April Event and Intro Log

[magicademymods]

April Event and Intro Log Plants Off The Path Green grass and radiant flower gardens bracket all the major walks on campus, and fragrant scents fill the air all around. Note the key words "major walks" there. Move off the common paths and onto 'shortcuts' or less frequented areas of the vast campus and things are quite different. Here, the plants grow just as experience with this chaotic and often dangerous school would lead you to expect. Broad-leafed stalks stretch upwards, petals unfolding to reveal long jets of fire instead of a sensible stamen. Bushes have large toothy mouths, and viciously swallow anyone who comes near (though they are still just bushes, and the victims end up on the their other side just a few scratches worse for wear). A tree grows quills instead of needles; another sprouts paper airplanes instead of leaves. An extremely aggressive pitcher-plant wanders the pathways, mugging students at knifepoint. It's a jungle out there. Bullies, Of Course Surely a Magicademy, with many students already adults and with such an emphasis on learning and control, wouldn't have those who used their magic for such petty ends as making others suffer? Uh-huh. A pack of bullies with more spell experience than wisdom has banded together to take delight in the suffering of others. They overtly pick on the small, the meek, and those with less magical skill; they torment the larger, the bold, and the powerful in secret. Worse, they are the clever sorts of bullies, who go out of their way not to get caught and not to do anything that can't be played off or explained away. Maybe you attracted their attention by looking weak enough to pick on. Or strong enough to need to be taken down a notch. Or weird enough that you were the Other and thus lesser. Or pretty/handsome enough that you needed to look less attractive so they would look more so. They are pretty good at justifying picking on anyone, really. Are they pestering you by magical tripping or property destruction? Playing keep-away with your class books? Better be careful how you respond; their fathers might hear about it. Wind At The Docks (aka The Prompt Where You Don't Get Mugged) The winds of spring bring something of a dark pastime to Anastara -- dockwatching. Aware that a sudden blast of air can rip across the island at a moment's notice, crowds gather at the docks with the air of those expecting spectacle. All too often, they are rewarded -- in the wake of a sudden wind, airships list violently, or bump into each other, or desperately pull sails and power up their flotation cores to avoid a worse collision. Curses fly through the air, and sometimes even spells. With luck, the audience might even see a pair of vessels engage in an all-out air duel, as two captains driven by pride or vengeance refuse to back down. Now, to their credit, the assembled people aren't heartless. If a ship truly looks to be in trouble, or if it's smashed to the ground or into a dock, the people of Anastara don't hesitate to help those on board to safety or ensure that they don't go down with their ship. But mostly it's watching the chaos. It IS quite a show... 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 Glyph designed to detect any influence of the magic on you. Painted on your arm, it will shine with a bright light when a Sundering effect attempts to influence you. They explain that they believe the Sundered are still subject to either the spell that brought them here or new ones, because they have detected remnants of Sundering magic in the wake of students who have mysteriously disappeared. They ask only that you report back when it lights up. Problem: when the Glyph erupts, either because of the Glyph itself or the spell it has detected... those who bear it find themselves no longer where they started. Perhaps they find themselves in a classroom late at night. Or the wrong dormitory. Or in the Great Hall in their nightshirt. Or for the utterly lowbrow amongst you, a restroom occupied by the wrong gender. Whatever the case: sorry. 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 some sort of regain this month!)

Comments

[mithrarin]

"Well, I ended up with one right at the start... But you get the idea. Some choices aren't really choices at all."

He shrugged, not minding, really. He'd been created to want to make the choices he did, but that meant he WANTED to make the choices he did. No conflict there.

[stillnewatthis]

"My database does not include information on 'fairy tales' outside of the term." Not very necessary for a combat and protector omnic, after all. Though she stepped through the door, her attention remained on Tenn. "Might I ask for further input?"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Okay, straight up, he had no idea what he was looking. All he heard was her busting into song and NOT running, and since his focus was on shoving people out of danger he didn't see the mesh forming to bump up the ship or whatever it was doing. But instinct told him she was gonna be okay, so Jecht trusted instinct and let her do her thing.

"Man, this turned out less fun than advertised..."

[treno_nobleman]

The look on his face says all. Twenty minutes? He may have to endure this for that long? A mourning glance down at his clothing doesn't improve his mood, but it does, for a brief moment, make him wish he were comfortable enough and of such a base manner as to walk around bare naked. He could have burned his clothing and been done with this when the ordeal started. But of course, he has standards.

"Because it is hideous. This color doesn't match the pattern at all and I cannot abide it." They didn't even blend it right with his boots or the leather latching, but he supposed that was the point of his humiliation. Kuja puts a hand over his eyes, the other on his hip, as if not seeing it will make it all go away. "I'll need to change my clothing. Twenty minutes or no, for all I know, this will last until the end of my days."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Hey, who cares if it means absolutely nothing! I'd still be asking for it!"

Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but not TOO much of one.

"'Course this place doesn't know blitzball at all..."

[woo_oo]

"Sure I can. In fact, I'm going to do it." Challenge accepted. "I'm going to... study outside, and play at the same time!"

[bearshermark]

Eleven stopped to give Axel a searching look, then nodded. He held up the back of his left hand, where a trident-looking tattoo branded his skin a few shades darker.

"This mark will glow when I've regained the power I lost before I came here. Then I will know that I'm ready. And.. maybe then I can help Xion, too."

[darkenedmoon]

"It does not concern me," Yotsuyu confirmed with a graceful nod. Though she arched a black brow at him, giving Kuja a startled look. "Of course you are! Should anyone be so dim-witted as to judge you by such a minor thing, they are fools and deserve to be treated as such."

It was not as if the Xaela tribesmen of the Steppe Au Ra did not have horns and tails as well, and they were treated no less because of it. At least not to her knowledge, what little of it there was. No, it did not trouble or concern her, though she was rather dissatisfied to know Kuja himself seemed to let such a minor thing bother him. There was more she might like to say, but caution and diplomacy were called for here. Yotsuyu would wait, and see what he had to say. Worse case, he would simply drop the subject, not that she knew precisely what she might do then...

[darkenedmoon]

He was not so great a threat, but I am grateful for your support, in any case!

[What an amusing way to pass the time. Yotsuyu was not entirely certain what else she might need to constrain this plant, but she did suppose she'd find out.]

I am terrible at naming things, as you know...I do not suppose you have something clever to dub my new friend?

[bearshermark]

Eleven blinked.

"Horses," he repeated. "You can ride them?" When recognition failed to register immediately, Eleven did his level best to describe them. "They're big, have long manes and four legs.. Saddles and reigns are used to ride and guide them."

[bearshermark]

His smile spread, her enthusiasm catching. "I'd appreciate that, thank you."

Eleven glanced about to regain his bearings. "The school is back there.. Hm, how about we explore that way?"

[woo_oo]

Hmmmm...

[She cups her beak in thought.]

How about something like "Raskovnik"? In Slavic folklore, it's a magical herb that's said to be able to unlock and uncover anything!

[i mean, yeah.]

[woo_oo]

"Sure thing!" Webby takes the lead, already super eager.

"What else can you tell me about your home world?"

Wind at the Docks

[hotheadwarmheart]

In truth, Lea hadn't come for the Dockwatching. He'd been informed by another student in his Forging class of a source of cheap, sometimes free materials for use in their projects; namely items and equipment pulled off the airships because they were too damaged to use for their intended purpose. True, it meant that the student would likely have to melt the metal down themselves and deal with any impurities to get it into a usable state, as well as actually haul their finds all the way back up to the school before they could even reach that step, but being short on pocket money, Lea deemed it worth the effort. Or at least, worth checking out.

Thus, when he saw a bit of a crowd gathered watching as the wind- and spells- knocked various airships back and forth, he wasn't entirely sure if this was meant to be normal or not. Figuring the easiest way to get answers would just be to ask, Lea approached one of the nearby spectators, a boy with green hair who- judging by his outfit- was also a student at the academy. "Hey," he said, "sorry to bother you, but- at the risk of asking a stupid question- what is all this?" He indicated both the airships and the gathered crowd.

[hotheadwarmheart]

[Lea gives an amused smirk.]

Or I could just call you 'Shorty'. Because seriously, you look really tiny to someone my height.

[darkenedmoon]

"I do believe that, out of you..." Yotsuyu muttered. Some things, she supposed, did not change. That or Jecht simply enjoyed feeding his ego.

"No, it has...bala-inlota. Why should they seek after the one familiar to you, when they have their own sport?" She supposed that there was always a choice, but the people of this world seemed enamored of the one they had.

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea leaned in slightly for a moment to get a better look at the making before straightening up. "Huh," he said thoughtfully. "Will it only glow for those particular powers, or would an equivalent amount of power from this place also activate it?" If the former, he might be waiting a long time. The latter might be more doable though...

[bearshermark]

Eleven turned his hand back over to inspect it himself, humming shortly.

"It activated under certain circumstances.. I.." he hesitated, looking to Axel's homework with a torn expression. He should focus, but now that he'd thought of it, he couldn't stand not asking. "..Do you know if anyone has lost their soul in your world before?"

[bearshermark]

Eleven unsheathed his sword, following her with cautious eyes on their surroundings.

"Hm, there's a red star in the sky called Erdwin's Lantern. It's named after a hero that ascended to watch over the world from the heavens." He smiled to himself. "But of course, we won't find that out here. What about yours? Is there anything you're missing or looking for?"

[unswervingcompanion]

He nodded at Yotsuyu's gratitude, unsure as to what to say. Hendrik was just trying to help her and her students get to safety. And maybe that smile she gave him was simply a part of that.

"If you do not plan on punishing the wrongdoers, then how do you propose a way to deter them from doing such an act again?"

This had him genuinely confused. If she didn't stop them now, what was to say that they wouldn't try this harmful thing or something worse in the future.

[unswervingcompanion]

"That would be quite the accomplishment if you read every book in this world." And again it brought Jasper to mind, but Hendrik mentally swiped the memory away.

"Then may I may be so bold as to ask a favor, that if you do find something on this, that you let me know where you found such information?"

The knight was definitely interested.

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik slowly advanced, hoping that the ones that were bothering Louie realized that he was fully prepared to protect his friend. After all, he'd been one of the ones to help him out that very first confusing day.

His hands gripped his two-handed sword and before he moved again, he spoke low. "I will continue to advance on them. Hopefully, they give up on their actions and you can go free."

[hotheadwarmheart]

[Lea nods, and they begin carefully searching the area. He looks up at Isa's question though.]

Hmm? Well, if you mean the whole 'crazed plants' thing specifically, then no; that's new. Weirdness in general though? Yeah that's pretty constant, for better or worse.

[areasontohope]

"If you want, I'll walk you back to..wherever you're going, then I'll go back home."

She'd be safe, he'd get his wand, all well..should be well at least.

[areasontohope]

Now he was even more confused if she wasn't sure how the thing even happened. Had someone cast a spell on her?

And he was about to ask, but she offered her hand and at first he looked at it quizzically, but then remembered that he'd seen other students shaking hands in greeting, so he took her hand after she said her name.

Still, he couldn't help but slightly bow his head. "I'm Yuki Sohma, it's nice to meet you."