""I'm just jealous." Aithne said, standing from her chair to gather her own bag. "I can't heat water without a heat source, so after the cafe closes..." She shrugged. "No more tea. Or cold tea." She corrected. There had been many nights where she'd gulped room-temperature tea to give herself a boost in order to finish a book or scroll. Being able to brew her own tea would probably be an incentive for her to stay awake far later than she should, so maybe it was a good thing she couldn't heat her own water...

"What kind of plants do you add?" She asked Klok curiously. Did he mean something like mint leaves? Aithne had this strange imagining where the loxodon simply pulled a handful of grass out of Commons pavilion and added it to his drink before partaking. Probably that wasn't what he meant. 

"Oh you could always ask me!" Ambre offers.

"Oh of course grass from the commons is the best" Klok says jokingly before answering "Depends on how I am feeling. If I need help sleeping, I add chamomile. If I need something for indigestion, I use a bit of ginger. If I need some energy, I use the leaves of a Yerba Mate Tree. I use this sparingly since it is hard to come by. There are lots of others as well...Perhaps I will have to share recipes with Ambre!" 

"Really?" Aithne beamed at Ambre. "That would be wonderful! Although... how late are you usually awake?" She asked in concern. Aithne didn't want to accept the offer only to realize that Ambre retired to sleep far earlier than she did. Though, if the inventor's busy schedule was any indication, Ambre might be awake far later than Aithne was.

It took Aithne a moment to realize Klok was joking. Her lips curled into a smile. She'd been convinced for a moment that he really was eating grass, but the loxodon clearly had a sense of humor. "I'd be interested in the tree leaves." She said, tipping her head to one side to consider the option. Tea with an energy boost sounded appealing. "How difficult are they to obtain?"

"Huh? Oh dont worry about it," Ambre says. "I'll be up... probably." She smiles, "And if I'm not just knock!"

"So, what did you think?" Aelyn asks Mina.

"Ah the tree leaves grow in a humid, hot, climate which makes it difficult for me to get my hands on. There was a traveling merchant who would come from the south where the trees would grow and sell them back home. I would be happy to make a cup for you one night you need to stay up studying if you'd like. It makes the tea sweet if you are not a fan of teas.  

Aithne didn't know that she'd feel comfortable disturbing anyone from slumber, but maybe if Ambre was awake, she would take the inventor up on her offer? "Thank you, Ambre. I'll, ah, keep that in mind the next time I need a cup of tea in the middle of the night." But only if Ambre happened to be awake!

"I love tea." Aithne assured Klok. "Especially with, um, milk and honey." The combination made for a sweet, creamy drink that Aithne adored. "And I'd like to try the yerba mate leaves, if you'd be willing to share. Oh! Maybe next time we have a, ah, exam, we could all study together and have tea!"

"Do you always include milk in your tea then, Aithne?"  Arvol seems genuinely curious. "I've never really known anyone to take it that way.  But I suppose with milk and honey it could be tasty.  Though a bit sweet to have all the time."

He then looks to Klok. "Yes! We really should all get together to study for the next exam. Seriously, Aithne organizes everything into color groups, categorizes everything - it make it all seem so simple."  He pauses then adds with a grin, "Well, relatively simple. Anyhow, I'm not sure how we all ended up doing our own thing last night." 

Already ready to go, Arvol looks at Aithne. "Well, shall we get you some food? Let's head back to the dormitory."

Klok smiles "Of course, I will share what I have with you and whoever else would like to try. Milk and honey is a fine way to drink tea but not with this particular tea."

"I like coffee!" Ambre says proudly. "Though Black Tea is also good."

The gathered students clap for Aelyn's song. "Very impressive how you just come up with those on the spot, Aelyn!"

"Isn't he remarkable?"

"Well, I think it's lovely. You should run it by Ellina, honestly! I think she'd like it," Mina says as she gets ready to head back to the barista station. "Not that the cafe really needs much advertising, but it could be fun to have the theme song!"

A few giggling first year girls look with sparkling eyes at Aelyn, only for a swift glare from Aurora to shut them down and get them back to their own business.

"Well, uh, I guess we'll see you guys tonight!" Cadoras mentions. "I'll... bring something. That's what you do for little gatherings, right? Bring something? How about some pick- actually, no, better not, eh Aithne?"

"Careful, Cadoras, or they'll find out you've never been invited to a kickback before!" Rosie stage-whispers.

"Like you can talk!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, I get invited out all the time! Bye guys! Bye Ambre!"

"Yes, goodbye Ambre! Oh, and, ah, thank you for... saying that, about the bow... I've been practicing!"

As the two LARPers head off, Aurora laces her fingers with Aelyn's. "So, shall we go track down some wine, my songbird?"

Aelyn bows and smiles as the clapping begins, a bit relieved it seems that he didn't make a fool of himself, again. "Thanks all, yes I guess it's not really needed, the cafe rather sells itself really." He says with a warm smile. He doesn't really notice the first-years giggling, instead turning to Aurora again. "Yes, wine, excellent idea, I think I have a bottle or two still stashed away at my room, you know from the other night. You go and slip into something more comfortable if you want and I'll see you in the common room." He says, giving Aurora a quick kiss on the cheek as he gets up, ready to leave.

A few weeks pass. You all focus in on your schoolwork, keeping up your grades while trying to balance academics with your work, extracurriculars, and social lives. 

It's another Friday period of Magical Physiologies class with Professor Lang. The dryad paces slowly at the front of the Biblioplex lecture hall as she wraps up her latest lesson, indicating a fractal creature in the shape of a bear with an owl's face standing next to her. 

"... I can say from firsthand experience that an owlbear’s screech sounds vaguely similar to the cry of an enormous owl with terrible indigestion. Owls don’t suffer from indigestion, though, making this a sure sign that an owlbear is nearby. It is advised not to panic should you come across one - turning and running will only make it chase you. Although they aren’t naturally drawn to cupcakes and muffins, these foods are known to quell an owlbear’s foul temper. Arcano-biologists believe they quell the creatures’ rumbling acid reflux. So, when in doubt, always take cupcakes before you head into owlbear territory.

"Alright... next week we'll begin review of our owlbear unit to prepare for the exam on Friday. You all did well on your first tests - but it only gets more difficult from here. Don't forget to study! I'll be busy this weekend conducting experiments on the vital functions of fractals with the graduate Quandrix students, so please save any questions you have for next week. Thank you, everyone, and have a great weekend."

After class, you all find some time to hang out again, shooting the breeze in Archway Commons and discussing the upcoming test, among other things. As students mill around the central campus, whoops of excitement fill the air. It’s 6:00 p.m., and Bow’s End Tavern is open! On the tavern’s patio, three student mages with brightly colored hair begin to sing a jaunty tune and pluck at dulcimers as a crowd heads in that direction. Aithne spots Quentillius approaching the group.

"Hey, did you all hear? Some second-years are putting up wizard-gizzard machines in the Bow's End. If you all aren't busy, you should come by and play! Everyone's over there, it's bound to be a good time."

Aithne furrowed her brow at Quentillus. His approach had been greeted with a smile and a wave, but his invitation confused her. "What's wizard-gizzard?" She asked.

Aelyn rolls up his notes on Bearowls and puts them into his back pocket, grabbing his lute again, playing as he walks out the Biblioplex lecture hall.

"And if you in the forest hear
a fearsome growl of owl and bear
a cupcake always you'll keep near
to help you from its beak stay clear."

He sings cheerfully as a tiny Owlbear dressed in a pink ballerina costume is dancing and doing pirouettes around him.
He then accidenatlly walks into Quentillius. "What? Games at Bow's End? Sure, Arvol will likely be up for that, and I will be by his side cheering him on." Aelyn says with a wide smile.

Arvol gives Aelyn a sheepish grin. "Maybe. Depends on what this is exactly."  He then looks at Quentillius, once he's recovered from his collision with Aelyn.  "Yes, can you explain wizard-gizzard?  Sounds kind of odd." 

Klok looks to his friends wondering the same thing "I know about indigestion and Owlbears and perhaps the gizzards of an owlbear but not of a wizard...What is this game?" 

Ambre wakes up suddenly, rubbing her eyes and not seeming to realize that the rest of the class had left already. She looks around, trying to figure out where everyone is. She pauses for a moment, before finally noticing it was just her and the professor still in the room. "Oh, um... sorry. Great class!" she says, hastily packing up all her stuff and leaving the classroom to find her friends.

"Oh, well, it's a game where... Actually, it would be better if I showed you. Just come on, won't you?" Quentillius says. He looks to Ambre and Aelyn. "If it convinces you any further, Aurora and Cadoras are there!"

You all make your way to the tavern, a squat but comfortable-looking building, its gleaming wooden exterior carved in overlapping Strixhaven star motifs.  The dim and cozy (if loud) interior, featuring rich mahogany floors and well-worn furniture of oak and black leather, is full of students. Along one side of the tavern’s main dining room, the tables and chairs have been shifted to create a large, rectangular open space. On the south side of this space, a single table stands flush against the wall. On it are a few strange-looking boxes with funnels protruding from them at an angle. Twenty feet opposite the table, a small bucket rests on the floor. Some second years, including Mina Lee, Urzmaktok Grojsh, Nora Ann Wu, Drazhomir Yarnask, and Javenesh Stoutclaw.

"Oh hey, the Straight A Students are here!" Mina Lee calls out with a wave. "Come check out these wizard gizzard machines! Nora, would you do the honors?"

"Absolutely!" Nora Ann replies with a thumbs up. She takes up position by one of the boxes with funnels and gives it a hearty smack. The box rumbles and shoots out a sphere of glittering magical energy from its funnel with a cluck, and it lands in the bucket twenty feet away. The assembled crowd of students cheers for Nora Ann.

"Aren't they fun?" The Prismari second year says to you all, leaning against her wizard gizzard. "They're usually used for practicing ranged spells like rays and projectiles, but we all think this is a much more fun application."