Let The Games Begin

[magicademymods]

February Event and Intro Log Orientation Week/Magic Mayhem The campus of Diatu Magicademy stretches out before you, confused and chaotic and surging with energy. Where are you headed? To your dorm or suite, to get settled? Maybe you need some food now? Wherever you head off to as your first stop, you have to deal with the snow. Helpful or proud students are passing out various magical remedies to get you where you need to be -- umbrellas with a nasty tendency to dump snow directly onto other people nearby, an iron tube that projects fire but appears to have no off switch, snowshoes that keep you slightly too high off the snow and thus provide no friction for stopping... Familiar Follies Familiars do not harass or harm each other as a rule -- but that doesn't mean they have no pecking order, and the week of Orientation finds them all jockeying for status and position as suits them. This can take the form of pranks, displays, competitions, or simple physical assertiveness towards each other. The goal is simply to be seen as superior by the student body. New wizards especially may find themselves surprised at this behavior of their familiars... 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 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.) Furthermore, they request to perform a few spells on you for testing purposes. It is, quite regrettably, possible that if you consent to this testing, you will come away with a temporary side effect -- a slight change of hair color, traveling two steps for every one you take, one hand moving about a second behind the arm it should be attached to, or being ridden by a penguin. No need to worry, these changes won't last more than a day! Wonders Await Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

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The Great Jecht | FFX

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Magic Mayhem

[So here's Diatu's first introduction to Jecht. It's cold, snowing, icy, and miserable -- and here's this guy, snow melting on his skin because he's not wearing a shirt, bare feet buried in the snow -- and he doesn't even seem to notice!]

[Instead, Jecht's looking around the gathering with a sort of expression that tries to be impassive and just manages to be a little sullen. Ain't any pretending he's out of his element. Kids here go as young as a third his age... probably aren't dead, probably exist, a lot of things he isn't so good at. Pretty easy to mistake that look he's sporting for irritation at the cold and his own outfit though, right?]

Coming to new worlds I don't belong in's starting to get old.

Familiar Follies

Hey! Hey! You gonna take that from him?!

[Jecht's scolding a large owl, who is crouched behind his legs while another familiar darts left and right like for position, trying to get around and bully the owl some more. Jecht can't even really move or turn, because if he does, he's exposing his own to the aggressive one. Damn it.]

Who?

Oh, don't give me that! Urggh.

Familiar Follies

[darkenedmoon]

[Said other familiar is a snake, four feet long if it's an inch. If it weren't being such a pain in the rump to someone else's familiar, it might even be considered attractive. Deep-blue scales cover its head and back, shading to creamy white at its underbelly, its snout a light peach color. Oildrop eyes stare at the owl that cowers behind the large man...

Unfortunately, it is being a pain in the rump. On one hand, Yotsuyu might be amused if she weren't well aware of the fact that if they both weren't fairly clearly familiars, owls eat snakes. So that is why she strides gracefully up to the blue racer, snatches it up in a fist, and holds its face up near hers, hissing at it just as much as it's hissing at her. Its tail vibrates, setting up a buzzing racket.]

Just what do you think you are doing, pray tell? I did not put you up to this!

[ Yotsuyu gives the snake a small, vicious shake, before letting out an annoyed breath and letting it crawl around her neck. They must have some sort of agreement, because it does not immediately attempt to strangle her, even after somewhat rough treatment...]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht lets out a low groan, running one hand down his face.] Hey, don't be too rough on him. He got offered way too easy a target.

[Reaching down, Jecht scoops up his own familiar -- by the head, making the owl fluff up in surprise.] Come, on, look at that! You're twenty times that snake's size! What's with the coward act?!

[darkenedmoon]

You think so? [Canting yellow eyes down at the serpent who even now regards the fluffed-up owl intently. It is as apologetic as she is. Which is to say, not at all.

Her lips twitch in amusement at the man's admonishment of the owl.]

You need not be so harsh, I suppose. Perhaps he is unused to prospective dinner fighting back?

[At her words, the snake snaps its head up at her, vibrating out that buzzing noise again, and Yotsuyu arches an elegant black brow.]

Don't be foolish. Owls eat snakes. Not the other way around. Were you not my familiar, yes, I do think even you might be in danger. You have come to no harm thus far, have you not?

[Not even from her and her neck-shake.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Just my luck I get the real wimp of familiars.

[Sighing, Jecht sticks his other arm under his familiar so the owl can get a perch. The bird transfers over with nary a peep of complaint, and even a gentle grip of his talons on Jecht's skin.]

And you got a brave one, huh? Ain't really sure he would've lost if these guys actually fought.

[darkenedmoon]

If bravery is not learned through trials, it is foolishness. I am not certain which he is displaying. [Though clearly, HER familiar thinks he's plenty brave, and the snake almost glares at her for insinuating he's not.]

I am not so certain your familiar is a 'wimp', but cautious. It shows at least a modicum of intelligence.

[Yotsuyu narrows her eyes and glances at the rather annoyed snake, before tilting her head at the large man's familiar.] As they say, fools rush in. You might have won, perhaps, but unscathed? I think not.

Be wiser next time. I am not the best at tending another's hurts, which includes yours. [Though her tone softens a bit, which insinuates that she'd at least try with her familiar.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Okay, this woman likes her big words, Jecht shuts his eyes and then opens them again, trying to get his bearings back. Yikes.]

Hey. Sometimes you gotta put on a show, otherwise everyone thinks you can be bullied. That ain't intelligence. Better to at least show you'll fight back!

[darkenedmoon]

[That earns Jecht an arched brow as Yotsuyu turns her attention back to him.]

And what happens when your bluff is called, and your enemy is stronger than you? What then? Is it better to fall back on bluster and bravado and risk everything?

[ Because Yotsuyu had done precisely that, once. Took a gamble, risked it all, and ended up swept out to sea and worse. In its way, that gamble was why she was here now. If this was an attempt to impress her--it did not. But she wasn't certain.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Jecht starts to fold his arms, but has to pause since his owl has to clamber up to his shoulder.]

Heh, yeah, and here's why. You want that stronger guy to know they'll get hurt if they challenge ya. If they don't think messing with ya will cost them, they got no reason not to do it. But if they think they'll take some bad hits even if they're sure to win, they're gonna think twice.

[The end of this pronouncement loses some effect as Jecht finds himself leaning away from a big fluff of feathers right next to his head.]

[darkenedmoon]

I do not think I can agree--though I suppose that is a mere difference of opinion. That, and you are certainly more daunting than I shall ever be, eh?

[A smile curves Yotsuyu's lips, though it's more amused than any attempt at flirtation. There is a part of her that regrets that she has no brute here, but she isn't about to attempt to enlist one, either. That is past, and there are certain mistakes that should not be repeated.

At least she's not laughing at the owl fluff in Jecht's face?]

So, does your familiar have a name, then?

Magic Mayhem

[talkyourwayout]

[Louie pulls his hood up as he walks by Jecht, but that doesn't stop him form overhearing the comment - and he groans his sympathies - he hasn't been brought to a new world before, not like this... But he assumes that even back home, it was only a matter of time.]

It's an adventure. [That last word is just packed to the brim with sarcasm.

A beat.]

Aren't you cold?

what the hell dreamwidth

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Adventures are quests across the world, gatherin' up power to defeat the ultimate evil! This is school!

[And Jecht sure doesn't seem the school type, does he? He runs a hand back through his hair with a sigh.]

What's to be cold about? It's just snow.

[talkyourwayout]

They're both pains. And where I'm from, anything where you're forced to do something you don't want to do? They tell you it's an adventure.

[Louie rolls his eyes.]

Also, snow is cold. That's kind of the thing with snow.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Naw. You want cold, you dive into a mountain pool that's about this close from being snow! Down here, it's just on your feet -- [He kicks at the snow around his feet, sending a spray scattering.] But when it's all around ya, then it's cold!

[talkyourwayout]

[It definitely sounds like Jecht is speaking from experience there.]

Why. Why would you ever do that.

[He sighs and rolls his eyes.]

Anyway, maybe that's colder, but this is still cold enough.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

It's training! Toughens you up! [Jecht whacks a fist against his scarred and tattooed chest. He looks toughened up, at least.] Once you go through enough, ya stop noticing the cold. Besides, shirts suck!

[talkyourwayout]

Respectfully disagree, and being toughened up is overrated, but to each their own, I guess.

[He shrugs, and there's a hint of a smile on his face.]

I'm Louie, by the way.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

If you were toughened up, you wouldn't be cold. Still overrated?

'Course maybe if you were wearing pants, you'd be warm too, but hey, guess those are overrated too, huh?

[Grinning, Jecht sticks out a fist. Bump, duck bro.] Name's Jecht. Unless you're a blitz fan, then it's The Great Jecht.

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah, it is still overrated, because it sounds like to not be cold now, I would have had to be really, really cold in some lake.

[Whether or not pants are overrated apparently requires a little more thought on Louie's part. Eventually, though, he nods, deciding:] Pants are overrated, too, yes. [He bumps his fist against Jecht's.]

So, what's blitz?

magic mayhem

[spellswords]

[She's cold just looking at him. Alisaie has her arms wrapped around herself and is trudging through the snow trying to get inside. She isn't sure where inside quite yet but as long as it's warm she doesn't care. Given this is suppose to be a school she wonders if he's a teacher or something. He's way too old to be a student.

His out loud musings catch her attention so she gives a pause.]

Do you mean to say 'tis not the first time you've been spirited away? [She can't even fathom it.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

It's kinda complicated. [Jecht waves a hand, not sure the girl wants him to dump a whole bunch of explanations about dreams and fayth and Sin and all that right on her head. Especially since she's looking like someone kicked a puppy.] Hey, you're lookin' pretty miserable. You want a hand?

[spellswords]

[It sounds like it would make an interesting story, at least, but she doesn't press for details given the situation right now. She's miserable for a lot of reasons at the moment but the cold is at the forefront of it. And the only one she can feasible find a solution to.]

No, I am fine. I simply wish to be inside. [He doesn't even look cold...] You wouldn't happen to know where I am suppose to go, do you? [Are they suppose to be somewhere specific now that they've all been dumped here? She doesn't know. If they gave instructions before this she hadn't been listening.]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

That's the help I was offerin' ya! [Jecht rolls his eyes, even if he can't keep from grinning a little.] The way you're huddled up you're gonna turn into an ice cube before you get halfway there. Not that I know where your 'there' is. You after food or tryin' to get to your room or what?

[spellswords]

[Good question. She isn't even sure but when he brings up food she thinks of warm hot chocolate. Nothing could sound more appealing.]

I would not mind something warm to drink so perhaps food.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Awright, we're headed that way! [Jecht points out the way! Then heads that way with long strides, setting the pace. C'mon, girl! Huddling over and slouching ain't gonna get you there!]