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The problem with Vala collapsing wasn't just that it called her competency and endurance into question... it was that she had been holding Cassius up. His bruised solar plexus was still leading to some wobbly knees. However, before he could join her on the ground, a slender arm held him up.

"Thank you miss-" he told the girl... named... Dmitry.

Oh.

"Uh, I mean, th-thank you... Dmitry?" Cassius swallowed hard. Uniform mess up indeed.

Cassius did as Mitya suggested, focusing on his breathing. Soon enough his legs steadied up again and he was good. Well, mostly. He was still forced to breath through his mouth as his nose was still somewhat clogged from the swelling and congealed blood. 

"Sure, no problem, I'll take you to the main office," Cassius said and nodded. "Err, one second."

That said, he couldn't just leave Vala on the ground. He felt responsible somehow, having been the first person to engage with her after her speech. He knelt down to shake her shoulder gently... and suddenly he arm shot up and grabbed his shirt collar. Her grip was like iron and he realized that sleeping or not, that absurd power was still coursing through her.

The next thing he knew he was flipped onto his back, Vala over him, fist reared back.

"H-h-hey! Fight's over!" Cassius wheezed and held his hands up in surrender.

"Whu-" Vala blinked, slowly remembering where she was and what she'd been doing. Then her eyes snapped wide and she let him go, slapping her hands over her mouth as she gasped in shock. "I-I'm shorry!" she still slurred a bit.  She then shut her eyes hard and shook her head rapidly. "OK... OK..." She blinked again, rapidly as if trying to focus. "I'm g-" [i]hiccup[/i] "I'm good now..." she blushed a bit in embarrassment.

Cassius sat up, coughing a bit again. At least he hadn't been punched this time.

"Um, um, here!" Vala suddenly held her flask out for Cassius.

"Um, I don't thinking numbing myself with alcohol is a good idea..." Cassius pulled back a bit.

"It's not booze..." Vala frowned, again pushing the flask toward him.

"Oh, uhh..." He supposed alcohol didn't make people that strong. "So... what is it?"

"Blood!" She grinned.

. . .

"What?" Cassius's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"It's a long story, but it makes me strong! For other people, a few drops makes them feel better!" she insisted.

". . . OK." Well... he didn't want to be rude. He took it tipped it, but the golden liquid within oozed out very slowly.

"Careful, not too much though. Then you get side-effects." Vala warned him as the liquid finally dripped into his mouth. Between the strange taste and the belated warning Cassius coughed and sputtered. It was weird; like liquid pop-rocks. It had no real flavor, just sensation and warmth. However, the pain quickly faded and he could once again breathe through his nose. All was well that ended well, he supposed.

"Th-thanks." He handed it back. "Anyway, um, Vala this here is Dmitry-"

"A girl named Dmitry?"

"Err, no, he... Never mind. He's new here too, so I'm gonna show him around and bring him to the main office-"

"OK! I'll come too!" Vala smiled and popped up onto her feet.

"Oh. OK." Cassius supposed it was fine, she was new too after all. He might as well bring both. "So, uh, right this way." He nodded to Mitya and began leading him, and Vala, into the school. He gave brief descriptions of what halls led where, covering as much as he could on the short trip to the office.