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[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Mentions: [color=fc8686]Madalyn[/color] & [color=f7976a]Varis[/color] [@Achronum][/sub]
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“[color=f49ac2]No Getsuga, you cannot come with. We’ll only be gone a few hours, it’s no different than any other school day. Stay here where it’s nice and warm.[/color]” Amaris scolded the reptile as she caught him attempting to slither from his tank for the third time. She scooped the creature up in her arms and kissed his tiny head before gingerly placing him back at the bottom of the tank and latching the lid. It wasn’t a feature she used often, but if the little monster wouldn’t stay put she didn’t see much other choice.

This was the day that Amaris had been looking forward to since the nature of the practicum had been announced. It was slightly bittersweet as she had always pictured herself working side by side with Cassandra to complete whatever task the instructors had laid out for them. Still, she was excited for the opportunity to strengthen her bond with Madalyn. They might have still been fairly new partners, but Amaris had a good feeling about the test.

Adjusting her towel accordingly, Amaris sat before her vanity and set to work on her hair. She wasn’t going for anything particularly nice, after all, it was about to go up into a ponytail for the remainder of the night. However, the chilly weather wasn’t going to mix well with drenched hair. Amaris worked to remove as much of the moisture as she could, alternating the brushing of her locks with applied heat from the blow dryer she seldom used. Once everything was to her liking, the countess selected a tie and got to work pulling her hair back from her face into a high pony. For good measure, Amaris slipped a backup tie onto her wrist before rising from her seat and approaching the closet.

Colder weather had always been her favorite and the dipping temperatures rarely caused her any problems. Had she been going out alone dressing light might have worked out just fine, however, she had a partner to think about and a mortal one at that. She carefully selected a few different items, holding pairs of clothing up together and glancing them over before swapping pieces out and repeating the process. Eventually, Amaris had settled on a thin, black, long sleeved shirt and a pair of form fitting pants to match. Slipping into thick, wooly socks, the countess dug out a pair of hiking boots that would support her ankles and set to lacing them up before returning for the final piece; a jacket. She had many different options concerning the garb, each one holding a benefit and drawback to her upcoming activities.

Several  minutes went by before Amaris selected the plum dyed wool from the closet, wrapping herself in the fabric before clasping the folds into place with a wide black belt. If she was honest, she wasn’t entirely sure what the type of jacket was called, or if it was truly a jacket at all. It had been described to her once as a ‘princess style cape jacket’ but really it just looked like a dress made of thick wool. Either way, it was sure to keep the elements off of her, and if need be, easily removed to cover her mage should she need it more.

A quick glance of the clock let Amaris know that she was right on time to depart, the countess swiping a thing pair of gloves that she tucked into the side of her belt before turning to leave the room. She stepped out into the hallway and made her way through to the entryway where Madalyn stood ready and waiting for the big day.

“[color=f49ac2]Oh good, you look warm and ready to go. Shall we?[/color]” Amarris prompted, opening the door to allow Madalyn out first before closing the door firmly behind them. It was a pleasant walk from the dorms to the bus stop, at least in Amaris’ eyes it was. Light conversation, thinner crowds due to the differences in scheduling for those participating in the exam and those with regular classes, and a familiar sense of calm that always seemed to accompany the colder weather. Winter was close and she couldn’t wait to see it.

The pair arrived on time as expected, loading up onto the bus with little waiting required. Amaris selected a seat that would allow for the pair to sit together, opting to give Madalyn the outside so that she could participate in the many conversations taking place around them. The countess didn’t care much for joining in, far more comfortable just taking in the various sounds and pondering the events to come.

“[color=fc8686]This is more than a little nerve wracking.[/color]” Came the voice from beside her, Amaris turning her head to smile reassuringly.

“[color=f49ac2]It will be ok, you’re going to do great. We’ll take this one step at a time.[/color]” She settled back in her seat and tuned in for a bit to the conversation Madalyn had found herself in. Amaris was at a loss to the content and thus found herself drifting into the topics of other conversations further up until the bus had pulled up to its destination.

The countess took pause as she waved off her departing partner, taking a moment to watch her shuffle off with the other mages towards the refreshments provided to them by the school. Once she was certain Madalyn was on her way to getting prepared for the practicum, Amaris turned and followed her own kind to where they gathered and awaited further instruction. She had been waved through the security check with a fair amount of ease, but she hadn’t expected any pushback considering she had shown up with only the clothes she had been wearing. The same could not have been said for Varis, however. Amaris fought to contain a smirk as she witnessed the guard stop the count and proceed to request quite a few forbidden items from his person. The man had always been a control freak but this was just extra, borderline on sad.

Shaking her head, Amaris made her way gently through the gaps left by the raging count until she was close to the front of the group. She didn’t dare speak for fear of Varis turning his vitriol upon her, but she wasn’t about to miss the response of Varis challenging Ryner in front of everyone the way he was. While he might have had a point that disabling all four noble heirs presented a risk with serious repercussions, the truth was that not all of the nobles in attending were actually council heirs. Amaris herself might have been the last of the main bloodline, but the leadership was already in the hands of another. Should she fall, the title would still move organically to the next in line after her. Victor she knew to already have ties to the council but she couldn’t see him running things from the chair, not to mention she doubted he would be in much trouble regardless of his condition. Muscle memory was on his side if anything she witnessed in the arena meant something. The only outlier was the Eve representative, which she realized she still didn’t know anything about. Word of Mariette’s departure had reached her but that was about all she had detail wise. 

Aside from the obvious, Amaris couldn’t see anything more to prompt what could only be described as a juvenile tantrum. She would be lying if she said that she wasn’t nervous about the idea of having her senses magically altered, however, the nerves were quickly replaced with a sense of excitement. It was an interesting opportunity, one that didn’t come around all that often especially when one was a noble. Her only worry was not being able to protect her mage should something happen… but the escort and extra guards insisted that hypothetical something would remain hypothetical, didn’t it?

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