Neworth University, Or Allen James University depending upon how old you were, was really a lovely place. It was a gorgeous green campus with blanketing willows, fertile gardens, buildings that had seen all of Neworth’s history. The dormitories, though not for the faint of assets, had once housed heads of state, generals, and the wealthiest of merchants whom had ever crossed its path. The lecture halls were converted ballrooms, courtrooms, even theatres, with lush gold panelled walls, solid oak desks, and lavish chandeliers, to name a few accommodations. It was a sight that could ignite the mind of anyone, from the most dedicated professor to the least motivated student. It was truly enchanting.

That was, of course, in any course outside of Western Philosophy. Taking a two-hour slot every Tuesday and Thursday in a grand courtroom of a lecture hall, it was the most sought-after class in the university’s registry; of course, it was a mandatory course. The school was strict about the class, intent on moulding well-rounded individuals into its future graduates. A good plan, if Western Philosophy weren’t the dullest and least engaging class in the registry. Many students found the teaching pretentious - more still simply found it bland.

Aaron Maevyn was no exception. Even as an open-minded second-year medical student he simply could not find it in himself to take the class seriously. Most days, he used the class like a two hour study hall, spending the time picking through his text books and catching up on assignments. Unfortunately, today happened to be one of the few during which the Philosophy professor, Professor Hans Glemin, required the students to take notes.

So far, it had gone as well as anyone would expect: it was five P.M. on a Thursday, and Glemin was preaching to a congregation of over-worked and exhausted young adults in semi-formalwear that, at this point in the day, could probably use some ironing. There was no small amount of chatter as the professor droned on, and Aaron could have sworn he’d seen a paper bird take flight. As for himself, well, there was a reason Aaron sat as far back as possible - there was no one behind him to see what he was doing.

As Glemin spoke, his every notable point was jotted down into a notebook on Aaron’s lap. This wouldn’t be strange, of course, had Aaron not been holding a different notebook on the desk in one hand, flipping through the pages with the other. The pen writing away on his lap was no ordinary fountain pen, but also his equivalent to a ‘wand’. Of course, witches never used wands these days, but everyone had some kind of talisman through which their spells were stronger. Often, it was the first object they’d cast a real spell on, and in his lucky case, it was a tool that had written more essays than he ever would have on his own. He could only hope no one would see it; it was a trick he’d performed multiple times, in multiple classes, without fail. Still, it made him anxious - after all, his family’s reputation was thin enough already, he didn’t need more suspicion - but something about the risk was invigorating enough to keep him from stopping.

@Karamonnom @ArenaSnow @Aphelion @YamiCuoreLaroux

Etrasus loved the library at Neworth University; it was honestly the only thing to keep him interested in staying. He had dropped by at various points over the many years; the nostalgia was what kept him coming back. That and, of course, a higher than average population of witches and the like in the community. Witches meant power, of course.

Then again, evolution of society had only made it harder for him to find good victims; burning witches that didn't join him in a display of public humiliation was no longer viable. Still, he had two minions, and they kept him satisfied. For now...

It was the period before a university-wide lunchtime, when students often came in to read, work on schoolwork, the like. He got the impression that students found him creepy, although he didn't particularly care. All he cared was that students put books back where they found them. The library was expansive and contained many decent works of literature. None from his glory days, although that wasn't too bad of a thing; he found early writings to be boring, except for, of course, the Spellbook.

He sat back and picked up the novel he was reading. The period would end soon, with a small trickle of regulars coming in, no doubt. This book was a rather grim romance novel written by one of his favorites. As he read, he kept a careful eye on the double doors leading into the library.

Alana was sitting in her Western Philosophy class, not really paying attention to what the professor had to say. She has already taken this class about 3 times. "If I have to take this horrible class one more time, I'm going to have to murder something," she thought to herself as the professor droned on and on. She could mouth the words he was going to say at this point.

She knew that she was going to have to do this all over again next year though as Estrasus made her do so because since it was a mandatory class, literally everyone had to take it and since everyone had to take it, if there was a witch on campus, this was the place to find them. She wasn't really in the mood for witch hunting but she really didn't have a choice. She scanned the room and made note of all of the possible witches in the classroom. Witches nowadays are usually good at concealing themselves.

Except for one of them in the back, using a magic fountain pen to take notes for him while he was doing something else. "Well, that was easier than the last one," she thought, a bit relieved at how easy the task had been. But she didn't really know how to approach him. Maybe she should just talk to him after class. Or would that be too sudden? She could pretend that she was interested in him, but that was a bit of a stretch. Or she could see if he was smart enough to 'tutor her' or maybe she could 'tutor him' since she was practically an expert and could teach the entire class herself. By the time she finished weighing her options, the class has already ended and most of the students were rushing out of there as fast as she could. She decided to confront him another day and made sure to memorize his face.

Emily sat straight backed in her chair inside the Western Philosophy class, a normal and comfortable posture for her, while other students around her slouched in their chairs, scribbled in their notebooks and generally defiled the meaning of being a student. She noticed such things out of the corner of her eye, but she focused her efforts on taking organized and detailed notes, color-coded and alphabetized. Her bag sitting on the floor next to her weighed nearly sixty pounds, filled with leather-bound notebooks for each of her individual classes.

Even though Emily attempted to be the picture of perfection, she couldn't help but to glance over her shoulder every so often at Alana, who she knew through her mentor, Sir Edward. That girl was very much Emily's senior, but for some reason Emily got odd vibes from her, though Emily maintained the code of seniority out of respect. Right now, however, Alana kept staring off in the direction of something else...

Emily's stormy gray eyes followed the course of Alana's gaze and they met with a boy. Emily hadn't thought of Alana as being lovestruck over some feminine looking boy with an odd earring, which made him look rather somewhat peculiar. Her senior's attitude was weird, and perhaps it was nothing more than a trivial fancy, but something about the boy stuck with her. Emily wasn't one to give her attentions to men, nor they to her, but she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end whenever she gazed at him for more than a moment.

He was either a trifle, or a puzzle, or both. Sir Edward would want to know about Alana's behavior today, that much was sure. Emily turned to refocus her full attention on her education, even if this class was droll.

It wasn't too much later that Emily shut her leather-bound notebook as that bore of a Professor, Hans Glemin, let the class go. Instinctively, Emily grabbed for her intricately carved mahogany handled umbrella, that was oh-so-much more useful than just to keep one's self from getting soaked in the rain that blanketed the area of Neworth at times. It was a family heirloom, functioned as an excellent cane, but most importantly of all it was her wand, the instrument with which she performed all of her magic, and her most treasured possession.

Sweeping out of the class was easy, even amidst the throng. Her family's status naturally parted the proverbial sea before her, and she made her way quickly to the library, where her mentor was sure to be lurking. Just outside the double doors, she made sure to smooth over her attire, which still looked miraculously meticulous even at this hour, and ran a hand over her hair to tuck one misplaced strand back into it's rightful place. She pushed quietly on the doors, and was greeted by Sir Edward lounging there, looking like he owned the place. As well he should! He had more power than any of these simpletons, and possessed more intellect than even the most esteemed professors who tried to preach their foolishness during each class.

Gathering herself, she greeted her mentor. “Hello, sir. How are you doing today?”

Aiace could have actually shouted for joy when the boring class finally ended, had he not been about ready to just pass out again. How could anyone manage to make any subject sound so torturous? He had actually gone into the class kind of excited, too, hoping to actually learn something he could use. Instead, the only useful thing he seemed to be learning was that it was, indeed, possible to die of boredom and that it was even more possible for a tone of voice to actually be a murder weapon. That light he saw when he woke up about twenty-five minutes ago probably wasn't actually a reflective surface sticking out of someone's bag and shining the light in the room into his face, but the gate to the afterlife...

The tired thoughts flying about rather dramatically in his head were pushed back as he noticed the cluster of students trying to save themselves by exiting as swiftly as possible. Honestly, Aiace had the same idea, but it seemed that he was a bit slow to act upon it. I'd rather not push my way through...I'm still too drained... Sighing, he slung his bag over his shoulder and stayed leaning against the wall while he waited for the space to clear a little. Next time, I'll sit closer to the door...But I guess I can finish coming up with the recipes for the week for the time being.

Pulling his bag off his shoulder again, the bespectacled boy began to search for the notebook he had been writing his recipe plans in when he noticed the girl who just walked through the crowd of students as if they hardly even existed. That girl was pretty well-known, wasn't she? Top of the class in every way...at least, that's what he thought he remembered. It was pretty hard to forget someone who never seemed to have so much as an eyelash out of line, though. Of course, he didn't know her personally, he just saw her every Tuesday and Thursday in this class, a model student as always. How she remained immune to the toxic teaching skills of Professor Glemin was beyond him, but he doubted that he could actually get the answer himself.

Still, that would be quite a useful thing to know...

Etrasus looked up as Emily walked in. He still marveled at how she kept her appearance in such high state, considering how he tended to not care about keeping his personal appearance in any particular state of perfection. Her unique personality and dedication had kept her around longer than she realized - not that he brought up what was an eventual fate for witches and genies under him typically. Then again, she continued to be useful, and he would not throw away such an asset.

As she greeted him, he responded with a "Ah, welcome... I trust the professor did not put you to sleep?"

He had met the professor a few times, and even in casual conversation he was a bore to listen to. He had no idea how he still managed to stay employed, he had to surely bore the headmaster...

The class was nearing completion, and while Aaron should have felt relieved, he couldn't shake a discomfort. It bothered him that he couldn't place it, and he looked around the room to see if he could find a cause. All he saw was a woman looking at him, who didn't seem very concerned. Bored, even. Still, he felt uneasy.

Just then, the class came to a close, much to Aaron's relief. The pen dropped, limp and lifeless in his lap. Reaching down, he completed the sentence it had been writing and packed it away, the notebooks into his messenger bag and the pen into the inner pocket of his jacket. Standing, he brushed what he could of his outfit smooth: a simple pair of black dress pants, some sensible black shoes, a soft pink dress shirt and a matching black suit jacket. It wasn't very formal, and nowhere near tailored, but it was pretty much on par with what most other students wore. Looking himself over as he pulled his jacket on, he couldn't spot anything glaringly unordinary. His charms were tucked into his shirt and out of sight, his rings were in his pocket, hair more or less neat... He couldn't see any reason why a girl would stare at him. The thought crossed his mind that she may fancy him, but he waved it away the instant it came. If for no other reason, he did not have the time for that.

He hung back as the other students tried to shuffle out all at once. He was in no hurry; this was his last class today and his aunts wouldn't expect him for a little while yet. In any case, he needed to get to the library before he went home anyway. He had a paper to write, and needed both reference material and a quiet place to get started. While he was free to use whatever magic he needed at home, the Maevyn crone residence was rarely quiet.

Leaning against a wall and taking little notice of the man nearby, he watched as a girl who looked like she'd bee cut out of a formalwear catalogue virtually parted the crowd on her way out. He'd seen her before, but never spoken to her. He hadn't really spoken to many people in his classes, come to think of it. It was easier just to be polite when required, after all. If he started making friends, he'd have a much harder time covering up his family's... eccentricities.

As he waited, he absently pulled at his earlobe, only to notice with horror that he'd forgotten to take his earring out. Paling, he pulled it out as quickly as he could and tucked it away in his pocket. Was that why that girl had been staring? He couldn't believe his own stupidity. Any classmate who glanced in his direction would have seen the thing, and his family definitely did not need any more suspicion. Half the town already thought they were Satanists, and his acting peculiar in public would not help.

Alana waited for the crowd to clear up a bit before she left the classroom herself. She noticed the V.I.P. treatment that Emily got from all the other students, and while she wouldn't describe how she felt as envy, she was still annoyed. "She always has to act all high and mighty...just because of her good grades and rich parents," she shook her head. Emily was by no doubt, competent but she also was stuck up and kissed up to Estrasus all the time to the point where it was almost gross. "If only she knew how awful he is..." Alana never really liked her, though you could probably tell already. It wasn't anything personal, she just didn't like people like that. But Emily was a better person to have on your side than against so Alana was more than willing to put up with it. Besides if she could survive working under Estrasus for who knows how long, she certainly could handle Emily.

Finally, she was one of the last few people left in the room, the others being Professor Boring himself, along with students that wished to speak with him after class, and to her surprise, the witch himself. Alana bit her lips, unsure of whether to approach him or talk to Estrasus first. Nervously, she made her way in front of him. As she was about to talk to him she saw him take off his feather earring. "Don't. I think it looks great on you," she said, in her smooth voice that had a tint of an unidentifiable accent. "I know... it's kind of weird for me to come up and talk to you out of the blue, but I'm Adrienne." She lied about her name, only because it was the name she was using this school year. She pretended to reach into her purse, but created her own pair of feather earrings, though they were smaller, simpler, and more fashionable in her opinion. "See? So where did you get yours? I haven't seen anything quite like it."

She leaned herself back against the wall next to him. Maybe it was hard to tell but she wasn't trying to flirt with him, she wanted to see if he would become her friend or not even that, she would be satisfied if they became acquaintances. She was a bit confident in her socializing abilities, despite the fact that she didn't have any friends. It's not like it was because she was unlikable, but it was hard to maintain friendships when your soul belongs to an evil demon-overlord who travels around, trying to destroy witches all the time.

Alana was wearing a long green dress that felt a bit tight on her. Her hair was tied into a messy bun, something that Emily would disapprove of she was sure. Still, she had an exotic look to her that most men here admired but that wasn't the case with this young witch here, who seemed to have no interest in her in that way. Well, again, it's not like it mattered to her anyways. He's a witch. The boss wants her to find witches for him. Pretty simple, really.

Emily let out a small chuckle, a rare gesture from her and not one she had done in many years before unveiling her Witch prowess. "Professor Glemin would sooner bore me to death than to sleep, sir." She said, placing her heavy bag down on the long, granite-topped front desk. The fact that the bag holding her notebooks and text books was so heavy didn't seem to bother her, save for a small roll of her shoulders that belied any actual discomfort. "Actually, sir, today I saw something rather interesting in class. Alana was eyeing a student, a male with a peculiar earring. I got the strangest sensation whenever I looked at him," Emily looked around the room and lowered her voice as she stalked closer to Edward, "Do you think he could have magic powers, sir? Should we contain him?" She knew all too well what you could do with magic without any proper training, and what she had done in her first days was... not ethical, to say the least. A few families would be missing their pets, but it was their faults for having the filthy, mangy muts roaming loose. It seemed some kinds of dogs hated magic users to the degree of attacking them on sight.

She gripped the handle of her umbrella-cane tighter. Remembering her first moments of magic, of becoming an actual Witch, thrilled her. The sheer amount of power and freedom to be had, to defend yourself and kill your assailants with the flick of a wrist... She took a long breath in, and a smile crept onto her lips. She had not been bullied in many years, but she could find uses for this power beyond petty things.

-----------------

As was his daily ritual, Leo swaggered across the vegetation filled campus of Neworth University like it was his back yard, swirling in and out of the legs of milling students, preferring to trend towards women, most of who cooed and reached down to pet him. And of course he accepted their attentions with a purr and a nice, friendly rub against their stockinged legs. He loved women, their aroma and grace, their soft skin, their well-kept hair, and the large floppy hats they wore in this era, what wasn't to love! He padded around the corner as a wave of magical energy surged across him, causing him to pause mid-step. He saw his Master, Aaron, talking to a girl, which was alittle unusual, but not what was bothering him. Tilting his head, he sensed something else within the area. It was an odd mixture of magical presences and auras, but he couldn't garner a sense of who was what and it sent his fur on-end. It was something to deal with if it became a problem...

He shook himself out and pranced over to Aaron and the girl, an exotic beauty with a green dress on which fit her snugly. Leo gave her leg an affection rub and then plopped himself down next to Aaron, swinging his tail back and forth behind him on the floor. He meowed cutely up at Aaron, but he hoped his Master would understand the message: Feed me now or I will make you suffer.

Etrasus considered what seemed to perhaps be a new catch. In truth, he was looking to do something... more. Much more than he had done before. Something along the lines of not just being one of the strongest of his kind, but more like making himself one of the strongest... period. Of course, to do that, he would need some sacrifices. Big ones.

The description of a 'peculiar" earring and the fact that Alana was looking meant no doubt that there was indeed a newly discovered witch. Alana, regardless of her willingness, was an experienced and quite capable scout. He would be expecting her to report on it.

He used a low voice; even though he would easily detect eavesdroppers and the library was empty besides them, the subject of conversation was still one not to be said at a voice that may project.

"You will no doubt play a role in bringing him over. For now, I am sure Alana is at least beginning the process. For now, perhaps... make friends, show a little, although no excessive, attention to him. Bringing them in on their own free will tends to work out better than them kicking and screaming, no?"

Although, he did remember the good old days when that was the norm. He rather enjoyed it. It would be one of the things that he would eventually change...

Aaron had been in the middle of his earring-hiding when a girl in a lovely green dress (come to think of it, the same girl who’d been staring at him earlier) approached him. Aaron barely even noticed her until she was nearly upon him, and jerked to some semblance of attention when she arrived.

”Don’t. I think it looks great on you.”

Aaron raised his eyebrows, but left the earring in its place. “Why, thank you,” he replied quickly, yet hushed, “But I’m sure you can understand the certain… ideas people might get if they see a young man in my position wearing an earring.” He shrugged. In all honesty, he would love to be able to wear his earring. He’d love to be able to wear his charms outside his shirt, leave his rings on, flaunt his mother’s pointed hat and freely talk to others about the finer points of medicinal magic as it related to the modern practice, but of course he couldn’t. He’d love nothing more than to publicly embrace his culture, but if he were to do so, he had no doubt that some terrible things may befall him and his family. Besides, he had enough oddities as it was.

Snapping himself out of his longing reverie long enough to pay proper attention to the woman, Adrienne, in front of him, he smiled and offered a friendly bow. “Charmed, Ms. Adrienne,” he greeted, smiling inwardly at his pathetic little pun, “And no, not weird at all. I can’t think of a better use of this class’ time than meeting new people.” It wasn’t a lie; of course, he generally tried to avoid prying friendships, but networking was important, especially in his future profession. Besides, he couldn’t deny that it got a little lonely, sometimes. This was precisely the reason he didn't question her staring earlier, either.

Adrienne produced a pair of similar earrings to his from her bag, a miraculous coincidence in Aaron’s eyes. He smiled, more sincerely this time, at her effort to make him feel acceptable. To her question, he replied, “Oh, mine? Mine was uh, a gift. From my mother.” He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, a slight sadness in his eyes. “It’s actually been in my family for quite some time.”

Noticing that the doorway had cleared out, he gestured toward it, where through the door streamed the early evening sunlight. “Where are you headed, Adrienne? I’m off to the library myself, and I’d welcome the company if you were headed that direction-“

He was interrupted by the loud purring and mewling of his monster of a familiar, rubbing up against Adrienne’s leg and flopping down at his feet. He looked down with a fondly annoyed expression that Leo had been seeing since he emerged from a grimoire when Aaron was a child. Nonetheless, he reached down and petted the cat on the head, who would have to deal with it whether he liked it or not.

“Yes yes, you’re hungry, I get it,” he sighed down at the cat, propping one hand on his hip, “Aren’t you supposed to be home? You know, where you’re not being a pest?” Aaron was perfectly aware that Leo found himself on university grounds every day to meet him here, but enjoyed patronizing him anyway, as was their relationship.
Suddenly remembering Adrienne’s presence, Aaron cleared his throat once more and gestured down to the animus, introducing him. “Oh Adrienne, this is Leo, my pest of a cat who likes to rub his fur on my good shoes.” He grinned mischievously, like a child who knew he was doing something wrong.

Seeing that the crowd had finally thinned out, Aiace had been about to leave when the cat sauntering in caught his attention. Is he lost? Why would there be another cat in here? Did someone leave a door open? Seeing it walk over to the two other students nearby and interact with them, he felt a little more confused. Is that his pet? I thought they weren't allowed inside of these human schools, though...was there a policy change I didn't know about? He shook his head. That was probably silly. It was more likely that the other cat had just wandered in through an open door and had accidentally happened upon a human it knew. Still his pet, though, based on the tiny snippet of conversation he had overheard.

Quickly looking over at the professor to find him currently occupied, he turned back to the other two a bit hesitantly. "Ah, sorry. It might be best to hurry if you're going to get him out of the lecture hall, though. I don't know how much longer it will be before the professor sees." He thought to mention how he had heard the cat asking for food as well, but caught himself, thinking that the boy would probably deal with it sooner or later. Most cats were good at convincing their caregivers one way or another in a timely fashion, anyway, and it would probably sound a little weird to hear such a thing randomly from a classmate. At least, that was what he thought. The fewer chances he took with it, the better.

Another glance at professor Glemin assured him that he was still occupied for the moment, so he decided to trust that they'd manage and lifted his bag again in preparation to leave. "Excuse me." He nodded to the two before quickly exiting the room, thinking vaguely to himself that there was something a bit strange about that cat. He couldn't seem to place it at the moment...was it the breed? It was true that he wasn't familiar with it...maybe it was something else... He shrugged and dropped the thought for the moment as he continued down the hall, looking back at the notebook he had been writing his recipe plans in before.

Alana worried a bit when she saw the strange-looking cat. "That must be his familiar," she thought to herself. "I hope he cannot reveal my real identity..." As the cat began to rub himself against her leg, she relaxed a little, thinking that she was just being paranoid.

"Your cat is just so adorable," she gushed in awe as she have observed some girls act around cats, and began to pet the cat on the head and scratch its neck. She continued to pet the cat when she said to him, "Funny, I am more acquainted with Leo than I am with you. You still haven't given me your name, you know?" She was starting to get fur all over her green dress, and got up to try to clean them off. In all honesty, she has always been more of a dog person.

"Ah, sorry. It might be best to hurry if you're going to get him out of the lecture hall, though. I don't know how much longer it will be before the professor sees."

Alana nodded in agreement with the stranger. She turned to the witch and said, "That's a coincident because I'm going to the library as well. I have to meet...someone there..." Her voice began to drift at the last part, and you can hear her tone grow suddenly cold, so cold it might send shivers down a person's spine. She was taken aback by her own voice, and cleared her throat in attempt to re-lighten up the mood. "So I'd love to walk with you there," she said, her voice sounding normal again. She added the next part in a whisper, "We can talk about what an absolute bore Professor Glemin is and maybe get to know each other better...." she still didn't have his name yet so she waited for him to give it to her.

Emily nodded in agreement with Edward, her perfect bob swishing back and forth in the motion. "I do agree, sir. I'll attempt to... make friends with him tomorrow, if you believe that is best." Emily hadn't made friends with anyone other than Edward, if she was going to be so presumptuous and forward as to consider her mentor a friend, in many years. She was itching to practice magic though, and Edward had been teaching her how to control her powers since he'd found her.

"Sir, do you think we could begin our lesson for the day?" She said the word "lesson" in a slight whisper, preferring to keep her voice down in the large library of Neworth. Somebody could be hiding admist those rows and shelves of books rather easily, and she would take no chances with delicate information. "Or shall we wait for Alana? She excels in areas that I desperately need more study in." To be truthful, Emily would wait for Alana out of respect, but Emily would rather start her lessons with or without the other girl, as experienced as Alana was. Emily's addiction to magic, though she refused to admit it was an addiction, was strong. Perhaps too strong. She felt her fingers tapping away against the granite counter of the front desk, and she pulled her hand to her side quickly, hoping nobody noticed.

-----------------

A pest?! Fur on his shoes?! I never! Indignation was at the forefront of Leo's emotions, causing his normally green eyes to go white. He would surely have a word with his bumbling Master later on, at home, where he wasn't a pest. Leo gave out a visible huff and turned away from Aaron, moody now that his Master had embarrassed him in front of the exotic lady.

Suddenly, the gorgeous lady that Aaron was talking to – Adrienne, Leo had heard – was giving him a full rub down. He purred audibly, his eyes turning back to green, but she stopped all too soon when she stood back up to try to clean his fur off of her pretty dress. Noo, pretty lady, my fur is a sign of affection! I love youuu, come back, pet meeee. He mewled in disappointment, and glowered at Aaron like it was his Master's fault.

That was when he saw this new fellow, a bespectacled brunette, walking up. Something was off about him, and Leo felt some sense of kinship to the newcomer. But how? Why? Leo was sure he still disliked men, and took a quick glance at a normal male student walking by. Yep! Still hate them. Before he could delve into that line of thinking anymore, the newcomer was gone. The feeling still sent tingles over his skin. Something to look into....

Sticking his lion-like tail high up into the air, Leo began to swagger away from them and towards the Library. He wasn't going to be left out of the fun, even if it meant crawling around near dusty, musty, gross books. They weren't his favorite thing in the world, but if it meant being closer to Adrienne, he would do it! Plus the tone of Adrienne's voice when she mentioned going, she seemed... Leo couldn't put his foot on it, but he'd linger around to make sure everything was okay. After all, a lady's honor was at stake! He turned around to glance back at Aaron, and shot him a look that said: If you try anything you rapscallion, I will make you suffer! And also, I'm still hungry!

Etrasus nodded. He had one particular spell that he had found interesting in the past... and that was a detection spell which, if read correctly, could expose the identity of what the being encountered was - with knowledge of the signs and a sample, of course.

He sensed movement coming towards the library and re-assumed his posture from when Emily came in, hoping that she too would hear what would soon be footsteps and take his example.

Aaron couldn’t help but chuckle at Leo’s indignation. Their relationship had been one of mutual pestering for years, and it wasn’t changing with maturity. Adrienne seemed to like Leo enough, but remarked that she didn’t even know his name yet.

Aaron straightened immediately, running a hand through his hair and clearing his throat. “Oh, excuse me, how rude of me…” He offered a hand, ever the perfect gentleman. “I’m Aaron. Aaron Maevyn, medical student, to be exact. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He smiled.

Leo seemed crestfallen when Adrienne stopped petting him, glaring in his direction as if it was his fault. “Oh, you’ll get over it,” he said smugly, under the guise of helpfulness. “Maybe try crawling up her dress next time, eh?” He stifled a laugh. He’d regret this later. He had a feeling he’d return to a torn-up garden or smeared spellbook pages.

Just then, another student came up, warning them that the professor might see Leo any moment. Of course, Aaron wasn’t too concerned, but he figured it was best to be on the safe side. “Of course, thank you.” He nodded, and all too soon the stranger was gone again.

As it turned out, Adrienne was headed to the library. “Oh, well we’d best be off then!” He clapped, and gestured toward the exit, motioning for Adrienne to take the lead. While her back was turned, he looked around hurriedly and plucked a small handful of cotton candy from a container in his bag. Quickly, he stooped to give it to Leo, muttering, “There, happy now? And don’t give me that look.” He did not expect Leo to oblige.

Alana accepted Aaron's hand, giving it a firm shake. "Likewise, Aaron." she said coolly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She left out her major as it probably wasn't that important to share and she wasn't here to graduate or do anything like that anyways. It was too bad that he seemed like a nice guy, since she has to deliver him to his destroyer in no more than a week's worth of time. Maybe they would be friends in another life, as she likes to say though she was somewhat certain she was immortal, making reincarnation an unlikely option. Oh she was starting to drift off into her thoughts. Oops. She made herself refocus in onto the conversation, and was relieved she didn't miss much, at least she didn't think she missed anything.

Alana acknowledged Aaron's gesture with a nod and exited the classroom, making her way towards the library with Aaron and Leo behind her. It wasn't that long of a walk, but she made sure to take her time. No doubt Emily was already there, probably starting her lessons with Estrasus and she wouldn't mind missing that. She took slow, careful steps and hoped that it wouldn't bother Aaron though it was impossible for her to move quickly as her dress was tight and restricted too much movement anyways. It was a nice day to be outdoors and the school's campus was as lovely as ever. There was a soft breeze that felt nice against her face, causing her lips curled up into a smile. "So Aaron," she began, looking at him with an intense expression as if she was trying to peer into his very soul. "Are you... oh never mind." She turned the other way, not completing her thought. For some reason, she was in a very pensive mood and it was even weirder for her to want to talk about her thoughts. She placed her index finger on her cheek and she continued to look for the right words to say. "So, why are you heading to the library? To study? For your own leisure?" she asked, finally breaking the silence. Should she invite him to meet Estrasus and Emily? Was that too sudden? She had just met the guy and it would be weird for her to just introduce him to her 'friends'. Yes, it was better not to take him to Estrasus too early. Emily would probably scare him off anyways with her elitist vibes and Estrasus wasn't even a student so that would just be weird. So she kept her mouth shut and waited for his response.

---

Light played through the glass panels encasing the greenhouse, while some were stained-glass set in the shapes of angels and scenes straight out of myths and legends that cast rainbow colored hues across the vegetation within. The greenery itself was ethereal, with wispy trees and multicolored roses dotting it's interior, making it look more like a fanciful garden than a greenhouse by all regards. The sounds of chirping could be heard from nearly anywhere within the confines of the garden as birds bathed themselves in the stone basins set out for their use: many of the fowl had made the inside of this lush paradise their own home, and the caretaker of the greenhouse welcomed their inclusion. A few rabbits poked around in the grass, hopping to and fro across paved paths.



The scene seemed as if out a fairy tale, a picturesque moment that should be captured in a child's memory. A woman in a floor-length dress of extravagant design walked lackadaisically across one of the pathways in deep thought. Her floppy hat shaded her fair skin from what little light made it through the canopy of leaves overhead. Yet even as she shone with a peculiar inward radiance, the greenery around her seemed to drain of it's life and color. A lone leaf fell from above her and to the earth below, withering away before it even touched the pavement beneath her feet. She paid it no mind, simply crunching it beneath her heeled shoe as she strode ever onward, toward the center of the greenhouse. Wisps of light began to coalesce around her before taking the shape of a small, foot tall glowing figure with wings flapping at light-speed to keep itself afloat.

“M-m-m-my M-mistress, he is here, we should-” The small person said in a deep masculine voice that did not seem appropriate with his stature. She put a thin hand into the air, cutting off the speaker. “Do not presume to think I do not know of his presence within these grounds, or what it means for my quest, Kalen.” She nearly hissed the words out, her violet eyes glinting dangerously beneath her hat. “I will find the necessary talent to acquire the artifact, and if that means smiting that foul creature in the process, then I shall have to do that as well! Do I make myself perfectly clear? If you come back once more without a proper fledgling...” She left the hint of a punishment in the air, and the small man, Kalen, shuddered at the thoughts swimming in his own brain. “Now, make me happy Kalen dearest... Go find anything, ANYONE, with magical energy that isn't him or his flunkies, and bring them to me so that I might implore the goodness of their hearts to aid me.”

Without another word, Kalen dispersed into shimmering fractals of light and sped away from the greenhouse in search of young folk possessing magic of any degree. The woman continued her stroll, back in deep thought, not seeming to notice or care as small plants withered around her. A long leaf from a weeping willow there, a budding rose here, a procession of decay as she left husks behind in her wake. If one were to look closely, and possess the talent, small tendrils of energy could be seen drifting from the vegetation to meld into the woman's fair skin.

---

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Without preamble, Leo bit into the cotton candy voraciously. It wasn't nearly enough, but it would suffice... for now. He could think of a thousand different ways to make Aaron's life more difficult later on today. Perhaps he would drag in a dead pigeon and hide it in the bottom drawer of the dresser? That seemed like the perfect tit-for-tat, and it sent Leo to half-purring, half-growling at the stupendousness of the idea. Absolutely brilliant! Marvelous, even! He complimented himself with a figurative pat on the back, and his walk became just a bit more jaunty – his tail went up even further, swishing back and forth as if in tune to a song.

The way that the girl, Adrienne, was acting seemed peculiar to Leo. Something was off about today, something that he couldn't quite put his paw on, but it sent shivers up and down his spine. He wondered if there was another witch on campus...

Instead of dwelling on it further, he would come back later in his Anima form and scout during the night for lingering magical energies. He pounced ahead of them, placing a paw on one of the doors to the Library and waiting for Aaron and the very pretty girl to arrive.

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Emily furrowed her brow at Edward's sudden posture change and mimicked it, still confused. She had learned to ask … minimal questions regarding his instructions, vocal or not, and instead pretended that she was just another student, taking her bag and sitting down at one of the nearby tables. She opened a large textbook – mathematics – and began to actually study, becoming invested in the book. If those were other students, not just Alana, then this could take awhile. Most of the students on campus were buffoons who didn't know one stack from another in the Library, and it seemed they often needed Edward's assistance to find the most common of titles. Her thoughts eventually drifted towards practicing magic, and becoming more powerful in it's use. Her hand stroked her umbrella-wand lovingly, possessively, as she stared down at the numbers and figures printed on the pages of the book in front of her.

Having almost exited the building, Aiace was about ready to go pick up one or two supplies and head back to the cozy kitchen he had access to when a vague memory sparked at the back of his brain, prompting him to place his notebook under his arm and dig through his bag once again. Didn't I already...oh no! Pulling out one of the books inside, his expression changed to one of surprise and slight dismay as he realized what he had forgotten.

I was supposed to return this book today! I have to get it back to the library before I end up fined...and I don't want the librarian mad at me, either. He's too scary. The boy shuddered a bit as he remembered the man in charge of the books. Something about him was just generally terrifying to the young feline, though he wasn't sure if it was just the imposing appearance he seemed to have or the weird feeling he got from him. He smelled like something else he would rather avoid as well, though he couldn't imagine why a school staff member would have such a scent. Surely I'm overreacting...it's just because he looks intimidating, that's all...and my mind must be playing off that to increase my aversion...yeah, that's it...

With an attempt to gulp back his fear, he returned his notebook to his bag and clutched the other tome to his chest as he turned and began to walk in the direction of the library. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll be too busy to see me. I can just drop it off at the desk and leave without seeing him at all.