Peony/Lionel/Merri | late morning | G?
Even with Darius' help and the vial he had received first thing that morning, Merri was not placated. He knew now that the effects of the Kerownian disease he feared he had he'd felt after Cid's lecture had been because of the flan, not the illness itself, and that he was in otherwise perfect health. The problem, however, was less in his health and more on his upcoming speech. Merri hadn't had time to go over his notes yesterday, choosing to triple check his health over and over again until it was past the time he'd promised himself he'd go to bed, which left today to review them, and he couldn't be more panicked.
He would have enjoyed admiring the potions and machinist wares that were on display today, he knew, but his notecards came first. He spent the first part of the morning rehearsing in the mirror and feeling absolutely foolish for it, then he tried to see how much he could remember whilst pacing about the ninth floor corridor (fortunately, no one was up there today, at least not while he went over his speech). Finally, he noticed the time, and he had to hurry to make it to his meeting with Peony and Lionel.
It was an informal one, of course, purely a time to relax among friends, but Merri clutched his notecards close as he flew past the waystone on the ground level towards the refreshment stands. He saw Peony immediately and waved at her before he turned to the counter to order himself a bagel with cream cheese; he almost skipped breakfast, but it was hopefully not too late to start eating. In truth, a part of him was afraid of putting anything down in his stomach; giving a lecture on his class to those who might be interested was one thing. This closing speech, which would be to all of the attendees of the convention, was another thing entirely, and he didn't want to empty his stomach from nerves.
Once he was handed his bagel, he joined Peony. "Sorry if I made you wait too long," he said sheepishly, placing his notecards on the table. "Is Lionel here yet?"