Luken Chase's Story

Luken arrived at the academy in anything but a good mood. It was his father's suggestion, no, order, to attend the prestigious school. Luken sniffed at the large door he passed under, adjusting his collar and rubbing at his stubble chin. Horus, the servant behind him pushing a cart of his two trunks and bag, mumbled something Luken didn't catch. The probability that it mattered was slim, but Luken huffed, "Yes, Horus?"

"I was just saying, sir, how am I going to get these up the stairs?"

"You'll just have to carry them, won't you?"

"But sir-"

"Horus, you're the servant. It's what you're paid to do, yes? Isn't my father paying you overtime or whatever for today? Taking this ridiculous journey...for school. I've already finished my exams, what does he think I need further help with?"

Horus paused in the doorway, hesitant.

Luken squinted over his shoulder to the thin man. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not a student. Er, sir."

"Lucky you, now c'mon!"

Approaching the severe woman in the center of the hall, Luken swallowed back a look of disgust. Whether it worked or not, he didn't care much. All he wanted was to get through this year and be done. He didn't even know what this whole academy place was about.

"Luken Chase," he muttered when prompted. Horus wheeled up beside him, the cart creaking to a stop. Luken rolled his blue eyes, pushing his hair to the side.

He caught a girl with brilliant red hair heading up a set of stairs with two others. Students, he figured. And the dorms were indeed up a large flight of stairs. Luken shrugged. Horus would manage.

Topaz

The pale blonde's hand clutched onto an ink pen, the pen being a sleek black color with a gold accentuation, the pen moved swiftly, the sharp tip of the pen scratching on the paper of her diary as gel black ink seeped out of it.

Dearest Diary,

Topaz is currently riding within her coach, waiting to arrive at the prestigious Liminal Academy. Topaz isn't sure if she's that fond of the premise of the school, part of the reasoning behind this is that Topaz would rather not have to partake in a lot of work into her magic...perhaps one could say Topaz's work ethic is very flawed, but Topaz begs to differ...there isn't much reason to wish to work a lot when you don't have to. Is there? Topaz supposes one would think of her to be full of herself now, a spoiled prodigy, but she wouldn't care less, the prospect of Topaz caring about what others thought of her is rather unimaginable!

Topaz let out a small laugh, before continuing.

Besides, Topaz doesn't think that when it comes to magic that much work needs to be put into it...Topaz feels as though magic should be something natural, something that just flows out of you like a river...or a pool of blood for that matter.

Topaz hates to go but her carriage has made a full stop, the horses are getting rather antsy and she supposes it's about time she exited to make her way to the school.

Love, Topaz.

With that Topaz shut her book and gracefully made her way out of her cushioned coach, her glossy heeled shoes stepping onto the floor. As she made her way to the school they clicked faintly on the ground, she gathered her belongings, and soon began walking towards the school, her ruffled black dress crinkling as she walked. She soon made it within the school walls, stepping to a rather crabby seeming old lady who wore outdated clothes, what she found most interesting however, were the keys attached to her belt, assuming they had something to do with the doors that the school was partially most renowned for.

"Topaz Montgomery, Madame," Topaz said in response to when she was questioned for her name, her voice was soft and non threatening, perhaps unlike her nature. Respectfully, she bowed slightly to the woman, the Montgomery family was rather well respected and well known, a gift and a curse she supposed...but she was definitely fond of doing such antiquated yet elegant things such as bowing.

Noah

Noah had decided to walk to the school, against the wishes of the faculty who though it would be better if he were to be escorted there by carriage or at least with some officials of the school. He had been involved with a pretty infamous crime organization, so he didn't blame them for thinking he'd try to run away after they bailed him out of jail, but it wasn't like he was evil or anything, besides, they were providing for his family, and he wouldn't turn his back on his family.

In reality Noah knew they just thought that it'd be safer in case a member of the guild tried to kill him to keep him silent, or perhaps they even just wanted to be friendly and give him a comfortable journey, but Noah didn't really enjoy thinking of rich people in a positive light all too much. It was a bit risky to do that. Besides, he was sure they had one or two people watching him just in case one way or another, or not...he could really care less.

Eventually he walked into the school, slouched slightly as he walked, he noticed a few people there, most of whom seeming rather wealthy, four of whom stood out to him. There were two guys, one with peculiarly colored hair (not as if he was one to talk) who appeared to be having a seizure or a panic attack or something already, and another who seemed extremely pompous based on how he treated his servant or whatever, and definitely someone who he wasn't going to like. Alongside the guys were two girls, one with a voluptuous body and vibrantly red colored hair-like a fire, and another with an odd vibe and long pale blonde hair-like a ghost. "Noah Marx," he said to the woman who asked his name, his presence informal and distant.

Jasper

Jasper sunk his head in embarrassment as he rode in one of his family's best carriages, supported by his family's best most regal stallions, which were guided by his family's most experienced rider. He was sure that many others would definitely desire to be in the situation he was, but he thought it was really all too much, just another flagrant attempt to try and get other high class people to think of the Salvatore family in high esteem. Their family name had never been one of well renown, despite their economic success, and Jasper's parents were definitely trying to cash in on his enrollment to the academy.

Soon, they had arrived at the school, their arrival preceded by an ensemble of various loud instruments played by people hired by the family, along with actors hired by the family to cheer and swoon at his arrival. At this point in time Jasper undoubtedly wanted to strangle his parents for their excessive behavior, but was already far away from them now, and would soon be far away from their reach...hopefully. He never comprehended the lengths his family would go to achieve renown and never would. His parents said he would in the future but he highly doubted that. He thought that perhaps if they applied all of their energy into actual important matters rather than eccentric things like this they would get a good name for themselves...

Soon he had entered the school, already noticing the big personalities that were inside it's walls. Himself on the other hand...he wouldn't say his personality was much of anything that interesting really, but he did pride himself in a good taste for comfortable clothing, tea, treats, the arts, and, well, napping...so there was always that to fall back on. His family's servants had carried his belongings in for him, despite his requests, their presence granting him an unwelcoming glare from a boy with what looked like white hair.

When asked for his name Jasper was caught off guard, forgetting to bow and everything, "-Oh, I'm Jasper, Jasper Salvatore." He said with a meek wave. He could already tell that his family would not be receiving a good name for themselves already, and he was glad to say he couldn't be happier about it.

The Chatelaine repeated, "Kennedy Liason. House of Sunlight, room 219, with Charlotte Sanderson. Stairs to your left, rooms are marked. Any questions?"

Once Kennedy was on her way to her room, the Chatelaine turned her attention to the next in line. "John Mortimer. House of Candles. Room 104, with Noah Marx. Stairs to your right, rooms are marked. Questions?"

Once again, she turned to the next in line as soon as John had moved on. "Luken Chase," she repeated. "House of Sunlight, Room 208, with Cecil Tudor. Stairs are to your left, rooms are marked. Any questions?"

And then to the next. "Topaz Montgomery," she said crisply -- and promptly. Topaz, of course, had no way of knowing that this was as close to a sign of approval that the Chatelaine was likely to give. "House of Sunlight. Room 118, with Peridot Zircon," she continued, handing her a key. "Stairs are to your left, rooms are marked. Any questions?"

"Noah Marx," she said to the next student -- after a distinct pause, a pause that seemed to imply that she was familiar with that name, and displeased by the owner's presence in her illustrious Academy. "House of Candles. Room 104, with John Mortimer." She made a slight gesture to a dark-haired young man nearby, and then finally handed Noah a key. She neglected to ask if he had questions -- though perhaps this was a genuine lapse, as there was a startling fanfare from outside the other door, the door to Aeolia.

The Chatelaine regarded Jasper for a long moment, disapproval writ large in the lines of her mouth and eyes. Finally she said, "Jasper Salvatore. House of Sunlight. Room 209, with Ellard Donahue." She nodded towards the somewhat panicked-looking Ellard. "Stairs are to your right, rooms are marked, any questions?"

After exiting his dorm, Cecil practically floated down the flight of steps, with everything in tow. Parchments and writing utensil stored away, Cecil would be free to explore most of the Academy at his leisure. He decided that conversation and fun would come later; neither his classmates nor exploration beckoned any more vigorously than the other for attention. It was by a purely abritrary decision he decided to roam, but where to, he wasn't sure. Perhaps he could pay a visit to the teachers...?

Luken

Students filed in behind him and Horus. More than Luken cared to look over and memorize. Given that he was living here, he would surely meet them all in due time. In classes, ugh. He shuddered a bit, lazily climbing the staircase as a silvery gray haired youth made his way down. Boy or girl, Luken couldn't say. Not that he hadn't drifted to either side, the idea of limiting himself to one sex quite preposterous, though he preferred female.

"Come along Horus," he called behind, not caring to look. When he did reach the landing, he was surprised to see Horus already there, cart and all. "And how did you manage that?"

"I'm sure you understand the need for servant ways, sir."

"Servant ways?"

"Never mind now. Your things are here. Open up your new room." The old man put on a smile and Luken concluded that her wanted to be rid of Luken as much as Luken wanted rid of him. Though having help with items would be useful. His father would never allow it however.

Throwing open the door, Luken found a note and scanned it quickly, noting key words here and there. "Nice hand writing," he commented out loud, tossing it to the floor. "Right. I'll sleep here," he decided, pointing to the right bed. "Put my things there. I'll unpack."

Horus made a strange noise. Surprised, maybe. Or maybe a cough. Either way, the man moved quickly, gave a little bow and exited the room without a farewell.

Luken sniffed, turned on the spot and kicked his trunk. It was quiet here. He slid two fingers into the front pocket on his jacket and felt the thin teeth of a gold comb sitting there. Momentarily, his thoughts drifted to his mother, weaving around the early memories of her face, fading, washed out.

Without bothering with his things for now, he popped open the top trunk and found his books within. He grabbed a philosophical text and plopped down on the bed to read a few passages. Exercising the brain was always important in keeping the mind limber, alert, and better than everyone else's in the room.

He did remember the note however, the excellent penmanship and word choice. He picked it back up after a moment and decided to roam as well. Roam, discover this new place he was to call home for the duration of study and know what he was getting into.

Luken slammed the door shut behind him, adjusted his collar and put on a lazy smile. Concluding that the youth he saw on the stairs earlier was his roommate, he went in search of him. Not for friendship, but to gauge what relations they could have. Luken wanted to know the right people.

As Luken made his way down the stairs, he could see the same grey-haired boy...or girl, if his fantasies were far-fetched, panning the room. Like many students, undoubtedly, Cecil was a curious sort of lad. The only strange thing, if Luken bothered to take note, was that Cecil was not merely staring at it in awe, but rather was squinting and scrutinizing the building's structure. The pillars, windows, walls, floor, and so on and so forth. Atypical even for the floundering nobles, Cecil was studying the Academy as if it was a work of art in need of critiquing. Undoubtedly, many could only stop and stare in its splendor, but few seemed to bother with its actual details.

Cecil was like a junior aristocrat in practice - an apprentice studying a masterpiece. Surely, this Cecil was the child of an engineer or architect of some sort. Few would take interest in the building itself.

But, as wisdom dictated, only time or personal interaction would tell.

As Cecil thoughtfully regarded the architecture of the Great Hall, he'd note several details that the other students might have missed. The parquet floor was fairly eye-catching, of course, with its central compass rose pointing in all directions. The stern Chatelaine still stood at its very center, regarding the doors impassively -- presumably awaiting stragglers, for the initial crowd of students had dispersed.

Beyond the compass rose, though, the pattern of the expansive floor grew subtle, as the colors of the woods used were nearly the same as each other, and the dividing lines between them were remarkably fine. And yet, regarded closely, it was a work of art -- wavery-edged pieces like waves, curling and breaking into stylized foam against islands, the sea inhabited by tall-masted ships and scaled sea-creatures, the islands populated by more terrestrial features, stylized mountains and trees and a castle with flags curling as if in the wind...

...and yet, without a close look, it would appear to simply be a polished wood floor.

The room as a whole was perhaps a hundred feet in its longest dimension, and a mere sixty on the side that the three massive doors opened into. The two tiers of balconies ran its length, and Cecil at least would note that their railings were intricately wrought iron, topped with a handrail of polished mahogany. The stairs that led to each tier were wide enough that three could comfortable walk abreast, and widened in a sweeping curve at the end as they reached the ground floor, the railing curling into an elegant spiral.

Wrought-iron pillars supported the balconies, perhaps six inches in diameter, and intersecting the railing at ten-foot intervals. They were patterned mostly in spirals and curlicues, tightly composed within their narrow cylindrical shape, but branching out under each balcony, like stylized trees.

Overhead, there was at least two more stories' worth of height before the Great Hall was capped by a domed roof. It was difficult to determine exactly how high it went, as it grew dark about a story after the Suns' balcony tier, and the uppermost heights were pitch black... and sprinkled with points of light. Somewhat below these 'stars,' on a height that the Suns might look out on them at eye level, were larger glowing orbs of light, of varying sizes. They orbited each other in a complex and stately pattern, slow enough that an hour might pass before the smallest of their orbits was completed.

All of the illumination came from these spheres, as there were no windows in the Great Hall, as it was presumably surrounded by other, lesser rooms. Four doors were spaced along each long wall, each of the eight bearing a metal bass-relief emblem, each a mythical creature of some kind: dragon, unicorn, griffin, phoenix, basilisk, pegasus, harpy, chimera. And on the far wall, opposite the three doors that led into the Academy, there were two larger open doorways, appearing to lead into two parallel hallways. On the wall between these doors was a long board, with pieces of parchment neatly tacked up in a row.

Everyone present in the Great Hall or the surrounding balconies could hear a faint scream, followed by another at a slightly higher pitch. It sounded like the screams had come from the second tier -- the student rooms for the House of Sunlight.

The Chatelaine turned her head in that direction, frowning.

Luken

He'd found the feminine youth down below, but didn't have a chance to join him or her. A scream broke out and soon the hall was flooded with bodies. Luken stayed back, away from the crowd for a time, assessing the faces and actions. He was smiling the entire time, leaning on a wall and fingering the comb in his pocket. Some were chatty, some weren't entirely interested in the scream at all, but instead came along with the others simply for the action.

The scream did interest him though.

With no one answering the knocks straight away, he muttered, "This place," shaking his head. He hadn't decided yet. Hadn't decided if he would like it here, if he liked those around him, if he wanted to be associated with any of them. The redhead was definitely a beauty, another girl having the figure of a dancer. He wasn't too keen on cats though.

His eyes rested on the redhead again, then a brunette. So many girls. Then he focused on Cecile. Losing interest quickly, he simply continued smiling, coming up with challenges for himself, wanting to laugh at his own amusement. The comb against his fingers plucked softly.

She froze for a second as nobody answered the door. Knocking on it again she noticed it to he soild wood and dry...

"Well no ones answering," she paused stating the obvious while looking back at the little group that surrounded the door. "Do you think it will be a problem if I burn down the door?" She asked innocently before giving the door a swift kick.

She wasnt one for patience and if someone was in trouble and couldn't get to the door than they needed to get in there now.

"Hay, if someone doesn't give me an answer im going to have to burn this door down to make sure everythings okay!" She yelled through the door again, giving it a few more firm knocks.

She really had no intention of burning the door but she wouldn't back down from her word if no one answered, she learned quickly on the streets that you act now or someone gets hurt... But than again this wasnt shadowtown.

"Thanks April!" Allyse grinned as she opened the door, "Sorry for barging in but..." Se trailed off as she saw two girls sat in the room, one was sat at a desk and the other was standing but that's not what really caught her attention, completely covering the one girls body was blood.
It seemed to have started from her mouth and had poured out as it stained her clothing and some of the floor, laying on the floor was a piece of ripped of flesh, a pink muscle that really should of been attached to someone's mouth.
Glancing at both girls, they appeared to be calm and the girl at the desk had turned back around while the other stood there grinning manically, all tongues in tack and accounted for...
Quickly back tracking out of the room, Allyse shut the door and turned to the group. "Well that was fun, but I really think we should leave them alone..." She shuddered slightly at all the blood that had been in the room, how pleasent. "Seems the girl screamed because of something her room mate did... That might of involved a missing tongue or two... But don't worry! I checked and they all had their tongues... Is it just me or is that really weird..." She trailed off, already moving on from the gore and now just wondering about who tongue was on the floor.
"Guess it's time for my inspector hat, we need to find a person in this school who doesn't have a tongue!" She cried, looking at all the people around her to agree so that they may begin their quest for the person without a tongue.

Date: Tuesday, December 31st
Time: Noon

At noon, a bell began to ring. Those who took note would hear twelve distinct clanging peals, not precisely melodic, but not excessively clamorous, either. Certainly the bell was loud enough to be heard throughout the Academy.

Throughout the balconies of the student rooms, older students called "Lunch, firsties! Come to lunch!" There was good-natured laughter as they led the way, down the various stairs and through the nearest of the two doorways leading inward from the Great Hall.

Those in the left hallway took the first right, while those in the right hallway took the first left, and they all met in the middle, where another double door stood open.

The Dining Hall was a large room, longer than it was wide, with four pairs of narrow parallel tables down its length, and one perpendicular to them at the far end. As the students entered, the Chatelaine directed them: "Suns to the left, Candles to the right. First-years to the back two tables and please be seated. Suns to the left, Candles to the right--"

Luthien de Mendici, headmaster of the Liminal Academy, stood in front of the final table, the one that was perpendicular to the others. He was facing the two closest parallel tables, and equidistant from them both. When all of the first-years were seated at these two tables, Luthien looked the gathered students over, smiling slightly, his gold eyes gleaming with a warm light.

"Welcome," he said, his voice clear and precise. He lacked either of the local accents, speaking with neither the abridged and slurred diction of Shadowtown, nor the particular enunciations and cadences of Aeolia. "I am very pleased to welcome you all to the Liminal Academy."

"Though I have met most of you but briefly, it is my impression that you all have great potential, which I hope to see blossom in your time here. I will shortly ask you to introduce yourselves to your new classmates and teachers, so that we may all begin to get to know each other. Before that, though, it is my duty to inform you of the rules of the Academy."

"Firstly," said Luthien, "Many of you carry weapons, either openly or concealed. I would be the last person to fault this practice, but you should know that attacking a fellow student with a deadly weapon is grounds for expulsion, regardless of any actual injury sustained. Likewise for magical assaults of any kind. There is, of course, an exception made for drills and sparring under the supervision of an instructor."

"Secondly, there are many doors to and from the Academy. However, you are not permitted to leave the Academy via any door but the one you entered by, except under the supervision of a teacher. If you came from Shadowtown, you may return there via the left-hand door from the Great Hall, and likewise those from Aeolia may return via the right... but in either case, you are not to enter the other city."

"Finally, I expect you all to respect and obey your instructors, as well as the other staff members of the Academy. Some of you in the House of Candles are unaccustomed to having adult authorities in your life, while some of you in the House of Sunlight are perhaps more accustomed to giving orders than to following them. Nonetheless, I expect you all to make an effort in this area."

"And now, if you would each stand up in turn and give your name, and perhaps say something about yourself, if you wish." Luthien smiled, and gestured to the first of the first-year students, inviting them to stand and introduce themselves.

Peridot made her way through the double doors, taking a seat at the very back of the left hand tables, as the Chatelaine had directed. She sat quietly through the Headmaster's speech, noting his peculiar lack of accent. She had lived in both Shadowtown and Aeolia, and had never met anyone who didn't have one accent or the other.

When the Headmaster brought attention the the subject of weaponry, Peridot, not for the first time, felt the loss of her dagger that she had always kept on her hip in Shadowtown. The worn leather handle had been too big for her slight hand, and the indents from the previous owner's grip had been too far apart. However it had been her father's, one of the last items her mother kept when she was forced to sell their home and most of their belongings. She had always kept the blade sharp and polished, until her step-father had insisted that a young lady had no use for such an object. She had made one last plea, before leaving for the academy, but her step-father still refused to give it back.

At the Headmaster's mention of the doors leading to and from the Academy, Peridot couldn't help but look at the one that led to Shadowtown, her old home. It would be so easy to slip through, leave this place. She could begin a new life, on the streets. She shook her head to clear away those thoughts. It had been so long since she was in Shadowtown, she had forgotten the layout, and with no money to start out with she wouldn't survive long. As much as she loathed to think it, Aeolia was her home now.

The Headmaster finished his speech and the room grew quiet. None of the first years seemed keen to be the first to introduce themselves. With a sigh Peridot decided it was best for her to go and get it out of the way. She stood, and turned to face the Headmaster.

"I am Peridot Zircon." Simple and concise, with no elaboration, she sat down again.

John enters just in time to catch the speech, scoffing quietly at the mention of bing nice to the staff. Of course, he had every intention of being polite to all of the staff members, save a certain funder... He walks to the center of the hall, looking around for Arnold, shouldthe man have the audacity to appear here, in front of John.
"I am John Mortimer."
He says simply, before taking a chair and sitting, his eyes once again scanning for the man who ruined his life.

April

The red-head rolled her eyes at the curt introductions. She herself didn't want to give away much of herself, but still. Was this place just full of stuffy up-turned people who couldn't even be bothered to say what their favorite color was?

Internally frustrated, and with an act to uphold, April finally stood up, small bounce included in her step, and smiled widely, waving her fingers slightly. "Hi everyone! I'm April Summers. I'm from Shadowtown. I like flowers, and....well, any magic that any of you might have won't work on me. Nevertheless, I look forward to studying with all of you!"

Introduction finished, she sat down with a smile, hands folded on her lap. Bubbly personality established, as well as some sort of authority...now that was how you did an introduction.

Ellard

The red-haired girl spoke as confidently as he was nervous, and he could feel his knees shaking under the table. Public speaking was something he never cared for. Public anything in fact, was something he never cared for. He almost wished he had gone sooner, just said his name and be done with it like the others, but this girl, April, had set a new precedent.

Well, best to get it over with now, before people started adding more information. Shakily, Ellard stood up. "Um..." he started to say, starting to raise his hand and then realizing how foolish that was. Pulling his arm down, he looked about nervously before stammering out, "M-m-my...my n-name is...er...I m-mean...I'm...I'm Ellard...and...and, er...I...um...I..." he wasn't sure whether to add what his power was. If you could even call it that. What if the others tried to make him sneeze all the time?

"I...I like m-maps," he finally sputtered out, and hastily took his seat, ears violently red and the rest of his face starting to follow suit. He stared at his plate, hoping someone else would introduce themselves quickly.

Allyse jumped in surprise as she heard the bell rings, lunch time! The thought of all lost tongues gone from her mind she headed down towards the canteen.

Time for food! She thought as she found herself a seat and plopped herself down, making herself comfortable as she listened to the teachers speech and the rules he put forth. Allyse glanced towards the door that led to Aeolia, she was slightly put off at the idea of not being able to explore the city as she had never been able to get the before.

She watched as the girl in the room 218 gave a brief introduction of herself before sitting back down, next a young man came in late also gave a brief introduction before sitting down. Both introductions were a bit stiff and made Allyse a but anxious about the people she would be attending the academy with, though most seemed to be very nice.

Allyse smiled as she watched people introduce themselves, listening to April introduce herself confidently made her happy to have such a nice roommate. Next came Ellard, he stuttered out his name and a small piece of information about himself.

Well now that a few had said their names, Allyse jumped up, pulling up coal with her, who had been held in her hands all the time she had been running around the school, and grinned at everyone, "Names Allyse, Pyromancer and danser in my spare time! Let's be friends, Kay?!" She Finish before sitting back down as she turned to watch another student introduce themselves.

Since leaving the group, Phoebe had just walked around figuring out the layout of the place she now called home. Eventually, she found her way to the dining hall and managed to find herself a seat towards the middle of the table. The large room was welcoming enough, but Phoebe was still getting used to being so close to all of these people. The tables were full of strangers and she'd give anything to see a familiar face, not that she had anything of value to give.

The Headmaster began a speech and, at first, it calmed Phoebe as she was beginning to find her place in this school. However, she stiffened at the mention of weapons. It hadn't crossed her mind that other students would carry them. She had very little knowledge of weaponry. Being homeless in her part of Shadowtown was only dangerous due to the weather. Her power could potentially be used as weapon, but she'd never really tried. Suddenly, the safety that she had felt dissipated.

When introductions came around to Phoebe, she still had the weapon issue weighing on her mind, but wanting to make a good impression, she smiled as she stood. "Hi. I'm Phoebe. I like gardening." After her short intro, her legs dropped her back onto the seat beneath her.

Alina rose, and smiled, her milky eyes unfocused.

"I'm Alina Rivers," she said, in a clear firm voice. "I'm blind, but I can 'see' magic. And I've been waiting to come here since I was seven."

She made a small bow towards the headmaster, and sat back down.

Cecil, being among the first to leave the group, sits surprisingly far away from the Headmaster with plenty of empty spaces abound. These, however, are soon filled up, and the little absence is quickly removed.

The speech is not one already known to Cecil about the weapons; in many of the places he went about with his uncle, there were many a sensitive thing that needed protection. People, artifacts, objects of old and new renown...

But it didn't seem like he was going to have any sort of problem at all. After all, many of the student population were girls, and though it could be rumored that an angered vixen might create a crafty scandal, it was unlikely that anything more than a little wrong was done at this point. There shouldn't be any problems this early, besides that tongue-severing incident.

Concerning the teachers, Cecil had no real qualms about that. He obeyed his entire life when there came a need for it, and for obeying, he was rewarded an opportunity to not just survive, but thrive here, in this very Academy.

However, there was a question he had pondered in his mind...

After a few given moments of formulating it, he finally took his turn to stand and cleared his throat.

"I go by the name of Cecil Tudor, and I am honored to be here with you all," he said, though he was careful to put in only a little enthusiasm. Any more and perhaps one of those girls would pass him off as an artificial bigot. That wouldn't be good. But dammit all to hell, he was standing a little after his introduction.

"...I did have a question in mind for the Headmaster, though. I entered through the gates of Shadowtown, as my uncle wanted me to see the festivities of the town beneath the skies. But I am also one of the House of Sunlight. Am I to be directed to Aeolia from this point on, or do I continue to visit Shadowtown?"

The headmaster nodded to Cecil. "That's an excellent question. Thank you for asking it, rather than simply making one assumption or the other."

"In point of fact, the rule is intended to allow students to visit their homes, while preventing excursions into a city not their own. To the best of my knowledge, your uncle does not reside in Aeolia or Shadowtown. Under the circumstances, I'm afraid I must ask you to stay within the Academy, except under supervision -- unless you are able to obtain written permission from your uncle to visit Shadowtown."

He cleared his throat, and addressed the students as a whole, "This is not a priviledge granted only to Master Cecil, and I apologize for neglecting to mention it. If any Aeolian student gets written permission from their parent or legal guardian, they are permitted to enter Shadowtown. Unfortunately, the reverse is not true -- access to Aeolia remains limited to those who have residence there."

"Now, if there are no more questions, let us continue with the introductions."