For Aaron, the first night of Revel began very quietly. Aaron’s request to use his free night on this had been granted, on very strict conditions that he be out of the house by the time his breakfast was usually delivered and that he not show his face anywhere near the Sinnenodel dorm until he returned for his curfew.

Given that Aaron had finally slept solid through the day for the first time in weeks, the nightmare having finally left him alone (which he credited to his meeting with Ryner), he was feeling pretty good, though he would admit some disappointment at having to get up at his regular time. But no matter; he had a plan. He tiptoed out of the dorm at exactly 8pm and made a beeline for his second home for the night: the infirmary.

After spending a good chunk of the night crashing on a spare infirmary bed (solid day of sleep or no, he had a lot of rest to catch up on) Aaron finally woke up for the second time around the middle of the night, to a welcomed email alert from the on-campus post office that a package had arrived for him. Right on time; he supposed he’d expect nothing less. The package awaiting him was a sturdy garment bag on a hanger, lacking the regular postage that the rest of the mail required; all it had was a label on the outside, bearing his name and the Noila crest.

He opened it in one of the Arena locker rooms, where he’d managed to sneak after having to avoid a few water balloons straying from the fight raging on the sand. His eyes widened at the contents; he never knew his mother to cut corners, but she never failed to impress him. Inside was a fine black tuxedo with a lavishly embroidered jacket, dark blue vest and tie and a saturated, royal blue dress shirt to match. There were a pair of nicely polished brogues in the package as well (because of course there were, Revel was the only time those things weren’t too ridiculous to be seen in public) but what took the cake was the mask.

His mother knew he would need a mask for a “masquerade” themed Revel, but Aaron didn’t expect anything so… much. It was a half-face black mask in the shape of a raven’s face, adorned with countless real feathers in an impressive crest (though still modest compared to some masks, only a bit larger than his forehead), but the focal point was the beak; extending down past where his nose would be, the beak was made of glossy black porcelain with a branching crack running diagonally up the middle, repaired as if the pieces had been glued back together with gold.

Aaron took a moment to admire the mask, turning it over in his hands delicately and looking on with a mixture of amusement and awe. It was no secret that his mother had chosen the pieces with a Noilan theme - the royal colours and raven motif weren’t exactly subtle - and Aaron had to admit, the familiarity was endearing. When he turned the mask over, there was a note fastened to the inside of it, and reading it, Aaron smirked.

To say that Amaris was excited for the events to come was to speak the understatement of the century. Strewn about her room, and even parts of the common area, were masquerade masks of various designs. Lace, porcelain, full-faced, half-masks, simple, garish… there was just about every color imaginable tossed about for the countess to choose from. Even before the sun had fully set for the evening, Amaris had long been dancing between her options.

Every so often she would pause to run her fingers across the details before moving on to the next design, even holding a few up to her face before setting it right back down. The Revel was the shortest of the holidays but it was by far one of her favorites, though Chaend was always a close second. With a different theme every year, the events were always guaranteed to be fresh and interesting. More than that, though, it was the most fun. She had always seen The Revel as the most playful of the holidays, designed specifically to encourage people to let loose and indulge their wilder sides.

Amaris was a tad disappointed that only the ballroom events would be requiring costumes, but there had been no restrictions set to wearing them for the festival as a whole. She would just have to hope her classmates might be interested enough to participate to its fullest extent with her.

“There you are! You’re perfect.” The countess spoke, delicate fingers plucking a mask from the table as she skipped past it. Darting for her room, Amaris shut the door and began the transformation. Her early rising had already seen to meticulously washed and brushed hair, various ribbons and pins laid out across the vanity for her to choose from once she had decided on a style. She would never admit it to Eris, but the majority of the hair accessories were rather new. After her most recent run in with the actor, she had snuck out to the town to pick up a little of whatever she could think of. It was doubtful that any of it would meet his standards but she thought it was a good first step at least.

The dress Amaris had selected for the evening was the oldest style she had worn on campus yet. Very rarely did she pull from her ‘vintage’ collection, but it just felt right for the year’s masquerade theme. Keeping the festival crowds in mind, Amaris chose a corseted gown she wouldn’t have too much trouble moving around in. She had fallen in love with the silhouette and layered skirt, however, the countess had requested a slight alteration to the color scheme to better suit her status. The original piece featured blood red fabrics at key accent points on both the dress and its accompanying sleeves, however, the intensity of the red reminded her too much of the Noila jewels (not to mention the Astorio house colors). Neither feeling worthy in the first case, nor wishing association in the second, Amaris had opted for a shift to a purple dye.

The ensemble wasn’t exactly meant to be donned alone but after a few long moments of careful work, Amaris had laced herself into the garment. Once the sleeves were in place, the countess turned to inspect herself in the mirror. Turning out much better than she had hoped, Amaris spun around carefully to see the different angles. Everything about it was perfect in her eyes, the excitement growing even stronger, however, she couldn’t keep her attention from straying upward to her hair.

”Even if you choose not to have anything in it, having it half up and half down makes a world of a difference” Eris’ earlier words echoed through her mind as she ran her fingers delicately through the dark strands. She had intended to leave it down again, but the chastising was still rather fresh. Did wearing a mask count as doing something? Or was that a completely different accessory? Heaving a sigh, Amaris reached over to her vanity and nabbed a black ribbon to tie some of her hair back with. It couldn’t hurt to at least tie the front back so as not to interfere with the mask she had chosen.

There was a moment of hesitation as Amaris’ eyes passed over the crest she had laid out to wear as she normally would. She had considered leaving it at home, as masquerade was meant to bring about an air of mystery, but the thought of leaving it behind made her sad. Picking up the crest, she removed it from its usual chain and replaced it with the ribbon instead. A little readjusting and Amaris had successfully incorporated her pendant to her now tethered hair. It likely wasn’t what the actor had in mind, but she found it difficult to care too much longer about it. Perhaps her effort would at least score a point or two with the socialite.

She gently lifted her mask holding it in place for a few moments before she felt the weight of the porcelain shift away from her hands. Her selection was among the few that had been magically altered to remain still without additional tethers despite its unusual shape. The main part of the mask was already molded to fit her features naturally, however, the mask extended upward into a pair of horns that wouldn’t normally allow for a tether-free option. Embedded into the mask were several small tanzanite crystals expertly set into the outer edges of the woven lace design, carefully drawing the eye to the center where an oval cut emerald shone.

Feeling good about the look Amaris slipped into a pair of plain black heels to round out the ensemble. She thought there was little point in wearing decorated heels if there was little chance of seeing them around the hem of her dress.

“What do you think Getsuga? Does it look festive enough?” Amaris asked the king snake while turning to show the ensemble off. The reptile responded by stretching himself out, a sign the creature desired to be picked up.

“Alright, fine. You can come, but you need to let me know if you start to get too cold this time.” The countess scolded the creature as she scooped him out of his tank.

At last Amaris emerged from her room, eyes scanning the mess around her and deciding she would deal with it later. Hopefully Cassandra wouldn’t be too mad at her, I mean, she did have every intention of cleaning it up herself… eventually. It was at that moment that she realized she hadn’t seen the mage quite yet, having been entirely focused on her outfit for the evening.

“Cassandra dear! Are you around? Cassandra?”

The Masquerade ballroom was situated a little further from the rest of them, built closer to the cliff than the rest. The entire room sparkled, several layered crystal chandeliers suspended from thin, magically enhanced glass archways that spanned the room. The room teemed with masked people and music floated down from the full orchestra playing upstairs. The center of the ballroom was a whirl of dancing while the edges were much more calm. The various paintings of alumni and previous professors framed artfully between the marble pillars boasted various tables of food and non-alcoholic beverages with the exception of wine. Noila dressed mages handed out glasses of the Noilan vintages, a dry red, a sweet white, and a rosé settling somewhere decidedly in the middle. The mages only allowed each guest two glasses and marked the back of their hands with a special rune that would only wear off once the sun rose.

Little tables peppered the balcony across from the orchestra, giving Revel goers a chance to sit down and relax for a few minutes. The noise was magically muted, still present but significantly calmer than downstairs. Waiters with frosted pitchers offered water regularly to mortals taking advantage of the respite. A few vampires also relaxed upstairs, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they watched their mages enjoy themselves down below with a mixture of fondness and apprehension.

---

The third body of the night hit the ground, tucked away behind a dark building. Given it’s location and the short line of masked mortals lining the opposite side of the building, it was likely a ballroom. It had been a risky meal. One false move, even a muffled shout, could have ruined her game but that was the thrill of it. Killing sheep right under the flock’s nose. She wiped away the last fleck of blood at the corner of her mouth and sauntered her way around the building. She adjusted her mask and sauntered past the line, whispering softly in one of the guards admitting people, who only nodded and let her pass. Silly, silly princess. Such exploitable security procedures.

The room was a pleasant one. Clearly no expense was spared for its construction and the vampiress decided to up thrill a little. She’d take something sweet from here. A young little thing, just recently awoken. The last one left an odd taste in her mouth and she could use a refreshing drink. She took to the dance floor easily, catching a mage clearly holding themselves back as the eargerly hovered on the edge of the dance floor. The vampiress lead the pair in a fast paced waltz that had them spinning circles around most of the other dancers. The girl the vampiress managed to catch was a third year, not quite what she wanted, but she had fun with it, purposely baiting the vampire drilling holes in her from upstairs. Ah, young obsession.

But she let the girl go after the first dance and left to pick up a glass of red while it was available. The dryness was a welcome reprieve from the lingering aftertaste of her last meal and she sipped at the drink slowly, enjoying the menagerie.

---

---

After the first day of school, Joryldin had simply fallen off the radar. He was nowhere to be seen in any of his lectures, with the exception of Vampire Biology, and none of the other Embraced were able to find him after class. He asked only enough questions to achieve an acceptable class participation grade, and was impossible to pin down outside of lecture hours. In all of his other classes, he turned in papers on time and sent thurough independent research over Email to his study groups for them to use in group assignments. From a purely numerical standpoint, he was a perfect student.

His mage didn't catch much more of him than anyone else did. Dakota would see him poring over his computer at the desk in his room for hours, only ever rising to go into the kitchen, down a vial of blood, and promptly wash it before placing the glass tube back in its holder. The man had yet to even entertain the idea of biting her, but he had realized long ago that there was no point in fasting. Occasionally he would be willing to sit down with Dakota and play some video games, where he quickly learned she was far better at almost all of them. It seemed like every day, more and more emotion drained out of the fledgling vampire. The most that Dakota could get out of him while she was hooting and hollering during Mario Party was a small smile and chuckle. More concerning than that, however, were his eyes, which constantly held a dark red glow even when he smiled that told one of two things; hunger, or rage.

"I don't seriously have to wear this, do I?" He mumbled over the phone behind closed doors.

"Of course! I spent-... Well nevermind how much I spent, the point is this is one of the biggest parties of the year and you're going to look your best!"

"You stole it from the dressing room of another play again, didn't you?"

"Shhh~! Details, details..."

Joryldin rolled his eyes. "One of these days you're gonna get in trouble for this." He tucked the phone between his cheek and his shoulder as he inspected the ensemble that came in the mail. It was outlandish to say the least. As Joryldin pulled the tie tight and rested the coat at elbow level, he couldn't help but feel like some flapper lady from the 20's. A small white eye-mask with black trim sat on his nose as he tried to mentally brace himself for the night ahead. "Love you, mom... Bye."

An hour later, Joryldin found himself sitting on the edge of the ballroom at at empty table as music and wine and blood flowed everywhere. It was the first time people had seen him in weeks, and the impression he made was a completely different beast than when the semester started. One leg crossed over the other knee, and his chin resting on his bent wrist as the fledgling's elbow sat on the table... Without even realizing it, his body had taken the most optimal sultry pose it could. His neutral scowl had faded into an equally seductive pout.

His moody red eyes scanned the dance floor, keeping an eye out for Kota to make sure they were safe.

As the Revel raged across campus, a ballroom on the far end of the property hosted a somewhat more tame event; though, of course, anyone familiar with the type would attest that they could be far from tame. The ballroom was stunning on its own, but its splendor paled in comparison to its occupants. Swirling and gliding around the ballroom floor, they were truly a feast for the eyes: they wore tuxedos and ball gowns in every shape, size and colour, and they all wore masks, each one more ornate than the last. As they moved gracefully and confidently through the steps of each new dance, it was easy to tell that many of the highborn students, vampires and mages alike, had gravitated there to enjoy a proper masquerade ball.

Aaron was no exception. As soon as he’d heard a real and proper ball was planned, he knew where he’d be spending his night. The black tuxedo his mother had sent him bore an embroidered paisley pattern all across the jacket, and his navy-black silk vest and bowtie shone against a royal blue dress shirt, but he still didn’t stand out nearly as much as some of the other men present; he had sworn he’d seen one in a full sequined red jacket, and another decked out in feathers. Everyone had gone all-out, it seemed, and Aaron was all too happy to be swept up in it; the politesse, the music, the dancing, even the venue itself brought him back to familiar nights, stirring up nostalgia of the royal balls that he hadn’t been away from for long, but that had already found himself missing. His mask completed the ambiance; with it, he could fade anonymously into the crowd like he always had, no longer drawing the strange, suspicious looks and whispers from people that he'd lately come to accept.

As the waltz came to an end, he dipped the gold-veined beak of his raven mask toward his fifth dance partner of the night, a tall, dark-haired girl in a green mermaid dress with a mask bearing shimmering scales like a fish. She curtsied gracefully before floating off to her next dancing partner, while Aaron opted to take a breather for the next dance and flagged down a passing server with a tray of something sparkling.

---

---

---

Interacting with: @Obscene Symphony

Salem had fully expected to be woken up by those plaguing nightmares once more. Prepared with a special brew of tea he had learned to make thanks to his tia, a combination of lavender, chamomile, a few other calming herbs, and typically a harder hit of Bella Donna but the investigation and change of scenery saw to it that his supply was kept with the plant mages. His electric kettle that he had purchased after he ruined the last, sat there unused next to the sachet, pot, and cup. Salem strechted his arms wide, yawning as he wiped the sleep from his eyes and realized he hadn’t had the nightmare again. This was definitely something to speak to Aaron about, see if his also suddenly stopped. His phone lit up with a small rainbow dot in the corner telling him he had notifications he must’ve slept through. Upon checking it he saw that two packages had been delivered to his front door. Excitement coursed his body as he sprung up and ran towards the door, unable to wait to open up the parcels.

Box were in very boorish brown boxes, taped and labeled fragile, giving Salem a bit of a laugh. He took them to his room and finally opened them up revealing several reflective boxes backdropped with a royal blue, green peacock motif, and golden foil lining the feather design. Elegant to be sure, but it brought a tinge of sadness to the plant mage as it was a reminder that he was unable to get his tailor due to the investigation. Hopefully this one would do fine till then. As he lifted the lid and unfolded the delicate green and blue silk that it lay atop, he saw his a stunning golden-white shirt, seemingly vintage yet tailor made just for him. The arms were sinched above the elbow giving the sleeves a classic puffy look to them. Aside from that the collar was high, hiding his neck from sight with a small ruffled center where the ivory buttons lay going down the length of the garment. He moved the box aside and opened the next, the same design plastered on the lid, as he removed it to find his waist coat. A double breasted, earthy green waistcoat with satin golden-white lily’s sewn into the pattern and accented by golden beads and embroidery for the stamen, coupled with a subtle golden embroidery pattern throughout the garment. The inside was lined with black silk and cool to the touch, bringing a wide smile to his face. In the other boxes he would find his black pants accented with those same lily’s but smaller on the corner of the pockets, his belt and accompanying shoes, and finally a half cape that would drape over his right shoulder showing off a similar design to the waistcoat and used to help balance out the masks asymmetrical look; all made as he requested.

Now it was time to move onto the second package, the smaller of the two. As he opened the brown box he was met with a simple leather case. He opened it up to reveal a black satin setting and porcelain mask set perfectly in the middle. The cushioning beneath was molded to his faces likeness as was his mask, allowing it to sit on his face comfortably. The half mask was a cracked white on the lower half, and golden up top. Golden lace was placed throughout the mask, lining the edges, top, and down the bridge of the nose. Above the eyebrows were two pearls set into the mask to help break up the gold. The left half had a large peacock feather that swooped just above the mask, and two others pinned to its side with a small opening between them. Salem had requested for a special design, one that would allow him to grow a flower within it for the evening.

Salem made his way over to a small pot he had started growing a flower in earlier this week, before all the madness had set in. Gently moving the sprouting and soil into the opening in the mask and then concentrating on his magic, which was admittedly easier with a full nights rest, and causing the flower to root itself within the porcelain crevasses and blooming to a lovely white lily to help match his attire. He grabbed two small baggies that contained other sprouts he had been working on, one for Aaron and another for Lilie. He made his way to the bathroom, his clothes now laid out along the bed, and showered and then began to work on his hair. Salem braided the left tightly, wrapping it around towards the right where it would fall loosely giving him a faded look on the left to allow the flowers to make their presence, yet allowing his natural curls to spiral and tumble onto his shoulder. Dressed and ready to go he made his way towards the ballroom where the masquerade was happening.

The ballroom was a sight to behold, magic was in the air and tonight there was no ivestigation, no training, no studying or looming nightmares, only the Revel and beautiful wonders to behold. Parties hosted by others typically gave Salem anxiety, causing him to have his embarrassing outbursts of aroma. Tonight however he prepared, calming herbs stuffed within the nose compartment of the mask to help soothe him, and if that didn’t work he downed three shots of gold tequila before leaving his dorm. Nothing would ruin this night for him. As he made his way into the ballroom and looked around, he spotted a familiar tuft of blonde hair and a suit too pristine to be anyone else’s. Salem made his way over to the light mage, grabbing a glass of sweet white wine before taking a sip and presenting himself. ”Care to dance Mr. Starag?”

Aaron turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, and burst into a surprised laugh at the sight before him. With those billowing sleeves from who-knew-what century and the lavish waistcoat, Salem looked like… well, frankly he looked like Varis turned up to 11, though Aaron wouldn’t tell him that. After all, it was a suitably extravagant look for the Revel; it wasn’t like Aaron himself would be caught dead in his outfit any other night.

“Happy Revel, Salem! Nice outfit,” he chuckled in greeting, dipping the crest of his feathered mask to the man. “I see you saw through my foolproof disguise. Shame though, you should have caught me sooner. I just took a break.” He raised his drink in a white-gloved hand as proof before taking a sip, furrowing his brow and regarding the glass suspiciously as he realized it was alcoholic. Weird, he thought he’d grabbed a non-alcoholic drink, but he shrugged. It wasn’t like something so small would affect him.

Aaron was certainly in a better mood than usual, barely feeling that little pang of dread anytime he and Salem were in the same room, though it seemed like Salem was feeling the same way. He had an urge to ask if Salem had slept through the day as well, but he wouldn’t ruin their fun with that quite yet. He’d save it for texts after everything was over, he decided. Then he’d get the chance to think of how he could throw Salem off the scent of their joint inquiry into the nightmare. Tonight, though, was for fun.

Even if he had earned the chance to be here by throwing Salem under the bus.

Taking another, somewhat longer sip of his drink, Aaron eyed the flower in Salem’s mask. Fresh flowers were a common accessory, but he had a hunch it wasn’t a cut flower in the mask. “Nice flower,” he commented, gesturing to it with his free hand. “Your affinity is coming along nicely, isn’t it?”

---

This was asinine. Granted, the night had played out exactly like Max had expected it would so far; there was no way Eris would miss making a public appearance at a ball of this caliber, and Max knew he'd be expected to attend the vampire while he was putting on his little show for the masses, but that didn't mean he had to like it. At least the outfit he'd been wrangled into was fairly tame, at least compared to some of the other garish costuming sins he witnessed the other passing attendees committing.

The suit was fairly tame, in a dark enough color that he wouldn't be drawing too many eyes but bright enough he wouldn't look totally out of place. Max didn't think red was really his color, but Eris apparently wanted them to match. The mask was a bit of a different story. Not that there was anything wrong with the general appearance; the black and white color contrast gave it a nice balance, and the gilded trim added a regal flair to an otherwise simplistic outfit. His grievance lied in the cat-earred design. While Eris might've been innocently going for an animal theme, Max doubted the comparison between his standoffish attitude and an antisocial feline was lost on the vampire. He could just picture the leech snickering to himself while he was ordering the mask.

Still, he had to give Eris credit; he did know his way around high fashion. Hell, Max had barely recognized himself the first time he walked past a mirror. His hair was styled back nicely with whatever products Eris had pulled out of his cosmetics collection and he'd been spritzed down with some trendy fragrance against his will. Coupled with the mask, he was fairly confident no one would be identifying the dashing stranger tailing Eris Samael all night as a cleaned-up Maxwell Alderman at first glance.

And tail he did; Max dutifully fell in step with Eris as he chatted along on the phone about business or something equally dull en route to the dance hall. Max was grateful he hadn't been put on secretarial work for Eris yet, it sounded boring and exhausting, even if the other mages seemed to handle the bulk of it. Then again, Eris was probably smart enough to know Max handling his important affairs would be asking for things to turn out badly, whether the mage intentionally sabotaged him or simply mouthed off to the wrong business partner.

When they actually arrived on the scene, Max took care to present himself in a more dignified manner than his usual apathetic slouch. In all their two-faced methods and subversive games, the nobles had a point - tonight wasn't a party, it was a performance, and though the eyes would be on Eris, they might wander to him too. It was a chore, but in the public sphere, he needed to exude confident disinterest; it wasn't enough that he was unapproachable, he couldn't look like a pushover either or Eris' fans would eat him alive. Plus, if anyone ever accused him of being anxious again, he'd probably throw a chair at them.

Max quirked a brow behind his mask as Eris signalled for him to follow. Either he was about to meet one of Eris' doubtlessly weird associates, or they were about to play some political game. Possibly both. Probably both. The mage stuck close as they crept around the outskirts of the dance floor, snatching a champagne flute off a passing waiter's tray effortlessly. The taste that greeted him was decidedly not champagne, however. How pretentious, juice in a fancy cup. No going back now, he supposed, but depending on how this played out, he might need to find the actual liquor soon.

"Joryldin! Had I known you were coming, we could have arrived together!"

Ooh, Eris had found his target, apparently. This was critically-acclaimed acting? He'd seen Sinnenodel propaganda less fake than that gesture of "surprise" Eris had just pulled. At least he got to the point quick, wasting no time slithering into the seat beside his new friend. They clearly knew each other, but Eris' interest could've easily been in the slutty outfit and not so much the person wearing it. Max wordlessly took up a spot behind Eris' chair, leaning his elbow on the back enough to look casually dismissive while still maintaining the visage of an attending mage. He idly surveyed the ballroom, taking care not to glance in the direction of - what did Eris call him? Jordan? - and get sucked into the conversation against his will.

---

@Hero@Jade Blades

"And a Mirthful Revel to you too Aaron." Salem couldn't help but chuckle at Aaron's use of the word disguise. He hadn't thought about it but he supposed after the week he’d had, Aaron might be glad to go unrecognized as the mage of the mines, or that embarrassment of an apology letter, or quite honestly just the general daggers people glared at him when he entered a room. "I'd recognize that golden hue anywhere, though don't worry I'm sure no one else has had the pleasure of having to look at that sunlit hair everyday in affinity class."

There was a bit of a grin spreading on Salem as Aaron politely declined his offer, a Cheshire smile that marked the line where his timidness stopped and the tequila began. "Thank you, it's a special kind of Lily my family had worked on, changing the coloration ever so slightly to match the golden hue of fine silk or aged porcelain. My classes have helped greatly in how I handle my energy and control its flow." Salem downed his sweet wine, its rich sugary mouthfeel sliding down nicely as he reached and took Aaron's glass, finishing it off with his left hand as his right wrapped around the light mages side and was placed beneath his shoulder, pulling him close enough for their hips to touch. Salem gently placed the glass on the table near them and moved his hand over to Aaron's right, slowly lifting it up to start a dance. "Silly Starag, there wasn't really a choice in the matter."

Any reply Aaron had to Salem’s compliments and the Spellmans having a proprietary brand of lily died in his throat when Salem stole his drink; a strangled sound of protest was all that escaped. He sighed his irritation out with a roll of the eyes and leveled a look at Salem as he squared up properly to waltz, letting Salem take the lead.

“You owe me another drink,” he said pointedly, though he’d let the issue die as the music started. “Now what’s got you in such a good mood? I don’t usually see you so chipper.”

"I fully planned on giving you my other drink don't you worry." Once the music began and their dance had started, Salem took the time to savor this moment before leaning his head slightly forward and whispering in Aaron's ear. "I had a full day’s rest." He leaned back once more allowing the light mage to see the smile beneath the mask.

Aaron’s eyebrows shot up beneath his mask, the man flooded with a combination of excitement and apprehension. So they had to be connected then! He hadn't doubted it, identical dreams weren't exactly easy to come by, but now there could be no doubt. And truthfully, he was happy for Salem. He was happy for both of them! He wouldn't wish that kind of torment on his worst enemy, and he was happy they could put it behind them.

Of course, that brought him to the subject of covering it all up.

But he reflected Salem’s smile with one of his own, leaning in to reply in a whisper. “So did I.” He couldn't quite stop the excitement from leaking into his voice. “Does that mean we can be done with this then? No more obsessing?”

Salem couldn’t help but widen his smile at the mention of Aaron having also had a full sleep. It did, however, bring up more questions than answers. Why them? Were there other students possibly affected or was this truly just the work of them being invaded my Lady Sinnenodels mind mage? Also what did it mean that the dreams finally halted? There was definitely more to this than they could possibly imagine and Salem was raring to get to the bottom of it. He was about to press Aaron with some of his concerns when suddenly the mage suggested that they could be done with this. How? How could one simply just want to forget and move on on such a mystery? How was this not biting at him? If it wasn’t for the mask Aaron would’ve been able to see Salem’s eye threaten to twitch at the mere thought of just abandoning the issue that had plagued them for a week. He was about to speak in protest and tell him what he found when Victor’s voice rang out in the back of his head.


Salem tried to keep his smile going as he gave a slight laugh at what Aaron had said. “I hadn’t actually thought of that. It’s nice, knowing I don’t have to wonder if I will have enough sleep to continue my studies or not.” He sighed and shook his head, his hair tossing ever so slightly above his cape. “I didn’t find anything anyways. Was a bit afraid you’d somehow come back with a wealth of knowledge and I’d have nothing to show for my efforts. But I suppose it makes sense, chasing ghosts and dreams only leaves you with empty hands as you grasp at air.”

Though he was pleasantly surprised, Aaron couldn’t deny he felt more than a hint of suspicion about Salem’s reply. He could believe that Salem didn’t find anything - he hadn’t found much of value himself outside of his meeting with the Princess - but somehow, it didn’t seem quite right that dogged, principled, persistent-to-a-fault Salem would just give up his search for answers so easily. Aaron would let himself hope that Salem was sincere and would let the issue die, but he’d be prepared if he didn’t.

Smiling kindly, Aaron shook his head, still keeping his tone low. “I didn’t come across much either, only something… tangentially related. But we can discuss that later.” He shrugged and let his smile brighten. “In the meantime, I’m just glad that we can put it all behind us, and not burden ourselves or anyone else.” Aaron’s smile remained, but there was a hint of warning in his eyes and his voice at the last part.

Salem's eyebrow arched. Surprised not in that Aaron had found something, but more so that he believed it'd burden others. With the exception of the librarians who could help him locate texts or at the very least point him in the proper direction, Salem didn't quite believe it was burdensome for others. His smile remained as he began to wonder if there was some merit to what Victor had told him. If perhaps withholding information or playing a part would give him more clarity onto others, or at the very least Aaron. These were new waters that needed testing, but they appeared to be the right course for now.

"It's like I said before. If either of us were to find something it'd be you, even if it isn't much. Either way I thank you for this dance. I hope we can do it again someday." Salem leaned forward, giving Aaron a kiss on the cheek and another smile. It appeared his night may actually be going well after all.

Aaron rolled his eyes at the kiss, making a mental note to make sure later that Salem understood what he’d meant, but broke off the dance with poise as the music came to a close and offered Salem a customary bow. “Likewise,” he replied, quirking his head at the crowd. “Now go enjoy Revel.”

---

The last thing Joryldin expected to break the monotony of scanning the dancefloor was a familiar voice, and especially not said voice directed at him. The Embraced lifted his chin up off of his wrist and blinked rapidly. His head swiveled to meet Eris’ greeting, and a mix of relief and terror all washed up into one package rolled over him.

“Oh, hey Eris. I’m doing fine, mostly just relaxing here on the fringes.” It was impossible not to notice just how fake Eris’ surprise was, but the fledgling rolled with it. If his body wasn’t dead, a nervous bead of sweat would have rolled off his forehead as social activity with the eccentric actor was forced upon him. “Sorry about being a no-show to the last two studdy sessions. I’ve been kinda swamped with other classes. Is what I send you guys helpful? I stay up real early working on those revisions.”

Eris beamed at the Embraced vampire, enjoying his reaction. Alright, maybe his greeting had been a touch too much, but he really was surprised to see Joryldin just hanging around. Or rather, surprised to see him dressed like that. He made a mental note to dial it back some, crossing one leg over the other as he placed his chin in his hand. Considering he was genuinely interested in him, he supposed he could be casual. His version of casual, anyway.

"You and old what's-his-face being gone has made our study sessions quiet, but your work did make up for it," Not that it was sorely needed; having Landar's descendant alone would've been enough to carry the group. Still, the effort was appreciated. "Maybe next time I'll get lucky and it'll just be you and me. Aside from my dashing good looks, there is indeed a knowledgeable mind to match." He informed him cheerfully.

Joryldin recalled well that Eris was the walking definition of “Horny on Main”, so that little flirt wasn’t exactly a surprise. Still, he instinctively tugged up his boa to cover his shoulders. The lights, sounds, and movement of the party had Joryldin drained, but on the upside, an actually normal conversation with someone who he at least knew the name of was something that the Embraced was needing more than he was willing to admit.

“Yeah, right.” He decided to test the water with a bit of a jab. “You sure you don’t just dump all your homework on your partner, there?” He lightly pointed his thumb in Max’s direction, and managed a small smile. At the same time though, it was a test. He waited with cold calculating eyes to see what Eris’ reaction would be to Joryldin’s intentional word choice, how he considers the human whose choice in life was taken away so that the actor could live.

Eris was a little surprised at the question, sitting up slightly with a small frown on his face. "What do you mean?" He asked. "You mean with technology? Believe it or not, I'm pretty modern compared to the rest of my generation, I can use new computers and smartphones pretty easily." He seemed proud of that fact, though he neglected to add that he highly doubted Maxwell would be willing to type out his homework for him.

Staring for a moment, Joryldin wasn’t sure whether Eris was dodging the question, or simply just as much of a ditz as he appeared to be. He shrugged it off as a failed attempt. “Well that’s a relief. Too many of my family’s friends are practically illiterate when it comes to anything besides latin. I was starting to think nobody except humans could even get their heads around a typewriter.”

He leaned back in his seat, once again unintentionally taking a sultry pose. ”So, I imagine you hang out at these kind of parties all the time. What’re we supposed to ‘do’? Everybody seems to either be dancing, or just mulling about.” Regardless of his intention to remain the wallflower, Joryldin was bored out of his mind.

Max sent a pointed glare down at the duo as the conversation drifted in his direction, though he kept his stance casual. At least Eris had the sense to deflect the question away from him, because the vampire certainly wouldn’t want Max to answer that. That, or Eris was genuinely too enthralled with himself to see past his own nose and actually misinterpreted what he’d been asked. Was technological literacy a point of pride in dusty animated corpses?

The other vampire - seriously, why couldn’t he remember his name? Gerald? Whatever - Jerry’s second question actually got Max to turn his head fully in their direction. Come to think of it, he was pretty curious as to what the hell vampires did at these events. Sure, see and be seen, that was a given, but surely flaunting themselves grew tiresome after the first hour or so. Did they just scheme with each other or was it all gossip and thinly-veiled insults to whatever political rivals are present? Max couldn’t imagine leeches actually doing anything fun for the sake of it, in any case.

Joryldin was full of surprises. Granted, he was recently turned, but he would've thought he would know a little something about socializing by now. Then again, Widow Nailo was more reclusive than most since the loss of her husband, so he shouldn't have found it as such a shock. Eris leaned back in his seat fully, uncrossing his legs as he seriously contemplated the right way to respond without confusing the younger vampire. He really wanted to get closer to the Nailo, so he supposed he would have to genuinely give a little in order to establish a proper relationship.

"Honestly? These parties are pointless," He started with the very blunt truth of it, his hand gesturing to the entire venue. "My mother used to drag me to hers and show me off to her 'friends' and competitors. An eternal life leaves much to be desired in terms of having fun." He rolled his eyes before he sat forward some, wanting to let Joryldin in on the secret. "I know you want to ask why bother, so I'll get to the response: you have to set your own goal when it comes to these gatherings."

He leaned back again, motioning to the vampires above. "Socializing among your peers and establishing relationships is one way to go about it. You get to a party and chat up the closest gal, turns out her father operates a well known oil refinery. Chat it up, exchange information, she introduces you to her friends, blah blah blah," He rambled on for a moment before moving on. "Another way is showing off what you have and humble bragging--or outright bragging if you think no one else can top what you have--while letting your mages display their talents. That said, usually those types of parties are prime for mating and arranging the mortals. Or showing off a really neat trick you think others would like to see."

Eris let his eyes roam among the crowd, watching the dancers. "And for the ones who want to let go and have a nice time...you dance until your feet can't anymore," He shrugged, a forlorn expression on his face until he looked at Joryldin again. "So just like I said: pointless. Make the best of it and see if you can get something out of it or at least go home with something cute hanging off your arm."

He realized he ended it on a dour note, deciding to add, "At least talking to friends is always fun, am I right?" He asked him.

The new-blood was mostly being told things he already knew, and things that disgusted him. Joryldin had no interest in political carousing or trying to get laid, and his nose scrunched up in disgust at the idea of breeding mages like cattle. When the sound of the statement crossed his ears, he couldn’t help but mumble, “What my partner does with their free time is none of my damn business.”

He shook the thought out of his mind, and looked back to Eris. ”Yeah, a bit of chatter isn’t half bad. Not gonna lie, I’ve been giving myself cabin fever these past two weeks.”

Max leaned in toward Eris, draping himself over the back of the vampire’s chair languidly. ”So, Eric, which of those is your MO?” Max started in a tone that was far too expressive to be anything but dripping with sarcasm, ”Am I to be raffled off to the highest bidder for marriage here, or do you just want people to see that trick I can do with the spoons?” No such trick existed, of course, but Max pretended he had some parlor trick up his sleeve that Eris was in on. Eris said to make the best of it and have fun, right? Well Max was gonna see if he could make his partner squirm in public for a change instead of the other way around.

Eris opened his mouth to respond to Joryldin's question though he quickly closed it as Maxwell interjected. He almost forgot he was there, if only because he expected the kid to get bored of him two paragraphs ago and take his leave without a word. He clicked his tongue as he contemplated what to do and how to present himself; the turned was still attached to the mortal freedoms his own mage had, apparently.

"You know, that's the second time you've asked me about marriage. I'm going to have to find you someone sooner than later," Eris mused almost jokingly, turning slightly in his seat. "If you think your trick is ready, I don't think Joryldin would mind seeing it." He turned it around, batting his eyelashes at his mage. Go figure, he expected a little back and forth from a vampire but didn't think his mage would be the one to remind him that he needed to be on his toes and aware.

Max popped back up to his earlier upright stance, taking a long sip from his not-champagne as he considered his options. He was fully expecting Eris to call his bluff there, but that raised the question of what to actually do. Ah, of course, be annoying.

”Well when you get me all dressed up like this, I assume the intent is to show me off. Oh well,” he mused in a feigned tone of disappointment as he pushed off the chair. The mage walked over to a nearby table, finishing his drink in a quick gulp before trading the cup for an ornate spoon. Max approached Eris’ chair from the front, holding the spoon upright before the vampire’s face. The fingers of his free hand flexed outward a bit at his side as the spoon started to vibrate in place. Max let it tremble for dramatic effect for a bit before releasing his hold on the spoon, causing it to fly forward and smack Eris on the nose hard enough to cause irritation. Rather than fall, the utensil simply stayed adhered to the vampire’s face and mask for the time being.

”Ta-da, magnetism. Now you’re an elephant instead of a bull.”

It was at that moment that Joryldin remembered who Max was.

Eris didn't know whether to laugh or yell, keeping his eyes closed as his lips curled into a smile. Go figure, his choice in having a more open mask backfired spectacularly, his nose aching as he slowly pulled the spoon off and placed it gently on the table. When he opened his eyes, they were a touch darker than his usual shade, though he put on a more decent show with his grin.

"We'll have to work on that," Eris said simply, turning towards Joryldin and fighting the urge to rub his sore nose.

The Embraced stifled a laugh. ”Yeah, definitely put some polish on it.” He shifted in his seat again, and glanced around the room. “I’m not much of a fan of political maneuvering, and I’m certainly not a dancer… You guys wanna change back into some normal clothes and go play some video games? Probably beats sitting around here.”

Max’s mouth quirked up in the beginnings of a smirk as he moved away from Eris’ face and back into his prior position. He may not be a fan of the games leeches like to play at these events, but winning a backhanded exchange like that did brighten up his day a bit. He might get chided for it later, but it would hopefully show Eris he wasn’t totally helpless in their little public word games.

”My bad, my control’s still not quite at the level I want it to be yet.” It wasn’t technically a lie, but the tone he was using was still faker than Eris’ tan when he was acting in that Starag movie. As… Joey? - chimed in, Max let out a muffled snort. He wasn’t even pretending to belong here, was he? The mage kinda admired the boldness of that, but it seemed a bit foolish with all the schemers floating about. Once some noble caught wind of that, he’d be drowning in political machinations faster than he could claim it was a joke.

”Sorry, I’ll pass,” Max offered with a dismissive wave of his hand, ”I’m gonna get some air, my phone’s on if you need me Eric.” If he remembered anything from high school, it’s that there’s always some sleazy guy hiding out behind the party venue hoarding the real liquor. Max had already gotten a glimpse of the way the Noila dogs were gatekeeping access to the wine, and he doubted that would do anything to get him through the night anyway.

The mage getting himself out of the way almost made up for his little stunt. Almost. Eris frowned slightly at Max, feeling like he probably should try to keep him around, but instead he nodded at the mage. "Alright, then," It was probably an uncharacteristically short response, but he then looked at Joryldin, patting his knee. "Just you and me, then. But you're going to have to explain how those things work--computers are easy, but those controllers…" He pretended to move the joysticks with his thumbs, shaking his head..

”Not one for games?” Joryldin rose to his feet and adjusted his ensemble. ”No problem, I can teach you! It’ll be like a break from putting on more masks than the ones we’ve got on our faces.” The fledgling waved for Eris to follow, and started walking.

Salem disappeared into the crowd after they split apart, and Aaron floated back to the outskirts of the ballroom, content to stay out of the action for a few dances and simply watch. And watch he did; the ballroom was a feast for the eyes, a swirling mass of colours and textures glimmering under the chandeliers, spinning and stepping in tandem. As the moments passed, however, Aaron looked on with a more critical eye. He would latch on to one pair of dancers for a moment, watching their steps, their movements, their faces, before flitting to the next, looking carefully for any misstep. He wandered slowly around the edge of the ballroom as he watched, largely unbeknownst to him as he let himself sink back into familiar ways. What had started as a game between him and his mother when he was a child learning to dance, had become a lifelong habit; formerly a way to pass the time between waiting on nobles, and now a pleasant reminder of home.

Feathers and a raven mask meandered past her, breaking her concentration on a morsel that caught her eye. Her eyebrows shot up and she tracked the boy, sniffing as she trailed after him. Citrus. Hm, not quite what she was in the mood for but she was interested in more than just a baseline flavor now. She gave the distracted mage a few more moments before she caught up with him and kept his pace. "An interesting ensemble. Currying favor or displaying loyalty?"

A voice brought Aaron out of his nostalgic reverie, and he glanced down at the woman it belonged to, walking leisurely alongside him. Her dress reminded him of the Sinnenodel colours, black and silver with traces of green, though he didn’t know of any other Sinnenodels present on campus, so he brushed the thought aside as coincidence. Holding a wine glass, her hand betrayed age, though in a world of ageless beings that was hardly an indication of anything. What drew Aaron’s eye the most was her mask; covering her entire face, the porcelain bore a dazzling pattern in every colour, momentarily hypnotizing the young mage as he tried to make sense of it.

He didn’t tarry long, though, and met the woman with a polished smile. “Merely a reminder of home,” he replied smoothly, arranging his hands behind his back. He tilted his head toward the woman, a subtle gesture of deference. Even without seeing her eyes or her fangs, Aaron knew she was a vampire; they had an air about them he never could quite describe, and like a deer sensing a predator, he could always tell.

“But I suppose I could ask the same of you, Miss..?”

Salem made his way around the room, taking in the splendor that was offered until he caught a ghostly image by a window. The outfit alone made him think twice as to who he thought it was, but much like Aaron, that hair was unmistakable, or at the very least not something he'd seen elsewhere on campus. As he strode on over towards her, Salem pulled out one of the dime bags of sproutlings and held it in his right hand.
"It's good to see you again Lilie."

The voice pulled her out of her thoughts as she turned around, surprised. She didn't think she was going to see anyone she knew, but seeing a familiar face was always welcomed. Lilie beamed at Salem, hands behind her back as she turned towards him. He was so dressed up it was hard to believe it was the same person!

"And a Happy Revel to you!" She grinned. "You look great! I love the flower!" It was a little biased and she didn't recognize the type, but the shape was unmistakable.

"I'm glad to hear it. I brought one for you in hope that it would match your dress." He had expected her to wear something plain or white, nothing golden and glitzy but luckily he hadn't given Aaron his flower so this would work out better than previously anticipated.

He plucked the sprout gently from its soil, shaking free and dirt that may be left before holding it near her gown. Salem could feel his magic extending outwards, leaving a trail for the roots to follow as they spiraled their thin roots around the threads holding the lace in place, weaving themselves in so as to not fall off. Soon a white Lily would bloom, the one previously meant for Aaron to compliment his golden hair.

"I have another, golden hued like mine if you'd like it in your hair, though I think your mask is marvelous enough." There was a slight shift of his mask as he winked at her playfully.

Salem's display made Lilie's jaw drop, though it didn't stop her grin as she looked at the blossoming lily. It added a nice touch to her dress, the white petals resting peacefully on the lace. She looked up at Salem with a bright smile, though her hand went to her mask first. It was already decorated with a variety of jewels and feathers, she would feel bad that no one would really see the flower.

"Oh, you're too sweet, but I wouldn't know where to put it. I appreciate the thought, though," Lilie told him sincerely. "You're really getting along with your magic! I'm going to have to work harder to catch up.""[/color]

"Thanks. It helps that I did have some minor training before entering the academy. Now then, I believe this is a masquerade ball is it not? Let's go out there and dance." Salem extended his hand out to Lilie for her to grasp so that they may begin.

Lilie looked out at the crowd before looking back at Salem, blinking a few times. He was right, but watching the gracefulness of everyone else made her uneasy. She teetered on the spot for a moment before making her choice, nodding. "Okay!" She agreed, taking his arm. Should she mention this kind of dancing wasn't something she was used to? How hard could a waltz be, anyway?

He pulled her in close. Holding her much the same he did Aaron just moments before. "Don't worry I'll lead you. My hips will dictate left and right, lean against my hand on your back so that when I step forward your body naturally moves back with it." He gave her a kind smile, knowing full well that the daughter of a Baker most likely felt out of place in such an environment.

"Shall we?" Salem initiated the dance, taking the water mage into the fray of the dance floor and hoping her fluidity would translate into their waltz. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for how absent I've been aside from our training. I...I haven't been getting much sleep to be transparent with you. But that's luckily all over now."

There was little time to ask how he knew she didn't know what she was doing, but as he pulled her into the dance, her chance was gone. It was just counting to three, right? She hoped Salem would be talented enough that she could just follow along without too much of a hassle, but she felt herself stumble just a little. She was definitely overthinking it. Fortunately, his apology let her think less about her feet and more about him, frowning as he confessed that he hadn't been sleeping.

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" She ended up asking, clearly concerned.

"I've been having nightmares for the least two weeks. Well, nightmare, the same one playing on repeat every night. Every night that is except last night. I slept soundly and feel better than I have in ages. I just...i didn't want to worry you unnecessarily." He looked down, trying to avert his gaze as he felt ashamed for lying to his friend.

Lilie's frown deepened, contemplating her response. She would've liked to know, especially if it was affecting his well being. She had taken his word for granted before when she had asked if everything was okay, though she didn't want to press him on it at the time. After a few seconds she sighed, shaking her head at him. "Mmm...I'm just going to have to really look after you going forward, I guess," She mused out loud, taking a misstep and accidentally treading on his foot. "Oh--sorry, sorry--but that's what you get for keeping things from me!"

Salem couldn't contain his laughter as Lilie attempted to both apologize and reprimand him within the same breath. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Though I have no intention on keeping anything from you, I just didn't want to add an unnecessary distraction into your life while you're attempting to adjust to a new sleep cycle, juggling classes, as well as learning how to manipulate your affinity. No doubt you'd have lost sleep over it and I can't vers well have that happen now can I?"

Lilie pouted, dissatisfied with his response. "But that's what friends are for!" She insisted cheerfully. "I mean it. Please, even if it's just venting, I want to help you out. Okay?"

Salem let out a defeated sigh. "Ok. Ok. I'll make sure to do so more often now. But really I'm fine now and tonight is such an amazing night."

She seemed a lot happier to hear that, nodding enthusiastically. "It is! I'm so glad to see you here," She told him. "It's funny, I've always wanted to go to one of these things, but I should've known it would be better with more familiar faces."

"You're not wrong. Maybe we could gather a few more? I saw Aaron not too long ago and I'm sure Max is on a leash skulking someplace nearby. We could try to find the cul de sac kids and hang out of you'd like? I could look for Max since you're closer to Cassandra than I am"

Looking around the room, Lilie wondered if that was a good idea. She didn't see the blonde anywhere--though that was easier said than done considering he probably had a mask on--but as much as she thought gathering up with everyone would be fun, she felt she should at least try to make an effort here. Mariette wanted her to mingle, so she should.

"Maybe later, I think I'll try to meet some new people and socialize or whatever," She grinned at Salem. "Maybe I'll meet some more excellent dancers.

Salem leaned in and kissed Lilie on the corner of her mouth. "Enjoy becoming a socialite then, anyone would be lucky to be graced by your presence and dancing. I'll go and see what else this festival has to offer, maybe try and see if I can pull Max away from Eris so he can enjoy his night as well."

Her eyes widened at both Salem’s action and words, and for the first time that night she was glad she was wearing a mask. She could feel her face getting hot, averting her gaze from him and nearly tripping over herself. Was he flirting with her? No, he was just being friendly. Right? She dared herself to look back at him, torn between asking and not wanting to make a fool of herself.

”That sounds--sounds good, thank you,” She inwardly screamed at herself, wishing she could just be cool for once.

Salem lead her back out of the dance floor the only way one could, by dancing their way through it and ending it at the edge. He bowed his head at her as he stepped back. "Enjoy you're night Lilie. My phones always on if you need me."

The ballroom had turned out even better than Amaris could ever have expected. It certainly wasn’t the most lavish she had seen to date, but it was absolutely perfect for the events taking place. Despite the campus not requiring costumes overall, the countess had encountered many impressive ensembles just on the walk over yet nothing quite compared to seeing them all gathered in one place.

Somewhat overwhelmed by her own excitement, Amaris had sent her partner off to familiarize herself with the space while she hung back on the outskirts of the dancefloor. It was highly likely that Cassandra’s friends would also be in attendance, or at least she hoped they would be, giving the mage an opportunity to seek them out and potentially spend some time with them. In the meantime, Amaris sat back and allowed her eyes to wander across the room.

Once Amaris had adjusted to all the costumes, she began noticing the smaller details that gave away certain personalities. At one point she caught sight of a pair of sullen eyes, framed by a black-trimmed white mask, scanning the area as if searching for something specific. His demeanour reminded her of an embraced classmate she had noticed among the first few days of school. She still didn’t know much about him, and had never found the opportunity to offer him study advice like she had wanted, but she had found it increasingly difficult to pick the boy out in the crowded lecture halls. This was the first time he had stood out in some time now causing a small smile to brighten her features.

The boy was eventually joined by a caped figure donning a minotaur themed mask. It was a flashy look but not at all a bad one. Amaris could just about feel the shift in energy from him as the small group began speaking to one another, the countess taking it as her cue to move her attention on to a different subject. Her eyes gravitated toward a shimmering gold moving about the dancefloor, the white hair giving away her identity almost immediately. The countess found herself captivated by the image for as long as the pair remained in view. Eventually the dance took them away from the countess leaving her to her thoughts once again.

Without a word, Amaris began wandering the space once again in the hopes of catching back up with her mage.

Interacting with:@Obscene Symphony

“I wouldn’t want to ruin the spirit of the Masquerade. Miss works just fine.” The woman chuckled. So the rumors were true. The little princess let her flock play with the common rabble.. How fun would it be if she took the boy? Maybe she wouldn't even drink him. She could commission an obsidian collar under the table and keep him as a little pet to flaunt in front of the brat when she finished breaking her. What an interesting idea. She tucked that neatly in the back of her head.

“Why don’t we dance? I’d love to hear about how you’re acclimating to life outside the castle. I can’t possibly begin to imagine the culture shock.” She finished her wine, dropping the glass off on ne of the many Noila servants in the place and held her hand out for him to take. The offer was less a request and more a demand.

---

Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“Quite the mask you have there.” A mage, soft voiced and his face flushed with alcohol, approached Amaris with a crooked smile. Hesitation lingered in his movements, likely a result of liquid courage granting him a brief respite from habitual shyness. The boy wore a dark purple tuxedo, the purple swirling flower designs set on a black background, and a silver masquerade mask with similar purple vine designs dancing across it. He startled as if he had been distracted and bowed, with all the awkwardness of someone raised outside of high society. “May I uh, may I have the next dance, please?”

---

Interacting with: @Scribe of Thoth

Outside, the campus was just as loud but more jarringly so. Where inside the noise was a soft mixture of voices and the orchestra, outside the noise was exuberant shouts, carnival music, and all the other cacophony such an event invited. The line into the ballroom had all but vanished, now leaving a few lingering groups outside taking a moment of fresh air before returning to dance more. A few however, we muttering quietly among themselves and money and bottles were being exchanged just out of sight of the guards.

“Of course, you’re right,” Aaron nodded to the masked woman. It was a little one-sided, he’d admit - what she said next demonstrated that she knew who he was, a little to his dismay - but he supposed it couldn’t be helped. The mask had helped him avoid the obvious recognition he’d grown to dread, but it wasn’t as if it cloaked him completely.

The woman clearly wouldn’t take no for an answer, so Aaron obliged, taking her offered hand and leading her onto the dance floor. In one smooth, practiced motion, he moved into a starting pose, and set them off gracefully when the music started.

“I’m acclimating splendidly,” he lied, maintaining his polite outward facade as they danced without so much as a twitch. Unlike the Princess or Varis, Aaron owed no duty of honesty to this woman, nor did he have any desire to speak freely to her. She could be anyone under that mask, and he had no interest in giving anyone any more than they already had against him. “It is a culture shock indeed, but the exposure should prove an important step in becoming a more well-rounded attendant, wouldn’t you say? I’m thankful for any opportunity to better myself.”

“But your interest flatters me, Miss,” he added after the dance took them through a more complicated step. Maybe he was getting too used to subtly picking bits and pieces out of Salem, but he couldn’t resist pressing a little. “May I ask why?”

---

Max let out a deep exhale when he made it outside, taking a casual stroll away from the door under the guise of getting some air. His mouth upturned into a little grin upon noticing the collection of less-than-reputably acting individuals, though the rare expresson quickly faltered as he noticed the money being exchanged. He wasn't so desperate for a buzz that he was going to spend what little money he had on sketchy booze outside a party, and he definitely wasn't going to ask Eris for alcohol money.

Max kept up his act, flanking the building at a leisurely pace with his hands tucked casually in his pockets. Best case scenario, he'd survey the area and find the most spineless-looking guy to try and weasel some free liquor off of. As he neared the back of the building, the smell of alcohol grew more distinct. Perfect. What greeted him as he rounded the corner was less than what he'd hoped for. It was dark, but it looked like some bum got shitfaced, puked all over the wall, and collapsed. How disgusting. It did, however, mean that she was liable to know where to get a decent drink.

"Ay," Max called as he paced over innocently, "You got any booze lef-" Upon approaching the scene, the reality of the situation was a lot clearer. There was a sharp metallic tang undercutting the earlier stench, and the splatter on the wall didn't look like vomit. The body wasn't just passed out, it was outright dead, and not from alcohol poisoning. In the low lighting, the pale desiccation of the flesh wasn't immediately evident, but the messy incision that used to be a functional jugular was all the tipping off Max needed.

The initial shock wasn't too harrowing; Max had seen victims of overfeeding left out to rot before, so there was a healthy (or unhealthy, depending on one's viewpoint) level of desensitization along with his usual hardened apathy forming a pretty solid barrier between himself and outright panic. Ironically, the mage's first thought was that exsanguinated corpses looked a lot less morbid in the moonlight - he'd only ever witnessed them the morning after between the fingers of his father's lazy attempt at covering his eyes. What really surprised him was the venue; someone dared to try this right under the princess' nose. They obviously hadn't tried to cover their tracks either. Was this leech suicidal or just too influential to answer to the law? And the body's hand was glowing. Some kind of defensive magic that never saw use? A calling card in some sick vampiric murder game? Or was it just one of those wine runes from the party? He didn't dare investigate further, lest he end up triggering some spell meant for the murderer. It felt like a weird dream, honestly.

When the gravity of the situation finally sunk in, Max frantically started unbuckling his belt. From an outsider perspective, it probably looked very, very wrong, but the movement was deliberate. The perpetrator probably wasn't still around, given that he'd announced his presence rather blatantly at first and hadn't been slaughtered yet, but he still wasn't taking any chances. Max slunk back the way he came, holding up the belt as the buckle rung with concentrated magic, waiting to punch a hole in the next moving object that crossed the mage's vision. His other hand fished out his phone, typing out a slew of texts to Eris with shaky fingers and a large amount of reluctance to take his eyes off his surroundings to look at what he was actually typing.

> You better come back to the ballroom
> There's a sursyion
> Situation
> It's ducked
> Fucked hurry up

Not his ideal knight in shining armor but who else was he going to tell? Who else could he tell? Max still had no idea who was trustworthy and who wasn't - not that he considered Eris trustworthy, but he assumed the leech had an inclination to protect his property - and short of walking up to Ryner and getting shooed away by her retinue before he could talk, he didn't trust any lower authorities to deal with this. The murder was so brazen that Max wasn't above believing that every single guard nearby had been bought and paid for already.

Max made his way back toward the door, dipping his head sullenly and letting the mask do the rest of the work covering up the remains of any unease he may have been showing. He kept the belt in-hand, letting it inertly dangle at his side instead of vibrating in preparation to be launched at someone. There was safety in a crowd, at least.

---

@Hero