Ziva sighed and whispered softly that she had to the were fox. She had spent a lot of time trying to behave as those of her back did, but she just couldn’t. For all the ferocity of her beast she was a naturally gentle soul. Being strong in the typical way was simply not her nature, it never had been. She often wondered why the Dorm leader had made her second…even with her powers, especially considering his sister. Perhaps he’d switch the second to his sister now that he had met her? Ziva felt sure such a thing would happen. She was so deep in thought it took her a moment to realize Heiro had spoken and she flushed with embarrassment.

Before she could say anything, however, they were fighting? She stepped back, her eyes shifting to a cats as her instinct flared. She felt the urge many of her kind would, the desire to taste blood. She shook off the thought, turning away. Only then did she spot the little girl and the hunter student. A quick wiff revealed he had to be human anyway, and a quick glance revealed a very good looking one too. She was quiet a moment, feeling a little overwhelmed by so many people.

Finally she settled on the little girl, as she was the least intimidating. Ziva kneeled in front of Talia, sensing her beast as her own peeked at it curiously only to turn back and go to sleep in the cage Ziva so carefully kept around it. It was one of the reason she was so shy and afraid to show herself, what if it let the beast out of its cage? She did not think of this now, however, but the little girl. Ziva always preferred children to adults.

”Hi there sweety, I’m Ziva. you looking for someone?” She asked quietly but with a warm smile.

***

Theia couldn’t help but look at the mugs closely, much with the same admiration as the teapot. Yes, usually Theia tended to like more elegant things but she had a secret soft spot for things of the cute variety. It was a weakness that Chandra did not share. To Chandra they were merely crude, to Theia they were….

”Oooh how adorable.” She nearly squealed happily, gazing at the cups. She picked up an empty one to inspect it silently. She had always wished she could paint. She was terrible at such things but she admired them with the passion of a poet. Words were her only way of expressing herself.

***

Chandra gave the same answer as her sister, Green tea. She only looked over as she answered, her violet gaze shifting to theia and Beth without passion. She seemed utterly without emotion, without thought. Then again that was a skill many vampires seemed to learn naturally so perhaps it meant nothing. The anti social Chandra did stand, however, and come over to glance at the cups and tea set… most likely with proding from theia.

Chandra would rather be outside, feeling the moonlight and the wind… In doors always felt so confined… so stuffy. Her feelings of distaste for it was nearly to the level of a claustrophobic person but it wasn’t fear… just dislike and discomfort. She would play, however, to make Theia happy.

***

Val entered the school quietly, her startlingly bright blue eyes taking in everything without appearing to look to closely at anything. She was from a long line of infamous hunters, known to go back to several wars, and had been trained to be wary. Then again, that she was a warrior was hard to forget with her sword always visible on her back and the single scar that marred her otherwise beautiful face down over one eye. Still, supposedly she would fit in this school perfectly so she had gone.

She heard a commotion towards the back of the school so headed there, finding several students there. One attractive young man she gathered was a hunter, but the rest all held the air of being something more then human. She gave them a nod of greeting and even managed a smile, even though this made her nervous. Despite the schools intended purpose she WAS an Amon. There were doubtless many in the ethereal community that would love to see her dead just for the pain that it would cause her parents.

Talia's face, already smiling, broke into a large grin. "Not particularly, just lookin' around! I'm Talia," she said, rocking from her heels to her toes and back. Her inner ocelot seemed to look up, then go back to it's nap. The visible affect of it was her eyes partially shifting for a moment, then returning to normal. "This place is huge! And there are so many people, I can't decide who to make friends with!" Maybe this nice lady would be a good friend. But then again, so would most of the students and teachers who had a soft spot for cute little girls. She knew people like that would give her what she asked for, most of the time.

---

((Hey, is food served by dorm, or all together? Wondering for future reference, seeing as Dana is so into baking.))

Dana made it to the front rather quickly, and was a bit surprised at how large the student body was. She'd honestly expected an extremely small group, but this was a rather nice surprise. "Well, nice to know how many people think this is worth a try," she said quietly, more to herself than anyone around her. She mingled with the group, noting the range of ages and trying to pick out the ones who would eventually see her classroom. While doing this, she also re-thought her offer to the headmaster about feeding people on weekends, her love of baking driving her to share her creations.

"Uhh... Thanks," Beth responded, fidgeting just a tad as she set the teabag in Chandra's mug. "I took a few art lessons back home. Mum always loved the arts. She insisted that I at least dabble in them." Then she sat down across the small table from Theia. Her back fit the flat back of the chair to perfection as she took a sip from her mug. In short, her air seemed more like that of an upperclass citizen than the humble background she had molded to hide in.

"Do you like poetry and music too, Theia?" Beth asked, her face holding what could be mistaken for a frown, though it was meant to be the opposite. "You, ah... like art... I mean, I was just asking if you liked other types of art than just paintings." Her face had taken on a rosy hue over the course of her speaking. Theia was actually quite lucky that Beth had her "training" to fall back on. It kept her rough side in check.

~~~

After taking a few minutes to catch his breath and just stare at the cottony clouds as they drifted across the sky, Waya hopped to his feet energetically. The first impression that one got of him was that he was short, standing at only five feet and an inch. The second was that his height belied his age. The set in his shoulders radiated an air of authority that was not to be taken lightly. "Sorry I had to leave ya for a while, Ziva," he said, smiling brightly. Of course, this had the consequence of revealing his wolfish teeth, which were another result of his skinwalker status. "I trust you took care of handing out rules and such? This little one didn't pull you away, did she? They're the ones you have to look out for you know." Of course, as he spoke, he reached down and tickled the child, smiling.

~~~

Tsula hopped up at the same time as her brother, appearing almost in sync. It was rather uncommon for people to assume they were twins, but because of how close they were, it did happen. Unlike her brother, her shoulders set much more loosely. She could fight with the best of them, but she much preferred using her mind to defeat people who would cause her harm. She noticed the teacher standing off by himself after a few seconds, her head tilting to the left slightly. "Hey there!" she chirped as she walked over to him, her golden eyes shimmering merrily. "What do you teach? You're really the first teacher I've seen yet, so tell me, are they all nice?"

Heiro, who had been just about to turn and leave the skinwalker siblings to their fun when they both jumped to their feet, the male walking off to follow ziva. The female chose to approach him with an enthusiastic greeting, throwing the borderline antisocial dhampir more off guard. He still wasn't used to people that didn't stare or try and stay away from him, nor was he used to being around so many young people. He felt very old and very out of place here, despite the relatively warm welcome thus far.

"Good evening..." he responded, voice soft but more steady that he had expected of himself. He managed to give a small smile as he looked down at the small therian, his dark eyes greeting her bright gold ones. "I am Heiro, the combat training instructor for the higher grades." he answered, leaving off his family name despite the slim chance the fox had of knowing of the fallen eastern court. "I'm a bit surprised that you have not seen another teacher yet, are they not in the courtyard greeting students?"He asked, stumbling a bit on the word "courtyard". The combination of sounds were difficult for his foreign mind and mouth, even though he had been living outside Japan for nearly twenty years this time.

"They are all rather nice, though some can be grumpy until you get to know them. You should probably introduce yourself to at least the ones that teach the classes you will be in." He said, answering her second question as he glanced towards the direction of the front of the campus. "It should not be too hard to locate them, I would think."


Ren stopped as he caught the smile and nod of what was the first hunter he had seen in the crowds, the sword on her back making her place in the school all to clear. As he hesitated, his hand slid over the hilts of his blades, which were also tucked into the bag at his side, the polished sliver pommels the only thing that protruded from under the flap of the bag. He admired her for keeping her weapon out in the open, he kept his hidden out of fear of animosity.

His eyes flicked from the dorm building to the blue eyed redhead and back. He wanted to get to his room and get away from the other students, but this was the only other hunter he had seen so far. Biting his lip slightly, he looked between the two again before making up his mind and approaching the hunter.

"Hey." He called, pulling out the sheet of paper from his bag. "Do you know who our Dorm lead is supposed to be? I've been keeping an eye out but I can't seem to find the elusive guy." He said, doing his best to strike up a conversation. Suddenly the need to kind a kindred in the masses of supernaturals seemed very important, and he really didn't want to mess this up. Man, it was like high school all over again.

Ziva smiled at the small girl, though inwardly she was worried. She was so young! Was it really safe for her to wander around like this? She thought she had given the rules to all the students but perhaps she had missed the child so she didn't know what danger could be here? Or perhaps as a child she just didn't care or figured that they would protect her. True, ziva would but how could the child know that? Bah, Ziva needed to stop worrying so much.

Well how about you let me be your first friend Talia" Ziva invited cordially. She may have done or said something more but her leader was speaking to her. She bowed her head slightly at his apology as a sign of formal acceptance, briefly wondering if he really knew how difficult such things were for her. Being they barely met she supposed he couldn't, even if his sister had already noted her lack of spine.

"I...it was my duty and your right..." She responded softly, as if it hadn't bothered her at all. She didn't want to upset him... She would do what she could for the good of the group, as she always had no matter how much it had cost her. She didn't know how to be selfish...

***

Theia noticed the fidgeting and raised an eyebrow. Was she really so desperate to hide her history that even mentioning a mother was difficult? Perhaps her family was a wealthy family that fell from grace or something and she just didn't want it known. All she knew from her scan that she subjected all students and teachers too was their race and if their intentions at the school were bad. Beth had passed both checks so she had dug no deeper, it was not her way...As beth sat, however, it distracted Theia from her inner thoughts and she sat across from her while chandra sat besides her.

"Oh i love both and even dabble in writing a little, but Chandra's the one whose good with music. You should hear her at the piano. What about you? what sort of interests do you have?" the girl responded easily. Still, as she spoke of the piano she seemed rather wistful for the slightest of moments. Her mother had been a professional level pianist and very good at playing the violin as well... She was the one who taught Chandra to play. Theia enjoyed watching Chandra play not only because it reminded her of these pleasant memories but chandra would get so lost in the music that her face would become emotional and open. She seemed so at peace then...if only then.

***

Chandra had little interest in the conversation, being of the opinion that her and Theia only needed eachother. All these other friends Theia were always making were just...unnecessary. She knew how much Theia enjoyed it, however, so she simply took her tea and sat down with the other two. She only responded as Theia spoke of her love for the piano which made chandra give her a glare as if it was some deep secret even though it really wasn't. Theia's response was a smile and a shrug.

***

Val watched as the attractive hunter approached, uncertain. Had he noticed her looking at him? This could be...problematic if he had and was an enemy of her family. Still, how could he know it was her? The hilt was wrapped in black cloth but it would have easily show who she was if it wasn't. Her scar perhaps? It was unusual for someone her age... She ran the possibilities in the time it took him to take a step. By the time he had arrived she had gathered a plan, such was her always prepared nature. It was what kept her calm, this almost obsessive need to plan everything out. It was quickly clear, however, that she didn't need her plan.

"One of the others says the leader has been delayed, they seem to be debating electing a temporary acting dorm leader until the real one arrives. I know the way to the dorms if you need the help." She offered politely as he spoke. She didn't say way... she didn't say that she'd explored the school before it was official open, nearly caught by the vampire chandra by her scent. It was not magic so her sword did nothing to block it. She looked him over as he spoke, her eyes following his muscled arms at first. Of course the slender toned muscles were positively perfect and 'yummy' as her cousin would say, but her mind was more interested in figuring out what he could do. He was clearly a fighter like she was but he'd already said he was a hunter so it wasn't that surprising... the tattoos were though and intrigued ehr slightly, not that she'd admit it.

"Well, that's interesting. I wouldn't have taken Chandra for the musical type," Beth replied, glancing at the vampire girl quickly. Obviously she didn't like to talk about it, which made Beth glad that Theia asked a question, though the question wasn't one she felt easy about answering. "Well... I've mentioned that mum loved the arts, so I have some background in those. Just the basics: orchestra, piano, violin, painting, sculpting. Really there were too many to really focus on, so I have no doubt that Chandra is a better musician than me. The things I like never made mother happy, so I never really followed those either, but I do love to garden. I know it's strange, but I find it fun."

The silence stretched on as she stopped speaking, a tension in the atmosphere, at least to her, that caused her hands to squirm in her lap. Trying to break the heavy silence, she asked, "What do we do now? I've never really been in a situation like this before." A small part of Beth, formerly the large part, realized that she was being extremely forthcoming with her information, but the remainder of her had pushed aside all of those concerns for the purpose of trying to be friends with someone for once. It could almost be classified as multiple personality disorder; two individual sets of desires and fears blended into one individual.

~~~

"Duty?" Waya repeated, a bit confused. Most people had no real definition of duty or honor in the society of the modern era. That simple fact alone earned great respect in Waya's opinion. Forming the sign of the great spirits, he bowed to his assistant before speaking again. "You have earned much honor, Ziva. Though you should not consider it my right to abandon you. Tsula and I simply needed food. It had been a long journey without much opportunity for hunting."

When he stood up, his demeanor had lost the serious edge, appearing to be a goof once more. He scented the air as the wind blew towards them, scenting bloodlust and fear on the current. Several other Therians were hunting. "Maybe we could discuss how we should set up the leadership in our dorm. Maybe over dinner? I must warn you, however, my sister will probably be there as well," he said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "It's too early to leave her by herself for too long, you understand."

~~~

"Well, me and Waya, my brother, just arrived not to long ago," she replied, shrugging her petite shoulders. Her button nose twitched as it picked up a scent of... mystery to the teacher, Mr. Hiero. He was clearly hiding something, and while Tsula's childish nature demanded an answer, it would lose her much honor, so she kept quiet. Instead, she looked back at her brother for a moment before deciding to wander off to the courtyard like Mr. Hiero had offered.

A few minutes later, and she was completely lost. Somehow, she had ended up in a hallway. Her ears could pick up conversation in a room not to far off. Yet, she stood still, trying to figure out where she was in her head with a single-mindedness that would drive trees to shame. Finally, she broke, and went over to the door to ask for help, but only after harrumphing and stomping her little foot in frustration. Of course, she bailed at the last minute, seeing two people out the window that would probably not be angry at being interrupted. So she set off for the two humans, only slightly wary of the giant sword the girl was carrying.

"'Scuse me!" she called out when she arrived near them. "Do you know where the courtyard is? A teacher told me I should introduce myself, so I went to and got lost."

((Um... Angelo? The dorms, where I can only presume Tsula is, are apart from the main building, and most of the teachers/students are in the front courtyard. Including Ren and Val, if I understand the posts correctly....))

Talia squealed at the tickle, pushing his hands away and bouncing closer to Ziva. He seemed fun enough, and she was offering to be her friend. "Are you going to be my friend too?" she asked the skinwalker, after waiting for him to finish speaking. Her mother had tried to put good manners in her head. "Because I think I'm going to be in the same building as you, so being friends will make things easier." She could sense that they were both weres, she just couldn't place what kind. It was a prickly kind of energy, very warm and alive.

---

Dana continued wandering through the crowd, noting how people were separating into cliques, each one predominantly a single species, and of similar ages. So much like any other school, save for the occasional weapon in view, and the flow of energy from everyone. She gave a tiny shiver, much more accustomed to daylight that night, and started edging her way out of the middle of the throng.

((Someone, please, talk to her! My poor snake's all aloooone!))

Roland studied his surroundings for a few moments before he ventured further into the school, he wasn't really sure where to go. He was human, of course, but sometimes he did get mistaken for a non human. It was because of his eyes. Such a vibrant, fiery red color. He had inherited the color from his mother. He ran a hand through his hair as his red eyes roamed this way and that. Taking in all the sights before him as he came ever closer to the courtyard. Roland was a little nervous, he knew there were vampires here and he really wasn't equipped or knowledgeable enough about his ability to be able to fight them off if they decided to bite him. Still he also knew other humans would be here, that didn't really help him to feel less nervous.

Kerian had no desire to be in this place at all. He didn't want to associate with humans, the were people, or other vampires. Kerian had been doing just fine in that big mansion, but this had been insisted upon him. He was a vampire, his skin pale, but sunlight didn't cause him to die a horrible fiery death. His guardian had told him it had something to do with the vampire that had turned him. Age or something like that, age and abilities. Kerian wasn't sure, nor did he really care. He had fangs, but he didn't feed on blood. Kerian fed on energy. Any energy from a non vampiric creature would do. Though mostly he preferred the energy emitted by the emotion of happiness. Kerian was heading in a rather random direction, wandering aimlessly down one of the halls of the school. An electric guitar slung over his back.

((From their posts, I gathered that they were in a place where they could see the dorm, with no real indication of where that actually was. I figured it made sense if Tsula could see them from a window inside because of that. If I'm wrong, just point it out to me and I'll edit it. :3))

(she could from the back windows XD. I need to just draw a mock up of the outside of the school and how it all goes together >.< ))

((Yes, a rough sketch or map thing about how the buildings relate to each other would do wonders in setting!))

((Just finished it XD. Hopefully everyone can read the print. The buildings are suppose to be less square and more Victorian but it reveals the Locations and general organization of it all xD))


Edit:
((there <3 Posted XD. Now kage needs to post and Angelo needs to introduce her new character. then i'll post XD. Oh for convenience sake Ange you can say that he has Theia's and Chandra's cell number so he can call one to get introduced and taken to his dorm xD))

Jiao-long stood in the tree, analyzing his surroundings with a careful gaze iconic to vampire hunters everywhere. The conical hat resting on his head, often called a rice hat, kept the blasted sunlight off of him. It was a part of his curse; sharing blood with vampires but gaining none of the benefits, only the negatives. Of course, he blamed them. If it wasn't for them he'd be normal. Sighing in irritation, he pulled out his cellular phone. The twins had given him their number so that he could get situated properly. So he dialed the ten digit number into the mobile slowly, rolling his eyes.

After a few minutes, he got through and said, "This is Jiao. You know, the Chinese dhampyr you met earlier? You told me to call when I arrived today. Don't bring your sister though. I can't stand vampire scum. I'm out behind the main school building." At that, he hung up, going back to staring out at the student body as they ambled around. Invariably, a few of them were vampires, though the faint tingling sensation he got when they were around was absent. It did only have an effective range of two yards. The weakness of that ability was also ascribed to vampires, of course.

As he waited, he checked over his crossbow again, making sure that the string was taut and that the carbon-fiber frame was still in good shape. It all checked out. Still, he was hesitant to load it with one of his holy bolts. While carrying a weapon wasn't against the school, having a loaded one could be. So with a sigh, he moved his fingers away to sit patiently on his lap, absolutely still as he waited.

(( So, the private dorms are for races other than human, therian and vampire? The moment I looked at the map I figured I would try and have Heiro live in one, but if not, that's fine. Though it would be interesting to have the two Dhampir in a building together.

Oh, and Angelo, I must say, I'm intrigued by your Dhampir, I haven't heard of one that had none of the vampiric strengths while retaining all the weaknesses before. ^^ Heiro is fairly balanced, but true to tradition he has more of the strengths. He doesn't heal properly though, hence his many scars. ))


Heiro offered a small "Ah." In response to Tsula, but said nothing more as the fox decided to wander off. Relaxing once more as he found himself alone again, he let his hands fall to his sides as he blew a sigh. Why, after centuries of life among varying cultures around the world, was he so damn awkward around these children? His words felt foreign even to him, he was afraid he wasn't making any sense to them. How was he supposed to train them when he could barely hold a proper conversation? Surely there was some sort of training he had in his years that should help with this, wasn't there?

Mumbling frustratedly in his home tongue, he looked to the ground before his feet and tried to force his brain to supply him with information to help him with all of this, but continually came up with blanks much like every night before this since he was accepted to the school. Once again he found himself questioning what he was even doing here. While he was a friend of the headmaster and he did have the knowledge and skill to teach combat training, he was so used to the solitary life of outcast he doubted he would ever fit in. Then again, weren't most of the teachers and students here misfits in some way?

Still, as he glanced back towards the main building, he lost his nerve. He had thought he could swallow his fear and walk among the students and other teachers uninhibited, but his paranoia refused to let go of him. He was a dhampir and a kin-slayer among other things. Surely even a place that promised peace could not be above general fear, ignorance and discrimination.

Once again he whispered under his breath, the words bitter as he turned and walked away from the cluster of buildings, heading into the darkened forest to clear his head and reason with himself. There was a reason he was here, he just needed to remind himself of it often and he could grit his teeth and get past the stigma that came with his mixed heritage.


Ren gave a half a smile as the blue-eyed girl responded. "Ah, well that sucks, I hope nothing's wrong." he said, his voice sincere but nonchalant. "And would you? I'd really appreciate it. I'm Ren, by the way." he said as gave her a full smile now, his natural charm showing with the gesture. He had tucked the unneeded paper back into his bag as the other girl walked up and called out to them, his steely eyes turning to look at her. She was small, probably a younger student, they did teach all ages, after all. He noted that her eyes were gold, and held a slight predatory air to them, telling him she was definitely not human. A therian, perhaps?

Shrugging off his speculations, he gave the girl a smile and a chuckle, then gave a glance behind him to the crowds beyond the expertly tended hedges and flowerbeds. "Well, you found it." he said as he turned to give the golden eyed girl a better view of the mass of students and teachers. " I know at least the brunette woman to the left of the main doors there is a teacher, maybe she can help you find yours." He offered, giving a nod in Dana's direction.

((Sorry about Heiro's... angst XD for all that he can act sure of himself he really isn't most of the time, especially in a social setting like this, but he'll get better, I promise. Also, Staria and Angelo, I hope neither of you mind that I made it so Ren, Val and Tsula are at one of the corners of the main building, I figured it would make the most sense. ))

((well they're for students who refuse other dorms actually or people who need to be seperate for health reasons etc. Heiro should be with the teachers on the fifth floor of the main school building if that's okay. xD. As far as students go half humans are usually put in with the supernatural race and if there was a vamp/therian mix they would get to choose their place. Ange's was just the kind to refuse to be put in with the 'blood suckers' so theia went to bat for him to be in the private dorms))

"You are my leader, it is simple as that. You don't have to explain anything," Ziva said quietly, with a little bit of uncertainty in her tone. She really did not know how to react around Waya, it was just so different then her militant and sometimes crew Leopard back had been. Then again as Snow Leopard she had never truely been one of the jungle cats, not truly of their blood. She did not have long to brood, however, as he spoke again.

"Discuss?...I apologize I am not sure what there is to discuss. I do your duties when you wish me too and you do them otherwise. Unless you wish to make your sister your second. I would understand Leader Waya" She responded slowly, seeming a little perplexed. She did not mean to be rude or uppity...she was simply confused. She was not use to anyone really discussing anything with her... Theia had been the first one when she'd appeared before Ziva one day and offered her a place here... where she could learn it was okay to be herself Theia had said. She then turned to the little girl, bowing her head slightly politely to Waya before she did so, a submissive gesture.

"I'm sure we'll all be friends soon... though perhaps you should head to the dorm to put your stuff away? I can tell you're like me so yes you would be in the same dorm. Do you need help reading the rules?" A nervous Ziva said quietly. She was unsure what to say now, being whether she should be doing this or Waya was not clear. He had not told her it was okay to stop..

***

Theia watched the nervous woman a moment in thought. Finally she quietly reached over to put both her hands over one of the nervous girls hands. She was doing just fine but was still so worried about messing up it seemed...She really hadn't done this before. Theia would try to help her, she'd definitely try to help her. She would speak softly, reassuringly.

"we do exactly what we're doing. We talk about what we like, what we don't like. Things we think are funny, things we think are stupid. One of these day's you'll have to tell me what you liked that your mother didn't... because you can do them here i bet and it be okay... Other things we can do is when one of us is sad we comfort the other. Friends are there for each other, always." She may have continued the conversation when her phone rang. She said a soft excuse me and I'm sorry before she received the call.

"Then you should love my sister, she's the opposite of scum. I'll be there soon" Was her sugary sweet reply as she hung up before he could say anything. There was also a tone of warning in her voice. Insulting or harming her sister was the one thing that could make her angry or violent.... He would be testing her patience she knew... Still she did not show any of this anger as she looked at the two and prepared to quietly excuse herself. She then also felt something in the forest...sorrow.... considering a few people in this school may consider suicide and she knew there were active hunts...

"I'm sorry Beth, It seems I have school business to attend to and my sister as well. Tommorrow lets have breakfast together though okay?' She said with a tone of genuine sorrow. She would then give Beth a hug without warning and would skip out the door. She could be like that some times..... Just assume everyone would go with her plans.

She and chandra both would head outside. She gave chandra the general location of deep sorrow she felt... it's strength why she could sense it even with her guard up. With a nod the two would then split, dashing like shadows in the night. Theia would arrive at the surly man's side quickly, even as she tried to handle everything for everyone. She sighed as she looked at him before she would speak.

"I know your name Jiao, there was no need to add the rest. And Chandra's the only one with the power to help you so you'd best get use to her. I want to be your friend Jiao, don't make it difficult please. The private dorm is this way, we will also have to pause with a new psychic..." She turned and began to lead him towards the newest one to walk in, Roland. She would appear her cheerful self by the time she was there, literally tugging Jiao along by the hand whether he liked it or not.

"A new psychic right? Well here's the rule sheet and I can lead you to the dorm in a moment...I just have to take Jiao somewhere first" She said cheerfully. She would then take Roland's hand in her free one and start leading the two man towards the private dorms. She had no problem with physical contact while her sister hated it...it was quite a combination. Still, she had to admit she felt a little overwhelmed with all she had to do in that instance.

***

Chandra gave Beth a 'we'll be seeing you' look that was positively almost friendly. She would then leave with her sister, wishing she had her mental sensitivity. Chandra could barely sense other vampires and mainly relied on smell... She shook her head at the thought and raced through the forest. She could smell a vampire as she neared the location her sister had given her. Thank god telepathy could make it so exact. It was one of the teachers... the one that intimidated her teacher.

"Hey....You'll catch a cold like that" she joked once she reached him, her rather sarcastic sense of humor showing itself. She would match her pace to his or stop depending on what he did. She didn't find him intimidating, even if she instinctively disliked all vampires. He was just another person to her honestly, as she didn't really like most creatures. About the only one she liked was Theia and even then she had her moments...

"There are hunts going on so you really shouldn't be here.. teacher or not." She then added flatly, returning to her old self. She didn't appear to feel anything then, now that her sarcastic, teasing smile had disappeared. That was who she was now, however... ice just as her sister was fire. It wasn't just dislike for people but also... she liked how it made her twin shine. Never did she want her darkness to eclipse the other.

***

Val was momentarily dazzled by him turning on the charm, not use to it. Most boys she'd ran into were intimidated by the sword and her family or her scar. It made her briefly seem insecure, almost soft, but she would defeat the moment quickly. It was just a hunter talking to another hunter, nothing of consequence.... Or she would tell herself as Val was not one to admit she'd had a 'normal girl' moment.

"I'm Val, short for some ungodly long name that no body cares about." She introduced herself with a chuckle. She started to reach forward to give a firm handshake but when he didn't she simply put her gloved hands on her hips. She glanced over to the new arrival. Therian she'd guess... clearly a fighter despite her school girlish looks, you could tell in the muscles. Then again Therians often were all about deception....at least according to Val.

Roland only had one bag, and it was slung across his shoulder. He was taken a bit by surprise when the girl approached him, handed him a rule sheet and grabbed his hand. Those red eyes blinked as he glanced from the girl to the boy, he let the girl lead him off. Nodding slightly when she spoke. "My name's Roland." For a moment he contemplated pulling his hand from this girl's, but for some reason he decided against it. He glanced over the rule sheet as they walked, only glancing over it, it was a bit challenging to read and not trip or walk into something.


Kerian wandered about for a while before deciding to head towards where most of the people were gathered. He was mostly familiarizing himself with these surroundings anyway. He carried no bags with him, those were in the sleek black car parked out front near the main gate. Upon first entering, Kerian had skirted around the courtyard and gone inside the main building. There he had wandered around for a bit, now he made his way back outside. To the courtyard. He hissed slightly and squinted his violet eyes for a moment. Sunlight didn't really harm him, but that didn't mean he liked it either. It made him want to go some place dark and sleep. Kerian yawned as he moved closer to those in the courtyard, hands shoved into his front pockets.

((Thanks, Kage! XD That means a lot! I understand about your character. I just thought that the opposite would make a pretty unique creature. :ninja: And apparently I was right, judging from your post.))

Beth jumped slightly when Theia touched her hands, having been absorbed by her thoughts. Her new... acquaintance's, they weren't close enough to be friends right?, words made her feel a bit awkward. It was the sort of touchy-feely thing that made her shift on her chair like a child who's been told not to move. Yet, she felt glad that she had someone who cared enough to say them. The mix and swirl of emotions running through her mind was enough to cause a minor headache, so that she was almost glad to see Theia go.

"Yes, definitely. It sounds like... fun," she replied, smiling. Of course, her grin shattered when Theia hugged her out of nowhere, the action sudden and shocking. When she left, Beth sat down to think. Everything had happened so quickly that she needed a few minutes to just digest. It was during this time that she began contemplating some of her mother's interest in art. To be fair, Beth had never hated painting and drawing. It was what she was forced to paint that made her hate it. Her mother's obsession with cleanliness, a facet of her character that kept her children from playing outside too much, sculpting with clay, or gardening, had been another thing.

That wasn't the reason for her distrust though. That was much more deeply rooted. Sighing, she flipped open her Droid phone to read the text message she had gotten from her mother. It was even written coldly. Rolling her eyes, she puckered her mouth at the news. The text was relatively simple: Coronation tomorrow. Watch the news. No goodbye or anything. Heck, if it wasn't for her recognizing the number, she wouldn't have known who it came from. Sighing, she set the phone on her table, deciding to try drawing one more time before she gave up on it completely.

~~~

Frowning slightly at Ziva's back, Waya sighed. She certainly was backwards. "It's not about duties. It's about how we're going to lead the pack," he explained, hoping that it would persuade her to agree. "Should we have a representative assembly where each species has a say? That's the sort of thing we need to discuss. Please, just come. You're my second. I need your input on stuff like this."

He paused to let that sink in before continuing, "Besides that, Tsula can't lead. She's not allowed. She's the... well, you don't have a word for it, but the closest is priestess, of our tribe. They aren't allowed to lead. It disrupts the balance. Even if she could, I would still choose you. You can lead. We just have to teach you how." Coughing suddenly as his face reddened, he looked away. He hadn't meant to say nearly that much, but it all seemed to flow off of his tongue. The question the little girl posed to him made him blink, taking his focus back to the present.

"Of course, sweetheart," he replied, smiling, an action that revealed his abnormally pointed canines. "I'm sure that my sister would love to as well. Speaking of which, where did she sneak off to?" Frowning at his sister's lack of forethought at times, he tutted and took a whiff of the air, locating her by scent. Once he knew that she was nearby, however, his shoulders loosened, and he looked back at the two girls as if to ask if they wanted to get going.

~~~

Beaming happily at the boy, Ren, she said, "Thanks! I'm Tsula, by the way. It was nice meeting you!" And then she was off. Despite being put-off by the girl's air of suspicion, she included her in her wave as she made her way over to the teacher that Ren had mentioned. It had been quite nice of him to offer directions, especially considering she looked like a fourth grader. Most teenagers didn't have the time of day for kids, even if the fact that she was a kid was just an impression.

Nearing the teacher, she spoke again. "Hi there! Mr. Heiro told me I should come and introduce myself. So, I'm Tsula. What's your name?"" Of course, she could tell that the teacher was a Therian too, though not a skinwalker like her and her brother. Really though, it was to be expected. They were two of the only skinwalkers in the entire world. The sun shining high in the sky illuminated her coppery hair like fire as she waited for a response, her golden eyes focused on the teacher.

~~~

"Irrelevant," he replied curtly, eyes widening as she grabbed his hand started dragging him. Now, it wasn't like he weighed a lot, but she still shouldn't have been able to drag him along. So that meant that she was either stronger than she looked, or was using a telekinetic power, however weak that would be. He already knew her to be one of the most powerful telepaths, so the odds of her also being greatly powerful in psychokinesis was slim to none.

The mention of her whoremonger of a sister made him snap out of his thoughts with a sudden rush of anger. "Now, you listen here. I need no vampire filth to help me," he hissed, snatching his hand out of hers. "I can take care of myself. I always have and always will, especially if it involves those bastards." Despite his anger, he just shoved his hands in his pocket after adjusting his hat, following after her in a slinkish way. His gait was typical of an experienced hunter, or, in other words, reminiscent of a jungle cat. A curt nod was all he gave to Roland, only really glancing at him as he continued his vigil on the environment.

((By the way guys, I'm currently working on developing characters, so any critique you have on how I'm doing is welcome and greatly appreciated! :D))

Ziva nodded as he asked her to come again, it had never been in question even if she had questioned why. She was not of the nature to refuse him any request… order of dominance too ingrained in her, sometimes painfully. Still, as he continued her confusion merely doubled. Teach her to lead? Representatives?

”I…I think you over estimate me but of course I will come. I…” She spoke softly and briefly blushed. She ran a hand through her hair in thought as he spoke, not sure he truly understood as a skinwalker how the majority of therians...the cursed therians thought. He seemed to wish to make everyone equals. Most of them came from species based packs, like she did, and were not leaders. Their very instinct was to simply follow a strong leader and the second…whom they expected to also be stronger than they were

She wanted to tell him this, correct him, but at the same time she wasn’t sure she should. She bit her lip, her gaze falling to the ground. She couldn’t. She wasn’t sure he could even understand until he saw it for himself…. Until he connected with them and felt the power of being the local ‘alpha’ so to speak. She wondered if it would change him… she hoped not.

***

Theia started to say it was nice to meet roland but then the hunter spoke and all other thoughts fled. She was stronger than she looked in many ways but also psychokinesis…not that she was using it at the moment. She was sorely tempted as he spoke, his insult in his words without her having to read his mind. Instantly her aura flared, enough that it would feel hot against roland and the hunter’s skin and could be faintly seen even by those who were not psychic.

No one really knew why she was so strong…why her soul no longer felt human. Some thought it was because of how she discovered her powers, some thought it was her spiritual connection to her vampire sister, and there were many theories. One thing that was no theory however, was her anger as she flung rolands hand aside and turned to glare at the hunter.

”I don’t care how you speak of other vampires but you will not speak of my sister that way, not after what she went through.” She said coldly, all emotion but fury drained from her face. Theia the girl who loved everyone was gone, and the girl who had torn a vampire apart to save her sister as well as herself was there if only for an instance.

She cleared her throat, taking a deep breath to force herself to calm and her aura to shrink down to its dormant, hidden form. She turned her back on them both a moment to hide her features behind her short black hair. Once she gained control again she would grab both their hands once more and pull them along, silent. Whether from anger or embarrassment her preoccupied face did not say. Her mind was filled with memories, of chandra’s little hand clutching scissors as she tried to stab the vampire coming after them. The sound of Chandra’s arm snapping beneath the vampire’s cold hand, her scream as he lifted her weakened body to his lips and the scissors fell to the ground with a sharp clang. No one would ever hurt Chandra for what that bastard did…. No one.

Roland blinked, staring at the other male for a few moments as he spoke. Such anger. Then the girl was consumed by anger, if she hadn't let him go, Roland would have pulled free of her on his own. She had let go of his hand and he took a few steps away from the two of them. Were they going to fight? He hoped not, but this girl, she would probably win such a fight. He shook his head, then it was over. Angry words but no physical fighting. Roland was rather relieved but he did glare at the other male. He didn't know the whole story, and vampires made Roland a little nervous, but he didn't generalize. He didn't blame them all for the evils committed by few individuals. That would be like blaming the entire human race for cutting down a rainforest, even if a lot of them are against such a thing. Generalizing and stereotyping. Roland scoffed, thought about saying something, but decided against it. She grabbed his hand again and he followed along silently, watching the male rather warily.

Kerian stopped in mid step. The energy he felt had been strong, two distinct signatures, both very angry. It was some distance away, and he much preferred being around energy emitted by happy people, but this had intrigued him. The energy vampire licked his lips to moisten them and stood there, looking off in the direction he had felt the energy come from. He was a bit curious, mostly wanting to know what had caused such a surge in emotion, but he also didn't want to be caught stalking people around campus. That probably wouldn't go over well as a first impression. Not that he really cared. Kerian stood there, where he was, probably in the way of others coming and going as he thought over his next course of action. He did need to find which dorm he would be in and the room so he could get his bags up there..but he wasn't sure who to talk to about that.

Dana looked over at the student who spoke to her, internal musings interrupted. She did smile, however, guessing that she'd be teaching this one. "I'm Dana, one of the science teachers. By the looks of you, you'll be in one of my classes," she said in response. Heiro sent her over? The reclusive half-vampire, their combat teacher? "Where did you meet Mr. Heiro?" Mr. Heiro just sounded wrong somehow, the syllables didn't flow right.

---

Talia watched the two older students talk, still shifting her weight around on her feet. The way she understood their conversation, he was some sort of leader, and she had some sort of duty that she didn't really want. Her stomach decided that right now was the perfect time to give a loud growl, and she squeaked and covered her belly. "Oh, when do we get to eat?" she asked, hopping once and continuing her fidgeting. She'd forgotten when she ate last, in all of the excitement of going to a new school.

((I am sorry if either of my characters seem less than fully thought-out, Talia's brand new and poor Dana's been neglected for ages.))

Rolling his eyes slightly at Ziva's self-effacing behavior, Waya opened his mouth as though to speak, though he was interrupted by Talia's stomach grumbling loudly. Her antics afterwards were cute enough to warrant him chuckling, though her question was a good one. "Do they have a table set up for food?" he asked, frowning in thought. Nothing he had read mentioned food being given until dinner. "No, nevermind. Tsula and I have a kill hidden if you want. Let's go get that."

As he led the way, expecting the others to follow, he said, "So, what kind of things do you like to do in your spare time, ladies?" While waiting for a response, he whistled, enjoying the scents of the forest and gentle touch of the westerly breeze. It truly was a great day to be alive. Of course, he didn't so much walk ahead of the others as jump from place to place, his above average strength providing a profound jumping ability. While appearing immature at first, the real purpose of his jumping was to keep himself from leaving a concentrated set of footprints. The girls didn't have to worry about such a thing, of course, considering how light their footsteps were.

~~~

"What kind of science do you teach?" she asked merrily. "He was over by the woods. Are you a snake? I've never met a snake Therian before. That's pretty cool." Oddly, she seemed to lose energy towards the end of her sentence, eyes drooping sleepily for a moment before she snapped back up. The sugar she had had earlier was starting to wear off. Waya didn't have a clue, however. In other words, she had sneaked it while he wasn't paying attention. Really, it wasn't that great of an idea. She had a sort of intolerance to sugar. A tablespoon could make her hyper for a while, though she'd crash and feel sick afterwards. Her head had already started to ache, working together with the nausea she usually felt.

Clenching her eyes to try and ease the headache, she dropped to her bum and leaned against the wall, which acted as an anchor. Of course she hadn't had enough to make her experience all of the symptoms. It was only the basics that she suffered from. "Stupid lollipop," she mumbled, wincing before she started shuddering. "I'll be fine. D-Do you have any w-water?"

~~~

Jiao's eyebrow rose about three inches as Theia gave him a tongue-lashing, and he almost, almost, felt sorry. But then she took hold of his hand again, and the anger returned. "Look at me! I don't care!" he responded, yanking his hand free again. "Look what those abominations did to me! I can't even walk around out here without this hat because it would be suicide! How is that right? How is that fair? It's not. It's not fair that your sister is a vampire, but she is. She's one of them now." As he finished, his anger dwindled, and the silver spike he had pulled out of his pocket in case she reacted angrily was placed back without a second thought. Using his hand, he motioned for her to continue, a sort of... respect carried in his frame.

((I;ll reply with ziva after talia does XD))

Theia turned to look at him, a cold, almost alien look on her face. He was whining about having to wear a hat as an excuse for judging her sister? Chandra, who had watched her parents die as a mere child, watched her twin tortured, and been molested and mentally tortured by a telepathic and sadistic vampire? Even Theia who had watched their parents and been physically wounded could not imagine the pain Chandra had endured to save her twin from her own hands. He sounded like a child in comparison and her eyes as much as said it. She couldn't even be angry it was just so laughable to her.

"Yes, because hats are such torture you know sooo much about my sister... " Was her cold, sarcastic reply, sounding more like her sister Chandra for a moment then herself. She quickened her pace slightly to arrive at the privacy dorm quicker, her patience with him wearing thin. Silently her mind was turned backwards, so much so that Chandra asked her what was wrong. Theia responded she 'was just thinking' and Chandra responded with one word...the word 'Him'. They both knew who Chandra meant and Theia responded with a simple yes, thinking absently she might ask chandra to bunk with her tonight. Nightmares were not uncommon with the memories Jiao brought up with his comparing Chandra to that...creature. She was beginning to regret her decision to take responsibility for Jiao when she'd convinced her father and the other school supporters to let him in.

"Here is your dorm.... I act as Dorm leader for the Privacy Dorms so if there is a problem let me know..." She said quietly when they reached the dorm. Despite her voice her words were still a little cold and a little sad...and a lot tired. She didn't get despondent often or show anything but her smile often but it was just one of those moments. Jiao's hatred of vampires reminded her to much of her sister's sire's attitude towards humans. They were food and mere animals to him.... He had expected to be able to dominate Chandra's mind to the point she believed the same and would kill Theia as a sign of loyalty to him. He had hurt Theia when it failed, saying he would kill Theia as slowly and painfully as possible but at least chandra could make it quick and painless. It was at that moment something snapped in both twins... and perhaps they were less 'human' for it...

((yes Theia's having an emo moment XD. She's her, she'll get over it quickly. :P he just dredged up some old memories Theia typically buries and just doesn't' face XD. Not the best solution but what has worked for her)

He continued to watch the male, Roland wanted to say something, but he didn't. This man was obviously stronger than him and if he provoked him into a fight, Roland was sure the other would win. Easily too. His body was tense though, Theia seemed to be handling things very well on her own. For now. He watched her carefully, he could tell she was very upset and ready to get away from Jiao. Roland licked his lips, and looked at Jiao. "It isn't fair of you to blame all of them for the atrocities of a few." He paused for a moment, shifting on his feet, ready to say more.

Kerian had decided to find the source of the two angry energies. Standing around and watching the other people interact with one another had only been fun for a bout ten seconds. He moved across the ground quickly, probably quicker than he should have, but for some reason he really wanted to get away from these other people and find the two upset ones. He didn't really plan on helping one or the other feel better, he just wanted to see if maybe they were going to a fight. A good fight would be fun to watch. Soon he caught the sound of angry words and the sight of three people. He wrinkled his nose slightly as he stepped closer, coming up to the group, Kerian smiled. Letting his fangs show as he peered at Jiao carefully. "Abominations?" Kerian sounded amused, and he had spoken as soon as Roland paused. Not wanting to interrupt. He stepped very close to Jiao. "Life isn't fair, bad things happen and that's the way it is. Doesn't mean you need to go around calling us abominations or being a jackass just because some vampire somewhere did something horrible to you. Every race has it's horrible members, doesn't mean you should hold a grudge against every member of that race. You need to get over yourself, you aren't the only one that has suffered at the hands of cruelty and you sure as hell won't be the last. Whining like a baby, calling us abominations and hating us as strongly as you do isn't going to fix a goddamn thing. So shut the fuck up and keep your emotions to yourself, cause I'm tired of feeling them."

Kerian's voice did hold a rather dangerous tone to it, but that tone seemed to soften just slightly. "I am a vampire. I never asked to be this way, I never had a choice and the change made me lose all my memories of my human life. I hate some vampires, I certainly hate the one that did this to me, and a few humans. But at least I'm mature enough to only hate the ones that truly deserve it. My guardian never would have agreed to let me come here if he knew it catered to such ignorant racists." Kerian could have drained this man's energy, right here and now, without ever touching him, but he didn't. Such a thing would probably get him kicked out and his guardian Albert Alexander Hughes would be sorely disappointed in him if he got kicked out on the first day. Besides, by carrying the Hughes name, Kerian had a certain reputation to up hold. He studied Jiao coldly.

"You think it's as simple as hats?" Jaio asked, an odd note in his voice. Suddenly, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a roll of bandages as well as one of his needles. Carefully, he poked it into his skin so that he would start bleeding. A drop of blood about a centimeter in diameter formed from the injury, though the hiss was because the object was blessed silver. Still, as they watched, the blood trickled down his arm and onto the ground. Despite the fact that it was an extremely shallow, small wound, it never stopped. It just kept flowing. "One of the weaknesses of a sanguinaire is that they need blood to survive. I've been cursed with that same weakness, though if you look, you won't see fangs on me. Likewise, another vampire doesn't bleed for long. Typically, their regeneration stops the blood flow by repairing the vessels in under two minutes. My reliance on blood manifests itself as hemophilia. I'm sure you know what that is. This little pin-prick of a wound could kill me. There are other weaknesses though. Blessed silver, garlic, running water, etc."

As he finished bandaging up his arm, he was accosted by a vampire of all things. Despite the other vampires words, Jaio affected not to notice, simply looking him up and down before tchhing at how close he was. Without really thinking about it, he took the same weapon he had been holding and poked the vampire in the chest, drawing a drop of blood as he pulled it out. "The majority of your race is more powerful than humans, and even psychics sometimes. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That was a philosophy of Orwell. I found that it rings quite true. The majority of your race walk over humans like their trash. Some even torture them for fun, break them, or just downright kill them. While cursed to share your blood, I think of myself as a member of the human race. I will defend them against threats like the vampires. If you don't bother a human, I won't bother you. But that doesn't mean I'll trust you. At any time you could turn and start seeing humans as inferior," he said. "If you really think that those vampires started out evil, you're naive. Adolf Hitler started out as innocent as the next boy."

With that, he put the weapon away and started walking off. He didn't really care if Theia was going to give him a rule sheet or explain anything about the school. Like he had said before, he didn't need anyone and never had. Life was ten times harder when you needed someone for something. It was quite the opposite of what all the experts said. A bit of meditation would do him good, though, so he didn't really bother entering his dorm, instead heading into the forest in search of a quiet place. A waterfall would be especially peaceful, but he had no idea if one was even around the school.

((haha, ok.))

A kill? Like, real meat? "Oh, yes!" she exclaimed, eagerly following the older student. Her eyes started flickering from ocelot brown to her blue, and back. Her footsteps were quick, keeping up with him well enough. "Um, sometimes I draw, but I like coloring things better. And playing tag or something is really fun, too!" she said, in response to his question. She turned too look at Ziva. "What about you?"

---


Dana smiled at the girl, though she noticed her drooping towards the end of the sentence. "Yes, I'm a snake, and I teach just about every science for grades six through twelve," she said, kneeling down as Tsula sat. "There are water fountains inside, here, let's get you to one." She offered a hand, intending to half carry the child if necessary. The closest fountain was just a few feet from the entrance they were next to.