May Event and Intro Log

[magicademymods]

May Event and Intro Log DAWN OF THE FIRST DAY May I Have This Dance? Though Diatu Magicademy has its share of social events, few capture the attention of the student body quite like the Twilight Ball -- that magical once-a-year dance that crosses the change of day into night and is given over entirely to the dance itself. The focus is not on political visitors, rival schools, local government, or hitting up alumni for money; it is entirely about the pleasure that comes from accompanying a charming and attractive person onto the dance floor and cutting the proverbial rug. It is entirely possible the Twilight Ball is beloved because the general student body is aggressively amorous, but no one admits that out loud. With the dance on the horizon, the mission of the day becomes finding a partner -- or asking the prettiest or nicest or most tsundere to the ball before anyone else does. The Sundered are particularly popular by virtue of being new, so students may find themselves fending off invitations or even crowds of people interested in being seen on their arms. Even the younger Sundered have a few people in their age group who'd like to pretend they're just as adult as the older students. To avoid the mob, one strategy is to find someone else in dire straits and agree to be their date, thus giving both of you protection now and then. Another, stranger, vastly more unorthodox strategy is to actually ask someone out legitimately... if you've got the guts. (The third strategy is to go with Headmaster Birony, who has been occasionally heard to bemoan loudly and publicly that she has nobody, HINT HINT. But who could possibly be THAT desperate?) Love Is In The Water Love potions are absolutely, positively, one hundred percent forbidden, on the grounds they tread far too close to the supremely black Curriculum of Dictation. This ultimate and unforgiving ban is every bit as effective as Anastara's rules limiting the speed of carts in the street to a horse's walk. So, yes, there's love potion in the water. Someone spilled an entire bucket in the river. These things happen. Luckily, as diluted as it is, the potion doesn't reach the levels of obsessive compulsion that the worst of them can; a person drinking a unfortunate draught instead simply finds themselves attracted in a weird and sharp sort of way to the first person they lay their eyes on, for a period of about thirty minutes. Diatu Magicademy is an inclusive and progressive institution, and consequently these potions affect and can target all manner of beings, from ducks and wolf-shifters to robots and dragons. They are pretty convenient about failing to bring about really skeevy pairings, though, so don't worry about being Hot For Professor. Special Delivery (aka the Least Embarrassing Prompt, which is a sad state of affairs) A quick, easy, profitable way to make some money this time of year is by delivering messages, packages, parcels, and treats to students who've caught the eye of another. Whether anonymous or gloriously identified, small token of esteem or bristling bundles of roses and chocolates, the population of the Magicademy takes particular delight in letting others know their feelings. Not always positive feelings, either -- glitter-bomb rejections have only recently begun to diminish in popularity, being replaced by Pie-To-The-Face spells. An enterprising student who adds their own spin to this hallowed ceremony of delivery can make bank; singing and performance are popular ways to enhance a message among Valhudor students, and a recent trend finds quartets delivering acapella harmonies to the recipients of love notes. But simple note hauling can still be worth your while... so long as you don't find yourself delivering a creepy confession from a weirdo to one of your dear friends. What are the odds of that happening, though? Research On the Sundered With the arrival of the Sundered come those wizards engaged in research on their presence here, now set to investigate what brought them here and how to get them home. All newly-arrived Sundered students are asked to meet with representatives of the research team, to introduce themselves and relate what they will of their homes. In addition, the team requests samples of blood, hair, and skin -- carefully magically collected, and the researchers will sign in the presence of the Sundered a Glyphed contract that forbids them from using the samples for a purpose they know will be harmful. (They quite understand your reasons to be suspicious of this collection! And they will not compel anyone who refuses even given these conditions.) This month, however, the research team informs its applicants that there is no magic being performed. Instead, they ask you to participate in partnered interviews, in which two Sundered compare their worlds and ask each other questions while the researchers take notes. They explain that they wish to find commonalities and differences between worlds, in the hopes that this will help them identify a larger pattern in how the Sundered were brought here. How is this bad enough to merit earning a reward this month? As it happens, the researchers who sit with the pair have an Intimation Crystal, which shines red every time someone speaks to deceive in its presence. Lie or omit information or cover with half-truths and the interviewer will ask you to go back and try again -- and they encourage you to speak on everything you can. You might end up venturing into dark or unpleasant territory in these interviews... DAWN OF THE SECOND DAY Welp, This Happened A quiet weekend morning is abruptly quiet no longer. With a tumultuous shuddering and an eerie, whistling roar, the first tendril of a far mightier being surges out of a wall on campus, venturing into the cloud-shadowed outdoors for the first time in its existence in this plane. Then, like a cloak shrugged off, the outbuilding it emerged from rises up only to crash to the ground as the Sundered creature rises up to claim it glory. It is a nightmare, a horror. A terrible, indescribable thing as large as a small building —a shapeless agglutination of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of light. For some inexplicable reason, it is colored in bands of purple, black, and gold, and several parts of it sprout white feathers. That's the bad news. The bad news is that this existential threat to reality does not go unnoticed, nor unchallenged. Mere moment after the Sundered creature makes it presence known, a cold wind begins to blow. The temperature abruptly drops thirty degrees, leaving those around in a clammy and miserable chill that feels like they've passed their whole body through one of the ghosts of Makerion Keep. This estimation is not too far wrong, for the pale off-white dragon that emerges from the clouds above is translucent and ethereal, save for the shining eyes of coldest blue that fix on the beast like pinpoints of fire. What a ghost dragon is doing here is anyone's guess, but when it opens its jaw to unleash a withering cone of necrotic energy at the Sundered creature, it demonstrates plainly that it will not brook this interloper on its domain. In other words, Diatu Magicademy is now home to a kaiju fight. That's the bad news. The BAD news is that both these creatures are, by their very nature, incredibly resistant to magic. So even as the professors spill out and split duties of getting students to safety and fending them off, the two beasts barely notice the arcane energy flashing through the air as they begin vigorously brawling. Thank goodness this is a weekend, or else you'd all have some serious trouble getting to class on time. Wonders Await? Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. But maybe you should deal with that mess first? We're just saying.

Comments

[blue_ice]

I'm flattered.

[ And he means that sincerely, even if he's not as expressive. A tiny smile plays on his face, at least until...yeaaaaah, maybe that was a bad word choice Yugi. Kaiba stares at him, looking for signs of excessive infatuation, and reaches out to brush his forehead. ]

You haven't ingested any of the water, have you?

[puzzlers]

[ he laughs, leaning in to kaiba and giving him a sly smile. ] I don’t know. I might have? I can’t really remember. [ he takes his hand and gives it a squeeze. ] Why do you ask?

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba squeezes his hand back, but the worry doesn't quite leave his face. ]

Because some idiots laced it with love potion.

[puzzlers]

...oh. [ a laugh follows. ] Well I'm glad you're the first person I've bumped into. I wouldn't want to have these sorts of feelings for anybody else.

[blue_ice]

...You did...

[ Kaiba slaps his forehead, but a look of resolve quickly takes him over. He looks just a little interested too. ]

The effects increase as time passes. If we're going to get...even sappier, can I suggest we take this somewhere private?

[ He doesn't seem too bothered about it, though. He rises up, still squeezing Yugi's hand with a hint of a smile. Maybe this is giving him the courage he needs to be more open about his feelings. ]

[puzzlers]

I don't know. Not 100% anyway. I guess it's... hey! Kaiba! [ he grabs for the hand that he's slapped himself with and tugs it away. ] Don't do that. [ now that he's holding his hand he brings it a bit closer to himself, some pressure applied to his palm to keep his fingers out. yugi leans in and kisses each one. ]

I'm not being sappy. [ he chuckles, using kaiba's hand as a shield as he dips his head and sets it against his forehead. ] Where? The dorms aren't exactly private.

[blue_ice]

[ Oh, Yugi. Kaiba feels his breath catch in his throat as his fingers are kissed, and his nose turns an interesting shade of pink. He didn't even take the potion and he's this affected...that's what this feeling is about, he supposes. ]

Off campus. There's a waterfall below the gates, and just off to the side...it might not be as private as I'd like, but away from our classmates will have to do.

[ He'll start to lead the way, turning to give Yugi a fondly exasperated look. ]

[puzzlers]

... [ he looks up at kaiba from behind his hand and smiles. oh. that's a good color on him. yugi stifles a chuckle and lets his hand drop, so he can, instead, reach for his shoulder and lean up to kiss his cheek. ]

Ok. I don't really care where we go anyway. [ as long as they have some privacy. he trusts kaiba's judgement on this waterfall, so he follows him, a cheeky smile shot in his direction when he dares to look back. ] You know you love it, haha! [ why yes, kaiba, he's calling you out. ]

[blue_ice]

[ He makes a soft 'oh' when Yugi kisses his cheek. That's adorable, but...yes, he'd best get them out of the public eye. ]

Come on. Let's get you there.

[ Aaand he's caught red-handed in his eagerness, but he'll put on a mock-frown for show. ]

I'll admit to no such thing.

[ Yet he looks a little more relaxed as they reach their blissfully quiet destination, in the shadows of trees. He pulls Yugi down to sit with him. ]

How're you feeling?

[puzzlers]

[ he might normally try to be more inconspicuous, but right now his had is in the clouds and he's feeling just as mushy as kaiba said he would. ]

Alright. [ he stops moving to force kaiba to do the same, tugging on his arm so he stumbles in his direction and yugi can lean up and give him another kiss. ] You don't have to admit it for me to know that it's the truth.

[ as soon as they get there and he's pulled down to sit beside kaiba he leans into him, his eyes closing. ] I still feel a bit weird; warm and fuzzy. It's not bad. Not at all.

[blue_ice]

That's r---

[ He wobbles a little---Yugi's lucky that he catches himself by locking onto Yugi's arms, but then he's falling into a kiss---that's nice, actually. He melts into it, and can't really hide that. ]

Fine. You win this round.

[ When they sit he wraps a fond arm around Yugi, idly rubbing his shoulder. ]

Because you have me, right?

[ It's a risk...but he's so tempted. He reaches with his free hand to turn Yugi's face toward his. He still looks a little dazed, but that's to be expected. He finds himself running a thumb over Yugi's cheek. ]

Don't worry. You're safe with me.

[puzzlers]

[ he laughs as soon as kaiba admits defeat. hahaha. he didn't care as much about winning as both him and atem, but if these are the kinds of reactions winning gets, then he might have to reconsider. ]

[ yugi leans into kaiba and lets out a content sigh, his eyes closed when kaiba asks that question. he doesn't say anything for a minute, doesn't really even move, but when he does he's turning to face kaiba, a relaxed smile strung across his face. ] Of course, Kaiba.

[ he sets his hand atop kaiba's, holding it in place against his cheek. ] I wasn't ever worried. [ he trusts him. ] I know. [ he slouches forward and into kaiba's chest, his arms winding around his middle as he keeps his face buried in his middle. ]

And you're safe too.

[blue_ice]

Yugi...

[ Kaiba's not sure what to say. It's surprisingly nice, being close like this. He smiles fondly at his boyfriend, enjoying the warmth pressed into his abdomen.

He answers by fondly stroking Yugi's back, hands stroking from his shoulder blades to the small of his back and up again, lightly combing through the back of his hair.

Kaiba will gladly sit with him, picking Yugi up a little to hold him in his lap. Maybe this potion isn't so bad after all. This is...nice, actually. Really nice. He feels a warmth spreading in his chest, and... ]

...suddenly I'm wondering just how potent that was. I feel a little different.

[puzzlers]

Kaiba?

[ he tips his head back to look up at kaiba, a smile playing on his lips, though his expression soon becomes neutral, his eyes closing once again, because that back rub feels really nice. he gasps, surprised, when kaiba repositions him and he's sitting in his lap. ] ...? [ he can see kaiba's face turning a soft shade of pink and he has to wonder if, perhaps, the potion spread through their kiss. oops. ]

I'm not really sure? [ he sets a hand to kaiba's forehead. ] You do feel a little warm. [ sitting up he kisses the spot his hand had just been on. ] I'm sorry. I must have gotten you lovesick. [ he chuckles, sinking back into his lap. ]

[blue_ice]

[ Oh. That feels nice. There's an uncharacteristic silly smile on his face for a moment before he remembers to clamp down on it. ]

That was a horrible pun. Truly awful.

[But he clearly doesn't mean it. He leans down and presses another kiss to his nose. ]

Is there a cure?

[puzzlers]

[ he sets his hand to kaiba's face, cupping his cheek, as he guides kaiba into another kiss. ] Yeah. [ he whispers breathlessly. ] Kiss me again.

[blue_ice]

Mm. Sounds good.

[ Kaiba nuzzles into his hand and obeys. Their previous kisses had largely been slow, gentle affairs. This one starts that way too...but the more he takes Yugi in, the more he craves. He hooks an arm around Yugi's hips and draws him impossibly close, his mouth opening as he seeks more.

This probably isn't wise, but he feels too good to care. ]

[puzzlers]

[ he doesn't think that's how this is going to resolve itself, but he doesn't care. he's feeling so good right now, and the fact that kaiba's with him is making him feel even better. he uses his other hand to grab at his robe, holding him in place as they share the kiss. yugi obliges, deepening the kiss and inviting kaiba to do the same. ]

[blue_ice]

[ Nope. He's too far gone. He presses closer with a happy little sigh, hand curled in that impossible hair. He'd be happy to do this forever...

...but he ends up kissing the corner of his mouth before leaning back for a little break, face flushed. ]

Yugi...mmm. I love you.

[ He kisses his forehead, then his nose, then his lips once more. ]

So much it almost hurts.

[puzzlers]

[ yugi stills when he hears kaiba say those three little words. he sobers up immediately, though his face is still flushed a pretty red. he blinks up at kaiba, stunned, so he doesn't responding in kind and, instead, just sits there with his mouth slightly agape. ]

You... love me? [ so much it almost hurts? o- oh god. ] K- Kaiba. [ it's almost too much for him. were these feelings because of the potion, enhanced through whatever magic was messing with their heads and their hearts? h- he couldn't tell. he sets a finger to kaiba's lips and leans in. ] Do you want to get dinner? [ maybe they could flush their systems of this. ]

[blue_ice]

[ What he's said doesn't entirely register until Yugi repeats it back. He's way up on cloud nine right now...

But Yugi's shocked about something. Did he...oh. Oh hell. He's in it deep. All he can do is blink back in surprise when Yugi stops him with a finger. ]

Come on.

[ He still has some sense, after all. He gently sets Yugi back on his feet and then stands himself, meticulously fluffing his hair and clothes back into place before checking on Yugi. They don't obviously look like horny teenagers, so that's a plus.

As they walk, the full weight of what's just happened starts to sink in, and he finds himself struggling for words. ]

Is it...wrong, that I feel so strongly? I'm sorry. I don't intend it to pressure you. If you don't feel that way, that's...

[ He takes a breath. His heart feels funny. ]

Perfectly fine.

[puzzlers]

... [ it had just kind of been super unexpected. he doesn't like kaiba's reaction to his surprise though. ] Kaiba. [ but before he knows it kaiba is moving him out of his lap and getting to his feet. he fixes himself as yugi just stands there dumbly. ]

Kaiba. [ yugi doesn't move and, instead, waits for kaiba to realize and come back over. he takes a step closer to meet him, reaching for his hand. ] No, it's not wrong. But I want to make sure this is how you feel, you know, especially since we were both kind of effected by that potion. I don't want that influencing us when it comes to that. Kaiba, please, don't say things like that. [ he tugs on his arm and leans up to kiss his cheek. ] I care so very much about you, which is why I don't want to jump into this. [ he just wants to be sure. he hopes kaiba understands. ]

[blue_ice]

Yugi...

[ He's in the process of feebly trying to put up his walls when Yugi takes his hand, and he can't help but look at him. He feels his stomach drop, but...yes, there's still enough of his rational brain left to understand.

He nods wearily. ]

Of course. I'm...having difficulty defining these emotions, because my experience is so limited. I didn't intend to rush into it. But. I'll wait until I'm sure before I speak of it again.

[ There's a fresh wave of uncertainty running through him. He's really not like others...what if he's so twisted up that a normal feeling isn't possible? What if he's been so deprived of positive emotion that he's wrong about this? ]

Ugh. I'm sorry.

[puzzlers]

Don't apologize, Kaiba, please. You're entitled to feel however you like. I just don't want you to regret having said that, is all. Especially not when something like that potion might have compelled you to do so...

[ he gives him an encouraging smile. ] I know. You're usually a lot more careful than this. I think we both got swept up in how things were going. My fault, really. [ since he was the one begging for kisses and contact. ]

[ he doesn't let go of his hand and, instead, keeps kaiba close. ] I should be the one apologizing besides...

[blue_ice]

For what? For having sense? Those were my lines, Yugi.

[ His rational brain is back. There's still fear lingering in the back of it, and he'll have to do some thorough evaluating of the proceedings later, but for now he's all right. He holds tight to that hand. ]

I'm glad I can trust you to keep your head when I lose mine. I hope it doesn't happen again.