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addressing: Bianca, Lucas, etc[@Hero] Maya[@Obscene Symphony] Ionna[McMolly] Hollyhock[@OwO][hr]

[color=darkorange][i]Never thought I'd end up here. . . much less by way of invitation[/i][/color].

Justinian let out a low whistle as he stopped by the pond in the front yard, taking the moment to center himself and fix up his appearance at least somewhat before going to meet his fellow Scions. Today had been the first time he'd gone through his usual routine since the attack and it showed. The bags uner his eyes stood out worse than any breakout, while his hair was. . . presentable at least. Too many hairs out of place and his attempts to style up a loose ponytail looked amateurish. Not to mention he'd barely had the energy to put much thought into his outfit. It was formal enough with a dark gretblazer over a white dress shirt which burned with the amber glow of the Mother's mark pulsing underneath, some loose-fitting slacks tightened around the belt and what he *thought* had been his least scuffed pair of loafers but it took until now for him to realize he'd put on his training sneakers by mistake.

[color=darkorange]". . . It's good enough."[/color] A conclusion reached without much confidence and ultimately too himself, despite Bianca waiting in the wings at his side. Their relationship had been frosty ever since his outburst, but Justinian wasn't going to act like he didn't mean at least some of what was said. Besides that, the reveal of Nadine and Ulysses death and the church's order to keep silent on the matter had done a lot to make him grateful for it. He bristled under the need to decieve people by acting as if he knew nothing, to feign shock when the new Scion of Lightning was chosen. To him, it felt more like a move made to save face rather than prevent panic though he kept such thoughts to himself.

With a sigh, Justinian centered himself in the moment slipping from an expression of fatique into an affable grin before making his way to the castle proper to see what the Prince had deemed so important that they all meet. Despite the appearance of calm as he greeted duchesss Patrica with a deep bow, he couldn't help how he fingered the runes placed at the hems of his blazer and the hips of his pants to reassure himself that they were still there. When he arrived within the private dinner hall that Lucas had set up for them, he kept the shiver from showing as he felt the tingle of the barrier that he assumed Lucas had set up.

The wider smile on his face when he heard them already getting into arguments with each other, however, was a bit more open. 

[color=darkorange][i]Incepta you have certainly chosen your heroes well in this hour.[/i][/color]

[color=darkorange]"I see that we're getting along so well today."[/color] Justinian didn't so much walk as prance into the the hall, leaning against one of the dining chairs but refusing to take a seat as he glanced at the gathered Scions. He eyed the cookies placed on the table for a moment, most likely by Ionna given the note and precedent, but decided against it to instead give Hollyhock and Ionna a greeting wave as he spoke. [color=darkorange]"Gotta say though, kinda funny seeing the soldier types asking for cooler heads while the young princesses are taking on the War Hawk mentality. Pretty sure it's supposed to be the opposite, no?"[/color]

He almost suggested that Maya to take a page out of her Templar's book, but he figured the Incepta would be less than pleased with that bit of blatant hypocrisy. 

[color=darkorange]"That being said, I feel like I've spoken out of turn by not greeting our host yet. Good Morning, Prince Lucas. To what do we owe this fine pleasure? Or did you bring us all here just to debate politics while eating finger foods."[/color] While the tone remained pleasant, the clip of impatience rang through. He could argue with anyone at any time on his phone, but if Lucas wasn't going to make his point soon, then Justinian was going to be out the door sooner rather than later. While he didn't feel [i]as much[/i] vitriol towards the new Scion of time as he had during the coronation, he still saw Lucas as more than a bit of a prick who made it his business to demean and belittle. And the Scion of Earth could take only so much of that right now.