merri & wolfe
Merri cheeks tinged pink and he scratched the back of his neck. "I... am, yes," he said bashfully, "though really, it's Peony and Toku who do most of the real work! They're even competing today, did you hear?"
He wished both of his colleagues -- and friends -- well in the fight, though he couldn't help but to worry a little; luckily, though, anyone dying here, or getting horribly wounded, would be near impossible, but it was still difficult for Merri not to fret.
"You're not participating?" he asked out of curiosity.