Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Prusselanden]

Rabbit smiled at Shaun as he left, knowing that he was referring to him, but he understood. He had never intended to attack Lorian physically, but being a teacher meant he hoped he had at least scared the boy a little.

Soleil saw Shaun going back to his room, and he handed Bastille to Anne-Marie. "...I-I hope you...you have a good night...A-And Bastille, too..." he muttered. As he spoke to the cat, he pet the cat behind the ears again. He had been so patient with him, sitting in his arms as he hugged him and hid his face in his fur. Now his arms suddenly felt...empty. "...G-Good night..." he repeated to Anne-Marie. He then turned and walked over to Kasumi. "...K-Kasumi-chan...I think I might...turn in for the night...I-If...that doesn't bother you..." he mumbled.

"It's all right, Soleil-kun," Kasumi said reassuringly. "I'm going to need rest myself. I promised Natalie I would take her to buy something for Hikari, after all, and knowing her, I'm going to need to be well-rested for that adventure."


Speaking of Natalie, she was no longer dancing with Orso. She'd fallen asleep, so Hikari had picked her up and could be seen leaving the ballroom, Natalie sleeping on her shoulder.

Cheese followed her back to her room. "I'm pretty beat too!"

Ignis felt a yawn coming on and covered her mouth to disguise her unhinging jaw. "I may need to crash too..." She waved to Tim. "See you tommorrow!" She started to walk back to her room.
"Alright, kids, better go back to your rooms early. The early bird gets the worm after all."

[Charlia]

"It's all right, Soleil-kun," Kasumi said reassuringly. "I'm going to need rest myself. I promised Natalie I would take her to buy something for Hikari, after all, and knowing her, I'm going to need to be well-rested for that adventure."


Speaking of Natalie, she was no longer dancing with Orso. She'd fallen asleep, so Hikari had picked her up and could be seen leaving the ballroom, Natalie sleeping on her shoulder.

He smiled at her, and then he kissed her cheek. "...Good night, Kasumi-chan...I-I hope you sleep well...a-and...th-that you will make the team..." he whispered. He then walked away and followed Shaun to their room. As he walked out of the ballroom, he also looked at Aria and smiled at her. "...I-I am sorry for...wh-what happened...I hope you have a good night too...Y-You look wonderful..." he told her shyly. He blushed a little as he spoke to her, and then he hurried away after Shaun.

"I hope you make it on the team as well, Soleil-kun," she replied, and bowed before turning and going to her room. She and Hikari fell asleep rather quickly, and all three inhabitants of the room dreamed happy dreams of the people they cared the most about.

And, in one case, cheese.

Hailey Winters


Hailey walked up to Kate, a seductive twinkle in her emerald eyes. She was walking with a bit more of a flair as well, throwing her hips out more than normal. Now that the dance was ending she had something else on her mind. Something that she had waited for with Kate far longer than anyone she had been with before. Hailey came up to Kate, and took her hand loosely.

"So, looks like this event is starting to wind down, and I'm getting aweful bored, what do you say we head back up to our room put on some music..."

Katelyn was not expecting that.

Her face blushed bright red, and she could barely even manage a squeak of embarrassment. "Eh?!" she stuttered. "I-I mean if you're talking about what I think you're talking about then I guess I'd be okay with that... eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh..."

I hate it when she does this it's like she's totally breaking my brain. Aaaaaaaaaaargh! Be coherent, Katelyn! BE COHERENT!


And think hard about this. I like her, don't I? I like her a lot. Yes, I'm technically underage, but so is she. I think. Maybe? I don't know this stuff. And besides...

Oh, that's right...

[Woodstovia]

"Rabbit." Alexander said, a slight edge and anger imbued within his voice now. Though he tried not to lose his temper or actually get angry at the mentor, he knew better than that. Then he'd just get rejected outright. He needed to control himself, to shown strength. "You didn't come here without a plan and team in mind. Am I accepted?"

[Prusselanden]

Ignis awoke to a small rap on her door.
"Fuck this shi-"
Cheese looked up at her. "Een...could I crash for the night?"
"Why aren't you with Hikari?"
"...I don't know..." He sat down, upset.
"...Ok, come in. She probably forgot." She let him in her room and got in bed again.
Cheese curled up beside her.
"....No hard feelings, right? People make mistakes all the time, don't take it too seriously." She was seriously worried he would set off a plague or something in his unhappiness.
"...I gu'ss..." He rested his head on a pillow. "...p'ple don' seem that bad after all...well only some...loike, 1%."
"....yeah. Don't be too upset about it, ok?" she petted him on the head.
Please don't curse the entire city, please don't curse the entire city...
"Everything's gonna be finer tommorrow."
"...y'sure?" he sighed and soon snored.
"......No."
Ignis drifted off to sleep.

"How did natural selection even let you through?"
"I'm not dumb, just bad at reading the atmosphere!"
"Stupid."
"I'm not stupid, I-
......
I....
....

[Archembalt]

Yeah, alright, this was getting boring fast.

The dullness of being alone at a social gathering like a ball had finally taken its toll on Scott. The stimulation of being around other people, taking in their scents, and listening to their banal discourse had become tiresome. Scott had practically ruined the chance to get on better footing with Shaun now, and his "potential" companion had just left the ball. Now this was shitty. And, on top of that, he still had to remember where his hotel was -- the street, mainly. Scott should have remembered it, but after getting off the plane after a long nap, he had been in a terribly groggy, dazed state, and everything -- from checking in, to going to his room, to plopping Bertram on his bed, to unpacking things -- became a blur. It actually astounded Scott just how amazingly shitty his memory could be at times.

At first, he considered going to Rabbit, Aether, or Ruta. They were figures of authority. Perhaps they could help him. But he didn't want their help. He didn't like dealing with them. He especially did not like talking to them. So, Scott was on his own, he decided. The first thing he did was take his hands out of his pockets, pat down his black dress trousers and deep blue vest, and headed straight towards the exit.

Immediately, the mediocre background music, various inane and deafening conversations, and occasional shouting was replaced with the ambiance of city life; the tapping of civilian footsteps, the fwoosh of wind brought by passing cars, and a myriad of sounds -- with some more audible than others -- that composed Paris' nighttime symphony assaulted his ears. And so Scott traveled in search of his hotel, jaywalking across streets and glancing around at the lights emanating from buildings to bring radiance to the night, and picking up the frequently spoken French that was native to this country.


As time passed, his searching became a bit more frantic. And his mood became just a bit more sour when he had to keep looking.


Because he really was getting tired of this city already.

[Luminesa]

"Rabbit." Alexander said, a slight edge and anger imbued within his voice now. Though he tried not to lose his temper or actually get angry at the mentor, he knew better than that. Then he'd just get rejected outright. He needed to control himself, to shown strength. "You didn't come here without a plan and team in mind. Am I accepted?"

"You will see in the morning, Alexander. We will discuss this further in the morning. All of us here need to rest and to prepare. Even if you do not make the team, rest assured, we will keep you busy and entertained. But you have no reason to worry about what you cannot control, dear," he answered, calmly. Alex did not intimidate him, and if he tried to attack him, he could easily assuage him.

[Woodstovia]

Alexander gritted his teeth, his anger boiling over and consuming Rabbit was a very real possibility at this moment in time. Could he fight Rabbit? Alexander wondered. he didn't even know what Rabbit really was he didn't feel... Human. But that was a stupid thought of course he was. Still the professor was so shrouded in mystery Alexander wasn't sure what to think. And he wasn't going to start a fight with something he didn't understand. His pride and ego may have urged him on. To set that stupid little bunny mask on fire and see what his teacher really was. Only guilty men hid their faces. Was he a convict? Or more sinister? A demon! That's why his aura felt different, that's why Alex felt uncomfortable! Rabbit was a demon and this was all some conspiracy by Ruta to infest the school. Alex decided to be kinder to Rabbit in the future. When the time came Alexander needed to be on the winning side. Above all else Alexander had a need to survive, life was fragile and he wasn't going to be snuffed out because he whined too much and a demon was annoyed.

Alex therefor smiled "Sorry sir. I'll show up for training instead sir. Please just consider me sir." he said sycophantically, trying to please the creature in front of him. If he was lucky he'd be chosen to serve a demon Alex dreamed. His grandfather had shared that dream and almost killed his house though. Survival. Alex shut his mouth and slinked away. A tear was emerging in his head. A lion had clawed at his brain for being so stupid and he could feel the blood. Crimson staining his skull. Alex stumbled to a wall for support. The crimson was beautiful. So red, so precious and delicate. It's beauty was overloading his brain. He looked at his skin, snow white. What if he tore it off? Could he see that crimson? For real? What if he was a demon. What if black and green acid spilled out. What if his grandfather had tainted the line too badly? No he was a human. A human of earth. Alexander rushed to the toilets, about to be sick.

[Archembalt]

Fuck this. Fuck this. FUCK THIS.

Thirty minutes into his search for the hotel and he was already beginning to lose his composure. He knew no French, so he didn't feel comfortable asking anyone what the various hotels were. The boy scolded himself for not taking note of the address and for forgetting. This was fucking embarrassing. Now he looked like an idiot, standing at street corners and peering over at a building across the street, then walking back and consistently stopping in the middle of sidewalks to check his phone. Why did he check his phone? He felt that it could make him look like less of a sod if he made himself out to be busy. But stopping in the middle of the sidewalk only made people irritated with him, and in turn he was irritated for appearing as a nuisance. By now, he had taken off his vest and had it slung over his shoulder, revealing the plain white dress shirt which was beneath it.

After executing this little socially awkward maneuver, he decided to just go over to the side of the walkway and plant his back against the wall of a random building. The building had a window with writing on it and a symbol of a cake -- a display, rather, given that there were multiple cakes and cupcakes residing on white pastry trays. They looked nice, Scott thought. The colorful, large writing on the window was "Pâtisserie". That was all Scott could see. The rest of it had faded away, but he assumed the word in front was meant to be a name. Whatever.

Scott gazed back out at the sidewalk and street, watching people walk past and cars drive by. As relaxed as he might have seemed on the surface, his facade did well to veil the utterly aggravated emotions which had begun to build up. He was lost. Shaun was gone and couldn't help him speak with the locals. He was not about to sleep on the street. He abhorred the idea. Oh well. A cohort of three women about his age then passed by, dressed in rather casual clothing. They were talking about something when they came closer, their faces all honed in on the one on the one nearby the edge of the street. Scott couldn't understand them, of course. The speaking girl's voice had begun to gradually rise in pitch, as if she was telling a funny story of some sort, until eventually she burst out in laughter. Then the other two laughed along with her. Their laughs were ugly. The middle one had a deep chuckle, and she sounded absolutely stupid. The one who told the other two her story had a shrill, intermittently exuded chortle which made Scott grimace internally. The one closest to him had a more normal laugh, but her sharp inhale was far too loud.

It pissed Scott off further.

[Luminesa]

Alexander gritted his teeth, his anger boiling over and consuming Rabbit was a very real possibility at this moment in time. Could he fight Rabbit? Alexander wondered. he didn't even know what Rabbit really was he didn't feel... Human. But that was a stupid thought of course he was. Still the professor was so shrouded in mystery Alexander wasn't sure what to think. And he wasn't going to start a fight with something he didn't understand. His pride and ego may have urged him on. To set that stupid little bunny mask on fire and see what his teacher really was. Only guilty men hid their faces. Was he a convict? Or more sinister? A demon! That's why his aura felt different, that's why Alex felt uncomfortable! Rabbit was a demon and this was all some conspiracy by Ruta to infest the school. Alex decided to be kinder to Rabbit in the future. When the time came Alexander needed to be on the winning side. Above all else Alexander had a need to survive, life was fragile and he wasn't going to be snuffed out because he whined too much and a demon was annoyed.

Alex therefor smiled "Sorry sir. I'll show up for training instead sir. Please just consider me sir." he said sycophantically, trying to please the creature in front of him. If he was lucky he'd be chosen to serve a demon Alex dreamed. His grandfather had shared that dream and almost killed his house though. Survival. Alex shut his mouth and slinked away. A tear was emerging in his head. A lion had clawed at his brain for being so stupid and he could feel the blood. Crimson staining his skull. Alex stumbled to a wall for support. The crimson was beautiful. So red, so precious and delicate. It's beauty was overloading his brain. He looked at his skin, snow white. What if he tore it off? Could he see that crimson? For real? What if he was a demon. What if black and green acid spilled out. What if his grandfather had tainted the line too badly? No he was a human. A human of earth. Alexander rushed to the toilets, about to be sick.

As Rabbit spoke to the boy, he noticed that the boy was slowly beginning to turn pale. He then made a beeline for the bathroom, looking ready to vomit. Concerned for Alex, Rabbit followed him, not exactly comfortable with rushing in a kimono, but nevertheless he wanted to catch him. It seemed that tonight's drama was far from over. "Alex? Alex, where are you going?" he called after him, his quiet voice echoing down the hallway. From what he could sense, the boy seemed severely sick, all of a sudden.

Little did either of them know, but someone was following both of them. The same Goth girl who had appeared in Ambrosia's room and had kidnapped her now stood in the shadows, watching the teacher and student rush by suddenly.

[Prusselanden]

I need to...I need to pee...the fuck is this?

Ignis felt a heavy weight on her and looked up to see Cheese in his ram form, sprawled comfortably on top of the snake demon's torso.
"Great."
She lifted him up, got out from under him and set him down as she went to relieve herself. Cheese remained in deep sleep.
She came back from the bathroom and heard a flapping and banging against her window. She turned the lights off and froze like a deer in the headlights as the glowing eyes of a gargoyle stared back at her.
"....They only appear to ward off evil spirits..."
The creature perched on the sill and stared intensely into the room.
Don't panic...don't retreat...stay calm..
The gargoyle let out a low hissing sound and in a split second leaped off the sill, flying into the obsidian night.
...It wasn't after me? Then what was it-
A chill ran up her spine.
She put on something and snuck around the hotel quietly, sniffing the air occasionally.

[Rhomaia]

Sage

"Yona..." Sage repeated quietly, learning the name. It was obvious that the woman had meant everything to Ruta. He had loved her so much that losing her broke him, or had a large role in shaping him into the man he is today. "Ruta... Forgive me for asking, but how did she die?" She asked, her voice only slightly louder than before. "If you don't wish to tell me, I'll understand."

Antonius Ruta

"...That is a tale for another time, Sage..." Ruta said tenderly and quietly, as if to even speak about his past would bring him an unimaginable amount of pain. Her loss...her death, and watching it unfold were the very things that kept Ruta up every night, and played a part in molding him from a warm hearted, selfless idealist into a disgruntled, cynical hunter who desperately clung to his lost love's forgotten dreams.

After that little embrace he shared with Sage, Ruta backed away completely, but still kept his dark blue eyes on Sage. "...However, I thank you for your effort...I didn't think you had it in you, at first..." he said with a nervous chuckle, trying to smile at Sage once more.

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Yes. I did. It is... private personal matter. For both of us. This may seem a little extreme but I would not want others overhear us, not yet." Tsukuyomi walked with Soliel into a hallway away from the sight of other. With a motion, a tear in reality formed, opening the way to Tsukuyomi's demiplane. "Please come with me."

This time, Tsukuyomi's plane took on a more homely apperance. It was a large Meiji style estate, made in the tradition way, wood plaster, and paper making up the building. It sat at the edge of a forest, a city and bay stretching out below them. It was Yokohama Japan, as it had appeared in Tsukuyomi's childhood, over a century ago. It was an appropriate setting for their conversation. Liz walked into the house, expecting Soliel to follow. She sat down at a table, and contrasting it's surroundings, it was western in style, something her mother had demanded. A steaming pot of tea sat on the table, with two cups. Tsukuyomi sat and calmly watch Soliel as he follow, her expression as blank and stern as ever, but her eyes seemed ever so slightly warmer.

"Please, sit."


Hailey Winters


"Well, I don't really want to waste any more time then, let's go up to our room."

Hailey had rather expected Kate's reaction, yet still she wondered if maybe she was doing something wrong. If it was, it was what she wanted, and Kate was willing. This was the city of love was it not? What better time, what better place?

[Charlia]

Hailey Winters


"Well, I don't really want to waste any more time then, let's go up to our room."

Hailey had rather expected Kate's reaction, yet still she wondered if maybe she was doing something wrong. If it was, it was what she wanted, and Kate was willing. This was the city of love was it not? What better time, what better place?

"O-okay," Katelyn squeaked again, and squeezed Hailey's hand nervously as they returned to their room. Once they were there, however, she paused, and took a deep breath.

"Hailey... before we actually go through with this, there's something you should know," she said very slowly. "This... isn't my first time doing something like this, although... it is my first time with a girl," she admitted. "I... You're not disappointed, are you?" she said worriedly, clasping her hands together.

I mean... I hope she doesn't think I'm a bad person... or anything like that.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Yes. I did. It is... private personal matter. For both of us. This may seem a little extreme but I would not want others overhear us, not yet." Tsukuyomi walked with Soliel into a hallway away from the sight of other. With a motion, a tear in reality formed, opening the way to Tsukuyomi's demiplane. "Please come with me."

This time, Tsukuyomi's plane took on a more homely apperance. It was a large Meiji style estate, made in the tradition way, wood plaster, and paper making up the building. It sat at the edge of a forest, a city and bay stretching out below them. It was Yokohama Japan, as it had appeared in Tsukuyomi's childhood, over a century ago. It was an appropriate setting for their conversation. Liz walked into the house, expecting Soliel to follow. She sat down at a table, and contrasting it's surroundings, it was western in style, something her mother had demanded. A steaming pot of tea sat on the table, with two cups. Tsukuyomi sat and calmly watch Soliel as he follow, her expression as blank and stern as ever, but her eyes seemed ever so slightly warmer.

"Please, sit."


Hailey Winters


"Well, I don't really want to waste any more time then, let's go up to our room."

Hailey had rather expected Kate's reaction, yet still she wondered if maybe she was doing something wrong. If it was, it was what she wanted, and Kate was willing. This was the city of love was it not? What better time, what better place?

Obediently, he followed her, uncertain of what was happening or why she was taking him away from the room. Then he followed her through the portal, and he was amazed. He was in an entirely different place, somewhere in Japan. His eyes wandered the scene-the scented forests, the sparkling bay, and the enormous city-as he followed her, and then he went into the house with her. It was a pretty little Japanese-style home, though the inside seemed to have a mix of traditional and modern furniture. When she commanded him to sit at the table, he did so, sitting quietly across the table from his professor. "...I-Is something the matter, Professor?" he asked, softly. Her expression was rather serious, and he wondered if she needed to tell him something grave.

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Sage

"Yona..." Sage repeated quietly, learning the name. It was obvious that the woman had meant everything to Ruta. He had loved her so much that losing her broke him, or had a large role in shaping him into the man he is today. "Ruta... Forgive me for asking, but how did she die?" She asked, her voice only slightly louder than before. "If you don't wish to tell me, I'll understand."

Antonius Ruta

"...That is a tale for another time, Sage..." Ruta said tenderly and quietly, as if to even speak about his past would bring him an unimaginable amount of pain. Her loss...her death, and watching it unfold were the very things that kept Ruta up every night, and played a part in molding him from a warm hearted, selfless idealist into a disgruntled, cynical hunter who desperately clung to his lost love's forgotten dreams.

After that little embrace he shared with Sage, Ruta backed away completely, but still kept his dark blue eyes on Sage. "...However, I thank you for your effort...I didn't think you had it in you, at first..." he said with a nervous chuckle, trying to smile at Sage once more.

Sage

Just as she had thought, Ruta didn't want to talk about his painful memories. But, she couldn't blame him for it. She too had her fair share of scars, the worst of which had taken place during her childhood, before her and Inari had become rivals. Everything that she witnessed, everything that she experienced, everything that she felt, it all shaped her into the girl that she was. Unlike Ruta, the memories that kept her awake at night varied from witnessing the death of her mother as a child to her first kill.

"You know, Ruta, you should smile more often. I heard that even just faking a smile can brighten your mood," she stated, making an attempt to lighten the mood. "Also, I think that it would serve you best if you were to not underestimate me again. Who knows how many surprises I may have in store for you."

[Rhomaia]

Thirty minutes into his search for the hotel and he was already beginning to lose his composure. He knew no French, so he didn't feel comfortable asking anyone what the various hotels were. The boy scolded himself for not taking note of the address and for forgetting. This was fucking embarrassing. Now he looked like an idiot, standing at street corners and peering over at a building across the street, then walking back and consistently stopping in the middle of sidewalks to check his phone. Why did he check his phone? He felt that it could make him look like less of a sod if he made himself out to be busy. But stopping in the middle of the sidewalk only made people irritated with him, and in turn he was irritated for appearing as a nuisance. By now, he had taken off his vest and had it slung over his shoulder, revealing the plain white dress shirt which was beneath it.

Ruby Kasoura

The tightly enclosed spaces and overbearing extravagance of the French hotel were not a very welcome change of scenery on Ruby's end, who had taken quite a liking to the open courtyard and beaches of Eagle Island when she had arrived last morning. That was one of the main reasons she had taken the job in the first place, the fresh air and (relative) peace and quiet that would give her a break from all of the fighting and field operations she had been participating in for the last six years. She was tired of the pain, monotony, and bloodshed, and she hoped for a place that would accept her like the Jaegars did. That was the reason she felt so lucky, having come to the Academy.

Or at least, she had felt lucky, before almost immediately being flown on a cramped flight to Paris, during which she had lost her temper and had threatened with total seriousness to throw a grouo of Ignis students out of the emergency hatch. From there, everything had just gone seriously downhill for her. The French headmistress' incredibly gaudy displays of authority and wealth had disgusted her to no end, and she felt blinded by all the damn gold leaf and polish that coated nigh every object in the building. Ruby hadn't even gone to the dance, mainly for a bout of embarrassment after having recieved a dress for the occasion, and secondly for the aforementioned reasons, and the first chance she got she had snuck out of the hotel, still wearing her black suit.

On the streets of Paris, bustling with people eager to experience the nightlife, Ruby could at last catch a breath of air without having to look at another Nobleblood wearing some outlandish dress or robes, silently screaming that their mothers and fathers had stupid amounts of money to burn. It was irritating for her to even think about, but she did her best to shrug off those thoughts as she walked calmly down the Parisian roads.

While slowly walking past various storefronts, most of which were showy restaurants where tourists would go to 'experience France' or more seedy establishments whose windows were grimy and in desperate need of cleaning, Ruby came across a rather peculiar looking dark skinned teenager who had draped what looked to be a dress shirt over his shoulder, an anxious and lost look in his eye. It was obvious he didn't fit in with the Parisian natives or the English tourists passing by, one group even going so far as to laugh and spite him for it. Despite this, she had a strange feeling that she had seen the boy earlier, perhaps on the plane while the Ignis students were busy trying to incite a riot.

Calmly and carefully she walked next to the boy and kept his pace. Her short hair was a grayish black and covered the left side of her pale face, leaving only one gleaming azure eye visible to the boy. Measuring five foot four inches in height, she was only sightly shorter than him. "...Forgive me for saying this, but you look a little lost, kid." she said casually, her voice possessing no French, English, or European accent at all.

[Finsternia]

Allistor Abendroth

Allistor sighed in relief as the kid was striked down by his teacher. He then flashed a smile at Annice, his teeth bared. "That looked really painful. It wasn't enough though." As the others started to flee the ball for their own rooms, Allistor held Annice closer, whispering in a low tone. "Seems that we are left alone. Wanna have a walk outside or train perhaps? I believe I've been behind in our training." He said with a slight laugh, slightly lowering his head so that his forehead touches hers.

[Archembalt]

The tightly enclosed spaces and overbearing extravagance of the French hotel were not a very welcome change of scenery on Ruby's end, who had taken quite a liking to the open courtyard and beaches of Eagle Island when she had arrived last morning. That was one of the main reasons she had taken the job in the first place, the fresh air and (relative) peace and quiet that would give her a break from all of the fighting and field operations she had been participating in for the last six years. She was tired of the pain, monotony, and bloodshed, and she hoped for a place that would accept her like the Jaegars did. That was the reason she felt so lucky, having come to the Academy.

Or at least, she had felt lucky, before almost immediately being flown on a cramped flight to Paris, during which she had lost her temper and had threatened with total seriousness to throw a grouo of Ignis students out of the emergency hatch. From there, everything had just gone seriously downhill for her. The French headmistress' incredibly gaudy displays of authority and wealth had disgusted her to no end, and she felt blinded by all the damn gold leaf and polish that coated nigh every object in the building. Ruby hadn't even gone to the dance, mainly for a bout of embarrassment after having recieved a dress for the occasion, and secondly for the aforementioned reasons, and the first chance she got she had snuck out of the hotel, still wearing her black suit.

On the streets of Paris, bustling with people eager to experience the nightlife, Ruby could at last catch a breath of air without having to look at another Nobleblood wearing some outlandish dress or robes, silently screaming that their mothers and fathers had stupid amounts of money to burn. It was irritating for her to even think about, but she did her best to shrug off those thoughts as she walked calmly down the Parisian roads.

While slowly walking past various storefronts, most of which were showy restaurants where tourists would go to 'experience France' or more seedy establishments whose windows were grimy and in desperate need of cleaning, Ruby came across a rather peculiar looking dark skinned teenager who had draped what looked to be a dress shirt over his shoulder, an anxious and lost look in his eye. It was obvious he didn't fit in with the Parisian natives or the English tourists passing by, one group even going so far as to laugh and spite him for it. Despite this, she had a strange feeling that she had seen the boy earlier, perhaps on the plane while the Ignis students were busy trying to incite a riot.

Calmly and carefully she walked next to the boy and kept his pace. Her short hair was a grayish black and covered the left side of her pale face, leaving only one gleaming azure eye visible to the boy. Measuring five foot four inches in height, she was only sightly shorter than him. "...Forgive me for saying this, but you look a little lost, kid." she said casually, her voice possessing no French, English, or European accent at all.

A feminine voice -- and one speaking his language, no less -- spurred Scott to stand at attention. He pushed himself off the wall first, not turning towards her. Then once he had stood at his full height,with no slouch possibly hindering his full stature, he swiveled himself about completely to face the pale woman and stare down at her.

He thought it would make him look mature. It just made him look odd. Only after did he know that it made him look odd. Now he was pissed with himself more so than the second before. Being "natural" had always become difficult for him. Scott's eyes nervously glazed over at the other pedestrians passing the duo. Some gave him looks, some gave her looks, but now they were beacons of minor attention. He didn't like it.

As for this woman, his judgmental psyche had its cogs working already, as well-oiled as usual. He didn't know, actually, of what he should think of this woman. She was wearing a suit. It didn't look good on her. Well, she was speaking English. That was a start. She happened to ask if he was lost. How did she know if he was lost? Was he not doing a good job at being "natural?" Hmm.

If there was one thing that he would ingrain into his mind for the time being, it was that she was suspicious. If she tried to lure him into any dark alleys, he knew the procedure: make sure the assailant is in front, kick the back of their knee, and then flee.

And now he had realized that he had been staring her in the eye for the past fifteen or so seconds without saying a word. Suddenly becoming aware of this, he inhaled some, closed his eyes, and his once painfully neutral expression dissipated, albeit into another somewhat stagnant visage. And then, accompanied with the opening of his brown eyes, there was a nod.

"Yes, I am lost. Looking for a hotel. I'm a mage. Here for the tournament. A nice hotel. You know of it?" His query was voiced in a rigid, brisk tone, as if he was in a rush. In some cases, he was. Scott wanted to see Bertram again. He must be howling by now due to the loneliness. And Scott loathed the city. And he loathed the eyes on him. And, strangely, he found himself loathing having to speak to this woman. It felt like he was suffocating with every word he spoke.

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Venta
Theodora Mills

---

The events in Violet's room were able to be summarized very briefly. Berated for being rude, then followed by shifting through what felt like hundreds of dresses, Theodora was given a strike of karma for being absolutely savage to someone she had never met. From frilly to puffy, there was no end to the thing she was forced to try on. It was horrifying to Theodora, who had to endure the same sort of treatment with her mother only a few months ago for her farewell party. In the end, they both walked out made way to the ballroom, the Aussie's face red in embarrassment.

It was navy blue, sleeveless gown, a black corset tightly wrapped around her torso. Equally colored armbands with black frills also adorned her, with black silk gloves covering her hands smoothly. And, due to the inability to take them off, the scarf still covered her neck, and the pair of goggles were shined to a gleam. It were as if an aviator had just touched down and was ready to dance from the moment she had stepped off the plane.

"Violet, how long do I have to wear this?" Theodora muttered, "I'm sorry, alright..."

Violet Heart

"Until the ball is over, of course!" she answered enthusiastically, excited to see Theo out of her tomboy getup and in a dress. Even if Theo hated to admit it, the dress did suit her. Looking around the ballroom, Violet noticed that the majority of the attendants seemed to be female, which would only make it neigh-impossible to find any male dance partner. Sighing quietly from disappointment, she turned back to Theo and extended an arm to her friend in a way that suggested that she would like to dance. "It seems that we'll have to dance with each other. It's a shame... I was hoping to get you to meet some more people."

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Not at all. I suppose I shall start with explaining some things. There was a time when I studied in Europe, in Paris even, with the other great houses. I know of most of the families that that populate our schools, or at least what they were like. I mean no judgement by this, but seeing your family name show up... Troubled me. Yet, you are nothing like Rise of my youth, so I started to see what I could learn about the family now. I'm sure you know some of the things that I found out. Yet still, here you are, nothing like what would be expected. Now, before I continue, tell me about your family. I would like your honest opinion on them, both your immediate and distant family. I want to know your experiences."

Tsukuyomi didn't need to see the scar on his body, she could taste the hurt coming off of the boy, ever since they had met. And now he was here she could see all, all buy the boys mind, what he thought, and how that affected him. She had been thinking about this for a time, and now that the boy was home, her mind had been decided.


Annice Null


Annice was happy when Alli held her, but something crept through the back of her mind, some base, horrifying, primal fear. Something she couldn't identify, much less explain. Something that poisoned his touch, screaming in the back of her head to scream, to run, or to draw her blade and strike him down, just like before. Why? Why did she feel like this with the only person who wanted to be close to her? Her voice trembled slight as she spoke

"I... Don't know... I think I'm going to go lay down... something feels wrong. I.. I'm sorry."


Hailey Winters


"Huh? Oh, you're not a virgin. I guess I'm kind of surprised by that. I mean I'm not either, not a virgin. Ah... well, not by a long shot. Kate, I'm not disappointed at all. I really couldn't care less. As long as it wasn't while we were together, it doesn't matter to me. And, I think even if it was I could forgive you."

Hailey was surprised that Kate wasn't a virgin, she wouldn't have expected her to have much of an opportunity for... physical relationships. Her shame about it wasn't surprising at all though. Of course she would have been taught to be ashamed of that, just another thing that they would use to try to change her. Just another tool to hurt her with.

"But, If you're not comfortable with this, If you don't want to do anything, I won't hold that against you either. Just let me know if you're ever uncomfortable."

[Rhomaia]

As for this woman, his judgmental psyche had its cogs working already, as well-oiled as usual. He didn't know, actually, of what he should think of this woman. She was wearing a suit. It didn't look good on her. Well, she was speaking English. That was a start. She happened to ask if he was lost. How did she know if he was lost? Was he not doing a good job at being "natural?" Hmm.

If there was one thing that he would ingrain into his mind for the time being, it was that she was suspicious. If she tried to lure him into any dark alleys, he knew the procedure: make sure the assailant is in front, kick the back of their knee, and then flee.

And now he had realized that he had been staring her in the eye for the past fifteen or so seconds without saying a word. Suddenly becoming aware of this, he inhaled some, closed his eyes, and his once painfully neutral expression dissipated, albeit into another somewhat stagnant visage. And then, accompanied with the opening of his brown eyes, there was a nod.

"Yes, I am lost. Looking for a hotel. I'm a mage. Here for the tournament. A nice hotel. You know of it?" His query was voiced in a rigid, brisk tone, as if he was in a rush. In some cases, he was. Scott wanted to see Bertram again. He must be howling by now due to the loneliness. And Scott loathed the city. And he loathed the eyes on him. And, strangely, he found himself loathing having to speak to this woman. It felt like he was suffocating with every word he spoke.

Ruby Kasoura

With a calm, observant gaze, Ruby's icy blue eye seemed to be looking over Scott just as he had looked over her. Only in her case, she was much more interested in what was going on with his face and body language, not just overall appearances. He was clearly stressed, his quick breaths and fidgety movements were more than enough to indicate that, and his eyes lingered over Ruby's clothing, either meaning he was checking her out or sizing her up. That, or he had some other strange reason for it that could always be explained.

Internally sighing at both the boy's habits and the fact that he had so loudly declared himself a mage in front of unsuspecting bystanders, half of whom were probably still sober enough to listen in on their conversation, Ruby gave Scott a small, almost imperceptible smile, as if to say she did know exactly what he was talking about.

"And of course, one of you kids has to give me trouble during my first night of the job..." she said quietly, sighing audibly this time, which sounded somewhere between disbelief and exasperation. "You must be one of the students, then. I can take you back to the hotel, though I'm really not sure if you really want to go back." she finished, leaving out the part saying, 'You don't seem to like being around people'.

[Finsternia]

Annice Null


Annice was happy when Alli held her, but something crept through the back of her mind, some base, horrifying, primal fear. Something she couldn't identify, much less explain. Something that poisoned his touch, screaming in the back of her head to scream, to run, or to draw her blade and strike him down, just like before. Why? Why did she feel like this with the only person who wanted to be close to her? Her voice trembled slight as she spoke

"I... Don't know... I think I'm going to go lay down... something feels wrong. I.. I'm sorry."

Allistor Abendroth

His eyes drooped a bit, feeling a bit down for being rejected. "I... I see. Let me escort you to your room. At the very least..." He slowly let Annice's hands go and turned his back at her, wondering what he did wrong. 'Maybe I was being too close and being too clingy. Maybe she finds me creepy or weird for being quite affectionate.' He had his head down, his sight pointed towards the floor. "I'm sorry."

He accompanied Annice back to her room, in utmost silence. Glacia was awake during that time period, which is quite an uncommon sight, as if watching the movements of the both of them. As they reached her room, he just muttered a simple good night before going for his and Henry's room. He closed the heavy ornate door behind him, before collapsing on his bed. "Did... Did I do something wrong, Glacia?" His familiar slowly slithered and rubbed her head on his cheek, trying to comfort him.

'You have done nothing wrong, Lord Allistor. Let her have some rest. She's probably tired and the flight before the ball is tiring too.' A familiar voice said to him in his mind. "Perhaps you're right..." He reached and patted Glacia on the head before grabbing a pillow and hugging it tight, descending into the world of dreams.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Henry Von Kressel

And soon as Henry would answer Lorianus, the boy was sent to the ground and corrected by his teacher. Not wanting to waste anymore time with him, he simply turned his back to the downed boy, as he went back to Aria once more.

Calmly, he placed his hand on her shoulder, as his eyes searched her face for any negative reactions.

"Aria... I hope it didn't spoil your night. Mind if I make it up for you with one quick last dance?"

Anatoly Raskolnikov

"Well, Simone... We could go for a walk in the city, but with you being a local, I'd suggest a place you never visited before... My room, maybe?"

There was a certain malice in each word Anatoly let out of his mouth, like he tried to involve her in his story and in his wishes. The question was: Would Simone believe in him so easily? Or she would see through the smoke and mirrors he used?

[Woodstovia]

Alex ran to the bathroom, not hearing Rabbit's cries as he desperately shuffled after Alex in his dress. Alexander threw open the bathroom doors and ran to a stall, throwing up almost immediately. It was that weird pale green colour he realized. The colour of demons. Maybe other people vomited in different colours. How would he know? But he was a demon and threw up green. Whatever the case he had prevented anything from getting on his suit. He laughed at that. He had defended his humanity from the demons, he was saviour of earth! He flushed the toilet and looked around for a moment. Pity nobody else was around to share in his joke.

Alex left the stall and went to wash his hands, he paused and felt the water running off his skin. He paused for a few minutes trying to observe it. It was so beautiful. The purity of the water, it's uncorrupted nature. Eventually Alex pried himself away and turned the tap off, sighing. He would never be as innocent as that water, as pure. He opened the door to the toilets to see Rabbit outside waiting.

"I'm sorry sir!" he begged immediately. It was like summoning a demon and then leaving the circle. You couldn't do that, it was disrespectful to leave it waiting. Now Rabbit was mad. Alex could imagine 2 fiery eyes blazing at him. "Please. I was just sick. Please." Alex had fallen to his knees and was begging now. He needed to survive.

[Luminesa]

Alex ran to the bathroom, not hearing Rabbit's cries as he desperately shuffled after Alex in his dress. Alexander threw open the bathroom doors and ran to a stall, throwing up almost immediately. It was that weird pale green colour he realized. The colour of demons. Maybe other people vomited in different colours. How would he know? But he was a demon and threw up green. Whatever the case he had prevented anything from getting on his suit. He laughed at that. He had defended his humanity from the demons, he was saviour of earth! He flushed the toilet and looked around for a moment. Pity nobody else was around to share in his joke.

Alex left the stall and went to wash his hands, he paused and felt the water running off his skin. He paused for a few minutes trying to observe it. It was so beautiful. The purity of the water, it's uncorrupted nature. Eventually Alex pried himself away and turned the tap off, sighing. He would never be as innocent as that water, as pure. He opened the door to the toilets to see Rabbit outside waiting.

"I'm sorry sir!" he begged immediately. It was like summoning a demon and then leaving the circle. You couldn't do that, it was disrespectful to leave it waiting. Now Rabbit was mad. Alex could imagine 2 fiery eyes blazing at him. "Please. I was just sick. Please." Alex had fallen to his knees and was begging now. He needed to survive.

Rabbit saw the boy stumble of out the bathroom, his face even paler than when he had entered it. He was shivering and near tears. Obviously he had vomited in the restroom. The masked teacher would have normally suspected nerves, or anxiety, but Alex's behavior was far more serious than even anxiety. He was afraid, specifically of Rabbit, and not afraid of him as a teacher. He was afraid for his life, it seemed.

When the boy feel to his knees, Rabbit slowly got to his knees as well, and he listened to Alex explain himself, begging him to let him live. For a moment, a Rabbit heard similar echoes from a faraway place, in his mind. He was much younger, in this memory, and he had never forgotten this memory. He had been standing over someone, a large, burly man in an expensive suit, who was terrified to see him, as well. The man had been shot in the lung, and when he had seen Rabbit, he thought he was going to kill him. In his mind, he could still feel the large, bleeding man shivering like an earthquake and whispering, "...Please...my wife...my children..." even as Rabbit had not done any harm to him, and had simply wanted to heal the man. Even as he had done so, the man had never taken his eyes off him, and that look haunted him even now.

The difference now was that it was a child. As arrogant and belligerent as Alex could be at times, he was still a child. He was staring at Rabbit as someone might stare at the monster they had found under their bed. He could not let this continue. He could not continue to let his student be afraid of him. Dropping the cool tone he had been using with him earlier, he now spoke like his normal, gentle self. "...Alex...please...tell me what is wrong...you do not have to be afraid of me," he spoke, his voice just above a whisper, "...I won't hurt you, I promise..."