Clan Dining Room

You have entered the Clan's dining room. It is a very large and beautifully done room, with a grand long table sitting in the middle, set and decorated for a feast. A pair of chandeliers hang from the ceiling providing light, and a pair of doors in the north wall allow acproviding light, and a pair of doors in the north wall allow access to the kitchen and food.

Kira enters the hall, and smells the stew from the door. Reminds her of home, when Mom's away for some reason, when Dad and Uncle Ela raid the kitchen and make 'Food Surprise'. She shudders instinctively, but follows the scent, knowing it will lead her to people.

Arkie and friends are having a pleasant time, indeed, with the addition of new teachers and students to the clan, came new sources of gossip. As of now, their main conversation circles around on how certain trouble makers have been ass-whipped by Mirai and the new teacher, Lonneke.

Kira hears the voices of the students, and starts in toward the dining area. She's moving silently as she can, trying not to attract attention.

Shiroi is sitting, in a very loose sense of the word. Feet kicked up on table and lounging back on a chair standing only on two of its legs seems more accurate. And she's eating, of course she's eating, what else would she be doing? Stew, yum. Stew is good, very good. Dipping a hunk of bread into her bowl, she caught notice of a girl who's trying not to attract any attention. That, of course, is rather eye catching to Shiroi. So she kept her eyes on the girl, and waits for possible entertainment.

Kira stands just outside the door to the dining area, debating. She hasn't spotted the forest girl yet, but she might be out of view. . .she's hardly a known person around here. . .

Ari comes to sit down at the same table as the rest of them, balancing a bowl of stew in one hand and a hunk of bread in the other, padding along in her bare feet and grass-stained robe... hopefully, she won't be adding more stains to that after this meal.

Kira spots Ari, and shrugs. "No time like the present, I guess." She opens the door, and strolls in, trying to look like a regular student. . .without realizing how different she must look.

Shiroi, after having replenished her Bowl of Stew and Hunk of Bread for the third time, thought she might decide to be the gracious and helpful being that she is and nudge Ari, who'd sat down beside her. "I think someone's looking for you," and she gestured over to Kira.

Ari peers suspiciously at Shiroi, whom she recognizes as the strangeling from the lesson that day, and murmurs: "How would -you- know?" However, out of due curiosity, she turns to look, and then stare and then... it does take a while for her to recognize Kira, but she eventually does so.

Kira strides purposefully into the room, waves away a bowl of stew, and sits down at the table between a pair of random students. She turns the chair around, sits in it backwards, and grins to her neighbors. "What up, guys?"

Shiroi shrugged, and grined. "She's looking at you as she stalked over? Heh. People these days, you try to be friendly- BAH." She shrugged, and turned back to devouring her stew and bread.

Mirai is nowhere to be found around the hall today. Not that this is in any way unusual; most students consider her semi-mythical in any case. A few students near the end of the long table are discussing yesterday's definite conclusive proof of her existence, loudly and animatedly. They pay little heed to the strange girl just entering; she's certainly less oddly dressed than the one who's been here for most of lunch. They barely even look up, in fact, when she pops herself down in the middle of them. "Hey. Y'oughta have the stew; 'bout the best thing they serve here." After a moment's consideration, the other pipes up, "I'll have it if you won't. Shouldn't let good food go to waste."

Arkie took immediate attention of the new student, and swallowed her bite of bread. "Hey, what's up?" Smiling, very friendly.

Kira smiles, and shrugs. "I'm looking for. . ." she thinks for a second. . . "Justin, or Mintaka. Either of 'em around?"

Shiroi made short work of her stew, and wiped the bowl clean with one last piece of bread before eating that as well. Yum. Time for a fifth. She set her feet down against the floor again, and got off the balancing chair.

Ari nods at Arkie just as her attention is diverted; she's not sure if she caught that or not, but she's accepted that explaination, and it's something she would have thought of if she hadn't been hungry. She turns to half-stare at Kira, greeting her of sorts with: "Kira! So you did manage to find us after all."

Arkie coughed her throat, and tried her best to look important and reliable. She may have done a good job, to her credit. "Well, sir Justin isn't around here at this moment, word has it that he's in Coneria right now. And sir Mintaka... has deceased... a very long time ago..." She peered at the stranger, and saw how she greeted the new student, Ari. "You two know each other?"

Kira sighs. "Damn. . ." She looks up, and nods. "We met a bit ago."

Ari shrugs. "It wasn't exactly an intentional thing (and this isn't intended to be offensive) -- I came across her during one of my usual treks through the forest."

Ari leans over the table, whispering softly to Kira and hoping that she'll be able to hear what she's asking: "Did you find the thing you were looking for?"

Kira shakes her head at Ari. "S'why I'm here," she whispers back.

Shiroi came back with another bowl of stew and bread, and sat down at the end of the long table again... well, kicked her feet up to the table and leaned back on her chair again, rather.

Mei walks into the dining hall, a small bruise visible on the side of her neck, a single bowl balanced on the pointer finger of her right hand, her left hand holding open a book as she walks towards the table, scanning through the pages and flipping them with her thumb.

Ari grins and nods at Kira, and then looks up for a moment to catch sight of Mei. She whistles appreciatively, a low whistle but an audible one all the same. "That's... some balance", she says, making the comment to no one in particular.

Shiroi gave a smirk, her eyes looking at no one in particular, and started tearing off small chunks of bread and tossing them high in the air, catching them with her mouth without effort.

Mei finally reached an open chair near the middle of the table. She lofts the bowl into the air, pulls the chair out, sits down and catches the bowl, all while still engaged in reading the book.

Arkie tried to re-assert herself back into the stranger's attention. "Well, is there anyone else that you might be looking for? The head in place here, perhaps?"

Shiroi whistled as well, though not as low as Ari's. "Nice."

Kira shrugs, and looks at Arkie. "Umm. . .who IS in charge?"

Kira does notice Mei, and chuckles, and ponders for a moment.

Some students started chattering again, with more enthusiasm than before. That's Mei, she's an elite senior student. No, you didn't know? You need to listen more. Who's that girl sitting beside Arkie? I think she's new, never seen her before. Cute, isn't she? Yeah, though the girl sitting across from her isn't too bad either, what /is/ she wearing? Silly, she's a gate crasher! ... and so on and so forth. Arkie, however, kept herself from such conversations out of sake for manners, and responded to Kira. "Mirai. Mirai Sekenneri."

Kira shrugs. "Okay. Where's Mirai, then?"

Mei finishes the page she is on and flips her book over face down on the table, turning her attention to her bowl. Mei quietly takes out a roll of napkins from her sleeve and produces a spoon from the middle of the roll. She then unrolls the napkins and lays them in her lap before begining to take small spoonfulls of soup.

Arkie now finds herself in somewhat of a tight spot. Mirai is... hard to find, to say the least. No matter. "Well, it's lunch right now, but later some of us have a class with sword master Eladria. Mirai might show up there." She nods, betraying no uncertainty.

Kira blinks. "Might show up? She's running the show, and yet doesn't have office hours or anything?"

Ari absorbs herself in eating, since Arkie seems to be talking well enough with Kira... which frees her of that responsibility, a good thing to her since she doesn't like talking that much anyway, more of thinking.

Arkie looked almost a bit offended by that. "Well, you can hardly expect someone like Mirai to stick to one place at all times. Everyone's free during break... And she's a PlaneWalker, you know." Yes, you can hear the capitalized P and W in her voice.

Kira growls a bit. "Oh. I hadn't known. Who's her second?"

Some boys made their way over to the table, mostly occupied by girls... Trouble, yes. How else are they suppose to attract the attention of the girls, anyway? And they found themselves hanging around that general area, trying their best to look cool and just /waiting/ for an opening that they can capitalize on.

Arkie looked rather defensive, at Kira's growl. "Well, Administrator Procter is second to Mirai."

Kira nods curtly. "You seem to know your way around. Take me to the Administrator?"

One of those boys, upon second glance, doesn't seem to fit in with the rest... in fact, he doesn't seem to be a student at all.

One of the more agressive boys looked actively for a target, and finds it in Ari, the wild elf with less friends than anyothers to look to in times of trouble. Walking casually over, he gave a sharp tug on her hair, and tries to look as if he hadn't anything to do with anything.

Kira notices that instantly. It happened to her, once. She tries to glare menacingly at the boy. . .

The boy is has long black hair tied back, and pastel green eyes, and he's garbed in a black victorian longcoat, open white tunic, and brown breeches... he seems to be looking about the room with an appraising eye.

Ari turns around swiftly, and fixes the malefactor with a gaze of steel. "You wanted something, apparently?"

Mei puts her spoon back down and returns to her book, reading closely at the small text, rather intent on her studies, though she's paying perfectly good attention to all the students around her..

Ari continues, now that her pique has been aroused, she's perfectly happy to show off how much of the language she's learned. "Perhaps, you'd observe that there are other, more gentlemanly ways of attracting the attention of someone else... assuming, of course, that you happen to be a gentleman, a fact that despite your fancy dress, I seriously doubt."

Arkie was about to shoot back a reply, when she noticed that Kira's attention isn't on her anymore, and turns to see what's caught her attention... Ah, Curtis, looking too innocent to be up to any good. The boy in question, Curtis, pretended to have been surprised by Ari's question, and looked down at her over his nose. "What are you talking about? If you want a date, I'm hardly interested." And he leered, apparently thinking himself to be rather slick.

That is correct, that might have been a bit confusing, but the boy in the victorian longcoat hasn't made any sort of move yet. yet.

Sitting next to the guy in the longcoat is one who stands out just as much, but in an opposite way. He's a good head and shoulders taller than most in the room, and garbed simply in a white sleeveless shirt and blue leggings, with a huge sword strapped across his back.

He raises an eyebrow at the longcoated one while fidgeting with a loose strand of flame-red hair. "What are we doing here? The girls here look a bit too prissy for you."

The longcoat clad youth seems to ignore that, and makes his way over to Ari and the boy who tugged her hair a moment earlier, "Now, now, friend... that's no way to get a ladies attention."

Kira narrows her eyes, but decides she'd best be about her business anyway. She turns to Arkie. "Well?"

The longcoat clad youth claps a hand down on the boys shoulder, "It not only lacks manners... but most importantly, it lacks style."

The other stands and follows, towering over his friend in the old-fashioned clothing, chuckling softly.

Curtis frowned, annoyed that someone is trying to upset his operation. "Mind your own business," is all that he says to the youth in the longcoat.

Mei raises an eyebrow, turning her head slightly to glance at the two whom obviously don't bobviously don't belong, but shrugs and goes back to her book and her stew.

Arkie is rather put off by Kira's demanding attitude. But she keeps her calm. Mostly. She couldn't help but sound a bit indignified as she rose from her seat. "Fine, come with me." And she asked one of her friends to put away her tray for her, and started walking out of the lunch room.

The longcoat clad youth seems dissapointed, "Well, that's rather rude... I try to help you out and I get snapped at."

Curtis continues to look annoyed. "I said, mind your own business. No one asked you here."

Ari turns back to the few remnants in her bowl of stew, shrugging off the two males behind her who seem to be engrossed in the usual courting activity of creatures of that gender.

The taller of the two lets out a guffaw, and then glances down at the other. "I think he wants to try and make us leave."

The longcoat clad youth shakes his head slightly and lets out a sigh that seems mocking in a way, "Quite a temper..." the youth turns on a heel, deftly turning a chair next to Ari around and falls back into it in a single motion, "My lady, you don't mind if I'm here, do you?"

Curtis is starting to feel a bit nervous by now. Two of them. One of him. Odds that he doesn't particularly like. So he continues to /look/ defiant, but self-preservation alone holds him back from saying or doing anything more.

Ari treats him with all the interest of a student being asked to do extra chores, which is to say, not at all. Her attention has wandered to that of a bird perched a while ago on the window sill, who's now hovering slightly outside. (Males. Why do they always have to indulge in that much preening?)

The huge man looks down at his longcoated compatriot. "You're politer than that. You should introduce yourself, don't you think?" He snickers softly, seemingly bored by the situation.

The youth scratches the back of his head, "Ah yes, that must be it, please excuse my manners... my name is Julian Nariatis, and yours?" His attention still mostly on the female elf next to him.

Shiroi snickered at the scene, and shot a glance at the boy, while making a whistle that sounds like something falling off a high place, and goes 'splat' at the bottom. The boy shot Shiroi a dirty look, to which she responded with a smirk.

Ari gazes into the distance, seemingly oblivious to whatever is going on. (Is -he- talking to me?) Now that lunch is over, she's tempted to go outside and roam some more, as opposed to staying here on this bench and swinging her legs.

The huge guy with the sword shrugs, yawns, and then mutters. "He's not here, and he said he would be... I'm out of here." He then proceeds to leave quickly.

Julian tilts his head ever so slightly, "Ah... I'm hurt... I can't even get your name?"

Kira follows Arkie. Dammit.

Ari finally decides that perhaps he -is- asking her, and turns aher head around to face him. "I'm called Stormwind... and I'm told that's my name. Some people shorten it to Storm, however." Oh great. MNow, hopefully, he'll be satisfied... but the chances of that look remarkably dim.

Suddenly, a black portal rips open in the center of a table, a man almost as tall, but thinner and clad in unornamented black robes steps out, and directly into a plate of food.

Shiroi cleared her throat as a foot appeared onto her plate. She looked up and smiled brightly. "Hi. Would you mind getting off my lunch?"

After a bit and a significant amount of what sounds like muffled cursing in a different language, the black-robed mage manages to get himself off the table and onto the floor, after also muttering about his poor aim.

"Aaah, there we go. Thank you kindly, really." Shiroi nodded, and grimaced at the trampled bread and the toppled bowl of stew. Waste-of-FOOD! She looked rather sorry at that.

Julian seems reinvigorated, "Ah, certainly a unique name, where is it you come from?"

He looks around, his scowl deepening as he doesn't find any of those he's looking for here.

The black-robed mage mutters and sits down at one of the tables, rather close to where Julian is trying to get his mack on, unfortunately, and opens up a black spellbook with silver runes upon it, and begins to study it superficially, obviously killing time.

Ari looks up, eyebrows shooting up at the sight of a man appearing -on- their dinner table. "Um, perhaps... the chair would be a more comfortable place for sitting on, and the floor for standing on?" She makes the quiet suggestion. Meanwhile, Julian seems to -still- be wanting to talk... males in heat, goodness. Turning back towards him, she shrugs. "I'm from... I don't know what it's called. Not this world, though."

Julian nods slightly, "That seems to be the case for most of us, Indeed."

Ari looks straight into Julian's eyes, trying to gain some measure of what kind of a person he is. "I'll dream of it eventually, though... I always do anyway."

Arkie kept up her stride, purposefully not looking at the stranger that she's leading. Really, talk about being rude! And she hasn't done anything but to offer her help! The very nerve of this girl! No matter. She shall be mature enough for the both of them. They soon came to a room, and Arkie knocked on it. "Mr. Proctor? There's someone here who would like to see you." Moments later, the door opened to show a man in his 30's, still swallowing a mouthful of food. "Ahem, yes, Arkie? Ah. Who might you be?" He directed his gaze at Kira.

Mei laughs softly, murmuring something about wandering book salesmen under her breath as she continues to read.

Kira looks at the proctor. "You're in charge, I understand?"

Kira . o O(I could take 'im, I think.)

Julian's eyes are an odd pastel green that seems to contrast entirely with the rest of his appearance, "I hope those dreams are pleasant... Er... but, you seem to be quite active from your attire."

The black-robed one throws his hood back revealing a very pale face framed by quite long hair seemingly made of a shimmering fall of molten silver. cryecho Proctor looked down at the young girl, and nods. "You might say that, young lady. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Proctor looked down at the young girl, and nods. "You might say that, young lady. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Kira looks at him. "My name is Fortissime. You might have heard it before. I need some help." She sounds about as serious as it gets.

Ari thinks for a while, then speaks softly. "The things mortals and gods do, are not always very pleasant. And the things we have to learn, as well." She doesn't quite know how to respond to the attire part, but gives it a shot anyway... although she's wearing mostly the same thing as all the other students. "Student life does require activity, you know", she says, a little reproachfully. Has it been that long since... Julian? was a student?

Shiroi almost starts to eat the trampled bread, but notices a couple girls staring intently at her. Shrugging, she decided that it isn't worth the extra attention, and turns to get a new tray... but of course she eats everything while her back is turned to inquirying eyes.

Julian rubs the back of his head, "Ah, I wouldn't know really, this is my first time around this part of the world or worlds as the case may be."

The obviously older mage looks up, focusing his ice-blue eyes on Ari with a raised silver eyebrow, as if interested by her reply.

Proctor looked somewhat surprised at that, but only mildly. "Fortissime, huh? I have heard of it, yes. What help is it that you need?"

Kira looks at him. "I'm searching for Justin. I understand Mintaka is dead. So where is he?"

Proctor almost smiled at the lack of tack this young girl is displaying. Reminds him somewhat of Eladria, really. "Well, sir Justin isn't around right now, but we have received news that he is staying at Coneria at the moment."

Kira nods. "Where in Coneria?"

Arkie almost gives Kira a dirty look. She'd already told her that!

Proctor looked quite thoughtful at that. "Well, he's a guest under the king, or so I've heard."

The curious expression spreads a bit, as a tug at the corner of his mouth. "You seem quite philosophical for a student... even a student of magic."

Ari , despite her dis-interest in the courting activities several of the students seem to love, is drawn into to continuing the conversation of sorts, oblivious to the attention of the other mage (since he's no longer towering over her). "Well... I think it's my first time here..." She cocks her head at him, eyeing him to see what comes next.

Kira nods. "So the palace, or something of the like? What does he look like?"

Julian tilts his head again slightly, as if confused, "Well, how can you not be sure if it is your first time here?"

Ari peers at Julian curiously, grinning now. "How can -you- be sure it's -not- your first time here?"

Julian pauses for a moment, "Well... it seems that you'd be able to remember if you had been at any given place before..."

Proctor gave a 'hmm', and tried to recount what Justin had looked like the last time he'd seen him. "Well, he around 6 feet tall, has silver hair, a bit long, but not overly so. Very thin, and pale. He's usually wearing a red trenchcoat with armored boots. He also has two identical scars on his face."

Ari shrugs. "I'm taught that we usually can't remember past lives of the cycle."

Kira processes that. "Any other distinguishing characteristics?"

The black-robed mage snickers at that, still peering intently at Ari. "How long have you been studying magic, young one?"

Julian raises an eyebrow, "Oh! You're talking about previous lives! Well, that all depends on what happens to you when you die, I suppose. You never know when it happens, and even that might leave you a little uncertain."

Julian nods decisively, as if making perfect sense, although he most likely isn't.

Ari finally notices the other mage, and shoots off a quick answer at him. "As long as I've been here... and that I don't know, because frankly I wasn't very aware when I arrived."

Kira nods. "All right. One last question. Ever seen a small sphere, clear blue, like water?"

He raises an eyebrow at that, muttering to himself. "Hmm... but there is talent there..."

Proctor shook his head at that. "That's being very vague, miss. I have seen many spheres that matches that description."

Kira sighs. "It's magical. From the same world as Coneria?

Proctor smiled apologetically at that. "That doesn't quite narrow it down all that well."

The black-robed one turns to a nearby student. "Who runs this place? Where can I find them?"

Ari says: "It's all a natural thing... so... I guess there's nothing to be afraid of. That's what they teach me too." She idly wonders how many people besides Mirai know who -they- are... probably not many. She isn't too sure either, since it hasn't been that long since she started thinking actively.

Kira shrugs. "Okay, how's this? Where are the ones you've seen?"

The student questioned by the black-robed mage almost chokes. "Mi-Mirai, sir."

He looks slightly irritated. "Well, where is she?"

"But she's hard to find, you might try to find Mr. Proctor, sir." The student added hastily.

He sighs softly to himself. "Where is this Mr. Proctor, then?"

Julian nods, "I'll keep that in mind the next time it happens."

Shiroi, out of the pure goodness of her heart, passed by the mage and tapped him on the shoulder. "You're scaring the kid, come with me." And she walked out of the lunch room, still gnawing on her bread.

Julian glances around the large room, "So, what is this place exactly, anyways?"

The black-robed mage stands, closes his book, and then follows quickly.

Ari smiles secretly to herself... now that is an interesting attitude. -If- he really does keep it in mind. Catching the hint of his next question, she blinks a few times. How can these people come here without knowing where here is? "Err... this is the Tower of the Blades. More specifically, you're in the dining hall."

Kira says: "I need to find a specific one, maybe if I search these others, I can find it."

Proctor shook his head again. "I'm afraid I've seen them on persons and markets, never quite a fixed place. If you can give me a name, perhaps I can help you more."

Kira sighs. "THE Water Orb."

Julian nods as if in thought, "Tower of the Blades... Hmm... I gather from your earlier comments about students that this is a school of some sort? What do they teach here exactly?"

Julian catches himself, "Or, is this simply a fencing school, as the name might suggest?"

Proctor looks rather startled, at that. "Well, why would you be looking for something like that?" He paused. "Last I've heard, Onrac has one in their possession... a false one, however. The Orb of Water ought to be guarded by the Water Champion. And you can never quite tell where she might be."

The black-robed mage stands in the door, with his hood still thrown back, his silver hair shimmering slightly as he raises an eyebrow characteristically.

Ari nods. "I've only been taking the basic lessons... but the older students tell me that the school specializes in both red magic and swordfighting.

Kira swears loudly. "Well that's just GREAT. Water Champion? Let me guess, giant monster, behind a maze, guards the orb?"

Shiroi leaned back against the hall as she raised a hand to wave in Proctor's direction. "Hey! Admin. Proctor! Someone to see you!" And she suggested at the robed mage.

The mage snorts softly, shaking his head, and then glances at the people in the room.

Proctor blinked at that. "Uhm, not quite like that, young lady. I'm afraid you might've been reading too much fairy tales... Yes?" He turned his head over to the mage, wondering. "And who might you be?"

Julian says, "swordfighting and magic... I've never been one for either, myself... Though, magic and I never really got along, I leave it alone and it leaves me alone, you might say."

Kira turns around at the noise, and spots someone she hadn't seen in a while. She's about to run forward, when she remembers that she doesn't pounce Uncle Matthew. Ever. "Uncle Matt. . .? S'ssat you?"

Ari absentmindedly rubs the scar on her right palm. "It's... not easy to control even when it likes you."

The black-robed mage's eyes widen significantly, gazing down at Kira. "And who might you be? I don't believe we've met."

He shoots a glance at Proctor, and says shortly, "Matthew Luna Laborans."

Julian takes that hand in his own and squeezes it lightly, "Ah, you should be more cautious."

Kira blinks, and smacks her forehead. "Oh, yeah. I forgot. You dunno who I am, 'cuz this is a different world and earlier than I was born anyway even though it looks like Mom got me early which is possible though it may be someone else I'd always wanted a brother anyways but I should prolly introduce myself I'm Kiraechelle Fortissime."

Shiroi whistled at that. The girl has potential to match her jabbering skillz!

Matthew regards her coldly until she says the name, and then, he grows even colder. "Pah. Another impostor. Don't waste my time."

Ari is startled and quickly draws her hand back, edging slightly backwards. "Um... it wasn't like it was done intentionally or anything."

Proctor remains oddly calm at this announcement. An archmagus, huh? "And how may I help you?"

Kira looks upset. "I'm not an impostor! I'm not! If I were, could I do this?" She shakes her hair out, and it changes to a bright, almost flame red. "See?"

Matthew then turns back and gazes at Proctor. "I arrived to find a significant number of the people I need to see missing, and need to find them..."

Julian laughs quietly, rubbing the back of his head, "Of course not, I'm apologize."

Proctor met Matthew's gaze steadily. "Is that so? And who might those people be?"

Mei stands up, having finished eating and takes her bowl, balancing it once again she heads for the exit, her face still burried in the book.

Matthew stoicly ignores the girl. "I need to find Justin and Razz, I need to speak with both of them."

Ari is somewhat spooked now... not another male in heat... and as she's wondering what to do she notices Mei leave. So much for waiting till later to ask her if she's ok. "You're Apologize? But I thought you said you were Julian?"

Proctor asks: Might I ask your business with them?

A soft thud, a grunt, and a bit of muttering in something vaguely lefeinii comes from the hallway Mei had exited. Suddenly another student walks into the dining hall and sits at the table with a bowl of food, her female robe giving hints as to her gender, and a bit of blue hair sticking out of the hood, but thats all the clues one can decern.

Matthew's eyes briefly narrow, and then he sighs. "I have important information for one, and the other needs my help with magical matters, or so I'm told."

Proctor nodded, at that. "I've been told that they're in Coneria right now, you might try looking around there."

Kira is almost frantic. She's been called LOTS of things, but never impostor. "Umm. . .umm. . .damnit. . .if this were like those stories dad and Uncle Ela told me, I'd come up with something to prove who I am. I wish I had brought REN or something. . .Dad wouldn't have let me take anyway, but still. 'Least I never asked for the Peacekeeper. . .heh. Woulda been funny to watch him bug out, though." She's so very sad, now.

Julian scratches his head, "Well in any case... where are you headed after this, perchance?"

Shiroi whistled. "Take a DNA test, perhaps?" She suggested helpfully to Kira.

Kira growls at Shiroi. "You aren't helping. Sed, it's not your fault. Uncle Matt didn't believe I was real for about a week after Mom had me. . ."

Shiroi chuckled. "Some family you've got there."

The blue-haired student stands up and begins looking around, a small giggle coming from under the hood as she hefts her bowl up and stalks quietly into the hallway to overhear the conversation with Proctor...

Matthew swears softly in another language. "Coneria? Ugh..."

Ari opens her mouth to answer Julian again, but notices something stranger. "Err... Umm... I usually go out to the forest if I don't have lessons." That was odd, it really was... students usually don't go hooded in the hall except... except for that lessont that day! That really strange one...

Kira shrugs. She turns to Matthew. "You're looking for Justin, too, huh? Uncle Ela told me about him. Maybe we could help each other?"

The blue-haired student tsks softly under her breath, in one fluid motion she spins out from behind the wall she is leaning against and whips the bowl of stew at Kira.

Julian glances around curiously for a moment, "Hmm? Something seemed to catch your attention."

Matthew whirls around and raises an arm with a shout, anMatthew whirls around and raises an arm with a shout, and the stew clatters seemingly off the air, and splatters all over the floor.

Kira blinks, looking at the stew, and at Matthew. "Thanks. . ."

Ari looks distractedly out of the door, thinking. "No... it's just... students don't usually go about the hall hooded and all..." She shrugs. You get the weird ones every now and then though, like herself.

Shiroi shook her head sadly, and sighed heavily. "Food! Wasting food! No one knows how to properly appreciate them anymore!"

The blue-haired girl glares at Matthew, the hood slipping back to reveal shockingly clear crystal blue eyes which look none too happy.

Kira looks at the newcomer. "And who are you?" Her mind, meanwhile, is ticking like a hamster on the wheel.

Matthew's ice-blue eyes meet the crystal blue ones, his narrowed. "You shouldn't chuck things about."

"You shouldn't interfere where you don't need to, Archmagus." The girl replies, mimicing Matthew's voice perfectly.

Shiroi turned to get a better look at the blue-haired girl... Hey. "Hey, you're Mirai's girlfriend! How's it going?" She raised a hand and wiggled her fingers at the girl.

Julian turns back to Ari, gazing at her in a vaguely disorienting manner for a moment with his bright pastel green eyes, "Well, how would you like to go for a walk in the forest?"

Ari seems to sit up firmer, having come to some decision or the other. "I'm going to look for someone... you want to come?" Not that she particularly enjoys Julian's company, but if it's who she thinks it is, she might need some help.

Kira strides up to the newcomer. "You shouldn't throw food at me. Who the hell do you think you are?"

Julian rubs the back of his head, "Well, I suppose that is just about as good, let's go."

"I'm your better, child." the girl replies to Kira, giving Shiroi a quick wink and a smile before resuming her serious expression.

Ari grabs her tray to return it to the counter, sliding off her seat in a fluid motion. Without really looking to see if Julian follows, she does so and then proceeds out of the hall, then looking both ways up and down the corridor.

Kira snorts. "Pfft. You don't look so tough. My MOM could beat you."

Julian jumps to his feet nimbly, catching up to Ari and walking alongside her, "So who exactly are we looking for?"

A laugh, thats the only reply for a while, a heartly, rather full laugh, "Your mommy, eh? I hate to tell you this, kid, but I'd bust yer mom a new one." the blue-haired girl replies, mimicing Shiroi this time.

Matthew raises a silver eyebrow, then places his hand on his chest and bends forward slightly, probably the largest show of respect he ever gives anyone. "My pardon, my lady. I would not trifle with one of your... position, but hurling food is perhaps not the best idea." He smirks slightly, and then clasps his hands behind his back.

Kira laughs. "You've never met my mom. She's the greatest assassin to ever live." She raises her chin proudly.

Ari murmurs softly, her eyes flickering back and forth. "Now where would she have gone to?" She can track perfectly well out in the open, but here in the tower it's another matter. Giving Julian a glance, she shrugs. "I don't think you'd know who she is."

Julian nods to himself.

Julian . o O ( Well, at least this person in question is female... )

The girl ceases to exist, reappearing behind Kira with a knife angled against her neck, "I've been alive for longer then your mothers family tree existed. I could kill her in less then a heartbeat if she got in my way, don't tempt me, because you seem to be standing where I want to be standing, and thats in my way." She then seems to fade into air and reppear at her previous spot, returning Matthew's bow, "Well, we try to do it peacefully at first... you know."

Matthew chuckles. "But they never stop looking, do they?"

Ari turns to glance at Julian, eyes narrowed as if she knew what he was just thinking about, but it's just the result of the concentration she's putting into this. "Her room, first", she mutters to herself, heading down one corridor.

Novina shrugs, "You know how it goes, magical mound of treasure, everyone wants some of it..." Novina ponders, resting her hands on her hips, "Though, I should probably stop using that poor Mei girl to supply my robes..."

Kira has finally figured it out. "YOU are the Water Champion! Then I need to get the Water orb from you. . ." She sighs. "I don't suppose you could let me borrow it for a while?"

Matthew snickers. "I would not mind studying them, though I would not want to own any of them myself."

Julian follows along, nodding to himself at that.

Matthew then flicks a venomous glance at the girl. "My friend would never have had such a dim child. Now cease your blathering."

Novina laughs softly, throwing her head back a little and letting the hood fall back, "Water? My my child, you are underversed. That would be my sister. As for letting you 'borrow' it, I wouldn't trust you with an empty beer bottle, much less an Orb."

Ari takes a couple of turns, and then up a few more staircases. The corridors seem kind of empty on the way, and deserted... probably everyone's eating or in class. Finally, she stops short before a door. "This should be it, if I remember..."

Julian has his hands resting behind his head by this point, "Lead on."

Kira snorts. "I've already found three, but the Water Orb from my world was gone, broken. So MY Uncle Matthew (Who I might add is a lot nicer in his older age than THIS Matthew) sent me here.

Novina tilts her head at Matthew, "Looking for Justin and Razz I take it... just sent Mirai after them..." Novina clasps her hands behind her back, "They'd be in the King's Quarters at night, during the day who knows? Razz and Justin tend to wander, I can only watch them so much..."

Matthew turns to Proctor. "So, another thing... are there any teaching positions open in your school here? I don't feel like returning to the old tower... but I would like to take on a few students just the same."

Ari frowns quizzically at Julian. "Your head hurt or something? You might want to cover your ears in this case..." She waits a while for Julian, then proceeds to knock sharply on the door, three times.

Julian tilts his head, "Er... no, not exactly."

Proctor raised his eyebrows at /that/. "Uhm. Well, I'm sure we can find some suitable position, yes."

Novina, on a whim, decides to walk up the wall, and onto the roof, her hair still falling 'down' as she stands upside down, "As for getting the orbs... Well, you don't 'find' them, so I'd be damn sure to not let you 'borrow' one either."

Kira . o O(If Dad were here, we'd have the Orb and be fighting with Crulath already. Lousy adventure. I wish I had never gone to that meeting. . .)

Ari paces worriedly in front of the door. Mei, at least, was nice in those first few days... so she does feel an obligation of sorts to her. She thinks about the lack of reaction from within the room, then decides to give it one last try. She knocks - again.

Kira shrugs. "Maybe you don't find them here. In my world, they were in places of protection. Only once did an actual person have it, and that was the Air. Now look. My world is in grave peril. If I don't retrieve the Water Orb, and return to my home soon, it may be destroyed. Surely you can understand that."

Matthew smirks slightly. "And I suggest you advise any students who consider signing up for lessons under me make sure they're serious about their magic..."

Novina shrugs, being upside down on the roof rather amplifying the action a bit on the 'don't care' scale, "So let it be destroyebit on the 'don't care' scale, "So let it be destroyed. It isn't my concern. Nor is it my sisters concern."

Proctor nods. "But of course. I wouldn't presume anything less from them."

Kira glares. "You would let a world be destroyed when you could help save it?"

Julian pauses momentarily, then leans over to Ari, "Doesn't seem like she's there."

Novina nods, a cheerful smile on her face, "Yes, in fact we would. It has nothing to do with our world."

Matthew looks up at Novina. "So, you sent Mirai after Justin and Razz? Is she going to bring them here, or take them out of Coneria, or something? I need to speak with them both."

Ari nods shortly at Julian. "Perhaps, and perhaps not... I'd more or less come to that conclusion too", she admits, biting her lip. "Think you could get the door open? I'm technically not allowed to, but since you're not technically a student... Just trust me, I think it's important."

Novina scratches her head at Matthew's question... "Well, I sent her. I guess it's pretty much up to her what to do afterwards. I didn't really have any specific things outlined for her, except to keep Razz away from Coneria's three generals. They should be there for a few more days though."

Julian hesitates for a moment, "Well... I suppose so..."

Kira is obviously upset. "Then you must truly be some of the worst beings to live. If my father were here, things would be different. But for now, I'm simply going to figure out a way to best you, and save my world anyway." She stalks away. . o O(Justin was supposed to be a good person. Maybe he can help.

Julian grins at Ari, "Now it might be time to cover your ears."

Novina giggles a little, "Poor child, throwing a tantrum. You think all that energy would be better spent finding a different solution."

Ari grins back at Julian, from ear to ear, nodding as well in understanding and shielding her hears with her palms... just barely.

Matthew rolls his eyes and shrugs at Novina apologetically. "She claims to be the daughter of my friend, Rathe Fortissime, from the future or some such nonsense."

Shiroi looked somewhat amused at that. "Hey, if people can crash from other worlds, anything's possible!"

Novina laughs softly, jumping down and landing on her feet, "Well, I'd say her parents need a good slap in the face for all the parenting skills they seem to have shown in raising that little twit."

Julian spins a large revolver out of a holster at his side, and shoots the locking mechanism out of the door with a well-placed bullet, spinning the revolver back to slide into its holster only a slight moment later.

Matthew shakes his head at Shiroi. "It's unlikely, the tale she spun doesn't sound like anything I'd do at all."

Julian bows slightly, "After you."

Shiroi smirked. "So crazy, it must be true."

Novina peers at Matthew seriously for a moment, rubbing her chin and pondering.

Ari was watching that whole demonstration with interest... what a strange implement. Then, catching herself, she removes her hands from their protective position, placing a palm against the door to push it inwards and poking her head in, ready to apologize if she had disturbed...

Matthew shrugs. "Why I would tell anyone to snatch a source of power from the past and bring it to the present is a mystery to me. It would remove the artifact from that period of time, no doubt causing serious problems. Indeed, they would probably arrive in their present with a much different time."

Ari stops short. "Uh-oh", she whispers, her self blocking the view from the doorway. "This is -not- good.

Julian tries to catch a glimse from behind Ari, "What exactly is not good?"

Ari takes a few tentative steps into the room, pointing to the unconcious, and naked, figure of Mei lying sprawled out on the bed. "-That- is not good."

Novina brings her hands together in front of her chest and claps them together. No sound comes from her clap, yet a small white pebble seems to have slowly faded into existence, a blue tinged rune inscribed on a single side. Novina whispers something to the pebble and it flares brightly for a moment, then dims down, "You were looking for Razz and Justin, correct? Well, this here little pebble will lead you to Razz at least. It'll only work for 2 days. It'll hum as you get closer though... I know, a bit vague, but we all have to have fun."

Matthew shrugs. "Oh, I don't need that. I merely had to be here and wanted to make it easier on myself."

Matthew says, "I can't really do much with them while they're in the Conerian Palace."

Julian thinks for a moment, "Ah-ha! Well, you seem rather shy, but I didn't think you'd be into a threesome!"

Novina chuckles softly, flipping the pebble into the air, "Oh really? Such a shame, such a shame... You know... Oh wait... now I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise..."

Shiroi shrugged. "Well, it probably isn't there in her world anyways. So it'd probably matter little to her."

Ari glares angrily at Julian, her face flaming red. "Not that, you hormones-for-brains!" Males! "Gotta wake her up", she murmurs to herself. "Something tells me this is just going to distract this randy individual."

Julian steps into the room, removing his heavy longcoat and tossing it over Mei's body before attempting to wake her up.

Ari rushes to the bedside, crouching down and hissing a few words under her breath, sending a few sparks flying to zap Mei (hopefully awake).

Novina flips the pebble into the air, it's form shimmering and expanding into a small cloud, in the center of the cloud is the image of a small, golden pellet with a glass center, "You'll want to look for these, Archmagus. Interesting little tools they are... they can steal a bit of the essence of ones magic..."

Mei eeps, quickly bolting away, now two bruises making themselves evident along the side of her neck, "Where... am I?"

Matthew's eyes widen a bit. "Indeed? I should probably destroy them, then."

Ari quickly answers. "Your room... I think that woman knocked you out again... you feeling okay yet?"

Shiroi shrugged. "Your call, man."

Mei looks down, noticing all she's got is a coat on, which isn't hers, and which isn't really covering all it should. She quickly hops back in her bed and yanks the blanket around herself, "I'm feeling naked."

Julian answers, "That, my lady, is because you are quite naked."

Matthew raises an eyebrow at Shiroi, a slight smirk playing across his lips. "And who might you be, little miss impertinence?"

Julian nods.

Ari frowns, and snaps her fingers. "Err... she probably took your robe again too... want to go hunt her down?"

Novina turns, waving a bit, "Just some friendly advice, that's all... Do watch after yourself Archmagus. You're rather old, I think it's cute in it's own way. Don't find many near my age bracket."

Mei frowns at Ari, "I'd prefered to get dressed, really. Hunting someone down is probably the last thing I'd want to do naked."

Matthew snickers. "Old by their standards, maybe..." He waves a hand at the rest. "...but still going to be going for quite a long time."

Mei then finally notices Julian and gets a shocked look on her face, "A man?! In my room!" Mei then pauses, casting a critical glance over Julian, "...I stand corrected, a boy in my room..." she then goes back to looking shocked.

Julian's head lowers, "Hey now... I'm not _that_ young..."

Shiroi gave a flourish of a bow. "Shiroi Kirameki, and no one of any particular importance, as you rightly have guessed."

He chuckles a bit. "And I don't suppose you'll be enrolling in my class, will you?"

Ari flicks an exasperated glance at Justin. "Don't you ever stop flirting?" She accuses him, bluntly. "Mei, I think we got to find the one who knocked you out... who knows what she's doing?"

Mei laughed a little, covering her mouth and almost letting the covers slip, which she then quickly yanked back up, "Ari dear? Could you possibly hand me a robe? I'm not quite sure what other girls would do in this situation, but I'd rather be dressed."

Ari nods at Mei, agreeing. "Um... where do you keep them?"

Mei looks around and points to a robe laying on a trunk, "I'm sure that one will do just fine."

Shiroi smiled, a curious little quirk of the lips. "I might, if I deem your class to have enough entertainment... though being able to block bowls of stews in mid air might be useful in this world." Looking over to Novina, Shiroi gave a little disappointed 'aww'. "You're not going already? And you've never even told me your name!"

Julian picks his longcoat back up and puts it back on.

Julian glances over to Ari, "And, I'm simply 'friendly'"

Ari skips over to fetch it, feeling a lot less worried now that Mei is awake again. "Got it!" she exclaims, before skipping back to hand it to her... although she sometimes still doesn't understand this preoccupation with clothes.

Mei lowers a glance on Julian which could best be described as, "Be polite and turn around or be lit on fire." as she sits there, robe in hand.

Ari shoots a glare at Julian. "Someday, you're going to have to tell me how exactly a 'threesome' is 'simply friendly'."

Julian spins around on a heel, laughing quietly, "Of course, of course."

Matthew chuckles. "I don't think we'll be blocking many stew bowls in my class. Perhaps other spells, but most likely no stew. Wouldn't want to waste food, after all."

Mei quickly throws up the coat, slipping into her robe and catching the coat in midair, offering it to Julian, "You can turn around now, young man."

Shiroi clapped her hands together. "Finally! Someone with sense!" She nodded approvingly at Matthew.

Julian turns back around and replies to Ari, "It's just very, very friendly."

Ari mock-sighs at Julian... so here's another one who gets to play with words, too.

Shiroi says: Perhaps I will come after all... Though I rather suspect you'll be teaching students with magic levels much higher than myself.

Mei gives Julian a charming smile, "Almost as friendly as being immolated for breaking into a ladies room, eh, Julian?"

Matthew shakes his head. "I always have time for pupils who show promise, no matter their level of training."

Julian grins impishly at Ari, then looks back at Mei, "Ah... well... I was sorta 'recruited' for that by Storm here."

Ari frowns a little at that... she did say some people shortened her name, but she's quite sure she doesn't know him that well yet, and vice versa, so... but anyway, back to it. "So... are we going hunting or no?"

Matthew scratches his head. "Although I must admit that it is slightly irregular for one with robes as dark as mine to teach students who wear red... but there are few teachers who can demonstrate as much as I can."

Mei scratches her head slightly, sighing, "Well, I guess I'll have to excuse that then..." Mei looks up at Ari, a rather curious look on her face, "You just want to hunt anything that moves, don't you?"

Julian chimes in, "Well, I have to say I wouldn't mind being hunted by her in the least."

Ari shakes her head. "No... I'm just wondering what exactly whoever that robe-stealer was is up to."

Ari's face flares red again at the statement and she turns back to Julianm, snapping: "Stop that, you!"

Mei looks at Ari and Julian suspiciously...

Julian grins at Ari, "But you're very cute when you blush like that."

Ari glares at Julian ... I don't think you'd like getting fried... and moves to put some distance between them, somehow managing to hide behind Mei, of sorts.

Julian changes the subject, "Well, weren't you intent on finding the person who stole those robes?"

Ari nods, refusing to speak any further for now.

Mei looks Julian over suspiciously, "You aren't a student here, that's obvious. Why are you here then?"

Shiroi smirked. "I always did like black better than red..." She took a moment to look over her attire. "Though red has it's charms, mmhmm, mustn't forget that."

Julian nods, "I'm just meandering about and ended up here. Storm happened to catch my eye and after a short conversation we ended up here."

Mei smirks slightly, looking Julian over, "Meandering huh? More like prowling for innocent females I'd guess."

Julian coughs quietly, "Well, that's a rather malicious way of putting it..."

Matthew stretches a bit, and then glances about. "I think I'll head back and have myself a bit of lunch, I'm quite hungry, actually."

Ari glares at Julian, friendly huh?

Mei's face takes on an innocent look, "Aww, I'm sorry little boy.. I meant 'You were out looking for charming young ladies with which to pass the time', eh?"

Shiroi lifted her empty bowl a bit. "They have good stew." She nodded.

Matthew offers his arm to Shiroi. "Care to accompany me, young one?"

The young performer managed an attractive smile. "Certainly, not-so-young one." And took his arm.

Julian peers at Ari, "Aw, you don't have to be so angry," and looks back over at Mei, "Well, that is a bit more accurate. And besides, they don't have to be strictly innocent."

Mei laughs and shakes her head, "My my, you are a difficult one... How about... we return to the dining hall. I'd rather not be thought to have spent time in my room with the likes of you, little Julian." Mei glances towards the door, then back at Julian, "You just aren't my type."

Matthew walks gracefully with the younger girl into the dining hall and takes a seat, helping himself to some stew, ignoring most of the curious or fearful glances his unadorned black robes accorded him.

Julian frowns slightly, "Right, right."

Julian spins on his heel and walks out of the room.

Ari frowns, perhaps a little too much like Julian, muttering: "I don't think she's in the hall anymore either... since we saw her leave."

Shiroi helped herself to some more stew and some more bread... this is... what, her seventh helping? Well, as long as no one's objecting... shrug. And she took a seat across from the elder mage, still with her feet kicked up on the table and her backward lounge in a carefully balanced chair.

Mirai coallesces quietly in one corner of the dining hall, with a look of deep concentration on her face that fades out as she fades in. Once she's all here, she heads off for the kitchen, and back, to the table, taking the nearest empty seat; a few down from the Archmagus, as it happens, but he seems to have cleared half of that side of the table.

Ari wanders out of the room, satisfied that Mei is at least awake, and trundles off down the corridor, trying to decide whether to go back to the hall, or back out into the gardens.

Shiroi greeted Mirai with a wave of her loaf of bread. "Hey Mirai! You missed your girlfriend wasting food!"

Julian catches up to Ari again, glancing over at her, "Well, what have you got planned next?"

And with that Shiroi started new gossip on the speculation of Mirai's sexuality. Go gossip.

Ari glares at Julian. "What now...?"

Julian darts ahead a few steps, turning and walking backwards in front of Ari, "Ah, you don't have to be so angry with me, I did assist you, didn't I?"

Ari continues to walk, a little annoyed. "Well... but you did a lot of male-in-heat things too, and that isn't appropriate at all!"

Julian frowns slightly again, "Male-in-heat? I was just caught up in your beauty."

Ari stops, confused. (Me? Beautiful? Far from it, he's gotta be kidding.) "I'm not, and stop trying to confuse me otherwise..."

Julian stops as well, shaking his head, "Ah, but you might not have caught my eye if you were not so beautiful."

Ari blushes again and turns to walk the other way (now how do I escape from this persistent...), thinking and wondering. She searches her memory for something to do, getting a little desperate.

Mirai raises an eyebrow, and pokes unenthusiasticaly at the stew. Not much compared to royal fare, but oh well. "...seems I missed a bit more than just that. And," oh, god, "who are we presuming to by my girlfriend /now/?"

Shiroi gave another wave with her bread. "Oh, you know, that blue-haired chick. Who dropped in on your class the first time we met."

Ari . o O ( She -did- say it would work if I was concentrating hard enough... ).

Shiroi gave a mock dreamy-sigh. "So sweet, she even visits you at work!" And she ripped off a chunk of the bread with her teeth and chewed happily.

Julian darts forward with surprising speed, catching up with Ari in a few moments, "Alright, alright... if you'd like me to leave, just say so."

Ari considers for a moment, concentrates, and then steps right out of a convenient window.

Julian's eyes go wide, "Good god, I would have left you alone if you told me to!"

Julian runs over to the window.

Julian looks around out the window somewhat frantically.

Ari floats lazily to the ground, just short of the gates and somewhere in the gardens... on the OTHER side of the tower.

Julian watches that her float down slowly, "Well bloody hell... Can't follow that..."

Julian rests his hands behind his head again, and heads back towards the main hall, whistling a disjointed quiet tune.

Mirai looks... slightly relieved, actually. "Oh. ...heh, they're getting better at it." She does remember to whom she's speaking, though. Not that Shiroi seems the sort to worry about. "Mmm... I thought you were leaving, weren't you? Class was too boring, you said?"

Ari makes her way through the gardens, slowly, distracted by every little thing along the way (as usual). With all the funny things going on these days, perhaps she -should- stay in the dining hall this time.

Shiroi blinked at that, and placed a hand over her chest to make an emphasis. "Class? Boring? I said that? With simultaniously combusting sleeves, murderous bookshelves, rich crying bastards who lack originality, and paper ball targets? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Julian stops whistling momentarily as he steps back into the dining room hall place, and murmurs quietly to himself, "Well... that's most _definately_ the first time a girl has jumped out a window to get away from me."

Matthew chuckles softly. "This is much different from my students back at home..."

Matthew scratches his head. "They look scared at the sight of me, but accidental blasts of energy were a daily occurence back at the tower... I bet these little boys and girls would scatter like chaff..." He looks a bit disappointed, and takes a bite of his food. "The stew is quite good, though."

Julian steps over to the table and spins as he falls back into a chair, whistling that odd quiet tune again to himself.

Ari slips quietly into the tower, padding her way to the dining room.

Mirai shrugs, elaborately. "Well, you said it before the rich crying bastards, granted, but you still said it...." She grins, faintly, at the dark-cloaked one's reminiscenses. "Oh, they do indeed."

Shiroi waved it off with her bread before taking another bite out of it. "Naaah, we've a couple kids eat shockwave and other semi-accidental energy blasts in our last classes. Your presence is just too intimidating for our good."

Shiroi turned to Mirai. "And I never said I'm leaving this place because class was too boring. I said I was going to settle here a bit before I move on. Well, now I'm settling."

Matthew shrugs. "Hopefully they won't be intimidated too much to not sign up for my class."

Ari pauses before the entrance of the dining hall, whispering something to her hood, and attempting to see who's in there. She sees Julian (oh no...) and decides to sneak in, hopefully unnoticed, and find a place next to Mirai.

Matthew smirks slightly then. "But if they are, they won't be missed."

Shiroi grinned at Matthew. "Well then, we'd be able to go for one-on-one session then, wouldn't we?" She winked.

Julian is looking up at the ceiling, actually, still whistling some quiet tune.

Mirai freezes halfway through a shrug, finally connecting that voice and appearance to something. She unsticks herself after a moment. "Eh. There are some who might kill for a chance to follow in their Fearless Leader's footsteps. Others might kill themselves rather than."

Matthew's silver eyebrow almost manages to merge with his hair at that remark. He smirks and then shakes his head, chuckling. "I may be old, but I am a man still. But nonetheless, I do not discuss such things with most prospective students." He then returns the wink conspiratorially, and returns to his stew.

Ari takes a quick glance at Shiroi and that strange mage (whom she didn't really notice earlier) and decides to sit... elsewhere. In another group of students, perhaps. Too bad it's not that easy to blend into tables and chairs.

Matthew is now studying the silver-bound black spellbook again while nibbling on what's left of his stew and sipping on a mug of mulled wine which he seemingly pulled from the air itself.

Shiroi took in what Matthew did, raised her hand, and snatched a stem of flower out of thin air, much like the mage did with the mug. And she looked fondly at the flower. Pretty.

Julian stands suddenly, straightening his longcoat before walking towards the door, oddly enough... he seems to smirk and glance back _directly_ at Ari before heading out the door.

Ari doesnt look -at- Julian, but the little reptile hiding in her hood raises it's head, hissing loudly in his direction and sticking out his forked tongue, glaring with it's beady eyes.

Shiroi then turned and offered the flower to Mirai. "A flower for you, lady? Free of charge!"

Mirai smiles sunnily at Shiroi. "It's lovely. And you're an impressively quick study." Her bowl is empty, now; clearly shes done something with her stew, though after dinner at the castle, it's doubtful she ate it.

Shiroi scoffed at herself. "Hardly a quick study. A show-off, maybe." She pulls anothering thing seeming out of thin air... and quickly stuffs it back into somewhere within her white vest.

Matthew grins mischeiviously. "Hmm, I need a little practice, and I need to show these students why they should (or shouldn't, as their nerves may warrant) enroll for my class." He then stands up, one hand marking his page in his spellbook.

Matthew begins to chant softly, making a series of intricate gestures, and then draws a circle in the air with his hand. The circle is suprisingly visible, his hand having left an after-image as he drew the circle in the air.

Shiroi stopped her antics and turned to Matthew again, an expectant smirk over her face once more, just like in her classes.

The circle widens to an oval-shaped, flat disc, vertically in front of Matthew. Closer examination shows it filled with raging flames, and suddenly, a creature made entirely of billowing fire strides out of the gate, advancing on Matthew.

Ari draws in a breath in surprise, feeling the tingle of magic somewhere in the Hall. Turning around to see the black-robed mage doing -something-, she sidles nearer to the door, just in case it's going to be something bad. Then the fire elemental appears, and she hisses, her eyes going flat.

Shiroi remains to be amused. And she observed silently.

The hiss of crackling flame forms into words, barely discernible. "Who dares summon me, when I devour those without the power to master my secrets?"

Mirai affects blithe unconcern for whatever Matthew is demonstrating; he's the Archmagus, for chrissake, he knows what he's doing. Even dealing with whatever pit fiend he's just conjured. It should make a hell of a recruiting show, anyways.

Matthew's voice, clear and commanding, rings out over the crackling. "I command you, beast of flame. I, whose mastery of flame surpasses your own!"

The flames turn on Matthew, as if angry... and then they shrink back, the hissing voice of flame subdued. "Forgive me, master... you have not called in so long, I did not recognize you..."

Matthew waves a hand dismissively. "Return to your hellish home and await my bidding, and do not forget me this time."

The flames rush back into the portal, which vanishes as soon as it swallows the rest of the elemental.

Indeed, many, many students evacuated the lunch hall... It seems strangely vacant after the summon. Almost lonely, in fact.

Matthew suddenly throws his head back and laughs, eyeing any remaining students. "Don't forget to sign up for my class!"

Mirai giggles, faintly. Er, sorry, boss, won't happen again. The students aren't /quite/ panicking, though, but they are leaving the dining hall. Keep in mind, though, most of these kids survived invasion by minor demons twice, /and/ the destruction of the tower. They aren't scared witless, they just know when not to be somewhere.

Ari remains, surprisingly. Now that was more or less unexpected... and she wonders if the elemental or whatever-it-was was used to coming here or something. They don't have a separate plane for nothing, she muses.

Shiroi chuckled. Sense of humor, indeed. Well then, classes oughta be interesting.