Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

The guard blinked at the cloth presented to him. “For fuck’s… I’ll take that.” The guard snapped as he snatched the evidence away from Max. “As for the picture, keep it open and on hand if you don’t want your device immediately confiscated. In the meantime, don’t move.” The guard quickly set about clearing the lingering group away and the ballroom was emptying quickly as the staff diverted the students back towards the central campus. The sirens reached their crescendo as three campus police vehicles whipped around the corner, followed closely by an ambulance. A few mages seemed to pull themselves out of the shadows of the wall and vampire guards showed up on foot terrifyingly quickly. One bat fluttered around the scene. Most of the people here were in plains clothes and more than one mage was sent away when it was apparent they were intoxicated.

The area was quickly tapped off. The bat circling the scene plummeted in front of the boys and nearly hit the pavement, shifting back into her bipedal form in the blink of an eye. She was short and squat, a terse looking woman dressed in a shirt, shorts, and some mismatched sneakers. The guard caught the woman up to speed on what the trio had already discussed but she dismissed him with a wave of her hand. “Imbecile.” The woman grumbled, her voice raspy, but that was all the effort she put into the man she shooed away.

She turned her eyes on the three. Gears were whirring in her head as she took them in, head tilting from side to side. “Detective Abigail Foster. I’d say a pleasure to meet you but its not. Assuming that cop out of a guard had anything right, you stumbled across a body, took a picture of some sort of rune, tampered with evidence, and then got help. Sound about right? I’m thinkin’ it does. Normally, we could just take a statement,check out some security footage, and send you off because frankly I don’t think any of you have the balls to pull a stunt like this but since you have technically messed with our crime scene and we don’t have a camera back here, even I can’t hand wave your stupidity away. Gotta take you in, question you some more, and then let the Princess decide how she wants to handle the lot of you. Questions can wait til we’re in the car.”

She lead them over to one of the campus vehicles, a brief back and forth between its original driver and her resulting in the keys in her hand and a slinking off vampire, and practically stuffed them in the back seat of the car. Once the car started up and she pulled away from the curb did she speak again. “You’ve got about ten minutes until we reach the holding area. Speak now or forever keep your peace.”

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Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“Well, I’ve never really been to a dance like this so honestly, it kind of was? Never had the chance the other Revels or more like I never really gave myself the chan-” The music went silent and in the middle of the ballroom was calmly explaining that accidental damage done to the smoke detectors required the event be ended early and that all attendees are required to vacate the premise but can continue to enjoy the other events of the Revel.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I wonder if…” Dennis trailed off, his attention seemingly elsewhere as he stood and offered his hand to help Amaris out of her chair. “Hm, something seems to be going on outside the ballroom? There are sirens blaring? And…” Dennis gasped. “Eris Samuel, his mage, and the Astorio mage are all being escorted away! I wonder if they caused the damage?”

---

“Thank you, Benjamin.” Ryner accepted the cloth gratefully, dabbing away the blood from her eyes. “But I think it’s about time I leave you to acclimate to your new home. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you. If you ever need help or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Even if it’s just a friendly ear, I’ll do my best to help.” Ryner said her goodbyes as she made her way back outside.

The princess’ offer was heartwarming and sincerely appreciated. Ben decided to accompany her to the door since his mage didn’t seem to be around. Their brief talk left him pensive for a moment; her history was a mystery he was keen on knowing, only to be reminded that he had ulterior motives for knowing so. He had gained valuable information on the school’s history that would hopefully take a step forward for his investigation, but it felt artificial in the face of his earlier promise to keep the peace. Of course, despite his father’s wishes, he fully planned on keeping said information for his own purposes, but he supposed he would simply cross that bridge when it came to it.

Just as he was about to bid Princess Ryner farewell, some movement not too far off caught his attention. It was a peculiar sight of what looked like a student carrying another on his back, but he had noticed they were coming towards this dorm. The young man was a noble blond wearing Noilan colors, the girl on his back pale with snow white hair. He seemed to take it in stride, but Ben was a little more concerned with the young lady. She looked like she was talking into his shoulder, the occasional giggle heard, but she seemed very comfortable with him with her arms embracing the young man.

There was an odd feeling in his stomach. Dread? No, that couldn’t be. There was nothing particularly wrong with what they were doing, moreso after he noticed something tied around her foot, but something about the pair didn’t strike him as entirely wholesome. As to why, he wasn’t sure.

“I believe the Revel truly is a night to let go,” He commented, unsure of what to make of the pair.

Ryner followed Ben's gaze and took a moment to watch the approaching pair. She smiled, far more affectionate than she meant but like Ben said the Revel was a night to let go. "And I'm glad it is. I believe Aaron's needed a relaxing night since the semester started. It's good to see him getting closer to someone. Do you know how to use these camera phones that came out recently? His mother would love a picture of him and Lilie like this."

It took a little longer than it should have, humouring Lilie’s tipsy comments with the occasional laugh or reply as they made their way to her dorm, for Aaron to notice the two vampires standing in front of the Eve dorm, and another second longer to realize who they were. Countess Mariette was nowhere to be seen, but there was a tall vampire with dirty-blond hair, accompanied by none other than Princess Ryner.

How did he always manage to stumble across her in his less-than-regal moments?

Aaron had no earthly idea who the other vampire was or why the two of them were outside the Eve dorm, but he couldn’t very well just walk past them, so he threw on his best available version of a polite smile and quickly set Lilie down when he approached. He had to give the Princess a bit shallower of a bow than he preferred, hindered by the arm he kept around Lilie’s waist to stabilize her, but the attempt was there. “Happy Revel, Your Highness!” he greeted, doing his best to sound less embarrassed than he was, “This is a surprise!”

"Happy Revel, Aaron. I see Lilie and you have been enjoying the festivities." Ryner chuckled but she turned to Benjamin. "Benjamin, this is Aaron, the mage I was talking about earlier, and your partner for the foreseeable future, Lilie Dionne. Aaron, Count Benjamin will be taking the Countess' place as the Eve's representative to the school."

Lilie swayed in place, happily using Aaron as support as he put her down. The princess was there to see them! That was so nice of her! "Happy Revel, Princess!" She waved happily, only noticing the stranger after the princess introduced them. It took her a second to understand that this was her partner. Lilie's smile fell as she looked at him, then looked at the princess, then at Aaron. She clumsily hobbled closer to Aaron, steadied only by his grip as she leaned closer to him.

"Did she just say that's my partner, 'cause I think I had too many coolers," She (tried to) whisper, not realizing her voice was louder than anticipated.

As he listened to the Princess - and did his best to ignore the other vampire taking pictures of them for some reason - Aaron couldn’t help but latch on to a few points: that the Princess had been talking about him, that Lilie had a new partner somehow, and that House Eve was an even bigger mess than he originally thought. By his count, this was… what, four masters now that Lilie had gone through? He’d thought the first three a fluke of Eve incompetence, happening all at once and all, but he thought for sure that this had already been put behind her.

It seemed Lilie was just as confused as he was, as she tried and failed to discreetly ask him what was going on and unintentionally only added to Aaron’s embarrassment. “No, no, you heard right,” he answered somewhat louder, looking sheepishly between Lilie and the vampires before turning his attention to Count Benjamin.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Benjamin,” he greeted properly, offering the Count another shallow bow and doing his best to salvage the situation.

Ben was all too proud to take the photos, the giddy excitement at being slightly more technologically proficient than before with his new phone taking precedent. His intentions were obvious, taking more than what the princess had asked for solely for his own amusement. He offered the pair a slight nod, offering the phone to Her Highness as he was introduced. That said, there was no hiding his surprise when the young lady was the one and same that Ryner had spoke of. He wasn’t expecting a number of things with his new partner; maybe he had been too optimistic. Ryner hadn’t mentioned anything about the girl’s appearance, a small frown on his face as he looked her over. Aside from the obvious intoxication, her pale features and bright eyes seemed extraordinarily so, her white hair striking him as an odd choice of dye.

Still, he remembered his place as he offered the pair a small smile. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Starag,” He returned Aaron’s greeting kindly before deciding to confirm Lilie’s assumption. “You heard right, Miss Dionne.”

Lilie's jaw dropped, though she immediately burst out laughing, covering her mouth as she shook her head. No way was she having another partner! This had to be some kind of joke! It was too funny to her as she barely held herself together, though she nearly fell over as she unintentionally put weight on her injured foot.

"Did Mariette run away, too?" She asked, letting out a sigh as she fully leaned on Aaron. "I guess I'm not good enough to say goodbye to."

That wasn’t the reaction Ben was expecting. It was a little disappointing, but to the mage’s credit, he supposed that being told that there was yet another change in representative may have dampened her spirits. He decided instead to focus on the pair, clasping his hands together as he gestured to the dorm.

“Before exchanging pleasantries, why don’t we step inside to better talk?” Ben gestured towards Lilie’s foot. “I can’t imagine you’re too comfortable like that.”

"Oh, Lilie." Ryner hugged her briefly. "Unfortunately, family matters called her away. I'm sorry it was so sudden but the gravity of the situation demanded it be handled immediately. She mentioned she regretted being as distant as she was but a death in a vampire family tends to wear them thin. Vampires aren't well known for handling their emotions in the healthiest ways."

"As for now, I must return to my official duties. Mostly keeping controlled substances," she gave Aaron a look before continuing, "from coming across my campus but we can't be everywhere at once. Aaron, would you kindly give Count Benjamin my personal number. Someone would absolutely love to have those pictures and it's no secret I can barely manage to call someone, let alone get a picture off of one. You all have a wonderful rest of your Revel. Good morning." She offered a slight bow and made her way off, humming contently.

The awkward tension in the air was palpable as Lilie threw what little politesse she knew to the wind and confounded her new partner, and Aaron was particularly sensitive to it, finding himself thinking of all the other situations he’d rather be in than this one until he was addressed. He didn’t miss the look the Princess gave him - he got that look enough as a hyper child running amok in the castle to know what it meant - and responded with a bit of a nervous grin, reminiscent of a child hiding something he’d broken. He offered a quiet chuckle as she teased him, nodding his assent to her order and bowing as she left, watching her go for a moment before turning somewhat more stiffly back to Lilie’s new partner.

“Well, Count Benjamin, I’ll give you Her Highness’ number and then I’ll be out of your way then,” he offered politely, glancing between the Count and Lilie in a way he hoped would be encouraging to the latter.

Ben gave the princess a formal bow, straightening up to face the two mages. That wasn’t the best of first impressions as a duo, but he supposed he had been a little too optimistic. Feeling that his new partner wasn’t too keen on interacting with him alone, he hesitated as Aaron decided to excuse himself.

“Won’t you come in?” Ben offered, gesturing to the dorm. “I’m sure Miss Dionne won’t want to end the date like this.”

Aaron’s breath caught in his throat at the word date, the mage coughing before immediately collecting himself. “Oh, no, not a date I assure you, I— we just—” he had to stop to clear his throat before more blathering nonsense came out. Making himself take a breath, he quickly glanced at his watch. 6am was mere minutes away, and Varis thought every time came five minutes early, but he couldn’t very well refuse the Count’s offer, especially with the task assigned to him by the Princess yet to be done. Continuing more calmly, he abandoned his former rambling, sliding his sleeve back over his watch. “Of course, Count Benjamin. I’d be happy to.”

Lilie blinked at Aaron slowly, a small smile creeping up in her face as she tried not to laugh. "Aww, I thought it was a date!" She joked, though she playfully nudged him. "Guess I can see why he'd think that."

She looked at the vampire for a second, more than a few thoughts swimming through her head, but none she could really focus on. Princess Ryner was comforting, but she felt like she shouldn't have expected anything better at this point. Oh well. She'd just have to see how long this one lasted.

"This is my best friend here, Aaron," She reintroduced him to the count, lightly bowing her head as she made an attempt to hop towards the door. "We're just gonna, uh, get the first aid kit." She told Benjamin.

How awkward, it seemed his mage was avoiding him. Or perhaps he was looking too much into things. But her body language and reintroduction of Aaron made Ben believe that maybe her current intoxication was to blame. At least, he hoped so.

Once the trio entered the dorm, Ben made sure to close the door as he contemplated on what to say. Lilie seemed unamused by his arrival, almost cynical. It did wonders to shatter the image he had in his head, but he supposed that was his own fault. High expectations lead to massive disappointments, but he wasn’t about to go quietly, either. Instead, he decided to play it off, figuring that he would instead get to know the pair. Seeing an actual Noilan mage outside of the castle was a delight, at least.

“So...Miss Dionne, from what family do you hail?” He asked her.

Having taken a seat on the couch, Lilie wasn't expecting the vampire to stick around, but after she had told Aaron where the medical supplies were, he stayed. And wanted to talk to her. She raised an eyebrow at his weirdly-worded question, scratching her cheek.

"From...my family?" She replied slowly with a shrug. "Uh...Dionne? Like my last name? That's my family." She shrugged at him.

Her response was amusing; he supposed he should have been clearer. “What family did yours serve before coming to the academy?” He politely clarified.

Lilie slowly shook her head at Ben. Weirdo. "No one," She said. "I'm human. Or I thought I was, anyway, so I guess not. First mage in Hillsdale in...thirty years, I think they said. Something like that."

Aaron physically cringed in the other room when he heard the question come up, and returned with the first aid kit just in time to (hopefully) salvage it. “And how fortunate you are,” he interjected insistently, hoping Lilie would get the hint. He handed over the first aid kit and smiled, giving her a look. “Not only are you the first mage in your family, but now you’re lucky enough to have the honour of serving House Eve.”

"I guess," Lilie replied, more focused on her injured foot. Truthfully, she wasn't too honored by the honor of serving, but at least she didn't voice it. Her lack of enthusiasm was, however, clear on her face. "We'll see how long it lasts."

The look of surprise on his face was unintentional, but he had to admit it had been some time since he had been so flagrantly dismissed. And by a mage, no doubt. Ben tensed up slightly, his hand adjusting his collar as he cleared his throat. Perhaps she was testing him. She did have three other Eves and likely was unsure how he would treat her, so it was fair, if rude.

“For all intents and purposes, I will be the last Eve you serve,” He was a little too obvious with it, but he wanted to lay down the foundation sooner than later, and he wasn’t going to tolerate any further disrespect. “That being said, if you are uneducated, then it falls on me to ensure that you are both caught up to speed and exemplifying all the traits of a noble’s mage. For example, I would ask that you veer on the modest side and avoid any flagarancies. Your hair in particular should be dyed back to its natural color.”

Lilie slowly looked up from her foot to the Count, a little confused. Her mom didn't even let her dye her hair, what was he talking about? Her hand flew to her head as she tried to make sense of what he said, though after a few seconds, she let out a laugh. "Oh, no, no, this is my natural hair color," She explained as she pulled a few strands out. "I'm an albino. It's why I'm also super pale. Got really lucky with my eyes, though!"

Tonight was just full of unpleasant surprises. This time, there was no hiding Ben’s shock, his eyes wide with the admission. The first thought that came to mind was that the House had been assigned a defective mage, and Princess Ryner was all but done with them. The girl would get eaten alive at any social event, any offers for her hand would be little more than pity or some kind of joke, and she seemed extremely cavalier about the entirety of the situation.

“Really,” Ben managed to utter a word, swallowing hard. “How...unique.”

An awkward silence followed, and as he had throughout the whole conversation, Aaron felt distinctly, extremely uncomfortable. He had been invited in, yes, but he felt as if he were intruding on something very private - not to mention very tense. He really wasn’t sure what to make of it; part of him wanted to try and salvage the conversation, and the other part wanted to slink out the window and never look back.

Checking his watch again and inwardly groaning that it was now a few minutes after six, he finally decided to speak up. “Count Benjamin, I sincerely thank you for your hospitality, but my master is expecting me back and I see the two of you have much to discuss.” It was all so awkward it bordered on distracting Aaron from his train of thought, but he soldiered on nonetheless. “If it pleases you, I can write Her Highness’ number down for you and leave you and Lilie alone.”

Ben had nearly forgotten about the poor mage, suddenly feeling very embarrassed. There was no salvaging the first impression, nor did he think he could convince him to stay. Regretfully so, Ben would arguably make things worse by keeping Aaron around. He would have to apologize for putting him in such a situation.

“I’ll take you up on your suggestion, it seems that we have much to discuss,” He tried to be positive, but obviously the pair were at opposite ends and needed to lay out some groundwork. “Come, I’ll walk you to the door.”

Lilie tried not to pout, though she got serious as Aaron mentioned the word 'master' again. She stared down at her lap, wishing she could tell him to stay out of a selfish need for a buffer between her and the crazy-weirdo Eve, but if he really needed to go, she didn't want to get him in trouble.

She perked up considerably as she flashed a grin at Aaron. "Thanks a lot for tonight!" She told him cheerfully. "I'll make it up to you for ending it so early, I promise."

Having to stop himself from heaving an audible sigh, Aaron was nonetheless enormously relieved. He offered a warm smile and a, “Don’t worry, it was great,” to Lilie as he made to leave, pausing only to jot Princess Ryner’s number on a sheet from a nearby pad before joining the Count at the door.

He folded the paper in half, offering it to the Count. “Thank you again, Count,” he said courteously, taking comfort in his old regal habits, though he did lower his voice to add, “and please excuse Lilie, she’s… not quite in her right mind at the moment.”

Ben took the paper gratefully, pointing it at Aaron for a moment. “You have my thanks, Mr. Starag. I’m sorry we couldn’t talk more,” He apologized sincerely. “Please, don’t let this deter you from visiting, you’re always welcome here.” At the topic of his mage, he grimaced lightly. “As for Miss Dionne...I’ll have to handle that sooner than later.” The swifter, the better in his opinion, but it was best not to make Aaron more uncomfortable than he probably already was.

Aaron nodded his thanks, a little surprised at the Count’s hospitality. His comment about Lilie was daunting, a string of bad scenarios playing through Aaron’s head before he forced them away. The Princess seemed fond of the Count, and she never would have taken to him if she had any inkling he might mistreat his mages. Then again, she was friends with Varis… but Aaron supposed that wasn’t quite the same.

“Indeed,” he replied absently, glancing down at his hands before offering the Count a proper bow before leaving. “Good morning, Count Benjamin.”

“And to you as well,” Ben replied in kind, closing the door gently before quietly pressing his forehead against it, bemoaning that disaster of an introduction.

Victor Astorio

Cassandra was laughing, but sobered up some when faced with Count Astorio. She had mixed feelings about him, being the brute that flung her friend across the practice yard. On the other hand, she had seen him in closer quarters since, and she didn't recall that Salem had ever complained of treatment at his hands.

Ultimately, she allowed herself to be twirled, and when she came back around to face him she was wearing a social mask as well as a literal one.

”Do Astorios serve others?” she asked with a sly smile of her own, ”I’ll have to confess that you catch me off guard.”

Her question didn't seem to faze him, his smile staying the same. Pale skin almost blending in seamlessly with his mask, “Some do, others let their pride get in the way. But I serve the queen and the council, as well as whomever I wish to.”

Slowly he led her toward the dance floor with that same smile, trying not to put on too much of his vampire charm, “So care to dance then? I'm a good fighter and i have good footwork when dancing too,” letting go of one of her hands and gesturing towards the dance floor where the sea of people moved and swayed with the music.

”Well, I'll have to dance with someone," Cassandra took his hand again and followed.

Was that lame? She was going for dismissive acquiescence, but her head was swimming. Was Lilie right about drinking? She suddenly felt a weight of social obligation, and it seemed like it would be better to keep her with sharp. Marivaldi mage and Astorio Count. Did anyone know who they were? For that matter, did he even known who she was? Cassandra realized she hadn't returned the introduction; she had assumed he knew her by sight, just based on the noble association, but it was too late to turn around and offer her name. She would have to hope he took it as deliberate.

That simple acknowledgment was all he needed to assume her consent about stepping into the frey. Wherever she lacked during this dance he would not hesitate to fix or correct anything she may mess up on given her drinking. It was only necessary so the rest of the others moving around them did not trample them.

The two danced for some time, making idle conversation as they moved and danced with music. They both stumbled here and there, yet they continued for some time. Victor was enjoying himself and for once just living in the moment. That was until he felt a slight pain in his arm, it was not uncommon for a slight pain like he felt to happen during regeneration but this slight stabbing pain wasn’t going away and only getting worse.

With his smile, fading the tall vampire led his partner to the edge of the dance floor and bowed. “It has been a lovely evening with you miss, I hope you have a glorious evening and maybe someday I’ll see you again.” Tipping the edge of his large hat Victor made a hasty retreat to the outside balcony for some air.

The night air was cool and crisp, exactly what he needed. Now that he was away from most of the others, he could think clearly and try to figure out what he was experiencing. It was as if his instincts were on high alert being within all those people at one time. Even if the occasion was supposed to be relaxed, it felt almost like enemies surrounded him. Looking around at the few others outside with him minding their own, he still felt like he was in between fights. Did his encounter with the princess really affect him this much?

Feeling like he needed to get away to calm down the count quickly shifted into a bat and flew up to a ledge near the top of the building. He figured it would not look as conspicuous if he did that rather than climbing up there. Shifting back, he sat on a ledge with a nice view of the area and simply just attempted to get into his meditative state in an attempt to ease his mind. In only a few more minutes, his mind and body relaxed as it listened to the natural ebb and flow of the world around him.

The pain had faded and he finally felt calm again when he opened his eyes, “what is wrong with me?” he whispered to himself. The ‘training’ session taught him a lot about himself, his training, the world around him, humility, and just how weak he was compared to some others. Perhaps he would seek her out again, when it was more appropriate and apologize to her.

His train of thought was cut short when he caught the faint smell of blood. He didn’t think that he spilled anything on him tonight, it didn’t smell like any of the drinks any ways or Salem for that matter. His nose and curiosity eventually lead him to an unnerving sight. A human carefully tucked behind a nearby ledge.

The faint scent of blood told him it belonged to a mage. Unsure at first at how this boy met his demise until he saw his neck. The draining of a human did leave some rather unpleasant damage to the vascular system, bruising and other damage quick to be seen. He had been stashed here recently obviously, but without other injuries or look of being robbed. This wasn’t revenge or emotional but cold and heartless. A predator.

Victor was quick to steel himself, quickly pulling out the small durable brick of a Nonkia phone praised for its simplicity and near indestructibility. Skipping down through his contacts, he eventually found the emergency contact line for the facility and hit the green button like Salem said. At least one of them understood technology.

The phone rang only a couple times before someone answered he was simply glad he did not get an automated message. He only let the operator get out the basic “what’s your emergency” line before he interrupted her. “I am Count Victor Astorio, Council agent identification number H15737117. I am currently above the east entrance to the ballroom by the cliff. There is a mage here who is unresponsive, no heartbeat, is cold, and Rigor mortis is beginning to set in. It appears to me that the mage in question was drained by a vampire. I will wait here for security.” He stayed on the line for a little while longer to hear if there was anything else.

The count carefully followed his own footsteps back toward where he came from trying not to disturb the crime scene any more than it already was. He took the time to also take his mask off as well. As far as he was concerned, he was working now.

@Achronum@Gisk

---

Well, Max's night was certainly going splendidly. The detective seemed competent enough to realize they weren't involved, so the entire process of dragging them down to the station was likely for show. Teach them a lesson for daring to try to help or something. That, or everyone who joins the Noila police force gets off to harrassing innocent bystanders. Probably both. Arrogant puppets, all of them. They hadn't even confiscated their foci. Max could have a fork twirling this leech's eye around in the socket like a bite of spaghetti right now if he really wanted to, and she expected him to believe that there was genuine suspicion that they were murderers?

"What--Hey, now, easy on the merchandise, this suit is vicuña!"

"Give it a rest, Eris, it's your fault for poking at the body." Max grumbled as he was shoved into the vehicle alongside the other two. He didn't have the patience to put on an act right now, so if Detective What's-Her-Fuck wanted to play the no-nonsense game, that was what Max was going to give her.

He turned his gaze to look out the window apathetically as they drove, not deigning to plead his case when he hadn't done anything wrong. Eris covered the million-dollar question anyway, the only thing Max had to add were a few pointless denigrations that Eris only brought up subtextually.

---

@Hero@Trainerblue192@Achronum

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Interacting with: @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Obscene Symphony

Salem held one finger up to speak in protest but the words got caught in his throat. Technically he never messed with the crime scene, he wouldnt be that dull or stupid, especially if he'd planned to get the authorities involved. Eris on the other hand, managed to get his well manicured hands on a piece of evidence and decided the best course of action was to keep and pocket it. Surely he had a phone to take pictures of, or was he one of those old vampires who couldnt work a typewriter to save their life, let alone a phone. He was an actor after all, and who better to fake being good at something than he? Salem just sighed in disbelief as they were being corralled into the back of a car, wondering how it is that Eris's aurheadedness got them all into this mess. The last thing Salem wanted was another investigation on himself, but none of that mattered now. All he could do was follow along to make the process go by faster.

Salem pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Aaron.

"Don't ask, I'm getting pulled into a murder investigation and going to be seeing the princess, which one would I likely see and what's the best etiquette and demeanor to hold with her? Any known titles she prefers? Eye contact no eye contact? Please reply quickly."

As soon as the message was sent, he pulled up the image and kept his phone on it so that itd be ready to show when the time came. Eris, despite the questionable amount of air between his ears, managed to aske the question they were all dying to know, how could this happen on Noila grounds? Who would be bold enough to do such a thing?

The countess shifted her glance sideways as the music and her conversation was cut short, a voice explaining something about the smoke detection system having been damaged. The announcement was quickly followed by a request for all in attendance to leave the premise immediately; one that was met with many grumbles of disappointment yet ultimately followed.

“Oh, that’s too bad. I wonder if…” Dennis’ words barely reached the countess as she accepted the boy’s offered hand and stood from her chair. Something didn’t feel quite right to her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it until the mage spoke once more. Her irises took on a much colder hue as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Somehow I doubt that.” She responded, taking a quick look around the pair before softly pulling Dennis out of the way of the shuffling crowds.

“The man is all about his image, one that would surely be harmed if it ever got out he was arrested for destruction of royal property. Ignoring that, Astorio’s aren’t exactly known for their patience. A mage in their charge, even a new one, would know better than to get wrapped up in something like this under penalty of punishment.” Involved parties aside, Dennis could already hear sirens. If Eris and company were already being escorted away, what use were the sirens for a damaged smoke alarm… surely the system could be repaired or at least the situation monitored by the mages on staff with the school?

“Perhaps I’m being paranoid, but I don’t like the way this sounds. Let’s move for now, and I apologize for asking this of you, but can you keep an eye on the situation? I don’t think we’re being told everything.”

Of all the times for me to have left you alone Cassandra… please stay safe. The countess thought to herself as her level of unease grew.

Aaron allowed himself only as long as it took to get out of immediate view of the Eve dorm’s windows to recover from that abysmal first impression, taking a long breath of cool morning air before he broke out into a run. It wasn’t far, but he all but sprinted to his dorm, hopping the wall around the property and leaping up the porch stairs two at a time, as quietly as he could manage. A glimpse of his watch as he knocked on his own door told him that it was several minutes past six, and he braced for the inevitable lecture and punishment (though he didn’t know yet what it would entail, he felt like more lines was a safe bet) apology on his lips, as he waited for Varis to let him in.

A moment passed, though, and then another, with no answer. It wasn’t unusual for Aaron to have to wait a little while to be let in, but he didn’t even hear any movement inside. Great, Varis was making him wait even longer to be let inside, probably intentionally delaying it in hopes that someone would walk by and see Aaron standing like an unwelcome guest on the porch of his own dorm. He supposed that was fair enough, as he had missed his curfew, but as a few more minutes passed by, Aaron started wondering if perhaps Varis hadn’t heard him.

He knocked again, louder this time, and even sent the Count a reverent and apologetic text asking permission to enter his dorm, but another several minutes passed with no response. Had he fallen asleep? He had to have been home, even Aaron knew Varis wouldn’t deign to set foot outside during Revel (he’d gone on enough tangents on the ridiculous frivolity and chaos of the holiday to adequately establish his distaste) but this was getting excessive. Aaron had no doubt that Varis wanted him to suffer a little before he issued his punishment, but surely he still wanted his mage inside to complete his morning duties. Right?

As a few more minutes passed with no movement, Aaron got his answer. Apparently late was no better than never, because he wasn’t going to be let into his dorm.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Aaron took a moment to assess his options. The infirmary was out; it was probably full of drunk fools who had somehow injured or poisoned themselves during the festivities, and he couldn’t very well be seen crashing there for a second time and trash his reputation further. He couldn’t sleep on the patio, as it was screened in and certainly locked, and the porch was no option either; if someone saw him sleeping on his own porch after a night of Revel, he’d never live it down.

There was no one he could stay with; Salem might have been amenable but that was definitely out, considering the uproar that would certainly erupt from him seeking refuge at another noble’s dorm. He couldn’t go to Eris, either; Max would probably strip the skin from his body, and even if Eris allowed him to stay, Aaron would never hear the end of it and Varis would certainly pile on extra repercussions for good measure for going to his lover to circumvent his punishment. Princess Ryner would probably take him in, and it was partially her order that had delayed him in the first place, but Aaron couldn’t very well keep running to her every time he had a problem. Besides, her order or not, this was his doing. Sure, he couldn’t very well deny her, but Varis was his master now and he should have prioritized his orders over any other. That was how Ryner’s household raised him, after all.

Of course, knowing he technically deserved it didn’t make the prospect of sleeping outside any more welcoming. Aaron ended up deciding to try to sleep at the foot of the stone wall surrounding the Sinnenodel property, near enough to meet the delivery woman in the evening, but hidden from view from the street. He could only hope that no one would go looking behind Sinnenodel walls; Aaron didn’t need rumours circulating about the Noila mage passing out drunk on his lawn during Revel.

Sitting down at the base of the wall, Aaron let his head fall back against the stone, closing his eyes as he let out a long, frustrated breath. Now that he was seated, he could feel fatigue settle into his limbs; no doubt the result of carrying a whole other person on his back up a cliff and across campus. Truth be told, though, it wasn’t bad. It called to mind the trip over; Lilie clinging to him had been oddly gratifying, not to mention her lazily caressing his chest and tugging at his shirt collar from time to time. He doubted she even realized she was doing it in her state, but more than once it had distracted him from his task as he savoured the feeling of her hands on him, her hair tickling his neck, her voice in his ear…

Aaron smiled. She had been chattering the whole way over, wondering where her shoes were (he was carrying them), vaguely mentioning something about wanting carrot cupcakes (which Aaron had never even heard of), even gushing at length about ‘how good they looked together’. As much as he wanted to think that she had been flirting with him, logically Aaron knew that it was probably just drunk rambling. Even still, it didn’t stop him from committing her words and her dreamy tone of voice to memory.

It hadn’t all been lighthearted, though. As they neared her dorm, she had also complained about her Countess “poofing” on her, which Aaron took to mean that she’d simply left without explanation. At the time, he thought the Countess must have gone off to celebrate Revel in her own way and simply hadn’t had the courtesy to inform Lilie. After tonight, though, it was probably fair to assume that the Countess must have left earlier in the night for good.

It was so strange, too. He might have expected another flake-out, given how much of a mess House Eve had been at the Academy so far, but it was Princess Ryner’s explanation that gave him pause. It had been offhand, but she’d mentioned there’d been a death in Countess Mariette’s family. Now, perhaps it was simply too early to tell, and he’d be inundated with gossip in the coming nights, but a death in a noble family was a big deal; vampires didn’t just die, and assassinations or suicides, while not altogether uncommon, were big news in Aaron’s circles. He wondered who it could have been, and how it happened, what was being done. He wondered if Varis was aware; Aaron even considered texting the Count again in hopes that an offer of noble gossip might get him let inside, but he figured it was a stretch. Better to take this first stage of his punishment quietly than risk more for trying to weasel out of it.

Phone in hand, though, he did finally open it to set an alarm for the evening - not that he expected to get much sleep in the daylight out there anyway - but just as he unlocked his phone, a message came in from Salem.

Don't ask, I'm getting pulled into a murder investigation and going to be seeing the princess, which one would I likely see and what's the best etiquette and demeanor to hold with her? Any known titles she prefers? Eye contact no eye contact? Please reply quickly.

Aaron stared blankly at the screen for a moment, re-reading the message a few times.

“How!?”

Aaron clapped a hand over his face. Was Salem fucking with him? Maybe, the bastard had a weird sense of humour, although this didn’t sound like it. In which case, how on planet earth did he manage to get involved in a murder investigation!? Wasn’t he under enough suspicion as it was!? At this rate, Aaron would have to lock him in Noila dungeon on break just to keep him out of trouble!

He did reply quickly, but he wasn’t about to keep his questions to himself.

It’ll probably be Princess Ryner, I don’t think Nox is here. Call her “Your Royal Highness”, don’t make eye contact unless she initiates it, and don’t speak unless you’re spoken to.

Now, how the hell did you manage to get wrapped up in a murder??

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

“No. You just got the pampered slimeball.” The detective replied, breaking just about every road law as she sped down the road. “For holidays, the Princess releases most of the guard from their duties and fills in for the shifts. I’m sure you don’t need me to spell out the rest.” The car came to a hard stop in front of the front gates and detective Foster yanked open the doors and stomped off, clearly expecting them to follow.

The campus buzzed with activity although the energetic, joyous revelry had since faded. More and more campus guard appeared with and even a few members of the Royal guard made an appearance. Rides and stalls were being shut down in sections, announcements over the loudspeaker claiming damage to several of the event’s power lines were too much of a fire hazard and that everything should be operation come the next sunset.

The trio were escorted into the administrative building and straight into the Princess’ office with some practiced ducking of the royal guard. Ryner herself was speaking with another member of the guard, dismissing the obsidian clad man with a few sharp words and turned her attention to the fourth coming in unannounced. The armored vampire stared suspiciously at the group but hurried out after Ryner cleared her throat expectantly.

“These three were at the scene, Ryner. Grumpy cat here said it was Mr. Samuel who interacted with the body. Don’t think they had anything to do with this mess but thought you’d take someone’s head off if your sister’s lap dogs go their teeth in them..”

“Thank you, Abigail. I’ll handle them from here. I’ll be at the scene in a moment.” Abigail nodded and, after reviewing the photo Salem took and quickly dismissing it, was out the door. The Princess looked over her students solemnly for a few moments and gestured for them to take a seat in the two chairs in front of her desk.

“I’m sorry that you saw what you did. It must have been a horrific discovery but he situation is being handled as we speak. In the meantime, may I offer you a drink? It may be a while until you’re released. If you wish to discuss what you encountered, then I am more than happy to hear but it is understandable if you don’t wish to do so. If you wish to forget about the previous events, I have a wide variety of historical texts here I find serve as an excellent distraction from the unpleasant and horrific.” As she spoke, Ryner pulled out a few bottles of sparkling water and blood along side a few glasses. She moved her own chair around the desk, setting it next to the other two so everyone could sit.

---

Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“You want me to what?” Dennis blinked a few times at the vampire, disbelief ringing in every word. “You want me to keep an eye on things? I… I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask me to be invlved in this. Its always “Get the fuck out of my head” or “We don’t need some freak han-.” Dennis shut up quickly, the color draining from his face as he gripped Amaris’ arm tightly.

“Someone’s dead. Holy fuck, Eris was next to a dead body?!” Dennis whispered, horrified. “There… there are three dead bodies… That’s…”

---

Interacting with: @ReusableSword

“Do you hear or see anything around the body or in the immediate vicinity?: The emergency responder on the line asked. However, there was a soft thud behind Victor and a woman laughing softly as she leaned on one of the conditioning units. The woman wore a smug smirk, covered in dried blood that coated her face and neck. The green and silver remnants of the dress she wore clung to her in tatters but blood decorated it just as thoroughly.

“I thought I may have more time enjoying the show but I guess it’s time to have more fun. I’m glad, the thrill of an easy hunt was wearing off.” She shoved off the appliance and closed the distance, a challenge in her eye. Her stance was relaxed but it was clear she was ready for a fight.

Now that Aaron was gone, Ben decided he needed to address his mage properly. The princess hinted that the pair had their little fun, and while he would not place judgement (seeing as how the Revel was a day to let go and technically she was under her previous mistress at the time) he did feel that laying out the rules would hopefully prevent any further embarrassment. Once he deemed himself recovered, he decided to return to the living room. Lilie hadn’t moved, fortunately, and he counted himself fortunate that she hadn’t retired to her room yet; they had much to discuss and he had to see exactly what he was dealing with.

“Miss Dionne,” He decided to see exactly what he was dealing with first and foremost physically. “If you could please stand for me for just a moment, sans jacket.”

Lilie looked up at the count, raising an eyebrow at him. She still couldn’t believe that she was getting another vampire, how unlucky was she? Ryner said Mariette was sorry, and she guessed that the pretty dress was another way of saying that, but she didn’t really know what to think. Maybe it was for the best or whatever, or that’s what she felt like right now.

Once she made sure her foot was alright, she wobbled a little as she stood, staring at him as she shrugged out of Aaron’s jacket. Now that she thought about it, if he actually stuck around, she wasn’t really sure how she felt living with a guy. He was handsome, like all the other guy vampires were, but he seemed stuffy. After a few seconds, she realized that she was staring for too long, quietly laughing at herself. Geez, those coolers were too good, she felt funny in a great way.

“I got to interact with two hot blonds tonight,” She giggled to herself.

Ben did not get the joke, if that could be called one. Instead he suppressed a sigh and gently lifted her face to his as he inspected her facial features. Large eyes, small nose and mouth, but a little on the plain side. He supposed other mortals would find her cute at best, maybe with another few years she’d lose the baby face and gain a more mature appearance. Then again, there was the hair, an extremely hard to ignore detail that he wished Her Highness would have at least hinted at. He drew a critical line down her figure; she was a little too thin. He would have to look at her diet and exercise regime, either she overworked herself or wasn’t eating enough. He felt her arm with his free hand, shaking his head in disapproval. She must have barely met the age requirement, but that much was just as much a pro as it was a con.

Lilie made a small noise in protest as he kept turning her face. Why was he touching her face? Well, chin, technically, but still, it was weird. The way he was looking at her made her feel some type of way, too! It felt invasive, the fuzzy, warmth fizzling away as he turned her face this way and that, his little poke earning him a look from her. What was she, a show dog?

When she had enough, she squirmed back out of his grip, hitting the couch and clumsily falling onto it. “What are you doing?” She asked as she scooted away from him.

Ben was equally confused by her actions. “I’m inspecting you?” Her questioning led to him questioning as well, even though he was certain he did nothing out of the ordinary. He shouldn’t have assumed that he would have gotten a trained mage after hearing about the Starag attending, but had it been too much to hope for someone at least familiar with vampire-mage dynamics? The princess had literally plucked a literal no one out of who knows where and placed her with him. But he would persevere. There would be time to properly educate her, properly guide her, and all that was needed was to undo eighteen years of habit.

“If I had made you uncomfortable, I apologize,” He started there, seeing it as a good place to begin as any as he decided to sit on the armchair closest to him. “I won’t speak for Countess Mariette nor your previous partners, but I have my own standards that I will be holding you to, as well as expectations and duties for you to fulfill. Going forward, you and I will be working as a team.”

A team? Lilie eyed him suspiciously, wondering if he was being honest. She didn’t appreciate the touchiness, but at least he was sorry. So that was good. As long as everyone kept their hands to themselves, she could listen. Not like anyone else ever told her what she needed to do or anything.

Nodding, Lilie accepted as she sat up. “Sure! Sounds like a plan, boss,” She saluted him.

At least it was the right spirit and not to the contrary. Ben matched her nod as he mulled over what to talk about next. There was one thing that also came to mind, but he wasn’t completely sure how well it would go over. Then again, she was being receptive. “Indeed. As part of my expectations, I want you to remain courteous at all times, think before you speak or act, and above all, carry yourself with dignity. Your lack of background is but a bump in the road and easily overcome with a bit of discipline. I will take it upon myself to polish you up and guide you as needed.”

He paused for a moment to let her absorb that before he continued with, “Now, for a few rules. Firstly, I expect any orders given to be followed without question. Second, I have no issue with inviting anyone here, but you must inform me of visitors. Thirdly, I would err on the side of modesty when it comes to your wardrobe.” He cast a weary glance at her exposed shoulders, the length of the skirt a little concerning as well.

Oh boy, now that he was talking a lot, the count was reminding Lilie a lot of Varis, except less condescending and a little fancier. Well, they’re both counts, so she guessed this was normal. She wasn’t sure what he meant by a ‘lack of background’ but since he had asked about her ‘family’, she understood. And then he had rules! Wow! They were kinda lame but at this point having any of her vampires actually interested in teaching her whatever was awesome!

Except for the wardrobe part.

Lilie followed his gaze down before looking at him, frowning. “You mean my clothes?” She asked. “I don’t dress like this every day. Mariette gave it to me for the Revel. I’m usually more casual.”

“How casual do you mean?” Ben decided to ask.

“Uhh...shirts and skirts? And sometimes jackets and hoodies?” She felt like it was a really weird thing to ask, but answered.

Ben wasn’t too surprised at her response. It would have been too much to expect, but adjustments could easily be made. He gave himself a moment to properly articulate what he wanted to say, clapping his hands together. Improvements were always exciting if he was being honest, he recalled helping Eleanore adjust to his house. If he could bond with Lilie through that as well, then that would be the biggest benefit.

“Right, then, I’ll clarify,” He replied, clearing his throat. “It’s actually quite easy to remember, nothing above the knee, nothing above the elbow, no cleavage, no see-through fabrics, and personally I prefer simplicity, but I wouldn’t want to restrict your choices.”

What?

Lilie didn’t mean to stare, but it looked like Benjamin was just as crazy as the other Eves. And he chose to be crazy about clothes. Why? And he said he didn’t want to restrict her but also just smacked her with a bunch of rules about what she could wear? Was it a joke? It had to be a joke, she barely had cleavage to show off! But he didn’t seem to be joking. Pursing her lips, Lilie had no idea what to say. She felt like all those requirements were going to make her look like a grandma. What was wrong with looking cute?

But maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Hopefully. “Is this just for parties and stuff? Or do you mean all the time?” She really, really hoped it was the earlier one. And she could understand that a little, even what she was wearing right now was a lot nicer than anything she owned. “Cause if not, that kinda eliminates like...everything I have,” She said quietly. “I mean, I don’t have anything see-through but--I don’t have long skirts. And most of my shirts are t-shirts. I usually just put a jacket or vest on top. But um...if I just got rid of it all, I wouldn’t have anything.”

That wasn’t surprising, either. He would simply have to take matters into his own hands, fortunately that was an easy fix. Having more admissible clothing would help more than harm, and unfortunately, they were going to need all the help they could get. Appearance, etiquette, educating⁠—it would take time to get her presentable for anything. He was excited for the challenge, seeing her as more of an unpolished diamond.

“Worry not for the moment,” Ben said as he decided to move on to another point of contention. “I’ll take it upon myself to guide you in the right direction. By the time you’ve graduated, I’m confident you’ll exceed expectations.” He would need to make sure to check on her grades and provide extra tutoring if need be.

“One last thing, and you may retire for the night,” He nearly forgot one of the most vital points. “I prefer my blood with a bit of a chill too it, but not too cold⁠—if the dorm has a wine cooler, you may store your bottled blood there. I prefer to feed for breakfast so to speak, so I ask you take the bottle out of the cooler at approximately 5 p.m. just before the evening. You may leave it wherever it’s convenient, either the dining room or the kitchen will do.”

Lilie’s lips formed a small ‘o’ as she listened to Ben. He wanted it bottled, but she had no idea how to do that without stabbing herself and bleeding out. Unless he wanted her to use that terrifying catheter with that giant needle. Her eyes flickered to the closet, biting her lip nervously.

“Uh...I don’t know how to use that thing,” She said meekly. “Arianna and Ike--Countess Arianna and Count Ikelos never fed, and Mariette used to just drink from me.”

Right, she wouldn’t have any experience. He had forgotten that she came from a human family. And a human community at that. At least she was teaching him a valuable lesson in that he needed to be more open-minded. However, he came to a crossroads, as he preferred blood from a glass as opposed to feeding directly from mages. In his opinion, it was much too intimate and awkward, and being so close just felt strange. That said, he couldn’t go long without feeding, so this was potentially problematic.

“Until you’re comfortable providing it bottled, I will...feed directly,” He supposed that he should get over his discomfort sooner than later. In an emergency, he should know how to properly feed from his mage. But if feeding from his own mage was odd, then feeding from a small thing like Lilie was going to be a challenge.

She was used to that, though getting super close with a guy was probably going to be weird. But it was only going to be weird if she (or he because he didn’t seem so sure) made it weird. So yay? The thought of having to get used to that needle was probably going to give her nightmares, but oh well.

She looked down at Aaron’s jacket, the thought hitting her very late--she totally stole his jacket! Well, he left without it. Either way, she snatched it as she stood, swaying just a little and wincing at her foot. But she could walk over and deliver it and tell Aaron how weird the count was.

“Okay, so, I’m gonna return this,” She draped the jacket over her arm. “And then...go to bed. Or we can talk! Whatever you want.”

Ben had little protest for that, although he was still concerned with the bad first impression. He would have to work on repairing that and apologizing sooner than later. “Shall I accompany you?” He suggested as he would stand as well.

Lilie couldn’t contain her giggle, shaking her head. “I’m just going next door!” She told him, shaking her head. “We’re neighbors with him and Professor Varis.”

The world truly was unjust. The Sinnenodel gets a Starag plucked from the castle itself. Either he has the princess wrapped around his finger or he was more dangerous than he thought. Meanwhile the Eve family has long since lost its prime and was awarded appropriately with what could very well be considered table scraps. It was an insult, really, but after the initial sting, he reminded himself that there was little to be done about it and he wasn’t suicidal enough to question the princess’ wishes.

It didn’t stop him from letting out a quiet sigh, however. “Very well, then,” He replied, dismissing her.

---

Max followed along dutifully after the detective, not that he had much choice. The administrative building wasn't his guess on where they'd be taken, but he supposed it was reasonable that the campus police was based there instead of in a separate building. The loudspeaker announcements were more subtle than he was expecting, though anyone with half a brain would know something more was amiss. Or, at least the leeches with half a brain would; it seemed like good little Noila subjects would believe anything thrown at them by their vampiric overlords.

When they reached the princess' office, Max barely suppressed a sharp exhale from his nose. Just seeing her stupid face pissed him off. He already didn't like this detective for wasting his time, but he hated the Noilas. There was a vibration in his sleeve from the hidden fork subconsciously raring to attack, and Max quickly clasped his other hand over it as he pretended to scratch an itch on his arm.

What did this royal bitch want with them anyway? They didn't do anything wrong but she was eyeing them down like she was planning their execution anyway. At this point, he didn't even care if his stupid cat mask covered up the fact that he was glaring back at her or not. She was the bane of his - no, humanity's existance. She was the reason he ended up at this asinine academy under a self-important celebrity instead of being assigned to some idle clerical task under some incompetent leech. She was a figurehead for the regime that keeps all of humanity cowering like weaklings. She was an enemy. She was... was... being surprisingly pleasant?

No, clearly just an act. Ryner, like all bloodsuckers, was a two-faced creature that cowers from honesty in the same way it does the sun. She could butter them up with offers of drinks and doctored historical propaganda all she wanted; he wasn't falling for it. He just needed to calm down and analyze the situation. What did she have to gain? That detective mentioned her sister. Animosity in the royal court? Typical for vampires, but what did that have to do with them?

Max opted not to sit, not wanting to give Ryner the infinitesimally small honor of accepting her fake hospitality. He just hovered next to Eris, quietly seething while he figured out the best way to get rid of the fork he stole earlier. There was also a good chance she noticed he was angry by now, so he'd need to offer an explanation before he was outright asked.

"Your Highness, can I ask what we're being held for? That detective clearly knew we're not involved, and you seem a bit nonchalant to be believing we're murderers." He tried to keep his tone cool, but there was an edge to it that he couldn't conceal despite his best efforts. Either way, that worked to his favor; he could look like he was mad about being wrongly detained rather than fantacizing about regicide.

---

@Hero@Trainerblue192@Achronum

Victor Astorio

The dispatcher was at the very least professional enough to know that a council field worker would know enough about a crime scene to not ask too many stupid questions. All he could hope for now was those better-equipped guards and maybe even some royal guards or honor guards showed up to handle the situation. If the killer were to show up now while he did not have any back up he would be hard pressed to hold his own with the bad arm, even if it was protected.

Victor opened his mouth to answer when he heard tattered cloth move through the air with a quiet thud behind him. Quietly clenching his teeth and forcing his eyes closed for a moment, he turned slowly in a slightly defensive position clutching his phone in his hand. The sight before him made him tilt his head slightly to the side. A woman dressed in tattered clothes and covered in blood stood before him. She seemed to have an air of superiority around her not quite unlike many Astorio’s he had met before.

The girl herself was definitely off putting; the subtle expression on her face was one he recognized as a hunter. That and the look he got from her eyes said many more things about her, the one thing that stood out to him that he felt was quite possibly insanity. Not the first time he has seen this in others of his kind the last time he did he was dealing with a vampire that was coming to the end of a feeding rage.

“I thought I may have more time enjoying the show but I guess it’s time to have more fun. I’m glad; the thrill of an easy hunt was wearing off.”

Even her voice was off; the way she spoke like everything was beneath her. The insanity in her eyes quickly turning into that of someone going into a fight made him change his posture slightly as he readied himself.

“So girl, you’re the one that killed this one? And by the looks of you many more.”

He was speaking loud enough so that the phone in his hand could hear him. Shifting his footing slightly and leaping backwards towards the middle of the roof top he readied himself, leaving his wide brim hat to float in the air for a moment to break contact between the two of them and serve as a momentary distraction.

“Attacking a count is a highly punishable offense, but killing one would look extremely bad for this place! So why don’t you come then!? I won’t give you a good hunt but I’ll put up more of a fight on top of this ballroom then those humans you killed ever could!”

Again, he spoke loud enough so that the phone could hear him before he dropped it. Hopping that the dispatcher had not hanged up on him and was dispatching guards to his location. For now however, he needed this girl to stay here and fight him until backup arrived. Raveling he was a count and the consequences that followed as well as telling her he would put up a fight was hopefully enough of a challenge for her to take the bait and fight him.

One thing he has learned about older vampires that live in seclusion or go out of their way to cause trouble like this was that they liked to monologue and talk about how strong and powerful they are. They want others to know about them, if this girl were here alone perhaps, she would fall victim to this flaw as well. If not? Well at least he will still fight her.

Victor got himself into a defensive position towards her and readied himself for the fight ahead. At least this time he had learned many things from his time training with the princess. Perhaps now he could stand to fight against vampires who were possibly quite older than he was.

@Achronum

Amaris was taken slightly by surprise at Dennis’... well, surprise. Her request was apparently a lesser common one despite the many applications such an ability could have. While she understood the fear behind having someone poking around one’s thoughts uninvited, the backlash the boy was used to was beyond anything she could have imagined. The countess opened her mouth to say something but was quickly silenced by the mage latching onto her arm tightly. It wasn’t enough to hurt her by any means, but it was definitely enough to discern the severity of the situation.

“Someone’s dead. Holy fuck, Eris was next to a dead body?! There are three dead bodies… That’s…” Amaris’ eyes snapped to the boy, her hand cupping the boy’s mouth gently as she led him aside from the shuffling crowds. She allowed him to continue to hold on to her but had positioned them in a way where neither of their lips could be read from nearby festival goers. Despite his whispers, all it would take was one wayward phrase to spread panic and make an already bad situation even worse.

She stood beside him silently for a few moments, paralyzed by the new information. There were many dangers to the programs offered by schools such as this, however, there were just as many, if not more, safeguards put into place to prevent anything more than major injury. Not only that but three? Three deaths and an evacuation of the surrounding area… The individual responsible might not be in custody just yet if they were going that far.

“They were mages weren’t they? Are you going to be okay Dennis?” Amaris asked, removing her hand from his mouth to lay it comfortingly on the boy’s shoulder. There was no way for her to know the severity of the situation but she instantly regretted having asked him to look into something so distressing. Still, now was not the time to give in to such feelings. If her assumptions were correct, they were not safe where they stood and would likely stand out to the authorities if they failed to vacate the ballroom as requested.

“I need you to listen to me very carefully. You know nothing of what is going on outside, you are just mildly inconvenienced by having your night interrupted by the malfunction. You can process this once we can get outside and to somewhere a little more private. Can you do that?” The countess’ question was poorly punctuated by the realization that her own response to the news was a pair of darkened irises. Amaris had to close her eyes and focus a moment before reopening them to their ‘normal’ cheery hue, hoping that the shift in colors was not misinterpreted by the mage as being at him.

Interacting with @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Trainerblue192

“I’ll be keeping you as long as it takes to ensure my sister believes I questioned you three thoroughly otherwise, she’d likely subject you to a wide range of interrogation practices. Most of her preffered methods are a step away from torture.” Ryner responded to Max. “I know locking you away is less than ideal but there are few places on campus she won’t violate in her search so I put you away somewhere even she isn’t foolish enough to overstep without reason. I’m sorry it upsets you but I am doing my best to l keep you safe at the moment.”

Ryner evaluated Eris with wry amusement as she considered isi offer. “As much as it feels like making a deal with our mutual colleague, I’d only be too happy to accept your assistance. Keeping this as quiet as possible and reducing the visibility of your three’s involvement is a high priority after securing the campus again.” Ryner leaned back against the desk, smoothing out a few wrinkles on her jacket. “I am curious about the expected reciprocity. One good deed deserves another afterall.” Ryner’s attention shifted as a faint knock echoed in the office, eyes taking on a far away look as she seemed to look past the door into the office for a few moments, but she was back quickly enough, her smile strained at the edges.

---

Interacting with @WeepingLiberty

“They’re shutting down the campus.” Dennis said quietly, his face pale and his voice trembling. He hadn’t loosened his grip on Amaris at all. It took him a few moments to process Amaris’ request but he nodded slowly at her. He blinked, his attention returning to the present and he tried to smile, strained at the edges but a smile nonetheless. “Ye-yeah. I think, uh, I think I can do that. We should start heading back to the dorms. Do you think you can stay with me on the way? I don’t want to be alone right now.” Dennis admitted quietly, clearly embarrassed as he looked anywhere but Amaris.

“And of course, I’d find a way to pay you back. One good deed deserves another afterall.” Dennis promised.

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Interacting with: @ReusableSword

“I don’t care about your pretend titles. Nothing but pretty, shiny names so vampires can lord themselves around, inflate their pathetic, fragile egos to forget that they’ve gotten soft.” The vampiress spat, pushing off her spot and circling Victor, sizing him up. “And you specifically mean absolutely nothing to me. Killing you would only be a waste of time. The only vampire I mean to kill if it comes to it is Ryner but not tonight. Tonight I want her to break over her little herd. All these cattle she rounded up and doing nothing with them.” The woman laughed bitterly.

“That’s what broke her in the first place. The things she has done! If they knew, what she did all those years ago, what we did, how we “reveled”, they wouldn’t put her on some pathetic pedestal. If you think this is bad, you should see some of the benders we went on. We’d starve ourselves as we wandered the world, only eating when we found an entire human settlement to sate our appetites. The four of us could drain a village in a blink of an eye. The vampiress sighed. “We terrorized the night. Every few years we’d split and see how many places we could obliterate, how many families we could decimate. I always had the lead but Ryner was always on my heels. And then the wars started and poof, Ryner became the poster girl for lame. Sent a friend of hers to leave us with stakes in our chests and a sunrise to greet. Good thing I knew a few tricks.” She stopped circling, back away from him to stand next to the edge of the building closest to the water.

“Why did you have to get in the way? Everything was going perfectly. Mostly. Truth be told, I wanted one more before they scared the herd back to their pens but that can be overlooked. It’s much easier to kill them all when they’re all locked up in close quarters.” The woman tapped her finger thoughtfully against her cheek. “I guess I will have to kill you before I can go get them.” And she lunged, closing the gap with a single step and hand going for the throat.

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Interacting with: @Scribe of Thoth@Hero@Obscene Symphony

Salem kept his head down, not daring to make eye contact with the Princess. Part of him wanted to ignore Aaron's advice, believing that such tactics made him appear guilty when he wasn't. But just because someone didn't like the advice given didn't mean it wasn't good advice. He didn't speak to the Princess, not sure if her addressing the room counted as reason for him to able to speak. His eyes darted over to Max, who for the most part appeared to be following the same terms of ettiquite that Aaron had laid out for him. His question was sound and Salem couldn't help but wonder if they would use mind magic for interrogation. His hand reached up behind his neck and began to rub it gently, thinking back to the dinner and how unpleasant that experience was. His eyes glanced about the room, avoiding the Princesses gaze as he saw the books she offered as reading as well as the decorations around her office. Finally his eyes landed on Eris as he spoke, head now lower than before as he caught the meaning behind his words.

If word were to get out that Salem was involved in a murder, then surely Lady Sinnenodel would have the investigation closed, using this as evidence that he was clearly part of the Red Hand. Why hadn't he stayed with Lily? Or gone back to Aaron? This all became a fine mess but surely if he complied then they could see his innocence and move everything forward. Eris and Ryner seemed to have a handle on managing the whispers that could arise, and Salem was curious as to how efficiently the could do such a thing. Could he scrub Salems name from this mess? Muddle it? Or at the very least stop it from reaching the Lady of Aaron's new house. He wished to ask the Princess a question, yet he didn't want to interrupt the pair while discussing deals. He'd wait, and listen.

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Max glanced back and forth between Eris and the princess as they spoke, the barest snort of amusement escaping his nose. He had to give the leech credit, Eris was a genius for this. It was already in his best interest to keep the situation hush-hush for his own reputation, but he was also working Ryner into owing him a favor. Flower Boy, on the other hand, looked like he was shitting himself. Understandable, as anyone in this room would likely throw him under the bus if it would salvage the situation. Serves him right for that stunt he pulled with the kiss.

He turned his attention to the door as the knock came. Apparently this inviolable sanctum was still prone to being violated. Hopefully that was one of her loyalists and he wouldn't end up in deeper shit. Quite frankly, he just wanted to go home.

Max leaned down near Eris' ear, lowering his voice as he played the part of an attending servant. "So if shit goes down, what's the plan?" If Ryner really was intent on keeping them safe, he doubted anyone would have the balls or the authority to mess with them, but ending up a pawn in the middle of the royal family's squabbles would be a pain in the ass.

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@Hero@Trainerblue192@Achronum

Then they likely haven’t properly contained whatever this situation is yet. Amaris decided to keep this particular thought to herself. While it was a conclusion anyone could come to, sometimes it was better left unsaid to avoid facing the terrifying reality. Instead, she stood silently and listened as Dennis attempted to pull himself together and respond to her previous question.

“Ye-yeah. I think, uh, I think I can do that. We should start heading back to the dorms. Do you think you can stay with me on the way? I don’t want to be alone right now.” He asked meekly, seeming more than a little embarrassed but Amaris responded with the warmest, kindest smile she could muster in such a tense situation.

“Don’t worry yourself over something like compensation. It would be rather rude of me to not ensure your safe return to your dwellings. What would your friends think of me if I left you wander home alone? Come along, we’re getting left behind.” Amaris continued to support the mage as she lead him back into the flow of patrons exiting the building as instructed.

The general dorms weren’t all that far, but every step was weighted with the knowledge of what had happened just under their noses. And as if murder wasn’t enough excitement for one night, Amaris still hadn’t seen Casandra since passing her on the dance floor. For all she knew the girl was one of the bodies being hidden from view, some lie being woven to cover up the fact that someone was able to commit such a crime on royal property… Amaris gritted her teeth in an attempt to calm herself, there was little use in panicking now.

“She’ll be fine…” She mumbled to herself before glancing over at Dennis.

“Is the cool air helping any?” Amaris didn’t know what else to say. She wanted to be of some comfort to the mage but outside of providing an escort back to his dorm, there was little she knew how to do or say to console a human mind.