranger and is not accepted in many social circles.

Touga grins mischievously.

-And he's a pussy! just like you!

Hiro halts and chokes most unceremoniously, his eyes widen to enormous proportions and he tries to say in a sweet, even tone.

-...Touga darling...-tread carefully, tread carefully- I'd prefer if you wouldn't call me pussy and...

The inuyoukai performs (again) the outrageous Puppy Eyes.

With his lip trembling and his eyes full of tears, Touga stammers a question with the most hurtful, sad voice he can achieve.

-T-t-then-n, y-you, d-do'nt l-li-like i-it?

Hiro observes alarmed how Touga takes a deep breath readying himself to cry and as his eyes well with (fake) tears the neko hurriedly answers.

-No, Touga! It's wonderfull, I love this...-Hiro winces-pussy.

Inmediatly the tears dissapear and Touga smiles at him.

-I'm so glad! Pussies have to stick together!

Then, the pup flees trough the door, deeper into the palace.

Hiro laughs too as Touga's warm laugh drifts to him from the corridor; damned perceptive brat helping him out of his emotional moment... then he face-palms, when the Lords hear he actually called himself a pussy because of the gaki, he is never going to live it down.

Well, he smiles to himself while squeezing the cat in his hand, he'll survive.

He leaves the class whistling.

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