[IC] Of Blood and Magic

[Hero]

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Maybe he should have gone second after all.

Only when Varis' back was turned did Eris tenderly rub the many, many sore spots all along his abdomen. While his mood wasn't nearly as bad as the redhead's, he had to admit he wasn't fond of being used as an outlet for his anger. The lesson was mostly wasted on Varis and Professor Gaunt going back and forth, but it was essentially pointless. He really thought blocking his senses would have helped more, but maybe he was too used to pain? Next time he'd try it from a different angle or something.

Letting Varis rant and rave all he liked, Eris offered a token agreement here and there. It wasn't that he entirely disagreed, but between his busy schedule and certain developments, he didn't realize that they shared their next class, too. Dedicating the early evening to his new beau was as soothing as a porcupine in a good mood, but it couldn't be helped.

Honestly, Eris wasn't entirely sure why he made the decisions he did in regards to his choices this semester. He had convinced himself of sensory enhancement earlier, but did he really want to spend over an hour listening to someone drone on and on about the Noilas when he could probably learn everything from the library? At least the Dark Age Eceonomy had made him curious and the Noble History would hopefully give him more information on Cydril that wouldn't draw more attention than was necessary, but it was starting to feel like he was getting his information in an extremely roundabout way. He was usually more sure of his decisions and often calculated his choices, but recently he was starting to doubt everything.

And of course, one of the most pressing issues was walking in front of him.

No. He had come this far, doubt was for the weak and uncultured and he had laid out nearly every brick possible for this ideal outcome. Regret? He didn't know the word. But deep down he had to admit the entire Cydril nonsense was starting to unnerve him. As soon as he could figure out what exactly he was dealing with, he could banish all the lingering questions. Yeah, that had to be it--he was patient, he was used to waiting for things, but he had too many loose threads at the moment. But he'd have to be more careful than before, no doubt--the princess was aware he knew of the Sinnenodel, and he was still highly suspicious of her.

Bringing himself out of his thoughts, Eris ran a hand over his face and gave Varis an intrigued look. For now, all that needed to be shut away at the back of his mind. He had to continue to play his part for now. "I worry for this school, I truly do. For such an esteemed academy, the princess hasn't had the best track record in professors," He made his contribution in regards to the initial complaint, though he didn't even have to pretend--that woman's face was going to haunt his nightmares tonight, that was for sure.

Still, he did decide to lighten--or possibly worsen--Varis' mood. "Royal line, you say? Perfect, now I can doze off and just have you give me a proper lecture of everything the professor gets wrong," He couldn't help the joke, giving Varis a dazzling smile. "Lucky me, I get to indulge myself in having more of our night together."

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@Achronum

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Lilie nodded with great enthusiasm, taking Bar's words to heart. He wasn't just knowledgable on the element, but magic as a whole--that's what she expected from a resonance researcher. With his words in mind, she was more than ready for Round Two, but she had to admit that Johnathan was giving her an exercise in caution. He was more excitable than she was! It was nice to practice with someone who had just as much enthusiasm, but she often found herself adjusting to try to match his energy. Her true nature often peaked out at times, too, her magic being more cautious than usual as she tried to get used to the sensation.

Still, it worked out in their favor, with time flying by so fast that she was actually really disappointed that the class was done. The tingliness in her fingers felt weird, but she realized that despite the initial shock surprising her, it helped her understand how she was using her own magic a little more. She gave Johnathan her thanks and a wave of goodbye, but she ended up hanging back a little. She really, really wanted to talk to Bar some more, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea. Then again, Esi was a little quirky, too, so maybe it was just a water mage thing?

Glancing down at her phone, she figured she had a little time. Approaching the professor, she decided to er on the side of politeness. "Thank you so much for the lesson today, I feel like I really learned a lot," She told him, beaming. "Your words were spot on! I mean, I know it's your job, but it was just super informative."

After maybe half a second of pause, she continued, "I did have some more questions pertaining to the lesson! You said when it comes to handling larger quantities, does that mean the more magic we use the more risky it is? Or is it because we're so close to our element as primaries? Does that mean it's easier for us to tap into our magic for more power? Or is it harder because we're just as susceptible to be overwhelmed by it?" She was basically bouncing in place, her voice picking up in pitch as she fired off one question after the other.

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[WeepingLiberty]

Amaris Marivaldi

_{Mentions: Benjamin @Bert Macklin and Victor @ReusableSword}

Amaris stared at the device expectantly, chuckling a bit to herself as it crackled to life once again; this time with Victor’s voice. He had advice, or instructions rather, to share with the Count Eve but there was something about it that sounded as if he was pulling some kind of practical joke. The first part was clear enough to her. It was a simple suggestion on how to hold the device when trying to speak, but it was the end that caught her a little off guard. He spoke words she understood and yet their context was clearly evading her. ‘How copy?’ Did he suddenly forget how sentences were structured? And what was this about copying? The professor never mentioned anything about such a feature. It was meant to be a simple device… right?

It didn’t seem like she was destined for an answer, however, as the Dame recalled the room’s attention to herself. Despite it only feeling like mere moments, the end of their class had already arrived. Amaris was prepared to return the mystical object but it seemed Dame Patel had other plans for her little chickadees. She instructed the students to keep them for the time being and had assigned them to practice contacting the receiving devices until their next meeting. The Countess shifted her eyes towards each of her group mates one by one. While she was able to contain any particular thought from reaching her face, it was still pretty easy to infer her hesitance.

It could be worse… At least Victor appears to have some kind of idea of what he’s doing. If we run into any issues I’m sure he could help us figure it out. She thought to herself as she carefully packed the item away. Now that they were dismissed, Amaris had a moment to herself to consider the rest of her night. The Countess knew none of her group’s schedules which meant figuring out a moment to practice with the walkie talkie might come down to sheer luck… but that was an issue for another time. For the time being, all Amaris had to do was figure out how to spend her break between classes. The allotted fifteen minutes was often used to check in on the progress of their mages, or further social ties, unfortunately for her neither activity was of interest to her at the moment. Instead she allowed herself the luxury of a leisurely walk toward her next lecture.

When it came to the culinary arts, Amaris was like an estranged relative that surely belonged yet still felt out of place. Sure, she could appreciate the many savory scents that wafted from the kitchens around meal times, but that was about as far as it went with her. The Countess knew how to brew a decent cup of tea, and had even worked to learn a couple of different methods of preparing the morning’s coffee. Beverages, however, were far from proper sustenance for a mortal, or at least that was what she had been told.

As she drew ever closer to her destination, Amaris’ thoughts had strayed into considerations for what oddities might be in store for her this time. At this point, she might have been relieved to find a pineapple awaiting her at the door. At least that would be semi-familiar.

[Bert Macklin]

Ben took Count Astorio's words to heart, adjusting accordingly. He still had to fight a smile anytime the word came up, but he was certain it wouldn't take too long to learn how to use something that worked with the press of a button. How technology progressed so quickly! And Dame Patel was generous enough to let them borrow it for the night. He would need to practice as much as he could whenever he retired to the dorms but would keep in mind not to disturb the others too much. The thought occurred to him that he would go far asking the pair what times were best, but neither of the other two spoke up. Countess Marivaldi seemed hesitant on that end. Oh well.

For now he would lay the issue aside, offering the pair little more than a word of farewell before leaving the classroom. Next would be his and Lilie's showmageship class, and he wanted to make a good first impression by arriving together with her. If he recalled correctly, she had her affinity class, which was a distance away. He fished out his notebook to double check only to find himself mistaken. He was ahead of himself as there was one other class and a lunch period before the two should unite. Perhaps he could catch her in the cafeteria. No matter, the important thing was that he had a few minutes to take his time to get to the right class.

Ben corrected his path and let the talk of the students fill his eardrums. The conversations were mostly catching up and complaints about classes beginning anew. Eris' voice struck out to him and he noticed the blond just ahead. Of all the voices to draw his attention, why did it have to be his? However, the celebrity wasn't the point of the scene as what was more interesting was the Sinnenodel walking beside him in one piece. What a stunt, he must be picking up on Eris' habits of drawing attention. This did confirm Ben's own suspicions on drawing out an assailant but it did not bring him much comfort to know Varis Sinnenodel was, in fact, alive.

It wasn't that he wished the vampire dead but it was not every day that one would publicly fake their own death. To think he would go so far as to have his Lady make a public declaration as well. Was that why the princess had in fact visited their dorms? His initial guess had been much too naïve. Would a thwarted assassination attempt truly been worth that hassle? He did not truly know much of the Sinnenodel house and their workings but was aware that their constant changes had everyone more paranoid than usual. Whatever the case may be, it was none of Ben's business. Technically speaking, Varis was in fact the heir he was throwing his weight behind so at least his father wouldn't go questioning him just yet, and that meant he did not have to start over with another heir. If he still sat at the board of Green Vision Inc., then Ben still had business with him yet.

Once he was focused on his path he realized they were walking in the same direction he was. Were the three of them to share a class? While he initially believed it to be a stroke of bad luck that they would be forced to sit in the same room together, it wouldn't necessarily be a waste. He could slowly work to gain Varis' favor and ignore Eris to infuriate him. What was the expression? Two birds and a stone? The stone did something but he couldn't recall. Or was it one bird with two stones? That sounded more accurate. He did hasten his step a touch to catch up to the pair as he decided he may as well play the part of a relieved colleague. No, not relieved. He needed to...what was that other expression? Play with the cool? No, he remembered, it was be cool, in which the temperature mattered because something hot drew attention and a cooler food item was likely to be less noticed. If he was too shocked or excitable than he would come off as disingenuous.

"Good evening, Count Sinnenodel," Ben said. He wanted to ignore Eris, but as the latter was in the pocket of the former, it would likely be rude. "Eris." He kept the usual disdain out of his voice at least.

[ReusableSword]

Victor Astorio

The class ended rather quickly, Victor thought for sure that this class would just drag on and on yet it did not. Letting them keep the hand held for the day could be troublesome. All one had to do was ‘accidentally’ press the call button and it would make all the radios on the channel chime off. He knew it was to pull everyone’s attention to the radio when they were trying to reach someone or had an urgent message. This could be used once or twice to call attention to the other nobles but victor wasn’t sure if he wanted to mess with them just yet.

Perhaps he confused his counterparts enough with his reply on the radio. He still didn’t comprehend a thing about how it worked from one radio to the next but he had to go through several crash courses on how to talk and operate a radio. It definitely proved to be an important piece of equipment while working with a team during an operation.

The 15 minute break between classes was nice but he wasn’t all that interested in checking up with Salem. There hadn’t been any explosions, police activity, or emergency crews in the area so he figured the boy must be doing alright. They could talk about their day later towards the morning to recap what both of them learned. At least he was well aware of what his next class should consist of and were it was located.

Stepping up to the fighting area he had spent a great deal of time here already. Either training or coming in after class to help clean the area to make up for his past blunders when he first arrived. He still had to thank the princess later this morning for getting him on the right path. Too bad it seems that it takes near death experiences to, as Salem calls it, get his head out of his ass. With a deep breath the count proceeded into his next class room.

[Scribe of Thoth]

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It seemed like Max's earlier assumpted was correct, the exercise went a lot smoother when Ashton was the one compensating for him rather than the other way around. Whether that was attributed to the other student's experience level or just their personalities clashing would be helpful information, though. Who was he kidding? No it wouldn't; he'd probably never be in this situation again outside this class. Eris was already nervous enough everytime he walked past an array of silverware, and if Feliks was any indication, his affinity had a certain type associated with it. The leech would have to be suicidal to consider inducting a second metal mage into his service.

Still, it was hard to feel pride in completing the task when he was pretty certain his partner had done most of the work. All that display had taught him was that he couldn't just power through the exercise as he'd hoped, which was a fact Max has fairly well aware of by now and at this point, he was really just testing his luck. His arms raised in front of him again in preparation for the next try, though the cube only made it about an inch off the table before Max abruptly dropped it at Ashton's outburst. It was a shock the collared loser even had it in him to be that assertive, and on Max's behalf, at that. The vote of confidence was nice, but the brunette couldn't quite agree. He fully expected another explosion if he had to hold the metal in place again, and technically the puzzle wasn't 'done' until he could do both roles. Sure, the whole thing was asinine, but Artiae made it sound like the entire class hinged on this concept.

Of course, it was a lot easier to side with the professor when he gassed Max up unintentionally. The bit about him tearing down a building with a stray thought was, naturally, flattering as hell.

The rest of the class was awkward, to say the least, but Max was hardly a stranger to tense rooms and wasn't particularly bothered. Of course, if Asston got snappy with him, that could change real quick. The professor's advisement just elicited a sigh from Max. He just had to get the exhausting classes first thing in the morning, didn't he? He used his first class to wake up, not put himself back to sleep. Maybe he could take a nap in Dowsing or something.

"The fuck was that...?" Max mumbled as Ashton vacated himself promptly from the room. That eager to run home to his master, huh? The mage spared a passing glance and a shrug back at Professor Artiae before he whipped out his phone. The 'Retriever' across the screen got a sly grin out of the boy, if only because Aaron's thinly-veiled clapbacks and deadpan remarks had to be at least more entertaining than whatever guilt-fueled response Salem lazily sent his way.

> Classy.

See, the worst part about that message was Max had no idea how to tell if the Retriever was kidding or not. His first instinct was, of course, to assume Aaron was being facetious, but for all Max knew, that could very well be a classy look in his circles. No; even if the collar was the peak of magely fashion, 'crayon factory explosion survivor' wasn't a look anyone would adore.

> Dude's a fucking weirdo, got in a spat with the professor that we weren't going fast enough 5 seconds after i almost killed us both going too fast
> How tf do you wear a whole ass collar and then be that idk, brave?

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@Obscene Symphony

[Achronum]

January 7th - 11:15pm

Mage Classes

Aaron, Varis

The Mystery in Light
_{Aaron and Varis}

Varis sent Eris a withering look. “If you think I’m going to indulge that particular trend of laziness, I recommend dropping the class. Study sessions are one thing; reteaching because you’re too busy plotting your next scheme is another thing entirely. It won’t take your intelligence to see through whatever propaganda the instructor spews and bridge the gap with reasonable explanations.” Varis snapped, his irritation practically oozing off him. He didn’t have the time nor the patience to drag Eris through the slog that the history of the royal line would dump on them. If Eris showed any sign of actual disinterest in the class, Varis would just force him to keep his nose to the grind. Varis wasn’t about to let one of his things reflect poorly on him of all vampires.

Varis was prepared to take the next fork to head to his mage’s class when none other than Count Eve approached them. Varis slowed a step to give the Count a moment to catch up. “And to you as well, Count Eve. You have fortuitous timing. Eris and I were just discussing the Princess’ peculiar taste in instructors but my concerns over my mage’s first advanced class have me distracted. I’m sure Eris would love to hear your opinion on the subject in the meantime while I step away to observe the boy for a bit. Perhaps you can catch me up on the conversation during the lunch period.” Varis suggested, giving a polite bow as he took the next fork and sped walked across campus, making his way to the boy’s class. Hopefully, the boy would make a fool of himself; the opportunity to tear the boy down in front of his instructor would prove a soothing balm to his foul mood.

Varis narrowed his eyes as he drew closer, his mage outside on his phone. Wasn’t it nearly time for class to start? He fished out his pocket watch and confirmed. What was the boy thinking? How many times did Varis have to tell him that being early is on time and on time is late? Varis was almost disappointed at how easy the boy was making this for him. “And you think this is how you earn your way into the Mental program? How many times have I had to repeat myself about punctuality?” Varis demanded before he’d even reached the boy. “You could be preparing yourself for your next lesson and inside I find you outside distracted. I was expecting a display of good behavior and better performance that would indicate I didn’t make a mistake in permitting you this route and already you’ve proven a disappointment.” Varis rolled his eyes, not bothering to wait for Aaron. The boy knew better than to hesitate; Varis had full confidence in that after the first night at least. He pushed into the building and then into the classroom.

Duan had just taken a sip of coffee when Varis strode through the door and he choked, coughing as he tried to screw on the cap of his thermos while hacking and wheezing. Varis’ lip curled in disgust as he took a step away from the ungraceful display. Professor Duan took a moment to collect himself before bowing to the Count.

“My apologies, Count Sinnenodel. I wasn’t prepared for the honor of your presence but I’m pleased to receive you in my humble classroom all the same.” Varis afforded the Professor a slight inclination of his head. “This room isn’t the best for observation but as we aren’t working with natural sunlight, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy yourself nonetheless. Is there anything I can get you before we start the lesson?”

“A chair will suffice.” The Professor nodded and grabbed a folding chair for Varis to sit in, muttering a brief apology for the quality as Varis took his seat at the head of the room. “I’m quite interested to see how my mage is performing. I was regretfully uninvolved in his magical career last semester but I intend to be fully present for this semester.”

“An admirable quality, Count Sinnenodel. Aaron has been nothing but a model student and incredibly quick to grasp new concepts. He works well with others and does an excellent job incorporating feedback efficiently.” Professor Duan praised, sending Aaron a supportive smile. “But words can only do so much so by your leave, I’ll start class and you can judge for yourself.” Varis nodded and settled in, watching Aaron closely.

“Welcome back, Aaron. It feels like I only saw you last period.” Daun laughed, walking over to the set up in the center of the room. “This semester we’ll be taking what you’ve learned and applying motion to complex shapes. The culmination of everything you’ve learned should result in almost perfect replicas of smaller creatures and then we’ll grow them into larger, even more complex creatures and structures such as…” Light whirled around him for a few moments before curling around his back one last time as a fully formed lion paced out from behind him. It shook itself, the image perfectly proportioned, and then dissolved back into light. “But for now, let’s see where you are instinctively. Step back into the circle you were in last class.” Daun gestured to the hula hoop.

“Now, complex illusions like these require planning and focus so take a moment and close your eyes, envision the ball from our very first lesson, and let it grow into any shape or creature you’d like. Watch how each part expands for the ball and take note. Once you feel like you’ve got how the creature will emerge from the ball, gather your light and follow the pattern. Take it nice and slow. It’s more important you get it right than finishing it fast.”

Lilie, Max, Maddie

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

Lilie, Max, and Maddie

“Alright everyone, find a seat quickly. We have a lot to cover and very little time.” A voice boomed around the auditorium. The room was familiar to some, several students recognizing it from Spell Theory 101 last year. The far right wall had the same doors that lead into a lab environment and several tiers of seats descended to a stage where a woman stared impassively at the students filing in, arms crossed and a single unimpressed eyebrow raised. She tapped her finger impatiently as students scurried around to find seats. The stage behind her was empty.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t sit next to your best friend; you’re here to learn, not to socialize. Do that on your own time.” She snapped, staring pointedly at a group of three that straggled in behind the rest. “Five, four, three, two, one.” One student tried to slide into a seat just after she finished counting and she stepped off the stage, stomping up the stairs until she reached the offending student, and grabbed him unceremoniously by the arm. The poor kid yelped as they were dragged from their seat and marched to the door, where the Professor promptly tossed them out like they weighed nothing and locked the door behind them. The black dress the Professor wore had an intricate embroidered Noila crest covering the entire back.

“Let me make something clear. As soon as you step into this classroom, your time is mine. You were graciously extended an invitation to attend the most prestigious magic academy in the world and if you chose to waste that generosity, then you are a waste of my time and I will treat you accordingly. Understood?" Her voice bounced around the room effortlessly as she returned to the stage. "Before we get into the subject of the class, there are a few points we need to cover. First and foremost, this is a pass or fail class. You've either learned to dowse or you haven't. Second, computer and cell phone usage is strictly prohibited. If you're taking notes and you don't wish to write them down like a proper student, you may use a tape recorder or something of similar nature that only records audio. If I find you breaking this policy, you will be locked out and counted as absent for the entire day. Third and most importantly, miss three days and you fail. Unless the administration intervenes on your behalf, you will no longer be permitted to continue developing your dowsing skills at this institution. For the rest of your time here, you may address me as Professor Mara." She raked her eyes over the class, looking for anyone even mildly disinterested before continuing.

"Dowsing is the practice of expanding your magical awareness in order to identify materials your affinity may manipulate that remain undetected to the traditional senses for any reason. A simple one is a metal affinity detecting a metal support beam inside of a building. You can't see that beam, touch that beam, or otherwise interact with it with your mundane senses but dowsing makes it possible for the metal affinity to become aware of it regardless and can then manipulate it from there." She launched into her explanation without preamble, fully expecting her students to keep up. "As such, some affinities benefit more from dowsing than others. Affinities that require either a high degree of technical skill, like life affinities, or affinities that manipulate sources that are usually concealed or removed from direct contact, like water affinities in a city, benefit the most from this skill. Dowsing opens opportunities that previously could not be approached."

"As any application of magic, dowsing will wear on your magical reserves. A wide variety of factors can change how tiring dowsing will be, including what is blocking you from naturally reaching your goal and the substance of that goal. For example, a water mage may have an equally difficult time dowsing for a freshwater source three feet beneath concrete and asphalt that's carried in a metal pipe as they would dowsing for a saltwater source thrice the distance beneath limestone." She continued, unmoving as she lectured.

"Because dowsing is best learned through experience, this class will transition from lectures to mostly practical exercises by the end of the first month. I will reduce the class discussion period each lesson until we only briefly review experiences and issues from the previous class and then push forward into practice, practice, practice. I highly recommend you use these first few weeks to get a feel on how tiring this is for you and plan around it so you can exceed expectations in all your magic classes. An inability to regulate yourself is no reason for failure." She glanced at Max briefly before continuing to address the room. "And for those of you who have developed a natural talent for dowsing already, do not think this class will treat you lightly. I have a few more personalized exercises for you to complete and they will be as challenging as your classmates find the basics. Before we move into the technique and then a little practice, do we have any questions so far?"

Salem

Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones

_Salem

“Welcome one, welcome all!” A short, leathery faced man called out in a high, nasally voice. Introduction to Transmutation was held in the back of Onyx Hall. It was far more similar to Salem’s last class rather than any of the lecture halls he’d sat in last semester. Twelve long solid black tables took up almost all the space in the room. Each table had four chairs, a pair of safety goggles and gloves neatly stacked in front of each other. Various supplies were piled up in the glass door cabinets lining the walls: glass vials full of various substances, piles of precious metals and gems, and even some reptiles and insects in terrariums and cages. The Professor bounced up and down as the students filed in, a staff nearly twice his height leaning on the wall behind him. “Take your seats quickly, quickly now! We have lots to go over before we get to the fun stuff!”

He waited until everyone was settled into place before launching into his introductions. “It is truly my honor to be teaching such a bright eyed, bushy tailed group of students this year! My name is Hector Nieverra and together we’re going to go on an exploration through the basics of transmutation! And in order to do that, you must know a little bit about this fantastical and amazing arcane school!” He picked up his staff and started wandering the classroom as he spoke, almost entirely disappearing from eyesight except for his pointed hat and staff. “The arcane school of Transmutation aims to change matter through deliberate and precise application of magic. How does this differ from typical affinity magic? The most obvious difference is the limitations. As an arcane school, Transmutation works on a wide variety of materials and substances, not just what your affinity dictates. Another major difference is speed and magical expenditure. Transmutation may give a mage the ability to mimic a number of effects of other affinities, such as shaping a structure out of metal as you manipulate the shape of the material, but at a much slower rate. There are quite a number of more technical differences but those will be explored in future classes! Right now, we’re just here for fun!” Professor Hector laughed, a high pitched and squeaky sound as he thumped his staff on the ground.

“Now, we should probably do the responsible thing before we start learning incantations and spell patterns and discuss some of the lab rules.” Professor Hector toddled over to his desk at the front, standing up on the chair he had behind the table. “You’ll find copies of the rules on your school website that you’ll need to electronically sign later so don’t forget! It’s your first grade and your first homework assignment! Your first and most important rule: No magic other than what we are practicing is permitted in the lab! Some of the substances we’ll be working with are quite volatile and accidentally getting it involved in magical roughhousing or anything of that nature will likely end in a trip to the life mages so none of that nonsense!” He held up his hands as he spoke, counting along as he continued.

“Your second rule is always wear your safety equipment! You’ll find that each night, I will have laid out equipment on your desk and I expect that you will immediately put all of it on as soon as you enter! Your third rule is to keep any loose clothing, hair, etc securely tied back and out of the way. Rubber bands, hair ties, rope, I don’t care--as long as it isn’t a magical method and it doesn’t also dangle! This includes jewellery and foci. If you accidently transmute your personal belongings because you refused to take it off or secure it, I will not fix it.” He pulled on his own gloves and goggles and then propped his hands on his hips, giving the class a stern look. “The final rule is not to attempt these spells without a licensed Transmuter overseeing you. Attempting these spells without an experienced eye calculating the possible results is a dangerous test and can result in serious injury and/or damage. I cannot stress that enough. Do not, and I repeat, do not practice these spells without appropriate supervision. Everyone clear on that? Any questions on lab safety rules before we continue into the basic reduction spell?”

---

Vampire Classes

Ben, Eris

The Weight of Power
_{Ben and Eris}

Flickering torches cast long shadows through the room, the lingering smoke sluggishly gathering at the ceiling.Twenty seven chairs cluttered the room in some haphazard mockery of rows. Other students had already arrived, sitting nervously on the edge of the seat as they glanced around uneasily. There were no desks and no other adornments. The same stone slabs made up the floor, the wall, and the ceilings, reminiscent of a dungeon rather than a classroom. The only other things in the room were a figure sitting in heavy robes that seemed far too large for their size, draped over their body like a curtain rather than clothing. Their head was bowed even as the noise of conversation managed to break the oppressive hush of the room.

Their mage stood next to them, adorned in a similar robe but one that actually fit. Her good was let down, head shaved bald, and she stared at the incoming students with an empty stare. She stood still, arms tucked away in deep sleeves, until everyone filed in and the heavy door shut with a resounding thud. She shifted behind her vampire once the class had found their seats, every move calculated and graceful, and bent down to whisper in the vampire’s ear, “The class has arrived.”

“In the early nights, violence was all any creature knew. Endless bloodshed, slaking naught but a vengeful thirst and breaking hopes and dreams of those that sought a better world.” The vampire spoke, it’s voice as frail as time brittled pages. It barely carried across the room, causing even those close to lean forward. “Iron to iron, claw to tooth, fang to flesh… despair and grief were the only constants. Order and organization were second to survival, mortal and vampire united in a desperate attempt to live. But vampires overfed, mortals cowered and died, and so the fate of our world seemed sealed.”

There was a long pause. “King Geoffry Noila was the first to see the truth of the situation, to rise above his instincts and truly see how far our world had fallen, how close we’d brought ourselves to the end of despair. Nearly a millennia before the creation of the Treaty, King Geoffry brought his children to heel and issued them the Proclamation of Unity. This Proclamation demanded that the Noila line take responsibility for the state of the world and that in an effort to solve it, would bring together the most powerful vampire lineages and unite them as one ruling body so disaster would be avoided.”

“Sound in theory but the same violence plagued the House. His children had formed factions and fought against each other for the honor of bringing other vampires into the fold so they may earn the right to stand at his side in the new world.” A sad weariness bled into the vampire’s words and the man placed a comforting hand on it’s shoulder.

Amaris

When the going gets Tough, the Tough say Fuck
_Amaris

Culinary 101 was a massive white room, dominated by rolling metal prep tables. One wall housed eight stoves, each with six burners, underneath a ventilation hood and,more noticeably, an unnecessary complex fire suppression system, including bags of sand and several tubes labelled “Fire retardant”. Red buckets were at each prep cart label “In case of Fire” full of water. The opposite wall housed a large walk-in pantry and a walk-in cooler and freezer that held various ingredients. Each prep table had a piece of paper folded in half and propped up like a name plate with a specific student’s name scrawled on it in crayon.

Amaris’ was closest to the front, right in front of a familiar vampire. Nasir ibn Tariq grinned as he tossed a pineapple up and down once again. “Where to start, where to start for all you culinarily impeded fledglings…” He took a few moments and then snapped his fingers, popping up off the wall and stumbled. “The beginning’s probably the best for you whippersnappers. What is cooking? It’s making stuff yummy and delicious for mortals by applying some type of fire! Oooooooh gasp, fire! How terrible and awful, I’m sure you’re all saying, but if you don't, half the time the mortal ends up dead! They’re so finicky like that.”

“And of course then you must be thinking, just set some fruit on fire and then they can eat it right? Wrong!” He waggles his finger back and forth. “Unacceptable! Setting things on fire the wrong way and then feeding it to a mortal probably won’t kill them but it can make them regurgitate everything they’ve ever eaten and with what goes on in a mortal’s stomach, that is truly disgusting. So we have to make sure we heat it properly with all the right stuff because if it doesn’t taste right, your mortal suffers and then their blood tastes bad!” Nasir explained very seriously, cradling the pineapple.

“Oh where is my mind today? Out with my assistant today, I suppose.” He mused over that for a few minutes before he turned back to the class and startled. “Oh, right! I am Professor Nadir ibn Tariq, culinary expert and explorer extraordinaire! I’m here to teach you how to cook without ever tasting your food! With the rise of the puries, it’s become an essential skill if you want to find your way around a kitchen! So I’m sure now you’re wondering how your grade will be determined for your monthly projects and your final! You’ll be feeding your creations to your partner of course and if I see even the tiniest hint of disgustion, revolusion, or illness, you lose points! Isn’t that exciting? High stakes and effective!” Nadir laughed, slapping his knee as he howled.

“Okay, okay, okay. Rules. Since all you dumb dumbs like to get a head of yourselves, we got some stuff to go over. Don’t touch anything unless I’ve said okay. Lots of this stuff will burn you and we all know how much fun fire is right? Not at all. Zero fun so don’t mess that up! Next, stay on the recipe. That’s simple. It’s like one but not me saying it and if you do go off recipe, you make it that much more likely you’ll kill your partner!” He paused for a few moments, considering the next part carefully but his expression cleared up almost immediately. “So that’s about all the rules! Questions before we talk about stew?”

Victor

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
_Victor

Unarmed Back to Basics was held back on the sands of the arena. There were only a few vampires, most evaluating the other students. One vampire kept her eyes fixed on the ground, hands clasped behind her back in a white knuckle grip if she’d been mortal. She stood motionless, tense, in sharp contrast to the relaxed and confident poses of her peers. She only looked up briefly to see when Victor came in and returned her gaze back to the ground. She traced patterns in the sand with her foot.

“Aight, aight.” A vampire entered the arena, barely touching 5’ 4”, wearing a tight Noila Academy shirt and shorts. He held a clipboard as he scanned the students. “Let’s get this shit on the road. Anyone here for the basics unarmed can get in the center; everyone else can get the fuck…” He did a double take at the sight of Victor and glanced back at his paper. “Okay, Astorio’s here. I thought that was a fucking misprint but those assholes in the office but aight, I guess. Waste your time if you want.” He shrugged, waving everyone over as he reached the center.

“So, we’ve got a wide variety of experience here from nothing to full on murder in his sleep. Well shit, this is gunna be fun to balance.”He muttered to himself. He clicked his tongue and shrugged. “I’ll figure it out as we go along. Anyways, I’m Tomas and I’m going to be teaching you some basic hand to hand combat to build on the self defense lessons you took last semester. We’ll start with a few exercises to figure out exactly where everyone is in skill level and then I’ll adjust our lesson plan accordingly. There aren’t many of you so I’ll have some time to give everyone some individual attention for once. Okay!” He dropped the clipboard in the sand.

“Okay, ground rules! I’m sure you already heard this before but I’ll say this again so I can check that off the list with the big boss. First, rank, career, status means nothing here so don’t try and pull it. Second, y’all can knock around each other as hard as you want as long as no one dies. If someone dies, you get expelled and maybe dragged in front of the Council. Third, if I call for a stop, landing a hit after that will result in a grade drop. Three simple rules, don’t fuck it up.” Tomas demanded and then stared at Victor for several long moments.

“I gotta be honest. What the fuck are you looking from this?” Tomas sighed, looking up at the giant. “I’m pretty sure even with every trick in the book, you could lay me out no problem. Why did you join a basics program?”

[ReusableSword]

Victor Astorio

The familiar sands had a few new faces in it, none of them he recognized. Only one of his fellow class mates met his gaze if only for a moment. Victor began to place his things in a neat pile on the stone floor while the instructor stepped in. the smaller man waved them over to join them in the middle. The count took a short swig of his flask and joined the others with a shiver.

It wasn’t too much of a surprise for him to see the bewilderment in the instructor’s eyes and words. A short vampire with a slim build by the name of Tomas with a blunt and to the point way of speaking. He took a bit more time to look over a few of the other classmates they had with them his eyes lingering on the girl that met his gaze earlier for a moment longer than the others. The gaze didn’t seem hostile perhaps more of nervousness. The gaze reminded him of some of the looks and body language the student body was giving off from the last incident the school had. Powerlessness, it’s the best description he could come up with.

Snapping back to the teacher as he began to go over ground rules, these were all things he heard from the last year. Still, Victor met Tomas’s gaze when he finished going over the ground rules it looked like he was going to ask him something in front of the others and he did.

“I gotta be honest. What the fuck are you looking from this?” Tomas sighed, looking up at the giant. “I’m pretty sure even with every trick in the book, you could lay me out no problem. Why did you join a basics program?”

He knew the question would be asked eventually but it still took him a moment to compile his thoughts on the matter before speaking in his usual calm deep voice. “There are a few reasons, I was told that I needed to go through the basics program to get to the higher classes. I’m sure I could submit some form or just ask to be put in the higher class but that just sounds like cheating to me and I didn’t take this class because I think it is an easy passing grade I couldn’t care less.” Glancing at a few of the others then back to Tomas again, “I am also not very familiar with the Noila fighting style, I find it a good balance between offensive and defensive where my fighting style is mostly offensive.”

The count let a sigh escape him and continued, “but frankly I have been watching the overall combat abilities of my peers and find them lacking. I was hoping that if you could not teach me, then I could assist you with the class or at the very least be a good sparring partner for you to show these ones a few things without you having to worry about breaking them. And if not then well training is training, just like my old combat instructor used to say. ‘The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat’ a human expression but it still works.” He folded his arms across his chest waiting to find out if his words would do anything to increase his odds at helping out with the class but would not fret if he decided otherwise.

[Obscene Symphony]

Max surprised Aaron by replying pretty quick—there was a jab in there somewhere about Max having no one better to talk to on his breaks, but Aaron wasn’t too interested in finding it.

> Dude's a fucking weirdo, got in a spat with the professor that we weren't going fast enough 5 seconds after i almost killed us both going too fast
> How tf do you wear a whole ass collar and then be that idk, brave?

Aaron made a face at the message, shrugging to himself. He honestly didn’t know where to begin; coming to the Academy had been a culture shock above and beyond anything he expected, and even one semester in he could hardly claim to understand much about the various classes of mage and vampire that congregated there.

> I don’t know, maybe the collar’s just a weird fashion statement?
> I mean, collar aside, you’d have to be pretty brave to look like that in public.

“And you think this is how you earn your way into the Mental program? How many times have I had to repeat myself about punctuality?”

Aaron had scarcely hit send before his Master's voice sliced through the quiet night air, snapping his head up and his back straight like he’d been zapped by a wire. That pleasant feeling of tranquility he'd been basking in flew from him like a frightened dove, and all those “other things” to worry about that he’d cast aside came rushing back to take its place—not least of which being the very fragile covenant he was supposed to be mulling over, and which he’d already managed to break. And by forgetting the most basic of Varis’ commands no less! He dared not speak, weathering Varis’ justified chastisement with his eyes respectfully averted in silence, but fortunately, he got off relatively light. Varis must not have had the time or the patience to lecture him further; no need, considering Aaron could compose a lengthy lecture on his wrongdoings all by himself, and moon only knew he was hardly worth the breath.

He followed Varis mutely into the building, silencing his phone and stashing it away, and they’d already reached the classroom before Aaron even thought to wonder why Varis was here at all. He had his own classes to attend, didn’t he? Or had he failed so miserably in every other context that Varis felt the need to personally oversee magic as well? He had to resist a groan of shame; how humiliatingly astute.

Aaron gave Professor Daun an apologetic look when Varis wasn’t looking, feeling ever guiltier when he saw how alarmed the Professor was by the Count’s presence. In a way, Daun’s behaviour was surprising; given the general air of indifferent respect he’d seen so many other professors use last semester, he’d been under the impression that Princess Ryner hadn’t hired any professors who were likely to grovel at the feet of her Noble students. But perhaps that was only the professors who were likely to interact with Nobles, or it was an incorrect assumption entirely. Of course, Aaron wouldn’t deny that Professor Daun’s behaviour was smart, and more appropriate in his view given Varis’ status, but he still felt bad for catching the man so off guard. It must have been embarrassing for him, too. Perhaps he should apologize another night.

Of course, that wasn’t where Aaron’s focus should have been aimed. Varis’ mention of interest in his performance brought him back to the much more pertinent and unnerving topic at hand: not making himself out a fool in front of his Master. Again.

It was impossible for the weight of Varis’ observation not to freak him out, especially under the pressure of an impromptu evaluation. However, once Professor Daun finished fussing over Varis, the quick return to his usual, calm teaching demeanour did wonders to realign Aaron’s focus—and that little bit of praise helped too, even if he didn't deserve it. But for a mercy, it became easier to turn his mind from his Master to his task as the Professor spoke, with his demonstration so realistic it even caused Aaron to flinch. He couldn’t help the smile that broke across his lips at the sight of a fully formed lion, dissolving into nothing as quickly as it came; a dramatic example of the feats he’d been looking forward to attempting himself.

And now he had the chance. Despite the added pressure, his magic buzzed in anticipation; if anything, the extra adrenaline excited it further. Aaron was reminded once again of Salem’s analogy—perhaps the added pressure of someone to please would help him more than hurting him. Of course, his magic on its own didn’t have the all-too-relevant context of his lengthy chain of failures to temper it, but as he stepped into the hoop on the floor and closed his eyes, he tried to push those from his mind and embrace his magic’s enthusiasm.

He took a little longer than usual to center himself, having to resist the urge to work himself up anew over Varis’ observation. Instead, he focused on his breathing, tuning in to the thrum of magic coursing through him, and aligning its will with his; only when it was as attuned to him and stable as his own heartbeat did he continue.

Following Professor Daun’s instructions, Aaron envisioned a ball of light, no different than any other he’d formed. When it came time to choose a form for the ball, his mind’s eye saw shapes begin to jut from it, the ball turning and twisting like clay being molded by invisible hands. It was the strangest thing—he could imagine what it would feel like to shape the light, where each hill and valley had to go, but he could form no clear image in his mind of what the end result would be. Nonetheless, he felt confident in the outcome, and the jitters of stage fright melted away into the calm concentration of knowing precisely what he needed to do.

Opening his eyes, Aaron held out his hands, easily forming a ball of golden light between them. He was careful to keep his breathing steady as he began to shape it, doing his best to keep his hands still and let his will do the forming. His eyes narrowed as the ball began to change shape, condensing into something small and elliptical; the light brightened as it shrank, adopting bumps and corners, until it became a very bright silhouette of something like a shining, golden chrysalis.

But he wasn’t finished. His arms tensed up as he began to feel a pressure between his hands, and he clenched his jaw as he closed his hands further around the new shape, as if he was squeezing a balloon. His hands inched closer and closer together until, almost touching, there was a bright flash; suddenly, there burst from his hands a number of glowing shapes, fluttering out around him in all directions. Upon closer inspection, he’d produced about a dozen small, golden butterflies, glowing as faintly as the fairy lights as they fluttered around the room like falling confetti.

A surprised half-smile crept onto Aaron’s face as he watched his own handiwork, each little butterfly quite convincingly shaped, albeit with a not-so-realistic golden glow. Still, as they winked out one by one, he had to admit he was satisfied with his work. Even if they didn’t quite look “real”, they felt very familiar, in a strangely nostalgic sort of way; they weren’t true to life, no, but he was content that they came out just as he intended them to. He risked a glance over to gauge Varis’ reaction, and offered his Master a respectful nod before looking wordlessly to the Professor for feedback, doing his best to temper his excitement at what he’d managed to create.

_{@Achronum @Scribe of Thoth}

[Scribe of Thoth]

---

This bitch was already getting on Max's nerves before he'd even sat down. Too bad he'd have to follow her directions like a darling student and sit next to Lilie - they weren't friends, apparently. He figured he'd come to regret the act, since she might end up bugging him about practice or some inane crap, but it would only be a matter of time until she noticed he was in this class and bug him anyway even if he did avoid her. At least he'd have someone new to shit talk; with Varis (allegedly) dead, Max had absolutely nothing to talk about with the girl.

Once the professor actually opened her mouth proper, Max couldn't help but roll his eyes. Yes, yes, he was sure she was very tough with that chip on her shoulder from only being allowed to teach Baby's First Dowsing Course. He figured the principle out in a day or two, for fuck's sake. All Max gathered from that spiel was that he had to actually show up, but otherwise he'd already passed. His only issue was that he didn't have a fun nickname for the professor yet, but that would surely come with time.

Max slumped down further in his chair as Professor Mara transitioned into the actual class, attentive but not enthusiastic. He'd have to note what materials blocked his magic more effectively for future reference. Probably a function of density, given her limestone-concrete dichotomy example. Or maybe porousness? Wait, was that technically the same thing as density? The more he sat in this class, the more Max assumed he could figure all of this out dicking around in a practice room. No wonder this lady was so insecure. The mention of a practice heavy course was equal parts annoying and welcome; he'd get to hear her talk less, but that also meant he couldn't just nap through the class. And apparently his talents were written in a file somewhere, judging by the look she shot him when she brought up natural talent. Either that, or she saw him obviously bored to tears in his chair and intuited precisely what his plan was in this class. Personalized exercise these nuts, lady.

Maybe if he pretended to be afraid of mage collectors, Ryner would strike the Taldrin crap from his record. No, all the professors here were probably under magical obediance anyway, she'd likely wave him off or throw him in counseling or something equally stupid.

Turning his attention back to the bitch in front of him rather than the one in the front office, Max had a couple questions, but none of them were appropriate on the first day. Namely whether Salem could dowse the stick up her ass or not.

"Well she seems pleasant," Max muttered humorlessly to Lilie as he finally acknowledged the girl's existence.

---

@Hero

[Hero]

---

---

This one was on Eris, he really should have known Varis was never in a mood to humor him. The vampire's eyes would have glazed over at Varis' bitching, but considering he'd get reamed for 'not paying attention', he'd endure it without complaint. Still, he couldn't believe his smile didn't even get an eye roll! What the hell was that?! Was he slipping? He was going to have to practice just in case he was slipping. No, he was fine, Varis was just immune to anything that would make any ordinary person swoon.

"Must you always refute me so?" He sighed.

Unfortunately for him, there was no saving the conversation as a nuisance appeared. As fun as it was to mess with Old Benson, Eris enjoyed having his break Eve-free. But all good things had to come to an end, and it was a little entertaining to see the little Eve's choice in approaching Varis as if nothing happened. He was almost convincing! Still, at minimum, he had to give credit where it was due, especially as Benton chose the right approach.

Before he could comment on it, however, Varis ditched him. And left him with Benicio. Great. Wonderful. Awesome. The painted on smile he gave the other blond had barely any effort put into it, but his willingness to care had already been in the negatives. Fine, if he was going to have to put up with him, then he was going to make sure he was

"Looks like if you're gonna keep up the ass-kissing act, we're going to have to have that conversation. You'll be tested on this later, make sure to stick close to me," He threw him a wink, motioning for him to follow.

Once they entered the classroom, Eris chose a seat off to the side, making sure that the kid sat next to him. They had just gotten there and already he was depressed--robes. They were dressed in robes. What century was this?! He suppressed a groan, rubbing his temple as he leaned back in his seat. That much was a mistake, as he ended up having to straighten up a little just to hear the vampire speak. Great Anastasia, had he known he would've skipped, too.

Some of this Eris had known, though he wasn't entirely surprised by the things he didn't know. Inner-House conflict predated even before the violence, he assumed. The stronger the House, the more conflict--anyone that didn't want power was lying to themselves. Even in his own family his aunts and uncles, cousins, and even his own sister often did everything but claw each other's eyes out in an attempt to gain the favor of their grandmother. He used to be part of that, too, before he was successful, but he'd admit it was fun to watch them fight one another.

He leaned in towards Benson, making sure to keep his voice low. "I'm sure you're all too aware of inter-House issues, hm?" He asked. "Though being on the winning side must feel good after finding out that investigation into Dracul's death was dismissed. Your pops must be pleased."

---

@Achronum@Bert Macklin

---

---

Lilie rode on her happiness cloud until she stepped into the classroom. Her mistake was thinking that this class would be similar to the rest--after all, if she could handle her old Spell Theory teacher, then she felt like she could handle anything. Unfortunately, she was a naive, optimistic child, and she was very quickly proven wrong. Why was this lady so mean and just charging ahead?!

There was no time to text Aaron, greet Max or Maddie, or even get herself situated, really. Her hand was already skirting over the blank page as she jotted down the rules, though she found the whole absence thing weird. That almost made it seem like they had a choice in coming to these classes. Unless she means people faking sickness? Who would do that, anyway? And even if you faked it, where would you go that wouldn't get you in trouble? She guessed maybe some people would like to stay in their dorms, but otherwise, she couldn't wrap her head around it.

Still, she focused more on the lecture, making sure to write down everything she thought was important. Despite missing out on the other class she had to drop, she was glad she ended up with this one, especially after her element was mentioned. Distance, material, sensing--it sounded easy on the surface, but she hadn't considered all these factors.

Max finally spoke to her, though Lilie couldn't really blame him for his comment. "I think she has it out for you, too," She whispered, having definitely noticed the Professor glancing his way.

At the chance of questions, she felt like she should ask something, but what? It was honestly her inner goody-two-shoes that wanted to participate, but this professor scared her a little. Even with that in mind, she ended up raising her hand. "Um, when you mentioned magical awareness, does that mean that we will be able to sense our elements subconsciously? Or will it be something we're able to do at will?"

---

@Scribe of Thoth

[WeepingLiberty]

Amaris Marivaldi

_Mentions:

If there was anything the Countess could gather upon her entrance, it was that she had absolutely no idea what it was she had been expecting of her new class environment. As Amaris stepped through the door, she shuffled somewhat to the side to allow passage to others, and surveyed the room curiously. To her, the space was incredibly bright, though for what reason she did not know. Whatever light was present in the room was only intensified by the white of the walls, reflected off of the uniform metallic surfaces filling the space only to be bounced back once more. Aside from that, however, there wasn’t much to the room at all. The most the space had going on were the various safety precautions set in place throughout the room, ready to be called upon within an instance. She supposed the sight of such extensive preparations made her feel better… until she realized she hadn’t actually been concerned previously.

Amaris’ eyes continued to scan the perimeter until they rested upon a familiar sight at the front of the teaching space. A small smirk tugged at her features as she tracked the vertical movements of a peculiarly spiked fruit, eyes shifting ever so slightly to the side to confirm her suspicions. Nasir ibn Tariq; the pineapple man. Well, if nothing else, my time here will be interesting. She thought to herself, now finally making her way further into the room. Approaching one of the prep stations, Amaris gently plucked a piece of paper up and turned it over to inspect it. Written on the one side was what appeared to be someone’s name, likely indicating an assigned space for each of the students in attendance. A quick glance around confirmed similar papers set at each of the stations, now all she had to do was find hers.

Making her way to the front of the room, Amaris glanced over one shoulder and then the other before spotting her name nearby. “Good to see you again, sir.” She spoke on the way to her designated area, carefully flipping the card name down.

It wasn’t long after she took up her spot that Nasir started the ball rolling with class. In his very usual fashion, the elder went off on a long-winded tangent concerning the concept of cooking and what it meant for one’s mage partner. Things were starting to seem far more complicated than Maddie made them seem back at the dorms. Amaris had expected the application of flame and heat, but she was not aware that such minor missteps could be so catastrophic. How were you supposed to know what was supposed to be set on fire and what shouldn’t be? Were mortals all born with this knowledge equipped for their survival from the very start? The countess would have to remember to ask her partner about it at meal time.

She snapped back to attention as she sensed a slight shift in the importance of the instructor’s words. Amaris was far from a fan of fire, preferring to give it as wide a berth as possible when possible. While she would have to get over some of that to get through the class, and to learn a skill she considered important to her continued partnership with Maddie, there was little doubt that she’d be one to follow Nasir’s instructions to the letter. With the safety instructions out of the way, there was a moment for questions before moving on to the topic of the day. She couldn’t recall any questions in particular about food, but all the talk of potentially harming her partner did have the countess concerned.

“I had heard a rumor that mortals sometimes have dangerously adverse reactions to certain foods even when they are prepared properly. Is this true?”

[Bert Macklin]

Ben soundlessly returned Varis' bow. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a touch relieved that he was still in the vampire's good graces. He was, however, decidedly less interested in anything Eris had to say, moreso if it equated to hearing him whine about the instructors. While an odd bunch, they were at least effective. Unfortunately he could not deny the opportunity presented before him, no matter how much of his soul he had to give up. He would have to think on what to bring to the table in order to make a good conversationalist; perhaps he could mimic Eris, he had an endless source of complaints, after all.

Speaking of which, the star wasted very little time becoming the equivalent of grinding gears that sounded as if they were in severe need of maintenance. Ben returned his words with a tight-lipped smile but chose to remain silent as his previous assumption proved true. The three of them were to share a class after all. It was a curious choice as for all the things Varis said about both academy and royal family he didn't believe the man capable of listening to an entire lecture on them. Though where Varis went, Eris was sure to follow, so the consistency of the situation did assuage him a touch.

The classroom, if it could be called one, was a welcome distraction. Both mage and vampire interested him, particularly with their garb. Once he came to life Ben listened intently. He would be ashamed to admit it but he never did pay much attention to his lessons. However, he would need to put in the effort for this one, lest Eris decide to challenge him.

And of course the idiot would speak to him when he could just barely make out what was being said. However, the context had Ben abandon the professor temporarily. In what world would Eris hear such a thing before he did? Why did he know so much more of his house? Had his aim have been to get a reaction then Eris succeeded. The discomfort was clear and for once he was completely speechless, if only because he wasn't sure it was even true.

"I'm more interested in knowing how you, of all people, buy into such baseless things so easily," Ben said.

[Trainerblue192]

Salem walked into his lecture hall, taking in his surroundings as he noted the various vials lining the walls, the piles of gems decorating a few areas, and live animals caged throughout the facility. There was a hint of excitement within him, finally able to try something new, something he hadn't been studying for and training his entire life. The copious oddities allowed his imagination to run wild, trying to figure out what each one was used for, or perhaps what they were beforehand. Salem hadn't fully considered the potential for transmuting living things with the exception of plants. But the reptiles and insects now made him wonder if that was untrue.

Salem was pulled out of his thoughts as the professor prompted them all to take a seat at one of the long solid black tables. Taking his place, he removed the gloves, placing them into the pocket of his apron and then fastening the goggles around his neck. He watched as his diminutive professor walked across the class, only able to see where he was heading thanks to the large staff he carried around. So far it all seemed simple enough, though the idea that he wasn't allowed to practice his magic outside of these hours was extraordinarily frustrating. He wondered if Max had any such restrictions for his major, or if he'd still care to learn what Salem had if he wasn't able to practice them.

Upon hearing the second rule, Salem put on his gloves and slid the goggles up over his eyes. He ran a hand along his hair to ensure nothing was loose or straying, before undoing the leather strip and pulling his hair into a bun and tying it off again just to be safe. A part of him wished no one had any questions so that they may start sooner, but another wished someone did have something to ask in the event he had forgotten something.

[Achronum]

January 7th - 11:45pm

Mage Classes

Aaron, Varis

The Mystery in Light
_{Aaron and Varis}

Varis sat motionless as the Professor explained the exercise, his earlier irritation bleeding out as he listened. They would be practicing parlor tricks this semester it seemed. Conjuring illusions of creatures and people and making them dance like monkeys at a circus certainly cemented the boy’s position as a show mage in his household. He lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at the boy’s flinch as the Professor conjured and dismissed the lion with ease. The boy knew it was an illusion; if all it took was the facsimile of a predator to bother him, their Lady was going to eat him alive.

Varis watched the boy closely as light bloomed between his hands. The Count frowned at whatever the boy was struggling against and then watched in fascination as butterflies burst for his grasp and gently fluttered around the room. Not quite the impressive feat the boy’s instructor managed but Varis held a finger out as one of the butterflies drew near, inspecting the illusion closely as it settled on his finger. It wasn’t half bad, Varis supposed, but in truth he wasn’t quite sure what counted as impressive at this point in the lesson. Accomplishing anything seemed to be the goal but simply meeting expectations wouldn’t be living up to Varis’. An involuntary smile, more a twitch of the lips than anything else, crossed his face before his flat expression returned as the image faded.
“Interesting, interesting.” Professor Duan muttered as he watched the display. “I’m surprised something like a butterfly was the first thing that came to mind. Dogs, cats, and birds are the most common first attempts and I had you solidly in the bird category. However, that was an excellent first casting! Creating multiple copies on the first attempt usually results in just very bright spotty lights but yours had fine detail and movement so I don’t think you’re going to find this class too difficult after all!” Professor Daun considered Aaron thoughtfully for a moment.

“Now, this time I want you to take a moment to consider why a butterfly before you try the exercise again. The first exercise told you to rely on your instincts, on the connection you have to your affinity, to determine a creature you could successfully replicate. Reflecting on why that was what you instinctively chose to produce will help you strengthen your connection to your affinity.” Duan explained, a large butterfly shimmering into existence on his hand for Aaron to look at.

Lilie, Max, Maddie

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

Lilie, Max, and Maddie

“The finer details of that question are a discussion for a more advanced dowsing class but at this stage, you will be consciously choosing when to dowse, much like casting any spell. There may well come a time when you’ve trained your subconscious to perform this task but at this stage, dowsing will be a demanding feat for your magical reserves.” Professor Mara replied to Lilie’s question.

Meanwhile, Maddie had skidded into the room with less than a minute to spare, sliding into a seat in the very back row. Her affinity class had been incredibly demanding and she’d taken too long catching her breath. Between the anxiety of the Professor repeating that a single mistake could cost lives and learning to carefully control the flow of magic to reduce the degree of dependency the patient may develop, Maddie had been in a nervous sweat and now this Professor seemed just as bad! They weren’t nearly as demanding last semester!

Despite the Professor’s terse lecture, Maddie did raise her hand after Lilie’s question. “As a life mage, I’m not sure I understand how dowsing will help me in the medical field. I do need direct contact with a patient and if I’m already planning on handling the situation, I can’t imagine I’ll struggle too much to find them.”

“Dowsing in the medical field allows life mages to circumvent much of the typical testing human doctors rely on. It isn’t perfect but advanced dowsing can give you an idea of where major injuries are inside the body, the general conditions of organs, and even the source of blockages in the veins. It’s a combination of dowsing, learning, and experience to determine all of those but it is why dowsing is a required skill for any aspiring life mage.” Professor Mara rattled off, fixing Maddie with a stern glare. “So failing this class for any reason will end your career before it begins.” Maddie nodded, a little pale, and quickly scribbled down notes as the Professor turned and descended down the stairs.

“Now if no one has any more questions, we’ll continue. Dowsing is a relatively simple technique that simply requires focus. Like when using your affinity, all you have to do is simply guide your magic in the direction you want to go. The trick here is to push it out of your body and into an orb around you rather than into a substance.” Professor Mara stepped onto the stage and sat down on a chair she pulled over. “Unlike spells, this doesn’t need an incantation or a magical focus. It simply needs your attention and perseverance. Everyone close your eyes, take a steadying breath, and focus on pushing your magic from your center and out around you. It may help to visualize it, like arcane spells, as an orb expanding from your body. Your magic will try and fight it and even once you succeed, your magic will likely try and rush back into you. Keep it out as long as you can. And for the naturally inclined student, push your awareness further as far as it can go and hold it.”

Salem

Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones

_Salem

“Okay, excellent, let’s get right to it!” Professor Hector exclaimed when no one replied. He turned his back as he began to lecture, popping up on a chair so he could write on the board at the front of the class. “The basic reduction spell is a simple transmutation spell that allows you to alter the size of a single, solid object. More advanced forms are capable of doing this to liquids, gases, and so on and so forth but in this class, you won’t be getting into it. The incantation for the spell is Horitae Tadriae and it’s pattern is very simple.” The Professor finished drawing two lines and turned around. The pattern looked like a fishing hook with a single line drawn through the bottom of the hook.

“The object this spell is cast on will have its size reduced by roughly 20 percent for one minute. It is important to note that like you learned in your Dark Eyes class, you may in fact suffer the consequences of failure but that’s okay! It’s all about trial and error but please be aware the most common consequences of failure in this case is simply a brief, uncontrolled flare of your affinity. If you catch on fire or suddenly are soaking wet, please do not panic and I will assist you immediately. We will be using these wooden blocks today,” Professor Hector held up a little, plain wooden block about the size of an apple. “And you will find a tray of them at the end of your tables if you will each take one and pass them down. Once you have, keep your eyes on me as I demonstrate the effects of the spell.” The Professor tapped the object once with his finger and spoke the incantation. The wooden block quivered for a moment before shrinking as expected.

“So, when casting this spell, make sure to tap the object firmly once, imagine your magic flowing through the pattern, and then speak the incantation deliberately.”

---

Vampire Classes

Ben, Eris

The Weight of Power
_{Ben and Eris}

“The King’s Proclamation nearly brought the Noilas to its knees. King Geoffry’s children were bloodthirsty and shortsighted, only our now glorious Queen supporting the Proclamation without demands of power, wealth, and influence. They slaughtered and pillaged and ravaged each other, simply twisted reflections of the world around them, and in his wisdom and humility, the King knelt the one and only time he ever would. The hooded vampire continued, either ignoring or unaware of the conversation happening.

“In his desperation to fix the problems in his House, the King sought an audience with a creature of legend: the Child of the Noilas. A vampire older than almost all others, the Child of the Noilas could break the will of vampires and mortals alike with simply a word, instill devotion and loyalty with little more than her presence. King Geoffry recognized the danger. All stories of the Child end in bloodshed and misery but the world had reached it’s end; what else could even such an ancient being do that the endless fighting hadn’t already done? The mage was filling a glass with blood as the vampire spoke, handing it over just as their voice cracked on the last work. The vampire took a shallow sip before continuing.

“Only rumors exist of what King Geoffry offered in place but whatever plea he made moved the Child and she slunk from her caves, bound the unruly family back into order long enough for King Geoffry to convince them to willingly follow him in whatever way he needed them, and vanished from the gaze of history once more.” The vampire drank again, longer this time.

Amaris

When the going gets Tough, the Tough say Fuck
_Amaris

“Adverse reactions… Do you know anything about that?” Nasir pondered the question thoughtfully as he spoke to the pineapple. He snapped his fingers a moment later. “Oh, yes! Those pesky little things called allergies. Those can range from something mildly unpleasant like a small rash or something horrifically deadly, like the swelling of the throat until they can’t breath! All of that should be in your mage’s health report though so take a second to read it over! One point to the Countess!” Nasir exclaimed proudly.

“Now you silly little fledglings, let’s start on our sandwiches! A nice and easy thing for you that only involves sharp things and requires zero hot things!” Nasir wheeled out a tray of staff, including white bread, peanut butter, jelly, sliced and whole tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, mayo, bananas, and mustard. “Sandwiches are a popular mortal food because it takes almost zero effort to make and mortals are lazy and they can be made in so many different ways! A sandwich, at its simplest, is made of two pieces of bread, one on top and one on bottom with stuff in between and you can make that in pretty much any sort of combination! They're portable too! Perfect for a busy mage on the go!”

“Now, each of your tables have a cart in the cooler with these exact same items on it. Each item has a little plaque describing the taste and you should take a moment to smell, feel, and experience these items in a way that won’t result in you regurgitating! Try and make a sandwich that’ll be appealing based on your observations alone! The best way to learn is to try! Now go get those carts!” Nasir exclaimed while waving his pineapple around.

Victor

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
_Victor

“Well, if you’re looking for Noilan, then you're out of luck. I was trained by the Eves for a century and a half, pissed the wrong duke off, got kicked out, and then the Princess gave me a job so I’ll lean on your experience and you can help teach people who need lots and lots of attention while I give everyone mine.” He looked at his list of students, nodded, and returned to stand in front of them.

“Alright, just like you did in self defense, we’ll start off with some light partner sparring. Don’t go crazy; I don’t want to dig someone out of the sand because someone decided to suplex some poor unsuspecting vampire. Listen for your name, pair up, I recommend you talk a little, and then get rolling. First pair, Victor Astorio and Melanie Saliu.” Tomas rattled off the short list and watched as students moved around.

The nervous girl glanced up when she heard her name and stared at Victor, giving Tomas a look of disbelief before hesitantly making her way over to the Count. “Um, hello.” Her voice was quiet but rough, like a mortal after they’d spent a day crying. She attempted an awkward curtsey. “So, I don’t really know what I’m doing. Please go easy on me.” She took an unbalanced stance, hands wide and feet at awkward angles which put her weight too far back.

[Scribe of Thoth]

---

If Max rolled his eyes any more today, they'd tumble right out of his head. If she was this concerned about people failing her class, maybe she was just a shitty teacher. Especially with such a piss-easy subject. Was dowsing seriously that hard for the riff-raff that weren't blessed with Taldrin magic? Maybe those leeches that went wild over it had a point, if normal mages had to be trained to do anything beyond manipulating what was directly in front of them. Professor Mara raised a decent point though, if only indirectly. Max had never actually tested his range to its limits yet; he hadn't needed to. The ability to count every single metallic object on a city block was, quite frankly, not something he ever figured he'd need.

Max briefly flirted with the idea of pretending to struggle with the exercise, but he supposed he might as well get something out of the class since he clearly wasn't going to get a nap. At the very least, he'd have a head start on the higher courses where the professor wasn't an insecure hack. The brunette shifted his posture to something that passed for upright at last, closed his eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. What little tension there was in his frame melted away as his shoulders sunk and widened in mirror of his magic creeping further and further outward. At first, the field grew effortlessly; his energy, no longer restrained by any of Max's will to remain nearby and useable, washed across the immediate rows of seats, hungrily worming its way into every metallic trinket and chair frame in its path. Before Max had a chance to grow confident he could rip the piercings out of every woman in the auditorium at once, the easy flow of energy soon became the arcane equivalent of a tight stretch as the quicksilver currents that had filled out his dowsing field once again settled with the rigid surety of steel.

With another deep breath, Max tensed his muscles against nothing as he internally willed the magic out of the metal reservoirs within his field that it had instinctively inhabited and pushed it against the stubborn threshold of his sorcerous bubble. There had to be a more efficient way to do this; he was functionally managing hundreds of individual objects at once, and he wasn't even doing anything with them except trying to leave them alone. He could handle pushing magic out of his body, but every single dorm key in the room too?

As if to taunt him, his magic returned to its mercurial fluidity once he released the pressure he had exerted on it and it shrunk back to a more comfortable radius around the mage. Like a fucking string he'd pulled too tight - except he knew it wasn't too tight, his magic just loved sitting in pen tips and shit. Naturally, the most obvious solution was to just remove all the extraneous distractions.

Max raised a hand languidly. "Do dowsing fields always manifest as a sphere or are they shapeable without excessive effort on the caster's part? It seems like it'd be inefficient to project magic backward too if you knew the object you were dowsing for was in front of you." Or better yet, just snake the field around the chairs entirely.

---

@Hero@Achronum

[Hero]

---

---

Benji was making this too easy all things considered.

Eris could have taken a picture and framed the expression of muted uneasiness Benson wore. Honestly, it was actually a little worrying how little the kid knew about his own house. He made sure to know everything that was happening in his own family--half for informational purposes and half for entertainment seeing the dumpster fire that were his cousins and their misfortune--and while he could argue his family was less relevant, it just didn't reflect well when someone didn't know what was going on. If Bentley was more gracious, Eris would be happy to take him under his wing.

Slowly shaking his head at the other blond, Eris poorly kept himself from laughing. "No, no, what's more interesting is how ill-informed you are about your own House's affairs," He replied cheerfully. "You can choose to ignore me, but you'd be surprised how much you can find out by knowing the right people."

He turned his attention back to the lecture. A Child helped the King? Child...those weren't exactly the best titles. But it did make him wonder who the parent was of this Child of Noila. He felt like he would have heard about some almighty vampire, so why was he learning about it here? Not to mention all the good the Child did, considering that he was pretty sure history was going to repeat itself sooner than later. Still, something the professor mumbled did get Eris curious.

"I'm sorry, you said the Child could break the will of vampires. With what, the power of persuasion?" He ended up asked. "You mentioned she accomplished it with just a word. How is that even possible?"

---

@Achronum@Bert Macklin

---

---

Well, at least her question hadn't been taken poorly. That was a good sign, right? Lilie tried to stay optimistic, focusing on taking notes. It was interesting though, she assumed that the point of the class was to make dowsing subconscious, but maybe she was oversimplifying things. Or maybe she was getting ahead of herself again? Yeah, that sounded more accurate. Not like she could help it--even with the less-than-friendly teacher, she was still looking forward to learning something new.

Her pen skirted over the page as she scribbled down a few notes, listening intently to the lecture. She wasn't aware that the class would be so important to life mages. At the mention of a career, however, Lilie frowned to herself. So mages could still have careers? Ben didn't mention anything like that to her. Then again, he already had his mind made up for her, so it wasn't like he was looking for her opinion on...anything. Would he open his mind if she had some idea of what she wanted to do? Maybe she'd talk to Aaron about that later, he probably knew more than she did on mage careers.

Tuning back in just in time to hear about the exercise, Lilie was glad to hear it would be more in line with using her affinity. Not that she was going to complain, arcane spells were fun but they didn't really come to her as easily. Straightening in her seat, Lilie closed her eyes and took a breath as instructed. Pushing her magic out didn't sound too hard, but without any actual water, she found the exercise a little harder than she thought it would be. Her magic didn't want to leave her for some reason, and as soon as she relaxed, she felt like she was smacked in the chest with the orb of magic she created. It was so...clingy. Why was it so clingy?!

Max's question came as a surprise, but then again, he did mention that his magic worked a little differently. He was already ahead of her when it came to this, it looked like. She listened for the response, though she couldn't help but worry. Aaron and Salem were already leagues ahead as it was. As selfish as it sounded, hearing Max and Maddie made her feel like she was falling behind again.

---

@Scribe of Thoth

[Obscene Symphony]

Aaron didn’t miss Varis’ reaction. He was more interested in his creation than Aaron himself, but that tiny hint of a smile, however brief, did more to put a spring in Aaron’s step than any praise Professor Daun could heap upon him. That was probably the most approval he’d gotten from Varis in weeks, even if the Count never even spared him a glance.

The Professor’s feedback was valuable too, although to Aaron’s surprise, he had little critique to offer. It seemed he was on the right track, hesitant as he was to believe it. Realistically, Daun was probably just being nice, not wanting to criticize him in front of his master; after all, Aaron could point out a few issues with the illusion right off the bat, not least of which being the unnatural glow of the butterflies. But maybe realism was the next step. He’d be sure to get more detailed critique from the Professor next class.

Daun’s comment about birds earned him a ghost of a chuckle; had he thought about it beforehand, Aaron probably would have put himself in that category as well. Was it because of his association with the Noilas? Best to keep that quiet if so, given present company – his last foray with crows did not come to a pleasant end. But… why hadn’t he defaulted to a bird? Did the episode after Revel scar him that badly? He was fond of birds – crows, ravens, magpies especially – and had more experience with them than probably any other creature small enough to replicate, butterflies included. But the butterflies came out so naturally. Why?

Aaron spun his ring as he considered his options, carefully watching the butterfly in Daun’s hand. Ravens loitered on castle grounds at all hours, and he’d probably spent entire nights over the course of his life hanging out with them, feeding them, and watching their mischievous antics. If he had any artistic talent, he could probably reliably draw one from memory. Butterflies, on the other hand, weren’t even nocturnal; he’d probably only ever seen them in the castle gardens on the way to bed, late in the morning after a long night. But somehow they felt so familiar, those fluttering, golden wings pulling at something insistent in the back of Aaron’s mind. It was like grasping at the edges of a dream just after waking, the memory at once vivid and fading too fast to recall.

“That’s interesting that you ask that… I’m not really sure,” he admitted honestly, glancing over to the Professor. He could feel Varis’ eyes on him, no doubt unimpressed with his answer, but confessing ignorance was always the smarter choice than lying. He’d learned that the hard way. “When I was picturing forming the ball, I couldn’t really put a name to what I was making. But when the illusion materialized, it felt like just what I intended. I was never unsure or confused, but I couldn’t have told you what I was making, either.”

He trailed off, eyes still fixed on Daun’s butterfly as he mulled over the mystery. After a moment, though, he decided he’d best try again, and set his feet back into the circle, closing his eyes.

This time, Aaron could see a clearer picture of his end goal: a single, larger butterfly, no longer hidden from his mind’s eye in a chrysalis. The exact source of the image in his memory was still uncertain to him, but it seemed his magic remembered better than he did; before he knew it, he was drawing light into his hands once again, his magic molding it readily into shape. This time, the conjuring was far less dramatic. The ball of light stretched and pinched into a butterfly’s shape before his eyes, and his magic seemed to fill in the finer details for him, its figure and pattern growing more and more pronounced until a larger, more realistic, and notably less glowing butterfly sat in his palm.

“Ah,” Aaron breathed, stooping to get a closer look. He wasn’t sure if he’d made any species of butterfly that existed in life, but it looked pretty good to him; it was a little large, but passable, and had a little black body, antennae, and big, gold wings with black edges and eye-like markings in the centres. He held it out for Daun to view, noticing when he moved his hand that the image didn’t quite move in sync with him. All things considered, though, Aaron was happy; fine coordination would probably be a lesson for another night.

_@Achronum

[Bert Macklin]

'Knowing the right people.' Were it not for decades spent on training his expression to remain perfectly neutral even in the most absurd statements, Ben may have actually rolled his eyes. In all honesty, Eris often tested his limits so it was not entirely surprising that the feeling surged with such ferocity. It was little wonder that Varis was constantly exasperated even if it made Ben wonder why the Sinnenodel would put up with such a person on a consistent basis. And supposedly they liked one another! What a baffling duo. What a baffling situation with a baffling, irritating man. What a baffling situation.

And speaking of baffling, with his thoughts back in order Ben did realize he did not appreciate Eris' statement nor the implication that he was not as informed. Perhaps he had a long standing informant or some rabid fan that fed him his information. More likely he took advantage of the current chaotic state of the divided Eve house in order to procure what he needed, which then begged the question as to why he had so much information. He would have to look into the star sooner than later if he ever wanted to remain ahead of the game, though that would be easier said than done if Eris was going to constantly drop newfound information like this constantly.

Ben chose not to speak, if only because Eris asked the question he had in mind. The thought formed a pit in his stomach; already he was greatly uncomfortable being informed of his own House's affairs, now he had to figure out how to handle having the same thought process as the errant actor.

[WeepingLiberty]

Amaris Marivaldi

_Mentions:

Allergies. Huh, so that’s what they’re called. I should consult Maddie’s health report and do a little research just to be on the safe side. Amaris thought to herself as she imagined all of the possible consequences the professor had just described. How bizarre that the very thing the mortals needed to sustain themselves could also kill them with no warning. Leave it to nature to have such a twisted sense of humor.

There would be time later to ponder such things, though, as Nasir ushered the lesson along into their task for the day: the sandwich. Such creativity could only have been made possible by mortal-kind’s limited lifespan. There would be little to no need to seek out such extreme shortcuts, especially when it came to one’s food source, without the ever-looming presence of an existential expiration date. They always seemed to be in such a big rush and somewhere down the line it had resulted in the creation of what would be her very first culinary assignment. In theory, the goal was a simple one: put complementary items between two slices of bread. Easy… or so Amaris thought until Nasir wheeled his cart over for all to see.

One quick scan of the available foodstuffs was all it took to remind the countess why she was here. Amaris failed to recognize quite a few of the provided ingredients and had no idea where to start with combinations. Alas, it seemed that Nasir intended the students to approach the challenge via trial and error. With small plaques to act as their guides, the professor released the students to go about solving the culinary riddle.

“I suppose the best place to start would be the bread, right?” She spoke to herself softly as she set to work. Of all the available ingredients, bread was probably the one she had no problem with identifying. With her bases in place, it was time to figure out what she was going to put in the middle. A quick glance at several of the plaques didn’t appear to reveal a whole lot about the nutritional values so it would appear the trick to these sandwiches really did lie in the appeal. But what, then, paired well with one another? Did the textures of the ingredients matter? Or just the flavor profiles? Amaris spent the next couple of minutes reading up on and poking at the various items, sniffing cautiously at a few as she weighed her options.

At last, the countess was struck with inspiration, her hands moving quickly but gently to carefully construct the sandwich. The last thing she needed was to ruin the presentation because she couldn’t be delicate. When all was as she wanted it to be, Amaris took a step back and admired her work, excited to see what Nasir thought of her first attempt: A peanut butter and banana with sliced tomato sandwich.

[ReusableSword]

Victor Astorio

Victor’s smile faded slightly at the instructors words, “very well still doesn’t change much from my plans. The story about pissing off the duke sounds fun. I don’t mind getting paired with the least experienced students.” He always did like to teach others but never really had the chance before.

Returning to his place in the arena slightly back from the others, the Astorio waited for the instructor to go over the ground rules before assigning pairs. Apparently this Melanie Saliu was going to be his partner. This Miss Saliu was easy to pick from the small crowd as she looked the most distraught after having her name called. They were slim in size and stature, nervous, with a rough voice and an awkward way about her. Even her curtsey was as shaky as her voice.

Victor’s eyes did not move from her they were almost looking into her soul. He didn’t change his stature or move in any way when she found her stance. With his arms crossed he looked like a statue. This form was broken when he started to walk around her, “hold that stance and I will adjust you.” The large vampire moved slowly and quietly around her barley making a sound. Then he got right up next to her without a hint of care for personal space.

With one foot he adjusted her forward foot and leg, “always keep this toward your enemy.” With his strong rough hands he brought her arms up and closed her fists to make an L shape with her head in-between them. “Keep your arms up in this defensive position to protect your head and never close your fist around your thumbs or you will break them.” Twisting her shoulders and pushing them back to straighten her posture and the last thing to be adjusted was her back leg.

Stepping back in front of her he nodded, “get familiar with this position it is both a good defensive and offensive stance especially for a beginner. Now then you know me but let me introduce myself, I am Victor Strigois Astorio Head hunter for the council and representative for the Astorio house at this school.” Giving her a nod of acknowledgement he continued. “Now Please Miss Saliu, tell me about yourself including where you are from, what combat or fighting experience you have, and why you are taking this class.”