[IC] Darkness

[Zetsuko]

Nybras began eating along with the others, there seemed so few of them, he looked around the table as he ate but his eyes wound up falling to Aku and Valencia again, they seemed the only one that stood out, it almost seemed as if they were the only ones there, just the three of them. he let out a soft sigh and raised his own glass along with Aku and muttered under his breath "to the beginning" and took a sip.

[Aqutanama]

Aku sat there watching as others ate the food. He couldn’t help but try to enjoy the meal through his new additions. As they ate he looked over each. It seemed that some were silent as the night and withdrawn into themselves.

“So what did you all wish to learn from me while here?” Aku asked a general question to everyone waiting for others to answer. When he heard a toast of sorts he smiled and nodded but added something.

“To the here and now. The Beginning started long ago.” He said to Harkon with a grin. When Valencia complemented his food he smiled brighter. He did like to cook and rarely got to do so. Having someone who could actually enjoy the meal was something new to him.

“Thank you.” He paused briefly as he looked at her.

“As you probably know, I’m a vampire and cannot enjoy my own cooking or that of others.” He admitted to the group and his smile held fangs. It would probably seem strange to the group that they didn’t notice something like that before.

“I think I would like to give you all riddles. I do like to get the mind flowing that way. That and the night is just starting.” He said as he pulled another drink from his glass.

[Vampy]

Moriko thought a little while before answering Aku's question over what she liked to learn. "I would like to learn the real story of what happened in the past. I have heard 2 kinds but I know that they do not tell what really happened." The last part frustrated her a lot.

A toast broke on to celebrate the beginning of the new school. Moriko didn't say anything, she listened to what everyone said to each other. Moriko did join to cling her glass with Harkon and Aku.

After the toast Moriko didn't say anything. She ate her meal and then heard a thanks form Aku. She looked up and smiled a little. Then Aku told them what he was and everything makes sense now. Everything what happened so far, it makes sense. Moriko didn't knew what to say so she looked at Aku and smiled.

Riddles, something that can be fun but also a pain. Moriko loved to play a game of riddles when she was younger but that stopped when she discovered the meaning behind it. She shook her head. This can be fun!

[Zetsuko]

Nybras returned Aku's grin and nodded. he honestly wasn't that surprised that Aku was a vampire, it actually made sense. he leaned back in his chair with his drink, humming and waiting for these riddles Aku want to give them.

[Aqutanama]

Aku was somewhat mesmerized as he watched everyone eat. He was somewhat dazed by the people eating food. He listened to their conversations as the students tried to get to know one another. He was surprised that these young people were alright with him being a vampire. It brought a smile to his face as he looked at his young friends.

“Well, the riddles will be simple ones. I think…” He paused looking around the room.

“You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. This is the first riddle.” He said as he looked at the children.

[Vampy]

Moriko stopped with eating when Aku told the first riddle. It sounded familiar to her some how. She thought deeply but nothing came in mind. A thought of the past came up. Moriko started to stare down looking. Sunken in thoughts of what the answer is. She began to lost track of the riddle and began to wander off the path to the answer. Moriko shook her head to lose the thoughts it made her feel bad. She took her glass and took a sip but it didn't tasted good any more.

[Zetsuko]

Nybras swirled his drink as he pondered the riddle in his head 'hmm...perhaps...no, not quite. knife to cut...maybe it means a type of food, such as a head of lettuce?...but who would weep for lettuce, no it couldn't be, perhaps a plant...dead flowers...mmh no it-stop Nybras, you're overthinking it' He took a sip 'he said it was simple, wait could it be...' his thought process came full circle as he said aloud "...an Onion?"

[Aqutanama]

Aku watched as the students all thought about his riddle but only one said the answer out loud.

“What gave it away? Perhaps it was my love for cooking meals?” Aku asked Harkon as he looked at the young looking… creature? He knew what his race was but for some reason his mind was drawing a blank. He looked at him studying his movements and wondered why he was here.

“Harkon is correct by the way so you all may stop guessing. An onion is the correct answer. For the next riddle…” He paused for dramatic weight. Looking around the small round table. It was strange how the table seemed to shrink bringing them all closer together. Although it was also something to note that each had ample room to eat and have fun.

“Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?” He asked them all as he grinned at his empty cup. It took him a minute to refill it with a pitcher sitting near him. As he didn’t have a plate of food.

[Vampy]

Moriko look up to the others when she heard the answer. It was Harkon who got it right. Stay calm this is for fun. You know that you can do it. Moriko cleared her head of thoughs. That calms her a little. She took her glass again and drinks a bit. This time she has to get the answer right.

"Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die." repeated Moriko with a soft voice afther Aku told the next riddle. poor people have it. What is it that poor people have? They are happy with the things the have and that is almost nothing. Moriko looked up. "Nothing.... If you eat nothing you die..." she mumbled softly. Moriko looked around. Aku have everything so he needs nothing. That is it! and she began to smile. "It's nothing!"

[Zetsuko]

Nybras smiled, saying "yes the food did have something to do with it". he watched as the next riddle set the students to pondering again until Valencia came out with an answer, nothing, it seemed the answer to him so he waited to see if it was indeed the answer to Aku's riddle. Looking from Valencia to Aku as he took another drink.

[Aqutanama]

This time Valencia was the one to answer his riddle and with that he smiled.

“Very good, that is correct.” He admitted as he looked over the other students who seemed to be closed off. He let out a small sigh as he looked at them. They seemed uninterested in the conversation. Perhaps it was just because they were new and didn’t know how to act around him. Maybe they just didn’t like the fact he was a Vampire.

“The next riddle is… What tastes better than it smells?” He told them as he peered into his empty glass. He couldn’t help the fact he was drinking more and more blood lately. Probably due to the fact that they were around.

[Vampy]

Moriko was really happy to her that her answer was good. By the hearing of the new riddle. "What smells tastes better than it smells?" she looked up to Harkon with a questing meaning on her face in the hope that he knows the answer. It could be a lot of things. Hummm... Moriko looked back to her plate. "Cheese smells bad but tastes good...." she said with a solft thinking voice.

[Zetsuko]

Harkon smiled at Valencia when she got the answer correct. He, however, frowned at the next riddle 'what tastes better than it smells?' he thought 'this is hardly fair, that applies to too many things' he looked at Aku 'could the answer be hinted with something here?' Aku'd been drinking the red liquid from the glass which he'd assumed was blood when Aku confirmed that he was a vampire, could that have been what he meant...blood? no, couldn't have. out of a strange urge he brought a hand up and tentatively licked the back of his wrist.

[Vampy]

Moriko looked t Harkon who was looking to Aku. what is it that he is drinking.... could it be?..... She looked at the glass that he was holding. A red liquid was in it, she looked better at it and focused her self on the smell of it. It.....it is........blood. Her eyes widened but then it made sens since he was a vampire. Moriko knows how it smells and tastes from her past. So maybe the answer is blood.... Moriko looked back at Harkon to see if he was thinking the same thing. She took her glass and waited to see if what she was thinking was right.

[Aqutanama]

Aku laughed as they solved the riddle. Every action he did seemed to lead to the correct answer for the riddles he told them. He let out a small sigh of happiness and looked at the two who were entertaining him. He bridged his fingers and rested his chin on them. He thought of the next riddle and at first his riddles were simple. This one was a bit different. He looked throughout the room at the students who were all eating.

“This next one is old… I think. What is the creature that walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon and three in the evening?" He asked as he looked over each person in the room.

[Zetsuko]

'so he did mean blood' Nybras thought 'so he's hinting each riddle with his actions' though is wasn't needed on the next one, he'd actually heard this one before, it was referring to the way humans commonly age, how they crawl when newly born, the four legs in the morning, learn to walk on two feet when they've grown, the evening, and when they've grown old they use a cane for support, the third leg. "Humans" he said, it was the most common answer at least...

[Vampy]

Moriko sight of happiness when she heard it was right. She couldn't believe at first but it really was the answer. The next one. this one is easy. "Humans" she said with Harkon on the same time. She heard this one as a kid. So she knew the answer right away. Moriko looked at Aku she was interested in how he was going to react that they solved the riddle this quickly.

[Aqutanama]

Aku let out a smile as both of the students who were participating answered simultaneously. He took another drink from his goblet and looked around. They seemed to be done eating and more interested in his riddles at this point.

“Well, I guess you all know these riddles. They are good but still. I was going to come up with something new but alas the night is young. I will see you all in the afternoon. If you all wish to sleep now then you may do so. Although if you stay up I could just start teaching you all now. Then again you are all probably exhausted from the journey here. With that I excuse myself.” He said as he scooted out of his chair and took his blood with him. He exited the room and as he did another “him” walked into the room from the kitchen. Quickly he started to clear the table.

“Are you finished?” He asked with a smile to each student. This was probably the biggest puzzle that the students would have to face. How does he do that?

[Zetsuko]

Nybras paid no mind to the fact that Aku was appearing in multiple places at one, he figured it was part of the magic the how-ever-old vampire knew. he nodded at the Aku that was clearing the table before excusing himself and getting up. he headed out of the dining room back toward his own room, once there he sighed, tipping his head back and relaxing as he shed some of his clothes and collapsed onto the bed.

[Vampy]

Moriko finished the last of her drink and got up. She pulled the map out of her pocket to see where the entrance to the garden was. While surging she didn't pay attention to the fact that Aku walked out of the room and another Aku came in. The other students went back to there rooms. Moriko pickedup the map and started walking to the entrance to the garden. It didn't took long or she found it. Moriko opened the door and walked outside. It was a beautiful night. Moriko disided to walk to the middle of the garden. There were many kinds of flowers and plants. Even ones that she hadn't seen before.