* Alcinoe climbs to the top of one of the multi-story stone ledges, sitting 
heavily at the top and looking around. She's been a bit around campus, 
eventually reaching the edge, and apparently decided the view was worth this 
sort of climb.
* Alcinoe pulls her knees up and sets her chin on them as she hugs her legs, 
making sure her cloak covers as much as possible as she looks out towards 
campus.
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos comes up the rock face and takes a seat beside Alcinoe. He 
offers her an inquisitive look. ]
* Alcinoe turns her head to look at him, resting her cheek on her knees. 
"Howdy."
* Kardos nods. "And a fine afternoon to you."
* Alcinoe looks back to campus, letting out a sigh and watching her breath frost 
in the air. She's silent for a bit before speaking up: "Ah'm sure Ah did the 
right thing, but Ah'm not feelin' very good about it, right now."
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos nods. "Sometimes the right thing is hard to do." He thinks for 
a moment. "Sometimes the right thing is not what one thinks, either." ]
<Yu-Mei> [ "I am sure the things you said would have been more useful if they 
had come earlier. It is sad you weren't there to know they were needed." ]
<Alcinoe> Yeah, Ah'm pretty sure about that.  It's just a mess, y'know?  It's 
not even mah mess, but... Ah just felt like Ah had ta make mahself heard.  An' 
Ah couldn't understand it.
* Alcinoe pauses. "Or maybe Ah could, and that's the problem." She lets out a 
groan of frustration and buries her face in her knees.
<Yu-Mei> [ "You were being judging. This is not necessarily bad." ]
* Kardos haltingly gives Alci a hug. Sometimes doing the right thing is hard, 
yes.
* Alcinoe lets him hug her. She doesn't hug back, because of the position she's 
in, but she warms up to the hugging. "Ah just dunno. Kenji seems ta think-" She 
stops, then continues, "He seems ta think that it's okay, an' emotions ain't 
gonna get away with people, if ya have a relationship an' ya *know* yer gonna be 
assigned ta someone else."
* Alcinoe pauses, then snorts. "An' if ya keep it secret. Descreet. Ah'm not 
even sure why... He's not mah friend." She finishes that last part off weakly.
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos unhugs. "Where Kenji is from, emotions are not highly thought 
of. You see it reflected in Kenji himself." ]
<Yu-Mei> [ "They are... things that do not matter. It is sad, for people to live 
like that, but that is something they must realise for themselves." ]
<Alcinoe> But they're still there.  Ya get in an arranged marriage, okay, Ah can 
respect that.  But ya have ta acknowledge that it's gonna happen, an' if ya get 
too deep...
<Yu-Mei> [ "Kenji may have realised, but he does not know how to act on this 
realization, if he has." ]
<Alcinoe> But Ah tried ta talk to 'im about it, an' instead of gettin' the point 
across, Ah think Ah just made think the wrong thing.  It ain't mah business 
anyway.
<Yu-Mei> [ "In some senses, these may be new concepts. Although marriage is not. 
You are right there; he should have known it was coming. He is not a fool." ]
<Yu-Mei> [ "Are you a friend of his, Alcinoe?" ]
* Alcinoe huffs, watching her breath float in the air. "Don't stop 'im from 
doin' foolish things."
<Alcinoe> Ah dunno.  Ah barely know the guy.  Ah'm not even sure if Ah like 'im 
or not.
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos nods. "Well." He pauses for a moment, then; "You will, if he 
is still alive for it, be adventuring together. It would be good to become his 
friend. If you are his friend, it becomes your business." ]
* Alcinoe smiles a little. "Arranged friendship?"
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos blinks, then smiles almost imperceptibly. "Yes. I, as a High 
Paladin of Bahamut, declare you to be friends." ]
<Yu-Mei> [ "And I present you with a quest to accompany your new position; you 
must discover how best to aid your friend." ]
<Alcinoe> Aww, an' Ah didn't even get a friendship ring!
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos says, perfectly straight-faced, "Istvan can make a pair." ]
<Alcinoe> Great, ya can perform the ceremony.  Unless Kenji goes an' leaves me 
for another friend that his family arranged for 'im.
<Yu-Mei> [ "Polygamy in friendship is not unheard of." ]
<Alcinoe> Yeah, but it's gotta be clean an' pure!
* Alcinoe flails.
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos blinks. "Isn't friendship always?" ]
* Alcinoe laughs, then hugs Kardos and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah."
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos turns red. ]
* Alcinoe draws away and smiles. "Thanks fer comin' up ta talk. Ya helped a 
lot."
<Yu-Mei> [ "Y-your welcome," he stutters. ]
<Alcinoe> Oh, fer cryin' out... look, are ya gonna stutter every time a girl 
kisses ya?  'Cause if ya are, Ah've gotta find some way ta break ya of that 
habit.
<Yu-Mei> [ "...possibly." ]
* Alcinoe giggles and tweaks his nose. "Right, Mr. High Paladin a' Bahamut."
<Yu-Mei> [ Kardos remains red. ]