Janius tried but failed to suppress his laughter, "We'll see, big boy." He took yet another drink, then looked to Ariel with a cheeky grin, "Ariel, can I get a kiss for good luck from those beautiful lips, before this mighty clash?"

Ariel smiled, but hesitated, looking to the others. One could easily have mistaken her pause for thinking, but her mind was thoroughly clouded by this point. With Janius leaning forward from where he was sitting with one cheek turned to her expectantly, she answered "yes," before she quickly leaned forward and brought her lips to his eye, missing his cheek wildly. Whether it was simply overbalancing or intentional was unknown, but the former was more likely. Janius recoiled slightly at the kiss, laughing and rubbing his now sore eye. Some sujamma was still on her lips and it didn't agree with his eye upon contact.

Ariel sat back down and took a deep breath, recovering from her own bravery. "Lorag, shall we begin the contest?"