Little Marionettes

Chapter 1:
Father, Forgive Them, For They Know Not What They Do

It was a cold brisk night.  The tall dark haired man shivered a bit before pushing his long black hair out of his face.  It had been a long day out in the fields and he was exhausted, but the money was good.  It kept him out of gangs and out of trouble, what with trying to provide for his family.  His father had died eight years prior leaving his mother to provide for her self and his two sisters.  Of course, he had taken it upon himself to relieve his mother from the stress of providing for him and his younger sister.  Thankfully his eldest sister Emilia had married rich and was now taken care of by her husband.  He hadn't seen her for at least a year.  She was dead to him.  She had abandoned her family for her own greed.  He seethed at this thought, the cool night air biting at his bare skin.  He would have brought a shirt if he knew it was going to be this cold…why was it so cold?  It was the middle of summer in Spain.  He guessed the nobles were hording all the good weather for themselves…he hated them.  If he had the chance he would kill a noble…He felt uneasy, as if someone was watching him.  His blue eyes searched the surrounding area for any sign of life.  He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned around abruptly to face it.  He let out an annoyed sigh as he realized what it was a cat.  Stupid things. He swore in under his breath.  "Almost home…" he was a little relieved at his observation.  He could see the lighted windows of his home in the distance.   Sighing a little he rubbed his tired eyes.  He was sure he'd sleep well that night.
He opened the door  and looked around the small home.  His mother had fallen asleep by the small fireplace again.  His lips turned upward into the smallest of smiles before draping a woven blanket over her.
"Armando!" A little girl with frizzy black hair ran full-speed at the man, practically tackling his leg with a hug. "You're back!"
Armando picked up the small girl and used a hand to cover her mouth, "Not so loud,  Mama's trying to sleep, silly Lily."
She giggled and squirmed a little, her cheeks a light pink from the happiness bubbling within her. "Mama fell asleep by the fireplace again." She said a bit muffled by his hand.
Their mother didn't wake up by their loud antics only because this happened every night and she was used to it.
He grinned and sat her down on one of the two bed's in the small one room house.  "Shouldn't you be asleep?  It's late."
"I couldn't sleep without my big brother beside me." She said with a big grin.
He gave a long sigh, "Mama got you the bed so you'd sleep in it.  You won't be able to sleep in my bed forever, you're getting to big for that." he laughed, "You're growing as tall as a corn stack."
Lily frowned a little. "That's not true. I'll always be little so I'll always be able to sleep in your bed."
He gave his sister a little pat on the head, "Sure you will…just as soon as pigs fly."
She held up her arms, trying to hug him without falling off the bed. She couldn't quite reach her arms all the way around his body. She was small for her age. Much smaller than the other children. "You're too big!" She huffed.
Armando frowned a little at this.  Yes he was quite muscular but women didn't want muscular men.  Muscular men meant they worked too hard.  No, women wanted fat men because fat meant money.  Emilia had married a fat man.  She had married well.  "Well…I've almost got enough pesetas saved up to continue my studies and after I get a good job I'll move us into a mansion in Madrid and fatten you and Mama up.  By that time I'll be easier to hug."
Lily smiled sweetly, trying to imagine how life would be after that. A big house and food on the table every day felt like a dream. That was when she made a little face. "I don't have to wear fancy dresses will I? I heard girls can't play with the boys and get their clothes dirty."
Armando smiled softly, "But that's a requirement of being rich, didn't you know?"
"I don't want to be rich, then." She crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip.
He stood up to wash his face in the by bucket of water, "Yes you do.  You just don't know it yet, silly Lily."
She dropped her arms, her blue eyes blank of expression. She wasn't sure what to think about that. Armando said a lot of things that confused her. "But… I like playing…"
"You will still play when we're rich.  But you'll play with real toys.  Toys that are made of gold and diamonds." He glanced over his broad shoulder at her.
"I've never had a toy before. Except for my dolly mama made." She picked up the worn out looking doll with dark hair and hugged it. "What other toys are there?"
He strolled over to the bed and sat down beside her, "There are jack-in-the-boxes and toy horses and porcelain dolls and every kind of trinket imaginable.  The rich have everything and if it doesn't exist yet their money will have it made."
Her eyes widened with excitement. "Really? Those sound like fun! I want a toy horse."
"So you see, money and happiness are one in the same.  If you have one, you have the other as well." He gave her forehead a kiss.
She giggled softly. "Money is happiness and happiness is money? But…" She tilted her head. "I'm happy when you come home, big brother."
Armando shook his head, "True happiness comes with gold."
"Oh." Lily nodded. "You know so much, Armando."
"I have to.  How else would I be able to provide for you?  I must know everything if we are to be large." He began to tickle her.
She shrieked with laughter and wriggled like a worm, her feet kicking the air. "N-No! Stop!"
He put his hand over her mouth once more and continued his playful torture.
She bit at his hand.
He quickly took his hand away, "What are you?  A wild dog?"
She shook her head. "Nope! I'm Armando's bride!"
He laughed and rolled his eyes, "Not this again."
"Yes, this again! Because it's true!" She insisted.
Ever since Lily learned to walk she had followed Armando around like a duckling. It was only natural for her to become attached to him, since she had no other male figure to look up to. Their father had died the day she was born, which made Armando the father figure in the family. Lily eventually confused her feelings of adoring sister to admirer where she continually thought of herself as Armando's future bride. He was happy with her and she was happy with him. It was only fair, she kept telling herself. It wasn't like Armando was going out and playing with other girls, after all.
She wasn't the smartest girl in the village so she didn't consider it wrong or unnatural. The only other boys she played with were the village boys and she had never actually seen them with their families. She was innocent and simple minded. She would have gone through her entire life not knowing she had a father if it weren't for mama and Armando mentioning him once in awhile, or telling her stories about him.
Armando gave her a stern look, "We're both going to marry different people.  Mama has told you this time and time again."
Lily looked down at her dirty feet and hugged her legs, making herself smaller than normal. "You'll leave me… Won't you…? When you find a girl."
"I won't leave.  I'll just…" he sighed not know how to explain this without hurting her feelings, "You'll understand how all that works when you're older."
She sniffled a little and wiped her eyes. "You will leave me, then. I want to stay with you forever."
"Nothing is forever."
She started to cry.
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big, strong hug, "Lily…don't cry…"
She snuggled into him, her hands clinging onto his clothes as tiny fists. "I don't want you to go!"
"I'm not going anywhere." He chuckled softly, "Getting worked up over silly things…"
She looked up at him with big, teary blue eyes. She sniffled and crawled into his lap without a second thought.
Armando cradled her like he used to do when she was a baby.  His voice was soft as he began to sing to her in their mother's tongue.
Her sniffles lessened, her eyes heavy. His voice was soothing, the song was one she remembered from a long time ago in a place she couldn't recall very clearly.  She hummed a little along with him before her eyes closed completely and she fell asleep.

Winter came quickly along with the snow.  The mountainous regions of Spain were covered in beautiful while blankets.  Though the scenery was beautiful, it was the worst time of year for Armando.  All the fields were frozen over which meant no work.  Luckily this wasn't the first time it had snowed and he had been expecting the lack of work.  He had stored enough food for the winter months and had managed to buy his mother a somewhat extravagant gift for her birthday.
"Lily!  Come here!" Armando said excitedly, a large box underneath his arm.
"What?" Lily came as commanded, wearing a woven red shawl with flower designs. She smiled up at him, her cheeks rosy from the cold. "What's that?" She pointed to the box.
"What indeed!" His grin grew wide.
He placed the box on one of the beds and looked around, "Where's Mama?"
"She's visiting one of the neighbors." She tilted her head, staring at the box.
"Good." He lifted the top off the box and held up it's contents.
It was a brand new white fur coat, "It's for Mama's birthday.  What do you think?"
"It's pretty!" The little girl bounced a little and clapped her hands together. "She's gonna love it!"
He smiled proudly, "This will he the first of many gifts I am to shower you two with."
There was a creak as the front door opened. "My, it's getting worse out there." Their mother shivered and brushed the snow off her shoulders and head.
"Mama!" Lily rushed out of the room and hugged her mother tightly. "Happy birthday, Mama!"
"Thank you, Lily." The woman smiled brightly and hugged her back. "Is Armando back?"
"Yeah!" The little girl nodded vigorously. "And he got you a present!"
Armando quickly folded the coat, put it back in the box and put the lid on, "I did." He nodded drawing attention to himself, "Would you like to open it now?"
"Oh, Armando, you shouldn't have." She patted her boy on the cheek. "You are too kind."
"You'll like it, Mama!" Lily piped up. "Give it to her now, Armando! Now!"
It seemed Lily was more excited about the present than their mother was.
He smiled and presented the box to his mother, "You gave me life, this is the least I can give to you."
She took the box and went to take a seat at the table before opening up the box. There was a twinkle in her eyes when she saw the white fur. "Armando…! You remembered!" She picked it up and held it close to her. Genuine white rabbit fur. She had seen this coat in one of the many shops in Madrid and had greatly expressed how nice it would be to have it and now she did. "Thank you." She looked up at him with a sweet smile.
He returned her smiled, "You're very welcome.  Well, try it on."
"I believe I will." She stood and pulled the coat on. It was so warm and soft she absolutely didn't want to take it off.
"You look pretty, Mama!" Lily grinned.
"Do I? Like a real rich lady?" She did a little turn.
"You look more beautiful than any rich woman I've seen." Armando nodded with pride.
She laughed softly, quite pleased. This was the best gift she had ever received in her life. She gave both her children a big hug. "I thank you both."
Armando grinned, "But I have one more surprise."
"Oh, no more surprises!" She fanned herself. "I don't think my heart could take so much happiness."
"It will have to." He stood up a bit straighter, "I've been accepted into the University."
"Armando!" The mother hugged her son tightly. "That is wonderful!!"
"Wow, that means you'll be smarter than you are now!" Lily said in awe.
He nodded vigorously, "Yes!  And I'll have the chance to be a Politician's apprentice.  Things are going to be so much better now!  We won't have to struggle or starve or freeze!"
"I'm so happy!" She took Lily's hands and spun her around, the little girl giggling. "Surely, your father will be proud." She held Lily in her arms and patted Armando's cheek with her free hand. "He is smiling from Heaven for your good fortune."
Armando looked down at his feet bashfully, "You think so…?"
"Yes." She nodded and stroked his hair gently, as if he were a little boy once more. "He would be so proud of you as I am."
He smiled.  Things seemed to be looking up for his broken little family.

It was only a matter of time before they got a larger house in the city. Rosalind, mother of Armando and Lily Montez, walked down the streets of town, eager to pick up groceries and get home to make dinner. They had plenty of money, enough to get a few more things on the market. It was snowing heavily, cold to the bone. She wrapped her fur coat further around her chilled body. Nothing could bring her down. Her family wasn't starving and her son was attending the university to become a better man. Now to get her daughter married to a wealthy man…
She looked over her shoulder, noticing a few stares in her direction. She was being followed. She frowned, not expecting this coat to bring her trouble. She was well known in the town. Yes, there were miscreants, but they usually left her alone.
She picked up her pace, looking over her shoulder now and then. She wasn't losing them. In fact, they seemed quite intent on following her all day.
It was only when they gathered a few more people that she broke into a run. She was not going to be intimidated and submit. She had been through too much and had too much to look forward to.
The snow was practically blinding her. She had no idea where she was going, the wind brittle on her face. Just as she was sure they'd catch up to her she ran into something rather solid. She fell back, but didn't hit the pavement, a strong arm around her. She looked up. "Armando…!"
"Mama…?" He looked up and saw the men that had been chasing her.  He gave them a dangerous glare, "If you know what's good for you, you'd turn around and head home, you hooligans."
Rosalind held onto her son's arm. It was a miracle that she had ran into him. Literally.
The men paused, wondering for a few moments if they could take him. Deciding it wasn't worth it, they slowly slunk away back into the shadows.
Armando straightened out his coat and glanced down at his mother, "Are you aright?"
She rewrapped her coat around herself, as it had flown open during the chase. She smiled, her face slightly flushed. "Yes, now that you're here."
He sighed and dusted her off, "This part of town is bad.  Don't wander around here without any company."
"I wasn't here originally." Rosalind sighed softly, trying to calm her heart. "I was in the marketplace and they started following me."
He nodded and looked up as the church bells rang the new hour.  "It appears I'm late for my studies.  Be careful, Mama.  I have to go."  He gave her a hug and a kiss before making his way quickly towards the center of the city.
She watched him go, pride welling within her. He was doing so well… She turned and headed back to the market. She still had to get some groceries. She only prayed she wasn't followed again.

It was night and a new layer of snow was settling around the Spanish city.  Armando was sitting at his expensive carved wooden desk with a stack of papers.  He had fallen a bit behind on his school work due to all the banquets and dinners his master had invited him to as of late.  He glanced over at the velvet couch where Lily was sleeping and sighed.  His mother was not home from the market yet.  That was odd seeing as she had been at the market all day.  She should have been home by now.  His heart hurt with some unknown worry.  Armando rubbed his forehead, he really was a pessimist.  Maybe she had just gone to visit one of their neighbors, that seemed plausible.
Lily stirred and turned over on the couch, the velvet soft on her skin. She gave a little stretch and rubbed her eye before settling down once more.
Armando stood and draped a blanket over her like he'd do with his mother.  His mother…
He put on his coat and trudged out into the snow.  The city was quiet, asleep.  He looked around not sensing any life.
There was a shuffle of footsteps. Two men walked out of a nearby alley carrying a white fur coat with a trickle of blood on the edges.
"You got blood on it!" One of the men grumbled. "Now it'll be harder to sell."
"It's not my fault she put up a fight. If she knew what was good for her she would've just let it go." The larger man frowned.
They both hushed up when they saw Armando on the empty street. He had heard about their misdeed, had seen their faces. They both turned and fled as fast as they could before he could completely memorize them and report it to the police. Oh, if only they were so lucky.
He knew that coat.  He saw the blood.  He heard the way the two men spoke about the woman.  His eyes drifted to a nearby Alley way where a woman lay still in the snow.  Her dark hair matted with blood…she was almost home…just a few more steps…
His eyes narrowed, his heart becoming cold.  He sped off in the direction the two men had gone.  He saw them just up ahead.  He knew what he would do.  He had already formulated a plan.  He stopped and hid in the shadows as the men spoke of the small fortune they would acquire from the sale of her coat.
"We'd get more if it weren't for the blood." The smaller man mumbled. "Any idea how to get it out?"
"We can always cut it out." Offered the larger man, who was obviously the muscle.
"That'd ruin it, you dummy!" The smaller man hit his partner in the gut. "Hey… you think that guy followed us?"
"No. We were too fast." The big guy smiled toothily. "He was probably too involved in his own business to care about a woman. That's all she was. A woman. No one cares about what happens to them anyway."
Armando stepped from the shadows, his blue eyes glistening with some unknown emotion, "Normally you would be right, gentlemen."
The men jumped, immediately regretting not running all the way home. They just had to stop when they thought the coast was clear and talk. It was a habit that would be their downfall. It was amazing they weren't caught before now. "It's him…"  The smaller man said softly. "Take care of him."
The large man nodded and stepped forward.
"I bought that coat.  It was a gift for my mother."  he said in an unusually calm voice as he fingered the ostrich quill in his pocket.
Both men knew they were in trouble when he said "mother". That woman was more important than they had thought.
"Your pallor has gone cadaverous my friends." Armando extracted the quill from his pocket.  He would not make this quick and painless.
The smaller man laughed nervously, but it was obvious he was trying to be brave at this point. That man scared him. "What the Hell are you talking about? You challenging us to a fight?"
The large man pulled out a knife with fresh blood staining the steel.
In one quick movement Armando had stabbed the quill in the larger man's left eye.
The brute screamed and stepped back. "My eye! I can't see! I can't see!!"
The small man wasn't sure how to react. He was shocked, unable to move. Armando had used a quill, of all things, to cause pain.
Yes he had planned this out.  His mind raced with ideas.  He took the knife out of the large mans hand and approach the smaller one.  Before the smaller man could even think about running, Armando had broken both of his legs and his arms, "I'm sure men like you have watched many people die."
The skinny man screamed and fell down on the ground, his legs useless to hold him up. All he could do now was watch and wait. "Don't do this! I don't want to die!"
Armando knelt down beside the broken man, "I want you watch your partner die, but I have a dilemma.  You see, I'm afraid you'll shut your eyes."
He gave a little whimper, his eyes flickering over to his partner who was holding his face. "W-What are you gonna do?"
"Well, first thing's first." he brought the knife close to the man's eyes before slicing his lids off, "I do hope the blood doesn't impair your vision.  I'd hate for you to miss the show, señor."

Lily had woken up to an empty house. She sat on the couch, wondering if Armando had gone out looking for their mother, or maybe they had gone out together. Still, it seemed wrong to think that way. They would never leave her out. She crossed her arms and legs, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. In the pit of her stomach she could feel something was wrong.
The sound of the door opening was heard from down the stairs.
She looked up, footsteps slowly trudging up the stairs. She didn't know who it was, but she could tell they were tired just from the heaviness of their steps. She slipped off the couch. "Mama? Armando?" She called to the person, making her way towards them.
There was no answer, just the sound of approaching footsteps.
She stopped, frowning. An intruder? She stepped back into the room, hiding behind the wall. If it was an intruder, then she would be as quiet as a mouse and not get in the way. Armando had told her to not call attention to herself if the person appeared dangerous.
A man entered the room.  He had dark hair and sad blue eyes.  He was covered in blood.
She peeked out of her hiding place, surprised that it was Armando and he hadn't answered her calls. There was something wrong. Why was he covered in blood? Was he hurt? She scampered along after him. "Armando?"
He did not answer as he shut the door proceeding over to his desk.
She opened the door, seeing as he closed it on her, and approached him slowly. "You okay?" She reached over and touched his hand.
He flinched and pulled it away quickly, "What are you doing awake?  Go to bed." he said coolly.
She frowned, already on the verge of tears. He was pushing her away. Did she do something wrong? Why was he being so cold? She sniffled a little.
There was a knock on the parlor door.  Armando turned to glare at the door.  He knew it wasn't his mother…He grabbed a knife out of his desk drawer and went to the door.  He opened it slowly to see a beautiful woman.  Her eyes were a lovely sky blue and her hair was the color of summer grain.  She looked like an angel yet the words that she spoke were anything but angelic, "Tal ira usted tiene, mi querido. ¿Quisiera usted más?"

Wrath shot up in his bed.  Beads of sweat trickled down his neck onto his chest as his breath came in unsteady heaves. Glancing over at his clock he noted it was still night.  Slowly he laid back down on his bed, his ebony hair sprawled across his pillow.  That nightmare had haunted him for too long and try as he might to let go…he couldn't.  The painful images were burned into his memory. And the nightmare would always end with her…that beautiful girl he had clung to for so long.  His first and last love, Corruption. He drew a hand to his chest feeling his rapid heart beat pulse beneath his tan skin.  How many times had he wished for that lovely rhythm to stop? Too many times to count in his five hundred years of life, he wagered.
His hand crept up his chest and into his long dark locks as he tried to envision more pleasant things…a pretty girl…red wine…satin sheets…that pretty girls lips upon his bare sweating skin. Ah, yes…truly pleasant.
He chuckled softly and shut his unnaturally citrine eyes.  Not even the thought of a woman's touch could distract him from thoughts of his dark past.  There truly was no reprieve for men like him…he had his revenge and he still was not at peace.  He guessed that the saying was true.  There really was no rest for the wicked.

Poison Apples
Sequel to Glass Slippers

Prologue

"Vienna. Vienna?"
She looked up quickly, "Sorry, I'm a bit tired…"
"It's alright. This won't take much longer." Said the man with a kind smile. "So, why are you interested in our school?"
Vienna gave a weary smile, "Well it's always been my dream to go to a prestigious school, and the university is in such a nice area."
"Yes, it is." He flipped through the folder providing her records, "It says here you missed a lot of school this past year, yet your grades are superb. Why is that?"
"I had a parasitic virus." she said without hesitation, "Luckily for me, all the teachers that I had at the time posted their assignments online so I was able to keep up to date with my school work while I was sick in bed.  Schoolwork isn't the most enjoyable thing to do while you're sick but I knew it was necessary."
"We'll, let's hope that virus doesn't come back." He laughed softly. "I must say, I'm impressed. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to-"
Fire flickered, drowning out the image of the office. Vienna turned quickly, her eyes wide with fear. "And you thought you could get away…" Spoke a soft, sly voice. "You should've stayed at Beaudine. At least there you would've been protected."
The fire soared into the darkened sky as Vienna screamed. A young man with long black hair, ruby eyes, and a tilted crown on his head frowned, his richly colored robes slowly sliding down his arms flashed across his mind, only to allow a white sheet to cover his sight. White feathers descended like snow, gathering on the ground. The feathers continued to fall, more heavily now, and the fresher ones sprinkled with blood till the entire landscape was flooded in scarlet. The same young man stood in the ocean, drowning, sinking to the depths of the crimson sea.
He could hear Vienna shrieking in the distance, calling the young man's name-
Derian sat up in cold sweat, panting heavily. He stared down at the dark blue sheets as his hair stuck to his bare skin. Throwing the covers off, his feet touched the cold marble floor, yet his heart did not slow. He turned on the lamp next to his bed eagerly, banishing the long shadows.
Rubbing his forehead, the dream leaving a migraine to rest in his frontal lobe, he groaned loudly. "Wrath!"
The yellow eyed man was there within seconds of his command, "Yes, your highness?"
"I had another dream…" Derian looked up at the tall man, his ice blue eyes tired, still reflecting the vision. "It was about Vienna."
Wrath continued to stare at the prince his eyes unchanging, "Hm."
"And… someone else…" Derian looked back down at his feet, trying to remember everything. "A sea of red, and feathers… a boy drowning. He had some kind of crown on his head."
Sighing, Wrath took a seat beside Derian, "These dreams, are just that.  You're taking them much too seriously."
"Believe me, I would think nothing of them if they hadn't come true time and time again." Derian leaned forward and held his head in his hands, the migraine worse. "When I first had one of these dreams I dreamed my father died. He did exactly the way I dreamt it. The dreams increased from there, but only giving me horrible visions. Leonard… I dreamed he died from Farris' attack. Life played out exactly how I dreamt it would up to that small detail, and now he has a fate worse than death."
"Leonard will get better." the yellow eyed man stated before standing up, "You just need to have a little faith, as for your dreams…they're just coincidences.  Now then, do you require anything for your headache?"
Derian was silent for a few moments as he willed his heart to calm down, "Yes… That would be lovely."

Chapter 1
New Plan

Vienna sat quietly in the corner of Ryo's apartment while the New Years festivities raged on.  Ryo and Victor seemed to be arguing about something (again) and Alexander, who had insisted on coming with Victor was feigning sleep on Carrie's lap.  
Her green eyes slowly drifted toward the snowy landscape outside, her thoughts scattered.  She frowned as more unsettling thoughts filled her head.  Her stomach ached from worry and hunger, but her body could not tolerate food.  Vienna had been like this ever since the night of the Autumn Ball.  She kept expecting that demon to pop up out of no where to take what he'd left behind.
Carrie touched Vienna's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, "Hey, are you feeling alright?"
She shrugged her away, "Yeah…I'm…I'm fine."
The blue eyed girl sat back, her hand returning to Alexander's blonde hair with soft strokes, "I'm glad you're alright, Vienna. Ryo was going crazy not knowing where you were." There was a hint of jealousy in her tone, but it was easily overlooked.
Vienna nodded slowly her attention to Carrie slipping fast, "Don't worry, Carrie."
"I'm not." Carrie smiled. "So, are you going to go back to school?"
"Yes." Vienna nodded, "But…" she looked towards Ryo and victor before continuing softly, "Not at Beaudine.  I'm probably going to be moving within the next couple of weeks.  I already started packing."
"Where are you going, if you don't mind me asking?" Carrie asked out of curiosity.
"The east coast if everything goes well." Vienna said distantly as her attention turned back to the falling snow outside, "I haven't told them yet, so don't say anything."
"And I'm telling you that celebrating two New Years is stupid. You should just pick one and stick with it." Victor smirked and leaned back against the counter, his usual red "punch" in his hands. He had to refer to his drink as punch around Carrie.
"There's nothing wrong with celebrating two of one thing." Ryo's eye was twitching. "Did you come here just to argue with me?"
"Nah, I came because I wanted to hang out with everyone." Victor winked over at Carrie, who flushed out of embarrassment.
Ryo held back the urge to punch his face in. "Sure you did."
"I sure did." Victor drained the rest of his glass. "How's the snow looking, Strawberry?"
"White." she said flatly.
Carrie looked up at the clock and shifted Alexander off her lap and onto the couch, "Oh! It's almost midnight. I better get out the cake." She stood and hurried into the kitchen to bring out an ice cream cake with cookie bits carpeting the surface and big letters that read "Happy New Year".
"Snazzy cake. Did you make it yourself?" Victor asked.
"Ah, yes." Carrie smiled happily. "With suggestions from Ryo, of course."
Ryo scratched the back of his head, "Not really… I only suggested putting the words on it."
"Don't be modest, Ryo. It was a very good suggestion. Vienna, do you want to cut the cake?" Carrie grinned over at the distracted girl.
"No." she stood up and stretched, "I'm gonna go now, my car's getting covered in snow." she was referring of course to the small white car her grandmother had gotten her for Christmas.
"You sure?" Ryo asked with a frown, "I mean… uh… it's probably not a good idea to drive in this weather. The roads are icy."
"Ah, she'll be fine." Victor cut in, already holding out Vienna's coat for her. "You need to learn to respect a lady's decision, red eyes."
Ryo glared at the vampire, "I do respect her decision, I'm just concerned."
"Well, don't be. She's a big girl." Victor helped Vienna put her coat on. "There you are. Would you like an escort home?"
Vienna shook her head, "You'd have no way of getting back here. Have a happy New Year guys…"
"Wait, Vienna!" Carrie hurried over to her, holding out a slice of cake on a paper plate protected by plastic wrap, "Here. This is for you to enjoy at any time you want. I'm happy you came by."
Vienna smiled nervously, "Thanks…" the thought of sweets made her stomach summersault  uncomfortably, "Bye." she nodded before leaving the apartment.
Once inside her car she sighed and sat there for a moment, enjoying being out of the company of prying eyes.  "I'm not going to tell them…" she whispered before starting up the car and driving home.
Ryo watched her from the window, his brows knit with worry. "She'll be fine." Victor said from the kitchen as he was helping Carrie clean up.
"How can you be so sure?" Ryo pondered aloud.
"Because I know how she's feeling, that's how I know." Victor stated bluntly. "If you coddle someone too much they won't be able to function correctly after a traumatic experience like that."
Carrie smiled wearily, "Yeah… traumatic experience…" She mumbled.
"What was that, Peaches?" Victor asked slyly.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just mumbling." Carrie laughed nervously.
Alexander shot up from his spot and pouted, "Hey Victor!  "Peaches" is my nickname for her!"
Carrie literally jumped from surprise, "I-I thought you were asleep!"
"He does that. A lot." Victor said with a bland taste.
"I was asleep until I felt A KNIFE IN MY BACK!" the little boy glared daggers at Victor, "Jerk."
"I didn't steal the name, kid. I liked it so much I wanted to use it." The older blonde shrugged his shoulders with vague innocence.
"How naïve do you think I am ingrate?!" Alexander huffed before brushing a lock of his curly blonde hair away from his face.
Carrie stared blankly at the little boy, "That's… a complex sentence for a boy your age, Alex."
Alexander smiled sweetly, "You know in most countries I'd be considered a child prodigy."
"Oh, I see." Carrie's blank stare turned to a smile, "You didn't tell me that, Victor."
"I didn't think it needed to be said. He shines wherever he goes." Victor smirked, obviously making fun of Alexander's "talents".
"I can see why. Would you like some cake, Alex?" Carrie asked.
Alexander smiled through a yawn, "Sure do!"
Ryo managed a small smile at the three before he turned his attention back to the hushed snow. What a strange New Years.

"You called?" Vienna said as she strolled into her headmaster's office.
Derian looked up from his desk and leaned back in his large chair, indicating to one of the smaller plush chairs in front of him. "Have a seat."
She nodded and took a seat where he indicated, "So…I'm a bit confused as to why you called me here."
"I was going through this semester's applications and I didn't see yours. Are you going to leave Beaudine?" Derian cut straight to the point.
"Yes." she said bluntly, "I'm moving back East in about a week, actually."
"How would you like to go further East?"
She gave Derian a confused look, "Further East?  Massachusetts is far enough East for me."
"How would you like to go to school in Europe?" Derian asked.
Vienna frowned, "Europe…?  Well, I don't know.  That's a bit too far for my tastes not to mention school is expensive for foreigners there."
"Not if you have my funding." He said simply. "There's the University of Stele in Romania. I'm familiar with the headmaster and I can get you in without it costing you a cent."
Vienna's expression did not change, "You'll foot my bill?"
"Yes." Derian answered. "I will pay for the transportation, the entry fee, lodging, food, your books, and anything else you deem necessary for your stay there."
She sighed, "I've already paid for the books for my new classes.  I bought my own plane ticket and I signed a lease for an apartment." her cheeks grew pink from frustration, "You really don't get it, do you?"
"Cancel your lease and send the bill to me, I will also refund you for your books and your ticket." He wasn't taking "no" for an answer at this rate. "Besides, wouldn't you like to see Romania and the Black Sea?"
"Of course.  But I'd like to do that on my own buck.  I don't want to be indebted to anyone, especially not you.  Are we done here?"
"Vienna," He leaned forward, his fingers linked, "Consider this a gift from my family to you. After all Leonard did to you and for you shouldn't you feel indebted to him?"
She frowned, "That was underhanded.  I expected that sooner.  Listen, I'm trying to get away from all of this.  I want to go to a regular HUMAN school.  And you have no right to pull the guilt trip on me when you just stood there and let that thing hurt me.  I don't owe you squat." she stood up and headed for the door, "I'm leaving next week and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind."
"Who said Stele University isn't a human school?"
She balled up her hands into fists, "Because you're too good for us humans, you wouldn't know the human headmaster of a human university."
"It is and it isn't. Stele is a bi-racial school. Of course, the number of my kind is greatly diminished in favor of humans. There are more humans, so naturally you wouldn't feel out of place." Derian's eyes flickered to her newly formed fists, "Besides… it would be of great interest if you left this kingdom for awhile, if only to get away from the guilt."
Vienna was beginning to shake, "No.  No more of this nonsense!  I just want to be with regular people ALL regular people…"
"Let me make this quite clear so you can understand." He had hoped he wouldn't have to bring this up, but she gave him no choice. "The demon that possessed Leonard is looking for you. The minute you leave Beaudine he will have you. I'm giving you an alternative in order to shake him from your trail. Turn me down and you will have no choice but to go to Hell with him."
Slowly her gaze turned to the floor.  Her weakness was her fear of that thing, and he was skillfully using it against her, "That's not true."
"Are you willing to risk it?" The prince asked sincerely.
"…No." that's when the feeling returned, the feeling of cold iron shackles.
Derian took out a transfer document and began to scribble a few things down, "Call your human school and tell them you can't attend. I will take care of everything else."
She turned away from him, "No, you'll take care of that too." she growled before quickly leaving the office.
He took a deep breath and exhaled before muttering, "I'll take care of that, as well. It's for your own good…" His eyes softened into subtle sadness. If he can help it he would protect her, just as Leonard protected her in the end. He wouldn't fail his brother, knowing this is what he would've wanted.

"Romania!" Grandma chirped about the news, "Such a beautiful country. I was there once with your grandfather for our first honeymoon. Or was it our fifth honeymoon…? I can't remember." She giggled and helped Vienna fold up her clothes in order for them to be packed away neatly. "How much luggage are you going to take with you, dear?"
Vienna did not look pleased in the slightest, "Six months worth I guess."
"I already told your parents. They want to throw you a "good bye" party." Grandma grinned. "I think… three suitcases should do just fine."
Sighing Vienna threw some stationary and writing utensils in a small back pack, "I don't want a party.  I just want to get this over with." she grumbled.
"The party is for your parents. You know how they are."
"Yeah, I do…" she said tiredly, "I guess I should just let everyone ignore my wishes since things are going to happen whether I want them to or not."
The old woman reached over and gave Vienna's arm a soft pat, "Don't worry so much. Remember what I've always told you ever since you were a little girl?"
"You told me lots of things, grandma."
"Do you remember when you had that mean bully back in grade school?"
She nodded slowly as she continued to pack her bag with school supplies.
"What I said back then still stands for now. It's up to you to believe it or not. Speaking of which, I got you something." Grandma reached into one of the bags she had brought in earlier and pulled out a small, flat box made of white velvet. "My gift to you." She held it out for Vienna to take.
Vienna stared at the box for a moment before finally taking it from her grandmother. Inside, on a silver chain, was a tiny figurine of an angel with her head bowed and her hands folded in prayer.
Vienna's eyebrows knitted, "Wow…thanks but I should tell you…I don't believe in angels."
Grandma took Vienna's hand, gave it a squeeze, and smiled sweetly, "I know. I don't want you to think of this necklace as a sign of religion, but as a wish from your grandmother for you to be safe."
The only response Vienna gave was a small, weak smile.

In The Beginning…

The baby cried loudly.  Asmodeus cringed from the terrible shrieking and turned to face Amon, "I can sense a disquieting mutation from it…I can't quite put my finger on it but it certainly isn't perfect." he frowned and pushed a long blonde tendril of hair away from his face.
Mammon glared in Asmodeus' direction, "I warned you.  Both of you." She turned her attention to the raven haired beauty at her right, "They will all be deformed in some way.  This is our curse!"
"Indeed, it's true we're cursed." Amon's crimson eyes glittered with shadowed indulgence. "This baby is far from perfect. As it is now, it will only become more corrupted and deformed. We'd be better off to put it out of it's misery." Her dainty fingers slipped around the baby's body and easily pulled it into her arms. "You must admit, though, she turned out very beautiful."
"Beauty isn't hard to achieve." Mammon scoffed as she brushed her curly black hair off her shoulder, her blue eyes darting to the babe. "Why don't you destroy it? Don't tell me you're fond of it already."
Amon's red lips curved into a beautifully distinguished smile; like that of a mother's smile with a secret. "How can I be fond of a clump of mud, blood, and bones?"
Asmodeus burst into laughter, "You always contradict yourself.  First you suggest we kill it then you say you want to keep it?  Make up your mind already…" he put his hand up to his forehead and made a pained face as if a headache was coming on, "Why don't we just put an end to all this foolishness.  There's no way we can-"
"Hold your tongue!" Mammon hissed dangerously, "Surely there must be a way, even without a perfect being.  I vote we destroy it and try again, there is no sense in keeping something that's useless."
The blonde man nodded in agreement, "Yes.  We best discard it before He comes back.  He will be very upset with us if he finds out we created something without his permission."
Amon giggled softly and turned away from her two cohorts. "Not so fast. I've always wanted a child."
"What?" Mammon stared in bewilderment. "Surely you jest!"
"Jest, not I." The woman with long dark hair answered most seriously. "I will keep the child. If He, whom I hold in most highest regards, discovers our plight then I will take full credit." Her slender fingers played with a tuft of the baby's blonde hair. "Even if she's deformed on the inside, she has an angel's shell."
Asmodeus shrugged, "I suppose that would be alright…" he glanced towards Mammon who in turn gave Amon a suspicious look.
Mammon, not one to dance around the subject, asked bluntly, "What are you planning?"
"I can practically see the wheels turning in your mind Amon." Asmodeus grinned only slightly for he knew Amon was selfish and only she would benefit from her ideas.
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about." Amon held the child close to her bosom. "I'll be on my way. Good day, Asmodeus and Mammon." As the beautiful woman took her leave, a cruel smile spread elegantly across her face.

As Vienna Madrid got ready for her first day at Beaudine University, she tried not to think about the horrors that would await her.  She was dead set on believing that it would be exactly like high school.  Vienna pulled out a map and exited her room, "turn right at the tenth-no 12th hallway..."
She began to mumble to herself as she tried to navigate through her grandmother's gigantic mansion.  She had only gotten to the seventh hallway when something small and black slinked into the corridor and sat down right in her path.  "Anubis..." she growled, "Move, you stupid cat. I'm late enough as it is."  The cat looked up at her with maliciously gleaming eyes before getting up and sauntering away.   Vienna hated that cat.  After fifteen minutes she finally managed to make it down to the kitchen where a bowl of cereal was waiting for her.  Vienna's grandmother had probably left it out for her before going out into the mansion grounds to garden.  Judging by the looks of it, the cereal had been out for quite some time.  In the end she decided against soggy cereal and headed out for the bus stop.  Luckily for her she had only a short walk.
Once Vienna had reached the bus stop she rubbed her tired eyes and leaned against a near by tree.  So many things could have been coursing through her brain at the moment, yet the only thing she was thinking was, "Why am I up this early?".
She caught sight of a bus coming toward her and sighed.  Ah, yes, this is why she was up.  School…she wondered what horrors would await her at this new educational facility.
The bus pulled up and opened its yawning doors fifteen minutes after her arrival. The passengers all looked sullen and exhausted, the usual mood that came with the morning. Near the back, as Vienna shuffled inside, there was one seat left. A man, who must've been asleep, wore shades on his distinguished, handsome face. Bits of black hair caressed the side of his face while layers upon layers stretched all the way down his back and cascaded over his shoulders. He wore what looked like a uniform to a fancy school. A white dress shirt lay beneath a royal blue sweater vest with a blue and silver plaid tie, while his slacks were a light grey. His uniform was wrinkled, the sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, obviously worn quite a bit, but smelled like tropical wind when you got too close.
Vienna stared at the sight only for a moment before sitting down beside the man.  She wasn't going to stand if there was a perfectly good seat she could utilize.  Vienna decided she would ignore the man beside her, she hated the idea of a bench buddy anyways.
The man was obviously startled. He flinched and glanced over at the girl, but said nothing. Eventually, he settled down, tense.
Feeling the man tense up beside her she shifted to the edge of the seat.  In truth, she was terrible in social situations.  Ever since she was a child she was quiet and kept to herself never knowing what to say or when to say it, of course it didn't help her social stigma that she was constantly teased by her classmates at many previous schools.  Vienna sighed softly thinking this was going to be the start of yet another bad school year.
Breaking the awkward silence, the man spoke softly, "Nice morning…"

Ch. 1
Picking Up The Slack

The bus made a slow and safe stop. The students at this particular stop filed out slowly, most still in their zombie-like tired states. The man with long black hair was the last off the bus, right after Vienna. They both stayed at the curb for a moment, getting their bearings together. The man and the girl glanced at each other nonchalantly. After the two shared some awkward air the man nodded towards her in greeting, attempting to be polite. He didn't say anything after his greeting earlier was shot down and left in a hurry.
Vienna shrugged her shoulders and sighed at the sight of her new school.  Everyone was wearing uniforms similar to the boy she had sat next to on the bus.  She approached the large prison like gates only to be stopped by a rather large gate attendant, "I.D. Please."
"Um…oh…you mean this?" She flashed the I.D. she had received in the mail only the day before.
"Yep, that's the one." The attendant stepped aside, "Welcome to Beaudine."
Vienna raised a brow before quickly hurrying around him. At first glace it appeared as if the school went on forever as the campus was quite large indeed, Vienna wondered how on Earth she would find the counselors office before her first class started in twenty minutes.  "Oh well…" she grumbled, "It's not like they do anything important on the first day of class anyways."
Out of no where, an arm was slung around her shoulder, the weight of which almost brought the small girl to her knees, "You may be right about that but that's no reason not to go to class, Vienna.  Sure, the syllabuses may be a waste of time but at least you can catch a few Zs before anything really important starts to happen."  Said a man's voice.
Vienna turned to see that the man who had spoken was a giant compared to her.  His chestnut hair looked like he had just gotten up out of bed but it somehow didn't need to be combed, and his bright blue eyes were practically sparkling.  Needless to say the man was gorgeous but definitely not Vienna's type, "How did you know my name?"
The man grinned and pointed down the I.D. card still clutched in Vienna's hand, "Lucky guess.  My name's Michael but you can call me Ale, everyone else does anyways.  I'm your Counselor." Ale then took Vienna by the arm and began pulling her along after him, "Sorry we couldn't mail you your uniform and Course Catalogue before you started school.  There was a bit of mix up with your paperwork and we couldn't grant you access to our facilities without the 'ok' from the big boss."
Vienna made a face, "'Big boss'?"
Ale laughed softly, "Sorry.  By 'Big Boss' I mean Headmaster Frionel.  But don't worry about it, everything's settled and you're good to go.  I'm glad to see you got your I.D. in time at least.  I was a little worried it wouldn't reach you."
She nodded and stuffed her I.D. back in her wallet before looking up to see that they were approaching a large build she guessed to be Administration.  Ale let Vienna's arm go to open the door for her, "My office is right through here."
She entered the building and Ale ushered her to one of the many counselor cubicles in the large room.  Vienna scrutinized her surroundings, "You'd think a school this big could afford offices for their counselors." she mumbled before taking a seat across from Ale who was already seated and situating papers on his untidy desk.
The counselor nodded absently as he began to search for something, "You'd think, but Headmaster Frionel is a very frugal basta-…man." he cleared his throat before a smirk could form on his lips, "Aha-ha!" he pulled out a file folder from underneath a empty pizza box and opened it up.
Vienna could only stare in disgust at what a slob her counselor seemed to be.  "Alright Vienna, first things first.  Unfortunately since we didn't fully accept your application until the last minute you don't really have a lot of classes to choose from as most of the cooler-uh- more popular classes are already filled.  Here are the list of classes that are available to you." he pulled out a paper from the folder and handed it to her.
Needless to say, Vienna looked thoroughly unimpressed, "Nonviolent Responses to Terrorism?  Mail Order Brides?  Taking Marx Seriously?!  Are these even classes or just practical jokes?!"
Ale sighed, "No joke.  They're real classes alright."  his lips upturned into a comforting smile, "Look, I know these have nothing to do with your major but some of these classes would fill your general ed requirements.  Besides, it's only for a semester."
She looked over the disappointing list once more, "Okay…Introduction to Shakespeare…uh… The Politics of Europe, and…Biological chemistry, I guess."
Ale nodded and wrote down her choices, "Great, here's you're class schedule." he handed her a yellow sticky note with her class room numbers and class times before grabbing a few articles of clothing from his drawer, "Now would you prefer slacks or a skirt?"
"Slacks." Vienna answered without hesitation.
"Awesome.  The first two uniforms are free but you will be charged for the third one, here." he handed her two full uniforms which consisted of: two long sleeved white button up shirts, two blue sweater vests, two blue and silver plaid ties and two pairs of light grey slacks, "If you ever wanna trade in those slacks for skirts you know where I am."
Vienna gave Ale a strange look and wondered if he was really an employee of the school, "Thanks but I'll keep the slacks."

Introduction to Shakespeare was her first class in room one-O-six. The class was completely full and all eyes were on her. She was the last to arrive after all. The professor, a man of average height and wearing a brown suit was leaning against his desk looking very tired. His light brown hair was shaggy and uncombed, facial hair showing up a bit dark on his light tanned skin. His dark brown eyes glanced over at the girl and indicated to a seat in the back, the only one left. "Ah another unfortunate late comer. Take your seat in the back so we can begin."
Vienna did her usual shuffle to the back of the class and took her seat as she was told.  Hopefully this class would go by fast so she could take a nap before her next class.  She yawned a little before taking out her note book not really expecting to write anything, but it was always nice to be prepared.
The boy sitting beside her glanced over at her, having already recognized her from this morning on the bus. What were the chances that they had to share space once more? He didn't say anything pertaining to his identity as it seemed she was far to focused on the professor up front.
"Good morning." The professor didn't move from his spot by the desk. "I'm Professor Catillus Brown. Welcome to Introduction to Shakespeare. Let me tell you, first and foremost, most if not all of Shakespeare's works are plagiarized pieces of bull feces. I'm not going to sugar-coat anything and I like opinions. I want to hear everyone's opinion at least one time this year, or you fail."
A few students laughed nervously, not too sure if he was serious or just had a good sense of humor. They were to soon learn that the first was correct.
"We'll begin with Romeo & Juliet, one of my favorites to patronize." Professor Brown picked up a tiny booklet with the title of the infamous romance between two people. "My biggest grief with this piece of crap is the romance. Two kids fall in love in less than ten minutes at a party, and this suddenly turns into true love? Not only that, but they end up killing themselves  in order to be together. That is childish and a bit disturbing." He threw the booklet behind him. It made a soft thud before he continued. "If you don't have younger siblings then just imagine you do. Now imagine them falling head over heels 'in love' with a kid you know and don't like. Now imagine both of them dying because their parents say they can't be together. That's my point. Any questions or opinions this time around?"
Vienna raised her hand slowly, "Despite the minute romance and terrible ending, Romeo and Juliet is very well written.  It has a clear plot and a defined beginning, climax and ending.  Romeo and Juliet may not be 'our' reality but I'm sure there are many misguided kids out there who can relate to either Romeo or Juliet on an emotional level.  So what Shakespeare created with Romeo and Juliet was a well written romance story with fantastic plot devices and relatable characters.  All in all it teaches kids that not all of life's stories end with 'and they lived happily ever after', also creating a sense of harsh but true realism." She was silent for a moment before adding, "Not to mention the impact Romeo and Juliet had on the literary society.  It set the bar for aspiring romance writers, to put it point blank."
"Interesting." Professor Brown nodded, obviously enjoying her input. "You do have a valid point. Writers had something to reach for, or surpass. That's something any hard worker needs. A goal. How else are they going to get better? Writing would get stale if there was no set bar. Very good, ah…" He held up a clipboard with all the students names. He looked for a bit before eventually giving up. "Your name, newbie?"
"Vienna Madrid, sir." she said quietly feeling all eyes on her.  She really hated speaking in front of large audiences but she figured she might as well speak while everyone was asleep so everyone would forget about her.
"You're not on my sheet. Late application? Oh, and that's your permanent desk." Professor Brown wrote her name down and where she was sitting. He saw this pattern quite a lot. The first place a student sat on the first day of school became their permanent desk. There was no need for assigned seats this way.
"Fantastic…" Vienna grumbled glancing over to the dark haired boy in the seat beside hers.
"Now, lets talk about the opposing families. Capulet's and Montague's, fighting for endless generations over something… forgotten? Or do they simply hate each other? Let's hear someone else's opinion, hm?" He looked at the clip board once more. "Asa…koera? Is that it?"
"Asakura." Said the young man sitting beside Vienna.
"Right. Let's hear your opinion on the opposing families."
"Well… To be honest, I don't have much of an opinion on this subject." Asakura spoke emotionlessly, bland. His mind was on other matters.
"Everyone has an opinion." Professor Brown pushed.
The raven haired man exhaled deeply and answered if only to get this over with. "If they hadn't focused their hatred toward each other so much their kids would still be alive. Though, I'm sure everyone knows that already. They could've done other things with their energy. Constructive things."
The professor was, more or less, dissatisfied with this answer. "Anyone else care to tell me something I don't know?"
Asakura sank back into his seat, a sullen look on his handsome face.
Vienna couldn't help but feel proud that her little inference had become the bar by which all the other students comments would be measured by.  She smiled a little, "Maybe this will be easier than I thought it would be." she said to herself.

Class ended with a homework assignment. Professor Brown wasn't the kind of teacher that messed around or was lenient when it came to learning. "If you don't want to pass then don't do the work." Was something he had told a groaning student.
The students rushed out, eager to get to their next, hopefully more exciting, classes. As Vienna left after the large shuffle of students diminished in the hallways a strong hand held her shoulder. "Hey." Asakura stood quite tall compared to her. "Uhm… what you said in class today…" He reached back and scratched the back of his head. "I thought it was pretty good."
Vienna shrugged, "Thanks.  Someone had to say something to save the class from the embarrassment of not answering so I figured I might as well be that person so…don't mention it." she began to push past him into the herd of college students, she guessed she had about thirty minutes until her next class so she might as well find a quiet place to begin working on Professor Brown's homework assignment.
Asakura went after her, not finished talking to her just yet. "Your name's Vienna, right?" He said upon catching up to her very easily. Having long legs did that for you. "I'm Ryo."
"Huh.  I thought Asakura was a weird first name." She smirked a bit.
"Asakura's my last name." Ryo's cheeks gave off a hint of pink from the small amount of embarrassment placed on him. "What about you? Your first name's strange."
She turned around to face him, ""Vienna" is the name of the place where I was conceived so…yeah, it is strange.  I won't even start on your first name…currency?"
His dark, rusty red eye twitched vaguely. "Yeah. Chinese currency, I think. I never bothered to ask why I was named that. It's not like I was conceived on a coin…"
Vienna raised an eyebrow, "Hm.  Jokes.  You're not very good at comedy are you?"
He chose to ignore that comment. "So… how'd you come up with that answer back there?"
"I read Romeo and Juliet and I analyzed it.  Any person with half a brain could have come up with an answer like mine." she said as she brushed a few strands of short hair out of her face.
A wave of irritation crept across his face. "… Is that so…?"
"Yeah." she nodded glancing up at the clock on the wall, twenty five minutes now.  This Asakura kid was wasting her time.
He already knew the answer, and yet… "So my answer wasn't good enough."
"Whoa.  I didn't say that." she sighed and rubbed her forehead, this guy had to be dense, "All I'm saying is that the answers Professor Brown was looking for can be found by any person who can think outside 'the box' so to speak.  All you had to do is reach inside the part of your mind that you never use and pull something witty and clever out.  I know, I know, this may be way over your head but trust your instincts and use your brain." Vienna patted Ryo on the shoulder before once again pushing past him.
She didn't make it too far. Ryo grabbed the front of her shirt and slammed her into the wall. He never did take criticism well. His eyes narrowed, he practically snarled at her, "Watch what you say, brat." His fingers slowly pulled themselves away as he got better control over himself. He turned and quickly walked away, pushing a path through the students who walked on, ignoring the little bullying that had just taken place.
Vienna was stunned to say the least.  She had just been slammed into a wall by a shady looking guy and her clothes were wrinkled.  She frowned and straitened out her shirt and tie.  "Eh, it shouldn't be too hard to iron these out." she shrugged and picked up her backpack before heading out to the courtyard.