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Finn nodded to the Dwarf and raised his own drink to him in thanks. Taking a drink of his mug as well, before Turning his attention to the soaked wood nymph named Karya, which he heard was specialized being a Druid and Ranger. [color=76c429]"Magic infused, huh?"[/color] she asked Arn and himself. [color=76c429]"Rune magic? Runecrafting and regular crafting really do go great together."[/color] He closed his eye and gave a slow nod. 

[color=0E7609]”They do indeed.” [/color] He said with a small smile. Glancing down at his arm as he flexed the hand, he wouldn’t be here at all without it. He was grateful to Krum with all his heart. As well as his father of course. 

He glanced over to Selena as she started speaking to the girl with blue hair. His eyebrows raised with a bit of surprise as he realized he didn’t know what language they were speaking. He just assumed Selena spoke Kitsune only a year ago. He smirked when Selena seemed to be growing more comfortable. He started filling his own plate, looking at the new arrivals that had shown up. 

[color=76c429]"Also... Just curious. Would anyone happen to know what these recent changes are?"[/color] Before he could answer what he heard, Anise suddenly realized that Selena was indeed a kitsune. She suddenly bombarded her with questions, and Finn listened quietly, he had heard most of this already. Though he had never asked where her home was. She seemed quite intent in never returning. 

Things suddenly escalated quickly as Anise asked more questions. He glanced at Selena who visually was looking overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. He discreetly grabbed her left hand and squeezed it as he noticed her tail wrapped tightly. Around herself. She always did this while extremely distressed or nervous. He knew the Tiefling meant no harm, but that was enough questions for now. [color=0E7609]”Look, Anise..”  [/color] But he was cut off by Karya who tried to change the subject and Ixius, calling Anise out for making Selena uncomfortable. He nodded a Silent thanks to the irritable magus at the end of the table. 


Selena’s eyes were closed as others started cutting in to change the subject...some more than others. Still she felt horrible that now because she couldn’t handle the questions, now two of them were bickering. She felt pathetic...till she felt Finns hand on hers.She didn’t look at him, but she took a few breaths. And slowly calmed down.

While the two mages would exchange a volley of sharp words, he felt Selena’s hand soften. Looking at her he saw she was calming down. Glancing at her empty plate he sighed sadly. She must have been worried about how she ate, and being rude to grab food...despite everyone else having no issue. 

He quickly let her hand go before taking her plate and filling it for her. Focusing on the chicken. As his family quickly found out, it was her favorite food. He then saw she had not pulled out her ...chopsticks.. As she called them. She must have forgotten about them. Knowing she was embarrassed using normal utensils. Despite the many times trying to teach her. Finn had made her some according to how she described them. Without hesitation he pulled an arrow from his quiver, and with a small twist of his wrists, snapped it in two, sliding the feather tipped end into his boot. The same motion pulling a knife out from that same boot,  he expertly whittled down the broken end, before snapping in half once more, then breaking off the arrow tip. A few more quick strokes with the knife he finished his rough chopsticks, slightly thicker but usable. 

She opened her eyes as she felt Finn’s hand leave hers. She saw him starting to fill her plate with the very chicken she was eyeing and felt her stomach growl...An embarrassing sound. She looked away and pushed her hair over her ear, trying to not look at Finn. Though as soon as Selena heard the snap her head jerked to look at Finn. She turned slightly red as she realized what Finn was doing. While it embarrassed her, it also gave her a warm feeling inside. She decided not to say no. He would only say some excuse and continue with his plan anyway.

The whole time that the others were chatting away, Valencia was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Whilst she had the freedom to clam up all she wanted, to suppress herself, she instead was turning her head this way and that, trying to pick up on everything and not wanting to miss out on what anyone was saying. This only meant that she missed out on a lot, and was only overwhelming herself a little further, to the point where it was hard enough to control her expression, particularly as she wanted to at least look friendly to the people around her.

What didn’t help was that others seemed to know eachother or have some kind of relation to eachother, which meant they at least had something to go off of. It saddened her a little bit, as Valencia didn’t know what to do. Whilst perhaps many of the people she was presently sitting with knew how to converse properly with others, it made Valencia realise that those she had been talking with prior were people that she had known for most of her life, and who were essentially [i]required[/i] to converse back to her. She wasn’t used to meeting new people, and this was her first, harsh experience of a public schooling. So, Valencia reaches forward, picks up a single apple, and leans back in her chair, eating silently. 

Finn made sure that there was no way for Selena to get splinters before handing it to her, glancing over to Valencia as she was still very quiet. And eating an apple. He double checked her plate and confirmed that it was just an apple. After a moment, a tiny smirk appeared on his face at the very moment a plan came to mind.

He smiled a cheeky smile and leaned forward while looking at Valencia to get her attention. [color=0E7609] “I think you’re eating wrong.” [/color] he said before taking a drink from his mug. While he did, his eyes did not leave her face.

Whilst Valencia had been somewhat observant in her surroundings before, it took her a moment to realize that Finn was speaking to her. It was a realization that made her blink a few times to break herself out of the shell she had unintentionally trapped herself in, shifting her gaze over to him and leaning forward a touch to look past Selena. [color=Plum]“Oh?”[/color] She asks, smiling almost as if she was ashamed of herself, though with a touch of curiosity. [color=Plum]“How so?”[/color]

Finns cheeky smile grew for a moment before he cleared his throat. [color=0E7609] “Well.. first off. An apple is either a dessert, or a palate cleanser. You can't start off your meal with either of those.”[/color] He said trying to sound sophisticated. He thought he heard that somewhere...probably his mother. But it sounded right. 

He glanced around the table, standing up and grabbing a plate. He whirled around Selena and Valencia quickly and clearly with ease. He offered the plate to her as if he was a waiter. With a bow. [color=0E7609] “Might I suggest to the beautiful lady a fine...  [/color] he double checked what he grabbed. Using his free hand to wave around the plate to show how marvelous it looked before saying quite flatly.   [color=0E7609] “...Duck... [/color] all the while a charming smile was on his face. 

Finn’s efforts definitely worked in making Valencia feel a little better, for a small albeit slowly growing smile had appeared on her lips. She found it a touch amusing how much effort he was trying to put into playing waiter, and with her hands took the plate that she was offered. [color=plum]“Well, if one truly was knowing what he was talking about, he might recognize that this is [i]Duck à l'orange[/i],”[/color] she adds, with a little giggle. There was, however, still a touch of despair in her eyes. The publicness was getting to her a little bit, however she was forcing herself to make do.

Finn squinted his eyes as if he was suspicious of what she said. Standing up after she took the plate. A forced frown as he tried to show himself doubling checking his memories.  [color=0E7609] “Nono..not Duck à l'orange. I have it on good authority it’s just called Duck.” [/color] He said nodding to himself. 

Waving his hand after thinking about it. [color=0E7609]”BAH no matter. That is only the first part. The second part, which is the most important part. Is to dine with friends.”  [/color] He said while pulling a thin champagne glass, seeming out of thin air.  He had expertly tucked behind his back with the belt over his uniform. Grabbing it just before he moved around the two girls. Using this motion to hide what he did. The bow giving him time to make sure it was secure. Though it was clearly half of it probably had spilt out during his little show.

  He offered it to her in a toast. And blinked a couple times. Having an afterthought.  [color=0E7609]  Well.. I guess knowing you’re [i]with[/i] friends is kinda the first part. So the food would be second and dining with… you get what I mean.”[/color] He said with a wink. Hoping she would realize what he meant. 

Reaching back to the table, Valencia picked up her own glass, and then proceeded to clink the glass against Finn’s in a toast. She couldn’t help but feel very appreciative of the fact that he was trying to include her, though in the back of her mind, it just made her wonder how much worse it would be if it happened to all come tumbling down. She made sure to kick that thought away though, and try to grasp onto the rope that he was dangling into the well. She felt a touch bad he had to pull her out of that same well, however.

[color=plum]“Thank you,”[/color] Valencia says softly. There was a little bit of light in her eyes now that she had been given some glimmer of hope that she could actually interact with people. In a quieter voice, one directed toward Finn, she adds, [color=plum]“It’s nice knowing that I at least have friends here. From where I come from, I, well, I don’t exactly have too many of those. I… Well, both of our names carry our own burdens.”[/color] Her voice was practically a whisper by the end, though she did take a sip of her drink, for perhaps the first time since the food had arrived.

Finn cocked his head ever so slightly when she started speaking in a softer tone aimed only for him. He nodded, as she brought up names once more, something she picked up on outside his room. She clearly never offered her last name, and while Finn did have ‘friends.’ growing up. He felt they hung around to meet his dad, or brothers at times. [color=0E7609] “Well, despite being [i]dastardly charming[/i]”[/color] He said clearly being sarcastic. [color=0E7609]” I didn’t have many real ‘close’ friends myself. “[/color] He said in a quieter tone as well to respect her privacy. [color=0E7609]”However we are here to.. ‘Be our own person...by our own efforts.”  [/color] He said with a smile.. [color=0E7609]” So let's help each other as new friends and ignore the past burdens?”[/color]

Valencia had to admit, Finn [i]was[/i] charming, and the way that he quoted what she had said earlier was pulling at her heartstrings a little - it made her glad to know that he had listened to what she had said. [color=plum]“Our own persons, by our own efforts,”[/color] she repeats the words that he replied, just as quietly as he was speaking. The thought came to her mind that the pair of them whispering to each other like they were might raise some eyebrows, particularly those with a pair of pink fluffy ears nearby, and it made her giggle perhaps a touch nervously. She does, however, clink her glass against Finn’s once more, giving him a bit of a brighter, more appreciative smile. [color=plum]“Perhaps we’ve got to sit down and talk properly at some point. Without a thousand students, a thousand [i]friends[/i], hereabouts.”[/color]

Finn continued to smile as she echoed her own words. He raised an eyebrow as she clinked his glass again and presented the idea of sitting down and talking properly...alone… A hint of red appeared on his face as he smiled with a nod. [color=0E7609] “With that smile. I’ll be looking forward to it.” [/color] He raised his glass one more time, before moving back to his seat. 

The young woman could not help but notice the hint of red that had appeared on her friend’s face, her own cheeks having turned just a tint pink from the charming compliment that she was given by him. [color=plum]“I’ll be looking forward to it, too,”[/color] she whispers, her eyes watching him move back to his seat for a few moments. Once they returned to her meal, so wonderfully provided by Finn himself, she murmured one word before breaking into giggles as she began to eat. [color=plum]“Duck.”[/color]