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Though her smile remained on her face as she listened politely to Priya and Dana's talk of gladii and swords, more of Nicole's focus was spent on mulling over Priya's account of her team's baptism by fire. Only luck and the grace of a few seconds had spared Penny from the same kind of mid-trial surprise that Amanda had prevented. They'd all been ushered into dark little corners of Palmyra, after all, where they'd been warned of potentially intense Void activity - but what else had there been? Something about diffusion levels, and allowing the manifestation of Voids to begin with. Had those levels been adjusted again during certain group's tests, like theirs or Priya's? Why? Another phase to the test? Some conspiracy, like Penny thought?

Her stomach ached a little as she sat up, languid above her teammate's heads. Her attention fell on Cara, violet eyes tracing down the length of the girl's neck and down to her chest before bouncing back up to her face. Vanna's roommate seemed less than enthused about her own thoroughly average test. She could be living proof of a coincidence or an unwitting member of a control group, as Astrelle had been positing since the minute their airship had been attacked. She might need to talk to both of them and see what they thought. But what good would that do tonight, when the adrenaline still fluttered in each of their bodies and they were celebrating their birth as Ars Magi?

Her gaze turned onto the top of the bespectacled little conspiracy theorist's head, stroking her hair braid thoughtfully for a second before her megawatt smile turned back on.

[color=ec008c]"We passed a few pizza places, actually,"[/color] she added. [color=ec008c]"Well, count me in, but don't expect me to sit by idly and let you guys pick a bad spot. A true Hastan can pick a crappy pizza dive from space if she had to. We should grab Astrelle and Vanna on our way out the door, too."[/color]