Edited 23/04/2016

"What was he doing walking around the school so early in the morning?" Aurey wonders out loud, marching purposefully through the forest garden between the Day and Night Schools. "He's already been warned about that. Riah really needs to do a better job as a Rep!"

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Aurey continues through the garden, making sure not to step on any of the beautiful, well kept flowers that the school's groundsmen had so clearly been tending to. While the garden was technically a forest, many a fountain and flower bed had been added to it, further increasing it's beauty.

It was such a peaceful place and while Aurey understood why people weren't allowed to come through it without permission, she couldn't help thinking the other Day School students would love the garden as well. It would become so full of colour in the middle of spring, the perfect spot to come and sit with your friends.

As Aurey comes to the edge of the garden, she pauses and looks up at the large Night School building. While it may be because her opinion of the School is biased, Aurey can't help thinking how menacing the structure looks in the quickly fading light, with its dark tiled roof and Victorian era features.

Inside, about a hundred or so Vampires, that number including students and their teachers, would be rising from their beds and getting ready to start their days. Or in this case, their nights.

Aurey's shoulders droop a little, the girl not at all excited about having to encroach on Vampire territory and completely surround herself with the creatures. She had to do it though. It was difficult to get a hold of Riah during the day, seeing as he was usually asleep, so Aurey really had no other choice but to come to the Night School if she really needed to talk to him. She'd always managed to avoid having to come over to this side of the Institute however, so approaching a huge building full of creatures that she'd rather see dead was, admittedly, a little intimidating.

Stepping onto a white pebbled path, Aurey reluctantly walks over to the Night School building, ascending a short set of concrete stairs to the large double doors. She pauses for a moment, inhaling a deep breath and hardening her expression, before knocking loudly on one of the doors, painted a deep brown colour.

Within a matter of seconds, the door is pulled open, revealing a tall Vampire with honey blonde hair and unusually olive coloured skin. He blinks as he glances down, not having expected to find a human on the Night School's door step. He soon breaks into a friendly smile however, pulling the door even further open.

"Ah, if it isn't the Day School Rep" the Vampire greets, bowing slightly. "To what do we of the Night School owe the pleasure of this visit Miss Walker?"

Aurey, feeling a little taken aback by the Vampire's polite demeanour, raises one eyebrow at the kind smile on his face. No doubt this creature knew she was a Vampire Hunter, so his seemingly formal greeting was a bit strange to Aurey. Not that she was about to fall for such false pretences of course.

Upon hearing the soft sound of a piano being played in the background, Aurey glances past the tall Vampire, trying to see into the foyer. The blonde notices Aurey's curiosity, amusement clear in his green eyes. He takes a step back and gestures for Aurey to come in, to which the lavender haired girl's eyes narrow suspiciously.

"You're welcome to come in Miss Walker" the Vampire invites. "It is getting rather cold outside, so if you have some business to attend to, I'd suggest doing so in the warmth of our foyer."

"I just need to speak with Riah" Aurey finally tells the blonde male, folding her arms over her chest and frowning. "I don't need to come inside."

The Vampire can't help chuckling at this, shaking his head and glancing back at something over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to tell you this Miss Walker" he replies, looking back to Aurey and smiling sheepishly, "But I can see Riah from where I'm standing and I can promise you that he is not about to come outside."

Aurey's face drops into a deadpan expression, her shoulders sagging comically as the Vampire closes his eyes and smiles, rubbing at the back of his head with his free hand.

"Who's at the door Alley?" a familiar voice asks. "It's freezing with it open, so could you-"

Peering around the door inquisitively, Kiersten cuts himself off when he sees an unimpressed Aurey standing at the door, the look on his face soon falling into one that mimics her own. The blue eyed Vampire sighs raggedly, running his hand through his hair and pushing some of it back from his face.

"We haven't even done anything yet" Kiersten informs Aurey flatly, "So go back to the Day School and ruin someone else's fun."

"Miss Walker is just here to see Riah" Alley informs his silver haired friend. "She isn't here to argue with you Kiersten."

"Oh really?" Kiersten asks, the mischievous look that flashes through his dark eyes immediately putting Aurey on her guard. She never knew what to expect with Kiersten, as he could be somewhat of a rule breaker when he wanted to. He was hard to gauge.....

Darting through the doors so fast that Aurey doesn't have time to react, Kiersten appears behind the girl and places one hand on her back, before roughly shoving her inside. She stumbles into the Night School's foyer and quickly rights herself, whirling around to glare at a now grinning Kiersten, with Alley gently pulling the door closed. It wasn't fair of Kiersten to use his superior speed like that, especially when he knew she'd be outnumbered inside the building. That, and he probably knew that Aurey wasn't allowed to walk around armed anymore.

Fixing her skirt, Aurey glances around the foyer of the Night School building, spotting a number of Vampires seated in armchairs to her right, the only area of the foyer to have any carpet. A large fireplace flickers against the wall near them, with a beautiful grand piano sitting proudly beneath the high staircase directly in front of Aurey. A Vampire with thick, creamy blonde hair tumbling down her back is seated at the piano, playing it with her eyes closed and paying no mind to the ruckus happening near her.

Riah, seated in one of the armchairs by the fire, alternates his gaze between Aurey, Alley and Kiersten, entertained by the whole scene. He sips some red liquid from the glass in his hand, winking at Alley when the blonde casts him a pointed look and tilts his head towards Aurey. It wasn't every day the lavender haired girl came to visit the Night School, and while Riah figured she must be here to discuss something with him, he wanted to see how she'd react to being on Vampire territory. She'd be out of her comfort zone for sure.

"I'm sure the others will be just thrilled to have our school's very own Vampire Hunter here for a visit" Kiersten tells Aurey sarcastically, crossing his arms and resting his back against the wall. "I mean, they were all so excited when we first told them."

"Don't threaten me Kiersten" Aurey warns, tugging down the hem of her black school blazer. "We wouldn't want you to regret it, now would we?"

"Oh, and you have the nerve to tell me not to threaten anyone?" Kiersten scoffs, both eyebrows rising. "Watch yourself Vampire Hunter, you're not amongst friends here."

"Nonsense Kiersten" Alley interjects, stepping over to Aurey and smiling down at the girl, his eyes friendly. "Miss Walker, please be assured that you're in no danger here at the Night School. Kiersten is just.....a little excited I suppose."

As Aurey tilts her head up, giving Alley a dubious look, the gentle sound of piano music comes to a sudden halt.

"Wait, so that's the Vampire Hunter?" the blonde haired girl at the piano asks, her violet eyes focused intently on Aurey. She furrows her dainty brows, frowning at Aurey, before switching her gaze over to Alley. "Why would you let her in here Alley? Don't you realise what she is? She's probably here to try and kill us all."

"Calm down Sansa" Alley says kindly, "Miss Walker is just here to see Riah, that's all."

"Riah?" Sansa repeats, a look of disdain on her pretty face. "What does she need to bother him for? He's a busy Vampire Hunter, he has no time for you."

"What, can't he speak for himself anymore?" Aurey asks rudely, turning her head to glare at Riah. "Are you afraid of talking to me now or something Vampire?"

Riah laughs at this and shakes his head, placing his glass down on a low table and rising from his chair as the other Vampires seated near him exchange uncertain looks. The brunette strolls over with one hand in the pocket of his black trousers, not seeming bothered by Aurey's sudden visit at all.

"I'm hardly afraid of you Aurey" Riah informs the lavender haired girl, his boyish grin irritating her. "It was just more fun letting Kiersten, Sansa and Alley here deal with you. Thanks for letting her in by the way Alley. I didn't want to move from my spot by the fire."

"No worries Riah" the blonde Vampire dismisses, sending the brunette a bright smile as he playfully slaps Alley on the back. "Oof!.......I figured as much."

"So, whatcha here for Aurey?" Riah inquires, his maroon eyes sparkling cheekily. Aurey stares up at the Vampire through narrowed eyes, taking one step back in a not so subtle hint that Riah is too close to her.

"I know that Night School students have been wandering off campus without permission" Aurey states seriously, causing Riah to sweat drop, his grin turning sheepish. "You only told me about Cienna running off that one time, but one of the Day School girls told me that they saw that Vampire sneaking out of the school again this afternoon!"

"I don't think I like that tone of yours Rep" Kiersten berates, looking aggravated. "You say Vampire like its a disease or something."

"Don't you give me any attitude!" Aurey is quick to snap at the blue eyed Vampire, jabbing a finger towards him. "I saw you sneaking back into the school grounds really early this morning, so you're in no place to say anything!"

"How did you see him?" Riah questions, tilting his head to the side, though there is a knowing look in his eyes. "Shouldn't all Day School students be asleep when the sun is down?"

Aurey pauses at that, her hands balling into fists as she hoods her eyes, setting her jaw in place to keep from snapping back. Aurey hated Vampires, but she wasn't stupid. She was hardly going to announce to a room full of Vampires that she'd been out killing one of their kind.

"Had some business to attend to?" Riah inquires innocently, shrugging a shoulder and smiling when he sees a fire burning in Aurey's sapphire eyes, knowing he'd guessed right. Aurey huffs, squaring her shoulders. She'd done nothing wrong. That Vampire was a murderer and he'd received his deserved punishment.

"What I was doing awake is none of your business" Aurey informs Riah stonily. "Stop trying to change the subject. It's your responsibility to control the Night Class and ensure they follow the rules. Kiersten and Cienna are not allowed to do as they please, no matter how entitled they may f-"

Aurey lets out a gasp as a large hand suddenly grips her by the back of her collar and roughly hoists her into the air, feet no longer touching the ground. Alley and Riah both a take a step forwards, the blonde Vampire's eyes wide. Kiersten remains against the wall with his arms crossed, mouth turning up into a devilish smirk. It would serve the loud mouthed Vampire Hunter right if she got punished for waltzing in here and acting as if she were superior to the Vampires.

"You think you can just come into our territory and bark orders at us human?" a deep voice asks from behind Aurey, the girl's heart thudding against her chest. "Maybe I should teach you a lesson so you don't forget your place."

"Cienna, threatening Miss Walker isn't going to help the situation" Alley advises, a bead of sweat on the side of his head. "Perhaps if you could just carefully put her down, she will be gracious enough to overlook this?"

'Why does Cienna sound like a man?' Aurey can't help wondering, having expected the Vampire to be a girl, judging by the name. The girl winces as Cienna lets out a low, unfeeling laugh.

"Why would I care what this human thinks?" he demands to know, his tone harsh. "If I drain all of the blood from her body, this whole situation will go away anyway."

"Maybe you've forgotten the whole reason this school was built Cienna?" Riah suggests coolly, placing one hand on his hip and scratching the back of his neck with the other, feigning nonchalance. "The point of the Institute is for humans and Vampires to coexist together peacefully. I hardly think drinking the Rep's blood is going to help us reach that goal."

"You honestly think I care about your stupid goal Riah?" Cienna scoffs. "You know I don't support your ideals. I support the Bureau, whether you like it or not. The only thing this useless girl would be good for is to be a blood bag for us Vampires."

Alley looks horrified by this announcement, his tan face paling a little. Riah's maroon eyes narrow the tiniest amount, though his mouth pulls up at the side, a lop sided smirk being directed at Cienna. There was really only one way to deal with this Vampire.....

"Come now Cienna" Alley urges, holding his hands out in front of him, "The Bureau? Surely you know that their ideals.......Well, they certainly don't mesh with our own. You're smart enough to know that supporting such a cause borders on barbaric."

"Yeah" Cienna agrees, smirking back at Alley icily. "What's your point? Humans are weak creatures and they're only good for one thing."

"If you don't put Aurey down Cienna" Riah grins darkly, chuckling to himself, "I'll have to touch you. That's right, I'll come over there and do that thing you don't like."

Aurey gives Riah an incredulous look at his declaration, before she hangs her head and sighs heavily. Could he never take anything seriously?

Cienna on the other hand, freezes, a large vein appearing on the side of his head. It begins to throb, with the Vampire's eyes narrowing dangerously at Riah. The air around him and Aurey seems to grow colder, with the girl shivering slightly at the sudden temperature drop. Seeing the puff of warm air escape from Aurey's lips, Riah smiles victoriously, not at all put off by Riah's icy glare.

"Don't throw a fit now Cienna" the brunette teases. "It wouldn't be smart to freeze Aurey either, because you know what I'll do if that happens. You wouldn't want Alley and I to come over there and-"

Without so much as a word, Cienna begrudgingly releases Aurey's collar, the unsuspecting girl letting out a yelp as she drops to the ground. She swiftly jumps to her feet and throws up one angry fist, ignoring the now laughing Riah in front of her. Aurey whirls around to give Cienna a piece of her mind, only to stop in place, eyes widening.

Even taller than Riah and with a far more muscular build, Cienna looms above Aurey like an intimidating mountain, his golden eyes burning with resentment. While Aurey isn't sure whether any of that loathing is being directed at Riah or not, it is clear to her that Cienna does not like humans at all.

He stares down at Aurey through hooded eyes, his dark red hair hanging straight and falling just below his shoulders. His black blazer remains unbuttoned, with his shirt also open and revealing the top of a very toned chest. A blue tie hangs limply around Cienna's neck, with the Vampire no doubt planning to leave it that way, as if he were above the dress code.

"I wasn't expecting you to be......" Aurey trails off, deciding to bite her tongue. She didn't want to make Cienna any angrier, especially while she was unarmed. He looked like the kind who didn't care for rules and he had already proven he didn't have any qualms about killing humans. Although, Aurey didn't know what any of this talk about a Bureau was.

"Miss Walker" Alley addresses carefully, though his tone is polite, "Is it safe to assume that you have never encountered Cienna before?"

"You'd be right in assuming that" Aurey replies, flicking her eyes back up to Cienna's face warily. Kiersten suddenly bursts out laughing and jabs a hand in the red headed Vampire's direction, shaking his head.

"She totally thought Cienna was gonna be a girl!" Kiersten exclaims, doubling over as Riah follows his lead, breaking out into laughter as well.

"It's because he's got a girl's name!" Riah agrees, not at all fazed by the ominous look on the red head's face. Alley merely stands next to Riah with a closed eye smile on his face, entertained by the idea that Aurey thought Cienna was a girl, but not stupid enough to taunt the much larger Vampire out loud.

Aurey can't help sweat dropping and leaning back a little, as Cienna tilts his head down, a dark shadow concealing his face. The Vampire's large hands curl into tight fists down by his side, clearly trying to control his temper.

If Cienna wasn't a Vampire and hadn't just threatened to kill her, Aurey could almost feel bad for him. This clearly wasn't the first time Riah and Kiersten had picked on the red head for his girly name, or the fact that he didn't like physical contact of any kind.

"It's alright if you thought Cienna was gonna be a girl Aurey" Riah assures the girl, bending down to be on eye level with her. "We all thought he was gonna be a girl when we first heard his name."

"How disappointed we were when we actually met him" Kiersten teases, crossing his arms again and baring his teeth at Cienna in an unfriendly smirk.

Aurey pulls a face at Riah and moves away from him, eyes flicking back over to Cienna cautiously. She had only come here to speak with Riah about keeping better control of the other Vampires, she didn't come here to get into a fight with one of the biggest Vampires she'd ever seen.

"Cienna, calm down" Riah sighs, waving one hand at the red head lazily. "You're making it really cold in here with that frosty attitude."

"One day you're gonna get what's coming to you Riah" Cienna promises lowly, raising his golden eyes to his fellow Vampire's face. "You play the fool, like you have no problems in the world, but one day that smart ass attitude is going to get you killed."

Riah closes his eyes and smiles brightly, tilting his head to the side.

"Is that a threat Cienna?" the brunette asks pleasantly, to which Aurey's brows furrow in confusion. Why did he sound so casual about it? "I don't take kindly to being threatened. We're all just trying to coexist together here, let's not ruin it huh?"

"I assure you" Cienna replies sinisterly, folding his large arms over his chest, "It's no empty threat."

As Aurey watches on from the side, wondering if she might be better to leave and come back another time, Alley steps in front of Riah and looks up, regarding Cienna seriously.

"I will not allow you to hurt Riah in any way Cienna" the blonde Vampire states firmly, green eyes holding Cienna's intimidating gaze with ease. "While you may not agree with his ideals or the way he chooses to do things, Riah is your Representative and you will show him some respect."

"I didn't pick him to represent me" Cienna growls. "He's nothing like me. He's a kind hearted fool! Vampires like all of you will lead us to our extinction."

Aurey's blue eyes widen a little as Cienna takes a step forwards, glaring hatefully at Riah over Alley's head. Tiny, sharp icicles float around the red head's fists, materialising out of thin air. Seeing Cienna's threatening movement, Kiersten pushes away from the wall and stands beside Riah, gritting his teeth together.

Before anything more can be said, the entrance doors are pushed open, cold night air immediately flowing into the room. Aurey turns her head, only to see a tall man standing in the doorway, clad in a black suit and carrying a smart briefcase in one hand. His pale blue hair slicked back stylishly, the man regards everyone in the room with a cold look, his eyes half lidded.

"Pardon the intrusion" the man says in a smooth voice, stepping into the foyer. "Your Headmaster directed me to this building and said I would be most welcome inside."

The smile dropping from his face, Riah stares back at the blue haired man, an apathetic look in his eyes. He glances down as Alley looks to him with wide eyes, before the blonde strides over to the doors and carefully pulls them closed, before smiling at the unfamiliar visitor.

"Of course you are most welcome in the Night School sir" Alley replies kindly, holding out one hand. "May I take your jacket for you?"

"No thank you" the man replies, brushing Alley off. "I'm only here on a short visit I'm afraid. I merely need to speak with Riah Shiraki, if you don't mind."

Alley pauses behind the man's back, once again looking to Riah. Kiersten retreats back over to the wall he'd been leaning against earlier, avoiding all eye contact with the blue haired man and scowling deeply to himself. The Vampires seated in the armchairs all turn back around, pretending to be interested in the drinks they're holding, though they keep a close watch from the corner of their eyes.

Sansa, still seated at the piano, stares at the visitor with widened eyes, uncertainty in them. She tilts her head down to look at the keys of the piano, before lifting her hands and beginning to play again, though it seems more robotic this time.

Even Cienna, who had been fuming only moments earlier, lets out a sigh and places his hands in his pockets, turning to exit the room. Aurey watches the red head leave, wondering why on earth everyone had begun to act so strangely. She could feel the tension in the air. This Vampire was clearly not welcome in the Night School, and Aurey wonders if he can feel the uncomfortable atmosphere as well. It seemed obvious to even her, though she had no clue who this blue haired Vampire could be.

"I apologise for arriving unannounced like this" the visitor says, his eyes focusing on Aurey and narrowing the slightest amount. "I didn't realise that you had company over..........You're a human, correct?"

"Yes, and?" Aurey asks sharply, standing her ground beneath the Vampire's cold gaze. Seeming not to like Aurey's tone, the Vampire's face contorts into a deep frown, faint wrinkles appearing around his eyes.

"Speaking in such a tone to a Vampire" the man scoffs, clearly disgusted with Aurey's presence for some reason. "You ought to know your place and show me some respect little girl, seeing as I am the superior species here-"

"Please do not speak so disrespectfully to one of the Night School's guests" Riah interrupts, causing both Aurey and the older Vampire to turn their heads. The brunette sends his visitor a kind smile, though Aurey can see that it doesn't reach his eyes. "I will be happy to speak with you, considering you have travelled all the way here."

"My apologies for offended your guest" the blue haired Vampire smirks, casting Aurey a nasty look, before turning his attention back to Riah. "Yes, let us go somewhere a little more private then. I have a matter of great importance to discuss with you."

"Very well then" Riah replies, gesturing for the man to follow as he turns around. "Please, follow me."

Everyone watches silently as Riah leads the man out of the room, their shoes tapping loudly against the marble tiles. Aurey scowls after the two Vampires in annoyance, wondering why her presence had annoyed the older one so much. Who did he think he was, speaking down to her like that? Vampires weren't superior to humans at all! They were basically animals, reacting to things out of pure instinct rather than conscious thought!

Alley lets out a deep sigh, closing his eyes and running a hand through his blonde hair. Over at the piano, Sansa drops her hands from the keys, looking down the hallway Riah had disappeared into with an anxious expression on her face. She turns her head and exchanges a look with Alley, before Kiersten steps forwards again, seemingly irritated.

"I wonder what that's all about?" the silver haired Vampire wonders out loud, rolling his eyes. "It's not like them to just come out here like this."

"Whatever reason the Bureau have for sending someone to come and speak to Riah" Alley murmurs, green eyes studying the floor in concern, "It can't be a good thing......."

"......What exactly is going on here?" Aurey demands to know, her hands on her hips. Alley blinks in surprise, having forgotten about Aurey the moment the older Vampire had walked in the doors. He turns and stares at the girl for a few moments, with Kiersten wrinkling his nose in distaste and glaring at from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, Miss Walker......" Alley sighs again, giving the girl an apologetic look as he walks over and presses a gentle hand against her back. "I'm very sorry for this, but it would be better if you left for now. Riah will be in that meeting for quite some time, so you won't be able to finish speaking with him tonight I'm afraid."

"But I'm not done speaking with him yet" Aurey protests as Alley pushes her back towards to the doors, pausing only to reach forwards and open one for the girl. Feeling irked and very confused as to what had just happened, Aurey steps out onto the concrete stairs and whirls around to face Alley, who stands with one hand on the back of the door.

"I really am sorry Miss Walker" the blonde Vampire says again, giving the girl a tiny smile, "But it seems we have a little issue to deal with tonight and it wouldn't be a good idea for you to hang around the Night School right now."

"Just.......tell Riah we're not done with this topic yet" Aurey eventually orders, sighing in exasperation. Glad the lavender haired girl has chosen not argue with him, Alley nods his head, smile widening.

"I will ask him to meet you in the garden tomorrow afternoon" the blonde promises, a dark look flashing through his green eyes as he half closes them. "Now hurry back to the Day School Miss Walker, and try not to look back, okay?"

Aurey sends Alley a questioning look over her shoulder as she descends the steps, wondering if the Vampire's joking tone was trying to hide an underlying warning, or if he really had just been messing with her.

Watching through a small crack in the door, Alley can't help feeling relieved when Aurey breaks into a jog, heading back towards the Day School. He waits until the girl disappears into the forest garden before he closes the door, turning around and leaning his back against it as an apprehensive feeling settles in his stomach.

With Vampires from the Bureau around, Aurey wouldn't be safe. No humans would be. Alley couldn't understand why the Headmaster would allow such a dangerous Vampire to walk around the School without so much as an escort.

Hopefully the Bureau weren't going to give Riah too much trouble, as they'd already taken enough from him in the past.....

________________________________________________________________________

Riah leans back on the bench seat and folds his arms behind his head, resting it comfortably against the tree he is currently sitting beneath. He closes his eyes and smiles to himself, pretending not to listen to Aurey as she paces back and forth in front of him, ranting. In reality, the Vampire was listening to Aurey, he just found it fun to tease her a little. She may hate Vampires, but her reactions were usually pretty entertaining anyway.

"And you know that Kiersten is a risk to the other Day School students" Aurey lectures seriously, shaking her head as she spins around to walk back the way she'd just come from. "He lured Elena out into the garden at night and attacked her!"

Feeling uncomfortably warm all of the sudden, Riah cracks one eye open and glances up, frowning when he notices that sunlight is streaming between the leaves of the tree above him. He shuffles to the right, escaping from the sun's warm rays.

"Don't even get me started on Cienna" Aurey sighs raggedly, gesturing wildly as she speaks. "After meeting him, I'm even more unhappy about the fact that he just wanders off whenever he wants! He's probably more of a threat than Kiersten is and-"

Aurey cuts herself off and freezes mid step as she notices Riah raise one hand up to his face, yawning tiredly. Hooding her eyes, Aurey turns her body towards Riah and throws her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I'm boring you am I?" the lavender haired girl questions dryly, to which Riah opens his eyes and glances over. "Well, I'm sorry that the safety of my fellow humans is such a chore for you to deal with, but that's just the reality of-"

"Relax Aurey" Riah interjects calmly, giving the girl a charming smile, his eyes sparkling in amusement, "You're not boring me okay? As you're aware, I'm a Vampire and seeing as it's the middle of the day, I'm pretty tired."

Aurey feels one of her eyebrows twitch in annoyance, the corners of her mouth pulling down. She momentarily closes her eyes, struggling to keep herself from face palming.

"Don't be smart with me" she replies after a few seconds of silence. "I know exactly what you are and I don't care that you're tired, this is important!"

"So keep talking then" Riah encourages smartly, knowing very well that he is pushing Aurey's buttons. "I can still listen with my eyes closed you know. Give me a little credit Aurey."

"Stop calling me Aurey" the girl commands, frustrated with Riah's indifference towards the issue of the other Vampires breaking rules. "It's Aurienne to you, and I know you're not paying attention to me. You're just slacking off over there and waiting for me to be quiet!"

"I don't wait for things that will never happen" Riah teases, chuckling when he sees a warning look flash through Aurey's eyes. "Alright, alright, don't lose your temper Aurey. I'll keep my eyes open this time okay?"

"That's not the issue here!" Aurey exclaims angrily, only to pause when the phone in her pocket begins to ring. She blinks a couple of times, with Riah grinning and waving his hand.

"Go on" he urges kindly, "Answer it. I'll wait until you're done."

Rolling her eyes, Aurey pulls out her phone and looks down, brows knitting together at the unfamiliar number showing up on the screen. She turns away from Riah, pressing a button on the phone and placing it against her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Aurienne Walker?" a female voice asks, sounding a little strained.

"......Yes, this is Aurienne speaking" the girl replies, frown deepening at the heavy sigh that comes from the other end of the phone line.

"Miss Walker" the woman addresses seriously, "This is Headmaster Lawrence from Shiraki Boarding School."

Aurey pauses for a moment, perplexed as to why her little brother's school would be calling her. An uneasy feeling begins to well up inside Aurey, causing her to bite her lip. If Aren himself wasn't calling, this couldn't be anything good.

Maybe Aurey was just being too negative though. Perhaps Aren had just misbehaved at school and gotten in trouble, or even suspended. Oh, he'd be in trouble if Headmaster Lawrence told her that had happened!

"What did Aren do?" Aurey asks wryly, though she sincerely hopes that's all this call is about. "If he's been causing trouble of any kind, don't you worry, I'll sort him out!"

"............." There is a long pause on the other end of the phone, the silence causing Aurey's stomach to feel as if it is filled with butterflies. "I'm afraid Aren's behaviour is not the issue here Miss Walker.....You see......."

Riah watches Aurey with interest, laughing quietly at her promise of taking care of someone for misbehaving. The brunette leans forwards in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together. Riah's smile soon begins to fade into a look of apprehension however, brows knitting together at the slowly changing expression on Aurey's face.

"Aren killed himself last night" Headmaster Lawrence informs Aurey sorrowfully, wishing she didn't have to convey such dreadful news. "His body was found just this morning.......I'm so sorry to have to tell you this Miss Walker, and so bluntly....."

Aurey is no longer able to listen to Headmaster Lawrence's words, not understanding any of them as the woman continues to express her condolences.

The lavender haired girl's heart stops in her chest at this sudden news, an icy cold wave washing over her entire body and making her feel numb. Her legs and arms begin trembling with shock, the girl's lower lip quivering as her sapphire eyes widen in absolute horror. Slowly raising one hand to cover her open mouth, Aurey shakes her head in protest, not wanting to believe what this strange woman had just told her.

There was no way Aren, her beloved little brother, had killed himself. No.....It just couldn't be. Surely Headmaster Lawrence had made a mistake and it was someone else's brother who had performed such a terrible act?

Why would Aren choose to leave her like that? It didn't make any sense to Aurey. She'd only spoken to her brother at the beginning of the week, and he'd seemed so happy! How could things have changed so drastically in the space of a few days to make him even consider such a thing?

"Aurey?" Riah asks carefully, poised on the edge of the bench seat. He watches the shaking girl intently, unsure of what had happened to make her react so strongly, but ready to catch her if her legs should give out from beneath her.

"Miss Walker?" Headmaster Lawrence asks. "Are you still there?"

Breathing shakily, Aurey closes her eyes and tilts her head down, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Y-Yes....." she replies quietly, no more strength in her tone, "I'm still here, I'm just.......I'm just in shock......."

"I understand Miss Walker" the Headmaster acknowledges gently. "This is terrible and unexpected news, so I can respect that you may be shocked. Please be assured, we will take care of everything on our end and contact the Vampire Hunter Syndicate on Aren's behalf so they are aware of the situation as well."

"Th-Thank you" Aurey stammers, not really processing the woman's words in her mind. "I....I had better speak to my Headmaster as well....."

"Once again, you have my condolences Miss Walker" Headmaster Lawrence sighs, pained. "Aren was a wonderful student and he will be sorely missed here. Please, do take care of yourself in this sad time."

"Thank you...." Aurey repeats, closing her eyes again as she lowers the phone from her ear, letting the Headmaster hang up. Her arms hanging limply at her sides, Aurey allows her phone to slip through her fingers. As soon as it hits the ground, Riah shoots up out of his seat and picks it up.

"Aurey?" the Vampire asks softly, leaning down to look into the girl's face. "Aurey, are you okay?......What happened?"

Raising her wavering eyes to look at Riah, the warm look of genuine concern on his face confusing her, Aurey shakes her head.

"My little brother's school just called" she replies lowly, the fact that she's even bothering to explain herself surprising Riah. "They told me that he......That he k-killed himself this morning....."

Riah's maroon eyes widen at this, sympathy for the Vampire Hunter filling his heart. He hadn't even know, that Aurey had a little brother, but he certainly knew how hard it was to lose a loved one. For someone like Aurey, who acted very cold hearted and unfeeling around all of the Vampires, to react like this, Riah knew she had to be in a lot of pain right now. It seemed she was trying to keep herself together, but Riah could see she was struggling.

"I'm sorry to hear that Aurey....." Riah says sincerely, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder and stepping a little closer. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Aurey's eyes widen a little as Riah moves towards her, freezing at his touch. She is able to feel the coolness of his body now that he is closer, Vampire's possessing a lower body temperature than that of a human. It wasn't an unpleasant coolness if Aurey was to be honest with herself, but the fact that it was coming from a Vampire made the girl's skin crawl. She didn't want to be near one of these things!

"No!" Aurey suddenly cries out, swatting Riah's hand away and leaping back from him, brows furrowed once again. She glares at the surprised looking Vampire for a few moments, before abruptly turning away. "I have to go and see the Headmaster about this......"

Riah hoods his eyes and places one hand in his pocket, wishing Aurey wouldn't be so stubborn. Despite how cold she acted towards him and the other Vampires, Riah didn't dislike her, knowing that the real Aurey was kind hearted and caring. Her clear worry for her fellow Day Students was evidence enough of her selflessness, but Riah had also seen her interacting with the other humans. They'd chosen her as their Rep for a reason.

"Here" Riah sighs wearily, holding up Aurey's phone, "Don't forget this."

Turning around, Aurey manages to catch her phone in both hands as Riah carefully throws it to her, not wanting to aggravate the girl any further by approaching her again.

Riah enjoyed teasing Aurey, but now wasn't the right time and he didn't think she'd appreciate his humour. Well, not that she usually did anyway, but he didn't want to push his luck given the circumstances.

".......Thanks" Aurey murmurs, spinning around and running off towards the Staff building, leaving Riah behind.

He watches Aurey for a few moments, one hand on his hip and a thoughtful look on his face. While she'd managed to keep from crying, the brown haired Vampire had never seen Aurey so vulnerable before. While she often tried to appear tough, it seemed as though Aurey really possessed human feelings after all.

Perhaps even Vampire Hunters weren't the cold blooded killers all Vampires thought them to be.

________________________________________________________________________

Headmaster Fujimura leans forwards in his seat, leaning his elbows on the edge of his desk and lacing his fingers together, hands held in front of his mouth. He studies Aurey through caramel eyes, the girl's shoulders drooping sadly and her face tilted towards the floor. She sits dejectedly in the seat before the Headmaster's desk, staring down at her hands and fiddling with them.

While Ikai Fujimura hadn't personally known Aurey's little brother, she had mentioned him a few times in the past two years and it was clear that the both of them were very close. Seeing as Aurey and Aren had lost their parents years ago, it was no surprise that they'd clung to each other growing up. Aren was the last family member that Aurey had, but now he was gone as well, and by his own choice no less.

Ikai wasn't at all surprised to see Aurey behaving so uncharacteristically down. If anything, he would have expected her to be crying or trying to run from the school and get to her brother.

"I see......" Ikai murmurs. "I'm very sorry to hear about Aren. This must be very hard for you Aurey."

"I just don't understand" the blue eyed girl replies blandly, shaking her head and keeping her eyes focused on her lap. "Why?.....Why would he do that? It just doesn't make any sense. I just spoke to him a few days ago Headmaster.......He sounded so happy, so normal."

"Perhaps something happened to him during the week Aurey" Ikai suggests carefully, keeping his tone compassionate. The girl lifts her head at this, a far away look in her eyes as she looks to her Headmaster.

"But if that's true" she argues, having to pause and take a few deep breathes before continuing, "Then why didn't he tell me? Aren and I could talk about anything, so I don't know why he wouldn't........"

"Maybe he didn't want to burden you with his troubles Aurey" Headmaster Fujimura says, smiling gently at the lavender haired girl. "It was obvious that you and your brother cared for each other a lot, so maybe he just-"

"He should burden me with his problems though!" Aurey interrupts angrily, balling her hands into tight fists. "I'm his older sister! He didn't have a Mom or Dad to go to, so he should've come to me! I'm supposed to be the one looking out for him but....but he still...."

"This is not your fault Aurey" Ikai states seriously, brows furrowing with concern as the girl hangs her head again, the large bow in her hair flopping forwards. "You weren't there and you aren't psychic. You couldn't have known that this was going to happen and this was Aren's decision. He chose this."

".....There has to be a reason why this happened" Aurey mutters under her breath, leaning one elbow on Ikai's desk and resting her forehead against the palm of her hand. "He wouldn't just do something this drastic for a small problem......I guess I'll never know though."

"Aren't the Syndicate going to head to the Boarding School to find out what happened?" Headmaster Fujimura questions, to which Aurey sighs and nods her head.

"Yeah, they'll go there and erase every trace of Aren's presence" the girl responds robotically, struggling to hold back her tears. "They won't want the Police getting involved and nosing around a school that houses Vampires. All of the human students' memories will be erased, all of Aren's stuff will be collected and I'll probably never get to speak to anyone about what happened."

Tilting his head to the side as a sad look crosses his face, Headmaster Fujimura reaches across the table and places one hand on Aurey's arm.

"Have faith in the Syndicate Aurey" the blue haired man encourages lightly. "They'll find out everything they can so that you can have closure........Do you want to take some time away from classes to mourn?"

Aurey sits boltright up at that, her blue eyes wide as she shakes her head vehemently.

"No Headmaster" the girl states firmly. "I don't want to skip class. I need something to keep my mind preoccupied and I just want things to seem as normal as possible, otherwise I might go crazy...."

"I understand Aurey" Headmaster Fujimura smiles, leaning back in his chair. "Thank you for coming and making me aware of the situation. If you do feel like you need to talk or take some time off, please, don't hesitate to come and see me.........I'd hate to see you lose your spark."

"Thank you Headmaster" Aurey answers, pushing back her seat as she stands up, "I'll keep your offer in mind, but for now, I just want to go to class and get my mind off of things. No doubt I'll think about it later when I'm trying to sleep."

________________________________________________________________________

Kalel and Annistar, each sitting on their bed and already dressed in their pyjamas, both stare at Aurey with wide, disbelieving eyes. Sitting with her back against the wall, Aurey presses her lips together in a tight smile, shrugging one shoulder.

"Oh Aurey!" Kalel cries, bursting into tears as she flings herself at the lavender haired girl. "That's so awful, I'm so sorry!"

Aurey has to blink back her own tears as the ginger haired girl tackles her with a hug, Kalel wrapping her arms tightly around the her friend. She sobs into Aurey's shoulder, devastated by the news that Aren had killed himself. While Kalel hadn't known the boy personally, it almost felt as it she did. Aurey talked about him so often and Kalel could tell just how proud of her brother the girl was. It hurt the ginger haired girl to know that such a horrible thing had happened to her best friend.

Annistar swallows thickly, climbing down from her bed as Kalel leans back from Aurey, placing a hand on each side of the girl's face.

"Aurey, i-if you need anything" Kalel cries, struggling to hold Aurey's gaze as tears stream down her cheeks, "You just let me and Annie know, okay? W-We're your friends and we're here for you."

"Thank you Kalel" Aurey replies softly, her lips trembling as they pull up into a sad smile. She closes her eyes when Kalel envelopes her in another hug, placing her own arms around the smaller girl's waist.

"I'm no good at this crying stuff" Annistar admits, crawling onto Aurey's bed and kneeling beside the lavender haired girl, "But yeah, what Kalel said. We're all friends, so if you're hurting, then so are we."

Annistar's two roommates slowly raise their heads, with Kalel sending the dark eyed girl an appreciative closed eye smile, her cheeks flushed from crying. Aurey looks up at Annistar from beneath her lashes, silently holding out one arm to the girl.

Blushing a little, Annistar wiggles over and wraps her arms around Aurey's shoulders, resting her cheek on top of Aurey's head. She closes her eyes, scowling as she struggles to keep her emotions in check.

Kalel cried all the time, but Aurey didn't and Annistar was known for being tough. While she didn't want to cry in front of her friends, she was admittedly struggling right now.

"Thank you guys......." Aurey says quietly, content to share her loss with only her two best friends for the moment. She had no one else now, so Kalel and Annistar suddenly meant so much more to Aurey. She needed their friendship and support more than ever.