Freyja sat down at the table next to Holly, pulling a plate of chicken to her and piling some onto her plate. She could see that Holly was shaken by it, and she put her arm around her friend. "It's okay," she soothed. "I bet that guy wasn't worth five minutes of you." She was about to go on when Yagi and Drew himself entered the room. She stood, her usually warm dark eyes now like cold black stones, glaring at the both of them. How dare they hurt Holly?! She would gladly kick both their butts into next century. She glanced at Holly. It was her call. What was she going to do about it?

Juliet heard yelling, just ignore it Juliet she kept on telling herself it didnt matter what was going on out there, she didnt care. Without realzing what she was doing she walked to where she heard the sound come from and then followed where she heard voices entering she said Is everything all right in here? Yagi, Holly, Freja and Drew were there wonder what happened...

She had never been kissed before?! Well, that just made it worse, didn't it? Although, he had never had the intention of kissing her, of course. He was just about to comment on some of their finest moments at Hogwarts when she had approached him like that.
How was he supposed to react now? Yagi seemed to have feelings for him, Holly wasn't his girlfriend and it seemed like she was never going to forgive him for that kiss. And he realized just then that he cared a lot about what Holly felt or thought.

He could really use some advice, however the only person there who could help him out.... Had just kissed him and dragged him into that awkward situation! He looked around for the other boy he knew, the person who had welcomed him so well in that place... Where are you, Romero? On Holly's side, of course, because they were friends. Nice.

He took one step towards Holly, nervously:
"May I have a word with you... Please?" he was very close to begging. He would have fell down on his knees of she had asked him to. It wasn't that he was ignoring Yagi or her words, he wasn't. He just needed to be very careful... Things had already blown up in his face, and he felt deeply guilty. "I just want to say something.. In private, if possible."

He sighed, staring at everybody. All of them, judging him. He looked over at Yagi. He would have to talk to her about it, assure her that he wasn't angry at her and that they were still good friends, but he was a little afraid of what feelings she could be hidding from him and for how long.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realized someone else had just joined in...

On the way towards the dining hall, she tried to block out his beautiful voice, trying to cajole her into forgiving him. Blatantly ignoring his efforts to apologize, she looked at the food set on the table. It was good food, granted, but she had just lost her appetite.

Feeling Freyja's arm around her, she smiled appreciatively and shook her head. No, she didn't want anyone hurt, and she didn't want Freyja to do it for her. It made her feel incapable. Not that she didn't appreciate it, of course. Discreetly pointing to herself, she indicated that she'd deal with him. Properly.

Now for that know-it-all princess. Holly simply nodded curtly, not saying anything. Drew had obviously responded to the kiss and it was as much his fault as it was hers. Why did Holly even care, anyway?

When Drew actually stepped towards her, she got out of her chair with the swift ease of a hunter and backed away from him as far as he'd advanced. "Maintain that distance," she said quietly, her voice calm and devoid of emotion. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she patted Freyja's shoulder to let her know that she'd be fine.

"Let me know when it's time for patrol," she said to Romero before turning to Edith. "I'm sorry," she started. "But I'm really not all that hungry." Just to make Edith happy, Holly picked up a small loaf of bread, sliced it open and put some filling in.

Waving at Juliet, she shrugged before finally turning to face Drew. "Follow me," she said quietly, before making quick steps out of the dining hall and towards the training room.

Yagi felt terrible about all this. She had even said her peace and Holly was just indifferent about it. And now Drew was going off to talk with Holly alone. Oh, what might he say or what might Holly do to him. Yagi knew well what shadowhunters were capable of but she just hoped things would be said civily in their. She could not bear it if Drew ended up hurt because of her. She just waited in the dining hall with baited breath. Everything will be fine, it will, you'll see.

Romero was in shock of all the developments all at once and he had no idea what happened until Yagi explained everything to Holly. Oh my, this is bad! Soon he saw Drew and Holly decide it best to settle the situation in private. Romero took a seat next to Yagi and said reasurringly, "It's gonna be okay, don't worry", he had no idea if that was true but the girl needed som comfort and he was the only compassionate person in the room.

"Thanks Romero, I am glad someone here cares for me.". Usually Yagi ended up on her own after getting into spats with others. That is how she developed a thick outer skin but it was nice to actually get some support, especially since this is by far one of the toughest moments of her life.

The young boy really hadn't been expecting that she would agree. He ran a hand throught his hair, thinking this through. Gosh, he didn't even exactly knew what he was going to say. As he was following her, his mind was working faster than his pace, trying to find answers to all his questions.
"Listen..." he paused right after the first word, realizing it was the first time he was alone with her... That felt good. "I'm not sure of what to say." he admitted rather quickly. He was going to sound very clumsy and this was sort of a warning:
"I care about what you think." It seemed to him that this was the most important point. He cared. He had no clue how or why, but that quiet girl had fascinated him from the start, and he felt a desperate need that she was aware of it. "I don't know if it's just me, if I'm being cocky or conceited, but... I think that you care too." he paused, to analyze her reactions.

He walked around the room, taking in deep breaths. What else was there to be said? What else did he want to say?
"I don't think about Yagi that way. We were somewhat good friends back in Hogwarts. And I was very glad to see her her because she's the only one I know around here. But I don't have romantic feelings for her. Erm.. I mean it. And I.. I think that you should know that." he stoped and turned around to face her. She is beautiful... Looking at her deeply, he was begging her not to push him away. His clear blue eyes were pleadding. He wouldn't mind if she read his soul, if she looked at him and saw everything he was. He just wanted her around.

As she walked quickly towards the training room, she felt for her bun. One by one, she began extracting the needles that held it up and by the time she reached the room, all the lethal needles were in her palm and her hair tumbled down her shoulder in loose red curls.

Entering the room, she pulled out a new set of gloves and put them on. Then, she began hiding the senbon in the cloth, but not far in enough to hurt her skin. Looking up to face him, she nodded as if to say 'I'm listening.'

Oh great. He didn't know why he wanted to talk to her. Shaking her head dissapointedly, she made to leave the room when she heard his voice. She halted and faced him again. Pulling out her kunai, she twirled it around her fingers boredly for a moment before turning towards the target board. Moving her wrist quickly, she smiled as her knife hit the center of the board.

"I care," she started. "About whether or not I can trust you with my life." Or my heart, she added silently. He didn't care Yagami that way, or so he claimed. She didn't move very much but simply stared at him with unwavering hazel eyes.

"What are you trying to prove?" she asked quietly. "She obviously likes you, and you've known her forever. Why are you apologizing to me?" Because she needed to know. He couldn't string her along like some puppet that would bend to his every want or need. She wasn't that kind of person. She was a hunter, she slayed demons every other day. It wasn't a life where you coud afford to let your guard down.

Freyja watched Holly handle the situation with the same calm authority she displayed when fighting - like she really was on top of everything, even if she wasn't. Her eyes followed her friend and Drew out of the hall, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from attacking anything - or anyone.

Okay, eating. Even if all of this was going on, Freyja still needed to eat. The thing was, she always ate like she was constantly starving, but by a mixture of unrelenting training and good genes, she was frequently called "too thin" by her aged great-grandmother. Freyja's great-grandmother was one of the few lucky survivors of being a Shadow Hunter - she was close to a hundred, or so were the rumours. She'd seen more fights than was possible, and told those stories with a relish usually reserved for chocolate cake. She now spent her days in her attic apartment, reading and knitting endlessly, although Freyja had seen her go down to the training room in the dead of night more than once.

Suddenly, Freyja stood up and left the room, flat-out sprinting to her great-grandmother's rooms. She stopped, brushed herself down, and knocked politely. A creaky but sharp voice replied from inside, "Come in! And take off your shoes!"
"Good evening, Nonni," greeted Freyja, slipping off her boots and smiling at the little bird-like old woman in the armchair near the bookcase. She was knitting so quickly her fingers were a blur, and she didn't stop nor miss a beat. Her formerly red curly hair was now silver-flecked white and twisted into a bun on top of her head. Her eyes were a clear blue, but other than that and the hair colour, it was clear that Nonni had been Freyja's mother's grandmother.
"Those Hogwartians have arrived, eh?" asked Nonni, although she said it at though she already knew and was just making conversation.
"Yes, and they're already making trouble," sighed Freyja, sitting in the chair opposite her great-grandmother. "They're going to be a handful. One of the boys, Drew, has upset Holly."
"Indeed?" Nonni's eyebrows shot up, and she stood with them. "Good Lord, this will not do. I think it's high time to let my presence be known." She put down her knitting and marched out of the apartment with speed not meant for a woman of her age. Freyja hurried after her, all the way down to the dining room.

Nonni entered the room as though she owned it, which was partly correct. She spotted the teenagers at the table easily, and simply went over and sat down opposite the majority of them.
"Good evening," she said pleasantly, nodding at the Hogwarts students, then glancing around. "Freyja!"
Freyja closed her eyes briefly before entering the room and sitting down next to her great-grandmother. She shot Edith a look that said I'll give you whatever you want if you can convince Nonni to go back to her rooms. Out loud she said, for the benefit of the Hogwarts students, "Um, this is my great-grandmother, Nanette."
"Nonni," the elderly woman corrected, smiling at the students. "Pleased to meet you. You've come to help here, have you not? Help us fight, help us win." Freyja would have rolled her eyes at the notion of the Shadow Hunters needing help fighting if anyone other than Nonni had put it forth, but since it was Nonni she didn't dare.

Drew couldn't force himself to take his eyes off of her. Although he shouldn't, he was amazed at the way she nailed the target board. Of course, she looked so delicate he kept on forgetting she was a hunter. The type of people you shouldn't mess around if you want to keep your head on your shoulders.
"I bet your accuracy is perfect." he comment, pointing at the target board. "Can I give it a try?" he suggested, wondering if it would be easier to pour his heart out if he wasn't staring at those magnificent hazel eyes.

He walked quietly around the room. She sure was straight to the point. Carefully, he answer, with the slight feeling that she would take anything he would say and turn it agaisnt him.
"I wasn't trying to prove a thing..." small pause, accompanied by a gentle smile. "... but now I want to prove you that I am trustworthy. Afterall, I don't want to die right away." he'd settle for that, because proving anything more would be too unrealistic.

Suddenly, he stopped and let out a loud sigh.
"We are friends, Yagi and I. I haven't known her forever, and we are not like bestfriends or soulmates. We are good friends and I was glad to see her." he shouldn't repeat himself, but he was holding on to what he was sure. "I am telling you this because I want to. I want to apologize." He walked towards her, stopping at a safe distance. It was important that each one had their own space, so that she wouldn't jump to wrong - and very rushed - conclusions. "I want you to care. I might be wrong, but it stroke to me that you already do. So... whatever you have in mind, I care about what you think of me, the kind of person I am, the things I do." he paused, just to conclude in a different way. "What you think of me... It matters."

Holly was trying incredibly hard not to look at him. She couldn't risk it. But she peeked once when he started talking, and that was her doom. Walking swiftly over to the target board, she pulled the small dagger out of it and placed it back into the holster at her thigh.

"It's harder with a moving target," she frowned before turning towards where the moving dummies were. Unfortunately, Freja had beat all of them up pretty badly. "But it has to be when you fight for your life."

He wanted to try? Holly shrugged nonchalantly, pulling the knife back out and holding it flat in the palm of her hand with its tip facing her. "You weren't?" she asked skeptically, the qipao swishing gracefully as she moved. "I see. But I'll just say that it took Romero almost a year to earn my trust." And you need to work for it.

Holly nodded, a little bored. He was repeating himself. They were friends, not soulmates and the other things he'd said only two minutes ago. But the second half surprised her. Why did he want to apologize? Did she actually mean something to him? Could she mean something in the future? "I haven't cried since I was five," she whispered, almost inaudible. "When they took me away from Beijing. From my mother." But she shook her head as if to clear it and focused on what he was saying. Nodding, she nodded toward the dagger in her hand. Maybe she could teach him how to defend himself when Freyja and Romero came after him. Probably just Freyja.

Edith wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on but she didn't like it. These witches and wizards were presenting trouble that they didn't need right now. Sighing she got up from the table and thanked the kitchen crew. Their food was always amazing.

She took a deep breath and headed out into the hallway. The old church that they ran the Institute out of had been renovated on the inside. The hallways were all made of marble and sound carried. Without breaking her stride she let out a shrill whistle and rounded into the armory.

It was time to arm up and get going. Everyone would be in here soon and then the streets of London would be Shadow Hunter territory. Quickly Edith took several seraph blades, throwing knives, and a hunting knife into places in her gear. Next she grabbed both of her short swords and slipped them into their sheaths which she fastened to her back. Finally she took her favorite whip off the wall and coiled it around her wrist. Anyone who wasn't a Shadow Hunter would mistake it for a common bracelet.

Taking our her stele she drew a few battle marks on her skin. One for agility, one for night vision, one for stamina, and one for extra sensitive hearing. Satisfied she turned and waited for her fellow Shadow Hunters.

Raelynn looked up at the great-grandmother, and said Hello Nanet-Nonni, its nice to meet you. My name is Raelynn. Holding out her hand for a shack from the woman. She hadnt really talked to anyone-not that any of them tried to talk to her but still...

Romero noticed the sun coming dow through a window. And now it was getting late. He the mortals had to be getting back to there quarters for their own safety. He turned to Yagi and said, " You have to head back up to your dormitory it's unsafe for you to stay up any longer. I will go inform Drew to head up as well Having, you just go. Romero watched as Yagi left and then he quickly headed over to the practice room and opene
the door. "Holly, patrol is about to start. And Drew, you gotta head back up to you're dorm for you're safety!".

Sensing no response from Drew, she sighed and twisted her ponytail back into its bun and secured it with senbon needles as she always did. Those were mostly for backup, if she lost her bow or sword during a fight. She noticed the sun begin to set through a window, the oranges and pink began to spread across the horizon.

She slipped the kunai back into its holster and covered it with the front of her qipao. "Thank you, Romero," she said, smiling gently at him and securing the final pin into her bun. Turning to Drew, her expression softened slightly before resuming its regular state which still looked soft, it wasn't steely or anything. "Go to the dorms, talk to the girl and sort things out between the two of you. We'll talk in the morning."

With those words she picked up her quiver full of arrows and slung it over a shoulder so that it rested diagonally across her back. Testing the string of the bow that rested on the floor, she smiled approvingly before setting in in with the arrows.

Moving quickly, she followed Romero to the old church outside the Institute. Hearing a shrill whistle, she cringed slightly. It was Edith. And Holly was probably late. Quickening her steps, she arrived at the church unnoticed and chose a few more throwing knives for her thigh holsters. They were convenient and easy to reach. Her sword was already attatched to her hip and all she needed was to draw the marks. The marks of stamina and attentive hearing were already etched into the skin of her back, but she had yet to make those for night vision and stealth. The stele was used to etch the marks that were drawn easily and once she was done she turned to Edith and smiled in greeting.

Was Freyja coming? She should.

Freyja would have come earlier if it wasn't for Nonni. Suddenly she was a hundred-something old woman who couldn't get up the stairs without help despite being perfectly able-bodied a few minutes ago! Freyja bit back shrieks of protest as she helped Nonni to her room and got her comfortable before sprinting down to the old church.

She had her faithful katana in its sheath in her belt, but decided to grab a bow and quiver of arrows for long-range. She quickly drew the marks and finally looked up to acknowledge her fellows. "So we starting without the others?" she asked, referring to Adam and Faye. "We could easily take the whole perimeter by ourselves." Plus that would get her out of doing it with Faye, which was a punishment that rivalled death in her book.