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The following introductions caught Astrelle by surprise. An energetic girl with shining, golden eyes promptly used magic to ease the pain of Penny’s unfortunate head injury. For a brief moment, Astrelle wondered if her reason for doing so was to boast her talent, but her suspicions were quickly eliminated. The girl, introducing herself as Dana, had a lively and bright disposition—an eerily perfect match for her Light Elementum. Her existence seemed positioned as the the polar opposite of Astrelle, in both behaviour and magic. Even in this minor interaction, Astrelle noticed how different they were in the way Dana shone with enthusiasm when she spoke, and the sympathy she carried when she tended to an injured stranger. It was slightly unsettling—if elemental affinity could be dictated by the type of person you were, did it mean they were truly opposites? She wondered what kind of fulfilling life Dana must have lived to be so…well, [i]bright.[/i]

Penny replied to Dana’s show of magic with her own demonstration, generating small sparks between her fingers. Astrelle raised a single eyebrow at the curious sight, but promptly returned her gaze to her cup of tea. She giggled softly to herself, thinking about whether or not the electric girl would short circuit if she were splashed with water, but the thought quickly dissipated; it was just a dumb joke. The two girls were rather chatty, and Astrelle paid their banter no mind.

The last introduction was most surprising. Vanna hailed from royalty, and given the level of decorum and poise she had exercised so far, there was no reason to doubt her declaration. Astrelle almost laughed at the ill-fated coincidence. She thought she may escape the burden of high society by coming to Nova Lux, but it appeared to have followed her instead. There was little she knew about the Diana clan, but they had a reputation for being righteous and principled even among the Duodecim families. Astrelle felt that the honorable Diana girl may want little to do with the black sheep of the Venus retainers, if she heard the unpleasant rumours of her character.

Victoria Glass made a comment on their backgrounds as well. Though Astrelle disliked mentions of her family, her statement was objective and succinct. It only bothered her that the label of her family name invited unwarranted opinions and expectations, which were extended to her. The Lennoxes presented themselves as highly capable and loyal retainers, and people expected Astrelle to fit the same mold. She, however, craved a unique, individual identity.

[color=b699ff]“Oh?”[/color] Astrelle’s eyes drifted over to Nicole, who mentioned being familiar with her family. It annoyed her that she brought up the bothersome topic again, but Astrelle made a conscious effort to keep a smile on her face. She wondered how much she knew about her family—through all the lectures and punishments given to Astrelle, her family constantly emphasized the importance of their image. If they truly were so concerned about public opinion, her parents may have avoided talking about her to others. However, there was only so much even the Lennoxes could control.

[color=b699ff]“I used to go to Hasta more often in my childhood. Once or twice a year maybe? I stopped going a few years ago and haven’t been since…”[/color] Astrelle’s voice trailed off slightly towards the end, remembering [i]why[/i] she stopped going. She chuckled as she swatted the thoughts away. [color=b699ff]“I had a rather [i]enthusiastic[/i] shopping spree the last time I was there. Have you been to Valentia?”[/color]