[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qSXKgkY.png[/img]
[sub][@Nanaya][@Estylwen][@Psyker Landshark][/sub][/center]
Well, their silence was a bit meaningless, really. What did they think Otis was, an unfeeling machine who had never obtained companions before? A complete asocial buffoon who made no efforts to understand human emotion and the roots of irrationality? He simply raised an exasperated brow, first at Iraleth for making a bold-faced lie, then at Ciara for thinking that he couldn't fill in the blanks by himself. Couldn't fill in the blanks, when it was obviously an extension of the question that had been poised just one day ago.

[i]What are you?[/i]

[b]"Well, make sure you've eaten dinner at 5PM then. It helps to have replenished yourself before a fight, and something warm would help settle the nerves too,"[/b] Otis replied, leaning back. "[b]As for myself, it was both about as productive and unproductive as one may expect when there's still so many restrictions in place. The Iris Record that you'll be fighting in is considered a nexus of the artificial leylines that have been constructed over Wingram Academy. Chances are high that Iraleth would have a definitive advantage there then, considering how [i]uncommon[/i] divine conduits are to begin with."[/b] After all, what was more difficult than artificially imparting what had to be divinely given? [b]"Of course, it also serves as the dormitory for students of special circumstances and possess high-enough security that they wouldn't even let anyone in [i]properly[/i] through the front doors, so they will likely have defensive arcane measures around the dueling room itself to prevent anything unfortunate from spilling out."[/b]

The Strigidae had a bit of a poignant pause himself, wondering just how dangerous knowledge of Raja's activities would prove to be. She had been lax in terms of watching her back, for sure, not protecting her secrets in a way that indicated it was a secret worth protecting, but while he expected Iraleth to provide a particular perspective regarding shadowy figures speaking of the fall of Goetia, what did he expect out of Ciara?

[b]"It's a shame that [i]this[/i] is your first duel though, rather than one with Gulliver. I'd have liked an opportunity to study the Foreteller's capability from a safer distance."[/b] He had an understanding of the elven paladin's own powers, after all. There was less mystery, less intrigue, when one simply had the power to become a hero, stalwart and kind. [b]"But regardless, Ciara, I'll be your second."[/b]

He stood up with her, his body tilting downwards so he could catch her gaze even when her countenance was gloomy and affixed to the floor. The truce persisted, but Otis would've been lying if he wasn't simply grabbing an opportunity made from the irrationality of his peers. Who could have known, that it'd take less than a day for duels to be brought into the proving grounds?

"[b]You [i]are[/i] doing this because you can't afford to lose, right? If not, then I can puzzle out how to make for a reasonable defeat instead.[/b]