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

Bullies, of course!

[king_of_egypt]

"Don't you have anything better to do with your time?" A commanding voice bellowed out, disrupting the bullies and their chosen sport. From his vantage point he could only see the backs of the older students, so he hadn't yet realized that he knew their target personally. Clearly, he wasn't intimidated by the difference in height, and his own familiar floated casually beside him. It was a little different from most since it was essentially a floating crystal that happened to know telekinesis.

'Lay off, can't you see we're busy here?' Said while tossing the other students backpack towards one of his pals.

"I said, leave him alone." When that didn't inspire the bullies to cease their shenanigans, Atem looked to his familiar and gave Capricius a slight nod. The familiar spun in midair before it lifted the goons clear off their feet, turning them upside down. "..... Relinquish the bag. Now....... "

That was when his eyes lowered and he spotted the familiar face. The sight was so surprising that he had to blink a few times just to test his eyes. Was that really..... Noa Kaiba? Atem had to remind himself to deal with the bullies first, then he would have a chance to make sense of this all after.

[noasark]

The minute that commanding voice meets his ears, Noa freezes on the spot. Stock still, unwilling to so much as turn around.

Somehow, the bullies don't catch this.

The closer Atem comes, the less possible it is to have his rather rabbit-like response of going utterly still and hoping certain things went away however. A triad of haircolours comes into his view, and the boy is left in stunned silence.

It's enough time for the 'strangers' in the crowd to sneer, drop the bag, and mutter something about their fathers hearing about this (while also demanding to be put down).

Whether they're getting put down any time soon, who knows- Noa for his part is barely able to get a word out. "Y...Yugi..." he manages, unsure of just how he should react to the other's presence.

This is far from a meeting he'd ever predicted having.

[king_of_egypt]

The sound of the bag dropping to the ground helps the pharaoh refocus. "Typical." He comments to the bullies with a shake of his head. While their ilk had no qualms in stirring up trouble they couldn't take it themselves. Their threats felt empty but even if they weren't it wouldn't have changed Atem's actions here and now. "You would think that under the circumstances you may be at least marginally humbled...."

"Capricius, leave them up there for a while longer, won't you?" He instructed his familiar, while walking over to pick up the bag.

Noa wasn't the only one that felt uncertain about precisely the same thing, however the situation was wildly different from the last time they had met. Presumably, outside of the computer Noa would be essentially helpless here, at least until he had a chance to adapt to his new surroundings. Atem knew better than to underestimate the boy that would have become Gozaburo's heir to Kaiba corp had it not been for that unfortunate accident. And yes, Noa had experienced a change of heart towards the end, but there was no telling where his mindset was at present. At least he had his own form now, so he shouldn't be looking to capture anyone else's.

"Noa..." Atem stated as if to ensure the boy that he and his deeds had not been forgotten. Then he closed the gap between himself and the aqua-haired boy extending his hand out to return the parcel to it's owner, "I believe this belongs to you.

[noasark]

On the one hand, his mindset certainly wasn't where it had been before. Back then, it had been all about impressing his father- honouring his memory even, alongside 'avenging' what was lost.

Or seemingly lost as it were.

Yet on the other Noa himself could not have answered in truth 'where' his mind was now. It was a fresh start in the most literal sense. When he died he had no more purpose to fulfill; not the one he realized to be false, nor even the one he realized to have no meaning. What use was there in pursuing KaibaCorp for his father's sake, when his father had shown his cruel hand to him as well?

All answers aside Noa numbly accepts the backpack, finding himself somehow rigid with fear. This isn't the Virtual World. This isn't a duel. Things are 'over' now but there is one thing clear in the older one's eyes and that is that the past is not forgotten.

As it shouldn't be, truly.

Carefully he takes his bag and nods, unable to both look away from Atem but also meet his eyes in any way. Quietly, he forces an answer. "...Yes. ...It is," he confirms, swallowing.

"...You didn't have to do that," he adds- a statement that could have any number of meanings, given that it comes with the same stiff, quiet voice. He won't say it was unwelcome (it wasn't), at least. "...not given..."

He finds himself unable to finish the sentence.

[king_of_egypt]

In a way there was a similarity between the misplaced pharaoh and the no-longer-digital Noa. Neither one of them had a clear direction in mind nor had they any idea how they were able to be drawn to this world. This was essentially a fresh start for them both. After having been here a few months the only thing that Atem had decided on was to be open about who he was (including when and where he was from), spend as much time with his friends as possible, and that he wanted to help the other sundered if he was able. That still left plenty up in the air.

That being said, no. The past was not forgotten, and trust was something that needed to be earned over time. Noa had done much to tarnish his reputation, so there was no telling how long it would take to dispel the phantoms of the prior transgressions.

Noting the hesitation, Atem tried to remain still and outwardly calm though there was still some tension between them.

"No, I didn't," Acknowledging it, and in a sense pointing out that he could have just left the boy to deal with the ruffians on his own. He wouldn't have, but he could have. "....." A silence stretched between them as Noa's words were measured. It wasn't really Atem's place to decide whether Noa's heart was now in the right place or not- leave that to Ma'at. So he eventually responded," That was a long time ago, Noa. At least it was for me...". Giving the first indication that it might be best to leave that all behind them.

"Were you headed to the dorms or to class?" Intending on escorting him part of the way, at least until the bullies would be sure not to follow.

[noasark]

It isn't as though he would have been in peril, naturally; he did send off that penguin for a reason (and no amount of bullies can tolerate a small army of shin-level beak pecks. No amount).

But it was an earlier reprieve, and one which for that matter makes a heavy point. The one that Atem has just acknowledged, and cemented if anything.

The tension fills the silence until the pharaoh speaks again, and though the boy's fingers curl into fists in the anxiety, he manages to keep his own level of calm.

Enough that he doesn't take too long to answer at least. "...The classrooms," he replies. "...I only recently arrived- so I wanted to familiarize myself with the rooms I'll need to visit." He wonders if he should mention the penguins he's waiting for, for a moment. Or maybe they'll just find him??

He's not sure how that 'emperor' of penguins manages anything really...