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Tap, tap, tap, tap

Dallas rapidly tapped her pencil on the desk in front of her. 55 minute classes? Felt more like three hour classes, to her. 55 minutes of pure torture. Wasn't it enough to graduate high school? Not according to her father. Senator Daniel Cavanaugh demanded that his youngest daughter receive an outstanding education. One like he did. One like her older brother and her older sister. That's why she was a Political Science and History major. 'Continuing the family trade.' Both her older brother and older sister had been Political Science and History majors as well. That's why she was sitting in this class at this very moment. Bored out of her mind. Her eyes casually wandered over to the wall, where the clock sat, ticking away. 5:30. Only a half an hour more. She could make it. She hoped.

Tap, tap, tap, tap

5:45. She continued to tap her pen for a few more moments before it lost the value of entertainment that it had given her. The professor continued his rant on the Vietnam war and how it was an unnecessary war. Dallas set the pen on the corner of her desk, away from her hand. Instead, she brought an arm up, placing the elbow on the desk, her chin in the palm of her hand, holding her head up. Slowly, her eyes began to drift shut. Just as she was about to take a small nap, the professor ended his lecture and dismissed his students. Quickly, Dallas dumped her textbook and her notebook into her oversized purse, standing up to throw the bag over her shoulder. Her excitement about leaving the class caused her to question her decision to remain at the University. The only reason she had decided to go to Harper Rock University is because it was far enough away that her parents would have to call before they made an appearance. It gave her a sense of freedom. Something she hadn't felt since the day she was born. Being the daughter of a senator was harder than people assumed. Her father was constantly dictating her life, deciding what she should wear, how she should behave, all to keep up appearances for the public eye. Her brother and sister fell into the mold with ease. She, on the other hand, had not. Her father had even tried to dictate where she would go to school, but she had won that battle. It was out of the states, which gave her a greater sense of security, in her father's eyes. As much as he wanted to believe that he was a great senator, the people hated him. They hated his policies, they hated his demeanor. They hated him. He was very unpopular in her home state of Maine. In fact, he had many threats made against him. Many of them were pointed at his children. When she had told him about Harper Rock University, he had all but packed her bags for her. He had tried to send her with a body guard, but had lost that battle.

Walking out of the lecture hall and into the open air, Dallas stopped to take a deep breath in. It was wonderful to have the fresh air in her lungs. She shifted around, throwing her long, red hair over her shoulder as she began her walk back towards her residence hall. There was a party she had to go get ready for. It was calling her name. On her way over, she passed the dojo, stopping only briefly to look at it once again, debating if she wanted to step foot into the building.

The dojo laid still, only a few lights on. Seldom did students visit, though there were a few leaving, chatting away. The kendo club was small, too small to do any major competitions, but it was still there. The instructor, Miss Ueda, was rumored to be a strange one, even to the other staff. Her mannerisms, as well as her speech, were just the tip of the iceberg. The whole city had its oddities, so she fit in perfectly, though. With the kendo dojo, Miss Ueda was rarely ever seen out of it, during school hours, only having been spotted during the night. Her habits were a mystery, as was her life, as she never once spoke of herself. Her regiment with the students was purely training. With kendo, she was almost a machine. She would educate the students on the movements, the gear, as well as the rules.

With some of the classes getting out, Ueda was busy cleaning the dojo within, making sure everything was spotless. A few nervous tics, the woman kept her personal issues within, as to keep the facade of a mentally sound woman. In reality, it was farthest from the fact. Her long and frequent visits in the past, to the Shadow Realm, had warped her mind, just as the long trances in the sewers had. The cleaning of the dojo helped Shizuka calm herself, and focus on something other than what was going on within her mind. The floor now clean, Shizuka began to clean the students' gear, making sure it was fit to use again, and repair any minor damages that they may have done. Once the gear was tended to, she made a final check of the cleanliness of the dojo, before she began to tend to her flowers, pruning and watering, and then lighting her incense. With that done, she could relax, or at least attempt to.

No students ever stepped foot into the dojo this late, except for a few that ever came to brush up on their skills, or others who came to peek on the instructor and her oddities. Shizuka disregarded most of those who were in it just to see if any wild rumors were true, or to see that she was truly odd. As no student, even those odd few, happened into the dojo, she seated herself on her mat, legs crossing. Hands folding to her lap, palms upward, she began to meditate, to concentrate, clear her mind, and gain focus. The whisperings of the damned made this practice hard, though over time she had learned to push these voices out of her mind, at least during her meditation. Otherwise, it was a maddening flood of pleas and curses. Shizuka's eyes closed, as she continued her meditation, losing herself to it.

Indecision kept Dallas chained to the sidewalk outside of the dojo. Of course she had heard the rumors. The dojo instructor was suppose to be a strange woman. Small, but very, very strange. Spoke in a mixed up way and had full blown conversations, they said. Never left the dojo, they whispered. Only seen at night, still others stated. The woman was part of the Yakuza, one man had raged about. It was the only reason that she could possibly want to be here, working in the dojo. She was bringing her fellow Yakuza members here and hiding them within the dojo! But Dallas was never one to believe rumors. Rumors were just that. Rumors. They were meaningless nothing's that people used to belittle other people. Words used to decimate the character of people. She would know. She had a lot of experience in that department. And many times, it wasn't even about her. Just her defending the person.

It was that thought that caused Dallas to decide. She felt that she needed to defend the woman from the vicious rumors. And hey, even if the rumors were true, she still needed to defend her. She was charismatic enough. People listened to her. Followed what she did. If she were to defend the dojo instructor, others would as well. It would stop people from being ridiculous. Rumors, Dallas felt, were useless.

Dallas reached up to her red hair to throw it over her shoulder. She then shoved her shoulders back, straightened out her spine and began to march herself into the dojo. There was nothing to be worried about, of course. She would be fine.

Ms. Cavanaugh walked into the building, taking in the room. It was an ordinary dojo room. Not much different than the one that her and her siblings had been a part of when they were younger. Her siblings had continued on with the dojo. She, on the other hand, had found something else to partake in. Music, debate teams, art, sports. She did it all. Except working in the dojo.

Dallas continued to walk around the dojo, intent on finding the woman that sparked the many rumors. Difficult to find, she was. But after ten minutes of searching, Dallas found the woman she was looking for. She didn't seem strange, at first sight. She was doing exactly what Dallas would have expected a dojo instructor to do; meditating. Didn't they all do that? What was so strange about that? So far, the rumors were proving to be false. As she expected.

"Hello?" Dallas called out to the woman. "I'm in need of assistance." She took a couple steps closer to the woman. "Could you help me?"

A breach in the serenity of her dojo, and Shizuka broke her meditation. There was a voice echoing the dojo, causing her to rise. Turning, the woman leaned in, peering at her. A student, she thought. Cute. Was she here for training? Cutting class? Or perhaps she was fact chasing, after the rumors. Stepping out of the shadows, the woman tilted her head, observing her visitor. The demons within began to act, quickly set into order, then dispatched. Her eyes glassed over for a moment, with this going on, before she snapped out of her trance. Stepping forward again, she stood straight, put her hands together, then gave Dallas a bow.

Greetings, and welcome to my dojo. How can I be of help?

Assistance was something that this woman would always provide, to those in need, or to those who asked. With the greeting, and the asking said, Shizuka's mind flurried, filling with questions. What sort of girl was this? Human or otherwise? With the looks, she seemed human, but she couldn't be too careful. Was she simply there for help? Feeling her worries get to her for a moment, she paused, took a slow breath in, and then exhaled, hands still pressed together. Of course the breathing did not do anything for her, physically, but it helped her with putting herself in a mindset. Once done, she focused on the woman in front of her, putting on a pleasant face.

Do you need assistance with the university? Maybe.. you're interested in Kendo?

Ah, that would be great, the woman thought. Another potential student in the art of kendo. This thought put Shizuka into relatively high spirits. If she was interested, she would of course teach. She was always prepared to teach. Feeling rude for keeping her standing, she ushered the female in, and to somewhere to sit. Two mats on the floor, it seemed this was her office. Motioning to one mat, she then took a seat on the other.

Where are my manners.. I do apologize. I am Miss Ueda, the Kendo instructor.

The woman was an interesting character, yes, but there was nothing out of the sort about her. She was just an average woman. Dallas listened intently to the woman speaking, waiting for the conversations between her and herself to happen. Nothing. She waited for the woman to start speaking in a manic way, that almost incoherent way of speaking. Nope. That wasn't there either. The only peculiar thing about the woman, from what Dallas could tell, was the fact that she had zoned out for a few moments. It was only briefly. Nothing that Dallas would take as serious.

Dallas decided to turn on the charm. It was something that she was gifted at. She had been gifted at it since she was a little girl. It allowed her to gain many things throughout her life, such as her brother's brand new GameBoy. She had pouted only slightly, sniffling the slightest, before he gave it to her. It had also gotten her out of many situations in which she would have gotten into serious trouble. Hadn't she gotten her brother and herself out of trouble when they had broken the window with a baseball? Some called it manipulation. Dallas called it charisma. A broad smile graced her features as she pushed back a strand of her red hair behind her ear. Her gaze focused upon the woman in front of her.

"I'm actually looking for the art building. I've never been there, and I'm suppose to meet my friend there. Could you possibly take me there? It's getting dark and I don't want to be by myself." Really, she just wanted to get the woman out in public. Maybe if people saw her out and about, and with Dallas, no less, they would be less apt to talk about her and spread those rumors.

The woman was not seeking her for Kendo, but for directions, and guidance, and that was fine with her. Nodding, in agreement, Shizuka readied herself, standing and guiding Dallas to the door. Most students avoided her, as if she was plague ridden, but this one was seeking guidance, and asking her to show her around to the correct building. This was a twist. The art building wasn't too far away, Shizuka thought, but in the dark it was like a maze, and some students did tend to get lost. Holding the door open for the student, she waited until she exited, before joining her. Locking the dojo's door behind her, she took a moment to pause, her head filling with the voices again, the secondary personality curious of the girl. Kamikaze wasn't about to come out and play, but she was interested in this girl. Shaking her head a bit, she dipped her head in apology, before beginning to lead Dallas to the art building.

The building you are looking for is not terribly far away, though the path can get a bit confusing, especially in the darkness. Mm.. you are a fine arts student, then?

Hands folding behind her back, as she led Dallas in a slow pace, she could see perplexed looks, with a few students hurrying past, noticing the instructor out and about. A shrug, and she continued to walk, though peeked over her shoulder to make sure that the student was following. For a moment, she paused, as her pace had quickened, though she waited, not only for Dallas, but for the chattering within her mind to quiet down. Collecting her thoughts, she then guided Dallas into a concealed part of the path, a part where most of the students usually ignored or did not notice, due to the foliage, especially in the dark.

This way, please. It will help us get there sooner.

Satisfied that she was going to make the change for the woman, she followed after the woman. Casually, the young woman moved the strap of her bag up her shoulder, as it had fallen down once more. It was more of an annoyance to have it on her shoulder, but it was something that was a necessary evil for a college student. It was used to carry all of her notebooks, pens, pencils, note cards, and books that were necessary for her to do well in her individual classes. Classes she was so close to finishing. Another year, and she'd be out of there. Sure, she'd have that Poli/Sci and History degree, but she'd be done. And her father could get off her back.

She noticed her fellow cohort members staring at the woman, almost with awe that she was out and about. What was it about this woman that had people so fascinated or afraid of her? So far, Dallas did not feel fear being around this woman. Interest, yes, but not fear. And she most certainly was not going to gawk at her, as though she were some carnival sideshow attraction. As they walked past her classmates, Dallas shot them a look that screamed 'That's rude!' Many of her class members looked away, maybe out of shame for staring, or embarrassment for being caught in the act. Whatever it was, they looked away. It was during these staredowns that Dallas realized that the Kendo instructor had spoken to her. Shooting one more glare at another student, Dallas turned her attention to the woman, giving her a wide, cheshire cat-like grin, showing off all her pearly whites. Teeth that her father had paid a boatload to make sure stayed that perfect.

"No. I'm not a fine arts major. I don't have the. . . eye. . . for art. It's just too much for me. I'm a Political Science and History major. More of my style," she said, winking at the woman before she continued. "I'm actually meeting a friend in the building. She's a fine arts major. Focusing on photography. Takes some beautiful pictures. I'll have to show you her gallery some time."

Dallas moved to follow the woman down the concealed path, surprised that this was something that she did not know about. Fully trusting the woman, she followed after her down this path, ducking to move away from some low hanging branches of trees. The trials of being 5'8.

Deeper into the shadows, the path would lead them to their destination, but it was a bit unnerving, if one were afraid of the dark. Normally, nobody took this path in the darkness, as there was no light that lit the path up, so it was pitch black. Shizuka continued on, leading Dallas as best she could, her mind running now. Kamikaze wished to feed, and Shizuka could feel the urge as well. Nobody would notice here, they both figured, but Shizuka wanted to at least lead her further. Kamikaze nagged the idea over and over again, which was beginning to frustrate Shizuka. The voices were one thing, but Kamikaze would drive her crazy, if she wasn't given this sinful delight. But now the issue was, do they feed to kill, or possibly turn? Having lost Leila, she felt a twinge of guilt, but she knew what to do now, what not to do. Further along the path, Shizuka's footsteps became muffled, until disappearing altogether, as if Dallas were left alone. Shizuka hid in the shadows, observing Dallas, waiting for a good time to go in for the feeding. As Dallas wandered past, she stepped in from behind. Perhaps now was the best time as any, she thought, though as soon as she was about to step in to feed, a floodlight kicked in on a building, illuminating part of the path. With that, Shizuka rushed up front, then fixed her hair.

Not much longer now. I'm sure you might understand why people tend to avoid or not know of this path altogether, now, mm?

How annoying, the two personalities thought, as Shizuka led Dallas along the path. This was supposed to be a good time, but how easily it was foiled. The path was nearly ending, and the chances to feed were growing thin, so if she was to do so, she would need to take a chance, and press her luck. Pausing, in her step, Shizuka turned around, waiting for Dallas. A smile curved her lips, as she held her own hands behind her back. Tongue tapping idly on her canines, she waited for Dallas to come into range, before she would attempt something. Waiting for Dallas to step closer, Shizuka then stepped close, beckoning the student to lean in, and she would whisper.

I do apologize.

With this said, Shizuka went in for the bite, the shadows thickening around them as the floodlights turned off. A siren rang in the distance, the ambulance masking any other noises, though the path's location muffled sounds enough. Shizuka was gentle, not wanting to harm the girl as much as she could, her bite tender, though deep. She continued to feed, listening to the beating heart, the pulse rather quick at the time, though as she continued, it would no doubt slow. A bit of guilt washed over Shizuka as she fed, feeling awful for the life she was about to rip from this poor girl. This time, though, she would do things right. She wouldn't be so careless. This time, she was going to make it work.

As the duo continued down the path, leaving the lights behind, unease began to creep up Dallas' back. She wasn't afraid of the instructor. No. That wasn't it. It was the fact that, deep down, Dallas had a secret fear of the dark. It stemmed from childhood. She had to have been about ten. Her brother, the boy she looked up to, allowed her to watch a movie with him. At the time, Dallas should have been wary. Her brother never invited her to do anything with him. He hated having little sisters, hated the idea that they couldn't do what he could do. Why couldn't his parents had another boy? No. He had to have sisters instead. Not taking this into consideration, Dallas gladly joined her brother to watch whatever movie, no matter how scary it was, he was planning on playing. That night, Damien had decided to watch the Grudge. It was brand new, at the time, and supposed to be a very scary. Dallas didn't think anything of it as she sat there and watched the whole movie. That night, as she tried to go to bed, she continuously imagined the ghost coming into her bedroom to kill her. Just as she had closed her eyes, she had heard her door creak open. Fearing the worst, she had thrown her sheets over her head, hoping whatever it was would go away. She had sat there for a few moments before deciding to be brave. She had pulled the sheets down to allow her to see. The only thing she saw was a person standing next to her bed, the black hair covering their face. The scary sound emitting from their throat. Dallas had let out a shriek as the thing grabbed her. It turned out that the scary thing was her brother, Damien. Since that night, Dallas had always slept with a nightlight, as she was petrified of the dark.

Determined not to panic, Dallas moved quickly to try to catch up to the instructor. It was then she realized that the steps in front of her ceased to exist. She paused, panic threatening to overtake her. Trying to keep her voice steady, she called out. "Hello? Are you still here?" Dallas took another step forward, holding her arm out to hopefully find the body of the woman in front of her. She continued on her way, searching for the woman. As she searched, a flood light kicked on. Relief settled upon the woman, seeing the light and the woman in front of her. "Jesus christ!" she exclaimed. "I can definitely see why this path is avoided. Please don't leave me, okay?" With that statement, Dallas moved to grab the woman's hand to hold it, but decided against it last minute. Her hand moved instead to push the strap of her bag back up.

She moved once more to follow the woman. They had to be getting close to the end of the path, right? She watched as the woman stopped and turned around. Tilting her head slightly, Dallas caught up to her, wondering what was going on. When the woman motioned for her to lean in, she did. There was no reason not to trust her. Getting closer to the woman caused Dallas' heart to beat faster. The statement from the woman caused Dallas to pause. Apologize for what?

There was a brief, sharp pain, then a feeling of pure pleasure that washed over Dallas. What in the world was going on? It didn't matter. It just felt. . . right. She angled her head a little more, leaning heavily on the other woman. Vaguely, she registered that her heart rate was beginning to slow and that the edges of her vision were beginning to darken, but she didn't care. This just felt right.

Carefully observing Dallas as she fed, Shizuka wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight. Laying her down, as she fed, she sat atop the girl, hands moving to rest on the path, fingers gripping into the pebbles. The thought of finishing her right then had passed through Shizuka's mind, but the girl seemed to be determined to make a difference through her studies, and that stuck with her. The girl was pretty, rather pretty indeed, and she didn't want to needlessly end the life. Instead, she would release her, and clean the wound, until it closed. Wiping her lips off, she stared down at Dallas, and smiled. Today was going to be the beginning of a new chapter, in Dallas's life. Running her thumb against the girl's cheek, Shizuka tilted her head, smile never leaving her lips. Within the mind, the three personalities began to debate on what to do. Kamikaze, the personality that was active during Leila's turning, suggested caution, that they would need to make sure she was taken to a safe and comfortable place. Three stated that the girl would need guidance through the changes, and agreed that she needed to be somewhere safe. Shizuka, having never done this before, agreed. But then... how would they get Dallas to a safe place, and discreetly?

Can you walk a little, dear one? I need to take you somewhere safe.. somewhere comfortable.. We cannot stay here for long...

Brushing her cheek again, Shizuka smiled down to Dallas, excited for the future already. She watched Dallas, curious. When the girl would gain the strength to walk, she'd lead her to her motorcycle, and take her to one of her apartments... but which? Going through the options, she deducted that the Sanctuary apartment would be best. It was secure, and only she had access. It would be perfect. Sighing a bit, sadness overtook her for a moment, as Shizuka watched the girl. How needless and selfish it was, to strip this girl of her life, of her future... but then again, the future could always be rewritten, and altered for the better. Her own was, so why not Dallas's? Removing herself from the girl, she sat beside her, watching, waiting for any signs of retaliation or change.

... Everything will be changing, and I do apologize for this.