diatu | March Event and Intro Log

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March Event and Intro Log

March Event and Intro Log

Golem On The Loose

Horrible Spell Doom?

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

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!)

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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."

Edited 2019-03-14 07:24 (UTC)

"What is all this? I told you you needed give no thanks," Yotsuyu chided, but it was gentle at least, comparatively. He's heard her both arrogant and angry before, and none of that is evident now.

"Truly, though, they loaded you down, did they not? I suppose it would be rude not to share." So she accepted the plate, looking over it curiously. Her brows arched.

"It looks like something from my homeland...curious. I was aware they had dango and daifuku here, but not yakitori. You should try some; it's on a skewer, so I should hope it does not put you out too much."

And, recalling her confusion over 'hot dogs', she offered, "They are made with chicken and spring onion, it looks like. Nothing which offends, I hope."

But she's fond of yakitori, so Yotsuyu wastes no time in taking a skewer for herself and digging into it as daintily as she can.

"I had no choice. People were giving out samples, or so they said." Hendrik wasn't about to listen to her regarding food because well..chivalry. "And I happened to pass so many of them." Truly by accident, but he wasn't going to say no to food.

His eyes looked at the things Yotsuyu had indicated, of course not even hoping to recognize the names she used. But if she recognized them then they couldn't be bad. He had never seen half of these things before and wasn't sure about the customs of consuming them. If he was around his knights, they would be flat out feasting, but there Hendrik would know exactly what he was eating before he ate it.

So he sets the rest of the things down and tries the foods she had named, the first thing that he was trying was the meat on the skewer. After a bite or two, he nodded. "This is good. I will make sure to get more of it."

Yotsuyu noted his confusion, though she didn't laugh at him. "Dango and daifuku are desserts, anyway. Sweets. I am sure you'd rather have real food, first." In truth, so would she, though she'd hardly pass up the daifuku with strawberries inside.

Some of the food he'd laid claim to was unfamiliar to her as well. She'd seen some Eorzean delicacies that had been imported and served when the prince of the Empire came to be entertained, but those weren't always times she'd been calm enough to sample them.

"You may have all the dango though, if you like. I am not fond of them as I almost find them too sweet." Save for when she was the childish 'Tsuyu', but dango-eating then was something she tried to put out of her memory. "I am glad you enjoy the yakitori, at least!"

After swallowing his last bite, Hendrik nodded at Yotsuyu. "I admit I cannot cook. But that might be something I shall have to try at, especially if I can recreate this yakitori." The word was slowed down, and he was more than sure it sounded wrong but he was trying. And try and try and try again he would. Now he could make 'camp food' but trying to actually cook wasn't something he'd ever really needed to do.

He brightened a little. "I wonder if the library should hold such a tome." And although he was saving the dango as she called it, for after since she'd kindly pointed out that it was a sweet, Hendrik was still thinking about cooking.

That might require someone to put out the fires he might accidentally start. And maybe the cookbooks were all magical for all he knew.

"Truthfully, that might be more forgiving--the yakitori, I mean. I could show you how to make the sauce--it can be either a marinade, or a basting sauce. Other than that, you simply cook it over charcoal until it is done through."

Yotsuyu had not done a great deal of cooking after she had been made a concubine, but she had cooked for her family and the man they'd forced her to marry, before he died.

"I imagine the libraries here hold many things," she said, chuckling slightly. "But sometimes, practical knowledge, and being shown how to do a thing, is better than merely following a recipe. I have found cooking to be so."

She probably couldn't help him with accidental fires, though, save for having a handy pail of water...

"You can show me?" This was good news, because Hendrik didn't have a clue. The castle had chefs who prepared feasts, he'd never had a reason to learn to cook other than with a stew pot or a fire pit. "I would be most grateful to become your student."

This was said with a slight bow.

"So you are saying that cooking is somehow..like training?" Ok, that sort of attitude about it he could definitely get behind.

"Well, you can be trained to cook, if that helps the way you think of it. And yes, if you like, I shall show you. I had not thought to take on students in cooking..." The thought clearly amuses her, and her lips curve in a smile at that.

"Oh, gods, don't bow to me, you hold no fealty to me!" Not that Yotsuyu scoffed at that--it was truly hard to break men like this of their molds, and she really didn't feel as if it would be a good thing to do such for Hendrik. It was just--she was uncomfortable about it all.

"I feel the best way would be to start simple, but I imagine that will have to be done in a place that is not a parade." That does make her chuckle. "Perhaps I shall hold a small class on it, if we get a break in our studies at all. I am sure you are not the only one who might like to learn."

Magic was definitely a practical application. Especially if he could learn new spells to eventually defeat Mordegon should he ever show his face. But survival was important too and survival meant practical things like eating.

Hendrik would even try to do some sort of monetary compensation or do something in return because accepting favors and not returning them was unthinkable.

But then he made a mental note not to bow to Yotsuyu because somehow he'd offended her and he wasn't sure how. It was merely a thank you, but something he would endeavor to never do again.

Maybe he should apologize, but then she chuckled as she spoke again. So he nodded. "I am more than sure that you would have people willing to learn."

And Yotsuyu would probably be prickly about accepting monetary compensation, too. But in her mind, turning over a new leaf demanded that. Just like when she went to get the Roegadyn Gosetsu his fruit from back in Namai. She was trying to think less of 'how this thing could benefit her' and just...doing such a thing. Because she wanted to, or at least wanted to do it for the recipient.

Though sometimes, she still pondered how a thing could benefit her, though now was not one of those times. She arched a brow at Hendrik, and though she nodded, she sounded more curious.

"I thought there might have been a cooking course already, as well, though I can hardly remember the class list now. If you're truly interested after I indoctrinate you, perhaps you could enroll there, if you have time in your schedule at some point. I'm very aware we all have classes we must take, after all."

To him, that sounded like Yotsuyu would start the course at least and once he got the basics mastered, well Hendrik could look into seeing if there were indeed cooking classes. If not, he'd do what he could on his own. After all, he didn't want to manipulate all of her time. They would need time to study magic and do their homework and everything else that was needed to get accomplished.

"I will endeavor to search for such a class. And if not, the library should provide a good yield of what's needed."

Hendrik hoped that was the case at any rate.

There were always other things she could aid with. Yotsuyu seemed to be doing well in her classes--mostly because she was driven and invested succeeding in them.

"I would not necessarily look here for cooking, though they may well have cookbooks in Starchime. They may decide that it is below them, these wizards, and then you may have to look in the city. But the library there is not difficult to find, either." Thank the kami for that.

"Or if it escapes you, I could always direct you. It would be no bother." Honestly, since they were in the city already, she could always try to point it out to him.

His best friend was the voracious reader and Hendrik used to love to listen to him read about history. This was probably why he was at least starting off well. But looking in other places hadn't really crossed his mind.

But as Hendrik listened, he shook his head. "I will find the library in town." He figured he'd taken up more than enough of Yotsuyu's time. As a boy, he stuck to the castle and didn't venture into the city's tunnels.

And it was a habit he needed to get out of. Sure he'd ventured out into the world but so far, Hendrik hadn't ventured much outside of the castle.

Yotsuyu certainly had enough leisure where she was from--once she'd been married off to Sashihai, at least, even if the old drunk had beaten her whenever he'd pleased. There had been times that she'd eluded him.

"As you like, but this is a celebration, so it is not as if I have a place I need to be." She didn't mind his company, but there were also times that a person needed to be alone, as well, and if that was the case here, so be it.

"If you are intent on finding it by yourself, perhaps I shall head back to the academy. I find I grow bored of all this Bala-Inlota nonsense and need some quiet to clear my head."

Though the kami and the Twelve both knew that anyone else who heard her say that would be scandalized and horrified. How could she not care? But the simple truth was that she did not.

He looked down at the food left uneaten and sighed. "If you prefer peace and quiet, perhaps it was curiosity that brought you out here in the first place?"

But the quiet did sound like a thing. There were days like this when he wished he had Obsidian here to ride on. He looked around momentarily at the crowd, and back to her having thought of his trusty and faithful companion.

"Do you have horses where you're from?" And then he wondered if somehow his horse could be sent or he could wish it or put in a request for it to the wizards some way. That would help a lot.

"Oh, indeed it was! I've another person I know who is...totally immersed in this sort of culture and wants to indulge in the game. I was attempting to understand it."

Which did not mean that she did, by any means. Nope. Still baffled her entirely, but the attempt had been made, at the very least. She could say she tried.

"We did not have many in Doma, but the tribes of Azim raised and trained them, so it was not unusual to see a Goro tribesman with one or more of them. They also had large birds that they used as mounts in Eorzea, called chocobos. We usually called them horsebirds...they were strange to us." Not that they were savage or anything, just odd.

Being a knight and wanting to keep himself in shape was important to Hendrik. He planned to see if he could figure out how to play the game eventually and maybe play sometime, though it couldn't take away from his studies or keeping an eye on the Luminary.

But her description of a horse bird made him think of Obsidian, just with wings at first.

"A giant bird, that must be fascinating."

Edited 2019-03-21 21:01 (UTC)

"Intimidating, I would say. They were taller than most males I knew, and certainly taller than I. Not that I attempted to ride any of them; they were fairly rare in Doma." But horses were also rare, there.

Really, she preferred riding in a ship--be it a seagoing vessel or an airship. Yotsuyu had always found animals unpredictable at best.

"I suppose asking if you had strange creatures on your world might be silly; you certainly would not think they were strange." She chuckled a little at that.

"Taller?" Well Obsidian was taller than him, but to find an animal intimidating might take a little bit.

Hendrik pondered Yotsuyu's next comment. "There were many strange creatures back in my world, some more foul than others." Like for example, there was that Jormun in Sniflheim or that huge spider in Octagonia. "But I do understand your point of view."

It made him think though. "I would wish only for my horse Obsidian to show up here. But then I suppose he is safer where he is."

"Quite possibly, he is. I am sure there are those who ride here, but even going into town there is quite the press of people. Though if Obsidian is your warhorse, I am certain he is trained to be quite the solid beast." In more ways than one, though Yotsuyu would not have been attempting humor, here.

"Then our worlds parallel in that way, as well." She would never want to run into a morbol, for example, or a dhole or even an Ebisu catfish. The morbol was likely the worst, though.

"Taller," Yotsuyu agreed, raising an arm to its full height above her head. "And that was just the rounceys--the destriers trained for Roegadyn were even larger."

"He is solid." There's obvious pride in that statement as well as a grin because he caught the humor. "But he is spoiled for a certain type of grass in a certain place. And even I could not hope to budge him when he grazed upon it. But I do hope to be able to race him back in his homeland, should I get the chance." After he went back with the Luminary and saved the world that is.

And after listening to Yotsuyu describe the birds that ran around and these destriers, well the knight had to admit that he was curious.

"These elements that you describe, I have to admit that I wish I could see them."

"I shall hope you make it back there to do so, someday." At the image of Hendrik attempting to coerce a large warhorse into moving, she can't help but chuckle a little bit.

She also nodded. "I do sort of wish I could see your world, as well. At least you could be there to show me around, if so. I could not do so, if you came to Hydaelyn."

For all her usual and casual arrogance, there was a bit of remorse in Yotsuyu's voice.

"You would most certainly meet Obsidian and take a ride on him. And from there you could take a tour of Heliodor castle and meet His Majesty."

Hendrik is not revealing he was (still is) the General and has won one of the highest honors, which is to receive the Shield of Heliodor. That is an honor given to the mightiest of knights to wield it. But he does have it in his room and wears a golden miniature pendant of it tucked beneath his yellow shirt. And of course all of this would have to wait until the world is saved by the Luminary, but the knight won't get into that.

But he caught her meaning and didn't speak his internal thoughts on the matter. "If your world will not have you, then you would be most welcome in mine."

Edited 2019-03-24 06:56 (UTC)

A rueful smile touched Yotsuyu's lips at that, and she ducked her head. It was such a strange feeling. It was true that Hendrik did not know everything she'd done--he had only vague intimations--but here he was, accepting her nonetheless.

"I would..like that. Very much. All of it. But with the way things ended on my world...I am not sure I could even come to yours."

Though considering they were in public, she did not want to mention the reason why. She was certain she'd told him, but there was such a flood of information they'd all been dealing with, it was an easy thing to forget.

"If you can come here, I do not believe there is a law that would prevent you from going elsewhere." He wasn't going to mention the condition or anything. But it was just Hendrik's reasoning, whether it was valid or not. Besides, stranger things had happened to him that couldn't be any more explained than what had happened in Yotsuyu's particular case.

The knight noted the smile though he wondered the cause of it. Maybe she was thinking of what his world was like, and he'd definitely rather see her on his world than on hers. It wasn't something that he wanted to think about or dwell on either. But, it gave him thought as to doing research on whether or not animals from home worlds could show up here or not.

Edited 2019-03-29 07:19 (UTC)

Bala-inlota Parade

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