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

[nobodys_puppet]

"But I never had a heart, so how could one be found? If a heart was something that could so easily be created, would Xemnas have had one?" At the least.

[bearshermark]

Eleven's fingers fold together. "I don't know about yours, but we have a tree, in my world- The World Tree, Yggdrasil. Her Heart is the source of all life, and having seen that, finding or creating a heart for one person seems like it would be a simple thing for Yggdrasil."

[nobodys_puppet]

"Except... I'm not technically alive..."

It's not that she was trying to poke holes, it is just that she's long since accepted what she is and what she is not.

[bearshermark]

He sighed, a touch frustrated, but no less certain.

"I have faith that when my prayers can reach Yggdrasil again, I will be able to help you."

Hey, Axel, guess what I learned today!

[nobodys_puppet]

"What are prayers?" She wasn't sure. But it sounded like it had some significance.

[bearshermark]

Quite possibly more than anything she'd ever said, this query threw Eleven the most. He stared, not entirely certain she could possibly be serious when she spoke so frankly about life- or the lack thereof.

By Yggdrasil, they were in a temple.

"..Well, prayers are.." Prayers. He frowned, glancing around, then gestured loosely to the altar on the other side of the temple.

"When you came in, you saw people kneeling before the altar with their hands clasped together, right? They're.. communing with the Gods to request some sort of divine assistance. When I pray, I ask for strength and guidance.. but everyone has their own requests to make of their God or Goddess."

[nobodys_puppet]

"Gods? Goddesses?" she asked, unsure what those terms meant. She had seen the people sitting like that, and hadn't known why. She presumed they were under orders to hold that pose to prove that they would obey or something...

eleven internally weeps

[bearshermark]

"Yes.." The word sounded very nearly pained.

"Yggdrasil is a Goddess from my world. She's a divine being with dominion over light and life. The Goddess of this temple is Raida- a goddess of benevolence. She is similar to Yggdrasil in that way, so I'm comfortable praying to Her here. But there is also Oberison Gruvfe in the Temple of the Anvil. He's a God of Forging."

That much was clear, right?

"..Basically, Gods are divine beings that represent different things. Some people pray to one God or Goddess for everything, and others pray to whomever their prayer suits best. So if you needed help with Intimation studies, you might come here to pray to Raida, but if you were having difficulty with inspiration for your Forging project, you might pray to Oberison instead. Or if you truly believed Raida's benevolence will help you in all things, you might choose to exclusively pray for Her favor."

I would say I am sorry, but I can't stop smiling long enough to do so

[nobodys_puppet]

"Didn't you say that Yggdrasil was a tree?" She was so very very confused. She understood that when someone had dominion over you... that was kind of like Xemnas and Saïx. Right? But what was a divine being?

No. that much was not clear, Eleven. Not at all. You're talking to a brainwashed one year old.

"So... you ask a tree who has power over you for guidance? Like... missions?"

She didn't think she wanted help from this Yggdrasil if she was like Saïx....

rude!!

[bearshermark]

"Yes, Yggdrasil is a tree, but as She is the source of all life in our world, She is also a Goddess. Her will is known only through a few people with which She communicates. That generally holds true here, I think. They're called priests, and they're in charge of the temples."

Eleven tapped his fingers on the desk. "In terms of guidance.. it's more general, I think. I ask Her to guide me to the correct path when I'm not sure of the correct choice, to lend me enough strength to make it through whatever trials lie ahead, and to protect my friends, if I'm worried for them."

And not ginger.

[nobodys_puppet]

A tree communicating...? Well, she had seen weirder things, she supposed. Though that the moment she couldn't quite think of what. But she had to have, right? Maybe?

"A tree.. can tell you,... what the right choice is?"

That was something Xion had struggled with. Riku had been on her case to make the right choice... but had never been able to explain how someone knew what the right choice was. But a Saïx tree seemed like a weird answer to her. "Protect them from the rain?" What else could a tree protect someone from?

She was so very VERY confused.

[bearshermark]

He would have laughed if he didn't know she was serious. Still, the amusement curled his lips.

"It's more of a feeling. She grants visions to those that have Her favor, but sometimes Her will is less clear. But Yggdrasil is Light, so She can offer protection from darkness. A lot of the monsters in my world are born from dark magics, so Her blessings can shield them from harm."

[nobodys_puppet]

"Light....?"

None of this made sense to her. She lifted a gloved hand to her head over her hood. She would have sat if she could spare the brain power to look for a seat.

"I'm not understanding..." she admitted. Because when she admitted that to Axel, she often got answers, and when she admitted it to Saïx, she usually got shoved aside, and so far he hadn't shoved her aside, so... maybe he could make this make sense?

[bearshermark]

Eleven raked a hand through his hair and breathed a sigh. Looking her over, he wondered how else he could describe faith. It had come so naturally to him as a child that it seemed nearly foreign that it should even need to be explained.

He stood and circled around the desk to stand beside Xion, then slowly reached for her hand.

"Close your eyes," he requested. "And think of light. Warm and radiant- like sunlight on a spring day."

His own eyes fell closed without thought.

"Tree branches stretch to the sky, leaves green with life and blowing gently in a pleasant breeze. Soft, golden light shines from within- the source of Life itself."

Eleven took a moment to clear his throat as his voice threatened to waver.

"A new leaf blooms every time another falls in an endless, eternal cycle. ..And that is Yggdrasil."

[nobodys_puppet]

She let him take her hand, though she did tense, expecting a blow. She hesitated a moment, then tried to do as he said. She could imagine warm light, like she was on the beach. But then he mentioned trees, and she had to try and change the mental image. Which tripped her up mentally and by the time she had realigned her mental image, he was talking about falling leaves and... yeah... she was still confused.

But she still obediently had her eyes closed, head tilted slightly upwards. It wasn't quite trust... but it was... something.

"I... still don't understand," she admitted, half sure she was about to be struck or worse for her ignorance.

[bearshermark]

He held the image in mind for one lingering moment before Eleven opened his eyes and let it go. Yggdrasil didn't exist in that state anymore, no matter how his heart wished for it.

He lowered their hands and offered a gentle, reassuring squeeze as hers seemed to tense.

"Hm.. I guess it's hard to describe something if you've never seen it, but that's what I think of when I pray. Yggdrasil is Light and Life, so when I feel lost or weak, I'll ask Her to guide or strengthen me with either of those things. ...Does that make sense? Or if it doesn't, what part are you having trouble with?"

[nobodys_puppet]

What part was she having trouble with? All of it.

"But... how does a tree guide you? How does any of that help you know what the right choice is....?"

Just to start with her questions....

[bearshermark]

Eleven huffed an amused sound.

"I think you're stuck on the fact that She's a tree, but She's not an ordinary tree. She floats in the sky and communicates Her will through visions.

When I ask for Her to guide me to the correct choice, it's.. more often a feeling. She'll give me signs if She wants me to tread a particular path, or help to broaden my understanding of the choices that lay ahead and the consequences they might have."

[nobodys_puppet]

And for just a moment, as if he were Axel or Roxas, she actually said sourly "I think I'm stuck on the fact that you're not making any sense."

Her hands flew to her mouth as soon as she realized she probably should not have said that.

[bearshermark]

Eleven stepped back, surprised, then glanced off and massaged the side of his neck with a frown.

"..Sorry," he said finally. "I don't know how to explain it any better. I wish I could show you."

[nobodys_puppet]

"I'm sorry. I should not have said that." She turned towards the door. "I'll go. I'm sorry I bothered you."

She should have known better. She should have.

[bearshermark]

"You don't have to- you aren't bothering me. Maybe Yggdrasil wasn't a good example. ..Are there any gods in your world?"

[nobodys_puppet]

"I'm still...." she stopped herself.

She still wasn't sure she understood what gods were. But if she said that, she would just make things worse. She walked for the exit, and if he doesn't stop her... she will leave.

[bearshermark]

He watched her go, wishing for magic words that could impart sudden clarity and understanding.

After a moment, he called out after her. "Maybe ask a priest, if you want to. ..They might be able to explain it better."

[nobodys_puppet]

Yeah, no. It had been hard enough asking him. As soon as she was outside, she broke into a run, wishing she could just RTD.

She messed up. She knew she had. She just had no clue how bad things might get because of it...