(@Stuffy McPatch) The school bell rang. Serafina was already in class, tapping her wand against her lips as she considered her textbook. Small sparks flew from the tip and she blinked, looking down at the magic with crossed eyes before a small, amused smile crossed her lips. She set the wand down, folding her hands politely as she waited for class to start. Monty was running late, as usual. The vest portion was crumpled in his hand as he jogged down the hallway, his eyes flickering idly from door to door. "No running in the hall, Mr. Burgess," one teacher down the end of the hallway chided. Mr. Eckers, the transmutation teacher, raised one eyebrow, eyeing Monty with a warm but critical eye. Monty responded with a playful grin, giving the teacher a chipper salute. "Aye aye, sir," he said smoothly, slowing to a walk and continuing on his way. Theresa entered the classroom a minute before the bell rang, her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she took a seat near the window. Her helmet clunked noisily as she set it down next to her backpack and she looked down, almost as if woken from a dream by the sound. She sat down, pulling out a slim notebook and setting it on the desk, waiting for class to begin. Sylas had planned the perfect time to come to class; early enough to present himself as a precocious student to his professors, but delayed enough to establish a sense of casual coolness to his classmates. He sat in the seat towards the middle of the class and the crowd that followed him settled around him, moving as if playing a game of musical chairs with the prize being the ability to be in his presence. As he watched, a young boy lost the game and was resigned to sitting two rows behind the crowd. Sylas almost smiled, but he erased it, instead opting to keep his audience on the edge of their seats.
Cassian was already in his seat. He was always very punctual. He was always on time and always looked immaculate. His hair was brushed back and there would not be so much as a speck of dirt on his clothes. He set out his needed supplies and leaned back, waiting for the class to start. Theo was also in her seat. She always tried to be on time, but was generally late. She crossed her legs, resting her head on her hand as she gazed languidly around the room at her classmates. Suddenly there was a loud was a loud thunk against the window as a bird flew into it. Theo got up and opened the window with a sigh, Maverick clambering in as he brushed the feathers out of his hair. "Thanks, Thee!" he said brightly, sitting down casually. Lilith was quiet, slipping into the classroom and sitting at the back. She set her bag down and got her things out. She brushed her hair down, as it had gotten a bit messy on her trip to school.
Fina glanced over at Cassian, her brows furrowed. She had seen him around the school, although he was not generally in her social circles. She knew from the whispers that he was incredibly wealthy, but the thing that intrigued her was the near permanent scowl that resided on his face. She studied him curiously before turning to make a note in her field guide. The door opened and Monty sauntered in precisely as the bell rang, his brown hair casually tousled. His eyes fell upon Theo instantly and he paused, eyeing her curiously before giving her a sunny grin and a wink. The teacher, an older woman affectionately dubbed Mags, looked up at him and frowned. "Monty, you need to be in your seat by the time the bell rings," she scolded, raising one eyebrow. "Otherwise, I have to mark you as tardy. We've talked about this." "It's the last time, Magsy," he said lightly, sitting in the only available seat and looking up at her with a bright grin, adjusting his haphazard school tie smoothly. "I promise." She sighed, knowing very well that it wouldn't be the last time, before dipping her head to return to her work. Theresa watched this interaction with a raised eyebrow, her gaze switching to Theo thoughtfully as she rested her head on her hand. They would be something, Theo and Monty. She wasn't quite sure what the nature of their relationship would be, but she hoped it was amicable. She sighed, opening her book to the right page, her feet brushing the armor under her desk with a metallic ting. She flinched at the noise, hoping to not draw attention, but quickly relaxed, remembering the incident with the bird earlier. She considered this, glancing over at Maverick curiously, her stare obvious but not unkind. Sylas felt a twinge of irritation as Lilith entered the room, his demonic blood reacting instinctively to her presence. He would have scowled if he were the type of person to do such a thing. As it was, he gave her a polite smile, inclining his head as the person next to him tried to amuse him with a joke, but his golden, beautiful eyes never left her, smoldering and intense.
Cassian was watching the board, tapping his finger rhythmically. He paused, glancing over with a raised eyebrow. His cool gaze landed on Fina. He looked thoughtful, but of course knew who she was. He knew who nearly everyone was. He liked to to keep order and balance in the system, and by doing that he knew who was who and what they did. She was a witch. A scholar. He turned his attention to the front again, his eyes sharp. Theo seemed surprised at Monty's wink. Raising an eyebrow, she smiled slightly and shook her head. Guys talked to her a lot. She ignored most of them. Monty, to her, never seemed liked that type, but she didn't mention it, sitting up again. Maverick was rubbing his forehead, which was already forming a bruise. He didn't seem to mind though, his free hand holding a pencil. He paused, looking over at her with bright eyes. A childish look crossed his face as he gave her a finger gun. Lilith felt eyes on her and the looked up to see Sylas. She felt rather singled out as he looked at her, becoming suddenly nervous. She returned a small, tense smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Theresa tilted her head, seeming perplexed, her gaze flickering to this strange mode of communication that Maverick seemed to be using. She made a gun with her own fingers and looked down at it, studying it confusedly, trying to interpret his meaning. Was it a threat? Was he warning her of an incoming attack? She frowned, an unusual expression on her normally thoughtful face and she folded her hands, looking back towards the front of the room. Sylas' expression didn't change except for a slight narrowing of his eyes, almost imperceptible to anyone except Lilith. There was a pause before he turned his head back to the front of the room, their channel of communication closed, or at the very least, paused.
Maverick didn't seem to mind, leaning back in his seat casually, watching the front again. She seemed confused, looking down at her paper with a frown.
Fina sat at her normal table, setting her lunch next to her as she opened her field guide with thin fingers. She folded her legs at the ankles, pulling out her pencil from behind her ear and beginning to write down data. People had changed since last year and she hadn't been keeping up with notetaking during classes; she was behind on her records. Monty sat on the edge of stage, swinging his legs. The cafeteria was such that it was combined with the auditorium, tables brushing the edge of the curtains. As such, many students lounged on the steps after they had finished eating. He looked across the room, yawning tiredly as he leaned back against the wall, casually tossing a ball from his left hand to his right and back to his left again. Theresa was silent as she ate, holding her sandwich gently in her hands as she ate it slowly, her brow furrowed. The chair to her right was pulled away, as if it had been pulled out for someone else to sit in. Sylas was at the loudest table, the world alive with community. He felt the warmth of power in his chest as he spoke, watching the others fall a little bit more under his spell as they laughed at his jokes and nodded eagerly at his stories. He enjoyed his existence, leaning back in his chair and admiring his handy work leisurely
Cassian was sitting at a table full of people, Theo being one of them. They all spoke to each other, nearly equally. However a few stood out more than the rest. That was Cassian and Theo. They were obviously the reason people sat at that table. Cassian was charming, offering small smiles occasionally that never seemed to reach the rest of his face. Theo's eyes scanned the area, her voice clear and smooth as she discussed topics and her expression was thoughtful as she listened, folding her hands. Maverick had just gotten his lunch, and went to join Monty, carrying his lunch tray and setting it to the side as he sat down. Lilith entered the cafeteria and looked around thoughtfully, pursing her lips. She frowned, going to eat at an emptier table.
Fina finished her notes on the severe boy in her homeroom, closing the book primly. She stood up, tucking her hair behind her ear as she moved to slip the book into the bag, but she stumbled and it slipped from her hands, spilling loose papers everywhere. Drawings of animal specimens and plants splayed across the floor and she took a deep breath, kneeling down to pick them up, her flush evident on her cheeks. Theresa didn't even flinch as Fina dropped her book next to her, but she looked down at her with a frown. "Sorry," she said, her voice quiet. "I should have warned you." Fina looked up, looking bewildered for a moment before realizing it was Theresa. "Oh... don't worry. I know it's hard to sort your visions sometimes." "Yes, well..." Theresa said, kneeling down to help her pick up her stuff. "Still. Here... You're going to want to hurry..." Monty tossed the ball to Maverick playfully, looking over at him. "What classes do you have next?" Sylas stood up and his friends looked up at him expectantly. "I'll be back," he reassured them smoothly, tapping his fingertips on the table before moving towards Fina and Theresa.
Cassian didn't mind what happened to Fina, ignoring it as he continued. Theo looked up, standing to go help her sort her papers. She knelt down, her dark hair falling over her shoulders as she did. She stood, offering her the papers. "Here you go. You go by Fina, right? I like your drawings." Out of the corner of her eye she could see a couple boys making some gestures at her, but she ignored it. Maverick pursed his lips, catching the ball easily and tossing it back. "Cryptozoology. You?" Lilith looked up, but said nothing. Her gaze landed on Sylas and she watched him curiously.
Fina glanced up shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Thank you," she said quietly, frowning nervously. "Incoming," Theresa muttered as Sylas came up behind her. He knelt down next to them and raised one eyebrow critically, using his pointer to lift Fina's chin. "Let's not take notes on our classmates this year, huh, Fina? What do you say?" he asked, his voice soft and smooth, velvet to their ears. They would feel warm by his presence. Sylas knew what to do. Sylas knew what he was doing. Sylas is always trustworthy. "It just makes everyone so uncomfortable. Why don't you give that notebook to me?" He extended a hand gently to Fina, raising one eyebrow. Monty noticed this little interaction and frowned, raising one eyebrow before standing. "Hold that thought," he told Maverick, flicking his wrist. The ball rose into the air and flew across the cafeteria, hitting Sylas squarely in the back of his head. Sylas started, losing his concentration, and they would feel the fuzziness lift from their heads. Fina pulled back her notebook to her chest and hurried away, hiding her face. Theresa resumed her place, resting her head on her hand thoughtfully.
Theo blinked, looking over at Monty in surprise before returning a burning gaze to Sylas. She looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Stick to your own, pretty boy." She turned, going back to her table. Maverick laughed. "Bullseye. Nice shot."
Sylas considered her, his face unreadable before he glanced over at Monty. Monty gave him a cheerful wave, speaking to Maverick. "That Theo, huh? A real spitfire." Theresa looked down at Sylas, raising one eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. She sighed, brushing her fingers along the back of his head, a warmth spreading across the ache. He looked up at her, standing up with a frown. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice still soft. "You're not as good as you should be," she observed, taking her helmet and placing it on her head. "Far from it. But that knowledge should not change the behavior of the average bystander. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, Sylas." She headed for the door, her sheathed gladius on her hip.
Maverick looked over at the group of people, swinging his legs. "Theo? I guess. I've heard lots of rumors about her though. People love to gossip." He raised his eyebrows, pointing a thumb towards Theresa. "Who is she, though? I showed her finger guns earlier and she just looked confused.."
Monty looked over where Theresa had left, frowning in confusion before a small bout of laughter seized him. "Oh, Theresa? Yeah, she's a Valkyrie. You know, angel of the battlefield kinda deal? Finger guns probably have a different meaning to her. Plus, I mean, there are those visions she gets that make her a little.." He hesitated, debating on the word before continuing. "You know. A little spacey."
He ran his hand through his hair, looking seriously in thought for a moment. "Ah.." He squinted. "Maybe no finger guns next time?"
He scoffed playfully, sitting up straight. "Is there going to be a next time?" he replied playfully. Fina walked down the hallway quickly, stopping at her locker to quickly stash her field guide inside, slamming the door shut afterwards and releasing the breath she had been holding for the last five minutes. Sylas frowned, but it quickly disappeared as his crowd of people joined him, murmuring small comments of concern for him. He gave them all his smile and his gaze swept of Lilith for a moment before they began to leave the cafeteria.
He glared playfully, folding his arms in a pout. "Now what is that supposed to mean?" Both Theo and Cassian looked up and watched Sylas leave, almost as if he were a threat. Lilith held his gaze, growing more confident than last time.
