Mod Account for Diatu Magicademy ([personal profile] magicademymods) wrote in [community profile] diatuooc2019-01-16 09:53 am
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Test Drive #1


Test Drive #1




The Airship There

By carriage or coach, spellwagon or ship, perhaps even on the wings of magic, the Sundered heed the call to gather at the Tenzin High Dock of Vulbaria. On this, the appointed day, a great passenger airship sits in the dock, the seals of the six Houses fluttering from flagpoles along her length and her wooden planks atremble as if it is eager to be off. At last, the gangplank descends, and the Hand of Diatu opens her doors to the Sundered so they can take their first step on the path towards protection and salvation.

Inside, you may choose from long comfortable couches, broad circular tables surrounded by straight-backed, cushioned chairs, or viewing seats at the glass front of the ship. Sundered who need special accommodations are quickly provided for, ensuring everyone travels in comfort. Trays drift through the air periodically, offering snacks and drinks to the passengers.

This may be the first chance you've had to truly relax since being swept to this strange world. Certainly it is the first chance you've had to meet your fellow Sundered. As the airship lifts gracefully off from the High Dock, your journey to Diatu begins. Excited? Nervous? Simply angry? Or perhaps searching among the crowd here for a familiar face or some sign of hope?

Rain, Rain...

Welcome to Diatu Magicademy. It's raining.

Seriously raining. One of those downpours that feels like a curtain has dropped on you, that soaks to the bone within a second of stepping into it. Obviously, this won't do, and a civic-minded cluster of Purifeul students has taken it upon themselves to solve this problem. No sooner do you step through the gates then you practically run into a giant and complex runic diagram being drawn out with long staffs by several students, all of them speaking seeming nonsense about derivatives, limits, and equations. Magic! In action right before your eyes!

And yet, just as their mathemagics wind towards the center of the diagram and they all make their final stroke -- one student slashes his line off on a weird tangent, speaking an equation that sounds nothing at all like what his fellows utter. The spell completes... weirdly, as the students look in horror at each other. The temperature abruptly drops seventy degrees, and a cold wind begins to blow.

Welcome to Diatu Magicademy. Please get out of the blizzard before you freeze.

Thaumaturgy 101

After some fifteen minutes of grumbling from Professor Loshakle, followed by half an hour of theory and basics, the grouchy old man finally gets to drawing a magical symbol on the board. "This is straight out of Fundamental Principles of Wizarding," he says, writing Sense Magic next to the symbol. "As is everything you'll learn here. I'll emphasize yet again, you MUST know the name of the spell and the proper gestures. You can't simply wave your wand in any old pattern and say any old words. That isn't how it works," he says, glaring around the class as if daring someone to question him.

But he gives no one the opportunity, instead producing a wand and making the gesture to trace the symbol he'd drawn in midair. "Sense Magic," he intones, and the air and his wand both shimmer.

"Now. You all try." Just like that. What the Professor doesn't mention is that this spell can produce some very interesting results if the symbol is off, or the timing...

Bala-inlota Practice

Bala-inlota is the main interaction the Magicademies have with each other -- the sport of wizards! Two teams take the field, with the goal of heaving a ball through their opponent's hoop. The rules primarily revolve around not inflicting lethal injury, because bala-inlota is a free-for-all at best, where each team relies on both physical and magical might to win the day.

You kind of wish someone had told you this BEFORE you got hauled onto the field so the coach could see if you've got what it takes.

Now half a dozen players are charging down the field at your ragtag group of semi-willing recruits, while another half-dozen are preparing spells that you've been absolutely assured aren't as nasty as the ones deployed in actual play. On your side: the ball, your wits, your physical ability, and maybe three classes's worth of magical education.

On the upside, magic is pretty good at healing.
blue_ice: (brooding)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-23 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
Well, that was a loaded question. Kaiba folded his fingers together, considering just what he could say to the pharaoh. Believe it or not, he didn't want to hurt him. Just from what little he'd inadvertently revealed, he knew his rival had to be reeling from it all.

"He's an excellent duelist," Kaiba began, because that was clearly the most important quality about any person. "We've reached an understanding of sorts after all this time. He still has his friends...and I may take him on as a business partner soon, if I can save myself from this nightmare. He has a clear passion and creativity when it comes to gaming."

Thinking about a future at least gives him hope that this magical nonsense will end soon. But on the other hand...he's not all that eager to leave Atem, now that he's finally found him again. Isn't this what he was looking for?

But that then raised another awkward question. Back then, he'd always called the pharaoh 'Yugi', refusing to acknowledge them as separate people. It seemed especially cruel to call him that when they both knew Yugi wasn't present, but...what else to call him? It was dangerous to tell him his true name, wasn't it? He'd have to work out the pharaoh's opinion on the matter.

"What name should I call you?"

[personal profile] king_of_games 2019-01-23 07:06 am (UTC)(link)
Given the apparent time difference between them it was difficult to know what Kaiba's motivations might be. He'd already revealed that he'd been looking for the pharaoh to tend to some unfinished business but that said very little about how their own connection had progressed and changed. A lot could happen in a year and a half. Still, Yami had to trust his intuition on this, Kaiba was not a bad person. Sure he might be a little prickly on the surface, but he still considered him a friend and he could always trust him to be truthful with him.

As soon as the first line is spoken, Yami instantly felt a sense of relief. The loss he'd felt when he'd realized Yugi's absence had been great, but knowing he must live on in order to exist in Kaiba's future took a large burden off of his chest. "I am well aware," He was also pleased to hear Kaiba acknowledging it. There was more to Yugi than his ability to solve the Millennium puzzle, it was time the world knew it. "It sounds as if my concerns have been entirely misplaced, and for that I am glad and I have you to thank for revealing it to me. Thank you Kaiba." That passion extended beyond just gaming, but there was little need to mince words over such a glowing assessment.

The future gives the pharaoh hope as well. No matter what faces them, his friends manage to survive it. Maybe that's more than he should know, but he will still fight as hard as he must to see it become a reality.

"I'm.... not sure," Acknowledging the peculiarity of the situation. Now was a prime opportunity to have a closely guarded secret revealed to him. One that would undoubtedly unlock the memories of his past and dispel the uncertainty in his mind, carving out a clear path for him to follow in order to fulfill his duty. Sitting back in his seat, he looked forward, and closed his eyes. Kaiba only had to wait a few moments for his answer. This too- must be some sort of test, the pharaoh surmised. Opening his eyes once more he turned his head toward Kaiba. "It's.... not much of a name, but I suppose you can call me Yami." The Japanese word for "darkness", so yes- it wasn't really a name at all but he couldn't go on parading around using Yugi's name. Turning down this chance was frustrating in itself, but in Kaiba's timeline he'd retrieved his name somehow, or so he assumed, and he'd do it again.
blue_ice: (floof)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-23 07:38 am (UTC)(link)
"And to think I almost convinced myself that I missed your dramatics," Kaiba said with a shake of his head. He tried to play it off as a joke, but there was an uncomfortable truth hidden there.

"Well then, Yami, we begin again. Maybe I'll finally be able to make sense of the nonsensical."

Or not. It was definitely going to give him a headache, either way, but he was glad for the company. It would certainly keep things at this school from getting too dull.
king_of_games: (Standard)

[personal profile] king_of_games 2019-01-23 08:31 am (UTC)(link)
"No matter how you try to justify it Kaiba, the fact remains that you were looking for me. Not the other way around." Meant for levity's sake, as evidenced by the smirk he was sporting along with it. He didn't entirely understand what Kaiba considered "dramatics" in this instance, but that was likely because he was too close to the source.

"Perhaps, and perhaps not. I am curious to see what you're able to come up with."

That much they could agree on. At least Yami wouldn't be the only one at this school from his own world. It would be quite an adjustment for him, having grown used to letting Yugi take control of his own body during any situation that didn't involve card games.
blue_ice: (defective water bottle)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-23 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"Flatter yourself if you like."

Kaiba clenched his fist. Oh yes, that was one of the things he'd resented about the pharaoh. His ability to see right past his defenses and see him for who he really was behind the mask.

He took a calming breath and studied the passing sky for a moment longer.

"They're bound to have some sort of games with all those tricks up their sleeves. I look forward to challenging you again."
Edited 2019-01-23 22:37 (UTC)
king_of_games: (Drawing a card)

[personal profile] king_of_games 2019-01-24 12:54 am (UTC)(link)
Just the familiarity of the situation was going a long way towards making him feel more at ease with these new circumstances. Not that he was planning on sharing that fact aloud but you could likely tell from the way he relaxed once more getting comfortable in his chair.

"I imagine that they must, and when the time comes I'll also look forward to the challenge." It would be a switch playing a game where the world wasn't at stake. Would it still seem as thrilling? Though with the other competitor being Seto Kaiba, he's sure it will be.
blue_ice: (spotlights)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-24 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm counting on it. It's been too long...on my end, at least."

He'd meant what he said about his newfound respect for Yugi, and he'd been glad to stand by his side in the end against Aigami, but in all honesty he was tired of dragging the world back from the brink.

"In that respect, this might not be an entire waste."
king_of_games: (Just the card I needed)

[personal profile] king_of_games 2019-01-24 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
"It has been a while from my perspective as well," After a pause,".. and maybe this time you won't find a precipice to stand on." Referring to the last duel they shared at Duelist Kingdom. Sure, Kaiba had gone to extremes in order to save his brother but the tactic had still been a little underhanded. If Yugi hadn't taken over, would we even be able to have this conversation now?

That sort of scenario could be tasking on the mind and body. Kaiba had earned a break from it, by the sound of things.

"Indeed, not." Looking past Kaiba to the window Yami got his first real look at the school. "It looks as if we've almost arrived".
blue_ice: (silhouette)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-24 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
Did he really have to bring that up? Something dangerous flashed in Kaiba's eyes. He inhaled to force himse

"If you expect me to regret it, I don't. Mokuba is everything to me. But I already thanked you once for saving us, don't make me repeat myself."

Of course, there were more times that the pharaoh had saved him...or would save him in the future. But the man's ego didn't need any more fluffing up. It might risk rivaling his own that way.

He leaned out the window. "A floating island. Let's hope this one stays up."

[personal profile] king_of_games 2019-01-24 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
Too far? Perhaps it was.

After expelling a sigh himself,"No, I wasn't expecting you to regret your actions, Kaiba.. and believe me thanking me once was enough. It's just that the next time we face each other ideally neither one of us will be distracted by outside affairs. I want a chance to really see you at your best."

I don't think there's any risk of that Kaiba.

"What a curious thing to say......" Looking discerningly at his companion for a few extended moments before looking back to the aforementioned island. "It's more isolated from the rest of the world this way. I wonder... if that's intentional."
blue_ice: (:|)

Thank you for all your help! I really appreciate it. :)

[personal profile] blue_ice 2019-01-30 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
"Wherever power's concentrated, there are countless grubbing hands reaching through that power. Some with negotiations, some with bribery, some with...more underhanded tactics. To have power is to be a target, and isolation is a necessary safeguard."

One he knows all too well, in fact.

"And secrecy is definitely a magic thing. Likely for the same reasons."

Oh, he's had more than enough of that for a lifetime. Yet here they are.