---

She looked forward to having a nice drink and some discussion about the nature of her powers. And some time with Linxi. Although, the latter, well, that could get awkward and she needed to not let it. Or out, really. Then again, Xanara had a tendency to crush. And then not. So, time would tell.

It seemed, though, that she needed to meet some people. Sira was one of those people. And the headmaster, from the sound of it. So, she figured she'd start with the things that had to happen. And maybe she'd run into a few of the people she's met so far. Taking a breath she began moving, hating crowds she zipped through as they barely moved. She was so excited about maybe understanding things that, at least, she'd like to have future plans to actually understand.

She made her way to the front of the group. Well, the side of the front since Sira had taken to the sides as Ema led the tour. At the moment she didn't hear anything, out of sync with the psychic. It all came back to normal, people moving, noises she could hear in real time. Though, to others it almost seemed like teleportation. "Um...hello, Sira? Linxi suggested we meet since I have some questions about temporal causality and paradox. I'm Xanara. And, I'm, maybe, a bit overexcited since my powers have created some possible problems related to such things. But, I don't want to impose now." Well, she did but it would be rude to do so more than just that.

"... Weird." Kirigina toyed with the edge of her hat, looking away from the front of the procession as the two of them wrote off the strange nosebleed sufferer. Given everything she'd seen so far it was indeed greatly comforting to be told that there were in fact healers - wonderful ones! - nearby for the certainty of magical mishap. Any second now someone would turn too fast or jostle the wrong way and poke their eye with a scythe tip. Or sneeze fire into someone's cotton. Or upset their extradimensional patron into gracing them with their incomprehensible creepingly chaotic presence. She just wanted to turn a wrench, and never fet so more clearly as the tour of the airfield had stopped with the chief artificer's brief in indication of the other vessels collected around them. That was the sum of the attention paid to her craft, and with it, they were marched off towards the academy.

What kind of mutant deer grew up white? Some product of the wild magic of this land, no doubt. The old witches would have prospered in such a place, the tundra was so inhospitable as to have shaped much of their craft into devices for survival and medication in their environs. Kirigina raised a hand to point at the animal, but it had already fled from the march of students. Her eyes flitted around from plant to plant, seeking its snowy face once more as the talk turned to undocumented creatures and untold dangers within the greenery's veil. "Was that some kind of deer monster?" She said, mumbling the thought aloud before they were safe. The rest of the tour was through constructions of stone and opulence, full of actual magic to be sure but not as magical as walking through a place of uncategorized life.

In the blink of an eye a student had come forward from the mass, engaging one of the guiding teachers in the middle of their tour. Her own initial shock gave way to a sense of relief, at least the instructors were approachable enough to present questions to. Unfortunately that was the one teacher at the academy she would have any questions for. Kirigina looked to Kress once again, gesturing to the many towers around them as she asked. "Comrade Kress, we've passed quite a few buildings but I do not see any stacks here." A long pause as she hoped continued looking would prove her wrong. "Do Cresian academies usually have a forge or do you, erm... industrialize differently?"

While others marvelled at all these buildings with fresh eyes, for Kress, it was as if he was finally coming home. As a child, he had often toured around the place, often spending a whole day at the Academy before flying back to the capital, but now...to think he'd be able to live here...it was a comforting thought, and he passed through the familiar landscape with a sense of comforting endearment. A feast, a good night's sleep, and then wham, accelerated learning courses up the wazoo. His skin tingled. He could hardly wait!

...well, had to answer questions first.

Turn to Tatjana once more and feeling rather eager to share his insider information, Kress said, "Oh, there is actually. Not stacks, per se, but ever since they've gone international, Arkus Academy's been adding more places for heavy metalwork and the like. There's a pretty smart system for it too, something like a wide-scale Rune system that generates smokeless heat and energy for the forge from vestigal magic energy released in other facilities. Super interesting stuff and brand-new as well." He chuckled then. "Maybe a bit too brand-new, even. I'm not actually sure if they're done with their renovations of that place yet."

---

---

The young blonde finally caught up to the group after walking for what seemed like centuries (even though it was actually just a few minutes). Some might see Haruko slightly panting from just the walk that he took.

He may not know it, but another reason his parents wanted him to enroll in the academy was to improve his stamina. They will not let their son waste away in their home by sleeping all the time. Haruko would argue about it to his parents, but he was too sleepy to even get angry or irritated. Besides, he knew all that talk he got from them about going outside and getting some sunlight was important for a growing boy like him, and he understood their concern. That's why he started to open the curtains so when morning came, Haruko's still sleeping body will be basked in warm sunlight.

His parents did not appreciate his sense of humor.

Anyways, Haruko was glad he was among his peers again. It was a good thing he didn't miss much aside from the names of their teachers and other staff members but he'll just follow the lead of his would-be classmates.

Speaking of classmate, Haruko found a potential candidate: a tall boy who introduced himself as Callum, with amber hair and a bandage on his chin. Judging from the overall vibes Haruko was getting from this guy, he seemed to be a mage whose magic focuses on close-combat. Haruko thought it's pretty cool to see a mage who prefers fighting in close range than those using magic at a far and safer distance.

Haruko also looked at another boy who waved at him: a boy with dark grey hair and very pale skin. To be honest, Haruko was a little spooked when he first saw him. He thought he was one of those brooding mages that practices dark magic, but the blonde changed his mind when he saw how bright his smile was. And boy, was Haruko glad he was wrong.

The Osuunese boy stopped alongside them, put his arms beside him, and did a formal bow. "Thank you for waiting for me. My name is Haruko Eto, and you can call me Haruko", he said before standing right back up. It's been long since he last talked to people his age as he usually chatted with his parents' patients who were usually thirty years old and above.

He continued to walk with the group now that he could listen to the person in charge of showing them around. Aside from sleeping, Haruko's other favorite thing to do was learning, and he was glad for the opportunity to learn new knowledge he could dream about. They continued their tour from the Blackglade Forest to Everin's hall, the administration building. The Osuunese looked around in awe at how beautiful and grandiose everything was. He couldn't see much of the other buildings, but he hoped some of their architecture would be something that could remind him of home.

Their tour continued up to the dormitories and the library, the Tower of Lights. What Haruko couldn't get out of his mind, though, was the large oak tree where under it was the shaman teacher Li Amoni playing his flute. That place seemed to be a perfect place to sleep, and Haruko made a mental note to go and sleep there if he got the chance.

---

@PigeonOfAstora@DrowsyPangolin

---

So maybe it had taken a little more time than previously estimated to get off the airship...well, maybe a little much. He'd been napping a princely nap away from the crowd of others, content on waiting until they arrived to start talking and listening. It had been a long night of study for him on the books, before coming to the airship ride here, which had left him very much 'wiped out' (a foreign phrase he was at least aware of). In the end, this meant only one thing for the golden prince...

...a lot of running, and a conjured skeleton carrying a bag of extra clothing and junk parts he hadn't the chance to have had brought here beforehand. A mage, nor a future king, could not leave behind the essentials, after all!

Though as the golden prince, black casual clothing and associated jewelry donning his personage, ran off of the airship and towards the entrance he looked back towards his skeleton to make sure it was keeping up. After all, he did not want to lose his things in all of this!

"Make haste! The rest of this group have left to other parts of this school, I should imagine!"

However, as the prince looked back around, his eyes shot open wide as he quickly moved into a skid that saw him stopping...a couple of feet behind the Orion's probably. Or less. Moving from this to regain his composure and hopefully image, the prince transitioned into a handsomely vibrant smile and flip of the hair as he regarded the situation in front of him. Especially the two ladies in front of him, pretty much just Linxi and Azura, for that matter.

Though attempting a good front in front of the headmaster he'd read about was also of importance, yes...

"Ah, it seems my company is not to be left alone today! A princely nap on the way here seemed to be just what was required, no less after a long night of study prior to this fine day! Though I must confess, oversleeping does not usually occur for a son of Isila's beloved ruler. Hahah!"

Nailed it.

Though a few moments later, the very simply-conjured skeleton came barging in with the bag...only to clip the doorway by mistake and be sent sprawling to the floor. The bag, in turn, hit the ground and slid over the entryway's floor until it bumped into a wall with a light "pomf" and "clink". Thankfully nothing spilled out of it, though at least the skeleton was now trying to start scrambling back up to go grab the bag again.

@SamaraJayne96@DrowsyPangolin

---

---

...Wait, was that an undead creature running by?!

The fey-blooded girl had not left with the rest of the students, though had kept to the back of the crowd and somewhat isolated in general. She'd been looking for any signs of someone from home, a familiar Nilsovan face or the like, back on the ship. But no luck had been had in that regard for her, leaving her to hang back as the rest of the students had flooded out and into the main tour group. Mostly she'd wanted to steel her nerves before catching up, this all having been her first breath and experience of foreign lands in her entire life. She didn't want to make a bad impression by hanging back too much, but she also didn't want to bolt into things so headstrong it got her into trouble either.

Not that it wasn't all exciting enough so far, albeit far from the comforts of home, but as she had been walking towards the entrance someone had run by her at top speed. That in and of itself was enough to almost let out a giggle at, mostly just making her pause for a second, but then a skeleton of all things had run by not long after. Not that undead were an unknown thing for her, but neither had they run around carrying bags either!!!

The girl felt a small tingle run up her spine, however, before she started into a small jog towards the entryway.

"What is going on here? I just saw a skeleton run by and-," Asteria said in a curious manner, slowing down as she approached the group of people in the entryway. Her normally hair-hidden, slightly-pointed-on-the-ends-yet-human-sized ears were somewhat visible due to her hair tousling slightly in the process of jogging over. Yet the girl glanced over the faces there with as sense of curiosity, until...

...her eyes and voice stopped cold when looking at Linxi. That white hair, warm black eyes like that, that familiar kind of appearance spoke to the golden-eyed girl herself. It spoke of her mother's appearance, somewhat at least, but more so of home. First Nilsovan-looking person, at least from her perspective, that she'd seen since leaving home.

@SamaraJayne96@DrowsyPangolin

Julian raised an eyebrow as the boy drew a knife and took up a defensive stance. It wasn’t uncommon for new students to be a bit… jumpy. The world was a wider, diverse place, and many students brought the mindsets and instincts of their homes with them to the Academy. The boy’s sister, however, quickly intervened. Julian smiled the same sunny smile and shook his head, casually waving a hand.

“Oh, no worries. I probably could have picked a… less surprising entrance. Sorry to startle you.”

The girl filled her brother in on the details, with Julian nodding along. When Azura mentioned their family name, however, something like recognition flickered across the Headmaster’s face. Orion. He knew that name well.

“Orion, ah yes, I read over your reports earlier.”

The Headmaster’s sunny smile dimmed only for a moment, his eyes flashing to Atlas with a look of understanding.

“So you’ll be Atlas, then. I’m happy to welcome Abrahim’s son. You look just like him, you know.”

The Headmaster extended a hand from his sleeve to shake the boy’s hand. His eyes softened a bit as he offered a handshake to the other sibling.

“And his daughter as well, though I suppose you take more after your mother. I’ve never met her I’m afraid, but my mentor always spoke very highly of the High Priestesses of your tribe. Your name is Azura, yes?”

The gleam of gold caught his eyes before he could continue. The Headmaster’s eyes drifted up just in time to catch a blur of black and gold being followed by a very determined skeleton. “It seems you weren’t the only ones to miss the tour. I guess Ema forgot to take a headcount…”

The Isilan boy came sliding in with all the grace of his station, the skeleton with a bit less. Julian raised a hand with a warm smile. “Hail, Prince! Welcome!” The God-King’s child was among the other files he had read this morning. He reached a hand down, raising the bag and handing it to the skeleton with a smile. The nature with which the Isilans regarded necromancy made many in Cresia nervous, but he had traveled the sands long enough that it seemed commonplace. “I find people often devalue naps. Their importance should not be underestimated!”

It was not Julian, but Linxi who noticed the final student approaching. Without looking, she turned to the newcomer with a bright grin. “Oh don’t worry, our friend here just stumbled a bit. All’s well.” She motioned toward the skeleton, her eyes finally settling on the girl. A look of faint surprise overtook her, and her smile only grew wider. The white-haired woman clasped her hands together and spoke up in a strange language, syllables fluttering about gracefully but with little rhyme or reason. The language of the Faefolk was virtually unknown outside of Nilsova. Even Linxi’s pronunciation was a poor replication of the sweet, hypnotizing voices of true Fae, but her point, simplified though it was, was clear. ”Welcome Sister! I don’t see many of us so far from home.”

Julian turned upon hearing Linxi speak up, looking at the new girl with a smile. “I’m afraid I’d embarrass myself if I tried to speak the Fae’s tongue, but welcome, nonetheless.”

Julian looked over the group, reaching into his pocket and removing a glittering gold pocket watch, inset with emeralds and amethysts. “Hmm… well, I’m afraid the tour may be wrapping up soon, still, you might be able to catch up for the very end. Of course, if you had a mind to explore on your own you certainly could.” Julian smirked, snapping his watch closed. “Or if you wanted to be first in line to choose your dormitories, you’ve got a pretty good chance at that as well.”

@Crusader Lord @SamaraJayne96



Kellin nodded along with Callum’s assessment. “For sure, ‘specially with how the food smells here.” The bouquet of deliciousness that surrounded the kitchen and cafeteria had sent his stomach into a fit. He had eaten his fill on the airship, and the food there had been far above his usual fare, but if the smell were anything to go off of, the academy’s cook was in a whole other league. Catching Callum looking longingly back at the cafeteria, Kellin gave a look of solidarity.

“I dunno about you, but I think I just figured out where I’m going once this tour’s over.” He nodded toward the source of the heavenly aroma. The smell had distracted him for a moment from the sleepy Osuunese boy who was introducing himself. He had heard some people had a lot of trouble sleeping on airships. Maybe this boy was one of those folks.

“Ha-ru-ko.” Kellin pronounced the name slowly for a moment, making sure he got it right.

“That’s a neat name. I’m Kellin. Nice to meetcha.”

The rest of the tour was fascinating, to be sure, but Kellin couldn’t help but feel held up by the whole thing. He wanted to explore the grounds on his own, see what there was to see! Of course, there was first the matter of smelling what there was to smell and tasting what there was to taste, and he had no intention of letting anything get between him and a second breakfast.

As the three of them walked along, Kellin glanced over to Haruko.

“You okay buddy? Didn’t get enough sleep?”

@baraquiel @PigeonOfAstora



Sira Hemwick was wholly unprepared for the girl weaving through the crowd behind her. No, in fact, Sira was daydreaming… if one could call what she did daydreaming. She had received a very interesting schematic for a prosthetic arm from her former mentor this morning, and while she was supposed to be helping with the tour, she frequently found herself drifting back toward the design. She was meant to critique it, of course, to go over every detail and find some flaw in its construction. There were no flaws, of course, or at least none that she was insightful enough to notice. Still, it was humbling that the Fifth took the time to ask her opinion. Still, how to critique a flawless design…

It was during this deep pondering that Xanara appeared beside her. She looked a bit surprised for a moment, but quickly began nodding along. “Hmm. Hmm. Causality. Yep. Paradox. Mhm.” She had produced a notepad at some point and was rapidly jotting down notes. “I might be able to help with that, certainly! I’m by no means the best scholar on the subject, but I might be able to point you in the right direction, at least. What kind of issues have you been havin-” Sira blinked as Xanara opted not to impose. “Oh, it’s really no trouble… though it might take a bit of research…” Her voice grew slightly quieter as Ema spoke up above her, still regaling the students with the history of the Tower of Lights and stories of some of the tomes inside. She was just getting to the truly ancient works that the academy kept under lock and key. For a dedicated student though, no book was out of reach!

Sira, meanwhile, had picked up on another conversation happening just a few feet behind her. “Just one moment, Miss Xanara.” Sira slowed down, sinking in with the crowd and placing herself beside a peculiar girl in a pointed hat. “Oh, you’ve heard of the forge! I’m very excited about it. We’re still doing some final testing, but it should be up and running later this week! It’s actually…” Sira smiled, beaming with pride. “It was actually my design! Or, well, partly. It was based on something my mentor had been working on, but pulling the energy from other facilities, that was my doing.” Something seemed familiar about the blue-haired boy, but the artificer was terrible with faces. Noticing the wrench in the hands of the girl next to him, though, her eyes lit up. “An artificer from the Republic? How wonderful! I’m sure you’ll love the facilities here, actually, if you’ll look ahe-”

“If you’ll look ahead of us,” Ema motioned toward a building constructed entirely from a distinctively smooth black stone, “You will see the Hall of Instruction!” Thick vines covered the face of the old hall, vibrant flowers blooming across them. “It is here where most of the practical experimentation takes place. Every instructor has their own workshop within the walls, and there are a number of workshops for students as well. We have facilities for practicing all manner of spellcasting: thousands of alchemical ingredients, hundreds of high-precision tools for artificers… we even have rooms to help Psychic focus.” Ema smiled. “Of course, there are also the basement rooms. You’ll find those quite indestructible, though you’re more than welcome to test them to your heart’s content.”

Sira motioned toward the Hall with glee. “We actually just finished up some new stations for student artificers. You should come by and see them! The new tools are so precise. You can actually engrave runes so small that they’re near microscopic!” Rapidly, she turned back toward Xanara. “Actually, that would also probably be the place to look into this problem of yours as well! Well, the library would probably be helpful as well…” Deep thought seemed to take the artificer.

Ema led them on past the Hall of Instruction, motioning to the small white building beside it. A woman with chestnut brown hair waved at them from its doorway. Her glasses shimmered from beneath the shade of her sun hat. “That is the infirmary. Should any of you fall ill or injure yourselves, the Brinstroms will see to you. Albert is currently away on business, but Ophelia is a wonderful healer. She also keeps a garden behind the building where she grows all sorts of herbs for alchemical purposes, as well as fresh produce for the kitchen. She keeps a few plots open for students as well, if any of you are interested in trying your hand at it.”

As they continued on, a quartet of towers rose above the treeline. They seemed a bit worn down compared to the other buildings. “If you continue that way, you’ll find the arena. It hasn’t been used in quite some time, though renovations are scheduled to begin later this month. Once those are done, it will be a stage for a few events that we’re not allowed to speak about just yet.” Ema winked.

“But with that the tour is complete! I hope I didn’t bore any of you. Feel free to explore around campus as much as you like, though please be sure to go and claim a room in the dormitories. Your things should have been transported over by now. If any of you would like to speak with any of us we will be available, otherwise I hope you all can start to make yourselves at home here. The Headmaster’s speech and the feast will be at Everin’s Hall at sunset, I will see you there!”

With that, the tour was over. A few students looked around confusedly, others darted off to go explore, yet others approached Ema. Korina leaned against a nearby tree, glancing over the dispersing crowd.

@Random Kitty @Epsir @ERode @Katthaj @CavnderOHeart @Lord of Evil @Scribe of Thoth

Wordlessly the blond boy peeled away from the crowd. He looked around a little, as if considering his options, before heading towards the dorms. His expression was neutral and he walked with relaxed, unhurried steps. Internally, however, his mind was a storm of thought. There was a lot of information to process, of course, but he was more concerned with securing his secret. If there were psychic teachers that could do telepathy then it would be difficult not to be caught. And if that was what the teachers did, what would the security do? He didn't know much about demons but he knew that demons being in the mortal plane was a big deal, and even if Mortimer was weak, they would doubtless do something about it.
Stop thinking, kid. You're no good at it. The demon said in his mind, yawning. And maybe think about who's inside your head before you start insulting 'em.
My brain, my business. Richard retorted. And I wasn't thinking anything that wasn't true. So why don't you give me some space?
The boy could feel the demon's mood darken before he spoke again.
Watch it boy, Your expression is slipping.

Quickly, Richard put a hand up to his mouth. His mouth had dipped into a frown and his brow was deeply furrowed, souring his face with a glowering expression. Sighing a little, the boy massaged his jaw, fixing a light smile onto his face. He relaxed his brows and adopted a more calm look.
How's that then?" He asked.
Great. You look like a rich idiot, instead of a pissed off rich idiot.
The corners of Richard's mouth ticked up in irritation, but he ignored the demon and continued moving towards the dormitory building the group had been shown during the tour.
And why are we going to the dorms? Don't we have something better to do? Mortimer whined.
"I need to check my stuff." Richard muttered.
Not like you have anything worth taking. Doubt you'd be missing something anyway. The demon retorted.
That was true. Richard kept anything really precious on his person, the rest he could definitely afford to lose. Nevertheless, he didn't want to lose it.
"It's my stuff, Mort. I don't need a reason to secure it."
Fine, fine. Securing a base of operations is important enough, I suppose.
The boy sighed in relief. Mortimer was being cooperative for a change, perhaps due to the threat posed by the staff of the school. Speaking of which...

"So, what about the teachers?" Richard muttered to himself.
Finally, I was wondering when you were gonna be a real man. If you ask me, the red heads are worth trying for - if you get one of 'em she'd probably help you get the other.
The boy frowned in annoyance.
What do you want me to say? I told you, kid, you think too much. Mortimer said. When the blond one's around, you don't talk to me and I don't talk to you.
"What if I need you?" Richard asked, with a small amount of uncertainty.
There was a small period of silence before the demon spoke again.
Then you'll be even more hopeless than I thought you were.
Richard tightened his grip on his book, but did nothing to deny the statement. He was trying to become a better mage in his own right, and relying on Mortimer too much would only hinder his growth.

Just to be safe, I'm not using any psychic stuff around her. Mortimer continued, ignoring the boy's inner turmoil. You could pass yourself off as an illusionist to someone who doesn't know, but there's no way you'd pass yourself off as a psychic to a psychic.
Guess I'll have to hope she's not an illusionist too. Richard thought to himself, sighing as he did.
His footsteps weighed a little heavier as he walked to the dorms, but he kept his expression even and hoped no one else would bother him today.

"A tour?" Cormac pursed his lips, he just gazed blankly at the welcoming committee then he mustered up some emotion, or prehaps it was hunger. IT was a long bloody ride to the Academy and Cormac hadn't eaten enough. There was something he needed to find in his sleep, a message from his cult's Fallen Angel. Cormac had tried to remember. He sighed and began to think; he took two steps back and closed his eyes. There was only a single colour in his mind it was oceanic, dark as if never touched by the sun. warped and moving, no brilliance no vibrancy. Just a cold and wet presence. Externally he smiled he loved this as much as he imagined what hearing his future boyfriend's heartbeat would be.

"Names? Demons names? Are these even correct?" Asked Cormac his fellow cultists told him that he'd be gifted with an omen, he only had one question left, this question was war-related and was going to be taken to his grave-site. Cormac opened his eyes once the turquoise stopped making sense and his inner vision became a myriad once again. Cormac rejoined reality by tailing a crowd of new students. He spotted another boy, one with blue hair, then he felt himself become colder, turning his head Cormac noticed a girl with golden eyes. He smiled a half-toothy smile and had anticipation in his eyes. He thought about what to do next. Cormac liked golden-eyed people but this blue haired guy had a...Addictive aura. Cormac walked over to the Blue-haired dude...He stood beside the blue-haired dude and whistled at the golden-eyed girl.

"I'm Cormac Hollow. How would you like to befriend a person pact'ed with an Angel?" Cormac had left out the part about SHE WHO FELL being; historically a Fallen Angel for the sole reason being; the darkness musn't be sicked on people you just met. That was against how he was raised. Cormac placed his hands (excluding his thumbs) in his pants pockets and arched his elbows. "I'm not royalty or from a out of this world family. But I'm told, there's beauty in my glamor." He told them and seconds after that gave the blue-haired boy and golden eyed girl a looked that said: '...About the blood earlier, allergies are a bitch. IT shouldn't happen again, if I'm lucky. ha...ha!" overall Cormac looked worried for his own safety so he could use some new friends right now. All of a sudden an idea struck him! Cormac took out Headbang from his right pocket, "You guys up for hearin' my passion?" politely asked Cormac.


@ERode @[Crusader Lord]

---

Xanara's smile was bright. She knew how to interact with people and, in this case, she was asking for help so knew the best way was with a welcoming but not obsequious smile or merely fake. And she kept it up. Although, the answer was a bit...well, she wondered why. Although, perhaps there's some humility about her actual knowledge of the subject. She was about to say something but then it changed for a moment.

She was about to respond but Sira's attention moved to someone else. At least Xanara wasn't the only one who's attention seemed to flit about. Really she was only truly focused when working on her dance. Smiling at the...well she looked like a mechanic of some sort...young woman with the wrench. "Hi," she gave a small wave, "I'm Xanara, I'm a dancer." Which was so far away from anything involving a forge that she didn't even really understand it.

"Well, I can look but I'm not exactly hands on, at least not with my abilities. I...well I meant about. Maybe an example, before the tour started I wanted to talk to Linxi, I got a bit overly excited about another teleporter and I ended up across the ship, which was fine, but I ended up there a little over a minute before I'd left. Sometimes I end up in the future, sometimes the past and I'm worried about possibly breaking things. Especially with all the magic here. Thus, causality and paradox. Can a cause come after the effect and not create a paradox. That sort of thing. Like what would have happened if I'd accidentally stopped myself from teleporting on accident because I noticed my presence in the wrong time. Oh, I'm psychic and it's both time and space that I can influence and move through. My aim, temporally speaking, not always great. Space I get. Or I don't and I do keep missing things by a lot so I compensate by moving to the time that I wouldn't have missed." She put a finger to her mouth with a hmmm, she hadn't thought about that possibility. "Honestly, not sure but my concern is causing a problem while I learn" She spoke quickly with the zest one might expect from someone in the arts, someone who is used to being seen and has abandoned many of the reservations that those not familiar with the muses cloak themselves in for reasons she has never understood. At least here, with so many who have real power, maybe they can understand the shedding of certain social mores.

"And," her attention returned to the young lady with the wrench, "I'm sorry, that was a lot. I'm just so excited that I might not always end up in next week on accident when I'm nervous. What do you do? Engineer? Mechanic? I'm terrible with tools of all sorts so it's always fascinating when someone understands these," she gestured to the ship, "sorts of things." She didn't sound at all mocking, she was sincere completely. Xanara had a way of making people feel as though they were the center of attention. She could do that from a stage, doing it face to face was second nature and, to the shy, it could be a bit much. Though some people had the opposite reaction and it could bring them out of their shells.

@Epsir

Heartening news. It would have been an awful tragedy had Kirigina been sent all this way only to find that the academic artificers of Arkus Academy preferred the study of theory over practice. Not an unreasonable commitment but one she was wholly unsuited for, wrench in hand and textbooks traded for calloused, blistering experience at the front of repair queues. A warm smile spread across the wrench witch's face as Kress went on, and she found herself nodding confidently at the concepts broached. Maybe she was proud to be keeping up with the theory after all, since while the steel constructions of her homeland were titanic representations of the Republic's progress in rebuilding... They were not usually so ornate. "Building sized heat exchangers composed entirely through runes. I cannot imagine how sharp the tolerances must be, or what kind of work went into creating, no, affixing that system to these old structures. Even if the yield were unsteady, the air is very clean here to think a forge might be nearby."

Before either could continue the instructor she'd just been thinking about flagging down approached them. Sleepy eyed fascination shifted from Kress to Sira, glancing back in time with their instructor giving the boy the same lingering glance she had. Artificers were not people people, so much was true across borders at least. Or he just had one of those familiar faces. "Ja," She responded automatically to being called an artificer, bowing her head but only listening to the teacher. The tour proceeded, prompting a long period of polite silence as instructors talked and pointed them around at the buildings. A workshop, a garden, all handy things to be so close to with reasonably unlimited access. Who could have envisioned a center of learning, the focal point where the future was weaved with an unsuspecting and uncaring generation of new hands, could afford to be so comfortable. But, just as soon as she warmed up to the idea of the academy they were done, turned from a tour into a group of meandering students deciding where first to go. That was a new feeling. Giddiness tipped the corners of her lips, "I cannot believe it," She admitted, nudging Kress... but as a growing trend, before she finished the thought they were face to face with more of their kind.

First a snow haired boy who introduced himself as Cormac Hollow and in the same breath declared himself to be possessed of some sort of pact with an Angel. Kirigina raised an eyebrow at that and immediately recognized the nose bleed from earlier in the day. Her hand flinched, the start of a protective reach for her new friend's shoulder in what was surely a trying time that stopped as a second person introduced themselves, and so easily, the first bloc split.

Xanara. I hope that is spelled phonetically. The lively looking girl who spoke with the artificer-instructor about some high concept things a few moments before. Kirigina had overheard the words causality and paradox and promptly checked herself out of overhearing a conversation so far out of her league. It made for an interesting assessment of the sunkissed woman though, spoke to an intelligence one might not have immediately associated with 'one of those dancing girls from the west.' No, even the witches of old had their dancing rituals around the fire. They dressed more modestly because they would have died wearing that skirt in the tundra, but nobody mistook them for prudes. Maybe she was a proud practitioner of ancient, traditional magics and here she was rubbing shoulders with a dusty mechanic from a line of spellcasters who bent to the call of progress.

"I am Tanya. Pleased to meet you." She said, correcting her failure to introduce herself while the tour had been going on. In one motion she shuffled her wrench into the crook of one arm, brushing an already clean hand across the fabric of her coat out of habit before extending it in greeting. "N-next week?" The conversation blew past the little hangup she stammered under her breath. "I am a Technician, which is to say both of those things when they are needed. Slight differences. Aha." She chuckled nervously. This Xanara was disarming in a natural sort of way. If only that did not frequently forecast danger in Kirigina's homeland, and on the witch's face a strange blend of social anxiety and ease among comrades played tug of war while she watched the closest thing she had to a friend spirited away over the dancer's shoulder. At least it wasn't the scythe mob.
"I fix these sorts of things." Kirigina followed the young woman's gesture, beaming at the Cresian vessel. "Well, Verholtan ones. Machines are deceptively simple once you know their language. Maybe like dancing, once you understand the swing of things it gets easier?"

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The Osuunese boy slowly nodded. "Yes, that is right. Thank you for taking the time to say it right," he said to Kellin. He really appreciated it that he really tried to speak Haruko's name right. One would be surprised to learn the number of people who would get Haruko's name wrong, even if it was only composed of three simple syllables.

The tour continued on and they were greeted upon scenery upon scenery of wonder and delight, making him even more curious to learn more about this place. However, Haruko still couldn't get his mind off the serene-looking tree by the lake. He felt the breeze caressing his skin, and it took all of his willpower not to sleep on the spot. Other people can cry on command while there were those who are flexible enough to put their foot behind their head; Haruko's useless-but-not-for-him talent was to sleep on the spot in less than thirty seconds. He really trained hard on it.

Haruko looked at Kellin with his eyelids half-closed. "Hm? Oh no. It is the nature of my magic. If anything, I slept for the entire journey here. I have dreamed about lots of things as well. I've touched the clouds, feeling their coolness brush along my hand as I reached out to touch them. I've also seen a nightmare that turned into a rather pleasant dream..." Haruko's mind wandered for a bit and he wore a small dreamy smile on his face.

He saw the same butterfly he saw a while ago fluttering in between him and Kellin. "Even if it were an insect, all living creatures knew the value of resting their tired bodies. But this butterfly cannot afford to sleep yet. It's sole purpose in its life is to mate and lay eggs that contain the next generation of its species. Despite its short life span..." Haruko lifted a finger up and the butterfly landed on it. "...it still must continue on living." He slowly moved his finger outwards and the butterfly used the motion to boost its flight. Haruko watched contentedly as the fluttering insect flew away to fulfill its destiny.

He turned to Kellin. "By the way, the tour has ended and they say we are allowed to go wherever we want. Perhaps you may be hungry and want to go back to the banquet to feast? Maybe you want to visit the Tower of Lights? I will gladly go along with you. As the old saying goes: the world is your oyster."

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@DrowsyPangolin

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Xanara listened to the difference between what she had suggested and the Technician. Although, she really wasn't certain she understood it. Honestly, anyone who wasn't in design was a mechanic to her. There weren't exactly a breadth of words in her native language to describe the nuance she was hearing. "Tanya, a pleasure. And, thinking about it I do think there are some language barriers." She had an accent, but so did many, and she could talk about certain areas of study but anything outside her bailiwick was difficult. "I'm still learning, I mean we learned in school but technical language is always different."

Then she wondered the best way to explain the thing. It seems she heard about next week. "Well, sometimes...not the best word to use. Well, I'm a psychic and my powers are related to time and space. When I first found out about my powers I was mugged and moved myself over a week in the future. I had no clue but everyone was looking for me. Sometimes I move without wanting to, and time doesn't always follow right. So I could end up yesterday or tomorrow on accident and I have." She shrugged, "it's kind of frustrating and the reason I'm here. I need to learn to control it all. I mean, I can't have a career if I can't reliably make it to show time or rehearsal." She laughed a little, "One time I was having a dream about being late...I ended up there with my sheet and that's it." It had been pretty amusing. It wasn't like they didn't all change around each other but, still.

She also thought about the other comment and, on that, she didn't necessarily agree. "Well, I've always thought that anyone can learn the basics, or even the motions but to truly excel there has to be something else. A spark, maybe. A talent. Like the different between a proficient musician and a true artist. I'd imagine it's similar with machines. Some people can just speak the language so naturally. I think I'd be lucky to stumble through it." Spacial and temporal mechanics she had a, well, better than basic understanding of. But that was about the only science she really knew. "It seems, from your demeanor, that you may have that gift."

@Epsir

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Zachary was a bit overwhelmed by the splendor of the campus. In theory, of course, he expected no less from Cresia's premier institute of magical instruction, but the reality of the place - and the knowledge that it would be his veritable playground during his stay - was far more than he'd actually envisioned. So much more that he really had no idea where to start, though he suspected that would be swiftly corrected once classes formally started. One of the few benefits to having such a limited magical arsenal beyond the basics was he couldn't really go wrong when choosing what to study first.

The recommendation about securing a dorm room seemed most prudent; he didn't want to wait until everyone else had chosen and get stuck with a bad room, although he wasn't quite sure what a 'bad room' would entail. Something on one of the higher floors would be ideal to let Sirocco have a perch - there was no way he was keeping an owl in a cramped dorm room - but he didn't want to have to traverse multiple sets of stairs every time he wanted to leave his room either.

Zach wandered off toward the dorms after the students were dismissed from the tour. Admittedly, he was a bit eager to check on his luggage, despite such paranoia being mostly unfounded. He weaved through other students that seemed to have the same idea, pausing when he came up behind that boy he was talking to earlier. Richard looked... a bit dejected, maybe? Or that could've just been how he walked. The blindfolded boy assumed it was the latter; Zach could sympathize with the feeling of having an opportunity you were looking forward to fail to live up to your expectations, but he couldn't fathom what one would find disappointing about this place.

"Hello again," Zach greeted jovially as he fell into step beside Richard. Friends were useful, in learning and in general. Wow, that sounded overly pragmatic to the point of callousness. He was becoming his father. Fun. "Heading to the dorms? I think it's kinda weird they didn't just assign us rooms."

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@Lord of Evil

Heads up, we have incoming. Mortimer said suddenly.
Despite being lost in his own thoughts, Richard immediately snapped to attention. The demon heckled the boy at any given opportunity but he could be relied on to be serious when he needed to be. And as he was spoken to, he turned to see who it was.
"Oh, Zachary!" Richard said in surprise.
He hadn't been expecting someone he knew, so the brown haired boy's arrival was not unwelcome.

Richard straightened his back as the pair fell into step, adjusting his hat as he did. Normally he was on high alert against people he didn't know that well, but Zach didn't seem particularly bad so he supposed he could afford him some leeway. Nevertheless, he couldn't show a shabby appearance to someone he'd just met.
"Yes, it does seem a little strange." Richard said in response to Zachary's question. "But, I wouldn't think too much of it. Perhaps they simply wish to let us choose who our allies are, and our enemies."
The blond haired boy smiled conspiratorially at the brown haired boy as he spoke, before giving Zachary a pat on the back. He laughed lightly, as if his actions just now were a joke.
Hope you don't do what I think you're doing. You don't even know the guy. Mortimer muttered in Richard's mind.
He ignored the demon. It would be ideal for him to have a room to himself, but failing that he would much rather share one with someone he was at least acquainted with. That would make his life much easier.

Still smiling, Richard spoke to the boy once more.
"Well, in any case, I think it would be good to get there before anyone else does." He said in a lighthearted tone. "Shall we go retrieve our belongings?"
While he had no intentions of becoming close to anyone, he did want to have some friends. It was important to have someone to trust, even though there could be a time where he would not be able to return that trust.
@Scribe of Thoth

“Oh, about the whole air quality thing,” Kress spoke up, both relieved that Sira was there to add validity to his own statements and eager to discuss more of the magical machinery that went into improving the quality-of-life for Arkus’s students. “I’m not too sure who’s the one behind the prototyping of it, but one of the older students here’s actually working on this super interesting smokestack as well. I think the core concept behind it was using something like…transfiguration magic, alongside runic magic, with oversight from an elementalist shaman to create stone blocks that can imitate the properties of trees. They take in the bad air, essentially, and turn it into clean air, while, you know, requiring only water to operate, alongside the occasional injection of magical energy during maintenance. Heard it’s going to be especially useful for places with lotsa rain, cause, y’know, it rains, so people need fires to keep warm and dry, but instead of making everything smell due to the smoke that lingers in the town, it gets cleared up by these specialized bricks instead? Mm…what did they call it again, think it was something like a Per-”

Before Kress’s magical nerd rambling could continue on for another five minutes, however, suddenly, the Kress-Tatjana pair seemed to be getting lotsa attention all of a sudden. First to bat was Cormac Hollow, nosebleed man that WAIT WAT. Angel? No way, a Levizan? And he was calling over a friend of his as well, a white-haired girl (another Levizan? They certainly looked similar) as well! Stepping up in a manner that shaded Tatjana from the nosebleeding Levizan’s view, Kress said, sticking out a hand to shake, “Hey, hey, I’m Kress Alstein, nice to meetcha! Can’t believe I’m meeting two Levizans at the same time. And that…oh, a handheld phonograph, you do music too? Is that like, part of your magic or something? I heard Isila and Osuun featured magic rituals that incorporated song and dance, so is that like, the same for Leviza as well? Hey Tanya, check t-”

But the second person who popped up (in a vain attempt to break up the bloc), was even more interesting, if that was possible at all. Whether intentionally or not, Kress had heard two magical phrases placed in close proximity: ‘psychic’ and ‘time and space’. Mayhaps the dark-skinned lady saw her abilities as a bother that must be mastered lest it disrupted her everyday life, but for the always-enthusiastic Kress, she looked as if she was born into the luckiest combination ever. Being a psychic was one thing, but to have her psychic specialties lie in one of the most complex schools of magic known to humanity? Oof, that was a hella spicy meatball. Popping up over Tanya’s shoulders, his amethyst eyes glittering bright, Kress quickly introduced himself, “Good day to you, m’lady! Sorry to eavesdrop outta nowhere, but well, not like I’m actually popping outta nowhere anyways. I’m Kress Alstein, pleasure to meet you and great to see Tanya meeting up with cool peeps as well. I heard you were a dancer? Cause this dude here” two fingerguns shot towards the mad nosebleeding lad Cormac of Hollow “is a musician from Leviza! Crazy coincidences, huh? Welcome to Cresia, by the by. A real pleasure to see so many people from around the globe.”

Of course, it'd be nice if that white-haired girl spoke up too, but small steps, small steps. Maybe she was just shy or something.

@Random Kitty@Epsir@CavnderOHeart@Crusader Lord@Random Kitty

Kellin raised an eyebrow as the boy explained the nature of his magic, though he nodded along with perceivable interest as he spoke about his dreams. “Wow, that’s something. I’ve never heard of somebody sleeping to use magic… uh, if you don’t mind me asking, how exactly does that work?” The Osuunese boy was proving to be a bit of a curiosity, but Kellin couldn’t help his keen interest in his words. “Those dreams sound wild. I wish I had dreams like that. To tell you the truth, I usually don’t even remember them.” It was a rare occasion that Kellin remembered anything other than the void of unconscious when he awoke… and on most of those occasions he’d wished he hadn’t.

The tour continued on, and Kellin walked and talked with Haruko, his eyes glancing about at the sights as they went. He was a bit surprised when he glanced back to see a butterfly lighting on his new friend’s finger. Again, Haruko’s words brought on an instinctual raising of the eyebrows, but Kellin nodded along once more. “It’s got a purpose, huh?” Kellin’s eyes weakly trailed the colorful insect as it took to the air. He couldn’t help but think there was something contagious about the sleepy serenity that surrounded Haruko, but he managed to shake it off as the tour came to an end.

Kellin’s stomach growled irritably, causing him to grimace slightly. “Yeah, I think getting some food is probably for the best. He turned and began walking back toward the delectable smell of the kitchen. “Oh, now that you mention it, I wonder if they have oysters…” He began to make his way back toward the cafeteria, trekking back along the path they’d just walked. “So what’s it like back in Osuun? I’ve never been.”

@baraquiel

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The students and faculty began spreading out in various directions. Some wandered off towards the forest, others went back to find their rooms or explore the campus. Ema, after answering a few questions, began walking back toward the Hall of Instruction, smiling brightly at the students as she took her leave.

Korina still rested under a nearby tree, taking a toothpick from her pocket and clenching it absentmindedly between her teeth. She watched as her half sister threw herself headlong into some technical discussion… and immediately produced a notepad, which she began marking in rapidly. Korina sighed. If the notepad had come out already she was about to go off the deep end.

Sira jotted down details as Xanara spoke. “Hmm… a paradox could certainly be a concern. Chronomancy is a rare discipline, not a lot of information I’m too familiar with… though I know some books I could check into that might tell us more! I can do some research if you like, and then perhaps if I could observe you using this ability… well wait, if you went into the past I wouldn’t be in the right spot to see the end result… hmm.” Sira mumbled to herself, writing much more rapidly than she spoke. “I wouldn’t worry too much though, there’s nowhere safer for you than here! We have a host of safeguards against magical accidents, including those of the chronological variety! But in the meantime, Ema might be able to help you get more control over your Psychic abilities. She’s an excellent teacher, and she knows quite a lot. She was the Sixth’s only student after all, if you have a question about Psychics, she’d be the one to ask. Linxi can probably help too, though her teleportation is actually not so much true teleportation as…” Sira continued mumbling, scribbling away.

Kress’ comment about the smokestack pulled her attention, her eyes lighting up. “Oh! You’ve heard of that too! I think that’s actually not supposed to be public yet, but yes, it’s a wonderful invention, that Per-”

“Sira! We’re supposed to go help prepare!” Korina called out to the artificer, motioning toward the Hall of Instruction.

Sira’s incessant scribbling came to a screeching halt. “Oh dear… that’s right. My apologies, it was a pleasure to meet you all, I hope we get to speak again soon!” She placed her notepad back in her pocket and set out back down the path.

Korina passed by the group, smirking. “Sorry, she would’ve went on all day. Hope you kids enjoy your first day.” She followed her half sister at a lazy pace, her silks swishing as she walked.
@ERode@Epsir@CavnderOHeart@Random Kitty

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"It is probably the most straight-forward type of magic yet: in context, we can make anyone sleep. We do not know if it will work on machinery or robots. We have not tried it yet but basically, sleep is central for our magic. As other regain their magical energy reservoir thru eating or meditating, we simply sleep," Haruko said to Kellin.

The Osuunese boy smiled a bit at Kellin's comment about dreams. "Practitioners of Sleep Magic have the ability to remember their dreams in full detail, and even control them. That means that we have a clear recollection of our dreams from start to finish, and it applies to both the sweet dreams and the nightmarish ones," Haruko solemnly said. "To share something I know: most people do not remember ninety-percent of their dreams so it is normal for you to not remember them. If you want, I can use my magic to help you explore your dreams. Although, I do not know if you will like what you see...", he said to Kellin with a cautionary warning to his voice.

They continued to walk with their peers in the tour group after that, continuously answering all questions that Kellin was throwing at the Osuunese. Being talked to for a long time was definitely a new experience for Haruko, usually because he spent most of his time sleeping and talking only to himself and animals. He's sure his parents will be proud to see their son talk to another human being for more than three minutes. Even Haruko was surprised himself when he realized he indeed liked to talk to people.

After Kellin mentioned that he was indeed hungry, he later asked what was it like living in Osuun. Haruko took a couple of steps before answering. "I would like to believe we are more humble, and I meant 'we' as in the common people such as myself. Of course we want to be very well-off but at the end of the day, all we want is just to live a normal, simple, and peaceful life. We are more culturally centric as we always have festivals and feasts here and there to celebrate all the things that made life worth living," Haruko said. "I might be biased but I will say our region might be the most peaceful one out of all the regions. People always go and meditate in the mountains or at the beaches just to breath and find themselves within a peaceful and quaint environment. I will be delighted to show you around if you ever want to visit Osuun," Haruko added with a smile as the pair went on their way to the place where the food was at.

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@DrowsyPangolin

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The skeleton grabbed the bag back with a mechanical motion as it was offered back, before moving to stand behind its conjurer. No expression shone from it, no further impetus beyond it assigned commands. A very useful kind of skeleton, in Ramesses' own opinion, but ultimately very basic due to its simplicity.

"Indeed, even a great scholar must rest every so often! Hahaha!" the princeling said, before uttering a hearty laugh and crossing his arm in a regal...if not rather confident fashion. At least, until the mention of choosing dormitories and exploring the place caused Ramesses' ears to perk up in curious intrigue, "Ah, yes. A grand opportunity this is then! I shall claim my own dwelling before the remaining rabble, and then set off to see what this place has in store! Many thanks, dear Headmaster."

The prince then motioned to the skeleton behind him, which began to move around the group and then forward. He then gave a wink to the ladies in his presence, before once again beginning to jog off in a dead sprint. Even the last words he said back towards the skeleton, whilst moving past it, were audible to the group despite them growing swiftly distant:

"Come along, Patsy! That seems a fine moniker for such a loyal skeleton! So make haste, you bag of bones, so i may claim my quarters!"

...Well, at least he was enthusiastic about things?

@DrowsyPangolin

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She knew it!!! Asteria felt a sense of rapidly-bubbling excitement well up within her, a beaming smile coming onto her face that stretched from ear to ear. It was a simplified variant of her mother's tongue this woman spoke, but oh how the familiarity felt more like home! It was enough to burn out much of the nervousness she had walked in with, and swiftly the fae-child jogged over to where Linxi was.

Asteria's own hands came together as well, before the words of the fae language just began to rush out of her mouth like instinct as she lightly jumped up and down in excitement. Fluttering syllables of a graceful nature, little rhyme or reason ever to them, and yet a certain silvery smoothness and sweet honeying to it that stood out in particular from Linxi's own words. Mostly it was words of gratitude for meeting another faeblood here, talking about her nervousness in getting here, lingering late, a random off-thought offer to practice the fae language with Linxi, and just being glad for some initial familiarity around this new place.

Little did Asteria tend to remember, however, she had maybe somewhat specially grown up for several years among her mother and the fae. Due to that, her fluency with the language felt like a second skin of sorts, something natural for her that had lead to a few awkward situations in the past...

...Especially when trying to talk to some other faebloods. Not that some couldn't understand, but some hadn't been around the language as long so early on or used it as much, and...ah...oh dear.

After several seconds of excited linguistic chattering, like nothing else was around her and Linxi, Asteria's mind seemed to poke at her with the reminder. The Nilsovan faeblood felt her tongue and words suddenly screech to a grinding halt in her recoiling, as a very beet red color began to come to cover her face. Asteria put her hands over her face, like an embarrassed or ashamed little child, before any more words (now in the human tongue) came out.

"S-S-Sorry!!! I-It has been a long trip, a-a-and I got e-e-excited to see someone from home h-here..."

She at least had managed to hear some of what the Headmaster had said, mainly to the gist of "getting rooms early" and "exploring the place". However, her mortification at her unrestrained fae jabbering-on felt stronger than her will to run away and find herself a room to hide in at the moment. Almost made her wish she was back home, somewhat.

@DrowsyPangolin

@ERodeHe looked like a drowsy mess. The fact that Cormac was blushing made it worse. He actually enjoyed how much Kress was talking and what he was speaking about. "Kress dude, you're really introspective." He then laughed half-heatedly. He was becoming aware of how self-embarrassing he was being right now. Cormac put his music on and turned the volume onlow. (Something he never did before). "Yeah, that's my magic. Kress. It's a combination of hard-work and the Blessing of my Angel." Cormac felt his eyes flood with a unending passion-the same emotion he felt when on the stage-(it wasn't fiery it was something more lunar.) he felt a immortal love for his Patron and Music. He finally stopped blushing and answered Kress' second sorta question. "Yeah, it's not really the same. We learn our magic from the Angels, verbally and in their Mother Tongue." He told Kress then blinked a few times and realized slowly, slowly that he was healed. "Fuck, I hate myself." Cormac cursed quietly he only hoped that nobody else just heard him.

Putting his thoughts of the consequences that Angelic magic Brought to the side for now Cormac had kept listening to Kress. He actually liked the blabber-mouth. "Dude, never shut up.' He advised Kress before blushing again as he was talked about in a way similar to his fans spoke praises of him. This act was something Cormac had been accustomed to for two years, and each person made him blush. Kress was no different, no matter how cute he was! Cormac just noticed a new person arrive, so he shut his own music off and rested his earbuds on his left shoulder. "Yeah, Cormac Hollow at your aid~ I'm a vocalist and drummer. Could that help your dance in anyway, my dude?"

Inwardly Cormac breathed a sigh of 'Thank My Lord.' He finally had a reason to stop blushing, and as a result felt his cheeks cool down, although the bloodied face and shirt made his look like shit.

Kirigina retreated back to the easy role of listening as the dancer began to talk openly about their casual disruption of time and space. In a normal conversation she could have had the luxury of just sort of not really understanding how one goes about their normal life when a sneeze or casual mugging could propel them outside the boundaries of causality as she knew it. A humble reminder that a stronger sort of people existed in the world, who faced down existential uncertainty with that kind of nonchalance. "Haha," She laughed along. Ending up naked in front of your work group, crazy stuff, that. This wasn't a normal conversation, the chief artificer beside them was jotting down all sorts of things, examining Xanara's story and assuring her that this sort of thing was dealt with around here. Nope, Kirigina was the odd one out and before long she was just the odd one when Sira strode away.

The mechanic's face took on a quizzical twist as the dancer continued, as if she'd just been made to swallow something only mildly sour. "Ne, I do not know about that last part. You definitely don't need to be special to be a technician, they take everyone they can get their hands on." That didn't paint them in such a great light, did it? She gripped at her wrench. There was a little bit more to it than that, though not much. The machine took the citizens it needed to keep moving, but... "But that has worked out well for me," She shrugged her shoulders. "I think it would be rather sad to have to work at something where my fate was put out by things like talents and sparks before I ever got to try. At least I know why dancing makes me so nervous now."

Wait, was just taking the compliment the better play? She chuckled nervously at the end of her own attempt to keep things light. Her mind began to spin for a way to follow that up but a social creature the Kirigina was not. As the horror of being locked in a conversation between two people with nothing but ostensibly good intentions in common set in, Kress broke through, bringing his bloodstained new friend with him. The circle of cool peeps grew as the strange sudent finally put name to a now unforgettable face: Cormac Hollow. "Wow, so many mages in performing arts. More lively than the scholars I pictured going to work with... Um, in a good way, of course."