Hero

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

The sound of the door opening caught Eris by surprise, raising his eyebrows as he continued to read something on his phone. So much for a relaxing night. Then again, the kid was the one coming to him, so this wasn't all bad. Could he possibly spin this in his favor? Probably not, every time Max opened his mouth he had a tendency to surprise him. Maybe his little apology worked and the kid was touched. Or maybe it was pure boredom, who knows.

All Eris really knew was that his quiet evening would have to wait, especially after the kid opened his mouth. It was good to see that Sunny had taken his request to heart--such a good, obedient mage, he was going to have to reward him with a little something later--but he had to admit he wasn't expecting the two to be in contact so quickly. Considering the Starags were raised to the highest of standards, however, Eris doubted that was how the blond had put it. Now, was Max trying to rile him up? Not a very smart approach considering what he said before and after that.

That said, the vampire took a moment to bring in a touch of 'Eris' back, his mood lightening a little with his mannerisms and voice. "We need to work on your conversational skills," Eris replied wearily, turning in place and kneeling on the couch seat and resting his arms on the back of the couch. He rested his chin on the palms of his hands, giving Max a curious look. "When someone wants to know information, they don't usually speak so crassly."

He shrugged slightly, closing his eyes. "You can be so hot and cold sometimes, it's hard to tell if you really care or not. I'm almost insulted," He pushed himself away, turning back to the television and changing the channel. He openly rolled his eyes as he heard stupid Julius Monraine's song playing through a commercial, flipping through a few more channels. "You know, you're a clever kid, but sometimes you worry me." Eris told him, pausing his flipping as he watched a commercial for his recent movie. Ugh, he was so gorgeous, the world should be grateful that he was blessing them with his image like this constantly.

The commercial finished, the show about a man whose desire led him astray continuing. Huh, he didn't know this one was still running. "The last time I was this upset and let it be known was when I discovered my father's 'fling' with a mage named Anesidora. You see, for some bizarre reason, he was enamored with her. Mortals are fragile, sure, but the way my father handled her, you would have thought she was the most valuable thing in the mansion," He rolled his eyes as he remembered, shuddering for a moment. "Honestly, I couldn't understand it. But what really bothered me was her attitude about it--she was convinced that since a vampire had shown interest in her, it meant she was someone. Of course, the other servants did dance around and treated her as such, so really, it wasn't surprising. Her mistake, however, came when she tried to tell me what to do."

"I think I was a little older than you were, and I suppose the mage-sympathizer could argue that she 'gave me life', but that wasn't the point. The point was that this mage believed herself above me and decided to exercise that belief. I could have just told either one of my parents, but she was favored by both of them; even if I did complain, it would go nowhere. In hindsight, I believe it was a test to see what kind of person I would become. So I decided to take matters into my own hands," Eris shrugged. "A few incriminating clues, some suggestions, and one frantic outburst later and suddenly all eyes were on the hysterical woman. It was easier than I thought it would be, really, and I had only needed to make a tiny deal with my sister to get it done. Father was devastated at losing her, but he only moped around until he found Penelope, so I don't think he was as sad as he said he was. I guess if I could change anything, I probably wouldn't have had the mansion burn down entirely--Mother loved that place dearly, but eh." He waved the thought away.

Eris let out a sigh, looking back at Max. "I'm telling you this because I've been doing this for nearly a century. I meant what I said when we first met: how we end up interacting is entirely up to you. I didn't get to where I am making stupid mistakes and shouting things to the world without thought," He explained, turning back to the television. "If I'm back so soon, it means I never planned on staying over. If I tell his mage I'm sulking, then the Sinnenodel will come chasing after me. It's all about putting myself on top--you could probably learn more than you already have by continuing to watch me. Think I didn't notice you managed to get your armor into the practical despite everyone else getting stripped down?"

---

Blabbing on and on to @Scribe of Thoth's annoyance.

Current Mood in One Gif

Goddamn fusions taking all my money

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Even though he had taken a shower, Eris felt like he needed a bath. Actually, a nice scrub would probably do wonders. He had the rest of the night to kill, he may as well give himself an impromptu spa day. The kid would probably stay sulking in his room, so he could take up the living room and watch a movie or something. It had been a while since he had a quiet evening all to himself, and while he was sure he'd probably end up at least scrolling through his emails, for now he could just put a pause on everything.

Admittedly Varis didn't respond at all the way Eris had hoped, but at the very least he was sure Princess Ryner would have her hands full with him late into tonight and probably the rest of the week, getting the blame off him and onto her. Max was appropriately annoyed and was insulted, which aside from giving Eris a bit of glee did leave him with a crossroads on how to move forward with him. He supposed continuing to play pitiful vampire would probably annoy him more, but at one point or another he did need to decide on whether he'd get him under his thumb or just cut him loose. All in all, the night was sort of a success.

Well, that's what he told himself, even if it was a complete lie.

But dealing with losses was just about second nature to him at this point. As stupid as 'optimism' was, he had to focus on the positives with the way he played his games--high risk, high reward. Granted, he hadn't been planning on spilling his heart out to an unfeeling rock, but that was what he got for having feelings and letting his emotions get the better of him. It was a good reminder, really. Keeping the relationship professional was just easier. And as for the kid...eh, he'll figure something out, maybe he'll flip a coin or whatever.

Entering the dorm, Eris stretched his hands above his head, dropping his arms as he walked past Max's room without a second glance. He'd probably poke his head out at some point, though he wasn't sure he could get him to come out and talk. Oh well. Eris walked into his room, closing the door behind him as he walked over to his closet, pulling out a small chessboard with some magnetic pieces he had gotten as a gift some time ago. He placed it down, opening it up and placing the pieces in a variety of ways. Once done, he looked at the case Varis had given him, looking at the key.

"And what do you have for me?" He asked it, giving it a look before opening the case up. A stack of papers inside, legal ones by the look of it. Giving it a quick skim, Eris' jaw dropped as he slowed down the reading. Ugh, no wonder those Ghanie assholes rose up so quickly, Varis was the one funding them. He clucked his tongue, unsure if he was flattered or insulted. Probably both, honestly.

That said, it did swing Varis back into Eris' favor just a touch, and he picked up a white king piece and stared at it. "Are you trying to buy me or are you showing me what you're capable of?" He asked it, narrowing his eyes. "If you don't behave, I'm going to get upset with you," He warned the king. What he needed to do was get ahead of the redhead. Obviously the Sinnenodel would rather have him groveling, so he'd probably need to see if he could get him a little something to get back in his good graces. But even that would just leave them even. He needed to get a leg up on him somehow, he just needed to figure out how exactly.

Closing the case back up, he stored it safely before looking at the king piece again. He rolled his eyes, casually dropping it back onto the board. He picked up the white queen piece close to it, glaring at it. "And tomorrow I'll get to dance with royalty. Hmph. That'll be fun."

Leaving everything as it was, Eris ditched the idea of a spa day and exited his room, feeling too lazy to do anything and throwing himself onto the couch. Once he turned it on and landed on the news, he left it there and pulled out his phone. Ismene was texting him again. It's like she knew he was in a bad mood. It'd be admirable if it wasn't suspect. After sending her a short response, he leaned back fully into the couch, at least making a token effort to relax before he pulled up his emails.

---

Back at the dorm with @Scribe of Thoth

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Once the king started to speak again, Lilie blinked in confusion. Were they wrong? She was so sure they had the right answer. Maybe it really wasn't as obvious as it was meant to be? That definitely popped into her head first, but even as the statue went on and on again, it didn't say anything different. Looking around, her mouth opened as she saw the pillars' colors--red and black, those were definitely the Astorio colors. What were they missing?

Letting out a quiet noise, Lilie tapped her fingers against her leg, trying to think. Oh, she should probably let the blind vampire know. "Um...nothing happened...?" She really wasn't sure what to say that wasn't repeating herself. "I mean, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be the Astorio family, the pillars even flashed black and red. Maybe we got the item wrong, but..."

She looked around once again, first at the items, and then at the pillars. Four items, four pillars, one king in the middle. There had to be something else to this. He said it was up to 'Family Noila' to tie them all together, so that had to be some sort of hint. Right?

---

Standing next to @Bert Macklin.

Persona ~ The Beholder

---

---

Cara waited for Adonna to join her, all too happy to walk together. She hadn't really gone out of her way to socialize with too many people yet, but at the very least having one friend hanging around was always a plus. At the very least, Adonna had made Cara's transition as painless as it could have been, though Cara still didn't really know the entire layout of the campus and really only paid attention to whatever she needed to know. So long as she never veered off course, it was fine.

Once Adonna broke the silence, Cara let out a small, wistful sigh. Time really flew by, didn't it? "Yeah, she completely ditched me, too!" She feigned hurt, lifting her wrist to her forehead as she let out something resembling a choked sob. "I guess she's an adult now and just doesn't need me anymore. Oh, to be thrown aside so nonchalantly like a discarded doll..."

The brunette did drop the act, brightening up considerably. "It did make me feel uneasy, but eh, little bird needs to fly off sometime," She shrugged, placing her hands behind her head. "I think getting back to a schedule will be good for her. Well, for all of us, really; it took a while, but we have a real routine now instead of forgetting things or running late."

After a small pause, Cara grinned at Adonna. "How was your break? Do anything fun?"

---

Chatting with @Kal

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Jumping at the sound of the loud grinding, Lilie readied herself for whatever was going to come at them next. Or so she thought. She jumped again as the trees shattered around them, staying close to Ben as the scenery shifted. It was a wonder to watch as always, but that grinding sound was going to ring in her ears for the next week! Why was it so loud?! She couldn't help but be a little irritated at that, but all that went away as the statue formed in front of them. Wary of it, she pulled the count back, watching as the statue formed itself.

For once, she actually recognized the historical figure: it was the late king Geoffrey Noila. She blinked at it, a little spooked at how it moved, but once it started talking, she listened. Of course, his speech was flowery and fancy, befitting that of a royal vampire, but she had to admit it was a little much. Of course, it could be that this was part of the riddle, but she wasn't sure.

She watched his hand open, frowning. Looking around, the other marble pieces stayed where they were, and she figured they had to hand him something else. 'Fear the one that doesn't fear me' he said, but who int he world didn't fear a king?

Looking over at Ben, she realized he hadn't moved. Oh, right, he can't see, obviously she still needed to guide him. "I think this statue is King Geoffrey Noila. At least, he looks a lot like the picture in our textbooks," She told him. "He's holding out his left hand, so I think we need to put something there. Maybe the last thing he said was a hint at what?" She had to admit she was stumped by this one.

---

Standing next to @Bert Macklin.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

The walk did plenty to refresh Eris as he successfully pushed out a majority of his annoyances and focused solely on the conversation that was about to happen. He had a decent plan in mind, something that would rattle the count and throw off most of his suspicion. Playing the fool did come as easily as second nature at this point in his life, so he couldn’t say he was too worried. By the time he reached the gates, he could even argue that he was somewhat confident. If not confident, though, he was definitely better prepared.

Now, if only he could get the stupid kid off his mind.

Who the hell did Max think he was anyway, talking to him like that? He could take an insult and roll it off like nothing, but apparently the kid had some hidden trust issues or something. Actually, if Eris didn’t know any better, he’d think that the kid was actually pissed that Eris didn’t trust him. But that didn’t seem right. Until now the kid had been an easy read and it had been relatively easy annoying him to some degree, but the solution to his blowup eluded him. The small apology wouldn’t do it alone, he wagered.

Scratching the back of his head, Eris lowered his right hand into his pocket. Honestly, he needed to put Max aside, but the stupid nagging voice in his head wouldn’t let him. He could also vaguely hear a mocking Ismene and her stupid “I told you so” ringing over and over. Wasn’t it tedious enough that he already might have maybe possibly felt a smidge bad? Did his mind really have to repeat itself over and over? Why should he bother putting himself at the mercy of someone that ‘didn’t quite’ hate him?

Eris openly scoffed at that thought. Neglecting the kid had turned out bad, what he needed to do was properly mold him in a way to his liking. Going forward he’d put in more time, the diet and exercise alone weren’t enough. He was a smart kid, he just needed some polish and shine. And while he did that, he’d find something to bind them together so he wouldn’t need to worry about pissing him off again. He supposed looking into his background to see what he could find was a start, maybe he’d have Antigone do that when he had a chance.

As the thought crossed his mind, Eris spotted a familiar blonde up ahead--he had been so deep in thought he didn’t register who it was right away. Sunny Starag, looking clean and just a smidge stiff as usual, just like every good mage. Eris planned on passing a cordial greeting and nothing more, but then it occurred to him: Sunny had gotten Max in the exam, didn’t he? That would be his ticket into getting into Max’s head.

The actor brightened up considerably as the pair crossed paths, both hands in his pockets as he flashed the other kid a smile. “Good evening, Sunny,” Eris greeted him, eyes flickering to the letter. “On postal duty, are we?”

Aaron had been running through his mental list for Malek when a familiar voice made him look up, only to see Eris striding up to the subdivision gate. Ah, right on time. Maybe that would put Varis in a better mood by the time he got back. Not that it probably mattered on his end, but it might at least make tomorrow a little better.

“Good evening, Mr. Samael,” he greeted back with a short bow, as if they hadn’t seen each other hardly an hour before. At least Eris seemed more himself now; maybe all that strangeness of his at the clearing really had just been the culmination of the trial and a frustrating night in the woods after all. Aaron could certainly relate.

Glancing down at the letter, he shook his head, tapping it on his hand. “No, not this time. I’m just on my way to an appointment,” he replied, opting to leave it vague. Even if Eris had seen the bruises all over his arm back at the clearing and probably knew exactly where he was going, Aaron was sure Varis would rather he didn’t go into detail on such unsightly blemishes nonetheless. “Good timing, though. My master will be glad to see you so soon.”

Eris felt like that would change sooner than later. Should he warn the kid? He cast an inspectful eye on the Starag, walking around him once. Varis already had his influence over the mage’s wardrobe, his body language hiding his exasperation well. Or was it genuine exhaustion? Not that Eris blamed him, living with any Sinnenodel likely put those courtly manner lessons to good use, but it was usually a strenuous test.

Whether he felt merciful after what happened with Max or a desire to see if the kid would squirm, Eris’ lips twisted into a pitiful smile. “That’ll change by the end of the night, I bet…” He mused, giving Sunny a sympathetic shrug. “I’d take as much time as needed at your appointment if I were you. Maybe there’s a long wait, maybe there was a small incident, maybe you nearly got run over by a horde of my screaming fans or whatever...you know, something to give you time to mentally prepare yourself.”

Aaron watched Eris as he circled, though he was careful not to look too perturbed. Besides, he was used to it by now - the actor had always been a little too… involved. His words, however, were cause for concern. Things would change? Give himself time to prepare? Aaron mentally prepared himself to face Varis every time he went back to his dorm in the morning, but this sounded a little more foreboding than his usual routine.

“Well, I do have at least one errand to do, but rest assured I hadn’t planned on rushing home in the first place,” he explained, hoping that would dissuade some of Eris’ concerns. Maybe he was just making some lewd allusions, and Aaron was overthinking it. Still… “Is everything alright?”

Eris’ eyes suddenly averted before the vampire stared at something off in the distance. He seemed to think about what he was going to say, his left hand at his chin as he closed his eyes. Now was as good a time as ever, he supposed. “...No, actually,” He quietly admitted, dropping his hand to frown at Sunny. “Got into a minor spat with Wells. Not too surprising, what with his consistent moodiness, but...I don’t think I’ll ever understand him.”

A lesser vampire would scoff at Eris opening up, but he understood that the ends justified the means. “Tell me, did you get to know him a little better after your illusion?” He asked the mage. “Maybe a hint at how to get him to open up to me or something? I’d like to think we could someday be at least neutral to one another, but…”

Aaron raised an eyebrow. Eris and Max got into a “spat”? Aaron knew they had a… unique living situation going on over there, but that didn’t shake his shock at the idea of getting into a fight with your master. Moreover, if that was how Eris ran his household, how had it taken this long for tensions to finally bubble over? Was Max that apathetic that he didn’t bother pushing at home, or was Eris just that tolerant?

Regardless, none of that had anything to do with Varis or that ominous little warning. It was definitely a sidestep - he’d been getting better at spotting them in recent weeks - but far be it from him to point it out. Instead, he let Eris lead the conversation, staying respectfully attentive as if nothing had changed. At the question, he paused a moment to think. Now would probably not be a great time to bring up the murderous ravings of Max’s clone, and with luck, those were exaggerations anyway. But man, two vampires wanting to know about Max in one night; Aaron really would have to step up his efforts at chipping away at the mage, not only to please Varis but to satisfy everyone’s curiosity, apparently.

“Well, he wasn’t fond of the idea that mental mages might have been involved with the exam, though I think the same could be said about everyone,” Aaron shrugged, reaching up as his earring got caught in his hair. “He was intrigued by the magic his clone pulled off. He seems eager to progress with it - although I guess a better term would probably be ‘impatient’. Maybe he’d be receptive if you… took an interest in his affinity progression? Or his arcane major?” He threw out the best suggestion he could think of, even if it probably had equal chances of worsening Max’s relationship with Eris as it did improving it. After all, if magic was the thing he used to escape his troubles for a while, he probably wouldn’t take kindly to vampires butting in on it. But what else could he say? It wasn’t like he knew any of Max’s hobbies.

“What is his major, anyway?” Aaron added, realizing that for all his talk of his own major back at the clearing, he’d never asked Max’s. Yeesh, that was rude. Maybe he did need to work on his social skills.

Not really what Eris was looking for, but it was as good a start as any. Then again, just the mention of obsidian was usually enough to silence even the most vocal of mages, but relying on that as some sort of punishment wouldn't go over well. The mental mage thing was already something they had previously discussed, but as for a major, Eris had no idea. As far as he was aware most mages hadn't chosen, either. Did Sunny already pick his? That shouldn't be surprising, Varis did moan and groan about something to do with the kid's choice, now Eris wished he had paid better attention. As far as he knew, the kid had decided to sign away his life to mental magic, but fuck if he knew why.

“I don't know,” Eris admitted, letting out a sigh. “Though if all he talked about was magic, I guess I'm at a loss. It's not exactly something I'm knowledgeable in.” He slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

Aaron’s brow furrowed, a little discontented to see Eris deflate like that. Over a mage of all things. It occurred to him that he might have made Eris feel bad for no reason - now that he thought more about it, he wasn't sure if all students declared their majors in November or if that was just for the Mental students - but bringing that up would be no help. Instead, he tried a more optimistic route. “Well, I doubt he expects you to be knowledgeable in magic. I think just showing you’re interested in his progress might be enough to at least get him talking.” He hoped, anyway.

That was such an optimistic thought that Eris wasn't entirely sure what to think. It couldn't possibly be that simple, could it? Argh, what was he thinking, this wasn't even what he was looking for! Maybe he should just try a more direct approach.

“It's not that I don't believe you, he's just so…hostile,” Eris said. “I feel like he hates me, but not for the usual reasons people hate me." He frowned at Aaron, sheepishly looking away. "I guess...I'm just asking if I came up at all when you were with his clone.” Ugh, how embarrassing, thank goodness no one was around to see this.

Both of Aaron’s eyebrows raised that time. So that’s what Eris was fishing for. He supposed it should have been expected, but Aaron had such a hard time imagining that Eris gave a damn what Max - or anyone other than his fans and Varis - thought of him that it hadn’t crossed his mind.

Crossing his arms, he paused to consider. Eris had technically been mentioned, but was that really about him? He’d been a name in a list during a rampage, and Aaron doubted it was any more personal than the fact that Eris happened to be Max’s vampire. “The clone was angry at vampires in general,” he admitted. “It did mention you, but Princess Ryner too; I think it was just pulling out the names of vampires Max knew to be important rather than targeting anyone personally. And for the record, I think it was quite exaggerated. I think it just wanted to get me angry.”

Right, Sunny did mention that. Oh well, he’d have to do some investigating on his own time, he supposed. Eris nodded in understanding, rolling back his shoulders, though he couldn’t quite hold himself back as he leaned in towards Sunny. “Oh? Does that mean you have a soft spot for me?” He teased slightly. “I’m flattered.”

Rather than reply, Aaron smiled sheepishly and looked away, the sort of bashful display he knew Eris was partial to. He liked to think he had the actor more or less figured out by now, specifically that humouring him was more efficient than rebuffing his little advances if one wanted to get away. “Well, I had better get going,” he stated, hinting that Eris should get moving too, and gave him a polite bow. “Enjoy your evening, Sir.”

Ha, he was adorable. Eris couldn’t help but chuckle, giving Sunny a nod. Once the two had taken maybe two steps, though, he whirled around, hooking two fingers into Sunny’s collar and stopping him. Couldn’t quite let him get away that easily, now could he? For once, however, he had no intention of bothering the mage any further.

“Ah, before I forget, I did have an itsy little favor I hoped you’d listen to,” Eris got right to it, deciding not to waste any more time. “I know it’s not my place to ask, but I’d appreciate it if you two got along. He’s rough around the edges, but I think he’s lonely. Everyone can use a friend, right?”

Luckily his shirt collar had a bit of stretch, but Aaron still hooked back when he was grabbed, allowing Eris to pull him back in. However, the invasive touch or flirty remark he was expecting never came.

Aaron was taken aback for a moment, both by Eris’ unexpected restraint and his favour. Getting along with Max was already one of his duties to Varis, so no conflict of interest there, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised Eris wanted it too. He figured he’d always wanted the two of them to get along on some superficial level, sure, but this time, he was trying to find Max a friend. Honestly, Aaron wasn’t sure what to think. All this talk of Max had him thinking that maybe he’d misjudged the vampire; maybe he cared more for his ‘little ones’ than he let on.

Offering a more genuine smile, Aaron bowed again in acknowledgement. “Quite right,” he replied smoothly, “I’ll do my best to warm him up a bit.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Eris beamed cheerfully, patting the blonde’s shoulder. Once he had bowed and gone on his way, Eris made a mental note to lay off the teasing for a little--at the very least he should be rewarded for being so cooperative--but then again, with how he planned on tonight’s events going, there was a possibility they wouldn’t be seeing one another for a while.

Unpocketing the key he had been given some time ago, Eris clasped the thin chain he had looped through it and spun it around, whistling nonchalantly as he arrived at the door. Time to hit this night’s kneecaps with a sledgehammer. Sliding the key into the lock, he took a moment to mentally compose himself, a glint in his eye as he went ahead and opened the door, closing it behind him. He strode in like he owned the place, eyes attentive to where the redhead would be. He stopped at the doorway, eyebrows furrowed as he readied himself. If he left in one piece then mission accomplished. Otherwise...

"We need to talk," Eris stated his arrival, crossing his arms.

---

Encountering a wild @Obscene Symphony on the way to break @Achronum's kneecaps.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

What the hell?

For the first time in what felt like a really long time, Eris was genuinely stunned. Not in the sense of a pleasant surprise or receiving some bad news, of course, but it had been some time since anyone had managed to actually leave the vampire speechless. Of course, even if Eris had wanted to say anything, Max slamming the door had promptly ended the conversation. The blonde stood there for a few seconds, completely dumbfounded as his brain tried to wrap itself around what just happened.

The kid pitching a fit wasn't something Eris had expected, sure, but what really surprised him was that for just the tiniest moment, he felt bad. Alienating Max wasn't exactly something that Eris had planned for--and he remained true that he sooner expected the kid to stab him in the back sooner than later--but he felt like he had done something wrong. That he had said the wrong thing and there was going to be a lot of work done to fix it. Now that was a thought, him having to fix something between himself and a mage. No, no way, this was not his fault. Was it? Did he feel guilt over a mage? No! Why was he even giving this a second guess?! What was wrong with him?!

The frustration in him seemed to hit its limit, the vampire shaking with rage before he lifted his fist, only stopping himself at the last second from breaking down the door. Of course, he only avoided that by slamming his fist against the wall instead, but details. With a huff, Eris spun on his heel and had to consciously stop himself from stomping back to his room. Peeling off his dirty clothes, he focused on taking a quick, cold shower. He needed to get his shit together, going into a conversation with a Sinnenodel at anything less than one hundred percent capacity was as stupid as leaving the curtains open on a sunny day.

Fortunately, the icy water soothed him, hitting a few aches and attacking a stiffness he didn't know he had. Alright, now that he had calmed himself down a little, he needed to strategize. In hindsight, agreeing to see one another wasn't the best course of action, he should have declined and remained quiet, make the count come to him. Then again, Varis coming to him happened so little that it would probably take weeks for that to happen. He needed to spin this around, he needed to divert the attention away from him and pin the blame solely on the vampire. Which was easy, he fucking admitted he didn't care about anyone. How dare he lead him on like that! The thought nearly caused Eris to burn up again, but the coolness of the shower kept him grounded.

Exiting the shower, Eris took a moment to stare at the bruise, letting out a small groan. His perfect skin was marred by such an ugly thing, and it wasn't even stylish enough to pass as a tattoo. Maybe it would go away in a few days' time? He winced a little as he remembered Not-Varis biting into his skin, his fingers tracing the mark once more. Maybe telling Max to find out about it was the wrong move, if Eris himself had no idea, how could a kid with no resources find out anything?

Catching himself, Eris dropped his arms as he let his head hang, slowly bringing it up as he turned towards the bathroom mirror. "You need to get your shit together," He warned his reflection. "Focus on the now. Everything else will follow." He slicked his hair back and away from his face, relieved that at least it felt like its usual silky smoothness. Once he dried himself, he threw on a pair of slacks and opted for a long sleeved shirt. At the very least the mark was additionally hidden by his watch, so as long as he didn't draw any attention to it, it shouldn't be noticeable to anyone.

With a makeshift plan in mind, Eris exited his room, stopping only to double check his reflection in the hallway mirror. A tiny whine caught his attention, and he looked down at Maxie pawing at Max's door. There was that stupid feeling in his chest again telling him that he should probably at least try to say something. Yeah, he'd try to apologize and then he'd end up with Max's foot on his neck. Like he would ever let anyone have a hold on him.

And yet Eris stood there, staring at the door.

After about a minute, Eris tore himself away, fully intending on walking out, but he stopped again. Despite knowing it wouldn't do anything and despite his head yet again arguing that he should just go, he just couldn't for some reason. But he wasn't going to stand outside Max's door waiting for the kid to open up, no, he wasn't going to disrespect himself that much. Instead, he walked over to his study, grabbing a piece of his stationary and a pen. He didn't really think too hard on what to write, if only because he was only willing to write one word. He still felt like it was stupid and pointless, if he kid didn't hate him before, then he certainly did now.

Folding the paper in half, Eris walked back to Max's door, carefully sliding it underneath.

Eris' Note

Maxie let out another whine, but Eris only patted her head for a few seconds before standing up. At least now he didn't feel so bad. Now he could focus. Eris left the dorm and began the walk to the Sinnenodel dorm, carefully articulating a plan for the uncomfortable conversation he was going to have.

---

Leaving @Scribe of Thoth behind and heading to @Achronum's dorm.

Of Blood and Magic

---

---

Did Eris look like an amateur? Now he was actually offended at the kid's words, openly rolling his eyes. Couldn't see the forest for the trees, could he? As if this was the first time he was going to get information out of someone--did he look like an idiot to him? Actually, he wasn't going to dwell on that one, he already knew Max's opinion of him was low enough as it was.

"Must you always assume I'm incompetent?" He voiced his annoyance, shaking his head in disbelief. "Believe it or not, I'm a man of many talents--information gathering is one of them. I don't leave everything to my mages, unlike some cocky vampires." He scoffed, crossing his arms as he gave Max an annoyed look. Of course, now that he said that, he could feel his unease bubbling under his chest. His mojo was all sorts of off tonight, he wasn't going to recover, but he wasn't really in the mood to care right now. And if he was honest, he'd rather not give the kid the assignment, but he was stretched thin as it was.

That said, however, he decided to make an attempt at clearing the air between them. It was a strange whim since he didn't really lose any sleep over what his own mage thought of him, but something he said seemed to rub him the wrong way. "And if I state the obvious, it's because there's no trust between us. For all I know, you can turn tail and rat me out at any moment," He continued. "Your spite paints you as the first culprit if anything were to happen to me and I'm half expecting you to try to stake me the second I let my guard down."

Fortunately everything that was revealed so far could be dismissed as Eris talking nonsense and having taken the test too seriously, but still. Now was as good a chance to say everything that needed to be said, he supposed.

---

Getting to the bottom of this with @Scribe of Thoth.

Persona ~ The Beholder

---

---

"Cara, ¡vamonos!"

The brunette ignored both the whining and the constant tugging at her pants, more focused on the stove in front of her. She had zoned out for a moment, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose as she squeezed her eyes shut. Ugh, she was still tired, she hated having weird dreams like that. That's what she got for listening to weird podcasts during her workouts. The only good thing that came out of it was the image of the sea, but even that hadn't been a good thing, the place had been downright weird. When she wanted to be on a boat, she wanted clear skies and warm weather, not a trip to the Antarctic.

Cara stifled a yawn, letting out a yelp as her shirt started getting tugged on. "Mi'ja, por favor, leave my clothes alone," She said, throwing a look down at her cousin. "I'm cooking as fast as I can!"

Said girl, a ten year old named Esperanza pouted, releasing Cara's shirt as she crossed her arms. At the very least she was dressed in her uniform and had gotten ready on her own, but boy was she impatient. Cara knew to expect some resistance after the move, but she had been hoping she would settle down by now. Or at the very least learn the schedule they've been working on.

Esperanza ran a hand over her ponytail, looking away as she heard a giggle coming from the kitchen table. She let out a huff, running over to what she had hoped was a more sympathetic ear. "Julietta, no quiero llegar tarde otra vez..." She stuck out her lower lip, trying to gain some needed sympathy. "Vamonos."

Cara's younger sister, Juliet, was checking Esperanza's brightly colored backpack, going over the contents of a folder. The girl wasn't as tall as Cara was, though they looked a lot alike. She was usually the calmer of the two, although she seemed to always just go along with whatever. Fortunately for Esperanza, Juliet was a little kinder, patting her head. "We can't leave without our lunch, right?" She replied, putting everything away before looking at her seriously. "We won't be late. Okay?"

Esperanza deflated visibly but nodded, choosing to take a seat at the table and glare at Cara. Cara herself sighed, turning everything off before turning around and sticking her tongue out at the kid. "We're late one time because apparently driving in a car around here is something only masochists do and she holds it against me," She muttered, shaking her head as she hurried through packing lunches. "I learned my lesson, don't have a car in England."

"Not like we do much better with your bike," Juliet teased her lightly, walking over to help speed things up. "Maybe we can get a sidecar for it and sell the car."

"I don't know, I'm fine riding it with you, but I don't think that's safe for Anza," Cara disagreed with the idea. "But it's fine, our little system is working. She's been using the bus since school started and doesn't seem so nervous about it anymore, so..." She finished cramming food into the small plastic containers, stuffing two of them into a backpack.

Juliet glanced at the clock, grabbing the single container and quickly putting it into Esperanza's backpack. "Ya viene el autobús, ven," She said, much to the girl's delight as she eagerly slipped her backpack on and went running to the door. Juliet herself took a shoulder bag and Cara's backpack in hand. "I'll wait for you in the garage."

"Right behind you," Cara yawned again, fighting the urge to scratch her cheek as she cleaned up. She really did need to wake up, though, putting the weird dream at the back of her head as she finished up and went outside. She locked the door behind her in time to wave Esperanza off, watching the bus pull away before joining Juliet. She noticed that she was looking at something in the distance, and she squinted as she tried to find what Juliet was looking at. "Uh...what's up?" She ended up asking after not seeing anything.

"I thought I saw a raven," Juliet slowly replied, reluctant to look away as she slowly backed up. "It was really close...I wonder what it's doing all the way over here?"

"Probably curious or something," Cara didn't find it nearly as fascinating, instead lightly pulling Juliet to the motorcycle. By now she was pretty sure she knew the way to the university well enough without a GPS, so the pair got on their helmets and took off on Cara's motorcycle. The drive was fortunately uneventful, the traffic only making Cara regret the ride only three times instead of the occasional dozen. Once she had found the agreed-upon 'parking' with the too-pricey carpark, the duo walked the rest of the way to the campus.

"So, do you know where anything is, or am I going to have to find it on my own?" Juliet asked as she looked around curiously.

"The place has a decent layout, it's not too hard to find anything so long as you go to the right building," Cara replied, pausing as she thought she saw a familiar face among a small group of people.

"Hm?" Juliet stopped as well, looking at the group. "Friends of yours?"

"One of them is," Cara replied as she spotted Adonna.

Juliet followed her gaze for a moment. "Why don't you go catch up? I'll be fine, I'll see if I can ask a professor or a faculty member for help," She suggested.

Cara whipped her head back to look at her, frowning. "You sure you want to go alone?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm not really sure I'm ready to be social yet," She admitted quietly, giving her sister a shrug. "It's fine. I'll see you later."

"Espera--" To her surprise, Juliet simply flashed her a smile before taking off in a hurry, leaving Cara in the dust. Maybe she was smothering her too much and needed to get away. Oh well, she was sure if she needed help she'd find it.

For now, Cara decided to approach Adonna, hanging around for a second as she looked at the group. It looked like they were doing something with cards, but she wasn't sure what. She did notice the apprehensive look on Adonna's face, though. Not that it was any of her business, she should probably be polite and wait to greet her. After a few seconds, however, she lost patience and tapped the taller girl on the shoulder. "Hey, long time no see!" She greeted her with enthusiasm. "Wanna walk to class together?"

---

Greeting @Kal