diatu | Let The Games Begin

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Let The Games Begin

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

Wonders Await

Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

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[For the moment, Yotsuyu is--well, not unaware, but ignoring the child who's calling for her familiar. There is a tickle on her leg...

And a much larger snake who is, most likely, coming nose to nose with this intruder on its mistress. To most, the buzzing that ensues is just an annoying sort of noise--but it means more to the Witch of Doma. She brushes along one side of her kimono--used to seeing her own four-foot-long beast, another snake doesn't bother her, but she does decide to rescue Jorry and lift the snake in her hands.]

I imagine this is what you are looking for, youngling. [ And her familiar pokes his head out of her robes, black tongue flickering in the air. She glares down at it.] You know you are not to torment others' familiars. Especially if they are just being curious. Behave.

Huh?

[Webby lifts her head - and then sprints over, arms outstretched, happy as all get out.]

You found Jorry! Thanks so much!

[Jorry huffs a bit before slinking into Webby's open hands, not grateful for the rescue.]

I was going to tear this place apart, but now I don't have to!

No, you do not. [More bemused than anything, now, but...happy? Is this happiness? To see the child reunited with her familiar.]

You named yours? [To judge by her expression, Yotsuyu finds this a rather curious practice, but she glances at the blue racer who even now is distending her kimono sleeve. For a familiar, it's a big snake, but it seems docile enough for the moment.]

Is that a common practice, where you come from?

Sure, why not? We're going to be together for a while, and "hey you" would get confusing pretty fast. I've never had a pet before, but from what I know, it's a standard!

[Jorry coils around Webby's neck, resting her head on the shoulder.]

The full name is Jörmungandr... I named her after the legendary world serpent from Norse mythology. Jorry for short.

And I'm Webby!

A...pet. I never had one of those, either. [Probably a good thing too, truly, as only the kami knew what her loving brother might have done to the poor creature, if she had owned one. Her 'brute', Grynewhat, being a humanoid, was likely a bad candidate to be thought of as a pet, as well. The expression on her face is thoughtful, as she listens to the odd little duck girl prattle on. A strange beast tribe, perhaps, but Yotsuyu finds Webby has her charms nonetheless. Endearing.]

I do not know that mythology, but it seems fitting...even if Jorry is not bigger than this one. I suppose he needs a name, as well. Does he? You are right, I suppose, that "hey you" would get confusing quickly.

I am Yotsuyu. [Her four-foot-long blue racer has mirrored Jorry, somewhat, in that he's coiled around Yotsuyu's neck and shoulders now, appearing tranquil for the moment.] Calling him "Leviathan" does not seem right, however.

It's nice to meet you, Yotsuyu!

[Webby does have a tendency to win people over. Maybe she's gotten hidden charm magic. Or she's just that too darn cute.

However, the subject of names makes her tilt her head, curious.]

How come? It sounds pretty cool to me. What's wrong with "Leviathan"?

Because "Leviathan" is our...Jörmungandr? Or as close to it as we have, where I am from. And copying is bad, or so I have heard...

[Though Yotsuyu gives a thoughtful gaze to the snake, now. Her black brows furrow a bit, and it's a rueful smile that curves her lips at some personal irony.]

No, I think I have it. He has a namesake, back in my world, who treated me much better than I deserved, and protected me when no other would. His name is Gosetsu. He was a bit larger than life, too.

[ Better than naming him "Asahi". Yotsuyu nods in satisfaction.] So Gosetsu he shall be. Well! Thank you for helping me accomplish that!

[Webby would have consoled her, that it's not really copying - but this is a much better outcome, eh? She smiles, even claps a bit, hurray hurray!]

Nice to meet you, Gosetsu! Happy to help out!

After all, we should do our best to get along - we're school chums now!

[Webby's social skills are... a bit... behind. No one says chums, honey.]

[It makes no difference to Yotsuyu about who says 'chums' or not, though she does furrow her brow a bit in confusion. Chums. Not many would willingly be such with her. But she won't make a mockery of it.]

I am going to do my best to get along, yes. Chums or not. We cannot always make friends with everyone...but we can try, eh?

[ Even if Yotsuyu doesn't particularly want to make friends with everyone. This duck child doesn't seem so terrible, though. High praise coming from her, however.]

[Now she's so excited she's bouncing on her heels.]

I know, right? And I've never been to regular school, much less a magical one! So now I can make sooo many friends! Endless friends!

[And Webby's extreme enthusiasm startles a huff of laughter out of her, though Yotsuyu shakes her head slightly.]

School again. At my age. Certainly that was not something I had thought I'd have to attend again, having endured it as a child. But the kami have their own plans, I suppose.

There do seem to be enough of us out there to befriend, little one, would you not say?

[ She's not attempting to be patronizing, but it's fairly clear she's also not used to conversing with children...]

Yeah, and all types, too! It's almost overwhelming!

[She's not attempted to conversing with most people, so... a match made in heaven?]

Like, you! You're one of those "humans", aren't you? We don't have those in my world! So, like, WOW!

[A black brow arches.] Human? I am not aware of that term, but that may be so. Where I am from, my race is called Hyur.

We would call you a 'beast tribe', since you have the characteristics of a duck. Have you a name for yourselves? This is not intended as an insult--we have a number of beast tribes in Doma. For example, the Red and Blue Kojin--they are like turtles, and then the Lupin, who have wolfish characteristics. And the Namazu, who are catfish!

[Yotsuyu truthfully finds the latter more than a little disgusting and buffoonish, but no need to share that. And she has gotten an idea that Webby herself might find this information fascinating, so why not share it? ]

[Correct, this is super fascinating.]

Oooh, Beast Tribe, I like the sound of that... Makes me feel like I'm a real representative on my world!

[Proud hands on hips!]

We just call ourselves ducks, but I wanna call us the Duck Tribe now!

[That makes Yotsuyu laugh in earnest.] Who else is here to judge you? And who does it harm? If all your kind are as charming as you, I dare say you would make a wonderful representative.

[And she means it, which surprises her as well. What a strange new world this is...]

Webby of the proud Duck Tribe! It has a ring to it, does it not?

[What might be most amazing to those who know Yotsuyu is that there is not a hint of mockery in her words.]

[Awww, shucks. She giggles, swaying a bit, her hands behind her back at being complimented. She enjoys praise, but tends to feel humble about it.]

It really does! But I guess I can't say everyone's just like me, that's not fair... but there are a lot of wonderful people in my world!

I wish I could say the same. Then again, I was not always the kindest, either. [This may even be something of an intended warning for Webby, too, though if Yotsuyu were firmly in control of herself, she'd be rather unlikely to harm a child.]

But you are lucky, then. And it is not as if we cannot strive to be better, if we are not so good, eh?

[if it is a warning, it flies right over her head, bless her.]

That's right! There's no where to go but up! And if we have trouble with it, we can always rely on each other.

[Well, it is extremely unlikely that Yotsuyu would ever do anything to Webby, so...no great loss. Or one would hope. Yotsuyu gives her a kind smile.]

How did one so young get so wise? That is good advice--and some I think I should perhaps take. So I thank you for it.

[But something nags at her, and her brows furrow. So a truth, then. Best to make it plain.]

I have not always been such a good person. While I do not want to discontinue our budding friendship--if, for some reason, I ever do not seem myself to you--give me a wide berth, eh? I know you are brave and clever, but I would not want to see you come to harm because of me.

[That... was an odd direction for the conversation to take. She tilts her head, and her snake copies the action.]

... I can take care of myself. Besides, if you're in trouble, I want to help. If you act weird, there's probably a reason for it, and we can work together to fix it.

[She is NOT going to lose another friend, dammit.]

[This is why she normally did not lend herself to having friends. You could command those subservient to you. Friends were not. How...annoying. Ugh. Still, the child seemed wise, and so Yotsuyu had to trust in the good sense she'd shown so far.]

If you must. But use your utmost caution, do you hear me? I have enough blood on my hands already. I do not want to add to it with yours. You are undeserving of harm.

[Which might insinuate that others in Yotsuyu's experience were deserving of it. Here, that remains to be seen...]

[To anyone else, those would be HUGE WARNING FLAGS.

To aaaanyone else.]

Well, far as I know, the same goes to you, okay? This could be a fresh new start for all of us, so I'm going to think with a positive attitude!

There are those who would disagree with you--at least on the former. As for the fresh start--you have touched on precisely what I am hoping for, here.

[The thoughts of "Tsuyu" are still somewhat fresh in her mind, after all. Even if Yotsuyu felt like she didn't have much chance back in Doma, well. Here no one knew her. And there was this youngling who was practically infecting her with her positive attitude.

No bad thing, in her mind.]

I do hope you have the right of it. And I shall try to keep thinking positively, because you do have the right of it!

So I'll believe in you! And if you have trouble believing in yourself, just remember that I still will! It'll go around in a neat little circle.

[She knocks a fist to her head playfully.]

It takes a lot to un-convince me of something.

So I see. [About the un-convincing. Still, with Webby's conviction, Yotsuyu has to admit that it might be nice to have someone in her corner. Someone she hasn't terrified or manipulated to be there. Someone who is there because of...friendship?

Oh, if the Eorzeans could see her now...]

It will be nice to have someone on my side. Thank you, Webby.

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Let The Games Begin

Familiar Follies

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