The start of the second semester was just as much of a pain as the first.
If standing in front of a crowd and looking pretty was all that’d been required of him, he could’ve managed easily enough— he’d had plenty of practice, serving as the face of various sects and organizations way back… a long time ago, when he’d still done that sort of thing… but no, of course not, nothing could ever be that simple and straightforward. Even mortals, apparently, were drawn to that pomp and circumstance that’d seemed to infest every layer of the thing known as society. Even that probably wouldn’t have been too bad, if they were appropriately upright about the whole thing…
Who was he kidding? They’d spent more than four hours arguing before Principal Yuxan could make his speech— four early morning hours that was, starting from when it’d still been dark out and continuing until scant minutes before they’d stepped out onto the stage— debating the exact order of who would stand where. It was pathetically pointless; in all honesty, Mingtian doubted that the vast majority of the students even understood the reasonings behind the ritual. He doubted many of them even understood the ritual itself.
No— it was more for the ego of the instructors than anything else. Worse, he couldn’t just abstain entirely— for that would as surely stain his reputation as participating poorly. Each action, reaction… he sighed, standing in the exact same spot he’d been given the first time ‘round. All that arguing, all that debating vitriolic shouting and furious words traded in anger and— for what? No change at all.
It was cold outside.
Unlike the time the entire academy had met in the auditorium, prior to the first semester, the climate was well and truly different. Cold, so very very icily cold, a deep enough chill that— restricted to mortality as he was— he could feel it seeping down into his flesh and bones…
Maybe he should have worn a jacket. Plenty of the other teachers were— barring those who were trying to look self important, and the first-step cultivators. They, at least, could probably resist the cold… but the whole thing was just pointless.
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No, he wasn’t salty at all about being forced to take time out of his empty schedule to come to a surprise staff meeting. What could’ve possibly given that impression?
“…urge you to continue in the pursuit of greatness, and greater greatness, pursuant to the virtues of our great academy and even indeed the city of East Saffron, under whose benevolence we all rise to great completion…” Mingtian fought the urge to roll his eyes, mostly because he was pretty sure that with his advanced cultivation, Avyr would probably be able to see that. Couldn’t be setting a bad example, now… “and nevertheless strive ever onwards, despite, spiting the crushing weight of our Duty, that we might bring greatness to kin, clan, precinct, city, sect.” At least two of those had probably been included specifically to appease Guxi… “study well, practice hard, and continue to learn with all the fathomless, ravenousness, great becoming of true students of East Saffron’s 32nd Preparatory Academy. May this semester see you rise.” Yuxan bowed, and the stadium erupted into cheers as all the students applauded.
It was… well, Mingtian had thought it had been a thoroughly trite speech, but he supposed to those who didn’t know better, it had been rousing enough. The principal certainly had a way with words…
Unfortunately, unlike the first time, they weren’t immediately dismissed— the students knew where to go, which meant that the upper-level teachers got to stick around on the podium and look pretty. Fighting back a sigh, he glanced up at the final-year students as they slowly streamed out of the auditorium, catching glimpse of Lily and Avyr as they picked their way out of the seats. It was a bit awkward— the tight seating clearly hadn’t been designed for the big cat, but he made do. He was surprisingly good at that…
It was a bit different to how it’d been the first time, when his mere movement had enforced a strict bubble of students who didn’t dare approach him. Now… well, there was still some apprehension, but it was a more muted thing. A few students— he vaguely recognized them, Lily’s co-orphan and a few friends if he placed them right— had even taken advantage of the bubble of space around Mingtian to get away from the more packed parts of the auditorium. Clever…
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