[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190120/b458a81531631a6916fa9413063c5f80.png[/img][/center][right][sub]Interacting with: [@Hero] [@Achronum][/sub][/right]
Evening didn’t come without a fight. Just getting to sleep was challenging enough, Aaron not having realized just how much the small amount of light coming in from the hallway would bother him. He tossed and turned half the day, only finally passing out somewhere around 1pm. What little sleep he did get was marred with confusing nightmares, flashes of things that could have been memories or imagination, all tinted with anxiety and fear, and repeated sensations of a hard, icy hand around his throat. When 6pm finally rolled around, tired of trying and failing to sleep, he decided it was late enough at last to acceptably get out of bed. 

A shower helped to clear his head and it seemed like the early rising was a blessing in disguise, giving him some time to shave. Aaron couldn't do it quickly like some men could; the only way he knew how to shave was with a straight razor, and rushing with one of those was a recipe for disaster (a lesson he’d learned well as a teenager). He didn't mind, though; the careful process was therapeutic, giving him a chance to turn off his mind and focus on the task at hand. He'd be the first to admit he was a perfectionist, and being able to concentrate on doing a thorough job did wonders to distract him from the images that had been plaguing his mind all day. 

Shaving done and the rest of his hygiene routine out of the way, Aaron moved to the closet, flipping through the hangers on autopilot. He knew what he wanted to wear, he just needed to choose colours; fortunately, not a difficult feat when one's wardrobe consisted almost entirely of grey and black. Tonight he opted for a textured grey, pulling a pair of slacks and matching jacket from a hanger and grabbing a crisp white shirt and dark slate tie in the way out. After everything that happened the night before, Aaron was all too eager to button up well within his comfort zone again. But as he pulled on his shirt, he paused, remembering what the Count had said about feeding the night before. Not wanting to risk ruining more of his clothes, Aaron opted for a long-sleeved black crew neck instead; it wouldn’t get in the way of feeding from the neck the way a collared shirt would, and blood, should there be any, wouldn’t show up against the fabric. He’d change once feeding was done, of course. He’d look like a fool otherwise. 
 
A glance at his phone told him it was 6:50, and he figured there was no point in waiting any longer to get the mail. In any case, it would give him a few minutes to sort through it, take care of his own if he got any and leave anything for Varis on his desk when he went in to do his lines. The slacks and crew neck combo was a little odd for going out in public, but he'd only be out for a second; he doubted anyone would be out and around at this hour anyway. Certainly no one important, seeing as the sun was still up. 

He padded down the hall on the balls of his feet and went out the door as quietly as he could, not wanting to risk waking Varis, but moved more purposefully once outside, looking around at the subdivision as he strode down the walk. The sun was still up, of course, the light warm and golden as it prepared to set, but a dark mass of clouds loomed on the eastern horizon; Aaron recalled the weather widget on his phone predicting some rain, and it looked like it would probably arrive by nightfall. He didn't particularly mind, though he did absently wonder if the Arena would be safe from the rain as he opened the mailbox. 

He pulled out a few things, shuffling quickly through three letters and finding they were all for Varis, but what caught his attention was the fourth: a thin black box with a note attached, addressed to him. He looked at it curiously as he lowered the mailbox indicator, turning it. Despite its size, it had some weight to it, and his name looked to be written in Princess Ryner’s handwriting. 

Looking up at the sound of footsteps, Aaron was greeted with the entertaining, but wholly unexpected sight of a girl walking atop of the stone wall separating the Sinnenodel and Eve properties, looking very focused on her task. He immediately recognized her as Lilie (as if he’d forget) and he couldn’t help but smile as she walked over, a little prick of childlike joy infecting him as he watched her balancing act. And she was coming his way!

He followed her with his eyes as she jumped off the wall, reflexively reaching out to catch her when she stumbled, though she recovered just fine on her own. He couldn’t help but survey her clothes, just quick enough to be polite, though he had to admit it was difficult to tear his eyes away. She was wearing some kind of denim vest over a grey t-shirt, a pair of uncomfortably cute white thigh-highs peeking out from under a blue skirt. Apparently she was continuing the trend from the night before, but as [i]different[/i] as it was to him, Aaron certainly wasn’t complaining. 

[Color=00BFFF]“Good morning, neighbor!”[/color] She greeted him happily.

Aaron couldn’t help but chuckle at her odd greeting, though there was no malice in it. [color=f0d705]“Good evening!”[/color] he replied, mirroring her posture and grasping his mail behind his back. [color=f0d705]“You’re up early!”[/color]

Lilie laughed a little at herself, shaking her head. [Color=00BFFF]“Getting used the time change will be the first of many challenges here. I've actually been up since...I think two? I've never slept in so late, it was weird!”[/color]

She paused a second, hopping in place, before adding more sincerely, [Color=00BFFF]“Um, thank you for last night. I really needed that,”[/color]

[color=f0d705]“Oh, that’s right, this is pretty much all new to you isn’t it?”[/color] Aaron asked, admittedly fairly curious. He’d never met… well, he hadn’t met many people if he was being honest, but certainly no one outside of the noble circuit until coming to the Academy. The thought of someone who stayed up all day and slept during the night was just so odd, though he supposed he shouldn’t be so surprised. That was how mundane humans lived, after all, and many mages born outside a vampire’s service. Still, it seemed so… archaic, like living how humans did before the Treaty, though he couldn’t help but be intrigued. [color=f0d705]“I’m sure you’ll get used to it soon, I think you’ll find the nighttime plenty stimulating.”[/color]

At her next comment, though, he softened considerably, remembering how insecure she seemed about the whole situation. [color=f0d705]“Oh, that’s not necessary,”[/color] he waved off her thanks with a shrug and a smile. [color=f0d705]“We all do what we can, right? I’m happy to help.”[/color]

Lilie averted her gaze for a moment, her hand combing through her bangs. [Color=00BFFF]“If everyone is as nice as you are, then I won't have to be so nervous about all this,”[/color] she said before returning her eyes to his, giving him a somewhat bashful smile. [Color=00BFFF]“Still, don't sell yourself short. A little kindness goes a long way.”[/color] 

Aaron glanced down, a bashful smile of his own creeping over his face as he tugged on his ear with his free hand. [color=f0d705]“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,”[/color] he admitted, glancing to his dorm and back. [color=f0d705]“But I mean it, I imagine this is all a lot to take in if you’re not used to it.”[/color] He gestured with his mail to the Eve dorm. [color=f0d705]“Especially serving nobles. I grew up around them, but I imagine some of the rules can be confusing. That’s not to say that you can’t handle it yourself, I mean…”[/color] he trailed off for a second, tugging ever more insistently on his ear. What was it about this girl that made him trip over himself? [color=f0d705]“I just mean I can probably help if you think you need it.”[/color]

[Color=00BFFF]“You grew up around nobles?”[/color] Lilie repeated, absentmindedly brushing a stray hair behind her ear and looking a little stunned. [Color=00BFFF]“That's...well, then you know way more than I do, I bet.”[/color] Shifting her weight from one foot to another, Lilie crossed her arms before hanging her head, letting out a defeated sounding sigh. [Color=00BFFF]“I'm going to need all the help I can get.”[/color]

Aaron smiled gently, taking some pity on the girl. [color=f0d705]“I’m sure you’ll do fine,”[/color] he reassured her. For some reason, he checked his phone, seeing that the time was 6:55. Damn, he had to get back in, he needed to do his lines soon. Groaning inwardly, he looked between his dorm and Lilie. [color=f0d705]“I’m sorry, I need to get back. I’ll see you in class though, right?”[/color]

Perking up, Lilie nodded as she hopped in place.  [Color=00BFFF]“Yes! And we'll get to learn real magic today, too!”[/color] She replied excitedly. [Color=00BFFF]“I told you, it's going to be a good day! So we just need to hang in there!”[/color]

[color=f0d705]“Yep!”[/color] Aaron nodded, happy to oblige Lilie’s enthusiasm, even if he wasn’t quite so sure. But she was right, it was best to stay optimistic. [color=f0d705]“See you later, then,”[/color] he added, offering a wave and turning back up the walk, a slight spring to his step that hadn’t been there before on the way back to his dorm. 

The box he’d received in the mail had Aaron’s attention again when he got back inside, making a beeline back to his room to open it. He laid Varis’ letters aside for the time being, eyes glued to the note on the box. 

[i][color=bc8dbf]When the snake grows too venomous, find him and ring twice to escape and thrice for help.[/color][/i]

Aaron read it over a few times, flipping the note over to see if there was anything else, but that was all he was given. A cryptic message, excellent. And a foreboding one at that. As if he didn’t have enough to agonize over. 

Shaking that little spike of sleep-deprived sarcasm from his mind, Aaron moved on to the box itself, carefully tucking the note into his pocket. His brow furrowed when he lifted the cover, examining the contents for a moment. Inside, held carefully in place by a black satin ribbon, was a silver object, made of thick metal with two long prongs on one end. A tuning fork, apparently middle C. 

[I][color=f0d705]What?[/color][/I]

Slowly sitting on the edge of his bed, Aaron kept his eyes glued to the fork, carefully untying the ribbon and holding it up. Heavy, probably steel… yeah, a tuning fork. Why would the Princess send him this? He was tempted to ring it, but the message in the note gave him pause; mundane an object as it seemed, one could never be too careful. 

While he would have loved to sit and ponder over the thing for a while longer, a habitual glance at his phone told him it really was time to get to his lines. He tucked the box and tuning fork, along with the note, into his bag for the time being, snatching Varis’ letters and leaving his phone on his vanity before finally crossing the hall to the study. When he opened the door, though, he had to do a double-take; there, fast asleep in his desk chair with his laptop open, was Varis. 

Aaron might have laughed had it not been so strangely shocking. There was Count Varis, intimidating presence that he was, clocked out at his desk like a child who stayed up too late. For a moment Aaron simply stood in the doorway, letters in hand, deliberating. He should wake him up, right? Surely he wouldn’t want to be left sleeping in his chair, especially if Aaron was going to be doing his lines in there. Figuring Varis might be embarrassed to have been found asleep at his desk, Aaron closed the door again and knocked a few times sharply, loud enough to hopefully wake the vampire up. 

Varis startled at the sound, a fully prepared reprimand on the tip of his tongue in a matter of moments. The surrounds stopped him however. He blinked down at his computer screen and around at the room. The open event plan still blinked at him and Varis dutifully filled it out, finishing off the half of the notice before clicking it away. It took him another half a moment to realize someone must have knocked and a brief glance at the time made him realize the boy must be awake. He rolled his eyes. Falling asleep at his desk and then immediately dealing with the boy’s behavioural issues was not a pleasant way to wake.

[color=f7976a]“Come in boy.”[/color] Varis snapped and he opened up another email he’d apparently received during the day. [color=f7976a]“And you may as well get used to this. With the damnable extra chore of teaching imbeciles and still juggling both mine and my house’s responsibilities, I’ll likely sleep in this room more often than not.”[/color]

Aaron entered quickly, closing the door gently behind him and generally trying not to take up too much space as he crossed over to his desk. He held out the letters for Varis to take, offering a bow of the head. 

[color=f0d705]“Mail this evening, Master,”[/color] he reported, noticing that there was a pad of paper waiting for him with his line written at the top. Interesting that Varis apparently didn’t think he’d have it memorized by now. [color=f0d705]“If you’d prefer, I can make sure to wake you so you don’t have to spend the day in a chair.”[/color] 

[color=f7976a]“That will be fine.”[/color] Varis glanced at the letters and turned back to his laptop. [color=f7976a]“Who are those from?”[/color]

Aaron hadn’t looked at the letters any more closely than to see who they were [i]for,[/i] so he quickly shuffled through them, looking at the return addresses on the backs. [color=f0d705]“...Count Illios Astorio, Countess Lavintra Eve, and…”[/color] he frowned at the last one, quickly turning it front and back. [color=f0d705]“The last is unmarked.”[/color] 

[color=f7976a]“Destroy the Astorio, leave the Eve on my desk, and I’ll take the unmarked one.”[/color] Varis didn’t bother waiting for Aaron to obey, taking the one he wanted and ignoring the rest. He opened the letter and pulled out a heavy card covered in illuminated lettering. Varis rolled his eyes and dropped it on the desk as well. 

[color=f7976a]“Now get to your lines.”[/color] Varis nodded at the boy’s desk, where the paper sat. [color=f7976a]“Once the hour is up, I’ll take them back and lock them away. A rushed punishment is a failed one.”[/color]

An odd request, but Aaron did as he was told, leaving the Eve letter on Varis’ desk and putting the Astorio one aside to be burned. At Varis’ command, he simply nodded, replied with [color=f0d705]“Yes, Master,”[/color] and set to his task.