After class (open to one )

[Oki W. Nanda]

Oki's class had left, class was over- she should have been to the nurses office a long while ago. Closing her eyes, she kicked herself for beginning to cry while teaching- while her students had thought she was simply getting into the story and doing just as the character should have been- but Oki..Oki was running herself down. She was tired, had even allowed herself to get ill- she hadn't slept in nearly a week.

Bane, had been- kind. Zack's house had been left in a clean 50/50 split. Oki..didn't deserve to live there- she had only lived there for a few months- Bane had worked and taken care of Zack for years. Tears welled down her face, her lower lip trembled, and a sob passed her lips. She never handled death well- not when she had gotten close to someone...she hadn't let anyone that close since before the death of her mother. The one man she had trusted above any other person was dead.

She shook her head, her usual bun coming out- her hair falling around her shoulders- it was apparent it hadn't been washed in a few days. She had to move out, she had to leave that house- she trembled, bowing her head, her hands running through her hair. She was glad for her door being closed...or at least she thought it was.

She buried her face in her arms after she rested them on her desk. She felt sick, but could not stop crying- was her soul trying to empty so she wouldn't feel..this heart breaking emotion?

[valekin]

He'd wait for her to finish. Often finding that people needed to cry their eyes out at times, and when they do that, you just don't disturb them. It's not nice, nor is it prudent. Valekin sat on a desk, like a delinquent student would. She had met him once before. At the beach. But after that, she had heard from the students of her school, of all his little exploits, and how violent he really was. What was at wonder was, how was she going to react.

As a psychopath, Valekin expected everything. He always carried his combat knife with him. Just in case things got ugly, very suddenly. There was no such thing as a surprise attack, the insane are meticulous in planning everything to the very number of flies on the wall.

He didn't say anything just yet. Just silence. He figured she needed to cry a bit more before he even opened his mouth. After all he didn't have the reputation of being a nice guy. More like a psychopath with no real emotions, and no empathy. That just wasn't true. Valekin had emotions, it's just that they got out of control.

In all reality.

Valekin could be the most sympathetic to her situation.

[Oki W. Nanda]

Oki lifted her head, wiping her eyes- mentally scolding herself for her behavior, she wiped her eyes and when she looked up and instantly broke into a smile. Her face tear streaked, voice hoarse, and hands shaking- she still put a smile on for the young man who had helped her with the lotion at the beach.

She wasn't one to listen to rumors. To her, he was good, descent, only complex. Capable of human compassion, though a bit arrogant- Oki had nothing to fear from him. She wiped her eyes, smiled, "Pardon, Oki, she's been under the weather."

She shakily stood up, "How has he been? She has not seen him in a long while."

[valekin]

"I'm peachy. Do you make a habit out of lying to people to save face?"

Oh dear.

"It's obvious you aren't 'under the weather' persay, no one gets that emotional from being sick. You've lost someone, da?"

The nutcase remained on the desk, putting his hands on the one behind his, and leaning back to rest on it. He crossed his legs at the ankles, and made them swing to and fro. His countenance spoke only of the calm he felt, nothing of the madness within. How did he know that that kind of crying was from emotional pain, and not physical ailment? Oh that's right... he had a medical degree.

"The pain of loss is unbearable. I know."

[Oki W. Nanda]

But Oki was ill- she had a cold- her eyes watched him for a moment. She carefully began pulling her hair back into a bun, a non-tedious thing she had mastered long ago. He asked, if- she was lying, yes she had been. It was unusual for her to cry- unusual for her to..express such emotions in a place of work- but it consumed her like a wave. Overtook her mind before she could reach a safe place.

She bowed her head, bun complete, blushing brightly though her paled skin, "Oki's behavior is inappropriate- 'saving face' is all she can do. Her duty to her students is more important than-"

This sounded wrong, but she paused to cough, her phrasing was wrong but all this crying had sent her cold into a full swing. She raised a hand to ask for just a moment. She knew why she was ill- she had been neglecting her health, couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. It was besides the point.

She seemed to lose track of her own words for a minute- never finished that sentence, but rather continued a new one. Her cough calmed, she still held a smile, a smile of pure sadness, even now her eyes were welling with tears, "Not many people so young understand loss. Though Oki believes he is the exception," she wiped a few tears away and blushed more from embarrassment than her cold, "Oki has not lost such a good friend in very long."

[valekin]

"I lost them all at once. It'll pass after you grieve enough."

He switched the way the legs were crossed, and cocked his head to the side. It was an offer of condolences, he knew how she felt. The magnitude and gravity of the loss. It seems she had lost a friend. He had lost family.

"You're young, so do something to make his memory worth something. Rather than just sit around and mope and cry."

He was right, if you weren't careful with grief. It would turn into sloth, and you'd eventually cease to exist. Sloth is such an extreme affliction brought on by almost anything. Sometimes just natural lethargy or apathy, other times loss, or failure.

[Oki W. Nanda]

She smiled still, bobbed her head. Rested a hand on her stomach. No there wasn't anything in there- she hoped. He kept talking, she liked the company, but she honestly wasn't feeling better, however it was nice to have someone to distract her. She bowed her head now, "Oki's been working on something- a little different."

It was true..she'd been writing. A lot- which contributed to her lack of sleep, writing helped. She had started a book..a new one in the middle of her current, one which would be dedicated to Zack, but..but it was a little more complicated than that. It couldn't be finished until the end of brimstone and the other drugs introduced. Oki wasn't ignorant about the problems of the school- she'd gotten plenty of students who had over done it. She shook her head, "Oki's been busy with a new series..one that will be more fantastical than actual, based on- the truth."

She shrugged slightly, maybe her cold really was- nah. She smiled still, "Oki is not the type to simply let herself sit around and sob about- she's simply a little over worried about what's to come. How the school will hold up."

Where Oki's going to live. What's Oki going to do. Who will accept Oki as eaisily as he did..in more ways than one.. all thoughts for herself on that part.

[valekin]

"Ah.. is it based on the dealings of the school? With the drugs, and the peddling and the money routing? All that jazz? I hope you interview the right people if you're doing a complete story. Or.. are you doing the story just from your point of view?"

She had his interest, one writes a book about the truth. Of course, once this fiasco hits the papers, and all that, and the book is put out. Much money is made, but he doubted that's why she was writing it. Most writers don't write about the truth to make money, they write about the truth for themselves, or for the people involved.

"It's good that you're keeping your mind off of it. But you still have to take care of yourself. After all, the loss would be in vain if you didn't keep on living life to it's fullest. Not that you should go around and do whatever the hell you want."

Isn't that what we do?

It's what I do, you are nothing more than an unwelcome presence.[/i]

[Oki W. Nanda]

Oki shifted slightly, her subconcious tummy touch leaving sight as she moved around her desk and sat on it, "It's from Oki's talks with Zack..her time with the students- their confessions...what Oki has seen first hand..and personally. It's- something for Zack because..he'd been asking for it to happen without saying anything. His motions, movements- his heart and his loyalties..the loss of him..simply pushed the book more quickly into production...but cannot be finished for a while- there has not yet been an end to-"

She coughed, laughed, "Pardon that. Ah- an end to the current issues underway."

She laughed, bitter, tired, it caused her to cough and her stomach churn a bit, she paled slightly, "Oki already does as she pleases. A human being may live life as they please as long as they know their boundaries and limits and when the time comes is willing to push at them to make new ones."

Nodding, she put a hand over her mouth- swallowed- ick. Then returned to smiling. "Oki intends to speak with many more people- though in the end it is seen through everyone's eyes. Not only Oki's and Zack's."

[valekin]

"Good. Maybe you'll end up speaking to me for the book."

He was going to leave it all at that. She appeared to be ill, it was probably from her neglecting herself. People get sick when their friends or family die. It's a physical reaction to the emotional pain. Quite common place. Valekin had a horribly annoying case of the chills for a near eternity after his family died. That, and madness. Which is just a terrible affliction anyway.

"How much have you finished?"

[Oki W. Nanda]

She waved a hand for a moment, taking a sip of the tea she usually had with her during the daytime. She counted the chapters in her head, closed her eyes- oh would this nausea ever go away?! She bobbed her head, "Chapter 28..each chapter is around fifty pages on average. Oki has been intending to locate him, for just a bit of information- maybe over lunch or tea, but she hasn't known where to look."

She tilted her head to the side with a continued smile, "Seems it's best to ask him if he was willing to go through such a talk. And sign a release for the information, Oki has to be thorough or her publisher gets cranky."

She looked up at the cealing, then to the door, her eyes welled up and she pinched herself, "Oki is almost glad the weekend is coming- she has much moving to do and much more work for finding a place to live." She shook her head, "But this is Oki's problem, not his. And there's a few complexes near the school. Oki will be fine- though," she laughed, "after this move, her editor will start checking on her weekly instead on monthly. And Oki's editor doesn't understand a word Oki says!"

[valekin]

"That's terrible that he doesn't understand you. I understand you just fine.. but I'm rather fluent with languages, and scrubbing out accents is nothing. I'd sign your waiver."

He said, idly looking at his claws. Those wicked claws had caused so much damage.

"28 chapters, and such long chapters too. Must take you a time to write anything. Are you the sort that butchers their own writing before even putting it before an editor? I've read about those sorts of writers, I'd be that type. Correcting myself before someone else corrects me."

[Oki W. Nanda]

Oki nodded, "Oki is indeed that kind of person. She originally wrote two hundred pages a chapter, but edited them down by quite a bit. She likes to hand in work which usually has been edited as needed as to keep unnecessary questioning and such out of the circle of publishing- Oki, sadly, expects to see her name in upcoming papers. Hopefully her publicist has not..gone overboard."

She rubbed her bridge of her nose and tilted her head to the side, blushed, "Oki's been considering going back to being a model- she could use the extra money..though her books comes first."

She nodded, "Oki believes the yet to be titled book will...be more informational that many would think," she smiled, "for Oki's been tampering with brimstone's...chemical makings for a very long- while."

She wouldn't openly admit an addiction towards the end of end of her last book- but it hadn't been pretty. 'Nuf said.

[valekin]

"Then you know that from even the first dose Brimstone Delta rots your insides out. I hope you've never tested the drug on yourself, because once you do, it's a terrible addiction to break."

Valekin knew about addictions. He used to smoke, everyone did. In the army that was. Sometimes you had to go for days without eating, and the only thing to satisfy you, was that faint taste of tobacco on your tongue after a cigarette. Kinda like prison. Except you could get shot at, or blown to pieces in the middle of the night. What a pleasant surprise that would be.

"200 pages per chapter... that would be a ridiculously thick book. You really need to cut that back."

[Oki W. Nanda]

She smiled softly, touched her temple, "Oki has been addicted before. And openly she admits it is very difficult to break the habit- the euphoria!" she raised her hands in emphasis and spread them wide and the punched into her palm, "Then the fall and the misery- the need to reach the euphoria. It's...worse than cocaine or meth." She smiled, "All of which are very very hard to get out of, if he was wondering."

She settled back in her chair, "And as for the books, Oki has already explained, they average fifty pages a chapter with a few more edits to go. Oki expects them to be around twenty to thirty after the final count."

She nodded, leaned back, smiled, "Thank him for cheering Oki back up."