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

[bearshermark]

Fantastics, Eleven thought at last. It was the only thing that made sense. The song still seems utterly foreign in its wording, but he can't deny its effectiveness.

He stretches out his marked hand and tries to channel the front he's learned as the Luminary. Calm, certain- definitely not internally frazzled and uncertain.

"It's two to one," he informs the last. "But I can take you myself." And he could, but neither did he want to seriously injure anyone. Maybe he could knock him out?

In the end it doesn't matter, as the native seems to finally realize he's outmatched and bleats as he turns tail- "My father will hear about this and then you'll be sorry!"

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

Since the other three are also basically down, Isabel makes what is definitely a rude gesture at the retreating fellow. She'd add a bellowed 'bring it', but that'd end the spell from her bracelet, and she's not entirely certain that's a good idea, yet.

So while Isabel doesn't end her song, she waves at Eleven, and then gestures to the disabled trio, with a tilt of her head and an expressive arch of her brows that definitely asks 'so now what do we do with these dorks?'

If they don't look like they actually need a trip to the infirmary, she's perfectly willing to let them go--they've suffered enough humiliation for one day, in her mind.

[bearshermark]

Eleven followed her gaze, then moved for the other three with a nod. He hefted his sword and let the tip of the blade rest against the ground in an effort to sever any thoughts of underhanded spellwork.

"You should go," he told them, gentle yet firm. They didn't need to be told twice, it seemed, as unease flashed over them and they scrambled up to scatter. Eleven watched then go with a sigh, then turned back to his newest ally.

"Thank you for your help."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

At least they had something resembling brains. Isabel folded her arms over her chest and glared at their retreating backsides, muttering a mild epithet after them beneath her breath.

But the grin she turned on her partner in crime was all cheerful, now, and Isabel lifted her hands, smiling. "Oh, no problem, it looked pretty uneven, you know? I figured if I could catch up, I could even the odds a little in your favor! It was my pleasure. I'm Isabel Knight, who are you?"

Since they hadn't really had time for introductions, before now.

[bearshermark]

Right, she had introduced herself before, but her name slipped through his mind at the time. Knight, though, he did remember.

"Eleven," he returned with a brief answering smile. He sheathed his sword and glanced about, picking his way over a puddle of sick with a wrinkled nose.

"What was that barrier you cast? It didn't seem like any Fantastics magic I've seen before."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"That's 'cause it isn't, quite. It's not just Fantastics, I mean." Isabel lifted up her hand to let Eleven see the bracelet she was wearing.

"It's got Discovery and Thaumaturgy too, but I couldn't tell you exactly how it works, right now." Someday, she planned to figure that out, but she didn't want to take it apart and break it before she could put it back together.

"So it does a lot of neat stuff, but I have to sing to make it work. Which doesn't always work if I want to be stealthy. Though I suppose maybe it'd let me whisper a song at it. I'll have to try it at some point."

At that, she just grinned at him. "So you okay, Eleven?"

[bearshermark]

Eleven peered at the bracelet on her wrist, intrigued and equally mystified. An object with three different branches of magic infused in it. Perhaps it was Forged? It was very advanced, if so.

"Oh, yes. Thank you again. I haven't learned enough magic to duel properly, let alone handle four of them."

He could have used his sword, but that required getting in close range and quite possibly inflicting far more damage than he intended with so many opponents.

"..I wonder what they wanted, though. Students don't have much money."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Yeah, and I don't even have my proper magick here to take a look at it and figure it out with Forces or Prime so...I'm screwed that way." But Isabel laughed that off with a shrug. Just the way life was, now.

"I don't know if dueling was what they wanted. It seemed like they just wanted to corner you and jump you. Beat you up. Bunch'a jerks." She balled one hand into a fist, and shook it after them, even though they were long gone.

"I wouldn't worry about it. They didn't get it. Though we probably ought to head back towards school. I don't know if they have a curfew or anything, but I don't particularly want to break that if they do. I can find trouble well enough on my own!" Yeah, she sure had shown that with how she went running after it...

[bearshermark]

Eleven nodded and turned in the direction of Diatu.

"The curfew doesn't really apply to adults, but... that standard seems to be higher, here. Anyway, I know one person is definitely looking for me by now, since I missed our usual sparring session."

A beat, then his steps shifted away from the path to the main gate.

"..Actually, he'll probably lecture me for getting into that sort of situation, so maybe we can try to avoid him."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Where I'm from, adulthood hits between 18 and 21, and I'm still off 18 by a couple months, so...I don't want to get caught out..."

Isabel paused a few steps back, blinking at the back of Eleven's head. "Wait, someone's gonna be looking for you? Who?"

She didn't wait for him to answer, but bulled on. "No, no, wait. Hear me out. I'd take the lecture, and here's why. I'll come with and back you up, because those dudes weren't gonna take 'no' for an answer. No diplomacy either, I heard you try. So we'll tell him that, and hopefully he won't be mad and take it out on you the next time you spar."

It made sense to her. Her dad didn't have a bad temper, but he was only human, too. There were times she had to defend harder if she'd upset him the night before.

[bearshermark]

He turned toward her with a puzzled look, slowly reasoning through her logic.

"I guess so," he sighed a bit. "I know he means well, but I'd rather not make him more convinced I need protecting or that I can't handle my own battles."

Which he kind of couldn't with those sort of odds, but that wasn't something he relished telling the man.

"I appreciate your support, though."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Hey, I've kind of been there myself. I have a pair of overprotective parents at home, you know?" And if they knew where she was, or even had a clue she was gone, Isabel also knew that they'd be scouring the dimensions to find her.

Isabel kind of hoped that the guy Eleven was talking about was a little less...extra, really. She waved a hand casually.

"Of course, if I was gonna defend you from complete strangers, I ought to back you up to your friends!"