The Virtues' Magecraft

Page 54: Lacking Moments

Anastasia hated sneezing.

It was always a violet reaction, one that she couldn't hold inside for the life of her. And yet, that was all she had been doing for the past several minutes, just as she and others waited for their teacher to arrive.

Mukuro Tucker was typically always late but...

Anastasia was feeling more impatient with each passing second. If he didn't show up within the next sixty seconds, 'I'll just go home,' she told herself. 'This isn't worth it.'

"I swear to God, I'll do it..." she muttered to herself, speaking through her clenched teeth. Her nose was already rosy from each time she blew it, rubbing it against the sandpaper handkerchief that was school toilet paper.

Lumiel sat at her side. "Do what?"

But before Anastasia Velda could answer, her near-obsidian eyes began to water. She sneezed again, particles of spit and saliva and mucus burst through her orifices like water in a cracked dam.

"Fuck!" she shouted, slamming her palms into the desk.

The other students turned to her in confusion.

She stared back, her jaw clenched as she held in the embarrassment. "...Sorry," she choked out, muttering into the stark silence of the classroom.

The Virtues were back in school. Back in their uniquely structured and purely wooden classroom. Well, they had been for the past several months. And day by day, they had finally gotten closer to the dawn of the third demon.

"So..." Lumiel asked as everyone went back to their own business. "You're sick."

"I'm not sick. It's just allergies."

Lumiel stared at her. "There's not a single cat in this building, Velda."

A laugh burst from Leonard's lips. "Anastasia, you're allergic to cats?" he asked.

Anastasia clenched her jaw and turned to Leonard at her side. She opened her mouth to speak. But before she could say anything, another sneeze forced its way through her.

The explosion of air and particles of mucus all landed on Leonard.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom and cry about that," he said, quickly standing up and shuddering to himself.

He hurriedly ran down the steps and left the room, just as Anastasia let out a breath through her mouth and dropped her head onto the desk.

The empty thud clattered on the shared table. And the corners of Lumiel's lips began to arch upward. She couldn't help it, after all.

Anastasia was never like this. Even as the two had known each other for nearly six years, Lumiel had never seen her sick, much less seeing her suffer over a handful of sneezes. "You're strange, Anastasia."

She raised her head from the desk, her ebony hair cascading over her face as she turned to Lumiel. Anastasia tried to take in a breath through her congested nose as she pushed her hair back behind her head.

"I hate you, Lumiel."

Lumiel snickered. "You say that too often. What if I actually believe you someday?"

All either of them did was stare at each other. "That'll be your problem," Anastasia said, once again facing forward and gritting her teeth in a grand attempt at holding in a sneeze.

Her throat was dry and scratchy, killing her from the inside. Droplets of sweat began to form at the side of her head with her ever-so-slight-fever. And as unfortunate as it was, her pale hands were clammy and unsteady.