"It's good to see you." Tobias murmured to Oliver, not even glancing his way. He, too, wasn't a massive fan of certain people in the room, and the boy thought it was necessary to never take his eyes off them for fear of being hurt in some way—something Oliver never understood.
Oliver's back immediately straightened as the Headmaster entered the room. Another person that he didn't get along too well with, but they were on civil terms at least. The Headmaster was a tall, spindly fellow who appeared to lack any weight or muscle, but this didn't mean he was weak. As far as Oliver was concerned, the Headmaster was one of the wisest members of the Shadow Society within Hawthorne's walls and to cross him would be seen as signing your death certificate.
The Headmaster looked over the boys in the room, nodding respectfully to a few of them. "I assume you all know why you are here today."
Theo nodded a little bit, shifting in his seat. He was a bit uncomfortable in these meetings, seeing as how if any of these boys knew what he was, he would be dead, but…he did like their company. He did like being around them, because when the headmaster wasn't around, they were usually a decent lot, so long as he didn't bring up magic or anything.
Nikolai relaxed a little as the headmaster began talking, stretching out in the chair. The Russian was a bit of a teacher's pet, to be honest, though not much of one. With the USSR on the rise, his own family was in a precarious spot, seeing as how they had been nobility. That stress sometimes made itself known with a fiery temper and a quick anger, that usually ended up directed at Oliver.
"I'd like to start by welcoming the first generation members," The Headmaster glanced at several individuals, including William. "You have nothing to be nervous about. As for the rest of you, welcome back." he started slowly pacing, keeping his eyes on the boys who stared at him. "It's the start of a new term, which means I need you to be on your toes. Evil lurks in every corner of this world, and we don't want it within our walls. Be on guard, stay strong, and do your duty to the Shadow Society like your fathers before you."
Oliver, while looking sharp at the Headmaster, wasn't fully paying attention to what he was saying. He had heard this all before, it was feeling more like a broken record being forced to repeat itself. He knew it was necessary though, especially for the first and second generation members, to make sure they were as loyal as they were expected to be.
Theo nodded a little bit, jotting down notes in the journal as the headmaster spoke. He shot William a quick smile, trying to reassure the Irish boy. William gave a nervous little smile, shifting in his seat and seeming quite anxious about all of this.
Nikolai drummed his fingers for a moment as the headmaster spoke, waiting to see if they would be told anything important.
(I was thinking that the murders haven't quite happened yet, and they aren't assigned to it yet? To give a bit more time for them to get to know each other)
(Yeah that's fine, I was thinking that's where you were heading with it anyways)
Finally the Headmaster stopped pacing, the expression on his face was one of pride. He cared a lot for these boys, and it made him happy seeing the strong men they were going to grow up to be. He crossed his arms over his chest, allowing his stance to relax a bit, before taking on a more light-hearted demeanor. "Get to know each other, will you? You're going to be working together for some time and I think it would benefit you all greatly if you could at least know each other for the people you are rather than as just colleagues."
Upon hearing that, both Oliver and Tobias shot a look at each other that said what the Headmaster was asking of them was sure to be a challenge. The two of them didn't get along with most of the Hawthorne Shadow Society members, and now that they were being physically asked to get to know each other… Oliver, being the inquisitive person he was, wanted to raise this concern to the Headmaster, however when the man's eyes fell on him he already knew that speaking up was out of the question. He would just have to bear with it.
"That will be all lads, " The Headmaster confirmed, nodding his head. "I expect great things from you. You may leave."
(alright)
Theo let out a breath as he got up and slipped out of the room, tucking the journal into his pocket. He already knew most of the boys…so who was he supposed to greet? He finally turned to William, shaking his hand. "I'm Theodore Holden, but you can just call me Theo, if you like." he greeted, looking at the Irishman.
"Oh– I'm William O'Connell, I'm…Will is just fine." Will stammered out, biting his lip and awkward.
Theo nodded, shooting him another quick smile. "Yeah, of course. Do you have any questions?" he raised his eyebrows a little bit.
When the meeting ended, Oliver and Tobias took their leave. Neither of them had any intentions of befriending any of the other members, especially when some of them looked like difficult individuals to place trust in. Besides, Oliver knew who most of them were already and wasn't inclined to know them on any other level.
As they left, Oliver's gaze fell onto one of the quieter lads–Theodore, was it? He was the kid who never really engaged with the others, something Oliver could respect in a person, though from how he was interacting with one of the new members it was clear that he had no issue making friends. He allowed his gaze to linger on Theo for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, before Tobias tugged at his sleeve.
William thought for a moment. "Er…how does this…what exactly does the Shadow Society do?" he asked, shifting anxiously.
Theodore thought for a moment about that, cocking his head. "Alright, so the Shadow Society, as you know, is one of the more elite groups among the Praesidia Spectris. Most branches of the Shadow Society actually focus on investigation and control, meaning they investigate reports of Spectris or illegal magic, and then take care of that. In the case of Spectris in the Corporis, the Spectris will either be taken back to their own side of the world, or killed if the offense was dire enough. In the case of illegal magic, first it's legality is figured out. If it is a Corporis human dabbling in magic, they are typically left alone, as they don't know what they're doing in the vast majority of cases. If it is a half-Spectris, they are…usually killed." he paused for a moment, eyes flashing away slightly, then back to William. "If it is one of the Praesidia, then they are put on trial, for which the punishments vary."
(gtg soon sorry)
(Just curious, is it the end of a school day or the beginning?)
(oh! i was thinking more of in the evening? So they've already finished their classes for the day? Unless you'd prefer it to be morning, which would be fine too)
A soft chuckle floated from Oliver's lips as he overheard the conversation between Theodore and William, though he wasn't looking at them anymore. Tobias had a hold of his sleeve and was pulling him down the corridor. When the two of them were alone, Tobias let go and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets.
The two of them were prone to walking in silence together, no words needed to be spoken for the two of them to enjoy each other's company. Today however, Tobias nudged Oliver's arm with his elbow, however he dared not look the man in the eyes. His hair sat just atop his shoulders, and from the way he styled it, his fringe covered the entirety of his right eye. "So, what do you make of the Greenies?"
Oliver stopped walking for a moment, looking out of the nearby lattice window. The crimson sunset bathed his skin in a rose-gold hue, sparks started to faintly glisten in his eyes. The gardens outside were hushed for this time of evening, though a few students could be seen talking among themselves. "I think they have potential, especially that boy William. I think they just need some guidance in order to make sure they stick to the right path."
Out of nowhere, Tobias pulled the taller man down and slung his arms around his shoulder. A bright, almost mischievous smile graced his lips. "I knew you cared about them, you can't keep up that tough guy act around me."
The only response Oliver gave in return was a soft sigh and a warm smile.
Theo and William continued to talk quietly, a soft smile gracing Theo's lips as he explained things to the newcomer. He wanted William to be as comfortable in the group as possible, and maybe this would help. Of course, talking couldn't replace experience, but it could help. It could augment it. So that was what he was going to do. Augment it, get William comfortable with the Shadow Society.
(Where should we go from here?)
(Sounds good. When were you thinking to?)
(Well, it depends: We could either have them be dormmates, so just skip to that evening, or we could skip to the next day?)
(Hmm. I think the dorm-mate scenario would be interesting, gives the chances to actually show how our characters act when they are alone together.)
(Alright! Do you want to do the timeskip, or shall i?)
(Yeah sure)
Theo had spent a while talking to William, and then had gone to collect his luggage, grabbing his bag and heading towards his dorm room. He had no idea who his dormmate was supposed to be this year; he only hoped he would get along with them. He knew that the Headmaster tried to make sure that Shadow Society boys all roomed with each other, so he knew it would be someone from the Society. He just didn't quite know who, yet.
At the end of one of the two beds in the room, Oliver himself was perched on a chaise lounge with his eyes fixed on the thick hardback book in his hands. He hadn’t a clue who was going to be his dorm-mate his year, and after finding out that it wasn’t Tobias he felt rather put off, but he was willing to at least try and be civil with whomever his partner turned out to be——as long as it wasn’t that Russian kid.
He had already removed his blazer and cravat, and the top few buttons of his shirt were open just to allow his skin to breathe. The sleeves of his shirt were neatly folded back up to his elbows, and his hair had become a little fluffier than what it was earlier; perhaps due to Tobias messing up.
When the handle of the door began to turn, he marked his place and carefully closed the book, placing it down beside him. This was going to be interesting.
Theo opened the door, coming inside. His eyes landed on Oliver, and he blinked. "Oh. Hello." he greeted after a moment, setting his suitcase down on the unclaimed bed. "So you are to be my roommate?" he asked, blinking over at the other male. He sat down. He didn't know Oliver well, that was true, but the other seemed to be a rather decent sort.
Oliver studied the boy as he walked to claim the other bed. There was something almost hesitant in his very movements, not something he expected from someone who had been so quick to talk to a new society member. He raised an eyebrow slightly at Theodore’s question and stood up from his seat. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
He moved to stand in front of Theodore with one hand stretched out towards him. “I suppose we should be properly introduced. My name is Oliver Valentin Arquette, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Theo stood, shaking Oliver's hand. "I'm Theodore James Holden. You can just call me Theo, if you like." he replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, as well." he nodded, letting go of Oliver's hand after a moment. He was hesitant because he didn't know what would happen if his half-breed status was found out. He almost would rather have roomed with someone who was not of the Praesidia, because then maybe it would be easier to hide. Easier to pretend that he was a normal human, that there was nothing wrong with him.
When Theo let go of Oliver's hand, he tucked both of his hands into his pockets and nodded his head while shuffling back over to his seat. He picked up the book and continued reading from where he left off, and crossed one leg over the other as if that made him any more comfortable. "I don't do much in the way of idle chatter, though if you have any questions I will be more than happy to answer."
Theo nodded a little bit. "Alright." he replied, looking over at Oliver for a moment. He started to work on unpacking some of his things, putting them away in their places so that he could find them easier, instead of leaving them in his bag for the rest of the school year. He was actually rather glad that Oliver didn't make much idle conversation; less chance of him accidentally spilling what he was.
(Should we do a time skip to the daytime and their classes or something, or did you have something in mind for the nighttime?)
(time skip sounds fine, as i had no plans. Would you like to do the timeskip, or should I?)
(I don't mind, though did you have a specific lesson you wanted to be in?)
(Nah, pretty much anything is fine. I don't know if they would share many of their classes though)
