[center][h3][color=93B7CC][b]Niall[/b][/color] & [color=Thistle][b]Briar[/b][/color][/h3][/center]

[indent][color=93B7CC][b]"Give the lad a break, Hestia. Save it for the champ,"[/b][/color] Niall had come to the casual defense of their colleague's expected tardiness, looking between Briar and the Joy. For all of the time that he'd known her, Hestia did sometimes come towards an abrasive notch, and he'd found it somewhat of a stopgap which turned him away from befriending her in a more considerable manner.

Briar shrugged at the thorny jest, unbothered. [color=Thistle][b]"Unless the alcohol's gotten to the princess, already."[/b][/color] The silvery-haired leader took the straw to his drink between the fingers, almost as if he were prompted to point it towards Hestia. [color=93B7CC][b]"In that case, lay it off!"[/b][/color] He commanded in banter, his lips creased into a smile.

Enough time had come to pass as the discussions of research between the scholars came to an end when the Champion arrived at their little gathering. Niall had followed Beryl's wandering gaze as he also looked upon the mess that was Ryker. [color=93B7CC][b]"Looks like someone afforded the taxi a [i]little[/i] too late,"[/b][/color] He offered a salutation towards the Champion, though the mention of the Chairman's supposed absence left him wanting.

Niall could not actually remember among the previous years if it was the usual that the Chairman added to their company on these nights before the challenging season. [color=93B7CC][b]"Perhaps I'll publish that paper by the time our little team building exercise is entirely convened,"[/b][/color] He spoke towards Ryker, under the impression that the latter individual was unaware of the Chairman's whereabouts.

[color=Thistle][b]"Where did you go through? I wasn't aware that there [i]was[/i] a storm about to begin with,"[/b][/color] Briar followed afterwards in question.[/indent]