"Passes to Jericho are a privilege, not a right." returns Mr. Thornhill in his low voice. "It's a brisk 25-minute walk, or there's a shuttle on the weekends. The locals are a tad bit wary about Nevermore, so please don't go making any waves, or perpetuating any outcast stereotypes." He says seriously. "That means keep your claws to yourself," he looks warningly at Ethan. "and no smothering people in their sleep." he glances at Saturday through his wide rimmed, turquoise glasses.
"Are we clear?" he questions to two unmoving figures.
"Great talk." he says as he chuckles lowly.
He opens the door, waves a little goodbye and closes the door softly behind him.
☟☟☟
The next morning, the sky beamed a bright baby blue and Saturday's annoyance only grew.
Foils clattered in the great fencing hall.
Saturday stalks in, in a fully black fencing costume, his annoyance further increased by the appearance of his maid, who was standing submissively by the door, waiting.
Ever since he was little, he had gotten used to his parents forcing his maid upon him.
He glanced at her coldly, then glanced away. She didn't dare look at him, keeping her head low as always.
He walks past Xaviera Thorpe, who stopped her fencing to look at him, the severed hand peeking out at him from underneath a bench.
A fencer grunts in frustration, the hand quickly scuttles back into hiding.
The fencer grunts again as he is smashed to the floor, the champion reigning above him with his sword raised.
"Coach, Coach, he tripped me." says the loser frantically.
Saturday stops near the tall and lean black boy and, he admits that he was taller, though only slightly, than himself.
"It was a clean strike, Rowan." returns the coach, reprimanding. He had a sultry, French accent, golden brown short hair, baby blue eyes and a tall lean, figure.
"Maybe if you whined less and practiced more, you wouldn't suck." scoffs Bianco Barclay. "Seriously, Coach, when am I gonna get real competition?" he questions as the other boy, Rowan, hurriedly gets up.
The coach nonchalantly holds up Rowan's glasses which the boy hurriedly grabs.
"Anyone else want to challenge me?" challenges Bianco.
"I do." replies Saturday loudly and coldly, Xaviera still looking at him with her helmet off.
"Ohhhh, you must be the psychopath they let in." he says arrogantly, smirking as Rowan watches in the background.
"And you must be the self-appointed King."
Bianco nods while still smirking.
He glances at Misaki in the corner. "Pretty little thing you got there, lend her to me for a bit will you?" he asks arrogantly.
"Interesting thing about Kings, in chess he's as submissive to the Queen as you will soon be to me."
"Ooh!" the fencers around them jeer.
Bianco frowns. "Rowan doesn't need you to come to his defence." Rowan takes out his puffer and inhales as the coach watches on. Misaki also watches in interest in her little corner, her big golden eyes unblinking, daring to raise her petite head a little.
"He's not helpless, he's lazy." finishes Bianco.
"Are we doing this or not?" questions the slightly shorter boy dressed all in black, complimenting his floppy black hair.
Bianco makes a head gesture at Saturday, motioning for him to come onto the fencing mat.
Saturday accepts and stalks into position. Misaki was definitely watching intently now, as still as a statue as if she was sending her dear Master to war.
"En garde." orders the coach.
Saturday puts on his pitch black fencing helmet and so does Bianco, though his helmet's fabric was white.
One figure in black, one in white, ready for battle.
Bianco strikes first, Saturday quickly parries back, their fencing swords clashing. Bianco tries to push Saturday back but Saturday does not let up, pushing Bianco back instead.
Xaviera was still watching them intently and so was Misaki. Some other fencers, like Rowan and another boy was also watching.
The two boys grunt in the moment as Saturday points his sharp sword at Bianco's chest, Saturday splayed skilfully on the mat.
"Point to Saturday." says the coach. Xaviera grins.
Saturday gets up again and pushes Bianco back skilfully but this time, Bianco strikes the top of his black helmet.
"The score is even." says the coach calmly.
Ethan and a vampire boy watch on with interest with their helmets off.
Saturday slowly gets up off the floor and takes off his fencing helmet.
Bianco grins deliciously with his pearly, white, straight teeth and his full plump lips as he takes off his helmet as well, revealing his sky blue eyes.
"That first point was clearly beginner's luck." he stalks toward Saturday.
"Let's finish this." Saturday stalks past him.
"For the final point, I would like to invoke a military challenge." challenges Saturday coldly, speaking to the coach. "No masks. No tips."
Bianco frowns in concern.
"Ooh." jeers the other fencers, impressed.
"Winner draws first blood." he finishes.
Misaki lets out a whisper of a gasp. Her skilled Master was going to get hurt! Or worse, hurt someone else!
Rowan looks on worriedly with Ajax, and some other male fencers all in white.
Bianco sighs. Looking arrogantly at Saturday.
"It's your decision, Bianco." says the coach.
The two boys give each other a look.
"Let's see if you bleed in black and white." challenges Bianco arrogantly as he throws away his helmet.
Saturday draws first, slashing towards Bianco who gasps in surprise, Saturday making no noise.
Bianco dodges Saturday's leg as they parry, Saturday blocking Bianco's skilled strikes.
He tries to slash at Bianco's legs but Bianco dodges again.
The whole fencing squad was watching intently now.
Bianco dodges many of Saturday's strikes to his head and kicks Saturday in the dominant arm. Saturday grunts in pain but quickly recovers to block another one of Bianco's strikes to his face, then another one to his lean back.
He pushes Bianco's sword to the floor and as Bianco tries to get up, Saturday returns the favour by kicking Bianco's fencing arm away from himself, Bianco grunting in pain.
As Bianco slashes low to the floor, Saturday flips into the air and dodges it skilfully.
Misaki gasps silently in the back corner, in awe.
Saturday quickly recovers and slashes at Bianco, who blocks it with great effort, forcing Saturday's fencing arm to the floor. And as they hurry to get up, Bianco's rapier tip slices through Saturday's face.
He grins at Saturday as he points his sword at the lean boy in black.
Saturday puts a big, pale, black nail polished hand to his bleeding forehead, wiping away the dripping blood as Misaki runs towards her Master.
Xaviera gives a disbelieving exhale. Rowan grins slightly as Ethan and the Vampire boy in sunglasses look on apprehensively.
"Your face finally got that splash of colour it so desperately needed." says Bianco arrogantly, still pointing his fencing sword at Saturday. Bianco chuckles.
☟☟☟