Being Led by A Blood Red Thread [Closed]

Marlin's eyebrow raised slightly. "I am aware. It seems many people are chatty at night. If I may ask what is that you have." He said as he dug for his key. Oh blasted keys.

The man placed his glasses closer to the bridge of the nose.

"Oh, this thing?" he said. "It's a school roster list of the juniors, that's all. I know we're all techy now but I like to keep a few things in lists since I keep check of attendance and all."

Marlin nodded and decided to not press the matter any more. He soon noticed he had left his key in his room. He let out a deep sigh. "Pardon me, but do you have any spare keys?" He asked with a slight yawn.

"Do you mean dorm keys?" the man asked Marlin. "I'm sorry, I don't. But if you go to the room right next to the northern stairs you'll find the janitor. He should have a spare set. Be careful now, it's late."

The man reached into his pockets and pulled out a small flashlight.

"You can return this to me tomorrow at the auxiliary room."

Marlin would go to the room and find it light and open. A man in a one-piece work suit was there reading the paper. A mop resting nearby.

Marlin knocked on the door. "Pardon I need a key to the MCOB room. My key is inside and I need to study. Can you aid me?" As he spoke he let out a yawn, and showed his tiredness.

"MCOB?" the janitor said as he looked at Marlin lazily. "Yes, I believe I do."

The janitor went over to his ring of keys and found the one he needed.

"Please return this tomorrow when you can," he said. "Oh, and be careful on your way up. It's pretty dark. I heard one student found a guard injured on those stairs, can you believe that? Last night I think it was."

Marlin nodded at the man. "Yes. I believe I heard of that myself. Thank you and stay safe." He said as he left to his room. He opened the door, and sat his things down. He looked to his bed and sighed. He sat down at his desk, and began to study his work.

The next day at the study hall, things were still pretty quiet, though there were some people here and there studying. Shiki was sitting down at one of the tables sewing while she read on more advanced Grimm Studies. Today, she was creating a cross-stitched pattern of a screaming mask. Her scroll was right next to the book and the calendar showed the moon's phases for the week.

"A day more and its a full moon," she remarked as she sewed. She wondered if Marlin would be meeting her today.

Marlin came into the study hall book in his hand. He took a seat next to Shiki, his eyes locked onto the book as the showed his restlessness. "Morning Miss Zenchi. I hope you slept well."

"Sleep was bland," Shiki said as she sewed. "And I'm guessing you neglected your duty to resting your body once again haven't you?"

She continued to sew, but now at a slower pace.

"I'm assuming you no longer bumped into anymore trouble last night?"

Marlin laughed. "Besides studies, and forgetting my keys, I had no trouble at all." He said with a slight yawn. He did not look away from his book on grimm studies. His eyes showed his sleepless nights.

"That's good then," Shiki said. "Though some day I am going to slip a soporific in your drink so you'd learn how to sleep."

Around that time, someone came around the table.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" as Marlin and Shiki would look up, Marlin would recognize Zoe immediately. Zoe's eyes widened.

"Oh! It's you!" she said as she saw Marlin.

Marlin waved to her. "Good day madam. Shiki, this is one of the students who showed me that paper." He said as he woke up from a sip of coffee. "I do hope your friend is alright by the way."

Zoe's eyes shifted from Marlin over to where Shiki sat, her eyes growing wider and wider and her teeth clenching. Shiki ignored Marlin's remark and continued to sew, but was looking at the girl blankly. Zoe's mouth dropped for a minute but she inhaled sharply and then began inching away from the table.

"Y-yes, she's fine..." Zoe said. "Well, it appears I have to go. I should actually finder her. Goodbye..."

With that she rushed off as, something about her terribly disturbed.

Marlin looked back at Shiki. He then took a sip of coffee. "....You wouldn't really drug me to make me sleep would you?" He asked with one eye raised at her. At the same time he moved his coffee closer to him.

Shiki smiled ruefully.

"What do you think?" she teased. And then she shook her head. "No, I wouldn't. Worry not. But they say study hall is a great place to nap. And it will assure me you sleep instead of study. Why don't you rest your head? I still have embroidery to do, so I can keep watch of your things...and your sleeping habit."

Marlin looked at her curiously. "Why would you watch my sleep habits?" He asked as he laid his head on the table.

"Because you're a failure at the subject of sleep," Shiki deadpanned. "You may not care about your sleep being part of your welfare, but as your friend, I will not let you suddenly collapse."

Marlin just shook his head. "Ugh.....fine a nap will do me some good." He said as he laid his head down. He soon drifted into sleep.

The time went by in study hall and it soon got dark again. People were leaving. When Marlin woke up, he'd see Shiki had finished five separate patches and had a couple of sandwiches with her and two juice boxes. She pushed one sandwich and one juice box to Marlin without her eyes leaving her work.

"That's a record," Shiki said. "You slept two hours straight uninterrupted. You must have been very sleepy. Eat up now. The cafeteria closed half an hour ago, so this is all you'll get."

Marlin looked up and smiled at the food. "Thank you. It would appear that I am behind on my studies now, but at least I am with a friend." He said warmly, as he took a bite out of the sandwich. He looked over at Shiki, and then at his food. She wouldn't drug me.....right?

Shiki took her own food and placed her embroidery down, eating thoughtfully.

"Studies aren't going to matter if you're going to forget about sleep," Shiki said. "And studies won't matter if you're dead."

She sipped her juice and looked around.

"Looks like it's just the two of us here again," Shiki said. "And it's so quiet murder could take place..."

Marlin just continued eating. "So it seems." He said quietly. He was a bit off put by her comment, but kept eating non the less. "It's a good thing only friends are in here." He said as he finished taking a sip of juice.

Shiki glanced up at Marlin and smiled enigmatically.

"Are you not bothered as of recent?" Shiki said. "Of my behavior towards you?"

She had lifted from the table a long single needle and raised it to her eye.

"Are you not curious as to my motives for meeting you consecutively here? For feeding you and making you sleep? Should you be trusting me? Tell me..."

She glanced at Marlin, her blood red eye piercing right into his yellow glowing ones.

"Should you be scared of me or not?"

Marlin did not move he simply watched her. "No not really." He did not fear her, if she had evil intentions towards him. He would be dead by now. He did however laugh. "You have had countless chances to inflict ill will onto me, yet you did not." He said as he begun to grin.

"That's not how it works," Shiki smiled. "Some murders take pleasure in leading on their victim. Letting them gain trust...letting them think they're completely and entirely safe...but they're not."

She lifted up her juice box and tilted it towards him grinning.

Marlin shrugged. "Yet most murders are smart enough to not hunt pray who can inflict damage onto them just as powerful." He said as he pulled out a book and began reading. Must study. He thought as he ate some more.