Xaviers!

"I'm sensing a theme -- and not a good one -- on your part, sir."

"The theme of even you could be better?"

"See, there you go, talking nonsense again," he smirked.

"I suppose you're right. Prize specimens like us need no improvement."

"I'm sorry, but I'll believe you'll find I'm a rung or two above your everyday, run-of-the-mill college student.

How long do classes normally last? I am eager to see the princess once more."

"First, I'm anything but run-of-the-mill. Second, it depends on her schedule but it could be hours yet."

"Ugh," he said, groaning theatrically. "Then we shall need another round of refreshments. Barkeep!"

"I'll drink to that!" Basil replied, more than happy to go for another, until however many it took.

"Relax, your highness, this might be fun...

Once you're drunk."

"What might be fun, precisely? And use specific, concrete detail, if you can," the prince nodded.

"Socializing with people below your station." Basil interjected before Drake could say anything too foolish.

"Then he is probably right; I'd have to be drunk for this to be particularly entertaining," he sighed, taking another large swig.

"Hey, it's not that... okay, it is pretty dull in here. We need to level up this pub crawl."

"Is the prince up for something so bold as all that?" Basil asked, seemingly daring their new aristocratic 'friend'.

"I'm afraid it's more the quality of the company, rather than the quality of the establishment, that is at issue here."

"Do you think Katarina would feel the same way?" Basil asked, sounding genuine enough with his question, though a particularly savvy person might be able to suss out the ulterior meaning to the question.

"Mmm. Hard to say. Does she spend much time out in establishments like this with the lot of you?"

"A fair amount, I think. She has contacts from the school who are common folk that she seems to enjoy the company of, certainly. At least, I think she must or she wouldn't associate with them.

For example, My Madame has been helping her learn how to cook. Simply for the enjoyment of it, the princess doesn't pay her for her instructions. So one has to assume they just like being around one another."

Basil wasn't about to let Jezabelle's name slip. Not at this level of sobriety anyways.

"Or she feels she has something to gain from the instruction, of course."

"Maybe. Though it seems unusual to pick a random culinary student to instruct you for free when you could literally go to any culinary school you desire or even have a five star chef train you when money is no object."

Drake was rapidly tiring of the noble's superior attitude. He was a dragon, damn it. He didn't have to take that from anyone.

"Maybe she's just enjoying experiencing the real world for once," he grumbled to himself.

"There have been rumors that the princess is an unusual girl," Alex admitted. "I tend to not put too much stock into them."

"You do her and yourself a disservice by not." Basil replied, his tone becoming serious. " Usual people keep history running. Unusual people make it."

"I find putting faith in defamatory rumors to be, on the whole, borderline treasonous. These sorts of rumors are often sewn by our enemies, to weaken faith in our institutions and generate unrest among the people." Alex replied.

"Defamatory how?" Basil asked, genuinely curious if being 'unusual' was code for what he was slowly suspecting it might have been.

"Yeah. I'm dying to hear the logic behind that, your highness," Drake said, sarcasm edging the title.

"Your lordship," Alex corrected. "It is not that difficult to remember."

"Symkaria is proud to be a traditional country, and our royal family is proud to uphold those traditions. The Princess is a symbol of our bright future, and wouldn't sully that future with...untoward activities."

"Like what? Being a mutant?" Sounding skeptical of Alex's intentions.

In truth, Basil didn't think that was what the Prince meant, but he thought if he feigned offense the Prince might stop being so vague.

"Oh, of course not. Symkaria has been at the forefront of mutant approval and cooperation, long before the Western world had begun. We are very proud of the princess' abilities; it is a sign of good fortune."

Basil and Alex were having a decorum-off!

"Well if not that then praytell, what could it possibly be that causes one to accuse her of untoward behavior?"

"Are you looking for gossip, dear sir? Something you could hold against her at a key moment?" Alex said, sternly.

"Of course not. If I thought there was something to gossip about I wouldn't be so perplexed right now."

Well, that part was true, so it sounded pretty convincing.

"Well, then. I guess the princess' reputation is in the clear.

I'll leave you gentlemen to your drinks; I must be off."

"Ta." Basil said, holding his glass up to the other gentleman, making no move to stall him. Doing that would only make him more suspicious.

Basil fished the phone out of his pocket with his left hand, and intending to shoot off a text to Jezabelle as soon as he could without the prince present.

After the prince left, Drake said sarcastically, "What a strong case for the value of noble classes."

Basil snorted through his nose, attempting to suppress his amusement.

"Thanks for helping to try to keep him busy as long as you could, though I will admit I'm unsure of your motive."

"It's not every day I get to try and see what makes a prince tick."

"I would like to think that he's a minority and that royalty are better than that... But one must admit passing on status titles based on who slept with who isn't exactly the best way to determine one's place in a society.

Royalty and nobility are the precursors to eugenics." Basil observed, though having been so used to the congenial Ms.Sherlock, he didn't put together that the Genoshan sitting across from him might not have such a sour taste in his mouth about the concept that superior genes made people inherently better.

"I agree with you there," he answered, "Far too many of my countrymen fall into believing their better mutation means that they're better people."

He notably made no mention of feelings toward humans.

Basil had been texting since the Prince excused himself.

"Sorry to hear that. It's unfortunate that we as a group can't see past our own nose enough to realize we must be unified to in order to make strides as a whole."