Completed Friendsgiving 3.0

[Lumen]

On this rare occasion, blonde hair flowed freely down her back and shoulders. She usually kept it up, one way or another. Easier to fight with it up. A small nod of her chin to Soliel as the sand-girl exited. An amused twitch of her right brow at Caeso's formality.

Then again, with him it would be stranger without formality.

He still managed to be just taller than her, even with the extra height she had with her heels. But with the grace of a predator and fighter she stepped forward, entwining fingers with one of his hands. Her other resting delicately on his shoulder.

"Practicing for an upcoming mission?"

 

[Caeso Diemut]

"I should wish it were so," Caeso said, placing a hand on Lumen's back and starting slowly and methodically (if a bit stiffly) into their dance. "Such as it is, my perennial envy remains for those whom the Academy deems worthy of dance lessons. My particular gifts soundly disqualify me, more suited are they for breaking down castle walls than subterfuge in aristocratic locales."

It was the most he could do now to take advantage of the newly implemented free periods and other such downtime to practice on his own. Yet without a proper instructor, and furthermore without engaged participants with whom to pair, the endeavor was a rough one.

Hence his willingness to dance even with Soleil Verdane before Lumen rescued him from that catastrophe.

"Might it be that you, Lumen, are fortunate enough to have such a mission awaiting in the future?"

Lumen

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil stood over by the band. Uncomfortably close to the lute player, who was trying his best to keep his tune with the rest of the band while glancing worriedly every now and again her way. Her head swung side-to-side, either with the rhythm of the slow song or with the rhythm of her thoughts. Hmm. Lumen. Busy. Question for her. Ask before night was over.

She looked over toward the table of her peers. Caeso had been drinking. Loosened up. Decided to dance. Who else was drinking?

There was one.

Soleil, with her hands behind her back and little bounces to her step, finally approached the table with the feast. Yet it was not the food she was interested in. She sauntered her way right over to Corvus Azura.

"Corvus," she said, "Idea! You? Drinking. Also you? Not playing game. Me? Also not playing game. Solution? We play game."

She smiled, awaiting his response.

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus stared at Soleil for a moment as her sudden appearance surprised and baffled him as most of his interactions with Soleil tended to do. Another second passed before Corvus broke his staring down by downing the rest of his drink.

"Not bad, but counter offer."

He poured two cups of wine and slid one toward her with a grin on his face. Soleil could be weird, but there was nothing more fun than weird especially when you were drunk.

"We play games. I drink. You? No drinking. Solution? You also drink."

To emphasize his logic, he slid her glass a few more inches toward her while already beginning to take another sip of his newly filled beverage.

Soleil Verdane

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil eyed the cup pushed her way. The act of drinking itself was a painful necessity, with spirits only being a little easier than pure water. There was one method to help with this.

Soleil sat down next to Corvus, picked up the wine glass, and employed this method: she drank as quickly as possible. Caeso (and likely his cousin Mercer) might have been appalled to see it, wine being treated as though it were ale in a gigantic tankard. But Soleil tipped her head back, poured the glass of wine down her throat without pause, and then slammed the glass back down on the table. She clutched at her neck for a second, eyes wide and looking at nothing.

Then it passed, that crushing, choking pain, and she smiled again.

"We drink together."

With her smile turning sly and eyes half-lidded, she added, "Drinking? Makes game more fun."

She slid her glass back over toward Corvus, in the same motion pointing toward the bottle of wine for a refill.

"Good game. Easy to play! Listen."

Soleil swept her other hand across the expanse of their fellow Initiates, scattered as they were around the table and elsewhere at the celebration.

"I say name. You say if interested." To make her point perfectly clear, and with a gross violation of Corvus's personal space, she reached down and firmly clutched his crotch. "Interested, see? Say if yes or no." She let go. "Think aloud. Give reasons! Especially if silly. All for fun. We take turns. And drink."

Capping off her explanation with a saucy smirk, she asked, "Want play?"

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus was enjoying his own drink and was surprised to see Soleil actually take him up on the offer for a beverage. He nearly snorted in laughter when he watched her down the glass of wine with obvious discomfort. Note to self, just bring her liquor or some ale next time if that's how she decided to drink.

"Yeah, drink together-"

He was cut off as she kept talking and he just nodded along. Sure, say if he was interested or not, nothing wrong with that. Corvus had nothing to hide about any of the people here. A few words wouldn't-

Woah, hold up!

Corvus quickly moved to gently move her hand away. Usually, a ladies hands on his crotch would be a sign that the night was going well, but Soleil was crazy enough to randomly give a firm squeeze just because she could.

"Ok, ok. That's fine by me, but let's play the game without you holding such a sensitive area hostage. Ok?"

As he said that and slowly removed her hand, he scooted just a little bit away more out to reassure himself and less to actually put enough distance in between them to stop her.

Soleil Verdane

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Her hand was away, but her point was made. He scooted back some. A tiny bit. Soleil made a popping sound with her lips, scrutinizing him for only a second.

But, as it was, the game was set. Brilliant.

"I go first. I say name, you take drink, and play! Then, your turn. Me, same thing. Okay?"

A simple order of things. A name was spoken, a drink was taken, thinking aloud and reasoning happened (especially if silly) and then the crux of it: if Soleil or Corvus were "interested" in the person mentioned.

Soleil brought her hands together, rubbing them vigorously. She looked around at those gathered at the Friendsgiving. Not everyone was here, but they didn't necessarily have to be limited to only those present, or even just to those in their class. That could make for an interesting surprise!

Presently though, Soleil decided on the first name to challenge Corvus with.

"Lumen."

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus took a sip of his drink and thought his answer over while swirling his drink in contemplation like he saw all of those smart old people doing at the nice parties.

"Hmm, she is pretty enough. I do like blondes...but she burned my feet so minus points. Tends to be a killjoy sometimes with babying people. That being side she can take of herself...Interested."

How interested? Enough to take her on a date once or twice. Would it work out, maybe not? It did not really matter much to Corvus, the fun was in the journey, not the destination.

"For you, um...Caeso."

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil smiled broadly at Corvus's answer. Blondes, ooohhh. Dual fissures split open on her cheeks and flowed down her face and sealed in the shadow of her jaw.

She poured herself another bit of wine, matching more or less the amount Corvus had drank. In the same manner as before she tipped her head back and gulped it down in a single go, her face was strained for a second, and then the pleasure of the present moment's activities returned.

Caeso.

She tapped at her chin with a finger. "First, mean. Flicks water at me! But him? Serious. Fun to poke. Also him? Strong. I like strong. Big! Bigger than me. Good, especially if need shield. Wordy though. Many words, much noise, no need."

After further deliberation, she said, "Not interested. Water? No forgiveness. Take him though, if opportunity. Payback."

She didn't elaborate on that.

"My turn!" Her eyes scanned over the festivities again, and she decided. "Vasha."

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Hates water, good to know.

Corvus was shaking his head in the negative almost before the name was even finished leaving Soleil's lips. There was nothing against the girl, but he could not be interested in her if he did not really know her. The only few times they interacted was when they sparred, and she wasn't that talkative.

She seemed like a good soldier, but...that most people here. From what Corvus knew, Vasha was just a stereotypical broody dreadlord that took things a little too seriously. Did that mean that was all there was to the girl, no, but that was all he had to go off of.

"Not interested. Don't think I could date a dragon. Don't have that big of a bed."

Simple and to the point.

"Zaire?"

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil had another drink, gulping it down, and the first signs of flushing appeared at her cheeks. Her body was a shadow of what was lost, an imitation of what it should be. A queer collection of things that were natural and ordinary at first glance, and other things strange and surreal. Yet this, the reddening of her face as she imbibed more and more of the intoxicating wine, was of the former category, just as it would be if she were of normal flesh and blood.

Soleil trilled her tongue. "Oooooo...dragon."

Zaire.

She giggled. "Zaire? Look." She just pointed right at him, heedless to whether anybody was watching or not. "Thinks himself serious. Thinks himself clever. Dismissive. Haughty. Now? Defeated by macaroni. Big brother? Not here to save him! Always second best. Good magic though."

Her verdict: "Not interested. Ask other girls. They agree."

Then, an Initiate everyone knew. Very interesting.

"Noel."

Corvus Azura

 

[Vasha Drurcius]

Vasha warbled again in amusement, then paused at that statement. And how Zinnia tried to cover it up.

'Change too?' Nobody tried to hurt her? Vasha tilted her head back and tried to get a look at Zinnia's face, blinking slowly as a few things dawned on her. She didn't mind the patting-bonking she was in the middle of recieving, simply warbling again.

Many, many people tried to hurt her in the past, she wanted to say. Vasha wanted to say a lot of things, and for a moment, the image of a thin man lashing at her with a barbed whip came to mind. As well as the feeling and sound of his fragile bones splintering against rock. Of his flesh ripping like wet paper between her teeth-

The warble stopped, and Vasha took a very slow, very deep breath. Deep scars, emotional and physical, itched like a burning fire under her scales, and Zinnia would feel her legs get squeezed just a bit before Vasha loosened her grip and moved to walk slowly around the perimeter of the party so she could admire the lights.

No one tried to hurt her now, because she would eat them if they did. She wasn't lucky.

She was a monster.

But maybe she could help keep Zinnia from becoming the same.

 

[Rowley Stone]

Ouch, that was a rough assessment of Zaire. He was a brother too and he could understand the fellow initiate a little bit. Was Soleil telling the truth when she said all the girls? Probably not, Soleil seemed like someone that overexaggerated.

Corvus took another sip of his wine and smirked, "You know you can just sip at the wine instead of downing glasses in one go?" He teased her before thinking about her next question.

"Noel? From the year above? Well...hard and cold. Like the armor, she wears all the time. People tend to wear armor to hide the soft bits, but never really see that side of her. She is pretty, but I think I would do better taking orders from her on a battlefield than orders in a bedroom..." Then again, that last line got him thinking.

"Hesitantly interested."

Soleil Verdane

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil laughed at that last bit, her head lolling back and her shoulders hitching.

"Orders in a bedroom! Funny! Noel? Boyfriend call her, 'Proctor Noel!' Has to! Or gets whip again!"

After musing about the bedchamber mannerisms of one of the most notorious Initiates of the graduating class, Soleil tipped more wine into her glass. She held it, but didn't drink it yet.

"Your turn! What name?"

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Oh, right. He had forgotten to ask her a name. He had one but was saving them for last as that would be the easiest answer. Corvus took another sip of his wine as he contemplated. His skin was looking a bit puffier, but Corvus drank often and was practiced in handling his alcohol.

"Ok, how about Silas?"

Corvus could already think of a few jokes about the fellow initiates, but he just smirked and continued enjoying his drink.

Soleil Verdane

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Silas.

Soleil took that drink then, let the pain pass, and set the glass back down.

"Hm. Silas? Strong jawline. Feast for eyes. Also Silas? Tight clothes. Me? Never wear. Him?" She trilled her tongue appreciatively. "Looks good! But Silas? Hard outside, soft inside. Why so nice? Knife with no edge. Hm. Works though. Like honey. Gets his way."

Then she decided: "Not interested. But for Silas? No problem! Many girls crave."

Her turn. Soleil considered the next name, and meanwhile little fissures in her flesh appeared at the V-neck of her jacket and trailed upward past the Mark on her chest and sealed at the sides of her neck.

She said, "Zinnia."

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Ok, that was a glowing review for Silas, he would have just made some jokes about the guy being too quick, but good for him.

Corvus could not stop his eyes from following the fissures appearing on Soleil's body. It looked like she barely noticed them, but it was almost impossible not to notice them for Corvus.

"Zinnia, she is adorable, but not in an I am interested way, but more like a cute animal sort of way...Although, I realize that might come across as insulting which I did not mean it to be...She is just really quite and a little on the shy side. She nearly started a fight today because she would not tell Caeso to chill out a little bit, so not interested."

Now for the easy answer.

"Ok, how about Maseno?"

Soleil Verdane

 

[Lumen]

It was hard but she allowed him to lead. "Well," she mused. "I suppose you could practice your subterfuge and maybe start with pretending to like mashed potatoes?" A single-golden brow arched. A twitch of her lips before they tugged into a full smile.

A brush of her hand along his broad shoulder.

"Lighten-up Caeso. I truly think you could fine-tune your gifts for the type of mission that would perhaps, call for dancing." A quick glance from the stage and at the others still gathered at the table. At Zinnia still with Vasha. She didn't see Calvin anymore or Dash or Thrash.

Thank the stars.

"As for me? I am supposed to report to Proctor Gamble's office tomorrow. It might be for a mission but I'm not sure yet." A light roll of her shoulders. "Do you know your plans for after graduation?" Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught the sight of Corvus and Soliel. "Don't look now but I think Soliel and Corvus are getting drunk...I didn't even think that was possible. For Soliel."

Of course it was highly possible with Corvy.

 

[Caeso Diemut]

"The mashed potatoes, I'm sure, were fine. I merely took umbrage with their method of delivery."

A small matter in the grand scheme of things, but respect, one could readily argue, had in its very foundation a composition of naught but small matters. Still there was a tiny ember of irritation that Zinnia lacked not only the awareness of her mistake at first, but then furthermore lacked the wherewithal to correct it. This was not a skill unique to those of noble blood. She had no excuse for being a lackluster version of herself, crumbling under the weight of her own unaddressed inadequacies.

He did, however, allow for a small smile when Lumen told him to lighten up—mayhap some of it was the wine's influence.

Fine-tuning. Precise control. Already he was practiced in a good measure of that, directing Force itself required it, yet...scale was something in which fine-tuning could certainly be done. Breaking down castle walls was of course of a grandiose scale, the kind the Academy especially fostered. But on a more minute scale? A more subtle scale? That might well be useful on such a mission of espionage indeed.

"Perhaps there is something to that."

Proctor Gamble had something for Lumen tomorrow. Soleil and Corvus (thank Kress he spared the rest of their peers from Soleil's attention) were partaking of an unwise amount of wine, given that they still had classes tomorrow. And Lumen had a question.

Slowly they danced, Caeso easing into it a little more, some of that stiffness gone but his moveset still inescapably basic. He said in response, "There is but one sensible choice for me, and that is the Reserves. I shall not subjugate myself to inept officers no more than I must. A firm grasp over my talents do I hold, and best would they serve the interests of House Diemut, and furthermore my esteemed cousins of House Virak."

Lumen

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil drank. Or tried to. Right as she was about to begin gulping down another glass of wine, she hiccupped and wine spilled out from the glass and she hastily shifted to her feet to avoid any of it splashing on her legs.

Then after a second she laughed, lilting notes of intoxicated mirth. "Ha! Woo! Close. Me? Good...*hic!*...reflexes." She twisted her head about, giving her neck a little stretch. "Also me? Wish Sandform better! Immune to water! Immune to...*hic*...booze! Immune to hunger! STRONG! Weeeeeeee...*hic*."

Soleil fumbled for the wine bottle. Didn't spill it, but could have if she wasn't being particularly deliberate. She refilled her glass and tried to drink again and this time was successful—no interruption from her sudden bout of hiccups.

And maybe this was deliberate. Or maybe it was the wine. But instead of sitting back down in her chair, Soleil sat on Corvus's lap.

Acting like nothing had changed in her seating arrangement, she answered, "Maseno? Boring. Agreeable. All the time. Passive. Others? Take advantage of him. Sooner or later. Easy prey."

After two interrupting hiccups, she said, "Not interested. But, will watch. Fun! When predator stalks prey. Big girl will eat him."

Probably on that angle of predator and prey (though big girl would have been another smooth angle to take), Soleil said the name of an upperclass Initiate who had a reputation for that.

"Everleigh."

Corvus Azura

 

[Rowley Stone]

Corvus watched Soleil fumble with the drink with a bit of amusement, but wary enough to prepare himself to reach for the wine if she dropped it entirely. The small girl was strange enough sober, but bringing alcohol into the situation would surely make it better.

"Don't know if I could have this good of a conversation with you in sandform."

He would have continued to talk, but that was when Soleil plopped herself right down into his lab. Several things ran through his head quickly.

First, she was pretty for someone made of sand that periodically had fissures open up across her face. Second, could you sleep with sand...Probably not. It was rough and it got everywhere. Third, he was worried about her sitting on his lap given the fact that minutes ago she had held a dangerous grip on his crotch.

He was a little surprised to hear her decision for Maseno given that many girls considered him Mr. Perfect. Thankfully, Corvus also had as simple of an answer for her question.

"Nope, no way. I'm more likely to end up dead than anything else...Hmm, let's see how extreme you are. Edric?"The boogeyman of the year before them and recently made traitor.

Soleil Verdane

 

[Soleil Verdane]

Soleil paused.

Then she poured herself another glass. Drank the wine. Held in the pain of drinking quite well this time. There was an awareness, as well, that her face was already well flushed from having imbibed so much now. Flushed like she had seen in others—they who showed signs of wanting. Similar was she now to them because of the alcohol.

She smiled, and said, "E—*hic!*"

She smiled, and tried again, "Edric? Very attractive. Big, yes. Strong, yes. But more? Brutal. Kills well. Feels nothing. No remorse. Many fear. They should! Edric? Gets what he wants."

Her verdict, breaking the streak: "Interested."

Then she touched Corvus's nose with her finger (coarse and grainy, with hints of tiny movement), deciding to up the ante, and added, "But! Not number one. You? If guess, something special. For you. Three tries. Sound fun?"

Corvus Azura

 

[Zinnia]

"Ow, Vaaash, don' do that." Zinnia whined at the squeezing. It didn't actually hurt. In fact, if she were more sober she probably would have put up a little more convincing a whine. The musculature in Zinnia's legs was firm, sturdy, much beyond that of the soft looking exterior of a girl like her, and even for that of an initiate.

Zinnia wasn't really sure where they were going anymore. A changing room was mentioned a while ago, but Lulu went off and did her own thing. A dance with Seesaw or something. Now it was just her and Vasha, on the outskirts of everyone else. Probably where they both belonged.

"Vvvasha you don' gotta carry me..." She said with a tinge of regret in her slurring. The carefree patting of the odd girl's head stopped, instead just resting on the back of her...crest? "Maybe you could...change back? An' we can jus' talk. I dunno. Dunno how your's works."

Even through the high, Zinnia felt a bit bad. No matter how irritated at the acceptance Vasha seemed to receive Zinnia was, she was still one of her sisters. She should know better. Pain was just a funny thing. The drive to be petty in response to some slight, perceived or actual, intended or accidental, was a powerful thing. But then, Zinnia had never really just *talked* to Vasha much. She wasn't even sure how talking worked, nor language; people just made funny mouth flapping noises at each other and that was enough to conjure images in each other's heads and stuff? Man, life was wild. Language, what a trip. What was she on about?

 

[Rowley Stone]

Ha, Corvus knew it! Soleil was one of those freaky ones. She had to be interested in someone like Edric. He still remembered when he was younger watching Edric beat up fellow initiates for minor failures. It had disturbed him beyond measure, his eyes had been cold and lifeless.

Corvus had made it a goal to not end up in a place like that, and he had largely succeeded. Corvus was one of the tops of his class. Of course, it helped when he had such an overpowered and destructive ability as controlling the winds. It was like he was built to be a Dreadlord.

He wrapped one arm around Soleil's waist so that the inebriated initiate did not go tumbling onto the ground, while his other reached out for his glass and finished the rest of the cup.

"Well, I suppose it would be wishful thinking to think the reason you were sitting on my lap was that I'm number one?"

Soleil Verdane

 

[Lumen]

"Relaxing is helping," she commented quietly as the stiffness began to melt away. It reminded her of sparring. Although, the only danger being a stepped on foot. Golden hair fell behind her in long ribbons as she felt him dip her, before being swooped back up.

He might notice that the air around them was a pleasant temperature. Not too hot or too cold. Lumen's magic subtly at work. Just like she'd heated up the ciders, earlier.

"At least you have clarity about your future," she mused as she went for a slow spin before returning to his arms.