3569/The Gold Saucer Charity Festival!

The Gold Saucer Charity Festival!
Date of Scene:	24 December 2015
Location:	Galianda
Synopsis:	A charity festival for the Junkyard is held on the moon of Chocobo. Fun, festivities, and lots of chocobo discussion are to be had.
Cast of Characters:	20, 626, 627, 633, 642, 652, 655, Lyria Mason, 671, 675, 691, Sanary Rondel, 774, 823, Yang Xiao Long, 922

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Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Alexander Academy has many festivals. It is, after all, a Top-Tier Multi-Level School with an Extremely Large Campus and Only The Wealthiest And Most Talented Students And Teachers. It's only to be expected that, with a budget that can be expressed in astronomical notation and a headmaster fond of looking the other way when it helps students learn lessons, Alexander Academy has some of the best festivals around - especially when they spill over into the streets of Chocobo, the Lunar Metropolis.

     Down below, the clockwork world of Galianda turns as it ever does. If one looks up, one can see the metal plate of Odin at its highest, moving along the clockwork core on its gigantic spur. It is for this plate that the festival is being thrown - the GOLD SAUCER CHARITY FESTIVAL to help the Odynari, who are currently battling for their lives against their yearly nightmare. All along the streets of Chocobo, banners painted with festive chocobos and adorable moogles and tonberries declare DONATIONS ACCEPTED and CONSUMABLES WELCOME as they advertise all sorts of fun and energetic activities. There's Whack-A-Mog, the fun game where you beat moogles with a mallet for tickets and prizes! There's Virtual Snowboarding, where you snowboard down a hill! There's Escape From Mi-gar, a thrilling virtual motorcycle chase! There's Chocobo Racing, with some REAL thoroughbred chocobos thoughtfully brought in by wealthy students, and a track being erected just above the streets of the city! Even ARK Institute, Alexander Academy's BIGGEST RIVALS, have set up a booth!

     Also, there's music, everywhere. All sorts of different musical styles blend together as Galianda drums up money for the Odynari, coming out as a sort of catchy, upbeat jingle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz83Z4qXclI

     Forever.

     Among the many festival-goers is Prince Landon al Cid, Crown Prince of Ramuh. There's a smile on the young prince's face as he walks through the festival, stopping every so often to sample cuisine or check out a booth. There's also a sense that, were it possible and good decorum to do so, he'd be running through the streets like the many younger graders.

     But that goes against decorum, so instead he's simply walking.

     "They've really gone all-out this year," Landon observes to no one in particular as he deposits a Potion in one of the many consumable collection slots, "It's most impressive."

Yari Takane (691) has posed:
Yari Takane is here, wearing her finest kimono and generally looking like she's having one heck of a time. The one-armed ninja is currently somehow managing to do fairly decent at the motorcycle game despite the kimono, riding around and being utterly entranced by that amazing tune that plays during it.

She leans into a turn, and then makes her virtual avatar do a sword swing with that ridiculous blade!

"Who wields a blade like that? Ridiculous!" She mutters to herself as she plays!

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji Murasame is present.

Of course he is. He couldn't afford to /not/ be seen at a charity event like this, especially when the underlying theme is very, very, /very/ profitable for his company. Nevertheless, many very public donations have been made to the cause, and there is a Zaibatsu-liveried chocobo in the races, the deep purple-colored bird the product of a great deal of controlled breeding.

But that does not mean he is mingling very much. The corporate heir sits at a table near the racing track, sipping a fine wine vintage. He is calm, cool, dignified, and utterly self-possessed.

Which is of course why he doesn't even notice the hunk of mistletoe floating above him, looming like a creeping festive horror.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As one of the teachers at this place, even if she hasn't taught too many lessons here, Toph Beifong still felt obliged to join for the festival. So she's dressed up in some of her warmer and fancier winter clothes, heading off to perhaps pass the last night before Christmas a little quicker. Sure, the music could be less annoying, but it could also be worse she supposes. It's certainly lively with all the people around, so she won't complain about that.

    There aren't too many activities that she might enjoy however, considering some of them seem to be focused on seeing. The blind girl does offer some donations however, stopping at the booth and offers up a fair amount of money. It's not like she's poor by far, and Pepper does jammer on and on about donating to the less fortunate. Which makes sense, as Toph doubts she'll ever be able to spend it all anyway. Though as she heads off, she does swat at the annoying mistletoe that seems to be freaking everywhere when she turns her head. Just why did they hang up so much of it here? It's annoying, and it smells.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    Yang's chosen to take a different outfit than her usual one, and since she's not around Beacon, she's left the school uniform behind too. What she's wearing keeps the 'practical casual' look she goes for, but changes it up a bit. Heavy boots, thigh-length leg bracers that attach to shorts, all in black. She has a black tank top, with a cream coloured shirt over top, cinched with a black belt. A black shoulder jacket rounds out the outfit. She's wearing black, elbow length fingerless gloves, and those golden bracelets of her weapon, Ember Celica, finish off the entire outfit. ( )

    "Wow, this is kinda awesome! Reminds me of the last Vytl Festival." she remarks, glancing over at Weiss with a big, dopey grin. "Glad you asked me to come with ya now. Wanna go get some food, or play the games?"

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     "Go! Go! I bet half my paycheck on you! Don't fail me now! My future depends on you! Gooooo!"

     At the same table as Souji, contrasting his calm, cool, prodigal heir image...is Xiao Li Yu. She's staring rapt with attention at the ongoing races, cheering for the purple chocobo that she evidently has some manner of stake in. Having taken no opportunity to dress any differently, she's wearing her typical labcoat getup.

     She's got a load of festival junk food before her, periodically trying one of the many things before her before going back to cheering on the Zaibatsu's chocobo like a gambling addicted loon. "Hurry up! Outpace those other feather covered sacks of flesh! Show them your superiority!"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    A prestigious academy where they teach magic? Dorian is certainly interested to see this. Particularly when they're having one of their festivals! It's true, it's quite an opulent setup! Almost makes him homesick.

    He's dressed in a smart white suit-- a MODERN white suit-- with a forest green silk shirt and a teal-colored tie, and black loafers with white socks. Though the image of a modern man might be spoiled a little by the fact that he's still carrying that staff, hanging on a strap looped over his torso.

    Dorian has a potion to spare for the consumables box. Thedan or not, it has the same use-- drink it and be healed. It'll probably suffice either way. Once the giving is out of the way, Dorian turns his attention to taking in the sights. It's the chocobos that get his attention too, because he's never seen 'birds of burden'. Or 'beasts of bird-en', whichever. So he heads in that direction, head tilted to examine the weird (to him, anyway) birds.

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic is here, though he looks less like a Noble and more like the Alexander Academy equivalent of Indiana Jones. He's wearing jeans, worn boots, a long-sleeve shirt and a leather jacket. His beret is gone from the time he traded it to an Ork for information.

    He's also not here for pleasure. Instead, the school has him doing some work during the Festival to help cover his tuition and push up the Alexander Academy elite image. So he's working at a booth that reads 'FUND GALIANDA'S FUTURE' and 'YOUR DONATIONS HELP FIND NEW DUNGEONS'.

    The specific booth he's manning shows a map of each major continent and where various dungeons are. Ones found in the last 12 months are marked with big red arrows. His booth also has pamphlets and fliers talking about how donations help fund Alexander's researchers to explore and make these new dungeons viable for offworlders and world natives to explore.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     To an outside observer, the person handling the submarine game must have had years of practice handling a real submarine, or even at playing this game. To anyone that knows Sanary, however, they'd know that she has absolutely no clue what she's doing. The buttons are a confusing mess to her, she can't tell what direction she's going in, there's apparently mines to avoid, and...

     ... Well, it's going better than that dumb fighting game. That fifth guy totally cheats too much.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    About a half hour or so after Kyra was last heard giggling on the radio, something curious happens to the ARK students in attendance. The randomly spawning magical mistletoe that can only be temporarily banished with a kiss seems to spread to.each and every one. It is a very curious infestation that appears to be off world in origin.

Weiss Schnee (922) has posed:
    Weiss Schnee is here, too - why? Nobody can say for sure. Perhaps she wanted to get into the holiday spirit of giving, or maybe some evil spirit replaced her with an identical lookalike, except nicer and happier! ...probably the first one, but she's here regardless. She's wearing her usual combat outfit, a rare smile on her face. "Yeah, I know where the fun's at." She carefully places a cyan Dust crystal in the donation box, sealed in an explosion-proof container with a 'Dust for Dummies' pamphlet. Someone will be able to make use of that, right? "Let's go to the games first," she says to her golden-haired companion. "Then we'll have some lunch."

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason was very excited about this time of the year it was a chance to cut lose, her studies had kept her from going out into the multiverse as much as she'd like and the incident with HK-47 weighted on her but for now it was time to enjoy to party. She did take notice of Landon and made for the prince, it was some times hard to recall one given how often he got out.

"Landon! Hey, good to see you and having a good time here!"

She would have no idea what happened to the Ark students at all she's innocent of that totally. However she totally approves of this prank.

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Galianda's lack of seasons means that it's probably surprisingly warm here, especially when one remembers that Chocobo is its moon.

     Toph and Dorian both receive polite thank-yous and some generalized craftsmanship, little trinkets made by students as thanks for donating. They're nice craftsmanship!

     The Chocobo Pens are drawing quite a crowd, between the Zaibach-donated PURPLE chocobo and the other high-quality birds. One of them turns to Dorian and warks at him. WAAAARRRRK. The proud bird puffs out its feathers and straightens, as though it's aware that it's in front of an audience and needs to look IMPRESSIVE.

     WAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRK.

     Landon passes by Dominic, slips his hand into the other man's, closes it, and bumps shoulders in a subtle handshake and greeting. He smiles at Dominic and nods, but doesn't otherwise interfere with him going 'round the festival. He does, however, add quietly, "You ought to keep an eye on your girlfriend. I expect she has ill intentions towards the ARK guests."

     Landon does not, in fact, approve of this silly school shenaniganry. He winds his way around instead to greet Yang and Weiss. "Miss Xiao Long. I remember seeing you face off against my good friend Kamon! It was a marvelous match. I don't believe we've been introduced, personally, however, nor do I believe I'm familiar with your friend. Good day. I'm delighted you could make it, both of you. I am Landon al Cid, Prince of Ramuh. It is my inestimable pleasure to make your acquaintance." Landon follows up his greeting with a right-out-of-a-fairy-tale hand-kiss for both of them, unless they stop him, in which case, he doesn't. He straightens and smiles. "I hope you enjoy this little festival. Our school really has gone all-out. Ah, Lady Mason!"

     Landon waves Lyria over to them. "Lady Mason, a pleasure as always. Have you met these enchanting ladies yet? Ladies, this is Lyria Mason, one of my classmates, and a brilliant Machinist. Lady Mason, have you seen the weapons from this Beacon place? Cirra's spoken at great length of them to me, I imagine you'll find them fascinating."

     Landon also has to greet Souji, but that'll come...later. Landon's in a GOOD mood right now, after all.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    "Sounds good to me!" chirps Yang excitedly. She does chip in her own donation. Some kind of energy drink pack. It's got a Boarbatusk rolled up into its 'Attack Ball' with speed lines behind it. 'Gold Surge' is stamped in these speed lines in stylized lettering. Someone'll likely find them useful.

    As Landon comes on up, the blonde puffs up a bit. "I do my best, I mean you don't get into Beacon by being a pushover." she replies, slipping her hand out of Landon's without a mention of the attempted kiss. "Nice to meetchya too, your highness." she replies, and bows a bit formally. "I'll let my friend introduce herself, we're on the same Team at Beacon though." She hands that off to Weiss, then has a glance over at Lyria. "Heya! Name's Yang. Yang Xiao Long. Nice to meetchya." she offers out a hand to shake, being careful not to go too hard on her grip. It's pretty strong, after all. "Oh... I brought Ember Celica along, didn't feel right not wearing 'em, I hope that's alright." she adds, glancing back at Landon.

Soan Sagittarius (633) has posed:
As per previous years, there is a lot of people in the festival!

No different from the previous years either, is that Soan Sagittarius is not here. Or at least, he is not very visible for most anybody to see. People are enjoying themselves and he, too, is enjoying himself at watching and keeping a look on things, the invited people... annnnnd making sure nobody gets any bright idea to start nicking away little things from booths and people.

So, Soan is hiding admist the crowd, for the moment, keeping a good eye on.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Hey, that shape over there is familiar...

    "Hey, Lover Boy!"

    Yes, Dorian isn't getting rid of that nickname anytime soon, poor guy. The blind girl turns towards him, giving him a big grin even as she tucks the little trinket she was given by the people at the booth for donating into her pocket. "Didn't expect to run into you here! Here to catch some holiday spirit before the big day?" There are some other people here too that she can hear, though she's not too familiar with most of them outside of the radio. But might as well talk with people in turn, right?

    Most of them seem to be busy with the chocobo races, and Toph lets out a slight huff. "Chocobo racing, huh?" Personally she doesn't see the big deal, but then again she doesn't like riding on her own chocobo for that matter. Not when she prefers keeping her feet on the ground.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Ah, trinkets! It's a proof that Dorian's been nice, so of course he's going to accept it, with a polite bow. These birds do resemble very large peacocks, don't they? Well, ostrich/peacock/chicken. Kind of. Dorian crosses his arms over his midriff, a hand going to his chin thoughtfully. Maybe a little bit of parrot, too? Or budgie? The beak of some of these birds do somewhat resemble budgies. A little.

    Dorian is so busy trying to figure out what sorts of birds they missed together to make these rather proud-looking birds that he misses the strutting. Now the very loud 'WAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRK!', though. THAT he hears! In fact the sound startles him, and he jumps a bit, looking at the bird who'd made such a loud noise, blinking as though he'd never heard such a sound. Actually he hadn't, but still. "Hello there." Yes, he's talking to the bird that just 'wark'ed at him. "You're a noisy one, aren't you?" He doesn't sound upset, no. In fact he smirks at the bird.

    He hears 'Lover Boy', and looks up, before it even registers. Apparently Dorian trains very well, and has learned to answer to the nickname. However, as he turns to look, he notes, with some chagrin, "Still not going to let me live that down, eh?" He really doesn't mind it that much. There are worse things to be known for.

    BUT! Greetings! "Hello, Toph." Holiday spirit? Dorian lets out a chuckle. "Not exactly. I came to see what a prestigious academy that teaches magic looks like outside of Thedas. They have them in Tevinter as well, so I came to see the differences." Pause, looks at the chocobos. "Chocobos? Is that what they're called?"

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
The current race is neck and neck, with the chocobo jockeys givine this the same intensity as any of the big races every year. After all, in the jockey world you're only as good as your last win.

Thankfully, Xiao's hopes are not dashed when the Murasame chocobo manages to barely edge out the al Cid Chocobo to cross the finish line. There is an uproarious cheer, both from the winners and losers, and Xiao makes a decent chunk of change... With a portion cut for charity, of course.

"Fortunate." Souji states as he glances over to the excitable scientist at the table. "It seems your faith is rewarded as usual, Yu. Enjoy."

He glances back, however, as another nearby conversation has attracted his attention. "You seem to be a man who enjoys quality, sir." He gestures to Dorian. "You are correct. They are called Chocobos. They are a type of bird native to our world, and from what I hear, several others. Fascinating, really. When well trained and kept, the chocobo can be a reliable, dependable, and graceful companion." Dorian might notice several faint shadings changing in the corporate heir's glasses, along with miniscule amounts of magical shifting. Are they enchanted?

Souji's eyes suddenly shift towards Toph. "Ah, and our master of Earth Geomancy. Greetings, Miss Toph." Souji's tone is businesslike and cordial, at least. "I trust you are well."

Weiss Schnee (922) has posed:
    In classic Weiss fashion, the heiress curtsies in greeting to the prince. "Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. The pleasure is mine." She allows the kiss, thinking it an appropriate gesture for a man who clearly has class. "As she said, Yang and I are both part of Team RWBY at our academy." She turns to to Lyria once she's finished introducing herself, then offers a handshake to her as well. "Weiss Schnee," she restates. She glances down at her trusty rapier, hanging at her side. "Our weapons? Well, they certainly have their charms," she responds with a chuckle.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     After clearing through the submarine game with little to no idea about what she was doing, Sanary steps away from the machine to check out the commotion at the chocobo races. Spotting two of her coworkers there, she wastes little time in heading on over to clap a hand lightly against Souji's and Xiao's shoulders. She's wearing her usual white coat, of course, and that trusty gunaxe is easily visible on her attached to her belt.

     Not that she's expecting to fight, but she did hear rumors about an arena somewhere. Might as well be prepared, right?

     "Heeey, Souji and Xiao! What's with the... Bird race? Chocobo... Which one's ours?" She goes quiet while watching the display, her question soon answered once she spots some of those telltale markings on the purple one. Her attention does go up towards that mistletoe floating over the young heir's head. "Careful getting up, Souji. There's a... That up there. What's with those, anyway? Seen loads today..."

     As her attention moves from the chocobo race to the mistletoe and elsewhere again, however, she spots Dorian and hears Toph not too far away (prompting a brief snicker at the nickname), offering them a broad wave from where she's standing. "Oh! Hey, Dorian! Hey, Toph! Interested in these..." She pauses again to peer at the signs around them, making sure she heard the Earthbender properly. "... Chocobo races, too?"

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic smiles to Landon, "If there is one thing I learned, it's not to stop her unless she's doing something that is actually going to make a problem. This seems like more of a prank than anything," He muses to his close friend. His hands fall into the pockets of his jacket, rapier hanging at his hip as per usual. The main difference is that the mithril blade is now kept in a much more worn looking scabbard.

    He takes a brief break from promoting the dungeon explorers and trying to drum up donations to tag along with Landon as he heads to the Beacon Academy students. He bows a bit formally to both Weiss and Yang, "Dominic Masoch, Alexander Academy Dungeon Evaluator and soon-to-be Graduate. A pleasure to meet you both."

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason is happy to catch up with the prince, the two new Becon Students? She'd only heard them on the radio, and had not yet hac a chance to meet them.

"A pleasure to finally meet you in person and no I haven't heard very much about the weapons of Becon I'm curious now given my line of work. You have got my intrest with this."

She looks Yang over and seems to approve of her sense of style, she accepts Yang's hand and shakes it back fairly firmly all things considered.

Weiss is also greeted formally by Weiss as well and Lyria returns the handshake as well.

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     Fists clenched and leaned forward, Xiao watched as the race literally ccould have gone either way.....but no! Her chosen bet is victorious! "Yes! Woo hoo!" The scientist cheered, tossing her arms into the air in celebration. She won't be eating instant ramen for the rest of the month after all. Crisis averted!

     At the sound of Souji's voice, she turned and smiled wide. "Of course, and I certainly will, boss~" Sanary's approach gets her attention next, and the girl waved. "Hello, Miss Rondel~ It's the purple one!" The mention of a 'thing' however gets Xiao to look upwards as well.

     "....?" Confusion. "That is...If I recall correctly...." But she didn't finish that sentence. Instead, she grinned like the cheshire cat. Hee hee~ Her gaze locked onto a certain Ramuhan Prince. "Excuuuuuuuse me! Priiiiiince! Could you come over here for a second?" She called, waving at Landon.

     Sometimes, one must embrace terrible ideas in order to fulfill their dreams.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As always Toph seems amused at Dorian's good sense of humour, and she nods. "Yeah, it's a kinda fancy pants school, isn't it?" she comments. "And huh, your place has magic schools too? Maybe we should go there to check them out sometime. What kind of magic do they teach there anyway?"

    It appears that Souji gets to comment on the chocobos before her, and Toph narrows her eyes just slightly. "I dunno about you, but my Ivalician chocobo is anything but graceful. Honestly, she's a klutz. But she does summon flaming meteors, so I guess she's not all bad." She leans in closer to Dorian to whisper something. "And Goldie's chocobo loves beer and has the worst temper ever."

    When Souji adresses her however, Toph nods in response. "I'm well, it's Christmas tomorrow and I've got tons of gifts waiting for me to be unwrapped. Didn't know this festival was a thing, but as part of the faculty I kinda had to come and set an example for you kids." Oh yes. She's quite cheeky as always.

    And it seems Sanary is here as well...? Toph looks surprised for a moment, then seems to regain her wits. "Ah, heya Sanary..." As for whether she's interested in the chocobo races? "Not really. I've been forced to learn how to ride one, and that's it. I prefer playing with mine, honestly. Racing isn't my thing."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon beams, both at Weiss's politeness and a general sense of good cheer. The white-haired Prince also doesn't seem particularly disappointed by Yang's rebuffing, instead flowing seamlessly through the conversation. "I look forward to seeing more of your team and your work, Lady Schnee, Miss Yang. I'm quite happy to know that Alexander Academy is in no way unique, and I hope to see our two schools work closer together in the future."

     "Ah, Dominic! Ladies, Sir Dominic Masoch is a dear friend of mine. Please be good to him, will you? I have to go fulfill an obligation."

     Landon slips out of the conversation with a bit of dread and starts heading towards the chocobo pens. He briefly notices the al Cid chocobo - one of their black chocobos, not a particularly valuable one but one he's known for much of his childhood, by the horribly-translated name of CHOWY - lose to the Murasame purple. Well, that's alright. You win some, you lose some. Losing a little bit in a chocobo race is not an important loss. It was important to make sure you lost only where it wasn't important.

     "Miss Yu. A pleasure, as always. And, Murasame! Congratulations on the win. A well-bred beast indeed! Miss Rondel, how do you do?"

     Landon also nods to Dorian, whom he does not know, and Toph, whom he is aware can see him nod through the ground. "Good day. I hope you're both enjoying our school's festival?"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    That shade-changing of Souji's glasses does indeed get Dorian's attention! He might have been able to tell if they were enchanted or not, if he were to actually concentrate on finding out. But it doesn't seem like it's important right now. Not unless they start shooting lasers at him. Then it might be a little more important. At the moment though, Souji's words catch his attention more. "I am, yes," he notes easily of his enjoying quality. Souji begins to explain the Chocobo, and Dorian's hand goes to chin chin again. "Fascinating. These are mounts in your world, then?" he inquires. Another look to the bird. "That gait must be... something. I imagine it takes some getting used to." He's not being disparaging of the fine birds, no. He can see the gleaming plumage-- those are well taken care of birds. But, being used to a creature with a four-legged gait, he assumes a bipedal creature's gait would be quite a bit rougher.

    Sanary's mention of 'that thing up there' gets a blink, and Dorian looks to Souji again. Blinks again. "...I thought that was a fashion statement for this time of the year. What exactly is it?" They don't do mistletoe in Thedas, after all, so he's not familiar with the custom. But he nods to the mention of the chocobo races. "I've never seen these sorts of animals before. I was actually assessing their gait. It must be uncomfortable for a rider."

    Toph's mention of the schools in his world gets a sigh. "Sadly, that wouldn't be possible," he explains. "Tevinter is the only place that treats Circles like academies, and I'm... not exactly welcome there. And the rest of Thedas treats Circles like prisons. Where they isolate mages for being mages, essentially."

    Landon's greeting, however, gets a smile from the Thedan mage. "I am indeed. I'm glad your school has opened it to us all." And since he doesn't know Landon, Dorian seeks to remedy this. By introducing himself. He places a hand on his chest and offers, "I don't believe we've met. Dorian Pavus, Altus mage of Tevinter. How do you do?" He bows politely.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    "I'd show ya my weapon, but I don't wanna alarm anyone, y'know?" remarks Yang to Lyria, as she taps the two bracelets against one another lightly. They ring resonantly, and then she turns to look at Dominic. "Hey there... Dungeon Evaluator? Sounds like an important job... so you're like a teachers assistant then or something?" she asks, folding her arms over her chest.

    Weiss's Scroll starts to chirp its ringtone, and she says her excuses before slinking off to take the call. That'll be that, then.

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic makes a wobbling motion with his hand, "Sort of. It's more like being an employee of the school while attending it at the same time." He answers, hands slipping into his pockets as he watches Yang with that flat purple gaze of his, "Since I'm only waiting on the next convenient Dungeon Test to graduate, the school basically has me work one of their full time slots too. I travel to the various continents and scout new locations, figure out their difficulty, and then mark it down. The local governments can then open them up to tourists, hobbyist adventurers, and treasure hunters."

    He gives her a simple smile, "What about you? I recall you're a student at an academy similar to this one. Do tell me about it."

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    The al Cid black Chocobo lost the race to a Murasame Purple. But Chowy was always more of a personal steed then a show bird, or a racer.

However, from near the Chocobo pen is a round of applause and cheers as a small show competition introduces a contestant.

    "And today, riding the Chocobo from the al Cid's stables, Judge Cirra Constantine!" The applause grows louder as a white, utterly majestic Chocobo walks out from a gate, striding with perfectly placed step, and it's head held high with a crest of feather that arcs up gracefully into an arc similar to a helmet's crest and feathers at the side carefully combed to give the most subtle hint of a regal mane and a proud fluffy chest. The birds wings spread open and flap once to show off it's impressive wing span as the tail feathers floof out.

    And atop it, in her very best suit of armor, Cirra guides the Chobo carefully around the show pen, letting everyone get a look at the rare bird with oohs and aahs. She stays calm, and carefully incontroll of the bird without being rough. It is aparently an experienced show bird.

    The bird's barding is similarly impressive while remaining tastefully understated, with a saddle made of fine leather, trimmed in a white-silver stitching that prevents it from being too low-key for a royal family.

Cirra guides the bird across the pen one last time as the name appears on the screen above as simply 'MAGE'.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    Yang shrugs a little. "What's to say about Beacon? It's an academy that trains Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight the Creatures of Grimm." she replies. "I'm a first year student, started this year, actually with my little sister Ruby, and the other members of my Team, Weiss and Blake." she thumbs over to where Weiss went at the first name. "Still waiting on it to be made official, but we've already got out dorm room and stuff sorted out."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Man, you can't turn around without facing a familiar shape around here. Landon earns a nod from Toph. "Sure am. I should start up with some lessons again after New Years I guess, can't have the geomancers slack off here." But Union business comes first, after all.

    The question about the 'thing up there' likewise earns a confused look from Toph, who cants her head a bit at Sanary. "Stuff 'up there' is seldom stuff I care about." Nor something she's able to see.

    What really catches her attention is Dorian's explanation about how magic is treated in his world. The blind girl actually looks shocked at first, then annoyance settles on her face. "They punish people for having power? What kinda dunderhead came up with that idea?!" Heck, that's like treating benders badly for being benders. "Aren't you from Tevinter though...?" He did mention not getting along with his family, is this related somehow?

    Huh, seems like more chocobo races going on... And the familiar name does make Toph curious.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
When Sanary alerts him to a thing, the Murasame heir glances up at it with an expression of mild irritation. "What... Why is that even there?" He sighs with some asperity. "Someone is playing tricks again, I see." He mutters something, and a crackle of lightning strikes up into the air...

And the mistletoe slides to the side, the lightning missing it completely. It then continues to float there, tauntingly.

The heir frowns, and simply looks away, apparently intent to simply ignore it away.

In the meanwhile, he immediately smooths himself out, though there is a glance at Xiao as she summons over the Prince. Well, that's going to be a thing. Instead, he does his best to focus on Dorian and Toph. "It wouldn't surprise me that your chocobos have developed such habits. They are quite tempermental. However, if they serve your needs I certainly cannot complain." Her comment about setting an example brings a thin smile to Souji's face. Does he find it as amusing as she does? "It is good that you have come. I am not sure how they could have handled it without you being here to show them how it is done. I hope you enjoy the festivities." He doesn't /sound/ like he's being sarcastic, but with Souji it can be extremely hard to tell sometimes. Damn rich heirs and their word games.

Dorian does not get lasers. Or scorn beams. He's still on the positive side of Souji since he cuts a clean figure, which is definately something the heir appreciates in a first impression. "A properly trained Chocobo minimizes the impacts from the gait, which improves efficiency. Some say riding the finest breeds is much like flying..."

He ignores the mention of the mistletoe, instead frowning as he hears the comment about mage prisons. "Coming from a land where magic is a part of our everyday lives, the thought of being imprisoned simply for using such a natural force is... disappointing. And perhaps disturbing, as well." Souji states. "Believe me, you will face no such problems here, sir..."

The arrival of the Prince causes Souji to shift his attention, however. He stands as the Prince arrives, nodding pleasantly. "Prince al Cid. A pleasure to see you today. I trust the festivities are to your liking?" The arrival of Cirra on a white chocobo also draws some attention, as he glances over, measuing the bird from a distance. "Hmm." He emits noncommittally. "Your bodyguard appears to be making quite the display out there." He continues to Landon.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     "Heh... Figured ours would win, then~" Laughing broadly, Sanary raises an eyebrow as Xiao's expression shifts rather suddenly. Although she doesn't quite get what Xiao's up to as she makes her oh-so-subtle escape, she's definitely not going to call her out on whatever it is she's got planned. It's probably something good!

     Or terrible. Terribly good!

     Turning back to Toph, the healer nods slowly before humming to herself for a moment. "Sounds rough, riding one. They're all... Weird-shaped. Sounds uncomfortable. Although..." Another pause as she looks towards the chocobos, peering at the image of Cirra coming up on one, then back to Toph with an apologetic grin. "Ah, sorry. Uh... It's a weird plant with three tiny balls on it."

     She snickers a moment later. Hopefully, the Earthbender won't get that part. Instead, she distracts herself with the talk of mage treatment in Dorian's world! "Hn. Why don't the mages just take power for themselves, then? If they're being treated like shit, why let those other people control 'em?"

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     "Hello, Prince. I hope you're enjoying your day~" Greeting Landon cheerily with a waved sleeve, Xiao stepped back conspicuously, leaving the two young men to talk. ...Above the mistletoe. "I'll leave you two to it. Don't mind me." Baaaack away. "Also look up."

     Way to be subtle.

     She gathering up the remainder of her junk food, the scientist turned away, settling her gaze upon Toph, and then the two girls from Beacon. She'd seen the blonde one before. Never caught her name. The white haired one was new though. And then there was Dorian.

     "So, Miss Rondel. How did that situation in...Hyrule, was it? How did that go in the end? I missed the tail end of it."

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Another smile from Dominic, "Sounds very exciting. I can see why our schools might have an interest in one another," He nods politely and then says, "Ah. It must be nice to be on a team with your friends like that. You should consider stopping by the Light Warriors club room some time, we're very similar in function to that sort of team."

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     Spotting Landon finally, the cleric raises her hand to give him a wave as well. She does raise an eyebrow as Xiao mentions that weird plant thing again, glancing at it before shrugging slightly. It's probably nothing too terrible, right?

     At the question about Hyrule, however, it's Sanary's turn to put on an impish grin. "Oh. Went really well, actually. The princess was rescued, but a certain someone..." She's taking lessons in subtlety from Xiao, apparently. "... Might have helped revive a god. A greenish one with funny hair, even."

     At least she's not speaking too loudly about it. "Aaanyway~ How's th eprojects going? Got anything else that needs testing?"

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason says "Fair enough yang but I'd like to see it at some later point I admit."

She does seem curious and poltiely lets Weiss depart as it seems something has her. She does smile when she sees Dominic show up and she greets him.

"Good to see you Dominic I hope you ben doing pretty well with balancing work and school. I have been drowning in projects as of late."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     "Landon al Cid, Prince of Ramuh. A pleasure, Magus Pavus." Landon returns the bow quite formally, a hand over his heart as he bows at a proper angle - not so low as to suggest supplication but low enough to suggest polite deference. Souji is probably the only person there who even cares enough to watch how Landon bows to new people. "I'm afraid I can't speak for Alexander Academy as a whole but I am personally quite pleased to see our world opening up to Multiversal interaction. It's very lively and welcoming, unlike the grim events of the last year. I hope it continues in this manner for some time."

     "Indeed, Murasame, they are! And, yes, so I noticed. She looks quite splendid up there on our dear white MAGE. I wasn't expecting it, but I suppose Cirra doesn't tell me everything any more than I tell her everything, hm?"

     It's worth noting that Landon doesn't actually have a mistletoe! He presumably got rid of it earlier, or perhaps during one of the many introductions or greetings in which nobility on Ramuh kiss cheeks and hands it was spontaneously consumed.

     "Hm? Oh, yes, it's an odd thing, isn't it?" Landon offers to Xiao, "Strange little flowers. No idea what it's for. Just sort of started appearing. I understand the ARK booth has an epidemic of it. I'm sure it's not terribly dangerous, probably someone's idea of a prank."

     "Might want to have Hyral take a look at it, though? I understand she's figured out something to do with it."

     Landon leans over to the observation post and waves at Cirra, a big grin on his face.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Souji's way with words doesn't escape Toph, who only smiles a knowing smile. Oh yes, she hears it well enough. "Of course. I'm a gracious teacher, after all." He's not the only rich heir here after all, and Toph is only too used to word games and political strategy, having grown up in that world herself.

    "Actually, chocobos run smoothly... if they are properly trained to handle a rider," she admits with a sigh. It's just her mount that's a klutz and playful.

    "I gotta agree with Souji. If anybody tried to lock me up," she begins, then her expression sours, "worse than my parents did anyway, I would so break out of there. We can't help being born with the powers we have." Stupid dunderheads.

    The blind girl reaches up to swat at the mistletoe following her around, not really aware it's following her. "Well, I don't see why they had to hang it up /everywhere/ around here..." Landon's comment however suggests they just appeared out of nowhere. Huh. Well, it's a silly prank anyway. She turns to Sanary again. "So what are you doing for Christmas anyway?"

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    The announcement catches Dorian's attention, and he looks to the Judge atop the large white chocobo. And blink. It's very odd how majestic the bird looks, with Cirra on its back. But it really does. Almost surreal! He watches the bird's lap around the show pen, and if it's appropriate to do so, he applauds. Only if he sees others making to do that, though. Can't look like a fool, after all. But Cirra did do wonderfully at making the bird look as majestic as any horse.

    Toph's annoyance, and Souji's comment of being disappointed by keeping mages as prisoners, get a chuckle. "I have similar thoughts," he agrees to them both. "You see, the mages and templars have been at it for centures now. You know how it is-- one always says the other always goes too far, so they get up in arms, a mage blows up a Chantry or two or a templar blows up a Circle or two, and then both sides are pointing at each other like they're the source of all evil in the world. War and bloodshed for everyone." He waves a hand dismissively.

    Souji's assurance that Dorian won't get thrown in jail for being a mage gets a smirk. "THAT's good to hear," he says. Then he adds dryly, "Though admittedly, aside from the Qunari, most of my world is still at the stage of figuring out I'm a mage and then looking at me as though I'd broken wind next to the cake at the Divine's birthday party." It's probably not a difficult thing to figure out that Dorian's a mage, either, given he's carrying a staff with magical focus crystals in it.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    "So they're together for four years after being randomly assigned by being launched off a three hundred foot tall cliff into a monster infested forest?" asks Yang, completely with a straight face. She's completely one hundred percent serious about that. Then to Lyria. "Hey, if people won't freak out about me deploying them, I'll show ya right now." she offers.

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     Listening to Sanary, Xiao nodded vaguely. "Oho, how nice. Saved a princess and revived a god? All in a days work for our illustrious Miss Rondel~" Teasingly elbowing her companion in the side lightly, she sobered up after, thinking on the question. "Mmn? Anything I have that needs testing? ...Actually..."

     She brought a sleeve to her chin, rubbing thoughtfully. "I believe I may have something... But it's still a prototype. It might explode on you."

     A certain radio exchange caused her to break out into an amused fit of giggles. So close. Come on! They were standing right there together! Go! Go!

     The fans demand it!

     She demands it!

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    "Not quite to that level, but," Dominic muses over the point and hrms, "But we met through school and formed a team because of it. Similar principles, albeit a rather different method of assignment. It's not unusual for adventuring parties from our academy to be assigned rather than at the discretion of the students, however."

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic also gives Lyria a nod shortly after, "I've finished my credit requirements over the summer," He answers, giving her an answer about his work, "All I'm waiting for is for the academy to hold a B-Class Evaluation so I can complete it and receive my diploma."

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     "Uh... Suuure, I totally saved that princess." Sanary laughs lightly and claps her hand on Xiao's shoulder in response. Not that she wouldn't save a princess if needed, but... Well, details details. She could probably fill her in on the important ones another time, anyway. Her eyebrow raises at the mention of an exploding prototype, a thoughtful hum escaping the healer.

     "That so? Hmm... Well, if it doesn't explode too badly, maybe I can help out some later." She's not going to let a few injuries stop her from assisting in the ways of science! Or magic. Or... Magiscience?

     Watching that mistletoe going around over Toph's head takes her mind off that distinction, and Sanary also takes a few swats at it before just trying to catch it in her hands outright. Of course, she's not exactly the most agile person around, but she's trying!

     "Crafty little... Eh?" Sanary scratches her cheek lightly for a moment, then shrugs. "Don't really have anything planned. This is my first one properly... /In/ the Multiverse, so I was just gonna visit some people, deliver a few things." She gives up on trying to catch that pesky mistletoe eventually, although it does get a long look from the healer. "Probably eat out somewhere since I haven't had much work to do lately, and... I'm feeling lazy. You got anything fun planned?"

     Unlike Xiao's reaction to the radio exchange, Sanary's expression suddenly turns serious. She keeps one hand on her axe as she starts glancing around slowly, keeping an eye on anyone coming too close to the Earthbender. Someone's got to keep an eye out for her!

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
"Thankfully, your parents mean only the best for you. Mister Stark is a noted industrialist and your mother is exceedingly attentive and efficient in her dedication." Souji replies. "That said, a foolish mage-hunter who tried to capture you would have an unfortunate time, Miss Toph. Your facility with manipulating the Earth would mean someone would have to be quite inventive in finding a way to hold you. Like, perhaps, in a sphere in the ocean, or high in the air, away from the earth. There are... very very few jails designed for such in mind. Thankfully, you will have no problems with /that/ foolishness here."

Dominic's elucidation causes Souji to nod as well. "Mages and Templars... Even here, Templars have a role that can oppose mages, but they are not possessed of such... zealous opposition. They are more law enforcement than the kind of organization you indicate. Magic is part of our lives and we have moved past such political foolishness." He glances over at the staff, and simply shrugs slightly. "I can only imagine how they would react to a place like this, where the various Mages make up a significant percentage of our world's Jobs."

Audrey Stormfist (652) has posed:
    "I'm certain you'll pass," comes Audrey's voice behind Dominic. If you were expecting the Monk slash Heritor to not be wearing her KIRIN uniform on this day, though, you were underestimating her devotion to her job. And senpai. Mostly senpai. By extension her job. Her overall looks generally unchanged, save perhaps for the fact she's conceded wearing a Santa hat, she settles to Dominic's side, having overheard the conversation. Her eyes trail to Yang's wrists and hands, but then get distracted by Souji.

    "It's my understanding the flowers are part of a tradition wherein you force people underneath them to kiss, mister Murasame. One assumes it is the simplest way to remove the prank."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     "Ah, good evening, Miss Stormfist! Is KIRIN on the job today?" Landon asks, a general question at both her and Souji and pretty much everybody else working for Souji, "How kind of you to provide extra security for this event, Murasame!"

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    At first Toph looks confused when Souji speaks, then she sighs. "I was talking about my birth parents. Goldie and Pepper don't lock me up, nor could they," she points out. And just thinking about the various prisons somebody might make for her makes her want to shudder. Ugh, being removed from the earth does not sound tempting at all.

    The strange movements by Sanary as she tries to catch the pesky mistletoe doesn't escape Toph's notice, who looks a bit confused, but doesn't question it yet at least. "Well, I'm celebrating it at home in Malibu, though I suspect we might head out see Pepper's family, maybe the other Avengers, I might hang out at Njorun some... and maybe the Bar and Grill one day just to break up the monotone. You should meet me there one day," Toph adds firmly as if she's already decided.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    "That's exactly what they're supposed to be," Dorian replies. "Law enforcement, that is. Mages are required to attend a Circle-- which is a good idea, mind. Uncontrolled magic is dangerous. But somewhere along the way, someone thought it was a good idea to get templars to guard mages in the Circles. On paper, brilliant; they have anti-magical abilities. In practice? Templars generally see mages as the scum of Thedas. The abuses that go on in Ferelden Circles can scarcely be recounted."

    As for a Thedan's reaction to Alexander Academy? "That depends on where they're from," Dorian replies. "A Ferelden would be horrified and would want to burn it to the ground. A Qunari would probably kidnap several mages and sew their mouths shut. An Orlesian would find some way to use the freedom to murder someone." Pause. "A Tevinter would too, now that I think about it. Just the Orlesian would employ a thug with a knife and the Tevinter would use blood magic." He's... probably kidding, given the dry tone of voice.

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     Sanary gets another nod. "Well. Come by my lab sometime then. I'll hook you up to it and...." She rubbed her sleeves together. "Hee hee hee~"

     Very safe and not dangerous at all.

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    Cirra dismounts MAGE long enough to go change into a proper racing attire. Afterwards she walks MAGE to the starting gate.

    The bell rings, the gates open and the Chobos take off. Cirra and MAGE stay in the forward pack the entire way through the race.

    It's just as they pull through the last corner that Cirra just lets MAGE do as he wants. White Chocobos have massive endurance, but if she let the bird pull a head early, she'd have been everyone's target to beat.

    Now the White Chocobo pulls ahead dodging around it's competition with guidence from Cirra and shooting just ahead at the last fifty meters to cross the finish line first.

    It is a summarily celebrated victory as odds weren't in Cirra's favour, so anyone that bet on her pulled in quiet a winning.

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    "The same could be said of you, Audrey Stormfist," Dominic remarks, looking sideways at the Monk-Heritor and then commenting, "Oh. You dressed casual today," In an observant note, taking note of the hat on her head. That is, technically, casual for her. He thinks for a few moments, "Hopefully the exams will be soon."

    "How has KIRIN been treating you?"

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     "Hey, any chance to go there for more wings is good to me. Count me in." Sanary's mood seems to be improving steadily, although she does shoot the occasional passerby the evil eye for even looking at that mistletoe or anywhere near Toph. Not literally shooting them, of course.

     Yet.

     Xiao gets another eyebrow raise as well, and the cleric looks just a little more intrigued. "Looking forward to that, then~ But.. Uh. You're sure it won't kill me even if it blows up, right?" It never hurts to be careful!

Audrey Stormfist (652) has posed:
    "Al Cid," Audrey replies, crisply to Landon, before shaking her head. "I am not actually on-duty at the moment. But as festivals roar to life, it isn't uncommon we get last-minute calls for security or to deal with intrusions on private properties. The bright lights and music give thieves too perfect a distraction to resist attempting it," she explains, on the subject of the fact her uniform never seems to come off. On the other hand, it's a really cool overcoat and magitech gloves, so why would she want to take it off.

    Dominic notices the hat, causing her to smile briefly. "Yes. This wouldn't be very professional to wear if I was on-duty. I'm fine, thank you. How's life without the family business been treating you? Is Hyral still threatening your life with every move she makes?"

Xiao Li Yu (823) has posed:
     A hand is waved carelessly.

     "Oh it's fine, it's fine. You won't die."

     There's a pause of a couple seconds before that statement is appended.

     "Probably."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     "I'd best go greet Cirra. If you'll excuse me, Murasame," Landon observes cheerfully, excusing himself to the winner's circle and thereby *ruining* Xiao's dreams *forever*.

     "Congratulations," Landon congratulates his bodyguard happily as he arrives, reaching up to pet MAGE, "You did a splendid job."

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    "Luckily you are off-duty, so instead of looks very festive on you," Dominic compliments, giving her a brief smile in response, "Kyra has graciously, it seems, conceded to only threaten our lives on every fifth or sixth move. Otherwise I would never have time for work."

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    "'Scuse me." Yang says to Dominic and Lyria, then makes her way over to the race track. She watches the birds running, and eyegleams at the spectacle. There's only things remotely like this every two years, during the Vytl Festival.

    The Blonde comes up behind Landon. "That. Was. AWESOME!" she says, beaming up at Cirra, and looking at the Chocobo with a little bit of awe.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
The ever-present Audrey assists in explaining the tradition to Souji, and between that and the endless banter of the Galianda radio, Souji frowns some more. "That kind of tradition seems completely foolish. I will not yield to it." Souji states, possibly dashing a number of people's hopes. As usual.

Landon's comment elicits another shrug from Souji. "I can always depend on Stormfist to keep order where necessary. even with most of the rest of Adamant Squad elsewhere, between her and the Applied Thievery department, it would be foolish for people to attempt wrongdoing." He, notably, doesn't actually confirm or deny if KIRIN was actually hired, or if it's just Audrey's normal tendency to cause her to forcefully rebuke shenanigans.

toph's response gains a slightly quizzical glance from Souji, but he nods. "I stand corrected." He says, simply. "I trust your holiday celebrations will be pleasant and entertaining." He states to the Earthbender. At least that is unambiguously positive.

Dorian's explanations gain another sigh. "Politics. When they go poorly it turns people into squabbling children with lethal weapons." He ponders for a moment. "So you are a mage of some renown?" He asks Dorian.

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    Cirra gets down from MAGE again and strokes the bird's neck as it makes a happy cooing sound. She turns to look at Landon as he congradulates her. "Thank you, though it was mostly MAGE, I just gave him guidence." She almost sort of smiles.

    When Yang show up though she chuckles a little at the blond's response. "Thank you." she pets the chocobo's beak. "MAGE's normal Jockey was ill, but I helped tend him so Landon's mother asked me to fill in. He's a good tempered bird, if you want to pet him."

Lyria Mason has posed:
Lyria Mason says "That's great to hear, I look forward to the graduation party when your finished. It's no small thing to get that you know I'm hopefully over the worst slog of my own class work for the moment. Though things are getting interesting back home. There's few pirate problems as of late and we're not sure if they are native or not."

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    Yang squees softly at that, and very gently holds her hand out toward MAGE. She's used to dogs, and that's how you introduce yourself to a new one, should work for other animals too, right?

    If MAGE seems to be okay with it, fingers gently meet feathers, and she carefully strokes along with the grain of the plumes, so as to not cause discomfort.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    "Politics always go poorly for someone," Dorian replies. He kind of knows that one for certain, his father being a magister and all. The question of if he's a mage gets a nod! "I am indeed," Dorian replies to Souji. Now they're on Dorian's favorite subject-- himself! "I'm an Altus mage. That means I can trace my family's history back directly to... well, what were essentially the very first mages, the Somniari-- the Dreamers. Are there any such legends here?"

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Cirra smiling gets a smile in return, and Landon's is very genuine and not a partial smile.

     "He's a beautiful bird," Landon tells Yang, "He's very gentle. Very well-bred. He's been with the family for many years now, although he's always preerred Cirra over me. I suspect it's because his down is like snow, and she's a Shivan."

Audrey Stormfist (652) has posed:
    "A small mercy," Audrey answers Dominic, but content enough he acknowledges the dangerous, rogue threat that is Kyra. "I take it the hunt for Excalibur hasn't progressed any further?" She watches Landon excuse himself, and Yang skitter away, the Heritor's eyes prying themselves off her hands. She turns back to Souji, speaking, rarely, without really giving it enough thought.

    "Of course it is foolish, sir. A waste of everyone's time, but... it does look a little bit silly over your head like that. Perhaps you might consider... that there might be someone willing to... ah... remedy the situation for you, quickly and without a fuss, and your day may go on as normal afterwards, without that eyesore distracting people from your words and sight."

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic seems to laugh off the comment by Audrey, "Excalibur? Haha, that sword was lost centuries ago," He largely has to play naive since the school has him searching for that in secret under alternate auspices, "I doubt any dungeon I go into is going to have much of any clues about a weapon like THAT. Could you imagine? Researchers spend years looking for it and a dungeon evaluator stumbles upon it?" He snickers a bit.

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    MAGE lowers his head and sniffs at Yang's hand, then WARK!s his consent. As the blond strokes his feathery neck he closes his eyes and raises his head, being a show bird he absolutely loves attention and coos softly.

    "He's also a sucker for blonds." she deadpans in response to both Landon and MAGE.

Cassandra Dolet (671) has posed:
     There's not a grand entrance for the Dolet and the dance corps for once. Actually, there's no dance corps, just Cassie for once. She's not even in a dancer outfit, or ninja gear, or an Alexander Academy outfit, instead sleek in a pinstriped business suit familiar to at least two people here.

     She does seem to have a ultimate goal in mind, trekking straihgt for the Chocobo Circle, but she stops when she spots Souji Murasame, her sapphire eyes focusing on ... the *mistletoe*.

     "Oh my."

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     "I am," Landon replies wryly, "Though I suspect MAGE is even more open about it than I am, aren't you, you silly bird?" He scratches MAGE's plumage before turning and waving to Cassie, gesturing for her to come over to them.

     "You did a spectacular job guiding him in any case," Landon tells Cirra, "He's a gentle bird, but you've always been good at motivating lazy, gentle things, haven't you?"

     SOMETIMES THROUGH FORCE.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    "He's definitely something. We don't have anything like him back home. We've got dogs, livestock... but riding animals aren't something our world ever really got into, because of the Grimm." says Yang. "The only animals I've ever seen were the dogs my Dad kept. Eins died before Ruby was born, and we got Zwei about a year before Ruby joined Signal to start training to be a Huntress."

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    There was this one time, Landon wouldn't get out of bed, so Cirra pulled the sheets to roll him out. It was effective.

    "Yes, well MAGE is plenty motivated to look good, he just needs some motivation to do anything else."

    MAGE turns his head towards Yang and gives a soft 'fweh' as if demanding more attention.

    "Not even those...horses other worlds have?" she asks Yang.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    Yang giggles softly, and steps a little closer, using both hands to gently pet at the bird's neck. "You've seen what the Grimm are capable of. Do you think a Horse would survive against that? Even /with/ Aura..." she shakes her head, and goes back to just idly petting the Chocobo.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
"Many of them." Souji replies. "All Galiandans can in one form or another trace their bloodlines back to the continents." He allows that to settle in for a moment before he continues, for effect. "Our lands were once the Divines, who laid their lives down and became lands for us to both fight the Enemy as well as to nourish us and allow us to prosper once the great war was finally over. More currently, there are always bloodlines that are more famous than others. My own has a rich and storied history throughout the land of Ramuh... and even besides the bloodlines, Galianda is still terrible and wild in some places, with many secrets left to be wrested from the depths of the Continents... Or elsewhere."

Souji stiffens a moment as Audrey gives her argument for dealing with the mistletoe issue. He looks like for a moment that he is about to reply with a comment as chill as a Shivan winter before he stops just as he opens his mouth, hearing Dolet comment her short phrase.

There is a pause, and Souji closes his eyes, sighing. "Very well. Stormfist, you may..." There is a pause.

The next words are delivered with a stonelike tone. "...Resolve the issue."

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     Sanary appears to have taken the opportunity to shuffle off somewhere behind Souji, safely out of his peripheral vision. Audrey, meanwhile, would easily be able to see the cleric raising a thumb at her while watching from behind a confused pair of students.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    Dorian seems boggled by this. "That would be... similar to if the Maker had allowed his body to serve as Thedas," he surmises. This seems to interest the Altus very seriously. In fact, he gets a thoughtful look on his face, considering the possibilities. "What 'Enemy'?" he inquires. "Or is the name forbidden to speak?" He doesn't sound like this is objectionable to him; in fact he sounds like he expects it.

    Though when Souji gives Audrey permission to 'resolve the issue' of the mistletoe, he can't help but laugh. At least he's polite enough not to snark about it. Oh wait, no he's not. "Not to worry, sir. I'm sure we all can see the lengths to which you must go to resolve this issue. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Cassandra Dolet (671) has posed:
     Cassie utilizes her sub-job, so to say and disappears, pretty much. She steps back into a convenient patch of shadows, her MogPhone out, perhaps for some infintestimal terrible idea like 'video taping what is about to occur.' Radio silence, even. She's waiting.

Audrey Stormfist (652) has posed:
    "Really? You seemed to wish to behold the real thing after... what was it that happened." The Mirielle incident? She was too busy handling other things to pay much mind to the matter, but Dominic claiming the sword lost does kind of strongly imply that can't have been the real one he was given. "Hm. Well, if an hypothetical scenario in which you changed your mind came up, perhaps you'd enjoy the company of someone who respects weapons and wouldn't threaten your life by your presence."

    And then Souji gives an answer.

    Should she care it looks like Souji changed his mind upon seeing and hearing Cassandra? PROBABLY, but she just got consent to-- to--

    The Heritor tenses up and turns red like she has never been before. It is a VERY GOOD THING it doesn't look like Kyra is anywhere nearby, and everyone is by and large busy with Cirra's Chocobo. If that were an innuendo it would be very unfortunate for Cirra but equally convenient for Audrey, eyes being off her and Souji for the most part.

    Audrey asks Dominic to wait a moment, straightens her coat, fidgets, and finally takes the few steps needed to reach Souji. "R-Right. As one of your employees, mister Murasame, it's my... duty, to resolve your annoyances for you. Swiftly."

    Deep breath. Don't panic.

    THIS IS GOING TO BE MAGICAL.

    Audrey reaches over, stands slightly on the tip of her toes to cross the half a foot gap in height, and-- smooches Souji on the mouth. It is exactly that brief, because she immediatly pulls back and breaks eye contact the moment she can be afforded to. Redder than before. Absolutely dying.

    Internally: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Landon al Cid (642) has posed:
     Landon is far too polite to take a picture in any obvious manner.

     That's all that will be said on the subject from Landon.

     "Huh!" Is all Landon says. Apparently he's the only person who remembers that Souji used to have a wife, and thus isn't skull-bustingly shocked by Souji having affection placed upon him.

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    Cirra doesn't stare at Souji either, it's not like anyone can hold anything over Murasame for very long.

    She looks at MAGE wirly as the he coos at Yang's petting. "Alright, MAGE. I think you've flirted with pretty girls enough for one day." The chocobo WARKs in confusion but Cirra leads him into the stables.

Yang Xiao Long has posed:
    Yang awws a little as the Chocobo is led away, and stuffs her hands in her pockets, scuffing a foot at the ground briefly. She's completely oblivious to what's going on with Souji.

Cirra Constantine (675) has posed:
    "Don't worry Yang," Cirra says as she removes the barding from MAGE, "You can come see him again if you want." and starts brushing down the feathers that were under the saddle, "Or grab a brush and help me?"

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Kissing Souji is somewhat akin to kissing a rock. It emotes about as much. He doesn't seem to respond in the slightest to Audrey, but whatever his feeling might be on the matter, hers is certainly genuine, and the mistletoe poofs out in a puff of goddamn troll wizard smoke.

"Thank you." Souji remarks, with about the same amount of feeling as if she gave him a cup of coffee or tea made to his exact specifications.

He then picks up where he left off, as Audrey immediately removes herself to an appropriate distance as is proper. "As far as the Enemy is concerned..." Souji continues, "To speak Their name is considered extremely rude and an ill omen in most company. Some believe it can attract their attention, as I am sure your own legends may tell of similar beings. However..." He removes a pad of paper from his suit and writes on it for a moment. "I cannot expect you to simply guess it, as it is a concept not unbeknownest to those competent in the magical arts and it would be ill of me to allow you to blunder into it." He tears off the page and offers it to Dorian.

On it is a single word: 'Chaos'.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
Dorian snickers behind his hand at the complete lack of response from Souji to being kissed. "...I'm not sure who I feel more sympathy for..." he murmurs. Regardless he's turned his attention to the other topic, that of the enemy, quickly enough. He takes the paper from Souji and reads the single word on it. Though he isn't stupid enough to just blurt it out after being told it was an ill omen. "...Do you mean the concept thereof? Or did your people actually name a very specific great evil after this concept? I can see either way, after all. A chaotic mage doesn't survive long, lest he attract a demon from the Fade."

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
Souji continues to simply ignore the snark. It seems he's full shields up after that event. "It was a being inasmuch as the Divines were." Souji replies, "Though the Cosmans are loath to admit such. Even so, it bears many of similarities to the concept, as it defied comprehension and definition." Souji spreads his hands. "You must understand first that Galianda is a world made up of Patterns. Everything, living or dead in this world, bears a Pattern, and Magic flows through those Patterns to invigorate and reinforce those attributes. The way these Patterns interact is how we have built our traditions, our capabilities, and much of our way of thinking. The Enemy is that which rejects and destroys those Patterns. It is not only a rejection of our society, but also of our way of life, our power, our thought, even our very reality."

Audrey Stormfist (652) has posed:
    Right well. That. Was a thing.

    "O-Of course, sir."

    Audrey becomes a very tiny and red being as she backsteps a few times to return to Dominic's side, leaving Souji to continue discussing with Dorian. It would be rude to interrupt more than she has, because Souji never does things without purpose, so if he's wasting time discussing then it mustn't be a waste of time at all.

    With an almost audible squeak, the Heritor asks Dominic without actually returning to look at him: "W-Where were we?"

Dominic Masoch (655) has posed:
    Dominic, as calm and mellow as he is about things, will at least prove a safe bastion to not exacerbate Audrey's embarassment, "Ah, I believe you were asking about coming along on some of my dungeon evaluations. I believe the new internships for the upcoming semester are beginning, you should apply. It gives you course credit in Dungeon Exploration Physical Education to spend a semester assisting the Evaluators."

Cassandra Dolet (671) has posed:
     Cassie actually feels a little bad for Audrey.

     Just a little.

     She stores her phone and steps out of the shadows, deliberately cutting across Souji and Dorians' path on her way to Landon et al. "Good evening, Murasame." She murmurs on her way past, pausing on the way to just tip her hand at his face, palm up, tips of her fingers nearly touch his chin as she blows him a kiss before continuing her way across the square.

     Thanks, Cassie. Thanks.

Sanary Rondel has posed:
     Sanary's not sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. On one hand, Audrey's finally done it, and Souji's having a decent conversation with Dorian! That's definitely a good sign on both fronts. On the other hand... Did he even notice Audrey kissing him? She watches the Heritor from a distance, waiting until the woman's over by Dominic before joining her with a light nudge at her side.

     She doesn't say anything, of course, just giving her another thumbs up instead. "Good job~" She whispers, the backs off. Dominic receives a firm nod in greeting, and the healer backs up a bit more before moving to take her leave! It's probably better that she doesn't interrupt the rest of the business and extracurriculars going on, after all.

     Besides. That gives her the opportunity to check out the arena without having to worry about anything else.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    "Ah, I believe I understand now," Dorian comments. He theorizes, "So, since order is so important to how everything works in your world, the deviation from it is not merely feared, but actively evil?" There's a bit of a smirk there. "You would hate Thedan magic so very much. We simply... are. And learning to control our magic is an exercise in making sense of unorderly patterns. And I can't imagine how you'd regard the Fade. It's about as organized and orderly as an explosion."

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
"There are groups of terrorists that attack on occasion. Cultists devoted to the Enemy. Recently they had managed to apply enough anti-magical bombs that it actually removed the ability of local gravity to function. In the absolute absence of magic, reality itself warps around this place. Those who have the ability to destroy magic, thus, are feared and respected, but generally they use their abilities for the good of the people." He smiles. "It is, after all, a well-paying job. Nevertheless, there is some... give to things, the question becomes something philosophers and religions pick up when they have nothing better to do."

Souji then simply smiles at the mention of Thedan Magic and how it seems to work. "You are enforcing order on it in your own way, are you not? Still, I am hardly in a position to judge how you operate your own magic, you are not from our world and cannot be held to the same standards as those in our own. But I think you can nevertheless find many opportunities here should you be interested."

There is a flick of the hand and Souji produces a business card, offering it. "I am Souji Murasame, of the Murasame Zaibatsu. We are always seeking talented people who might interested in mutual profit. If you are interested in temporary, contract, or retainer work, please let us know, Magus Pavus."

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
The passing Dolet heir, in the meantime, is met with no response other than a calm, "Dolet."

After she passes, however, despite his mask Dorian might notice a slighty twitching of an eyebrow.

Dorian Pavus (774) has posed:
    "That's a novel concept," Dorian notes thoughtfully. "That the absence of magic distorts reality in your world, whereas the presence of magic distorts it in mine. At least, as closely as I can theorize." The Breach has been a help in that regard, anyway. And he nods to the mention of imposing his own order on it. "Well, that might be what you'd consider channeling the Fade, yes," he agrees. "It's a near enough analogy."

    And then ht ebusiness card! Dorian accepts it, looking at it as he listens to Souji introduce himself. "Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you. You have access to the Syndicate resources, yes? You'll find me there, if you need a talented mage for something or another. I am most certainly that."

    He also raises a hand to cover his mouth-- and thus tifle the snicker-- at Cassie's blown kiss. If he notes Souji's twitching eyebrow, he says nothing of it. Politeness, after all.

Souji Murasame (627) has posed:
"We are indeed a presence within the Syndicate." Souji affirms. It is at this point then that he nods once more. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I believe at this time, however, I should take my leave. I have a meeting to attend. Thank you for your time." At that, Souji nods and turns to leave.

Best to get out of here before any more silliness happens. It's going to be months before he stops hearing the end of this as it is.