Author's note: This is my first ever attempt at writing anything other than essays or other such school related things. As such, please keep in mind that this won't be perfect. I will do my best though to regale you with my tales of fancy. I'm also writing this from the front seat of my truck on a tablet. I hope I got the formatting correct. If not, I'll fix it when I have time to. Without further ado let us get on to the story.
This is going to be AU in terms of some of the monster world history and how they came to be. Nothing too drastic when it comes to characters and their behavior. Just mainly history and their creation. I will be following the manga storyline and world for the most part. Some things will happen and others won't. I won't be using japanese wording and will be sticking to its english counterparts since I didn't feel like putting effort into learning the nomenclature for another language. This is rated M for a damn reason boys and girls. There will be blood and violence, foul language, and sexual situations.
Edit August 2, 2018: Made a few edits to this chapter as it had the most views with people not progressing much further. Removed a few lines that made my OC seem a bit too mary-sue ish.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rosario+Vampire. That right belongs to Akihisa Ikeda. The only thing I claim ownership of are any OC's that I created for the purposes of this fanfiction.
Chapter 1: Fates unrelenting sense of humour
Tsukune Aono stood at the side of a typical section of road that the packet he held stated was his designated bus pickup. 'Man, this still seems kinda shady' Tsukune mused in his head. 'Who names a school Yokai Academy? They didn't even ask for my transcripts for crying out loud. I hope I'm not being sent to a school for delinquents and hopeless dropouts.'
Tsukune was brought out of his internal thoughts when an expensive looking black sedan pulled up to the curb near him. A well dressed chauffeur stepped out and made his way to the back passenger door. When he opened the door Tsukune was not expecting to see what he saw inside. A tall young man standing at 6'3" wearing sunglasses and short cut black hair stepped out gracefully and smoothly. He was wearing what Tsukune guessed was almost considered a long dress trench coat of sorts along with black leather boots, black dress slacks, a crimson colored tie and a white button up shirt. The coat had its own belt with an ornate oval silver buckle with two contrasting runic symbol designs etched into it.
The driver proceeded to open the trunk and reach inside to remove a large duffel bag from the compartment. He struggled with the back pain inducing action for several seconds before the black clad teen silently moved to assist the straining driver. 'How'd he move so quietly with those heavy looking boots on?' Tsukune pondered.
"Please, allow me Mr. Kitagawa." The as of yet unnamed teen stated as he placed a hand on the middle aged drivers shoulder. "Wouldn't want you to throw your back out right before you go on vacation now would we." His words were spoken with an even, blank cadence devoid of any inflections or emotion.
'He almost sounds robotic' mentally commented Tsukune.
"Heh heh, well, you got me there Mr. Lassiter. I'm not sure what you've got in the bag but it didn't look so heavy when you placed it in there earlier." The now named chauffeur stated sheepishly to the young man.
"Mainly school supplies and some odds and ends of training gear that I hadn't sent ahead just yet." The young man stated with the same blank, almost monotone voice.
Tsukune then witnessed the well dressed and moderately built driver step to the side as the young teen fluidly gripped and hefted the heavy looking bag with only one arm. 'That chauffeur is either deceptively weak or that guy is much stronger than he looks to be' Tsukune thought while slightly backing away instinctively.
"Well Mr. Kitagawa, this is where we part ways for the time being. Please enjoy your extended paid vacation. If I am need of your services in the future I'll be sure to give you as much warning as I can. I wouldn't want to interfere with any time spent with your newborn daughter." The young man then extended his free hand and shook the well mannered drivers hand one solid time.
"Certainly Mr. Lassiter. Thank you again for your kindness. I've enjoyed working for you these last couple years. If you are ever in need of my services don't hesitate to call on me" said the driver in a jovial tone with a smile.
The teen nodded and turned to face the onlooking Tsukune. He only looked at him for a moment but Tsukune felt as though he had analyzed him in his entirety in those brief seconds. 'Well, that's not unsettling at all' Tsukune thought sarcastically in his head.
The black clad teen then stood a meter or so from Tsukune and silently looked ahead. "Are you heading to Yokai Academy too?" Tsukune asked the stoic teen.
Said individual slowly turned his head and looked down to regard the green blazer clad teen. "Your assumption is correct. My name is Damien Lassiter." Damien said while holding out his hand to Tsukune.
'Man, he seems taller now that he's standing next to me' thought Tsukune as he slightly sweated from the taller teens imposing stature standing next to him now.
"Tsukune Aono" Tsukune stated as he gripped his hand. "Nice meeting you Lassiter sa-" he trailed off as Damien spoke and interrupted him.
"Please, Tsukune, call me Damien. I've never been one for the formalities practiced in Japan." Damien evenly delivered in his blank tone.
They were distracted from their conversation when an old yellow school bus sounded its horn before pulling up next to them. They were greeted by a slight billowing of smoke as the door opened to the bus, revealing the somewhat hazy looking interior occupied by a man dressed in a bus drivers uniform. "Could you at least have opened a window before you arrived to pick me up this time?" Damien said in his emotionless way. Tsukune was looking at the driver with a somewhat gobsmacked expression at how much smoke had come out.
"Heh heh, yes, I could've done that. But where's the fun in that?"
While Tsukune looked at the driver he could've sworn he saw his eyes glowing slightly under the shadow of his drivers cap.
"No matter, a small amount of cigar smoke is worth enduring for what is to come. Come Tsukune, he tends to be impatient if you're not entertaining him."
"Awe, you know me so well, Damien." The driver said with a creepy grin adorning his face.
Bus ride to Yokai Academy
Tsukune sat in a seat somewhat towards the middle of the bus while Damien chose a seat on the opposite side near him. 'He's not dressed in the uniform that I am. I wonder why he's going to Yokai Academy with me then?' Tsukune questioned in his head.
"So uh…" Tsukune began and then stopped himself. He wanted to ask Damien why he was heading to Yokai if he wasn't dressed in the school uniform. But he couldn't find a way of doing so without sounding rude.
"If you're wondering why he's not dressed like you kid it's because he's a special case." The driver said while looking at Tsukune through his rearview mirror.
"Special case?"
"I wouldn't put it that way. I'll be attending the institution as more of an assistant to the current psychologist while he prepares to retire in the next few years. I'll also be using my time there to further my research in a more controlled environment away from normal society." Damien said.
"Research?" Tsukune questioned.
"Yes. Several fields in mental and emotional development to be precise. The academy offers me a controlled environment away from the rest of society. The perfect setting to study individuals in detail." Said Damien as he turned his head to directly address Tsukune.
"Wait, you're around my age aren't you? Shouldn't you be attending to finish your education like I am?"
"Most people would think that yes. I've already finished my education for the most part. I'm still working on furthering a few of my degrees as of this moment."
"Wait, degrees? As in plural?" Tsukune asked in a confused tone.
"I won't go into details, as it would take some time to finish explaining my situation. Most people tend to regard me as some kind of freak of nature or a machine when they know enough about me. It tends to be due to my blank and emotionless nature that most individuals come to this conclusion. I've been this way as far back as I can remember. I feel nothing except what my five senses tell me. So needless to say I have had few good relationships with anyone."
"Oh, well, that sucks…" Tsukune trailed off and he considered what Damien had said. "If no one else wants to be your friend then I'll give it a shot." Happily stated Tsukune as he held out his hand to Damien.
Damien looked upon Tsukune as he carefully observed his body language and processed the tone in which he offered his friendship in. Not finding any reason to believe that his offer of friendship was anything but genuine, Damien extended his own hand and firmly gripped Tsukune's and shook.
"You would be the first person to genuinely ask me to be their friend after such a short time of knowing me Tsukune. I would be honoured to call you my friend then." Damien nodded as he said.
While they were having their conversation they entered a tunnel. The bus was bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors and darkness. This event went unnoticed by Tsukune as he spoke to Damien.
"Heh heh, the headmaster chose well picking Tsukune for this years experiment. Things are about to get very entertaining heh heh heh." The bus driver said to himself with that same creepy grin.
Damien chose to ignore the drivers' silent musings for the time being. His newly unlocked nature was further enhancing his senses and physical abilities to an absurd degree. He had always wondered why he was just so much more 'gifted' than anyone else around him. Being always faster, stronger, and far more intelligent than his peers in his age group had gained attention that he disliked. Since he had been summoned for an interview with a former associate of his birth parents 2 months ago his world view had shifted considerably. No longer had he thought of himself as just better able than anyone else. Now, he was aware of his heritage and what it meant for his future.
"What's with the light show outside the bus?" Tsukune asked in confusion.
"It's merely an artefact of the tunnels unique geology and construction. It struck me as odd the first time I saw it as well." Damien informed Tsukune.
A blinding light heralded the buses exit from the tunnel. Tsukune was taken aback from the blood red ocean and nearly dead looking landscape outside the windows.
The bus pulled up next to a scarecrow of all things and came to a stop. The driver took a long puff off his cigar while he eyed Tsukune through his mirror.
Damien stepped off the bus first and it shifted from the loss of his weight. It somewhat staggered Tsukune as he went to go down the steps.
"Careful kid, Yokai Academy can be a very scary place." The bus driver said with his creepy grin in a voice that sent shivers down Tsukune's spine.
"Wait, what do you mean by th…" Tsukune trailed off as the door shut behind him and the bus began to drive off.
Tsukune turned to Damien. "What's he mean by that?"
"Don't worry about it Tsukune. He tends to be cryptic in almost everything he says." Damien turned and put a hand on Tsukune's shoulder. "I've got your back Tsukune, so don't worry too much over it."
"I mean, it's just high school. How bad can it be?" Tsukune said while gazing upon the gothic looking building in the distance.
"Indeed? Come, I have an important function to perform at the welcoming ceremony while you need to be there for said proceedings." Damien stated in his ever present blank tone while turning to walk down the path in front of them.
Path towards the academy
Tsukune was lagging behind Damien a fair bit while he was admiring the scenery around them. More like freaking out about the tombstones, skulls, and dead looking everything along the path.
"Hey Damien, why does everything here look so dead and halloween-y?" Tsukune asked in a slightly shaking voice.
"The headmaster of the academy has a penchant for this type of decor honestly. I asked the same thing when I met with him 2 months ago." Damien stated while turning his head to address Tsukune.
At that moment, Tsukune started to hear a chinking sound behind him. He turned his head slightly to try and hear it better and was rewarded with a group of bats flying just above his head. "Gah!" He cried out as he ducked his head to avoid them.
"WATCH OUT!" A new feminine voice shouted behind Tsukune as he kept dumbly ducking his head to avoid the now far away group of bats.
"Huh?" Tsukune was then greeted with the front tire of a bicycle impacting his back as he was completely taken off guard.
Damien, having turned around at the shout was too far ahead to do much to help Tsukune avoid his wheeled fate. All he could do was drop his bag and catch the two projectile teens after the impact. He ended up cradling a girl with bubblegum pink hair against his chest while Tsukune had the unfortunate luck of landing with his face buried in her cleavage right on top of her rosario cross.
Damien gave them a few moments to gain their bearings before he addressed them. "Hello Moka. Are you alright?"
"Mmmhh… Da… Damien? Is that you?" The pinkette asked in a dazed voice.
"Yes. Now then, Tsukune? Are you injured?"
Tsukune began to stir and reached his hands up to find purchase to push himself up and gripped something soft and squishy. "AHHNN" the girl squeaked in surprise at the unintended groping.
Blinking his eyes Tsukune finally realized what his hands had a hold of and immediately began backpedalling away waving his hands frantically in front of him. "Uh ah ah ah I'M SORRY I'm sorry… I didn't mean it"
"It's ok. It was my fault. My anemia was acting up and I got lightheaded." The girl said as she sat upright away from Damien.
Tsukune was greeted with the cutest emerald eyed girl he had ever seen once he stopped panicking. "I-I-I uh…?" He trailed off as his mind shut down at the cuteness overload thrust upon his hormonal teenage brain.
Damien had stood by this point and retrieved his bag. "I'll leave you two to your introductions then. I have important business to attend to at the auditorium. Don't linger too long or you'll be late."
The pinkette had turned to look at Damien and opened her mouth to say something when her nose was assaulted with the most delicious scent she had ever smelled. Turning her head back to look at Tsukune she noticed a trail of blood snaking its way down from his forehead. "Oh no! You're bleeding." She crawled over to Tsukune and brought a handkerchief out to wipe the blood from his face.
Upon getting closer to him Tsukune noticed her eyes take on a glazed over look. "Uh… are you ok?"
"It's too much… your blood. You see, I'm a vampire…" She said in breathy voice as she drew closer to him.
Tsukune was overwhelmed as she brought her face closer to his. His face was a deep crimson at this point as his mind raced with what to do. He closed his eyes as she was dangerously close to him at this point. He was then met with a sharp pin prick sensation on his neck as she bit into him. "AHHH…" was all he managed as she began drinking from him.
Several seconds passed before she suddenly pulled herself away from him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. You just smelled so good."
"Did...did you just bite me?" Tsukune said incredulously.
"Like I said, I'm a vampire. You don't hate vampires, do you?" She said timidly.
"Well, I've never met a vampire before and you don't seem mean. I don't have any problems with vampires" said Tsukune while giving a bright smile.
"Really?! Then will you be my friend?" She said in pure joy and happiness.
"Sure, I think vampires are pretty cool." Tsukune was then knocked to the ground by the pinkette as she hugged him tightly. 'Jeez she's strong' Tsukune thought as she embraced him with vigor.
"Oh I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Moka Akashiya."
"Tsukune Aono. Nice to meet you, Moka" Tsukune said as he reached his hand forward to Moka.
With Damien
Damien was brought out of his mental organization and confirmation of today's plans when a sudden burst of Moka's aura assaulted his new senses. He turned to look back at the two to find Moka biting into Tsukune's neck. As quickly as she bit into him she released her grip on his shoulders. 'Well, she is a vampire, so I can overlook that for now' Damien contemplated on their current interaction as he saw Moka apologizing for her lack of self control.
He continued on his walk towards the academy while keeping his inner eye focused on Moka. 'Interesting. Her aura is far more excited now that she's consumed some of Tsukune's blood. It appears to be focused and restrained by the rosario cross worn on her choker.' Damien made a mental note of the phenomenon as he shut out most of his other senses to glean as much as he could from the experience.
Fate at this point decided to throw the mother of all wrenches into the well oiled machine of what he called his life. So focused on Moka's aura was he that he failed to notice the rapid sprinting footsteps coming from around the large tree he just rounded. He had no time to avoid the approaching individual and turned while dropping his bag to free his hands up to brace for the inevitable impact. Upon seeing a feminine figure he started to fall backwards instead to take as much of the blow as he could upon himself as she plowed into him. He wrapped his arms around her protectively as they fell to the ground.
They slid a couple feet as they came to a stop. His sunglasses had been knocked off his head and laid a few feet away. Dull grey eyes opened to see a head of sky blue hair with a purple maid headband with a star on the side resting against his chest. He took notice of the curvy, well endowed figure now situated on top of him. 'That's what I get for focusing too intently on one thing' Damien scolded himself mentally while being unaffected by the blush inducing event.
Said blue haired busty girl began to stir. "Are you ok…" Damien trailed off as deep amethyst eyes met his dull grey ones. His mind suddenly went blank as strange, new sensations began taking over his system. His carefully controlled breathing and heart rate started rising as the unknown feelings coursed through him.
She smirked as she noticed his shocked expression. 'First member of my harem secured. Now to set the hook' she said in her head. "Hi, my names Kurumu. Kurumu Kurono. Will you be my friend?" As she said this she pressed her chest against his more firmly. 'Damn he's well built under that coat of his' she noted as his eyes began to slightly glow while they continued to hold their gaze with hers.
"Oh holy fuck…" Damien managed to strain out in english while his system was under its unknown assault. His heart at this point was hammering against his ribs. It felt like his chest was going to burst.
'Ooooh he's american too~. This is going to be so easy!' She cheered in her mind when she took note of a very enticing scent coming from him. Kurumu kept her eyes locked to his as she moved closer to get a better sense of his smell. She broke eye contact as she breathed in his scent deeply from his neck. "Mmmmm… you smell really good. Almost like a… human. Well, you can't be one though. Your eyes were just glowing." She stated playfully as she tried to rise but was stopped by his arms still wrapped around her. "As much fun as it would be to lay on top of you all day, we're going to be late to the welcoming ceremony."
Her comment seemed to be what brought him out of his dazed state. "Oh… um…yes. I apologize for this." He kept his left arm around her while bringing his right to the ground underneath them in order to push them up to a sitting position. What he didn't expect was for his movement to shoot them up to a near standing position in one push. 'That was…unexpected' Damien pondered on his suddenly increased strength.
"Oooooo sooo strong~" Kurumu said teasingly as she lightly slapped his chest.
"*Ahem* Yes, quite. My name is Damien Lassiter. We should get going. We'll be late to our tasks if we take much longer." Said Damien in his blank tone. Having regained control over himself he retrieved his sunglasses and bag.
'Wait, he was putty in my hands a few seconds ago. What happened?' Kurumu thought to herself. She didn't get a chance to say anything else as Damien began sprinting away towards the academy. Kurumu looked on as he sped away at nearly twice the speed of an olympic sprinter. "I'll definitely be keeping my eyes on you, Damien~."
Yokai Academy auditorium
The first years of Yokai Academy had finally settled down after seating themselves in the auditorium. The atmosphere was filled with various whispers and hushed speaking. Nothing was happening on the stage as of yet. Tsukune himself was busy looking around the large room at the odd assortment of the vastly different appearances of the gathered students. 'They seem pretty lax with hair color rules here. Purple, blue, red, green, and even Moka's pink.' He was brought out his thoughts as the sound of a woman's heels clacking against wood filled the vast space.
The woman in question cheerfully strode up to the podium and tapped on the microphone to test it. "Hello and welcome to Yokai Academy! My name is Ms. Nekonome. We're here to help you learn how to integrate and coexist with human society and the world at large." Tsukune at this point had started to tune out what she was saying since he figured it would be like any other speech he had similarly heard at an entrance ceremony. He occupied himself by continuing to observe his fellow first years while Ms. Nekonome cheerfully put forth the academy's mission statement. Tsukune managed to catch the tail end of her speech as she proclaimed "And here for a special announcement is our academy's own headmaster"
Tsukune looked up to the stage to see a man in white robes silently make his way across the stage to the podium. 'Is he a priest or something? I hope he's not some cultist. And what's with that creepy grin on his face?! Oh God, he's not a pedophile is he?' Tsukune quickly thought in his head.
"Greetings and welcome to my world, first years of Yokai Academy. As Ms. Nekonome stated earlier, it is my sincere dream that all of us here and elsewhere in the world can live peacefully together with the rest of human society. Enough about that though, children. I'm here today to introduce a new member of this years faculty. He will be assisting our current school psychologist with his duties while he prepares himself to take his place eventually. So without further ado, Damien Lassiter." The headmaster said with a voice that almost seemed to echo in their heads.
"Well, I better grab their attention with my entrance or I won't be taken seriously." Damien mused to himself before he stepped out from the side stage.
The first years were treated to the loud footfalls of heavy boots on the wooden stage as Damien took long strides towards the podium. He could hear their whispered comments and insults as he continued on. Ignoring everything being said as it had never affected him, he stopped next to the headmaster and firmly shook his hand. He made a visual examination of the gathered students to make sure all had attended. Taking note of a few of the more unique members of the gathering he made it a point to watch said individuals closely.
"As stated I will be assisting the academy's current psychologist while he prepares to retire in the near future. I share in the headmasters' dream of a world where all peoples can live together peacefully someday. I was invited to the academy because of my skill set and intelligence. So, if anyone is having difficulty with anything at all during your time here, whether that be something emotional or academic, please feel free to approach me with your issues." His emotionless tone was absolutely boring them to death. "If you have any questions for me, please ask them now"
A blonde punk with numerous piercings raised a hand. Damien pointed to him. "What's with the sunglasses indoors bro? You trying to be cool or something?" Snickering broke out with that comment.
"The sunglasses are useful in hiding my cold, dead looking eyes from those who aren't accustomed to them." Damien removed them and peered around the room for the desired effect. A few visible cringes were seen during his visual sweep. "Any more questions that aren't appearance related?" Low laughter lightly echoed through the auditorium.
Another student raised their hand. "Yes?"
"Why do you almost sound like a robot?"
"I feel nothing except what my senses tell me. I may be completely unemotional, but that doesn't mean I haven't studied them extensively for years in order to understand them more appropriately."
One blue haired succubus scrunched her brow in thought at that. 'He feels nothing at all? Then what was that earlier when I fell on top of him? I didn't charm him when it happened, and he sure as hell reacted to me. So what was it?'
A few other questions were asked in quick succession before the welcoming ceremony was brought to a close. Damien watched as the students filed out of the auditorium and headed to their designated homerooms to begin their first day orientations as classes weren't being held today.
Classroom 1-3
Tsukune found himself in classroom 1-3 and was surprised to see Damien standing at the back of the room with a laptop set up on a portable podium. "What are you doing here, Damien?" Tsukune asked quizzically.
"What better way to acclimate myself to the academy's environment than by being here with the students. I do have an office in the medical wing when I need my own space for paperwork though. It's only temporary for now at the moment." Damien stated as more students filled the empty desks.
"That makes sense." Tsukune said as he nodded sagely. The action didn't make him look any smarter than he was though.
When a blue haired, busty girl walked in all the boys eyes in the room locked on to her. Damien looked up from Tsukune as well and imperceptibly flinched upon making eye contact with her. 'I saw that. So he does react to me. I'll have to watch him carefully to see if any other girls make him react. I've already made my claim on him and I'm not about to lose to any other hussies.' Kurumu resolutely said in her head.
Almost all of the seats in the room had been filled when Ms. Nekonome walked into the room. 'Hmmm, Moka Akashiya and Mizore Shirayuki are absent.' Damien made a mental note at this observation.
"Good morning! My name is Shizuka Nekonome." She animatedly said in the same cheerful tone as she had earlier. "It's my pleasure to make sure each and every one of you are prepared to safely integrate and peacefully live in human society. Yokai Academy is a school exclusively for monsters. As such, there are several rules everyone must follow while here. First, everyone must remain in their human forms at all times except under special circumstances only. Second, never reveal what your real forms are to anyone at all. We want everyone here to be able to treat each other as equally as possible without problems. I trust that everyone here will follow these rules, right?"
Tsukune's mind stopped short at that. 'Wait, monsters?! What the hell did I end up getting myself into here?! I hope this is all just some cruel joke that I'm just not in on here.'
"Bunch of boring rules if you ask me." The blonde student next to him with piercings cockily uttered beside him. "Why don't we just eat them. Play around with and rape the cute ones." He said the last part with an egotistical shrug. "I swear I've been smelling a human the whole time we've been in here."
"Mr. Komiya, that is exactly the type of behavior we are trying to correct with your attendance here. How long do you think you would last out in the human world with that mindset? Humans may be individually weak but their advanced tools and numbers more than make up for that fact. I see that your record precedes you. Also, you have more than likely been smelling me, as I was told I have a rather human like scent earlier." Damien said in a blank but forceful tone.
"So, what, you sayin you're human or something?" Saizou slightly threatened towards Damien.
"That's nonsense Mr. Komiya. Are you saying the headmaster himself can't tell the difference between a monster and a human?" Ms. Nekonome defended. "I know for a fact that Damien isn't human. I even knew his parents years ago before they passed away."
"My history aside, humans are not allowed on campus. If any of you suspects that a human has somehow made it past the barrier onto school grounds please inform members of the faculty or members of the Public Safety Commission. I would prefer you informed one of us though as the current iteration of the PSC is rather reckless at times." The black clad teen told the uninformed students.
"All humans who happen to make it into the barrier will be met with death. That is, if they can even get in. The grand barrier keeps humans out, so if they get in please let us know so we can handle it." Ms. Nekonome cheerfully stated the morbid rule to all present.
Tsukune was sweating bullets at this point. 'CRAP CRAP CRAP! What the hell did I get myself into here. I'm gonna die before I can get away!'
Damien noticed a familiar aura approaching the room from the hallway at this point. "Shizuka, one of our errant students has finally arrived."
This elicited a confused "Hmmm?" from said teacher as the door quickly slid open. Moka now stood in the doorway panting.
"Sorry I'm late. I got lost after the welcoming ceremony." Moka said out of breath.
Various comments about her innate cuteness and beauty began jumping about the room from the male students. "Oh Ms. Akashiya, please take one of the available seats." Informed Ms. Nekonome.
"Thank you." Moka said as she bowed. She barely got a few steps before she noticed who one of the empty seats was next to. "TSUKUNE!" She immediately bounded towards him and tackled him to the floor.
This action garnered scowls and angry looks from all the boys. One in particular looked particularly murderous in its intent.
"Um, hi Moka. We're in the same class huh."
"I'm so happy we're in the same class Tsukune. Oh, whoops, I'm sorry. I keep knocking you down don't I?" The last part was said somewhat sheepishly by Moka. "Damien, you're here too?"
"The best research is research done on the field, I've always said." Moka looked at him with some confusion before she remembered how they had first met.
"Oh that's right. You said something similar when you visited the school I went to in the human world." Moka thought out loud.
Before Tsukune could ask the question Damien raised a hand and pointed forward to Ms. Nekonome. Said teacher had a somewhat amused look on her face at the distraction the 3 of them provided. "Now that that's over and done with, let's get back to my lesson plan." She joyfully said as a tail made its way out of her skirt.
Student dorms
Tsukune was treated to an excited Moka as she happily dragged him around campus for the rest of the day. "Isn't it beautiful Tsukune. Just look at the character our dorms have." Moka described the rather run down looking dormitories.
'They look like old apartment slums if you ask me' Tsukune looked on as a feeling of trepidation ran through him. "Yeah, so much character."
"I know right!"
Tsukune nearly jumped out of his skin when Damien almost seemed to appear out of thin air next to him. "GAH! How do you do that?!"
"Practice, Tsukune. I'm very good at being silent when I want to be."
"Hi Damien. Are you staying in the student dorms with us?" Moka asked the stealthy teen.
"Temporarily yes. Construction for my work space and residence will take a month or more before they're finished."
"You get your own house here?" Tsukune asked.
"If I am to stay here I needed an appropriate work space for my endeavours outside of the academy. I do own an engineering firm in the human world Tsukune. So it was one of the prerequisites the headmaster had to agree to in order to get me here. I'm paying for it so the headmaster agreed to it as long as he had a say in the design of the residence." The stoic teen enlightened the pair.
"That's so cool! Will we be able to visit?" Moka asked for both of them.
"Certainly. As long as it doesn't interfere with your schoolwork at least."
Tsukune's stomach chose that moment to grumpily make itself known at this point. His cheeks colored slightly in embarrassment as Moka giggled.
"Lunch should be ready about now. Come, I'll take you to the cafeteria in the academy building." Damien invited the pair along.
Cafeteria
Yokai Academy truly catered to all walks of the monster world. Tsukune was amazed by all the different foodstuffs he encountered along the service line. They had numerous items from the human world much to his relief. He avoided the 'live' section like the plague. '*Blegh* I'm so glad some monsters prefer human world food.' Tsukune thought as he turned green at the memory of the writhing masses on some of the students plates.
Moka was still diligently dragging Tsukune around while marveling at the design and character of the academy at large. "Isn't this place wonderful Tsukune! So much history here." Moka happily chirped while she drank a can of tomato juice.
"Um, hey Moka? Well, since you are what you are, how are you able to eat regular food?" Tsukune asked with genuine interest.
"Oh, I can eat regular food. I just don't get as much from it as you would. The tomato juice helps take the edge off my thirst though." Moka began to sign animatedly at this point. "But your blood is the tastiest I've ever had. You're my first you know." Moka said with a slight tint to her cheeks.
"First what, Moka?" Tsukune said with slight hesitation.
"First live feeding. It was just so…" Moka had a faraway look in her eyes as she looked to Tsukune's neck.
Tsukune reflexively brought a hand up to his neck at this point.
"All I've ever had up until now were tasteless transfusion packs. They kept my thirst in check, but that was about it. By the way, where did Damien go off to?" Moka stated as she looked around for their errant friend.
"He said something about 'conversing with the other teachers about a few issues' or something like that. Oh, that reminds me. How do you know Damien?" Tsukune asked as he looked around the room as well.
"Damien visited the school I was attending in the human world. I could tell he wasn't human when I saw him." At Tsukune's questioning gaze she elaborated for him further. "It's an ability that I have. I'm able to sense monster energy. The strange thing now though is that I can't sense him. Even when I'm right next to him." Moka's expression turned somewhat cold before she started speaking again. "I hate humans. They were always so cruel to me in the human world. Constantly making fun of me because of my belief in monsters and my hair color."
"Yes, humans can be especially cruel when they're at that age." Damien said as he walked up behind them.
Tsukune nearly choked as he had been drinking his water and ended up a coughing mess.
"Oh hi Damien. Where were you at just now?" Moka said as she giggled to herself at Tsukune's jumpiness.
"I was merely speaking with the other teachers about behavior related issues among the students and what they've done in the past to correct them." He said as he laid down a tray with a modest assortment of food.
"I guess that's over what happened in our homeroom earlier?" Tsukune pondered out loud.
"What happened earlier? I missed something didn't I?" Moka questioned the duo.
"Yes, your assumption is accurate. Mr. Komiya's behavior has always garnered attention wherever he's gone. So much so to the point that he's being forced to attend classes here to hopefully correct his aggressive tendencies." The black clad teen explained to them. "He's a hybrid. A monstrel, if you will."
Moka cringed slightly at that. "That's um, disgusting."
At Tsukune's confused look Damien explained further on the conversation. "Monstrels tend to be unstable and can have far more aggressive tendencies."
"Well, that's um, unsettling to know." Tsukune shakily said.
Path to student dorms
Tsukune found himself walking down the path to the dorms with a bubbly Moka hugging herself to his arm. Said action also had here breasts pressed up against his arm as well, eliciting a slight tint across Tsukune's face. Damien had parted ways after their lunch had ended.
"I'm so happy we're in the same class Tsukune! It's so nice to have a friend here!" Exclaimed Moka.
"I mean, um, yes. I'm so lucky." Tsukune muttered out as all the males along the path were giving him death glares. "I don't know, Moka. I just kinda don't feel safe here. I'd probably be better off going to a human school than staying here."
Moka stopped but kept her hold on his arm, causing Tsukune to stumble. "NO! Why would you want to go to a human school? Humans are cruel and selfish. You can't leave me Tsukune. You're my first friend." Moka said with vehemence.
"It's not safe here for me Moka, I'll die if I stay." Tsukune strained against her grip as he was trying to pull away.
"NO, I won't let you. Please stay Tsukune. Not for yourself, but for me. Promise me you'll stay." Tears were starting to form at the edges of her eyes as she pleaded to him.
Sighing in resignation, Tsukune couldn't quite refuse the young vampiress attached to his arm. "Ok Moka, I guess I'll stay for you then."
Moka glomped onto him after he said that. "THANK YOU TSUKUNE! I'm so happy you're staying."
Numerous growls and whispered death threats echoed out around them. Moka was blissfully unawares to Tsukune's plight.
Boys dorm
After Moka had separated herself from Tsukune's arm they went their respective ways. Tsukune was walking along a wall that lined the outer edges of the boys dorms.
"You're damn fucking right you'll die if you stay here!" A cold menacing voice that sounded all too familiar said as Tsukune was grabbed and lifted into the air.
'Shit! Not Saizou. Not him. I'm gonna d-' Tsukune's panicked thoughts were halted as he was slammed against a wall.
"What the fuck are you doing hanging out with my girl?! You better leave her alone if you know what's good for you! If I catch you with her again I'll fucking kill yo-" Saizou's rant was cut short as his left arm was grabbed and wretched up behind his back and a half nelson was used to make him drop Tsukune.
"WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU'RE DEAD AS SOON AS I GET LOOSE ASSHOLE!" Saizou bellowed after he dropped his prey.
"Mr. Komiya, violence against fellow students will not be tolerated." Damien said without a hint a strain in his voice as Saizou struggled against his iron grip.
"LET ME GO YOU FUCK!"
"As you wish." Damien twisted while hurling Saizou into a spin that had him flailing through the air until he landed in a stumbling heap some distance away.
Damien took several steps forward towards Saizou to put some space in between himself and Tsukune. Tsukune was scrambling to his feet and fearfully watching the scene before him.
"I don't care if you're faculty or whatever! NOBODY FUCKS WITH ME AND LIVES!" Saizou threatened as he got up.
Damien was observing him with his blank face not feeling any fear in the slightest. Or anything at all really. He slowly rose his right hand and gave Saizou the universal 'come get some' hand gesture. Saizou gave a wordless roar of fury as he closed the distance and transformed his right arm to splatter the infuriating upstart in front of him.
What Tsukune saw next was almost a blur as Damien deftly ducked under the approaching arm and stepped to Saizou's exposed right side. A powerful knee rose and connected with Saizou's gut with enough force to lift him into the air and render him breathless. Before he could even think to draw fresh air into his lungs a punishing elbow crashed into the back of his head, thrusting Saizou into the world of unconsciousness.
As Damien looked down to regard the unconscious form of Saizou he said "Simple minded brute. No skill at all"
Tsukune flinched when Damien turned to look at him. "I uh um" muttered out fearfully.
"You're not hurt, are you Tsukune?" Damien asked.
"I...I think I'm ok. Nothing feels broken at least. Um, I...I gotta go." Tsukune staggered away as he slowly regained his balance after the terrifying experience.
Tsukune's dorm room
'No way in hell am I staying here now. NOPE, not happening. Not after seeing THAT!' he thought as he recalled the recent encounter. He was gathering his belongings in preparation for hoofing it to bus stop. "Sorry Moka, it's just not safe for me here" he said sadly to himself at the prospect of breaking her heart.
Path to the bus stop
Tsukune was making his way to the bus stop when Moka's voice made him stop. "Wait! Where are you going Tsukune? I thought you said you were staying here with me?" She said as she noticed his packed bag.
"I'm sorry Moka, I can't stay here. It's too dangerous. I'll be safer going to a human school."
"You can't go Tsukune! You promised me you'd stay." Moka said as tears started to form.
"Moka, I'm human. I can't stay here with you. I'll die." Tsukune said to the nearly crying vampire.
"Y-you can't be human Tsukune, you can't. You were so nice to me. The first friend I've ever had, Tsukune. You just can't be human!" Moka cried out to him.
"I'm sorry, Moka. Goodbye." Tsukune turned and left her behind at that.
"Tsukune…" Moka weakly said to herself as he disappeared down the path.
"Well well well, look what we have here." A chill went down Moka's spine as she heard a voice behind her.
Near the bus stop
"WHAT?! The bus only runs once a month! How the hell am I going to get out of here now?!" Tsukune cried in disbelief as he looked at the bus schedule. "What the hell do I do now?! I'm going to die here if I can't leave."
Tsukune's next thoughts died as he heard a distinct feminine scream off in the distance. "That sounded like Moka. What do I do?! Argh, screw it. I can't leave Moka in trouble like this." He dropped his bag and took off in the direction of Moka's scream.
With Moka
"NO! Get away from me!" Moka pleaded with the now transformed Saizou. "I don't want this."
"Sure you do baby. They all say they don't want me at first. I'll show you how a real monster treats his woman." Saizou said with a disgusting glint in his eyes as his elongated tongue lashed out towards Moka. He didn't get much further than that as a fist sized rock smashed into the side of his face.
"GET AWAY FROM MOKA!" Tsukune yelled after he hurled the rock at Saizou. "Come on, Moka. We have to get out of here!" He hastily helped Moka to her feet.
"So the weaklings got some balls does he? Guess I'll have a snack before the main course now" Saizou bolted forward with surprising speed for his size and swung a gigantic fist into Tsukune, knocking him into Moka and rolling them both down a hill.
Battered and bruised, Tsukune blearily opened his eyes to the sight of the cliff near the bus stop. "You came back for me. Tsukune, I'm so sorry. All I ever wanted was a friend, and this is what happens." Moka said as tears ran down her face in front of him.
"I don't care if you're a vampire, Moka. I'll still be your friend, even though I'm a weak human." Tsukune shakily said as he stood with Moka's help.
"Ugh, barf. What the hell's with the ridiculous melodrama? I'm going to lose my lunch if you keep that shit up." Saizou callously said as he came down the hill towards them.
"Tsukune, hurry. You can still get away while I distract him." Moka pleaded as she tried to push Tsukune away.
"Nuh uh, I'm having both of you now. No more running away from m-" Saizou was stopped short as a black clad figure had jumped up behind him and delivered a powerful kick to the back of his head, making him faceplant into the dirt in a daze.
"Are you two ok?" Damien asked as he interposed himself between the parties involved.
"W-we're fine now, thanks to you." Tsukune wearily said.
"Seems I have to take a more drastic approach with Mr. Komiya's discipline then." Damien removed his sunglasses and placed them into an inner pocket of his long coat. When he unclasped the buckle of his coats belt Moka felt a pulse of power come from Damien. He slowly removed his coat before tossing it to the side some distance away from them. It landed with a heavy flop and skidded a few feet as it dug a low trench in the dirt.
'Holy hell! How heavy is that thing for it to do that?!' Tsukune mentally started at what Damien's coat did just from landing.
What Tsukune and Moka now noticed was that Damien had an oddly designed dual weapon sheath strapped to his lower back. Damien reached back and smoothly pulled the weapons free. Tsukune had no idea what to call them. Moka, however, knew what they were. "Those are...ulak's." She informed Tsukune.
The blades were sturdy and well made. Adorned with runic symbols of two contrasting styles and edged blade catchers. Damien took a loose ready stance once Saizou began to stir and shake his head to clear his daze.
"YOU! What the hell do you think you're going to do with those tooth picks there?" He snarled out while raising to his full height. "We're not on school grounds now so all bets are off. I'm going to rip you to pieces for getting in my way!" Saizou dashed forward, intending to crush the pathetic whelp in front of him for daring to get in between him and his prey. He reared back his right fist to deliver the strongest punch he could to make sure he pulverized his first target.
Tsukune was backing up and slightly pushing Moka back with him when his hand caught on her rosario cross. It broke free with a metallic chink.
Damien had spun clockwise to his left in quick succession just outside of the incoming fists path. Stopping with his right arm reared back in preparation to slash at Saizou's arm, he dashed forward while delivering one long swipe down the entire length of the offending limb. As he passed Saizou's exposed right leg he made one more quick slash at his right ankle, nearly severing his achilles tendon. Despite Saizou's thick hide, his blades effortlessly cleaved through without issue. Damien froze in contemplation momentarily when he noticed the powerful demonic aura swirling around Moka.
Saizou was on his knees cradling his bleeding arm. "A-are you a...vampire? An s-class super monster! I'm fucked" Saizou strained out through gritted teeth.
Moka now had brilliant silver hair and crimson vertical slitted eyes. Her features seemed more elegant and regal as well and less cutesy. She had an air of absolute superiority and self assured pride to her now.
Damien slowly made his way over to stand beside Tsukune. He gave Moka a nod as he looked over to Saizou's shaking form. Moka tilted her head slightly in amusement at this.
"You thought you could have your way with me and get away with it. Disgusting pig. You're not even worthy of licking the dirt from my shoes. KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Moka shot forward and delivered a devastating kick to Saizou's face. He was blasted across the area and crashed heavily into the cliff wall. "Hmpf, pathetic weakling." She turned to look at the two behind her and fixed Damien with a glare. "You've got some explaining to do, Damien."
He flicked his blades down to rid them of Saizou's blood. "Very well, Moka. I'd rather have this conversation away from prying eyes though." He said while looking to the downed but conscious form of Saizou while sheathing his blades.
Moka turned her crimson eyes to Tsukune. "This just won't do, Tsukune. Your blood isn't any good to me on the outside." She strode up to Tsukune with elegance and plucked her rosario from his hands. Without another word, she reattached the cross to her choker and tipped in Tsukune's direction while shifting into her previous form.
"Moka? Are you ok?" Tsukune asked worriedly as he held her.
"The transformation more than likely leaves her exhausted, Tsukune. We should make her comfortable for now." Damien stated while turning to look upon Saizou's bleeding form. 'He won't bleed out if we leave him. The wound isn't as deep as I could've made it and the flow is already slowing.' "Come, we've had enough excitement for one day, Tsukune."
Damien stepped over to Tsukune after retrieving his coat and gently lifted Moka up into a bridal carry. "I wasn't late, was I Tsukune?"
Tsukune could tell it was meant in jest even though it was delivered in his blank tone as usual. "Not at all. How'd you know I was out here?"
"In truth? I expected you to try to leave the academy after what happened earlier. But, like I said before. I've got your back, Tsukune. So no need to worry too much."
'Kinda hard not to worry when I'm a human at a school for monsters that will kill me on sight' Tsukune thought in exasperation.
Author's note: I know I probably got the punctuation wrong in places, but hey, I'm doing my best here. Just like with anything though, I'll get better with time. Let me know what ya'll thought of my first chapter. Please bear in mind, this is just a hobby to pass the time when I've got nothing better to do out here on the road. The next chapter will mainly be Damien explaining why he's there and some about what he currently knows about his origins. This is pretty much written on the fly although I do have specific things planned out for future chapters. Chapters will be written when I have time to so please understand, my job takes precedence over this hobby.
For now, I ride my 18 wheeled stallion
And yes, it's a Peterbilt.