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."

 

[Pomrick Bloomsfield]

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

This statement, along with the curling spasm of spatial leylines in Lysander's grasp, was Pomrick's cue to leave. He nodded and smiled and nodded again at Aiko, tried to do so with Lysander as well and hastily retreated. The levitation magic around her canvas resumed its regular patterns.

The gods knew he had had his fill with destructive magic already. Well, perhaps with magic in general. And it always, always seemed to come after him, like ethereal sparrows hunting him for heavens knew why.

Exasperated, Pomrick put down the mostly empty tray and let out a weary sigh, rubbing his brow. Finally, he took a bit of refreshment for himself. Eating something always helped calm down his nerves. At least a bit.

"Well, hello there."

Pomrick peered down at the source of the voice, stopping his chewing of a biscuit.

And there was that girl with the cowl again, this time alone with her colourful cards. She smiled up at him, though her eyes were hidden by the rim of her hood.

"Would you like me to read your stars?" The girl's smile turned sheepish, head tilting downwards. "I need the practice."

Pomrick pondered for a moment. He glanced around, seeing Nilamani now sitting and observing Aiko's painting with Lysander. Everyone else seemed to have someone to talk to - all but him. Perhaps he shouldn't have left. But, if he had gained nothing else in his years of apprenticeship, it was an acute sense of danger when it came to magic. And this many spells around made his magic-danger-sense tingle.

He supposed this would look better than standing around by his lonesome. At least until the others stopped waving magic around.

"I suppose it can't hurt, so . . . Yes, why not?" Brushing biscuit crumbs off his tunic, Pomrick took a seat. He winced and looked around him, hunching his shoulders. The cards caught his attention - beautiful night-blue backs with golden symbols and pearly, little stars. "Will you, um, be using magic?"

The girl's laughter came as a gentle trill, prickling Pomrick's flushing face like faerie dust. He hoped she didn't see through him with his worries.

"No, I'd consider that cheating. I aim to use a natal chart, here . . . read the lines in your palms . . . combine that with a card-telling, and then that should tell me everything I need to know about you."

His mouth gaped slightly, like a fish out of water, trying to connect what she had said with any teachings he had had about necromancy. Wait, no, cartomancy. Wrong again, probably . . . Divination?

"You can tell with . . . with just that?"

"Well, maybe not everything. But it should give me a good grasp of what the gods intended with you."

She sounded coy, gently teasing, perhaps, but for some reason, her words held an ominous ring to him. Most of the time, the gods seemed to spurn his prayers. He wasn't certain he was ready to hear their hidden will.

Aiko
Lysander
Nilamani

 

[Aiko]

This statement, along with the curling spasm of spatial leylines in Lysander's grasp, was Pomrick's cue to leave. He nodded and smiled and nodded again at Aiko, tried to do so with Lysander as well and hastily retreated. The levitation magic around her canvas resumed its regular patterns.

With Pomrick heading off Aiko felt the reaction of her paints pose less resistance to her magical touch. The drops returned to their places, thankfully without causing any mess. Internally she wondered what power the boy possessed to perform such acts instinctively. Though clumsy, the ripples of his actions seemed like a force of nature. How terrible of a power would he possess if he found the means to control it?


Lysander by contrast, seemed almost braggadocios of his talents. Yet she remembered the words of her father, that even the strongest castle could be toppled by attacking at the right pillars.

"It seems that you must know more than magic to operate safely. Have you studied physics or architecture as well?" She asked. Aiko did not know the particulars of such things, but knew of them enough to mention, or find the professional. Or book as would be more common here at Elbion.

As she waited for Lysander's response she pondered the best way to eat the provided biscuit while maintaining as cleanly an atmosphere as possible.

Pomrick Bloomsfield Lysander Docatto Valestri Nilamani

 

[Nilamani]

Aiko
Lysander Docatto Valestri had managed to turn a simple question into an intense answer again. Nilamani was starting to expect such casual allotments of concerning revelations. Still They hoped Lysander wouldn't be collapsing any of the buildings on campus.
They had opened their mouth to say as much when they noticed that the general floatie-ness had gone down. With it the disappearance of their less talkative group member. It had been Nilamani's intention to invite Pomrick to sit with their group but in practice dealing with Pomrick was beginning to appear as a monkey's paw conundrum. Every time they attempted to anticipate how the guy would react he found a way to put himself in an unfortunate version of what was offered.
"You two certainly seem to be getting on well." Nilamani chimed in with a mischievous smile. Then they stood and cast their eyes about the gathering to locate the mop of brown hair.
They wandered off to catch up to where Pomrick was caught up in a a bit of fortune telling.

Nilamani peered over Pomrick Bloomsfield 's shoulder at the girl's divining star charts with interest.
"She's really very good at it. reveal any hidden truths yet?" They asked their tone just as teasing. Standing behind him close enough as if to block him from running away from the fate of hearing his own judgement.

 

[Pomrick Bloomsfield]

Pomrick twisted and glanced up at Nilamani, their long, prismatic locks baiting his attention.

"Oh, hello, Nilamani. Eh, well, no, not yet, I think . . ."

The girl had just arranged her choice items, flashing a quick, acknowledging smile at Nilamani and their compliment, before her brow knitted again with concentration.

"What year were you born?" she finally asked, gaze not rising to meet his.

"350th year."

The answer came quicker to him than with most questions posed to him in Elbion College. His mother loved to regale him with the uncomfortable and embarrassing story of his cumbersome birth.

"Which Pnerian month and day of it?"

"Thirteenth of Daeskari."

Rapid fire answers from him? He could get used to this. Perhaps growing too cocky with himself, her next question blindsided him:

"What time?"

"Errh..."

She waved a hand easily.

"Just a general approximation will do. What time of day, do you think?"

He had to give that some thought. Although mother had often mentioned how she woke up from her peaceful sleep.

"Da-aaawn..? I think?"

Nilamani

 

[Lysander Docatto Valestri]

Lysander by contrast, seemed almost braggadocios of his talents. Yet she remembered the words of her father, that even the strongest castle could be toppled by attacking at the right pillars.

"It seems that you must know more than magic to operate safely. Have you studied physics or architecture as well?" She asked. Aiko did not know the particulars of such things, but knew of them enough to mention, or find the professional. Or book as would be more common here at Elbion.

“Physics? Yes. Architecture? No,” Lysander said, arms crossed under his chest. “I admire good street plans and clean lines, but mortar and joinery don’t hold my interest.”

He shut his eyes and rolled his head once, left to right.

“I can’t even build a wooden crate, let alone anything larger. My hands lack the knack for work like that.”