Let's Shake It Up

LOCATION | Inside the academy the hallways
TIME | Afternoon
DATE | 1st of April 2022
WEATHER | Sun is shinning outside and its getting pretty warm
ATTIRE | Link
TOPIC FOR |  @Minerva xx
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How long had he been doing this? A couple of weeks really, he had even taken classes. Well that was the perks of getting to know a very talent and as well incredibly beautiful young demon who knew what she was doing. So, having him wander around like, and what was the famous saying again? Not all those who wander are lost. Scorpio was for sure not lost. He had taken some sweet time, letting his father and uncle do what ever it was they were doing, knowing if they needed him or found a good kick, they would call - for now, Scorpio had his own plans, and that included not getting caught - which was a kick enough on its own. Luckily for Scorpio or Matti as he went by everyone here at the academy was pretty good at pretending, life was his stage and he was the performer of how he wanted to tell the stories that came out.

While skipping class, as he sometimes had a taste for doing because it was a matter of fact boring listening to stuff he already knew because he did know quiet a lot and most of the things he did hear, didn't fall in his interest. And it seemed like someone else was skipping this afternoon history class. Well, he could get why simply by the fact he knew who she was. "History class to boring for you princess?" he raised his brow a little bit as he approached her with his arms crossed he leaned against the wall with his shoulder and looked towards the werewolf. While he waited for her response his lips pulled up in a small cheeky smirk.

As any other day Minerva hadn’t taken on an aura today. Why did she need too? She didn’t feel the need to show off her powers, and it wasn’t like she was completely defenceless without taking on an aura. If need be, she could just absorb another person’s abilities for a little while, even though it always gave her a blistering headache trying to figure something out with very little time to actually comprehend it fully.
Minerva looked from her history teacher towards the clock. If she didn’t know better, she would believe that her teacher had the ability to either slow time or stop it completely. Because this had taken far too long already. Maybe history just wasn’t her thing? She had after all lived through much of it herself. She looked away again and down at her paper in front of her. Okay, this wasn’t getting her absolutely nowhere. As soon as she saw her opportunity, she would take it and sneak out.

It didn’t take her long before she could finally pack her things without no one noticing and then she was out the door before anyone could stop her. Laughing as she ran down the halls as a teacher was yelling after her. As she turned a corner, she pressed her back against the wall and closed her eyes. Not that she needed to get her breathing under control, but she had to control the emotions that was rushing through her. The thrill of the adrenalin would one day get the better of her, but just not today.
Minerva opened her eyes and looked at the demon, lifting a brow and letting her head tilt to the right. “It was” a toothy grin appeared over her lips as she leaned towards him. “What you up too Scorpio?” she hummed, wanting to be in on it, if he was running around doing one of his schemes again. It was the first of April after all. The day where you could get away with anything, with just saying two words.

Yeah well, it hadn't taken many days from when they had first met since Minerva had figured out just at least a part of who he was. How much she after that had discovered about him, he had no idea - and he also couldn't really care less about what she thought about him in the long run. But his smile did pull a bit more as she asked what he was up too. "You know, just the usual - finally managed to get the last thing I needed to acces the most forbidden place at this academy," Scorpio raised his brows a little bit more teasingly, she knew what he was playing at, and he knew she knew. "But its so no where near fun to do on your own, so want to be my partner in crime?" He asked with a little wink. Now it was a new moon day, not that the new moon affected her as much as it did to the normal wolves here who only had experienced the powerlessness a handful of times. Besides, Minerva was anything but powerless.

The small sound that escaped Minerva, as he told her that he had managed to figure out how to get into the tunnels, clearly indicated just how impressed she was. To that, also that she would very much like to follow along on this small journey through the passages that weren’t allowed for students. She wasn’t even sure if teachers knew how to get in there.
“That you even think you’ll have to ask” she hummed with a bright grin forming over her lips. She was already pushing away multiple sighs from different family members. But who could blame her? Even if it was new moon, there wasn’t really anything that scared the older wolf. Besides, she couldn’t really die, and if you couldn’t take advantage of that by going on journeys where you weren’t sure what kind of dangers and potential success were ahead of you. Then what could you really use this stupid curse for? She pointed towards him “after you, since you are the one that did all the leg work” she hummed with a cheeky smile walking a little closer towards him. Maybe it was the wolf that was weary, while she herself were drawn to the power and energy that surrounded the unique demon.

Her reply made the curl on the right side of his lip pull up into a more cheeky smirk. Scorpio had at first hand thought it was a even higher risk staying here, when someone knew who you were. Because for sure he didn't want to get noticed by more teachers, it was enough that two already had seen him and paid attention to him. Lucky for him, Jack and Victoria didn't say anything - people like them protected each other after all. Then there was the pretty werewolf princess with a lust for the thrill of adventure - lucky for him, she was more down for the trouble than wanting to kick him out. Scorpio made a small gesture with his hand for her to follow him, as he gracefully spun around on his feet and headed towards the stairs to the basement.

Now, everyone could enter the basement. Most people didn't, but some liked it down there, just to read in peace or just to be left the fuck alone. Not that he blamed people for that, and once again, he was lucky. Because no one was down here, which make things easier. He headed towards one of the walls, and placed his hands on it, feeling the coldness from it creep on his palms, not a feeling he liked, but well one had to own their discomfort for greatness. Scorpio had read and heard thousand of stories of students standing here for days trying to break through the magical lock that seemed to be guarding the tunnels. But how many of those students were raised by master criminals? Had been on heists and broken through saves that should be impossible to crack, even without his father or uncle's abilities - Scorpio had learned over the years. And even though it took a few minutes time of silence, finally the rock like wall started to move and turn parallel creating an opening to the secret tunnels. Tunnels that had been used as a scape route throughout Gaia some said it even lead a path to the castle. But no one knew really, because they hadn't been used for thousand of years. "Ladies first," he gestured her, letting a fire raise from the palm of his hand making him able to see in the thick darkness they were headed into. They could look for a torch or two once they had entered.

She followed him closely behind, almost so close that she was about to trip over her own feet when he stopped to start looking for the lock mechanism that would open the secret path. For a moment she wondered if he might have taken her down here to, yeah what would he do to a princess of her status? She wasn’t even sure if the man thought in those lines. Maybe that had been another reason why the old werewolf had been so drawn to him, because even though there was always a cheeky smile over his lips, and it seemed like he breezed through life with ease. There was something deeper, and more mysterious in that mind. Something she very much would like to unlock for herself.
Her blue eyes saw how the brick wall started to move, and made a small, but amused sound. How could she not? She felt like she was in a candy store and were starting to figure out just how much she could cramp into the paper bag.
“Oh why, thank you very much kind sir” she chuckled, and ducked her head a little, letting her hand rest against the brick as she walked into the dark unknown only to be lit up by the fire in his hand. “You haven’t explored down here by your own?” she asked, as she took a turn, feeling rather unfortunate that she didn’t really need a light to see what laid ahead of her.

Scorpio let his eyes wander around the slim hall as they walked though, letting their shadows follow them as the orange flames warmed up the space. "And keep all of this to myself? Even I am not that greedy," he teased a little, but it was true. Scorpio liked sharing experiences like this, sharing the things he found - that was another case. Scorpio kept walking further down the tunnel, with a boyish grin playing on his lip, now he hoped to find something good that he could brag about later. Because wouldn't that be amazing? Scorpio felt high on excitement on what was in store here. "What you reckon we will find? I heard it's said to lead to various of different ways around all of Gaia," he chuckled a little. Well for a treasure hunter such as himself, he hoped to find some hidden tunnels that could get him somewhere, a secret place that no one perhaps had been for years. A forgotten treasure, see that would be something.

She chuckled and shook her head a little, when he told her that even he wasn’t that greedy. The funny thing about it was the fact that she believed him. Maybe she was foolish for even walking down the path with a notorious criminal, that was known to be rather brutal in their way to get what they wanted. Maybe it was the fact that she knew that her family history was anything but peaceful. They had taken, conquered and brutally forced themselves on villages and countries. Fought in the name of gods, but when it came down to it, they had just served greedy people that hungered for power and gold.
Minerva shrugged at first, not really knowing what they would find. “I have absolutely no idea, but that’s the thrill of it –“ she looked over her shoulder to take the demon in and gave him a smirk “right?” she hummed, before looking in front of her again, making sure that she wouldn’t stumble over her own feet. That would be absolutely embarrassing.
Then they came to a cross where the path became five others. She pressed her brows together and looked at each one of them, before turning towards Scorpio. “Well, where too fire boy?” she said licking her lips, before the smirk returned to her lips.

Oh he was excited. Not really able to contain it, or he was, Scorpio had learned how to play different masks, after all he was raised by the masters of these games. However, there was no need to wear a mask whenever he was on adventure with Minerva. Maybe it was the fact that she herself had some family history, or that they just both knew there was no point of pretending to be someone that they weren't. They could just enjoy the adventure. "Always is," he mused with a cheeky smirk as they kept walking down the tunnel.

Reaching a crossroad his eyes looked over the five different paths. His eyes turned to the werewolf's for a split second, before he clicked his tongue and returned his gaze to the paths. Which one to explore for the day? Where would each of them lead? Scorpio could almost feel it tickle out in the tip of his fingers to figure everything out. There was rather clear that no one had been down these tunnels for over a thousand years. It was so silent that it could almost be dreadful if one had been down here on their own. "That one," he pointed towards the third tunnel from his left, because why start systematically when he also knew there was a chance for traps down here? He let the ball of fire he carried project the way for them so they could see better a little bit a head, or at least he could before walking ahead.

Of course, he chose the one that made her skin crawl, and even though she could feel how the hair rose in the nape of her neck, she nodded, and this time decided to follow behind him. Even though she was adventures, she wasn’t stupid. Nor did she discount her own gut feeling, even if she couldn’t always explain why something pulled her the other way, even if she rarely listened to it. Mostly because she wanted to see what was on the other side or know what it was, she should stir clear off. One could argue that was the downfall of being immortal, and never being able to die completely. Because you didn’t fear the unknown or thought about the fact that your actions might end up with you lying dead in the gutter. At least not in the same way that humans did, and which was why so many of the almost ran away from the possibility to discover something that would only happen once in a lifetime.
“Something feels off” she mumbled, as she walked a little closer towards him. Her eyes scanning the walls, seeing how water dripped down the roughly cut out walls. Maybe it was the fact that she knew that she should drips of water hitting the stone floor, but she heard nothing at all. As if this passage muffled all sound except their voices, even their steps where almost nonexistent.

Scorpio took a slightly deeper breath in as he saw how the water started to drip from the walls, but he kept going. Because he knew all good treasures were hidden by traps that would make you want to turn around. Even if he also knew that if water was to come to grip them, he might not come alive out of this. But if he didn't keep on going, he wouldn't be able to say that he had tried with everything, and who knew - maybe there would be something great on the other side if they just kept walking? "It might just be a warning, like beware of those who shall try enter," he replied back with a small frown and exhaled a little bit. "Might be an illusion," Scorpio thereafter theorized. What greater way than to freak someone out but having one of their fears coming to live, and if anything Scorpio wasn't afraid of water, but he was afraid of drowning and there by well dying. But he also believed by knowing and accepting your fears then it didn't control you.

She turned her eyes towards Scorpio. Now she was a woman that rarely thought about what she was doing. But something told her that Scorpio was even worse. “And let me guess, you never stop and think, maybe I shouldn’t enter?” she chuckled, letting him step in front of her, almost so she could let her eyes travel over his shoulder. Which, if one might think about it, wasn’t fair because she couldn’t die, and she was pretty sure that the demon didn’t possess the same abilities or curse; however, one might want to think about it.
“You think the water is an illusion?” she pressed her brows together and reached out her hand to touch the clammy stonewalls. A soft hum left her, and she licked her lips before turning towards Scorpio. “I don’t know, I can’t tell,” she said as it felt rather accurate to the real thing. She wasn’t in contact with that aura that would allow her to see through it. Then a low growl could be heard further down the hall. “You got to be kidding me”, she whispered, blinking a little as she waited for either a smell to tell her what it was or the sound of whatever came towards them to become louder. But it was like it never happened; maybe she was going crazy?

Scorpio made a small shrug, why would he? It wasn't like anything in there screamed 'stay away' to him, even with the water travelling down the walls. Because as long as it was just the walls, he would be fine. Even if the room should be floated, there was still chance of his survival. Now, he wasn't immortal like his father and uncle, not in the sense of him coming back. "If I was a secret tunnel who were made up with magic to make my enemies go away, I would cast a shadow of what they feared the most or something a like to keep them away - and well, I'm fire born. Water is surprise, perhaps the one thing I should stay most clear off," he mumbled a bit, well no surprise to anyone that water killed most fire. After all he was also a master in illusions, even if his uncle claimed to be better - then to be fair, Francis did have a few more years and a way bigger ego than Scorpio had, even if his own ego weren't small.  The low growl made Scorpio narrow his eyes a little bit, "and I would have guard dog to keep whatever I wanted hidden protected," he mumbled a little bit and took a sharper breath in, then igniting his hands into fire, casting a ball of fire down the tunnel to see if they could light it further up and perhaps get the creature or what on earth it was to attack before they got to close for it to have an upper hand.

“Of course, you would”, she mumbled, trying to rack her brain if there was anything she feared. “Do you think that an old-fashioned marriage matchmaker is coming down those stairs instead of a guard dog?” she mumbled, licking her lips. “Minerva Cleilia Radclyffee!” a voice rang through the walls, and her eyes widened. “Well fuck, it’s much worse”, she mumbled and sure enough, as the fire lit up the hallways, they were standing in a much older looking grandfather was walking towards them. “Fuck”, she cursed, licking her lips. “Okay quick, how is it with these things? You have to think of something that gives you joy or makes you laugh, right? Right!?” her breath and voice were a clear indicator that she was getting nervous and that whomever it was that was walking towards them, which in this case was a monster taking the shape of her grandfather. “You never be a fit woman if you don’t soon get a man and marries him!” –  “Oh shut up, you old dog!” she screamed back, knowing very well that it wasn’t him but getting her mind to really understand it was hard especially when she was so afraid of him in real life.

Do you think that an old-fashioned marriage matchmaker is coming down those stairs instead of a guard dog? Scorpio pressed his brows confused together, but soon enough Minerva's name was shouted so it almost echoed through the walls. "Yikes," he expressed looking at the old man coming closer towards them, "yeah I think so, or we express our fear, accept it? Something like that, uhm -" Scorpio noticed how the water seemed to stay away from them, perhaps because he had acknowledged and accepted the fear of drowning and water a long time ago, aware of it. Scorpio grabbed Minerva's hand and wanted to push her behind him, but then she shouted back at the guy. "He isn't real okay? Remember that its a fragment of your fear, he isn't real. Fear isn't real its all on our heads," Scorpio looked towards Minerva hoping that she could beat this fear of hers.

“Fuck”, she hissed as he took his hand and tried to calm her down. She knew he was right, of course, she knew this wasn’t real, and it couldn’t be her grandfather coming toward them. She breathed, or at least she tried to, as the heart hammered in her chest as if it was trying to jump out of it. “Okay, okay”, she nodded, closing her eyes and trying to remember all the great things that had happened in her life. And somehow, she had no clue why Malcolm started to pop into her head. A smile formed on her lips.
The sounds stopped, and just as he had appeared, he disappeared again. A breath left her, and her eyes opened as she looked towards the hall, where there was nothing to see anymore besides the tiny drops of water that could still be heard. “Okay, seems like, seems like that did the trick?” she chuckled almost in disbelief.

Scorpio was only slightly surprised when she took his hand, but he knew better than to let fear dictate his life - he was taught right on that. He looked at her face while her eyes closed, then seeing the smile on her lips - she had found an anchor. The figure went away again. "I sure did," he hummed a little bit before exhaling then taking his hand slowly back to himself. "Let's get going then," he nodded towards further down the hallway, because despite these small curses he still needed to find his basket of gold in the end of this. Hoping it would be there or whatever was waiting for them.

She nodded; no way in hell she was walking away from this when they were this close to the end, or at least she hoped this was the end. Unless, of course, the school seriously meant to hurt and kill some of their students—just as that thought that roamed in the back of her mind, she had to correct herself; of course, the school would put things in here that could end up killing a curious soul, it just depended on the secret that it wanted to keep.  
“You first”, she gave him a bright smile, but as he stepped in front of her, she placed a hand over her heart. It was beating heavily against her chest, telling her that she still lived. Maybe it was time to talk with someone about the fact that she was so petrified of her grandfather. Not that she would think that anyone in her family particularly liked him.
It was still a sore subject, after all.
As they moved down the halls, she let her dark eyes follow the lines of the walls, hoping that she didn’t miss a trap or anything alike—she just had to trust that Scorpio knew what he was doing. Just because she was already there, if someone told her that they were going to see what lay beyond where no one else had been in centuries, it didn’t mean that she did this very often.