[psl] Supernatural/folklore and Role-reversal

[whiteofcrime]

Original link: here


Stepping onto the earth of the human's world, Walter could not help but wonder at how things had changed. Time passed differently between the human world and the fairies' land, and much had sprung up since the last time he had set foot on those lands.

The buildings in the city on the horizon looked much taller, for one.

But he had come with a purpose. There was a tradition among his peoples, a rite for those who were knowledge bearers among their kind, to drink of the tears of life that flowed from their sacred gem on a moonlit night when the comet they called the Archer's Volley passed overhead. Long-lived though they were in general, Walter's people held in deep respect those that had accumulated vast stores of wisdom, or witnessed the momentous occasions of their history. Better the stories and techniques of the ages to be heard from their lips directly, their minds fresh and sharp, than to be passed down through so many generations and warped and twisted along the way as the those of the humans did.

However, a suitable site was necessary for the rite. And with the advancement and expansion of human civilisation, and twin forces of destruction and creation it brought with it, those sites were fewer and fewer. Hence, the need for someone to scout ahead.

Walter, having set foot in the world of the humans the most recently, had been the one selected for that task.

Clad in clothing of the style popular the last time he ventured into the humans' world, Walter approached the city on foot. His fashion was a few decades out of date for those from normal walks of life. But, fortunately enough, the people on the street simply mistook him for a teenage waiter on his way home from his part-time job.

It did not take him long to run into the first worrying bit of information. Between the classic newspapers he was already familiar with, televisions in shop windows tuned to the news, and passing humans playing their cellphone videos much too loud to have even the hope of keeping whatever it was they were looking at private, Walter gleaned that, across the world over, large gems were being targeted.

The sacred gem of his people was a large gem.

The thought concerned him. What if someone spied them during their rite? Or even on the way there. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. He had heard tale of a human witnessing their ritual some time before his birth.

But in the human world that would have been almost 10,000 years ago. Surely, even if some human had witnessed it, even if they had told other humans about it, surely the tale would have been warped beyond recognition by now.

...wouldn't it?

Kaito turned his collar up against a dark, moody English sky outlined by faint, orange stripes from the setting sun. As ever in this country, it promised a light drizzle as the day wound down. He brushed past office workers clocking off for the day, dressed in a modest black to contrast their white, beige, and blue, eyes fixed on his phone screen.

'Phantom Thief 1412 strikes again - Blue Birthday stolen!' he read. His mouth thinned as he scrolled past a blurred picture of the thief vanishing over a rooftop.

The plan had been perfect. He had anticipated the thief's route to the rooftop. He had set up there with a loaded gun and the resolve to see his mission through to its grisly but necessary end. But the thief had tossed him the jewel before throwing themselves from the roof, gliding down on a dark parachute while Kaito cursed their name.

And in the end, the jewel had been a replica. Twice the fool.

Absorbed in his irritation and the article on his phone, he didn't notice the young waiter until he almost walked into them. Kaito pulled up abruptly, muttered an apology, and skirted around them with almost disturbing grace. His hand absently brushed over the flat knife he kept hidden in the lining of his jacket. It was unlikely the average stranger on the street would have felt it, but one could never be too careful.

Graceful, indeed. The limberness of movement was enough to turn even Walter's eye. He watched the human go, eyes following him until the male disappeared into the throng of other passers-by.

Pressing a finger against his lips, he pondered in retrospect on the odd movement of the human's jacket; one part of it not as fluid in following the movement of the body beneath it as the rest.

There were more pressing matters, though. He knew enough of humans to know that the locals would catch on to fairy gold if he used it in their shops, with how they counted their change so regularly. So, after a bit of observing at a local cinema, he used a large leaf as a base to glamour identification for the age group his appearance most closely matched; 16 to 18 would work quite nicely.

He was on heading towards an antique bookshop with a help wanted sign in the window when he ran across the graceful adolescent for the second time that evening.

"Oh, it's you." He spoke aloud this time. "The graceful boy with the oddly stiff jacket."

A message from Aoko. 'No progress. Keep an eye on Hakuba.' Kaito sighed and switched off the screen, shoving it and both hands into his pockets. That annoying bastard, making his and the organisation's job harder by poking his nose into police business. Did he think they wouldn't try and remove such a public figure from the spotlight? It would be tricky, but accidents happened - even to the most fortunate.

He detoured into an antique book store and spent some time perusing its dusty volumes for something, anything, of a hint that might elucidate the whereabouts of the mythical Pandora gem. All they knew was that it was a stone which wept tears under the passing of the Volley comet and that it turned red in the moonlight.

Not for the first time, he wondered why they needed such a gem. As a child, he had asked this innocent question of his father once and had been told that it was something important to the one they worked for. They needed it, his father had said, but if anyone else knew of this precious stone then they would do all in their power to stop them. So they had to find it.

No luck from this store, however. Disappointing, but unsurprising. Kaito gave a friendly nod to the proprietor before heading outside once more. It was there that he ran into the same waiter boy again. Almost literally.

"Oh, it's you," they said. "The graceful boy with the oddly stiff jacket."

Those words rang alarm bells. They had noticed the knife concealed in the lining, whether they knew it was a knife or not. Kaito maintained an outward façade of calm, remembering his father's most important lesson: 'Never forget your poker face.'

"Stiff...jacket?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow at them. He shifted away from the book store's doorway and more on to the street, giving himself room to move in case something happened. "What do you mean by that?"

The disguised fairy male was comfortable in allowing his gaze to wander over the jacket, following the lines of the body beneath it. "Perhaps there is a hole in your pocket that allowed something to slip into the lining?"

Tilting his head ever so faintly to one side, Walter shrugged his shoulders with languid ease. That was a reasonable enough explanation of his observation, he felt. This close up, it did not appear to be an effect of starching one portion while leaving the rest untouched. "Whatever it is, it ruins the way the fabric moves against you."

Either this guy was oblivious or deliberately drawing attention to his clothing. Whichever the case, Kaito wanted him to stop before someone who mattered overheard and thought to look at him more closely.

Since murdering random civilians was counter-intuitive to not drawing attention, he threw up a politely puzzled smile and kept his tone light.

"It's just the design of the jacket. What are you, a tailor in the fashion industry?" he retorted.

"...No." Walter conceded, eyes still wandering, now taking in each and every detail of the jacket. He didn't quite believe the story. But, if it was a design feature, surely there must be some reason behind it. It didn't make sense from an aesthetic perspective.

"Why is it designed that way?"

And now he was looking at him even more closely. Kaito did his best to remain at ease, even though he badly wanted this guy to shut up and let him be.

"If you have to know, it's got a pocket in there so I can put things in it. Like a pen or something." Using some sleight of hand, he produces one out of-- well, not that pocket, but certainly from somewhere. His deft fingers twirl it around, then hold it steady for the other boy to see. Yes, yes, it is indeed a normal pen.

Dark brows arched in response to the display. A hidden pocket, was it? And it seemed as though there might be more. "Oh. So it's utilitarian in nature." A brief pause followed Walter's words before he spoke again. "I suppose that earns it a pass. Form is nice, but function is just as important."

Perhaps even more important, though it would be a shame if it came at the cost of looking awkward.

Kaito rolled his eyes and slotted the pen away. As long as the guy was satisfied, he didn't care.

"Yeah. So if you're done critiquing my jacket... I have places to be."

Hands shoved back into his pockets, the very picture of an annoyed youth who has more important things to do than humour a stranger. Like loitering somewhere he shouldn't be.

Oh... this one was rude. And he had been the one to ask what Walter had meant by calling his jacket stiff.

"You were the one who asked it of me. It is no fault of mine if you choose to invite critique of your own volition."

He gave the youth a final once over. "Would that your personality was as graceful as your agile footwork." The dusk-hued eyes lifted, locking with the brighter blue. "Away you go then. Off to your places to be."

Ouch. If Kaito cared for this guy's opinion then he might have been hurt. But he didn't. So he waved a dismissive hand and turned to leave.

"Whatever."

That was that, then. The other boy would hopefully forget about him in short time. Perhaps he'd be an anecdote distilled and passed on to whoever made up their friend group. He'd have to change up his outfit, but that was nothing he wasn't already used to.

The school semester began in two weeks, and he had a thrilling (read: sarcasm) few months to look forward to in Hakuba's constant company. Kaito had already prepared by reading up on all the expected material, to give himself more time when Kid inevitably showed up to claim another jewel. How Hakuba managed to fit in heist planning between assignments and the occasional call-out by the police was anyone's guess.

Sure must be hard playing your own deterrent, Kaito thought with grim humour. He wished he could off the thief at school - there were plenty of opportunities to - but the higher-ups said no, it would draw unwanted attention to the institution. An unfortunately sensible decision which Kaito could not fault.

A few days before term was due to start, the young assassin decided to treat himself with a visit to his favourite cafe. If he had to look at equations any longer, he might shoot something. Since that was in neither his nor the organisation's interests, the only viable course was to stretch his legs.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside, nodding at the barista. He was a familiar sight by now. The jacket had been replaced by a thin sweater worn over a shirt. No hidden pocket this time. Kaito the student had no reason to be carrying a knife.

"Usual?" the barista called out. Kaito nodded as he approached the counter, reaching for his wallet.

His mission still incomplete, the fairy youth remained in the human realm, taking on — much to his amusement — contract labour to acquire legitimate monies for his transactions. People asked fewer questions, he realized, when you weren't technically an employee. And besides, he had a certain knack for contracts.

Thrift stores had been a wonderful find, allowing him to collect a few articles of clothing in but a short amount of time. He wore a different shirt today which, while still white, had a more modern lay down collar, and paired it off with a blue tie.

With what extra coin he had, the fairy had even acquired a few books for his purposes. With the theft of the large gem known as the Blue Birthday, he had thought to entertain doing a little research. So it was that he had bought several books on gems and crystals, both on their physical properties and the meanings attached to them by different cultures. There was a book on gem and crystal magic, too.

The small assortment of tomes was presently stacked to one side of the table he'd seated at, the book on magic the sole one apart from the set, laid out in front of him as he glanced over its pages while sipping on a cup of herbal tea.

The tea wasn't nearly as good as what he could make, but it was... tolerable. Tolerable was a good word to describe it. The collection of sweets on his plate, however, were much better. Probably due to having been made with fresher ingredients. And the book? If nothing else, it was good for a laugh.

His hot chocolate paid for and a number taken, Kaito trailed off to find an empty spot while his drink was made. At first, he didn't look too closely at the guy with a stack of books on his table and one open before them. It wasn't uncommon for students to study here. However, he did a double take when his eyes caught the titles arrayed there.

His stride stuttered to a halt. Long enough to be noticeable, long enough for it to draw attention from the teenager who - Kaito was realising with increasing distaste - was the same one he had run into a while back.

By then, it was too late to feign ignorance and walk on. So he affected mild surprise and said, "Oh, it's you."

Dusk-hued eyes had lifted from their reading around the time Walter heard footsteps stall to a standstill in his vicinity, nothing more than a passing curious glance. Lo and behold, the figure and face were familiar. The rude boy from a week or so ago.

He'd been preparing to pointedly ignore his presence right up until the boy spoke. His brows arched slightly, surprise genuine.

"What, not happy to see me?" He smirked, a snort of bitter amusement escaping him as he lifted his cup. "I hope you don't think I came here to harass you about the pen you keep in your pocket."

Somewhere, at a table not too far away, there was a young man muttering under his breath that, no, he was doing it wrong, and that it was supposed to be is that a pen in your pocket or are you happy to see me.

Walter ignored that man.

A red flush swept up his neck and suffused his cheeks. Kaito was oblivious to the fact that Walter had no clue as to the innuendo behind those words. He therefore came to the assumption that the other boy was mocking him.

Well, Walter was mocking him one way or another, but still.

"Considering how unimpressed you were with it last time, no," he retorted witheringly, much to that stranger's consternation. His eyes dropped to the book Walter was reading. "...You're into magic?"

"In a way." Walter said, as cryptic as he was dismissive. He was not about to announce to the boy that he was considered a magical being in this world. Let alone say it in front of so many people.

Only a fool would so easily trust in the discretion of humans.

"There seems to be a lot of fuss about gems and the like lately. I was wondering why so many people were interested in them."

Kaito's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Where've you been all this time that you haven't heard of Phantom Thief 1412?" he asked incredulously.

Without preamble, he took a seat opposite Walter and placed his numbered stand where the cafe workers could see it.

"He appeared a few months ago all of a sudden. Wasn't so public to start, but as the police got frustrated trying to catch him, the newspapers got wind and now everyone knows him. He doesn't just steal jewels in England - he's appeared in France, Germany, and Japan, even. Interpol labelled him '1412' and the name's stuck."

Walter frowned. Interpol. He'd have to look that up somehow. Perhaps a library contained a book on it?

"I see," he said, turning the page. "Are jewels the only thing he's interested in?"

"So far, yeah."

Kaito settled into a more amicable persona, a typical student who was happy to pass on news while remaining out of the news themselves. All the while, his agile mind carefully sifted through the information 'Kaito' would know and separated it from 'Moscato'.

"He stole the Blue Birthday Indian sapphire just a week or so ago. Before that it was some kind of diamond that belonged to a princess on a state visit." Kaito leant forward, allowing his eyes to gleam. "They say he just slips in and out of the place, like a ghost. So the media calls him Phantom Thief 1412."

The pale face lifted at the other boy's change in tone, Walter arching a brow as he examined the teen's expression with a tinge of mild amusement.

What an odd little human. Hostile one moment and friendly the next.

"How do they know he's a he?"

"That's what the news sites say," he said with a shrug. 'Kaito' didn't know or care to know. "I'm guessing someone amongst the Yard got a close look since they've been calling him a 'he' too."

A waitress comes by with his hot chocolate. He gives her a brief smile and a thank you as she collects the wait number and retreats.

"Anyway, that explains your books on jewellery but not on magic." He smirked. "You into occult stuff?"

"Do you really think I'd be looking at common books if I were thoroughly researching the occult?" He snorted; the very idea was borderline offensive. "These things are probably riddled with all sorts of inaccuracies and generalizations pulled out of someone's arse."

He scanned down the page nonetheless, the short paragraphs within postulating the attributes of and uses of the brilliant blue stone pictured aside. Azurite.

"No, the reason I am looking at these occult books is to find out what meanings other people attach to these stones."

"That so...?" Kaito dropped his gaze to the book. Despite his earlier distaste, his curiosity could not help but be piqued. He had only a passing knowledge on gemstones himself, having only researched what was relevant to understanding his targets. And of course, he knew how to spot a fake. Beyond that, Kaito didn't care to know precisely what meaning the gems held. His one and only job was to retrieve them for his superiors.

"You're not going to find a consistent answer anywhere, you know," he pointed out. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

"Why do you want to know why I want to know?" Walter countered, nonchalant as he lifted his cup to his lips to take a sip of the now lukewarm tisane.

"Is it so strange to take an interest in how others think?" It could be useful if he needed to come up with some manner of decoy, just in case word slipped out about the ritual. Cameras and recording devices seemed to be everywhere these days. Every one of those wallet-sized telephones the humans carried around seemed to have them.

Kaito cocked his head. "No. But people usually have reasons for what they do."

He gave himself time to think by taking a sip of his chocolate. It was strange. Just happening to run across the same guy twice, and they happened to be interested in magic - and jewels? Maybe he was overthinking it.

Paranoia was a bitch sometimes.

"...You're not thinking of going after 1412 yourself, are you?" he asked, affecting incredulity.

That was an odd question. The fairy thought on it for a moment, considering the option seriously. "I can't say I've a pressing urge to catch him on one of his heists." Not yet, at any rate. "But I am curious about his motivations. Why do you ask?"

Setting down his cup, Walter reflected further. He had yet to discover why the lad had even bothered to sit down with him in the first place.

He waved a hand carelessly. "Just warning you in case you get it in your head to catch him. Lot of people around the world have tried and none of them have gotten close. Actually, most of the time they get in the way of the police."

Kaito digs out his phone and starts pulling up articles. "I think it was one of the heists here where the Yard ended up chasing a guy who was lying in wait for 1412 but got spooked and ran. They thought he was the thief and chased him around London."

Well. It was a good thing he'd set down his cup, because Walter was certain that, if he had been taking a sip at that moment, he would have ended up accidentally spitting it out all over his book. Or choking. One or the other.

"Pfft. Huhuhu...!" The laughter was breathy and open, but quiet. "By the way you sound, I'd almost think you were concerned about me. Are you sure you wouldn't rather see me getting dragged off to prison in handcuffs?"

Not that that would happen. But the boy didn't know that.

Kaito shot the guy a grumpy look. "I don't like you," he said bluntly, "but even if I don't like you, you haven't pissed me off enough to make me want to wish you got put in prison."

The real reason he was warning them away was so that he did not have any unnecessary casualties or rogue elements while pursuing the thief himself.

"Which brings me to another question. Why did you sit down with me when you clearly have no affection for me? Did the book on magic look that interesting?"

He laced his fingers together, cradling his chin atop them as he leaned forward, elbows braced against the table surface. "Are you into magic?"

"I've got a passing interest in it," he responded coolly. "Who doesn't? More into magic tricks than actual magic, but it's kinda hilarious what people will believe." He voiced a derisive sound and sat back, lacing his fingers in his lap. "Stuff like the Philospher's stone for instance. You'd have read about that, right?" He gestured at the books. "If that really existed, we'd know about it."

Kaito, in all honesty, wasn't sure whether he believed in this ridiculous story of Pandora's stone and the eternal life it was supposed to grant. But the higher-ups did, and someone like him wasn't paid to question their decisions.

"And humanity would have about a fourth of its current population, just from fighting over it." It's a generalization, of course. But one rooted in what he sees as the truth of human nature. Greedy. Corruptible. Self-serving.

"But, leave it to humans to dream of the ridiculous." To want for things so great, but ignore the price attached to achieving them. Or to expect everyone else to pay. That was a human for you. "Don't even get me started on the concept of love spells."

Kaito smiled thinly. People were still fighting over it. But this guy, this perfectly oblivious, if oddly out-of-touch, teenager, had no idea of the blood spilt over the search for Pandora. He could only imagine the sort of fighting that would break out if the gem actually existed.

"Love spells are overrated. If you need one, then the other guy didn't love you anyway," he snorted. Somewhere in the world, Akako was probably sneezing. "I'd rather believe in some stone that lets you live longer when you drink from it."

Well. That was a bit contradictory, now wasn't it? Gazed fixed on the other boy, Walter's smile turned sharp. "It's also supposed to turn different metals into gold and silver. What if it just turned all the metals in your body to gold?"

He was messing with the boy again. Leaning back in his chair, Walter allowed his gaze to wander up the brunet's wrist, along the pathways of his blood vessels. "...You'd have very shiny blood."

"I'd be the most valuable blood donor in the world," he retorted with a grin almost as sharp. "That'd be an interesting business. Refining silver and gold from blood."

He actually began to wonder if it was possible. It wouldn't be efficient, not compared to simply obtaining other metals and transforming them on the spot. He lifted an arm and looked at it musingly.

"I wonder if you could see the gold shine from beneath the skin..."

If red blood gave skin its pinkish hue, how would liquid gold look instead...? If it weren't such a waste of money, he would ask one of the scientists to experiment.

So the boy was taking it in stride. No matter. At least the discussion was off the subject of lengthening life. "You can see silver shine. So, probably."

He took up his cup again, finishing off the last of the herbal tea.

Kaito watched them drain their cup before taking another sip of his own. Pandora might be a philosopher's stone; it might not be. If it turned someone's blood to liquid gold or silver as well as prolonged their life, that would be a curious effect to see.

Well, there was no use theorising until he found it. If he found it.

"What school do you go to?" he asked curiously.

"Now where did that come from?" Walter smirked, the pale youth leaning back in his chair. He extended an arm towards his plate, one outstretched fingertip gently brushing against a raspberry atop a miniature custard tart.

"Warming up to me, are you?" he teased.

Kaito shot him a sour look. "I wanna know what school to avoid," he said tartly. "And which one to egg when I graduate."

The great British custom of egging to show displeasure was one he could wholly get behind. Harmless, yet disgusting.

The bitterness earned only a snort of amusement in return. "Then, in the interest of preserving property, and not wasting eggs, I shall tell you nothing."

Up came the raspberry, plucked with his fingers and popped into his mouth with languid ease.

Scowling, Kaito took a longer draught of his chocolate. Insufferable ass. He looked away to give his temper time to simmer down, observing pedestrians as they walked by.

Why had he sat down here? Oh, right, to gauge their interest in magic. He was ready to declare it a waste of time, but if Absinthe were here he would likely give him on of those mildly disappointed looks for giving up so soon.

He sucked in a deep breath then exhaled. He looked back towards the other boy. "Sorry," he said grudgingly. "I wanted to see if you knew anything about real magic that I didn't. I only looked into things related to gemstones because of what 1412's stealing."

"So you wanted to use me to acquire information. No mending misunderstandings," because there certainly weren't any bridges between them to burn, "No trying to find common ground." Walter settled into a slightly stiffer posture as he abruptly closed the book. "How disappointing."

The boy detested him, he concluded. Detested him, but was feigning a more friendly nature to coax knowledge from him if there was any to be had. Brow furrowed in annoyance, he took up the fork next to his plate. Whatever words were about to come his way, he was going to finish his damned tart.

Kaito pressed his lips together and sat back. Well, Walter wasn't wrong, but he had royally fucked that up. As intelligent as he was, Kaito had little exposure in forming relationships with anyone for leisure - and the organisation preferred it that way. He should have phrased that differently. He should have--

He stared at his drink, hands cupped tightly around it. There wasn't any merit in trying to leave a listening bug on them. If they were a reader, it wasn't likely to glean them anything; there was no computer he could slip a virus on to either.

The silence stretched on as Kaito withdrew into his own thoughts. Any further attempt to curry favour would likely backfire, with this mood. Another apology would sound insincere. It was too late to act the part either. If only they hadn't met back then... He could have introduced himself as an easygoing student from the get-go and there would be no problems.

Hindsight was a bitch.

The silence stretched on. In a succession of small bites, Walter finished his tart. With the passing of time, the sting of disappointment became just a little less sharp, the bitter resentment mellowing into a slight meanness.

When it became clear that the other boy wasn't leaving, Walter looked up, facing the boy with a spiteful smile. "What, no more snide comebacks?" He toyed with his fork, sliding his fingers along it to savour the feel of metal against his skin. "Very well. I shall tell you something."

Fork in hand, he speared one of the strawberry slices tucked inside a small piece of shortcake. "Do you see the seeds on this fruit?" He tipped the fork in his fingers, showing off the thin strip of the fruit's exterior, red dotted with tiny white teardrop shapes. "A single fertile seed contains more magic than all the stones in this world."

Kaito looked up sharply, eyes narrowed. A beat of silence, then:

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly. His fingers toyed with the handle of his mug, tracing its curve on the outer and inner rims. A derisive snort. "You aren't gonna tell me some crap about how there are more wonders in the natural world than in actual magic, are you?"

"Hmnn... no." The fairy's lips stretched a little wider. "But I'm not going to tell you what I mean, either. I'm going to let you suffer with the knowledge of your ineptitude at understanding even simple truths."

And given how rude the boy had been to him, Walter wouldn't feel guilty about it in the least. In fact, it might even be entertaining to watch him squirm.

"Yeah?" Kaito finally stood, chair scraping back to a loud squeal of wood and disapproving glances. "Well, good luck with that. Since I doubt we're gonna see each other again after today."

He took his mug with him and went to a table that was empty, gripping the handle tightly to suppress an urge to stab the other boy then and there. The worst part of all this was that they were right: Kaito would stew and stew over what they meant, try to find answers in whatever texts he could source, until he found an answer. Because if there was one thing the assassin couldn't stand, it was not knowing.

Ah, the young man had finally snapped. And it seemed as though the other clientele of the establishment weren't entirely pleased with the noise. Perhaps it was for the better that he moved to another table.

Walter was perfectly content to finish the last of his sweets in silence. Once done, he left with only a glance in the boy's direction before he passed through the doorway.

His next few days were spent in deep research. The mystery human's looking into philosopher stones in connection with the gem thefts bothered the fairy, leaving him with an increasingly pressing desire to know the reason behind the actions of a certain jewel thief. He poured over news articles both print and digital, practically taking up residence at the local library, though he spent a great deal of time there to begin with; given England's penchant for light drizzles, it was an excellent way to stay dry.

It did not take long for one name to stick out in his examinations of newspaper crime pages. As it turned out, there was a particularly young detective with a thorough interest in uncovering and understanding the motives behind crimes. Reading into his background a bit, Walter figured this Saguru Hakuba, curious as his name may sound, might be able to provide some potentially valuable insight. The problem was, how did he approach this high school detective?

It took him an hour or so of thinking to settle on approaching him at school, and a bit longer to figure out which precise school that was. A few days of research later, a bit of glamouring and a minor deal afforded him a legal record of existence that would take a shallow amount of scrutiny at least. Enough to get him into a school.

The next step, of course, was to study. He'd need a good handle on the material modern students were learning. And so, he spent several weeks reading every school textbook he could get his hands on.

The next step? Enrol in the school as a student. Easy.

Kaito observed Walter's departure out of the corner of his eye. Fucking asshole, he thought churlishly. With everyone's eyes turned back to their own business, Kaito drew out his phone and sent a text to his partner.

You won't believe who I just met...

He recounted the conversation to Shinichi, who took the complaints with his characteristic dry wit and monosyllabic responses. That was fine though - Kaito was the speaker amongst them and his partner was the thinker. What weaknesses they had were made up for by the other's strengths.

Shinichi did not have many comments to make, other than to agree that Kaito had been foolish and inconsistent in his conversation with the other teenager. He posited an answer to the riddle which the stranger had thrown at Kaito ('Perhaps the magic of creation trumping that of prolonged life?'). Whether or not it was the answer the other boy had been implying, Kaito decided to accept it as one so that he could put the matter out of his head.

Mentally waving the stranger aside, Kaito began preparing for the school term ahead. As far as anyone knew, he was a normal, Year 11 student studying for his GCSE exams. Unlike the attitude he had shown Walter, the student known as 'Kaito Kuroba' was an even-tempered boy who was always happy to answer his classmates' questions, but never had time to grow close to any of them due to a job outside of school hours.

His first day back to school was as routine as every other year. Friendly greetings exchanged, classes sorted, timetables handed out. Much to his surprise (and private satisfaction), he was in the same class as Saguru Hakuba.

It was the perfect way to keep an eye on the detective-and-sometimes-thief. The pair didn't know each other except by name. Kaito kept himself apart from the close-knit friendship groups forming around him as the weeks dragged on, content to observe from afar. He did not feel left out as he had never felt like he belonged from the start.

But that would change with the late enrolment of a new transfer student...

It was his first day at the school. Walter peeked in the door, eyes lighting curiously, if warily, on the teacher before he shuffled in, a set of papers on top of the books in his hands. A quick word with the teacher was all he needed to confirm he was in the right room, and soon he found himself directed to stand at the head of the room to face the class.

Slightly bewildered, the fairy-in-disguise nevertheless stood where he was told. Already he could hear hushed whispers sweeping over the room, quietly audible beneath the teacher's announcement of a new transfer student joining their class. Concurrently, he gazed at the faces of the other students, taking in the major details of their faces and body language, making subtle notes about them in his mind. There was the detective. There were a pair of girls pretending to be discreet about something. There was a boy looking at a girl. There was a girl looking very bored for the start of the day. And... oh. A familiar face.

Surprise flashed across Walter's features. It was that boy from the cafe. The magic-curious busybody with the bad temper. The one with the pens.

The shock faded, amusement settling in its place. "My name is Walter," he said, speaking to the class at the teacher's prompting. "Walter C. Dornez. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

That was how you were supposed to introduce yourself to strangers in a formal situation, right?

Kaito's thumb froze on the clicker for his pen. His face went utterly blank. He'd all but forgotten that little irritation from before, wrapped up in playing his part and maintaining surveillance on Hakuba. Really though, what were the bloody odds that they would meet again in these circumstances?!

Shit, he thought. Rather calmly, considering the situation. Panicking would do him no good. How should he react? How should he converse with them? Should he play dumb, or acknowledge that they had met before?

Walter C. Dornez. So that was their name. The surname sounded Germanic, but the boy who carried it did not resemble any German he had ever seen. Mixed background then...?

Kaito dropped his eyes back to his workbook after the introduction was finished and began writing notes. There would be no conversation until recess, so he had until then to think about how he wanted to interact with this unexpected, unwanted complication.

Likewise, Walter was perfectly content to act as though everything were normal until their break from classes. Only he spent far less time thinking about how he would interact with his prior acquaintance. No, instead he filled the pauses in between listening and taking notes with thoughts on how to approach the more renowned member of their class.

Not as a fan. One, he could never pass as the genuine article. In all likelihood he would come across as versed in the young man's affairs as a certain other student came across as being versed in magic. Which was not a lot. Barely at all, save for the most sensationalized gossip. And he wasn't about to repeat any of that nonsense. Two, he doubted such an approach would lead to any level of meaningful conversation.

Fortunately, Kaito's unusually affable behaviour in class gave him an idea. If he wanted to be able to inquire about the detective's opinion about more controversial manners later on, why not inquire as to his opinion something considerably less so to start; say, the behavioural reputation of a student who was previously hostile with you for little reason, yet seems to get along with others in school just fine.

Walter smiled reflexively at the thought, scrawling another line of notes on the back of a paper as he returned his full attention to the teacher's lecture.

Ding dong, bing bong...

All at once the volume swells. Students, released from their textbooks and notes, began to turn to their friends and chatter with brighter smiles on their faces. Kaito sat back with a quiet sigh, stretching his arms above his head while their teacher made one last effort to remind them of their homework. Finally, he thought. Only five or so hours left to endure.

He kept a discreet eye on Hakuba as the other teen neatly packed away their books. Two girls had already turned back to talk with him, speaking in hushed tones about 1412’s upcoming heist. Ah, that's right. That was coming up soon, wasn't it?

His eyes drifted towards the new student next. It seemed as though they were ignoring him for some reason. He wanted to ask why, but that would draw attention. And besides, wasn't it good that this 'Walter' was happy to let him be?

Kaito shoved his notes into his own bag and stood, casually slinging the strap over one shoulder as he slipped out ahead of the crowd. He always sat at the head of the table cluster near the door. That way he could always see who came through. No-one tried to stop him and no-one seemed to notice him - which was just how he liked it.

"Hey, Saguru, aren't you ever going to try and catch that jewel thief? You've caught so many other criminals; surely this guy would be easy."

Saguru shook his head as he stood. In his periphery, he noticed Kuroba ducking out first, as always. Likely trying to beat the canteen line. "I am busy enough assisting Scotland Yard with their cold cases. I don't have time to chase after a thief," he told the girls.

"That sucks," one of them sighed, leaning her arms on the back of her chair. "But I guess someone has to solve the murders around here if the Yard can't."

The three of them broke into light laughter. Saguru glimpsed the new student rising from their seat and raised his voice. "Dornez, do you need someone to show you around?"

"Hm?" The sound of confusion rose unbidden from Walter's throat. He had been caught off guard; never had he expected to be the one approached first. It took him a second to collect his senses. "Oh, right."

An offer, and a sensible one to take up given his position. He was new, and he had yet to survey the layout of the school proper.

He could talk to the detective this way, too. Gathering up his books, he offered a small smile.

"I would appreciate it. If you don't mind, that is."

Saguru shook his head. "It's no trouble."

Excusing himself to the two girls he had been conversing with, he hefted up his bag and slid around the tables to wait for the new boy. "This school is fairly large. It's easy to lose your way."

"Is it really?" Walter walked over, standing alongside the taller boy. By contrast, he looked rather small. But he was also far from done in terms of growing; he'd definitely lied when it came to his official age for the school paperwork. But his posture was relaxed, fingers hooked around the edges of his stack of books.

Maybe he'd get a bag for them soon. The one Saguru had looked useful.

"I'll show you the canteen first." Saguru eyed the other boy's lack of bag. "I'm surprised you didn't bring a bag to hold those books... We have a school shop if you would like to take a look at lunch." Recess being too short a time period to thoroughly tour the school facilities.

As he led the way out into the corridor and downstairs to the canteen, he pointed out the nearest restrooms for each floor, and what sort of classes each block held generally. The school had computer labs and a library for student use in another building.

"Oh yes - what electives did you pick?" he asked curiously. He gave Walter a once-over, trying to discern what their habits or preferences might be. However, he refrained from being too sharp. That tended to make people uncomfortable, he found.

Walter, for his part, did not mind the once-over. Rather, he almost visibly brightened from the non-hostile form of interest.

"Geography, Biology, Physics, and French."

He mercifully didn't need to learn English again, though the classes for that were mandatory. And French was something he hadn't picked up yet... so French it was. Languages would be helpful if he ended up needing to travel out of England. Geography would teach him something about modern boundaries, and features of different lands; both useful in case he needed to find an alternate location for the ritual. Biology was the course he took because he found the subject matter easy, and as for Physics... well, the human world had made significant leaps in technology, and he figured Physics would help him to understand that better.

"Ah. Then we will be sharing classes in biology and physics." Saguru smiled at the other boy. If they weren't so vital for taking a forensics course, he would have picked subjects in the humanities instead. Alas, with the lie he had created as a rising detective star, he had no other options.

He continued, "If you ever need assistance in learning French, I speak it passably well. I believe Kuroba is a native speaker too." Japanese father, French mother, if he remembered correctly from overhearing his classmate's small talk when they first joined the school last year.

"The fellow who sits near the door?" There was a wry twist to Walter's brow. He didn't think the Kuroba boy would be of any help — not with how their previous interactions had gone. But it was an interesting little titbit of information to know. "I think he might be a little busy pretending I don't exist."

"Why is that?" Saguru asked, surprised. Kuroba had shown nothing but politeness to the rest of the class and his year mates. Furthermore, Walter had only just arrived. "Have you met before?"

"Yes. Twice, in fact. And neither time went well." Walter shrugged, the memory conjured up by the simple question as vexing as it was entertaining. "Every time I dared to hope the conversation was turning around for the better, he shot that hope down with a most brutal efficiency."

He frowned, perplexed. "Perhaps he was occupied at the time?" he suggested. "I know he has a job outside of school. You may have caught him at bad times."

Still, Walter's words niggled at him. A person's character did not easily change or switch. Perhaps there was a side of Kuroba none of them had seen...?

"That might explain the first time," Walter conceded. He could have been interrupting at a bad time, even if the boy didn't look like he was dressed for work. "But the second? He approached me."

He offered another shrug. "But if you really think he might have just been cranky because of work, perhaps I shall give him another chance."

Kuroba had approached Walter of his own volition and still been rude? That was odd, but Saguru nodded and let the topic drop for now. Perhaps they could forge a better relationship while in school.

By now the canteen was in sight. He pointed it out to the other boy and raised his voice over the growing volume of student chatter as the rest of the school descended into the courtyard.

"You can purchase food there, but if there's a certain item you want then you'll have to be quick. The early bird gets the worm, as they say." Saguru's lips quirked into a smile. "Lunch orders can be made each morning, before classes begin. The staff will make it fresh on the day."

"Fresh is good." Walter flashed a cheery smirk. "A lot better than ordering something stale." He wondered, sometimes, about those things left out and yet still for sale. Why anyone would buy them, he doesn't know.

"Thank you for showing me around. And for the offer to help me with my French studies." This Saguru Hakuba seemed rather a nice boy. For a human.

"It's no trouble." Saguru smiled at them. "We'll be having our next class here..."

He pointed out the location then bid Walter a temporary farewell. There was no shortage of people who wanted him to join their group for recess, but Saguru declined them all today and made his way to the library for some quick research. He had a heist to prepare for in a few weeks' time.

Company parted, Walter spent the rest of the recess period in the courtyard taking in the greenery and basking in the energy of nature. It felt as though it was over much too quickly, though he supposed it was natural to feel so with how much time he had spent learning the general layout of the school. Nevertheless, he followed the other students in, making his way to the door Saguru had pointed out before their paths had diverged.

He behaved in his following classes, listening to each lecture and participating as was required, and in general continued to be on his best behaviour.

...that is, until lunch time, when, after buying something called a deli sandwich, Walter walked right up to Kuroba. "I heard you might speak French. Do you?"

Over the years, Kaito had managed to claim a certain bench by the side of a building for his own. It allowed him to watch the courtyard at large and observe various comings and goings without looking out of place. Thus, he saw Walter approaching long before the other boy was within earshot. Careful to keep his expression neutral and polite, he swallowed the mouthful of food he had before responding.

"Peut-être que je fais. Pourquoi?"

Evidently, yes.

"One of our classmates suggested that you might have been cranky before because of your job. I'm taking French, so... maybe it could be a way for us make up for starting off on the wrong foot, so to speak. You're free to decline, of course."

Walter didn't want to extend an olive branch just to see it burned and used to set him on fire, after all. But at least this way he could tell the detective that he had given the boy another chance.

That would be Hakuba, he thought privately. Trust the guy to make excuses for his classmates. He liked to believe that everyone had some good in them, that no-one was bad for the sake of it. Such a naive way of thinking.

As for Walter's request - Kaito gave it some thought. He was still a little pissed off at the guy. Ideally, he would avoid forming too many close relationships where people might question and go looking for him if something unexpected happened. Going to school at all was already dangerous. He could decline on the basis of being too busy with 'work'...

But then again, as Walter said, it was a chance to start over. Maybe he could get close and draw out what they knew of magic in-between lessons.

"...Sure. I'll help you," he said eventually. "But if you're expecting extra lessons, I can only do those before first period starts."

With the pause stretching on between them, Walter was on the verge of accepting that Kaito would reject the offer when the boy spoke up again. Still, the fairy observed, he seemed to be hesitant about the idea. In that case, less was more. He wasn't trying to force a friendship with the boy. "No lessons. I just want to talk. And if you catch me saying something incorrectly, you can tease me for it."

That was a fair exchange, he thought. And it worked with the normal flow of human conversation.

Kaito nodded and began eating again. A self-made meal, Walter might notice. With a bottled drink bought from the canteen.

"That works. Though I don't know how much you expect to talk if you're an absolute beginner."

"A little bit at a time." Walter tilted his head to one side, observing with a smile. The meal looked interesting. The drink less so, but perhaps it was because of the bottle it came in. "It's better that way, is it not? Since we have such trouble getting along."

He uttered a soft 'hah!' and took a swig from his drink. Some generic cold chocolate drink. "Well, if that's all your satisfied with then fine. But if you seriously want to be able to speak the language then come to the library before school starts. I'll be in one of the study cubicles."

With the intelligence he had, he took it as a mild affront to do a half-assed job of something.

Ah, a chocolate flavour label. Now the drink was more interesting. The boy had been drinking hot chocolate the last time they met. Perhaps it was a flavour he was particular towards?

As for the offer the boy had extended, Walter found himself sceptical of it. As one of the fairy folk, he harboured no desire to create debts. Least of all with someone who had previously been hostile with him and shown interest in topics he felt humans were not to be trusted with the knowledge of.

He would need to make a payment up front, and see how much of a lesson would be offered in return.

"I shall keep that in mind. If you are there often, you may see me there either way. I enjoy reading."

He nodded brusquely. Unaware of the implications of offering a favour to a fey, Kaito considered the matter settled, as far as he was concerned. He raised an eyebrow at the other boy.

"Anything else you wanted or was that it?"

"That is all. I'll leave you to your lunch now." He inclined his head, a respectful gesture, before stepping back and turning to walk off. He would seek out a secluded place in which to partake of his purchased meal. There, he could finally set his things down and rub at the itches that bothered him.

The sandwich tasted odd. He didn't even finish half of it before wrapping it up, thinking that perhaps some wild animal would like it better.

By the end of the physics class, he was feeling nauseous. Genuinely ill. It was an increasingly taxing chore to sit up straight, and even more difficult to concentrate. "What manner of foul sorcery did they enact upon that sandwich...?"

Eight more minutes. Eight more minutes until it was over. But there was still one class left, his brain supplied to him, enhancing his misery. A whole class full of... this unpleasant queasiness. And the itchiness.

Kaito watched Walter walk off, uncertain how to feel about their interaction. With the school yard as a whole preventing him from acting out as he had in that cafe, it wasn't surprising that their third meeting was less hostile. Absinthe's rebuke also remained at the back of his mind: 'You messed up.'

Pressing his lips together, he turned his attention back to his lunch. He only had a few more minutes of relative peace to enjoy before it was back to their dull, mundane classes. Maybe he'd be able to get into Walter's good graces after all...


Saguru had been keeping an eye on the student throughout the day. They seemed to be settling in rather well, he thought. Some students had made attempts to chat with Walter in class, and Walter himself was an attentive listener.

But as the day drew to a close, he noticed they were starting to slump. Walter would shift uncomfortably, his eyes unfocused, answers slow and ponderous to come when questions were directed his way. One could attribute it to the topic - physics - but Saguru wasn't so sure that was the case.

Once the bell rang, he approached Walter again. "Dornez, are you feeling alright? You seem a bit off."

"My earlier selection of sustenance appears to sorely disagree with me, and my skin feels as though I have lain upon a bed of nettles."

In other words, he felt sick to his stomach and he was itching rather badly. But the more distracted he was by his troubles, the more difficulty he had in remembering what was modern and what was outdated in terms of English speech patterns.

"Why do you ask, good sir?"

'Good sir'...? Saguru looked taken aback for a moment. He quickly regained his composure. "Ah, I can take you to the infirmary if you're feeling sick." He looked around for someone who would be sharing their next class. "Kuroba, can you let our teacher know I'll be late?"

The other boy glanced at Walter. "Sure," they said, before disappearing in that quick and quiet fashion he always did. Saguru didn't even have time to thank him.

Saguru turned back to Walter. "Come on, it's not far from here," he said encouragingly, holding out a hand.

Oh. By the look on Saguru's face, Walter could tell he'd made a slip of some sort. Silently, he cursed his folly. Even Kuroba had witnessed that.

Unfortunately, it was too late to undo what had already been done. The words were spoken. Yet, for all their oddity, the blond young man remained, bidding him to come along.

Coming to a stand, Walter gathered his things. "I am sorry to have caused you trouble."

"It's no trouble," Saguru demurred. "Better safe than sorry."

It would cause more trouble were Walter to throw up in the middle of class. Not to mention the strange itching the other boy complained of. That sounded like a reaction of some sort. An allergy perhaps? But surely Walter would be aware of his own allergies...

After waiting for Walter to pack up, he inclined his head. "This way." Saguru led the way to the school's main office first, where he informed the staff that there was a sick student. The nurse came out to greet them and escorted them both to the sick bay.

"Itching and nausea, you said?" she asked. The question was directed at Walter.

"Yes. The itching started earlier in the day, and the other after lunch." The fairy went were he was bade to go and allowed the nurse to examine him. He did not drop his glamour, and thus the extent of the redness was somewhat masked, but his skin had raised bumps that followed the line of his shirt, stopping where the sleeves and collar ended.

An allergy it was.

Saguru awkwardly hovered from afar while the nurse examined Walter's skin. After a few minutes, the woman glanced at him and said he could leave if he wanted to, but he shook his head.

"Dornez is new. I'd like to stay with him, if that is alright."

That got an amused glance, and a comment that if he weren't so well known for his grades then she would insist on sending him back to class. Saguru offered a polite smile back.

So, an allergy was it? "Is your skin sensitive to synthetic fabrics?" he asked Walter.

"...I've only ever worn natural fabrics," Walter supplied in return. He wasn't even sure what a synthetic fabric was. "Plant fibres and animal hair. And leather." Tanned in the natural fashion, naturally.

A small huff just shy of a chuckle. "I see. That explains it then."

It was unusual for Walter to be wholly unaware of his sensitivity to synthetic fabrics given how widespread they were in current times, but perhaps it had something to do with his upbringing. Saguru wasn't going to probe into the particulars.

"You'll have to arrange for a uniform made entirely of cotton," Saguru mused. "The ones we're wearing now are made of a blend of cotton and polyester. It may be the polyester which is irritating your skin. That doesn't explain the nausea, however..."

The nurse immediately queried what Walter had eaten for lunch earlier.

"I had one of those deli sandwiches they sell here... The meat tasted odd, so I didn't finish it." He rubbed at his shoulder, keenly miserable in his current state. Yet, he noticed, the detective almost seemed amused at his circumstances.

It was enough to make him sulk a little.

Those sandwiches... As Saguru recalled, they contained ham, cheese, and salad filling. "It must have been off," he said after a pause. "I don't believe anyone else was complaining of an upset stomach so you must have been unlucky."

Food poisoning and an allergic reaction on their first day of school. Saguru felt immense sympathy for the other boy.

The nurse performed a few other cursory checks to make sure there was nothing else wrong with Walter. "You can rest here until it's time to go home," she told him. "I'll get you a container in case you feel like throwing up."

A skin allergy. A bad reaction to food. He hadn't connected the dots yet, but it all traced back to a simple fact of modern existence in the human world; contact with the synthetic, the artificial, the unnatural. He was a being of nature and the magic thereof; as he had yet to discover, things formulated in laboratories were not likely to agree with his stomach, and more likely to cause adverse reactions if otherwise kept in prolonged contact, especially where heat was involved. Still, he had the first clue to the mystery of his unfortunate condition; synthetic fabric. He would have to look up what that is.

...when he didn't feel like retching. "Thank you," he said to the nurse, grateful for her assistance. He knew she was already being compensated, but nevertheless resolved to arrange for a proper show of appreciation. Maybe some fruit.

As the nurse went to fetch the container, Walter's gaze shifted back to Saguru. "I guess that's that." He was going to miss French class. And be further behind.

Saguru smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry, I'm sure the teacher will understand. I'll ask Kuroba if he won't mind me making a copy of his notes tomorrow."

He glanced at the nurse then back to Walter. "Would you like me to stay, or will you be fine on your own? I've already studied the content I expected us to cover in class, so it won't be too much trouble for me to miss one period."

Walter was unsure about the offer. On the one hand, it would be a greater debt, even if, by the other boy's admission, it would be only a minor inconvenience. On the other hand, he might be able to talk to the detective more.

...On the other hand, Saguru might see him throw up. It was bad enough that the nurse might see him in such a state. For two people he did not know to witness such... it would be embarrassing.

"...I will be alright." In time, he added mentally. He would get over this. "You have work, too, don't you? As a detective..."

"Ah..." Saguru looked surprised but then he chuckled. He was still caught off-guard by how far his reputation preceded him sometimes. "Yes. I do. However, those matters wait until after school. And I'm not consulted on every case the Yard comes up against. They're not completely incompetent."

But as Walter wished, he would return to class. Saguru inclined his head to the nurse as they returned with a small bucket. "I'll head back then. I hope you recover quickly. It would be a shame if you were to miss further lessons, especially at this point in the term."


It took Walter the entire night to recover from the nausea. That said, he had managed to purchase a bag to carry his books and other school-related items in. He had even managed to find one made of cotton, which, not being weather-proof, meant it was one of the cheaper types for sale.

The next morning, after buying some fruit at a local grocery, he stopped at the cafe from his earlier altercation with Kuroba to buy a pair of chocolate chip scones to bring to the school library. Everything went into paper bags; his fruit in the kind usually reserved for wine bottles, and the scones into a little bag of their own.

He didn't wear the school uniform today, for obvious reasons, but attempted to get as close to its appearance as he could manage from the clothes that he owned. Fortunately, he already had decent slacks, a silk tie, and a white button-up shirt to work with. It was in these clothes that he walked into the school library a full half-hour before class started, scanning the study cubicles for sign of Kuroba.

When Walter found the room Kaito had sequestered himself in, he would find that the boy wasn't alone. There were three other students with their heads bent over textbooks seated at the communal table: two boys, one girl. All focused on different subjects. One of the boys was in quiet discussion with Kaito about a maths problem before Walter's appearance caused them both to look up. While the boy looked quizzical, Kaito's eyes went first to the paper bag Walter carried then the boy himself.

The lull in conversation prompted the other two to also glance up so that four pairs of eyes stared at the newcomer.

"Here for my French notes, right? Hakuba told me." Kaito gestured at an empty chair. "Take a seat."

Hakuba told him. Walter connected the dots in his mind. So, Saguru had informed his classmate of the situation on returning to class. He should have expected it; Saguru had been the one to tell him of Kaito's probable expertise in the French language in the first place. But, somehow the possibility of this happening hadn't occurred to him.

Walter didn't take the seat as bidden... at least at first. Instead, he approached to extend the smaller of the bags — the sack from the cafe — towards the other boy. "This is for you. For however much of a lesson you are willing to give."

Payment up front; two chocolate chip scones.

Kaito stared at the bag, unable to prevent a slight widening of the eyes. One of them was for him? He cautiously accepted the bag and peeked inside.

Chocolate chip scones. From that cafe he liked to frequent, if he wasn't mistaken about the smell. While the paranoid side of him was loathe to accept food from someone unless he had seen them take a bite first, he could hardly reject the gift entirely.

He smiled wryly at Walter as he folded the top of the bag down. "Sit," he repeated, before bending down to rummage in his bag for the copy of notes he had made for Walter.

Satisfied, the fairy youth at last took the indicated seat. He made use of the time Kuroba spent rummaging by pulling out his French book, eyes scanning over the lines of text. "I mostly need help with pronunciation. I can read and understand the text just fine, but the book doesn't seem to go into a lot of detail on how the words are spoken."

"Most people find speaking more difficult than reading or writing."

Kaito reappeared shortly with a thin sheaf of typed notes. He pushed them over to Walter. "That's the summary of what we went over in class. But I'm gonna start you off reading about linguistic notation first, because that'll help you pronounce words going forward."

Another sheet of paper was placed on top of the small stack. This one had a list of the aforementioned notation alongside examples of words in British English where one would find the sounds. "Luckily for you," he drawled, "I'm a native speaker. Get started on that first and ask me if you have any questions."

"Alright." Linguistic notation; it was another thing to look up in his mental list of things to look up. Fortunately, he'd learned enough of recent-modern British English from his last trips to the human world to serve as a reference point in this case. Immersion had helped immensely.

Walter read the words silently, mouthing the words as his eyes scanned them in imitation of speech, yet without voice. The other students were asking their assorted questions, and he didn't interrupt.

However, as soon as there was a decent lull, he ventured to ask a question. "So you're taking French, too?" Or was there some system in place where students could also be helpers in a given class?

"Hmm? Yeah." Kaito's response was absent. The span of half an hour always ended quicker than one expected and he had his own homework to complete. "Advanced class. Just me and Hakuba and one other guy. Not enough for a proper class so we got merged with the beginners. Means I can help everyone else too so it's a win-win for our teacher."

Which is how he knew what to pass on to Walter.

The advanced class sharing a space with the beginners. Did that mean he would be sharing another classroom with the both of them?

"It is a wonder you don't make a small fortune tutoring other students." Walter spoke half in jest. It would be a good opportunity, he thought. One that didn't require travelling around, as long as it was done at the school.

"I could. But I already have another job." Kaito neatly wrote out the final proof for his mathematics exercise and flipped the notebook shut. With his homework finished, he leant back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head, yawning. "I'm barely getting our homework done each day as it is."

It was a convenient lie. He finished most of the difficult work when wasn't performing reconnaissance or following up leads on jewels, leaving a small portion to finish in the morning and claim 'lack of time'.

"Then why tutor anyone at all?" Walter ignored any looks that might have come from the other students. It didn't make sense for him to do something to the point of struggling with his own schoolwork when dropping it was easily an option, assuming his job provided a decent amount of pay.

The other students tried to hide it, but they were discreetly glancing between Kaito and Walter. The transfer student wasn't the only one who had wondered this. His year mates had, until now, simply been too polite to ask.

Kaito crossed his arms and stared them down until they went back to work. Then he sighed, knowing they wouldn't focus without some kind of answer.

"Originally I wasn't going to," he muttered. "It started with Jason practically begging me to help with chemistry. Then Claire asking for help with English since I kept getting top marks. And then Dennis came to me because he has dyscalculia."

He noticed all three of his students staring at him and immediately coloured. "But I'm not taking any more on!" he blustered. "They're all sworn to secrecy. Isn't that right?"

The student called Dennis leaned over to stage-whisper in Walter's ear. "He says that but he invited you here, didn't he?"

It was odd, seeing Kuroba blush like that. Was he embarrassed about it? Whether or not he was, Walter didn't have much time to think on it before one of the other students was talking to him. Walter muttered in reply. "He did."

He had approached the boy in order to potentially settle their dispute and Kuroba had gone and turned it into an offer for lessons. In comparison to the other three, he was the odd one out, so to speak.

"So, how much are you paying him?" It wouldn't hurt to know the normal range of recompense for lessons, he felt.

Kaito's three students had the decency to look sheepish. "We're not paying him anything," Claire said. "I tried to but he refused."

"I'm getting enough pay from my job," Kaito interjected. "This isn't taking out that much time in my day anyway. I always get here early."

He wasn't going to admit that he got some satisfaction out of seeing improvement in those he tutored. It was a nice feeling. Almost as nice as that of a job completed for the Organisation.

The other students weren't paying him anything? Nothing at all? It made no sense. Especially given his prior interactions with the boy.

Well, if monetary recompense wasn't an option, he would have to stick with food.

"You're an odd one, Kuroba."

Kaito opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment the bell for first period rang. He pressed his lips together and took advantage of the cover of the table to hide his face as he packed away his utensils and books. He dawdled long enough for the other three to finish ahead of him and leave. Whether Walter did the same or waited for him was up to them.

He shouldn't be growing too close to any of them. There was no room in an assassin's heart for sentiment. That was the first lesson which had been drilled into his head. Because one day he might have to kill them.

His teacher might have frowned if they could see him now. However, he hadn't been able to say no to any of them.

"Moscato suits you," he recalls his teacher snorting. "Too sweet for your own good. Get rid of that bleeding heart or it will kill you one day."