Wednesday: October/1/08
Who: Nox and Ana When: Wednesday around 9:00pm Where: the Responsible Feeding classroom What: preparing to become a donor
Nox wasn’t at all nervous about becoming a donor for the Responsible Feeding class, but he did have concerns about the fact that it had been a good many years since he’d acted as donor. In addition, his prior experience was limited. As a perfectionist, he was determined to be as prepared as possible for future classes. Practicing with Ana and learning about her curriculum in advance would help him better serve the vampires learning how to feed.
To ensure he was ready for his meeting with Ana, Nox had a filling meal that contained nothing unusual, because he didn’t want his blood to be tainted with anything that might offend her taste buds. He was also well hydrated. In addition, Nox brought a large bottle of Gatorade and several energy bars with him in case he needed to refuel. Being a demon made him an ideal donor as far as endurance and healing were concerned, but he still liked to cover all his bases, especially since it had been awhile. He was also conscious of his clothing choices. Nox wasn’t sure which vein Ana would prefer to tap, so he wore a t-shirt that left his arms and neck fully accessible. He threw on some mesh pants, sneakers and an old sweatshirt as well.
Arriving at the classroom around nine, Nox found it empty except for Ana. “I hope I’m not too late. I wanted to ensure I didn’t interrupt your class. I thought a fifteen minute window would allow for any stragglers to clear out.” He walked through the room and took a seat at one of the student desks.
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Ana looked up from her phone and smiled politely as she saw Nox. “No, you’re not late at all,” she replied with a shake of her head. Her eyes scanned his clothing and she was a bit surprised that he was so dressed down. Then again, she didn’t expect him to wear anything nice that could probably get a blood stain on it. “Not many stragglers in my class. At least not yet.”
Standing from her desk, she moved around to the front of it, placing her phone back down on it. “So, are you ready? Have you had plenty of food and water?”
---
Nox was used to people looking at him strangely when they saw him with anything less than a suit on. Unless you caught him at the gym or in his home, it was rare to see him dressed down. But tonight, he needed to be comfortable and wear something that could be tossed out if blood soaked into the material.
Pulling off his sweatshirt, Nox folded it neatly and set it aside. “Yes, I’m ready, and I’m stocked up on calories and fluids.” He wasn’t nervous, but Nox had to admit he felt a bit awkward about this set up. It was almost like being a student, because he was not the one in control or calling the shots. “Where would you prefer to feed?” He didn’t mind offering his neck, but he wondered if perhaps that was overly intimate for an exchange that was purely educational. Still, it wouldn’t bother him if Ana preferred those veins.
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Ana didn’t mean to give him a strange look, but she couldn’t help it. At least it didn’t offend him though.
“Good,” she replied with a short nod as she rolled up the sleeves on her turtleneck and approached his desk. When she got closer, she could sense a change in him, confirmed by the sound of his heartbeat. It was natural to be nervous or anxious about this, so he couldn’t be blamed.
The neck was probably the best place to feed from, but she would agree with Nox in that it seemed a bit too intimate for educational purposes. “Your arm is just fine. Preferable for you if it’s not the one you write with.”
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Nox nodded when Ana stated that his arm would do for the purposes of this session. Though a thought occurred to him a moment later. “Are you sure? Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job, but don’t most vampires feed from the neck? If that’s how you’re going to instruct your students, then perhaps that’s how we should proceed.” He was here tonight to prepare for her class, and if the students would be drinking from his neck, then he may as well get used to it now. “Either is fine by me. But I’m right handed if you’d rather use my arm.”
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“We do feed from the neck, but my students will also be learning how to feed from other spots as well. We don’t want them to get accustomed to one thing. They need to learn a variety of ways.” Truth be told, Ana felt a bit uncomfortable about feeding from Nox’s neck, but if he was going to be a donor for her class, there would probably be a time where it would happen. She still didn’t want to start off this way though, so his left arm would be the best bet.
Sitting down in a chair to his left side, she paused for a moment. “I’ve never fed off a shadow demon before. Any side effects I should be aware of?” Ana knew the side effects of feeding off other demons like incubi, but this was new to her.
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“Whatever you feel is best,” he stated with confidence in her decision. This would be Ana’s class, and he trusted her to run it in a way that would benefit the school’s vampire students. Nox believed this class was long overdue, and he was pleased to see it finally being taught. Vampires could not expect to have food provided for them outside the school’s walls. They needed to learn how to acquire blood on their own.
“There’s a chance you could turn to shadow or have ghost-like features. But as a whole, my abilities are quite safe for others to take on. You won’t be a danger to yourself or others.” He held his left arm out for her.
---
This class was certainly long overdue. Ana knew that she and Ava were lucky in regards to having a sire that guided them through the change and taught them how to feed properly. Not everyone had that kind of guidance. In fact, it was rather rare. And, as selfish as Ana could be at times, she still acknowledged the need for other vampires to learn proper feeding techniques and took on that responsibility.
Her brows raised slightly as he responded to her question. “I could turn into shadow... interesting.” The thought didn’t really phase her. It just made her curious. “Good to know.” Ana took a hold of his arm as he held it out. Her left hand wrapped around his wrist so she could keep track of his pulse and her right cradled his bicep. She momentarily thought about giving him a few words in warning, but decided against it as she lowered her mouth towards his forearm and bit down, beginning to drink the blood that came forth.
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“I promise you it isn’t painful or risky.” While it was a difficult ability to control, Nox’s experience with others taking on his powers had always had mild results, and more often than not the women found the experience to be entertaining. They seemed to get a kick out of looking down and discovering that they couldn’t see portions of their body.
Ana’s fangs hurt, absolutely, but Nox was no stranger to pain. He’d been shot several times, stabbed, punched and kicked more often than he could keep track of, and generally abused by criminals over the years. This was nothing by comparison. Besides, it was interesting to watch. Nox took note of the way she monitored his pulse, and then he locked eyes on her lips pressed tight to his flesh, literally sucking the life out of him. Vampires were fascinating.
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This was certainly different. Ana couldn’t think of a time where her feeding hadn’t been at least a teeny bit sexual in nature. Feeding off Nox like this made her feel kind of awkward, but she supposed she’d have to get used to it since this was the way her class would be.
Her lips kept sucking on the open wound her fangs had made and she continued to keep track of his pulse. Suddenly, she looked down at her arms though she could no longer see them. And there was the ghost-like side effect. The slight slowing down of Nox’s pulse snapped her out of it though and she sat up, pulling her mouth away from his arm as she almost comically went to reach for a towel for his arm. “I’m not so sure where my hand is...”
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Nox had to chuckle when Ana struggled with grabbing hold of the towel. “You get used to it,” he said with amusement in his voice. Claiming the towel, he placed it over the wound and held it tight to stop the blood flow. While Nox had never donated at a blood bank (for obvious reasons), he had been forced to submit to a few blood draws over the years. Thankfully, his blood wasn’t too terribly different from that of a human, and it would take an expert in the field who was actually looking for differences to find them. He wondered if Ana noticed anything.
“Here,” he offered gently, reaching out to take hold of her shadowy limb. “You can see it when placed against other objects.. same as a shadow. It’s simply an absence of light. It’s possible to lose substance as well though, but that takes more practice.”
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Ana’s lips twisted into a bit of a wry grin as he chuckled and responded. Straightening up, she wondered how she was going to go about properly wiping her mouth, though she doubted she’d made much of a mess of her face. “Not quite sure I’d ever get used to not seeing my limbs,” she replied with amusement as well. Demons had a distinct taste to their blood, but her palate wasn’t sophisticated enough yet to be able to distinguish between different types of demons. “How long do you think this will last?”
Though she still couldn’t see her arm, she felt Nox take hold of it. As he moved her arm over the desk, she was able to see it once more. “Fascinating.” Her eyes moved away from her arm and up to Nox’s forearm where the towel now was. “How are you feeling?” He looked fine and his heartbeat hadn’t slowed down dramatically, so she figured he was alright but was asking as more of a courtesy.
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Nox shrugged. He was used to it, but then again, he’d never known anything different. His first shifts into shadow were too early to even remember. It came naturally to him. But it did take practice to control the change, and moving through other shadows took a great deal of time to perfect. “It shouldn’t last more than a few hours.”
“I’m feeling just fine. Thank you.” He kept the towel pressed firmly to his arm though, because it was important to continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stopped. “I must ask though.. how do you intend to stop students from overfeeding? It shouldn’t be a problem for me or other demons, since we have the same amount of strength, but human donors are at risk.”
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Ana nodded in acknowledgment as she was finally able to get a hold of another towel. “Good to know. I’m not so sure I could get much done if I couldn’t see my hands for days.” She gently dabbed at her mouth, doing away with any excess blood around it as she marveled at the fact that she still couldn’t see her hands.
“Good,” she replied with another slight nod, though she didn’t look up at him until he spoke once more. “I’m actually kind of glad you asked that. Most of the donors we have are demons, but we do also have a dryad and two humans volunteering as well. The only method we’ve been able to think of as far as getting them to stop is pulling them off the donor. Not sure how effective that’s going to be though.” Ana twisted her mouth in thought for a moment before speaking again. “Do you have any suggestions?”
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“I don’t know.. sometimes it’s nice not to be seen.” Though, truthfully, Nox didn’t use his abilities all that much, and it was extremely rare for him to expose his wings or claws. He kept them hidden out of insecurity, but also because they drew so much attention.
Nox was quiet for a moment as he considered her question. “A physical intervention is probably the best option. I can’t think of anything else. I noticed how you monitor the pulse. I’m assuming that’s something you’ll teach your students, but keeping focus could prove challenging for them. We could ask Wesley if there’s a heart monitor in the infirmary that might be used in class. It will help everyone keep track of the donor’s pulse so we can take action if necessary.”
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Ana shrugged at his respond. “I don’t mind being seen, but I suppose I could understand the need to be left alone every once in a while.” The twins were definitely the kind of people that liked the spotlight and reveled in it whenever they had the chance. They didn’t get those chances very often now that they were at the school, but when they did (like at Fashion Week a few weeks ago), they took full advantage. “Have you ever tried that around here? Disappearing to catch someone doing something wrong?”
“We’ll certainly be teaching our students how to monitor the donor’s pulse, but you’re right.. it’s rather difficult to focus on at first. The heart monitor idea sounds like a good one. I’ll make a note to ask Wes about it before next week.” Reaching over for her phone (which was still odd with a non-existent hand), she made herself a note on her To-Do list to talk to Wes. “You know, you’re a very interesting man. Not that I didn’t think that before, but you really should speak with others more. Let them see that side of you so they won’t be so intimidated.”
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Nox shook his head. “No, not here. Security is not my job.” He thought back to how upset Hope got with him for overstepping his bound. Nox didn’t care to do that again. He’d let the security team deal with troublemakers as they saw fit, and if punishment was due for his sponsorees, then he’d take over. That wasn’t to say he didn’t keep a closer watch on some students, but he wasn’t looking to trick them by using his powers. “I used it to my advantage when I was still a detective, but not anymore.”
Pleased that Ana liked his idea, Nox felt good about this meeting of theirs. He had a great many vampire friends, and it was nice to be able to help them and others like them. “Actually, I discussed this with Godric after my last conversation with you. He suggested I try dressing down a bit. I haven’t worn a tie or jacket this week to classes. It’s a big change for me, but he thought looking more casual might make me less intimidating.”
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“Still, it seems like it would be fun to do that. Or at least I think so.” Of course Nox wasn’t going to do that. He was too upstanding of a man to resort to something like that unless his job required it, hence the detective answer. But if Ana had powers like that, she’d sure as hell be using them for just about anything.
“Oh really?” she asked with an interested look on her face. “I’m glad you listened to him. He’s right about looking less intimidating while dressed down. Ties and jackets are sexy, but it doesn’t hurt to dress down every once in a while. Keep doing it and you might find more people approaching you.”
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He grinned and nodded, “And I’m sure you’re not alone in that thought. But it’s not for me.” He knew most people had a more mischievous personalities. “I may think twice about letting you feed off me too much. I shudder to think what you might do if you turned to shadow completely.”
“I see no harm in giving it a try, even if I feel under dressed. I’m used to wearing a full suit to work. I have for many years now.” It was his ‘uniform’ as a detective, though his suits now were of a much higher quality. Nox had an affinity for designer suits. He was willing to spend good money on them, and the same could be said for his car. He wasn’t always practical.
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“To each his own,” she replied with a grin. Ana was certainly one of those mischievous ones that would take advantage of such an ability. She really had to laugh when Nox began to wonder what she’d do with his ability. “Don’t worry, I won’t be feeding off you that much. I’d probably do it once or twice for demonstration purposes and then it would be mostly the students. Besides, I’d behave well enough even if I did turn completely to shadow.” Now that was up for debate.
“Just like you got used to wearing a suit, you’ll get used to dressing down. I’m not saying you should do it all the time, just.. you know.. mix it up a bit.” Since she was a bit of a label whore, Ana certainly noticed Nox’s suits. “You can’t completely do away with those amazing Tom Ford suits. It would be a crime to do that.”
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“Sorry, but I’m not inclined to believe you.” Despite his words, they were expressed with amusement. He knew Ana had an itch for causing trouble. She and her sister both enjoyed chaos. It seemed to be mostly in fun. He couldn’t recall any of their antics causing harm.
Nox actually blushed just a bit upon being called out on his clothing choices. “A terrible abuse of money, I know, but they fit so much better and last longer, so I try to convince myself that they’re an investment. Belle doesn’t seem to mind,” he added with a sly little grin.
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“Fine, fine,” she conceded with a laugh. “I suppose you’ve got me there. I think I’d have way too much fun with your abilities. You can’t really blame me though, can you?” The twins really enjoyed causing trouble, though it was true.. they never caused anyone any real harm. Not unless they deserved it.
Was Nox really blushing? Oh, that was too precious. “Abuse?” she echoed as her eyebrows raised slightly in amusement. “That’s not abuse of money. That’s called putting your money to good use. You really don’t have to convince yourself of anything more than that. It would be a complete waste of money if you bothered with lesser suits because you know those wouldn’t last as long and then you’d constantly be needing to buy more.” Ana smiled as she finally put her own towel down, seeing a bit more of her hands now. “And of course, it’s important that Belle doesn’t mind either. She dresses pretty well herself. You two compliment each other rather well.”
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“I could only blame you and attempt to punish you if such a thing occurred, but it has not, so you’re in the clear for now.” Ever the practical and logical one. Nox could be frustrating in that sense.
Nox shrugged. He’d been mocked by some of his male friends for his taste in clothing, but he really did feel that he got more use out of nice suits than he did from the cheap ones. “Belle is positively statuesque. She’d look good in anything.” And she looked even better in nothing, though Nox did not voice that thought because it was inappropriate.
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Ana’s eyebrows shot up slightly at his response to her would-be mischief. That really was a bit frustrating, but she didn’t expect any less from him. “Trust me, it won’t happen.” As much as she wanted to, she wouldn’t do it and risk bringing any negative attention to herself.
What did it matter if his male friends mocked his clothing? Obviously, they had no real sense of style if they did. “Indeed she does.” Though she wasn’t feeding on him any more, Ana sensed a change in his heart beat as he mentioned his fiancee. She seriously wanted to roll her eyebrows right now, but didn’t as a sign of respect towards him. It was better to change subjects though and not risk slipping and saying what she thought. “So.. any more pointers for me? Or questions, for that matter?”
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Nox hoped she also wouldn’t risk betraying the trust she’d built with him. He was impressed with Ana’s poise and professionalism in their conversations so far, enough so that he actually began to wonder if Godric was perhaps taking some things out of context if he thought she was such a, well, challenge. Nox found her to be extremely pleasant and enjoyed her company.
“Hmm, well..” he considered her question. “With me, there’s no need for you to go into a lengthy explanation about the donor’s experience, and I’m sure you’ll have other donors who are familiar with the sensations experienced while being fed upon, but there could be some who are new to all this, so you will need to walk them through the process and explain how they might feel, physically and emotionally. I think it’s also critical that you explain to your students that they not feed without supervision until you and Ava have given them permission to do so. Feeding in a classroom with every possible protection in place is one thing, but they will be subjected to a great many distractions when they begin feeding elsewhere. It might also be wise to eventually schedule a field trip to a den for those students you feel are up to it. I know that’s where many vampires choose to feed, and if your students wish to partake in that lifestyle, then it would benefit them to have some guidance the first time the yvisit a den.”
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Unfortunately, Godric wasn’t taking too many things out of context when it came to Ana. She liked to tease and annoy him because he was a bit of an easy target, but Nox was a completely different story. He was a no-nonsense man who was proper and practically demanded respect even if he didn’t voice it. And Ana did respect him very much. In fact, he was one of the very few people in this school that she actually respected and that was why she behaved around him. She wouldn’t do anything to mess up the rapport she had built up with Nox so far.
Ana listened intently as Nox gave her suggestions and nodded along the way. He really was an intelligent man and was giving her points that she hadn’t really considered before. “You’re right. I’ll have to set up a meeting with the donors who haven’t done this before.” Or make Ava do it because she sure as hell wasn’t about to be the one to explain this shit to Declan. “We’ve already expressed to our students that they aren’t supposed to feed on others without supervision yet. Whether they listen to us or not is a different story.”
The den thing was another idea she and Ava hadn’t thought about. Though wording it as a ‘field trip’ made her laugh slightly. She couldn’t imagine little children setting foot in those places. “We’ll definitely set up an outing to a den as well. The first time there for anyone can be quite.. well, let’s just say it takes some getting used to.”
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The respect was mutual. Nox liked what he’d seen out of Ana so far, and he found her passion for this project admirable. She wanted to succeed at teaching other vampires how to feed. The woman was a benefit to her entire race, and that was worth of commendation.
He nodded, “It’s sometimes hard to get others to listen to reason, even when you present them with sound logic. Impulsivity runs rampant.” Nox couldn’t say he was immune to the problem, but he felt he managed it well. Acting on impulse was reserved for time spent with close friends and Belle. He could relax more in their company and feel free to go with the flow.
“Oh, I know. I’ve been to many dens. I don’t care for them, but I’m desensitized, and that’s what your students will need to learn as well. If they’re going to feed at dens, they’ll need a gradual and supervised exposure to them. I’m sure your first trip to a den as a vampire was with your sire.”
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Nox really couldn’t have spoken truer words. Ana was stubborn as hell and didn’t listen to reason sometimes, but she’d much sooner see those flaws in someone else than in herself. She could, however, openly relate to the impulsive part. “That’s true. The only thing Ava and I can do is hope they actually listen. I think they have so far though since we haven’t had any incidents reported with feedings gone wrong.”
Ana nodded slightly, recalling her first time at a den. “My sire took Ava and I shortly after we were turned. He thought it was important for us to learn control right away, even if those first few days after the change are the most difficult. At least our students won’t have to worry about that.” They would just have to take them in smaller groups and probably take Ric along as well.
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“I think they listen to you because they relate to you. Unlike me, you’re approachable.” While Nox wouldn’t go so far as to say Ana’s initial impression was one of warmth, he assumed most students looked at her as someone they wanted to get to know. She was attractive, well spoken, and confident. People were drawn to someone like that.
“You’re lucky to have a good relationship with your sire. It’s actually a rarity, at least outside of romantic relationships between sire and childe. I don’t know many sires who give their childes so much freedom while still managing to nurture and provide when necessary.” The bond between childe and sire was complicated.
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Ana’s lips pulled int a bit of a smile at his compliment. “I’m pretty approachable when I want to be. Who ever knew it would come in handy for this?” Actually, she knew it would, but she never would’ve honestly counted herself as approachable just like she never would counted herself as warm either.
Her expression became serious once they got more into depth when it came to Saul. “It’s a good relationship,” she nodded though it was a bit of a lie. Yes, Saul was always good to her and Ava, but he didn’t know what the twins were doing with the freedom he gave them. He probably wouldn’t have been too happy to find out that one of the twins was married, the other in some semblance of a relationship and they were both teaching instead of learning which was his intended plan. Their relationship was definitely complicated.
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Nox noticed a change in Ana’s expression, and his changed as well. Pulling the towel from his arm, because it had stopped bleeding now, he looked the young woman over carefully. “Is it.. not a good relationship? I’m so sorry if I made an incorrect assumption. You’re just so... well adjusted for a young vampire.” Nox felt as though he needed to put his foot in his mouth, but he’d never been good at avoiding what could be a difficult conversation. He cared too much for his own good.
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It suddenly felt like Nox’s eyes were penetrating through to her soul and she didn’t like it one bit. Standing up, she idly dabbed at her mouth with her own towel though there was no blood left to clean. “It’s not an incorrect assumption. The relationship’s fine. Our sire’s unlike any other one I’ve encountered.” She said all this with her back to him as she walked back to her desk. Their conversation was certainly taking a turn into complicated and uncomfortable territory.
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Ana’s body language spoke volumes, and her tone was terse. Nox had struck a nerve, and he felt bad about it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried,” he said sincerely, getting to his feet as well. “Please forgive me, I have a habit of speaking out of turn.” He pulled on his sweatshirt and folded up the bloodstained towel. “The students I sponsor loathe me for it.” Nox couldn’t help himself. He was an extremely observant person, quick to notice when someone wasn’t being entirely truthful. But it was impolite to question a colleague the way he would a suspect.
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“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it,” she lied, dismissing it with a slight wave of her hand. It seemed many people were able to strike nerves with her lately. Charlie, Will and Adam had, but she yelled at them for it. Ana could hardly do that with Nox. With his background, she should’ve known that very little would go undetected with him. “They can’t really blame you for doing your job.” Her back remained to him and her eyes stayed trained on her desk as she began to organize her things, anything to not have to look at him.
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Avoiding his eyes, offering weak, short responses... Nox got the message. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is help others. I refuse to give up on anyone. We all hit rough patches from time to time, and I do what I can to help others get out of it. The students placed in my care may hate it, but I care about them and want what’s best for them.” Nox had loved being a detective, but he felt like he was able to do more good as a teacher. Catching bad guys was all well and good, but it didn’t undo the crimes they’d committed. At TJS, he had a window of opportunity. If he was able to reach those troubled souls, he could prevent them from stumbling down the wrong path.
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Ana may not have been looking at him, but she was listening to everything he said. “That’s an admirable trait to have.” However, she hoped that he wasn’t about to take her on as one of his troubled soul cases. That was the last thing she needed right now. As it was, she already felt enough pressure.
Taking a hold of her purse and phone, she finally turned back around to face Nox. “So.. would you be able to come in during class on Monday? I think we might be starting on the actual feeding part then.” Changing the subject back to its original course was the easiest way to get out of the hole that was being dug up.
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Nox had no intention of adopting Ana. She seemed to be doing just fine on her own. He’d been criticized by many for his hero complex, and it was true, he did find himself attached to a good many troublemakers. Ana appeared poised and well-adjusted, even if she was lying about being ‘fine’.
“Yes. Absolutely. I don’t know that any of your students will want to feed on me, but I’m available, and I’ll be here just in case.”
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“Good,” she replied with a slight nod as she slung her purse over her shoulder. “Whether they want to or not, they’re going to have to do it so they might as well get used to the fact.” Ana walked towards the door slowly, waiting for him to follow her. “And thank you again for agreeing to do this. It’s very helpful of you.”
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Nox walked out of the room with Ana. After she’d shut the classroom door, he extended his hand to her. “It’s a pleasure. I’m glad you’re finally getting our vampire curriculum in order. Have a good evening, Ana,” he offered with a kind smile and a nod in farewell before making his way down the hall.
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Taking his hand, she gave it a firm shake as she smiled kindly in return. “Thank you. You too, Nox.” Looking down at her phone, she started off in the opposite direction towards her office. Sitting on her own and decompressing for a bit was necessary.