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

[hotheadwarmheart]

If he was honest with himself, Lea wasn't sure how much good this would do either. But it had to be better than nothing and 'nothing' was all the idea he had aside from this. So here they were. He could tell how nervous Xion was and opted to rest a hand on her shoulder to show his support. He was willing to help, but really, he couldn't do this for her. Xion had to stop hiding from Isa at some point or she'd be doing it forever, and that just wouldn't work, for a number of reasons.

"Best make sure the crystal's working properly first," he replied to Isa. He was certain it was of course, but the demonstration might help reassure Xion.

Lea turned to the observer with the crystal and said, "Xion's hair is green, Isa is standing on his head, and I have a live badger in my pocket." The crystal lit up, as expected. "Alright, that's the lie reaction confirmed. Now for truth. There are four people here in the room right now; three guys and one girl." Since the observer was also male, the crystal didn't react.

"OK looks like it's working properly," he said. "This is really between the two of you, so I'll let Xion ask the questions. But I'll sick around as long as you guys want me here."

[afterthemoon]

"All right."

Isa looked between Xion and Lea.

"Well, you heard him, Xion. You're free to ask me anything."

[nobodys_puppet]

She was as close to Axel as she could be without stepping on him, really though she was glaring at Saïx. If she actually trusted there would be answers, and Saïx would conveniently forget after what she had asked...

But even then she wasn't sure she'd find the courage to open her mouth. Shutting up around him was more than habit by now, it was survival. She didn't want to be a Dusk. But now without Sora's memories inside her... she was even less than she had been. And she had died to thwart him and Xemnas. She knew Axel was the only reason she had any chance of surviving this at all. Especially without the Keyblade that might make Saïx think he still had use for her.

"..."

[hotheadwarmheart]

Well that was an awkward silence if he'd ever heard one. Lea let it stretch for a long moment or two before nudging Xion. "C'mon Xion," he said. "I know you have things you want to say. And trust me when I say that no one here will be turning anyone into a Dusk, if that's what you're worried about. You can ask him anything you want, or heck, even insult his taste in clothes if you want." The crystal remained dark, indicating the truth of Lea's statement.

[nobodys_puppet]

She... might be gaping at Axel a little bit. Insult Saïx? To his face? Did he WANT her destroyed or something? She wasn't Axel who could get away with stuff like that. She was just... Xion.

[afterthemoon]

Isa may have shot Lea a look when he told Xion to insult his clothes. Really, Lea?

"Take your time, Xion. We have all day."

He was trying to sound encouraging, but at the same time, maybe the prospect of being stuck here all day would get her to start doing... something.

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea couldn't help returning Isa's look with a bit of a smirk. But only for a moment.

He quickly returned his attention to the gaping Xion, though. "Yeah, you can take your time," he said. "But seriously, you can say anything you want. We're not back at the castle, this isn't the Organization, and no one is going to hurt you. I can't say it any clearer than that, and the crystal isn't reacting, so you know I'm telling the truth."

[nobodys_puppet]

She hesitated then said finally, and aso softly Saïx would have to strain to hear it, if he could hear it at all. "I know you wouldn't lie about that." That didn't mean you were correct, however.

[afterthemoon]

Isa sighs softly.

"Xion, we're never going to get anywhere if you don't make an effort to try.

We're not asking you to be my friend, or anything like that. But for Lea's sake, please, just...

Just try."

[nobodys_puppet]

Him saying her name like that was just weird and uncomfortable. But what he said after...

That was a low blow, and her jaw clenched. He was going to use Axel as a weapon, was he?

Axel... who might recognize that rare spark of anger in her.

[hotheadwarmheart]

Part of Lea wanted to snap that she wasn't acting like she believed him, but he kept his mouth shut. Fortunately, Isa interjected with something a bit less biting, and Lea gave him a grateful glance before turning back to Xion.

"Yeah," he said. "Just... try. That's all we're really asking here."

[afterthemoon]

For now, Isa just looks at the two expectantly.

The ball was in Xion's court, and there really wasn't much either Lea or Isa could do for now.

[nobodys_puppet]

Had he, she might have pointed out that this was one of the few times she actually thought he was wrong.

She wanted to ask "try what" but she was afraid that would lead to more words like that from her, that she would hurt Axel She didn't want to hurt him. But she didn't know how to go about asking Saïx anything not mission critical. Nor did she honestly want to. And Axel saying we, meaning him and Saïx, not him and her and Roxas... for some reason that caused pain. She didn't understand why, she just knew it did.

But Axel wanted her to ask Saïx.... something. Fine. She could think of something that wouldn't upset Axel too much. Unless of course, Saïx did answer honestly.

"Why are you doing this?" she finally asked, trying to make her voice sound strong. She failed. Miserably. She almost failed to even get the question out.

[afterthemoon]

"To have a chance to clear the air. So you have a chance to understand my side of the story. So we can stop causing Lea undue stress."

He looks down at his hands on his lap

"It's something that could be a benefit to all of us."

[nobodys_puppet]

"Why are you pretending to care about him?" she snapped, some of that anger rising to the surface again. Just to hurt her? That... seemed disturbingly likely. Except that she knew she wasn't worth that much effort to Saïx. Which is why she didn't understand any of this.

But... she had not meant to ask that in front of Axel... She swallowed hard but refused to let Saïx see her flinch.

[afterthemoon]

"I-I'm not pretending! Why would I--?"

Isa looked genuinely hurt by that statement. He understood why Xion would say such a thing, but it still hurt.

"Lea's my best friend!"

[nobodys_puppet]

"He is my best friend and Roxas'. And you used him to try and hurt us, which hurt him." She actually took a step forward to put herself in front of Axel.

[afterthemoon]

"Lea can have more than one best friend. The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be. Don't make the same mistakes I did."

Isa gives Lea an almost pleading look, as if to ask if he's so sure this was a good idea.

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea was actually a bit surprised when Xion said that she thought Isa had only been pretending to care about him, but when he stopped and thought about it a moment from her perspective, it made sense. Didn't make Isa'd reaction any easier to watch though.

At the pleading look directed his way though, he sighed a bit. Well they had wanted Xion to try; they hadn't really specified what to try. He did speak up though. "Yeah," he said. "That did hurt. But for my part, I've forgiven him for that; because that's what friends do when one of them genuinely regrets their actions."

"And I'm hardly innocent when it comes to using people either," he added. "All through the Castle Oblivion mission I used basically everyone in that place against each other at one point or another."

"And he's right about being able to have multiple best friends," he said. "Really, you can have as many or as few as you want. It's just that for a long time I was Isa's only one. Even back before we lost our hearts, he was never really that great at getting out and making more friends on his own."

[nobodys_puppet]

"None of the people you were using were your friends," she said softly, refusing to let Axel feel bad about this now that he could feel. That wasn't what his heart was for, hurting. He had to be happy and enjoy. For the both of them.

[afterthemoon]

Isa will let Lea inform Xion that he's friends with Sora nowadays on his own time, since that's a totally different can of worms.

He takes a moment to pause and collect his thoughts.

"Xion, I want you to understand why I acted the way I did. I was jealous, of you, of Roxas-- and before you say anything, yes, jealously is indeed a feeling." He'll get back to that later.

"I had convinced myself it was your fault that Lea and I had drifted apart, and I was lashing out at anything I could. I was wrong and so, so blind."

[nobodys_puppet]

How did she even start to reply to that? At all? For one thing, it didn't make sense. For another... she wasn't buying it.

There was just... a lot there. And she had no clue where to start. So she fell back on the stragay that usually worked best in these situations. She said nothing.

[afterthemoon]

Typical.

"Is that it? You're just going to stand there and say nothing?"

Why was he even bothering trying to bear his heart to her? She didn't care.

Because his heart ached when he remembered the way he treated her, and it felt like it threatened to destroy him, that's why.

Isa turns away in a huff.

"I knew this was a bad idea."

[nobodys_puppet]

Gee, who was it who worked so hard to ensure that she never forgot that she couldn't care?

"I am aware I am not supposed to speak," she said, flatly. Not that he ever bothered to hear her when she tried.

[afterthemoon]

He doesn't turn to face her, he simply stares at the darkened crystal.

"The Organization is no more. You're free to do or say whatever you want."

His breathing seemed shaky, his voice was cracking ever so slightly.

"I couldn't turn you into a Dusk even if I wanted to, I never had the ability to do that in the first place. I have reason to believe it was little more a threat Xemnas held over our heads to keep us in line."

"I know you don't believe a word I say, and want to see me as nothing more than a monster. I deserve it, after the way I treated you...

"I know you'll never trust me, but maybe you should try trusting Lea."