Aaron let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding as soon as he slid the door shut behind him, only realizing how tense he’d been when his muscles started to relax, shoulders complaining painfully as he stretched out his neck. He paused only to make sure all the curtains were securely drawn before making a beeline to his room, moving to shut his door behind him. But when he reached for it, his hand found only air.
Right. Hopefully he’d have the chance to ask about that tomorrow.
He put his shoe shining kit away and began his morning routine on autopilot, avoiding the line of sight to the living room as he changed even though he knew the Count was still outside. Briefly he examined his pants, the knees of which were hopelessly tattered and bloody from the glass. He frowned at them. Normally he would have fixed them, but they were too torn up in too small a space to repair without butchering them further. A shame.
Varis’ words echoed on loop through Aaron’s head as he showered for the third time that night, eager to wash away the blood on his legs and the product in his hair and the feeling of the Count’s hand around his throat. Although, all things considered, Aaron thought he’d gotten off pretty easy. His punishment, humiliating as he was sure it would be, was nothing compared to the horror stories he’d been imagining as he waited. Varis wasn’t going to put his eyes out, he wasn’t getting caned, or otherwise mutilated, and despite his earlier comment, it looked like Varis was keeping him around. He counted himself lucky. He wasn’t looking forward to his punishment by any metric, but considering he had been directly disobedient, he supposed he should be grateful that the Count had been so merciful.
Still, he couldn’t quite shake the things that Varis had said about their Lady - ugh, he was never going to get used to that - from his mind. Would she really take an interest in the people in his memories? He couldn’t imagine why any of them would be worth her notice, or at least her efforts, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to find out. Was there even anything he could do at this point to protect them, or had the damage been done?
It was only after several minutes of scrubbing at his eyes to get the last of that pencil off that Aaron finally made himself get out, going through the rest of his routine on autopilot as he fell deeper and deeper into thought. He was about to get into bed, in pajama pants and shirtless as always, when another wary look at the empty door frame and the house beyond made him throw on a t-shirt as well. He was deliberating filling out his journals when a ding from his phone caught his attention, a notification from an unknown number popping up on screen.
> Hey, You still up?
Oh, that must have been Salem. Aaron read the message a few times, turning the lights off and climbing into bed before replying. He cast a weary look at the door, and the light coming in from the rest of the house. That was going to be annoying, he could already tell. He rolled away from it, focusing on his phone.
> Yeah, why? > No reason I guess > Say, um. I can't seem to sleep, dorms a bit eerie when you're by yourself.
He was still by himself? Aaron would have thought that with the business at the Marivaldi dorm concluded, he would have returned by now.
> Oh, is Lucan still not back? > Haven't seen him since his match. Hope he's ok.
Aaron’s thumbs hovered over the keyboard, wondering if he should tell Salem what he figured Lucan was doing. Luckily, another text came in before he had the chance, a welcome change of subject.
> Speaking of the match, have you seen Lilie? > I was talking to her, but I haven't seen anyone. Came straight back. > Oh so she's up to? > Well, mind adding her to a group chat or something? I was hoping to ask you two something > ...if that's ok that is…
Aaron frowned at the messages. Salem was sounding a lot more like he had at orientation now, the indignance from dinner long gone. Maybe the night’s events had chastened that rebellious streak he apparently had in him.
> Oh, I mean I can, but I think she might be sleeping. > I can give you her number at least, though. > What did you want to ask? > Well I figured maybe > If you guys wanted > We could… > Hang out? > What, tomorrow? I think she wanted to find you anyway, I think she wants to apologize for leaving you. > Apparently her night was pretty eventful too, heh. > Well, I was hoping for tonight? > Figured you could come down to my dorm since I've got all this free space. > Oh
Aaron’s brow furrowed, sympathy for Salem suddenly gripping him. The poor man was in a new place, couldn’t contact his family, and on top of it all, Lucan was apparently nowhere to be found. Of course he was lonely. Who could blame him? Unfortunately, given his predicament, there was nothing Aaron could do to help.
> That’s nice of you to invite me, but I'm afraid I can't. > Count Varis
He stared at the blinking cursor for a second, remembering what Count Varis had told him. Even in his messages. Aaron sighed, deleting the name.
> Master is > Well > He’s not very happy with me, heh. > Oh. That's ok then...Maybe Lilie still can?
Thank goodness, a way out of that depressing line of inquiry.
> Maybe! > Here, why don't you ask her?
He pulled up Lilie’s contact in his phone, sending it to Salem.
> Sure, thanks! 💚
That conversation was over, and Aaron took a moment to enter Salem’s number into his contacts. Spellman was his last name, right? He also made a contact for Varis’ number, entering it simply as “Master.” He wasn’t a huge fan, but it was best to play it safe in case the vampire looked through his phone again. Whatever, he’d get used to it. Realistically, he chided himself, it wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it.
While he was taking care of things, Aaron opened up his alarms, doing some quick math in his head. Breakfast would be delivered at eight, and he was meant to write lines for an hour before that; but he couldn’t just roll out of bed and start writing, so he needed an alarm for… he’d say 6:30, just to be safe. Maybe he’d get the mail before writing his lines, and catch a bit of the evening sun. Good thing he was going to bed so early; he realized only then how the night’s events had exhausted him, and it looked like he’d be having an early evening tomorrow. Hell, with 1,000 lines to get through, he’d probably be having quite a series of early evenings. He nearly groaned at the thought.
His messenger app told him he still had one unread message, from Lilie. When he opened their conversation, he was surprised to see not just one, but three messages he hadn’t read. Upon closer inspection, it looked like the first two had come in while Varis still had his phone.
> sounds complicated > but the good part is that its over! And then tomorrow is going to be a good day!
> If you ever wanna talk or anything just let me know, okay? I have to keep my first friend close! :D
Despite the somber conversation with Salem and the night’s events still weighing heavily on him, not to mention the thought that Varis had seen every message between them except the last one, Aaron couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t sure if he’d take advantage of her offer - he had never been much for that sort of thing - but it was just so kind, he had to accept. Not to mention the thought that she already considered him a friend lifted his spirits immensely. She was his first friend too, he supposed, though he was pretty sure she didn’t mean it the same way he did. He thought on his response for probably longer than he should have, a million different options circling his mind until he settled on a simple one.
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?
> 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.
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.
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?
> 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.
[centre][h2]child of the storm[/h2]
[/centre]
[b]Current RPs:[/b]
[list][*][i][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/189770-court-of-nuhl/ooc]Of Blood and Magic: The Court of Nühl[/url][/i] - playing Henry/Roan
[*][i][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/188008-the-shattering-of-aegis/ic]The Shattering of Aegis[/url][/i] - playing Kyreth
[*][i][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/191518-scion-the-prophecy-of-anani/ic]Scion: The Prophecy of Anani[/url][/i] - playing Maya and Jannick
[/list]
[b]Archived RPs:[/b]
[list][*][i][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/174695-of-blood-and-magic/ic]Of Blood and Magic[/url][/i] - wrote as Aaron. Give it a look, I still cri errytim
[*][url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/176985/ic]𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓽𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭[/url] - played Feliks, will probably revive someday.[/list]
If you're interested in some short completed pieces of mine beyond my regular RP posts, feel free to rifle through my filing cabinet [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/183978-obscenes-filing-cabinet/ooc]here.[/url]
[b]About me:[/b]
[list][*]Birth year 1998
[*]Female
[*]Canadian RIP
[*]Time zone: Atlantic, GMT-4 (one hour ahead of EST)
[*]Currently judging your grammar
[*]Not usually looking for 1x1s but if you're really jonesing, my PMs are always open
[*]Discord Obscene#1925[/list]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><div class="bb-h2">child of the storm</div></div><br><span class="bb-b">Current RPs:</span><br><ul class="bb-list" style="white-space: normal;"><li><span class="bb-i"><a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/189770-court-of-nuhl/ooc">Of Blood and Magic: The Court of Nühl</a></span> - playing Henry/Roan</li><li><span class="bb-i"><a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/188008-the-shattering-of-aegis/ic">The Shattering of Aegis</a></span> - playing Kyreth</li><li><span class="bb-i"><a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/191518-scion-the-prophecy-of-anani/ic">Scion: The Prophecy of Anani</a></span> - playing Maya and Jannick</li></ul><br><span class="bb-b">Archived RPs:</span><br><ul class="bb-list" style="white-space: normal;"><li><span class="bb-i"><a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/174695-of-blood-and-magic/ic">Of Blood and Magic</a></span> - wrote as Aaron. Give it a look, I still cri errytim</li><li><a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/176985/ic">𝓘𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓽𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓭</a> - played Feliks, will probably revive someday.</li></ul><br>If you're interested in some short completed pieces of mine beyond my regular RP posts, feel free to rifle through my filing cabinet <a href="https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/183978-obscenes-filing-cabinet/ooc">here.</a><br><br><span class="bb-b">About me:</span><br><ul class="bb-list" style="white-space: normal;"><li>Birth year 1998</li><li>Female</li><li>Canadian RIP</li><li>Time zone: Atlantic, GMT-4 (one hour ahead of EST)</li><li>Currently judging your grammar</li><li>Not usually looking for 1x1s but if you're really jonesing, my PMs are always open</li><li>Discord Obscene#1925</li></ul></div>
Member
FulgrimLives
ezio ac2
Kronshi
Tim the Yeti
Sunny Suzuki
Eviledd1984
Bartimaeus
JewelSerket
