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

[stillnewatthis]

Take a Look

Paper balanced carefully on her fusion driver, Orisa consulted the spell, then looked up at the book she'd set on the ground. Her hand traced a pattern in midair with swift and incredibly precise moments, like a very zippy 3D-printer head.

"Telekinesis, literature!"

The book hopped into the air, where it floated quite effortlessly. Orisa examined it curiously, her eyeshields whirling open to their fullest extent -- before they snapped shut into delighted quirks.

"That was so very easy!"

Orisa tromped in place a couple of times, her legs raising and then dropping back to the ground in a clockwise fashion, before she hopped a few feet to the right and then back to the left in sheer exuberance. That was perhaps the easiest spell she had ever performed! These new spells were amazing!

It's In a Book

The keen-eyed among the Sundered might notice an unusual sight: a bush that seems to contain a very omnic-like figure. Orisa could hold impressively still when she needed to, thanks to the precision of her servomotors, but she certainly couldn't change her colors or shape to blend in better with the shrubbery. What the heck?

Dumbledore's Army

With a bright look that would be a smile on someone with a functional mouth, Orisa waved a hello to her new partner as they stepped into their little dueling space. "Hello! I am prepared to resist all spells directed my way!"

She did indeed look ready, with a wand in her hand and a confident pose that looked like she could take on the world and win. As a protector, she must definitely master defensive magics such as this to protect those she is trying to shield.

"Give me your best challenge, please!"

Research

The harsh repetitive sound of Orisa's fusion driver filled the air, along with an ice-cream truck rendition of "Turkey in the Straw" thanks to her stupid power. But her current situation was anything but comical --

No, it was extremely comical, because Orisa was furiously discharging ammunition into a shrubbery. "I will allow no harm to come to others from you!" she snarled at the leafy bush, even as charged particles ripped through its leaves. "Your reign of domination ends here! There will be no more attacks or suffering!"

Okay. With the anger in her voice and her furious intent on wreaking havoc on someone not truly there... maybe it wasn't so funny after all.

Take A Look

[woo_oo]

Whoa, was this a new dance move? After catching Orisa hopping back and forth, side to side, Webby decided to imitate it.

"Hi Orisa! ... Why are we doing this?"

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa stopped her happy little dance as she turned to face Webby, though she still radiated delight. "Hello, Webby! I am dancing because I am happy and excited. You are dancing because you are imitating me."

Well, she asked.

[woo_oo]

Fair enough. Webby stopping the hopping, but kept up the smiling.

"So what's got you so happy?"

[stillnewatthis]

"I have successfully cast a spell with minimal difficulty, even thought it was my first attempt." Which was not always an easy thing for Orisa. 'Willpower' remained a concept she did not readily grasp in the execution.

[woo_oo]

"Wow, way to go!" That definitely earned some applause. "You deserve to celebrate!"

[stillnewatthis]

"I agree, which is why I was doing so." Good old Orisa logic. "Have you attempted any of the spells from this writing?"

Book

[fatedsacrifice]

Noctis is out for a walk when he sees something that isn't the usual which is saying a lot for a magic academy. Upon first seeing it, he takes a step back and waits for a moment to try and observe.

No, this doesn't look like anything that he's fought back home, not even that crazy Omega thing that Gentiana warned the party about. And he can see a face too, so what was the reason for the trying to stand still part?

So the king's going to just stand there a minute and try and figure this out. After all, was this one friendly?

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa's sensors detected him in the midst of her romp, and she settled down from a bounce to a walk and then a turn to face him.

"Hello! May I be of service to you?" Perhaps he needed a delivery done!

[fatedsacrifice]

He almost took a step back but then heard the words about..service? Well, this one seemed friendly, and it wasn't as 'edgy' and menacing as the mechs that were trying to kill him back home.

Well, the question was certainly..unusual. Still, he raised a hand and put it through his hair because this wasn't something he'd been expecting at all.

"Uh..service?"

[stillnewatthis]

"Yes! You appear to have questions or a request, to judge by your approach and expression. I will be happy to attempt whatever it is you need!"

'Friendly' might almost be an understatement, with the cheer Orisa exuded.

[fatedsacrifice]

The cheerfulness reminded Noctis of Prompto, and if the blonde were here, these two would no doubt have a good time.

Question..did he have a question or request? Well no not really, except..one.

"I was just wondering why you were in a bush."

And why she was friendly and not hostile, but that all went unsaid.

[stillnewatthis]

"I am attempting to conceal myself from efforts at levitation directed at me," she said, as if this made perfect sense.

Research

[daughterofclay]

"Orisa...?"

She's a ways away -- although close enough to see why a contingent of students are shrieking and booking it away from the scene. And since she's had a number of her own unwelcome, imaginary visitors recently, it doesn't take her long to guess at what's going on.

In light of this realization, Jude does several things:

First, she chucks the books she was carrying into a safe, unobtrusive spot. Secondly, she fishes her wand out of her cloak and grasps it between her teeth.

Then she starts scaling the building beside her. You see, there is a covered walkway surrounding the large courtyard they're in, and if she can creep up along its roof, she can get closer to the scene without (hopefully) getting spotted immediately. It's not the safest plan she's ever come up with, but...

It can't exactly be left alone. An incident like this is definitely not going to aid the image of the Sundered on campus. That, and she's almost certain that Orisa -- non-haunted, sober Orisa -- would not have chosen this situation for herself.

So for now, she's going to try and get close. Because she wants to help, but also because (she's honest enough to admit this to herself) she's been curious about what kind of damage Orisa is capable of, and this is an opportunity to find out.

[stillnewatthis]

The observation was easy enough to make: though each individual particle discharge inflicted comparatively little damage, the overwhelming torrent of them shredded through the bush in no time flat -- and Orisa kept going, her fusion driver pumping out particled-packets for ten, fifteen seconds before she had to pause and lift it up to discharge heat and draw in atmospheric water for refueling.

In that moment, she lifted her left hand, then launched out a small chunk of metal just ahead of her. It struck the ground, then suddenly erupted into a projected force screen, providing shielding to Orisa from whatever she was attacking.

[daughterofclay]

It's damn impressive. She hovers at the ledge of the rooftop for a moment, just watching. She has doubts that anything she could magically summon would stand up to that weapon. But--

A plan is forming in her head; a plan that will at least buy some time if it works.

"Orisa!" She hopes the robot is cognizant enough to recognize her. Her hand is clenched tight around her wand; if worse comes to worst, she might just get a chance to test herself against that cannon. It's risky, but the scheme can work even if Orisa thinks she's the enemy.

Still, it would probably be a lot safer for Jude if she didn't think that.

"Orisa, let me help!"

[stillnewatthis]

Without needing to look, Orisa immediately triangulated Jude's position and shifted slightly, the better to raise her audio output so the girl could hear.

"Jude! Do not approach! Doomfist is a danger beyond any you can imagine!"

Even if he wasn't doing much at the moment! Which was odd, but no doubt the villain was mocking her, believing her to be nothing more than an ordinary OR-15 model of the sort he'd trashed by the dozens.

[daughterofclay]

She breathes a small sigh of relief at being recognized. It's a bit disconcerting to imagine what could possibly alarm Orisa so much -- so Jude doesn't spend much time trying. Instead she creeps closer to Orisa at a half-crouch, stopping just behind a tall tree-trunk.

"There's too many civilians here. It's dangerous for them." She's not shouting, because she trusts Orisa's sensors to pick her voice up regardless, and because she's trying to be circumspect about her "plan". Still, her tone is urgent. "We need to lead him somewhere with fewer people."

Is Doomfist a him? Well, hopefully it won't matter.

[stillnewatthis]

"You are correct, but how?"

After all, Doomfist doubtless intended to go directly to his goal without diversion. Were Orisa to move, he would doubtless continue on without letting anyone else slow him down.

Unless she herself was his target, but why would she be?

DA

[couldabeenturbo]

"Hey, Orisa!" Dewey grinned, stepping up to the dueling circle with no wand: just a guitar slung across his back. "You sure you're ready for this?"

[stillnewatthis]

"I believe my skills are equal to the task," she said, taking the question seriously and at face value. "However, my projections may possibly be in error."

[couldabeenturbo]

Dewey grins, then starts tuning his guitar. It's already pretty well in-tune, but he has to make sure, otherwise there's a risk of the magic being out of tune, too, and ... uh ... he has no idea what that would do, but he's pretty sure it wouldn't be good.

"I've been learning."

With a waggle of his eyebrows, he thrums out the chords that are almost every self-respecting rock lover's first learned rock melody. They're not perfect, but they're close, and even close is enough to make him start to glow with a slight blue aura.

[stillnewatthis]

Oh! A musical-based attack! Orisa quickly ran this scenario through simulation, judging and weighing different responses lightning-quick, then lifted her hand to whip her wand through a complicated series of gestures delivered lightning-quick.

"Anyway," she said, as a shimmering field of force rose in front of her to protect her, "here's Wonderwall."

[couldabeenturbo]

"Okay that was intimidating. And super impressive, bee tee dubs." Dewey grinned, knowing there was no point in getting all shaky in the knees over practicing with friends. "But check this out."

The Deep Purple riff had just been his own protection - the confidence involved in whipping out something familiar created the proper phemes. But he started up another song, simple chords and long, wailing notes that ground down into gravel, and suddenly tiny flaming bats began to appear and divebomb her from all sides.

[stillnewatthis]

Hmm. That was a remarkable spell, though Orisa believed that it sacrificed power for encompassment. To that extent, she put her back to her protective screen, trusting that the bats could not make their way through, and with a swift motion moved to dispel the ones behind her.