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The kids loved Miss Clementine.
It turned out the best cure for headache and stomach pain before school was Clementine's Literature Appreciation class, which meant inviting the novelist to teach here was the right decision.
Of course, it was the right decision. How could Raye be wrong about this? She knew a good teacher when she saw one, and she was certain Clementine would inspire many kids here. That was why she spent so much time writing the invitation.
When the opportunity came, Raye took it and sat in on the novelist's class herself. She wanted to see why the kids loved it so much. The poet stood at the back of the classroom, leaning against the wall with her arms folded, observing Clementine attentively.
The class was lively. The students were eager to answer Miss Clementine's questions—something that wouldn't happen in math or biology class. Clementine brought a steam train model that day. The kids were thrilled to know more about pre-Nightfall technology and also how to trick someone into believing they're losing their mind using a pine cone (which she noted to herself that Chief must not know about the latter).
Eventually, the poet found herself listening to the teacher more than observing. As Clementine talked about murder mystery novels from before Nightfall, their eyes met briefly, and Raye, for some reason, almost jumped. Almost. Which was unlike her because she never did that. Raven never got nervous just because someone suddenly made eye contact with her. Maybe it was because she didn't expect to be observed as well. But if she'd been honest with herself, she would've admitted that she might have been charmed a little by the novelist.
The student seemed a little disappointed when the bell rang. They packed up their things and slowly walked out the classroom door group by group, until the only people left in the room were the two teachers.
Their eyes met again once the room was empty. Raye searched for something to say, but Clementine spoke first.
“Come to observe me yourself, Miss Raye?” the novelist said with a soft smile. “Do you not trust me, or are you genuinely interested in my class?”
“I'm just curious, actually,” Raye said, making her way to the other woman at the classroom podium. “It seems the kids have had fewer stomachaches lately, so I just want to see for myself how fun your class is.”
“Oh?” Clementine raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, did you have fun?”
“I did,” Raven said, getting a little distracted by Clementine’s fangs. “I'm glad you accepted my invitation to teach here.”
“Thank you.” Clementine gave her a wider smile. “And thank you for inviting me to teach here. It's been so long since I told kids stories like this. Writing novels is one thing, but having people listen to your stories in front of you... It makes me feel like my old self again.”
The school became quieter as they stood there, sharing their pasts. Raye told her about the Homeless kids, and Clementine told her about the kids at the orphanage. There was a remnant of bitterness hiding in the novelist's voice. Raye, as a teacher, felt sorry for what happened to her. But Raven, as a poet, found Clementine's shattered heart beautiful. A tortured soul struggling in the dark, taking revenge and delivering justice with her dirty hands. What could be more beautiful than that?
Noticing the sun was almost set, Clementine changed the subject. “By the way, I heard your poetry class is quite popular too. Ica and some other students told me about your poems and how they saved people in Syndicate.”
“Well, you are welcome to sit in on my class any time.”
“Sure, but I still have some time before I have to head back to the bureau. Would you mind if I take a look at your poem collections in the teachers' room?”
Surely, the great poet of DisCity wouldn't mind at all. But she was a bit disappointed to find that Lavina was still there.
“Hi, Miss Clementine, Raven,” said Lavina, giving them a friendly smile. “I'm about to head out, so don't forget to lock the door before you go.”
Okay, that's better. Raye thought, feeling a bit guilty for thinking that. But she was about to show this gorgeous woman her poems, Lavina would totally understand that she needed some privacy.
They said goodbye to Lavina and watched her until she was out of sight. The sun was almost gone from the sky, and it seemed they had the entire school for themselves now. Raye was thinking about how to convince Chief to let her borrow Clementine for the night to “discuss poetry” when, suddenly, she was pushed until her tailbone hit the edge of her desk.
Clementine was in front of her, their faces incredibly close, barely an inch of empty space between them. The novelist's fangs were even more visible now, and Raye couldn't help but look, wondering how it would feel when they sank into her neck.
Painful, of course. But Raven, for some reason, felt like her neck was itching for the feeling.
“At this point, I think you can just kiss me now,” she whispered, and then their lips crashed.
It'd been so long since Raye kissed someone. The sensation felt new to her. Her hands reached for Clementine's neck and pulled her in even closer. She parted her lips, inviting Clementine's tongue in as her own tongue searched for those sharp teeth.
Clementine smiled mid-kiss with her lips still on Raven’s. “You seem interested in them, Miss Raye.”
Too late to conceal her desire now, Raye decided to be more confident about it instead. “And if I want them inside my neck, would you be kind enough to indulge me?”
“My pleasure.”
The kiss continued only for a brief moment before Clementine firmly held the back of Raven's neck, supporting it. She then started to trail her lips down.
Raven tried to be patient, but Clementine really made sure to take her time as if she had all night and nowhere else to be. Slowly, she trailed kisses down from her lips to her chin, from her chin to her jaw, and from her jaw to her neck. Finally. The poet eagerly tilted her head back to make it easier for those fangs to sink in, but instead of a sharp pain, she felt a smile against her skin. Clementine gently kissed the pulse point on her neck and lingered her fangs just above her skin.
Annoyed, Raven let out a grunt, but it somehow came out sounding more like a moan. Luckily, it seemed Clementine was satisfied with the noise she made. The novelist bared her fangs and finally gave her what she wanted.
Sharp teeth pierced her skin. A sharp pain she had been anticipating sent an electric shock through her entire body, making her hold on tight to the edge of the table. Raven shut her eyes and choked out a gasp. After a few seconds, the sharp pain started to turn into something else—a pleasurable sensation she’d never felt before. It made her feel light-headed. It made her feel like her neck was about to reach orgasm if it was capable of that. Was she high on her own adrenaline? Or was it the way Clementine's power worked, making her confuse pain with pleasure? Either way, it felt too good to be concerned about blood loss.
Feeling Clementine lapping her tongue against the bite wound, Raven hummed in pleasure. She let the feeding go on and on until she felt Clementine's lips on hers again. The poet moaned into the kiss in satisfaction as she tasted her own blood from those lips. The kiss got more and more heated, and she didn't want to just kiss anymore. Raye wanted Clementine's tongue somewhere else. She wanted those fangs and hands somewhere else.
Unfortunately, they weren't at Raye's apartment, and someone could walk in on them any moment.
Unfortunately, the person was Chief of the MBCC.
The teachers’ room door swung open, and then a gasp could be heard. “Oh, I'm sorry,” said Chief, quickly turning her face away. “I’m really sorry I should've knocked.”
But it was too late now. It wasn't like they could just shoo Chief away and continue what they were doing. The three people just stood there awkwardly until Chief faced them again and saw Raye’s bloody neck. “I'm sorry, but is that even safe? Clementine, what did you do to her?”
Raven rolled her eyes and defended the woman next to her. “Come on, it's just a tiny bite, and I asked for it.”
Chief turned her gaze to the novelist. “And you did?”
Clementine answered with a shrug, wiping the bloodstain on her lips with the back of her hand.
The unintentional interrogation seemed to get more inappropriate, and Chief was more than happy to stop there. All of them headed back to the bureau in the same car in complete silence. Chief insisted that Raye should go to the infirmary to get her wounds patched up, which she did. But only to assure Chief that she was fine and to show that she was cooperative, so that when she came to her office to ask for something, Chief might grant what she wanted.
“Why am I sensing that you’re here to ask me for something?”
“Because I am,” said Raye, closing the door behind her. “Since you already walked in on us, I’m gonna be direct with you. Can I borrow her for the night?”
“Borrow her for what?”
Raven rolled her eyes, couldn't believe she had to make it more clear to her. “Come on, Chief, what do you think? A poetry appreciation session?”