Liam Fleming
outside male dorm

After debating with himself for several minutes for a good reason not to go, he noticed a man approach him, his head turning slightly to look at the person walking towards him. He looked at the mask, wishing it wasn't there. He knew the point was that you wouldn't recognize the person behind it, but it was still very frustrating not being able to see the face completely. However, his attention was caught by the package that was shook at him, revealing his second favorite thing in the world. Cigarettes. Now this, was a good distraction. Two fingers carefully grabbed one, putting it to his lips, where he grabbed his lighter from his pocket. He always carried one. He lit it, taking a deep breath in. Same as the man, a plume of white smoke escaped his mouth as he breathed out, listening to him speak as he put his own lighter away.

A small chuckle escaped his throat at what he said about the masquerade. He said," And what exactly happens outside?" As the man took off his mask, he removed his own, glancing at the rather large mask before tucking it into his pocket as much as he good, not desiring it to fall out. He actually liked the mask, the tuxedo he could care less about.

He watched him, nodding as he introduced himself, and introducing himself afterwards," and mine's Liam. And prohibited or not, didn't stop me when I was younger." He grinned slightly, then even more so at his next statement, emitting a small laugh. He then spoke," truth be told, I was standing here waiting for a reason to get out of it." He held out the cigarette partially," you gave me one."

As he walked away, he followed, his feet brushing over the grass, looking towards the forest. He wasn't feeling a hint of regret of ditching the masquerade at all, this would be more exciting then that could ever be. He spoke," this seems to be the perfect place to hang out, creepy enough to scare others away." He let out a faint chuckle," and here I thought I'd have to hide out inside my room if I ever wanted some alcohol.

Acacia Malikov
Grand Hand

Had picked up on the man’s eyes lighting up upon her speaking, his arms crossed baring disappointment from her words, she didn't expect that sort of reaction, seemingly enlightened yet rejected all in once. She felt partially bad for it as she watched his movements, her canine still emitting low rumbles as she glimpsed down at him and spoke in seemingly hushed tones “Tishe.” She raised her sights back to the seemingly humble man even through apparent intoxication. “Not so trusting? Well, we seem to have that in common.” his voice was not what she expected and she listened intently to the words, she didn't picture him to having trusting issues, though she couldn't base it off of what she could see, she could have been wrong.

Soon though, her attention altered its course, a man sporting a bright cherry masking. “So what's going on over here?” he inquired in a genuine tone amongst the group. Preparing to speak she stopped herself and looked back at the equally emerald dressed man as her.

“Now now, there's no need for an ambush. I am not so daft as to overlook a hint. The lady made it perfectly clear that I am not welcomed here.” she raised a hand and lightly attempted to speak “That's not what I...” her voice was softly spoken under the accent as she cut herself off when the man had begun talking again. “Excuse me for being blunt but it is not wise to approach me that way, freshmen.” it was visible the subtle hint he passed on, she'd spent most her life picking up on the smallest of traits and hints through in-depth observation.

Yet again, almost annoyed now at all the voices and people she looked to Anna “Ace, would you like to go and get some food? I've not eaten all day. Oh, hello. If you'll excuse us, I have to steal away my room mate. We're positively starved.” The posh accent of Neo British descents clung to her words like something from a movie, it was almost unnatural. The man who'd approached her with a slight bump hadn't even noticed her as he stared at the cherry masked figure as if something was about to happen, this was of course until yet another feminine voice entered the conversational group.

She hardly even focused on the words said anymore and simply stared at everyone. Almost prepared to turn and walk away from the situation she wasn't a people person and hardly smiled at anything said. The emerald tuxedo and it's inhabitant strolled off after speaking lightly to she herself. “Please, forgive my drunkent behaviour as it will not happen again. Ya ne imel v vidu nichego plokhogo.” he said in a seemingly friendly manner. She nodded lightly and merely spoke “Eto normal'no , zabotit'sya ser , I ya zhelaya vam luchshe vsego.”, this was before she watched as he left.

Returning her attention to the rest she rolled her shoulders back, raised her chin and blinked softly at the gathering, “If you'll excuse me for a moment. Koshmarik, priyekhat'!” she nodded to her room-mate acknowledging her, though not answering, she needed to sit and wasn't up for continuing the conversation as she turned and headed for the nearest side of the room. There was a table unoccupied by anyone, though another table sat a few meters off and was occupied by a young man and lady. She pulled a chair out a small distance and lightly placed herself upon it, staring down at Koshmarik as she began mumbling under her breath at him words no one would probably be able to pick up on.

---

Koshmarik
Grand Hall

Ears perked tightly they twitched at the voices about “Tishe.” his own mistress hushed at him as he lowered his ears flat for a moment and turned himself to move beside her, turning again he faced the group and allowed his rump to lower. Stumped tail not even reaching the ground from the position as he glared with darkened amber hues at those about.

As another man joined within close proximity of his human he lowered his head in a tensed uncertain manner and huffed at him heavily with a partial groaned rumble. The voices were too many for him to understand, yet the scents of each person were memorable for future reference. He felt something off about those around him and this put him further on guard as he shook his head and emitted a paled whine. Something he didn't do often enough, this wasn't too easily picked up on by his mistress as she continued shifting her attention between the men and the new room-mate who decided to come step in as well.

He huffed and lapped down his maw as he arose from his sitting position and shifting unsettled by the growing number. Words fell down on him from each person and he noticed the increased anxiety of his mistress. Turning slightly he rubbed his head against her leg in a comforting or attention seeking way and after that a fourth person came over, she removed the drunkard from the scene, though Koshmarik focused closely as he spoke words to his mistress, words he understood in the tongue they were placed.

Moments of exchanged words passed before he head Acacia speak, “If you'll excuse me for a moment. Koshmarik, priyekhat'!”, after this he began moving slowly yet elegantly, passing those from the group he stayed close by the young red heads side. His claws scraping lightly under him giving off light barely audible sounds of scratching, suddenly stopping he placed himself closer to his human sitting squarely in front of her at a table as she began mumbling to him with emerald eyes locked on his.

He seemed intent on what was said and the scene may have made the girl look visible nuts in some sort of way.

Grand Hall
Arthur startled awake as the pale girl sat down next to him. Her hair was colorless, and she had some snowflake chain hanging around her neck. Giving a confused eye as to why she would sit down next to him, Arthur responded to her odd question. It shook him deep down to the core of his heart. Giving a disheartened look away, he popped back up with a sheepish grin. "Nah not really. I didn't have many friends back where i'm from. I was what you would call the weird kid. No one really liked me, but the past is the past right? gotta move on. But hey, my story isn't that interesting. What i'd like to know is why you would come sit near a kid just resting his head on the table. Do you just feel really kind or some such bullshit? Also, " He blabbered on, his accent really showing and growing ever thick as he stood up and gave an over exaggerated bow, "May I have a small dance, this would seem like a waste of a party if we didn't dance. We don't even have to go over to the main floor just dance a little over here. By the way, the name is Arthur, but I prefer Arty if you don't mind." He finished, flashing his sheepish grin again, this time wider than before.

Unperturbed by the man's threatening gaze, Jason shrugged, "No ambush here, just a curious bystander. I mean no offense," His words were distorted by his half-sarcastic tone and mischievous, challenging smirk.

“Excuse me for being blunt but it is not wise to approach me that way, freshmen," the apparently older male responded. Jason was about to retort when a new face entered the scene, cutting him off.

"Ace, would you like to go and get some food? I've not eaten all day. Oh, hello. If you'll excuse us, I have to steal away my roommate. We're positively starved."

Jason briefly glanced at the newcomer, quickly assessing a first impression before returning his attention to the emerald-clad man. She appeared to want to save the Damsel, or Ace as it would seem, but she could have just been hungry. It was always difficult to distinguish the difference between hunger and every other motivation. He let out a short sigh, "I wouldn't bother with that now, this gentlemen was just about to leave," his grin returned, "Weren't you?"

Jason was sure he'd lose if a fight broke out, but he wasn't about to back down now, not when things were finally getting exciting. Unfortunately, an authority figure arrived, effectively killing the conflict before it started. She must have had a decent amount of influence at this school if she could deter him with a few words. As the Green Man left, Jason couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret, like something was stolen from him.

“I apologize. There are many upperclassmen who continue to crash this gathering in hopes of evading capture. This happens every year and their manners continue to dwindle,” the woman informed them. She clearly had prior experience and had attended several of these sorts of events, but Jason couldn't pinpoint her actual status at the school even after she explained that she wrote the invitations.

"Lumen?" Jason tested the name out after she introduced herself, deciding if he liked it or not. He tapped his chin lightly before adding, "It's a pretty name," He didn't bother attempting to seem grateful for her intervention, but his comment was genuine for what it was worth.

The Not-So-Damsel-In-Distress seemed relatively aggravated by something as she excused herself, not even accepting her roommate's offer. Was it something he said? Nope. Probably not. He squeezed in a small goodbye to her before she was out of hearing distance, but whether or not she actually heard him didn't matter. As his company diminished, Jason now turned to the angelic-looking brunette and wondered if she too would escape from him.

“Excluding the mishap I do hope you are all enjoying your time here so far…Dinner will be served shortly," Lumen mentioned, though she seemed somewhat distracted.

"It's been nice, you guys sure know how to party," he laughed, "The upperclassmen keep it interesting, I imagine," Jason yawned a bit at the end, unintentionally sprinkling his point with irony. With nothing to occupy his attention, Jason could feel his body aching, longing for a bed. It was getting late, at least by his standards, and he needed to get some sleep. Perhaps more distraction would suffice. "Before dinner arrives, would you like to dance?" He casually extended his hand toward the abandoned roommate, "It'll build up your appetite."

Remembering what Ace had said about not being much of a people person, Anna watched her as the number of people around them grew. There was an interesting exchange between Ace and the guy, whose only feature she could see properly were his green eyes, she noted, and as they exchanged words in Ace’s native NeoRussian. She was a little irked that he had so blatantly ignored her, after apparently threatening the other male who’d tried to come to Ace’s rescue, but he wasn’t the type of guy whose attention she would want, anyway. Something about him made her uncomfortable, and looking down at Koshmarik, who seemed to have similar feelings, she had to believe her initial instincts. Guys like him were usually bad news.

Then, just as the tension was becoming too much, there was another voice and another interruption. This persons tone was laced with authority, but there was something that told Anna she wasn’t exactly comfortable socializing with them. Nevertheless, the figure with the startling green eyes seemed to take in what she said and he left. Anna smiled graciously and thanked her when she informed them that dinner would soon be served. Anna glanced down at her gown, which looked a very pale shade of gold, reflections from the grand, gold ceiling and walls changing the white to the slightly darker, mystical colour. She looked from her dress to her roommate, who had announced her departure and she caught her eye as she walked away, her canine companion at her heels, as always. Anna watched her go, a small voice in the back of her head noting that she should perhaps go and see if her roommate was okay, while a greater part of her argued that she probably wanted some alone time after being surrounded by people.

Anna looked from her roommate to the only person left in the small group that had manifested near the space designated for dancing, unmissable with his unusual hair colour. Looking out at the floor, she saw that there were a few people dancing, but not enough to fill it. Anna noted in her head that most people nowadays didn’t dance the way people used too, or in the ways that the music was suggesting they should. Anna noted the tune of Shostakovich’s second waltz , one of the songs she had learnt to dance to as a child. It had been a favourite of her ballroom dance teachers’. Anna didn’t miss his yawn as he commented on how interesting they liked to keep it here at the school and she had to smile a little bit, noting the irony in her head. She tucked a rogue strand of hair behind her ear and was about to excuse herself, to get some air or some food or just do something, maybe introduce herself to some strangers and try to get to know some people, when the boy with the blue hair spoke again. "Before dinner arrives, would you like to dance?" She looked at his outstretched hand, her fingers still on the mask she had been adjusting on her face, the ghost of a smile on her lip. She was about to decline his offer; her feet were already starting to twinge slightly in the shoes she was wearing, the leather under the lace rubbing on her skin. Her feet would be red raw tomorrow, she knew, but she had to meet people, and why not start with this boy. "It'll build up your appetite."

“Well, I’m already starved, so that’s a moot point.” She joked, slipping her own smaller hand into his.

Scarlet Wraith
Grand Hall
Long eyelashes laced with pitch mascara blinked around widened eyes from muse at such rapid sentences spoken from the man. What she could gather from the long-winded statements is that he seemed to understand what being alone in a sea of people felt like, or perhaps she simply thought he did. That ever so slight tinge of dismay within his expression lead the silvery woman to believe he felt lonesome. There was no time to explain or answer any of the rambling man’s questions as he spoke one hundred miles a minuet and in a way she felt relieved. Would he feel even worse if she told him the truth? That this table was closest to the exit in which she truly sought but had no choice but to sit here and wait in the meantime? Unlike brooding Lumen who voiced every thought without fear of consequence or others feelings, Scarlet did not.

Fingers twisted a lock of pure white hair so she could stealthily move sterling orbs to the side in hopes of observing her surroundings. While in surveillance a simple compile of words caught her attention. ”May I have a small dance.” Back straightened as she had to look around for a second wondering if he was really asking her. Visibly she looked stunned and it took a while to respond.

“Uh--Scarling, Scarling Wraith though people have always referred to me as Scarlet. I do not mind, either way.” After finishing that sentence eyes grew downcast as she brought her thumb below her rosy mouth anxiously.

“I have to tell you something before I accept your offer Arty. No one has ever asked me to dance in my three years here. Not quite sure I even know how.” She said with a kind smile though obvious nervousness could be sensed.

“So, maybe just a short dance in this vicinity.” Gracefully she rose to take his hand within her own and hesitantly placed the other upon his shoulder. Not sure if that was even correct her eyes shyly averted from his a few times.

“I’ll try not to step on your feet though I cannot promise it won’t happen at least once.”

---

Lumen Vale
Grand Hall
"It’s a pretty name." The man with shaggy teal hair commented.

“Quite the contrary—but—thank you none-the-less.” Shoulders stiffened a tad as if she were touched by a frosty chill. She could not tell if he was mocking or legitimate and slightly narrowed her eyes in doubt. Compliments were not something she reveled in and receiving them made a situation awkward.

The woman in the emerald dress abruptly decided to take leave and walked away drawing everyone’s attention for a moment in question. Lumen always thought she was the anti-social one in a crowd but after witnessing Acacia’s exit she was not so sure if that was the case anymore. From a smart aleck to an introvert she felt herself even less enthused about this particular school year and wished for this night to reach a swift end.

“…If you’ll excuse me as well.” She said through a lengthy discontent sigh after Jason praised the negative events that had taken place. She nodded a farewell and left the two to search, wandering through a crowd of covered faces and expensive material. The back would be her next stop if she could reach that destination in a timely manner.

---

Faust
Outside Male Dorms > Tordred maze
Faust felt satisfied that his friendly token was well received. After being interceded by three coarse undergraduates he began thinking that all of them were going to be that way. He never was one to give up because defeat was not in his nature…and because he was not allowed to fail. ”And what exactly happens outside?” Ears heard the newcomer inquire snapping him out of reflection.

“Anything and everything but mostly some upperclassmen enjoying prohibition, nothing fancy like inside mind you. You’ll notice how this school is run in no time. It’s either her or us. Those of us who view things differently are resisting order or unruly.” He mocked with a wide smile trying to lighten his darkened state of thought.

“For one, you can’t be yourself in there even during a masquerade ball. Anonymous or not the atmosphere is too uptight and policed by one frigid bitch. Quite ironic since she’s blind but no one would ever know it. I like to steer clear of that one if at all possible. Like I said, Lumen won’t tread through this maze so it’s the only safe haven…if you know where to go.”

This seems to be the perfect place to hang out, creepy enough to scare others away.

“You’re not like the rest.” Faust tilted his head toward the Grand Hall signaling to the people inside.

“Don’t know why but I have a feeling we’ll get along quite nicely Liam.” His signature smirk appeared before he inhaled the cigarette making the cinders spark up like a slow smoldering fire.

“Why’d you decide to come here anyway? Besides its clandestine history there isn’t much to offer people of regular stature. No offence.” A hand raised a bit gesturing that he did not mean any harm by the blunt comment.

“Or, maybe you’re not so regular after all…we’ll see.” He shrugged and chuckled to himself sure that nothing he said was making any sense to the Freshman.

“Forget what I said, it’s not important. I’ll introduce you to a couple of my friends when we get inside but-- try not to wander too far, you’ll likely get lost. You’d swear these trees move by themselves.” After speaking his last word with an impish glint in his uncanny jade eyes his feet finally landed upon the dirt entrance to Tordred.

Looming fog that resembled fallen clouds were slowly inching across the bitter ground and the temperature dropped almost instantly while walking past the first few weeping willows. Darkness seemed to envelop the surroundings as each corner was rounded. This large maze seemed only to expanse even further. There were multiple entrance ways but Faust easily trekked his way through without batting an eye. Even as noises began to stir from an unknown source. Clearly the misunderstood man had spent many nights in this gloomy realm, and did not fear what was within. Before long, laughing and chatting could be heard underneath a wilted gazebo frequented by a couple of casual dressed upperclassmen sharing booze and smokes.

“Who’s this Faust?” A woman with multi-hued blond hair resting upon a feathered trench coat questioned curiously.

Grasping her hand gently, Jason led her to the middle of the ball room which was disappointingly empty. He took a moment to listen to the music, and, as a new waltz began, he placed his free hand on her waist. Anna placed her own hand lightly on his shoulder, after hooking her finger through the fabric hook inside the skirt of her dress, which pulled it up just enough so that she wouldn't stand on the delicate material while dancing, and smiled, shyly.

"It's been a while since I danced." She warned him, "I'll apologise in advance for stepping on your toes."

Jason laughed lightly before smiling reassuringly, "I'm sure you'll do fine, just don't fall. I promise I will not catch you."

"Aren't you a charmer." Anna joked, smirking. She found herself slipping back into the moves of the classical waltz rather easily, like riding a bike or swimming, the movement almost seemed to be embedded in her muscles, coming naturally and smoothly. "Well, this isn't so bad at all."

After years of lessons and practice, he was able to follow the music without much effort and could focus most of his attention on his partner, who matched his steps with ease. With the close proximity, he could see the intricate details in her mask. It was quite beautiful of course, but it was begging to be removed. It was by far the hardest temptation to resist. Once again forcing the impulse out of his mind, he decided to get to know his dance partner a little better. "I'm almost disappointed you haven't stepped on me. When did you learn how to dance?"

"My parents put me into classes when I was very young," She explained, her skirts sweeping the floor as they moved around the floor in a seemingly effortless manner. "They were always very traditional, and believed that girls with status such as mine should learn to behave as such. What about you?"

He should have guessed they had a similar situation; normal families didn't typically require ball room dancing as part of their children's upbringing. Shrugging slightly, he responded without revealing much detail, "Same story, different characters. I'm sure all of the students here know how to dance. This school must be full of stuck up rich kids," he grinned before adding, "That's why we fit in so well."

Anna thrust her face upwards, dramatically, and raised her eyebrows in a very uptight kind of way. "Speak for oneself." She said, in a mockingly post accent. "So, am I in the company of another damaged little rich kid? Oh, woe is us."

"Damaged? Hardly. Beautiful? Completely. A real tragedy, I know, the gods must have cursed us."

"So you're neither charming, nor modest?" Anna teased, "Do tell, besides beauty, what are your redeeming qualities?" She tried to hide the smile on her lips, but it proved a difficult task. Arrogant or not, she was quite enjoying this boys company. "I just realised..I've yet to know your name."

"Modesty is overrated. I think it'd be easier to point out my faults. Shorter list, you know? For one thing, I'm quite tired right now which is one step away from being asleep. In my experience, sleeping people can be quite boring," he rambled. His eyes drifted astray as he found himself staring at the ceiling, "Hmm... What is my name... Ah! Ladies first." Jason said with immature glee.

Anna contemplated this for a moment, thinking back to a story her mother had told her as a child, a story hundreds of years old about a pretty girl with a step-mother and a fairy godmother and a pair of glass slippers. The thought of the mystery made Anna's imagination run wild for a moment, how exciting would it be. But, she thought, reality was rarely as exciting as fiction. And regardless of whether or not she told him her name, by morning they would be maskless and possibly unrecognizable to each other, all aside from their voices, if one cared to notice. Anna's voice, though, with it's pronounced British twang, appeared to be fairly distinctive. "Anna." She replied, "Anna Buxton. Now you go."

"Anna, is that short for something? Annabelle, Anastasia, no?" he listed a few more potential Anna names before finally giving in, "Alright, I guess I'll tell you. My name is Jason Glass. Sometimes it can be a bit difficult holding up my family name; it's so fragile." He tried to keep a straight face for as long as he could, but his efforts were futile. It was all he could do to not burst out laughing at his own horrible, horrible pun.

Anna hung her head at the terrible joke, shaking it in mock pity while her shoulders shook from withheld laughter at how awful it was. "No, I'm sorry, that joke was too awful." She dropped her hand from his shoulder and turned to walk away.

His smile grew, and he was clearly trying to hold back a laugh; he could barely able to contain himself, "Aww, come on it wasn't that bad was it?" Jason reached out to take her hand again, returning it to it's rightful position on his shoulder.

"It was pretty awful." She told him, smiling. "And no, Anna isn't short for any of those names." She didn't care to elaborate, as she didn't particularly like the full version of her name. "How old are you?"

"Same as you probably. You're not an upperclassmen are you?" He quirked an eyebrow though he was only half suspicious. Age didn't matter to him most of the time. Just, power. That's what really set people apart. Perhaps intelligence too, but knowing specific ages seemed trivial. As far as Jason could tell though, they matched in all three categories.

"I'm not, no. I think we're all newbies here, at least most of us are.There may be some, like our green eyed friend from earlier, who've managed to sneak in." She glanced around, noting how many people were simply stood around, though more couples seemed to have gotten up the courage to join them on the dance floor since they'd begun, "Obviously, they know how to throw a wild party here," She lowered her voice to a conspiratory whisper, "The upperclassmen can't get enough."

"With a party as crazy as this, I'm sure anyone would get addicted," A few seconds of silence passed as he tilted his neck from side to side, reducing the stiffness it had developed throughout the day. "It does seem like it's missing something though. What's supposed to happen here anyway?"

"Here, at the party? Or here, you and I?" She asked, rather absently as she glanced around the room, looking at people wearing masks and wondering which of them she would be friends with, who she wouldn't like and vice versa. Being in such a new place, having such a clean slate, she decided, was rather exciting. She met the taller boys eyes, waiting for a reply.

Her second interpretation caught him off guard. Between them? He hadn't thought about it. Pausing for a moment, he stared at her with unmasked curiosity, "Either one, I suppose."

Anna had never experienced a moment like it before. She didn't think someone had ever held her eyes for so long, with such an unbridled expression of interest. How strange, to have such an honest and calm moment with a practical stranger, to feel so at ease in the company of someone completely new. "Well," She said, softly, "I suppose we just...wait and see."

He smiled at her tentative response, "You're cute," he complimented her without much thought, but he did take a second to digest her answer before changing the subject, deliberately avoiding further discussion. "Do you want to do something else? Wander around, look for a bed maybe, you know, typical activities to pass the time." Jason didn't realize how suggestive his request may have sounded, especially considering his preceding comment, but he was getting bored of dancing at this point and subconsciously craving the sweet, soft comfort of a bed.

A blush crept up Anna's cheeks at his comment, staining her pale skin a dusty rose colour. She glanced away for a moment, a short laugh escaping her lips, and then realised he wasn't joking, but had he realised what that sort of comment sounded like? Still, Anna thought, she would quite like to explore this place and see just how big it was from the inside. "Um, sure," She replied, "We could go for a walk."

"I guess we should stay inside, it's probably to dark to see anything out there this late at night. Such a shame," he slowly stopped dancing, and moved toward the walls, away from other dancers. Looking around the hall his eyes settled on the staircase, "That could lead somewhere right?"

Alexander Lanicaster the Third
Grand Hall

Axel loved the young mans expression when he realized that he was caught unable to apply a simple face mask. The man quickly hid his initial surprise, but Axel made note of it. After a few moments of silence, the man finally spoke.

“I don't need your help! ...If I can’t put it on then I’m probably not meant for it,”
Axel snickered at the comment, but waited and listened to the man to finish, “Maybe I’ll balance you out. Please inform me, what can I learn from the fact that the school deemed you worthy of becoming a seventeenth century French aristocrat?”

“It’s a cruel joke,” Axel laughed as he answered the question, “My full name is Alexander Lanicaster the Third. My family, which I have grown astray from, are a bundle of businessmen who like to obtain their money through…..less legal means. So I guess you could say that the employees of CTS were poking fun at my family. I mean they are a bunch of snooty people who think that they are better than everyone else, and they take other peoples money. It kinda sound like a French aristocrat to me, no?”

"That also happened to be in some vampire movie, apparently" the man playfully said.

Axel tilted his head to the side and gave a large grin, “I would be careful about how you word those vampire jokes my friend. I know for a fact that most vampires hate to be bundled with the Neo-Hollywood versions that the movies paint them out to be,” Axel waited for a moment to let the information sink in, “Just kidding! Anywho, I got to get going. Good luck with your mask!” He chuckled as he turned and walked away.

Axel moved through the Grand Hall, watching all the people interacting with each other. It was a refreshing scene to see so many people in one place and most were having a good time. He walked through the sea of masks and found himself at a table filled with a number of refreshments. He smiled as he decided to fill a cup to the brim with his favorite drink, Armageddon Crush. He then looked up when he heard a female voice whisper something to herself. There stood a petite looking female with rainbow colored hair. He stood straight up and turned to face the young maiden. “Hello there! Enjoying your drink?” He said with a smile.

---

Man in the Maze
Tordred Maze

A man, wearing nothing but black cloths and a black ski mask, wandered through the maze. He had heard some people chattering and he decided to go and investigate. As the two voices grew louder, the man's movements grew slower. He didn’t want to be revealed as he wanted to observe the now obvious two male voices. Once the two men were within view of the man, the man hid behind a near by tree. The shadows completely hiding his figure thanks to his black clothes. He turned around and poked his head out from behind the tree.

The man watched the two men for a little bit, and then decided that they had no other objective than escape the masquerade that was happening at this moment. The man shrugged and turned to walk away, but just when he began to turn, his foot landed on a twig making a creating a large snap almost immediately. The man froze in his tracks and quickly turned his head to see if the two men had heard him. Right at that moment, when the man looked, a cloud had uncovered on of the moons, and the moonlight lit up the area around the man. His body was still concealed, but his eyes were now glowing within the moonlight. The mans bright amber eyes were now on display for the entire world to see, and he wasn’t the wiser.

All thoughts of leaving had immediately left her mind as soon as the young man introduced himself as Alexander, and instant relief washed away the awkward tension once he continued the conversation. “It’s okay, shit happens-“ Watching his hand slowly stick out, her smile softened and slender fingers gently wrapped around his palm, giving it a gentle grasp, “anyway, nice to meet you Disa. Once the ball begins, would you like to have the first dance? Maybe then you could find more excuses to step on my foot as much as you please.” Amber orbs looked to the ground in embarrassment as pink cheeks reddened in response, but with her hand still grasping his Disa smiled brightly back up at Alexander and accepted his offer in a sincere tone, “I’d love to dance with you.”

Proud that she had finally acquainted with someone, Disa couldn’t help but mentally give herself a pat on the shoulder. Beginnings were rough, but she knew all it took was a little confidence. Realizing she had been holding his hand longer then intended, she released it and brought both of her hands behind her back before leaning against the table beside him. The fair haired boy definitely seemed to be more at ease, which was a good thing, but the girl could still tell he was a little tense “So, are you from Euthenia? Or did you come from another state, or country?” Trying to make conversation, she looked up at him with curiosity as she waited for a response.

“I apologize. There are many upperclassmen who continue to crash this gathering in hopes of evading capture. This happens every year and their manners continue to dwindle.”

Turning her head as a voice was directed at the group beside them, Disa’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the tall, beautiful figure of a student in a black dress. So caught up in the girls appearance, and garb, the blonde didn’t even catch her name. Her mask gave her an alluring, and mysterious appearance, but that wasn’t what truly caught the girls attentions. It was her eyes. The vibrant beautiful jade was brought out by the midnight black dress, and mask, and as she began to walk away, the little blonde couldn’t help but grab her camera and raise it eye level. A quiet snap came from her camera as she took in the beautiful photograph of the unknown woman. While it might have seemed creepy to others, Disa cherished the pictures she had gathered from her first day, and as she took in the green eyed woman in her picture she made a silent, personal goal to herself to get to know her.

“Wow..” Still in awe the girl finally turned her attention back up at Alexander once the mysterious woman disappeared back into the crowd, “Did you see her? I wonder if she’s an upperclassman too?” Tucking her camera away once again, she turned her sights back on the dance floor noticing a few students were already coupling together and moving to the music. Casting a quick side glance at the male beside her, Disa bit her lip nervously as she felt her cheeks redden once again. While she wasn’t completely useless at dancing, she was very new to this whole situation. Refusing to attend prom, or homecoming during High School, along with any other dance that occurred during her younger years, Disa wasn’t sure really sure how to go about this. Clearing her throat, and looking up at the other, a smile slowly slipped across her features as she stepped before him and outstretched her hand once again, “You still want to dance with me? I promise not to step on your feet too much.~"

Karin Amsel | Forest > Garnet room > Corridors

A monotonous, almost mechanical voice announced that they’d arrived at their destination as the bullet train slid to a smooth, near silent stop. “I guess this is it.” A tremor of nervousness tinged the pleasantly feminine voice. Karin Amsel unfolded her slender frame out of the seat and stretched languidly. The long train ride, which had been quite boring as she was the only passenger, had left her feeling a tad cramped. Due to her home town being quite far away in the middle of nowhere, she’d missed the first one with the rest of the students and had been forced to spend hours by herself, staring out the window at an unappealing view of swamps, swamps and more swamps. Eager to get going, the girl picked up her bags and stepped out onto the footpath.

Eyes of an unnaturally violet hue widened in surprise at the sight before her. The train let out smack into the middle of a forest straight out of a Grimm’s fairytale. Tall trees towered on either side of the narrow path, their branches weaving an intricate canopy overhead and managing to almost block out the night sky. Wisps of fog swirled around in the distance, occasionally pierced by rays of moonlight. The planet’s many moons which served as a beautiful natural light had somehow taken on a sinister feel as it filtered through the branches and cast a myriad of twisted shadows. Karin took a hesitant step forward, unease crawling up her skin like the skittering legs of an insect. An involuntary shiver danced down her spine as a sudden breeze brought along the cold and sounds of rustling leaves. She wasn’t a jumpy person and she considered herself somewhat brave. But the eerily silent forest had managed to set every one of her nerves on edge and was playing havoc with her mind. Gritting her teeth and pulling her jacket closer she pushed on forward, ignoring the ominous crunch of dead leaves crushed under her shoes.

After what seemed like a lifetime, she finally arrived at the massive stone arches – which to her seemed like the bones of a long dead civilization, ravaged by time and nature. The entire structure held an eerie beauty which seemed to draw her in even as the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up in alarm. Stop it, Karin. Don’t let your imagination go into overdrive. Sure, it seems like the setting for a horror movie right now but maybe it’ll appear more normal in daylight. Besides even if this was a horror movie, you’d survive. Probably. It’s always the big boobed blonde who dies first and you’re a brunette. Somehow that little internal monologue didn’t fill her with reassurance. Taking a sharp breath through her nose to calm herself, Karin marched forward hurriedly.

“Finally.” A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she shut the large, ornate door behind her and leaned against it. After more than a couple minutes of wandering around the deserted hallways she’d managed to find her assigned dorm – the Garnet Room. The suite certainly lived up to its name as everything from the tasteful furniture to the opulent decorations was done in shades of red. It almost felt as if she’d somehow ended up on the inside of an insanely large, red, flower. A quick glance around the place informed her that she wasn’t the only person staying in the suite.

“Roommates?” Sharing the place with other students was to be expected, though she didn’t exactly know how to feel about that. She’d never lived with another person her age before. It would certainly be an interesting experience that was for sure. Spying her name on one of the doors, she made her way over to it and run her fingers over the cold metal nameplate before pushing the door open and stepping inside. The red theme continued in the large bedroom and attached bathroom as well. It appeared that the institute spared no expense when it came to furnishing. Karin sat down on the bed and reached for the creamy white envelope that stood out starkly against the red of her nightstand.

“A masquerade ball.” She murmured thoughtfully while running the tip on one finger over the stiff paper.

The freshman orientation was to be a ball, something she was pretty sure wasn’t a part of any other colleges. The school would be providing their attire for the evening and while she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, she couldn’t help but feel that it was strange. For one thing, how was the institute affording to pay for it all? Shoving those uneasy thoughts to the back of her mind to mull over later, she got up and read the invitation again. It was more than a bit strange for them to provide clothes tailored to her figure, without her paying anything at all. If anything, she’d learned that everything had a price. Karin was wary about what this one would be and when it would call to collect. Still, she was curious to see what they’d picked out for her to wear. Half dreading that they’d have dressed her in poison green or canary yellow, she pulled open the intricately carved door of the wardrobe.

A long lilac dress made of a strange material which shimmered like water as it caught the light surprised her instead of what she was dreading. She reached out hesitantly as if it were an illusion that could shatter any moment. A small smile lit her face as her hands ran over the soft material and carefully took the dress out. “I should hurry and get ready… I wonder if it looks good on me.” She wondered out loud as she eyed the dress with critical acclaim. Unsurprisingly, she soon found herself slipping out of her clothes and pulling on the dress. It fit her like a glove, the silky material molding itself to her curves perfectly. Karin held the matching lacy mask up to her face and looked in the mirror. It contrasted beautifully with the color of her eyes. Whoever had picked these out certainly knew what they were doing. Judging by what she’d seen so far of the school, she wouldn’t be surprised if they had stylists in their employ. She tied her mask in place and slipped her feet into a pair of high heeled shoes provided by the ever so thoughtful CTS staff. And so began her adventure – which in other words meant ‘wandering aimlessly through the corridors till she found the entrance to the Grand Hall.’

Liam Fleming
Inside Tordred maze

Liam nodded, listening to him speak, quietly stepping over the grass. He nodded when necessary, looking around as they stepped closer to the maze. He certainly had a lot to say, didn't he? This Lumen women didn't sound fun to deal with, but he thought he recognized the name from somewhere, but pushing it out of his mind, he continued to listen to him talk. When told they would get along well, a small smirk of his own formed, and then he said," I think so as well." Then a question was directed to him he spoke," I came here because I had nothing better to do, don't know why I got invited, but I thought why not come." A small shrug joined his statement.

He then frowned at his next statement, about to ask what he meant before being told to forget it. How could he just forget that? What did he mean by that? He erased the frown from his face, taking a deep breath from his cigarette, exhaling the smoke from his lungs. As he entered the maze, he blinked, startled as the temperature dropped. That wasn't expected. At least the jacket can come into good use. As they traveled further into the maze, he tried to keep track of what direction they were heading, but it didn't take long to get turned around. At least he wasn't alone. He peered into the darkness, trying to see farther into the trees. He heard voices up ahead, where then a gazebo suddenly appeared. A female voice rang out, where he located the speaker and he stepped forward slightly then said," names..." He stopped, turning his head at the loud snap before turning, eyes landing on glowing ones. A frown creased his face, his hand twitching towards his pocket before reminding himself he didn't have any weapons on him.

Grand Hall
Arthur laughed at Scarlet's comment. "Well lass. It seems as luck shined down on you today, as legend says I might have won a competition or two. Whether this legend is true I shall leave to you, but for now I will teach you the basics. Now move your feet and mirror mine. Left right right. Left right right. See? you are doing wonderful." Arthur commented, wincing as Scarlet accidentally drove the point of her heel into his foot. That would definitely leave a mark. Glancing down to make sure she was making the right steps, he decided it was time to move on to advanced moves. He started with spinning, slowly moving to the center of the ballroom, keeping her attention so she wouldn't notice. In the center of the room, Arthur commented on her dancing. "Good job. You learn relatively quick. Now, would you like to dance towards the door?" He asked, knowing good and well that she wanted to leave, from her glances before.

Acacia Malikov

Raised emerald sights from the chocolate tinted canine in front of her; flickering views at every couple moving on the floor and every form shifting to converse with others. She rose to her feet and peered down at her canine, pale pink lips curling upwards towards her ears as she spoke in a gentle tone.

“Pokhezhe, eto prosto nas dva dlya nashey sobstvennoy kompanii, da chto ty dumayesh’, ostat’sya ili uyti?” the words rolled effortlessly from her tongue as she awaited any signal he gave, sure he may not have understood most things, but he had a way of getting his idea across, she’d spent 19 years with him and knew every slight movement, vocal and notion he put across that no one else could pick up on.

After a few moment’s she peered around once more, rolling her shoulders back she stood tall, nearly 6 foot in height naturally the heels she wore pretty well put her right on that mark. Untamed weaves of auburn-haired girl dangled loosely over her shoulders chest and hung down her spines length.

“Davayte bluzhdat’ nekotoroya da mal’chik?” She glimpsed down at Koshmarik before she extended an elongated leg, the waves of emerald danced around the strides of moving limbs. Porcelain skin contrasting brightly against the darkened hue of the gown worn, and the unnatural eyes almost catlike in green binds stood out under the colours surrounding them.

As she moved she heard small collaborations of conversation, she headed for the large stair case and without stopping to confront anyone else she’d begin her stride up its lengths, a gentle slender hand ran up the smooth golden railing, the chill caused a light barrage of goose bumps to spread up the length of her uncovered arm. Heels clacking lightly as she took each step and reaching the top without disturbances she prayed she headed for a hallway to see where it lead, she wasn’t one to hang around crowds and if she could she’d find a quiet place to wait out till dinner.

This was in the chance she didn’t stumble anywhere she shouldn’t or run into anyone she didn’t need to.

“Wow, this place is a palace.” is all she managed as she studied the walls, doors, ceilings and decorations as she moved.

---

Koshmarik
Listened lightly as she continued to speak to him, eventually she stopped, the last thing he heard from her in that conversation was “My ne dolzhny byt’ zdes’, my ne podkhadyat, I eto tak unusual dlya vsekh, chtoby, kashetzya, neyestestvenno, theres to ne tak v etom meste.”

As his tawny hues followed her movements he backed up a small distance allowing her space. The long almost old fashioned gown glazed over her legs as she moved and he listened as she spoke to him. The accent of hers was natural to him, each word she spoke run in his ears, each word he understood from the years he’d spent by her side, no one else knew of his age, he was only two or even three to their eyes, he was honestly a lot older.

As she asked if he wanted to wander he flickered a light ear towards one side of the room before angling them back at her, velvet nose panels pulling in as he emit a light huffing notion. Before he knew it he was trailing after her, light paws scraping as he began his ascension up the staircase by her side. Two chains around his neck clinking as he moved and the harness hardly budged as he moved, the leash dangling without any tension as he stared ahead, once up he continued following, if she stopped he’d stop as well as if reading her mind.

He watched as the scenery of the building passed him and his mistress, they made their way down a hall and he grew uncertain of the decision his mistress had made on where exactly to go.

Headmistress
Upstairs Office
In one of the spacious rooms a brawl seemed to be taking place. Thunderous roars could be heard from some sort of unknown animal. Glass vases and the like could be heard crashing onto walls and marbled flooring. Without warning four gashes sliced through one of the broad doors with ease before retreating sharpened claws after the beast howled in pain. Someone else could be heard scuffling inside the area desperately trying to ward off the foe. This person just so happened to be The Headmistress. Rays of blinding light seeped through the entrance-way crevices leading to another outcry of agony from the creature until she had had enough.

“Be gone from here at once!” Shouted the head of the school with such a commanding voice it could surely shatter a stone statue to bits along with any ear drums standing next to her.

Both sturdy double doors flung open smashing into the walls leaving indentations and also deep webbing across the heavy duty plaster down the long corridor. The large office window exploded spreading pieces of sharp glass across the room. Her rattling voice held enough force to whip heavy furniture pieces across the room and propelled whoever it was out the window without mercy. Though, anyone who entered the mangled room would assume the Headmistress had struggled trying to keep the criminal at bay.

---

Scarlet Wraith & Lumen Vale
Grand Hall
Diamond heels focused on copying each movement the Neo Irish made but confidence gripped her too soon resulting in a stab of her heel into his fancy shoe. She grimaced slightly in embarrassment coving her mouth with her hand. Eyes lowered in disappointment for a second before all was forgiven and they smoothly twirled to the center of the room with gradual grace. Shimmering fabric whirled in an entrancing circle as Arty spun the fair upperclassmen who smiled warmly all the while. Surprisingly enough she found herself to be enjoying this dance with this stranger but then his words snapped her back to reality. “Now, would you like to dance towards the door?”

Before an answer could be given a deafening shout followed by a blast drew her attention immediately to the upstairs. A gasp escaped the snowy complexioned woman as did a small jump in surprise at the boisterous commotion. Wearing wide eyes which scanned for the door in an attempt to quickly make an escape, she finally realized that they were dead center in the ballroom. Although a little flustered everyone handled crisis differently and she remained relatively composed in this event.
“You should get out of here Arty, it’s not safe.” Her soft voice suggested as she began to speed walk toward the exit without a backwards glance. She felt terrible for leaving him there and wondered if he found her actions rude but she had to escape. Through this upheaval Lumen’s voice projected to Axel who she could not detect among the startled crowd but hoped he could at least hear her plea.

“Axel, it’s the headmistress!” Lumen informed before seeing a ghostly image scurrying by. She knew exactly who this ambiance belong to and quickly made way toward her, managing to clutch onto Scarlet’s wrist through sheer luck. “Scarling, we need to talk.”

“Please, now is not such a good time.” Scarlet nearly begged and struggled to free herself from Lumen’s tight grip. Her silver speckled fingernails tried to pry at locked on hands to no avail.

“What’s the hurry?” A brow arched quizzically finding it odd she had been fleeing this entire time.

“Please let go of me, you’re making a scene.” In fact Scarlet was sure no one could be less interested I what was happening between them two and more interested in the clamor upstairs.

“No, you can’t escape so easily this time. This is important.” Lumen scolded in ire.

“I said let go of me.” With that, Scarlet’s hues flared a tinge of eerie red as did her heavy duty choker wrapped around her slim neck. Lumen immediately let go and listened for what was about to take place with a spot of fear. She had made an awful mistake trying to force the opalescent clad Junior to speak. Arched windows began to shake from invisible vibrations until they erupted inward and lashed violently toward every figure in the ballroom. These chucks could easily slice through flesh and Lumen had to do something or else a massacre would transpire. She cast both hands out pushing air toward the center of the room. A glistening diamond barrier spread over the students, semi visible to the naked eye. The glass landed upon this protective shield instead of the defenseless. After razor sharp pieces fell upon it the secured cover configured into celestial stars after it was finished, and gradually tumbled over each body and evaporated. Lumen turned back to see if Scarlet was still there but no sign of the girl could be found.

“Damnit, how?” Lumen cursed under a heavy breath to herself and cast a worrisome glance across the span of the golden Grand Hall.

“Is anyone hurt?” She yelled across the room.

---

Faust
Tordred Maze > Male Dorms
Everyone turned at the sudden sound of timber snapping even though they were expecting one more group member to arrive. This curious figure covered in dark attire was not who the hideaways were waiting on, and the blonde haired woman calmly stood narrowing harsh hues in vexation.

“Faust, it’s that man again. Best we leave.” However, before anyone moved so much an inch their friend emerged from a different path stained with vibrant red.

“Haden?...You look terrible.” She commented to the golden haired brute that stood at least six foot four.

Hands roughly wiped away vibrant ruby smears located on his sculpted face free of facial hair. He pulled up the collar of a grey shirt and continued to rub the warm blood off as so it could no longer coat his fair skin. Underneath surface scratches were wide scars. From the looks of each embossed mark they were acquired long ago, and the azure eyed man had multiples of these decolorized imprints.

“What the hell is a Freshman doing here?” A deeply agitated voice resembling a growl spoke forth. This would not be the first time his jade eyed friend brought a stranger to crash the party. Given he did introduce Trinity, the flaxen haired woman in the feathered trench but he was otherwise a horrible judge of character.

“Lost a fight did you?” Faust snickered without remorse. “Relax, he’ll fit in just fine. You have no faith.” A hand glided through layered dusky hair, a sign of annoyance toward the visible alpha in this band of misfits.

“Take him and get out.” Haden threatened, stepping forward closing the gap between him and the upperclassmen in a snazzy emerald tux. He did not appreciate being the last to know who would be joining them. With this year already starting out so badly, traitors were a constant.

“Enough! We all need to leave, now. The night watchman is here.” Trinity pointed a long fingernail at the shadow still present clearly dumbfounded why everyone was fighting with this unwelcome man looming about their gazebo.

“Shit.” Haden cussed aloud. “Fine, meet me back at my dorm but I don’t want to see him there Faust. I mean it.” He and Trinity sprinted off in another direction disappearing into opaque fog. They would surely meet up with Liam again though the idea of that did not please Haden in the least.

“C’mon Liam, follow me.” A hefty sigh released as Faust motioned for Liam. “…Apologies, Haden isn’t exactly the most welcoming guy in the world but I am sure with time he’ll adjust to your company. In all honesty we could always use another body; there aren’t many people you can trust here.” He picked up the pace until coming to a full-fledged dash. They had seen this figure before wandering like a phantom through many walkways. No one knew who the masked vision was but everyone assumed his duty was to scare students out of the maze.

After a few minutes of running tirelessly the exit appeared and Faust could be seen smiling as if nothing had happened, and didn’t even bother explaining the matter either. “Well, that way to the male dorms or that way to the Grand Hall. Up to you but I must leave. See you around? Oh, and watch your back Liam.” He said with an impish grin before tossing another cigarette to the newcomer. He could be seen placing both hands in his pockets while strolling to the stone building for a rather late meeting. Faust was intrigued by the Freshman though he could not put a finger as of why. Time would tell if the stranger would fit into their odd little group and he was hoping that this attempt was not in vain. As their numbers continued dwindling it was only logical to start recruiting again.

«Hello there! Enjoying your drink?»

Nellia looked towards the voice where she found a man standing, smiling. She took a sip from her drink while keeping her eyes on his.

«She is. Um. I mean I am. I am enjoying my drink. Kind of. It's sweet and sour at the same time with just a hint of bitterness. Am not sure how that is possible though. Yet again, not knowing everything is all that makes it okay sometimes.»

She took another sip, bigger this time as it turned out that she liked this mysterious drink quite a lot. After that, she examined the person who adressed her for the briefest of moments, his neon green hair along with his amber eyes creating an intriguing combination.

«I think I should share my name. I got it for my birthday and it's Nellia.»

Perhaps she had more to say. Perhaps not. The deafening voice and the blast following ended abruptly every single conversation in the Hall for a few moments and she felt her curiosity peaking.
She took another sip.
That voice was stronger than humanly possible. I wonder if-

All Hell broke loose as every single window in the Grand Hall suddenly erupted inwards into a hail of sharp enough glass to cut through bone as if it was butter. Nellia didn't even flinch at the sight of it, she had already predicted the outcome. The glass's speed was too much for her, or anyone probably, to try dodging therefore standing still would statistically give her a bigger chance of surviving this event unscathed than running around frantically. Plus, on every horror movie she had seen, the runners died first. Regarding the crowd in front of her, she didn't have any hope for them. One in three would die during the hail of broken glass and the rest would suffer heavy injuries and mutilations while she doubted that the Academy was ready to face such a big medical emergency therefore many would bleed to death. The survivors then would most likely have to cope with trauma and mental issues. Afterall, the images sure to follow would be nothing less than nightmarish.

She put her hand over her cup and waited for the fallout. She'd hate it if a piece of glass or flesh fell into her drink.

And then nothing happened. Straight out of a fantasy book, some girl had saved every single soul meant to die today by creating some sort of shield around the entire crowd which destroyed the flying pieces of glass averting the massacre.

Am a bloody character in a book or something. her first thought was, such feats weren't ordinary. Or in fact they were, but in the realm of fantasy and fiction, not ordinary looking humans. She kept her gaze fixed on the girl who demonstrated such an ability, her look both terrifying and curious as if she was torn between admiring that person for how unique she was and dissecting her in order to examine her.

She took another sip. She was growing quite fond of the beverage.

Alphonse involuntarily flinched as Disa accepted the handshake. His weariness intensified as the grip between the two had taken much longer than he had expected, much to his discomfort. She did however, look almost as tense as he was- maybe this facade was really... genuine? No, no... don't allow what happened last time to happen again. Don't be a fool this time, Alphonse.
Quickly turning his attention back to her, he'd noticed a subtle smile had crept its way onto her delicated features. Al wasn't sure whether he should have been suspicious or entranced. In the end it was the latter, but what man would have been able to resist such a thing?

"Well you see," he decided a little background story wouldn't hurt, or at least he hoped it wouldn't. "-I was pretty much sheltered throughtout my whole life and I never really got to-" Al bit his lip as he realized he might have gone a bit too far back, but that didn't matter anymore as he watched her eyes switch to a lithe, darkly-clad figure. Her posture boasted a well-enough upbringing and confidence, managing to catch the eyes of anybodt within the hall at least twice. And then there were those, her eyes. They glittered, even despite the distance between the two, slightly convincing him that she was of a celestial descent. An angel, maybe?

Alphonse nodded in agreement to Disa's question regarding the angel/vixen, who thankfully seemed to have forgotten or not paid any attention to his history. Better safe than sorry, right?

His spine tingled as the music began to finally play, signalling the beginning of the dance and the pairing up of the new students. Palms sweaty and his head held up high, one gesture contrasted the other as he figured it was time to begin their own slow-dance and throw away the tension and the awkwardness that stuck like glue.

---

Hold her hand, lead her to the front and don't let your gaurd down...

He nimbly stuck out his hand once again for her to take, flashing a grin as he realized her cheeks still held the crimson colour from the earlier incident.

She really must be harmless, huh?

His shoulders relaxed as the uneasiness began to melt away, slightly confident that nothing much would go wrong that night. However he couldn't help but feel just a little bit anxious.

Before he knew it, the windows had been blasted from god-knows-where, shards of all sizes that had been directed towards the attendees moved at a frightening pace that threatened to slice through them. Al's reflexes simultaneously acted up, using his jacket and body to cover his newfound partner from their impending doom.

With his eyes tightly shut, he realized that even two minutes later he was still breathing with no signs of piercing pain anywhere around his body. He gasped as he looked around to see the shards of glass on the floor and the students still alive as well, who looked as shocked as he did. He looked at Disa worriedly, immediately revolting inwardly as he realized he was starting to actually care about her. Ah, screw it.

"Hey, you alright? Didn't get nicked or something?" God...with the way you're going at it now, you're surely going to end up dead or missing.

Lumen Vale
Grand Hall > Outside Grand Hall entrance/exit

“Is everyone alright?” Lumen repeated bringing hands down to her sides.

If no one spoke up she would take their silence as a yes since shards of glass could in no way penetrate that crystallized barrier. She knew this as fact. Though it was not the most resilient ability it could handle small projectiles like said object. After the fading echo of splintering pieces had concluded her figure clad in lace sauntered toward the double doors leading to the frigid outside world. Leaning against the door so one side remained open for each to walk through she began to casually give instructions.

“I ask that everyone immediately return to your dorms. This accident needs to be addressed at once and the floor tidied for tomorrow. Get rest, tomorrow will be a busy day.” Her voice was slightly raised only so everyone could hear this announcement.

No choice in the matter had been given to stay or ask her any questions about what had happened. She would also be keenly keeping a watchful eye until every last student made their way inside their selected dorm. In all honestly, she would have rather rushed upstairs to see if the Headmistress was alright instead of policing these individuals outside like children but she already knew the situation there was under control. Outside, however, was a completely different story. Lumen had no control over what lurked among them out doors. Though less likely to stage another attack one could never be so sure.

---

Around 7 am
Lumen Vale
Grand Hall
Lumen could not sleep. She stayed inside the Academy building tidying the place up and checking on the Headmistress’ side. Breakfast would be in that same Grand Hall where jagged pieces of glass could no longer be found. They had already been replaced though no maintenance staff member could be located on the ancient looking site. Bright and early she briskly patrolled the grounds to make sure no suspicious behavior took place. While out and about deliveries were slipped underneath both Male and Female doors in the form of a simple letter addressed to each occupied dorm. In inked fancy script read the following:

“DEAR STUDENTS,

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS BREAKFAST WILL ALREADY BE PREPARED.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE GRAND HALL FOR A BUFFET STYLE MEAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AS THIS IS MANDATORY.

I AM OBLIGED TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM THERE.

SIGNED

OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS,

LUMEN VALE”

This circumstance proved unusual as no upperclassmen would be joining in this private discussion. This building did house a spacious cafeteria that was in no part attached to the Grand Hall. The note also did not explain nor apologize for prier incidents that occurred last night. Vague words were almost written as if there would be no description of the events if no one asked. Clearly Lumen had both hands full but comforting students should be top priority—or so one would assume. In fact, there was little time to coddle these people when she was actively trying to save their lives, solve a mystery, and prepare herself as the upcoming successor all at the same time. With no ties or emotional bonds with any of them this task proved burdensome and automatic. Perhaps this way was better—with no emotional connection it would be impossible to get hurt. The raven haired woman thought exactly this and desired no friendship to save herself from guilt down the line.

---

Taffeta snow white table cloths edged with golden fabric were spread upon individually rounded tables. Vibrant exotic fruit lay delicately on large serving dishes and each dinning wear set held embroidering with 24 caret gold lace borders around every dish and glass. Beneath the buffet tables spanned plain ivory linen to direct every students gaze to the delicious edibles to choose from. Any noble would be pleased with the array of delicacies served here but no matter how perfect these extravagant ceremonies could not cover up how toxic the environment surely was within the Academy.

The Headmistress would not be joining this gathering for she was too ill from a brawl with some vicious half animal. Bed ridden for a half day should heal enough energy for her to greet them eventually but it was no longer her responsibility to be hands on with these pupils. Lumen would check on her later though the stubborn warrior would rather not have anyone fussing over her deteriorating health. Thus the Junior decided to focus on spending some time with this new group and was already waiting on them in the lavishly cloud painted space. Her form turned away from the entrance as she stood silently near the back glancing out toward the thorn shrouded maze. Chunky rain began thumping against the window panes rendering a depressing melody as a somber sky hid behind an ash colored veil.

Taking his hand into hers, the soft smile never left the small blondes face as she slowly made her way with Alexander to the dance floor. It had been such a long time since she had allowed herself any fun, so as she stared up at the tall young man she couldn’t help but let all of her recent anxiety and tension slip away. ‘It couldn’t hurt to have a little fun.’ Once her left arm sat along his, while her right hand sat interlocked with his own, Disa grinned widely as her cheeks continued to burn red. But just as the mood began to lighten, everything quickly went out of control.

Amber orbs went wide as her breathing hitched in her throat. The glass moved at alarming rate, but to Disa everything seemed to move in slow motion. Her heart beat pounded like a drum in her ears as the hair along the back of her neck stood and arms stood. A long, sharp menacing shard of glass shot down from above, aiming to take out the little blonde at any moment, but a familiar figure pulled her into a strong grip, shielding her from the dangers around. A small cry of fear escaped from her lips as she closed her eyes tight and dug her head into his chest, waiting for the inevitable to strike them both down, but as seconds past nothing came.

Trembling lightly, her hands gripped the material of his tux tightly as shaky breaths escaped from her lips. “Hey, you alright? Didn't get nicked or something?”

Hesitantly the girl looked up with wide eyes. Her hand clung to his jacket still shaking as she still had yet to get passed the idea that they had almost died. Parting her lips, no sound came out first but as she swallowed hard and gathered herself, Disa finally spoke up letting her hand drop from his shirt, “Y-yeah, I’m okay.” Looking around the room as the shards disintegrated into a shimmering dust, the girl put her hand out as the crystals seemed to evaporate just as they touched her hand. Turning her attention back up at Alexander a concerned look came into her eyes, “Are you alright? Did you get hurt at all?”

Waiting for a response, another voice yelled out to the crowd, causing Disa to look quickly over her shoulder. “Is everyone alright?” The voice came from none other then the mysterious looking woman she had seen not long ago, “I ask that everyone immediately return to your dorms. This accident needs to be addressed at once and the floor tidied for tomorrow. Get rest, tomorrow will be a busy day.” Confused, and frightened students looked and talked amongst themselves as everyone slowly began to file out of the Grand Hall. Moving with the crowd and making sure Al was close beside her, Disa casted one last look at the green eyed woman as she passed her tall figure before heading out into the open air of the CTS campus.

The walk to the dorms had been quiet, as thoughts swarmed the girls mind. ‘What the hell was that all about? How did glass just disintegrate like that, and why did that woman seem so calm about the whole thing.’ Nothing made sense, and it only gave the blonde a headache as she tried to figure out a solution. Her life had centered around the weird, and unexplained, but at the moment the blonde found herself stumped on this one. Turning her head up from the path her eyes sat along the tall blonde beside her, “Alex,” She called out to him quietly as she struggled to find the right words, “Thank you for protecting me like that.” Rubbing her arm nervously her eyes fell back to the ground as she continued, “I.. I don’t know what happened today, but I do know that I owe you.”

“Things may not have gone as bad as they could have, but that still doesn’t mean what you did for me doesn’t count.” Even though it was clear the girl was still shaken up, a light smile slipped along her features as she came to a halt once the path split into two, “So thank you, again.” Crossing her arms to keep herself warm as a cold breeze swept passed them, Disa’s small smile never faltered as she said her goodbyes, “It’s getting late, so we should probably start heading back to our dorms.”

Taking a step back as she began to make her way down the path to the Girls Dormitory, the blonde looked over her shoulder before giving the boy a small wave, “I’ll see you tomorrow!” With that she headed off to the Ivory dorm, and almost immediately tried to go to bed.

---

By morning the uneasy thoughts, and the events from the night before still seemed to plague the girls mind. She had tossed and turned all night, and hardly got any sleep which was odd considering just how comfortable the bed had been. Still, with little sleep, the blonde found herself trapped in her own thoughts, and if it hadn’t been a small noise outside in the living room, she probably would have stayed in her room until her roommate, or someone else got her up. Pulling her bedsheets off of her, Disa quietly tip-toed to her bedroom door and peaked out. An envelope sat before the door, obviously slipped in by another student. Amber eyes casted up looking at the other closed door, which meant that her roommate was still sleeping inside, so trying to keep quiet she crept over to the envelope and carefully opened it.

Scanning over the thick, bolded words her eyes stopped over a single name as the mysterious woman immediately came to mind. ‘So her name’s Lumen.’ Placing the letter along the coffee table for her roommate to easily find, the girl left the living room and decided to get ready despite the time. Showering, and dressing in her uniform, Disa grabbed a few things from her room before quietly leaving the dorm and heading outside. The sun still had yet to fully rise, as traces of dark purple and pink lined the clouds and sky above. A cool breeze swept past the girl once again as she pulled her cardigan around her tighter, trying to keep warm.

Coming around to the front of the Girls Dormitory building, she leaned against the wall and focused her attention down at her cardigan. Taking out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her pocket, Disa casted a few glances around before placing a single tube between her lips. Lighting the white tip and breathing in deeply, the cool menthol ran down her throat and filled her lungs. Closing her eyes and letting the heavy puff of smoke escape her lips, her muscles relaxed as the cigarette put her most of her thoughts at ease. With time she knew all of her questions would be answered, but until then the girl tried to enjoy the cool morning and silence that surrounded her.

Acacia Malikov
Grand Hall Upstairs

Wandered aimlessly down the length of the upstairs hall. Wide eyes shifting at every detail as she even turned in a circle admiring everything around her. Pale digits hardly holding onto the brown leather in her grasp as she moved almost mechanically drawn through the building.

She'd freeze eventually at the sounds that she heard, something was wrong and she froze a few meters off from a large doorway. "What was that?" She questioned lightly, hands still loose as the leather strip suddenly slid from her grasp. She wondered what others may have heard from upstairs and suddenly her train of though was snapped as she watched the chocolate canine rush at the room snapping and barking viciously at whatever was happening within.

The canine hardly budged as large gashes sliced through the width of a door baring light from within. Amber eyes almost illuminated like there was nothing but protection in the canine as he moved around the door's perimeter growling and barking. He was a canine with sense to keep distance, but he wasn't one to back off from something that sounded like a threat, especially when he wasn't restrained by his mistress's grasp.

---

Koshmarik
Grand Hall Upstairs

Rushed around the door as ivory fangs bore themselves, hardly affected by the blinding light emitted from within the room he snarled seemingly unnaturally at the vocals within. A creature was howling in pain and a dominating voice suddenly boomed from within, "Be gone from here at once!" a feminine tone that was overpowered with a sense of great power. He flinched at the words, sensitive ears made him go silent for a moment shaking his head, though once regaining structure he continued his barrage of vocals.

He hardly focused on his mistress's commands as she stood off a distance "Koshmarik, enough! We must leave!", she didn't want to find out what was there and unlike her, he wanted to know everything.

Leaping suddenly a small distance back the canine stood spread legged and tensed facing the doors that flung themselves open with a bang. His tanned lips drawn as he snarled lightly the vocals rumbling deep within a strained chest. He hadn't spotted whatever had been in the room, whatever it was had been flung without a chance of savior out the window and had vanished. His amber hues were left on the seemingly frail woman in the middle of the room.

His eyes glanced back towards his own human for a split second, but she'd already left to find some form of help maybe, he ended up frozen glaring at the woman without budging to find he girl he was so close to.

---

Acacia Malikov
Grand Hall Downstairs

It was chaotic as she rushed down the stairs, people were being filed out of the building and glass seemed to coat the ground in an array of sparkling patterns. No one appeared injured, but her mind wasn't on that currently. She neared the last step of the stairwell and instead of making that last step elegantly she stumbled on her own dress arms going forward as the porcelain figure fell forwards.

She squealed lightly and picked herself up after a while, glass embedded in her hand as she rose to full heights, the red seemed to bubble out from around the transparent weapon as she pulled it from her flesh with a flinch. Clasping her hand together she continued on forwards, everyone was leaving and she tried to find someone to help, no one listened and headed for their dorms, "Someone please, help, there's something happening upstairs,", she attempted to get someones attention and instead at nearly the end of the group was forced out with the doors closing behind her.

"No, no, this can't be, Koshmarik!" She shouted at the large doors and without a reply stood facing away from the building. "Oh no ... I can't leave him." she looked around for a moment and after a while had been escorted with firm words to return to her dorm.

Too afraid to confront the person speaking she gritted her teeth and headed back to her dorm, finding everyone already pretty well inside she headed for her own dorm room and once within retreated to her room. If anyone tried to communicate with her she'd shut them out and slam the door, no canine by her side, a hand coated in crimson and a seemingly destroyed appearance.

---

Acacia Malikov
Next Morning

Had hardly slept that night, she sat upon the unmoved blankets of her bed, knees pulled in tight as she stared at the large crate on the other side of the room. She knew she had to find the chocolate creature as she arose from her bed, she'd heard footsteps out front earlier in the day and after spending a night staring at that one item in her room she drifted towards the wardrobe, still in the gown she drew her sights to the clothes within, pulling an outfit from within she'd changed slowly before emerging into the main room of the dorm. Not making noise to attract the others she made point to investigate the letter that had been slid under the door.

Moving slowly, almost like a sleep walk she crouched and opened it, eyes scanning it before she rose and placed it on the table near the couch. She almost seemed in a state of trance as she moved to the door and emerged from the dorm, heading down the stairs she hadn't been prepared for the light of the outside when opening the girls dormitory main entrance and clasping her eyes shut.

She groaned lightly as she let the doors close behind her and tried to look around with squinted sights. She hardly noticed another person smoking off to the side she ended up moving a small distance along the path before stopping and simply staring towards the Grand Hall. To any regular person she probably looked lost, stoned or even hung over. Her ginger hair a mess of curls hanging down her back as it had been the night before and her clothes hugging her lightly as she still squinted.

Dulled eyes casted about as she crouched down and wrapped her arms around her legs like a hug and rested her chin upon her knees. She stared at the ground in front of her and didn't budge for what seemed like a fair while after that.

Karin Amsel | Grand Hall – Dorms

A soft smile lifted the corners of her lips as she eyed the vast ballroom, the expression only a touch away from her usual smirk. The Grand Hall’s high ceilings and crystal chandeliers further added to the room’s magnificence, opulence wafting from where ever she turned her eyes. Even the attendees were dressed from head to toe in perfection. Varying hues of beautiful gowns and elegant tuxedos surrounded her in a sea of hushed voices, the occasional girly titter reaching her ears. The entire scene reminded her of something out a book, a royal court fit for monarchs of the ages. Not that Karin had ever been to a royal court before; which was a pity.

Where in the world does this school get their funds from? She mused to herself as she surveyed the room from the safety of her position at the pillar. A drink in hand, Karin had chosen to place herself at a pillar in the back of the room, her lithe form clad in a simple gown drawing more than a couple of admiring glances. I suppose I should go mingle. Before she could even voice the thought, a tall, immaculately dressed male appeared at her side as if conjured up by magic. Karin turned her head towards him, raising a gracefully winged brow before she realized that her brilliantly skeptical expression was lost beneath her lacy mask. Hindering her ability to shoot sardonic glances at the masses dropped her earlier fondness for masks quite a bit. She preferred hers to be invisible, the kind of masks she wore every day.

“Having fun yet?” The male spoke up, the smooth baritone of his voice holding a nervous tremor to it.

“Immensely.” She quipped, slightly shifting her body to face him and raised the glass in her hand for another sip. And let the small talk begin!

“I’m Adrian.” He laughed nervously at her less than forthcoming answer, though he didn’t seem to be deterred by it. “This school is pretty unbelievable isn’t it?”

And just like that she was reluctantly drawn into conversation with an awkward but well-meaning young man. She didn’t see the harm in conversing with him, though if he asked her to dance, she’d have to make a polite excuse and beat a hasty retreat. Karin Amsel did not know how to dance, as tragically embarrassing as it was. Sure, she looked the part and acted for most of it. Note to self: Learn how to dance. She winced mentally as a series of horrifyingly embarrassing images flitted through her mind, the awkward situations she could potentially end up in. At a fancy school such as this one, there were bound to be more events which required her to dance and she could only escape them for so long before her little secret was out.

A sudden commotion caught her attention and her eyes shifted towards the direction of the noise like so many other pairs of eyes. A fight of some sort seemed to be taking place upstairs, judging by the noises. A wave of quickly uttered speculations rose in the form of barely contained whispers as the students clamored to figure out what was happening. Karin observed the students rather than focusing on the noise, amusement faintly coloring her features. It was incredible how the majority of people were curious enough to discover what exactly was happening, though they made not a single move to help whoever was in evident trouble.

Without warning, all of the windows burst inwards simultaneously as if by an explosion. A thousand shimmering shards flew straight for the stunned students, ready to impale and embed into them like crystalline spikes, turning them into some sort of macabre art. Shrieks and cries filled the air as everyone panicked, some of them running for cover. Karin wrapped her fingers around Adrian’s arm and yanked him behind the pillar with her none too gently. She gritted her teeth and waited for the inevitable – and then nothing happened.

The airborne projectiles stopped midway as if running into something and then dropped harmlessly onto the ground in a collective ‘clink’. Karin’s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before her. A barrier – discernible only if you looked at it just right – had prevented the Freshmen from becoming shish kebabbed. It was the sort of thing that happened only in books and movies – never in real life. The brunette gaped openly, her usual mask of indifference absent for perhaps the first time in her life. A collective hush had fallen over the hall, the unbelievable event having stunned the students into silence.

“Is anyone hurt?” An authoritative voice called out, shattering the shroud of silence that had befallen them.

A few more beats of silence passed before the students regained control of their minds. That was when the cacophony of sobs, exclamations and screams started. They were beyond freaked out, and rightfully so. The realization of having escaped death or major trauma by mere inches tended to cause that reaction, normally. Karin stared mutely, too shaken to make any noise.

“I ask that everyone immediately return to your dorms. This accident needs to be addressed at once and the floor tidied for tomorrow. Get rest, tomorrow will be a busy day.” The girl who had stepped up had spoken once again, opening the doors leading outside.

Karin knew a stonewalling tactic when she saw one. Though she spoke with authority, the girl would not answer questions about the surreal occurrence no matter how much the students asked, that much was clear. Which was for the best as the brunette was still too shaken to barrage anyone with questions just yet. In a daze, she followed the sea of students heading out of the hall and towards the dorms.

---

Garnet Room – Outside the girls’ dorm – Grand Hall

An irritated sigh escaped her lips as she drifted back into consciousness after what felt like a minute of sleep. What kind of sadist wakes another human being up at – What time is it anyway?She pried her eyes open with what felt like a herculean effort and glanced at her bedside clock. The glowing numbers cheerfully announced that it was 7:09 in the morning – far too early for sane people to be up and about especially after last night. Unfortunately for her, Karin had always been a light sleeper being that she found it much easier to sleep during the day than at night. After the shocking events of last night, she’d lain in bed for hours after having changed out of her gown. The troubling and rather unbelievable occurrences had swirled about in her mind, nagging at her and refusing to give her a respite from the ever growing puzzle.

Another few moments of closing her eyes and attempting to force sleep was in vain as it did nothing but hurt her eyelids. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she finally accepted the fact that sleep had eluded her and no amount of coercing would bring it back. Karin pushed herself up and left the soothing embrace of the amazingly comfortable bed, padding over to the bathroom. A rejuvenating hot shower later she felt more like a human being than a member of the legion of undead.

“Today is definitely a day worthy of black.” She murmured to herself as she slipped into her clothes – black to reflect her stormy mood. A well fitted jacket was left partially unzipped at the front, a silky black shirt peeking out. Black jeans were poured over her long legs as if they were molder to her shape, high heeled boots coming up to mid-calf to complete the look. Karin knew that the outfit was probably not going to win her any favors with the rest of her fellow students, but dressing to reflect her emotions made her feel a bit better, strangely, and she decided it was an acceptable compromise.

Karin spied a conspicuous envelope placed in the joint living area of the suite and walked over to pick it up, noting that it had already been opened. She found it a bit creepy, the whole ‘magically’ appearing letters thing. “Lumen. So that’s her name. Quite the strange name for a strange girl.” She furrowed her brows as her thoughts shifted to the prior night’s incident. The students were required to attend breakfast at the very same place they had all nearly died a few short hours ago. Karin wasn’t hungry but she decided that it would be the best thing to head to breakfast and get some answers. “I really hope they give us some real answers and not just a bunch of PR approved crap.”

As she stepped out into the chilly morning air, she noticed a couple of girls loitering around. One of them, a cute blonde girl had a cigarette raised to her lips and was slowly exhaling puffs of smoke. She did not look like the type to do anything rebellious, but then again there was that whole saying about books and covers. Karin’s eyes alighted on a girl sitting by herself, staring into space. Well, perhaps the tern ‘girl’ was too generous. She looked absolutely horrible – it wasn’t that she was ugly, no. Her coppery hair sat atop her head in disarray of limp curls and her pale skin had an ashy tint to it as if she wasn’t feeling well. A melancholy air surrounded her as her green eyes stared off into space. Karin first reaction was to feel relieved that she herself did not look hungover.

“Morning.” She greeted the two girls, slowing her pace but not stopping completely. Her first priority right now was to get some answers. Socializing could come after that. Karin made her way to the Grand Hall, which appeared to have been transformed into a first class breakfast hall. No sign of last night’s events lingered, as if it had never happened. Not many students had gotten there yet.