Attempts at Studying (Open)

[Leon Loire]

"Bah, where's Edward when you need him?" Leon Loire scoffed in a bit of blatant frustration, a flick of his left hand forcing several pages to flip forward through the large text of United States history, as the Senior-plus student attempted to hunt down matters of Columbus' voyage to India - which, of course, resulted in America's 'discovery'.

'I just don't understand it... why is it that I do so well in a class, then forget most of everything I learned in the first term of the class? Perhaps it's just that Columbus was boring, but still!'

Leon was not alone, however; in fact, a good portion of his first period was here as well, looking through the library in their spare time, attempting to recover the fragments of their former year, or learn it the first time. The teacher wasn't exactly the most reliable source in the school, considering at times she would go on and rant about something completely off of topic, especially when it was necessary to learn these things before a test the next day.

'Bloody fate! Why does this have to happen now?'

Either way, while Loire sat uncomfortably in his chair during the second lunch break, most of those he knew in the Senior year were in class, while the Juniors were at lunch hour itself. Of course, that wouldn't stop any Seniors from getting to the library throughout their own skills, considering they were teenagers. With a hope, although perhaps a bad idea, Leon Loire hoped that someone he knew would arrive to take his mind off of the stress of unwanted histories, and perhaps give him some time to relax... or stress, whatever worked.

[pyro]

The smell of the school's food permeated the air and for a student that was supposed to be going to lunch right now this was very hard to bare. Xantos heard the bell ring telling everyone that class was over. This was followed by a uniformly, yet disorganized, collection of sighs of relief and students placing their books in their arms and walking swiftly to leave the class and head for the cafeteria. Xantos made an agonizing groan knowing that even though he was hungry he could not go to the cafeteria for a burger or a piece of pizza to satisfy his obvious hunger shown by his grumbling gut. He had to ignore lunch to study. Even when Varron was still his school Xantos had suffering grades and when he moved to Hircine due to Varron's shutdown it was time to change his act. He had decided that he had to stop getting into pointless fights and become a successful student or his future would be an unpleasant one as a result. Xantos had so far had easy sailing. He now had a home given to him by the school. He was no longer homeless. Now Xantos always seemed to be in a good mood. He strolled with a certain calmness that seemed to emanate a kind of force field that protected him from his trouble and hide him from the harshness of corporal punishment.

Today he was going to the library to study World History. This was a relief just coming from an algebra 2 class that all the teacher has the students do is write down notes. His class in History was studying religions of the ancient world that still exist today. These were Judaism, Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

As he walked into the library he immediately saw the religion section. He walked over looking for any interesting books that might help him. After about five minutes, he gave up. He only had a short time to study and he couldn't waste it. So he walked towards the table closest to him and opened his book to Chapter 3 Page 79 which was about Judaism. However, he only managed to get to a part about how the Jewish god is named Yahweh before he noticed someone else in the library, someone he had seen before. It was Leon Loire, his old acquaintance. Regardless of his need to study, he sat up and walked over to him. As he opened his mouth to talk he only said could think of four little words to say to him. "Hey Leon! What's up?"

[Tiao Lei Shen]

(OOC: I was writing the same time as the sibling, so I editted to add him in as well)

"Dammit!" Tiao hissed as he set down his water bottle, his brain giving him a reminder almost too late. "I still haven't finished my History homework for next hour. I'll talk to you guys later." Tiao explained to the faces that looked at him from the round lunch table in the cafeteria.

Tiao tossed his garbage into the garbage bin off to their side and pushed his chair back as he stood up, leaving his friends for the remainder of the lunch period.

Friends. Hmph. Thats a vague term.

It was still unsure to Tiao if those that called him friend truly thought so or if they merely flocked to him because of his power and popularity in the school.

The more friends you get, the more alone you feel. As far as I'm concerned, Darren is the only real friend I have. Kurtz is cool, but we aren't exactly that close. But thats fine with me, whether its one or two friends its all I need.

Tiao's thoughts trailed off as he trudged towards the library, intent on keeping his A in the class. As he entered, Tiao spotted a student he recognized from the records of Varron Transfers. This was Leon Loire, the most suitable, and quite liberal, captain candidate for Varron.

Another student began to walk toward Leon, but Tiao didn't recognize him. He thought for a moment, then shrugged. Deciding to procrastinate his schoolwork for just a bit more, Tiao proceded to make his way towards the transfer student. Taking a seat on the edge of the table next to Leon, he looked at the older student a smirk on his face as he sized him up, taking no heed of the other student as of yet.

"This is it?" Tiao almost chuckled, "you're the terrorist would be captain? I thought you'd be taller."

[Kokaku Musha]

“Terrorist would be captain? I think you’re at the wrong school mate, elementary school is a few blocks away from here…”

Kokaku Musha, friend of Leon Loire and perhaps considered as ‘tall enough’ in Tiao’s point of view, slowly walked up to the company of students who had now gathered around the same table. He had noticed the so called pillar rushing off towards the library and had wondered whether there was trouble over there, but it seemed even the toughest of this school had to study.

“Before you start and call all of us names, you might perhaps learn some manners first… as even among strangers, threatening girls isn’t exactly the behavior someone would expect from a pillar…”

Kokaku spoke about what occurred during their first day at Hircine High, when Tiao had walked up to Kira and Hikari and ‘instructed’ them on how to behave properly. Kokaku hadn’t expected so much hostility from the Hircine student body so soon, but that day, during the speech in the auditorium, he had already pointed out those who would be important enough to keep an eye out for… Tiao being one of them. Tiao’s actions towards his girlfriend had immediately positioned him on Kokaku’s blacklist… Kokaku didn’t give a damn about the fact that Kira and Hikari had acted childish and were in fact wrong, Tiao’s attitude that day had been unacceptable for any proud man…

Continuing his walk, Kokaku passed Tiao and seated himself opposite to both Tiao and Leon, close to the fourth person. Kokaku didn’t recall any names but vaguely remembered the student as a Varron student. Nodding to him slowly, he turned his attention towards Leon, who hadn’t yet spoken a word. Kokaku’s bluntness had once more stolen the opportunity for Loire to respond immediately when he was spoken to. Grinning at his friend, he now fully ignored Tiao.

“Hey Loire, you were the first outside the classroom… don’t tell me you’re running behind on your homework… it would be a shame if you were… what are these people here supposed to think when we run behind on schedule?”

Smirking towards his friend, his eyes flickered towards Tiao for a split second…

[Leon Loire]

Leon glanced to his left with a bit of surprise, the subtle voice of a vague familiar calmly inching toward him. Quickly analyzing the face of the Junior student sitting near him, Leon smirked a bit as his memory kicked into gear, "Ah, it's been a while Xantos, I'm glad to see you made it here. I'm fine, but what about you? I'm sure things have been as hellish for you as it has been for the rest of us..."

For a second, Leon expected Xantos' voice to reply; instead, another Junior spoke out, ignoring Xantos Smith, and instead critiquing Loire directly. Turning his eyes to glance at the new arrival, Leon found himself smirking a bit at the youth's assumptions - considering they were, after all, rather uncreative. Yet, as Leon was about to react, his voice was replaced by another Seniors, one that was strikingly familiar, and one that Leon felt his grin widen to.

'Ah, good to see Kokaku has my back as usual.'

Looking past Xantos for a moment, Leon nodded at his friend and shrugged, "They can think what they believe, considering they're too worried to have a fist shoved in their stomach for screwing up one problem of their homework. Me? I'm more concerned with people, such as the three of us. Including Mr. 'Pillar' here..."

Turning to the Junior figure at last, Leon hovered his left hand above the rather large text book he had formerly been reading, his eyes lightly gazing at the figure, "I think you're mixing up your own staff with my own. See, you and your staff act like they're so tall, and use that height to oppress everyone, but then when you bring them to their knees, they're as short as an infant. If you're wise, you wouldn't overestimate someone's height, because it proves rather quickly how weak your own intellect is to your ignorance..."

[pyro]

Xantos showed a smile to Leon after hearing his friendly response, something that would have been completely alien to anyone from Varron that had known Varron. The moment was short lived however. One of the school's pillars quickly and rudely joined their new conversation, seemingly trying to get Leon angry.

"You're the terrorist would be captain? I thought you'd be taller."

Xantos awaited Leon's reaction to this comment, for he was the one who was being spoken to not Xantos. However, Leon was once again cut off, this time by an apparent friend of his who defended Leon. Both of these people ignored Xantos which made him realize just how little it he was known. A few months ago he would of become angry by this small fact, but now he decided to regard this with a maintained coolness in his tone. He looked directly at the pillar so that he could speak to him properly. Just like Leon and his friend, he would lash out at the the figure of Hircine's hierarchy whose name was unknown to him.

"You know. You may be a pillar of Hircine, but as Leon so well put it, that says nothing of your intelligence. Your obvious desire to insult Leon doesn't go unnoticed, and I should warn you that what you got away with the Hircine students won't quite turn out so well for you with us."

Xantos then paused for a second to get a better look at the man to whom he was speaking.

"And it seems that your stature isn't so perfect as well. You're still clearly over an inch shorter than anyone of us."

These statements weren't really an insult, more so a poor attempt at putting someone in their place, and Xantos knew it. He then glanced at Leon's friend and spoke to him.

"It seems we aren't as welcome here as I might have thought." He said jokingly.

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Tiao sat on the corner of the table, letting the Varronites spout their righteousness as he looked at each in their eye as they spoke, smirk upon his face. As soon as the last was finished speaking his piece, Tiao would speak back, starting with Kokaku who he also was familiar with.

"Maybe you're the one who should return back to grade school Mr. Musha. It would be a good place to reassimilate those women of yours." Tiao spoke harshly, switching his gaze to the one known as Xanatos, though this was unknown to the pillar.

"I asked a simple question, and here you Varronites already jump and lash out like cornered animals. You know, the only the guilty get so defensive." Tiao snickered, shaking his head and finally landing his gaze on Leon.

"My own staff huh?" Tiao trailed off with a smile, hopping off the table and beginning to pace behind the seat of Leon Loire. "Is everything about height to you people?" Tiao chuckled, the fact that two out of the three had went into their own spiel about height, one symbolic and the other literal.

"Look Loire, I know about you. You're a crazy liberal who thinks the system is corrupt. I know this place is different than your hell hole, but here students can learn without fear of being blown up or hung from rooftops. Which to my knowledge, is seen as a good thing. You couldn't handle your old school, I don't blame you. Not everyone has it in them to keep things in control."

[Leon Loire]

OOC: So sorry for the jump ahead Sjoerdje, but I just cannot help myself...

IC: 'Oh, so he wants to play my game now, does he?'

Leon Loire, with the Junior Pillar standing just behind his seat, could not help but feel the honest laugh of irony filling his lungs with a strong wind. Holding his hand to his chest a moment as his wide mouth released a few-second-long laughter, Leon comfortably forced himself to end the mockery of the Pillar's 'height', finishing the quick gesture with a simple phrase.

"My word, you're as much a fool as your ignorance brings me to believe."

Slowly standing up, turning himself around, and leaning forward in the chair, Loire decided it was the perfect time to play politics. This Junior figure of arrogance had just opened the gates wide open for criticism, and Loire simply could not hold back his tongue.

'Time to be on the offensive... while being offensive at the same time!'

Staring up at the standing Pillar from his eased back, relaxed lean of the chair, Leon held a solid grin, his eyes still bright from the laugh that had lifted him, "Really, you're quite a character! I think it's you who needs to return to grade school, considering you know jack about how to avoid generalizations. Since your ego is too large for your logic to surpass, you just came across as a complete sexist, and what's worse, you used the latest curse word around: 'Varronite'. Ooooooo, scary!"

Leon released another laugh, the feeling of confidence only intensifying his grin, his glare of dislike and dominance both; it was the perfect symbolic situation: here was he, Xantos, and Kokaku, all sitting comfortably and easingly on simple wooden chairs, while this Pillar attempted to stand tall above them with his dominating "power"....

And failed utterly to surpass them.

"Let me tell you something about height Mr. 'Pillar': such a stance requires respect, and earned resources. You were given your title through some means of your connection to Blayne - which honestly, I have no clue what he sees in your stance besides that of a sheep. Height is just a small factor, another detail of people such as 'us Varronites', considering we've grown through hardship and experience to understand how the world works.

"But you! We make the factor of height such a large matter because it's just another of your most lacking factors! Your height is a false stance, something awarded to you by a kingdom of masters that you entertained through jest for years! We've gained our height through understanding ourselves, where as you have gained no height due to your assimilation to the System!"

Side glancing to Xantos for a moment, then Kokaku, Leon allowed the Pillar to believe he was finished, before throwing a hand into the air to silence him; as arrogant as he was, no one would be foolish enough to strike back at Leon like this Pillar had supposedly done to another lone Varronite, especially since two other Varron allies sat beside him.

"You'll have your moment 'Pillar', but let me assure you of some other details before proving your ignorance to our situation yet again. It is true; we are highly defensive at the moment.Think of us as a pack of wolves who have been hounded into a corner, outnumbered ten to one by tamed bloodhounds, without ability or resource to speak reasoning with the domesticated pets of the hunters. The bloodhounds expect the wolves to join their way of life, to become slaves to the expectations of the hunters, and if the wolves refuse, those bloodhounds and their hunters use force to make them reconsider slavery.

"So take a hint, who do you think fits these symbols? If you haven't realized by now, the wolves are clearly the Varron transfers, the hounds are yourself and your fellow Hircinians who seem intent on alienating the Varron populace, and of course, the hunters are men and women like McMillan, intent on 'breaking' us all into their 'perfect' world. So, go ahead and give myself and my friends here one good reason why your system here in Hircine is so much better than the way Varron Academy was run, because I can bet a good deal of money right now that the three of us alone can shatter your claim within seconds, guaranteed."

[Kokaku Musha]

OOC: Tiao, please go ahead and reply, this is obvious a thing between you two at the moment, Kokaku would not really be doing anything but let Leon speak anyway, so he would probably wait for your response now anyway. I'll just do some rewinding when I post Just don't go ten post on without me and xantos

[Tiao Lei Shen]

(OOC: Dokey Dokey Sjoerdje, thats what I was assuming, but I was waiting on your say so.)

Tiao took two steps backward, placing his right foot against the flat center column as he leaned upon it, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I've known you for less than a minute, and you haven't stopped spouting on other peoples 'ignorance.' For someone who says he wants to promote the general welfare of the students, you sure seem to judge quickly and look down upon those you think are intellectually inferior."

Tiao sighed and shook his head slowly. He was raised by a fanatic of a chinaman, and often times his demeanor would come out in his eldest son, despite how much Tiao tried not to be. "Call me an egotistical prick, a sexist, or whatever else you want. You're a hypocrite Loire, for you pass judgement as quick as the rest of us." Tiao paused, looking away for a moment, then giving Leon a look that exlaimed Are you slow?

"You came from Varron did you not? Therefore you're a varronite until you can assimilate as one of us. I didn't try to threaten you with a simple term, but the fact you take it as so seems that your assimilation won't get as smoothly as one could hope."
Tiao clenched his jaw before pushing off the wall, anger in his eyes as he pointed his index finger towards the student.

"I am no one's dog, Loire. This title is mine by my own power and will. As an upper middle class white male, you may be used to handouts, but don't think for an instant thats what it is with me. When my family arrived here, they had nothing. No one handed anything out for them, they worked themselves up from rock bottom; and just as my father had before me, everything I am, I have worked for myself!"

Tiao held Loire's gaze for a moment, the intensity between their eyes that would make one who is weakminded falter. Tiao took a deep breath and turned away from the sight of Leon, calming himself down from the assumptions and insults he had thrown towards the pillar.

"And nice analogy Loire," Tiao snickered, turning his head over his shoulder to look at him before turning around to face the student once more. "but your parable is one-sided. The bloodhounds have a duty to the hunter to protect the livestock. If the wolves choose to come and prey upon the animals that live in their boundries, then the hunter has no choice but to sick his bloodhounds upon the wolves.

So let me make it clear to you now Loire, the wolves are the troublesome Varronites like you, the bloodhounds the pillars, the hunter the system, and the livestock the students. If you decide to cause trouble for the students who just want to go through their highschool career and get the hell out, then you will be hunted down by us and taken out.

So you would like to know why we work better than you did? Look at our hospital records, I guarantee the students admitted there are much less than yours. Look at the crime rate you'll see the same thing. Up until your arrival we would have to break up the casual fight, but even then the students almost always ended without needing us to do much but step inbetween the two before they would go back to their classes. You've not only had serious injuries in your school like that precious Kira of yours' hanging, but you've had deaths from another student's terrorist blowing up of the school."

Tiao paused a moment, letting this sink into the head of Leon and his companions.

"If you haven't noticed your school was shut down, not ours. No matter what corruptions you may think there are, thats all evidence you cannot ignore."

[Leon Loire]

Leon Loire glared back at the "Pillar" with an itching intrigue, his blue eyes keeping track of the Junior's movements for signs of hostility, his ears catching as much of the teenager's words as possible. At times they seem to meld together - as happens in certain conversations - and yet Loire could catch on to the basic gist of the other's arguments.

'I've got to admit, his spin on my analogy was pretty good... but he's changing things around too much to make himself sound correct. I'm still on the high ground here.'

And then, of course, the Pillar just had to reference to Marcus Lawson and ... Kvist.

'Fine, looks like it's time to prove why he's an ignorant...'

Staring back at the Pillar for a moment with an ominous feeling of argument, Leon slowly stood up from his leaning chair, his right hand peacefully sliding it across the floor beside him. Now a few inches higher than the Junior student, Leon held a slightly angled eye contact, his lips sternly frowned, his eyes like ice.

"If you hadn't noticed, I cast judgments like all the rest; after all, I am Human. Considering our offensive behavior that I began, of course, I'll note I most likely fit the genre of a Human being far more than you, considering you proudly accept your place as a piece of architecture."

Staring back at the Pillar blankly for another moment, Leon took a step to his right, and began pacing in a slow circle around his 'companion'. He kept his stance eased, his legs calmly leading him around the perimeter; but his eyes were like blades, pivoted sharply on their target.

"Oh yes Mr. Pillar, I know quite well how you earned your keep as a Pillar in this school. Considering my connections to my fellow, as you put it, 'Varronites' and even some of your own 'livestock', I've come to hear rumor of the various pillars of this school's hierarchy. There is, of course, Darren Blayne as Captain, this Kurtz as one Pillar, and a Tiao Lei Shen as a second; considering I've already met a Pillar that matches Kurtz's description quite well, it's easy for me to assume that you're the second.

"And trust me when I note that you fought so strongly to gain your title. Those heroic tales of your life as a normal student for a good deal of time, before you decided one day that you needed a better name: Captain. You wished to take down the school's highest ranking student, but soon discovered he had been replaced by another student, his name being Darren Blayne. You challenged him and were defeated - now, I'll respect you in noting that he did not win out enough to state you were in bad enough shape as some of the many opponents you had sent to the hospital in the past, but... I think you see my point, right?"

Leon stopped his pace for a moment, smirking lightly at the sudden turn of hands; Leon had taken the history of his opponent and exploited it. All Tiao would know regarding Leon Loire were exaggerated news reports and redesigned school files; Leon had the facts of social rumor, and primary accounts.

Leon Loire was a nobody; Tiao Shen was a someone.

"If you speak of hypocrisy, you had best look to a mirror friend. You gained your title, yes, but through the most basic and oppressive option to all Human beings: violence. You fought and beat down any rival student until they required medical attention, then tried to do the same to the school's reputed Captain, so that way you could have justification to continue the beatings of 'criminal' students.

"It amuses me when you talk of 'protecting' your 'livestock' from the wolves, when you yourself are beating on them for eating the wrong blade or grass, or disobeying a Hunter - which, mind you, nice try on spinning my analogy, but you got it wrong. Hunters don't hunt to protect livestock, that's farmers; hunters hunt and kill for sport, just as your masters - who domesticated you, bloodhound - hunt your own fellow students to 'assimilate' them. Congratulations Mr. Pillar, you've aided a System that beats down their own children for the sake of having power. What's next? Are you hoping to move up to being a grunt officer in a military dictatorship? Because that's exactly where your career pathway is leading, chum."

Leon stared at him a moment, his eyes blazing in its violet anger, his lips pursed deeply; a moment later, Leon continued his slow pace, his eyes continued to glare at Shen, "And before you pull the 'Varronites are scum' trump card again, forget it; the fact I'm calling you an ignorant is because of your lack of understanding this System you serve, and the very reason why Varron Academy was so bloody."

Stopping at a three o'clock angle from Tiao, Leon cracked his neck and wrist for a moment to relieve stress - and possibly throw Tiao Lei Shen into a defensive alert, heightening his senses and catching even more attention to the speech.

"Varron Academy was the last stop for the worst of this country; students who supposedly killed their classmates, or students who could no longer be accepted in a school, they were sent there. But you'd be surprised how many of us were given Varron Academy as a 'handout'; after all, look at me! As you put it, how could an assumed middle class white male end up in the dirtiest school in the nation? As you probably found in the record, I have no record of murder or felony, and the terrorist charges were brought up on me a good year after my arrival in the city - which of course were dropped, and a case in New York's District Court is currently proving my innocence.

"But the worst students in the country were in that school! The worst! We had kids who would have been in jail before the System was founded, but since good old Mr. Dimir founded our beloved system twenty years ago, no one can be suspended or expelled! We're all stuck in this system, no matter how monstrous we are! And if Varron was the only school that would accept them, just imagine how many monsters we received in that school! Do you really think teachers with rulers and fists can stand a chance to smack sense into people that far gone? But no! Instead of the System accepting that those students cannot be helped in education, since they cannot accept that Corporal Punishment was failing in our school, they decided that sticking with the methods would eventually work. Well, guess what: we got tired of it, so we started fighting back.

"Our hospitals were filled mostly because of innocent Varron students, the mass majority that were actually trying to live life, who were beaten down by the zealot teachers; the rest came from the fighters taking down the oppressive teachers, or the monsters attacking the fighters that acted as 'challenges'. Eventually the City Council grew tired of our little rebellion, so they decided we needed to be dealt with. How do you think they did? Through the Police? Through the sudden destruction of the System? Not at all, and here's the kicker: they decided the best way to fight fire was with fire. They hired five of the nation's worst youth of all time, and let them loose on all of us.

"That's right Tiao, your beloved System, the people you honorably serve and commit your body to, didn't hesitate one instant to think of how many people they'd hurt or even kill. So who do you think blew up the school? A retaliating Varronite? Hell no! It was the darkest of all those monsters they released on us! The Five attacked our beloved school in the midst of class, killing dozens of innocent students while in class, and forcing all of us into a stupor of saving everyone we knew and loved!"

Leon quickly stopped himself, his lungs desperately calling for the feel of wind on his lips. His face was clearly red, his eyes like chemical fire, his fists clenched so tightly that his muscles felt tension from easing, his shoulders sore from his arm movements. He eased a moment, taking in a deep breath, and feeling a trickle of sweat run down his head, and a shake through his body; the thought of Marcus Lawson brought back memories of that traumatic day. The thought of death brought back pain, the emotion of pain brought back the mindlessness of another emotion: hatred - specifically for one of the monsters the System had allowed to enroll in Varron Academy to 'rehabilitate him'.

And in so doing, allowing that bastard to harm Leon's "precious Kira Karyuudo."

Closing his eyes for a moment and shaking his head, Leon looked back to Tiao with a sudden look of cold resolution. "You want to know why you're ignorant? Because you hold all this power, all this influence, all this renown, and yet you know nothing of the truth. You want to know why you're the System's dog? Because you destroyed the dreams and bodies of your own subordinates and fellow students, just to get a hold of the spot next to the powerholders... and the steak they have hanging for your space.

"With that, Tiao Lei Shen, know you're just as monstrous as that bastard that killed so many of my classmates at Varron Academy that day. All he saw them as were an obstacle to a materialistic goal; you're the same: you beat on your classmates, stand idly as your Deans do the same, and speak as if you deserve so much respect, when all you do is bring shame and harm to others for the sake of someone you don't even know. Congratulations Mr. Pillar, I hope you enjoy being a living form of hypocrisy to what you expect yourself to be."

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Loire rose to his feet, pushing away his chair giving optical symbolism for how the Varronian was "standing up" to the pillar. Tiao smirked as Leon began his speech. The pillar had been insulted for many things in many ways his life but this was different. For simply the name of his title he had been insulted, it was amusing, and well, new.

Leon kept his gaze on the pillar a moment, then took a step to the right, beginning to circle Tiao. A smirk made its way to Tiao's face, Tiao's eyes holding a certain fire in them as they watched Loire's movement.

I could rip out his throat right now. It would halt all this pointless talking. He wouldn't be able to stop me, a quick tear with my fingers and he would bleed to death. If only I could do things the easy way...

Loire talked about Tiao's own origins of becomming a pillar, Tiao merely laughing and shrugging them off.

"Ha, you act like its some achievement to know my history. I don't keep that information from anyone. The whole student populace knows I lost to Darren; secrets are for the guilty. Was I like the punks at Varron? Yeah, I was pretty bad. Do you know anything of revelations? Thats what I had gotten through my defeat: a purpose."

Tiao looked to Leon again, an agitated look surfacing on his face. "Hunters, farmers, whatever. My take is still accurate whatever the name, the sheep get more than enough to eat, if they overeat they need to excercise a little. As for the military, thanks for bringing that up. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do in a few years, now I got an idea." Tiao smirked sarcastically, brushing Leon off again. Loire cracked his joints, causing Tiao's blood to race, his skin itching for someting other than talking.

Come on, make a move....

Tiao's outer demeanor remained calm as he continued to listen to Leon, still tired of talking. Tiao listened calmly until the end, exploding into a fit of anger as Leon finished, poking his index finger into Leon's chest.

"Or maybe its that you can't accept your own shortcomings! The role of the pillars are to protect the student body, you and your underlings just can't claim responsibility for being unable to stop such a thing! We here at Hircine have a developed pillar system, taking away any chance for such attacks. You couldn't hold a captain position, and it was the fault of your own student body to not be able to stop such a thing!"

Tiao paused, letting this soak in before something else dawned upon the pillar.

"And thats another subject completely! For one that speaks of the horrors of the system, I believe you were gunning for that position. So how is that for hypocrisy, for one who hates the system so much to try, and fail, to get such a position himself?"

[Leon Loire]

Loire felt the stinging jabs of Shen's finger against his chest, but the only thing his mind could ponder was how successful his lashes against the Pillar truly had been.

'It's amazing how tough headed he is, but no matter; he's only proving my facts even further.'

When the Pillar's own reactions were finished, Leon stood there still, the sweat continuing to trickle down his temple, but a smirk also across his face, "Oh? It was our duty to establish a Captainship to protect ourselves from something the Government was placing on us? I thought it was the Government's clear definition to fill that space! After all, is Democratic - or Republican, whatever pun you prefer - government not meant to protect the liberties, freedoms and civilities of its all its citizens? When was it our jobs to protect ourselves from the Government? As you say, the Pillar System is designed to protect the students; so where's the Government, the System in all this, hmm? Are they the antagonist in your ways as well Mr. Pillar?"

Leon felt his smirk widen, and he laughed a bit as well, "I find it so amusing to turn words on you! How it brings out so much truth from what I've seen all along! Most, when confronted by the cold hard reality, cower in fear or fall into shock, but as a true Conservative, you deny it, resist it! You believe in tradition, in the belief that what you've stood for all along is right somehow, even if the truth says otherwise! To hell with truth! As long as you get to live in blindess, then everything's okay, isn't that right? I'm sure George Orwell would find your ideology so familiar to a figure he characterized as the officers of 'IngSoc' and their leader 'Big Brother.'"

Leon stepped back only a tingle, to allow the breath of his new rival not to fall on him; he was still within striking range, of course, but in the end, Leon was far from wishing to avoid that.

'I'll take a hit for politics; in this case, if he gets violent, I gain more success with every ounce of blood he drops from me...'

"I find it interesting. You expected my school to establish a school, and when we fail, you blame that on us, not on the System. We supposedly have to protect ourselves from the Government now, when they're supposedly helping us by beating us down and educating us. If it was just, truly a good thing for us, why would we need Pillars then? Why would Pillars be meant to protect the students? If the Government is so right, then why shouldn't we hail every strike we take from them? If that were the case, then there would never be a student that rebelled, and if there were, the teachers and the System would surely be able to deal with them! So why is it that now we need a Pillar System to succeed where the Government has failed? Why do we need a Pillar System to protect us from teachers becoming too zealot, or students that the Government doesn't care to deal with? I certainly don't remember the Founding Fathers ever placing such duties on a bunch of children, citizens that cannot even vote, let alone drink or die for their country..."

Leon looked to Kokaku and Xantos for a moment and smirked, "Kokaku, I'm sure you're just itching to say something, so please, when I'm finished, go ahead and add something to remind Mr. Pillar that I am not the only one who sees the way Varron had been; Xantos, feel free to join in as well, being one that played the part of a good student for so long."

Turning his attention back to Shen, Leon held his smirk, "I think you need to take another look at my records, by the way. I'm sure you'll find that no where in those documents that I was ever seen discussing matters of the Captainship with the City Council, the undisputed rulers of our school. As far as Captainships go, by the way, I think we need to compare the various complications in differentiation between Varron and Hircine High..."

Leon stepped back a bit more, just far enough to have comfortable spacing for his arms to sprawl out to his side. Raising his right hand, Leon spoke of Hircine High as if it were his clenched fist, "Here we have your beloved depiction of a perfect System follower: the Captainship is chosen by students that vie for the attention of the school Principal. To gain his attention, they must beat each other to a pulp, acting out in a fashion that is exactly contrasting to what the System itself wishes them to be. The System wishes us all to be docile, yet to serve that Government, you must send someone to the hospital in order to gain power; ironic, isn't it?"

Leon then dropped his right for the left to replace it, its palm outstretched, "Where we had your rather crude fashion, we have a System for my beloved Varron Academy that was, of course, as bloody as your own, with the violent students fighting each other for dominance, believing the title of Captain is awarded to the strongest fighter around. Your own school believes in a similar romantic ideology of the Captainship; the difference is that, at Varron Academy, the Captain rarely cooperates with the Council, and is destroyed for it. Of course, then you had a new fashion of choosing a Captain rise up: a fighter would collect support from those they intend to protect, gaining a strong enough majority in the student body to be given permission to protect them and represent them. And if you've realized by now, that was exactly what I was striving to succeed, as my predecessor Victoria Alexander succeeded before me."

Leon dropped his left now, and shrugged, "Of course, in your school, all a person's to do is find out who has the Principal's favor, kick their ass, and say to the Principal 'Hey, I'm stronger then they are, so I'll be able to serve you better.' Simple way to accomplish this, correct? Even someone as you must feel at the moment that you had a challenging but invigorating experience as you battled others for the power, before finally falling to Blayne in honor.

"But what about our way? After all, to gain the love of a Dictator is clearly easier than to gain the preference of an entire population of horny, immature teenage students who still have a lot of learning to do - and you have to gain a majority! But being the best fighter isn't going to cut it, since just about anyone can fight, so you have to be their leader, their teacher, and their acquaintance. You have to know every single one of those students if you hope to have their support, and even then, you still have the Government to break down on you. That's how we worked our Captainship out there Mr. Pillar. There were no students the System would appoint - in fact, Marcus Lawson was the closest thing they ever had to such a thing, and of course, you know exactly how that went. So of course, you can see our way can be rather difficult, especially since the System would only accept our quiet, lacking obedience - servant or no.

"Oh, and let's not forget that layed atop the searches for support and battles for independence, there's still all those monsters I told you about earlier trying to destroy you, the monsters the Government itself hired to kill you, and the fact of worrying if your teacher will fail your class just so he can beat your ass next semester again. Yes, I'm starting to think it's alot harder to become a Captain out there, and yet you still expect that we would rise a Captain to lead a Pillar System that would protect our student body, some of which intended to destroy us, when the Government that is supposed to fulfill our occupation is now trying to destroy all of us. Yes, that seems very logical. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Leon allowed a frown to fall, and his arms to cross his chest; he was expecting violence now, through-and-through. The signs Shen had sent were clear: he was a highly short tempered, violent man, and it was amazing he had held onto Leon's words this long. He wanted Leon's blood, and it was interesting how long it would be until he moved to succeed in that goal.

But then again, that was exactly what Loire wanted.

Leon only glared him down, frowning deeply, "So, how to react Mr. Pillar? Argue a bit more when I clearly have you beat in this side of the warfront, or are you going to finally resort to the one and only resource that's ever been imbued in you? Are you going to accept your ignorance now and attack me? Go ahead, it'll be fun; just wait to hear about the resulting shock waves afterward. After all, who doesn't like a nice legend of a Liberal and a Conservative battling it out when the latter loses his temper."

[pyro]

Xantos watched Leon's and Tiao's argument closely. He knew that Leon had a tendency to get easily carried away with people that attacked how he did things or people involved with him. He also knew that Leon seemed to be very good at angering someone of high standing very quickly, so when he watched their argument he knew that eventually push would come to shove. One of them would have to get physical at some point. As it turned out, that person was Tiao, the one with the more power when it came to this school's hierarchy. As soon as Xantos saw Tiao press his finger against Leon's chest, he knew it was extremely likely that this would erupt into a fight. Xantos didn't know how skilled Leon was at fighting, but what he did know is that Tiao was good enough to be a pillar. Tiao was a serious threat to anyone who pushed him over the edge.

Xantos was nervous knowing that he hadn't been in a fight in a long time and that he was rusty when it came down to it. On top of that, he wanted to keep is new reputation as a non-violent member of the ex-Varron population. However, he also knew that if things came to a fight he would have to help Leon. Varron students would have to stick together in this school after all.

The adrenaline pumped through his body preparing for the possible threat that might come running right into both Leon at once. Xantos could feeling his uncontrollable heart rate as it rose. However, Xantos maintained the look of a completely calm individual that was merely observing the situation at hand although his heart might betray him still. He opened his mouth to speak, but stayed where he was.

"Leon, you really are an idiot. Where to you think insulting him will get you? At the best it will get you an early reputation as a rebel that should be taken care of as soon as possible! If you actually care about anyone that transfered here than you'll use that brain of yours and shut up before it gets you, or anyone of us, into some serious trouble."

Xantos then looked to Tiao and so that he could try to calm him down although Xantos wasn't exactly an expert on the matter.

"Look Tiao, Leon has a really annoying habit of sticking his beliefs where they don't belong. You could just be the bigger man and forgive and forget. All you will do by attacking him is make him even more of a nuisance than before."

After this he didn't know what to expect from Tiao, but he expected some kind of sharp retort from Leon. Xantos didn't care though, Leon probably just wouldn't realize what he was trying to do for him. Leon seemed to Xantos to be the type to talk his mouth off, not worrying about what could happen. Xantos only hoped he was wrong this time.

[Kokaku Musha]

“Xantos, sit your sorry ass down!” Kokaku groaned as the boy was finished sucking up to Tiao. Of course, he might play a little game in order to get this thing ended without a fight, but he could not openly call Leon an idiot, followed by asking Tiao for forgiveness. Kokaku’s eyes shot fire as he had risen to his feet before anyone could’ve really noticed. He didn’t know that Xantos fellow, he had just learned about his name because Leon had used it, but the fact that he was giving Tiao an example of a weak Varron student was unacceptable. Even if all Xantos was trying to do was ensure no blood would be shed, his methods were far too dull to be effective, especially against a pillar. Kokaku’s words might sound harsh at the moment, however, they were in fact chosen wisely. Xantos had two options, deny Kokaku’s commanding voice and in fact seal his fate by teaming up with Tiao, or sit down and make one clear point to Tiao, even though Varron students might not agree with each other, they would never side up with unknown forces that try to dominate them… even amongst enemies, Varron students would rather join forces…

Whatever Xantos would do, he wouldn’t have the chance to speak to Kokaku immediately. Kokaku had already focused his mind on Tiao and had moved towards and stared cold into his eyes.

“Tiao, I know my friend likes his way with words and I must admit, I am not a great fan of such long speeches, just as you are not… Yet I find this conversation getting rather one sided and pointless… perhaps I might be too blunt to ask but are you going to fight us when you’re outnumbered or will you just leave the subject and move to another table. There are enough tables here filled with your little minions… why don’t you go talk about your great system with them… I think they’ll be much easier to talk to, considering they are too afraid for you to actually state an opinion other than ‘what you just said master Tiao’.”

“You find that you won’t be labeled other than ‘hostile’ or ‘enemy’ when you come here with that attitude… If you don’t intend to treat us like equals, than don’t expect to be treated as one. Now, be off with you, unless you actually want to talk reason here… I heard you’re not a man of words… You actually enjoy breaking students like that Dante kid… an eager kid who just wanted to prove himself. I knew you’d outmatch him, but I thought there might’ve at least been some respect from your side… letting him go with his shattered pride… but instead, you just had to push it, didn’t you?”

Kokaku’s eyes suddenly turned red as he made another step forward, his face now almost touching Tiao’s. He didn’t care what the student would do, he was outnumbered here and even if he did throw a punch, it would only be weak. Kokaku’s eyes turned normal again but the fire of pure hatred did not go unlit.

“But I swear… if you pull a prank like that one more time… I’m taking you down personally…”

[Tiao Lei Shen]

Crossing his arms back against his chest, Tiao remained silent as his face retained no emotion as the three Varronites spoke. Leon had gone off into another spiel once more, Tiao's listening drifting in and out as Leon seemed to just repeat teh same things over and over.

It was then that Xanatos stepped in, rebuking Leon as he tried to defuse the situation. Tiao was beginning to like that one, as whether he was sincere or not he knew when to let things go. Leon was too stubborn to accept things how they were, but Xanatos seemed to have more sense.

Kokaku Musha, the other one Tiao had recognized from the records, had decided to speak up too. When he had finally finished, Tiao stared at him blankly for a moment before raising his eyebrow, then finally bursting out into laughter as he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Haha! I'd really like to see you try Musha, really. I would." Tiao smirked, shaking his head at the empty threats.

"Even if it was three on one, which it seems it wouldn't be thanks to the common sense Xanatos has, you think thats what would deter me? Loire is nothing but a fancy talker, and you? You're the tag along." Tiao paused, letting his patronizing sink in as he moved his glance over the other two as well.

"Loire, I don't care about the system, or the government. I care about me and my own. Maybe you should stop relying on others and do things for yourself hm? And hey Musha, you really seem to be upset what I did to the Williams kid yeah? I broke him good didn't I? Sure I could have stopped after I broke his nose and messed up his knee. In fact, I gave him another warning to stop after, but he didn't take it. So, I smashed his ankle, dislocated his shoulder and probably torn something too. That also was more than enough yeah, but to drive my point further I snapped his elbow. If you really want to cross me, you should expect worse." Tiao paused, cocking his head in as he glared into Kokaku's eyes.

"But hey, that was just half the story. I guess the rumors that he actually learned a lesson didn't reach you did they? I visited him during his hospital stay and you know the words he quoted to me? 'Go Hircine Timber Wolves.' Yeah, I had to beat the point into him, but he got it. He's not a Varronite anymore. He's here, he's Hircine in my eyes. If you two want to try and be all high and mighty, you'll have to learn it that way too sooner or later. Xantos here? He's got a real shot."

[Leon Loire]

Leon Loire felt a bit of confidence rise as his rants seemed to irritate the weak defenses of Shen's patience. Throughout their argument, the man had come off as a complete hostile, and within the last few seconds, he had begun to rely heavily on violent gestures and ideologies to try and strengthen his own resolve. His arguments were grower weaker, and now the only thing left was to force him into retreat from the odds, or make him a fool by allowing himself to fall into a political trap.

If Leon convinced Tiao of his superiority in word and logic, and Shen ran off strategically, then the seed of doubt would be sewn. If Shen grew impatient and attacked Loire, then he'd be the first to strike, and prove that his brutish attitudes were the exact sort of dictatorial tyranny that he believed the current System was. Either way, Leon gained a victory, and would be rewarded with information, tactics to use against the current Pillars and possibly their Captain.

So far Shen wasn't backing down, so the latter possibility seemed imminent; if he struck, Leon knew it would be dangerous, but he'd take it upon himself to receive punishment, and if he was attacked and beaten, Kokaku Musha's successful words to fellow Varronites would spread the thoughts of Leon's "heroism" against the Pillar, leading to resistance throughout the new student body, and doubt from Shen's own followers. It would be risky, but it would easily lead to the first step toward resistance, revolution...

Unfortunately, a complication arose: Leon had forgotten about Xanto's presence, and suddenly the Junior's insult to him sent a momentary hesitation in the arguing Senior, as Smith attempted to calm things down. Kokaku stepped up next, trying to quiet Smith down out of his ignorance, before reminding Shen of some massacre he had committed against a younger Varronite.

for a moment Leon felt anger toward Xantos, considering it seemed that his sudden betrayal to Leon suddenly tipped everything back in Tiao's favor; even if Smith didn't intend it, he now made it seem as if he wanted to assimilate into the new System, and was willing to lay down to a Pillar in order to avoid violence. He was coming off as avoiding what Shen thought as his own primary strength, and now Leon would come across as exactly what Shen spoke of him.

'Damn you Xantos! I would have thought you'd have caught on...'

Leon dropped his gaze to avoid his own temper from flaring, allowing Shen to speak out his own lash back; but there was a sudden realization: Leon could still recover his argument, still rescue his strategy: Shen had just given it to him...

"I pity you Tiao Lei Shen." Leon Loire quietly whispered, his eyes hesitating for a moment to rise up, before finally setting on Shen's face in a soft, sympathetic manner. His mouth was a tired frown, his hands now released and limp. He came off as completely calm - at least for now - and simply stood there, watching the Pillar.

"You truly are the person I thought you were, nothing but a selfish, brutish dog. You just confessed that all you care about is yourself and 'your own,' and are willingly happy to use violence to protect what you've been given. You can't see anything past your fist, and you actually take pride in breaking others. You don't care for government, and you don't care that regardless of the fact that the System asks you to hurt 'your own,' you don't seem to care... you only care for the ability to keep fighting, keep hurting, keep beating... that's all you see: violence. Isn't that right?"

Leon let out a light, depressed laugh and continued, "You can't defend things through word, so you defend them through your fist. You openly accept that, hell, you thrive in it! That's all you are, a person that can only advance himself by harm. You can't see why you're wrong; it's all you know. You've never known thought, or intellect. Your strength is literally your arms...

"You haven't developed in human character Tiao, and that is simply why I pity you. All you see is basic needs and wants, selfish desires, and how to gain them. You can't see the world as a whole; all you see is a tiny rat hole that covers what you want, and the easiest way to gain it."

Leon glanced to Kokaku for a moment, and nodding to him, "I don't see why we're dealing with this; he's right after all. This is his school, and he fought his hardest to beat down 'his own' in order to make it so, even if this school is really the System's, and he simply believes serving them gains his material wants. He's not worth our time Kokaku. Come on, we should go see how lunch is going before class."

Leon quickly glanced back to Shen, but then spoke out to Xantos, "I can see your intentions Smith, but believe me when I say that you must always think things past the surface... especially with me. Just remember that, and perhaps you'll realize my intentions."

Leon then stared back at the Pillar, "You know Shen, I tried to prove to you why the Varron population will never bow down to you. It's pretty clear you didn't catch on, so let me make it clear: if you want us to assimilate at all, you better drop the thought that we'll ever forget the culture of our past few years of life. We're not 'Varronites' or 'Hircinians', we're human beings, and from what I've seen, apparently your Principal fears us because our way of life in Varron brought something in us that you'll never have in your obedient lifestyle. But I'll leave it to you to realize what. If you want peace, you'll have to change your strategies; if you don't, then we won't be afraid to crush you in every way possible, beyond fist and foot. You may scoff at that now, but just try it... and you'll see."

Leon turned on his heel and began to walk away, but he noted one final set of words, "How do you think your Principal gained power Shen? Through violence? If you think that, then you're far from the truth. Go ahead and investigate him; perhaps you'll realize there's more to power then your own selfish gains. If you want that power, then perhaps you'll see why violence is nothing, and words are everything."

And with that, Leon Loire grabbed his things in one solid swipe, threw his backpack across his shoulder, and began to slowly walk away, wondering who would follow him... and who would leave him behind.

Or who would try to tackle him from behind. No matter what, Leon didn't care; he'd make something out of this conflict, no matter what.