@Aspen Wren
Anderson shook his head as he held up his arm and thumbed at his back. "Its the lock right here." He pointed to what appeared to look like a gold designed dial of sorts. The body of a small red dragon that seemed to crawl towards the center of the dial. In the center was a gem of sorts that seemed to have a bit of a heat wave coming off of it. "If you could just turn that dial that'll be enough." He looked at Niall with a simple nod. It would be when Niall would simply touch the dial did things begin to happen on it. The gem would turn sharply as the dragon seemed to simply fall in pieces into the chest plate as the sound of little clicks and gears moved in rapid succession before light flashed across the armour in something akin to a mix of elvish and dwarven and a crevasse formed on the sides. Steam immediately released into the air as the chestplate fell to the ground with a heavy thud, Possibly cracking the floorboards underneath it. Underneath of said armour he wore what resembles a sliver see-throughish shirt which he took off quickly after that. It was what was underneath that was the shocker. almost his entire upper torso was covered in scars from what seemed to be from arrows, swords, axes and maybe a few, bullets? But the most distinguishing mark was the one that ran from the left side of his neck to the right side of his torso. It was much larger than the other marks on his body and seemed to have recently healed. Speaking of bodies, his seemed to also give off the same heat wave that Sulley's brother had given off but not nearly as visable. "Thank you." He stood up and grabbed his things before setting it next to his swords. He took the sliver like cloth and put it back on to show some decency. He had decided to walk around the room a bit and see if he spotted anyone knew, which he did. She stood near Niall currently as they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation.@FateWeaver@Aspen Wren

"-but the man who made me what I am was called Geoff Higgins"

He manage to move into the conversation at the wrong part, leaving Felix with a perplexed look that he quickly shook off. "I apologize for barging into the conversation if I did so but I couldn't help but hear that you were made? Are you then a high level chimaera or? He shook his head before smiling a nervous smile. "Sorry very rude of me. My name is Felix Andersen, friend and personal bodyguard of Sulleykaar's." He said as he bowed before leaning back upright and looking towards the door. "Which reminds me. I curious if he had gotten my text." He said allowed as he looked over towards Kiara and the Warlock. He had a feeling he was on his way over.



He moved through the hallway and a rather slow pace, not like his usually swift one. He had continued thinking about what had happened earlier and what he could have done differently...What COULD have he done differently? There really wasn't much that could be changed. He showed his emotions, one thing he said he wouldn't do. Put someone in danger. Another promise he failed to keep. Well, that was more of a promise not to put anyone into danger unless it was him causing the danger directly and all the while in control. But he really wondered if those feelings he had were true. He could smell the alcohol that lingered in the air from one of the rooms that was down the hall but another scent entered his nose. The smell of Earth.

Niall

Niall gave a bit of a chuckle at the Splice who was clearly intoxicated. Niall was quite intrigued by the suit of armor that Anderson was wearing. After touching the small button the suit seemed to be mechanically powered in some manner and magical in another. Overall it was very interesting. He ran a massive hand along his jawline through the thick scruff that had grown there over the afternoon hours. It was already nearly an inch long, that was the one bad thing about being a Lycan, they seemed to grow facial hair nearly instantly after shaving. Whatever the speed it was certainly much faster than any human's facial hair growth and the most common reason once their facial hair came in it stayed. Niall was one of the very few who actually shaved, mostly because he was slightly vain about the sharp edge of his jawline and chin that characterized him among his peers as the highest of the elite. The trait was highly desirable in a male and even promoted in females though not quite to the same extent, they tended to lean towards wanting to have high prominent cheekbones and a thin straight nose.

Lyla was giggling away as she spoke of being made. He wasn't quite sure how Splices were made but he knew the general idea behind it. Animal DNA was swapped into a sequence of human DNA generally in the first stages of embryo formation and the DNA could cause any number of things to occur in the embryo. Generally it was physical manifestations. He would let Lyla explain if she was capable. It wasn't his story to tell anyhow. "She is a Splice. They are not quite made, more like altered very early on in development from what I understand and then left to develop. Are you alright?" He questioned of the girl as he swiped a rag from just behind the counter to wipe up the drink. He wasn't particularly worried about losing the drink or the spill.

"I'll be fine, jus' a little in over my head," Lyla said, beaming up in the general direction of the Lycan as Niall went to clean up the mess she had made. "Thank you for your con... cont... consh... Ah... thanks for caring, though." Despite her insistence, she couldn't help the mild slur that had crept into her speech, or the fact that her head still hurt and she was still sitting back against the counter. Lyla didn't look like she wanted to get up or go anywhere any time soon.

"Niall is right though. I wasn't really made. I have biological parents like every human in the world. Only, parts of my DNA were switched with that of a bat. Dr. Higgins didn't create me, but he did change who I ultimately became." While it was pretty much only the most basic explanation she could offer, Lyla didn't really feel up to going into more detail just then. Once her head cleared a bit, she would be able to give Felix more information as to what exactly was changed and maybe even how it was done. There was a lot about the latter she didn't understand, but after living with Geoff for most of her life she had a decent grasp on the basics.

"Um... would someone mind getting me some water? I need something to drink but I don't think more alcohol is a good idea at this point..." she said, not addressing either of her conversational partners in particular. Hopefully the water, and a few minutes spent sitting on the floor, would help her to recover.

---

Morgan smiled as Kiara took the ice lotus from him, genuinely glad that she liked it despite the fact that he could feel the beginnings of a blush forming due to her compliments. It was her mention of the Winter Court that brought his attention back around and made him think for a moment. He had to remember that she was as dangerous as she was gorgeous, and that things could go badly if he didn't keep his wits about him when she was around. As much as he liked her, he wasn't prepared to get stuck in the Fae Realms or end up dead over a crush or lustful tryst. All of that, however, went out the window as soon as her lips touched his.

At first, he was so surprised that he was stunned to the point of immobility. As realization sunk in his cheeks started to burn as blood colored his face and neck. But by the time Kiara brought her other hand up to draw him closer, Morgan was already lost in the moment. She tasted of the whiskey, which he decided wasn't so bad after all. Her proximity inspired a number of passionate desires, which he only really managed to resist due to his reserved nature. Though he longed to pull her against him, he settled for the simpler notion of resting his right hand just above her left hip and leaning closer to her.

When Kiara finally pulled away, Morgan was both disappointed and relieved. The source of his disappointment was obvious, but he was also glad to be able to breathe relatively freely. His breathing was ragged as he regarded the Faerie, and it felt like the whole of his body was burning up. He smiled again, somewhat crookedly, and looked down toward the flower with the hope that it might be easier to calm down if he wasn't staring into Kiara's eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," he mentioned, leaving out that he was glad the flower hadn't simply shattered when he tried to turn it into a prism as it had many times in the past. "You did ask, after all, and I'd hate to disappoint. It should last for a while on its own, but you'll want to get it someplace cold if you want to keep it. Though I suppose it wouldn't be that big of a deal for me to make you another," he mentioned, paying no heed to the minor lie. He could surely repeat the feat of magic, but it was mostly luck that had allowed him to complete it as it was. While he searched for something more to say, Morgan kept getting distracted by the fact that Kiara's fingers were still tangled in his hair and that they were still so close to one another.

"You make it really hard to think straight sometimes, you know?" he admitted, not really considering his words as he turned his gaze back to Kiara's eyes. Her whole being was captivating, but her expressive, color-shifting eyes seemed to draw Morgan the most.

Morgan’s hand remained just above her left hip, still warm from the passionate heat of their kiss. He was reserved, a gentleman even, his thumb only slightly brushing the exposed skin from her barely-there faerie outfit. Kiara hoped he didn’t move it, not unless he was doing so to touch her somewhere else. At the moment, that seemed unlikely as his breathing was ragged and his whole face had turned just about the same color as those “strawberries” she never got to try earlier.

“I’m glad you like it,” Morgan broke the post-kiss silence and explained what to do if she wished to keep the sculpture longer. Kiki just kept quiet, a rarity for the vivacious faerie, and studied his features. He was quite handsome with a strong chin and dark, mysterious eyes - eyes that kept nervously glancing at her right arm. “You make it really hard to think straight sometimes, you know?” he admitted before looking back into her eyes.

Kiara offered a gentle, feminine smile but the shift from pink to red in her eyes would betray her true intent. “Well, I like to make it hard.” she bit her lip after making the double entendre. It was quite obvious that she wanted more than just that stolen kiss, but it was his turn to play in this game of cat and mouse. “And there is really nothing to think about. I like you, Morgie, and more than just for--” she caught her whiskey-loosened tongue before it said too much. It would have been an honest slip, faeries can’t tell lies after all, as she really did want him as more than just her next meal ticket… but, perhaps admitting how she sustained herself this early on would be a bit too forward, even for her.

“More than just for your pretty sculptures.” she said instead before leaning forward to gently put the flower on the coffee table next to her empty cup. Kiki snuggled back into the couch, content in the warmth that his proximity and the alcohol provided. Her ruby-hued eyes watching him with the hope that he might drop his reservations kiss her again, better yet, ask her back to his room… or hers… or any nearby closed off space.

“Well, that was a bust. Look like I worried over nothing.” A thump at her chest had Claire glancing down, her grin widening just that extra touch to split her face at seeing the stuffed black horse had thrown his head back to look at her. Still she couldn’t help but sigh, lifting her one free hand to rub the surprisingly realistic fur that consisted of Thanatos’ toy mane, turning her gaze from the beady black eyes. “Yes Thanatos, I told you I’m fine. Jaw’s a little sore, but seeing how the wet blanket just shook off the teachers? Sheesh, I’m lucky I only lost my head.” Yeah, that had been embarrassing. A casual flap of wings back at the ball had her carefully positioned head dipping forward, her body stumbling in an attempt to keep balance but, sadly, couldn’t also keep her head up. Which is how Claire ended up with not only a light bruising growing against her jaw, but also wet hair that smelled faintly of fruit.

Yup, her head fell in the punch. Surprisingly this wasn’t the first time in Claire’s life this had happened.

After fishing out said head Claire had stayed and watched the theatrics for a bit, hugging a bowl of pretzels to her chest and eating but when all was said and done the mood was dead and full of anger. It left her feeling odd, almost giddy, but there was no room in that hall for partying anymore. She had skedaddled while everyone was preoccupied, eager to get out before the rush – and hopefully unseen by anyone with the crystal bowl of snacks under arm. Claire doubted she would even get to go for a ride on Thanatos with how on edge everyone was going to be, which dampened her mood further. At least the food was good.

“Pft, and my parents got me this fancy dress for nothing. I guess I can wear it to the next, er, social event. If we have one.” Thanatos tossed his heads again at her words, butting the back of his head against her chest from his position snuggled in the front of her plaid sash.

“Whaddya mean I can’t? … Tasteless?! That’s just silly! Honestly Thanatos, I think I’d know more about human fashion than you. Oh don’t roll your eyes at me.” To anyone else it very likely seemed that Claire was talking to herself, but she and Thanatos had a bond that ran through their very species. After all, what was a dullahan without their horse, and an undead horse without its rider? And maybe he didn’t actually roll his eyes, but Claire knew the sentiment was there. His muffled snort was confirmation enough!

It was because of this bond that Claire noticed how Thanatos’ head cocked to the side, one of his stuffed ears raised as though searching for something.

“Whashup?” The dullahan asked eagerly, words muffled and contorted by a full mouth. Thanatos rolled his eyes – again – at Claire, but tossed his head towards one of the buildings and made some motions. Luckily Claire finished swallowing before her mouth fell open.

“No way, no one could be throwing a party after that disaster! … Why did I not think of it first? Come on, let’s crash!” Thanatos made another muffled snort, it seeming to echo and not truly come from the stuffed horse, but Claire was already off towards the sounds Thanatos heard. He could’ve kept his ‘mouth’ shut… but at least Claire was excited again.

It didn’t take long for the dullahan to find the party between Thanatos and herself, and a little bit of a complete disrespect for locks, and Claire paused only briefly to whisper to Thanatos.

“Is my hair still wet?” A whinny. “… Eh, I can deal with smelling like punch. As long as that one girl isn’t there – I don’t know if she’s a fruit bat!” Guffawing at her own joke had Thanatos, one again, putting his hoof to his face. Claire barely got her laughter under control to make her grand entrance – which consisted entirely of just walking in and brandishing the crystal glass bowl from a very familiar setting.

“He~y guys, is this an open party? I brought possibly pilfered snacks!” Not that Claire needed an invitation. She was already going towards the bar to drop the offering off on the counter beside some others. Was just barging in rude? Didn't some get really offended about not waiting for others to be invited? Wait, no, that was something about vampires. Eh, she could deal with a ticked off vampire if the need arose. The real thing to be concerned with was how did a student go about getting a pull away bar in their dorm?

"Damn that's snazzy."

"And where do you think you're going young man?" The tone and pitch of the voice was very familiar. There, in front of him now stood Mrs. Langley, foot tapping as usual. His posture loosened yet he did somewhat tense but not because of her but because of what he had caused. "I am off to see if I can find my frie-"

"The human you mean." He sighed.

"Yes. The human. He rubbed his temple and shook his head, his posture taking on a more lax one, similar to the usual pose he took on, a smile on his face. She stepped forward. "Before you decide to run off to find your friend I'm going to talk and your going to stand there and listen." He snorted out a puff of smoke. "Do you have any idea...ANY idea of how long it took me to set up that ball?" He raised an eyebrow and went to answer before she interrupted. "Weeks! It took a lot of hard work and organization and all of that built up just for you and your brother to have a family feud. What did I say at the beginning of the year to all the students? Fighting is NOT permi-" Sulley quickly moved to face her directly, locking eyes with hers. "My brother did not originally know that I was even here!" His words carried venom over the name brother as he seethed with anger. He leaned away from her as he felt her power spike to show who was in charge. He didn't realize that his had did so with the thought of his brother. He kept his magic level up however, lowering it would show weakness in his opinion. Some things dragons could not let go off and Hubris was one of them "With that being said. I am not responsible for what he did but I am responsible for the disbandment of the ball but the furniture I will replace.." She raised a finger. "The tables, chairs, pillars and the flooring as well but Kiara will help you as well. We will discuss what will happen AFTER everything is cleaned up." His eyes squinting at her slightly before his expression became more stoic as he turned to make his way to 308. He stopped. "But heed this Mrs. Langley." He leaned his head back to look at her. "For the Millenia and a half that I have known my brother... His threats are never idle." He turned away and kept walking.



He turned to face the door as another student entered carrying, a horse? He quirked an eyebrow up before looking around. One thing he had taken notice to was the fact that many students and some staff alike had an animal with him. It was like a real life version of Hogwarts from that Harry Polski? Or was it Pottery? Anyway it was like a movie he once saw in a theatre. He turned to face the group in front of him. "Do most students have pets with them here? Is it a requirement or something?" He looked back towards the others until he took notice to Kiara and Morgan. His eyes widened suddenly before he looked back to the little group he was in. "That's not good. I hope Sulley doesn't see those two together..." He looked at the group before he took anotherswig of water, scratching at his scar. A few minutes went by until he heard a knock at the door. As the handle turned and and opened he mumbled. "Shit."



He made his way to 308. Not too far from his room but the talk took more time then expected. He stood in front of it, looking at the wood. He took a quick sniff and almost wrinkled his nose. 'Alcohol' He thought. Not much of a fan say for an 1806 Merlot or an 1908 Carbonnet. Sulley turned the knob and opened the door only to b bombarded with the smell of it. He scrunched up his nose and shook it off. He quickly took notice to two things and one of them caused him to send a glare that could pierce the soul towards two of them. First it was Felix, who he gave "the look" to. Mostly meant for the failure to respond to his call and the second was to Morgan who was all over, Kiara? KIARA!? He slowly made his way over to them both, his eyes locked onto Morgan with a predatory glare.

Morgan was distracted enough by the shift in Kiara's eye color - now a vivid red - that it took him a moment to catch on to her double entendre. Once he had, he wasn't sure whether he should laugh or blush, and ended up chuckling lightly before she continued, her words causing him to pause in thought. Obviously she wanted more than just the statues produced by his magic, but then what did she want. The Warlock had a feeling there was much more the Faerie could have told him, but chose not to. While this did bother him, it also meant there was only that much more to learn about the wickedly beautiful creature his hand rested on, only barely in direct contact with her skin.

"And I find you dangerously beautiful, in the way you present yourself and more. Especially your eyes," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "They always seem to turn the prettiest shades when we talk." It was obvious to Morgan, and likely everyone else, that he was several leagues out of his comfort zone. There wasn't a chance in the world he was going to pass up the opportunity to spend time with Kiara though, whether or not there was alcohol involved. He opened his mouth as though to continue, but the door opened once more and drew his attention.

While he had ignored the door the other times it had opened to allow latecomers into the party, the very presence of the dragon who had just entered was enough to turn Morgan's head. His hands started to tremble slightly, just as his heart rate started to increase. Sulley was as good as they came, for a dragon at least, but it didn't exactly look like he was bringing the Warlock any kind words of advice or gentle gibes over his choice of company. Eyes on the approaching dragon, Morgan leaned toward Kiara and whispered softly for only her to hear.

"You want to go... well, anywhere else?"

For a few moments Morgan just stared, admiring her as she had the lotus flower moments before. Kiara wondered what might be going through his mind in that moment. She could feed off of negative emotions, but nothing about this felt negative. And lust? Well, he wasn’t yet consumed enough with lust for her to be able to taste it. Right before she was about to fill the silence with chatter of her own, he spoke.

“And I find you dangerously beautiful, in the way you present yourself and more. Especially your eyes.” a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as his gaze settled on her scarlet irises. “They always seem to turn the prettiest shades when we talk.” His voice was almost whimsical. It was Kiara’s turn to blush, she broke eye contact to look down as she did so. Her eyes were always a topic of discussion with new people. Even her father raved about how beautiful they were, that thought had her blushing an even deeper hue.

“Thank you. I get them from my mother… they are a mark of the elemental fey - connected to the wild emotional energy that fuels our magic. Basically, they change color based on how I feel. I’ve never seen it though, whenever I peek in the looking glass they are grey, because I’m calm.” her lips pouted a little, but the emotion was fleeting. Nothing could bring her down now, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

“What color is your favorite?” Kiki asked, wondering what colors the enigmatic warlock deemed ‘pretty’. What color were they now? Probably red… the color of lust in all its forms. And just when Kiki was beginning to think nothing could get her down, a familiar scent reached her nose. Fire and brimstone. Reflexively, her fingers went to the jagged scars her chest now sported.

The door opened and the dragon entered. She’d be lying if she said her heart didn’t skip a beat, and faeries couldn’t lie. But the way he made her feel? Now that was the real mystery. She was caught somewhere between infatuation and blood-boiling rage, and the whole thing was utterly baffling. Thankfully, Morgan was there to tear her away from her emotional conundrum.

“You want to go… well, anywhere else?” Morgan whispered, his breath tickling against her ear. The electricity that ran through her was enough to make her completely forget about the dragon. Suley-who? Who cares!

“I’ve been dying to hear those words since our lips parted.” she responded, her eyes like burning embers now. The thought didn’t even cross her mind that he might not be wanting to leave for the same reasons as her. Kiki stood up quickly and took his hand in hers. Where would the water mage want to go on their first romantic rendezvous? The lake, perhaps? Naked in the pale moonlight? The thought itself sent shivers down her spine. It wasn’t even remotely on her radar that Suleykaar was standing right there next to them.

Niall

Another dark court wraith had entered the room swiftly, asking if it was an open party, "Aye, it is. This is my place. Pick and glass and a poison." He called to her bobbing his head in greeting but not losing eye contact with the faerie. He was not one to avert his eyes, as heir of his pack he could look anyone he wanted in the eye. That included his own father and Alpha. He was the only one allowed to do so aside from his mother, the Queen.

Niall was quite content to sit and watch the others and Laurel had slunk up beside him, silent and lethal. She could have had his throat but she wasn't interested in that kind of business like the bitches in his pack were. Bitches were always looking to dominate anything they could, especially the unmated ones. You always had to watch them, that was one of the reasons he liked being here at school is he could get away, even if it was every so briefly, from his own kind. These people came with their own drama certainly, their parents were all powerful people. His warm eyes settling on the newest intruder to his den, the dragon.

The same dragon who had inadvertently caused the disaster previously at the welcome ball. Arrogant as always and now infuriated that the faerie he had been scoping out was laid out in the arms of another. He knew little about the warlock and a lot more about the faerie just from the ball. He had recognized her father, his own parents had spoken with the faerie before. The dark court was nothing to be trifled with and their exacting of justice however they saw fit would be vicious and was unlikely to be any sort of swift. They would draw it out, feeding on the terror and consuming the hate and the pain until their victim was just an empty skeleton, a shade as they called their own dead. At least his own people simply broke necks and decapitated others. It was the only way to kill a Lycan for sure. Even damage to the heart wasn't always a sure bet. Nearly anything could be healed by the change.

"Aye, that wraith is of the dark court dragon. She is a creature of fleeting emotions, she won't ever be anyone's forever. Especially if she ascends the throne one day. Moriganne and her kin are not ones to be taken likely. Have a drink, she'll come round later." Niall shook his head, offering the dragon a tumbler without a stem. "Pick whatever you like. Everything is behind the bar; wine, whiskey, moonshine, gin, rum, vodka, whatever." Niall left him be, heading into the small kitchenette they were all provided with and leaned against the counter next to Laurel who had moved away from the scene, packing Lyla with her.

Laurel

Laurel appeared quite suddenly beside Lyla as she tumbled to the ground, cursing over not having gotten their quicker to save the girl a trip to the floor at the very least. "Are you sure you're alright dear?" She questioned of the other girl as she reached for her hand. "Let me help you up and we'll go in the kitchen and get you some water." Moving slightly Laurel's long hair cascaded around her and over her shoulders creating a curtain as another person arrived at the party. Laurel was fairly sure it was high time for her to be leaving anyhow. There was no one here she really cared for other than Niall and Kiki, the later of which was gazing lustfully into the eyes of the warlock she had danced with prior to the catastrophe.

Laurel pulled one of Niall's chairs out by his table and gathered went back to Lyla. "I've got a chair for you, I'll get you some water once you're in a chair." She explained as she grasped the other girl's hand to help her rise so that she could make her way to the kitchen. She was just intoxicated and the water would help. She reached into the bread box where Niall kept his most recent loaf and she pulled out several slices before filling a glass of water for the other girl. "Here is the water and some bread. That should water down and soak up the alcohol and get it out of your system with the least distress. Niall will take good care of you and make sure you get back to your room safely. He's a good man, just smells a bit like a dog sometimes." She gave Niall a sly grin as she leaned against the counter briefly. He was busy trying to get Suley to back off from Kiki who didn't seem to be aware of the murderous feelings she caused in the dragon.

Her brother would not be happy with her being here, especially after the events that had occurred earlier in the evening. Laurel, hands fisted in the skirt of her evening gown to allow for her full range of movement, darted across the room. She wove quickly and easily through the room of people, slipping behind Suley's back as she made her way to the door. "Salut." She called over her shoulder as she disappeared out the door, inky black hair cast out behind her.

Lyla's small hand clutched tightly around Laurel's slender fingers as the latter appeared just as swiftly and silently as she had previously. The Splice used the counter behind her for support and stumbled to her feet with her eyes closed. She felt bad enough without the dull ache that was beginning to form just between her eyebrows. The relative comfort of a chair and a table to lean her head on was positively blissful in comparison. She didn't notice when the other girl vanished again, but she heard the familiar sound of a glass being filled a few moments before she heard it placed on the table in front of her. Reflexively, Lyla moved one hand to touch the cool glass with the back of her fingers before closing her hand around it. Sitting up carefully, she moved her other hand to feel across the table for the bread. Once she found the food, she forced herself to eat a slice and wash every bite down with a small sip of water before returning her forehead to the cool, smooth table.

"Thank you, Laurel. Again," she thought to say, the barest moment before the Gifted girl's voice rang out in farewell from across the room. Lyla dragged the second slice of bread over to her mouth, eating it slowly and listening to the party go on around her.

Well, at the very least the host was accommodating! Claire’s ever present grin widened just a touch, keeping solid eye contact as she nudged the bowl of snacks towards the big man. It was a bit like fumbling around a social minefield for someone like her, ignorant to most ways of her own kind – she was raised by humans, after all.

“Thanks big guy,” The dullahan commented cheerfully, brushing passed Niall as his attention turned to the other guests. Instead Claire’s gaze focused on the assortment of drinks on display for the taking, cheerfully humming to herself as her fingertips grazed across the labels. It was all very high class, but not quite to the Irishwoman’s liking – ah, there we go. Picking up a bottle of one of the harder liquors had Claire almost drinking directly, but she remembered her manners last minute. Soon a stout glass was in her hands as she finally took the time to look at others, leaning against the bar and sipping her drink. Soon her eyes slid over to two of the girls, a rather drunk splice and … a gifted, perhaps? Either way, soon one was quickly heading off and the brunette raised a hand to flick after her cheerfully.

“Enjoy your night!” Briefly Claire attempted to offer some of her drink to Thanatos, but the stuffed horse nestled in her sash merely turned his head up. “Snob,” She teased to her companion, but merely resumed sipping on her drink as she watched the proceedings in the room with interest. It appeared that another party was about to be crashed. Now that was just a mood killer.

But learning that one of them, cherry hair, was from the dark court according to her gracious host? That got Claire’s attention, and she found her gaze lingering on Kiara. It was needless to say that a dullahan would be from the same place, had she not suffered from her peculiar circumstances. Perhaps, if Claire was lucky, she could chat with cherry hair. Maybe after the dragon was gone though, and with less alcohol around. Then again it was a school, there was probably always going to be alcohol around. Speaking of which, her rugged host had a good idea offering the dragon a drink – nothing like drowning some brain cells when burnt.

“It really is quite a selection,” Claire offered in her usual fearless way towards the dragon, propping an elbow up on the bar to rest her chin against her palm. “Even I found something, and I’m picky!”

Thank you wolf for the obvious information that I am all too aware of..." Interrupting Niall at the dark court tidbit. A quick glance over at Niall said everything: "Do NOT get into the middle of this." Knowing though the Lycan may or may not retaliate from this simple gesture. Body language among animals, even Lycanthropes and Werewolves, was everything. From the simple twitch in the eyes or mouth to the blatant rigid and aggressive posture. Andersen only sighed as he looked at Niall with an apologetic smile. Sulley withdrew his attention away from Niall to Morgan, a smug expression lining his mouth. "It's quite alright Warlock. I'm use to seeing you run from your problems. If I didn't know any better I would say that it was an inherited trait... He stood directly in the path of Morgan, a rather blatant challenge to the young warlock. The intensity of his gaze only disappeared with the glance over at Kiara. Kiara. His thoughts flashbacked to the incident earlier in the night. "Kiara.." The look in his eyes softened briefly before returning to a much harder look, his normal look.

"I didn't come here to start anything despite what you may think." He looked at Morgan and the rest of the room. "I've come to tell you that my eldest brother's appearance was nothing more than sheer luck or in this case misfortune as I did not invite him here. If you want to turn blame onto anyone for the destruction and the horrible night you all have had to endure feel free to blame the head of security for not stopping him when they could've." His attention returned to Morgan. " However if you wish to speak your mind by all means do so because despite what your impression of me is I can be reasonable...Not that you have shown to be likewise So if you have something to say I suggest you say it now." He would wait for Morgan to speak before looking over at Kiara.

Morgan was glad to see that Kiara seemed at least as eager to leave as he was, if for a different reason. Not that he wasn't thinking about spending time alone with her, but they had to get past Sulley first. The dragon seemed intent on preventing their departure for the moment, standing directly in Morgan's path once the warlock had gained his feet. With Kiara on his left and a coffee table to his right, he wouldn't be simply walking around the other student.

Sulley's words stung, and his smug smile teased Morgan before he addressed Kiara and the rest of the room. Finally, the dragon turned back to the warlock and asked him to speak his mind. There was a long pause, as cool blue eyes studied the much taller student.

"I don't blame you for what happened. Never did. I would have been in just as tight of a spot if the wrong member of my family decided to show up. Everyone here probably has someone in their family that they're glad not to have seen tonight." Morgan relaxed visibly as he spoke, the words coming a bit easier as he continued on. "You can be intimidating, Sulley. Sometimes you look about ready to kill somebody. Being on the receiving end of that tends to make one exceedingly uncomfortable. Especially when they don't know why."

From his stance to his voice to the measured gaze that remained on Sulley's eyes, Morgan was passive. He certainly didn't want any sort of conflict, especially not on top of what happened earlier. Nervous energy made his limbs itch with the desire to act, but he held a tight reign on that anxiety. Running would not have helped him here, even if there had been somewhere for him to go.

The verbal mention of the Dark Court was enough to pull the faerie’s infatuated mind from the lakeside fantasy. It was the wolf that warned her about the whiskey earlier, and he was talking about her - saying that she had ‘fleeting emotions’, as if he knew her personally or something. Who did he think he was?! And then he’d really done it, he mentioned the possibility of her ascending the throne and being Moriganne’s kin. Kiara squeezed Morgan’s hand angrily and her cherry-colored hair floated off of her shoulders because the waves of emotional magic pulsating through her. It seemed as though whatever potion was used on her earlier was beginning to wear off. Hopefully, for the party-goers’ sakes, it wasn’t wearing off too much.

Suleykaar responded to the lycan promptly, and the proximity of his voice startled the dark faerie. Since when was he standing this close to her? His body language radiated possessive masculinity and Kiki wasn’t sure if that made her want to spit at his feet or take her clothes off. A little bit of both, if she was being honest with herself. The dragon’s attention shifted from Niall to Morgan. His words were cruel and rude. Cruel was something the dark court supported and even reveled in, but rudeness was not tolerated by any faerie. That, and the fact that he thought himself worthy to block their exit... Honestly, what was with the rampant arrogance tonight?

“Kiara” The dragon addressed her more softly then he had the others. The narrowing of her eyes showed that she was having none of his shit. He didn’t even attempt to follow it up with the actual apology, to which she was owed. Suley declared his ‘innocence’ and attempted to remove blame from his name about the events that had unfolded earlier. He even “allowed” Morgan a chance to speak, as if he was in some way his superior. Kiara was practically vibrating with the hot-headed need to speak her mind and smack that smug smile from his lips. “Just like your mother…” her father would say.

Still holding Kiara’s hand, Morgan gathered the courage to speak. His words were calm, steady, and surprisingly relaxed. While Morgan reflected the the calm tranquility of his element, Kiki resembled the devastating volcanos and quakes of hers. Perhaps that’s why they were falling for each other in a way that the dragon couldn’t hope to compete - earth and water function best together.

When it was finally Kiara's turn to talk, she couldn’t have been any more ready. The faerie stepped away from Morgan slightly in a direct challenge to the dragon. At 6’5”, he stood over a foot taller than the petite faerie, so, to the outsider, jabbing her bony index finger into his chest would seem quite comical. For everyone in the room, however, her Unseelie aura was overwhelming.

Imagine that feeling you get when you are completely alone. When it’s so dark that you feel like you’ll never see the light again. And you hear a noise under your bed, a bump in the night… and you know you’re not really alone. You feel a breath at the back of your neck and it makes you hair stand on end. You want to scream, but when you try to, you realize you’re suffocating. You try to run, but your arms and legs are shackled down, and you just know… you’re going to die.

Yeah, that’s the feeling. True, deep, fear. That is how any Unseelie faerie can make you feel at the drop of a hat. They aren’t called the Nightmare Court without reason, fear is their strongest weapon; It is why mortals who enter their court seldom leave with their sanity intact. So, yes, while a 5’2” pixie of a girl challenging a towering male might look silly, you’d have to be dumb, deaf, and blind to not feel at least the slightest bit intimidated. And all of this was because Suleykaar had dared to block her path. Kiara had had enough of his rudeness tonight to last a whole lifetime - and faeries lived for a very long time.

”Who do you think you are? More so, what do you think I am to you?” Kiki studied his face for any sign of response. ”Your treasure?” she guessed before dissolving into an eerie and insane fit of laughter. She caught her breath before attempting to speak again.”Hear me: I will never be anyone’s possession, let alone that of a dragon who can’t keep his treasure safe from his own brother.” Her words were calculated and intentionally venomous. ”Now, you will step aside and watch as Morgan and I leave.” Kiara demanded. An idea struck her and a devilish grin appeared on her face. ”Unless, of course, you wish to make up for your transgressions by joining us. Show me a good enough time, and I just might forgive you. Maybe….” the last word was little more than a breathy whisper as the finger against his chest flattened into a palm that pushed him aside. Feeling confident, victorious, and all the more eager to get out of there and put this energy into better use, Kiara lead Morgan out the front door by his hand.

Someone else bid Laurel farewell from nearby, prompting Lyla to turn her head slightly. She wasn't sure if she had heard the voice before. The Splice was feeling better, but it was still slowly that she raised her head to take another sip of water from the cool glass that her right hand never left. The first slice of bread was gone, and the fingers of her left hand rested on the second. Between each bite or drink, she would return her head to the table and wait for it to stop spinning.

Lyla heard the door open and close again, and the room fell hushed. The tension was nearly palpable, and it wasn't hard to understand what was going on. The ballroom had nearly the same feeling earlier. There was friction again, and voices and names soon told her who was involved. The Dragon again, and the Dark Court Faerie. A Warlock seemed to have been caught in it as well this time. She wasn't listening very close to words, but the tone of each voice gave her a general idea of what was happening.

The earlier events had carried much more tension, much more potential for violence, Lyla felt, but it still made her nervous to consider what might happen if someone reacted aggressively in such close quarters with so many bystanders. Hopefully they all had enough sense to leave off before it got that far. Her ears flicked toward the center of the room as Kiara started to laugh and delivered her venomous response.

"Maybe a party wasn't the best idea after all," Lyla considered quietly from her place at the table. She certainly wasn't feeling any better for it.

Niall simply shook his head at all the commotion. This had to be the worst drama he'd seen since Laurel had nearly killed several students. This dragon was nothing but trouble, absolutely nothing but it. That was when Niall heard the wild howls, the noise would be easily recognized. They'd missed the ball but by the moon's sake they were here now. He could hear their heavy paw steps and their snarls and yips as they bumped into one another as they came down the hall. How they came up the elevator was a mystery, in the front he could hear the heavier steps of his brothers and towards the backs the lighter ones of some of the younger males.

Unlucky for him Laurel had not latched his door and he watched carefully as a snout flung the door open. He counted them and recognized their faces and scents. This was the only place they dared bust into his place but the door had been open. Here he was Niall, at home he was the Heir but they still owed him a fair amount of respect. Their ears were back and down and they didn't look him directly in the eye but they bustled through the door, bumping into one another and changing forms as they did so. They were as wild as the form they'd been in before, eyes alight with mischief and laughter as they slunk through his room. He nodded to each of them in turn as they headed directly for the bar, oblivious to the tension in the room.

Like most Lycans they were unconcerned with the problems of others, most issues occurred within the pack itself instead of with other groups. It was mostly interspecies aggression that was spoken of when discussing Lycans but even then they seldom killed one another though it did happen. His own mother had killed numerous bitches in the fight to win the right to be Queen. Ordeals were a time of horrific violence but they were rare now. His pack mates were unconcerned with the drama in progress in his room and it was nice to be reminded of the freedom he generally enjoyed, there were pros and cons to being everywhere. Now filling the small apartment like dorm room he recognized each of them easily, his brothers André and Bjørn along with his pack mates Xavier, Dirk, and the twins Damien and Daniel.

His younger brothers crowded him giving him a punch in the shoulder before focusing in on Lyla@FateWeaver, the Splice. "Your ears are so cool! Do you hear super good?" his youngest brother Bjørn questioned of her, his brilliant blue eyes belying his curiosity. Bjørn's voice was much like Niall's in that it was warm and husky with notes of darkness despite his fair colored looks. That was one thing Lycan's weren't known for, being shy. "Bjørn, please. The lady is not feeling well. Lyla, this is my youngest brother." The young male sighed a bit, "Shit, I'm sorry. Do you need anything?" Bjørn questioned of her, feeling bad for assaulting her with questions so loudly.

André however was focused on someone else entirely, the other beautiful dark court faerie. Her name was Claire from what Niall knew and his brother had slid up next to her at the bar, "You've made a fine choice of beverage m'lady." This was Niall's darker brother, his complexion was much darker than Niall's and his hair was black as night like Niall's coat in his lupine form. His eyes, however, were a brilliant green.

Welp, that was a bust. Again. It looked like the dragon and faerie, and now another, weren’t interested in more than being at each other’s throats. A shame really, this was some quality drink – more for Claire she guessed!

Luck, however, seemed to be in a partying mood after earlier, if their newest editions were to say anything about it. Claire immediately brightened and almost bounced on the balls of her feet at the first snout poked into the room. More followed, all huge bumping bodies, fur and excitement. She was almost a little disappointed when the Lycans changed – they were rather cute. Even Claire knew better than to ask to pet one though – at least outside of certain circumstances. The best part though? They were completely uncaring about the tension in the room!

It was an excited Claire who greeted the Lycan who sidled up next to her because of this, her ever-present smile prominent and showing her teeth carelessly. As soon as the dark male’s words were out of his lips the dullahan was already reaching for the bottle she set aside to happily pour her new companion a drink, and top off her own.

“What can I say, you get raised in certain circles and soon enough you’re picking out drinks with the best of snobs,” She slid the drink over to Andre, all bright eyes and brimming excitement. “But I’m all about sharing – especially since it’s his bar I got it from.” A little nod over her shoulder to Niall, accompanied by her wide grin and a little wave as though to thank the host before her attention turned back to his brother to meet his gaze politely. Well, polite for a human anyway.

“I’m Claire, this is Thanatos, and you?” The faerie gestured to her chest where the stuffed black horse tucked neatly into the plaid sash seemed to huff, tilting its head to glare at their new guest. Well, as much as beady little black eyes can glare with no eyebrows. It wasn’t very effective, honestly. Claire merely playfully rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper, “He’s moody.”

He awaited the response from the warlock. As Morgan spoke he absorbed what he was saying and what he said. On the outside, he look indifferent to the conversation but on the inside he was somewhat relieved that at least someone didn't blame him for the incident but rather sympathized with him. He gave him a subtle nod but then she stepped in front of Morgan. She let loose like a violent storm. Her words cut deep into him, causing him to flinch internally. The brother comment is what had gotten him. If there was any way to defeat a dragon besides magic and melee, it was attack their pride. He sighed as lowered his head and cleared his throat. He felt her warm hand on his chest, she probably felt it skip a beat. He looked into her eyes and smiled. It wasn't his "usual" smile nor was it his genuine happy smile but rather, a smile of sadness.

"I have thought of you as treasure yes. But a treasure that not money nor gems no precious metals could buy. . He sighed before holding a more stoic posture. My brother's actions are beyond unforgivable but were also unpredictable. Had I known he was going to attack you I would have handled it differently and much more swiftly." His posture relaxed slowly. "However, as it stands it was my brother who ruined the night for everyone so if I can at least make it up to you then that is what I'll do." While he stood in front of them he quickly shifted on his heels and slowly made his way to the doorway and left. Waiting for the two to proceed.

Andersen stood off to the side with eyes wide open watching the event unfold as he turned towards Niall with a shiver. "She creeps me out slightly but I can't believe Sulley agreed. If he really didn't like her he would have just ignored her. He went to take a swig of water until the door swung open with a sound that reminded him of an ambush to which his instinctive reaction was to draw his only sheathed weapon on him until he noticed it seemed to be family of one of the partygoers. This of course caused him to sheath his blade and prepare himself a drink. "Welcome newcomers!". He said with a raised glass.

Morgan stared openly at Kiara as she cut loose on the Dragon. From what little he was expressing through body language, it wasn't hard to see that Sulley didn't take it well. When she put her hand to his chest, the Warlock glanced quickly from one to the other. His eyes widened as Kiara continued, and the way she spoke brought heat to his cheeks again. Shifting nervously, he watched Sulley over her shoulder for his response.

When it came, Morgan used one hand to pull part of his scarf up over his face so nobody else could see his jaw dropping all over the floor. He had certainly not anticipated this. Thoughts raced through his mind, excuses, escape plans, and expectations. Still hiding half of his face, he looked to Kiara as Sulley turned to leave. Unable to think of anything to say that she wasn't likely to brush off, he took a breath and returned to his side. With a shy and worried smile still hidden by his scarf, he offered his arm.

Maybe he'd find a way out before they found somewhere to be. Perhaps he could convince her to sneak off without the dragon. It was entirely possible he was misreading the situation, and it wouldn't be as bad as he thought. Morgan desperately hoped that the last train of thought proved true.

---

Finally it seemed like the situation in the center of the room was simmering down. Lyla hadn't been paying enough attention to really know how it was resolved, but it didn't sound like anyone got hurt. More people came in, but again the splice was too wrapped up in taking a small sip of water to really care. That only lasted until one of them spoke from nearby, causing her to flinch and nearly fumble the glass on its way back to the table. One hand went to her face, covering her eyes for a moment as she pressed her thumb to her temple. Niall introduced his brother and Bjørn apologized, drawing a brief smile from Lyla.

"It's okay, you didn't know. I just thought the party was going on over there." Her quiet words were accompanied by a brief gesture towards the other end of the room. "I think I have everything I need for now, but thank you. I just have to get back to my room. Eventually. Somehow." Lyla lowered her head back to the table before she finished speaking, the words trailing off into a soft groan. Persephone, having moved across the table, leaned her fuzzy body against the Splice's shoulder.

”He actually agreed…” Kiara thought aloud as the dragon disappeared through the front door. For a moment, she just stood there, completely shocked. She shouldn’t be surprised, though. Kiki normally got what she wanted but, if Suleykaar had proven to be anything since she’d met him, it was stubborn.

Kiki looked over to Morgan to see what he made of it. She was sad to see that he had moved his scarf back over his face. Was he going to back out? This was too much for him… she’d sabotaged her own fun. Before she could begin pouting too much, though, he offered his arm to lead her out.

Kiara could practically jump up and down she was so excited. In fact, she kind of did bounce on her heels a bit. Before taking his arm, Kiara hooked a finger on his scarf and pulled it down from his face.

”Don’t hide your blush… red’s my favorite color.” she said and then stood on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek. Kiki then looped her arm in his and walked out the front door.

Suley was waiting for them on the other side. Kiara looked up at the taller of the two males and smiled. Her eyes were primarily red but they kept shifting to an excitable yellow or a flirty pink, never really settling with one emotion. She couldn’t believe it… she hadn’t slept with anyone at this school yet, and now she was going to get two for the price of one. Perhaps this night wasn’t a loss at all. Thank goodness Persephone had convinced her to go meet the “bat girl”.

”So… where should we go?” Kiara said as she linked her other arm with Suleykaar’s. Now she had arm candy on both sides, lovely. ”My room? One of your rooms?” Of course, Kiara had no idea that they were roommates. Wouldn’t that be… convenient. “Or maybe outside by the lake?” Kiki purred with a seductive smile.