---

---

He could already feel the daggers in everyone's eyes poking his back. Why did he have to get up and open his mouth? Now everybody knew how clueless he was, how much of a failure he was dead-set to be. What was step one of surviving the academy? Don't stick your neck out unless you want it bitten; and he just failed that goal right off the bat. The new-blood nodded, heeding the imposing TA's advice to hit the library. Without another word, Joryldin sat down.

He fully understood that glare from Varis, that look of; "You're a sun damned idiot, and now you're a target." At least, that's what he thought the looks was. If Joryldin could still sweat, he would already be drenched. If he could feel sick, his stomach would be in knots. If he could still blush, his humiliation would have him bright red. If he could die, he would have had a heart attack by now... But no, he couldn't do any of that. He could only sit there in his fancy suit, pale as a ghost, cold as ice, surrounded by decadent undead, and learn about how their high society ruled the world. The mostly irrational fear and panic began to overwhelm him. Joryldin wanted nothing more than to either leave, or be put in the ground like a human being. Neither of those were an option. With nothing else at his disposal, he fell back on the gift he was given during the night prior. A tool for survival. When Joryldin clipped the golden plate onto his ear, it was like 40mg of anxiety medication straight to his brain. The feeling was less of a haze or masking of his worries, but rather a burst of clarity. They were all there, and all still relevant, but he was able to focus on the task at hand, and consider them later.

He quickly set to taking notes on the first lesson. He had absolutely nothing to go off of for this first paper, so every word that the count said needed to be written down. The longer the lesson went on, however, the more Joryldin was genuinely interested in what was being taught. Every word of it was relevant to his new life, so he had to know it in and out anyway, but it was a fascinating set of documents in and of itself. The shift from downright hunting normal humans to modern day laws was news to the flegeling. His parents had apparently left quite a few bits and pieces out of his homeschooling during his earliest years.

His thoughts and notes were both interrupted by the crash of double doors. While hesitant to turn his head back and look at the occasion, most everyone else did, so he saw no harm.

“For those of you who don’t know, I’m Eris Samael. I’m 112, a Taurus, and love long walks on the beach. Going forward we’ll be classmates!”

Samael... Where had he heard that name before? Joryldin took a look at his syllabus again, and found the name under the list of students for his study group. Then, it hit him. That face was THE Eris Motherfucking Samael, film-making legend, and they were going to be in the same group for the next half-year. This was either going to be REALLY good, or REALLY bad.

The sounding of a bell startled Amaris from her thoughts, the change of classes already upon them. Up next would be Treaty Law, a class she had heard might be mixed between the first year mages and vampires. A small bubble of excitement rocked Amaris as she stepped away from the balcony to begin her journey to Vilbrek Hall. So far, it seemed that most of the classes would be separate from one another with small segments for personal mage observation… however having a mixed course would allow her the opportunity to study a much larger portion of her class. Purebloods, embraced, and mages all in one classroom learning and discussing the very treaty that governs their lives. An interesting class indeed.

Most of the other students had already arrived by the time that Amaris approached the lecture hall, her entrance quiet and largely unnoticed. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the front of the room where they befell a most unseemly sight. Standing before the class with his name plastered on the monitors was none other than Varis himself. His position as a TA over one of her courses had gone unnoticed in her research of the facilities, and not at all a pleasant surprise. Groaning silently, the countess stalked toward her seat at the front of the room every step bringing her closer to the last person she wanted to see.

Much to her surprise though, Cassandra had not only beaten her to the hall but had selected a seat nearby the noble’s section. There was something oddly comforting about the choice in seating, finding it just the tiniest bit easier to take her place at the front of the room right as Varis began talking. She shot a look backward at Cassandra as if to say ‘hello’ before settling in with her notebook and pen.

The class kicked off exactly as she would have expected of a course led by Varis. While it was somewhat harsh, there was something about the way he spoke about the Treaty that just could not be ignored. Of all the things she despised the count for, she could never argue his uncanny ability to command a room. It was as close to admiration as Amaris could manage for Varis.

“The goal of this class will teach you its history and provide you with the tools to read, comprehend, and interpret the Treaty’s maze of jargon.” This wasn’t the first time Amaris had been subjected to lessons concerning the Treaty. She had assumed that all vampires, or the purebloods at the very least had some prior knowledge of the Treaty and its workings… after all, the very laws that be are governed by this so called contract. However, she hadn’t taken into account the increasing number of embraced vampires and relaxed study practices among the common families. Not to mention, the mages weren’t always taught all of their rights as living beings under the care of their vampires so it gave them opportunity to learn to care for themselves when away from the ever watchful eyes of the academy.

She sat back and listened as Varis went into the specifics of the syllabus and their future assignments. The study groups he presented were interesting to say the least, a curious task to get into the heads of the nobles who are at the front of ethics and law amendment debates. She wondered how many of her classmates would actually think to ask the nobles in attendance their questions to gain insight into their familial stances. Granted, each group, save for the Sinnenodel, had a noble assigned to study with but none assigned to their own house (by design no doubt). Aside from all that, however, Amaris thought it made learning such a basic topic a lot more fun. And with papers to write as well?

And here I was worried that I wouldn’t have anything to do all year. Amaris mused to herself, returning her full attention to the rest of Varis’ introduction to the course.

Knowing the effect the count could have on others, Amaris had not been expecting someone to actually speak up with a question. Her eyes locked on to a face a few rows back as she shifted in her seat. The boy was very clearly an embraced student from the looks of him, one she had seen in passing a few times at this point starting at the welcome gala. She didn’t think his question unfair, though perhaps a little thoughtless. Most of the students in the room were already somewhat familiar with the noble houses and their public stances on the various laws governing the people. Knowing that, it would be considered nothing short of a waste of time to cover such subjects when trying to teach such a heavy subject on top of their other assignments and presentations.

While it put a little extra strain on those left behind academically, it was the best approach for the lecture as a whole. Amaris wondered what house the unlucky lad had been assigned to, hoping for his sake that it was an easy platform to study history and case files on. Varis handled the question as she had expected, belittling the student without actually outright berating him. It was quite the gift.

Another pointless question was asked and answered before Varis was able to continue the class. With the introductions out of the way, they could start the real lectures. While a lot of the content was something that was ingrained heavily into her early education there was something slightly refreshing about the structure in which the content was delivered. Amaris sat back comfortably for most of the time, only reaching up to scribble quick notes whenever Varis touched upon something that escaped her memory or differed from her own personal teachings. The last thing she needed was to miss marks because she didn’t word something exactly as he spoke it.

As he neared the end of his discussion on the first three articles, Varis touched upon the Starag Commandment which had always piqued her interest. Opening the floor up to questions, Amaris paused a moment to see if anyone had any that pertained to the main subject before partially raising her pen into the air and standing from her seat.

“If you had to venture a guess; in the history of the Starag Commandment, how many people do you think have actually seen the real document?” Before Varis had an opportunity to respond to her inquiry, or Amaris even the time to retake her seat, the doors slammed open with an unceremonious bang.

Many eyes turned to the disruption as whispers erupted about the room. An unforgettable face grinned brightly as its owner made his way from the doors to the stage where Varis still stood mid-lecture. Amaris had to stifle a laugh, her expression only somewhat amused but mostly shocked. One that Eris Samael of all people would be barging into their classroom, but even more so that he would dare interrupt Varis of all instructors.

“I’d be wary of where I stand if I were you, would hate to see something other than a heart break because of you.” Amaris challenged with a raised brow.

Cassandra of course was reasonably familiar with the treaty. In fact, she had a copy of it(or, most of it) back at her dorm. It was a subject that concerned her a great deal, though, and so she watched Count Varis with rapt attention.

As the lecture went on her eyes began to widen, as she was fighting her lack of seep to pay attention. She soon had a wild look in her face, and her pen was standing still.

When Varis brought up Solaris Pius, and its final exclusion from the treaty, Cassandra suddenly sat forward, brow furrowed. She had never heard of this practice itself, let alone the fact that it was considered as a part of the law.

The Starage Commandment was a point of particular interest. The Count was right, in that its existence had enormous symbolic significance. That was the part of the Treaty that ensured, in theory, that humans and mages(for they were separate in the Treaty) carried the same protections basically everywhere. Count Varis treated it more as a curiousity, dismissing it as a legal entity.

When the Count opened the floor for questions, Cassandra's mistress was actually asking the very question Cassandra herself was about to pose. She smiled at the coincidence. Though she didn't know what was going on in the vampire's head, it was nice to know that they landed on the same point without even discussing it. Of course, this was anecdotal, and could easily be a fluke.

Neither mage nor vampire got an answer, as the doors blew open with force, making Cassandra jump, nearly leaving her seat.

Cassandra raised her hand, but spoke without waiting for permission.

"Count Varis, were we all supposed to enter the room and anounce ourseleves? I think my tutors missed that particular piece of etiquette."

Victor Astorio

Victor walked quietly towards the next hall, the next building for studying treaty law. Sure, he knew enough about it to know what laws and rules were in place in the punishments for breaking them. However, he never really looked into the history of it or the bigger picture of things. After all, he was a headhunter not a lawyer, that subject was left to those who had more patience for the political world they thrived in.

The tall vampire got to the class early, watching as the others slowly made their way inside and to their seats. He did not move until he saw Salem enter the room. Victor watched the boy carful, watched how he looked to a few other mages while he found his seat. Finally, the tall vampire made his way to an empty seat near Salem. Victor had no problem sitting amongst a group of mages even if he could sit in the front row with the nobles he chose not to.

Pulling out a small notebook and a pen, Victor set to work taking notes he knew he was going to need as the vampire he spoke to earlier began his class. “Is this what it meant to be a Teachers Aid for this class? To basically teach the class himself?” He thought while Salem stood and asked a question. The question asked was simple and to the point. Even then, Victor still watched the mage and how he held himself while speaking in front of a crowd.

The other vampire that spoke seemed to be almost shaking in his boots just by asking a question. It was not unexpected for a new blood to lose confidence in front of a large group of their peers and was frankly enjoyable to watch the boy suffer for a moment. Varis spent little time answering both of their questions before continuing with a brief overview to the class.

Victor was sure to jot down notes and points of interest over the topics he otherwise had little interest or knowledge of before. This class was sure to be interesting and he could only wonder what the others in his argument group thought of the house they were tasked with. Then the sudden bang of the main doors behind him.

He did not turn to look like the others he simply figured it was an over dramatic vampire or overconfident human with a death wish. It was not until he started to notice the whispers of those around him that he looked up from his notes at all. Well he was right, an over dramatic vampire with an ‘I’m the most important person in this room’ air about him. The man introduced himself in front of everyone like they all had to know his name and his presence.

Just by how the others around him reacted, he could already tell this was going to be annoying. “So who’s this one supposed to be?” Victor asked allowed. He was not speaking to anyone directly but by the looks, those around him gave him he wondered what kind of response he would receive. Even if he was being honest, he did want to see the reaction of those around him.

---

Max focused his gaze up toward Varis as he began speaking, although he was only listening halfheartedly after his exchange with Aaron. Not that he really wanted to hear about workload or some asinine group project he'd have to do; hopefully he didn't get stuck with anyone too horrible to interact with. What the hell did the Retriever mean, 'that might be his problem'? Whatever, he could grill him about it later, Count Sinne-Sinen-Cinnamon, Count Cinnamon had moved on to the actual material, and he was tossing an egg for some reason. If Max had to guess, he'd assume this was all the buildup to some painfully hamfisted metaphor that the Treaty's provisions were as delicate as an egg or something equally inane.

Although, something Cinnamon said caught his ear. The human delegation was headed by Landar Starag? He knew he heard that name before. No wonder the Retriever was so damn haughty about his skills; he wasn't a retriever, he was a damn lap dog. Max was tempted to send another sharp kick into the back of Aaron's chair, but he caught himself after his foot gave the slightest twitch forward. Unfortunately, Aaron's expertise in magic was still necessary, at least until Max could work out a basic grasp on his affinity. He needed to focus on the class anyway, he could get mad later. This school was so irritating.

The first provision was rather interesting, at least. No doubt an effort by the Noilas to prevent the nobility from scheming against them in an attempt to seize power, but it also meant that the Noila line was the only thing keeping the government together, lest all the houses squabble over which minor house to elevate to royal status and inevitably start killing each other over it. A pipe dream, if nothing else. The second was where Max started to lose his cool again. Cinnamon's verbiage was nice, but all the meaning Max drew out from under it was that mages were abandoned by humanity as martyrs. Not to mention, the TA seemed to be drawing some sort of sexual kick out of the law about who can drink from which neck. Vampires do love their property, after all. Article Three was more to Max's liking, given that it was essentially a list of how leeches can be brutalized for thinking too highly of themselves and their boundaries.

The Solaris Pius, however, drew Max forward in his seat with rapt attention. He'd never even heard of such a practice. No doubt whichever revolutionary - no, he said Original, that implies vamps made it; even tastier - developed it was a sick genius in his own right. It was evidently enough to make the entire Council cower if they removed it immediately. The Starag Commandment was another juicy bit, provided that race traitor actually had some semblance of sense in his head when he agreed to negotiate with unliving abominations. Could a magical failsafe of a scale large enough to punish all of vampirekind in the event of a broken Treaty truly exist? If so, why wouldn't it have been employed during the war? Was the mere threat of it deterrent enough? The Treaty already favored vampires heavily enough that Max couldn't see why they'd have a desire to tear it down in the first place. If anything it should be the vampires who have a failsafe.

His thoughts were interrupted by the abrupt slamming of doors and ostentatious announcement of some newly arrived vampire. What the hell did a leech need sunglasses for? He'd melt before he got any actual use out of them. What a tool. Wait. Max had seen him before. No, it must be coincidental. Some guy on movie posters wouldn't be here, prestigious as the Noila Academy may be, right? No, the pale girl in front of him seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion he did, Max must've had the right guy after all. He was under the impression that the vampires in attendance here were solely playing some political status game rather than actually trying to get an education - they were what, a hundred? What did they have to learn? But a celebrity - Eric... something... Eris Samael, thanks Paleface - already had status, going to a fancy school wouldn't get him anywhere in his career. Everyone else seemed to be ribbing on him, and for good reason. Still, Max had to respect the vampire's utter disrespect for the institution, even if that did just bring up more questions as to what Eris' game here was.

---

As soon as Varis began to speak, Salem took to taking notes. He may not like his teacher, but that was no reason to fail to get an education. His notes were detailed, long, and full of quotes from Varis' own mouth. Salem found that paraphrasing was often more trouble than is worth, especially when working and learning about chemicals and remedies. Because of this, he was more than accustomed to writing notes at the speak of the speaker, Keeping up with Varis about 4 words behind and taking any time during quick pauses or screen changes, to quickly sketch out what was being shown or anything that had caught his interest beforehand. These doodled annotations helped him look through his notes faster, finding the appropriate sketch to the appropriate topic.

Several subjects that were touched by Varis caught Salems attention. Morgan Le Fey, one of the strongest Mages out there, was a subject that Salem always found to be thrilling. How any one mage could amass such power, such force, behind their conjurations, that even the vampires feared her walking away from negotiations. Truly astounding. Next we moved on to Article 3, the punishments that were given to those who broke the laws of Article 2. Solaris Pius was a typically interesting subject, not only did it seem to give Varis pause before speaking, but it appeared that this particular law was meant to vanish into the background, to be forgotten by the current populace. How many other laws faded away like that? As Varis continued onwards, speaking of how the mortals and immortals worked together to form such a treaty, he began to wonder why it was that they couldnt continue to work together on the council? If they were trusted enough to not be mind controlled or charmed back then, then why not now? And why not use this Starag Commandment to help enforce such a truce between High Council Mages and Vampires. Could another such failsafe be created today? Or has this treaty weakened the might and power of mages to a watered down version of what legends held before.

A loud bang quickly knocked Salem out of his thoughts and his eyes darted towards the door, head still down and taking notes, making no indication that he was paying attention to the commotion. Several students began to speak up, asking questions, mocking the students, or just plainly being giddy and excited at the newcomers presence. Salem waited patiently for the racket to stop before lifting his pencil into the air once more and calling upon Varis. "If the Solaris Pius was meant to fade away and move into the background of lost history, how many more laws and such practices have done so?"

It wasn’t long after Aaron directed his attention to the front that a tap on the shoulder alerted him to… Lilie! And she was sitting next to him! A wide smile cracked across his face, and he gave her a wave, but was reluctant to talk; Varis would surely hear them if they did, and he’d hate to give the vampire any reason to be cross with him so early in the night, especially with the opportunity for redemption within reach.

Speaking of which, Lilie had brought Salem with her, who sat on her other side. Maybe he just wanted to sit next to Lilie, though Aaron had a sneaking suspicion he was looking for a little distance from him as well. Aaron offered a wave nonetheless, but promptly directed his attention to Varis as the lecture began. The first section of the lesson was simple housekeeping, but Aaron had to admit he was interested; he'd never been in a class with other people before, and working in groups was intriguing. Of course, his interest was overshadowed when Salem asked to speak to Varis after class. Did the man actually have a death wish? Why on earth did he want to draw more attention to himself after what happened last night? Aaron tossed Salem a subtle questioning look, but snapped back to attention as soon as he could, very conscious of the fact that Varis could see him.  

Unlike many in the hall, Aaron didn’t bother taking notes; he knew the Treaty intimately, not only having had it drilled into his head by virtue of his education as a Starag, but having actively and enthusiastically studied it on his own. He’d thrown himself into it as early as he’d been able to wrap his head around it; not only was it the document that governed the world, but it was one of very few tangible relics of his grandfather, a remnant not only of his diplomacy, but also his intellect. Aaron knew the names of its writers like beloved characters from his childhood; Morgan le Fey was a legend to him, and Landar Starag, practically a god. He recalled the sense of wonder he still sometimes got when he read the Treaty, knowing that Landar himself had read over those very words, not to mention written many of them. It was the closest he’d ever get to meeting the man in person; no wonder he got a little prick of irritation when he saw a good number of students in front of him largely ignoring the lecture.

Nonetheless, hearing about the Treaty did wonders for Aaron’s mood. Even knowing the subject matter so well, he listened with rapt attention as Varis talked about it, interested to hear how he described it. Aaron was a little surprised at how enthused Varis seemed about the Guardianship Clause, though it wasn’t as if the vampire didn’t have good reason. The Guardianship Clause was a personal favourite of Aaron’s as well: Not only was it a legal work of art, as Varis noted, but the concept behind it was absolutely genius. Morgan le Fey had been able to consider vampiric nature alongside urgent human needs in her solution to the problem of overfeeding, balancing punishments with incentives to achieve results that neither could get on its own. Giving vampires specific mages that only they had the right to feed from not only protected mages from being preyed upon at random, but incentivized the vampires who possessed them to care for them, as opposed to draining them dry and tossing them aside like the old days; after all, under the Guardianship Clause, a vampire’s food source was no longer unlimited, and had to be maintained. The Clause reconciled the needs of mages with the wants and jealous nature of vampires in such a way that both forced and encouraged vampires and mages to work together, and was enormously successful as a result; Aaron couldn’t imagine another solution which could have eradicated overfeeding in the space of only a few years. It was absolutely fascinating, and he was happy to see Varis giving it the credit it was due. Maybe he’d have them write a paper on it; Aaron had a few ideas for one already.

Article Three, while important - and a particular focus of Landar himself, as Aaron was well aware - was nothing new, but of course he listened nonetheless. Landar’s hatred of vampires was well known, and Aaron was sure it fed into his insistence regarding the severity of Article Three, alongside his fierce protectiveness over humans as a whole. While unpleasant to think about, Aaron couldn’t fault his grandfather for wanting to be so harsh on those who would harm humans; their protection, and the trading of mages in their stead, was the whole purpose of the Treaty to begin with.

Soon, though, Aaron’s more contemplative approach to listening was snapped into shocked attention at the mention of a punishment stricken from the record. ‘Solaris Pius.’ Of course Aaron had never heard of such a thing - things were stricken from all record for a reason - but he certainly wasn’t going to start taking notes now. What was Varis doing? He shouldn’t have known something like this to begin with, let alone be recklessly disseminating it to a lecture hall full of who-knew-what sorts of people! A cold stone settled in the pit of Aaron’s stomach, and he shifted in his seat uneasily. Maybe he’d bring that up later, out of the public eye.

When Varis moved to the Starag Commandment, Aaron quickly turned his mind to that, eager to clear out the discomfort raging in his stomach. Luckily, it was another fascinating topic; as a child, he used to fantasize about being allowed to see the Commandment, and read it aloud like his grandfather had. Of course, that was a silly dream. For a while, though, he’d been cautiously optimistic that he’d be able to lay eyes on it one night as a custodian if he would be so lucky as to take his late grandmother’s place as mage to the Queen.

Aaron’s gaze grew somewhat cold as he watched Varis pace the stage. So much for that.

Questions were welcomed and asked, and Aaron’s eyebrows rose at the one asked by the Marivaldi Countess (or, that’s who he assumed she was, considering her seat). As for the answer, Aaron didn’t need to “venture a guess;” only seven people had ever laid eyes on the Starag Commandment, mage and vampire alike, since it was written. He’d learned that early on in his education, and he was surprised a Countess wouldn’t know. Inwardly, he shrugged. Maybe his Treaty education had just been hyper-detailed by virtue of who he was and who he served, or maybe she’d never taken an interest in it until now. He’d probably be wrong to assume everyone in noble circles took as much of an interest in the subject as he had, anyway.

Before any more questions could be asked, a loud BANG turned just about every head in the room to the doors at the back, the hall erupting in whispers. The image of the man walking down the aisle, however, presented quite a challenge to Aaron as he did his damndest to stop himself from grinning. Strutting down to the speaker’s podium in sunglasses - sunglasses! The very thought was hilarious - was a vampire in an extremely upscale suit, swinging a bag that looked more expensive than Aaron’s whole outfit - and that was saying something. He looked vaguely familiar, and Aaron’s struggle to stay neutral only got harder when the vampire hiked himself up on the podium and confirmed Aaron’s suspicions. Eris Samael! The very actor who had depicted Landar Starag in an entertaining, but laughably inaccurate movie about the events leading up to the Treaty’s creation. Aaron bit down hard on his tongue to stifle his laugh, especially since Varis looked thoroughly unamused; he could only hope that Varis was more concerned with the actor on his podium than the mage at the back, inches away from losing it.

Aaron couldn’t even muster a response to Lilie’s question as he watched the scene play out, and he was deaf to any further comments or questions, so focused was he on keeping his composure. Searching for a distraction, he looked back down at his syllabus, only to have his composure threatened even more: the bastard was in his study group! The thought brought Aaron dangerously close to losing his battle with the laugh rising inside him. The blatant disrespect usually would have mortified him, but sun, moon, and stars to guide him, it was just so damn funny!

Varis, with over a century tucked under his belt, felt confident when he said he could handle most things. From out maneuvering petty political opponents to orchestrating several assassinations halfway across the realm during a Lord’s ball, Varis had trudged through plenty of situations in his life with little more than a twinge of aggravation. So when the doors to his classroom unceremoniously slammed open, Varis expected just another mild bump in the road that he’d bulldoze with a few sharp words and maybe a thrall just because he could. But all that went out the window when none other than Eris fucking Samael strutted down his stairs like a red carpet event.

Varis would never admit he’d been shocked into silence for more than a few moments but irritation snapped him out of that as the vampire threw his orderly class into disarray. He’d watched the offending vampire saunter his way up to the podium, glaring daggers all the while, before pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing for a long while. When he’d requested Eris make some noise in the news to cover for Ryner’s idiotic decisions, Varis expected a scandal with one of the nobility. Maybe a little blackmail, maybe a failed fling, he didn’t particularly care. The last thing he’d expected, or wanted really, was the movie star involving him directly. He had several choice words for his acquaintance but they’d have to wait. He had a room to bring to heel now.

“Settle down.” Varis cracked like a whip above the din of the classroom and most students quited immediately. Those that didn’t, he made the point to stare them down until they did and Varis turned his attention back to the offending party with a hint of a sneer. “If you are going to have the audacity to be late Mr. Samael, I recommend avoiding your typical theatrics. While your vanity affords you certain privileges in our society, I will not tolerate you distracting students from one of the most important subjects of their lives. You will sit there,” He pointed at the empty Sinnenodel chair in front of the podium. “Until I decide you can behave yourself and if you cannot, I will be more than happy to implement a scaling deduction to your overall grade until you can. You will stay after class to catch up on the material you missed.”

“As for you Countess Marivaldi, I would appreciate it if you left interruptions to me. Your lackluster commentary opened the floor to further chaos and deprived your classmates of valuable time. As a noble, your behavior serves as an example to your…” Varis glanced around with a pause, clearly reconsidering his wording. “Peers and perpetuating the discord Mr. Samael benefits no one. Return to your seat so we can continue. As for your question, roughly seven individuals since its creation have seen the Starag Clause. The five custodians through the years, Princess Ryner, and Queen Anastasia are everyone I am aware that have the privilege of seeing the document. As for your question Mr. Spellman, plenty. Obsolete and cruel laws are struck from record often enough. Society is vicious enough without people remembering the pain they’ve caused in the past. Removing such distractions allows us to grow in a direction more beneficial for everyone.” Varis looked up at the mage with a raised brow. “That question earned you an additional ten points on your next paper. Include that question in the paper’s heading,”

“Moving on. Our first oral argument will revolve around Article 2 and a high profile amendment that ultimately failed. In 1857, the Astorio family introduced the Equilibrium Act which would add that mages who lost their magic would still be considered mages for the purposes of feeding even though they no longer met Article 2’s requirements. This was in response to the Dravonican Plague of 1855, a disease that devoured a mage’s magic and left them catatonic if they survived. It left massive logistical issues amongst lower vampiric society and far too many had to be put down as a result of taking human life in frenzy fueled feedings. In an attempt to alleviate the pressure from the after effects of the plague, enterprising nobles Alister Eve and Nicholas Astorio popularized bottled blood shortly after the amendment’s introduction and subsequent failure at the hands of the Marivaldi.” Varis paused. “As we delve further into the Foundation Articles, you will be expected to develop your own amendment in response to the Dravonican Plague with the intent to reduce the loss of life suffered by vampire, mages, and humans alike.” Varis went to continue but the ringing of the bell cut him off. Apparently Eris’s little distraction took more time than he anticipated. He made eye contact with Aaron, snapping his fingers at feet before turning his attention back to Eris. His expression did soften slightly, a shade shy of fond. “And what do you have to say for yourself?”

The exchange down at the front was doing nothing to help Aaron calm himself down. A Marivaldi Countess was challenging Eris Samael, and he just brushed it off like it was nothing! Yet again it was a display of disrespect that usually would have horrified Aaron, but the whole situation was just so absurd he couldn’t help but laugh. Or, rather, struggle valiantly not to laugh, managing to keep quiet but eventually having to cover his mouth to contain his grin.

It was actually a blessing when Varis snapped at the class, bringing Aaron down from his giddiness as he regained control of the room. Finally, as the whispers died down and the lecture continued, Aaron could breathe and concentrate. Varis’ answer to Salem’s question was surprising, though he supposed there was no reason why it should be; Salem had asked a salient question, hardly worthy of reproach, but still Varis’ reward seemed high. Inwardly, he shrugged; he supposed he just hadn’t judged Varis to be the “rewarding” type at all, but maybe he was biased.

The bell rang quite soon, though a glance at his watch told Aaron that time had apparently just gone by faster than expected. Looking up from his watch, though, his eyes locked with Varis’, the vampire snapping at his feet. Here? Now?! Was the Count angry with him, or was this just going to be a routine occurrence?

Aaron stiffened at Varis’ look, thoroughly chastened, but quickly set to collecting his things, loath to keep the Count waiting. Rising abruptly from his seat, he tried not to make it too obvious that he was rushing, though the smile and wave he offered Salem and Lilie might have been a little stiffer than he intended. Lilie tried to say something as he left, but regretfully he cut her off before he heard what it was with a hurried, “I’m sorry, I have to go, I’ll try to catch up with you guys in a little while, okay?”

He didn’t wait for a reply before he worked his way between desks and people to the centre aisle, striding down to the stage in a bit of a hurry. He carried himself with dignity, as he always did, but he had to swallow that pride as he stepped onto the stage, sinking fluidly to one knee on the spot that Varis had indicated. He kept his eyes trained carefully on the floor, though it wasn’t just out of respect; he was very focused on ignoring the fact that the whole lecture hall could see him.

Salem gave an odd look to Lilie before shrugging. Did Aaron forget that Salem was going to speak to Varis after class? [color=82ca9]"I suppose I'll see you at lunch? Save us a seat will you? I need to go and speak to Varis, but it shouldnt take too long."[/color] He gathered his items back into his bag, after making a few final notes into his class notebook. Taking his rustic pencil and twirling it about around his hair before finally putting it in and tying his hair up into a bun. A finally smile was shot at Lilie before making his was down the steps, between desks and and students that still sat about, until finally reaching Varis.

Salems shadow loomed over Aaron's kneeled body, the tall plant mage given a weird look behind the light mages head before looking back onto Varis and switching his face from confusion to more stoic. "Thank you for agreeing to see me Varis, I hope I'm not interrupting too much, and for that I'll make it brief. As you're well aware, I was assigned your house for the assignments and thus I am to model my views and amendments in your family's way of thinking. I was hoping to be able to shadow you, learn from you, and pick your brain as to how it is that the Sinnenodels conduct their businesses and thoughts. However after hearing the response that you gave to the other student, I assume you will direct me to the books and archives of the library instead. Am I correct in this assumption?" Salems eyes briefly flitted over to Aaron's stiff body beneath him, rigged and poised.

Interacting with: [@Trinerblue192]@Obscene Symphony@Hero

“It is less a promotion and more a shackle. The Princess, in her infinite wisdom, saw fit that I may watch over the imbeciles while she keeps the pandering oaf busy. Who cares that I have a myriad of other obligations.” Varis responded to Eris, clearly irritated about the point. Although she played the game for eight centuries longer, Varis did not like being on this end of it. He barely registered Aaron kneeling, his attention instead focused on the Spellman. His question played right in Varis’s intentions, opening up the floor to the possibility of more. Rewarding him and punishing others for more docile lines of inquiry would keep the right people on the wrong path. He did love when a web spun itself.

“You are correct.” Varis confirmed Salem’s assumption. “I didn’t require it for that reason. I don’t have time for a shadow and even less for someone outside my House.” Varis stared Salem down until the boy left, watching him walk away.

“Now, Eris. This is Aaron Starag, the great many times over grandson of Landar Starag, and my mage for at least the duration of my stay at the Academy. Though with his incoptiencies, I would not be suprised to see him stay a Sinnenodel.” Varis looked down at the kneeling mage. “You may stand. Eris and I have known each other for the past two and a half decades and is one of the few mostly tolerable vampires I acquaint myself with. You’ll do well to respect him as much any other noble.”

---

Max quirked a brow as Varis regained control of the classroom, interest piqued more by the man teaching the class himself rather than the topic at hand. The Retriever's boytoy had asked a very dangerous question to anyone with even a modicum of critical thinking skill, and yet he was being rewarded for it rather than punished. This couldn't be an attempt to praise the Noilas' effectiveness at censoring information, as even bringing the topic up in the first place would contest that point. Likewise, if Count Cinnamon had merely been teaching information for the sake of covering the topic, he wouldn't be rewarding lines of inquiry like that, he'd simply be providing the information that was requested. He had a game here, if he was going to toe the line of high treason in a freshman law course of all places. But that much was already known; vampires will be vampires, after all.

The mage's interest faded at Varis' introduction of the oral argument topic. He didn't suppose 'let the leeches starve' was an acceptable response to the prompt. Arguing hypotheticals in a law class seemed rather pointless too; a solution had already been found and codified, and they were beholden to it whether they agreed or not. Maybe Cinnamon would give him bonus points if he brought that up, too bad the bell stopped him. If Max's suspicions were correct, a question asked in private wouldn't please Varis as much as one asked openly for all to hear. The politics of it all would be almost thrilling if not for how annoying it all was.

As he went to continue his conversation with Aaron, he noticed the seat in front of him was empty, and Flower Boy had likewise vacated the area. His eyes trailed back toward the front, where the Retriever was- was he kneeling? Must be standard Starag procedure to kiss the feet of any leech they cross paths with. How absolutely disgusting.

"Does he have any shame?" Max chided out loud, mostly to himself, but Paleface was well within earshot. Even better if she heard; Retriever's lineage probably made him a role model for some of these mages, and the last thing humanity needed was more sycophants.

---

@Hero

Aaron stiffened when Salem approached; he’d known he was coming down to speak to Varis, but that didn’t make him any more comfortable kneeling beneath the pair of them, talked over like a piece of furniture. His ears burned as the pair of them spoke, but he kept his eyes trained almost angrily on the floor, reluctant to put a muscle out of place and doing his best to push his embarrassment from his mind. But soon enough, Salem was gone (Aaron making a mental note to speak to him about his interest in the Sinnenodels later) and there was a pause before Varis spoke again, addressing the celebrity in the Sinnenodel seat.

While Aaron wasn’t exactly thrilled to be introduced to Eris-freaking-Samael on his knees, he was rather more concerned with what Varis said next. He was his mage until the end of his time at the Academy? What on earth? As far as Aaron knew, mage transfers from family to family were most often permanent, especially between noble families transferring mages from high-profile lines. Aaron had thought - and taken comfort in the idea - that the Noilas giving him to Varis was some kind of diplomatic gesture, but now apparently the Count had no plans of keeping him. What then, had he been transferred to Varis for re-training? Aaron had never heard of such a thing happening to anyone else in his family, and he would have thought that someone might have told him if that were the case. Or was he truly so disappointing that he’d be passed around from family to family until someone decided he was worth keeping?

A pit formed in his stomach at the thought. Families like his had a word for mages like that, but it wasn’t exactly appropriate for polite company.

After what felt like an eternity, he was allowed to stand - Varis didn’t seem annoyed with him, at least - and Aaron rose gratefully, pushing those thoughts aside to be fretted over later. The Count introduced Eris as a friend, more or less, and Aaron acknowledged with a dip of the head to Varis and a more proper bow to Eris, as he would for someone of a Count’s station. “An honour, sir,” he told Eris, painting on a polite, well-practiced smile even as the stone in his stomach refused to disappear.

Victor Astorio

Victor payed little attention to the two vampires on the stage. All he did for the majority of that class was stare at his unknowing mage and listen to the lecture. It was a small test to see if the human listened to his instincts, as a predator was watching him. Small things that gave him a better understanding of how well others sensed the world around them.

He was broken out of his thoughts on how he would deal with this Spellman when the bell rang for lunch. Slowly the tall vampire put his black leather bound notebook and blue pen back in the interior pocket of his jacket. Taking his time to get out of his seat watching the others around him interact and move until only a few mages and vampires remained. Either trying to talk to the celebrity or waiting on someone who was talking to Varis.

Making his way to the double doors he stopped. Something spoken between two mages, a white haired girl and a small boy, caught his attention. The thing that caught his attention was what was said and the way it was said. Something about having no shame. Very deliberately, Victor turned and quietly walked up behind the boy until he was well within his personal space. The way the boy spoke about the Starag boy and how he knelt before Varis made him guess this one had a problem with them. Therefore, Victor figured he would prod this issue.

“He is in the proper position. Humans were always meant to be subservient and at least he knows who his master is.” Again, Victor pushed boundaries that would otherwise make him too close for comfort. He did this by moving his face closer to the boy’s. “So tell me, Slave, what makes you think you’re better than him? That you do not bow or kneel in the presence of nobility. Especially, in the presence of an Astorio.” He paused for a moment before removing his face from in front of the boys and standing up straight. “I’m sure you are aware of how…” he paused for a moment finding the words, “aggressive, we can be.”

Turning his attention to the white haired girl, Victor looked her over for a moment almost as if he was checking her out. “My, my aren’t you pretty.” Again trying to provoke another reaction with a big creepy smile. It was the fighter in him, always trying to get into people’s heads and finding out what made them upset or lose focus. He obviously was not afraid of any of them and his posture and body language made this overwhelmingly clear.

Having been satisfied with Varis' answer, Salem didnt wait any longer to walk away from the situation. Clutching his bag as he turned, so as not to hit Aaron on the head, Salem looked towards the top where Lilie stayed speaking to the mage from before and a new face. He caught a glimpse of the stranger backing off from the mages face and turning towards Lilie and uttering something that made her step back, in what could only be described as discomfort. Salems brows furrowed at the scene as he projected his voice in a stern tone, his deep voice carrying to the group. "Is there a problem here?" He began to approach them, each step made with purpose, the heels of his boots clacking against the floor of the class.

Salems eyes darted from side to side, assessing the situation to try and gleam what had transpired in the mere moments his back was turned. What was said to Lilie? Why was he so close to the mage previously? Was that his mage and perhaps Lilie had offended them? That didnt matter, they weren't property to lord over and no one had the right to belittle another living being. Salems eyes briefly flashed to his sides, trying to see Aaron in his periphery, thinking of his much Aaron objectified himself and how sad he felt for the golden mage. He took a few more steps forward, not bothering to wait for a response. His arms now crossed and his glare burning straight at the vampires eyes.