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

[plusfivedex]

"Wait, were you trying to cast a spell on your - Oh!" Kamala let out a small gasp when her gaze shifted from the wand to the man's eye. "It's really red, but I'm sure you'll be fine! Just, uh, you might want to just keep it shut for now," she said, before grinning goofily and offering her hand once again. "Here. Let me be your eyes."

[scattered_rose]

"This isn't my wand, someone put it on top of the books here. It fell when I was trying to get one down."

He's just going to stick it in a back pocket now, even though it's still putting off color.

"Red? Uh, red's fine, I'll be fine soon enough-" He's interrupted when she offers her hand all the same, and he chuckled lightly. "Uh. Sure, I guess."

[plusfivedex]

"Gotcha, but I'm pretty sure red is not normal for eyes; no offense. I mean, it's not like they're glowing yellow or anything. That would be really weird. Still, though..." She gently pulled at his hand as she began to lead him through the library. "...the nice thing about all this magic is that if it doesn't heal on its own soon? I bet a teacher or someone else who works here can help you out."

[scattered_rose]

"Right, glowing yellow. They've definitely never done that." That laugh sounded natural, right? Still, he offers her a smile. "Yeah you've got a point there. Help is never very far."

[plusfivedex]

Kamala cocked her head for a second at the awkward laugh, but... Well, it had been a pretty bad joke. "It's good, because as helpful as the magic's going to be, I feel like it's going to make a lot of messes, too. I don't have any experience with this kind of thing, though - we're turning a corner; left - how about you?"

[scattered_rose]

He went around the corner well, with her direction and his one good eye helping together. "I'm used to magic where I'm from, but not quite like this. It's more like... it just is, rather than organized schools and stuff."

[plusfivedex]

She smiled to see that, impressed. "There's magic where I'm from, too, but it's definitely not the sort of magic that 'just is.' It's mostly some of the heroes who have it, and even then, what's magic and what's a superpower is kind of a blurry line." She shrugged the shoulder that connected to her free hand... And then paused, both in speech and motion.

"Are you sick?" His hands felt... Kind of clammy.

[scattered_rose]

"Huh, that must be pretty interesting to see go around." His thoughts were broken off when she paused though, and he glanced down, correctly guessing what made her ask that. He's just gonna attempt to bring his hand back to him, thank you.

"Oh uh, no- I'm fine. Just naturally cold."

Yep. No stories being told here.

[plusfivedex]

"Naturally cold?" Kamala echoed, not letting him take that hand back just yet. "Why would you be naturally cold?"

[scattered_rose]

"Uh." He blinked, looking at her, a little conflicted. She might notice that his eye was still red- both of them, now that she could finally get a good look -and that whatever smoking damage had been around the light blasted one was less than it was before. Wow that was quick.

"...Reasons?"

[plusfivedex]

"Reasons? Yeah, that definitely explains it all," she said, laughing a little as she did, but... She was honestly so curious. Something was up here, and she wanted to find out what, 'cause she had a feeling it was a good secret. Something exciting, and-

"Wait, that's both of your eyes that are red. Come on, tell me what's going on!"

[scattered_rose]

And those red eyes are going to eyeroll before he glances back at her, giving her a helpless grin.

"It's just magic? Ordinary bits of magic from where I come from."

[plusfivedex]

Kamala noticed something in that grin, however, that caused her to make a surprised, squeaky noise. "Ordinary, huh?" Her eyes glistened as she struggled to keep her voice quiet. "But you have fangs." This probably wasn't something the man wanted to broadcast, but wow it didn't get all that much cooler than what she suspected...

A real-life vampire.

[scattered_rose]

"I... uh."

Crud.

"...Yes. Yes I do. I have fangs." He sighed. "And red eyes, and cold skin."

Which, pale as it is, is perfectly showing off a good bit of blush.

[plusfivedex]

"Because you're a vampire, right? Don't worry, don't worry, as long as you're not going to drink my blood, I'm totally cool with it!" Kamala gushed, still doing her best to stay quiet. "I mean, my first character in World of Battlecraft was a vampire! I don't really play her anymore, but this is still crazy-exciting!"

[scattered_rose]

Blush, darker.

"Yeah no don't worry, I don't go after strangers for blood unless I'm in the absolute worst way." And he doesn't drink anyone's blood here anyway, but that's beside the point.

[plusfivedex]

"This is so. Cool," Kamala breathed, grinning up at him. "I can't believe I've met Wolverine and now I've met... Hey, what's your name, anyway?"

Was she hoping for something edgy and gothic? Absolutely.

[scattered_rose]

She might be disappointed.

"Daniel, uh. Daniel Kanegem."

[plusfivedex]

"Oh," Kamala said - yup, a bit disappointed, but still, she was meeting a vampire. How down could she be about it? "Kanegem?" she repeated. "I've never heard a name like that before. It's pretty cool. I'm Kamala Khan, anyway."

[scattered_rose]

"Yeah, it's apparently a kind of rose." He half shrugged, then offered a real, if slight, smile. "Nice to meet you, Kamala."

[plusfivedex]

A kind of rose? That more or less fit the bill of what she'd been hoping for in the first place, and Kamala smiled. "Nice to meet you, too, Daniel. But... There's one thing I've always wanted to know. Do you guys really not show up in mirrors? What's the difference between drinking someone's blood just to feed, and to turn them? Is garlic really an issue? And if it is, why? How do you handle sunlight? Is that why your cape has a hood?"

That was definitely more than one question.

[scattered_rose]

That was absolutely more than one question. He scrubbed his hand through his hair, breathing out slowly through his nose.

"Maybe we should find a comfortable place to sit and chat for a while?" That wasn't the middle of a hallway. Something in the edge of his vision caught his attention and he half-turned, plucking the wand out and holding it out to her, horizontally so the glowing end didn't nail her the way it did him. "Here, you can have this. I'd probably burn the back of my retina again with it, anyway."

He snickered some. Okay, that one was a joke.

[plusfivedex]

"Okay," Kamala smiled as she took the wand from Daniel. "Yeah, I'll have to see if I can find a lost and found or something to put this in. But later! That can definitely wait, because I want to hear all about this stuff."

[scattered_rose]

A weak chuckle. "I'm sure you do."

Deciding to go back to the library, where at least some privacy could be assured if nothing else, they trooped back and found a dusky table to sit at. Once there Daniel took a moment to collect his thoughts- and try to remember that whole stream of questions -before turning back to her.

"So, vampire. Mirrors aren't really a problem if it doesn't use silver. If it doesn't, we still show up. The blood drinking mostly depends on location and if you put any of your own magic into it. And garlic's not an issue but sunlight is."

He waved a hand toward a window.

"I don't burst into ash or anything, thank god. But I do sunburn easier than most people might, and if I stay out too long in it I just straight up fall asleep." A soft snort. "So, Friendly Neighborhood Narcoleptic Vampire, basically. And I wore this cloak before I was turned actually, but it's been pretty handy afterwards so I've kept it around."

[plusfivedex]

Kamala hung off his every word once the explanations began. Sure, the answers were straightfoward, but she appreciated them all the same. She choked back a laugh when he - wittingly or not - referenced Spider-Man, but didn't get into that. Maybe another time.

"Fall asleep? I don't think I ever heard that one before," she said, instead. "But then again, I've never heard of real vampires. Just in books and movies and stuff."