PREP Highschool

[bc56]

Detention
Mary sits at the desk and watches the clock.
The succubus princess recently acquired 'assets' more fitting of her station, but in her attempts to show off, she ran up against that most chafing of regulations: the dress code. PREP allows its students to modify their uniforms to suit their needs, but there's a limit to what's allowable without good reason and parental consent. Mary being a succubus is good enough reason to relax the code, but Sekhmet would never sign off of it. So Mary is here waiting in her regular uniform for her mum to come pick her up, where she's sure she'll be on the receiving end of a a stern lecture.
So for now she sits and pointedly ignores her detention-mate.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

tupatap, tupatap, tupatap

Aikobaz looks up as Mary walks into the room, her gaze naturally drawn to the thing about Mary that's most obviously changed since their last encounter. The demon princess might catch a glimpse of a disapproving frown; Aiko doesn't seem to think highly of using shapeshifting for that purpose. Or that might just be her thoughts on Mary in general. Either way, the look is made all the more scathing by the nasty shiner over her right eye and the twisted, busted lip.

"All right, girls. You know the rules." Miss Juno drawls. "You're here until the end of the day. No talking, no sleeping, no..." The teacher stops and looks over at Aiko, who up until the silent admonishment had been tapping her fingers against the top of her desk anxiously. "...Distractions."

"We're in here to think about what we've done, correct?" Aikobaz asks. "Are we going to be writing an essay about how we intend to improve ourselves, o-"

"You are not." Miss Juno scribbles something down on the book in front of her. "You are just going to sit here, in silence."

"Are we allowed to study?" Aikobaz asks.

"If you had the foresight to bring your books." The teacher's eyebrow shoots up. "Did you?"

"They're in my locker. I could just-"

"Then no." The teacher looks up at the clock. "Detention has officially begun. Not another peep out of either of you."

[bc56]

Detention
Unlike Aiko, Mary brought something to work on. This isn't her first time in detention. She has her sketchbook from art class. She begins silently drawing. Why would she want to talk to Aiko of all people? Even if she looks like she lost a fight...

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

Aikobaz sits in relative silence as the clock slowly ticks away. While Mary benefits from extensive experience in detention and has something to work on, she has neither... all she can do is sit and twiddle her thumbs. And even that, she can't do very loudly.

So for her, every second passes agonizingly slowly. From the time detention begins, she's counting them.

One minute.

One minute, fifty seconds.

Two minutes forty-five.

Three minutes forty.

Four minutes thirty.

Four minutes fifty... fifty-one...

Is it just her, or is the clock going slower? Is that a thing? Do they have special time-dilated rooms here for detention?

Four fifty-three. Gods, why was it going by so slowly? Why was she the only one who noticed? Mary seens fine. Miss Juno seems fine; pleasantly busy, even. Apparently whatever time-related shenanigans are going on, they're only affecting Aiko.

Her breath catches in her throat as she watches the clock. Had it just stopped entirely? ...No, no, it was still going. It's just stupidly slow, or so it seems.

Aiko looks up as Miss Juno gets up, setting a seeing stone on her desk before stepping out of the room.

The teacher isn't gone for five seconds before Aikobaz gets up and half-sprints over to the window. The teacher's going to know what she's doing, but she can't stop her now.

Unfortunately for her, the windows to this room appear to be locked.

"Come on..." Aiko grunts as she tugs futilely. "Come on... come on, you stupid! Freaking! Thing! Come on!"

[bc56]

Detention
"I heard prison breaks people, but that was faster than I could've imagined," Mary comments. "Relax, it's a seeing stone not a hearing stone," she tries to head off a possible complaint from Aiko.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"Do you have any idea how many other things I could be doing right now?" Aiko snaps. "Or how much I should be doing? I'm missing fencing practice for this. And a study session with Macan. And I'm going to be late getting home to help Nana with dinner." She tugs at the window again. "I shouldn't even be in here. I didn't do anything wrong."

[bc56]

Detention
"Duh, the point of detention is to prevent you from doing things. It's a punishment." Mary rolls her eyes at Aiko's insistence of innocence. "All I did was express my cultural heritage." She's being somewhat facetious, but it's technically true. "So what're you in for, and did you give as good as you got?" she motions to Aiko's black eye.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

Aikobaz doesn't answer at first, but continues pulling against the window, to no readily-apparent effect. She even hikes up her skirt and presses her foot against the window ledge for extra leverage... to no avail.

"Gah!" Aiko snarls in frustration, pounding her fist against the glass. Stupid thing still won't open.

But... she's a bit more okay with that now. Talking to Mary, loathe though she is to do it, does seem to be helping her nerves.

Maybe she should keep doing that.

"...I did. Threefold." Aiko replies. "Apparently, they're serving out detention over the weekend. But the staff still felt the need to punish me, as well. It does not seem like a just approach to the situation."

[bc56]

Detention
"Really. You beat someone at least as bad as they beat you back, and you can't see why you're in detention?" Three times as bad as a black eye and a split lip, if accurate, sounds like sending someone to the infirmary. "They don't like violence between students. Especially since some of us could casually, even accidentally kill each other." Mary definitely falls into that category, even before talking about magic. Her supernatural strength means that if she punched someone in the face, they'd have a lot worse than a black eye. But she has a point. "Don't fight" is a rule that exists to protect both perpetrators and victims.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"No, I beat three people as badly as they beat me." Aiko corrects. "And that was because if I had not intervened, they were going to, and I quote, 'knock the snot out of that little vixen'. Which I am fairly certain qualifies as a slur when used against a werefox."

She sighs and shakes her head. "Unfortunately, the three of them were able to get their stories to align and said werefox did not care to witness to the event. So it came down to my word against theirs... and there were, again, three of them." She slumps up against the wall. "So rather than risk getting it wrong, the staff took it upon themselves to punish everyone involved."

"...I know what you are thinking. Please refrain from making any jokes about this being karma."

[bc56]

Detention
"Oh." Mary isn't a walking lie detector like her mum. She hasn't learned that skill yet, so she's not sure if Aiko is telling the truth. After all, Aiko has never struck her as a defender of the weak.
And she wasn't going to make a joke. She can't even figure out what it's supposed to be karmic punishment for.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"...Is that it? 'Oh'?" Aikobaz frowns. "You really have nothing more to say than 'oh'?"

"One can only imagine how that will go when you're queen. 'Your highness, the yield from the onion farms has been low this year, and said farmers can't afford to buy bread.' 'Oh.'" Aiko rolls her eyes. "'Your highness, raiding parties along our southern border have destroyed three villages already and show no signs of stopping.' 'Oh.' 'Your highness, Grand Inquisitor Yannick has officially declared his intentions to set up an arranged marriage with you.' 'Oh.'" Aiko slaps her palm with the back of her other hand. "You could at least-"

Then she lets out a little sigh and throws up her own hands. "...No, no. That's... no. My apologies. It's simply frustrating to see that sort of behavior."

[Earl of Purple]

Reception

Somebody has called for Aikobaz, or at least Aikobaz has been summoned to reception, as somebody is calling for 'Ms. Bloodplunder', which is not Aikobaz but they also expressly didn't want Aigothurz, so Aikobaz is second-best thing.

When she arrives, she'll see a very tall, blue-skinned chap standing in the middle of the room, wearing long vibrantly coloured robes, all red and green chevrons, and a tall hat with a wisp of smoke rising from the middle of it, filling the air around him with the scent of jasmine. He's stooped and old, though still taller than the door, leaning on a long agate cane. Standing nearby is the receptionist, holding a fire extinguisher and glancing nervously at the smoke rising from the incense burning inside the blue-skinned person's hat. "You are Aikobaz, yes? I am Elder Genealogist Askerion of the Guild of Historic Lore. The Princess of Ecbatana has died, you are the closest relative. You must come with me." With that, and very little further information, he turns and heads back, ducking under the doorway to avoid toppling his hat.

[bc56]

Detention
Mary rolls her eyes at those examples. Not only are they obviously not things she'd actually say, but they aren't applicable to her future kingdom anyway.

But wait, is Aiko... Apologizing? That almost staggers Mary, but the backhanded comment afterwards snaps her out of it. "What do you want me to say? 'You shouldn't be here?' 'The teachers messed up?' Because I don't know if you're telling the truth, and even if you are, it was the right call." Even Mary knows it would be a waste of time and effort to get a detailed investigation of blame in a schoolyard scuffle.

[Keeper]

[Parts Unknown]

"Pft! No." The vixen giggles, understandably amused by Kol's apparent inability to track his own family. "You know. Grandma? Our big ol' Grandma up in the sky? Oh!" She rubs her paws over her face in embarrassment. "That's right, I forgot! She's my Grandma, but she's your Mum! Silly me!"


[Crystal Dorms]

"...That would be a positive indication, yes." Aiko says, pondering the implications. "The cards are mum on what is in the past and what is in the future. All it will tell is the order. And if you have already seen wealth, strife, and joy, then seeing them before perseverance and the maiden only serves to confirm your identity... or tell you that these incidents in your past inform your choices in the present and future."

The empress pales as she examines the cards. What comes after joy for Mac is persistence and the maiden. And even that may be in the past... he was, after all, trying very hard to get on Aiko's good side.

Aiko, who it bears mention, is young and unwed, and could accurately be described as a "maiden".

The empress scoops the cards back up and shuffles them into the deck. "Of course, it's all subject to interpretation." She says quickly. "Such is the nature of Auguries. They are always rather vague on the details."

Parts Unknown

"Oh. I wasn't aware she was particularly known for hiding. All anyone's really told me about her is a few bits of philosophy and that she's dead."
Kind of morbid, but true.

Crystal Dorms

"Yeah, I mean I don't really know how much stock we put into drawing cards. If it was that easy anyone could do it." Mac replies, noting Aiko's sudden change in mood.
"...you okay?" he asks quietly.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"How can this be 'the right call'?" Aikobaz frowns, taking a seat at the desk next to Mary. "Even at nine years old, I knew better than to tell my subjects they could not defend themselves or each other. And this is not an empire; this is a school. One that is meant to be training heroes. What good is it if they punish heroic actions?"

[Parts Unknown]

"Dead? Oh, nonono..." The vixen giggles. "No, silly. Grandma isn't dead. She's just hiding. And nobody's found her yet, so she must be really good at it." She wiggles a little in Kol's claws. "That's what uncle Braeg says. He says Grandma doesn't want to be found right now because she's too sad. 'It's surprisingly hard for a goddess to get some space', he said."

[Crystal Dorms]

"...Yes, I am fine." Aikobaz lies. "And that is the general idea. It is that easy and anyone can do it. Which is why you see so many traveling show fortune-tellers who rely on Auguries for their trade; they do not need any special magic or skills to make money this way."

After a pause, Aiko slides the deck over to Mac. "And to demonstrate this point, I ask that you attempt it. Tell me, Mac, what does my love life hold for me?"

[Reception]

The first thought in Aikobaz's head, on hearing the stranger introduce himself as a genealogist, is that he can't be very good at his job. She doesn't even look like any of the other Bloodplunders, and it wouldn't be too hard for him to check a few records and see that she isn't a blood relative of this deceased princess.

The second thought that enters her head is that he can't possibly be that bad at checking genealogy; if he was, his search probably would have led him down a different path entirely. There's something else going on here...

Aikobaz says nothing and simply turns up her nose in her best, most dignified and haughty way, walking purposefully after the loremaster. She's going to be investigating this... and she gets to take the place of a princess for a while, which should be a welcome change of pace.

[Earl of Purple]

Reception --> Outside

The Loremaster leads the way outside, to wear a small group of individuals wait. They're mostly humans, with ochre skin, straight black hair and dark eyes, wearing copper lamellar armour and pointed helmets and carrying long muskets and macuihuitls, but there's another two blue-skinned loremasters- younger and taller than the master that fetched Aikobaz, wearing less-ornate robes and shorter hats that nevertheless contain burning incense- and a one-armed and one-eyed half-orc with greenish skin and rather horrific burns down the left side of his body. He's also the only one who isn't perched atop a very tall, spindly-legged elephant; instead, he's sat on the driver's seat of a small carriage pulled by a pair of very large rodents, resembling guinea pigs with long tawny fur. "We would have provided an elephant for you, your highness, but our researches suggested you would be unfamiliar with such a mount. Please accept the humble carriage as an alternative." The Loremaster opens the door and lowers some steps so Aikobaz can climb in, before shutting it behind her and climbing- rather awkwardly- up a rope ladder onto the back of their own elephant.

[Ironsmith]

[Outside]

Aikobaz mentally weighs the merits and risks of getting into the carriage. On the one hand, it did indeed look comfortable, at least compared to riding on the backs of one of those fever-dream-inspired pachyderms. On the other hand, it was also a small, easily-squished and readily-distinct box that would have her inside of it. She doubts the loremasters themselves would try anything; she's cooperating and they clearly need to get someone who is at least passably related to the deceased princess back home. There's nothing gained by having the princess killed twice that wouldn't be more easily accomplished by her dying once and failing to find a replacement.

But, if they ran into anything along the way (bandits, rivals, any other interested third parties), it would be readily apparent where she is. And she doesn't have a guard beyond her physically scarred and possibly disabled driver.

Hm.

...It's an acceptable risk. If she's in the carriage, she's also protected by the carriage. She should be fine.

[bc56]

Detention
"You already said you couldn't prove why the fight started. It's a waste of time and effort to investigate every schoolyard squabble to find who's at fault." That's a surprisingly pragmatic outlook from the normally idealistic Mary, but then again, the above complaint was surprisingly idealistic for the normally pragmatic Aikobaz.

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

Aikobaz frowns. "Even if that were true, does this strike you as a reasonable solution? Presume guilt until innocence can be proven?" The empress shakes her head. "Absolutely not. That is how an ignorant child approaches the problem. I would expect better from fully-grown and presumably well-educated faculty." She taps her desk emphatically. "And it bears mention again that, even if one were to concede the point of generality, we attend an academy that nominally encourages us to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. Even if they ultimately advocate a solution other than violence, one would at least expect them to have a grace period on the basis of not knowing any better. This borders on entrapment, if not insanity."

Aiko lowers her head and sighs. "...What's the bloody point?" She mutters. "I can rant about the unfairness of it until I'm black in the face; nobody is going to listen." She clenches her hands in front of her. "Which wouldn't be a problem if I could just step in and fix it myself, but that is not an option either. Am I meant to put up with this sort of trial yet again? Is this the universe's way of telling me I'm destined to be powerless and I might as well get used to it?"

[bc56]

Detention
Mary rolls her eyes at this nonsense. As usual, Aiko is blowing a tiny thing way out of proportion. "I suppose you can look at two people and see exactly who is innocent and who is guilty? Face it, Aiko, your 'problem' isn't big enough to warrant a trial by jury. It only matters for what? A few hours? Then detention ends and you're free to go." She shakes her head. "If you were accused of murder, it would be a different matter. If you really think about it, they are giving you a grace period; an adult could be charged with battery. You'd be held a lot longer just waiting for trial, and then if you lost, it would be months in prison. Detention is your warning that you should know better." Mary's right, possibly infuriatingly so.

There's been all this talk about what Aiko did to wind up here, but Mary's remained quiet about her own offense.

[Earl of Purple]

Outside --> The Whispering Sea

She's not just got the (definitely) disabled half-orc as a guard- she's got eight honour guards with muskets, macahuitls and copper lamellar and three Loremasters, who may know magic of some kind.

The carriage is very comfortable, as it happens, with very soft cushions and excellent suspension. Aikobaz is going to find her blood glowing, as well; it's enchanted to make the ride smoother. They're going to head out of Inside and onto one of the roads outside the city when the two younger loremasters spur their spindly-legged elephants forwards and start chanting, donning odd gloves with long fingers linked with netting and a small wooden ball painted blue and green. They throw the ball between them, catching it with their long fingers, as the guards and carriage come to a stop, then there's a flare of light and a gateway opens between them. The guards head through first, then the elder Loremaster, then the carriage, then the two younger loremasters, though they hurry a bit.

Once through the gate, if Aikobaz looks out the window, she'll see they're on a road of triangular paving slabs, with long grass she might recognise from a certain dream- although this time, it's yellowy-green, not purple.

[Keeper]

Parts Unknown

"Well that's not what he told me. So he was lying to one of us. Shocker." Kol snorts, shaking his head with displeasure. He can't really get too mad about lying about this to a child but still. There's just sort of a PATTERN going on here, isn't there Braeg?

Crystal Dorms

Mac shrugs and takes the deck, shuffling it with deft hands and without even looking slapping three cards before them, flipping them one by one.
"Jack of clubs. A young man with martial prowess. Simple enough.
Queen of clubs. A strong woman is involved, but being directly after the Jack suggests a direct connection. A protective parent or mentor figure who will be wary of your relationship.
King of Hearts. A patron of love and a powerful ally.

Very simple. You're destined for a competent if possibly blunt young man of strength, but will have to contend with one older figure barring your progress and one trying to help you."

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"...That is, to use the common term, quite fucked." Aiko mutters, resting her chin on her arms. "Is that really how you people approach the issue of detention and sentencing? Gods above..."

And she was under the impression the Bloodplunders were barbaric when she first met them.

"Back home, our dungeons were still much nicer than this." Aiko continues. "I burnt several wishes to make it so. Prisoners couldn't leave, of course, but they were well-fed and kept comfortable and at least entertained. Arrangements would be made to ensure their old lives could be returned to as soon as they were released... provided they were released." Aiko frowns. "We didn't have anything like this... forced inactivity unless they were found guilty. A woman could go mad sitting in a box hour after hour, day after day, with nothing to look forward to but being sentenced and things getting worse." She shakes her head. "My subjects deserved better than that."

"...And considering one could be imprisoned for tax evasion or..." Aikobaz's eyes flick up and down Mary's dress. "...public indecency, it hardly seems fair to answer every charge with a festering rathole anyway."

She decides not to mention the unintended consequences of this system and how much of a headache they were to navigate. Like the frequent crime waves that would occur when particularly impoverished sections of her domain needed a warm bed for the night.

...Then again, maybe she should. The kingdom Mary's set to inherit is (or was), according to the sources Aiko can find, essentially a giant prison. This may be relevant to her.


[Outside]

Oh, bonus. It's nice and toasty inside.

Aikobaz claims her seat in the carriage and waits patiently as the loremasters open a gateway to...

...a surprisingly strange-looking place. This was supposed to be where the Bloodplunders came from, right? She saw it in the dream she had with Aigothurz. Why did it look so different?

"...Oh."

Aigothurz, you prankster, you.

...Now that she thinks on it, this may be a perfect time to do some reconnaissance. She still has some tea in her system from this morning. She was intending to use it to study, but this seems more immediately important.

Aikobaz settles into her seat and rests the back of her head against the cushion, closing her eyes and letting herself drift away. That should help her preserve her dignity in ther interim.

In the meantime, she's going to try to focus on the palace, figure out what is being said about her arrival...


[Parts Unknown]

"It isn't?" The vixen blinks, snout quivering as she processes this information. "Ooooh no. I messed up, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but I thought it'd be okay to talk to you about it because you already know but you didn't and now uncle Braeg is going to be so mad at me and and and-" The vixen sniffles, which is a really bizarre sound to hear from a fox.

Almost as bizarre as open sobbing.


[Crystal Dorms]

"...Well, I should... I should hope so." Aiko says after a moment, cheeks orange. The innuendo could not be more obvious. Though whether that's coming from Mac or fate is difficult to tell; he seems to be relying on a different system than she is, but it's close enough that she can't deny his interpretation outright.

And it... does describe a situation she could reasonably find herself in.

"That should conclude Auguries for now." She says after a moment, gathering up the cards.

[bc56]

Detention
Mary's dress isn't publicly indecent. But it isn't appropriate for school, not with a v-neck like that, one that goes aaaaaallll the way down and makes it clear that despite her prodigious chest, she's not wearing any supports (that's got to be really hard on her back, unless she has some succubus trick to fix it).
As for Aiko's other point, Mary shakes her head. "That sounds like a bad idea," she comments, "Mum told me once, the reason she has to be careful with reforms is because she can't go so far that people want to go to Hell. It still has to be a punishment."

[Ironsmith]

[Detention]

"I am familiar with the problem." Aikobaz replies evenly. "It was quite a treacherous issue when I ruled, as well. But I found that I could solve most troubles with a simple, if cold, rule of thumb." She traces out a circle on the palm of her hand as she talks. "So long as it is not clear whether you have done any wrongdoing, you are still my subject. Someone for whom I would move heaven and earth to keep safe... as evidenced by the ample history of times when I did."

"But cross me, show that you are a threat to my domain and its people, and you will find just how unpleasant it is to be on the earth as it is moved."

slam! Goes Aiko's hand against the desk.

[bc56]

Detention
"And you call our system barbaric?" Mary asks incredulously having correctly interpreted what that means, "You'd execute someone for stealing bread to feed themselves? Or graffiti? Littering?" Obviously the last two are minor offenses for the purpose of making a point, but there has to be more nuance than "release or execution."

Study Session
"Urrrgh," Mary is frustrated. It looks like ah can barely sit still.
What's the cause? Math. Her remedial courses might be behind Khannie's but that doesn't make them easy. There are other things she'd rather do. It's not like she'll even use math in her career.
Of course Khannie's probably noticed other changes in her friend and roommate besides the frustration over studying (which isn't much of a change anyway). As of the last week, she's altered her proportions and taken to wearing skimpier clothing (as much as she can get away with despite the dress code, anyway). She's trying to embrace her burgeoning succubosity.

[Rebonack]

[Study Session]

Okay so one.

Succubosity is a great word.

Sadly it is in the narration so Khannie doesn't know it.

Two?

Khannie's concerned about her friend. Students getting rebellious and wearing more revealing versions of the uniform happens all the time but Mary never really seemed like THAT sort of person.

And three?

"Is it the fractions again?" Khannie asks. "Fractions suck."

It's true. Fractions DO suck. Why not just use decimals like sane people?

For her part Khannie has filled out quite a bit over the past year. She's becoming quite the young lady! The young sorceress lady, as it happens. While her human shape IS just an illusion and while her wish was indeed broken she still has an instinctive feel for how things should have gone. Her self image as a human was pretty darn strong. And she's just allowing that to run its course.

[Ironsmith]

Detention
"And you call our system barbaric?" Mary asks incredulously having correctly interpreted what that means, "You'd execute someone for stealing bread to feed themselves? Or graffiti? Littering?" Obviously the last two are minor offenses for the purpose of making a point, but there has to be more nuance than "release or execution."

[Detention]

"Don't be ridiculous. I seem to recall using the word threat." Aiko says with a frown. "Only the first even vaguely qualifies as a threat to anyone. And execution is irreversible; it is reserved for those who have either personally attacked me or the empire itself, or committed such heinous, violent crimes that they cannot be suffered to live even outside the empire's borders. Furthermore, graffiti and littering are not even illegal in the empire... though if caught in the act, one could expect to be drafted into assisting with the cleanup effort."

Aikobaz tilts her head. "I was not suggesting that all crimes are punished by death. But all crimes are punished. And all things that are not crimes are not." She holds out her pointer fingers and slides them away from each other, delineating two different categories. "And I have been very, very clear in making that distinction."

[bc56]

Study Session
While Khannie filled out to a typical sorceress shape over the course of the last couple years, Mary takes it more extreme, and did it all in one day. Considering she didn't show any signs of physically maturing before then, maybe succubi are just different and go through puberty all in one shot? Or maybe there really is something wrong.
"It's this... What's it called? Dimensional analysis," Mary has to check the book for the name. "It doesn't make any sense!" Oh no. It's advanced fractions. "I can't concentrate on this!" She's been squirming in her seat for a while, so that's unsurprising.

Detention
"Then if your prisons are posh penthouses, what other punishment do you have? Is everything fines? Do you cut off people's hands? You know what, don't answer that." Mary's growing tired of this conversation. She buries her nose back in her drawings.