Aaron made it back to his dorm from the administrative office quicker than he expected, leaving him a little less than ten minutes to spare before his curfew. A quick mental calculation had him thinking a 15 minute warning before his curfew would allow him enough time to get back appropriately early from just about anywhere on campus, though he’d have to be careful if he was coming from town. Things to work out later, though.

Approaching the door, he tried the handle without thinking; he supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when it was locked, seeing as Varis explicitly stated he would ‘leave and enter at his side’. That knowledge didn’t quite quell the embarrassment of having to request permission to enter his own (temporary) home, but he pushed it aside. It was the Sinnenodel dorm, after all; it wasn’t like he came and went from Noila Castle was he pleased.

Though it was still a bit from his curfew, Varis fully expected the boy back at least five minutes until six. Any later and he’d set an entirely new set of lines with a few days and some light life magic in between to rest his wrist. Maybe I will not waste my Master’s time. Not as elegant as he’d like it but Varis would have some time to change it. However, there would definitely be a change of venue. Maybe the first ten minutes of his lunch, he’d have the boy write them in the public eye. Cutting into his “personal” time would surely force him to reflect on his poor behavior; after all, being on time was considered late and the tardiness would force Varis to handle the situation which in turn cut into the Count’s personal time and that was unacceptable.

The knock at the door had the Count glancing at his phone, a short nod at the other vampire to answer the door. Varis had explained the plan to Eris already: answer the door, return with the boy, and do whatever close contact nonsense the actor enjoyed doing whenever was normally least convenient. The boy had sensibilities dated from when Varis was a child. With Eris flitting around so frequently now, Varis couldn’t afford those tedious feelings to interfere. He’d deal with this directly and leave the boy with a clear understanding of how Eris liked to behave in private.

Eris suppressed a chuckle, though he made no protest as he approached the door. He paused at the entrance, making a conscious decision to loosen his tie slightly and open up the suit jacket. When he deemed himself ready, he opened the door, leaning against the frame as he flashed a dazzling smile at the mage.

"There you are, Sunny!" He cheerfully greeted him, openly roving his eyes over Aaron's figure.

Well, looks like Max was right.

Aaron blinked at Eris when he opened the door, surprised to see him there at all, although he supposed he might have been even more shocked if Varis himself had answered. But even though Aaron had only known the actor for less than a night, somehow the smile and the invasive up-and-down look (he swore he could feel it) were less interesting than the greeting. Was that a nickname?

“Good evening, Mr. Samael,” Aaron replied, dipping his head appropriately. Was ‘Sunny’ because he was a light mage? Was it his hair? Was there any reason? In his puzzling he almost forgot the next step in this process, though he was more than a little off-put by having to perform it to get into his own dorm. “May I come in?”

Eris pushed himself off the frame of the door, taking half a step back as he gestured inside. "Mi casa es su casa," He replied, not skipping a beat. As the taller blonde walked in, Eris' eyes narrowed, his right arm taking the door and closing it hard enough to make a rather noticeable sound. He didn't linger, walking quickly to catch up with the mage as he slung an arm around him. "Did you have fun on your first night?" He asked him.

The sudden jolt of an arm being thrown around him after the door slammed almost made Aaron jump, and the sudden movement of turning his head toward Eris made his earring get a little tangled in his hair again. “Well sir, it was eventful to say the least,” he replied, more than a little confused at Eris’ demeanour as he raised a hand to untangle his earring.

Eventful? So he had mixed feelings about it. It was absolutely adorable to see Sunny in uncertainty, but he wouldn't focus too much on him. Eris released Aaron to step in front of him, stopping him from going forward as a quick hand grabbed Aaron's wrist, the actor's expression unfaltering.

"If you keep touching it, you're never going to get used to it," He spoke, his other hand sweeping the earring away from his golden locks before Eris would lower his hand--but he didn't release Aaron, instead continuing to walk as he pulled him along. "But tell me, what sort of shenanigans did you get yourself into? Batting away people who seek out the famed Noila mage? Although--" He paused as he seemed to think. "You must be referring to that poor soul that got sent to the mines, it looks like they pinned that one on you, didn't they?"

Aaron was careful not to pull away when Eris fixed his earring, though he wasn’t at all fond of this hands-on attitude that the actor apparently shared with Varis. The mention of the rumour from earlier, though, was what really made him freeze, a pit forming in his stomach all over again.

“An outrageous rumour, sir,” he informed Eris calmly, wondering if he’d have to scream it from the rooftops to finally kill that awful rumour, “I have no idea how it started or what happened with that girl, I assure you.”

Eris raised an eyebrow, fascinated at Aaron's defense. He almost seemed offended at being the target, laughably so. Clicking his tongue, he let out a short laugh. "Outrageous? If you think that is outrageous, then you're in for a wild ride, Sunny," Eris chuckled. "But you tell me, what makes it so outrageous? The audacity to implicate a Starag? Or the fact that you're as pure as untouched snow?"

“Boy. Collect the key off the counter and then attend me.” Varis cut off whatever inane response the boy would give and followed with a snap at his feet. Although the boy was correct, the rumor was an outrageous lie, Varis didn’t care for the details of why it was a lie to disrupt the plans he made for this evening. He already has his punishment for that whole scenario. Varis needed him in the here and now, not dwelling over last night. But, it didn’t mean he’d forget it. He made a mental note to look into it later; he didn’t need such whispers floating around anyone associated with him.

Every word out of Eris’ mouth was only more confusing, and Aaron was about to reply with the simple truth that he was either in public view or at Varis’ side any time anything could possibly have happened with that Marivaldi girl before his reply was silenced by an order from the Count himself. Aaron was grateful for it, stepping deftly past Eris to obey, though he noticed the vampire let his touch linger on his wrist a little longer than was necessary. No time to be dwelling on that though, and he swiped the key off the counter and knelt before Varis before he even realized what he was holding. But as soon as he gave it a second glance, the Noila Academy crest emblazoned on it was unmistakable. It was the second dorm key. Maybe Varis decided it was more practical to give it to him after all?

“Despite my reservations about your overall competency, my Lady seemed to enjoy your presence last night and brightening her mood should allow you an opportunity for a reward. I’m sure you can put two and two together. Before you retire for the day, I’ll grant you the opportunity to earn that key.” Varis sat forward, elbows resting on his legs as he tilted the boy’s face up. His eyes darkened as he recalled the disaster of the evening, the massacre of his relationship with the Spellman boy.

“Count Astorio and I had the opportunity to observe your Affinity Mastery class for a while and I couldn’t help but notice Mr. Spellman seemed a little tense in your presence.” Varis made sure Aaron could watch his displeasure grow on his face before letting the boy go and sitting back once more. “Would you care to explain how this interesting strategy is meant to achieve the task before you?”

Aaron’s eyes widened a touch at the floor. So he was getting a chance! Having somehow impressed Lady Sinnenodel was news to him—she’d been cordial enough, though he’d been a little too terrified to notice if she was, in fact, pleased—but fortunately the subject turned to Salem. Yes, the conversation Varis had observed was definitely rocky, but luckily that had only been the beginning of the story. Somehow, he found himself getting his hopes up that he might actually be able to impress Varis, even if that darkened look in his eye still made his hair stand on end.

“A bump in a flattening road, Master,” Aaron replied matter-of-factly. “I learned after dinner last night that Mr. Spellman isn’t fond of my family’s views on vampire-mage relations. What you and Count Astorio saw was only more of the same. He’s quite adamant in his views, but naive.” Aaron paused a second to make sure he had the order of events straight in his mind. “Fortunately, things smoothed out shortly after the viewing platform was cleared. In fact, I just returned from meeting him with a mutual friend after his etiquette class.”

“How fortunate someone managed to salvage your disaster.” Varis commented drly as he leaned back. “Luckily, appropriate connections are half the battle. What did you learn from your meeting then.”

Eris scampered over, watching Aaron with amusement as he suppressed a chuckle. He needed to work on his self-image, but it looked like a tall order from a subservient family. There was humble, and then there was making yourself look completely incompetent without any orders. Why admit that they bumped heads if Varis already saw and mentioned it? As much as a certain someone claimed they wanted an amenable noodle of a servant, there was a certain amount of backbone that should be had.

"The first time is always the hardest," Eris commented. "It's all well and good that you had someone to bridge the gap—stepping stones are always a good thing—though I'm surprised a hippie would be so disagreeable. Did you kindly suggest some better clothing options or did you hide something from him under a bar of soap?"

Aaron pretty much expected Varis to be unimpressed, but that was only the beginning of the story. Eris, on the other hand… maybe it was unbecoming, but Aaron had to clear his throat to stop himself from laughing at his joke.

“Not just our meeting Master, but most of the night,” Aaron clarified, skipping over Eris’ comment. “Before things grew tense, he told me about his family’s traditions around the learning and teaching of magic. I have the details recorded, but one notable point was that somehow every mage in his family has been a plant mage.” Notable, but also downright strange. Aside from vague tendencies toward particular aspects, such uniform cohesion was all but unheard of. “Family members who turn out to be mundane are still kept within family circles, a luxury allotted by what sounds to me like a downright odd living situation with his family’s vampires.”

“It reminds me of the Marivaldis, to a degree,” Aaron continued, though his doubt - or perhaps confusion - was plain in his voice. “He says they live ‘as one big family’, all treating each other as equals. It certainly explains his views; judging by what he told me and how he reacted to my relationship with you, Master, he’s been just as sheltered by his family’s way of life as I’ve been by mine.” He wrinkled his nose at the floor, remembering Salem’s bloodied knuckles. “He honestly believes his family’s model can be projected onto all of vampirekind and be viable, but it’s only ill prepared him for life outside of their care. His etiquette class was proof enough of that. Perhaps it’s being partly metered as a punishment, but I’ve never seen Count Julian make such a mess of someone’s hands. I don’t expect his transition to life with Count Astorio to go smoothly.”

Suppressing a shudder at the thought, Aaron continued. “In any case, like I said, Salem and I seem to have found some common ground. In fact, our mutual friend Lilie is planning a little get-together for all the noble-serving mages tomorrow, which I would attend with your permission, Master.” Salem seemed a little more comfortable when Lilie was around, or at least, less combative. Plus, surely forming some ties with the Marivaldi mage and strengthening the shaky ones he had with Salem could only help. “I can put further details that I learned in writing if you would prefer, Master, but that’s the core of what I learned tonight.”

Eris’ comment made Varis raise an eyebrow at the actor, just a quirk at the corner of his mouth displaying his amusement, but he focused back on the boy at his feet. One piece of information stood out among the garbage. The family’s vampires modeled themselves after the Marivaldis. He begrudgingly admitted to himself the boy managed to uncover an absolute treasure. Linking an investigation to the noble family’s methods could seriously cripple the so-called Modernist position for a few decades, long enough for his Lady to pass a few measures they’ve been sitting on for a better political climate. Plus, he could pressure the Spellmans’ vampires into convincing the Spellman boy’s father into a more agreeable contract with Varis.

“Moving forward, I expect a written report on everything you discover. You’ll submit them once a week moving forward, even though I will ask about the details of your discoveries more often than that.” Varis explained as he tapped his fingers on his thigh. “Your confusion over such naive ideals is well founded. The modern society is structured for the benefit of both classes and such a change would fracture the peace we worked so hard to achieve. I don’t doubt the Spellman boy will break before he acclimates. What do-” Varis paused for a moment as something else processed in his head.

“Lilie…” He mused briefly before recognition lit up his eyes and a disapproving frown crossed his face. “Ms. Dionne. The girl with dyed hair in Treaty Law; you have her letter drafted already correct?"

Aaron nodded along with Varis’ orders, genuinely surprised and impressed with himself that Varis hadn’t found anything to chide him for. He even kind of agreed with him, which, while expected given the subject matter, would be considered a definite win.

Of course, good things do not last. The mention of Lilie’s apology letter put Aaron on edge again, inwardly cursing himself for forgetting. Sure, he wasn’t sure when he would have had the chance to write it so far that night, but seeing as he’d been perfectly well informed of that particular duty, he really had no excuse for not making time to complete it.

“I… do not, Master,” he admitted, figuring it was best to be forward. “I was focused tonight on mending ties with Mr. Spellman and making connections.” Perhaps a little embellishment wouldn’t hurt. “My apologies. I will spend my lunch breaks in the future working on them, if you would prefer to see them earlier in the morning, and work to manage my time more pragmatically.”

“Unacceptable. I would have even tolerated an electronic draft despite the laziness they encourage. A solution is a solution after all.” Varis sighed, running a hand irritably down his face. “In the Sinnenodel household, in my household, you will handle several tasks simultaneously. I should not need to explain to you the importance of handling all your assignments within their allotted time frames regardless of your other tasks. The fact that you don’t seem to understand this already concerns me. Perhaps the Noila’s were right. If I find more serious gaps in your performance like this, I may just petition the Council to return you to your former condition but under my rule indefinitely. I’m sure my mages would enjoy the company.”

Varis leaned his head back, rubbing at the bridge of his nose with an exasperated sigh. What did the Noilas teach him because all the boy seemed to do was annoy him. The proffered solution was definitely in step with what Varis preferred but it was done far too late. If the boy wouldn’t be able to complete his task in an appropriate time, he should at least have a schedule for Varis to review and adjust.

“You will complete that when we are done with our conversation.” Varis’s snapped. He was hoping after a single revision, Varis could send the boy to bed and not have to consider the headache he was but it seemed the boy was determined to make his morning as frustrating as possible. “Since we are dealing with the incompetence instilled into you from the royal family, come closer and show me the scar on your ear.” Varis didn’t bother waiting for the boy to react but rather turned his head himself until he could see it.

“Would you like to explain why this was left off your medical records? If it was just an accident, I’m sure it would have been mentioned.” Varis traced the scar for a moment as he spoke. “I know how protective the royals are of your family. I’m sure you don’t want me following up with them about the inconsistency.”

Aaron's head dipped a little lower under Varis’ volley, moreso because he knew it was deserved. Harsh as the Count was, multitasking was hardly an unreasonable expectation and Aaron could understand Varis’ frustration. After all, handling multiple responsibilities in tandem was the core of any role worth having in a vampire’s household. Still, the Count’s words stung, and Aaron had no doubt that his threat to have him locked away in his own domain carried weight.

The mention of his scar, however, had Aaron wishing they could go back to talking about his incompetence. That scar was never a fun memory to dredge up, but now, being asked about it, he was at an impasse. The scar was caused by an accident, after all, but... well, it was just simple luck that his ear injury that night was the only one that had left a mark.

“...It was at my request, Master,” he finally replied, letting out a breath. “Or rather, my pleading. It was an accident; a training accident, specifically. I was seventeen, preoccupied in a training session, and made a stupid mistake that ended with my ear torn in half. I didn't want Sir Bordeleaux to face discipline for my mistake, so I convinced the life mage who attended me afterward to leave the injury off my record.” That much, at least, was true.

Eris looked at Aaron expectantly, surprised that he didn't continue. What, a Noilan life mage easily swayed by some teenage boy's plea? Starag or no, if Lucan Bordeleaux was responsible, the Noila family would have wanted to know. The fact that he had been 'preoccupied' did result in a more audible scoff, the blond crossing his arms. "What, did a group of maids go running by as you trained?" He asked. "The way they dress over there is so dull I'm sure you'd have gotten excited over the flurry of ankles that ran past, huh?"

It was Aaron's turn to scoff at the comment, letting out a rush of air that could have been a laugh had he not been on such thin ice as it was. “No, sir,” he replied, resisting the urge to add ‘unfortunately’.

Quickly, though, his mood grew somber. “My mother was very ill during that time and largely kept under quarantine. The night this all happened, I hadn't been allowed to see her for a couple of weeks and I was fearing the worst.” It had served as a hell of a distraction alright. They hadn't even let him Skype her by that point, and the only thing anyone had told him when he asked about her was ‘not to worry’. He failed to mention how utterly useless and powerless he'd felt, unable to help in any capacity and with nothing else to do but do his lessons, train, and wonder if he'd ever see his mother again.

"Quarantine?" Eris questioned.

Aaron nodded. “Sick mages are usually quarantined to prevent illness from spreading. My mother had some kind of lung infection and since I'm the only fertile Starag left in the family, they were very careful to make sure I was nowhere near it.”

"Of course. The tedious obsession with the care of another frail mortal. I'll never understand why you attach yourselves to others when you know the moment you are born, you practically have a foot in the grave. Pathetic." Varis sighed in disappointment. "As uninspiring as your story was, at least it provided yet another example of how poorly you handle your expectations as not just a Starag, but as vampire's mage. Mages afflicted with illness that threaten others ought to be put down in my opinion. The Noilas were unnecessarily kind and you repaid them with embarrassment. At least you had the decency to save your instructor face." Varis scoffed and took a moment to evaluate the boy.

"However, that is far more than a simple accident. I had thought you above such immature outbursts of emotion but this situation clearly suggests otherwise. You hid this from me when you had the opportunity to explain the situation last night and allowed me to draw an erroneous conclusion. As my mage, I expect your behavior and actions to benefit me to the fullest because those same behaviors reflect on me in society. A mage who keeps secrets from his master is as worthless as the dirt on the bottom of my shoe and I will deal with them as such. Would you like that?" Varis asked, pausing to let the question sink in. Boring as it was, Varis couldn't even bring himself to be honestly annoyed. Mostly he was just astounded. That pathetic experience was what he refused to explain? If it had been a good lie, Varis might have given him some room but how boring. "If you wish, I would gladly do so. It would be a waste of your potential but it would make my life significantly easier." Varis leaned forward and put a finger under Aaron's chin, tilting it up gently as opposed to grabbing it like he preferred. His eyes had cleared slightly and his frown softened.

"I thought last night was a step in the right direction but I'm not sure now. I was quite pleased when you finally came to the conclusion that you needed to ask for clarification despite the frustration I expressed." Varis lied with an ease a century in the making. "And while I think I still see potential in you, we have a few habits the Noilas permitted to change. You're still young. Mistakes can be corrected but you'll have to work with me, not against me. I would hate to see you squander this opportunity, the only Starag to benefit from the tutelage of two Houses. Do you think you're capable of letting me teach you how to be better?"

Varis’ initial comments made Aaron bristle irritably. He’d grown to understand why he had to be kept away from his mother when she was ill despite his pleading, and could appreciate the importance of quarantine, but the solution proposed by the Count was positively barbaric. The very thought of someone suggesting such a thing a few years prior was enough to set his blood boiling, but of course he couldn’t refute it. And, fortunately, the subject changed before he could stew on the matter too long.

When it came to his own behaviour, Aaron had to accept that Varis was right. He cooled down quickly as he listened, embarrassment rising to replace anger as the Count went over concepts Aaron had been taught in his childhood. Had he truly slipped so badly? Laid out in plain english, Count Varis’ expectations were no more complex than any other he’d ever had to deal with, so then why was he failing at every turn? Varis had every right to be angry. If Aaron were in his position, he would have been as well.

But when Varis lifted his face again - gentler this time, too - he didn’t look angry. Or, well, not as angry as he had been. To Aaron’s astonishment, he sounded like he was willing to give him another chance.

“Yes Master, please, I know I can learn to live up to your expectations,” Aaron replied in earnest, a strange, hopeful anticipation rising in his chest. Was that why he’d been assigned to the Count after all? To be trained by two Houses? The idea that his assignment had a purpose beyond the Noilas conveniently casting him aside for quick political favour energized him, Varis’ multitude of insults and threats all but forgotten.

"Excellent. I'm sure you'll exceed my expectations soon enough with that attitude." He let Aaron's chin go and leaned back once more. "However while the lack of a letter can be overlooked as distracted, lying cannot. You did well with the Spellman boy tonight so I'll keep your punishment to a minimum. For now, you've lost the right to that key. You'll have an opportunity to earn it again but for now, you'll offer that key to Eris."

The blond shifted, pushing himself off the couch and sliding down into the seat next to Varis. His face was neutral, surprisingly, though there was the tiniest hint of a frown, almost as if he was sharing Varis' disappointment. Still, he said nothing, letting his actions speak for him.

As Varis released him and doled out his punishment, Aaron couldn’t help but think he’d gotten off easy. He had already been prepared to do without a dorm key from the first night’s explanation, after all. Sure, offering the key that should have been his to Eris was belittling in no small measure, but Varis had just given him an opportunity that far outweighed the humiliation and he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Without hesitation Aaron nodded, producing the key. Eris made things easier by sitting next to Varis - a gesture that made him feel a little like he was answering to both of them, but he wasn’t worried about that now - and Aaron simply shifted a touch on his knee, bowing his head and holding the key out for Eris to take.

"Such a generous little ball of sunshine," Eris cooed, plucking the key from Aaron's hand. He eyed the symbol engraved on it, eyes darting back down to the still kneeling mage. "I think kneeling is how I prefer you, too, though I'd much rather have you on all fours if it were up to me."

"A bold statement considering who you're sitting next to. Maybe if you behave well enough but let the poor boy be for now. He has tasks to attend to." Varis chuckled at Eris's behavior, "Go on. If you don't have any questions, I expect the letter complete, drafts and all, before sunrise."

Yeesh, maybe giving the key to Eris was a worse punishment than Aaron thought.

And of course, Varis apparently entertaining Eris’ little suggestion made it ten times worse. For the umpteenth time that night, Aaron had to fight down a rising unease, tying his stomach in knots. Serving was no unfamiliar thing, a point of pride even, but he was not accustomed to being so… objectified. And worse yet, Aaron couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the tip of the iceberg with Eris now being able to come and go as he pleased.

Standing gratefully with an obligatory, “Yes, Master” when he was relieved, Aaron offered the pair each a quick bow and turned on his heel, heading for the study to get started on his letter. He would have liked to use Varis’ invitation for questions to ask for the real reason his doors were removed, but he knew now that he was pushing his luck far enough as it was and opted to just get out of the situation as soon as he could.

Eris bit back his own chuckle, noticing the speed at which Sunny made his leave. The sheltered boy was far too easy to rile--it was almost too easy. He leaned back in his seat, watching the blond scamper away, but he couldn't quite resist one last jab.

"I'd much rather be in that position for you, mon beau," He replied cheerfully to the redhead, although he dropped his tone to something far more suggestive as he continued with, "Viens, faisons-nous des galipettes."

"Stop teasing the boy. He'll faint if you aren't careful." Varis chuckled, a rare genuine smile on his face.

Despite being more focused on Varis next to him, hearing Aaron's footsteps pick up as he left brought Eris a great amount of satisfaction. A smile cracked through, and as he looked over to where the mage had gone, he leaned backwards against Varis, letting a small laugh escape him. Naive, predictable...the Starag was going to be a great source of endless entertainment.

The walk back to the dorm was quite uneventful. Having not gotten a key to the place, nor requesting for one for the next day, Salem figured he would just have to try his luck and hope that Victor Astorio was kind enough to leave the door unlocked for his new partner. Heh, that was a laugh, an Astorio kind? Why, had it not been for the life mages and quick acting of others, Lilie may as well have been buried under earlier at the Arena. Tossing someone you didn’t know so callously as to not even consider their life is just a blatant disregard for others as well as a disregard to being kind. Nevertheless his only option was to hope that the brute was either kind enough to leave it unlocked or dumb enough to forget to lock it. Lilie seemed to be getting more and more tired as the night went on, clearly not used to the nocturnal life that some of the others were brought up in. Upon reaching the front door Salem paused to take a breath, reaching forward and finding that the door was unlocked and ready for him to enter. He nodded to Lilie and told her to go home and rest, she looked like she needed it, and then entered the house only to see Victor sitting outside in the backyard.

The twist of the door knob broke him from his trance, two sets of footsteps with one approaching and the other leaving. Victor did not need to try and figure out who it was, the boy didn't know how to cover his presence just yet. He didn't move at first but soon found himself standing and gathering his materials. Sword in hand the large vampire turned to face his new mage staring him down for a moment. The shirtless vampire changed his grip on his sword briefly as he walked up to the tan mage. “Salem Spellman.” a definite judgemental tone surged from him as he stepped up to his mage.

“Before you say anything, from what i've seen of you. you need restructuring, your hot headed and impulsive especially when it comes to your friends. You currently do not possess the physical means that will be required of you and our job. You lack discipline and a base understanding that the world you are now in is very hostile even if it seems quiet on the surface.” a short pause while he sheathed his sword, “Still, you are loyal to your family, brave enough if not stupid, to stand up to a vampire regardless of who they are just because they threaten your friends. That protective nature can be useful especially with our line of work. Once you are molded enough you may very well become a good hunter like me. At the very least, from what i can see is that your far from useless or worthless but you still have a long way to go.”

Salem watched as Victor began to rouse at his presence. He figured a confrontation was in order based on what had transpired in class earlier, but that didn't mean that he hated the idea of it any less. The tall, brutish vampire began to make his way towards the plant mage, wielding a sword in hand as he approached only saying Salem's name then a brief pause before continuing. Salem instinctively clenched his right fist as he was approached. Small beads of red began to form on the bandages wrapping his hands and knuckles, the pain being pushed aside as he prepared to defend himself if need be. Instead he was being berated, Victor seemingly having been keeping an eye on him for some time, making deductions of him in order to find the best route to mold him. In that respect he was much like Varis or other Sinnenodels, grooming their mages to fit their ideal and never allowing them to grow or flourish on their own. Victor did however compliment Salem on a few aspects of his personality and persona, believing that he could be a great hunter it seemed.

"I appreciate the compliments, but I have no intention of becoming a hunter. If you wish me to train and grow in physical prowess that is one thing, so long as it doesn't get in the way of my studies and schooling. However, know that I am here to learn my craft so that I may better serve those out there with my medicinal cares. I am not here to become a hunter and chase some wild fantasy." Salem's tone was cool, cold, and collected. Speaking more matter of factly than anything else.

He could smell the blood on his hands while he clenched his fists, at least the rumors of what Astorio’s were known for were not lost on this one. Victor's face did not change at all through the mages speal of ideals and dreams and at one moment a flash of a slight smile.

“You are an idealist, it seems you are still blissfully unaware of the world you are now in. you do not belong to me as the other mages belong to their vampires. As of right now you and I are both bound to the council, I work for them and now you do too.”

The brute took a moment to crack his neck and return his gaze to the boy, “your stubbornness in your ways will be a detriment. I am your saving grace, if you don't work with me you get given to another Astorio. One that will not be as forgiving, one that will break you, use you, toy with you, and eventually you will either be dead or left as a husk of your former self.” Victor's voice did not portray any amount of deception or lies simply blunt truths.

“I do not expect you to be a hunter but I am, your healing abilities will work with what we will be doing so I will not stop you from doing that. When it comes to your classes and magic, I do not care what it is you do I can adapt to any style but you are required to learn at least two binding or movement restricting spells.” He figured he would go over a few more ground rules now that they were face to face, “I require all my mages to get at least two hours of sunlight a day, when you address me it is, Yes sir No Sir in public, in private you can address me as Astorio. You will take care of both our black board things, i'm not good with technology but you won't be doing my assignments.” The count decided to wait to see what the boys reaction was before continuing with the ground rules.

Salem pursed his lips as Victor continued on, speaking about how the world was cruel and giving speeches a father gives to their daughter when she reaches the age to date. He did all he could to stave off rolling his eyes at the vampire, waiting to see how long he could drone on.

" I appreciate the lecture on how the world is run but it's not needed. You speak of a world as it is now but I see you have no vision of a world that could be. I do. And it does not entail a world in which one is so constricted and bound to another. Binding spells aren't exactly in my wheelhouse but I can tweak my magic to produce a similar affect. I'm planning to enter I'm Transmutation, coupling it with my ability to manipulate, grow, and evolve plants, and I am sure that I can create a strengthed bramble patch to stop any I'm their tracks. Or perhaps you'd prefer some crawling vines to ensare and strangle? Maybe even an enbiggened venus fly trap to catch your pray? What ever it is you feel I should learn, know that it will tie into my schooling and how i wish to do things. While we are on that subject there will be no Sirs. I will call you Astorio, Count, or nothing at all if you wish, but I see us as partners and equals and I will ensure to be treated as such. Is that understood?"

“Hmm you seem destined to push my buttons on the first day, don't you?” a rhetorical question as he looked the plant mage over again, “eventually once you show me you are able to work with me on these issues then you can relax a little with the formalities and we can start working toward being equals. I do this to make sure you don't mouth off to the wrong person or you dont address them in the wrong way. Your ideals of being equals will only hamper us. Astorios are by nature traditional, the Strigois clan. My clan, are ultra traditionalist. I do not wish to see you end up like Owl. no tongue and a few missing friends and family. No proof of what happened but we all know why, because he thought just like you and didn't know when to shut up.” again he paused shifting his weight to his left leg and biting the inside of his cheek, “I am valuable to the council because I specialize in live capture, I don't kill but I have in the past. Three humans, five vampires, and one mage. I will not let that happen again, so you have to be just as prepared as I am.”

"If your concern is how I address others in public then you have no need to get. I have been assigned classes on how to address and act around nobles and such by the queen herself, given so far as to have the very same teacher that the Starags employee for their mages. So it appears that you aid in that isnt quite needed. I don't doubt you've already caught scent of the teachings i received earlier in the night. As to if I am intent on pushing your buttons, no, no more so than you are mine. You will find that a plant has a much better response to growing towards the warmth of the sun, so any dark and cold environment that it is placed in will hamper its growth and survival. You dont need to be a tundra, be the light of the sun in which for me to grow towards. Also you'll find you, the council, and your family in quite the legal bind should I die, go missing, or missing any limbs. I have a legal obligation to my clinic and my ability to perform there and it would be an absolute hassle for you if anything were to befall me and stop me from doing so. But if you wish to train me...I prefer to learn how to use a whip."

Victor couldn't help but break his composure and laugh, “yeah, you're alright.” giving the mage a smile and relaxed his posture. “Some of that stuff I will be strict on, mostly training. So how about a deal? Ill train you and make you stronger if you teach me about your plants. Sound fair?” he reached out with his hand towards the boy. “I know its a bit unfair but i still wanted to see if you were as stubborn as a red wood.” whether he shook his hand or not was no concern of his as he turned and began to walk down towards where he assumed the boys room was.

“Your rooms this way. We may be partnered but if i do get called out on a mission or task by the council. they would have me work with a mage that, for one they trust and two has a specific skill set just for the job. Otherwise i'm more than likely stuck with you on my down time which means ill be helping you out with that clinic of yours.” he continued opening a few doors before finding a room that looked like it would belong to salem.

“I'm aware that im a dick i was not aware of your edicate class. I figured you hit something stupid. Now I don't mind being relaxed like this in private but in public, especially around the other nobles i'm going to be a dick.” stepping into the mages room and looking around with the sword in his hand and the creepy smile still plastered on his face. “I don't care for the game they play, that masquerade for power, too many of my friends have already died for it. But I will put up with those highborn while im here.” obvious distaste for the other vampires lingered in his voice as he spoke.

Salem's face dropped as Victor began to laugh and his entire attitude shifted. It had only been a few days but this school was a heavy reminder of the world outside his home, fulls of assholes who all played their games and treated mages like pieces on a board. The deal that was offered to him was a quite sound one. A helping hand is always nice, and a vampire who cared to be partners more than owner and subject was definitely something that Salem could agree to. He wasn't fully sure on how that would work, being that a few of his patients didn't care for these immortals but perhaps having one aiding them of their own volition and kindness would help lead everyone towards the ideal Salem strived for. He smiled at Victor, shaking his hand and agreeing to the terms of that particular deal, following him towards the mages room and he continued to listen to the vampire.

"I'd expect nothing less. Be a dick if you care to be in public, so long as you dont treat me in the same manner that the Starag mage is treated then I shall be fine with whatever rude thing leaves your lips. After all i will know you're true intentions and the reality of our partnership. As for your missions, if they happen to be in the forests, plains, or other earthly areas than I am sure I could be of use to you. Not yet seeing as how my schooling has only started but in due time yes. However, if you'll excuse me I think I will retire for the day. I've had a trying day and need some rest before class tomorrow"

“That's acceptable, i'll wake you up in the morning for your time in the sun. after it sets we will begin your training.” he was about to walk away when he stopped, “theres one more thing. Be careful what you say around the stagg boy. I won't tell you not too see him but varis is not to be underestimated.” this one needs a good example to understand, “think of it like this i have the best fighting skills among the others here, i can pick someone apart just from the way they stand and beat them before they even step into the ring. Varis is the same way but through politics and influence.” crossing his arms at the door.

“He is dangerous, I can take a life but he can destroy one.” a cautionary word of advice to his young mage, “in your room you will find two crates, one holds books and texts pertaining to my job so you can better understand it. The other crate contains about a month worth of elixir. It will help your body heal from the training ill put you through. Human muscle is grown by slowly tearing down muscles fibers and repairing it with scar tissue. The elixir will help you with that and other injuries you might incur.” he began to slowly walk away, “now get some sleep ill see you after dusk.”

As Salem began to wind down for the evening, choosing to enter his room in order to be in solidarity and away from his new Astorio war dog, he sat and tossed his phone onto the foot of the bed, taking a seat next to it and just leaning his head back in exhaustion. His phone lit up with an email from a monthly medical magazine he was subscribed to, rathering to get the scientific articles from the creators themselves than a published piece that didn't give the geniuses a cent. He placed his finger on the screen and it unlocked for him revealing the open messages he had sent before. Salem quickly popped open the all app view to close the messages and a few others, noticing that he still had his notes app open where he and Aaron were speaking during dinner. Salem stomach churned at the sight of it, reminding him of the horrible feeling of anxiety, loss, and worst of all the feeling he received from having his mind entered and probed. He went to swipe it away, his finger flubbing and opening up the messages instead. A slight sigh escaped him as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb and decided to pore over the conversation again, see if he can gleam any insight into Aaron or that night. As he did he noticed an error in his comprehension and memory from that night. All this time he had thought himself alone in having his mind broken open, and here it was in plain text that Aaron had his done as well. Then hadn't he spoken up? Knowing that this would eat away at him and unallow him to sleep he took to texting the Starag.

> Hey are you up? I think I need to apologize as well as talk to you.

Aaron, on the other hand, had just gotten comfortable on the patio couch, having fled there with a pillow and blanket from his linen closet as soon as his apology letter (and the necessary morning routine) was done with. Childish? Perhaps, but he’d rather be kept up by daylight than the sounds of whatever was going on in the room next to his. He was figuring out some way to cover his eyes as the sky began to lighten when his phone buzzed with a text from Salem.

Apologize? Well, Aaron would certainly not deny him the chance, but it was a surprising development nonetheless; Salem seemed so sure that he was in the right, Aaron was surprised he felt any need to apologize. Peering suspiciously at the phone, he read over the message a few times before typing out his reply.

> Okay, what’s going on?

> I was rereading our messages and realized that there was a lapse in memory or comprehension or both from that night at dinner. Being that a lot did transpire during that evening I dont exactly blame myself for missing this detail but nevertheless it did affect the way I view you to some regard. You said you were also...infiltrated mentally?

Aaron squinted at the message. ‘Infiltrated mentally’... was that why Salem was so hostile? Aaron wasn’t sure how much difference it could make that they both had their minds sifted through, but Salem seemed to think the miscommunication was a big deal, so he’d clear it up as cleanly as possible.

> Yes, just like you described. Dragged through memories, influential moments of my past, etc. It happened when I ran to Dora, after she fell. I didn’t wake up until Master had me by the throat on the table.

Knowing that Varis could - and would - look through his messages at any moment, Aaron had to be careful what he shared. But he had also been tasked with earning Salem’s trust, and that required give and take; besides, he was essentially reiterating what he’d already told Salem before.

> He warned me beforehand to stay near him, although it was vague. That’s why he was so angry with me. I can only assume that little attack was why he wanted me to stay close.
> What about it?

Salem sat there and reread the message a few times, trying to figure out exactly how he felt on the situation. Aaron had now offered to help him with his family twice, yet not once did he offer to absolve his family by simply telling the Queen that he too was probed meaning either the hand had gotten to them both and it wasnt a familial thing, or that it was indeed Lady Sinnenodels mage as Salem accused. He typed and deleted several messages before landing on

> How come you never told the Queen?

Aaron blinked a few times when the message finally came through, unsure where to start. Why didn’t he tell the Queen? Why didn’t he tell the Queen?! Had Salem not already proven himself a little thick in the ways of aristocracy, Aaron would have thought he was joking.

> Um
> Couple reasons

Was it rude to list them all? Maybe he’d just stick to the highlights.

> Well firstly, things kind of exploded after my mind was read, in case you forget. Her Majesty was long gone by then and there wasn’t exactly an opportunity.
> Glossing over the fact that a Count’s mage can’t just walk up and talk to the Queen, even if I am a Starag, you were accused by a Count and a Lady of a noble house. My word would never, in a million years, ever be weighed more heavily than theirs.
> I also can’t just refute suspicions, not to mention my Master and his Lady made the accusations. I wouldn’t just be flying in the face of the Crown, but my own Master and House as well.
> And even if I forewent all of that and stood up for you, it would only have hurt you more anyway.

Aaron sighed. He felt bad laying it all out in such plain language, and so harshly at that, but if Salem didn’t start understanding how things worked sooner rather than later, he’d end up in a lot more trouble than he was in now. And it was true: vouching for him only would have thrown him under more scrutiny; they’d probably think he was manipulating a Starag or something. Not to mention the hell it would bring down on Aaron’s own head, and the ensuing stain on his family’s reputation. All for nothing.

> Listen. You’re innocent, right? I think you are. So let the investigation run its course, and the truth will come out, and that will be that. Trust me.

> You place your faith too blindly. I am innocent and understand now why it is you cannot help me in this endeavor and that is fine but...I have a sinking suspicion that mine and my families innocence will mean nothing. If it is being covered up that Lady Sinnenodel would do such a thing then I don't see what is stopping them from falsifying evidence against my family or me. But I do want to apologize for how I have been acting towards you. Here I thought you were just taking their word over mine and simply refusing to hear the truth when in actuality you're stuck in a much more similar situation yet you cannot speak out because of those who you chose to surround yourself with. I do get that you cannot speak out against your family and I did hope perhaps your word carried more weight towards her highness…

Aaron almost threw his face into his pillow with frustration when the text came in. Salem, sun and stars to guide the poor dumb bastard, was going to get demolished by the world he lived in if he didn’t get a grip on reality real quick. But Aaron refrained from throwing his phone into the woods and pinched the bridge of his nose. Salem was apologizing. That, at least, was a good thing. He shouldn’t just throw that away. He had to be gracious.

> Thank you for your apology. I’m not the type to hold something against you without good reason, I hope you’ll come to understand that.

Good reason was fast approaching, apparently, but he’d gloss over that.

> Regarding the investigation though, let me reassure you.
> What makes you think Lady Sinnenodel cares enough about your family to interfere with the investigation?
> You’re a new mage from a common family with no noble ties. You and your family aren’t even a blip on her radar. In her eyes you’re barely a bug under her shoe. I can almost guarantee she only had her mages probe your mind because you were right in front of her and she likes to sow chaos. That’s her entire Council reputation, remember. By the time she was done toying with you, she probably forgot your existence completely.

Aaron thought back to Varis’ lecture the night before. The Count had terrified him enough with the idea that their Lady could toy with everyone she saw in his memories; even if he thought himself miles below her notice, being under her dominion as a Sinnenodel mage still put him higher up on the priority list for her attention than Salem.

> Try not to take that too harshly. Honestly, take it as a blessing. I don’t think anyone wants to be on her radar.

Aaron wrote out another message, but paused before sending it. Was it too overbearing to hit Salem with so much all at once? Well, perhaps, but it needed to be said.

> Also, please remember that while I was born under the royal family’s dominion and I consider myself lucky for it, it wasn’t my choice. Neither was coming to this academy, or joining House Sinnenodel.
> Don’t mistake that for ingratitude. I came happily at Princess Ryner’s behest and I will happily serve my Master as a result. But I had no more choice in any of this than you did.

Salem blinked, blinked again, and then did it once more for good measure. He wanted to make sure he was reading what he thought and yet no matter how hard he tried, the contradiction that Aaron had placed was still there. How could he tell Salem to relax, stating his family is insignificant while also telling him that the woman loved to sow chaos for the sake of chaos. Is that not what falsifying a Red Hand attachment would do? It would allow her to play her games and have her fun without dealing with so much as a political scandal because his family was so insignificant in hers, and Aaron's, eyes. Salem wasn't sure if he should apologize to Aaron for how dense his noble brain was. All he could do to stop himself from walking over and slapping the blonde out of his hair was to simply say

> Have a good day Starag

Eris fished through his pockets for the right dorm key, half wondering if he could have left it at the Sinnenodel dorm. He was normally more careful, but he hadn’t had a chance to organize himself due to a certain redhead. After a few minutes he finally found it, though he paused before opening the door, staring at the lock and unimpressed with the simplicity of it. He stopped his search just to test it, gripping the handle as he pushed on it and listening for the wood creak. Clucking his tongue in disapproval, he wondered how much of a hassle it would be to get a better lock. Throwing money at the problem usually solved it, but this was Noila territory, so he knew he shouldn't be too surprised if the request was declined. For now, he complied, unlocking the door and stepping into his home-away-from-home.

He was unimpressed the second he closed the door behind him. Granted, he had the same thoughts when he had initially stepped into the Sinnenodel dorm, but he supposed the judgement was harsher now that he knew this was where he'd be retreating to. The choice of wall and flooring was awfully boring, the interior design generic. Just because the school decided to accept the rabble didn't mean everyone had to suffer. If anything, upping the ante would give them goals to stride for. He cared little about the kitchen, but the living room and dining room were dull for his taste.

Speaking of dull, now was as good a time as ever to have the overdue talk. It would have to be brief; classes started at nine and it was already ten minutes past eight.

Strolling over to the closed bedroom door, Eris lifted his hand to knock, then paused. Fuck, what was this kid's name again? Maximus? Macron? Alderman was definitely the last name, or at least he was a good eighty percent sure of it. He took a second to make his best guess, knocking sharply on the door.

"Hurry up and finish brooding, I need to talk to you," He ended up forgoing the name for the moment, stepping away from the door to go take a seat on the couch.

There was a brief groan from inside the room, but the door promptly opened, revealing a groggy-looking Max in the middle of putting a T-shirt on. At least Eris had the decency to knock. The mage yawned dramatically and leaned against the doorframe once he was fully-clothed.

“What’s up?” He questioned nonchalantly, not quite awake enough yet to throw in any quips about Eris’ doubtlessly eventful and probably very gross night.

Eris' mouth opened, but not before checking the time. There was the tiniest possibility that he could have been mistaken, but nope, he was right. How was this kid just waking up now?! His hair was often a mess but he just assumed that he didn't know how to properly brush his hair or something! The actor's lips were tightly shut as his eyes widened in what could've been panic. There was a lot more work to be done than he thought.

Where would he even start, though?!

Eris finally composed himself as a small bark caught his attention, but for now, he ignored the pup. "Good grief, you're just naturally a mess," He muttered, collecting his thoughts as he looked Max-something up and down. There was a tiny groan that got caught in his throat, but if he focused too much on the wardrobe, they were going to be there all night. He was going to have to tell Feliks that things were worse than he thought.

"Just--ugh," Eris let out his disdain, throwing his arms up in defeat as he let himself into the room. "How are you still asleep? Don't you take time to clean yourself and get dressed?"

“Yeah, like ten minutes.” Maybe a whole half hour if he felt like sitting in the shower and staring off into the abyss for a while, but Eris didn’t need to know that. Max doubted Eris went anywhere without spending five hours ‘freshening up’ in the bathroom, but he couldn’t even fathom what the vampire would be doing in there for all that time. He was partially surprised he hadn’t seen a full makeup crew walk through here yet.

“By the way, some guy on the bus took a picture of your new rat to put up on his blog. Your name wasn’t brought up, but I dunno how deep your rabid little fans like to dig.” Worst case scenario, Max would just have to hunt that guy down and tell him to take it off the site. “Figured you’d enjoy the free publicity either way.”

"Publicity is a tool to be used, not just given away," Eris replied, confused by Max's earlier statement. He wasn't expecting anyone to find out about Maxie, but he supposed it was bound to come out sooner or later. "Everyone's going to assume it's your dog now, so have fun with that."

He took another second to look the mage over, pinching the bridge of his nose. Ten minutes, so what, he just rolled out of bed and threw on whatever? The thought made Eris shudder. "Right, then, you're going to need more than ten minutes to get ready for the day, I prefer to feed once I get up--and that requires you to be fully clean," Eris said, rummaging through his pockets again. "Before or after classes is ideal, gets it out of the way so the rest of the night is free. Believe it or not there are some things I prefer to be subtle about and feeding is one of them considering I like to feed from the femoral artery."

Once he found what he was looking for, he pulled out the FitBit he had been wearing the night before, presenting it to Max. "Going forward you'll be wearing this at all times. Don't take it off unless you're going to shower yourself, otherwise I won't get accurate readings," He informed him. "Any questions so far? Or do you need more time to clear the gunk out of your ears to understand me?"

Huh, so Eris was more than just a simple attention whore. Max didn’t know whether that was better or worse. “I don’t really care what random people think; if they wanna be wrong, that’s their prerogative. But I’ll keep that in mind.”

The femoral artery bit was a little disgusting, but he figured he should’ve expected as much. Blood was blood, did it really matter if it came out of his leg or not? Eris was clearly toying with him. Not that it really mattered in the long run, it wasn’t like Max would be keen on being bitten regardless of location. And apparently everyone else in this school was trying to get his pants off too, might as well let Eris have the prize. Disgusting.

“Yeah, actually I do have a question or two. What’s the watch for?” Max asked as he took the FitBit from the vampire. Looked like some kind of exercise thing, probably a measure of blood quality. Another annoyance, but he’d already be lugging a focus around on his other arm, so he doubted he’d even notice it was there.

Well, at least he was paying attention. He assumed the first would have been about his feeding method, but Max went for the watch first. "It'll help me monitor your health, I'd like to bulk you up some," He said, taking his phone out of his jacket. "I'll be planning out a diet and exercise regime that you'll be following, and if I can track your progress, it'll make my life easier. Unless you actually want me hanging around you every time you eat and work out, but I sincerely doubt that: if corrections need to be made, fine, but I'd rather not waste my time and you'd rather dwell alone." He really didn't want to babysit the kid, a (hopefully) mutual feeling.

"That does bring up an unfortunate point, however," He frowned at his phone. "In addition to your arena classes, I'd like you to use some of your spare time with me so I can see what sort of sword arm you have."

Diet, exercise; this was shaping up to be so much work. Max was hoping he’d get to slide by on daily blood donations and the occasional menial chore. Though, he supposed it would make sense if Eris was intent on working on the mage’s swordplay. Kind of a weird thing for an actor to be harping on, but Max wasn’t going to complain. It’d play nicely into his affinity, in any case.

“How hard can it be?” Max really had no idea how to use a sword, but the concept seemed basic enough, “I’m a metal mage, so I’m sure I’ll figure out something that works.” He threw those desks easily enough, tossing swords around like a very violent tornado shouldn’t be too complicated. Did that technically count as swordsmanship? Max thought it did.

Eris opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head. "I'm going to assume that means you have no actual formal training. While I'm sure the Academy's lessons are...adequate--" A word he used very loosely in all honesty. "--I think at the very least instilling some additional knowledge would help more than harm. Probably. It's always handy to know how to swing something just in case. If anything, knowing how your opponent's going to swing his sword helps you stab them with their own weapon easier." He shrugged, sending out an email before pocketing his phone. Metal, huh? Convenient, at the very least it wasn't a completely lost cause. He could think of quite a few uses for it, but time was ticking and he had more to cover.

"This is all your personal responsibility, by the way. I'm sure you can handle it and your studies without any issues," As much as he adored Varis' methods, Eris just didn't have the time to psychologically torture his new mage. Not yet, anyway. "That said, three simple rules to follow if you want to keep me happy: do what I say, don't piss me off, and last but not least, keep yourself out of trouble. Eventually I'll see about giving you actual things to do, but there's about a hundred different things I need you to change before that happens."

Max found rules one and three easy enough. Rule two might be a bit of a chore, if Eris kept up his usual antics. He couldn’t argue with the leech’s logic on swordsmanship, at least, and it could tie into his usual magic practice easily enough that he doubted it would be a burden. At least, that was how he was going to rationalize all of this to himself to make the situation sound less grim.

“Yeah, whatever. One more thing,” Max leveled a more focused gaze on the vampire now, all traces of his prior sleepy haze discarded now that he had a serious thought in mind, “I don’t really care, but it’ll help me know how to act going forward; what’s your deal with Count Cinnamon? You trying to fuck him over or just fuck him?” He resisted the urge to shudder at the end. He really didn’t need to be thinking about that, but some things just had to be asked.

Eris quirked an eyebrow at Max, though he didn't respond right away. He was just full of surprises, wasn't he? The possibility of possibly underestimating him came to mind, but he debated on how to respond.

"Firstly, it's 'Sinnenodel' not 'Cinnamon'," He addressed that part first wearily, even if a slight chuckle did escape him. "Both are a mouthful, but one of them is more liable to choke you in your sleep than the other. Secondly, you'll learn quickly that I don't have to 'try' anything--I just do. If you really want to know, the Sinnenodel dorm is where I spent the entirety of last day, so have fun with your imagination going places you don't want it to with that." He did give Max a cheeky grin, visibly entertained as he waved his hands around. Kid had some awareness, but that too could use some work. But unlike everything else, that would be fun to help with.

Eris' expression fell into something more neutral as he debated on how to actually answer him. "Count Sinnenodel is to be respected--for all intents and purposes, any orders from him should be taken as orders from myself. That said, even if I wasn't in my current position, the Sinnenodel House isn't one you want to go making enemies of," He supposed it wasn't an adequate response, but he wasn't about to go spilling his secrets just yet. "I'd sincerely think twice about giving him a smartass remark like you did earlier again: that also falls under the 'don't piss me off' rule."

Oh, right, he needed to administer a proper punishment for that. Eris clicked his tongue, wagging a finger at Max. "Speaking of inadequate socialization, I have some bad news for you. You and Sunny over there are going to have to get along. I know, the thought of having to actually talk to anyone is abhorrent and gives you anxiety--actually, no, I think you're just moody--but we'll be attending events together and be at the Sinnenodel dorm more often than most, so make sure to put on your big boy pants and learn to tolerate Sunny's existence sooner than later."

That sounded like a copout, but it answered what Max needed to know. Eris was cozying up to Varis for some purpose or another, but his ego wasn’t quite inflated enough to try anything bold yet. Or he was just really, really horny. He was pretty sure vampires didn’t actually have friends, so the only positive relationship he could fathom between the two leeches was either political allies - though, what could a noble want with an actor on a political scale? - or a weird sex thing.

Him being stuck on playdates with ‘Sunny’ was far less entertaining to think about. “No Noila dog gives me anxiety, Eric, I’m not twelve. He’s just an annoying chore to talk to. And his friends are even worse.” At least he was more well-behaved around his leech. Max could hover around Varis if he really needed to; he had a feeling the Retriever would stop barking promptly.

He almost hedged in an apology for his little blunder last night, but he decided against it. He wasn’t giving Eris anything else to be smug about after that little show he did of airing his dirty laundry from the night before.

"Too bad, I need the two of you to actually get along," Eris replied, shaking his head. "Only sixty five percent of the students attending this place have any real potential in setting up future partnerships, and ninety percent of them are annoying as all hell. Believe it or not, what I'm about to tell you is being said with complete and total sincerity: everyone is a pain in the ass. Get used to it now, because it never ends. Believe me, I've been around much longer than you have and it doesn't get better. I'm sure Sunny isn't as bad as other people, he just has the Noilan-bred stick up his rear. Tolerate him and whoever is in your study group; if you can at least mind them, I won't have to go finding friends for you. You don't want that, I don't want that." It didn't really occur to him that they had a little bit more in common than he assumed at first, but he wasn't going to fall down that slippery slope.

Max let out a puff of air that might’ve been a sigh. He couldn’t really say much to that, as long as the vampire was being candid with him, he supposed he didn’t have much room to complain. This wasn’t even one of the harder chores he’d been assigned, just tedious. Even then, he had no doubt Aaron would tail him like a sick puppy any time they were locked in proximity to each other. Not to mention, he was stuck in a group with his two little admirers for Treaty Law. Flower Boy especially seemed to have some boundary issues.

“Come on now Eris, you’re already trying to marry me off to the royal pet family?” Max draped himself melodramatically against the doorframe again, bringing a hand up to his forehead like an overacting princess in some bad movie Eris would no doubt die for a chance to audition in. He dropped the act just as quickly as he started. “I’ll play your game. He hasn’t cried yet and he keeps following me around so I doubt I can do anything at this point to really get him to avoid me. The study group is… well, I’m forced into interacting with them anyway. Not that I really care about my Treaty Law grade,” Seriously, what a useless class, “but Cinnamon would bully poor little me in front of the whole auditorium if I failed.” He was keeping that name up even if Eris killed him for it.

"Oh please, don't flatter yourself," Eris scoffed loudly. "If I was going to offer up anyone to marry off to Sunny, it would be Ismene." Not that he was planning on letting her go if it could be helped. But at the very least they seemed to be on the same page, which was a massive relief. Now he could focus on more important things, such as making sure the sight before him was one that would never be repeated for the rest of Max's mortal life.

"Right, then...I'm going to get ready," Eris turned to leave, stopping himself. He couldn't really hold himself back anymore, spinning on his heel to face Max again. "I'm making an appointment with Feliks Vasiliev to redo your entire wardrobe by the way. This...this sight disturbs me," He wrinkled his nose at Max's clothes, scooping down to pick up Maxie and bringing her with him as he left the room.

“Oh, sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale
High above me
Oh, sing sweet nightingale
Sing sweet nightingale…”

The melody came out effortlessly as Lilie set about sweeping the floor. At first, it had been a question of whether or not she should; apparently it was 'up to her' if she actually wanted to clean, but despite her initial excitement in learning magic, dulling schoolwork was still dull schoolwork. And so she decided to refresh herself by doing a few chores. She didn't really have a passion for cleaning, but she did like everything nice and neat.

Truthfully, the dorm still felt like a super nice hotel instead of her place, but admittedly, Aaron’s whole “everything belongs to your vampire” thing that he said made her uneasy. But even vampires liked clean homes, right? She hoped so, she wasn’t entirely sure how she would handle a messy roommate. But at the very least the cleaning had left the place spotless, and as she put everything away, she took another look around the dorm. The place was too big for just two people. Or one, since she was by herself.

Scratching the back of her neck, she wondered why there was something about the dorm that made her feel weird. Everything was in its place and was beautifully well-kept, but it still didn’t feel like home. Nothing she could ever afford for decorating would probably even look right here. She frowned as she crossed her arms, leaning back against the table. Actually, everything was well decorated, all that was really missing in her opinion was a nice vase of fresh flowers.

Or maybe fake flowers.

Her eyes lit up, and she was already sprinting to her room by the time she started getting ideas. She pulled out a small case and a binder, running back to the dining room and placing both on the table. She pulled out a multitude of colored paper out of the binder and a pair of scissors out of the case and put herself to work. After cutting, folding, pressing, and a few mistakes, her work was done. She searched the kitchen for a small vase and placed a dozen origami flowers in it. The colors were probably a little too bright, but she genuinely liked it, placing it front and center for her to admire.

“Perfect,” Lilie couldn’t help but compliment herself, leaning back in her seat. She tapped her hands against the table as she looked at the binder filled with paper. She loved paper folding crafts, glad that she was able to bring one of her favorite hobbies along with her. Taking out a few other colors, she folded a few other flowers for fun, looking up occasionally at the bouquet. Maybe she could swap them out every day, or just have a ton of vases with paper flowers all around.

She sat up as she looked at the combination of colors, wondering if it was a noble thing or academy thing. Putting down the flower she was working on, she looked up the gold and white colors, though it turned out that they weren’t anyone’s colors; the closest were the Noila colors in gold and blue. Did the nobles have their own colors? Turns out they did, each house having their own. Interesting. Apparently the Eve colors were blue and green, and out of sheer boredom, she ended up making another paper bouquet with those colors.

Before she knew it, five different bouquets lay before her representing each house: blue and gold Noila, blue and green Eve, black and silver Sinnenodel, purple and green Marivaldi, and red and black Astorio. After a few seconds of staring at her handiwork, Lilie set about cleaning up the mess she made. Now that she thought about it, though, having the other houses’ colors was probably weird. Oh, she could give them as presents for the picnic! Perfect!

Pulling out her phone, she gave herself a reminder, going over her plans once again. Hm, she should make sure Salem brought over some tea, she had genuinely enjoyed the mix he had given her. She sent him a text and waited, though after a moment she realized he wasn’t going to respond since he had his extra class. Oh, right, there was no one to text right now. Cassandra was busy, Aaron was off doing whatever with his vampire, and Max could only be bothered if it had to do with any group projects, and even then it was if he felt like responding with anything more than a single word.

The silence was deafening as Lilie remained seated, a chill draping itself over her. She sat there for a while, though the stiffness in her legs prompted her to get up. Right, she needed to finish cleaning. Picking up the broom once again, she continued, eventually wrapping up as she put everything back in its place. She sunk into the couch, frowning to herself. This dorm really was too big for just two people. Or just one in her case.

Her phone chimed, prompting Lilie to jump in place unexpectedly. She sighed, pulling out her phone as she looked at the notification. Her favorite aunt had tagged her in a picture. Against her better judgement, she opened it, revealing a picture of an infant swathed in a soft-looking blanket. She was looking elsewhere, but it was obvious she carried the same bright, blue eyes the rest of the family did. To her, she looked beautiful, but it broke her heart to see her in a picture instead of seeing her in person. She left a short comment, the little girl’s name followed by her namesake and a variety of hearts: Daisy.

Lilie didn’t know how long she spent on the couch looking at different pictures of Daisy, feeling bad that she wasn’t there with her. Truthfully, she should have muted the notifications a long time ago, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She felt like it was all she had connecting her to her past life, and it was a struggle to leave it all behind. There was a dark truth she had yet to properly confront, and she wasn’t intent on doing it anytime soon. For now, she could pretend she was on a really long vacation. She’d get to see them again sooner than later, at least.

After a while she put her phone away, walking over to Mariette’s door. Knocking a few times, Lilie called out, ”Hey, are you there?” and waited. It didn’t look like she was around, though. That, or she was doing an excellent job ignoring her. She sighed, deciding to take a nap to kill her loneliness.

“You are just the most curious little thing, aren’t you?” Eris asked Maxie as she looked up from the leaf she had been looking at. Normally, he left walking her to Alderman, but Eris decided to take her out on a whim. The buzz around him had mostly turned into more of a lull, finally giving him the ability to walk out on his own without getting mobbed. As contrary to his usual nature as it seemed, it got old anytime he decided to visit the library and was asked to leave because of the rowdiness the crowd usually displayed. On the plus side, there was a nice picture of him reading floating around.

And so there he was, happy to walk the pup in peace. She was still a little skittish being outside, keeping close to him to the point that he wondered why he bothered with a leash. Still, she seemed to be enjoying it, stopping occasionally to look at something new. The pomeranian only pulled when a melody filled the air, though Eris was happy to follow her to it. The sound of the cello playing seemed to please Maxie, with her stopping at the edge of the Sinnenodel property with her tail wagging as she looked in the direction of where the song came.

After a few seconds Eris figured it was a good time to start heading back, only stopping as he noticed a mage standing in front of the Eve mailbox. She was also looking at the Sinnenodel dorm, wide eyed and entranced. The streak of white was familiar, though it took him only a few seconds to realize that it was none other than ghost girl in the flesh. He never would have guessed that he would have seen her around here of all places, his initial thought being that she was doing a poor job of stalking Sunny.

As his eyes looked at the mail in her hands, however, the realization hit him, and he had to bite back a laugh. No, the Eve house couldn’t possibly be so downtrodden to have that as its mage? Either she was more than met the eye or the Eves were just spiraling downhill in the princess’ eyes. Wow. No, he was jumping to conclusions, but now he needed to know for sure.

Eris strolled up to the still girl, Maxie’s bark snapping her out of her trance, and he was met with wide, blue eyes. If it wasn’t for the hair, he would find her absolutely adorable; she had the perfect youthful-looking face he liked in mages, her pale complexion giving her a particularly ‘pure’ look that he did like. But why in the world did she decide to do that to her hair? It wasn’t any trend he knew of, nor was it one he would endorse by any means. Speaking of trends, her clothes weren’t much, too plain to even be considered boring. To add insult to injury, they did a poor job hiding what was a less than impressive figure. He was pretty sure he had seen notebooks with better curves.

There was too much about her to properly digest, but even then she had one thing over his mage; she didn’t look like she had just jumped out of bed. But unfortunately for her, she was not his mage to fix. Taking a break from mentally trashing her, Eris put on a smile as he waved, pleased to find her eager to see him. “Good evening!” He greeted her warmly.

Lilie’s thoughts promptly exploded, frozen as she realized whose dog had just barked at her. Vampires always had this supernaturally enhanced good looks, but Eris looked like he had just hopped off a runway. His gaze was a little intense, though; she felt like he was looking right through her instead of at her. She felt like that was something she should get used to sooner than later, but she put on a polite grin, her excitement returning.

“Good evening!” The high pitched squeal was barely contained by her words. Her gaze lowered down to Maxie, who remained where she was, though after a few seconds she approached the girl and sniffed her shoes. “Your dog is so cute!” She cooed.

Eris kept on a polite smile, watching Maxie’s tail wag. “You think so?” He asked.

Lilie nodded, kneeling down as Maxie sat again. “Yeah! She’s so fluffy and small!” She replied.

“Bet you’d be an expert in all things small and cute,” Eris decided to lay on a bit of charm, giving her a wink.

Lilie was surprised at the compliment, feeling all too giddy as she straightened up. “Thank you! I’m really glad you think so,” Lilie bit down on her lower lip to prevent herself from giggling too much.

Cocky little thing, wasn’t she? Eris could have been impressed if it was literally anyone else, but he almost felt insulted, his jaw dropping slightly. Wow, he could field insults from any number of petty nobles, but a little hick from some backwater place managed to get him. Mortals were just another league of their own. He contained his groan, instead deciding to get right to what he wanted to know. “So, this one’s your dorm?” He gestured towards the Eve mailbox.

“Oh, yeah. I live here now, I guess,” Lilie nodded, a little confused as her answer seemed to delight the vampire. “...why?”

Eris mirrored her nod, taking a look around the cul-de-sac. “Lucky you! Getting paired with a noble house,” He nudged her with his elbow. “It’s like you’re that peasant girl that went from rags to riches in that one story with the glass shoes. Sin...something.”

Lilie’s expression dropped as she scratched the back of her neck. “...Cinderella?” She slowly suggested. That wasn’t right, was it? Then again, his observation was kinda accurate. Rags might have been a little exaggerated, but she wasn’t poor. But she also couldn’t really compare to Salem or Aaron or...any vampire, so his comment was painfully accurate.

Aww, she was insecure! That made him feel better, finding that the crestfallen face suited her much better than a confident one did. “That’s the one,” He snapped his fingers as Maxie barked. “A real Cinderella story. Coming into a world of glitz and glam and everything sparkling off of everyone. Exciting, right?”

“Well...I guess,” Lilie shrugged, frowning. “I’m not really sure about...anything, but…”

Eris quirked an eyebrow at her, realizing he had unintentionally invited her to start talking about herself. He could either side step the discussion and leave or he could zone out for a few minutes while she babbled on about whatever. As tempting as either option was, however, it would be good to have an inside look at whatever was happening in Evesville. And that meant he couldn’t quite dismiss her.

“But?” He prompted her to continue.

Lilie opened her mouth to respond, but promptly closed it. The last thing she wanted to do was to scare him away by opening up too much--how Aaron hadn’t gone running for the hills yet was a miracle in itself--so she shook her head, putting on a smile. “I just have to get used to things,” She replied cheerfully.

He stared at her for a second, fingers tapping his hip as he contemplated his next step. His gaze lowered down to Maxie, who had decided to take a seat on Lilie’s foot. Oh, he knew what to do.

“Don’t we all?” He finally responded as he looked up. “Say, I know you probably have your own things to deal with, but I couldn’t help but notice that this little one here’s taken a liking to you. Maybe once in a while I can bring her over and you can...have a little playdate.” He gestured between the two.

“Playdate…?” Lilie had no idea how to respond to that, looking down at the pomeranian. After she looked back up at Eris, she tried to recover. “You mean you want me to play with her? Or look after her? ‘Cause I’m not...I’m not a dog.”

No, but she would make a cute pet. With better clothing and a cute little collar, he could think of a few people that would be interested in having her around. But she wasn’t his, so he dismissed the thought. Eris chuckled as he reached over and ruffled her hair. “Of course you’re not a dog! You’re a little girl-mage,” He grinned.

Lilie’s jaw dropped as she gaped at Eris. “I--I’m not a little girl,” She stuttered out her response, inwardly flinching at her hesitation. “I’m eighteen, I’m an adult.”

“Really?” He looked her up and down, making sure she noticed.

Yes, really! The white haired girl bristled slightly, clearing her throat as she remembered her manners. Man, why the heck did every vampire she meet end up being a total weirdo?! “Yes, really,” She recovered.

“I honestly never would have guessed, but I believe you,” Eris grinned, barely containing his laughter. Her unimpressed look caused him to backstep for a moment, giving her a more sincere-looking smile. “Anyway, can I count on you?” He asked, nudging her cheek as he gave her a hopeful look.

She took in a deep breath, pursing her lips as she crossed her arms. “Sure,” She reluctantly agreed.

Eris clucked his tongue at her downer expression, pinching her cheek. “Now, now, pouting is going to make people think the wrong thing,” He scolded her lightly. “It’ll be fun, the two of you will be the best of friends.”

“What? I’m not--I said I wasn’t a pet,” Lilie reiterated. “And I said yes already, so...”

“That’s the spirit,” He ignored most of what she said, throwing her another wink. “Come along, Maxie, we’ll play with the Eve mage some other day.”

Maxie? Lilie stared at the dog as she followed Eris obediently, too shocked to properly respond. Maxie. Like, Max. That was a coincidence, right? Did Eris name his dog after his mage? She slowly sighed, realizing that it was quiet. Great, she totally missed the rest of the cello practice. With mail in hand, she decided to go back into the dorm, shaking her head in disappointment.

Clouds peppered the sky that Thursday night, stars winking in and out from behind them. The forecast suggested little possibility of rain but many students still sported umbrellas as they meandered the post class campus. The day had been uneventful, no impromptu charm fights or significant unrest between vampires and mages. A few fights had broken out the past couple of days but the older students went around their business as usual unless they were egging the poor freshman on. The Arena being roped off on Saturday morning was the hot topic of discussion during the evening. Every student received notification and bulletins were posted everywhere inside the Arena.

However, Kanalie waited in a small clearing just off the campus bound. Although still safely within earshot of the campus guards, it afforded just enough privacy that students could pretend to leave their life behind for a time. Kanalie called it the “Oak Terrace”, a nickname given by the students. A beautiful ancient oak tree stood in the center of the man made clearing, leaning over a small brick patio with twenty lanterns radiating soft candle light. A soft breeze wound its way through the forest and the lanterns barely swayed. Kanalie sat at the table set under the tree, a basket sitting at her side as she tapped away on her phone and bobbed her head along with whatever played in her headphones.

The place was easy enough to find, though Lilie was surprised students were allowed off campus at all. She guessed that maybe it was close enough, though a tiny thought in her head wondered if maybe she was just ignorant to what was okay and what wasn't okay. For now, she put the thought away as she spotted Kanalie, happily hopping over to the table. She took a quick look around, admiring the scene for a moment before plopping down across from her and waving.

“Oh, hey!” Kanalie beamed, pulling out her headphones and tucking them neatly away. “Welcome to my favorite spot! Isn’t it a cute little thing all tucked away? Anyways, Alexander made us some sandwiches and snacks before him and Declan headed out, so feel free to dig in and then tell me how your first week is going? Having a good time learning magic?” the girl asked, wiggling her fingers at Lilie.

Kanalie's enthusiasm was infectious, Lilie's spirits happily lifting as she spoke. She brought snacks, too? Shoot, maybe she should have brought something, too. The older girl was nothing but kind to her so far, so much so that their little meeting had been something she was more than excited for. She had to admit that she really liked the spot, taking another quick look around. At the question, Lilie nodded, clasping her hands together.

"Yeah! It's nothing like I could have imagined," She replied. "But I mean, it's magic! And from everything I've learned so far, I have my own theories I wanna try." She patted her chest as she spoke. "Honestly, if it was up to me, I'd take nothing but spell theory: trying to crack the code behind magic and what makes it work is super cool."

"Spell theory, really? Not that it's a bad thing! Most people take time warming up to it since it's slower than affinity mastery and magic is what makes all this worth it." Kanalie commented, waving in the general direction of the school. "I'll admit, I had you pegged for affinity mastery but I guess I didn't really have a reason. Maybe I'm just biased because I help in it." Kanalie chuckled with a shrug.

"So, how is the vampire situation? Are you new to all this or does a vampire have your family?"

"I love affinity mastery, but I've always liked knowing how stuff works," Lilie admitted. "I was actually going to go to college and get a degree in psychology--trying to understand how or why people do the things they do." She waved her hand around as she spoke.

The girl twirled a lock of her hair behind her ear, frowning slightly at the other question. "Yeah, this is all new to me," She said. "So I'm just...going along with whatever until someone tells me otherwise."

"Yeah, that's how it was for me at first too. Everything here seems crazy." Kanalie sighed. "I got lucky. My best friend since I was a kid was invited too so it made everything a little easier. My one piece of advice for this? Find some good friends. I'm not sure how different the Nobles are though but that's what gets everyone else through this… experience."

"Psychology huh? You still could. You'd have to focus a little less on magic but they do have plenty of academic routes you could go, you know." Kanalie suggested. "But, magic kinda makes everything look boring almost. Not quite that but nothing nearly as cool."

Lilie looked down at the table as she frowned. She thought making friends was the right direction, too, but she wasn't expecting the noble circle to be that different. Aaron and Salem were on a whole other level with their experience and she wasn't entirely sure she could read Cassandra well. She just hoped the little picnic she organized brought them closer. Her nails tapped the table, wanting to move on from the subject as she decided to take advantage and ask the older student something. "Magic is definitely super interesting! I guess I'm still getting used to the idea that I can actually do it, so I guess I'm still in disbelief or shock or something," She admitted, pausing just a second. "I mean, even if I'm with a noble, I still wanna try all sorts of magic. Maybe I'll change my tune and end up liking affinity mastery better after all."

Her tapping was a little more noticeable before she asked, "Is...it really different? Being with a noble compared to other vampires, I mean," She asked slowly.

“I’m honestly not sure. I mean, the Nobles have all sorts of weird formalities and stuff. Alexander and I have Declan and his family is well off but even at his dad’s “formal functions”, there aren’t any more rules than be polite. It just depends on the vampire at our level.” Kanalie offered. “But I get you on the magic. I was terrified of my magic for the first two months here, it took me so long to get comfortable enough to actually do something. It’s pretty amazing, doing things you only really ever heard of.”

Kanalie's uncertainty did make Lilie a little nervous, but she brushed it off for the moment. If she started letting her imagination run wild she'd just give herself a pointless panic attack. Instead, she decided to focus on magic as the topic again, this time waving her hands as she spoke. "So it's not just manipulating the elements, right? I used to see a lot of stuff on TV like clothes changing color that I thought was neat," She said. "What other sorts of stuff can we do?"

“Plenty of things! So, the other part of magic you’ll learn is arcane magic. You take away the elemental part of magic and make it do things it couldn’t normally. They bunch arcane magic into majors and each major breaks down into a bunch of specializations from there. Charms, which has color changing and some limited teleportation, and evocation, the art of blowing stuff up, are the most popular but we also have protection, conjuration, mental, and transmutation.” Kanalie listed, counting on her fingers as she went. “I went the protection route since Alexander went Evocation. We make a pretty nasty doubles team in arena competitions. Was there one you were interested in?”

Lilie would have to take back what she had said about spell theory: nearly everything Kanalie talked about captured her attention. Color changing? Teleportation? Blowing things up?! If her eyes could get any wider with awe she was pretty sure they were going to pop out of her head. And learning that there were arena competitions just put the cherry on top of the beautifully sculpted magical sundae. It took her a moment to realize that she had been asked a question, the white haired girl slowly sinking in her seat. One? Just one? Could she do them all? But specializing always paid off with dedication. How in the world could she actually choose, though?!

"I...did not know there were different types," She admitted slowly, trying to keep it cool for all of three seconds before leaning forward in her seat. "So, when you say protection, how many different kinds? Protection from physical attacks? Magical attacks? Magical physical attacks?! Do you fight as well? Do you find protection magic helps or hinders your fighting capabilities? I've always heard the best offense is a good defense but personally I feel like I would love all out offensive magic!" She fired off question after question without realizing it, practically bouncing in place.

Kanalie burst out laughing at the barrage, grinning at the younger girl’s enthusiasm. “Protection encompassess all types of defensive measures, ranging from temporary shields to massive protection wards like the Arena’s. It also technically encompasses construct magic, weaving pure magical force into a quasi-real form. There is some mental shielding but instinctive stuff comes from the Mental major and some of the advanced stuff can suppress magic altogether. It’s pretty big stuff.” Kanalie explained, her fingers drumming on the table thoughtfully. “I focus in combat magic so it’s a lot of creating small shields with a lot of power behind them rather than blanketing an entire area or you’ll lose your stamina pretty quick. There are a lot of tricks to learn too. Normally shields are visibly off color but you learn to make them translucent so your opponent can’t tell when you put one up. Let’s you force an opening against stronger opponents early on but they tend to get wise to it pretty fast.”

“Offensive magic comes in a variety of different forms too. The base is simply turning your magic into heat and light and then slamming it into other people. Everyone learns that one but advanced Evocatin students can create several of them and let them just sit in the area, holding them until they need to force their opponents off balance. Lots of explosive energy in that school too and the better someone is, usually the more bolts they can suspend at once. Unless of course they just decided to hit you with everything they’ve got and they blast you, your spells, and the damn building behind you.” Kanalie said ruefully. “Pissed off one of the seniors my second year here and let me tell you, getting blasted halfway across campus is not fun when there are a few water features between you and your destination.”

That all sounded amazing! She wanted to learn it all! Lilie hung onto Kanalie's every word, listening like she was hearing a fascinating story for the first time. Choosing just one specialization was going to be incredibly difficult for her, ideas already bunching around in her head as she imagined herself using the spells Kanalie described. She then frowned as she remembered the professor's lecture on the first day about primary affinities having a harder time with arcane magic, her enthusiasm deflating slightly. No way she could do it all, she'd have to actually sit down and pick one specialization.

"They both sound so cool," Lilie said wistfully, though she did perk up. "You think maybe some time I could come and watch you? If I have to pick just one kind of magic to do, I'd like to see the options in front of me, you know?"

"Of course, you can come watch whenever. We usually practice twice a week, or three times if the Arena isn't booked or Declan manages to sweet talk. Generally, it's Wednesday from 4 to 6 and Saturday from 1 to 5 but shoot me a text so we can show off a little for you." Kanalie winked at her and giggled. "Unless you want to practice some hand to hand. We practice non-magic fighting daily downstairs so you can just come find our names and poke around."

"Really?!" Lilie squeaked out her response, catching herself and giving Kanalie a sheepish smile. "I mean, that would be great! Yes! I'll try to make time soon!" Not that she had a lot to do, but between the extra studying she was doing and trying to keep up her own fencing, things were starting to pile up. It was actually nice to feel a little busy, she was starting to feel like she had an actual routine again.

Feeling completely at ease, she finally decided to take Kanalie up on her offer and gently plucked a sandwich from the basket. As she nibbled, a thought came to mind. "So, there was something I wanted to ask since we first met," She felt comfortable enough to ask. "Your vampire got two mages?"

Kanalie followed suit, picking up a sandwich after Lilie and digging in with hunger fillies gusto. She paused at the question, another laugh following it. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't ask before. It's normally the first thing anyone comments one. Vampires get all jealous over Declan having two mages and other mages get equally jealous. One vampire means split attention and split feedings and all that. But it's… quite a story. I was Declan's original partner but Alexander, the best friend I mentioned, basically barrelled into that partnership. The night we met our partners, Declan approached us as we were comparing photos and laid it on pretty thick. It was more than just a little off putting. It was down right horrifying, suddenly belonging to some guy who make it very clear he wants you in bed." Kanalie rolled her eyes at the memory, pausing to take a bite out of her sandwich and chew.

"Alexander's temper got the better of him and Declan started hitting on him too which just upset me more and pissed him off, even if he was mildly attracted to Declan. It was a whole ordeal. After that, Alexander basically pushed his way into our partnership anytime his "Declan senses" tingled and he was a pretty semi-regular fixture in our dorm honestly. All the while, Alexander's vampire just disappeared and fell asleep in random places. Alexander only meet up with him to feed him and that was that. Light, Limber, something or other was his name and he was absolutely disgusting." Kanalie shuddered at the mentioned, mock retching to make her point. "Anyways, fast forward three semesters and Declan gets me and Alexander into our first competition. The other vampire didn't bother showing up for our first match and Alexander was so frustrated with him, he just came back and passed out in Declan's bed. We found out the next day that the stupid vampire fell asleep on top of one of the buildings and by the time anyone got up to help him, he died."

"After that, the Council tried to take Alexander away but Princess Ryner wouldn't let them on campus so as long as he didn't leave, he was safe. She personally followed him around for the first few nights and then gave him a special guard unit for a while. After a few weeks, he was cleared and they were going to pair him with a vampire whose mage "quit" unexpectedly but Declan got his father and a few dukes and duchesses to intercede on Alexander's behalf and Ryner let him stay with us permanently. I personally don't think it needed to be that complicated but vampires, what can you do." Kanalie shrugged as she finished her sandwich.

"And now some rumor floats around every now and then that Alexander is a vampire killer so I give up one of my date nights for the first few weeks until his nerves are back under control." Kanalie sighed but beamed at Lilie with her next sentence. "Which makes me appreciate you inviting me out all the more!"

Lilie had stopped chewing about halfway through the tale, partly fascinated and partly horrified. She just thought maybe the vampire asked for multiple mages, but she never imagined there was a story attached to it. How do you even respond to that? After finishing up her sandwich, she laughed a little, shaking her head. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting that," She apologized. "But wow...that's a great story to share."

After a few seconds she seemed to recuperate, giving Kanalie a bright smile. "I'm happy to hang out! I've made friends with some of the noble mages but I feel really out of place," She admitted, though she didn't seem ashamed to say it. It was nice to meet new people and get out of the dorm, anyway. "I'm sure once things pick up you'll be busy studying, so I'm glad we get to hang out."

“Yeah, it was a wild wide through the whole damn thing.” Kanalie laughed at Lilie’s reaction. “You aren’t wrong about how busy it’ll get. We use to practice every day and now all we get is two maybe three days. Not that it’s crazy yet but in preparation. It’s kinda weird to think this is the last year here. We got dragged out of our old lives and thrown into our new ones here and then we’re just going to leave it behind. Such a weird feeling.”

“But! That is not today and today is not for being sad!” Kanalie clapped as she said it, her brightness returning in full force. “You said you’ve managed to make some friends with the other Noble mages? Oh tell me about them! Most of them have had actual noble experience, right? Especially… Was it Andrew? The Starag kid? Man, you’d think I’d know considering the buzz about the lunchroom incident. That Sinnenodel is a right piece of work. I wasn’t there for it but I feel awful for both of them, the girl he apologized to and the Starag. I’d say I would have intervened if I was there but I probably would have been holding Alexander back from setting the vampire on fire.”

Lilie was grateful for the change of topic, but as her father always warned her, it was easy come, easy go; off of one sad topic to another incredibly awkward one. Word had gotten out really fast about that one, though it looked like Aaron had been the one to take the brunt of the blame. She dropped her gaze onto the table for a moment before looking up at Kanalie. "That was actually me," She clarified quietly. "And it wasn't Aaron's fault. I still don't really understand what the apology was all about, but...I don't know. The whole thing was weird and uncomfortable and he then apologized after for that but it wasn't his idea and--" She cut herself off, catching herself as she got flustered that her poor friend was the target of gossip (again!).

"I don't understand why but it was some sort of punishment...and as selfish as it sounds, every time Aaron does something like that, I get really nervous about messing up in front of my own vampire. If someone who was literally raised to serve nobles messes up, then I'm already sunk." She placed her head on the table with a small whine. "This place is going to give me a heart attack at the ripe old age of eighteen."

Kanalie gasped at Lilie’s explanation, hand flying to her mouth in horror. “I’m so sorry for bringing it up! I didn’t know! From what I understand, the whole thing was absolute garbage; the Sinnenodel just used the situation to humiliate the poor kid. You just got caught in the crossfire.” Kanalie patted Lilie’s head comfortingly. “The Sinnenodels and the Astorios aren’t exactly known for their kindness towards their mages. Aaron—that’s what you said his name was right?—is probably just eating the brunt of Varis’ twisted amusements. You’re willing and excited to learn; there’s no way someone wouldn’t love to have you as a partner! Just steer clear of the poor guy’s vampire and you’ll be fine!”

“So, awful vampire antics aside, how are your fellow noble mages? Everyone treating you right?” Kanalie asked. “I bet one of them can help you navigate the craziness that it the nobles.”

"The most helpful one is Aaron, but he's always at the beck and call of his vampire, so we usually just text each other," Lilie muttered, frowning as she kept her head on the table. "Salem's a sweetheart, but when we're together, I feel like I'm a normal person again. And he's...as much at a loss as I am." She didn't want to tell Kanalie about the consistent injuries sustained from his 'lessons' every night. "Cassandra's nice, too, but I'm not sure if she likes to hang out with me. She's kind of aloof...but she's never turned me down when I ask to hang out. So I think we get along. Hopefully."

She lifted her head and placed her chin in her hands, letting out a sigh. "I like everyone, I really do. But it's obvious that I'm the odd one out," She admitted. "I'm hoping I can just focus on studying and keeping my head down."

Feeling a few dark thoughts popping up, Lilie put on a smile as she looked at Kanalie. "And of course making friends along the way."

“That sounds like a good plan. Friends will make everything more bearable. That and kick ass magic skills so when people get too much, you can put them back in their place.” Kanalie mimicked Lilie’s positions. “And my dorm is always open if you ever need an escape. You got my number. Don’t hesitate to use it!”

“Oh! That reminds me. Are you a dancer? For the Revel this year, a bunch of us reserving one of the smaller ballrooms and doing a big concert thing on the second day. There will be alcohol but we already asked the campus guard to throw out anyone with drugs. Alexander and I are one of the performances so I’d love it if you’d come see us!” Kanalie gushed over it. “If you already have plans though, that’s fine! I’m not sure if rock is your style?”

A concert sounded like too much fun to pass up. Lilie nodded excitedly, probably jumping the gun on agreeing, but she couldn't turn it down. She didn't have a lot of experience with drinking but she didn't have a problem with it, and she wasn't going to decline the chance to have fun. "That's so cool!" She returned Kanalie's enthusiasm with her own. "And yeah, I'd love to go! What do you guys play?"

"I play guitar, Alexander sings. It would be great! I'll text you the details once we finalize everything!" Kanalie said excitedly. "What do you normally do for your Revel's back home?"

“I used to get together with friends until it got late, then I had to tag along with my brother if I wanted to stay out longer,” She rolled her eyes as she mentioned it, though she had a grin on as she spoke. “We had a lot of mutual friends so we ended up at the same party anyway, but he always wanted to keep an eye on me, saying it was his brotherly duty or whatever. He’s kinda overprotective.” More like super overprotective, but she had gotten used to it a long time ago. “The Revel is the one time of the year where all the farmers and workers all had off and celebrated, so it was like one giant party all around town. My dad would prepare a bunch of stuff for the bakery and sell it for cheap in the morning, and once everything sold out, he’d close up and have fun with my mom. Some years he’d stay open and I’d help him out instead of going anywhere, but it was still fun. And I’d have money from tips to spend on whatever.”

“That sounds really fun! Our town always encouraged smaller affairs but we definitely had a few days of city activities. It wasn't anything particularly special though. Just the same old, same old every year." Kanalie finished off her sandwich and rested her chin on her hand again. "So overprotective brother, huh? I'm an only child so I've always been kind of envious of people with siblings. Parents decided one troublemaker was enough around the house! Are you close with your family then or are you glad to be out from under their thumb?"

"I think I'm closer to my brother than my parents, but I don't know," Lilie shrugged slightly. "I was planning to go to a university in the city to try to strike out on my own, try to gain independence." Boy, did that ever backfire on her. "But I guess you don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it anymore."

Her fingers tapped the table, though she quickly pressed on to avoid getting herself upset. "Apparently I've always stuck to my brother even when I was little, but he didn't always like it. He used to try to run from me and I always cried because I wanted to be with him. Typical sibling stuff. But when I was like...six? Seven? I can't remember, but apparently I followed him and his friends without anyone knowing, and they were all daring one another to cross this old log across a river. It was entirely reckless, but to their credit, they all did it. And then, of course, I tried." Despite knowing the seriousness of how it sounded, she couldn't help but laugh. "I fell in. And my brother jumped in and pulled me out, started yelling at me for always following him around and I just cried. And we both got into a lot of trouble with my parents since I got really sick after that. Of course, that's when he changed his tune completely, and thus Overprotective Ren was born." She grinned.

“Aw, that’s both cute and mildly terrifying at the same time. Falling into the river must have been so scary!” Kanalie exclaimed. “I would have been screwed; I don’t even know how to swim. Good thing I lucked out with air and not water. But it’s awesome you have someone rooting for you at home. My parents are… less than pleased with basically my entire life since my Awakening so I don’t really go home much anymore. They’ll get over it eventually and then we can have a big make up reunion or whatever.” Kanalie chuckled a little dryly at the thought.

“Well, that’s not a problem for here or now though!” Kanalie waved off the mood and nudged Lilie with her elbow, a wicked little smile taking over her face. “So, anyone special in your life? Leave behind anyone?”

Lilie's mouth formed a small 'o' before she shook her head, waving off the question with a hand. "Oh, no. No, no way...the drama surrounding my ex-boyfriend made me wonder why I bothered at all," She said, exasperated. "I just want to fall in love with a nice, handsome guy who will take care of me when I need him. Someone romantic and sweet who pampers me with affection without caring what anyone thinks. That's not too much to ask, I think." She grabbed another sandwich as Kanalie gave her a teasing grin, and the two continued to talk happily.

Amaris smiled lightly to herself as she stepped out into the open air, the night having taken a crisper turn on campus. It was the perfect weather for an evening out, though having already sent Cassandra off to enjoy herself meant she would likely be spending it on her own. While she didn’t exactly mind, Amaris found herself wondering if maybe she should try expanding her circle a bit.

As much as the thought intrigued her, Amaris doubted she would be able to find someone that didn’t have some sort of ulterior motive. She knew, realistically, that not everyone was out to get her or her family, but it was more emotional labor than she was willing to put forth in ensuring the authenticity of a friendship. Some might have thought her outlook rather bleak, but Amaris took it in great stride as she clicked her way down the path toward the campus library.

The night’s outfit had the countess rather proud as she had actually spent extra time earlier in the evening selecting; ten extra minutes to be precise. Of all her options, Amaris had settled on a rather simple fall design consisting of a skirt, sweater, and a sheer pair of tights. The skirt was a black, high-waisted piece that stopped around the middle of Amaris’ thigh and was of a thicker material so as to give her legs a more slender appearance. But the real eye catcher was the maroon sweater she had selected to go with the ensemble. It was cropped shorter so as to give the full effect of the high-waisted skirt and paired well with the warm tones of her leather, heeled boots.

She had started the evening with her hair tied back, but a tiny surge of self confidence had pushed her into freeing the lengthy locks. With the breeze sifting through the strands, Amaris settled into a comfortable walking pace and wandered off into her own thoughts.

Down the block from the Marivaldi heiress was a tired-looking Eris, stifling a yawn while he let Maxie scamper about the area. It took him a little more effort than usual not to doze off while standing still, his attempt at keeping himself awake by going over Maximillian's diet plan failing as his phone nearly slipped out of his grip. His request for a new bed had come, but it would take them some time to set up. He figured he could take Maxie for a quick walk and they'd be gone by the time he got back so he could collapse into bed and get maybe an hour of sleep before Maximus came home and they'd go over what he learned from Sunny.

Maxie pulling on the leash snapped him back to reality, the Pomeranian eager to meet the newcomer. Eris worked an eyebrow at Amaris, though he made no effort to hide his unimpressed look. Everything from the tights to the sweater was so dull he almost fell asleep just looking at her. What, was she afraid of choosing a color that didn't blend into the crowd? Calling it playing it safe would be a damn lie with how unimpressionable the outfit was, the vampire already forgetting about it even as he looked at it.

He bit back a groan, placing a hand on his hip. "You truly can't buy style despite having all the time and resources available to you, hm?" He commented, warily gesturing to her entire appearance while Maxie approached her excitedly. "Just because the school accepts commoners doesn't mean you have to dress like one, Countess."

“Hm?” Amaris hummed, sensing someone was addressing her but still dazed from her wandering thoughts to immediately recognize who. She had to fight a scowl from forming as she realized who it was who was speaking to her, rather at her in this case. Her expression was easily swayed with the approach of Eris’ companion, her eyes sparkling for a moment before she turned a questioning gaze back at the actor.

“What’s wrong with the way I dress? And what do you care anyhow?” The countess couldn’t help but to cast a worried glance down at her own appearance, now second guessing the choices that had sparked her perked mood. This wasn’t the first time Eris had had something to say about her appearance, and while she doubted it would be the last, she still couldn’t figure out why it would matter so much to anyone. Her clothing choices were about her, and this one just so happened to be comfort. Was there really something so wrong with that?

"Well, 'care' is a very strong word," Eris admitted, shrugging one shoulder as Maxie took a seat in front of Amaris. "The issue comes from the fact that you look like one of those middle aged mages with six kids and no time to properly dress herself. You don't even look like a countess." As much as he despised the nobility, the least they could do was show off what they had. His eyes flickered over her figure and he stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He couldn't tell if it was the outfit or whatever she had under but she looked much too young in whatever she called that ensemble.

"You remind me of my mage with that hair, too--and he outright admitted he just rolls out of bed every morning and goes on with his day," He sounded exasperated as he spoke, his sentence punctuated by a small bark from the Pomeranian. "What's wrong with a nice updo, or having a little elegance? Simplicity can be very flattering if there's effort put into the details." He added in case she decided to inform him that she wasn't a fan of 'flash' or 'looking good'.

Amaris couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at a few of Eris’ remarks. She had to admit, she wasn’t particularly offended by any of it but she was rather surprised by the assessment. The actor didn’t seem to feel the need to hold anything back reminding her of a certain mage she knew.

“I have never understood that phrase of not ‘looking’ like a countess. The title does not change because I chose to wear pajamas in lieu of a ball gown.” There was another moment of silence while the countess considered his words further. Eris was a person who spent the majority of his life in the public eye while she maintained her father’s wishes of relative invisibility. It shouldn’t have been any surprise that their opinions on image would differ so greatly, but perhaps there was something to be learned here.

“Well, since you seem to be so full of ideas, how might you have done this differently.” It was Amaris’ hope that by humoring the man a bit she might garner a few quick tips that would keep him off her case, at least for a little while anyway.

Eris was always full of ideas for nearly every student he passed by (some more than others) but he wasn't going to focus on that. For the countess that didn't seem to know how to dress herself, he would have to start from the top of the list. "For one, that outfit is clearly for someone who's an Autumn--and you're a Winter," He still couldn't help but point that out even though he figured she probably didn't even know what he meant by that. "Second, if you must wear tights, they should be completely opaque. Thirdly, accessories make or break an outfit. So in the impossible scenario in a world where I would have even thought about an outfit like yours--I'm talking about one in a billion chance--then a nice necklace or scarf, better boots, and a loose bun or braid would have been my personal additions."

“A… winter? Are you trying to insult me?.” He had only spoken a few words but the countess already found herself quite lost. Since when did the seasons become describing factors for a person? Redemption came from his second and third points, however, Amaris at least understanding the words he chose this time around.

“But I do see your point with the accessories. I’ve just never been much into jewelry aside from the family crest. Is tethering my hair absolutely necessary though? I much prefer to wear it down.” Amaris couldn’t stop herself from reaching a hand up to caress the silky strands protectively.

Eris had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at her initial question, closing his eyes as he smiled to himself. Being accurate assured him, strangely enough, though as he opened his eyes he slowly nodded at her words. "Are you saying your family doesn't have a multitude of jewelry with the family crest?" He asked, genuinely surprised. There wasn't a single event he could remember where someone belonging to one of the noble houses didn't brandish their crests on nearly every inch of themselves that they could get it on without seeming ridiculous. "Even a pair of silver drop earrings or a pendant or something."

He dropped that part for the moment as she focused on her hair, with him brushing his over his ears. "Okay, that doesn't mean you can't have a hairband or a comb or have it pinned back. Even if you choose not to have anything in it, having it half up and half down makes a world of a difference," He moved his hands around as he spoke, getting a bark of protest before only waving around his free hand. "You ended up with a female mage, didn't you? If it seems like too much work, have her do your hair for you."

Amaris took pause at Eris’ question about alternatives to the family crest. She hadn’t really given it much thought before, most of her prominent memories consisting of books and endless scrolls of long forgotten material. While it was likely they did have something along what Eris was describing, it wasn’t something that ever concerned her.

It seemed the topic wasn’t much of a priority in the end anyway, as she found herself mentally rushing to catch up to his breakdown for her hair. She considered Cassandra for a moment, imagining the pair sitting together trying to pick the best hairstyle based on weather forecasts as if it were some sort of zodiac reading. The scenario was so ridiculous that Amaris burst out laughing, attempting to regain control of herself as quickly as she could before responding.

“That’s alright. I think I might just handle it on my own if that’s okay.”

Eris took half a step back when the countess suddenly burst out laughing, highly concerned. The only thing that came to mind was that the mage was probably just as hopeless as the countess. Figures as much, the princess did a fine job embarrassing the current nobility attending by making some asinine pairings, but he had assumed it was only to the failing Eve house. It was actually quite amusing, if sad.

He decided to go back on topic, slightly tugging on Maxie's leash to prevent her from sitting on the freshly mowed grass. Right then, now was as good a time as ever to try to connect, even if he would rather maintain his distance there was never any harm in establishing some sort of rapport. Who knows, maybe he could pull some strings and get something out of her if needed. "There are plenty of videos and magazines that could probably go into more detail, unless you'd actually want more personalized advice," He said, taking out his phone and presenting it to the Marivaldi. "I'm sure we can set up a time and place at your leisure, if that's something you're interested in."

With a great deal of hesitation, Amaris accepted the device and stared down at it. She had been hoping for maybe just a tip or two, but it was becoming increasingly clear how out of her element she was. Any tips he would have would fall short of the mark simply because she didn’t understand what he was talking about. Being friends with Varis also meant that he would likely want something in return at some point but she found herself unconcerned. Advise on clothing was only worth a low tier favor no matter how you spun it.

With a renewed determination, Amaris smiled and supplied Eris with her contact information before handing the device back. A quick dial had provided her own device with his contact ensuring that Amaris would recognize any messages sent from the actor.

“’Interest’ is a strong word, but I learn best with what I can interact with. It would be unwise to pass up such a gracious offer.” The countess responded, mirroring the man’s chosen language light-heartedly.

Now it was Eris' turn to raise an eyebrow at her. That was surprisingly painless, he expected more of a fight than that. That said, it was probably going to be more work than expected, but he needed something to pass the time whenever he got bored, he supposed. Who knows, maybe he could attract other unfortunate souls and do what he could for the part of their society that desperately needed it. Maxie sat patiently as she looked between the pair, walking in a small circle before looking at Amaris.

"Call it due diligence. There's no reason we can't all play nice while we're here," He replied. "Her Highness went out of her way to bring us all together for a reason, the least we can do is keep the peace."

“It would be nice if more people shared that ideal; would certainly make this whole experiencel a lot less exhausting. And please forgive me but I absolutely cannot hold out any longer.” Amaris stooped with the brightest grin, wiggling a single finger at the tethered animal. “What’s your name you little cutie?”

Eris wasn't surprised at the countess' enthusiasm; despite certain opinions claiming that the pup was pointless, any juvenile animals were often considered extraordinarily cute. It helped that he had specifically picked out this puppy in particular for her appearance. "This is Maxie. Maxie, this is Countess Marivaldi," He introduced the two, placing his free hand in his pocket as the dog stretched, tiny paws scratching against the concrete. He decided to test the waters as he then said, "You'll probably see more of her soon, I've asked the Eve mage to look after her whenever my mage can't. I wouldn't have any issue doing it myself, but there are only so many hours in the night and she requires a lot of time and dedication. I'm only one vampire, after all."

"A pleasure to meet you Maxie." Amaris cooed, the countess perking up a bit as Eris mentioned the Eve representative's mage. An image of white hair hastily retreating from a conflict against the wishes of her partner filled her mind. It was the same girl that Cassandra had seemed to be bonding with from her classes… quite the serendipitous opportunity to say the least.

"Oh, well it would be such a shame to constantly bother the poor girl. I’m sure Eve wouldn’t want her mage falling behind on her studies. How about Cassandra and I give you a hand with Maxie as well? I’m sure she would love the opportunity to spend time with such an adorable ball of fluff.” It would also give Cassandra more opportunities to bond with Lilie without the hassle of interacting with her partner.

He would have to shower Maxie with a good belly rub when they returned. Eris slowly nodded as he feigned having a thought. ”That wouldn’t be a bad idea,” He agreed, looking down at Maxie. ”Two more playmates would make her very happy.” He knew next to nothing about the Marivaldi mage, so he could probably get away with getting a little information about that as well in case he needed it.

But for now, he was content on playing nice. ”But I’ve taken up enough of your time, and Maxie needs to eat,” He replied, seemingly apologetic. ”For now, I’ll bid you a pleasant evening--we’ll be in touch, Countess.”

“I certainly look forward to it.” Amaris smiled, standing back up to her full height after supplying Maxie with a quick scratch behind the ear. “You two enjoy the rest of your night.”

Eris nodded, whistling for Maxie to follow him as he continued on the walk. As much as Varis had ridiculed his decision, bringing the little pup along had worked out in his favor after all.

Rolling her shoulders, Lilie wondered if maybe she had too many books. The backpack seemed to bite into her jacket, and she was pretty sure it was going to leave a mark whether she wanted it to or not. Thus was the price of being the ever faithful, studious girl she was. Hard work always paid off, and she didn’t end up the top of her class doing nothing. Magical or mundane, if she didn’t end up the top of her grade, then she was clearly doing something wrong.

Invigorated by her own thoughts, Lilie marched through campus, mentally mapping out her study plan for the night. As she walked down the path, however, she thought she saw someone sitting on the grass instead of walking along like most people did. Turns out she wasn’t seeing things,doing a double take and spotting Count Astorio sitting on the grass in plain sight. He wasn’t moving, being completely still with his eyes closed.

Lilie fought with herself for a moment, wondering if he even noticed she was there, but after a few seconds she made up her mind. "Count Astorio?" She asked, hesitant in case she was bothering him.

It had taken him quite a while to find a peaceful spot to meditate on the school grounds. It was nice to change your location occasionally hearing different sounds and the occasional odd footsteps. A slight breeze almost masked the approaching footsteps of the mage that decided to come and chat with him. The slight twitch of his ear giving away the fact that he could hear her coming before she spoke. “Yes, Lillie?” his voice didn't portray agitation or annoyance simply monotone.

The girl jumped in place, not expecting such a quick answer. Oh, so he remembered who she was after all. She recovered quickly, giving him a wave before realizing he couldn't see her. Clasping her hands behind her back, she cleared her throat. "What are you doing?" She decided to ask.

He didn't move, not really anyway. Sitting on his knees with his head bowed down and hands clasped in front of him. The girls question seemed to catch him off guard for a moment, “I am meditating. It helps me think and sometimes remember.” he spoke bluntly but still did not move. Turning his head slightly to look at the girl he sighed. In the starlight she certainly did remind him of her. “Why don't you come and sit?” moving his hand to a large rock across from him. “I think we should chat for a little while since we are alone.”

Remember? Lilie thought it strange, but living longer probably meant more experiences and the like, so it probably wasn't that strange. Truthfully she was a little more surprised that he wanted to talk. But she did approach him, and declining would be rude, so she gently dropped her backpack on the grass and carefully took a seat on the rock where he had indicated.

"What did you want to chat about?" She asked curiously.

He looked up at her his eyes the same calm they had been for some time now. “I apologize for flinging you across the room. I didn't do it to scare you or hurt you. I was simply trying to get the others to see me as a stupid Astorio brute. I hope that you will be able to forgive me.” A simple apology for him but now that he was sure his father could not spy on him he had little caution for rumors of him being soft with mages.

Her own eyes widened, clearly surprised. He wanted people to think that? Why? She tilted her head slightly, not quite understanding, but after a few seconds she shook her head. "Oh, that. I mean, it wasn't too bad," She said, even if her whole arm ended up aching something fierce afterwards. "You don't have to apologize, it's the first time I've ever tussled with a vampire, something crazy was bound to happen." She assured him.

Victor slowly changed his seating from his knees to his legs crossed in front of him now more interested in talking to the mage in front of him. “You remind me of someone who was once very dear to me.” he paused for a moment thinking of how to continue, “Actually you look almost exactly like her. She was a mage too, a water mage. The difference between you two, you both have beautiful eyes, But she held fire in hers, a raging inferno that the oceans could never quench…” He seemed to trail off for a moment and look away from her. “How long have you been fighting? I noticed your footwork was rather good.” He complimented her while his eyes continued to watch her.

The Count was full of surprises; getting complimented was probably the very last thing Lilie expected. He did manage to get a bashful smile out of her, though she was interested in learning more about the other mage when he asked about her fighting ability. "I've been swinging something around for almost a decade, though I still have a lot to learn," Her bruised ego showed itself, preferring to be more humble this time when she spoke about what she was capable of. "My mama always warned me that I should take practice more seriously, but now I have goals to strive for, at least. And magic, of course."

He smiled at her when she did but seemed more interested in learning more about her and getting away from the girl he had mentioned. “So all you have learned so far is how to use a sword? Hmm...well, Salem has his etiquette class after our classes end so for that hour if you like we could meet here.” He seemed to pause for a moment as he articulated his words. “I could help you with fighting, add some unarmed combat to your fencing skills and show that boy a thing or two. I could also teach you how to concentrate a little more, perhaps it would help with your spell casting.” Again he smiled at the girl, letting her see a side of him he keeps hidden away. “It would only be for an hour and we wouldn't spar or hit each other, just practicing forms.”

Practice fighting with a vampire?! Lilie's eyes lit up at the opportunity, her hands tapping her knees. If she could get lessons from a vampire like Aaron did, then maybe she could get on the same level. Or at least close the gap between them. The offer was tempting, with the girl genuinely deliberating. It wasn't like she had anything to do until Salem came out anyway, so she really couldn't find a reason to say no. His smile was reassuring, and she ended up returning his with one of her own as she clapped her hands together. "I mean, are you sure? I wouldn't want to trouble you," She asked, though there was no masking the hopefulness in her voice.

Victor reached his hand out to her with the same soft smile, “Then it's a deal. Meet me here while Salem is at his lessons and I'll put you through some training sessions. If you like you can even join Salem on his morning and evening workouts. I'm sure he will try much harder if you are there.” He laughed. Salem was certainly the stubborn one like a weed growing in concrete. “For now if you'd like, I can teach you some meditation techniques. I know for some mages it does help, and patience is a good skill to learn.” Again he smiled at her as he waited for her answer.

Salem works out? Huh, she didn't know that. Still, staying in shape is always important, so for the moment she would agree, shaking Victor's hand. She was pretty sure Mariette wouldn't care, so at least she didn't have to worry about that. "So, what, you just sit there and concentrate to meditate?" She asked him, interested.

“Essentially meditation is clearing the mind. What you will find with a lot of mages and some of the vampires here is that they have too many minds, too many thoughts. When in combat some pay too much attention to themselves, the crowd around them or those watching, even their enemy. No minds, clear your mind and focus solely on the blade or your magic as an extension of yourself.” The large vampire resumed his position on his knees and took a deep breath. “This exercise helps with concentration: real battles are long, tiring, and distracting. You need the basics because without a strong foundation, even the strongest and tallest buildings will fall and crumble.” Victor closed his eyes and began to focus on his breathing. “Close your eyes, do not worry about the world around you. Clear your mind and focus solely on your breathing. Once you have cleared your mind start listening for the little things around you. Become aware of your surroundings but focused on your breathing.” He began to do the same thing that he was talking about. “Listen for small sounds and try to figure out what they are, don't let your mind and imagination play tricks on you. Control your heartbeat, control your senses, control your mind. And remember to breathe.”

Lilie got up from the rock, kneeling down and sitting on her legs as she placed her hands in her lap. It reminded her of the exercise her mother used to have her do to focus better in combat, though she did have a bad habit of tunnel visioning, so she was eager to try. She mimicked him, taking in a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Focusing on breathing was a little harder than anticipated, seeing as how the quiet of the night was more distracting than anything; people walking by, the occasional sound of a crack through the air...she opened one eye to look at the count, finding him still. Okay, she could do this. It was literally just focusing on breathing. That wasn't that hard.

“In through your nose out through your mouth. Focus on the rhythm, you close your eyes so you don't get distractions.” He didn't have to open his eyes to see what she was doing he could tell by her breathing and heart rate that she wasn't entirely focused just yet. “You don't have to sit on your knees. Just sit in a way that's comfortable and take deep breaths until you can clear your mind.” Again a few more tips, this wasn't something she would pick up in a day but at least the next half hour or so would help.

Lilie jumped again in surprise, shoulders sinking slightly at getting caught. Was it that obvious? Vampires must have some weird sixth sense or something. She wished meditating would come more naturally, but sitting still for too long always got her antsy. She looked down at her legs and adjusted slightly, more relaxed with her pose as she tried again. In and out, breathing was easy, ignoring everything else was the hard part. Still, it was more relaxing than she thought it would be, so at least that was a plus. Just unwinding after a long day of school with a ton of homework left to do later.

No, that wasn't mediating, that was breathing and thinking. She mentally scolded herself, doing her best not to think of anything at all. In and out, in and out. Clearing her head wasn't too hard, at least, but stifling a yawn broke her concentration. "I uh...think I was getting it before that," She sheepishly said. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to the time change. Being up all day and suddenly having to stay up all night is challenging."

This one will need work just like Salem. He slowly stood up and smiled at her, “Come on.” He said, holding his hand out to help her up. “A lot of these teachings you will have to practice on your own but maybe if you work it out with Salem you two can figure out a time where you can both go through my teachings together and not just the workouts.” Victor waited for the girl to grab her things and smiled at her. He did manage to take a small swig from his flask while he waited. “Lets go pick up Salem from his daycare see how he's doing.” Honestly he didn't think he would have to try very hard to make this one laugh.

Lilie took his hand gratefully, stopping only to grab her backpack off the ground. She'd have to work on it in her free time, she supposed. Maybe it would be easier to do in the dorm with no other distractions. Though she was grateful, it looked like Victor was a lot nicer than she initially took him for. She nodded in agreement, laughing a little at his joke, though she frowned slightly. "I hope they weren't too hard on him tonight," She said, rubbing her eye.

Lilie’s letter, addressed from the student director and informing her of a mild schedule change for that night with instructions to leave all her belongings behind, led her out past the normal bounds of the school and down a well lit path through the forest. The sound of ocean waves lapping at the base of the cliffside Lilie’s path followed. Only the periodic greeting from a passing guard, the crunch of her footsteps on leaves, and the squeaking of a bat were the only other noises breaking the steady whispering of the ocean. The path wrapped around to the end of the cliff and stopped at the top of a slippery set of stairs carved into the cliffside. A handrail followed the stairs down and stopped as the stairs met the sand, cooling rapidly in the night air. A crescent moon shone brightly above but a few torches set into the cliff helped illuminate the small beach. The letter’s instructions told Lilie to wait for her instructor at the edge of the water, shoes off and feet submerged. The water here swirled oddly and seemed to ignore the gently waves further out.

Part of her felt like it was an elaborate treasure hunt or some kind of secret passage, or at least that was how she felt as she went down the path. At first going alone made her feel incredibly uneasy, but as soon as she saw the beach, she visibly relaxed. She paused for a moment just to admire the scenery, taking her time and taking off her shoes slowly. She had always been to the beach during the day, but there was something about seeing it at night that felt a little more mystical. Or something, it was hard for her to describe.

Approaching the water slowly, Lilie looked around for the instructor. Funny, she could have sworn that the letter said to be here. Dipping her toes into the water, she let the weird feeling of the warm sand underwater shift under her feet. She watched the swirling of the water with a small frown on her face. It reminded her a little of a whirlpool--maybe she should be careful, the last thing she wanted was to get pulled into the current.

Nothing happened for a few seconds until the water pulled away from Lilie for a moment, returning to swirl at her feet once more. The water in front of the mage rose in thin strands, moonlight and torch light glittering along them as they wound themselves into each other and formed a humanoid shape. A complex pattern peppered itself across the center of the water, several tiered circles with archaic writing inside each level, but another layer of water covered it and darkened significantly. As more water rose to meet it, the mass became more and more human looking with details etching themselves into the colorless shape until it all fell away and a naked woman stood in the water. Her hair was let loose, wild and curled as she appraised Lilie with striking green eyes. She blinked, frowned, and let out an exasperated sigh as she made a gesture with her hand and more water rose to wrap itself around her, a swim suit forming much like she had.

“Sorry to make you wait, darling! A calf got separated from its family while I was on my way here so I had to help it find its way. Lilie, right? Aren’t you a pretty sight for salty eyes.” The woman explained. “I’ll be your Affinity instructor for the next few years so hopefully we’ll get along. My name is Esi. Don’t bother with the proper titles or anything. We’ll be spending too much time in the water for that nonsense.”

Lilie should have probably had a little more tact, but she had been so distracted by watching the entire process that she didn't realize that she was essentially staring at the naked woman until she had sighed, at which point the girl's face turned red as she looked away. She snapped to attention as she was spoken to, grateful that a swimsuit had given her some modesty.

"Um, thank you!" She blushed as she nodded, though her excitement came back. "It's nice to meet you! I'm really, really looking forward to learning from you!"

“Good! Eager students are such a pleasure to teach. So a few questions before we start with some basic stuff. I’ve read your file but I like to hear it from the horse’s mouth so to speak. Firstly and most importantly, do you know how to swim? It’s an important skill for a water mage; your magic can get you out of a lot of tricky situations but never rely on it 100 percent.” Esi walked along the surface of the water, letting herself sink ankle deep once she reached Lilie. “And I believe I saw a mention of an early magical incident? Tell me about that.”

Lilie watched Esi walk on the water, her excitement spiking considerably, though it all came crashing down once she had asked about an 'incident'. For a split second, she was a little confused, but there was really only one thing that could be referred to as that. Her gaze dropped for a moment, contemplating, but if she had a file, then it was bound to get out sooner or later.

"Yeah, I know how to swim," She decided to answer that first, a small smile on her face as she remembered going to the river with her brother and his friends. The smile faded as she hesitated again, though after taking a long breath, she slowly spoke. "And the incident was...um, right before my birthday. There really aren't mages at all where I'm from; the Awakening ceremony is kinda like a boring assembly to us since it never lights up but everyone had to do it anyway. So mine was supposed to be the next day, but uh…"

She scratched her cheek, wondering if she should explain the entire situation. Then again, most of it wasn't even related and admittedly just high school drama, so she decided to spare her the details and stick to the magical part. "There was a fight between my two best friends, and then I got into it, and I remember getting really mad, and uh…" She waved her hands around as she tried to explain herself. "Well, sorry, I'm not making a lot of sense. I'll try that again."

Clearing her throat, she tried not to get too into detail, thinking that Esi was more interested in the magical aspect. "So, there's this old quarry close to the dam that people like to hang out by. My two friends had been arguing for a while because of...my ex-boyfriend," She slowly explained. "It's a long story, but basically I heard from one of them that they were going to confront one another, so then I went, and then there was a fight that ensued. I got really mad because the whole thing was so stupid and I couldn't believe they'd let some guy get in the way of our friendship--anyway, so...there's these water towers that go along the dam, and apparently I somehow yanked one right off and it fell on the dam and then it broke and everything just...got bad." She dropped her arms, lowering her gaze again.

“That does sound like a predicament." Esi said sympathetically but she shook her head with a half smile. "But it happened and we can't change that. What we can change is your capacity to ensure it never happens again!" Esi made her way next to Lilie, looking out over the ocean. The breeze swept low around the cliffs and caught the pair as they stood.

"What is important for a water mage is to learn to accept and direct her emotions. Water flows and changes, swirling around with no need for help and reacting to even the smallest changes. Our magic mirrors that and reacts to the smallest change in our emotional state. Whenever we use magic, we have to consider those feelings." Esi explained as a stream of water flowed up from the ocean and pooled in her hand. "Our first exercise is very similar to your exercises in the classroom. Calling water takes little energy and works like a current. So even if you are upset or frustrated or excited, your magic will move past it like a pebble in a stream. All it takes is letting your magic flow into the water and calling it back. It's harder with moving water so try it with the pool on my hand."

Was this a bad time to admit she was trying to bottle everything up? Probably. Lilie bit her lower lip as she looked at the water, clearing her throat as she nodded. She probably should have mentioned the initial difficulty she had with the awakening crystal, but if she could overcome that, she could do this, right? Right. Maybe. Hopefully. She did admit, however, that Esi’s explanation did give an explanation: if water was easy to pull, then that’s probably how she managed to get to much of it at a time.

“Okay!” She psyched herself up, encouraged by Esi’s words as moved her fingertips in anticipation. There was a tiny pause of last-second hesitation before she mentally pushed herself, remembering Kanalie’s advice. She seemed a little frightened as she made her first attempt to pull the water to her, slightly bracing herself. There was the tiniest reaction, the smallest drip of water popping up, much to her delight. Oh, come on, she could do better than that!

“Um… that...that didn’t count,” Lilie muttered, shaking her head as she took in a deep breath. It was just water. No one was going to drown, no one was going to get hurt. She had been looking forward to this, and now that it was in front of her, she was chickening out! Riling herself up, she took the opposite approach, widening her stance slightly as she narrowed her eyes. Pull, happy thoughts, focus on it, and then just do it.

Lilie’s second attempt was more visible, and the girl froze in disbelief. For some reason, despite knowing she could do it (and having done it to disastrous results prior) actually seeing it completely blew her mind. The shock caused her to drop whatever she had pulled, the water dropping into the ocean, but the young girl’s grin was so wide anyone would’ve thought she had perfected it on her first try.

“Wow…! Sorry, I know that’s not even a lot,” She apologized as she caught herself, giving a giddly giggle as she hopped in place for a second.

"You just did magic! Be excited!" Esi responded in kind, beaming back at the girl. "It'll take time, just like building up your strength or your endurance. We repeat this until you do it without a second thought and then we keep moving up and up and up until finally…" with a flick of her wrist water appeared from the air itself, settling itself in the shape of a crown on Lilie's head. "You'll be doing this in no time. By the end of the semester, we should have you pulling water from active bodies or, if you really push yourself, maybe even holding it in small shapes. Ready to give it another try?" The crown lept into Esi's hand, turning into a still pool after the overflow ran over.

Encouraged by Esi's matching enthusiasm, Lilie nodded feverishly. The feeling of magic was unlike anything she could even try to describe, taking a second to stare at her own hands. After a few seconds she gave the water her full attention again, eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated. No need to be scared, it was just water. She repeated her own motion from before, but she didn't stop as she watched it move. She was actually doing that! Gaining a sudden burst of confidence surging her excitement, Lilie pulled what she thought was more, only for a majority of it sent flying somewhere over her head. Lilie froze again, the drops coming down until they splashed on top of her head, as if punishing her.

"...I feel like getting too excited seems to be a problem that keeps popping up for me," Lilie told Esi nonchalantly, ignoring her dripping bangs.

Esi let out a loud laugh at the display, dropping what little remained. “Well, at least you don’t struggle for lack of that. Lots of students do, between the new nightlife and regular feedings, and they struggle to do much more than wiggle some water until they adjust. It’s better to have more than less in this situation.” Esi grinned, pulling the water off Lilie and flicking it back into the ocean. “And even if you do get a little more than you thought, don’t let it go. Keeping moving until you can put it back where you got it. It doesn’t matter here but when you start calling large bodies, you could do a lot of damage suddenly dropping half a river on something.”

“Why don’t we try this. Let’s close the distance and make it follow you instead.” Esi suggested, refreshing her pool and dipping her fingers in it. After a moment, she drew her hand back slowly and the water reached out to meet her, five little tendrils following her fingers as she moved. “When you dip your fingertips in, let your magic flow just like before and keep that going as you move your hand away. Even if you take too much, keep pulling until you put it in your hand or the ocean.”

Dropping a river?! Lilie's jaw dropped at the thought, her fingers lightly touching her head. She was amazed that her hair was completely dry, but equally horrified at the possibility of using that much water. She frowned at the thought, crossing her arms for a moment. Well, that wasn't really a bad thing, was it? If she was the one in control, anyway. The idea wasn't as frightening as she thought, though she couldn't really picture it. Not yet, anyway, but it was certainly a tempting goal.

She shuffled closer to Esi, watching her movement. The woman was so graceful, the water following her obediently. Once Esi invited her to try again, Lilie nodded, cautiously dipping her fingers in. Too much was okay, she just had to keep pulling. Mimicking Esi's movement, Lilie concentrated, pulling the water along slowly. For a moment she was once again amazed that it just listened as she pulled it along, the water wavering slightly. Focus, focus, focus--she took a step back, her other hand outstretched as if she thought she could catch any water that fell. The movement was nowhere near as swift or smooth as Esi's, though Lilie was trying to concentrate fully. It was a lot harder than she thought it would be, finding that while it certainly didn't look like much, pulling it all out of Esi's hand took more effort than expected.

But she was still having a blast, letting out a slight yell as she dropped it instead of gathering it into her hands. "Oops," She giggled, wringing her hands. "I kinda forgot I was supposed to keep concentrating, I thought it would just...do it by itself. Can I try again?"

There were a few more tries after that, with Esi patiently pooling the water every time she was asked. Lilie's attempts became somewhat consistent, even if they usually ended the same way, but she was having too much fun to be concerned. Truthfully, she had been too nervous to try before, but now that she had someone looking over her shoulder, she felt much more comfortable with it. She was definitely more relaxed, if slightly wound, but she put every ounce of effort she had into it, repeating the movements and remembering the feeling.

"I think...I'm getting the hang of it--" She muttered, eyes narrowing as she carefully pulled the last of the water out of Esi's hand. She held her breath as she watched the water, leaning back slightly as she gathered it again. Holding it still felt like it was more work than keeping it moving, the pool in her hands seeming more like a wobbly blob than anything. She somehow assumed holding it with two hands would be easier, but it didn't seem to help.

“Look at what you can do when you set your mind to it!” Esi cheered, pulling the water back and depositing it into the ocean once more. The mage took a few steps deeper into the water, sitting down in the water. “We can try some more in a moment but for now, come and sit with me. There is a fun little exercise that you can do in almost any body of water that’ll help relax your magic. I always recommend at least a swimming pool but it can be done in something as small as a glass of water. But before we send ourselves out into the depths, why don’t you tell me a little of what you want out of magic?”

Lilie looked down at Esi for a second, wishing she had thought to wear a swimsuit, too. She took a second to tie her blouse more closely to her and rolled up her sleeves, carefully following Esi's lead and taking a seat across from her. At her question she frowned slightly, a little unsure. What did she want out of magic? "...I don't know," She said slowly, shrugging. "I mean, I didn't even know I could do magic, so it's not really something I gave a lot of thought to. But I like learning about it! And actually getting to do it is really cool."

“It is.” Esi chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Magic allows us to be greater than what we ever envisioned for ourselves. While you’re here with us, keep that question in mind. There will always be more to learn, more to experience, but without direction, you may find yourself pulled beneath the waves.” Esi rolled her shoulders and stretched before putting her hands back in the water.

“Now onto our lesson. If you recall, I mentioned that water mages are most at risk of emotional interference in their magic. There will be times you can’t help it, when everything is so overwhelming that it may burst without your will or completely shut down no matter how much you work at it. Luckily, we have an easy way to collect ourselves.” Esi’s eyes closed and she relaxed a little more into the water. “Just like with calling water, send your magic out into the ocean. But not just some of it. Cast out all of it. Cast all of your magic into the water and then follow it with your mind, like a string in a maze. Follow it and then just relax. Don’t try to do anything, just float. Once you’ve reached that, nothing from above will reach you. No noise, no pressure, no worry. The water doesn’t expect you to perform, doesn’t make demands, doesn’t hurt you. Its safe and serene, the perfect place to relax and unwind if even for a moment.”

Esi went still after that but a familiar presence brushed against Lilie’s magic and then slowly floated out to sea, Esi’s voice echoing beneath the water.

The ruined dam was proof enough of what Esi said, but Lilie nodded in understanding. She was eager to put a cap on things, straightening up as she listened carefully. It sounded really nice, letting herself just go with the flow. She looked down at the waves gently lapping around them, taking a second just to appreciate the scenery. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss the morning sky, but the night had a way of being weirdly soothing.

Shifting slightly in her seat and patting her clothes down again, Lilie closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath. Relax. She can do that. She can relax. The water felt nice, the air was crisp and inviting, and it was just her and Esi on the beach. Breathing in the salty air, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was doing it right, but she did feel relaxed. No noise, no pressure, no worries.

It was a weird but not entirely foreign feeling. Actually, for some reason it felt familiar. It was like being underwater with her facing the surface, the warmth of the sun on her. If she opened her eyes, she could see the blue sky above her. She wasn’t drowning, somehow, but she could feel the water around her, aware of every drop moving in unison. Just floating around and letting the current pull her away. Everything was clear and calming, but at the same time she felt like she needed to go up and break the surface. She felt like she could reach up and take the hand reaching out towards her--

Lilie jerked in place as she gasped, arms raised as her eyes shot open in surprise. Her heart was racing in her chest, only soothed when she looked around and confirmed that she was on the beach with Esi. Was that a memory? No, it couldn’t be. At least, she thought so? Running her hands over her face, she inhaled deeply as she shook her head. Man, that was weird.

“Feels like you could just get lost in the water doing that,” She murmured, rubbing her eyes.

“The comfort of being part of something larger than yourself, of being greater than the sum of the whole and existing in perfect unity, content in the knowledge that you have purpose along with those around you is a siren song that little can compare to.” Esi spoke wistfully as she stared out over the ocean. “Water always returns to the greater whole, never alone or stranded for long. In water, we find a reflection of what we should be for ourselves and what we should be to those around us. In water, we learn that change is an inevitability and rather than fighting such a change we should accept it. In water, we learn that everything is at once in conflict and harmony with itself and each other and that is the way of life.”

“It is important for your development that you understand the fundamental truths of our element. That something can be at peace and war all at once. That change is inevitable and all we can do is learn to adapt to it. That we are never alone and even if we feel that we are, we all return to one another eventually. Sometimes we just need to see beneath the surface of those around us to understand.” Esi sighed, running her hands through the water for a few reflective moments. “As you learn these, through introspection or experience, you will see your affinity grow in leaps and bounds. Ah but enough of this woman rambling. How do you feel now? The water does make everything seem a little easier, no?”

Lilie stared at Esi with wide eyes, her gaze slowly turning to the ocean as she listened. Her lips parted in awe for a moment, though her expression turned solemn for a second. Esi was right, accepting change would make things a lot easier. And despite feeling that too many things have changed, going along really was for the best. It sounded silly, but she felt oddly enlightened, the previous unease deep in her heart assuaged.

"It does," Lilie admitted as she looked back at Esi. "I feel like...like things will be okay if you don't fight the current." As bad as the water pun was, she felt it was good timing. "Water does have that mysterious aura. I guess I underestimated it a little!"

"It's easy to do." Esi said simply as she turned her attention from the ocean to Lilie. "Now, we'll work on calling for the rest of the lesson and then I'll get you dried off before our lesson this week end, okay?" Esi scooped up water and held it out for Lilie to start their calling exercise anew.

Still perched at her vanity, Amaris cast the book aside with a groan of frustration. There had been little in the way of a response from the person she reached out to, often a sign the house was busy with other matters or perhaps that the subject matter was predicted and promptly ignored. Left to her own devices, the countess had tried several different methods to replicate the book’s instruction but had little luck in actually achieving a result.

She glanced down at her fingertips noting the many puncture wounds she had haphazardly inflicted upon herself. It was a stretch to say the least, but Amaris had hoped that there might have been a natural talent for the lost art that would reveal itself under the right circumstances. Up until this point, it had seemed that just bleeding all over the tome was enough to trigger the desired responses, however this time would not be so forgiving. There had to be some trick she was missing, a mispronounced word or a clearer intention for the paper to change colors.

Whatever it was that she was doing incorrectly, it was clear that she wasn’t going to be able to learn it completely on her own. There was no guarantee that she would have the opportunity to speak to the Lord any time soon but what other resources did she have?

The sound of a door opening and closing once more drew the countess’ attention, a light suddenly shining behind Amaris’ eyes. Swiftly finding the book a new home, Amaris rushed for the door excitedly, wondering how she had never thought of it before. Amaris had the perfect resource; her very own mage in training! There were bound to be similarities in concept that Amaris could learn by studying magic through the eyes of a mage. It was far from perfect but what other choice did she have for the moment?

Exiting the room, Amaris approached the common space at a much calmer pace than she had her bedroom door. Her smile faltered some as her partner came into view. Cassandra looked flustered about something, her hair somewhat disheveled in appearance… or at least more so than when she had departed for the morning.

“I was still up studying when you came in, I thought I would welcome you home… Is everything alright?” Her tone was mostly confused but still held a hint of concern. With all the houses in attendance, not to mention the events of the other night still fresh in her mind, Amaris couldn’t help but worry that someone might be targeting her new partner.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."
Cassandra had meant to come in and go straight to her room, but that was far from proper when her partner had come to greet her. She instead veered her course to the sitting room, and took one of the big leather chairs that was facing Amaris. After a quick look down at her hands, she folded them together to hide the blackened right.
"Well… it's just, I was talking to some older students. We… saw some mage collars. It pi- made me mad."

With an internalized sigh of relief, Amaris turned from Cassandra as she spoke her mind about her outing. She had disappeared from sight for only a few brief moments, returning with a glass of cold water which she held out calmly to the mage. Her expression was a bit more relaxed knowing that there was no immediate threat to her partner but a small degree of concern remained.

“I see. It is rather unfortunate that a school as progressive as this would allow such practices to take place so openly within its walls. I’m sorry you had to witness that.” The countess was far from being a fan of such accessories but there was little to be done about the industry while it still held its current influence. It was one of the many things she sought to change as she grew into her role of nobility but there was little comfort to be offered by unloading political plans upon a disturbed mage. Instead, Amaris tried to offer a kind and reassuring gaze to Cassandra.

“The collars... were they fitted to a friend of yours?”

"No," and yet she went ashy in the face suddenly as she took the glass of water, placing it down on the side table without looking at it.

She had just set fire to a dorm because it was happening at all. What would she do if Lilie was wearing a collar the next time they met? Or Salem? Get herself killed in a dramatic gesture, no doubt. She didn't know them that well in all honesty, but she liked them.

"No, it was a stranger. Strangers. How can that be allowed?

Amaris was patient while Cassandra processed several emotions, expressing each one briefly before moving onto the next. She released the glass as the mage accepted the beverage, but found herself momentarily distracted by the faint scent of smoke that wafted by her. For a moment she pictured Cassandra sitting outside smoking a cigarette with the other students she had mentioned hanging with, but the smell wasn’t strong enough to support such a theory. There was something off about it but Amaris couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Perking up as if she had just remembered she had been asked a question, Amaris pushed aside her wayward thoughts to respond.

“There is no excuse for it but it is one of those things that just… is. The accessories don’t often present an immediate danger to the physical health of a mage, so it’s not deemed abuse by the courts.” It wasn’t much of an explanation, she knew that, but Amaris wasn’t sure what else she could say. It didn’t matter how much she condemned the subject at hand, Cassandra still had to be prepared to continue to see such sights around her.

“I hope you know I would never seriously employ such a method with you. That is unless you find that is something you are into?” Amaris smiled lightly, attempting to lighten the mood if only by a small amount.

"I… What?" Cassandra had a sudden vision of Amaris with herself on a leash. Only they weren't in public. She flushed suddenly, radiating a wave of heat that Amaris could feel from where she stood. Cassandra picked up the glass of water and busied herself drinking it.

"Is it okay if we drop the subject?"

Amaris couldn’t help but laugh at Cassandra’s sudden outburst, the mage’s once ashen complexion returning to a healthy flush.

“I suppose we can drop it for- Oh Cassandra! What happened to your hand?” As Cassandra lifted the glass to her lips, Amaris caught sight of what looked like a nasty scrape on her hand. She found it strange, however, that at no point in time did she pick up on the scent of blood that should have accompanied such an injury.

"Nothing," she answered just a little too promptly. "It's just something my skin does. Look.

Cassandra put the glass down and lifted an index finger. A lighter-sized flame appeared, and she pressed it down on her forearm. When she brought her hand away it had left a black mark.

"It'll go away. Like a red mark when you get slapped. Does that happen to Vampires?"

Stepping closer, Amaris took up Cassandra’s hand in her own. Her grasp was gentle as she ran her fingertips gingerly over the soot colored mark. A part of her was worried that the discoloration was also painful, but having witnessed the mage hold literal flame to her skin with a straightened expression was enough to quell the panic. The detail that sat at the front of her attention was the scent of the flame. There was no material of note to burn, but the flame still carried a unique smell that matched the smoke she thought she had detected earlier in the conversation.

Knowing the new mark would soon disappear meant that the original mark had to be somewhat fresh. Cassandra was a bold girl, she had proven that much during the incident with Princess Nox, but Amaris didn’t know her well enough to say what her temper was like. Had seeing the collars really affected her to the point of spontaneous combustion? Or something worse?

“I guess we never did get a chance to discuss your affinity, did we? But why were you messing with fire in the first place, you weren’t threatened were you?”

Cassandra flared up in earnest, hiding her(pretty egregious) misdeeds forgotten.

"I'm not messing with fire. It's a part of me. Like… like blood is a part of you. You don't dabble in drinking blood or… or turning into a bat or whatever. How dare you?"

She stood up, mindless of Amaris's proximity, and put her hands on her hips. Cassandra stood a solid four inches shorter, but squared up like she was four taller. Amaris instinctively withdrew a step but straightened to her full posture, icy eyes responding sharply to the mage’s advance. The countess doubted the girl meant any physical harm so that wasn’t her concern, but rather the emotional chord her words struck was really what set the vampire off.

“How dare I what?” She spat cooly, maintaining her rigid glare.

“Do you honestly believe you can draw a comparison between the only substance I can consume to stay, for lack of a better term, alive and a force that if displayed without care will be labelled a weapon? The powers that be won’t care if it’s a part of you or not, they will come and they will take you like they took Minfilia.” The moment the words passed her lips Amaris took pause and dropped her gaze to the floor, her posture sinking considerably.

”Fire is a weapon? Are we pretending today,” she was speaking quietly now, matching some parts of Amaris’s posture, but refusing to look away, ”That no human has ever been killed by having their blood drained? Are you going to…”

Cassandra was going to say, ‘Are you going to threaten me with a disappearance every time I mouth off.’ But she knew perfectly well that that wasn’t what Amaris meant in bringing up the other night. Quite the opposite, she thought.

If I’m going to control my magic, I need to control my feelings first, isn’t that what I’ve been learning?

Her stance didn’t shrink down as Amaris’s had, but the tension left her body. She closed her eyes, and with some effort her face smoothed out too. Cassandra stood like this for a moment, and then began a well practiced apology ritual.

”I’m sorry, Countess,” she said, falling back on manners learned from childhood. She dropped to one knee with the thoughtless ease of someone who has had to do this often. Her head was bowed, and she took the briefest moment to brush her hair to the side, so that the back of her neck was exposed. ”I know that you say these things because you want to protect me. Please, forgive my impudence, and allow me to make amends.”

Amaris took a step forward with a mixed expression. This had all started because Amaris wanted to act like some sort of housewife welcoming their beloved home, and now her mage was bowed before her offering herself up as penance for a pointless disagreement. The countess had half a mind to decline the offer, but the dull ache she felt reminded her that she had yet to fully recover from her previous fast.

Rather than stepping around, the countess knelt before Cassandra and reached gingerly for the mage’s arm. She glanced at her palm for a moment, taking in the intensity of Cassandra’s emotions.

“Please at least try not to make me worry.” Amaris chastised half-heartedly before sinking her teeth into Cassandra’s wrist. She hadn’t been anticipating any particular flavor but upon tasting the first few drops of blood, the countess knew that it couldn’t have been any other way. While she bore strong preferences for sweeter drinks, Amaris had to admit Cassandra’s blood was surprisingly refreshing.

It filled her with a warmth somehow different from just the normal flush of consumption, an underlying spice that did not overpower but only enhanced. She found it to be exactly how she imagined the mortal drink known as cider to taste if she based it off of scent alone. Amaris couldn’t imagine a better flavor for so kind yet so passionate.

Cassandra allowed her arm to be picked up, and her eyes widened suddenly(hidden by her downcast head) when Amaris bit. While she drank, Cassandra straightened herself, so that she was sitting up on her knees, and the two were once more level with each other.

She had the smallest ember of anger in the deepest part of her heart, but it was almost drowned out by an intense guilt. She had caused trouble today, and she had snapped at her partner while trying to hide it. What’s more, the injustices she had fought today seemed to be the antithesis of Amaris. Cassandra was incredibly fortunate to have a partner who cared about her enough to worry.

These feelings seemed to wash out in waves as Amaris drank. Cassandra closed her eyes as her head began to swim. She swayed in place and had to brace herself, placing a hand on Amaris's shoulder.

"I'll try," she said in a weak slurring voice.

The countess had to keep from chuckling as she pulled gently away from her snack. She supposed the pair were rather lucky she only required something small to carry her through to a proper meal, giving the mage an opportunity of what to expect moving forward. Amaris couldn't help but wonder what it actually felt like to be fed from, considering the question before deciding it was best to ask another day. She quickly ran her tongue across the punctures to aid in their healing before running a thumb by the corners of her lips to catch any escaping drops.

"Let's get you to bed, it seems like you've had a long night." Twisting about carefully, Amaris positioned herself to scoop the mage up piggyback style, supporting her weight with a fair amount of ease. She knew Cassandra was likely able to walk on her own, albeit a bit shaky, but Amaris didn't want to chance it without first knowing how she reacted to blood loss.

Approaching the rooms, Amaris slowed to a halt and carefully set the mage down before her door. She turned and offered support to steady Cassandra's stance.

"I can accompany you the rest of the way if you wish, but I think this might be where I bid you pleasant dreams."

"Yes," she said dreamily. "I mean, no, I can manage. But thanks, you too."

As she turned to walk to her bed, she had the vagur worry that vampires maybe didn't dream. She didn't think that was true, though. They were strange in many ways but not, she thought, quite that alien to mortals.

Cassandra pulled her three blankets over herself, and curled the innermost into a comforting cocoon, and slept surprisingly well.

Salem’s hair was noticeably messier than usual. Typically either let down or tied into a bun, his hair was in a state that almost appeared as if he had fallen asleep while in the midst of getting ready, a sloppy bun drooping low and with many strays breaking free of the band. The light in the crystal was erratic, a very dim and pale green hue struggling to stay lit within its crystalline chamber and flickering like a flame against a harsh wind. His golden rimmed glasses barely hid the dark bags now beginning to form underneath his eyes as they slipped further and further down his nose with every bob of his head while he fought to stay awake in class. He tried to create a pattern with his light, doing all he could to keep his mind on the task at hand, only for the light to quiver slightly before going out. Frustration ran rampant in his voice as he released his hands from the medium and crossed his arms. “You try. Stupid exercise.”

Though he was still as well-kept as usual, hair and clothes neat and proper as always, Aaron wasn't faring much better. Under his neatly combed hair, his eyes were dull and distant, rimmed with dark circles and set into an unusually pallid face. His notebook had several lines of meaningless swirls instead of his regular notes, doodled mindlessly and interspersed with a few unconscious repetitions of the lines he'd been writing every evening for the past week.

Salem's little outburst shook him back to reality, eyes feeling sandy as he blinked a few times at his study partner. “... Maybe a break, instead,” he suggested quietly, sliding the crystal away from him. Truth be told, he didn't have the energy or the patience for another repetition of the same dull exercise either. Instead, he peered at Salem curiously, squinting. “Are you alright? You look unwell.”

"Speak for yourself Starag." Salem's tone was pointed as he snapped at the blonde light mage, the anger and frustration in his face slowly melting away as he realized how he was acting. He began to rub the bridge of his nose and corner of his eyes as he slowly exhaled. Saying softly, "Sorry...I haven't been getting much sleep lately...I guess the lack of it has gotten me a bit more tense than usual...maybe a break is a good idea for now."

“...yeah,” Aaron nodded, pretty accustomed to Salem’s vitriol by now. He turned back to his notebook, wrinkling his nose distastefully at the line repetitions he hadn’t noticed until then, and eventually his curiosity got the better of him. He studied Salem for a moment, leaning forward on the table, before he finally spoke again.

“I haven’t been sleeping much either,” he admitted, more out of an attempt to get Salem to open up than to admit his own troubles. Not that it wasn’t true, though. “What’s keeping you up?”

Salem leaned forward onto the table, his eyes darted left and right to make sure no one was listening or eavesdropping before he continued whispering. "I've been having these weird dreams lately...it’s making it hard to tell what parts are real...or not." He pulled out a small leatherbound notebook with a wrapped thong. Undoing the wrap and opening it up towards a page as he slid it towards Aaron. "It’s been the same dream over and over again."

Brow furrowed, Aaron slid the notebook over to him and began to read, having to squint to get his tired eyes to focus. But as he pored over the contents, and the bits and pieces started fitting together, his eyes widened. His pulse quickened, face pale, hands nearly shaking as he turned the last page, finding he knew the rest before he even read it.

It was his dream, down to the last detail.

“This is your dream?” Aaron practically whirled on Salem, his hissed whisper sounding more like a demand than a question. There was an urgency in his voice, born of desperation, and he held the notebook to the table as if it could fly away at any second. He glanced between it and Salem, at the notes, the names, dates, even sketches of the same dungeon, the same manor he’d come to know so well, a ball of dread forming alongside strange hope in his chest. “Are you absolutely sure?”

Salem could hardly focus on Aaron as he began to read his journal. The outline of the mage become fuzzy as he began to slip in and out of consciousness, the threat of sleep looming over him. Aaron's voice snapped him back as he asked a ridiculously stupid question. Salem placed his hand upon his chin as he pretended to think. "Hmmm...now that you mention it...I don't think that was my dre- of course it was my dream. Why else would I say so?" Salem snatched the book out of Aaron's hands in a fit of frustration and snapped it closed. "If you're going to act like a dullard then never mind it…"

Aaron prided himself on his restraint, and he had to practice it then, when the urge to wrest the book from Salem’s grip and smack him with it nearly took him over. Instead, he threw up the hand that had been holding the book in frustration, grateful that Varis hadn’t arrived yet to observe them.

“Oh, wake the hell up for a second Salem,” Aaron growled irritably, leaning in so they wouldn’t be overheard. “I don’t have the patience for your childishness tonight. I’m asking because I’ve been having the same damn dream.”

"Maybe lead with that next time instead of asking a stupid question. I don't have time for all your cryptic bullshit and trying to read your every move, you saw the book and read the pages so obviously I was sure. All that aside though...why are we sharing the same dream about Lilie’s partner’s house?"

“Pardon me, in my line of work we don’t usually throw around details that make us look insane.” Aaron snapped, before falling heavily back against his chair. He rolled his neck, blinking several times and sighing. Fatigue was really wearing away at his patience.

“And that’s a fantastic question. I don’t know if I should be relieved or even more terrified.” He ran a hand down his face. “Besides, the Eve in the dream isn’t any Eve I’ve ever heard of. That’s not to say she doesn’t exist, but it definitely complicates things.” He gestured at the book. “I thought it was nonsense - extremely specific nonsense, mind you - born of sudden change and anxiety, but now I’m a whole lot more concerned.”

Salem pulled out his phone, not wanting to speak what he was about to say next. Typing out to Aaron, At dinner they mentioned a delayed use of mind magic when they were speaking of the Red Hand. What’re the chances that your house’s mistress implanted false memories or dreams in us while probing our minds? But...why would she?

Aaron eyed the message for a moment, turning it over in his mind. Now there was an idea. They both had their memories sifted through; could it be that Lady Sinnenodel’s mages left something behind when they were done?

I don’t really know anything about mind magic, but that seems like it could be possible, he typed out his reply in the same note, I don’t know why she’d do such a thing, but she’s not the easiest Council member to predict, so I suppose it could be anything.

He slid the phone back for Salem to read, and continued verbally. “I was just going to keep it to myself and hope it went away, honestly, but now that it’s definitely more than coincidence…” Aaron paused for a moment, ready to abort his plan, but his desperation for answers got the better of him. “Well, why don’t we research it? See if anything in it has any basis in reality, or if it’s all just some game?”

"Couldn't hurt to try. I was planning on doing so anyways, this way we can split the load at least. I wanted to look into the magic that we saw and see if anything turns up, as well as rare forms of magic. Figure you can look into the house and perhaps with it any old accents or more unknown ones seeing as I've never heard that accent before now. Anything else I might he missing?" Salem began to write down into his journal his proposed plan of attack, a note to remind him of his work so that he didn’t falter.

Aaron nodded. “I'll also put in a request to the archives and see if they have records of any buildings resembling the one in the dream. I'll look deeper into the Eves as well; maybe I just missed someone.” He seriously doubted it, but he'd entertain anything if it meant finding answers. “The royal library is more likely than anywhere to have that information. I doubt you'll have access to it on the break, but I’ll have no issue getting in and researching.”

He tapped Salem’s notebook. “Your dynamic with your partner confuses me, but if you think you can, see if Count Astorio knows anything about that Eve name. Noble families are endlessly interwoven, you never know what you'll find out.”

"He's certainly...a character. Much better than Varis… even if he tosses people he’s just met, but we have an… understanding. Best to leave it at that while we are in public. I'll make sure to ask him about that name though, think the school’s library will have anything on hearing voices in the wind?" Salem chuckled at the idea of it but any lead is a good lead and he wanted to find one fast.

Aaron really wasn't sure what to think about that, but he nodded nonetheless, moving on to the topic of magic. “If that's magic, then probably. If you're going to find information on magic anywhere, you'll find it here. If not… I have no idea.”

He sat back in his chair, massaging the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed for a moment. He opened them just in time for his favourite TA to pass by, and exchanged murderous glares with Ralph until he was gone.

He leaned back over to Salem, voice low. “But maybe that's enough discussion for one class,” He suggested. The vampires would probably be coming in soon anyway.

"Agreed, there's too many prying ears here to be able to speak freely. Perhaps we can continue this discussion another time in a more private setting. Hopefully if we figure this out then we can finally gain a good days sleep after all. Especially since I have to wake up for my daily dosage of sunlight for two hours a day."

“Hey, I'm waking up two hours early too,” Aaron remarked in surprise, before practically biting his tongue off as he realized what that line of inquiry would lead to. “Not for sunlight, though, just… I'm busy.” Smooth. Fatigue was apparently making him stupid. “Here’s hoping we can get this all out of the way.”

Aaron had been anticipating his report all night, passing each moment leading up to it flip-flopping between excitement and agony. He was positively fixated on his conversation with Salem in Affinity Mastery, both comforted and horrified by the idea that he was somehow sharing a nightmare detail-by-detail with someone else. He’d been speculating as to why all night, preoccupied—resulting in him earning a particularly harsh glare from his Spell Theory instructor when he had to be called upon twice for an answer—but what consumed him was how he would explain it all to Varis. It was a huge find, one he was sure the Count would want to know, but what would happen when Varis learned his own mage experienced the same thing? If the nightmares were related to having their minds read by his Lady’s mages, that was one thing, but if it was in any way related to the accusations leveled against Salem, it could mean decidedly bad things for him.

Try as he might to convince himself that it was all just exhaustion making him paranoid, Aaron worried nonetheless—something he was quickly becoming an expert at. He just barely collected himself enough to get out a passable apology letter (mercifully, it was the last one) but, aside from the clear signs of fatigue in his features, Aaron was practiced at keeping his anxieties hidden. He got through the bulk of his report without incident, all accompanied by a written version as usual, until he finally couldn’t stall any longer.

Varis listened to the mage at his feet as he relaxed on the couch, his book sitting neatly in his lap with a solid red bookmark sporting a green stripe on top marking his spot. His fingers drummed absently on the book as the boy prattled on and on about all the information he’d collected. Varis would admit the boy took to subterfuge easily and if even half the things he’d learned about Light mages was true, he would only become a more formidable weapon in Varis’s arsenal. That is, if the boy didn’t break first. Fatigue marred his features already and purchasing the boy some concealer at the very least had crossed his mind. Weakness wafted off him and that would put both of them in danger if it continued outside of the Princess’ protection. Varis leaned forward and grabbed the boy’s chin, inspecting him with a judgemental frown.

“And when are you dealing with these? If you choose not to sleep for some inane reason, at least have the sense to cover up the evidence. As it is, I find it unacceptable you aren’t sleeping but we’ll order concealer for future incidents.” Varis traced the circles under Aaron’s eyes as he considered the boy’s skin tone. “So what are you working on that is depriving you of sleep, boy?”

Aaron paused in his report to patiently comply, letting Varis turn and touch his face with little reaction. It still wasn’t his favourite thing in the world, but at the moment it was pretty low on his list of concerns. He had to suppress a groan at the question, though; Varis had a talent for drawing out his anxieties, that was certain.

“Fitful days, Master,” Aaron went with the safe option. “I can't place the reason, perhaps the recent changes. With your permission, I’ll visit the infirmary tomorrow and see if they have anything that can help me sleep without impacting my performance.”

Varis considered the idea briefly before releasing Aaron and leaning back again, his hand returning to the book. “Very well. Make sure you receive an updated copy of your medical records if the prescribe anything and give them to me for review before you take anything.” Varis opened his book and glanced at Aaron once more time. “Was there more for the evening boy or are you ready to be dismissed?”

Aaron nodded at the order before continuing. “One more pertinent point, Master. Tangentially related, in fact. It turns out Mr. Spellman has been having trouble sleeping as well. Apparently, he's plagued by a recurring nightmare.”

He took a second to get his thoughts in order, and swallow the guilt that somehow still lingered over selling out his ‘friend’. “He tells me that every day since the first night of classes he's had the same dream. He sees through the eyes of a young girl trapped in a cell, suffering horrid abuse until she's rescued by a vampiress. He says she fears ‘ghosts’ and voices and has been trapped for longer than she can measure. But most notably, the name of the girl and the saviour both come up in the dream. He says the girl is Ellmare, and the woman rescuing her is Yvaine Eve.”

He paused to let the name sink in. “He took diligent notes about the dream and showed them to me. I can provide more detail if desired.” It wasn't as if he needed Salem's notes to tell Varis everything there was about the dream. He knew it all by heart; he saw the same things and felt the same terror Salem did, every time he fell asleep.

Varis closed his book slowly as the boy explained this… nightmare. Most of it Varis could disregard. The Spellman worked with odd concoctions and things that could easily alter his perceptions. Varis would have doubted this whole issue’s validity if it hadn’t been for an Eve he’d ever heard of. He cocked his head with a thoughtful frown as he searched his memory for a “Yvaine Eve”. He’d never heard of one and Varis had spent decades researching the bloodlines of all the Houses.

“I’m tempted to write it off as a fever dream induced by some fumes or injection the boy tested on himself. Ellmare? Who in their right mind names anyone Ellmare? No, I’m quite concerned about this Yvaine Eve. How is Spellman reacting to this nightmare? Has he pursued any information on subject or does he have a plan to research it further?” Varis demanded. “Submit the dream’s entirety in writing. I would like to review it in more detail but I’ve never heard of an Yvaine Eve.”

Aaron nodded again. “I’ll have a transcript ready for tomorrow’s report. I’d like to confirm the finer details first,” he lied. He'd have it for tomorrow’s report, yes, but he didn't need to consult Salem to write out every fine detail of the dream. Of course, it would be suspicious if he remembered everything. “Fortunately, that shouldn't be a problem. I agreed to help him research the details of his dream, so he won't find it odd if I go looking for specifics. I even offered to check the royal library during his stay at the castle over first break.”

That Varis didn't know the Eve’s name either was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Aaron was relieved, since it meant he wasn't just forgetting someone; on the other, it only added to the mystery of it all.

“Salem is clearly suffering from the nightmares and lack of sleep, both physically and mentally,” he continued, “it consumes his waking hours as well as sleeping. He seems to be worried about separating the dream and reality; I assume he's either preoccupied with figuring it out, or it simply haunts him.” He shook his head. “I would have suspected adjusting to life under Astorio rule to be the culprit of such a traumatic dream, but as you say, Master, the names are what perplex me. Without any expertise on the subject, I'd expect an Astorio name to come up if that were the case, not an Eve.”

“You took the initiative to offer your services to assist Mr. Spellman?” Varis’ eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Is this because you’ve become friends with the boy or you’re interested in the situation yourself? Either way, I’m interested in this missing Eve he’s conjured up. If it turns out to be nothing but a false lead, I’ll have your information reported to the medical staff as a hallucination and let the investigation do what it will with that information.” Varis hummed thoughtfully for a moment.

“Do you have a plan on how to go about this already with him?”

“I’ll admit it’s partly morbid fascination, but otherwise this could be an excellent opportunity to gain his trust,” Aaron lied, mostly. “He thinks I’m some kind of blind, heartless thrall, so perhaps going out of my way to help him will open him up a little.” That much might be true, though it was far from Aaron’s foremost motivation. “As well… well, if there’s anything sinister behind it, I’d like to know. He will be spending two weeks in the castle; I’d rather not take chances.”

To the point of a plan, Aaron made a mental list. “Beyond me checking the royal library, Salem wants to research any magic that matches hearing voices, and see what he can glean from his master. Count Astorio is young, but one never knows which secrets lie where.” He counted the strategies off on his fingers. “Ms. Dionne’s mistress is all but absent, so she doesn’t seem like much help, but I also floated the idea of sending in an archival request for any buildings that vaguely match the description in the dream.” Aarom dropped his hand. “They may seem like great lengths for the makings of a fever dream, but I think it brought Salem comfort for someone to take his dream so seriously.”

"Congratulations, boy. You've managed to exceed my expectations." Varis' customary frown softened, still not a smile but lacking the usual disappointment he looked at Aaron with. "Continue to assist however Spellman requires. For now, I'll mark down that you've earned a free night for your efforts. Good job."

Aaron’s eyes widened a touch, the familiar joy of praise cautiously rising in him at the news. “Thank you, Master,” he insisted, sincerely humbled and surprised at the same time.

Varis picked up his book again and flipped it open, looking up at Aaron for a second. "Is there anything else or does that conclude your report? If there is nothing else, you are dismissed for the rest of the morning."

“That is everything, Master,” Aaron confirmed, some enthusiasm still in his voice. He rose gratefully to his feet, bowed, and retired to his room after adding, “Have a pleasant morning.”

Aaron’s letter, nestled in a cocoon of various business letters for Varis, instructed the mage to find his way to a picnic area set just outside the Academy grounds. The night was warmer than usual, an unusual heat wave late in the season catching most people unaware, but the gentle breeze off the ocean helped alleviate it. The campus at this time was rather still. Older students didn’t have the same slow start that the first years did and those not currently in class were likely in their dorms or the library studying. A few guards made the rounds, nodding at passing students or conversing with them as they accompanied them to their destinations. This faded away quickly enough as trees rose up around the path but floating orbs of various colors marked the way, though plain white alternated with them to make an easily visible line.

The woods grew brighter as the path continued, until the trees opened to a swarm of bright white orbs dancing in a clearing. In the center, various tables were scattered about but a gaunt man sat on one of them. His hair was tied neatly behind his head, face sunken and thin, but a smile sat on his lips as he spun the orbs lazily around him. He put several more in the air every few seconds until he pulled them all together into one and let it hover above him, replicating perfect sunlight.

Though he wished the breeze was a little cooler, Aaron had to admit that the walk to his first solo Affinity Mastery class was nice, the fresh forest air helping him a little to clear his head. Fatigue from almost a week of nigh-sleepless days was starting to get to him, as the circles beginning to appear under his eyes would attest, but the prospect of moving forward in his affinity training was more than enough to put a little spring back in his step as he followed the path to the forest.

The little orbs along the path brought a smile to Aaron’s face as he followed them - he couldn’t help it, magic always got him excited - but what really impressed him was what he found when he made it to the clearing. A man, presumably his instructor, sitting in the midst of a veritable constellation of white orbs of light, before bringing them all together to bathe the clearing in… sunlight!

Aaron took a moment to observe before he stepped into the clearing, a smile on his lips as he examined the man’s creation. It was sunlight alright; not just light with the same hue, but genuine sunlight. He couldn’t explain exactly how he knew, but there was no doubt about it. And while he might have been raised nocturnal, he would never turn down the chance to spend a few minutes in the sun.

“Beautiful,” Aaron commented, finally entering the clearing, though he stopped a bit of a distance from his instructor.

“That which is rare always is.” The man sighed, the little orb of sunlight shrinking and hovering over his shoulder as he hopped off the table. He winced as what sounded like every joint in his body cracked with the movement but he smiled at Aaron still. “I think I’m getting old now.” He deadpanned with a shake of his head.

“Professor Russel Daun, Mr. Starag. I’ll be heading your affinity training for the next four years. Hopefully we get along or this is going to be a rough one.” Russell chuckled and made his way to Aaron, clapping him on the shoulder. “Most of the students have a small file with some information on their situation but I didn’t receive one for you, probably because royal secrets and all that, so forgive me for not knowing your level yet. Would you mind providing a demonstration of what you’ve learned?”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Aaron replied, giving Professor Daun a courteous bow purely out of habit and promptly being surprised when the man clasped his shoulder. He smiled at the professor as he spoke, feeling a little more at ease than he normally did around instructors, though he suspected it had something to do with that delightful little ball of sunshine hovering over the man’s shoulder.

At the mention of a demonstration, Aaron was snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, of course,” he replied hastily, looking around the clearing to see what he was working with. The night was dark but for the moon and the ball of light hovering near Professor Daun, but that would probably be enough for what he needed.

Taking a few steps back so he had some room, Aaron closed his eyes for a moment and drew a deep breath, concentrating on the flow of magic within him—something he’d actually caught on to indirectly through Salem. The ebb and flow was comfortable, familiar; a welcome respite from… well, everything.

His ring began to glow pale yellow, and when he opened his eyes, the same glow had claimed them, too. Holding his hands out in front of him, he reached out with his magic, calling the light from the orb to him. Much like his demonstration on orientation night, a beam of light formed between his palms, reflecting back and forth as if between mirrors and growing brighter by the second. But where he’d let the light escape on orientation night, this time Aaron held on to it more deftly; when it grew uncomfortably bright (for anyone who wasn’t a light mage, that is) Aaron pulled his hands abruptly apart, pulling the light like softened glass into a thin beam. At once it started moving, almost too fast to follow, bouncing between all ten of his fingertips like a pinball before sailing past his hand, only to loop around and return to his opposite palm where it exploded in a flash.

“I could already concentrate existing light when I arrived here,” Aaron explained, blinking the glow from his eyes. “Ever since, I’ve been working on refining my manipulation, slowing the light down and getting some more precise directional control. Keeping up with it, even slowed down, has proved a challenge, but my reflexes are starting to catch up.” He smiled, though he was all business a moment later as he perched a hand on his pommel. “I’ve also experienced a bit of involuntary glowing in situations of extreme stress, but it’s easily controlled by removing my focus.” He held up his ring for the professor to see.

He sighed, tugging on his left ear. “Creating my own light, however, still eludes me.”

“And it probably will for a while. Everything takes time, Mr. Starag.” Russell chuckled, returning to his seat once more as he gave Aaron a thoughtful look. “Tell me, what do you plan to achieve with your magic? Light magic dictates a substance which directs the lives of every creature, from human to vampire and everything in between. It tells us what our world looks like, what color is, what is around us and gives us the chance to react to it. Despite what many people think, there is more to light than meets the eye.” He chuckled a little at the joke before his thoughtful expression returned.

“So Mr. Starag. What do you expect to get out of this affinity?”

Aaron nodded. Patience; it wasn't always his strong suit when magic was involved, but he needed to exercise it nonetheless. The professor’s question gave him pause, however, but not for want of an answer; it was true, on the surface light may have seemed a rather weak affinity when compared to the power to shake the earth or set the air on fire, but just as Aaron had discovered soon after his Awakening, the possibilities were vastly more powerful than what met the eye. He had notebooks back home filled to bursting with every way he could imagine light being harnessed; with the proper training he could control what people saw, weave vast and perfect illusions or make things disappear completely. He remembered reading about light mages who could see around corners and in 360 degrees, see incredible distances, create entities of light and see through their eyes like proxies, even travel huge distances in seconds by “riding” light. He even remembered giddily imagining how he could become an ideal bodyguard to his charge, capable of shielding a vampire from sunlight in the middle of the day and wielding his own sunlight against any vampiric attacker.

And he was sure there were yet dozens, if not more, possibilities he hadn't thought of, and the prospect of so much out there to learn and wield made him positively giddy. His tired eyes shone with rare excitement and determination when finally he met the professor’s gaze again with his answer. “Everything there is.”

“Ambitious.” Russell chuckled from his seat on the table. “But what else would we expect from the best of us. Very well, Mr. Starag. Let’s see where we should start. That was an excellent self analysis. Let us work on that control some more. Once we’ve seen you can direct your light for longer, we’ll move onto creating images. I doubt you’ll have too much difficulty reaching that by the end of the semester though if you put some extra effort, we may be able to get you to animating them properly as well. Nothing particularly complex, likely something simple like a flag or a spinning orb, but exciting nonetheless. For now however…” Russell expanded the light on his shoulder, brightening the area a bit and then several large hoops of light appeared around them.

“We’ll be running an obstacle course for a little while. We’ll work on shrinking the rings and then adding movement while you guide a small ball of light through them. For now, let’s get a bundle of light and then stop it all together.” Russell held out his hands like Aaron, mimicking his technique but he cupped his hands together. He didn’t fully close them but left a gap large enough for Aaron to see. The light bent in onto itself, following the curve of his palms until it separated from him and hovered in a small ball between them. The light followed itself round and round, like a dog chasing its tail. “For now, let’s make a stable orb of concentrated light. Once you can create your own, this will be far simpler but we get to do it the fun way for a bit. The first step to controlling the light is stabilizing. Light doesn’t like to change directions over and over again and you’ll find it incredibly draining to do so without outside help. So what you do is guide the light into a circuit and keep it there. All you have to do is wrap your magic in a loose circle and the light will follow it happily. So, condense the light like usual and then use your magic to provide a track and the light will keep to it. Go ahead and try.”

Feeling a little more proud of himself than was probably warranted, Aaron’s face broke into a smile at Professor Daun’s praise. He took straight to his task, though. The professor seemed to think he could make significant strides in one semester and he wasn't about to prove the man wrong.

Professor Daun’s solution to the problem of directing light was almost too elegant; frankly, Aaron was surprised he hadn't thought of it himself. He was so preoccupied with learning to reflect light that he never considered curving it. Light wasn't fond of curving, true, but that was where magic came in.

Cupping his hands as Professor Daun had (leaving enough room for light to enter to be concentrated in the first place), Aaron called to mind that mind-numbingly repetitive crystal exercise from their classroom sessions. He knew well how the flow of magic through his body felt, and he'd done something similar with the current when he made his orb move around within the crystal. Doing his best to keep his breathing even - breath control was helpful, but he couldn't use that crutch forever - he focused on the space between his hands. He called the light there easily enough, but rather than focusing on bouncing it back and forth, he focused on letting his magic loop between his palms before returning to him. He did this for a few seconds, concentrating on the feeling, and when his eyes opened again (glowing solid yellow as always) he had a little ball of light between his hands.

His eyes widened, and in his excitement he almost lost his focus altogether; there it was! An orb! Spinning! Or, well, it felt like spinning. There was no visible cue, but he could feel the light following his magic's path, like a leaf caught in a whirlwind.

“Wow,” Aaron gasped, despite himself. He looked excitedly with pupil-less eyes from his hands to the teacher and back again, beaming. “You're right, it's much more malleable with a path to follow, isn't it?”

“Good job Aaron!” Russell praised him, nodding at the orb in Aaron’s hand. “Much of light magic works on this principle. Most people believe we bend light but really we just politely ask it to change its direction and suggest it stays moving that way. Making demands of your affinity will only slow your progress; we are the ones going against the natural order and we ought to show respect as we ask it to change a course several millennia in the making.”

“Now we’ll remove our hands slowly. Try and keep your magic from following. Maintaining its size is the key lesson here because we want to remove your reliance on the physical to guide your magic. I don’t expect you to manage it right away but this is an easy exercise you can perform anywhere if you have some free time.” Russell pulled his hands away from the orb slowly, dropping them once they reached shoulder width. The orb of light hovered exactly where Russell left it as if suspended on a string.

“Let’s see you try now.” Russell opened the floor for Aaron to demonstrate how well he could control his light orb.

More encouraged than he expected to be over a little bit of praise, Aaron nodded and turned his attention back to the orb between his hands, subsisting much more easily than his usual methods of directing light. Focusing on maintaining his ‘current’, he slowly began to draw his hands apart; the orb did grow the first few tries, expanding into something like a ring as his little cyclone of magic expanded with the movement, and each time he reset his position, staring into the light with more determination than the last.

After about ten tries in rapid succession, Aaron was able to move his hands about a foot apart while maintaining his orb’s original size, though it did shudder a bit now and then. He tried not to get too excited lest it interrupt his flow, and instead decided to talk his way through the process as a means to temper himself.

“I'm still feeling an urge to coordinate physical efforts with magical ones,” he explained, eyes still trained stubbornly on the orb. He took a deep breath in an attempt to loosen up a bit, but the orb shuddered as he did, and he went back to shallow breathing to compensate. “As I separate my hands the tension is moving to my belly and chest.” It was as if he was trying to squeeze a large ball, the muscles in his chest and arms tensing even as his hands drew apart, and his abdomen tensing as well with the effort. “Is that normal?”

“It is.” Russell’s orb winked out as he gave Aaron a reassuring smile. “Your body is trying to compensate for the lack of your normal methods. Take a few deep breaths and relax yourself. If your light goes out, start from the beginning and take it slowly. It may help if you move in tandem with your breathing, slow and deep breaths in while your hands are still and long, control exhales while your hands are separating.”

Aaron nodded and tried again with Professor Daun’s methods. It seemed to work a bit better from the start - though Aaron was used to breath control, so that might have been part of it - though it still took several tries before he got much consistency. The rest of the class was spent on that exercise, Aaron putting in several attempts and the Professor intermittently offering advice, until Aaron could consistently get his hands shoulder-width apart before the light started shuddering.

The last attempt was shakier than the rest, and finally Aaron let his hands drop and his light wink out, spent but smiling. “That’s more demanding than you’d think, isn’t it?” he chuckled, voice breathy with exertion. He glanced at his watch; class was almost over anyway. He was actually impressed he’d lasted this long, seeing as he hadn’t had a solid day’s sleep since the first night of classes.

“It’s a little like using a muscle that you rarely use.” Russell agreed, hopping off the table with another wince and started leading Aaron down the path back to campus. “But with time, magic will be as instinctive as breathing. Did you have any questions about today’s lessons?”

Accompanying the professor down the path, Aaron shook his head. “I don't think so; you've explained this very well,” he replied, though he did think of something as they came up to the mouth of the path. “Although, is there anything else I should keep in mind as I practice on my own?”

“What else should you keep in mind? Lets see.” Russell frowned thoughtfully for a moment. “Well, you seem like someone who pushes themselves to achieve so remember in everything to take a break. It won’t come all at once and just like a muscle, overuse might do more harm than good. Keep a conscious focus on your breathing and consciously practice. Don’t let your mind wander, even when you think you’ve mastered a basic, otherwise you may develop poor habits that will catch you up in your advanced lessons. Other than that, I think you’re on the right path Aaron.” The Professor clapped him on the shoulder again and grinned.

Grinning back, Aaron nodded, holding his hand out for the professor to shake. “Thank you very much professor, I'll keep those things in mind. I look forward to our next lesson.”

Sprinkled throughout the Academy campus were picnic tables, lone or in groups of two or three, placed a good distance from the various paths criss-crossing the campus and usually provided with lights if students wanted to use them for studying. Some of them had shrubs and other flora nearby to offer a bit of atmosphere and privacy, and some were simply out in the open, their occupants visible to anyone walking by.

It was one of those that Aaron occupied all on his own, taking advantage of the space to spread a few texts and notebooks around as he got in a few precious minutes of study time. Despite the occasional problem of the wind turning his pages or sending his notes flying away, he’d taken to using the picnic tables as his main venue for studying; the fountain courtyard never had space, Varis was rarely home during the night to grant him access to the dorm, the dining hall was too loud and crowded, and the stir that seemed to accompany him ever since his public apology made studying in the library too distracting. But even though people could see him sitting there as they walked by, his affinity meant he could read his notes just fine without turning the light on, so to them, he was just a vague figure in the darkness. And even if they were looking at him, no one ever approached him.

Perhaps ostracization had its advantages.

Besides, the wind wasn’t a concern of his tonight. The air was very still for an autumn night, the usual rustling of trees in the breeze replaced by a chorus of crickets picking up for the fall. Considering what had been keeping him up the past several days, Aaron certainly wasn’t complaining about the lack of wind; the crickets were a welcome change. A few murmurs reached him here and there from the surrounding paths, likely more buzzing about the Arena being closed by royal instruction the night before, but while they did occasionally jar him from his focus, they were quiet enough that Aaron could (mostly) ignore them.

In fact, he had finally - whether through practice or fatigue - gotten himself to focus, largely deaf to the world as he drafted yet another set of Treaty Law notes to be passed on to Lilie when a jab to his side made him shoot out of his seat. He whirled around, hand on Dawn’s handle when an armoured hand grasped his sword arm and a man growled a warning he didn’t quite catch, stopped from subduing him only by a female voice.

“Oh, come now, that’s a tad extreme.”

A small, thin hand grasped the man’s forearm. The man, a dark-haired guard in Noila colours, complied quickly, releasing Aaron’s arm and stepping back with a muttered apology. The arm belonged to a short, slight woman draped in a thickly woven cape shawl, with silver-streaked blonde hair twisted into a low bun and blue—

“Mom?”

Aaron’s shocked expression fell in an instant, replaced immediately by a wide smile as a disbelieving laugh escaped him. His mother laughed too, leaning over a bit with the force of it, but barely had time to stand up straight before Aaron collected her in a hug, lifting her several inches up off the ground and turning before he released her. “You didn’t tell me you were going to be here!”

“I wanted to surprise you!” his mother retorted, still chuckling. “And by the looks of it, I succeeded! You must learn to relax, sweetheart.”

Aaron cocked an eyebrow. “How can I relax with the threat of sneaky fire mages ambushing me at any moment?” he joked, voice edged with mock indignation. Shaking his head, he gestured for his mother to sit, taking a seat himself and turning to face her. He assumed she was here on business with the Princess, likely related to the closure of the Arena, but a lifetime of classified comings and goings numbed him to the curiosity, and he knew better than to ask. “How are you feeling?”

“Much better now that I can finally lay eyes on you,” Ella replied, taking one of Aaron’s hands in both of hers. She did frown, though. “Although, could you turn on the light? Not all of us can see in the dark, you know.”

Aaron started reaching for the light, but got a better idea. “I’ll do you one better,” he replied mischievously, smirking as he cupped his hands in front of him. He closed his eyes for a moment and drew a long breath, and soon a little orb of white light had formed between his hands, staying in place even as he separated them. When he opened his eyes, they were blank and glowing as they always did when he practiced magic, but the unsettling look was offset by a smile.

Ella smiled back and clapped quietly, beaming. “Beautiful!” She exclaimed proudly, “Not even a month at school and already improving so much.”

Aaron chuckled bashfully, nodding as he let the light wink out. “Can’t quite move them yet, but it's definitely more efficient than bouncing light all over the place.” He reached to turn the proper light on, washing the picnic table in a soft yellow glow.

“Progress is progress, Sunshine,” Ella replied, sighing happily. “I’m just so glad to see you. Now, you must tell me everything.”

“Oh no,” Aaron teased, leaning an elbow on the picnic table. “You tell me how you managed to sneak up on me like that. I’m starting to think Clara is rubbing off on you.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “Please, I taught Clara everything she knows. She just never learned to pick her battles.” She laughed, a musical sound, though it was interrupted by a short burst of coughs at the end. Aaron looked concerned, but Ella waved him away, drawing a handkerchief from a hidden pocket somewhere in her skirt. She took a second to collect herself and clear her throat before she continued. “I told those two to keep quiet, though. Stars only know they’d have ruined the surprise with their big mouths.”

Aaron smiled warmly, eyes softening as he listened. He hadn’t been away from home all that long, but bantering like this with his mother again was like food for his soul. “Yeah, I’m amazed they listened.”

“They always listen to me,” Ella stated proudly. “But they’re old news. I’m here to hear about you. How are your classes? Have you been making friends? And who is this mysterious partner you’ve kept so hidden?”

Aaron grinned bashfully, glancing down at his hands. He supposed this night had been a long time coming. Honestly, he was astounded that it took her this long to outright ask. She'd been exceedingly patient with his beating around the bush and question-dodging, but he supposed there was a part of him that hoped he'd be able to make it to the break before he had to break the news.

“The classes are interesting!” he replied, his enthusiasm just a little forced. “You wouldn’t believe the size of them, though. My Spell Theory class probably has fifty students in it, and Treaty Law probably triple that.” Aaron shook his head. “I’ve adjusted pretty smoothly, luckily, but it is just bizarre.”

Ella looked just as confused at the arrangement as Aaron had been at first. “Well, at least Treaty Law shouldn’t be a problem for you,” she offered.

“True,” Aaron quirked his head. Varis was harsh, but even he couldn’t seem to find much fault in his knowledge of the Treaty. “You’d be surprised how many mages don’t know anything about the Treaty, though. And then some of them even actively disdain it! Such as… well, I’m sure you heard about Mr. Spellman.”

“Indeed I did,” Ella replied, folding her hands on her lap. She hid it well, but there was definitely an air of distaste surrounding the topic. Of course, she had decades more practice in subtlety than her son did, and shifted the topic with ease. “I was much more interested to hear that Her Majesty herself appointed you as his guardian.” A smirk found her features, and her voice swelled with pride. “It isn’t often a mage as young as you is assigned a duty of such importance.”

“Oh, Mom,” Aaron’s ears flushed a little, and he waved the idea away. “Don’t inflate my head now, Salem is more of a hazard to himself than anyone else.”

Ella shook her head. “Don’t get complacent. Anyone facing his accusations could be a threat, let alone when they’re inside the castle.” She straightened pridefully, prompting Aaron to do the same, but softened. “But I, for one, will sleep soundly knowing who’s in charge of keeping him in check.”

Aaron smiled bashfully. “Thank you, Mom.”

Ella smiled warmly, but moved right along. “Of course, I hope Mr. Spellman isn’t the only… acquaintance you’ve made,” she pressed.

Aaron smirked, shaking his head and inadvertently tangling his earring in his hair again. “No, actually I’ve made a few,” he assured her, pulling absently at his earring to dislodge it. “There’s Max, a metal mage whose company I enjoy almost exclusively because he hates it so much, but also Lilie, a water mage and quite a fenc—”

“Hang on dear, I’m sorry,” Ella interrupted, standing. She stood, moving Aaron’s hand and carefully disentangling the earring from his hair, much like Lilie had on the first night he got it. Aaron pulled away slightly, but didn’t have the heart to stop her.

“I don’t know what you’ve got stuck in…” she trailed off as the metallic glint of the earring shone from under his hair, disentangling it fully and examining the pendant for a moment as Aaron practically shrunk in embarrassment. Every explanation that came to mind died in his throat as her silence seemed to stretch forever, and he knew it was useless. The truth was right there in her hands; there was nothing more he could say.

“...I did think it strange that Her Highness didn’t tell me,” Ella finally admitted, almost to herself. “And… I can only assume this earring wasn’t a personal fashion choice.”

Aaron shook his head solemnly, though he did his best to hide his shame. “No, mother.”

Ella nodded, retaking her seat. She regarded her son silently for a moment, Aaron’s gut twisting all the while as he awaited the worst, before she spoke again.

“I think it suits you,” she stated, as casually as if she were talking about a new tie and not a new Noble alliance.

Aaron’s brow furrowed. “The… earring?”

“Well, yes, for a start. You definitely wear it better than Clara would with that chicken neck of hers.” She chuckled, and even Aaron was forced to crack a smile, before she got sincere again. “But beyond that, serving an esteemed Noble House definitely becomes you, Sunshine.”

“A Noble House,” Aaron pointed out, some of his disappointment leaking through, “but not the royal House.”

“You hold your tongue,” Ella reprimanded him, though there was no malice to it. “The Sinnenodels are a respected and powerful family, and I won’t hear you besmirching your new House. You know better than that.” She gave him a pointed look. “And recall that it was Her Highness Princess Ryner herself who put you in their care in the first place, and I won’t have you disrespecting her decision. I’m sure she could think of no one better for the task.” She straightened up, satisfied that her point was made. “Now, tell me about your new charge.”

Aaron dropped his head as he was reprimanded, nodding. His mother was right, of course she was. It was petty and disgraceful to talk about his new House like they were something to be ashamed of, not to mention disrespectful to Ryner herself. He’d never heard his mother say anything so glowing about the “snakes” of House Sinnenodel before, and he knew she couldn’t be pleased, but she was right; he was raised to for one job, and now it was time to do it.

“It’s Count Varis Sinnenodel,” Aaron replied, moving on to the question at hand. “He’s from a lesser branch of the family, but is also their—my Lady’s current favourite.”

“Ah yes, the young Count,” Ella nodded knowingly. “I’ve had the… well, admittedly not the pleasure, but the opportunity to meet him on several occasions, though I’d be sincerely surprised if he cared to remember me. He and Her Highness are intimate business partners, as I’m sure you know by now.”

Aaron nodded. “And he’s the current heir to House Sinnenodel, not to mention their Council seat. Should anything happen to Her Excellency, of course.”

“Indeed.” Ella smirked. “And you’re his mage. It’s really quite an honour.”

Aaron shrugged, though he had to grin. “Well, his ‘newest show mage,’ technically,” he admitted, “but yes, I suppose it is.”

Ella scoffed. “My dear, not that you wouldn’t make an excellent show mage, but I’d be amazed to see a shrewd Count like Varis waste your talents on just that.”

Aaron wasn’t so sure. “Maybe, but…” He sighed. “I’ll admit, as a whole, he doesn’t seem too impressed with me.”

Ella rolled her eyes. “That family has made disapproval into an art form. I would be much more concerned if he was impressed with you.” She laid a reassuring hand on Aaron’s forearm and offered him a smile, taking in the fatigue on his face for a moment. “Their methods are different than ours, yes. But whatever trials he has in store for you, I have no doubt you’ll overcome them.”

Aaron laid his hand on hers, expression softening. “You think so?”

Ella smiled. “I know so,” she stated matter-of-factly, her grin growing mischievous. “I know for a fact I raised a son who would settle for nothing less. Mark my words; you’ll be promoted from show mage to majordomo in no time.”

Knowing Varis so far, Aaron was hesitant to hope, but he couldn’t help but smile. Practical or not, majordomo was pretty much his dream job, and… well, things had been looking up a little lately. Was it so impractical for him to set his goals high? “Well… truth be told, I did manage to impress him recently. He even rewarded me with a free night.”

“A free night?” Ella grinned cleverly. “How interesting! And how do you plan to spend it?”

“Aside from sleeping?” Aaron chuckled. “Well, I was actually going to request the first night of the Revel.”

Ella nodded, thinking for a moment. “This year’s theme is ‘masquerade,’ isn’t it?”

“Yes, and I hear there will be a formal masquerade ball here on campus and everything,” Aaron confirmed. He grinned. “I’m actually pretty excited for it.”

Ella nodded again, and a wry smirk came to her lips. “It sounds wonderful, Sunshine,” she beamed. “But what will you wear? I know you didn’t pack anything that wouldn’t fit in at home.”

Aaron’s brow furrowed for a moment, before he had to laugh. “I suppose I didn’t really think of that.” He’d look ridiculous at the Revel in a classic suit and tie; it was a holiday for extravagance, after all.

Ella laughed as well, shaking her head and patting her son’s leg. “Don’t you worry about that,” she assured him. “I’ll have something sent for you.”

Aaron smiled, though the two were interrupted by the guard that had accompanied Ella, who had been standing to the side the entire time. “Madam Starag, I must—”

“You must nothing,” Ella snapped, “I don’t see my son in weeks and you’re rushing me? Her Highness will be fine another few minutes, not to mention quite displeased if she hears you cut off a meeting between me and my son.”

Aaron stopped her, holding out a hand and looking apologetically to the guard. “It’s fine, Mom,” he told her gently, glancing at his watch. “You know, it’s almost my curfew time anyway. I should be going.” He stood and helped his mother gently to her feet, who seemed unimpressed, but didn’t protest.

“Fair enough,” she sighed, opening her arms. Aaron stooped to hug her, though he refrained from holding her the extra moment he wanted.

“It was really nice to see you,” he told her as he released her, stooping to kiss her on the cheek.

“Likewise, my dear.” Ella smiled up at him. “Take care of yourself, Sunshine.”

“You too, Mom.” Aaron smiled down at her, and nodded to the guard, who escorted his (somewhat displeased) mother away after some final goodbyes. Aaron watched her go, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his chest. She wasn’t ashamed of him, wasn’t horrified at his new allegiance, nothing. He’d been building up the reveal in his mind for nothing; he knew she wasn’t fond of the Sinnenodels, but she clearly didn’t think he was a failure, and now that it was all out in the open, he could breathe a little easier. No more hiding possibly the biggest aspect of his life from his family, no more sneaking around the subject, everything was fine.

Still, he was glad she hadn’t asked why he wasn’t sleeping.

Campus was quieter than normal on the last Saturday before the Revel, most students squared away in the library or their dorms, catching up on whatever schoolwork or chores they needed to get done so their partying could go uninterrupted. It was a shame, though; the moon was low in the sky, making way for the stars to shine brighter than normal, and the heat wave that had blown over the campus had finally broken free, leaving the air crisp with a pleasant pre-autumn chill.

Of course, Aaron wasn’t outside to enjoy it either. He was tucked away underneath the Arena in the practice room he’d reserved for him and Max, with an extra request to have anything metal that could be removed, removed. Dawn was safely tucked away in its scabbard back at his dorm, too, and instead the practice room had been outfitted with two wooden practice swords, balanced with stone weights rather than lead. Aaron himself was also looking different than usual, his normal, formal style foregone in favour of a pair of sweatpants, a t-shirt, and sneakers. His long Sinnenodel earring had been replaced with its practice stud counterpart, the crest clearly visible what with his hair tied tightly to his head in three braids, joined at the back with pins. Nothing sticking out, nothing to be grabbed.

Aside from the clothes, though, Aaron still wasn’t quite looking like himself. He went through the motions of limbering up his joints as he waited for Max, sure, but his usual enthusiasm for training was subdued, to say the least. The dark circles that had been gradually forming under his eyes the past two weeks were out in full force, and while he was hoping some exercise would help clear his head, he couldn’t deny that he was a little disappointed that a rare respite from schoolwork, chores and punishments would be spent trading blows with Max rather than trying to catch up on a few minutes of sleep.

Max sauntered into the room nonchalantly, right on time despite his apparent disdain for having to be present. He looked as unkempt as he usually did, despite Eris’ best efforts, but his scowl was reigned in enough to almost pass for a neutral expression. He took a brief moment to inspect Aaron, then looked away with a roll of his eyes. Oooh, Retriever looked serious. This was going to be a pain, he could already tell.

“So, how’s this work?” Was Maxwell Alderman too petty to bother with even saying hello to his little arranged playmate? Yes, yes he was. “We whack each other over the head a few times and then show off our bruises to the vampies? Or am I gonna get a wonderful lesson in royal swordplay that I can show off to all my friends?” He kept his tone unenthusiastic and fairly level, letting the context spell out the sarcasm for him.

Aaron was just surprised Max showed up on time, truth be told. He ignored Max’s quip for a moment in favour of giving him an up-and-down look, inspecting his clothes. He honestly couldn’t tell if Max had dressed any differently for training - he looked like he just rolled out of bed most nights anyway - but he supposed it would do.

Foregoing pleasantries, as he’d become used to on their little vampire-mandated playdates, Aaron simply picked up the two wooden swords on the floor next to him, tossing one without warning to Max. “Something in between, I bet,” he replied, critically eyeing Max’s posture. “I know I probably already asked you this, but have you really not done any kind of combat training before?”

Max carelessly held out a hand as the sword came flying at him, then let out a derisive snort as it clattered to the floor uselessly. That was weird, normally he could still move those. At least, the ones they used in Self Defense. He let out a second, more lighthearted snort as he bent down to pick the practice weapon up, weighing it in his hand experimentally.

“D’you custom order these or something? I hope you’re not scared of me or anything.” Max taunted idly before flashing a shit-eating grin that would probably make even Eris jealous of its potency. That, or the Retriever was calling him a cheater. Which was valid, he guessed. “And no, other than the stuff we went over in class, I don’t know anything about this. Unless, like, video games count, but…” Max shrugged.

“Apparently I’m not the first one to think a metal mage might be tempted to cheat in a swordfight,” Aaron replied, returning Max’s shrug. “Besides, it’s your arms Eris wants you flexing, not your magic.”

He gestured for Max to raise his sword, and gave his posture another critical look when he’d done so. Was that how characters held swords in video games, then?

“Well, luckily the basics of swordplay are pretty idiot-proof,” Aaron continued, pacing around Max and whacking him with his own sword wherever his stance was lacking. “And if ten-year-old me could pick up the basics, so can you.” Once Max was in something that more resembled an actual ready stance, Aaron circled back in front of him, but stood at rest, sword at his side. “Alright, hit me.”

“Y’know you can just tell me what to change instead of smacking me, right? I’m not deaf.” Max hissed out, gripping the weapon with both hands. Aaron was probably wise for taking all the metal out of the room; a couple more rounds of this crap and Max would be throwing whole weapon racks around out of spite. He drew back the sword for a fairly uncreative diagonal “slash” across the torso, throwing his weight into it. The power was there, but the entire ordeal was blatantly telegraphed.

Max’s slash was met with a rather simple parry of Aaron’s sword, his blade sliding down the other (sadly without the characteristic shing of metal against metal) and carrying the power behind it sailing past Aaron, where he used the momentum to turn and slam his own blade across Max’s back. It probably wouldn’t bruise, but a piece of wood bouncing off the spine was rarely pleasant.

“You’re dead.” Aaron stated flatly. “And I hope your sensibilities weren’t too damaged by a few whacks, or you’ll find this whole ‘combat’ thing a little taxing.” He gestured for Max to raise his weapon again. “You’re too slow. Don’t show your opponent what you’re about to do. And if you run at them like a bull every time, you’ll end up having your power used against you. Always have a plan in case your hit doesn’t land. Try again.”

Max groaned and lifted his sword as instructed, sticking with his two-handed approach. It wasn’t like he’d have much finesse regardless of how he was holding the weapon, so he might as well stick to something that had a bit more power behind it.

“Question, am I allowed to just deck you?” He was only half-kidding. Fists were fairly intuitive, he figured he couldn’t get that wrong too. Then again, he thought swords were fairly intuitive but Aaron seemed to feel the need to prove him wrong. Max didn’t give Aaron a chance to respond before he was coming at him again, drawing his weapon back to the side for what looked like another uninspired horizontal swing across the gut. He tilted the sword downward as he swung, aiming for the legs in an attempt to be a bit more slick in his approach; though he fully expected to just get whacked in his undefended face for the effort.

Max was partially right: Aaron caught his sword with a two-handed downward block, stopping his momentum outright rather than redirecting it. Bringing both swords up, Aaron twisted Max on his leading foot, putting him off balance to a point where a sweep of his own leg sent him unceremoniously to the floor, where Aaron poked the tip of his blade into Max’s stomach.

“Dead. Leg shots are too risky at your level. Your opponent will gain the upper hand,” Aaron explained simply. He had to admit, even if the circumstances were taxing and Max was the student, it was kind of fun to be the one instructing for once. He had tens of thousands of ‘deaths’ under his belt; it felt kinda good to be the one dealing them out for a change.

Returning his blade to his side, he looked at Max on the ground for a moment, before his face finally split into a grin. “You’re welcome to deck me if you think you can do it,” he chuckled, tossing his sword to the floor for effect. “Or you could charge an unarmed man, if that’s more your speed.”

Max groaned again. He was expecting to lose the altercation, not end up on his ass. While he was tempted to just try to tackle the other boy, he had the feeling there was some nasty surprise waiting for him if he tried it so obviously. He decided to just flick his sword to smack at Aaron’s ankle before standing up.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re gonna armbar me or something, right?” Figures that they trained the prize pet to do everything. Max stepped back into his ready stance, idly waving the practice blade around while he waited for Aaron to pick his own back up. “So where should I be aiming?”

“I really don’t think a punch from you would require an armbar, but that’d be your prerogative,” Aaron chuckled, raising an eyebrow at the little ankle tap but otherwise picking his sword back up without delay.

The question, though, was a little difficult to answer. Truthfully, there were a million places where he should be aiming, but they were all dependent on a multitude of different contexts that no one on earth had time to explain in full. Aaron had learned through trial and error, attacking and ‘dying’ hundreds and hundreds of times over years of training until he learned the difference between what worked and what didn’t; how exactly could he explain what was essentially instinct to him by now?

“I would say aim for your opponent’s weak points, but you’ll have a hard time recognizing them at this stage,” he decided, moving into an actual two-handed ready stance with the tip of his sword trained toward the floor. “You’ll find that what looks like an opening often isn’t one. It all comes with practice. Try again.”

So, in other words, Retriever was a total hack. Figures. Not that Max could really blame him; combat was too fluid for Aaron to just give him a one-size-fits-all checklist to follow.

“You know you suck at this, right?” Max muttered as he once again stepped in for a swing, though he hesitated before going for anything aggressive. Feints were out; he wasn’t fast enough to actually misdirect Aaron or manage to score a real hit in the window he’d created even if he could. Ideally, he’d exploit an opening in an extended melee, but he couldn’t even get to that point if he kept getting pretend-killed on the second swing.

Max played it as safe as possible, going for a swipe across Aaron’s torso again, though he didn’t throw his weight into it this time; keeping the majority of his weight on his back leg so he’d be able to - in theory - easily step away from any counters.

At least Max learned from his mistakes, but of course, it was far from perfect. Aaron couldn’t fairly expect perfection anyway, but it didn’t stop him from having a bit of fun with the leeway he was given.

Max’s swing was well telegraphed, and clearly weaker than his previous attempts, more of a true slash than a heavy chop. Aaron didn’t bother parrying with his sword, instead stepping back and raising his left arm, catching the blow on his forearm before whacking the blade down and lunging forward with his own, sending the tip far past Max’s side in a simulation of being run through and tapping his hip with it. It certainly wasn’t an optimal reply to a slash, but it was a fun little teaching moment.

“I may have a useless arm now, but you’re still dead,” Aaron explained, straightening up. He held up his sword. “A longsword is not a baseball bat. You can use it one or two-handed, depending on your situation. It’s actually very versatile.”

He held his sword in both hands, mimicking a diagonal downward chop, similar to what Max had done the first time. “A two-handed grip gives you more power. If you think you’re safe to do so, you can cut off limbs with a good two-handed swing, or easily kill someone with a chop to the shoulder or the side.” He demonstrated as he spoke, before switching to a one-handed grip.

“A one-handed grip gives you more reach, a few more options, but less power.” Aaron swung the sword in several directions, showing how it could be manipulated with movements of the elbow and wrist. “It leaves your free hand open and doesn’t rely on throwing your weight behind it. Better for weaker strikes like slashes and lunges, and less predictable.”

He straightened up when he finished, sword back at his side. “As for me sucking, you can direct your complaints to House Bordeleaux if you want, but they’re not known for being receptive to criticism from mortals,” he smirked, imagining the look on Lucan’s father’s face if a mage even dared tell him his shoe was untied.

Max let his sword hang lazily at his side as he listened to the explanation. He already knew that, but what was he supposed to do with a free hand? Slap Aaron across the face? Flip him off? Catch his sword like an overpowered cartoon character? Well, Max had a few practical ideas, but none that would work in this specific scenario.

“Hmmph. They’re lucky, I can’t even pronounce Border-lows, so I guess they’re getting spared from my complaints for now.” Max paced idly, eyeing Aaron up and down with a narrowed gaze as he caught his breath. He didn’t really need to win - he wasn’t that motivated here - but he did want to hurt the light mage somehow, if for nothing else than his pride.

Going for another surprise blow out of spite, he shot forward explosively from his otherwise casual stance, sword low as he made a swipe for Aaron’s shoulder with his free hand in an attempt to grip the other mage’s shirt while he aggressively thrusted the tip of his pretend sword toward Aaron’s stomach in a gutting motion.

Aaron widened his stance on instinct as soon as Max moved, lowering himself a bit and bracing for an impact. When Max made contact, Aaron immediately grabbed his wrist, twisting it to force him to drop the sword while his other arm came up to hook under Max’s shoulder. Pulling the other mage tight to him, in one smooth motion Aaron wedged his hip under Max’s back leg and dipped to grab the front, pulling it up from under him and slamming the mage to the floor on his back.

“What did you expect to accomplish with that?” Aaron questioned after a few breaths, dropping Max’s ankle. He wasn’t entirely displeased, though; he hadn’t been expecting Max to move that fast for him of all people.

Max let out a cough, apparently having been winded from getting smacked into the floor unexpectedly. He took a minute to catch his breath before responding, which gave Aaron a nice bit of buffer time to let Max cool off.

“I was gonna gut you… Or something. Fuck.” Max picked himself up off the floor enough to roll over on his side and prop himself up slightly with his elbow. “Don’t lie, that would’ve worked on a guy who didn’t know how to flip people and you know it.” He made a lazy grab for his sword, though he didn’t look too keen on continuing. At least not right at the moment. “Next time you’re getting a handicap. I get five swords and you get, like… half of one.”

He finally rolled back into a sitting position, letting out an irritated huff. Blind trial and error wasn’t helpful, but he didn’t know anyone else that knew how to use a sword. Except Count Astronomy, he guessed, but he figured he’d be even worse than Aaron, and if he wasn’t; Max didn’t want to give that absolute monster a pass to beat the shit out of him under any circumstances.

“Fuck, indeed,” Aaron repeated, watching Max compose himself with a hint of a smirk. “The first time I tried to surprise-attack my instructor, I had the good sense to go at him from behind.” He chuckled at the memory. “I got kicked square in the chest. By a vampire. I swear I thought my heart had stopped.” He left out the part where he’d burst out laughing at the end of it all. A story for another time. “He did break a rib, though. I think. Hard to remember, honestly.”

As Max worked on getting air back in his body, Aaron sauntered over to the edge of the room, picking up both swords on the way and leaning them against a rack before taking a seat on a bench.

“It’s a tough way to learn but it works. I usually find you learn a lesson better when it hurts for a few nights,” he eventually said, more to the room than to Max in particular. “Although that was after ten years of throwing myself at my teachers for hours every night until I got it right. I’m not sure you have that kind of time.” He smirked, leaning over to look at Max. “I’m sure Eris could pay for a proper teacher, if you’d swallow your pride and ask. Maybe they’ll give you a handicap.”

“I would rather eat this practice sword right here than ask Eric for a favor. A favor for the thing he’s making me do in the first place, at that.” Max let out another huff. “Besides, our little playdate schedule is still fixed regardless. What else would we do? Talk about the weather?”

As much as he hated small talk, small talk with the Retriever was somehow even worse. He was too sheltered to talk about anything except vampires and magic with, which Max pointedly didn’t want to think about when he didn’t have to. Not that getting his ass kicked was much better, but at least he could pretend it was useful for him.

“I would honestly lay down on that safety mat and spend the rest of our lovely get-together sleeping if I didn’t think you’d write things on my face while I did it,” Aaron replied dryly, leaning back against the wall and running a hand down his face. He let out a long breath, almost two weeks’ worth of sleepless days clearly audible as he did. Aaron didn’t drop his prim and proper attitude all that much, and wasn’t usually fond of doing it in front of people by a long shot, but out of everyone he knew, Max was the one he cared the least about seeing him a little haggard. A nap on the practice mat definitely sounded appealing, but Varis would know he was slacking if he came home with dicks drawn all over his face.

Rubbing his eyes for a moment, he forced himself to open them, though he stayed sat back against the wall. “So, I don’t know… how’s Treaty Law going? I’m sure you’re fond of your little study group.”

Max let out an amused snort at the prospect of doodling all over Aaron, but quickly transitioned into feigned offense. “Drawing on your face? I’m hurt. It’s like you don’t know me at all. If you did, you’d know I never keep a pen on me.” He slumped back into a neutral demeanor, flopping down on his back on the mat. “Treaty Law sucks, your friends suck, Count Cinnamon sucks, and that class is the biggest waste of time on my schedule. What about you, why do you look like shit all of a sudden?”

In truth, Max really hadn’t paid enough attention to notice anything with off with Aaron initially, but all the talk of napping had tipped him off a bit. The cause was fairly self-evident, but Max always did like the latest inane gossip on his third-or-fourth-least favorite vampire. Cinnamon probably ran out of doors to confiscate for bad behavior and moved on to the bed.

Aaron let out a half-hearted chuckle at the pen quip, but otherwise simply let his head fall back against the wall, inwardly rolling his eyes at Max’s contempt for learning the laws that governed every aspect of his life. He would almost have been flattered when Max asked (in his own acidic way) how he was doing, if he wasn’t pretty sure the other mage would write down his troubles in a journal somewhere for future use in insults.

Besides, what exactly was he meant to say? Confess the horrors he bore witness to every time Eris spent the day in the Sinnenodel dorm? Drop the moral weight of feeding the details of his supposed friends’ personal life to Varis every night? Or perhaps tell him all about the cryptic recurring nightmares that had been plaguing him ever since the first night of classes. Max already thought he was an idiot and a pain, he didn’t need rumours floating around that he was crazy, too.

“Aside from getting up two hours earlier than I otherwise would to write lines and periodically sleeping on the patio?” Aaron questioned sardonically, “Just treasure every day you get without Eris around, and remember that whenever he isn’t at your dorm, he’s over at mine.” He chuckled bitterly. “Sleep just isn’t usually in the cards for me.”

Sleeping on the patio? Damn, Varis really just confiscated the whole house, didn’t he? “And I thank you for your sacrifice. It’s so quiet without him around,” And, conversely, he had the strangest feeling the Sinnenodel dorm got very loud. Eris just gave off that vibe. Disgusting. “Buy some earplugs, pretend they’re wrestling, I dunno.” He didn’t really know what Eris did when he was hanging out with Cinnamon, but it had to be something other than disappointing their respective fathers, right? Normally he would’ve assumed there was frequent pantslessness from Aaron’s tone, but knowing Eris, he could very well just be pestering the hell out of the mage in a fully-clothed way too.

“You’d think that interferes with blood quality. Cinnamon’s not very good at food prep, is he? At the very least, how fast it replenishes. Anemia probably sucks for both parties.” Max was just throwing out excuses at this point, whether Aaron took them or not was on him. Truly, he was such a generous soul.

Aaron chuckled darkly at Max’s suggestions. Earplugs would have been great, but without money of his own he’d need to beg Varis for them and there was no way the Count would let him get off so easily. Like with everything, he was expected to adjust. Besides, somehow Eris’ occasional stays at the Sinnenodel dorm were the least of his sleep problems.

At the blood quality comment, Aaron shrugged. “He only feeds from me about once a week, if that,” he admitted, leaving out the part where the reason for it was that Varis apparently got too drunk off his blood to conveniently drink it every evening. “Truth be told I almost miss it; the rush helps me relax, if you can believe it.” Some nights it was the only relaxation he got, but he was already sharing more of a sob story than he was accustomed to and Aaron had no interest in delving any deeper into his own life.

“And what about you? You seem to be… adjusting.”

“Eric drinks out of my crotch.” Blunt. Straightforward. No shame. Okay, a little shame. But, like, more of a denouncement of Eris than an admission of personal shame. “Other than that, he’s like a nagging manager. I think he just emulates his agent,” Max put on a horrible Eris impression before continuing, “Maximillian, eat a nice diet; Maxibald, make sure you walk the dog; Maxie Number Two, go on a playdate with Sunny. Magic’s coming along, that’s all I really care about. Leeches do what they will and mages suffer what they must. Apparently.” His voice took a bit of a harsher tone toward the end, but he still looked rather passive should Aaron get a glance of his face.

Aaron shrugged, if not a little pained. Drinking from the femoral artery sounded like more trouble than it was worth in his opinion - honestly, who had the time? - but he didn’t doubt that that would be how Eris went about things. The rest brought something resembling a chuckle out of him, especially at the impression; sure, femoral artery sounded awful, but for the rest of Max’s life to be so lax, it seemed like a fair enough trade.

He did feel for Max, though. He could put up a snarky front all he wanted, but anyone could tell the transition had been hard on him. And how couldn’t it? He’d been torn from relative freedom and thrown unceremoniously into a world of servants and masters that he seemed to only be beginning to understand, never to go back to the life he knew before. Aaron was hesitant to give him too much credit, rude bastard that he was, but that little bite in his voice really said it all.

“That seems to be the way of things,” he replied absently. He’d spare Max the speeches he usually gave Salem about the importance of the world order and how their sacrifice was for the benefit of mankind at large; he knew he wasn’t convincing Max any time soon. But Max, at least, wasn’t speaking radical reform to power and all but begging for a swift separation from his head, so Aaron could live with a little constant chafing.

“Affinity progress, that’s good. You’ll be an expert chair-thrower in no time,” Aaron continued, though he lost the energy to try and keep the tone light the minute he started. He sighed, looking over to Max on the floor. “And I know you’re not exactly hanging on my every word, but for what it’s worth, you’re doing pretty good.” He’d let Max figure out what he meant by that.

“Gee, thanks,” Max replied in a deadpan. He would’ve gone with an actual quip there, but Retriever sounded like he was trying to be genuine, so Max might as well take what he could get. Not that he thought it meant much. What would Aaron of all people be praising him for? Being a good little lapdog? The other mage might as well have just insulted him.

“And that’s some tough talk for a guy whose whole affinity can be outclassed by a flashlight.” Chair-thrower, pssh. He was a chair-destroyer at the very least. What were light mages good for? Aside from melting leeches, which was admirable, but he knew Aaron would never have the balls for that kind of thing.

“Talk to me in a year or so when you won’t be able to tell between reality and illusion,” Aaron shot back, matching Max’s tone. Although, his really didn’t hold much malice. Harsh as he was, it was kind of hard to take Max’s insults seriously. “Could be fun, though. Seeing you walk into invisible poles would definitely make my day a little brighter.”

“I can think of about ten different counters to that. The first of which being, I dunno, stand still? Not impressing me here.” Max sat back up and worked his way lethargically to his feet. As much as he enjoyed a theoretical pissing match about stuff they may or may not be able to do, going back to his dorm sounded like a good time too. Aaron clearly wanted a nap, assuming Cinnamon would let him have one, at least. “Are we done here or is there a time limit we need to hit? You’re clearly out of it and I clearly suck.”

At this rate, he really was going to have to ask Eris for a tutor. How tiresome. Maybe he could try fighting on his own terms (read: magically flailing fifteen weapons) to make up for his lack of skills, but faulty fundamentals were a serious liability in any field. Otherwise he’d be stuck asking that leech who ran Self-Defense, but that guy seemed just as eager to beat people up as Aaron was.

Aaron leaned over enough to rummage through his bag and pull out his watch. “It’s been… long enough, I think,” he conceded, standing and collecting his things. He didn’t despise Max’s company as much as Max despised his - truth be told, he almost enjoyed it - but he felt about as passionate about their little ‘hangouts’ as Max did.

“I can clean up here, just… no, yeah, that’s fine,” Aaron finally concluded. If Max was as winded as he seemed and went home to Eris that way, both vampires would probably be satisfied that their mages’ time was well spent. Looking back up to Max, Aaron shrugged, gesturing to the practice swords. “Let me know if you want to do this again, so I can book the room. Otherwise I suppose it’ll be back to invigorating small talk.”

“We’ll see what happens,” Max offered in response. It was a step above ‘Don’t push your luck’, but not by much. Maybe once he had a working skillset down and wasn’t just getting beat up for the fun of it. “I was serious though. Next time, I’m getting five swords and you’re getting a broken one.”

Max idly made his way to the door, lagging a bit as he glanced back, “You sure you don’t want any help cleaning up?” It wasn’t like there was much to clean up, it was just two swords. Still, he felt like it was polite to ask.

“Yeah, we’ll see if you do any better with five,” Aaron chuckled, bending to pick up his bag and placing it on the bench. Max’s question surprised him though, and the shock of hearing Max be polite to a mage made him hesitate a second before shaking his head, waving Max’s concern away. “No, don’t worry about it. I won’t be long anyway. Thank you, though.”

“Uh-huh.” Max threw a dismissive wave behind himself as he turned away and headed out the door. He pulled out his phone and flipped to the front camera. Yeah, he looked fucked up enough. Maybe he could show off a bruise or two to really impress Eris. He deliberately ran a hand through his bangs to tussle them even more and trudged back to his dorm.

Aaron waved back, more out of reflex than anything, and watched until the door had closed behind Max and he could no longer hear his footsteps. Letting his bag drop from his shoulder, he let out a sigh, reaching up to untie the braids holding his hair to his head. Truth be told, he hoped Max would want to do something like this again; between schoolwork, household responsibilities, punishments, and a steady increase in the duties Varis assigned him, Aaron was losing out on more and more of the training time he was used to. And since he was accustomed to using exercise to unwind, the lack of training was really starting to gnaw at him. Well, that and about a hundred other things.

Once he had the swords ready for return and the safety mat cleaned, Aaron pulled out his phone and opened his calendar app, scrolling to the entry for his practice room time, flicking the light off as he did. He still had about half an hour; maybe he could get a little sleep before he was expected back.

Aaron woke with a start, not quite crying out, but close enough to it. His legs were tangled up in bedsheets, his duvet long gone, and his body was covered in a cold sweat. His mouth was dry, his throat sore and hoarse, as if the screams he loosed through the little girl’s mouth in his dream had been let out in reality as well. But he knew he must have stayed quiet. Varis surely would have chastised him otherwise.

He allowed himself a moment to get his breathing to slow before reaching for a large glass of water on his nightstand, wincing at the first few painful swallows as he downed the whole thing before returning for his phone. The darkness split as the screen came to life, showing a wallpaper image of Noila forest at the castle and the time. 12:45pm. Same as every day.

With fingers still unsteady from panic, Aaron put his phone to sleep and tossed it to the bed, letting his body fall back to the mattress with a huff. Even though the dream ended on something like a hopeful note, it still took a few minutes after waking for the fear to subside. Images from it flashed through his head in a set pattern, his flawed mortal brain playing a highlight reel of the most disturbing moments until they no longer frightened him, heart rate finally slowing as the images finally dissolved away. Only to begin it all anew the next day.

Day after day after day, without fail, ever since the start of classes. How many times was it now? Aaron didn’t care to figure it out; he could count when he got back up in the evening.

Adrenaline eventually gave way to exhaustion and the heat of panic left with it, soon replaced by a chill Aaron had grown familiar with. It always reminded him of the chill in the dream, the cold that seeped into the very marrow of his bones as if it was a part of him, but he pushed that thought away. It would haunt him later, sure - that and everything else about the dream - but he didn’t need to give it any more time than it already got to fester.

With a muted groan he rolled to the side of the bed and retrieved his duvet, throwing it haphazardly over himself and doing his best to settle back down. He did most of it for shame’s sake; though nights and nights’ worth of compounded fatigue weighed heavily on him, he knew he wouldn’t fall back asleep for some time.

At first he thought it was a comfort that Salem was suffering the same nightmares too, but it was soon clear that it only brought up more questions. The lingering guilt of betraying Salem’s confidence to Varis - senseless as Aaron tried to convince himself it was - also twisted stomach, but not more than the thought that whatever thin tie Salem’s nightmares might have to what happened at dinner might be tied to him as well.

And then there was the dream itself: The memories of pain so vivid Aaron almost believed he himself had lived through them; the dank, foul air of a cell he knew every inch of, without ever having seen it; a deep, familiar hunger Aaron could swear he felt even now; and below it all, an all-pervasive terror he knew intimately, but had never experienced himself.

That wasn’t even to mention the names. Even the first time the nightmare had struck him, before it returned day after day and before he knew he wasn’t alone in suffering it, Aaron was suspicious of it because or the names. Ellmare. Yvaine Eve. Not once before had his dreams ever featured names he didn’t know (nor did they often feature names at all), and for one of those names to be an Eve? An Eve whose name he’d never heard before? It didn’t sit well, to say the least.

Try as he might to push it from his mind, though, Aaron’s thoughts always returned to the litany of horrors he lived every time he tried to sleep. It haunted him in his waking hours, anytime there was a lull that allowed his mind to wander—and he had had enough. His responsibilities were only multiplying and his instruction only advancing, and he was struggling to keep up with it all. Recent nights found him so exhausted he had trouble reading, and other people were starting to notice the dark circles under his eyes. Something had to be done. If he couldn’t find reprieve from the nightmare itself, he had to at least find some answers.

Newly determined, Aaron rolled out of bed and grabbed his stationery, writing a spur-of-the-moment letter to the only person he could think of who could help.

Your Royal Highness,

My sincerest apologies for bothering you at this hour, but if I fail to make this request now I might lose the courage to make it. I would request an audience - or, ‘appointment’ now I suppose - at your earliest convenience, if you’d have me.

Forgive my boldness, but I don’t know where else to turn.

Faithfully yours,
Aaron Starag

Aaron received a letter during his first class the next night, a glossy envelope stamped with the school’s seal. His appointment with Ryner had been set for the lunch period that night and urged that he not miss it due to a tight travelling schedule. A few students side eyed him after the apology incident last week. The muttering around him, or the sudden silences when he entered a room, faded away after a couple of nights but a larger wedge was clearly forming between him and the main student body.

To his credit, Aaron paid the looks no mind. It was more than a little embarrassing, and a trifle upsetting even (not that he’d ever admit it) to be looked at like some kind of freak, but that particular night, after fifteen straight days of impossible sleep and haunted waking hours, he was beyond caring. Besides, maybe tonight they were only looking at him because he looked like some kind of ghost with his pallid complexion and dark, sunken circles under his eyes. The reason didn’t matter much; he had more pressing concerns.

He stopped to splash some cold water on his face before his meeting time with the Princess, having to enlist the help of a campus guard to find his way to her office. After he dismissed the guard with his thanks, he paused outside her door to straighten his tie and flatten his lapel; a routine that had become deeply ingrained habit from his early teen years. He knocked properly and awaited the Princess’ summons before entering the office with a customary bow.

Ryner’s office on campus matched her home office, down to the very rug on the floor. Bookshelves flanked the room but where the fireplace was, only another bookshelf and two windows overlooking the campus behind her. Ryner sat at the desk with a pen gliding across paper, a beautiful paper bouquet set in a glass vase on her desk, but she looked up at Aaron’s entrance, the focused frown on her face softening into a fond smile that quickly morphed into concern as she took in his appearance. She put the pen down and nodded at one of the chairs across from her. Ryner took a moment to put away a few books on the shelf behind her and then gave Aaron her full attention. A small platter of fruits, cheese, and vegetables sat on a small side table between the chairs.

“I couldn’t get you in any sooner than lunch this evening or I would have, Aaron. Your message gave me quite a fright when I was handed it this evening but I was assured if it was life or death, you would have had the good sense to wake me up. Though now seeing you in person, I’m not sure why I allowed myself to be persuaded against my original concerns.” Ryner gestured at the platter. “And since I interrupted your lunch, I made sure to have something ready for you. Not the greatest selection but I won’t see you go hungry if we run into your next class. Come sit and tell me what is weighing so heavily on you, Aaron.”

Aaron barely had time to get his bow out of the way before Princess Ryner was ushering him into a chair; he certainly wouldn’t protest, though, sitting gratefully with an amused glance at the bouquet on the desk. “I see Lilie got to you, too, Your Highness,” he half-joked, gesturing at the flowers. “Sadly Master replaced mine, but he replaced it with lavender, so… there’s that.”

Fatigue played a lot of dirty tricks on him, it seemed, crashing his train of thought completely half the times he tried to put together a sentence. And it clearly wasn’t only him who noticed; Ryner’s concern was at once heartwarming and saddening, Aaron both touched and suddenly feeling terrible for disturbing her so badly.

“You’re very kind, Your Highness, thank you,” Aaron began, referring both to the food she provided and her haste in arranging the appointment. “And I’m terribly sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was frighten you.” He offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but it didn’t last very long. He knew she could see his distress etched into his features clear as day; there was no use hiding it.

“But, I won’t delay,” he resolved, though he did take a moment and a long, tired breath to figure out exactly how to breach the issue.

“Well, to be frank, I’ve been experiencing a rash of nightmares since the first night of classes,” he finally admitted, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Or, rather, one nightmare, recurring. It’s been interrupting my sleep for fifteen days and tormenting my waking hours as well. Nothing the infirmary gave me helped me sleep through it, and, well…” he gestured to himself, chuckling helplessly. “You see the result.”

“But of course I’d never bother you for something as trivial as nightmares,” he added quickly, mortified at the very thought. “No, the reason I went to you - and no one else - is, well…” he was losing his train of thought again, though be it fatigue or shame, he wasn’t sure. “I have… reason to believe there might be more to it than bad dreams.”

“Aaron.” Ryner stood and made her way around her desk, settling in the chair next to Aaron. “I know you hold yourself to high expectations and those are certainly a result of your training as a Starag but if you are struggling or upset, you will always find sanctuary with me. Regardless of where you are, your health and happiness is always a priority to me so don’t be so hard on yourself for seeking help. Even if it is as trivial as nightmares.” Ryner smiled warmly at Aaron.

“Now, you said you had reason to believe it may be more than bad dreams? Tell me what you’ve learned and I’ll see if I can shed some light on this mystery.”

The Princess’ insistence was a great comfort, and it felt better than Aaron would like to admit to have someone so occupied with his personal wellbeing, even though he felt it was undeserved. He dropped his head and nodded in concession, offering a small, more sincere smile as his thanks before moving on to the more pressing topic.

“That’s just the thing, Your Highness; I haven’t learned anything.” Exasperation born of frustration edged his voice as he sat more upright, leaning one arm on the arm of his chair and turning to the Princess. “Let me go back.”

“This nightmare I’ve been having is identical every day, and always wakes me at 12:45pm, no exceptions,” he began. “I see through the eyes of a young girl who’s been subjected to unspeakable abuse, trapped in a cold cell for who knows how long, and hearing voices. I have her memories, I feel what she feels, and it is agonizing.” He physically grimaced at the thought. “Someone comes for her, a man with a thick accent and a belt, and she prepares herself for more abuse, until a woman - a vampiress in a fur coat - kills the man and rescues her. She gives her food and a coat, takes her from her cell and out of the manor she’s in and loads her in a carriage, telling her the man accompanying them won’t hurt her. She tells the girl she’ll take her to live with her, and teach her to selectively listen to the voices. The girl finally feels some measure safer, falls asleep, and then…” Aaron’s tired eyes were distant, glossed over and focused far away. “Then I wake up.”

He stared another second or two before he came back to his senses, blinking and shaking his head before refocusing on the Princess. “The strangest part is, there are names in this dream. I don’t remember ever having dreamt names before. The vampiress knows the girl’s name - Ellmare - and right before Ellmare falls asleep, the vampiress introduces herself. As Yvaine Eve.” He studied the Princess’ face, almost desperately, for any sign of recognition. “Do you recognize that name at all, Your Highness?”

It was subtle but the motion was there. Ryner tensed as Aaron spoke that name: Yvaine Eve. Memories welled up unbidden as Aaron’s story trailed off and the Princess looked past Aaron as she contemplated how to respond. She started more than once but eventually she did, setting back into her chair with a sigh. “I certainly do not doubt the validity of your nightmare. Not with First tongue rolling out of your mouth. Ellmare isn’t a name, it’s a word. As we’ve come to understand, it translates to that which falls from the moon. We think, more casually, it translates to moonlight. Perhaps it was a term of endearment or a suggestion of purpose for this ability this girl had. Do you remember more about these voices specifically? Some time when they would occur or a triggering condition?”

Aaron leaned forward in concern as a myriad of emotions flashed behind the Princess’ eyes, worry clear on his face. Had he dredged up something unpleasant? He was still concerned when she finally got her words together, though his brow furrowed in confusion. First Tongue? Moonlight? So it wasn’t a name, but Aaron had no idea why First Tongue would be floating around in his head either. It was an ancient language, and one he’d never learned. But Yvaine Eve had to be a name… right?

Well, that was what he was here to find out. “Hmm…” he hummed in thought, running back over the well-trodden sequence of the dream once more to see if there was a pattern to the voices. “They came… with the wind…” he murmured, lost in thought another moment before he nodded more certainly. “They came with the wind, except when she was with Yvaine. Then the wind still blew, but the voices stayed quiet, and Ellmare was surprised. Relieved.” Aaron nodded to himself again, but snapped his fingers suddenly, remembering another detail.

“Yvaine said the voices were carried on the wind, for those who knew how to listen,” he added quickly, looking back to the Princess hopefully. “Those who were… she said ‘very special.’ And she said that she could teach Ellmare to listen only when she wanted. Is that what you mean?”

"Words on the wind? That sounds similar to Divination magic. If I recall, it's a tertiary affinity of Air. Which would explain why she heard them on the wind and why she was being treated that way.." Sadness overcame Ryner as she sighed again and smiled apologetically. "Unfortunately, this does leave us in a bit of a predicament. Given that you are seeing these visions, I believe you deserve the truth. It is a heavy one. Do you think you can handle it Aaron?"

Why she was being treated that way? What? Aaron had heard no such thing, of divining mages being treated purposefully poorly. Hell, he'd heard divination recommended to students struggling to find their affinity. But the Princess seemed to think it made sense, so Aaron wasn't sure what to think.

As if she could read his mind, though, Princess Ryner was offering the truth. A wave of relief washed over him at the same time a new anxiety struck; to know that he was not being plagued by utter nonsense both comforted and terrified him. For all he knew she was going to decry him as mad, but whatever heavy truth she was withholding… he had to know.

“Your Highness, these nightmares have been tormenting me day and night without reprieve. When I'm not tossing and turning and living them, I'm obsessing over them. It's consuming me.” Try as he might to keep his voice even, there was desperation in it. “Whatever the truth may be… I don't think I can go on without it.”

"If it will ease your days, then I shall tell you. History tells us magic arose shortly before the blood wars, an unrefined tool in the hands of those not yet prepared to wield it. History tells us that is why the Treaty was formed, to protect both races because neither one was strong enough to stand against the Lycans. But those of us who’ve lived this long know that to be false." Ryner stood, pacing as she spoke softly. "Magic and those who command it have existed longer than it has been recorded. It was misunderstood, feared, ignored and those who worked with it were universally reviled by the human race. They were seen as freaks, as monsters. And so they were killed, caged, and silenced. In fact, the things they would do to mages back then have inspired several Astorio punishments." Ryner paused and looked at Aaron with tired eyes.

"So we hid the truth. A decade into the Treaty's existence, we saw a fundamental power shift that threatened our society. Mages wanted revenge, Aaron. For all the years of pain and suffering, they cried out for their pound of flesh. Back then, mages and humans mingled regularly as humans do with each other. But we were on the brink of a civil war." Ryner sighed again. "So I rewrote history. A small group of us came together and cut out the worst pain any race suffered at the hands of another and took away the plight of the mages altogether. We silenced those who spoke against it, removed the content from schools and public forums. Two centuries later and no one but the vampires remembered the beatings, the executions, the abuse of the magically inclined at the hands of those without it and peace ruled." Ryner spread her hands and shrugged. "I don't know why you are having these visions but that should shed a little clarity on your situation."

Aaron listened carefully, slowly sinking into the back of the chair as Ryner gave her explanation. He twined his hands together, spinning his ring as he so often did, and as the Princess finished, his eyes fell to meet them. He was silent for a moment, mulling over a gruesome hidden history until he finally took a breath and spoke.

“...And peace ruled,” he repeated, pausing another long moment before nodding, apparently satisfied. He turned to the Princess. “We mortals are deeply flawed and jealous beings, Your Highness. I'm not surprised we were at each other’s throats, or that it took an immortal intervention to put a stop to it.”

He took a deep breath. “So, you believe these are not just nightmares, but visions? From… from the past?”

"You've never displayed an affinity for this before so I'm hesitant to call them visions but considering there isn't any immediate alternative, I am willing to consider it. The only question would be why are you getting them?" Ryner took her seat beside Aaron, a thoughtful frown on her face again. "I'll admit I am not a magical scholar so my input on the matter may be rather limited. If you're interested, I could spend some time looking into it. While I'm sure recommending you to one of our staff would be beneficial, the information I just gave you is… privileged information."

“Yes, the why of it is much of what’s been preoccupying me for the past two weeks,” Aaron concurred. “If you think it worth looking into, Your Highness, then I would welcome anything you could come up with. And, of course, your information is safe with me. It won’t leave this room.” He assured her with a faint smile, but it fell soon after.

“Speaking of, though, I think it’s prudent to tell you that I am not the only one experiencing this… whatever it is,” he forced out, rubbing a hand down his face in agitation. “Mr. Spellman gets them too, down to the last detail.”

Agitation turned to full-on disgust in himself as Aaron leaned forward once more, burying his face in his hands. “And I’ve done a most reprehensible thing, Your Highness,” he lamented into his hands, guilt and exhaustion very briefly overriding his training before he pulled himself together again and sat up. “I reported that fact to Master - as I’d been told - but I didn’t tell him I also got the nightmares. And when he asked me why I wasn’t sleeping, I lied.” He massaged the bridge of his nose for a moment, eyes squeezed shut as guilt and fear took hold of him. “I worried it would implicate me in Salem’s investigation if we were both known to be experiencing identical, cryptic nightmares, so I did the cowardly thing and lied. And now with a real possibility that there could be more to this, I fear that my mistake might prove even graver than I thought.”

“These are strange circumstances, Aaron. I for one do not hold your actions against you. You’ve been faced with something unknown, have taken initiative to seek help, and have protected confidential information. Varis does not have the authority to know what you do so you’ve inadvertently protected the State, the Council, and me by withholding what you know. Take solace in that.” Ryner reached out and took one of his hands, warming herself up to match him.

“Considering your dream contains confidential information, its contents are now under the protection of the Council and its authorities. You and Salem, as affected members of the occurrence, have the right to pursue what you need within reason. It is also, unfortunately, now your responsibility to safeguard that information, through force, duplicity, or any other means the situation demands.” Ryner spun this tale as quickly as she could, lying once again with the ease of a vampire far older than she wished to be. If she gave him the responsibility, perhaps he wouldn’t be so overwhelmed with guilt for something that was in his best interests. If Varis discovered the truth of the situation, things would spiral downhill far quicker than she was prepared to handle. “Moving forward, I will give you the information you are allowed to pass on to Varis, if I find any. That should keep his concerns allayed until another more pressing issue rears its head. Everyone knows his Lady is quite capable of keeping him busy.”

“But for the safety of our society, we must keep the peace. Stars know what Varis would do with the information you have now. Can you do that for me, Aaron?” Ryner pleaded. If he said no, Ryner would have to handle it another way and it would set them back centuries. Again. Putting Varis in contact with Yvaine would ruin everything and even though Ryner didn’t know where she was now, the damn brat would probably be able to sniff her out once he put two and two together.

Aaron paid rapt attention to the Princess as she spoke, the knot in his gut gradually unwinding. So, entirely by accident, he'd made the right choice; though, that still left the matter of what he had told Varis.

“Of course I can, Your Highness,” he breathed when she was finished, still a little stunned by the magnitude of the situation even as his reply came automatically. “You know me, I would never betray you or the Council.”

“But that brings us to another important point,” he added gravely, that lingering bit of fear flaring back up. “When I told Master that Salem was having a recurring nightmare, I told him the content of the dream as well, in great detail. He knows everything I knew about the dream at that time; the names, the voices, everything I saw. I gave it to him under the guise that Salem had confessed it all to me. He couldn't make any more sense of it than I could, but he mentioned he'd look into it, and report it to the infirmary as a hallucination on Salem’s part if he couldn't find anything. Does him having those details pose a risk? Is there anything I can do to mitigate it? If I had known, I would never…” He trailed off, eyes falling to Ryner’s hand on his as his mind raced once more through every worst-case scenario he could think of.

“You had no idea what was happening. You did exactly as you were supposed to with the information you had.” Ryner said reassuringly. “While I cannot change the past, I can do a considerable amount to change the future. Messing with Varis’ plans is an enjoyable pastime of mine. I should thank you. You’ve given me all the more reason to focus on it more. The Sinnenodel heir will be my responsibility on this. The only thing you have to do is ensure as little of the truth falls into Varis’ hands as possible and I’ll be supporting you the entire way.” She patted his hand.

Letting out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, Aaron nodded, a wave of true relief accompanied by new exhaustion washing over him at last. Things were fine. Or, as fine as they could have been, given the circumstances. That was more than he’d let himself hope for lately, and he would take reassurance wherever he could get it.

The mention of messing with Varis brought a smirk to his lips. “I shouldn't laugh,” he chuckled, doing a poor job of it. “But thank you, Your Highness. Rest assured I will do everything in my power to keep this quiet. If I can help it, I'll see to it that Salem stays in the dark as well. Stars only know what he’d do with this information, thinking the way he does.”

Ryner chuckled and couldn’t help herself from reaching over and ruffling his hair affectionately. No matter how he grew, she wasn’t quite sure she could let herself believe he wasn’t still the little boy running around causing mischief at the castle. Ryner still thought of Ella like that too and there had been more than one time Ryner caught herself surprised at the girl- No, the woman’s- age. All her mages were growing up faster than she could keep up with and it never grew easier when it came time to use them as she needed.

“There’s the Aaron I like to see. Maybe now you’ll get some rest. And eat since someone has left their food woefully unattended.” Ryner glanced pointedly at the platter between them. “While you eat, tell me how your meeting with your mother went. I haven’t had the chance to ask her. I wanted her to rest for a little while after our business last week.”

The hair ruffling made Aaron smile despite himself, memories of the many times she’d done the same thing when he was younger bubbling to the surface; most of them from before he’d surpassed her in height. Of course, that hadn’t really stopped her either. His grin turned bashful at the mention of food and he obeyed, taking a few pieces of cheese and fruit from the platter. Eating had been a struggle as of late with his stomach knotted up as it was, but relief did bring back some of his hunger, and he couldn’t very well decline an offering from royalty.

“She would tell you to stop treating her like she’s made of glass, Your Highness,” he pointed out at the mention of his mother, voice tinted with fond amusement. “But I thank you for your concern. Do you know she snuck up on me in the middle of campus? She didn’t tell me she’d be around and told Dora and Clara to keep quiet, wanting to surprise me. In the state I was in, I nearly pulled my sword on her; that poor campus guard got quite the fright.” He chuckled, shaking his head and eating a bit more before continuing. “It was really nice to see her, though, sneaky as she is. I was glad to see her well. I had been worrying a bit over how she’d respond to my new… position, but she took it much better than I anticipated.” Relief, once again, rang clear in his voice. “I got a lot off my chest.”

"At least we know where you got it from." Ryner laughed, satisfied with Aaron eating and returned to her desk. "I'm glad she managed to see you. I thought it odd she didn't want me to call you here but I see it was just your family’s penchant for mischief. I know she’s been worrying about you since she left so hopefully this will give her some peace of mind. I know she hates it but I can’t help but fret over her.” Ryner frowned but shook it away, instead focusing on the paper bouquet.

“Lilie really is such a sweet girl, isn’t she? I was surprised to receive them but pleased nevertheless. However, I’ve never received a bouquet of paper flowers so I’m quite sure what an appropriate gift would be. If they were regular flowers, I’d send a note or a card or something but these took time and skill to make. I feel like something so simple would be in poor taste. Do you have any ideas Aaron?” Ryner asked as she admired them. “You said she got some for you as well? What did you give her?”

Turning his attention to the bouquet as Ryner did, Aaron sighed, nodding his agreement. “I’ve never seen anything like them before,” he admitted, admiring the paper flowers for a moment. He always loved the Noila blue and gold, but he didn’t usually notice just how nicely the colours complimented each other. Lilie’s handiwork really made them shine.

“She held a little picnic for all the mages serving Noble vampires, and invited our… acquaintance, Maxwell Alderman, as well. She and Salem share a Treaty Law study group with him,” Aaron explained. “She made everyone a bouquet as a favour, each in their House’s colours - save for Max, of course.” He shrugged. “I had no idea what to give her either, so I asked her, but she insisted it wasn’t necessary and she was just glad to have people to give them to. Eventually I had to concede.” He chuckled.

“I’ve been making her notes for Treaty Law, though. She seems to be having a hard time adjusting to a nocturnal schedule and apparently that class happens right around the time she starts to crash, so she ends up missing material sometimes.” He grinned, spinning his ring and shrugging again. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you, Your Highness, that I don’t really need to take notes for that class, but I tell her they’re my notes that she can borrow so she doesn’t feel like she’s burdening me. She’s very sweet that way.” Under his hair, his ears got a little redder.

He stared down at his ring for a moment, pondering over what might be an appropriate gift for the Princess to send her; unlike him, he knew Ryner would not take no for an answer. “Still, I doubt she’d reject a return gift from you, Your Highness. I might have an idea.” He thought another moment, considering what Lilie might enjoy that she didn’t already have, until he figured it out, tapping the arm of his chair. “She wears lavender perfume, so I bet she’d like some lavender flowers,” he offered matter-of-factly. “Maybe not cut ones - she mentioned being apprehensive that her partner might not want fresh flowers in the house - but perhaps you could have the groundskeeper send her some lavender that she could plant? She seems to take an interest in gardening; she asks Salem about plants all the time.”

Ryner nodded at the suggestion, taking a quick note on it to remember. “Excellent idea, Aaron. I’ll have it sent as quickly as possible. And of course, I’ll mention a certain light mage helped me decide. It would be rude not to credit the proper person after all.” Ryner smiled innocently. “I’m sure someone that sweet would love to thank the person who gave her a garden.” She chuckled and made another note with a smile.

“Now I do unfortunately have to attend a meeting with a few instructors. I want to come back to a clean plate however.” She said pointedly. “Was there anything else you needed before I left?”

“Oh, Your Highness, that's not necessary,” Aaron tried to reason, knowing full well Ryner wouldn't let him be as modest as he'd like. He couldn't help but smile, though. He didn't need thanks for something as simple as recommending a gift, but he knew if the roles were reversed, he'd do the same thing.

“No, Your Highness, I've gotten all I needed off my chest.” Aaron stood as Ryner prepared to leave, despite knowing she wanted him to remain a little longer, and offered her a courteous bow. “I am honoured and humbled that you took the time to listen to me. Really,” he dropped his formal tone for a second to get his point across. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Aaron.” Ryner beamed at him. “And now onto a less pleasant crowd. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Ryner swept past him, her warm smile vanishing as she squared her shoulders and a look of neutral indifference took over her face. Rarely did she wear it but when she expected a discussion to be unpleasant, she had little issue wielding it against those who upset her. She was out in a moment and the doors shut softly behind her.