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

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"No, besides, I don't have the intensive psychological training I'd probably need to dig through your pile of magazines," Isabel replies, altogether too cheerfully. She chirrups right back at Califleur, though her own familiar is sitting a few feet back, fluffy tail curled around his feet. Isabel might be sure of the oh leopard, but Chaos is not, thank you.

"Who's a sweet thing, yes you are," she croons at Califleur--Chaos just blinks as Isabel kneels to pet her. He's used to--more like resigned at--Isabel's baby talk. "You know, if he forgets to feed you, you can come get some food at my room, Chaos can share--" At that, the Maine Coon offers an angry yowl, but Isabel looks over her shoulder at him.

"I'll get extra, I'm not gonna starve you, so calm all your tits!" Offering a snort up at Kuja, now, before she gets back to her feet. "Did you ever stop to think that she is the one handling you?"

Califleur gets a wink at that. Isabel knows what's going on.

[treno_nobleman]

The look on his face shows one of boredom, edging into the irritated, if the twitching of the tip of his tail is anything to judge by. While magazines are a foreign concept to him, he won't ask what it means and risk having her talking at him longer than he absolutely must. Already it has been too long. He had wanted a relatively peaceful day after classes and look where that headed.

Though her distraction with his familiar proves beneficial, at least for a moment, and he decidedly does not rise to her bait as he turns away, tossing a hand up in a half wave that he doesn't feel to head farther down the path, where the plants look less and less friendly, less and less tame as the cobble goes on. And Califleur, having been enjoying soaking up the adoring praise, has been keeping an ear out for her master and turns her head back to look when she hears he's leaving them.

For harsher lands. Her concerned chuffs don't even slow Kuja's step - she knew they wouldn't. They hadn't before. After a glance back at Chaos and Isabel and a puff off a whurrble, she trots hurriedly after him.

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

Isabel won't actually say 'Hey, do you think that's a bad idea?' Especially since she's absolutely positive he'd blow her off anyway. He wants to get away from civilization (and, okay, her too), and won't take no for an answer. Not even from his familiar.

Which kind of blows, because he ought to know that Califleur, at least, has his best interests in mind.

So instead of calling after him, she gives Chaos an expressive look--at which the Maine Coon gives her a resigned mrrp, and they just both try to make it seem casual, as they follow along after Kuja and his leopard.

[treno_nobleman]

If it's a bad idea, he won't take the time to agree with them about it. He can see the rest of this path just as well as they can, and he can see the plants on the other side that don't look like they're about to hand out flowers that smell like roses and food that isn't poisonous. But he would rather look for a way around that doesn't put him past Isabel again. Either way he goes, it's a risk.

Beside him now, Califleur has caught up to him and is chuffing at him, looking up at him with wide eyes. She knows this path goes past that ugly looking plant that keeps growling and groaning as if it has a want for something it can't reach before it forks to more pleasant walkways or the fields beyond. But Kuja, of course, isn't heeding her warnings. He's watching the plant himself, slowing down, tail twitching as he debates his options.

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

As Kuja's steps slow, so do hers. Isabel's not about to crowd him; even though she isn't positive about that, she's pretty sure he ought to be able to take care of himself.

She'd ditch him for being a butthead, but Califleur is nervous; it's the oh leopard's nerves that have her hanging around. And Isabel, too, eyes that growling and groaning plant whose tendrils keep flailing at the air.

At least for now it seems to be rooted, but she is cautious if nothing else, keeping a wary eye on its flailing and where it meets the ground. Just in case.

[treno_nobleman]

Now he's at a stop, tail swaying his irritation behind him as he stares down the one deciding factor keeping him from going much further just yet. Califleur trots to a stop in front of him and stares up at him with a soft chuff, but Kuja ignores her. He could set the plant alight with the flame spell he knows if he can make the flame large enough. It would be easy to do, but he lacks his flight, and though he trusts his own legs, he isn't as fast on them as he is in the air.

Then it might get planty juices all over him or tear his clothing, and he would have to walk all the way back across the grounds to his dorm and risk that embarrassment all over again. Mind made, and not in the direction he wanted it to go, Kuja tilts his head back and sniffs, then turns on heel and steps around Isabel and her familiar to retrace his steps, much to Califleur's visible relief.

"You are aware you can stop following me at any time, yes?"

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

Not that he'd understand it, but at his snotty remark, Isabel raised her middle finger to Kuja's retreating backside to flip him the bird. And he acted like she annoyed him?? At least she had his best interests at heart--even if he didn't think so.

"Oh yeah, sure. I was just doing this for my health, you know." She just rolled her eyes at Califleur, then shrugged. She knew he was Califleur's master, but that didn't make him any easier to live with for her, either.

Chaos, for his part, sneezed a few times. He was of the opinion that Kuja was being foolish, and didn't care who knew it. Not that any of them seemed willing to offer that information to the man.

Then again, it was probably healthier that way.

[treno_nobleman]

If he could see, if he could recognize the gesture given to him, his irritation would have been all the greater. As it was, he continued down the path with a flippant gesture with one hand, step hastening as he went. He was growing tired of this, enough that he would rather take to his dormitory than the wilds with this woman hot on his heels. At least the men there would ignore him... for a time.

"Please, don't let me stop you." Damn the woman, damn the familiars. Califleur couldn't help herself - she was near about attached to his side, but it did him no favor. HIs mood had spoiled, and he was having none of it. "There's a whole world out there just waiting for you to walk right into it. Or after it, as the case may be."

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Riiiight." Isabel muttered that under her breath. Chaos snapped his head up to look at her, copper eyes narrowing. He knew that tone of voice out of his charge, and he did not approve. She was up to something.

"You're right," she said, raising her voice--he was walking away, after all, and she wanted to get one last zinger off. "But the world doesn't have its head so firmly wedged up its buttcheeks, and you do!"

Nailed it!

If a cat could roll his eyes, Chaos would have done that. Instead, he lifted a paw to his face. No, he wasn't washing it...he was facepawing. Isabel needed to learn more sense...

[treno_nobleman]

That does get a sharp, severe look from him. He's well acquainted with the idea of teasing, but this woman clearly knew what she was doing when she was following him, and really, he has about had it up to here with the nonsense. He has stopped vacating the area, and in fact, is looking at her quite sternly now, well aware of what that phrase means, even if the rest of the language these young hooligans has developed may bewilder him at times.

"Since I feel you need to be reminded, you came to me with no greeting, no hello, not even a note of your presence. You only started following me. Then, when I wasn't falling down at your feet with acceptance of your actions, you started singing to me in songs, part of the lyrics were, as I recall, words telling me that you would follow me until I love you."

By this time, his tail is lashing in irritation. Califleur, well versed in her master's anger, is sitting to the side, watching with wide eyes. She's not going to get in the middle of this, but she hopes Isabel can deal, and she gives a worried chuff, as if it will do any of them any good. Still, Kuja presses on, hands on his hips. "I understand it may be difficult to contain yourself in my presence, but please. Show a little decorum. You're making quite the spectacle of yourself, and I've had enough of it."