Varis ignored Aaron's ending question (fine, it was mostly rhetorical anyway) and handed him his phone instead. Aaron took it and entered in his contact information (noting that Varis had only included his first initial and briefly wondering why) as he listened to the Count's rules expectations, handing it back when he was done.

Still a little light of foot after taking inventory of his skills, Aaron now silently chastised himself as the vampire brought him back down to earth. Of course he would be the judge of Aaron's skill, anyone would be a fool to take a braggart at his word and it was entirely reasonable to demand proof. The command for a sparring partner piqued Aaron's interest; he had spent his training years sparring with more or less the same people, and he was interested to see what kinds of weapons and skill the Academy student body had to offer. He wasn't sure how he'd go about finding a sparring partner on such short notice, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't excited at the prospects. Aaron's heart lifted a touch out of its solemnity. Whatever the reason he'd been sent here, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

He nodded along as Varis spoke, uttering a curt "yes," or "of course," whenever necessary. The Count's expectations were high, and his rules strict. However, Aaron didn't mind Varis' rigid expectations for his academic performance; in fact, what most might hear as a vague threat, he heard as a challenge. A compliment, even. He was vainly flattered that he would be important enough a presence in his master's life that he would be held to such high standards, and he'd always taken that responsibility to heart, always reveled in the opportunity and the drive to improve.

Something ticked in the back of his head and the bottom of his gut, spiking every few steps before sinking again. Lingering discomfort from their earlier... interaction. Aaron did his best to shake it off; failing that, he pushed it down with a deep breath and turned his mind to matters at hand.

He took no issue with Varis' mention of what sounded like a dietary plan (he was used to that, and it might be relaxing not to have to worry about planning his every meal on his own) and his request - or demand, rather - for medical information was nothing new. Aaron had those records neatly arranged in a file folder in his luggage somewhere, but luckily there wasn't much to worry about. The Noilas had done an excellent job of keeping his family healthy over the generations, another thing he was grateful to them for.

As he was turning things over in his mind, wondering who he might find as a sparring partner and how he'd perform compared to Varis' standards, Aaron almost didn't notice the sudden turn the Count made away from what looked to be the student dorms. He was puzzled in the instant it took for him to turn as well, but understood when he saw where they were going. Of course, those combined dorms weren't where they were going. The Academy would never force a noble vampire to board alongside the common population; the very idea would be an insult to more than a few of the nobles he knew of, and in a world where old deeds never truly die, it was best to avoid conflict. In fact, Aaron vaguely remembered hearing that it had been a Sinnenodel girl who had raised enough hell to have separate housing built back at the start of the Academy's long history. Of course, he could have been mistaken; they had spent surprisingly little time on the Academy during his education, and it was practically fact that at any given time somewhere around Noila castle someone was almost assuredly whispering about the Sinnenodels.

Still, the sight of the nobles' dorms at the end of the complex was exciting. It hadn't quite sunk in until then, but this would be Aaron's first time living more or less on his own. He spun his ring on his finger behind his back, discreetly fidgeting in anticipation.

As partners found each other, happily or not, the students slowly left the courtyard for their new residences. Some took the available bus while others made the ten minute walk across the academy grounds. Those who walked would find wrought iron lamp posts lining the walkways that led to the dorms. A variety of flora grew along side the paths, often circling large clearings where benches and tables were placed in the event students wished to relax on the grounds. Students followed small placards that gave directions to a gate swung open and two mages. As students passed through, they could feel the prickles of magic as the mages thoroughly inspected each individual.

The bus however only took a few minutes. The bus, a luxury liner gifted from the Eves before their struggles, followed the curving road outside the Academy’s walls. The noise inside the bus was muted, chatter kept at hushed volumes. They were let off just inside the gated community at the bus stop opposite from where students walking left the Academy.

The dorms were located in a gated community attached to the Academy. All blues and golds, the dorms were attached in groups of four, each sharing their walls, before breaking off and starting a new one. Between each building was a small garden with a pagoda lit up with fairy lights twining around the support beams. If someone needed brighter lighting, each pagoda did have a light switch for a bright overhead light. Each unit had its own mailbox and students would find two keys in it which would unlock the front door. Each mailbox also has an envelope with the student’s class schedule.



If you walk past the normal dorms however, students will find themselves looking at for stand alone dorms the circle a large cul-de-sac. These dorms are twice as large as most and are very clearly separated from the rest. Each unit has its own private yard, surrounded by a stone fence, and looks out into the Noila’s forest. These units also have mailoxes, each with the symbol of one noble house. Starting from the left, the order is Marivaldi, Eve, Sinnenodel, and Astorio.



Class Schedules:

As you open the envelopes, you find two sheets of paper. The first reads:

Congratulations on your acceptance to the Noila Academy. Tomorrow first year vampires and mages will have seperate orientations starting at 9:30pm. Vampires and mages will be separated until midnight so please take appropriate precautions. Afterwards, everyone will have an hour recess for lunch before pairs will have the opportunity to explore the campus and take tours of our facilities. There will be signs and attendants to direct you to your orientation tomorrow.

Congratulations,
Kiran Kotyo
Mage Headmaster

The second is your class schedule starting the day after tomorrow. It is dated through the winter break.

Varis briefly checked the mailbox, pulling out the keys and envelopes, and unlocked the front door. He made a note to request a different landscape style. Not enough flowering plants in his opinion. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, immediately looking around. He slipped both keys into his breast pocket and continued inside. The sitting room passed inspection although he would have preferred Sinnenodel colors to the white and gold fabric draped over the side tables. Perhaps he could add a few accents, send them in from his own home. A quick glance in the study told him something needed to change. The current set up suggested equality and he didn’t want his new servant to misunderstand his position. Perhaps a smaller desk could be arraigned. Varis would look into tomorrow.

He quickly walked through the rest of the house, noting his bottles had been safely and properly stored, and came to check each of the rooms. The quality of everything was as expected of the Noilas and the noble families. Anything less would have been an insult. Varis noticed the administration already placed their belongings in one of the two rooms and he stepped into his curiously. He took particular notice of the tub, his eye brightening considerably. Bubble baths were one of the few things he allowed himself to indulge in that his Lady did not approve of. A waste of time according to her and he wholeheartedly agreed. It didn't particularly stop him however. He swept through the rest of his room quickly, making another mental note to order sheets in Sinnenodel colors and perhaps a different material.

Varis walked into Aaron’s room next, looking around at the mirror copy of his room and his eyes darkened slightly. Again, it presented the issue of equality. Varis stood in the middle, tapping his fingers on his arm as he thought. Again, sheets would need replacing and perhaps a Sinnenodel family crest hanging on the wall where the boy could see it. Just as reminder whose he was now. The sword, while tempting to strip him of it, would be used against the boy later. ’I do need to find something for him to wear that declares his new allegiance however.’ Varis mused. A matter for later. For now he would set a few things in motion, including how to keep Aaron firmly beneath his boot.

“Once you have finished organizing your room, I will be in the study. I expect all of your possessions away neatly but do not keep me waiting.” Varis placed the envelope containing Aaron’s class schedule on the boy’s vanity and left to pen a few letters sealing each one and stamping the Sinnenodel crest in the back.

Sleep was... difficult. Jorldin wasn't used to the downright wonderful accommodations that the Nolia academy provided. While it's true he had a good home for the past 8 years, the young man had never shook his habit of living as simply as possible. When he was alone on the streets, it was a matter of necessity. When he was given a home, it was a matter of personal preference. After becoming a vampire, it was a matter of the heart. In the midst of living under the heel of the undead, modest living felt like an innately human thing to him, it brought Joryldin comfort. Luxury made what was left of his stomach churn, and the heavenly queen-sized bed he was provided with did nothing to help.

Just like almost every day since he was turned, nightmares plagued Joryldin's slumber. They always started the same, with himself as an orphan cowering in some dark alley as figures run past, silhouetted by the moonlight. He was always cold, hungry, and alone, but never scared. He had a knife, and nothing to lose. No animal fights with greater fury and viciousness than when it's cornered, and that's what he was to them, right? Nothing more than a wild animal? Usually the nightmares ended just as he was found, but tonight was different. A man stood in the threshold of the alley, and two glowing red eyes pierced the night. As a car meandered its way past, the headlights revealed the face of the threat.

The vampire in question was unmistakably Joryldin himself.

Though something was wrong, there was a madness in his face that went beyond words. A psychotic smile that only shows itself in the most broken men. The vampire's voice was different. Calm, confident, smooth... Nothing like his usual tone.

"What are you still doing here?"
The horrid caricature of himself stepped forward, looming over what he used to be.
"It's too late now, you're one of them. Why keep fighting it? It won't amount to any good. We're all slaves to their great machine, nothing will ever change that."
Hugging his dagger like a stuffed animal, Joryldin shook his head. Tears began welling in his eyes.
"You're w-wrong... It's just that everybody g-gave up instead of trying."
The vampire's grin shone bright in that dark alley. His fangs sparkled.
"Because unlike you, they knew better."
It took a step back and spread its arms wide.
"You either join, submit, or die. Be grateful they gave you the mercy of the first choice, and enjoy it."

With that final message, the dream ended. Joryldin bolted upright in his bed, gasping for air, only to dump himself back onto the mattress as he processed everything... He'd spent his whole life struggling against the tide and trying to stay afloat, cursing the sharks who swam with it gladly and devoured those who drowned. Finding himself a shark now, returning to land was made impossible. If he struggled against his new nature, he would starve and the others would tear apart what was left. Joryldin couldn't stomach the idea of sinking so low as to be the monster in his nightmare, submitting to the order of vampiric life and lording himself over those blessed to still be alive. Right then and there, he made a resolution: If he couldn't fight the tide, he would keep others afloat. Nolia was a place where the living and the undead were supposed to come together in harmony, and he would do whatever he could to embody that vision.

Joryldin got out of his bed. The rich sheets were making him sick. He quickly opened his phone and checked the time. 7:30 PM. He needed to get ready for orientation, but the sun was still just barely out. A long shower served to pass the time, but the thinking time only brought more of the same...

He got dressed, grabbed his things and was pretty much ready for the day, but then the hunger hit him. The chalice Joryldin downed the previous night was more than he would normally allow himself in a week, and it was delicious. After being starved on and off for a month, his body craved more, and Joryldin couldn't risk using up the few vials he brought. With no other option, he opened up his phone and texted his roommate.

"Good mo-" No, he hadn't woken up in the morning for weeks now... But saying "good evening" to somebody who just woke up sounded dumb. He cleared the message and simply asked,

"Is it safe to come out yet? I'm all packed for the day but I kinda need your help with something before we head out..."

---

The vampire had been silent since Max had last spoke. Apparently he'd offended him. Whatever.

He trailed behind Morrigan wordlessly, taking in the scenery of his new home with fleeting interest. The quiet, almost suburban quality of the housing was cozy, yet reasonably luxurious, and the gardens were nice, he guessed, but it wasn't anything awe-inspiring in his eyes. Nighttime always did sour the aesthetics of nature for him. It was ironic, a city can change from a soulless expanse of gray into a lively stretch of neon in the dark, but nature - even the artificial replication of nature present in a simple garden - seemed to lose its grandeur as the sun faded; shifting from something beautiful into something dull at best and mysterious or threatening at worst.

As they reached their dorm, Max fanned himself innocuously with the envelope addressed to him as Morrigan opened the door and casually followed as the vampire hurried inside.

"I guess I’m going to go ahead and get some rest, orientation tomorrow and all."

The boy rushed off before Max could respond. Not that he would've given more than an acknowledging grunt. Definitely offended, then. Or maybe intimidated - a laughable notion, but not entirely implausible.

He did a quick walkthrough of the house, excluding the room Morrigan had claimed. Comfortable, although the kitchen gave him pause. Was food provided? Would he have a choice in what he gets? He'd have to ask. He strolled back to the unclaimed bedroom, finally opening the envelope he'd been given. Meaningless congratulatory welcome, orientation starting time, and a notice that he'd likely be stuck with Morrigan from midnight onward. Great. The schedule behind it was more of interest. He couldn't glean any particulars about how he'd be using magic - that's right, he had magic now - out of the class titles, but he supposed there was no need for the use of magic to be broken into multiple classes when one or two would suffice. Helps tie the concepts together, he'd assume.

Max started peeling off layers of clothing, taking a minute to hastily put his belongings away and change into something more comfortable. He plopped down on his bed with an annoyed huff, shuffling under the blankets. He'd tried to get acclimated to being awake at night rather than the day prior to this, but he'd underestimated the schedule he'd be put on. At least the tiredness would help him ignore the discomfort that came with falling asleep in an unfamiliar locale. Or so he thought. He still spent a good hour staring at the ceiling, too tired to get up but too awake to sleep.

He didn't know when he finally got to sleep, but when he came to, the room was dark. Of course, it always is without natural lighting. He didn't see any light under the door either, which meant Morrigan was either still asleep or hadn't turned the lights on. Wouldn't surprise him. Max opted to lay there in silence rather than move; not much had changed since last night, he still felt drained. Part of him wondered if he had even slept at all.

---

@HecateProxy

As they neared the noble dormitory buildings, a warm sense of familiarity blossomed in Aaron's chest. He'd only been away from home for a few hours, but still the sight of Noila family colours brought him some comfort; he hadn't quite realized how tense he'd been until he relaxed a little at the sight.

Looking around inside revealed more of a neutral atmosphere, gold tones on soothing white - a calm environment for a stressed student. The front door opened into a hallway, with a dining room on the left and a sitting room on the right. Aaron stood in the entryway as Varis explored, closing the front door and glancing around at what rooms he could see as he waited for Varis to make the first rounds. He wanted to check out the house too, but truth be told he was a little nervous. No matter; there'd be time for that later.

It didn't take Varis long to finish his inspection, though Aaron did note he spent more time in one bedroom than the other, probably his own. When he had satisfied himself, he called down the hall with an order for Aaron to unpack and meet him in the study. Aaron gave Varis an affirmative nod as he passed him in the hallway, peering into each room and promptly entering the one which already held his belongings. Strange, he thought, that it was the same one in which the Count had lingered.

He took only a minute or so to explore the bedroom, bathroom, and closet before he started unpacking, quite pleased with the accommodations. It didn't take long to get himself situated, having cleverly packed his expertly folded clothes in sections easily relocated to drawers and hangers. His other belongings moved quickly as well, toiletries finding homes in the bathroom and various books and other stationery, including a number of journals, nestled neatly on shelves. Aaron let his mind wander as he worked, finding comfort and calm in the tedium, but his reverie had to fade away when he had finished his task. The whole production only took about fifteen minutes; Aaron was sure he'd move things around and personalize his room as he got comfortable here, but that could wait.

With everything in its place and his empty luggage stowed out of sight on the high shelves in his closet, Aaron felt the room was ready. He opted to remove his sword and scabbard from his hip before leaving, hanging the unit carefully in the closet before he went to the study. He'd find a better home for it later, but for now, the closet would do. Looking over the neatly arranged room once more, he suddenly wished there was more to be done, but everything was nicely in place, and he had no excuse to stay in there any longer. He hadn't been quite aware of it, but he was inwardly dreading that trip down the hall.

Aaron took another deep breath to stretch out the nervous constriction in his chest and made his way to the study, where he found Varis seated at one of the desks with a few sealed letters in front of him. Stopping a short distance away from the desks, he straightened his posture and folded his hands behind his back once more, spinning his ring. He opted to stay silent this time, thinking it wise to let the Count do the talking.

Suddenly, he was acutely aware that he and the vampire were entirely alone, free from the scrutiny - or perhaps the security - of any prying eyes. After having experienced what Varis could and would do in public view, Aaron wasn't sure how that made him feel; a certain nagging tightness in his gut put him a little on edge, not unlike a prey animal in the vicinity of a predator. As much as he wished his prior confidence to return, he was struggling to find it. He forced his mind away from the subject, inwardly scolding himself for being such a coward, and stayed firm in his posture as he waited for Varis to speak.

Arianna Dracul Eve

---

Arianna felt a thrum of glee run down her spine as Lilie answered her question with a most relevant inquiry, but kept a modest pace to make sure Lilie was comfortable keeping up with her.

She nearly let her self-control slip for the sake of a happy grin, albeit she felt that might come off as predatory....thus she didn't will to make the grin. Rather, she wished to merely let her gentle and small smile remain instead upon her lovely features, as soothing and soft as fresh silk and the tone of her voice. She had been waiting for this moment for too long! Too long indeed to be able to converse with her mage partner for life! Er...for the mage's life? Well, perhaps that depended on if the mage was eventually turned, though the odds of that were low in and of....wait. She didn't need to be thinking about all of this just yet, now did she? Oh dear, there her mind was going again, off and away as it delved into fantasies of what could or yet potentially occur.

Lightly shaking her head to clear it, gracefully as if she had practiced it all her life, Arianna looked back at Lilie to speak. Albeit, she could see their dorm approaching.

"Ah...i apologize, it seems i drifted off in thought for a moment. Haha. But as mundane as it could seem to some out there, i'd like to know more about your life. Who you are, as it were, my dear."

As they approached the dorm, Arianna would open up the door for Lilie, and close it whenever they both were inside. The bolt would be locked shut, in a calm and non-hostile manner akin to wanting to keep out intruders, as if someone was just getting home from an event and going about the automatic task of locking the door behind them. Then Arianna opened up her envelope and took out its contents, taking a quick but apt scan over her schedule and such things. Her face seemed to take on a furtive, but serene, sort of expression as she read it over and soaked in the details. After a moment, she gently folded back up the paper, holding it with the envelope in her right hand.

She then smiled once more, looking to Lilie, not seeming to skip a beat in the process.

"As it were, you need not fear speaking to me about yourself or any such thing. As companions here, i desire to get to know you well, and i hope you shall feel free enough to ask about myself as well.

It is such a shame, to put it mildly, on how some of my kind treat their partners. Especially a certain bunch....ah, but others despite that are more tender, show greater care to treat you all as the sentient beings you are alongside ours. I desire to be among the latter group, though i've been told my personality is a tad...overwhelming."

Arianna let off a small peal of laughter after, which rung in the building as pure as the cascading, silver steams of moonlight outside were apt to be. Though as she quieted down, a sort of....human look seemed to come about her, less of the airs she usually had and more of the look of a real person, imperfect with emotions and all. Truly not something she...was fully comfortable with, but yet she felt it would be a show of good faith to her new partner here. She wanted to make her comfortable, albeit she would be making herself very comfortable here as well when it came down to it.

Perhaps Lilie might be hungry after such a public event though? Hmm....she'd be patient, waiting for the other girl to speak politely.

But if her darling mage was hungry, she could provide for her! After all, she herself had practiced with her own mother with this human cooking business, not a bad thing really. It was fun, and though not her sort of nourishment she could appreciate the smells and sensations even if her own hunger never arose with them. She'd...kept up practice since then as well, calling it a hobby despite her father rolling his decrepit eyes at the sight.

@Hero

Varis continued writing, ignoring the mage for now. He finished the letters meant for the other nobles and the groundskeeper and started writing directly to his Lady, explaining his new mage and what accommodations he would require. He paused and looked up once, letting his gaze drift critically over the mage once more, before returning to his letter. Hopefully, the items would arrive sooner rather than later and the boy could be marked with the house. He carefully sealed off the last letter and placed it next to the other.

Varis schooled his features into bored apathy as he finished, turning to the mage. He watched for several moments, completely still, as the boy fiddled with something. The vampire made a mental note of that as well. Something explore later. Varis let out a dramatic sigh, his expression shifting into haughty disappointment as he leaned back in his chair.

“You disappointed me earlier. Why?”

Waiting for Varis to speak was agony, and all it did was give Aaron’s mind time to race through every possible thing that could happen when the vampire finally put down that pen, almost none of them good. He squirmed under the vampire’s harsh gaze, not really moving of course, but visibly uncomfortable.

When he finally did speak, Aaron longed instead for the stressful silence of before. A spike of nervousness turned his gut, and his heart started pounding in his ears.

What had he done? What could he possibly have done in the scant hour he’d spent so far under Varis’ control? His eyes fell to the floor and he was clearly distressed at the thought as he wracked his brain for any wrongdoing. He had knelt for the Count, endured his display before his old tutors, he’d answered every question, complied with his demands thus far… How had he managed to fail so quickly?

Searching for answers and coming up blank, Aaron realized he’d been hesitating too long. Finally he thought back to the only reprimand he’d received throughout the night and took a gamble.

”I was… boastful?” he suggested, ultimately sounding more like a question than a statement, ”I bragged about my skills without considering that you would require proof?”

One of Varis’ brows rose slowly as Aaron stumbled over his response. What did the Noilas teach this poor excuse of an attendant? He seemed promising originally but apparently his gilded exterior was all there was to him. Varis clicked his tongue irritably and pulled out another sheet of paper, quickly titling it “Mage” and jotted down the mental notes he made so far, adding guessing problem to the list.

Mortals have an idiom: to take a stab in the dark. It means to make assertions with little to no know way of validating their accuracy. I find the dark tends to stab back and you are no good to me bleeding out. If you don’t know something, I expect you to take responsibility for your lack of knowledge, suffer the consequences, and learn. Guessing only irritates me.” Varis said. “You hesitated before you knelt. If it was a court function, those few moments would have been a clear sign of disrespect. As a Noila trained mage, I expect better. I’ll ask again. Why?”

Aaron mentally kicked himself for being stupid as he weathered the Count’s reprimand. All the uncertainty was killing him; he couldn’t tell if he was confused because he was nervous or if he really was just a little slow on the uptake. He didn’t think he was, but the way Varis spoke, as if his transgressions were self-evident, made him doubt himself.

And of course his criticisms made sense. Just because Aaron had been treated leniently so far by the Noilas didn’t mean he could ride on their coattails forever. And Varis was right, he was a mage trained by the royal family. A descendant of the original mage attendant. Granted he’d only ever been told to kneel at formal royal functions, still, he should know better.

”I hesitated,” he replied, eyes forward, ”because I hadn’t anticipated being required to kneel. I was foolish to think that, and it will not happen again.”

Varis nodded at the response. “I expect not. Moving forward, you will obey my orders without hesitation unless you are confused as how to execute them. In that case, you are permitted follow up questions for clarification if necessary. Since your response was satisfactory, I will forgive you this one time.” Varis relaxed his posture slightly and let his hand fall on the desk again, tapping softly. Varis took a moment to circle Pride on his list. His information was woefully lacking about the boy. He needed more and what better way than to add a little stress. A wicked little smile curled up at the corner of his lip.

“I am well aware this situation may be strange to you. You grew up molded for the Noilas only to be given away at the last moment. In consideration and to better our relationship as master and servant, you may ask five questions disregarding our class, position, or titles. You’ll suffer no repercussions for any of those five questions. However, you only have ten minutes to ask them.” The vampire pulled out his phone and set a timer. “Starting now.” He hit start and the timer counted down. He watched the mage intently.

Aaron was grateful for the Count’s forgiveness, but he was still far from relaxed. He saw the vampire circle something on his paper, but the angle made it impossible for him to read. When Varis spoke again, Aaron noticed a hint of possible compassion, but it was laced with something else he couldn’t determine. Nonetheless, the vampire’s smile made him uneasy.

Regardless, Aaron was promised no repercussions, and he wanted to take advantage of that. Fortunately, time limits had never been a huge problem for him; he’d always done well in timed assessments, unlike some for whom the ticking of a clock clouded their minds. Unfortunately, he was rather unprepared for this particular challenge. He had spent his time thus far metaphorically tripping over his own feet trying not to misstep, and mulling over questions that would need to be posed to the Noilas, not the Sinnenodel Count before him. For a good thirty seconds he simply thought before speaking.

The first was simple enough. ”Earlier you mentioned your expectations of my skills. How high are they?”

More precious time passed as he carefully considered his words, staring all the while at the countdown on Varis’ phone. He had a suspicion that any clarifying questions would be counted in their own right, and he didn’t want to waste his opportunity on an error in phrasing.

”I’m well aware of your Lady’s opinion of the royal family. Will my association with them have consequences regarding my treatment?” His stomach started to quiver a bit as he spoke, but he tried to swallow his nervousness. No repercussions, he had to take the Count at his word. Although, judging by the events in the courtyard earlier, Aaron suspected he might know the answer to that question. Nonetheless, he wanted to know for sure.

He fidgeted ever more earnestly with his ring behind his back, spinning it and moving it from finger to finger as he watched the seconds tick down.

”If I were to defy or disobey you, or disappoint you again, what sort of punishment should I expect?” Truth be told he was a little scared to hear the answer to that one.

He started a count on his fingers, halting his fidgeting. Three questions. Two to go. Apparently he had hesitated longer between questions than he thought - or maybe he was speaking more slowly than he meant to - because now he only had five minutes left on the timer.

”How and how often do you intend to feed on me?” He worried that one might be a waste of a no-consequences question, but in that moment it was the only one that came to mind.

His mind raced, and for some reason he struggled to come up with questions. What killed him was that he knew a million of them would come to mind the instant that timer hit zero.

Time was ticking. Suddenly, a little piece of gossip from home came to mind, and first he didn’t dare utter his question. But he’d been promised no repercussions, and his curiosity got the better of him.

”You’re Lady Sinnenodel’s protege,” he began, ”It sounds to me like she’s grooming you for court. If I remember correctly you’re the youngest in a family that was frankly inconsequential in your clan. And while you’ve been exalted, the rest of your family has been exiled; why did she choose you?”

Aaron’s heart raced at his courage (or perhaps his foolishness) as he turned his eyes from the phone to the vampire and the timer ran down to zero.

While Aaron spoke, Varis wrote his questions for further consideration. He honestly expected not to respond. He specifically left out promising him answers for the sole purpose of brushing them aside. But the questions were both reasonable and, in the case of the last one, fun. Plus if he wanted the boy to think critically in the future, he would have to reward him periodically. And his reaction to the last question’s response should provide for some amusement. Varis silenced his timer and put his phone away. He picked up the sheet, considering the questions carefully.

“I expect your skills high enough to combat a three hundred year old vampire with a vendetta. Hopefully, we won’t need to deal with that soon but Sinnenodels are tenacious, especially ones with bruised egos.” Varis counted the questions on his fingers as he spoke. “Around my Lady, yes it will. Keep quiet and your head down in her presence and you’ll make it out alive at least. As long as you prove your loyalty to me, I will not consider it an issue however.” He counted the second question. “Your punishment will be considered with the infraction. I disapprove of physical punishment and only use it as a last resort. However, I am both creative and harsh. I find punishments shouldn’t only affect you but those who you insulted or hurt and those who assisted in the infraction. I would consider that carefully in the future. As for feeding, I enjoy drinking a variety of blood types so it depends on the quality of your blood and your mood. I dislike soured blood so I expect when I go to feed on you, you will inform me of your emotional state. I have drank plenty tonight and plan to open a bottle tomorrow for our guests so I will taste you the following evening once you’ve awoken and bathed.” As Varis reached the last question, his smile turned smug and a scheming look crossed his face.

“As for the question of my status, you’ll need to understand more about our house and one of its biggest secrets. If this leaves your mouth, willingly or not, I will personally torture you and then kill you.” Varis leaned back again. “Lady Sinnenodel and the Queen are the two oldest known vampires in existence. Each one predates our treaty by several centuries. Vampires who’ve seen so many years grow bored easily, tiring of the simple pleasures in a matter of moments. Lady Sinnenodel’s choice of pleasure, as one may easily assume, is discord and strife. It has defined our very house and affects it the same as it does everyone else. Every century or two, my Lady grows tired of her protege and grants them another position, highly ranked and honored, or disposes of them. She then pits her house against each other for the spot, watching as the many branches cannibalize each other until new heads of households are created and she selects one as her new favorite toy.” Varis’ eyes grew distant, an almost fond look on his face replacing his smugness.

“My branch family consisted of my father, mother, my two elder siblings, and myself. My mother passed away long ago, shortly after my twenty fifth birthday, and left me with the older ones. My father produced a new heir every hundred years, leaving me with a significant age gap. None of us saw eye to eye in a vicious way. When Lady Sinnenodel announced the open spot, my siblings thought me little less than a nuisance, a fly on the wall. I was only fifty two after all. So I thwarted their pathetic schemes, sold them and father to a group of rogue mages, and waited a month or two before handing the information over to my Lady. They were unfortunately saved but the mages were slaughtered. They didn’t even know it was me until Lady Sinnenodel revealed the details of my success. And with my new position, I exiled them personally.” Varis smirked at the end, waiting for the boy’s response.

Aaron listened intently to Varis’ answers, finally letting out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The Count was true to his word and didn’t reprimand him for his questions; his answers were blunt and succinct, and Aaron was thankful for it. He made a point to make mental notes of each answer, especially those which involved his treatment and behaviour.

That now-familiar spike of fear shot through Aaron again, however, when Varis answered his last question. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in his mind that Varis would make good on his bloody promise if Aaron were to leak this information, but the “willingly or not” clause was cause for concern. Why would he have to admit anything against his will? Was Varis just covering his bases, or did he expect something to happen?

The vampire’s story fascinated Aaron the way a trainwreck fascinates passerby. It inspired awe, but an ominous shadow hung over it, and another twinge of fear gripped Aaron’s gut at the thought of Varis’ ruthlessness toward his own family. He took it as a warning.

”I won’t say a word,” Aaron offered when Varis was done, ”Thank you for your honesty, and for the opportunity.” He thought for a few seconds before adding, ”I intend to serve you loyally, if you’ll have me, for the duration of my life, and I hope I will live up to your expectations.”

”Is that so? I’m touched.” Varis said with a hint of sarcasm. He stood quickly and moved to the mage, a teasing glint left in his eye despite the now apathetic expression on his face. Varis stood a few inches shorter but had no problem slipping his hand slowly through the mage’s hair and pulling him down to the vampire’s level.

”And if I ordered you to my bed, would you serve me just as loyally?” Varis asked, purposely softening his voice in the boy’s ear and letting his lips skim across the rim of his ear. He had no intention, it didn’t benefit the vampire at all right now, but he felt like leaving the mage’s conviction shakier than it seemed. He released the back of the mage’s head and stepped past him. ”There are five letters that need to be delivered. The three directed towards the other nobles attending the Academy may be left in their mailboxes or at their door. The other two need to be sent out in ours. As for keys to the dorm, I will hold onto both copies. If you wish to leave or return, you will do so at my side. Afterwards you are free to go about your business so long as I do not require anything else. I expect you up by eight pm. There will be a delivery of strawberry danishes and fresh ground coffee from town. Remember what I said earlier about waste.” With that, Varis departed to his room, moving a little quicker than normal at the prospect of soaking in the bath.

Having opted to walk to the dorms, the pair walked down the enlightened path for a silent and very long ten minutes. While somewhat athletic, and fairly healthy, Dakota would have much preferred to take the bus that had been seen rolling by a few minutes prior. A quick note was made to learn the schedules later if they were going to be a regular thing on such a larger campus. Still, if Jorlydin was really having such a difficult time adjusting, it wouldn’t have sat right to abandon him on something so simple as a walk.

At last the pair made their way toward a row of apartments, large clusters of living spaces lining the road like some kind of gated community. The majority of the other students were shuffled along the same direction as they had been, a few exceptions routed in a completely different direction toward what Dakota assumed to be special living accomodations. What set those few students apart, the young mage couldn’t tell, but the thoughts were only present a few moments before other details took the spotlight.

Before they were allowed entrance into the housing units, the students were shuffled through a gate dotted with security guards. As expected, their ever watchful eyes scanned the scores of people for any signs of trouble that might arise. Dakota assumed they were keeping eyes out for weapons of any sort, or faces that didn’t seem like they belonged in the crowd, but as Joryldin and Dakota passed through a shiver ran down Dakota’s spine. A pair of eyes fell upon the back of the mage’s head, lingering for a few moments longer than what made them comfortable before the sensation was lifted. Dakota fought the urge to turn around and stare back at the guards, demanding to know what it was that they did, instead forcing their focus forward at the housing units they were now quickly approaching.

Dakota slowed their pace, allowing Jorlydin to take the lead at this point. Standing back a few feet, the young mage watched the vampire open a mailbox that had their names engraved on a plaque. Inside was an envelope, which he swiftly produced a key and approached the door. Breath held in anticipation, Dakota had to fight a small squee of excitement as the key turned in the lock, door swinging open so that the pair could enter.

“Wow… I don’t think I’ve ever seen an apartment this nice.” Dakota had to agree. The Brookes weren’t from a low class family by any means. They always had food on the table, they took regular vacations, and the house that they lived in was rather nice as well. There was, however, something completely different about the space the pair were entering from Dakota’s old house. Somehow, it just felt fancier. Almost as if they were entering some hotel suite at an expensive retreat.

“No kidding.”

Stepping after Jorlydin, Dakota gently shut the door behind the pair and made to enter the space after their partner. As quick as they entered, lights around the space began to turn on, leaving the mage temporarily blinded as their eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting. Blinking the spots away, Dakota chuckled and made their way slowly toward the kitchen space to thrown away the disposable plate they had been eating from. Somewhere behind the youth, the fridge could be heard opening and closing before a gust of air took off into another direction.

Wandering about the main living space, Dakota’s eyes were drawn first to the flat screen which had already been switched on. There were a couple of gaming consoles the mage had packed that would easily fit if organized right, though it seemed that somebody else had the same idea by the looks of a Nintendo Switch already in place. A small smile curled the corner of Dakota’s lips at the sight. The pair might end up getting along better than Dakota originally anticipated.

Eventually Dakota’s eyes fell upon the casually dressed vampire, large sweatpants and a hoodie a clear indication that he was already trying to make himself as comfortable as possible in the situation.

“I’ll take the room on the left since it’s smaller. I don’t have much.” The boy said, walking over and opening the curtains to the unit’s only glass portal to the outside world. Just on the other side of the sliding doors was a furnished patio and backyard, artificial lights shining softly across the landscape.

“I’m gonna head to bed… You enjoy the sunrise, ok?” Before Dakota could say anything more, Jorlydin had already disappeared to the room he had claimed as his own. The mage heaved a sigh, eyes lingering down the hallway for a few moments after the vampire had taken his leave. From the short time they had spent together, Dakota had learned quite a lot about the boy they were partnered with. Whatever happened in his past was business to be delved into at a much later time; first they had to work on building some sort of trust between them.

At first glance, Jorlydin looked like the reserved, independant type but Dakota knew better. It wasn’t so much independence out of choice as it was out of necessity, a learned habit born from mistrust and seen often in kids that had been abused. The mage wondered if they would ever know the specifics but knew better than to push for such information. It was clear, gauging from the incident back at the welcoming party, that Jorlydin had little trust for others and even less so for himself. It wouldn’t be easy, but Dakota wouldn’t feel right leaving him to suffer in silence when it was all so obvious.

Another sigh, Dakota shook their head and slapped the palms of their hands against the sides of their face. With Jorlydin now in bed, Dakota had the entirety of the space to explore alone. The space was beyond impressive to the human, wide eyes taking in every detail that they could possibly manage. Before long, Dakota had found their way back to the bedrooms, making their way quietly so as not to disturb Jorlydin. With the size of everything, not to mention the sheer quality of building materials used, Dakota doubted there was any risk of being a nuisance… but they thought it better to be safe rather than sorry.

Dakota’s jaw dropped as they entered the room, eyes widening with renewed excitement as they entered the space. Any previous hesitations at Jorlydin’s request for the ‘smaller’ room were quickly dashed as it was made clear just what sizing scale they were talking about. The room was easily the size of the Dakota’s parent’s master bedroom. It even had a private bathroom attached, something the mage was looking forward to after years of sharing with their younger siblings. Looking around the room, Dakota noticed that their belongings had already been loaded up into the room, something immediately nagging at the back of their mind.

When they had arrived, both occupants belongings had already been delivered to the apartment. As they had not been out in the living room when they entered, it could only be assumed that the suitcases had already been shuffled into the rooms to await unpackings.

The rooms had already been decided… The thought was a short but important one, something dawning on the mage as they pieced things together. Either someone had predicted that Jorlydin would want the smaller room, or the vampire had gone through the trouble of moving all of Dakota’s belongings just so that he could give them the larger living space. Another mental note was made.

After spending a little time getting used to the new surroundings and unpacking some of their belongings, Dakota made for the kitchen and rummaged around the cupboards. Picking a dark mug from the cabinet, Dakota set to brewing some tea before opening the sliding glass door and exiting into the crisp morning air. The sun had just begun its daily ascension above the horizon, the sky streaked with pastel colors growing more intense with every passing moment. Dakota wasn’t used to being outside at sunrise, usually held up in some makeshift workshop or completely lost in the action of a video game. It was strangely nice to be able to witness the start of day, especially when sunlight was to be a scarcity for them moving forward.

Taking a seat in one of the patio chairs Dakota sipped at the scalding tea, too impatient to wait for it to cool any further. Off in the distance voices could still be heard, no doubt fellow mages that chose to stay up to watch the sunrise or had yet to adjust to the new sleeping schedules required of their new lifestyle.

It was probably about ten before Dakota felt their eyelids growing heavy, the mage stretching as they finally stood from the chair. Switching off all the lights their house was in control of, Dakota retreated back inside and set the mug in the sink to be washed later. Returning to the sliding doors, Dakota pulled the curtains closed in case Joryldin had some sleep walking habit he had not made anyone aware of. Just before making the trek back to the bedrooms, the envelope that had been in the mailbox caught the mage’s attention. In the excitement of discovery, the paper had all but been forgotten by Dakota, the secondary key still inside.

Picking up the letter, Dakota scanned its contents for anything that stood out as being important for the pair. The mage thought it strange at first that the pairs would be separated for their orientations, after all they were all new to the school, but the more thought was put into it the more it began to make sense. Despite the things both parties would have to learn together, there was more than likely twice as much that did not apply to the partnerships and thus would have no need for the other to cover. Taking note of the start time, Dakota planned out the morning to fit the most amount of sleep while still allowing a moment for food. Schedule folded neatly, the mage placed it gently back down on the table before walking away.

Looking around at their personal belongings, Dakota realized that only a fraction of their belongs had actually been unpacked and placed. With a shrug of their shoulders, the mage decided the task could be done at a later time and dressed for bed. Shutting off all the lights, Dakota crawled into the large bed and passed out.



If the mage dreamed, there was no memory upon awakening. Glancing at the clock, Dakota groaned to see the time hadn’t even reached seven yet, the mage turning over and zoning out for a while until the distant sound of a running shower broke the trance. Rolling out of bed, Dakota shuffled sluggishly toward the bathroom and spent nearly a whole minute just staring at the reflection in the mirror.

Having taken it down to sleep, the brown locks stood out in several directions giving the appearance that a brush had not touched them in at least a month. A large yawn broke the silence of the room, followed by the sound of running water from the sink. Hair pulled back, Dakota splashed the cool water into their face before setting to brushing their teeth. The idea of a shower ran through the mage’s head, but Dakota knew the warm water would just end up too relaxing; an embrace threatening to pull its occupant back into the depth of slumber.

Shutting off the water, Dakota made their way back into the main part of the room to change. Clothes were among the few things the mage had gotten around to unpacking before sunrise, shortly after the most important of the electronics, and before the school supplies that had been packed on Dakota’s behalf. While the clothes from the party had been nice, it was far too stuffy for the youth’s tastes.

“It’s just orientation… Shouldn’t be too bad, right?” With a sigh, Dakota pulled a soft yellow button down shirt from the wardrobe. Eyes shifting downward, the mage debated a few things over in their head before reaching back into a different door to produce a sports bra. All the days to come, Dakota was far too lazy on this particular one to deal with a proper binder. Tops in place, Dakota retrieved a pair of brown pants and squeezed into them before snagging a jacket from the nearby closet.

A soft buzz from the bed drew the mage’s attention, the small blue light indicating a text message had been sent to her device.

At this time? Who in the blazing fu- Pressing the power button, the light from the phone’s screen illuminated the immediate area and half blinded the unprepared Dakota. The number that appeared on the screen was not one the mage recognized, unsaved to any name, but the words speaking of familiarity.

-Is it safe to come out yet? I’m all packed for the day but I kinda need your help with something before we head out… Despite being unsure of when Joryldin had acquired said phone number, Dakota shrugged and exited their own room, crossing to knock on Joryldin’s.

“Don’t worry, I closed the curtains before I went to bed in case you needed something while I was sleeping. You can come out now.” Flinging the jacket over their right shoulder, Dakota stepped back and awaited for the vampire to make his appearance.

“How can I help?” They followed up, sincerely pleased that Jorlydin would already be trusting enough to ask for assistance despite his gloomy disposition.

“Don’t worry, I closed the curtains before I went to bed in case you needed something while I was sleeping. You can come out now... How can I help?”

Joryldin cursed himself for being so hasty and stupid. He barely new this girl, and yet he succumbed to his hunger enough to almost ask her for blood. It was pathetic and disgusting. Like... Like... Like something a vampire would do... He decided to go hungry for today. If necessary, he could ask at a more appropriate time, tomorrow before class. Of course, now he needed something else to tell her. Dakota had already read him like a book the night prior, so he thought for a moment until he came up with something solid. After all, half-truths are a lot harder to discern than lies.

The fledgling opened his door, and Dakota was met with a soft smile. Joryldin stood straight, though a slight bend in his knees and the way his arm dangled loose at his side gave the impression of a melancholy, relaxed nature that he worked so hard to keep up. Joryldin wore that same comically oversized hoodie, with said hood pulled well over his eyes for her sake. Underneath was a rather nice button-down, contrasted by jeans that looked like they went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson in his prime. He pushed a curl of grey hair out of his mouth and said,

"Good mo- I mean, evening... How'd you sleep? Those beds really are something else aren't they?"

Dakota’s head cocked to the side at the moment of silence that followed the question, wondering if Joryldin had forgotten something back in his room. Shifting to take a step forward, the mage hesitated as the sound of a hand touching the knob filled the quiet space. Maintaining their position, Dakota took in the sight of their vampire partner with a touch of confusion. The most elite school in the country, perhaps the entire world, and here he stood wearing tattered jeans and the same oversized hoodie from the morning before. Still, who was Dakota to judge? It wasn’t as if they had gone out of their way to dress up for orientation either.

The mage quick to notice that Joryldin had taken extra precautions to cover his eyes, using not only his tousled hair but the hood of the jacket as well. A brief moment of regret twinged at Dakota, feeling partially responsible for the extra caution the vampire was taking to hide his face from the world. There was another feeling that quickly overpowered the first, however, Dakota’s heart falling to the gut as he finally spoke.

“Good mo- I mean, evening… How’d you sleep? Those beds really are something else aren’t they?” While it was a question, it was far from a request for help in any form or fashion. A diversion, and a poor one at that. Deciding to play along for a little while, Dakota raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

“...Yeah I guess? A bed’s a bed, anywhere comfortable I can lay my head down works well enough for me.” Slipping a moderately sized smartphone from the pocket of their pants, Dakota checked the time and nodded in the direction of the larger living space.

“We’re gonna have to leave soon if we want to make it on time. Just gotta grab something small from the fridge. Did you need anything before we head out?” The offer was designed to give Jorlydin a second chance at asking for whatever it was he hinted at needing help with. There couldn’t be much that vampire would need help from a human with, so Dakota had an inkling as to what he was asking for but with so many variables it was difficult to discern even for the crafty youth.

Joryldin let out a defeated sigh and averted his gaze to the heavy curtains covering the back door. "About that... I know this is gonna sound dumb, but I've never been on a school campus before. I've always been home-schooled." This was actually true, and he was pretty embarrassed about it. If Dakota could see him, his eyes would be a very bashful pink. "Think you could give me some advice? How to make friends, stay away from enemies... stuff like that? I figure it's a bit more of a process than what I'm used to..."

To be fair, he never bothered making friends before now. They were usually dead weight and trying to keep track of two people's necks would get the both of you killed. The whole mess of this social environment was taking him for a loop, and he'd already slipped up more than enough times to learn his lesson. He wasn't going to risk going a step further without some guidance. There was also the issue of the hunger gnawing at his insides. At least now it was more like conventional hunger, but he still winced a little at a sudden pang. Staying on the safe side, he discretely grabbed a vial from the fridge after Dakota snagged something for breakfast.

---

---

Minfilia could feel her cheeks flush red the moment Amaris’ lips touched her skin. An invigorating chill danced along her spine and the air around her felt as if it was frozen in time. Her chest felt warm – her heart fluttered with a sensation she could not describe. To stand before the Countess as a mere human and be treated equal left the young mage speechless. The Marivaldi house was known for their fairness and respect of their mage counterparts, this much she knew. Yet there was something different with Amaris. A sincerity and kindness that Minfilia had not thought possible from someone whose heart no longer beat.

In the comfort of privacy, Minfilia may have been left speechless by the gesture. Though she had already blundered once tonight, letting herself be overwhelmed by the picturesque beauty of her mistress. She would not make the same mistake twice.

“Lady Marivaldi, you flatter me. Then, as your companion, it is my wish to see to your every need. Please understand; I do this of my own volition and not out of servitude.” Minfilia stubbornly declared, letting her hand drop down by her side once Amaris released it from her tender grasp. When her lady spoke of her father, Viktor, Minfilia couldn’t help but beam with pride. It was comforting to know that her relations had put her in good standing with the nobles.

“I have a lot to live up to. It is my hope that in the coming years, I will be able to exceed my father’s legacy as a mage.” Minfilia’s eyes glistened with determination. She was nothing if not driven. Even if Amaris was simply to be a means to an end, she had no doubt maintaining a positive relationship with her mistress would only aid her in reaching her goal.

When Amaris offered to wait for Minfilia to tie up any loose ends, the young lady simply shook her head and held up her hand in protest.
“Now that I have made your acquaintance, I have no business here. If you wish to retire to the dorms, then I will happily oblige.” In truth, Minfilia was starting to feel drowsy. Many a yawn had been stifled this evening. She wasn’t sure how long she would be able to maintain such a regal persona while exhaustion crept up on her. She gestured for Amaris to lead the way, following suit towards the dorms.



The trip to the dorms was relatively quiet. Amaris wished for Minfilia to speak freely about herself, but she didn’t have much to say. Mostly she spoke of Berlin and all the little pleasures of home she would miss. Any prodding on the vampire’s part for more personal details was quickly met with a convenient Segway into another topic. Soon, there was nothing but silence. A quiet request on Minfilia’s part to cease discussion on such matters. Who she was wasn’t important – it was who she was going to be.

Upon arriving at the Marivaldi dorm and retrieving their keys from the mail, Minfilia took a moment to inspect their living quarters. Needless to say, the Noila’s had outdone themselves in both comfort and style. The young mage stepped out onto the patio, admiring the gorgeous view of the woods. Under the moonlight, the dark canopy of the forest held a certain whimsy and charm to it.

Turning back towards the living area, Minfilia began to remove the flowers from her hair as well as wipe her make up away with a moist towelette she had procured from her ensuite. The braids in her hair began to unravel themselves, letting the golden locks fall gently into place. Minfilia had her schedule open on the dining table, sighing at such a late start. It seemed a normal sleep schedule would be a thing of the past for her now. Shame. She really did enjoy being out in the sun. Perhaps Amaris wouldn’t mind her going on a few excursions a couple times a week. Though that was not a question for tonight. Minfilia was tired.

“If there is nothing else, I wish to retire.” She spoke concisely, offering a gentle wave before disappearing into her quarters as the light of dawn began to creep over the horizon.



Minfilia was up at dusk, engaged in her rigorous and involved hair care routine. Her brush soared through the golden sea of hair while she gently ran her fingers through it to check for any knots. Since reawakening to her powers, Minfilia found she was able to will her hair into neatness – but she still preferred her morning ritual. She frowned. It was an evening ritual now.

She quickly dressed herself and headed for the kitchen, where she would prepare a bowl of cut up fruit to snack on for breakfast. Such an odd sensation – eating breakfast at such an hour. Though what else would be more suitable after one has just woken up?

On the table, Minfilia had he schedule opened up. She hadn’t made the effort to meet anyone at the opening ceremony, so she didn’t really recognise the names of any of the other mages. Though one did stand out to her. Aaron Starag. The boy she shared Affinity Mastery with in the morning. Of course, she didn’t know him personally, but his family name was known by most. Servants of the Noila lineage. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to be on friendly terms with such a person.

Despite her eagerness to begin her journey at Noila, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. There was nothing else more intimidating than the first day of school. Except the undead masters who walked among her in the halls.

The courtesy afforded to Aaron had clearly outstayed its welcome as Varis mocked him and closed the distance between them with a dangerous look in his eye. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when the Count unexpectedly weaved his fingers through his hair, pulling Aaron down to his level. He froze like a bird caught in a cat’s teeth as Varis whispered in his ear, pulse quickening nervously at the suggestion therein. As close as he was, Varis could probably smell the blood that coursed urgently through Aaron’s veins as his heart thundered in his ears in a very unwelcome combination of confusion and fear.

Then, as quickly as he had come, Varis was gone, and Aaron could breathe again. He barely heard the rest of the Count’s commands but immediately set about fulfilling them anyway, eager to do something, anything, other than standing at attention. Only when he could no longer hear Varis’ footsteps down the hall did he allow himself a moment to center himself, leaning on the desk and letting his head drop, briefly consumed in a combination of confused anger and relief. He ran his other hand through his hair, rearranging it where the Count had tousled it, and rubbed his ear as if to scrub away the feeling of Varis' lips. What the hell was that?

Only when he finally relaxed did he notice how tense he had been throughout their exchange; he could feel the tightness in his chest begin to loosen and the muscles in his neck complained as he stretched them. Was this how his life would be from now on, a constant state of nervous uncertainty? Varis was unpredictable and seemed to delight in Aaron’s discomfort. He hesitated to make judgements after barely a day of knowing the vampire, but at that point, what other conclusions could he draw?

He scooped up the letters on Varis’ desk with near-trembling hands, taking a few long breaths to steady them. Speculation like that would do nothing but drive him crazy, Aaron knew, and he did his best to focus on the task at hand. Organizing the letters into a neat pile, he set out down the hall and out the door to deliver them.

The cool night air was welcome on his flushed cheeks and he was thankful for the darkness as he strode out with long steps into the night, depositing the letters to the groundskeeper and to Lady Sinnenodel into their own mailbox and tilting up the indicator. Then it was straight to the other noble dorms’ boxes, each one getting a letter with the appropriate name.

When the last box was closed and the indicator adjusted, it was time for Aaron to go back to his new home, to his new master. He took his time going back, his meandering steps a stark contrast to his former urgency, and turned his eyes skyward. His favourite constellation, Orion, hung massive and bright in the sky, and Aaron used his walk to admire it. The cool air and the majesty of the night sky did wonders to calm him down, even as he neared the stone wall surrounding the property. For all the stress he’d just gone through, he never once considered leaving. Regardless of the fact he’d be easily found if he did, the idea never even crossed his mind. To Aaron, servitude was a way of life - the only way of life, in fact, he could imagine for himself. In his mind there simply was no alternative; running away for him seemed as impossible and pointless an idea as taking to the sky by flapping his arms.

When he finally did return, locking the door behind him, Aaron made for his room. He relaxed even more once the door was closed, and he went about his morning routine more or less automatically, mulling over the night’s events in his mind. If he was going to do well - and indeed, even be happy - as Varis’ attendant, he had to learn not to let his discomfort get the better of him - or preferably, learn not to be uncomfortable in the first place. Of course that was easier said than done when the man who essentially owned him was whispering lewd suggestions in his ear, but he hoped that had been an unusual tactic to try and get a rise out of him. He would have to learn to handle the way the Count spoke circles around him. Perhaps, he thought, he’d get used to it. Perhaps for now Varis was just trying his boundaries, and would back off as they got accustomed to each other. Surely the up-and-coming protege of Lady Sinnenodel had better things to do than constantly toy with his mage.

The thought brought Aaron a strange comfort, that he might be left alone in favour of more pressing matters. Nonetheless, his profession to Varis had been true; he truly did want to live up to the Count’s expectations. He wanted to impress him. Despite the way he’d been toyed with and treated so far, Aaron was a devoted man; devoted to his service, and devoted to his master. Serving and serving well was what Aaron thought to be his calling in life. To him, there was honour in service. A certain dignity. Those values had been instilled into him from childhood, and into his family from the earliest days of the Treaty. Indeed, if he were suddenly free, as the humans were or even the vampires, he probably wouldn’t know what to do.

It was those values that were at the core of the conflict raging inside him as he slipped into a pair of pajama bottoms, opting to stay shirtless, picked a journal and a pen off his bookshelf and made his way to his remarkably large bed. He wanted to be a good attendant, but the human inside him bristled at the disrespect. He knew it was a ridiculous gripe; he would be justified in his annoyance if it were a human or a fellow mage to treat him like that, but he knew he had no real claim to any standard of treatment when it came to vampires. Whatever respect or consideration he got was a kindness on the vampire’s part. He’d been raised around exceptionally kind vampires, but he knew he should know better than to expect the same treatment from the rest of the world.

When he finally collapsed into bed, he considered writing his usual nightly entry in his journal, but ultimately decided against it for now and put the journal and pen on the bedside table. His mind had been running around in circles all night, and the very thought of putting those thoughts to paper right then was exhausting on its own. It was earlier than normal for him to be going to bed, but the night’s events had taken a toll on him.

He turned off the lamp to his side, letting the room plunge into darkness, setting an alarm on his phone to 7:15pm before putting it away as well. When he rolled onto his back, staring up at the total darkness, a different thought entirely came to mind. A thought of long white hair and pretty sapphire eyes looking up at him without malice, of a soft pale hand in his and a gentle voice he could still hear in his head saying a name he couldn’t seem to forget. Lilie.

He just tried not to think of the vampire’s hand that had weaved its way through her hair like a snake in the grass. He would have preferred it if that hand had been his.


The day eventually passed, sound sleep turning fitful throughout the day as Aaron tossed and turned, not really sleeping but not really awake. He didn't dream, but he was restless nonetheless until his 7:15 alarm finally pulled him all the way into the real world once again. Not one to stay in bed after waking up, he got up and immediately went about his evening routine, showering, brushing his teeth, and the like. He didn't need to shave tonight, which gave him some extra time to look over the contents of the envelope on his vanity. As he pulled on his clothes (a pair of khakis and a rust-red cardigan over a white button-up) he skimmed over the letter and focused on the schedule, taking a picture of it with his phone once he was done in case he needed a reference later.

It was about 7:45 when he left his room, noticing immediately that streams of deep orange sunlight lit up the hallway from the living room. With sudden urgency Aaron rushed to the living room, quickly securing the heavy velvet curtains over the windows. Varis must have forgotten to close them before he went to bed, or maybe he'd expected Aaron to do it. He made a mental note to make sure they'd been taken care of at the end of the night; the last thing he needed was Varis bursting into flame on account of an oversight.

He did hold open the last curtain for a second to admire the orange and red splash of the sunset over the trees. If he was one for visual arts, it was a scene he would have gladly painted. But he'd never been much good at that, and he didn't want to keep the curtain open much longer in case Varis emerged early from his room and got a face full of ambient sunlight. It definitely wouldn't reflect well on him.

The sunlight seemed to be caught in his eyes for a second in the form of a faint yellow glow as he turned them away from the sunset, disappearing after a few blinks. Once he'd secured the last curtain the room fell back into blackness, and Aaron had to use his phone flashlight to find the light switch. When he flicked it on, the room gradually brightened with soft off-white light, which he recognized immediately to be from full-spectrum bulbs. A nice touch, considering there would be mages living in these dorms who needed some replacement for daylight, both for their physical health and their mental well-being. It was also nice to know Aaron wouldn't need to set up his own lights, which was always a pain. He guessed that the regular student dorms had them as well.

He took the time with the house empty to explore a little more. He was familiar with the study, but he looked around the dining room, the sitting room, and the kitchen, finding everything lovely. He particularly liked the light colour scheme of soft whites and golds. The house wasn't overly large; a good size for two people but snug enough to be comfortable. Overall, he quite liked it, and some of the excitement he'd felt the night before about living on his own was starting to creep back.

After he'd finished exploring the house, he heard a deep rumble outside followed shortly after by a sharp knock on the front door. Brow furrowed, Aaron checked his watch as he walked to the door. It was eight o'clock on the dot, and the memory suddenly returned to him about the food delivery he was supposed to be expecting. Sure enough, when Aaron opened the door he was met with a middle-aged woman in a leather jacket holding an insulated delivery bag in one hand and a clipboard with the other.

"Sign there please." she stated flatly.

"Oh yeah, of course," Aaron replied as he scrawled his signature where the woman indicated.

The woman made an affirmative noise somewhere in the back of her throat and opened the delivery bag, carefully pulling out a warm paper box that smelled of strawberries and a metallic pouch of coffee and thrusting them into Aaron's arms.

She turned and left, mounting a motorcycle at the curb, as Aaron arranged the box and pouch on one arm. "Thank you!" he called after her, just before her motorcycle roared to life.

He went back inside, closing the door behind him carefully so as not to drop his packages, and made his way to the kitchen where he set the box down on the counter and went about getting the coffee machine running, skimming over the instructions on the pouch as he did so. Once he had the coffee machine bubbling away, he opened the box on the counter, greeted as promised by the sweet aroma of strawberry danishes. There were two of them, fairly large, golden and overflowing with cream cheese and syrupy strawberries. The smell filled the kitchen and Aaron felt a flutter of excitement; he didn't normally get to eat decadent foods like these.

The coffee machine beeped softly and he rushed over to it, pulling a mug and a small plate from a cupboard and taking a seat at the kitchen island once he had his coffee in hand. He pulled over the danish box, put one on the plate and started eating the other. Much to his delight, it tasted as good as it looked; a pleased little smile curled the corners of his lips as he chewed, careful not to get any crumbs on the counter.

As he ate he pulled out his phone, skimming over the morning news. There wasn't anything special, mostly headlines about the current Council negotiations and some gossip about the new Academy students. Apparently word had already gotten out that one noble from each house would be there this year, and there were some rumours that the royal family had made a "contribution" as well that Aaron wasn't particularly fond of. He didn't let it get to him; gossip would fly no matter what. The articles were mostly speculation and the mage tired of them quickly, but there wasn't much else to look at.

Arianna Dracul Eve

---

Arianna gracefully took a seat on the other side of the couch still facing Lilie, legs settled neatly to her side as she was listening to Lilie with a look of intrigue on her face that seemed eager and genuine. Internally she mulled to herself about how such a life must be like. Living in a simple family, getting to try out all those foods humans seemed to love to eat so much, etc. It could be said that such thoughts were amusing at best for a vampire, however....not that there never could be the feeling of green envy. All the same, as Lilie seemed to wrap things up a bit, Arianna let a smile come back to her face. Mmm, this was most intriguing indeed, more than any of these sorts of accommodations that she was rather used to.

Though Lilie's look betrayed the location of the case that contained a sword, and this brought a little excitement into Arianna's chest.

"Oh! So you know a bit of swordplay yourself? Perhaps we could do a bout of fencing sometime, if you'd like?" Arianna said, her eyes lighting up with a genuine flare of excitement as she pondered how they could pull it off potentially...er, if her dear mage here wanted to at least. Though beyond this the vampiress seemed to continue for a second.

"Ah, but on the topic of magic, mother did have quite the collection of tomes about magic in the past, haha! Perhaps i could get them to send a few over for your reading? Ah, sometimes mother would even sit me down on her lap...to....read them....aloud..."

Arianna seemed to very visibly drift off, her features blanking out a bit as if something was hitting her in the gut and knocking the wind out of her. She then lightly shook her head, trying to seemingly shrug the feeling off, putting on her airs again seemingly without skipping a beat. However, something was there, something that had looked...human, all things considered. Utterly human, which was perhaps alien for beings like the vampires, especially those of a Noble lineage like Arianna herself.

"Ah, but back on topic. Truly, you need not be ashamed of your origins, my dear. Nor should you be ashamed of what has brought you enjoyment, including that fencing. In fact, i find it sweet that a cute girl like you come from such a humble place as well.

Ah...but i shall only trouble you one more question for the night. Then after answering this you may ask about myself a few questions as you please, before getting to unpacking and such things.

It is the least we can do, no?"

Arianna stood up, standing as elegant as a mighty stag in the wilderness, drifting over gently to stand near the window next to the couch. She pulled open the thick curtains, meant to keep out dangerous sunlight during the day, as she let the moonlight gently caress her body similar to a human taking in the warm rays of the sun on a lovely morning. It was almost an emulation of the human act, save for the fact that Arianna herself was doing this for her love of the moonlight.

So gentle, yet so radiant. Much like herself, really, but that was plain to see and needed not to be mentioned aloud to her perspective.

"Are you....close to your family? If you do not mind my asking, of course."

@Hero

---

---

Dominique had begun to make his way towards the exit when he was stopped in his tracks by something unexpected. Could this have been back talk? For a moment there was silence, the Noble trying to remember the last time a human ever spoke to him in such a tone. Never. He turned around to face Cassandra, a nasty scowl plastered across his face.

“W-what… I… how dare-” Words eluded him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so humiliated. The nerve of this worthless pest. He took a menacing step towards Cassandra, snarling like a wild beast. His every impulse told him to put this scum in her place, but the words of his father rang through his head. One misstep and he was good as dead.

Cassandra didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by his display, and her confidence in the face of the world’s greatest predator denoted an inner strength. Her level-headedness only served to frustrate Dominique more. Was he actually envious of this human? Preposterous. The mere thought was laughable! Yet he couldn’t escape the feeling that Cassandra was not someone to trifle with.

“Whatever,” Dominique conceded, spinning around on his heels and making his way to the busses leading to the dorms.
“For your sake, you better live up to that claim.”



Dominique had been restless since meeting Cassandra. His ego had taken a heavy blow and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. If it were his father, her insubordination would have cost her dearly. Perhaps she would have been disemboweled in front of the other servants to be made an example of. That was the difference here; Cassandra wasn’t his servant. He’d never met a human before who wasn’t at his beck and call. How could the Princess expect him to see her as an equal?

Dominique rose from his bed, stumbling into the bathroom to get ready for the new day. Orientation. What a pain. After showering and changing he made his way into the common room. He groaned. The room reeked of her.

“To me at once, dog!” He bellowed, demanding the filthy cretin’s presence. He had let the words escape him last night, but he would ensure that her disobedience would not go unpunished. Servant or partner, Dominique refused to let her get the better of him. When she eventually made her way into the common area, the Noble laid into her with unrelenting vitriol.

"You humiliated me last night! I don't care if you intend to serve me or not, but I will not tolerate being made a fool of by the likes of you. Consider yourself lucky that I'm supposed to be on my best behaviour here - or else you would have been dead the second you decided to open your filthy trap and speak against me." He approached her and jabbed his finger into her chest. "You won't obey me? Fine, enjoy your freedom to roll around in your filth like the swine you are. But make no mistake; we are not equal. We never will be. If you won't do as you're told, then I have no use for you." Dominique shoved past her and made his way to finish sorting out his things. The very thought of having to share this space with such an insolent flea was sickening. He had already begun thinking of the ways he could convince the Princess to further separate their lodgings. Perhaps a dog house for the stray?

Mages and vampires were seperated quickly after entering the grounds. Some hesitated, wary to leave the only barely familiar thing they had here. The Mages were directed towards a large building close by, large faintly glowing letters declaring it the Rose Hall. It was a short walk but it did give people the time to look around campus. Some people were faring better than others, chatting away animatedly as excitement shone off their faces and their hands wove in time to their tales. One girl in particular, shorter than most and unabashedly leading the pack, seemed to vibrate with excitement as they made their way across the grounds. Others spoke more quietly, nervous and shy as they cast curious looks at the older students. And some completely withdrew, keeping to themselves entirely. More than one in this group wore a chain or leather strap around their necks, keeping their eyes down and shoulders folded in. One boy in particular kept his head high even as his face burned red, eyes forward and mouth set in a determined line.

Magic buzzed in the air as mages rushed about and practiced. Two girls danced in unison, creating shimmering trails of colored light as they twirled around each other. Another whisper quietly into a pot and roses grew rapidly before the group’s eyes. Several mages sat in a circle on the grass, correcting arcane spell pronunciation and creating small shimmering shields as examples. There was an ever present murmuring, the sign of life and energy, as the mages brought fantastic effect after fantastic effect into reality.

Until a red headed mage, a lit cigarette in a wildly gesturing hand and a cell phone against his ear, walked by. Despite his relaxed look, wearing a comfortable t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, and the grin on his face, the area went silent and still. One by one, the groups and people stepped quickly out of his way though he paid them no mind. Whispers erupted in his wake,even as the grin shifted into a soft, almost private smile as he hung up. He took another drag on the cigarette before he crushed it in his hand, bright flames licking around his fingers, then shook the ashes off his palm. He disappeared towards the vampire orientation group and the whispering died down but not before someone heard the phrase “vampire killer.”

As the group reached the Rose Hall, the sound of a murmuring brook signaled the arrival of a watery construct. A small bird shape water bubble flew above the group before suddenly diving and weaving through the crowd. A glance at it showed a boy, with blue hair and piercing blue eyes, looking at you and he held a finger over his lips with a mischievous smirk on his face before the image vanished as the bird moved on in the group. The excited girl at the front was boasting loudly about her older brother, a water mage just like her, as the bird suddenly dive bombed her. The girl’s monologue quickly turned to a shrill shriek as the cold water dropped on her, drenching her thoroughly, and she turned and shook her fist at the night shouting, “You’re a third rate mage with fourth rate constructs! I’m coming for your ass River! Just you wait!” The group was quickly usher into the rose tiled building after that.

The group turned into a large auditorium, ten rows of plush seats set in front of the stage and free space behind it filled with a variety of tables. A mix of what seemed to be older students and faculty milled there chatting before turning to watch the new arrivals file in. The faculty guiding the new arrivals quickly guided the group into the seating and took their places at the end of the rows. Several faculty members stepped up onto the stage, an elderly gentleman taking his place at the podium, and a hush fell over the auditorium as the lights dimmed everywhere but the podium.

“Welcome mages to the Noila Academy! I am Headmaster Kiran Kotyo, head of magical studies here at the Academy. During you time here, I hope to get to know each one of you personally as possible so you can feel at home. For now however, I am here to give you a peek into what your future holds!” The headmaster paused, coughing and sipping at a glass of water, before clearing his throat.

“From today onwards, the Noila Academy will be preparing you to handle any challenge that comes your way and allow you to explore subjects that interest you for the future while teaching you safe and careful casting practices. As you clear the required classwork and prove your master over your magic, you will have the opportunity to organize your own schedule, focusing in the subjects your prefer. Most have this opportunity in their second year. If you excel however, you may find yourselves selecting elective courses next semester. I’ve found its an excellent motivator for those who strongly dislike calculus.” He coughed several times again.

“My apologies. Age has a tendency to catch up with us all.” The previous smile he wore faded away into a much more serious expression. “At least with those of us in this room. On that subject, every mage was paired with a vampire for the duration of your career here at the Noila Academy. The Princess’s policy expressly forbids the faculty from interfering in student relationships unless the chance for loss of life or serious injury is high. It is both mage’s and vampire’s responsibility to overcome differences and develop a mutually beneficial working relationship with one another. That being said,” the headmaster looked around, making eye contact with every person in the audience, “The Academy does not condone unwarranted abuse. Princess Ryner hand selected most of the faculty members of this school, going out of her way to pick progressive thinking vampires on the matter of vampire/mage relationships. In turn, these vampires and their mages have developed successful methods to minimize conflict. We have tools to help if something is wrong. Reach out to one of us privately if you need help.” The headmaster took another drink of water and a smile slipped back on his face.

“As for your social-” The headmaster jumped a little as the door everyone entered through slammed open once again. A pleasant breeze, carrying the faint scent of a floral perfume, swirled giddily around the new students. A faint tapping could be heard, muffled on the carpeted floor, as a woman strode in gold staff in hand beaming up at the stage and then to the new students as she made her way to the podium. She seemed to make eye contact with someone in the student body and winked. The breeze that swirled around the students shifted back to her, swishing the bottom of her dark blue cotton wrap dress, decorated with gold embroidery at the waist. It swirled around the gold hair fork, designed like an old celtic knot, in her hair and her gold and sapphire teardrop earrings before swirling excitedly back into the crowd. Some recognized her as one of the mages who escorted Princess Ryner the evening before.

As the woman neared the stage, she took a step up and continued as if the air itself was a stairway. She leaned over and murmured something in the headmaster’s ear, covering the podium microphone, and the older man nodded. Then with the faintest whisper of an incantation, he vanished. Sariel seemed unphased and instead turned to face the student body, grinning.

“Well now that the old man is gone why don’t we have a little more fun.” She winked at everyone with a giggle. “Let me introduce myself and then we’ll get you out of your chairs because sitting down all evening and listening to old people talk about things they don’t do is literally the least exciting thing you can do!” The group of faculty members behind her gave her flat looks that she pointedly ignored. “My name is Sariel Asiree, personal guard and assistant to Princess Ryner herself. As you may have guessed, I am an air affinity mage. I graduated from Noila Academy just two years ago so I have a bit more insight into what your time here is going to be like than these old farts.” She giggled again. “The Noila Academy is exciting and fun if you do it right. When I discovered my potential at the Awakening, I wanted to run. I wanted to follow in my family’s footsteps and go into preschool education. Waaay off the mark there huh? Instead, I got an invitation here and after a few week, I never thought about turning back.” Sariel sat down on the edge of the stage, crossing her ankles and kicking the stage lightly.

“The people you meet here and the friends you make will follow you through your whole life. And honestly, they might be some of the only friends you make. You’re a Noila Academy mage. That's intimidating to a lot of people. People will put you on a pedestal, be jealous and petty So find friends. People who, when push comes to shove, will stand through the thick and thin of it all. Because those friends are who will support you behind closed doors.” Sariel made little effort to conceal the stress of the last sentence. “Anyways, the next piece of advice I have for you is get your partners to be friends too! My besties and I used to have sleepovers all the time because we pushed for our partners to form friendships. Word to the wise, vampires are sulky creatures. Don’t let them be and you’ll actually be able to have fun. What else, what else.” Sariel hummed to herself a little, thinking. “You’ll have four years to hear about all the boring academic stuff, no need to put you to sleep about all that. Oh! You all do have guidance councillors, you are assigned to them by last name so feel free to pop into the main administrative building to say hi to them eventually. They’ll call you in every now and then to check on you and keep you on track with the boring school things.” She clapped her hands together excitedly and stood with a flourish.

“And I think with that, we should get the main event started! Behind you, you probably noticed plenty of tables and more than a few older students. They’re all here to welcome you and talk to you about campus life and give you advice on how to handle some of your vampire related problems because, let’s be honest, we all know you have some! The students back there are set up at tables that represent different clubs on campus and we have several wandering around who will answer magic related questions. If you want to talk to someone about a particular element, just find a name tag that says the element! Those guys will stay up here at the stage so you can find them more easily! And although I’m not technically a speaker or part of this at all, I love to talk so feel free to come say hi to me too!” She stood up dramatically, a gust of wind following her movements as she swept her arm out across the room and shouted “Be free my minions!” The faculty behind her was not amused but made no effort to stop her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The faculty quickly separated the vampires from their companions, guiding them towards several buildings further away. The vampires into clear layers. At the front, some purebloods chatted and laughed with the ease of those used to these circumstances, with the ease of those comfortable in their own skin and aware of their place in the world. Other purebloods obviously just stumbled out of bed minutes before and strangled a little behind the group and bled into the trailing Embraced. These vampires only comprised a fifth of the group, numbering just ten, and they moved cautiously. Many had their shoulders hunched, eyes trained on the group, arms crossed as if they were trying to collapse in on themselves. Many of them struggled to accept their new place, turned unknowingly or unwillingly, while others accept their fates with grim resignation. A terrible thing it is to hunt those you used to be. Three faculty members followed the group, keeping a close tab on the Embraced specifically.

The vampire leading the group, a sharp looking vampire in Noila colors with a metal name tag reading “Headmaster Alder Noila”, took them across campus. Several students dashed across the campus in a desperate attempt to get to class on time. Others wandered leisurely and conversed with their peers, most sending curious glances towards the orientation group. A few vampires stared openly and others burst into a flurry of whispers. More that a few bowed and curtsied as the group passed by.

Still some skimmed over the group and looked away uninterested. One such pair stood pushed up against a lamp post on the same path. A male vampire dressed in a leather jacket and pants, red hair cut short and all angular features,smokey red eyes, and fair skin, cast an apathetic look towards the group before returning to the petite mage whose arms were wrapped around his neck. The contrast was appealing, this bright skinned, nape length white hair, and blue eyed girl and the bad boy vampire kissing passionately as she drew his attentions back to her before she blindly reached into the bag slung over one of the vampire’s shoulder and plucked out a textbook. She left him with a much more chaste peck on the lips and bolted away. The Headmaster brought the group to a halt.

“That display was entirely inappropriate Mr. Sputnik. I will see you in my office after your next class.” Alder snapped at the man. The vampire chuckled, deep and smooth, and sauntered away with a shrug. His eyes roamed the new vampires and he threw a wink here and there. An attractive smile spread across his face as he spotted Amaris. His gaze turned hungry for a moment and then he moved on. He licked his lips and gave Morrigan the same treatment before another vampire glided up behind him, smacked him over the head with a sharp thwack, and proceeded to lecture him about manners as they left.

“I would recommend you avoid that troublemaker and his mages if you wish to succeed here at the Academy.” Alder spoke to the group and continued on. He led the group into the Mockingbird hall and into a room similar to the mages’ auditorium. Unlike the Rose Hall’s auditorium, there were four seats in the front with the noble families’ crest on the back. A hush fell over the milling students. Alder snapped his fingers and the trailing faculty quickly guided everyone to their seats while Alder silently showed the nobles to their respective seats. A cacophony of poorly muffled muttering erupted as they did. Alder stepped up on the stage and took his place at the podium while looking down at the vampires with a haughty expression.

“First and foremost, I wish to clear any rumors or speculation that you may have heard. Sitting before you are members of the four noble houses, the first to attend the Academy in nearly a century. Count Dominique Astorio, Countess Arianna Eve, Count Varis Sinnenodel, and Countess Amari Marivaldi graciously agreed to attend our fine establishment and I hope each and everyone one of you welcomes them warmly.” The vampire allowed the murmuring to die down before continuing.

“I am Count Alder Noila, a distant relative of Princess Nox and Headmaster of vampiric studies here at the Academy. Our goal here at Noila Academy is to guide you into vampires who are worth of representing your family but also the Academy. During your time here, you will amass knowledge, skills, and connections that will last you the rest of your eternal life.” Alder looked over the group and then at the nobles. “Unlike previous generations of Academy students, you have an additional resource to assist with developing those connections. The noble representatives are excellent role models and I would recommend you use that to your advantage.” He stepped away from the podium, walking forward to the end of the stage and stood with his arms crossed behind him.

“Du “Mages are, and you will learn in greater detail in your classes, complex entities that require care and nurturing to bring them to their full potential. However, this is a difficult task because they lack a certain realism that comes when mortality is of no concern. Mages are hasty and impulsive and you will need to learn to curb in those instincts for the better. As their caretakers, we have to guide them with a critical eye and a firm hand so they are ultimately successful. And when a mage is successful, so will their vampire.”ring your years at the Academy, you will be molded to be leaders and thinkers of this world while learning how to handle yourselves in the face of adversary. And the greatest challenge will be the mage you were paired with at the entrance ceremony. These mages are more than just things,toys to be played with or resources to be exploited.” The headmaster frowned as he looked out at the crowd, making eye contact with Dominique and Varis.

“That is not to say abusive behavior in the name of “guidance” is acceptable. Although we will not step in between students unless there is high risk of serious injury or loss of life, we have an active security team who has no issue dissuading these issues from cropping up. You will learn to *responsibly* manage your mage’s life and career, for the betterment of both your lives. Everyone in this room will have taken a variety of mandatory class for the proper care of mages through their entire lives. There are also several elective classes on the subject which I encourage everyone to attend.” Alder gave everyone a stern look before returning to the podium.

“As for academic courses, we have a variety for both the purebloods and the Embraced.” It was only a moment, half really, but he paused on the word Embraced along with the slightest sneer before settling back into professional apathy. “Due to the standard difference in education between purebloods and the Embraced, we offer classes at every level of complexity. We provide guidance counselors to guide you through the process. You are assigned to them by last name and their offices are in the main administrative office. I highly recommend acquainting yourself with both your and your mage’s counselors once your mage returns to you. After your first year, most students declare an area of interest, which allows your counselors to better help you in developing an academic path. This area of interest isn’t a firm guide as to what you must study but rather an expressed intent to learn more about that area in depth. Your counselor will be calling you in to discuss these things further within the next few months.”

“For those of you with a more active interest, we host a variety of classes for sports, specialized weapons training, survival skills, and etiquette training. You will have the opportunity to enroll in these just as you would academic courses. Certificates of completion accompany those who pass these classes, or the mastery level of the class, and are accepted everywhere outside of the Academy. Furthermore, the Academy hosts a variety of workshops monthly and any student can enroll in them regardless of experience. These are an excellent way to gauge your interest in a subject before signing up for a semester of it so please take advantage of the resource.” Alder cleared his throat. “While on the subject of physical activity, you will no doubt hear of the Arena from other students soon enough. This area is for mock combat and combat tournaments. The formal club, creatively dubbed the Arena Guild, organizes formal tournaments and practice times. Speak to one of their members for rules and regulations for participation. Students also use traditional duels, both magic and mundane, to settle disagreements. Although perhaps not the most effective manner, the school encourages this both as a way for mages and vampires to gain experience and settle issues in a way that is safe and secure environment. For more information, please speak to the Arena master after this.”

“With that I wish to welcome you to the Academy.The table behind you hold information on a variety of student run organizations for you to engage with. Myself and your councilors will be up here on stage if you have any academic questions.” Alder gestured to the vampires behind him, each holding a little sign designating A-G, H-N, O-U,or V-Z. “You are dismissed. You may leave the hall once the bell rings.”