Obscene Symphony

Obscene's Scratchpad

_{Interacting with@Hero and @Scribe of Thoth}

Aaron all but jumped back when a hiss sounded from behind the study door, followed a moment later by an off-the-cuff insult and a threat he didn’t care to think too hard about. Comparatively gentle to what he expected, all things considered, and he was content to hurry back into his bathroom and out of his clothes without further inquiry. Nope, he did not care for Varis’ “guidance” again. But at least his first instinct had proven true, he’d remember that for the future. “Hurry the hell up when Varis is hungry” seemed like a safe enough bet.

He showered quickly, though he did remember Varis’ tip about leaving his conditioner in longer and paid careful attention to his neck, and soon enough he was out, putting clothes in his hamper and pulling out fresh ones. This time he chose a pair of black slacks and another white shirt - luckily he had no shortage of those - but didn’t put it on just yet, opting for the long-sleeved black crew neck from earlier. An awful combination, obviously, but only a temporary one for feeding, just like he’d planned that evening.

Only about ten minutes had passed by the time Aaron returned to the study door, knocking a little more hesitantly this time. “I’m ready whenever you are, Master,” he called, before remembering what he’d been told on his first night. “Emotional state is… generally fine. Slightly nervous.”

“Enter and sit.” Varis ordered as he looked over the page he’d written, ensuring everything dried evenly. He had been concerned about the section that the boy interrupted during but his worries were unnecessary. It was perfection. As if he’d produce anything less. Varis looked up as Aaron settled, eyes immediately drawn to his neck as his hunger made itself known again. He still remembered the taste he had the other night and he strode over to Aaron.

Varis stood in front of Aaron for a moment more before using the boy’s chin to expose his neck, tilting his head back and away to give the Count easier access. The darkness in his eyes faded and they slowly brightened as he put a knee on the chair between the mage’s legs to support himself. Tightening his hold on the boy’s head, Varis pressed his fangs gently against the boy’s neck and held it there for a brief second to give the boy time to prepare himself. Then in a single movement, Varis pierced the boy’s skin and drank.

He closed his eyes and gave an involuntary groan of appreciation as the warm liquid burst over his tongue. Orange and cloves overwhelmed him with that perfect kick that bottles always missed, the pleasant zest of living. Varis let himself indulge, drinking just a bit deeper knowing he wouldn’t let himself have this again in the next few days. He lapped at the wound hesitantly, sucking out what last bit he could get as the wound shut itself, and he sat back against the boy’s desk with eyes closed to revel in the sensation of fresh blood in his body again.

Holding very still, Aaron was actually grateful for the Count’s grip on his head as he aligned his fangs; the consequences of misplaced punctures weren’t fun to think about, and he didn’t want to be accidentally moving. After the initial butterflies and burn of the bite, though, Aaron’s nerves faded away, body and mind overcome with a pleasant warmth. His head got light as his body got heavy, whatever tension was left in his muscles relaxing. His headache was all but forgotten as he allowed himself to savour possibly the only moment of serenity he’d have that night, eyes sliding closed as a grateful sigh escaped him.

To his chagrin, the feeling didn’t linger quite as long as the first time, and he mostly came to his senses shortly after Varis drew back, though a pleasant calm did still linger. As he gradually came back to his senses he noticed a red smear on the still-entranced Count’s cheek, however, accompanied by a drip down the side of his chin. Automatically his hand went up to his neck and absently prodded the spot where he’d been bitten, more curious than alarmed. The wound was healed, of course, but wet; when he brought his hand away, his fingers were stained red.

“...Ah-ha…” Aaron murmured, still a little dazed as he examined his hand. A knock on the front door made him look up, and he stood, making his way out of the study and down the hall to the door on autopilot. In the remnants of his feeding stupor he opened the door without a second thought, only to be greeted with the sight of Eris and Max.

Bloody neck forgotten, Aaron blinked at the pair for a moment, eyes a little glazed and wondering if feeding had made him more confused than he’d thought. Still, he turned back into the dorm just the same. “Master, Mr. Samael is here,” he called, glancing back at Max inquisitively, “with... Mr. Alderman.”

Varis originally ignored the knocking, reveling in the feeding and expecting the boy to send the interloper quickly but that name made him sigh. He'd brought this on himself after all. He ran a hand over his clothes, smoothing out any wrinkles that popped up during the feeding, and forced himself to move to his own desk. He wasn't about to let them see him so defenseless after a feeding. He picked up his quill, put the other page in front of him, and began working on the next letter.

“Send them in. Tell Eris I'm in the study.” He responded calmly as he worked. He felt the euphoria fading far faster now that he had a task to do.

Aaron turned back to the pair in the doorway, stepping aside and beckoning them in. “Master’s in the study, sir,” he parrotted, offering a dip of the head to Eris before closing the door behind them. Once they’d gone through he went straight to his room to clean up, loath to present himself so poorly in company any longer. On his way through the doorway he reached to close his own door behind him, only to come up empty once again.

Obscene's Scratchpad

Feliks Vasiliev

Name: Feliks Vasiliev, né Shvets

Appearance

Height: 5'7
Eyes: Steel grey
Hair: Black
Build: Thin

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Element: Metal

Personality:
Feliks is intelligent, proud, and no-nonsense, often coming across as rudely blunt and cold. He scowls more than he smiles (with the exception of being in his wife's company) and tolerates disrespect only from those he can't get away with dressing down. Luckily, his position as the husband of a Viscountess and a sought-after designer affords him the privilege of respect from those who otherwise might afford him none. He can't stand self-pity and will call it out when he sees it, though he isn't blind to real suffering either.

Around his wife, he is a different man, loving and gentle and passionate. The disapproving glares and vicious gossip of the upper class bother him none, but he feels for how it hurts her.

Bio:
Feliks had a humble beginning, born to a single human mother in a city in the frigid north of the realm, deep in traditionalist territory. Vampiric harassment of human communities was commonplace, though of course never outright recognized, and most of the populace accepted grim reality and did their best not to exacerbate the problem. Once he was old enough to understand it, Feliks quickly grew jaded and resentful as he watched vampires toy with the lives of humans who were poor enough off as it was, but he was smart enough to keep his head down.

After his mother, a seamstress, died of illness in his preteens, Feliks spent a brief stint on his own before an acquaintance of his mother, a man named Mr. Ivanov, took him in. Mr. Ivanov was a tailor, a human man who had somehow managed to impress some of the lower ranking nobility in the territory, earning him a certain amount of consideration under the otherwise iron fist of the Astorio-aligned family that controlled the area. Immediately Feliks was fascinated, in awe of how the territory at large could live in such fear of the vampires who ruled them while people in Mr. Ivanov's part of town seemed to live their lives in relative peace. The man had a type of power that Feliks didn't understand, and it was tantalizing.

When Feliks showed interest and talent in tailoring, Mr. Ivanov took him on as an apprentice, the boy learning quickly and soon falling in love with the craft. By the time his eighteenth birthday rolled around, Feliks had graduated from doing alterations and otherwise assisting Mr. Ivanov to taking on commissions in his own right, building rapport with Mr. Ivanov's clients and even gaining a few of his own. He had a promising career ahead of him, until his Awakening crystal lit up.

Somehow he ended up paired with a mid-tier noble in the territory, a young Viscountess named Katya Vasiliev, only just reaching maturity herself. Feliks had no love for vampires - quite the opposite, in fact - but he knew resistance was pointless and only liable to get him beaten or killed, so he resolved to obey quietly and find some private way of coping with saying goodbye to all his hopes and dreams. However, he was shocked to find in his new mistress a kind and gentle soul, the Viscountess not taking after her family at all. She was sweet and patient with him, even eventually encouraging him to keep practicing tailoring. Feliks was slow to come around, justifiably suspicious, but gradually he came to see that perhaps every vampire wasn't an uncaring monster.

First she convinced him not to resent his magic. Eventually she got him to quit smoking. After a year, she befriended him, and Feliks started coming out of his shell. After three, he'd fallen in love; with magic, and with her.

Their relationship had to be kept under wraps at first, the pair of them knowing Katya's family would despise it. However, after the pair were ambushed and Feliks injured in the midst of fleeing wider political conflict in their homeland, they decided that life was too fleeting to live in secret and made their relationship public. As of now, they've been married for ten years and with tireless work and Katya's support, Feliks has been able to progress in his craft to become one of the most sought-after designers in the realm, patronized by celebrities and nobility alike. Even Princess Ryner herself is a fan of his work, and has worn dresses of his design on a few notable occasions.

Likes:

• Smoking
• Working
• Warm weather
• Antagonizing, when he can
• Hot tubs
• His wife

Dislikes:

• Smoking
• Ugly clothes
• Eris (it's a love-hate relationship)
• Cold/wet weather
• Being waited on
• Mistreatment of humans and mages
• Self-pity

Habits:

• Searching his pockets for cigarettes when agitated (he doesn't have any, he stopped smoking years ago)
• Using magic for mundane purposes
• Looking at people's clothes before looking at their faces
• Drinking when his leg hurts more than normal (he's trying to find a better way to cope)
• Vicious sarcasm
• Glaring

Other:
Feliks walks with a limp owing to an old injury to his left hip, which left him with limited mobility in the joint and chronic pain. He can walk fairly normally with the use of a cane; without it he can still get around, but his limp is much more pronounced.

He has a thin scar on his forehead above his left eyebrow from a small wound inflicted during the same event as his leg injury. He also has an ugly spiderweb of deep scars cross-hatching his back, dating back to his early years under the Vasilievs.

Feliks took Katya's last name when they married, as part of a complicated bargain with her remaining family not to get her disowned. He really doesn't mind; his maiden name was ugly anyway.

Text colour: 8FA1B4

The Wolf Plague

@ReveTheDreamer I see you've put this on hold and that's totally fine, whether or not it starts up soon (and whether or not I actually join by then, haha) I'm creating a character, and I have a few questions regarding that. No rush, though; I don't need answers right away!

Firstly, you said in the OP that the disease's progression is accelerated by things like anger, hunting, and survival instincts. Is there anything that can actively slow progression? Also, forgetting acceleration, roughly how long does it take for the disease to progress all the way to beast-mode? Months? Years? How many?

Regarding a character, I'm thinking one who's been living in Deadware for some time now, is somewhat more progressed in her disease than the rest of the cast and took on a sort of alpha for the existing residents of Deadware. Experience in animal behavior as well as her more progressed status has given her a knack for catching the attention of fellow infected and exerting some measure of influence over them. I'm going for the type of person who commands respect, and who others kind of want to follow. Is that a sort of character that could work here?

Obscene's Scratchpad

Eliza Marks

---

---

---

---

Character Summary

Name: Eliza Marks
Aliases: Liza, Marks, Boss
Age: 23
Birthday/Zodiac: Leo - August 17
Gender: Female
Occupation (Pre-Infection): Trail Guide, Infantryman

---

---

Appearance

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 125lbs (originally 140lbs - lost ~15lbs of leg)
Build: Wiry
Eyes: Pale amber (were brown before infection)
Hair: White (was blonde before the infection)
Skin Tone: Medium-pale.
Tattoos: A thin black line extending from the nape of her neck to the crest of her tailbone, a series of thin black lines around her ankle, and a right sleeve tattoo of a forest scene.
Scars: Most notably, Eliza is missing her left leg, amputated just above the knee. She also has a multitude of minor marks and scars on her arms and her remaining shin, but none of them have any incredibly interesting stories to go with them.
Piercings: Standard earlobe piercings, one upper-ear piercing.
Clothing: Liza prefers clothing that is easy to move in; cargo pants and tank tops are her general go-tos, as well as a worn pair of hiking boots. In cooler weather she'll don a hoodie or a denim jacket, but she doesn't seem all that bothered by the cold. She still has a few sets of fatigues, but doesn't wear them much.

---

---

Psychology

Steadfast / Blunt / Protective / Hardened

Personality: (This is probably the most important thing so I expect a good amount of detail here)

Fears:
Succumbing to the disease -

---

---

Skills

Pre Infection Skills:

• Navigation - Eliza always had a good sense of direction and good navigational skills. Even hiking through unfamiliar areas or on training missions with faulty equipment, she has yet to get lost.
• Decisive - Eliza was always able to think on her feet, capable of making quick decisions that tended to work out for the better. She doesn't flip flop: she makes a choice and commits to it.
• Combat skills - From her military training, Eliza is very familiar with various types of firearms and is capable in hand-to-hand combat. Now that her military days have ended, the usefulness of these skills at the level she possesses them is unclear.
• Leadership - Even as a child, Eliza was a natural leader; other children would follow her lead in anything from sports to group projects. Her military training helped her sharpen these skills.
• Discipline - Perhaps not so much a skill as a necessity, Eliza responds well to discipline, leading a regimented life and encouraging similar practices in others.

Post Infection Skills:

• Senses - in the years that her disease has progressed, Eliza has developed senses beyond her human capability, particularly hearing and smell, with smell being the stronger of the two. She can distinguish species by scent and is learning to distinguish individuals the same way.
• Empathy - Eliza has developed a reliable sense for people, able to get a fairly accurate 'read' on them. This has made her sensitive to emotional changes in others; she calls it their "vibe."
• Influence - Due perhaps to a combination of her former personality, military training, experience in animal behavior and later progression of her disease, Eliza has developed a knack for getting fellow infected to fall into line. A sharp glare from her and some subconscious posturing can calm rowdy infected, and she has an air about her that commands respect. It's debatable whether this is a true post-infection development or if it's just a combination of a previous talent for leadership and Eliza having learned how to better deal with fellow infected over time.

---

---

History

History Before Deadware: The only child of two veterinarians, Eliza grew up around animals of all shapes and sizes, from pets to livestock to exotic animals. Much of her free time as a child was spent shadowing her parents on calls to farms and zoos, watching the animals with wide-eyed fascination. It was there that her love affair with nature began.

Unlike her parents, Eliza never showed interest in veterinary medicine, but more in the animals themselves, their habitats, and their behavior. With dreams of someday becoming an animal handler for a zoo, Eliza first set her sights on domestic species as a teenager before she would move on to learning about handling exotics after high school. During high school she took a job as a trail guide, leading tourists on hikes through the scenic expanse of Jasper National Park that could sometimes last multiple days, teaching her wide-eyed clients about the local environment and wildlife along the way.

However, after graduating high school with few academic prospects and little direction, not to mention realizing that seasonal work as a trail guide was unsustainable as a career, Eliza enlisted in the military. Almost immediately, what had originally been a choice made out of necessity became a passion, and Eliza took extremely well to her training and to military life in general (of many things, she was amazed and delighted to find that strict organization and living in a Spartan environment helped her think more clearly). She quickly showed potential for leadership, her squadron members almost naturally looking to her, and Eliza was actually excited for her first deployment, eager to get out on duty and serve her country.

Eliza's first deployment was fairly simple; her platoon was working with relief workers, guarding supply and transports, and helping administer aid. Unfortunately, both her deployment and her military career were cut short when an undiscovered IED detonated beneath the a transport vehicle she was

Recovery and rehabilitation took months, but eventually Eliza was able to stand and walk again with the help of a new artificial leg. However, when her hair started turning white soon after her recovery was completed, she was tested for Lycanthropy. The result positive. The doctors hypothesized that some of the blood she'd received in her initial surgery was to blame, and just like that, all of Eliza's future prospects were abandoned, and she was sent to Deadware.

That was five years ago.

History Since Diagnosis/Arrival: In the years since making the lengthy trip to Deadware, Eliza's disease has progressed slowly, and she's fallen into a sort of leadership role with some of the residents. Drawing on sage advice from an old mentor (one who has since passed the point of no return), her own previous experience and her experience with her own progression, Eliza tries to act as a mentor for new residents, doing all she can to advise them on coping with their disease. There is also a particular group of fellow lycans who look to Eliza for leadership and order, though there are of course others who either reject and oppose her supposed authority, or who simply have no dealings with her.

---

---

Extras

Other:

Her prosthetic looks like this.

Let's Gush!

Endless gushing to the most infuriating and schemey GM I've ever encountered, @Achronum. Never have I written with a GM who is so dedicated to a group and invested in a story that every week feels like hopping in place, waiting to read the next chapter of a book I simply can't put down. This guy right here and his RP has caught and held my interest better than any other I've ever done. A+ buddy, I'd join your other RPs but stats and dice rolls scare me XD

And of course there's @Hero, with whose help I have achieved the most well-developed character I've ever made, and a full-length novel's worth of AU and unrelated content that may never see the light of day. Love ya bb, you know just how to make me cry <3

Gushing over @Scribe of Thoth because he makes me jealous and makes me feel like I need to step up my prose game, congratulations on being the fan favourite and thank you for lighting a fire under my ass to learn some new freaking words

Always happy to tear @Apoalo to shreds, hope she keeps doing the same for me!

And of course a general one to the people of Of Blood and Magic for bringing together probably the most diverse and vibrant set of characters I've written with in my career on this site. We got a great bunch in there folks!

_{my rp roster is small but dammit I like it}

What Are You Listening To?

Give Me Your Favorite Quote(s).

"Strike! But listen!"

Themistocles, The Battle of Salamis

Make a wish, corrupt a wish.

Granted. The RP you join consumes your life. You forget what the sun looks like. What was your mother's name, again?

I wish for help sorting my belongings!

Of Blood and Magic

_{@Hero @Scribe of Thoth @Trainerblue192 @Gisk @Apoalo}

Aaron and Lilie each got a text at the same time, Lilie’s phone chiming and Aaron’s phone and watch buzzing in tandem.

> Somethings Wrong! All of my stuff, its missing!

Aaron’s brow furrowed at the message, and instinctively he looked around the dining hall for Lucan, though it was crowded enough that if the vampire was there, Aaron couldn't find him. First a suspiciously sudden exit on Salem's part - Aaron made a mental note to inquire about that later - and now his dorm was cleaned out? It would make sense if he returned to a few items missing, if he had anything that the investigation into him might need to look into, but everything? He was already cycling through possible reasons for it in his mind as he tapped out his reply.

> Everything? Are you sure? Are Lucan’s things missing too?
> I'll see what he knows.

To just that end, he also wrote a quick message to Lucan.

> Are you aware that your dorm has been emptied? Salem says all of his belongings are gone! Do you have any idea why that might have happened?

Conversation with Salem

Salem’s reply came soon after, reading:

> Well he never had his things here but yeah everything's missing. I should speak to Ryner about this after class.

Frowning at Salem's texts, Lilie found it strange that his belongings were missing. Could there have been a break in? She hadn't heard of a plant thief before, but he did mention how he used some of the plants for his medicines. It was alarming to think someone would just take everything he had, though she knew the best thing to do was report it and have the school handle it.

> You should go to administration and report it! D:

> You might have a hard time getting a meeting with her on such short notice. Lilie's right, maybe go to administration first? See what they can tell you?

> I suppose it's time to learn who the administration is then.

The bell rang sooner than expected and Cassandra was quick to leave, Aaron standing soon after. He collected his empty tray (and Lilie’s as well) on autopilot, depositing them in the proper place before collecting his things to go and offering Max a wave.

Gathering her backpack from the floor, as she slung it on her back Lilie figured now was as good a time as any to properly apologize to Aaron. It would have been better in private, but the last thing she wanted was any lingering negativity between them. She quietly followed him out of the dining hall, waiting until they were out of earshot from the others before trying to decide what to say. ‘I'm sorry for being stupid’ was a start, but she couldn't help her own curiosity. There probably wasn't going to be another chance to ask, so now was as good a time as any.

Inhaling slowly, Lilie gathered up some courage as she looked up at Aaron, a slight hesitancy before she spoke, “Um...can I ask you something?”

Aaron couldn’t deny that he was pleased that Lilie followed him, hoping she was walking with him on purpose instead of just as a consequence of going the same direction. Her calling him a friend led him to believe the former, and his suspicions were confirmed when she asked him a question, even though her tone was less enthusiastic than before. Salem’s drama was momentarily forgotten as he looked over at her - and then down, she was shorter than he’d realized in comparison to him, even in heels - and offered a small smile, hoping to put her more at ease. “Of course, go ahead.”

Lilie was relieved that Aaron was so receptive, hoping he would stay that way as she decided to go ahead with his blessing. She still hesitated for a second, averting her gaze for a second as she tried not to look too embarrassed. “About earlier...I'm really, really sorry,” She started with an apology first and foremost as she looked back at the taller boy, ignoring the blush on her face as she went ahead with what she wanted to say. “I didn't mean anything by it--I mean, I just thought it was something we could all talk about. Not that I thought it was you! I never would have dreamed that they meant you, you're way too nice to do something like that.” She explained herself as best as she could, trying not to get too flustered.

Aaron’s brow furrowed as Lilie worked through her apology, though his expression softened as she got to her point. He would have time to be flattered by her compliment once he’d cleared the air about what was going around. “Oh, you mean that rumour?” he confirmed, before waving her concerns away. It was mortifying, sure, but it wasn’t her fault. “Don’t worry!” he insisted, “I heard about it from Salem earlier anyway, although I didn’t get all the details...”

He cleared his throat, wanting to move right along from that. “I suppose it’s my own fault, really-- not that it was me!” he corrected quickly, “Salem was right, I was busy all of yesterday, and I would never do something like that anyway. I have no idea where that rumour could have come from.” He took a breath, not wanting to get flustered himself. “I mean that I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised, I suppose. I didn’t really expect rumours to be flying about me, but maybe that’s an unrealistic expectation. I’ll admit, I’m not very familiar with how this -” he gestured to the campus around them, “- all works.”

Saying she was relieved was an understatement, Lilie visibly relaxing as Aaron forgave her easily. She thought she might have needed to go further with it, but he seemed just as surprised as she was. Humiliation aside, she had to admit that knowing he was a Noila mage did pique her interest a bit more, mostly wondering what he was doing here at the Academy in the first place considering that he should have been at the castle. When she first brought up the rumor, his initial response was ‘sort of’.

“I didn't think you were that type of guy, too. You seem more like a gentleman to me,” Lilie agreed with him, mentally noting how silly everything sounded now. After a second, she continued. “But earlier, you said that you're ‘sort of’ a Noila mage. What did you mean by that?”

Ah, yes. That. Aaron started spinning his ring, looking down at his hands as he let out a slightly nervous laugh in an attempt to brush off the discomfort surrounding the issue. Damn it, he shouldn’t have mentioned that. But she would have found out anyway, once she learned who his master was, right?

“Right,” he replied, admittedly stalling. He paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase things, before drawing a long breath.

“So, remember how I told you I grew up around nobles?” he began, “Well, I’m the youngest member of the Starag family, so I was raised to serve the Noilas. My grandmother served the Queen before she passed away, and my mother and one of my aunts serve the Princesses. My other aunt serves Count Alder.” He looked to Lilie to make sure she was following, knowing he was probably over-explaining, but he was admittedly hesitant to get on with the point.

“Anyway,” he forced himself to get on with it, painting on a smile in an effort to seem more nonchalant about the subject than he was, “The Starags have always served the Noilas, ever since my great-grandfather originally submitted to the Queen. But…” He let out another nervous laugh and shrugged before finally coming out with it. “I guess I’m the first one to break the tradition.”

Saying Lilie was shocked was an understatement all things considered, her jaw agape at the news. She had already thought Aaron was a step above her growing up around nobles, but he wasn't just a Noila mage, he was a Starag. An actual Starag! She honestly had no idea what to do with this information, a flurry of different thoughts hitting her. Maybe she should apologize again. Maybe she should excuse herself and run away. Maybe she should say another stupid thing to distract from the fact that she had no idea who Aaron actually was. If he didn't think she was stupid before, he definitely must have now. All the signs were there, too, and she never pieced them together: the Noila symbol on his sword, his upbringing, how he seemed comfortable with vampires, how he fell into place quickly.

Snapping back to reality, Lilie cleared her throat as she tried to think of what to say. “Wow...that's really something,” She tried to remain calm, ignoring her anxiety building up as she focused on the positives. “You're basically royalty! That's amazing!” She focused more on him than her own ignorance, though she couldn't hide her surprise. “The first one here, huh? Lucky you!”

Smiling bashfully at the royalty comment, Aaron tugged at his ear, doing his best to swallow the uncertainty that had been swirling around the subject that Lilie brought up. “Yeah, lucky me,” he commented, before quickly moving the subject along.

“But hey, this is the Academy, right?” he offered, more optimistically this time, “I would imagine everyone who got accepted here is probably feeling pretty lucky.” He offered Lilie a more genuine smile. “But now that you know all about where I come from, how about you? Are you the first mage in your family?”

Lilie nodded slowly, her hands lightly tugging at her shirt. “Yeah,” Her response came out a little quieter than she had intended, though she caught herself. No point in being negative, if she was going to get depressed at every mention of her family, she was going to give people the wrong impression. No need to drag Aaron down that road. Besides, Aaron's question was innocent enough. She couldn't possibly be the only person who was the first mage in their family.

“Yeah, so I'm taking things day by day, I really have no idea what I'm doing and no guideline to follow,” She was a lot more optimistic as she spoke, shaking off the uncertainty as she released her shirt. She was a little embarrassed at admitting how clueless she was, but she felt like he wouldn't judge her too harshly. “If you have any pointers, I'd be happy to take them!” She joked, nudging him with her elbow before clasping her hands together.

Aaron wasn’t blind to that little crestfallen moment, but it was all forgotten when Lilie brightened back up, and he smiled when she nudged him. “Well, if you have any questions, like I said earlier, I’d be happy to help,” he offered in return, delighted that her opinion of him hadn’t been soiled by that rumour. He was trying to think of any general pointers he could offer Lilie as they approached the entrance to Rose Hall.

Aaron reached for the door handle, though Lilie would put her hand on his arm to stop him. Before they would go in, there was something else she wanted to tell him. She debated internally for a moment before finally speaking her mind.

“Um...I wanted to thank you for last night,” She said, giving him a shy smile. “I know it didn't seem like much, but everything's been a lot harder than I thought it would be and it's really good to know I have a friend nearby. I just thought you should know,” She finished somewhat lamely, but she meant it.

Surprise turned to humility when Lilie stopped him to get something on her chest, and Aaron could feel his ears burning again as he offered Lilie a bashful smile, glancing down. “Thank you, too,” he replied, lowering his voice. “Truth be told, the feeling is mutual.”

He didn’t know if that would mean anything to Lilie, but while he’d never been good at voicing this sort of thing, he didn’t want Lilie to think she was some kind of burden. With his own admission off his chest, he opened the door to the hall, gesturing inside. “After you.”

Lilie beamed at the blond, all too happy to get into the classroom. A gentleman indeed! And the feeling was mutual! He definitely thought of them as friends, too, and she felt herself swell with excitement. There was no way she could possibly get any giddier, unable to dim her smile even if she wanted to. As the pair entered, their classmates seemed to have caught up, filling the empty seats. His tall stature made it easy for her to keep track, but people were starting to duck between them, causing her to stop. She wanted to make sure they got to sit next to one another, so she decided to take a hold of the strap of his messenger bag to better follow him.

Once they reached the second row, Aaron would stop, and Lilie released him long enough to put her bag down. Taking her seat, she dug up a blank notebook and her fluffy pom-pom pen, she wrote “Spell Theory” on the top line, following it with the date on the right hand corner. “I've been looking forward to this one all day,” She leaned over and whispered to Aaron.

Aaron’s ears continued burning when Lilie took the strap of his bag, and he dared not look back in case he was actually blushing. Luckily that faded quickly as they took their seats and he focused briefly on getting out a notebook, producing a fountain pen as well from a pocket in his bag. He could get away without it in Treaty Law, but he definitely wanted to take notes in this class. He took a moment, as Lilie did, to title and date his page, before leaning over a bit to hear what Lilie was telling him.

Not wanting to talk any more - the professor looked like he wouldn’t be impressed by it - he simply gave her a warm smile in response. He’d been looking forward to this class too, though he was pretty sure his reason was different than Lilie’s.

As soon as the hall quieted, the sharply-dressed professor began teaching, speaking in a no-nonsense tone that Aaron was quite familiar with from his instructors back home. Aaron listened eagerly, soaking up as much of this new information - his first class of the night where he was learning something new, he noted - as he could and taking notes as he did, only rarely glancing down to make sure his lines weren’t crossing. He didn’t write in English, though; much like in Affinity Mastery, his notes consisted of a series of loops, lines and curves, looking more like nonsensical doodles than words.

Meanwhile, Lilie's page was quickly filling up, making sure she got nearly every word the professor was saying. No slides to condense, and she had no prior experience with magic so she couldn't tell what was important and what wasn't. Fortunately, he didn't seem like the type to waste his time, so she had nothing to lose by writing everything down. At the mention of her own element, Lilie frowned slightly, listening intently. Arcane magic must be anything that wasn't her affinity, so it would be easier to control her element for the payoff of struggling more when it came to anything else. Deflating slightly at the thought, she figured the best thing to do was focus on controlling her affinity and then see just how difficult everything else would be before putting in more effort. Aside from the workload from this class and Treaty Law, she assumed she would have plenty of free time to practice; she would dedicate as many hours as it took.

On the margin of the page, Lilie put small symbols defining the elements she knew and writing down names of the people she knew that matched to them, sorting them by their classification: Cassandra the fire mage in Primary, Salem the plant mage in Secondary, and Aaron the light mage in Conditional. There was the slightest bit of jealousy on her end, wishing she had a more interesting element to use, or at least something that didn't fluctuate with her emotions so much. The sooner she got control of it, the better. Then maybe she could move on to more interesting things, or at least practice safely. Cassandra was already able to produce a flame, Aaron could produce light, she hadn't asked Salem his own control but he seemed to know what he was doing--she wanted to keep up with everyone, so she promised herself to give it everything she had going forward.

The Conditional elements seemed like the most elusive study-wise, and she found herself smiling a little at that. Go figure, an amazing element for Aaron. He was leagues ahead of her in everything, it seemed. Flickering her eyes to the blond, she reached over and scribbled something on his page, returning to her own notebook as she jotted down few more thoughts she had.

Sparing only the odd glance at the distracting and comically adorable puff at the end of Lilie’s pen, not to mention her strangely endearing expression as she concentrated, Aaron paid otherwise rapt attention to the lesson. The categorization of affinities was fascinating in that it explained the relationships between affinities; he knew already how different types of affinities behaved, but he’d been considering them more as basic vs complex, rather than falling into four distinct categories. Already he was connecting the dots of what he’d experienced and what he was learning, from his mother’s difficulty with arcane magic to Dora and Clara’s differing issues. Unsurprisingly, he was most interested in Conditionals; he wrote the phrase “Light -> Conditional = Primary <-> Tertiary” in English in his notes for emphasis. It was exciting to learn why he and his magic seemed to get along so well - it felt more like an extension of his body than a force to be negotiated with - in the context of affinity categories, and he hoped they’d delve into it further later on. As he wrote, the small puff at the end of Lilie's pen came into view, scribbling something on the top of his page:

Oh good lord, she was doing this on purpose! No sooner had Aaron read that little note than the burn in his ears was back, a little bashful smile sneaking onto his face despite his best efforts. But there was no time to be flattered and humbled and all-around delighted as the professor opened the floor for questions, Aaron raising his pen in the air to pose one.

“Professor, are Sound and Emotion affinities also considered Conditionals?” he asked once he was acknowledged, “Also, if Conditionals can sometimes behave as Primary affinities, does that mean that in those cases it’s possible to use them without a casting focus?”

Of Blood and Magic

_{@Hero @Scribe of Thoth @Trainerblue192 @Gisk}

Lilie explaining her affinity mastery experience, stumbling as it was, was strangely endearing to Aaron, who was almost disappointed when a newcomer joined the group and moved the conversation on. Loath to be rude, of course, Aaron offered a wave to Cassandra when he was introduced, admittedly happier than perhaps he should have been at Lilie describing him as her friend. It was nice enough to hear over text the night before, but now in public as well? Any lingering humiliation from the rumour fled his mind at the thought.

With introductions done with, Aaron decided to follow Max’s lead and get some food of his own, returning with a simple plate of roast chicken and vegetables. All too aware of how he’d been slacking, he pulled a small journal out of his bag, taking his first bite with one hand as he wrote the contents of his meal in English under the correct date and time with the other. He also added what he remembered of his meals for nights past in the appropriate sections and looked back up as he finished, flipping the cover shut with the back of his pen. A sort of quiet settled over the table when Max left Lilie’s comment hanging; remembering something Salem had said earlier, Aaron looked around at the group, hoping to start a conversation.

“So you two are in the same Treaty Law group? You’re assigned to the Sinnenodels, right?” he asked Salem and Max, before looking to the women at the table. “How about you two? I’m in the Marivaldi group with Lucan and Eris Samael, if you can believe it -” he smiled, but a stone settled in his stomach as he remembered Varis’ comment “- but I didn’t recognize my third partner.”