The first night of the new semester set dark and dreary. Heavy clouds threatened ice in rumbling voices and flashes of light until finally snow floated from the sky in a light powder, drifting down in whirling flurries that shimmered in the glow of street lamps. The soft snow quickly piled up on the cold ground and the world quieted. Even the wind seemed loath to disturb the silence and guards passed through the grounds with nary a trace, the falling snow swallowing even their footprints. Mage and vampire alike started to stir, many struggling to brush away the cobwebs of sleep in the face of the bitter cold.

Princess Ryner stared at the Sinnenodel dorm, face pinched and pensive, from her spot on the sidewalk. Her hands stayed bundled inside her coat pockets despite not feeling the cold. She paid no mind to the snow accumulating on her shoulders and stayed deathly still as she counted down the minutes. If classes started without Varis’ appearance, then Aaron’s position would be hotly debated. She managed to keep him under her authority to some degree with this move but if Sybil intervenes and claims him, neither she nor his family would see him again. And she wasn’t about to let an inconvenient assassionation get in the way of her agenda.

The air rippled nearby. Ryner gave a sigh, ignoring it, and continued to consider the house in front of her. The faintest crunch of snow gave her a moment’s warning as Varis took his spot next to the Princess, searching the scene in front of her for whatever had caught her attention. Ryner ignored him and nodded a greeting at Malek, who gave a courteous bow and vanished, leaving the pair to their silence. Ryner snorted at the umbrella Varis carried.

“You’re a vampire. You’re not going to catch your death from the snow.” Ryner pointed out, her voice hushed in the strange quiet surrounding them.

“Don’t patronize me. I don’t like wet clothes, sue me.” Varis spoke, though he lacked his usual ire. “Would you kindly tell me why you’re standing outside my dorm like a melancholy painting?”

“I was under the impression I lost a student. I was here to ensure his partner was okay.” Ryner replied. She huffed a laugh. “I had to put him under house arrest, you know. He was beside himself with worry. He fought a guard in an attempt to come find you.” Varis grunted in reply and just pressed the handle of his briefcase into her hand. Ryner took it.

“Is there anything else you need or were you just here to bother me?” Varis demanded, shaking off the quiet’s spell.

“No. Goodnight, Count Sinnenodel. And the next time you plan your own death, please let me know. I’d love the opportunity to make it permanent.” Ryner waved as she left and Varis rolled his eyes at the receding figure. He fished out his key from his pocket and made his way to the door, rolling his neck as he mentally prepared himself to deal with the boy. He was like Eris’ pet dog-rat, just bigger but equally annoying. Varis folded his umbrella, unlocked the door, and pushed inside.

Aaron was no stranger to stress. Not by a long shot. His mother told him he’d always been wound a little tight, and his life had been peppered with periods of nigh-inconsolable anxiety: His mother’s illness had his normally docile teenage self getting into fist fights with castle guards and defying Lucan, and in the week leading up to his Awakening, he only ate about a few days’ worth of food, struggling to keep anything down as the prospect of being mundane loomed over him like a death sentence. And, of course, he'd been walking on glass since his first night at the Academy.

But this was different. He thought he knew stress. He was a fool; he truly had no idea. Every waking moment since that broadcast was a storm of worry the likes of which he’d never known; to say it drove him crazy was to neglect the miles past crazy he’d traveled. His only thoughts were of what might have become of Varis, what might become of him if his master really was dead. His nightmares continued throughout the break, but he didn’t care; they paled in comparison to the terrors that plagued him about what might happen if Varis really was dead. Besides, it wasn’t like he was sleeping much anyway, with the swirling pit in his stomach jarring him awake every other moment.

On top of the uncertainty—Malek’s cryptic assurance was no help—he was trapped, Ryner having locked down the castle like a fortress to keep investigators out and a certain manic light mage in. It was the first time Aaron ever felt the walls of Noila Castle close in around him; for a week—a week!—he was forced to stay put, consoling himself by scouring anything and everything that might be even tangentially related to Varis, his companies, the Red Hand, or any other Sinnenodel who might want to target him. But the castle, for all its resources, held next to nothing; he’d never noticed before how much of its records pertained only to the royal family, or how deftly the censors of the realm kept the internet clean of anything too interesting. Yet another instance of having drifted through life blind until now.

That week was one of the longest of his life, along with a few other milestones: It was the first time he’d ever flagrantly tried to disobey an order from the Princess, the first time he’d ever tried to escape castle grounds without permission. To his chagrin, the guards had prepared; Ryner must have had them scramble their usual shift schedules so Aaron couldn’t exploit his knowledge of their routine. Of course, if he hadn’t been tackled by guards those few times, he couldn’t claim to know where he’d go next, or what he’d do. He had no knowledge of investigation, no idea who to contact with Malek and Eris dismissing him, no idea who could help, but it didn’t matter. Even wandering aimlessly in search of a solution would be better than being forced to sit still and do nothing.

By the time he was finally, finally allowed to leave—albeit transported by an armed retinue back to the Academy—Aaron was a stranger to himself. His very skin felt like a prison, tight and squirming, and it was as if he watched his life from some faraway vantage point, difficult to comprehend that anything happening was real. He was exhausted—no, far beyond exhausted, he looked like a man on the brink of death—but he couldn’t rest. How could he when his master might be dead, captured, tortured, or worse? He’d gone through every possible scenario so many times they’d all started to bleed together, his brain running on fumes in a haze somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, but he couldn’t stop. Not until he knew for sure.

On arrival at the Academy, Aaron bypassed his dorm entirely, taking off to every administrative building he could think of in a search for ever more information. Repeatedly, he was told the same thing: There was a standing order that none of Varis’ belongings were to be moved unless he failed to show up for his first class. That was more than he’d been able to learn at home, thank fate, but still infuriating, and no matter how hard he tried, no one he spoke to could—or would—elaborate. So what, were they just as uncertain as him? He was sure Ryner knew something, but his pleading had fallen on deaf ears back at the castle, and he was too disgusted with her cruelty to face her any longer. He ran around campus for a solid night to no avail, until he was forcibly brought back to his dorm and told not to resurface until class the next night.

And so he was trapped again.

As much as he wanted to smash every window in the place just for something to do, he controlled himself; instead, he kept himself occupied by deep cleaning the dorm more times than he could really remember, Dawn hanging from his hip all the while. He washed and disinfected and polished until his hands were red and raw, straightened everything to geometrical perfection, chased every last speck of dust from the house. More than once he stared calculatively at the closed door to Varis’ room or the locked drawers in his desk. There could very well be something among Varis’ belongings that might shed light on his whereabouts, but Aaron refrained. No matter how out of his mind he was, he wouldn’t cross that boundary while there was still any possibility Varis would return. But if he didn’t, Aaron would tear that room and desk to shreds if he had to.

If he slept at all, it would have been with his head on his arm, slumped over the kitchen island between trawling news articles on his phone. But aside from occasional bursts of fruitless research, his phone was largely forgotten; Eris didn't have anything to offer him—or even the decency to answer his phone himself—and no one else could help him, so the multitude of notifications from Lilie and everyone else the past few nights went largely unanswered. He’d long since put it on silent; in his state, he was pulling his sword at every little noise out of place, paranoid it was the Red Hand or some wannabe Sinnenodel heir coming to finish what they started.

When 8:15pm finally rolled around, finding Aaron pacing a rut in the living room floor, things were no different. Between heartbeats swooshing in his ear, the jostling of the front door lock was deafening; Dawn was out and ready before he even registered moving, but then he went stone-still, glaring absolute murder at the door from the end of the hall.

You had better kill me after all this fucking grief.

Aaron watched with burning eyes as the door swung inward, heart thundering his ears as someone stepped in. Time crawled as the intruder slipped inside; first a foot, then another, a coat, a glove. Aaron held his last breath, muscles tensed and ready to strike, mind blank and focused until the colour returned to his vision and a red head of hair came into view.

His heart halted in his chest as the realization struck him. It wasn't a stranger, it wasn't an illusion; it was Varis.

“Master?!”

Aaron straightened so fast he almost lost his balance, fumbling to sheathe his sword with unsteady fingers before rushing down the hall to meet him. Honestly, it was a miracle he found his scabbard at all; he was so shocked he nearly dropped the blade on the floor.

“Master, you're alright!” He exclaimed hoarsely, too overwhelmed to temper his voice. It took all he had to keep himself from reaching out to confirm that Varis was real; relief hit him like a freight train, and for a moment, he thought he might pass out. His vision swam, mind abuzz and blank at the same time. He wanted to jump for joy and fall to his knees to thank whatever powers that brought his master back safely.

He did neither, opting instead to catch his balance with a hand on the wall, looking like a man who’d just skirted death. “Master, I'm so glad to see you safe,” he breathed, hardly able to muster a proper speaking voice. “I was so worried, Master, I did everything I could but Ryner wouldn't let me leave, I was out of my mind— of course, you don't care. It’s not important.” He cut himself off from his rambling, raising a hand. He was a total wreck, running his mouth like a fool, but he didn't care. Varis could yell at him all he wanted so long as he was alive and present to do it.

Even with that in mind, Aaron could scarcely contain himself. For the first time in a week, he could breathe, though he struggled to gulp the air down around the growing lump in his throat. Relief didn't even come close to describing it; he didn't spare a single thought to how Varis had treated him the past few months, genuinely overjoyed that he was back, hale and whole.

Suddenly, Aaron gasped; he hadn't made sure of that yet! “But you, Master; are you alright? What happened? They didn't tell me anything— Is there anything I can do?” He spoke earnestly, his questions firing one after the other.

The door slammed behind him unaided as Varis froze at the sight in front of him. Sword drawn, eyes wide and frantic, shaking ever so slightly-- It was the practical all over again. All the boy needed was that unhinged laughter. The terror and uncertainty of that night bubbled up and threatened to spill over as Varis instinctively reached up to touch his ear, terrified he’d find the spot where he’d burned away his flesh and hair. But his fingers found nothing wrong and Varis irritably shoved all of that nonsense down. Ryner and her mind games. He shook off his umbrella, leaning it on the wall as he fixed the boy with an unimpressed stare through his mindless rambling.

What was wrong with this mage? Was he broken? Varis was sorely tempted to turn on his heel and walk back out the door rather than dealing with this imbecile’s moronic rambling a second longer. His skin crawled in disgusted as this child had the nerve to express his concern for Varis’ wellbeing. And asking if there was anything- Varis was here already! What could he possibly want this boy to do that his host of well trained and properly educated mages couldn’t? Varis let out an irritable grunt at the mage’s questions, peeling off his coat and dropping it in the boy’s hands as he pushed past him. He considered shutting himself away in his room but that would probably only leave the boy a more anxious mess so instead he plopped onto the couch, wiggling a little to get comfortable. He snapped at the boy.

“I suppose we have some time before class to muddle through your doubtless myriad of questions. For the time being, yes I am clearly fine, nothing of importance happened, and no there is nothing you can do as I am alive and sitting here in front of you." Varis sighed dismissively, waving off his concerns. "Now fetch us both a drink and kneel. I do need something decent after the week I've had and I believe I'll need something to stomach the retelling of your epic confrontation with the Noila guards."

Interacting with: @Obscene Symphony

By the time Varis started moving again, Aaron felt like he’d just sprinted a mile, chest heaving and breathless as he tried to come down from his high. He moved to hang Varis’ coat on autopilot, then rushed wordlessly to the kitchen, having to catch himself on the edge of the counter before fetching one of Varis’ favourite bottles and a thrice-polished stemmed glass. Having filled that, he pulled a large highball glass from a different cabinet, filling it with water from the sink. Varis had never told him to get himself anything before; was it that clear that he’d been neglecting himself? Pssh, of course it was, he was a wreck! He probably looked like he’d spent a week on the street. He couldn’t even remember the last full glass of water he’d drank, let alone the last meal he’d properly sat down to. Only now realizing how thirsty he was, Aaron downed half his glass and topped it off again before heading into the living room, giving Varis the stemmed glass and putting his own on the floor next to him.

It felt kind of nice to kneel again; in retrospect, it was probably the first time he’d properly sat down in the past 24 hours. At once he felt like he weighed a thousand pounds and nothing at all, a week’s worth of desperate fatigue pulling at the edges of his consciousness as he settled comfortably on the floor, trying to pull his frazzled thoughts together. In a way, Varis’ usual dismissiveness was comforting; it was a little hard to believe that “nothing of importance” happened throughout this whole ordeal, but if Varis wasn’t worried, then far be it from Aaron to doubt him. Still, he was given a chance to sate his hunger for information and he wouldn’t see it go to waste.

First, though, he’d answer Varis’ inquiry, though he wasn’t sure how proud he was that news of his altercation had already reached Varis’ ears. “Were you speaking to the Princess, Master?” he asked, voice ragged from a week of varied interrogating and shouting. He shook his head. “The broadcast was the first I heard of any of this. When I asked Malek what was going on, he only told me that ‘everything was under control’, but wouldn’t take any other inquiries. In retrospect I probably should have trusted him, but at the time…”

He glanced away, a little embarrassed in retrospect. “I was desperate to find something to do to help, or find some information on what happened. There were people who wanted to question me, too, but Ryner kept the castle locked down. No matter how I pleaded with her, she wouldn’t let me pursue anything outside the grounds. So I… tried to escape…”

It was a sheepish admission, but he had to see a bit of humour in it. Now that his mind was clear, it seemed a ridiculous notion; he should have sat still and trusted in Malek, but at the time nothing could have consoled him. “I think she must have scrambled the guards, because when they were supposed to be changing shifts they were on full patrol. I ended up breaking one of their noses before they could restrain me.”

Aaron shook his head again, too eager for answers to talk about himself. “It’s really not interesting. But Master, what happened? Were you ambushed? Did you anticipate it? That body was clearly a distraction; did you plan this?” Some of his previous urgency returned to his voice and posture, the mage leaning forward as if to give the answers a shorter journey to his ears. “Malek wouldn’t take my calls; at the time I couldn’t be sure if his assurance was genuine or just a ploy to keep me from getting in his way. I thought that since I heard about this along with the general public, it wasn’t something planned, but I— I just didn’t know. I kept thinking that if I had been there then at least I could have done something, it isn’t my job to sit on my hands and— no, it doesn’t matter.”

He shook his head again, taking a long drink from his glass to stop the words from flowing. “I’m sorry, Master, I don’t mean to ramble,” he apologized, cradling his glass in his lap, “I’m just so happy that you’re safe.”

Varis rolled his eyes at the second deluge of words pouring from the boy’s mouth. Why were mages so easily excited? It was just an attempt on his life, nothing more. Varis again thanked his vampiric biology for sparring them from headaches; He was certain this outpour of emotional nonsense would give him one if he could have them. Varis waited until the boy had finally still again―Varis tuned the boy out as soon as he started asking questions―to return his attention to him.

He sipped at his blood, a hum of approval escaping him at the taste, and considered his options. He could tell the boy everything, relieve Varis of any possibility of emotional outbursts after this and teach the boy how to properly act in this situation. He could tell the boy nothing, reprimand him for his behaviour and punish him for failing to trust in his senior mages as well as making a fool of him at the Noila castle. A fist fight with a guard, really? He sighed as his fingertips tapped against his glass. Of course, there was always option number 3...

“While I agree the reasoning behind your imprudent behavior is less than captivating, the consequences of those actions greatly concern me. You may see it as your friends or family attempting to conceal the truth from you or protect you from what could have happened or whatever other noble, naive conjectures you’ve come up with but what I hear is a Sinnenodel mage threw a tantrum while a guest in the Noila palace, assaulting his protective detail in the process.” Varis snapped, eyes darkening. “I understand blind loyalty is a nasty flaw bred into your family line but that is a danger in the Sinnenodels. Had you managed to escape, I could have easily turned the situation around on the Noilas and deflected with their inability to contain one single mage but your repeated failures and your barbaric impulses left me with a political nightmare.” He took a long sip of his blood and cast an appraising eye over the boy.

“How many times must I repeat you are a Sinnenodel now? I’ve permitted you training because I’ll need you as a guard but if you continue to prove your first instinct is to fight, I will take that away. No weapons, no magic, nothing, until you feel comfortable using your words and wits as equals to blade and spell.” Varis continued, his exasperation bleeding into his words. “I cannot underscore how important this is. I know Malek detailed the specifics of our game and so you must understand how our family is not against violence; rather, we prefer the carefully crafted and covert application of it. It is an art form and having a servant so obtuse that he cannot comprehend the very basis of our House’s art puts me in a difficult position indeed.” Varis didn’t even need to reach for this; he would have to play damage control quickly otherwise his next break would be nothing but social call after social call explaining away the boy’s behavior. The heir to the family can’t have such an unruly mage sullying the family’s name.

“As for your questions, I do not trust you with the answers.” Varis said bluntly. “You’ve proven yourself incapable of trusting your senior mages, disrespecting my most trustworthy mage, you’ve failed in the past to follow protocol specifically designed to keep you, and by extension me, safe from the probing of mental mages, and there is still the matter of your lingering attachments to the Noila household. While Ryner and I work closely together, we still have our separate designs and after your stunt with choosing mental magic, I’m hesitant to believe you are fully devoted to me and my family.”

Interacting with: @Obscene Symphony

Ryner turned at Lilie’s squeal, her surprise that anyone was out at this time turning into a delighted smile.. “No, not anymore. I only wanted to confirm Count Sinnenodel returned safely to the Academy grounds and it seems he has.” Ryner explained, brushing off some of the snow that had accumulated on her. “How was your break? I trust you’ve returned refreshed and eager to learn this semester. Esi tells me she was pleased with your progress last semester and is eager to move you into more advanced magic.”

Interacting with: @Hero

“No, all good reasons, I promise. I try to stay aware of all my student’s progress to at least some degree and I check in with instructors regularly. Esi just likes to say more than others.” Ryner chuckled. “I want to make sure that my students are healthy, happy, and successful and while I am rarely permitted to intervene directly, I do have the power to make their class time as enjoyable as possible.”

Ryner’s smile dimmed into something sadder, quieter than usual. Her shoulders drooped and she sighed as Lilie inquired about the classes. “Lilie, you are more than capable. You’re a dedicated student, earnest and hard working, and I have no doubt you would have succeeded with flying colors in these classes. It isn’t your magic or your skills that made me deny your schedule.” Ryner spoke softly, an air of melancholy wrapping around her as she gently brushed some snow off Lilie. “While you are an accomplished student, you are still adjusting to this life. Before, you lived in the sun and your blood only spilled when you stumbled or cut yourself or any other number of mistakes. Now, you walk opposed to your old life, studying in moonlight and bleeding for a vampire you’ve just met. You’ve gone through more partners than anyone at this Academy―through no fault of your own, you understand―and you’re a primary affinity.” Blood welled up at the corners of Ryner’s eyes and she quickly wiped them away before they could fall.

“The first year I opened the Academy, I didn’t have these restrictions. I felt that a mage should be able to make that decision, never mind they’ve had their magic for all of six months and they’re adjusting to an entirely new lifestyle. And so Alision Xao, a promising and upcoming primary earth mage, took the hardest schedule we offered at the time.” Ryner laughed bitterly, a short, self deprecating sound. “I escorted her back home as a statue after her third day. I immediately halted any opportunity to do that but I realized it wasn’t fair that students who chose the Mental or Summoning programs got it automatically, after being thoroughly screened of course. If your affinity wasn’t a primary or you came from a mage family background, I could have supported that but Lilie, I’ve lived seven hundred years. I remember every student we’ve lost resonating and I see them in every promising, eager, bright eyes student, and I do not want to add you to that list.” Ryner reached out, gently cupping Lilie’s cheek with an encouraging smile. “I will always have your best interests at heart, Lilie, always. You have the potential to go so far; I can’t wait to see how far your soar but you have to walk a little longer first.”

Interacting with: @Hero

A slow snowy morning for sure winter was here and victor felt at peace. He enjoyed the eerie silence that came with snowfall in the forest. Winter was his favorite time of year not only was it quiet it also drowned out the color in the world to white, grey, and brown. Of course he wasn’t going to complain that the cold tended to keep the mages and humans indoors as well. The count did not know what his mage was doing and frankly he did not care.

Salem was given free reign of his training schedule for the first two weeks of school so that he could adjust it to how he saw fit. So far Victor thought he could at least manage that. However with the winter comes less daylight hours, good for him not so much for Salem. Soon the next step in his training would begin. Two days out of the week that were separated by at least one day Salem was going to start using his magic while training to a greater extent than he was before. Victor wanted to see what Salem was capable of for endurance and stamina when it came to physical exertion and magic usage. Depending on what was happening he may have him do more or less. The count really didn’t care what the boy was doing to use his magic as long as he was.

Victor stepped out of the house into the cool night air to catch a quick glimpse of someone entering Varis’s dorm. Seeing the princess nearby he could only assume that Varis was back or someone was here to collect his things. From the lack of a moving van he assumed the latter of the two. He couldn’t stop himself from frowning and even his shoulders dropped slightly. “Great I lost that bet.” Whispering to himself. The tall vampire was wearing his normal loose fitting attire and sat down on one of the chairs that was getting snowed on.

He had a small glass of blood that he was nursing while he slowly became covered in the snow. It did not melt off of him as he did not have body heat to melt it yet he did not find it annoying. Honestly he almost felt like an old man sitting on his porch waiting for some kid to step on his lawn so he could yell at them. Still, he was here to enjoy the silence and watch the others nearby as one does. It seemed the princess would not be alone for too long as Lillie soon joined her. The count starred for a moment then looked away, if they did lock eyes he would be sure to give her a respectful nod. But it wasn’t his place to listen in on their conversation and instead just opted to sit and listen to the falling snow.

Aaron was finally beginning to still as Varis started to answer him, something about the familiar disdain in his master’s voice helping to ground him. Now that he was calm—well, calmer—it was clear as day how his actions had been rash; in hindsight, even childish. He could understand Varis’ criticisms, he’d have probably metered them out himself in the same situation. Of course, the comfort of familiarity didn’t cushion him long, and shame started seeping in quickly. He couldn’t help but recall that morning he’d called on Maddie for help, assuring her he wasn’t a violent person at heart. But... was that true? Varis had a point; whether he was punching trees to burn off energy or fighting guards in a desperate attempt to help his master, he did seem to turn to violence to solve his problems more often than not. Maybe that was how he’d been taught—it worked well enough for Count Julian, the quickest and most efficient way to deal with stubborn obstacles—but Aaron would wager it had less to do with his upbringing and more to do with his own difficulty coming up with solutions any more complex than a quick left hook and jab.

Of course, that made Varis’ proposal all the more daunting. He resorted to bloodying his knuckles on trees when his training schedule was only marginally reduced; how would he cope if all of his outlets were taken away? If he couldn’t exhaust himself with training or magic, he’d never be able to decompress. It would be his mother’s illness all over again, forced to ‘take it easy’ while his nerves were wound up like a spring, tighter and tighter with no release until the inevitable snap. He brushed his fingertips over the bumps of his scar, images of that night rushing back for the first time in months. He knew how that story ended, and it didn’t bear repeating.

When it came time for Varis to answer his questions, Aaron couldn’t help but deflate. True, it was probably naive to expect Varis would let probably the lowest-ranked mage in his household in on his plots, but that he didn’t trust him with those answers stung more than Aaron would have liked to admit. Varis’ reasoning was sound, Aaron had to concede that, but that knowledge couldn’t have possibly prepared him for what Varis said last.

“I’m hesitant to believe you are fully devoted to me and my family.”

Varis said it so casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but it was so devastating that Aaron actually gasped. The lump in his throat returned with a vengeance, and for the second time that night, he felt like he’d been bowled over. Varis didn’t think he was fully devoted to him? Aaron could handle not being trusted; there was something sad about the idea that Varis didn’t trust the only mage who shared his temporary home, but at least it was understandable. The other mages in Varis’ employ had a lifetime before service to show themselves trustworthy, but Aaron had only known Varis for four months; add in the fact that he came from a rival House and distrust, even for the first few years, was only to be expected. But to doubt his loyalty? Aaron wasn’t sure any more potent insult for a Starag existed.

From far away, he noticed that the water in his glass had begun to ripple, and he put it to the side with trembling fingers before he could spill it. He could feel tears building up behind his eyes, but he forced them back. Sun and stars, of course Varis questioned his loyalty! How couldn’t he? What had he possibly done over the past four months to prove otherwise? Goodness, Aaron could scarcely count the slights: showing up at Revel as some kind of Noilan mascot, consulting the Princess before his own master, lying—and those were just the ones Varis knew about! Not to even consider the secrets he’d kept, both revealed and as yet hidden; he was practically living a double life of split loyalties with Princess Ryner, keeping all this Ellmare nonsense quiet. Fuck, he’d even bargained with Eris just to get out of obeying a direct order! Of course Varis didn’t trust him, of course he questioned his devotion. He’d be a fool if he didn’t. If Aaron could see himself from an outside perspective, he’d count him among the lowest of the low, and he’d be right!

“You’re right, Master, since I got here I’ve done nothing but sneak around. I’m not surprised you don’t trust me,” he said, questions forgotten in the face of this devastating news. He let his head drop even lower, too ashamed to even let Varis see his face. He’d been struggling with the idea of being discarded for far too long, like a child clinging to a blanket, and even with Varis repeatedly trying to help him, he couldn’t seem to get it through his head that turning his loyalty to the House that accepted him was smarter than pining for the one that threw him away.

When he finally raised his head to look at Varis, the shame on his face was tinted with determination. It seemed so clear now: Thinking his master dead was the straw that broke the camel’s back. He was tired of playing two fields, tired of keeping his secrets straight, tired of comparing his new life to his old one. His old life didn’t matter; if the Noilas wanted him gone, then he would waste no more energy trying to please them. This was the night he’d finally pick a side. He served two masters no longer, and he would see this tormentous duality put to an end. “I won’t waste your time with empty apologies, Master. Even I recognize that it would be an insult to expect forgiveness. But it isn’t right that you be forced to live with a mage you can’t trust, so please,” his voice had to strain around the lump in his throat, but there was no doubt as to his sincerity. “What can I do to prove my loyalty?”

Varis stared off into distance as the boy worked through his melodramatics. Every time anything so much as contradicted what this boy believed and he needed fifteen minutes to figure himself out. The boy had all the mental fortitude of Eris’ pet rat. Maybe that’s why the Noila’s hide the whole family away. Having the supposed mage family standard in the limelight too often might expose their instabilities. Varis was too tired to deal with this blubbering disaster and so he just tapped his fingers on the glass as he waited, patiently and graciously, for the boy to process.

“I’m so glad you’ve come to this realization. Whatever would I have done without your reaffirming words and impeccable sense of responsibility?” Varis said dryly after taking a sip of his blood. “But you want to earn my trust? I’ve given you more chances than I can count, not to mention forgiving you with barely a tap on the knuckles every time you’ve crossed me.” Varis massaged his temple with his free hand, sighing. He hadn’t considered the boy might ask him point blank. What could the boy do to earn his trust? The boy was nothing but a security risk; any other mage with so little Sinnenodel family training would be locked at his estate until Varis considered them ready for social interaction. Isolation from outside influence would be the first step at home but the boy had a free pass four the next three and a half years. How was he supposed to mimic that step here? Varis leaned forward, catching the boy’s chin in his hand and examining his face while considering his options.

“Clearly, you haven’t been taking care of yourself.” Varis muttered absently with a disapproving click of the tongue. Well, maybe he didn’t need to completely isolate him from everyone. Just those who represented dangerous influences. “Very well. I’ll give you one more chance. At home, I isolate a mage until their training is done, both to reduce outside distractions and remove contact with any undesirable influences the mage may have in their past. I can’t do the same to you currently but we can start with the most dangerous influence. For one year, you are not permitted to have contact with any Noila mage or vampire, with the clear expectation of Council and school business. Even in those activities, I will either accompany or I will listen in to the interaction via your phone. This includes your family. You may not contact them, you may not return to the Noila palace, you may not even see them in anything other than an official capacity. This is only to prove to me that you are truly and wholly dedicated to learning your new place; once I am sure of that, we can consider working on trust.”

It was an impossible request for most mortals, asking them to leave those they depend on behind. It’d broken more than one mage in his household but it was a necessary step nonetheless. Varis sighed, releasing his hold on the boy’s chin, and instead running his hair gently through the boy’s hair, messing it into a more pleasant appearance. “This is a difficult request but a necessary one. You’ve come to understand what is at stake now; these are dangerous times in the Sinnenodel household. Divided loyalties only lead to mistakes and mistakes are what lead to death in the Culling.” Varis leaned back into the couch, not bothering to hide his exhaustion from the boy. It had been a long break and he'd barely found time to relax, let alone sleep. “You have potential, boy. No one can question that but potential only means so much if you don’t put the work in. You’ll have until 6am to decide. Understand that I will be thorough; you’re phone will be replaced and destroyed and the same with your address book. Every Noila belonging will have to be sent back and replaced. I do not intend to do this halfway.”

Interacting with: @Obscene Symphony

“You’re already doing an amazing job, Lilie. Don’t doubt that.” Ryner reassured her. She glanced up at the falling snow. “However, I believe it may be time you return inside. I would hate it if you caught a cold from standing outside talking with me. Have a good evening, Lilie. Remember my doors are always open if you need anything.” Ryner gave her one last smile and then her attention turned to Victor.

“Good evening, Count Astorio. I hope you’re prepared for this semester.” She called cheerfully. “Break a leg out there!” She laughed and beamed excitedly at Lilie.

“I just learned that phrase over the break. I still don't really understand it but I like it all the same.” She admitted quietly to Lilie before she was on her way, a chuckle in her wake and a bounce in her step.

Interacting with: @Hero@ReusableSword

---

Max rolled over in his bed and turned an unamused glare toward the door as Eris started... singing? It sounded like it could've been a song, at least. Luckily for the vampire, he was already awake and didn't need to start throwing things at Eris for waking him up, but he'd planned to lay there and do nothing for at least another twenty minutes. The mage sat up, pulling the blanket up with him rather than risk having to watch Eris eyeball his figure. It was cold in there anyway, and he doubted Eris even knew how to turn on a heater, let alone find the motivation to do it. Which naturally meant it was even colder outside, which was another reason to not step out of bed today. Maybe he could pretend to be sick. Eris was an idiot when it came to the mortal condition, he'd be easy to fool, but - no, he'd have to show up for the first day of the semester, if for no other reason than to gauge the wackjobs the academy calls professors.

Something looked off about the leech today and Max wasn't sure what. Maybe he really did get replaced with a Sinnenodel body double - it would explain the weird cheeriness, though Max was all but certain Eris was just getting his kicks from bothering him with the little display. He probably didn't meet his attention quota last week because Ismene was mad at him, poor thing. Max was less amused that the dog even teamed up against him - he figured it was just whining for food or something. Traitorous rat.

"Don't audition for any musicals anytime soon," He grumbled, punctuating the statement with a yawn. The brunette reached for his phone to dismiss all the pointless notifications that popped up overnight rather than deign to give Eris his full attention, "You're in a good mood. You must want something."

It was tempting to throw in a jab about married life treating him well, but Eris would have an easy out of that argument with class starting so soon, and Max really didn't want to discuss Eris' sexual escapades in his bedroom of all places. Plus he'd promised to hold off on that or whatever. Stupid plan. Whatever, he could put it off until Eris gave him his first extracurricular assignment about Varis. Judging by the entrance, it was just as likely Eris had a task for him at that very instant as it was he simply wanted something to entertain himself. Couldn't he just go do his hair or something equally pointless like he usually did in the morning?

---

@Hero

Amaris glanced over the paper in her hands once more as if she hadn’t read its words a hundred times over. With the change in semester came a change in classes and she was determined to make a good impression with whatever fresh instructors she would have. That meant memorizing her schedule down to the letter. By this point, she had more than a decent grasp of the school layout and could picture exactly where each of her classes were located. All she had to do was learn the new flow of student traffic and adjust her pre-planned route accordingly.

Her two most anticipated classes seemed to open and close out her academic night, which put the countess in a rather good mood. While she was certain her first two periods would be spent in near constant confusion, the end result would be more opportunities to communicate and even bond with her partner. That alone was enough motivation to sit through the complicated world of modern technology. She did have some pride in the fact that she was not a complete lost cause, but there was plenty still left to learn if she wished to claim true proficiency. As excited as she was for most of her classes, and despite the fact that she had been the one to choose all of them, she was least looking forward to her Dark Age Economy course. She had only taken it in the hopes that it might help her find some of her political footing… but even she knew it could only help so much.

Setting the paper down at last, Amaris tapped her finger against the top of her vanity. There was still a fair amount of time before she really had to get moving, but the countess was already prepared for the day. Showered, dressed, and bag packed for the evening ahead, there was nothing left for her to do but wait. A small nagging tugged at the back of her mind, begging her to peek out her door to see for herself if the news concerning Varis had been correct. She still remembered quite clearly the moment the news story broke, finding it difficult to believe that anyone would be so foolish as to make an attempt on a noble; let alone a Sinnenodel. The attack had, unfortunately, added to her security detail when travelling between home and the school, but if Amaris were to be completely honest with herself, the extra company brought some amount of comfort. She was confident that whatever had occurred had been a consequence of something he did, but it was unlikely she would ever know what truly happened.

Inhale, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four… It was not her concern. She couldn’t keep allowing herself to be distracted by the others so easily. Varis would either be attending classes today or he would not, that was simply how it was. The countess would neither celebrate his return, nor would she mourn his loss. She would simply carry on with her studies, be them academic or extra curricular. There was still her training with Victor to think about, not to mention the new techniques Salazar had taught her over the break. Varis was the last thing she needed to be concerned with at the moment.

Gathering her things, Amaris exited her room and moved to the common space. Upon her return to the academy, the countess had stored some pre-portioned bottles of blood in her designated space within the kitchen. It wasn’t meant to last her forever, simply to ease her and her partner back into their respective schedules without the extra stress of feedings piled on top. She selected one and poured it into a glass for herself before taking a seat to enjoy it in the peaceful atmosphere that was her home away from home. For the time being, it was almost as if she could separate herself from the knowledge she had obtained over the break… almost.

Ben could hardly believe that time had flown so quickly; already he was gearing up for the new semester and what Noah had lovingly described as a 'game plan'. The young man was all too excited to offer his perspective on top of Aaron's and together they had a new failsafe in place. He could not possibly ask more of the Starag and resorted to a much safer strategy of texting Noah whenever he ran into any problems. In his eyes it was a win-win as he could work on coaxing Aaron on friendship and receive quicker help as Noah would reply much faster. Desperate times called for desperate measures and the break had supplied him with ample time between watching the news to tackle on the problem.

The first trick was to give Lilie ample space. She was cordial but distant and he respected that. The second trick was to apply Aaron's compromise. Lilie's diary had mentioned on occasion that she was tired of her own cooking. The solution then came that Ben would cook. Had he known sooner he may have enrolled in that one class but he instead did the research and decided he could accomplish one dish on his own. Of course to be absolutely sure he had gone to the library and borrowed a cookbook. The recipe was not there, but something similar was and he figured he could just wing the rest of it. So long as the scent was tempting he knew he would be on the right track.

His thoughts gave way to the wind as he crossed paths with the princess. It was an unexpected but pleasant surprise as he bowed his head to her respectfully. "Good evening, Your Highness," He said.

A few dorms opened and vampires and mages both slipped out into the evening snow with various reactions. A fewsimmediately dove into the piling up snow, initiating snowball fights with whoever was unfortunate enough to be nearby. Others grumbled and ran, getting out of the way of these crazed lunatics on their way to the library or their new hall to wait somewhere warm. Soon enough, the night would be filled with the sound of laughter and movement, breaking the snow’s silence as the Academy began to wake.



“Good evening, Benjamin. Welcome back to the Academy. I hope you enjoyed your break and are back, eager to learn.” Ryner greeted him, the same warm smile she’d given Lilie now on him. “Funnily enough, I just finished a conversation with Lilie. What are the odds? Vampire or not, I still don’t much care for the weather. I’d assumed you’d all still be comfortable in your blankets for another fifteen minutes or so.”

---

Maddie slammed her hand on her alarm as it shrieked again. She peered at the time and sighed into her pillow as she burrowed deeper into her covers. Only forty five minutes until class. She groaned as she pushed herself up, the warmth of her cocoon flooding out as the blankets shifted, and she gasped, dropping hastily back into bed. Oh damn, it was cold! And it was only getting colder as the night went on. During the summer, it was pleasant but winter at night? Atrocious.

Still, she forced herself out of bed and bolted into her closet, throwing on the comfiest, heaviest clothes she could find. Hat? Check. Sweater and coat? Check. Extra warm pants? Absolutely. Wool socks? A must. It took her longer than she cared for to bindle herself up, arms not even in the sleeves of her coat but rather tucked in tightly beneath it. She tugged up her hood and zipped it up all the way past her chin before she dared to trot out in search of some breakfast.

She creaked open her door and slipped out in the common area. Amaris was already up and about, pleased as she could be. Maddie pouted childishly at the injustice. Here she was freezing her butt off and Amaris was lounging in the common area like it was nothing. Maybe she could get Amaris to turn her just so she wouldn’t have to be cold anymore.

“Morning.” Maddie offered in a voice still raspy with sleep. She’d long given up on wishing people a good evening when she first saw them; it was just a greeting and frankly, she didn’t really want to figure out an entirely new time difference. Maddie yawned as she shuffled into the kitchen, opening the fridge with her hands still tucked under her coat and staring. Should she cook? They had some snack stuff, she could just take some of that. She shut the door, the additional cold not good for her current condition, and rather decided to focus on the more important thing: coffee.

The silence from outside and the quiet snow was broken by the Whistling sound of a kettle. Salem's alarm telling him he needed to get up. He reached one arm over his head, placing the back of his hand onto his forehead as he opened up one eye and let out a small yawn, smacking his lips twice before finally deciding to shimmy up the mattress a little so that his head rested on the darkwooden headboard. The back of his hand glided downwards as he wiped away a stray bead that had formed in the corner of his eye, finally turning to his side and lifting the kettle off of the contraption and placing it onto a leather coaster. Despite the few heat lamps he had scattered about the room, decorated as vintage oil lamps and hung from the ceiling or placed on the floor and desk, the room still felt the bite of cold that was pervasive outside. Salem slid out of bed, his bare feet finding purchase on the cold wooden floors, a jolt to help wake him up as he shuffled towards his bookshelf and grabbed an old grey can with a lavender print painted on the front.

He moved through the motions, using the wooden spoon inside the tin to scoop out a batch of earl grey before plopping it into his pot and pouring the hot water in. Salem stood there for a moment, watching the loose leaves swirl about in the hot water as steam began to rise up and the aromas hit him, another sensation to help pry him out of his sleep. It was a while since he'd gotten a full rest, an he truly didn’t want to leave the comfort if his bed. As Salem waited for the tea to steep he lazily tapped on his phone screen to see if there were any notifications for him. Swiping away at a few that he couldn't care less for before stopping to think if he should message Aaron. So much had happened since he last saw him, and if he was having nightmares again then he was sure Aaron might have experienced them as well. Had he not been concerned with prying eyes through his phones text logs then Salem would've reached out sooner. But this appeared to be an in person conversation. Besides, Aaron seemed to have a lot more to deal with during their break. The death of Varis, although not unwarranted, left Aaron's predicament up in the air. Who would get to claim him? Would it be that Witch of a Lady? Or perhaps Ryner would guide him under her wing until he served use as a good treat to entice another pawn of a vampire? Or maybe there would be a made grab to see who would get to trade for him here at school.

Whatever the situation , Salem didn't need to add to Aaron's problems while they were meant to be relaxing, and he surely needed to give the mage some space to take in the news of what had happened and the worry of his future. Granted as far as he could tell, he could just be sent back home to study and be part of the royal family again, given how much he praises them and wishes to be back Salem would think Aaron to he overjoyed by the news. By the time he'd stopped wondering his phones screen had gone black and the tea had finished steeping. Salem opened a drawer from his nightstand and removed a small cup and tea strainer, placing it over the lip of the vessele before pouring the tea through it. As he stirred in a splash of cream, he sat back, pulling open a curtain, and watching as students played out in the snow, spotting Victor just sitting there and accumulating snow. Salem took a sip, letting itinger for a moment as he took in the scents and heat that eminated from his cup, before finally placing it down. Grabbing his phone he sent a message to Lilie.

---

If there was a difference between a musical and an opera besides the pretentious title, Max couldn't tell. He barely knew what an opera even was. Didn't some fat lady just come out and yodel for an audience of rich jackasses who only pretended to be entertained because they thought it was cultured to do so? He certainly wasn't going to ask, if the mere mention of musicals set the leech off on that tirade. He'd be stuck there all morning, which wasn't a bad prospect if not for the fact that he was stuck there with Eris.

"Considering humans have neither an eternity to rest nor any reason to be bothered by the rising of the sun, no, I haven't heard your little baby song," Max grumbled as he shifted his leg out from where Maxie had decided to sit on it. Eris probably didn't even know what progress looked like, he just wanted to sound invested because Max was worth some money now. Lucky for Max, he picked the easiest classes he could this semester - Dowsing was basically a free nap period and his grade in that stupid model class was negligible so long as he got the information he wanted out of it.

"I've got like-" Max paused to check the time on his phone, "forty minutes, that's plenty of time. Unless you're so eager to scream at me through the door while I take a long, hot shower, because I know you're fishing for attention right now." A warmer area to go sit in was a decent motivation to get out of bed, at least. Ryner better not've cheaped out on the heating bill for the main buildings, though, or he'd probably have to pretend he vomited to get out of his later classes.

"That reminds me, did Feliks have my coat delivered yet?" The armor was warm but not that warm, and ditching it in favor of one of his old coats wasn't happening. It felt weird enough not having an obnoxious weight across his chest when he was walking around his quaint, mostly-vampire-free hometown, he certainly wasn't going to interact with leeches and mages unarmed.

---

@Hero