Lilie was completely fascinated by the ferret, giving it a lot more attention than she should have. It also took much more willpower than what was probably needed to prevent herself from squealing in delight as Narcissus leapt from the counter. The way it looked at Ike was adorable, more so when he decided to curl up against him. She would have to look up ways to befriend ferrets, she wanted him to be as comfortable with her as he was with Ike. She wasn't entirely sure she would be comfortable sleeping with such a small animal, though; a fear of accidentally rolling over and crushing the poor thing was prevalent in that train of thought.
As Ike gave her reign to ask anything she wanted, she had to stop and really think about it. Anything at all? It almost sounded like a trap. But he seemed very much like an open book, lounging about without a care and more interested in his book--one she actually recognized. Reading a romance novel was the last thing she had been expecting. She must have been a magnet for eccentric vampires.
"Um...I don't really know what to ask," She frowned, remembering Allison giving her a similar opportunity. She felt like she hadn't taken advantage of that, either. As she turned her gaze to the oven, she supposed there was really only one thing she had forgotten about. She had been told her duties had included becoming a living popsicle for the vampire she was going to serve, but the thought of actually doing it was such a foreign concept. Her hand reached up and rubbed her neck, frowning slightly as she looked back at Ike. Would it be silly to ask? She wished she could have asked Salem or Aaron, they both seemed to know more than she did.
She chickened out of asking, hoping that maybe Ike had his own supply of blood or something and didn't need her. A foolish thought, but she had to cling to it; it was the only thing that really reminded her that he was a vampire. "S-So, uh, you like...romance novels?" She ended up asking a more personal question.
"I appreciate it, really. Thank you, and Declan as well. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some living things to take care of before they expire in my trunks. I havent had the chance to unpack yet...well or even see my dorm." It wasnt till after the fact, that it had crossed Salems mind that he just told two vampires he had some living things to take care of. His posture quickly changed as his head looked downwards a bit, brushing his hair over his ear nervously as he attempted to move past the pair. He stopped short of Max, who seemed to be having issues with the flashy man in red known as Declan. Attempting to ease the tension, while offering Max an out Salem turned to him and simply said " Wanna walk with me back to the dorms? Wouldnt mind the company."
Incredibly focused on the quickly rising danger levels of the Academy, Joryldin didn't even notice the gentleman appear beside him. When Ryan spoke up and held out his fist, the fledgeling nearly fell backwards off of the roof. Only undead reflexes saved him from becoming intimately familiar with the rosebush below. He steadied himself and returned the human's gesture with a casual fistbump.
"Nice to meet you Ryan. I'm Joryldin. As for teleporting; I've done it once or twice, but I've got no clue how the living do it without losing their lunch."
He spared the grounds another glance, intimidated by the magnitude of security. Wasn't the Queen the single most powerful living thing in existence? All of the shimmering weapons and armor must have been just for show.
"Let's get going, I'd rather not stick around up here. If we can see them, they can see us."
“Declan, leave the boy alone.” The woman said, rolling her eyes as the man clutched his chest dramatically. “We’ll take our leave. My apologies again for our hasty judgement. If I there is anything I can do to repay the insult, ask for Rowan Batisma at the Student Council office after classes end.” She curtsied and walked off, Declan falling into step with her.
“I hope your partners are willing to share copies of that audio. I’ll need something to laugh at when student council gets hectic.” Declan groaned and grumbled under Rowna’s laugher as they disappeared out of the arena.
“Yeah, you right.” Ryan slung an arm around Joryldin’s shoulders. “Hold on. I’m the best in the group when it comes to this but sometimes my landings are a tad… violent?” The boy dug pulled a thin wand, with more than a few scorch marks on it, a held in in front of the pair.
“Eloozqxr fyselmriq ke umdumufh.” He spoke softly and slowly, the words thick and heavy in the air. He flicked his wand as he did, silver lettering shimmering in the air before swirling around them. The world folded together, slowly at first but speeding up as he spoke, and they tilted, falling along the collapsed skyline until everything turned dark and snapped into place, the open sky above them replaced with a ceiling mere centimeters from their noses. Ryan whispered “Oh, fuck” from a few feet away and screamed as the pair plummeted. The vampire landed on a couch and a few other voices shouted angrily as Ryan dropped on them.
The dorm Joryldin dropped into was similar to his own with a much more lived in feel to it. Art decorated every wall in a wide variety of mediums. Two mages sat side by side across for the couch sharing a pair of headphones plugged into a laptop, laughing with a few others across from them. The male wiped his eyes as he laughed, mockingly saying “I’m a lover, not a fighter. If that makes me seem a coward, then I coward I shall act.” The girl next to him doubled over as she wheezed. “He used to be so suave!”
Evalyn sat in the middle of the room, glaring at a younger version of Ryan. “Figure out what you want before asking me to help! Its too much like last year’s, Thats no enough like last year’s. Which one do you want?” She huffed and turned her attention to Joryldin. “Sorry ‘bout that! Ryan’s the only one who has a decent enough grasp of that stuff to safely bring you over. You can punch him for the shit landing if you want.” Ryan, after being shoved out of the laps of a few others working on another set of papers, flicked the girl off.
"Wanna walk with me back to the dorms? Wouldn't mind the company."
Max would've given Salem a flat stare in response, but he was too preoccupied glaring daggers into the back of Trenchcoat's head to be bothered. His nostrils flared distastefully before he turned away. Who did that horny idiot think he was? Bad enough that he didn't mind his own business, he had the audacity to flirt afterward, as if Max was just going to humbly submit himself after being accused of ill intent just to be wooed by the lavish and charming Declan. What a stupid name. What a stupid outfit. What a stupid face. He needed something to yell at. Maybe give those leeches a real reason to pull him away from someone. But, unfortunately, all he had to work with was some floral-scented loser. He fixed his glare onto Flower Boy. Nope, that was an inadequate void to scream into, and it would probably end with the Retriever bothering him for picking on his... whatever the hell you call someone who randomly kisses you at orientation.
"Why do I even bother?" He huffed, turning pointedly away from the other mage and stomping off in the direction of the dorms. It wasn't an acceptance of Salem's invitation, but it could easily be construed as one. Max clearly wasn't thinking.
Salem couldnt make heads or tails over Maxwells response. He appeared to be heading towards the dorms, but his attitude and body language stated he didnt want to be bothered. Unsure of what to do, seeing as how he was headed there anyways, Salem waited a few steps, thanked the two Senior Vampires, and then followed a few paces behind Maxwell, never once saying a word and instead opting to take in the silence for once in this busy day. The walk was long yet scenic, Salem took note of the local flora and fauna, and began to wonder if they were solely for display or if perhaps they could be for public use as well. Unsure of where he was heading, Salem pulled out his paper that stated his partner and dorm number as well. Maxwell didn't know it, but he was currently guiding Salem to the dorms for the first time, which was less awkward than Salem having to ask about until he inevitably got there.
Upon seeing the dorms in the distance, Salem made his way away from Maxwell finally speaking as he hurried past him "Have a good day! Hopefully I'll see you around more!" Salem slipped the key out from the envelope and opened the front door for the first time. Upon entering, there was a kitchen to the left with a small hall that opened into the combined dinner and living room. Salems eyes opened up as he noticed the dark wood table, expensive looking couch, flat screen television, two book cases, and a glass display case that could make for a great greenhouse. A sliding glass door opened out onto a small patio fully furnished which then opened out to a small fenced in backyard that looks out into the forest. The view of all the greenery brought a soft smile on Salems face as he took it in before deciding to explore more of the dorm. He found that there are two bedrooms, neither with windows, which made him happy that hed brought along extra equipment. Each had a luxury queen sized bed, small closet, a chest of drawers, a bookcase, and a desk. Each room had an attached bathroom. One however, was smaller than the other, one containing a tub and shower combination and the other only a shower with a glass door. Both have a small linen closet and dark wood cabinents as well as a toilet and sink.
Salem noticed his many trunks sitting about and he proceeded to move them into the room with the tub. Beginning to unload one that was marked 'FRAGILE, LIVING CREATURES', ofcourse almost every chest was marked FRAGILE, but none were wrong. He checked to ensure none of the holes were instructed and then opened up the lid, revealing a bed of leaves and a small brass cage. "Hey Cricket! Sorry it took me so long to get to you, I had orientation, and then lunch, then there was this duel! Oh and a run in with some seniors who mistook my situation for some thuggery. I'm fine though." Salem pulled the cage out and placed it on the desk, taking a few of the leaves from the trunk and putting them back into the cage where the cricket resided. As Salem continued to unpack, taking out numerous amount of flowers, plants, and other greenery along with lamps that mimic the suns UVs that plants need to grow, he continued to speak to his cricket "I met some interesting people today, there was a light mage named Aaron, he seemed sweet, although he kinda went missing on me...who knows what happened there...theres a water mage named Lilie, she looks like the moon itself, which if funny given her affinity. I wonder where she went off to as well...oh! Our new roommate is going to be a vampire named Lucan, hes...well...um...I'm not quite sure how to describe him yet. I'm sure we'll all get along just fine though! There! See cricket? Got this room all cozyed up in no time, it just needed a little plant life to brighten it up."
Crawling Ivys ran across the shower rod and the curtain was taken down. Plants that required humidity sat atop the bathroom counter, all the toiletries hidden away in the medicine cabinet, and soft green bath mats decorated the floor. In the room there were planters set above each doorway, with strip UV lights hanging above them and lining the room to cover most every plant that needed it. The cords were hidden amongst the greenery and all met up at several power strips that had times on when to start and stop the lights so that each plant followed a day night cycle as needed. One corner of Salems room was now just a stack of trunks, empty and waiting for use, while his closet and drawers were filled with clothing, jewelry, and tools of his trade. A small laugh escaped his lips as he looked at the room, pleased with his work, and turned to the brass cage once more "Cricket, I think this is going to be a good year."
Salem began to explore his new dorm for a moment, attempting to spy a glimpse of Lucan if he was there. Silence. Nothing but the sounds of cricket chirping could be heard in the distance. A soft sigh was let out, slightly disappointed at the whole ordeal, but he could try to make the most of it. Salem headed back into his room and opened the lid to his Record Player. He pulled out a Vinyl of Lana Del Rey, dropping the needle to a familiar track. A soft thud could be heard just before the small sound of a click. The slow and melodic sound of needle on vinyl just before the notes to "Lust for Life" began to play. Salems bedroom door stayed opened as the sounds reverberated across the building, drowning out any loneliness and creating a space of indulgence. He slowly made his way towards the tub as the record continued to play in the background
"Take off, take off Take off all your clothes Take off, take off Take off all your clothes Take off, take off Take off all of your clothes
Salem slowly undid his top, letting it slide down his shoulders then against the bathroom floor. What appeared to be a slender body was revealed to be fully toned muscles with a few scars, his hair was let down, cascading onto his shoulders as he finished undressing and stepped into the hot bath. He lazily reached towards his left and opened up a small chest that contained some homemade bath bombs his aunt made for him. The smooth scent of Chamomile permeates the air as he sunk lower into the tub, now chin deep, and allowing the music and atmosphere to take him away.
As promised, the baked goods were delightful. Lilie had to remind herself not to feel bad as she ate them, forgetting that vampires couldn't eat. The pair had a brief conversation as Ike divulged her into his hobby, the white haired girl greatly enjoying his company. He reminded her a lot of her older brother, from the way he spoke about his hobby to his mannerisms. She had to bat away the feelings of homesickness, leaving Ike to read the novel in his hands as she volunteered to clean up. It was only fair; he did the hard work while she got to reap the rewards.
Occupying herself with washing everything, she stifled another yawn. Okay, time to find something to preoccupy herself with so she doesn't end up falling asleep too soon. Not wanting to interrupt the vampire, she tried to think of what to do next. Drying her hands with one of the dishtowels, she walked back to the living room. Ike was absorbed in his book, Narcissus curled up on top of him. She smiled at the pair before she took her phone out of her pocket. What she really wanted to do was find Salem and Aaron, but was she allowed to leave? Allison had declined her request, but Ike had made it clear he didn't care what she did.
Well, if he really didn't want her to go, he would probably speak up.
With that thought in mind, Lilie casually strolled out the door, pausing in the doorway just in case he said anything, but when nothing was heard, she simply closed the door behind her. The outside air was nice, the night sky rather calming as she walked down the steps, hopping over the last as her heels clicked the ground. Question is, where would she start to look? The cul de sac was rather quiet, giving her reason to believe that she likely wouldn't find what she was looking for here.
Despite getting along well with the other two, she never did ask who they served. She really needed to get a hang of mage etiquette--or was it vampire etiquette? Who knows. She was in over her head serving a count with absolutely no experience, but there was little that could be done about it for now. She made a mental note to see if the library had anything on that sort of thing, vaguely remembering Sariel's tour. Oh, right, these dorms were for the nobles, the rest of the student body was elsewhere.
Lilie looked at her phone again, noticing Aaron didn't respond just yet. Oh well, she'd find them eventually, right?
Mariette swung open the door to her father's study, waiting for him to beckon her before she stepped inside. She gracefully slipped into a seat across from him, not bothering to fold her legs so one of them could bounce. The servant who had told her he was expecting her presence had also said he had important news, and she was excited to find out what it was. "You requested me?"
"I did indeed, we have important matters to discuss." He grinned, trying in vain to hide his happiness. "You're going to be attending the Academy."
Mariette's leg stopped jouncing for a fraction of a second, only to start again at an even greater pace. She gaped, before slamming her mouth shut in order to save face. "How? I thought Ikelos had been accepted?" She hadn't been happy to hear that Ikelos had been accepted, but it was what the Princess had decided. Now, though, she was going to take his place. She ached to know what her father had done to make this possible.
"I pulled a few strings, told the Princess that Ikelos had changed his mind about attending the Academy but didn't want to seem crass by denying her." Mariette chuckled at this, it was a bold move on her father's part. If this were to backfire, it would send a bad message.
"So it's my job to convince him to leave?" She assumed, sure that Ikelos hadn't been informed about the switch. "Indeed it is, but I'm certain you'll manage. Send me messages frequently detailing your progress." Her father was usually looser than this, jesting about the other houses or some recent gossip. He must have realized the gravity of the situation.
"Of course, father." She would have said more, but a knock sounded at the door. She was almost certain it was a servant, telling her that it was time for her to depart. She prayed they packed all of her favorite books and bottles of blood, otherwise, she'd have to send for it when she got to the academy. She rose from her chair, shooting her father a secretive smile that he slyly returned, and exited the room. She would not say goodbye, because she would be back quite soon after their plans fell into place.
~
The ride to the Academy seemed far longer than it was due to her nerves. She could hardly read during the drive, even though the book had been riveting. Along the way, she had rolled down the window, allowing herself to get some much-needed air. She was so eager that she was bordering on anxious, her fingers fluttering against her thigh and her leg bouncing incessantly. Finally, they stopped at the Academy. She waited for the driver to open the door, putting on her collected facade as she knew it was likely she'd run into a Noble.
She muttered a 'thank you' to her driver, leaving her book in the car and reminding him to have the servants take it in alongside her other belongings. She was greeted by an attendant of sorts who guided her to the dorms. She remained silent as they walked, despite the attendant introducing herself to her. She didn't want to interrupt her thought process. She knew she was the third Eve to attend the academy in just a couple of days, and that it would tarnish her family's reputation. She cared little about that, knowing that she could serve as a shining example of what the Eves truly were.
Once they arrived at the dorms, Mariette smoothed her outfit and straightened her hair. "Count Ikelos is here, yes?" She asked, glancing at the attendant.
"He should be, Countess Mariette." The lady replied immediately. Mariette felt bad that she hadn't stopped to remember her name, so she simply smiled at the woman and walked towards her new dorm. She knocked at the door to announce her entrance, then stepped inside. Looking around, she offered Ikelos a warm grin upon seeing him. "Ikelos, it's a pleasure to see you."
The warm aroma of fresh baked cookies enveloped the Countess as Ikelos looked up from his book at the Countess’s greeting. He matched her smiled and nodded, a brief flash of confusion in his eyes quickly swallowed by realization. “You’re the last person I expected to walk through the door tonight, Mariette. Not that I’m complaining but considering the circumstances, this isn’t a social call is it?” He gestured to a chair for her to sit and closed his book, rubbing lazy circles across Narcissus’s back. The family was aware of Mariette’s family’s discontent but so far nothing seemed to come of it. Ikelos let a sigh escape as he concluded he’d somehow been involved in the very matters he tried to escape.
“I’d love to tell you it is, but I’m afraid I’m here for more...political reasons.” Mariette nearly flinched as she said the word, knowing that Ikelos was wary when it came to politics. Such a shame, too. He had a pleasant face that could easily sway the weak-minded. She slid into the chair he offered her, glancing around the room. It was beautifully renovated, but she would have to bring in some items from home to make it cozier.
“We both know that our house is in a pitiful state, and I’ve come here to change that. I’m asking for your help.” She decided to keep things vague, she would answer his questions about the subject but it was better to let out as little information as possible.
“Lilie would be upset with something this sudden.” Ikelos said. “We just switched her partner. Don’t you think this would be too sudden for her?” As much as ikelos would love to leave before Mariette could stir the pot, the poor girl was so upset and confused he didn’t want to leave her floundering again. But once a vampire made up their mind, it was a pain to change it. And Mariette seemed determined. “Does this have to do with the recently deceased member of our family?”
Mariette tilted her head inquisitively, emerald eyes scanning her relative. They were bright with curiosity. She wanted to learn more about this Lilie, and why Ikelos was already concerned about her feelings. Unfortunately, now was not the time to question. She had a mission to accomplish. “It has nothing to do with him,” She replied easily. She kept her face neutral, not wanting to give away any thoughts on that man. “This is about making a necessary change. One that will benefit everyone in our family and bring pride back to the Eves.”
“As for your mage, Lilie...I assure you I will take care of her. She’ll adjust to me, and you can call her and visit her whenever you’d like.” She had to appease him in that sense, otherwise, he’d never leave. Her face softened to show that she was sympathetic to his needs. “There’s no need to worry about her getting involved in the affairs of the Council. If you wish to keep her blissfully ignorant, I’ll do everything in more power to assure that she’ll remain in the dark.”
Ikelos picked up Narcissus and placed the ferret on his shoulders. “Do that. No one needs to be involved in their petty squabbles if they don’t have to be.” Ikelos sighed and got to his feet. “Do you already have a car ready for me then? My things are still packed so it won’t be long to get me out. I’ll have to write Lilie a note though. She stepped out for a moment before you arrived.” Ikelos went about gathering paper and a pen, leaving a note on the counter.
Dear Lilie,
I regret leaving you like this and so quickly too but my house is a bit of a mess. Don’t worry, I’ll leave you my number in case you need someone to talk to or pictures of Narcissus to brighten your day!
Take care.
A bit of tension drained from Mariette’s shoulders as Ikelos caved. It hadn’t taken as much effort as she had originally thought it would, but she knew that Ike did his best to stay out of political drama and that this was the easiest way to do so. “Yes, the car I arrived in will be waiting for you at the gates.” She didn’t want to rush his departure and hoped he would stop to say farewell to Lilie, though she assumed he wouldn’t say a personal goodbye since he had left a note. She wondered what the mage was like, she had to be quite a charmer in order to have made an impression an Ikelos so soon.
She stepped towards her relative, offering him a dainty hand. “Thank you, you have no idea what this means to me. I hope to aid in the restoration of our house, and if I’m successful I will make sure your family reaps the rewards.” She prayed she could make good on this promise, not wanting to disappoint her house. If she went back a failure, she would never be able to forgive herself.
Ike shook her hand and went about taking his things, an attendant from the car ready to help. Like the vampire said, his things were barely in the door and were just as quickly taken out. Ikelos said a quiet goodbye to the Countess before closing the door behind him. With a loud thud, the Countess was alone.
Mariette flinched as the door slammed shut behind Ike. Just like that, he was gone, and she had taken his place. So, what now? She considered her options. She could wait for her things to arrive and settle into her temporary home, or she could sate her spirit of inquiry by looking into Lilie's personal effects. The decision was easy. After all, there was no better way to learn about someone than digging through their stuff while they weren't there to stop you. Deciding to start small, Mariette wandered into the study to see if she could find anything interesting there. She wasn't completely disappointed, stumbling upon a collection of decorative pens in all different, girly designs. Some even had furry pom-poms on top that were soft to the touch. Mariette picked one up, turning it over and smirking at the pink and purple print that covered the plastic item. It was evident that Lilie was feminine, something that Mariette didn't have a strong opinion on at the moment.
Wanting to dig a bit deeper, Mariette scampered off to the bedrooms. She peeked into each one to see which was occupied, and after figuring out which room was Lilie's she stepped inside, not bothering to be discreet. Forcing herself to move past all the interesting things that could be found in the bedroom, Mariette started her search in the bathroom. Lining the sink was a vast variety of hair and beauty products. She picked a few up, sampling some of the makeup on the flesh of her arm. It appeared as though the mage cared about her appearance. Deciding this was a good thing, Mariette rubbed away the makeup that lingered on her skin and stepped towards the shower. She swung open the glass door, reaching out to grasp Lilie's shampoo. Opening the cap, Mariette squeezed the bottle until the scent washed over her. Lavender with strong hints of vanilla. Delightful. If Lilie didn't already have a perfume with this fragrance Mariette would have to purchase one for her. She wanted the mage to smell like that all the time, it was therapeutic and would likely enhance the feeding process.
She placed the bottle back inside the shower and strode back into the bedroom. There were all sorts of things to be found there, though the room could be considered quite empty in comparison to Mariette's room back in the manor. Perhaps the girl came from wealth and was just a humble creature, or she had little money and spent what she could on things that were important to her such as the full array of beauty items in the other room. Beginning with the bookshelf, Mariette took her time in scanning Lilie's selection. A Beginner's Guide to Spellcasting, Ballet Through the Ages, Wands: An Introduction to Magical Conduits, and a few other books caught Mariette's eye. She would have to take a few and read through them, in order to expand her knowledge on Magic.
Abandoning the bookshelf, she went towards the bedside table. Here two pictures in lacquered wooden frames could be seen. One of a white-haired young woman being held by a boy with dark brown hair. She found herself drawn to the girl, mainly because of the clarity in her eyes. They were a crystalline blue, even lighter than Ikelos', and carried a sort of lightness that was only found in the optimistic. Mariette glanced at the other picture, ignoring the rest of the happy, dark-haired family to stare at the pale-skinned ghost of a woman in the center of the group. She was identical to the girl in the other photo, so she must have been Lilie. What an interesting creature, Mariette mused. After taking a few moments to memorize the mage's face, she opened the drawer of the nightstand, striking gold.
Inside the cabinet was a book, and upon opening it Mariette discovered that it was a personal journal. Flipping through, she didn't bother reading all of the notes and entries. Instead, she scanned over most of it in a hunt for anything that may trigger feelings of sadness or worry in her mage. She didn't want to bring up anything that could cause a bad taste in her blood or discomfort in their relationship. Upon hitting the word 'scared' multiple times in the same entry, Mariette backtracked to find the source of this fear.
"What can I expect from vampires..." Mariette mumbled, reading some of the writing aloud. "What will happen if they drink too much...how will it feel when they bite my neck for the first time?" Mariette closed the journal, letting out a small sigh that turned into a chuckle. This Lilie was quite hilarious. She still believed that vampires drank from the neck. Where had she been educated? Deciding this was enough snooping, Mariette exited the room, her thoughts still on the diary entry. She wanted to know the exact reason why Lilie was so afraid of her kind, especially when she should have been taught to respect them. It was a puzzle that Mariette would have to solve, lest she go crazy.
When she returned to the sitting room, she saw her bags waiting for her. She figured she could call back the servants to deal with her things, but they wouldn't know exactly how she wanted her clothing folded, or how she wanted her pens arranged in the study. So, she began to unpack, eager for her mage to return from who knows where.
Joryldin covered his mouth, expecting to violently retch up his dinner. His dead stomach barely saved him from dry-heaving. He shook his head and tapped his palm up against his left ear to knock the nausea away.
"Hey Evalyn! Landing was -urp- fine by me... So, this is the cool kids club?" He chuckled; a quiet, wispy sound without much punch behind it. Looking down at his ridiculously lavish regalia, the fledgling couldn't help but feel embarrassed. "Guess I'm a bit overdressed, aren't I?"
Joryldin let out a sigh, and sat straight on the couch. "The rumors look to be about as true as they get. The academy's locked up like Fort Knox, so we're stuck here for the night. Mind introducing me to your crew here?" He put on his best smile. Perfect, unused fangs sparkled like polished spears.
Cassandra's last interaction with Dominique Astorio had gone about as well as she'd expected. She spent much of the rest of the day alone in the school library. As much as she hated being the "perfect student," studying had become her safe space after years of being the only alone time she got. Well, that and staying up when she wasn't supposed to.
When it was so late that she felt she couldn't avoid it anymore, Cassandra closed her book of runes and trudged out of the library, making her slow way toward the noble dorms.
Unlike some of the students tonight, she took no great notice of how much security had seemed to increase. She was used to being under watch and well guarded, and the most mind she paid the continuation of this trend was to be slightly disappointed.
She walked into their shared living space, tring to do so with a swagger.
"Hey, jerkwad." She waited a beat, but there was no answer. "Dickhead?" Still nothing. "Fuckface?"
Finally she got up enough courage to peer into his room, "Jerkwad...?" It was completely empty.
"What..."
Had she scared him off? Cassandra had gotten the measure of him pretty quickly, and knew he was all show, but she didn't think he'd just give up and leave like that. There must be some other reason. And if she knew anything about vampires, they'd be talking about it pretty soon. May as well wait for the rumors to come in.
Cassandra felt no need to wonder what this meant for her, she knew the answer; some other vampire would be saddled with her. Hopefully a better one.
She walked out of the Astorio house, feeling a little strange despite herself, and was surprised to find herself not completely alone. It shouldn't surprise her, Cassandra reminded herself, this was a school for vampires. Everyone around her was on the night time schedule.
The pale girl from the Arena club's table was nearby in the cul de sac, and she could see a car trundling in, though she couldn't guess who that belonged to. Students didn't have cars, right?
"Hey, er, uh, pardon me? I don't think we've met, you live over here too?" Did she even anymore?
No notifications, no messages, nothing. It was bizarre to have her phone so quiet; she figured at the very least her social media would have had something to say. But the change in time was probably what was to blame, as most of her friends and family back home were more active during the day and quiet at night. Even now, Lilie found herself rubbing her eyes. Oh well, if she got too tired, she supposed she could just turn around and go back to the Eve dorm.
Her initial assumption of not finding anything around had been misguided, it seemed. Lilie was surprised to have been addressed by anyone, stopping in her tracks as she turned towards the source of the voice. The girl looked familiar, though she couldn't say they had interacted much. Oh, wait, she must have seen her back at orientation. She had been so preoccupied with signing up that she never got the chance to introduce herself. Now was as good a time as ever, and it certainly beat staying alone.
Lilie gave the girl a small wave, changing direction as she walked up to her. Maybe it was seeing another human--mage, rather--rather than running into a vampire that helped things.
"Yes, I serve Count Ikelos. The, uh, Eve vampire," She motioned towards the dorm she had come from, albeit now that she was saying it out loud, maybe there was a better way to go about it. Oh well, she could just ask later. "I'm Lilie. And you are?"
“Can’t even adhere to a theme? The doorman should have turned you away!” Evalyn mocked dramatically and rolled her eyes. “Nah, no one gives a shit. The princess struts around every night in high fashion. Fancy clothes are fancy clothes. It’ll get you some brownie points with the nobles here though.” She stood from her work and walked over to him. “But yeah come on, we’ll do the rounds.” She hauled him off the couch and walked over to the group huddled around a laptop.
“So these two losers are Kanalie and Alexander, seniors here at school.” The pair waved at him. Alexander leaned against the wall with the laptop in his lap, dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Kanalie seemed vaguely familiar and it clicked she was the one locking lips with a vampire during orientation. “The others come and go depending on who needs help. Kanalie TAs one of the freshman Affinity Mastery classes and Alexander TAs Advanced Spell Theory for primary elements. Primary elemental mages struggle the most with arcane magic by the way. Good info for making bets and dares. And probably what they should be studying instead of spying on their poor partner.” Alexander stuck his tongue out at her in response. Kanalie smack his shoulder.
“Nice meeting you Joryldin. Let us know if there's anything you need help with! Evalyn mentioned earlier you were a freshman and we’re here to help!” Kanalie said, smiling at him.
“Then the mini Ryan over their is Nick, Ryan’s younger brother and my partner. Also has a shadow affinity but prefers arcane magic.” Nick looked up and waved from where he was drawing intently on the paper Evalyn was working on earlier. “On the couch is Anna, Jerome, and the sleeping one is Rachel. Except for Rachel they’re all turned. We have more vampires, partners of the mages getting tutored, but they probably slipped away into one of our rooms to do something or another.” Evalyn shrugged. "And if you are interested in making some connections, student council president will be here soon too. She had some business to handle at the Arena I guess but she'll appreciate your clothes at least."
A text notification broke the serene atmosphere of Salem’s bath shortly after he started soaking.
Mr.Spellman,
Your presence is expected for dinner tonight at Princess Ryner’s manor. A guard will be along in an hour to guide you there. Back tie attire is expected.”
The way back to the dorms was crowded, heavily armed guards starting to coral the student populace back to their dorms. All around people were whispering excitedly about the Queen possibly showing up and the possibility of Lady Sinnenodel walking around he administrative building. Others were abuzz about the nobles attending school, sympathizing for those serving the Astorio and Sinnenodel and excited to meet the others. Someone was discussing the Champions and if they’d be active again this year but were quickly shushed by their friends. Salem, who trailed Maxwell for a bit, disappeared into the crowd.
As Maxwell approached his dorm, the area grew less populated. It seemed most of his neighbors were either home already or were elsewhere. Already, a few dorms sported a variety of paraphernalia on their doors, ranging from team logos to a door with bells and colored fairy lights. Two students, one vampire and one mage, walked by hand in hand as they chattered excitedly before disappearing into the fairy light door.
Loud heavy thudding grew from behind Maxwell. It grew louder and louder until WHAM! A body collided with Maxwell, sending them both sprawling. A man barely missed landing on the mage, scattering his things all across the pavement in the process. The man seemed about Maxwell’s height but his limbs seemed a bit to long for his body. The man straightened out his tee shirt and dusted off his shorts as he stood, offering help up and several stuttered apologies. He froze as a chorus of laughter rang from behind them.
“This is as far as you got? Fucking pathetic.” A vampire built like a semi truck in a wife beater and sweats shouted at the mage. “We wanted to have some fun hunting. Gotta whip you into shape then.” The five others behind him snickered and smirked. “And what’s this? Have you found a friend?”
Joryldin waved and greeted everyone in turn, very polite-like. It made him feel a bit sick to his stomach. No, wait, that was still just the nausea from teleporting.
"Nice to meet everybody. You all seem like a pretty great crowd, I look forward to getting to know you all better."
His head spun trying to take in all of the names and faces at once. He was awful with names, having never interacted with enough people to need to remember more than four or five besides his tutors and family. Still, he was resigned to the fact that he would need them. Knowing everybody, and more importantly, everybody's business, was going to be an integral part of his survival for what would likely be eternity. He didn't like it, but he could start now or never.
"The student council president is coming? Lucky me. All the advice I could find online said to get involved with as many groups as I could at the start of the year and narrow it down from there. Think she can give me some direction when it comes to extracurricular stuff?"
Instinctively, he spared a quick glance at Ryan and Nick... He'd have to talk to them in a bit after the mood shifted away from introductions.
Cassandra had a vague idea of who Ikelos Eve was. He was on some family tree or other that her master had made her memorize(which apparently she didn't do).
"My name is Cassandra. Cassandra Roth. I, uh, don't seem to be servinng anyone. I was paired with Dominique Astorio," she pointed at her condo, still adorned with Astorio markings. "But when I got home just now he's, uh, moved out. I think I scared him off."
She had a mixture of pride and worry, and she said, "I'm not sure what's gonna happen, but I know my place in the school is secure. They don't want me out of their sight."
Raising her limbs up one by one, Mariette let them fall back onto the bed with an exaggerated thump. She had stopped midway through unpacking, figuring she could do it any other time. Her stay at the Academy would be lengthy, after all. Now, she was just bored. At first, she had been waiting for Lillie on the couch, having set up a glass of milk and a platter of Ike's cookies for her on the coffee table. Under which, she placed Ike's note, still refraining from reading it despite the itch that she felt whenever she walked past it. Soon after she had settled on the couch, she had lifted herself up from it and wandered into her room. And there she remained, having done everything in the span of about ten minutes. None of this was unusual for her, except for preparing the cookies and milk for her mage. She always had to occupy herself in some way, and when something stopped entertaining her she switched to a new task. Now, though, her mind was occupied with a single thought. Where was Lilie?
She wanted to wait for her, and make a proper introduction...but she had nothing else to do other than look for her. Picking herself up off of her plush mattress, she went into the bathroom and straightened her hair and clothing. She wasn't necessarily pleased with how she looked, but it would have to do. She considered spraying on some perfume, but she didn't want her mage to think she was trying to hard. On the way out of her dorm, she snatched Ikelos' note up from underneath the platter and started on her way out. Backtracking, she grabbed a cookie, twisting it in her hand and marveling at the golden brown surface. If only she could eat it, and experience what it was like to chew. Taking her items with her, Mariette finally exited the building.
She certainly didn't have to travel far, spotting delicate white hair the instant she stepped into the cul-de-sac. It was pleasing to see that Lilie was sociable, currently interacting with another mage that Mariette didn't know. Clearing her throat to announce her arrival, she neared the two mages. Not wanting to completely disregard the young woman who wasn't Lilie, she smiled kindly at her before turning her attention to her mage and beginning a semi-formal introduction.
"You must be Lilie, it's a pleasure to meet you and your friend. I'm Countess Mariette, of the Eve family, and I'll be taking care of you from now on." She passed Lilie the cookie and Ike's note, not giving her a chance to read it before she began speaking again. "Those are from your previous caretaker, Count Ikelos."
The girl introduced herself as Cassandra Roth, making Lilie wonder if she should have introduced herself with her last name as well. But the good thing was that Cassandra didn't seem to mind, more concerned with the disappearance of her vampire. How strange, it seemed like Lilie wasn't the only one who had a change of who they were serving. Frowning slightly, she wondered briefly if the two were connected, though she somehow doubted it. As she mentioned the school not wanting her out of their sight, Lilie quirked an eyebrow at her. What a curious statement.
Before she could inquire any further, the pair were interrupted by a small noise. A vampire, it seemed; for a moment Lilie assumed that she had gotten in trouble or something. Maybe leaving Ike without saying anything had landed her in hot water. But she didn't seem like a messenger, more like a noble with the sort of dignity she had about her. She was beautiful, as they all were, but Lilie wasn't entirely sure why she had approached them.
As she spoke, her words clear and flowing out rather nicely, she introduced herself as Countess Mariette of the Eve family--and as her new caretaker, apparently. Lilie's eyes widened in confusion, unsure how to respond as she explained that Ike had left her something. The white haired girl was momentarily stunned, not knowing what to say or where to start. Her body reacted first, slowly opening the letter Ike had left her. It was brief, but apparently gave merit to what Mariette had said.
"I..." She wanted to say something, but she was just confused. Ike had replaced Arianna, and now he was replaced by Mariette? Did she do something wrong? Looking up at Mariette, she folded up the note, placing it into her pocket for the moment as her other hand still held onto the cookie.
"Um...I'm Lilie--though, you knew that," Huh, she was never going to introduce herself properly, was she? "It's...nice to meet you, Countess."
No sooner had Salem began relaxing, that it was interrupted by the sound of his phone, vibrating against the countertop of the bathroom. He lazily opened one eye to peer at the light emanating from the phones side. It wasnt Pink, nor Purple, nor Green or Yellow, therefore it wasnt a text from his family. A long sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes again, only to reopen them as he slowly got out of the water. Salem reached for a soft green towel and dried off his hands before grabbing his phone.
Mr.Spellman,
Your presence is expected for dinner tonight at Princess Ryner’s manor. A guard will be along in an hour to guide you there. Black tie attire is expected.”
Salems eyes widened as he read the message. It was one thing to host parties, but to attend them? He hadn't done so since he was a child. Salem shook his head and quickly went to his contacts to search for Aaron, surely hed know what to do. After a moments search he began to realize that not only did he forget to get Aaron's information, but Lilies and Lucans as well. All right, one hour, that's all the time given to prepare. As if he was in auto drive, Salem quickly made his way towards the room, reaching beneath the bed, and pulling out a vintage suitcase. Upon opening it, there sat a tuxedo. The jacket was a beautiful forest green colour, with tail coat that ran down to above his knees; it had antique golden buttons and some golden embroidery along the seams. The waistcoat was an earthen brown with the same antique golden buttons as the jacket. The dress shirt was a lighter shade of brown that seemed to gradient from the waistcoat. The pants matched the jacket in forest green colour and finally the shoes were a beautiful Oxford, tan leather dress shoes.
Salem smiled at the familiarity of it all and quickly began to get dressed. He moved over towards his desk and grabbed a few items, a pendant hidden beneath his shirt, a set of jade beads to tie his hair up, a quick pet of cricket for good luck and then finally a green apple. He took a quick bite, as his grandma always told him it brought serenity for special occasions. The rest was left for cricket to eat at his leisure. The whole ordeal took him about 20 minutes. He stepped out into the living room and awaited the driver.
“Yep. But you might get more than you bargained for. Rowan takes her position hella serious. I’d make sure you had a few hours of down time before you ask.” Evalyn sighed. “I asked her for help with a few things and suddenly I was being treated to a history lesson through lunch.”
“Evalyn come on! Rowan wanted the design settled by the time she got back!” Nick threw his pencil at her. “Let him free for a second while we finish and then we can kick his ass on your console.”
“Alright, alright.” Evalyn grumbled. “Sorry, gotta fix this up for Rowan fist and then we can hang. Actually you know what, Ryan show Joryldin the games! We can play something when Rowan gives us the all clear!” Ryan gave her a short salute and slung his arm around the vampire again.
“Got a preference? Video games, board games, you name it we probably got it. We do a lot of waiting around here so all our stuff just sort of accumulates.” Ryan said as he steered the vampire out of the living room into a bedroom. Various art pieces hung on the wall, drawings and paintings alike. The bed was unmade and clothes were thrown everywhere. The closet was opened but instead of clothes, a horde of neatly organized games sat. Like Ryan said, it seemed like they had a bit of everything.
Five minutes shy of an hour, Salem heard a knock at the door. Two vampires dressed in Noila colors and armed with longswords nodded at the mage, stepping aside to show the car idling behind them. They guided the mage to it, one sitting beside him in the back seat and the other sitting in the passenger seat.
The car ride was silent. Outside, the Academy pulled away and the forest quickly took its place. Salem’s magic recoiled from the world around it. A sickly stillness sat where the thrum of life usually greeted him and it called to his magic, trying to pull it into its web. Brief glances into the shadows showed roaming patrols. Salem could feel the faint buzz of magic skitter across his skin as the patrols noticed the car. The magic receded as quickly as it had come, the patrols vanishing along with it.
Salem’s magic calmed once a large tudor style mansion broke the darkness. A wrought iron fence surrounded the glowing home and the car pulled up the long drive, just shy of a large fountain. Princess Ryner stood there in a sleeveless red mermaid dress, flowing in tiers for a foot behind her. A slit in the dress’s front showcased her black ankle strap heels, the goldstrap matching the golden and diamond matinee necklace. The guard sitting in front of Salem stepped out to open the mage’s door. Car drove off almost as soon as the mage was out.
“Welcome, Salem.” The princess greeted him with a smile. “Hopefully we’ll see Lucan at the dinner but it seems my sister pulled him away for Council business. Count Sinnenodel and his mage will be joining us shortly but I wanted a few minutes before the Count tries to pick you apart. How are you feeling? The first time you have dinner with the Queen can be nerve wracking I’m told.”
As the vehicle began to pull away from the Academy and towards the forest, an uneasy began to creep inside of Salem. The markings on his body all flashed dimly for a moment, the light quickly fading and then pulsating in a dim display as some force began calling out to his power. Salem closed his eyes briefly, attempting not to show his pain, and was greeted by a mass of shadows. A large dark spider calling to him, Salem took a step back and saw the shimmer of its web. He opened his eyes and the danced over to the patrols that took notice of his arrival. He sat I'm silence the entire ride, partly not to speak unless spoken to, but mainly to avoid giving away his pangs of pain and discomfort in his voice.
“Welcome, Salem.” The princess greeted him with a smile. “Hopefully we’ll see Lucan at the dinner but it seems my sister pulled him away for Council business. Count Sinnenodel and his mage will be joining us shortly but I wanted a few minutes before the Count tries to pick you apart. How are you feeling? The first time you have dinner with the Queen can be nerve wracking I’m told.”
Salem clenched his hands open and shut as if trying to get the blood rushing to them again. He looked at Princess Ryner and smiled, saying with a slightly trembling voice "I'm feeling fine...now. There seems to be some dark presence in your woods." his face flushed in embarrassment "Not, that, you're, you know, harboring any mal intent or anything." he cleared his throat, closed his eyes and went back to a semblance of calm "I'm doing fine. Thank you. I am a bit nervous to meet her yes, forgive me, it has been a while since I have played the part of a guest and not host."
