"Looks like we'll be having our usual company."
Shen glanced up from the egg he was peeling, the last item left on his plate for that morning, to see what Raven was talking about. In a few moments he and his mentor were surrounded once again by Khaalida's group. Even the way they had briefly announced their arrival and choose their seats seemed to become routine, more normal. Shen eyed Raven's plate discretely, judging how much more time they would spend having their meal based on her remaining food. The new company would surely extend the stay, since there would be more to distract Raven from her food.
Shen groaned inwardly, and tried to not think about the time that was going to be wasted.
In contrast to the barely neutral expression Shen held, Raven's lips curled into a smile as their new company surrounded them. She could not help but to at least give Acasis a small wave as she took her seat, but she learned better than to offer much more than that. "Good morning Khaalida, Graegor, Acasis, and..." She turned her head towards each person as she greeted them, then paused as she stared at Alameth, struggling to recall his name. "Al...ameth?"
Shen glanced back towards Khaalida, unable to detect that anything was amiss or anything about the conflict between her and the spirit she harbored. "Training has been going well. I'm learning a lot still. Raven is helping me prepare for the next ritual already."
"Yes, Shen has been a very teachable apprentice. As for his personality... He means well, let's leave it at that." Raven covered her white grin behind her pale fingers, peering mischievously over her hand as she gauged Shen's reaction. Her eyes squinted, betraying smiles of their own, when Shen opened his mouth to say something and decided to respond with a loud sigh instead.
After regaining her composure, she glanced towards Khaalida once more. A question hung at the end of her tongue, and then she swallowed it, offering the group a closed lipped smile. "Are things going well with your group?" She asked, posing the question to the entirety of the crew that had joined the table.
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