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june catch-all; quests and more
Who: Yako Katsuragi + Others (TBD)
When: ThroughoutJune Iuneril
Where: All over Aefenglom.
What: Your friendly neighborhood catch-all.
Warnings: TBD
[ I'll just be using this log for various individual top-levels and custom starters through the month and add them below as I go!. I write in prose because that's what I'm used to, but I can adjust to match. ]
1. Do it with Class
Although it's her second month here, Yako still hasn't made that much progress as far as spellcasting goes. The best progress she's made thus far is in enchantment, though for the most part, she's only practiced enchanting food and doesn't have much in the way of combat applications.
In Abjuration class, she looks a bit nervous when she's paired up with someone, giving them a sheepish look as she readies her focus.
"So, ah, do you want to practice blocking first, or should I?"
In Divination class, her fingers are covered with specks of pale yellow light, but when she shakes them off her fingers, they only drift down lazily onto the ground instead of pointing in any particular direction -- certainly not leading towards whatever hidden object they're supposed to be looking for. She sighs, shaking her head and glancing up at whoever's nearby.
"No good ... I can't get the spell to focus right. How about you? Any luck?"
It's in Transmutation class that she finds a surprising bit of luck: as she concentrates on the shattered teacup in front of her on the table, the pinpricks of light that seem to be her signature magic alighting on the ceramic, some of the pieces of shattered porcelain suddenly snap together in front of her, making her jump and lose concentration -- and it falls apart all over again. Still, she's elated.
"Did you see that?!"
Alternatively, you might catch her after classes end, holding a tray of various baked goods and a clipboard by a doorway. If you make the mistake of making eye contact or even coming too close, she'll perk up and step over.
"Excuse me, but would you mind trying one of these enchanted pastries and rating them? Um, the effects are temporary and nothing bad, I promise -- I just need to know how effective they are."
2. Lost in a Good Book
Early in the month, Yako can be easily found in Undermael College, sitting at one of the tables with a book open in front of her and some scattered notes scrawled all over in a girlishly rounded script. Some of it is information on basic spells and invocations taught in the Coven classes, but there's also a roughly doodled sketch of some kind of globe on one corner, and she seems to be intent on her work ... so much so that she's muttering under her breath.
Those close enough or possessed of keener hearing might catch something about 'leylines' or 'divination' or, more perplexingly perhaps, something about the ideal ratio of dry to wet ingredients ... but either way, as quiet as she may be trying to make it, it's a little bit disruptive.
3. Wiped Out
Closer towards the evenings, though, will see Yako straight up passed out on top of her work, pen beginning to leave a growing ink-stain on paper as she snores softly. Will you wake her up kindly and send her on her way, or be a bit more rude?
4. How Does Your Garden Grow?
In the Shopping District, Yako can be found intently browsing through a selection of ... plants? She hasn't picked up any from the shelves and planters yet, but she seems to be quite serious about looking through them -- so much so that she doesn't realize there's someone right beside her.
"Oh, sorry -- I didn't mean to get in your way. I'm having a hard time deciding what I should get for the garden."
???. Wildcard
[ None of these work for you? Want to write your own starter? Hit me up on the CR Meme, let's make something happen. ]
When: Throughout
Where: All over Aefenglom.
What: Your friendly neighborhood catch-all.
Warnings: TBD
[ I'll just be using this log for various individual top-levels and custom starters through the month and add them below as I go!. I write in prose because that's what I'm used to, but I can adjust to match. ]
1. Do it with Class
Although it's her second month here, Yako still hasn't made that much progress as far as spellcasting goes. The best progress she's made thus far is in enchantment, though for the most part, she's only practiced enchanting food and doesn't have much in the way of combat applications.
In Abjuration class, she looks a bit nervous when she's paired up with someone, giving them a sheepish look as she readies her focus.
"So, ah, do you want to practice blocking first, or should I?"
In Divination class, her fingers are covered with specks of pale yellow light, but when she shakes them off her fingers, they only drift down lazily onto the ground instead of pointing in any particular direction -- certainly not leading towards whatever hidden object they're supposed to be looking for. She sighs, shaking her head and glancing up at whoever's nearby.
"No good ... I can't get the spell to focus right. How about you? Any luck?"
It's in Transmutation class that she finds a surprising bit of luck: as she concentrates on the shattered teacup in front of her on the table, the pinpricks of light that seem to be her signature magic alighting on the ceramic, some of the pieces of shattered porcelain suddenly snap together in front of her, making her jump and lose concentration -- and it falls apart all over again. Still, she's elated.
"Did you see that?!"
Alternatively, you might catch her after classes end, holding a tray of various baked goods and a clipboard by a doorway. If you make the mistake of making eye contact or even coming too close, she'll perk up and step over.
"Excuse me, but would you mind trying one of these enchanted pastries and rating them? Um, the effects are temporary and nothing bad, I promise -- I just need to know how effective they are."
2. Lost in a Good Book
Early in the month, Yako can be easily found in Undermael College, sitting at one of the tables with a book open in front of her and some scattered notes scrawled all over in a girlishly rounded script. Some of it is information on basic spells and invocations taught in the Coven classes, but there's also a roughly doodled sketch of some kind of globe on one corner, and she seems to be intent on her work ... so much so that she's muttering under her breath.
Those close enough or possessed of keener hearing might catch something about 'leylines' or 'divination' or, more perplexingly perhaps, something about the ideal ratio of dry to wet ingredients ... but either way, as quiet as she may be trying to make it, it's a little bit disruptive.
3. Wiped Out
Closer towards the evenings, though, will see Yako straight up passed out on top of her work, pen beginning to leave a growing ink-stain on paper as she snores softly. Will you wake her up kindly and send her on her way, or be a bit more rude?
4. How Does Your Garden Grow?
In the Shopping District, Yako can be found intently browsing through a selection of ... plants? She hasn't picked up any from the shelves and planters yet, but she seems to be quite serious about looking through them -- so much so that she doesn't realize there's someone right beside her.
"Oh, sorry -- I didn't mean to get in your way. I'm having a hard time deciding what I should get for the garden."
???. Wildcard
[ None of these work for you? Want to write your own starter? Hit me up on the CR Meme, let's make something happen. ]
no subject
"I hadn't known it was possible," L confesses, after taking a particularly long time to chew a bite of the cake. He's grateful that it was possible, of course, even though he doesn't love to admit that he didn't consider a possibility, and fortunately his pride is removed enough from the persona he is embodying that it doesn't prevent him from giving credit where it's due. "It's innovative, to say the least. Have you tested whether the magic weakens as the pastry goes stale?"
He's eating slowly to make sure that it lasts as long as possible. He looks so hungry, pale and rangy, and he doesn't know when he'll be comfortable enough to enjoy his food this way again. His lacerations, by the moment, are looking much improved.
"If you bake very frequently, it might not matter, of course... but I'd still be interested to know the precise shelf life. Especially if you're taking orders."
no subject
"I never thought about taking orders, since I'm still learning ... I mostly eat what I make myself, unless one of the senior Witches, um, vets the quality first." She looks a little embarrassed to say so, but she's had some accidents before. She leans forward a little to inspect how his hands are coming along, relieved that it seems to be taking well, before it occurs to her that she hasn't actually introduced herself.
"I've seen you around the Coven, but we haven't met before, have we? I'm Yako Katsuragi."
no subject
"We're all still learning," he offers by way of attempted reassurance. She seems embarrassed, and he's unsure if it's because she is poor at accepting compliments or because he dismissed his concern prematurely and unwisely. So far, all is going well; his hands are still bony and thin, but the wounds are mending, and even his bitten-down fingernails look stronger and healthier. At her introduction, he blinks as if snapping out of a trance, noticing that she's closer than she was before leaning forward and stiffening.
"Of course... we've really been talking too long without knowing each other's names," he answers, and it almost sounds like a rebuke, though not one aimed at Yako. "My name is Linden Tailor. It's nice to meet you."
And he sticks the landing. The awkward, stilted and strangely uncomfortable landing, because while everything he's saying is correct, there's something weirdly rote and deliberate about it. It would sound more natural if he was actively reading cue cards, in a way.
"So you're... settling in well, evidently. You'd have to be, if you're staying in a place where you have access to an oven and baking supplies."
Implying, of course, that L himself doesn't have access to either of those things even if he had any interest or skill in baking.
no subject
“I moved into a house with a few other new arrivals last month,” she explains, wondering how long she can continue to call themselves that. There must be something else to use. “Before that, I was just borrowing the Coven’s kitchen. I still do, when I’m learning something new.”
She moves back a little, letting him have his space back, only to turn the question on him in turn. “What about you? How are you finding the city so far?” His general condition seems ... natural, to him. Haggard in a worrying way, physically, yet he’s curious enough to ask after her despite that, suggestive of someone who generally finds basic human needs an afterthought. She’s met a few people who are the same way.
no subject
He breathes a little more easily, seems a little less tense when she withdraws. In his experience, he's found that the easiest way to navigate conversations is to keep the focus on the person he's speaking with. People generally enjoy talking about themselves; it's generally not difficult, even for people with a limited range of social skills they can navigate with ease.
"I'm getting by," he says, and it's honest in a stark sort of way. "I found a place to stay in the barracks, and it's not opulent, but it suffices. I have a job at Runetchers for the present, and... I suppose I can say the same about that."
It's tremendously unsatisfying. His voice might sound a touch flatter, a touch more hollow to a very discerning ear.
"I spend the rest of my time here, for the most part. Mastering this subject matter sooner rather than later seems only beneficial."
no subject
She looks like she’d like to say a bit more, but by now, their instructor’s attention has finally turned back on them, giving them a stern injunction to refrain from distracting their fellow students with off topic discussion. Yako ducks her head with a sheepish grin, attention going back to the broken porcelain in front of her.
“Do you want to practice after class?” she proposes, in a whisper, once they’ve been left alone. “I can’t get the hang of that divination spell at all.”
no subject
Even though it's happened before. A few times.
He nods, though, at Yako's whispered question. Because camaraderie is harder for some to find than others, and he's lucky that Yako truly seems this kind and friendly. If there is an ulterior motive, he'll find out sooner rather than later, he's sure, but... somehow, he doesn't actually think it's the case.
"It's not so difficult," he replies. "Intuitive, more than anything, but... I'd be happy to show you."
The teacher shoots them a glare again, because unlike Yako, he's not really putting forth enough effort to lower his voice.
no subject
“Is there anywhere you want to practice in particular?” she asks. “We could stay at the Coven, or go somewhere else.”
no subject
He has no bag, merely stuffing smaller items into his pockets and preparing to stack and carry paper and books cradled in his thin arms.
"It might be best to stay at the Coven," he replies after a moment of thought. "We already ate, thanks to the muffin you shared with me... you'd probably find my home distracting and uncomfortable, and I'm not going to presume that you'll invite me to yours."
By process of elimination, the choice is clear.
no subject
Which, well, it's Divination. How bad can it really get?
"There's a spot I usually practice," she offers. "It's a little less in the middle of everything." Better for concentration, better for practice. She turns to lead him over in that direction, assuming he'll follow; while the move over there, it probably can't hurt to chat about what they'll be doing along the way, though, so she'll fill in for conversation as she goes.
"The spell we learned today -- to find specific objects -- seemed like it could be really useful, but I couldn't get it to work. I wonder if I need more of a focus..." she muses.
no subject
He nods, liking the idea of someplace rather removed from the typical hustle and bustle of Witches coming and going. He shuffles along slightly behind her, leaning forward to better hear what she's saying.
"It's very useful... granted, it's only for smaller and more mundane things, for now, but I try to think of everything in our classes in terms of potential for what they could eventually become. The foundations are important to master even if they're only good for locating misplaced keys, for now." L pauses, considering whether or not he really wants to broach this, before deciding that it probably couldn't hurt much.
"The real trick is tuning out everything else that could help you find the object, without magic. That's what I struggled the most with, initially... it's contradictory, but I found that when I used contextual clues to try to figure out where the object might have been hidden, that's when the divining result was the most wrong."
no subject
She ponders over that a little more, even as she makes a turn down a corridor. They’ve already moved away from the bulk of the Coven’s activity, though there are still other witches strolling about reminding them of where they are.
“You’re right, though... everything we’re learning right now is a foundation for something else. We won’t always have the benefit of knowing exactly where we’re searching for, for example.”
Another step, and Yako finally stops, at the entrance to a small courtyard garden. Nobody else is in it right now, though there are a few benches meant to accommodate anyone admiring the plant life.
no subject
"There isn't any shortage of things to break sans consequence," he points out. "Or things to hide, or places to hide them."
Twigs, flowers, bushes, stones... the variety offers near limitless possibilities, and it's better for their purposes than some closed, sterile system. Divination could be applied to something as linear as a rat in a maze, but it's such a waste when there's a whole world full of questions to discover and explore.
"This is ideal. I didn't actually know this was here."
It's likely because he avoids the sun, more than anything else.
no subject
"I'd like to start with practicing divination again, if you don't mind." Besides, given the state he ended the last class in, maybe he could actually use the break to refocus and raise morale by practicing something she's actually good at.
"Are you going to hide something for me to find, or did you have another idea?"
no subject
"I don't mind in the least." He suspects that maybe she's trying to build him up a bit by letting him shine at what he's excelling at, and even if that is the motive entirely, he knows that it's needed enough not to protest. He's just not used to sucking at things, and doing something well will go a long way toward balancing and recalibrating him. "We could either use divination to find hidden things, or we could focus on some of the other aspects of it that are a little more difficult. Reading minds, for example," he suggests, though maybe he feels some trepidation. On the off-chance that Yako does well at it, after all, she could find out something about him that he isn't keen for anyone to know about him, yet if ever.
"It might be best to start with the more basic elements, if you're struggling with the field in general." He lowers to a squatting position, gathering an acorn, some pebbles, and a seashell that perhaps some past practitioner left here after a session.
no subject
She listens attentively, and with careful consideration, and nods at his assessment.
"I think starting with the basics is fine ... I'm not looking to become a Divination master." Though if Divination is also the field of dreamwalking and dream interpretation ... later, much later, she'll come to reconsider that. "I think reading minds is a little beyond that."
She watches what he's doing, curiously -- with no further instruction given for the moment, that's about all she can do.
no subject
He's still getting used to that.
"Don't you think that you should approach any study with the intent to become a master?" he asks, sounding as though he genuinely believes it's the case. "That's not to say that you will, but... mediocrity should never be a goal. If you fall short of mastery, you're competent, but if you fall short of mediocre, you're... poor."
He lines up the items on the ground, nodding briskly. "Please, choose one. It's best if it has a special meaning to you, but... just pick your favorite, in this case."
To challenge himself, secretly, he tries to guess which one she will choose. Acorn, pebble, seashell?
no subject
But then there's a choice being presented before her, and it only takes her a moment or two before she's decisively pointing towards the acorn.
"I choose that."
no subject
"It surprises me to hear that you're not a good student," he admits. "You're obviously intelligent, but... being smart and being a good student correlate, more than they're an example of one thing leading to another."
L has a lot of experience looking at the different types of intelligence that can exist in the world, and he knows that test scores aren't everything. He happens to get really good ones most of the time, but it's more to do with the fact that he views them as games, and to this particular man? Games really are everything. The attitude is as intense as it is childish.
He closes his palm around the acorn, whispering an incantation against his closed fingers, and when he opens his hand, it seems to have vanished.
"I've hidden it somewhere in this garden. You can use divination to find it by thinking of the reasons you chose the acorn, the things you associate with it, the concepts and feelings it evokes," he offers, by way of a hint.