Welcome to Gaia! ::

The weather had dropped considerably. He feared that he would numb out in the snow even before he got into the living quarters. With each step he had taken up the stairs he shivered even as his hands rubbed at his arms for warmth. He had hoped that once he entered the building it would warm him, but it didn't. He was still cold.

Anxious to get to his room before Mitsuki arrived he rushed through the hall until he was at his room. His door was always unlocked, fearless about being robbed for whatever reason. Once he entered the room he flipped open the light switch and the central heater warm the place up.

"Now...," He murmurred, looking about his living room. He had lied to Mitsuki when he had an extra mattress. The only one he had in hand was the one he used every day, but he couldn't let Mitsuki be short one. It wouldn't be right.

His place was neat as always, and the couch itself seemed comfortable itself, being so tired as he was now. But he had to get the mattress ready. As he heard his room he paused, hearing the low voice of someone in it. He paused for a second, thinking. Could it have been Ski? That was the only one that he thought it would be but the voice wasn't feminine.

"Ski?" He called, walking into his open door and stopping as he spotted both Len and Ski. "...What's going on?" He asked, turning to both Ski and Len with waiting eyes.

"I was wondering when you would come home.." Len asked after Ski released a scream. That should be enough for her shoulder. He would have to let her body heal on its own now, and let the pills and alchohol take their affect.

He turned away from Ski to face Nate who was now staring at him with eyes of uncertainty. Should he be trusted? That was what the man was thinking.

He covered the the bottle of alchohol and put it aside, ready for some sort of attack. But he knew Nate. The man wouldn't fight. Once again he turned back to Ski, who seemed to be going through a rough time. He would lay her down but he had to bandage her shoulder and tend to the smaller cuts of her body. "You don't remember me do you, Nate?"



Slow and steady Nate strafed through his room, looking at Ski with questioning looks while she cried out. Was she in pain? Surely the guy before him couldn't be hurting her. Looking at Ski he could not see any restrains on her that kept her bound and she surely wouldn't just allow someone to hurt her. But why were they here?

Ignoring Len's question Nate spoke to Ski, "..Are you alright?" He asked, inching closer to the bed on the opposite of Len. The coated boy himself seemed to further himself from the half-demon as he approached.

Once he was closer to the bed he felt oddly safer. Maybe it was because he could worry less for Ski's safety now that he was at arm's reach. He finally turned to her when she replied; a wave of pity washing over him at the tone of her voice.

Proud as she was she stood up and even moved toward him. He didn't need further evidence to know that she wouldn't last. Once she was falling he jolted forward and caught her beneath her arms and pulled her against him, having to his own strength to keep her up. She was nothing but dead weight but she wasn't too heavy to carry her enough so that she was leaning against him, her arms now draped over his own shoulders.

He felt her sweat of her arms against his neck, and a warmth that he thought could be a fever. His eyes fell to her shoulder and he glared towards Len then. "What the hell happened? What did you do?!" He accused, the thought of Ski 'barging' in the last thing in his mind.



"She was attacked. I'm not your enemy but we should leave the details for later. She needs her wounds to be treated. Now would be good." Len added, keeping his distance beneath the entrance of the door.

Nate turned back to Ski, lifting her against him when she was falling off him again. "Hey..stay with me..geez..what happened to your shoulder?" Her body itself had few stray cuts but nothing severe. "..Ski?" He called, shaking her gently.

"People in a weird uniform?" Nate repeated in question, still looking down at the horned demon. Her head was idly rolling on her shoulders, her words slow lacked real emotion. Those usual onyx eyes no longer had the strong pride that she had; it wasn't like she was really there. Her breath smelled something strong, too..he didn't recognize it but it smell like some sort of alchohol. A strong one at that.

"I'm going to lay you down, Ski. Try to get some rest, alright? Don't worry - you'll be alright." He assured.

"Len," The coated man had called out. Nate didn't have to turn to understand why he had done that but he appreciated that the man was willing.

"Thank you, Len. I just need a cup of juice..actually, bring me the whole gallon. How much did she drink?" He asked Len, thinking that he would be the better choice of asking rather than Ski.

"..Uhm..a flask of some of her own alchohol. And some painkillers," Len replied as he headed out the room and into the kitchen, which took him a while to find.

"I'm going to look over to your wounds first Ski. When Len comes back I want you to try to drink some of the juice..." He sighed, feeling her forehead, "..You aren't that bad in a fever but whatever you drank plus the pills was a stupid idea. You're in healing..if you recklessly take things in your bound to feel nauseas like this; what was it that you drank?" He pushed to question, reaching over for some bandages in the kit.

She must have been talking about the SSDD. But she had a bracelet..even if they couldn't see it the SSDD should have already known she was a resident. Either by sensing the material or by learning it. That's how it worked..for the veterans at least. They shouldn't have attacked unless if Ski was hostile.

As she reached out for the flask he turned and reached it, tilting the nose to his nose and taking a whiff. The fumes of the alchohol hit him hard and he pulled away with a flinch. "..Whoo...wow. No wonder you aren't yourself. That explains why the drinks in the tavern don't affect you too much.." Give him a shot or two of this and he would pass out.

"Hey..here's the juice." Len called from behind. The gallon that he had brought he left at the table beside where Nate sat.

"Thank you, Len. And thank you for bringing Ski here, too." He took the glass of juice and dipped an arm blow Ski's shoulder blades to lift her a little off the bed, careful not to rush her up incase if she felt dizzy. As he tilted the glass to her lips he shook her a little, "Hey..here, drink some of this." He whispered. Her level of control was highly regarded. Childish treatment wasn't all that necessary he was sure but he still didn't want her to push herself. For once in her life he was hoping that she would confide in someone like she had her appereance. "Do you feel nauseas or anything?"

"Well..I guess you won't be competing will you.." It wasn't a question more than it was a statement in his words. Even if she wasn't fully hurt the competitions in Sanctum wasn't for those with injuries at her - even if it was only one major one.

He pulled the glass away from her lips and placed it on the bedside table. "I'm going to have to move you, though.." He couldn't exactly give Mitsuki the mattress and bed with a tipsy demon on it. Especially a woman..what would she think? I should have ordered a double bedroom..but I wasn't expecting any room mates or company when I came here...Hm...I guess I can open one for Ski. Why not? I've already been so kind.

"Len..can you help her out the room why I open out a room for her?" He was already trying to get Ski up to her feet, the most difficult part was getting him and her off the bed. "..Where have you been sleeping in the past two nights anyways?" He asked her, now curious to where she had gone when she had left the tavern. It was snowing outside. The heater he had turned on kept the room from getting cold but once they were in the hall it would probably drop.

..The more he thought about it the more he feared her answer. Least she wasn't in the condition to protest. He would win this night.

How her reply had troubled him. Even in her state, weak as she currently was, she was still stubborn and stupid enough to think of competing. She could feign her stubborness with pride but in her current and lazy position her words were just as that. If she was going to challenge her body to recover in an alarming and even improbably rate of a demon she had better be fine in the morning. If she wasn't he would use his powers to stun her..at the least.

His protection against her suddenly then surprised even him. He had never felt so defensive for many people..that were not his students. Maybe it was (in his eyes) that Ski was no different than many of his students. Being new in Sanctum she was thrown in a different place, and he felt her feelings for him to that even as an acquaintance/friendly status. She might even be older than he was but he still felt like she was nothing more than a child who still relied to heavily on her demon blood to lead her.

He heard where she resided the previous night. The thought would have normally alarmed him and yet it didn't go the full affect. He stared at Ski as Len finally moved to help her out to her feet, stumbling on a few steps until he had it right to drape her arm over his shoulder and slowly guide Ski to the exit of the room.

Against Ski's demand Nate shook his head. "No. Your body needs proper rest and the fittings of a couch are strictly out of the question. I will open a room for you whether you like it or not and use it or not." He wasn't normally so strict, but he felt a cause of...care and protection for the half-breed. He wasn't going to change his mind.



Len, lost in the argument of the two, had finally stopped at the entrance of Nate's room. He could side with Nate but he had no reason to go against Ski's will so he was at a loss on what to do. At least she isn't bleeding anymore.. He thought, turning to look at the demon he was carrying.

"So..." He droned, requesting an answer to lead his actions from Ski.

At Nate's behest and Ski's approval Len finally had something to cooperate with. As her arm moved around his shoulder he looked at her with his one demonic black eye, curious to how these two had met. He knew that they weren't lovers but they, or rather Nate, cared for Ski enough to lecture and command the demon. He knew Ski's person...but maybe she was feeling relieved. But he couldn't be sure.

As she grinned he had continued to stare at her on their way out, remaining silent as his thoughts continued to shuffle in his head. Maybe she was glad that someone cared. She was a half demon. Acceptance was always difficult for them outside. But he didn't know enough..and the more he thought about it he was wondering why he was troubled by it.

Once they stepped outside he felt her body quiver the slightest from the chill, but the cold didn't bother him at all. It felt like home to him..metaphorically. Even if his body temperature was the same as the rest the cold would never bother him.



"Move her to the next room - Room 3." Len ordered, keeping his authoritative figure and face as he followed them outside the room.

"..Doesn't she have a choice? Maybe she wants one in the nex--" Len was interrupted.

"No. I rather she be there for the moment until she heals and if she wants another room then she can ask for a transfer. But for the meantime she will take that one."

...Never seen this side of Nate before. Len thought, turning to look at the horned demon one more time. "Why do you listen to him?" It was a rhetorical question, however.

"Just..let me get the key. I'll be back." He told them, suddenly rushing down the stairs without waiting for any reply.

On his way down he began to slow down, his face growing red from embarrassment then. As a teacher he had times when he had to be strict but...this time he just felt....so strange. Commanding Len as he was and giving Ski little choice. How could he not be embarrassed.

As he reached the reception desk he requested Room 3 personally.

"...So..why do you listen to him?" Len asked again, but this time wanting an answer.