“Quite the mask you have there.” A soft voice drew the countess’ attention away from their wandering search, Amaris pausing her motion to turn and face its source. What she found was a youthful lad dressed in purple, his mask and tuxedo dotted with swirling designs that drew the eye further and further in. It was a gorgeous shade, and one especially bold for someone whose voice was so soft.

Amaris could see the slight flush in his cheeks but she couldn’t bring herself to label his courage false. His motions were somewhat stiff as though he had little opportunity to practice such intricate etiquette, but still he was willing to go for it and that had to count for something. She did, however, find herself wondering if the mage had known ahead of time that his selection was far from human.

“May I uh, may I have the next dance, please?” He asked alongside his bow, the countess returning the kindest of smiles in response. While she had been on a mission to locate her own mage, who was she to deny a well deserved reward to such a sweet sounding boy?

“You have quite a wonderful ensemble yourself, estraneo*.” She spoke softly in the hopes that it would ease some of the boy’s nerves, but she was quite nervous herself. Somehow, she had not considered the possibility of others seeking her out for an opportunity to dance. It was a nice feeling.

“I would be delighted to share the next dance with you, thank you.” Her words were accompanied with a neutral, yet polite curtsy to match the boy’s bow.

Victor Astorio

It had taken longer than he wanted to arrive at the ball; the leather armor of the costume he was wearing for the occasion was mostly decorative covered by embroidered cloth garments. He was regretting choosing this costume but it was too late now, he had not expected to be putting this thing on while regenerating his left arm. At least he found it funny explaining to Salem why vampires do not fight mages at their full capacity because this can happen. The simple prosthetic he was using to help support his slowly regrowing arm was mostly a shell over his weakened arm. The prosthetic simply made it look like his arm looked normal enough when covered by a sleeve and glove.

His costume was fitted for him and brought along with his other things. Elegant and decretive, the armor was difficult to put on by himself with a bad arm and it had made him show up to the dance later than he expected. Honestly, he was never one for these kind of gatherings, but he figured he might as well show up. Being one of the largest people at the school, Victor did not bother with a supper extravagant mask figuring it would be easy to recognize him regardless. However, he did splurge a little by getting something out of character for him. A very large hat adorned with feathers and playing cards tucked into the band.

Met with a short line and already a few tipsy humans was all the invite he needed to proceed into the sea of people dancing and prancing through the place. He was not the only one there wearing dark colors but it would seem the majority went for lighter colored costumes and clothes. Not as many super large hats though, Victor seemed disappointed at this. Yet with a sigh, he waded into the sea of people and made his way around the edges of the gathering trying to pick out those he might recognize.

It was not long before he had already grown tired of the gaggle of dancers in the ball room. Again, he was not used to such things and found the experience more than a little uncomfortable. Not only that but after his last training session his instincts and anxiety have been getting the better of him. Being put in a position where the predator becomes the prey seems to have knocked his invincible arrogance down more than a few pegs. The noble soon found himself picking up a glass and walking toward one of the balconies outside, maybe then he could regain his composure before stepping back inside.

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Interacting with: @Hero@Scribe of Thoth

As Salem departed from Lilie, he grabbed one of the non alcoholic beverages and made his way towards the back of the ballroom. A large glass pane between him and the moonlit sky as he looked out amongst the stars and held the drink in his hand, swirling it but never actually taking a drink. He needed some air, some time to himself to think. He cracked the glass door open, slipping away into the back and closing it behind him as he inhaled deeply. He poured the drink into the grass before him and then removed a flask from his vest pocket, pouring some more tequila into the glass and taking a hearty sip. There was a loud exhale as he pulled out his phone and began to type out a message to Lilie.

Lilie, these past few weeks have been amazing because of you. The morning excersises, classes, even Treaty Law, all made bearable thanks to your kind demeanor and sweet smile. I think my feelings have grown and that perhaps im-

The message was quickly deleted as he shook his head and stared into his glass, taking another sip before putting his phone away. There was a noise, the sound of clanking metal or a leather strap being undone? Perhaps someone was undoing their belt in an attempt to have a more...fun, night. They probably didnt realise there was half the student body just beyond the glass panes who could see them. Salem began to make his way towards the noise, seeing a light in the distance before it went out and the body began to move away. As he neared closer he could smell the scent he'd come across time and time again in his clinic. Something was certainly wrong here. He pulled out his phone, using the flashlight to inspect the body without touching it, nothing the distinct Mark's of a vampiric attack as well as the glowing runes on her hand. He snapped a few photos of them as he made note of they're steady decline in luminosity. Perhaps the power was fading given that the cast was dying? Or maybe this was a joint attack from a vampire and mage alike?

Salem followed around the corner and kept his presence hidden and away from the belt-less person he was pursuing, until finally he reached him, and a few others. He hid for a moment, wondering if he should message Lilie, she had just asked him not to keep secrets from her, and to come to her for aid but...this could ruin her night, set her back on her vampire relations,
and what's more he wasnt exactly sure what she could do about this situation. No, he had to confront this person alone. As he approached and heard the voices, they began to click in his head."Wait...Max? Eris? What're you, no, what were you doing?" Could it be that he misdiagnosed? Was it perhaps not a bite but two puncture wounds caused by the point of a belt clip? Was Max really capable of murder?

Interacting with:@Obscene Symphony

“Nothing more than indulging in passing curiosity. It isn’t every night you stumble across a Noilan lap dog playing all alone.” The vampiress responded easily, following Aaron’s lead as he maneuvered them. She was already growing bored, deciding the underlying aroma wasn’t worth thralling the naive child out into the moonlight. Too sharp for what her palate demanded right now. She’d keep him in mind for later however. What a fun point to prove.

She sniffed the air as something absolutely mouthwatering caught her attention. She caught sight of her next meal. A wall flower, jealousy etched into every tense line of his body as he watched some pair twirl around on the dancefloor, and an unassuming one at that. What a delicious target. “I believe you’ve managed to satisfy my interest. Little pets that do tricks don’t particularly amuse me.” She broke away from him midstep and swiftly made her way back through the crowd, thoughts of the Starag taking a backseat as her hunger reared its head. She’d give the boy some time to enjoy his last moments and then she’d take the sweet sweet nectar pumping through his veins.

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Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“Re- really? The boy beamed, his smile lopsided. He held his hand out, leading her to the dance floor as the music started a new round. “My name’s Dennis. Sorry if I uh suck at this. I’m still new to dancing. Last year didn’t give me a lot of time to practice.” A blush erupted across his face, traveling all the way to the tips of his ears, and he shook his head slightly before with fumbling steps, started the simplified version of the dance.

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Interacting with: The body

The glowing symbol pulsed weakly one last time before it shimmered away into the night. The clenched fist fell open. A few strands of green and silver thread sprung outwards from the tight messy bundle and lay loose on her palm.

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"...Why aren't you wearing your belt?"

Max jolted in place as the hand touched his shoulder, residual adrenaline in his system goading him into swirling around to face his assailant and raising his trusty Belt of Death at his side like a loaded crossbow. Oh, just Eris. Not a murderer. Well, not the murderer; he didn't want to assume the best in any leech's case.

"Son of a bitch," Max exhaled in lieu of an actual answer as he deflated. He was way too wound up, that wasn't good - it'd draw attention, and he wasn't keen on making a scene yet. After taking a moment to regain his composure, the mage leaned in casually. "First weapon I could think of," He whispered conspiratorially, confident that the action wouldn't be out of place at a vampire party of all places, "There's a fucking corpse behind the ballroom. Somebody made a mess of their midnight snack and didn't even bother cleaning up the body."

"Wait...Max? Eris? What're you, no, what were you doing?"

The buckle of Max's belt rattled at the intrusion, his magic still on high alert even if he wasn't consciously paranoid while mixed into the crowd. Just what he needed, another annoyance to pester him. And not even a well-connected annoyance like the Retriever who might've been useful here. Flower Boy's verbiage was an issue too. How much had he seen? That was a pretty pointed question for someone just running into people he recognized at a party. Max didn't see him as much of a threat physically - the murderer was obviously a vampire, and he doubted Salem had the balls for that kind of thing anyway - but he was still connected to that Astorio, and Max could totally picture him ripping some girl's throat out for sport.

"Trying to get out of playing high society, what else?" Max responded with feigned nonchalance, walking closer to Salem with an equally-fake grin. He lowered his volume as he followed up, "The real question here is what you were doing. Bit suspicious to be slinking around like that, hmm?"

Might as well drop the pretenses, he didn't have the patience for word games and double-speak right now. If Salem really was clueless, Max could just admit to have been hunting for liquor and walk away. And if not, well, he still had his belt.

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@Hero@Trainerblue192

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Cassandra had taken every champagne flute that walked past her on servants' legs. It was a bit of a Russian Roulette game, as she wasn't versed enough to be able to tell which were actually wine, and which were just sparkling juice. She had taken a few dances, and spent some time trying to guess at familiar figures through their masks, with varying degrees of success. Presently, she spotted a familiar face, or hair anyway. When she recognized Lilie, the fire she was using as a mask flared briefly, and she made her way over, swaying with surprising and unusual grace around other ball goers.

She put a hand on Lilie's arm, and sang out in a voice wavering with contained laughter.
"Iiiii saw Salem kissing Aaaaaron… Clause! her laughter broke through, punctuated by the green flames around her eyes flaring out and in. "Lilie! Good Revel? It's my first time!"

Lilie jumped when she was addressed, though she was happy to see another familiar face, hoping she didn't look too flustered. She returned Cassandra's laughter with a slight giggle, though her jaw dropped as she realized what she said. Salem did what?! She pursed her lips, teetering on whether or not she should tell her, but she decided to return her greeting first.

"So far, so good!" She replied cheerfully, scratching her cheek. "And, um...Salem kissed me, too, so I guess he's doing to to everyone." Well, that solved that mystery.

"Maybe it's a Revel thing, I didn't talk to him, though," she looked briefly around as if to see if anyone else was doing so.

"Who did you come with, by the way? Aaron?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject and looking back at Lilie. "I'm here with Ama- um, Countess Marivaldi. But I didn't see Sinenodel or Astorio, so I hope I'm not the lame one."

Were they supposed to come with their vampires? She couldn't imagine Count Sinnenodel or Count Astorio attending this sort of thing if she was being honest, but both their mages had come. She was glad Cassandra didn't comment any further on the kiss, feeling her face finally lose its heat. She was a little surprised that she had assumed that she came with Aaron, though. He would be the type to come to this sort of thing, wouldn't he?

Lilie shook her head, though she did wish she thought of asking Aaron to accompany her. She had been so caught up in wearing a pretty dress she didn't even think to ask anyone to go with her. "I came alone, actually," She admitted wholeheartedly. "I think it's nice that you came with Countess Marivaldi." She looked around the ballroom for him, catching herself a second too late. "My countess said to go socialize, so...here I am. Salem said we should all hang out later again, too, but I wanted to hang around here a little longer. I've never been to such a fancy party."

"Aw man, I am the lame one!" she lamented with a facetious laugh. "I dunno that I'd call this 'socializing' though. Half the people don't know who the other half is. Do you think we should try to meet some people?"

Lilie was a little confused at the comment, though she guessed that maybe Cassandra meant coming alone was better than coming with a vampire. Maybe it was like bringing a parent to a dance? She didn't think it was lame, though she had to agree that she did have a slight point. As much as she wanted to socialize (and made the same comment to Salem) there she was, sticking to who she knew. Lilie hung her head in disappointment, though if she was being honest, there were way too many people for her to be comfortable trying to get to know total strangers.

"I mean...we're talking. That's socializing!" She tried to defend their actions with a small shrug, ultimately failing and giving up shortly after. "I just don't want to start chatting someone up and then have some vampire come creeping up on me, I guess." She frowned, deciding to change the subject. "So...did you say this was your first Revel? Were you not allowed to celebrate?" It was an odd comment, striking her curiosity.

”I can protect us from vampires,” the final “S” came out in just barely a slur, “They’re like, afraid of fire, right?

“But yeah, it’s my first. I had dancing lessons on previous Revels, and watched some parties on TV and stuff, but I did’n actually go to a party.”

Lilie wondered if that was a mage thing. The Revel was always a huge party that the whole town used to celebrate, so hearing someone that didn't get to participate came off as odd. She frowned a little at the mention of burning vampires, feeling like that was something that was known but shouldn't really be said. Now that she was really looking at her, though, the other mage was a little off. Her dress and mask were wonderfully creative, but her speech was a little weird and the things she said seemed pretty open. For someone so usually aloof, she sure was super friendly. Not that she minded, but it was still a little strange.

"Are you okay?" She finally decided to ask. "I thought there was a two drink limit."

"Is there? Well, two drinks for me is pretty different from too drinks for, like, Aaron, right? Maybe I just shouldn'ta had them so quickly. Don't go taking advantage now."

Her mouth formed a small 'o' as her mask hid the rest of her confusion. Well, this was certainly something. Lilie wasn't sure what she meant by take advantage, but instead she looked around, hoping she could find help or something. How did one help with drunkenness? Water? Food? Both seemed good, right?

"Why don't we get you some water?" Lilie tried to coax Cassandra to a chair.

Victor had taken his time enjoying the evening air and the sounds that came with the giant party. People laughing, talking, giggling, this atmosphere was rather calming he had to admit all he needed was to get used to it. Leaving his glass outside with a sigh the large vampire started to make his way back inside, perhaps finding someone to dance with could ease his mind a little more.

It sure was crowded in the ballroom, wasn't until he overheard a familiar voice did he finally slow down and look around for the small water mage. He could only make out a few things through the commotion of dancers and spectators around them. Something about vampires being afraid of fire then another thing about being drunk. This was sure to be fun.

He wasted little time to get right into Cassandra’s personal space while lilie tried to coax her to a chair, “Most Vampires are afraid of fire because it damages us easily and it's hard to regenerate that damage.” a sly smile creeping through his mask, grabbing her hand into more of a dancing posture and slowly twirl her around,“But some vampires like to play with fire,even if we get burned,” winking at her from under his mask, “Count Astorio at your service.”

Maybe Lilie was the one drunk, her eyebrows shooting up as Count Astorio entered the scene. He had overheard their conversation, it looked like, though this more playful side was definitely different than the sterner, more tactful side she was used to. Suddenly feeling like she was intruding, she decided that maybe she should go take another stab at mingling with the crowd.

"I leave her in your capable hands, then!" She giggled, giving the pair a small wave before she left the two.

Amaris allowed herself to be led out to the floor, stepping carefully so as not to bump any of the pairings taking their leave of the space. She took up her position and awaited patiently for the boy to get settled. After introducing himself, the countess thus learning his name to be ‘Dennis’, the mage started them off with much uncertainty.

It was an easy enough tempo to fall into, Amaris supporting him patiently through the steps while maintaining eyes on the pairs twirling about them. The last thing she wanted was for the dance to be cut short because some elitist scared her dance partner off for bumping into them. Once their momentum had been established, Amaris returned a kind smile and spoke.

“For tonight you may call me Ari, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Although, you should try not to sell yourself so short… everyone has to start somewhere you know. Like all things, this will come to you with time.” She did find herself wanting to know something after his comment, however.

“If you don’t mind my asking, what took up so much of your attention last year? Were you perhaps a student here already?” Amaris poked curiously. She wouldn’t press if he didn’t want to tell, but his vagueness had piqued her curiosity.

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Interacting with: @Hero@Scribe of Thoth

Salem wasn't at all surprised to see Max's off putting demeanor. Sure he was dressed up, polished, and seemed like he belonged; but polished shit is still shit, and a dressed up Max is still mean and off putting. He took a step back as Max approached him, if he was the murdered then he couldn't allow him to get close enough to puncture his jugular with his belt prong. The metal mage did manage to get close enough to practically whisper in his ear, his low voice asked him something he wasn't quite ready to admit. How could he tell Max that he was out back trying to find the words to tell someone how he felt? No, this was another moment when it was best to omit the truth by telling another. He went to speak, the words getting caught in his throat as he watched Eris approach the pair of them. Was he involved in this as well?

He expected a reprimand, some snarky remark towards his attire, or something about his status and how it affects Max, or possibly that if they fought to not bruise his partners face because it wouldnt photograph well. But no, much to his surprise Eris was acting as if he were a mature adult and not some pampered star. He placed his hands on them and suggest they move out of earshot, and Salem.whole heartedly agreed. Salem nodded his head towards Eris, and in a low voice responded to Max. "I was out back having more than my allotted two drinks." He tapped on his vest and a slight metallic thump could be heard as he tapped on the flask hidden beneath. "Eris is...right, however. Too many ears and eyes here, if we want to speak and settle we should take it outside out of others range."

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Max paused at Eris' touch, rolling his eyes. For an actor, his 'everything-is-fine' face was a bit delayed. Well, it's not like Max had given him much prior warning, to be fair. At least he was keen on keeping things quiet for now. Flower Boy was a different story. He'd been fairly docile so far, but Max couldn't guarantee he wouldn't start a scene and tell everyone and their mother to start panicking while the murderer slips off and takes advantage of the chaos.

"I was out back having more than my allotted two drinks." Something metal under his coat, a flask? His story checked out. Max assumed that was a gesture of trust on more levels than one, but even if it had slipped Salem's mind just what he could do, the mage was already worming his perpetual field of magic into the metal of the flask on the off-chance he'd need to test how much force it would take to crack Salem's ribcage.

"Eris is...right, however. Too many ears and eyes here, if we want to speak and settle we should take it outside out of others range."

"No arguments here," Max muttered with a shrug, letting Eris guide them along while he redid his belt. "I think you and I had the same idea of what constitutes a party. I assume you saw the new centerpiece of the room while you were there? Absolutely garish piece of furniture." That was the most roundabout way he could think of talking about the corpse without sounding overly suspicious or just saying it outright. Vampires had inane conversations about bad interior decorating all the time, right? It was just another thing to shit on your rivals for.

"Err, hang on. Sorry." Max swerved out of Eris' grasp as they neared the exit, making a quick show of looking over a nearby table of food before ultimately deciding not to take a snack for the road. He palmed a fork as he departed the table, using his magic to slide it smoothly up his sleeve as he returned to the duo and continued walking outside as if nothing had happened. "Not what I wanted, oh well."

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@Hero@Trainerblue192

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Interacting with: @Hero@Scribe of Thoth

Salem began to follow the two out of the ballroom, his eyes affixed to Max's belt prong as he noticed there was no blood on it, nor anywhere on him. Perhaps he wasn't the killer after all, perhaps he was just a passerby that happened to stumble upon the corpse at the wrong time. As they were walking, Max droned on and on about some gaudy centerpiece and Salem for the most part wondered why. It took him a moment until it clicked and he realised Max was smarter than he looked and could actually speak like those above him. Perhaps he could be polished up, maybe he wasnt shit but just coal that needed to be pressed harder in the right conditions in order to become a diamond. But all of this was speculation that immediately left his mind as he watched the young made wander over to a plate of food like a lost dog. How could he possibly think of food at a time like this? Maybe Salem did need Lilie, or maybe he should get Aaron as well. She'd want to be clued in and Aaron would be able to meet with the Princess if needed. No. He wouldnt soul his friends evenings just because he was unsure if he could handle it himself.

They proceeded forward and eventually made their way to the corpse that lay there lifeless. Eris now taking in the scene for the first time, clearly noticing things that he couldnt beforehand. His enhanced senses would be a great help at his clinic, maybe he could speak to him about helping out there. Tell him the charity work would look amazing for his image and it would bring great press and attention towards him. Salem shook his head as now wasnt the time for such fantasies. Eris called for one of them to fetch a guard while the other stand watch. "Max, go fetch the guards and tell them about what you've found so far. I'll stay here with Eris and begin creating a barrier to make it harder for the others to see." He looked around and began to scratch the back of his neck as he noticed all there was was grass nearby. No matter, he could work with it.

Salem made sure his sleeves were down, dulling the glow of his tattoos so that he wouldnt be noticed as he stretched his hands out and began to focus on the grass around the body. He could see his magic extending from the blades of grass like thin tendrils that slowly crawled upwards towards the sky. Those closer to the body grew larger than the ones further away, attempting to make the scene seem more like a small hill of grass and less like a mound that was forgotten to be cut. As he focused his magic on it the grass began to grow and move along the lines of magic he had laid out for them, making it more difficult to spot the body but not fully hiding it. His tattoos stopped glowing and he reached for his flask, taking a drink before placing it back. "Think that should help enough Er- Mr. Samael."

Hm, this woman wasn’t pulling any punches, was she? Aaron was quite familiar with personal jabs - the last few weeks with Varis and Max floating around guaranteed that - but he was more used to the aristocratic tradition of thinly veiling one’s insults in public rather than laying them out for all the world to see.

Still cordial as ever, Aaron had just opened his mouth to respond when his partner sniffed at the air rather brazenly, attention locked somewhere at the edge of the ballroom. With little more than some rude parting words she slid out of his grip, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Aaron alone. A small, strangled noise of protest died in Aaron’s throat as he watched her go, glaring at the spot where she disappeared before opting to clear off the dance floor with a single indignant tug on his lapel. Maybe she wasn’t as highborn as he thought; she had the verbiage down, but clearly not the class. He was a mage, sure, but stranding one’s dance partner like that still made her look bad.

Choosing not to dwell on it, Aaron went back to watching the dancers, sticking to the wall and glancing from pair to pair until a streak of white caught his eye at the edge of the dance floor, some distance away. White and gold, actually; long white hair tumbling in waves down the back of a golden yellow chiffon dress with an exquisite train, though it didn’t take long after seeing a pair of big blue eyes peeking out of a golden mask for Aaron to realize who it was.

Rude vampiresses forgotten, an excited smile immediately formed on Aaron’s face at the sight of her. He hadn’t expected Lilie to be here! He had considered catching up to her sometime during the festivities, but when he’d asked she hadn’t known what she’d be doing, and he didn’t want to freak her out by chasing her around campus. But it really seemed like the stars were aligning to give him a lucky break, bringing Lilie to a ball in a gorgeous gold gown, where it would be appropriate to ask her to dance.

With a burst of courage he hadn’t felt since arriving at the Academy, Aaron schooled his expression (or at least, what part of it was visible under his raven mask) into something more polite than exuberance, instead painting on the same little smile he’d been wearing moments before. He strode over to her with his head held high, but slowed a bit as he approached her, clasping his hands behind his back as he came to a halt directly behind her. He was a little amused at the fact that he was nearly a head taller than her, though the plume of gold feathers protruding from the top of her mask made up the difference. She was talking to some people, but for once he wasn’t scared to interrupt.

“I must say, I wasn’t expecting you here tonight,” he told her, heart fluttering in his chest as he tried his best to be smooth.

The group Lilie had found herself with was a pleasant one, and she found herself listening along to a story about something that had happened in a previous class. It was a funny story, but she wondered if she could really spend the entire night listening to stories from people without having anything to contribute. She felt like she should have taken up Salem's offer, at least with friends she would've had more fun. Well, at the very least she could say she did give it an earnest try, and if she was honest, it wasn’t all bad!

A familiar voice caused Lilie to turn around, though she nearly jumped in place. Instead of the kind Aaron she was used to seeing, instead a fair haired gentleman in a raven’s mask was in his place. Her first thought was that a bird man had come to prey on her, somewhat alarming her. As soon as she saw those cerulean colored eyes of his, however, she relaxed immensely, giggling at her own silliness.

“Aaron!” She was probably a little too excited to see him, but seeing a familiar face was always a pleasant surprise. Taking a few seconds to look at his outfit, she had to admit she was impressed. His suit was gorgeous, the blue looking fantastic on him. The feathered mask wasn’t as scary as she initially thought, and she mentally chided herself for getting spooked.

She excused herself from the group, giving him her full attention. “You look great!” She told him happily, clasping her hands together in front of her. Of course, she realized why he was surprised, and she immediately shook her head. “I know, I'm sorry, I just heard that you'd be here, too,” She apologized, not wanting him to think she had been trying to avoid him. “I didn't think I'd be here, either. But here we are!”

That same excited smile came right back when Lilie greeted him happily; it was a smile that seemed to only come about for her. Aaron wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for, though. She had just made his night.

“Thank you,” he replied to her compliment before gesturing to her. “But you look absolutely stunning,” he assured her, only now noticing that her mask had a golden peacock motif. He pointed between their two masks, remarking, “Hey, we’re both birds!”

He chuckled a bit at the statement, but moved on quickly, deciding that was probably lame. Spotting a live flower rooted into Lilie’s dress, he pointed it out. “I see Salem got to you too,” he remarked, grinning.

Aaron's compliment got Lilie to smile again; what a charmer! At the mention of their shared bird motif, her hand went up to her mask as she realized he was right. Of course, she wasn't going to mention that she thought he was initially a giant raven bird man coming to steal her soul, but fortunately he would move on from that topic. Lilie looked down to where Aaron gestured, looking back at him with a nod. "Isn't it pretty? He offered me another one, but I felt like just the one was good enough, I didn't want people getting the wrong idea," She said, deciding to run off on Aaron's observation.

“The wrong idea?” Aaron asked, “What do you mean?”

She pointed to the flower and then at herself. "Because it's a lily! And I'm a Lilie!" She beamed at her own joke. "Well, Lily with an I and an E, but still. Cause walking around with a bunch of lilies…you know?"

“Ah! I see,” Aaron laughed politely, less and the joke and more at how pleased with herself Lilie looked when she told it. It was absolutely adorable, and it warmed his heart to see her so happy.

Delighted that Aaron appreciated her joke, Lilie gave him a bright smile, examining his mask. When her eyes wandered down to the unexposed part of his face, she suddenly remembered what Cassandra told her. She looked around, making sure neither she nor Salem were close before leaning in towards Aaron. "So I heard that you and Salem--that you two, uh," She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Kissed.”

Aaron had to lean down so he could hear Lilie’s whisper over the din, but he straightened as she finished, brow furrowed under his mask. It took a moment for him to connect the dots.

“Oh!” He exclaimed when it clicked, tossing his head back in laughter. “Yeah, he really wanted to dance, and kissed me on the cheek when we were done.” He pulled out his phone, chuckling as he found the picture he and Salem has taken on orientation night, and turned it around for Lilie to see. “He did it on orientation night too, I think it’s just something he does.”

Taking the phone from Aaron to get a better look, Lilie was surprised that it was just for a picture. It looked like a friendly kiss on the cheek, not at all as intimate as she had assumed. As she handed the phone back to Aaron, her free hand touched her lips. The kiss Salem gave her was definitely a little more risque, but now she was wondering if maybe she misinterpreted it.

"He kissed me, too, so I assumed it was the same," Lilie admitted. "Although his wasn't on my cheek, it was here," She pointed to the corner of her lip.

Aaron’s first thought was of how inappropriate a kiss like that would be; Salem’s little cheek kisses were odd enough as it was - he struck Aaron like a quirky old vampire rather than a mage whenever he did that - but the spot Lilie indicated seemed… invasive, to say the very least. His face fell a touch at the information, unnoticeable under the mask, as a strange flash of anger struck him. Or, that wasn’t quite right. He was more annoyed than he felt like he should be, seeing as Lilie didn’t seem any worse for wear, so maybe he was just overly concerned for her comfort. Or…

Was he jealous?

“Well, I have it on good authority that Salem’s been drinking,” he replied smoothly, flashing Lilie a cavalier smile. “He probably just missed.” Aaron inwardly chided himself for his foolishness. Of all people in the world to be jealous about, Salem was not one.

“And while I have you here,” he added, glancing back to the dance floor as the music ended and the couples broke apart and paired up again. He turned back to Lilie and held out a white-gloved hand, the other neatly behind his back, the very picture of regal elegance and propriety. “May I have this dance?”

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

The Guard would only be patrolling the perimeter of the school grounds right now, ranks reduced by the holiday. A guard station was nearby, only a minute or two if someone hurried over. Max, if he so chose to do as his sudden partners in crime suggested, would notice the green and silver gowned woman staring at the ground for a moment, her hand resting on a mage totally enamoured with her, before they turned away from the scene as she whispered in the boy’s ear.

---

Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“Ari.” The boy pondered for a moment, eyes going far away as he did but he snapped back quickly enough. He stumbled on a step but caught himself with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, sorry! Uh, what was the ques- Oh! I chose mental magic as my arcane major so between the extra affinity courses, the heavy protection course load, and the first semester of blocking classes, I barely had time to sleep, let alone practice dancing.”

“How about you? What are you studying here?” Dennis asked as they moved a little awkwardly through the second turn.

---

Most mortals put up at least a bit of resistance when met with a vampire’s thrall, just enough to make it fun, but this one was so easy. He was so eager to please, so desperate to belong to something, have someone who thought he was valuable, he fell as soon as their eyes connected. A few words, a light touch, and he trailed behind her like a little lost puppy as she made her way out of the ballroom and back towards the campus fair. She wanted to sink her teeth into him but she’d waited longer. What was a few minutes compared to her own 800 years?

Her eyes drifted over to her precious meal. Amusement twitched at the corner of her smile as she noticed the flies buzzing around it. Someone found her little gift. How long until the chase began? Maybe she would dangle this one in front of them until she had them right where she wanted. Scar the Princess’s little flock and tear it apart. She pressed her hand to the small of her newest meal’s back, ushering him away from the body. They’d take the long way around this time.

---

Max pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation as the other two tended to the body. He didn't trust the guard as far as he could spit, and apparently the murderer thought them incompetent too given how brazenly messy they left the crime scene. He assumed campus lockdown would be the norm here - this was still a school - but if that was what the murderer was counting on, he'd just be playing into some leech's bloodstained hands. Not that he could voice this to the guards themselves; Max likely wouldn't be taken seriously if he tried to advise them to keep their response discrete. Eris would have a slightly better chance, but his investigative skills were surprisingly keen and sending him off on a mere errand would be counterproductive here.

"You're thinking too linearly," Max protested, any earlier trace of feigned civility abandoned in favor of his usual crabbiness, "If the killer didn't bother to hide the body, what makes you think they didn't fully intend for the guard to come knocking? Nobody's that suicidal, they have to have some kind of leverage." Paranoid? Maybe, but he didn't trust this setup. Not that he was particularly keen on hunting down the perpetrator on his own either, but he felt it was more reliable than a few random pawns. Fine, he really didn't have a better plan at all, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to shit on everything else that Eris and Salem proposed until he heard something he liked.

"Maybe they're paid off or somet- wait," The mage paused his musing as he noticed the faint light beneath Salem's sleeves, snapping his gaze back to the body as he poked through the freshly-lengthened grass with his foot, "Her hand stopped glowing. There was some kind of sigil on the back of her hand when I was here." Did her spell wear off? He still had no idea what that was, but it was on the hand that had the fabric in it. Were they related? Eris seemed to think the threads came from the perpetrator's attire, which was a reasonable assumption. Was the spell meant to draw attention to that? Or was that the remnants of the spell that ripped off the cloth in the first place? He really needed some expert on runecraft here right now. Maybe he would have to talk to the guard. How annoying.

---

@Hero@Trainerblue192

Hearing that Salem had been drinking made Lilie frown, wondering if that was a common theme, but she supposed if Cassandra and Salem did it, then there must not be anything wrong with it. Aaron’s assurance was a little curious, but there was little time to ask any further, his hand extended to her as he asked her for a dance. He was always a little formal, but this really took the cake. Not that she found herself minding that very much, finding little reason to say no. How hard could a waltz be, anyway?

Lilie gladly took Aaron's hand, nodding happily as she mentally prepared herself, following him as he led her out to the floor. There was still a tiny part of her that was nervous, but she had every reason to believe Aaron would take the lead and she would just have to apologize to anyone she bumped into. That being said, she found herself face-to-face with Aaron--or as face-to-face as she could be with someone almost a whole head taller than she was--as he assumed a starting position. His hand on her waist actually gave her a hint of butterflies in her stomach, making her wonder when was the last time she had been so close to a guy, though as he held her hand in his, she was distracted by how much bigger his hand was than hers. It felt nice and secure, and she took a second to breathe.

“Should I apologize now if I happen to step on your toes?” She asked him as a joke.

Aaron smiled kindly down at Lilie. “Nah, I’m tough,” he assured her with a wink.

The music began, and gently Aaron led Lilie into the first few steps of a simple waltz. Dancing had never been much more to him than another skill he had to master, and he’d danced like this with just about everyone he knew back home, from his mother and aunts to his etiquette teacher back when he was learning. Somehow, though, his heart still managed to flutter at the chance to waltz with Lilie. Even as inexperienced as she was, occasionally getting her legs tangled up with his, her movements were still fluid and alluring, and Aaron found it hard not to stare.

Aaron's confidence was something else tonight, the white-haired girl all but determined not to make a fool of herself. Easier said than done, of course. Lilie should have known better than to agree to something out of her league; she assumed a waltz was simple, but what little experience she had showed as she found herself having to play keep-up with the blonde. Aaron was well practiced, which should have made it easy to follow, but letting someone else take the lead proved a lot harder than it should have been. He was more graceful than she had anticipated, but seeing as how he came from a place where etiquette and poise were the norm, she shouldn't have been surprised.

She mentally counted out the tempo, finding it a little easier to map out her steps as she looked down at her feet. Just as she looked up at him to ask how she was doing, she caught him staring, the mask accentuating his eyes and making her feel like he was looking right through her. Lilie ended up looking back down so quickly she was genuinely surprised her neck hadn’t snapped. He probably thought she was hopeless, her gaze fixated down to prevent him from seeing how embarrassed she was.

To Aaron, on the other hand, dancing came as easily as walking, allowing him to focus more on his partner than his own steps. And focus he did; on how she moved, how shy she suddenly became—there was such a sharp contrast between Lilie in the arena and Lilie in the ballroom that Aaron forgot himself, apparently staring a little too insistently as Lilie averted her eyes when she saw him.

A low chuckle escaped him; he felt a little bad for laughing, but something about a bashful Lilie was just so damn endearing and cute that he couldn’t help himself. She did seem tense, though, staring down at her feet and apparently very concerned about her footsteps.

Suddenly, another flash of courage struck him, and Aaron brought his hand up from Lilie’s waist to her chin, gently tilting her face up so their eyes could meet. “You should be looking at me,” he told her gently, flashing a smile.

His touch alone brought Lilie out of her counting, and the next thing she knew she was looking up at him again. Aaron’s expression was so gentle, so inexplicably warm that she found herself frozen in place, unable to tear her gaze away. She wasn’t sure how she never noticed it before, but his eyes had this gorgeous shade of blue that she hadn’t seen before. Maybe it was her own personal longing to return to a simpler time, but they reminded her a lot of a blue sky on a sunny day.

Still, she found herself smiling with him, having to remind herself to breathe for a second. “Okay…” The word came out so quietly she wasn’t even sure he heard it, unsure why she was finding it hard not to get too excited.

She seemed to catch herself as she realized that now she was the one staring at him, clearing her throat as her brain scrambled trying to think of how to get herself out of that awkwardness. “Where—where did you learn how to dance?” Lilie asked.

Aaron felt none of the awkwardness that Lilie did, him simply thrilled that she seemed to be enjoying his company. He took a deep breath to calm the fluttering in his chest as he placed his hand back on her waist, leaning down a bit so he could hear her when she asked a question.

“The same place I learned everything, Noila Castle,” he replied, airily maneuvering the pair of them away from another couple to avoid a collision. “I think we’re usually supposed to learn around age six, but apparently they started me early because they couldn’t get me to sit still.” He gave Lilie a cheeky grin.

“How about you?” he asked, stepping back and guiding Lilie’s arm up over her head for a spin in tandem with the rest of the dancers, “Have you ever done anything like this before?”

The spin definitely made Lilie dizzy, though she was starting to think it had more to do with her partner than anything. Managing to keep herself rooted, she found herself surprised at his admission that he couldn’t sit still as a child. Aaron was so well-behaved that the idea of him being unruly even as a kid sounded so unlikely to her.

“The only dance experience I have is from my ballet lessons when I was little, unless you count poor Salem pulling me around as I stepped on him,” Lilie shook her head. “Even then I preferred dancing solo, but our group dances were nothing like this.”

Aaron wrinkled his nose. “Oh, I used to hate dancing alone,” he replied, “Cello solos, fine, but anything else always made me too self-conscious.” He laughed a bit, shaking his head before returning the conversation to Lilie. “Ballet though, that’s impressive. Although, considering the fencing, I suppose I should have expected it. Do you still dance?”

Aaron’s humility was admirable, and Lilie had to admit the idea of him being self-conscious made her feel a little closer to him; they had more in common than she thought, even if it was in different ways. At his question, she immediately shook her head. “Oh, no, I went into gymnastics after we couldn’t afford—” She cut herself off as she caught herself again. It was a little too easy to talk to Aaron, but in their current setting and knowing who he was, she felt like it wasn’t the time or place to get into too much detail. “I mean, no. Sorry. I went into gymnastics once I went into high school.”

Despite wanting to get the conversation off of her, Aaron had said something that got her attention. “What do you mean when you say you expected it?” She asked him curiously.

Lilie’s little self-correction made Aaron’s face fall a little, but he wouldn’t press the issue as she moved the conversation along. “Well in my mind, fencing and ballet are similar,” he explained, chuckling. “Probably why I was never good at either.”

He pulled Lilie’s waist a little closer to him as another couple swept close behind her, but continued, unconcerned with a few trajectory adjustments. “Anyway, fencing and ballet both involve a lot of beauty and grace and fluid motion, not to mention complicated footwork.” He could hear Lucan’s voice in his head now, lecturing him about that very thing. “I guess I think it suits you,” he concluded with a smile.

The sudden movement nearly made Lilie lose her footing, clinging onto Aaron. Now that she had let him fully take the lead, the dance was so much easier. For the moment she put that aside as he continued, surprised by his response. Beauty and grace--was that how he thought of her? It was actually very flattering, her smile widening. If she didn’t know any better, she would probably have thought he was flirting with her.

“That’s so sweet of you to think that,” she told him. “I feel more like I’m clunky and constantly stumbling, but if you think I’m graceful, I’ll take the compliment.”

“Good,” Aaron grinned, sweeping Lilie into another spin in tandem with the ballroom. He’d been raised to the standard that refusing a compliment was rude, even if you didn’t believe it; in his opinion, though, her insecurities were wholly unfounded.

The dance picked up a little in pace and complexity as it neared its end, and conversation fell to the wayside as Aaron led Lilie (more or less) through the steps. She spared the occasional glance down at her feet, but otherwise kept her eyes up as Aaron had instructed; Aaron himself was finding it very hard not to lose tempo completely as the threat loomed of getting lost in her eyes. Something about sapphire eyes framed by the gilded edges of a gold mask sucked him in, Lilie’s every move - even her mistakes - captivating him, and soon, all he saw was her. That was, of course, until a flash of red in his periphery told him they were about to knock into another couple spinning by.

Jerked out of his reverie by the realization, Aaron did the only thing he could think of in an instant, grabbing Lilie by the waist and hoisting her up and out of the way. Lilie yelped in surprise and Aaron turned to put her back down on the other side of him, just as the song ended and the other dancers swirled to a stop. The rest of the crowd bowed to each other and clapped for the musicians, but Aaron, a little shocked, could only cover his mouth as he struggled to contain laughter.

“I’m sorry,” he laughed, reaching out apologetically and looking to Lilie with legitimate concern, despite his grin. “Are you alright?”

Lilie had bit down on her lip to prevent her own burst of giggles, nodding. "Yeah! I was just surprised!" She said, fanning herself to cool down her flushed face. After a few seconds she reached under her mask to rub her eye, only to realize her mistake when she saw the side of her finger glittering. Oh shoot, she completely forgot about her makeup, having rubbed her eye out of a slight sleepiness she usually had at this time.

"Um, I just need to fix myself up," she excused herself. "I'll be right back, so wait for me, okay?"

Aaron collected himself enough to nod, still smiling. “Alright, I'll stay here.”

The countess stared at Dennis in awe, silent a moment too long after the boy had asked his follow up question. Here he was studying an incredibly complex arcane yet he was worried about the lack of practice he had acquired for dancing? The thought urged a genuine laugh that twisted about the pair as they moved about.

“My apologies, but I think you might have taken me by surprise a bit. Mental magic is not for the faint of heart and requires an immense amount of preparation and discipline. To be honest, I am far more impressed by that than I would be of anyone’s dancing skills.” She fell silent for another moment, contemplating her own answer to the question. What was she here to study?

She supposed that her original subject had already been put to rest… for the moment at least. But what was it she was going to do now? There was still much she could learn, too much she needed to learn, and very little of it being something she could carelessly share. Realizing she was taking too long to answer, Amaris sighed with resignation.

“To be honest, I’m here for the experience more than anything else. Nowhere else in the world is there a better collection of minds or knowledge, save for perhaps Her Majesty’s own court. I want to learn that which can only be learned here, but seeing as it’s only my first year it sounds like there will be plenty of opportunity for me to refine my interests.” The countess stepped a hair closer to Dennis as another pair threatened to bump her from behind, seemingly a little out of practice themselves.

“I guess that was a rather disappointing response following your own, perhaps I’ve spent too much time practicing dancing and not enough on academics.” Amaris chuckled again as she returned to her more relaxed posture.

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

A small group of people that had been walking back to the campus festivities took notice of their little trio. Not enough to stop walking but a few gestures and shrugged shoulders were sent their way. After that, more curious eyes would be turned their way as word got around that a bunch of people were just hanging out behind the ballroom.

---

Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

Dennis ducked his head, hiding the faint blush on his cheeks but his ears betrayed him. He smiled at her a moment later as Ari spoke and his smile fell at her comments. The dance came to an end, giving Ari a bow as they separated.

“I don’t think it is! There is a lot to learn here so taking the time to figure out what you want is admirable!” Dennis spoke earnestly. “Plus, you don’t really have the same kind of time limits as we do, do you? Nothing wrong with taking advantage of that.” He turned his head to the side and although his lips moved, nothing came out but another flush ran across his face and he shook his head.

“So I’m getting a little overheated. Would you like to join me upstairs for a little bit? I, uh, really need some water.” Dennis asked sheepishly. “But uh, you don’t have to! There is still lots to do and I don’t expect you to settle for chilling with me at a party.”

---

The vampiress had the boy pinned against one of the lecture halls, some inane color or another, and he looked so vulnerable, so uncertain. She barely gave him a second to process as she whipped forward and sank her fangs in his throat. She recoiled the second the blood sprayed on her tongue, having the common sense to at least seal the bite before she did, and nearly lost her dinner. She wanted sweet but this was so sweet it physically hurt. What a useless blood bag. Can’t even have the common decency to taste right. She gave him an appraising look as he blinked for a few minutes.

Well, that could be changed.

She was pressing against his throat in a heartbeat, closing his airway as his bite addled head caught up with the hear and now. He clutched at her wrist, trying to dig his nails into her as he kicked out. Anything he could do to shake her off. He could feel his heart racing and his lungs screaming against the lack of oxygen. It dawned on the poor mage what was about to happen. Spots danced in front of his eyes but he relaxed against her hand, letting her support him, as he reached out. His magic was sluggish to respond, tired and worn out from the lack of oxygen, but when it settled he yanked as hard as he could.

The ground beneath her collapsed and she leapt back just in time to avoid falling into the hole. He hit his knees as he gasped for breath and his vision swam but his victory didn’t last long. In a blink, she had him against the wall, fangs bared and sinking back into him. He went slack as she drank, much more pleased with the sour tinge breaking through the sweet.

---

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Interacting with: @Scribe of Thoth

As soon as Eris left Salem was left with just Max. Great. He had nothing against the guy but...the amount of awkward silence that he could fill into a room was surprising to say the least. And when he wasnt being silent it was usually some quick witted remark. Salem looked around, noticing those whose eyes kept wandering to their group and then leaving. This was getting to be a bit dangerous. The small hill like structure he made may have bought them some time but soon enough curious eyes would come wandering their way and he had no real way to stop it. He looked over at Max and finally spoke up "I took a picture of the glowing rune you were just talking about. Figured if anything I could attempt to research it and see what I find out, or perhaps stop a professor in magic to see what they know of it if one happened to walk by." There was another awkward pause as Salem swayed from the balls of his feet to his heels and back again, waiting for Eris. "Soooooo, what was that that Eris handed you? I must've missed it while I was checking her for cause of death."