[color=0072bc][h2][center]Shou Zheng[/center][/h2][/color]
As the tours came to an end, Shou found there was little he could complain about the facilities and accommodations offered by the Academy. He might have grown accustomed to life aboard merchant and naval ships, but he certainly wasn’t going to turn his nose up at a bit of comfort and luxury. The weeks spent aboard the Queen Titania had shown he had no trouble sleeping in the softest of beds. With the gentle call of the waves against the sandy beaches in the distance and a slight kiss of salt in the air? There would be no trouble relaxing and enjoying his time spent at the Academy. 

Diving into the ocean beneath the setting sun might have been his first choice after being cooped up in an airship all the way to Bermuda, but a grand and opulent party wasn’t bad either. The barrage to his senses was rather pleasant, and he quickly took in all that the hall had to offer as he stepped inside. Music had never been of much interest to him, and he paid little attention to the symphony as background noise. Instead, his ears twitched a bit as he caught all manners of conversations. While many were spoken in Latin, there were perhaps just as many being carried out in the students’ native tongues.

While he kept an ear out on the off-chance something important slipped, Shou personally enjoyed the array of scents that filled the hall from the laid out feast. There was plenty of unfamiliar fare to sample and taste, and he started to fill up a plate for himself. If this were a more official ceremony, he may have first changed his clothes like some of the other students had. For a welcome ceremony that the students were supposed to enjoy? Having alterations made to suit him seemed like a waste of time and materials, however small, when he was perfectly comfortable as is.

With a well-laden plate in one hand and a pair of glasses in the other, Shou cast his gaze around the hall as he waited for the chef to finish with his last request. Within the crowd of his peers it was easy to see numerous Egoists like himself. [color=0072bc][i]‘What do each of them strive for?’[/i][/color] He wondered as he looked from one to another. In between them Polymaths of all kinds, geniuses of his generation. It was a bit of a shame their specializations were not so readily apparent. Certainly it would have made his task a lot easier. [color=0072bc]“Thanks.”[/color] Leaving his thoughts alone for a moment, he nodded towards the man before finally making his way to one of the tables that lined the walls of the hall.

Sipping from one of the glasses, he had to weave a bit here and there as his tail whipped back and forth to slip through the other students without bumping into anyone. The slight fizz and sweetness to the bubbling drink was quite different and nice to what they drank back home. Weaker too if he could barely differentiate the alcohol within from the carbonation.

Taking one of the seats that were designed to accommodate an Egoist with a tail such as himself, Shou started eating right away. The Academy had even been thoughtful enough to provide chopsticks alongside the more typical Western utensils.