Don't Touch That Dial

[magicademymods]

Don't Touch That Dial Once upon a time, a pair of ducks had an idea. "Let's create television and make it so it picks up programming from everyone's home!" they said, as if somehow the Tenscore Kingdoms hadn't suffered enough. Would it shock you to hear the spell didn't go quite right? Would you be amazed to know that it malfunctioned in a horrible way? Choke on your disbelief, because IT DID. In front of the Great Hall, right in that arbitrary spot where the trees of the Promenade end and the walls begin, several 55" glass screens suddenly flare to bright blue life... followed by several more, in the unlikeliest places around campus. (What is a glass pane meant for TV doing in your sock drawer? Ask Webby.) Arrival What emerges from the screens -- and we do mean emerges -- is not a flat image, nor a happy purple dinosaur, nor someone wishing to be your neighbor. What emerges is, instead, someone you did not want to see from your home canon. Not necessarily a villain, mind; only someone who will cause conflict, with you and with others, in some way, shape, or form. It all comes back to conflict, in the end. Now they're here. 22 Minutes, Not Counting Commercials They're here, and they're running some version of amok. Maybe they're trying to take a hostage to force you to give themselves up to their power? Maybe they're trying to steal items of power, or capture rare familiars in red-and-white spheres. Maybe they're hitting on that person you really secretly like. Maybe they're just telling everyone about that time you were six years old and ran down the street naked. Whatever the case, your nemesis-for-a-day is causing some sort of trouble... Triumph(?) Ultimately, the only way to handle this horrific cross between a holodeck malfunction and a fourth-wall event is the most obvious one: you gotta cram your canon counterpart back into a screen, any screen at all. Through trickery, treachery, spellwork, or pipe-to-the-skull, you have to banish your victim back to whence they came. Of course, no one says you can't unfairly gang up on them... ...help? Surely the faculty will help, right? Nope. They've all taken right the hell off. Because they, too, are affected by the mirror. Contemplate just who might be summoned by each of these powerful and capable wizards, and perhaps be a little grateful that they did this. In charge, in their absence, is the Head of Student Affairs, Richard Willoughs. He seems unaffected, because honestly, students are his worst nightmare, so having to deal with them is only apropos for this disaster. So you're on your own...

Comments

[holdyourhorns]

Spyro is running about still trying to puzzle out what exactly is going on and what to do about the latest batch of craziness (as well as any of his friends that might need serious help) when of course from one of the screens comes someone the dragon wouldn’t have figured he’d be seeing again.

Anyone else witnessing the reunion will see Spyro entering a glaring contest with a saurian creature dressed in wizard robes and standing taller than him as most creatures do.

"You thought you’d seen the last of me, didn’t you dragon?" snarls the stranger, baring their mouthful of sharp teeth.

But of course, the young dragon never flinches at such a display. "Tch...! Didn’t I toss you into a convenient pit of lava? Looks like I have to kick your butt the old-fashioned way, shorty!"

Nothing ironic or telling about anything within those words. Of course, the ‘dinosaur’ doesn’t have a magical scepter on hand just yet for casting spells. So as they dodge Spyro's painful yet mostly scratch damage attacks, they’re keeping their lizard eyes out for anything worth snatching within the school grounds or just from some poor sap.

[OOC: Would you like to help Spyro chase down this fiend? Maybe Ripto stole your magic item? Come at me!]

[burningbrighter]

Sunset is not in the mood to play. She's holding her weird guitar above her head, jumping from a nearby bench and playing a screeching note at full blast.

"Leave him alone, you bully!"

She emphasizes the words with some...very loud noises.

[holdyourhorns]

That's one way to stop a dragon and a villain in their tracks with utter confusion. Especially since Spyro is not quite sure he heard Sunset directly.

"Wha...?"

"Silence with that infernal thing, creature!!!" The... um... creature shouts at her.

[burningbrighter]

"Good luck with that!"

Sunset just straight up cackles and plays an even more horrible tune, pouring a little magic into it to make it especially annoying. Try running with bleeding ears. It's not fun, Ripto.

[holdyourhorns]

But it's not exactly a fun experience for Spyro either. After remembering that he's been learning actual magic thanks to the school, he doesn't have time to yank out an instrument... however, he still has more than enough practice with both Fantastics and Thaumaturgy to click his tongue along with the rhythm of his own running to-

"Gyrrahh!!"

-trip up the villain so that the dragon can finally tackle and catch the villain by their precious cape between his teeth.

"How dare you! I'd have all of you fools kneeling with my scepter...!"

Fat chance... Spyro would say but instead happens to mumble it through the fabric, paying no mind whatsoever to how Ripto keeps chewing at the scenery with every word like the giant ham he is.

[burningbrighter]

"Your magic won't beat us," Sunset says more confidently than she actually feels. She hadn't come through with her own magic when she arrived, but things had changed lately...

She amps up the volume, grinning over at Spyro. Nice moves, buddy. "I think you should kneel to Spyro."

And she'll attempt to induce that suggestion by snapping her fingers.

[holdyourhorns]

And still fuming, while Ripto refuses to bow his giant head to the young dragon, he is certainly stuck where he is despite all reason for the contrary. Which means Spyro is free to spit out the slightly sooty-tasting cape.

"I've never heard of dinosaurs and magic being things you can mix anyway," he adds. Because what's more fuel to the fire at this rate?

"Thanks for the assist, Sunset. Got an idea of what else we're supposed to do with ol' Ripto here now?"

[burningbrighter]

"Take him back where he came from. That's through the screens, right?"

She rolls up her sleeves and conjures a rope. Much simpler to handle.

[holdyourhorns]

"Huh... makes enough sense to me!"

Anyway, he lets Sunset handle tying up Ripto. The villain still has plenty of empty threats to spew, but by now it's clearly easy for both Spyro and Sunset to tune out.

[burningbrighter]

Sunset works diligently, grinning up at Spyro when her fingers inadvertently brush Ripto's hand in prying the weapon away.

Her eyes go white, she blanks out...and she looks seriously disturbed.

[holdyourhorns]

Once Ripto is all bound up and gagged, that's when Spyro peers curiously at her before piping up.

"Hey. You alright?"