TEST DRIVE MEME - DECEMBER

[thewatchers]

TEST DRIVE MEME - DECEMBER
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It’s December, and therefore winter - a time for celebration and, especially for Daybreak given the events of recent months, a time of rest and recovery. Out of respect to the Academy’s students and staff, who come from all walks of life and all sorts of different faiths, the decorations have been kept relatively low-key and non-denominational, with plenty of room for customization.


A. FROSTY THE SNOW... SOMETHING?
Snow is a fantastic medium for artistic expression if one doesn’t mind the cold, snowmen of all kinds popped up all over from the basic to creatures so elaborate it would win official snow building contests. Unfortunately, someone decided, after a bit too much eggnog, to enchant these snowy sculptures to a simulation of life, without any parameters to their behavior. Now terrible Snow goons roam the grounds, building more of their kind - now it’s up to you to put a stop before they make the area completely impassable until spring!


B. WINTER WONDERLAND
Winter has well and truly descended, and that means the various water features across campus have frozen solid. Of particular note is the now-frozen Cross of Life - as long as winter lasts and the ice holds, it’s a proud Academy tradition to turn it into a 24/7 ice skating rink. Whether you’re just there to take your first, wobbly steps, or you’re already a skating enthusiast, the makeshift rink is open to all comers and all skill levels.
However, it’s not just the students and faculty who will be joining in with the fun, if you dare the rink in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning. The benign spirits and fae that haunt the surroundings of the Academy like to dance on the ice, you see, and they’re more than happy to give you a few tips - or to cajole you into skating with them until the sun comes up.

If skating isn’t to your preferences, you might want to try ice fishing. Soleil’s larger bodies of water are where you’d go if you’d like your catches to yield actual fish, but on the Academy’s grounds, allowance has been made for unfortunate students trying to get back something they lost in the water when the weather was warmer. Items that have soaked in magical ambience for at least a season, however, are likely to be a challenging task to actually fish out - though they may retain supernatural properties they didn’t have before.


C. DECORATIVE EFFORTS
For those who enjoy decorations, the Academy has once again provided workshops suitable for the season. Paint, paper and other crafting materials have been provided for the express purpose of students and staff getting to express themselves for whatever December means to them; they are encouraged to spice up their dormitories and common rooms in particular, but the Academy will also accept ‘donations’ to their more general hall decorations.


D. IRIS NETWORK
UN: pumpkin_spice
do u agree christmas sucks

asking for a friend y/y/y

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[giornata_gloriosa]

"I see, it sounds like you have a very powerful dream to follow." He states, a tone of respect in his voice for that. It was an admirable dream, for certain. Different from his own, but the truth was, if everyone all had the same dream, it would either be truly impossible to achieve or it would already be reached. "I hope your dream comes to fruition sooner rather than later." He added.

He gives a one shouldered shrug, as if it didn't really matter. "My father's name is a word for God." He explained in a dull tone, like it wasn't really that much of a thing, and to him it really wasn't, his father's name didn't mean anything special to him at this point.

"Inkbrush? I suppose with a name like celestial brushwork it makes some sense." he says softly, looking the other over to see if he could tell where he kept the kit for him. He wouldn't give away that he often used a five finger discount on things, but just work on observation, that would be safe.

[betheman]

"A powerful..." The way he repeats it, one wonders if perhaps he is making sure the word was heard correctly. It's a second language after all. As it is, he brings a paw over his chest, apparently honored. "...Thank you... If you have a dream, I hope the same happens to you then!" he declares rather easily, nodding firmly.

Now- he fishes about, pulling out a small case with a brush- some sort of droplet container and tube afixed to it (potentially by hand). As he gets the brush in his paw, closing one eye and focusing the other on the petunias, he continues. "Ohhh, I see! If you only recently came under the barrier of information, then that makes sense...there's lots of deities that are actually real, you should know! Some of the students on campus are directly related to them, or even are them! Amaterasu's class is the one for Celestial Brushwork, in fact..." And on that note...

"For this, we'll use 'Bloom'..." He narrows the open eye- and seems to draw a circle in the air- and oddly, inexplicably, a path of ink is drawn around the flowers to match the bear's movements. Gongenzaka opens the other eye, and lowers the brush...

And the ink glows, scattering as the flowers glow as well. What was once withering, is abruptly filled with an abundance of life. "Hm! I'm getting better at this one..!"

[giornata_gloriosa]

"Thank you." He murmurs softly, a very genuine thanks, something about it touching deeper than before, but it's gone as fast as the words were said, the friendliness from before seeming just as genuine, if Gongenzaka had missed the moment.

Giorno watches with curiosity, looking from the brush to the plants and back until the other draws a circle in ink right there on the air, and he can watch as the flowers bloom in a riot of life, something he even feels through Gold Experience. It wasn't just creating other flowers to put there, it was reviving the ones that had already been there and giving them more life to live with. "That... is very impressive." He says, voice sounding stunned as he moved closer to the flowers for a moment. They were really there and alive, not some kind of illusion.

He then looks around a moment, before deciding none of the things in the area would work quite as well as what he already owned. He didn't know if changing those things, even if he intended to return them to their proper shape, was allowed. He removed one of his pins and smiled toward the bear, holding it in his cupped palm. "As I said, in return for showing me..." He said, and with a glimmer of gold the seemed to hover over his hand the ladybug pin began to change form, quickly turning into a kitten, still small but old enough to not need a mother right away, and he held up the mewing animal so that Gongenzaka could see it properly.

[betheman]

"Ahhh, truthfully it's not that much..! A master of the technique can revive a lot more than just a few flowers..." Really, he can't handle flattery at all!

But soon enough he doesn't really have to worry about that. Gongenzaka blinks, squinting somewhat as the pin begins to change...and then.

"A...Auuuh....it..." He can smell it- and hear it, even. It's... "It's real..? But how can this... ...This is your ability?"

[giornata_gloriosa]

He smiles brightly in response to the other, finding it honestly gratifying to have someone react like this to his ability. "Yes, there's a few other things I can do... but this is... a good example of it." He said, nodding a bit, and holding the kitten toward him. "It... won't last forever, the longest I've managed yet is a few hours, but on something much simpler." he offered, feeling a bit proud of Gold Experience and what they could do together.

[betheman]

"That you can manage it at all, is truly an impressive feat all the same- one which no doubt carries a great burden of responsibility," he adds more seriously as he gently takes it for the moment. "In the wrong hands, such an ability would undoubtedly grow fearsome after all..! But I have to ask...did you only recently develop this ability?"

[giornata_gloriosa]

It's unnoticeable, but Giorno is starting to blush a little, having never received praise like that, even for something as small as making a kitten. The kitten mewed happily and rubbed it's head into the one holding it, perfectly content. "Ah... yes, somewhat... it happened just about a year ago... along with some other changes. It suddenly came to me." He knew he was probably saying more than he really intended, but the truth was, he was liking feeling good about what he could do, that was more than just him telling himself it was good, or the cash he could earn in a day... this was a different kind of good feeling and... it could get addicting.

[betheman]

Gongenzaka seems to be treating the kitten like it could be made of glass- and to be fair, he himself is...well. A rather dangerous creature all in all. Very gentle scritches for the little thing are delivered by large, curled claws, and the contrast is impressive indeed.

But ultimately, the kitten is carefully passed back. "Hmmmm...then, you must have been spotted by someone from Daybreak... ...it's how a lot of students come here," he adds, wincing a little. "Mnh...they weren't rough, right? Some students find their way here against their will, whether because they themselves are doing something, or because there is a fear that someone else will target them...so..."

He really hopes nothing bad happened.

[giornata_gloriosa]

Giorno watches the kitten get attention before accepting it back, taking care with it as well, at least until he undid the change it was best to be careful in how the kitten was treated.

"I was... asked." He says, offering a slightly thin smile. "It wasn't hard to understand the truth of what was being said though. I would end up here one way or another; but it was in the best interest of everyone for me to come along on my own." He explains, giving a one shoulder shrug. "I was found after someone had hit one of my creations, hard. It's- these creatures, when I make them, are alive and will protect that state of living with all they have, which sends the force of a persons action against them, back on them."

He might as well offer that warning now, though Gongenzaka only saw a cat now, but hopefully the idea would pass that anything he created had that same ability to reflect damage back on the one who damaged it.

[betheman]

"They have that sort of protection..?" Hmmmm. On the one hand- "That's fortunate for them indeed," he murmurs, furrowing his brows as it becomes clearer that he can see what Giorno also realized before arriving. "...but also very dangerous... Especially if it's proportional..!"

Well. He shakes his head. "...Thank you for showing me though- I know I showed you some of what I can do, but that feels a lot bigger than what I did..!" he laughs warmly. "...In any case, the secretary here should be able to help you with anything you need- you just have to ask about resources for 'regional wear'!" ...And...

... "...Auh...have you gotten set up on the network here, by the way?"

[giornata_gloriosa]

"It is proportional. The one man who tried... ended up almost falling into the street from the force, I'm sure that is part of why it caught the attention of those out to find people like me." he admits.

"Thank you for showing me this... and I will be sure to get a coat, so you won't have to worry about that." He offers, smiling a bit more. Even with this interaction he didn't really believe the other would worry about him after they parted, but it seemed like something people often implied to each other, so he thought it might fit.

"I am... I do believe, I got a user name and everything." He says, nodding in agreement with question.

[betheman]

He doesn't pry into the details from there- what happened has happened- and, he trusts the other not to Not get a coat. But-

"In that case..." Still using the ink brush hilariously, he gets a little bit of paper from the kit he had it in, writing his own username on it. "This is mine- if you want, we can keep in contact! We're apparently yearmates after all!"

and also bear is lonely and need friend

[giornata_gloriosa]

Giorno accepts the paper, and studies the name on it, before pulling out his wallet to tuck it into it, for safe keeping. A few different photos flash by as he moves it, but he doesn't stop on any of them. "I will, thank you." he says, before realizing now he'd have to. He didn't say he would do something and then not do it, he didn't like being that kind of person, so he'd at least have to reach out to the other at some point. He was struggling a bit to find that to be anything less than a good thing. "Thank you for your help, Gongenzaka." he adds, to show that he had meant it about using the other's name properly.

[betheman]

The oblivious cheer in the air....is evident.

Gongenzaka's just happy, honestly. "Hmm! It's only my duty, after all! No need for thanks!" Though it is appreciated. From there though, it's about time for him to go back outside, and maybe do some skating again.

So...that's it then. "I'll see you again then!"

[giornata_gloriosa]

"I will see you." he says with a final nod before turning his attention to the person at the desk to ask about a coat. He had said he would, so he would, if for no other reason than to not make someone else get so upset like that again. He'd remind himself to reach out to the bear another day.