Elizabeth, why? Makoto questioned the sanity of the Velvet Room attendant.
He was absolutely certain that she was aware of the many different beings intermingling with Humanity to the point that they appeared to blend in perfectly. He also knew that she knew those very beings attended the school she enrolled him in. He noticed that no one else seemed to pay any mind to the winged shadows that intermingled with them, no student thought it odd that perhaps there was something wrong with that fact.
Or he was the only one who could see them for what they were. Realization had led to mental clarity, and he would never be subject to simple things such as illusions, his Persona assured him of that. When he perceived the Dark Hour and Tartarus in their full, otherworldly glory, he saw passed the illusions of the world. No amount of Demon or even Angel trickery would fool him.
It was also at this realization that what he saw is truly how they appeared, for he would see their shadow as their true form should they be hiding beneath illusions.
He was troubled by the thought, but came to the understanding that perhaps they were Devils, the descendents of the Demons. No Demon looked as they did, after all.
Why are they all blending in with the Human world? Do they not have their own domain?
He was of the understanding that Angels stayed in Heaven, Fallen on Earth and Demons and their ilk in Hell. Of course, Biblical beings walking amongst the Humans he has sworn to protect through the blanket of protection he offers his Family left a bad taste in his mouth.
Perhaps they need to stay amongst their prey, then?
It was a logical train of thought, he supposed, to hide in plain sight so you could blend in with the very beings that you preyed upon. Easy Access.
He almost didn't hear the bell ring, so lost in thought that he was. He was not so lost in thought to feel the five sets of eyes following him as he strode from the room with his usual lazy gait, his emotionless eyes facing forward as he did his best to become the Gray Man he truly was at heart.
Blending in with the crowd and disappearing into the background was something he mastered long ago.
The only time he received reprieve from prying eyes was during lunch, which he spent on the room top behind the roof unit that kept the school cooled down. He did not bother with the bento he bought from a gas station in between his apartment and Kuoh Academy, no longer feeling hungry from all of the thoughts of Devils, Demons, Fallen Angels and otherwise.
The last class of the day ended and Makoto did the same as he did during the first class. He blended into the crowd and disappeared, a passing ghost that none could see.
Or so he thought. He felt a single presence following closely behind him as he departed from the crowd and began to make his way to the edge of town, his gait slow but steady. He kept his eyes searching before him, but he would watch the reflection of every shop window he passed with his slow walk until he finally caught sight of the person following behind him a few feet.
They really do think I am unaware. He thought to himself after identifying the white haired girl from his first block, the one with golden eyes. She followed him intently, though she would stop and linger every so often as if she were window shopping.
He knew otherwise. When she broke away a few blocks away from the edge of town and walked down a parallel street, he knew that she would follow from a further distance, no longer able to claim she was window shopping if he questioned her in the woods.
He would have to either shake her, confront her, or ignore her.
Shaking her would be difficult, as she had a set of wings, though she might be incapable of flight.
Confronting her might lead to her calling in her comrades, and he did not know what a group of five Devils were capable of. He knew that individually, they did not give off large readings of energy save for the crimson haired and the black haired female Devils. Even then, they were only around the level of a lower Demon, and he had the ultimate Demons, Devils and Fallen at his beck and call.
He did not know if they would call further reinforcements. They could be important, or they could be nobodies. He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out. Confronting them with violence was out of the question. Makoto would defend himself, he knew that without a shadow of a doubt, but he would not throw the first blow.
Not unless they gave him a reason to.
Ignoring her was out of the question. She would more than likely tail him throughout the day, no matter where he went, and would eventually lead to her finding out where he lives. He could quickly put her out of commission before returning home, but that also ran the risk of incurring the wrath of her group.
He continued his path into the woods, feeling the energy signature following behind him at a further distance than before. Finally, he found a clearing he was comfortable in, coming to a complete halt in the approximate center.
Makoto waited until he felt the girl come to a halt just outside of the clearing, still hiding in the tree line. He continued to wait until he finally decided it was time to address the elephant in the room.
"You can come out now."
It was not a request, but a demand. A statement of fact. She would come, and explain herself.
The energy signature of the female fluctuated rapidly before settling back down, as if she had panicked before steeling herself.
She stepped out into the clearing, and Silver met Gold. Two apathetic souls stared at one another, though she was the more expressive of the two. He could still see emotion in her eyes, while his were as dead as the beings at his beck and call.
"Why are you following me?"
She did not answer immediately, though her brows furrowed slightly at his tone. Whether in anger, or fear, he was not sure. "I was curious."
A quick glance at her shadow confirmed his next statement. "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Are you satisfied?"
At the beginning of the phrase, the young looking female devil stiffened, though she seemed to relax after he finished the rest of the saying. She appeared confused for a moment before shaking her head in the negative.
"No."
Makoto was not sure what to say. He had a female Devil with cat ears standing before him, looking as close to human as he did, a real human.
"You should stop following me. Please. I do not have grievance with you or yours."
It was a request, and a demand, then. Koneko knew that she could not stop following him, but now that he was aware that she was following him, he likely had been the entire time, then it was no longer as safe as she thought it was. Rias had wanted the young girl to keep her distance and not confront the teenaged bluenette, but here she was speaking with him face to face.
Her Buchou would not be pleased with her.
"Can't."
A small frown made its way to his face at that. "Can't or won't?"
She frowned just as much when she answered. "Both."
The two continued to stare at one another for quite some time. It could have been minutes, or hours, before he finally sighed.
"What do you want?"
"Sweets."
The cat eared Devil before him was asking for a bribe, and of all the things a Devil could possibly want, it was sweets. Not a soul, not a grand weapon, not even a favor. Sweets.
As if sensing his disbelief, she stated it a second time.
She knew she could no longer follow him at a distance. Instead, she would use the opportunity to see him up close and assess him as best she could. Getting sweets out of it would be a plus.
He shrugged his shoulders minutely before turning to leave the clearing. His white haired stalked followed much closer this time. Neither tried to make conversation, but neither really had to. He was under the assumption she was like him, in a way. Silent mouths denote the loudest minds.