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August Event
Please let August be better than July I'm begging
✽ Due to 10+ classes raising their ranks last month, ALL characters have access to the courtyard via the door in the locker area and the windows facing the courtyard.
✽ Characters with 1-10 tallies are not able to get any further past the end of the courtyard before they fall unconscious; characters with 10-20 can get halfway to the pool building before the same happens to them; characters with 20+ tallies can reach the pool building but unfortunately, the door is on the other side. There are no windows on the walls, but from the clocktower, characters can see that it has a glass ceiling, though they are unable to see inside.
✽ Outside, there is no breeze, and it occasionally rains ash.
✽ Characters going up to the 4th floor will feel that the door is warm to the touch, and will occasionally open (see: missions)
✽ The student store opens, with the door propped open with a doorstopper. The npc running the storeis currently not interested in conversation, but may be available for threading in the future and is available for threading in the toplevel below. Please see the updated bonus activity page for more information.
✽ Posted on the bulletin board and also handed to each club president before break is the notice that proof of club activity is due at the end of break. Please submit these proofs in the toplevel below.
✽ There is another ad on the bulletin board advertising an exchange student program for the month of October. Applications will be taken until the end of August, and there is a 300 merit point fee. Sister cities include Death City, Devildom, Ishigami Village, Lanling, LazyTown, and Maiami City.
✽ Characters with 1-10 tallies are not able to get any further past the end of the courtyard before they fall unconscious; characters with 10-20 can get halfway to the pool building before the same happens to them; characters with 20+ tallies can reach the pool building but unfortunately, the door is on the other side. There are no windows on the walls, but from the clocktower, characters can see that it has a glass ceiling, though they are unable to see inside.
✽ Outside, there is no breeze, and it occasionally rains ash.
✽ Characters going up to the 4th floor will feel that the door is warm to the touch, and will occasionally open (see: missions)
✽ The student store opens, with the door propped open with a doorstopper. The npc running the store
✽ Posted on the bulletin board and also handed to each club president before break is the notice that proof of club activity is due at the end of break. Please submit these proofs in the toplevel below.
✽ There is another ad on the bulletin board advertising an exchange student program for the month of October. Applications will be taken until the end of August, and there is a 300 merit point fee. Sister cities include Death City, Devildom, Ishigami Village, Lanling, LazyTown, and Maiami City.
courtyard/wildcard????
he might've fallen asleep over there, it's hard to tell from a distance.]
clamor.........
Is he asleep? In the grass? Noah has half a mind to join him, and he carefully picks his way around roots and fallen branches to find a clear spot, hopefully without waking Clamor — assuming he is asleep for once, after all. He takes a seat, journal on his lap as it normally is, and leans against the bark.
It's nice to see his closest friend and only living family member — because he'd long-since established that they are family, even if they're not blood relatives — looking peaceful and not burdened by the stresses of this place, actually. That, at least, puts a normally-anxious boy at ease, just a bit.]
one (1) soft thread before everything starts to go to shit again
Clamor sighs into the grass one more time before leisurely rolling himself over, sitting up halfway to get a better look at Noah's book. He recognizes that journal, but...]
... Oh. Did something happen? It looks like the pages got wet. [which is... hmm... but maybe it's unrelated? but he knows how careful Noah usually is with his journal...]
thanks :)))
[He shifts a bit, turning his notebook toward Clamor so that he can see the crinkled pages, ink running through chicken-scratch and little doodles of cats alike. The text is, as Noah said, still legible — depending on if his handwriting can be deciphered anyway. He looks vaguely upset for a moment staring down at the notebook, brushing his fingers over some of the worst of the wrinkling, and shakes his head. Not gonna be upset over a notebook. Not gonna be upset...]
There's nothing telling about the time I spent here, either. The last thing I wrote was clearly back when we were in Elrianode...
:) you're welcome
He reaches over after a moment, (carefully) feeling the edges of the wrinkled pages. Hmm.]
Unfortunately, restoring the paper is a bit outside my expertise... that's a lot more complicated than you'd expect. [paper is fragile, trying to fix it with magic would probably just disintegrate it at this point] But we can protect it from getting damaged again. Do you want me to show you how?
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...you can do that? Or — wait, you can show me how to do that?
[Now he just looks shocked, blinking, did he hear that right? No way. Him?]
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He pauses to pick up his spellbook from the grass next to him, flipping all the way to the back of the book where some sigils have been carefully inscribed on the inside. It looks complex, but the lines are a little uneven here and there, as if drawn by a less experienced Clamor. It is, after all, one of the most important spells for a beginner mage to learn.]
It looks complicated, but that part's all just copying and having a steady hand. This is the kind of spell you'd learn in an introductory class, before they teach everyone how to set their labwork on fire. I can walk you through it!
no subject
[Noah thinks Clamor has way too much confidence in his abilities, to be frank; that's just his own lack of faith in himself coming through. It'd be cool to learn, though, and he's not saying no — so he scoots a bit closer to Clamor to peer at the sigils.
Well... he's always been someone who can copy down lines on a page. It'll be one of the more complicated things he's drawn, but...]
...okay. [He flips to a blank page in his journal, sitting with it open in his lap. Eyes dart between Clamor's spellbook and the blank, semi-crinkled page in his journal, and then he nods.] What do I draw first?
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or a wobbly circle. they can work with it, it'll be fine]
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Listen, he tried. Circle, boom, done. Kinda.
...
Noah flips to the back of that other page and tries again with a better circle, drawn slower, but a little less awkwardly. Boom. Circle #2. Done. Imperfect, but done.]
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It'll probably take a few tries before we get it. Just think of this as a practise run for now! If it works the first try, even better. [because if they start over at every slightly lopsided circle they'll be here all day] Now, next you'd usually do this part, but if you ask me, it's easier if we start with these lines that cross here...
[i'm not gonna write out all 347234 steps of this imaginary circle so like, skip to an interesting made up part, or the end of circle attempt #1, Clamor is trying his best to take it slow and let Noah do it at his own pace]
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Anyway, geometry and shapes and lines and squiggles and stuff. At least the one thing Noah has going for him is the ability to copy things down fairly well, even if he's slow and meticulous trying to get all the details right, because he's going to do it right the first time dammit. Sheesh, though, this is more complicated than his doodles of sickle-Clamor, why are magic circles like that? Less organic shapes, maybe. He kind of put all his eggs into one basket by drawing cats all day, huh.
Geometry's hard.]
...there. It's not bad for a first attempt, right?
[May Noah proudly present... An Circle™.]
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He closes his spellbook once they're done copying, leaning over to get a better look at Noah's attempt. Hmm, hmmmm...]
Not bad! Overall, I'd say you did a lot better than I did on my first try. We'll have to work on your angles for next time, though... [that pentagram is CLEARLY too wide on one point, c'mon Noah you can do better than this]
Alright, next we need to activate the circle by putting mana into it! Since this will be a permanent enchantment, you need to let it sit for at least a minute or two so it can settle... and you also need to make sure it fills the whole book. Otherwise, the protection won't work on the whole thing. Try to visualize it as your mana pooling all around your journal as the circle absorbs it, like we're soaking it cover to cover...
no subject
(Fuck off about the angles, geometry is hard, he didn't come out here with a ruler or an... an... angle-measuring thingy!!)]
...it just works right on the page, huh? [He knows it does, that's how it's always worked, but it still baffles him that he can put power into a seal written on a piece of paper. Obviously, he's more used to magic being tangible and a little bit shadowy.] And I just... I leave it alone after that? Okay. Um... I'll try.
["Soaking it cover to cover" like how the water did, right? Haha—
Noah closes his eyes to focus on that. If he keeps them open, he's going to get distracted by people he can see through the school's windows ahead or by the wind rustling the wisteria's branches or by, uh, the colour of grass or something, whatever. Eyes closed. Thoughts blank. Focus on mana pooling around his journal...]
Oh—
[Congrats, Noah, you've just made a shield of shadows around the journal. Not quite what was meant.]
Uh... how do you... [how does he ask this question...] ...how do you make the mana go into the paper? And not... around it?
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Haha, you've almost got it! You'd have a hard time keeping that up forever, though. [is a shadow shield waterproof? maybe! but not permanent.] You have the right idea, but you're trying to conjure, not enchant. That's why it's coming out like a barrier instead of settling into the circle.
Basically, you're overthinking it. Relax! [and he gives Noah a light slap on the shoulder] Spells like this one aren't complicated. You don't have to force it, just let the mana flow naturally and it'll fall into place on its own. Have some faith in your penmanship!
[let the circle do the thinking, like filling up a mould]
i cant believe dw didn't notify me of this
This is complicated. No wonder you had to go to school for it.
[Clamor clearly only went to school for to learn slapping magic into circles and nothing else. Then again, Noah was taught magic from a cult, so...]
...I'll try again.
[Enchant... not conjure. Don't summon shadows or think about shadows or force magic like usual. Noah spends a moment tracing his finger over the circle before he sighs and closes his eyes and tries again. It's tempting, really, to crack an eye open and make sure that shadows aren't swirling around his hand again, but no. No, he's going to resist the urge, he's going to do this right this time.
...overthinking. Right. He's thinking, he's not working. Thinking, not working, he should be working, not thinking, man what's it like to have no thoughts in your head at all?
...
Ugh, okay, Noah has to think. The second attempt turns into another (thinner) shield because his brain is too loud. He shakes his head. Dispels it, looks at Clamor, looks back to the notebook. No shadows, think of protecting the book, think of... keeping it safe from further damage and think of putting mana into a sigil and not anywhere else, think of mana flowing from his fingertips rather than around his hand like a blanket, and...
...oh!]
D—Did that— did that work!?
[The circle's glowing, Clamor the circle's glowing look the circle look at the page Clamor look—]
denise's conspiracy to prevent noah from learning magic confirmed
Lucky for Noah, Clamor's lessons are free and he's here to offer an encouraging smile in between attempts, mostly letting Noah do his own thing and get a feel for it himself. It's one of those things you really have to just do to get it... but he has faith in his student. And sure enough, on the third attempt they get something new.]
Good work, Noah! We're almost there. Now, just hold that focus and let your mana settle. The circle will do all the work for you—all you have to do is keep it powered for a little longer. [and he'll let Noah know when it's good because we don't want to overload the spell and make his book explode or something, but he's not gonna say that part out loud because that would just make him worry about it... it's fine, it would be a long time before that happens with this spell anyway.]
no subject
[Focusing... focusing... At least he knows what to do now. He'll probably need to practice this more, but the feel of it — when he thinks about it more — is actually pretty easy. It feels less forceful, less like he's trying to conjure something to beat the shit out of someone (probably because that's exactly it). His shadows come as naturally to him as breathing, but he has to admit that it's a much more serene feeling to just pour mana into something like this. This is... well, maybe it's not easy, not yet, but it's simple in execution.
Save for the drawing geometric shapes part. Fuck that part.
After a bit, he finds he has to think less. Making shadow cats is a little more mentally involved. They have to look like cats, you know?
He lets off when Clamor gives the go-ahead, pulling his hand back and looking down at the circle in disbelief. He did that? He did that! He did the thing!
...What the fuck he did the thing?!]
And this just... stays... this just stays, huh? [Clamor LOOK he DID A THING.] Wow...
1/2
Yup, that's it! And you did it all by yourself, too. [you did a thing!!] Let me have a look...
[Assuming Noah will allow him, he'll pick up the journal to examine the enchantment up close. It is a pretty basic spell, everything seems to be in place... no mixed up lines, no missing sigils, and the circle is fully activated cover to cover. Hmmmmmmmm.]
2/2
[is all Clamor says before holding it up and lighting the book on fire
it's fine, he already checked the spell for gaps and nothing is actually burning. he also may have failed to mention this spell is for fireproofing too... anyway, he'll let the fire go out after a few seconds, no damage to be seen.]
Hmm, just as I thought... you did it a little too well. My first spellbook burned up when I tried that.
no subject
Wh—!
[If he looks and sounds shocked, it's because he is, excuse his wide eyes and the protesting little squeak from his mouth as he reaches for Clamor and then decides against it in case his hand catches fire, pardon? This is how we're testing—
Oh, it's fine.
...]
What was the heart attack for?! Did you have to go that far?
[He's not actually mad! Don't mistake his yelling for actual anger, this is his alarmed yell! He's alarmed because what if his notebook actually caught fire! Clamorrrrrr!!!
When Noah takes (read: snatches) the journal back, he's very quick to check it over for damage before he slumps a bit, looking over at Clamor with the tiniest of pouts. Sheesh... this guy.]
...did you actually light your first spellbook on fire? I wonder why... [Rolls his eyes... teenagers are so dramatic.]
no subject
You wouldn't be confident it worked if you didn't see it for yourself, right? Don't worry, I checked all your work for a reason. Just be careful with the page that has the circle on it and it should be fine from now on.
Haha... well, if you think about it, it's better to mess something up when it's new and empty than after you've put all your spells into it. But I may have been a little overconfident back then. [might've been trying to show off, except he didn't let the ink dry before closing it and it smudged... rip spellbook the first we hardly knew thee] Lucky for you, you have a fantastic teacher looking out for you, so there was never a risk of something going wrong. I know how important your journal is to you.
... Sorry, I guess it was a bit mean. [it was funny and educational, but he does feel kinda bad...] I just wanted you to be proud of yourself. You really did do a great job.
no subject
Jerk.
But his faux anger wears off pretty quickly, and Noah stares down at the sigil he drew again, the one he enchanted himself... yeah, he is proud of himself, actually. For once in his life, he thinks he did something pretty damn good, even if it seems small.]
...well, I had a fantastic teacher helping me, so that's why. [Credit where credit is due, after all.] I wouldn't have been able to do it otherwise, you know. I'm no good with this type of thing.
[Oops bye there goes the proud-of-himself thing.]
no subject
He pulls his own spellbook back into his lap, idly flipping through the pages of notes and incantations and spell circles.]
You don't have to be so modest, you know. I think you're a lot better than you give yourself credit for. You never asked me how many tries a spell like that would normally take for a beginner. If it was easy, don't you think more people would be using magic like that?
[most books, unfortunately, are not fireproofed. so it's not something just anyone can do without applying themselves.]
no subject
[He might be staring down at his notebook again like he's still shocked in the meantime. Do not perceive him. Honestly, he knew it wouldn't be easy, but... maybe he's a little more experienced than an average student, since he's been doing magic since a child. Still, though, it's vastly different than what he's used to.
He needs another book. He's going to put a protection spell on a random library book for practice. Haruka would probably like it, right?]
...ten? Twenty? How many did it take for you? [Beat, and then Noah gets a self-satisfied little smirk and adds,] How many spellbooks did you lose to fire?
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