And here you are living despite it all

LOCATION | The academy
DATE | 6th of January 2022
TIME | 10.00
ATTIRE | Link
TOPIC FOR |  @Aurora xx
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First day back at the academy this year, he lived for the extended vacation provided so they didn't have to start right away and also got a chance to get easy through the new moon. Now, Nick was one of three students who had been asked to take one of the newer students under their wing for the first few days. Nick had seen Iris and Kemuel on their way down here as well to greet the new students. All of them had each their name and Nick had called for Aurora, and gave her a warm smile, as she came closer. "Nick," he presented himself looking at the shapeshifter. "Looks like I'm your tour guide for the day," he nodded a little and gave her a nod towards the academy so she could follow him. "Have you visited here before or is this totally new territory?" He wondered because then he sort of knew what to show and what was just a waste of time. She was exquisite, and Nick found himself almost unable to not look at her just to take her in, but duty called, so he folded his lips a little bit still smiling as his eyes turned around the academy.

Lara, or Aurora as her new name was. Hadn’t reacted at first when someone had called her name. It was still all so her new to her, but now that she was dealing with all her unresolved trauma with her parents and sisters dying. Her being arrested and treated as their killer. Labelled a murderer. Taken away by the cult, telling her that she would be trained to get revenge on her family murderers. Only to find out she had been working for them all the time. Then, she had become what everyone had thought of her, but only then. Because she had taken her revenge and become the monster instead.

Nick. Ripped out of her thoughts she turned towards the werewolf with a bright smile. A smile that didn’t really mimic the dark thoughts in her head. But she was after all, a master in not showing what she was really feeling. “Aurora” her smile became even greater when he said he was going to give her a tour. Her teeth catching her bottom lip before she looked down. “Seems like I got lucky” she teased, as she started following him, grabbing her satchel hanging over her shoulder’s strap. She skipped and looked around. Now this was an opportunity to start all over, so when he asked if she had been here before she shook her head. “No, all new territory, I lived further up north for a while – moved back in with my adoptive father” father, it almost hurt her chest to say that, but in the short period of time where Aaron had sheltered her. She had been more a father than her actual father had been to her. “So, you were on” she placed her finger against her lips skipping beside him “Second year, right?” she asked keeping her bright an innocent smile on her lips.

Nick chuckled a little, but nodded to make her point very accurate. All new territory, he once again gave her a small nod before clapping his hands a little together to try in his mind to figure out where to start. "Oh sweet," he replied when she mentioned she had moved in with her adoptive father. Nick moved his eyes back to her when she asked what year he was on, "yeah - I moved here two years ago for the sake of the academy. I live with my mother and she figured it would be the best idea, so here I am and all," Nick gladly told her, it was no secret. Well, as far of Nick's knowledge he was living as much a normal life as any other werewolf here at the academy. He didn't feel different than the others, or maybe he just spent so much time in his own head he didn't realize, and was too in the flow for people to question what he knew and didn't know. "However, this is the great hall, meeting point as you might have figured by now, then down here my favorite era," he waved her along down the hall towards the creative wing of the academy, "we have art classes, music, dance studio, drama - whatever gets the creative juices going you know," he chuckled a little bit looking around waving to a few of his classmates that eyed him through the glass window in the door. "But yeah, that is just me, what classes are you going to take?" He wondered, also then he would be able to aim his focus on those parts of the academy, even if he wanted to make sure he reached all the important places.

She found that really odd, moved here to years ago, because of the academy. He made it sound like he had only moved with his mother; he wasn’t in a pack? Lara wasn’t blind to see how other students was eyeing him. Either from the classroom windows, or people passing them while walking around as he told her about the different things, mostly mentioning all the creative classes. She turned her attention back to him and gave him a soft smile. “So, I’m guessing you are mostly about all arts?” she said with a teasing smirk on her lips, and then grabbed a small notebook from her bag when he asked what classes she was going to take.
“Well, I got into most of those I wanted, so I’m taking the study in languages, history and literature” she let her fingers glide over the class schedule. “Then I have art and dance as well” she said with a soft smile, putting away her book. Maybe she would take another class or two next semester, but right now it seemed more than enough.
“So, it’s just you and your mother or?” she asked as a leading question, as she couldn’t really get over the fact that an alpha werewolf was walking around as he was just some lone wolf. He had to have a pack, anything else would be weird. Right?

Nick nodded, yes he was mostly all about the arts. His mother had always encouraged his art work, but then there was also his ability which was mostly just connected through the art - which was both spooky and amazing. Well, he wasn't going to bore her with that sort of information. Nick listened with a very interested ear to what classes she was taking, well he had track and then all of the different type of art classes, everything from drama to music, to art and dance. "Good choices, I have dance and art as well - surprise," he chuckled a little mostly to himself because perhaps the art part was obvious by now. Then the next question was a bit more personal, but nothing that was way over the line for Nick, in reality he was an open book about most things. "Yeah, just us against the world as she used to say," he shook his head a little, it was a rather narrow minded way to see the world, but also from the eyes of a survivor - even if Nick had yet to know just what his mother had been running away from. He wasn't stupid he knew it was some bad people that were after them, but what kind and why  - he had no idea. "Just like I assume it's you and your adoptive father against the world?" He theorized with a more careful tone not wanting to overstep, but sometimes it was nice having someone to could relate to perhaps just having one parent or spending most time with just one. Maybe it was just him who thought that.

“Oh, you do?” she said with a soft smile, now there was a small change they would be on the same classes, as she was on her first and he on a his second. But sometimes classes met, she remembered that from the last time she had went here. That her and Howie had been teaching some of the younger classes in dance. Because it gave something, to see someone that was either the same age, or were just a little higher level than you. As their teacher at the time had said, to inspire the newer in dance, to see what they can become if they keep up the good work.
“I’ll remember that, if I ever need a study partner, since you are a year ahead of me, you must know all the good tricks” she said with a bright smile on her lips. Not that she needed it, but he seemed nice. And she could use some nice people in her life, other than of course Aaron. But he was just a god sent person, that deserved everything good in the world.
Just him and his mother against the world, so no pack. Weird. It was still all so weird. A alpha without a pack.
She raised her brows as he asked if it was just her and his adoptive father. “Yes, and no, his mother is part of one of the bigger packs here in Athena region, even though I’m mostly just with him, yes – even though his mom does like to come over every now and then” she put up her hands and made quotation marks with her fingers “Making sure that he isn’t starving me” she teased, as she quickly had figured out that Elisabeth just had a love for taking care of people.

Nick let out a small laugh, well he did know a few good tricks, but it wasn't like his mind was the sharpest, or perhaps he just didn't give himself enough credit. But you couldn't be good at everything, his mother always said that. "I do know a few as a matter of fact," he pointed out with a little cheesy smirk. One of the bigger packs in the area, yes he knew about a few of them. Mostly because he had spoken with Roman who was in one of them. It sounded nice to have his mom and a pack to have your pack. Nick had never known any family but his mother, his mother was a rather private person, very anxious and he had never really understood why even through he knew a few things because of his abilities. "It's always something, starving would be a bad thing," he pointed out with a smaller grin, as he headed towards the stairs to the large hallway, showing where the different classrooms were, the teachers lounge, where they ate - everything in between. "Its quite a big place, but I believe there is a chance for everyone to fit in, one or the other way."

She couldn’t help but let out a laugh, even though it was quickly gone again. There was still a smile on her lips, which was still very weird for her. Smiling, laughing. Being okay not to be okay. It was a whole new state of mind that she needed to adjust to. It took time, and each time she did something, that she hadn’t been allowed to for so long. She needed to stop up in her mind and remind herself that it was okay. She could laugh, and she could smile when she felt like it. Not if it was part of her job to do so.
“I really hope so” she breathed, when he told her that it was a big place, and there was a chance for everyone to fit in. The only reason why she had decided to go, was the fact that Howie and the others that had been in her year were all done at the academy. There were no one left, that would recognise her. “Well, and even if you don’t fit in, you still find people that you can be with that doesn’t fit in as well, right?” she said with a smile looking up at him. “So, your favourite spot on the entire grounds where’s that?” she said with an almost sneaky expression.

"Well would still make you fit in now wouldn't it?" He asked with a cheekier smile. Because even a group of people who didn't feel like they fit in anywhere, and found each other had made a group, right? Nick caught her eyes again, and folded his lips a little bit while keeping his eyes locked with hers. This favorite spot here? It was quite fun, because many could easily see him as a person who would be spending most of his time with a group of people he saw as his friends, and he did often do that. Because yeah, he liked talking with people, keeping interesting conversations going. But his favorite spot. "Don't laugh," he first of all said before grabbing her hand and started pulling her out the backdoor of the academy, then letting go knowing she could very well walk on her own. "I like spending time at the stables - I don't know, its just calming," he walked towards the stables. Well, he liked being around the horses. Funny given he was a werewolf, but he liked being around other animals, and the setting was just perfect for his creativity to get a kick in. He opened the stable door and let her in. "I have a secret hideout," he pointed towards a stack of hay, where behind if you looked closely there was a little staircase towards the roof above, just sitting up there like a little elf and doing his writing and drawing, well no one said he was a completely sane person.