Kanaan DeVries was finishing up a detention for three boys who had snuck into the girls bathroom and hexed the toilet, last week. Their sour ten year-old faces twisted up in indignant rage, as he dared to keep them in from play time. There was no more potent waste of an hour. Boys will be boys of course. But then teachers are always teachers as well.
They were too old for a time out, and they couldn't believe he was following through with his threat.
The boys burst free when the clock struck, but only Mr DeVries could open the door. He promised them three days more detention if they even touched the door.
He went into his office. One of the new office clerks would arrive. It was one of the Upper school students. He only hoped that the boy wouldn't get in the way. He didn't want to even fear he got another woman in the office. His headache would never die then. He sat at his desk filling out some forms.
He walked to the door and answered the small knock. He looked down. For some reason he wondered if the young man was too short to be in Upper School, but it was his Asiatic descent of course. He felt silly himself.
"Can I help you? You wouldn't be the officer helper would you young man?"
Head tilted up, he stared up at the other man, feeling shorter than ever. "Miya."
Sticking his hand out, he wondered if it was inappropriate to be shaking the Vice Principle's hand. Should he be bowing or something? He just hoped he didn't look too confused.
"Miya, then." He said A small allowance. He had been raised up very very carefully, until one was giving permission to use someone's first name it just wasn't correct. Not that anyone was allowed to call him anything but his proper name lately, but Sasha.
"Have you been working in the workstudy department for long, or will I have to show you how to use the copy charms and office materials?" He said. He hoped it was not in a rough tone.
He towered over the boy . In his dark heavy robes he probably outweighed him even, no need to try to be intimidating. "Am I supposed to recognize your face from somewhere?" He must have from class but not as well.
"These don't require my personal attention" he said with all the warmth of a cuttlefish. He said "Make sure they are stapled." He said.
The boy was nervous so he wouldn't put any pressure on him. But after a few minutes he realized that even laxity would not be a solution, he looked the boy in the eye. "It will be alright. I don't need you to do that much. You're fortunate that things won't be that difficult for you in the next few weeks. I'll see to that." He said, trying to smile.
Somewhat relieved, Miya gave a small nod, letting a smile tug at his own lips, trying his best to look grateful. "Thank you."
He shrugged off his jacket, bare arms littered with black tatto's revealed as he took the bundle of papers in his arms, ready to leave before he suddenly paused. "What should I address you as...?"
"I would assume you would want to call me Mr. DeVries," he said.
Instead he looked at the students tattoo's idly. "Since we will be working together." The tattos were very bold. And eye catching. He wondered how much forethought went into them actually.
Ikra the professor's familiar returned from his potty break and gave the boy a once over with sharp beastly eyes.
"This is Ikra. My familiar. Don't mind him if he bothers you. He is very talkative and begs all the time."
Head tilted to one side, Miya simply reached into a packet of his bag, unwrapped a small baked good, and offered it to the familiar.
Miya always thought the best way to start off a meeting was by winning over the stomach. He just hoped the familiar wasn't tempted to bite his fingers off, he was rather attatched to them.
Ikra gave him a sniff. Then looked at Kanaan and pecked at Miya's hand. Normally he ate food ferociously. But this time he pecked like a gentleman. He gave him a taste with his scaly bird tongue. He spent a long while looking at Kanaan as if he knew a secret. But revealed nothing. He ate the food and retreated to the corner watching
"Ikra don't beg him. I don't understand. Normally he is very friendly." He said "He'd tell you how much he loved bikes or how handsome he is or something." He shook his head "I guess he's just quiet today. I put him on a diet."
Miya just smiled and dusted the crumbs off his hand. "I'll get to work."
Dipping his head slightly, he hurried off with the papers securely in his arms. He spent the rest of the day going about and doing odd jobs, stapling, filing, copying.
When the clock tower rung to signal the afternoon, Miya was still carefully filing. That is, until he felt his stomach twinge in hunger. Frowning, he glanced down at his stomach, prodding it as if he could get it to be quiet through the action.
Kanaan walked by completely oblvious of any turmoil or doubt. He sat at his desk like a statue apparently never losing interest or purpose as he mowed through the papers. He was like a machine it seemed. And he didn't seem to slow down either, giving no opportunity to chat with him it seemed.
After another half hour of his stomach growling, prodding of said stomach, and very little filing, Miya finally dared to stand up and approach Kanaan.
Delicately clearing his throat, he fiddled with the edge of his scarf. From the way he had seen Kanaan plow through his paperwork, he doubted the other even gave himself breaks.
"I was wondering, Mr. DeVries, if a...lunch break was possible?"
"He looked up. A little stunned that he was being stopped. He looked at the wall "It is about that time." he looked decidely crabby for some reason. Probably lack of food. And the prospect of the detention he would be giving this afternoon. He nodded.
"Well do enjoy yourself." He said almost fluttering him away. "I'm almost done here."
"Well I am not sure if that is entirely appropriate." he said, trying not to smile. Maybe he should get something before he ate his students. After all he was not in a good mood lately with the memories of times gone by and and such assailed him. He nodded.
"Perhaps there is something I can scrounge around for here." He said a bit reluctantly. He wasn't sure if there was anything. But he couldn't appear easy to manipulate.
Miya laughed, soft and light, as he reached over and lightly tugged at Kanaan's sleeve.
"I doubt you'll find anything more than papers, pens, and maybe a dust bunny or twenty. I told you I'd buy you lunch, I know the best cafe around the corner from here."
Flashing another charming smile and a wink, he waited.
He was more prone to temptation then he had feared. "Perhaps..." He looked to Ikra for some reason as if the familiar would tell him what to do. But the little beast was asleep it seemed. He nodded. "Yes I will come with you." He said "Am I dressed alright?" He asked. a hand going to his hair, subconsciously vain a bit.
Miya just nodded, grabbing Kanaan hand to keep him from fussing more and nearly dragging him out the door and out of the building, cheerfully babbling about how the cafe served the best soup.
Down one block and a few turns, they reached the cafe. It was only upon reaching the front of the cafe that Miya realized he was still holding the other's hand.
He let the boy lead him down the street quickly soon he was forced to hold on to keep up. It was like the was Buster used to lead him by the leash. He smiled at him.
"Slow down food will still be there. I don't know where you are headed."
Pink dusted his cheeks as he blushed, slowing down and leading him into the cafe at a reasonable pace.
Entering the small, homey looking cafe, Miya waved to a few waiters. Being a regular had it's advantages. They were seated by a window and handed menus.
This is a very nice place. Much nicer then where we went when I was back at school. He didn't recognize the student haunts as he usually kept his distance. He stooped he head and was seated down.
I can't remember the last time I was to a sit down restaurant."
He glanced down at the menu briefly before pointing at one of the sandwich options. "This is good. That soup on the left is pretty good too. And they always make good big salads."
Tugging the glass of water closer to him, he fished out an ice cube, sucking on it.
Has anyone ever told you, you eat like a finicky swallow." He asked "I would say a bird but they eat like pigs." He corrected himself "No offense to Ikra."
He was picking the most inane topics of conversation too, on an outing he shouldn't have dared to go out on. He scratched his neck. "Do you have a familiar?" He asked just as inane as ever. Next he'll ask where his parents lived.
He didn't know why he wanted to be charming or interesting but he wasn't now certainly.
Miya nearly choked on his ice at the comment but managed to keep a composure of some sorts, simply shrugging.
"I have one, but she's at home, most likely happily curled up on my bed still sleeping." Smiling at the very thought. "She's a cat but acts like a spoiled kitten usually."
Shaking his head, Miya squinted against the sunlight streaming in on them. "But I feel like most people spoil their familiars anyways."
"I wouldn't know how that is. I try to keep tabs on my familiar." He said when it was clear from the short interaction that Ikra kept Kanaan on a tight leash too. He didn't like people knowing how much he doted on his cute little familiar.
He took an awkward sip of his drink trying to think of something to say. It felt strangely familiar to other similiar feelings he had in the past but he quashed that he was just getting some food with a coworker. A younger coworker at that.
Kanaan nodded "Just a ham sandwich." He said. "Unless the soup is a requirement." He actually said aloud. Maybe he shouldn't have skipped breakfast.
He brushed off his knee. "I hope your familiar doesn't get lonely with you around. Most students bring theirs to school. We are equal parts a zoo as a school." He tried to be nice again.
Miya just shrugged as he fished out another ice cube. "Honestly, I didn't know how you'd feel about me bringing my familiar around, so I had her stay home, but as long as you don't mind, I'll start bringing her in then. She doesn't like being alone all day."
He tugged at the end of his scarf, fiddling with the edges of it, eyes trained on the fabric. "Actually, you're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be."
Provided your kitten doesn't like to fight I think it is a law."
If he remembered correctly his father proposed that law when a restaurant would let them bring his Lair Dragon inside, and it was shot down as frivolous. Closely bonded familiars didn't like to be far away from each other. Especially strange or magical familiars, and Ikra counted as strange.
"I hope so. I don't even like the fact that you think I'm nice now. He said. I haven't done anything extraordinary. It makes it harder to be respeced if they think you are some nice old man. You must not tell anyone." He nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll go about spreading horror stories of how you're a demanding authority figure who should be only treated with the utmost respect or live in fear of being punished."
He gave a wink and a laugh. Just because Kanaan gave off a rough exterior didn't mean he was nice, or at least, that's what Miya hoped.
The waiter arrived again, placing their food in front of them and leaving with a nod.
He smiled incredulously and opened his napkin and set to eat his sandwich neatly.
"Well you must do what you feel is right." He said "For the sake of all the children I might eat if you do not warn them." He actually found himself joking.
The ham was adequate but he always preferred the safest meals at a new place. He chowed on a big piece of leafy lettuce that wouldn't chew properly. He worried it in his mouth like a cow and tried to remain silent. Though he would have loved to tell the cook that he was inept and only a giraffe could have cut their teeth on such large woody lettuce.
He wondered if he should have got the soup instead.
He sipped at his soup quietly, bowl pushed away when he was finally finished. They always did have the best soups here.
Patting the napkin against his mouth, he leaned back, satisfied and stomach no longer growling. "Aren't you glad you decided to have lunch with me? Admit it, this is so much better than doing stuffy paperwork all afternoon."
He smirked at him. "What I enjoy is that you somehow managed to shorten the hours on your first day." He said a bit sly. "One would think you didn't enjoy your work..." He said gently teasing.
He coughed into a fist, trying his best to hide a smirk.
"Come now, I'm working with the one and only Mr. DeVries, who wouldn't want to work with him?"
Shaking his head, he shifted in his seat and wiggled out of the seat. "But I guess you're right, we should get back to work." He sighed and shook back his hair. "Afterall, I'm getting paid by the hour, aren't I?"
He laughed warmly. "I thought I was terrible. No one would expect you to come back even after one day with the man. Nasty old brute he smiled.
He couldn't help it but he did with draw away from Miya's warmth and good nature. "Now. Miya. I must be heading to detention. You will assist the office manager until you sign out tonight." He brushed an imaginary crumb off his face. "I assure you the infamous Hole in the Wall gang will not wait on their own to have detention."
"You could be worse, you could be forcing me to work all hours of the day and be a slave driver."
He adjusted his clothes and began to walk towards the door, squinting against the sun. "I'm sure they won't wait for you.. but maybe I will, in case there's anythig you'll need after detention."
He smiled at him. "Oh I have pretty high standards of those that I depend on. I do my own office work. I cook for myself. I'm sorry they couldn't give you something to do." He said.
"I am afraid I have no skills as an employer. He said, trying to put money on the table.
He shook his head and simply continued to walk towards the academy. "I don't mind it, it takes up the hours of my day and I feel useful."
After a slight pause, he glanced at Kanaan. "Well, if you want, I can clean your office or something menial like that, I guess. It'll give me something extra to do."
He looked "I was just taught to take care of myself. It seems to retrogress to do anything less." He said "I like to do things on my own. No one understands that. They keep acting like I am doing something stupid. I can take care of myself. I eat adequately exercise and I am in superb physical condition for a man my age. I don't see where they see the problems." He said. Looking at his refelection in a spoon.
"Its no offense on you." He corrected gently."I'm sure you could do most things the way I like them. But you can only depend on yourself."
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