//------------------------------//
// The Head Of House 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Nautilus's purportedly private lounge was actually a teacher's lounge, with dim, cozy colors and small windows and big couches that made it seem much smaller than it was. Most of the staff were away teaching classes, but one graying pegasus bowed to him and then went back to making coffee.

"Eh, it beats having a crowd." Valey flopped on one of the couches, bouncing once and patting her stomach. "So, you're the boss of all the hearts I just broke? How big of trouble am I in?"

Nautilus raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like their hearts belonged to me in the first place. I'm just a humble elected official." He shuffled to a counter, motioning Gerardo toward the couches as well. "Anything I can get you? There are scones..."

"Whatever you recommend," Gerardo replied, seating himself across from Valey. "...So. Who minds filling me in on what I happened to walk in on?"

"I already did, didn't I?" Valey shrugged. "Those clowns in the food place were being a bit overexcited, so I showed them a thing or two." She flicked her tail. "Seriously, what is it with this place and adventurers? I get thinking we're new and cool, but they acted like I was some mythical omen of all things good."

Gerardo shrugged. "Well, I have been seeing a warm welcome myself..."

"I am to blame for that," Nautilus announced, turning back around with a loaded platter. "Or credit, given your attitude about the affair... I prepared for a moment like this to be an apology."

"Oh yeah?" Valey kicked even further back as he set it on a table. "Sounds like a good story. How's it go?"

Nautilus narrowed his eyes. "First, I have to ask: do you have any legitimate philandering intents toward my students?"

"Hah!" the pegasus professor barked, getting up with his coffee to leave. "She's utterly clueless about your station, colt, and irreverent to boot. I wouldn't ask questions like that if I were you. This is going to be good."

Valey rolled her eyes. "Aww, come on, old stallion. I'm not that mean." She stared back at Nautilus. "But he's right, you know. I have no idea what a student body president is, and I just dunked on your house because they wouldn't stop hitting on me or leave me alone. If you wanna tell me something I don't know about what's going on, be my guest, but if you've got ulterior motives for taking me to lunch? Get on the wagon."

Nautilus's well-groomed composure cracked slightly. "You don't know me, and I don't know you. We're on completely even ground, and I'm offering you all the friendliness and good-natured benefit of the doubt my house's credo demands. Would it hurt to make this ever so slightly less painfully awkward? I'm trying to connect with you..."

"Connect with me, huh?" Valey pursed her lips. "You gotta watch your double meanings, bud."

Nautilus gritted his teeth and started to turn red.

"Ahem!" Gerardo loudly cleared his throat, reaching over and tapping Valey. "Perhaps no need to antagonize all our hosts, hmm?"

"Yeah, yeah." Valey deflated, but kept her smile. "Hey, sorry about that. Anyway, I'm Valey, and I'll have a lot less of an interest in your students if they stop throwing it in my face. So what's up?"

Nautilus took several breaths to calm himself, sipping his tea and fixing a popped-up strand of his mane. "Apologies as well. Things are clearly... done differently in the north, and you'd think I'd know better. My aim is nothing more than to be a gracious host and exemplar of the best qualities of our school, and I sought to wait on you rather than allow you to be mobbed by enthusiastic underclassponies."

"And serve lunch, which is greatly appreciated," Gerardo assured.

"Alright. You know what? You're cool." Valey sat up and offered a hoof. "Anyone who can take that and not want my hide for a rug is, in my book."

Nautilus bumped it. "I see you're fond of testing the waters..."

"Something like that." Valey sat back and yawned. "So what were you saying about all their enthusiasm being your fault, or whatever?"

Gerardo nodded, listening.

Nautilus took a breath. "To make a very long story reasonably short, the Laughter house... which is mine... had a demoralizing incident involving an adventurer from the north five years ago. Ponies typically only stay in the houses for four years, after which they either go on with their lives or abandon such constructs in pursuit of higher education, so there are very few who actually remember it. Two years ago, we all got together and decided being glum or contentious about it was antithetical to our morals, and that we needed to work together to bring about an about-face in our class attitude and direction while there were still those who actually remembered. House Laughter is now a house that loves those who travel, and what you saw in the dining hall were the first and second-years who are indoctrinated with the stories from the third and fourth-years who took that oath."

"...Huh." Valey blinked, sitting upright once again. "So something really bad happened, and you got tired of being sad about it so you started telling all the newbies to outrageously love us instead?"

Nautilus pointed a hoof like a public speaker, raising his voice. "The north is mysterious! The north is romantic! If you were to befriend anyone from the north, it would bring nothing but good..." He shook his head. "Perhaps not that direct, but you get the idea."

"What was it?" Gerardo asked. "The incident, that is."

"Something I'd rather not allow to color your views and interactions with the students," Nautilus assured. "If you'll trust me. We've already taken steps to ensure it will never break our house spirit again."

"Ehh..." Valey gave him a shifty look. "On the one hoof, I'm not super cool with having potential bad stuff that could jump me without me knowing. On the other, I've kind of promised myself to stop sticking my nose where it doesn't belong and be all around happier by not having to worry about that stuff. Back to the first, I've dealt with stuff that would make your mane fall out, and I've kind of got a suspicion whatever this is isn't even that scary in the grand scheme of things..."

Gerardo raised a talon. "I think the bigger question is, would knowing help us get along any better with your students? Or are there better ways for that? I've noticed myself attracting a very high quotient of admirers merely wandering the grounds..."

"What he said." Valey pointed at Gerardo. "Forget what happened in the past, do these dudes think I'm the ultimate supreme whatever no matter what, or is there a way to make them chill so we can just hang out and stuff? It's not just your house that does this. I talked with Loyalty, and they were obsessed with sports."

A flicker of unreadable emotion crossed Nautilus's face, but Valey chose to ignore it. Whatever this mystery was, if it had to do with those competitions it was less likely to be serious. "Point is, I'm real worn out and my friends are too. Like, emotionally. And while I could be happy terrorizing innocents with horny pranks and bad manners, what we need as a group is to settle down, chill out and hang out with ponies who neither worship nor despise us. You follow?"

Nautilus slowly nodded. "Of course. That's more than sensible. Foremost, I'd recommend trying to associate with the Kindness or Generosity houses. They tend to be more empathetic and relaxed than the likes of Honesty or Loyalty. Though if you'll permit a bit of self-promotion, Laughter's older students who remember what the house used to be like might be your most understanding allies."

Valey tilted her head. "The dudes who fired up all those clowns in the lunchroom about me?"

"Yes, the 'dudes who fired up those clowns'," Nautilus sighed. "You have the look of someone who's seen a lot in life and had to fight for what they believe in. I don't know how the real lives of adventurers like yourselves compare to our romanticization, but I do know we have students who saw that their house had become something they weren't proud of and that it wasn't going to change by itself. You might find our problems silly compared to being stranded, and it's true that this school is sheltered, but if anyone, it's them who might understand."

"...Huh." Valey licked her lips in thought. "Yeah, you know, I might give them a visit after all. You know how I'd find them?"

Some of Nautilus's confidence returned. "Well, it happens to be the night before the weekend, and each weekend has a voluntary camping trip to one of the archipelago's neighboring islands. They're common, so they're rarely fully-attended, but I'm sure you can think of an easy way to get all my first and second-years along. Then our house dormitory will be half-empty, and anyone who remains will be the ones you're looking for."

Gerardo chuckled knowingly, puffing out his chest. "If you're asking for volunteers to draw your students away on a weekend camping trip..."

"Would you be volunteering?" Nautilus looked up. "I hope for your sake you wouldn't be averse to an increase in popularity."

"My duty obligates me," Gerardo replied with a wink. "For a job like that, I'd wish you good luck finding better than a griffon adventurer extraordinaire."