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The So-Called Prodigal Son


Mikka

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Ceyn as a doctor is perhaps one of the few things more alarming than Ceyn actually in control of the army. Worst bedside manner ever. Though he does have a pretty good knowledge of anatomy, I suppose.

 

I'm not even sure if Ceyn truly honestly believes that Emilia is actually practicing Mastery, or if he's simply forcing himself to believe it as he doesn't want to confront that through the magic of perfume and good old fashioned being nice and charming and social and such she's managed to change him in a way that no one else has even come close to. Perhaps it was the second when it started, but as more weirdly miraculous things happen, it's moving towards the first. I don't know. Ceyn's not exactly the sanest kid alive here.

 

(Like that isn't obvious. XD)

 

I also freely admit I'm having him act weirdly towards Emilia as I'm likely going to want her cliqued up in my Hedi "EVERYONE IS MY BFF <3" play-through, so this is actually more amusing than repeating myself twice.

 

Lots of entries, due to one simple adventure.

 

 

Week Twenty-Three

Random Event Student – Aveline, success (Social Skills)

Random Event Theater 3, failure (Persuasion)

Random Event Library 5, success (Research)

Random Event Docks 6, success (Observation/Incantation Spells)

Random Event common room 2, success? (Sleuthing)

No reload!

 

 

8 Nivelos, afternoon

Apparently, being in the Garden Gallery after classes is actually forbidden. Who knew?

 

Joana trapped Aveline, from Aranaz, in a box and sent her to be shipped off to some forsaken island of misery somewhere. She’s never trapped me in a box and sent me to be shipped off before. I wonder if that means I’m no longer Joana’s favorite enemy. The thought overwhelms.

 

Actually, it really does. After all the torment she’s caused me, she has no right to choose other targets before I’ve ruined her life. It would be entirely too anticlimactic. I’m not anywhere close to done with her yet. I haven’t made her life anywhere close to as miserable as she's made mine: while I should rejoice about the prospect of her moving on, it instead causes me deep irritation. Perhaps a bit of shame, too.

 

Regardless of my rather nonsensical thoughts, I saved Aveline. I’m not very fond of her, but I imagine that if the Academagia faculty learned that I’d found one my fellow students trapped in a box and refused to help her and she actually got sent off, I’d find myself suspended. Or at least heavily scolded.

 

On to more useful ponderings.

 

The easiest way to keep full domination of the clique (particularly considering the competition for such dominance, is, frankly, far more able to gather others to her side than I am) is to keep everyone divided unless they’re fully inclined to support me over any others. Thus, adding another Vernin or Aranaz student would be non-beneficial: it could lead to an alliance between them and either Catherine or Aymeri that could conceivably work against me. Continuing on that same thought, while Magsa is indeed a close friend, he's also a close friend of Emilia, which makes him too risky: I cannot assume that if an argument were to break out between myself and her, he would side with me instead.

 

So I must make our sixth Honors. It’s the only reasonable choice; I've looked at the problem from all angles.

 

 

12 Nivelos, late afternoon

Professor Massioti is also useless when it comes to detention. He taught me a song. What is with these teachers? Earlier this week Professor Chastellain was also under the mistaken impression that I was a Music student and wanted me to wrestle magical musical instruments in to cooperation, too. Why do they think I care about music?

 

Helped Jere Niemela find some books he needed today. He told me he asked me because I’m ‘a genius when it comes to libraries’. Great. Exactly what I wanted to be known for. Having good 'library knowledge', which is of exactly no use in the practical world. Unless I wanted to the librarian, which I assure the world I most certainly do not. I want something more out of life.

 

Have made sure Aymeri, Emilia, and Catherine and Honors can all stand to be in the same room and hold conversations together (as I wrote before, she and Prudence already get along fine). Now to get her in to the crowd.

 

…It’ll be helpful, having someone else who can see and reason things out the way the others can’t at my side. Sometimes it's nice to say things out loud and get something besides blank looks and bored sighs.

 

 

14 Nivelos, far too early in the morning

Peh. Professor Briardi, something about stolen rubies, need to find pirates who stole them, volunteered for some ridiculous reason that I'm too exhausted to examine, tired.

 

Prudence is impatient: “What, do you think you’re going to find the rubies in your notebook? Your think-like-a-pirate skills need work, Ceyn."

 

I’m surprised Sheary didn’t come along, but it seems to be just myself, Prudence, Kurt (ohgodfire) and Tulia who found ourselves roped in to this ridiculous adventure. I’m going to try and use an astrology spell and see if Prudence and I can get a clue before Kurt and Tulia can.

 

Then I’m going back to sleep. I wanted pancakes…

 

 

14 Nivelos, still far too early in the morning

(The inkmanship for this entry is notably messy, and littered with occasional ink blots.)

In carriage. Did not get a chance to go back to sleep.

 

I found a bandana, Professor Briardi had us use the bandana as an astrological focus and stop the air around it’s owner (I already knew the spell: being a genius helps), and now we’re off to find the pirate-ship that we stopped the air for by finding another ship to hunt down the pirate-ship with no air (wouldn't it just fall forever?) in. Or something.

 

Prudence and Kurt seem overwhelmed, but Tulia’s cheerful. Almost too cheerful. It’s way too early in the morning to be so cheerful.

 

Kurt thinks that if we’re chasing pirates, we should have invited Lambert. I pointed out he was invited, he just chose the cowards route. Prudence seems quiet. Professor Briardi is willing to kill horses to get her rubies back. Woman like pretty jewels as much as girls do, apparently.

 

I wasn’t really aware that collage Durand was so tied to the earth… she gave a speech about that. I’ve always been more of an air or water person, myself. And of these three in this carriage besides our Professor, I’d tie them to fire before earth.

 

I’m allowing Prudence to read over my shoulder. It feels strange: I usually only allow Pamela such a privilege.

 

She’s now laughing at me. She also wants me to stop writing her down as Prudence.

 

(In different handwriting, also written much larger, CALL ME SOMETHING COOLER, accompanied by what may be a picture of someone sticking out their tongue but mostly appears to be just an ink blot)

 

PEHHHHHHH

 

HOW ABOUT 'DENSE

 

(lots of ink scribbles that may have been attended to be words but look more like someone (or two someones) simply dripped ink everywhere, before, in the standard neat inkmanship;)

 

Oh, I guess we’re here.

 

 

14 Nivelos, almost noon

I got us a ship, and now we’re pirate hunting.

 

I must admit this is more interesting than how I usually spend my weekends.

 

 

14 Nivelos, approximately thirty minutes after the last entry

Spotted the ship first, found the pirates first, and knocked them out all on my lonesome. Yet I couldn’t get the door that lead to the rubies unlocked, nor could I get the information on where a key would be from the idiot pirates. Professor Briardi managed to get things done in an instant, of course, but I’m angry at my lack of skill in such matters.

 

The other three are teasing me. Tulia may be wise, here. She says, “You found the bandana, were the most skillful at the Negation spell, negotiated us a ship, spotted the pirates, got them to start fighting each, then tied them up alone, and now you’re angry about not being able to pick a locked door? I think you’d do better taking an example from King Durand, rather then trying to become him!”

 

Which is… true. Wandering the lonely islands forevermore is not a goal of mine

 

Usually, I tend to start, well, reacting very badly when I get teased (I admit it- I’ll fall back on the ‘siblings’ excuse), but I suppose for today, it’s alright.

 

If they don’t stop soon, though, they’re all the list. Even Prudence. I’ll… steal their candy or something. Repay the karma the world has paid to me.

 

Still, we were all quite skilled today. I’m not big with compliments, but even Kurt managed to set pirates on fire rather then our own ship. That was pretty impressive, so I said so. He mimed strangling me with some of the rope, but he’s still grinning.

 

How irritating. I’m growing attached to idiots in my collage.

 

Some of them. I just want to note, yet again, that Sheary did not show up. Surprise! How very helpful he is.

 

 

14 Nivelos, early afternoon

Professor Birandi singled me out to compliment me, told me my fellow students look up to me and she can certainly see why, thanked me, and then gave me a magical artifact gift. They’re the Bracers of Enzo Dato, and will apparently hospitalize me after a use, but right after that will grant me a day (or two?) of incredible skill and power centered around Negation.

 

Today? Pretty awesome. Save for that I can’t stop blushing. Compliments are nice, but the amount she was laying on was a bit excessive, no matter how flattering it was.

 

Also got Honors in to this group of mine. Not bad for a single days work. And I’m not even tired at all anymore. I think I’m going to see if Prudence, and maybe Kurt and Talia want to go out to town to celebrate. And then I’ll go taunt Lambert about what he missed.

 

Oh, and tell Sheary about how HELPFUL it would have been if he was around. Can't forget that part.

 

 

The Sententae Nivelos, midafternoon

Honors is, of course, a self-critic. This news does not surprise me: anyone who is that kind to others but who dabs in the so-called creative arts is almost guaranteed to hate their own work. The supporting but self-loathing artist can be seen in every other painting and tapestry in the art exhibits in the Imperial Palace. At least Honors seems to be doing something about it; she asked me to help her find inspiration. I… think she’d be better off asking well, most anyone else, but I did my best to oblige.

 

By using my knowledge of libraries. I’m starting to hate myself.

 

We decided that heading out to town might be a good place to start. As Catherine and I were planning on a trip to the slums, I almost invited Honors along, but then I remembered my prediction that Catherine and I were probably going to get beaten to an inch of our lives, and decided against that. Honors and I will head out another day.

 

Of course, due to being an idiot today, I managed to let Catherine talk me out of heading to the slums anyway, so we should have just taken Honors with us. Oh well. Catherine was probably correct, though, that we really wouldn’t be able to fit in and get the information in the slums without attracting too much attention. Instead, we went in to Uptown, and promptly played the part of rich brats with no useful thing to do but bicker in front of a guardpost, which they fell for hook, line, and sinker.

 

And then they informed us that the Pauper’s Bane is locked away somewhere secret by the Legate of Academagia.

 

I'm of the opinion we're a bit over our heads now: trying to steal from the Legate seems like a great way to get oneself suspended. But Catherine is determined to continue on.

 

Someone sabotaged my school supplies (though at least I noted it before too much trouble happened), Phillipe played a prank on me (that, in my opinion, will make him come out looking the worse if I share that it was he who played it, so I’m holding that close for the moment), and Joana squirted syrup (…for this morning's pancakes) all over my robe.

 

I asked her where my box was, and she gave me a blank look. Does that girl remember anything that happened five seconds before it, well, happened?

 

Also, she still can’t cast Nervi. Idiot!

 

 

 

I've been waiting forever to have him give Prudence that nickname. It's... out of affection. Usually. I imagine when it's not, she smacks him one: she handles herself pretty well against him, even if he is much smarter then her. No matter how much he mocks her, they have a relatively equal relationship- more then he does than with any of the other friends, I imagine.

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I'm rather fond of that little adventure. From the 'Ooo, maybe the Professor will give us PANCAKES!' idea the character has to the fact that Sheary goes knocking on your characters door twice begging them to come out but still doesn't come along for the adventure (poor, poor, poor Sheary- Ceyn's mean to him, but be amuses me)... it's awesome. And then the image of Kurt, Ceyn, Prudence and Tulia in the carriage while the Professor's ordering the driver to 'not spare the horses'. I had a picture of at that point the four of them looking at each other all... "O.O Uh, we, uh, reallyyy better catch these guys or it's us she's not going to be sparing us next."

 

Not that Prof B would do that, of course.

 

I hope.

 

 

Week Twenty-Four

Random Event Classroom 10, success (Character Study/Running)

Random Event Friendship 10, failure (Conversation suc/Glamour fail)

Random Event Forge 2, success (Interrogation/Incantation Spells)

Reload used to check what some adventures were

Gained Cite Precedent (+1 bonus (rolls?) to all Law Actions and Abilities)

 

 

15 Nivelos, right after school

Pamela’s been moping. Apparently, some other ghosts have been picking on her: investigating, it seems they call her mean names, throw ectoplasm objects at her, and shove her down objects that she does not exactly walk on. I'm a bit disappointed: apparently, ghost-bullies aren't really any different then normal bullies, which means that if Joana mysteriously fell over dead, not much would change. Not that I thought she would, but I occasionally preyed it would happen.

 

I told Pamela to give me a few weeks, and I’ll come up with a way for her to get proper revenge. I'm getting somewhat good at that: pulled one on Vettor after he tried to saok me fairly well.

 

Also, I’ve been offered a job working at a (another scribbled out word, although definitely not the same one that’s been so commonly scribbled out recently) circus. I’m not even lying, though I really wish I was. What in the name of all that exists and many things that don't would possess someone to try and give ME a job working at the circus?

 

Part of me wants to agree, but only if they'll let me juggle fire. See what they think then. However, I realize that's a childish and petty thought and thus will move past it.

 

...Still, the nerve.

 

 

19 Nivelos, during detention

Amada- she’s friends with either Catherine or Emilia, I can’t remember which- came up to me demanding I fix her hair. I grudgingly tried, but it apparently wasn't to her tastes, as she left in a dramatic storm-out, complete with hysterical tears..

 

But I’m finding it hard to pity her, as she came to me, wanting me to fix her hair. Getting candy out of it was one thing: expecting styling is another.

 

Professor Useless isn’t teaching me anything today. He’s not even paying attention. Talk about worthless. What does it take to get a good professor for Detention, these days?

 

 

20 Nivelos, during dinner

While fooling around in the Library of Longinus studying practical jokes for Pamela, I learned some folk wisdom about wand techniques.

 

It’s a very interesting subject. Folk wisdom about wand techniques could be of extreme use in my later years. Especially if I need to work against Emilia in later years.

 

 

21 Nivelos, late evening

I may have gotten Joana off my back through the girlish art of fake tears and a faux-broken wrist.

 

It was humiliating and beneath my dignity, and I feel this great, overwhelming shame for having taken part of it, but I did it all the same. Experience shows me it works. Whenever I would bicker with Caryena s a child, she’d burst in to tears, and mother would take her side instantly. While I rarely fought with Ciri (at least not directly), whenever she fought with our older brother, she’d do the same. And both of my younger siblings are prone to it, and usually if they both start crying, mother just dismisses whatever crime they committed (usually consisting of broken vases) and reassures the both of them.

 

I always felt it was beneath Cendric’s dignity, but now I understand. It does have its uses: it must be used rarely and carefully, but the use of it is to lay a massive guilt trip on the one who has offended you. By doing it, it seems to freeze them in a period of self-reflection, in which being harsh to you is apparently beyond them.

 

Now the key is, for Joana, how long will it last? Today, upon seeing me, she passed me without comment. That happens occasionally during schooldays, but never on the weekend

 

So by acting like a girl-child, I earned myself a day of peace.

 

Again, I should clarify: I do not mean sexism by such comments. Of the females in my acquaintance, I… actually have difficulty seeing any of them turning on tears to get their way. Emilia and Honors are too good-natured: their tears would be honest, I imagine. And Prudence and Catherine would see such a thing as beneath them, in their own separate ways. Tulia is similar, and Katja is again, too nice. Perhaps Amada would? Or Silke Niederstatter (Catherine’s best friend, which means I’ve apparently been forced to know her- she’s nice enough, a bit awkward). Oh, and Pamela. Definitely. If she was any smarter then she is.

 

However, it is a feminine act. The only boy I can think of who would do it is my brother, and he is still a boy. While woman may continue such things, men don’t.

 

…Save for that I just did. Again: humiliating.

 

But life goes on, and if that’s what it takes for now, then that’s what it takes. I am prepared to fall to the lowest depths to gain a proper revenge: if I've already started falling, so be it. In six years from now, when she's stuck in a gutter and I'm happily going on with my life, this will be little more then a footnote, if even that. Besides, I'm almost the point where I can properly take revenge. Really. I am sure this time.

 

It’s just that Pamela comes first.

 

Such a strange thing to write, but- I don't like it when she cries. The noise is irritating and distracting, and makes me feel sort of like a part of me is being yanked somewhere. She doesn't have the brains to attempt a determined emotional manipulation, but she appears gifted with the art of doing it unconsciously.

 

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Once again, I'm getting my weeks wrong. This should be twenty-four. Maybe once I've posted the whole year, I'll go back and fix the dates. Sigh.

 

Emilia is out to ruin my plans this time, not Ceyn's, so I shake my fist at her. Fist shake! Grr!

 

Pulp novels: would they exist in the time of Academagia? After debating in my head, I decided that yeah, they probably do (though I should ask that of the Legate rather then making assumptions XD). Pulp novels go with steam-punk (which the setting takes some influence from) like, um, you know- peanut-butter and chocolate, or sake and sushi, or, as a five-star chef told me last vacation, lobster and sweetbreads (the 'seriously?' look I gave him still causes my mom to start giggling whenever she tells that story, sigh). I imagine they mostly star heavily re-imagined versions of Ilaro (if not Ilaro himself) and those like him, on their dashing and charming adventures in which they steal the hearts of innocent maidens and brooding young gentlemen, make fools of guardsmen and authority figures, occasionally switch to sky-pirating just for the 'awesome' factor, and then combat unwashed savages (which belong to basically every country (if not island) that the writer of the story themselves isn't from) as they dismantle dragon cults and save the day with their acrobatics, glamour, and talent for dramatic entrances and awesomely cool monologues.

 

As Ceyn does carry the 'parents were adventurers and family is famous' backgrounds, I imagine there probably is a story or two out there that's 'heavily based' (but mostly just completely made up) on the adventurers his parents had when they were younger. Ceyn finds it ridiculously embarrassing and horrifying, but he's read every one- even those with only the most distant connection to his parents- so he can't really say much.

 

(Though I actually imagine Ceyn prefers non-fiction, especially historical accounts and records, then mysteries, and after that reads war stories and historical fiction. Only if he can't find anything in those genres would he turn to pulp.)

 

 

Week Twenty-Five

Random Event Student – Cirillo 1, automatic ‘success’ (You don’t care.)

Random Event Kitchen 14, success (Observation/Running)

Random Event Magic Trap, (Awareness) …I forgot to fully record this one ;;

Random Event – Mushrooms, success (Acting)

Don't think I reloaded.

Vernin Merit on the 24th

Gained Student of the Arc and Tail (+1 Astronomy and Research)

 

 

23 Nivelos, late afternoon

I got rid of the ghosts that were picking on Pamela by dowsing them with all the water we could find and then electrifying them repeatedly.

 

I hope they weren’t some other student’s familiars. Or the ghosts of former Professors or Legates. That would be rather unfortunate, as I doubt we’ll be seeing much of them anymore. I think I may have figured out how you kill a ghost. Or at least severely limit their actions for a few months. I admit to feeling uncertain on how I should feel about this: I hope they're not dead, as I'd rather avoid the whole 'confront ones own morality' and 'feel horrified by the idea of having ended the unlife of the... actually, I don't know what I'm write-'babbling' about. This whole situation is very strange. I think I'm going to go with Pamela here: she's thrilled over the whole thing, and is suffering no worry or guilt.

 

And it's very unlikely that anyone's going to dare to pick on her again, which is the most important thing.

 

I can’t believe I just wrote that.

 

Damn Emilia and her (scribbled out word). …I’d like her much more if she just shared her secret and started teaching me rather then simply M-fuming me in to being some sort of peaceful nice person.

 

 

26 Nivelos, during lunch

Professor Briandi just gave me her personal Negotiation catalog. Apparently, through it I can buy all sorts of Negation materials I may need for spells. And she keeps beaming at me, like I’ve pleased her by just asking about it. Which I suppose I don't mind. She's my favorite teacher. It's good to have her pleased with me, even the attention does single me out in ways I'm not exactly certain I want at this critical time.

 

On the other hand, Professor Vickery apparently went to the city and recommended me to work at a flower shop, which may actually be worse then the circus wanting to hire me. As if taking Botany isn’t humiliating enough. The worst part is that I’m good at it: the class comes easy, and my scores so far have been high. I have good expectations for the end exams. But that doesn’t make the whole thing any less shameful. To top it off, my oh-so-darling eldest sister attended Durand, too, and I'm sure she's going to tell everyone in the family (if not the entire city) what I was studying and they'll coo over it like it's something remarkably wonderful.

 

Maybe I can just hide in one of the hidden rooms during the summer rather then going home. I can survive for half of forever eating roots, after all, and there are no bears in the school. Usually. If I did that and then stole half the library for entertainment, I think the plan would work quite well.

 

For some reason, I found myself walking with Irene Oxina today and something apparently clicked. I’ve barely talked to her before- we share Negation, but we don’t sit near each other, and I usually work with Prudence, Honors, Catherine, Magsa or Piccolet when I need a partner. My conversations with Irene have basically been 'Can you pass that paper?' and 'Good afternoon'. Yet suddenly, she considers us practically best friends.

 

I’m not even sure what I said right (as usual, I wasn’t paying full attention: though I at least am aware we were talking about the subject of complications in friendship for some obscure reason), but apparently it was perfect. It doesn't matter all that much: Irene's high-strung, but no more then Pamela is, and she is well known for her tendency to be protective and rather helpful to those she considers friends. A good investment, and I wasn't even trying for it.

 

 

26 Nivelos, late evening

While skimming books in the library, I learned about the Honor of Mallen Field and the Mallen-Star today. Cannot stop rolling my eyes. Seriously, Aranaz? Seriously?

 

The over-dramatic nature of it almost makes me want to go scruff it up, but what if Aymeri was on guard? That would be incredibly awkward. And, he’d deserve it for going along with the whole stupid thing (it’s one thing to say ‘hey, we have a nice stone monument’, another to post regular guards and practically worship it), so I wouldn’t even have to feel guilty- but, still. Very awkward. Yet the temptation is almost overwhelming. It's quite hard to resist.

 

It's not that I don't understand the respect they hold for King Aranaz: for all the man's faults (and there are many), he was at times admirable, and on occasion more then admirable... simply brilliant, in fact. Collage Durand certainly holds King Durand in high-regard (though none of us more then Tulia), and all the legendary figures the collages were named after deserve respect (and study. I have no problem complimenting the strength of will Queen Avila showed, nor the skill of King Mordivus.

 

I can imagine going to the park and bowing my head in respect to the statues of our founders. I can not imagine setting up a guard-and-worship team around a stupid chunk of stone-star-metal-whatever it is.

 

They just make it so tempting! I understand collage rivalry, suddenly.

 

...I want to go scruff it up...

 

 

28 Nivelos, late night

Pamela got it in her crazy head that I needed help with studying again. I hadn’t realized it, but it is getting close to finals: three more months. By imitating Aymeri's cat and pretending I was not only a master at acrobatics, but also partly invisible, I managed to get through the experience alive. Barely. Hopefully that’ll be the end of it.

 

Magsa also ambushed me. He couldn’t decide if our collage was Duranders or Durandites, which at least amused me, and then he wanted me to go talk to a dwarf hiding in the bathroom of our collage. I… told him I’d get right on that. Sometime. Soon. Eventually.

 

Prudence spotted me talking to him, and ask why we don’t have him in our clique, too- aren’t I good friends with him? The answer is yes (I suppose he’s my male ‘best friend’, if I have to use that wording), and I know Emilia is close to him as well (Catherine has voiced suspicions that Emilia may have a crush on him, but on seeing how much I did not at all care, she let it go). Still, I informed her that once you have seven, that means one of your teammates is the sixth column. There are only so many roles to go around, after all.

 

She wanted to know what the sixth column was: I told her to read some pulp novels, preferably ones that don’t star my parents.

 

She then talked to Emilia, though, and now they’re both at me. I suppose I can see their point: Magsa’s a good enough guy, and he does often seem lonely. Still. Evil teammate. I said I’d think about it, which is hopefully good enough for them.

 

To combat stress (which is an excuse: it's really just because I can), I’ve taken up painting. I'm not very good at it, but people who are in to creative arts are likely to live fulfilling lives and all those pithy sayings, right? And it gives one things to talk to, if you're talking to someone else whose also in to some subjects and you have some reason to want to share interests with them. And I did very much intend on using my time at Academagia to broaden my skills and interests. There's a nice overview that makes for a good start when it comes to painting.

 

Despite stress just being an excuse, today after I chased a bunch of students away from some lovely Golden Angelwings Mushrooms, Joana popped out of nowhere to try and steal them (I managed to keep some, but she stomped on basically all the ones I couldn't rescue, the (a scribble of words that are not scratched out, but are still unprintable). Still, I’d gotten a week of freedom from her. I may have to try that guilt-trip thing again, if I can manage to talk myself in to, once again, fake crying to get a girl to stop picking on me.

 

Ridiculously embarrassing.

 

When will I be able to get my revenge? This studying offensive magic is taking too long; I wish I could duck out of some, say, Botany classes and hang around the Incantation classroom for a while

 

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I've come up with a lot of good ideas for a Hedi character (not to mention the others, but she'll be the next roleplay), so I'm sort of writing this up, well, a bit quickly. If you want to comment on earlier parts or anything, though, please do. :) Um. Yeah.

 

This week there's some introspection. And we finally finished everything we need to know for History. Yay!

 

 

Week Twenty-Six

Random Event Gates 4, success (History)

Random Event Creature 6, success (Observation/Deceit)

Random Event Arithmetic 2, success (Bluff)

Reload not used.

Gained Methods of the Masters (+1 Incantation, Glanmour, Negation, Revision, and Astrology)

 

 

3 Aruit, during Negation class

Got to read a paper Tulia wrote. It starts with, I quote, “The Shield Pheme is the coolest of all the negation (phemes). Of course, Durand is the best collage.” It then goes on to declare that Negation is the best magic, and, repeats her assertion that the Shield pheme is really, really great.

 

When I put things like that in my papers (or title my Dialect papers with, ‘The Argument Why I Should Not Have Utter Morons as Roommates and thus Should Be Given Permission to practice Defenestration’, as I’ve been known to do), I get speeches on why I should apply myself better (and maybe consider taking Rhetoric next year). How does she get away with that? I believe there's some sort of bias going on here.

 

Then again, I suppose it was never started what grade she got... though it would be cruel to read her paper out loud if she did horribly, and Professor Briardi is not particularly cruel.

 

Save for that horse-thing.

 

 

The Festival of Durand’s Road Aurit, late evening

(Entry starts with a fairly bad (and very tiny) painting of what appears to be a box with a shackle and key on it. It isn't a very interesting picture, even ignoring the quality.)

 

Looking for box shown above with Aymeri. Apparently belongs to Lambert. He got it from the slums; supposedly, there's an animal in it. Looked around the room, but we didn’t see it. (Aymeri took great fascination with prodding all of Lambert’s things, however.) We’ll check the slums to see if we can trace Lambert's trail- maybe figure out what exactly he bought. Maybe he wants a new familiar? Poor Piers. Lambert is always threatening to cover the rat with paint, which always seemed like a horrible joke, but perhaps he was serious in his rat-killing, paint-drowning ways.

 

Well, if he kills it, I guess it would be a ghost, which would mean my ghost familiar could have her own ghost familiar. Still, poor Piers.

 

Only took a few days, this time- Joana’s back. Need to find another tactic now. How does one start a duel again? Should ask Vincent, next time I see him. Again, I don't actually talk to my roommates unless it is to tell them that if they leave one more item on my side of the room one more time I am going to turn their bones in to liquid and dump their then soggy-self out the window, but Vincent is less irritating then Lambert.

 

Won today’s game. Going to go out gambling to celebrate, as I’ve never done it before. Might as well experience all I can before the horrible summer at home.

 

 

5 Aruit, at lunch

I have surpassed my limitations. I am greater than I was before. I now have full knowledge of the Accuracy pheme.

 

…Unfortunately, by now, I know much more useful spells and I need the phemes to them, but still. Trip. It has its place.

 

The weird part is how I learned it. It just hit me: phemes have a habit of doing that, so that’s not too improbable. What was improbable was that it hit me right while I was in the middle of tricking a bird to eat a pebble (or peck at it: I don't condone animal abuse, unlike my roommate and professor (condition: unless they are my mother's familiars)) rather then my candy (again, candy-thieves- and I’m not even a huge fan of sweets, so why does the world taunt me like this?). I’m not sure how to trace that back. Accuracy, lying, and birds. It’s an odd mix.

 

Also, I’m horrible at gambling.

 

 

7 Aruit, late evening

Emilia keeps trying to befriend Magsa. I’d rant about her subverting my authority, but I suppose we’re past that point: she subverted it the moment she raised her perfume to spray me. Emilia will do what Emilia will do: I must instead make sure Magsa can get along with Aymeri and Catherine, who don’t really know a thing about him. She may add her friend if she must, but I will not let her destroy this clique.

 

My coursework in Botany, History, and Negation has gone extremely smoothly. Professor Briardi has proudly referred to me as one of her best students, which is always a plus. I have the easy parts of Enchant down, and the more interesting parts of Dialect, but I know that doesn’t count. And then there’s Arithmetic. It’s not hard at all, but it’s boring. Each time I have to study it, I keep having to resist pulling out a much more interesting book or even going back and studying a course I'm already done with.

 

It’s interesting to look at how much I’ve learned- not only in the things I’m studying, but just the general stuff I’ve picked up. Not only are there say, the libraries and the comets, but I also have learned a lot about worms for some reason. Where and why did I learn it? It’s hard to track backwards and figure out where it began.

 

It’s weird, too, to realize how many ‘friends’ I have now… and how few enemies. The only people who seem to honestly dislike me is Joana and Philippe. Yet there’s everyone in the clique, and then Magsa (likely soon to be in that first group) and Piccolet and Tulia and Malthezar (though he remains on the list) and Irene and Casper and Amada and Zorzi and Silke and Katja and Kurt and Flore… and I'm still cordial with Jere and Ana Flavia and Marc and Basia...

 

Oh, and I’m 'friends' of some sort with Sheary. I guess. Damnit. Lambert, too.

 

I have ‘friends’. A tiny army of them. I can’t help visualizing them as little pieces on a war-table, though.

 

I’m also well liked by Professor Viada, Professor Leith, and of course Professor Briardi. I like them as well, actually. Amazing to find adults with sense.

 

Yet one thing hasn’t changed: Joana still can’t cast Nervi.

 

I guess I need to finally bite the bullet and figure out the exact rules of challenge. Then duel her. As well as deal with all the other craziness, including the exams that’ll come sooner then I would wish.

 

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Last time Penne tried to duel Cosetta, that cowardly Cosetta decided to set the date just after school ends..... :angry:

I am not sure whether Joanna will do that or not, but watch out for the date.

 

*gasp* Perhaps somebody is tampering your candy-luck with a Astrology spell?

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Owch, she did? That was unbelievably cowardly of Cosetta. I very much disapprove. ...I've actually yet to have a character who ran in to a bad end with Cosetta, at least, which I suppose is a relief. :)

 

I'll keep an eye on the dates. Very suspicious! Though I have a feeling Joana will cause duel-difficulties in a different way entirely.... dun dun dun.

 

As for Astrology, Ceyn remains wary on if it actually works. Though his Astrology skill keeps shooting up. Gotta love the Library. Though it does make the most sense on why he can't keep his candy...

 

 

Now for Mikka's useless information hour (or three minutes, I suppose):In Archery (particularly competitive archery), an end is basically half of a round. For each ‘round’ each archer competing shoots an end of arrows (usually six arrows for professionals, and three for school students). After archer has shot their end, the round is over and the arrows are scored (unless they’re using the same target, which means that the scoring is done after each individual end rather then after everyone’s done their ends). Huzzah, useless information!

There are many other styles of competitive archery, but that’s one of the oldest methods while still being one used in today’s modern world. :)

 

Lunges is of course the term for the most basic movement of fencing: it's basically the forward movement when the two figures 'move' towards each other. While I imagine the Salvatore mostly trains the students minds and their capability as commanders more then as a unit fighter the field, I figured there would have been some sword practice: and even more then that, there would likely be dueling exhibitions where the students would be expected to observe, watch, record, and then likely give reports on their thoughts on how the duel was fought, etc etc.

…I sort of wanting to write up a fencing subskill. While I was always more in to martial arts then fencing (I couldn't even last a year doing fencing- the sword and helmet are heavy ._.!), it’s a really interesting sport to watch. And learn.

 

Week Twenty-Seven

Random Event Rampant Creature 4, success (Materials Knowledge/Concentration)

Random Event Library 9, success (Negation Spells)

Random Event Classroom 4, success (Art Appreciation/Traps)

Random Event – The Perfect Rose, success (…I don’t really remember- Negate then Flowers?)

Reload for adventure check.

Vernin merit on the 13th

 

 

10 Aruit, early afternoon

Skipping classes so I can spend the day studying how to bully others and other happy subjects.

 

The librarian did not appreciate that, to the point I ended up casting Wizard’s Silence to render her mute. Her lack of empathy was rather discouraging: my quest of making Joana completely miserable, is, after all, rather important..

 

Reading books has taught me the long-lost art of going up to someone, shaking them, and stealing their pims and goods. Fascinating. It’s somewhat tempting to try it out.

 

…Save for the only people I could likely successfully intimidate in such a way are girls that barely reach my shoulder, and while I tend to ignore notions such as chivalry, that just seems barbaric. I think I’m the only student in this school who actually goes shopping and finds himself useful items, anyway.

 

Like a beekeepers mask. Kurt’s room is right next door. In fact, if someone broke down the wall, his bed would be next to mine. A beekeepers mask is a very, very, very vital piece of equipment. It isn't eccentric to note that is so.

 

 

12 Aruit, during lunch

I stopped to sniff a rose today.

 

I could write something such as, “In my defense, it was a very rare rose,” or I could carefully dance around the subject and slip that line right before something like "I then went down to the archery fields and shot for six ends, until my arm tired" and after a note on studying logistics. Or I could simply cross out that line, and erase it from my memory similar to how I erase the fact that Sheary has spoken something thirty seconds after each word is said.

 

Yet the simple truth is that I saw a rose, thought it looked lovely, and sniffed it to confirm that it was so.

 

However, I then took that knowledge, and told Honors and Emilia (as well as Katja, when I spotted her) about the location as well as offering a precaution of the bees nearby, and all three happily went off to see it and then returned to thank me for telling them about it and chat about the beauty. That is, I think, the best way to operate: if I must persist in continuing such useless activities such as playing with sandcastles and sniffing flowers, I should turn them in to weapons and advantages to use against others.

 

It is a reasonable compromise.

 

Went to see the Sphinx in the Imperial Palace yesterday. It asked me what the letter ‘t’ and an island had in common, a riddle I could not answer to the creatures' satisfaction. Apparently, the answer is ‘they are both in water’.

 

I pointed out that islands float in the sky, and it has been a long, long time since they were in water (though I’ve read that there are a very few islands that seem surrounded by what almost could be referred to as a frozen incantation spell, similar to that one tower on campus, that thus leaves them with flowing water ‘floating’ nearby, like the island remains a shore). The Sphinx looked at me placidly and said as it once was, as it still is, far below and beyond any of our reaches.

 

…I suppose I need more practice on being ‘witty’ to win against such a mad creature.

 

 

14 Aruit, mid-evening

I can now declare a vendetta.

 

Under that, Joana and I will be able to take increasingly hostile actions against each other. Including things like shaking each other down for pims and items. As I don’t want to lose the bracers of Negation and Hospitalization Professor Briardi so kindly gifted me with, I’m uncertain of the wisdom of this idea.

 

However, only under a vendetta can I challenge her to a duel. And if I challenge her to a duel, I can win (and by winning set the condition that she cannot use hostile actions against me for the rest of the year, though unfortunately I’ll be placed under the same restriction, meaning I’ll have to wait till next year to truly humiliate and break her). Not through superior strength or firepower, though considering her ‘skill’ with Nervi, I may have that firepower, but through botany.

 

And money. Catherine would be proud.

 

The key is in stamina. To win a duel, you break another’s stamina. To do so, you trade spells (or lunges, if I were still at the Salvatore, or punches, which I imagine is what we’ll end up doing if Joana’s knowledge of all spells is similar to her knowledge of Nervi). While stamina is a strong-point of Joana, it can be an even stronger point for me. By dining at the nicest restaurants and using all the skills I have in botany, I can increase my stamina to an unlikely and ridiculous degree. If I face her like that during a duel, despite the fact that her punches hurt, I will win.

 

The issue is can I survive the period of vendetta? As I wrote months ago, duels take time. It seems in Academagia, two weeks is usually considered appropriate. That seems short, but two weeks of her pulling off all the stops could leave me in a coma. I would really prefer that not to happen.

 

Yet it would be revenge. A very final sort of revenge, which would lead very nicely in to next years true revenge: there’s something poetic about a final duel for this year and then a firm breaking next. This method definitely has its temptations.

 

I need to consider all my options. Yet more than that, I need to win.

 

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When I do these, I write a letter as events happen, then at the end of the week I go back, fix up letters and dates (occasionally moving events around to make more sense). I then play a few more weeks, and when I post, go back for a final semi-edit and occasionally to drop some foreshadowing bombs. That means sometimes I get awesome results, like day 17 being written before day 19 happened but it somehow connecting perfectly. Hee.

 

And Emilia has succeeded in her ruining my plans, but Ceyn's chill with it, so I suppose I am too. I had the perfect set up, though. /grumbles

 

 

Week Twenty-Eight

Random Event Restaurant 8, success (Observation/Patience)

Random Event Foraging 15, success (Observation fail/Concentration suc)

Random Event Research 2, success (Library Knowledge/Revision)

Reloading for adventure checking

 

 

15 Aruit, right after dinner

Free desserts for a YEAR at this nice little restaurant in town. I’m pleased. I rarely get to eat desserts at school: a mention that I'm not too fond of sweets means that between Prudence and Magsa alone, I never get to eat any of the desserts served at Academagia. Admittedly, the food at the Academy is horrible, but that doesn't mean I never want a muffin or piece of pie or whatever the treat of the night is. Now I have a place where I can actually get food without my friends stealing it. All it cost was me telling the cooks to make some kid's birthday cake blue rather then pink, too, which was pretty obvious.

 

Adults are sometimes even more attached to stereotypes then we students are.

 

I’m studying Joanna right now. I’m going to memorize every movement she makes, and then I’m going to use that to make her the most miserable girl in the world, even if the full play-out has to wait till next year.

 

…So far, she seems to attend classes. Not impressed. Her delinquency could use some work. What sort of bully doesn’t skip? I'd make a better bully then she.

 

 

17 Aruit, during dinner

So Magsa’s in.

 

I figure out of the seven of us- myself, Prudence, Catherine, Emilia, Aymeri, Honors, and Magsa, the one most likely to turn evil and traitor is myself. So maybe I have nothing to worry about. I’ll keep an eye on Prudence, Catherine, and Magsa- they’re the other options. Prudence and I have become so close that it probably doesn’t matter, and I suppose the same is true for Magsa. I need to spend a bit more time in the company of Catherine, I imagine, but if I do that, then all the ones who do have a chance to turn evil will first invite me to join them in their plans, or at least go in to some mortal breakdown over the idea of harming me first, giving me time to get out safely to plot their downfall and/or redemption.

 

Aymeri and Honors have very little chance: Honors doesn't have the personality traits to betray someone in such a way, and Aymeri simply wouldn't fit the role.

 

Then there's our last member, she who studies (not even an attempt at writing a scribbled out word- rather just a long blot). I figure if I squint, Emilia actually already counts as our evil teammate: she's just on the same side despite our morality. Similar to the time when the full force of the city guards had to team up with the ever famous Ilaro in order to catch the true Mineta Murderer. Or was that only a book? I suppose I don't care. It's fairly common in fiction, anyway, and that's good enough for me.

 

I'll stick with that thought for now: Emilia's actually already evil, so no worry about sixth columns. I will work on improving my relationship with Catherine on a just-in-case basis, though.

 

There was one thing I didn’t count on with Magsa’s entry, however: now my shoes are now constantly covered in dog drool. Also, there’s now cat and dog in this mix, and while the dog doesn't seem to mind, the cat certainly does. I've never really paid much attention to the other's familars: Cutter stopped raking me months ago and now seems to accept me as her owners companion (doesn't mean she doesn't still glare at me, but that's an owl for you). Catherine's ferret usually just sits calmly: it bites you if you pet it, but I don't make a habit of petting things. Both the iguana's are actually rather nice for lizards, and it can be a bit amusing to watch them communicate. As for the cat, I barely notice it, save for when I want to stand up and go somewhere and it reads my mind and jumps on my lap and then headbutts me repeatedly until I start petting it or allow it to knead my legs for a bit. Pretty usual for a cat. Magsa’s dog, though…

 

That thing is friendly. Super friendly. It loves me. I’m its best friend (besides Magsa, and every other being in the universe). It wants to play with me, and get petted by me, and probably gorge out my leg with its antlers, and drag me to play with it and Magsa, and most of all, it wants to drool on me. All over me. But especially on my shoes.

 

Just to make the whole thing more absurd, Pamela is now snitting about how she thinks I would rather have had a dog for a familiar rather then her- completely with the barely hidden tears. No matter how many times I assure her, she keeps going on, and on, and on about it.

 

Really, I’d take the lizards before the dog. Or the owl, cat, or ferret. Or really anything. But mostly the crazy spirit. I’ve grown to really like her. If I try to explain that, though, she thinks I’m tricking her and gets all suspicious. Woman!

 

Did help Magsa today: he’s… really not that good with plants. He was practically torturing the poor Varisus. I told him to sing for it, and that worked. Magsa actually has a rather nice voice… then again, he takes music.

 

He also reminded me about the dwarves in the bathroom. Really. He seriously, honestly believes there are dwarves in the bathroom and wants me to go talk to them with him. I keep trying to convince him to show Emilia, but, I quote, "She can't come to the boys bathroom. And the dwarf wants Duranderites."

 

I've been using the 'I'm sorry, Joana shoved me off the roof a building so I can't check it out today excuse, but I'm uncertain how long that it'll work."

 

 

19 Aurit, right after classes

Met a nice enough lizard in the library who told me happily how it likes watching and would watch for me, if I so desired.

 

Then Pamela came out of the bookshelves and burst in to hysterical tears about how I was leaving her, I lost track of the lizard, and now she’s completely torn up my portion of the dorm-room. She also won’t talk to me: I’ve wandered the halls looking for her, calling for her, apologizing and apologizing and apologizing…

 

No ghost, no show.

 

I’m going to go grey from this.

 

Vincent and Lambert are just full of helpful suggestions, if by ‘helpful’ I mean completely useless and rather irritating. I have Prudence, Honors, and Sheary (ugh) helping me, but she doesn’t seem to be still in the Durand dorms. Which means wandering around the school calling out apologies in the slight chance that she's currently hiding in one of the nearby walls and will come out if I do so enough. Humiliating.

 

 

21 Aruit, evening

Finally found my familiar today. She’s still not officially speaking to me, but she’s at least willing to be in my presence, so it’s something. And she keeps talking to me to remind me she's not speaking to me, anyway, so I don't think this will go on too much longer.

 

I should have made a bond with a sloth. Or maybe a tree. A tree familiar would be good. Especially if it could walk so I could take it back home for the summer.

 

Peh, summer.

 

I've decided that next week, I'll do a declare. I’ve been assured by my friends that they’ll visit me in the infirmary. As I’ve mastered the art of the repartee, I had a few good responses to that.

 

One almost made Honors cry, though, and now I feel fairly horrible. Stupid Sphinx. I never would have done such studying of snarky responses if it wasn’t for always losing against it. It’s not even like I have a problem making a girl cry, with three sisters and, well, JOANA (I would take great pleasure in seeing her cry, actually), but Honors is just- different. It felt fairly awful, and everyone gave me accusing looks. Then I messed up trying to apologize to her, and now Emilia and Catherine keep whispering about me. The whole atmosphere is odd, but at least Honors forgave me anyway. I have to be a bit less... sarcastic, I suppose, around her. She's certainly not delicate: she can and does speak her mind rather elegantly, but she doesn't have that 'I am immune to your petty comments' aura that Prudence and Catherine give out. I suppose that means she pays more attention to what I say to and about her then the other two, which is nice in a way, but it's also complicated. Makes sense: Honors is complicated.

 

Joana spent yesterday not-casting-Nervi on me and bullying, and today she plotted and sabotaged. She’s not very pleasant.

 

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Um. Prepare for lots of updates, zooming by quickly as I am eager to move on to the next character.

 

Poor Ceyn didn't get the long wait Kay did. I feel for him, truly. But considering he's such a brat, he probably deserves it.

 

 

Week Twenty-Nine

Random Student Event – Katja, success (Observation/Temperence)

Random Event Foraging 2, success (Voice)

Random Event Thieves Guild 10, failure (Dedication)

Random Event Potions 21, success (Concentration)

Random Event Rumor 12, success (Sleuthing/Patience)

Reloaded for, again, an adventure check

 

 

22 Aruit, during dinner

Little Katja attracted a unicorn with her violin playing, and gave me some of the hair from the unicorn’s mane (or tail, I suppose). If you drink it, apparently you'll become brilliant. As I already am brilliant, that doesn't seem the best of deals. However, a single hair of a unicorn sells for over 500 pims, and I know it can be used as twine for an enchanted ring (or bracelet, if the hair is long enough- I believe this one is). I've even heard of some people using a single unicorn hair to enhance wands. Thus, the hair is much better saved then used foolishly.

 

I wrote earlier that Katja didn’t have any use: I admit I was wrong. I’ll be her best friend if I’ll get unicorn-hair out of it. Fantastic bargain.

 

Also, beat the sphinx. Ha!

 

 

27 Aruit, early afternoon

I’m not sure where to start: the fact that I put a red ribbon on Joana’s door (I was going to write a poem, rhyming the word door with (a scribbled out word), but then I realized I should leave the poetry to Honors as that’s really pathetic- and for all her faults, Joana shows extreme loyalty to crazy Phillipe), or that there really was a very small dwarf-creature in Campus Durand's male bathroom.

 

It wants- I need to record this, as it's just absurd: “However, a sickness has come about our city, and we are in need of a tool to provide us a cure. We need one of these things four, a Ghamper, a packet of Dumbles, a Poike, and a Shutvel. One of these four things we need, prepared in the way of the lords of old.”

 

The above is the best translation of sound-to-word that I can muster: perhaps the dwarves would write it as 'shutivale' or 'sheutyel', but it gets the thought down. Regardless, upon saying the words out-loud, it was relatively easy to figure out what they wanted (despite the complete lack of help that is Magsa). Shutvel goes to shovel easy enough, and ghamper to hammer. Poike is pike. Packet of dumbles I’m less certain of, but for now, I’m assuming thimbles.

 

I find it interesting that they couldn't prounce or understand 'pike' correctly, but 'however', 'sickness', and 'provide' were pronounced correctly. Or even tool. Tool can sound a lot like fool...

 

Unfortunately, the hammer I and Magsa bought for the fool creatures (that Magsa insisted he enchanted despite having instead played with it as a baton as if I'm not an incredibly skilled ENCHANTER myself who can realize when magic is being cast and when it isn't) when a magical fight descended over us (apparently, a group of random thieves just happened to appear on top of us, which is just... very weird).

 

Now Magsa’s whiny-pissed, and… I’m still boggling. There really were dwarves in the bathroom.

 

Very, very, weird.

 

 

Festival of the Blooms, late night

Doing well enough in Negation that the Legate singled me out (along with around twenty others, admittedly) as one of the more promising students in my year. I’m proud. Having helped figure out who the thief was at the zoology cages (it was a monkey) probably helped a bit with that.

 

Went back to the Safaviore. It’s been a while since I’ve been there: it felt good to refresh my memory on famous battles and leadership and the like. War is much more simple then school-games of friendship and hate: it's much easier to dissociate oneself in to a 'them' and 'us' rather then a 'me and my friends' and 'my enemies'. I don't like the emotional pulls I feel, especially when they keep going in ways I don't want them to go. I don't want to dislike, or hate, Joana: it would be much better if I simply could view her with bored disinterest rather then hating her and desperately needing vengeance.

 

I plan on challenging Joana to a duel tomorrow. I assume then two weeks after that, we’ll duel.

 

…I can’t deny being nervous. Amada must have noticed: she pounced on me with her cat. Her cat’s a much more comforting presence then Aymeri’s is, but I suppose that’s the nature of such beings. Some cats are adorable, just so you can feel more disturbed and wronged when you meet the majority that simply want to drink out your soul and command you to dance on strings for all eternity.

 

I mentioned the duel to the others (who made appropriate ooo'ing and ahh'ing sounds, at least). None of them really seem to know much about dueling (despite Magsa having won one while I played second this week), making me think I may want to grab Vincent as my second. He’s my roommate, he owes me. Probably. Or maybe I could blackmail him. But then again, I don't know if he really does know anything about dueling, so wouldn't it better to have a friend rather then an unknown? I suppose I have a few weeks to debate it, anyway.

 

I can’t fight the need to pace, so I’m going to go do that. Tomorrow: the start of a period of reckoning. Or the period of long hospitalization. I suppose I'll see.

 

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This week was my second OMG surprise. My first was back realizing that Emilia was going to get Magsa in the clique (and then likely cause a split due to his lack of relationship with C and A) unless I put serious work in to breaking their relationship, which seemed a bit unwieldy. My second was, well, this. As I said in Kay's report, the only duel I had done was poor Girars. So I wasn't expecting, well, what happened!

 

When I first triggered it, I actually ctrl-alt-delted in panic. I then figured well, go with what was said, though I did do one cheap trick- I allowed Ceyn to rest the activity before it. :blush: He wouldn't know to do so, but I figured I could allow myself that one little cheat. And I had planned everything out so well...

 

 

Week Thirty

Random Event Research 10, success (Sabotage)

Random Event Aranaz 8, success (Bluff)

Random Event Animal Pen 6, success? (Zoology)

Reload because OMG unexpected!

Gained Mind for Numbers (+1 Arithmetic, Accounting, and Intelligence)

Gained Visualize Mathematics (+3 Arithmetic and +1 Geometry)

Gained Drakesmark (+1 Move Silently and Archery)

 

 

Veranix 1, late afternoon

That was completely unexpected. I'm still in shock.

 

I confronted Joana as soon as school ended at the Dueling Bridge (it seemed the most reasonable spot to do so). She demanded an immediate duel, and as the challenger, I had no right to refuse it. I was not expecting that at all. She also demanded Au Mouchoi, which left me unable to use my knife (our hands were tied back to back, leaving my hand twisted outwards so I could only stab air with the knife clutched in it) nor get out of her punching range. The most I could do was demand that the victory condition be to Quietus, though I was uncertain on how well that would go without time to do my preperations.

 

We stopped so she could find Phillipe and I just grabbed Prudence. If things somehow turned in to an all-out brawl, I wouldn't want to expose Catherine, Honors, or Emilia to that. Truthfully, Aymeri, too. He wouldn't take many punches well. Magsa would have worked, but Prudence is Prudence- if I lost, she'd help me spin it rather then accidentally blurting out the entire truth in a random moment. Then the four of us grimly marched down to the loading docks: funny, but in the six or so years I've spent in Mineta, I don't remember ever going there before. Seems like you could learn some interesting things, though commanding and transporting are not things I need help with.

 

The duel was started immediately. Thankfully, though I lack her fitness, I do have knowledge of the practicalities of wrestling, which meant she was unable to put a hold on me. The duel also answered one other question I had: she does know one other spell besides Nervi. ‘Baby Fat’. She can’t cast that one, either, although she tried around seven times. I freely admit to having much affection for the spell, now. It may have partially been because my first move was to use my knowledge of negation to negate her ability to cast (something non-obvious, and thus she was unaware of), but her inability to cast the spell seemed to consume her. Her obsession with it was the only reason I won: if she abandoned her attempts to just simply hit me twice in a row repeatedly, I would have lost. In the end, after hitting her with Confound, Bitter Stalks, Trip, Collapse and then finally Wrath of the Comet’s Tail (thank you, Library of the Stars!), she was still standing, so I started simply punching her in the chest repeatedly.

 

Low, I admit, but as she wasn’t all that concerned about where she kicked, I’m can't bring myself to be worried about the crassness. The only others around to see it were Phillipe and Prudence, acting as our seconds, and I think they preferred it that way.

 

In the end, I was bleeding and bruised and barely standing, but she wasn't standing at all, so that was that. She's now geased against acting against me in any sort of hostile way for the rest of the year. I'm more free to do as I wish, like set her up to taste horrible cookies filled with salt instead of myself.

 

It didn't go as planned, but for today, I'll give a tiny bit of credit to luck- and a ton to quick thinking. Oh, and I'll celebrate.

 

 

3 Veranix, late evening

Skipped enough classes to earn myself another detention on Friday. Now, will it be with a nice pheme teaching professor, or a moron who only knows songs about friendship?

 

A bunch of Aranaz upperclassmen tried to involve me in the rivalry that only exists in their own heads against some Durand upperclassmen. It was about Rimbal, which is completely unsurprising. If anything’s going to back up your delusions, it’s going to be Rimbal.

 

I bluffed my way out of it, and told Aymeri to get his cat to trip some of his seniors one of these nights. He laughed, but I doubt he’ll do it.

 

I feel like I’m not taken seriously enough around here. I beat Joana.

 

Peh.

 

 

5 Veranix, during detention

Stuck with stupid Professor Massioti. Not even a song this time, either. Does he actually teach anything? Seriously,

 

I did find what I think might be a private mansion owned by the Legate (that he may be storing the Pauper's Bane in) for Catherine. Though I’m pretty sure following this lead is a ridiculously bad idea, so I’m going to wait a bit to tell her about it.

 

While I was in the library, I also helped Magsa with Dialect- apparently, since I helped him with plants, he expects me to help him with other classes, too. As I’m acing the class, it’s not too much of a bother. Professor Sido had a nice little wordplay set up for Magsa’s extra credit project, but it didn’t take me too long to piece it together. I just told Magsa the clues to solving it and let him go at it.

 

What I want to know is why wasn’t I offered that extra-credit assignment? Someone’s playing favorites. I haven’t gotten any extra-credit assignments this whole year.

 

 

7 Veranix, early afternoon

Yesterday I went in to a store down in Mineta.

 

There, they were playing a strategy wargame involving small clockwork (and some wooden) figures. It is awesome. There was a test scenario set up involving a bunch of Wyrm Knights against, of course, Wyrms. After some consideration, I saw three different ways to win. After hiding my Safaviore Insignia (I was worried it might disqualify me), I took the classic route. A very simple strategy- first-year stuff, really- of using maneuverability, terrain, and the strengths of bow and pike to exhaust my opponents and keep my units refreshed.

 

Although I suppose you don’t have to worry to much about weariness in a wargame. Let me check the instructions again..

 

Right. It doesn’t really matter: it’s only important if you have a unit that’s left the field and needs to return.

 

No matter. My beautifully executed strategy won me a free starter set of the BattleMace figures, which are mine, and I refuse to share. Not even with my friends. They’re perfect, and they’re mine.

 

Also, while down in the city, I scouted around to figure out that Lambert had bought himself a pixie (presumably to be his familar after he drowns poor Piers in paint). Pamela thought there was something suspicious going on in the room, though I hadn’t see anything. I’ll tell Aymeri about it, after I’m done re-reading the instructions here for the fourth time.

 

BattleMace rules.

 

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Har-har. I guess little Ceyn finally found a good use for his tactical prowess.

 

....Still, your duel just reinforced my impression of the duel - a brutal boxing match in weird robes as opposed to shiny rainbows theater (WHY CAN'T ORSO DUEL PEOPLE THIS WAY IN THE MAIN QUEST :angry: )

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There was no way I couldn't do the Battlemace adventure with Ceyn. No one else was so suited for it. /grins ...he's a bit of a war-games geek. Hee.

 

And yeah... duels really are surprisingly brutal and have surprisingly little to do with spellcasting, in my experience. Kay's was even worse: both her and Giars only cast one spell before they beat on each other, though considering poor Giars only had like, five vit, it wasn't all that important. Joana and Ceyn's lasted much longer and had a lot more generic punching, but at least they did cast some spells during it.

 

...at least Ceyn's knife was buggy and didn't work, as the generic stabbing probably would have been even worse.

 

 

Ceyn's piety has been raised (through Sphinx and random temple visits when I have nothing else to do) to the point in which he's lost Golden and the extra cha point, though Peaceful Heart continues.

 

Week Thirty-One

Random Event Classroom 12, success (Negation Spells/Negation Methods)

Random Event Professors Office 11, success (Playfulness)

Random Event Athletics 9, success (Observation/Archery)

Random Event City Street 1, success (Observation/Negation)

Random Event Potions 1, success (Observation/Athletics)

Random Event Potions 9, success (Observation/Athletics)

Random Event Awesome Community 18, success (Conversation/Negation)

Reload due to Adventure bug

 

 

10 Veranix, early evening

My BattleMace starter set is that of the Tinker Knights, commanded by Professor CogSpring. The Tinker Knights use a bled of common forge work (I assume a bit of Enchanting, as well) and then Revision to argument natural talent in battle. While they do have that natural talent, their true ability comes from their equipment (the Revision pales compared to the forge work, in my opinion). The Tinker Knights are organized in to regiments, each with their own skills.

 

The Runners are equipped with a windpack that makes them capable of hovering and quickly escaping from miscalculated situations; some can also fly, though with a smaller movement then the Wyrm units I saw in the store. The Jumpers are capable of similar quick escapes, as well as faster movement, though they lack true flight or long-term hovering. The Shooters are more simple, and are almost directly comparable to a modern crossbow unit, though their ‘reloading’ is faster then even a trained archer with a bow. There are also a few other unique units, presumably lieutenants to Professor CogSpring: although each has its own special ability, they share a few in common, and could be set up as a forward squad of pikeman (if pikemen had lances that shot electricity, in any case). All units have the ability to repair itself and its comrades, a few in fact able to rouse comrades from the brink of defeat. Many of them can also trade equipment if necessary, or gruesomely, use the equipment of their ‘dead’ comrades with only a slight penalty.

 

Their biggest liability is their lack of a true melee force, though their strong maneuverability helps offset that weakness if the Gunners can be kept away from any fast moving foes. They also seem like they will be weak against a squad that relies mostly on flyers, though I’d need to run a few test-battles to be certain about that. They do take penalties when facing units that rely on, I quote, “nature magic”- apparently there’s a set based around ‘druids and witches’. Also, while they have good maneuverability, their speed isn’t that high- however, most speedy units take penalties to their health, and the Tinker Knights are strong hitters.

 

That, the maneuverability, and the healing factor are their main advantages, as well as the sheer diversity of abilities and equipment they have. Against both highly specialized and very well balanced squads, they can hold their own. I imagine in the tournament, my biggest worry will be those using said nature units or who have some sort of Dragon and Wyrm set: units with a great amount of health as well as flight will be problematic.

 

I spent the day researching that, then testing the metal each unit was made of (they’re rather well forged- or put together, for the few that have some clockwork), then finally painting them.

 

They look gorgeous. I’m very proud of them.

 

Prudence (and really everyone else I’ve talked to today, actually) has named me a huge nerd, but they just don’t seem to understand this sort of thing. Also, even if I am one, I don’t care. These things are awesome.

 

And Pamela didn’t even try to help and ruin it all (I sent her off to go be helpful by helping Sheary), so I call this day a stunning success.

 

 

Festival of the Exile, very late night

After the morning celebrations (which caused a bit of fuss when I couldn’t find the pedals I needed) were over, I overheard the banquet I heard Professor Birandi speaking about with the cook so long ago was tonight. Strange day for it, but I suppose it makes sense. I decided I needed to attend.

 

The sneaking in and eavesdropping went rather well: while the Ambassador played nice, he had his attaché do some bribing. I then slipped in to the room of the Ambassador, doing some sleuthing until I discovered what the Ambassador was after. He’s searching for an item called the Blackhorse, which is apparently an item we really don’t want him to have. The attaché then appeared, but I fled out a window after distracting him. I then quickly rolled in to the brush so my face couldn’t be seen

 

I write this all proudly. I have no love for Pregoria.

 

…Not that I really know anyone from Pregoria besides the Ambassador and his attaché, but first impressions do count.

 

In any case, if what I write is ever too much information, I can destroy it easily enough. For now, I’ll need to try and find out more about the Ambassador and his attaché, as well as the Blackhorse. While I’m sure Professor Briardi has everything well under control, I can’t help but be a bit curious.

 

 

11 Veranix, during dinner

Detention with Professor di Lucca Alazzo (or is it just Professor Alazzo?) this week. He gave me a book on Revision to look over. Getting closer, but not quite there.

 

The folklore about wand positions has been very interesting to study. There is a place I’d like to go. But I cannot yet.

 

So instead I’m studying the various different arts of magic that I have little knowledge of: thanks to this book, I’ll start with Revision. After all, I still have a long list.

 

While considering that, Emilia begged for my help with another plant problem. Strange, considering how well she did on her midterm Botany exam. Still, I got Cinzia’s help to get the items Emilia needed. Better to be on her good side than not. I suppose (ink blot) must be pretty useless on those with no minds to influence.

.

…I’m really going to have to edit this year very well if I do intend on publishing it.

 

Professor Pachait apparently keeps a Satyr in his classroom. I think that should be against school rules somehow, though it taught me a few jokes that Prudence will love.

 

 

13 Veranix, while skipping dinner

Damn it, Aymeri. Damn it.

 

Magsa and I received a note from ‘Agent X’ about the missing hammer. Agent X was, of course, Aymeri, who had been eavesdropping (so not surprised) and following us around ever since the conversation with the dwarf in the bathr

 

I cannot believe I am writing this. I cannot believe this even happened.

 

Alright. Aymeri has been following us ever since Magsa and I had conversed with the dwarf in the bathroom.

 

Aymeri knows who stole the hammer, but wants a favor before he tells us who the thief is. Despite my general yelling at them that they were both on the same side here, the two of them had snit-fight (‘Tell me!/’Do what I want!’/I’ll beat you up!’/’I won’t tell!’) until I agreed to get whatever Aymeri wanted, which turns out to be a parcel from Professor Briardi’s room, which is just going to be a pain in the kicker to get, but no one is listening to me at this point. Nor did they listen to the point that seriously, we (no matter what Magsa is saying at this point) would have helped Aymeri anyway, so this whole round-about was unnecessary nonsense.

 

I hate my clique. I’m going to go join the Helping Bell Friends of Academagia Flower Happiness Kids Guild or whatever people are calling themselves today. Just not the Rimbal Fanatics one.

 

Just to add to my frustration, people keep attacking me with potions this week, and although I learned a very nice pheme I had been studying for, it doesn't seem to work for me. All that Revision work for nothing.

 

Amada came after me with another hair problem. Considering her fit the last time, I was somewhat leery, but she remarked I was one-against-one for helping her (having dealt with the candy-stone back then THAT JOANA STOLE) and didn’t I want to change the score? I didn’t really care, honestly, but due this generally be nice to people kick I’ve been on, I did fix it. I think. She seemed happy and didn’t scream and cry this time, anyway. I suppose that's a success.

 

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I wonder how many times I spelled Piccolet's name wrong... I'm actually doing 'work' today, so I can't just open the tools or game to check. ;;

 

 

Week Thirty-Two

Random Event Thieves Guild 17, success (Reason)

Random Event Student – Prudence, success (Leadership)

Random Event Kitchen 4 triggers, success (Observation/Revision)

Random Event Physical Activity 18, success (Observation/Athletics)

Random Event Foraging 10, success (Observation/Animal Husbandry)

Reload due my cool pheme being mean to me :(

 

 

16 Veranix, evening

Spent sometime with Pamela, in my continuing effort to try and convince her I’m not going to run off and abandon her to become bonded to lizards or dogs. At her idea (I guess she saw me last week with Amada), we borrowed from Professor Leith an enchanted comb that can be touched and used by both ghost and mortal. And then she had me comb her hair for her and then braid it up in one of those- I don’t know, it’s this weird braided twist thing that stays braided without needing any ribbons.

 

Just because I know about ‘Court Hairstyles’ due to Catherine doesn’t mean I get what each one’s called, obviously.

 

I freely admit the whole thing was embarrassing: sitting there, cross-legged on my bed, combing a girls hair. It’s just wrong. Neither Lambert or Vincent were there, but if one of them walked in, there may have been two ghosts. Even worse if it was one of the girls. I know the statues and paintings at each end of the hallway are there to prevent students of the wrong gender, year, or collage from wandering down an inappropriate hallway, but I know the year ones don’t work, Aymeri’s been our dorm before (and Lambert’s been in every dorm-room in every other collage, if the rumors are to believe), and I’m pretty skeptical about the gender ones, too. I’ve ran down and kicked Prudence’s door a few times when I had agreed to go with her to breakfast and she’s been late, and I once went and fetched Honors for… I don’t even remember anymore. She invited me in for a moment: her room wasn’t as girly as I thought it would be. Just looked rather neat. Lots of quills and books.

 

Besides, my sister said she managed to get her boyfriend in to her room two years ago. Then again, after she said that, I told our mother, and she set up some overly complicated scrying pool so she could contact the school and scream about it for a while, so I assume they probably have some sort of over-dramatic method for catching that now.

 

Though I still have suspicions about my sister telling the actual truth there.

 

A thief tried to get me to help him break in to a random person’s house while I was out wandering after classes earlier. Honestly, the thieves guild in this city is an embarrassment. Aymeri and Lambert would out pilfer them ten times over, if they could bother to get along.

 

Not that I blame Aymeri, save for when it came to the whole Agent X thing. Lambert is a moron.

 

Who writes about me. Very suspicious.

 

 

18 Veranix, just before bed

Prudence rules.

 

She was torturing Vincent today by trying to goad him in to a duel he was too afraid to fight, and it was one of the greatest things I’ve seen in a while. If only Kurt hadn’t been in the room, I would have immediately offered myself as her second and watched her trash wonder-boy.

 

Sadly, as Kurt was around and probably would have offered to act as Vincent’s second and then set us all on fire (but mostly just the highly flammable common room) if they started, though, I broke it up. I’m sort of disappointed: so is Prudence, though after I explained, she got it. She did say she could beat me at dueling, though, which she is so wrong about. We’re going to be bickering about that one for a while.

 

Friendly-like bickering. As our real goal is to find and torment Vincent another day. Should be fun.

 

In a relatively good mood, I asked her about her weird misfit plan she talked to me about some four or so months ago. I think she might have forgotten, too, but then she brightened and said she had something for me involving it: she’ll tell me tomorrow.

 

In any case, it was a fun time for all in Durand. Except for Piccolot. Though he hates all confrontations, he really seemed to dislike this one.

 

 

20 Veranix, during dinner

I did not feel like doing Botany course-work today.

 

…So I lied terrifically and then wondered off, only to get bitten by a snake and meet a gnome. Odd. Then I met up with Honors, and we decided to stalk some people around in hopes of her being inspired by them.

 

Also impressed Vincent with a genius belly flop (long, long, boring story). Now to get him in a duel with Prudence.

 

Who gave me posters that basically say “If you are a screwed up misfit, come talk to me!” (they also sing it in three different languages, dance, and I think answer basic mathematical equations) and told me to hang them up (she had another detention with Professor Alazzo herself- I asked her if he teaches her phemes, but she just gave me a you-cannot-be-serious look). I tried to get some of our friends to help, but they turned out to all be in a rather nasty mood about the whole thing, so I used the incantation spell I once used to stick my sister to the ceiling of the kitchen with to get the posters hanging for her.

 

It’s really the only Incantations spell I know. Sadly, it only works against targets of a certain mass- Joana weighs more than I do, so it wouldn’t have worked.

 

Though today I learned Sheets of Ice. Which would be incredibly useful if I knew the Bring Forth pheme

 

This place is absurd. When they teach me spells, they should teach the phemes to go with it!

 

Still keeping an eye on Joana. She appears to have turned her bullying on Vincent Eins of Vernin (nothing in common with wonder-boy the duelist of suck, though they both are annoying) and Aveline of Aranaz. Poor saps.

 

 

Fountain Days Veranix, a bit before lunch

Poor Piccolet’s sick. Really, really sick. Quarantined and half-dead sick.

 

The thing about Piccolet is that you don’t really notice him until he’s not there. Nice guy, and I guess even a friend, but I never even think about him. He exists, he’s free with smiles and breaks up fights, and that’s all I ever notice. But with him not around, the common room feels quiet even though he's not a huge talker. A bunch of us from Durand got him a bunch of… well, mostly junk. Some homemade food, more flowers then you could fit in even the largest planter, a few library books (I found a copy of that crappy one about making friends from detention that I figured Piccolet would get a kick out of, non-ironically, because he’s just that sort of actually nice person (sort of like Honors)), even a deck of cards for his familiar and him to bicker about. We couldn’t give it to him, though: the nurse won’t let any of us see him. She did say she’d give it to him ‘when he next opens his eyes’ after doing a check of the food and flowers.

 

Depressing.

 

I don’t really know the other two in their weirdly named clique all that well, but it has Jere feeling down, which means he’s not even doing the usual impersonations and he's been mostly curled up in the common room looking like someone killed his bunny. And it really does seem a shame for Piccolet to just suddenly be so weirdly ill: apparently, he caught something while looking up some plants for botany.

 

I don’t usually do this, but… it isn’t right. So, fine. Library genius (peh) Ceyn Kahtac on the case. I figure I‘ll research this ‘Ravenprix’ disease and find some mysterious botanical method of a cure, and as Piccolet’s good at keeping secrets, no one will ever know I had any part in this sap.

 

“I have to keep the collage I’m a member of in tip-top shape.” It sounds like a good excuse if someone does find out.

 

 

Fountain Days Veranix, around five hours later

So I emotionally manipulated the librarian at the help-desk to give me permission to head off in to the Advanced Spells section. Prudence, who always seems to know what I’m doing, and Aymeri, too (probably because of the damn cat) both told me I didn’t really need to get permission (they both know the way), but I did things properly. (I am rolling my eyes as I write this.) I then emotionally manipulated the head librarian to give me the exact book I need.

 

With that, I found the spell Virotulian. Cures swamp-born viruses, like Ravenprix. It’s incantation, not my strong point, but I memorized the phemes.

 

After doing so, I then emotionally manipulated upperclassman Cleo Warrick, last year’s Rimbal star (like I care), to look over my spell and make sure I had all the phemes correct.

 

Finally, I emotionally manipulated the nurses (that took more work then the other three cases combined) to let me actually in to see Piccolett so I could cast the spell.

 

Only it didn’t work. All my emotional manipulation, wasted, and Picolett didn’t open his eyes this full day and looks like some sort of vein-zombie.

 

I hate the world.

 

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I only started the library adventure as Ceyn's somewhat quietly after Mastery, and my attempts with the Modius pheme got me nothing. Unfortunately for him, the library adventure gave Mastery so longer, so it was sort of useless- though as I had already written everything out, I figured I'd just post it.

 

We have become Bon Vient! Tra la! I guess.

 

 

Week Thirty-Three

Random Event Awesome Community 09, failure (Architecture)

Random Event Classroom 1, success (Patience)

Random Event Tavern 10, success (Planning/Negation)

Gained +1 Charm from successful adventure

 

 

23 Veranix, afternoon

I heard about a Gemologist in Mineta, and paid 200 pims to officially proclaimed as his apprentice (one of four at the moment, I believe). I have no intention of running a Gemologists shop, of course (and I never told said Gemologist that I have such a desire), but he does have lessons to teach that I’ll appreciate. My Materials Knowledge isn’t quite yet to point I want it to be: Professor Leith’s been sort of focused on the Theory for the last two months, which I have completely mastered (I think I mastered it half a year ago, actually) but apparently the majority of my classmates haven’t.

 

Idiots.

 

I can also use it as a status symbol (the Gemologist doesn’t exactly accept anyone as an apprentice, of course: it is a prestigious position), and, with any luck, an excuse to stay in Mineta later this year and head back earlier, cutting at least two weeks off my ‘summer’ at home. My parents will likely buy that: they’re big at paying back obligations, as long as it’s not to the children they birthed.

 

The loss of the pims are annoying: I still get free deserts, but sometimes I want to go out for an actual meal. However, I can also take on work for my Master (…I really despise that term) and re-earn pims that way.

 

Though I really, really hate work. Still, he'll allow me to do almost everything by myself, with him just acting as a supervisor and correcting any mistakes, so… perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad. Good practice for later years. And much, much better then working at the circus or a flower-shop.

 

Piccolet’s still quarantined.

 

 

25 Veranix, late evening

I’ve been in a wonderful mood lately. I’m not sure where it came from, considering that things have been rather iffy lately, but its here all the same.

 

Went to beg Piccolet’s case to Legate Orsi, where emotional manipulation sadly didn’t win the day. He did leave behind an important clue, though: Professor Vickery once tried to find a cure one of the librarians who suffered from Ravenprix. I decided to follow that lead.

 

Had to find the Forbidden Archives (which I think Prudence has been to: there’s a lot of books on her favorite things in there), where I was attacked by a giant vine. Very odd. After Pamela’s help with getting me out of that, I took the time to play a bit with her. And by play, I mean play: it’s like another younger sister, only fifty times less annoying and much more clever and helpful.

 

Do younger sisters get more helpful when dead? I would not, of course, cause the little brat any harm- this isn’t even a half joke, like it was with Joana. She is family, and no matter what I feel about them, I would allow myself harm before I would allow it to fall on any of them, especially as my younger sister is only a mere child. She hasn't even started schooling yet. But- Pamela does often give me the impression of being someone’s younger sister. It's just the vibe.

 

After the trouble in the archives, I had to duck around Professorr Aventyare, but emotional manipulation once again won the day as I lied about the cruel injustices of Legate Orsi and Professor Vickery who had yet to help me (…ignoring that I hadn’t really tried all that hard with Professor Vickery yet) and had ignored poor Piccolet’s plight. She basically gave me a full excuse to skip everything to go save ‘my friend’, making me feel almost guilty. Next year, I’m definitely taking her class.

 

We then went in to the forest, looking for plants Professor Vickery’s notes had described, before we ran in to a man speaking an unfamiliar language and carrying a spear. I say ‘we’, as we hightailed it out of there after I used Pamela as a distraction.

 

..She got out safely too, so it wasn’t bad distraction or anything. Just quick thinking.

 

I then went to Professor Viada, where after prodding him repeatedly, I managed to get him to actually think and tell me the man in the forest was Luvio, the head of the ‘Pythagorios’, an ancient tribe- who speak Pythos. The whole thing then got weird: I went to look up a book about the language, then the librarian poisoned me in an attempt to kill me (and is effected by a spell from Emilia’s favorite discipline, if my understanding is correct), then Professor Vickery came with a cure and a sob story about how he’s in love with the librarian but too stupid to say it and he once tried to cure her but he couldn’t but he has a cure that he thought would work on Piccolott.

 

I took the time to go to the librarian, tell her that Professor Vickery is in love with her but too stupid to say it, and that if she poisoned me again I would grind every bone in her body in to fine bitter paste.

 

Then I went to the infirmary to get the potion to Piccolet. I gave the potion to the nurse and told her it was from Professor Vickery: with luck, when Piccolet wakes up, he’ll have no knowledge that I had anything to do with this, nor will anything else. Still, I stuck around to see it applied: already, he looks much better.

 

The mysterious of the random weird man in the forest and the botanical garden Profesosr Vickery was supposed to burn remain simply mysteries, but I suppose I should let it go. Maybe next year.

 

I also snuck in to Professor Birandi’s office to sneak in the package Aymeri wanted me to- after testing it. It was just a gradebook. Too much fuss over nothing, which makes me worried I missed something, but I think- hope- she'll be alright.

 

 

28 Veranix, during dinner

A commotion in class lead to me getting worried about Professor Briardi, but the whole thing was just about plumbing. Not as exciting as I hoped.

 

More so was me saving a vase from an ugly crash, which got me a free slice of cherry pie and no expectation that I share it with someone else. Very nice.

 

Prudence’s gathering gang of misfits is going to be called Belonging Brethren Group. We hung up posters in areas us first-years spend a lot of time (which led to tons of replies), but we bickered about that for a while first. She always asks 'why' rather then just listening, which I admit is admirable and is part of the reason I'm so fond of her, but it also drives to insanity when the 'why' seems so obvious and she doesn't understand it without having to go through the question-and-answers routine. She's my closest friend, but we tend to bicker a lot all the same.

 

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Eventful week.

 

Week Thirty-Four

Random Event Crafting 9, success (Practical Jokes)

Random Event Hidden Room 3, success (Incantation)

Random Event Familiar 1, success (Familiar Kinship)

Random Event Student – Alan, success (Negation Methods)

Random Event Prank 8, success (Composure)

Reload about an adventure decision, but decided to just go with the one I had chosen anyway, so meh

Merit to Vernin on 6 Anedius

Gained Warrior’s Resilence (+2 Vitality maximum)

Gained Stony Look (+1 Lie and Composure rolls)

Gained Controlled Breathing (+1 Endurance and Concentration)

Gained +1 Luck from successful adventure

 

 

1 Anedius 1658, during dinner

As the horrible summer approaches, it’s time to consider the list.

  • Joana. For obvious reasons. Problem: cannot take any more real action against her this year, sadly, due to the geas placed on both of us.
  • Philippe. For being an irritating bully who happens to be friends with Joana who’s sic’ed his spider on me. Problem: he currently has an advantage in strength similar to Joana, which means revenge against him might have to wait till next year.
  • Emilia Strolin. For stealing my candy, and depending how you look at it, my pims as well- all when I was trying to be nice to her. Problem: considering that she’s generally ‘shy’ and ‘tiny’ and ‘quiet’ and all that, almost any action I take against her is going to make me come out as the bad guy. Actions should be taken secretly.
  • Malthezar Mhadi. For starting his own stupid group when I was going to use him for my own. Problem: also one of my close friends, so it would probably be seen as rude to do anything too horrible to him, and it would also likely make me feel guilty.
  • Riklidis von Kiep. For being an annoying piece of work who writes angry bitter lies. Aymeri is friends with her, but not close enough for it to be problematic: she’s also not in a clique. A very easy target.
  • Rixenda la Serena. For the blackmail attempt. And being annoying. But mostly the blackmail. Most everyone finds her annoying (save for some pretty girl I barely know), so it probably won’t be any trouble to act against her, either.
  • All Professors I’ve had contact with excepting Professor Briandi, Professor Leith, Professor Viada, Professor Valenta, Professor Aventyare, and maybe Professor Alazzo and Professor von Rupprecht for not teaching me phemes to go with the spells and generally being unhelpful. Problem: they’re professors.

I may be somewhat harsh in the judgment of my professors. I, for instance, have had little contact with Professor Badcrumble save for yesterday, when I talked to her in order to try and get a place for Prudence and her group of woe (am I included in it?- I’m still uncertain on that) to meet. She was unable to find one for them/us (because of, predictably, Rimbal- surprise, surprise), but she took well to Prudence… or perhaps Prudence took well to her. They had a long discussion about how great it is to be female and how horribly oppressed they are, which was mostly bunk, but Prudence really could use a teacher she doesn’t hate, so even if she would be useless to me, I can see that Professor Badcrumble may have value to little girls who are convinced the world is out to get them.

 

But has she ever taught me phemes? No. So she’s on the list, just simply not very high on it. Professor ‘Have a book Book on Friendship!’ and ‘Here’s a Happy Song!’ come first.

 

 

2 Anedius 1658, late evening

I like Honors. I like Piccolot.

 

They’re both idiots.

 

For some reason, they were playing a board-game against Joana and Phillip, which seems to be one of the stupidest things I’ve known them to do. It was a war-game, though, so I gladly helped them win before telling them not to be idiots. Because, really. Don’t play board-games against crazy people.

 

Besides, next time I want to play. I only got to for the end this time: it seemed fun. Complicated, but I can deal with complicated when it comes to war-games.

 

…There was also a part where a man appeared in a flash out of nowhere to give me a copy of the game. That was… a bit odd. I’m still not sure if I really saw it happen, but Honors, Piccolot, and even Phillipe and Joana seem to have seen it. The game is certainly here in my hands, anyway- it was just… fairly bizarre.

 

Pamela says she wants to play with me, which is going to end in tears for her, I’m sure, but we’ll probably give it a shot anyway. I believe it could be of help with my continuing studies on War.

 

Part one of revenge against Philippe complete: I sent him launched in a giant catapult over the walls of the Academagia garden (he was about to send me, which would have been painful, so once again: no guilt (not that I would have felt much any)). He started crying. I surmise me might have broken something, but as a famous novelist once wrote, I really don’t give a damn.

 

…I brought something up while eating dinner with the clique tonight, and had my suspicions confirmed. None of my clique, save for Honors, know how to study. I suppose it’s fine for Emilia, as she can just (a scribbled out word) the professors for perfect scores, but the others sort of worry me. And I really would have expected better from Catherine and Aymeri- they’re certainly not stupid.

 

Well, I’m not tutoring them. Though Magsa mentioned something about Glamour. I don’t even take glamour… he’s not going to come to me for help, is he?

 

I probably don’t want an answer to that one.

 

 

4 Anedius, early evening

Hah. Worked on Professor Badcrumble again. This time, she just canceled a Rimbal match for Prudence after I pointed out that the amount of male players generally outnumber female 2 to 1.

 

It’s not exactly true: Rimbal is something of an equal opportunity sport, and the ratio does move closer to equal each day. Still, like almost any sport, there are more male players than female ones at the moment. Mother was one of the three woman on her team, and that was professional. When she was playing and not having more brats, anyway.

 

I suppose I am one of those brats. Peh.

 

I found yet another hidden room on campus, this one filled with ants. Took care of those pretty easily. I also played my new game against Pamela (partially so she’d stop asking about my MechWarriors): I won, as usual, but she didn’t cry. I was actually surprised. Is she getting more mature? Can she get more mature? Most ghosts are generally stuck in that ugly moment where they died (or at least, the thoughts they were thinking as they died). As a familiar, Pamela is of course different- her ties to me mean that she learns what I teach her. But can she expand her skills on her own?

 

I think the only example in this year is Hector and his bond with his owl, which is remarkable. While Hector is out doing… whatever it is he does, I don’t really know or care, the owl flies around and does its own thing, thus increasing its own skills in, say, flying or scent detection. Presumably, the rest of us first years will develop a similar bond in time: while Aymeri is out doing his infiltrating, Barnum Blacktail will be able to more gracefully improve its ability to move silently (not that the cat needs that much improvement).

 

Yet Pamela is, well, dead. Will she be able to, I don’t know, play with her own hair and learn about Court Hairstyles while I’m stuck in yet another Botany class learning about the wonderful world of seeds, seeds, and more seeds?

 

I want to know. Unfortunately, neither our bond nor my knowledge of familiars is good enough to truly test that, and I refuse to take Zoology or talk to that professor generally. Pamela gets some pretty strange glances as it is: I gather ghosts as familiars are pretty rare, though I don’t even think about it anymore.

 

For now, I’ll try to spend more time with her. Pamela honestly doesn’t know that much, but teaching isn’t that hard. Today’s lesson: don’t lock yourself in the old stockades unless you’re really, really sure you can get out.

 

And yes, I did manage to get out. It was pretty close, though. Probably won’t try that one again for a while.

 

 

6 Anedius, night

Told Aymeri I’d snuck the package in, then got sent to some gang-filled ugly neighborhood where the group of morons who had stolen the hammer was hanging around. The only thing that saved me was Emilia’s perfume- I swear, the smell never fades. Otherwise, I’d probably still be stuck somewhere throwing up. Not a really nice part of the city.

 

Neither Aymeri or Magsa volunteered to come along on that mission, but as they’re not Sheary, I suppose I don’t’ blame them. I got a map from the Gate Guards (who really shouldn’t have given it to me), threatened to set someone on fire, and got the hammer back. The whole thing was ridiculous, and now one of my robes is ruined.

 

Then I gave the stupid dwarf the hammer, and he disappeared. No reward. Of course, what reward would a bunch of stinking sewer ‘Ulmi’ offer that travel through bathroom pipes? If I look at it that way, it’s not as irritating.

 

Which means I’m only seething with rage, rather then boiling with it.

 

They’re definitely on the list. I’m just not sure if I’ll ever see one again: thus, I’m not sure if I should hate them all that much. Hate would be more productively channeled at someone I can act against, I figure.

 

Gaming sessions with Pamela have been going smoothly. I found her sneaking in to the kitchen today, which may be a good sign. She hasn’t gone off on her own much (unless she’s stomping off furious at me) since the event with the slits and theatre. This time was much less embarrassing: no fuss, no harm. I can’t imagine what she would have wanted in the kitchen, though. She can’t eat.

 

…I think.

 

Helped Alan Driscoll of Godina with a treasure-hunt. I suppose I get the appeal, though we didn’t find anything of use. For him, it’s just the mystery and the seeking that seems to be attractive. I’m more about the rewards, but the mystery was fun to figure out.

 

 

7 Anedius, late afternoon

Professor Viada wanted to remind me that the final exams are coming. It was one thing coming from Vettor, but from a Professor?! What, does he think I’m going to flunk? I am going to ace history. I’m going to ace all my classes, actually. I basically know all there is to know, which in some ways is a bit depressing.

 

Lambert apparently is hiding a pixie under his bed, as Aymeri and I discovered. Vincent hadn’t noticed, either, but Vincent’s… Vincent. I should have realized it earlier. Neither of my roommates touches any of my things, so I’ve returned the favor so far. I should drop that. Being honorable doesn’t really get you all that far, as the hammer foolishness proved.

 

After considering each of my friends, I grudgingly decided that out of them, Mhadi would likely be the best to play MechWarriors against to test my skills for the tournament (as he knows something of wargames, and I think I’ve tired Piccolot and Honors out). It was a rather easy win, but only because Mhadi is so easy to predict: I knew he would play honorably and fair, and thus baited him in to committing and then came at him from behind for the win. I won’t have that information about any who I play against in the tournament, making everything much more difficult. I wish I could practice a bit more against unknown elements.

 

Does this count as a portion of revenge, beating him in a strategy game by making him look a fool? I wonder. He was (barely) grudgingly cordial about my win, but he certainly wasn’t truly upset. I think revenge should generally leave someone feeling upset.

 

I’ll have to ponder that one.

 

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He's back to threatening to kill people this week, tsk.

 

...though I can't blame him too much in this case.

 

 

Week Thirty-Five

Random Event Physical Activity 2, success (Observation fail/Running suc)

Random Event Research 5, success (Library Knowledge/Reason)

Random Event Theft 3, success (Observation/Befriend)

Reload for adventure success, this time.

 

 

8 Anedius, right after classes

Someone has wronged me. Greatly. Perhaps even more then Joana ever has.

 

Professor CogSpring has been stolen. In his place was a ransom note, demanding 700 pims: far more then I can easily gather, even if spend the next two weeks simply working for Master Brislbane. Vincent and Lambert are completely blameless in this event: I thoroughly interrogated them, and this is not the sort of behavior either of them would partake in– if only because after being my roommate for this year, they know how deeply I carry grudges and that I’m not going to rest until I find the culprit. Pamela was with me, Smitty was with Vincent, and three witnesses agree that they saw Piers Pontifex playing around on the ropes in the Dimmae theatre during the time we assume the thief must have happened.

 

Out of respect for Aymeri, I have yet to demand access to the pixie in order to interrogate her (?- I assume it’s a her): if this is not solved quickly, I will, though. I will not have victory denied to me, I will not be humiliated like this, and I will certainly have the figure I worked so carefully on and slaved over be taken from me like this.

 

Honors awkwardly attempted to comfort me, saying it was alright to cry over something like this. I will not cry, though. I am not sad. As Prudence noted, I am instead furious. If for some reason, I have some bizarre urge to cry, it will be tears of triumph once I regain my piece and have won the tournament, and completely broken and killed the fool who dared to touch my Professor CogSpring.

 

Unfortunately, being furious leaves me completely incapable of figuring out how, exactly, to approach this. Rationally, I know I have to find some sort of… ‘peace’, or at least calmness, so I can approach this logically. I suppose I’ll spend some time with Emilia. Maybe her (ink blot) Spells can do something about this.

 

…Not that I’m going to volunteer my mind to someone who experiments in (ink blot). I’m irrational and angry, not stupid. Just- she makes me feel calmer. Weirdly.

 

 

9 Anedius, late evening

I pursued meaningless projects early today, to help gain my center. I was given a reprimand for skipping class, but I’m going to continue to do it- we’re so close to the end of the year that it’s pointless to care.

 

In any case, after stupid things- investigating how pixie’s live, reading in the library, rescuing Everwine’s wand- I went over the facts.

 

There are only four groups of people who know I have the Battlemace set: the few people left when I won the BattleMace set that first evening, Mhadi, Collage Durand in general, and the people who have seen the tournament list.

 

Mhadi was my first stop: he stated he has not told anyone about my set, and I believe him. There would be no reason to- there are very few other real War-Gamers in our year (I’m not sure if there are any others who play MechWarriors) so he wouldn’t have had someone to discuss the match with beforehand, and as he lost, there would be no reason for him to wish to brag about it. His surprise and outrage when I told him about the ransom note was real, as well- Mhadi is rather straightforward, and he was almost as outraged hearing about the theft as he gets whenever someone mentions the word Alesfan without immediately following it with ‘is the best place ever’.

 

For Collage Durand, I have to accept that there would be a possibility that they could have told an outsider- but as not even Catherine or Emilia knew that I had the BattleMace set before now (there was never a reason to bring it up), I can’t see it as likely. Aymeri only knew because he had been in my room, and he had basically forgotten about it. The only people who really would have heard directly were my two roommates, Prudence (who wanted to hang out with me), Piccolot and Honors (who have some interest in War Games and thus I mentioned it to), Sheary (who I sent Pamelia off to bother to get her out of the room for a bit), and Flore (who asked me why I was saving money when I mentioned it once). It’s likely that Magsa was told about it by Prudence, too.

 

All of them could have gotten in to my room, but I find it exceedingly unlikely any of them would have: I trust all of them, even Sheary. However, any of them could have mentioned something about it in a place where others could have heard it.

 

But Collage Durand is not really big on war-gamers. Asking around, I only could gain information on two of upperclassmen in the collage who play MechWarriors, and both had alibis.

 

(They could have snuck another in, of course. But why would they have interest in stealing with their own collage? There’s also the fact that it would be much easier for them to simply shake me down and take it from me, a method honestly much less likely to get them in to trouble. Bullying and demanding is okay, sneaking in to others rooms and stealing isn’t. Sort of.)

 

So while there were some possibilities there, the other two possibilities seemed more likely to find me a lead. However, Academagia is not exactly easy to sneak in to. The person would have to be able to pass for a student, thus it had to be a child. There was one other boy left the late night I won that Battlemace set, and he’s also on the tournament list.

 

When I walked in to the shop and played nice, greeting those playing, he couldn’t meet my eyes and fell to sweating and staring at his hands.

 

The probability of it being him is most certainly in the 90s. My only concern is that he could have had a partner in on it: while it might not be too hard to fool the gate guards and the many other milling students in order to slip in to the Durand’s Common Room, the sentry statues should have sent out an alert of an intruder in the room. As I believe I noted before, due to upper-classmen’s habits of attempting to sneak those of opposite sex in to their rooms, the sentry statues are on very high alert for general ‘weird and wrong’ presences, and someone who wasn't a student in the dorms should have set that off immediately.

 

However, it’s also well known among students that there are ways to subvert or work around those spells, no matter how many detentions (or worse) it may get you if the professor’s catch you at it. And there are quite a few reasons why someone might not want those detection spells on their room all the time: like, say, maybe they had a ‘magical beast’ in their room that they were hiding from the school due to such things generally having to be registered and, well, not kept in a students room unless they were a familiar.

 

While I will keep an eye on my collagemates, and see if Lambert has told anyone about his little pixie, I think this was a coincidence. The culprit saw me win the Battlemace set, and noticed I was registered for the tournament. They desired the Professor for their own set- and to keep me out of the tournament, as I do have something of a reputation for being good in tournaments of skill. At a similar time, Lambert acquired his little sprite-pixie-thing that he’s keeping under his bed, and did a bit of negation on some of the warding that should set off when something (or someone) is in our dormroom that shouldn’t be. Pure coincidence that the two events overlapped.

 

Though Lambert is now most certainly on the list, however unknowing he may be.

 

And the culprit will die.

 

Now that I am planning my exquisite revenge, I have a bit of time to spend on other concerns: namely, Magsa has apparently been sticking his hand in to beehives in order to become, he claims, “more courageous”. Does he not know about the Library of Mantle? Or the Path of Fire? I need to get that boy out of the dorms before he loses even more of his senses.

 

 

10 Anedius, during dinner

I went to my little culprit, saw him humiliated and shunned by his own friends, then convinced him I could help him. Professor CogSpring is returned to me, my culprit is indebted to me, and I know exactly where and how to strike again, whenever I may need or want to.

 

It’s only a start of the pain I plan on bringing to him while playing the part of his friend, but I wished to gain my piece back before I truly made his life horrible. I didn’t want Professor CogSpring to become damaged.

 

For now, I asked Honors if she would store him in her room for a bit, as a just-in-case measure, in which she happily agreed. There’s no way he’s getting in to the girls dorms. As I said, I have been down their hallways before, but I could feel the stares of the sentry statues. I’m rather certain that for an impostor, they would simply set him on fire with their gaze alone.

 

Which could be lovely, actually.

 

That first stage completed, I helped Prudence turn the Rimbal Room of Hell in to a room for Misfits and Woe and so on. It was quite fun, actually. Destroying Rimbal posters never gets old.

 

I’m on long watch for class skipping. Looks like I won’t get away with it for much longer: I get constant reprehends.

 

 

12 Anedius, afternoon

Professor Storey taught me how to bore people in Detention, which really makes so much sense in the grand scheme of things. It’s amusing, too. However, as there were no Phemes, he’s still on the list.

 

Returned a wand to a girl in Hedi. Despite my glowering, she hugged me. Blaming Emilia.

 

Magsa’s extra credit assignment almost won, this time. I’m still not sure what Professor Briandi was trying to do. Nor am I sure what about negating an enchantment on an urn has to do with ‘Glamour’, which is what Magsa said it was extra credit for. Not that I doubt Professor Briandi could teach Glamour, if she wanted to. I’m pretty confident that she could teach pretty much anything: she’s very intelligent.

 

Unlike, say, Magsa. But I admit it was a fun problem to figure out. I wish I got fun extra credit assignments. Actually, I just want extra credit, period. This ‘Magsa and everyone else gets it while you get nothing’ situation is rather irritating.

 

And I don’t even think it’s favoritism, as many of my teachers rather like me. So why?!

 

 

14 Anedius, late evening

The week ends much calmer then it started, which is of some relief.

 

I have reached the point where I am constantly reprehended whenever I skip a class. This is unfortunate, as Negation is the only class where I still learn things that I don’t already know. I am completely done with the others. I’m trying to weigh the scolding’s versus the advantages I can get working my friends through their various traumas (of which there are plenty) and studying other skills that could be of use next year. I have no desire to be sent home with a letter listing my many failures and skipped classes, but I also have no desire to waste time that could be put to a more valuable use.

 

Exactly how far can I go? No one ever makes that obvious.

 

That’s really it. I spend much time in the Imperial Palace, with the Sphinx. I’m being taught about ‘Seeking Friends In Hidden Places’, the Morvidus way of life. So far, it seems like yet another method of relying on luck rather than practicalities.

 

…Then again, I am exceedingly lucky lately. I’m not sure exactly why.

 

Still keeping an eye on Joana. She’s studying Orthography these days. I really, really don’t get her.

 

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I had a huge temptation to start doing 'mines, precious' LotR jokes, but I convinced myself to behave. Ceyn really can do the drama routine well, but... well, I like writing overly dramatic characters, I guess. They make things amusing.

 

 

Week Thirty-Six

Random Event Thieves Guild 15, success (Obs fail/Persuasion suc)

Random Event – the Umti don’t forget, auto ‘success’

Random Event Friendship 3, success (Flawless Timing)

Random Event Dance/Event 8, success (Observation/Persuasion)

Random Event Arithmetic 4, success(Observation fail/Persuasion suc)

Vernin Merit on the 20th

Gained Whisper in the Grass (+1 increase to Infiltration and Ambush)

Gained Natural Focus (+1 Increase to Botany and Zoology)

 

 

15 Anedius, during dinner

Was poking at apples in the market when I spotted a man shoplifting. I started a rather loud conversation about how he should stop thieving in an attempt to attract the shopkeepers attention, but instead, I found myself being taken completely seriously with the thief returning all stolen items.

 

Considering I was not exactly making a very reasoned argument, I must assume, once again, that it’s the fault of Emilia.

 

I really wish I knew what exactly she does, and how she does it. Somehow, it's facinating.

 

Today- and probably next weeks- detention was with Professor von Rupprecht. He is, as usual, rather intense: however, he taught me phemes, so I have no complaints. I’m going to continue skipping classes until someone can give me a good reason to stop.

 

The Sphinx teaches me about poisons, artificing, and cryptology, among with many other fascinating subjects. The teachers?

 

Theory of Enchantment again. Does anyone not have the subject memorized by now?

 

 

16 Anedius, afternoon

Huh. Apparently the Umti did want to give a reward. I suppose they’re off the list, then. I was gifted with a useful chain- I activated it exchange for the jade necklace I’ve been wearing most of the year. Right now, I’ve wrapped the jade necklace around my wrist like one of the more elaborate bracelets one might see in court (if, admittedly, mostly on the female diplomats- but not always). It doesn’t seem to be giving any advantages, though.

 

…I just don’t want to think about where this chain has been.

 

I really need to do more research on the subject of how enchantments work on different items of jewelry. The most easy route would be to ask my father, but I have taken a solemn vow to last the whole summer without speaking a single word to either him or my mother. So I suppose I’ll have to work on becoming closer to Marc, as he really does seem like the only other student in this school who is as bored in his Enchant(ment) classes as I am.

 

The Sphinx today taught me about the Theory of a subject I wrote of before, appāreō. It was… a bit alarming. A lot of people wander through the Imperial Palace to challenge the Sphinx to riddle-games, which makes me really believe that it should be rather more careful about its tendency to share knowledge that could get it killed. And get me killed, at that.

 

The odd thing is how… random, the Sphinix is. I walk in, ask it about Sleuthing, and it shares some information- as well as telling me about Ink Compounds, a proverb from Manoite, the tale of Worker Conrad, and the first three Trials of Knowledge… and then, yes, Theory.

 

It was, of course, framed in a way to be completely about the historical study of the subject, which I think treads some ugly lines but for the moment is acceptable. There really is little I can do, in any case: obviously, I cannot erase knowledge from my brain. Still, while theory is one thing, the practical magic’s is something I would like to avoid. Emilia’s studies, I can trace the many advantages of: obviously, altering moods of classmates and making them suddenly act randomly nice is only the beginning. These? A much quicker way to get caught, no real benevolent use and excuse if you do, and too much ambiguity.

 

(Again, I need to nix this from any future publishing.)

 

Still, the historical information is fascinating, as is being able to better understand the conditions of past battles so I can more properly judge the actions of past commanders. I can’t imagine having to plan for a field where the enemy may pull out an army from their back-pocket. The very thought makes me shutter.

 

I hate unpredictable battles.

 

…I think I’ll see if Honors wants to play a match of MechWarriors. Or the Proving Ground (that’s the boardgame I received). Or even attempt to gather the collage and play against some fools in Godina for Capture the Flag, for all I care: Godina's always up for stuff like that.

 

Just not Rimbal.

 

 

20 Anedius, evening

Gave Satyrs wine to avoid having to dance.

 

I really am not a skilled dancer. Anything but, in fact. My eldest sister once proclaimed me cursed in the field, and advised me to marry a young lady who had sadly suffered from the grievous loss of her legs, as if a time ever came when I would be expected to dance (like, say, our wedding), any woman would walk away from me having been both humiliated and traumatized by the whole fiasco.

 

She was exaggerating, of course, as well as being unbelievably offensive, but the core is correct. I really shouldn’t dance, at least not without probably a few decades of lessons. I’m a good runner, swimmer, archer, and I have a decent knowledge of fencing and hunting- but dancing, my feet simply don’t cooperate and I seem to just go blank.

 

I’m sure there are spells that could fix that, but I’m not embarrassing myself looking up spells to become a better dancer. I don’t care all that much. Maybe some day, I’ll want the knowledge- I must grudgingly admit it would be useful on ones wedding day- but until then, I’ll just avoid it.

 

 

21 Anedius, late afternoon

I think Emilia attempted to flirt with me today. The whole thing was incredibly awkward, but I sort of went along with it, as I would much rather her flirt then simply use (a line of ink) to make me dance to her tune.

 

It was, however, just… not working. She excused herself first, in what was likely a smart move: the way things were going, we were both about to become horribly embarrassed.

 

Today, the Sphinx attempted to teach me about Rimbal Plays. I believe the gestures I made in return and the reaction from the creature means I should probably avoid the Imperial Palace for a bit. That likely wasn’t my smartest idea, but it did seem appropriate at the time.

 

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Heh. Yes.

 

Ceyn hit calm this week: surprising, considering what was going on. He also hit another thing that's never happened to me before in all my play-throughs, but this wasn't as enjoyable as Kay's dueling. :(

 

Very boring week.

 

 

Week Thirty-Seven

Random Event Wardrobe Malfunction 3, success (Observation/Revisions Spells)

Random Event Durand Common Room 2, success (Observation/Flawless Timing)

Random Event Forest 2, success (Observation/Dedication)

Random Event Foraging 14, success (Observation/Patience)

Reload for adventure success

Gained Deep Research (+3 Research, giving me Research 15… but still no access to the Forbidden Bad Bad Library Archives, darn it!)

Gained Facile Tongue (+1 Language)

Gained +1 Insight from successful adventure

 

 

23 Anedius, during dinner

Catherine’s been badgering me, so I had no choice- and I suppose the curiosity was getting to me, too. We investigated Legate Orso’s house in the city. Yesterday got us nothing but confusion and us fleeing from the guards, but today, I noted the windows were actually under a Glamour. I dismissed it so Catherine and I could crawl in.

 

…Yes, we snuck in to the Legate’s Summer House. Hopefully by the time I graduate, he’ll like me enough that I can get away with publishing this. We then stole a key labeled ‘Pauper’s Bane’, stepping around creaking floorboards, and fled as someone walked in upstairs. I keep eyeing the door nervously, expecting someone to be coming in after me.

 

If they do, I’m blaming the sprite.

 

Someone cast a spell on my boots today. Not sure who. Going to blame Lambert, as I’m already annoyed with him today.

 

 

25 Anedius, late night

I had Detention today, but the MechWarrior tournament was also today. Thankfully, due to sheer luck and some good early victories, the tournament was over before Detention started.

 

I won it, of course, to cheers and handshakes and all that happy-celebration stuff. I’m satisfied (although the satisfaction is tempered by later events), although apparently my thieving ‘friend’ declined to show up. Quite impolite of him. Winning, however, is much more important then revenge, if only because generally, there are only short periods of time where you can actually win, while revenge can be drawn out for centuries.

 

If you become immortal. Which doesn’t seem to have much to recommend it.

 

Unfortunately, my skipping classes in order to go play tournaments was not exactly appreciated by the teachers who had given me detention for skipping classes. I’m now under suspension, prohibited from basically doing anything but attending class and ‘study halls’ and staying in my room with only Vincent and Lambert for company.

 

Can I add that the study halls don’t even bother to teach Phemes?

 

I thought I made several well-reasoned arguments on why I found it pointless to attend classes that WERE NO LONGER TEACHING ME INFORMATION, but the Professors didn’t seem to see it that way. I’m afraid I’m going to die of boredom.

 

Still, I walked in to it. I’ll have to see how long this period of suspension last- I’ve learned quite a bit in the last two months or so. I’ll weigh that amount against the period I spend suspended, and see if they even out.

 

 

The Palle Anedius, afternoon

They let me out of the cage of my room in order to attend the Pallae events. Saving the festival from disaster by some strategic maneuvering due to out of control water and then saving snakes and satyrs in the forest is apparently not enough to get one out of suspension.

 

All adults are now on my list. All of them. Save for maybe the Gemologist: he’s been decent enough to me.

 

Still, I’m not too fussed. I feel rather calm. I play board games with Pamela (sadly, to no advantage for either of us) and stare out the window as I plot revenge. The plotting goes smoothly.

 

…Still bored, though.

 

 

28 Anedius, evening

I repainted some of my MechWarriors. Stared at my notes for Negation. Listened to Vincent talk about dueling. Read a book on poetry Honors found for me. Had a conversation with Prudence due to creepy Sheary passing notes between us and Pamela carrying a few messages (she thinks this is hilarious).

 

None of it helped. Incredibly, almost mindlessly bored. Thankfully, this was the last day: back to usual tomorrow.

 

Though I’m ‘forbidden’ from skipping any more classes. Peh!

 

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I'm... sort of spamming this, aren't I? I'm sorry, world. Though this entry needed to follow the last, so it works. And at least it's confined to one little thread up here. This is the last month! Almost done! Next thread, as I won't have vacation to worry about, will have things posted as they're written (generally), so it won't be as weirdly spammy.

 

Week Thirty-Eight

Random Event Durand 2, auto ‘success’ (Spy fail/Stay out of it for now)

Random Event Botany 10, success (Courage)

Random Event Crafting 3, success (Observation/Reason)

Random Event Rumor 17, success (Gossip/Persuasion)

Reload to attempt to succeed at an adventure

Gained +1 Intelligence from successful adventuring

 

 

1 Kaliri, early evening

Not that being forbidden is going to stop me.

 

I know I can’t get away with it more then probably two more times, but I did go and said hello to the Sphinx, just to make sure it hadn’t missed me (apparently, its forgiven me for those gestures, too, which is nice). And seriously, I still need to help Magsa with his extra-credit, Prudence with her misfits woe project, Catherine with the we-are-stealing-from-the-Legate deal, the Professor with the Ambassador (who has been, at least, very quiet), and Honors still needs inspiration and Emilia is still talking about perfume, which I am pretty sure is just a code word for (ink line). And, perhaps most importantly, the sprite in my bedroom.

 

I have to wonder if Vincent has told Lambert that I’m aware of it. Lambert’s convinced Aranaz is going to come after us and kill us or some nonsense (but only after they kill Morvidus), so I’ve fallen back to avoiding eye-contact and pretending he doesn’t exist.

 

I want new roommates next year. Magsa and Piccolot would be nice enough, though I don’t think Magsa knows how to clean… hm. I could deal with Durand, too, actually, and if necessary, I can continue to tolerate Vincent.

 

But I’ll keep Lambert over Sheary, and I’d take Magsa, Lambert, and Sheary put together (with Jere, if the rooms were that big) just to avoid Kurt. I’m still afraid he’s going to somehow knock down the wall one night and set me on fire.

 

 

3 Kaliri, during dinner

Prudence and I beat up some Rimbal player from Aranaz. No complaints about that: it was fun.

 

After that, I did some investigation on the political problem, as it seemed the most urgent. The Blackhorse is an enchanted object (a small figurine of a Pegasus, actually, that is apparently not exactly black) that can, with proper spells cast on it (these spells supposedly also being a secret), enhance the strength of nations and presumably their armies. An item for a conqueror. Not an item that should be in the hands of a highly ambitious nation that Mineta doesn’t get along all that well with. As the Ambassador has been behaving, his attaché has been scouting around for information on it. They believe the Blackhorse is in the hands of the Academagia.

 

I did slip back in to Legate’s summer house, but while the security has been tightened- a lot more squeaky floorboards- items seem to have been moved. There’s not as much there, and after a careful peek, I saw no sign of the Blackhorse. If it’s in the Legate’s hands, it’ll be safe anyway.

 

 

5 Karli, late night

Found the Blackhorse. Sadly, casting spells on it has not given me the ability to take over the world, which I find mildly disappointing.

 

It was just basically laying around on the grounds, which seems incredibly suspicious- I wonder if it was actually planted so that I would find it, though I don’t know who would know I’m looking in to it. Regardless, as the attaché was also around searching, I grabbed the object and fled down the Hidden Hallways. I may have also released the griffons during the process, but I’ll deny that if anyone asks. Again, I sit here eyeing the door waiting to see if someone’s going to appear and suspend me again.

 

My roommates are incredibly suspicious, as I did miss curfew by being out and about (thankfully, I managed to get back before the checks), but I’m not telling them a thing. I did have to show them the item, but at it’s core, it doesn’t look all that interesting.

 

Got Professor CogSpring back from Honors. Figure he and the MechWarriors can be the horses honor-guard: I carefully set them up in an usual arrangement that means if someone touches the Blackhorse, they’ll have to have moved a few figures around, and as the placement is mostly ‘random’, it’s unlikely they’ll be replaced correctly. It seems like a good guard, for now.

 

6 Kaliri, very late night

Today (yesterday, now?) was one of those comedy of error type things I’m loathe to write about. I record this only for some peace of mind and to remind myself that there is another to add to my list: near the very top of it, actually.

 

I heard a rumor. I followed up on the rumor. I met the Lady of Acadia Lake, who I flattered and congealed like one is expected to do whenever one meets Ladies (or Gentlemen, for that matter) of varied bodies of water (or forests, or mountains…). She unfortunately did not take kindly to that despite my following every rule in the book, and turned me in to a penguin. A man in black appeared, basically mocked me, then told me to win the Lady of the Lake’s approval and be turned once again in to my natural form, I needed to clean out her lake. So in the form of a penguin, I cleared out a lakes worth of trash. In return for my efforts, I was given a pair of gloves usually used by thieves (at least, the design is similar), that will supposedly make me a better Revisionist, and I am no longer a penguin.

 

It really was that ridiculous.

 

It did give me a project for tomorrow, though: taking all the trash from the kitchen and Durand dorms, and dumping it back in the lake. Let’s see how the crazy witch likes that.

 

Now I’m going to pretend that nothing happened. Ever.

 

Also, the Sphinx is once again teaching forbidden magic. Someone should really report it.

 

 

7 Kaliri, evening

Myself, Prudence, a bunch of random misfits of woe, against the Aranaz Rimbal team.

 

We won.

 

Prudence the Magnificent (as they’ve been calling her now) has graciously accepted her name and is now allowing others to call her by it. I’m still sticking with Dense, though. It’s a nickname of affection, though Honors does occasionally tell me not to be so mean to her. She should tell Prudence not to be so mean to me, I think.

 

Prudence gets it, though. I don’t know. We seem to have settled in to- something? She’s like a sister, only not nearly as irritating as my actual ones are. She’s happy with me- she keeps grinning and punching me in the shoulder, which is how she usually shows affection. She’s really been beaming all day.

 

I also managed to talk my friends out of being idiots, and talk Vettor out of killing himself on a (very, very badly) self-made boat. A day well spent.

 

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Ceyn ended up feeling Alive Like a Sea Dog for part of this week. Decided not to question it. I believe it came from one Cleanse and Remake I used for trying to succeed at adventuring? Wasn't really sure how to roleplay that emotion out, so you'll see no signs of it. I'll think about that one for later roleplays. ^^

 

 

Week Thirty-Nine

Random Event Restaurant 2, success (Reason)

Random Event Crafting 2, success (Observation/Concentration)

Random Event Thieves Guild 7, success (Observation/Bluff)

Random Event Forge 5, success (Observation/Command)

Random Event Professor Badcrumble 1, success (Move Silently/Hide)

Random Event Rumor 7, success (…something?/Gossip)

Vernin Merit on the 13th

Successful Adventuring gifts yet another +1 Intelligence

Gained Revision Mastery (+2 Revision)

 

 

8 Karilri, during detention

It’s suddenly dawned on me how little time I have left.

 

My list, my friends, my projects- everything is happening too fast. I have three weeks to get everything done, and I know I simply can’t. That isn’t enough time. Too many ambitions. Too many detentions: three this week.

 

I have no desire to go home for the Summer. I’d much rather stay in Mineta, be it here at the Academagia, taking a summer course at the Salvatore, working full hours under the Gemologist: whatever it takes. As long as I’m not at home.

 

Managed to squeeze in a bit of time to go out to the city. Honors and I continued wandering around looking for inspiration for her. I spotted an old man that had attracted our interest earlier, and we decided to follow him around (there was also a rich woman, but after noting the Heraldry on the handkerchief she used, I quickly surmised that it was best that we stay out of her path- Catherine’s royal enough for us). He apparently puts things in sacks.

 

Seriously. That’s what he does. Pick up objects, and puts them in sacks.

 

He asked if we wanted to help him: I was ready to say yes (I know so many odd people that sack-picking is normal at this point), but Honors was silent. In the end, I took her out to the Roses for, well, I drank water and bought her some cake. She doesn’t think she’s ever going to find her inspiration, she’s incredibly depressed: the usual, basically, but still sad to see. I thought we had been on the right trail, with this man- but no. She doesn’t think so.

 

…I have no idea what I did wrong. It’s so frustrating. And I couldn’t even try and get anything out of her, as I needed to rush back to the school for detention. All I know is she’s no longer interested in looking for inspiration. This time, I failed.

 

I feel angry, I suppose, but not at her. I don’t know what mistakes I made to leave her so disappointed, and I'm irritated with myself because of that.

 

 

9 Khaliri, early evening

Mhadi’s building birdcages, which is much more sensible then Vettor building boats. I helped him with that project: it went smoothly once I got some plans.

 

Magsa wanted help with Zoology, which I barely had time for. As I told him, it's not like I really know anything about Zoology, anyway (well, besides things involving worms). I certainly don’t know about how to make crazy critters behave, although apparently I did stumble on something and we got the Zoology project done in a snap (it was really pure luck, though). Magsa’s trying to rush through all his projects: all extra-credit is supposed to be turned in before the final exam, or within a week of it if permission is sought for an extension.

 

I just want to know why I’m suddenly Magsa’s homework helper. Everything that happens being Emilia’s fault is likely a reasonable conclusion, but this is just tiring and reminds me once again of the lack of extra-credit options I received.

 

 

10 Khalri, evening

Catherine and I figured out the Pauper’s Bane must be hidden behind a secret door in the library. Or, more truthfully, she figured that out herself (so why can't she figure out how to study?), though I was the one to stumble on the hidden door. We were almost stopped by an angry statue, but I got us around it by basically destroying the thing. I wonder if I’m going to get in trouble for that one, too.

 

We then found the Pauper’s Bane, an ugly little rag doll, and as I had come to predict, Catherine changed her mind. She hates everyone still, but doesn’t want to get them all completely kicked out of the Academagia. At least not now.

 

I think there’s a word for people like her- hard façade on the outside, softer on the inside. Her core is still as proud as ever, but she does offer affection to those few who can break through her rather difficult outside behaviors. I managed to get a real smile out of her, though I'm not sure how to weigh that against having been drug to steal from the Legate and all the other madness that went on.

 

I put the toy in Pamela’s keeping. From what I understand, it makes poor people (like, at this current moment, myself) miserable. As wealth has no meaning to ghosts, it’s safe in her hands, and she seems happy enough with her new toy. Hopefully it makes up for not having gotten her anything for the festival all that time ago. I was sort of busy then.

 

 

12 Khaliri, evening

120 Negation. Not as high as I wanted, but not bad either.

 

I’m not even going to bother amplifying my skills with spells this time around. I’m going to ace everything, so why go through the extra work? Scoring too high would cause everyone to have ridiculous expectations for me, and I don’t have the patience for that. I have so many things I want to do next year, and most of them don't involve studying.

 

Finishing another thing I'd wanted to do, I made my second attempt of sneaking in to another collage's dorms: this time, the most difficult. One of Campus Aliva’s girls dormitory towers. Lambert is grudgingly impressed, so I left out the part that Professor Badcrumble eventually spotted me- although all that happened was I then got to see a rather fantastic meteor shower. The pluses to that bit of foolishness are that I've proven to myself that I can do it and my curosity is satisfied, so hopefully I'll be able to just my roll my eyes when I'm inevitably dared to do it during the next three years. It seems to be the favorite place to dare someone to go, for some reason.

 

Lambert, or one of his friends, has also been spying on me. I took care of that very quickly.

 

 

14 Khalri, very late night

Too much has happened.

 

Helped Magsa with Arithmetic. He leaped up, hugged me, and then twirled me around. While still hugging me. I told him if he ever tries that again, he’s moving to the top of the list. He just laughed and kept trying to hug me. Again, no one takes me seriously, which will be a grave mistake.

 

In return for the humiliation, I made him act as my enforcer when I confronted the attaché. I got a spoken and written confession about his attempts to get the Blackhorse, which will be in the news by tomorrow.

 

Which meant tonight, I needed to sneak in to the Legate’s current office and change his safe combination (which also involved playing a lion hunter, but I don’t have time to write that one down right now), as the Legate had the information about the spells that should be cast on the Blackhorse there and it seemed safest to make absolutely sure that the Ambassador couldn't get those. I can’t deny I glanced at them, but the information is above my level. I attempted to record what I did see in another place, more well hidden then this journal can be (considering everyone knows I write in it), but I doubt I got even the overview, and by the time I can fully understand it, I’ll likely no longer have the Blackhorse. I do sort of have to hand it back to the Legate when this is all over, I imagine.

 

…I may miss it. Right now, Professor CogSpring riding it. I really shouldn’t treat artifacts of such importance so frivolously, but they shouldn’t have suspended me. So I think it’s fair enough.

 

Stumbled across the initiation for the Mineta Thieves Guild. How is it done? By wrestling each other. That at least explains why every thief in this city is an absolute idiot, which was one of those other questions that had sort of been sitting at the back of my mind for, well, six years now.

 

I have an exam first thing tomorrow morning. I need to get to sleep now, and badly.

 

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There's a lot of notes I could make on this one. The first is that despite the fact that the first adventure had to run on two days due to being split, according to the adventure itself it takes one day, so I relied on that. If it had taken two days, Ceyn would have made a duplicate of the item at the forge to take with him or talked himself out of it.

 

The second is that I had both choices green when it came to A. In the end, I stared at it suspiciously and debated both options in my head, but finally decided that he'd go with the one I chose at this point in time. Earlier in the year he would have chose the other, but I think he's reached his breaking point.

 

One more post tomorrow, along with my convoluted notes. This is really not the character I expected from my first post, but I've grown somewhat fond of him all the same. I hope a few of you have been amused as well, despite the rather harsh change from Kay's chipperness.

 

 

Week Forty

Random Event Dance/Event 10, success (Poisons/Command)

Random Event Potions 6, success (Observation/Athletics)

Random Event Disguise/Infiltration 10, success (Character Study/Move Silently)

Random Event Pursuit 6, success (Conversation/Befriend)

Random Event Tavern 12, success (Character Study/Persuasion)

Random Event Friendship 1, success (Flawless Timing)

Random Event Tavern 6, success (Observation/Magical Appraisal)

Random Event Thieves Guild 12, success (Observation/Conspicuousness)

Reloaded over adventure choice, then chose the exact same choice the second time after thinking about it- heh.

Gained Look Ahead (+1 bonus to all actions, abilities, and spells)

Gained +1 Insight from successful adventuring

 

 

15 Kaliri, early evening

(Inkmanship is notably messy in this entry.)

Well… peh.

 

Apparently, my safe combination-changing wasn’t good enough, the Pragorian’s now have the spell, and they also have the Legate and are demanding the Blackhorse in return. Thankfully, the Legate left a note for me to travel to the hidden Library of Cyriaca, and drink from the hidden cup there. This could be… difficult, but as I may have gotten everyone in to this, I suppose I should finish it.

 

If I can figure out how to.

 

I have the Blackhorse, they have the spell. Neither object will work without the other- unless, of course, someone has the spell memorized. The exchange is to be in three hours, at sunset, but I can’t be certain when exactly they gained the spell. Thus, I must assume the worst: they have had time to copy the spell or, depending on the skill of those involved, memorize it. This means that I should still attempt to gain the parchment back (simply so it doesn't end up in, say, the Pragorian' private library for aspiring thieves and spies), but I cannot in any circumstances allow them to gain the Blackhorse.

 

The Blackhorse for the Legate is not an exchange I can make logically. The Blackhorse in the hands of Pregoria can lead to the death of millions: out of their hand, it will only lead to one (or two, counting myself, though I must shudder away from that thought so I can continue being practical).

 

However, it’s not a decision I should be making. Which is why Pamela is remaining at the school, and will, ten minutes before the exchange, explain to Professor Briardi what exactly is going on, and why I have the Blackhorse currently wrapped up in that old bandana we once, long ago, used as a focus to find a certain pirate ship.

 

The four of us kids involved in that adventure have been passing it around, sort of as a joke, but it should be familiar enough for the professor to track. If that doesn’t work, I also left one of my quills on Professor Briardi’s desk in the Negation Classroom, and I’m sure she has some method of finding the Legate- meaning the bandana and quill might be unnecessary, but I wanted to be prepared.

 

I also told Pamela to relay my suggestion that the Professor do her best to close down the nearest harbor to the exchange point: she’s a professor of the Academagia, she probably can if she demands it. After explaining the situation and telling the Professor about the quill, Pamela is then to zoom to me- she can travel extremely fast when she needs to be at my side. I doubt she can make it in seven or so minutes, but I intend to stall to hopefully give her ten extra in a generic ‘let me see the Legate first!’ demands and while arguing that they need to be unarmed.

 

In any case, all she’s to do is to grab the Blackhorse, and run with it back to Professor Leith (as Professor Briardi will hopefully be busy). I’m uncertain if that will work, though: while I repeated the commands enough time that I think she’ll understand what exactly she needs to say, I imagine that she’ll try to help me rather then grab an item. Still, maybe the command will stick.

 

At the Library. More later.

 

 

15 Kaliri, twelve minutes later

The cup is… something. But not something I need.

 

Instead, I need study: or so says the Library Ghost. This gets more alarming every moment that passes, but basically in a few more minutes, I’ll start cramming spells I shouldn’t yet learn, but will learn and thus have knowledge of… for a full two hours. After that, the knowledge will apparently disappear from my head.

 

So I suppose they could steal the knowledge of- well, never mind.

 

This tightens up my time-table slightly. I shouldn’t waste any time delaying: five minutes, at most. That only gives Pamela thirteen minutes to get to me, which is far too short, but would twenty-three be so much better? I doubt it. Her presence was more to assure her that this was safe and she should stay behind, rather then me relying on her to be here.

 

I think the smartest plan is to go to the exchange point, do five minutes of delay, then hand over the Blackhorse in return for the Legate’s release. I have to assume he’s somehow tied in a mystical sort of binding that’s negating him and taking away his abilities to form phemes: if he was truly defeated by them, then nothing I plan will work, and everything hinges on Professor Briardi managing to trap them in Mineta. Immediately after that, I should make an all out assault on the attaché: I beat him before by dropping a chandelier on his head, and I’ll do it again if I have to create the chandelier out of a tree branch.

 

If at any time I can put my hands on the Blackhorse, I should take it and run. That’s the top priority.

 

If there’s a chance, destroying the spell parchment would be ideal, but my priority has to be the Legate, and the Blackhorse. And the attaché.

 

If I’m about to die, I should run in to the forest. And eat roots to survive and run from bears, I guess.

 

Oh. I just remembered.

 

If I do die, I want it recorded that I had a perfect score on Dialect exam, which was a full twenty more then the second highest scorer in the class. I’m disgusted with all of them. Ridiculous. It's just hard to feel too disgusted when in a minute and a half, I'm going to be shoving my head full of fourth or so year spells.

 

 

15 Kaliri, late evening

Saved the day. With Glamour. Specifically, a spell that made a double of me- a very nice illusionary effect that was also very uncomfortable. This double seemed able to cast spells. It could speak in my voice. Is it real? Could the lines blur? Could a practicer of Gates summon ‘me’, and get that?

 

Did the double I summoned think he was me, and that I was the double?

 

Disturbing implications, which is probably why they don’t want me learning it yet. So instead, I can only thank Emilia. May she live to make her (a large M)-perfume forever more. Without her influence, I don’t think I would have had the command of Glamour needed to cast that spell, and we would have- well. Died, I suppose.

 

It all went well. Got the Legate, got the Blackhorse, got the spell. And according to the Legate and Professor Briardi, I’m a hero. I was scolded a bit for thinking that I needed to do it alone, but then they just lavished praise on my quick-thinking and planning. They even said I ‘rescued’ the Legate, which I think is going a bit far: he seemed mostly to rescue himself. Me, I just shut the door on the attaché’s hand and cast one spell that I only learned through a mysterious hidden library that I’ve already forgotten.

 

…Though I did scribble the phemes down somewhere in here. I didn’t know two of them, but one day- I may relearn them, I suppose.

 

I suppose it’s good to have the adults happy with me, but I just keep going over things in my head. If the Ambassador had been inside, rather then outside, everything would have shattered and both I and the Legate would likely both be dead (or at least taken as full hostages to negotiate a way out of the country). That was going too far: no matter what praise I get, I should have simply went to Professor Briardi in the first place and explained everything.

 

While it was happening, I didn’t think about it. Now, I can’t seem stop to shaking. Looking over it strategically- I made a hundred bad moves. In the first place, I should have called their bluff: hidden the Blackhorse better then ever, and not gone after the Legate at all. If they actually killed him, they would never get the Blackhorse from the academy, and they’d have the full force of the Academagia at their feet. He was only useful as a hostage; he had to remain alive.

 

They relied on me being an impulsive child who would come without thinking that through, and I lived to their expectation. For someone who considers himself so good at strategy, I made many blunders. If I was reading about what I had just done in a book, I would roll my eyes and call the character a fool.

 

I guess this is what they mean by ‘book learning can never replace actual experience’.

 

I’m going to try and sleep. I don’t want to think about today anymore.

 

 

The Theneia Kaliri, late evening

So today I did stupid things, to try and forget yesterday. I haven’t gathered Thestian Flowers since my brother turned four; I was seven then. Yet Honors asked me to help her, and I… well, it seemed like something to do, when she was all smiley like that. And she had been so upset last time I saw her, so this time, I helped. I’m still not certain why. It was a fairly ridiculous thing to do, and cut in to time where I could have been doing something more useful. She had fun, obviously, and it’s not as though I dislike her company, so the work wasn't horrible anything. It was just… another foolish move. I should regret it more than I do.

 

Corridin d’Affi attempted to poison everyone at some stupid dance we had in honor of the day. I’m struggling to figure out why he would want to do that, and why he didn’t get suspended for it. I just don’t get people. Thankfully, I have a pretty good variety of skills for attracting others attention and using that to humiliate a single person.

 

They just didn’t work on Joana. Depressing.

 

Next year, I suppose.

 

…I think I helped a bunch of child thieves steal from Mineta citizens, but I’m trying not to inspect that one too closely, either.

 

 

17 Kaliri, afternoon

History 110. The score looks good on paper, but was only around average for the class. I suppose Professor Viada was dropping a warning on me. Most of my classmates apparently went researching on other subjects that weren’t exactly taught by the class, but I was lazy and stuck with the obvious.

 

Also, I was suspended. Those lost days did break in to time I had scheduled to catch up on a few courses.

 

I hope the teachers keep that in mind.

 

I can't figure out how to help Magsa with his Music extra credit, as I can sing no better then I can dance (though I don’t believe I’m completely hopeless in this case- I’m not tone-deaf nor otherwise inhibited, so I would likely be 'okay' if given lessons). He has instruments, but I can’t exactly play them, either- I can play a few lullabies and chants on the lute, but that's not what's needed here. Magsa is trying to 'elope' other students (specifically one male and female student) in some sort of Siren’s Song (...which sounds suspicious, to me). Using my help, as helping Magsa with extra credit is just sort of what I do these days. I certainly don’t attend classes, I can say that much.

 

For Magsa, I told him I’ll try studying Music a bit to be of more help. I have a feeling it won’t be pretty, but maybe I can think something up: we do have one more week.

 

 

19 Karili, right after classes

100 in Enchant. Absolutely perfect, too.

 

Yet Rixenda got a 102. That is, notably, impossible. Without extra credit.

 

I was never offered any extra credit.

 

I hate Marian Leith. I hate Rixeda, too, but I always hated her. Hating Professor Leith is new, but I very much do.

 

 

20 Kaliri, late morning

Aymeri’s furious at me.

 

The pixie was being kept hostage due to Lambert having stolen her armor, leaving her in a state of dishonor and shame and thus unable (or unwilling, to be truthful) to escape. She’s apparently a warrior of her people, not just a little… cutesy-sprite. Aymeri did not ‘trust’ me enough to tell me about the armor, despite me having went along with that whole Agent X scheme of ridiculousness and having indulged this pixie thing for months now, so I rolled my eyes, looked up the armor, and sleuthed it out myself. I then left it for the stupid pixie so she can take it and fly home to her warrior pixie people and stop living under my roommates bed.

 

Lambert is annoying, and he’s crossed something of a line here, I suppose (I would have done the same if I needed the services of a sprite, I know, but I can agree that it is still not a very nice move), but I have no more time for this. There’s been a pixie in my room for months, and I refuse to wait any longer for Aymeri to plan out how to humiliate Lambert. Lambert humiliates himself whenever he speaks to me: he doesn’t need all that much help.

 

And Aymeri will get over it. Three days, and he’ll have a new plan for humiliating Lambert, that will go just as ‘smoothly’.

 

 

21 Karilri, mid-afternoon

Studying music makes my head hurt, and a last minute refresher on the Properties of Arithmetic just reminds me of how much I hate it.

 

Rich and fulfilling? Please.

 

I can’t believe I only have one week left. It feels... unfair. I have no desire to go home.

 

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