Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Monster Academy - Chapter 7: End of Term [complete]

[z-Resak]

“Too bad.” Resak’s tone hadn’t mitigated as he stared down at the frail-looking vampire kid. “I’m going to be doing patrols, you’re not going to be any help to me, and I’m not going to be responsible for keeping you safe. The dorms are safer than the grounds, since you can lock yourself in your dorm room. Also, an environment where monsters are used to being and acting human is a hell of a lot safer than in the open.” His words hadn’t reassured the youngling any, and Resak sighed heavily.

Why me? he wondered as he dug out his key. Because your parents raised you properly. “This is for my room. You can hide there. My roommate’s out here dealing with stuff, and he’s just a warlock anyway. Just don’t touch anything. You can sit on my side of the room, the right, and use the books or computer or eye-pod to play music, just don’t mess with anything else. The Endless Ice only knows what some of the stuff in his room would do to you. If Darrik gives you any shit, tell him you’re my guest and he can take it up with me if he has a problem. ‘Course, you mess with his shit and I’ll back anything he does to you. Got it?”

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi looked at the large man and bit his lip hearing although his tone was soft and kind, it was stil a refusal making the meek little energy sucker just tear up until he caught hold of the glistening piece of metal..."A key?"...He asked himself as he lokked back up hearimg that he could take shelter where a warlock was his roomate meaning he wouldn't be trapped with another virus striken person...

The vampire smiled a little feeling better that he was going to have a safe haven that he could most certianly trust at the moment..."T-Thank you...S-Sir"...The boy whispered still even though they had been around eachother before, he still didn't know his name...It also made him feel better to hear he could distract himself with books, musoic and a computers, which was very appealing to him since he enjoyed writing and reading...

Since the noble blood had been reclusive through his entire schooling days he had never tried to make friends, so he was extreemly unfarmilliar with this display of kindness causing the effect to be magnafied by twenty times, he then nodded and took off for the dorms and the room with the number matching the one on the key he was dangling in his hands...

[Karren Gaunt]

[envoy] 8:04 pm: sanity check for Yuuki time!

envoy *rolls* 2d6: 4+6+5: 15

[envoy] 8:05 pm: Dang.

A long pause as Yuuki physically recoiled from his arms, snorting as Kyohei's words tore home, face screwed up like the very picture of hurt rejection. Her hands squeezed into fists at her sides, ready to deliver a punch or slap to her roomate and, by the way she tensed, her would-be romantic rival as well.

The moment passed with no accompaning light show to indicate preparation for real combat, the heady odor of sakuras continuing to waft off of the young Dryad.

"...Fine. For your sake, I pray you never need something as much as I need my tree right now and can't have it. I could always deal with the ache before in the faith that I was only a quick mortal wound away from home, no matter where I was, leave my meat body behind to rejoin it. But I don't have that luxury right now, do I?" she venomously returned, "I'll be in my room trying to not to think about how you're not willing to help me with a few simple samples when I don't *even know* functional blood magic."

She turned on her heal, ready to storm off when she paused, mind working feverishly, "...Unless you're willing to escort a trancing Dryad whose letting the Living World guide her feet to the solution."

[Justin OOC]

Kaede was on the verge of panic. entering a Spider's web was very counter to her nature, to any Faerie's nature. Still she had a job to do, and she soldiered on, flitting inside, somehow avoiding the webs. "Miss Sato wanted me to check on you, Since she thought it might be harder for you..."

She couldn't see much, the light from the door barely reached her now...

----------------------

Kyohei released Yuuki yet but nodded. "Yes. She's a good friend, and I want to keep her from making mistakes she can't take back."

Then she tore into him. "I may not know exactly how you feel, but I do care.We will get to the bottom of this, and later after things calm down some, and the grounds aren't overflowing with monsters losing control, we can try going to the lab, locating Miss Kisaragi, the Chemistry and Biology teacher, and maybe doing some research, without any amputations."

--------------

"It's for the best that you are, if you are. Your angelic heritage would be unpleasant to explain at this time." She looked at her. "However. There is a chance you become simply human, since half your genetic makeup is human after all."

"If that happens, well, Bring Kuro and come here. it will be cramped, but safe."

She nodded. "No one would dare do anything to damage the faculty dorms. Some of them are prisons at the moment."

--------------------------

Haruhi easily found the dorm room, though he had to dodge and weave through two werewolves, three earth elementals, and pair of lizardmen.

[Kyradathea]

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Doing her best to fight the effects of the magical plague, Kyra was failing, her eyes shifting first, then her skin begining to be covered with scales. She fought it some, but she focused a measure of what control she had was focused on directing her instincts more then controlling them. The first instinct, protect the horde, which was easier to do if all parts of her horde were in one place. For most of the horde that was easy enough, it was in her room, guarded by her strength and magic, watched over by her regularly, it was the living and mobile parts of the horde that were the big problems, her friends and allies, they must be protected.

She struggled to keep from shifting for a little longer, but sooner or later, in less then 20 minutes in fact, the young dragon was fully manifested as a dragon, her human form having been left in the wake of her draconic one. Twelve feet from nose to tail, she spread her wings, she opened her mouth and roared, the sound quite audible for anyone living within the same dorm as she was.

[OrangeCrème]

Mystel seemed relieved when Yuuki backed down from her outward obsession in Cavour of Kyohei's companionship, the shapechanger looked to the side wondering just how close the two were, since with the infection reducing the rationality of everyone's minds...Loose friendships would have no meaning, only people that one cares about deeply could be so powerful that it was ingrained into instinct..."I just can't figure you all out"...She whispered toying with a lock of her pink hair to quell nervous thoughts...

Her body temperature was rising because of the virus, and that made her physically uncomfertable so at that moment Mystel had she her over jacket part of her school uniform leaving her in just the button up blouse underneath...

[z007]

The room Haruhi stepped into was a mess, with one side dominated by arcane artifacts, piles of books, and discarded clothes; the other side was marginally tidier, but cluttered with weapons, drums, a few odd rap posters, and dozens of smaller carved hunting trophies. Each side of the room had an occupant as well: an imp on one side, hiding in a fort of books and launching a crumpled ball of burning paper at the bed on the other side where the second occupant was when Haruhi entered. The bed was covered in linens, furs, clothes, and peppered with colorful feathers; the a faint smell of singed fur and cloth hung in the air; a young woman in an tee shirt sized for the Nibelung that had given Haruhi the key to the room curled up in the center. She sat up and batted away the tiny ball of fire, glaring back at the imp.

Haruhi could tell she was angry from her expression, but her words felt like a soft caress over his entire body. He found his eyes drawn to her pale, slender neck, then down her wrist as she gestured sharply at her infernal opponent. "Do that one more time, pest, and I'll-"

"You'll what, birdie? Chirp at me?" the imp taunted from his 'fortress' and sniggered. "Go crying to your master? Oh, wait, he's not here!" Another spitball-sized fireball launched from the desk.

"You little-!" She lurched from the bed, but her feet tangled in the nest she'd made and she tumbled down to the floor - where she caught sight of Haruhi's legs. She blinked up him, sprawled out with her feet still on the bed and her head on the floor. "Uh. Hello." She blinked and peered at him, obviously confused. "Who are you?"

The imp popped his head out from the books, interested in a new victim impinging on his domain - the last thing he needed was for his caged bird to find an ally, but he wasn't sure he wanted to share torturing her, either.

[Toby Lupin]

"Lose magic?" Darrik's voice seemed absurdly calm to himself, though to anyone else it would have been called quite shocked. So much for the assumption of immunity. That was bad. He'd never been without access to his magic unless it fizzled in a lapse of concentration? If they didn't have the answer soon - the entire warlock population at the school would be at risk, and him - since he'd volunteered to help.

"Crap!" Darrik bowed his head and decided to err on the side that this would be a while. "I still have mine... I'll go back and help Resak patrol- as long as I can? Might as well make use of that magic for now, eh?"

[Katrina DeWitt]

"My apologies, Sensei. I... I'm just not..." Katrina fumbles between Japanese and English before getting her head to think Japanese. "Sensei, this does not seem natural. The situation with the Shinigami showing up and now this seems too convenient. Too many supernatural disasters are befalling the school at once. To my mind... that seems suspect."

She turns to Skye. Speaking in her Cajun/Southern American English again. "I swear I will do my utmost to see you do not come to harm while you are here. I've not become something like Sensei. That might suggest either I've not developed that form or..."

In a way the possibility of not having that form comforted her. "Or because of my mixed blood I may not even have that form... I may have Mother's speed and Father's strength, but not that form Sensei is in."

She smiled a little, trying to show more humanity than would be expected to a beast-kind. "I'm sorry that our true selves have disturbed you. That... is the nature of things."

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi froze when hed saw the massive jungle of different magical items of ancient lore, the books on spells, magick, and what not...The imp looking like it was fighting an imaginary war, this seemed very surreal to the boy, like he was high off a human made drug...He then backed up a bit keeping close to the wall and bit his lip..."I'm sorry...But I am in the right room arnt I?"...He asked in his usual meek voice as he held up the room shakily...

He kept staring at the fireballs flinging back and forth rather than the girl addressing him...It wasn't until the flaming orbs had stopped zooming across the room that the psychic's full attention was now focused on the girl...He saw her clear anger and gluped fearfull, he also noticed the large shirt that had to have belongedto the boy from earlier so he assumed the girl was in a relationship with the goblin prince..."Ummmm...The...Warlock's roomate...He....He said I could s-stay here awhile"...Haruhi choaked out as he then scurried across the imp battle field and to the safer half of the room before letting out a relieved sigh...

[z007]

The girl took a moment to right herself and peered at the room key. "Resak told you to come hide out here?" She shrugged and then smiled. "Okay! Do you know how to play cards? I've been so bored, cooped up in here, but the girls' dorm is covered in succubus and crazy, so Resak said I should stay here. Mr. Oh-look-at-me-I'm-such-a-clever-imp over there is annoying, but mostly harmless." She scratched her head, "Still can't figure out who was dumb enough to leave matches around where he could nick 'em, but I'll swat them for it later. After the crazy is over. Well, this crazy, at least. Seems like there's always some crazy running around."

The imp glared at the two of them, but quickly calculated that the odds were no longer in his favor and retreated back to his book-fortress to sulk. The girl grabbed Haruhi's hand, spinning him around slowly before declaring, "You're adorable! Vampire, right? And new. At least, I haven't seen you here before, and I've been here six years now. Oh!" She blushed and stepped back, "Sorry! I'm Aderyn. I'm Resak's Songbird and he's my Verndarin." It was said proudly, but no more explanation on what it meant was given before she moved on. "What's your name?"

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi now learning the name of the other boy Resak felt a little better that he wasn't now just a nameless face, he sighed and looked at the wall before hearing the girl ask if he knew how to play cards..."Ca-Cards?"...He asked never hearing of such a peasent game before, he knew what a deck of cards was, but he had never played it...At hearing how close this girl was to Resek with the entire wanting to keep her safe, it only added more to the theory that the two were lovers...

The vampyric youth eventually saw the imp retreat and he felt a bit safer without the constant threat of the dorm burning to the ground in place...It wasn't until his guard was lowered that he just regret it when he was grabbed and spun around making him scream in surprise but then calm down at the complment of being cute..."Ummm...Uhhh"...Was all he could muster out at the rambling over the length of time they have been here...Eventually he gained the nerve to speak when the introductions came about...

He took a deepbreath and blushed looking down..."I'm...H-Haruhi...Haruhi...O-Odorokubeki"...He whispered before looking back up hearing the unfarmilliar word Verndarin, which in his current view on the girl he assumed it was the goblin cultured word for a mate, which bothered him slightly yet he didn't know why...

[z007]

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Haruhi Odeorkibeki." She managed to pronounce with the same inflections he had, minus the nervous stutter. She tilted his chin up and smiled again. "Don't worry, Flicker's a nuisance, but he won't do anything that'll get Darrik ticked off, including bothering guests."

She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek, a friendly gesture. "And like I said, I'm a Songbird." At his blank look, she explained, "We're not exactly known for being intimidating or hurting...well, anyone."

She tugged him over to bed she'd been on when he entered and ensconced him there, then rummaged around in the drawers until she found a deck of cards. "So, what games do you know? Winters are boring in the Northlands - and it's pretty much always winter - so I know lots of games."

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi was surprsied by the kiss to the cheek, the very thought of physical contact with someone he didn't know, being initated by anyone other than himself was too nerve wracking and scary to think about, so he instinctively jumped back...When he heard she was a songbird he still didn't know what that meant..."I'm still n-not sure what you mean"...He said in a small voice before watching her pull out the card deck...Which looked typical in design a real common person's game deck...

He heard the questions about the card game, which made him frown and shake his head..."I don't know these games"...Haruhi managed to say without a studder however his voice did fade out as he progressed in his speech...He was relieved someone so nice was in here to keep him company, because if he was alone with the imp then he might be sobbing again in fear...

[z007]

She frowned when he jumped. "Sorry, I wan't trying to make you more nervous." She tilted her head, her feathers quivering with the movement. "Do girls make you nervous, Haruhi? I can be a boy, if you'd like. Or I can sing. That's what Songbirds do, really. Maybe it would help you relax?"

For a vampire, he was so scared. Aderyn had seen broken people before; not all Songbirds were as lucky as her - most Songbirds weren't even close to as lucky as she had been, to be paired with Resak. And most vampires she knew were not the 'hugs and bunnies' type. Haruhi seemed very sensitive, which couldn't have made for a comfortable childhood around his kin, Aderyn guessed.

Well, he's here now, so Resak can help him get better and I can help Resak.

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi immideatly felt bad that it seemed like he had insulted him..."No...Its f-fine"...H assured falsely as he saw the feather twitch, spooking the boy like it was a sign of attack...He was slightly tearing up again until he heard the statement about changing genders..."Wait...Wh-What do you mean by becoming a b-boy?"...He asked in wavering and curious voice not knowing exactly what s/he was...

All these conspiriative thoughts were zooming through the pale skinned male's head...Exactly who was this girl, how could she change sexes if that's what she meant, why was she being so nice to him?...Many more questions had entered his mind however he dismissed them since all this thinking was making his head spin...

[Kyradathea]

The dragoness went over to her horde a moment, checking the gold and treasure a moment, including what she had brought by from her Christmas visit, but everything was were it was suppose to be, and she turned to the doorway, which was a bit small for her new size, and she growled, but though she was 12 feet from snout to tail, she was just slender enough to slip though the doorway, and her tail knocked the door to her room closed as she slipped out into the hallway, and another student got growled at as she opened her door, then swallowed and closed it again to keep the irritated dragon out of their room. Her tail lashing like a cat about to pounce, she began to move down the hallway, her overriding need and desire to seek out and make sure all aspects of her horde were ok, in specific, those she considered friends.

[z007]

The shift was subtle - a firmer jawline, the gentle deflating of the shirt until it hung straight down his chest, a slightly darker coloring to his feathers - but by the time Aderyn sat down across the bed from Haruhi, he was firmly in the 'male' camp.

"It's just something Songbird can do." He shrugged. "My parents say it's so we can sing better and understand people better..." His voice was deeper now, though still rich and melodious. He reached out to touch Haruhi again, so used to giving comfort with words and actions, but hesitated. "It really is okay, you know. Resak told you come here to be safe, right? He's a very good Verndarin. He'll keep us safe until this all blows over. I know it seems scary, but, well, there's always something a little crazy going on at school. Most of the time it's pretty fun," he grimaced, "though not really this time, I guess."

He shuffled the cards absently, then asked, "So you really don't know any card games? Maybe I could teach you some. They're fun and a good way to pass the time when you're cooped up somewhere." He wanted to ask about Haruhi's past, why the vampire was so nervous, but those could be deep scars - or fresh ones. Either way, he didn't want to make things any worse for the poor kid. Maybe making a friend would help.

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi gawked at every little and big change that the now male went through..."How?"...He asked himself being the ultra sheltered boy he was, he really didn't know much about the diversity of other races...It was amazing, which also raised another question...What was his birth gender?..."Yes...He told me to come here...But...What is a V-Verndarin?"...He asked determined on knowing if the two were sexual partners or something....

He refused to talk about the so called card game until he was told by the wo/man the title meaning...It may have just been the virus paranoia talking, but to the vampiric youth, this was very important...

[z007]

He shrugged at the first question. "I don't know the...." he waved a hand "....technical stuff about how it works. I just like flexing a muscle, only it's your whole body."

He leaned back on the bed, still idly shuffling the cards, mostly just for something to do with his hands while they talked. Almost everyone made such a deal about the gender thing - and about Songbirds and Nibelung. Not vampires, usually. They had slaves, at least some of the families, so they usually didn't blink at the bond....just most of them would refuse to talk directly to Aderyn afterwards. At least until Resak got annoyed with them and pointed out that treating her poorly was insulting to him - and his fists.

"Verndarin....the closest direct translation is 'protector'. I'm Resak's, and now that he's an adult, by Nibelung law anyways, he's my Verndarin and I'm his varin. Varin means 'protected'. I was Resak's verndarin, and he was Varin, until he came of age." He could hear the slight differences in Aderyn's words that gave the terms more weight when he spoke of Resak, and less when Aderyn spoke of himself. The bird-aspected boy nodded. "Resak's a very good Varndarin. He saved my life." The last was also said with a touch of awe.

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi was quite Intreasted in these powers of his...It made him feel a little jealous that wouldn't be bound by gender barriers..."I see"...He whispered before shifting to sit more comfortably...It wasn't until he mentioned the entire Verndian deal that his mind wander back..."So you have a servitude contract?"...He asked not mentioning the vampire variation of that which usually include kidnaping children and raising them to be 'blood puppets'...

He felt relieved that it meant they were just under a contract, however he started thinking back to the question on his mind..."So you two...Arnt m-mates?"...Haruhi asked a little too obviousely, even though he himself didn't see it, others could see that he was attracted to Resak, some kind of deal where he likes the masculine creature, despite the initial fear of him...

[z007]

Aderyn laughed, he just couldn't help it. The vampire boy was so cute! "No, I'm a Resak's Songbird, not his mate. I guess you could call it a servitude contract. It's just called 'the bond' at home. The rest of my people were wiped out because they didn't have anyone to protect them. We..." he sighed, not wanting to think too much on how life really was for most Songbirds, "we have the Nibelung, so we survived."

A sly look passed over Aderyn's face and he slowly changed his position, now on his hands and knees on the bed, his face only a few inches from Haruhi's. "But," he grinned like a Cheshire, "if you want to get Resak's attention, you're gonna have to be a little less jumpy. You're definitely cute enough, and he likes lovers that want him to be protective and...mmm....masculine, but if you jump every time someone speaks or touches you, he's going to treat you like a scared child - not a boyfriend."

The Songbird's eyes gleamed with a playful mischief, "Have you ever had a boyfriend before, Haruhi? Or kissed a boy?"

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi was now feeling a pang in his stomach as his new friend had told him that his little bond had brought them together it was something that comforted him...He then watched as the huge grin spread across his face making him feel uncomfertable..."W-What are you saying?!"...He cried out bitting his lip and his eyes darted from side to side in panic..."I dont!"...He cried out looking like he was going to cry...

When he heard that Resak was the type that flaunted his masculinity and protective nature which was the most attractive quality in a mate that Haruhi had in his mind...As the question about the kiss came into his mind, the crimson eyed boy noticed how close he was and squeaked..."No...I n-never kissed a-anyone before"...Haruhi whispered in truth looking like he was blushing, his plae skin dotted with an airbrush like effect of pink...

[z007]

Aderyn giggled and relented, sitting back on his legs and giving Haruhi some breathing room. "Well, let Resak be your first kiss. He'd probably get all grumpy if I stole it while he was out protecting us from this virus and the other students."

Part of what Haruhi had said caught up with the mercurial songbird. "And you don't what?" He tilted his head to the side, his expression almost quintessentially birdlike now.

The cards lay on the bed, forgotten now and waiting to be spilled by any errant move on the vampire or songbird's part.

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi looked like he was going blush harder and gulped as he was now being told that Resak might want his first kiss..."Sh-Shut up!"...He cried out blushing even harder, shifting again in nervous mannor...He just ignored his previous question and closed his eyes..."I dont know...I dont know h-how to love"...He whispered looking so distraught...The concept of actual outright love was forgine to the boy as far wanting to be in a relationship...

Sure Resak was large and scary but he held a kindness in his gruff voice' and the outward manliness of the man had rremnded him of his father which further proves the point that the vampyric youth had a daddy complex and was attracted to men that resembled his father...

[z007]

"Oh, hey, I was just teasing...." The songbird's expression fell as the vampire boy cringed again and he scooted over without thinking, pulling the shorter boy into a hug. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"You've had a pretty rough time of it, haven't you?" he asked, his voice humming with sympathy and concern. "I can listen, if you want to talk about it, or if you don't we can just play games or something. I don't know when Resak'll be back, but he'll be here for the night, I should think. Do you want to stay with us? I don't know who you're rooming with, but if you don't want to stay with them, or if you want Resak around to look out for you, it'd be easier if you were here."

He glanced down at the bed, oversized for Resak's larger frame, but Resak was large, so it wouldn't fit all three of them without some uncomfortable overlap. He bit his lip as he thought, them smiled down at the vampire. "We can make a camping night of it! Put the mattress on the floor and pile up pillows, tell stories and jokes and stuff and get to know each other. How does that sound?"

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi once again squeaked in surprise as he was pulled toward the other and was hugged feeling all confused' he didnt know why he was being embraced but it felt warm, and it quelled the fearful voices in his head..."Its...Alright"...he whispered closing his eyes before opening them again...He then looked at the other male and shook his head like he was denying anything was going on..."No...Its fine...M-My problems are none of your concern"...He whispered and his body shook a bit as he saw shadows from out the window, he didnt like all this rap happneing and he half-expected someone to jump through the window and attack them...

The energy sucking male heard the offer to make their dorm room the home away from home, which was very attractive as an offer, he never had a place where he could just stay and talk to friends before..."I dont know...W-Would that even be allowed?"...he asked not knowing how people would react to this small male migrating to this room at all hours of the day and night...

[z007]

Aderyn let out a soft chuckle, "Of course their my concern. That's what friends do, they concern each other and want to help." He squeezed his arms around the other boy, "As for it being allowed....well, right now I don't think anyone's going to be doing bed-checks, at least, and I sleep over here all the time."

He laughed again, "Between the succubi and inccubi and teenagers, I think the faculty gave up years ago on trying to police people's beds after a certain age. It'll be fine, unless Darrik has some issue with it. But considering his girlfriend is a succubus, I don't think he'll say much. Y'know, on the nights that he's here."

"The real question is, do you want to?" Aderyn pulled back far enough to be able to tilt Haruhi's chin up and look him in the eyes. "It's your choice, only say yes if that's what you actual want."

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi listened to his after school special explination on friends and then grabbed the side of his own arm and sighed..."Im not s-sure...Does he even want me a-around?...I just met h-him afterall"...He whispered as he attempted to bury his face in his hands' until he felt his chin was being lifted up...

The youth felt like anything he usually does would fail so he decided not to question any chance for success and just looked away from the other male just feeling like he should give up on everything..."I dont b-believe I have a choice"...Haruhi just whispered as his body convulsed when the virus rose his body temperature by 10 degrees...

[z007]

"I can't make you believe, but the choice is your-" He frowned, feeling the flush of heat come off Haruhi. He put a hand to Haruhi's forehead and bit back words learned from Nibelung soldiers. "Oh...dear. You...um, I think you're-" Ah, Endless Ice, he's infected....Resak's going be so annoyed, and that means I'm probably infected too.

He stood up, gently prodding the vampire into laying down on the bed. "I think you're infected, Haruhi. Stay calm, if you can." He spoke quickly, trying to keep Haruhi from completely freaking out.

He tucked a sheet over the boy and took the few steps to cross the room, dismantling Flicker's book-fort by tossing books on Darrik's bed. "Flicker, I need you to go find Resak."

"Buzz off, bird," The imp grumped, glaring up at Aderyn and crossing his arms.

Aderyn did the same and tapped his foot. "Fine. I'll tell Darrik you've been playing with matches."

"I'll tell Resak you've been molesting the headcase with fangs," Flicker shot back with venom.

"Resak knows I don't touch anyone without his permission," Aderyn sniffed back. "Unlike you, I know my place. Now go get Resak, or I'll Darrik you were setting things on fire in the room. He'll stuck you in a binding circle for a week the last time he caught you with fire, and there wasn't an emergency going on then. How long do you think you'll be in time-out this time?"

Flicker pulled himself up to his full (short) height on the desk. "I don't take orders or run errands for featherbrains or their ugly green orc."

Haruhi could see Aderyn's whole body go stiff at the insult to her Verndarin; his hand shot out lightening fast and a low tone, somehow both pleasant and slightly painful, began to hum through the room.

"Fine," Aderyn ground out, "go find Darrik and tell him that there's an infected student in his room, someone Resak sent here to be safe, and that I'm probably infected now, too, so if he and Resak aren't, they'll want to find somewhere else to bed down tonight."

The imp started to say something snide and the hum rose in pitch and volume, enough to make Haruhi's head hurt a little. "Unless you'd like stick around while I sing, little demon?" The threat was palpable in the room; the imp squeeked and bamf'd out of the room in a puff of smoke and shadow.

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Harui noticed the infection earlier, even though he had just been warned that the side effects were visable from another person's point of view...His body was shaking and his mind became more scattered..."I...I d-dont want to die"...He whispered while a bead of sweat rolled down his head...He then was forced to lay down, although the virus was mental and physical, his body was the one that was affected more than anything...

He could hear and see the fight and argument from the imp and the songbird from where he was laying...All he could make out was that he wanted the little creature to get Resak and the imp thing was telling him that the he didnt answer to them from an obvious racial issue..."Im...H-hungry"...The boy whispered as the cloud of smoke enveloped the tiny heathen and they were alone...

[z007]

The painful tone subsided with the disappearance of the imp and Aderyn made his way back to Haruhi's side, sitting on the floor next to the bed. "I don't think anyone's died from this, Haruhi, but Resak probably knows more than I do. Flicker will get Darrik, if just to complain that I threatened him, and Darrik will get Resak." I hope.

He leaned his head against Haruhi's arm, the feathers of his crest tickling over the skin. "Can you hold on for a little bit? Or do we need to go find food for you? What do you eat? I don't know that much about vampires, but I do know that there are different kinds...."

Aderyn's eyes were dark with concern for both of them; he didn't know much about the virus, either, just the little rumors that had floated around school before he'd come over to Resak's dorm. "Would a damp cloth feel good, do you think? Maybe cool you down a little?"

[Haruhi Odorokubeki]

Haruhi just looked dead, he lay there not saying anything about Resak and only pipped up when he mentioned finding food for him..."I eat...Energy...S-Spiritual life force"...He whispered reffering to the soul based power everyone emmited that when leeched off of could sustain a psychic vampire but not kill the person feeding off of unless it was all sucked out and not given any time to build back up...

He then groaned and then nodded at the damp cloth idea although his stomach was still growing just wanting a taste of energy, the same energy that flowed throught the body of Aderyn right this moment...He couldnt think of anything other than his own personal comfort, like nothing else mattered to the male...

[Toby Lupin]

Darrik had begun searching for Resak, except shortly after he left Ruby's, Flicker appeared, looking irate as he solidified into his imp state in by the warlock. "What is it now?!" Darrik burst out in frustration. Almost immediately, to his chagrin, Flicker was putting on his best 'aggrieved innocent' look, even though - Champion, Darrik could smell the scent of burnt matches.

"Resak sent some infected little vampire down to the room, and Aderlyn's there too - and they're-"

"Matches."

"What?" Darrik glared fiercely at his familiar. "I told you to stay away from matches, you stupid shadow imp!"

When Resak saw Darrik soon, the warlock was grimacing with utter anger and bouncing a globe of amorphous shadow like a basketball in one hand, the other clenched around his staff tightly. At Resak's look, Darrik sighed, like a locomotive letting out a massive burst of steam. "Yes, I'm sorry for walking off. Things are even worse. It seems this vampire you sent to our room is infected and apparently in some kind of trouble - and we probably have less than half an hour before I lose my magic. Suggestions?"

[Karren Gaunt]

Mystel seemed relieved when Yuuki backed down from her outward obsession in Cavour of Kyohei's companionship, the shapechanger looked to the side wondering just how close the two were, since with the infection reducing the rationality of everyone's minds...Loose friendships would have no meaning, only people that one cares about deeply could be so powerful that it was ingrained into instinct..."I just can't figure you all out"...She whispered toying with a lock of her pink hair to quell nervous thoughts...

Her body temperature was rising because of the virus, and that made her physically uncomfertable so at that moment Mystel had she her over jacket part of her school uniform leaving her in just the button up blouse underneath...

"Hurry then, Kyohei-Kun," the young Dryad exhaled with a shudder, looking over one shoulder, "I don't know how long it'll be before I... have to start doing something. I need to protect my tree. They could be doing *anything* to it while I'm so far away from home."

Mystel earned an amused chuckle for her comment and action, Yuuki's glowing eyes narrowing to amused slits. So much for completely unaffected by the disease whatever the other girl was. Yuuki withdrew for her room and closed the door behind her, taking the strongest of the sakura blossom smell with her.

[z007]

Aderyn wasn't used to making decisions, especially ones that could be dangerous. He left that to Resak. but Resak wasn't here and Aderyn also hated to see someone else in distress. Not know what to do, he did what songbirds do - he sang.

It was a lullaby that Resak's mother used to sing to him, a low, haunting tune about the Endless Ice and the beauty of a world of snow and cold. Not that Haruhi would have understood on the Old Tongue of the Nibelung - most Nibelung didn't learn it anymore, unless they were being trained as Wise Ones. Not that that mattered, either - he'd never heard a Songbird sing before, and the first time was always an experience.

The were not other sounds in the room, even his own breathing or the rustle of the sheets as he shifted around the bed. Aderyn's voice was a blam to his fevered skin and the hunger inside of him; it didn't fill him up, but the dull ache seemed farther away while Aderyn was singing. As the song went on, a simple repetition of verse and stanza, Aderyn began to imiprovise, shifting himself so he could sing in two, three, four parts: two voices, male and female, singing along with a trilling drum beat and a hollow reed flute melody that seem to drift on a melancholy breeze.

Resak, please come back soon.

[z-Resak]

Resak had been having a great bit of fun. A Nibelung’s natural state of being was to assert himself over others. It made them very good at enforcement, so long as the Nibelung was granted the authority to act with whatever violence he deemed necessary. It made them bad, if the people in authority didn’t want cracked skulls. The school was lucky in this case; their Nibelung enforcer had been educated enough to ignore the cracking-skulls urge. Not that Resak wouldn’t crack skulls and enjoy the experience; he just know that wasn’t the first thing one tried.

“Back to your room, ladies.” The six naga coiled a little more tightly together in the den they’d found under a rock. Resak knew the sextuplets well – he knew two of them very well. The Nibelung hoped that the six wouldn’t fight him, but see reason.

“Our ssssisssterssss are sssseparated.” Even with the steam-whistle style of speaking, Resak recognized the voice of Venna, the eldest of the sisters. “The sssschool put ussss in sssseparate roomssss. I cannot defend them.”

Resak squatted casually, his hide pants swelling to accommodate his muscles. “Then you should hunker down in the play room downstairs. It’s big enough for all of you and you can bar the door if needed.” And that was the biggest problem with this mess, as far as Resak was concerned. The kids reverted to their natural forms and instincts and decided that meant they should stop thinking. The sisters weren’t comfortable being alone, then instead of hiding in a rock outcropping outside, they should have found a room where they could be together in the dorms. “There’s plenty of places you can hide in the dorm, but you can’t hide out here. Better hurry before someone else gets the best place.” That got them moving, and the six of them shot out of their den and headed for their dorm.

“One down,” Resak muttered, wondering who would be ne—

A dragon’s roar sundered the night. This was both the sound that Resak had been waiting for and dreading. He loved fighting white dragons – in a hunting party with seasoned dragon-hunters at his back. A red, even a young red, was going to be a bigger challenge. And if she was being unreasonable, then it would be a fight, a fight he wasn’t sure he could win. On the other hand, white dragons were delicious, and Resak had always wondered how a red would taste.

He’d only made it a couple of steps before Darrik found him. “Suggestions?” he echoed. “We should get back to the room, figuring out what the hell is wrong with that vampire, and get you some weapons, then.”

“Weapons?” Darrik asked, his eyes widening.

“Yeah. If you don’t have your magic, you need some weapons.” Resak was already striding toward their dorm room. “We might have a dragon getting out of the dorm and we’ll have to put her back. But one problem at a time.”

Resak led the warlock back to their room and opened the door, eyebrows rising when he saw his songbird leaning over the vampire. He knelt next to the bed, but didn’t join Aderyn in her assessment of the vampire. Instead, he pulled out his weapon chest and flipped up the top. Darrik had seen this stash only rarely: it contained a wide variety of weapons. With a nod to Darrik to let him know that he could pick through the treasures, Resak glanced at Aderyn and Haruhi. “What is going on here? Darrik said something was wrong.”

[z-Skye Angelus]

Skye hesitated. “I’ll get Kuromaru, but I’m not helpless just because I’m human. I can still fight.”

“It’s better that you don’t,” Miss Nekomone pointed out. “Just you being human will be hard to explain.”

Skye clenched her jaw. “I’ll get him and get back here.” She glanced at Katrina. “You want to walk with me? For the safety of others.”

[Katrina DeWitt]

Katrina nodded. "I will. I made a promise, I'm keeping it."

"Let's get Kuro, get him back here as quickly as possible. He has to be confused as to what is going on."

She sighed. "Let's get on this quick."

[z-Skye Angelus]

When they were outside, Skye spoke. “Look, Katrina. I appreciate that you made that promise, but honestly, you don’t have to feel obligated to keep it. In fact, I release you from the promise. I believe, in my heart, that the way to breaking his father’s curse will come down to actions that Kuromaru and I have to take alone. Also, it’s our problem. It’s… nice of you to become involved, but you shouldn’t have.” Her eyes hardened. “This is between Kuromaru, his father and myself.”

Skye glanced at the other student, hoping she would understand and wouldn’t take offense at Skye’s words.