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With his second bolt ready, Reinaan fired quickly on the gnolls as they began their charge. With his first target staggering he turned to the other three most immediately approaching him and fired on the right most. The bolt sailed through the air and into the gnoll's face, halting its advance on the spot as it howled in pain and bled profusely. That still left two more coming up quick to which the Draken dropped his crossbow behind him and readied his new halberd which had been leaning against him as he'd fired for quick access. The center gnoll was closest and Reinaan felt no need to give his enemy a chance to attack. He swung the length of his weapon, the axe portion on a collision course for the gnoll's neck. The creature raised his spear to defend but the strength of the would-be-Dragon crushed through it and lodged the blade cleaning in between the shoulder and neck. The left most gnoll had kept moving as this initial engagement played out and readied his spear to stab at the boy's side. The Fire Chosen however was ready to keep brute forcing solutions and so use the leverage of his halberd still in the first gnoll's neck to push the beast into his comrade. The two collided, the uninjured one pushing the other off which fell to the ground from the injury after Reinaan had retracted the weapon. The still standing gnoll went in for a straight on stab but Reinaan too possessed a spear at the end of his weapon and outranged this hyena's attack, the tip plunging into the center of the creature's chest. The now also seriously injured gnoll attempted to ready his spear to throw it at the boy with the length of the halberd as the only distance to gather. Despite the injury it stood somewhat firm but the Draken managed to drag it to the ground after twisting the weapon to aggravate the injury. The gnoll attempted to grab it out of instinct but Reinaan kept pushing it in deeper as he approached and stepped on it with one foot. A bit more twisted and pushing and the creature gave up the fight and succumbed to the wound. Reinaan pulled his weapon out and scanned the area. There were so many enemies it would be hard to focus. The boy's nude form was already splashed several times over with blood from the first two gnolls. Maybe he'd actually be a proper red Draken after this. The gnoll injured by the second bolt would become the next immediate priority. The bolt had apparently hit one of its eyes as it was bleeding greatly from one socket and the eye looked horrible. It brandished its axe as Reinaan readied himself to engage again. "Ziiyol," he said, his spirit appearing behind him in a puff of flames though keeping herself visible to only the Chosen. "Go to Keres until I call you back over." he gave his simple order which he hoped would be obeyed quickly. "Of course Reiny." she said with a smile as she drifted off to the Water Chosen's side. Oh how she hoped to find out how well gnolls burned.

A rather complex card. Starting with the name, then the Pendulum Effect that is negated in such an odd way. Why not make it apply the effect during the entirety of the turn it was activated? Second effect reminds me of Qliphort Monolith, but requiring a Gemini Summon and keeping it on board to get the draws... seems impractical to me to the point of doubting it would happen consistently. Level 2 Warrior ask for Reinforce Truth support, that's nice. Personally I would drop in 800/1000 stats for Squire support.

I don't like this. The support is too straightforward that it's most blatant. But it's not wrong per se, and reminds me of Dark Summoning Beast, whose design I dislike as well. It's just a personal thing.

Rona gritted her teeth. Both she and Cormag had suffered minor injuries from these monsters. It wasn't much, surely not enough to worry, but Cormag seemed to struggle with having so many people around him. He let out a screech at those nearest, and Rona had to keep a restraining hand to keep him from snapping towards them out of frustration. She couldn't blame them. She wanted nothing more than to break from the ranks and continue on towards the apparent leader of this pack. But she couldn't let this swarm get past her and to the others so she knew she just had to bear it. There were monsters on all sides. Two of which that had attacked her and one that was focusing on her ally. As she considered her options she heard a surprising voice shouting nearby. you do not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?" Was that...Yue? Rona trembled slightly at the sight of the arrow piercing the hound and slaying it on the spot. She was glad she hadn't given Yue reason to be upset with her if the girl was capable of that.... Glancing to the side she noticed that Raynor was struggling with two opponents near him as well. She started to have Cormag turn move she could more easily attack the axe wielder trying to kill the man but she hesitated. Worried that Cormag's thrashing tail might hit one of her allies as he gets into position. So instead she moved in her saddle and jumped from Cormag's back. Swinging her axe down and cleaving through the zombie before it was able to attack again. The moment she hit the ground she pulled the axe from the corpse and got back onto Cormag's back. The Wyvern letting out a roar of triumph. Feeling somewhat more confident, Rona shouted back towards Yue. "Nice shot by the way!" Alexis scanned the field with a frown. This wasn't good for her. No place to actually position herself that didn't put her at risk. From either the archer, axe wielder, or both. She noticed a gap in their defenses she could enter but, unless she force Leon to protect her, she could be easily blindsided as she did. "You're all pretty reckless ain't ya?" Alexis shouted, laughing as she saw how the entire group rushed into battle. "I'm going around the side to flank them. See if I can cut them off before we get too pinned down. C'mon Tana, let's get us some breathing room." Flashing a smile, she called out to Yue before she left. "Told you, master archer." In a blur Tana shot off and away from the group. Circling around to the other side of the treeline. She didn't get too far out, not wanting to run into a swarm by herself, and settled again near the treeline to plan her next move.

Do acronyms work in statuses? Like DAD and OCG

PM the song you want and I'll action it when I get home

I'll modify the description so it's more descriptive but a member of staff has to get in touch, it just automates the process of purchasing one, it notifies a member of staff you've purchased one and it's up to them to action. Works fairly similarly to the YCM one, it's just includes in the shop and deducts it like any other shop item rather than trading it between members.

It looked like everybody was gathering on them. Glancing around, the girl felt...well, not very comfy actually. Very much not comfy. They were packed together like a herd of baby bunnies, except they weren't actually baby bunnies, so it wasn't as cute. She wrinkled her nose. We don't smell like baby bunnies either. Well, not that baby bunnies didn't smell, but people definitely smelled differently. And right now, none of them smelled very nice. She shook her head. No, concentrate Yue. Gulping, the archer held steady. She hit the last one, and it was gone now, attacking Raynor, but now there was a dog in front of her. A cute, adorable dog. Her grip on the bow shook. No, she thought. I can't...attack. But I have to. A pained expression on her face, she held the bow out, about to shoot...but could not. "I can't, I'm sorry..." she muttered, lowering her bow. She was so useless. And then, with a growl, the hound leapt for Rona, fangs slavering. There was a zombie as well, who had already attacked the girl. Watching the sight with wide eyes, the archer started to shake again. No, nonononono! Her eyes darkened. "How dare you..." she growled. "How dare you!" her voice grew in strength at the repeat. She raised her bow. "Listen here, mister. Just because you're strong doesn't mean you get to be a bully!" She notched an arrow to the string. "You may have huge teeth, and sharp claws, and long fur, and a cute nose. But you do not—" she aimed right at its beady yellow eye, "I repeat—" she pulled back on the string, "you do not! Hurt! My! Friends!" she released the arrow. "You got that?" Unfortunately, the hound would never be able to tell her whether it got that or not. The arrow struck true, piercing right into its eye socket, and the creature fell over, dead.

It really was amazing what a group of high-schoolers (and maybe some faculty? Melissa didn’t really know who all was on the Kickoff Planning Committee) could do when they were properly motivated. Melissa had heard stories from the year before but even then there was something breathtaking about being there in person. It almost made one forget everyone- Nope! She could feel herself getting dizzy and quickly put a stop to it. Not tonight, or, at least, not now. There was wonder in Gabriela’s eyes (even she couldn’t hide a “Whoa”) and Melissa wasn’t about to take it away from her. She wasn’t quite sure where to go next, though. Her mental picture of her plan was starting to fade, and only general details really remained. Was that where the ominous feeling -- that something-will-go-wrong feeling -- was coming from? Maybe, but “Entertain Gabriela. Keep her happy” was still a pretty solid overall goal. Plus, now that she knew Gabriela a bit better, it was hopefully easier than ever. The first item on the Kickoff agenda was the duel, right? Some sort of grudge match between members of the duel team? Maybe Gabriela wanted to- Gabriela was already on it, interrupting (and confirming) Melissa’s thought process with “We should find a good place to watch. I must show support to those beneath me, yes?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she took Melissa by the hand and lead her up the stairs to a pair of balcony seats neatly overlooking the soon-to-be duel arena. In fact, one could see quite a lot from where they were. That also meant that quite a lot of people could see her, but she- she almost didn’t care. The fact that Gabriela seemed to care as much about Melissa’s happiness as Melissa did Gabriela’s certainly helped. “Ah, but you aren't all that interested in the duel team are you? I did not mean to force my desires upon you,” Gabriela said. “After all, I may be of royalty but tonight I am also your companion.” “No! No,” Melissa said. “No, this is good. This is good.” She smiled, hoping that communicated a little extra emphasis, a little extra sincerity in her words. “I do- I probably need to meet up with some other friends at some point, just to say hi -- I think you’ve met some of them too, so it shouldn’t be too awkward, I hope. Um, but we can stay here for now. There’s a whole night ahead of us to do all that other stuff.” There was another reason she rathered they didn’t move. Melissa didn’t say it, though. If she said it, it had a chance of spoiling the moment, and it was such a good moment. They were still holding hands. “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” -Mark 10:9 (NIV)

As the dinner went on Gabby began to feel more and more relaxed about the night. It really seemed like it was going well. She was certain it wouldn't, and certain questions about her "homeland" still made her feel queasy with worry and guilt, but things seemed to be...good. Really good. It was going to be a nice night. She didn't know why she thought this but she just felt it in her bones. As that thought crossed her mind she thought about her deck and the unintentional, if a stretch of one, pun made her giggle slightly on the way to the hall. She noticed Melissa beside her giving a quizzical glance and she shook her head. "No, it's just...bones, skeletons...ah...nothing, nothing, never mind." She should feel embarrassed by the awkward statement but she just felt really good at the moment. Which just caused her to laugh again. "Tonight is a lovely night isn't it?" Upon entering the Maiden Hall Gabby was rather astonished. So much so she let out an audible "Whoa." When she remembered who she was supposed to be she cleared her throat. "T-that is, it's passable I suppose. For such a small gathering." Even so she couldn't keep away the shine in her eyes as she looked around. It was so big! Is this what rich people lived in? She noticed the platforms on the second floor and remembered that a couple of her teammates -or was it clubmates?- were supposed to duel up there to start things off. "Ah, yes, there is to be a battle to commemorate this night. Between two of those lucky enough to share a team with me. We should find a good place to watch. I must show support to those beneath me, yes? And it would be good to see what level of duelist they are." She took Melissa by the hand and led her up to the second floor and to one of the balconies. Only once there did a thought cross her mind. "Ah, but you aren't all that interested in the duel team are you? I did not mean to force my desires upon you. After all I may be of royalty but tonight I am also your companion."

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:19-23 (NIV) “You look so pretty,” Gabriela said. “T-that is you, um, you look fitting to escort one such as I to… a thing… such as this!” Melissa curtsied. It was a full curtsy this time, not one of those weird half curtsies she’d done before when meeting up with Gabriela. “Thank you, your majesty,” she said. She also let herself take in Gabriela’s appearance. It was exactly as she had remembered it, which was good. That had been the plan, after all. “You look as regal as ever,” Melissa said, paying back the compliment. Then, of course, came the more important matters. “Where are we going?” Gabriela said, and, thankfully, that was part of the plan too. “I made reservations at this restaurant called The Warehouse,” Melissa said. “I, um, I know the name is a little un-royal, and it’s not as formal as Le Chef Vagabond or something like that, but, um, it’s good food and it’s not too expensive and I thought you might like it. How does that sound?” Warehouse? Le Chef Vagabond? Gabriela hadn’t heard of either place. Thinking back on it perhaps she should have looked into things just a tiny bit. Every attempt to do so was met with panic and fretting and she had ended up just leaving it all to fate. “That is quite alright,” Gabriela said, nodding along. “After all, I did ask you to plan everything. This way I can, ah, better learn the culture of this place. The Warehouse it is!” “Great!” Melissa said. “First thing’s first, though.” She held up a pair of flower bracelets. “Speaking of culture, I don’t know if you do this in Romvania, but when dance dates meet up they exchange these little flower arrangements. See, they’re bracelets. So we- I guess traditionally we’re supposed to put them on each other.” Melissa handed a white carnation over to Gabriela, beckoning for her to take it. “Yeah, so you just put it on my left wrist and I’ll do the same with this one to yours.” Gabriela stared at it blankly for a moment before nodding and taking it. She waited for Melissa to raise her arm and then brought the bracelet to it. Or rather, that was what she was attempting to do. In reality, she couldn’t stop her hand from shaking as she tried to put the thing on the girl’s wrist. “Ah, haha,” Gabriela nervously laughed. “I, that is, er, I do not usually do such things. You see… yes, that’s right, my servants usually do things such as this. Not the other way around. What a strange custom.” She finished this with another nervous laugh before finally getting the cursed accessory on. It fit just as Melissa had hoped it would, and even in the late summer sun, the flower showed very few signs of wilting. She gazed at it for another moment, then took the mauve carnation and slid it right onto Gabriela’s wrist slowly, but without hesitation. “I’m sure you know this, um, your majesty, but purple like this has been a symbol for royalty for a very long time. Even- especially in flowers. That’s why I picked this one out for you. I really do hope you like it.” All that was left was to make sure it fit as well as hers had. She shook her wrist a little. “Just, sorry, could you go like this? I kind of had to guess at your wrist when I bought these so if it’s too loose or too tight…” Gabriela gave a smile -- a genuine one as far as Melissa could tell. “I am sure it’s perfect,” she said much more softly than one learned to expect from her. Even so, she did as Melissa asked. “Yes, everything is fine… Ahem, good work, you’ve done a fine job today!” she said and slipped right back into her more “normal” state. It was that praise that made the entire ordeal at the florist’s worth it. Yes, she had done well! Melissa was only experiencing that latent stress that came from the sheer anticipation of a busy night and Gabriela’s comment made it that much lighter. Dinner was the next step in Melissa’s master plan. She made another gesture, an invitation to accompany her. “Shall we?” she said, and off they went. The walk to The Warehouse was very similar to Melissa’s walk to Gabriela’s dorm, though of course there was the obvious difference that Gabriela was there this time, and because they didn’t quite know each other that well, that difference alone made the walk filled with small talk. This was an element Melissa was less prepared for; she knew what people said in small talk, and she knew a few icebreaker questions, but she also knew she hated answering icebreaker questions and Gabriela probably would too (because who really liked icebreakers?). So instead, Melissa endured the awkward silence until she could think of something interesting to say. Or so she thought. But as they passed Maiden Hall, Melissa couldn’t help but break it. “That’s where we’re headed after dinner, by the way,” she said. It also came with a question that, the more she thought about it, the more she wondered about the answer. It was pithy, but… “How have you been liking campus anyway?” Melissa said. “Um, I know it’s probably different from what you’re used to, but I- I don’t know, I think there’s a lot to like here.” “It’s…” Gabriela had been about to blurt out ‘amazing’. Because, truly, it was. She hadn’t ever been to a place like this before. But that wouldn’t be in line with what she was trying to build, right? So it was with some doubt that she cleared her throat and started again. “It’s fine, yes, rather common I suppose. But it has enough to be passable. And of course, you’re here, as well.” Why did she say that? It just slipped out. Certainly, she was grateful for a friend but… “Otherwise today would have been more dull, you see.” Gabriella continued, trying to dig herself out of the potentially awkward hole. “Oh,” Melissa said. It was the kind of “oh” that had a lot of sub-meanings hidden inside it, like the disappointed “Oh, I’m sorry you don’t think Blue Yonder is as magical as I do” or the more accepting “Oh, I’m glad you don’t think I’m dull.” Whichever it was, Gabriela's response slammed the door shut on that particular line of inquiry. But, as the saying went, when God closes a door, he opens a window, and it turned out the building on campus closest to The Warehouse, the last building they had to pass was the one the Duel Team had had its first meeting. Melissa pointed out that one out too. “How was that meeting, by the way?” she said. “I never-” She almost said “I never was really interested in that sort of thing,” but then she remembered what club she had attended Wednesday afternoon. So the cutoff stayed, but then, so did the question preceding it. “I suppose it went fine for what it was,” Gabriela said. “Rather boring, though. I do not understand why there has to be so much talking about something so simple… And then there was that woman. Elizabeth I think? I don’t know what she was doing there. Apparently, she wasn’t even part of the team… Do you know her? Is she the captain’s girlfriend or some such thing?” Elizabeth. It was a common enough name, but Melissa’s mind still went to the one she’d actually seen enter the building. That Elizabeth. “I do know her- or I’ve met her, at least,” Melissa said. “She’s nice. I don’t think, um- I think Hitomu has a different girlfriend, though. Or had. I don’t know too much about that sort of thing; I just pick things up listening to other people.” Was she supposed to talk more? Melissa wasn’t sure, but Gabriela’s opinion seemed more than a little negative and she felt obligated to correct that. “She was on the duel team last year but left after -- you wouldn’t have heard this, I don’t think, um -- her brother died, and she took it pretty bad. So that’s- uh, Hitomu probably asked her to show up or something.” Gabriela paused for a moment upon hearing that. “Ah,” she said. “Well… I-I suppose that is understandable then.” And just like that, that conversation window shut as well. But this time it was fine. The Warehouse was right there, and the change of scenery was certainly welcome. The Warehouse was actually nothing like its namesake. It was on the smaller side as far as restaurants went, though it did have a backyard patio with additional space for those who were feeling a little extra adventurous. The lighting was dim, and the predominant color of the place was a deep crimson, but that was to be expected. Melissa almost wondered if there was a correlation between a restaurant’s darkness and its formalness (Was Le Chef Vagabond just pitch black? She’d never actually been…). The staff at the front podium greeted them both warmly and Melissa reminded them of her reservation. “Reservation under Ashforth?” she said. It turned out she needn’t have bothered. While there was a lively enough early dinner rush going on, there were still a decent amount of unoccupied tables and Melissa and Gabriela were ushered to their patio table almost immediately. “Your server will be right with you two.” And just like that, they were alone again. “I actually, uh, I was also at a Duel Monsters-related club meeting Wednesday afternoon,” Melissa said, a little bit hoping that Gabriela would pick up on the continuity of the conversation despite the intervening pause. “Um, there’s- my roommate, actually, she’s an idol and I guess a couple other people on campus want to be entertainers so they managed to get a club started around entertainment dueling. And I thought at the time that, uh, well, someone convinced me to show up. He’s kind of shy like me, so I thought… “No, I’m rambling, sorry. But I did want to ask you because you seem like an outgoing person, um, your majesty, what is public life like? Do you just- is it just an extrovert thing I’ll never understand or…?” Gabriela couldn’t stop looking around as they walked through the restaurant. So this was what it looked like? She was so lost in her wonderment she actually forgot to put on an act until they sat down. She opened her mouth to respond to the person who led them here but stopped. It would be far too embarrassing to talk like that to this stranger… Melissa, unintentionally and unknowingly saving Gabriela from complete awkwardness, began to ramble about her own duel club adventures. She had heard of the Entertainment Dueling and, truly, she found it interesting. But it didn’t really fit what she was going for. She wanted Melissa to tell her more about it but, as soon as the other girl was getting engrossed in it, she switched subjects. To Gabby’s least favorite subject. Herself. “Ah, I see, the little lamb has come to get advice from myself,” Gabriela said with a gentle chuckle. “Well, you see, it’s rather exciting. There’s never a shortage of things to see or do for people will bring them to you. Or at least that is how it was for me back home.” She knew she was speaking vaguely but she didn’t know how else to answer. The waiter stopped by. “Hi, my name is Benjamin, I’ll be your server this evening,” he said in a peppy voice, with a smile one could assume he was told to keep on at all times. “Is there a drink besides water I can get either of you?” “Water’s fine for me, thank you,” Melissa said almost immediately. Gabriela had clammed up entirely as the waiter approached. She didn’t look directly nodded and, at the question, she just shook her head. “Water for both of you. Aaaaall right.” As soon as Benjamin was gone, the conversation went right back. “Right, I get that,” Melissa said, leaning in a little bit and scootching her chair forward. “But, like, I don’t know how else to phrase this, but all that excitement, am I really supposed to ‘take it all in?’ Is that really the secret?” Oh no. Gabby knew what was going on. She was being asked for actual advice. Potentially important advice. How was she supposed to respond? She had no experience to fall back on. “Aha, um. Well you see…” The girl waffled about for a bit, glancing down at the tablecloth as though the answer would be spelled out in front of her. “Well, you know, I was… raised for such things. It became second nature after a while. Yes, that’s it!” She glanced up, excited she had thought of a plausible answer. “It’s just something you get used to.” Melissa didn’t know what she wanted to hear, but that certainly wasn’t it. But she let that specific topic drop all the same. It was clear that Gabriela was uncomfortable with the grilling and this was supposed to be a nice pre-dance dinner, not an interrogation. “Alright,” she said. “Thank you.” And she really did mean it. Just because it was a frustrating answer didn’t mean it wasn’t worth something. She opened up her menu and started browsing its pages. “They make so much different food here,” Melissa said. “I’m sure if you look you’ll be able to find something Romvanian-adjacent at least. But it’s all good, I promise. “If you want to keep talking, though -- and I definitely understand if you need to go through this, uh, this tome of a menu -- is there a question you’d like to ask me?” Gabby tried to see if the advice she gave stuck. If Melissa thought it was wise. But she couldn’t really tell. Especially when Melissa went right to the menu after. Gabriela glanced at the menu and realized she didn’t have any idea what kind of food she intended Romvania to have. She really should write it down sometime, she thought. When Melissa opened up to questions Gabriela smiled up at her. “Why of course. I’m here to learn things after all! One must always know everything about those under you.” She placed her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands as she looked at Melissa. What should she ask? She hadn’t really had anyone close enough to ask about personal things so she wasn’t entirely sure where to begin. “One as kind as you must have many whom call you friend,” she began. Admittedly, she was partially fishing to see how much competition in that department she had. “Are… are they not jealous you have chosen to spend today with me, who is, even if an incredible one, still a stranger?” It was Melissa’s turn to freeze up, to the point that it was almost difficult for her to parse Gabriela’s question. And yet, she should have expected something like this, right? She’d opened herself up to questions, after all. Melissa fidgeted with her silverware to stall for time. “I don’t really have friends,” she almost said. She almost said. But she remembered Hoshiko. And Jun. She’d probably get along with Elizabeth too once Melissa stopped running into each other at the worst possible moments. Even Connor had been nice until he hadn’t been. And Father Gregory, did he count? So that statement would have been a lie. Instead, Melissa said, “I- I have a couple friends, just a few, but I like them all. Um, that includes you, by the way. We’ve met enough. We’ve acquainted. I don’t think you’re a stranger. But, um, actually, I don’t know what they’re doing for Kickoff. They didn’t ask me about anything if that’s what you were asking.” A wild Benjamin appeared with a glass of water in each hand. “Aaaaall right, there you two go. Now, what can I get you two to eat this evening?” Gabriela was blushing. They were friends. They were actual friends. No denying that now. It was said. The words were said as clear as day. The delight at this statement made her eyes light up and she very nearly forgot the rest of the answer. She didn’t have a chance to respond as the waiter showed up. In a panic, Gabby picked up the menu and started looking through it without actually being able to read it. “Uh. Umm. Uhh… Er… yougofirst,” she blurted at Melissa. Melissa looked up at Benjamin, half because, well, that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re ordering (right?) and half because she’d noticed Gabriela’s blush and felt like giving her some space was probably the best course of action. “I’ll have the, uh…” her eyes immediately went back down to her menu, searching for the right item. “I’ll have the fish? With the side salad, and, uh, yeah.” “Excellent,” Benjamin said. He turned to Gabriela. “And for you?” Gabriela, half-panicked, continued to scan the menu over and over until her eyes noticed something she recognized and, more importantly, something that reminded her of the good times at home. “Er… Chicken dumpling soup,” she said. The waiter hesitated. “Is that all? Just the side?” “Yes, of course, that’s all,” Gabriela said, doubling down. “I don’t need anything else.” “Aaaaall right!” Benjamin said. “I’ll go put those in right now. Next time you both see me, I’ll have your soup and your fish and your salad.” And he was gone again. “Are you-” Melissa started, but stopped herself from saying anything more, seemingly either conflicted or concerned or both. But instead, she said, “Is that a traditional Romvanian dish? Chicken Dumpling Soup? Or is that from somewhere else?” “Ah, um, no,” Gabriela said. Truth be told it was simply the dish that her mother would make when they had money to eat decently well. It was something of a comfort for her. “I merely… thought it sounded pleasant is all.” “Oh,” Melissa said. “What is Romvanian food like then? I remember you said something like sugar being poisonous so it can’t be all that sweet, but that’s just one type of taste, right? So what’s it taste like?” Right, she had said that, hadn’t she? Glad that Melissa had reminded her, the girl nodded. “Yes, sugar is… bad. But, um, there’s other things that can make stuff sweet there! Yes, like, um…” she glanced away, clearly thinking, before coming up with “Like honey! Rivers of honey!” Wait, no, that was dumb. “Not literally of course, haha, but you understand my meaning I’m sure.” Honey. The word clicked with Melissa for a number of reasons. The first was, well, that was the exact other sweetener she’d brought Elizabeth at the exact time Gabriela had mentioned Romvanian sugar’s particular qualities. But it also brought to mind a particular phrase: “Land of milk and honey.” That was God’s promise. She wondered… No, it wasn’t important. Benjamin came back quicker than expected. “Aaaaall right! Here’s your fish, and heeere’s your soup! Is there anything else I can get either of you?” Melissa smiled. “No, thank you, everything looks lovely,” she said. Then, as Benjamin left (with one final “Aaaaall right!” on his way out) she said to Gabriela, “Do you mind if we said grace real quick?” She bowed her head: Lord, thank you for this meal and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for friends and dances and please bring peace and happiness to everyone tonight whether this be their first Kickoff or their last. Guide us on, Lord, so that we may know the everlasting truth of your love, Amen “You’re welcome to some of, uh, some of this if that soup isn’t enough for you. I’m sure there will be snacks and things at the dance, too.” A thought wormed its way into Melissa mind. “I assume Romvanian Princess School taught dance, right?” she said. “There’s bound to be one or two slow dances tonight.” At the offer of the food, Gabriela shook her head. Sure, it was much less than she expected, but it felt wrong to take food from another. The question about the dance, though, froze her in place. She stared at Melissa without answering for a bit. She knew this was coming. She knew. Yet it hadn’t really stuck in her mind until now. “A-ah. Well. O-of course… n-no, er.” Gabriela stirred her soup as she tried to get her words back on track. “That is… we don’t have dancing in the same way as you do. Of course, there’s certain, ah, Romvanian dances. It’s a lot like here I’m sure, but with some differences. Er… perhaps it best you show me this land’s dances o-once the time comes.” “Sure!” Melissa said as she started cutting up her meal. “It’s no problem. You, ah, the one thing to keep in mind -- I’ll tell you this right now -- is there’s a temptation to get really close to your partner. There’s, ah, because one person’s hands are at the hips and the other’s are at the shoulders.” She gestured to her own hips and shoulders to demonstrate. “You don’t- people tend to get antsy if you get too close to them. I’ll get antsy.” She laughed. “We Catholics call it the ‘Leave room for Jesus’ rule.” There was a hint of something on Gabriela’s face at what Melissa had said. Perhaps disappointment? Whatever it was it didn’t last long as Melissa soon reminded her about the food in front of her. “How is your soup?” she said. “You said it wasn’t Romvanian so if you’re not used- if you don’t want it we- you could probably order something else.” Gabby had only taken a few bites but even that sent a warmth through her body. It was still unusual to her thinking about how easy it was to get food like this. It made her appreciate it even more. “No, no not necessary!” Gabriela said in a hurry. “It’s… rather good.” Then, under her breath, “Really good…” She glanced up at Melissa and followed up. “Ah, yes, is yours acceptable? I hope they provided you with something to your liking.” Melissa took a few bites, smiled, and nodded. The silence was different this time, as each girl ate their respective meal. The previous ones had been awkward, the dead air only serving as ellipses in the conversation. This one, though, this one was a full stop, a nice comfortable end as Gabriela and Melissa just appreciated each other’s presence. And just like that, it was time for the dance. As soon as the tip had been added and the receipt had been signed, they were out the door and back on campus headed towards Maiden Hall. Just before they went in, though, Melissa paused to ready herself. As much as she hyped it up in her own head, as much as she put it on a pedestal as the crowd to end all crowds, it still had its more predictable moments, right? The first thing on the agenda was the duel, right? That was manageable; she’d already been to, what, two duels already this school year alone? And she knew how to dance and she was fully prepared to teach Gabriela and tolerate her missteps as she learned how to dance. And yet… The fear was still there, and instead of diminishing with every passing thing done right, it seemed to increase. Something was going to go wrong. She could feel it in her bones. In her soul. And while she did have those contingencies she’d set in place, that same fear made her wonder if any of them were going to matter. Melissa took a few extra deep breaths, just for that. But she also knew she couldn’t keep Gabriela waiting, and went in after her, hoping she continued to not disappoint.