“Save your fire for the Sinnenodel snake, Countess.” The mere mention of the family name sent a shiver down her spine, though be it fear or anger she could not tell.

“Your baseless accusation doesn’t bother me. If you take issue with how the guard has handled something, you may file your complaint through the standard channels. My sister is even on campus to more easily attend your whims.” Princess Nox paused just long enough to wave away the guards that had been hovering in case their assistance was required.

“If you have questions about my duties, you may ask them to Lord Salazar himself. Since your family has taken over the Eve’s intelligence network, he has an active hand in these deliberations. I have neither interest nor authorization to explain this to you.” Amaris maintained her gaze on the Princess as she continued to speak down to her, ignoring the mage’s words completely. The approach of another party gave Amaris a few moments to take in the information that had been provided, her mind racing through a thousand details every passing second.

Amaris was well aware that the intelligence detail had been moved to their responsibility. She had helped on a previous occasion translate a note in a rarer dialect to expedite the call to action. But that had been nearly a decade ago, who could tell what sort of cases he was deliberating on presently. Still, to knowingly set the Royal Guard of all groups down on her head without warning of any sort… it didn’t sit well with her no matter how she looked at it.

Her eyes drifted to the side as Nox exchanged words with a woman whose face she recognized. It was a second face from the house of Eve, although, unlike the representative from the orientation… she did happen to know this vampire’s name. Countess Mariette, an interesting personality to put it lightly. She hadn’t had the pleasure of witnessing her up close, having only interacted through nods of acknowledgment in passing. It would seem she might get her chance if Mariette were attending the academy as well.

But if she’s here, that means the other representative went home as well… That’s two, in one night. What strings are being pulled here? She allowed the ferocity in her eyes fade somewhat, the blue tinge returning to something that resembled a royal purple. If there were truly some game being played, Amaris was already behind the curve. She knew not the rules, nor the other players. Amaris had but one purpose in coming to the Academy, perhaps this would be an opportunity to find answers to her own questions. For that, however, she would need to recollect herself and plan proper.

Her eyes trailed off after the lighter haired mage, who took off at an impressive speed upon being ordered back to their dwelling. Mariette took this as her cue to exit the stage, but she got the feeling it would not be the last she would see of the Eve. Amaris’ attention was only recalled as Cassandra finally spoke up, a lot of the enthusiasm now replaced with a cautious tone of voice.

“Countess, I think we should go inside. I’ll invite you in for some tea. Er, blood?” Amaris shifted to look back at Cassandra, taking in what she could about the mage. To be frank, Amaris was somewhat surprised at how quickly the young girl was to jump to her aid, despite the situation at hand. It was both admirable, but also incredibly stupid… And she had been the one to spark the confrontation. Reaching up to run her fingertips over the crest of her house, Amaris exhaled slowly. She would have to remember to set a better example moving forward.

“You may go on ahead, I will be up shortly. I still have one more thing to discuss with the princess here.” She spoke calmly, almost warmly, as she directed Cassandra return to the safety of a shelter only she had the key to. Turning back to Nox, her demeanor had definitely changed, no longer aggressive in nature but no less direct than it had been.

My accusations might not be as baseless as assumed, perhaps just misdirected. I need to ensure the safe return of that book.

“Well, it seems we have a misunderstanding on our hands then. I’ll forgo an official complaint, however, I no longer have any faith that my personal property will return to me undamaged. School supplies are easily replaced, but gifts from my father are less so. I would like to formally request that Getsuga not be moved from the residence, and that you appoint the head of your operation here to his care and protection until the situation has been resolved.” Amaris didn’t think the request sounded all that unreasonable, her concern surrounding the life form rather than the object he was passively guarding.

“If it’s a paper trail you need, I can reach out first thing in the evening to file through the proper channels. However, may I ask that you consider the motion currently?”

The young Marivaldi also considered asking for a copy of the call to arms that Nox had received, but thought better of it due to her request. She had the right to the information, or at least parts of it anyway. A request could be made for it at a later time once she had guaranteed the security of the book.

The car dropped Varis off and pulled away, leaving the vampire looking over the nobles’ homes alone. The Marivaldi house sported boards on every entrance. Good. With his daughter in Nox’s custody, the leader of the merry band of rebels should think twice before refusing Ryner’s requests again. He turned his head, watching a bird fly across the roofs and swoop down silently with talons extended. He could barely hear the swish of the grass as the owl vanished back into the forest to devour its meal. Maybe he would take some time just to watch the forest tonight. It would make an excellent view while the Starag oaf suffered the consequences of his actions.

Varis turned on his heel, the satisfying snap of his jacket following him down the short path to the door. He tried it, pleased the boy left it unlocked, and took his time opening it so it would make as little noise as possible. The mage looked distraught when the Count left him in the dining room. Varis wanted to catch the boy in whatever method he used to calm himself and he walked softly through the dorm. He noticed the things on his desk, neatly piled on the side. He would have to correct that. Varis wanted his mage as far away from that desk as possible while he was away but it did remind him to send out new invitations for a noble soiree. School, getting the boy’s piercings, and a little party would mean a busy day tomorrow.

He stopped just outside the mage’s door, closing his eyes and letting his hearing sharpen. A quiet tap, tap, taptaptaptap could be hear, likely the boy playing on his phone. Or texting someone. Maybe he should have some fun with that too. Varis let his senses return to normal and whipped quickly around the door frame, clearing his throat loudly and crossing his arms. A raised eyebrow and a bored expression gave the feeling he wasn’t terribly impressed with Aaron’s choice of actions.


Aaron was about halfway through typing a further reply when the sound of a throat clearing made his heart stop; his phone fell from his hands, clattering to the floor. Every ounce of fear and panic that had gripped him before his conversation came crashing back in an instant, Aaron jumping to his feet as if the bed had grown spikes. He kicked his phone aside like it was some kind of pest; it collided with the corner of his nightstand and slid, spinning, somewhere under his bed. An impressive string of expletives exploded through his mind as he bowed deeply to the Count, hands wrung with a death grip behind his back. To his surprise, his heart moved out of his throat long enough to croak out a curt greeting of, "Master."

“I allow you time to consider the night of your actions and instead you're messaging away on your phone.” Varis snapped, mentally adjusting the punishment already. He'll loop in whoever he was messaging into it and watch the guilt build up. “I'll be on the back patio. Bring your cell phone and a shoe shining kit, if you have one.” He turned, relishing in the snap of his jacket and stepped out to the back porch.

It was pleasant outside, a screened in patio with comfortable furniture and a grill. He took a seat on the couch, putting a pillow just inside where his feet could reach. While the boy did need to suffer consequences, the Starag was plenty resilient against his own embarrassment and shame. He'd adapt sooner than Varis would expect; the service types always did. Instead, Varis had to target other people on the boy's behalf with plenty of public notice. He carefully crafted a stern expression; smiling at a time like this would ruin the effect. He crossed his legs and stretched his arms along the back of the couch as he waited eagerly for the boy to make his appearance.

Aaron figuratively flinched at the Count’s reprimand; he had a point, though Aaron was still fairly confident he would have passed out if not for the distraction. He kept his gaze trained firmly on the floor in front of Varis as he gave his orders, setting to it the second the vampire was gone. His fingers nearly shook as he felt under his bed for his phone, and he fished his shoe shining kit out of his closet, making his way promptly to the patio when he had everything collected.

He slid the glass door closed carefully behind him when he stepped onto the patio, the cool air helping a little to pull him out of his head. Of course, it did next to nothing for the pounding of his heart or the twisting of his stomach. Placing his phone and the shoe shining kit on the coffee table near Varis, he stood at attention once more, catching a gut-wrenching glimpse of Varis’ unamused expression before eyeing the pillow on the floor.

“Phone.” Varis demanded, holding out his hand and snapping at the pillow with the other. “Get your kit and kneel. I don't need you fidgeting while I discuss how disappointing you were tonight.” Varis let out a long sigh and shook his head, waiting for the boy to obey. He flicked through the phone as Aaron knelt, putting one foot in his lap as soon as he complied. Varis didn't bother explaining. The boy should be able to figure out this at least.

A few dings caught Varis's attention, two notifications popping up on the screen. Two new messages from Lilie. That must have been who he was messaging before. He opened the messages, scrolling up to read. He stayed silent as he did, eyebrows shooting up at partner. Another correction to be made. As if they were equals. The boy could barely find his way out of a shoe box, let alone handle Varis' responsibilities. And this Lilie seemed just as inane. One message was just a series of undecipherable symbols after discussing magic. Must be a mage quirk. Varis snorted at the newest messages. He would ensure that turned out a lie.

“Of course. The first thing you do is find some girl. Her name is pretty at least. But her conversation suggests that's all there is to her.” Varis spoke almost absently before turning his attention back to the boy. “However, the Eve mage? If you hadn't proved yourself incapable of such feats of social acumen, I would congratulate you on impressing me. Tell me about the girl.”

Aaron was quick to his knees, promptly putting two and two together when he received Varis’ foot in his lap. As the vampire flipped through his phone - Aaron would have time and energy to feel violated later - he opened his kit on the porch next to him, starting with a few swipes of a leather cleaner and conditioner. He was carefully applying shoe polish, thankful for a task he could focus on, when Varis spoke up. Despite the rudeness that made Aaron bristle more than he would have expected, the request was rather innocuous; however, Aaron couldn't deny there was something in it that sounded a little… dangerous.

“She's the sparring partner I was tasked to find,” Aaron reported, readying his brush, “A fencer. Ten years of training, same as me, but it was clear that her regimen wasn't as intense as mine. Her offenses were easily dealt with and she seemed to have a tendency for more aggressive strikes than the style is suited to.” It all came out rather robotic, Aaron drawing on ten years of technical education, and leaving out the fact that he'd only let her last as long as he had because he had been enjoying watching her go. “She found me at the mages’ orientation, though we did cross paths at the opening ceremony as well.” His words were punctuated by the steady swishing of his polishing brush.

“Easily dealt with? It sounds like she's the only one benefiting from this arrangement.” Varis dismissed her. So he went and found someone easy. Disappointing. “She is unacceptable. You need someone of equal or greater skill otherwise your sword arm will grow slow and lazy. Since you squandered your opportunity, I will find someone more fitting. Another disappointment.” Varis shook his head.

“And how to address this disaster of a night.” Varis tapped the phone against his chin thoughtfully. “Direct orders. I didn't test you, didn't play games with you, and yet you still managed to disobey me. What would have happened in the Noila household if you acted this way?”

Varis was right about Lilie being a poor sparring partner, but Aaron didn't know how Varis expected him to know her combat prowess without actually sparring her first. He was considering suggesting that Varis allow him to continue his training under Lucan, but the Count moved right along, to Aaron’s considerable horror.

He nearly flinched at the reminder of his abysmal conduct at dinner, pausing in his polishing as another wave of guilt and shame washed over him. He dropped his head a little more, and forced himself to focus on Varis’ shoe as his head started to swim.

“Hard to say, given the circumstances,” Aaron answered honestly, remembering Dora’s cries. He was fairly sure they would have been understanding; the Noilas did take an interest in their mages’ well-being, treated them with dignity, and his closeness with his relatives had never been discouraged. But in different circumstances, well, it wasn't fun to think about. “Absent a good reason for my disobedience, I would probably have been caned.”

“Barbaric.” Varis shuddered. “We won’t use that nonsense as a guide. No. How should we correct this? After all, I’m sure our Lady swimming through your head was unpleasant enough that it was its own punishment. But what about all the people you exposed to our Lady? She could have seen anything she wanted, plucked any fond memory or embarrassing tale right out of your head, and put everyone and everything involved directly under her microscope. People and events she would have never interacted with, never would have given a second glance, now in the center of her consideration. How awful.” Varis glanced down at the phone again. “You were momentarily the subject of her scrutiny. Would you suggest anyone draw it?”

Aaron nearly shuddered, too, as Varis laid out the magnitude of what had happened. The whole hellish vision that he had been subjected to ran through Aaron’s mind again. Who had been in it? Lucan, the royal family, his own family, one of the palace guards… And was that even the extent of what she saw? Had she wrenched more from his memories than she had shown him? And what would she do with what she had learned? Aaron hoped that it would all be below her notice, but the way Varis spoke, he wasn't so sure.

“No,” he answered simply, a myriad of worst-case scenarios flooding his mind. He paused again in his polishing as it all flashed before his eyes, having to shake his head a little to get started again.

“And yet you allowed it. You had a perfect defense against her intrusion and yet you, no one else, allowed her in. I wonder if she saw this Lilie you’ve been speaking to. I wonder how easily she would be snatched away and broken. Maybe she’d end up like Vanessa.” Varis mused. He planned to dig this knife as deep as he could. “You saw what she did to the Queen’s mage at the end. Could you imagine what she does to some she wanted to break?” Varis sighed, tossing the phone down next to him. “Sometimes I still hear their begging. Honestly, mages are so dramatic.”

“That being said, I believe you owe some people an apology. Definitely this Lilie girl, the Queen’s attendant and her vampire since you put him at risk as well,” Varis lifted his foot, pushing Aaron’s chin up to make eye contact. “Who else do you owe? What did she show you?”

Aaron nodded as Varis reprimanded him, knowing the Count was right. But at the mention of Vanessa, his breath caught in his throat, another wave of nausea washing over him. His breathing became quicker, more purposeful as he fought down the urge to vomit. And Dora, too… What went on in this House? What sort of monster was his new Lady? Horror flooded his mind at the possibilities, and he had to consciously tell himself to pay attention so as not to get swallowed up in panic again.

Something like a nervous twinge shot up Aaron’s spine when Varis lifted his face with his shoe, the eye contact adding to his burgeoning discomfort. “I don’t think she saw Lilie,” he admitted, eyes flicking elsewhere as he collected his thoughts. He took a deep breath before he spoke, dispelling some of the nausea.

“She showed me… influential moments in my life, I think. Starting at the present and working backwards; most of them… unpleasant.” He paused again to think, taking stock of everyone he could remember who had showed up. “There was the royal family, my aunts, my mother,” he closed his eyes a second as he remembered the glimpses, from his grandmother’s funeral to his Awakening to that horrible day he’d had to be physically removed from the infirmary after trying to see his mother. He opened his eyes again. “My tutors, from the opening ceremony, and Sir Bordeleaux as well.”

His mind was momentarily filled with confusing, broken images of a struggle and a blurry figure below him, his own left side painted red the mirror, a hot rush dripping down his arm. His free hand came up to brush his scarred ear, unbeknownst to him. “Some were just experiences, with no names or faces attached.”

“Then we’ll add one to your family and one to Sir Bordeleaux as well.” Varis kept Aaron’s face up for just a moment longer, relishing in the turmoil that flashed through them. Unruly and unnecessary but mortal emotions were always a pleasure to watch run rampant. He took his foot away, putting it back in the boy’s lap. “So, an apology for Lilie just to be safe. An apology to the attendant for what she suffered through. A general one to your family for bringing them to our Lady’s attention. And one more to Sir Bordeleaux. For each of those I’ve listed, you’ll write a personalized letter of apology expressing your regret over failing to follow orders and why you’ll endeavour to follow them more closely in the future.” Varis switched which foot was in the boy’s lap.

“For those we can, you’ll read them out loud in public view and have the recipient sign the bottom. I’ll be there to witness as well just in case something were to happen.” Varis picked up Aaron’s phone again, fiddling with it. “After that, we’ll frame and hang each page separately in your room. It’ll be an excellent reminder about your failure and why you should strive to follow my orders to the letter. I expect each apology letter to be at least three pages long and I will read over your drafts to approve them. Each time you fail to bring me one that I believe expresses how much you care, you will write a new one with an additional page added. Do you have any questions?”

Aaron deflated more and more as the Count explained his punishment, stooping lower over the new shoe as he began the shining process over again. Degradation seemed to be a theme with Varis, and Aaron was mortified to hear that public humiliation wasn’t just a test, or the result of a heated moment like he’d hoped, but apparently a training tool. He almost found himself longing for the the canings; at least they happened privately.

There was only one person on that list that Aaron didn’t know well personally; he wasn’t sure if that made it worse or better. Nodding as he cleaned the new shoe, Aaron asked, “When should I have them completed?”

“Hm, that is a good question considering you still have another punishment to handle.” Varis hummed again. “You’ll complete one per day after school or during whatever free time you have starting tomorrow in addition to completing your lines every morning. Now, it’s late now. You should be going to bed. Off with you.” Varis took his foot away and sat back, turning his attention away from Aaron and back to the forest. He snapped his fingers, adding almost as an afterthought, “Even in your messages, you will refer to me as master now. You’ve lost the right to my name for the foreseeable future, in private and public.” Varis shooed the boy away, waiting to relax for a bit by himself before the sun rose. Life would get busy from here on out. He would take the quiet while he could.

Aaron nodded again, gathering his things and standing. “Yes, Master,” he assented, bowing and taking his leave.

Interacting with: @Obscene Symphony@AChronum

Salem walked into his dorm, undoing his top buttons as he opened the door. The lights were off, save for the purple hue that radiated from the bottom of his door. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he played back against it, sliding down to the floor, hands trembling as they reach up towards his face. He felt something wet against his hands, did he forget to turn the misters off? That must be it...he outgrew crying, his father told him so. He wiped away the strange liquids as he sniffled his nose a bit.



The words echoed in his head as he once again felt the streams trickling down his cheeks. He shook his head as he lazily got up, shuffling his feet into this bedroom after kicking off his shoes at the door. "Hey Cricket." his voice was low and horse, with no energy. He flicked on the lights, stripping all the way down as he searched for some Pajama pants to wear. After a moment he found a white pair of pajama pants with little cartoon potted cacti, and potted plants, and a black shirt with a little acorn that said "See'd ya later". His feet felt heavy as he made his way towards the bathroom to take down his hair. Long curly brown locks flowed onto his shoulders as he undid his hair tie and looked into the mirror. A brief flash showed the face of his father, disapproval in his face.



His gaze fell down onto the sink, turning on the water as he let it run between his fingers for a moment. Letting the heat sting his hands until he finally brought it up towards his face and began to splash it on, attempting to clean the weakness with it. No, he wasnt weak, and he wasnt about to become someones pawn. Salem reached and grabbed a hand towel to dry his face off and made his way back towards the front hallway. He knocked Lucans door for a moment, leaning his head against it. "Hey, Lucan?" Silence fell throughout the house. Had Lucan heard about the evenings events? Was he ignoring him? Salem knocked again and the door cracked open revealing an empty room.

A long sigh escaped him as he began to walk around the dorm looking for something to do. His stomach began to growl. Although he just ate, his potion earlier also accelerated his metabolism, making it feel as if he hadnt eaten all day. Salem walked towards the kitchen, opening the cupboard to grab a bowl, cereal and then some milk. There was a small amount of satisfaction with being the first open a box of cereal, he shook it loose and onto the bowl, then adding the milk and making his way over to the living room to watch some t.v.



As he sat there on the couch eating his cereal, the only sound resonating in the house was the t.v. and his spoon against the cereal. He couldn't seem to focus on anything around him and the loneliness began to sink in. He pulled out his cell phone and began to flick through his contacts, realizing there wasnt anyone he could contact due to the now pending investigation. Well, almost no one. He decided to go ahead and give Aaron a text.


As Salem went to text Lilie, uncertainty beginning to brew inside of him. He looked back over at his two displays and then towards his phone. He started texting her, asking if she was up, leaving that blinking cursor on the end of the message having never hit send. Salem made his way back onto the couch and laid down, head buried in the pillows as the t.v. continued to play and the kettle began to scream, drowning out any hint of sobbing...if there was any.

Varis sat as long as he dare, flipping absently through the names and pictures of those in treaty law. The Noila’s methods successfully stripped the Starags of their independence. The boy’s natural dependance on orders would normally please Varis. Servants like that instinctively followed whatever order they received and could almost always handle their tasks without supervision. But it was the stubborn streak in him that made Varis wonder if they could pull this off without more... direct methods. Five centuries of conditioning wove the two together and Varis would have to break that absurd pride before anything else. Maybe if he looked back far enough, Varis could find something to sully the Starag name. It may not even need be true.

Varis sighed. But he didn’t have access to his or his Lady’s archives right now so he would have to wait until a break. He would have to keep with his Spellman plan. That would, at the very least, prime the mage to break. Of course, the Spellman’s intensity may well have the opposite effect but Varis hasn’t had the time to find a smaller flame to soften the boy yet. Hopefully, the Spellman would be all he needed but Varis would nose around tomorrow. He never kept all his eggs in one basket and he wasn’t about to start now. He returned his attention to the folder and his brows shot up at one picture. Lilie Dionne.

He flipped through the rest, looking for another Lilie. It hadn’t occurred to him to find her while the boy was panicking over everything else. Would have been an excellent time to demonstrate how his actions brought others under their gaze. Oh well, missed opportunities. He spent a few moments and committed her name to heart. There would always be another opportunity,

At last he stood, retreating inside before the sun peeked over the horizon. Varis almost went to bed, only to remember the items left on his desk. He went to retrieve them, noting the lack of papers on the boy’s desk. That wouldn't do. Varis pulled out a pad and pen, writing the line the mage was expected to copy on top, and then laid them neatly on the boy’s desk. He would lock them away starting tomorrow. A punishment shouldn’t be rushed after all.

His phone chirped. A quick glance at the notification told him a branch member’s birthday was approaching and it wasn’t one of those he could ignore. Varis sat at his desk, quickly composing an email to one of his mage’s to send an appropriate gift and one of the stock letters he keeps at home. Another piece of business in his email caught his eye and he moved onto to that and another one after that, catching up on all the responsibilities he put aside that evening. As one thing turned into two, three, four, the hours slipped by and Varis nodded off in his chair, a partially completed event reminder open on his phone.




“Your concerns are not my responsibility. If you have an issue, submit them through the appropriate channels. I will assume this Getsuga is a creature in your care and for your peace of mind, it will be evaluated immediately by my personal mage. I will make note of your continued refusal to comply with the investigations orders as well. Return to your quarters immediately otherwise you will be charged with obstruction of justice as the mage’s accomplice.” Nox ended the conversation, turning on her heel and sending guards to escort the Countess to the Astorio dorm. She muttered something to Lucan, who immediately put his phone to his ear, and went inside.

Cassandra

@WeepingLiberty

This seemed like a "yes ma'am" moment, and Cassandra didn't have time to review any etiquette in her head to make sure she was right. So that's what she went with.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll see you inside."

Cassandra didn't manage to go sit or lie down, she was pacing in the living room in the time between her own retreat, and awaiting Amaris to return. She felt bad, the vampire was having everything she owned taken from her, and being roomed with Cassandra. As she looked around, it struck her that she didn't own much in the way of furnishing, decoration or personal effects. She grabbed one of her energy drinks, an iced tea one, which seemed appropriate, since that's what she and Amaris were supposed to be doing before all of this nonsense.

She thought better for a moment, and poured it into a glass, throwing the can into recycling.

Cassandra sat at the table, facing the door, but didn't drink.

Aaron let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding as soon as he slid the door shut behind him, only realizing how tense he’d been when his muscles started to relax, shoulders complaining painfully as he stretched out his neck. He paused only to make sure all the curtains were securely drawn before making a beeline to his room, moving to shut his door behind him. But when he reached for it, his hand found only air.

Right. Hopefully he’d have the chance to ask about that tomorrow.

He put his shoe shining kit away and began his morning routine on autopilot, avoiding the line of sight to the living room as he changed even though he knew the Count was still outside. Briefly he examined his pants, the knees of which were hopelessly tattered and bloody from the glass. He frowned at them. Normally he would have fixed them, but they were too torn up in too small a space to repair without butchering them further. A shame.

Varis’ words echoed on loop through Aaron’s head as he showered for the third time that night, eager to wash away the blood on his legs and the product in his hair and the feeling of the Count’s hand around his throat. Although, all things considered, Aaron thought he’d gotten off pretty easy. His punishment, humiliating as he was sure it would be, was nothing compared to the horror stories he’d been imagining as he waited. Varis wasn’t going to put his eyes out, he wasn’t getting caned, or otherwise mutilated, and despite his earlier comment, it looked like Varis was keeping him around. He counted himself lucky. He wasn’t looking forward to his punishment by any metric, but considering he had been directly disobedient, he supposed he should be grateful that the Count had been so merciful.

Still, he couldn’t quite shake the things that Varis had said about their Lady - ugh, he was never going to get used to that - from his mind. Would she really take an interest in the people in his memories? He couldn’t imagine why any of them would be worth her notice, or at least her efforts, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to find out. Was there even anything he could do at this point to protect them, or had the damage been done?

It was only after several minutes of scrubbing at his eyes to get the last of that pencil off that Aaron finally made himself get out, going through the rest of his routine on autopilot as he fell deeper and deeper into thought. He was about to get into bed, in pajama pants and shirtless as always, when another wary look at the empty door frame and the house beyond made him throw on a t-shirt as well. He was deliberating filling out his journals when a ding from his phone caught his attention, a notification from an unknown number popping up on screen.

> Hey, You still up?

Oh, that must have been Salem. Aaron read the message a few times, turning the lights off and climbing into bed before replying. He cast a weary look at the door, and the light coming in from the rest of the house. That was going to be annoying, he could already tell. He rolled away from it, focusing on his phone.


That conversation was over, and Aaron took a moment to enter Salem’s number into his contacts. Spellman was his last name, right? He also made a contact for Varis’ number, entering it simply as “Master.” He wasn’t a huge fan, but it was best to play it safe in case the vampire looked through his phone again. Whatever, he’d get used to it. Realistically, he chided himself, it wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it.

While he was taking care of things, Aaron opened up his alarms, doing some quick math in his head. Breakfast would be delivered at eight, and he was meant to write lines for an hour before that; but he couldn’t just roll out of bed and start writing, so he needed an alarm for… he’d say 6:30, just to be safe. Maybe he’d get the mail before writing his lines, and catch a bit of the evening sun. Good thing he was going to bed so early; he realized only then how the night’s events had exhausted him, and it looked like he’d be having an early evening tomorrow. Hell, with 1,000 lines to get through, he’d probably be having quite a series of early evenings. He nearly groaned at the thought.

His messenger app told him he still had one unread message, from Lilie. When he opened their conversation, he was surprised to see not just one, but three messages he hadn’t read. Upon closer inspection, it looked like the first two had come in while Varis still had his phone.

> sounds complicated
> but the good part is that its over! And then tomorrow is going to be a good day!

> If you ever wanna talk or anything just let me know, okay? I have to keep my first friend close! :D

Despite the somber conversation with Salem and the night’s events still weighing heavily on him, not to mention the thought that Varis had seen every message between them except the last one, Aaron couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t sure if he’d take advantage of her offer - he had never been much for that sort of thing - but it was just so kind, he had to accept. Not to mention the thought that she already considered him a friend lifted his spirits immensely. She was his first friend too, he supposed, though he was pretty sure she didn’t mean it the same way he did. He thought on his response for probably longer than he should have, a million different options circling his mind until he settled on a simple one.

> I will! See you tomorrow :)

---

---

Interacting with: @Achronum

“Welcome to our little group. I’m sure you understand why I’m not particularly pleased you’re here but we’ll make do. Tell me, what do you intend to do with what you’ve learned?”

He had sure found his way into the deep end now. Politics were his poison, and this place was a hydra's den. Saying the wrong thing to her could end in his death, a permanent one this time. Just as dire, it seemed, was the fact that a slip of the tongue outside of these walls could mean an even worse fate for everyone present.

"I didn't come in with any intentions other than to start making friends, and I guess that still holds true. Everything that Ryan told me only cements the fact that you guys are good company to have. I get that the people in charge wouldn't exactly take kindly if they knew, so I'll keep my mouth shut on the matter, I can promise that."

Nox awaited Cassandra’s departure before she spoke again, the mage complying with her directives in a prompt manner. The countess was going to have to make a point of apologizing to Cassandra at a later time, but first… to deal with the imminent threat.

“Your concerns are not my responsibility. If you have an issue, submit them through the appropriate channels. I will assume this Getsuga is a creature in your care and for your peace of mind, it will be evaluated immediately by my personal mage. I will make not of your continued refusal to comply with the investigations orders as well. Return to your quarters immediately otherwise you will be charged with obstruction of justice as the mage’s accomplice.”

What I would give to be able to return to my quarters, signora testarda. Amaris thought to herself, neutral eyes trailing after the princess as she took her leave from the clearly ended conversation. It wasn’t until the guards approached her that she turned away, allowing the pair to escort her back to the dorm they were relocating her to. She found walking away to be so much easier now that she had acquired some telling information from the princess about the situation at hand…

Stepping up to the door, the young countess extended her arm hesitantly half expecting the knob to burn her fingertips for daring to enter another’s domain. Over her shoulder could be felt the looming presence of the guards that had escorted her from her own dorm, waiting rather impatiently for Amaris to comply with the orders she had already pushed her luck on. Exhaling with resignation, she tried pushing the door open, pleased to find that it gave her little resistance as she entered the Astorio residence. Turning around to shoot a half-hearted glare at the guards who still stood by watching.

“Well? What are you waiting for, run along. There’s nowhere for me to go at this hour, it would be risky for me to even try. Hopefully, this will be the last time we’ll ever have to deal with one another.”

Though, somehow it doesn't really feel like it. Amaris thought to herself before closing the door between them. Bolting the door shut, Amaris turned about to take in the room around her.

The layout of the dorms seemed to be identical to one another, the halls and rooms exactly where Amaris assumed them to be. However, there was something off about the space, small things that unnerved the countess. Perhaps, had it been anyone else under any other circumstances such details would have been inconsequential… but the stress of the evening had Amaris nitpicking. The space seemed rather basic, as if no one had taken the time to customize it to their own desires. Not surprising as it’s newest inhabitant had left with such short notice… unfortunately the scent of the previous owner still lingered in the air. Everything considered, Amaris found herself feeling like an outsider.

Amaris allowed her eyes to settle on the young woman that was to be her new partner, so many thoughts racing through her mind that it was difficult to find a place to start. Whatever had happened with Minfilia this night, Amaris hadn’t seen a thing coming. Moving forward, she would have to take greater care regardless of who she spent her time around… classmates or not. Luckily, she hadn’t found the time to really talk with the blonde mage which meant nothing private could be shared even if they used magic to interrogate her. Currently, her biggest worry was the tank in which Getsuga called home. The base had been designed with discretion in mind, a secret compartment built into the frame that had primarily used to hide small gifts and other such trinkets. Shortly after her acceptance to the academy, Amaris had consulted with a mage she trusted from one of the lower Marivaldi branches. Together they had drafted up a plan to discreetly secure the compartment with minimal charms or indicators. In all likelihood, it would have been safer to contract the project to a professional, but she had been hoping to keep the modifications off the books. She just hoped it would be enough to slip past the Royal Guard’s interest.

Suddenly realizing that she had been standing in silence for the past minute or so, Amaris shook herself out of her thoughts and forced herself to focus. Cassandra sat at the table with a drink of some kind in her hands, assumedly waiting for Amaris to do or say something. In all honesty, Amaris was at a loss for either. Approaching the table, Amaris sat herself down and settled in.

“That was perhaps more excitement than I would have preferred to deal with in one evening. I guess I should apologize to you in advance, seeing as you are now apart of whatever happens from this moment on.” Relaxing her posture back into the chair, Amaris allowed a casual smile to grace her features in the hopes that it might be of some comfort for the mage.

“Tonight is not the night to be worrying about that sort of thing though. You have more important things to be focusing on, like the classes that start in the evening. We can work out our arrangements tomorrow.”

The next evening brought cloudy skies that dripped when least convenient. The freshman class, especially most mages, thrummed with excitement despite this and energetic murmurs rippled through the student body as they made their ways to their respective classes. Already a few rumors made their way around the school about the arrest last night, some saying the girl offended the Marivaldi, others suggesting the mage was caught breeding with a Noila mage.

Most of the extra guard was missing coming the new night. A few still wandered the grounds, eyes inspecting the student body. They moved with purpose, seemingly looking for something, but they didn’t stop anyone.

Interacting with:

Hours passed and the screaming of the kettle subsided while Salem lay on the couch passed out. The metal was now burning hot from having sat for so long, yet it hadnt reached the point of melting quite yet. A loud commercial began to play on the television and startled him awake. A small wet trail dribbling on the corner of his mouth as he groggily turned off the t.v. and stood up. Salem rubbed his eyes for a moment and then placed his glasses on, looking towards the kitchen and seeing the stove still on. "Shit shit shit shit shit." Salem ran towards the kitchen, turning off the stove and grabbing the kettle, immediately dropping it onto the ground as it burned his hands. "Hot hot fuck hot!" he quickly ran through the cabinets and grabbed a bottle of yellow mustard and began to rub it onto the burned area and around. Now getting to the sink and pulling out the hose extension to spray the kettle down, steam began to fill the air, some escaping from the inside and screaming once more.

The kitchen now a wet mess, and Salem burned, he retired to his room to quickly grabbed a few products. He grabbed a small trunk that opened up into several compartments that raised and spread to hold a wide array of ingredients and potions. He quickly grabbed a bottle and poured out a viscous cream onto a linen strip of cloth. While it soaked in, and the minty scent began to permeate the air, he cleaned his wound and then dressed it with the linen. A quick look at his phone told him that it was day time and his sleep schedule had been royally fucked. Aaron was no doubt asleep and useless as he couldnt leave the house and the only other person he could co tsct was Lilie, who no doubt was also asleep. He stared at the text he was going to send Lilie the hours prior and decided to send one.

>>Hey Lilie, its Salem, you awake by any chance?

Evening didn’t come without a fight. Just getting to sleep was challenging enough, Aaron not having realized just how much the small amount of light coming in from the hallway would bother him. He tossed and turned half the day, only finally passing out somewhere around 1pm. What little sleep he did get was marred with confusing nightmares, flashes of things that could have been memories or imagination, all tinted with anxiety and fear, and repeated sensations of a hard, icy hand around his throat. When 6pm finally rolled around, tired of trying and failing to sleep, he decided it was late enough at last to acceptably get out of bed.

A shower helped to clear his head and it seemed like the early rising was a blessing in disguise, giving him some time to shave. Aaron couldn't do it quickly like some men could; the only way he knew how to shave was with a straight razor, and rushing with one of those was a recipe for disaster (a lesson he’d learned well as a teenager). He didn't mind, though; the careful process was therapeutic, giving him a chance to turn off his mind and focus on the task at hand. He'd be the first to admit he was a perfectionist, and being able to concentrate on doing a thorough job did wonders to distract him from the images that had been plaguing his mind all day.

Shaving done and the rest of his hygiene routine out of the way, Aaron moved to the closet, flipping through the hangers on autopilot. He knew what he wanted to wear, he just needed to choose colours; fortunately, not a difficult feat when one's wardrobe consisted almost entirely of grey and black. Tonight he opted for a textured grey, pulling a pair of slacks and matching jacket from a hanger and grabbing a crisp white shirt and dark slate tie in the way out. After everything that happened the night before, Aaron was all too eager to button up well within his comfort zone again. But as he pulled on his shirt, he paused, remembering what the Count had said about feeding the night before. Not wanting to risk ruining more of his clothes, Aaron opted for a long-sleeved black crew neck instead; it wouldn’t get in the way of feeding from the neck the way a collared shirt would, and blood, should there be any, wouldn’t show up against the fabric. He’d change once feeding was done, of course. He’d look like a fool otherwise.

A glance at his phone told him it was 6:50, and he figured there was no point in waiting any longer to get the mail. In any case, it would give him a few minutes to sort through it, take care of his own if he got any and leave anything for Varis on his desk when he went in to do his lines. The slacks and crew neck combo was a little odd for going out in public, but he'd only be out for a second; he doubted anyone would be out and around at this hour anyway. Certainly no one important, seeing as the sun was still up.

He padded down the hall on the balls of his feet and went out the door as quietly as he could, not wanting to risk waking Varis, but moved more purposefully once outside, looking around at the subdivision as he strode down the walk. The sun was still up, of course, the light warm and golden as it prepared to set, but a dark mass of clouds loomed on the eastern horizon; Aaron recalled the weather widget on his phone predicting some rain, and it looked like it would probably arrive by nightfall. He didn't particularly mind, though he did absently wonder if the Arena would be safe from the rain as he opened the mailbox.

He pulled out a few things, shuffling quickly through three letters and finding they were all for Varis, but what caught his attention was the fourth: a thin black box with a note attached, addressed to him. He looked at it curiously as he lowered the mailbox indicator, turning it. Despite its size, it had some weight to it, and his name looked to be written in Princess Ryner’s handwriting.

Looking up at the sound of footsteps, Aaron was greeted with the entertaining, but wholly unexpected sight of a girl walking atop of the stone wall separating the Sinnenodel and Eve properties, looking very focused on her task. He immediately recognized her as Lilie (as if he’d forget) and he couldn’t help but smile as she walked over, a little prick of childlike joy infecting him as he watched her balancing act. And she was coming his way!

He followed her with his eyes as she jumped off the wall, reflexively reaching out to catch her when she stumbled, though she recovered just fine on her own. He couldn’t help but survey her clothes, just quick enough to be polite, though he had to admit it was difficult to tear his eyes away. She was wearing some kind of denim vest over a grey t-shirt, a pair of uncomfortably cute white thigh-highs peeking out from under a blue skirt. Apparently she was continuing the trend from the night before, but as different as it was to him, Aaron certainly wasn’t complaining.

“Good morning, neighbor!” She greeted him happily.

Aaron couldn’t help but chuckle at her odd greeting, though there was no malice in it. “Good evening!” he replied, mirroring her posture and grasping his mail behind his back. “You’re up early!”

Lilie laughed a little at herself, shaking her head. “Getting used the time change will be the first of many challenges here. I've actually been up since...I think two? I've never slept in so late, it was weird!”

She paused a second, hopping in place, before adding more sincerely, “Um, thank you for last night. I really needed that,”

“Oh, that’s right, this is pretty much all new to you isn’t it?” Aaron asked, admittedly fairly curious. He’d never met… well, he hadn’t met many people if he was being honest, but certainly no one outside of the noble circuit until coming to the Academy. The thought of someone who stayed up all day and slept during the night was just so odd, though he supposed he shouldn’t be so surprised. That was how mundane humans lived, after all, and many mages born outside a vampire’s service. Still, it seemed so… archaic, like living how humans did before the Treaty, though he couldn’t help but be intrigued. “I’m sure you’ll get used to it soon, I think you’ll find the nighttime plenty stimulating.”

At her next comment, though, he softened considerably, remembering how insecure she seemed about the whole situation. “Oh, that’s not necessary,” he waved off her thanks with a shrug and a smile. “We all do what we can, right? I’m happy to help.”

Lilie averted her gaze for a moment, her hand combing through her bangs. “If everyone is as nice as you are, then I won't have to be so nervous about all this,” she said before returning her eyes to his, giving him a somewhat bashful smile. “Still, don't sell yourself short. A little kindness goes a long way.”

Aaron glanced down, a bashful smile of his own creeping over his face as he tugged on his ear with his free hand. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” he admitted, glancing to his dorm and back. “But I mean it, I imagine this is all a lot to take in if you’re not used to it.” He gestured with his mail to the Eve dorm. “Especially serving nobles. I grew up around them, but I imagine some of the rules can be confusing. That’s not to say that you can’t handle it yourself, I mean…” he trailed off for a second, tugging ever more insistently on his ear. What was it about this girl that made him trip over himself? “I just mean I can probably help if you think you need it.”

“You grew up around nobles?” Lilie repeated, absentmindedly brushing a stray hair behind her ear and looking a little stunned. “That's...well, then you know way more than I do, I bet.” Shifting her weight from one foot to another, Lilie crossed her arms before hanging her head, letting out a defeated sounding sigh. “I'm going to need all the help I can get.”

Aaron smiled gently, taking some pity on the girl. “I’m sure you’ll do fine,” he reassured her. For some reason, he checked his phone, seeing that the time was 6:55. Damn, he had to get back in, he needed to do his lines soon. Groaning inwardly, he looked between his dorm and Lilie. “I’m sorry, I need to get back. I’ll see you in class though, right?”

Perking up, Lilie nodded as she hopped in place.  “Yes! And we'll get to learn real magic today, too!” She replied excitedly. “I told you, it's going to be a good day! So we just need to hang in there!”

“Yep!” Aaron nodded, happy to oblige Lilie’s enthusiasm, even if he wasn’t quite so sure. But she was right, it was best to stay optimistic. “See you later, then,” he added, offering a wave and turning back up the walk, a slight spring to his step that hadn’t been there before on the way back to his dorm.

The box he’d received in the mail had Aaron’s attention again when he got back inside, making a beeline back to his room to open it. He laid Varis’ letters aside for the time being, eyes glued to the note on the box.

When the snake grows too venomous, find him and ring twice to escape and thrice for help.

Aaron read it over a few times, flipping the note over to see if there was anything else, but that was all he was given. A cryptic message, excellent. And a foreboding one at that. As if he didn’t have enough to agonize over.

Shaking that little spike of sleep-deprived sarcasm from his mind, Aaron moved on to the box itself, carefully tucking the note into his pocket. His brow furrowed when he lifted the cover, examining the contents for a moment. Inside, held carefully in place by a black satin ribbon, was a silver object, made of thick metal with two long prongs on one end. A tuning fork, apparently middle C.

What?

Slowly sitting on the edge of his bed, Aaron kept his eyes glued to the fork, carefully untying the ribbon and holding it up. Heavy, probably steel… yeah, a tuning fork. Why would the Princess send him this? He was tempted to ring it, but the message in the note gave him pause; mundane an object as it seemed, one could never be too careful.

While he would have loved to sit and ponder over the thing for a while longer, a habitual glance at his phone told him it really was time to get to his lines. He tucked the box and tuning fork, along with the note, into his bag for the time being, snatching Varis’ letters and leaving his phone on his vanity before finally crossing the hall to the study. When he opened the door, though, he had to do a double-take; there, fast asleep in his desk chair with his laptop open, was Varis.

Aaron might have laughed had it not been so strangely shocking. There was Count Varis, intimidating presence that he was, clocked out at his desk like a child who stayed up too late. For a moment Aaron simply stood in the doorway, letters in hand, deliberating. He should wake him up, right? Surely he wouldn’t want to be left sleeping in his chair, especially if Aaron was going to be doing his lines in there. Figuring Varis might be embarrassed to have been found asleep at his desk, Aaron closed the door again and knocked a few times sharply, loud enough to hopefully wake the vampire up.

Varis startled at the sound, a fully prepared reprimand on the tip of his tongue in a matter of moments. The surrounds stopped him however. He blinked down at his computer screen and around at the room. The open event plan still blinked at him and Varis dutifully filled it out, finishing off the half of the notice before clicking it away. It took him another half a moment to realize someone must have knocked and a brief glance at the time made him realize the boy must be awake. He rolled his eyes. Falling asleep at his desk and then immediately dealing with the boy’s behavioural issues was not a pleasant way to wake.

“Come in boy.” Varis snapped and he opened up another email he’d apparently received during the day. “And you may as well get used to this. With the damnable extra chore of teaching imbeciles and still juggling both mine and my house’s responsibilities, I’ll likely sleep in this room more often than not.”

Aaron entered quickly, closing the door gently behind him and generally trying not to take up too much space as he crossed over to his desk. He held out the letters for Varis to take, offering a bow of the head.

“Mail this evening, Master,” he reported, noticing that there was a pad of paper waiting for him with his line written at the top. Interesting that Varis apparently didn’t think he’d have it memorized by now. “If you’d prefer, I can make sure to wake you so you don’t have to spend the day in a chair.”

“That will be fine.” Varis glanced at the letters and turned back to his laptop. “Who are those from?”

Aaron hadn’t looked at the letters any more closely than to see who they were for, so he quickly shuffled through them, looking at the return addresses on the backs. “...Count Illios Astorio, Countess Lavintra Eve, and…” he frowned at the last one, quickly turning it front and back. “The last is unmarked.”

“Destroy the Astorio, leave the Eve on my desk, and I’ll take the unmarked one.” Varis didn’t bother waiting for Aaron to obey, taking the one he wanted and ignoring the rest. He opened the letter and pulled out a heavy card covered in illuminated lettering. Varis rolled his eyes and dropped it on the desk as well.

“Now get to your lines.” Varis nodded at the boy’s desk, where the paper sat. “Once the hour is up, I’ll take them back and lock them away. A rushed punishment is a failed one.”

An odd request, but Aaron did as he was told, leaving the Eve letter on Varis’ desk and putting the Astorio one aside to be burned. At Varis’ command, he simply nodded, replied with “Yes, Master,” and set to his task.

Victor Astorio

The car rolled to a stop on the cold cobblestone street. A vampire not much older than 100 years hesitated to open the door into the cool evening air. A shadowy figure sat across from him shifting slightly in his seat. The figure spoke with a deep and menacing tone while holding onto a slight Russian accent.

“You are the first of our family to attend this place. Do not disappoint me. We both know what happens if Lord Peiron is displeased with your performance.” Again the figure shifted, one leg crossing the other.

"Are you ever going to tell me why the lord requested that I personally do this? Not only would Valeria be a better suit for this, but she is my elder." Victor seemed reluctant to go. the tone of his voice showed that it wasn't because of fear but more of annoyance.

"Your sister is on another assignment and the lord specifically asked for you to do this." Red eyes pierced through the veil of darkness surrounding them, “Now go, this world will not wait for you and neither will I.”

His father’s words were never comforting in any sense of the word. Still, the large man sighed and pushed open the heavy door. "I would be learning more at our barracks... I hate politics" the young vampire whispered to himself. Turning his head slightly to glare at the figure of his father while he left.

He was met by the sounds of a few people unloading his luggage and a short female standing near the main pathway. Her red hair was pinned up in a neat bun, and she wore a dark purple jacket and black form fitting slacks. The girl was holding onto something, and he could smell the faint hint of a light jasmine perfume.

“Victor Astorio?” the women spoke while he looked her over for just a brief moment. “This way please.” Short and brief, something he preferred.

Victor followed behind the Hostess his eyes scanning about the complex as he counted his footsteps. He was in unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar people who he could almost guarantee did not share his mindset. Either nobles who had everything given to them or humans who simply hadn’t lived long enough to know better. He could already feel that this place was going to test his nerves.

The short red head in front of him handed him a few pieces of paper. A small map of the compound as well as his schedule, his room number, location of his dorm, and lastly a name and a picture of who he could only assume was his mage. “Salem Spellman.” He whispered while looking over the picture.

It was another thing he would have to come to terms with. Working with a human that he knew just by the looks of him wouldn’t be able to keep up. Victor could only wonder just how their ability’s would work with each other. Something to brain storm when they got a chance to sit down and talk to each other.

When the women in front of him slowed down he had to adjust himself, so he didn’t fall into her while she motioned towards some buildings. “Mockingbird hall is that way, that is where you will be doing most of your course work. Rose Hall is over there and is where the mages will be doing most of their training. You should be able to find the arena and your dormitory on the map that was given to you.” She definitely was blunt and straight to the point. “I do not recommend that you are late to your first class but, you still have some time before it starts.”

Victor simply nodded to the women and started to walk toward where he was supposed to go. The guards patrolling the area looked him over occasionally but otherwise didn't bother him. He did hear about some council business stirring things up the night before. Perhaps they are still dealing with the aftermath.

He didn’t bother them, and they didn’t seem too keen on bothering him either. It was simply another thing to look into. The approximate strength of the guards here could tell him a lot of what he was going to be dealing with. Victor didn’t believe that they would be his enemy anytime soon but you could never be too careful when dealing with vampire politics.

Slowly walking around the campus filling in the blank areas of the map with small outbuildings, tress, bushes, and the occasional statue. He wasn’t feeling all that ready to go out and search for his mage just yet. Until it was time for his first class Victor would simply wander around the area. Everything was different and now he needed to get used to new sounds and scents, perhaps he could even overhear the odd rumor or two.

Royals did like their gossip after all.

Interacting with: [@ObsceneSymphony]

Varis tuned out the scratching of the boy's pen on paper, focusing entirely on another addition to his already impossible list of tasks with a heavy scowl. In addition to manipulating the aggravating Astorio, finding a new breeder for Eloise, handling a class for the foreseeable future, and organizing and hosting a gathering for a few of the Eve's and Sinnenodel's more financially stable family branches, he apparently accepted the position of host for the school's Chaend celebrations. He tsked irritably at the unmarked envelope. In his Lady's infinite wisdom, she reassigned the burden of the celebration to him and probably rewarded him with yet another enemy in the House. Not that he needed any help with his position as it was. He’d have to find out which noble he slighted but first, he had months of planning to collapse into less than four. Most exhibitions have a full year of planning and he had almost exactly half that time.

However, an interesting thought crossed his mind. Part of the celebration often included opening the host’s personal library to a few lucky individuals. His scowl turned into a wicked little smile as he complied a to do list. If he selected the right people, guided them to the right books, he could potentially strengthen the divide between traditional values and modern ones on campus, alienating vampires and mages loyal to the crown and then capitalising on their rancor to push his agenda. His eyes flicked up to the boy and back down. Pot number two apparently. He’d figure out which rival noble he had to cripple later; this new plan would require a massive portion of his attention if it was to be successful.

Time passed quickly for Varis and it wasn’t long until he heard the knocking of the delivery people at the front door. Varis sent one last email and saved his work before pushing away from the table, taking the papers right from Aaron’s desk and giving them a critical look over.

“Better than last night. Slow down on the upstrokes on the loops. I can see how thin the ink is.” Varis directed as he locked the pages away in his desk and hurried to his room to prepare for the day. Since he would be teaching, he wouldn’t dress in the normal attire he wore around the Sinnenodel family. He needed something a bit more modern and serious. The vampire flicked through the furthest ends of his closets, things he didn’t particularly wear often. He picked a sharp grey vest, a white button up, a pair of grey dress pants to match his vest, but he decided to add a splash of color with a dark red tie with a nice diamond pattern trailing down it. He laid them neatly across his bed and hurried to complete his morning routine before getting dressed, covering his mirror as he disrobed.

Once dressed and the mirror pulled away, the vampire hummed and returned to his closet. He pulled out a long coat that fell just below his knees and button the bottom two. He turned this way and that in the mirror and nodded, finally satisfied after adding ruby cufflinks and a watch. He fixed his hair one last time, picking up a briefcase with all his necessary belongings.

“Boy,” Varis spoke loud enough for the boy to hear wherever he was. Varis didn’t bother checking as he made his way to the front door. “We’ll be going into what passes as a town here. And I’ve decided to give you a chance to redeem yourself after last night. The Spellman boy is a threat to the institution. If he’s even half the man his father is, this boy is crafty enough to avoid most direct investigations especially with the forewarning he’s had. You’ll make friends with him, learn secrets the investigation would miss, and report back to me. And I expect everything reported back to me. Anything you learn, from his birth date to his favorite foods to how he sleeps at night, will be reported to me. Is this understood?” He went to leave but paused and added “And clear whatever insignificant plans you may have. We are going into whatever passes as a town today.”

Interacting with:

Salem quickly started to get things prepared as he did yesterday, setting out the trays for her to choose and drink from, while putting on the kettle, and hurriedly grabbing a set of tea cups. A loud thud could be heard as a cast iron tea cup fell onto the floor near his foot. Salem shook his hand wincing at the slight discomfort and pain from gripping the cup too hard with his injured hand. Slow it down Spellman. No need to exasperate the wound. His right hand picked up the cup, setting on the counter, then going to grab a new one from his room. Salem paused for a moment, staring at the empty room that was Lucans, thinking to himself If Lilie could have 2 new partners...who's to say that they arent replacing mine after last night?

Nervousness began to swell inside him, choking him as a knot formed in his throat, thinking about who his possible new partner could be and how much worse it may make things. He found his hand shakily making it's way towards his neck, similar to what one does when choking. As soon as his finger tips touched the skin on his neck, it was as if a bright flash went off in his mind. Salem began to think back on the light before, the feeling of someone pouring through his mind as if it was theirs to play with. By the time Salem shook out of it, he was sitting on the ground against the doorframe of his bedroom, staring blankly at the wall before him.he cleared his throat and moved into his room to grab a new cup from the set and made his way back towards the living area. As he set the cup down, a soft knock could be heard coming from his front door.

I am my Master's servant and I will endeavour to use my critical thinking skills to his advantage.
I am my Master's servant and I will endeavour to use my critical thinking skills to his advantage.
I am my Master's servant and I will endeavour to use my critical thinking skills to his advantage.

A knock at the door pulled Aaron from his focus, and no sooner did he look up than did Varis rise and take his lines away, looking over them.

“Better than last night. Slow down on the upstrokes on the loops. I can see how thin the ink is.”

There was no time to respond before Varis had locked the lines away and fled the study, leaving Aaron to simply wonder why Varis cared so much about his handwriting as he moved to answer the door. Opening it, he found the same delivery woman as before, holding the same packages and the same clipboard. Aaron signed quickly, not bothering with small talk tonight, and quickly brought the delivery to the kitchen. The smell of danishes was already apparent, and soon the scent of coffee joined it as Aaron got the machine running. He did it all more or less on autopilot, a little out of focus from his lines. The words still ran through his head, and his eyes were a little glazed over; Who knew an hour of writing the same thing over and over would make him so… out of it?

Aaron ate quickly, doing everything with his left hand as he stretched out his right. There was some residual stiffness in his hand and wrist, presumably from his line-writing last night, and it was all the more apparent now after another session. A wholly unexpected little detail, but apparently writing non-stop for an hour at a time each night was going to take some getting used to in more ways than one; he hadn’t considered it before, but he couldn’t really remember the last time he’d had to write by hand for so long. He was sure what he was writing was no help either, his hand going through the same exact motions over and over and over again.

Soon enough breakfast was done with, Aaron making quick work of the dishes and leaving the kitchen as pristine as he’d found it. He was a little surprised Varis hadn’t called him for feeding, but he supposed the Count had had an unusual start, and figured that he would be called when he was needed. Satisfied with that reasoning, Aaron returned to his room to change into a proper shirt while he had the chance; if Varis wanted to feed, he could always just take down his collar. After all, Aaron remembered with a slight turn of the stomach, it wasn’t as if Varis had a problem with disrobing.

He felt immediately better once he had his dress shirt on, the high collar and the done-up buttons bringing him some measure of comfort. His mind cleared as he deftly tied his tie, practiced hands making quick and neat work of it. Finally he slipped into his suit jacket, put on his watch, and actually remembered to fasten his medical alert bracelet around his ankle before giving himself a final once-over in the mirror, feeling much more comfortable now that he looked appropriate for public view.

He had actually prepared his bag before he arrived at the Academy, a few notebooks, writing utensils and his laptop already neatly inside, so there was little to do except grab it before he was ready for the night. But he paused as he double-checked the contents, pulling out the box with the tuning fork from where he’d tucked it away earlier and considering it. Shelving the weirdness of the thing aside for the time being, he was sure he wouldn’t need it during the school night, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t entirely comfortable just leaving it in his room, remembering how Varis had been going through his cabinets and had apparently rifled through his drawers for his medical file. Aaron bounced the box in his hand as he considered what to do with it, looking around the room before his eyes fell on his closet. Sure, no door made it a little less secure, but he supposed a door probably wouldn’t have made much of a difference anyway.

He decided to stash the box and note away inside his empty luggage, slipping them into a zip pouch and leaving the suitcase on the upper shelf of his closet. He doubted Varis would go looking through an empty suitcase; even if he did, Aaron wasn’t sure the tuning fork was even worth hiding. He got some measure of comfort from it, though, and finally returned to the kitchen. A glance at his watch showed 8:40; with nothing better to do than wait for Varis, Aaron pulled out his phone, leaning against the counter.

Somehow he’d missed the unread message in his notifications, and when he opened it he found it was Lilie, asking him at some unreasonable hour whether he was awake. He’d spoken to her since then, so he felt no need to respond, but he couldn’t help but be a little amused. She really was quite the day jay, though of course he couldn’t blame her.

Expecting to get called for feeding any minute, Aaron couldn’t get into anything as he waited, opting instead to check the scores of a couple of races from the nights prior. He flipped between his browser app and his notes, jotting down scores and figures and the occasional equation, and before he knew it Varis was calling him, apparently ready to leave.

The Count’s words, however, gave Aaron pause. A chance to redeem himself? Aaron had honestly been surprised that the Count had spoken to him so civilly this evening, after what he’d done the night before, and he certainly hadn’t expected to be given a chance to win back some modicum of favour so quickly. Varis had his rapt attention, Aaron ready to enthusiastically jump into the task, until he heard the details.

So, he was meant to spy on Salem? Aaron would be a liar if he said the idea sat well with him, remembering how Salem had deflated at the news of the investigation, and how even after they’d had their disagreements, they’d seem to have come to some kind of friendly understanding. The poor man had momentarily lost everything, and was clearly lonely; even with the suspicion regarding the Red Hand, Aaron held no malice for Salem. In fact, he doubted he had any affiliation at all. And now, what, Aaron was meant to kick him while he was down, pretend to be his friend, all the while betraying him?

Varis asked him if he understood, and Aaron mentally slapped himself. What was he thinking? He’d known Salem all of what, eighteen hours? What did he know about him? He’d been spewing practically revolutionary ideas to the Queen’s face, throwing accusations at Lady Sinnenodel (true or not - and who could tell - it was reckless all the same), not to mention how brazenly he’d gone toe to toe with Count Varis himself. For all Aaron knew, Salem fit the rebel bill perfectly; in any case, the man was a mage - Lucan’s mage, yes, but a mage nonetheless - whom Aaron didn’t know, who might be affiliated with rebels, and who his master thought was enough of a threat to warrant closer inspection. Most importantly, though, Aaron was being offered a possibly rare chance to redeem himself for his mistakes, curry some favour with the master he’d be serving for the rest of his life. What kind of an attendant would he be to let sympathy for a stranger get in the way of performing his duty?

“Understood, Master,” Aaron replied, swallowing his lingering discomfort and following Varis out the door.

---

8:30PM.

Why in the hell did Max need to wake up at such a ridiculous hour? Stupid school. Today better be worth it, given the pointless disaster that was orientation day. He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers again. Not even a tingle. Useless. He flipped through his phone, squinting at the sudden light in the darkness. Affinity Mastery first, that was good, maybe he'd be casting rudimentary spells by the end of the day. At the very least he'd have a lead on what to look for in the libr-

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by another alarm blaring in his face from his phone.

"Shut up! I'm up!" Max growled, tossing his phone across the room. The phone just responded with continued alarm noises. Cheeky bastard. Max regretfully rose from his bed to go turn off the noise, followed by turning the lights on in the room proper. He blinked drearily, rubbing his eyes. Another shower sounded like a good way to wake up right about now. He wondered how many he needed to take in a day before they send someone to complain.

Max grabbed a haphazard outfit that was well below a respectable level of formality and quietly walked out into the common area of the dorm, furrowing his brow a bit as he noticed the room looked uninhabited. Looks like his partner was going to be late for the first day, and probably hungry too. What a shame. Really.

He turned toward the bathroom and turned on the hot water, idly pacing in front of the mirror in a lazy way to wake himself up. He should really get a chair in here, like the ones they have for old people in the shower. Then he'd never have to leave, and he doubted anyone was bold enough to come bother him with his junk hanging out. He spent about twenty minutes in the shower, although he didn't actually do anything besides wash his hair and mope, and spent minimal time tussling his hair into something presentable (by his standards, anyway) and getting dressed before he was wordlessly leaving the dorm.

Maybe he should've been paying more attention yesterday, he had no idea where Onyx Hall was supposed to be. He trudged away from the dorms with his hands in his pockets, apathetic gaze scanning the area for any signage that might point him in the right direction. A bit ineffective, but he'd sooner put a crossbow bolt through his head than ask any of these idiots for directions.

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