Open Chronicles Stargazer's Club first semester meeting (open to all Elbion college)

[Pomrick Bloomsfield]

They uttered an easy laugh and leaned in conspiratorially to whisper.
"Truth be told I also just like seeing who turns up." They leaned back and cast their eyes back up at the sky toward the small red glow.

Pomrick couldn't help but crane his neck back slightly as Nilamani leaned in, eyes darting left and right, feeling as if he might have been inducted into some secret cabal of people-watching.

"Eh-heh . . . Right . . ."

"It's fun to hear what everyone thinks when they look up, isn't it?......and they are quite pretty. I suppose I'm treasuring it while I can."

He followed Nilamani's gaze to the skies, their voice taking on a faint, wistful timbre, as if already committing the night to a nostalgic memory. It puzzled him what Nilamani meant. Were they not going to remain in Elbion College for long? It sounded as if they expected to leave . . .

Snapping back to it, he followed Nilamani's suggestion, arranging two pots of tea on a tray and sandwiches and biscuits on another.

He made the rounds, offering refreshments like some ill-dressed, ill-combed servant. On the way, he eavesdropped on a conversation between students - a girl wearing a cowl for added mystery, arranging cards in order before an excited, bustling group of students.

"So your sign is the Stag? Well, now, let's see what is laid out for you here . . . Ah, yes, these celestial bodies are in retrograde for you, which means your communication and organisation is going to be less prudent . . ."

The students jostled and chuckled, slapping the poor fellow on the back who received this prediction. Edius stood nearby, accepting a biscuit and cup from Pomrick, adjusting his spectacles in a ruffled manner, whispering to Udore:

"Astrology. Bah, it has no place in serious study of constellations, I tell you. But, it draws the crowds in I suppose . . . People's notions of their birthsign and planetary constellations at their spawning holding some significance to their destiny or the will of old gods or what not . . . All tosh, I tell you . . ."

There it was again. Old gods. Planetary constellations. Destiny.

His eyes fixed on the card-divination going on, drawn to it as if their readings and images called to him. Udore noticed his look, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Looks like we might have another willing soul here. You should try it."

"Oh, no, I . . . I'm not much of a . . . um . . . enthusiast?"

"Finally! Someone with a bit of sense," Edius said, smirking victoriously at Udore, before his quick, clever eyes found Pomrick's gaze. "You ought to spread that message. Maybe you could turn other heads around. We're supposed to become scholars and magi, not fortune tellers."

Pomrick nodded, a smile warbling at his mouth, turning away from them before he could get caught in a debate on the merits of divination.

Eventually, he found his way to Aiko and Lysander, the former daintily painting from an arsenal of levitating paints, the latter observing her work like some intent examinator. Pomrick's feet froze at even this light use of magic. He had a history of being knocked around by objects floating through the air - they always tended to crash or catapult around him.

Well, perhaps if he didn't linger too long, nothing would happen. He moved again, making his way over to Aiko and Lysander with his trays of tea and biscuits.

"Tea? Biscuits?"

As he offered this, one of the colours as yet undedicated to Aiko's work began lifting subtly into an arrangement of droplets.

Even stranger, and also unbeknownst to him, one biscuit began floating up behind him along with tufts of his hair, as if contaminated by the levitation spell near them. Or perhaps more accurately, it was the spell slowly contaminated by Pomrick's presence.

 

[Aiko]

Aiko listened attentively as the nobleman described his hobbies, not continuing to paint for a moment. The combination was not atypical for a man in his position. Many added 'tactics' to the list, or included it within 'history' indirectly. These ones aspired to be warlords, though few would admit it openly.

The boy finished his answer, and Aiko nodded. She took her paintbrush and dipped it to the darker blue, beginning to lay the outlines of the clouds into the sky.

"And you said Spatial Manipulation was your magical pursuit?" She asked, continuing the conversation forward. "Is that a main focus, or just something that helps here?"

They were joined shortly by Pomrick Bloomsfield and Nilamani offering biscuits and tea. Aiko honestly preferred tea, but after seeing some of her paints begin to separate and a biscuit began to float Aiko decided that the less liquid option was safer.

"I'll take a biscuit please. Thank you Pomrick." Aiko said. Aiko's hand stretched out as she tried to force the paint droplets back to their containers. She noted that the movement was far more difficult than normal, a resistance fighting her actions.

 

[Nilamani]

As Pomrick turned to leave with the tray Nilamani's eyes trailed along. They hadn't meant to have them fully act as some sort of waiter. It was amusing enough to make up for a lack of spilled tea.
They were just about to head toward the little group with another tray when Udore caught their arm.
"having a bit of fun with the new members, hm?" She giggle and Nilamani feigned ignorance. "I am certain I have no idea what you could be referring to. You make it sound as if I have some grand prank in order."
Udore shook her head and glanced at Edius whose brow was furrowed trying to pick up on what they were whispering about.
"Fine, Fine but you would have more fun if you didn't always pick the nervous ones."
They gave her a wry smile and waved their hand dismissively.

Nilamani walked the tray back to the little group of newcomers. They too peered at the emerging painting. It was wasn't much now but it was promising from what they could tell. Nilamani settled in to sit about arms length away watching as Aiko dealt with a bit of run away (or float away really ) paint.
They took up a cup of tea themself and noticed the tea was sitting a bit oddly in the cup. Perhaps the spell the girl had used was a bit more than she could handle? She had certainly made it look like it was the sort of thing she used often.....
Some notion tugged at the edge of their mind like a warning. They ignored it. This seemed a harmless enough spell to go awry. They sipped a bit of the slightly weightless tea and listened to the others talk.

 

[Lysander Docatto Valestri]

Aiko listened attentively as the nobleman described his hobbies, not continuing to paint for a moment. The combination was not atypical for a man in his position. Many added 'tactics' to the list, or included it within 'history' indirectly. These ones aspired to be warlords, though few would admit it openly.

The boy finished his answer, and Aiko nodded. She took her paintbrush and dipped it to the darker blue, beginning to lay the outlines of the clouds into the sky.

"And you said Spatial Manipulation was your magical pursuit?" She asked, continuing the conversation forward. "Is that a main focus, or just something that helps here?"

Lysander shook his head, golden eyes steady on Aiko.

“It’s a magical affinity I was born with,” he said. “I can control energy, and if you can control energy well enough, you can bend space to your will.”

He lifted his hand and held his palm out toward her. The air around his fingers shimmered, then warped, as if reality itself were twisting in protest. The space bent, not violently, but visibly, its lines no longer obeying the rules they ought to.

“Magic,” he went on, voice calm, “is just changing some part of reality. Space is one of the hardest to change. It’s a core part of how the world holds itself together. When it breaks, it breaks everything.”

He lowered his hand, the distortion vanishing with it.

"I've lost count of the times my experiments ended with buildings collapsing or entire streets uprooted. Not exactly subtle."