Multiple Settings Anima Studies

[Juju]

November Witch Yakov011001
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Annamarie watched the two, her head tilted in a manner that made it doubtful if she fully understood the matter of the conflict.

“A favour?” Mariane pinched the bridge of her nose with a grimace and pained groan, “Bloody hell! You didn't specify the details, did you? Listen, you just… she gets confused sometimes…”

Now, just what was that look for? In the past, Nikklaus would match a confrontation with his own anger, which Marianne would vastly prefer to… whatever this was. Conflict made sense, this didn't. By the way he shrunk back, he practically looked like she had just hit him. Try as she might, she could not decipher that look on his face, or untangle the anima's hue.

He wasn't alone in this sentiment. Even after she had adjusted her tone, trying her best not to frighten off the girl, Mariana still looked ready to bolt at the first chance that presented itself. Just like Nikk, she had the distinct air of anxiousness about her.

A red-hot lump gathered in Marianne's throat as ice filled her gut. She held her free hand tightly to her side, clutching her fingers so hard against her skirt that she could feel the nails above the fabric.

It just didn't make sense. None of it made sense. No matter what she did or said, people were always left uncomfortable. What was she doing wrong? Why was this so hard? It was easiest to dismiss the remarks of her kin, but when it was outsiders who echoed it, well, it was clear to see who the common denominator was. The fiery blaze of self-criticism only made Marianne’s expression more sour, her voice sharper. It cut through the tension like a knife, made overbearing by the meekness of the other two.

“No, absolutely not! You’ve already come this far, might as well ask!” Her eyes were dark and wrathful from the inner conflict. Try as she might, her voice was a little too prim for what she intended. The frustrations towards her shortcomings had seeped into her words and only heightened her air of hostility. This in turn only fed the fury. Quite the predicament.

She tightened her grip on Annamarie’s hand, wishing yet again that she could be a lot more like her twin. Maybe, if she tried hard enough, her flesh could become cold porcelain too. Marble hearts, red thread, old paint.

Marianne let out a weary, frustrated sigh. She couldn’t stand the look on Nikklaus’ face, but it wasn’t as if she could go anywhere. There was no place to go but through. Defeated, her voice lowered, “Alright, let’s just… let’s just start over shall well? Right. I told you I’d do my best to help you, so let’s hear it. I do want to help. Just next time, ask me first? Please? Annamarie doesn’t handle vagueness well. I wouldn't want either of you to get hurt.”

She felt awful, but as punishment for causing such distress to her peers, Marianne forbid herself from retreating into the seclusion she desired. There would be no escape until she got this absolutely perfect. No matter how much effort, time and pain it cost her. As it had always done, the sharp spurs drove her forward.

Marianne cleared her voice with a cough and her posture straightened. The rage had been hammered down into a determined look in her eye. She held up a finger and in a manner-of-fact tone she pitched the question she had tried to ask yesterday, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you both if you’d be interested in a study group organized by Rook and myself. Although I cannot say just how far my own experiences will go, I can help beginners catch up with the basics. I know a great deal about arcanist society too. I was born into it, you see, which I'm not confident was the case for most of the other students."

She turned her gaze to Mariana, a little less certain than before, "Also, Mariana? I want to apologize for yesterday. I was a bit too harsh on you when you most certainly have a lot on your mind already. The last thing I'd want to do is make you feel isolated, even if I probably did."

Marianne looked at the ground again. There, she had finally managed to say it.

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Student Lounge
Interactions: Silent Child

​

Fortunately for Leander, he would manage to nail it in one guess. Once she was able to leave, Valerie had marched right off in whatever direction she felt like going, anywhere to get away from the notion that she had been in the same room as such a giant creepy-crawly like that all this time!

With her bag still slung over her shoulder, Valerie had been standing up against the wall just in front of the Lounge. Even after the moment had passed, she still held a hand to her chest and attempted to still her out of control breathing. It was only once she heard Leander's quiet voice from down the hall that she began to ground herself, as if his voice by itself managed to help bring her back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, uh, r-right here!" She called out in response, letting Leander know exactly where she was. Valerie took another moment to compose herself further before Leander would come closer within range.

What could she even say? It was one thing to slip out of the classroom as quickly as she could and let that go relatively unnoticed, but even for her, it was pretty embarrassing to let out such a high pitched scream like she did when that demon had made itself known, and it wasn't like she could pretend she didn't do that in front of everyone, God, and the entire world. Heck, it would seem that her heated retreat wasn't as unnoticed as she would have liked if Leander had gone after her, not that she wholly minded the company.

With another breath to steel herself, Valerie decided to own up to it and gave Leander a sheepish smile once he appeared before her. "S-Sorry, I didn't make too much of a scene back there, did I?" She asked, sheepishly scratching her head with her gloved hand. "I just... really can't stand spiders. Or any insect, really. They just freak me out!" Valerie went on, seeming to shudder at the mere thought of such bugs. "And that's just the normal size ones that can make me freeze up. Did you see how big that thing was?!"

Valerie wrapped her arms around herself, as if to keep herself from shivering any more, before continuing with a self-deprecating chuckle. "Sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it? I mean, two times over I've come face to face with demons from another plane of existence without batting an eyelid, but if I ever see one that looks enough like a spider or a roach or anything, I'll probably just die on the spot instead."

Even after saying that though, Valerie seemed to not want to dwell on it too much. She had a certain brand to maintain, after all, so she forced herself out of her stupor and back into the role she had wanted to stay within. "Well, there you have it. I guess I just gave away my biggest weakness, so don't go sharing that to anyone, you hear?" She asked Leander, putting a finger to her lips and managing a playful grin, and a wink for good measure. "It'll be our little secret. Alright?"

 

[Spoiled Bread]

Sophia Hughes
Location: Classroom
Anima: Light orange that swirl gently

'Simply pick up an emotion and suppress it', was easier said than done. Sophia looked at her own anima and force herself to suppress it! The white aura around her flickered and for a second she thought she would able to achieve it. Instead her anima changed color from white into bright orange. Yep, she needs much more practice for this.

Next the professor performer a little test by showing three emotions through her anima. Sophia pondered each of them and tried to guess it inside her mind. The blue one was probably melancholy, seemed like his guard was falling apart and messy. The second one was... excitement? It did gave similar impression as Rook's anima before but it has different form, the professor's was more orderly. The third one was the easiest one, even if she never learned about anima before she's sure she would be able to feel the murderous intent emanating from him. It made her wonders though, if anima can be quickly manipulated like this, that means it can be used to trick opponent. Whether it used by arcanists, or demon. The thought of it made her shudder, but that shudder turned into shiver when the professor introduced their guest towards the class. A large spider demon that appeared out of nowhere!

Naked eyes would see Sophia simply went into freeze mode as she didn't move a muscle as soon as she realized the demon's presence, but her anima reacted in a much visceral way as the vein-like black line that had been hanging on the edge of her anima suddenly sprung into action, transforming into hexagon grids that surround the girl. It looks almost like it was a solid substance. Thankfully the professor quickly dispatched the demon and Sophia's anima turned back to normal, she slumped her head on the desk trying to hide her panicked face while she calm herself.

"I don't like spider." Sophia mumbled to herself, trying to forget about the demon. Even as the class was dismissed, she decided to stay in her position for a bit longer. She felts somewhat drained even though they didn't do much during class, was it the adrenaline from the demon's encounter? Or something else? Her tense anima started to dwindle until it back to her normal gentle white aura, though now the color was mixed with orange.

Taking one of the offered scheduling paper from the desk, Sophia was pondering which day would be the best for her, but she realized that she didn't have any fixed schedule yet and decided to fill the paper later. Probably once one or two weeks had passed and she had a more established schedule. She packed her belonging and was going to leave the class when she overheard something that caught her interest.

"Did I hear study group?" Like a cat that heard the sound of tuna can being opened, she rushed next to Marianne and tapped her shoulder.

"Let me join, pleease. I can bring snacks." Sophia pleaded.

Solirus Juju November Witch Yakov011001

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Surprised & Happy.

Mariana would lean down, placing the piece of paper she’d picked up on a nearby desk, and reading it to distract herself while the others talked. Namely Nik and Marianne. She hadn’t seen it, but the demon said he had touched Annamarie without permission. Hence why they were fighting. It was nice to have someone observant be able to point things out for the oblivious girl. It was still jarring, hearing another voice, and never truly having her own privacy anymore. But if the demon could make situations like this more bearable and protect her… Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she thought…

‘Please, don’t get all sappy on me.’

The demon spoke to her. Even though she had just thought about it, she had forgotten the other could literally read her mind and thoughts. Something anyone would have a hard time getting used to. Their mind being their safe place, it’s taken for granted how one has to consciously remember someone is there now. And that they should be more careful with what they think.

‘It gets tiring actually. Normally I just tune out your mind and thoughts. I’m not always here listening.’

The demon explained. Which made Mariana sigh with relief. She refocused on the paper before her, and noticed something she hadn’t before. A date was already in the calendar. Well, Mariana had nothing going on, so she would mark a time down for herself. Today, only about an hour from now. She still had a drive to learn and catch up to her peers. The people who seemingly thought so little of her.

‘Hey, she’s talking to you.’

Mariana blinked and turned around, only to hear Marianne offering the both of them a spot in their study group… Mariana’s right hand rubbed her left elbow awkwardly… Marianne seemed pretty volatile and confrontational. Seeing her argue so much with Nik, and then snap at Mariana herself yesterday… She wasn’t sure if she should take the opportunity. Would it just give the others a chance to make a fool out of her again? Was Marianne like those proper, prissy rich girls from manga? Did she enjoy making herself feel high and mighty by finding someone to pick on the whole school year? Perhaps it was just another ploy by her to put Mariana down.

But she could always just leave if it was.

‘No, you’re probably correct. Just don’t go. You’ve already seen how they all treat you.’

Mariana couldn’t deny that. She opened her mouth, breathing in about to respond before Marianne addressed her directly. She blinked, wondering if Marianne had really just said that… She suddenly felt bad for assuming the worst of the girl. But she didn’t speak up just yet.

‘Is she telling the truth?’

‘Why are you asking me?’

‘Because you’re better at this than I am.’

‘Hmm, you’re right.’

The demon said, sounding smug.

‘She looks genuine… But she also seems pretty complicated. There’s alot going on in those eyes of hers.’

That was all Mariana needed to hear.

“I forgive you.”

‘You’re so quick to forgive it’s cute~’

Cooed the demon.

‘But you really shouldn’t forgive so easily.’

“It’s a school for Anima arts. If I were in your shoes, I would have assumed everyone knew the basics too. But I didn't. I was so overwhelmed and confused.”

Mariana looked down at the floor for a second, a silence stretched out for almost too long.

“But I forgive you.”

She offered a meek smile.

“As for the study group, I think I’ll have to pass. I’m not really a big fan of groups-!”

Mariana let out a yelp as Sophia butted into the conversation, almost knocking Mariana over for a second time in nearly 12 hours. Mariana took a step away from the energetic girl and went silent as the energetic Sophia took center stage. Mariana would definitely like a peer to study with, but not plural. For now, though, lessons with her demon and the teacher would have to do. She would continue to stand by awkwardly, letting the others talk, unsure of if it was appropriate to leave yet or not. Though, she had a cute, shy smile on her face, glad that someone finally seemed to talk to her in something more than a negative light.

 

[Yakov011001]

Nikklaüs flinched again—lesser this time—at Marianne's insistence on being the one to help him. If his brain wasn't cooking from the friction of his emotional pangs, he'd've laughed about it. How was it that she'd managed to find the most hostile way to express her kindness? It caused him to focus a little tighter on her, his refined vision bringing her anima manifest. It was beautiful, like a stained glass sculpture pouring out out of her and refracting the light into a blood red glow. Then his eyes turned to her, Marianne herself: her sleek black hair and the way it was tied up gave her a fantastic frame for her face. There was a softness in it that betrayed the intensity of her eyes, made ironic by their rather muted tone. Nikklaüs couldn't help but look away, a light heat coming to his cheeks. His hand came up to his chin as he feigned thought. His eyes darted to Mariana behind her, seeing her eyes too.

Wait, wait. What's that behind her eyes? Huh? Look back, look back! Nikklaüs brought a hand up to clutch his forehead at the headache he felt coming on. What was it he was looking for? I need to talk to her later. But what about?

There was no answer.

“Alright, let’s just… let’s just start over shall we? Right. I told you I’d do my best to help you, so let’s hear it. I do want to help. Just next time, ask me first? Please? Annamarie doesn’t handle vagueness well. I wouldn't want either of you to get hurt.”

Nikklaüs' eyes snapped back up to meet Marianne's. Right, go through her first then, or just be more specific, he supposed. She continued on to explain the study group she was heading before regarding Mariana, leaving him to think on the prospect. Not that he needed much thought. After a moment to allow Mariana and Marianne settle their piece—and for Sophia to plow into the conversation without warning—Nikklaüs spoke up finally.

"I think I might also need to pass. I'm not sure it's really my speed," He picked up his copy of Deciphering Sigils Vol. II, emphasizing the speed of his study by tapping on the volume number with the finger in which he held the book. "Besides, I can count on my roommate to help me out with any questions I have outside of that time, right?" Nikklaüs offered a smile, probably among his first since he'd arrived here when he thought on it. "But I would appreciate it if—while you're busy with the others—I could borrow Annamarie to be my sparring partner this afternoon? There's a lot I need to learn about Zantetsuken, but I need another blademaster to assist."

Juju November Witch

 

[Solirus]

Rules
Yakov011001
​

Jaquie appeared extremely relaxed, leaning back on his chair and staring at the ceiling blankly. He didn't appear to stare at anything, even using refined vision revealed nothing. However, the instant Nikklaüs mentioned his intention to spar with his classmate, Jaquie's attention snapped towards him, "If you plan to spar with others, you need the supervision of a teacher or a senior." Jaquie stated in a surprisingly serious tone. "School rules" he finally said in a far more relaxed tone, giving a slight shrug along with it.

 

[Silent Child]

"Huh? Oh, uh, r-right here!" Valerie's familiar voice rang out through the hall, guiding him just before the student lounge where she leaned against a wall. "There you are-" He said, looking a bit concerned for her as she gave him one of the most forced awkward smiles he had ever seen.

"S-Sorry, I didn't make too much of a scene back there, did I? I just... really can't stand spiders. Or any insect, really. They just freak me out!" Well, there was her reasoning, just as he had guessed. "And that's just the normal size ones that can make me freeze up. Did you see how big that thing was?!" He could hear the slight panic rising in her voice, so he quickly went to reassure her.

"Not that big of a scene really... Everyone else was frozen- and when you left, no one else really seemed to notice... I just wanted to make sure you were okay..." He gave a small smile, his eyes seeming to relax a bit more now that he knew she was relatively alright, hoping she'd understand his concern at least a little bit. "It was big though- bigger than I would like... But the professor protected us... Thank goodness for that."

"Sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it? I mean, two times over I've come face to face with demons from another plane of existence without batting an eyelid, but if I ever see one that looks enough like a spider or a roach or anything, I'll probably just die on the spot instead." He was quick to shake his head. "Personal fears are never stupid... I completely understand..." He shrugged, showing he really didn't mind much.

"Well, there you have it. I guess I just gave away my biggest weakness, so don't go sharing that to anyone, you hear?" This brought a smirk to his face. Her finger brought to her mouth to emphasize the thought of being quiet seemed a bit humorous. The wink only made it better. "It'll be our little secret. Alright?" He was never one for blackmail, nor would he be now, but the thought did entertain him for a moment. "I'd never- here, do you want to know my fear? I believe in trades. For figuring out yours, you get to learn mine..."

He paused for what felt to him like a long moment, but it was really only like three seconds before he spoke again. "I'm afraid of being alone... Like truly alone... No one to trust, no one around me, no one on the same side as me... Loneliness is truly scary... To me. Of course, I understand if you don't get it the same way as me." He brought his arm over, clutching his elbow a bit. "But there you have it, we're even in that now, aren't we?" He returned to his classic smile once more, but there was a hint of his vulnerability in there. He kept his arms in the same positions, seeming a bit more comfortable after sharing with her.

"Actually... I might have something to make you feel a bit better. A... Furry friend of sorts... Would you like to meet him- her- uh... Them?" He didn't quite seem to know the gender yet, and he gently kicked himself for forgetting to speak with the teacher about the policy with pets.


Verite

 

[jmann]

Rook
Juju Solirus Spoiled Bread

The next lesson was in suppressing anima by suppressing emotion. Rook was familiar with hiding how they were feeling, but hiding it from themselves? A fair deal harder. They focused on their excitement and tried to calm down. Watching their anima flicker and falter slowly over time.

Nah, fuck that. What was the point of having superpowers if the first thing you did was hide it? It was a power unlike anything Rook had ever had before, something they could finally use to not be so alone and helpless. It was an ace in the sleeve, not an ugly birthmark.

Rook focused on the new feelings; independence, freedom, excitement, vigilance. Their hair stood on end and their fingertips vibrated slightly. It felt empowering but it wasn’t dangerous, not yet at least. They’d need to find out their limit at some point, somewhere where it couldn’t hurt anybody but themselves. What snapped them out of it was the spider launching off the ceiling and being vaporised by Jaquis. Almost in sync Annamarie twitched off the seat ready to throw down while other people screamed in shock. Rook grabbed their pen defensively but it was over as quickly as it began. With their refined vision still active, Rook noticed the menacing anima glittering from the demon’s anima, and a similar vibe coming from Annamarie. Was she a demon too? If that were the case, maybe there were good and bad demons… it was something to write down, regardless.

With that class was dismissed and Marianne pardoned herself to talk with Jaquis. Rook gave finger guns in acknowledgement and went back to packing their things and looking over a signup sheet from Jaquis’ desk. They paused to eavesdrop on Nikklaüs’ conversation with Annamarie. It was not long before she was snipping her scissors and held out her hand. Rook stared mouth agape in morbid curiosity and excitement as Nikklaüs offered his hand directly where the porcelain woman with dark red anima held razor fabric scissors.

Unfortunately for Rook but fortunately for the rest of the class, Marianne stopped her twin before anything serious happened. In a move that threw Rook off completely, Nikklaüs looked dejected, like someone had kicked his dog, and even declined Marianne’s offer to join the study group. Rook wasn’t sure if they should feel bad, it wasn’t like they did anything but they weren’t used to Nikklaüs in that light. Maybe they’d ask him about it later.
Before they could ask anything, however, Sophia jumped in. From what Rook remembered, she was smart. In that lesson alone she pinpointed that Jaquis was suppressing his anima before he even introduced the possibility to do so. It would be good to have someone else with a better understanding of the basics as a guide.
At the mention of her joining, Rook broke into a grin, “I think snacks would be a perfect addition to our little troupe. Don’t you think, Marianne?”

Rook decided to keep the sheet for later until they could work out a proper time for their own pupil studying before organising tutoring.

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Student Lounge
Interactions: Silent Child

​

Once Leander got a few words in edgewise, Valerie found herself steadily beginning to calm down once she realized what an utter fool she was making of herself, prompting her to emotionally sober up all the quicker. She had preemptively thought of three different levels of excuses and ironic self-deprecation to recover from the unseemly display she'd shown to everyone, only for Leo to simply say that it wasn't so dumb to have personal fears anyway.

Truthfully, she didn't expect Leo to respond to her playful jive with a frank admission of his own fears. Her gaze grew softer as he spoke on the fear of loneliness, to be not only left alone by itself, but also to be left alone with no allies. No one on your side. He motioned that she might not have truly understood it, but more than she was willing to admit even to herself, maybe she did get it. After all, if she had been a better child, maybe--

Valerie cleared her throat and gave Leo a wide grin. "Even, huh? I guess you're right. Even steven," she said, leaning forward slightly as she crossed her arms behind her back. Valerie didn't expect things to get so candid between them, but it seemed to work out well in the end.

"Well, tell you what. At the very least, for as long as we're classmates, you won't have to worry about that at all, about being alone," the young woman continued, pointing to herself with her thumb and giving a good-natured wink, exaggeratedly self-confident. "If we're gonna be spending a whole school year together, we may as well become friends, and I'll tell you one thing, I try pretty hard to always be there for my friends, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about! So long as you promise to get rid of any creepy-crawly shaped demons for me, 'mkay?"

With that all taken care of, Valerie proceeded to tilt her head curiously as Leo made mention of his so-called furry friend. "Huh? There's a furry here?" She asked, seeming to misunderstand for a second before blinking. "OH. You mean like... okay, right," she cleared her throat. Similarly, she wasn't exactly sure what the policy was on animals here. Maybe the real question ought to be how an animal could even get in here at all, but she didn't really think about it that much, maintaining a beaming smile toward Leo and giving a soft laugh. "Sure, I'd love to."

 

[Silent Child]

"Even Steven- I haven't heard that in ages." Leander chuckled at the old-fashioned expression. He felt a surge of gratitude for her reassurance that he wouldn't be alone. He nodded eagerly at her offer of friendship. "Friends we are then. I'm not a fan of bugs either, but I'll do my best to help you avoid them!" His big grin looked more natural on his face.

He looked puzzled for a moment when she misinterpreted his remark about the cat. But when she realized her mistake, he raised a hand as if to tell her to pause. "Okay- wait here, I'll be right back." He dashed off to his dorm room and found the cat right away. It was still where he had told it to stay.

He crouched down and said, "Come here-" To his astonishment, the cat obeyed. He picked it up and carried it out of the dorm without difficulty. He didn't hold the cat very comfortably, but it didn't seem to mind. When he spotted Val, he put the cat down. "I haven't named it yet... I just found it this morning after my shower." He stood up straight as the cat approached Val, curious. "Any suggestions?"

If she still had her anima sight on, she would catch a glimpse of Leander's anima connecting him and the cat for a split second before it vanished as soon as she noticed it.

Verite , (anyone who ends up coming into the dorms now)

 

[Juju]

November Witch Yakov011001 jmann Spoiled Bread Solirus
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Mariana had accepted her apology, and yet it left Marianne with the same feeling of lukewarm discontent. She didn’t do this for apologies or recognition, and yet she was certain she should have at least felt a little relief. Instead, she found herself focused only on how to prevent this mess from reoccurring.

Marianne nodded, letting the other girl know she had heard both her apology and her declination towards the invite to study group. “It's no bother. These things aren't for everyone.”

The arrival of Sofia drew Marianne’s attention away. She glanced at her shoulder and then to Sophia, who was about as eager as usual. That being bouncing-off-the-walls excited. Honestly, Marianne had no idea where she got such energy.

Rook seemed to be on board with the late addition to their study group, which as the co-founder of the club, weighed heavily on the decision. Not that there was really anything to decide against. All were welcome, as far as she was concerned. She didn’t really care for the idea of snacks, as it could make a mess, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little bit intrigued to know what was in store.

Marianne cleared her throat, still a little baffled at the sudden intrusion. “Well, I don’t see why not. You’re more than welcome to join. I figured that it would be best to hold our meeting in the student lounge today, if that is sufficient for you both? Cobalt has already left, but I’m sure we can find him before we begin.”

It was not surprising to hear Nikklaus pass up the offer of a study group as well, considering he had been missing throughout the entirety of their tea party yesterday. Probably at the library, no doubt. Honestly, had it not been for Rook, she might have done the same. Marianne’s eyes followed the book Nikklaus held up, recognizing it as the same one he had been studying last night. It was also why he had forgotten to wake up in a timely manner. Just thinking about it made her eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"Well, of course. I already told you that any questions you have will be answered to the best of my abilities." She sniffed, turning up her nose in response to his cheeky little comment on their status as dorm mates. She wasn't sure if she should feel proud someone relied on her for help or embarrassed, but his request for a spar with Annamarie was more than enough to distract her.

Did he seriously think she would trust him alone with Annamarie after that stunt he pulled this morning? That wasn’t even counting the near-accident that happened less than a minute ago? He was lucky to still have fingers! Seriously, how dense could he be?

Marianne gave Nikklaus a wide-eyed look of disbelief, allowed Lawphel just enough time to interject with the school’s rules on sparring. Well, there he had it.

“It's just as Professor Lawphel said, you have to abide by school regulations. Nothing’s happening until you have at least booked a time with a teacher or a senior.” She stated primly, though she shifted her stance uncomfortably. Her eyes narrowed, “And before you get ahead of yourself, I will not be leaving Annamarie alone, not with you or anyone. Especially not in a sparring session. You could get seriously injured, and with your anima’s unstable defence mechanism, so could she. It would be simply irresponsible of me to allow this.”

Marianne exchanged a glance with her twin, giving the doll a warm smile. Gently, she tucked a lock of stray hair behind Annamarie’s ear. Then she turned back to Nikk, her expression smoothed back into cool sternness, “If you wish to spar, you will have to wait until after study group has finished. Annamarie and I typically hold our dance practice in the evenings anyway.”

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Content & Nervous.

Mariana’s awkwardness would soon get to her, as everyone there started to talk to one another, and she was soon forgotten about. She figured enough time had passed. The dopey smile fell from her face, and it returned to a more neutral look. Mariana would make her way out of the room. She did, in fact, feel a little saddened as she left. A small part of her did want to keep talking to others. But she was also content with staying in her own little world by herself.

‘And me too.’

And the demon of course. She didn’t need more misunderstandings cropping up, or people falling on top of her or anything. She was safe and in her comfort zone as long as she didn’t have to interact with anyone else. Still, a part of her thought it would be nice to get to know at least someone. To call at least one person a friend would be nice, wouldn’t it?

‘No, it’s just one more person someone can use to hurt you.’

“Why are you so against me becoming friends with anyone?”

Mariana asked aloud, that fact slipped her mind as she was focused on the conversation. She had just stepped into the hall and turned to walk to the right.

‘Because you saw how they treated you. Besides, the more you can do on your own, the stronger you’ll be.’

“I guess you have a point… Wait, but I can’t do anything. It’s all you.”

‘Then I can get stronger.’

“What if we split everything? You do the fighting and I’ll do the talking.”

‘No. What if you just leave them alone and focus on yourself.’

“But… I think it would be nice to have a friend.”

A sigh escaped the demon’s lips and a yet of black viscous liquid gushed up out of the floor for a brief moment only to dissipate a moment later, revealing the demon once more, in the same garb as the night before and still bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mariana.

“There, I’ll be your friend. Are you happy now?”

“Uhm…”

Mariana backed a step away from the girl, unsure of what to do. Another sigh from the demon’s distorted voice. She was certainly annoyed and frustrated.

“Come now, we have lots of studying and training to do.”

The demon started to walk away towards the dorms, her shoes clacking against the floor. Mariana followed a moment after, running after her.

“Hey, w-wait up!”

She came to walk in stride a few paces behind her demon.

“I, uhm, would appreciate it if you actually wanted to be my friend…”

“Be your friend? Y-Yes, sure, fine, whatever! Just focus on what you’ll be doing today!”

She scolded Mariana, glad the other was behind her.

 

[Yakov011001]

Nikklaüs cursed at the sudden interjection of Jaquie, seemingly slipping into some actual authority for a split second. Now of all times? However when Marianne began to expound upon that, Nikklaüs' attention drifted past her. Through her and to Mariana, who was leaving the classroom separately from the others. Trying to skulk away as if no one would notice, and maybe that would've been the case. But he noticed.

"Uh-huh," Nikklaüs muttered affirmatively, but dismissively. "Uhhh—yeah! Next time then." He excused himself without even looking Marianne in the eyes, stepping around her with a wide posture sway; as if she was a corner he needed to cut as efficiently as possible. Why is it that he seemed to be following Mariana without thought?

Nikklaüs' body moved seemingly on its own. No, that's not right. I do need to talk to her, after all. He just couldn't pin down why. Turning a corner in the hall, he saw it. Mariana, but twice. One of a seemingly more sinister aura, or Anima rather. On sight, Nikklaüs was locked on. Her. It's her. I need to know. His already hurried pace grew faster and faster with each step, never breaking into a sprint but somehow achieving a speed-walk faster than a jog. Honestly it made the muscles in his shins burn a little. There was a swirling in his mind: a violent thrashing for some kind of release, but he couldn't figure out for what. Until he reached that Mirrored Miss Mirror, grabbing hold of her wrist to get her attention.

"How do you do it?" For the shortest of moments, the windows to Nikklaüs' soul were truly open; peering inside wasn't pleasant. Like there was something viscously clawing at the walls trying to escape. It's power ringing familiar to that of a demon's, but not quite the same. It's strength not quite as deep, but infinitely wider than any other kind of demon. If that made any sense. Very quickly though, it sank like a rock. Like it had been subsumed back into Nikklaüs in some torrent of super-quicksand; something that cause him to recoil, coming down to a knee. "Ah! Fuck!" He yelped, before looking back up to the two in confusion.

"I—uh—" He had to wade through the fog of his mind. "Had something to ask of you... two? It's weird, I feel like I'm forgetting something really important."

Juju November Witch

 

[Tiguidi]

COBALT ULAR
Location: Classroom -> Student Lounge​

After leaving the classroom, Cobalt decided to make a quick trip to his room. After the prior day’s tea party, he had been too exhausted to properly organize his room and figured now would be a good time to do it -he’d rather get this over with sooner than later. He’d also need to plan a trip back home to get other changes of clothes and other essentials... The last thing he wanted was for his roommate to think of him as crass.

As he stepped near the student lounge, he stopped in his tracks, hearing a few voices inside. ’Oh, Leander and Val. So that’s where they went... Wait a minute.’

“Is this a cat?”, Cobalt quietly inquired, stepping inside the lounge. Being fond of these adorable critters, he suppressed the urge to walk forward and give it pats. “Ah, sorry for the intrusion. I was on my way to the dorms but heard people inside.”, he added. His gaze went back down on the cat. “I didn’t know pets were allowed here... I’ll see if I can remember to ask Rook if they have one -never hurts to have a bit of life inside the dorms.”, he pondered, raising a hand to his chin.

He took a seat in the lounge not too far from the pair, observing the cat between them. “You two seemed in a hurry when the lesson was over, is everything alright?”

---

Silent Child Verite

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Confused & Nervous.

Mariana smiled despite herself. Even if this was just someone always with her, in her mind, wasn’t that a friend? Actually, now that she thought about it, wasn’t that a role a lover filled, and not a friend? A significant other would always be there, literally living with the other. The thought made her face redden a bit. But that wasn’t going to happen. Mariana didn’t even care about that sort of thing. She just wanted a nice, calm life alone… Which seemed like a faraway dream now. From now on, she would be tasked with helping people and fighting demons… Well, more like her demon would be. Mariana didn’t exactly know what she could do herself. But she could certainly hope for as quiet a life as one could have with this power.

Her demon, on the other hand, was aware of someone fast approaching. She assumed everyone would appear soon enough, sensing a demon who wasn’t hiding itself. But, the quicker she could explain to everyone, the better. What exactly was to be explained? Her physical form, of course. Being able to take one as long as she was within a few feet of Mariana. She was still bound to the girl after all. And if Mariana wasn’t going to give her control or have a voice, that was fine. She’d just have to resort to this.

Though, back to the person. His footsteps were almost as loud as his presence. The practiced demon could sense it easily. Once the boy was close, chains shot from the demon’s form, catching Nik’s wrist inches before it could touch the demon. They wrapped themselves around his wrist and forearm. The chains were wet with a slightly more viscous liquid than water. It smelled like seawater but was a dark black color. The chains looked as if they had been dredged from the bottom of the ocean. The chains seemed to emerge anywhere that wasn’t visible. Usually from under clothing, or between cloth and skin.

“Don’t you dare touch me, insect.”

The demon spat at Nikklaus. She turned around to glare daggers at him. Mariana jumped at the suddenness of everything, unsure of what was happening. The demon studied the boy for a moment before the chains slowly loosened, then fully let go. A smile spread across her lips, and soon enough, she was laughing.

“Oh my, poor you! What a weakling! Such a pathetic, floundering little thing, like this one used to be.”

The demon spoke in odd, cryptic words that Mariana didn’t understand. But she didn’t understand any of this. Why was her demon making fun of Nikklaus, who seemed to only want to ask something. But what did he mean exactly? She was quite confused.

“Uhm… I think you’re being a little rude, er, demon…”

She said, for lack of a name for the other. The taller demon leaned down, until she was eye to eye with Nikklaus and only inches away from him. Her tone now low and menacing.

“He’s the one running up behind a girl and trying to grab her. If anything, he should thank me for teaching him this lesson before he catches a case. As for the other, it’s quite amusing how little control seems to belong to you. I look forward to seeing just how quickly you can regain it.”

The demon would stand and smile, as if satisfied with her work, then turn and head towards the dorms once more.

“Come now Mariana, we have no business with him.”

“But…”

Mariana looked from her demon towards Nik, and took a step towards him. This meant her demon had to stop, as it couldn’t go much further than a few yards away from Mariana. The demon glared at its host and let out a “Hmph” but said nothing.

“Don’t mind her. What did you want to ask? I’ll help if I can… But if its class related you should ask the teacher or Marianne.”

“Or me. Why is everyone such an idiot around here? I’m a wealth of information myself, and no one thinks to ask me.”

The demon clicked her tongue in an annoyed fashion.

“Get lost human. Me and Mariana have training to do.”

She waved her hand at him in a dismissive motion.

Yakov011001

 

[Solirus]

Dance
Juju ​

Jaquie, returning to his relaxed demeanor, picked up the large textbook related to the human brain and opened it back up to the page he was previously reading.

"You should keep Annamarie close." Jaquie spoke to Marianne, his eyes still reading through the textbook. "Letting her go by herself might cause problems, especially since she seems to predominantly listen to you."

"In other news, do you actually dance or do you incorporate dancing into a fighting style? Cause I have seen a lot of arcanists who dance around in the middle of a fight. They usually do it to meet some condition, but I have seen some just dance for the sake of it." Jaquie commented in an amused tone.

 

[Juju]

Solirus
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Annamarie watched Nikklaus and Mariana retreat into the hallways, both of them rushing out for their own agendas. With the two of them gone, Marianne let go of her twin’s hand and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. It was only morning and she already felt exhausted. Forget school work, it was far greater effort just interacting with her peers. She never expected herself to admit it, but she almost missed the stuffy old halls of the estate.

Once the two of them were out of sight, Jaquie spoke up. His words made Marianne’s shoulders tense up as she turned around to face the professor. Her eyes flicked to his shoes, still propped up on the desk, his strange choice of literature, and then to his seemingly disinterested expression.

“I’m well aware of the risks, thank you kindly.” Marianne replied curtly to Lawphel. Her annoyance towards his patronizing comment slipped through in the form of fingers tapping against her leg.

Had she not just scolded Nikklaus for such things? Did he seriously think she would be so careless? The mere idea of leaving Annamarie to her own devices made her skin crawl, and not just at the thought of her getting lost or hurt. Where Marianne went, Annamarie went too. That was how things always were, and she intended to keep it that way. Nobody, human or demon, would change that.

Then again, she could understand his doubt. Nikklaus, that damned idiot, had nearly gotten hurt. As much as it pleased her to know at least someone was not afraid of Annamarie, she wished he had at least some measure of self-preservation. Perhaps now she understood why his anima was so defensive.

Marianne crossed her arms, her face darkening with the same broody expression she wore when nitpicking her mistakes, “I assure you there will be no incidents to worry about. Isn’t that right, Annamarie?”

The doll nodded her head and then formally bowed to Mr. Lawphel.

It was then that Lawphel caught her off-guard by a sudden interest in dancing. Marianne shifted a little, narrowing her eyes at Lawphel’s playful tone as she tried to figure out if he was mocking her in some way.

“Actually, it’s both.” She said, flipping one of her pigtails behind her shoulder. If he was trying to be insulting, it wouldn’t work. “The art of ballroom dance is a noble skill, one that is not too different from combat footwork. With practice, an opponent becomes somewhat of a dance partner. The Montgomery’s are known for it, though I find it just as useful for other anima techniques.”

Her face reddened in embarrassment at the last part, realizing how obvious she made it that her anima was deviant. Of course, her teacher just had to be a Lawphel! Of all the families it could have been...

 

[Verite]

Valerie Vu - Student Lounge
Interactions: Silent Child Tiguidi

​

As Leo came and went for a brief moment, eventually returning with an adorable little kitten, the young woman's eyes widened as she beamed with delight. "Aww, how precious!" She practically squealed, sinking down to her knees to meet the cat once Leo had set it down. She stuck her hand out to it, not moving to pet it but rather letting it come to her, perhaps even take a sniff of her so it could remember her scent, even if it was through gloves.

When Leo commented on how it didn't seem to have a name just yet, Val tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hmm, I dunno. I've never been so good at naming things. I suppose it's out of vogue these days to name it like, Mittens or something, right?" She mused with a soft giggle. Before she could think on it for too long however, that was when Cobalt would show up, joining in on their exchange.

Shooting a friendly smile his way, Valerie carefully stood back up. "Oh, heya. Yeah, I think it's a stray, only just showed up earlier this morning apparently," she explained to Cobalt, repeating Leo's words. For her part, she was also curious about the rules on pets, but in all honesty, if anyone was gonna narc to Jacquie or anyone else about it, it wouldn't be her.

When Cobalt commented on how fast she'd hightailed it out of the classroom, the young woman could only scratch the back of her head sheepishly. "Y-Yeah, all good here. I just had to get outta there 'cause that demon really freaked me out, and Leo just wanted to make sure I was alright. Isn't he quite the gentleman?" She asked with an impish grin, without feeling the need to go into specifics again.

"But yeah, I'm all better now. Sorry if I made you worry too!"

 

[Solirus]

A Montgomery
Juju ​

"That's right, you are a Montgomery" Jaquie's eyes still glued to the textbook while his attention seemed focused on Marianne. "I've seen them dance, pretty good, but could be better." Jaquie was grinning at this point, clearly finding some sort of amusement in all of this. "Actually now that I think about it, I have heard that in the past they were far better dancers. Nowadays, they are passable, a shame really, but at least they aren't going anywhere anytime soon."

Jaquie finally closed the textbook, gently placing it on the desk and getting up, "Maybe by the end of the years the Montgomery name will become a staple again." he declared, walking to the window and slightly opening it. With a flick of the wrist, Jaquie's umbrella flew swiftly and perfectly into his hand. "That is, if you can really dance." Jaquie turned to face Marianne, playfully twirling his umbrella.

 

[Yakov011001]

His mind was a fog, but one that was clearing. Despite convincing himself that he'd grabbed hold of the demons wrist, evidence suggested otherwise—evidence being binding chains that is. Nikklaüs became fully lucid at the demon berating him and calling him weak, the chains having been dismissed. Right, a demon: she was so close that he could see it seething from her eyes. Suddenly, in the wake of his reason returning to him, he was suddenly boiling with rage. A rage that felt more intense than normal, but not in a way that felt unnatural. Instead, it made him feel like it was unnatural before. Like something was taking that anger from him, but now it isn't there to relieve him of that. While the two had a bit of a back and forth amongst themselves, Nikklaüs had distracted himself with his own anima. It had changed. That vacuum of energy trying to fill him was still, stagnant, tinged red the smallest bit but still mostly translucent on the whole.

“Don’t mind her. What did you want to ask? I’ll help if I can… But if its class related you should ask the teacher or Marianne." Nikklaüs' eyes snapped back up at it. The original Mariana seemed to be much kinder, or rather more polite.

“Or me. Why is everyone such an idiot around here? I’m a wealth of information myself, and no one thinks to ask me.” The other, this demon however; the way she clicked her tongue in annoyance made his blood boil. “Get lost human. Me and Mariana have training to do.”

"Hold on, who the fuck are you?" Nikklaüs challenged, his eyes narrowing in a sarcastic confusion at her. He immediately disregarded her and addressed Mariana herself. "I'm sorry, Miss Mirror. Is this really the kind of... person that you want to be associating with? Someone who talks and acts the way she does?"

November Witch

 

[Juju]

Solirus
━ ◦ ※ ◦━​

Marianne wasn’t sure if she should be feeling rage, indignation, or shame at Lawphel’s blatant ridicule towards her family. It was not the first time she had been hearing these words, however, as her own grandmother actually shared the exact same opinion as Jaquie. Still, to hear it come from an outsider was something different. She couldn’t help but feel her skin crawl. It took all of her self-control not to snap at her professor.

As much as she hated to admit it, he was correct in his observations. Despite her grandfather’s efforts, the Montgomery family was on the decline. Her generation was poised to be the one that would break through the limitations of her predecessors. Finally, an age of stagnation would be over. Her parents had been filled with pride and hope.

In the end, all they had was her.

Marianne’s eyes narrowed, her lips tightened into a downturned scowl. A nerve had been struck, something that even Annamarie, who had been apathetically watching the conversation, had taken interest in. The palest of the Montgomery Twins tilted her head and blinked at her twin.

“It’s not a matter of if.” Marianne stated primly, every word as tense as her posture. Eyes sharp, she took a few steps forward, “I was enrolled at Anima Studies for a reason. I will prove why.”

She picked up the pen and angrily wrote both her and Annamarie’s name into an empty time slot on the private tutoring sheet.

 

[November Witch]

Mariana Mirror

Status: Nervous & Worried.

Before Mariana could answer, the demon stepped in. Quite literally stepping between the two of them so Nik basically couldn’t see Mariana.

“Of course I am! Without me, she dies. She won’t make it a second without me in a place like this. If you have a problem with me, talk to me about it, not her! Are you dumb?”

The demon asked with a scoff, as she looked down on the boy. Her eyes were a deep crimson, and they burned with disgust and superiority. It was as if she was looking down on him as if he were a peasant and she was royalty… No, it was deeper actually. Like he wasn’t even human. Nik was a disgusting insect to her. Insignificant. A pest. The demon waved her hand dismissively once more, gesturing for him to get lost once more.

But Mariana finally peeked around her taller, much scarier doppelganger.

“Well… She protects me…”

Mariana and the demon looked at each other, and Mariana shrunk away from her steely, angry gaze. The demon watched on, wondering if Mariana was going to say something against the demon, or take her side. Those red eyes urged her to not say anything she would regret though…

“A-And uhm… Even if I wanted to… I-I can’t. We’re stuck together. But don’t get mad, she’s a demon, so she hates everyone. It’s not just you. It’s me too.”

Mariana would admit.

“Well, not as much as I hate everyone else. You’re tolerable…”

The demon told her host, before turning back to Nik.

“As for who I am, call me Crimson.”

She’d then begin to walk away, grabbing Mariana’s arm this time and pulling her along.

“That pest has taken up enough of our time, let’s go.”

“Huh? But…”

Mariana trailed off, looking between Nik and her demon. Their conversation didn’t feel done… But she also wanted them to stop arguing. They were right outside the dorm area door now. Nik could stop them there if he tried or follow them inside.

“I didn’t know you had a name.”

“I didn’t. But it seems I’ll need one around here, so I made it up.”

Yakov011001

 

[Solirus]

Errands
Location: Classroom​

Jaquie smiled smugly, watching Marianne angrily write down her time for the tutoring, "smart choice. I'll be sure to be especially harsh with you" Jaquie remarked, twirling his umbrella, pausing suddenly and as his gaze was directly staring at the wall. Pulling out his phone, Jaquie dialed a number, which was picked up immediately. "Hey yeah, it's Jaquie, could you look over- ... oh you already are..." Jaquie let out an annoyed sigh, "Yeah, yeah, I'll check on it while you worry about that." Jaquie quickly hung up the phone, looking back at the remaining students. "I've got to run some errands around the campus. Isaac, I know you wanted to ask me some questions, but just try to remember them for tomorrow."

Isaac flared up with embarrassment, having hoped that he hadn't been spotted merely waiting for everyone else to leave.

"And Marianne, see you soon." Jaquie said with a grin on his face as he walked out of the classroom, his footsteps falling completely silent as the door closed behind him.

 

[Tiguidi]

COBALT ULAR
Location: Student Lounge​

“Found it... here in the school?” Cobalt furrowed his brows, puzzled. He silently stared at the furry creature for a few moments. If the cat had been found within school grounds, that would raise a whole lot of other questions. Well, he shouldn't be too surprised. The more time he spent in this school the more he realized anything could be possible.

He shook his head when Valerie mentioned the demon freaking her out. He had been a bit confused earlier seeing her storm out -demon or not in the room, wasn’t everyone safe as long as Mr. Jaquie was in the room? But it wasn’t necessary to make a comment like that. “Not at all. I suppose it was a bit of a shock. I’m sorry again for prying.”, he finally said with a wave of his hand.

“Mr. Jaquie’s classes are far from being typical ones like what we have in, uh, regular school.”, he added with a chuckle. As if struck by a wave of tiredness, he slumped his body over the lounge's table, using his arms as pillows. “I kinda predicted we’d have lectures, written tests and the occasional practical exam and the even more occasional fight against demons to test ourselves. Funny how the very first thing we did was fight, while in the second class, we got face-to-face with a... what was it again, a rank III demon? Marianne was not happy about it, though...” He grimaced at the thought.

Verite Silent Child

 

[Yakov011001]

He should've been mad about the way that she looked at him, but he wasn't. It was only an indifference. She was only one more voice in the chorus that sang down at Nikklaüs; the only difference was, her voice was quiet and meaningless. But he couldn't help but feel frustrated at Mariana's insistence on defending... Crimson? Yeah, he wasn't calling her that. He didn't say another word to them as they left, only looking upon Mariana in quiet disappointment.

Protect her? There are plenty of us who could do the same, and in a way that would encourage her to grow in a way that she could protect herself. Instead of a demon who would willingly keep her weak and subservient. She can do what she wants, I don't think there's any reaching her as things are now. I have errands to run anyway.

He had two things on his agenda: find out how to make a visit home for some actual clothes, and to make another stop at the library to find a replacement to the book he'd finished.

"Maybe Jaquie could help me," Nikklaüs muttered to himself as he made his return to the classroom. "I still need to sign up for tutoring, if the twins are off the table."

November Witch