Flirting gets you in deep shi7 (Open)

[dante]

"Do my eyes deceive me or do I see one smoking hot piece of ass?" Dante would ask himself under his breath, his eyes squinting slightly as he spotted a girl, probably around 5,9 by her locker and presumably Irish due to the long red hair she had. Within a few seconds, Dante's body would be next to the red haired vixen, a quick once over being taken before he started,

"Need any help there babe?" he would question, the girl turning to him with a raised eyebrow. He grinned lightly as he shrugged his shoulders and the girl sighed lightly,

"Sorry but I am taken." she would answer, Dante snickering a bit, "Your point being exactly? I am just asking if you need any help." he would reply, his hands slipping into his pockets as he leaned against the locker to the left. The girl gave one last sigh before she closed her locker, holding her books as she glared dully at Dante,

"I am sure that's your intention." she added before turning her back and beginning to walk away. Dante was persistent though, following her and keeping at least 4 feet between him and herself,

"Of course it is..." he started, "among other things like rocking your world." he'd whisper in a smooth and seductive tone, the girl blushing slightly as she shook her head. A snicker was present in the air, as Dante shook his head lightly,

'I suppose flirting is fun after all... thanks for the tip Steve.' Dante would think as the girl suddenly pushed him up against a wall, pressing both hands tightly to his chest to keep him stuck. His eyes widened, shocked at what she was doing as she gazed into his eyes with lust,

"Are you sure you could satisfy me big boy?" she'd ask in a whisper, Dante gulping lightly as he grinned sheepishly. Before he could answer though, a giant would emerge, easily 6,4 and 235lbs as he lightly pulled the girl off of Dante and glared at him intensely,

"Mind telling me what you are doing with my girl?" he'd ask, Dante's sheepish grin growing wider. He didn't want to get in a fight if it was avoidable but the next sentence that was said would make it impossible to avoid,

"He was trying to rape me." were the words the red-head would cry, the giant immediately clenching his right fist tightly as he sent it toward Dante's face. Quickly, Dante ducked and rolled to the right as he stood back up, the man's fist hitting the wall very hard and easily breaking a couple bones as he screamed in pain,

"Damn overprotective much?! She was the one pushing me up against the wall!" Dante would yell but would get nowhere to the big barbarian as he continued to try and assault him. A left hook would be thrown at Dante, his eyes quickly narrowing as he put up his right arm and blocked the blow. Once it had been taken care of though, Dante quickly stepped inside his opponent's range, throwing his own left hook the man's body. Due to the pain of broken bones in his right hand, the man hadn't been able to block the blow and had to eat punch. Though Dante wanted this over quick and would do so as his left hand slid off the ribcage it had hit, suddenly changing it's angle and going straight up in an uppercut fashion toward the chin. An instant K.O. was in order after the blow connected, the man falling backward as Dante rubbed his temples with his right hand and sighed,

'What a dumb ass... though whatever, he just gave a reason for me to get some attention... whether it be negative or positive.' he would think as the red-head ran away, more than likely going to tell some other dumbass she had under her control. A few people would gather around Dante and the fallen body, Dante leaning his back against a locker as he let his hands hang loosely and he looked up to the ceiling,

'Might as well wait for whoever is going to come after this. If I leave now, proving it was in self-defense will be a lot harder... among other things.' he would think as he silently waited for someone to step forward, whether it be a pillar, a fellow student, or perhaps someone he wouldn't expect.

[charlotte]

Charlotte sighed as a fight, once more, broke out near her locker. It seemed a guy had been hitting on a girl, only to have her boyfriend appear on the scene. However, the fight ended thankfully quick, with the smaller student triumphing over the large boyfriend after a simple, but devastating uppercut. Of course, the girlfriend ran away in a fit of hysterics.

She circumnavigated her way through the group of three or four students that gathered around the fallen student, tugging the hem of her skirt down a little further. Charlotte rarely wore skirts, usually feeling uncomfortable with herself, though her legs, due to her running, were well built and shapely. Dressed in a black, pleated skirt, and a white blouse with a navy-blue American Eagle t-shirt fitted over it, she made her way to her locker, lightly stepping around the unconscious student's arm, and shifting her binder to her left underarm.

She stepped beside the boy who had performed the knock-out, shooting him a brief, sidelong, and not-so-appraising glance as she spun the combination on her lock. With a click, the lock unclapsed and Charlotte swung the door open, stowing her binder and removing the a different one, along with a math textbook for her next class.

However, something clicked in her mind; deep in the memory centers of her mind ... something about a fire alarm, a bag of marbles, and running. Lots of running.

"I know you ..." she said slowly, turning to face the student, whom she couldn't recall the name of, if he had even given her his name while she had been chasing him about the campus.

"You pulled the fire alarm a while back, and I was chasing you around ..." she gave him a quick once-over with her eyes, sizing up his build, appearance, and stance, giving a derisive exhale as she finished her breif examination. "... I see you're still up to know good."

Charlotte motioned towards the unconscious student with her eyes, shutting her locker and clasping closed the lock, awaiting a response, if any was to arrive.

[dante]

As Dante waited for a teacher, or any type of person of authority to come around to explain his story, another girl had appeared before that actually, casting a glance at him which didn't seem very... nice. His eyes traveled toward her, giving her a once over as she was busy with her lock, a small grin curving against his lips, liking what he saw,

'Not bad at all.' he would think as he diverted his gaze back to her face, her lips moving and speaking words that confused him quite throughly,

"I know you ... you pulled the fire alarm a while back, and I was chasing you around... I see you're still up to no good." was all she stated, soon closing her locker as he blinked awkwardly at first... what?

'Wait a minute... is she the chick that was chasing that one kid I crashed into a while back?' he asked himself, his right hand being placed on his chin for a moment as he nodded to himself,

'I suppose that's the only logical answer, I guess she has me mixed up with that guy despite the fact I am far more handsome than him.' he'd continue in the confides of his mind, cracking his knuckles as he shrugged. Quickly, his hands would find themselves cupped behind his head as he leaned against a locker near the young lady, his dark orange eyes looking over to her,

"Sorry, but I am not he. That was that brown messy haired kid not me. I don't see how you mistook me for him though, I am far more handsome than him." he'd reply with his usual sarcastic tone, winking and sticking his tongue out at the girl lightly. A foxy grin would soon grace his facial features after that sentence, hoping he was dealing with a girl who enjoyed and took part in sarcasm,

"Though... if you are feeling up to it, you could get to know me over dinner or something of the sort. Though before that mind giving me your name? To be fair, mine is Dante, Dante Burkot." he would finish, his hands slipping back into his pockets as he pushed off the lockers with his back, standing just a few feet ahead of the girl, his foxy grin still present as he turned toward her. His eyes would remain on her face, knowing fully well what would probably happen if he looked where he wanted... a swift kick to the nads,

'And chances are it would hurt a lot more with those pair of legs she has.' he thought as he awaited her response, wondering exactly how she would reply. Though to be safe, Dante was paying attention to her body language in case she decided to attack him so he could run away... hopefully.

[charlotte]

"Sorry, but I am not he. That was that brown messy haired kid not me. I don't see how you mistook me for him though, I am far more handsome than him."

And of course, it was followed by a wink and a bit of sticking-out of his tounge at her. The casual stance, the sly glance and grin to match it ... the boy's oviously flirtatious tones and anicdotes, both to her and the redhead who had run off ...

*Sigh*


"Though... if you are feeling up to it, you could get to know me over dinner or something of the sort. Though before that mind giving me your name? To be fair, mine is Dante, Dante Burkot."


Firstly, she silently berated Dante as he spoke, her mind spewing off reponse after criticism, if I got you mixed up with someone who I really don't hold in high regard, then chances are you probably DIDN'T leave such a spectacular or lasting impression.

Now, as for the handsome bit ... well, needless to say there are a lot more handsome men to be going on dates with out there, such as L- ...


*Sigh*


Charlotte gave Dante a mock-appraising look. His sarcasm, no matter how painful his attempts at eloquence were, was something she could at least appreciate. Sarcasm was always something to be appreciated, seeing as how often she herself used it. Though to her, this Dante came off as an almost cocky personality; a little too much of an ego, especially when it came to flirting, as evidenced with the redhead who had run off.

"Charlotte Anders," she offered curtly, switching her binder and textbook in her arms, holding them across her chest, both arms crossed over the books. She shifted her wieght onto her left leg as she did so, inclining her hips accordingly, to maintain a comfortable balance.

"But I maybe it isn't such a good idea for you to be asking strange females you meet in the halls out on a date. What if I had a big, burly ape of a boyfriend too? Then you might have another unconscious lug on your hands," said Charlotte, her tone a strange cross between satirical, sarcastic, patronising, and even rhetoric as she stood in the hall. There were a few minutes before her next class was to start, and lucky her: it was a particularly boring one.

[dante]

"Charlotte Anders," the dark brown, maybe black haired woman would reply, moving her books around a bit in her arms. She changed her posture soon after, Dante merely standing by and awaiting the rest of her response,

"But I maybe it isn't such a good idea for you to be asking strange females you meet in the halls out on a date. What if I had a big, burly ape of a boyfriend too? Then you might have another unconscious lug on your hands," she would finish, Dante smiling lightly, nodding his head very slightly,

'That was a nice one...' he thought as he shrugged his shoulders. It would seem this woman was somewhat sarcastic herself but didn't seem like she would appreciate Dante's sarcasm much... bummer,

"I think I am willing to take that chance despite that possible outcome. After all, if I acted timid all the time then it isn't like I'd get anywhere either. I'd rather be honest and straight-forward then beat around the bush like most people I've seen do and end up getting hurt." he would answer in a neutral tone. Regardless, his facial expression would change, a toothy grin being plastered on his face. Unlike his previous grin, this one was more friendly and wasn't the type that a "flirt" would typically wear. He was done trying flirting for today, and while it was a pretty fun endeavour, he could easily pick it up sometime later. Plus, getting emotionally attached wasn't something that was advised by many people he knew considering what his path was for life,

"In any case, what class are you headed to next?" he'd ask, his facial expression changing once more to one of just innocent curiousity. It wasn't the best question to ask to possibly get a conversation started but it might work. Everyone around Hircine seemed so silent and while typically Dante didn't talk much... it was killing him enough to do so.

OOC: Sorry, I couldn't really think of much to do with this post. I will try harder next time T_T.

[faith]

OoC:Mind if I join?
Faith stepped through the corridors lightly and was abbruptly stopped by several people who were watching some sort of scene. Faith asked a boy and a girl who were watching the scene what was going on in a voice with an accent that sounded a bit like everything and not irish. Taken aback by Faith's melancholy yet calming voice they replied "Some guy was hitting on Sam's girl" Faith saw the man who appeared to be Sam burly, bulky, at least 6 foot 3 Faith had to feel some sympathy for the guy. The crowd was departing for their classes one by one and soon enough Faith could see the guy and a girl next to him. Faith walked over a cheerful grin on his face his eyes twinkling with such friendliness you had to like him. "Hey you alright?" he asked the guy.

[Leon Loire]

'Red heads are so overrated.' Leon Loire found himself pondering suddenly, his head apparently aimed towards the locker before him, tossing in a Calculus tome with one hand and grabbing forth a pocket-sized version of Slaughterhouse Five in another. The transition of classes was always the best part of the day - and, at times, also the worst - thanks in due part to the chaos that usually ensued, all because people had one of three things on their mind: drugs, sex, or their fist in someone else's gut. Talking was a fad; that was for class. The five minutes between each period was meant to rush to the bathroom, or rush to the Deans.

It seemed that red headed girl was off to find the latter, and for some reason, Leon's Id chose to think of her possible attractiveness.

'Cute girl by all means, but hell, I'm sure that red hair stands beyond the Irish stereotype and more towards the Spanish viewpoint of a Devil.'

Leon shut the metal contraption before him without a care, and inserted the book into a chest pocket for AP Literature class. Turning his heel to find the girl shoving past him, his glance followed the girl's form as she suddenly bumped into a local Dean and suddenly reported that a student had attacked her boyfriend.

'Is that so?' Loire quirked, curious to the truth of her words. She seemed honest enough - or manipulative enough - and these notions toward someone attempting to rape her caught the attention of Leon Loire as well.

Cracking his neck and turning toward the opposite direction, Leon followed the flow of traffic toward where the girl had originated. In a school like this, it was very possible for her story to be true. Then again, it was also possible Leon could end up fighting another enemy.

'Avenging a fallen lover or protecting the apparent attacker. This will be an interesting event for sure.'

Either way, that Dean was sure to get involved, and Leon was not exactly in the most comfortable moods with the local System to trust a hired muscle to do the job of the student body.

A few moments of strolling and excusing through the crowds did the trick: there lay the fallen boyfriend, body limp from a knockout, lip a little bloody, but only with an embarrassing lack of mindset. He had been dealt with quickly.

Sighing a disapproving nod, Leon decided it was better to deal with the fallen before finding the perpetrator; after all, the "boyfriend" was due to be of some use in information. Passing by a Sophomore leaning against a nearby locker and kneeling by the sleeping body, Loire ripped off his gloves and checked the man's pulse - steady, and no risk of concerning injury. A quick check of his eyes and a quick review over the jaw proved that the boyfriend didn't even require medical attention; his opponent had just efficiently taken him out.

"Nice." Leon commented, before snapping in front of the fallen man's face, seeing if he was that far gone. A quick slap to the face and yell to the ears, however, told of another problem: the boyfriend had a concussion.

"Great." again did Leon comment, this time a bit more frustrated. It was pretty clear: the attacker knocked the guy straight off his feet, letting his own weight fall onto the head. The brain must have been sloshing around in shock, and it'd be a good while before he woke up.

"So..." Leon stood up, pulling his gloves back on and frowning, now taking a glance to the man behind him, the Sophomore leaning against the locker, "Any idea who did this? Might like to warn them before some Dean comes to beat his face in.... ah, Charlotte! What are you doing here?"

Leon turned his heel again, his navy gaze suddenly catching the familiar face of Charlotte Anders in his perspective, the relieved smile quickly rising, "Trying to be stylish today? That skirt looks great on you. Really shows off those legs of yours."

'Does she even wear skirts? This is the first time I've ever seen her like that. Oh well, she rightly should show off. She's prettier than that red head from earlier - at least, in my view.'

[charlotte]

Hm. No persistance.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow as Dante completely changed his stance, expression, and tone from the previously flirtatious one, in lieu of a more friendly grin.

Then came the question: "In any case, what class are you headed to next?", accompanied by a seemingly innocent look.

"And why exactly would you be interested in that? So you can walk me there?" She ridiculed, shooting Dante her own innocently curious look, though clearly in mockery of his. Simultaneously, she switched her grasp on her books once more, holding them with both hands, pressed flat against her diaphragm.

Another sarcastic quip had begun to form at the tip of her tongue - something about a new act and easily damaged egos - when her thought was interrupted and the remark never escaped her lips.

Another student; a boy wearing a disturbingly friendly grin, his eyes bright, approached from somewhere further along the hall - the small crowd dispersing as they went about towards thier next classes. Interestingly enough, the newcomer approached Dante first, Charlotte listening on incredulously as he asked:

"Hey you alright?"


However, yet another of Charlotte's curiously callous remarks was washed away by the approach of another, pushing his way through the receeding crowd. Recognition slowly dawned on her, and her eyes snapped wide momentarily as she found herself standing silent and stock still, that cleverly conceived quip getting caught in her throat to be quickly forgotten.

She watched the form of Leon Loire bend down before the unconscious man, checking his pulse, eyes, and jaw.

"Nice." She listened to Leon say as he snapped his fingers before the man's face, followed by a slap and a yell to the ears, all to no avail - the student remained unconscious.

"So..." Charlotte watched Leon stand, turning to address Dante, "Any idea who did this? Might like to warn them before some Dean comes to beat his face in.... ah, Charlotte! What are you doing here?"

As his gaze met hers, she felt her eyes snapping wide again, if only for a moment. She cleared her throat in a low tone, jerking a thumb towards her locker before returning the hand to clasp her books against her stomach tightly once more.

"Had to stop at my locker ... turns out it's a popular spot for fights," she shrugged, alluding to both the riot and the recent knock-out from Dante.

"Trying to be stylish today? That skirt looks great on you. Really shows off those legs of yours."

It was at that moment, when she felt herself uncontrollably and intensly blush. There would be no hiding it, and that fact made her blush ever harder whilst staring at Leon, replaying his sudden and most unexpected compliment over and over in her mind.

"... Thanks." She managed finally, grinning despite herself. "Um, so ... what brings you here? Just heading to class?"

[dante]

"And why exactly would you be interested in that? So you can walk me there?" the Junior would ridicule, Dante giving a fake impression of being severely hurt by the comment,

"Oh woe is me, to think of me as such a pervert it really does hurt me inside!" he would exclaim, making it more than overdramatic. His grin would shift to a smirk, showing just slight bit amount of cockyness as he put his right forearm against the locker behind Charolette, about three inches above her head,

"Or maybe it's me just trying to be nice after acting so rudely toward you and would have offered to hold your books for you." he would explain, or at least hint to that being a possiblity, not truly giving out a solid answer. Regardless, he would push off his forearm, using the momentum to spin himself around to lean back on the lockers as he slipped his hands back in his pockets. Soon after this though, another man would appear, a rather creepy looking grin on his face. Whether he was trying to act friendly or not, that grin looked like some physcho clown grin to Dante and was making him a bit suspicious,

"Hey you alright?" he would ask, Dante merely nodding in approval. Before he could try to work any sarcastic comment out though, another man would appear on the scene, checking over the student's condition. Judging by his actions, Dante assumed at first that he was perhaps a Pillar and was checking on the kid before he went to find the culprit of the knockout.

"So..." Leon would start, Dante's dark orange eyes traveling over to him, paying special attention to his actions. Afterall, with the current thought he had, it was possible this was one of the supposed pillars and if it was, there was a possiblity of a fight so sizing up his opponent be a smart idea,

"Any idea who did this? Might like to warn them before some Dean comes to beat his face in.... ah, Charlotte! What are you doing here?" at the point of where Leon had asked who had delivered the knockout, Dante had grinned a bit sheepishly, intent on answering the question and getting his side of the story out. Though the sudden change in the man's attention caused him to stutter a bit and blink awkwardly, the man in front of him having a seemingly short attention span,

"Had to stop at my locker ... turns out it's a popular spot for fights," the girl nearest to him would reply to Leon, Dante looking away for the moment, a bit embarassed about it actually for some reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. Though yet again before he could answer the question given to him before, Leon spoke once more,

"Trying to be stylish today? That skirt looks great on you. Really shows off those legs of yours." Leon would comment, or rather compliment, the girl instantly blushing a dark shade of crimson. Dante's eyes narrowed, rubbing his temples with his right thumb and index finger, getting awfully irritated by the interruptions. He took a deep breath, calming himself as he zoned out for a bit, not catching the last comment made by Charolette and responded,

"To answer your previous question," he would begin, "the person that had knocked out that brute was me but I did do it in self-defense. He swung at me so I took action and knocked him out quick and easy. This being said, you don't have to worry too much about the Dean or whatever kicking my ass since I am fairly sure knocking a kid out is fine in self-defense." he'd explain, extending his right hand as he smiled lightly,

"I do believe I never introduced myself though, my name is Dante." he'd quickly add, leaving his hand out to shake, not grabbing Leon's since for all he knew, Leon could be paranoid and not appreciate someone shaking his hand.

[Leon Loire]

'It seems this hallway is rather popular for violence...'

For the moment, Leon's attention was drawn to Charlotte Anders, that skirt holding a sort of hold on Loire's mind as if he were a kid on Riddelin. It was nothing terribly instinct-driven, yet Leon himself could not deny that Charlotte's attractiveness was catching a spark in him.

'Ususally she hides herself in baggier attire. I wonder what made her change into something more... eye catching? God, that sounds so shallow.'

Still, Leon was a bit surprised by the patch of crimson that spread over Charlotte's face at his comment. Indeed, making such a note would make anyone feel humbled or happy, yet that flush seemed to bring back another day when the two had been around each other. Just a few days ago Leon had been with Kira, Jellar and a younger boy named Taru when Charlotte had arrived in running shorts, seeming rather happy - but for what?

The thought made Leon's stomach spin for a moment, and oddly enough, he began to think of Charlotte in a lighter fashion, perhaps no longer as some girl who he had come across lately, yet as something more... a friend perhaps?

The sudden instant of contemplation left Leon blank-faced for a moment, yet Dante's deserved reaction to Leon's earlier statement brought his attention back to the present. While the situation with Charlotte was certainly important, it was suddenly a concern to guarantee that no harm would come to any of them.

"Self defense you say?" Leon would question to Dante's words, keeping his torso turned to Anders but his head toward this Dante, "The only reason I heard of this is because of some red head just down the hall. She told a nearby teacher that you tried to rape her. Whoever is telling the truth or not, I can easily see that the Dean or Pillars will take her side on the matter, and in any case, you'll be at risk. Just be ready to defend yourself through words or fists, because the System won't let you run."

And in all honesty, the question from the fourth student in the circle (Faith) made Leon wonder exactly what was going to be thrown at them.

'If it's Tiao, we've got Charlotte to back us up. If it's a simple Dean, I might be able to coerce them away. If it's Maverk...'

Leon Loire felt a sudden shiver run up his spine. Maverik and his Watchmen... not exactly a fun possibility.

"Either way, you're at risk now, whether you're guilty or innocent. I'll stand by you until I've got the full story, since I highly doubt that guy just attacked you for fun, and that girl randomly pulled the rape card."

Hearing Charlotte speaking to him, Leon turned his attention back to the girl, listening to her modest thanks and question. Smirking, Leon replies naturally, "I was... until I heard about this situation. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to hear me running off somewhere if it gives me the chance to resist the System. I need to do more to remind them of my position anyway, and I feel defending our friend Dante would remind them of that, don't you think?"

[shabazz]

((OOC: Mind if I join? ))

'Ah, here we are, the hallway, Hircine's battleground...'


Sadat thought to himself as he stroller through the hallway, nodding at a few familiar faces. And what he came across was nothing out of the ordinary, well in this school at least. Your stereotypical fight had just occurred, and although in the beginning of the year this use to bother ol' pacifist Shabazz, the violence was creeping up on him, and he was getting used to people getting their face pounded in. Of course, he decided to stay back and observe the scene before actually interfering in the matter. To his luck two familiar faces came into the picture, and to his disdain, unfamiliar faces came in as well.

Sadat decided to walk over and say hello to everyone. He dug both hands into his pocket and strided toward the scene.

"Ouch, I take it the loud mouth kid did this?" Sadat asked Leon as he pointed his thumb toward Dante.

"Oh and by the way, I think that girl your trying to hit on is the girlfriend of that pillar kid, Tiao Lei Shen. And from what I've seen and heard he's a bit of a hot head, so for your own good, you might want to back off before he comes strolling by. Luckily for you, I don't think Charlotte would grant your death wish like that. Oh, I almost forgot...hey Charlotte, I doubt you remember me but I have an english class with you and Valencia, by the way, you should really keep conversations like that on tabs. Otherwise nosy people like me will eavesdrop." Sadat said casually and with a smile.

[charlotte]

(OOC: As per request John; sorry about the wait)

Charlotte grinned at Leon's clever quip about his outwardly liberal and visionary - sometimes vigilante and revolutionary - ways. Of course, that was always the thing that had sparked her interest in the senior, both as a leader and a person.

"I would probably think less of you if you DIDN'T go gallivanting off at the first chance to resist oppression," She shot back, almost playfully, casting another fleeting grin Leon's way. However, it seemed their little group was about to grow in number as another watcher stepped in, jerking a thumb at Dante and directing a comment to Leon – showing a level of comfort with the senior that seemed to border on recognition or even friendship, like a previous acquaintance.

What came next Charlotte listened to intently, a casually scrutinizing look cast the way of the newcomer.

"Oh and by the way, I think that girl your trying to hit on is the girlfriend of that pillar kid, Tiao Lei Shen. And from what I've seen and heard he's a bit of a hot head, so for your own good, you might want to back off before he comes strolling by. Luckily for you, I don't think Charlotte would grant your death wish like that. Oh, I almost forgot...hey Charlotte, I doubt you remember me but I have an English class with you and Valencia, by the way, you should really keep conversations like that on tabs. Otherwise nosy people like me will eavesdrop."

A few words of the speech stood out particularly prominent in her mind as she listened, none of which impressed upon her in any sort of "good" way. In fact, her previous abashedness at Leon's compliment positively defenestrated itself to make room for the icy clutches of sarcasm. And not even such a clever little sentence of internal processing could chase away the arriving cold - but subtle - glare which she shot the newcomer's way.

*Sigh ...*

"For one," she corrected coolly, turning to face the arrival (Sadat), "I'm not Tiao's girlfriend."

For a moment there was a pang of embarrassment as Charlotte carefully regarded Leon through her peripheral vision. It was a strange thing: finding herself embarrassed and on the verge of stammering when called Tiao's girlfriend in front of Leon - and a thought she quickly chased from her mind. A slight recollection of a dream she had experienced a few days ago came to mind then, one where they, in the dream, had k-

And quickly, she chased such thoughts away, filing them in the deeper recesses of her mind, far from present thought. Internally, she shook herself back to the present moment, knowing full well her sudden shift from cold to embarrassed had lasted only a moment, but had certainly been long enough for anyone with some observation skills to note her abrupt shift in breathing and heartbeat, the sidelong glance to Loire, and the receding flush of her cheeks and ears.

"As for the second quip," she said, her tone having effectively gravitated back to icily smooth and patronizing. "I did notice you in English class, mostly thanks to your overly obvious attempts at listening in, not to mention that needless correction of the student reading."

Charlotte gave an unimpressed smile as she went finished, mocking the newcomer's own.

"And in case your ears were too full of your ego to hear properly, all you got were the introductions. Anything really important was said much later, and far from you."

[dante]

"Self defense you say? The only reason I heard of this is because of some red head just down the hall. She told a nearby teacher that you tried to rape her? Whoever is telling the truth or not, I can easily see that the Dean or Pillars will take her side on the matter, and in any case, you'll be at risk. Just be ready to defend yourself through words or fists, because the System won't let you run." Leon would explain, Dante giving an irritated sigh as he scratched the back of his head,

"True enough, I am just hoping that they aren't hard-headed and me explaining what actually went down will work." Dante replied, taking a deep breath before slowly letting it out. He rubbed his temples with his right thumb and index finger lightly, letting himself devulge into his own thoughts for a moment,

'This could either work to my advantage or against me... I have to play this one smart if I want to get anything out of this.' he thought before Leon's words broke him out of thought,

"Either way, you're at risk now, whether you're guilty or innocent. I'll stand by you until I've got the full story, since I highly doubt that guy just attacked you for fun, and that girl randomly pulled the rape card for fun." he explained, Dante nodding to him lightly,

"Thank you, I appreciate the help." he replied, smiling lightly as he cracked his knuckles while stretching out his arms. If a fight were to come, being just a bit stretched out before hand would be a smart idea. Considering the fact that the chances of it were high, Dante just doing some simple arm stretches would probably be very unsuspicious,

"I was... until I heard about this situation. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to hear me running off somewhere if it gives me the chance to resist the System. I need to do more to remind them of my position anyway, and I feel defending our friend Dante would remind them of that, don't you think?" Leon would answer, his answer being directed to Charlotte. From that dialogue alone, it was easy to see that Leon was a rebel of sorts, someone who opposed the System that was present in many schools around the U.S. That noted, Dante couldn't help but smirk lightly at this, rather certain Leon was a man that he would enjoy the company of,

"I would probably think less of you if you DIDN'T go gallivanting off at the first chance to resist oppression," Charlotte would shot toward Leon's direction. Before anyone could speak a single word more though, yet another person would appeared on the scene, one Dante wasn't familar with... much like the rest of this crowd,

"Oh and by the way, I think that girl your trying to hit on is the girlfriend of that pillar kid, Tiao Lei Shen. And from what I've seen and heard he's a bit of a hot head, so for your own good, you might want to back off before he comes strolling by. Luckily for you, I don't think Charlotte would grant your death wish like that. Oh, I almost forgot...hey Charlotte, I doubt you remember me but I have an English class with you and Valencia, by the way, you should really keep conversations like that on tabs. Otherwise nosy people like me will eavesdrop." the new arrival would spiel, Dante shrugging his shoulders as he looked toward the man his dark orange eyes showing a bit of confusion,

"You believed in that rumor?" he would question, raising his right eyebrow along with the statement. Despite not being at Hircine for very long, word did get around fast and Dante had actually heard the rumor himself. Unlike most people though, Dante hardly EVER believed in any rumors. Regardless, Charlotte would speak once more, clearing up a couple things as well as lashing out at the newcomer with quite an insult. Dante snickered slightly at it, resisting the urge to add "BURNED SON!" as much as he'd love to,

"At any rate," Dante would begin, turning his head to Leon before he began speaking once more, "a Pillar or a Dean should be showing up soon right? If either do come by, what do you suggest I do first? I am not sure on how to deal with either Pillars or Deans' around here and I am not sure if they have a 'beat the crap out of you and ask questions later' policy so some advise be appreciated." he would finish, taking another deep breath as he got ready to listen intently. Whatever Leon would say, he was fairly sure it would be rather releveant and something to keep in mind... and it might just help him.

[faith]

Faith sat down still smiling. His eyes were ice however. He looked at the 4 people surrounding him. A flirty self proclaimed ladies man, one of the school pillars, a girl who was constantly glancing at the school pillar, and someone who had just made a comment about a girl friend of someone named Tiao. Not his ideal group. No, not at all. He stared at someone nearby who was glancing at them now and then and quickly walked away when he realized a pare of green eyes were now embedding in him. Chuckling faith took out a book and started to read.

[Leon Loire]

Listening to Dante for another moment confirmed that he had received his mention, and after a quick nod and light smile, Leon's eyes turned toward the feminine grin turned to him from Charlotte's thoughts of his personality. The smile on Loire grew wider.

'I guess I am the Sir Squawk Alot rumor has titled me lately...'

Then Loire heard some mention of a "loud mouth" from behind him, and an mental trickle of sweat began to trickle down the Senior's neck.

'Who the hell just said that?'

Whoever had made the mention continued to "warn" Leon of Charlotte's apparent position as the girlfriend of Tiao Lei Shen, and "flirting" with her would only prove the hot head's almighty wrath. As the rather fork-tongued Shabazz spoke of his experiences in their - Charlotte and his own - English class, Leon felt the hot rush of anxiety rush across his forehead; was he flirting with her?

It didn't matter, since her reaction was a strangely relieving, and exactly what he needed.

"For one," she began, that collected, icy touch on her lips, "I'm not Tiao's girlfriend."

'Wow, had that been real, I don't know how I'd feel... well, would I be jealous? - Jealousy?! What the hell!'

After Charlotte added her mention of that noted discussion between Charlotte and someone else, Leon reminded himself to ask her of it later, yet quickly quipped in to keep Shabazz on his feet, "Trust me, Tiao is nothing new to me - we've met, and he doesn't scare me." A glare enforcing the fact was included.

Loire nodded his head in a bit of young disbelief in the situation, embarrassment and a bit of frustration now taking him. What was he to think? Was Shabazz's observation true, or just teenage exaggeration?

And it didn't help things that he had mentioned Shen...

In any case, Dante made a mention regarding the mindset of Pillars and Deans, bringing Loire to smirk at their zealousness. Turning his attention back to the youth in question, Leon quickly added in, "Let's just say... keep your fists ready. Tiao always replies to threats with fists, Kurtz will try to demean you and throw the football team at you, Ein will break your arm, and Blayne will ruin your reputation, and that's only the Pillars. If we meet the Deans, their rather big in talk and usually try to follow the Pillar's example, yet fall harder and learn not to mess with you again. If it's Maverik, hell, who knows..."

Leon sighed, then shook his head, "Just be cautious, keep on your toes, and know when to keep cool, since any sudden movements brings down their reckoning."

Leon looked up the hallway for a moment, wondering when it'd be; was one coming, or could it only be their unnecessary fears?