9 Chapter 9: Lackeys

Lavender eyes met his own, widening by a few centimeters as they took in Neo's appearance.

They return to their original state, becoming narrowed once more like a sly and clever cat eye-balling an amusing attraction.

It was typical of Tybalt, so observant and cunning. Despite the life he lived in the modern world, Neo still remembers this fun bastard, and he means it in a good way.

Tybalt gives a low whistle casts a crooked smile. "Naza, I thought that was you. What happened to your hair?"

The friendly deposition within his posture was clear in the way he holds himself. The boy approaches him, coming closer to curiously gaze at the short state of his new hair cut. He gave a slight tug to Neo's ponytail without asking for permission, his gesture neither rough or gentle, but then again, it was typical of Tybalt.

Neo didn't mind it. Tybalt wasn't one for personal space and often got touchy-feely with those around him. Even back then, despite Nazareth's reputation consisting of being a scummy troublemaker, the other noble didn't fear him for his wicked deeds.

"Do you like it?" Neo asked with a smile, knowing full well that the boy will notice his change in behavior. "I thought it's about time for something new."

That threw Tybalt completely off-balance.

"You..."

Confusion filled Tybalt's mind as this scummy troublemaker flashed a smile at him. What's he plotting now? Some new scheme of the day? Should he prepare to hide in case Nazareth decides that this was the day he will go on a murderous rampage?

Masking his perplexity, Tybalt donned a face of panic and began to shake Nazareth around like a rag doll.

"What's with that expression on your face? That smile... Oh god, that smile! Are you ill? Should you be coming to school?"

Tybalt pretended to be anxious, groping and tugging Neo about, even going as far as to check his forehead for a fever.

This scene would have been funny, and maybe even endearing to outsiders, but Neo wasn't fooled by the act. He could see right through it after years of training inside the medical facility he used to work out. Observation was the most important sense to hone and polish, and now, without the craze need to be better, to go against his own brother, Neo was ready to face the sly Tybalt.

This boy did not deserve his dismissal and ignorance back then. They were young, and he, himself, was a fool. Therefore, Neo vows to give him the respect that he rightfully deserves, he should have deserved.

He smiles as he watches the boy act foolishly, and allows him to go on until he becomes tired. It's been long since he was able to enjoy the presence of an old friend.

Ah, if only he hadn't pushed Tybalt to the brink. Perhaps then, the boy could have lived a few more years as a child and enjoy the life of a noble to the fullest. Do whatever he wants, be a fop, even a debauch noble is still a noble.

Tybalt Phelan is the fourth illegitimate son of Baron Phelon. His mother was a lowly young maid who died during childbirth, leaving young Tybalt to fend for himself in a house full of other illegitimate children and mistresses at an early age.

You could say that the Baron liked to play. The bastard is already so old yet so energetic. Remembering Tybalt's father, Neo involuntarily shivered. He once caught the old goat once eyeing him for a suspiciously long time when he visited the Phelan Household. From then on, Tybalt was the one who did the visiting.

How Neo managed to befriend Tybalt was rather simple. In the past, Nazareth had approached the other at the end of Junior High when he noticed the sly and clever eyes the other hid behind the face of a carefree jokester. Tybalt had connections. He made the network himself, building it all up with information, blackmail, and more. All for the sake of survival in the Phelan Household.

Of all his followers, Nazareth trusted him the most. Tybalt was his closest advisor and helped him plot new ways to destroy his brother. It was a marvelous thing they had, and perhaps they would have been true friends if not for one particular problem.

Tybalt was actually a spy planted by Aurelion.

Neo remembers the betrayal, and really, did he not deserve it?

When evidence of his misdeeds began to come to light, Nazareth planned for the loyal and dumb Royce to take the blame. Utilizing the sly and clever Tybalt, he had the boy push Royce out of noble society to ensure that he left no footprints to trace back to himself.

Tybalt's connections and abilities then resulted in indirectly killing Royce. And Nazareth knew that he blamed him.

In all honesty, Neo knew that Tybalt never liked him. Even when he became a part of his group, Neo had remembered seeing malice in his eyes, but ignored it in favor of other pursuits, such as killing his own brother.

It was during the time when Nazareth began to lose grasp of his control that Tybalt revealed that he was a part of Aurelion's group. Coincidentally, this was around the same time as when Royce's death reached their ears.

A shame. One tragedy after another. He lost against people he deemed as his enemies and lost the people he deemed as friends. Or, potential friends. They could have been. Friends, he means. It would have been lovely. Really, really lovey.

Back to the part where Tybalt is currently still shaking Neo around like some toy.

"-Please don't tell me you're dying! Oh lord, the only other explanation for the reason you're acting like this is if you're about to die-"

"Never mind that, Tybalt." Neo finally pitched in when the boy still continued his tirade, getting more and more dramatic as it went on, drawing more bafflement in return. "I am fine. See?"

Neo spins around in a circle to show that he is neither dizzy nor ill. And no, Tybalt, he is not dying.

Before Tybalt could answer, Neo was already pushing him towards the building.

"But Naza-"

"Come on, we'll be late for class." Neo continues urging, wanting to be as far away from the onlookers, who were no doubt staring at Tybalt's dramatics and gawking at the sight of him being thrashed about.

Just as the two of them were approaching the long steps that led to the building, a figure raced through the school gate like some demented meteor and pitter-pattered--an abrupt sound of feet loudly thumping against the ground-- straight towards the duo.

This, of course, drew both Neo and Tybalt's gaze towards a gangly-looking boy with dark, curly brown hair, looking like he is just about to keel over and die.

"I'm..." The boy pants, very loudly and sounding very tired, "... Here..." He breaths at last.

Tybalt blinked, and then widen his eyes in surprise.

"Finnie! I thought you were ill."

He spoke in astonishment, gazing at the boy who was wheezing, and sweating buckets. Neo stared at him with a blank expression on his face, a look of shock carefully masked behind his stoic expression.

He found himself looking into a pair of watery maroon brown eyes.

At this contact, the boy squeaked and cowardly stared down at his feet with all his focus, his exhaustion long forgotten.

The name left Neo's mouth before he could stop it. "Finneas."

The boy still wouldn't look at him, but thankfully, he responds to him.

"Y-yes?"

The voice is just as he remembered, delivered with a nervous stutter and looking on the verge of tears.

Neo purses his lips. And then, he tries again. "How are you?"

A quiet, almost whisper-like answer came from Finneas. "Fine..."

Neo eyes him a little longer, drawing in the timid and cowardly Cry-Baby Finneas.

Finneas Ellon Dagon was having a terrible morning. His fever had broken at dawn and although he was sure he still needed a little more rest, his father had ushered him out of the manor without so much as a bottle of medicine. He missed breakfast, was dragged out of bed at the latest of time, and was deemed fit for school the moment his father felt for his fever and decided that all was well with him at last.

He then proceeded to miss the carriage, his older brother having assumed that he would not be going to school today, and left without him by a mere five minutes of him scrambling for the door. His limbs felt weak, he still had chills all over his body, and his brother had taken the only available carriage left. He took a fucking horse to school, park said fucking horse at the nearest horse stall offered by the school--which is really just an ugly piece of shit with a trough of water and some half-assed locks that he can easily break or pick ("I'm so sorry, Daisy. I'll give you a treat after class.")-- refusing to be late and knowing his father would not excuse him.

Now, despite it all, here he was, at this god-forsaken academy, at last, being stared down by Nazareth fucking Odum, the guy who can fuck him over with a simple raise of his hand. He sucks in a breath.

Fuck. His mind supplied helpfully. He needed to fucking vomit.

Fuck life, fuck his brother, and fuck the fucking world. This shit was too much for his ill body to take. Oh, he forgot, fuck his body as well. God obviously wanted to make his life more miserable than the average person by giving him a sickly constitution. Thank you for that, you fucker.

Finneas dares not look at this illegitimate first child of the Odum family. Even if the other boy's status was rather taboo, offending an Odum is worth more than his pride. It didn't matter if this particular Odum happens to be known as the Scummy Troublemaker of the school. The scorn of an Odum is both cruel and unusual. He shivers just thinking about it.

The last time someone offended an Odum, well... Guinivere Odum might be one of the most beautiful ladies of high society, but he has witnessed the young girl kick someone's ass and hang them naked for the whole school to see...

Vermillion eyes were filled with sympathy and remorse. Ah, this pitful lamb.

Initially, Nazareth had approached Finneas with the intent for a lackey that was both obedient and easy to control, but unlike Royce and Tybalt, Finneas never had a mean bone in him. Due to Finneas' timid and shy nature, Neo had treated him as a servant, more or less. He had held him with a frightening grip and used his fear of him to make him submit.

Finneas is the second son of the Dagon Family, his father being the Viscount of Dagon. His family can be considered normal. He had no conflict with his elder brother, who was the heir apparent of the Dagon family, and Viscount Dagon is considered a capable noble, perhaps slightly overbearing as a father, but he means well. The Viscountess, however, died a few years back due to illness, but all in all, there was nothing truly special about Finneas.

The Viscount's family held status that was neither too powerful nor too useless. They were capable and stayed in their stations. Finneas' own status was also that of a son of the Viscount family, but he was not the heir. With these circumstances, it drew Nazareth to the boy.

Funnily enough, the boy served as a factor towards his death.

After Tybalt left the school, Finneas was cornered and ultimately admitted that Nazareth was the true mastermind behind the schemes. It was due to Aurelion and his friends, who, after interrogating the boy and threatening to bring down the entire Dagon Household, Finneas revealed the entire truth and left the academy as well. When Nazareth learned the news, Finneas had already exiled himself and left for a small manor owned by the Viscount in the countryside. Due to the downfall of his reputation and the fear of Nazareth's backlash from the betrayal, he ran.

Perhaps, Neo thinks with guilt, if he had not used him like so and was kinder, Finneas would not have been involved with his terrible reputation. Perhaps, he would have had to live his days in the countryside manor by himself and endure a lonely life.

One by one, those Neo should have held dear in the first place all left his side before he realized that he, himself, was alone at last.

But nevermind that. He had to focus on the current Finneas standing before him.

Curly brown hair that reached the nape of his neck and watery maroon brown eyes hidden by a few curls of hair.

Before, Neo never noticed the pitiful look of this child, and now...

Ah, simply too adorable. He wanted to hug this poor, little lamb.

Without properly restraining himself--and really, he should have absolutely restrained himself--Neo went in and gave a very affectionate and generous hug for the poor, touch starved (he assumes) noble.

What. The. Fuck.

Finneas freezes up when he feels a pair of arms wrap around him. He then hears a soft voice speaking from his neck, where the apparent Scummy Troublemaker happens to be nuzzling against, but couldn't make out what the other was saying.

"N-Naza?"

Apprehensively, he asks this with a bit of fear in his own voice.

"Sorry. Can I hug you for a few moments longer?"

"A-ah... Alright..."

Not like you're not hugging me right now...

With Neo's face hidden in Finneas' neck and enshrouded under the boy's thick curly hair, he did not notice the exchange looks shared by Tybalt and Finneas. The two of them stared at each other, speaking with their eyes, expressions, and boy language that went a bit like this:

Blink, blink--What the fuck happened to him?!

Strain smile, shrug--How should I know? He's been weird all morning.

Timid frown, watery eyes--You fuck! Aren't you supposed to be some kind of fucking people genius?

Cock eyebrow, bright smile--Maa, you should relax. This Scummy Troublemaker isn't all that terrible today. Who knows? Maybe he died and came back. I hear that people change when they have a near-death experience.

Looks at the slightly smaller boy hugging him, tense, nervous smile--This fucker is already a goddamn shit of a nightmare. How long is he going to fucking hug me for? Get the fuck off of me, you little shit!

Seeing the rage that was deeply hidden within those timid and watery eyes, Tybalt spoke.

"Naza, if you don't let him go, we'll be late for class."

That did the trick.

Immediately, Neo let go of Finneas and realized that students were starting to trickle into the building at a faster rate.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Tybalt. Let's go to class, shall we? Oh, and Finneas, are you truly well? If you are feeling uncomfortable, I can take you to the infirmary."

He had remembered Tybalt mention Finneas being ill.

Again, Tybalt and Fineas shared a look with one another.

"N-no need, Naza. I'll be fine." Was the nervous response.

Unconvinced, Neo could only accept his response reluctantly.

The three of them headed into the school.