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Happy Birthday (Part One)
Savanaclaw Dorm - Birthday Party Venue
NRC School Newspaper A Birthday Interview with Leona
| First off—happy birthday! |
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Sure is. And I never get tired of hearin' it. Just look at you, minding your herbivore manners. |
| Has your family spoken with you? |
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Yeah, they sent me some messages and a whole heap of presents. They're all in a pile in my room. It's probably nothing I want anyway. Have at 'em, if you like. The real trouble is the birthday present I got from my nephew Cheka. He was blowing up my phone all day when it was scheduled to be delivered. "Has it come yet?" "Do you like it?" That kinda thing. He just wouldn't let it go, so I finally said, "No, and I ain't lookin'," and hung up on him. Then my sister called to give me grief. Wanna know what he gives me? Last year it was a stuffed animal. And the year before that, some picture book. They're such dumb, sweet presents, it actually brought a tear to my eye. Yeah, thanks kid... Sheesh. |
| Could you tell me more about your family? |
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Hah. You wanna learn about the royal family? I'm warning you now, it's kind of a boring topic. Back when I lived at home, my sister-in-law and Cheka were always making some kind of racket. Never got a moment's peace. It's the same with my brother. He's ten years older than me and runs the Sunset Savanna since our dad's sick and bedridden these days. But he always gets hung up on looking after me. Never shuts up. He could just focus on the kingdom's affairs—you know, his JOB—but nooo, he's gotta be the caring big brother who's nice to everybody. |
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He recently gave me a traditional Sunset Savanna rug, actually. Like, the real expensive kind. I live in a DORM, for cryin' out loud! Where does he expect me to whip that out? I mean, talk about out of touch. In the time he spends sending me gifts I don't even want, he could be sending rugs to neighboring lands and bolstering our foreign relations. Of course, the thought never even crosses his mind. With that carefree attitude of his, he's gonna run our kingdom into the ground. |
Happy Birthday (Part Two)
Savanaclaw Dorm - Birthday Party Venue
| What's your favorite spot in the whole school? |
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I hang out in the botanical gardens a lot. It doesn't get a lot of foot traffic, it's quiet… Everything you want when you're cutting class. It's also totally climate-controlled. Perfect spot for a midday nap. Trouble is, I get Savanaclaw students and club members showing up and bugging me when I sleep there. "Stop these guys in the dorm from fighting!" "Help us with some special Spelldrive training!" It's always some chore being dumped on me. |
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I've been changing up my hiding spots lately just so they won't find me. Lately I like to go behind the Hall of Mirrors. Dense trees, lots of pungent foliage… Great natural camouflage all around. Just the other day, Ruggie came that way looking for me, and went on by without even noticing I was there. Heh heh. That's just one example, of course. I'm not gonna spill 'em all. Don't hold it against me if you can't find me, all right? |
| You got it. Now, could you tell me why you decided to be a housewarden? |
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Simple—I got tired of answering to small fry. When I first enrolled, I had no interest in the job. I figured it was just a bunch of extra work with no upside. But sharing a dorm room with other students was worse than I'd imagined. It got on my nerves when things didn't go the way I wanted, and the other guys were all jumpy around me. I was miserable. Eventually, enough was enough, and even my dormmates begged me with tears in their eyes: "Please, you've gotta become housewarden!" |
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So when I became a sophomore, I challenged the former housewarden and took the title. And now that I've got the job, it turns out there's barely any work I have to do myself. I can leave most stuff to other students in the dorm, and it generally works out. It's easy street, honestly. The only real chore is the housewarden meetings. I can't get outta those. Some dorms send their vice housewardens instead, but our dorm doesn't have one. I figured anyone in a support role would just create more work for me, so I never appointed one. But I sure regret it when those meetings come up. |
Happy Birthday (Part Three)
Savanaclaw Dorm - Birthday Party Venue
| Do you have any hobbies? |
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If I had to name something, it'd be chess. It's fun studying the state of the board. When you examine your opponent's strategy, you get a good idea of what's running through their head. And when you keep solving chess problems, sometimes it gives you inspiration for a whole new strategy. That's a real rewarding feeling. Back when I was a kid, I used to play a lot. And against big, important grown-ups, too. Some didn't take me seriously since I was a kid. They'd finally start playing for real partway through, and get all flustered by the end. HAH. That was my favorite source of entertainment back then. |
| I see. So what led you to enroll in this school? |
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What, is that supposed to be some roundabout way of asking why I'm two years older than the other guys in my grade? Well? Answer me! ...Oh, come on. Can't you take a joke? You don't have to flinch like that. Anyway, it's not some skeleton in my closet I'm trying to hide. When I first got the invitation to this school, I ignored it. Everything they teach at Night Raven College, I'd already learned years ago from our royal tutors. I saw no reason to mingle with people below my ability level, studying things I already knew. It seemed like a waste of time. |
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But when Cheka was born, things...changed. The idea of staying at home was like gnawing on a bone long after the meat'd been stripped clean. So I came to school the year after I got the invitation. And don't get on my case about the math not adding up. Look, I got held back a year for bad attendance. I skipped too many classes. The life I've got now isn't so bad, though. Maybe coming to Night Raven was the right call after all. |
| Thank you for your fascinating answers. And happy birthday again! |
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