Fantasy M E M E N T O ◘ The Taken Seed ◘ ic

[animegirl20]

Starlight was in her bed sitting up thinking about the events that happened yesterday. The last thing that demon said to her kept ringing in her ears "Do not let your hesitation cost you..." On top of that, she could not believe what happens to Enn. What possessed her to run-up to the Ardenstone like that? Well, it did work in Enn's favor. She was chosen now. "How strange." Starlight said to herself. Luna was sound asleep so as Starlight got up to get ready she made sure not to wake her. Once she was dressed she wrote a note and left it next to Luna. It was basically just letting her know she was heading to breakfast.

Once she reached the dinning hall she noticed Enn and walked over to her. "Morning Enn!" She said cheerfully. When reached over to her she noticed two other people who were sitting with her. Starlight sat on the other side next to Enn. "So how are you feeling this morning?" Starlight asked with a concerned smiled. Her attention then switched to a servant girl who had two plates of food. "I brought your usual." Starlight smiled brightly and clapped her hands together. "Alright! Thanks Liz!" The servant girl laughed and set the plates down. "Alright enjoy." she said before heading off. Starlight then started digging in. "Oh by the way I'm Starlight." She said to the two men. "What do I call you guys?"
Lekiel
Euclid Leaf
Wilder28

Spoiler: outfit she is currently wearing

 

[Euclid Leaf]

...
animegirl20 Wilder28

Ayer turned immediately when another voice was called to his attention, and then almost as though on queue so had another. His body and hand pivoted at his waist, remaining stiff like a statue as his upper torso spun towards the newly arrived. A friendly blond man with his Utukku and a woman aptly named, 'Starlight', with a standout exotic fashion. His silly smile grew as Ayer moved to extend the friendly handshake towards them as well. But perhaps he was too excited. Because when doing so, one of the loose the strapped rings on his elaborate brown coat caught on one of the ornate saucers atop the table. With a shudder and clatter, the poor thing was sent flying via make-shift a catapult. His eyes went wide and Ayer shot out to catch the tableware now turned projectile. He lunged for the cup as if it were a bomb, jumping out of his seat with both hands raised outward. His hands clapped against the flicking metal mid-air, and he could feel it nearly slip from his grasp. But his grip held firm around the silver as he planted it into his chest. Landing with the object cradled in his hands like a delicate child, Ayer breathed a thankful sigh as he pushed himself up from the ground.

Disaster averted. Or so he thought.

"AI Diff it! IDiff yuu see dat?" he shouted with his mouthful of bread, now waving the cup over his head triumphantly. But his smile didn't last long as a wet plop alerted him of his greatest oversight. The moist feeling now coursing down through his hair and the sour smell that assaulted his nostrils reminded him of the greater balance that dictated unwarranted fortune.

Ayer quickly flipped the saucer back upside, looking at the now empty vessel in his hands and the dense yellow liquid that ran like rivers down his hair onto his freckled face. In that silence, he had a deep and distant look as if he currently questioned his place in all of existence. To think that mustard would be the culprit for his social undoing today. But was it really to blame? After a moment, the young man burst out chuckling, "Bell, daat waddn't werry smood wad ith?"

Upon hearing himself speak incoherently the second time, Ayer quickly scarfed down the bread remaining in his mouth. "Oof, where, oh where, have my manners gone?" he said with a wide smile that didn't even show a hint of shame. Though perhaps it should.

With a huff, he stood up and went back over to the dining table with a slightly sheepish grin. Despite his outrageous new yellow hair gel causing him smell like churned cheese, Ayer didn't seem to lose a beat and proceeded with a sense of nobility.

"Ah, let's just start again. Shall we? Okay. Well, ahem. I'm Ayer Lecomte, valedictorian from Grishelgroft. Believe it or not, haha... Nice to meet all of you. Hope we get along." he then gestured to the mustard on his face, picking out another piece of bread from the large pastry plate. "My old man always said it was polite to share with new friends. Anyone interested? Don't worry about hygiene, I wash my face quite frequently."

With that, he dipped a chunk of bread across his cheek and plopped it into his mouth. Standard procedures, as usual.

...

 

[Ace Cream]

ZIMA UTKIN

Zima didn't feels that good after her contact with the ardenstone. It's like her mind was fleeting and she would later developed a fever for the night. Fortunately, she was as healthy as ever when the morning came. Dressed in a large blue coat that covered her from the neck to the ankles, Zima walked off into the dining room while Totoro in his monkey form followed her with a briefcase on his hands.

There's already several of the other chosen ones inside the room. The girl who caused the ruckuss yesterday- Enn- seems to have gathered quite a crowd. Well, it's normal for people for wanting to know more about what actually happened yesterday but Zima didn't feels like joining a chat during breakfast time so she sat at the opposite end of where Enn sat and simply enjoyed her bacons... while straining her ears to catch any useful information that she might be able to overhear. Despite her rough demeanour Zima still have a spot for gossip.

Her foliot, however, thought it was a good idea to jump into the conversation. Totoro walked merrily towards the group and chimed in right after Ayer's little disaster. "My boy, Ayer. of course I will be interested!"

The monkey snatched a bread and dipped it into the mustard on Ayer's hair. Then proceed to ate the bread while displaying an exaggerated happy expression on his face. "Such taste, I'm sure you will be a good coo- Gyhhaaaa!!"

Totoro's words were cut off when Zima decided that the foliot might embarass her with that sassy attitude of him so she threw a butter knife across the table with uncanny accuracy and it landed on Totoro's butt, sending the foliot bouncing in pain while trying to pulls the knife out.

"Pardon my foliot. Please feel free to punish him." Zima apologized shortly before returning her attention back to her bacons and ignored the monkey's cry.

Lekiel Euclid Leaf Wilder28 animegirl20

 

[Lekiel]

"Would just be waste of good milk, won't it?"

The young woman's back stiffened at the sudden intrusion, her morning reverie broken by an affable voice. A soft delicate tinkle sounded from the chime at her waist when she moved, but it quickly quieted.

"I... oh-" Enn's cheeks flushed with colour when the foreign student brought up her little fiasco the day prior.
"I didn't--" She started in a small voice but the Northlander was talking a mile a minute, having already moved on to introductions; featuring a bread-in-mouth. Much preferring not to speak about the incident, she leaned in closer to discern the young man's name carefully. With any luck, the conversation would be steered away.

"Enn. . . Enn Velahl." She offered her own name with a smile. "You must be from Grishelgroft, Mister. . . Leecoumt?" Alas, before she could catch Ayeer's reply, movement across from her drew her attention to two new faces sitting down across from the duo. She grew increasingly flustered, a fleeting panicked look flashing across her eyes as she suddenly became the centre of attention; from strangers at that. Then a fourth voice hailed her name, only this time, it came from a source of cheerful familiarity.

"Hi Starlight. I'm... alright." She all but tugged at the raven-haired girl's sleeve to pull her into the seat next to her, thankful to have someone she knew close by. It wasn't as if she suffered from social anxiety. Such afflictions were far from the usually carefree girl's demeanour. But ever since she'd... lost control, the young Velahl felt a little exposed. Like whatever enthrallment that occurred had left the doors to her self wide open. Or maybe they had never been closed? Regardless, Starlight's presence brought her some measure of ease and she managed to offer a friendly smile to the blonde-haired delegate and his companion before things became too awkward.

"Please," She gestured at the chairs in welcome, "this is Ayeer Lecoumt--" Enn turned with the intention to gesture at the Northlander when suddenly there was a clear BING. Time seemed to slow, with the poor girl being unable to move, her amicable smile frozen in time as a porcelain saucer was all but slapped into the air. There were some muffled gasps, a scuffle of movement, and finally, a rather sheepish looking Northlander with mustard hair product left in his hair.

So much had happened in so little time. Enn went slack-jawed. Her hand was still held aloft to introduce a now-empty seat that had been vacated in the blink of an eye by the very man now stood before them, dipping his bread in mustard moisturizer and reintroducing himself.

She blinked once.

There was a monkey dipping another piece of bread into Ayer's face.

Then there was a knife stuck in the monkey's butt and a voice making some remark from further down the table, while the monkey howled in pain.

Speechless. That was what she was at that moment.

She blinked again. Her shoulders rose as she took in a deep breath before turning to smile so brightly at Adrius her sapphire eyes were half-lidded.

"My name's Enn. Enn Velahl. Welcome to Highover, I hope you'll like it here!"

Mentions: Euclid Leaf Wilder28 animegirl20 Ace Cream

 

[Wilder28]

Adrius Devereux

References: Lekiel Euclid Leaf animegirl20 Ace Cream

What Adrius had expected to be a simple matter of introduction had quickly turned out to be anything but.

Just seconds after the two Ivories had taken a seat, they found their little group joined by yet another person: A woman dressed in rather exotic-looking attire, who he promptly recognized to be the Starlight girl he'd seen the day before. He didn't always have the easiest time remembering random strangers, but the sheer distinctiveness of her appearance made this one hard to forget. As he could recall, she was a Highover student - though if he didn't know any better, he'd have placed her as a 'Nokian - so that very well explained the familiarity she seemed to exhibit towards the blonde across from him.

Upon seeing her, Kieran raised his brows slightly, but Adrius simply gave her the same friendly smile that he'd given the other two at the table. As was proper, he began to introduce himself. "Well, I'm-"

That was about as far as he got. Before he could get another word in, he caught sight of something flying off the table nearby, and cut himself short as he turned to see what it was. His eyes widened when he found that it was a literal flying saucer, apparently flung off the tabletop by the redhead across from them. Watching as it flew, he had expected it to hit the ground and shatter, as such dishes usually do; but to his surprise (and slight amazement), the Northerner had managed to lunge forward and catch it in an impressive and comical display of reflex.

Now, while Kieran looked more astonished than anything, Adrius' smile had only grown, this time fueled by amusement as well as affability. Seeing the man's jubilant reaction, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as he made to compliment his reflexes. Only, he didn't really get to do that either, because the moment the words were about to exit his mouth, the redhead's victory was spoiled rather messily by a sudden shower of mustard. Apparently, the cup wasn't so empty after all.

At this, Adrius' eyebrows raised even more... before he just descended into a small bout of snickers. Beside him, Kieran just stared sympathetically for a moment, before searching for a napkin to give the poor guy - only to realize that, in his half-sleep stupor, he'd forgotten to actually get one. Thus, while Adrius took a moment to stifle his laughter, he just leaned forward and set his elbows on the table, cupping his hands on his face.

By the time the man had begun to speak properly, Adrius' laughter had all but died down, and the two Ivories now turned his attention to him. Kieran, though somewhat visibly surprised and impressed by his alleged class ranking, also seemed to be rather disgusted upon seeing him dip his bread in the mustard that now ran down his face. The blond next to him, however, seemed highly amused. Though he'd just met the guy - Ayer, he learned his name was - the combination of refined nobility and a clear sense of humor (which so few nobles seemed to have nowadays) had the Evoker liking him already.

Adrius grinned, and again, he made to introduce himself. And again, he was promptly interrupted, this time by a rather familiar monkey Foliot walking right up to Ayer and dipping in a piece of bread that he'd taken from Kieran's plate. The Abjuror, for his part, just kind of stared in a resigned fashion at this point.

Then a butterknife seemed to fly right out of nowhere and struck the monkey square in the rear. Raising his brows in ever-increasing amusement, Adrius turned toward the direction the utensil came from, and he found himself gazing upon the Grishelgroft blonde he'd seen yesterday. He tried to recall her name, having heard it once during the Ardenstone's Judgement. Zira, was it? Zina? Z- something. He really couldn't be sure, but that didn't stop him from giving a friendly wave in her direction, though he doubted she would respond in kind.

Then, he heard another girl's voice, and turned finally back to Enn, who was now addressing him. Now finally gifted with enough time to introduce himself, Adrius met her gaze... and laughed.

It started out as a small snicker, but his efforts to hold it back only seemed to make the urge come in stronger, until he eventually gave up and found himself leaning on the table, almost in tears. This went on for what had to have been a full ten seconds or so, during which the bemused brunette beside him just gave her a look that was 50% apologetic and 50% sleep-deprived. Then, he went about trying to coax the monkey over so he could take the knife out its butt, looking every bit like he wished he'd just stayed in bed this morning. On his shoulder, the raven Foliot didn't falter, still staring at the girl. Nor did Adrius' Utukku, who stood behind the green-clad Evoker stoically as ever.

When he finally managed to compose himself, Adrius cleared his throat, and straight up. "Oh, Seven, I love it here already," he mused to himself, taking the bread he was holding and nonchalantly dipping it into Ayer's face mustard.

Then, turning to face everyone else who was now seated with him at this table, he began at last to properly introduce himself. "Apologies for that," he began, looking not in the least bit apologetic. "My name is Adrius Devereux, and beside me is my close friend Kieran Holloway." The Abjuror in question just gave the vaguest wave, hardly even trying to follow along anymore. Taking a bite of his bread, he then gestured behind him. "That's my familiar, Zelos, and that creepy raven Foliot you see over there is Moros. He's Kieran's. As you can see here-" He tapped the Ivory Tower emblem that he wore underneath his cloak. "We're both from the Tower. I'm the..."

He trailed off, thinking for a moment, before turning to his friend. "What do you reckon they call the person who's third in the class?"

Kieran blinked, and seemed to think for a moment, though his brain seemed very much against it. "... I don't believe there is a term for it," he murmured, shaking his head slowly.

Adrius shrugged and turned back. "I'm the almost-salutatorian of my class. Pleasure meeting you all." He took another bite of his bread and smiled.

 

[Mqueserasera]

EUPHEMIA

Interactions: with everyone in the dining hall
Mentions: Enn ( Lekiel ), Adrius ( Wilder28 ), Zima ( Ace Cream ), Ayer ( Euclid Leaf )​

As per routine, Euphemia abandoned her lazy mood at daybreak and retreated as if fleeing from the window sill long before the first sunshine could creep far into her chamber. She had been relishing the delicious first air of the morning, though she did not mourn its depart. There would always be the next morning, then the one after that. Her subject of enjoyment was one that could not change, or alter in any way. And unlike those without as much responsibility or wealth to get by, she did not for one moment consider a tomorrow that would not come. Nor to her a day can differ much from the last. It was but another morning, only by happenstance that the first trial before the Reckoning ended yesterday, and that the second one would soon engage her mind.

She took a leisurely stroll before heading towards the dining hall, in no haste. Breakfast should be light before the trial. But at her late arrival, a scene was already brewing.

A boy, one of the chosen, by way of mishaps, had covered himself in mustard. What humiliation! Pity welled up in her heart. It was on the verge so, but what came next vaporized it all. Not ashamed, the supposedly pitiful boy went on to use his own face as a dip bowl for bread.

Her countenance was that of a difficult audience. The worst nightmare of a stageman – a straight, unamused face. She looked upon what might very well be a demon in disguise. Demons, they deny the existence of dignity, hate acts of virtue and revel in the sound of feet trampling on the polite society’s values. Even so, one knew they act only in their expected way, they dread what they know not, and reject a race not of their own. The sentiment differs when a human acts in the same demonic ways. By doing so he’s rejected his own race, the truth of being one. Even a demon in rebellion against his human master only does so according to its nature as a chaotic monster. Lower than them is he who’d forfeited his place among men, and thus worthy of being looked upon like something worse than a lowly demon, something akin to walking garbage.

Resisting the urge to shoo away the shameless being covered in mustard, Euphemia turned, detoured to avoid approaching his vicinity. She paced in slight haste, hindering them from dragging her in the charade.

“It is a merry morning,” she commented blandly from the other side of the table, a safe distance away, addressing the one in his laughing fit, who was on her side of the table. “At least one of us is beyond amused by this early circus. Enn, dear” over to the girl she sent a warm smile that stopped short on its way to the corners of her annoyed eyes, “if you indeed aimed to turn Highover into a circus with yesterday’s farce, I say you have, evidently, succeeded.”

Euphemia was not out to make enemies. Though she was ready to give Enn a piece of her mind, harshly if required. The girl's always been somewhat unruly, though out of anything but malice, her shameful display with the Arden stone could only harm herself and her guardian, Master Samael. She needed to be set on the right path for her own sake.

At least, those were the good intentions she had meant to spend on Enn, but now had vanished. The sight of a chosen one dipping bread in the mustard on his own face had brutally reminded her that some people are simply beyond fixing. Understandable, yet unfair, the irritation she held for that perfect clown had extended to his neighbours as well.

She at ease beside the table now, surveying for anything other than mustard and bread. She refrained from summoning Algae, as she’s always been reluctant to give the demon a chance to run amok in a crowd. Yet in one such situation, the girl beside her seemed not all that ashamed when her monkey shaped foliot made fun of itself. For the sake of all that is sacred, that girl at the very least was disapproving of her demon’s behaviour. Zima, she recalled the girl name. Euphemia had taken care to jot down in her memory names of all those who’d passed the Arden stone’s inquiry. To that girl, Euphemia was indifferent. One good impression she got was that Zima would leave people alone if they did the same to her.

 

[revior]

Finn Arland
​

'Pitiable', that was what the voice called him. The words stirred his heart, for not once had he ever thought himself pitiable. He was alive, was he not? He made it to this place, did he not? Finn only wished he had the courage to talk back at the voice. However, it was such a powerful presence, so commanding that he could feel his own mind going numb, capable of answering only what was asked on him. It was as if he had realized how truly insignificant of a being he was.

"Well, at least I made it."

"Indeed you have, in a sense. You've certainly made a single step into the door."

"I know, Xi, I know. I'm no Master Magician yet."

Finn turned back to the table before him, atop of which the parts of his Imprifle were strewn about. He was running a final check on it. Chances are, he'll need it in the coming trials. He recalled the dreadful training he had to endure before making it far enough as an Enchanter to be able to put this contraption together. Born as a Nullreiwmer, conjuration and enchantech were his only paths into magic and if he wanted a shot at being a Master Magician, he figured that it'd be best if he could become skilled in both.

"Hopefully, I won't have to use this, but I have a feeling that I'll have to."

After assembling the rifle back to its complete form, Finn placed it in a wooden case made of dark wood and finished with varnish.

"Alright, let's head out."

With that, he extended his hand towards the Foliot waiting atop the table, letting him slip into his sleeve.

***
​

As far as first impressions go, Finn's impression of the dining hall was, putting it kindly, not favorable. If someone were to ask him whether or not he would like to eat here, he would certainly prefer elsewhere. However, upon a second glance, it would seem that the chaos was localized around a single table. Everywhere else seemed peaceful enough. However, perhaps due to a morbid sense of curiosity, Finn's eyes can't help but be drawn towards the chaotic assembly of characters, all of which seemed to be drawn towards the girl he saw the other day. Enn, was it? The girl that gave him a feeling of such nostalgia, yet he couldn't quite put a finger onto why.

It's the eyes, a thought came from the back of his mind, they're not quite the same.

Then again, perhaps it's only natural that they'd gather around her. She made quite an impression yesterday. To just run up to the Ardenstone and partake in the trial. Can they just do that? it is fine as long as the stone accepts them? Apparently so, as here she is, amongst the chosen without seemingly taking any sort of penalty.

"Do we venture into the maelstrom? Or do we cower and walk away with our tails between our legs?"

"I hear your provocation, Xi, but I think I'll sit this one out. Better to reserve out strength for later, no?"

"Whatever you say, Master Finn."

 

[RI.a]

ARYA ;;​

Arya couldn't help but ponder about the vision with the Ardenstone. Especially about her answer; was what she said just out of fear in the situation? Suspects usually confessed of their crimes and motives from fear or being goaded into spewing their true feelings and motivation. Maybe it wasn't just Principal Deepwater to think she's more than her blood and family. She wasn't certain about her words, but she felt her resolve grow tenfold. She breathed a sigh of relief and her hands fell limp by her side once the shining light of the crystal dimmed. Despite feeling drained physically and emotionally, the young magician did pass her first trial. Arya walked off stage with a triumphant smile, hoping no one could see her lips tremble. And what does her soul reek of anyway?

The young lady joined the rest of the Chosen, returning congratulatory smiles to new and familiar faces. Her feelings of happiness was short-lived, as the tutor called up the next name. Feelings of dread, fear and worry bubbled within her as they placed their hands on the artifact. Terror flashed across their faces in a second and that's how long it lasts for. A mere second before the stone decided the student's fate. It felt like minutes in the melting abyss, her cold palms squeezed her arms to remind her she still had them; that they weren't melted off by the demon within.

What power, what magic could warp the target's mind to an illusion so real-- too real.

Principal Deepwater took the stage once more after the ceremony ended. As he congratulated the Chosen candidates, rushed movements through the hall interrupted the scene. A perpetrator? No, it was a student. The same girl from before! She sprinted to the stone and grasped it with both hands. Arya had thought she was going to make a run for it with the magic in hand. Instead, it lit up. Surprising everyone, even her followers to stop in their tracks, and she was accepted as Chosen. Arya confused above anything else, she couldn't stop glancing at the brave Miss Enn throughout the rest of Deepwater's speech.



"Finneas," Arya called as she put on her witch's hat. She felt a soft wind in her hair before the weight of the foliot on her shoulders.

"Must you wear that here too?" The ragdoll rolled his orange eyes, fully knowing his master could catch it in the mirror.

"Good morning to you too," She giggled, a finger scratching the cat's chin and earning low purrs in return. "I've grown way too fond of it. Besides, doesn't it suit me all too well? I'm afraid I wouldn't be recognised without it!"

Delightfully distracted by chin scratches, Finneas merely mumbled out an "if you say so".

"Be on your best behaviour, Finneas. We'll be having breakfast. And you know what mother would say." Arya tucked a stray hair behind her ear and did a final check of her appearance.

"First impressions always count," both human and spirit repeated at the same time.

The young lady in all black arrived in the dining hall with a matching black cat lazily resting across her shoulders, his long furry tail swishing back and forth slowly. She didn't know what to expect in the dining hall; eating dip off one's face was certainly not what she expected. Arya blinked slowly, bewildered by what she was seeing and her foliot asked the question on her mind. "Are we in the wrong room?"

Realising that her question was indeed spoken out loud, though not from her mouth, she cleared her throat and recomposed herself. "Let's stay on the low profile for now," Arya whispered, heading towards the breakfast bar and grabbing a tray. It wasn't like she wasn't used to attention, she just thought that the group would eventually clean themselves and disperse without her intervention.

Returning to the dining table, her fluffy foliot-scarf still around her shoulders, she made sure to steer clear of the chaos and banter and made her way to another blonde sitting alone. "Good morning." She greeted, giving the stranger a warm smile.

"I am Arya Kai Holmes from al'Miransar. Is this seat taken?"

Mqueserasera

 

[Ignem]

IGNEM ASPHALT
​

'Don't let your hesitation cost you...' These words still echoed in Ignem's mind. He sat in the dining hall alone. He had a tray of food in front of him, untouched. He still was thinking over what that..... creature said. What did it mean?

Sigh. It's not worth thinking over for now... The thing to think was the trial. Getting over his thoughts he digged into his breakfast. As he was eating his eyes fell on his classmate, Enn Velhal. His eyes narrowed as he remembered what she did during the trial. Why did she did that though? Might as well ask her. Finishing his breakfast he got up and walked towards Enn.

Lekiel

 

[Euclid Leaf]

...
Wilder28 Lekiel Ace Cream Mqueserasera animegirl20

Ayer smiled at Adrius. He enjoyed a man with good humor. Even better, he was willing act himself in the face of absurdity. He nodded to his fellow Ivory Kieran too, even making a point to slightly bend his body in a dignified bowing gesture to both of their demons. Many people tend to ignore demons, seeing them as not even human. But he wasn't that sort. If it can speak and emote, it deserved the same treatment as everyone else. Despite his outlandish social attitude, he held a strong creed. Still, Ayer could tell that some of his new associates already disapproved of his behavior. He has seen it enough times to know when someone thinks poorly of his conduct, even when they try to hide these negative emotions.

Regardless, he addressed them all with continued grins. "Oh, don't be so dower. Third is quite good! Though it doesn't really work like that in our school. We have a valedictorian honorary class, consisting of a handful of students who represent a respective arcane subject. These valedictorians were the contingent of students you saw arriving from Grishelgroft Academy in the welcoming ceremony yesterday."

His lips turned, a tongue peering out to scoop away some mustard dripping down past his nose. "But if you were to rank me among my peers...? Well, I'd say there is this particular little blonde girl who..."

But just as he started, he was interrupted by the sensation of a hairy bulge tapping the back of his head. He nearly jumped out of his boots in shock, but then a familiar sounding voice made him more curious than afraid. He glanced up to see the primate looming overhead atop his shoulders.

His brow raised, recognizing the little monkey, "Totoro?"

Speak of the devil. Zima Utkin was the very person whom he was just about to refer when speaking with Adrius. They were peers in the enchantech valedictorian division at Grishelgroft. Though she always kept to herself more often than not. That made the two of them. Despite their differing methods, he always had a respect for the small girl. In fact, while he represented the creative side of enchantech as a magic art form, she probably embodied what was more the core principles and ingenuity of such a craft. There were few who had such a refined sense of craftsmanship as her. Certainly not him. The two mages didn't interact with one another much, but he has heard many fun things about her foliot Totoro. A little rascal, this one.

Immediately, Ayer's pale yellow eyes glazed over the tables to see where that little girl was hiding, catching her unmistakable serious face at the very end. Avoiding this whole wreck of a situation. Not unlike her. Serious as a soldier. Ayer covered a sly smile with a playful roll of his eyes as he replied to the compliments he was receiving from the little demon Totoro. Well, he was about to.

"Gyah!"

His head was suddenly and viciously yanked back. The monkey pulled at his hair as though ripping out grass as it yelped in pain. A knife was now sticking out of its poor rump, courtesy of Zima herself. Although Ayer had some choice words regard her poor treatment of her demonic familiar, he wasn't given much chance to speak them.
Reeling from the whiplash of the flailing monkey bouncing up and down on his head, he held out a hand and hushed it. "H-hey now! Calm down... You're a demon, aren't you? Aren't you overreacting? This isn't even supposed to hurt that much!"

Upon seeing as it was too busy in agony to listen to reason, Ayer made quickly to end its suffering. And his own. The tall, lanky redhead fought to stay balanced as Totoro trashed about on his head, yanking out bits of hairs, and howling in tantrum. With one swift motion of his hand, he brandished a deadly butter knife from the fleshy sheathe it had been embedded in. Luckily, there wasn't much blood to deal with when to came to these demons. Really, it was far from anything close to a flesh wound for them. Hardly anything to cry about. There are many theories accounting for amplified and intensified sensations as a result of a demon's body being forcefully anchored to this reality. He felt pity for them, as much as all those before telling him not to. But he didn't have much time to contemplate this twisted bond between magician and demon.

Already, he could feel the monkey tense up in pain and shock from the knife slicing back out.
However, before it can let out another yelp, he shoved a sausage from a nearby plate directly into its mouth. Ayer began patting its little head and cooed, looking upwards with a grin, "There, there. It's tasty, huh? Help yourself to more mustard. Your master might not let you be yourself, but I'm willing to let you vent your desires."

While Ayer attempted calming the little monkey foliot, he noticed others had risen and begun crowding around the surrounding tables. He didn't really mind their disapproving looks. He was used to it by now. But there was one in particular that grabbed his attention enough to make note. He watched incredulously as a high strung noblewoman, without even as much presenting her name, spoke to 'Enn' in a rather rude way. This woman made like she was far above the little fun they were having, with how she looked at Adrius. Even if it was just a split second, she looked at him as if he committed some sort of atrocious crime for simply enjoying himself and having a giggle. This turned something inside Ayer.

As she walked away after making her comments, holding her nose high, Ayer sneered and called out. Though the juxtaposition of having a monkey as a hat and mustard serving as hair applicant, he appeared rather serious.

"My, my! Did your servants forget to press and pump your pillows the correct amount of times, ma'am? Or do you always wake up a grunch?" as if realizing his sudden change of mood, he played it off with a laugh. "I guess some people think they can say whatever they want because they possess a privileged name. If yesterday this poor lady committed a farce, then you, my fair lady, are an uncompromising melodrama."

...

 

[NUSKI]

KLAUS WILLOWHAIN​

Klaus eyes opened abruptly as his upper body jolted upwards. He took a quick look at his surroundings, remembering the events of the previous day.

The Ardenstone.

Any grandiose fantasy that he had about the Isles was immediately shut down after he pulled his hands away from the relic. The voice had called him unworthy twice. It was what he always feared but would never dare to say out loud; he was chasing ambitions that he had no interest in. Even if that were the case, he wouldn't know where he would be without magic. He couldn't imagine himself being anything else. Klaus rubbed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair as he thoughts pulled him further from reality. He had made it to the Highover Institute of Magic; there was no turning back. Even if he wanted to leave, what would he do? He doubted he would fit in much with the bureaucrats and merchants in his family.

Klaus pushed the blankets off of him as he remembered the last thing that came from the voice.

Yours is a place traded for, do not squander it.

He slid his feet towards him and rested his chin on his kneecaps in silence for several minutes before he felt his stomach rumble. He thought it best to avoid thinking about the words spoken to him as long as he could. Klaus rose from his bed like a zombie, his mind now focused on food.

* * *​

Klaus closed the door behind him with his right hand, his other hand gripping the pendant around his neck tightly.

"Dadir" he muttered before emitting a yawn with outstretched arms. The raccoon familiar appeared around his shoulder in a barely visible puff of smoke. "We're going to eat" Klaus continued as he advanced down the hall. While he would never tell Dadir, he had absolutely no idea where he was going. Lucky for him, most of the students were heading to the dining hall; all he had to do was follow them.

"Why do you sound like that?" Dadir asked, bouncing off of his shoulder and onto the floor. Klaus offered him a look of confusion before waving his hand dismissively.

"Just tired. You missed a lot yesterday" he ended, placing his hands in his pockets. His familiar tilted his head towards him but remained silent, not wanting to push further. For the moment, he just wanted to eat and talk about literally anything else but the Ardenstone.

Before he knew it, Klaus had arrived at the dining hall. He had filled his plate, or rather plates, with various meats and pancakes drowned in syrup. As he struggled to hold the food with both arms, he turned around to find an available table. If he were to have it his way, he would rather sit by himself... especially on the first day. His eyes bounced from table to table, hoping to find someone he recognized. Like some others in the hall, he had noticed the center of the hall was swarming with much or activity than the rest of the tables. At the sight of the students gathered at the table, he tilted his head with curiosity.

"What was his name?" Dadir said, interrupting his line of thought. He had slipped himself between Klaus' ankles, glaring at the excessive amount of food with disapproval. Klaus cleared his throat and stepped over his familiar, walking deeper into the dining hall.

"What are you talking about?" he responded, not even bothering to look over the raccoon.

"The grey haired one you rode with on the carriage. He went to Sorcera al`Miransar with you, did he not?"

"Finn?" Klaus questioned, looking down at Dadir. The raccoon nodded in response and flung his tail over his back, gesturing for Klaus to follow him. Dadir hopped over the feet of unsuspecting and hungry students until he turned to face Klaus. Upon looking up, he saw Finn Arland in the seemingly same predicament as himself. Still holding his plates of food, he stood beside him, turning to see what he was looking at. "...So? What do you think?" said, turning to face him. "Of the school, I mean" he continued, his head tilting towards the table where Enn sat. "That one as well. The anomaly. It seems Arya is at least interested."

revior

 

[revior]

Finn Arland
​

"Ah, Klaus! You surprised me!"

Caught off guard by Klaus' unannounced presence, Finn jumped slightly, almost dropping the plate of food he was carrying with him. It was only a moment later was he able to regain his composure and think on the questions that had been suddenly asked.

"It's... certainly not boring. What with the 'interesting' characters gather from all around the world," Finn put it lightly. "The dorms are about as spacious and comfortable as one would expect of an academy of such prestige and as for the food, well, I haven't the chance to taste them yet."

Finn then paused briefly, turning his eyes on the girl, Enn, before continuing to answer.

"As for her, well, I can't say I am decided just yet. I just don't know her all that well in the first place. We haven't even properly introduced ourselves after all. However... have you ever felt that someone looked familiar to you despite never having met them before?" Finn paused again, feeling that he had said was rather silly now that he said it out loud. "No, you know what, never mind. Forget I said anything."

NUSKI

 

[Mqueserasera]

EUPHEMIA

Interactions: Ayer ( Euclid Leaf ), Arya ( RI.a )
​

"My, my! Did your servants forget to press and pump your pillows the correct amount of times, ma'am? Or do you always wake up a grunch?" as if realizing his sudden change of mood, he played it off with a laugh. "I guess some people think they can say whatever they want because they possess a privileged name. If yesterday this poor lady committed a farce, then you, my fair lady, are an uncompromising melodrama."

For a brief while, Euphemia answered the provocation with astonished widened eyes, like a lioness before the bravery of a lone hyena. Then her tense countenance turned relaxed, she had met one too many of his kind to reveal an uncalled for fury.

“Only a moment, Miss Holmes of al'Miransar,” Euphemia answered the girl with a weird hat, though not at all as unpleasant a sight as the rest of the dining hall.

“Mr Lecomte is it not?” she rose from her seat to address her aggressor, who was still covered in mustard. “I seem to have wronged your feelings somehow.” And she smiled sweetly, but being apologetic only in the way of a carefree young lass for the sweetness of her afternoon tea, “Then I ask for your forgiven and promise the blunder shall not be repeated.” She offered him a slight bow, voided of any sign of insincerity, for it was a nicely practised one. Then she continued, brazenly with her eyes cast forth, not breaking contact with his for a beat, as if she, not him, was the one towering the other, ”Only I don’t speak untruths, as a matter of principle. Though I shall take great care to put things more delicately in your presence in the future, lest your feelings are disturbed. For now, I bid you a beautiful breakfast, Mr Lecomte.”

Then she rested on her seat again. While a maid served her fried eggs as ordered, Euphemia directed her attention to her neighbour with sudden eagerness, making clear to Ayer that her little time for him had expired.

“It’s a pleasure, Miss Holmes. I’m Euphemia of house Aureli and Fontana, this island here is my home. I would say welcome to you, but it is much more urgent a task to inform you that there are plenty more to see in Highover, charming people and lovely views. Please do not let the first impressions disappoint you.”

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Mentions...
Mqueserasera Lekiel Wilder28 animegirl20

Ayer was surprised by the strike that was returned to him. Because it felt like a pillow thrown against his face more than a punch.

The redhead blinked, opening his mouth almost reactively at what was being said. But when it registered what was said, his action fell apart. He had prepared himself for an exchange of blows. Not in this way, however. His mouth remained open, ready to fire back. But not a word came out. 'Mr. Lecomte' looked more confused than the monkey clinging atop his head. Truly, it was like a lioness had made her presence known. Though her words were well-meaning he saw the intensity in her eyes. Never has he seen someone act this way. Was it showing of immense self control or the sheer skill on display of a social pariah. He hasn't encountered a noble with this level of underhanded cunning such as this. Not of his own age, at least. The majority were loud and snobby and fully meaning to shove it down one's throat. He was very much expecting a heated exchange to fuel this fine wildfire of a first morning. But it was as if she just kicked sand into the fire pit.

Ayer was simply dumbfounded. This inability to formulate a proper response kick started a motion as if to say something maybe once or twice. Finally, the staggered man fell back into his seat with a huff.

"Thanks... I'm glad you understand...?" he muttered, breaking eye contact from the stone-gazed woman with a thankful breath.

Ayer gazed forward for a moment. The world looked transparent in his eyes for this period of time, as if he was gone from his body. Until a smile broke from his face, "Truly, the chosen here are a special breed of their own. I can't say I've ever had so much fun in my life. Oh!"
As if in disbelief, he pinched his cheek just to make sure. A look of joy brimmed on his face.

Nodding his head, Ayer turned to the people nearby with a more somber look. His grin flattened a bit, somewhat apologetically. "Sorry for maybe dragging you into that... It's enough to just be seen with me, isn't it? Maybe it is a bit too extreme... Well, that's just how I am I guess. I just can't stand it when people look down on those who do what they believe in their hearts. Whether it is laughing or running wild during a ceremony."

He pat his chest, laughing as if even he didn't understand it himself and could only show it. Still, Ayer hoped the intentions of his words managed to come through somewhat.

...

 

[Wilder28]

Adrius Devereux

References: Lekiel Euclid Leaf Ace Cream RI.a Mqueserasera Ignem

"Oh, don't be so dower," Ayer had said to him. "Third is quite good!" At this, Adrius' smile grew a little. Though he had been a tad self-deprecating in his declaration, he was hardly upset about his position. He recognized that it was quite exceptional, and quite frankly wasn't much concerned for it beyond that. He'd made the top seven, and that was what mattered - although he probably wouldn't have cared too much if he hadn't made it either.

But, as far as he was concerned, the distinction was hardly worth pointing out. So he didn't bother with it. Instead, he just leaned forward, setting an arm down upon the tabletop while casually munching on his bread. As he did, he seemed entirely content to listen to Ayer's account of how things worked up in the North, curious as he was about such things. Beside him, Kieran, tired as he was, seemed to do much the same.

Following the whole monkey fiasco that ensued shortly after, during which Adrius very nearly laughed himself to tears, the young Ivory was relatively quick to notice the crowd that had gathered around them. To him, it was hardly a new sight; he'd had something of a history of causing such spectacles himself during his years in the Tower, both humorous and humiliating, intentional and otherwise. So, of course, he was more than familiar with the nature of students, always flocking towards the excitement in much the same way that actual flocks of birds would congregate towards the various feeders left out around the institute. And of course, whenever encountering such a situation that hadn't been of his own making, he was almost always easygoing about it. Things like this happened. He usually found it best to just have a laugh and move on.

As was often the case with the nobility, though, it was clear that most of those around him didn't quite share this view of his. While some appeared to be concerned, or even amused like himself, it seemed to him that most others were very visibly disgusted and/or disdainful toward the tall redhead at the center of their attention. He knew the look. No doubt they saw his shameless behavior unbecoming of a noble.

Of the onlookers in question, however, only one in particular stood out to him: A certain golden-haired noblewoman who was just now making her way towards a seat near the knife-throwing Grishelgroft blonde (whose name he was still struggling to remember). He'd really only singled her out because he'd heard her address him while he had still been a bit preoccupied with his own mirth. Or at least, he thought she did. He couldn't really be sure. He hadn't exactly been listening.

But he was now, and just in time for him to catch at least the later part of her remark towards Enn. And hearing it, it became pretty obvious that she was not only disapproving of this entire situation, but also that she was no less critical of the other girl's actions the day before. And, if he was being honest, he couldn't really fault her for that. It was easy for him to see that what Enn had done was incredibly disruptive and uncalled-for, what with the way she seemed to just utterly disregard the rules of the event in favor of her own interest. Personally, however, he leaned toward the side of admiring her audacity for it, especially since it worked out alright in the end - though only the Seven know how badly it would've turned out for her if it hadn't. It also helped that he always did have a fondness for unexpected occurrences such as this, even more so when the reasons behind them were so unclear. Sure, Enn had done it, but why? He'd be lying if he said he knew her well, but so far, she hardly struck him as the type who would be so bold as to attempt such a thing.

But it didn't seem that this noblewoman took that into consideration, nor did anyone else around them. Granted, she probably knew her much better than he did, so it's possible that he was simply wrong about this entire thing as well. Who knew?

His gaze lingered on the woman for a moment, before turning to his fellow Ivory beside him, likely out of curiosity to see how he was taking this situation so far. And to his surprise, Kieran, who just moments ago had looked like he'd already seen enough of people in general for today, was now gazing at her as well with an almost astonished, wide-eyed look. Seeing this, Adrius furrowed his brows a bit, his expression one of curiosity as he turned his gaze back to the woman, hoping to figure out just what it was his friend was so fascinated with. She was well-dressed and well-groomed, certainly, and she carried herself with a sort of poise and dignity that he imagined most nobles of high status would have. But he couldn't quite discern anything particularly special about her beyond that.

But the longer he looked, the more he was able to recall her identity. Back during the whole Trial By Ardenstone they had gone through yesterday, before they themselves went, Kieran would occasionally nudge him and quietly point out whenever someone of particularly notable heritage stepped up. The Abjuror himself was hardly among them, even less so than Adrius was in fact, but he'd always had a penchant for the history and society of Feria. His fairly extensive knowledge of that subject ensured that he was thus aware of most of the major families in the world, especially those of Highover. He admired them just as many others did, albeit in his own nerdy way.

House Aureli was no different, and in contrast to some of the others that had been pointed out to him, Adrius was a fair bit more familiar with this one. He'd learned of their story, their curse, at a young age, and had always found it to be a subject of interest. But, perhaps unlike most, he also tended to associate them with that one classic fable of Goldilocks. It was his sister's fault, really. The two tales were hardly connected to one another in any way, at least as far as he was aware, but Lykeia would nonetheless make the mistake of relating or confusing the two more than a few times. He and his brother Damian had always found some hilarity in the idea, so they quickly made a habit of just calling any Aureli "Goldilocks" as something of an inside joke. Kieran never really approved of it, nor did many other nobles outside his own family, but as one can imagine, that never stopped either of them.

At any rate, he realized now that the woman before him was of that very House. Euphemia, if he recalled correctly. Maybe it was because he was more familiar with her family, but he found that her name came to him a little easier than Zima's oh wait that's what her name was!

This certainly explained the look Kieran was giving, then. It seemed that his friend was simply a tad star-struck. Doubly so when another noble came strolling along, a petite girl in what must have been 'Nokian garb, who happened to be wearing a rather peculiar hat. Thanks to the family crest she wore on her shoulder, which Kieran had pointed out the day before, he was quick in recognizing her to be of the Holmes family. Arya, if he recalled correctly?

Whatever the case, Adrius was hardly as impressed. Irreverent as ever, his only outward reaction to this realization of Euphemia's identity was a soft chuckle, and with it, a small statement was made under his breath. "She's a Goldilocks."

Hearing this, for he was the only one close enough to, Kieran turned and gave him a most irritated look, to which he only responded with a flippant grin. A fairly common occurrence between the both of them.

Before he could be admonished, though - if that was indeed his friend's intention - Ayer spoke up.

"My, my! Did your servants forget to press and pump your pillows the correct amount of times, ma'am? Or do you always wake up a grunch?"

Hearing this, both Ivories paused and turned to look at the redheaded Northlander, having not expected such a jeer from someone who seemed to be such a friendly guy. The man then laughed, as if it were only in jest, but Adrius nonetheless realized that he must've been at least a little offended by the woman's behavior. It wasn't hard to recognize; he'd seen it before in his brother and, less commonly, in himself.

"I guess some people think they can say whatever they want because they possess a privileged name," Ayer had remarked, essentially confirming the Evoker's suspicions. "If yesterday this poor lady committed a farce, then you, my fair lady, are an uncompromising melodrama."

There seemed to be a brief moment of tense silence that followed this jibe, during which the two Ivories shared an astonished glance before turning back to look at the noblewoman in question. Both were wide-eyed, but - to put it in a most anachronistic way - Kieran's expression was one of "Oh crap," while Adrius' was more along the lines of "Oh snap!"

And indeed, it seemed like Euphemia was quite offended, if the hint of ire in her eyes was any indication. However, quickly as it had come, that same spark faded as she seemed to rein in her temper, showcasing an impressive amount of self-restraint while also doing away with Adrius' expectations of a verbal confrontation (Which was probably for the best, because he felt Kieran had had enough this morning already).

What ensued instead was a rather impressive display of class, sophistication, and practiced formality as the golden-haired woman proceeded to stand and issue what was probably the most well-rehearsed apology he'd ever witnessed. It was definitely telling of her status, as most of the higher-ranked nobles he'd seen were of the pompous variety, those who wouldn't even dream of bowing to someone they deemed beneath them. She was evidently brought up differently than most, which he supposed was to be expected when one came from a family such as hers.

That being said, in spite of there not being even a hint of insincerity in her tone nor her posture, Adrius would've thought it far from satisfactory. Though not visible, he sensed there to be an undercurrent of contempt throughout the entire gesture, especially with the way she promptly sat down and ignored the man. It was the type of apology one would see at a gala, made to appease nobles whose egos were perhaps bigger than the that of your average Marid. A far cry from those used in his own household, which were often more informal but also markedly more sincere. It was a type he'd never really grown accustomed to using himself, since his interactions with nobles of her caliber were often brief.

Curious to see how Ayer would take it, the young Evoker turned back, waving over at a certain Highover brunette who'd only just shown up. And as it would seem, the response was enough to placate him after all. Judging by the way he stood stunned, Adrius figured he wasn't expecting this sort of riposte either. Not that he could blame him, of course.

Then the Northerner dropped back into his seat, seeming more confounded about the situation then anything. Then, after what must have been a moment of contemplation, he surprised the blond by breaking into a broad grin, and it quickly became apparent that he too found the novelty of this experience to be a delight.

Glad to happen upon what looked to be a kindred spirit, Adrius responded to Ayer's apology with a grin of his own. If anyone seemed to understand what the man was getting at, it was him. "Don't worry about it, friend, we understand where you're coming from." He nodded aside at Kieran, who was still looking a little confused about the situation himself. "As far as I've ever been concerned, there's no better noble than one who's willing to laugh at themselves." He gestured in Euphemia's direction as he continued, "People like that are best kept at arm's length if you can help it. They'll be treating you much the same way, so why waste your energy worrying about what they think?"

He gestured lackadaisically to the hall around him. "Especially now. We're in Highover, for Empyrea's sake. What does it matter if you spilled a bit of mustard? It's not as if you'd ruin everyone's time here by doing so." He glanced at a nearby buffet table, then added, "Speaking of, would you like me to retrieve a napkin for you?"

 

[Lekiel]

Though somewhat overwhelmed at the rapidly escalating farce, Enn quickly found herself snickering along with the duo of Ivory Tower students when their boisterous mirth resounded off the polished marble of Highover's dining hall.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance Adrius, Kieran, and you of course, Ayer..." She added politely, though the smile on her face vanished when their conversation shifted towards their class rankings and achievements. She wasn't offended in the least, as the group gave off a rather cheerful and light-hearted vibe. They certainly did not speak of their attainments with any pretence of bragging. In fact, it was quite natural given the requirements of prestige required to even qualify to have a shot at The Reckoning. Prestige which she markedly didn't attain and yet still found herself with a place among their ranks. It was only last night that she had found herself having to deal with a rather flabbergasted and disappointed father.

When all had settled, she'd gone to him to attempt to explain her unexplainable behaviour and wish to undo what had been done. But the only conclusion to that act was the fact that Principal Deepwater himself mooted any chance of her withdrawing, given the fact that the Ardenstone had deemed her 'worthy'. It was all she could do to avoid the stares, imaginary or not, of accusation and jealousy that were levelled at her back wherever she walked. Many had given up tireless hours and made costly sacrifices to have a chance at such a qualification. She was under no illusion that she was 'worthy' in any way and yet, here she was and had to be.

“It is a merry morning,” whatever mental rumination the flaxen-haired girl was going through was interrupted by a familiar airy greeting. Recognising the owner of the voice, Enn turned to offer a greeting in turn but was left slack-jawed when she heard what the striking blonde woman said next.

“At least one of us is beyond amused by this early circus. Enn, dear” Euphemia smiled, though the way it stopped before it reached her eyes sent a chill up her spine.
“If you indeed aimed to turn Highover into a circus with yesterday’s farce, I say you have, evidently, succeeded.”

Enn winced at the carefully polished though scathing remark. It was like honey tinged venom, delivered with as much poise as an assassin's fatal needle-prick during a masquerade. Such things were obviously no longer common undoubtedly, but she couldn't help herself from imagining such a comparison between the smiling visage of the noblewoman and one of the many insinuating repartees between the highborn of fiction. The two fair-haired women had never been particularly close of course, but this was the first time Enn found herself directly on the receiving end of the Aureli's withering words.

"I didn't intend. . ." she began lamely but realized the futility of explaining herself. She didn't even understand what occurred, she wouldn't blame others for seeing her act as anything else but deliberate. She dropped her gaze but to her utmost startlement, she heard a witty retort from the tall Northlander.

She whirled on him then, a mixture of gratitude and horror playing across her pale blue orbs. She was pleasantly taken aback to find a stranger standing up for her, but at the same time did not wish for this to escalate any further than it should.

"it's fine... don't-" she hissed a whisper at the Northlander's back, feeling increasingly miserable for being the source of enmity between the students of the two opposing schools. Her comments fell on deaf ears, though thankfully, what could have easily turned into a heated exchange quickly dissipated. Nonetheless, the whole situation left a somewhat bile taste in her mouth. The bowl of soggy cereal suddenly seemed more unappetizing that it could possibly be.

"Sorry for maybe dragging you into that... It's enough to just be seen with me, isn't it? Maybe it is a bit too extreme... Well, that's just how I am I guess. I just can't stand it when people look down on those who do what they believe in their hearts. Whether it is laughing or running wild during a ceremony." Ayer apologised, though blaming him was the furthest thing on Enn's mind.

"No, please don't be sorry on my accord," her voice was soft, "and please don't blame Euphemia. . . she does has a right to be frustrated, please?" Enn implored to those gathered around her. She worried her bottom lip, before managing an embarrassed smile.
"I'm going to get some bread. There's no way I'm eating this." Enn made a face at her bowl of goop, before excusing herself from the table. Heading towards the buffet table, she mouthed a 'good morning' as she passed by Ignem., a little too disturbed to stop for any lengthy conversation.

⋨⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋩​

Not long after, the dining hall returned to a sense of normalcy but as the spirits of mischief would have it, the pleasant morning was once again in turmoil.

A sudden yelp followed by a loud crash of breaking china and clattering pots interrupts the healthy chatter of the dining hall. Heads craned and turned towards the source of the hubbub at one of the many long dining tables. A crowd had already begun to gather around a clearly infuriated blonde-haired student in Ivory Tower livery glaring down at a terrified servant girl, cowering on the floor and rubbing a scalded arm. A growing puddle of spilt breakfast tea, milk and cubes of sugar mars the otherwise pristine marble flooring.

"ARGGHH!! You imbecile! Clumsy piece of gutter-imp!!" The student had begun berating the servant, gesturing at a large brown stain upon his carefully starched uniform arm. "You've burned me!" He continued to whine as a gaggle of his fellow schoolmates fussed over their precious snowflake of a friend.

"I-I... sorry! S-sorry..!" the maid apologised profusely.

"Do you know how much this uniform costs!?! It's a bespoke piece tailored by Madame Raefleurs' top craftsman and you've ruined it with your stupidity!" The student loomed menacingly over the servant, raising a fist as a large bat fluttered angrily at his shoulder.

"Please... forgive her. She's sorry... It was just an accident" Happening upon the incident on her way back to her table, Enn found the courage to step in to salvage the maid's misconduct. Enn approached the terrified servant girl and began helping to put her tray back together. Matters centred around her were one thing, but she wouldn't hesitate to speak up for others if she could. She turned her grey-blue eyes up to regard the fuming student offering an alternative, "Highover's cleaners are exceptional! If you get yourself changed, I can help you-"

"Excuse me, who do you think you are!?" His tone had suddenly taken on venomous spite, so sharp that it caused the sniffling servant to stiffen in renewed fear.

A frown creased Enn's brow as she paused in the process, sitting back on her calves from where she had been kneeling to help the servant. "I am Enn... Enn Velahl. It's a pleasure to meet you..." She offered up a hand from to the Kal`Borian and his snivelling gaggle of minions.

"Velahl? Oh, I know you. You're that scumsucker who cheated to get yourself chosen weren't you?" The tall blonde sneered in contempt.
"But do you know who I am you lowbrowed peasant!?" His reddening pasty face seemed to glare at Enn as he stood akimbo, appearing thoroughly intimidating with his tall athletic frame.

To Enn's credit, she appeared to have taken the question seriously, quite effectively ignoring the insult.. Her grey eyes narrowing as she stared at the student silently, as if she could actually deduce his identity by studying his features long enough. A nerve bulged in the Kal`Borian's jaw at Enn's marked silence, as if he was sure everyone would know who he was. And indeed, most in that growing crowd who was a noble child worth their silver-spoon would recognize the coat-of-arms proudly pinned on the pasty haired blonde's collar. House Duchanteau. And this was no doubt...

--Lore Update

Spoiler

House Duchanteau is known all over Feria for providing the finest Silverite minerals. Their refining process is a well-kept trade secret, producing the purest of Silverite materials that no other manufacturer could match.

"Constance of House Duchanteau... do you not know your betters girl!?" Constance sneered at the kneeling Enn.

A soft "oh..." breathed from Enn's lips as she nodded vaguely at the young Duchanteau Lord, trying to feign realization.

"Are you serious!? Do you not-!" Constance shook his head incredulously and was about to prattle on another tirade when one of his friends whispered into his ear, catching him mid-sentence. A grin slowly formed across his ruby lips as he turned to regard the wide-eyed servant girl. He cleared his throat.

"It... actually does not matter. I shall invoke the Magician's Mandate!" He gestured rudely at the servant who was shaking her head in fear. "You! You're coming with me. No doubt you cannot repay the loss of this shirt."

--Lore Update

Spoiler

Magician's Mandate - A law which allows Magicians to demand immediate compensation or exact self-defined appropriate punishment upon any commoner who has wronged them. There is no strict regulation about what sort of punishment is deemed appropriate, as long as there is no loss of life or maiming. The Magician's Mandate is a sore wound that further exacerbates the divide between Magician and non-Magician classes.

"No." Enn's voice had taken on a terse edge, the change in her tone was so sharp that it caused the young Duchanteau to be taken aback in surprise.

"I.. what-- I beg your pardon? Did you just deny me my right?"

"You cannot invoke that here. I forbid it!" Enn snapped, turning as the servant had let out a frightened sniff. Her heart had begun to pound from the tense situation. She had no idea where her bravado had come from, but she knew she couldn't stand the abject shaming of the servant girl.

Constance's mouth was agape by now as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. It took him a while to regain his composure. "That's not quite how it works Velahl. Or are you saying you will defend this... this... peasant's honour in a duel, hmm? Or perhaps you have friends to back you up, we could make this a group thing?"

Enn appeared shocked at the turn of events, as if such well-known customs had never occurred to her. She swallowed back a gulp of trepidation and stood to her feet, a determined look in her chilly eyes.
"Unauthorized violent altercations between students is forbidden on school grounds." She stated as if reciting a memorized religious verse.

The wretched group of Duchanteaus burst out into hysterics at Enn's declaration, doubling over in raucous laughter. Through it all, Enn remained unfazed. On her shoulder, the usually sleepy Kala had finally awoken and yawned, oblivious to her mistress' predicament.

"You can't be serious? Either you step aside and let me have at that trash or we're doing this duel." Constance had stepped out to the side as the crowds widened to give the disputing Magicians space.

As for Enn... she stood staring wide-eyed at the young Duchanteau as if unsure of what to do.

Mentions: Euclid Leaf Wilder28 animegirl20 Mqueserasera Ignem

 

[Ace Cream]

Zima

Zima was just finished enjoying her breakfast when another ruckus happened, apparently a maid accidentally spilled tea onto someone from Duchanteau, whose from his response Zima deemed as childish. Still, a Duchanteau shouldn't be taken lightly. Zima didn't have any intention to barge in. As a family of dragoons the Utkins had good relationship with Duchanteau and she definitely wouldn't risk that for a random servant.

However, things turned interesting when Enn stood up for the maid. Intrigued, Zima called her foliot Totoro and told him to pour her a glass of wine. The monkey complied while rubbing his butt. Back to the ruckuss, the matter was now spiraling for the worse as the Duchanteau seemed to exaggerate the maid's mistake by invoking the magician's mandate, probably to piss Enn and feed his ego further, truly childish, but Enn's lacks of knowledge about the noble house didn't help either. It's quite obvious that the Duchanteau had shifted his attention from the servant to the Velahl.

"Here is the wine, master." Totoro dragged a sealed bottle of wine towards Zima. Whose relaxedly opened the cap and poured the content into a glass. She smelled at the sweet fragnance of the beverage. Yes, definitely a top-notch. Her father and grandfather likes to drink wine for breakfast and the habit was rubbed into her, it also made the family's tolerance for alcoholic substance quite high.

Instead of doing anything about the incident unfolded innfront of her. Zima intended to use this opportunity to observe both the Duchanteau and the Velahl. Zima wasn't the type of person who let noble's pride clouds her judgement, nor was she the one who likes to be all-friendly and assume the best of everyone. No, Zima thought herself as someone who mainly judges someone based on competence. The Duchanteau seems to have bloated ego, now the question would be how much further would he drag this actually trivial matter? On the other hand, the Velahl just caused a ruckus yesterday and now she might start another one, how far would she hold her ground? A thin smile could be seen on her lips as she sipped her wine.

"I hope I have popcorn... You're not going to do anything about this, master?" Totoro asked casually, still rubbing his butt.

"Not worth." Zima replied shortly. "And stop rubbing yourself." The monkey did as he was ordered to.

 

[revior]

Finn Arland
​

A shrill cry cut through the air, and even while Finn was speaking with Klaus, his attention was promptly stolen. There was a student, a blonde boy, yes, a boy, less in terms of his age but in his overall demeanor, who seemed to be making a fuss about being burned. For a moment, Finn felt a sense of concern for the blonde despite his behavior, after all, he was injured and would naturally be upset. While he may be spewing all sorts of profanity towards the one who had apparently burned him, Finn gave him the benefit of a doubt and thought that it might have been an outburst that came in the heat of the moment. However, the moment came and went soon enough.

As soon as the boy began speaking of his clothes, Finn wondered if he had been that badly injured at all. Then again, perhaps those clothes were just that important. A gift perhaps. That was what Finn would have liked to believe. However, once Enn entered the scene to try and intervene and the situation escalated, the blonde's behavior took a turn for the worst. Soon enough, the moment when Finn lost all sympathy for the blonde eventually came. It was the moment he invoked the Magician's Mandate.

Finn was never sure why that law was made and for what purpose did it serve during the time it was passed, however, nowadays, it was rarely used in a way that was not abusive in any form. It was an abuse of power and position that was recognized by the law and no amount of sugarcoating would convince Finn otherwise. Even so, as much as he disapproved of it, it was still very much the law. The girl, Enn, may forbid it as much as she likes, but even this rule breaker has no power over the law. Still, not all was lost, the blonde, the young Duchanteau ha said it himself: "Either you step aside and let me have at that trash or we're doing this duel."

Finn steeled himself and stepped forward. He of all people wasn't going to overlook this. He wasn't going to just shrug his shoulder and tell himself that it can't be helped. There was still a way out of this cruelty and corruption and he wasn't about to turn his back on it.

"Then let us have this authorized," Finn said, in response to Enn's previous words. "Let us make this duel official, with the instructors as witnesses and the student body as the audience. Set in a proper stage, a proper arena, rather than this crude mess hall."

"What say you, young lord of Duchanteau?" said Finn as he bowed as low as it was proper towards the young Duchanteau before turning back to Enn, "And you? Miss Velahl," he said to her with an almost audible scoff.

Of course, it was all an act. Enn was not the person he was selling this idea to. His customer was ultimately the young Duchanteau. If a duel must happen to stop this horrible thing from happening, then so be it. And if the duel was official with the proper witnesses, then neither party could deny the outcome, whichever it may be. And then there was the procedures of obtaining the permission to have the duel in the first place. That would take time, time to prepare, time to find another solution. So long as the fight doesn't break out here and now, there's still plenty of options they could take. That is, if Duchanteau takes the bait. For that purpose, Finn tried to suck up to the boy as much as he could with his previous proposal. It would seem that while Finn had taken the path of the Magician, the one that was supposed to inherit the Mcfarlane's trading empire remained well alive within.

Lekiel

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Mentions...
Lekiel Wilder28 revior

Ayer seemed glad the people around him didn't blame him. In fact, it seemed they accepted his action with a friendliness he has yet encounter elsewhere. His look warmed up like that of a child who just discovering a score of presents hidden under a tree on Hollow's Eve. Though he gave Adrius a curious look at the mention of napkins.
"No, that is fine. Thank you for your consideration." he laughed, winking "But I have here, something even better! A monkey to pick and scoop the mustard from my hair. They are magnificent at grooming, you know."

His eyes squinted in concerned that he made Enn uncomfortable. Ayer nodded his head at her plea for him to understand Euphemia. So this was her name. Why hadn't she just started with such? In truth, he was far detached from the politics and court culture of the high nobility. But he has indeed heard of such a name. Aureli Fontana had a mysticism that surrounded them, especially around their sole heiress. More so than most other magical families. His eyes sparked with a tinge of wonder. But he didn't want to bring up anymore comments regarding the fierce young noble. Both out of something of fear he has developed, and tact for the current situation. Best let Enn settle her emotions before he poked about more.

Ayer smiled as Enn went to get a replacement for her cereal bowl. It looked more like oatmeal than crispy flakes at that point.
As he watched her go off, Ayer watched with a blank glance. He made a mental note to be more mindful when dealing with the flaxen haired girl. She was of a softer breed. Like a curling feather sticking out of a plumed pillow. Very unusual indeed. She struck him as someone even more new this whole world than even himself.

His pale yellow eyes switched back to the rest at the table. But before Ayer began saying anything, his eyes landed on the parchment of his latest design left unattended this whole time. His eyes were honed on a change in the draft paper. Unintentional. A mistake. An accident. Just like that, it was like none of them even existed before this point. Among the stitch work of shapes and measurements, the patchings of sprawling notes were almost incomprehensible, there lay a bright yellow stain. Mustard. The liquid dragged across the ink and smudged the design. Most inventors would reel in abject horror at such a disaster. To lose a draft, even just a small part, is essentially to lose progress, sometimes even years of it.

For a split second, Ayer had a look of terror in his face. As if he had just lost a child. But it was quickly washed over by a deep sense of understanding. Maybe the child wanted to be lost? Whatever that meant. The tall man seemed drawn in, hunching over as he spun the paper here and there to view it at different perspectives. He dragged his body in a perfect arc, like a pen in a protractor, pushing aside whatever lay in his path. He might've even bumped into a Adrius as he shifted his body to level with the table, completely focused and no longer present of his surroundings. Finally, the madman stopped. Flipped upside-down, half falling off the table, and one leg draped awkwardly around another seat to keep balance. At this point, it was hard to tell if he was having a weird seizure or performing an abstract yoga routine.

But in this position staring a the paper, it was like he reached nirvana. It as though a lost piece of the puzzle had fallen magically into place. Excitement brimmed on his face in the shape of a wild, devious smile. Ayer spoke up to the monkey atop his head. "Oi. Monkey, wiggle some more. I need more mustard droplets... Monkey?"

Only to discover that the only monkey left was himself.

His eyes darted up, trying to figure out where his new friend had gone. He really needed some more creative spunk. But it seemed the monkey had returned to the beckon of its owner. Darn. He made to go to Zima to borrow her familiar just for a little longer. But she seemed interested in something, preparing herself for attendance of a show almost. She held in her hand a glass of wine along with a funny smile. Actually, it seemed everyone around him was interested in something he was not aware of. His ears then picked up on some screaming, and Ayer spun in seat to face it. The world seemed to return to him slowly, like layers of props being lower and raised in a play.

"Enn...?" he said, staring at the scene unfolding before him.

Then a look of realization crossed his eyes. That was the smug bastard that pushed him the very first day, surrounded by his gang of cheerleaders. As he watched, Ayer began to understand the situation between the servant, Enn, and the Duchanteau snob. Why wasn't he surprised a pretty boy would make such a big deal out of spilled milk? But to invoke such a powerful right of the noble families, Ayer's smile strained. He was definitely not a fan of this 'right' against the simple-folk. He could already feel his anger boiling as they laughed at Enn. It was like watching a pack of wild dogs circling a pair of rabbits. He breathed a sigh, knowing that only a fool can play a fool's game. Ayer had started to push up from his seat. Then, just to throw another complication into the situation, one more had approached. A young serious man. Ayer didn't recognize this one. It seemed he was trying to diffuse the situation with proper logic. Admirable. But Ayer already knew such a thing was futile. Logic, like any civil courtesy, holds no ground against a man who does not care for it.

Without another moment wasted, he began stamping forward. His indigo loafers pattered as Ayer motioned into his coat pocket. He then tossed an metal marble across the ground. Out from it rolled out a confused little Frumpy. The little imp whined as it tried to unruffle itself from the jumbled scarf wrapped around itself.

"Owie, master what was that for...?" the imp huffed, rubbing his rump.
"Had a nice sleep?" he said, still walking ahead, "I was just giving you a head start. Now go look for an instructor. A guard. A sanitation agent. Any authority."
Its flat stubby nose curled up, "Ew. Authority. Why, why?"
"If I have to ask for authority, you already know it's dire."

With that, Frumpy immediately began flying off, wings flapping grudgingly as it shook to wake from its drowsy state. Ayer could only hope it was fast enough. Now, he just needed to play along to buy some time. Wiping the mustard on his hair onto his hand, he pulled the red curls back as though it really was hair gel. Might as well learn to enjoy it. Seems like it will be a recurring theme today. As he passed by a table that had been vacated by the students now crowding around the commotion, Ayer picked up a familiar little saucer full if yellow liquid from among the collage of foods. Ah, an old friend. Placing it on a plate belonging to one of the students, he proceed to carry it as though a waiter delivering an important entree to a special guest. And a very special guest this one was. Ayer had to force back a smile. He has been waiting for a moment like this.

Stepping up besides Finn, he made show as if he was in a rush somewhere. Then, just when he was in range, Ayer made a dramatic show of getting caught up in his own feet. He began flailing like a giraffe made to stand on one leg. He really dove this time. He really needed to make it believable. Ayer didn't like the fact that he had to do the same trick twice. But he was already falling fast by the time these thoughts crossed his head. As he did so, he made sure that the payload would splash wide. Food would be flung everywhere. Especially towards Constance. A mutually assured destruction. Others would simply be unfortunate collateral.

He sat there, covered yet again in mustard. He rubbed his head, "Ouch... what even... Oh my!"

Then his bright yellow eyes went wide. It was as though he witnessed a murder. "Oh... A Duchanteau... What have I gotten myself into? Apologies! My deepest, sincere apologies!" Ayer said, his face left aghast as he pointed to the ornate badge hidden behind the mix of stains upon the uniform.

He cursed himself as he tried to get up, stammering and whimpering, "I'm such a klutz... why is it always me...?"

...

 

[RI.a]

ARYA ;;​

Spoiler: way too long

Slightly taken aback by a provocation directed towards their way, or more specifically, the tall blonde student, Arya stayed where she stood. Slightly confused about the reason for the redhead's retort. Arya must have missed a precedent occurrence while at the breakfast bar. She had wanted to avoid the rowdy crowd that morning, but somehow still ended up walking right into the middle of it. Before she could continue thinking about her small blunder, the blonde excused herself and made her way towards Mr. Lecomte. She watched in awe as she apologised instead. One she saw her mother, though rarely, would have done for any unexpected mishaps. Her poise, manners, and words were not to be taken lightly. Arya couldn't clearly see her expression as her back was facing where she was, but the redhead slumping down to his seat told her that he didn't expect her reaction at all.

The esteemed noble came back, head held high with a purpose in every step before resuming the greeting between them, rather cheerfully despite the tension just mere moments ago. Arya promptly took a seat beside Euphemia, Finneas hopping down to the floor and curling up into a black sphere by her feet. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Aureli!" House Aureli Fontana- a house her mother had mentioned before; even the Hinokian empire had heard rumours of a cursed family in Highover but that's all they were; Rumours. And Arya was not one to believe them. After all, she's all too familiar with the likes of it.

"I would say welcome to you, but it is much more urgent a task to inform you that there are plenty more to see in Highover, charming people and lovely views. Please do not let the first impressions disappoint you."

"Oh, on the contrary! I have fallen in love with the island the moment I stepped off the skyship. You have a very beautiful home, almost as beautiful as you. And I doubt anything could disfavour my impression of Highover." Arya added, she figured it best not to bring up what just unfolded and silently thanked Euphemia for such a quick change in topic. The lady started taking small, dainty bites of her meal, noticing a feeling of being watched rather intensely. Dabbing her lips gently as she glanced up to see a pair of eyes locked on the two of them. Arya hadn't had the chance to meet him and offered a small smile towards the boy. She was used to stares from commoners in her home city, but not in a school setting. Of course, there would be students outside of al'Miransar and even they would recognise noble houses of the Empire.

Turning her attention back to the Highover student, Arya continued with excitement. "Could I possibly ask you to show me around the castle if we have spare time? Architecture is one of my interests and I would very much like to--" The lady stopped herself before she could ramble more. They weren't even friends yet! And the small miss had dared to ask Lady Aureli Fontana to spend precious free time with her as if she had no better things to do.

"I apologise, I didn't mean to sound so desperate." Arya looked down, slightly ashamed of herself for losing composure in front of an acquaintance. She should not make excuses lest she makes the Holmes family look bad. She brought her dark eyes back up to Euphemia's blue ones, and her signature smile plastered on (one she practiced for many years). "I would greatly appreciate it if you had the time to spare, Miss Aureli."

Mqueserasera Wilder28

...

Like one of the many in the hall, the al'Miransar student turned towards the sudden disruption. Academies across the world sure were similar, but she didn't expect another dramatic incident to occur all before the first lesson no less. Instead of rushing towards the growing crowd, Arya stayed at her seat. Reminding herself that she was going to lay low for now. After all, she enjoyed Euphemia's company. It was just another trivial scuffle, and someone had already stepped in to help remedy the situation.

"I do hope classes are a little tamer," Arya chuckled. Lo and behold, the Duchanteau name was announced and by none other than the young lord himself. Moreover, he declared a magician's mandate. To the little Holmes' eyes, it was uncivilized, public abuse of power, and to use it for what sounds like a complete accident was downright wrong. Her petite hands clenched the fabric of her dress tightly. As if sensing his master's unrest, Finneas sat up and his mischievous eyes glowed in anticipation. "Please excuse me, Miss Aureli."

Arya swiftly made her way to the scene, her fluffy foliot trailing behind. But before she could squeeze through the crowd, Finn had made an appearance and made a suggestion to try to appease the Duchanteau. However, from Arya's interactions with Constance, she had an inkling that his proposal wouldn't sit very well with the prestigious nobleman. As the front row finally allowed the petite miss through, Arya finally saw Enn in front of the servant who had most likely tripped. She went to them first, a gentle hand on both Enn's and the maid's shoulder. "Are you both alright?" She asked with genuine concern; she didn't witness the occurrence with her own eyes and they both could have gotten hurt somehow as the scene escalated.

Before she could get an answer, Mr. Lecomte from earlier had, not only appeared on scene, but dramatically fall to the ground causing a perfect tray of food and an awfully large serving of yellow sauce to fly towards Constance.

Now, Arya remembers the Duchanteau's parties to be the most grandiose of all that she's been to. Living with all that splendour would give anyone, especially someone growing up in it, a disgusting snobby attitude. And boy did Constance have one. Arya kept her distance with the young blonde, keeping her conversations short and sweet with him. She did notice her parents had always spent the extra mile preparing her for Duchanteau's parties and stayed chatting with the current Lord and Lady; that was another thing to worry about another day. He was always surrounded by a group of cheerleaders and young misses fawning over him. Arya never did like how high his nose was and it was high for all the wrong reasons. Causing a scene for his clothes was very much like his character. So did he deserve a mighty serving of the sharp-smelling condiment spilled on him? Maybe but that wasn't for Arya to decide. Still, the image of mustard dripping off his chin tickled Arya a little too much that she had to stifle a laugh.

Arya stood up, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent her from laughing uncontrollably. "I must advise you to wash that off quickly, Constance. Mustard stains and odour linger on hair and skin a lot longer than it does on cutlery. If you don't believe me, who has read everything from novels to medicinal books; well, you'd be walking around with dark yellow marks on your perfect fair skin and mustard musk trailing wherever you go for at least a month."

Arya has indeed read many books that are outside the curriculum, but none of them mentioned that mustard could stain and stink on human skin. She hopes he and his lackeys did not have such in-depth knowledge on culinary arts or medicine. Arya did believe that Constance must uphold his appearance to the tee, so the young snooty Duchanteaous should take cleaning himself precedence than avenging for the "misdeeds" that befall upon him.

Lekiel revior Euclid Leaf

 

[Wilder28]

Adrius Devereux

References: Lekiel Euclid Leaf Ace Cream RI.a animegirl20 revior

Upon hearing Ayer's rather unusual answer, Adrius simply gave a relaxed smile. "Ah, of course. How could I forget?" He asked with a chuckle and a wink of his own. He honestly hadn't really expected the man to take him up on his request, but he thought it best to extend it anyway. Just to be courteous.

Enn had then spoken up shortly afterward, and he turned his gaze over on her for a moment as she made her response to Ayer's apology. "No, please don't be sorry on my accord," she had said. "and please don't blame Euphemia. . . she does has a right to be frustrated, please?" Adrius raised his brows slightly, glancing back at the fair-haired noblewoman in question. Not because he thought her wrong, but because she certainly seemed to be a guilty of her actions more than anything. Which lined up well with his presumption that she wasn't the type of person to do what she did, but not so much with the act itself. It took a bold person to pull that sort of thing off - a very bold person. Even Tyce wouldn't have considered it, and Adrius knew him to be the sort of guy who'd be entirely willing to take on a Horla or Ifrit in a battle of evocation.

But she didn't seem like that. Quite the opposite, in fact. And he found that curious.

It was at this point that Enn had announced her intention to get a new breakfast meal, which he found entirely understandable. "Probably a good idea," he'd told her off-handedly, giving her a friendly smile as she headed off. Then, he glanced at the overturned bowl of cereal that had been left before them, seriously considering for a moment whether he should feed it to Zelos, bowl and all. Much as the familiar seemed fond of eating trash, he had to wonder is he would appreciate having an actual breakfast for once as well.

After a few moments of thought, though, he ultimately decided that it was best to just leave the meal be. He may not have always been one for proper etiquette, but even he figured that having your Utukku go around eating other people's food would probably be pushing it. Even if the other person didn't actually want it anymore.

So, with a sigh, Adrius just leaned forward and set his arms lazily on the table, glancing sidelong at Kieran. He'd considered sparking up another conversation with him... until he saw that the guy still had some of his attention focused on the two noblewomen nearby. (Well, three, but he was fairly certain he wasn't really looking at Zima.)

Naturally, the young Evoker decided to follow his gaze. And no sooner than he did, he saw the woman look up and meet Kieran's. To his slight surprise, she gave the Abjuror a smile, indicating to him that she probably wasn't as uptight as her (new?) friend seemed to be.

Rather than being honored, though, Kieran just blinked a few times, as if caught off guard by the reaction. Then, realizing that he'd been staring, he promptly blushed a very deep red. He quickly issued an apology, though it was quick and quiet and probably no very coherent if you weren't right next to him, and turned away even as he said it. As he sunk into his seat in abject embarrassment, putting his hands over his face and cursing his own social ineptitude, Adrius couldn't help but snicker a bit. Still, he set a reassuring hand on his the brunette's shoulder. "You do know you're free to say hello," he said, nodding in the ladies' direction.

Kieran lowered his hands a little and gave him a look. "Why would I do that?" He asked, as if he'd just suggested he do something completely off-the-wall. The question came from a place of self-confidence - or rather, a lack of it. Perhaps unlike most nobles, Kieran was hardly the most self-assured fellow, and he imagined that failing the Ardenstone's test didn't do many favors for him. Of course he wouldn't see himself fitting of interaction with those of higher status. Even if he admired them. (Not that he particularly cared about those who didn't).

Knowing this, Adrius just shrugged. "Why would you not? The Aureli might not be the friendliest of people, but the Holmes girl looks kind enough. Surely it wouldn't hurt to approach her. Perhaps whenever she's finished with her conversation, you can go up and ask her whatever intellectual inquiries are on your mind. I'll even join you," he offered. Still, though, Kieran looked unsure, staring ahead with slightly furrowed brows. "I don't know... I-"

He was cut off when Adrius bumped into him. Which also startled Adrius, because someone else had bumped into him.

Turning around, the emerald-clad Evoker found himself gazing upon Ayer once again. Except, something was notably different: He was upside-down. The sight both confused and amused him, and utterly bemused Kieran, who now sat up straight to get a better look. Moros, who had since directed his attention elsewhere after Enn had departed, turned to look at him as well for a moment, cocking his head curiously. "What in the Seven's name is he doing?" The brunette murmured.

"Hm. Not sure," came Adrius' offhand response. Then, without warning, Adrius leaned out the side of his seat, holding onto the table with one hand and gesturing for Zelos to step back with another. Kieran's baffled gaze then turned to him as well, like he was wondering if the blond had chosen to join the fun. As it turned out, though, he was actually just doing this to take a peek at what the Northerner was so focused on. Once he got a good enough look at it, he sat right back up, setting his arms on the table as if nothing had happened. "It's a blueprint of sorts. He's an Enchanter," he reported, interest clear in his voice. "Seems like he's just in the zone is all."

Being honest, he was half tempted to wave a hand in front of Ayer's eyes to see if he would notice, but he quickly decided against it. That never really turned out well with Enchanters. Or really any magician who was this engrossed in their work.

Kieran eyed the taller man with an almost skeptical look. "I can see. Can't say I've ever seen an Enchanter quite this prone to movement, though," he remarked.

Adrius nodded his assent, and was about to respond when a loud yelp sounded from another part of the hall. Almost immediately, both Ivories (and their demons) had looked to see the source of the commotion. What they found was a small crowd of people gathering around what seemed to be an altercation between two people. One of whom was someone he presumed to be a servant girl, and the other... Well, he recognized him in an instant.

"Constance Duchanteau," he observed aloud, half a smile on his face. "I thought I'd recognized that girlish shriek." A fellow classmate from the Tower, and hands down his least favorite of the seven who'd been selected, Constance was somewhere between acquaintance and enemy. The two naturally never associated in the past, but they had certainly crossed paths more than once, and those occasions didn't always end particularly well. Especially not after that whole debacle when Adrius had juked the guy into blowing up a bird feeder a while back. Both of them had gotten into a lot of trouble for that, but he'd be lying if he said he'd regretted it. That whole situation was wild.

At any rate, Adrius noted now that the young scion stood surrounded by his usual posse, composed largely of other Ivory students who had likely come to spectate the Reckoning, as so many others had. With them were also a few students from other schools as well, likely the type who liked to flock to the most popular of people and feed their egos.

He wasn't surprised to see Tyce and Hemera among their number as well. Though kind, the latter had always been the type to follow the crowd, and the former tended to hang with those of high rank as well as high prowess. They weren't quite his cronies by any means, but they tended to stick close to him. Aside from Adrius and Kieran themselves, Valton was the only Ivory who tended to keep his distance if he could help it. He could be seen with the guy on occasion, but Adrius knew he only maintained the "friendship" so he could reap the benefits of it. Otherwise, he couldn't give less of a damn about the kid. His focus was on his work, always. Even now, he remained seated in the far back, seeming to give only a cursory glance to the growing crowd before returning to his own sketching.

Much as Adrius would've (probably) been inclined to do the same, his interest in the situation and concern for Enn trumped that, so he naturally took a moment to assess the circumstances before doing anything else.

It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on. Not with the way Constance was shouting - he could hear the guy from all the way over here. From what he could tell, the heir was now raging at the servant girl over her conduction of the worst of sins: Staining his outfit. And with hot tea, no less! It was without a doubt the type of thing that could give even a Clades demon nightmares.

So frightening was it, that he couldn't help but snigger at it as he watched. "Oh dear, what a tragedy," he remarked with a thoroughly amused grin. Beside him, Kieran remained silent, continuing to watch with an expression of clear disdain.

The situation only continued to escalate from there, though, as Enn herself stepped in in an attempt to defend the servant girl. It came as a slight surprise to him, but in the end, it only gave him more of a reason to respect her. Especially as she showed that she could be bold after all.

But Adrius knew the guy, and he knew that her approach to the situation wasn't going to work. It never did. And indeed, he could see quite clearly that her attempts to defuse it peacefully only went ignored in favor of many petty insults and the usual lording his heritage over her. As was to be expected from someone like him; he was the very type of person that Adrius had contrasted Euphemia with.

Really, he'd seen and experienced this sort of thing before, so he was far from offended by it. If anything, he only found humor in Enn's clear lack of recognition of his identity, and even more so in his melodramatic reaction. To him, this was almost a comedy.

And then Constance invoked the Magician's Mandate, and his smile fell as the situation took a turn for the worse. "What?!" Kieran had exclaimed from beside him, looking to be perhaps the most outraged he'd ever seen him. Adrius glanced at him, but didn't speak, furrowing his brows now as he seemed to switch gears. Both their gazes switched to Enn for a moment as she proceeded to deny him the right, as if that were something you could actually do. He had to admit: Even though it was futile, he still found the move pretty gutsy, and his respect for her only grew from it.

The conversation went on, and at this point, Adrius was itching to get up and step in himself. Then, he heard mention of a duel - Constance was suggesting it, aiming the challenge at Enn and whoever else should desire to join her. As it seemed, it was either that, or the servant got it. Adrius new the boy well enough to know that there was going to be no other option. Enn, for her part, seemed to refuse, quite understandably, stating that such a conflict wouldn't be allowed here. And while the Duchanteau party seemed to find it laughable, Adrius was quick to realize that it was likely true. After all, this was Highover, and from the sound of it, she had been citing some sort of rule. Apparently, it was actually a part of the code of conduct here.

But naturally, Constance didn't care. None of them did. Persistent as ever, he continued to push for this punishment to be exacted somehow, because apparently he could never just let things go.

Fortunately, someone else stepped in, as Enn didn't seem to know what to do from here. A tall blond from... Miransar, he believed? He stepped in between the two, announcing that if a duel as going to take place, then it should be made official. His attempt to diffuse the conflict was admirable, certainly. But it wasn't going to work. Setting up a duel took too much time and too much effort, and if Constance had made one thing clear, it was that he was going to exact his revenge now.

Beside them, Adrius and Kieran caught sight of the young Holmes girl as she got up and made her way over, looking perhaps just the slightest agitated bit agitated. Apparently, she was a decent person after all.

Now, Adrius got to his feet as well, dusting off his cloak. Normally, this would've been the part where Kieran advises him not to get involved lest he could get in trouble and bring shame upon his family etc. etc., but due to the severity of the situation, he did no such thing. Instead, the brunette stood up to his full height, and as the Evoker made his way forward, he followed without complaint. "Moros," he said. "Go retrieve an authority, please."

The raven didn't utter a word, simply fluttering off of his shoulder and swiftly making his way out of the room.


The moment they had reached the crowd, Adrius immediately went about searching for the servant girl. Once he located her, standing alongside Enn with Arya at their backs, he made to approach her, nimbly weaving his way around those between them. As he did, though, he could sight of Ayer once again. Apparently, the redhead had taken notice of the situation not long after he did. And as he approached, walking at an almost exaggerated past, Adrius noticed that he was holding another bowl of mustard.

It didn't take much at all for him to see where this was going.

The moment saw the Northlander fall, Adrius pulled his hood on and ducked down. Right in the nick of time, too, for the very next moment, practically everyone in the front row of the crowd had their clothes stained with mustard as well. Even Kieran received a bit in his hair and face, and he wasn't even standing in the front.

Adrius, who remained at least mostly untouched due to taking cover behind other, taller people, let out a loud, delighted laugh. Knowing what he knew of Ayer so far, there was no way that this could've been a mere accident. And he loved that.

Just seconds after it had happened, while everyone was still in that moment of shock, Adrius slipped up beside the servant girl and tapped her shoulder. "Pardon me, miss," he whispered, greeting her with a cheery smile. "But I recommend that you take this opportunity and slip away from all of this while you can. We'll take this from here." He gave her a wink and a small wave, before turning and stepping out of the crowd.

Brushing off his hood in one casual stroke, he strode up around Finn, beginning to pace the center of the circle in a most leisurely manner as he eyed the taller blond up and down. "I don't know, Ms. Holmes," he began, fluidly picking up where Arya left off and slipping into the conversation. "While that may be true, I do believe that this most unfortunate mishap wasn't nearly so detrimental for this outfit of his. I daresay, I believe he looks even better this way."

He looked up and made eye contact with the taller male, giving him the cheekiest grin. One that could either be endearing or infuriating depending on who you were. "Finely-tailored as it is, I always did believe that it needed a splash a color. Wouldn't you agree, Constantine?"

Despite his conversational tone, he still managed to emphasize the name in the slightest way. Coined by him as a derisive moniker in years prior, it served as a double insult: Not only was he intentionally getting his name wrong in the most irreverent way, but he also exacerbated that fact by specifically choosing a more masculine version of the name. After all, as far as he had seen, Constance was a distinctly feminine name, and he never failed to rub that in when he got the chance.

Nearby, a certain red-clad Evoker tensed up, having previously been on standby apparently. "Stay out of this, Devereux," he growled brusquely. But Adrius only spared him the briefest glance. "Yikes, Damaran. Yellow is not your color."

 

[Mqueserasera]

EUPHEMIA

Interactions: Arya ( RI.a ) Duchanteau ( Lekiel​

“One must have all the time to spare for a respectable company,” said Euphemia, seemingly rejoiced in the presence of one such company. “It warms my heart to see an outsider’s fondness of my home town. And architecture, it’s an enduring interest that isn’t as appreciated as it should be nowadays.”

Euphemia was never one for hearty conversation or any kind that put her in a vulnerable spot with inquiries at her inner way of thoughts. Arya’s lively but restrained manner pleased her greatly in light of today’s early charade. It shouldn’t take long into the conversation to get her kind to forgo personal space, however. The ruckus at the entrance, as a result, didn’t do Euphemia any disservice by dragging the girl away.

She bid the girl farewell and resume her breakfast. Yet in spite of her appearance, what went on at the entrance didn’t escape her ears.

***​

Absolutely mental. She wasn’t used to mincing words, and not gonna change her way in any foreseeable future. But there comes a point when you’re so used to repeating a phrase it turns meaningless. Who cares anyway? Not her, nah. She’s here for the pretty boys and pretty boys only. The Seven know she would have offed herself long before now had them nobles' faces were as disfigured as their mental state.

Momma didn’t give birth to this girl to have her suffer this madness. Not intentionally. Unconsciously might be. Oh, surely she must be like “Damn fine girl that one, and she was scrawny like a stillborn broken egg, likely weighed as much, I sure did deliver one on that damn violent night. Now, look at ‘er, flocking with the best flocks. All posh and chic like. She must be weeping tears of joy.”

Right momma, I’m weeping, holding it in though, and for the opposite of joy.

Those were the monologic thoughts of Hilla, the standing maid stationed in the Dining hall that one wretched morning. She’s faint of heart, delicate and cowardice, and most importantly, as out there as a deranged rabbit. After a wild stormy night at the age of seven, she had to lay in bed for three weeks, diagnosed as being frightened out of her wits. Having nothing to do but gawk at the dispersing clouds out of a small circular window, the first thing she did on the fourth was sneaking into a local bookstore. There she found a book on clouds, which contained everything there is to write and said about them, and ever since, her head had been staying up there with those fluffy white sights of condensed air, leaving her parents’ advice to learn a trade unheard. Unfortunately, her decently shaped visage and generally obedient nature had landed her a job in Highover institute. But she never cared to thank the butler who offered her this job. Why? It’s not one to be grateful for of course, like hell she would.

Spoiler: Hilla

Absolutely not! She wanted to be out there all day on the moor, sate her eyes with white clouds, anvil clouds, cirrus clouds, stratus clouds… and fill her stomach with dew and grass like a cricket. Not here. No, no, no, no, no! All those nobly students ever do is barking orders, shouting and rambling on about their fancy magic. They’ll never learn what really matter. Probably don’t even know what a supercell is!

But Hilla is meek. She’d be swatted by the noble like the cricket she wanted to be at her first moaning words. Sorry was her life, among the stronger, richer and prettier people, to serve them, serve their madness!

She was also a good observant, it’s all she ever does. She liked boywatching for example. They pleased her aesthetic sense. Not crude and hardened or thick skinned as those in her neighbourhood, but white-skinned, soft face and have fluffy well-groomed hair. Like clouds.

One way to avoid troubles is watching closely from which one troubles tend to arise. One of them, nay, the worst of them must be that skinny blonde Aureli. Hilla didn’t know what motivated that one’s obsession with boredom. Her perfectionism, however, caused all sorts of trouble for maids like Hilla, whose main speciality is standing prettily in a corner, chores second.

Today Hilla wisely got away as far as possible from the blonde the moment she entered the room. She then calmly witnessed a fresh display of nobility’s usual stupidity when Lecomte poured mustard on his face like some kind of deodorant. Ah, less cleaning to do for her. Another question arose, would he order her to wipe his face? Well, he was decently handsome. Tall too, but a bit on the skinny side. Personally, Hilla preferred lithe forms than muscles, but what fun there is in dealing with an underweight noble? She’d once or twice fancied being coerced by a dark-haired brooding noble, whose ravenous gaze rivals the machoness in his voice…

So she went on daydreaming. Not even the distraught of a fellow maid disturbed her bliss. The standing hair on her back did though. She turned around and saw Aureli motioning her over. The stare told her that the blonde wasn’t asking.

“Ye-yes, ma’am?”

***​

Ah. Buh-bye pleasant world, I’m heading towards unemployment. Hilla moaned as she plunged into the pack of wolves with their baring fangs. Her high ponytail swayed from side to side as she trembled on, the very thing that amused greatly Euphemia about her. Hilla would have styled her hair differently had she known it was the reason for which Euphemia'd taken a liking to her. The poor maid voiced her thought after Adrius’ provocation. It wasn’t the best of time. Not that there is a good time to say the following:

“Ex-Excuse me! Sir Duchanteaut,” Hilla loudly announced as instructed. “Lady Fontana sends her words, ah, kind words. She wants me to say hello, eh, politely and all, on her behalf. She used whole lots of words I’m not sure even exist, ah yes, sorry, I will relay her message how I remember it now.” She averted the many stares being directed her ways, silently she vowed to never stay in the same room with Aureli ever again.

“Erm, no more delay, I swear… promise! So here it is: Miss Aureli offers to cover the cost of your clothes, she also,” Hilla swallowed, “tell me to, how am I supposed to put this… shed a tear for house Duchanteaut, saying that she’s pretty ignorant of the hearsays out of Highover, not even know that the Duchanteaut has declined so far their heir would cry over a single set of clothes and find his only amusement in wasting time over lowly commoners!” She stopped to catch her breath. “Her exact, almost exact words, mind me! What’s more, she asked that the rest of you sir and ma’am bring your sport somewhere only the birds have the blessed fortune of having their peace disturbed."

 

[Lekiel]

Constance Duchanteau let out an irritated 'tsk' as a tall albeit anaemic grey-haired Hinokian came between him and his 'business'.

Enn looked a little more relieved to see that others had come to aid the servant, though she remained no less tense. But before she could answer Finn, a rude voice snapped.

"Pfft, make it official?" Constance rolled his eyes. His facade twisted with distaste as he scrutinized Finn, no doubt trying to gauge his appearance. If there was one thing the highborn was known for, it was the ability to have their noses stuck everywhere worthy of note. One such business would be to know the who's who within the top-drawers of society. And if they didn't know them, it was highly likely that the subject of note was hardly better than the plebeian crowd; as far as their perfumed noses were concerned at least.
"Don't be ridiculous, you clearly have no idea how this works do you!?" Constance began a little walk as he paced around the perimeter of the gathered crowd, smoothening his gloves as he flexed his fingers. Faint red tracings of runes seemed to float around his hands. "Authorisations, stages, arenas, this is not some uncouth entertainment gathering..." the Kal`borian noble scoffed. "You know. . . I don't recognise your crest at all."
"And after what you'd just suggested, I'm inclined to think you're one of those who poured gold in a feeble attempt to make a name for your house!" Constance grinned, clearly enjoying the fact that he had deduced the identity of the faux noble standing before him. And if even he had been wrong, the Duchanteau's inflamed ego would have blinded him anyway.
"No amount of gold will ever scrub the dirt that runs in your blood scumsucker."

Concern marred Enn's forehead as the exchange between Finn and Constance escalated into low handed insults; solely from the latter of course. This was one of the rare instances that she lamented the fact that she'd been brought into this world with so little knowledge of its dealings. Its many customs often confused her, along with some clearly senseless shibboleths. Obviously, her father had attempted to fill in the gaps but there was only so much the busy professor could do to bring his new daughter up to speed; especially when he himself was one of those noble-born who didn't particularly care for conceited entitlement.

"Are you both alright?" A solicitous voice stole Enn's attention from the scene for but a moment. She nodded grimly to the black-hatted witch, though her gaze shifted to the servant girl who'd begun to sniffle. She appeared profoundly terrified to the point that she had begun to tremble, no doubt having one of her worst fears as a commoner realised. Enn knelt by her side, and though she honestly had no inkling about what would happen, put a reassuring hand to try to calm the girl down.

It was at that moment that the bumbling oath of a Northlander chose to make his grand entrance. There was a clatter of flipping delph followed by a collective gasp, astonished squeaks and then dead silence amidst droplets of yellow rain.

All eyes zero-ed in onto the suspect of the moment, a certain Northlander with a mop of messy red hair now with mustard yellow highlights seemingly in shock as he lay at the centre of the gathering, muttering apologies at his apparent mishap. He was a picture of utter destruction at least where appearances were concerned, though not without a kindred soul for the scion of Duchanteau was similarly artfully decorated with vibrant paints of delicious condiments.

Amidst the hushed silence, Adrius took the opportunity to address the young servant. "Pardon me, miss," he whispered, greeting her with a cheery smile. "But I recommend that you take this opportunity and slip away from all of this while you can. We'll take this from here." He gave her a wink and a small wave, before turning and stepping out of the crowd.

--Unfortunately (or fortunately) for the servant girl, she was rooted with trepidation and could only clutch at Enn, shaking her head at Adrius in denial. If anything, Enn's presence along with the others who'd spoken up for her gave her the courage to remain, for to run would've surely spelt the end of her employment at Highover.

Meanwhile, the powder-faced noble's eyes bulged in his sockets, a vein in his temple throbbed and he seemed on the verge of screaming as he stared down at the perpetrator of his escalated predicament. He worked his jaw, no doubt grinding his perfect teeth together in an effort to not blow his top. Gloved hands twitched, as rune tracings sparked in an increasingly rapid and volatile manner. Constance drew back, straightening up to his full towering height as the air hissed through his pointed nose into his expanding lungs in a long drawn out breath.

"I must advise you to wash that off quickly, Constance. Mustard stains and odour linger on hair and skin a lot longer than it does on cutlery. If you don't believe me, who has read everything from novels to medicinal books; well, you'd be walking around with dark yellow marks on your perfect fair skin and mustard musk trailing wherever you go for at least a month."

The first words to break the stale silence from the black-hatted witch. Constance's eyes darted in Arya's direction, it wasn't apparent if he could see that she'd been on the verge of full-blown laughter, but a flicker of recognition glinted in his bulging sights. His jawbone worked again, though the Lord seemed tongue-tied for the moment. A moment long enough for yet another to make his presence known with the airy smugness of one who had perhaps wished upon the Seven for this very scene to come true.

The newcomer brushed off his hood in one casual stroke, beginning to pace the centre of the circle in a most leisurely manner as he eyed the taller blond up and down. "I don't know, Ms. Holmes," he began, fluidly picking up where Arya left off and slipping into the conversation. "While that may be true, I do believe that this most unfortunate mishap wasn't nearly so detrimental for this outfit of his. I daresay, I believe he looks even better this way."
"Finely-tailored as it is, I always did believe that it needed a splash a colour. Wouldn't you agree, Constantine?" Adrius finished, complete with the most infuriating shit-eating grin in the Lord of Duchanteau's eyes.

If he could be any more livid, steam would've literally poured from the seething noble's ears. Thus, it came as quite a surprise when he did not actually begin a tirade of whiny expletives as he would've surely done in the past. Instead, with great measured control, he smiled. A thin-lipped venomous curl of the corners of his mouth. He glanced briefly at the damage wrought on his finely tailored Madame Raefleurs' before his gaze darted between the servant girl, Enn, Arya, Adrius and finally, Ayer. The fact that their little fiasco had drawn such a large crowd was not lost on him, nor the fact that the Northerner surely couldn't have walked past a wall of onlookers only to spill his saucer right at the moment he was nearly upon him.

"Do you take me for a fool, scum of Devereaux?" the young Duchanteau sneered, then in sudden dramatic fashion, he turned to address his doting mustard sprinkled cortege and the rest of the crowd.
"You being my witnesses, here I offered a duel to claim my right as civilized men do. . ." his voice quavered with a charismatic tremor, playing to the emotions of the gathered, "but alas, instead of accepting the challenge by show of word, this troop of dishonourables decided to strike first! There was no way this could've been an accident!" Though much of the crowd had been stunned into silence (by the sheer absurdity of the animated noble), the ever fanatical Duchanteau retinue responded with a clear voice in support of their idolt.

Constance brandished a clenched fist, as with the other, he wiped theatrically at his eyes "they thought they could blind me. . . disrupt my sight to gain advantage over this duel. . .I'll show them, Tyce!" Constance called for aid, knowing that the red-robed Magician wouldn't miss the opportunity.
"Let's show these uncouth children what a proper duel looks like." Constance snapped, his eyes were set, he hungered for blood.
"On your feet Northlander! And you Devereaux, I'm counting you in. . . unless you're too cowardly to face me like a man," he spat contemptuously.

--The actions of Enn, Ayer, Arya and Adrius successfully provoked the young Duchanteau into action. Despite the absurdity of the situation, a duel is imminent. No doubt vague intentions can be easily twisted by cunning tongue. The primary duel is between Ayer and Constance, with Tyce against Adrius if he chooses to participate. If neither of you chooses not to take the first offence, Constance will make his move. As Duchanteau is a significant NPC, the battle will be played out by you stating your move and target of your strike. The outcome of your attack will be- GM NOTE: Wait, hold up! What's happening now!? What's the servant doing??

“Ex-Excuse me! Sir Duchanteaut,”

"WHAT!?" Constance finally screeched, interrupted once more by what appeared to be another servant girl. Whatever was about to unfold, remain unfoldedSorry, this is getting too long and I'm running out of unique adjectives.

Duchanteau whirled on the servant, a flash of magic about to be released but was forcefully dissipated just in time. He was surely mad beyond measure, but even a Duchanteau knew his limits.
"SPEAK!" he all but yelled at the stuttering Hilla who then proceeded to relay her message.

Constance's eyes narrowed dangerously, twitching in its socket, as he listened uncharacteristically intently to what the servant had to say. Several times he looked up and searched the room, until finally settling onto the golden-haired maiden seated regally in her corner of the dining hall. When Hilla was finally done, there was once again hushed silence as for once in that whole morning, the young Duchanteau finally seemed to be turning the cogs in his skull.

-- Mqueserasera . Euphemia Perception check, score 9 of minimum 5. Persuasion success!

He looked once more in Euphemia's direction, expression oddly inscrutable. Then he turned to Hilla, "tell Lady Aureli Fontana I have no need of her compensation." He seemed about to say more but chose to just nod Hilla away.
"We're done here," Constance stated flatly, but before the group could disperse, there was a flutter of heavy wings and a blur of movement from the high parapets. One of the stone gargoyles that stood stalwartly along the side of the dining halls had sprung to life, leaping into the middle of the gathering with powerful gusts of wind, far too quick for something of its size. Standing to its full height of ten feet, the Sitri puffed out its chest as it's stony skin hummed with unbridled power. It waited for those gathered to regain their composure due to its sudden appearance, eyeing each of them warily for any sudden movements. Then it spoke in a deep booming voice directed towards the students at the centre of attention, which included a thoroughly stunned Duchanteau who was eyeing a growing patch of red staining his previously mustard yellow and white shirt. The Sitri's powerful wings had sent a glass of cordial flying in the hapless noble's direction.

"Unauthorized violent altercations between students is forbidden on school grounds." The Sitri stated stoically, echoing Enn's statement from earlier to the word. Anyone looking at Enn would catch her mouthing the words while her head nodded side-to-side as if she recited the lyrics to a well-rehearsed song.

Constance shook himself out of his stupor to realize the grave mistake he had been about to make, "h-hold up! There was no violent altercation! N-Not from me definitely! I-I was attacked b-by this man with a plate of. . ." a tongue snaked out to taste a splotch of yellow liquid on his cheek, "--a plate of mustard!" Constance gestured emphatically at Ayer.

"Hmmm..." the large demon astutely rubbed its stony chin, "but I sensed magic..." it mumbled.
"You," the Sitri had turned to face Ayer, "did you attack this fine gentleman here with a Plate of Mustard spell?"

"What's the meaning of this?" A stern voice called from the expansive entrance to the dining hall. All eyes now turned to watch as Principal Deepwater appeared, close on his heels was a ponytailed woman with electric blue eyes dressed in a black topcoat. Over his shoulder, fluttered the foliot Moros and trailing after was what appeared to be a shimmering blue bubble. But upon closer inspection, the bubble seemed to trap a peculiar imp wearing a scarf. An audible hush descended upon the crowds of students as they parted to open a direct line of vision to the erstwhile almost-offenders. Without missing a beat, Deepwater continued, "we haven't even begun with our first Trials and already trouble brews-" Oulders paused as he eyed the scene of dining destruction and at the students who appeared to be the cause of it all.

"Master Deepwater, if I may?" The Sitri had moved forward, heavy footsteps shaking the ground as it knelt down on one knee before Oulders Deepwater. The old Magician nodded towards his Djinn, "go ahead Naraia."

"As you wish Master." Stepping forward, she placed her hand upon the Sitri's forehead and tilted her head in mild concentration. It took barely a moment before the Sitri was released and Naraia turned to look back at the Principal. The two seemed to communicate silently, as Deepwater appeared to nod his head in understanding.

"Velahl, Lecomte, Holmes, Duchanteau, Devereaux, Damaran and Aureli Fontana. Before me, now." The Principal commanded, his voice soft but stern as he took in a deep breath. Constance, for all his earlier bravado, appeared utterly terrified at the sight of Oulders Deepwater, scrambling to present himself before the Principal.

"This is terribly disappointing. And we are only days away from The Reckoning. . ."

--The students have been given a dressing down for their unacceptable behaviour and for taking matters into their own hands.
**Ayer Lecomte receives Deepwater's Consternation for his active role in potentially instigating a fight. Add it to your Status Effects**
**Euphemia Aureli Fontana and Finn Arland receives Deepwater's Favour for their admirable attempt to passively diffuse the situation; successfully in Euphemia's case.**
The matter of handling the servant girl and compensating Constance Duchanteau is left to the school, and young Delia retains her job as a maid with the Institute. She is indebted to Euphemia.
All Chosen students are instructed to finish up their breakfast and prepare for their lesson.

--Lore Update

Spoiler

Throughout the first few parts of your journey towards your Reckoning, there will be various instances where your character can/will earn either a Consternation or Favour from selected characters in Feria. Each of these will contribute to the outcome of your Reckoning as well as potentially affect the direction of the story. It is also one of the ways which will help make your experiences unique.

Note:
Consternations can be earned any number of times from various characters and will be accumulated. Earning a Favour from a character will not cancel out any prior Consternation. Once bitten, twice shy.

Favours can be earned any number of times from various characters, however, multiple favours cannot be held at the same time. A PC can only hold one favour at any point in time. Upon receiving another/multiple Favours, you must make the choice to keep only one of the earned Favours. Once dropped, you are not guaranteed the opportunity to earn the same Favour again.

Enn watched, mouth slightly parted as the Principal made his concerns clear. Brown eyes twinkling behind his glasses as he explained in even tones the brevity and sanctity of the upcoming event. Finally satisfied with their promises to be on best behaviour, the Principal took his leave, picking up a cinnamon roll as he left the dining hall, but not before he gestured for Ayer to follow him to a corner.

Euclid Leaf

Spoiler

"I think this imp here belongs to you." Oulders began, as he gestured with his hand and the shimmering blue-bubble popped, releasing Frumpy.

"You're a bright young man, Ayer... Surprising as it was to me, I am sure my esteemed colleague saw something worthwhile when he chose to have you." His eyes gazed at Ayer through the rims of his glasses. Though their edges were mellowed with age, the intensity of the soul within could never be shrouded.

"Please look after your charges Ayer," Oulders added, as he made to leave. "The Port Authority has notified me of a wild thieving imp that looks uncannily like this one." Oulders finished with an amiable smile and a wink at Frumpy before taking his leave.

Finn and Arya would feel a light tap on their shoulders as the situation calmed down. Turning, they would see Enn offering them a friendly smile. "Thank you... f-for standing up for Delia. I-I am Enn Velahl... though you probably already knew that." She extended a hand for a handshake. Euphemia and Adrius would also receive an appreciative nod and smile from the girl should they catch her eye. To Ayer, she would offer him a pained smile as she directed him to the place where he could send his clothes for a wash.

--**Finn, Arya & Euphemia receives Enn's Favour for their part in supporting her and their passive/neutral efforts to diffuse the situation.**

 

[Euclid Leaf]

Mentions...
Lekiel Mqueserasera RI.a Wilder28 revior

What unfolded was more action than he could possibly react to. He was still picking himself off the floor when a swarm of people arrived, one of which was a very bold mouthed Adrius. He was surprised that such an easy-going soul had it in them to speak with such aggression. He wanted to laugh. Adrius was saying what Ayer wanted to do. But why? Perhaps he was trying to do the same as Ayer, to distract and buy time? From what he knew of Adrius, he was someone who can read the situation very well. Yes, this must be his attempt to help. The redhead had to wrap his head around the odd reality that someone can tune into his intentions. What an odd reality. Was someone really joining in on his chaotic self-harming plan?

This was the point when the figurative, and literal, hotpot was kicked over. They were both promptly challenged to a duel for their transgressions. Ayer thought it wasn't ideal that someone had to take the fall with him, but it is as it is. He will just have to make it look even more convincing. Just when Constance seemed ready to fling an attack his way, Ayer was already motioning to bounce in another direction. He had no intention of attacking back what-so-ever. He was sure Adrius thought the same thing, seeing the cautious look he gave. So long as he was just an innocent bystander who just 'happened to get roped into this mess', he was fine with a couple of bruises. He only hoped Adrius was ready for this price as well. But just when the string was wound as tight as it can go, and everything was about to explode into the chaos Ayer envisioned -- Another unexpected outcome came crashing down and shattered any semblance of a plan he may have had.

The potential duel with Constance was averted due to the intervention of a certain Aureli Fontana servant popping out of the literal woodwork. He watched as she spoke not in a matter typical of a maid or servant belonging to such esteem. He was baffled, and borderline impressed. That, somehow, despite the lacking delivery compounded by verbal minutia, the message was clear. Constance immediately backed down. Truly, this Euphemia was a beast, a wild freak of nature, if she can tame a man such as Constance by merely sending her servant as mouthpiece. In this way, he saw a similarity between himself and the high-brow noble woman. They were both leaders in how they solved issues, the head and faces instead of the hands. Except while she held the command of a proud pack, he was a ringmaster to an elaborate circus act. He relied on deception, while she through strength of presence. Though he wouldn't like to admit it, Ayer was impressed. But as awed as it he was, Ayer was upset. Now he owes the 'fair lady' a favor now. For bailing him and Adrius out of the mess he started. Cursed impulses. Why can't he just sit back and watch? But despite the trouble that could've been made, he felt a thrill at being thrust into the unknown.

He simply acted his heart. Life is only worth living if you enjoy it, right?

Ayer breathed an abated sigh as Constance acted like a nurtured animal, his rash temper reeled in by the masterful Euphemia. But just as Ayer made to thank the timid Aureli maid for saving him, for it was only the first of the gratitude he owed, a powerful gust of wind brought his eyes upward.

It wasn't over yet. The headmaster dove into the scene by a pair of grand wings of a great demon. He recognized the noble and fair nature as a Sitri.

Spoiler: Deepwater Stuff

Though he was impressed initially, Ayer's eyes went wide when the Sitri asked him if he used a mustard-type magic. This causes his lips to curl in shock. Perhaps for a powerful demon, using magic to fling around mustard is easier. But for humans, it was the other way around. Honest mistake? Ayer wanted to correct the demon. But his interest was dragged over to the entourage accompanying the headmaster and his Sitri. A stark blue-eyed woman accompanied by a foliot, towing what appeared to be a water bubble containing a familiar little imp.

Frumpy...? Ayer thought, his face in disbelief.

When he wanted the demon to seek an appeal from authority, Ayer didn't expect the little devil to bring the headmaster. Sure, it was probably the most effective way of settling the issue. But right now, it probably did more harm than good. Ayer didn't know to be proud or disappointed at this outcome. If Constance had attacked him, than perhaps it would've played in his favor. As he wouldn't have fought back at all. But now it just looked as if he was just a plain rowdyraiser. Nonetheless, he couldn't be wrapped too much in things that never happened. He had to deal with the outcome as it unfurls now. And what a roll of the dice it has been.

By the stern look he received through the pair of spectacles, Ayer already knew what kind of world of hurt he was getting into. A long and painful scolding. Probably the worst way to punish him. He loathed it, but he knew there was no getting out of it by this point.

By the way he stood, it was clear this wasn't his first time being reprimanded in public. Not by a long shot. By the way he kept his head low, it was like Ayer was waiting for his queue an exchange of known dialogue, almost as if this was all rehearsed before somewhere. And indeed, he has had much practice with the script. He knew all the lines for the standard promises of "I won't do it again..." and "This is not how a representative should act. It is a disgrace and shame..." to satiate a proper ending.

By the time Deepwater was finished, Ayer was already feeling like he had been beaten by a rock. Nothing felt worse than reliving the same scenario over and over. He almost wanted Constance to have attacked him at this point. At least it would spare him. But this was punishment, wasn't it? Truly.

Ayer had turned his head, seeing the principle gather a cinnamon roll while he made his way out. But he noticed a gesture to follow for a private word.

Uh oh... he thought, knowing that a one-on-one probably didn't bode well.

What surprised him was the way Deepwater looked at him, addressing him while releasing Frumpy, addressing by his first name. It was more personal than the previous business-like display among the students. Perhaps it was just a formality that the headmaster needed to perform, to make an example of the unruly in the face of the public. Ayer knew there was a lot of social politics, when when such an institute was meant purely for instruction and education. The headmaster had an aged look as he looked at Ayer. The young redhead almost winced. It reminded him of the way his father looked whenever he discovered Ayer got wrapped up in conflict... again. There was no anger or disappointment. Just an expectation. It was warm, but also very distant. The gaze of a man who acts out of a sense greater than individual importance. A sacred pledge.

Ayer wanted to apologize. But he knew there was nothing to say. What is done is done.
"I will take responsibility, Mr. Deepwater." he muttered, watching with a canted look as the man made his leave.

Frumpy was oblivious to Ayer's mood, grinning wide at Deepwater's wink. The impling floated over Ayer's sunken head, "Doh, What's the matter? You got off pretty smooth. I honestly though it would've been much worse."

"I suppose." Ayer muttered, turning his gaze to the ceiling. For once, he didn't smile.
"Deepwater is a pretty kind man. If it was me, I would've had you stripped bare and given 20 lashes out on the courtyard! I don't get what your problem is..."
"I think the fact that I've only received a slap on the wrist in comparison as to what is justified... That is what's getting me worried..."
"Oh, you're such a wart. You know that? Hey, are you going to eat this?" Frumpy then plopped down into his hair. He could feel talons picking through his scalp.
"Ow, what are you doing?"

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a piece of ham being waved around. "I'm hungry! You made me work so much this morning!"
"Why don't you eat the ham that isn't ruined? There are tables full of it, over there."
"What? You want me to walk more? Boo. No."
Ayer couldn't help but break into a smile as the imp sat atop his head and began to indulge in the miniature buffet against common reason. Perhaps it was the fact that a thing can exist without any shame or social boundary that reminded him of brighter things.

"Make sure to save some for Ponkipie and Pinkleton..." he said, shaking his head while trying to hide his smile.

There was no need to worry. Yes, of course. There was no need to dwell in the past. The moment is now. Life is all about being in the present. He lost a part of himself to learn this truth. Snow has never felt the same since... But it was all for the now. Even though he received no glory, Ayer reminded himself that the conflict was resolved without any violence. That alone was good thing, even if he did receive the short end of things. He glanced back around the corner as everyone was beginning to break apart from the scene. Ayer grinned to himself as he watched Enn thank the others for their efforts for dealing with the situation gracefully. He needed to follow suit if he wanted to save face. Whatever was left of it.

"Hm. What is my face, do you know Frumpy?" Ayer asked suddenly.
The imp snorted in confusion, peering up from a half-nuzzled piece of pork. "Wot?"
The man simply laughed. "Nevermind."

He returned to where Adrius and Enn were, greeting the new faces with an impish smile. Even one more daring than the imp sitting atop his head.
"Indeed, manificque! You both deserve the praise! So allow me to offer my own as well." he said, bowing his head to Arya and Finn. "Ayer Lecomte. A pleasure to meet you both."

Though he was able to face Finn without ducking his head too much, Ayer had to bend over to look Arya in the face as he spoke. Perhaps it was the amount of movement that he had just gone through trying to instigate the chaotic diversion, or the weight of the thick liquid dragging down his clothes. Maybe it was also in part of their close proximity. But a strange note can be made of Ayer if one paid close enough attention. The wrappings around his neck were beginning to become undone. A few slips were being dragged out of place, and underneath were a windows to an odd, twisted image. Black symbols can be glimpsed the side of his neck. Something between permanent stains of ink across pale skin, as though carved and scarred. But this window was not open long. The redhead was already in his usual conversational swing of his overly dramatic gesticulations, causing him to pivot this opening out of view.

"My, aren't you the most adorable thing?" he said, making a motion as if pinching an invisible cheek. Something about the contrast of her serious face, tiny frame (in comparison to himself), and huge hat pulled a string in his heart and made him giggle. "I don't know why, but for some reason I want to knit you a scarf. Will you accept it? Consider it a thank you gift." he looked over to Finn with the same playful smile, "You as well. Allow me this service. I don't look the part, but I hand stitch all my clothing. I have to make adjustments for when my designs require accommodation. Going to a tailor whenever I want to make adjustments is far too impractical, especially considering the frequency of change. So I'm quite good, as you can see!"

He seemed earnest about this notion, puffing out his chest in pride as though to accentuate the many colorful scarves and decorated banners draped around his body. "But to settle one issue at a time, first..."

Before either can answer or question, Ayer was already moving onto the next person. Straightening himself out, Ayer went to Enn. "Sorry, but might I ask you another favor?"
As if she already knew what his intentions were, Enn began giving him instructions to the nearest bathroom.

"I don't know about you lot, but it's about time I get cleaned up. Yeah?" he said, looking at the rest of them.

"Aww, but doesn't that mean less eats for me?" whined Frumpy.
"Enjoy it while you can. C'est la vie!"

Without even waiting for a proper goodbye, Ayer was already departing from the party with wide strides. Not a second wasted, as per usual. But as though forgetting something, he stopped mid-step and spun around. He looked at Adrius with a wide grin.

"Don't think I forgot about you too. Honest, I thought I was in trouble back there. You really stood up for me. Maybe next time we can actually be in a proper duel together. I'd love that." he said while spinning back on course, waving a hand covered in wrappings as he soon disappeared down the hall as per Enn's instructions.

...

 

[Ace Cream]

ZIMA

Zima just watched in amusement as the situation escalated even further. Chaos ensued. Someone decided to offer official duel, Ayer once again dropped his mustard, a girl tried to calm the maid and many more ensued. She didn't bulge from her seat, at least not until the Duchanteau try to twists the situation to initiate a duel, right there, right now.

Zima choked on her wine at that declaration and she immediately grabbed her briefcase. She didn't care if they decided to torture each other to death in the arena or some other authorized kind of duel, but spontaneously declared a duel in a cafetaria? Avoidable collateral damage would definitely occur and no one would be able to guarantee the spectator's safety. She was thinking to dissuade the situation with a warning shot but a letter given to the Duchanteau by another maid seemed to do the job so she relaxed her grip on the briefcase. Back to her observation stance as the situation escalated in another direction as the Deepwater himself came and scolded some of the students. Zima decided that it's time for her to go prepare for the lesson and exited the dining room.