Achronum

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 5:55am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis sipped at the blood, humming at the splash of tart and sweet that washed over him. It wasn't his preferences, especially after savoring the taste of the Eve's abomination, but he couldn't say it was unpleasant. The reminder of the girl playing with fire in his home made it a touch less enjoyable but it wasn't the worst thing he'd tasted. Considering his mage's attitude problems, that honor would probably be reserved for Eris' bottle.

"You sent Ismene? I hope her learnings are going to find themselves in my mailbox at some point." Varis sipped through the Marivaldi's chatter. While he could appreciate her enthusiasm for the subject, it seemed like such a waste to give her the privilege of knowledge. As narrow minded as she was, he couldn't possibly imagine she'd retain much of it for long. "My experience in Eris' social circles suggest his colleagues have baser priorities than those of us with loftier lineages. I rarely found anyone else worthy of a conversation, much less expressing interest in academic pursuits. Eris' interest in esoteric material only serves to highlight I was right in thinking he was a step above the rest."

"As far as we are aware, you are correct, Count Benjamin. Landar Starag was instrumental while forming the Treaty. A man who so despised our kind, was particularly equipped to exterminate us, who rallied against us with every fiber of his being, was the only one who could convince an entire people to put aside their differences and accept their rightful place in history. Without him, none of us would be sitting here in this room discussing it. But he wasn't the only mortal to work on the Treaty. He was just their chosen leader." Varis explained at Ben's commentary, unconsciously relaxing into the chair, losing the sharpness he usually wore as he slipped into a subject he was passionate about. “Landar arrived with his own guard and retenue and frequently consulted them during the development of our society. The mother of conjuration and the iron fisted author of the guardianship clause was one such person but other than that, we have absolutely nothing. Of course her techniques are well recorded and maintained, practiced and refined, and her mind was obviously a gift beyond her natural talents but what else? Who was she? Where did she come from? How did she develop such advanced techniques in such a short time? Why did she just vanish?” Varis gestured animatedly as he spoke, far more energetic than he had been before. The words just stumbled out of him as his usual control failed him and his attention was fully focused on the mystery that was Morgan le Fey.

“We have pages and pages and pages of personal accounts from Landar Starag, both from before and after the Treaty, we have years of recollection from other eyewitnesses ranging from the Queen and Ryner to common vampires who fought against him, we have paintings of him next to Geoffry, art and literature dedicated to his struggles submitting to those he loathed for the better of his people. His is a common name on vampire, mage, and mortal tongue alike and yet nothing remains of her. No journals. No letters. No friends, family, or even a vampire with a wisp of knowledge on their lips beyond her name, her arcane contributions, and her skill with a pen.” Varis suddenly stopped speaking despite his mouth still moving. It took him a moment to realize he hadn’t drawn a breath so he paused, took a breath, and cleared his throat before launching back into his conversation like he hadn’t ever stopped. “And how is that possible? How does a high profile mage like that all but vanish? How do our elders not remember much about her? How is every shred of evidence plucked from history like a feather from a bird? I’ve scoured books from the royal library to my Lady’s personal collection as soon as I got my hands on my position and I haven’t read even a footnote to suggest she was anything other than a talented mage with no existence outside the time with the treaty and her contributions to magic. There are theories of course. I personally put faith in the idea that after the war was won, she decided she wanted to back out of the Treaty she helped pen and earned herself being stripped of historical relevance for anything but her contributions to society the society she came to hate. To the victor goes the spoils and the right to control the narrative is the greatest one.”

While he was explaining his interest in the subject, he noticed that Eris suddenly took an interest in the boy. A half a second later and the boy managed to keep himself composed while Eris dragged the mage into his lap. He quite approved of Eris’ putting him through his paces and watched as the boy untangled himself from the actor, all perfectly polite excuses, and Varis was about to return to his full focus to the discussion at hand until the boy made the mistake. While it was a good move, Varis hadn’t yet destroyed the boy’s sense of modesty and bodily autonomy and he’d just entered a deal with someone far more than willing to take advantage of that. Well, Varis couldn’t complain. It's an excellent learning opportunity.

He placed his glass down and tapped once on the bottom before returning to the conversation in full.

“All in all, it’s a mystery that continues to plague historians and spawn theories and fantasies alike. If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to send you a few volumes for you to peruse at your leisure. That way you can fully appreciate the mysteries the past still holds for us.” Varis offered Count Benjamin. Of course, a few volumes was a little bit of an understatement. A few bookshelves may be more appropriate. It’s impossible to understand the enormity of the hole without a thorough understanding of how much was known after all.

---

Maddie watched with trepidation as the others overcame their apprehension enough to not just approach but pick up the clock that just randomly appeared. If it was Maddie’s choice, she would have put a box or a pot over it and then called the school’s security to check on it. Unsurprisingly but still interesting enough to note, Max was ready to tear it into pieces with no hesitation like the rest of them. She wasn’t sure how that was useful yet but she’s sure it would come in handy eventually. She appreciated Salem’s resourcefulness though, trying to analyze it with his limited abilities before handling it, and that was another bit of information she stashed away. She’d pass this onto Amaris later, especially how Lilie was the only one who didn’t use the full extent of her abilities to handle the situation.

But for now, she admired how easily Max spun the clock in the air and dismantled it quietly. Her control over her magic was fragile at best (and she was so thankful she hadn’t messed tonight up because she wholeheartedly thought she would) and here he was, going through the motions as if he was bored and this barely took a thought. And when it ended there was a dismantled clock sitting in front of them. Maddie had never seen a clock in pieces but she supposed it looked normal enough. She jumped when Aaron spoke but then slapped a hand over her mouth as she snorted at how wide Aaron’s eyes were at the sight in front of him.

“Well, a hand dropped a clock set for 5:55 on the table and we weren’t sure if it was something that could hurt the vampires. Lilie and Salem did an excellent job analyzing the outside and Max is the only one who could check the inside without damaging the parts.” Maddie explained, hping that Aaron wouldn’t get too upset at their curiosity.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: Outside
Skills: N/A

---

---

James froze when she grabbed him, pulling him closer. He felt so much anger at the motion and he wasn’t really sure what to do with it. It was all he could do not to try and snap each of her fingers, remind her that he wasn’t something he could shove around at her whim, but it died out at her accusation. James snapped back into this world, going stiff as a board as he realized what happened. He felt sick to his stomach and something unpleasant crawled over his skin. He needed to get that under control. He was here with the mutant underground. He should have been normal. He should have been fine. Everything was fine.

The bullet felt like lead in his pocket.

However, the urge to smack her when she shoved him was all him right now. He didn’t know where all the other stuff came from. All he’d said was she didn’t like him―which isn’t unreasonable since she’s always been unpleasant towards him. It was a good day when they never crossed paths honestly.―and that he was waiting for her plan because he knew he couldn’t touch it. This woman exhausted him to no end and she was quickly reaching the end of his tolerance. He could be patient, had been patient for months, but her abrasiveness was seriously wearing him thin. If she didn’t dislike him was she just a dick because she could be? Because she found some sort of sick, twisted pleasure in treating people like this? James didn’t know and he didn’t want to put anymore effort into this but he might have to; the Underground having two members with issues towards each other, because James was developing some really fast, was a problem they didn’t need. They had plenty of others.

James fished out his cellphone, checking the text and closing his eyes briefly. He held back a groan and quickly sent out a response - “Dealing with the brotherhood’s mess. Came hunting for Polaris. Will be ready as soon as possible.”

“Veil texted. They’re bringing Jack back and they’ll need your help after this, Luna.” James explained with an apologetic look as he put the phone away again. He really didn’t like an m-pox victim straining themselves, much less Luna. He felt far more protective over her than others but he blamed that on the fact that she had nearly died in his hands. He settled down next to Echo on the ground, leaving his hand out in case Echo needed something to hold onto through this. “Hey, we’ve got you. Even if something goes wrong and you get cut up a little more, I’m here to make sure you get pieced back together. I haven’t failed anyone yet. Well, I’m not counting Magik. She may have sold her soul to a demon but as long as you haven’t done that we’ll have you up on your feet in no time.” James tried comforting Echo. He couldn’t imagine what the man was going through but it’d all be a distant memory sometime soon. “And I’m sorry for being a dick early.”

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 5:45am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis had to admit, he’d never seen someone burn their bridges quite as effectively as the Marivaldi did. It was a bold move, isolating herself from her only potential ally in a room with three opponents of her house, and if he had any faith in her statesmanship, perhaps he’d have respected it. However he didn’t. It was an act of passion, one of the most degrading for their kind, and with it removed herself from the political stage once more. Perhaps that’s how she liked it, free from responsibility and care. Perhaps she wanted to enjoy a whimsical life, riding on the coattails of her deceased father for however long it took her to walk into the sunlight. Well, one could only hope.

That being said, the bickering was amusing but ultimately taking away from Varis’ plans for the morning. He’d admit that the Marivaldi’s tactlessness gave him some insight into the Count Eve he hadn’t expected but it hadn’t been what she’d been supposed to do. He was going to have to do some maneuvering to get the Eve where he needed him before the dinner was over; otherwise, Varis was going to have a long day of reworking to do and he honestly needed the sleep. He took one last sip of the girls’ blood―what cruel twist of fate gave the abomination such delicious flavor?―and left it alone, knowing the boy would be in soon to move the tasting along. “While I’m sure deliberating the challenging situation the Princess put Count Eve in could dominate the rest of the evening, perhaps it’s best laid to rest while level heads still prevail. It would be unfortunate to upset each other while we’re stuck somewhere we don’t have the luxury of distance.” Varis suggested calmly. “A taste of someone familiar for the Countess ought to do the trick. I’m looking forward to it; after all, someone willing to put on an audacious display must have a flavor to match.”

When the time came to serve the next bottle, Aaron smoothly disengaged from any conversation in the living room and made for the kitchen, arranging five more pristine crystal glasses on his tray alongside Maddie’s blood and the neutral bottle.

Stepping subtly into the parlor, tray in hand, Aaron made his way around the room, delicately balancing being polite with being invisible as he replaced used glasses with clean ones and topped off each guest’s glass of palate cleanser. As far as any spectator could know, he was deaf to any conversation not directed at him; when every dirty glass had been collected, he moved on to Maddie’s blood, displaying the bottle to each guest before uncorking it and serving.

Varis left his glass unacknowledged for the moment and instead moved the conversation on. “I was quite surprised to hear from one of my vassal’s Countess that your family entertains celebrity mages at your educational events. Evidently, they were quite curious about Morgan le Fey. I was always under the impression we knew so little about her, it was basically impossible to properly adapt her to modern entertainment without a slew of conjecture.”

Maddie’s Blood

Pomegranate and Apples

---

Max’s answer had her bringing her hand up to laugh silently behind her hand. For all his abrasiveness, it was funny when you weren’t the target. She didn’t know him all that well but she did wonder how much of it was honest and how much of it was played up. She could understand how this would make anyone uneasy and if he was the aggressive type, then maybe it was his way of keeping everyone at arm’s length. It made her think of a porcupine or a puffer fish. The thought had her laughing again.

“Transmutation? My old school was going to make me go into it but I have no interest in it.” Maddie grimaced at the thought. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been interested but being forced to go into it without a say in the matter made it seem as awful a major as she could get. “You already have a job lined up after this? What are you―” Maddie cut herself off as something rippled in the air above the coffee table. The television and entertainment system beyond seemed to twist into themselves, warping further and further the longer it went on until a faint black orb appeared. It was just larger than a fist and while she was initially curious, she found herself scooting back into the couch as something started coming through. Maddie started panicking, on the verge of calling Ari over because this was clearly outside her abilities to handle…

An alarm clock. A gloved hand came out smoothly, deposited a silver alarm clock on the table, and then disappeared back into the hole and then everything returned to normal. The twin bell clock ticked softly and Maddie looked around just in case something else happened. When nothing else did, she looked back at the clock confused. “What… who would…” Maddie began but found herself struggling with the words. She wasn’t even really sure what she wanted to ask so she just asked the first thing that popped into her head. “Why is that alarm set for ten minutes from now?”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: Outside
Skills: N/A

---

---

James listened to her long winded explanation. Why she was wasting time, he wasn’t sure. Any high schooler who even so much as glanced at a biology book knew spinal injuries were only for the experts to handle and despite what Sapphire might think he thought of himself, he was fully aware this was well outside his area of expertise. But maybe she just liked the sound of her voice. Not likely but an amusing thought nonetheless. More than likely it was her weird way of shifting guilt in a situation she’d caused and reasserting her dominance over someone she didn’t care for to make herself feel somewhat better. Boring, banal, bland. At least make it interesting. Anyone with eyes, and probably without, knew Sapphire didn’t like him. She didn’t need to hide behind this half baked excuse.

“You don’t give a shit about me on a normal day, no need to beat around the bush, but I’m not here about you. I was here to fix this and realized I couldn’t yet.” James cut straight to the point, not particularly interested in hearing more of her drivel. He did keep his voice down but raised it at Luna’s question. “They went back home, Luna. Magneto just picked up his daughter from a playdate. Sit back down and I’ll help you inside in a second.” He turned his attention back to the ice queen.

“So, what’s your call here doc?” James asked, whispering again. “I’m waiting on your orders.”

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 5:35am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis’ eyebrows rose at the sudden admittance. Count Benjamin Eve was certainly a bold one, handing his opponents ammunition before they’d barely strung their bows. If Varis was a lesser noble, perhaps he’d even admire the gambit but he heard the careful consideration laced into the words. The admission certainly had a traditionalist slant but he deflected the blame off the thing. He made the mage out to be a victim, not the perpetrator, and Varis was sure that was intentional. It could have been a slip in the traditionalist facade but the Eve’s were always keeping themselves firmly in the center, options open on both sides. Varis couldn’t bring himself to believe the Eve hadn’t considered the question in the nights leading to the party; after all, any of the attendees would be well within expectations if they asked before he did. This Eve was amusing. It felt like the party had barely begun and already the Eve was casting his net.

“Pretty words on warm winds make for poor arguments, Countess. We send out our mages―our diamonds, if you will―in silks and velvet, in make up and accessories, all to make them shine that much brighter. It covers scars and marks and spots, all the other blemishes that make them unique. They whisper a story of a life you’ve never seen, far beyond that which is in our reach, in ways that only the short lived flame can seek. Ought we strip them of their modest sensibilities, ignore their carefully cultivated comforts and display them as they are?” Varis swirled the glass between his fingers for a moment as he considered. Frankly, he couldn’t care less about how she felt but it was a nice opportunity to poke at the Marivaldi. He hadn’t done so in a few weeks by now. “The color would bring remarks and scrutiny not only to the Count but to his mage as well. Do you think it fair that everywhere she travels, she’s the subject of rumors and whispers, of scathing remarks and outright snubs? Or do you have a better way to protect her?”

---

Maddie shuddered at the thought of her old tutors finding out about that. It fell definitively into the not ladylike category and she was happy that it rather stayed away from them. She turned her attention to the conversation between the other three as Salem explained the purpose of mages at events and she was quite pleased that she wouldn’t have to do anything because well, she didn’t have any idea of what to do. She hadn’t considered that she’d be the one brought to parties. Her magic, while valuable, wasn’t particularly flashy so she expected to be left behind to work on whatever it was she’d be doing in the Marivaldi family.

And what would she be doing? She hadn’t considered that either, her attention far more focused on catching up and matching pace with her peers. She’d have to discuss the possibilities with Ari someday soon so she could make the choices that would help her the most. That might help her choose her arcane major actually. Another thing she was hopelessly lost about because how did someone choose just one. But she was here with a handful of other mages who may have some insight into it.

“I don’t know about gossip but I was wondering something. Salem, Max, what are your thoughts on the arcane majors? I’m having a hard time choosing one to specialize in. Clearly not mental or summoning but I don’t really have a strong opinion on any of them.” Maddie interrupted, realizing the conversation had taken a dangerous turn. She may not have been overly familiar with politics but even she knew that any gossip about each other would be handed over to their vampires without a moment’s hesitation. She still needed to have that conversation with Amaris about what she was looking for and what to be careful about before she felt comfortable playing that game. Especially with a Starag hanging over them.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

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Location: Entranceway -> Outside
Skills: N/A

---

---

James watched Magneto and Polaris leave and then spared Havok a glance. It seemed like he'd live, unfortunately. "And how easy was that?" James muttered to himself. He offered Casper a smile. "At least this shit show wasn't a total loss. I found out that apparently S.H.I.E.L.D already has a cure but they're circulating it to a senator or something first. Regular humans too apparently. Magneto is going to go liberate it and start circulating it, I guess. At least James hoped Magneto's information was true. After Havok's little stunt, James figured it was unlikely Magneto would be particularly forthcoming for the Underground. Another reason to hate this situation.

"Its kind nasty outside so I gotta go make sure no one got themselves killed before Magneto got his daughter." James sighed to his boyfriend and walked back outside. He beelined for Echo first, dodging and ducking around the nonsensically panicked laser show the singer was kicking off. What a damn drama queen. "If you wouldn't mind shutting the fuck up and calming down, this would be a lot easier. James shouted over the cacophony around Echo. He managed to get a look at the wound and noted the metal still embedded in him. He glanced over at Sapphire, who seemed to have shut down if her lack of ice was any indication. Fantastic. Gotta love the ice queen's "vulnerable" moment was in the middle of a crisis. He'd give her a moment. Maybe by then Echo would tone down the light show and she'd actually be able to help him.

held roll

Reactive Adaptation if attacked

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 5:25am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

The glass met the table with the ease of a vampire long used to denying himself his pleasures. More than half the blood remained in the glass despite the hunger than still sung in his veins much like the abhorrent fleshbag it came from. He’d never found blood that gave taste to the aroma of the mage’s sweets and treats until now, never had something quite so tantalizing that he couldn’t at least steal away and enjoy in secret. Something neatly wrapped under an Eve’s thumb whose weak, pathetic palate probably barely understood, let alone enjoyed, the experience he’d been unexpectedly blessed with. The problem was, of course, the glaring and whimsical hair choice but that was easily fixed. A little dye until it’s natural color grew out and she could be schooled into a proper mage. He could believe that with a little training she may even be fit for a show mage. The hair though. Varis couldn’t wrap his head around why Count Eve hadn’t fixed it yet. Though, he was an Eve. Perhaps she’d put up a fuss and he;d folded just like the rest of his house. A smile prickled at the corner of his lip at the thought of it before the passing amusement gave way to another thought.

If he believed show mage potential lurked beneath that garish surface, then what could the Princess have seen in her? What an interesting move. She gave the weakest house someone that could shine as brilliantly as a whimsical worm could. That could be cultivated as a favor later and she’d have her fingers in Count Eve’s business. A little pressure on the mage, a reminder to the vampire, and suddenly her hand was around someone’s neck. Varis would need to dedicate some time to considering how the other two mages played into this. The Marivaldi mage was someone the boy was already playing with so he’d develop a few things for him to look into but her choice of display was far more bold than her meek demeanor suggested. And of course, there was the ever persistent gnat the Astorio commanded but he was half a mind to dismiss him as the obvious power move on another vampire’s private assets. Still, he couldn’t disqualify more at the moment but he just didn’t have the time to really put his efforts behind pulling apart her scheme.

His attention focused back on the conversation at hand. The line was cast and the Countess took the bait nearly as soon as it landed. Though Varis was surprised at how rusty she was. The formal introductions just started and wouldn’t end until they’d each returned to the privacy of their own dorms. Perhaps he’d just chalk it up to the Marivaldi blood curse―friendliess―but it still left an impression that she was little more than a naive little girl not yet ready to face the real world. And of course, Eris never failed him when he needed it. The subtle shift from polite to pointed was perfect. Varis would let Eris fly before he reigned him in and slid the knives in their slots.

“Her grasp on the fundamentals is certainly thorough. I don’t doubt she spent an impressive amount of time on them. Though I am curious.” Varis comment thoughtfully. “You’ve allowed your mage to maintain her whimsical fashion choice. Why is that?”

---

Maddie nodded along with Salem’s assessment of their evening. She wasn’t surprised at it but she did wish she’d been able to bring a book or her knitting supplies. She stayed out of Lilie and Max’s conversation when it was clear Max wasn’t interested in playing nice. Her time in Sinnenodel influence institutions made her wary of people too blunt or forward and it was exhausting being as combative as Max seemed to be. So she focused on Aaron, who stood rather than sat, and she understood that much at least. Sitting made getting back up much harder than it needed to be when you knew you were needed soon.

“You aren’t wrong.” Maddie laughed at Aaron’s joking tone. “My sister would spin swords as part of performances sometimes and I made her teach me as part of that obsession. The fire I added after a little research. I didn’t think spinning a little metal would make a large enough impression. I wanted to make more of a focus on my magic like Max had but even that little bit was exhausting.” Maddie admitted with a sigh. “Your music was beautiful though. I can’t say I’m surprised because it suits you but you definitely have talent. I hope you have time to play still.”

Scion: Children of Light

Yeah, I'm still here! Work started back up so once a week is about all I can post but if the RP keeps going, I'll keep posting!

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: Outside -> Entranceway
Skills: Reactive Adaptation

---

---

While the world went to shit around him, James sipped at his coffee again. Quakes, lasers, and metal shards (which James refused to acknowledge nearly toppled him back into the last moments of the other world) flew through the air like bullets and all James could think about was how Magneto was right. Nothing anyone here said would matter; Havok took Polaris against her will and those in charge of mitigating the situation supported his decision. It was frustrating that they’d put Havok’s obsession above the wellbeing of the Underground. Defending people is one thing and James would always support escalating like they had with Sinister’s lair but this? This was senseless carnage where they considered how outmatched they were, that it was likely they wouldn’t make it out on the other side in one piece, and said fuck it. They…

That wasn’t quite right. They was some ambiguous figure who was incapable of accepting responsibility and consequences for their actions. They was someone without a face, a personality, or flaws. It wasn’t They. While Havok’s actions were the cause of all this, Sapphire was the one who shoulder the responsibility for the call. While James headed outside to hopefully establish some rapport and work to deesclate, Sapphire was handling Polaris. At the very least,come up with a plan to handle this fight. Instead, she walks out and goes for it. His respect for her ebbed away faster every day.

But now wasn’t the time for idle consideration. James barely blinked when he brought himself back into the moment and found a gun levelled at him. One and two missed but it didn’t stop the visceral flashbacks―the sharp pain, the familiar mind space, the numb way he dug offending metal out of his chest even as he continued to run after them―and he slipped back into familiar space as the last two slammed straight into him. He watched with detachment as the bullets crumpled against his skin and fell uselessly to the ground, sipped at his coffee once more, and pocketed one of the bullets. This was twice now he’d been able to negate rather than restore. It would require further experimentation.

“Personally, I’d prefer not to. We’re clearly outclassed and I have no interest in watching any of my allies die.” James replied emotionlessly, putting his empty cup on the ground as he took stock of the field. Echo was down, Sapphire was there, a massive snake coiled around one of the new people, and another was taking on the ground quaker. James shook his head at the utter idiocy of it all. Too many people were already getting hurt for him to handle in a fight and he couldn’t rely on this new function to protect him and them. The priority had to be getting Magneto’s group out of here and then they could focus on piecing everyone back together which meant getting Polaris out of there as fast as possible. And hopefully with no more damage to the surrounding structure.

“She’s up the stairs to the left, in the second to last room. That was her and Havok’s room when she was part of this.” James explained, pointing where Magneto needed to go.

Held Roll

Reactive Adaptation

Of Blood and Magic

_{December 7th, 5:15am - The Sinnenodel Dorm}

Varis waited as Aaron moved the mages out of the way and the soft music from the phonograph filled the room in his wake. The performances had been overwhelmingly uninspiring. The mistake made some form of an attempt which, despite that even he had to begrudgingly admit she had potential, still ended in the melodious cooning of a dying whale. The display of fire spinning or whatever it was―Who trusted a novice mage without a fire affinity with fire in a room full of nobles?―nearly had him demanding Marivaldi and her mage take their leave. Eris’ mage had him considering the medium of magic as art again, something he would make time for later, even though he wanted to bleach whatever metal monstrosity the boy created out of his memory. The Spellman boy’s sketching was as exciting as his magic, which was to say not at all, and the poor attempt at a slight only made Varis want to roll his eyes. He could see why his father despised him. At least put some effort into it.

And last of all was the boy. The piece he’d selected was challenging on purpose. It served to let him test the skills the boy’s paperwork claimed he possessed and to see how he worked in a tight spot. The boy’s performance, for the most part, pleased Varis greatly and it sounded like the boy may have earned a reward. Maybe a picture for one of those letters or a free day. Though, that all came to a screeching halt when he heard it. The change. If he hadn’t been listening for mistakes he may not have caught it and while he certainly approved of the boy’s ability to seamlessly adjust for his lack of familiarity with the piece, Varis expected the piece to be played perfectly. No mistakes, no changes, nothing that could suggest the boy couldn’t handle the piece with the time he was given. How harshly Varis came down on him for it depended on the rest of the evening and his explanation for it after the rabble left.

“What unique performances we had tonight. Your mages certainly performed to the best of their abilities. A testament to how much they respect you. But I think it time we move onto a more interesting subject, the guest of honor, Count Benjamin Eve.” Varis introduced the newest vampire to the little group. As he did, Aaron made his way back into the room with the Eve bottle. He displayed it to each of the vampires before uncorking it and serving, each vampire with a half glass of Lilie’s blood and another with a neutral flavor. “Count Benjamin, this is Eris Samael, a star in the world of actors and movies. He’s quite the political influence to when he decides to put his weight behind something. Here we have Count Victor Astorio. He is a mage hunter for the Council when he isn’t busy playing school. He takes his job quite seriously; the dedication is admirable. And finally, our last guest is Amaris Marivaldi, the previous heir to the Marivaldi family before Salazar graciously accepted the head of household from his predecessor. We’ve all been eager to make your acquaintance in the proper manner.”

After his introduction and opening the floor to conversation, Varis picked up the blood and swirled it as he took in the aroma. He’d been surprised at the hunger that bubbled up in him when Aaron first opened the bottle―a sweetness he’d only smelled in pastries and baked goods all but assaulted him. He thanked his foresight for drinking glass earlier tonight; he wasn’t certain he’d have been able to keep himself in check otherwise. Varis took an apprehensive sip. The same armora burst across his tongue, no hints or notes to distract from the overwhelming sweetness. His grip on the glass was just a hair too light to break it but he forced himself to take it back, consider it, and sip calmly at it again. He couldn’t control the red in his eyes at the second sip but he kept himself calm and collected. Varis wasn’t about to lose himself over a white haired screeching street rat, delicious blood or not.

Lilie’s Blood Profile when you try it.

Lilie’s blood tastes like strawberry candy