Lisse's POV

I think Nico was dropped on the head as a child.

Often.

It's the only reasonable explanation for his complete refusal to demonstrate anything even related to discretion. That's what I like to tell myself, at least. That, and 'Don't kill him… The Headmasters will be displeased… Don't kill him… Don't even incapacitate him…' It's hard, though, when I have to see him in every class and he often follows me around between classes as well, just to be annoying. 

"Hey, Lissie," Nico called from the end of the hallway. Speak of the devil… My eye twitched involuntarily. 'Do not turn around. Ignore him and then maybe he'll understand that I don't respond to moronic pet names.'

"Lissie~" He repeated, closer this time. I walked faster. 'He is an idiot. He is not worth killing. Calm… Calm…'

"Lissie!" He slung an arm over my shoulder. "Didn't you hear me?" My eye twitched again. I was going to have a nervous breakdown at this rate. Using two fingers, I gingerly removed his arm. Then I glared at him. Grown men have wet themselves when confronted with my glare.

"Aww, you're so cute!" Nico patted me on the head. " You look just like a doll. A psychopathic one," he added as an afterthought. I could do nothing but watch in disbelief as he proceeded to saunter down the hallway ahead of me.

If there is a God, I will fucking mutilate him.

Just as I was considering all the ways I could remove various annoyances from my life, the bell rang, startling me. It wasn't often that the bell rang, as Milaek and Azami enjoyed taunting latecomers and usually did everything in their power to ensure that at least one person was late to every class. I consulted my mental schedule, noting that Ancient Military Tactics was next. It was an enjoyable class and excellent mental stimulation. The one time I had been lucky enough to play against Zenery, we had a preeminent game, though I ended up losing fairly quickly. However, another time I was forced to play against Caleb, who promptly excused himself from the classroom on one pretext or another. I just hoped that I was paired with a reasonably clever tactician this time.

Of course, I was confronted with Nico's self-satisfied smirk the instant I stepped through the door.

This was going to be a very, very long class.

~~~

My premonition was right. It was the single lengthiest class I have ever had to suffer through. Nico refused to do anything constructive and alternated between being annoying and being extremely annoying. Professor Vantas was occupied with torturing the unlucky Larimar and Xerin, who had the great misfortune of being evenly matched, and thus he had no opportunity to scold Nico for not actually participating. 

Evidently bored of pestering me from across the table, Nico slid onto the bench next to me.

"Go back."

"Not going to happen~"

If only the Headmasters weren't so draconian about injuring other students outside of Combat, I would have gladly flayed and eviscerated him right then and there. Luckily for both Nico and the last traces of my sanity, just then Professor Vantas got bored messing with Larimar and Xerin and announced, 

"Class dismissed, fuckers". I grimaced at Nico, fully aware that he would just follow me out of the classroom. 

"Don't even think about it." He grinned and shook his head pityingly. 

"Why would I give up a source of endless entertainment?" 

"… Someday, I will slaughter you."

"How lovely~" He wasn't intimidated, but did end up skipping (?!) down the hall ahead of me. I was really beginning to wonder about Nico. 

Thankful to finally be left in peace, I wandered in the direction opposite to the one he had just left in. I had the vague idea that there was a library located somewhere along one of these corridors, and a quiet and peaceful hour reading the Marquis de Sade sounded wonderful. Unfortunately, I hadn't taken any time to learn the layout of the school and eventually had to face the fact that I was lost. It wouldn't have been all that big of a deal, given that it was a respite from a certain ever-present source of extreme annoyance, except that Combat was next, and the unwritten rule was that anyone late to Combat would be suspended from the highest tower on a fraying rope. My familiar, who only ever appeared to taunt me, floated by. 

'Don't you wish Nico was here… annoying as he is, at least he knows the school inside and out.'

"No. I don't. And if you don't go away this minute, I will find a way to eradicate you."

'Tch.'

As if the mere mention of his name had summoned him, Nico's revoltingly cheerful face appeared around the corner. I decided, irritating as it might be, to take advantage of the situation.

"Tell me how to get back to the classroom."

"Hmm…" He tapped his chin, considering."What will you give me in return?"

"… What?"

"Lissie, darling, nothing is free in this world." He was patronizing me. 'Do not kill him… '

"Fine. What do you want?"

"Hmm… how about a date~?"

*twitch*

I placed the edge of my naginata gently against his throat.

"Would you mind repeating that?"

Larimar's POV

My life has seriously decided to take a turn for the worst. First off Amber and Caleb couldn’t go five freaking minutes without being glued to each other. Ugh. I mean seriously. It’s like a constant slobber fest. I mean fine they have every right to be all coupley but jeeze cant they just do it somewhere where the rest of us don’t constantly have to know about it? God. I had higher expectations for them, but now its all just Amber this, Amber that, bla bla bla Amber bla bla freaking BLA. So yeah this week was already fucking horrible, but it just HAD to get worse. Around Thursday Amber started acting super weird. She got super quiet and jumpy and pale and wasn’t slobbering all over Caleb like there was no tomorrow. Or audience. Ugh. But anyways. Caleb of course seemed to be getting worried, seeing as she would jump and pull away any time he tried to touch her, and of course I could tell he was getting depressed. We hadn’t talked since he and Amber had decided to become surgically grafted by the mouth, but of course as I was heading towards my dorm I saw him sitting outside of it looking like a kicked puppy. I knew for a fact that Amber had gone with Illia to her dorm for a sleepover, it WAS Friday after all, and I was almost positive Caleb knew that. As I approached him he looked up at me. God that puppy analogy really was on the nose. His grey-green eyes were large and worried as he peered up from under his bangs.

I stood there in an awkward silence for a few seconds.

“Uh… hey.” I said finally.

“Hey.” He replied, now looking more like a normal boy rather then a dog.

Another awkward silence.

“Um, you know that Amber isn’t here, right?”

He nodded, looking back down at the floor.

I sighed.

“So then what are you here for?”

There was a pause.

“I guess I just wanted to talk. I don’t really have anyone to talk to about this.”

He didn’t have to state what “this” was. Fucking Amber.

I shrugged towards the door to my dorm.

“Do you want to come in? We have chairs that I’m pretty sure are more comfortable than the floor.”

When he hesitated I hastily added

“Zenery is out with Set, Nico, and Briar. Something about the forest and keeping an eye on people.”

Caleb relaxed slightly, and nodded.

I opened the door and showed Caleb in, and went over to one of the observation platforms with plush chairs and bookshelves. The ceiling was showing a twilight sky with the stars twinkling just as brightly as always. I motioned for Caleb to sit on the chair across from mine. He sat.

More awkward silence.

“Um do you want some tea or something?”

He cracked a small smile.

“Not going to happen. I almost died last time I tried some of your tea.”

I crossed my arms and scowled slightly.

“Hey! That was healing tea! And you were acting like a baby. Its good for you! And besides I was just going to make normal tea anyways. You know, with honey and stuff.”

Caleb perked up at the mention of honey.

“I’ll skip on the tea, but give me the honey!”

“Nope. Either honey with tea or no honey at all. I don’t want you blaming me for all the cavities you’re going to get.”

“Fiiiiine” Caleb pouted, “Tea then, but if it kills me you’re explaining it to the headmasters.”

I smiled slightly and went down to make the tea. I guess I had missed Caleb’s childish attitude somewhat. When I returned with the tea, Lemon with plenty of honey, Caleb was gazing distractedly at the roof.  I set the tea in front of him, and he took a sip without looking over, or complaining. Something was on his mind.

“What, does the sky make you depressed or something?” I said, trying to lighten the mood a little. I didn’t like seeing Caleb like this, all serious and depresses and not… Caleb.

“No.”

I sat down, drinking my tea distractedly.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally he broke the silence.

“Does Amber hate me?”

Ugh. Of course it was Amber that he started with.

“No. Not that I know of anyways. Last I checked she was rather attached to you. Couldn’t get her off with a friking crowbar.” I trailed off slightly at the end, my annoyance showing a bit through my voice.

Caleb seemed to pick up on it.

“Do you hate her?”

I jumped.

“What? No! No no. She’s fine.”

He let it go.

“So it that all you wanted to ask me? If Amber hated you?”

He shook his head.

“So then what?”

Pause.

“How do I… let her into my life.”

“Huh?”

“I mean. You know. I mean all we really did was kiss and… stuff. We never really talked emotional stuff.”

“Wait what do you mean stuff.”

“Like backgrounds and life and-“

“Nonononono the other stuff idiot.”

Caleb blushed.

“Oh. Uh. Well I mean… its like…”

I cut him off.

“Did you two have sex?”

He turned crimson.

“WHAT? No!!! No!! Oh jeeze. Larimar really. I’m sixteen. Come on. Just other stuff ya know. A little fooling around that’s all!”

“Well age really doesn’t have much to do with it, but ill take your word for it.”

“Good. Dear lord. You really are something. Jeeze.”

“Oh shoosh. So what you’re saying is you two don’t really have an emotional connection?”

“…yeah…”

Something in me was happy to hear that.

“Well then maybe do less of the tongue and more of the talk.”

There was silence.

“What? What did I say?” I asked him worriedly.

“Nothing. No. You’re being helpful. Its just…”

“Its just what?”

“I’m worried it might be too late. Because of what happened.”

“Oh.”

Silence.

“What exactly did happen?”

He looked up at me.

“I’m not really sure. She’s just said a little about Gareth and then went quiet when I asked.”

Gareth. That. Little. Fucker.

“Larimar?”

“What?”

“I think she’s gonna break up with me.”

He stared at me with his big puppy eyes again, a tear rolling down his face.

I leaned over and hugged him. And inwardly cursed that bastard Gareth and whatever the fuck he was doing now. 

Gareth's POV

~I allowed the Leo girl to witness the ritual. I presume you will not mind, given that her curiosity was potentially dangerous to your plans. Milaek and Azami refused to interfere. Again, they are too capricious to be safe. However, I have no choice but to rely on them for the moment.~

~We are seriously displeased. You were not authorized to take action on your own. While your reasoning is sound, you have disobeyed direct orders. Begin preparations for Stage Two promptly. You will receive your punishment upon return.~

~Stage Two is not yet ready. I require more time.~

~You will be granted a reprieve due to the nature of your assignment. However, when we contact you again we expect complete finalization.~

~It is greatly appreciated.~