Chương 11: Enrolled
The duo of Draculas, having finally made their way over to the learning institution they'd be attending, Stokely Grammar, take a moment to appreciate the grand normalcy emanating from the building. Well, Vlad does. Ingrid practically grimaces in revoltion at such a large gathering of moronic breathers.
Reaching into one of his bags many side pockets, Vlad pulls out a folded up piece of paper, unfolding it and handing the page over to a staring Ingrid. "It's your timetable and a map of the school." Vlad clarifies in response to the long, questioning look he's receiving.
Getting a slight, reluctant nod from his sister, Vlad turns away from her and walks over to Robin, who'd been waiting with his sister at the entrance of the school for a few minutes now. Greeting his friend, and being properly introduced to Chloe, Vlad makes idle conversation with the vampire fan-boy and co as they all head into the school.
As her brother disappears into the throng of students crowding through entrance of the building, Ingrid frowns minutely. She doubts very much she's going to enjoy the day, and taking Vlads recent actions into account -His admission of them both into the local school primarily- she can only hope that Vlad enjoys his a whole lot less.
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The school day goes by uneventfully, with Vlad enjoying the normalcy that has been thus far foreign to his life. Getting his own locker, going to class, eating cafeteria food, ect. Ingrid, while initially MUCH less enthusiastic than her brother, warms up to the idea of school throughout the day as she comes to a rather obvious revelation. People are stupid!
After the disgust of having to spend time around a bunch of pubescent losers wares off, Ingrid realizes how great this is going to be. An entire school worth of idiots to manipulate into doing her evil bidding, and a bunch of time away from The Count! What more could she ask for?
As the school day comes to a close, both siblings feel even better about school than they'd hoped. Vlad had, in the beginning, felt a little sick about everything, a combination of nervousness from his first day at school, remaining stress from his act with Ingrid, some amount of disgust with himself over manipulating(?) her for his own benefit, and anxiety over the next stage of his and Robins plan. This however, didn't remain the case for long, as Vlad was swept up by the wave of averageness and regularity that flows through the schools very atmosphere.
Well, if he ignores the woodwork teacher seeming a bit.... off. But that's probably nothing.
Now, both Ingrid and Vladimir Dracula stand once more outside the school, a wave of blue jumpers and sky shirts crashing out of the building behind them. Beaming vibrantly, Vlad turns to look at his sister, taking notes of the smile on her face. An ACTUAL smile!!! He's pretty sure they both enjoyed school. "So.....? Not too bad, right?" Vlad asks, not even bothering to try and stop the morphing of his smile into a shit eating grin.
Ingrid rolls her eyes at Vlads question, not bothering to deign him with any kind of worded response. Abruptly walking out of the school ground gates, she makes her way up the hill towards the castle, taking very little notice of the "Hey, wait for me!" that comes from behind her.
Like this, the two bicker and argue all the way home, Vlads seemingly unwavering smile matched by his sisters. An unusual sight indeed.
....
Stood outside the castle doors, Ingrid looks to Vlad, a curious tilt to her voice as she speaks. "So, how exactly do you plan on getting dad to agree to let us go to school?"
"Us?" Vlad smirks, happy to have real confirmation that she wants to go back to school. After all, why would she ask if the issue didn't concern her? It's not like she cares if he gets what he wants, so the only conclusion to come to is that she also wants to go. Which is exactly what he was hoping for.
Now, he isn't quite sure why she wants to keep going to school, but he isn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Her having any desire to go attend school was the biggest unknown in the entire plan, but he figured it would either work or it wouldn't, and the plan would go on either way. She wasn't really an essential part of his and Robins idea. (Read: scheme)
Before Ingrid has a chance to answer, a third party enters into the conversation. "Oh, hello children! I've just come to have a chat with your father" Mrs. Harker, Stokely Grammars Headmistress, greets. They'd been formally introduced to her earlier in the day during assembly, and she'd seemed pleasant enough.
Vlad smiles brightly as he addresses her, opening the castle doors while he speaks. "Ah, Miss! Yes, of course, please come in!" As the HI-VIS clad woman walks into the castle, pushing her bicycle forwards alongside her, Vlad grins triumphantly at Ingrid, the smile seeming significantly more sharp-toothed than normal.
Ingrid's eyes widen at the expression Vlad sends her way, a sudden realization trickling through to the front of her mind. She recognizes that expression. It's the same one she makes whenever one of her schemes go to plan.
She'd picked up on a few little things throughout the day, like how Vlad had gotten Robins help to enroll them in school. That's the only thing that makes sense, considering that Vlad doesn't have a computer or a phone to buy stuff with, nor does he have any way to enroll them from the comfort of her tower room. Little things like this had popped into her head throughout the day, and only now could she see how they fit together, like puzzle pieces, to form an image of what was going on. And while it wasn't totally clear yet, she knows it soon will be. 'What the hell is he planning...?'
Striding past the Headmistress and through the entrance hall, followed closely by his sister, Vlad shouts out into the cavernous space of the castle, his voice echoing through it's many halls and chambers. "DAAAD!!!"
Ingrid darts quickly forwards, closing the small distance between her and Vlad before grabbing him roughly by the shoulder. Whipping him around to face her in as violent a manner as possible, Ingrid whisper screams in his face. "What the hell are you doing!! Do you WANT dad to kill our teacher!?"
Vlad, caught off guard by both the sudden pain jolting through his arm and Ingrid's impromptu chewing out, let's the confident act drop. If only for a moment, if only slightly, the emotions flowing through him are shown, clear to Ingrid in the worrying of his brow and the crease in his smirk that wasn't there before.
And then the moment ends.
Vlads face returns to the previous static smile -because that's what she recognizes it as now, not unwavering or permanent, but static, still, a picture of a smile, an act- and he looks directly into her eyes as he whispers back in hushed tones, voice significantly more confident and sure than she imagines he actually is. "Trust me, I have a plan."
She nods reluctantly, eyes set with an steel sharpness she hadn't shown him before, piercing into him like a stake. Because she finally figured out what was wrong with him today. Why he was so confident, so sure of himself. He WASN'T. It was an act! All of it! Every lopsided smirk, every lacking reaction. And that knowledge pisses her off for a multitude of reasons, but none more than one. 'He manipulated me....'
As Vlad goes about his calling for dad, having turned away from her and resumed his plan a few moments ago, Ingrid obsesses over this new discovery of hers. Reviewing, mulling over and considering the various implications of what was happening. Vlad hates all things vampire, that's why Ingrid was so unconcerned around him. What did she have to worry about from him, the wimpiest vampire in the world?
But now she's being forced to re-evaluate him. And boy does that hurt her pride.
"DAAA-AAAD!!!" Vlad yells once more, still tying to get his father up. Of course, he could just go to his coffin to get him, but he didn't want to risk leaving Mrs. Harker alone with Ingrid. He isn't sure what could go wrong there, but doesn't really want to have to find out.
Finally, Vlad gets a response to his shouting, as a loud, irritated bellow reaches the main hall. "BAELZEBUBS BOGBREATH!! WHAT IS IT, I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!?!!"
"You've got a visitor!!!" Vlad answers back.
*SCHVROOM!!!*
Instantly, The Count appears behind Mrs. Harker, having flitt over from his coffin at hearing the word 'visitor'. He'd thought it may have been one of his old vampiric friends dropping in to say hello, but was disappointed to find a breather standing in his throne room/main hall. "Who... are you, and what are you doing in my Palace of Darkness?"
Turning around at The Counts voice, the headmistress pauses for a moment in surprise and slight bafflement, before getting back the bearings his sudden appearance had taken from her. "Ah, hello! I'm Mrs. Harker. I've just popped in to talk to you about your children's schooling, if that's alright Mr.....?"
"Count. Now, what's this about their...schooling?" Questions The Count in befuddlement, his pronunciation of 'schooling' slow and careful, as though he'd never come across the word before.
Mrs. Harker, ever the diligent headmistress, moves to make sure her facts are right. "As I understand it, your children have never gone to school before, yes?"
"...Correct..." The Count drawls after a small pause.
"Well, we at the school need to know what subjects your children will be needing extra help with." After getting no response from the children's father, she mistakes his irritated glare as one of prompt, and as such moves to clarify. "So that they don't fall behind in classes."
Angered by the woman's presumptuousness, the Count stalks closer, looming over her and encapsulating her in his shadow. "And what in Satan's name makes you think that I would allow you to teach my children anything?"
Now thoroughly confused, Mrs. Harker begins to speak. "You enrolled them in my school, so I-"
"What!?! I did no such thing!" The Count interrupts, in both surprise and outrage.
Backing away from the severe man, Mrs. Harker informs the Count of his childrens current educational status. "I assure you Mr. Count, your children are enrolled in my school. They were there not an hour ago today."
Finally taking notice of his children, The Count notes their strange attire and matching colour schemes. Glaring scathingly at his kids, from which Vlad deflates slightly and Ingrid rolls her eyes, he resolves to address that later before refocusing his attention on the audacious breather woman infront of him.
"My children will NOT be going to this.... school you speak of!" The Count declares, lightly flourishing his cape as he speaks.
Clearly not having expected such a vehement refusal to send his children to school, especially since he'd already enrolled them, the Headmistress takes a moment to collect herself before clarifying the situation, significantly more bite in her tone than before. "Well I'm sorry Mr. Count, I don't know how things work where you're from, but in this country children are required to go to school."
"...And if they don't?" Asks the Count tauntingly, curious as to what the walking blood-bag believes she can threaten him with.
Egged on by the Counts apparent nonchalance, Mrs. Harker squints her eyes, in what she probably thinks is a threatening manner, as she speaks. "Then they'll be taken away."
"Really?" The Count questions, amused by the breathers attempt at intimidation. Walking past the woman, he makes his way over to his children, focusing on them as he speaks. "And how much would this service cost?"
Glad to have finally gotten somewhere, Mrs. Harker loses her standoffish tone when she next speaks, a slight smile in place at the sight of progress. ".....Cost? It wouldn't cost anything."
"Splendid, well you can have her for a start." The Count says, gliding smoothly around his kids and pushing Ingrid towards the woman from his new position behind them. Locking his eyes on the top of Vlads head, The Count continues. "I still have some hopes for the boy."
Looking over her shoulder at Vlad, Ingrid watches carefully as his face hardens and his gaze is turned downwards. It seems to her like the combined force of their father's unwanted attention and said fathers refusal to send him to school has brought Vlads act back up, if only partially.
She can't help but scoff. Dad treats her like crap, but her brother treats his affection and adoration and love like some kind of curse or burden.
Hearing his sister's scoff, Vlad brings his head from its hunched position, eyes moving from the ground to her. Meeting her eyes, Vlad stares at her inquisitively, being met with an equally persistent glare.
Mrs. Harker, being witness to both Vlads seemingly downcast mood at his fathers words, and the children's little staring competition, resumes the conversation with a renewed determination to keep the children in school. "Now look here Mr. Count, it's quite simple! You either send the children to school, or you'll be taken to court!"
The Count, having spent almost the entirety of his life in rural Transylvania, had never heard of court before today, and as such doesn't express the appropriate amout of fear her threat truly deserves. Moving from behind Vlad, he casually strolls over to the headmistress with an exagerated sway in his steps, mocking as he goes. "Ooouoou, taken to court. I'm aquiver with fear, mmhaha!"
Stopping a small enough distance away from Mrs. Harker, the Count eyes her up like a slab of meat, though not in the normal way you'd do such a thing. He sees her as a LITERAL chunk of bloody raw flesh. "And what, pray tell, is this so called 'court'?"
Vlad, both seeing an opportunity and sensing the rising tensions -not to mention his fathers rising bloodlust-, injects himself into the conversation. "Oh, just the local equivalent of an angry peasant mob."
"....what???" The Count demands quietly, almost to himself more than anyone else. Once more visions of fire and vengeful faces flash before his eyes. Snapping out of his mini day-terror, the Count snaps his neck to look at Vlad. "Right, You're going to school!"
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Chapter 11: 2451 words (not including this bit)
Holy hell this was a long one! I would have split it into two, but I just couldn't find a good opportunity for an ending anywhere.
Anyway, this is the extra chapter for this week. I originally planned on putting both of this week's chapters out at once, but I figured, 'why make em wait another day or 4 when I don't have to?'. So here! Enjoy the chapter!!! There'll be another one out on Sunday, so don't worry! Ok, goodbye!!!
Ps, constructive criticism, feedback and stones would all be appreciated 👍
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