July Event Log

[magicademymods]

July Event Log A Reading Rainbow Though the publication is ordinarily drier than dry toast Modified to be drier than dried toast, this quarter's issue of Thaumaturgy Today is all the rage around campus. The reason: a series of advances in motile spells! Easier and more powerful than those found in your standard book of spells (any grade), these spells achieve their power by specificity. One spell for lifting fruit, one for lifting laundry, one for lifting books, the list goes on. Though Professor Loshakle is deep at work writing a blistering reply criticizing every nuance of these spells, outside of his wrathful gaze the spells flourish as people practice them on everything they can. Copies of the issue are easy to get your hands on, if you want to give these new spells a whirl. On the other hand, your stuff or you yourself might fall victim to the spells of other students, whether by mistake or cruel jest. And woe betide those not human -- since no spell explains how to lift an anthropomorphic duck or a robot, for example, enterprising students are particularly eager to come up with one on their own, and there's only one way to test such things... It's Raw, You Donkey! There was an incident. Mistakes were made. Rice balls were detonated. Puddings were animated and sent on rampages. A cheesebread was found lodged in Makerion Keep, sunk to a depth of three feet in the walls. Whatever happened, and no one seems to have details... the Great Hall is closed and no food is being served. So... what're you going to eat? Several pop-up stands have emerged, as enterprising students try to cash in, but that costs money and who knows how the quality is. Headmaster Birony keeps showing up with pies, having made several savory ones that taste really good, actually, but can you really live on pie alone? (And do you really trust Headmaster Birony?) Some students have taken to the ultimate last resort: cooking. As it happens, the skills of the chef and of the aspiring mage are not exclusive in principle, but generally learning the one means little time to devote to the other. Faced with an oven or a grill, can you muster up the capability to make something edible? Or will you burn the water and turn bread back into grain, and thus have no choice but to avail yourself of pricey booth cooking or Cam-pies? Of course, the Great Hall will PROBABLY be open again soon, you might be able to last until then... The Defense Association In light of certain recent activities, like horrible monster attacks, Professors Trammel and Kith have teamed up to provide self-defense lessons to students who so desire. Purely optional, this extra class at the end of the school day promises study in shields, wards, basic attack spells, and mobility spells (because sometimes the best thing is to run like heck). Needless to say, these classes are quite the adventure! Students find themselves in dueling circles quite frequently, expected to carefully deflect each other's spells. Hopefully you've got the knack of it; the practice spells they have taught you don't cause any harm, but they sting like the dickens! Research on the Sundered Conflict. Conflict seems to be key. As near as the researchers can tell, all the Sundered lead lives that are simply not ordinary, and their experiments in conflict from last month produced results they didn't expect (as you all have learned) but that are most promising. Professor King herself has taken the lead on this experiment, and she warns anyone who volunteers that it is likely to be very dangerous, and they will be taking this very slow. They are, she explains, going to try to bridge the gap between you and the world you came from. A SMALL bridge, a proof of concept, no portal home and celebrations yet. But they hope it will work, and be the first step towards getting you back where you belong. If you agree, they get to work. Any student who undergoes this process immediately regains a power of their choice. It does not have to be on their application, and you do not have to provide proof during AC. It's here now. Only if you do not have a power to regain, you may regain an item instead. The price? For the next three days, you will be haunted by visions of your greatest enemy, your most hated foe, or the person you least wish to see in the world. Perhaps you hear their laughter in the darkness of your room at night. Perhaps you see a fellow student as them. Perhaps they are taunting you from just behind your shoulder... Whatever form it takes, for three days, you will be at their mercy. Or the mercy of your own mind's imagining them. Or perhaps a combination of the two. Who can say...?

Comments

[king_of_egypt]

That's probably for the best, he wouldn't have believed it without confirming it himself. The illusion was so lifelike, the voice was right out of his memories. The spirit of the ring had looked as real as either one of them now. ".... I could have sworn..." Looking toward the floor, he soon looked backed towards her.

When Lady had her attack, he wanted to reach out and place a hand to either one of her shoulders to help snap her back to reality but she might actually try to make good on her threat. Then she would have the guilt of having lashed out at someone who was innocent to go with the rest. Still, he persists in trying to help talk her down. Their voices likely carried into the classroom they'd just left.

"I said, no one is going to hurt you..." When she seemed to regain her senses. "Lady, what did you see?"

[replaceme]

"N- Nothing. It was nothing." She tried to force herself to relax, but when the halls filled with people she suddenly felt more afraid. The hustle and bustle caused the voices to start stirring again. We're coming for you, Lahdinokhind. It started with your wings, but it's not going to end there. We'll cut you up bit by bit.

"Iiiii I need to get out of here. I need to get out of here r- right now."

[king_of_egypt]

"It's... not nothing." Nothing doesn't make you issue death threats, and writhe around in fear. There's nothing you can do to help her, pharaoh. She'll fall to the shadows that haunt her mind, just as you will. Not this again. Of course his own delusions couldn't lay off while he was trying to help Lady. "Not now..." he muttered openly. "Now that I know you're not real- you hold no power over me."

Can you be so sure?

Trying to tune it out, Atem shifted focus back to Lady. "Come this way, there's a door that leads out to the the courtyard."

[replaceme]

"A- Alright." He's leading you into a trap. You have no friends here. He's actually working with us, Lahdinokhind. He wants more power. He wants your power. She hesitates to follow for a moment, bristling and looking at Atem as if she'd be able to tell who was telling the truth. Eventually though she starts walking, trying to ignore the phantoms. His own delusion had been just that, so surely hers were the same. What had caused this she didn't know, but she couldn't wait for it to stop.

[king_of_egypt]

Little did Atem know how the voices were specifically trying to poison Lady's mind against him. Then again his own constant pest was still trying to convince him of his eventual failure. Bakura's words would hold more weight had he not been soundly defeated before- but still the voice was greatly troubling and grating on him. As they began to make for the exit, it was only a few strides before they were outside in the fresh air which he hoped would somehow dispel their problems.

"Is it any better out here?"

[replaceme]

"I want to get away from the school." Because she assumed it was the source of this madness. She continued to ignore the chiding from the seemingly malevolent spirits as she transformed into a dragon. She had done it a few times before, but never in front of somebody.

"If you want to get out of here, then get on, otherwise you can stay here and try to figure out what's going on." She wasn't sure this would work, but it was worth a shot. The school seemed to be the source of a lot of problems, so maybe getting further away would help?

[king_of_egypt]

"Sure, we can go into town... or.. to the outskirts..." He started thinking of places to list when she made her transformation. Atem stood there transfixed never having witnessed such a thing.... since... well.. facing Leviathan- only in that instance the dragons turned into the knights of Atlantis. This was like that only in the reverse. You've been spending so much time with monsters, you've become unable to spot one right when she's right in front of your nose. He grimaced at the disparaging remark and tried to push it to the back of his mind.

Holding a hand to his head.... he nodded slowly. Even if he didn't think fleeing the grounds was the answer, Lady shouldn't be alone. "...... Get on?" He questioned. I mean....... it was fine because she already gave him permission, but still.

[replaceme]

Lady had a few places in mind, since she didn't normally stay at the dorm. She just didn't really feel comfortable being trapped in a tower with a bunch of strangers, even if a few of them had been very nice. Oh, if only she could hear what Bakura was saying. That would probably be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Get on." If he doesn't, then she's going to take off without him, because she really just can't stand being here and the open air should help her clear her head. Or so she hopes. He's going to stab you in the back. When he finally puts you down he'll be hailed a hero for killing such a monstrous beast.

[king_of_egypt]

Not really being aware of her habits, he wasn't sure where she most liked to frequent. Also he would prefer that she should never have to hear the cruel words of Bakura for herself.

Something in Lady's tone told him that he shouldn't hesitate again, so he complied. Climbing on her back, he secured himself as best he could, as she took off. Then he proceeded to take in the sights to behold from high up in the air. So trusting, pharaoh... all it would take is for one little mishap and then you would fall to your doom. I don't think they've bothered to teach you how to fly in that rundown old school... hmm?.

[replaceme]

She's careful, at least, though she does occasionally spare him a glance no thanks to the whispers she's hearing in her ear. Flying to the far edge of the campus takes almost no time at all and soon she's landing and waiting for him to get off, so she can change back. There's a moment of silence, one where she thinks she's gotten the best of the phantom, but the it begins chuckling again, the apparitions appearing around her and encroaching at an alarming rate. Lady backs away, stopping only once she's hit the trunk of a tree.

"S- Stay away."

[king_of_egypt]

Yes the flight over is surprisingly smooth, despite how they were both being tormented by their various disembodied voices or collections thereof. Atem, slides off as soon as they land as it would have been uncalled for to linger longer, then he hangs back as she transforms again. A silence hovers over them giving them both a moment to breath- but only just.

"I... .guess this means it isn't tied to the school." Atem replied quietly and weakly, since the statement was of no real use to either of them.

"Lady- there's really no one else here.. it's still just us..."

[replaceme]

As soon as her back hits the tree she sinks down and brings her hands up over her head. "Don't come any closer!" A dark edge creeps into her tone as the voices keep taunting and teasing her, going into detail about how they intend to continue the torture they started all those years ago. "I said don't come any closer!" It's another roar, one that may be powerful enough to knock Atem back a bit.

But she seems to realize something's afoot again, because she looks at him, frowning. "I- I'm sorry! I didn't... Atem are you okay?"

[king_of_egypt]

Atem heeds her warning at first, but it's getting harder to mind. They spent all that time in the air together and not once did she turn on him. So he risks it and takes a step forward. "I don't think you would do anything to strike out at me, Lady...." But that is when she restates her initial command. It's clearly meant for the unseen enemies, but the roar does end up pushing him back, and making him lose his footing.

His backside collides with the ground and he grunts. Were you always this naive pharaoh? I should have crushed you years ago...

Atem missed hearing her apologies as his delusions grew in strength, the image of Bakura appeared over him, hands gripping his neck. Although Atem told himself it wasn't real, he still felt pressure applied to his neck as Bakura started to choke him. So... the pharaoh began to fight back trying to throw said delusion off of him, or unbalance it in any way.

[replaceme]

It's probably a bad idea, but as soon as Lady has her head on somewhat straight she rushes forward and grabs for one of his flailing hands. She pulls him to his feet, assuming he's fighting back an unseen enemy like she'd been doing just a second ago. Lady pulls him into her and holds him closely as she transforms again, keeping him secured in her coils.

"It seems like it's getting worse. But it's all not real, right, and if we keep telling ourselves that, then we'll be fine. We have to protect each other from these enemies. They'll be relentless, no doubt, but they're not real. I'm not under attack and neither are you... and if we were... I would do what I can to help you fight them back."