Pic of Marice --->

Song is Hello, How Are You a music box arrangement by 夕稀

Saturday. 12pm. The small cafe next to the fountain. It's in the middle of town.

Aurey reads over the short text message she'd sent two days ago, mouth pulled to the right in a lopsided frown. It wasn't the friendliest message she'd ever sent, but then, what need did she have to be friendly?

Marice had never replied to the text, but a small icon underneath the message let Aurey know that the Vampire had seen it. Hopefully she would actually turn up, or this whole trip would turn out to be a complete waste of time.

Tucking her phone back into the pocket of her light jacket, Aurey pauses at the edge of a street, waiting amongst a small crowd of people to cross the road. They chatter amongst themselves quite happily, probably relieved that the weekend had finally arrived.

If only Aurey could be as carefree and relaxed as these people seemed. Perhaps if she didn't know Vampires existed, her life would be as simple as all of theirs. Her family certainly wouldn't be dead and she wouldn't be about to spend her Saturday with a Vampire she didn't even want to meet.

As the road becomes free of any moving vehicles, Aurey glances both ways, before stepping away from the path and crossing over to the other side of the street. People bustle around Aurey, some moving speedily and just about knocking everyone over as they go, while some stroll casually, oblivious to the growing frustration of others as they take up the pathway.

Despite not wanting to meet Marice, Aurey had walked all the way from school to do so and she was certainly looking forward to sitting down in the cafe. It was quite a walk to get into the middle of town, even for a fit Vampire Hunter like Aurey. The rest would be welcome. The company on the other hand, not so much.

Walking for a few more minutes, Aurey internalises a sigh of relief when she finally spots a large fountain up ahead, a few people standing around to admire it.

The lavender haired girl walks up to the fountain and stops right in front of it, tilting her head down to stare into the shallow pool of water. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, before releasing it slowly, readying herself to meet the Vampire Aren had proclaimed to have feelings for.

Nodding to herself, Aurey turns to the left and places her hand against the glass door of a small, cozy looking cafe, pushing it open. A tiny bell rings above the door as she enters, with one of the girls working behind the counter calling a quick, polite greeting.

Aurey merely gives the girl a tight lipped smile, before turning her eyes to the small number of people seated inside. One man sits alone at a table, sipping a steaming cup of coffee as he reads through a newspaper, while three girls giggle quietly at a booth by the wall, engrossed in their gossip. Seated at the booth beside those girls, two businessmen busily tap away at their laptops, only raising their eyes to drink their hot beverages or exchange brief words with each other.

Lastly, Aurey's eyes fall to a small girl sitting at a table by the window, her head turned to watch the outside world go by. She has her hands folded in her lap, fingers picking at the hem of her short, yellow dress. Was she nervous about something?

Aurey's brows furrow, the girl wondering why she hadn't asked Marice what she looked like earlier. It was highly likely that this girl was her, but what if it wasn't? How awkward Aurey would feel sitting down at a table with a complete stranger and asking if she was a Vampire.....

Suddenly, the small girl turns her head, only for her eyes to widen when they land on Aurey. She freezes for a few moments, a worried look on her face.

"A-Aurienne?" the girl asks, her voice soft and gentle. Aurey stares at the girl as she bites her lip and lowers her eyes to the floor, her lashes long and dark.

".......You must be Marice" Aurey states, walking over and stiffly lowering herself into a free chair. She folds her arms over her chest and glares at the young Vampire, who nods shyly, slowly looking up like a guilty puppy.

"Yes...." she responds quietly. "I-It's nice to finally meet you Aurienne....."

Aurey remains silent, still staring at Marice. She was definitely surprised. This wasn't the kind of girl Aurey had pictured Aren liking at all. Aren was sporty, strong and tall for his age. Seeing as he'd fallen for a Vampire and they were renowned for their beauty, Aurey had figured Marice would be tall and graceful, possibly with dark hair to compliment her pale Vampire skin.

While Marice had the pale skin, she certainly wasn't the tall, dark haired beauty Aurey had been envisioning. Instead, the Vampire was very short, probably even shorter than Kalel. Rather than long, ebony coloured locks, Marice sported pale brown hair that had been cut into a style similar to Aurey's, though hers fell into pretty waves. Her eyes, large and naturally curving downwards in a sad sort of way, were coloured a dreamy periwinkle colour and held a look of gentleness, rather than the sharp eyes Aurey had imagined her having.

In short, Aurey had never seen such a cute, pretty Vampire in her life. Most of them possessed a beauty that could even be considered intimidating by some, and while Marice didn't have this quality herself, she could still somehow manage to hold her own where Vampiric looks were concerned. It was no wonder Aren had noticed her.

Suddenly blinking rapidly, the lavender haired girl has to give herself a quick mental shake. Here she was, a Vampire Hunter, thinking that this small Vampire is cute! She should know better!

"........You look just like him you know" Marice speaks up, smiling sadly to herself. "With your hair and eye colour, you almost look like twins. I-I knew it was you straight away."

"You're not the first to tell me that" Aurey responds in an emotionless voice, though a brief image of Aren's cheeky grin flashes through the girl's mind, making her smile fondly. ".......He was already taller than me though."

".....Yes" Marice says softly, a light blush dusting across her cheeks as she nods, hands still folded in her lap. "He....He was very tall....And handsome."

Aurey's smile immediately fades at that comment, a scowl settling onto her face as she narrows her eyes at Marice. She wasn't going to believe Marice just because she said nice things about Aren.

"Don't give me that" the Vampire Hunter warns lowly, to which Marice blinks and looks up in confusion. "I've been wondering this whole time, just what was your interest in my brother? He was a Vampire Hunter. No way some Vampire would fall for him just because she thought he was good looking. I'm not dumb enough to believe that."

"....Please don't m-misunderstand me Aurienne" Marice replies, looking rather alarmed as she shakes her head, "I didn't love Aren just because he was handsome......"

"Love?" Aurey repeats, scoffing at the idea. "I don't know what warped idea you have of love, but it can't happen between a Vampire and a human, especially when one is out to kill the other. Why were you really interested in him? Did you want his blood? Did you just want to get close to Aren so you could kill him without anyone else knowing?"

"O-Of course not!" Marice denies, both looking and sounding horrified by Aurey's words. She places one hand over her mouth and sends the older girl an apologetic look, not having meant to speak so loudly. "Of course not Aurienne, I had no bad intentions whatsoever....It......It confused me at first too because I thought the same way as you.....But when Aren told me that he loved me....."

Marice drops her head down to face her hands, fingers fiddling with the hem of her dress again.

"I'd tried to ignore how I felt because it scared me" the brunette admits. "A Vampire caring for a Hunter? I-It didn't make any sense.......But when he told me that, I could hardly deny how I felt anymore.....I was too happy that he felt that way about me....."

"......I don't understand at all" Aurey sighs heavily, brows knit together in concern as she turns to look out of the nearby window. "What was Aren thinking? Getting close to a Vampire like that......I thought he was smart."

"We were both voted to be Representatives of our year level" Marice explains uncomfortably, knowing full well that Aurey doesn't like her. "We have to have Reps for every year level at our school, which is a different rule to yours I think?"

"We have two Reps that take care of the whole student body" Aurey informs the brown haired Vampire, still not looking at her.

"I see...." Marice trails off for a moment, before continuing. "Aren was only new to our school at the time, but he was very popular amongst the other Day School students, so he was their first choice. I on the other hand, was forced into being a Representative for my year level in the Night School because everyone said I was quiet and responsible, so I'd be able to take care of everyone. I didn't want to do it and whenever we had to have meetings or anything, I could tell that Aren didn't want to be anywhere near me. I didn't know he was a Hunter at the time, or I would have understood why he avoided me like the plague."

"He should've kept doing that" Aurey states rudely, to which Marice looks up at the girl through her lashes, eyes wavering.

"I wish he had've" she agrees in a strained voice, causing Aurey to glance at her from the corner of her eye, one eyebrow raised. "Then he wouldn't be gone right now........"

Aurey slowly begins to turn back around and face Marice, watching as the young Vampire's shoulders begin to shake, tears welling up in her large eyes. Aurey feels a faint pang in her heart at the sorrowful look on Marice's face, wishing that the sentiment wasn't real, but knowing deep down inside that it very well could be. She didn't want it to be real though. This Vampire was lying. She had to be....

"Two men wandered onto our school grounds late one night" Marice explains quietly, struggling to hold her tears in, "And I was walking back to my room when they saw me. I could tell they had both been drinking, so I told them to go away and leave me alone, but they wouldn't. They kept saying they were.....they were going to do things to me because I was so cute. I'-I'm not strong enough to fight two men Aurienne. I was faster than them, but my powers don't lie in my physical strength, so I couldn't do anything. I was so scared of those two men...."

Aurey finds herself scowling angrily at the thought of two grown men, drunk men, spotting a small girl like Marice and choosing to harass her like that. Even if she was a Vampire, they should know better than to threaten young girls like that!

'Wait' Aurey catches herself, scowl fading into a puzzled expression, "What do I care? She's not a girl, she's just a Vampire, so what does it matter? I mean.....Does it matter? Should I care if a human is able to gain the upper hand for once?'

Eyes dropping back to Marice's trembling frame, a scared look on her face as she recalls the night she was attacked, Aurey inwardly sighs. Vampire or not, it really wasn't right. She didn't seem the type to hurt anyone......Unless this was all a very well constructed act, which wouldn't honestly surprise Aurey at all, considering how tricky Vampires could be.

"He came out of nowhere" Marice says, shaking her head. "I didn't find out until a long time later that he'd just arrived back from taking care of one of his targets, but Aren suddenly appeared between me and those two men. He warned them to leave me alone and when they didn't, he beat the two of them up."

"He what?" Aurey can't help asking, blinking in surprise. ".......I suppose even someone who hated Vampires the way Aren did can't sit back and watch a small girl get attacked like that..."

"I was surprised that a human could be so strong" Marice tells Aurey, a far away look in her eyes as she looks past the lavender haired girl. "When he got rid of those men, he turned around, glared at me and told me to get back to my dorm. I couldn't help feeling scared of the look in his eyes, but I was so relieved that I just threw myself at him and cried. It's kind of embarrassing now that I look back at it, and I remember how surprised he was when I did that and when I thanked him."

Blushing a little, Marice closes her eyes and smiles at the memory, to which Aurey has to look away, not wanting the Vampire's fondness for her brother to be true.

If Marice and Aren's feelings for each other were real, it would make Aurey question everything she'd ever thought about Vampires and she didn't want that to happen. She was quite happy hating them for the evil, bloodthirsty, uncontrollable beasts that they were.

"I didn't even know Vampires could cry" the Hunter muses dryly, to which Marice can't help giggling quietly, the tinkling sound making Aurey deadpan. Even her laugh was adorable.....

"Aren always told me I was the weakest Vampire he'd ever met" Marice says with a tiny smile, wiping at her eyes, "And I suppose he wasn't wrong. I'm not tough at all. He slowly started talking to me more and more after that incident. Sometimes he would even sneak out of his dorm at night and I would skip a class so we could see each other more often."

"It took him a year to finally tell me that he was a Vampire Hunter" Marice adds, her smile fading. "I was so shocked and horrified by the idea, but by then, it was too late for me to back out......I already cared about him so much, I learned to live with his occupation. If I didn't think about it too much, it didn't matter to me. He only recently told me that it had been such a relief for him that I hadn't scared away when he admitted to being a Vampire Hunter. He said I was the only person he'd ever trusted enough to tell, and that meant a lot to me......It still does......"

Marice falls silent for a few moments and chews her bottom lip, seemingly thinking about something, as Aurey waits patiently. It didn't seem as though the Vampire was done with talking and while Aurey couldn't yet say she felt anything towards this creature, she was rather enjoying the story being told. It was only too bad Aren wasn't here to add his own commentary as well......

"Some of the other Vampires found out about Aren being a Hunter" Marice speaks up solemnly, sighing. "They saw him coming home one night and when they questioned him on why he'd been out of the school at night time, they all got into a fight and Aren pointed his weapon at them. I can't remember what he called it, and he only showed it to me once, which I'm glad about. I thought it was just a baton, but he showed me that it could extend out into a pole and an arrowhead appeared at the end. I hated it. He warned me not to even touch it or it would hurt me, because of those anti-Vampire qualities it had......"

"I remember it" Aurey chimes in. "It was a lance. Aren was very skilled with it. He didn't want a gun, because he always wanted to be up close and personal when he took out a target."

"Yes, his hatred for Vampires ran very deep in the beginning" Marice confirms, looking a little ill at the idea of Aren being so ruthless. "The others warned me to stay away from him and were wary when I said they had nothing to worry about. After the two of us became friends, Aren slowly started neglecting the messages he received from your Syndicate, taking on less and less jobs. He kept telling me I was changing his perception of Vampires, though I know he was still quite.....merciless whenever he did take on a job. He'd been brought up to do that I suppose, so he was conflicted on the inside......"

Heaving a deep sigh, Marice turns her head and looks down at the table, a deeply troubled expression on her pale face. Aurey feels herself sitting a little straighter in her chair, arms unfolding so that her hands can rest on the edge of the table. She didn't know why, but an unsettling feeling had suddenly come over her, the look on Marice's face making her feel uncomfortable.

"A couple of nights before Aren......" the pretty Vampire pauses, not wanting to say the word, "Well, you know..........I went to meet him at our usual spot, but when I saw him, he was white. Not just pale, but white as a ghost. When I asked him what was wrong, he didn't say anything, he just showed me his phone........Your Syndicate had ordered him to kill me for the murder of two people and for becoming increasingly violent against humans."

"You killed two people?" Aurey hisses accusingly. "I thought you said you weren't strong!"

"No, no, I didn't do it!" Marice quickly assures the older girl, panicking that Aurey may attack her. "I don't know why your Syndicate seems to think so! I couldn't kill a human if my life depended on it. I....I've never even tasted real blood before. I live off of blood caplets, like most Vampires nowadays."

"Then why would the Syndicate mark you huh?" Aurey demands to know. "They don't just mark innocent Vampires, if there is such a thing. They only send us to take care of the dangerous ones."

"But I'm not dangerous Aurienne" Marice insists timidly. "I don't know what I did to make your Syndicate mark me as a dangerous murderer, but they did, and Aren was just as confused as we are about it. I asked if he was going to go ahead with the job, because I really thought he might, but Aren hugged me and said he could never bring himself to do it. I remember that hug well too. It was almost uncomfortably tight, like Aren was desperate or something.....I've never seen him that way and when he went back to his room that night, I was really worried about him. I didn't know what would happen if he chose not to do his job and kill me....."

".....It rarely happens" Aurey says stonily, unsure of how to feel due to her feelings for her brother conflicting with the ideals she'd been taught by Warren at the Syndicate, "But if an agent betrays the Syndicate, they'll be terminated."

"I figured as much, but Aren assured me that he'd take care of everything and that I didn't need to worry" Marice replies, her periwinkle eyes filling with tears once again. "I only saw him once more after that, the night he....he....took care of it.....Now I know that he was just saying goodbye to me because......because a few hours later he was...."

That said, Marice suddenly bursts into tears, causing everyone in the cafe, save for the two businessmen, to look over in curiosity. A bead of sweat rolls down the side of Aurey's head as the young Vampire cries pitifully, painfully aware of the attention now on the two of them but feeling sorry for Marice at the same time.

"I'm sorry Aurienne" Marice apologises, palms pressing into her eyes as she sobs, tears dripping down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, it's my fault! It's all my fault!"

"Shhhhh...." Aurey hisses lowly, trying to quieten the Vampire down a little. "It's not your-"

"If I hadn't become friends with Aren" Marice interrupts despairingly, "Then he would have just killed me and he wouldn't have felt like he needed to do that to protect me! I feel so guilty......He took his life because of me, and I took him away from his own sister! If it weren't for me, Aren would still be here and you could still see him!....."

Aurey stares at Marice through wide eyes as she hunches over a little, body shaking as she cries. The lavender haired girl feels another pang in her heart, sympathy beginning to wash over her like a wave. An unwelcome one at that. She didn't want to feel bad for Marice, a Vampire, but when she was being so blatantly honest in her feelings like this........How could Aurey feel anything but sympathy for the girl?

"I'm so sorry Aurienne" Marice repeats, sniffing as she raises her head, eyes shining with tears. "I wish, so very badly, that Aren had just killed me. Then I wouldn't have to feel like this all the time. I feel so guilty and sad and....and lonely without him. I miss him so much Aurienne, and it's all because of-"

Marice is cut off as Aurey suddenly rises from her seat and walks around the table, before crouching down to engulf the young Vampire in a hug. She holds the surprised Vampire close, feeling sorry for her.

While it was true that Aurey and Aren both had a deep rooted hatred for Vampires, clearly this one was special if she'd managed to change Aren's views, especially if he was willing to take his own life to preserve hers.

Aurey didn't love Marice, nor did she hold feelings of any sort for the Vampire, but it was plain for even someone like Aurey to see that the girl held genuine care for Aren. Maybe Aurey felt uncomfortable with the idea of Aren and a Vampire being in love, as it went against everything she'd ever believed, but she was relieved to know that it hadn't all been an act on Marice's part.

Perhaps this Vampire was different from the rest of them, perhaps not. But Aren had loved her and he'd even said he wanted Aurey to meet her. He'd wanted her to like Marice, and while she didn't know if she could ever truly live up to that wish, Aurey was going to try. For Aren.

"Thank you for caring about him Marice" Aurey says quietly, closing her eyes. "I'm happy to know that he was happy, because of you...."

________________________________________________________________________

Stepping back inside the school gates, Aurey releases a weary sigh, allowing her shoulders to sag. The walk to and from the town centre had been tiring, plus speaking with Marice had been more emotionally taxing than Aurey had imagined.

She figured she'd see Marice, find out what the Vampire's intentions with Aren had really been and then cut her down with a few choice words. Aurey hadn't been expecting a cute, nervous Vampire that genuinely cared for her brother. It was annoying that Marice hadn't just been an evil, conniving creature of the night, like Aurey had planned. It would have made things so much easier.

Aurey certainly wouldn't be feeling so confused if Marice had just been the way she'd imagined the young girl to be!

About to turn and head for the dorm building, Aurey pauses, noticing a large group of Day School students standing around up ahead. They chatter amongst themselves, seemingly buzzing with excitement.

Feeling a little curious, Aurey decides to head over, wondering what they could all be so engrossed by. One student looks up as Aurey approaches, sending the lavender haired girl a friendly grin.

"Hey guys" Aurey greets, stopping between two girls as they make room for her in their circle. "What's going on over here?"

"Hey Aurey" the girl that had smiled at her responds. "Nothing's going on, we were all just a bit excited I guess, because one of the Night School girls is walking around the Day School."

"She was so beautiful!" another girl squeals. "I'm so jealous of her!"

"Her red hair was stunning" another girl agrees, sighing as she flicks some of her own blonde hair from her face. "Mine is so boring compared to hers...."

".......There's a Night School student over here?" Aurey asks flatly, hooding her eyes. She didn't want to deal with rule breakers right now. "Do any of you know where she went?"

"I'm pretty sure she went that way Aurey" another girl answers, pointing to the left. "She went around towards the dorm building."

"Alright, thanks" Aurey replies, waving as she walks in the direction the girl had just pointed. "See you all later."

A chorus of cheerful goodbyes reach Aurey's back, as the girl strides around a corner, a less than friendly expression on her face.

How many times did those damn Vampires need to be told? They were not allowed on Day School property without special permission from the Headmaster. Aurey was too tired to be dealing with any of their shenanigans today anyway. Didn't they have anything better to do on their weekends than roaming around the Day School?

Looking around as she searches the school grounds, Aurey eventually spots a pale girl with beautiful red hair, so long that it hangs past her waist. A scarf is draped loosely around her neck, dangerously close to falling off of the girl, though she is too busy pressing something against a wall to notice.

"Hey!" Aurey calls out to the Vampire, causing her head to whip to the side. Her dark eyes widen, making her look somewhat like a frightened Deer that had been caught in some headlights. "You're not supposed to be over here on Day School property, you know that."

"I-I know Rep" the Vampire says apologetically, biting her lower lip and glancing down at the stack of papers in her hands. "I'm sorry for breaking the rules but-"

"No buts" Aurey sighs, walking over to the red head with her hands on her hips. "Come on. I'm escorting you back over to the Night School right now."

"But Aurienne" the Vampire pleads, reluctantly following after Aurey as she heads for the other School, "You don't understand. I need to put up as many of these posters as I possibly can!"

"Can't you hang posters on your own building?" Aurey asks blandly, not even looking at the troubled red head now walking beside her. "I bet you didn't even ask Headmaster Ikai if you could come over here and do that, right?"

"Well, no" the Vampire admits, her voice wavering a little, "I did it without permission. But I've already hung up some posters at the Night School! I need as many people to see them as possible Aurienne! Please let me off the hook, just this once!"

"What's so important about these posters of yours?" Aurey demands to know, coming to a stop and giving the red haired girl a scrutinising look, one hand held out.

"They're lost posters" the Vampire explains sadly, handing Aurey a piece of paper and staring down at the ones in her hands. "My Dad went missing the other night. Mom says he left home to walk to a friend's house, but he never arrived and no one has seen him since. I'm so worried about him....."

Aurey freezes when she sees a picture of the girl's Father in the middle of the poster, his dark eyes and hair eerily familiar. In the picture he is smiling broadly and sitting in a cozy looking armchair, with one red haired woman on either side of him. The one on the right has her eyes closed while she smiles for the picture, but even so, Aurey can tell that it is the girl she is standing next to right now.

Nervously looking to the top of the page, Aurey feels her heart sink a little at the name, Jude Tenzei.

"What is your name?" the Vampire Hunter asks quietly, swallowing as she looks back up at the red haired girl.

"Clarity Tenzei" she replies timidly, tears in her eyes. "You're.....You're not going to report me to the Headmaster for breaking the rules are you Rep? I didn't mean to, I'm sorry, I just....."

Placing her fingers against the bridge of her nose, Aurey drops the poster back in Clarity's hands and waves her away, eyes closed.

"Just go back to the Night School" she commands lowly, shaking her head. "I won't report you for this, as long as you just leave....."

"O-Okay" Clarity responds slowly, not understanding Aurey's sudden mood change as she continues forwards, glancing back over her shoulder. "Um, thank you Aurienne. If you hear anything about my Dad, please let me know immediately okay?"

"Yeah......" the lavender haired girl mutters, reopening her eyes as Clarity runs off, hand dropping back down to her side. "....Right......"

What were the chances? What were the chances that Aurey's last target had been the Father of one of Shiraki Institute's students? That had never happened before, and Aurey had definitely never had to deal with the family of one of her targets. In all honesty, Aurey never considered that her marks even had families.

The Vampires she killed were always cruel, heartless murderers and it was hard to imagine creatures like that possessing the feelings and emotions to have families. Let alone families that would care if they disappeared.

Clarity had seemed quite upset about her Father's disappearance though. Aurey can't help wondering if the Vampire knew her Dad was a violent killer, or if he was only like that when his wife and daughter weren't around......Either way, Clarity had been on the verge of tears, though she'd held it together pretty well.

That wasn't surprising though. It wasn't often that the creatures shed tears, and Aurey didn't need to deal with two crying Vampires in one day.

Still. Aurey had been pretty rough with Clarity, considering the girl was just wanting to find her missing Father. Not that she'd be able to find him. He'd been reduced to ash and his remains had been dispersed by the wind. Clarity and her Mother would never know what happened to him......

"I do not need to feel guilty about this" Aurey berates herself, frowning as she turns and heads back towards the Day School. "Riah's been getting in my head, that's all. I'm not the bad guy here. I'm not the bad guy. I did the right thing......."

Jude Tenzei had been marked as a murderer and a danger to humans, so why did Aurey, as a Vampire Hunter, feel like she needed to convince herself that what she'd done wasn't wrong?

________________________________________________________________________

Nodding his head in time with the slow tune of the music, Alley stands behind Sansa as she sits poised at the grand piano in the foyer of the Night School, her fingers delicately flying over the keys. The male Vampire smiles to himself, enjoying Sansa's skilfully executed melody.

The quiet, cheery music floats through the large room as Night Students mill around, getting ready for their classes while still half asleep. Some pause momentarily to listen as Sansa plays the piano, while others head into the kitchen to mix their blood caplets into glasses of water.

A small number of Vampires are seated in the living area with their glasses, laughing and conversing quietly by the fireplace, the small flames burning and crackling in a cozy fashion.

Alley's content smile fades slightly when a girl with long, red hair descends the large staircase from the floor above, dark circles under her eyes and shoulders slumping tiredly. She sighs heavily when she reaches the bottom of the stairs, raising one hand to rub at her eye, before turning and trudging towards the kitchen.

Opening her eyes and watching as the girl disappears from the room, Sansa begins to play another soft tune, a frown settling onto her face. The blonde Vampire stares into the kitchen for a few moments, when she heaves a sigh of her own, hands coming to a stop and resting on the piano keys.

Alley blinks his green eyes a few times, tilting his head to the side as he glances down at Sansa with a questioning look.

"What's wrong Sansa?" the Vampire inquires, to which the girl's violet eyes travel back over towards the kitchen, half lidded.

"I'm worried about Clarity" she admits, folding her hands into her lap. "She's been acting like that since she found out her Father disappeared a few days ago....."

"Like a zombie?" a deep voice questions meanly, causing both Sansa and Alley to look up.

The blonde girl's nose wrinkles in distaste at the sight of Cienna standing on the other side of the piano, one eyebrow quirked as he smirks down at her. Alley looks away for a moment, unsure of how to deal with the strange Vampire.

Cienna was different from the others. He didn't look different, he didn't sound different, he just seemed......off. Something was weird about him, but neither Alley or any of the other Vampires could really put their fingers on it. None of them really wanted anything to do with him, or his views on the Bureau...

The red haired Vampire didn't particularly intimidate Alley, especially when Riah was around to put him back in his place, but Alley knew better than to push any of Cienna's buttons. The guy was huge and probably stronger than just about every other Vampire on campus. He wasn't to be messed with.......

"That's hardly a kind thing to say when Clarity is going through such a difficult time" Alley informs Cienna lowly, watching the red head from the corner of his eye. "It wouldn't hurt to have a little sympathy for her."

"Sympathy?" Cienna repeats, before laughing harshly and shaking his head. "Isn't that something that only weak creatures, like humans can feel? I knew you were weak Alley, but that's just pathetic."

"Having emotions does not make you weak Cienna" Alley argues quietly, though his tone is firm. "Quite the contrary in fact. Only a weak minded creature will run and hide from his feelings."

"......Are you trying to say that I'm weak Garcia?" Cienna queries darkly, narrowing his golden eyes as he leans forwards a little. "Because if you are, I'll be glad to prove to you that I don't run from anything."

"Not around my piano you won't!" Sansa barks, jumping up from her seat and scowling at Cienna warningly, hands on her hips. "This was very, very expensive!"

"You should stay out of this little girl" Cienna laughs again, his mocking tone further irritating Sansa. "You wouldn't want to get hurt."

"Nobody is going to get hurt" Riah announces from his seat by the fire, eyes closed as he smiles and raises up his glass, "Because there isn't going to be any fighting."

Cienna turns his head and glares at Riah over his shoulder, with Alley sending the brunette a thankful look. Sansa merely huffs under her breath and crosses her arms, still glowering at Cienna in annoyance. Why did the red head always have to be so combative and frustrating? Why couldn't he just try to get along with everyone else, or better yet, leave?

"I'd love to see how tough all of you are when your king isn't around" Cienna scoffs, turning to face Riah, arms crossed over his chest. "You're all so bold when he's around to protect you. I bet none of you would say even a word to me if he wasn't here babysitting you all."

"All I'm doing is sitting in a chair Cienna" Riah replies coolly, taking a sip of his drink. "I'm not exactly protecting anyone by sitting down. Deflate your ego a little, huh?"

"Besides" Kiersten speaks up from the chair across from Riah, leaning his chin in his palm and grinning teasingly at Cienna, "I'd still argue with you even if Riah wasn't here. It's not like you'd do anything to any of us, seeing as you're afraid of touching anyone for whatever weird reason you have."

Taking a step forwards, a now stoney faced Cienna holds up one hand, fingers curled into half of a fist. Icy particles begin spreading across the Vampire's finger tips and swirling around his hand like a miniature ice storm, eyes flashing red.

"I don't need to touch you to kill you" Cienna growls, his front canine teeth extending into large, imposing fangs.

Bouncing up from his seat enthusiastically, Kiersten laughs and shrugs his shoulders, palms facing the ceiling.

"Aww, but you know your attacks can't hurt me" the silver haired Vampire taunts, blue eyes glittering mischievously. "Intangibility is a great power to have, especially when it comes to arrogant bastards like you wanting to fight me."

"With an attitude like that my friend" Riah says jokingly, turning his head to send Kiersten a pointed look, "Can you really say he's the arrogant one? Your power has its weaknesses as well you know."

"It's not arrogance if it's a true fact" Kiersten states loftily. "Besides, the only thing I can't phase through is another living creature. Cienna's too scared to touch anyone, so it's hardly a problem for me."

"I'm not scared of anything" the red haired Vampire corrects, glaring at Kiersten with contempt.

"Everyone is afraid of something Cienna" Riah sighs, tired of the situation, "Now why don't you stop making a nuisance of yourself for once? Kiersten, sit back down and stop goading him. Sansa, please feel free to continue playing your piano. It's quite relaxing to listen to."

"O-Of course Riah" the blonde haired girl obliges, quickly dropping back down into her seat, cheeks turning pink. She pauses to flick her eyes up to Cienna's back, regarding him uncertainly, before continuing on with the music she'd begun playing earlier.

Alley watches as Kiersten and Cienna stare at each other challengingly for a few more moments, with the silver haired Vampire eventually growing bored and letting out a low breath. He shrugs one shoulder and dismisses Cienna with a wave of his hand, before dumping himself back down into an armchair. He bends his knee and rests one foot on the edge of the seat, cheek leaning against his fist as he lifts up a glass of red liquid and inspects it boredly.

Taunting Cienna was always fun, but Riah only ever let it go on for a minute or two before he'd break things up. The guy was too responsible sometimes.....

Smirking to himself when Kiersten looks away and sits back down, Cienna looks to Riah, only to see the brunette watching him from the corner of his eye, mouth pulled down at the sides. While Riah seemed calm enough, Cienna knew that the Vampire wouldn't hesitate to incapacitate him if necessary.

And though Cienna hated to admit it, Riah was physically stronger than him. The red head had his pride, but he wasn't about to get into a fight with the brown haired Vampire today. The others would never let him hear the end of it and if Riah managed to lay a finger on Cienna's skin, he might discover the larger Vampire's secret....

"So" Kiersten speaks up, watching through hooded eyes as Cienna turns and stalks off towards the kitchen, "What do you guys think happened to that Tenzei guy anyway?"

"I'm not sure" Alley admits, a thoughtful look crossing his tanned face. "I believe Clarity said her Father was just walking to a friend's house, which is something he'd done many times over the years, so I can't imagine he just got lost or anything."

"Maybe he got into a fight and got hurt?" Sansa suggests, before pulling a face and shaking her head. "No, that's stupid. He was pretty tough from what I've heard."

"He was a shape shifter wasn't he?" Alley asks, brows furrowing slightly.

"Yeah" Sansa confirms, flicking some pale blonde hair from her face as she continues playing. "Clarity has the same power as him."

"A rare ability indeed" Alley comments, seemingly impressed. "I don't suppose he's transformed into another creature and is out hunting for humans? I highly doubt it, seeing as hunting for human prey is such an old fashioned thing, but you never know...."

"No" Sansa disagrees. "The Tenzei family are avid supporters of the old Vampire Council, like all of us. They don't support the Bureau and they certainly don't feed on real blood, so he wouldn't be out hunting."

"You don't think the Bureau may have taken care of him then?" Alley wonders out loud, frowning at the idea. "They do have a warped way of thinking after all. Anyone who opposes them is against them, and we all know what can happen if they know you're not a friend."

Here everyone pauses awkwardly, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of Alley's head as they all turn to look at Riah. The brown haired Vampire doesn't respond to his best friend's comment however, his eyes shut as he takes another sip of the red liquid in his glass.

"Uh......" Alley fumbles for the right words. "....Sorry Riah, I didn't mean-"

"It's fine Alley" Riah interrupts, sending the blonde Vampire a closed eye smile. "It doesn't bother me at all."

"Oh......." Alley trails off, sounding doubtful. "I see. I'm.....glad to hear that, I suppose."

".....He was probably taken out by some idiot Vampire Hunter from the Syndicate" Kiersten states flatly, sneering at the idea as he changes the subject. "We all know the humans running that place are losing their minds."

Nearly everyone in the room jumps as Sansa slams her hands down on the piano keys, a fire suddenly burning in her violet eyes. Her fingers curl back, hands balling into fists as she glares at the front door angrily.

"It was probably that damn Vampire Hunter that lives here" the blonde girl decides hotly. "I bet she's the one who killed Clarity's Father! She told her off for hanging posters at the Day School and sent her back. How could she have the nerve to be rude to poor Clarity when she's the one who did this to her?!"

"Poor Aurienne" Riah chuckles to himself. "One Vampire disappears in the area and she automatically gets all of the blame."

"Have you talked to that bitch about this yet Riah?" Kiersten demands to know, ignoring his friend's light hearted statement. "I bet she at least knows something about it."

".......No" the brown haired Vampire replies calmly. "I'm afraid I haven't so much as seen Aurienne for almost a week."

"She's probably hiding out because she's guilty!" Sansa concludes, folding her arms. "I've a good mind to go out there, find her and make her pay!"

"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do that Sansa" Riah says gently, opening his eyes to stare down into his glass. "You know we have to wait here to welcome the new transfer student when they arrive. Headmaster Ikai requested this of us and we hardly want to create any problems for him."

Pouting unhappily, Sansa turns her head away, thick blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder. Though she didn't like that Riah wasn't going to let her teach Aurienne a lesson, the blonde Vampire didn't want to make him unhappy either. If Riah was content to let her be for now, then so was Sansa......Well, not really. But she could at least pretend, for Riah's sake!

"Do you know when the new student is arriving Riah?" Alley asks, glancing up at the clock hanging above the fireplace. "I had hoped it would be before classes started, but they begin very soon, so...."

"It should be any minute now" Riah promises. "The Headmaster did assure me that he'd bring the new student around before our first class of the night. Apparently they're a little younger than us, but Headmaster Ikai decided that we'd do a good job at introducing the new student to our school."

"More like he picked you coz you're the Rep for the Night School" Kiersten smirks, "And you dragged us into it coz you didn't want to explain everything on your own."

"Kiersten, how could you accuse me of such a thing?" Riah laughs innocently, to which everyone else deadpans.

So, it was true. The supposedly responsible Night School Rep didn't want to deal with the boring chore of welcoming a new student and showing them around on his own. Riah had executed his subtle plan and now that everyone had realised they weren't actually chosen by the Headmaster, it was too late to back out.

After a few more minutes of playful banter and Sansa struggling to teach Alley one of the simpler songs she'd played, there is a knock at the door, the quiet sound catching everyone's attention.

"I'll get it" Alley offers cheerfully, rising from the piano seat and striding towards the door.

"Thank goodness......" Sansa sighs with relief, massaging her temples with her fingertips. While Alley was arguably the smartest student in the Night School, he certainly didn't pick up on music very well. He had only been learning for a number of minutes, and Sansa had been about ready to lose her mind. It seemed not everyone possessed her musical genius.....

"Good evening Headmaster" Alley greets as he pulls the door open, gesturing for the man to step inside. "Well, it is more like the middle of the night, but you understand what I meant."

"Yes, good evening Alexander" Ikai replies with a laugh, nodding a hello to the other Vampires in the foyer. "Good evening to you all. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I've finally brought over our new transfer student to meet everyone."

"It's very nice to meet you" Alley says kindly, bowing slightly as he closes his eyes and smiles. "My name is Alexander, however, everyone here calls me Alley."

"Such a cute nickname" Kiersten teases, rolling his blue eyes. "You can thank Riah for that one."

A bead of sweat appears on the side of Alley's head, the blonde straightening up and continuing to smile politely as he imagines himself punching Kiersten upside the head later on. Perhaps when the new student wasn't watching on and looking so nervous.

"Welcome to Shiraki Institute" Riah speaks up warmly, rising from his seat and walking over. He leans down a little, towering over the small Vampire standing timidly before him. "My name is Riah Shiraki. Please ignore my idiotic friends."

"...I-It's nice to meet you" the newcomer replies softly, large eyes lowering from Riah's face to look at the floor. "Um....I-Is Aurienne here?"

Riah blinks in surprise at that question, tilting his head to the side. Sansa and Kiersten pause, before exchanging looks of curiosity and suspicion with each other. What could this little Vampire want with their resident Hunter?

"I'm afraid not" Riah says apologetically, quickly overcoming his initial surprise. "She and all of the other humans should be asleep right now. What did you want her for?"

"I....I have something to give her" the smaller Vampire responds warily, hugging a white box to her chest. "It's important....."