Test Drive #2

[magicademymods]

Test Drive #2



That Wand Is a Wonder!

You pulled down a book from a tall shelf in the Library of Starchime and promptly got hit in the head by a wand that was resting atop it. It looks innocuous, a cylinder of wood, but as soon as you pick it up, light streams out of the end. The barest motion is enough to make fantastic colors, and with a gesture you send light streaming across the library!

Light is all it does, right? Right?

Pranks for the Memories

Diatu Magicademy is a school -- one with different social groups, different Houses, different classes, different levels of experience... in short, pranks are inevitable. The latest one to make the rounds is the Sticky Glyph: step on a certain mathematical rune and the next person you touch sticks to you like glue. Casually brush against them, shake their hand, bump backwards into them -- however you did it, you have a new friend now, like it or not. The glyph wears off in about an hour -- do you wait it out, ask for help, or try to undo it yourself?

The Dueling Club

One of the more popular magical clubs, the Dueling Club is precisely as it sounds: wizards crossing spells, each trying to be the one to 'defeat' their opponent. How to do that varies by the sort of duel -- knocking your opponent off a platform, or getting them wet, or just good old rendering them unable to keep dueling. Less experienced students, like you, get the "water duel" treatment. Use your spells to get your opponent off of their stool in a small pool of water before they do the same to you! Losing means soggy shoes and a laugh at your expense; winning means pride, respect, and a chance for advancement into the club's informal ranks.

Chimera!

Transporting chimera is highly illegal without proper permits -- which is precisely why smugglers do it, and precisely why smugglers are valiantly struggling to extinguish their airship, while the beast responsible ambles down the gangplank and people flee like crazy. A small chimera, its shoulders are about shoulder height to a man. The goat head jabs at the cargo and building it passes, the lion head maintains a watchful forward guard, and the dragon head has taken the "burn it all, burn it all!" approach to greeting its new circumstances.

This is your chance to be a hero, and save the city of Anastara from certain doom at this beast's claws, heads, horns, and fiery breath. Or your chance to run like heck and hope it doesn't notice you.

Comments

[valkyriefoodie]

Skuld scooped the girl into her arms and flapped her large wings. The sightless girl might not have been able to see the ground growing more distant beneath their feet but doubtless she could feel the weightless feeling like she were being carried on angel's wings.

"It's a chimera," Skuld spoke as she looked over her shoulder at the creature. "I've never seen one come into a town before... some one must have brought it!"

Gritting her teeth she silently wondered if the person behind this chaos was the same one who was releasing monsters in Midgard at home. If only she knew who that was!

"I'll put you down some where safe. You are attending school here aren't you? The courtyard is probably the best place to land."

[unswervingcompanion]

That wasn't anything like what he was expecting. Sure he expected Jasper's retort but it wasn't half as bad as he thought it would be. And why was Jasper bringing up the past? But a few more swipes of the great sword and Hendrik realized that he was getting nowhere. As thickheaded as he could be, he also knew his former friend was right, he had relied on him in the past, there was no denying that, and he wouldn't even try.

He didn't want this thing to take him or Jasper down though Hendrik knew Jasper could damn well hold his own, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind of the other's capabilities.

"I don't want it to harm anyone or wreck any more havoc than it already has. So I'll ask you again, where?"

He was fighting this thing head on trying to contain it, and that was where his focus was since this ordeal started.

Always. Typing with a touchscreen is hard. X3

[hotheadwarmheart]

Well that was an unexpected question. Lea just stared at Xion in surprise for a moment before realization hit. "Oh! Yeah, cake is definitely a real thing," he said. "I'll have to see if I can find a bakery in town so I can show you."

"Cake and ice cream actually go really well together," he added. "And there are even places that make cakes out of ice cream. But I think we'll try and keep things simple for now." Nothing else was going to be simple; the least he could do was keep ice cream that way.

YEP

[nobodys_puppet]

She nodded, considering that as they started up the steps. "When I was looking for this place... Somebody found me." Well... lots of Somebodies... "And I said I would leave, she tried to say I didn't have to but... she had already told me that she couldn't forget me if she wanted to, so I was trying to avoid her especially. So I told her the truth, that place wasn't right. She asked for what and..."

She looked down at the ice cream bars she was carrying. "I didn't know what to say. So... I said the icing on the cake. Then she asked if I wanted cake..." she looked up at him a little hopelessly.

[idontgetpaid]

"...wait, for real?"

He hadn't actually been serious. He had noticed the other guy's pronounced fangs earlier, and coupled with his sun avoidance, the quip had slipped out all too easily.

Re: YEP

[hotheadwarmheart]

"Yeah, I can see how that might get confusing," Lea said. "But yeah cake is generally pretty tasty too, so if she offers again, you may want to take her up on it."

"Though as to her forgetting you," he said, "I don't know if the effect that blocked off our memories of you once you were gone would even reach here, assuming it would go back into effect when they eventually find a way to send us home. Merlin or Master Yen Sid might know, but they're not here. And that kind of magic's way over my head."

[hotheadwarmheart]

Only when the people can't just walk away. And we can.

[As proven by the fact that they're actually doing it.

Lea waited through the long moment of silence. He'd been just about to say that the other young man didn't have to come if he didn't want to when the other finally turned to face the opposite direction and spoke up.]

Great; follow me then.

[He headed for the exit, making sure to keep close to both the wall and his companion so that they wouldn't inadvertently get separated.]

My name's Lea, by the way. What's yours?

[nobodys_puppet]

"I didn't know it had worked... so I was looking for someone who could do that spell here, or a way to do it myself," she said softly. "To try again."

[bearshermark]

Even when they were enemies, something about the sight of the man standing alone against a massive beast still unnerved him.

Eleven unsheathed his sword and crept steadily nearer to his protector.

"I hope you have a plan for this."

[blindedbyruin]

[Oh, that's thoughtful and appreciated, because it's not the easiest thing to follow his footsteps in a room with so many people making noise.]

Canale Dellacqua. [Hang on, someone in a duel nearby just made a really bad move, and his steps falter very slightly as he both tries to ignore it and listens for any sins that they'll need to dodge anything.

Nope. Okay, moving on.] It's nice to meet you.

[scattered_rose]

Daniel hesitated further, despite the cat being well out of the bag and sunning itself on the rocks now. Eventually, he sighed.

"...Yeah. For real."

sorry this took a while

[leitstern]

No answer for a while. A little glance at the beast. A sigh at Hendrik's expense. A smile. How his old friend had passed the studying requirement to be a knight, he doesn't know.

He floats down from the wall where he's standing and, keeping his distance, because he knows not to overextend, idly waves his left hand at the space beneath the airship. Plenty of room, far fewer citizens. That served as a better stage... for a man who would get all the credit. Again.

And he lets that gesture - and the wry smile he flashes - be his answer.

As you told me, no worries!

[unswervingcompanion]

Finally a break. Hendrik had expected some comment, but that wasn't meant to be at this point. So all he could manage to find time for was the barest of nods in thanks to Jasper. And besides, the knight could barely find time to think while trying to keep this thing from hurting anyone. And that made Hendrik more determined to keep it from running loose.

So he eventually moved to the spot that was enigmatically shown to him. And luckily the beast was more than happy to follow him. Hendrik even gave a slight smile to the thing because that meant all of its attention was focused on him and not anyone else. None of this was being done out of glory or attention. No this was done purely out of duty and safekeeping of others.

After all, 'A knight's word is his bond, his kingdom his master. He serves the weak untiringly, challenges the strong unflinchingly and never retreats in the face of adversity.'

Eventually though, Hendrik had it somewhat contained and he allowed his attention to move to the other knight.

"How did you get here?" Because if anyone knew how to magically get anywhere, that would be Jasper.

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik heard the Luminary speaking and nodded. "Our plan is to defeat it and to keep others safe. So be on your guard." Hendrik had uttered these same words at the fight of the Last Bastion. But things were different now. Hendrik had taken a ball of dark energy intended for the Luminary. He was the other's sworn sword shield and companion. Hendrik didn't shirk in his duty and wasn't about to change that fact now.

Especially not after he'd given his oath.

Losing was definitely not an option.

[bearshermark]

Eleven breathed a short laugh. "I meant in terms of a battle-"

But he didn't get to finish as the chimera charged them and he was forced to throw himself away from Hendrik to avoid getting mauled. By Yggdrasil but it was no small creature.

Jumping to his feet, he swung a deep gash into one of its hindlegs, then rolled into another dodge when it turned on him.

"Hendrik, are you..!?"

[hotheadwarmheart]

Same here.

[Being slightly ahead, Lea reached the exit of the room first and pushed the door open, holding it for Canale.]

What house did they stick you in? I'm in Ka.

family emergency atm. going slow if you don't mind

[leitstern]

"Would you believe me if I said I flew?"

The snide tone Jasper uses cuts through the air. It speaks to a different image of him altogether, one that isn't willing to come into the light. A fact that's true of Jasper himself. He magically doesn't seem to be anywhere at all.

Not at all, please take your time, do what you need to!

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik leveled a gaze at Jasper after at least getting another one of the heads to stop snapping and it moved incredibly slower after a good solid hit with his great sword.

"Nothing would surprise me." After all, he'd faced Jasper in the throne room of Heliodor castle and Jasper was able to move swiftly and invisibly around the room at the time. How he did it, Hendrik had absolutely no idea.

Growling low in his throat, the attention turns back to his opponent. But as he raises his great sword, he looks back for one moment.

"There is no reason for us to be in this place. Why are we here?"

[unswervingcompanion]

Blue eyes watched the other move away quickly and that almost cost him losing the greatsword to the gaping jaws that loomed menacingly in front of him.

Hendrik parried the goat head and then spun to slash at the dragon head.

When the creature turned on the Luminary, Hendrik scowled and got its attention again with an almost missed hit to its backside. At this point he didn't have time for words because that damn thing was on him.