2024-09-16: Cake Pool
- Log: 2024-09-16 Cake Pool
- Cast: Elan Ceres (ft. Shaddiq Zenelli), Trem Firmal, Secelia Dote (ft. Rouji Chante), Guel Jeturk (ft. Lauda Neill)
- Where: Asticassia School of Technology
- OOC - IC Date: Sept 16, UC 0099 (2024)
- Summary: The time for Asticassia's school festival is fast approaching. That means the Student Counci--errrr, the Dueling Committee needs to start planning.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Fall is the season of school festivals in a significant number of places around the Earth Sphere. Asticassia is no exception, even though it's a Ringer school. But because it's a Ringer school, the way it does things is a little different. The Dueling Committee, for example, runs the culture festival, along with many other events, even though technically speaking they're only supposed to be oversight for the duels--it's almost like they're analogous to a strangely all-powerful Student Council--and today its core members and some of their support have gathered to discuss how to go about it this year.
The one moderating discussions at present is Shaddiq, sitting on one of the couches with a leg dangling off and the other leg curled underneath him. Elan, seated opposite him, is reading a book and largely checked out of the conversation. This is pretty normal for Elan.
"...So, while there's still the School Rumble to go, I've been reading up on some of the festivals they have down on Earth, and I think there's potential," Shaddiq is saying with a smile. "Food booths, game booths, plays, themed cafes, haunted houses--that kind of thing. But naturally, we can't just play it straight either." He raises a finger, all but sparkling. "So I was thinking, let's make it a competition! The winning House takes all!"
Shaddiq does not clarify what he means by 'all.'
<Pose Tracker> Trem Firmal has posed.
Trem Firmal is sitting in the Dueling Committee room, with a datapad in her hand. She flips through some of it idly, as she listens to Shaddiq speak. She is seated on the same couch as Elan, though at the far end.
She looks up at Shaddiq; her silver eyes blink once, as she considers what he says.
Everything must be a conversation. Trem isn't surprised.
"This seems like a good way to do a festival," she says. "It promises to be exciting. However... what, exactly, would the winning House win?"
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
School festivals. From the first time she saw the whiff of pumpkin spice lattes popping up at the shops, she was already planning things in her mind. Touching things up. Keeping an eye on the general state of affairs, doing her volunteer job properly, the whole nine yards.
And she's lounging on the couch, sipping on a distinctly orange-colored latte. Large, of course. Thumbing her way through a few pages of schematics with a hum, keeping an ear out. Rouji, of course, is listening in as always. The Haro is silent.
"A competition? What, you want to make a Duel for the people who aren't in the frontlines?" She's listening closely, as always. A slow grin propping up her lips, taking another sip of the fall concoction. (It wasn't technically fall, but a few bits of knowledge about shop shipments help.) "What's the stakes? Some stocks for the winner? A seat on the table?"
Mmmh, might be interesting, at least. "Maybe they get to see our private meetings for a bit and tell everyone that we actually do our work~?" That might make for good publicity.
<Pose Tracker> Guel Jeturk has posed.
Despite being ostensibly the head of Jeturk House, Guel traditionally hasn't concerned himself much with the organisation of any school festival.
Fortunately, Lauda Neill is here too, a tablet in his hand full of his own notes.
When Shaddiq mentions spicing things up, though, the half-brothers look up. Lauda looks confused, but Guel seems... begrudgingly interested. "Yeah, what kinda competition would this even be, Shaddiq?"
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
"Hahaha, nothing like that! After all, it wouldn't be fair to the students who aren't in the piloting track," Shaddiq tells Secelia brightly. "We've already got regular dueling. Mixing it up once in a while is how to keep people interested!"
Though Guel might well disagree. His attention is at least piqued, even if Lauda's the one taking notes. "This is a business school, after all. Obviously we'd all be running our own individual mini-businesses, based on the traditional types of festival activities! 'We' being each House, of course. Whoever nets the highest wins!"
Trem asks what the victorious House would receive. "Hmmm... That's the million-gella question, isn't it? I know what I'd want House Grassley to win--" more women, he doesn't say, though he absolutely winks at Guel in a way that's almost sure to annoy him, "--but what do you all think? Should we set up a single extravagant prize, or should we have every House put in something for a pool of prizes?"
Shaddiq, that's gambling!!
But Secelia has some suggestions, as well as a joke. Shaddiq laughs at it like it's a joke. "I don't think we could fit a whole House's worth of students in here! Though livestreaming's an option, isn't it?" He leans his cheek on one curled hand. "Let's try turning it around. What do you all want your Houses to win?" He turns his gaze to one of his fellow House heads. "How about it, Elan?"
"I don't care," Elan replies, not looking up from his book.
Shaddiq sighs, smile now rueful, and shrugs broadly in an 'I don't know what I expected' sort of way. "Looks like you'll have to represent House Peil here, Trem. What d'you say?"
<Pose Tracker> Trem Firmal has posed.
"Do people think we not do any work?" Trem asks Secelia, looking at her. She blinks once, then twice. The question appears to be sincere.
Others echo the same question to Shaddiq. Trem is pleased with that; it means her question wasn't strange, somehow.
Her eyebrows lift, though, at the question that is an answer to her question.
She looks at Elan. He doesn't care. She looks at Secelia, then, and she debates.
"Peil House would want..." What would they want?
She stares into space for fifteen seconds without saying anything.
"A cake."
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
The thought of competing businesses...Well, there's some things to learn if Shaddiq's the one doing this. There's only a 'hmmmmm~' slipping forth between relaxed lips, sitting up and setting those papers to the side. No, this was more interesting.
"Per house mini-businesses? Cooked books or not~?" Accounting's just as devious as ever. You don't have to lie! You just need to properly say that your failures profited. "But, I can't disagree with it. Just have them shift the profits over to some large thing to say this is what everyone raised, and we can put the rest towards various budgets." Already thinking ahead.
But! As for what the Houses would want...A pout popping up on Secelia's face, glancing over at Rouji. He offers nothing. A shrug. What could they want from such a competition?
"How about a trophy? This is about egos-" Oh, she's totally not looking Guel's way. "- and something physical would bolster everyone but not be totally crazy about it." This was a place where conflicts were settled by Duels, inside and out. Best to keep it that way.
"Ah, but if we're doing tiebreaker votes, I'll be on the side of the cake. Strawberry vanilla, if you don't mind."
<Pose Tracker> Guel Jeturk has posed.
Guel leans back against the wall as Shaddiq explains, interest a little mollified. "Based on traditional festival stalls, huh? What, would we be running fish-catching games?"
Lauda, meanwhile, is already making notes intently. "It's not a bad idea, actually. Most students don't really think of our Houses' parent companies unless they're in the Management track, this would be an interesting way to show off our... unique points."
Guel thinks on that, then grunts, seemingly agreeing with his brother. But then: what would House Jeturk even want to win...? Guel and Lauda exchange a puzzled look, both of them drawing a blank.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Peil House would want... ... ... ........
Shaddiq bursts into peals of laughter at Trem's assertion. "How about a pool of cake? A giant one everyone can jump into and swim around it!" he suggests, blue eyes twinkling.
"No," Elan says.
"If you don't like the cake pool, Elan, you're going to have to suggest something else!"
Elan turns a page. ... ... ....... "The cake pool is fine."
Shaddiq grins, an expression he maintains as he catches Secelia's eye. "Secelia! We're honorable students of Asticassia School of Business! Obviously we'll be doing everything on the up-and-up!" He winks. "Any House that's caught doing something underhanded will have to receive a huge penalty~."
...meaning, all they have to do is not get caught. That, too, is a way to keep things exciting.
"If that's what comes to mind for you!" Shaddiq tells Guel brightly. "I can just imagine how spectacular Jeturk House would make a fish-catching game. You could have students catch sharks with your Mobile Suits!"
He's half-joking, which of course means he's also half-serious.
There's still a question of what the triumphant House will actually win, though. Rouji, Elan, and Lauda don't seem to have any solid ideas, but even Guel seems to be drawing a blank. It's tougher when you're thinking about more than just yourself, huh? "A trophy isn't a bad starting point. A nice big one, with plenty of bragging rights attached," Shaddiq muses, rubbing his chin. "But there ought to be something more to it than that. Something everyone in the House can enjoy. Otherwise, there's no reason to cooperate, and a business will fall apart if its employees don't do their parts. A funding boost is logical, but it also seems too simple."
Cake might actually win out at this rate.
<Pose Tracker> Trem Firmal has posed.
A cake pool? Trem's eyebrows knit in consternation. "That... would make the cake unsanitary," she tells Shaddiq. "To eat."
Trem raises an eyebrow at the trophy. That also sounds like it might be a good idea, she thinks. But she has to admit that she would prefer the cake. Her eyebrow lifts, as Secelia offers some support for the idea of a cake.
If it comes down to a tie, at any rate.
She looks sideways at Lauda -- she thinks about that, for a moment. What could Peil Technologies put on?
Something that the management would have to decide, and it would probably be inconvenient for them. "I like that idea," she tells him.
And, it sounds like, cheating will be expected. But Trem sort of expected something like that. She shifts for a moment, and then she glances up at the ceiling.
What game or booth will Peil House come up with?
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
A pool cake!? Trem's own declaration of a cake was inconnuous enough (and a good photo-op session, beside), but the mention of an entire pool of cake was what set the laughter in motion. Oh, oh, oh! What about- What about- Aaaah, that's a joyous laugh, settling back down while keeping her eye on the prize.
"What's that, Elan? Need a proper setting for a pool cake? I think there's pound cake a few other things. You could bake a cake and it'd be a hit!" Maybe. Maybe not.
"Yes, yes. Your habit of probably turning into slime as a magical ability gets more probable every day, you know~" Still, she's not rejecting Shaddiq's assertions. No, that was the whole intent of it. This was a school meant to build people up.
Still, the fact that Shaddiq was right was a small bit of a sore spot...Not enough to complain, at any rate. "Something that they'll gun for, no matter what, huuuuh...The obvious one is the title of Holder, but there's enough bruised egos here to make a lawyer's day. How about something like a good set of mechanical suits? All our houses are working on something, and they have to submit everything to us."
A tap on the chin. "Why not something that everyone wants to put on the market?" There's nothing coming to mind just yet, but...
"...Mmmmmh, like, say, a good look at the upcoming Haro models~?" Oh, she's completely overruling Rouji's look of light shock. "Or a cake trophy."
Compromises.
<Pose Tracker> Guel Jeturk has posed.
"I think maybe a haunted house event might be a better idea," Lauda speaks up again as Shaddiq jokes about catching sharks. "As for a prize..."
Guel grunts again. "If we're going to run this like a business, then we need something bigger than just a trophy, I agree." He folds his arms. "Something that everyone will work hard to achieve that's a reward for them. Maybe a field trip or something."
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
At least Secelia and Shaddiq are having fun with this! Someone has to.
Still, when Secelia teases him about baking a cake, Elan actually lowers his book to look at her, then at Trem. "Do you want to bake a cake?" he asks his housemate.
"Haha, ouch! Coming from you, though, I'll take that as a compliment," Shaddiq meanwhile tells Secelia cheerfully. He casts Elan a curious look when he starts to engage for the first time this meeting, but opts not to make a big deal of it.
Instead, he waves a dismissive hand at Secelia's suggestion about the title of Holder as the prize. "I don't think President Delling would green-light that. Besides, that's an individual prize, not something an entire House could share. A set of mechanical suits isn't a bad idea. For some of the less well-funded Houses, that could be a big boost and give them more incentive to try harder than one of the three branches."
Of course, that could potentially include Burion House, which might well be why Secelia suggested it, but Shaddiq is willing to play ball with that. With two major members in the Dueling Committee, Burion House is still better-positioned than most.
The suggestion about the Haro models makes Shaddiq smile again, especially with Rouji's (mildly) shocked stare. "A House-wide Haro upgrade might just be the ticket, actually. Who doesn't like Haros? Plus, someone who was willing to volunteer their services to make that happen, and didn't care to be overly social, might even get to opt out of participating in their House's booth," he suggests, giving Rouji a knowing look.
It sounds like Lauda's got a good idea for a Jeturk House event to run--with their budget and resources, any haunted house they make is going to be next tier. Shaddiq nods his approval, then considers the suggestion for a field trip. "Not a bad idea either! Elan, you visited the Macross Frontier last month, right? How was it?"
Elan stares at him. "How did you know that?"
Shaddiq winks and raises a finger to his lips. "A gentleman never tells~!"
"...It was nice."
"There we go! Elan-approved! I wouldn't mind paying it a visit myself," Shaddiq says. "Let's put it to a vote. Field trip or Haro upgrades?"
Once that's decided, they'll be able to move forward to the details.
<Pose Tracker> Trem Firmal has posed.
"...A cake would not be a bad thing," Trem answers Elan. That might be Trem Firmal for 'yes.' She looks at him for a moment, before she looks between Shaddiq, Secelia, and Guel. There are several ideas being suggested.
And it's put to a vote: Harup upgrades or a field trip. Trem's eyebrows furrow as she considers. (Also, bemoans that it won't be cake.)
"I think..." Her fingers come to her chin. "...I will vote for Haro upgrades."
<Pose Tracker> Guel Jeturk has posed.
So it comes down to a vote. Guel looks towards Lauda, and they share a nod. "Voting for the field trip, obviously," he says gruffly.
"What do we do if it's a tie?" Lauda wonders, and Guel grunts again. "This is the Dueling Committee. What else?"
<Pose Tracker> Secelia Dote has posed.
A haunted house from House Jeturk. That alone brings out a satisfied whistle from the gal, nodding in approval. Not that she isn't looking forward to any of them; Why, being able to announce them are events in of themselves!
"A field trip in this climate...Think they'll let people come down after that Colony Drop thing?" Something far away. Something dismissable. "Could do with talking with a few people. Everyone loves vacations." Problem sorted. Kinda. Sorta.
Still... "The Macross Frontier? How niiiice, you get anything good? Some good photos, I'd bet. Aren't they selling lots of Sheryl and Ranka stuff nowadays~?" Always on the money. Maybe.
"Yes yes, you don't need to ask my vote." Leaning back, thumping her feet on the table. "I vote for the Haro upgrades."
Rouji...Raises his hand. "...I also vote for the Haro upgrades. It'd be good for more data."
"There you have it. I can't duel, so if it comes to it, mmh...It shouldn't come to it."
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
"Mmm... Good point. But it'd be a good way to lift people's spirits, too," Shaddiq says. "The colonies are still just fine, and so are the Macross fleets."
Elan actually stops to consider the options, gazing up towards the ceilings. "Probably," he tells Secelia, of the Sheryl and Ranka merch. "I didn't pay attention to that. I went to the beach." But a false beach, with an artificial ocean. A field trip to Earth, though... He looks at Shaddiq. "Could we go to Earth?"
"You're joking, right?" Shaddiq utters, genuinely surprised. "Didn't we just talk about that?"
"Oh. I see." He returns his attention to his book. "Then the Haro upgrades will do."
Shaddiq gives him a considering look. But between him, Trem, Secelia and Rouji, it's already decided. If it had been a tie, like Lauda wondered, that'd be one thing, but it's not. "I'd like a field trip myself, but it looks like we're outvoted, Guel!" he says, shrugging at his fellow House head. "As for what we're all doing, how about we take a week to work it over with our Houses, then submit our financial plans to the advisors? We can start on advertising now, then get more detailed once we're locked in..."
And so the meeting continues. The culture festival is already off to a promising start!(?)
Board 9: IC News/Rumors Title: Asticassia Culture Festival Poster: Elan Ceres Date: Fri Sep 27
Asticassia School of Technology has announced their culture festival this year will take place on Sunday, October 20! In light of recent tragedies, Asticassia's students, led by the Dueling Committee, are paying their respects by theming the festival on traditional Earth festival events. The culture festival is open not just to students and faculty but also any and all approved guests to the campus.
Jeturk House dares guests to brave their haunted house; Grassley House will charm guests with a stage play based on Cinderella; Peil House invites guests to an austerely elegant butler cafe; Burion House will let guests compete at a beat-'em-up robot game booth; and more!
What's more, each House is competing against the other Houses for a grand prize! Whichever House nets the most income will enjoy a blanket upgrade to the latest razor-edge model of Haro for all of its members. Any student caught cheating will be disqualified from participating in this prize, so be sure to keep it clean for everyone's sensibilities*!
(* Savvy students know, of course, that this really means, "Don't get caught.")