TEST DRIVE MEME - MARCH

[thewatchers]

TESTDRIVE MEME
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Winter quarter is nearing its conclusion as Finals and Spring Break are quickly approaching. The library is bustling as students frantically prepare, but campus is also buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the school-funded Spring Break trip to Provence.

The administration, however, is not unsympathetic to the stressors of being a student. Comforts such as therapy animals, snack stations, and de-stressing events are being held all over campus to keep students as relaxed as possible and help them prepare for their finals. Daybreak Academy needs their students to succeed, and they spare no expense in helping them do so.

A. STUDY SESSIONS

With the approach of exams, the Hall of Pythia is enforcing 24/7 quiet hours. While it has quiet a few study rooms available, many students will find that the rooms are being booked up at an alarming rate. To account for this, classrooms and media rooms in Theater Lenormand are also being opened up for student use. Many others are spilling over into local restaurants and cafes, coming together as groups to review course material and prepare for their upcoming exams.

During these times, Faculty are expected to take a more hands-on approach as well. Faculty are strongly encouraged to host their own study sessions and rigorously review the exams and what to expect. Faculty are all given first priority for open classrooms and are able to hold after-hours lessons and Q&A sessions as they wish. While it’s not, strictly speaking, mandatory, Faculty can expect it to come up on their annual performance review if they don’t make themselves available to students.

B. THERAPY ANIMALS

Animals have proven to reduce stress, a thing sorely needed during the lead up to exams, and Daybreak Academy has provided three types of therapy animals upon request to aid with making study times much more bearable: The rare Armenian Aralez who is generous with it’s doggy kisses, About six huggable corgi-sized Wooly Bugs with their incredibly soft wool, and a pair of languid Temple lions that don’t mind being used as pillows. Try not to get too distracted from your studies.

C. FASCHING

Also known as Fastnacht Best described as ‘Bavarian Mardi Gras’, Fasching is much like it’s New Orleans and Brazilian counterparts - a celebration of the excess and to live it up until good catholics go give it up for Lent. Least that’s the intent, but like most modern holidays it’s an excuse to cut loose and have fun, and thanks to a sizable German population in Soliel, there is a bit of Fasching in early march with Beer Gardens, Masked Parties, and Live Bands along with decadently rich desserts from both German and French Cuisine. Have fun, but remember there is a curfew.

D. STORYTIME (text)

Hi everyone! This is the Folklore Club! If we could just take a moment of your time…

Daybreak Academy sure is a big school, isn’t it? And the students and staff here come from all over! Here at the Folklore Club, we research myths, legends and stories from all around the world to examine their similarities and differences.

It would really help us out if you told us what your favourite myth or legend is! Don’t be shy - we’d love to see it! Especially if it’s something that we’ve never seen before! And who knows, maybe you’ll meet someone who loves your favourite story too!

[ The results are, naturally, public. ]

Comments

[foolishjustice]

[A) Study Overtime]

[Final exams mean study time. Study time means...time to see who the workaholics are. Such as one Goro Akechi, a teenage Candle from Japan who doesn't seem to have much of a social life at all. He's currently spending the vast bulk of his free time in either the Hall of Pythia or one of the local cafes, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a pencil in the other. Unlike most crammers, however, there's a look of excited interest on his face as he pours over his study materials, eagerly taking notes.

Anyone who makes distracting noise will be addressed with a firm clearing of the throat and a polite request to keep it down in lightly accented English. On the other hand, people who look like they're struggling might find him approaching to offer some help.]

[D) That One Time...]

Have you heard of the time Thor had to dress up as a bride to get his hammer back from the Giant Thrym?

A

[grantmeamiracle]

[It's probably a good thing Akechi's approaching to help, because given how focused this girl is, she's probably not even thinking about asking for it.]

Are you sure? Your own final exams are... [A pause, as she frowns worriedly, then glances at the work sitting in front of her. She does need the help...] But... I won't say no...

[... Given her heavy accent in contrast to his own light accent and the slow, uncertain way she gets the words out, it's probably no surprise at all that what she's struggling with work-wise is English...]

A

[yokeye]

[Cafes are not a good choice for studying, as there's always someone who isn't there for the relaxing atmosphere. That someone is Toki. He's occupied a nearby table with his cat Kuroko, talking to her loudly while she laps at a frothy coffee drink he's poured into a saucer. The polite request for lower volume merely gets a glance, as he doesn't speak English. The cat conversation, in terribly accented French, is undeterred.]

No, I don't think I should bother showing up at all~! I missed half the midterms anyway~! Kuroko! Why do you always have to be like that!?

[Kuroko looks up for a moment, before going back to her coffee.]

One! I will take one final exam!

d

[suddenlybees]

LOL
This sounds like the set-up for a joke~
Alright!!
Let's have it!!!
Hit me with the punchline~!!!

A!

[gaiarage]

I don't need help.

[The response is nigh-immediate, spat out in harsh, clipped Japanese. Naoki hunches over his desk, clearly frustrated even though he's not even bothering to make eye contact. Yeah, he's floundering, sure. He never had much of a head for math even before all this, but that's none of Akechi's business. He'll pass or (more likely) fail on his own merits, thank you.]

Go bother somebody else.

[wherenoonegoes]

I'm a Viking. I know all the stories.

D

[timebombteacher]

I see you're a person of discerning taste. I'm quite fond of that one as well.

[prisoneroffate]

[While Akechi is working in the Hall of Pythia, a rather conscientious student in an apron will push a cart of steaming coffee and chocolate through, distributing them for free. As he reaches Akechi's table, he'll speak in a polite, low tone]

Would you like a refill?

D

[missleading]

Do you think Freya was mad at him when he asked to wear her dress
Also who do you think wore it better, Thor or Freya???

A

[littledevildarling]

[Oh hey it's... whatever the hell Bendy is. Shouldn't he be studying himself? Maybe. Mun hasn't decided if he's a student or not. Either way he isn't at present. He's going to bother Goro instead.

The little creature that may or may not be a baby daemon in the shape of a 1930's cartoon idea of what a demon might look like lifts himself up over Goro's chair to peak over his shoulder at the text book he's currently reading.]

'ey Goro. What'cha doin'?

[He's at least keeping his voice down]

((Current idea is that he's the result of Joey Drew contractng with a daemon to bring his cartoon characters to life in the 30's that ended up getting picked up by the Academy at some point. Which is why I'm not sure if he's really a student himself or just around because he has nowhere else to go since I don't know how long he's been here yet. I hope this is okay.))

A

[leekspindiva]

[Miku isn't really a bad student, but she also isn't a great student either. She actually seems to be pretty good with languages considering she managed to pick up English and Chinese pretty easily. She was still in the process of learning French, but she was getting there.

Still, she seems like she might be struggling a bit. When Akechi approaches her, she smiles a little sheepishly.]

Eheh, you don't mind Akechi-kun? I wouldn't want to distract you from your own studies or anything...

[Besides, she thinks she might manage. Maybe. Hey, this is like her fourth language.]

[adjectiveprince]

-1: The wrathful dead are ever ready-

After sundown. In the middle of some other mundane activity, Zagreus suddenly froze, looking alert. Moments later, several blood red portals formed in the ground, spewing forth a small army of glowing shades! Portly shades that moved to fling themselves at Zagreus. Muscular shades that jostled to attack him with clubs. Skinny shades that blast at him with magic.

Zagreus summons a sword and shield made out of what looks like solid shadows as he turns to face them. "Sorry mate, I need to deal with this. Give me a minute?"

-2: As a rule, you don't get a lot of weather in the underworld-

Most of the students at Daybreak Academy come here to learn about the world of the supernatural. Zagreus had come here, among other reasons, to learn about the world of the natural. He currently was lounging out on a couch in the library with a book about The Internet And You. After a long period of silence, Zagreus happened to glance out the window and saw snow falling.

He was familiar with the CONCEPT of snow, but had never been clear about where it came from. This was why he just suddenly broke the silence by blurting out "It falls from the sky!?"

ii

[suddenlybees]

[ jfc, the outburst is enough to jolt Kano awake- he'd been lounging on one of the couches in the library, textbook over his face and no intentions of studying, only having chosen the library for his nap spot because it's supposed to be quiet. ]

Is the- [ he squints at the book in Zagreus' hands, trying to guess what Zagreus is talking about, but that's not very helpful ]

The what's falling? Huh?

1

[aduration]

Alt sighs softly as he unbuckles the clasp holding a tome to his hip, drawing it with the flourish of a gunfighter pulling out a six shooter.

"If you'll allow me, how about cutting that time down to... 30 seconds?"

REIRA | OTA

[soft_focus]

[STUDY SESSIONS]

While so many students of course are studying for midterms and other tests, not all necessarily have such a fate to bear. In particular, those who have yet to enter the highschool years only have certain tests and quizzes- and while midterms for younger students certainly exist if they're taking a higher level class, it's far cry from the solid block of examinations looming above.

For still others, taking the tests isn't quite fair. At least not entirely, anyway. Reira, at the moment, is one of them- partly because she's only now being officially enrolled.

It is not a study chart that Reira can be found looking over in the library, but instead a list of classes. Regular ones have been handily highlighted by a teacher in bright orange- she has to take those ones, she just has to. They're important. But she still has the option for others.

Some have a little star beside them- Outlands Cosmology most curiously, is one of them, along with courses related to magical creatures. Others have just been covered in bright red. Probably to indicate she's not to take them.

It leaves however, a large number from which to choose from- there's no shortage of options for the students of the Academy after all! So Reira continues to pour over the sheet, eyes wide and nearly unblinking.

Eventually, someone is bound to be bored. Or perhaps something- a large violet thing, like a cross between a rabbit and a moth, has decided that rather than stick with their charge, they'll instead pester whoever is closest.

They might be tugging at a shoelace. Or your book.

[THERAPY]

Reira's moth-like 'familiars' (or at least, they might as well be considered as such) are not necessarily out at all times. In fact, the darker violet one is perhaps the only one who ever shows up reliably, occasionally carried around like some sort of bear. Even then, she's typically alone (or apparently alone), what with the campus of Daybreak being deemed largely safe by their standards.

Which means that Reira- now able to actually wander relatively freely- can finally reap the benefits. Something she didn't at all think would involve animals.

Whether she recognizes them or not, she can at least once throughout the study period be seen with them. Aralez? Currently sitting and panting casually while a nine year old burries her face in its neck-fur, arms wrapped around. Wooly bugs? Reira's face is probably once again presently burried in at least one, though it's more likely that Reira herself has mysteriously disappeared into the pile what with her hair being about the same colour. Temple lions?

Well, it's easier to spot her buried in that, brightly coloured as they are, and they seem plenty comfortable with either sitting on her legs, or acting as her back-rest (and also, Reira has probably face planted into one of them).

"Bhhhhfffaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuh...."

It's about the expected sound from anyone treating all of these things like a cat who's belly is about to be messed with Thoroughly. (But also, Reira, shouldn't you share??? You don't even have midterms!)

[STORYTIME]

[Does Reira technically know a lot of myths and legends? Maybe. Does she know they're myths and legends? Not necessarily. She knows Some things are stories, but. Well.]

What makes it a myth or a legend?

[Important questions, with Reira Akaba]

OH BOI STUDY TIME

[heromedal]

"Is this yours?" The glum voice comes from quite far up, and it also comes out as 'isth dish yords' because the rabbit-moth ( Lagoptera Annoyus ) is currently tugging the corner of his mouth. Why? Why not. Maybe it's trying to to make him smile. He is beginning to suspect that spirits are drawn to him just to annoy him, hence his own familiar being such a blob.

Despite his grim expression, there's not a hint of anger in him- he basically doesn't get mad unless someone else does something stupid and endangers themselves. As it is, he's more concerned. He still considers everyone here (and the world) to be his responsibility, thanks to interpreting the words of the Hero Medal a little... creatively. Seeing people her age at Daybreak brings it home. It's not just warriors here.

"Please ask it to stop," he asks as politely as possible, although it's more 'pleash ashk id do sthap', without taking his hands out of his pockets to make an attempt himself. Doesn't want to risk hurting the thing.

study sessions

[suddenlybees]

[ Kano does not want to study... Would it really help at this point if he tried to cram everything he was supposed to have learned into his brain in one night? It's not as if he never studies, and a lot of these exam questions are things you can think through and reason out rather than memorized facts, so a break like this would be fine— especially when there's more interesting things to be nosy about, like this kid who has no business being in a library (go out and play!!!) unlike all the other test takers who have no choice. It's a cat that stalks around behind Reira's chair and leaps quietly onto her table, doing what asshole cats do best, which is standing on the piece of paper you're trying to read. Outlands Cosmology?? Don't take that one!! Does she realize who teaches it????? ] Myaaaaaaah. [ He paws at the paper, slightly crinkling the section over that course title. White Chain teaches that, child. Save yourself. ]

Marian Tenebris

[einselective]

A:

Dr. Marian Tenebris is well aware that she teaches what most feel to be the most arcane subject outside of the actual occult: mathematics. Then there's the vagaries of 'Possibilities and Prophecies'... there are definitely too many students that are going to need help to pass one or the other (or both) and while she might be a hardass when it comes to marking, she most certainly wants to see them all succeed. So during every single daylight hour, she has a classroom booked for general questions, help, and even has extra practice exams available.

She hasn't been able to get her usual classroom though, and she looks vaguely uncomfortable with it for some reason. Still, if you forgot a pencil, or a calculator, it just so happens Marian has spares. Just the right number for what all the students here need. What a coincidence, right?

"If there's anything you need, just let me know," Marian notes with a frown to anyone coming in, sitting straight in her seat at the front of the room. She has some of her own research notes covered with nigh-incomprehensible rows and rows of numbers in front of her, for those times when she's not needed.


B:

Oh. Lovely.

[Marian's voice is dry when she spies the fluffy creatures, not quite a sneer, but definitely disdainful. Students need to be working hard, not lollygagging around with animals.

That's about the point where she sneezes. Loudly.]

B

[adjectiveprince]

Not much of an animal person are you, mate? Oof-

[Zagreus is knocked back over by the very friendly Aralez which keeps licking his face while he laughs.]

[nor_iron_bars]

A. works in progress

[To her credit, Jail is surprisingly available for students who want some help studying, and can be found in one of the alchemy labs during after-school hours.]

[She is, of course, reclining casually on an unused lab table like it's a couch while reading a magazine. Because heaven forbid she sit in a chair like a normal human.]

[The sign taped onto the door of the lab reads:]

ALCHEMY AND ARTIFICE
IF YOU FLUNK THIS EXAM SOMETHING MIGHT EXPLODE
(But no pressure.)

[Thus far, nobody's final projects look like they're about to cause serious damage- although one student's does suddenly start smoldering, emitting some worrying-sounding crackling noises.]

[Without looking up from her magazine, Jail calls out:]

Fire extinguisher's to your left.

[She doesn't seem that concerned.]


B. making friends

[Jail is not immediately visible, at first... until you take a closer look at the large pile of fluff off in the corner.]

[All six Wooly Bugs are resting on top of her, including one curled up on her head as a hat. The Aralez is curled up on her lap. The end result is that she's buried under a large mound of floof.]

[If you see through her cunning camoflague, Jail will wave at you in greeting and whisper, so as not to wake the animals:]

I live here now.

[Wasn't this supposed to be for the students...?]


C. faschinating...

[To nobody's surprise, Jail is out enjoying the festivities. She probably didn't even need to be invited- she just sensed partying happening somewhere in a twenty mile radius and appeared.]

[In theory, there's plausible deniability since she's wearing a mask on the upper half of her face. In practice, given that she's also still wearing her usual mask on the lower half of her face, it's pretty easy to tell who she is.]

[She's got a drink in one hand, and the other is making a beckoning motion, inviting anyone in reach to come dance with her. She's pretty nimble and surprisingly well-coordinated, given how much she's had already.]

Broly - OTA

[maximumest]

Edumacation

Most students defintiely need some study time!

... Some students need more help than others. Such as Broly, sitting uncomfortably in one of the study rooms with a small array of papers circled around him in a disorganized sprawl, a pencil clutched awkwardly in one hand. He .. is waiting on his tutor; it's late at night but most of his tutoring sessions tended to be. Most students enter the academy at least with decent basic educations and the unfortunate new arrival is not one of those students. He's seriously lacking in painfully necessary things, like basic understandings of math, anything more than a scrawl by way of writing skills, and the barest grasp of reading.

That's what the tutors are for. Thankfully, he learns fast.

Tucked under the table at Broly's feet is a smallish vibrantly green small horned ... sheep. It seems to be asleep for the moment, a placid viridian lump of curls.

Therapy Animals!

Baa is not, in fact, one of the therapy animals provided by the Academy to help students de-stress in these trying times but one would be hard pressed to tell, as the green sheep seems more than happy to hang out with the fuzzy enormous bug-things, placidly chewing on a long strand of grass. It's friendly, it's huggable, and isn't terribly far from its master!

Who is currently sitting about six feet to the left with a wooly bug on his lap, another sprawled across the bristly mess of black he calls hair. It looks a little ridiculous, a person of his considerable size just sitting there with his fingers buried in bug wool, looking terribly pleased with all of this, but Broly and any sense of decorum and propriety don't seem to actually ever meet. Now is no exception. "Look, Baa. They're like you! But. Without legs .. or green. Or.. horns."

The sheep gives a bleat, regarding him with one placid eye, and Broly lifts the bug on his lap to turn it over carefully, counting short little insect legs. "Okay, many legs."

He's probably supposed to be studying. Or attending a class. Or anything other than hanging around with animals for the better part of an hour now.

Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? I'm flexible!]

Therapy animals

[improbablenotimpossible]

"They are called Wooly Bugs, though I am a bit surprised that no one has yet to given the a more... 'pretentious' name for the lack of a better word." The tall, thin man wearing a broad-brimmed hat answered, smiling closed lip.

"They seek out cold and will drain it out, making them surprisingly effective first-aid for hypothermia. Though I have to confess I've never seen a green sheep before."

[frostedoverland]

Study Session

[Being the kid who wasn't exactly the most well educated because Poor and from the Colonial Era of American History meant that Jack just wasn't all that good at this school business. Perhaps he spent too much time with the Fey, perhaps he was still low-key angry that he was alone, who knew what it was but he was very much a Rebel Without a Cause and not at all studying.

Actually, he was perched high up on a shelf in the library and one tap of his staff had frost growing right down the wood, over the book, onto the floor and spreading. It was hard to keep his laughter in, watching the fernfrost bloom and cause havoc.

Perhaps you slip, perhaps you were in the middle of a long note, whatever it was, frost is going over and under tables, chairs and papers. With a gust of wind, Jack was off and flying with even louder laughter. Can you catch him?

Therapy Animals

[Cold may be his thing, but laying on a Temple lion felt so good. And they clearly were okay with the cold body on them as they snoozed beneath him. Did Jack need a therapy pet? No. But like hell that was stopping him.

He hummed a tune from the old days, rest his chin on a large head as he gently rubbed at a chubby cheek. The lion merely purred loudly.]

Like that, don't cha boy? Let me know if I'm too cold.

Wildcard

[Got something else in mind? Go for it or ping me at Ravenclawed and the AU planning thread is here]

Study Session

[atomicultimatum]

Uh oh.

Jade’s notes were now partially frozen over, and with the General crescent moon mood plus the stress from studying, this little lycanthrope wasn’t exactly happy when the fern frost crept up over onto her notes, obscuring part of them, while she’d been reading out of one of the textbooks. A science one, this time.

Laughter and a breeze of cold wind blew by making Jade wrinkle her nose and sneeze. In the next second though she was up and out of her seat, looking around for where the originator of the frost had gone too. Because of course this was some kind of non-mage magic. She was getting better about magic in a general sense, but those who wielded magic like mages did were still met with wary looks.

Jade’s nose twitched as she tried to pick up this person’s scent only to be merged with cold, cold, cold. Her wolf ears twitched as she followed the sound of loud, fading laughter. Well. She may not be able to catch him on foot, but she did have a chance if she teleported.

Crack! She gets close with that one. Close enough to see him at the very least.

“Could you please,” She’s trying not to straight up snap at him, “Not have your ice grow all over my notes?”

She looks like she could use a break, to be honest.

Isabel Guerra | Paranatural

[morelikeisabeast]

-1-

All kinds of weird spirits get attracted to Daybreak, lured by the incredible amount of power around the place but too stupid or ignorant to recognize the danger. Some of them are just strong enough to be annoying but not strong enough to be a serious danger to students. Mid power poltergeists and the like, and these are the ones students often target for practice with exorcism.

The supply shed behind the football field was haunted, with flickering lights and stuff clanging around and a general aura of doom. You and Isabel, a young hispanic girl, had been tasked with getting rid of it. She was currently staring at the shed thoughtfully.

Eventually she turned to you. “Rock-paper-scissors you for it?”

-2-

Isabel was normally brave to a fault, but not at this exact moment. The cause was, apparently, the overly friendly Aralez, which was crouched down in front of her with a wagging tail. Isabel was doing her level best to look unapproachable and threatening, while looking for a chance to flee. “Niiice doggy, good doggy. Look at all these other people who want to play with dogs! W-why don’t you go play with them?”

The Aralez playfully hopped towards her, and Isabel bolted. The flying dog, thinking this was a game took off after her.

-3-

She’s actually studying. She’s a jock not a nerd, and this stuff doesn’t come easy to her. Isabel sprawled over a large overstuffed chair sitting in the corner of the room and had her algebra textbook propped up against her knee. It would be a totally normal and unremarkable scene if her chair wasn’t apparently made of paper that was somehow being magically shaped into the outline of a chair with enough strength to actually hold a person up.

Bowser (THE KING OF AWESOME) | Super Mario Bros.

[talkstoposters]

Therapy Animals:

[Being rather animal-like himself, Bowser is particularly fond of most animals. He thought the therapy animal idea was a good one, but he wasn't particularly fond of any of the choices that the school had provided. So he filed the necessary paperwork (read: he made one of his underlings file the necessary paperwork) and decided to bring one of his beloved pets. Which explains why there's a large, black ball like creature with big eyes and sharp teeth hopping around with a chain on its back and a...tennis racket in its mouth? Despite its looks, the beast is pretty tame and completely open to being pet. Still, it doesn't seem like many people are willing to humor the poor koopa king. Hence why he'll just call out to whoever he sees.]

HEY! YOU GOT A MINUTE? YOU DO NOW.

[Then Bowser just starts trudging over to whoever was unfortunate enough to be nearby.]

STORYTIME:

So you want a story, huh? Alright, I got one for you punks.

Many years ago, there was a big, handsome king that was loved by all his subjects! He was the coolest thing ever. People would come from all across the land just to join his kingdom. One day, this awesome king decided to pay a visit to the neighboring kingdom. A land of weird little people with mushroom head. Freaky. Anyway, he spent quite some time there, but didn't really see what all the fuss was about. Just when he was about to live, though, he spotted the kingdom's princess. Who was also their queen? Like I said, it was weird.

Anyway, it was love at first sight. Before long the two started seeing each other more and more. Things only grew from there. However, before the king could propose, the princess was snatched away by an evil mustachioed man. The king managed to free her from his clutches, only for him to steal her away again. Time and time again the king would save his beloved and time and time again the jerk would take her away. One day the king thought he'd finally trounced him for good. He proposed to the princess and she said yes. But just before the king put the ring on her finger, that mustachioed menace came back and fought against the king. Sadly for the mustachioed man, it wasn't enough and the king triumphed over that poorly-shaved weirdo once and for all! After throwing him in the dungeon, the princess and the king got married and united the two kingdoms!

THE END.

Storytime

[p1]

Have I mentioned I'm a licensed psychothreapist?

In case you were looking for one.

[prettykettleoffish]

FASCHING

Rikuo hasn't actually made it to the academy yet. Managing to give his escort the slip the second he heard a party, he has been living it up since. All the tedious paperwork and tours and lesson plans will still be there tomorrow. A party lives only one day. Well, that's not true. His record is a day, night and a half of another day.

Soliel's acceptance of the supernatural lets him finally do what he has always wanted to- party down with some humans! Although he seems to the first of his race to grace the town, he's quickly made an impression. He's got his land legs and knows how to use them, dancing with acrobatic grace. In fact, one might just find a circle of people chanting 'go, go, Rikuo' as he displays an incredible aptitude for dance. Partners slip in and out of the ring as they either run out of stamina, realise they can't keep up or get shoved out of the way. He's popular already.

"Ah-hah! Are you next?" He doesn't stop to get a confirmation from his potential dance partner- he just lightly grips their wrist in giant, gentle claws and brings them into the circle to join him.

...And if his handler happens to come along, he'll just have to run for it, won't he?

STORYTIME

Back home, we have many tales of long lost people finding their way back home. My favourite is the one about Aulbath, who has many tales. A merman of unstoppable strength and wit, he was still helpless against the sea itself. He was swept away in a mighty tidal wave that dragged him to the absolute depths of the oceans. So deep the sun's rays were nought but a myth to the denizens of that dark realm. Unable to see, he could not see up from down, and no matter how he swam he always seemed to stay in the dark.

Loneliness soon threatened even his bright mind. He began to sing, tales told to no one about his family and friends who he feared he would never see again. To his surprise, the songs were sung back to him! He was not alone! Or so he thought. In truth, he merely heard the echoes of his own songs. He soon began to harmonise with himself, the sounds filling all the sea as they overlapped. In time the subjects of his songs heard them. Linking their hands and feet, they formed a chain that reached into the source and pulled him free and home.

They used to say since that day when we sing the sea replies. Of course, the unromantic version is just calling it echolocation.

or suggest a scenario and let me go nuts

Seriously give me a idea and I'll start something.

Storytime

[unpocoloco]

Oh... that's such a sweet story. That's really, really good.

Do you mind if I pass that along to someone?

[sleepybitch]

a; studying (?)

[Noctis had good intentions, at first. He was going to study! He'd managed to get into college back home, so it's not like he was a slouch or anything. But, well. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, isn't it?

A cafe isn't an ideal place to nap, but Noctis feels - drained. He usually feels drained, but that just means it's totally fine to take a few minutes to rest his head down on his books and... he's out like a light.

He might start snoring, if you give him time.]

b; excuse me, sir, that's my mental health dog

[The Aralez reminds Noct of the two dogs one of his friends had, a long time ago. While he's not sure it's a Messenger, it's not not a Messenger, and it's adorable.]

Hey, there...

[He's being drowned in doggy kisses. This is amazing.]

You're a good boy, aren't you?

d; exposition

There's a pretty old legend in my home about a sacred healer that turned to the daemons for power, betraying his brother and trying to doom his kingdom. They said that in two thousand years time, a chosen king would be born that would be able to free that healer from his pain and banish the daemons from their home.

It got pretty old, honestly. Some people, it's all they talk about.

A

[eudaimonikos]

[It's not commonly done to sleep out in public like this, is it?

Michael watches this over his cup of coffee for a minute or so. When he's finished with his drink, he gets up and quietly moves to a seat nearer to Noctis's, and watches him from there.

When there's no reaction to the movement, he leans forward and - slowly, carefully - tries to place his empty plastic cup on top of the sleeping human's head.]