Onyx

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

The two girls made their way gradually back to the table, and Akujo initated some conversation with Rowan. "Maman Akujo is quite amiable- she gives off a very pleasant aura." The vampire had her hands folded neatly before her as they walked beside each other, occasionally glancing over at her company while she spoke with such an eager tone. “So, how has Rosewood been so far? Was there anything I missed before I saw you guys at the nursery? Because I kept walking past people with lots of bruises and cuts on them, but I never heard anything about there being fights when I came.” Rowan lifted her chin slightly at the comment. "Your statement is correct. There were fights schedulded during the first class- Combat Training," she began quietly, still formulating a response in her mind. "One student faced another in separate chambers, and one came out victorious over the other. I, for example, went against Leval Lamrue."

Rowan tightened her grip on her hands when she recalled the turn of events towards the end of the battle. Just as they reached the table, Kuroda had bolted from his seat straight for the other side of the room. Akujo inquired what the cause may have been. "I'm not certain, but..." Her eyes travelled to the bowl of gruel in Leval's possesion. Without finishing her sentence, Rowan lifted a finger and pointed towards the peculiar concoction to give Akujo some sort of answer. As they both sat down, Rowan noticed two new faces already seated with the group. "Nuna Mori and Nodah Listig." She politely nodded her head in their direction, particularly intrigued by the changing color of Nodah's eyes. "My name is Rowan Delacroix." Her voice remained very quaint as she shifted her eyes shyly between both of the newcomers.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Earth to Rosewood...

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Following her statement Rowan was a little taken aback from the responses she received. She assumed the nocturne's whistle was some sort of catcall directed towards her. "Nice to meet you, Rowan. What's a pretty girl like you doing hiding under a hood?" Lance chimed from his seat as he looked in her direction. The vampire's eyelids fluttered open for a brief moment before averting her gaze quickly while attempting to brush it off politely. With a slight tint of pink to her cheeks, Rowan spoke up once again, "Pray do not flatter me so, I am not worthy of such complimentary words. This hood is simply meant to block out the rays of the sun." She glanced over at the elf once again and bowed her head when she finished her sentence.

Shortly after the burly Leval arrived at the table, Kuroda and the human proceeded to exchange small talk. Her gray eyes trailed down to the thick mush in Leval's bowl and she scrunched up her nose as the smell wafted in her direction. The sight of the bubbles rising to the top made Rowan's stomach turn, and she brought the tips of her fingers to her mouth to stifle her discomfort. At the far end of the room Rowan's attention was caught by the girl Leval had just called out to. That moment was her window to relieve herself from the unappetizing meal, even if it was only for a second.

"I will be back." she mumbled under her breath to Leval before excusing herself from the table with her untouched food on the silver tray. Rowan slipped the tray under one of the machines labelled trash and watched as the food dissolved. She approached Akujo and bowed before her. "Hello again, Maman Akujo. Would you care to sit with us?" she voiced courteously while pointing over her shoulder at the table.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

Rowan glanced over at the nocturne and was a little startled when she realized he was looking straight at her. "Did he just speak to me?" She remained silent for a few moments as she attempted to figure out whether or not the other party had just directed a comment to her. While she sat down she picked the seat farthest away from the other creature so that she didn't invade his privacy. Rowan concluded that he picked a lone table in the corner of the room for a reason. Unable to determine what it was he had said, Rowan placed the cup down delicately and parted her lips to respond with a question. "Pardon me, I...-" Her almost inaudible fragment was cut off immediately by the sudden entrance of a silver-haired elf with gleaming red eyes. His aura alone sent chills down the vampire's spine.

"Lance Delmero, a newer student than the rest of you." After settling down in the seat across from the black-haired cat, Rowan stiffly turned away from the two of them. She couldn't help but feel relieved knowing that someone else showed up so she wouldn't have to entertain the conversation further. The nocturne's expression was one wrought with anger before she sat down at the table. Luckily he seemed less distressed following the addition of the creature that introduced himself as Lance. Rather than jumping into the conversation, Rowan continued sipping her drink and instead picked up a few bits and pieces of their words. Kuroda Daichi and Lance Delmero... they both give off such strong waves of energy that even I can feel it. Are they both higher ranks than I? She clasped the cup tightly in her hands and rested it on the glass before her. Her gaze shifted from the two boys to her reflection that stared right back at her from the gleaming surface. "Is it too late for me to greet them both? Perhaps... I may have already left a bad impression on Kuroda Daichi." Rowan pursed her lips and brushed off the thought. With that, she removed her hood with a new resolve. "I am Rowan Delacroix. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She spoke as loudly as possible, almost yelling in her mind but barely a murmur to others.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

"Sorry for the trouble back there. I hope I didn't embarrass you in there." Leval broke the silence rather casually. "It is quite alright." Rowan shook her head and remained facing forward while they approached the dining hall. "-Hey Rowan, I have to grab a couple things, I'll see you later before the next round." The vampire shifted her head towards her side and ushered a nod in the human's direction. Shortly after he waved at her, Leval pivoted around and made his way back to the portal. Rowan watched him for a moment before turning to make her way towards the dining hall, this time on her own. She was quite astonished by how beautiful the whole scenery was, the intricate use of glass and the floating tables that reflected the light from even more tall windows. "This school is rather fond of natural light." She brought her hand to cover her eyes and let out a sigh before joining the line behind the mysterious machines.

Rowan was not particularly hungry- not after she just consumed another beings blood. It was quite a satisfactory meal, and she would be able to run without eating or drinking anything else for a few days. However, she didn't want to stand out too much in the cafeteria. Her flowing cloak was sure to call enough attention to her anyway. As she finally neared the strange vendor, an unfamiliar voice rang before her. She was prompted to scan her identification card, and she hesitated before doing just that. A small tray was ejected on a gleaming platter, accompanied by sterling silver cutlery. Rowan raised an eyebrow at how formal everything appeared, but she quickly snapped out of her daze and lifted up her meal. Glancing around the room, she scanned the area for any empty tables. In the far corner of the room, only one table appeared to be almost completely empty, save for a male feline creature.

Reluctance took over the vampire and she took her time strolling in the table's direction. As she approached her fellow classmate, she was amused by how intently he was devouring his food. In silence, she sat as far from the other creature as possible and lurched over her tray for a moment. Rowan glanced over at the nocturne before returning to her own dish. "He does not seem to have noticed me." She was filled with relief at the thought that she wouldn't have to expend any more energy attempting to introduce herself. With that, she lifted the frosted glass to her nose an swirled the red liquid around prior to sniffing it suspiciously. "-tomato?" She wrinkled her nose and braced herself for the first sip of the drink. "...what a peculiar taste. Humans are really innovative, coming up with such ideas like a brew from tomatoes."

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

The demon's harsh words struck the vampire on a more personal level. They triggered a series of unwanted recollections that she preferred to keep buried deep withing her but she had become highly sensitized to all that was occurring around her at the moment. Disregarding her in one smooth motion, the tall figure reverted his attention back to Leval as if her short lecture was of great indifference. "Perverse indeed." Her thoughts were trite as she pulled her hood back over her head. "It doesn't require a pure and virtuous soul to show some reverence for the dead. They are a sanctified people, and certainly not a force to be reckoned with." She closed her eyes while in the shelter of the darkness her cloak cast over her face, and her lips started moving briskly. Unintelligible words were spilling from her mouth causing a menacing aura to cascade around her that wasn't quite visible to the naked eye. A faint streak of gray reached along her loose strands of hair, and she did a quick turn on her heels to flutter her black mantle behind her, flashing the demon another frozen stare and ensuring they both exchanged an unwavering gaze before departing behind Leval.

"That creature's name is Zephyr. A demon, and a Druid." A hushed whisper reverberated through her mind, and the spirit that whispered said information vanished as quickly as it appeared. Rowan blinked a few times, and her hair returned to its original black hue shortly after using that small amount of power. Eventually the vampire matched her steps with the human, walking alongside Leval in silence as they accompanied each other to the dining hall.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

The humorous replica of the Demon appeared above his head as a result of Leval's fingers snapping. Rowan's jaw dropped at the sight and soon the room was filled with the laughter of many other students. She knew not how to react to the various colorful explosions and ridiculous phrases that echoed across the hall. Her first inclination was to laugh along with the others, but she brought her fist to her mouth and stifled the giggles that were beginning to surface. The illusion started to fade and Leval turned to face her once again, a broad grin occupying his lips. "Y'know I think I saw him at breakfast, but I didn't have a chance to catch his name. I'll have to ask during lunch." By reading his expression Rowan picked up on the fact that the goofy image was his doing. "So he's one who can manipulate the senses... rather than an Essentia, Leval is an Illusionist?" Her lips quirked into a faint smile but reverted back to her stoic character when she noticed the demon approaching the two of them.

"That would have been hilarious- if my mother hadn't died a month before I came here." Rowan's facials contorted slightly at this statement. Rather than reacting the way he would have hoped, the vampire remained stagnant and eyed the demon acutely. "How twisted..." Regardless of his delcaration the face the demon made was still one of amusement. "You claim you do not find it to be hilarious, still and all your expression conveys otherwise." Rowan found her voice, this time more stern than the others. A glare was directed at the tall demon that cast a shadow over where they reclined, but she rose from her spot to face him properly. "-death is assuredly not something to be taken lightly, though I am sure you are well aware of that."

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

"No... I mean more like- where are you from? What made you decide to come here? If you don't mind my asking of course." Rowan was a little taken aback by his question that delved deeper than she initially thought. She lifted her head to gaze up at the ceiling, her mind searching for a concise answer. "He's curious about that?" Finally, the vampire opened her mouth to speak. "I am from... a secluded region of Matara." Rowan's small voice trailed off. " 'Why I came here?' That is a question even I do not know the answer to." She let out a soft chuckle and reclined against the wall. "One could say I came here to--" A deep voice boomed from across the training hall and easily overlapped Rowan's mumbling.

"Just kiss her already, Leval!" The towering demon shouted in their direction, a triumphant grin visible on his face. Rowan paused with her lips still parted and she stared at the silver haired creature in both awe and disbelief. "Did that demon just...-" Unsure of how to react, Rowan masked her emotions to the best of her ability and quickly turned her head to face Leval. "Are you associated with him, Leval Lamrue?" She pointed his finger in the demon's direction and furrowed her brows. Rowan felt a wave of embarrassment threaten to overcome her face of indifference, as her cheeks started to color. "Why must he feel the need to declare such a statement so openly?" Her eyes darted around the room as if to count how many creatures were focused on the two of them at that moment. "All of this unwanted attention... it would prove to be a nuisance if Leval's reputation was tarnished because of this." The vampire pursed her lips tightly and made sure to mark the unidentified demon in the back of her mind.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

Rowan Delacroix

As Leval spoke Rowan remained idle and hugged her knees closer to her chest. She let out an inaudible sigh. "I appreciate the sympathy though..." The vampire closed her eyes once again and nestled her nose back into the fabric of her cloak. She allowed her hair to slip past her shoulders and in front of her face to shield her expressions. "I see the apology wasn't quite necessary. Of course, saying sorry wouldn't fix anything, especially if it is something of the past." While she pondered to herself, silence seemed to dawn over the two of them for a brief moment. Finally Leval's voice chirped once again as if the break the tension. "So...how'd you get to be at Rosewood?" At that line Rowan moved her head back to its original position, looking at the other creatures ahead of her. "How as in... my conflict at the gates?" She asked tentatively and glanced over at Leval from the corner of her eye, pushing her hair behind her ear to get a better view.

Rosewood- the School for the Gifted

@Mivuli Yay! I was so proud of myself for coming up with that line. I'm glad I got someone to laugh lol