Coradai Academy IC - Chapter One: The Future Starts Now

[Inspector Valin]

"The third station on the path then is that of humility. It behooves sorcerers, even more than most of the Chosen, to understand that some things are truly absolute. The dead may not be restored to life. The flow of time may not be defied. The limits of space may be bent, distorted and toyed with, but never broken. Even the creators of our world were bound by these laws, and those who would defy them shall know in time the price of such hubris."

Jomesha Har - An Introduction to Sorcery

We begin in an office. Large, but not excessive - big enough to be spacious without seeming overbearing. Half empty bookshelves and bare walls make the edifice look oddly unfinished, as though someone wasn't quite done putting it together. The desk alone seems old however - large, mahogany and imposing: with dragons holding lightning bolts worked into its four legs and space enough for maps and charts aplenty - though for now, most of those rest in a chest laying by the back wall.

In this strange scene, we find a man with impeccably quaffed pale tawny hair, dressed in the fine black jacket, silk shirt and cravat of a Coralite naval officer. This man, who does not officially exist stands before his desk and sniffs at a delicate porcelain cup. A smokey, mallow aroma fills his nostrils, as the gentle warmth of fresh brewed tea warms his hand. The man closes his eyes, appreciating the drink with a quiet smile. It's a blend not commonly found in the Realm - imported from a small settlement in southern An Teng at great expense. He may as well be standing there again, under a moonless night with a campfire raging, the soldiers cheering and singing as...

"Lord Marshal!"

... as the man was rudely interrupted. A guardsman in black livery and a hefty featureless helm busts into the room, panting for breath as the Lord Marshal glares at him. They're about of a height, yet something about the man's posture still makes the unfortunate intruder feel like he's encountering a hungry bird who has just found fresh prey. The messenger's words come in gasps, as the unfortunate man fights to get his own helmet off. "It's... it's just as you said, sir! They... all of them..."

Ah. The man with the cup waves a hand - that made it official then. He looks intently to the soldier, placing a hand on his shoulder to forestall any more attempts at informing him of his own blindingly correct deduction. "Fetch my secretary: I'll have meetings to schedule tomorrow to draw up our response. And if you see him, tell the Ambassador I'd like a word. No one else though. Understood?" Nodding, the young soldier leaves the room at a sprint as the Lord Marshall gently places his cup and saucer down upon the desk. The man closes his eyes once again, focusing on the tiny mote of essence he'd placed upon the guardsman's heart with that final exchange.

Just in case.

The Lord Marshall scowls. He had intended to take today for himself. Work through his collection of novels, appreciate fine teas, maybe head into town to find a few artistic fixtures for his new office. He'd even dared to dream of finding an artist for a portrait worthy of hanging behind his desk. But no. Just as he'd feared - this would be the day when everything goes wrong. And as much as he'd wish it were otherwise, fixing this mess falls upon his perpetually unappreciated shoulders.

It takes the man a few minutes of rummaging in the chest before he has the bundle of charts he wanted. Taking his seat behind the desk, he leafs through them one by one, until finally coming to what he was after. Placing it on the desk, it's a few more seconds work for the man to find the weights to hold it flat, but at last he's done. Running a finger across a succession of small islets, the Lord Marshal soon enough stops on the target he has in mind.

The Isle of Coradai.

-----------------------------------------

The passage has been smooth. The ancient ferry's thick pine hull reduced the lapping water to almost silence, no great disasters of bad weather have struck the ship. The hum of the essence driven paddlewheels has become almost comforting. Meals have been delivered to the passengers via dumbwaiter and while a few souls have explored the winding corridors in search of company or passed their time upon the upper deck, a large number of the young Dragon Blooded have spent the trip sequestered in their generously spaced and furnished cabins. The Dynasty rarely affords its favored sons and daughters a great deal of privacy and the chance at isolation, while intimidating to some has proven captivating to many. They have been given the chance to rest, to recenter themselves and prepare for what was to come.

And today that has at last arrived.

The first cries of "Land!" come an hour after dawn. It's not long before the upper deck is packed - everyone scrambling to get a good look at the Realm's newest secondary school. The isle looks tranquil, like some rural estate has been plucked from the Blessed Isle and transplanted here. There's a cape of woodland in the distance, and a hefty looking elevation beyond that but the academy's campus has paved paths connecting its various buildings, with a small courtyard set up roughly in the midst of things. The central tower takes pride of place of course, crenelated marble and onyx rising above the rest of the isle with height that had to be close to that of the Heptagram and width enough to practically serve as a castle's keep. Yet it's not the only building laid out before you - further in the distance lies a large rectangular edifice whose grandiose pillars and sloping roof seems remarkably reminiscent of the Imperial Deliberative. This one you recognize from the documentation - it's to serve as an assembly hall and events venue for the school. By the dock stands a fairly hefty something-or-other, with red coral slates and white daubed walls - obviously some kind of storage facility. They're on the far side of the assembly hall, but in the distance are a series of similar looking short towers that look like they could be accommodation...

Here it is. Coradai. The newest, greatest secondary school. And these are its first students.

Soon enough, the ferry pulls into dock, right beside a second ship that's sitting moored and unattended. The gangplank falls against the pier with a stately thud, soon followed by the slow rumble of a lowering cargo ramp. As the students continue to take in their new surroundings, there's a shout from somewhere below decks. "Right lads - 'ere we go. Heave-to it!"

A hearty roar follows in response as heavy feet plod against the boards. A procession of two dozen shaggy red-maned figures in cheap cloth jackets and flat caps file haphazardly out of the hold, lugging a motley combination of crates and luggage between them over the loading ramp. A few students give the workmen strange looks, but the rough shod porters don't seem to react - a few going to the dockside warehouse, but those with the students' luggage making a beeline instead for a building further inland - a small wooden oval in the shadow of the tower that looks more than a little ramshackle. This... presumably would be the administrator's office? Or perhaps that of the serving staff?

Of course, very few young Dynasts are bothering to pay any attention to the goings on of the hired help. Most are descending to the shore already, happy to finally be able to truly stretch their legs. It's a surprisingly noisy occasion. The ferry was large enough and separated enough to allow its passengers privacy - yet that means that only now are the student body of Coradai Academy coming together for the first time. Footfalls, conversation, laughter and groaning alike create a good natured hubub in the air as the students mill vaguely towards the hall - an introductory assembly was to be held within once the body had assembled, but young dynasts are not known to be the best at following orders. Most are taking their time before making their way to the morning's 'main event'.

The students make an interesting group - splashes of similar clothes dot the scene as scions of a shared house greet one another, but there don't seem to be much more than three students in matching colors anywhere on the field. Without larger groups to linger in, most are quick to move on - friends and acquaintances being introduced to one another as the social ties that will dictate the school year start to form, finally free from the dictates of family elders. A few press onto the hall regardless, either too shy or ultimately uninterested in such things, but the majority are taking their time before consigned into yet another obligation.

That said, the youths have not managed to escape supervision entirely. In the middle of the courtyard at the great tower's base stands a graven looking older lady, her russet hair pulled back neatly and held in place with a silver clip. She's clad in sedate tan dress marked with tasteful white lace embroidery, giving her a silken gleam in the early dawn light. She'd look perfectly in place at any Imperial salon - gazing imperiously at the children who flock around her like hounds. The young woman beside her seems far less standoffish, but less the dragon - wearing a light green robe that spoke more to a clerk than an authority of the dynasty. She waves and passes words with the students who look barely a few years younger than her. One loud remark causes her to blush, and the older woman affixes the student responsible with a withering glare

So... welcome all! Feel free to have your characters arrive and exit the boat however you wish - this is a setup for character introductions and some opening RP first and foremost. Keep in mind though, as well as your fellow PCs, the entire school is here right now. Everyone's sorta doing their own thing, but this is a chance to stand out and make an impression. (For better or worse. ^^)

Oh, and point of order. Blue? You came on the ferry too. I know you'd probably rather be dropped by the Remora - sorry, plot stuff about the nearby waters and Coradai's precise location.

[Malozing]

Walking backwards down the gangplank, a tattooed person grins and waves at the crew. Their shoulder-length blue hair is loose and shimmers in the sun like ripples on a gentle sea. Though their outfit lacks any fancy embroidery or exotic fabrics, the Tya's clothes are practical and well-made. Besides who needs embroidery when you have intricate tattoos adorning your skin? On their arms, black waves spiral up to the shoulders with small dots and bone hooks accenting the design. On their face and neck, the tattoos are simpler, swooping lines ending in spirals accented with dots.

Spotting one of the crew struggling with a crate, their grin widens, and they call out, "'ey! Next time ya should provide da rum if ya can't handle Tya drink,vedergewicht!"

The heavily accented High Realm with Seatongue slang may draw more attention to the Tya from the other students, but Tonijin, often called Blue by their Tya crewmates, pays them no mind as they stride forward. As Blue gets closer to the two women, they let out a low whistle. "Ya a sight that would cause many a sailor to stray ta shore." At the elder's glare, Blue grins and gives a mocking salute.

[Eurus]

Mowai Rekal checks himself over in the cabin's mirror again. Hair silky and in place, clothes practically gleaming... just like they were last time he checked, five minutes ago. A soft chiming sound from the direction of the door is a wordless warning; Allegro reminding him that the ferry is moored and he needs to get moving.

"You look fine, dear. A little imperfection is to be expected anyway, after traveling for two days."

"Easy for you to say, you always look perfect anyway."

The first speaker, a tiny bird with feathers of sunset-colored jade, lets out a beautiful trilling noise that serves for laughter.

"The most important accessory is a smile anyway. Come on, Rekal. If you're late from preening, I'll make fun of you all week."

The young dragon sighs, but he smiles faintly anyway. With the bird fluttering to perch on his shoulder, he steps outside and follows the flow of the crowd off the ferry.

Pay attention, but don't stare. Look your best, but don't show off. Be relaxed, be cheerful, but above all be careful.

He stops to help a porter who's unbalanced under the weight of a deceptively heavy trunk - his pale green jacket and snow-white pants are tailored to emphasize elegant lines rather than crude physique, but he's obviously a rather well-built fellow. He could probably muscle through any crowd, but he navigates with a polite smile, allowing a young woman to pass first before he makes his way to the two faculty waiting there.

And... the tattooed youth cat-calling them. Rekal frowns slightly at the other student's back, but doesn't comment yet. He does end up standing near them, though Allegro titters quietly enough that only he can hear.

"What, are you planning on challenging them to a duel for the poor lady's honor? If she works with students, I'm sure she can handle herself."

[Ascension]

A part of Jyllinatha is loath to leave the ferry. It's no comparison to her mother's song, but sea travel has a reliable rhythm to it. Ship timbers creaking. Waves lapping. Sea birds calling. It isn't much in the way of music, but it is incessant, pervasive, inescapable...

...comforting.

But it would be weakness to cower in the bowels of the ferry, clinging to its dubious reassurance. It would be shameful to be forced to leave the boat, escorted off by her new gaolers, while her soon-to-be classmates look on and laugh. It would be foolishness to think that they might forget her if she folded herself in amongst the sailors' provisions, and thereby let her escape this school to which she's been sentenced.

Fine, then. She won't hesitate. She'll meet her fate. And she'll meet it in a manner befitting the queen she is born to be.

She is poised as she steps out onto the gangplank. Eyes up, chin up, graceful posture, face carefully composed. The only tell which betrays her discomfort is her right hand, her fingers slowly drumming against her skirts, tapping them like a fretboard. In her mind, she hears a triumphal fanfare, bombastically announcing her arrival, playing her down to shore.

With phantasmal music swelling in her ears, she is oblivious to almost everything else around her, imperiously blind to the growing crowd of students, which must shift to accommodate her and her floor-sweeping gown. It's a majestic display of solipsistic arrogance, orchestrated pitch-perfectly right up until the moment when a discordant whistle, a cat-call, cuts crudely through her internal soundtrack. She stumbles to a halt, swiveling to glare at the source of the disharmonious sound.

She draws an unusual contrast with the Tya, equally "exotic" in the eyes of the Realm, but in entirely different ways: the Eastern royal and the Western worker. Noblewoman she may be, clad in spotless, glittering, impossible finery, but her gold jewelry and foreign fashion mark her out as an outsider as clearly and decisively as their tattoos.

Surely they don't bear the blood of the Dragons, she thinks, as her eyes take in the sailor, but she has enough self-awareness of the vulnerability of her own position to realize that there are probably Isle-born students thinking the same thing about her.

What she says is, instead, "She could probably do better than 'many a sailor.'"

Her High Realm is noticeably accented, but polished in delivery.

"As could you, I am sure, if you are a student here and not a deckhand with ambition."

Her smirk is well-practiced.

[Sticks]

At the far end of the ferry, looking out over the stern at the island appears a lone figure. Even amid the gathered princes of the earth, this one stands out, the heads of his tallest peers barely reaching the third button of his high-collared lilac buff-jacket. A vermillion scarf hangs down to his belted waist, and his fine black leather boots make a light clicking noise as he walks the deck. Above this stylish ensemble is a smooth ruddy face with a nose that would be described as long, if it weren't permanently pointing straight down to the wide mouth with huge even teeth. All of this makes for a striking character, but what most people remember about Xiao are his eyes. They are wide, pale, and creased with laugh-lines and crow's feet even at his young age, but there's something indefinably cold and intense about those always-smiling eyes.

At the moment, however, Xiao is not instilling indefinable fear in anyone, he's looking out at the sea and the coastline and fiddling idly with his scarf. If he's going to make an impression, this simply will not do. What is the point of a dramatic jacket and scarf ensemble if there's no breeze to blow them dramatically? Briefly, he considers calling up the great powers of the island and sea to conjure a storm...but decides that's too showy for introductions. No, better to just stick to his own power for now. Showy is good, but keep the A material in the back pocket for now.

Walking back to the main deck, Xiao takes a deep breath, reaches into his jacket and explodes into the air with a burst of essence. Flying high, he rockets from the ship to shore, and as he arcs he draws an ivory flute from his jacket and launches (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBbPtUXpdbs) mid-flight into a complex improvised lick of his own devising. He keeps playing even as he drifts smoothly to the ground, people scattering to get out of his way as his huge boots touch down lightly onto the grass, right by the two women in the center of things. Aw yeah, this is where he needs to be, baby. And yup, that slick burst of anima has his scarf blowing just right.

Xiao is spending 5m to use his Anima power to leap from ship to shore and fall smoothly (as a reflexive move) while also launching into a sweet performance stunt to wow the onlookers and make sure they never forget him, using Audience Enthusing Display (2 Automatic Successes) to ignore the multiple targets penalty. He is now in Glowing Anima.

CHA+Performance+Specialty (flute) =11D +2sux

[roll0]

[The_Snark]

Eun-ji is not the best-dressed person here, in her own estimation, but neither is she the worst; if there's one thing her upbringing has prepared her for, it's fitting into a crowd of people richer than she is. She lacks jewelry and her clothing bears no House mons, but it is finely woven silk of a very flattering cut, a pale orange robe fading into dark blue at the hemline. Her hair and makeup are both carefully styled to make her look her best, without looking like she's trying to look her best: there are places where it would be fashionable to appear with one's face painted to the point of being a mask, but in both An-Teng and the Realm high society tends to mimic the Dragon-Blooded, who have little need of such crutches.

Which is not to say they don't use them anyway, Eun-ji reminds herself; she knows that firsthand. There is no face so beautiful that it can't be improved by a subtle touch here or there - and even if there were, she finds the ritual itself soothing, in much the same way (she imagines) that a soldier might take comfort in the weight of her armor.

As the students disembark, Eun-ji finds her eyes drawn to those of the students who don't fit in, her fellow outcastes and lost eggs. A Tya, who might have been mistaken for one of the crew were they not casually ignoring the crew's duties; an odd-looking bearded fellow in shabby brown robes, looking for all the world like a mountaintop hermit; a regal, dark-skinned woman draped in green and gold, her extravagant finery setting her apart from the Dynastic students like a bird-of-paradise among eagles. The last and the first are soon enough drawing attention from others, as well. Eun-ji idly wonders whether this is a calculated move: is the foreign noblewoman trying to make a strong first impression by starting a spat with an easy target and crushing them in front of everyone? Or is she speaking without thought, out of genuine offense or disdain for the Tya's rough manners? Too early to say. Eun-ji's focus is on the crowd, wondering how they're going to take this. It's nice to have somebody else testing the waters for her.

[Inspector Valin]

The good Tya's remark to the plain dressed lady goes exactly as they expected. The clerk blushes pink as freshly cooked salmon, while the students laugh (a couple outright cheer at the sheer gall of such an attempt) and the watching professor scowls. Jyllinatha's remark gets the poor woman to shake her head; she wears it with a smile, but her embarrassment is growing by the minute. "Heh. They could, maybe. For my part, if you heard my family talking..."

But before the conversation, reality sees fit to provide a brief musical interlude. Everyone does indeed stop to look at Xiao as the air aspect rockets from the ship, scarf fluttering and flute song rising above the noise. As he hits the ground, the entire assembly of young dragons are completely silent, all eyes and ears on the most acutely dramatic member of their entire ensemble.

Xiao
... It doesn't last long, unfortunately. He really should've had some kind of remark prepared - pure musical backing tends to make people think of you as background noise. There's clapping, a whoot, even a vaguely respectful nod from the severe looking lady. (One that looked mildly painful for her to perform) Soon enough the audience start to return to their own affairs one by one, but for a brief moment Xiao can feel every eye on the field paying attention to him, honestly impressed. There's one young Tepet boy who looks downright enthralled, the lad clapping as hard as he can once Xiao comes to land. A burly looking Ledaal flashes the new arrival a grin from ear to ear, while a Ragara lady with a mane of bright orange hair tips him a mischievous wink.

As the murmuring and general hubub of the event rises once again however, a new sound makes itself known to Xiao's ear from somewhere in the crowd. A faint but perfectly timed drum beat, mirroring the lick he'd opened with. Not just echoing his play either, it's adding its own backing rhythm and undernotes, working out an accompaiment as it went.

Clearly he's not the only musician in residence here.

Blue, Willow, Rekal
"Now then! Tya Tonijin: was that a sincere remark?"

The younger woman's face falls as realization of her situation returns to her. She shakes her head vociferously at her superior, trying to interject. "Mavere, don't..." but the older woman raises a hand to forestall the attempt, her gaze not deviating from the Tya one iota. Blue could swear the earth trembles a little under their feet as the old dragon smiles, thin with a raised eyelid. "The Tya are supposed to be honest couriers, are they not? Well then. It's a simple question. Was that an honestly felt sentiment, or simple sarcastic wit disguised as flattery?"

Eun-Ji
Interestingly, those three and she are not the only abnormalities in the crowd. As Eun-Ji pays close attention to the flow of students disembarking alongside her, it's striking just how many figures here don't quite fit with Dynastic norms. There's a decent smattering of islanders who have tried to ape dynastic dress as best they can, but lack the telltale house colors and mon of actual Dynasts - members of the patricate most likely. Furthermore however, some didn't even make that attempt. Now descending from the ship, Eun-Ji can make out five figures clad in shining jade armour of a distinctly un-Realm like make - too archaic and elaborate for the tastes of most islander artisans. A ways to the right, she can make out a young man in an cotton tunic and pantaloons laughing at some joke told by a woman with long blond hair who was wearing riding leathers and a long red coat - well crafted, and perhaps fashionable in another land, but that looked bizarrely out of place in this assembly without the evident finery of that golden dress. And beside them...

"AAAAAHHHH!"

From the corner of her eye, Eun-Ji can see some kind of large mass tumbling straight towards her from behind! It's noisy, clunking and clattering along with the high pitched cry of horror. She can just about make out a blob of red hair and wide terrified eyes, somewhere in the... middle of the shape? That can't be right, surely.

Dodge roll time!

[Malozing]

"She could probably do better than 'many a sailor.'"

Her High Realm is noticeably accented, but polished in delivery.

"As could you, I am sure, if you are a student here and not a deckhand with ambition."

Her smirk is well-practiced.

Blue laughs and flashes the elegantly dressed woman a toothy grin. However, before they could respond, the sounds of a flute cut through the air and draws their attention to a giant of man jumping from the boat to the gathering of students. Once the dust settles, Blue starts to move toward the flutist, but is stopped by -


"Now then! Tya Tonijin: was that a sincere remark?"

The younger woman's face falls as realization of her situation returns to her. She shakes her head vociferously at her superior, trying to interject. "Mavere, don't..." but the older woman raises a hand to forestall the attempt, her gaze not deviating from the Tya one iota. Blue could swear the earth trembles a little under their feet as the old dragon smiles, thin with a raised eyelid. "The Tya are supposed to be honest couriers, are they not? Well then. It's a simple question. Was that an honestly felt sentiment, or simple sarcastic wit disguised as flattery?"

Tilting their head to the side slightly, Blue smiles. "Good to know ya have a high opinion of us, ma'am. Yeh, I meant it. She's cute." Turning away from Mavere's intense gaze, the Tya remembers what they wanted to say to the fancy girl next to them. "Better's a funny word. It changes from person ta person. But I gotta say if one can't openly express appreciation for the beauty around 'em, then they can't be better than me." Blue's smile turns into a small smirk.

[Inspector Valin]

Mavere's smile doesn't waver. She simply nods, as the plain dressed woman at her side winces at Blue's compliment. "Then that makes this a perfect opportunity to test your skill at improvisation."

She closes her eyes, focusing her essence inward as she intones a single word. "Assignment!" With the call comes a flash of golden light, and thence a hovering parchment and quill. Mavere, quite unphased by this, simply begins to give dictation. "Student Tya Tonijin is to prepare a romantic encounter for Instructor Rèn Li by sixth bell tonight. No resource allocation - this is a test of creativity and personal manner. Authorized by Professor Ledaal Mavere."

With those final words, the quill and parchment disappear into a puff of smoke. The watching students look somewhat bewildered, but Blue can hear a few snickers start. Mavere pays them no mind, simply continuing to speak as though only the two of them were present. "I will be there to observe and grade your performance, of course. Needless to say failure to attend will result in a grade of zero. And if you're content with that, well..." The old Dragon grins, her teeth gleaming like marble in the early morning light. "Those with failing grades have adjustments made to their lives here. I hope you enjoy the porters' cooking for a start. I'm not sure it technically qualifies as food; poison may be more apt given their dietary needs, but perhaps you're more used to such cuisine. If so, we'll have to get more... creative"

Rèn Li meanwhile looks mortified at this result. Still a little embarrassed, she looks to Blue, stammering out "Ss... sorry."

Mavere sighs. "Don't apologize, Li. And for Dragons sake, don't help them." There's the faintest twitching of her lips after that, but it doesn't look like she said anything further.

Mavere just used Wind Carried Words if any of the three of you have any means of overhearing that.

[Ascension]

Willow's attention is entirely diverted from Tonijin the moment the... surprisingly nimble giant begins playing music, and she's distracted further when someone in the crowd begins playing a counterpoint. Her hands itch for strings, and several strands of hair suddenly escape from her carefully-arranged updo, though her heavy jeweled comb holds back most of it. (Still, though, a careful observer may note that her hair moved more than could possibly be explained by the turning of her head...) She wants to play, but her mundane instruments are all in her luggage, and is this the right moment to reveal her birthright? Oh, and someone is talking to her...

She tunes back in as the Tya is saying something about appreciating beauty, and she looks back at the woman who provoked this display in the first place with a critical eye. (Which means scrunching her face up and squinting rather obviously - her eyesight isn't perfect.)

She opens her mouth to speak, when suddenly the older woman turns the entire ill-considered flirtation into an assignment for the Tya. Willow scoffs. She ought to be learning a lesson about the unconventional caprice of Coradai's operation, but instead all she can think is...

"But why her?" she asks Blue. "If it's beauty you're looking for, why not..."

She looks around but can't pick the unseen drummer out of the crowd; she settles instead on gesturing in the music's direction.

"...that music, or, or..."

She looks around again and conveniently there is a strikingly beautiful young woman clad in blue silk standing just a little ways behind her, shining like a jewel in the crowd even with minimal adornments.

"...or her!" she says, openly gesturing to Eun-Ji.

[The_Snark]

Eun-ji's attention is almost torn from the scene playing out by the frankly gigantic flautist-slash-acrobat. Is that... normal here? Is he part of the staff? A student with a taste for attention? A hired entertainer? They don't normally do that for schools, she's pretty sure, even those catering to the wealthy and powerful, but maybe...

And then her attention is dragged back to the tiff in front of her as the regal-looking girl pulls her into it. The time it takes to translate her words from her native tongue into the language of the high court also gives her the time to temper her initial first reaction of hey, don't drag me into this into something more polished. "Beauty is measured in the eye of the beholder, not by objective standard," she says, smiling to diffuse any sting the words might have. "If the Tya finds Instructor Ren Li more pleasing than I, then they must be correct in at least one sense, and who are we to gainsay their judgment?"

She tilts her head and focuses her smile on the woman in green. "Though I am flattered by your regard, lady...?" Haughty she might be, but it never hurts to make a good first impression. Eun-ji suspects flirtation was the last thing on the noblewoman's mind when she singled her out, but even if it doesn't pan out it should be entertaini -

Somebody shouting is her only warning. She doesn't have time to make out what's coming towards her before it's practically on top of her; she whirls out of the way, martial training kicking in to make it look almost like a dance move instead of the flailing dodge it actually is.

Dodge time! Let's see if I can remember how to roll...
[roll0]

This is assuming a stunt and that the unarmored specialty is applicable; knock the last 1-3 dice off if one or more of those is untrue.

[Eurus]

The sudden appearance of a flute-playing giant is quite attention-grabbing. Allegro chirps with approval at the creative music; only the chaos of the docks prevents the little bird from bursting into an accompaniment of his own. The fact that it only holds attention for a few moments is both amusing and a little intimidating... clearly, this place has a high bar to clear if you want to stand out.

Well, that's fine. I'd rather know what I'm getting into, anyway.

It's pure coincidence that Willow gestures toward Eun-Ji at that moment, but when Rekal's gaze naturally follows, it's grabbed not by the woman herself, but by what's behind her. Allegro feels him tense up, and beeps quizzically.

"Rekal? What's-aaaah!"

The tiny bird holds on for dear life as Rekal drops into a sprint. Track and field was never his best sport, true, but that's a high bar to clear; he vaults over a suitcase being dragged, weaves between two startled students like he's driving through a defensive line, and tries to catch the falling figure -- or, failing that, to catch at least some of the falling objects before they smash on the ground.

[Sticks]

Xiao is somewhat taken aback by the improvisational skills of his new peers. Very few inmates at the Palace had any musical inclination at all, and fewer still had talent. He's unsure what to make of this at first, then decides to go with the flow. He extends the improvisation into a fast-paced tarantella to better match the percussion, while also moving into the path of the rolling ball of violence tumbling from the ship. Seeing a dramatically-clad youth rushing to the aid of the bizarre situation, Xiao lends his considerable bulk to aid in stopping whatever it is before it rolls out of control entirely. At no point does he stop playing.

[pfm1995]

Shangguan felt the first tug on his line as the first rays of sunlight touched the water. He'd been sitting on the ferry's roof all night, fishing pole in hand, not catching anything but not really caring either. The wind blowing in from the north, the smell of salt and the gentle rocking of the ship... almost a full year spent without ever leaving sight of shore, and it was like he'd never set foot on land at all. Smooth, patient motions and gentle flicks of the wrist saw the fish he'd hooked dragged here and there and he could tell that it was small, and mostly muscle. A fighter. Not surprising, for these waters. Still, he was nervous, jittery, and he found himself reeling the line in with more impatience than he really should be. This was the first time he'd been off the family isles since... Well, it had been a while. The first time meeting peers his own age in even longer, even if most of them had been too timid or too seasick to leave their cabins. He didn't know how they could just sleep the night away. His own heart was singing with the gulls that came to greet them and the sunrise on the water - utterly banal, something any scion of House Peleps worth the name had seen a hundred times before they could even walk - filled the air with an energy like an oncoming storm. He couldn't help but smile, a smile that only widened as breakfast disappeared in a single wriggling gulp.

-------------------------------

The ferry sighted land, and as the rest of the new students began to filter out Shangguan joined them in watching their new home come into focus.

The island was, well, an island, though from the wheeling of the seabirds he could tell at least that they were arriving at the only dock of any size and that ship traffic wasn't all that regular. The school was more interesting, a clashing assortment of buildings that spoke to a happy eccentricity. Whispers drifted up to his perch, speculation on what each building was for and where they'd be living, and a few students even climbed up to join him on the roof for the better view. None of them spoke, though, still rubbing sleep from their eyes as they were. Idly, Shangguan popped a piece of tuqhat root into his mouth - the acrid taste made him wince, but he could already feel the fog of fatigue receding. He didn't want to fall asleep during orientation.

No one fell of the boat when it came to its juddering halt, which was honestly better than Shangguan had expected. Stepping out into the busy dockyard, he put none of the masses in his eye until he spotted three other youths wearing the Peleps mons... and who, unfortunately, spotted him too and immediately beelined towards him. "Peleps Kaizoku Shangguan" he greeted once they were close enough, bowing just enough not to give offense - by their clothing, none of these were main-branch scions and with the recent troubles Kaikozu was on the rise. He'd been made to re-learn all the proper manners, even if he didn't really see the point at first. When he realized it stopped boring people yelling at him he found his motivation. Of course, they didn't even give him that much, stepping up like they were old friends.... were they? Their names he didn't recognize and promptly forgot, but then one of them broke the pattern.

"Kaizoku? Aren't you the ones with the cousin that went mad?"

A thin smile spread across Shangguan's face. "Yes, yes we are." He said, and the smile widened a little bit as one of the others took in his disheveled hair, wrinkled clothes, and the bags under his eyes and blanched. "Madness might be an advantage though, looking at our peers." he said, gesturing at the colorful characters making their way off the dock. Two of them frowned slightly at the suggestion that the colorful provincials were 'peers', but the foolish one just seemed curious. I like this one. Shangguan decided.

The four of them began to make their way towards the amphitheater and the stern-looking woman, only for the sounds of a flute being played... vigorously... to catch their ear. They turn, to see some undoubtedly lost-egg make his entrance. "Technically impressive, but the timing... Gauche." One of the Peleps dynasts - not the interesting one, but beyond that he can't tell which - says from behind him. He's not wrong, but gauche is better than predictable and - the drum picks up the beat - this seems to have started a trend. Nodding his head to the music, Shangguan starts walking again just as a loud shout comes from back towards the ship.

[Inspector Valin]

Eun-ji's skills serve her well, and the two lads have Mela's wind beneath their feet! The Tengese dancer's sudden step is near flawless, pulling her away from the mess without issue. However, unexpected dance steps can lead to unforeseen consequences, as she has unintentionally pulled the beautiful golden-clad princess into her motion, holding her close to a chorus of awws from the crowd. The Willow Tree Princess and fair Eun-Ji are likely both somewhat surprised by this situation, but perhaps thankfully for them both, most of the students are still watching the hurtling ball of destruction.

Rekal and Xiao fall in smoothly together, taking opposing sides of the construct and bracing against it evenly. The unseen drummer even adds a triumphant flourish to that final moment. Now at a halt, it's perfectly clear what they have before them - a tiny red headed girl, perhaps four feet tall at most, with a ramshackle collection of crates and packing chests strapped to her back and sides so thoroughly that she seems more a very curious tree than an individual. A handful of small metal dodads clatter to the ground from opened chests, but Xiao and Rekal have managed to stop the fall before any of the crates were broken or damaged.

Li is the first to break the silence, kneeling down to meet the half-fallen girl's tears with a kindly smile. "Err... Hello! You would be -"

"Liao. Tsumika Liao, if memory serves." Ledaal Mavere's gaze is customarily stern - it appears she really isn't just like that when dealing with Blue. She bends her neck slightly, studying the pile of chests (and girl) with a critical eye. "Miss Liao. You didn't put any of these items in the hold because..."

Tsumika is clearly still panting for breath, but thanks to her now upright position she's able to give a moderately comprehensible answer. "I... I didn't want to.. to risk damaging them. It's a sea voyage, some of this is very..."

Mavere sighs at her student's self defeating intention. At least no serious harm has resulted from it. She waves a hand. "Well, make sure you don't fall over again before you reach your room. You mustn't rely on the kindness of strangers. A Prince of the Earth is supposed to be able to stand on their own."

"Y... yes ma'am! Ss... sorry ma'am!" Tsumika looks like she may still have some trouble with that one. All the same, she takes a long breath before looking between Rekal and Xiao with slightly wet eyes and a grateful smile. "Thank you. Both of you."

"The same from me." One of the crowd has stepped forward to assist the boys and Tsumika in picking up the debris - wearing a black jacket with rose pink trim that matches her golden hair quite nicely. She's quick at her job, each sprocket and widget almost falling into her hands. Finally getting to her feet, she turns to face her new friends... and her eyes go wide in surprise at the sight of one of them. "Rekal? You're here too?!"

Well look at that - someone you know! This is Wujing Xiu, scion of the illustrious Wujing Acting Clan! They're an ancient branch of the Patricate, one that predates half of today's Great Houses and one of House Mowai's dearest allies. (A group with the blood of the dragons that is actually willing to treat with them on an even footing) The one salon Rekal has ever attended in the Imperial City was hosted by Wujing Song, Xiu's grandfather and current head of the clan - he'd been most hospitable and had joined Xiu in showing their young cousin around the capitol via rickshaw. Rekal knew that they'd been unable to attend his First Salon due to hosting Xiu's own, but not that she was coming here too!

It would... probably be stretching the truth to call the two childhood friends, but Rekal knows Xiu pretty well - their family's alliance has thrust them together more than once at social events, leaving them more or less obligated to spend time together. She's a great poet, well known and liked in the Imperial City and set to do her family proud upon graduation. She has something of a mischievous side, but Rekal is at least... mostly sure that she's a friend. Or 'person who will tolerate me' at the very least.

Xiu looks up, her eyes warming as she takes a second to straighten her hair. She steps forward, curtsying like this is the Imperial Palace all of a sudden, her voice taking on a totally different cadence as she speaks with as much solemnity as she can muster. "Always a pleasure to encounter someone of such great class, refinement and poise, Lord... Allegro." She acts like she's about to turn around and leave it at that before sharing a wink and grin with the young Mowai as she falls into a less formal tone. "And nice to see you too, Reky. Really. Thanks again for helping Tsumi here - just my luck I ran into someone when she needed my help"

"Tsumi?!" The diminutive girl squirms in her mess of crates, somewhat agitated at the nickname. Xiu ignores her, focusing instead on Rekal. "So, how're you finding this place? And who's Mr Scarf here?" Her eyes study Xiao closely, appraising the unknown fellow student. He certianly stands out... which makes it all the more surprising to Xiu that she hadn't heard of him before.

Shangguan
The Peleps party watch the whole display as a unit. As things seem to be drawing to a close, the one who'd scoffed earlier raises his voice once again. "You know, this is terribly inauspicious when you think about it."

The fool, with his short blond hair keeps that ready smile, but Shangguan can practically hear his eyes roll at what he knows to be coming. Still, his words are calm and placating as he turns to his kinsman, spreading his hands evenly with that simple positive gait of his. "Come now. What's inauspicious, Demos? They caught her. Everything went well, especially for the two ladies at the side. Surely this has to be a good omen!"

The positivity seems to turn his other cousin's nose up all the more. He waves dismissively at the scene. "No, no; not these theatrics. I mean... four of us?" He speaks this like it was the simplest, truest fact in the world. At the non-reaction of his kindred, the pompous one elaborates with an exasperated look. "The Dragons number five! Three or two are fine enough, but to be one removed from grace is a terrible sign! This should never have been allowed."

This is seemingly a known... eccentricity of the loud man's - the fool seems disappointed but far from surprised. Indeed, he takes just a second before alighting on a justification, pointing to the remaining member of their group. "Well, we're not technically four. Somiya here is a Nissar by blood; just here in our colours as a client and friend. So really we're fi..."

"I don't count?" The pale one's voice is faint as a whisper of northern air. She starts visably trembling at the prospect, looking up to the Peleps scions desperately. "I... I know blood's important, but please... I don't... I can't..."

The pompous one swoops in at that chance, shaking his head and putting a hand to her trembling shoulder in reassurance. "No, no, you're welcome in our midst, and Peleps blood has run in Nissar veins for generations. Don't listen to Shoki - we won't leave you out to the winds like that Liao brat. We must face reality - we are four now, and that fact is terrible! We should find some way to make us number five! Perhaps send back to the isle, or find a distant cousin to bring into our fold..." The man continues to hypothesis in such vein, prattling on as the fool shares an exasperated but fond smile with his cousin. "Are you sure your line are the mad ones, Shangguan?"

[Ascension]

One moment, the exemplary beauty is asking for her name, and then the world is a blur of noise and motion. People are shouting, the other student is spinning towards her...

...and suddenly she's caught up in the dance, and, as the dust (or, rather, the haphazard pile of crates) settles, she finds herself in the unusual position of looking up into the shorter girl's tastefully painted face. She blinks rapidly, but the vision doesn't fade. Her nails dig into her palm, but she does not wake up. Her cheeks flush a darker shade as she realizes that this is actually happening.

She's deaf to the crowd's reaction, her world suddenly narrowed to a thin slice of sensory perception. (Highlighted by the hand at the small of her back.) It only lasts a moment... she pulls away quickly, restoring the distance between them, as propriety demands... but that moment leaves her blood racing, her heart hammering in her chest.

"I am Jy-" she attempts, then stops, swallows, tries again. "I'm the Willow-Tree Princess of Suong-Van. You... You can call me Willow."

Her smile is genuinely bashful, natural charm outshining her coached nobility. But there's a question in her eyes, too, an uncertainty as to the other Dragon's motives. A future queen can't be bowled over by just anyone's flattery, after all. Maybe the other girl just wants something out of her. It wouldn't be the first time.

"And... you are?" she ventures.

Okay, sorry, but this feels too ripe for Auspicious First Meeting for me to ignore it this time. 5m from Personal, Charisma+Socialize+Stunt pool. The Read Intentions element here is basically "Why is she flattering me?"
[roll0]

[pfm1995]

Shangguan tilts his head and. for the first time, really focuses on his cousin. On the shapelessness of his face, the soiled straw of his hair, the blandness of the parasitic smile that long-since consumed whatever wonder it grew out of. Like a clay puppet in a dockside show, or maybe like a dog someone trained to dance when they hit it a specific way. Life's first lesson: keep them happy and you won't get hurt. His whole presence is washed out, with only the barest guttering spark of life flinching in fear behind his eyes.

"Yes." Shangguan said, letting his eyes do the talking, before they slid away like water on glass and went back to staring in the middle distance. The others had been talking, though, and they'd been saying interesting things. Things their parents hadn't taught them. He half turned, giving the pale one a glance.

"Nissar, hm? I believe my brother had a by-blow off of one of your captains, a smuggler he spent a season trying to catch? He speaks of the time quite fondly, we're certain to recognize the child if she shows as much promise as her mother." 'Fondly' was, if anything, an understatement; Shangguan was certain that, were their births reversed, his brother never would have come home. But cowardice disguised as duty is ever the eldest's lot. "I think I see why your parents sent you here instead of to one of the Thirteen - I can only hope they come to regret it. And," he winced, suddenly self-conscious, "I mean that as a good thing. No parent likes being surprised. Speaking of..." He turned again, now practically walking backwards. "If you're that worried about our count, then go get married. We're here to make connections, anyway; a good match would be celebrated back home." Or, at least, that was one of the arguments his parents had thrown around while they were deciding whether or not to send him. For himself, the idea of being tied to one person for the rest of his life... well, they'd need to be special indeed and celestial lions piss on the person who tries to 'arrange' that for him. "I suppose you could try to make some kind of talking artifact instead, or maybe make a pact with an animal or spirit? Would those count?"

As they walked past, his eyes flicked to "that Liao brat", the small woman with no respect for proper shipboard storage. A story to tease out of them later, once they aren't so very public.

[The_Snark]

Much to her chagrin, Eun-ji avoids the oncoming mayhem, only to nearly bowl over someone else in turn, like a particularly animated set of dominoes. Fortunately, her reflexes are good enough that she's able to catch the other person before they - she - can fall. Once again, instinct leads her to add a little dance-like flourish to the end..

... and then her brain catches up with her reflexes. Oh dear. For a moment she's paralyzed with indecision: how does she play this? It doesn't fit the demure role she'd planned on assuming until she got a better feel for the people here. She could roll with it and play the outrageous flirt - the other student is blushing, she notes, so it might work - but nothing turns a successful flirtation sour like pushing too quickly, and it's really not the first impression she's hoping to make on her new peers. So she lets Willow pull away without resistance, taking a step or two back herself. Luckily (from a certain point of view), she doesn't have to feign embarrassment.

"Sorry!" she exclaims. "I should have been watching where... well, I didn't really have time, you saw what happened," she gestures in the vague direction of the diminutive red-haired girl and her luggage, "but nevertheless, an apology is owed."

She smooths her robe out and offers a bow. "My name is Myong Eun-ji. Please forgive my haste?" A little formal, perhaps, but probably better to err on the side of too formal than too familiar. Especially if princess is an actual title rather than a fanciful epithet.

[Inspector Valin]

The Nissar girl shakes a little at mention of her home's infamous schools, but manages a little chuckle at Shangguan's words of encouragement. Hoping that one disappoints their parents is a... unique turn of phrase for a dynast, but registers with her. His suggestion on how to solve the numerology issue seems to greatly excite the pompous one, though his following suggestions are waved away. "To count a pact, or a pet - you may as well count a servant. But marriage? A fine idea Cousin Shangguan! Shoki, do you have your eye on anyone here?" A memory comes to him as he speaks, much to his delight. "As I recall, there was that one Ragara you spoke with on the ferry: the one with orange hair and the entourage? The two of you seemed to be getting along."

"Oh no. I'm not jumping into a relationship for the sake of meeting a quota." The fool laughs, but there's just a trace of iron to his words this time. He may have been pushed far enough to be willing to reciprocate a little; he's eyeing the pompous one with a thin little grin. "You get married if this matters so much, your holiness - you know your parents would rejoice. Hell, Honourable Matriach Lai would throw a ball to celebrate the announcement - come time for the ceremony, there'd be parades through the Imperial City."

This turnaround seems to have caught the larger man entirely offguard. He raises his hands, defensive at this prospect. "But marriage would preclude me from the Order. Surely service to the Immaculate Dragons must take priority..."

"You can adopt, right?" The Nissar interjects - silencing the trueblooded Peleps through sheer surprise. She gestures around her. "Some of these other students aren't from the Great Houses either. I don't think any of the ones talking with the teachers have house mon. Association with a Great House would be tempting - it could help them not stand out, give them allies and friends they wouldn't otherwise have."

And win allies for Peleps in turn. If they could truly bring a worthy new Dragon Blood into the house, that might get their little coterie some praise - issues of blood aside, each Child of the Dragons has value. The fool looks thoughtful at this prospect. The superstitious one eyes the group near the courtyard skeptically. "Those loudmouths?"

"Well, there's others in the crowd too." The Nissar knows better than to argue - instead she gestures to a few key individuals one by one. Shangguan can confirm her observations seem reasonable at a glance -she's got a fine eye for details. "Those five are absolutely Outcastes - cotton, armour or foreign garb: no house colours or mon. There's another one over there, the brown haired one talking with that Cynis and his friends. His jacket fits but he's wearing a Tepet coat over Mnemon legs - he's gotten his clothes second hand. There's also the girl with the drums over there near the armoured group, nothing she's wearing looks right for the Isle, and... I don't think the purple haired man at the pier's wearing a mon?"

"Kasan?" The fool follows her finger, chuckling as he confirms a particularly handsome looking boy's identity before shaking his head. "He'll get his own, he's out of our league. But maybe one of the Outcastes..."

"Wait, you're serious?" It seems to have surprised the officious one that they're actually entertaining this idea. He coughs, trying to protest. "You can't be serious. You can't just arbitrarily propose an adoption - it falls to a head of household, and then comes to a vote of the Admiralty Board before it's brought to an Imperial Judge..."

A certain glint is in the fool's eyes now. He shakes his head. "You can't pull that card both ways, Demos. We've a quorum now if you're counting Somiya and we're away from the Isle - we can make whatever choices and decrees we want in the name of the house without the formality of proper protocol. So either we respect our elders and betters wants and get you wed, or we take advantage of our distance for a little autonomous decision making." The fool chuckles, more to himself than his family. "Or, you know, we settle on the impossibility of having the same numbers as most of the other houses here. I suppose that's an option too."

The pompous one, still reeling a little, looks to Shangguan for support. The Nissar and the fool meanwhile are continuing to scrutinize the outcaste population, apparently at least willing to consider that idea for now.

[Eurus]

Rekal sighs in relief, and flashes a cheerful smile at Tsumika, Xiu, and yes, even the giant. He's on the taller side himself, so being dwarfed by a good foot or so is a strange experience, and he can't help giving the guy an impressed look.

"Nice catch, friend."

Seeing Xiu makes his smile somehow get even warmer, if that's possible. He gives her a flourishing bow, just overdone enough to feel joking rather than uncomfortable.

"You wound me with your cruel words, Xiu, however true they may be…"

Allegro preens on Rekal's shoulder, letting his feathers catch the light fabulously, and gives Xiu a wink.

"At least this younger generation has some taste!"

He's curious to know how Xiu and Tsumika know each other, but he has to respond to the question, which he does with a shrug as he turns to Xiao. He's still observing the girl, though, and if his posture happens to emphasize his broad shoulders...

"I'm afraid I'm as new to him as you are, but that should probably change, no? Mowai Rekal, pleased to make your acquaintance."

I'd like to use Auspicious First Meeting Attitude on Tsumika! For the read intentions aspect, Rekal would like to know what she thinks about Xiu. For the instill, he's trying to be... charming. :smallamused:

Socialize 4 + Manipulation 4 + Stunt 2
[roll0]
Impeccable Purity Lavation causes people to have a virtual/temporary intimacy toward Rekal already, so he may be able to invoke that to penalize resolve against First Meeting?

Possible appearance bonus dice (effective appearance 5)
[roll1]

[Ascension]

Willow brushes a rogue lock of hair out of her face, tucking it back into her braided updo with a motion which looks simpler than ought to be possible. She inclines her head to acknowledge Eun-Ji's bow, which has the side effect of framing her silhouette with the crown of leaves growing from her hair.

"No harm done," she says, and smiles sweetly. "Would that all accidents could end so happily."

The sentiment is embarrassingly sincere, and she's in danger of staring (Eun-Ji genuinely is remarkable, after all, even in the midst of a statistically-improbably-attractive host of people), so she quickly looks away, grasping for a change in topic.

Being Willow, she quickly passes over the girl who caused the entire uproar, and over the reunion of old acquaintances, to focus on her sudden proximity to the enormous flautist.

"And would that I had my sueng!" she complains. "I should have known better than to pack it in my luggage! We could just about get a full band together, if we could find that percussionist."

Is that the wind of the giant's anima which rustles Willow's hair as she talks about playing?

[pfm1995]

Shangguan's not immune to puppy dog eyes, though the only rope he has is looking a little noose-y.

"Well," he said to the fool, "if you really care about 'House Rules' then there's also nothing stopping the Admiralty Board from having you hunting smugglers in the southwestern swamps for the next few decades. Besides, it sounds like that 'quorum' you're talking about would need permission to be here, and I don't have that."

Blithely ignoring the reactions to that particular statement, he turns back to... they'd just said her name. "You have a nice eye. I'm sure we'll find some other people worth knowing here, even if we have to tease the interesting parts out of them. The Cynis will be a good person to know, for that - it's been forever since I've been to a proper party." He clapped his hands, a sudden gleeful smile brightening up his features. "We should organize something, for after everyone's been settled! A salon, or a meal! Or we could all go get drunk, I suppose, though I haven't seen a tavern yet..."

[Malozing]

Blue's jaw falls open when their first assignment was defined. "Uh..." Shaking their head, the Tya takes a deep breath and gives the two women a broad grin. "Ah, don't worry about it, Miss Li! I'll be sure ta be there." Blue scratches the back of their head, a nervous tick.

[Sticks]

Xiao's eyes fall to Rekal's features. The huge islander's face is not one to forget. As he lowers his flute, he opens his mouth in a grin revealing large even teeth. His voice is surprisingly soft and a bit higher than might be expected for such a large youth, but even his frame is dwarfed by the personality on display.

"Well how do you do, Mowai Rekal? Name's Xiao. You haven't heard of me, but that's gonna change, babe. Be-dop bew!"

He spins theatrically, his purple coat and soft-red scarf whirling in the wind made by his essence. Turning once on his toes, he ends the spin in a bow that brings him to eye-level with Rekal. "Soon-to-be the number-one assassin in the Realm, babe, you can bet on it." One huge hand shoots out and grabs Rekal's pumping the Dragon-blood's arm enthusiastically. "So you're the 'jump into action' type? Babe, I love it! We should do this again, we'd make a great team! 'Xiao and Rekal!' It's got a good ring to it! No no, don't agree to anything yet. We just got here! Plenty of time to rub shoulders with the up-and-comers and show 'em what we're made of before we get tied down, huh?"

[Inspector Valin]

Blue
The teachers have nothing more to add to Blue's remark, though Instructor Ren's blush resurfaced briefly. The pair turn, looking towards other students as Blue moves away to whistles and laughs from those students still focused on them. They're almost away into the crowd before they hear a voice.

"Heh. You look confident."

It's oddly familiar to Blue - the speaker sounds somewhat different to the other Dynasts. Even using High Realm, her words sound less formal, less polished. Turning around, the vision that befalls the wandering Tya is downright stunning - she's a borderline goddess, with a mane of luxuriant bright orange hair, a gorgeous figure lined with well toned muscles, burning amber eyes and a gleaming smile. She's wearing a pure white silken dress with golden trim, though a glance notes that it's cut for movement with a train that doesn't reach the ground and hefty leather boots underneath. The colours and general aura may for a minute make Blue imagine this new arrival is something quite different to a Dynast, something familiar from their time on the Remora, before the good Tya spots the telltale mon on her hairclip. Ragara.

Three girls in matching outfits are positioned behind her. They look physically similar to one another, close to identical, though they have not been given their leader's clothing budget - opting for simpler robes that bear the house sigil more prominently. The lead Ragara grins at Blue. "You've got spirit, playing against a teacher like that. Or possibly a head full of water. Either way - do you want a hand?" There's an all too familiar gleam in the older girl's eye as she glances back towards Mavere. "We're down to help: even the odds for you a bit. Hawk-nose just said Ren's not supposed to give you anything, not that we can't, right?"

Her apparent posse chime in eagerly at the gesture, the second pumping the air "You bet! So c'mon Toho.. Tonijin! Let us help you!" The third makes a hand clasping gesture, looking to Blue imploringly. "Please! It'll be fun!"

Then... an awkward silence. The trio glance over at the final member of their quartet, who is looking towards the 'dancing' duo with a wistful sigh, her eyes still fixated on them even as their impromptu embrace has come to an end. "How romantic..." The third girl to speak gives an exasperated sigh, the sort born out of familial love. "Shion..."

Shangguan
"You..." That gets wide eyes from the party. The fool does a double take, and the poor Nissar looks like she might feint. But Shangguan's easy manner carrying on bars his companions any easy opportunity to interrogate that part of his story. Instead they simply nod along, following the conversation as best they can and drawing their conclusions in their own time, before finally seeing an opening in the conversation.

"Well, of course. We have an escape to celebrate apparently." Now he's had a second to process it, the fact that they are harboring a fugitive from the house... does not seem to bother the fool one bit. If anything it seems to have energized him - he claps his hands with every appearance of enthusiasm. "All the more reason to befriend that Cynis! Imagine - a Cynis helmed party away from the Isle? Think of what they could..." "Hrmph." The pompous one seems to be purposefully ignoring Shangguan's admission: raising a hand and shaking his head. "Don't waste your time with that one. Cynis Yunari is a good for nothing layabout. Decent guest but won't help get things together. I swear, half of Cynis are just useless layabouts - wouldn't know hard work if it hit them in the face. No, if you want someone good at planning..."

The bigger one is reduced to humming, pondering the matter as he glances over the crowd. He almost jumps out of his skin when a new voice addresses the Peleps party. "Heh. Y'all need a hand putting together some kinda sah-lon?"

It's the scruffy looking boy in the mismatching trousers and jacket, the one who'd been talking with Yunari earlier. Afforded closer inspection, Shangguan can see that Somiya had been pretty on the money with her judgement. Beyond the clothes, the lad doesn't carry himself like a Dynast - the slouched stance, standing a bit too close, the worn cloth cap that doesn't remotely go with his borrowed dynastic fashion, the strands of brown hair falling over his eyes. He holds out a hand to Shangguan, grinning with ease only achievable in polite society by complete obliviousness. "Chai Ye, at yer service. Always a pleasure to make a few new friends, right?"

Willow, Eun-Ji
"If I may..."

A polite cough from behind the pair heralds quite an unexpected arrival. They have been joined by one of the male students - a tall and exceedingly beautiful man, with lilac tresses, deep silver eyes and a svelte but toned frame. He's wearing a fine red jacket with golden trim that while in the style of the Blessed Isle doesn't quite match the colors of his fellow students. Neither does the mon woven into the band he wears around his shoulder - it's not the design of any of the Great Houses, Eun-Ji can confirm as much for a fact.

The stranger nods to the two ladies. "My pardon. It strikes me that the pair of you are both strangers to the Realm. And as should have been expected, have been rather hung out to dry in terms of conversation and greeting by our more... insular cousins." The young man rolls his eyes, endeavoring not to meet the gaze of anyone around them. Instead, he takes a step back. "As such, allow me the honour of welcoming you both. Princess Willow. Lady Eun-Ji. I am Kasan of the Imperial City." He bows low, descending to one knee and placing a hand on his swordhilt before the pair. That done, he rises to his feet with a strangely uncertain smile for the foreign pair. "It is... good to meet you?"

Rekal, Xiao
The little red head almost falls over again at the revelation of Xiao's profession. Her shuddering makes the boxes and chests strapped to her clatter and clunk in a rather cacophanous manner. "An aaaa....asssaaa... assassin?" Xiu meanwhile is much calmer: raising an eyebrow but falling into a smile as she places a hand to her charge's shoulder. "And one polite enough to be open with the fact, Tsumi. He's not here for us. No one who hates us would pay for such a well mannered killer."

This line of logic does seem to set the tremulous lass at ease, calming her breathing and letting her risk a smile in Xiao's direction. Xiu meanwhile is studying him closely. She makes no comment yet, happy to let Rekal engage in the conversation for the moment. but Xiao can tell he's piqued her curiosity in some manner or other.

Tsumika's not that hard a read for Rekal - a little bundle of nerves and tics, wrapped up in long messy hair. That look he gives her coupled with the flex of the shoulders made her squeak with surprise as she tries desperately to look cool and composed, the red of her tumbledown tresses doing wonders to conceal the pinkish tinge of her cheeks and the contours of a bashful smile. When her eyes turn to Xiu however, it's with a more settled look - not unquestioning or all encompassing, but deep and genuine. It puts Rekal in mind of himself looking to Harei when they were both younger - it's a sibling's love for and trust in their elder, even if in this case it might not be by blood.

Thinking back, he recalls some potentially useful context here. While he's never had more than second hand interactions with them via his parents accounts, the Clan Liao are powerful and socially active - above even Wujing as patricians not just with prestige but power. They count a half dozen adult Dragon Blooded among their ranks, with wise Liao Qui Liang being tipped to ascend to head the Ministry of Justice. Liang salons draw Dynasts from primary family lines - even Lady Mnemon herself has been known to frequent their annual Gateway tournament. They are social, urbane and refined to a razor's edge. (And if Grandfather is to be believed, a pack of filthy liars who habitually cheat at cards and forget every kindness ever done them.)

That past vitriol aside, the picture painted is not of an environment in which any gift of the dragons is equally treasured. Seeing Tsumika clomping along like this, her hair down, robe trailing awkwardly against her shoes and oblivious to the sneering looks she's getting from her better dressed peers, it makes a grim kind of sense that the Liao household might have preferred a compliant, presentable mortal heir to a Dragon that could become an active embarrassment and hindrance to their goals of societal glory. And while conventional wisdom would be that it falls on the parents to provide their daughter education and training in etiquette enough to stand beside the rest of the Dragon Blooded host, well.. given her clothes and travelling accouterments seem weathered and beaten already, Rekal gets the impression Tsumika was not given a large budget for her trip to Coradai. He can be fairly sure that the illustrious Clan Liao has already written their daughter off, Exaltation or no.

[Eurus]

Rekal tries his best, but he's not the quickest when it comes to mentally changing tracks and responding to unexpected developments. Xiao... he definitely counts as an unexpected development. Everything about the man feels like it's carefully cultivated to be as jarring and incongruous as possible, like a mosaic where no individual part puts you any closer to understanding the whole. He eventually manages a nod.

"R... right. I'm not sure I've ever met an assassin before, actually... or if I did, I suppose I probably wouldn't know?"

It takes a moment, but he does manage to rally, giving a little chuckle at the thought. Just don't think too hard about whether Xiao's claims are actually believable, and Rekal can roll with the punches. Allegro is practically vibrating with amusement on his shoulder, but naturally the little bird is much too well-mannered to comment. The little bird distracts himself by looking around, and suddenly twitches in surprise.

"Well, it really is good to see a familiar face, Xiu. I-"

He casually glances back to see what's alerted Allegro, and briefly forgets what he was saying. Is that-

"I admit, I did not expect to see him here."

Allegro's whisper is too quiet for anyone to overhear, and Rekal shakes his surprise off after only a moment, but the double-take was definitely visible. He decides to just own it, turning slowly back to Xiu with his eyebrows raised.

"...This is going to be an interesting class. Have you recognized anyone else so far?"

[Sticks]

Xiao straightens up and redirects his grin towards Tsumi and Xiu. This likely does little to assuage the smaller girl's fears. Xiao's smile has haunted the dreams of more than one hardened ne'er-do-well of the Palace of the Tamed Storm. "Oh for sure, hon. I provide service with a smile. If you were my target..." he bends down and points a long finger right at Tsumi's heart, between the boxes. "...I'd tell you well before I slid in the knife."

Oblivious to any effect this pronoucement may have caused, Xiao stands upright and looks around pointedly, hands on his hips. "Now if you ask me, we should have heard what's coming next by now. Bow pa-wow! I' figure they've got something in store for us, some kind of big event or assembly they're gonna spring on us any second. Bet it's gonna be a BLOW-out, babe!"

[Ascension]

Willow's awkward greeting to the flautist - who is also allegedly an assassin - is overlooked, but she has no time to feel embarrassed before "Kasan of the Imperial City" introduces himself.

She's taken off-guard for a moment, and her blush returns. She never felt plain in the court of Suong-Van, but this crowd has no shortage of genuine beauties, even without applying the more expansive definition supplied by the flirtatious Tya. Then careful cynicism reasserts itself. This one's approach feels more calculated than Eun-Ji's, it's us-them simplification a clear political overture.

"We are hardly the only students who fit that description," she observes, even as she nods acknowledgement of his bow. "Are you working your way through the whole crowd, or are the two of us just... special?"

Her tone is amiable, teasing, but the question is genuine, and she's watching him closely, checking for nonverbal tells more than waiting for his answer. She can think of several reasons why he might pass over Tya sailors and country bumpkins to speak with a princess and a vision in silks, and she's skeptical of most of them. Whether he seeks a power base or a woman's attentions, he could be dangerous either way. But her mother and her tutors began preparing her for that possibility long before she was graced with the Dragons' favor...

Reading Intentions to determine Kasan's goals in this scene, 4m Peripheral on Loquacious Courtier Technique (Excellency).

[roll0]+2 successes
Additional die if Willow's Socialize Specialty in Realm culture from Friend to All Nations Attitude applies: [roll1]

[The_Snark]

It's interesting, to watch Willow as she visibly - not obviously, but visible nonetheless to Eun-ji's practiced eye - takes a rhetorical step back and recovers her composure. Interesting, and a little... disheartening? That's probably too strong a word, but it had been a pleasant surprise to glimpse person underneath the aristocratic hauteur, one of an age with her and perhaps feeling similarly apprehensive about journeying far from home. She can hardly begrudge Willow her composure, of course, especially since they have an audience. But still. Maybe she can coax it out again sometime.

Her brain skips momentarily as Kasan addresses her as 'lady'. Probably just a courtesy, of course, he can hardly greet Willow as a princess and then offer her no title at all without seeming rude. Or maybe it's because she's Dragon-Blooded, and he just assumed? She'll have to get used to that, she supposes, anyone outside the Dynasty who knows her blood will almost certainly offer her a title just as a precaution - she certainly would've, before her Second Breath. Regardless, she has no illusions about who Kasan is really talking to: Willow is apparently actual royalty, and in that company Eun-ji is at best a polite afterthought.

But it is polite, and she's not about to turn down a welcoming gesture. Also, she can't help but catch his hesitance as he finishes, as if unsure of their reaction; odd, after such a polished introduction. He's clearly educated and wealthy, even if he's not from a Great House... though now that she thinks of it, it's strange that he left off his family name. Something he'd rather not share? It can't be a secret in this company, but maybe there's a reason he's seeking out the company of foreigners who don't know his family or their reputation.

She offers a deep bow in return, flashing him a smile as she rises. "I hope so, sir! I appreciate your thoughtfulness. It seems most people here know one another already, but I'm afraid I am a stranger to everyone but Princess Willow, whose acquaintance I have only just made."

While Willow handles the read motives side of interaction, I'll go for an instill roll, aiming to come across as pleasant, friendly, and possibly attractive if he is so inclined. Charisma+Presence, 2m on Excellency for one bonus success:
[roll0]
Plus one more if Eun-ji's identical Friend-to-All-Nations specialty applies: [roll1]

[Inspector Valin]

Xiao, Rekal
Those few words drain all the colour from Tsumika's face. It looks as if Xiao's simple touch might be enough to knock her to the floor again. Xiu places a hand around her friend's shoulder, steadying her while glaring daggers at Xiao. "The assembly's over there." She waves towards the mock-Senate building the collected students are languidly heading towards. "The 'great assassin' couldn't be bothered to read the outline of events? It was in our cabins on the ship. Or is preparation for something other than a big entrance not your style, Master Xiao?"

From Xiu's lips, 'master' sounds like a borderline insult. Taking a deep breath, the patrician turns her attention back to Rekal, though her arm remains around the trembling Tsumika. "There's a few! You've already seen Kasan, I take it." She winks at that before withdrawing a small leather notebook and paging through it. As ever, the young Wujing has been busy. "We've got a whole Lookshyan delegation, a Kinship straight from the Obsidian Mirror and a good handful of notable names. Jygar, Davik, Belir - Farah, Adami, Metigo and..." Xiu pauses for a second. She takes a breath before finishing her list, "Ragara Saki, for perhaps the most currently successful of our social circuit."

Those last words are tinged with a bittersweet air. Rekal knows Ragara Saki - at least by reputation, as a young star of the theatre stage, the talk of the Onyx Curtain district and doyen of the Imperial City's social circuit. By all accounts she's a beautiful firebrand - full of energy and life, fair as a summer day, with a roaring laugh and singing voice that fills an auditorium with ease. She's one of House Ragara's best regarded heirs, with a string of successful salons and galas to her name already. Not only was she born to the main line, she's receiving personal attention and backing from Ragara Banoba, the Master of the Great House. There's even a few whispers that Banoba has an eye towards training Saki as his successor: she's been seen climbing the Windswept Stair to his office more than once, and yet has never seemingly been in need of a loan.

She's one of the most powerful Dynasts who could possibly be attending Coradai: maybe one who holds more social cache than Kasan. She's unattached romantically, as far as Rekal knows anyway. And she and Xiu know each other.

Time for some retroactive rolls, I think Eurus? :smallwink: Rekal did his research - give me some dice and a flashback of how he went about it and I'll tell you how much he knows about the names on that list. Including potentially Saki and Xiu's connection

Eun-Ji, Willow
"The pleasure is mine." Kasan offers Eun-Ji a hand as she rises, though doesn't seem offended if she declines it and returns the smile regardless. He shakes his head sanguinely at Willow's question: taking no offense and gesturing to some of the figures she'd mentioned.

"Most of our fellows have their own support networks: even those from outside the Dynasty. The Lookshyans stand by one another, the Outcastes are predominantly already a unit and the children of both patricate and minor houses know well enough of each other to form a united front. As for your Tya friend..." His eyes linger on Blue with a curious twinkle. Finally though, the lilac locked princeling shakes his head with a polite chuckle. "I doubt they would accept a bow without laughing at me for the gesture. They seem to be quite comfortable already. As is the man in the scarf."

So far every word he's uttered has come as smoothly as silk. At this point however there's a brief silence, and that uncertainty returns. Kasan takes a step back, raising a hand. "If I am unwelcome, please: don't hesitate to say as much. I would... hate to intrude between you." There's no trace of blush on the man's rich dark skin, but a slight flicker of his eyes betrays a twinge of awkwardness for a moment. He's not blind to the scene that recently played out between his new acquaintances. All the same he presses on. "But I know that this can be an intimidating, even hostile environment for new arrivals. I was hoping to accompany the pair of you: at least for a few days. Make some introductions, help you find some friends... ease the unfamiliarity a little. If, of course, you would allow me the honor."

Willow: he's being fairly genuine, though this is less gracious offer and more private hope. While Kasan seems to be getting quite flattering looks from the students around him, he doesn't seem to notice or return them. He legitimately feels isolated here and is dearly hoping that he can become long term friends with Willow and Eun-Ji, with their status as foreigners to Dynastic society a convenient inroad for making their acquaintance. He's not currently seeking more than that. Most other outsiders he has indeed written off as having existing peer networks: it'd be difficult to insert himself into such a unit, which is why two foreigners who are just now meeting for the first time was quite the temptation. The reason he didn't approach Blue or Xiao is honestly less 'they don't need me' and more a combination of just not thinking of the idea and some fear that their reactions would be embarrassing or unpredictable - Willow and Eun-Ji seem more in tune with the type of society Kasan is sued to.

That said, your specialties did not apply to him. Kasan might've been raised in Realm culture but he's still something of an outsider to it - standing apart from the interplay between the houses, and thus not falling into the usual patterns that form the specialty. Which is strange - no matter who his family is, he should have some existing ties to the other students. But noooope.

[Malozing]

Blue chuckles and walks closer to the group, nodding their head to each of the girls. "Or maybe a little bit of both if you ask Zalm. I wouldn't turn down any help, even if one of ya is distracted." The Tya then turns to look at Willow and Eun-Ji. "Ya know if ya found her pretty, ya could have just said so instead of questioning my tastes!"

Thinking for a bit, Blue gestures to where they think the assembly is to take place. "Maybe I should pick y'all's brains on typical dates. I mean I've seen my captain with their partner and my sifu with hers go on a few, but I haven't - I mean I've gotten whole bars going for some rowdy parties, but nothing one-on-one." Blue scratches the back of their head again.

[Inspector Valin]

Blue
"That was probably Maravan's point."

The previously distracted member of the gang, Shion, speaks up in response to Blue's words. Her voice is still a little soft, but there's an intensity to it as she starts speaking with the Tya, as though this were the sharing of sage advice. "A good date is a collaboration. It's something enjoyable for both of you, something that brings you closer together. That's why it usually comes after the two of you have met a few times. But you don't know Instructor Ren, or what she likes so you're limited in what you can do."

The leader frowns, seemingly agreeing with the judgement. She turns to one of her other friends, "Suisen. Know anything?"

The more somber looking member of the three nods her head, not even waiting a second before beginning a dry recitation of the facts. "The Rens are a Patrician family from Arjuf. Incorporated onto the rolls in the year three hundred and fifty nine. They're mostly bureaucrats, high class ones: a few scions of note and commonly seen at the Spiral Academy. Ren Li is not a notable name, so unless she's a member of the All Seeing Eye we can be fairly sure she's not Exalted." Suisen's eyes run appraisingly over Blue, the meticulous assistant pondering something before shaking her head. "We could try and set up a tea date. I could get a dress in their size from Sarago if she unloads her stock quickly. But that doesn't really have that whirlwind adventure feeling to it: it's just... normal. And Maravan would probably critique you for the quality of the tea."

The other two girls nod, looking dejected. The leader frowns for just a second, before shaking her head and placing a hand to Blue's shoulder. "I say you do your own thing." There's a warmth in her eyes as she continues, kind and encouraging as a heart on a winter's night. "I was watching. She likes you. As someone who has gone on many stupid time consuming dates, the most surefire way to fail is doing something your heart's not into 'because that's what you're supposed to do'. That's something old people invented to make themselves sound smarter. If Ren has a good time, even Queen of the Mountain Marrivan won't have an excuse to mark you down."

That seems to have sold her underlings, if no one else. The group continue on, the orange haired one rapping two fingers against her left wrist as she tries to think. "Say you were in the Imperial City with Instructor Ren, as many dinars as you like in your jacket. Where'd you take her?" Realizing her words a touch too late, the lead Ragara sighs as her posse try their hardest not to giggle at her choice of words. "Aside from your bed, or the alley or... wherever."

[Sticks]

Xiao's grin never falters. "Oh for sure babe. The entrance is everything. It makes the first impression and sometimes that's all you're gonna get. After that I prefer to just wing it!" At the penultimate word, Xiao leaps clear over the other young Exalts, landing behind them. "So, whattaya say we take this little pow-wow on the road so we can hear what they're saying at this assembly?"

[Eurus]

Cynis Mengyao, professional party guest and gossipmonger, sits across the book-strewn table from Rekal, looking elegantly bored. Despite only being about four years older, the two of them occupy vastly different worlds; Mengyao is self-sufficient, living on his own and already embroiled in the politics and gossip of society. It's obvious that he doesn't think much of Rekal's anxieties, or the quality of the wine on offer, but it seems that he owed someone enough of a favor to cut Rekal's family a good deal on a "consulting session".

Rekal, meanwhile, is... well, not disheveled, exactly. One of the many perks of the dragons' essence is that it takes more than mere sleep deprivation and stress to make him look visibly diminished, but his mood is definitely less than perky. Reams of notes spill off the table, along with scrolls of family histories and sheafs of vanity portraits made for salons and balls so that he can try to memorize faces. He knows he can't complain -- his parents have been busy too, tugging on old connections to figure out who's been invited to this mysterious new school and passing on the names to Rekal so that he can research them.

"Ragara Saki... even I know about her."

Mengyao smirks. "Ah, but do you? Surface appearances are just that. The young lion of the stage... I've encountered her a handful of times."

Rekal is too tired to play, so he just patiently waits for the older boy to continue. Mengyao eventually scowls and takes a swig from his cup.

"If you're this boring, I'm going to need more wine to get through this. Fine, fine. Saki. Aside from the obvious, here's what I know..."

[Inspector Valin]

Xiao, Rekal
Just as he alights from his jump, Xiao catches a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. A flash of red, bobbing in the breeze. He might be forgiven for blinking, double checking - surely he couldn't have seen...

"HAH! In a rush, whistlestop?"

The voice. Xiao knows that voice, or that stomping tread. There's no mistaking who else is here.

The others see a woman coming towards them who can almost match the towering assassin in height, with rippling muscles enough to make up for the few inches he still has on her. She has wavy crimson hair, and eyes that burn with almost manic joy. She approaches the group with swagger, just enough that they can see the scabbard of the red jade daiklave she wears at her side, hear the clank of her armour as she draws up. At her right is a second woman, a touch shorter and far more slender, with dark blue hair pallid skin and cold eyes, clad in a fluttering dark green dress - ones that look both light enough to move fast in, and dark enough to blend into the shadows easily. And at the leader's left is a lanky looking Cynis youth with dirty brown hair. He's clad in an ill fitting jacket and folding his arms, also glaring at the assassin.

This would be Tepet Ryago and Nellens Ophara - long time partners in combat and romance, and a pair of the Dynasty's most vicious killers. Also graduates of the Academy of the Tamed Storm. Not as good as Xiao, of course, but not pathetic by any measure. Together they can be downright troublesome, and... well, members of the Tamed Storm are pitted against each other enough to hold a grudge long after graduation. This might prove to be a problem. And the Cynis with them...

No, he doesn't know the Cynis boy. He's just standing beside two very well trained warriors, trying to look intimidating and failing miserably. Maybe the couple've found a pet?

Ryago laughs, a loud boom that carries over the courtyard. "Can't believe this place let you in too, lilly. Future of the Dynasty? The guy with the fancy clothes and flute who lets his sword do all the fighting for him?" Ophara shares a cold smile with the group; her manner more refined yet somehow... off. An imitation of manners rather than the genuine article. "The staff here have no standards. Clearly, if a little acrobatics are enough to impress them. I'd advise not getting too close to such a reprobate children." She looks to Xiao with that, gently shaking her head. "It never ends well."

Social Action! Ophara is trying to Instil a minor intimacy of distrust of Xiao in Rekal, Xiu and Tsumika. She's spending 4m for 2sux on the social excellency.
[roll0]

[Inspector Valin]

[roll0] This should work...

[Eurus]

Int (2) + Socialize (4) + Stunt (2) + Willpower (1 sux)
[roll0] +1 success

[Sticks]

Xiao looks delighted at the sight of his old school-mates. "Oh HEY Raggy and Ophy! And you...you...old so-and-soI'msureit'llcometomesoonenough! Long time no see! No, I'm not in any hurry, but I don't wanna miss out, baby! Think of it, if the top three bruisers of the Palace of the Tamed Storm's graduating class are here, how wild must the rest of this place be? There's gonna be all kinds of opportunities for us! Heck, you two might even get to beat me two-on-one this time!"

Noting the scowls from the other 'reformed' reprobates, he lets his smile falter just a hair. "By the way, loving the whole 'united in loathing' look you've got going there, total 'don't mess with us' energy. Just one little-deedle problem-o there ladies." He leans in, letting his essence disturb their hair and clothes as he brings his nose to Raygo's eye-level, looking down with that cold intensity which brooked no argument on the combat yards within the Palace's walls. "You couldn't beat me in the Palace where the rules barely mattered. You deet-deet-didn't like playing by the rules there, and there's more here than the last time you ganged up on lil' ol' me. You're still you, big, brutal and bad tempered, and I'm still me babe!"

He spins away, placing a hand protectively on Rekal's and Tsumi's shoulders as he squats down, smiling his huge, happy smile, this time full of mirth. "I'm here to make friends and learn something. I recommend you do the same if you'd like to stay in second place."

Xiao may not be the brightest tool in the crayon box, but he's quick to turn a situation in his favor. By behaving theatrically, posturing, expositing and dominating the 'stage' he's framing himself as the aggrieved party in this dispute displaying cocky magnanimity towards Raygo, Ophara and their new friend, setting the stage to make himself sympathetic. As such, he's trying to instill positive feelings towards himself in the other exalts present, or at least convince them that when choosing between the graduates of the Palace, he's the better option.
Rolling Charisma+Performance+stunt, adding one success from Audience Enthusing Display and negating the penalty for multiple targets.


[roll0]+1

[Ascension]

There's still a hook buried in this fish, Willow feels sure of it. Kasan, Kasan who is "of the Imperial City" and not of any House worth naming, is an outcast among his peers for a reason, and it would be outright dangerous to throw in her lot with him until she knows what it is.

That said, he's not wrong. It's important to find friends in an environment like this, and a guide who ostensibly knows the Imperial capital could be useful...

Fine, then. She'll humor him, at least for now.

"...No intrusion," she says. "You make a fair point, Kasan of the Imperial City."

She glances around at the teeming crowd of Dynastic worthies and her Outcaste peers. In all honesty, most of them blur together to her eyes. Hopefully he can help with that.

"Who should we be introduced to first, then?"

[The_Snark]

Eun-ji waits for Willow's decision before offering her own assent: not only is it proper to defer to the person of higher status, Willow seems more skeptical of the offer. A difference in their backgrounds, she reflects: for a courtesan, attention is usually a good thing and it's not hard to guess what a supplicant wants, but for royalty she imagines it's much more complicated.

"Even just knowing where everyone is from would help," she adds. "I can only recognize a few of the Great Houses by sight, and I don't even know where to start with the rest."

[pfm1995]

The surprise and, most especially, the sudden closeness has Shangguan shying away for a moment before he remembers himself, and it's another heartbeat of looking frustrated and confused at the proffered hand before the connection burns its way through his brain and he takes it in a sailors grip before the outcaste can withdraw it. Though outwardly he's doing his best to smile, inwardly he's cursing. It's been weeks since he's had a lapse that bad. He pulls his hand back just as quickly as he offered it and settles back into a more neutral posture.

"No, not always, but right now it is. Peleps Kaizoku Shangguan, and these are... my cousins. You've made me curious; what does a 'sah-lon'" - he mimics the boy's pronunciation, though there's no hint of mockery in his voice - "look like where you are from? I'd push for something traditionally Peleps, but the idea disgusts me and I don't think I could convince people to get back on a ship. Or perhaps we can try something of Wu-Jian, and we can bond over drowning the first person to mention pork buns." He nods at the young woman who's doubtlessly heard that joke a dozen times already today. "I'm sure all of our classmates would delight in a chance to talk somewhere they can pretend the teachers aren't watching."

[Eurus]

"We're just meeting so many interesting people today!"

Allegro's sarcastically chipper whisper makes Rekal's mouth quirk in a very brief smile, before it's smashed back down into a frown by the exchange between Xiao and the other two assassins. Their commentary makes him look at Xiao in a new, and not very positive, light: as silly as the boy seems, he really is an assassin, trained in the Realm's most infamous crucible of murderers. It's the acknowledgement of his peers, as much as their scorn, that makes Rekal look on him with more suspicion. On the other hand...

...Well, he doesn't think he's ever going to like the guy. He's brash, rude, presumptuous, and either completely socially oblivious or actually enjoys terrifying people. But if half of the stories about the Academy of the Tamed Storm are true, he's probably been through ten kinds of hell. And he at least seems sincere? It's a mess, and Rekal's not sure what to think, but he slips out from under Xiao's hand and gently pulls Tsumi away from him, passing her off to Xiu. He gives all three of the unusual figures a frown, his patience clearly fraying.

"I can't say that leading with slander makes a good first impression, but I'll take your advice in the spirit in which it was offered. As for you, Xiao... if you're genuinely here to make friends, try coming on a little less strong next time."

He shakes his head and turns away, figuring that him, Tsumi, and Xiu could use some distance from these three while they play mumblety-peg or whatever it is that Tamed Storm graduates do to establish dominance.

Rekal has a minor intimacy (distrust) and a minor intimacy (pity) toward Xiao! And he'll respond with Auspicious First Meeting Attitude on all three of them. He'd like to get an idea of their motivations in this scene, hopefully that's not too complicated, and instill them with some sort of respect for him.

Manipulation (4) + Socialize (4) + Stunt (2) + Appearance bonus (?)
[roll0]

Potential appearance bonus dice, effective appearance 5
[roll1]

Invoking the temporary intimacy from Impeccable Purity Lavation for a potential additional resolve penalty.

[Inspector Valin]

Shangguan
The ready and friendly manner with which Shangguan talks to the disreputable looking boy has his cousins once again taken aback. Well, mainly the pompous one - the fool and Nissar both look a little surprised, but the big one seems on the verge of hysterics over such a breach of protocol. He hisses, "Shangguan, what are you..."

Fortunately, Chai seems as oblivious as they come. He gives no reaction to Shangguan's hand almost crushing his own, just laughing along like the two of them were old friends and cutting the other Peleps off before he could finish so much as a sentence. "Hah! Oh, 's pretty much the same Shaggy, pretty much. Though guess I'm more used to bein' 'neath the stairs rather 'n helpin' run the blasted things. But iffn ats what the dragans want..."

He spreads his hands in 'humble submission' and chuckles, a perhaps blessed relief from talking. "Ask me, it's all in getting the right materials - dress 'em up however you want, so long as there's a room, some drinks and sommit goin on, people'll ava good time. I ain't got the lay of the land jus' yet, but I'll come find yer after 'sembally. Got a line on a few mates who might have what you're looking for. And anything else..."

He glances back towards the building the porters had taken the luggage to, a glint in his eyes. "... Well, I'll thinka something. Seeya then!"

And with that, Chai Yi leaves as quickly as he'd arrived, the Peleps delegation now in silence. It's finally broken by the golden fool, although it takes him a few seconds to find his words. "How... how did he end up here?" There's less contempt in his voice and more sheer bewilderment. (Tinged perhaps with mild amusement.) "I like him." pipes up the Nissar with surprising verve, which wins a groan from the pompous one.

Willow, Eun-Ji
"Well, where to begin?" Kasan looks relieved at the acquiescence. He chuckles, "It's hard to know just where to start when you've lived here all your life. Though when it comes to identity, the House Colours and Mon are a pretty good guide."

The handsome man rattles off the list smoothly, gesturing to examples of each as he goes. It's a little overwhelming - each house pairs two colours, some overlap on one and the mon designs aren't that easy to differentiate, but it's enough to give the gist. While he's not the best at making it comprehensible a teacher's manner comes easy to Kasan: there's no condescension in his words, just information being shared by a friend more familiar with the subject matter. "As time goes on, people will wear them less, you'll see individual fashion take the forefront. But for now they should be a fairly good indicator of who's who. If someone's willing to go without the signs of their house when others are still dressed formally, it's usually a good indicator that they want to be seen as their own person, rather than an agent of their family."

As he speaks, Kasan has been wandering the crowd, looking over the other students for potential inroads. Finally, with a small 'aha' of triumph, the beautiful man waves them towards a small group on the periphery, particularly a crisp looking red headed woman in a somewhat military looking jacket. "Now, here are some good folk to begin with. This lovely lady is Mnemon Meti..."

The words had scarcely passed his lips before the young woman in question is walking away from the group, making for the assembly hall quite rapidly. A keen observer might've caught a gasp, perhaps noted a clenched fist from the scion of stone. Kasan looks almost lost for words at this behavior - standing there dumbstruck in mid sentence. He looks towards a languid looking man in matching colours, waving a hand in sheer bewilderment. "What's wrong with her?"

His friend shrugs, looking more than a little surprised himself. "No idea. It wasn't anything we said." This dynast looks almost more sculpted than real - a thick jawline, prominent muscles and brown hair held up in a ponytail, accompanied by deep grey eyes. A little ruffled, he turns to the two new arrivals, seemingly annoyed at having to offer contrition for whatever strangeness his kinswoman is about. "I apologize on my dear cousin's behalf. Rest assured, this type of behavior is most unlike Metigo. She's usually as calm and composed as her mother, dear aunt Yianfei. Maybe she's feeling unwell."

No one is buying this excuse. (Though in their defense, the lad barely bothered trying to sell it.) There is awkward silence for a few seconds before Kasan coughs, resolved to move the conversation forward regardless of this bizzare incident. "Aanyway, introductions. May I present the Willow Tree Princess of Suong-Van and Lady Eun-Ji. Ladies, this is Mnemon Davik - master duelist of the capitol circuit, aspiring sorcerer and one of the most accomplished Dragon Blooded I know."

Davik greats this lavish praise with a perfunctory nod of acknowledgement, which he echoes for the two new arrivals with a mildly curious gaze. "Charmed."

That was all he had to offer, and apparently was all Kasan expected. He moves on swiftly to the next, a somewhat sullen looking Tepet with black bangs and a large looking flamepiece of some strange make slung over his back. He's wearing a longcoat, but a twinkle of blue peaks out from beneath it. "This is Tepet Ragash, carrier of the storm-forged cannon Asuna's Pride and greatest shot in the dominion of Lord's Crossing."

Ragash doesn't look particularly happy to be here, and shows no immediate reaction to the compliments. He seems to be elsewhere mentally: he'd barely moved at Metigo's departure. All the same he forces a smile for politeness' sake, offering a bow to the new arrivals in similar manner to Kasan (although he doesn't take it lower than a simple dip of the head). "Good to meet you. A few new friends never go amiss,"

Kasan's smile grows a little at that. He reaches the final member of the party with a flourish. "And Ledaal Belir - Gateway master and favored guest of the Imperial Court."

That gets a snort of laughter from Belir. "Kassy, stop: you're overdoing it. Anyone can get into that nest of vipers these days, you know that." The short man in scholarly robes steps forward, bowing low to both Willow and Eun-Ji. He has an easy smile and shares it readily with the pair, his voice warm and friendly. He lacks the firm features of Davik and Kasan, but there's a certain softer charm to him all the same. His golden hair almost seems to glimmer in the sunlight. "It's wonderful to meet you both. This little isle is more beautiful for the two of you setting foot here. No wonder you caught our fair prince's eye."

[Inspector Valin]

Xiao, Rekal

"Slander?" The choice of word seems to amuse Nellens Ophara, enough to win a little chuckle from her at least. She shakes her head. "Painting Xiao Quanwei in a bad light doesn't require lies. Or for that matter, any work at all. He'll do it himself soon enough, just give him a few weeks and a chance to make a spectacle of himself. Not everything will go as smoothly as jumping off a boat"

All the same, Rekal's manner seems to have done its job in communicating to Ophara that they are unwelcome. She bows respectfully to her fellow dragon, before turning to her partner, "Come along, Ryago. This is supposed to be a happy day. No sense in bandying words with those unwilling to listen."

The fiery Tepet however is still glaring at Xiao, incensed more than ever by his words and that little gust of air sealed the deal. She untenses a little at Ophara's hand on her shoulder, but still hisses up at the assassin through gritted teeth. "Whatever you say, you're worse at staying in the lines than any of us. You just got a free ride back at the Palace 'cos the instructors liked you: they let everything slide as soon as they saw your mug. You might think this is going to be all cake, easy lessons and high muckity friends, but you're the biggest tryhard I've ever met, Xee and now you're surrounded by the best in the Dynasty. How much do you think you can get to show off around this lot if you stick to the rules?"

The last words come with a savage looking smile - one born of conviction. Ophara's hand grows a little firmer though, and Ryago takes the message. She steps back, putting a foot between herself and Xiao before turning and strolling with her companion towards the assembly theater. "Watch your back, killer!

Something of a stunned silence pervades the scene after the pair have left. Eventually Tsumika pipes up, seemingly in a mild state of shock. "What was that about?!" Xiu's face looks clouded and for the moment she refrains from further comment. Rekal knows her well enough however to tell she's tense. The prior light and happy mood has largely vanished from the Patricate pair.

Rekal's action didn't trigger in Ryago, who simply wasn't paying attention to him. Ophara took the hit though - she's scoping out a potential source of trouble, seeing what Xiao is up to, what connections he might have and how strong they seem. She's hostile to him and knows she's being uncharitable, but as far as she's concerned nothing she said rose to the level of an outright lie. That said, she's not committed enough to this grudge to casually make enemies over it - hense withdrawing at Rekal's objection.

[The_Snark]

Eun-ji does her best to cover a wince as she sees who Kasan has chosen to introduce first. Oops. Apparently she hadn't been quite truthful when she said she didn't know anyone here. She considers, briefly, offering an explanation for Metigo's abrupt departure, but almost immediately discards the thought: if her half-sister doesn't want to acknowledge the connection, Eun-ji sharing it behind her back will only make matters worse.

She forces herself to turn her attention back to the others. "You flatter us, Lord Belir, but thank you for the kind words," she murmurs, her smile a little bit less natural than before. Maybe they'll be too diverted by Willow to notice; even for Dynasts, meeting royalty can't be an everyday occasion. "You honor us with your welcome."

[Ascension]

Metigo's sudden departure draws a wince from Willow, but the other Dynasts' reactions indicate that while Kasan may not be well liked, he's at least not a total pariah. And his knowledge of the Great Houses is, indeed, helpful.

She nods cordially to each of the new faces as they are introduced.

"It is good to meet you all," she acknowledges. She chooses not to demur, as Eun-Ji did, in the face of Belir's obvious flattery - humility is not royalty's lot. "Hopefully we will have opportunities to work together in the coming days."

She turns in the direction Metigo fled towards.

"But for now, we do have an assembly to attend, do we not?"

[pfm1995]

Shangguan feels a frown touch his face at the attempt at a nickname, but the insult and the man are fading away before he's even left their sight. All that's left is a grey silhouette, an empty person-shaped space labeled 'smuggler'. Maybe "annoying smuggler", if it kept up with the nickname. Hopefully the others would be the ones dealing with it. Shrugging, he keeps walking, idly scanning the crowd for anything entertaining and having to take a quick step to the side to avoid some Mnemon moving with distinctly un-Mnemon-like haste. It's another dozen paces before the Nissar's words worm their way into his brain and he blinks, worried he drifted off and missed an introduction.

"You like who?"

[Inspector Valin]

Shangguan
That gets a wince from the Nissar and fool, and an approving snort from the pompous one. "Quite." The lass looks like she has something to say, but they have reached the doors to the assembly hall, which proves something of a preoccupation

Eun-Ji, Willow
"Quite so, quite so. Always time for conversation." Belir nods merrily as the little procession finally reach their destination

All
Coradai's Grand Hall is an almost ludicrously large structure. While it has been built with the columns and historic frescoes of the House of the Deliberative, anyone familiar with that august institution would note that the replica stands both taller and wider. A network of stairs criss-cross the outer walls, worked into the stone and linked to a quite confusing series of doors. Thankfully, a signpost by the path provided a comprehensive map and explanation: each outer door is reserved for a particular student - with the cavernous main door barred for the moment. The students conversations begin to trail off as the stairs separate them, each entering the hall one by one upon finding the door with their given name affixed to it with an engraved plate.

All (Save One)
Entering the Great Hall, each student finds themselves standing upon a stone dais - a semi-circular platform worked into the wall, perhaps ten feet in diameter. There's a speaking podium worked into the center of it, framed by a balcony rail. The whole thing has been engraved with great care - a close examination will find detailing and symbology personally resonant to the Dragon Blooded student assigned to stand there. Coradai has spared no expense.

Looking about, there are fifty of these diases spread equidistant across three walls of the hall. Only the back is free of them - instead holding an elevated stage, framed by black silk curtains. The gleaming floor of the hall stretches out to a cavernous size - enough to hold the entire student body twice over, should it see the need. A series of skylights above divide it into squares, the sun still holding strong so early in the morning. The students are soon done trickling in. A few are chattering, admiring their daises and conversing with those adjacent, but within perhaps a minute of the last arrival entering the building the sound of a gong rings out and the talking comes to an abrupt halt.

"To all of you - welcome to Coradai Academy."

The man who speaks has a commanding voice - it fills the space with great ease. Looking down, the students behold a man in humble grey and brown robes now standing proud upon the stage. He is old, even by the standards of a Dynast - his grey hair has largely receded to the back, leaving only tufts beside a neat looking goatee. Yet all the same there is an intensity in his eyes that's hard to ignore. He bows to the assembly. "It is my great honor to receive you here today. I am the dominie of this school: head instructor and superintendent of you all. My name is Ten Thousand Virtues." This brings a smattering of applause. A chosen name: hallmark of membership of the Immaculate Order, a matter worthy of respect. The old man continues, "It is my hope that all of you will enjoy your time here. We are resolved to bring you a fine education that covers many topics, but equally important is the building of bonds between students. Community and camaraderie are the greatest gifts given to the children of the Dragons. We brought down the Anathema and built a world not through some great power or secret weapon but by standing together as one."

His eyes run across the assembled student body. As far removed as some may be, there is a feeling that this old man can see you clearly. And the warmth in his eyes seems to like what he sees. "While a majority of you are members of the Scarlet Dynasty, it is a point of pride to me that we have a fine selection of talented outsiders in our midst. Before the bounds of house, state or faction: first and foremost the Dragon Blooded Host must stand united. It is that unity that has been so oft forgotten in the days since the Empress' disappearance, reducing we so called wise elders to squabbling infants and setting the Isle down a dangerous path." Virtues' gaze is somber, almost angry at the thought. Yet looking once again across the great hall, the darkness fades and his weather-beaten smile returns to him. "As much as it is our task to instruct you in the ways of the world, I dearly hope that your generation can find in yourselves the wisdom that ours has seemingly forgotten. Be you Isleborn, Lookshyan, Tya, Selekite or a child of Seong-Va: you are dragons and comrades first and foremost. Even if naught else remains of your education here, if you leave with that truth upon your heart, I will be proud to have had you as my student."

Peleps Kaizoku Shangguan
As Shangguan steps through his doorway, a great blinding light envelops him: occluding the rest of the assembly hall from his vision. Blinking to clear his eyes he finds his dias still there, wrought in stone (and now with twin dragon lanterns lit and flickering behind... where the door had been a second ago) yet beyond this simple disk...

Nothing. No walls, no wind, not even the outline of a ceiling or sky above. An endless void of black, extending as far as the eye can see. Reaching outward, Shangguan can find no trace of ground beyond his podium - he can even reach below and touch its underside. His little chunk of rock is simply floating, unsupported in this strange nowhere.

And then a voice, loud and deep, echoing from the non-existence. "You are not supposed to be here." Strange. It sounds... familiar. But try as he will, Shangguan can't quite place it.

[Sticks]

Xiao smiles around at his dais. The sparkling golden lights are a nice touch. He feels like this could be an able stage for him if he needs it...but looking around he sees other stages just as good as his, many of them. None frame their occupants quite so well as his, however. It's clear the designers knew who they were building for. His interest is drawn to those daises where the students themselves are obscured, or at least not highlighted. Who would come to this kind of school without the desire to stand out?

As Sifu Virtues starts talking, he turns his attention to the center stage. Someday he'll occupy that spot, see his name up in lights...but for now the old man can talk. He might say something revealing.

[Eurus]

The climb around the outside of the building is strange, but when Rekal steps into the dim room, he has to admit that the effect is impressive. A little spring (artificial, one presumes) bubbles on one side of his dais, while a white archway heavy with flowering vines frames his podium. Two ornamental suits of armor, moss-streaked and oddly serene, stand patiently against the walls. The rational part of his mind thinks it's all rather excessive, but when he smells the flowers and hears the bubbling water, he can't help feel impressed.

"Oh, this is lovely! It reminds me of a debate hall I saw once, back in the Shogunate..."

Despite Allegro's insistence that he purges any potentially dangerous memories whenever he changes hands, and therefore can't actually remember his past owners, the bird has no such compunctions when it comes to art and architecture, and any impressive sight always runs a risk of sending him into a reverie. He chirps happily about the ancient building, made entirely from living wood, until Ten Thousand Virtues starts speaking, drawing (presumably) all eyes in the room.

[pfm1995]

Sweat beads on the back of Shangguan's neck; nervousness and excitement, two faces of the same coin, sending his heart thumping like a blacksmith's bellows. His lips twitch up into a grin, then fall, then twitch back up again like a poorly-controlled puppet. He preemptively takes one hand in the other.

This... this was unexpected.

A voice spoke, and someone spoke back. "You're right. I think I'm supposed to be at the introductory speech?"

Whups. Had he said that? Sha'guan, thar's no' an appropriate tonne, he scolded himself. There was no one here to do that for him now.

"My apologies, honored elder." He tried, making a deep bow. Because who else could this be, really, aside from one of the school's... people. Was this a person? He hoped so. Momentarily distracted, he climbed up onto the railing to dangle his feet over the ocean of black. "I understand that my acceptance of the position here was... unconventional... but it was accepted nonetheless. Or was it offered in error?"

[The_Snark]

Eun-ji's podium is framed by red silk curtains, with a chaise-longue sitting behind the dais giving it the feel of a lady's boudoir (complete with a mirror, cunningly positioned such that the curtains prevent anyone outside from seeing it). The engravings depict scenes from traditional Tengese stories.

It's a little overwhelming. She tries not to be intimidated at the expense that must have gone into this. Did every student get such attention to detail? It seems excessive, but they must have, she can't think of any reason why they would single her of all people out... She starts covertly inspecting the adjacent podiums, trying to get a feel for who her neighbors are.

[Inspector Valin]

Virtues' speach gets some solid applause from the audience - not rapturous, but the sentiment seems a generally popular one. Looking to her sides, Eun-Ji can see a pale woman with long blond hair flanked by... rather vicious looking gargoyles clapping very enthusiastically. On her right, a square jawed man in heavy white-jade plate who stands beneath a banner is a touch more restrained: going instead for a dignified slow clap.

Virtues seems happy, allowing the moment to continue for a few seconds before raising a hand to silence his students for the moment. "Now, I must introduce the members of our faculty. We will begin with the other two senior staff members - those in charge of broad aspects of campus operations."

The first to step forward from behind the curtains is... a child. The students of Coradai vary in age and height somewhat, but this girl looks younger than any of them - perhaps as young as twelve. Her hair is a light, grass-like share: worn in pig-tails that have been braided to perfection. Her eyes meanwhile are a deeper shade, an emerald sea-green that it'd be easy to drown in. She wears a white dress-jacket and skirt, the top closed by a double row of neat black buttons. The two are complemented with a waistcoat and caplet, both black trimmed in gold. She's more than dressed for the part, but she's just a child... isn't she?

A low whisper circles the hall as Virtues begins to speak, seemingly heedless of the abnormality. "Professor Viridi is my assistant and my second: you may address her as you would me. She and I will share the burden of administration, as well as providing supplemental lessons where appropriate, drawing upon our personal expertise." Viridi's face breaks into a childish grin. She give the hall a wave with a green jade scepter, a valuable looking piece that has been carved to resemble a tree. There is some sporadic applause, mostly by those erring on the side of not giving offense, but most of the hall seems deeply confused by this introduction.

Virtues' face is narrow. The old man takes a second, allowing the moment to continue before raising his hand once more to still discussion. A second figure walks onto the stage, this one more what one might have expected. Well... an adult at least. His hair rises up to form a point, styled quite impressively or perhaps some mild quirk of hereditry. Clad in black naval leathers and heavy boots with a massive sword at his back, he looks quite imposing - a feat aided by a singularly grim expression. A close observer would note that his makeup game is strong - a dab of black eye shadow and matching liner giving him an appropriately grim note. He bows to the hall as Virtues begins his introduction. "Iselsi Shiro is our head of security. As isolated as our location may be, Coradai Academy is committed to the well-being of its students. I expect you all to offer Master Shiro your full co-operation if called upon. He can be somewhat brusk, but you have my word he will be working tirelessly to keep you safe."

While those students from beyond the Realm applaud politely, the islanders share a surprised look at the name Iselsi. They still clap but it's restrained and nervous, unsure if this is the right action to take. Celebrating a member of a fallen house can not be wise, surely?

Shangguan
Shangguan's response seems to anger the voice, "It was offered with the freedom for the line of Kaizoku to choose an heir. Their choice would not have..."

Before finishing its thought however, the speaker stops. When he resumes, it is quieter, not gentler but more pensive at the least. "That is the wrong question. What has happened, has happened. Wherever it begun is not the issue: such things are near impossible to know for sure." Out of the nothingness, a man walks into view. He has wild hair, a pearly shining white mane complete with a long untrimmed beard and wears billowing silken robes of blue and black - tidal designs worked into them in glistening silver. Even without the wind, he looks as though he's standing in a stiff sea breeze as his strange eyes shift in hue, fixing his young charge with an impossible gaze. "I admit however that I am curious, Peleps. Kaizoku. Shangguan. Why did you accept this offer?"

There's some trace of anger there, but this doesn't appear to be a rhetorical question. There's honest curiosity in the man's words as he continues. "You had the nerve to defy your family, to leave the safety and stillness of the Isle. But is this truly where your heart lies? You would risk your place of sanctity in the name of the company of your fellows?" Even speaking those words aloud is enough to make the strange man snort with laughter. He looks to Shangguan quizzically, a mocking smile under that beard. "Explain the thought to me. Because from what I know of you, you are standing here a coward unable to accept the path he truly seeks to walk. Or at least one that couldn't find a boat to take him the rest of the way."

[Eurus]

Rekal is as surprised as anyone. The little girl is strange to the point that it's actually unsettling. Is she some kind of demon in human form, or a sorcerer with forbidden life-extending powers? As for the Islesi...

"There but for the grace of the Dragons..."

Allegro waits for a reply, and after he fails to get one, he turns to stare at Rekal.

"Ah. Yes. Tragic, right? Or... scandalous?"

He's not really sure what his reaction is supposed to be, here. He's certainly heard about the Islesi, but... well, it's all rather distant, you know? He'd just sort of assumed they'd all died out or gone elsewhere, and he's not quite sure what a proper emotional response should be.

"...They're a fallen Great House, Rekal. A stone's throw from your house's situation."

"Hey now, didn't they try to murder the Empress or something? That's not a very fair comparison..."

The quiet argument isn't very seemly, but at least nobody seems to be watching.

[Ascension]

Willow has only been paying cursory attention to the speeches and introductions being made, arrested as her attention is by the scandalous authenticity of her personalized speaking podium. Executed in traditional Suongese style (Dragons only know how they managed that without her family's knowledge; there's few enough stonecarvers working in the ancient ways these days), the relief sculpture which covers the walls, balcony, and the podium itself violates the tenets of Immaculate orthodoxy several times over.

For the most part, the sculpture depicts cosmology as Willow learned it. She can see all the ascending tiers of humanity each paying homage to their betters, with Dragon-Blooded rulers at their apex - a stylized representation of her father among them, the crown of Suong-Van elevated to the same level as the Scarlet Throne and the empty seat representing Lookshy's absent Shogun. Demons mingle among the higher classes of humans, summoned by them, serving them, joining them in paying homage to the dragons. The Immaculate Dragons themselves are blasphemously depicted in the stone as the focus of mankind and demonkind's worship.

That alone would be enough to unsettle Willow with its unexpected familiarity, but there are even more personal touches which individualize the display beyond something which might have been copied (or taken) from a Suongese temple. She can recognize individual figures; not just her father, but his court, her mother, herself. And intricate musical notation fills the borders of each relief and spills from them to weave in amongst the figures, a song carved in stone.

She looks up and away from the podium, blinking away homesick tears, and she comes face to face with a fringe of wind chimes, fashioned in imitation of willow branches, hanging down from balcony above hers.

How... who would have done this? Who would have gone to this great expense, this exacting detail, for mere students passing through an academy's halls?

The same planners who would place a child and an Iselsi among their senior administration and would invite Lookshyans to study at their Dynastic school, apparently. Just what has Willow gotten herself into?

[Malozing]

As Blue walks upon their dais, the scent of a sea breeze wafts around them. The podium and the railing framing resemble a ship’s bow, figurehead included. Though Blue is sure that the Storm Mothers would take offense to the chosen subject. Nautical maps and charts hang on the walls behind the podium. Before they could become distracted by the maps, Ten Thousand Virtues begins his speech. They snort as Virtues mentions ‘the Anathema,’ but otherwise, the young Tya mimics the crowd’s responses.

However, the Islander students’ hesitant applause for Iselsi Shiro’s introduction sparks Blue’s curiosity. They’ve never heard of this Dynast family name, but there could be smaller, less important houses, right? Though that doesn’t make sense if those from the Blessed Isle react similarly…

Something else to look into. But first things first, I should probably find the kitchens than Ren Li’s quarters… Oh, can't forget a boat.

[pfm1995]

The volume is headache-inducing and the words make no sense. The Kaizoku have an heir, and his brother makes a fine one. Dynamic. Responsible. Decisive. Boring, but his parents seem to think that's a good thing. Unless his mother gives him a younger sister in the near future, the hand at the tiller is set.

Then the man - was he a man? His eyes... - emerges from the darkness, and Shangguan shoves his speculation aside to deal with later as the man speaks. Despite his education, his straightening spine and his properly lowered eyes, he can't help but snort at the mention of 'sanctity'. His smile leaps back into existence for a moment, matching the old man's.

"My parents found a broken vessel, dear to them, and sought to piece it back together." The acoustics here felt dead, the shadows swallowing every echo. "Every piece, every shard exactly as it was."

He drew into himself, his spine curving slightly and his hands gathering in his lap. These weren't pleasant memories.

"I don't remember much of the early months. I don't know how many times they tried to piece me back together, only for me to shatter again because their grip was too strong. I don't know how many times I found some new equilibrium, only for them to break me again because I wasn't what they remembered."

He let out a breath. He'd been told later it'd been close to a year, endless appointments and fortunes wasted on helpless doctors. "The pot can't be fixed. Shangguan-that-was will never be again. That is why I am here, because there is no room in their house for Shangguan-that-is. You call me a coward?"

He shrugged.

"You're right. I want to live, and getting back on that ship would be suicide. Myself, melting into pure sensation. Maybe others would be strong enough, maybe you would, but... Have you ever felt your thoughts? Truly felt them, like a sea breeze against your skin?"

Except they hadn't just been sea breezes. They'd been knives, twisting knots unraveling into wire that cut him apart from the inside out. Fecundity breeding new beliefs in the cracks like coral, great shapes swimming through the colors and flattening him against the calcified bone of reality.

It was a moment before he came back to himself, jittery now, near vibrating. Spikes of pain, like trying to force himself to look at the sun, filled his memories. "You think I want safety?" He laughed. "I dream about it every night. It would be beautiful. Transcendent. Painful beyond belief. It would be the end of Shangguan. I'm trapped between an addiction and a cage, two deaths that are sides of the same coin. Maybe one day I will take that boat. But until then, I am afraid and I am here."

His little speech finished with a hiccuping rasp, and Shangguan wiped a bit of wetness away from his nose. "As for why here exactly... where else would a child go, when they want to grow up?"

[Inspector Valin]

Shiro seems utterly disinterested in the students' reaction. A chuckle from Viridi however leads to a venomous scowl from the Iselsi. Tension unresolved, two walk together to one side of the stage whilst Ten Thousand Virtues continues to speak. "And now for the five primary faculty members. We endeavor to offer a personalized education, thus a wide variety of topics are covered by our professors, the best for you to form the curriculum that most closely suits your path forward."

The first new figure to emerge is a classically beautiful woman: long curly raven hair worn in an elegant topknot, fair of face and graceful in her movement. She wears hefty looking blue jade plate, the pauldrons worked into the imagery of twin thunderbirds, their wings spread wide. A little risque for the Realm, but a look that's been known as quite fashionable in the modern Imperial City. There are two swords worn at her side - neither the size of Shiro's, but still full length - their scabbards worked with silver filigree and baring some kind of High Realm inscription. She bows twice, first dipping her head to Virtues and then taking a knee before the hall as the Dominie introduces her. "Taking classes in strategy, command and military history: we have General Tepet Lisara."

This announcement wins a healthy round of applause from the crowd - almost anything would after an Iselsi and a small child. All the same there's still a few muted reactions and a little side-eye among some quarters of the room: the title of general would normally command respect, but a Tepet general? After the Battle of Futile Blood? It's clear that a few of the students are less than impressed with Lisara's title, however well dressed she may be.

The next figure to emerge is a familiar one to most of the young dragons - still wearing that same tan dress and fierce expression as she steps purposefully up to her place beside Lisara. "Your instructor in public speaking, art and music shall be Ledaal Maravan." The second instructor echoes the first, though Maravan doesn't bow so low to the hall: merely dipping her head both times. The applause for her is a little muted when set against Lisara's, but there's more uniformity to it - the crowd have regained their composure and are satisfied that this is a safe instructor to applaud without risk of personal ridicule.

The next figure to emerge is clad in similar vein to the first two, yet has the look mastered to perfection. His plate is less ostentatious than Lisara's, but the red jade inlay still gleams - a subtle reminder of its strength. He's old: visibly older than even Virtues, with pure white hair cut neatly to match his clean-shaven jaw. He doesn't have the height to tower above his comrades, but some quality of his gait and gaze gives the impression of looming above regardless: aided by a well honed athlete's build. This is exactly what you'd expect of a Dragon Blooded warrior ready for the battlefield - complete with a truly enormous sword rising above his back. "Presiding over the curriculum in combat, hunting and small unit tactics, we are honored to welcome Lord Sesus Chenow."

The words cut the growing positive atmosphere to a chill silence. This is the first name to win almost no applause from the Island students at first, save those few clad in Sesus colours. Cheering an Iselsi was an easier proposition. Even Viridi, the child, seemed to be more uniformly liked. Chenow is a well known man upon the Blessed Isle; famous even! He's a legendary warrior and slayer of Anathema granted his own household and considerable resources for his successes... yet by all accounts, the man is a cold-hearted butcher who wouldn't fear to put a village to the sword for the slightest insult. Rumor painted him as a tyrant of his family, holding his own children and grandchildren to near impossible standards in combat and not above slaying those mortal descendants he finds disappointing. Even those who clap for him look more than a little shaken to find him here, in the flesh.

There's a glint in Chenow's eyes as he looks across the room. Applaud him or not, every one of the students gets the impression that they have been noticed by Coradai's master of arms, cataloged and categorized. All the same the old Sesus steps to one side as Virtues continues on to the next member of staff. "The role of instructor of sorcery, medicine and occultic knowledge has been given to the wise sage Polybius."

The man who emerges is clad in black robes, is completely hairless and looks extremely pale. A pallid skin may be the sign of Mela's gifts, but his looks mottled, little patches of a different colour giving him something of the air of a walking corpse. All the same his manner is spry: he alights onto the stage with a flourish and waves to the crowd with a wide smile. The applause that returns is stronger than what Chenow got, but a ginger, nervous quality remains to it as Polybius joins the line of staff.

"And as instructor in ethics, humanities, history and literature we have the honorable Ren Li."

The nervous Li walking out to join the others in her plain brown robes, a fairly obvious mortal in the ranks of the Exalted would've normally been met with a somewhat muted reaction. Yet after such uncertain choices as 'a child', 'a member of a disbanded house', 'a likely shamed general', 'an infamous butcher' and 'a corpse' the applause for her arrival boarders on the deafening - the Island dragons happy to have found someone uncomplicated to celebrate.

Shangguan
"A place full to the brim with other children?"

The stranger laughs, but it's hollow - a simple jape meant to cover something deeper. Shangguan couldn't be sure, but when he'd spoken of thoughts against the skin... no, every word he'd said had served to quell the stranger's wrath. There's at least some kind of empathy there. Looking at him now, the old man seems downright somber as he looks out from the blackness towards the youth, rainbow eyes twinkling

All the same, that front is what he continues with. The stranger shakes his head. "I confess, I'd never understood that logic." He snorts, a dark humor briefly crossing his face. "Not returning to the Isle? Absolutely. I can follow why one would make that choice; a longing for what had been, for that past state of the world where things were easier, to force yourself into the shoes of Shangguan-that-was no matter the pain. To accept that death, to fight it - both make sense to me, even if one is right and one abominable. But the idea that this is where you would become a man?"

The stranger looks warmly over the void, almost taking something of a grandfatherly air as he continues. "In my eyes, you already took that step, Shangguan. You are merely a young man, struggling to affirm self definition. One who has seen the beginnings of who he wants to be, and is trying to find a place in the world for such a person."

There's silence for a moment. The old man coughs: trying to look more formal and detached (and largely failing) "When I was your age, I dismissed such efforts as futile. But perhaps that's just an old man affixing his perspective to a younger soul. Whatever may have brought you here, whatever your house might have to say upon the matter, I hereby welcome you to Coradai Academy. You have as much right to be here as your peers, and your place is as secure as theirs."

[Sticks]

Xiao is among those few enthusiastically applauding each and every instructor. He's heard of some of these people, knows of their deeds and reputations. He ponders which one sponsored him, if it was them and not simply his handlers. The Iselsi is an interesting prospect. He'll be one to take an interest in. Or it could be the famous Sesus. A cold-blooded butcher of men might well take an interest in an Assassin. Briefly he wonders if it was Maravan. Had she heard his virtuoso playing and been so enraptured that she'd stamped his invitation's wax seal personally? Well, it would be arrogant in the extreme to assume so...so Xiao does. Also the other two. Why not? He's going to be the Realm's greatest assassin. Why wouldn't they want him here?

[pfm1995]

Shangguan tried his best to make his smile a wan one since it was impossible to hide it entirely. Relief flooded through him; while he'd never doubted that he'd be allowed to stay it was another thing entirely to look the prospect of being sent back in the eye and challenge it. He gathered himself up, trying to match the old man's return to formality.

"Semantics, but I appreciate the intent none the less. Thank you for judging me kindly."

He makes a short bow before a thought strikes him, and he looks back up. "Do you teach a class here, Elder? I think it would be an interesting one."

[Inspector Valin]

Shangguan
That wins a chuckle from the old man. He strokes his beard, "Flatterer. But no: I'm not a member of your Academy's staff. We're not even on Coradai anymore."

With a stamp of his foot upon the void, a twirling jet of water rises into the dark. Instead of a shining jade artifact however, it deposits in the elder's hand a curious stave. It has the gnarled look of a peasant's item - a hefty and worn branch of some ancient tree, yet the wood is white and bears a peculiar sheen to it. The sage closes his eyes, beginning to focus even as he continues talking. "Accepting you was... reckless. The Isle is not a simple place of mud and stone. There is a logic to it, an order that has to be maintained. While you are doubtless on the roll of students, your identity clashed with what Coradai believed should be possible on a deeper level. You were an invited student that could not be a student. Your dais was thus like you - something that both must exist and yet should not. An impossible person setting foot on an impossible place took the contradiction a step further: throwing the pair of you here."

The staff is beginning to glow, the previously reflected light intensifying. The scene is left with something of a moonlike glow, even occluding the dark of the void. The sage, heedless, tuts at the inconvenience of it all. "Paradox. It should stabilize with time, hopefully. If not..." He finally opens his eyes. The shifting hue has grown all the more intense - its hard to look away from the kaleidoscopic shifting pigments as the few final words are spoke. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, won't we? Everything else seems to be in order thus far. Good luck, Shangguan."

With that there is a brief feeling of vertigo, a whoosh of air and...

An acute observer might note that Peleps Shangguan is now in attendance at the ceremony. No one had seemingly been looking in his direction a second ago however: so his return is missed by many.

Ten Thousand Virtues has stepped forward, seemingly content with the introduction of his staff. "Now, I won't detain you much longer. You've had a long voyage and we still have to see to the allocation of lodgings. The Administration Building is now open - please be patient with our staff, this will be a busy time for them. The rest of today should suffice to see all of that put in order, and leave some time for you to get to know one another. Dinner will begin at sixth bell. Tomorrow will be more extensive - an overview of the day's events will be in your rooms for you to pursue in advance."

Practicalities seen to, the grey haired man takes a second to collect himself before offering some final thoughts. "I am aware that our school is unproven. For all our funds and our connections, coming here was a risk for all of you. I do not take the trust of so many fine young men and women lightly. Were these better times, I would never have proposed this project - the risk and chaos of establishing a new school would be too great and the rewards too slim."

"I will not lie. It has been difficult, trying work to reach this point. Yet standing here, looking up at you all... I feel invigorated. In you all, I see a possibility. A bright and glorious future for not only the Blessed Isle, but Creation as a whole. However far afield that future may seem, I can all but grasp it in my hands here and now."

That last phrase is warm and comes with a grandfatherly smile of sorts but there's a hint of iron to it. Virtues has a strange certainty of conviction that comes across in his speaking- this is more than a platitude to him, but an honest belief. He continues, warming all the more to his theme. "So as we go forward into the year, no matter how difficult things may seem, I would ask all of you to remember that shining end result. However demanding your classes may become, however difficult the trials, they are here solely to give you the tools to shape your own path forward. There is no task beyond your Every last thing done by Coradai Academy is for the sake of a future filled with hope."

With those final words, the headmaster bows. There's a respectful round of applause - some enthused, some more dutiful but none of the students noticeably refrain from clapping their dominie. Soon enough however, the moment has gone. The students begin to exit the hall, and the murmur of conversation rises as the inhabitants of Coradai discuss the revelations of the scene and the identities of their various instructors.

That was it for formality. At least for the rest of the day, the students have been left to their own devices. Though there was the matter of accommodation to see to... and one or two most likely had other demands on their time even now.

[Sticks]

Xiao strides confidently down the stairs from his platform, idly scatting to himself as he walks. At various points, he casually vaults over the hand-rails onto the steps below, jumping the queue of descending students and startling his peers. No matter. Nobody was hurt.

When he reaches ground level, the huge youth moves off to the side, still forming a rhythm with his mouth occasionally punctuated with a click of the heel or a slap of his palm against his leg. "Doo-be-doo-be-doo sha-pa-ba-da! Shabadabeedawapa!" Looking around, he spots the tattooed westerner from before and waves at them, then walks over.

"Hey there blue. Listen, I'm not sure where to go right now and I'm guessing you're in the same boat. What do you say, wanna team up for now?"

The offer is impulsive, the Tya has little to offer Xiao...but they look like they have trouble and excitement in their future, and Xiao wants in.

[pfm1995]

Shangguan is left blinking at the sudden wash of light, the afterimages of the staff carried by the strange... man? Spirit? Something else entirely? flickering dimly in his vision.

His brain is a-whirl, and the first three attempts to re-focus on whatever they're nattering about onstage are utterly hopeless. This island... has agency? Some kind of ancient terrestrial spirit, or maybe some artifact of a distant age? Regardless, that he'd managed to confuse it was... kind of gratifying, if he was being honest.

'You hear that, you old calcified thing? He thought at it. 'You and I, we are going to make interesting times together.'

Finally, as the speech wound down he just about managed to tune in to what the old man was saying. Seems like he was in charge, and the others were... other teachers? And the child, some student, or maybe his daughter? Doubtless someone would be more than happy to explain it all to him, at length.

He joined the assembled students in flowing towards the exits, and spoke aloud. "Now, here's a question... do I try to guarantee myself a nice room, or take advantage of everyone else doing that to explore a bit before it's all been given a purpose...?"

[Ascension]

Leaving the assembly, with her afternoon stretching somewhat open-ended ahead of her, Willow realizes that she overestimated how long she can go without making music. She's unwilling to reveal the secret of her hair just yet, but with rooms not having yet been assigned, and thus luggage not having been distributed, all her mundane instruments are in the hands of the school's porters. Thus, the intricacies of making friends and forming alliances temporarily forgotten, she finds herself walking towards the ramshackle building where the students' belongings are currently held.

[Eurus]

Rekal isn't quite sure what to make of any of this, but he looks relaxed and cheerful as always as he streams out of the assembly hall with the other students. Thinking things over, he has two main goals right now: to get his possessions and room in order, and to properly study his peers. The pier would have been a good opportunity for that, but he let his nerves get the better of him and latched on to the first familiar face he saw... as usual, he wonders if he's really good enough to pull off the performance that his family needs from him.

"...Rekal? Where are you going?"

He twitches, surprised. Lost in his thoughts, he seems to have wandered in the wrong direction, following the path around the island's edge. The waves are relaxing, at least.

"I'm just... taking the scenic route, I suppose. It's an island, I can't get that lost."

[The_Snark]

As the staff is introduced, Eun-ji pays as much (if not more) attention to the student body's reactions as to the teachers themselves. Sometimes the reasons for enthusiasm or lack thereof are obvious: the choice of a child as the headmaster's second is evidently as baffling to the Realm students as it is to her. Others are wholly opaque to her: why do Sesus Chenow and Iselsi Shiro merit such lackluster reactions? Are they personally infamous, or are their Houses unpopular? Eun-ji can't even name all the Great Houses, much less guess at the relationships between them. But she has to start learning somewhere, and the best place is right here. And then there's some she can guess at, but not with any surety - Polybdius looks exceedingly strange, but he's a sorcerer, so isn't that to be expected...?

As the address ends, she claps politely with the rest and then files out, heading for the administration building. She'd like to know where she's going to be sleeping tonight before anything else. Not having someplace to call home - even a place as humble as a shipboard bunk - is making her feel untethered, and she doesn't know where her luggage (what little there is of it) has gone.

[Inspector Valin]

It seems that most of the assembled Dragon Blooded are slow to disperse - there is much conversation on the stairs around the great hall, with students trickling off in every direction. Only a dedicated few are following Ten Thousand Virtues' words and prioritizing the administration building - most are used to leaving such matters to servants, or at best feel it a minor concern. Rekal recognizes Xiu and Tsumika among those heading there early, along with a few faces she's less familiar with, while Shangguan notes the other three Peleps Dynasts are doing the same.

Xiao, Blue
"Hold your horses, big guy."

Before the good-Tya could reply to Xiao, that orange haired girl who'd smiled approvingly at his introduction enters the picture. Ragara Saki interjects from Blue's other side. She looks up at the looming assassin, "We've got a job with them first. The whole trying to stage a date thing." One of her three friends interjects, nervously raising a hand. "Unless you're looking to push that back? We do have to deal with the accommodation."

Saki sighs, but looks to Blue. She'll back off if they'd rather have some space and leave the date alone for the moment.

Rekal
Rekal's leisurely circuit is quite informative. In taking his time before deciding exactly where his exploration will take him, he can see a few interesting figures also on the path outward. For a start he spies one of the two thuggish looking Dragon Blooded, the Nellens, walking off towards the woods on the other side of the isle from them - past the school's central building and administration alike. A violet haired girl is following in her wake, though her eyes seem glued to the ground - unperceptive of her company. Meanwhile a small party are seemingly engaged in running a quick lap of the island - led by a brown haired Ledaal in loose robes that look cut for movement. Two of his companions, a V'neef in a naval longcoat and a diminuitive Tepet lad look quite enthusastic. The pair trailing them, a Sesus in inappropriately long robes and a Cynis in a costume that seems far too tight for exercise wear, seem decidedly less amused - though they seem to be going along with the exercise as best they can.

The hubbub of the school fades as you step away from the Great Hall, and take in the island in its entirety. Most of the development seems limited to this central area - the tower and great hall being by far the biggest buildings. In the distance on this side of the isle he can just make out the spires of what must be their accommodation - a few students are already making their way there now, looking to check it out. There are the four buildings in this central 'courtyard' area - the Great Hall, the tower (which seems to be the heart of Coradai), the administrative building in its shadow, and the dockside warehouse. On the far side of this developed area lies the woodland. Past both that on one side, and their accommodation on the other, lies the rest of the Isle of Coradai - presumably with some areas developed for the school's use, and some left untended as of yet.

Make an Awareness roll. You may stunt - it's based off your hearing, and what exactly you'd be paying attention to. (If you want more details on anything else I've described, feel free to roll for that as well)

Shangguan
Before Shangguan can rejoin the rest of House Peleps, a vague blur interrupts him: leapind down from a higher flight of stairs. The action is so quick, so abrupt and devoid of logic that it takes Shangguan a moment to realize what is going on.

Then the figure opens his mouth. "Hey Shaggy!"

The scruffy ruffled figure of Chai Yi takes Shangguan's hand (offered or not), shaking it heartily with both of his own by means of reintroduction. He seems, if anything, even more enthused than before - practically vibrating with energy. An unseen breeze is ruffling his hair perpetually - a small poke might send him soaring through the sky at this rate. He grins at Shangguan. "Can't talk long. You still interested in a good time tonight? Ringing in the year with some fun?"

Willow, Eun-Ji
As they travel the network of stairwells down to ground level, Willow and Eun-ji soon hear the voices of their new friends. Rather strangely, they seem to be engaged in some kind of argument: or at least a lively debate. As they approach the group, Kasan waves towards the administration building.

"There'll be enough, won't they? They knew how many students were coming. Why spend time waiting around when there's a whole island to explore?"

"Kasan, I swear, you will be the death of me you child of silken summer nights." Ledaal Belir snorts, almost overcome at the naivate his friend is displaying. His words come quick and easy, tinged with the conviction of one who believes his words are obvious. "The ground floor versus the top. The choice of neighbors. Proximity to any amenities. And this isn't your old wing in the city - there's no guarantee they're all identical, which is quite..."

Belir looks like he's about to say more, but catches himself. Kasan's eyes narrow at that - he is evidently listening to his friend's case, but seems unswayed for the moment. Their friends meanwhile have made up their respective minds. Davik nods to Belir, "Best to get it out of the way." and with that starts walking towards the administration building, seemingly content to go it alone if he has to. Ragash meanwhile, waves a hand. "Get mine seen to then, will you Bel? I... need to check on something." and saunters off in the other direction. Belir has a hand to his forehead while Kasan is struggling to suppress a chuckle.

That is when the pair notice Willow and Eun-ji. Kasan greats the two ladies with a grin and a hearty wave, beckoning them over. "So what do you say, my friends?! Ready to explore our new home? Venture out, from highest peak to long forgotten cave?"

Belir shakes his head in mock despair, before also looking towards his one potential salvation. "Lady Eun-Ji, Lady Willow, do you think you could talk some sense into this overly excitable gadabout?" The diminutive nobleman sighs, waving a hand skyward. "Dragons know, I can appreciate the simple pleasures in life. But business takes precedence - we have a task before us and no knowledge of how long it will take. Delaying seems... inauspicious, does it not?"

Eun-Ji and Willow are both foreign to the Realm, but they get the intent of that final word. Belir has some concern he won't voice aloud. Kasan noticed, but seems inclined to dismiss his friend, likely deeming him overly cautious. (and even Belir doesn't think this is serious enough to have the two withdraw into private) so this has become something of a veiled argument for the Ledaal. What exactly is on his mind though is quite another question.

[pfm1995]

With his mind still mostly occupied with replaying his encounter in the dark, Shangguan is letting his body drift with the current of people and barely even paying attention to his own feet when Chai Yi blunders into his space with all the rude enthusiasm of a seagull. It takes him a moment to start tracking the conversation, which is a shame because Chai Yi is only talking for a moment before pausing. Pausing expectantly... Monkey****, he'd asked a question, hadn't he?

"Er, yes, that sounds about right." He tried, hoping he wasn't agreeing to something too onerous. Something in all that had stuck out though, setting off a twitch from the deepest part of him. "And..." Monkey****, twice over. What had been this one's name? Was it hypocritical for him to correct that nickname, when he couldn't even remember the air aspect's name in turn? Even if it did sound like something you said to your barber...

"Never mind. Yes. Do you require any assistance?"

[Inspector Valin]

Shangguan
"Nah, nah, nah. That ain't what I'm here for. I'm here to help you."

The untidy ragdoll places a hand around Shangguan's shoulder, shifting around to stand by his side and waving outward, "Got a pretty good set up in place for day one! Cynis Sarago knows her liquor, and I had a quick look in the warehouse while the big you know what was goin' on. Tons of bottles there! Something has to be good, right?" He pauses just enough to make it sound like he was expecting a response, before continuing anyway at twice the speed. "So I figure, slip in there later today, reqqui a few, run 'em by Sarago so you know they're toothy, badda badoom, you've got some refreshment for your little Peleps get together."

That part gets all confident smiles from the young rogue. Once done however, he raises his hand awkwardly. "Only... thing is, you ain't the only ones looking to have a good time. This one lady already came by - Ragara. Whooo she... err... I mean..." He coughs, face redening a little. It seems Chai does have some concept of embarrassment. All the same he presses on. "Point is, you got competition for what you're after. And I can't guarantee how much good stuff I can even get for you two. Rags weren't willing to cough up more 'n a guilder's dinar, so if you can beat that, I'll give you first dibs. Otherwise, we can haggle later once you see what's left available. And if Sarano thinks all of what I got was gutsome, I'll refund you both the upfront and let you keep the dishwater as a gift. Don't let no one say Chai Yi cheats his clients, right?"

Finally he pauses, tilting his head to study the water aspect. This time he does seem to be looking at Shangguan for an answer.

It's not customary for Dynasts to carry cash, but you knew you were coming here without patriciate aid - it makes sense to have some spending money. (Especially for Shangguan who was expecting not to be able to rely on his family) That said, you ain't exactly able to replenish it easily or draw on house accounts out here, so money spent can't easily by regained.

[Eurus]

Rekal enjoys the fresh air for a few moments, soaking in the nature around him, even closing his eyes and just listening. He's always had a soft spot for the outdoors -- gardens, woods, fields, anything really. Despite how out-of-place he might look, in his pristine clothes, there's something peaceful about dirt and sky.

It relaxes him a little, so when he takes stock of his surroundings and the people he can see, he feels a little more capable of handling interaction again. Honestly, it's not like he's an introvert... he just needs a moment, sometimes. He's slightly surprised to see that he's not the only one out here already, and can't help but grin at the sight of the Ledaal. His attention is drawn by the violet-haired girl -- is she friends with that ne'er-do-well, or just wandering in the same direction? But the sight of the runners gets his competitive spirit up, and before long Allegro has to hunker down on his shoulder to stay in place as he breaks into a jog.

Having grown up with a limited number of social outlets, Rekal actually has little experience with organized athletics or team sports, but not for lack of trying. Track is one of the few things that he's been able to practice as much as he wants in his life; he's not a racer, but the pace they're setting doesn't look that bad. Grinning, he focuses on closing the distance and getting alongside the three leaders.

Wits 2 + Awareness 5 + Stunt 2
[roll0]

[Ascension]

Willow muses over the problem, weighing the possibilities in her hands.

"They had already assigned and personalized our balconies in the speaking hall."

Just thinking on that again gives her a chill. That had gone beyond considerate hospitality, in her mind. The decor seemed to have been arranged with a voyeur's attention to detail. She shakes off her misgivings, though, and continues.

"Given that level of foresight and preparation, why would they have not already assigned rooms? The assignment, too, is something which should have been done carefully, if they don't wish to offend any of their many illustrious students from influential families. So this 'allocation' may be little more than a formality, a disbursement of room numbers and keys and paperwork. Or..."

She flourishes the other hand. While she's a harpist first and foremost, not an actor or orator, she is certainly no stranger to showmanship.

"Alternatively, since they know that many of us feel entitled to privilege, this may be where they intend to send a message that we are not special here, that we are playing by their rules rather than by those of the worlds to which we are accustomed. In that case, eager attentiveness to their rituals - reporting promptly to this allocation - may be rewarded, while the confidence of those who tarry may be punished."

She frowns.

"It's a question of whether they're trying to preserve the social order of the greater Realm, or forge a new one inside this crucible."

She shrugs. She's not greatly concerned one way or the other. While she may have the names and faces of the little circle she's talking with now, it's too soon to call them, or anyone else here, a true ally, and she has yet to make any particular enemies, either. Even if the administrators gave her the privilege to personally determine every single person who would room on her hall, she doesn't have enough knowledge of the student body to make those decisions wisely. So, whatever.

"Or something like that."

[pfm1995]

Shangguan blinked owlishly at the fast-talking salesman, letting the silence make up for that absolute avelanche of words while he processes. "Why..." he asks, taking a bit of vicious pleasure in drawing the pause out, "...would I want to compete with the Ragara? Parties are better the more people there are, no? Why wouldn't we work together and make one large event - more drinks, more people, fewer consequences to getting caught? We should, perhaps, go speak to her?" He had an inkling, a fractured and painfully sharp memory that screamed that just ignoring his new... contact... and going to the Ragara alone would be bad... for some reason. And, maybe they could talk about money and leave him out of it? Ragara scions were supposed to like money, right? Why in the Dragon's name someone would be thinking about that on their very first afternoon on this island he couldn't fathom... maybe this was why his parents didn't let him buy things any more. Had the ferry here cost anything? He hadn't been paying attention.

Besides, that blush had been interesting. The outcaste head over heels for the dynastic heir? That was an old and well-trod story, with the love of lucre playing as the third corner in the triangle... would it be fun to give this a push? Je thought back to his cousins, and their rush to find partners in the crowd. "Between the four of us, I'm sure we can make this a night to remember." He said, pulling himself back to the conversation as he strained to see over everyone's heads and find a Ragara mons.

[Sticks]

Xiao takes no offense at being fobbed off. He stands off to the side, long index fingers extended and drumming the air as he idly scats to himself. "Skee-ba-ba-doo-ba-pa-shee-bop-pow!" An idea occurs to him.

"Hey kiddos, how about I go get all our room assignments while you plan the festivities? Hmm? Trust me, old Xiao will take care of it before you can say she-badda-bo-dap-ba-bee-dop-be-day!"

[The_Snark]

As before, Eun-ji defers to Willow, giving her the right of first answer. She just barely manages not to wince when Ledaal Belir calls them both by the same title, and with her name in front of the princess's to boot... Fortunately, Willow either doesn't notice or chooses not to take offense. And while she has a fair amount to say speculating on how and why the Academy might want to arrange its housing, she doesn't seem to have a strong opinion.

"Allowing the students to sort themselves out could be the school's way of avoiding such issues?" she offers. "I imagine it's harder to be offended at one's room assignment if it's a product of chance and timing than if it's a deliberate choice. Of course, doing it that way means giving up having harmonious living arrangements, so..." A shrug. "I haven't been here long enough to guess at what they'd prefer. But for myself, I would rather like to know what space I can call my own before I set out exploring."