[Dr. Gustave]

(OOC: This thread is open to all and serves as a social thread for anyone, whether they were involved in the tourney or not. Those who were in the tourney, people will at least know OF them, more likely than not, since all matches were televised. Feel free to socialize with whoever. This is a great opportunity for character developments and new relations. The first part of this thread is an interview between the two finalists, but feel free to join in and converse or just listen until it's over.)

Zabar felt out of place. Or rather, Zabar knew he was out of place, but Zabar didn't care. He'd been sensible enough to not bring his weapons, chest plate, poncho, or hat, but his orange-brown buttoned shirt, jeans, and steel toed boots were certainly not the norm at a semi-formal event like this.

The Vacuan ran a callused hand through his messy hair before peaking around the corner of the small stage. He could see three chairs on the raised stage, positioned around a glass table, with technicians setting up recording equipment and cups of water onto it. Past the table, he could see the other finalist, Nathan, standing just around the opposite corner of the stage, waiting just like him. He noticed the interviewer was nowhere to be see, however, and he hadn't even see him. or her. Or whatever.

Looking past the stage, he could see a large room with tables placed in seemingly random locations around it, either being host to a plethora of chairs or a row of food and beverages. Above and encircling the room, he could see an indoor balcony, made to overlook all of the other guests, with a number of people standing there already. 'Probably just important staff or citizens or something.' He though as his eyes drifted back downward to the large double doors that had long ago been opened and now has a slow trickle of people passing through to the seats or food. No one he recognized but then again, he wasn't from here so that wasn't much of a surprise.

Zabar ducked his head back behind the corner checked his scroll one more time.

7:55:24 PM <Dustin> This is going to be a disaster.
7:55:29 PM <Weigela> It'll be fiiiiiine, D, come on. Zabar isn't that bad.
7:55:32 PM <Zabar> Still here, Wei.
7:55:36 PM <Weigela> Oh come on, you know how you are.
7:55:43 PM <Zabar> ... Okay, fair point. But, look, I'll be fine. All I have to do is answer a few questions and talk to a guy who injured all of his opponents and then I can just skip to tomorrow and beat up said opponent injurer.
7:55:49 PM <Dustin> No, see, that's what I'm worried about. You barely have a filter. You're going to be up there representing DAW and Vacuo.
--:--:--        <�4�A�> a�%�[�qk�LI >�!�I��]V�l x��bƈ�"���'�Y�E�@*)��<��JD �2l�����O��w�?�G�rH�U�"�\f�M�9F�-��R]o��q   ��(�+p`�@r�� � b6
7:56:01 PM <Zabar> This is a private chat, not an interview. I know the difference.
--:--:--        <�4�A�> �����X>���
7:56:40 PM <Dustin> I just want what's best for the team, bro, I don't want you to embarrass us.
7:56:42 PM <Dustin> Not that you would.
7:56:43 PM <Zabar> Zabro.
--:--:--        <�4�A�> w,
7:56:51 PM <Dustin> I just don't want to be looking for jobs some day and have the client say "DAWN? Don't you have the team member that punched the other finalist in the Vytal festival during the interview?"
7:56:54 PM <Weigela> That might get us better jobs, tbh...
7:56:55 PM <Zabar> I get it.
7:57:02 PM <Zabar> Look, I'll act how I should act. I'm not stupid.
7:57:15 PM <Dustin> Okay. Just come back here as soon as you can. You been spending too much time in Vale.

Zabar slid his scroll closed and slipped it into his pocket. They could discuss the rest on their own, he needed to get ready for the interview. If the interviewer was around, anyway.


Up on the balcony, a girl with metallic scorpion tail wearing black dress stood, leaning on the balcony.

[EdgeyReyes]

The scenery in Vale was a lot different to Atlas, Aegis had to admit, warmer and more colourful then what Atlas normally looked at. All the whites and light blues did tend to look rather dull if she had to be perfectly honest. She had only changed the shirt and the rest of what she wore was from her huntress clothing, same colour just with the right sleeve.

Aegis looked around, not seeing any students from Atlas which did make her feel a little bit of an outcast, still she wasn't an outcast. So without much else to do she decided the best thing to do is to strike up conversation with the closet person, which happened to be the girl with the large metal scorpion tail... great.

"Hello miss, oh, let me introduce myself first, I'm Aegis Guard, from Atlas. Nice to meet you." She introduced herself, hoping that she would at least be friendly so she wouldn't have to walk away and find another person to talk to.

[nathan67003]

For the first time in a bit, Nathan wasn't hiding himself within his coat in public. This had earned him quite the odd and... intense stares on his way from the changing room. When taking into account that said changing room was a table about ten meters away from the stage corner he was leaning against, this might be considered a feat. At least, his incognito 'strategy' wouldn't get blown away due to his appearance on stage. He'd even neglected to brong Ergia along in a coat pocket to prove his good intentions. ...Ugh.

He briefly entertained the idea of using his scroll to play games remotely while he waited, before remembering that he'd deactivated all of its wireless functions before leaving his dorm earlier. And let's not even talk about how inert his computer was at the moment. Sighing, he took his left fingers out of the corresponding pocket before gazing at the vast amounts of food that could be glanced from his position in a predatorial fashion.

When he'd had his fill of visually devouring sirloin steaks, mashed potatoes, about a dozen types of steamed vegetables and a chocolate cake that was at least 6 layers thick, he turned his attention to whatever else wasn't a chair, a table, a technician being busy with technician things (such as making the hardlight projectors behave, for example) a piece of featureless flooring. The first thing he noticed was the movement on the opposing end of the stage. Oh, neat, seemed like Zabar had arrived. He tried guessing the guy's mental state, but stopped and turned away as the person of interest ran his hand through his hair. Such an exercise was more than futile with Nathan's skill at communication, or lack thereof.

Nathan then attempted to fill his time by alternating between analyzing whichever new person came into his field of view and thinking up plans for games and tinkering. Boy, was this thrilling.

[Zwei Not]

To be frank, Juno's loss to Zabar Aga stung. He was so close to getting to the finals, to facing Eau. To proving his worth to the entire world. Well... That chance was gone, and all he was left with was a pat on the back and a damaged suit. He had managed to repair the hardlight generator, but most of the other systems were still shot. Nevertheless, he accepted the invitation to the ball, doing his best to keep his disappointment hidden. Nevertheless, he gave a slight wave as he spotted Zabar in the crowd, taking note that Malina Nahualli, the girl who had knocked him out during the 2v2 semifinals, was also present. Brilliant. No doubt, he'd have to interact with both of them at some point. He wasn't quite looking forward to that one.

Another thorough look through the crowd gave Juno the opportunity to spot none other than Eau, his to-be opponent had Aga not stopped him on that path. Taking a moment to brush off the shoulder of his black vest, Juno made his way through the crowd, hoping to avoid the attention of any of his previous opponents.

[Metroidhunter]

Not unlike many of the other tournament participants that had showed up at this gathering, Isabelle was alone. While she had made an attempt at getting Lyssa to come out with her, that invitation had been harshly declined. She didn't have a whole lot better to do at the moment, so spending her free time at a place like this that at least had free food seemed like it'd be a fine plan. It would be better than sitting around in her dorm and drinking until she dozed off, at least. Even though the girl didn't have a strong desire to be there, she had at least bothered to put on a simple blue dress rather than keeping on her school uniform. As she walked around, her eyes scanned the crowd, looking to see if she could spot any familiar faces. So far, none really stood out. Despite the fact that she attended this school, she was about as familiar with the student population as all of the outsiders were. Oh well, she thought to herself. She wasn't against socializing, but that wasn't really why she had gone to the event anyway.

Isabelle made her way over to one of the many tables covered in refreshments, taking one of the preoccupied seats before grabbing herself a cup and filling it with punch. For now, she decided to get comfy, even if she didn't plan to stick around for too long. If nothing interesting were to happen in the next ten or so minutes, she could probably just grab some snacks from the table and bail.

[Siuwa]

Catalina, in his Beacon uniform, walked in the ball room. He had taken notice of how many people who recognized him, and is surprised by the fact that more people than he thinks knew him as Catalina rather than, you know, "one of the boys that got injured by Nathan".
In the room he could see food, drinks, tables, chairs, and clothes. Mainly clothes. And the people who are wearing them. One of them is his newfound, probably one-way friend, Nathan Eau. Nathan injured his first round opponent Gray, and the civilians hated him for this, especially due to a certain person spreading the hatred. But he decided that he isn't at fault, and it would only be natural that he defends Nathan from this. But now he has come to doubt it. While Nathan definitely did nothing wrong, is it Cat really defending him out of reason? Or is he just one of those that fell victim to the phenomenon where losing to someone makes you admire that someone?
Regardless. He want to have a good chat with him. So he walked up to him on the stage.

[FunkyMonkey]

     Auric Herz looked at his watch.  Looks like I'm going to be slightly late.  How unfortunate, he thought to himself.  In reality, he was only several minutes behind his scheduled interview with the first of the tournament's finalists.  Though no one would believe it just by looking at him and his lifestyle, Auric was a very punctual person.  Before long, he was in the ball room which held the pre-finals celebration.  Bringing up his scroll, he checked his schedule to confirm the first finalist.  "Zabar Aga, alright...where are you?" he thought to himself, having taken one last look at the picture associated with the name before looking around the room and scanning the faces to match the picture.

     Eventually, Auric found the student who he was confident was Zabar, matching dirty blond, messy hair and dark tan skin.  He walked up to the student, walking around to approach him from the front, not wanting to startle him.  "Zabar," he began, arm outstretched and ready for a handshake.  "My name is Auric.  Nice to meet you.  I'll be the one conducting your and Nathan's interviews.  If you are ready, I have a room reserved down the hallway, and we can get this interview started." 

     Auric then looked around and saw the recording equipment on the stage and what looked like a setup for an interview.  "Odd," he thought to himself.  Quickly checking his scroll, he was surprised to learn that his interview was scheduled to be on the stage in public.  "Oh man, why didn't anyone tell me earlier?" he asked himself, frustrated.  Turning back to Zabar, he corrected himself, "Well, my mistake, it seems like there has been a change in schedule, and we will be doing the interview on the stage...but I'm sure you already figured that out."  Already some ways to the door leading out the ball room and into the hallways, Auric turned back and headed back to the stage, walking at a brisk pace.  "Well, let's get to it," he said.

[Walter]

Razzzmatazz did not have a set of formal clothes.

This was a realization which had struck him a bit late, actually. To be axact, he remembered this as he entered the room and saw all these people in their suits and dresses, while he himself was dressed in his regular ole pink jacket and white pants. Oh, well, no harm no foul.

Razzy hadn't been upset at all by his loss to Zabar. Heck, he was pleased having gone that far, and, more importantly - he had fun! In his eyes, that was all that really mattered in all of this. He didn't fight for the glory or fame, or some nonsense like that, after all.

He scanned the room, but didn't see either of the finalists anywhere. While a slight bit disappointed, he still held his head high, deciding to check out the refreshment table. To be frank, the boy hadn't eaten much at all today, having been too excited about things, and was starving. He made his way through the crowd, greeting and hugging people along the way, as he had made sure to befriend as many people as physically possible throughout his time here. Finally, he reached the table, and proceeded to have everything.

Didn't matter if the food was some sort of bun or pie, if it were eaten with a fork or put on a stick, the pink warrior stuffed it all in his mouth, having a glass of punch to top it all off. Only as he set his glass down and let a sigh of enjoyment out, he noted the girl sitting on a chair next to him. He smiled, a crumb still stuck to the side of his lip.

"Hello! I'm Razzmatazz!"

[The Mythic Scribe]

Formal was a loose term.

At least that was what Bianca told herself as she sipped whatever they were serving for drinks, noting the stares she was receiving. Though really, she couldn't tell what exactly they were for. It could be the fact that she was a former contestant in the tourney, though that was ungracefully short-lived. Or it could be the lace-up neckline and the cropped-ness of her velvet top. Or maybe the high slit of her otherwise fancy skirt. Or even the fact that her ensemble had one color and one color only: black.

Finding herself bored, Bianca's eyes roved the crowd for a familiar face, or at least someone who looked the least bit... fun. She'd definitely hit up the finalists after they were done with the interview, but currently it looked like Nathan and Zabar were previously occupied. Lovely. Hmm, who was that standing next to Nathan? Still, it seemed like her only company for the moment would be the cup of dubious yet strangely appetizing liquid and the teensy paper plate she'd filled with cheese, crackers, and fruit. The only thing keeping her from getting anything other than that was the reminder that if she wanted to be the best she could be, sticking to the diet and harsh regimen that she'd lived by for so long would be the best bet. Well. At least it was good cheese.


Elsewhere in the room, amongst the crowd, Lien was starting to regret her decision to come. Socialization? Balls? And she didn't even have just one of her teammates to lost puppy with. Mythos did help a little in helping her pick out the dark green long-sleeved shift she was wearing, though whether or not her leader was coming herself was unclear. Anyhow, she'd wanted to see the interview, maybe interact with some former participants of the Vytal tourney, who all seemed relatively nice. Except for Jack and Bianca. And Nathan of course, there was something off about him. On the way to the area before the stage though, Lien accidentally bumped into some student with very bright green hair and a black vest. Not just that, but in steadying herself, she also accidentally grabbed onto said student's shoulder. Oh, and she was also wearing her nail guards. "Oh my-I'm so sorry! I'm such a bumbling fool!" As she righted herself, Lien noticed something peculiar about the student she'd bumped into. Figuring that it was a good time as any, Lien said, "Are... uh, you're Juno Vert. You um-you were the one who lost to Zabar?" Sometimes she really couldn't believe how incredibly terrible she was.

[Zwei Not]

Juno's eye twitched as he felt something dig into his shoulder, taking a deep breath before turning to the girl who had (inadvertently) stabbed him. The fact that she had to open with his loss didn't do much to improve his opinion of the girl, but he did his best not to show outward disdain. "And the leader of Team VCVS, winners of the First Year 4v4 bracket." He commented, giving the girl before him a quick look-over. Just taller than him, yet lacking in regards to confidence. Well dressed, but then again, who wasn't? Save for Razz, but... He was a special case. "Can I help you with anything, miss..?" He trailed off with a thin smile, hoping that the stranger would fill in her name for him.

[Dr. Gustave]

Zabar gave a polite smile and gave the man a firm handshake. "Nice ta meet you as well." He said before parting their hands. He paused for a moment as Auric seemed to have a moment of self doubt before correcting himself. "Ah... yeah, I'm ready. Nathan's just across the way." The boy took a deep breath and began to follow the interviewer.


Malina pushed herself up off of the balcony, almost in surprise, as the girl approached her. "Oh, hello." She said with a small smile as she turned to face Aegis. Manticore curled around her legs and tightened the dress around her. "Malina." Pushing her hair past her shoulder and away from her face as she spoke. "Oh, Nahualli. Malina Nahualli. Were you..." The girl took a minute to look over the Atlesian. "You weren't in the tourney, I don't think. Were you?"

[EdgeyReyes]

"I do wish I was, however other teams proved themselves better to compete in the tourney. I'm a shield user so I have no hope of actually winning, well, it would just be a stalemate in all honesty." Aegis gave herself a moment of thought. Just small enough to allow her to reflect on when Malina had replied to her. "I didn't scare you, did I?"


While on the loor above was Mythos, taking to one of the balcony spots to try and spot her female teammate. She had initially decided against going, but when she thought about it, Lien wasn't really the confident type. Then again neither was Mythos but she could handle herself in social situations. At least she hoped she could. Her two revolvers hidden with a holster suggested otherise but they weren't visible even with her jacket open.

Upon spotting her teammate Mythos quickly scanned the room, making sure that no one that looked like security was looking and she jumped, landing in front of some people to their slight shock. She only gave a passive wave to dismiss them as she walked to her fellow teammate. "It's Li, Lien Li. Sorry to intrude, I'm her team leader. Mythos Laurenstine. Nice to meet you, Juno. It was an entertaining fight to watch." That turned out suprisingly smooth if she allowing herself a metaphorical pat on the back.

[nathan67003]

As the crowd kept growing, Nathan recognized a few more figures - from where he was, at least. A wild Juno Vert, for one, who started moving in what appeared to be his direction before getting interrupted by a slightly taller girl, who... seemingly dug her nail guards into his shoulder by accident. Fun. Oh and there was Cat, the other guy he'd injured. That one, he was on okay terms with, at least. A momentary distraction was brought to him in attempting to find Gray in the crowd, a venture which proved fruitless. Oh thank goodness. He'd heard the guy was... angry at him, and last thing he wanted to do was cause another commotion. ESPECIALLY when unarmed. Nevertheless, he gave a small wave of acknowledgment to Cat as he came up to him.

Upon further scrutiny, he noticed - one heck of an understatement - the guy clad in pink from one of the matches he watched. Noice, that certainly put a lot of (unwanted?) color in the evening. Apart from that, he caught a glance of a girl who seemed to be pushing the dress code to its absolute limits. That was... a sight, for sure. Apart from all that, somebody approached Zabar and talked to him for a bit, started leaving and made a u-turn. Huh. Who was that?

[Siuwa]

Cat started his conversation with the question he really wanted to ask as he walked up to him. "So, does it feel good to no longer be in hiding?" He asked a waiter for a coke and looked away for a little bit. He saw a girl in pitch black, not remembering she is in the tournament. Then there is Razz, the boy who lost to Zabar in an entertaining match. There is also Juno, one of the semi-finalists, and of course, Zabar, the other finalist and the one he is following around.

[FunkyMonkey]

"Nathan?" asked Auric, though the tone of his voice barely suggested that he was asking a question.  He momentarily stopped walking before looking at his scroll again, then looking at the stage.  "Of course.  Why don't you go on to the stage and make yourself comfortable.  I'll go get Nathan," he said to Zabar.

With that, Auric turned around and headed away from the stage, towards where Zabar had earlier mentioned.  Looking through his scroll for a picture of the finalist, Nathan, for reference, he once again scanned the crowd, trying to find the boy.  Before long, he spotted someone he believed to be Nathan Eau and approached him.  "Nathan Eau?" he began, arm outstretched for a handshake.  "My name is Auric Herz.  I'll be conducting the interview.  Won't you come join us on-stage?  Mr. Aga is already waiting for us."