Strife in the dining hall

"Geheheheh! I'm gonna take us all the way, eh. Gonna be a Canadian sweep, eh," a large hairy mountain of a man declared as he raised a jug of maple syrup into the air.

Following the end of the 1st round, most of the teams had opted to dine at the hotel's grand dining room. This meant teams could meet to discuss strategies, but it also meant they could mingle with other teams... or other teams would decide to start beef with one another.

"That fat hairball's making my ears hurt. Could someone knock him down?" Ginji grumbled.

"Then just leave," Okisato snarled.

"Oi, oi, why the cold shoulder, Oki-chwan?"

"You didn't pull your weight."

"But I did. Oki-chwan, you might not know this because you're a wittle boy, but draws in team events can be good and strategic."

As much as Okisato hated to admit it, Ginji was in the clear and was right about the importance of a draw in team events. However, that didn't mean he could let his guard down as it was unknown just how much Ginji would try to sabotage the team in future rounds.

"But sucks for you guys. We went 4-0, and you only went 3.5-0.5. We win," Iori snickered.

"Iori-chan, this isn't a competition," Mimoko glared.

"Mimoko, there's no harm in a friendly competition like this. Besides, it could even help us motivate each other," Daria smiled.

Mimoko let out a sigh before smiling and nodding in agreement.

"That being said, proper sportsmanship is STRONGLY encouraged," Daria noted as she shot Iori a glare.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm already getting heat online from Frenchies, but I spit facts; we absolutely wrecked them."

"Yes, but it's best not to make enemies."

"Then in the spirit of friendship, care for some mingling?" a voice asked.

Everyone turned to notice Amelia Stavanger along with three other members of the Norwegian women's team.

"Amelia, I take it your team won?" Daria asked.

"Yes, both did. Though only we achieved a perfect 4-0 victory just as you did."

"Against who?"

"New Zealand. My girls performed spectacularly."

A muscular woman with nearly her entire head buzzed, save for a braid of blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, grinned as she flexed. "Hell right we did!"

"This here is Tove Bondevik. She's our resident meat heat so to say. In fact, ladies, care to introduce yourself?"

"Sure thing. I'm Jaana Øksendal and this is my daughter, Inga," a well-dressed woman smiled as she shoved a scantily-clad girl forward.

"Ugh, mother! I want to eat!"

"Inga, it's proper manners to be respectful to your opponents as well as your own team and family."

Inga took a glance at everyone and scowled before flipping the bird and storming away.

"My apologies. She only became an adult a few days ago, but as you just saw, she clearly one in age alone."

"Um, how's Nanya-san doing?" Mimoko asked. 

"She decided to eat separately from us upon hearing of my proposal to mingle with you. Her hate of you runs deep, I'm afraid." 

Mimoko somberly nodded as everyone quickly introduced themselves before the Norwegians sat across from them.

"So is the men's team gonna show up?" Iori asked.

"Hoping for a glimpse of Magnus? Unfortunately he won't be starting until Round 3. Not to mention, he's staying at a different hotel," Amelia stated.

"Lame."

As everyone chatted and ate, trouble soon arose at a nearby table.

"Um, just why are you hogging the whole table!?" a tan-skinned girl with light blue hair snarled.

"Because I need the space for my manicure," a woman with long purple hair sneered.

"Um, THIS IS A CAFETERIA! Do your damn manicure somewhere else!"

"Not in your life. I'm having a manicure here and now."

"Oh, and ya gonna have a pedicure too?"

"Oh good thinking, seems you are a smart one. Dunja!"

A hairless woman with her head and face completely covered in checkerboard markings giddily nodded and began removing the purple-haired woman's high heels.

"THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"You have any idea who I am? I'm Vlatka Jurkovič, president of Croatia, most powerful woman in The Balkans. I do as I please, when I please. Now boys, get her out of my sights," the purple-haired woman scoffed. 

Five men, three of whom were garbed in military attire, closed in on the woman and threw her out.

"Hey, isn't that girl the one Tami-chan just wrecked?" Iori asked as she took notice of the altercation. 

A closer look at the blue-haired woman did indeed lead credence to the theory as aside from her skin tone, she looked perfectly identical to Fifi. However, a quick scan of her with the WWCF card revealed her to be Filipa Barbosa of Brazil. Though oddly enough, she was a 2400-rated international master just like Fifi, nor had her and Fifi ever been seen together in the same place at the same time. 

"The hell you tossing me for!? You fucks want a fight!?" Filipa roared as she got up and charged for the men. 

"Stop!" a blonde-haired girl with tanned skin clad in a green bra top, black yoga pants, and white slip-on sneakers shouted as she grabbed Filipa's arm. 

"Ayane! Don't stop me! They tossed me because-" 

"We apologize for the disturbance," Ayane bowed as she began leading Filipa away." 

"Kneel for me," Vlatka snarled. 

Ayane ignored her and kept walking away with Filipa. 

"Grgur!" 

A man with spiky blonde sideburns and a mustache grinned as he stomped after the two. 

"Lol, a fight's breaking out," Iori grinned as she readied her phone. 

However, the arrival of Raymond brought everything to a halt. 

"It seems things are lively. However, the hotel staff have requested decorum be followed. If disputes arise, they must be settled with chess, though verbal hostilities will be tolerated." 

Vlatka scowled and slowly lowered her feet off the table. "Men, we're eating in the luxury restaurant tonight." 

Grgur and the other men nodded and proceeded to carry out Vlatka, presumably taking her to the hotel's high-end restaurant on the top floor. Thus, the dining hall saw no further strife, at least for the night.