Test Drive #4

[magicademymods]

Test Drive #4



The Scary Door

The classroom door looks different today, bearing a few small but noticeable scratches on its upper corner -- and also it happens to tremble, as if with excitement, the moment anyone reaches for the knob. That gives it away. This isn't the classroom door at all!

And it isn't the bathroom door. And it isn't the door to the staircase. And it isn't the door to the hallway. But wherever you go, there's this door that really, really, really wants you to open it, and it doesn't seem to take 'no' for an answer...

Acting in Concert

One thing anyone sharing a campus with Valhudor students must accept is that every once in a while a performance just appears out of nowhere, much in the way of a tornado and with the same ability to suck in anything nearby as collateral damage. Today what looked to be an innocuous group of musicians heading back from class turned into a flash concert without warning. Not a bad thing for a music-lover, actually, and listening to their pleasant tunes only got better as more students saw the opportunity and joined in.

Right up until the drama students showed up and promptly hijacked everyone nearby into a play.

So here you are, in Fantasticked finery, trapped in a bit part in front of a growing crowd. The two ringleaders of this disaster appear to be putting on an entirely improvised performance about two warring houses, because apparently they love stage-dueling (and have had three different scenes of it so far, each of them so sexually charged the allegory is barely allegorical), while the orchestra merrily matches music to action. As for your role? 'Improvise!' they said brightly.

And like that you're up, across from a partner who clearly did not enter this voluntarily either. Better think fast... the one thing uglier than a crowd who have a performance ruined is Valhudor students who have had their mating-dance-slash-play ruined.

Definitely Not Worrying

The spring day is perfect. Bright blue sky without a cloud in sight, sunlight that pushes the perfect temperature just onto the side of 'pleasantly warm', a gentle breeze that drifts over the grass and cools what the sun warms... it's bliss, if not outright soporific, and almost everybody is outside lounging in the grass and enjoying just how wonderful it is.

Then Headmaster Birony comes tearing around the corner of a building like the hounds of hells are at her heels. "Hello, students!" Despite her bright smile, she doesn't break her stride for a second as she zooms past. "Run like hell! Chaos bees!"

And that's when the swarm of chaos bees races around the corner after her, wings filling the air with a deafening buzz.

Now the thing about chaos bees is that they resist magic of all forms, and they have their own particular magic that makes the results of their stings... highly unpredictable at best. You might have your hair turn white, or your skin turn blue. You might blow up like a gum-chewing girl in need of juicing, or feel the uncontrollable urge to form a gang, snap your fingers, and have a dance-fight to drive the Jets out of town. Whatever happens, the effect is never permanent, but maybe Headmaster Birony has the right idea.

Late Night Party

Without a curfew (and with good sound-protection spells on the Towers), students don't always go to bed like responsible adults. This party is still going strong at 3 in the morning, lit by balls of color that float in the air and full of music and dancing and just-for-fun mage dueling that is just a little more dangerous than it should be thanks to it being far easier to talk someone into a late-night mage duel when they're tipsy. As spells crack against each other and feet slide over the grass in time with the beat, everyone's having fun! Even party-poopers can find another wallflower to talk classwork with while enjoying the snacks and the drinks. What a great place to meet fellow students and socialize!

((alternate post image))

Comments

Jude Duarte | The Folk of the Air

[daughterofclay]

Late Night Party

[As a rule, Jude doesn't like parties. As a rule, she tries to avoid participating as much as possible, and in fact, the plan for tonight was to find a nice comfy chair in the corner and people-watch for a couple hours before finding somewhere else to study.

But it's not the kind of party she's used to, and she stays longer than she intends. And then someone hands her a drink, and she takes a sip, and...

And, well, somehow she ends up at a table in a side-room, running a shell game with party hats and some very, very alcoholic gummy bears. Perhaps more alcoholic than should scientifically be possible, but only nerds care about stuff like that.

The game stakes are thus: if you guess wrong, you eat the gummy bear. If you guess right, Jude does. So far, she's only had to eat one, because a) she has very quick hands and b) everyone else is far tipsier than she is.

She looks up.]

Well?

[Apparently you stepped up to be her next victim. Hopefully you've kept track of the hats' movements.]

Re: Jude Duarte | The Folk of the Air

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Who, me?" Kazuma asks unnecessarily, even though Jude's focus was directly upon him.

Having just meandered into this sideroom out of idle curiosity, the plain featured teen was barely figuring out what the commotion was, never mind the stakes of the other's game, or where the hidden gummy was.

However, if there was one thing that always went his way, it was games of chance. Luck was sometimes the only thing on his side, and this young man was the title holder of undefeated rock-paper-scissors champion, having never lost a single game in his 17 years of life.

"That one?" He casually guesses, pointing to the hat in the middle.

[daughterofclay]

Jude smiles, and lifts the hat. It's empty.

This isn't a game of chance, you see. In fact, the shell game isn't even a game -- it's a con. Jude's cheating, and the only way to win is not to play at all. (Why have no Eiather students called her on it yet? Probably because everyone enjoys an excuse to get drunk.)

The next hat she lifts is empty also. The third one was empty until half a second ago.

At least the only forfeit is the chance to eat a delicious alcoholic gummy bear. Kazuma's is bright pink, and she motions to it with the third hat.

"Claim your prize, then."

[advocateofgenderequality]

Kazuma's eyes widen for a second, the briefest sign of surprise at his loss. Then, with an accepting shrug, he pops the pink gummy into his mouth.

"Wait a minute..." His eyes squint in suspicion as he slowly chews. "These aren't normal gummy bears at all, are they!?"

[daughterofclay]

"Not at all," is the (maybe a little smug) answer. She's already in the business of setting up for another round.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine if you don't have more than a couple."

Or whatever his tolerance may be, she supposes. He does look pretty skinny.

She looks up at him, hands poised above the cups. "...want another try?"

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Hey, a little bit of booze in a candy isn't gonna get to me." He protests with a frown, as though he could hear what she was thinking upon looking him up and down. "Where I came from, I happen to be of legal drinking age, thank you very much."

Kazuma settles in determinedly, his focus on the trio of garishly colored party hats. "Bring it on, missy."

[daughterofclay]

"Legal age?" Right, that's a thing in some places. Though if he thought that would get him off the hook, he's wrong: she's scrutinizing him with even more interest now. "And what's that?"

In fact, she seems more invested in the conversation than she is in the party hats, herself -- though she's started working on them, her hands still as quick as ever. Better not get too distracted with conversation, Kazuma...

[advocateofgenderequality]

"Weeell, technically it isn't an exact age from were I just came from." Kazuma corrects himself. His eyes still watching the party hats dance.

"Basically, if you had the funds, they didn't much care about your exact age, as long as you didn't look like a 12 year old."

[daughterofclay]

"And where is it that you came from?"

It's not always easy to tell, here, who's one of the Sundered and who isn't. She wonders if she'll get better at it, eventually.

[stillnewatthis]

Unfortunately, it is not entirely feasible for me to participate in the contest under the stated parameters.

[Orisa rubs her head awkwardly, a surprisingly human gesture for such an obviously inhuman robot. True enough, she doesn't even have a mouth, let alone a way to process a gummy bear that ought to be getting her drunk.]

However, I did wish to advise you that there is an error in your performance. One of your movements causes the gummi bear to slide out from beneath its cup prior to selection. It may have been too fast for you to process, so I felt like I should alert you.

[daughterofclay]

[...a robot or armor?

The speech would indicate 'robot', but...

Anyway, there's a bunch of drunken outcry and minor commotion, and Jude sighs and shrugs, pushing away from the table. Her hands are up in a placating gesture, a gummy bear still held between the fingers of her left.]

Yes, yes, you caught me.

I guess it's my forfeit, then.

[And down the gummy bear goes. She eyes the interloper as she chews, semi-quizzical. Had it been mocking her just then...?]

[stillnewatthis]

"Caught" you?

[Orisa's eyes widen -- then her quad eyeshields swivel around and snap to a narrow regard on the girl.]

Was this action intentional?

[daughterofclay]

[That's... disquieting. She's seen her share of the uncanny, but still.

She doesn't let on that it's making her tense, though. Or rather: she's been tense this entire time, so the difference is negligible.]

Sure. Call it a party trick.

[...on second thought, she has a feeling that figure of speech might not land.]

[stillnewatthis]

Oh! I understand now!

[And now her shields flick into a new configuration, making her expression a bright ^^.]

The true challenge is to identify the trick! You cannot truly locate the candy without doing so.

[And clearly this is all legitimate, right? Orisa has not processed the notion of violating unspoken rules.]

[daughterofclay]

[This assertion earns Orisa a surprised look and then something like a startled laugh, more of an inhale really. She looks down at the party hats, partly to hide the bemused smile tugging at her mouth.]

You're right. That's the real trick.

[Her face feels warm; the potently alcoholic gummy bear is kicking in, which probably means she should stop trying to con people anyway. Jude casts another evaluating glance at the large robot (? she's still not quite sure just what this... person... is).

Oh, what the hell. It's a party, right? You're supposed to socialize.]

I'm Jude. What should I call you?

[stillnewatthis]

Hello, Jude! My name is Orisa. [Her sole hand lifts to swivel back and forth in a little wave, good mood still radiating from her.] I must commend you! Your speed of hand and manual dexterity are quite extraordinary.

[daughterofclay]

[The compliment flatters her more than she expects it to. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realizes how ridiculous this is: she, Jude Duarte -- spy, kingmaker, and all-around tough cookie -- warm and fuzzy over praise from a total stranger.

But here they are anyway. She blames the laced gummies.] Thank you.

How did you know all the hats were empty?

[springfever]

[Alright, here's the thing.

Snufkin is a pretty observant fellow. Guessing games like these are within the range of activities he would have partaken in with his friends back home, though the stakes were never so high. He hasn't been drinking much of anything even by his own physical standards, so his mind is still dynamic enough for him to feel somewhat confident in his skill. Even one loss, though, will press him harder than he's aware of.

This guy's barely even a foot tall, you see.

Yet still with the grace of a cat, Snufkin hops up to the table from the floor, dusting his paws on the old cloak draped over his shoulders. He cups his chin and looks over the hats; he'd only just barely managed to see the item hidden underneath. He thinks...]

That one, [Snufkin declares, pointing to the hat on his far right - Jude's far left.]


(How the outcome is resolved is up to you! The paws and general cat-ness are also more headcanon derived from small canon details than true canon itself, but I wanted to have a bit of fun on this TDM! I hope that's alright!)

[daughterofclay]

[Her eyes widen, briefly, when he leaps onto the surface in front of her -- though not for the reason one might expect.

Short stature, check; animal features, check; cat-like grace? Also check. To Jude, at first glance, he looks like one of the Folk. A pixie, maybe? But his ears look like they're round, not pointed like fairy ears are.

She's so caught off guard she almost forgets that she's supposed to be cheating at this game. With a slightly wan smile, she lifts the hat Snufkin pointed to: it's empty. Which, of course, doesn't make any sense, because he saw the gummy bear, didn't he..?]

Sorry.

[It's under the hat on the opposite site. Like magic, you know -- just not the real kind.

...it would be incredibly rude to ask him just what he is, so she won't. She will, however, belatedly realize that he's tiny, and, well, in her experience drink hits magical creatures just as hard as it does the mundane ones.]

These are... uh, they're rather potent, [she warns before she can think better of it, waving at the gummy bear.] You don't have to...

[springfever]

[A look of surprise crosses Snufkin's face as the hat is lifted and revealed to be empty underneath. His hands prop against his sides as he stares for a moment. Perhaps his senses aren't as sharp as he previously thought! Despite being in House Valhudor, he doesn't even for a moment suspect the use of magic to cheat.

...even if he did, though, he'd probably be more amused and impressed than cross. The only loss is a bit of tipsiness for most (a lot of it for him); minding one's own limits, this was some harmless party fun.

So when Jude gives him an opportunity to skip out on this loss, he simply laughs and takes the gummy bear from the table.] No, no, it's only fair! Though this might be my only one.

[The bear is just generally big for him, too, and he can only fit so much into his stomach.]

Would you mind if I sat here with you? I don't intend on trying to learn your secrets.

[daughterofclay]

[She can't help but be suspicious, especially because he looks like a fairy. But it's... rude to refuse, and anyway, she can take care of herself.

So she just shrugs, nonchalant as can be, and moves her glass to give him more space to sit.] Who says I have secrets?

[[OOC: Sorry about the delay! I'm in the middle of exams.]]

[springfever]

[Alas, if he's any sort of fae, he certainly doesn't have the vengeance of one. He'll sit down with his legs crossed under his shawl, and after a moment of pause as he considers just how in the hell he's gonna do this, he begins to nibble on this gummy bear.

It's a little bitter, but only a little. It's not bad!

Again, Snufkin laughs softly.] I don't mean literally, of course. How long have you been doing this? Tonight, I mean.


[[OOC: No worries! I'm about to get into them myself!]]

[daughterofclay]

I'm not sure. Half an hour?

[That one gummy bear does make things a little fuzzier than she'd prefer.]

People get bored of games eventually. [And in fact, they seem to be in a bit of a lull. She reaches out and plucks a handful of candied nuts from a nearby snack bowl.

Polite chatter has never been her particular strength, so there's an awkward beat before she asks:] Do you know anyone here?

[She sure doesn't.]

[[OOC: Good luck to us both, then! :D]]

[springfever]

[Give Snufkin like an hour and he's gonna be so fucked.

He nods.] This is true! Simple games do grow repetitive with time, though I suppose everything can lose its lustre if you're familiar enough with it.

[Way to not sound like a fae, buddy.] I wonder if those who've grown up here all their lives bat an eye at any magic anymore.

[For some reason, the question catches him off-guard. He's heard some similarly-general questions in his time here - "how are you liking it," "what house are you in," even the occasional "where are you from," but almost never does anyone inquire if he knows anyone here. He nearly responds with a murmur of those he's come to know through his classes, but that's probably not what Jude means.

He nibbles a little longer on his bear.]

...no, sadly. Hardly anyone here even looks similar to the types of people I've come to meet. [Snufkin tries to laugh even a little bit.] It seems I wasn't one of the lucky ones.

[He knows some folks recognise one another.]

Even so, everyone here appears to be some level of friendly. I'm treating this as just another place I'm visiting. I have to learn all I can here so that I have many stories to tell my friends when we all eventually go home.

[daughterofclay]

["Friendly" is not usually something the fey care much about, which may rule out him being one. Maybe.

And he seems a bit... dejected about being alone. Hmm.]

I'm alone here too. [She surprises herself by admitting it. Then again, it's true.]

Is everyone... [how to put this politely] short of stature, back in your home?