Scribe of Thoth

Scion: Children of Light

@Dead Cruiser Added Kho's aura

Scion: Children of Light

---

Well, that figures. Khaemtir got thrown into a study group with someone new and couldn't help but find the peasantry quaint and amusing. Kho would've been worried for Radaam if he weren't certain Khaemtir's antics were mostly harmless. Honestly, Kho probably should still be a tad worried; the boy was going to have to sit through dinner with the entire Maryatum family without sticking his foot in his mouth. Ishara being in their group only brought further confusion. Odd that their master took on two prestigious students from the Pesedjet and then some nobody. Radaam had to be talented somehow; maybe their master saw his potential in some portent, they were Crows after all.

Kho flashed Radaam a sympathetic look before refocusing on Khaemtir. Collaboration wasn't something he was averse to, even between cults, though he had to admit his concern for divination was more idle curiosity than academic interest. Still, a Maryatum was a powerful ally, and it wasn't like he had a reason to say no, even if Khaemtir was a bit... much.

"Friends, sure," he agreed awkwardly, "You'll have to come to the estate some time when you're not busy entertaining your families. On short enough notice that my brother glares at you everytime you walk past, of course." It would serve him right for informing Kho about important guests at the last minute all the time.

The boy gave them both a welcoming smile which was quickly wiped from his face by the approaching black cloak. That little girl really was fearless, wasn't she? This man was shimmering and she still probably tried tugging on his clothing like she did Kho's.

Not only that, but Khotanebre knew this man from somewhere. Red Order? No, he was a magister. Magister Khalophis. And that brooch - definitely Cult of the Phoenix, if the heat waves emanating from him weren't enough of a hint. This was his boss; his boss' boss, even. The social stakes just kept climbing higher around here. He was briefly thankful the Crimson King hadn't been in attendance; he'd have probably bumped into the man in line for refreshments at this rate. No, that was silly, His Majesty would never have to wait for his foo-

A telepathic jostling from Teken stirred Kho from his mental gymnastics. Right, he'd been addressed. Fuck, this was so much more stressful than being some dumb kid at an important party. The redhead locked his knees and clenched his fists under his cloak to prevent any unconscious fidgeting as he dipped his head in respectful greeting to Khalophis. Hopefully the sweat dripping down his cheek would be blamed on the heat and not his nerves.

"He's well, thank you, Magister. I think he's just relieved he won't have to arrange a marriage for me anymore, if I'm being honest," Kho let out a laugh that was supposed to sound lighthearted but came out more like a nervously forced titter. Stupid. Stupid. Who says that? The boy cleared his throat before continuing, "I look forward to working under you, in whatever capacity that may be."

---

@Obscene Symphony@Achronum@Dead Cruiser

Of Blood and Magic

---

Max clicked his tongue at his phone as the reply came through. That told him nothing, and asking Eris about it would just be wasting all his cards before he had a winning hand anyway. Better to keep the leech guessing; that had to have tipped Eris off on Max's game, but he doubted the vampire knew how he was playing it yet.

Eris' comment was... unexpected. Very on-key for Eris, but unexpected. Max swore the vampire told him to get along with his pet siblings at one point or another; he should've been happy. Then again, he probably never expected his crabby new stray would be teaming up with his well-behaved purebred show dog against him. Hell, this wasn't even against him, it was just confirmation the leech wasn't making a dumb mistake. He should be grateful. Either that or Eris was fucking with him to try and get him to spill how much he knew.

"Nonsense, we're just collaborating on how best to serve you, master." Max gave a big, fake-as-could-be sunny grin, clasping his hands together behind his back like an eager to please little servant. The alarm bells would be ringing in Eris' head regardless, might as well be confident in his stupid nonanswer. "Don't confuse apathy for passivity, yeah?" His warning had a bit more of a bite to it, but he kept up the jackass charade anyway.

---

@Hero

Scion: Children of Light

---

Judging by the way this guy was fumbling, he was likely just bad at talking to people rather than riding some egotistical high from rising above his station. Still, Radaam really should learn to choose his words more carefully in the future. Kho opened his mouth to advise such when he was interrupted by a relatively familiar voice barrelling into the conversation. Great. As lackadaisical as Khaemtir was, he was still a power player here - yet another point on the list of things Kho needed to be conscious of.

The real question was how someone like Radaam ended up buddies with the Maryatum kid. Granted, he was pretty sure he recalled Khaemtir being some forgotten sibling that would have to miraculously outlive half his family in order to become heir apparent, not to mention contend with the Maryatum's matriarchal tendencies, but even that supplied plenty of status in near any circle. Definitely enough to not have to mingle with commoners, in any case. Maybe they were in the same Cult; Kho hadn't really been paying attention to anyone else, as wrapped up in his thoughts as he was.

Kho straightened his posture back to formal rigidity at Khaemtir's addressal of him. Kho - since when were they close like that? Teken needed to stop encouraging people he'd just met to buddy up with him.

"Likewise, Novitiate Maryatum," Kho responded, establishing boundaries for his own sake even if Khaemtir was content to ignore them, "I wouldn't say it's rude, though it might come off as a tad insecure. You wouldn't want your magus to think you believe you're undeserving of your role." Ugh, that was another thought. What was the proper balance between wide-eyed student and self-assured magician that portrayed necessary willpower without looking arrogant? So many variables here; how did anyone keep up with this public status dance?

Now for the nagging question, "How do you two know each other, if I may be so bold? I don't recognize him from the Pesedjet."

---

@Obscene Symphony@Achronum

Persona ~ The Beholder

---

Leo stared blankly at the duo - no, trio before him. Very coincidental that it was the weird kid and the girl from earlier, though he didn't know who the third guy was. Still, small campus, huh? The more they babbled about hallucinations and lucid dreams, the more Leo was convinced he actually was dreaming. People dreamed about stuff that was at the forefront of their mind, right? He'd ran into those two earlier, and probably the third guy too without remembering. The weird mimicry of the library was a no-brainer, because that's where he fell asleep.

He was roused from his thinking by short kid's question. Why was he asking him? Oh, right, it was his dream; he's the main character. That was kinda annoying, actually. He wanted a low-effort dream. Other guy introduced himself too, that was handy. Leo briefly wondered if his subconscious was supplying the guy's real name that he forgot or if it just assigned him a random one. Was Kjell even a real name?

"I'm Leo," he responded to Kjell first before turning back to the weird haired dwarf, "Of the library or campus in general? Because the door's... that way." Leo paced off carelessly toward the exit, expecting the others to follow. Come to think of it, this guy may have had a point in his rambling. Maybe this was a weird nightmare and Thames' Edge was now a slasher film set, they should probably find somewhere to lay low.

---

@Crimson Flame@Ryteb Pymeroce@Theyra

Scion: Children of Light

---

Cult of the Crow? Radaam must be either very talented or very lucky. Kho didn't recognize him from the Pesedjet, and he doubted the cult with the most prestigious reputation would have to resort to picking from lesser academies if one of the students hadn't specifically caught a magus' eye. Though for all this supposed Aethetic ability, his tutelary seemed a bit... simple. It certainly didn't talk, unless it was a telepath - or maybe it was just shy.

Kho returned a stiff wave to Zahra and the serpentine tutelary as they bounced back into the crowd on her brother's command. Judging by the way Radaam was talking to her, this seemed like a common occurance. He arched a brow at Radaam's rhetorical question, but didn't actively comment. What could he do? Quite a bit; Kho would've never gotten away with that type of thing. The wandering was expected of a curious child, but pestering a sorcerer? That could easily be a poor reflection on the family, or worse, if the sorcerer in question was particularly crabby.

The boy's nose crinkled almost imperceptibly in distaste at Radaam's comment on his new cult, though he quickly caught himself before he visibly made a rude face. What was not to envy about the Cult of the Phoenix? Kho's first thought was that this uppity commoner's ego was already inflating exponentially mere moments after being inducted into the Cult of the Crow, but Radaam spoke of his own cult with the same amount of hesitation. Was he hoping for another one in particular, then?

Sensing his master's discontent, Teken looked up from the last scraps of his snack and peered at the large newcomer much the same way he'd eyed his tutelary; like a predator sizing up its next meal. The bird flicked the lingering juices from its talons before rapidly flapped its wings to hover up and perch on Kho's shoulder once again. Great, now he'll probably have meat stains on his pristine white cloak like some slob.

"Err, yes. Pyromancy was probably my best subject. I take it you're not much of a diviner if your assignment surprised you," Kho answered plainly, rather than chide Teken or ask the potentially accusatory question lingering in the back of his mind.

"And what's wrong with the Cult of the Phoenix, huh?"

Unless Teken decided to ask for him, that is. Stupid bird.

"Please excuse my tutelary, he hasn't learned to ignore veiled insults yet." He sighed wearily. Kho wasn't even sure if that was an insult, but the proverbial cat was already out of the bag. Thank the heavens this guy wasn't too important; crassness was probably the norm for him.

---

@Obscene Symphony

Of Blood and Magic

---

Max stared at Eris humorlessly as the leech mused about how to condition him. He made metal float, it wasn't exactly esoteric. If Eris couldn't infer his skillset from that, he was an idiot. What the hell was his problem tonight? It was like Eris couldn't decide whether to play spurned girlfriend or flippant pet owner.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll be positively enamored with all my initiative." If Eris was smart, he should've figured lending Max to someone important was a disaster waiting to happen. And if not, well, he'd only make that mistake once. The mage rolled his eyes as he reached for his buzzing phone. What did Aaron want now?

Oh. Ismene finally got back to him. It wasn't lost on him that she probably just wanted to sic Max on Eris for ignoring her, though. The corner of his mouth quirked upward in amusement at her adoption of his 'Cinnamon' nickname, though he wasn't entirely sure if she was poking fun at the count or just trying to look inconspicuous in case someone glanced at her messages. The grin quickly faded as he got to the second half of the message. Eris walked back to the dorm with a spring in his step, yet here he was, apparently whipped enough to mail Varis all his money. Either they made some weird property trade or the leech was full of shit.

> Should I be worried and/or yelling at him rn?

"You should probably get that. She starts telling me things when you don't answer," Max said with a halfassed attempt at a playful lilt as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. He'd have to proceed under the assumption that Eris had no semblance of control over the situation no matter how much of a confident front the vampire put up. How the fuck did Max keep getting fooled into taking an actor at his word?

---

@Hero

Scion: Children of Light

---

"Why thank you," Teken preened as Zahra complemented him, "See, Kho? She thinks I'm smart and handsome."

Kho ignored the bird at the risk of inflating its ego, instead focusing on the girl's explanation. His haughty impassivity loosened just a tad with a hint of genuine curiosity. Some retained tribal belief no doubt, though it was an interesting coincidence that a sorcerer with the supposed guardianship of a snake spirit managed to summon a snake. An indication of merit in the belief, perhaps, but it was more likely the snake was simply a reflection of its summoner's beliefs on the Aether.

"I suppose that's possible," Kho mused noncommitally, not quite willing to start arguing Aetheric theory with a little girl at the moment, "But I've never heard of anything like that before. Are you sure the guardians of your people are equally attentive to everyone else?"

The boy broke off the conversation as the novitiate in question approached - jeez, he was even bigger up close. Given they were on equal footing as collegues, Kho's first thought was to follow his family's wishes and posture a bit for this 'Radaam' character. Though, given the way his sister was dressed, the redhead didn't think much of a display was necessary to get the point across. He wasn't even sure he wanted to; lineage alone was a weak basis for a reputation among sorcerers.

"Oh, it's fine. She was just enlightening me on the finer points of your family's superstitions." Kho extended a hand toward Radaam, deliberately exposing his father's armlet as he did so. Obligation fulfilled, one less piece of decorum he needed to be conscious about. "Sorcerer-Novitiate Khotanebre Bekenamun, Cult of the Phoenix." That sounded... proper enough. He'd have to ask Magus Xavier about terms of address when he finally spoke to the man, lest he be unknowingly embarrassing himself in front of every sorcerer he introduced himself to.

---

@Obscene Symphony

Scion: Children of Light

---

Kho turned his head downward at the tug on his cloak, only stagger backward a half-step at the sight of the figure that had accosted him. He kept his face politely neutral for a moment as he waited for his mind to catch up with his eyes before realizing the figure speaking to him was just a little peasant girl - albeit a disfigured one - and not some Sybaris-infected goblinoid.

Tekenkhasut, in the meantime, had no such hesitations. The falcon puffed its feathers up predatorially as it eyed the offered piece of meat, then shifted to the equally-appetizing snake that coiled around the girl. He offered his fellow tutelary a coy wink as he spread his wings and hopped off his perch on Khotanebre's shoulder. On his descent, Teken snatched the offered meat with his beak and listlessly glided to the ground, where he began ripping his meal into sinewy ribbons for consumption.

"Am I a... what now?" Kho asked, belatedly registering what the girl had said. What on Ea was a 'hawk family'? Was that some kind of code for people with avian tutelaries? The girl didn't look old enough to be a sorcerer, and definitely wasn't dressed finely enough, so he doubted she was privy to any secret cabals of bird summoners. Other than feeding Teken, Kho couldn't fathom what the girl could want - at least, that meat better have been intended for the falcon; if the flying rat was stealing food now, that'd be a whole other issue he wasn't confident he could deal with. "Um, that was for my bird, right? He didn't just steal it?"

"Yes, Khota, she whistled and everything," Teken interjected in feigned offense between bites.

"I didn't ask you, go back to your lunch," Kho chided before offering the girl a polite bow of his head, "Sorry about that."

---

@Obscene Symphony

Of Blood and Magic

---

Max's confusion only deepened along with his frown. Eris was being so hot and cold here; if it was pure pragmatism motivating him, he could throw Ryner's 'get along' sentiment out the window. But Eris also apparently wasn't 'nice'. Whatever his game was here, the mage didn't get it. A stream of consciousness approach was his best bet; the vampire desperately grasped for material leverage to hold over him, realized pretentious magic tutors were a poor way to buy loyalty in the information age, dropped that idea out of futility, and stooped to weird emotional blackmail. Which... the vampire should know better than to try. So... the only alternative was this was a giant cope after Eris tried to be nice and failed.

But Eris apparently wasn't 'nice'.

And honestly? Max believed him, but that still left the question of what the fuck was happening here open.

"I can't know what you want me to tell you without you asking, you know," Max grumbled, ignoring his earlier train of thought, "This might be news to you, but there is a pretty significant gray area between annoying the piss out of someone and not interacting with them at all." In all fairness, that gray area probably wasn't very big with Eris involved, and it was even smaller with Max in the picture, but it did exist.

"Unless you want me bothering you with inane bullshit everytime I figure out a new way to levitate a spoon, you're just gonna have to double-check with me before you start whoring me out for favors." Honestly, this guy had the audacity to act like ordering someone else to go work was the more difficult side of the exchange. Not to mention, Max had no idea what magical parlor tricks vampires found useful. Skewering rivals was a no-brainer - Eris should've been well aware he'd figure out that one pretty quick - but that type of thing didn't exactly happen every day, and after that, what was he supposed to do? Fix jewelry? Adjust chandeliers?

"A terrible inconvenience for you, I know," He tacked on drolly with a roll of his eyes.

---

@Hero