{open} Working like Clockwork

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] Thane walked down the corridor in solitude. Of course, even with the perpetually bored expression he wore, his eyes were keen as they surveyed the walls. If he wasn't mistaken, this was the corridor of classrooms where demon-related subjects were taught. He wasn't sure if any classes were in session at the moment but he was relatively sure he wasn't going to be welcomed by either staff or student. Was he really snooping and poking his nose into places where it was obvious people didn't want him? Well, of course. That was, practically, his job description this time around. Despite himself, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. Although this wasn't his old school, the architecture was similar. So far, there hadn't been anything for Thane to really nitpick about, nothing he had seen that would even remotely interest him enough to consider bringing before the Higher Ups. That didn't mean Thane wouldn't uncover every single dirty little secret that True Cross West was hiding, of course. It was only a matter of time and Thane was a patient man by all standards. Besides, skeletons, he found, had quite the tendency to jump out of closets by themselves -- no aid required. The inspector just had to stay around long enough for that opportunity to present itself. Sounding like that, though, it was almost as if he was rooting for the school to lose in this game. In a way, he was; and in another, he wasn't. What he believed in was that no place on Earth was sparkling clean without one or two secrets they desperately wanted to find. And well, if they were able to keep said secrets away from Thane and the other two inspectors until such a time when they were recalled from this mission, well, let's just say Thane thought they deserved to keep those secrets just a little longer.

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

The petite blonde strut her way down the hall, head tilted lowand arms crossed heavily before her chest as she muttered darkly to herself. "So what if I punch like a girl. In case they haven't noticed, I happen to be a girl..." Her complaints dwindled into incoherent scoffs and grunts. It was... the usual scenario. Danielle had never been fond of combat. It was, in her opinion, much too brutal and much too uncivilized, and it didn't help that her classmates enjoyed picking her as a parter - if only because she was among the worst at defending herself. "And besides, aren't tamers supposed to let their familiars fight for them?!" Danielle's voice took a sudden spike in crescendo as she threw her hands out in the air.

"Eep~" her hands flew to clasp over her mouth when she realized that she wasn't alone. Correction. Not only was she not alone, she'd run into him. How embarrassing! She thought as color flooded her cheeks. She was suddenly very aware of how dishevelled she looked. Having just ended her lesson, her gym clothes were unkempt, patches of her fair skin bore unpleasant red marks - precursors of even more unpleasant bruises and her hair looked the sort that Chaos would enjoy nesting in. She was so very worked up about herself that she'd forgotten that she was supposed to be absolutely furious with Thane Valentine.

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] The inspector had only just noted the second Hobgoblin nest within the classrooms from the hallway when his senses were perked. It was so very true that Tamers weren't supposed to be good in physical combat but over the years, Thane had become very acquainted to detecting the presence of others. It was something one developed when one was perpetually aware one was vulnerable and that every second one gained ahead of one's enemy was another one he could spend countering. If Thane had a dollar for every time he cheated death by seconds, he'd be richer than the church. Well... maybe not the church, but sufficiently so. And even if he didn't sense her presence, no one could miss the shrill near-shriek she was sending down the hallway. One corner of his lips curled at her statement. From the look of things, it seemed someone didn't have a particularly good lesson this day. He watched in some amusement as she finally realized she wasn't alone. With awry hair and a few pre-bruises dotting her fair skin, she was a mess. "Is something the matter, Miss Dunesworth?" Thane asked, feigning ignorance and wiping his half-smirk off his face. Hell hath no fury like a woman's (even a mini one, he supposed) wrath. "You seem rather distressed this morning."

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

It took a while for her to process his words and a while longer for her to piece together a reply. And before either of that, was a few moments of vainly trying to remove the magenta flush on her cheeks. Of all people to run into after her least favourite class!

But like the educated young lady that she was, Dani eventually rediscovered the usage of her tongue. "Humph," she began, flipping her nose to the side. "You needn't be so formal, you know. You've only known me since I was a kid, Mr. Valentine." Technically, at age fifteen, Danielle was still a kid, but hey, who was keeping track? Ugh, it felt weird calling him 'Mister'. But then, this wasn't the same Thane Valentine that she used to know, was it? The Thane Valentine she used to know was a really nice person who wouldn't go about causing trouble for the school, now would he? So what if he were on the orders of the Holy See? It wasn't as though he needed to purposely be so diligent about finding faults in her friends and in the academy.

Her expression softened a little as she cast her gaze upwards at the much-taller inspector. "I'll bet your classmates didn't try to turn you into a human punching bag when you were an exwire..." she said bitterly. It was so much easier when one was tall, and cool and handsome. Wait- what on earth was she thinking?! Danielle shook herself, very much like a hellhound would after an unpleasant shower. "Ah- well, I won't be keeping you then," she crossed her arms and made to leave.

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] Thane chuckled a little at the little girl's haughty behavior when she crossed her arms and announced she was leaving. Very much like her mother, he noted, though he wasn't sure if he could call it an intentionally flattering compliment. "I apologize, Danielle," he said before she could fully turn her heel, allowing a small grin to spread across his features. "It wasn't my intention to be entirely formal. I just didn't think that you would want to be associated with one of the evil inspectors sent to cause trouble for True Cross West. Why not stay for a chat? For old time's sake." "And as a matter of fact," the older tamer said, sliding one hand into his coat pocket. "No, I was never used as a punching bag by my peers." A small sense of nostalgia washed over him as he recalled his childhood memories of 'grand school life'. "I made it a point to befriend the knights of his class, particularly the talented ones. Gym was less unbearable when they intentionally went easy on me." While others might have found shame saying something like that, Thane didn't. A tamer had other strengths and physical combat wasn't one of them. Yet it was a compulsory subject. Hence, if one couldn't do well in the subject, one might as well make it easier to bear throughout school life.

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

AH-HAH! So he was admitting to intentionally causing trouble for the academy. Danielle's mouth fell partially open but the snide rebuke never came. Was Thane actually talking about his experiences with her? Just like he used to? For the briefest moment, the picture of the 'evil inspector' - the very one Dani had pasted across the face of Thane Valentine - fell away, leaving behind that big-brother figure she used to know.

A few short moments passed in silence as Dani gauged the consequences of a temporary truce with the inspector. It was acceptable, she decided. It also helped that Dani's reputation mattered very little right after combat class. "That would be a problem," she muttered, "except I don't see any evil inspectors around at the moment." She was looking up at him again. "But I'd rather we have our chat in another venue. I think I've had enough of this corridor for today." For the whole week really, but alas, there would be another combat lesson in two days time.

She ran her hand through her hair, smoothing most of the locks. "And for the record, I am great friends with the knights in my class," she said. "I think it's for that very reason that they seem so very insistent on drumming the concepts of close-combat into my body." Just what did it take for them to understand that Danielle Dunesworth simply wasn't made for fighting?!

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] The smile on his face broadened when Danielle accepted his invitation to continue their conversation though she did propose a change of venue. Initially, Thane thought that she was concerned at being associated with him after all. Who wouldn't, really? Thane wouldn't be shown much love for the length of his stay, as he expected when he accepted the post, but that didn't mean that he had to drag others down with him. Danielle should be more than aware but then, she clarified herself, claiming that she merely didn't want to be in these corridors anymore. A grin of understanding was offered to the young exwire. "Then they merely have your best interests at heart," Thane said. If it wasn't humiliation on their mind then it was fine. "I could name a number of times where I could have made use of a more physically athletic body." Most of them with life-threatening results, he solemnly noted inwardly. He didn't think it was necessary to share quite that amount of information with the girl. "How about the chapel?" he asked. "I find that it's oddly peaceful there. Though, I would have imagined that you would want to make yourself presentable as soon as opportunity presented itself." He added the last bit as a semi-tease. She didn't particularly look 'good' at the moment, after all. Not that he minded but the Dunesworth were quite infamous for being notoriously concerned for their outlook at every breathing moment.

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

"I'd actually thought about eventually picking up a second meister to make up for my physical shortcomings," she mused. "It isn't all that wise to bang one's head against an obvious brick wall, I think." She had her shortcomings. Everyone did. Hers just happened to be physical combat. Given her size, Danielle was much better at running away than standing her ground against an opponent. It was part of the reason she enjoyed being a tamer. Chaos did for her what she could not do on her own. In return, Danielle offered Chaos another set of eyes and a strategic mind and together, they covered each other's weaknesses. Of course, they also did well to keep each other entertained during their down time. It was... a constructive partnership.

The chapel? Danielle winced inwardly. When was the last time she'd visited that particular location? Speaking of which, when was the last time she'd uttered a prayer. Outside of her coursework, that was. Thane's smile however, did set the aspiring exorcist at ease. Was it just her, or was he starting to look more and more like the person she used to adore? "S- sure," she answered, just a little dumbstruck by a wave of nostalgia. She cleared her throat at Thane's half-tease.

"I think I could live with my current disarray for a while longer," she answered coolly. "Besides," she winked, "if anyone asks, I could always tell them that you were the one who did it." She chuckled at her own attempt at a joke before starting down the corridor towards the chapel. "You know, you used to say that you would teach me all sorts of things about being a tamer when I got older." She pivoted on her heel and turning around, fixed him in an accusing look. "You never really did get round to doing that." Granted, until recently, it had been years since Dani last met Thane, but hey, a promise was a promise, wasn't it?

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] "Touche," the tamer commented with an upward turn in his tone of voice. It was true that if something was in vain, then it wasn't something that you should even consider investing effort in. But then, of course, the important question would then lie with 'how was one to determine if something was a vain voyage?'. If one wasn't careful, one would end up just throwing away a whole world of possibilities. Thane, though, wasn't exactly the best lecturer on the subject. After all, he, himself, made do without his 'world of possibilities', not that he hadn't regretted that once or twice. Though he supposed that being still in one piece counted for much. "Though you might just surprise yourself -- especially yourself -- on what those brick walls are and aren't." Danielle's comment concerning enduring her present state surprised him. but not nearly as much as the comment that followed. He blinked once, followed by a short but genuine escape of mirth. "I've been called worse things, I think," he noted, recalling a few of those said 'worse things' off the top of his mind. None of them, of course, were suitable for a lady, let alone a girl, to hear. "Did I?" Thane echoed in mock ignorance as he moved in step with the younger tamer, actually enjoying the accusing look he was receiving. It was times like these he was glad she took after her mother. God knew it wasn't fun to be on the receiving end of a negative expression from Marcus Dunesworth. "I suppose I did, didn't it?" he said, returning his gaze to the pathway. Sparing almost no effort at concealing the grin that was affixed on his face, he returned,"Well, did you ever 'get round' to growing older?" The emphasis was subtle but it was one that definitely would not be missed. "I should think both ends have to apply."

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

Dani's brows knitted at Thane's suggestion. It wasn't at all difficult to grasp at what the older tamer was getting at of course, and this being the advice of a senior tamer, she felt that it warranted at least a little consideration. Dani pursed her lips a she spent that moment in though. "So far, that wall is looking pretty solid, but if it'll make me a better exorcist, I suppose it's time I considered alternative ways of attacking the matter." Perhaps she could focus on evasion from now on. No one said she was required to stand and fight all the time.

Thane's unexpected mirth brought a small smile to her lips. Now that was the Thane she remembered. At his reply, the exwire mustered the haughtiest demeanor she could and said, "Well, I guess we shall see, won't we?" Admittedly, sha hadn't done much growing size-wise, but Dani liked to think that she had at least matured a little since the last time the inspector came to call. Besides, she now had Chaos for a familiar and had even participated in a few battles with the gale; one of which led to the death of a demon king.

Dani wondered if Thane was going to comment on that. Surely, he must have heard of what happened on the bridge from that other inspector. In her defence, she had had been acting on (what she believed to be) the inspector's orders. And contrary to what many had thought, Dani and Chaos hadn't charged in at the demon king unprepared. (The results were a testimony to that.) However, she was well aware that she had not come away from the ordeal without scorn from the others. "Thane, we're supposed to react on the best of our capacities during a mission, aren't we?" She had acted on what she'd felt best in that heat of the moment. Why then, was there a lingering sense of having done something frightfully wrong? After all, she couldn't imagine doing it in any other way even if she had to do it over again.

There were fundamentals when it came to Dani's strategies. The very most important one being that if she had to risk herself, that that risk should never involve endangering the lives of others. Dani had made sure to stick to that rule during her apparent-death-charge towards the demon king.

[THANE VALENTINE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 350px; height: auto, btable] "Hn?" Thane hummed when he was suddenly asked a question by the younger tamer. The both of them had cleared the threshold of the corridors, walking into the light of day as they left the musty classrooms behind. Likely, he knew where the question was coming from. While he hadn't been there himself, he had heard about the fight with the Demon King, Monmon, from Acheron. A large part of that story, apart from the conclusion, was Danielle's role. In honest truth, Thane didn't quite believe his fellow inspector at first, thinking that maybe Acheron had confused the girl's identity with another student. The Danielle he knew was a petite little girl -- the type that likely wouldn't be the first one fired up to charge into attack. But then, when he thought about it a little more, he decided that if the situation was anything like what Acheron detailed, he wouldn't put it past Danielle to act the way she did. Thane spared the girl a brief sidelong glance before returning his attention to where he was going. "Of course we are," he said matter-of-factly. "How else are we expected to act?" They rounded the corner to follow a long and winding path that led towards a small building a ways away. "A mission is unpredictable so all we can ever do is our best," he continued. "Making a decision is better than indecision. Besides, it doesn't count as a rash move if you've thought it through." Though vaguely, he referred to her rush towards Monmon. Danielle wasn't the type who would rush in blindly without a strategy.

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

Dani kept her her vision straight. Or at least, she made it look as though she were looking straight. However, it was only the rigid edge to her gait that truly betrayed how uneasy she felt at having brought up the topic. Thane's answer made sense, she decided, barely squinting as shelter gave way to open sky and bright morning sun. How else would she have been expected to react? It wasn't as though there had been any real organization among the exorcists gathered on the bridge that day. Nor was there much coordination among the dragoons that had initiated the retaliation against the demon king.

"I'm glad there's someone who doesn't think badly of what I did," she said. There was a slight implication in her voice that suggested that she'd wished Thane were there in Acheron's steed. Knowing the tamer, things might have proceeded much more smoothly. As an afterthought, it would have been nice to see a professional tamer in action. "It's actually..." she'd begun. "...nevermind." It was a relief to have someone believe that she'd actually thought things through before pulling a reckless move at a Mammon, she wanted to say but had decided it would be much too embarrassing. Nonetheless, she could not stop the sudden flush of color from rising to her cheeks.

The chapel soon came into view, the fine architecture casting a Gothic silhouette upon the grounds. Subconsciously, her hand came to her bangs to move them behind her ear. Funny, had the building always been this large? She looked the the senior tamer, a wry chuckle escaping her lips. "To be honest, I'd never thought of you as a devoted-cleric sort of person." Even in his most docile state, Thane looked the part of some rogue assassin much more than portraying the image of a clergyman.

[THANE VALENTINE]

Thane paused to give her a questioning look when she dropped her sentence halfway. A part of him wondered what she was going to say. Like any human being, curiosity was something he had in excess. However, in the years he's been alive, he'd learnt how to reign in that weakness least it stir up undue trouble. Though it was highly unlikely anything particularly bad would happen if he prodded the subject, he let it drop. If it was something that he needed to know badly, Danielle would tell him... eventually. He did, however, note the sudden flush of color in the girl's cheeks. Curious, indeed, the tamer smiled.

Perhaps the reason why Thane was the only one who believed in Danielle, other than because they had known each other for the longest time, was because he was a fellow tamer. The other classes of Exorcists would find it hard to relate with the thinking of a Tamer. A tamer was helpless, relying solely on the strength of one's demon. And even then, in a flicker of a second, said demon could turn from the only thing standing between yourself and death, to the primary cause of one's demise. A tamer always had to stay alert and confident, even in the most hopeless situations. No other meister had to deal with the same situation. Tamers couldn't afford to act rashly and eventually, that was a subconscious instinct. That was why it was unlikely Danielle would rush in blindly, not unless she knew she had a fair chance of coming out of the battle on top.

"All exorcists are devoted clerics," Thane stated with an air of mock hurt, taken aback that Danielle would think otherwise. "We dedicate our entire lives to the divine causes after all." It probably wasn't the most humble thing to say but it was fact. "Though I have to admit, it's been awhile since I've truly worked on a personal relationship with God as a child rather than a servant." Raising a expecting brow at the girl, he added, "I'm the only one being so negligent, I hope."

[DANIELLE DUNESWORTH]

What had really been intended as 'I hardly see exorcists as devoted clerics so much as keepers of the peace' came out as "It's kind of stuck on me that Arias fulfil the part of the devoted cleric more than the other meisters." Being a Dunesworth, tact had become so very ingrained a trait that it could be called second nature. She'd said it half-jokingly, mainly because prayer had somehow stopped being a part of her daily routine. Had Thane really meant it when he implied the slaying of demons as a 'divine cause' though? Sure, it was what people liked to tell themselves. But Dani had come to think of exorcism as nothing much more than a simple responsibility. Not everyone could become an exorcist. Thus, it fell to those who had power to protect the weak general public.

Thane's none-too-subtle attempt at questioning the girl's efforts on religious devotion was not lost on her however. "Hm, well, I hope so too," she replied, giving no indication whatsoever in her tone. "You're right though," she remarked, taking a deep breath of air. "It is rather nice here." Naturally, it was time to subtly change the subject. "Did you want to stay out here or did you want to go inside?" she asked, taking another step towards the gothic structure. Danielle chuckled. "I wonder if Mr. Campbell would mind if I allowed Chaos inside," she murmured. "That silly gale has always fancied this sort of thing." It was funny how the demon had suddenly become her best friend. The partnership however, would only last for as long as the pair continued to humour each other - a fact Danielle was vividly aware of. It only meant that the young student could never afford to cease her education. Not if she wanted to keep her familiar.