March Event and Intro Log

[magicademymods]

March Event and Intro Log Golem On The Loose The rain never stops. Water and mud track all over campus. Diligent cleaning golems stomp about, mopping and scrubbing and polishing and then going back to do it all over again, and again, and again... One of them seems to have had it. The renegade golem bursts into Kedrigan Hall -- interrupting classes and disrupting labwork to furiously seize students and scrub every last scrap of mud and dirt off of them. All the halls have been locked off with "Under Cleaning" signs, and anyone who enters them meets with the golem's wrath, as it violently plays a pre-recorded message about not interfering with groundskeeping and deploys a giant claw-like tool to grab the interloper and put them back on unforbidden ground. The professors, who are after all completely immune to the golem's attention by its very design, seem to think this is a good learning opportunity for students. Is it? Horrible Spell Doom? "Are you sure you're ready for the test on Advanced Gaseous Discovery?" one upperclassman asks the other. "Of course I'm sure," the second says confidently. Whipping out a wand from a holster on her belt, she sweeps her wand through the air gracefully, pronouncing several Osmarian sigils as she draws them. Probably. "See, that's a blue cloud--" Said blue cloud, which puffs into being as the last syllable left her lips, abruptly doubls in size. Then it doubles in size again. And again. The upperclassmen, who have been in Diatu for several years and know exactly what this sort of thing means, don't hesitate. Not even stopping to share a glance between them, they run like crazy, leaving the growing cloud behind just as classes let out and students begin to enter the halls. But... surely it doesn't have any weird and wacky side effects, right? The Bala-inlota Parade (aka The Non-Horrible Prompt) To celebrate the start of the Bala-inlota season, Anastara spares no expense. The great parade and associated festival stretches the whole weekend, and the whole city puts on their colors and turns out for the fun. Enterprising vendors sell food, drinks, and souvenirs ranging from small and crude figurines to magical constructs that shine field displays onto flat surfaces so you can watch the action up-close! (Good luck affording that, students.) Practically any sort of entertainment you could want appears on the streets and canals of Anastara, and food and drink flow freely. 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, the team has developed a Sundering spell that they warn is crude and unpolished, because the Curriculum is so unpracticed. They hope it will connect to your home worlds and establish a magical link they can build off of to open further passages. No promises! And to those who do undergo this spellwork... it has a certain side effect of confusion, as brief images from your home world flicker across your vision for a few hours afterwards. Wonders Await Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

A Special Note

If you thread out one or more scenes based on the confusion from "Research on the Sundered", respond to the comment on this post with a link to that thread. The results of this will be revealed next month! (It is, we're afraid, not a regain, lest your participation be based solely on that hope!)

Comments

[puzzlers]

Ballet? [ he looks down at the whale as it moves through the floor like it were nothing. he pats her dorsal fin and gives her a smile, though the whale probably cant see it. ] It's nice to meet you, Ballet. I've never seen something quite like a land whale before, but she's certainly something special.

[valkyriefoodie]

[ The warning siren of the screaming girl caused Skuld to glance cautiously back over her shoulder but what she saw... and it was heading straight for her!?! In a flurry of feathers she did her best to flit out of the way but fortunately the mechanical girl had some really, REALLY good airbrakes! ]

Whew! I thought you were going to crash!

[ Skuld breathed deeply as she found a corner of the building to land on. After such a shock a moment to catch her breath seemed in order! ]

Do you always fly around that quickly?

[valkyriefoodie]

"Hel!"

There was a familiar... and some what grumpy voice! If she weren't hanging upside down from this Golem Skuld might have been tempted to fly over there and give her a hug. A nice, student just tackled a muddy cleaning Golem hug. It was nice to hear some one she knew from home was here.

"We could do it with magic! We don't have to get dirty!"

[pawper]

[At first, she's far too focused on not losing her grip on the doorjamb to notice anything else. The golem wouldn't hurt her, just like it never hurt any of the other students unlucky enough to wander into "restricted" territory, which meant that a lengthy struggle could be turned into a play for time. She's thinking hard about what to do next (kick out at the claw with her other foot, maybe?) when the tugging grip on her ankle suddenly falls away, golem staggering back in a crash of thudding footsteps. Body moving ahead of conscious thought, Lys scrambles upright, looking from it to Jecht and back again.]

Oh, um — I'm fine! [And she is, really. For once.] How did you do that?

[valkyriefoodie]

By the Go... wow.

Bright eyed and unblinking Skuld stared as Yami approached the window. He was... he was... fit. And that was some very interesting hair. She knew a few people back home who would be envious of that style. He was wet though. Why would that have been? Did the roof leak? And... why was he wearing a towel?

Slowly these puzzle pieces began to knit together in her mind and her cheeks, at first a light pale pink grew a fiery shade of red with each step closer he took, until she exploded in a fit of nervous feathers. Quickly she whirled around to place her back towards him. Or was it too late to think about privacy?

"No, I'm sorry! I didn't mean too... They really should label these buildings!!! Who puts a shower in a tower?!"

[puzzlers]

[ he laughs along with her, taking a few tries to get it. ] Alright, we're he- [ and there's another math problem because there's another door. just stares. ]

[pawper]

[If he suddenly threw a punch or swung something at her head, struck out while she was distracted and confused, then maybe she'd respond with violence — but only out of simple reflex, guild training rising up in lieu of conscious thought. For now, Lys is primed to do nothing except sit and wait and breathe, straightening up with a relieved sigh after a few long moments.]

Mm, I get it. [As the visions fade, she does her best to perk up and lighten the mood, offering a sunny and artless smile.] Honestly, I hope they're just.....bad dreams or something. I'd hate knowing what was happening back home and not being able to do anything about it.

[But she'd rather not think about that, so:]

Anyway, I'm Lys. Are you new here too?

[nomoremistergneissguy]

I hear that, that'd be super frustrating! I mean, my family can take care of themselves, but I'd still want to be there.

[Offer violence when he hadn't been given any in return? Nah, that's not in Cliff's nature. Compared to her, he's less a 'gentle giant' than a 'gentle kind of tall dude', but he hasn't hit his full height yet. He smiles right back, cheerful nature easily reasserting itself.]

Yeah, I am. I'm Cliff, and my familiar is around here someplace. It looks like a giant marble ball, so if he comes rolling up, don't be too startled, in his case, you are definitely not seeing things! [And at that, he chuckles.]

[paradoxical_personality]

Don't you dare Skuld. Resist those urges. "Skuld?" Uncertainty crept into her voice as she took a second glance at the person dangling uselessly from the large Golem. For a moment her expression betrayed her, some of the hardness was abandoned in her outward demeanor. I mean, it's not like she was happy to see the Valkyrie or anything.

Composing herself, even she had to admit that Skuld was on to something here.

"Still, seems like a lot of work to me...... because I'm willing to bet that you haven't picked up any of what passes for magic here yet." Translation: Hel would be casting all the spells.

[bearshermark]

Eleven's ears catch strains of a melody from a nearby hallway. It's so out-of-place in this part of the school that his feet lead him to the closed door the notes seem to be drifting beyond before he's even aware of making the decision to investigate. Somehow he knows it's not an ordinary song- that there's magic woven into each refrain.

He steps through the door and into another world.

It's utterly foreign.

Impossibly tall buildings, black streets.. Eleven cries out alarm as something made of metal and faster than any horse he's ever seen slams straight through him. He clutches his chest, panic-stricken, and his skin breaks out with a sudden chill. That would have killed him, if it had been real.

If it had been.

Through the blood roaring through his ears, he can just make out the song again. Eleven takes a breath and stands a little straighter, eyes seeking out the spellcaster- only to inevitably find himself distracted by everything his gaze turns to.

"Where...?"

Bala-inlota Parade

[unswervingcompanion]

Being tall and built, Hendrik isn't bothered much by the crowd. He's still new here of course and is looking to see what he can see. Most of this place still makes no sense to him but he's had to at least see what this..celebration looked like.

Somehow he managed to get handed a few things with a cheery wave and greeting, more than a few times. So now he's got different things to eat. And somewhere someone along the way someone gave him something to drink though he has no idea what could be in the tankard.

Spotting Yotsuyu Hendrik heads over, foodstuffs in hand. And once he reached her, he offers the food on one of the plates. "I am unsure as to what these things are. But you're more than welcome to have them."

[king_of_egypt]

It soon became apparent that Atem's eyes hadn't deceived him. The presumed voyeur was still looking in through the window seemingly transfixed... on him. That was a fact that could make even the most self confident person feel ill-at-ease. Deciding it would be best to confront this person immediately to dissuade this distasteful hobby he continued forward until he was close enough to converse with the perpetrator. The closer he drew the easier it became to make out details of her features. It most-assuredly was a woman, with long flowing blond hair and radiant green eyes. She didn't match his expectations, for someone who would engage in this invasion of privacy.

"Is there something I could help you with....?" His words sounding a bit terse to begin with. How could you really blame him?

Once the silence was broken she seemed to snap to her senses, turning away from the window in a flurry and answering one of his earlier questions in the process. Attached to her back were a pair of bright white wings. In fact on closer inspection she looked more like she would fit right in the fairy class in duel monsters though she bore no resemblance to any of the monsters he was familiar with beyond the wings.

The words that she sputtered out next, coupled with her obvious embarrassment went a long way towards convincing him that this hadn't in fact been intentional. There was some relief in that, but unfortunately there was really no way either of them could undo the last few moments and alleviate all of the awkwardness. "... A better question is, why were you looking in the windows to begin with?" His tone was less accusatory this time.

[shiningkindness]

With a smile, she nodded. "You're welcome."

She was also watching the rabbit, and was considering asking if she could pet it when he spoke up again with his question.

"Hmm? ...Oh! I do, yes. Her name is Ballet, the Land Whale."

As she spoke the familiar's name, the whale rose up from the ground more, looking at them with her good eye.

[shiningkindness]

I-I guess not. Though to be honest, I don't really know much about it. I think this might be an official team, though, but you would still be able to play it at school.

[shiningkindness]

[Her smile brightens.]

Really, I can? Oh, I'd love to!

[Because yes, the snake is just as interesting as the whale.]

[shiningkindness]

[Glancing at the other girl, she still seems a bit uncertain. But, swallowing her nerves, she nods.]

W-Well...o-okay...

[Accepting one of the performers' hand, she lets herself be pulled onstage.]

[shiningkindness]

O-Oh! [With a nod, Ballet turns again and speeds off, just as the Golem recovers and begins the pursuit once again.]

[shiningkindness]

[The whale gives a rumbling sound in reply, and Fluttershy smiles.]

She really is. She actually found me when I first arrived in this world, and helped me get to the academy.

[outofyourshadow]

[It takes a long moment or so before Lena is even able to get to her feet, but eventually she does manage to start moving, her hand still in Webby's.]

...w-wait...you've never had a hot dog before?

[Her voice is still a bit soft and rather shaky, but the incredulous tone does sound much more like herself.]

[outofyourshadow]

[Finally wiping the last of her tears dry, she sighs.]

I hate this place.

[outofyourshadow]

Sh-She...

["She's not really here" is what she wanted to say, because she knows that was truth. But the images flashing through her mind are so strong and clear, and she can't manage the rest of the words.]

[outofyourshadow]

Kinda busy!

[Still, with the Golem struggling, it helped put farther distance between it and her.

So, reaching into her sleeve, she pulls out a wand, then turns to face the Golem.]

Please be affected by luck, please be affected by luck...

[She holds up the wand, not like one would actually hold a wand, but more like how one would aim a crossbow. Then she casts a spell, and suddenly the Golem trips - seemingly on nothing - and sends a tremor through the ground as it crashes.

And as the ground shook, she quickly tucks the wand back into her sleeve.]

[outofyourshadow]

Silent for another moment, she then shrugged with a small smile. "Eh, don't worry about me. Besides, I'm guessing you've also got the 'learn our magic or explode' thing to deal with."

[woo_oo]

Yes, they are.

[Whaaaat is with this guy?]

... Do you have a concussion or something?

[woo_oo]

That's true... but maybe someday, we can visit each other's worlds!