[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PBIE8xt.png[/img] [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjY2LmFiOWIzNy5XbUZ5YVc1aElFRnNMVTVoWkdWeS4w/italianno.regular.webp[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjYwLmM1YmQ1OS5VbVZqYjNKa2N5QnZaaUJoSUZOcGJHeDVJRVJ5WVdkdmJpQlVZVzFsY2cuMA/kate-blues.regular.webp[/img][/center] [indent][i]My first day with the little blueberry. What a mess! I thought the blue ones were supposed to be cute and obedient. But then I forgot this was a wild creature. Damn! This is going to be harder than I thought, especially with all the babysitting I’ll be doing with the other ones on the team so I can train them all. This little one has been hiding the whole time in the little house I made for him, and when I open the cage, he cheeses it! Clearly, this isn’t love at first sight!!! New strategy: He’s gonna only eat when I’m around with the cage open. That’s how I got that stray cat to like me enough once. I really liked that cat. Mother didn’t. I was thinking of a name for a while. I gave up on a meaning, just want something that sounds nice. So, why not Arlo? It just fits the blue colour. Also, he’s just SO CUTE!!!!![/i][/indent] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/zu586HI.jpg[/img][/center] [hr] [indent][i]The beginnings went alright. Every afternoon I’d pick up the dragons to supervise and train. The blues were surprisingly easy to handle! Tactically placed scritches did the trick once they got comfy with me being around. The Grape was feisty, but easily pacified with food. Nearly bit my finger off. Not as clever and cute as the blues, but also such an easy baby. The reds can suck my ass. Fuck these fat shits. Sometimes they’re a-okay with tummy rubs, other times I need a binder for my arm! And I’ve had them steal from my kitchen more than once! Assholes. It’s gonna take FOREVER for me to get this going anywhere. I need something extra, like that thing we’re learning at school. What’s it called again? Oh yeah- Magic! Thank the Six for Sienna Afraval, got me in a good spot to actually learn the stuff. I wonder what bottle I should bring next time …[/i][/indent] [hider=Orientation with Zeno Afraval, then Wine] [h2][b]Assani 19th[/b][/h2] [b]Location:[/b] Sienna Afraval’s Home [b]Day of the week:[/b] Lepdes [b]Time:[/b] 3:30 HO [b]Characters:[/b] Zeno Afraval [@Force and Fury], Zarina The week following the events of the St. Agustin Refuge had left Zarina in a slight crisis of identity - one she had kept under wraps without arousing any suspicions. She had a slight understanding of her situation, that the magic she used resembled something that ran commonly in her family and yet the only examples she truly had of it weren’t enviable. Guidance was necessary and pride wasn’t going to get in the way, although she was careful to ensure her colleagues wouldn’t be around when she’d come by her Zeno’s residence for some orientation. As usual, the door was unlocked for any of Sienna Afraval’s students to step in and conduct academic work with her supervision. It wasn’t uncommon for students to hang out - usually after doing some actual work - making it a sort of common room after a long study day. Instead of taking a seat, the Virangish teen stood stiff at the centre of the study room, awaiting her teacher’s acknowledgement of her presence. She was wearing a dark, trumpet-sleeve satin dress with her hair tied and her face mildly caked in makeup. Over her left, flexed arm was a Virangish handbag, big enough to hold a couple of large and round objects. [color=FF69B4]“I suppose I [i]could[/i] let you keep doing your best statue impression for a little longer,”[/color] the zeno addressed her after a little while, not yet looking up from her work. [color=FF69B4]“You fairly [i]bleed[/i] discomfort into your surroundings, Zarina.”[/color] Now, she finally twisted to regard her student. [color=FF69B4]“What can I help you with?”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Sitting and crunching numbers all morning will get me to do that, yeah.”[/color] Zarina answered with a titter, her posture relaxing a little now that her teacher addressed her, [color=C78A2C]“Well, Ms. Afraval,”[/color] she began to pace toward the nearest surface where she could post her bag and then leaned her shoulder against a wall, arms crossed, [color=C78A2C]“I’m afraid I’m in a bit of an academic orientation conundrum. I was hoping you could help enlighten me.”[/color] her voice lacked the usual sarcastic or playful intonations she’d have even with authority figures. It was all to-the-point, [color=C78A2C]“It involves my initial choice of magic schools. Recent events have brought me to believe I should reconsider them.”[/color] Sienna scowled. [color=FF69B4]“You want to switch your courses now? This far into the year?”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Yes.”[/color] Zarina answered bluntly, [color=C78A2C]“I’m not afraid of the workload.”[/color] [color=FF69B4]“I’m inclined to approve it,” the Zeno replied after a quiet moment, “but ‘inclined’ doesn’t mean ‘yes’.”[/color] She forestalled any premature celebration. [color=FF69B4]“It’s a lot of work and, though I know you can handle it, I would like to know why.”[/color] It was clear that Zarina now had the Torragonese’s full and undivided attention. Zarina considered her words carefully, for she wasn’t exactly known for her silver tongue. Her lower jaw shifted side to side and her gaze peered downwards, [color=C78A2C]“Uhm, how to explain it …”[/color] her eyes return to her teacher’s form, [color=C78A2C]“I’m fairly certain I’ve been mistaking my questionable binding skills for something else.”[/color] she admitted, bracing herself for remarks, [color=C78A2C]“But I’ve come to realise I’m actually not too bad at what I’ve been doing anyway. So … Why not explore it further?”[/color] [color=FF69B4]“Mmm,”[/color] murmured Sienna, crossing and then uncrossing her legs. [color=FF69B4]“Mistaking Chemical for Binding, right?”[/color] She quirked an eyebrow. [color=C78A2C]“You got me.”[/color] Zarina raised her hands in surrender. [color=FF69B4]“It’s funny,”[/color] the zeno snorted, [color=FF69B4]“they specifically told us to watch out for that one during training. Your first Zeno should’ve caught it, to be honest.”[/color] She pursed her lips disapprovingly. [color=FF69B4]“Who were you with again?”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Maybe I’m just that good at it.”[/color] Zarina lowered her hands to cross them. She smiled at her teacher, and a shit-eating grin it was, [color=C78A2C]“Uhm, it was that super chill one - Born-on-Solstice. Or Sunny. I guess. She was nice.”[/color] [color=FF69B4]“Hah!”[/color] barked Sienna. [color=FF69B4]“Should’ve figured.”[/color] She smiled knowingly and rolled her eyes. [color=FF69B4]“Sunny’s a lovely person and a damned good mage, but maybe not the sort of person who knows how to say ‘no’.”[/color] She let out a giggle. [color=FF69B4]“Her sister and I - that’s Luna - always used to try to get her to say it when we were biros.”[/color] The zeno was wearing a shit-eating grin of her own. [color=FF69B4]“Part of it was the language barrier - she was still new here - but she always used to say ‘not yes’.”[/color] There was another giggle. [color=FF69B4]“Oh Dami, I have stories. One time, when I was a bit down, she told me to ‘find your inner butterfly’. Great at making you feel better; terrible at real advice.”[/color] Oh fun, stories and good moods, Zarina was happy to see where this was going. So much so she slowly slithered into the comfort of the couch her colleagues would usually sit on to study together. It was comfortable, very soft, probably terrible for the back, [color=C78A2C]“Y’know, you gotta keep these friends close. The feel good ones. A lot are taken for granted, because you’re right, it’s all just feelings talk.”[/color] she could use some wine right now, [color=C78A2C]“But fu- [i]ahem[/i], Eshi, am I sick of people trying to explain things logically when I feel like shit. I just wanna be told it’s all gonna cool, embrace your inner pink. Or something.”[/color] she snorted, [color=C78A2C]“Luna’s the one that’s a tad scary-looking, right?”[/color] [color=FF69B4]“It was a phase,”[/color] Sienna sighed, lips closing into a petite smirk. [color=FF69B4]“She thought it’d make her look cool and mysterious and - not gonna lie - it kinda did. Thing is,”[/color] she continued, [color=FF69B4]“She became so well-known for it that when she tried to stop wearing the makeup, nobody knew who she was.”[/color] She smiled at the memory. [color=FF69B4]“Now she just takes it off when she doesn’t wanna wear her ‘teacher’ hat. Anyways,”[/color] Zeno Afraval stood and straightened her dress a little bit. [color=FF69B4]“You wanna have some wine and cheese, I’m game, but let’s do your forms first. You’ve got them, right?”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Yep.”[/color] right on cue, Zarina whipped out the dossier with all the information of her enrollment and new forms to go with them. It did cost more than she’d expected. With a little bit of Kinetic magic, she had the whole thing drift over to Afraval, [color=C78A2C]“So you had a goodie two-shoes, happy-go-lucky type, and a mysterious edge-dark type. What fun niche did you fill, Ms. Afraval?”[/color] she smirked, head tilted ever so slightly to the left. [color=FF69B4]“Look in the mirror, sweet cakes.”[/color] She grinned. [color=FF69B4]“Now, think you can hold it still in midair while I sign?”[/color] She raised an eyebrow challengingly. [color=FF69B4]“Wouldn’t want me to mess up the ol’ seal of Afraval, wouldja?”[/color] Grinning confidently at the challenge literally dangled before her, Zarina straightened her sitting posture and pointed both index and major fingers from her right hand to keep the document steady. Jocasta’s teachings were being applied, albeit on a far lighter specimen with little external influences such as vertigo - Although there was some pressure to be felt, and it couldn’t be half-assed, [color=C78A2C]“What you’re saying, as I look in the mirror, is that you also managed to mess up Binding and Chemical? Heh.”[/color] [color=FF69B4]“Only two schools I never cared about, hun.”[/color] She put the finishing touches on the paperwork. [color=FF69B4]“Nice gravity looping by the way. Good thing you’re in Kinetic too. Now, this should handle it.”[/color] She gathered the forms up and handed them back. Leaning forward, she squinted outside. [color=FF69B4]“Balthazar’s open for about another half-hour, I’m guessing. Hurry, and you might be able to make it.”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Thanks.”[/color] Zarina stored the new documents back into her overcrowded bag and stood up, [color=C78A2C]“Want me to stop by the cheesemaker and nab some goodies? And by goodies I mean cheap wine.”[/color] she closed her handbag and glanced at her Zeno, expecting an answer. [color=FF69B4]“Sweetheart,”[/color] Sienna replied, posting a hand on her hip. [color=FF69B4]“Look who you’re talking to. I don’t [i]do[/i] cheap wine.”[/color] Her coinpurse floated over and a magus removed itself. She was so approachable that it was sometimes easy to forget that Afraval was the royal house of Torragon, even if [i]she[/i] was but a distant branch on that mighty tree. [color=FF69B4]“Go get something respectable.”[/color] The coin sailed through the air and landed in Zarina’s outstretched palm. [color=FF69B4]“Now don’t just stand there lookin’ at me.”[/color] [color=C78A2C]“Well damn.”[/color] she blurted out at the mere sight of a magus floating about. She had seen priceless pearls and hills of scales that could match this value easily, and yet it was always surprising to see folks casually whip out such values. She caught the coin and dexterously let it flip between her fingers, [color=C78A2C]“Top shelf, got it. Red? White?”[/color] as she placed these options she was already power walking out, essentially threatening a potential rosé if the Zeno didn’t decide. [color=FF69B4]“Get us a nice Verdejo… or two.”[/color] She paused as Zarina was standing in the door. [color=FF69B4]“Swing by Sunny’s too.”[/color] [/hider] [hr] [indent][i]Shopping List: [list][*]Tomatoes [*]Grapes [*]Melons [*]Apricots [*]Chicken thigh [*]Salt [*]Sesame Oil[/list] Update: Little shit Grape caused a small fire and burned the few papers I had left. No choice but to use this notebook for my grocery list. Jomurr’s gotta lear Applied a reward system for retrieval of melons: Reds are the best at tracking them, so if they point in the right direction, they get a reward. They kind of just hiss when they smell the goods. Blues kind of suck at actual tracking, but if I send them in the right direction, they can Grapes —-- than blues, but don’t seem to care what. Training to favour melons is … A work in progress. Reward —- d a tinge of magic akin to what I used to poke in the heads of the an– Torragon. That, too, is a work in progress. Still, even the Reds are liking it! Note: Burned the pages too. ESHIIIIII!!!!!!![/i][/indent] [center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjYwLjI3N2UzMi5XbVZ1YnlCQ2RXTnJjeUJOWld4dmJpQlRjR1ZqYVdGc0lRLjA/brigitta-signature-personal-u.regular.webp[/img] Zeno Bucks is Celebrating the Melon Derby, and YOU are invited! With melons from the derby, you can win yourself free STARS on your Zeno Bucks Cup! These are special, limited edition GOLD Stars that will remain on your cup forever and valid for prizes after the Trials! 10 Melons = 1 Star 5 Large Melons = 1 Star 3 Very Large Melons = 2 Stars 1 Elemelon = A Special Prize! 1 Fake Melon = You Don’t Wanna Know! [/center] [hr] [indent][i]Just under a week away from the Derby. Good progress. Stressed over results. Kaspar provided interesting copies of the unique melons. Tried to have the dragons differentiate them. Middling results. Issue: The items inside don’t emit anything until touched by magic. Only the Reds can sort of sniff out the strange melons and I try to reward that. I guess the reds are like that Froabas we took down - can sniff out stronger energy source to consume. The Blues can detect the bigger melons if close, but the elemelons are a problem since they’re generally the same as regular melons to them. Will need reds to point and it falls on us idiots to find. When the very big ones were activated, all the little dragons lost their shit and went for it. Can be good. Can cause issues. Smells good.[/i][/indent] After a long day of classes, Zarina returned home to resume her dragon training regime. Riesco was tended to first and even prepared as she had no intentions of walking all over town. However, just as she was ready to go, Arlo looked up at her from her dining table and simply uttered an adorable [color=blue]”Mep.”[/color] with large, focused eyes that closed with scritches. [color=C78A2C]“Awww. Mep.”[/color] she replied, engrossed by the sight, [color=blue]“Mep.”[/color] the critter continued, a change from the usual chirps and clicks, [color=C78A2C]“Mep.”[/color] they were stuck in a loop for a while. [hr] [indent][i]I was twenty minutes late for training. Oops. Tomorrow is the big day. These little scoundrels make me proud. Arlo now has the cage open all day and hangs on my shoulder sometimes. But often he’s on my head and tugs on my hair. That hurts! I didn’t actually train them and instead rewarded them with a little feast I made of different fruits I could get. Arlo loves Peaches. So I got him a few slices, and stored a few for tomorrow. Gotta be sure my associates have the proper rewards for the little ones. I hope all the chaos won’t be too much on them. I know Arlo will be scared, but I’ve yet to see how the others handle it. Here’s hoping![/i][/indent] [hr][hr] [center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/b3RmLjYwLjdhYTJkNS5VSEpoZG1SaElNT0djbVZ6ZG1GcmRISSwuMA,,/quaffing-together.regular.webp[/img][/center] [h2][b]Velles 4th[/b][/h2] [b]Location:[/b] Ersand’Enise [b]Day of the week:[/b] Victendes [b]Time:[/b] An hour before the Melon Derby [b]Characters:[/b] Jomurr [@Force and Fury], Kaspar [@Wolfieh], Vieri [@jdh97], Yuliya [@Suicharte], Zarina The guest teams from other schools had entered the fray and many stood out. Some for their notoriety, others for the stunning display of power they immediately flexed. Some were simply very peculiar such as the sea people with a Sea Dog - A Sea Dog? Very little could captivate Zarina more than such a bizarre creature. Luckily, something even flashier would come along to sweep the girl off her animal-loving feet. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/F71fryH.png[/img][/center] Some well read individuals called it a Great Wulluweid, but the term “Murder Penguin” became far more familiar to the leyman for a reason. Many eyes were on the monster of an animal that slowly waddled behind a team of five, all seemingly dressed for the cold, apart from maybe two. [i][color=BAC02A]”It’s warmer than I thought. We dressed up for nothing.”[/color][/i] the tall, dark haired teen standing before his team uttered in his mother tongue, looking a tad exacerbated, [i][color=522AC0]”Heh, now you know how it feels to overdress. Woe is me.”[/color][/i] replied the one hidden in pale armour that nearly covered his whole body. A chuckle resonated out of his helm and the gear didn’t seem to hamper his movements at all. Among them stood out one member that hid the entirety of their features and moved in an unnatural manner - like they were not actually walking. Those that had seen Jocasta levitate before could recognize this sort of movement. They wore but a white cloak and their eyes barely shined through the shade of the hood. As the group was chattering and open season was declared on teams, the hooded enigma immediately twisted toward Yuliya direction and appeared to narrow the two orbs that barely reflected light. A gloved finger pointed right at the blonde Sanguinaire’s direction before the Vossoriyan team approached. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/6QMbN5g.png[/img][/center] [i][color=BAC02A]”Khaliun, I don’t think that’s …”[/color][/i] Vasily hesitantly reached out without taking any action. His hesitation brought Olga to seize the initiative, [color=4CC02A]”We go, Vasily.”[/color] she gave his shoulder a shove to get him going as she beamed down at the indecisive leader. Following behind Khaliun, Olga was second to greet the team, meeting Kaspar with a hand extended to him, [color=4CC02A]”Hello. I am Olga. You look for team, yes?”[/color] the tall girl - slightly less than Zarina - beamed down to the pale bloodchild with a big smile on her face. Khaliun still awkwardly tilted their head over toward Yuliya, now being an arm’s range of her. Wordlessly, she offered her hand the same way Olga did. [color=BAC02A]”I think we can make good team, Khaliun is good uhhh -”[/color] he tapped his nose, [color=BAC02A]”nose for this, da.”[/color] he claimed as he approached Jomurr, the tall male that definitely [i]looked[/i] like the leader, the same way Vasily was dressed for the occasion. Even if his line of nobility was remote, Jomurr could likely discern some traits and mannerisms that placed Vasily into such an exalted status. Like Olga, he offered his hand. [color=522AC0]”Hi there, friend! Team up?”[/color] Kol’s Avincian seemed a little less broken than the others’, although the accent remained strong. His armour made him look almost taller than Vasily, although not by much. His big, metal hand was extended toward Vieri with his visible eyes indicating a smile that rivalled Olga’s. Finally came the wrangler of the intimidating beast that slowly followed the group. A small girl with ginger hair and clothes that attempted to simulate the image her peers gave but were clearly “cheaper”. Chipper and full of energy, she offered her hand to Zarina, [color=C0772A]”Friend?”[/color] she inquired, her Avincian poor enough that she truly couldn’t formulate more than the simplest of phrases. Still, it didn’t stop her from reaching out. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/mjuGtKG.png[/img][/center] Zarina, on the other hand, was completely taken by the gigantic Penguin the little teen dragged around. The scale of the thing got her to zone out and desperately look for the voice that addressed her, looking down as her last resort to notice Anna, [color=C78A2C]“Oh, by the Dreamer, hello! This is your friend?”[/color] she asked, shaking the little lady’s hand while pointing right at the animal with the other. Anna nodded enthusiastically, [color=C0772A]”Kikimoras. That Kikimoras!”[/color] she also used her idle hand to tap the belly of the beast, [i][color=C0772A]”Hey, Kiki, say hello to our new and weird foreigner teammates! And don’t eat ‘em.”[/color][/i] she ordered her familiar in Vossoriyan, or rather a dialect that was somewhat close to old Eskandish. Zarina was just in awe, figuring the words were pure gravy if they could command such a magnificent beast. Kikimoras, standing so tall and adamant to the endless uproar in the background, merely peered down the whole time without a single bend of the neck. … … … [b][color=78CBE8]”Bep.”[/color][/b] Zazzy’s heart nearly melted.