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January 7th - 9:30 pm[/center] 

The school night crept up quickly after that, the quiet night completely obliterated as the student body came out in full force. Students hurried to their first class as they rushed to escape the cold, the warm buildings a blessed relief from the winter night that was only getting colder. And as usual, more than one fire mage accidentally set themselves on fire trying to ward off the chill. 

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Varis permitted himself a few moments to sink onto his bed, cradling his head in his hands. It was just go, go, go these nights and frankly Varis wanted a break. Even if it was just one morning he could lock himself away and forget about everything for a moment but from home to boy to school with nary a pause in between. He hadn’t imagined it’d all be quite so demanding fifty years ago but he supposed it was the price of power. He shoved himself off the bed, leaving his pity party behind as he did, and threw all the belongings he believed he’d need for the day into his briefcase. He double checked his schedule on his phone, confirming the Arena was his first stop of the day, and swept out of the dorm once the boy was finished. He ought to have hurried the boy along a bit more but with how awful he looked, Varis was certain he needed all the time he could get. 

Varis grabbed his umbrella and waited for the boy to be ready, checking his schedule to make sure he knew where he was going. His first class was going to be in a training room at the Arena. Fantastic. Just where he, a Sinnenodel, wanted to spend his night. Thankfully, he expected an easy class. Every vampire could do this instinctively, it wasn’t like it was hard. He rolled his eyes, barely acknowledging the boy once he finally finished, and locked the dorm behind them, taking off into the cold night. 

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[color=FC8686] “Ugh, I guess you’re right.”[/color] Maddie sighed as she took another long sip from her coffee. [color=FC8686] “Give me a moment and I’ll be ready.”[/color] She made her way back into her bedroom, happy to slip under the water of a warm shower for a few minutes. Her dallying in the kitchen cost her more time with that precious warmth than she cared but she didn’t need to wash her hair today so she could afford to be quick. 

And quick she was. She’d perfected the last minute showering routine after years of procrastination (she just hated getting out of bed any earlier than she had to) and fifteen minutes later she was ready for the night. A long winter skirt with warm comfortable pants underneath, snow boots, a sweater and a jacket, mittens, a scarf wound tight around her neck, and a pair of earmuffs later, she rejoined Amaris in the living room with her bag thrown over her shoulder. [color=FC8686] “Okay, ready as I’ll ever be.”[/color] She sighed, a preemptive chill running through at the thought of the icy winds waiting for them beyond the door. 

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[center][b][u]Mage Classes[/u][/b][/center]

[hider=Aaron]
[center][u][b]Lighties for Lyfe!!![/b][/u][/center]

As was the usual protocol for snow and rain, Aaron's affinity class moved from their private clearing in the woods to a small classroom in Rose Hall. It wasn't grand but Professor Daun outfitted it with little fairy lights so his students would have plenty of light to pull from without struggling against the full power of the fluorescent lights. They twinkled against the darkness as the only sources of light and Professor Daun took the opportunity to relax, sipping at his tea as little motes of sunlight danced around his fingertips. 

The center of the room had changed. Where originally it was just a chair and a table for Aaron to put his things down on, now there were two hula hoops ten feet away from each other. An intricate maze of lines traced the ground between them, creating a series of diamonds between them. Various animals, from dogs to cats to birds to butterflies, were painted in the center of these diamonds. 
[/hider]

[hider=Lilie]

Affinity 102 would be held in the same ballroom as the Revel's most notorious party was, overlooking the ocean as the snow dusted over the agitated waves. Three large metal barrels of water sat in the center of the room, several paces apart. Eri laughed into her phone, the sound bouncing jovally around the ballroom as she chatted away in another language excitedly. She spoke with her whole body, hands flying as she gestured wildly and paced the length of the room.

Another man, tired and worn looking, stared blankly out across the sea. In sharp contrast to Esi's comfortable sweatpants and tank top, he was dressed in a full suit, tailcoat long enough to brush his ankles. He stayed as still as a vampire, barely breathing, except for his index finger that tapped against the underside of his watch nervously. Esi hung up her phone call and clapped him on the shoulder, causing him to jump and clear his throat. She smiled kindly.

[color=C80BFF]"Welcome back, Bar. I know it's been a rough time for you."[/color] She rubbed his back comfortingly, giving him a comforting rub on his back. [color=C80BFF]"It hasn't been the same without you."[/color] The man gave her a weak smile and straightened, fixing his shoulders and giving his reflection a sharp nod. It was time to focus on the present and he turned sharply as the ballroom doors opened. 

[/hider]

[hider=Max]

[center][b][u]Clickity Clackity, Roll for Attackity[/u][/b][/center]

Affinity 102 for the metal mages was held in the Onyx Hall. The room itself was reasonably sized, a little larger than a student’s dorm, but was for the most part empty. Nearly everything had been removed from the room, from the chairs to the computer and screens, but a long table holding various blocks of metal in a circle around a green pyramid the size of a soft ball remained. Professor Xander Artiae flipped through a few documents in a large binder labelled “Group Studies”. He was dressed far more heavily than before, a sturdy winter coat with fur lining wrapped tightly around him despite the warmth in the room. Heavy winter gloves replaced the metal gloves he usually wore.

Meanwhile, another student leaned on the far end of the table, scrolling aimlessly on his phone. His clothes were neat and clearly ironed, not a single wrinkle in sight, if not a bit gaudy, a clashing combination of vibrant colors despite the season. Far too much hair gel kept black hair in place, practically gleaming in the fluorescent lighting, and his chubby cheeks had a faint red tinge to them, as if someone had pinched them recently. He absently tugged at the heavy leather collar around his throat, the usual metal clips replaced with plastic zip ties, as he waited for the class to start.

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[hider=Salem]

[center][b][u]A Rose by Any Other Name[/u][/b][/center]

Greenhouse 4 was, as usual in the early evening, a chaotic mess of dirt and seeds and water everywhere. Students, teachers, and researchers alike whirled around in a strange frenzy, chatting back and forth as they cared for each of their individual projects. People ducked under crates and dodged flying thorns as someone accidently prompted a spined hylicamp to explode. 

Just another day in the Academy Greenhouse 4, the developmental lab for organic defenses. 

The instructional section of the Greenhouses were safely locked behind steel doors, though one thorn managed to fly through the cracks as it swung shut behind Professor Leo. He ducked it and chuckled as it lodged itself firmly in the wooden shelves across the room. Shelves dominated the room with every size pot and gardening implements crammed haphazardly with no rhyme or reason. Several rickety tables stood scattered around the room, each one with a large pot of dirt, a tray of rose cuttings, a watering can, two pairs of work gloves, and a dowel. Professor Leo picked up one and twirled it between his fingers. He glanced down at his robes, splattered with dirt and fertilizer. Should he have cleaned up for class? Maybe but the sooner these little seedlings get used to it, the better. It's their future after all!

Five other students slowly made their way in, more than one sporting bruises and scrapes. Professor Leo only laughed and gestured at the nearest table for everyone to gather round.
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[center][b][u]Vampire Classes[/u][/b][/center]

[hider=Ben, Amaris, Victor]

[center][b][u]Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks[/u][/b][/center]

[color=FF69B4]“Welcome, welcome my little Chickadees!”[/color] Dame Patel’s voice boomed across the hall as she stood at the podium of the lecture room. It was the same room as her other class, Human Psychology, so she didn’t even bother leaving between classes. Her mage sat at the computer as usual, dutifully setting up the screens behind her. Each screen showed a different image- The left displayed a computer with an email account pulled up, the center a stock photo of a vampire speaking into a small bulb dangling on a cord that hung from their ear and was attached to a walkie talkie clipped to their belt, and the last displayed two vampires, one on a phone in the middle of a call and the other typing out a text message. [color=FF69B4] “I hope you came ready to learn because I certainly came ready to teach!”[/color] She beamed as she spoke, clapping her hands together. 

[color=FF69B4]“In case you didn’t take me your first semester for your required Human Psychology course, I am Dame Anika Patel, Wolfsbane of the Celestial Court, but Dame Patel works just fine for you darlings! I see a few familiar faces and I’m doubly excited to see you all! We’re going to have a fantastic semester here!”[/color]

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[hider=Varis,Eris]

[center][u][b]Blind, Deaf, and Dumb: What Fun![/b][/u][/center]

The Back to Basics class was set in one of the practice rooms of the Arena, nestled the furthest away from the sound of the training classes going on above ground. The floor was padded with various training stations around the room and a mirror ran the length of the far wall. A number of weapons sat on racks on the wall, bolted under lock and key, and a rather uninspiring vampire stood in the middle of all of it. She was skeletal looking, eyes sunk in and milky, but she stood with the false ease of a well trained soldier. A only sneered in contempt as the other vampires came filing in and scoffed once they seemed to settle into position. 

[color=F9B721]“Let’s make this clear real quick. Every one of you shitstains already met my mage and he made it clear that none of you are worth shit here. Noble, common, actor, literal dog shit- I don’t give a fuck. You’re all a bunch of maggots to me and if you step so much as [i]one[/i] toe out of line, I’ll kick your ass across campus and then back again.”[/color] She snapped, eyes zeroing in on Varis. [color=F9B721] “And if anyone thinks that using your little eye fuckery is going to get them out of this, I’ll gouge your fucking eyes out, understood? Glad we’re all on the same page.”[/color] 

[color=F9B721]“Now by the end of this class, you’ll be switching senses like a mortal fucking breathes. No thought, only instinct. Effortless and easy. And what better way to do that, that robbing you of all the other ones? Now get in pairs or whatever. I’ll be distributing knives, blindfolds, and earplugs soon.”[/color] She commanded. 

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