Such an abrupt start to the day in the Ezenha Household would have normally been sprung to motion through some machination or venture of Mmanuell's; perhaps he'd attempt to ambush somebody he holds a grudge against on their way home or rob a grave for miscellaneous trinkets and curios. Some leisurely activity along those lines. But this time, atypical from a usual weekend, shits about to get real because now they've all gotta prepare for the largest celebration of his life.

The day that you become able to use Magic is known as your "Ascentday". It's like your birthday on drugs. If those drugs were on drugs. Needless to say, this is something that you PREPARE for, but it seems that both Mmanuell and his parents were so caught up with waiting for the day itself they forgot about the massive festival that comes with it. Different cultures have different ways of celebrating an Ascentday: Tsunians hold massive parties and Estans go sailing in self-made vessels, for example. Cryotians, particularly Inani Cryotians such as Mmanuell and everyone else who lives in Wrackdon, have day-long festivals which end with the ascended having to wrestle a dragon into submission.

Kkele and Essam were born with the ability to use Magic so they just had to eat an egg when they were babies, which counts as "defeating" a dragon. There is no way to prepare your first Ascentday, so the premier festival is held a week after the actual day, which is what the Ezenhas are currently so stressed about.

'Ohhh, we have to get ready for this, don't we?', Mmanuell groans. Whenever there's a deadline to meet or a function to pull up to, Teegan transforms into a snappy, delirious, even-less-nonsense-than-before taskmaster who wants everything done by yesterday. Oh, how fun it will be when she is the one who is setting the deadline..for an Ascentday no less.

'YES!', his mother snaps as she flings both him and Ttala up the stairs and into their bedrooms with a zephyr of Wind Magic, 'Everybody get dressed now! I want you both down here ready to leave in twenty minutes!', she demands as the Ezenha household promptly devolves into chaos. Thumping and clattering reverberates through the house as everyone runs in and out of their bedrooms trying to do three things at once, leaping up and down the stairs, eating breakfast in the shower, and doing sock-shoe sock-shoe instead of sock-sock shoe-shoe...the things people will stoop to when they're in a rush.

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Alas, Mmanuell gets himself dressed and back in the kitchen in time for a ten-minute debrief from his mum on what she expects the family to get done by the big day.

'Okay, we all know what we're doing?', Teegan dusts her hands off and closes a wyvern-leather binder filled to the brim with papers and hanging onto its own spine for dear life. 'I'm flying over to that good music shop in the city to rent out instruments for a week, then I'm going to fly back and tell everyone in town to clear their schedule for next week, then get Nneena and Sharla and a few of the other girls to help me make food and drinks, then get the plaza prepped for the actual day. Oh! Yes, while I'm in Kingston getting the instruments sorted, I'll stop by a payphone and call Draden, see if he can come up for the week.'

'Oh no, honey, don't worry.' Ttala wraps his arms around Teegan and kisses her hair, 'I'll add that to the stuff I'll get sorted. I'll just fly over there myself and bring him back today.'

'All the way to Tsunia Dad!?' Mmanuell exclaims, 'Aren't you tired, you haven't slept yet.'

Ttala slumps and hangs over his wife's shoulder in exhaustion, 'Yeah, and who's fault is that?', he pinches his eyes and sighs, 'I'm not gonna get a good night's sleep for a while, an extra day isn't gonna kill me.'

Teegan kisses Ttala back, 'Thank you, honey. Ask him to bring his in-laws, too. This'd probably be the only time Mmanuell gets to see them.'

'The only time?' Mmanuell raises an eyebrow. I'll be able to fly to Tsunia and back myself soon enough what do you mean the only-

'Yes the only time, Mmanuell.' Teegan says matter-of-factly, 'Well, that's if they don't visit again, which they won't because they've never come round before. Either way, you're not stepping foot in that damn country. Rass hellhole.'

Mmanuell knows the stereotype is that Cryotians hate Tsunians and vice versa, but damn. He puts his hands up in defeat and scratches his neck, 'Alright, jeez.'

Teegan kisses her teeth, 'I heard that, don't "jeez" me. Ttala, you remember what you're-?'

'Yeah, I got all that babe. Get Draden. Notify the other Dreacons. Summon elder Morriyane. Find a Wyvern Mmanuell can handle, and both of us are gonna be teaching him how to use Magic on top of all that.'

'Okay good.'

'Do you have anything in particular you want to do for your Ascentday, Mmanuell?'

'Yeah, but it won't affect the actual day. A normal trial is absolutely fine, mum.'

It's more than fine. I'm betting on it.

'Good,' Teegan kisses Mmanuell on the forehead, 'And remind me what I said you have to do today, son?'

'Have fun, be careful, no more messing with Pallobalt Crystal, try not to find out what my Affinity is before you two get back.'

'Okay, good. Alright, everybody out! We have stuff to do!'