Rowan Delacroix

The demon's harsh words struck the vampire on a more personal level. They triggered a series of unwanted recollections that she preferred to keep buried deep withing her but she had become highly sensitized to all that was occurring around her at the moment. Disregarding her in one smooth motion, the tall figure reverted his attention back to Leval as if her short lecture was of great indifference. "Perverse indeed." Her thoughts were trite as she pulled her hood back over her head. "It doesn't require a pure and virtuous soul to show some reverence for the dead. They are a sanctified people, and certainly not a force to be reckoned with." She closed her eyes while in the shelter of the darkness her cloak cast over her face, and her lips started moving briskly. Unintelligible words were spilling from her mouth causing a menacing aura to cascade around her that wasn't quite visible to the naked eye. A faint streak of gray reached along her loose strands of hair, and she did a quick turn on her heels to flutter her black mantle behind her, flashing the demon another frozen stare and ensuring they both exchanged an unwavering gaze before departing behind Leval.

"That creature's name is Zephyr. A demon, and a Druid." A hushed whisper reverberated through her mind, and the spirit that whispered said information vanished as quickly as it appeared. Rowan blinked a few times, and her hair returned to its original black hue shortly after using that small amount of power. Eventually the vampire matched her steps with the human, walking alongside Leval in silence as they accompanied each other to the dining hall.

Mischa lowered his rifle when the smoke cleared and he saw Reas on the ground. He put the rifle on his back as he left the combat room after Reas and looking around realized that they must have been the last ones done, odd given how quick the fight had gone. it also seemed that everyone was headed out to lunch, which Mischa also thought was a little odd as it only seemed a short while ago that they had had breakfast. either way, Mischa made his way out toward the dining hall with the others.

“Necromancers are full of surprises.” Desdemona said, “Even without the barrier I would’ve fought the same way.”

"Would you?" Nodah said, feigning some surprise. "How bold of you to admit so, in the sight of gods and men." This, he said, with neither judgement nor scandal. It seemed a callous thing to declare - that another's life could be fairly-traded for the sweetness of one's own victory - but Nodah could not find it in him to be touched to his morbid bone. Demons seemed hot-blooded. As it were, Zephyr had had a row with Leval and the slight girl he had yet to meet, over a simple matter. But who was Nodah to say? He had only heard strains of their ill-fated exchange.

"Indeed, necromancers are a cunning lot," agreed Nodah, blue eyes shifting to emerald green in quirked-brow amusement at Desdemona's confidence. "But, pray do not lose faith in the rest of us. Illusionists can rob you of trust and dependency of your senses. A gravitin may tug the world from beneath your feet, so that only they know how to master and maneouver their way through, whilst others are kept off the ground." Cleanly, Nodah swept the ball of his thumb along the blade. Raising his finger to the light, he peered at the scarlet smear of Desdemona's blood. Demon blood. There had been old, shrivelled folklore of its magical properties from the secluded backwaters he had sprung from. A lick of it, he had been told, and you shall find yourself half-immortal. He doubted the very validity of the statement, and he was not keen to taste liquid copper. He spun the blade about the knuckles of his fingers, and slid it neatly into its sheathe beneath his shirt. "Ta, Desdemona," he said, beginning to back away, his grin wide. His collar slid to the side, threatening to fall off his shoulder, to reveal the feather designs that were tattooed over his skin. "I would like to see the infirmary wing for myself, now. It's been an absolute pleasure." Spinning around, he lengthened his stride and - facing no one and nothing but the open doors - he allowed the smile to slip off his face.

Nodah took the portal up, and after a lurching ride which helped his aching joints in no way, he stepped off the platform to notice two other students seated to have their injuries tended to. Among them, was Nuna Mori. Nodah crafted a quick smile for her. Walking to the cot opposite her, he sat on its edge to face her. "I see we were both unfortunate enough to sustain battle-wounds and seek medical attention for them." A second nurse - a portly woman with steady hands and cushioning palms - came up, and Nodah showed her the patterns which weaved their way up his inner-arms and shoulder blades, lifting his shirt for the briefest of moments to reveal a traced torso as well. He explained the joint-ache to her in a quiet voice that still persisted in reverberating throughout the sterile room. He cast an eye around the snow-white sheets, and wondered what tales of suffering they could behold.

At the nurse's soft question of, "What happened?" Nodah simply replied, "Lightning." She gave a quizzical look, not quite believing. Nodah returned it with a shrug, and as she walked away to gather medication, Nodah turned his eyes to Nuna. "Are you well?" he asked. She seemed in poor spirits. Had her duel ended in crushing defeat?

When the nurse returned, it was with a salve in hand. Nodah rolled up his long sleeves in preparation. Fingers lightly dipping into the bottle, she rubbed them in small circles up his arm, and Nodah watched with some fascination as the feathery patterns slowly diminished, leaving behind nothing but faded imprints, only to be noticed by sharp eyes. His gaze flickered to Nuna around the nurse. "I did not have opportunity to speak to you of what happened at breakfast," he said, voice light and eyes flashing from green to ocher. With a rumbling chuckle, his grin became mischievous. "It seems to be a habit of yours, to accost half the student body here. If you aren't careful, you might have all the male population fleeing from the sight of such a lovely image as yourself. And wouldn't that be a pity?" Gradually, he sobered. "I will not lie," he continued, in a slightly more somber voice than before, though his lips remained mildly upturned. "It seems neither wise nor sustainable to set your sights on a different boy each day; you would exhaust them before the end of term."

The nurse motioned for Nodah to lift his shirt, but Nodah declined with a mild stare that turned frosty for seconds. As she slipped away - barely aware of her shuddering shoulders - to give Nodah a prescription of the salve for private-ministration, he turned back to Nuna, awaiting her reply.

Zephyr

What could possibly be wrong with my personality? Zephyr mused, not in the least put off by Leval's cold reception. The vampire, very predictably, followed Leval out of the hall, but not before holding Zephyr's gaze in a cold stare, which he returned with a savage grin, baring his sharp teeth and winking at her. He put his hands in his pockets, strolling out of the hall with a satisfied smirk. Friends never hurt, but enemies were always so much more fun, and he had the feeling he'd just made one. He had to give her credit, though, for her apparent strength of character even if it was coupled with a debilitating sense of the moral high ground. He wasn't sure what time it was, and the time seemed to have passed rather quickly, but he was definitely not going to pass up the chance for more food. It was a side effect of his early years in the Wilds that he'd never quite shaken, the inability to pass up any chance of a meal in case he didn't get another for a while.

---

Hands deep in his pockets, Daichi held his breath in an attempt to maintain an internal balance of his emotions. Of course, on the outside he wore an expression of great vexation. His mind was reeling of all the things he had done wrong in such a short time period, especially the fight he could have easily won. What a load of bull shit. It's only morning and my day has been complete and utter bull shit! The Nocturne sucked his teeth and put more strength into his strides, stomping his feet on the ground as he advanced from the portal and towards the dining hall. Kicking the door open with the heavy heel of his suede shoes, Kuroda strolled into the cafeteria with a grimace on his face. His hat was stuffed crudely into his back pocket, and his exposed cat ears twitched and turned in various directions of the room as if he was on high alert. The last thing I need is someone else to sneak up and rob me of my sanity once again. The cat growled under his breath and stood on the back of the line to the food kiosks. A few startled glances were aimed in his direction, most likely from the threatening air around him.

A short time passed and Daichi was finally faced with the same machine as earlier that morning. The glass easily reflected the irate expression on his face, which served to snap him back to reality- what was the point in being fit to be tied? What's done is done, and scaring off the creatures around him was not going to solve anything. I've already made a fool out of myself within the first 3 hours of school- people probably think I'm way too dramatic, and I don't blame them. I need to keep my cool from now on. Come on Daichi, get yourself together! He knew very well that his thoughts were futile, but a pep talk was what he needed to keep himself going. Plus, a line of hungry students was forming behind him.

"Isn't it a little early for lunch...?" The cat had only just realized what the time read in the top right corner of the screen before him. "Well, whatever. I could use a nice meal." His rambling ceased when he arrived at the conclusion that the food was in fact a necessary item to replenish his energy after the fight. Some students could certainly use the break, after all. Eating was probably his best bet at a speedy recovery, seeing how he didn't want to go to the infirmary and meet with another terrible fate. Daichi continued on with the routine, swiping his identification card across the scanner and receiving his steaming food on a silver platter only seconds later.

Kuroda lifted up the tray and silently made his way over to an empty table in the far corner of the room, hoping to seclude himself and eat in peace. He freed his fingers from the leather gloves and cracked his knuckles when the cooling air finally came into contact with his heated skin. The scent of the pasta wafted upwards into his nostrils, and all of his worries related to the events prior were washed away in an instant. He rolled up the sleeves of his jacket and tossed the black gloves onto the table beside his meal, and proceeded to consume the food with a newfound hunger.

Leval Lamrue

Leval and Rowan walked over to the Dining Hall quietly. "Sorry for the trouble back there. I hope I didn't embarrass you in there." The portal made the trip rather short, but time had seemed to pass rather oddly in the Training area, a quick check of his connector showed that he had quite a lot of time before the next phase of the class. "Hey Rowan, I have to grab a couple things, I'll see you later before the next round." He gave her a little wave and went back over to the portal. He searched through the options and found the maintenance room in the list, and gave a quick swipe of his ID. He seemed to have gotten used to the portal by this point, and suffered no ill effects through the ride.

The maintenance room was filled with cleaning supplies, broken equipment, tools, and scrap covering almost every available surface in the room. The was also a maintenance man in room, rather heavy-set with a think mustache. "Um do you mind if I grab a couple things." The maintenance worker grunted and nodded, seemingly rather focused on fixing up a device he was repairing. Leval search through the metal shelves along the walls searching. 'Ah there we go...' He pulled down four aerosol cans and put them on a pile on the floor. Leval did several more circuits of the room grabbing a couple more items, a bag he had found in a corner of the room covered in dust, and a tool belt. He didn't have any time for a complex construction but he stored the items all in one bag and turned back to the maintenance worker. "Thank you." The man grunted once again, not bothering to lift his eyes from his task. He had spent some time looking around and gathering supplies, so he went back to the portal and shifted down to lunch hall once again.

Nuna Mori

The comfort of the treatment put her into a daze; she began to think about the nurse assisting her. How does she use her powers for so long? For sure, she is a Druid. With the majority of students here, won't her energy deplete? Tempted to ask questions, her lips parted, attempting, but failing to produce sound as she was cut abruptly by the new arrival with the opening of the door. It was . He seemed to adjust to the new surrounding identifying the people in the room, establishing eye contact with Nuna, accompanied by a smile. Sitting across from her on the cot he said, "I see we were both unfortunate enough to sustain battle-wounds and seek medical attention for them." Nuna replied comically, "It would be the best course of action, even for a Druid of my caliber."

The conversation halted with the appearance of a second nurse, who started inquiring about his reasons for visiting. Maybe there was a secret cult of nurses hiding somewhere waiting for students to be injured. This random thought came to her as she viewed Nodah's incident. He proceeded to lift his shirt up, briefly, revealing scars that traced his torso. Who is capable of such? Moreso, is he okay? Lightning did this to him, by whom? He resumed the communication with, "Are you well?" Nuna was shocked with this question, for her injuries were nothing compared to his. I am alright. I see a bigger concern with your scars. During the interval of time provided as the nurse tending to Nodah returned, her assistant lightened her use of energy to a complete stop, applying pressure to the areas of infliction. Stating that she suffered some head trauma, the nurse advised that Mori should take things easy for the time being.

After her departure, she cocked her head to one side to see Nodah's scars slowly fading away. Her gaze was met by his and maintained as he spoke, "I did not have opportunity to speak to you of what happened at breakfast," His eyes altered hues before he spoke further, "It seems to be a habit of yours, to accost half the student body here. If you aren't careful, you might have all the male population fleeing from the sight of such a lovely image as yourself. And wouldn't that be a pity?" Pausing mid-sentence once more, "I will not lie," he continued with, "It seems neither wise nor sustainable to set your sights on a different boy each day; you would exhaust them before the end of term." Nuna stared at him for a few seconds before she responded, "With the way you are talking you seem to care more than any else. I suppose you are saying that I forfeit my nature in turn for others perspective of me. Considerate, but it simply cannot be done. Unless you are implying you have developed some type of connection for me then I understand. The slight changes of intonations in your voice suggest so as well. If it would make you happy that I focus only on you, say so and it will come to fruition. But know this if you do not answer my question straightforward, then your attempt to help with my problem will be nullified. So state what it was you were attempting to say and if you choose accept my offer. Hopefully you do not presume a negative impression of me, unlike others." She said all this while sustaining a monotonous tone as if she had brokered a deal.

"I am alright. I see a bigger concern with your scars," said Nuna. Nodah allowed a smile, and shook his head. "'Tis nothing. Simply a duel with a demon which ended stormily with my flesh singed. But the marks shall heal, I hope." Head trauma, however, seemed abhorrent to Nodah. He enjoyed having his wits about him, not riddled with light-headedness or headaches.

Nuna gazed at him for several beats, before she herself broke into speech. As she did, Nodah listened, the corners of his lips maintained at their upward tangent. "So state what it was you were attempting to say and if you choose accept my offer. Hopefully you do not presume a negative impression of me, unlike others."

"You are entirely too stark," Nodah said, whilst a quiet voice within him murmured approval for Nuna's caution, unnecessary though he found it of the present. "You have painted a grim picture, with yourself at the stake. It is only the first day." Though, it did seem the students of Rosewood hadn't appreciated Nuna's advances, any more than Kuroda Daichi had. "As for my concern, you needn't find it upsetting, or unusual." He grinned toothily, the smile making him seem years younger. "I enjoy knowing what happens around me, to others. How often we walk by our peers and subordinates, strangers and friends, and forget that each life is equally complex as our own, but rather take for granted that we are the main characters of our stories, singularly three-dimensional.

"You forget, Nuna," Nodah continued, chuckling here. "Amorous approaches make this one bashful. Pray, take no insult here. You would not wish to bind yourself to me. I was about to offer similar counsel however, that you find a student who would not be averse to your attention. Who would be willing to make a gift of his energy to you, in return for your touch. You'd be less likely to offend the male demographic of our school, and you would both share appreciation for the other. Such idealistic devotion, however, might be hard to come by." With a sigh, Nodah slid off the cot, the salve tucked away, its healing properties a balm in his pocket.

"I would not presume to know you well, Nuna Mori," Nodah said. "Enough to name you bane. You are a succubus, and though I met you unpleasantly in the forest, I cannot call you a lesser being, so soon into our acquiantance. Perhaps you would grant me the same benefit of doubt, to consider me no foe of yours - indirect though I may be." He tilted his head towards the portal. An invitation. His eyes swirled brown, the colour of chocolate, of decadent warmth and quiet fire. As they did, a thrill - addictive, exhilirating - ran through him at this: playing the game. "Do you feel well enough for lunch?"

Rowan Delacroix

"Sorry for the trouble back there. I hope I didn't embarrass you in there." Leval broke the silence rather casually. "It is quite alright." Rowan shook her head and remained facing forward while they approached the dining hall. "-Hey Rowan, I have to grab a couple things, I'll see you later before the next round." The vampire shifted her head towards her side and ushered a nod in the human's direction. Shortly after he waved at her, Leval pivoted around and made his way back to the portal. Rowan watched him for a moment before turning to make her way towards the dining hall, this time on her own. She was quite astonished by how beautiful the whole scenery was, the intricate use of glass and the floating tables that reflected the light from even more tall windows. "This school is rather fond of natural light." She brought her hand to cover her eyes and let out a sigh before joining the line behind the mysterious machines.

Rowan was not particularly hungry- not after she just consumed another beings blood. It was quite a satisfactory meal, and she would be able to run without eating or drinking anything else for a few days. However, she didn't want to stand out too much in the cafeteria. Her flowing cloak was sure to call enough attention to her anyway. As she finally neared the strange vendor, an unfamiliar voice rang before her. She was prompted to scan her identification card, and she hesitated before doing just that. A small tray was ejected on a gleaming platter, accompanied by sterling silver cutlery. Rowan raised an eyebrow at how formal everything appeared, but she quickly snapped out of her daze and lifted up her meal. Glancing around the room, she scanned the area for any empty tables. In the far corner of the room, only one table appeared to be almost completely empty, save for a male feline creature.

Reluctance took over the vampire and she took her time strolling in the table's direction. As she approached her fellow classmate, she was amused by how intently he was devouring his food. In silence, she sat as far from the other creature as possible and lurched over her tray for a moment. Rowan glanced over at the nocturne before returning to her own dish. "He does not seem to have noticed me." She was filled with relief at the thought that she wouldn't have to expend any more energy attempting to introduce herself. With that, she lifted the frosted glass to her nose an swirled the red liquid around prior to sniffing it suspiciously. "-tomato?" She wrinkled her nose and braced herself for the first sip of the drink. "...what a peculiar taste. Humans are really innovative, coming up with such ideas like a brew from tomatoes."

---

Halfway through scarfing down his food, the Nocturne lifted his focus from the plate for just a second. He hadn't noticed the other presence that occupied one of the empty seats on the far side of the table. Kuroda swallowed his mouthful rather loudly and sat up straight once again, wiping the remnants of his meal from his mouth with the back of his hand. Did I scare her off? His lips formed a faint grin, attempting to look as amiable as he could possibly manage at the current moment. "Hey, why're you so far away? You left so many seats between us, I can't help but think I smell bad or something." He spoke lightheartedly, hoping to grab the hooded figure's attention.

However, they seemed rather intrigued by the drink in their hand. It was a vibrant shade of red, bearing a strong resemblance to the color of blood. It couldn't possibly be... right? The cat cocked a brow as he awaited some form of response from the creature, still unsure of their race or even their gender. Judging from the small frame, he could only assume it was a petite girl who was still shrouded in mystery. She even gave off an air of elegance, considering how perfect her posture was even though she was simply sitting at an informal lunch table. The more Daichi stared, the more curious he became. Then again, curiosity killed that cat. I wanna see her face. The smile grew as if to show he meant no harm in speaking to her.

Lance sauntered into the dining hall casually, looking around. He'd arrived rather late, due to the frankly last minute nature of his parents' decision to send him here.

The test he'd faced outside the gate had barely been a challenge, though, and he hadn't been too sure about Rosewood's reputation. It had only taken a few shards of ice, lots of mist and his naturally dexterous self to defeat the bull-like shadow creatures that had assaulted him outside the gates. That minor scuffle had earned him is ranking of A, and he'd walked through the huge iron wrought gates as calmly as if walking through a garden. The first person he'd met had been the elf Yayo Fiji, who hadn't seemed very pleased with Lance's arrival. Apparently, Lance had arrived right in the middle of the first lesson. Even so, Yayo Fiji gave him his necklace, which had a shard of sapphire inlaid in pure white metal he'd never quite seen before.

The opulence of the place didn't even register with Lance in the least as he explored the grand school building, checking out his room and other corridors he was probably not allowed in. It was only when his stomach gave a loud rumble that she thought about lunch, and fortuitously found himself among the students headed to the dining hall.

Upon his entrance, he simply followed the other students' method of getting food, going to the machines at the sides and walking away with a plate of noodles. His eyes landed on a nearly empty table with just two figures on it, and he smirked upon noticing the Nocturne. A cat. He did so like those creatures. He made his way to the table and sat opposite the Nocturne, a few seats away from the hooded figure.

"Lance Delmero, a newer student than the rest of you," he introduced himself to the two people easily, not waiting for a response before he started eating.

---

An awkward silence fell upon the table once again- the hooded figure didn't seem up to responding to Kuroda's attempt at sparking a conversation. Well, can't say I didn't try... He propped an elbow up on the table and rested his chin on his open palm, letting out a tired sigh while doing so. With his other hand, his started toying with the plate of food stationed before him. He poked brainlessly at the fillet which had lost all traces of heat as a result of his dawdling. The cat reached for the glass of orange juice, leaving a ring of water where the cup once was. When he brought the beverage to his lips and took a large gulp of his drink, his ears twitched when he heard light footsteps that seemed to be headed straight for his table. From the corner of his eye, Daichi noticed a lanky figure with silver hair advancing toward him. His presence wasn't one he recognized, so he could only assume it was a person he hadn't met before. Daichi kept the glass suspended in the air as he watched the towering elf approach the table.

Damn elves... He gaped bitterly at the new company as he sized up the male who was clearly several feet taller than him. However, he quickly changed his attitude once the elf settled down in the chair across from him. His lips curled into a grin. Of all the seats, he choose that one? Kuroda slid his tray forward a bit and leaned his chair back slightly, kicking his feet up onto the table nonchalantly. "Lance Delmero, a newer student than the rest of you," he stated casually, proceeding to eat his food without giving either students the chance to respond. The cat folded his hands behind his head and eyed the white-haired specimen with great interest. This guy's pretty ballsy, coming it with that kinda attitude. I like it. Daichi rocked the chair back and forth slightly, tipping it on its hind legs before he spoke.

"You're new, huh? I never would have guessed, considering I don't remember seeing a white-haired elf such as yourself at all today," he began, narrowing his amber eyes in the process. "Kuroda Daichi, a not-so new student."

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan glanced over at the nocturne and was a little startled when she realized he was looking straight at her. "Did he just speak to me?" She remained silent for a few moments as she attempted to figure out whether or not the other party had just directed a comment to her. While she sat down she picked the seat farthest away from the other creature so that she didn't invade his privacy. Rowan concluded that he picked a lone table in the corner of the room for a reason. Unable to determine what it was he had said, Rowan placed the cup down delicately and parted her lips to respond with a question. "Pardon me, I...-" Her almost inaudible fragment was cut off immediately by the sudden entrance of a silver-haired elf with gleaming red eyes. His aura alone sent chills down the vampire's spine.

"Lance Delmero, a newer student than the rest of you." After settling down in the seat across from the black-haired cat, Rowan stiffly turned away from the two of them. She couldn't help but feel relieved knowing that someone else showed up so she wouldn't have to entertain the conversation further. The nocturne's expression was one wrought with anger before she sat down at the table. Luckily he seemed less distressed following the addition of the creature that introduced himself as Lance. Rather than jumping into the conversation, Rowan continued sipping her drink and instead picked up a few bits and pieces of their words. Kuroda Daichi and Lance Delmero... they both give off such strong waves of energy that even I can feel it. Are they both higher ranks than I? She clasped the cup tightly in her hands and rested it on the glass before her. Her gaze shifted from the two boys to her reflection that stared right back at her from the gleaming surface. "Is it too late for me to greet them both? Perhaps... I may have already left a bad impression on Kuroda Daichi." Rowan pursed her lips and brushed off the thought. With that, she removed her hood with a new resolve. "I am Rowan Delacroix. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She spoke as loudly as possible, almost yelling in her mind but barely a murmur to others.

Lance raised a slender eyebrow at the cat, considering his introduction and pausing with a forkful of noodles halfway to his mouth. He broke into a grin. "Yeah, I'm pretty hard to forget," He agreed, chuckling. The cat had called himself Kuroda Daichi, hadn't he? Lance appraised Kuroda as he continued to eat. The nocturne lounged comfortably in his chair, rocking it as he spoke with a certain calm assurance. His eyes moved to the hooded figure, watching as they pulled down their hood to reveal a dark haired vampire underneath.

"I am Rowan Delacroix. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her voice was just audible over the background noise of the cafeteria, and she seemed distinctly uncomfortable to be talking to them. How much of a recluse was she? Lance wondered, even as he gave her an easy smile. "Nice to meet you, Rowan. What's a pretty girl like you doing hiding under a hood?" Lance had always been a social guy, possibly too flirty for his own good. Then again, he'd found that good will with others had made his way much easier.

Nuna Mori

His response was long and well versed. Having to repeat his words in her head would only propagate the subsided pain. Nuna did listen attentively and allowed Nodah to be theatric as he spoke. She wasn't going to argue with him, what he said was meaningful and heeded. In response to his offer to go to lunch, she rose from the cot using her arm to push her torso into an upright position. Noticing the same effects that inhibited her earlier were not present, she swung her legs off the side the temporary bed and hopped off. Now standing, she walked progressively to Nodah and grabbed his hand. She interlocked her fingers with his and stated, "Yes, I am well enough. Let's go."

Leval Lamrue

Leval glanced around the dining area scanning the tables. He saw Rowan's cloak sitting at a table with huge elf with silver hair, talking conversationally to the others. 'I wonder if she is making new friends?' he thought idly. He could see the Nocturne, Daichi, sitting at the table as well ears perked up in interest. He frowned slightly 'Are Cat Nocturne more inclined towards powerful magical ability? I haven't seen another kind yet.' His stomach interrupted his musing, growling at him to get moving towards the food line. Never one to argue with an angry stomach, Leval got in line. He gave a quick swipe of ID card while mentally selecting what he should eat. A bowl of unappetizing gruel appeared in front of him, with a glass of ice bold water. Leval breathed in the disgusting smell of the bowl, his nose wrinkled in absolute disgust. The paste, however, was quite possibly the most nutrient rich meal that had ever been created, seldom made due to the fact that it was known to burn out tastebuds.

He took a sip of the refreshing water and felt a small part of his magical energy returning to him. He reestablished the illusion of the massive spiked figure he usually had up, but made it even larger to compensate for the elf at the table, making himself a foot taller than the figure. From an outsiders perspective, the small figure of Leval started to grow muscled, spikes jutted from of his body, and he grew over twice as tall as he was over the space of a minute. He saw several other students take several steps back rapidly and nodded at them. 'That feels better.' He strode over to Rowan's table and took a seat by Rowan. "Hey there" he said to her hooded form. He turned to Daichi, "Nice to see you on your feet. Bad luck getting targeted like that" He then looked over at the elf, his illusion glancing down only slightly compared to the other two. "I'm Leval, nice to meet you." He grabbed a spoon a dipped it into the foul concoction before him, he cast a quick Weave over his own sense of taste and smell. As soon as the gruel touched his lips, he tasted the deep rich flavor of chocolate pudding mixed with delicious cinnamon. He let out a low appreciative sound as savored the illusory taste and the food restored his energy quickly.

Nuna Mori

Nuna Mori did not wait for his reaction or any action. She tugged him along with his hand in her grasp as she lead the way to the cafeteria. The little resistance that was met was ebbed from her movement. Before exiting the doors, she made sure to thank the nurse, regardless if she did so prior. Walking down the hallway, she caught the glances of onlookers and was taxing herself to find an answer. "I guess we look good as a couple, eh?" Brushing this matter aside, she escorted him until they reached the teleportal. She did not release his hand but instead tightened her grip, fortifying her defense for the assault the transporter was about to release. The warmth from his supple hand intensified as she squeezed, bolstering Nuna. The lights, sound, and motion were not appropriate for her as she was still recuperating from her injuries. The thought of the Druid nurse and what she was attempting to inquire were recalled along with her injuries. It was disrupted as the teleportal's locomotion started. It was clear that it had inhibiting effects due to her reaction, but she stood firm and exited the hell train with her company.

"Huh, seems like we've been trekking for hours with all the commotion. Wouldn't you agree?" She listened to his response as she entered with him into their destination; the dining hall. She began to loosen her grip gradually as they approached the food kiosks. Obtaining her food, with the same procedure in the morning, she gestured to Nodah to follow her to a table. I led him to the cafeteria in haste, but he did not ever say that he would sit with me. I hope he will. She asked waiting for his response and to attain his meal, "Will you sit with me at the table? Excuse me for any encroachments on our journey."

The table she had pointed out was seated with Kuroda and company, yet to be identified.

@riplipkip

Nuna intertwined her fingers with Nodah's. Shocked, Nodah stood still for a moment, rooted to the spot. He could well unclasp their hands, and lay Nuna's on his forearm - as he had expected her to do. But that seemed like to insult her. Within the second, he had thawed. He smiled down at Nuna, and allowed his arm to hang limply by his side, conjoined to hers, his heartbeat pulsing in the cavern of their palms. "Marvellous."

Nodah followed Nuna, walking into the portal, their hands swinging idly between them both. "I guess we look good as a couple, eh?" said Nuna. Startled, Nodah stared down at Nuna. But before he could formulate a response, the portal was summoned and they stepped inside to teleport to the dining hall.

How easily Nuna unmanned him. Unnerved and stole his composure. Nodah liked it not. He closed his eyes and drew a breath, willing his calm to return to him, and opened an ocher gaze as Nuna said, "Huh, seems like we've been trekking for hours with all the commotion. Wouldn't you agree?" A soft smile unfolded easily over Nodah's face. They were so easy to conjure these days. "I would hardly have noticed, or minded, in your presence," he said smoothly.

Coming to the food stations, Nodah scanned his pendant, and was presented with a steaming platter of rice and servings of side dishes. As he was, Nuna requested him to join her at the table. Nodah lifted his gaze to do a quick assessment. Kuroda Daichi, a towering elf, Level, and the hooded girl were seated. He looked at Nuna, noting briefly an alliance. "How could I refuse?"

Before Nuna could move off, however, Nodah laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I am delighted to share your company, I hope there is no mistake there," Nodah said quietly, with a playful smile so that the seated students in the distance would only see the sharing of murmured jovial words. "But I do hope there is no misunderstanding; I would be honoured to be with you in amour, but I am afraid I cannot." He widened his eyes, in limpid understanding, willing blue to swirl in with hazel and put one in mind of the Caribbean skies. "Would you grant me that?"

---

Daichi chuckled under his breath along with Lance, appreciating that they both shared a similar sense of humor. He no longer felt the urge to eat, so he reached for his drink instead. As he was finishing it off in just a few gulps, a faint voice was heard from the right side of the table. If it hadn't been for his sharp hearing, he would have definitely missed the girl's statement. "I am Rowan Delacroix. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her face was finally revealed from beneath her hood, and Daichi had to admit that he wasn't expecting to see such a nice appearance under it- and a vampire, no less. The cat couldn't help but let out a whistle at the black haired female. "Nice to meet you, Rowan. What's a pretty girl like you doing hiding under a hood?" Before the Nocturne could speak up, Lance had already taken her attention with a rather flirtatious response.

This guy's got the moves. Daichi placed his empty glass down and resumed leaning his chair back while he observed the two of them in amusement. Just to make sure she was aware of his acknowledgement without interrupting the flow of conversation, the cat gave Rowan a nod followed by a cordial smile. Suddenly, a familiar student appeared and stationed himself by Rowan, seemingly in the nick of time. He may have done so subconsciously, but he sat between Lance and Rowan as if to deter the elf from pursuing the topic and further. Kuroda furrowed his brows at Leval. It's like he got even taller than this morning- is he seriously a human? When Leval turned to face him, the cat's expression quickly reverted to a more amiable one. "Nice to see you on your feet. Bad luck getting targeted like that." Daichi paused for a moment, unsure if that statement was meant to be sarcastic. Probably not. "Yeah, thanks. Pretty rough start for the first day, right?"

Daichi added a short laugh to the end of his statement before his sensitive nose picked up on a very pungent odor. His eyes darted towards the unappetizing bowl of porridge. His face contorted with distaste at the sight. "...what is that? It smells god awful." At that point, he leaned forward in his seat to get a better view of the peculiar dish.

The worried female appeared to be shocked when Akujo had directed her concerns to her. Her first response had been a swift nod in the witch’s direction, and her body turned away until hesitance lingered in her midst.
It was then that she faced her directly and said, “Pardon me for asking… would you happen to know if another student has been admitted here recently?”

Understanding melded into the witch’s facials, and she nearly gifted the other with a reply until the doors to the infirmary burst forth to reveal a stretcher carried by a pair of unfamiliar beings with surgical masks that hid part of their faces. Laid upon it was an unconscious male, possibly the very one the other female had been vehemently for. She was a silent observer as the elven nurses worked swiftly to use whatever sort of magic they had in order to heal his wounds.

After a short period of time, he awoke, lifting his head from the surface of the table and looking about him, and then he spoke.

“Whose power is that?” He questioned, though it wasn’t clear as to whom exactly that had been directed to. Akujo looked from left to right in confusion, searching for a possible source of light or energy that might be signifying what the boy meant, but to no avail. He then began to speak to the girl that had been searching for him. Feeling no more need to participate in the conversation, the still injured female began to look about the room, gradually becoming bored as she did so, until she heard the boy direct his voice towards her.

“Oh sorry I don’t think we have actually met. I’m Leval and this is Rowan.” He introduced.

Now focusing her full attention onto him, Akujo graced the two with her response. “Oh, hey! My name is Maman Akujo. The name is in the Eastern Order, so you can just call me Akujo! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

After this statement, she watched as her two classmates interact with each other once more before exiting the room with waves of goodbye to her that she enthusiastically returned. Once they left the room, the smile that had wavered until her lips were settled into a neutral position. She sighed, suddenly exhausted for reasons unknown to her, perhaps more tired than she had originally thought, and so she rested her body downwards upon the cot. Shutting her eyelids, Akujo almost allowed herself to drift off into slumber until the sound of the door opening peaked her interest, though not enough for her to gather the strength to lift her body upwards.

Judging from the intonation of the voice and the conversation they had with the nurse, it was one of her soon-to-be classmates, a female to be precise. The confirmation was short, and soon, she knew that the nurse was probably treating the girl’s wounds, as most who came to the infirmary had done so. Once again, the witch sighed, and this time, slept.

Waking filled with energy and with a notable lack of pain within her joints, Akujo raised her body upwards and stretched herself out, shaking off whatever remaining grip that sleep had held upon her. Instinctively, she searched about herself for signs of life in the room, but finding none, she jumped off the bed and out the door, with the intention of finding some source of nourishment for her growling stomach.

It took quite a bit of time, considering that she had no clue as to where exactly the lunchroom was located, but the students that she passed along in the hallway were kind enough as to direct her to where she now stood, in front of the doors that led into the cafeteria. Determination spread throughout her body, and she opened the doors, doing her best to determine not only what foods she would eat, but also what group of people she would decide to surround herself with. Her heart thudded within her chest with anticipation of what was to come.