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

[woo_oo]

"Actually, I was thinking more about using you as a deflecting shield."

Which is why she's standing behind Sho and might wind up clinging to his leg.

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Can't unsee

Re: Research

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Ugh, I'm not trying to. [Cliff rubs a hand down his face, still grimacing. At least the scene had changed and it was his adopted uncle he was seeing now. At least he knew what to expect, there.]

I still have bruises from the one that went nuts. No, I went off to help the researchers and--ugh! If you had a sister you'd understand better! I keep seeing stuff from home. Like my twin sister and her boyfriend.

[He digs the heels of his palms into his eyes, then, and rubs. Hard. But the memories remain.]

[woo_oo]

Hey, hey, hey, she's not here.

[She has a very good guess of who 'she' is, after all. She pulls Lena in as close as possible.]

You're safe. You're free. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Just focus on me, okay?

[She tucks her head on Lena's shoulder for extra reassurance.]

It's going to be okay.

[woo_oo]

[Guess that answers that question! She yelps, but doesn't really fight it, blinking rapidly once she's seated.]

... Hi, Fluttershy!

[As if this is perfectly normal.]

[darkenedmoon]

I am not sure you would like wine, but if you are looking for other treats, I can go with you.

[Webby's one of the few folk she'd suffer the crowds for, truly.]

I am not sure I'll indulge in everything you are, but there might be a few interesting tidbits, eh?

[woo_oo]

Webby gasped in horror. "Magic crying fog! That's not good! Maybe... I can turn it into magic happy fog!"

With that, she began to fish around in her clothes for her wand.

[woo_oo]

"Got it. Good luck!"

With one salute, she darted out int the golem's line of sight as loudly as she can. "Boy, I just feel like creating such a mess today! Who wants to practice hocking loogies?" Thanks, boys, for teaching her that, Beakly will never forgive you.

She began to do rapid fire spit, dodging the golem's grabs left and right.

[woo_oo]

I didn't think you were weird.

[Considering the life she's had, this is doesn't even break the top 20 list of weirdest things she's been told.]

My name's Webby! If you ask me, no one can ever be too helpful. And I assume you're a human boy? They've got plenty of those here.

[woo_oo]

Awesome! Let's go looking!

[With that, she turns on her heel.]

I don't think I'm old enough for wine anyway. Even if Granny's not here, I think she'd sense it.

[darkenedmoon]

I am fairly sure you are not, yes. I would not want to get either of us in trouble by supplying you that. There is time enough when you are of age, I promise.

[Yotsuyu isn't the type to go into how alcohol is fairly easily abused, either. Save that for someone who has a moral high ground...]

So what have you sampled so far? Is there something you think I really ought to try?

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Yeah, I am, and yeah, this world seems to default to human, I guess. But thanks for not thinking I'm weird, my sister tells me I am all the time.

But I guess that's because she's my sister, huh? [He grins at that and rolls his eyes.]

But duck girl is right? Or do you guys have another sort of name for yourselves? I don't want to be rude!

[woo_oo]

[She looks up at her veryvery tall friend, eyes glittering.]

Have you ever had... a hot dog?

[She whispers the word, as if it's an ancient, mystical art.]

[darkenedmoon]

A...hot dog? No, no, I cannot say I have.

[She leans down, looking a little disturbed, then.]

It is not made from actual dogs, is it? I cannot say I actually want to taste canine in my life, at all.

[woo_oo]

[She shrugs a shoulder - she doesn't have blood siblings, but she does have the triplets, and that's close enough?]

Well, my full name is Webbigail Vanderquack, but I prefer Webby! Also duck girl or duckling is fine, if you wanna get technical.

CW violence.

[grim_heaper]

"You're missing something in your equation."

He reached down and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck, ripping her violently from his leg. He had no qualms about breaking a small child's arms if that was what it took, so didn't hold back the way another adult might.

"I am here to see you all erased!" and he threw her AT the bot.

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Okay, cool. Sometimes I do get technical. My little sister says I should just go apprentice to the Endless already--he's this really super smart researcher on magic on my world--but I don't think he takes elementalists, so that's right out unless whatever I learn here sticks, you know?

And I'm Rycliff Vitner, but I go by Cliff, so I hear you there.

[puzzlers]

Huh, oh!, don't apologize. It was my fault. I wasn't really paying attention and- and- and you probably don't want to go that way. Something happened in one of the classrooms and [ he shakes his head. ] we should probably turn around. Are you alright?

[perfectenn]

Research On the Sundered (Open; Just looking to thread for this one prompt!)

In light of recent golem rampages, the labs beneath Kedrigan Hall are quiet, many empty as students seek out safer refuges for their studies. But what is a curse for some is a blessing for others. A Valhudor-uniformed student sneaks around the chaos in the upper hall to descend to the lower level labs - with a sigh of relief.

Still a little woozy from the experiment and subsequent flashbacks, Tenn nonetheless pushes through to find a suitably large and acoustically favorable (and also very clean) lab. It's not a box in the Music Room. But a cubicle isn't what he wants today.

He isn’t waiting long until another vision assails him. This time he’s ready, braced against the wall and closing his eyes. Holding the image of familiar city streets in mind, Tenn begins to sing. Softly at first, getting the melody precise. Then stronger as he draws from his inner well of power and commands the music, applying Fantastics to call up illusions around him. The smoke-like mirages waver a moment, as though seen through water, before coalescing into a world of busy modern streets that fill the room: vehicles rushing by in shadows, highlights tracing the buildings, disrupted white lines of crosswalks and a haze of people walking the streets.

But it’s still just an illusion made real outside of his mind. If he could only improve the connection to his home… more magic, more willpower.

Past closed doors, his insistent singing echoes in the abandoned hallways.

[perfectenn]

That is the most positive reaction he's heard to arriving, particularly in contrast to recent kidnapping accusations. At her good cheer, Tenn’s posture finally starts to relax.

"I see. He must trust you to grant such a great responsibility." And she is welcome to go about her mission so long as she’s not collecting passersby to fill Valhalla.

"I do not know if it was an accident." Tenn lowers his voice; he can no longer be certain the Sundering spell targets are random. "But I don't recall anything out of the ordinary." Still, since she raised the topic, he asks for clarification. "If you are familiar with such portals, could you describe one?"

[blue_ice]

You're right.

[ He followed her back, still apprehensive about this discussion. But she hasn't harmed him yet, even when given the chance. ]

They dangled a tempting prospect in front of me. The chance to see what I've been missing at home.

And you could say I've seen more than I bargained for.

[blue_ice]

[ He flinched at the sound of his given name. For a moment, he heard it in that familiar voice...but then his eyes refocused, and the pink-haired girl in front of him was definitely not his brother. ]

I'll be fine.

[ He doesn't sound entirely sure, but...maybe he shouldn't just brush her off. ]

But here's some free advice: don't volunteer for the testing. Their promises are false.

[blue_ice]

I didn't say I was going to destroy it. Simply course-correct. The other ones aren't behaving so erratically.

[ Yeah, he's still huffing and puffing here, glaring at it. ]

[blue_ice]

I know. This school is ridiculous. Which means we have to be twice as cautious. But we'll work through it.

[ He gives Yugi an unmistakably fond look. Weirdness aside...this really isn't so bad. ]

Thanks. But I really hope it won't come to that.

[ It will, and far sooner than he'd like. ]

Do you still want to head back? I can use this to look ahead and ensure we won't run into anything else.

[ He holds the little mirror up proudly. The cover has a coiled dragon on it. ]

[puzzlers]

I'm not worried. [ he really wasn't. it didn't matter what sort of craziness they encountered, because yugi knew they would always come out on top. ]

I hope it doesn't either, but I just wanted you to know that I'll be there for you too. [ yugi looks down at himself and shakes his head. ] No, it's fine. I think my surprise has come and gone. [ though this is still really weird. ]

I don't think the changes are, uh, that noticeable thanks to my robes. W- Well, my voice aside. [ though his features have gotten significantly softer and his hair a bit longer. he just can't see all that, because he'd been too busy freaking out earlier. ]