Tranquility is Key. . .

[Suoh Sayaka]

It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky; the temperature warm enough for Sayaka to be comfortable in only a dark dress that covered her body, her hair free and falling down her back. The Academy gardens were beyond that of what she expected. Even in the summer heat they were able to stay lush and green.

She was carrying her shoes in her hand left hand, the case that held her flute in the other. It had been awhile since she had practiced so she would give it at least one night before she returned to her normal schedule. When she thought she was far enough into the large garden, she stopped, setting her case and shoes on the grass below her.

She opened the case, and inside on top of the silver instrument lay the picture of her and Yujiro. She looked at the picture for a moment, she wanted to cry, she did, but that was weak. No one was there to tell her that she could. . . Why did she need someone to say that it was okay before she could allow herself to shed a few tears? ‘I’m sorry Akeno-kun. . . I can’t do it.’ She thought, tears not coming to her eyes though she was weeping on the inside.

She placed the flute to her mouth and began to play a piece she had composed as a child. The only piece she still bothered playing that was her own composition. Small jumps. . . The range staying within two octaves. It was slow, melancholic, depressing.

‘I miss you.’ She thought, thinking of her old dog and how happy she had been with him. No matter how much she tried, Kioku would never be able to take his place.

Sayaka knew that if she had control of the plants instead of emotions they’d be wilted and dead. She wasn’t in a good mood at all, she felt like she was betraying everything that she had set her mind to. Believed that her parents were wrong in their choice to send her to the Academy.

The melody flowed through the air. The long notes being sustained for longer than a flutist would hold them out. Trembling with the amount of emotion put into the melody. She embraced the state she was in. . . When she was alone she could do that.

Was she really alone?

[Keitsu Azumi]

Azumi walked towards the gardens, her usual routine since she has been to the Academy. It was another beautiful night, there were no clouds in the sky so there was nothing to block the light of the brightly shining stars. She wore her black kimono with what seemed like red sakura petals printed all over the kimono creating a pattern; the kimono was a bit long for her seeing as how it reached beyond her feet dragging on the ground.

She sighed, “There is no humans out so far.” she said, she would usually sense humans or vampires from a distance and if there were vampires she would walk the other way, if they were human she‘d tell them to get lost and they often did. She didn’t like making friends, much less talk with others and when she did it was mostly because she had to. There had only been three people she had made herself acquainted with that would not leave her be two were noble bloods and the other a human.

“Ugh…” she put her finger between her eyes. She had to find a way to get rid of them. Azumi looked stopped walking; she sensed another presence, another vampire, a noble in fact. It wasn’t Akeno nor Mitaro it was the presence of a girl. Azumi sighed and began to walk away but stopped again when she heard the sound of a flute playing, the song was sad and depressing. Ray had always told her, when he was playing his harp, if the musician plays a song from the heart the instrument being played will let the listener know how the musician felt. It wasn’t exactly what he said but it was the point he was trying make, Azumi shook her head and walked towards the music. It would be fun to see a depressed noble, she wanted to see if this noble knew that showing emotion was weakness and showing weakness gives your enemy the advantage.

When she reached the girl she seemed to be too focused on what she was doing, so Azumi tapped the girl on the shoulder, intentionally trying to scare her. “What are you doing?” she asked, her face was emotionless as was her tone.

[Suoh Sayaka]

Sayaka’s eyes burned, she wanted to cry, but she had done so much of that lately.

“Cry when you need to… you don’t -have- to show people.” His words played her in head. ‘You’re wrong.’ She thought as she took the instrument away from her mouth.

“What are you doing?” Sayaka heard the girl ask, feeling a tap on her shoulder. She could feel sickening emotions emanating from her, the emotions were familiar, but she knew she had never met this person in her life, if she could even be considered a person. As much as Sayaka didn’t want to acknowledge it, the girl reminded her of how she used to be. The difference being that the girl wasn’t cocky about it; being the level she was, she had a reason to truly hate everyone around her.

“Don’t touch me.” Sayaka said her voice cold and harsh. Betraying what should’ve been expected. She took a step away from the Level D that disturbed her. She didn’t turn her head to look at the thing, but she could only picture the expression on her face based on the way she spoke.

Blank. . . Indifferent. . . Detached. . .

Maybe the vampire didn’t know whom she was dealing with, maybe it was just a mistake, but a conversation with this person wasn’t something that Sayaka was looking forward to.

“It should be quite obvious what I’m doing.” Sayaka said, the girl had walked in as she was playing; if her reasoning for coming to the gardens wasn’t obvious to the vampire Sayaka didn’t feel the need to explain it to her. ‘The question is. . . Why are you here?’ Sayaka thought in her mind though her face didn’t show it. She wasn’t only referring to the fact that the vampire was in the gardens, but the fact that there were Level Ds at the Academy in general.

[Keitsu Azumi]

“Don’t touch me.” the girl said in a tone that seemed hateful before stepping away from her. Azumi should’ve expected this, but because of the two other nobles that she had previously met, she was caught off guard. Azumi quickly recovered by crossing her arms keeping her expression the same, blank.

“It should be quite obvious what I’m doing.” she said not bothering to look back her. Azumi already didn’t like her, then again she didn’t like anybody, but this girl was the first one at the Academy to treat her in this manner. And Azumi preferred to be treated this way, she wanted be avoided and left alone, and this wouldn’t be a problem with this girl, whom didn‘t even bother giving a name.

The girl seemed to be wondering what Azumi was doing here also, she hinted it in her words and her body language gave it away also. “I meant why were you crying, but never mind. Because I don’t really care.” she answered he unspoken question, turning away from the girl. The music had led her here and since the music was no longer playing Azumi thought that she it was time to leave, but it seemed this spot had the best view of the stars. She’d have to find a way to get rid of this girl and that wouldn’t be hard since she obviously wanted nothing to do with her.

Azumi scanned the area to see if there was something to sit on and found a rock, or boulder, she walked up to it and sat with one leg atop of the other, “Go away.” she said to the pink-haired noble. It was rude and quick, she didn’t want to spend much time on this girl.

[Suoh Sayaka]

Whatever sadness Sayaka felt quickly turned to hatred towards the vampire that had disturbed her. Was her hatred uncalled-for? Most likely, but the question was. . . Would the fact that it was uncalled-for stop her from moving forward with it? She could already see flaws in the girl’s thought process. The way she talked contradicted what she wanted to convey.

“If you didn’t care. . . You wouldn’t have said anything.” Sayaka said, her voice toneless. It was a fact that people ask questions about things that interest them, even if it was only a little bit. Even if the person wasn’t aware of the interest, it was still apparent in their actions. If she truly wasn’t interested, she would’ve passed by without a second thought.

She watched as the vampire walked over to a boulder not too far from where Sayaka was standing. She sat, as though she planned on staying. . .

“Go away.” Sayaka heard her say, it was quick and blunt. Sayaka could feel anger bubbling up through her veins. She couldn’t believe that a Level D would have enough audacity to tell her to leave when it was obvious that she was here first.

“You think that you can tell me what to do?” Sayaka questioned, laughing a little at the question. She wasn’t laughing because she was happy. No, she was laughing at the fact that the girl thought that taking a seat would make Sayaka leave. ‘Don’t get too comfortable.’ Sayaka thought before she realized that the girl was acting as though she didn’t know who Sayaka was.

‘She doesn’t know. . . I guess I’ll leave it at that.’ Sayaka thought, not truly surprised at that. Her company was known, not the faces behind it. She couldn’t deny that she wanted to kill the girl on the spot, but killing vampires that still had some sense in their head was a phase that Sayaka had already passed through. With time, the girl would undoubtedly fall to a place where she couldn’t control herself; at that point her life would end, either by the Hunters who’s job was to exterminate things like her, or by other vampires.

“You hate vampires like me.” Sayaka started, looking down at her flute. She knew the kind of vampires she was talking about. The ones that were privileged, spoiled, monsters from birth, and going to remain monsters until death. “Everything about us makes you sick.” Sayaka said, just guessing. It was obvious that the girl didn’t want her around, she had vocalized her wishes and Sayaka was ignoring them. Even if she felt the same way, she wouldn’t give the girl the pleasure of her wish being granted.

[Keitsu Azumi]

“You think that you can tell me what to do?” the girl laughed, Azumi only glanced at her. “It will be harder to get rid of you than I thought.” she thought to herself. This girl was stubborn just like the rest of the night class nobles, they were all the same with the exception of one whom she thought was childish and stupid, but likeable.

She sighed and moved some hair from her face, “I just did, did I not?” she said her tone and expression remained the same. She wouldn’t share her feelings with any not since her beloved friend, Ray, had passed. It wasn’t fair, he had died and Azumi had gotten to live on for as long as she wanted, or at least until she fell to level E. She wished that she would’ve died with him instead of living in this cruel world; that is what made it so unfair.

“You hate vampires like me.” the girl said suddenly, Azumi turned around to see the noble, she was surprised but, of course, she didn’t show it. “Everything about us makes you sick.” she guessed, making Azumi mad. She didn’t like it when people said things about her that they didn’t know, even if it was just guessing. She gracefully hopped off the rock and stood in place, not looking at the girl or even facing her. “I don’t hate you, how could I? I don’t even know your name.” her tone changed from blank to annoyance. “You must be talking about yourself. Hating me and other like me or maybe even below me.”

Azumi was reluctant to leave, this spot had such a nice view. Plus this girl obviously didn’t listen to orders or at least not from someone of her status. “So are you leaving or not?”

[Suoh Sayaka]

Sayaka could feel the anger coming from the vampire in front of her. Anger was good, expected, natural. She was angry, but Sayaka didn’t know why, nor did she really care. She watched the girl jump off the rock; perhaps she was finally going to leave?

“I don’t hate you, how could I? I don’t even know your name.” She heard the girl say, irritation ringing in every word she said. Sayaka couldn’t believe that those were anything but lies. “You must be talking about yourself. Hating me and other like me or maybe even below me.” The girl had finished her little rant. Sayaka wasn’t surprised that her words had irritated the vampire in front of her. ‘She doesn’t hate me?’ Thoughts ran through Sayaka’s mind, questioning if she was right to be rude to the thing in front of her.

For a moment, Sayaka contemplated on actually introducing herself, but the girl hadn’t introduced herself, and Sayaka was there first. ‘No point in introducing myself, she probably wouldn’t bother remembering the name anyway.’ Sayaka thought to herself. Only one vampire could get her to do things that she thought were stupid.

“I do hate vampires like you, even more so the ones below you.” She said it like it was a known fact. Weren’t others of her status the same? It wasn’t like a Noble to accept things that were lower than them easily. ‘I do hate them, they had everything that I want and lost it. Most of them would willingly give it up.’ She thought, turning her eyes to the ground before looking back up at the vampire as she asked another question.

“If you truly have to ask that question, you’re a little slower than I originally thought.” She said purposely trying to insult the girl. If Sayaka left, that would mean that the girl won. If the girl won, then that meant that Sayaka lost.

"Nevertheless, we want you to be able to experience things, meet people your own age that we haven't selected for you." Sayaka’s mother’s voice rang in her mind, her hand moving to her head. Why was she remembering their words now? She hadn’t though of them since she had come here, since they had wanted her to come here. ‘Is this what you meant? This is what you guys wanted for me?’ She questioned in her mind. Would her parents be disappointed if they saw how she really was?

Moving her hand from her head, she looked back up at the girl. “I have no plans on leaving.” She said, her voice completely blank, her expression completely blank. Emotionless was better than being overridden with emotions; was ignorance truly bliss?

[Keitsu Azumi]

“If you truly have to ask that question, you’re a little slower than I originally thought.” the pink haired noble said, Azumi then began to glare at her then stopped to look away. Then back towards her, she couldn’t expect her to be like the others. She shrugged and returned to her normal blank state.

She looked back at her, she seemed to be contemplating on something. She watched the girl move her hand from her head and face Azumi once more. “I have no plans on leaving.” she said, her voice and face emotionless as well.
Azumi crossed her arms and leaned against the boulder behind her, “Then you’ll have to put up with me for awhile, since both of us are to stubborn to leave.” she looked up towards the sky.

Azumi had challenged the girl secretly, she had always liked to play games especially games with humans, not ones such as catch or tag, the ones Azumi would come up with. Whoever left first would be the loser and Azumi never did like it when she had lost.

[Suoh Sayaka]

Sayaka watched the girl lean back on the rock, her eyes turning to the starry sky. She had never been able to truly enjoy the sight of stars since she was a little kid. Stars meant the disappearance of the sun, the return of the night.

“Then you’ll have to put up with me for awhile, since both of us are to stubborn to leave.” Sayaka heard the girl say. Was she saying that the two of them had something in common? Was she trying to justify the fact that she had waltzed in and then refused to leave?

“I guess I can’t really choose for you.” Sayaka started her voice calm, blank, and dull. She would just pretend the girl wasn’t there. “Though it would be more pleasant for the both of us if you would just go away.” She said, her voice cold and icy.

Her eyes stared at the girl for a minute before she lifted the flute back to her lips. Her eyes closing, as she began to play the introduction: the staccato notes, the small jumps in pitch, it was a beautiful piece of music if played by an adequate flutist. Her favorite piece when she started playing the flute.

Partita for Solo Flute in A minor by J.S. Bach.

‘Stubborn?’ She thought to herself, maybe that truly was the best way to describe her, but it still irritated Sayaka for the Level D to be comparing the two of them. Her control of emotion something that she wasn’t expecting to lose as playing, irritation and anger speeding up the notes, something more put into the piece.

[Keitsu Azumi]

“I guess I can’t really choose for you.” The other vampire replied in a blank tone, but it quickly changed to a rude, cold one. “Though it would be more pleasant for the both of us if you would just go away.” Azumi shrugged, “That’s your opinion…” she said, her tone unchanging. She didn’t really care what the noble thought, nor did she care of others opinions. None of them mattered, only her own thoughts mattered.

Azumi stared up at the stars once more, and tried to avoid looking at the moon. To her, the was ugly and she just didn’t like it. It had reminded her to much of Ray, whom had loved the moon, he would always sketch pictures of it and would usually sketch Azumi sitting next to it.

Azumi snapped out of her thoughts when she heard music playing once more, and quickly turned her head to look at the pink-haired girl play her flute. Azumi had heard of this song before, but couldn’t recall what it was called. She never could remember the names of songs she hasn’t played herself. She noticed that the girl played it with a faster pace than she had remember it, and she saw why.

Azumi then smiled to herself.

OOC: It sux I know, I still has writers block

[Suoh Sayaka]

As she played, she could feel the notes speeding up, but also noticed that it didn’t ruin what she was playing. The animosity that she felt towards the Level D that wouldn’t leave her alone only adding to her music.

Sayaka had always been a musician that would play exactly what the composer wrote, a musician completely from the book, her precision with notes being what distinguished her from the other violinists. Every quarter note lasting exactly a quarter beat, a whole note held for an entire beat. Everything she played was completely as written, the only exception being Yujiro’s Lament. Her pallet usually pale in comparison to the vibrant colors her mother had once displayed. ‘I’m not my mother.’ Sayaka thought, not in a grudgingly fashion, but only a statement of fact within her head. . . A reminder.

“That’s your opinion. . .” Sayaka heard the girl say. ‘Stating the obvious?’ Sayaka thought, though it was apparent that the girl didn’t feel anything for her as well. She had approached her with the want to scare her. She had approached her with thoughts that were similar to Sayaka’s own, and yet she claimed to not believe that it would be better if they didn’t hang out together?

The first movement finished, perfect with pitch, the intensity of the piece seeming to ease as she played. Sayaka opened her eyes and looked over to see the vampire smiling. . . She was smiling.

End measure. . .

The flow of music came to an end as the first movement of the piece ended. “You like this piece?” Sayaka asked, her voice once again returned to its apathetic tone.

[Keitsu Azumi]

The girl tried to hide her emotions, but she wasn’t successful. Her emotions showed through the music she played. Azumi had practiced hiding her emotions ever since the death of her dear friend, it was hard since she had begun to express herself but she had awhile to practice making her an expert. But all the practice had been failing her lately, ever since she had came to the Academy, she was getting soft. This would have to change.

The music ceased, and the noble looked up. Azumi’s smile vanished, her expression returning to the previous blank one. “You like this piece?” the vampire asked in a uninterested tone. “What do you care?” she thought to herself, but didn’t say instead she answered, “Not really, I just found it interesting. The way you played it.” She turned around with her hands behind her back.

Since the girl wouldn’t introduce herself, she would just have to come up with a nickname for her, “Rin” meaning cold, dignified, severe.

OOC: Sorry for the very late reply.