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

[shiningkindness]

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shook her head, though a bit numbly as she slowly lowered her wand. "N-No, I...I'm fine," she replied softly. "A-Are you okay?"

[areasontohope]

"I'm fine, please don't worry about me." This was said in a tone that he hoped sounded convincing. Yuki was in some pain, but he'd wrestled just about that hard before. It just was something he didn't want to do every day.

He had originally planned to just go for a quick walk and didn't see the need to take his wand along. But something was going on in the school and he needed to make sure he had it on him at all times.

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy wasn't too certain as she frowned. "A-Are you sure...? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

[areasontohope]

Yuki just smiled. "I promise I'm fine." He's been through worse but isn't about to let that get mentioned.

"I'll have to make sure not to forget my wand anymore." That was his way of thanking her for reminding him that it was needed, even if all he wanted to do was take a simple walk. This place obviously wasn't even safe for that.

[shiningkindness]

Still a bit hesitant, she eventually relented with a nod. "A-All right..." She might still keep a lookout, just in case, though.

"M-Mm...it...is good to keep it on hand," she replied with a small, if slightly exasperated smile. "This school can be a bit...unpredictable at times."

She paused a moment, looking around to make sure nothing else was coming to attack them. "...Thank you for helping me."

[areasontohope]

The school being unpredictable was quite the understatement, but he wasn't going to harp on it.

"If I may ask, how long have you been here?" Yuki still didn't know what was going on with this place or how he got here, and he was trying to go gauge how long the place itself had been around.

But at her thank you, he smiled. "I'm glad you're safe."

[shiningkindness]

She returned the smile with a nod. "Thank you."

His question had her thinking a moment, though, because honestly she hadn't been keeping track of the time. "...about...two months, I think?" Though the answer surprised a bit as well. Has it already been that long?

[areasontohope]

Somehow Yuki a little surprised about the answer he just received, but then again, maybe the place had been around a little longer.

"It's been here that long?"

And then a thought occurred to him.

"I haven't introduced myself yet have I? My name is Yuki Sohma."

This is accompanied with a slight bow of his head.

[shiningkindness]

"W-Well...not exactly." She glanced a the plant life around them. "These have only started growing here recently."

At the introduction, she smiled a bit sheepishly, as though embarrassed she'd forgotten as well.

"It's nice to meet you...M-My name's Fluttershy."

[areasontohope]

Inwardly he smiled. She reminded him of Miss Honda who totally had misinterpreted what he was trying to say one day at school about not being sickened about seeing his rat form. Akito had said people would be and when Yuki asked Miss Honda about it, she said she felt fine. But that totally wasn't what he had been asking her.

He hadn't corrected Miss Honda and he wasn't about to correct this lady either.

And when she said her name, it was definitely one he had never heard at home, but this certainly wasn't home. But he smiled at hearing her name.

"It's nice to meet you."

[shiningkindness]

With another smile, she then glanced around. "W-We should...probably get going."

Just in case another pitcher plant was around.

[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.

[shiningkindness]

"O-Oh...I'd appreciate that, thank you. I was just heading back to the Eiather dorm. I hope that won't be too out of your way."

[areasontohope]

Yuki gave a small smile. "I'm headed that way anyway. I didn't realize that we're in the same..house."

This place and how strange it was to him still took some getting used to, along with using the terminology.

So he moved closer to her and waited for Fluttershy to be ready. Walking ahead of her would be rude.

[shiningkindness]

"Oh, you're an Eiather student too? So have you had a chance to get settled?"

That certainly made things easier, if only because it meant he wouldn't have to go out of his way for her.

Once she was ready, she smiled and walked with him towards the dorm.

[areasontohope]

He nodded to being an Eiather student, and it was really quiet in the Goddess' temple. So it was quickly becoming a favorite place to go.

"As settled as one gets." This was said with something of a resigned face. He still wasn't sure how one went about settling down here when they had other things to do back home.

And as they walked, Yuki looked over at Fluttershy. "How about you? Are you all settled in here?"

[shiningkindness]

She nodded in understanding. She understood how strange it could feel trying to readjust to being in a new world.

"Mm, for the most part. It hasn't been too bad, really, although there is still a lot to get used to."

[areasontohope]

A lot to get used to was an understatement, but Yuki made no comment as they reached the dorm. His mind was on getting patched up and getting his wand.

But once they got there, he nodded to her. "Thank you again for your help today."

[shiningkindness]

She shook her head a little. "I should be thanking you. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other around, but if you need anything, I'll be happy to help."

[areasontohope]

"I'm sure we will and thank you again."

Yuki slightly bowed to Fluttershy again and turned around to head back to his room.