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

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

I'm a lot of things, but sneaky ain't one of them. Can't believe it took you this long to find me. [Jecht shrugs. He knows perfectly well he's not that competent in skullduggery!] Anyway, great! Going with you's super and a load off my mind.

[darkenedmoon]

This was my last resort. I had not thought to find you in classes, of all places. Since you usually try so hard to avoid them. In truth, if you were hiding, I figured you might just stay in your quarters. Since the teachers are also there, you know, it is not as if children are allowed in, all will-you, nill-you, you know.

[Yotsuyu also uses her quarters as a place of refuge, and there are not many who bother her there, so it only made sense to her. And of course, going with her was super.]

Oh, good. That must have been stressing, to have a load on your mind.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

So I actually outwitted you for a while, huh? [Look, Jecht isn't calling himself stupid... but he knows Yotsuyu has a mind more devious than his for sure.] That's one for the history books!

[darkenedmoon]

I do not think 'outwit' is the proper word. But were you a step or two ahead of me? Yes, that I will grant you.

[Though if he'd been skulking around the way she'd caught him, Yotsuyu was a bit surprised that Jecht had not been at least questioned, before now. He was...not subtle. But then her gaze turns resigned.]

What in the seven hells are you planning on wearing there? You are not wearing...that.

[Because if he does, she's going to ditch him in a hot second and regret nothing.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

I'll see what I can do about getting some formal robes or something. They make me wear 'em anyway here and there, so I guess they're not too bad. [Relatively speaking. He much prefers his casual look! He can rock it, damn it!]

[darkenedmoon]

You must admit this is a formal outing, so it might be good if you do so. My plan is to look as stunning as I possibly can. [Not that that should be terribly difficult for her, all things considered...]

I am not certain I mind if you leave your headcloth on. It is...an affectation, I am sure, but it is so you. I think you might look too odd, without it.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Plus my hair gets really outta control if I take it off. [Jecht runs a hand through said hair, conscious of it now that she's mentioned it.] And you sure as hell know I'd look all wrong with it parted and slicked down and stuff.

[darkenedmoon]

I might braid it, but I would not use anything to slick it away. Mussed hair suits you. If you have flyaways and bits that escape the braid, that is only proper.

[Not that there are many people Yotsuyu would say that about, perhaps, but Jecht is usually so rough-and-tumble, it just seems proper.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Heh, wow. That's way more credit for his image than he ever thought she'd give him!]

Ain't sure it's long enough to braid right. And maybe too thick. [But it says something that he's not directly objecting to the proposition!]

[darkenedmoon]

I could manage it, perhaps. It is not as if I am not used to doing such things. [Not that the other courtesans were friendly with one another, but sometimes, by virtue of necessity, they aided one another. That and she had always had graceful fingers, did Yotsuyu.]

But not for this dance, I think. If there is something else formal, then, mayhap.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Well, maybe. [In other words, he wants to say no, but is perfectly aware Yotsuyu can talk (or bully) him into it.] Ugh, you think this place has too many formal things?

[darkenedmoon]

I have no idea, I am sure! [But Yotsuyu can't help but chuckle a little.] It could be that you might have to endure more formalities. You are the one on the bala-inlota team, after all.

[She does expect that he'd never thought of that...]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Whoa, whoa! [She's scared him now, and he sticks up his hands like he's gonna shove the whole idea away.] This is my image! It's too good to ruin for that! They're gonna understand that!

[darkenedmoon]

Not necessarily! They also have an image to uphold! However, I am willing to help you do damage control--as in they will not damage the hair and the beard too much! If at all! [Because how dare they!]

No, I think we find one or two outfits you can tolerate wearing, and those are your...uniforms, for formal things. And yes, thus you tell them that it is part of your image, and run with it. It is not as if you are not good at that.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Outfits I can tolerate wearin' don't have shirts! [This, then, seems to be the point of contention. But he's also pretty sure bala-inlota players are like blitzball starts back in Zanarkand, they can get away with anything if they've got some fame to back it up.] Gonna be bad enough getting some nice robes for the ball. But that'll be one, right?

[darkenedmoon]

Yes. That will be one. I am also thinking of something else that it shirtless, if you must know! It is not as if I am not aware of your distaste for them!

[Though the gods know he'd look just fine in a shirt, if the color suited. Or so she thought.]

No. My next thought was a vest, perhaps, and slacks. Still no shirt, but something that still covers lightly. I do not think they could argue that. Something that might match your current trousers, as well. [Yotsuyu nods decisively at that. Yes, she knows her fashion sense is good, and he could both pull such off, and likely, tolerate it.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Vests are kind of a bit.... I dunno. [He doesn't have the words for what he's thinking, but he waves a hand to indicate himself. You really think it'll work, Yotasuyu?]

[darkenedmoon]

You do not like shirts, and they could try to put you in worse. [She glances up at him, brows arched. Then, she snorts.] It is not like you to be so uncertain! If I did not think you could pull it off, I would not have suggested it.

[Yotsuyu has at least picked up that real friends don't set other friends up to be embarrassed in public situations. She might let him look like an idiot elsewhere, but when it came to something as important to him as Bala-Inlota? No, that would be going far too far, in her mind.]

Nor should it chafe you like a shirt might.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Open vest, right? [At least give him that much! He's already groaning and giving on airs like a kid being asked to comb their hair when they'd just spent an hour getting it properly mussed.]

[darkenedmoon]

One button, at most. Start with it open, if they try to negotiate it close, stand firm at one button! [She nods at that, and then offers up a smile that isn't quite as sweet as she seems to think it is.]

I think that should be tolerable, no?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Yeah, yeah. I don't like it. Gonna make that clear and loud, damn it. [Sulk, sulk. She had a point, at least in that he'd probably have to work them up to what he wanted. So she could interpret his lack of counterargument as agreement.]

[darkenedmoon]

I know that. If I were in charge, being well aware of your distaste, I would do what I could to work around it. I am not. Therefore, you must deal with it. [Yotsuyu would say 'suffer', but, well.]

I am trying to help you. [For once.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

You hear me tellin' you to shove off? [He knows it's help, damn it. Expecting him to take it with good grace is asking too much! The point is he's taking it!]

[darkenedmoon]

[Yotsuyu's first thought is to be angry--not everyone earns her help, after all--but a moment of thought, and she realizes that she's as like to be just as prickly, were she offered help in a time of discomfort. So she lets it go.]

Very well, then. Do you wish me to choose things for you? I imagine you might like visiting a tailor once, than being dragged all over creation and trying things on. I think I can size you accurately.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Not that I don't trust you, I know you'd do just fine. But I feel like I probably oughtta be involved. [Just as a sort of self-respect thing. He's trying his best to get out of stuff, but totally fobbing off the task on Yotsuyu is a step too far for his pride.]