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The clock was ticking, and if it were ticking any more slowly, it would have been going backwards. Reikian tried to look like he was paying rapt attention to the teacher who was lecturing at the front of the class, but the droning voice of old Mr. Barrus was slow and rumbling. There was a running joke that he used to be a hypnotist because so many students fell asleep or stared dazedly at the board when he was talking.

The bear had gone nearly silver with age, a set of glasses perched precariously on his nose so that they were always on the verge of toppling off, but somehow always remained in place. If he would only speak faster or at least try to put some enthusiasm in his voice, the rakshasa might have been able to keep his attention on something other than the clock.

His mind was on Kachya and the promise that they would get together later on in the evening. He had been quite suggestive about what he wanted to do to and for her before breakfast, even going so far as demonstrating a few ideas on her pliant body. He'd left her trembling and flushed in the small cubby hole in the attic, that response his assurance that she would be even more eager when they finally came together.

The last few days had been decadently delicious, filled with naked bodies and the exploration of one another. He had been concerned, at first, that Etante and her classroom might have harmed what he had gained with her, but the rabbit cast aside all doubts in the eagerness she displayed for him. He wriggled his tail tip against his chair as he recalled just how she had used her muzzle to apologize for doubting him.

"...Reikian?" Mr. Barrus' voice called his attention back to class, the questioning tone making him jerk upright and blink his eyes slowly. The old bear loved to catch students daydreaming and inevitably called upon them for one answer or another.

"Sorry, sir," Reikian answered and met the old bear's eyes. "I'm afraid I was just lost envisioning the vast and multi-hued realm of history, I didn't hear what you said."

The class laughed in appreciation as he quoted Barrus' favorite description of history back at him in answer. He preened a little bit and flashed a grin back at one of the girls who made so bold as to suggest it wasn't history he was envisioning. No one cared if they got in trouble in Barrus' class; he rarely gave out detentions. He didn't want to be marked as one of the teachers that had an eye for the children, not after he had been threatened with an inquisition for paddling a student in full view of the class. Not that the bear wanted anything to do sexually with his students, he was just that old school. Since then, they had run roughshod over him.

"I see," Barrus rumbled in response. "Back to the question at hand. Young as you are, I am sure you understand how our officials come into power?"

Reikian bit his tongue to stop a smart remark, instead he answered truthfully. "They're elected by a majority of the people."

"Exactly, something that has roots going back thousands of years. It is what separates us from the common beasts," Barrus rumbled and fell back into his lecturing tone. Reikian might have gone back to staring at the clock, but the next words brought his ears up. "And so, it has fallen to me to show you democracy in action. Despite my protests, the school has decided that they will hold a winter formal, something to prepare you for your later years--"

The classroom suddenly came to life; students straightened and voices suddenly whispered to one another. They'd had dances in the past---pitiful things that were comprised of orange punch, awkward conversation, and overdone decorations. A formal had a hint of something that could be interesting, something more adult.

"We will be electing a court to preside over the formal through two stages of elections." Barrus settled down in his chair, looking weary as he listened to the class chattering loud and eager. "The first stage will be to nominate your favorites; the top three will proceed to a second round to determine their ranking. Due to our principal's...unique views, we will be allowing only the girls to stand for election. The Queen and Princess shall be chosen and in turn shall choose the King and Prince, as well as an inner court that will be chosen at the time of their coronation."

"What? We ain't good enough to get voted on?" One of the boys retorted to a few mocking laughs of the surrounding males.

"Seeing as you are all still young, we believe that this will keep it manageable." The old bear droned on. "I will warn you all that I and the other staff will not tolerate anyone cheating in any manner. We will be keeping our eyes open for anyone attempting anything nefarious."

Reikian smirked a little bit, his tail started to lash faster behind him as he listened to the girls starting to chatter louder and louder, their voices mingling together behind him. It wasn't surprising that the principal had opted for a female court; the old letch would love watching the girls fight it out over who would win. He'd probably let of a few of them try to earn his favor in one way or another.

"Hush," Barrus growled out. "We will begin the first round of voting at the end of the week. In that time, those who wish to be nominated will want to campaign strongly to ensure they get enough votes. Anyone with questions may approach me." The bear turned his head about slowly and almost looked intimidating despite his years. "I will not tolerate anything less than a clean race, any hint that there is cheating, ballot stuffing or any such nonsense and I will personally deal with the offenders!"

Reikian grinned to himself, one of the only males in the class that paid close attention to what the teacher was saying. A plan teased the edges of his mind, one that would provide a grand surprise for Kachya, as well as be his midwinter's present to her. The only problem was, how to go about it without alerting her to what he was doing. And how to ensure that he won. His smile grew as the challenge spread out in front of him.

~ ~ * ~ ~

. . . .

The dull rumble of voices could be heard coming from the stairway just outside of the chapel, muffled enough that it almost sounded like the grumble of thunder. The last few scuffs of shoes and hooves and paws on the stairs were herded up by the sharp reprimands of the teachers and some of the upperclassmen who had earned the right to stay up later. Reikian rested his back against the cool wall of the chapel and wrinkled his nose at the hint of incense in the air. The judgmental eyes of saints from bygone years stared at him while he turned the evening pass around in his paws. It was a prize, and the key to his plans to make sure that the winter formal went off without any major problems.

Kachya will be surprised; she might even enjoy being in the limelight. _ He stuffed the pass back into his blazer pocket and grinned to himself. _And no one is going to say anything if I'm hanging around her afterward. I mean, once she's voted in as Queen, she'll be the most popular and I can just say I'm moving up in the world.

_ _

Reikian chuffed to himself smugly and tilted his head to look at the half open door of the chapel and a few flitting shadows of students running up the stairs. It was a perfect plan, one that would allow him to expose his attention to Kachya because she'd be elevated to popularity. She'd be able to hold her head up high, no longer skulking around like just another poor girl. Old Barrus would be looking out for any girls cheating, but he doubted that the teacher would notice his paw subtly shifting the votes and stacking them for the little rabbit. And Kachya certainly wasn't bold enough to draw attention to herself; only he really knew what sort of prize he had found in her.

His tail started twitching faster when he heard the soft click of claws on the ground outside of the chapel and the light shifted as someone stood outside of it. The rakshasa rolled onto his knees and moved a paw to hold the very edge of the door to see a delicate looking fennec fox glancing backward with her large ears tipped back nervously. Her golden fur caught the light, ever so soft and plush looking against the harsh stiff collar of her blouse. The plume of her tail was balanced perfectly behind the sweeping shape of her hips. Her curves were blossoming, far more advanced than those of most of the girls; then again, Pasha was just about to start her last year in junior high.

"Psst, down here, c'mon. You're gonna get caught!" Reikian hissed, making the fox's delicate muzzle jerk down toward him in alarm.

"Only if you keep talking," Pasha retorted and slipped through the narrow opening of the door in a sweetly scented tickle of air. She smelled like vanilla and nutmeg, like some sort of dessert.

"Took ya long enough." Reikian pushed himself up onto two feet and grinned harmlessly at the older girl. "I thought you were gonna stand me up."

Pasha's amber eyes narrowed a little, the large ears angling further back so she looked smaller and more delicate. "What do you want? I had stuff to do tonight, you know."

The fennec had once been a quiet shy girl; at least, that's what he'd been told when he'd first come here. She'd been very demure and rarely got into any sort of trouble, mostly preferring to keep to herself and work hard. She'd been a lot like Kachya from the sound of it, but somewhere in her second year she'd broken free and become a spitfire.

One of the teachers had made her a bit of a pet and she'd found a sharp tongue to make up for her short slight stature. She was something of a legend to a lot of the younger girls, and that made her perfect for his plans. It helped that she had a weakness for felines, especially tigers and leopards. She'd told him that it was all about how his tongue was textured instead of smooth and silky. She'd certainly used it often enough.

"What, you didn't wanna see me?" He grinned and twitched his ears back. He stepped back further into the chapel and spread his paws. "I thought you liked having time with me."

"You know I do..." Pasha allowed a smile to appear on her muzzle. "But that doesn't mean I'm a dog that'll come when you call."

"Of course not," Reikian soothed and caught her paw in his own. "I just thought, yanno, just coming back to school after the holiday you might want to relax."

"Like having a week off wasn't relaxing?" She joked and let him pull her in a bit deeper into the chapel towards the side pews.

"Oh? Then ya wanna go?" He teased lightly and made as if to let go of her paws, much to her laughter. She didn't try to escape when he got her to the pew that he'd covered with a spread blanket. "Besides, I kinda have an ulterior motive..."

"Uh-huh, I figured as much." She bumped her hip against his own while he turned to push her back towards the pew.

Her laughter filled his ears as she dropped gracefully down in the seat in front of him. She didn't snap or make any biting comments about his needing a favor, which meant she was in a good mood. As he dropped to one knee, he felt a moment of guilt as he caught the scents of the church and warm female on the air. He remembered the many times that he had Kachya here, her body on the cool stone floors, in a pew, in the confessional. A heady mixture of blasphemy and lust mingled here, but this wasn't his Kachya. It was another female arching toward his touch while he pressed forward with his chest against her knees and felt her paws tickling behind his ears.

He almost pulled away; it wasn't like he was with Maria here. It wasn't as if he were with anyone that Kachya knew about and somewhat approved of. It was cheating.

His stomach started to twist a little while his tail flicked back and forth wildly behind him. He moved his paws over her blouse and leaned forward so he could kiss along the curve of her golden furred neck. He tried to stop the strange sensation of doing something wrong, hiding this from Kachya, with a female that she didn't even know. What would she think if she found out about this? Would it get back to her?

The sense of self doubt fluttered in his mind as the fennec fox teased him with her finger tips on his sensitive scruff, kneading against the fur as he deftly rolled up the edges of her skirt. The golden furred fox arched herself even further as he nuzzled and nestled his muzzle just along the base of her blouse until he could lick right along her soft plush fur.

Her soft yipping encouraged him as he swiped his tongue back and forth along her navel. His paws edged up just beneath her skirt, seeking out the fabric of her panties, but his fingers found only fur. Soft bare fur, that trailed down and grew slightly thinner right along her inner thighs by her mound. She hadn't come here wearing any panties. She'd known what he wanted when he'd slipped her that note. She might have spent all evening with nothing between her sex and the world but her skirt.

He nipped against her belly playfully and moved a paw up to cup her bare mound, his fingers caressing the damp folds. She was already slick for him; perhaps she had been playing with herself or fantasizing about what his tongue was going to do to her.

It wasn't cheating, not really. It wasn't like he was doing this just because he wanted to have sex with Pasha; he was doing it to help Kachya. He was going to make her the most popular girl in school. Just like the fennec. The thought steadied him as he swirled his finger pad along the bud of her clit, driving Pasha to let out a soft cry, a high-pitched sound he'd only ever heard come from her.

"I want ya to help me with the elections for the formal," he chuffed. He kept his finger teasing while lowering his muzzle to push the fabric of her skirt up higher. "You've got a whole group of younger girls following your lead."

"There are better things for that tongue to be doin'." Pasha bit her lower lip while he shifted the pad of his thumb back and forth against her sensitive clit.

"Uh-uh!" Reikian ran his textured tongue right along her inner thigh. "You have to agree to help me."

"And how's that?" Pasha's voice came out as a soft whine. He licked higher, almost to the point that he was licking the base of his thumb and finger.

"I want you to vote for Kachya for Queen." He nipped gently against the inner thighs, swirling his fingers around. "Tell folks you don't want it, cause I know you don't. You're never into stuff like that."

"Mmph... who's that?" Her voice became a little slurred as he flicked his tongue tip right along the soft outer folds.

"Just a lowerclassman." He lifted his muzzle and ran his finger downwards a bit lower, leaving her clit exposed so he could reach forward and trail his tongue over it in a slow deliberate curl. "You know, if ya told 'em you were voting for her, they'd do it too. They wouldn't even really question you."

"Tease!" She hissed out when he moved away from her inviting folds so he could speak. "And all that for just this?"

"Rrrrrr..." He chuffed and licked along her folds again, dragging the textured tongue upwards so she started to wriggle in reaction. "I bet ya can think of a good price for it."

Reikian grinned to himself while he lowered his muzzle to give a long luxurious lick along her soft folds, his nostrils flaring a little at her scent. Pasha was predictable in so many ways, and simple; she enjoyed a good time without being sadistic or cruel. She'd come up with a good 'price' that they'd both enjoyed. And he'd certainly make sure that she was getting a good end of the deal.

He closed his eyes and ran his paw up along her stomach while his tongue plunged forward, spreading her open wide around him. As she cried out above him, he hoped that she'd at least want to do more than use his tongue, since it had been so long since he'd had fun with her this way. And it was for a good cause.

~ ~ * ~ ~

"Of course, I'll make it into the finals," Maria's voice was a pitched high enough that it was easily heard, especially in the quiet of the library.

Kachya kept her eyes fixed on her book, but inwardly seethed at the other girl's smug voice as the rabbit sat across from the rowdy group that had plopped down at her table without even asking her. Normally, she would have gotten up and gone to another table--somewhere quiet and secluded so she could study--but Reikian had been the one to drag the group over. The brash rakshasa was sprawled out directly across from her with one of his arms thrown indulgently behind the wolf cub's back with his paw resting right along the curve of her shoulder. It was nearly enough to make her stomach twist with envy and jealousy, but she was quieted by what he was doing beneath the table.

He'd kicked off his shoes and was using one foot paw to brush up and down along the edge of her calf. It wasn't just a soothing touch, but strangely sensual when joined with the length of his tail that twisted along her ankle. He made a game of it, one that made her keep her eyes fixed on the pages of the book instead of glancing up. His tail would start at her ankle, slipping up and trailing along to trace towards her calf, right where her socks ended. He'd keep moving up, as long as she held her leg still and maintained a straight face. The gentle caresses swirled all the way up towards the back of her knee, curling forward just firmly enough to pull her fur in the opposite direction. When the tip trailed up high enough, he would curl it behind her knee and taunt her by flicking it up. But he wouldn't go higher'; he'd just linger there until she had to bite her lip to stop herself from making a noise.

It was a game that allowed her to ignore that Maria was cuddled up quite publicly with him, staring up at him with undisguised pleasure. He didn't caress or tease her; he simply rested his arm over her shoulders while he concentrated on _her. _ It gave her a subtle feeling of pleasure and power, enough to ignore the rest of the group that made a few suggestions about how Maria and Reikian should slip away towards the back bookcases to enjoy each other. Suggestions that he deflected with flicks of his paw while his tail started to slowly drag down Kachya's knee.

"I don't have any interest in being elected." One of the girls in the group piped up. "You know it's just going to go towards whoever ends up in Principal Raskin's office. And I'm not going near that ferret!"

"Then Maria will surely win," Reikian drawled out, his voice suggestive. "I think she'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you, pet?"

"If it'll let me win, of course." Maria barely twitched an ear, though Kachya watched the heat rising to her ears. "I'm going to win either way."

Kachya wrinkled her nose a bit and watched Reikian as he joined into the joking conversation about Maria, his voice turning sly and teasing. His tail never stopped, nor the way his hind paw brushed against her calf and squeezed gently. She tried to go back to her reading, at least in part, while trying to pin down what was going on with him.

He had begun acting strange lately, their time together focused on his teasing and taunting, making her ache for him and rarely satisfying her. It became a game for him, to make her want him and then find ways to evade what she really wanted. One night he might use his muzzle on her; another night, he would demand that she tease herself for his pleasure. But the moments were brief---too brief for her.

She had tried not to doubt him, not since he had gone out of his way to prove himself to her, but it was hard to remind herself that she trusted him when he was so uncharacteristically quiet. It was hard to remember that it was all an act to fool the rest of the school when Maria looked so utterly comfortable pressed against his side.

_I know the truth. That's enough. Maria does too; she knows he's just using her to cover things up. _ Kachya shifted in the chair and then shivered as the tail trailed back up to her knee and suddenly squeezed, recalling her attention back to the rakshasa.

As her eyes lifted up, she nearly embarrassed herself by letting out a soft cry when the plush tail moved higher to caress her inner thigh. Reikian's eyes were lidded, but there was no mistaking that he was watching her quite intently.

~ ~ * ~ ~

. . .

It was a bright night, the full moon shining down benevolently upon the school and its sleeping students. Or mostly sleeping students. Reikian padded along with his tail twitching rapidly behind him, not even trying to hide near the edges of the walls where the shadows would protect him. He walked secure with his hall pass gripped in one paw and perfectly legal.

He made sure that it was in plain sight; he'd already learned his lesson two nights ago when he'd had it tucked in his pants and had a female teacher come up on him. He'd been in such a rush trying to find the blasted thing that he had looked like an idiot turning out his pockets. He had found the pass eventually, but it had taken him a while to find where he'd stuffed it. By the time she'd made sure he was allowed out after hours, he'd been too late to do anything that he'd planned on doing.

He'd never had the freedom to be out at night; oh, he had been out plenty of times, but being out in the open without fear of being caught was a whole new sensation. It was both disappointing that he didn't have that pleasant edge of fear and exhilarating because he was able to go places he never would have dared before. Tonight, his whiskers were quivering as he made his way down towards the indoor pool, which was supposed to be closed for the evening. His pass didn't quite let him go into areas that were marked out of bounds, but he had hoped he'd timed it so that he would catch the person he wanted before he got caught himself.

He slipped out the door and into the cold night air. His ears started to twitch and strain as he edged along the back walk and towards the short wall; then, he jumped up onto the edge and sprawled out full length. The stone was cold, but he wriggled until he had most of his clothes bunched up under him to keep himself relatively warm.

He didn't have to wait long. After a few minutes, he heard a door closing near the pool and the scuff of rapid paws on the ground before a shadow slipped away from the building. The rakshasa twitched his tail back and forth as a feline shape made a bolt for the safety of the doors, the long limbed form trying to keep close to the ground.

"You know you're not supposed to leave the building." Reikian drawled out when the figure came close enough to hear a soft voice.

The shadowy figure stumbled and came to a halt, straightening up from the crouch in an obvious ploy to look as if he hadn't been slinking around. The jaguar swung around to regard him, obviously ready with an excuse for why he was out and what he was doing, but stopped when he saw who was waiting for him. Nate was always good at thinking on his feet when he was caught where he shouldn't be.

"Reikian, what the fuck?!" The upper classman relaxed and padded over with an easy smile on his black muzzle. "I thought you were Etante; she's prowling around tonight."

"Nah, she's up in the chapel, I heard," Reikian sat up and made a show of stretching, pretending he had been lounging for a while.

"Oh, well that's good." Nate tilted his head up as if he could see the chapel. "I swear, she's been on my tail for the last week trying to catch me up to something."

"What? You don't like feathers?" Reikian inched over to let the lanky jaguar settle down next to him.

"Not really, get stuck in my teeth, yanno." Reikian laughed in appreciation of the jest and sniffed the air delicately.

The jaguar smelled mostly like chlorine from the pool; he'd probably taken a swim, but he couldn't really hide the fact that he'd been meeting someone. There was the faintest taste of musk on the air that made the rakshasa wrinkle his lips back a little bit. There was no mistaking that smell, as he was well acquainted with it.

"So what was his name tonight?" Reikian asked with a slow smile that bristled his whiskers forward on either side of his muzzle as he felt the upper classman jerk beside him. He continued on before Nate could protest. "You really gotta find another meeting spot! Or at least different ones."

"That's not funny," Nate growled in response, the large jaguar bristling. It was a bit intimidating, considering that the jock was quite a bit bigger than he was.

Reikian had spent the better part of the last few days watching the jaguar. The spotted feline was one of the most popular students in school. He was tall, graceful, a part of the school track team, and quite a flirt with the girls. Even Reikian had to admit that he was handsome, especially in the sunlight, when his dark black fur showed itsvelvet rosettes and his blue eyes gleamed.

It was a shame for Nate that he wasn't interested in girls in the slightest. He could flirt with the best, but it never went further than a few half hearted promises and cheek-kisses. It had taken him a while, but eventually Reikian learned that the jaguar habitually spent his evenings in the pool with various younger boys, inducting them into new passions. He always picked the younger ones to make sure that they didn't talk, not that the older ones would either. No one wanted to be accused of being gay in school.

If he had been a girl and liked other girls, it would have been fine, but none of the guys would have enjoyed having someone like him around. They'd not want him in the showers or the dorms or anywhere else for that matter. The last person that had gotten that name attached to them had been taken out of school entirely, not suspended, but forcibly transferred.

That would be a good ending, a clean ending; the worst ending would be a circle of being beat up, mocked and shunned. Not even his popularity would save him, not if his homosexuality could be proved, so it was easy to see why he was bristling and looked ready to throw a punch. The rakshasa scooted away and tried to look innocent and harmless as the larger black feline's lips curled backwards to show his teeth threateningly.

"It's okay, it's not like I'd go shouting it about," Reikian soothed the obviously ruffled feline and kicked his legs a bit back and forth. "You know I can keep my mouth shut when needed."

"Who told you?" Nate still had a growl lingering in his throat and the athlete pushed away from the wall to give him a long look. "It was that little skunk, wasn't it? I knew that little shit wasn't going to keep his mouth shut. When I get do--"

"It was no one." Reikian lifted his paws up, placating the angry looking jaguar. "I just watched. I mean, you're always making friends with the younger boys and then I noticed that you go 'swimming' after hours. Finally, I just started following you around."

"Spying on me." Nate growled, but he relaxed from his angry posture. "So what? You think you can have a go at me?"

"I don't care," Reikian answered. "I mean, unless you're going to make a try for me or something. I don't swing that way; but, other than that, do whatever you want to do. Hell, you know there're a few male teachers that do the same sort of stuff."

"Yeah, well, they're not me, are they?" The jaguar leaned back a bit and blew out a breath. "The teachers can do anything they want?"

"It's because you're not a girl. The girls that are always running around with each other are just hot." Reikian shrugged a shoulder. "But you should get other spots to mess around in. If I noticed, other people will too."

"Not bad advice, except that you're always getting caught." Nate glanced over at him briefly, uncertainty plain in his blue eyes.

"I like getting caught sometimes," he quipped back and flicked his tail sharply. "Unlike you, sometimes I like feathers as well as fur."

"Huh.." Nate grunted and shifted. "Well, thanks for not saying shit to anyone, Reikian. That means a lot."

"No problem..." He trailed off and twitched his lips a little in a slight smile. "But, I could use your help in repayment for being quiet."

Nate's ears twitched and the larger feline turned his head a bit. "Repayment? Like blackmail you mean?"

"Blackmail? Nah," Reikian assured, his smile broadening a bit. "I'm just saying, I'm keeping quiet on a prime secret and could use a little help with a problem of mine, that's all."

"With what? I'm not gonna beat anyone up or anything like that, get it?" Nate's voice was firm and held the smallest hint of a growl.

"I just thought that you'd be able to help with the votes for the formal." Reikian swung his legs back and forth so his heels kicked lightly on the wall. "Did you know who you're voting for?"

"That? No, hell no!" Nate's eyes flashed open wide, almost panicked looking. "The moment I vote for someone I'm going to end up getting tagged as their 'king'. I don't need any more girls trying to get on my arm!"

"More interested in being the queen?" Reikian teased and ducked as a paw swiped at him. "Sorry! But, how about you vote for someone that wouldn't take it to mean that you want a date."

"The top three have all been after me at one point or another; they're ruthless." Nate leaned back and wrinkled his nose up. His sounded frustrated and weary.

"So vote for Kachya. She's not going to be interested in voting you as her king." Reikian answered smugly, his ears flicking up. "It'd even be a nice cover for you, you know. They'd probably think that you're interested in her for one reason or another."

"Kachya? That the little bunny?" Nate's voice lightened with relief. "I thought I heard that some of the girls were voting that way; I'm not sure why, though. I would've expected them to go for girls they look up to in the upper classes."

"Yup. If you support her, you can get some more votes on her side." Reikian leaned forward smugly. "Just vote for her and maybe drop a hint or two that you did, alright? That'll get some more interest her way and no one will think you're sneaking out here to lift up boys' tails."

"Don't say that out loud." Nate growled and gave his head a shake. "Fine. I don't see any reason not to; it wasn't like I was going to vote for anyone else."

"It's a deal then!" He jumped down from the wall with a grin on his face. "You don't hafta make a huge deal about it, just tell one or two people--rumor of you voting that way will make others do it, too."

"Why are you trying to get votes for her? She's not one of the reform students." Nate remained seated as the rakshasa started padding towards the door to the school. The question made him pause and flick his ears up a bit before grinning.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Reikian grinned hugely as he reached the door. "I know how to keep secrets, though."

He bolted into the warm school before Nate could ask any more questions. He didn't want to be pestered; if he was pressed any further, someone might start asking the wrong questions and he might have to admit what he was doing with Kachya. He wasn't ready for that yet--perhaps one day soon, but not yet.

He had to keep himself clean from any rumors about what he was doing and this was one of the best ways. Nate wouldn't say anything now, for fear of Reikian getting confronted and letting his own secret slip out. Slowly but surely, the rakshasa was arranging things so he was pretty sure that Kachya would get to the second and final round of voting.

He'd blackmailed Maria, but that was easy enough when the pup was so eager to be 'forced' to play with him and Kachya. This was his first dangerous attempt at blackmailing anyone and it had gone perfectly; he hadn't even had to worry about Nate really doing anything back to him. There might have been conflict if he'd pressed Nate into something really distasteful, but he had been careful to have a pretty calm request with some benefits on both sides.

It had still been a little risky, but that risk made him feel a bit better about how he was going about helping his rabbit into the second round of voting. He'd been spending a little too much time with other females over the past week and had experienced a nagging feeling of guilt whenever he tumbled them into bed.

Pasha had been easy; he'd also gotten to one of the teacher's aides who was quite new to the school and how it worked. He'd been admiring her anyway, as he'd never seen a regular cat with such striking markings. Her silver-blue fur had been marbled with faint streaks of lighter colors and she had been so soft and quiet. It had been thrilling to seduce her, though he had felt vaguely uneasy about what Kachya might think. The cat had been almost afraid when they'd spent one afternoon kissing, nearly pushing themselves to the limit before breaking it off.

Elaine was new, almost virginal, and had been shocked that they'd gotten alone together and she'd lost a few inhibitions so swiftly. It had been aided by her heat. Her body was already flushed with hormones and Reikian hadn't been unaffected at all. She thought she had taken advantage of him and had been horrified right afterward, despite his assurances that he was delighted by her passion. He'd been so very careful afterwards to calm her down, excusing his campaign for Kachya as an attempt to help a poor student make a good start here.

I wonder if Kachya would like her. _ He thought as he padded towards the stairs toward the boy's dorm. _Elaine was so eager to help with the voting and offered to talk to some of her class in private. I bet she'd love to have more time with me and I know Kachya would look lovely pressed up against all that silver fur.

_ _

The rakshasa was imagining the way that they would kiss each other as he watched when he was stopped. A pure white paw dropped down to stop him as he started to climb the steps and the harsh sharp scent of mustelid filled his nose. The lean, almost emaciated, form of the principal stepped out into plain view with his red eyes narrowed in annoyance. Principal Raskin silently looked him over and shook his shoulder roughly so the rakshasa's teeth rattled.

"What?!" He snapped out and tried to duck away from the hold.

The ferret was almost comical in his tailored suit, paid for by the state for taking in unruly children and rehabilitating them. It was a bright blue, with a mustard colored undershirt and a dark blue tie neatly fastened beneath his throat, and entirely formfitting. His elongated body didn't look right in tightly fitting clothing and the colors made his yellow-white fur look even more yellow. Raskin curled a lip up slightly to show a hint of one of his fangs, flexing his fingers to dig in harder against Reikian's shoulder when he tried to duck away.

"What are you doing out after hours?" The ferret's voice was surprisingly deep and always shocked new students, but Reikian was used to it.

"You know, the normal. Getting some fresh air, stretching my legs, enjoying the si--ow! Hey!" He broke off his flippant reply as the fingers flexed again and caught against the ligaments in his shoulder painfully.

"You are not allowed to prowl around after hours." Raskin relaxed his hand after a moment. "This will mean detention for you."

"I wasn't doing anything wrong!" Reikian protested and moved his hand back to fumble for his hall pass. "I have permission to be out."

"Permission? Really? As I recall, you were recently given detention for a similar infraction." The ferret did release his shoulder so he could dig in his pockets and pulled out the pass.

"Yeah, but I have a pass now. I'm allowed out." He repeated and found the laminated pass to dig out. "See?"

Raskin took the pass from him, not even giving him a chance to try and hide Kachya's name, without a world and held it up. The ruby red eyes remained narrowed as he looked it over. He seemed to be studying it, as if he could see every stroke the pen had made on it as he searched for a forgery. Not that it could be one; the school changed the passes and the colors of ink used so often that only people that actually had one could stay up to date. The moment you painstakingly made one, the format of the real passes would probably be changed.

"It is nearly eleven , young man." The ferret lowered the pass and looked him over. "There are limitations even on evening passes, and I would assume you would have the good sense to get some sleep."

"Yeah, well, I would be asleep if you hadn't stopped me!" Reikian replied snippily. "I'll head up now than."

He held his paw out for the pass, but the ferret withheld it as he looked it over again. "Who is Kachya MacAllistar? And why is this a joint pass? Is she with you than?"

"No, sir!" Reikian felt his stomach turn slightly. "That's just one of the religious girls, Ms. Etante did it as a stupid joke. Trying to saddle me with her."

"Really?" The ferret continued to look at the name. "One of the new girls is it?"

Reikian's sick sensation turned almost into panic at the feigned boredom in the principal's voice when he spoke of Kachya. St. Mary's had once been a good and reputable school, with good and upstanding teachers. The rumor was that Raskin took over as principal and had turned things around. Most of the teachers who had taught for the love of teaching had been forcibly pushed out or left of their own will, with only a loyal few remaining. The ones that had been hired on by Raskin were much like Etante, ones who would have never been hired elsewhere. The ferret had a reputation for his interest in girls, specifically the innocent ones, that he could train up as his own personal assistants.

He would offer them a job of doing morning announcements or working for spare money in the office on weekends or after class. He'd pay them quite well, at first, but he'd heard from at least one girl that after a month or so he began to take more personal interest in them. He had access to a room that was devoted to discipline for those unruly students who couldn't learn better and he had supposedly modified a few things to suit his needs. The idea of the grubby, smelly mustelid even touching Kachya made the fur on the back of Reikian's neck bristle while he fumbled for a good response.

"Yes, sir, new girl that had her father sending her here." His mind was working like lightning, seeking a lie that would work. "Yanno the type, a cop sends his little girl here when she does wrong so she sees what happens to them and where she'll go. Not that he'd let her come to any harm here, but some adults think scare tactics work around us undisciplined kids."

"Oh?" Raskin's ears twitched back faintly. "And I suppose Ms. Etante is hoping that you'll be a good influence?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"No, she just wants me to get a lickin' from the girl's father, I'll bet." Reikian replied, his stomach loosening as the principal lost his focused gaze.

"To bed with you. If I see you out even a minute past eleven, I will send you back to Ms. Etante to revoke your privileges, do you understand?" The principal pushed the card back at him and he clutched it with relief.

"Sure, then I'd have to sneak again. The horror!" The rakshasa didn't wait to have any more questions asked; he went back up the stairs, but refused to bolt. He sauntered up with his head held high, ignoring the weak wave of relief that came with knowing that the ferrets eyes had turned away from Kachya. It had been a close call, too close.

~ ~ * ~ ~

.

For the fifth time in a row, Kachya tugged at her skirt and tried to not feel as if she were flashing the entire school. She normally wore her skirt in the style most of the girls like her wore them, long so that they touched her knees just the way the school directed. Today, she had tried something Maria often did, rolling the band up on itself until the edge of the skirt brushed her at mid-thigh. The smallest move flashed her upper thighs and she couldn't even bend over unless she wanted to risk showing the room the silk panties that she'd picked out. The silk was... strange. It was soft and slippery feeling, clinging to her in a different way than her normal cotton did. It made her feel extremely vulnerable and revealed, but also strangely elated as she did her best to look through her books.

She remained in the library in a small corner tucked away back near the corner. It was a prize table that many of the students wanted when they were supposed to be studying or working on homework. It was set, not out of the light, but in a blind spot of the cameras and the view of casual glances. It meant they could make out, or even more if they were feeling daring. The teachers knew it was here, but most just chose to ignore it. Reikian had gone so far as to make sure that she knew the teachers watched from a certain section that was easily viewable. He'd even showed her the spot personally when two of the students had been enjoying one another.

She hoped that his message to meet him here would bring about something good. He had stopped seeking her out as often as she was used to. In the past week, it seemed he had been all but avoiding her. Every time she wanted to do something with him, he had an excuse.

The problem was, they were all entirely plausible. He had to help someone with doing actual tutoring since he'd gotten into trouble with a teacher. He had landed detention or had to be careful since he was arousing suspicion lately. He didn't want to use the hall pass too much right away; if they overused it, it'd get taken away. There was always a reason lately--and yet, she was also hearing strange whispers and rumors.

"Kachya!" The rabbit jerked and flattened her ears as a sharp voice made her nearly fall out of her chair. "What on earth are you doing in here?"

She glanced up to see a squirrel looking at her with disapproval obvious on her grey furred features. Sister Ella was wearing her normal severe outfit, her paws tucked into her pockets and her glasses perched on her muzzle while Kachya fought not to squirm in place. The nun was one of the 'safe' teachers, but was formidable in her own right. A living embodiment of the religion that this school had been founded on, she took it upon herself to try and be a moral compass for the children of St. Mary's. Some laughed at her attempts, some giggled behind her back, Kachya only felt a sudden wave of guilt when confronted with the sister who stepped into the hidden nook.

"I uh... I was just studying." Kachya attempted and looked down at her closed books. "It's quiet here."

"Quiet? Yes, and I suppose you are showing off your endowments because you wish to study more arduously." The squirrel wrinkled her nose up. "Your skirt is to be at knee length, Kachya!"

"Yes, ma'am." The rabbit shifted in her seat and looked down, her cheeks burning hotly. "I was just trying-"

"Behave respectfully, girl; behave as if your parents were here and make them proud." The teacher frowned slightly and gave her head a shake in disappointment. "I haven't seen you in my class lately; why is that?"

Sister Ella taught religion class. It the one class that wasn't required by the city, unless one had been placed here for disciplinary reasons. It was held each Saturday and Sunday, so the classes had an odd dichotomy of attendees--reform students who had acted out and only a few devoted students that attended when it wasn't strictly required of them.

Kachya's parents loved that she would be educated in the ways of the Lord as well as learning how she would make her way in the world. At first, she had been attending regularly, but slowly, ever so slowly, things had fallen away as she had struggled to find time on the weekends to attend religion class as well as spend time with Reikian.

"I... just have been busy, Sister." Kachya couldn't even try to lie, she felt suddenly ashamed that she had been missing the classes. How long would it be until her parents found out and returned her home? Or came in person to confront her?

"Girl, we are all young once." A paw touched her brow lightly. "Keep your head up to the lessons your parents gave you, what you know is right and good. This school..." The squirrel dropped her paw and made a frustrated sound. "This school can change you if you let it. Do not permit yourself to fall into sin."

Kachya felt the guilt growing, an uncomfortable sensation of doing things of which she was sure her parents would disapprove and be ashamed. Was she lost?

"Better to change then get musty and old and stuffed into some little room," Reikian's cheerful voice broke into the solemn squirrel's words. "I didn't know you liked our little hidey hole, Sister Ella!"

The teacher stiffened and turned a disapproving look towards the rakshasa as he flopped down across from Kachya. He flung his legs out and hooked an arm over the back of the chair before winking brightly at her, his smile broad enough to show his teeth.

"Reikian." The nun's voice was flat. "And where were you coming from?"

"Oh, you know..." The rakshasa gestured airily. "I was just poking around some books and heard some preaching, so came to see who was trapped in one of your sermons."

"You could do with one yourself." Sister Ella's tail twitched rapidly behind her, betraying her agitation. "I know you have been desecrating my chapel. I have several people who have seen you in-"

Kachya felt as if she were going to actually be sick at those words. She had been in the chapel with Reikian, they had done things there and Sister Ella knew of them. Her parents would know, they'd pull her out of school, take her home.

"No you haven't; you're just guessing." Reikian moved a foot paw out to touch the lapine's and gave her a larger smile, reassuring her.

"I had two students report you last night with a fox, I don't doubt that you'll slip up one day and then you will be expelled from school. I won't tolerate it." Sister Ella's tail twitched with each word she spoke.

"Have it your way." Reikian shrugged, dismissing her as if she weren't there before pulling one of Kachya's books over. "Where were we? Geography I think..."

He ignored her, while Kachya was left staring at them both with a sense of relief that she hadn't been named, but also upset at the mention of a fox and the chapel. She wasn't a fox. She couldn't possibly be mistaken for a fox. Not with her long ears and short tail. And, she wasn't with Reikian last night, but left to tease herself alone before bed according to the instructions in a note he'd slipped to her.

Sister Ella gave them a long look, one that made Kachya even more ill at ease, until the nun finally left them without any further lectures. Her back was stiff and outraged and the looks she cast over her shoulder said volumes to the rabbit, who was left with the rakshasa as he flipped through the geography book for some imaginary assignment.

What had Reikian been doing in the time he had been telling her that they couldn't meet up? He had reassured her that his affections for her were real, but he had been close mouthed about what he was up to. Normally, he went to great pains to tell her how clever he was or what he was doing when it came to classes. He was usually verbose about his accomplishments and enjoyed her compliments, but he was being quiet. Was he doing so because he was really giving her a chance to talk? Or because he had found someone else? What they felt together in the detention had been real, but had it scared him away? She drew her foot paw away from him a little as he pushed the book to one side with a grin.

"What? That old squirrel get you upset? Don't listen to her; Sister Ella has been giving sermons since I've been here and they're always the same." Reikian crinkled his nose up. "Sometimes, I think she practices them in the mirror."

"Who's the fox?" The words slipped out of Kachya's mouth before she could stop them, but she didn't take them back. "Is that why we didn't go down to the study room last night?"

~ ~ * ~ ~

"The fox?" Reikian blinked his eyes several times and then smiled. "C'mon, Kachya, you know me better than that! Maria's been whining and pestering lately because she wants to be Queen, hard to shake her even when I have other things to do."

Reikian had to think fast, trying to juggle the truth and what to tell her. He had been with Pasha last night, and another girl, a little minx that had been an 'undecided' vote that he had been happy to help sway. He didn't want to spoil the surprise for Kachya, but he could see the hurt in her eyes as she looked at him, and a shadow of doubt. It was strangely effective in evoking emotions from him, especially when he had spent last evening in the arms of two girls pleasuring them until he had barely enough energy to get up into his bed and to sleep. And he knew Kachya had hoped that he would have time with her after carrying out his instructions; she had hinted at it with coy words that set his heart to beating faster.

It had been strangely hard to ignore that hint. He was learning new things about the school. He'd taken to spying in the early evenings, long before people went to bed, for the sole purpose of gathering information. He had always liked watching people before, but now he was perfecting blackmail in a subtle way that didn't bite him in the rear afterwards.

No one liked being blackmailed, so he made sure that it was a gentle sort, nothing huge, just enough that someone felt indebted to him and would do something little. He was known as being sly and a troublemaker, but he didn't go back on his word once given. That came in handy. It was a relief when all a girl wanted was an enjoyable night with him, or to use his tongue, fingers or anything else for a romp.

It's for Kachya that I'm doing this! She'll be Queen of the formal and no one will look down on her ever again. _ He reassured that small guilty side of him. _I've been working so hard; I'm not going to blow the surprise now.

He really was tired. All of his spying and careful work at making sure no one knew what he was up to was coupled with actual tutoring on the side with some of the younger classmen. What he had started with Kachya, he continued, but without the sexual connotations. He warned them about teachers and gave them pointers on how to stay out of trouble, all to make sure that he would have enough votes to lift her into the top running. He hadn't worked on anything so hard in his life, which made it even more important that it go smoothly and that meant keeping it a secret from her for as long as he possibly could.

"Maria?" Kachya half lifted up her ears and then dropped them again. "She's not a fox. Why wasn't I invited if you wanted to play?"

"People just see whatever, I guess." He shrugged a shoulder. "And I didn't plan it, you know. Besides..." He gave a roguish grin. "I'm greedy, maybe I don't wanna share you for a while."

"Oh..." Her ears remained twitched back, the edge of guilt and suspicion lingering in her eyes.

Reikian struggled for a moment, yearning to find a way to reassure her, but not give anything away. He finally leaned over the table and gave the edge of her ear a playful pull, his smile spreading as he lashed his tail back and forth behind his haunches.

"I got an idea. Ms. Etante got someone in detention down in the study room; wanna go spy for a while? I think you made her like girls." He teased, his eyes brightening with challenge.

"Down in the study room? Isn't that for students?" Kachya's ears came up a little bit as he ran his finger back and forth along the edge of it. "How can we watch there?"

"Yeah. And I have my ways. C'mon, let's go have some fun." He ran his finger down, his claw slipping free of the sheath to trace the edge of her cheek and towards the underside of her chin. "I bet she picked some stuff up from us."

The suspicious look on her face cleared as he offered her his paw and he let out a breath of relief. That was better. He just needed to keep things going for long enough to ensure that she would get elected. And he was good at secret--very, very good at them. And it would all pay off soon enough.

~ ~ * ~ ~

.

"Be quiet! All of you!" Principal Raskin's bass voice rumbled over the assembly while the clinking of glasses and plates mingled with the chattering voices. "Now, we have narrowed down the field to our three finalists."

Reikian blinked open his eyes and tilted his head back so he could see the ferret in front of the main hall with the teachers spread out over their table behind him. He could barely concentrate long enough to keep his tail from lashing back and forth with his excitement. He was nearly positive that Kachya would be in the three, but there was never a sure bet. Still, if he could have put money on it, he would have. He had been working through who would vote for her last night and had been feeling quite smug over how he had arranged it. It had been made better by the fact Kachya had been rather interested in pleasuring him once they'd gotten into one of the classrooms together after hours--picking up on his celebratory mood, if not the reason for it.

"First, I want to thank everyone who has campaigned and worked so hard to garner votes," Raskin continued. Reikian fought not to grin; he had certainly campaigned. "This is our first attempt at electing anyone, so I was pleasantly surprised by the many young women who showed an intense interest in and talent for garnering votes."

"In other words he's been in his office all week with candidates." One of his neighbors hissed quietly to the laughter of most of the table.

"I don't think so. I think only a few showed up, but they were very...um...vigorous." Someone else spoke up down the table, but Reikian was listening to the principal.

"We've carefully counted the votes and ensured that there have been no attempts to stuff the ballot boxes or cheat the system. So, I am proud to announce that our three lead candidates will be...." The ferret trailed off for dramatic effect. "Bala Chintek!" A slim looking mouse stood up, barely tall enough to be seen amidst the crowd, and there was a ripple of applause through the room.

_Not surprising; she's Raskin's favorite, so he probably forced her into the mix. _ Reikian smirked to himself. He wouldn't worry about the mouse; the final vote tally couldn't be fussed with by anyone. Not once he talked with Mr. Barrus about his plan to ensure a clean final vote. He was sure the straighlaced political historian would welcome his student's unexpected interest in applying the curriculum, as well as in ensuring a fair vote.

"Kachya MacAllistar!" Reikian's grin grew wider as he heard applause sliding around the room. It was far louder than for Bala. He had given the rabbit enough support she needed that it was almost a trend to vote for her. Or so he hoped.

He turned around to see Kachya jerking up in her seat and looking around with slightly wide confused eyes. One of the girls next to her, Pasha of all creatures, was urging her to stand up like Bala had. She got to her paws, her eyes flicking towards the rakshasa as the applause picked up pace in response to her acknowledgement. He winked at her, his tongue playing suggestively around his muzzle.

"Maria Rodgers!" The third name made Reikian flick his ears back as the applause picked up again, a rush of people congratulating the third candidate.

The black wolf was on her paws and grinning from ear to ear smugly, her head turned to say something to one of her friends while Reikian stared at her. He had assumed that he'd fixed it so the more popular girls were on his side and would support Kachya. He'd rigged it with seduction, blackmail, and hard work, picking his targets carefully. Except, he hadn't targeted Maria; he had dismissed her as someone firmly under his thumb--someone who would vote the way he was pushing without question.

And, now, his lupine lover could prove to be real competition for Kachya.