[center]
[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=f26522]Cassandra[/color] [@Gisk][/sub]
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[hider=Library]
The space Amaris passed through had changed drastically in atmosphere since the welcome event from the night before. Cold elegance had been replaced with a sense of homeliness and community, twinkling lights stripped away leaving the space to be lit by simple candlelight. A natural hush had fallen over the space to allow the sounds of the fountain to take priority over all else. In all, it was quite the relaxing space despite its public access. Amaris made a note of the space to return to later on.

Passing the courtyard by, the noblewoman made for the administrative building responsible for the campus’ library. Up until this point everything Amaris had witnessed had been grand, every hall, room, and morsel of food was the absolute best it could possibly be. But there was one thing that Amaris had yet to judge the Academy on, one thing she revered above any other facility the school had to offer.

Her heels echoed sharply as she made her way down a plain looking hallway, the lack of art or any design on the walls forcing her attention to the wooden door at the end of the path. She found herself paused with her palm flat against the door, eyes drifting down at the rug beneath her feet as she allowed herself a moment’s breath before allowing herself inside.

Light amethyst eyes twinkled with excitement as Amaris stepped inside the lavish room. Somehow the space seemed larger than it would have appeared from the outside, whether it was a trick of the architecture or a bout of magic, she wasn’t entirely certain. The door closed softly behind the vampiress as she began her inspection of the place. A few muted steps forward brought a small hint of a smile to the young woman’s face. She had long since mastered the art of stepping carefully in quiet spaces, but she got the feeling it was not her skill alone that allowed for such peace. As if to answer her assumptions, her eyes were drawn to the various occupants of the room who gave no note to the fact that they were not oriented to the same plane of gravity as their observers were.

[i][color=f49ac2]My apologies father… but I do believe I have found a new favorite hideaway.[/color][/i] The young woman thought to herself with a fair amount of glee. While it was an impressive display, however, there was still one final aspect that needed to be assessed.

Eyes scanning the room, Amaris spent a few moments observing the scattered occupants of the space. Upon entry she had noted the librarian returning a book to its rightful place without so much as raising his head from his work. It was a small motion, perhaps entirely out of habit for the man, but it was a telling sign for the young vampire. There was a certain buzz to the surrounding atmosphere that intrigued her, a sensation similar to what she felt upon arriving at the academy yet it was not quite the same. It didn’t feel as if it were watching her… simply waiting.

Off to the side, a student buried under a mountain of various study materials held up an index of herbs and released it into the air like the librarian had done only this time the student’s hand remained up in the air as if ready to receive something. A few words were mouthed and a different book flew off a shelf to deliver itself into the expectant hand of the awaiting student. She watched as they opened the book to several chapters in without hesitation showing a clear familiarity with the title despite having not looked at the title pulled.

Deciding to take a closer look at a nearby bookshelf, Amaris eyed a title from a shelf just out of her reach. A small smile graced the young woman’s lips as she took a small step back and called the object forth. It wiggled in place for a moment before dislodging itself from the row, floating gracefully down until it was right in front of her waiting to be grasped. Plucking the book from the air, Amaris thumbed through a few pages to see what the book was about before holding it up like she had seen the others do previously. She felt the weight of the book shift slightly, releasing her grasp on the object so it could float back and replace itself into the space it had left behind.

“[color=f49ac2]Well isn’t that convenient? [/color]” Amaris mused, allowing her eyes to wander once again. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular at the moment so she set to slowly pacing about the room, travelling from section to section to see what the library had to offer. Every so often she would randomly pluck a book of the closest shelf and thumb through the pages, committing the names of the titles that piqued her interest to memory before putting them back where they belonged and moving on.

[/hider]

She repeated the pattern for a couple of hours, switching it up sometimes to replace the books in the incorrect sections just to watch them take off to replace themselves. Had it not been for one of the librarian’s tapping her shoulder, it was likely that she would have continued until sunrise. Amaris was somewhat surprised that anyone would approach her at all, turning around more so out of curiosity than anything else. For a moment she wondered if she was about to hear it from the head librarian about misplacing so many books, but when she turned around, the face looking back up at her looked more nervous than angry.

“[color=gray]I’m sorry to disturb you Countess, the head librarian sent me to let you know that we have been asked to close the building down early. Our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.[/color]” As the book she had been holding had been pulled from a shelf directly in front of her, Amaris shifted its neighbors aside so that she could replace the title properly.

“[color=f49ac2]No worries, I should probably be off anyhow. Though, if you don’t mind my asking before I go, what’s the occasion?[/color]”

“[color=gray]Unfortunately, I don’t have an official answer to that question. All we were told is that a curfew is being put into effect this evening. This is usually done when the administration is holding special events such as the welcome and pairing ceremony you attended upon arrival. But if you don’t mind my saying so, the current rumor is that an unexpected guest is on their way in as we speak. All students are being asked to return to their dormitories for the remainder of the night. Is there anything I can help you with before you go?[/color]” While the information received was rather vague, it was surprisingly telling. She could always count on a librarian to pick out the important details. Shaking her head dismissively, Amaris smiled at the messenger.

“[color=f49ac2]No, you’ve been very helpful. Thank you.[/color]” Bowing their head, the librarian turned away and walked down in the opposite direction to alert a nearby table of the news. Fully satisfied with her little excursion, Amaris made for the door that she entered through and began her walk back to the noble’s dorms. Despite the fact that the buses were still running to take the straggler students back, Amaris opted to walk the path home instead. As she walked, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to the librarian’s words about a possible visitor.

[i][color=f49ac2]For a curfew to be put into effect so suddenly, the visitor would have to be someone of significance. Otherwise, there would be little need for anything other than a few extra bodyguards… perhaps it’s an inspection from one of the house heads? No, I’m sure the Lord would have sent word ahead if he knew one of the others were to be snooping around. Perhaps a member of the royal family is here to visit the Princess?[/color][/i] Theories rushed through Amaris’ mind as she walked along, drowning out most of the scenery around her.

A shiver ran down her spine as a pair of eyes fell upon her, the sensation suddenly putting the young woman on alert. It wasn’t so much a feeling of hostility, but she could not mistake the feeling of malcontent as the muted sound of footsteps approached her.

“[b][color=gray]You there, halt![/color][/b]” Amaris slowed her pace until she came to a complete a few steps ahead, taking a deep breath through her nose before turning about to face the voice that attempted to command her. With as sharp a gaze as she could muster, Amaris turned around fully so that the crest hanging around her neck was in full view.

The sight she was met with was a great deal more intimidating than she was originally anticipating. It had been a good while since she had last laid eyes on a member or the royal guard… or at least one donned in their official armor. Standing before her was a single guard in obsidian plated armor, so dark in color that the path lighting seemed to bend toward the figure. Threads of gold were laced about the outfit somehow seeming less like decoration and more like definition the longer she took the image in. He was armed to the teeth, carrying not one but two blades of different styles at his side. While she was certain he had other, perhaps much smaller weapons concealed on his person, she doubted he would need any of them… especially against her. Still, despite the wariness she felt, the man’s presence all but confirmed her earlier train of thought.

“[color=f49ac2]I understand you have quite the important task to do here, but your tone is out of place with me. What threat do you see in a first year student sent from one of the noble houses? Do we not both serve her majesty, the Queen?[/color]” Amaris’ eye contact was strong, her posture bold, and her voice sharp as she addressed the guard. Even at her stature she bore little [i]actual[/i] authority over a member of the Royal Guard, still, it didn’t stop her from pushing what few buttons she could. The payoff in this case was rather slight, Amaris taking victory in the information gleaned from the faintest of falters in the man’s eyes. She had guessed correctly.

“[b][color=gray]Students have been ordered back to their dorms immediately. Unless you have received specific instructions otherwise, even [i]you[/i] are not exempt from these commands.[/color][/b]” The guard barked as he maintained an equally strong grimace in the young woman’s direction. It was clear that he was far from joking on the matter, not that Amaris expected anything else from the man. Still, she wasn’t about to take his continued tone without a little push back.

“[color=f49ac2]And where exactly do you think it was I was heading before you barked at me like a dog?[/color]” Shifting in his stance, the man’s growing irritation was beginning to show. There was a certain level of respect each party was accustomed to receiving as well as expected to give one another in return. The circumstances, while technically in the guard’s favor, had been turned to favor the young woman staring the man down. Her words rang true, as he alone had the authority as well as the physical prowess to dispose of her right then and there if she posed a definite threat to any member of the royal house. Yet all she showed him was the same level of arrogance that he had come to expect from her kind. The slightest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he opened his mouth to respond, confident that he had found a counter to silence the brat. Unfortunately, she had beaten him to the punch. Snapping her hand up to silence him she maintained a cold stare as she carried on.

“[color=f49ac2]Now, if it’s [i]my[/i] safety you are so worried about, perhaps you should have led with that… or at least a more respectful tone. With such an important visitor present who knows what sort of unsavory folk are skulking in the dark? Try not to get mistaken for one of them while you make your rounds harassing other students.[/color]” Amaris forced a puff out through her nose before she spun on her toes and began walking in the direction she had been walking previously. She could all but feel the fiery daggers the guard was staring into her back as she increased the distance between the feuding pair. It seemed however he was not quite ready to give up the ‘battle’.

“[b][color=gray]Little ingrate, get back here now.[/color][/b]” He growled, closing the distance she had widened with a fair amount of ease. Wrapping his hand tightly around her slender arm, he squeezed uncomfortably tight and yanked backward to throw the girl just barely off balance. The motion caused Amaris to falter in her steps as her momentum was thrown off. Her recovery was quick but it was undeniable who held the upper hand in the situation. She fought the small sensation of panic that filled her stomach as she stared up at the man, wondering for a brief moment if she had made a mistake after all. 

Before he had a chance to say anything else on the matter, a second patrolman emerged from outside the paved path to join them in the lit street. Unlike the guard she was already exchanging words with, the newcomer was far less armed and nowhere near as armored. If Amaris had to venture a guess as to what force he belonged to, she would have pegged him for the campus’ own security.

“[i][color=gray]Sir, there is another matter that requires your attention.[/color][/i]” The academy guard’s eyes shifted between the pair curiously, as if attempting to size up the situation and gauge whether his direct intervention was necessary. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Amaris shook her arm free and put a few paces between her and the guard to collect herself. The royal guard paused a moment, weighing his options between finishing what he had started and complying with something that was likely of greater importance. Choosing the latter, the armored soldier of a man stalked off to follow the lead the security guard that had interrupted him.

[i][color=f49ac2]Note to self: don’t pick attitude with the men in black.[/color][/i] She thought to herself as she rolled her eyes, returning to her trek home.

[center]
~~~
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Upon entering the cul-de-sac that connected each of the noble dorms, Amaris was quick to take note of a figure standing off alone in the dark. For a brief moment she wondered if the brute from earlier had taken note of her crest so that he could return and give her more trouble away from the campus security. However, as she neared the figure, she realized the stature was far too small to belong to the man from before. Curious as to who was just wandering about the dorms, Amaris bypassed her own house to approach the figure.

While she did not recognize the face, she was fairly certain that the girl standing before her had to have been paired with one of the other nobles with how nonchalantly she loitered around the monitored area. Perhaps her partner was unaware of the sudden curfew or had failed to properly relay the information? Whatever the reason, she didn’t think it wise for the mage to be standing about on her own. Amaris had seen first hand just how grouchy of a mood the guards were in for this particular outing.

“[color=f49ac2]I take it you are one of my new neighbors? I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of a proper introduction just yet. Would your partner mind if I invited you in for a cup of tea and a conversation? Seems the teachers want us in doors this evening, in fact the guards are rather insistent on it.[/color]” Amaris motioned in the direction of her own dorm building with a sweep of her hand, indicating an open invitation should the mage be interested in accepting. There was a sense of urgency to her voice, however, that requested a swift response from the mage regardless of the decision.