Obscene Symphony

💟 An RPG Valentine 💟

@Hero Well motherfucker now you're makin' me look bad!

jk bb you know you make it hurt so good

Obscene's Scratchpad

_{Interacting with: [Achronum]}

Obscene's Scratchpad

Of Blood and Magic

_{Interacting with: @Hero in @Achronum’s house.}

The ride to the noble dorms from the general ones wasn’t too long, but it gave Aaron more than enough time to start worrying. He wasn’t drowsy like Salem had been; drained, maybe, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever sleep again. All he could think about once Salem was gone was Varis’ hand around his throat, the Count’s words echoing through his head.

No wonder your House threw you away. Maybe I should do the same.

He tried to push them out of his mind, them and all the fears they dredged up, with a few deep breaths as the car came to a stop at the Sinnenodel gate. Through the window, Aaron noticed someone waiting by the door, though to his considerable relief, it wasn’t Varis. Just a woman in an Academy uniform, patiently waiting as he stepped out of the car and thanked the driver.

Aaron was grateful for the cool night air as he walked up the path, focusing on the chill on his skin to tear his mind away from what Varis had said. He looked around, too, finding the cul-de-sac mercifully deserted. The lights at the Eve dorm next door were on, but the next house over, the Marivaldi house, was dark; upon closer inspection, Aaron found that not only were the lights off, but the doors and windows were actually boarded up. Varis’ mention of the Marivaldi Countess and the Red Hand sprang to mind, and a chill snuck up Aaron’s spine. The thought that he’d spent the day before sleeping two doors down from a rebel infiltrator was a disturbing one, and though he took comfort in the speed at which it was dealt with, the fact that a rebel agent had managed to get into the Academy at all was more than enough to keep Aaron on his toes.

When he reached the door, the woman waiting for him gave him a sort of sympathetic smile and pulled a ring of keys from her belt, flipping through to one in particular. She used it to unlock the front door just as Aaron noticed the label of ‘groundskeeper’ on her uniform. Right. He didn’t have a key, and apparently Princess Ryner knew that.

He frowned slightly, remembering her familiar manner with Varis. Apparently she knew lots of things.

He smiled and thanked the groundskeeper once the door was open, turning to give the driver a wave as he stepped inside. When he closed the door behind him, he was plunged once more into silence.

What was my one instruction tonight? Was I not clear enough for you?

Taking a deep breath, he set his shoes aside neatly and continued inside, stopping when he glanced into the study. Stepping in, he was reminded of the night’s earlier events by the paper shreds littering his desk. He picked up a handful of them, examining the torn snippets of his handwriting.

Unable to even brush my expectations, apparently.

Aaron shook his head, gathering the shreds and disposing of them, making sure the desk and floor were clean. He put the pen and pad back in the drawer, clearing everything away. Pristine. Like nothing ever happened.

He moved to tug his ear, fingers once more finding the gold cuff that had been fastened there. Varis’ cuff. Right. Aaron figured he’d be wanting that back, especially after the night’s events. That and everything else the Count had leant him. He pulled it off gingerly and wiped any fingerprints away with the hem of his shirt, placing it on Varis’ desk before doing the same with the necklace. The tie he also removed, smoothing it flat with his fingers before rolling it neatly and placing it with the rest. Everything else belonged to him, and though he was tempted to straighten it all up now that he was alone, he didn’t want to push his luck any further than he already had.

He slid his ring onto his finger, spinning it gratefully as he made his way to his room. He collected the towel from where he’d left it and hung it up neatly in the bathroom to dry, eyeing the empty door frames as he passed them. He hoped he’d get a chance to ask what that was about, but after his performance tonight, he wasn’t sure he would. Not for at least a little while, anyway.

As he looked around the bathroom for something more to clean, he caught his reflection above the sink, once more taken aback by how different his face looked. Running his fingers through his hair, he almost shivered at the texture, the product Varis had added making it feel entirely different to his natural hair. And apparently it was stubborn, too, because try as he might to move it into its usual place, his hair kept on trying to fall back into the style Varis had given him. He was tempted to get into the shower and wash it out, but he had no idea when Varis would be returning, and he was loath to be caught in the shower when he got there.

Leaning forward on the bathroom counter, Aaron looked more closely at his eyes, examining the line Varis had drawn around them. He still couldn’t get over how big an effect it had. Absently he rubbed at one eye, frowning when the colour didn’t move. Hopefully it would wash off. As he stared at his eyes in the mirror, his mind flashed back to that poor mage girl’s eyes, sunken and burned and hellish and painful-looking.

He trained Vanessa here for us quite nicely...

Aaron felt his pulse quicken as a spike of fear shot through him. Good lord, what had happened to that girl? Had Varis done that to her? The Count had told him that he disapproved of physical punishment, that he used it only as a last resort, but he seemed content to drag Aaron around by the neck and slam him onto tables just for breaking rank. And that had just been what he was willing to do in public, in front of the Princess no less. What awaited him when Varis came home? He wouldn’t forget the bite in the Count’s voice, his grip around his throat, the enraged trembling of his hand… what more of his ire had Aaron drawn?

Can't even bother to remember three damn feet? Three feet! Pathetic.

Drawing a shaky breath, Aaron forced himself to turn away from the mirror, moving back into his room. He couldn’t think like that. He’d drive himself crazy. But the image kept working its way into his mind, as well as a million other awful possibilities. Repeatedly, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He hadn’t just screwed up, he hadn’t just broken rank, he had actually disobeyed his master. He had a clear instruction, and he ignored it, rushing to his aunt without thinking. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d done something so foolish. But Dora’s wailing had troubled him so fiercely, and he’d been so worried and scared, in that moment he felt as if there was nothing else he could have done.

But that was no excuse, now, was it?

Try as he might to calm down and think of other things, all Aaron’s mind kept returning to were the endless possibilities of what would happen to him when the Count walked through that door. What should he do when Varis got back? Stand at attention and weather whatever was coming for him? Throw himself on his knees at the Count’s mercy? No, no what he would do was exactly what he was told, and hope against hope that there was some chance for redemption. Not that he deserved it. Good lord, Aaron was just as disgusted with himself as Varis probably was. Night two with a new master and he had already made a mess of it.

Pacing the floor, Aaron made himself leave his room, going through the rest of the house in search of something, anything, to occupy himself with. But everything was spotless, nothing out of place. He spun his ring like a madman, trying and failing to direct his thoughts elsewhere. But the anticipation was killing him; growing up he’d never been made to wait for a punishment, everything was swift and painful and over with immediately. Now, he didn’t even know how much time he had left to wait, imagination running wild, uncertainty driving him mad, jumping at every little sound thinking it was Varis home to finish what he’d started. Aaron’s heart thundered in his chest, waves of nausea washing over him, and he hadn’t even noticed how shallow his breathing had become until he started to get dizzy.

Forcing a few deep breaths, Aaron rushed back to the bathroom as another wave of nausea hit him, catching himself on the edge of the counter as he clenched his jaw, waiting for it to subside. When he looked back into the mirror he saw that he had gone pale, and spikes of golden light glowed under his skin along the branches of his veins, pulsing frantically with the urgent clip of his heart. Grimacing at his reflection, Aaron practically tore off his ring, and the bizarre light show under his skin subsided, leaving only a mess of a mundane man in the mirror.

Grasping at a moment of clarity, he glared at his reflection. This had to stop. If he kept up like this, he would pass out. He needed a distraction. Marching back into his room, Aaron sat on his bed, waiting a moment for the room to stop swimming before searching through his pillows for his phone. When the screen came to life, he saw he had a new message from Lilie, received sometime while he’d been out.

> Hey, um, your instructor is here? There's a lot of guards here outside as well. If I find out more I'll let you know, but I have no idea what's going on.

Aaron furrowed his brow at the message. Was that where Lucan had went?

> Hey, sorry, I just got home. Also, weird. Where is ‘here’?

Aaron didn’t have to wait long for a reply, phone buzzing in his hand as he laid back against his pillows, breathing beginning to slow now that he had something to figure out.

> In the cul-de-sac, but they're all gone now. Someone got arrested, the princess was here, too! I thought I was going to pass out Dx

Aaron’s eyebrows shot up, re-reading the message a few times. Lucan, guards and presumably Princess Nox in a cul-de-sac? With the Marivaldi dorm boarded up and talk of a rebel infiltrator? Lilie must have seen them taking care of the situation, and now the house was probably being investigated. But Lilie seemed none the wiser, and he didn’t want to scare her. The royal family probably wanted to keep the whole situation quiet anyway, lest people start to panic. The message did, however, give Aaron an idea.

> Oh, wow. Must have been a big deal. Freaky!
> Wait, what cul-de-sac? Where the noble dorms are?

Conversation, if you care about these nerd children

> Yeah
> OH
> I live there, forgot to mention that since most of the students are in the public dorms
> Since I'm rooming with Mariette
> Not rooming, sorry, I'm her mage or whatever

Aaron almost laughed at her nonchalant attitude, thankful in the back of his mind for the distraction. Not to mention that his mood lifted a bit to hear that Lilie lived in his general vicinity.

> Pretty much how being a mage works around here, haha.
> I live there too! In the Sinnenodel dorm, second from the right!
> Mariette? Which family?

> OH WOW!! WE'RE NEIGHBORS!!! :D
> I'm right next door! At the Eve dorm!

Aaron cracked a smile reading the message. Something about the way Lilie wrote was just so... endearing. He could just see that gorgeous smile of hers, and he was thrilled to think she might be as excited as he was to hear they were neighbours, taking a second to dwell on it before he replied.

> Oh wow, what a coincidence!
> I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other then.

Aaron frowned slightly, realizing he sort of just ended their conversation. But he didn’t want to end it there, so after a second of thought, added,

> What does your class schedule look like?

He was almost anxious watching the little indicator that said Lilie was typing, filled with disproportionate anticipation as he waited for her reply.

> I have Affinity Mastery in the Rose Hall, then Treaty Law in the Vilbrek Hall, then Lunch, then Spell Theory in the Rose Hall, then Self Defense at the Arena
> Hbu?

Aaron read over the list a few times before flipping through to his photos app and looking at the picture he’d taken of his own schedule, delightedly finding that he and Lilie shared a few classes. Anxiously typing his reply, he shifted so he was sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning his elbows on his knees. The acronym at the end confused him, but a second of thought made him feel like an idiot when he figured out what it meant.

> ???
> OH I get it, heh.
> Hey, I have Treaty Law in Vilbrek too! And Spell Theory in Rose! And I think everyone has Self Defence in the Arena. I’ll be interested to see what they teach in that one.

> I'm more interested in learning my affinity. And magic! Real magic!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Aaron almost laughed out loud at the little text picture Lilie had used, never having seen anything like it. It was ridiculous and adorable, a welcome change to his night.

> Your affinity is water, isn’t it? That’s magic! Though I’m excited to get into arcane magic too. I’ve had some aspect tutoring but so far arcane spells are still beyond me, haha.

> Well yeah but
> I don't know if I'll be any good at it

Aaron’s brow furrowed. Lilie had been getting down on her affinity earlier, and he hadn’t liked it then, either. She was just beginning, as most of them were. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

> Oh, so you’re basically in the same boat as literally everyone else. :P

> That's not what I meant! >:T

> I’m sure you’ll be fine! There’s a learning curve to everything, right?

> that's really nice of you to say but
> nvm
> sorry, I feel a little overwhelmed by everything

Oh boy, wasn’t that the truth. Lilie’s words hit Aaron pretty forcefully, a touch of fear creeping back up on him. He’d been feeling overwhelmed since he’d first gotten the news of his attendance at the Academy, and though he thought he had come to terms with it, it still managed to sneak into the recesses of his mind when he let his guard down. Not to mention the doubt and uncertainty that came with it, that came with serving a new master whose rules were a mystery and who he had brazenly disobeyed--

Aaron took a breath. He didn’t need to work himself up again, instead turning his thoughts back to his conversation.

> Yeah, me too I guess.
> But I hear that’s normal, isn’t it? You know, big changes, new place, new people.
> Pairing system probably freaks some people out, but that’s life! Hopefully they’ll adjust quickly.
> I’m sure you’ll be okay ^_^

> That means a lot to me
> Thanks ♡
> OH OH OH SO
> I think I'm cursed because my vampire left. Twice.

Aaron didn’t even have a chance to feel giddy at Lilie’s little heart before shocked confusion struck him. A vampire leaving their mage? What? Twice? What did that even mean?

> Really? What happened??
> What like they just left you alone? Or they’re literally gone?

Aaron tried not to start panicking again as Lilie seemed to type forever, keeping focused on the topic at hand.

> the lady that came for me was an Eve. Arianna chose to leave the Academy, and another Eve named Ikelos came. But after we met, I went out to try to find you and Salem. I ran into one of our neighbors, then this countess came and said Ike left. He gave me a letter but it didn't say why he left.
> and this Mariette is
> I dont know what to make of her
> She said some weird stuff and she read my diary!!! >:[

Well, that was complicated. Not to mention that hearing her vampire had read Lilie’s diary didn’t sit very well with Aaron. Sure, his own vampire had gone through his things and watched him in the shower, but in Aaron’s head, it seemed different. Like Varis’ approach was technical, taking stock of everything to do with his mage rather than needlessly invading his privacy. Not that Aaron was particularly thrilled about it, but he was more bothered at the thought of a similar invasion happening to Lilie. Hopefully nothing beyond diary-reading had occurred, though of course, it wasn’t his place to interfere.

> Oh wow
> A lot to unpack there
> But I’d say talk to her about it? It’s not really appropriate for me to speak on that, heh.

> ¬_¬
> Idk about that
> I'll tell you more about it tomorrow
> More importantly, what happened with you? You said you had to go right? What happened?

Aaron almost grimaced at the question, immediately growing uncomfortable as the night’s events flashed through his head. He definitely didn’t want to start spiraling into dread again, and he didn’t want to go voicing what had happened either, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give Lilie the basics. Hopefully they could move off the topic quickly.

> Oh, right.
> My master

Aaron paused a minute, frowning at the cursor blinking in his message field before deleting the word. Lilie didn’t seem accustomed to things yet, he didn’t want to freak her out.

> My partner and I had to go to an important thing, he needed me to come home and get ready.
> Actually, Salem was there too! Though I guess that makes sense, since he’s Lucan’s mage.

> im so happy you saw him!! I was so scared that he would be mad
> at least you guys got to spend more time together

Yeah, it had been a real treat.

> I had to stay in an office like a child that got reprimanded >.<
> so what did you guys end up doing together?

He thought a moment before replying, content to keep his answer perfectly generic in hopes that the topic would change.

> A meeting with the Queen and Princess Ryner as well as Lady Sinnenodel. Kind of a big deal! No wonder Count Varis pulled me away early.

Obscene's Scratchpad

Aaron Mr. Martin
Adele
Varis

Obscene's Scratchpad

Aftermath

_{Interacting with: @Trainerblue192 @Obscene Symphony}

The two mages got into the car quietly, silence stretching between them as the car rumbled down the drive and into the darkness. Aaron wasn’t sure what to do with himself, struggling not to put his clothes and hair in order and settling for staring at the window, glaring at his own, foreign reflection. His leg jumped a feverish rhythm, but otherwise, he was still.

Salem sat in silence, staring out the opposite window of Aaron. Every once in a while he would steal some glances of him out of the corner of his eye, a knot began to build in his stomach. Is this how all the students would be? Lilie? Lucan? The silence of the ride was broken by Salem as a long sigh made it's way through his lips. He adjusted his posture to now face Aaron and gently tapped above his knee. "Look, can we talk?” his voice was calm, almost sad, and quiet.

Aaron glanced toward Salem when he spoke, quirking an eyebrow. He hadn't really been expecting much more out of him. “Sure,” he replied, sounding more exhausted than anything.

Ok. Here it goes. Salem straightened a bit before speaking. "I know tonight was...less than ideal, and I hope that it doesn't affect us moving forward. I would like to be able to stay friendly with you and Lilie, and maybe…” his voice trailed off as he looked out Aaron's window and back at him, shaking his head softly.

Aaron listened, and was quiet, looking down at his knees. Quite a first impression he must have left, to be making amends with his first friend mere hours after meeting him.

After a moment, he nodded. “I’d like that,” he concurred, looking over to Salem more properly. He smirked a little despite himself. “This is all rather new to me,” he chuckled.

"I can see that” he mused back "But I must admit...being a guest at any party tends to bring out the worst in me. Why do you think I purposely missed the opening ceremonies?”

Aaron tipped his head in agreement, shaking his head. “Yeah,” he agreed, still smirking, “I’m a little more used to carrying trays and fading into the background myself.”

An awkward silence fell onto the car once more as Salem searched for the words to say. "Dont, take this, the wrong way, but, I hope maybe sometime...you could see me half of the story.” Salem looked down, unsure if what he said was ok or not, but he hoped he wouldn't be pushing a possible prospect away.

Aaron drummed his fingers on the car door for a moment, staring ahead. “Salem, I’m wearing eye… pencil, or something, and all-" he gestured to himself, "-this. I suppose I could be open to one more bizarre thing.” He laughed a little to himself, but grew somewhat more serious when he looked back to Salem. “But all the same, maybe at some point you’ll understand my point of view.” He shrugged tiredly, letting his head fall back onto the headrest. “I guess we’ll see.”

Salem chuckled at as he Aaron struggling for the word ‘eye liner’, his amusement went someone silent as Aaron changed the tables on him. Seeing his side? What is there to see? Fair is fair however… an exhausted sigh and groan left him as he allowed his body to collapse and schlump onto Aaron, resting his head on his shoulder and closing his eyes. "We will see sunspot. We will see. For now, I need a damn nap. Too much excitement for one day”

Aaron couldn't help but laugh, shoulders shaking as he dropped his head. “I see Lucan has his work cut out for him,” he managed to chuckle out, heaving a big sigh and closing his own eyes as he collapsed back onto the headrest. “Good lord…”

The ride stretched on in a somewhat more comfortable silence for a few more minutes before the car pulled up in front of the regular dorms, pulling to a stop at Salem’s door. The driver stepped out, opening Salem’s door and beckoning him to exit.

Salem opened his eyes groggily as he wiped away the sleep from his eyes. He waved at Aaron goodbye as he left and headed towards his dormitory. He stopped for a moment, turned around and went back to the car pulling out his phone ”Hey, can I have your number? For real this time?”

“Oh,” Aaron patted his pockets, only to remember that his phone was sunk somewhere in the pillows on his bed at his dorm. “Yeah, sure,” he replied, taking Salem's phone and adding his number to the bottom of their former conversation. He paused for a second, frowning at the messages, before handing the phone back to Salem.

“Hey, tell Lucan to check his phone, would you?” He asked as Salem left, only half-joking.

"Sure thing, if I ever see him. Mans more aloof than Carmen Sandiego.” Salem proceeded to walk into his new room, taking comfort to see his good friend cricket waiting for him.

Aaron waved lazily as Salem left, watching him as he made his way into his dorm. Only once Salem had closed his door behind him did the driver pull away, turning in the direction of the noble dorms.

Thermonuclear Magic: A World War II Fantasy

Man, are any of you still here? Remember how kickass this RP concept was?

Obscene's Scratchpad

_{Interacting with: @Hero in @Achronum’s house.}

The ride to the noble dorms from the general ones wasn’t too long, but it gave Aaron more than enough time to start worrying. He wasn’t drowsy like Salem had been; drained, maybe, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever sleep again. All he could think about once Salem was gone was Varis’ hand around his throat, the Count’s words echoing through his head.

No wonder your House threw you away. Maybe I should do the same.

He tried to push them out of his mind, them and all the fears they dredged up, with a few deep breaths as the car came to a stop at the Sinnenodel gate. Through the window, Aaron noticed someone waiting by the door, though to his considerable relief, it wasn’t Varis. Just a woman in an Academy uniform, patiently waiting as he stepped out of the car and thanked the driver.

Aaron was grateful for the cool night air as he walked up the path, focusing on the chill on his skin to tear his mind away from what Varis had said. He looked around, too, finding the cul-de-sac mercifully deserted. The lights at the Eve dorm next door were on, but the next house over, the Marivaldi house, was dark; upon closer inspection, Aaron found that not only were the lights off, but the doors and windows were actually boarded up. Varis’ mention of the Marivaldi Countess and the Red Hand sprang to mind, and a chill snuck up Aaron’s spine. The thought that he’d spent the day before sleeping two doors down from a rebel infiltrator was a disturbing one, and though he took comfort in the speed at which it was dealt with, the fact that a rebel agent had managed to get into the Academy at all was more than enough to keep Aaron on his toes.

When he reached the door, the woman waiting for him gave him a sort of sympathetic smile and pulled a ring of keys from her belt, flipping through to one in particular. She used it to unlock the front door just as Aaron noticed the label of ‘groundskeeper’ on her uniform. Right. He didn’t have a key, and apparently Princess Ryner knew that.

He frowned slightly, remembering her familiar manner with Varis. Apparently she knew lots of things.

He smiled and thanked the groundskeeper once the door was open, turning to give the driver a wave as he stepped inside. When he closed the door behind him, he was plunged once more into silence.

What was my one instruction tonight? Was I not clear enough for you?

Taking a deep breath, he set his shoes aside neatly and continued inside, stopping when he glanced into the study. Stepping in, he was reminded of the night’s earlier events by the paper shreds littering his desk. He picked up a handful of them, examining the torn snippets of his handwriting.

Unable to even brush my expectations, apparently.

Aaron shook his head, gathering the shreds and disposing of them, making sure the desk and floor were clean. He put the pen and pad back in the drawer, clearing everything away. Pristine. Like nothing ever happened.

He moved to tug his ear, fingers once more finding the gold cuff that had been fastened there. Varis’ cuff. Right. Aaron figured he’d be wanting that back, especially after the night’s events. That and everything else the Count had leant him. He pulled it off gingerly and wiped any fingerprints away with the hem of his shirt, placing it on Varis’ desk before doing the same with the necklace. The tie he also removed, smoothing it flat with his fingers before rolling it neatly and placing it with the rest. Everything else belonged to him, and though he was tempted to straighten it all up now that he was alone, he didn’t want to push his luck any further than he already had.

He slid his ring onto his finger, spinning it gratefully as he made his way to his room. He collected the towel from where he’d left it and hung it up neatly in the bathroom to dry, eyeing the empty door frames as he passed them. He hoped he’d get a chance to ask what that was about, but after his performance tonight, he wasn’t sure he would. Not for at least a little while, anyway.

As he looked around the bathroom for something more to clean, he caught his reflection above the sink, once more taken aback by how different his face looked. Running his fingers through his hair, he almost shivered at the texture, the product Varis had added making it feel entirely different to his natural hair. And apparently it was stubborn, too, because try as he might to move it into its usual place, his hair kept on trying to fall back into the style Varis had given him. He was tempted to get into the shower and wash it out, but he had no idea when Varis would be returning, and he was loath to be caught in the shower when he got there.

Leaning forward on the bathroom counter, Aaron looked more closely at his eyes, examining the line Varis had drawn around them. He still couldn’t get over how big an effect it had. Absently he rubbed at one eye, frowning when the colour didn’t move. Hopefully it would wash off. As he stared at his eyes in the mirror, his mind flashed back to that poor mage girl’s eyes, sunken and burned and hellish and painful-looking.

He trained Vanessa here for us quite nicely...

Aaron felt his pulse quicken as a spike of fear shot through him. Good lord, what had happened to that girl? Had Varis done that to her? The Count had told him that he disapproved of physical punishment, that he used it only as a last resort, but he seemed content to drag Aaron around by the neck and slam him onto tables just for breaking rank. And that had just been what he was willing to do in public, in front of the Princess no less. What awaited him when Varis came home? He wouldn’t forget the bite in the Count’s voice, his grip around his throat, the enraged trembling of his hand… what more of his ire had Aaron drawn?

Can't even bother to remember three damn feet? Three feet! Pathetic.

Drawing a shaky breath, Aaron forced himself to turn away from the mirror, moving back into his room. He couldn’t think like that. He’d drive himself crazy. But the image kept working its way into his mind, as well as a million other awful possibilities. Repeatedly, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He hadn’t just screwed up, he hadn’t just broken rank, he had actually disobeyed his master. He had a clear instruction, and he ignored it, rushing to his aunt without thinking. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d done something so foolish. But Dora’s wailing had troubled him so fiercely, and he’d been so worried and scared, in that moment he felt as if there was nothing else he could have done.

But that was no excuse, now, was it?

Try as he might to calm down and think of other things, all Aaron’s mind kept returning to were the endless possibilities of what would happen to him when the Count walked through that door. What should he do when Varis got back? Stand at attention and weather whatever was coming for him? Throw himself on his knees at the Count’s mercy? No, no what he would do was exactly what he was told, and hope against hope that there was some chance for redemption. Not that he deserved it. Good lord, Aaron was just as disgusted with himself as Varis probably was. Night two with a new master and he had already made a mess of it.

Pacing the floor, Aaron made himself leave his room, going through the rest of the house in search of something, anything, to occupy himself with. But everything was spotless, nothing out of place. He spun his ring like a madman, trying and failing to direct his thoughts elsewhere. But the anticipation was killing him; growing up he’d never been made to wait for a punishment, everything was swift and painful and over with immediately. Now, he didn’t even know how much time he had left to wait, imagination running wild, uncertainty driving him mad, jumping at every little sound thinking it was Varis home to finish what he’d started. Aaron’s heart thundered in his chest, waves of nausea washing over him, and he hadn’t even noticed how shallow his breathing had become until he started to get dizzy.

Forcing a few deep breaths, Aaron rushed back to the bathroom as another wave of nausea hit him, catching himself on the edge of the counter as he clenched his jaw, waiting for it to subside. When he looked back into the mirror he saw that he had gone pale, and spikes of golden light glowed under his skin along the branches of his veins, pulsing frantically with the urgent clip of his heart. Grimacing at his reflection, Aaron practically tore off his ring, and the bizarre light show under his skin subsided, leaving only a mess of a mundane man in the mirror.

Grasping at a moment of clarity, he glared at his reflection. This had to stop. If he kept up like this, he would pass out. He needed a distraction. Marching back into his room, Aaron sat on his bed, waiting a moment for the room to stop swimming before searching through his pillows for his phone. When the screen came to life, he saw he had a new message from Lilie, received sometime while he’d been out.

> Hey, um, your instructor is here? There's a lot of guards here outside as well. If I find out more I'll let you know, but I have no idea what's going on.

Aaron furrowed his brow at the message. Was that where Lucan had went?

> Hey, sorry, I just got home. Also, weird. Where is ‘here’?

Aaron didn’t have to wait long for a reply, phone buzzing in his hand as he laid back against his pillows, breathing beginning to slow now that he had something to figure out.

> In the cul-de-sac, but they're all gone now. Someone got arrested, the princess was here, too! I thought I was going to pass out Dx

Aaron’s eyebrows shot up, re-reading the message a few times. Lucan, guards and presumably Princess Nox in a cul-de-sac? With the Marivaldi dorm boarded up and talk of a rebel infiltrator? Lilie must have seen them taking care of the situation, and now the house was probably being investigated. But Lilie seemed none the wiser, and he didn’t want to scare her. The royal family probably wanted to keep the whole situation quiet anyway, lest people start to panic. The message did, however, give Aaron an idea.

> Oh, wow. Must have been a big deal. Freaky!
> Wait, what cul-de-sac? Where the noble dorms are?

Conversation, if you care about these nerd children

> Yeah
> OH
> I live there, forgot to mention that since most of the students are in the public dorms
> Since I'm rooming with Mariette
> Not rooming, sorry, I'm her mage or whatever

Aaron almost laughed at her nonchalant attitude, thankful in the back of his mind for the distraction. Not to mention that his mood lifted a bit to hear that Lilie lived in his general vicinity.

> Pretty much how being a mage works around here, haha.
> I live there too! In the Sinnenodel dorm, farthest to the right!
> Mariette? Which family?

> OH WOW!! WE'RE NEIGHBORS!!! :D
> I'm right next door! At the Eve dorm!

Aaron cracked a smile reading the message. Something about the way Lilie wrote was just so... endearing. He could just see that gorgeous smile of hers, and he was thrilled to think she might be as excited as he was to hear they were neighbours, taking a second to dwell on it before he replied.

> Oh wow, what a coincidence!
> I guess we’ll be seeing more of each other then.

Aaron frowned slightly, realizing he sort of just ended their conversation. But he didn’t want to end it there, so after a second of thought, added,

> What does your class schedule look like?

He was almost anxious watching the little indicator that said Lilie was typing, filled with disproportionate anticipation as he waited for her reply.

> I have Affinity Mastery in the Rose Hall, then Treaty Law in the Vilbrek Hall, then Lunch, then Spell Theory in the Rose Hall, then Self Defense at the Arena
> Hbu?

Aaron read over the list a few times before flipping through to his photos app and looking at the picture he’d taken of his own schedule, delightedly finding that he and Lilie shared a few classes. Anxiously typing his reply, he shifted so he was sitting on the edge of his bed, leaning his elbows on his knees. The acronym at the end confused him, but a second of thought made him feel like an idiot when he figured out what it meant.

> ???
> OH I get it, heh.
> Hey, I have Treaty Law in Vilbrek too! And Spell Theory in Rose! And I think everyone has Self Defence in the Arena. I’ll be interested to see what they teach in that one.

> I'm more interested in learning my affinity. And magic! Real magic!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Aaron almost laughed out loud at the little text picture Lilie had used, never having seen anything like it. It was ridiculous and adorable, a welcome change to his night.

> Your affinity is water, isn’t it? That’s magic! Though I’m excited to get into arcane magic too. I’ve had some aspect tutoring but so far arcane spells are still beyond me, haha.

> Well yeah but
> I don't know if I'll be any good at it

Aaron’s brow furrowed. Lilie had been getting down on her affinity earlier, and he hadn’t liked it then, either. She was just beginning, as most of them were. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

> Oh, so you’re basically in the same boat as literally everyone else. :P

> That's not what I meant! >:T

> I’m sure you’ll be fine! There’s a learning curve to everything, right?

> that's really nice of you to say but
> nvm
> sorry, I feel a little overwhelmed by everything

Oh boy, wasn’t that the truth. Lilie’s words hit Aaron pretty forcefully, a touch of fear creeping back up on him. He’d been feeling overwhelmed since he’d first gotten the news of his attendance at the Academy, and though he thought he had come to terms with it, it still managed to sneak into the recesses of his mind when he let his guard down. Not to mention the doubt and uncertainty that came with it, that came with serving a new master whose rules were a mystery and who he had brazenly disobeyed--

Aaron took a breath. He didn’t need to work himself up again, instead turning his thoughts back to his conversation.

> Yeah, me too I guess.
> But I hear that’s normal, isn’t it? You know, big changes, new place, new people.
> Pairing system probably freaks some people out, but that’s life! Hopefully they’ll adjust quickly.
> I’m sure you’ll be okay ^_^

> That means a lot to me
> Thanks ♡
> OH OH OH SO
> I think I'm cursed because my vampire left. Twice.

Aaron didn’t even have a chance to feel giddy at Lilie’s little heart before shocked confusion struck him. A vampire leaving their mage? What? Twice? What did that even mean?

> Really? What happened??
> What like they just left you alone? Or they’re literally gone?

Aaron tried not to start panicking again as Lilie seemed to type forever, keeping focused on the topic at hand.

> the lady that came for me was an Eve. Arianna chose to leave the Academy, and another Eve named Ikelos came. But after we met, I went out to try to find you and Salem. I ran into one of our neighbors, then this countess came and said Ike left. He gave me a letter but it didn't say why he left.
> and this Mariette is
> I dont know what to make of her
> She said some weird stuff and she read my diary!!! >:[

Well, that was complicated. Not to mention that hearing her vampire had read Lilie’s diary didn’t sit very well with Aaron. Sure, his own vampire had gone through his things and watched him in the shower, but in Aaron’s head, it seemed different. Like Varis’ approach was technical, taking stock of everything to do with his mage rather than needlessly invading his privacy. Not that Aaron was particularly thrilled about it, but he was more bothered at the thought of a similar invasion happening to Lilie. Hopefully nothing beyond diary-reading had occurred, though of course, it wasn’t his place to interfere.

> Oh wow
> A lot to unpack there
> But I’d say talk to her about it? It’s not really appropriate for me to speak on that, heh.

> ¬_¬
> Idk about that
> I'll tell you more about it tomorrow
> More importantly, what happened with you? You said you had to go right? What happened?

Aaron almost grimaced at the question, immediately growing uncomfortable as the night’s events flashed through his head. He definitely didn’t want to start spiraling into dread again, and he didn’t want to go voicing what had happened either, but he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give Lilie the basics. Hopefully they could move off the topic quickly.

> Oh, right.
> My master

Aaron paused a minute, frowning at the cursor blinking in his message field before deleting the word. Lilie didn’t seem accustomed to things yet, he didn’t want to freak her out.

> My partner and I had to go to an important thing, he needed me to come home and get ready.
> Actually, Salem was there too! Though I guess that makes sense, since he’s Lucan’s mage.

> im so happy you saw him!! I was so scared that he would be mad
> at least you guys got to spend more time together

Yeah, it had been a real treat.

> I had to stay in an office like a child that got reprimanded >.<
> so what did you guys end up doing together?

He thought a moment before replying, content to keep his answer perfectly generic in hopes that the topic would change.

> A meeting with the Queen and Princess Ryner as well as Lady Sinnenodel. Kind of a big deal! No wonder Count Varis pulled me away early.

Obscene's Scratchpad

No wonder your House threw you away. Maybe I should do the same.

What was my one instruction tonight? Was I not clear enough for you?

He trained Vanessa here for us quite nicely...

Unable to even brush my expectations, apparently.

Can't even bother to remember three damn feet? Three feet! Pathetic.

Of Blood and Magic

Aftermath

_{Interacting with: @Trainerblue192@Obscene Symphony}

Aaron lifted his head from his hands with a shaky breath when Salem got to him, looking down at the other man with a mix of confusion and irritation plain on his face. “Good lord, who cares about me?” he asked bitterly, nudging Salem aside so he could crouch on the floor by his aunt.

His expression immediately softened towards her and he took her hand urgently. “Aunt Dora, are you alright?” He asked her, concern clear in his voice, “What happened to you?”

Dora, who had just barely been holding it together while the Princess was around, simply let out a little wine as fresh tears began to flow, covering her mouth with her hand and squeezing her eyes shut.

“No!” Aaron scrambled to his aunt’s level, perching himself on the corner of her seat and pulling her into his arms. “No, hey, don't do that!” He pleaded with her, gently rocking. She buried her face in his shoulder, grasping weakly at his clothes as a few sobs shook her.

Salem shook his head slightly as Aaron rushed off without having his wounds tended to. "There's nothing I can do for her...tell me, what is her affinity?” He slowly stood up and walked over to the pair, wondering what could cause a sudden spike in pain and the just as quickly leave.

Aaron followed Salem with his eyes as he circled around, though he continued to do his best to comfort his aunt. But Salem’s question reminded him of something, and he mentally kicked himself for not having thought of it sooner. He reached under Dora’s veil, careful not to dislodge it, and after a brief search through her hair pulled out a gold ornamental hairpin, a round pink crystal faintly glowing in the setting. When he placed it on the table, the glow faded and Dora seemed to relax slightly.

“Emotion,” he stated simply, jerking his head toward the pin on the table, “She can sense and influence emotion. That’s her casting medium, without it she should calm down a little.”

As if on cue, Dora pulled herself away from Aaron, producing a handkerchief from somewhere and dabbing at her eyes. “It was that devil,” she spat when she’d recovered, more wickedly than one might expect from such an otherwise matronly woman. Even without her magic, her emotions had always changed like the wind. “Heavens help those poor souls…”

Aaron’s brow furrowed with concern, but he could tell that he shouldn’t press the issue. “You’re alright now though, right?” He asked her.

“Yes dear, I’m fine,” Dora insisted, though Aaron wasn’t entirely convinced. Dora tucked away her handkerchief and shifted in her seat to look at him. Her expression was overcome with something like worry, and she cupped his face in her hands with motherly concern. “But sweetheart, you…”

“Hey now, none of that,” Aaron gently scolded, taking one of her hands from his face and kissing it to comfort her. “I’m fine, don’t you start worrying about me.”

“Aaron, you’re not fine!” Dora insisted, concern turning to indignation, “Look at you, you’ve been nothing but a bundle of nerves since you came here. You’re all cut up, and that snake--”

“Hey,” Aaron was a little firmer this time, though there was no malice to it. “Come on, we can’t be talking like that, you know that.”

"She has a point however. More importantly, Isadora...never mind. This isn’t the place to ask, nor is it my place to involve you in the mess I've created for myself. Aaron, leave her be, the last thing an empath needs after her ordeal is to also deal with your emotions, let alone mine.” Salem moved away from the pair and back towards where Aaron had sat before. "Now, let's get that glass out of you. Honestly I'm not sure what you were thinking.”

Aaron leveled a look on Salem. Who the hell did he think he was, telling him how to deal with his own family? “I was thinking that my aunt was in pain,” he shot back, with a little more acid than was probably needed. However, Dora seemed to understand, and she worked her way out of Aaron’s grasp, standing.

“I really am fine, dear,” she assured Aaron, touching his cheek again. “I’ll leave you boys be, see what's taking that doctor so long.” She leveled her own look on her nephew. “Let him help you.”

Aaron stood as well, reluctantly accepting things and giving his aunt a quick kiss on the cheek. “Okay,” he conceded, handing her her hairpin. Glancing back to Salem for a second, he moved so he was blocking Dora from his view and lowered his voice.

“Aunt Dora, you can not tell Mom about any of this,” he insisted, a touch of urgency to his voice.

Dora furrowed her brow. “Aaron, I can't just lie to her!”

Aaron gave her a pleading look. “Please, Dora, you know how she can get. I don't think she could handle another lapse.”

Dora looked conflicted, but ultimately conceded. “...Very well. But you’re going to have to figure out a way to tell her, because you know she’ll find out eventually.”

Aaron nodded, and he pulled his aunt once more into a hug. Who knew when he would see her again? Trying not to dwell on it, he cleared his throat. “Take care,” he told her, letting her go.

Dora nodded and offered him a little smile. “You too, Sunshine.” She leaned around him, looking to Salem. “Be wise, Mr. Spellman,” she called to him, before offering a habitual curtsy and leaving the room.

Aaron waited until the servant’s door had firmly closed before he took his seat again, taking a deep breath before looking to Salem. “What were you going to ask her?”

Salem pulled out his phone once more and began to compose a message. It read “There are prying ears all around, best not to speak this allowed. I needed to know what she knew of the Sinnenodel’s, their business here, and why Varis kept repeating the same word over and over again.” "Your number.” he said as he was typing, giving Aaron a cheeky wink as he turned his phone over for him to read.

Aaron looked between Salem and his phone suspiciously as he typed, quirking a brow when he winked. Goodness, this one’s mood changed quick. He took the phone cautiously, though his expression turned to one of confusion as he read. Salem was smart to hide his message, but it still confused him.

“Right, would have come in handy earlier,” Aaron replied, tapping out his own message as he spoke. “She’s not normally the Queen’s attendant, she wouldn’t know. We don’t know any more about the Sinnenodels than anyone else, just gossip. And what are you talking about? What word?”

“I’m sorry we left you at the arena, by the way,” he added, handing the phone back. “I asked Sir Bordeleaux to relay my apology. Lilie was taken somewhere by an administrator after our match, and I had to go get ready for this joyous occasion.”

"Riiiight, Well, I actually have seen him since the Arena either. Just waited around for a while for you two until some school...kids? Showed up and thought I was being harrassed by a mage. It's been one hell of a first day for me.” Salem took his phone back and read the message before typing up “Noon, Something is up, I can just tell. And this Red Hand nonsense? I've never known Varis to try to help anyone but himself...no, there’s definitely more to all this.”

Aaron bristled a bit at the tone, but decided to let it go. He’d been wondering where Lucan was himself. He ran a hand along his throat as he took the phone back, taking a deep breath to quell the anxiety in his chest. “Likewise,” he replied bitterly, typing. “It’s nobility. There’s always more to it. You’ll have to get used to it.”

He paused for a second before handing the phone back, thinking back to what Salem had said to get himself into all of this. “I don’t think it was a Red Hand agent that got you. When I went to Dora, I think the same thing happened to me. Count Varis warned me earlier about Lady Sinnenodel and her mages. ‘Skilled in the art of telepathy’.” “I’m sorry you had to wait. Hopefully tomorrow will go more smoothly for everyone.” He stated, handing the phone back. If I even live to see it.

Salem read the messages displayed on his screen before putting his phone away. He stopped tending to Aaron's knee for a moment, his head held low, speaking in a low voice "You should’ve said something...maybe not…” Salem reached into his waistcoat and pulled out a Spellman Spray Anti-bacterial Disinfectant and spritzed it onto Aaron's knee before taking his pocket square and bandaging the wound with it. "There. Sorry, I don’t have any Loli's with me.”

Aaron quirked a brow. He hadn’t the foggiest idea what that meant. “Thank you,” he murmured, fixing his pants and shifting in his seat before leveling a glare on the plant mage. “And said what? To whom?” he hissed, voice low. “Salem, I serve the Sinnenodels now. I am entirely under their… my Lady’s jurisdiction. I can’t just go speaking against her! What were you thinking?!” A hint of anger snuck its way into his voice, though perhaps it was ill-placed.

"I was thinking that I am my own person, I have my own morals, and that I will speak out against those who treat others like less than. That is what I was thinking.” Salem stood up and moved over to the chair next to Aaron, sitting down with one leg crossed over the other. "Maybe I should've brought cricket along with me.”

Aaron was once again confused, but his confusion was curtailed by a sudden wave of sympathy. “Salem, I’m sorry, but you’re not your own person anymore,” he informed him, taking a deep breath. “You’re an attendant now. You’re a representative of Sir Bordeleaux, and an extension of his family. A family which answers directly to the Queen.” His voice darkened a touch with warning. “You can’t just fly in the face of everything she stands for! Good lord, you should be glad your head isn’t on a spike!” A touch of anger borne of concern snuck into his voice again, and he sighed, leaning his head in his hand.

“I truly am sorry about what happened to you,” he said sincerely, “I wish I could have warned you. But you brought it on yourself.”

"Only because mages, like you, are unwilling to even attempt for change. It may not be a popular opinion, but it is a good one. So long as mages remain complacent, the world can never truly progress, and things like tonight” Salem gestured around the room and towards the empty spot where Lady Sinnenodel previously sat “will continue to occur, and more mages will lose freedom, assets, what have you, all because someone felt the need to stay subjugated.”

“I quite like my head where it is, thank you,” Aaron replied bitterly, wringing his neck once again. His fingers found the Sinnenodel pendant laying there, turning it for a moment before he irritably let it drop. “And yes, things like this will continue to occur. Mages will continue to lose their freedom and assets, you’re right. Because this is how things have to be.”

He leveled an indignant glare on Salem. “Do you think I’m an idiot? That I don’t know mages are practically enslaved? I’m quite familiar. But I’m proud of where I stand. My whole family is. Because we understand that without mages to take the arrow, the vampires will set their sights on everyone, and things will go back to the way they were before the Treaty. Vampires will hunt humans like game and mankind will cower in fear, just like they did before.” He sat back in his seat.

"So because they have no morals, we must sit back and allow the world to be run by fear? It’s clear that some of these vampires have decency and morals much like we do, well I do. If we allow them, along with magekind, to have equal say, then we could keep the more radical of both groups cornered so that no one should live in fear.”

Salem confused Aaron to no end. Was he truly so insulated to the reality of what he was suggesting? “Did you see what happened here tonight? Vampires as a whole will never accept equality. They will accept nothing short of total subjugation. You should be thankful for what rights we do have; we only have them by the grace of the Council. Because if they wanted to, the vampires could snatch everything away, and that is a fight that humanity will lose.” Aaron crossed his arms. “Be glad that Queen Anastasia is the one on the throne. Believe it or not, she and her family are exceptionally kind. We might not be afforded the same luxuries otherwise.” He regretted having to be so harsh with Salem. Honestly, he had been beginning to like him. But he would not stand for him smearing the Treaty and the Noilas, even if it meant losing the possibility of any sort of friendship.

The life mage that was called for entered the room silently. Salem fell silent as she walked across the room, a mix of both not knowing what to say as well as not wanting to speak before her. She glided over towards Aaron, healing his minor injuries before leaving once again. Salem opened his mouth to speak and the stopped short before actually saying anything. He turned away from Aaron and waved his hand at him ”Believe what you will. It's gotten you this far, let's hope it doesn’t get you killed for the sake of duty.”

Aaron quietly thanked the life mage before she took her leave, staying silent as Salem said his piece. As infuriating as the plant mage’s disregard for reality was, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. This was a man who was thrust into a world he was probably unfamiliar with, and he’d just been cut off completely from everyone and everything he loved. Aaron supposed, in a strange way, that he could empathize. But he’d never been good at this sort of thing, and he didn’t know what to say.

Another servant came in bearing the food that Princess Ryner had promised, but Aaron stood and stopped the man before he could set out the plates. “Please relay our thanks and apologies to Her Royal Highness, but if Mr. Spellman is ready, I think it’s time we were going.” He looked over to Salem expectantly.

Salem eyed the Osso and then Aaron, with almost puppy dog like eyes, ”We could have...one bite. It’d be a shame to waste the food honestly, besides I've had nothing to eat today really.”

Aaron nodded and the servant continued his work, sitting down again. He certainly couldn’t eat, his stomach was far too jumpy, but he was content to stick around as Salem did. Of course, he also didn’t have much of a choice. But as the silence between them stretched on, the pit in Aaron’s stomach only grew deeper as the shame and fear from the night’s events crept up on him again, twisting his gut in knots. He had never been so humiliated; he had thoughtlessly disobeyed his master, he’d had his memories sifted through, been manhandled and berated in front of everyone, and good lord, he’d needed the Princess to come to his rescue. He wasn’t sure he’d ever been so ashamed of himself in his life, and considering his existing punishment, he had a sneaking suspicion that everything Varis had done to him so far was only a gentle prelude to what awaited him when he got home.

Drawing a shaky breath, he leaned his face on his hand again, staring at the table. “...I’m sorry you had to see all that,” he muttered, rubbing his neck.

Salem finished polishing off his plate, after eating ravenously with no one else around. Aaron muttered something to himself that Salem wasn’t quite sure who it was directed towards. He looked about the room until his eyes fell back on Aaron. "See what? You be human? It's a shame no one else could honestly. Funny...who knew a light mage would harbor so much darkness within. Then again...given your partner, master, I don’t blame you. Shall we?”

Aaron looked up at Salem quizzically. It was as if the man only spoke in riddles. But Aaron supposed his intentions were kind, and he nodded and stood, crossing over to the dining room door and speaking with the guard he knew would be there. Almost immediately, he was informed that a car was waiting for them, and he turned back to Salem, gesturing towards the door. “Let’s go, then.”