More pleas for a second chance... it was not a Sluagh policy to give second chances, but they were primarily operating on Cherub rules for engagement with others... Cillian had no words for them at the moment, he was too tired to continue with the topic for the time being. Iria's question had caught his attention, though. "Elysium was originally a Sluagh settlement. We had moved there after our last... encounter... with the Elves and were forgotten. When the war started, the Elves offered the land to the Cherubs as a safe haven. We worked out our differences with the Cherubs and have lived together ever since. It was never an Elf city. The illusion that sustained our protection for the last several decades has been constantly renewed through various magical sources on both the Elven and Cherub sides." It was difficult, tiring, but it had worked even if the Sluagh were loathe to be mistaken for Elves.
He didn't have an immediate answer for Jet, but thankfully Daedalus had decided to end his silence. He quieted down and sat back in his chair while the other Cherub spoke. Always the voice of reason, Daedalus had a calm Cillian rather admired. An exchange... He supposed that it would work, but they would require intense interviewing periods. Cillian found himself nodding slowly. "Your suggestion is amiable, Daedalus. I imagine that the Inner Circle would be open to entertaining an exchange with a highly scrutinized group of volunteers." Once more, he turned his attention back to the crowd.
Chaesh was beginning to rival Icarus... as much as he liked the Cherub, his ability to talk a person to death was rather tiresome. Chaesh was no different. "That is correct, we did not require a vetting system to gain access to this forum and we did so that we could get an open variety of people to interact with." Cillian supposed that was a mistake on their part. Then again he hadn't been fond of the whole Q&A session in the first place.
"We are aware that it would be saddening for the families who adopted these children to lose them. However, it is the Inner Circle's belief that our children were never property to be given away to anyone in the first place. These families, as well-intentioned as they may be, could never raise one of us properly. From the moment the stones were imbued until this very moment, they have already had a home with Sluagh. With Cherubs. There is no such thing as an orphaned Sluagh. The magical contributors to these stones may very well have passed on already. They were taken from us before the war began." His eyes narrowed as he spoke, mental cogs turning as he analyzed their words... Chaesh's family had one of them.
"I hear your pleas for a second chance. It is not typically a Sluagh ideal to allow them in situations where great danger could be present... however I will concede that it has not been enough time, I cannot provide a full report back to the Inner Circle about this place as of yet." He paused to take a breath, and glanced over at his Cherub companions before continuing. "I would be willing to partake in a tour of the area. It is true that it is best to observe everyday citizens in their natural routines to get a true idea of what a group of people is like... I do not think that will be entirely possible considering the nature of our otherness, but it is better than nothing. Icarus, Daedalus, what say you?"
Embi-lamb
Cerl Temius
Nasaiki
Ishtadaal
Magician Arcana
Koiasi
Midnightglow18
VerityHattress
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:13 pm
Well, the Nezubat was out of the bag, now. Chaesh leaned in intently to Cillian's response, listening as he carefully laid out his culture's understanding of things. It could be argued, of course, that trying to reclaim the children would be a sort of repossession, using his terms, but Chaesh didn't want to risk alienating him before he had a chance to see how truly good her father was with Unaki, or before the other families had a chance to prove themselves to the trio representing this secretive society only now emerging.
They nodded, electing not to respond. They had said their piece, nothing had been mortally offending, and they now had a bit to chew on and consider how, in the long term, to rebut if truly need-be.
That part had always been interesting every time she heard it. If the soul stones were stolen during or she supposed before the war why had they been placed in below of all places. However it definitely was time to ask that especially if sluagh didn't really give second chances. She wondered if she could apply to the exchange program. All of the children were old enough and if it wad only for maybe even 11 weeks. She would still talk it over with draven but they seemed to have taken to her questions okay. She made a note to send them all nezubats in the mail. Well not the mail but the idea was the same.
"If you don't mind some one like me I could offer to Help with the tours. I grew at the academy and my children all go here so I know the place rather well. The festival lasts a couple days and if you guys are staying a bit maybe we could do the tour tomorrow. Give you guys a chance to get some decent sleep?" Yue suggested.
Embi-lamb
Nepsah
Cerl Temius
Lural rolled 1 10-sided dice:
9Total: 9 (1-10)
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 1:22 am
Sesha had been listening to everyone. Their questions, answers, outbursts, tempers... He had to admit he was both interested and confused by the way certain people were reacting to these strangers. Shouldn't they all be on their best behavior for something like this? After all, the cherub and Sluagh were their guests. His 6 eyes drifted to poor Icarus, who seemed to be loosing his figurative (and actual) glow. He thought for a moment.
"You... three all look really worn out." It wasn't a question, but simply an observation. Should he really be asking what he was about to ask? "Do you... want some refreshments? A snack perhaps?" He held up a basket. "I made some raspberry fig granola bars because I thought I'd be hungry during this session, but you three look like you could use it more then me." He wondered if it wouldn't be best to end the discussion for the day. Everyone seemed so... hot headed. Why couldn't they all just get along? Then again, weren't question and answer sessions usually held by adults? Politicians, reporters, and the like? What did anyone really expect from a room full of largely children? "Or maybe you'd like to break for dinner?"
Embi-lamb
nepsah
Cerl Temius
Lural
Shirtless Lunatic
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Green Minuet rolled 1 10-sided dice:
4Total: 4 (1-10)
Green Minuet Crew
Greedy Trickster
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:59 am
Melogene Nightshade
At some point during the discussion, Melogene had slipped off the baphomet's shoulders to rejoin the lower half of the crowd. She had seen a couple other freshlings approach the microphone during the discussion, and were curious what their thoughts were. Most everyone else seemed to be running on short tempers, and more than one voice had been raised. Her own interest in the newcomers was waning (as it did with so many things), but perhaps it could be reignited.
Flitting through the crowd like a minnow in a stream, Melogene searched for a certain familiar face. She had thought she had heard the girl speak up. Her cadence and tone were fairly distinctive for a freshling and... oh! There she was! Her increase in height had helped her to blend in with the older students.
“Pst! Frit!” Melogene whispered, cupping a hand around her mouth. She beckoned the other hybrid to lean towards her. “What do you think of the strangers? And more importantly...” Her voice dropped, and she cast a furtive glance from side to side. “What about everyone else?”
Eisetsu nodded calmly at the three representatives of these races, she was very glad that the Lunar cherub echoed her thoughts and the Cillian agreed to the tour idea. "I would like to suggest another idea, perhaps each ambassador could choose a freshling to shadow during classes, see what a freshlings day is like, see what the teachers are like, what is taught in our classes, let a freshling show you what the dorm room are like??" Eisetsu looked at the freshling who was asking what they thought of these delegates. "I believe they have all had a very long hard journey, that has stressed them greatly and to judge them now for merits and flaws would be just as unfair as if they were to judge us now for our merits and flaws. We need more time to learn each other."
Ledie smiled at the Icaras, Cillian and Daedalus. "This question is for all of you if your willing to answer. It's the hunter's jubilee if you have any among your people what are some of your courting traditions??"
Total points"
2 + 1 = Total = 3 points
Embi-lamb
Cerl Temius
nepsah
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 9:48 am
[just a small note: embi and cerl will not be able to reply until later tonight! we're gonna sloooow it down today haha]
Cillian looked to Yue again, as well as Sesha and Eisetsu. Honestly out of all of them if he was going to pick one to take him on a tour around the school he'd choose her if a staff member was not able to do it. Though he couldn't imagine why... Surely not all of them were solely focused on the festivities that were happening. "We will need to break for meal at some point. As for when the tour would commence.. that will depend on whether Icarus and Daedalus will be joining me. Specific tours involving following students around would have to be arranged with the Academy itself. I imagine having even one strange adult follow a child around, even with the child knowing what is going on, would be unsettling." Cillian shrugged a little. He was fine to wander off on his own- not something particularly normal for Sluagh but necessary nonetheless.
He didn't exactly want to talk to Ledie anymore, but she'd asked the question of all of them. "Sluagh are private about their courting. Gift giving is standard practice, though true courting should involve some amount of displays of seriousness... harder to acquire presents show dedication. We emphasize longstanding friendship between lovers before any real courting begins. There is also a difference between imbuing partners and romantic partners. They may not be the same people."
Ledie smiled "Thank you for answering my questions." Ledie held out an owlbear she had won in a Plushie Gachapon. "Here you can keep them." She said sweetly. "Welcome to the Below if you decide to stay!!"
Koiasi rolled 1 10-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-10)
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 11:08 am
When Nyria heard the verdict from the Lunar Cherub, she let out a breath of relief. At least they were going to give them a chance, after all. She beamed, lifting her head in a polite gesture. "I would love to offer my services to show anyone around, or teach them more of our society. I do love entertaining guests." She grinned, excitement at the whole prospect filling her. Perhaps she would get the chance to show Icarus or another Solar Cherub a good time. She couldn't wait!
Hanae had been madly scribbling away in her notebook, too busy to even imagine asking a question. What wonders! She had simply seen the notice of a special panel and had slipped in, thinking that perhaps it would cover a history of the festival. She was always interested in learning more about this brave new world she was now a resident of. ... So very different from the village!
She flipped to a fresh page, and blushed slightly. She'd filled nearly half of her notebook!
"Could you elaborate on your religious affiliations? How it impacts your cultures? Before the break? If you have time? Please?" She blushed again. The Kumiho wanted to be as respectful as possible, but she was truly curious what religious systems these newcomers followed. It could provide such a valuable window into their lives!
Total: 8
Embi-lamb
Cerl Temius
Nepsah
Veruca
Veruca had snuck into the auditorium in a bit of a snit. She's been trying to tip a bottle of love potion in a seriously hunky senior Chimera's drink and his girlfriend, if she was worth the title, had noticed. She'd screamed at Veruca, which had caused the Litch to retreat. ... So much for the season of love!
She'd been in the back of the auditorium, texting on her phone. She hadn't really deigned it fit to follow along with what has happening on stage. Some sort of debate forum. Whatever.
Eventually her friends stopped responding to her barrage of texts, and she looked up, totally taken aback. The creatures on the stage were not anything she recognized. What had she stumbled upon here? And now they were planning so sort of tour? What under Below?
... But they were awfully easy on the eyes. She smiled. Perhaps this would be fun.
As soon as things started to get heated Florence backed out of the way. He'd merely been curious as to their particular views, since the questions and statements indicated a way of thinking quite different to his own and he hoped to understand. And he did gain some understanding in the statements that followed. Some people appeared to be taking things a bit more personally though, and Florence was known more for his energy and curiosity rather than his tact. He'd really rather not make things worse.
Things seemed to be settling down a little though. He was mostly just listening, but Cillian's last comment made his curious again. "Is it common for imbuing partners to be different from romantic partners? Is an imbuing partner something permanent or is it case-by-case," he asked.
His own imbuing hadn't been romantically-based, nor had any of his siblings, really, so it wasn't particularly strange. Florence was curious if Sluagh did anything different, or if they were more like them in practice than he might have guessed.
nepsah
Day 1: 3 Day 2: 9 Total: 12
jinxgirl5
Alien Loiterer
Offline
nepsah Crew
Malevolent Mage
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:25 pm
Cillian was a little unsure of how to respond to Ledie's offer at first. He'd never seen a plush like that before. Blinking, the Sluagh slowly rose from his seat, and then made his way down from the stage with surprising fluidity. Similar to the Cherubs, he was rather small. Capping out at 4'11" (maybe 5'2" if his ears were pointed up), he was easily dwarfed by the older students/visitors in the room. He picked his way through the crowd to Ledie, then reached out with one large hand to gently pluck the plush from her outstretched hand. "..Thank you." He'd just... have to remind himself that this was, in fact, a child. An Elf child, but still a child. and She was being raised in Below, she probably didn't have much influence from real Elven culture...
Since Icarus and Daedalus hadn't gotten a chance to respond to the idea of a tour, he didn't have much to say to Nyria just yet, but did nod a quiet 'thank you' in response to her offer. Sitting for so long had made his legs sore, so he opted to stay where he was for now. Hanae's question warranted some thought before answering.. "Sluagh worship the Nine, though we consider religion to be a private matter and do not make big displays of it. There are a number of us who do not worship anything at all. We tend to be more grounded in the real and now of the world, rather than focusing on the abstract and occasionally debated." This was... another potentially sore subject. But, he might as well be truthful about it.
Florence's question was a good one... with the amount of ruckus they'd caused over loving freely Cillian wasn't sure how the group was going to respond to the answer, but... "It is very common. Imbuing partners are chosen by parents or members of the Inner Cricle from the moment it becomes known that a Sluagh is able to imbue." He shrugged, it was just how things were for them. "It's not... unheard of for imbuing partners to also be romantic partners, but it's not expected in the slightest. Unless there is a specific reason for them not to be, imbuing partnerships are permanent. We only imbue one stone at a time and only Awaken them when the time is appropriate."
Koiasi
Midnightglow18
Ellanoire
jinxgirl5
Ebonrune rolled 1 10-sided dice:
1Total: 1 (1-10)
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 1:09 pm
Charon had fled the room, mortified by xyr own behavior and unable to face anyone or remain in the room. Shisume lifted her head to watch xyr go, and pushed her brothers hands off of her ears. She was still trembling, still felt overwhelmed by everything going on around her, but she turned her head to look toward the stage, toward the strangers, the newcomers. They were different, not like she was different--she understood that--but different. Strange, misunderstood. They hadn't been locked away like she had been, but they had been hidden.
She slipped down off Hitotsu's lap. "I wanna say hello." She peeped softly and with ears flaring out and up to help her navigate where her eyesight still disoriented her, she headed toward the stage. She didn't have an objective other than the first newcomer she came across, and happened upon Cillian before either of the cherubs. He had the pretty patterning. She hesitated, painfully shy and looked back at her brother, who had stood to follow her but was standing back. He wasn't going to coddle her when she'd made this choice on her own. Making her decision, she crossed the final distance and reached out for the Sluagh's hand, taking one of his large fingers in her entire hand.
"Hello." She said softly and craned her head back to look up at him, ears fanning out from the sides of her head. "I'm Shisume."
Total: 5
nepsah
Ebonrune
Anxious Human
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Anhelisk
Gilded Dragon
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Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 1:43 pm
Styx had taken a small break to get some air, and then meandered back to her spot, a new familiar in tow. They didn't seem to mind her touch, provided she touched their wool, and... frankly, it dampened the sensation to the point that the Naiad didn't feel uncomfortable cuddling the creature.
At the mention of the high rate of infertility, she couldn't help but want to volunteer to help, if it would be welcome. This further mention of matchmaking fertile individuals, though... it left the possibility of rather sensitive implications. After all, something as simple as an excess or lack of magic could drastically impact someone's life. Knowing that it was even more impactful for the Sluagh, well, that only made her want it more.
"Um. You said that the Sluagh are... largely infertile, and th-that partners are chosen on the merit of being fertile. Is that because the infertility is known to pass, or... are batteries especially uncommon... in your shared society?"
She didn't bother to try to hide her slight stammer. She was shaken, everyone knew it after her public faint, and she had more important things to focus on.
That part had always been interesting every time she heard it. If the soul stones were stolen during or she supposed before the war why had they been placed in below of all places. However it definitely was time to ask that especially if sluagh didn't really give second chances. She wondered if she could apply to the exchange program. All of the children were old enough and if it wad only for maybe even 11 weeks. She would still talk it over with draven but they seemed to have taken to her questions okay. She made a note to send them all nezubats in the mail. Well not the mail but the idea was the same.
Eisetsu nodded calmly at the three representatives of these races, she was very glad that the Lunar cherub echoed her thoughts and the Cillian agreed to the tour idea. "I would like to suggest another idea, perhaps each ambassador could choose a freshling to shadow during classes, see what a freshlings day is like, see what the teachers are like, what is taught in our classes, let a freshling show you what the dorm room are like??" Eisetsu looked at the freshling who was asking what they thought of these delegates. "I believe they have all had a very long hard journey, that has stressed them greatly and to judge them now for merits and flaws would be just as unfair as if they were to judge us now for our merits and flaws. We need more time to learn each other." 
Ledie smiled at the Icaras, Cillian and Daedalus. "This question is for all of you if your willing to answer. It's the hunter's jubilee if you have any among your people what are some of your courting traditions??" 
