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

[paradoxical_personality]

There didn't seem to be much in common, no.

Hel casually glanced to the crystal without shifting her body for that one, and was pleasantly surprised. This was not a person who just spoke without thinking. Besides Hel had thought she had found someone she could easily communicate with when it came to Yotsuyu, and this was further feeding into those assumptions.

It was hard masking her amusement as her current companion called out the researchers. The process could have been made more streamline had they bother to prepare a survey for the participants or something of the like.

"Viceroy, hm?" That was one of the many titles the humans of Midgard might call themselves by. Impressive in it's own way that Yotsuyu had held such a position. "I am.. " Making a point of using the present tense. "The Queen of Helheim, Goddess of the Underworld. I see to the afterlives of all who pass on." Missing the irony that in her world, Yotsuyu was no more. It wasn't information that she was privy to. "My world consists of nine realms, how many are in yours?"

[darkenedmoon]

"What do you mean by realms?" Curious, though certainly if Hel meant kingdoms, there were likely more than Yotsuyu knew of. Though when she named herself Goddess of the Underworld, Yotsuyu's lips thinned briefly.

"Most of the gods where I am from have no hand in the business of mortals. They are still paid homage to--or lip service, I suppose, in my case with the kami--but for the most part, they are merely names, now."

She gave a short chuckle, then. "Though I suppose were I to be in your realm, you might have the handling of me--if you did not simply cast my soul to the abyss for the cruelty I committed in life."

The researchers muttered--let them, Yotsuyu thought. She just leveled a glare at them. THEY had asked her here--and she would ask what she wanted to ask. Otherwise, they ought to take it as a learning experience, and have a questionnaire ready.

[paradoxical_personality]

Apparently this was something Hel had taken for granted. "They're essentially different planes of existence all connected by the world tree but significantly different and distinct from one another." Come to think of it, she had only heard one person mention Yggdrasil here. "Alfheim is known for it's lush forests, and greenery- Muspelheim for it's mountains of fire, and oppressive heat."

Hel knit her eyebrows momentarily at that. "You are not the first to make such a claim. I don't understand why the Gods of the other dimensions are so.... negligent in their duties." It wasn't hard to tell that she took some offense to their inaction. "The Kami, did you say...?" Now there was a word she'd heard used before in reference to some of the Gods. "That is how the Gods are referred to in Yamato. You wouldn't perhaps of heard of Amaterasu- or perhaps her twin sister Tsukuyomi?"

"......................................................................................" The silence stretched between them at that admission. For some reason Hel had never once made that leap in assuming Yotsuyu was of the deceased. "I suppose I would have." Once more her expression seemed to darken. "What sort of magic is at play here that would rob someone of their eternal rest...?" The dead should remain that way. Conveniently she made no mention of what became of those who were cruel in life. Once she got her ire under control perhaps she would inquire further.

[darkenedmoon]

"From what little I know of such things, we have no World Tree on Hydaelyn." Yotsuyu had never heard of the Gridanians' Guardian Trees, but there were more than one of them, and likely it had no significance anyway.

Her look turned sharp when Hel mentioned Tsukuyomi. "What do you know of Tsukuyomi?" Brows furrowing, she gave something of a scowl--but that was more at the crystal, and its oh-too-accuate judge of truth or lie. "Not only have heard of Tsukuyomi--I have become Tsukuyomi, divinity of the night and goddess of the moon, ere I came here. I know nothing of Amaterasu, however."

Yotsuyu was not proud of that, no--but the crystal did not flash that she had lied, either.

"I am not proud of what I did," she continued, frowning somewhat. "I was...goaded into it, perhaps. My mother and father--they set me upon the path, and helped make me into the monster I had become in life. Yes, monster!" Not that she was certain Hel would naysay her, despite how they had met. "I chose a different path, here, and I have done my best to tread upon it."

[paradoxical_personality]

".... Peculiar." It was difficult to fathom how any world could exist without one. It was possible that there was actually a world tree but those who resided upon it were oblivious to it's existence. That or Yotsuyu's dimension might actually have an entirely different system altogether.

Noticing the change, Hel briefly narrowed her eyes as it looked as if Yotsuyu had taken some exception to her words. Her expression soon returned to it's usual mild disinterest a few moments later. "I know that she is rarely in Takamagahara, collects rabbit goods, and has a great dislike for mice that borders on psychotic. Why?" There was more she could say about the Kami, none of it good. Hel was not a fan of Tsukuyomi's superior attitude or how she had the gall to refer to a certain Aesir herself as quote "scumu". Many of the Kami that presided of Yamato seemed to suffer from this haughty personality. What was said next gave Hel pause, not understanding how anyone could make such a claim. "That's just great..." Said more to herself. The last thing she wanted was to run into other dimensions versions of the gods and goddesses she was familiar with in her own. There could be other Lokis out there.....ugh

That still didn't explain the sort of reaction displayed by Yotsuyu. The level of uneasiness she was projecting and revulsion.

"........... The power went to your head... " Or so Hel assumes. That is why mortals did not often ascend to become Aesir. "..............." Hel grew quiet at those next assertions. Just what was it that Yotsuyu did in her previous life? She hadn't really questioned it before, since once you were deceased it should be well behind you. Also by and large she wasn't one for words. This is one of those times when it would be useful to have a noisy valkyrie about. They were usually better about responding to people when they divulged traumatic portions of their past. Hel- was not so good at empathizing, but she felt as if she should say something after all that which in itself said something .....

"Sounds rough." #nailedit

[darkenedmoon]

"I only wondered if you knew of her. Or an example of her. Which, of course, you do." She frowned, then. Maybe the power had gone to her head, at least a bit, but...that was not the entire truth, and Yotsuyu spoke quickly, before the crystal could flare to ugly life.

"I was manipulated before I gained her power," Yotsuyu said. "My brother goaded me into taking her power, so I could destroy the peace talks between the Garlean empire and Doma. The greatest hero of our world and his companions slew me, because I intended to drown Doma in darkness and make it the swamp I felt it was. And I? I would reign above it as acting viceroy, cold and uncaring. Just as Asahi had planned."

She'd said those words then and meant every one, but now? Now she just felt empty. As if they had been spoken by another person, in another time.

Hel earned a slight, amused smile at that--it wasn't as if Yotsuyu did not understand. Sympathy was not always her strong point either. But she gave the Aesir a nod.