Blood Ties [Arberus x Temara]

There was perhaps a bit of wonder in her eyes as she took in the rest of the students at orientation, but it was due to how starry eyed the rest of her 'classmates' seemed to be; excited about parties, joining sororities, etc. Sera on the other hand was more practical. She'd had to come here with the agreement that if she did so and got a degree, she wouldn't have to have anything to do with the company and take up her father's footsteps when it was over. So here she was at 17, a college freshmen at Durham University.

Don't let the laziness fool you though, despite her laziness and likely because of her parental genes she got top grades while barely trying. Her mother on the other hand had gone to college at 15, graduated shortly before her 18th with a masters of business administration and would have graduated with a 5.5 out of 5 if it'd been possible. So not Sera's thing.

The girl looked completely out of place already from the bright eyed youngsters wandering around the practically ancient campus. From the ringlets of curls that brushed against her jaw that shimmered a deep golden auburn in the sun to the summer day at the ocean blue green eyes, she seemed almost defiant to the world around her, as if to say 'You too I will conquer'. Dressed in cargo pants and a black top that showed off her carved from marble abs in a way that many guys would find intimidating and yet was still very feminine. Defined and yet not bulging sculpted.

She could give a crap about what people thought about her, she only cared for her father and family's concern; more the first than the latter if truth be told. She was the apple of his eye and in hers, he was the world and she was determined to show him that she could conquer it just as she'd seen him do.

But that meant a few things needed to happen. First, she had to take care of the little issue of her virginity. Given how her mother had gone about things with Dani's father (who Sera still thought was more female than male, but whatever) and then with Rayner, Sera had been plagued with betrothal offers and engagements since her first blood. Papa had kept them off of her until now, but since she was out in the big bad world now, well, they'd already started. But they wanted a virgin bride. (Creepy people, she thought personally) and this was one way to insure that they wouldn't want her at the head of the company just in case something happened with the twins.

Hence her current plans. She'd spent the first part of orientation scoping out the school. She'd thought a more 'seasoned' partner might make things more enjoyable so she'd checked to see who was on campus early besides the freshmen. That'd turned out to be grad students, sports teams and Frat Row for Rush. Cancelling out the Rushees for just the creepiness factor, she debated the grad students and the sports teams for a day or so and decided to just go based on looks or physical prowess. Which meant sports. The question was, which sport?

Then the question was decided for her. Watching some guys play out in the field, one of the rugby players walked up to her and grinned. "Hey Frosh!" Spouting one of those ridiculous nicknames upperclassmen gave incoming.

She arched one eyebrow widely on her face and leaned against the fence, letting him get a good view of cleavage. "I'd say you're the Fresh one..." He was lean but well muscled. He had a nice smile...and a fresh cut across his lip that was just starting to bleed.

"I'd say you're not complaining." He spit out his mouth guard without reservations and smiled a bloody smile back at her. He'd be perfect.

"You're not Mormon, are you?"

The frown slid across his face. "Hell no." Even better. Not that Sera hated Mormon's or anything, but with the family being how they were, they'd try and make her marry him if he was.

"Good. Then I'm not complaining." The grin came back, this time to both of their faces. "How about you tell me your dorm number, and I'll arrange a little surprise visit?" He looked her up and down once again, just trying to figure out how in the hell he got so lucky. This year was looking up.

"I don't get back from practice till late."

"Then how about a key...I'll make it worth your while...." If he wasn't feeling so thrilled right now, he might have been a little hesitant, but this chick obviously knew what she wanted, and right now it was him. He reached into his shorts and pulled out a key. "Edward Hall 253" Hell, even if she was going to steal his stuff wasn't nothing in there yet except some clothes and his books. His parents were bringing the rest of his shit later in the week. He didn't stand to lose in this situation.

She leaned forward over the fence, her rounded ass in the air getting a few more hoots and hollers before she grabbed the key and walked off, letting him enjoy the view for a few moments before turning around and kissing the key where he could see. "I'll see you tonight."

RE: Blood Ties

The sun never seemed to stay up long enough.

It was already starting to set by the time his rounds through the library were done- as usual he skimmed and read as necessary through several while there, and only took the most archaic or volumous and directly relevant books out to pour over further and etch notes down from into his books. He'd rented a lab out from the school, and change the lock out to keep the janitors from bumbling in. Not that he much feared espionage at the moment, but caution had been beaten into him. There were reasons he did not work too long in the labs after dark; his schoolwork was among them.

Skylar was in entry level classes again, and a new university, but he'd settled in over the summer and gotten himself a head start. It was difficult to get the proper respect in the medical field without a PHD, but he'd left that until last. The man had no intentions of setting himself up as just another subject to some established doctor or firm. He had to make less usual contacts, to establish himself. If he came out into the field flying, with a good starting plan- and as an independent, so he wouldn't have to sully his dealings with his damned father or doting mother- it would draw a lot more of the attention he wanted his way. Attention he'd need if he desired funding or the chance to meet and work with ground breaking idea men. And he did so desire that funding and those ideas.

Not that any of the classes for a bachelor's in mechanical engineering had a heavy front load of work, or had begun in truth yet, but he would be loath to fail to absorb a single fact with the potential to give him a breakthrough somewhere because he had neglected his usual attention to the classes. And with his personal research and less traditionally academic studies heaped atop his usual 18 hour courseload, failing to get a head start could mean a slip somewhere.

A very pointed and productive mindset wasted on his roommate.

The boy was studying business, possibly sports team management. The ones who weren't the paragons who managed to play professionally all their youthful lives seemed determined to do one of the two, or to pursue physical therapy. Skylar already had a medical masters, but the differing perspective and details going into a physical therapy degree would have been a welcomed thing to bring into idle talk. Instead, he was pursuing a bachelors in business, which Skylar already had, and getting an early start on alcoholism, which Skylar had no desire for, and while it had been a small bit of fun to learn some of the ins and outs of his mind and practice polite conversation, he had contributed nothing that made Skylar anything but glad to have heard he'd be out late, perhaps all night, partying again.

Unless he came back too drunk to hold his stomach, anyway.

The sun had winked the rest of the way out before he was satisfied, and put the books away. The clubs were woefully dead with classes not yet begun, and the pressures of occult study had taken up time he might normally have spent letting himself go to a local club, or bar, or any place to get a more varied and lively source of human contact. He hardly shut himself in to become some sort of a bookworm, but time was a more precious commodity than ever. He could hardly justify doing it as often as he had used to. Or perhaps he might. The textbooks seemed painfully straightforward and the logic was hardly as taxing to conquer as the memorization and interrelated processes of medicine. It was similar in some ways, but much, much simpler. Even the mathematics courses seemed perfectly manageable.

Am I really going to bed wishing for a simple time sink again? It had been a while since he'd felt the need for any such thing. But maybe he did need a new distraction.

Laid against to club hoping, despite the great appeal of it's most obvious advantages, he rather hoped he could locate a school of riding or fencing somewhere in the vicinity. Hell, he might consider taking up golf- it was useful for a businessman in this day and age, even if it seemed rather droll to him.

Skylar ended the night as usual. He sorted his side of the room methodically into order wherever chaos had sprung up, and stripped, this time to his skin, enjoying the lack of a roommate alternating between gawking and demanding he put more on while pointedly averting his eyes. Then, the lights went off, and he stretched; loosened the body, relaxed, cleared the processes going through his mind so they could properly ferment in sleep, rather than being laid together in frantic chance like a child's block set. And finally, he let himself focus on just one candle, boring into the tiny blip of light with his eyes until the meditation helped him seal all the doors he wanted safely sealed while he slept. Lucid dreaming was a wonderful skill, but sometimes there were voices, memories, he simply had no desire to expose himself to in sleep. With or without the skill, it felt vulnerable.

He allowed a small fluttering of elation in his gut as the hot wax dripped onto his hand, while he extinguished the light with his other.

There was pain, certainly, but it seemed so silly to discount every other tiny detail screaming of life in the thing simply out of malice toward pain. Once you learned to accept the lessons and complexity in it, a small bit of pain began to acquire a rather pleasant flavor.

Skylar laid himself into bed, smiled as he stretched out comfortably onto his back, and closed his eyes.

RE: Blood Ties

Sure she had a moment of hesitation, mostly that concerned with her father flashing a shotgun or worse at the poor fellow's head. Shrugging it off, she put the key into the door of the room the guy...whose name she didn't even know...and slipped inside, closing it behind her so that the light wouldn't cast a shadow where it shouldn't be seen. At the the side of the sink beside the bathroom door, she slipped off her own clothes and padded further into the room. Wouldn't he get a surprise when he got home. The clothes, she grabbed, and strangely enough folded, laying them on a nearby desk so she could find them later. She could have turned on the light to find her way around, but she had a decent night vision and this made it seem more like a spy game or something.

But as she moved into the room, she spotted a body on the bed. Had he beaten her here after all? He hadn't mentioned a room mate. Shrugging, she lifted the edge of the covers and knelt down on the bed, her own weight seemingly light as a feather, disturbing barely a thing before she found exactly what she was looking forward. Hopefully he'd like his surprise, if he wasn't just playing sleepytime. Her lips wrapped around his shaft, swirling around with her tongue until she got the kind of reaction she was hoping for.

RE: Blood Ties

A part of his mind noted, some hours later, that among his skills he'd yet to develop a properly light sleep or alertness upon waking. His father had always possessed the gumption to beat him only when he was awake, but out in the world there might come a use for it beyond the ability to function just as healthily on a half of the sleep- a trait he'd yet to figure out how to acquire, but which he admired in those who seemed entirely untouched by any level of deprivation. He should have liked to see that silhouette on it's way in, moving to his bedside.

His dream started to change rather oddly, attempting to reconcile some unusual sensations. At first it adapted, as dreams do. But he was lucid enough in his sleep that his suddenly wet cock simply seemed out of place. The mirror shattered, and he opened his eyes, blinking life into them. His shaft was several steps ahead in this regard; sleep might have slowed the mind's reactions, but the body hardly realized the difference.

"-mmm?"

A questioning not-quite-grunt, and put his hand down, feeling the warm mass moving up and down below the covers as he laid his palm atop it. He didn't force any kind of speed, or rhythm, or try and jam her all the way to the base, not just yet, but he pushed enough to display his appreciation and encouragement while she worked him up and into the mood quickly, his thighs tensing and then relaxing as he made himself savor the sensations. The skin where it touched, the hair against his stomach or hips.

The mouth, of course. Especially that tongue.

He didn't know who in the hell she was, or what was going on, but if this was what she was about, he could wait for those answers until she'd finished her business.

Skylar would let her go until she'd gotten a good rhythm and bit of depth going on the work before he'd make a concerted effort to push her deeper, till the nose pressed into his groin, turning a moan of appreciation into a small chuckle as he let her up from it and finally snaked his hands under the covers, not lifting it yet out of respect for the game, but wrapping his fingers around hair with one, and touching the cheek with the other- fingers and thumb expertly moving to her ear and starting to make sure if she wasn't already nice and warmed up- much as he doubted it was an issue- that she'd be supple to his touch enough soon.

RE: Blood Ties

She had no issues going deeper, pressing her pert little nose into his groin and inhaling the scent. It was nice and clean, which surprised her since he'd said he was going to be at practice till late. She'd expected a lot of sweat and grime, but apparently he cleaned up fairly well which was appreciated. As he made a sound, she lifted one arm and pressed her fingers to his lips before wagging them at his nose in warning. Basically saying that if he made a sound, she'd just leave. She didn't really want to take the chance of any emotional attachment happening. Her hand came back down and slid her nails lightly over his torso and thighs as she continued to build him upwards, not slacking off on her own excitement.

Once he was firm and stiff however, she reached over to the desk and pulled out a little foil package, slicing it open with one hand and sliding it over his hard shaft as long as he didn't protest. Once it was firmly rooted, she moved her entire body firmly upward, pressing it against his as she crept higher and higher, letting his shaft get pressed further down against her until it was snapped free beneath her. Reaching back, she adjusted herself atop him and as long as he again wasn't protesting she let him continue to caress her face as she placed him at her entrance. Only a moment of hesitation before she tensed her thighs and then pushed downward, impaling herself upon him down to the root and through her maidenhead all in one go with only a single grunt of "Ugh..." in a husky voice to show for all the pain. Another moment to adjust, small tears forming in the corner of her eyes; damnit she'd hoped that wouldn't happen, enough horseback lessons it shouldn't have....But then she did adjust and began to rock her hips against his as her body lifted, allowing him access and a view in just the palest of moonlight filtering through the blinds.

RE: Blood Ties

Puzzled- perhaps even a bit amused more in the way of a flexible intelligent person riding out unexpected but favorable winds- he smiled into his shadowy "assailant"'s visage and sealed his lips, muting all sound but his breathing. Whatever sounds her mouth or the bed cared to make, they were welcome to. The lady requested quiet, she'd have it. She had certainly earned that much already.

One might have expected random, unannounced late night mystery trysts to simply go bareback, but the lady seemed to have brought herself the tools of the job as well. Well, he didn't care for any children, or anything one might pick up with such a habit, so he let her put it right on and moved his hands as she climbed him, bracing his heels to support his hips in place, for a much better and more shared ride than the practice making the bed screech some of his old roommates had taken to. He kept a hold of her ear, not bothering to ruin the kind of pure carnal motions she'd kept to so far by pulling her down for a kiss she clearly wouldn't want, and played his fingers across it's back, calloused tips scraping lightly down the back before tilting short nails in to sharpen the sensation. His other hand, as men's hands were wont to do, went for the arising breasts, to the complaint of neither of them he was sure. A near perfect fit to- she was a nicely built little thing.

And then, he was more significantly surprised.

He heard the sound, the resistance, the hesitation before and after...

...this can't seriously be... you, my dear, are neither tripped out nor drunk enough for you to be losing it this way.

He'd find out whenever the lights went on though.

As it was, at least he could see the shape nicely, if naught else, and decided that while she rocked and rode entirely too smoothly and enjoyably for a virgin, his hand massaged the breast- flowing over it one time after another, caressing the underside where it met a surprisingly firm body, up over the fat and around again, flowing toward the center, tickling the ring around the nipple repeatedly before his palm would wind up directly over it again.

And then, he'd just slide his hand down and toy with it, slow and sensually teasing and testing with the different parts of his fingers, about each end he gripped, while his hips kept nice and sturdy for her. Even angled forward slightly for her ease while she found her rhythm.

RE: Blood Ties

As his fingers brushed over her breasts, he'd find yet another startling thing; nipple piercings. A virginal, nipple pierced succubus riding him in perfectly responsible fashion, but riding him all the same, Her hips ground against his as her fingers clutched at his chest, the motion becoming a bit more frenzied as she tightened around him, squeezing him purposely so that he was getting as much pleasure as she. Soft little moans began to slip from her lips as the fingers flicked over her breasts, arching her back higher and higher until she was forced to pull her hands from his chest and place them behind her against his thighs, pushing him deeper and deeper with his thrust or so it seemed and yet still allowing him that access.

"Ah---ah----ah...." building to that crescendo but determined to take him with her. It was the least she could do for him helping her with her little problem. How she managed to squeeze him so tightly was another thing all together that maybe he'd have to ask her about later.

RE: Blood Ties

Well, well, wasn't that helpful.

He'd play all the same, tweaking the nipple and turning it about between his fingers to try and raise more response out of her, tugging her earlobe gently, mimicking the way a mouth might have sucked and pulled, the pad of his thumb sliding down. But it seemed entirely effective, and rather than tiring herself out and collapsing or just keeping on rocking, she drew back like a string he was drawing tight. Skylar wasn't entirely unfamiliar with string instruments, and as she bowed he slid his hand down from the ear moving beyond his reach, stroking the side of her neck with a thumb across the windpipe, down her throat and the other breast, pressing lightly against her stomach and framing her for before moving it to grip her hip. Playing her while she grew tighter and tighter; and so did her grip.

I rather think I'll remember tonight for a while.

She practically leaned back, and he began to thrust his hips a bit besides holding them for her, his fingers simply closing about that nipple piercing at last. A perfect grip to let him hold it painfully taught while the rest of him plied pleasure out of her, skin sliding against skin and the shaft moving through the tightening nethers, to raise it from simple "pain" into a part of the experience.

His breath quickened; women seldom seemed to care if a man came before or after her, so long as he lasted long enough to see her through it, but drawing the experience out only sweetened it, like aging a wine, much longer on than one might expect. It was as much for his pleasure as hers, but if only he'd been more capable of it. Her prowess, or natural affinity as it might be, was as unexpected as her visit, and his shaft was throbbing before his muscles even started to burn. He'd hold it out; she seemed close as well louder than he.

And was she to freeze or collapse during or after her peak as many less suspecting seemed to, he was more than prepared to brace her hips tight and piston his own back and forth, pounding her roughly through the high to see just how much of a scream he could muster out of her.

Skylar was eager enough to see what sort of music she'd play to allow her once at it before he held her to her own golden-silence rules.

At this rate he suspected he'd finish, grunting through his teeth with body twitching in ecstasy, before he tired enough to stop the rapid carrying thrusts.

RE: Blood Ties

She never got very loud beyond that repetition but it was lyrical in nature that showed some natural affinity for music, however short lived the training itself had been. She built up and as she crested over her own wave of pleasure, she tightened up and never seemed quite to let go until he was pulsing inside that little skin that so conveniently caught his pleasure for him. She thrust against him a few times for good measure even as she resisted the urge to just curl up on him and relax. It was done. Pragmatic as ever, she leaned forward sliding her hands along his and bringing them back slowly and up above his head "Forgive this last little bit, doll. Just a precaution. I'm sure since you play rugby, you understand" pressed a kiss to his lips, soft, sensuous and smiling as she summoned a small chain she'd prepared for the occasion, tying him back to his bed before he could recover. Though she found she'd liked that kiss and kissed him again, this time more passionately.

His hands firmly tied, she climbed off of him, dressed quickly in the dark and spoke a few soft words and with just one spark of light...was gone.

Leaving him with a bloody used condom and his memories as the only proof it wasn't a dream....

~~~

"Oh, don't look so pitiful, Bubbles. Other than the soreness, it's quite alright." She sat on the top of one of the towers, rubbing her dragon's head with her hand affectionately as she looked out over the campus. "Though it is nice to know the trick does work both ways, huh?" And she curled up that way, several stories above the ground, just a girl and her dragon.

RE: Blood Ties

Not the kind of sound he was looking for- but all the same he liked it.

She came, and in the moments that followed, he spilled over into the condom as well. They thrust a few moments longer, carrying it on, but as they started to relax down he was starting to get ready to turn her over and take his turn doing to the work- when her hands took his and lifted them up, back above his head. He was curious enough to play along for a moment. He quirked an eyebrow at the suddenly chatty dark shape though, figuring out something was wrong-

Should've jumped on that first word.

Suddenly his hands were bound as he tried to move, clanging and clumsily stopping him from rolling. Though what the hell she meant by rugby he didn't-

Suddenly, it occurred to him.

The first kiss came, and he was simply too caught unawares and bamboozled to respond. By the second, he kissed her back with an almost furious passion, perhaps well unexpected despite the chain, even while his brain went into overdrive trying to think of what he'd do to end this if there was any sign of oncoming violence. If she got up and got a gun he had nothing, but if she tried for a knife it wasn't over- maybe.

Instead, she got up and calmly dressed, leaving his lips wetted, and grinning, whites vaguely showing in the moon-whispers.

It was nothing like Rayner's almost desperate laughter, wild in the face of danger, but there was something just as alive to the way he laughed to himself while the mystery girl gave a short incantation, and vanished.

A few minutes later, he managed to calm that enough to slip in "you glorious bitch," slipping one wrist free of the chain, and not long after the other. He checked everything- chuckling under his breath at the blood, and disposed of it- keeping the chain to store tucked in the back of a desk drawer, and cut off most of his night ritual. This time, he just cleared his head, breathing, and lay back down again. Sleep almost had him when the door opened and his roommate came in, loafing about with the smell of sweat- and a faint tone of alcohol behind it, perhaps only 2 beers- for several minutes before asking about a girl. Eventually, he gave up trying to talk to the apparently sleeping form, and laid down in his clothing, sitting up.

Skylar fell asleep trying not to laugh again.

RE: Blood Ties

Leave it to Bubbles, Sera thought as she woke up the next morning to somehow find herself stretching out in her bed. It was times like these that she was more than happy to have a set of comfortably well off parents. The mattress of plastic had been traded for a real mattress with a memory foam top and her aching muscles thanked her for it this morning. But the dragon had somehow gotten her to her room undetected and left her sleeping comfortably without any room mate worries. "Ugh...I didn't know I had muscles there..." She muttered before getting up and checking out the mirror, idly wondering if there was anything different about her this morning. But she didn't see anything but a moderately attractive young woman with tousled golden auburn hair and bright sea blue eyes. Those red flecks within still had not gone away at her age and possible never would, but her own father's reversal of the condition gave her hope.

"Well, stage one done. " But as she inspected her body, she also noticed the blood red surrounding her thighs and she sighed as she moved into the bathroom to clean it off. That part had been annoying. Hopefully the guy was as dumb as he looked and wouldn't realize anything was off and would just think he'd been a little rough. Slipping on another pair of cargo pants; her closet seemed full of them, she grabbed a black sweater and her book bag. First day of classes, and Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and then Intro to Biomedical Engineering. She wasn't quite sure which direction she wanted to head just yet, so she'd signed up for a double major. Luckily, her first day should also be interesting. She was already leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else in the core curriculum thanks to her mother shoving college class credits down her and her siblings throats.

Whistling a happy little tune, she strolled into her first class with barely a thought to the fact that the instructor had already started to take roll.

"You'll be assigned lab partners based upon a numbering system. Everyone go down each row and count off to 8. There will be 8 groups of 2. This is a small class though." Sera took the only seat that was left and was a number 3." And glanced around to see who the other 3 would be. Hopefully a guy who'd actually do his work....so she didn't have to.

RE: Blood Ties

Normally the first order of business in the morning was a shower.

Today, Skylar pulled on his bathrobe and stopped at his desk to glance into his little personal trash bin first.

Then smiled.

Then went to take a shower.

It was almost a shame to wash off the bit of smell and blood left over- an experience that had been pleasurable, bizarre, and left him with plenty of questions to ask. It was almost too perfect. He almost hoped he should never meet her, much as some clues to follow for a time, till he grew bored of it, would be fun. Or another fuck. That would have been painfully simple and straightforward, nearly boring, had it occurred after the normal pretense that led to his trysts, instead of what had occurred. Oh, there was much more to do. A shame to wash it away- but he did need a shower more than usual for it.


He showed up to his first class without any special event or unusual pomp or circumstance, despite the semester's eventful start. Aside from a tune he was humming very faintly in the back of his throat, and a small glass of congratulatory wine he'd sneaked into his dorm as congratulations when he cooked himself a small breakfast- much better than suffering the mess hall's food- the day was normal, normal, normal. Gathered his books. Arrived to class, shaven and combed, dressed for success as ever; a model of future businessmen, was his clothing crisply ironed instead of quickly, and had he only put on a tie. Instead he opted for a colored shirt. Golden today, not quite shining fabric. He liked that and red, for fist impressions, but red was a dominant, aggressive color. He felt many things today, including in control, despite the unpredictable fireball last night, but aggressive was not one of them. Not just yet, anyway. He was sure some freshmen or professor dirty his cheer before long.

Group seven was, again, normal. Skylar's partner worked. And was slow. And worked. And realized Skylar was working faster, and with the right answers. And then, he simply sat back and observed until the class ended. It'd be interesting to see if there was anyone in the class who didn't eventually sit back to let him tackle the problems for them. He even let himself slip off to day dreaming, about his fascinating "dream" the night before, and little musings of what he might do if he ever discovered this girl; getting the problem wrong without a care. He waited for his partner to catch it while he went on to the next problem after. He didn't.

Class ended, and he smiled to his group member, gave them a bit of advice as though he hadn't noticed the laziness, and left, following the crowed to his next class, and filing in amidst the first group, settling into a seat at a clear table, and set his notes out. He remembered them, and didn't feel any need to cram. Now that he was prepared to start, he sat back and simply observed how the others filed in, and chose seats. It was a curious kind of experiment, and in some ways telling of the personalities, to see who would sit where for those not fortunate to have a familiar group from orientation in the class with them. One couldn't help but wonder if one of these women filing in could have been the girl who'd joined him last night.

...most, however, simply lacked the figure, or boldness. One could be bold with friends at their back, or drunk, but alone... it was a laughable thought, but he entertained the idea anyway. Maybe one would be good for some amusement, at the least, though.

RE: Blood Ties

This time the instructor had started class already and was picking up her paper to take attendance before Sera came walking in, her book duffle slung over her back as she pushed open the door with her foot. "Sorry I'm late. Needed a little pick me up." She grinned a wide disarming smile as she lifted up her venti coffee to go along with the smile in her husky voice before she threw the bag against the side of a desk and sat down, leaning against the small backrest and not paying her desk partner any mind.

"Young lady, I do expect a bit of respect"

Sera leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. "Have you started taking attendence yet?"

"Well, no."

"Then I'm not late, now am I, since I haven't missed my chance to say present." She was a brassy bit to match the highlights in her hair. "I would think that would be a sign of respect. To show up before then, so you don't have to go to the bother of doing additional paperwork later or repeating yourself and we can learn something."

"What is your name?"

"Serafina Veli."

The woman looked over at her notes and frowned. "Ah...yes...well...Miss Veli. See that it doesn't happen again." Whatever was on her notes had something to do with Sera and that made her frown, her wide smile down turning. She'd just have to find out what that was. "Actually, I'm curious to see if you live up to your reputation, Miss Veli. While I take attendance, how about you come up here and see if you can find out what's missing in the equation of life chaos theory. It wasn't really expected for her to know it, the woman just wanted to make an example of her, she knew and Sera just smirked. This was one of the few things she had actively studied....

Her hips swaying softly as she strode up to the board, she began filling out the equation, making a few annotations, corrections and filling in the rest while the woman took attendance. By the time she was done, Sera was leaning against the board, grinning, even winking a few (guy or girl didn't matter) out in the class behind her back. The instructor turned around and sputtered....

"You...how...the...is...that? That's..." Before finally simply glaring at Serafina and trying to recover. But the moment was gone and the instructor flustered through the rest of class, completely losing her composure. After class was finally dismissed, a few of her classmates huddled around her, curious how she'd bested the instructor, one of them hooking his arms around her waist before in a deft move she had it pinned behind his back by the thumb and had him begging for mercy. "You're cute, doll. But you only get to touch if I say so." There was no hesitation at all in this girl.

RE: Blood Ties

Skylar had watched the scene as it started to unfold with a casual interest, though something was bothering him about it. Some sense of familiarity or a thought process he couldn't place. By the time she was getting around to reporting her name though, she'd been talking long enough for him to work it out. This odd little girl coming in last to the class had a very unusual voice. Deep- husky. For a woman, it stood out, especially such a little thing. Usually that came with those whom you could tell had been smokers, or older singers who had worked their cords long enough to develop it. In his mind he played over the little apology- and several little toe curling "ah-ah" sounds. He folded his legs, grinned not-quite-smugly, and watched her take on the professor.

She didn't seem to have the legs or built figure for it, but it was honestly impossible to tell with cargo pants and a sweater. The voice was something special though, and the hair was relatively around the right length...

He furrowed his brow. She was not some carefree trouble maker, it became clear, not simply having problems with authority, or trying to make an impression and get attention. Not even putting off the attitude out of spite. She was simply that impressed with herself. And as she began tying up the equation, he was feeling a bit impressed too. A moment before he'd been asking himself how he could have really attempted to attribute the night before to this punky freshman, but the girl clearly had balls, and a real mind behind it all. Anyone not filled with the typical start of the year concerns among the college kids was a breath of fresh air at this point, but someone that intelligent... it was interesting.

It was a bit of a shame she seemed more concerned with what she was going to do in the next ten seconds than the coming months, or years, but all the same. It was a person worthy of some attention.

He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or pleased that he might have found his mystery visitor. But he supposed if he played his cards right, he could find out for sure somewhere in the next few days- and she was good enough to entertain the fantasy even if he debunked it. Skylar had no intention of being a part of the crowd, so instead he took his time about packing his things, pulling it all together and sauntering toward the door. It took him long enough to catch the display with her little boyfriend-

It was difficult not to grin too hard at that. After the display, Skylar simply couldn't resist a little touch of his own-- a quick, discreetly delivered pat on the rear as he slipped by the group. Wouldn't be terribly easy to catch him likewise, between his casual slide by as it happened, and her hands already being full, and he didn't intend to hang around and sully it, strolling off down the hall.

RE: Blood Ties

As she was letting the other guy down, she felt the pat on her ass and turned around, getting just a glimpse of the guy before he slipped too far beyond the group for her to do anything about just yet. Frowning, she made note of his clothing, and what features of his she could make out. She then looked around the group. They were the same they always were. And for once, predictability was going to be useful. "You..." Pointing out the young male who'd been taking an interest in everything but not saying a word or interacting at all. "What's his name?" Pointing over to the guy just now down the hallway. He had to stretch around the group, but she'd known he would. There was always one in any group that gathered around her, had to know everything about everyone and usually she thwarted their best efforts and so was 'of interest'.

Sure enough, the guy took a quick glance at his notes and nodded, sure of his answer. "Skylar Bellecôte" and Sera wrinkled her nose in disgust. French. Of course. Pervs the whole lot of them. She did however, note the name in her mental inventory and then moved towards the cafeteria. She was hungry. Luckily, most of the gathered group had other classes. With only a few hanger ons she made her way to the cafeteria and stood there long enough to wonder if it was worth the money on what was sure to be subpar food.

"Lunch is one me." One of the boys spoke and Sera gave him a smile. That solved that problem.

Once they'd all sat down though, Sera didn't pay any of them much mind and instead thought of how to get back that ass for his grope....

...She'd have to find out more about him...

RE: Blood Ties

Lunch, socialization, relaxing at one's dorm's; those were the ways one normally spent the period between their morning and afternoon classes, though in this case what Skylar had was an evening class. Socializing or getting food from the cafeteria, or a local restaurant might have been good before. He'd have preferred the latter, or making something from whatever he had in his suite to the cafeteria food. He had no company in mind for either of the latter to make it worth it though, so he'd save the outing for dinner, when he might make some acquaintances- before or after classes, depending on his luck. And luck, he seemed to have today.

He was more than happy with his cold lunch, as who was to tell him he could not keep a minifridge in the lab he'd rented out for the entire semester? And while he loved his books, the internet proved the most efficient study tool for all things modern yet again.

"Veli, Serafina Aimee. Daughter to 'Rayner Veli" and 'Celeste Browning Veli'. THE Browning."

That was rather interesting. The girl, on further inspection, was apparently the current heir to the majority stock of the company. And while much was hidden by personal privacy, layers, passwords, removed articles, the girl appeared to be quite the rambunctious sort. Very in line with what he'd seen, wild, but subjected to protective parents and a girls' bording school since about the time she'd have hit puberty. That all offered him an amusing thought; how much each of them might have tearned out alike the other, had their positions been reversed.

Oh, yes. And she had a dragon.

It looked more like a wyvern to him, but apparently she had that and some magical talent. What was unclear, but she'd been known to flaunt it on occasion it seemed. And with all the facts lined up... he couldn't help but frown. It all seemed an overwhelming argument in favor of, and he could only think she'd made the search far too easy. Her, and the blind chance that had thrown them into the same classes. The frown floated about a while.

But, he had other things to do in his lab during the day. Most of his works required little attention once the mixing was done, require long and undisturbed brewing, or growth periods. But often to fill in the blanks, or perfect them, a bit of... specialized knowledge was necessary. And for that, he wanted to be as safe as possible, structuring the method, and only turning his eyes inward until the gift started to open itself up to him when he was sure it was safe to do so. It was a gift he had yet to fully identify, but more than anything, what it reminded him of was an unusual sort of projection. And most places, much like this University, it simply was not safe to leave oneself unattended past dusk.

By the time he peeled his eyes out the window to the purpling sky, and his alarm went off, he had a new vial freshly done, and ready to slip quietly into his pocket.

RE: Blood Ties

Ugh. By the time Sera had finished lunching and being all social, she felt more the need than ever to get some peace. Stopping by her dorm room, she grabbed a hoodie and draped it over her head. This close to fall and Durem was rather chilly or she'd just take Bubbles up for a ride. As it was, she just strolled around campus with no real destination in mind. She'd already forgotten the one asshole and instead her mind was on the guy from last night. The kiss had been nice. A mistake, but nice. She shook her head trying to clear it and glanced around as she entered the horticultural park. Even here it seemed she'd get no peace.

"Hello." She spoke politely and repressed the shudder that wanted to wheel down her spine.

"You can see me, miss?"

Sera nodded. "You're a bit weak but I can see you." At that point, the ghost got excited.

"I must show you something!" And Sera followed it calmly. Often ghosts just wanted to be heard or have a chance to lament so they could move on. This one seemed excited though. You'd think that what would follow would be a scream. But instead from the depths of the weevils hill came the boop of a phone dialing three digits. "Yes, this is Sera Veli, I've found a decomposing human body in the horticulture park. By the weevil hills." And then the phone was closed and pushed into a pocket as the spirit departed. "Thank you, miss!"

And Sera leaned against a tree, and pulled out a clove cigerette to smoke and wait for the police. They always had questions and would want her view of things. It was just a matter of how long it took them to get here. Since it was a chilly night, probably an hour or two. Which meant night time was well on its way by the time she was on hers.

RE: Blood Ties

Night class was boring.

There was nothing wrong with it. He did well. He was ahead on the material, and used the class to reinforce everything. Contributed some, but was neither the most nor least talkative in the class. It was material he was already well enough prepared for it posed no challenge though, only habitual patching onto existing knowledge and mental links. It was boring, enough to allow his attention to focus. Dreamily, from one note to wondering why the rest of his day had seemed so much more lively than this, to figuring out where he'd go next, what was coming. He was prepared for tomorrow's classes to. And so what did he have? A few days of dull classes trying not to lose his mind being stuck amongst all the undergrads, without challenge from his classes for some time yet, and without clubs beginning so he could occupy himself properly. He doubted even skipping classes would hinder him just now. But until he could secure a way to keep himself up all night working, or go from dorms to apartments where he could bring enough things to properly keep himself occupied, perhaps practicing and instrument or such, such things...

There was simply no space now, and he was far to restless.

No. Maybe there was nothing purely productive he could do to take himself from the monotony just now... but any new experience one could survive, could make them stronger- so long as you knew how to let it.

Curiously, one opportunity of the like had presented itself fairly recently, and it had stuck in his mind enough that he couldn't help but shake his head at his own foolishness and grin as he headed back to his room, and quickly prepared. Come real dark, he'd already seen to his clothing, and started to collect himself a small duffelbag, planning on the fly as he worked, making it up as he went, but planning his next course anyway. And soon it was carefully stuffed, and he'd made it across to the private dorms and scouted out some windows in particular, smiled his way in the doors, and moved with enough casual assurance through the only freshly populated halls that he arrived at the darkened room without drawing so much as a blink, and removed the lockpick from his coat pocket, working the door open while his jacket blocked the view as though he might have been simply having a little trouble with his key, and went inside; shutting and relocking the door behind himself.

Who knew when she'd be back- miss Veli could be able to see her window right now. But he'd prepared enough for that, taking a tiny dropper and bottle from his bag and lifting it up. One stinging drop for each eye, and a small pause of blinking the tears away.

And just like that, the room started to seem to grow brighter.

RE: Blood Ties

As usual, more and more questions, and an extracted promise to come back the next day for follow up. But she held her cool through the entire thing, even after being told that it was a student from last year who'd gone missing, or so they'd suspected. She'd had horrible things done to her, and after the police had seen, they'd practically insisted on an escort back to her dorm. But Sera wasn't about to have any of that. She wanted her dorm room and some privacy.

A room which was currently empty except for one overly curious male. There were pictures of her family of course, upon her desk, and despite everything, she was rather neat, if not overly tidy. There was an obvious order to the room despite it all. The window was already covered though, with a blanket with a celtic design on it, warding off evil spirits. The energy was there, if one knew what to look for. A large camping backpack in one corner and then quite a few things the RA's would not like. A long sword was decorating one wall, that looked quite well used but also well taken care of. There was no set color system but yet everything was in a similar tone if not color that meshed well. There were several geography and travel books, and a biomedical book that looked well worn from a level far beyond their current class. There was also a pair of handcuffs hanging from a lamp and a length of rope, neither of which had an easily accessible reason for existence unless the backpack was dug into. In there was the quintessential adventurer's pack, along with...dragon treats?

Sera wasn't up for dealing with Bubbles at the moment though, what she needed was a chance to let it out. That poor girl. Raped and then ravaged, left for dead in the middle of the school grounds. No wonder her ghost had haunted the place until someone found her body. Stopping in the lobby's bathroom, she dry heaved for a bit, then remembered she hadn't eaten. At the thought of eating again, she remembered the bits of pieces that had been torn from the girl's body and obviously eaten by wild animals. That left her shaken and unnerved, a bit off her game as she made her way into her room before feeling safe enough to slide down to the floor and cry, completely unaware anyone was around to see her in this moment of weakness. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she let herself cry.

RE: Blood Ties

First things first.

He reached into his jacket, fished around for a little bit of loose end of string, and pulled it loose, making himself enough of a length of it to secure the sword in it's scabbard. It wouldn't stop it from being drawn, but the unexpected resistance might call for a second, firmer tug to draw the blade, and buy a few spare seconds, should it come to such. Better safe than sorry.

He brushed his finger across several of the things- including raising an odd eyebrow and grinning at the cuffs and rope, poking at them. Neither was standard bedroom fair though, and cuffs and rope for play simply weren't made the same as real cuff and ropes. Of course, why those two things out on their own, he couldn't say, unless someone was just oblivious to the specialized products... or liked it especially rough and hard. The backpack he didn't bother with, but instead poked his finger along the pages of the books, exploring briefly, locating the bed, and finally finding a likely place not too far from the door to set up. He seated himself comfortably and removed a wrapped bottle, and two glasses from his pack. He poured two cups, and then favored the bottle with a few drops from the vial he'd finished earlier today. Thinking better on it, and the girl he'd seen earlier, he added one extra, painstakingly tipping the container to just the right degree, and packed it away tight again, wrapping it up in cloth and putting it away. He set that glass and the other out equidistant from himself- one to the right, and one to the left, considering it all as he ran a finger along the rim of one glass, then the other.

Quietly, he sat, and relaxed.


The doorknob turned, scrabbling to get unlocked, and then opened. Tranquilly, he opened his eyes, just catching the little glimmer of the door closing itself once more. He sat for a moment, eyes adjusting again, if not quite so well as they had immediately after he'd treated them, to the shape of the girl sobbing by the door, seated in the dark shaking. For a moment, Skylar sat, watching, and then moved with great care to not make any sound as he retrieved the two glasses and walked to the door. The bag was packaged to make sure nothing broke- it would be quiet enough. Pressing his back against the wall, he slid to seat himself beside her with hardly a sound, and softly pressed a glass of wine into her hands. He could have said relatively anything, or wrapped a comforting arm. But such gestures would have been well out of place, and obviously not quite sincere enough to accept from someone having broken in, jarring and invasive. He did not intrude on whatever her sorrow was.

He was simply a sturdy shoulder, and warm body, for the moment. That, and the man with the bottle of wine. He'd gladly pour her more when she finished her glass, without being asked, while he nursed his own. He'd finish it, and pour himself more, but only a few sips worth.

RE: Blood Ties

As the glass pressed against her fingers, Sera didn't think and instead took the drink numbly, forgetting for the moment that she had a single room and there was not supposed to be anyone around. Or that alcohol was technically not allowed. Not that it would have really stopped her. Sipping the glass, she had been raised with manners she looked up at the man who'd handed it to her, her bright eyes seeming almost luminescent except for the blood splotches within the color. She nursed the glass of wine though before reaching up and flicking on the light and mild surprise registered as she processed who it was. "I think I'll forgive you the ass grope", she said magnanimously and lifted the wine, pretending that her blue green eyes weren't trimmed in red and seeming more striking for it.

"But I would like to know what you're doing in my dorm room before I kick your ass."

RE: Blood Ties

Very striking, up close. Particularly, the red in her eyes made him stop and ponder. Gaia had many "unique" denizens, and often magic went with unusual physical attributes, and while red eyes were not unheard of they were not among the foremost. He did not relate it to his own, so much as he simply carried over the curiosity he'd held regarding why his held such a color to hers. And she seemed warm enough to the wine, pink and light, and even in her casual clothing had something... striking about her. She was no exceptional beauty. Her face had many aspects that were moderately on the plain side, but the whole coming together was a very coherent image. He made a note of how much of a difference the attitude, that violent vibrance of life she had, made to how she appeared.

It was difficult not to smile at a quiet mental comment to himself on his being callous, that the tears around the edges of her eyes made them quite lovely.

Life was such.

Quietly, he reached over to the bag at his side, hand slipping toward it casually, and dug a single finger in. It started out with a firm tug, a second finger joined, and he raised a length of chain casually out of it, jangling as it pulled free, link by link, from the bag, and he wrapped it about those fingers idly. Playing with it as though a thread, he turned it about and held it over in her direction.

"Making a return."

She was from a rich family. He figured she'd learned quite a bit about guarding reactions and thoughts for the sake of saving face, but even most of those who learned such were passable at it, at best. He had been from such a family. And he'd spent his entire life learning to read the very smallest little signs, even before he'd learned all about the anatomy of the human body, and the muscles in the face. The little signs of increased pulse in the neck or breathing. Little things that changed, as life moved. Even tell if there was something being hidden or not, many times. Being able to read faces comparable to stones had saved him quite a few blows, when he'd been years younger and smaller. Such motivation often helped one pick up a skill.

RE: Blood Ties

She glanced down at the chain now wrapped around her fingers. Back up to him. And just matched his gaze, her thoughts now far from her worries. Her gaze was very open and obvious as she appraised him. Well, that did explain why she hadn't felt the lack of a tooth she'd noticed in the rugby player when she kissed him. But the surprise was not obvious on her face until she quirked a grin that spread wide across her face, not unattractively. "If that's the case, you should do it properly." She grinned. "like for like. I don't believe I left it with you in that condition." She was curious too, seeing how he'd react, studying him as much as he was studying her. Her heart beat remained completely steady as she waited on a reply.

RE: Blood Ties

Interesting. He thought she was surprised, but she ultimately just didn't seem to care enough one way or another about exactly whose bed it had been to be startled or thrown for a loop by the sudden change up. No sign of regret, or futile anger at him for her mix up, or anything else. It even took a while to really be sure of her surprise. What did that say, then? Why the mysterious visit meant for his roommate? Someone else on the hall? A completely random room she'd decided to break an entering to?

No, that had been the one thing about his roommate. He'd eventually found his key. Inside the room. It was his key but...

That was a number of holes beyond reasoning. Close enough to brilliant. Attractive. Strangely skilled. And with a decision making process that was utterly unfathomable not in it's poor results or masterfulness, but the apparent randomness driving it.

Skylar reached across her with the chain bearing hand, links brushing over one arm, then another.

"But then how will you drink your wine?"

Of course, by the time he was done saying it, the motion was already finished. He'd caught one wrist, and then the second in a loop and wrapped the chain off to tighten it enough to squeeze, but not enough to show any real intention of harm as he yanked it into himself- possibly well more than enough to make her drop the present cup of wine. Assuming she didn't realize it was coming, and at this point he believed she half expected it. He'd gotten some sensation in the dark, and he matched that to the present as he slid to a knee, pulling her hands above her heads and turning the chain into something more resembling an knot, the best he could do one handed, at the moment.

Freely extending, in a lazy display, he reached a finger out of his other hand and ran the back of a nail across he underside of her jaw, following the neck, comparing his memory to the present shape and touch, half rising above her and drawing out the slow, sensuous build. The anticipation that something was coming from him, without clearly allowing for what, as he hands would be lifted above her, and he'd move high enough she'd have to look up at him.

Once she was doing that, he'd move the wine glass in his hand, done tracing around her neck and face with the one finger, and slowly pour a trickle of the wine over her lips, letting it touch there before moving into her mouth.

He supposed he really should return the favor.