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

[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?

[prettykettleoffish]

What good is a story that goes untold? I'd call that a dead tale. Spread it as far and wide as you can, my friend! 🐸

[unpocoloco]

[He laughs. For all the wrong reasons.]

Well, I'll have to do my best then to see it spread.

Sort of poetic how it fits the story itself.

fasching

[sleepybitch]

Noctis had been drawn to the crowd for the sake of it, well, being a crowd in the middle of a festival. There's a natural curiosity there, and for once he's at the liberty to indulge his curiosity and stop and see what's going on. Somehow, he manages to make his way to the edge of the circle, and the next thing he knows there's a fishman grasping his wrist and pulling him into the middle of things.

Somehow, he's gotten in over his head. This is just his luck.

"Uh-" His movements aren't graceful - he actually stumbles as he's pulled along. "Next for what, exactly?"

[prettykettleoffish]

Rikuo considers any party in which he does not get to have a crowd admire him to be a slow affair. He doesn't get drawn to them. They get drawn to him.

"To dance, my friend! That is what is done at a festival, is it not?" In stark contrast to Noctis, Rikuo is the very picture of grace. Even with wide webbed feet, he makes quite a display of dexterity. Once his latest dance partner is in the middle of the ring, he literally dances rings around him- huge clawed hands crossed at the small of his back, his feet fly in a complex routine. "Come on, land crawler- don't get shown up by a man who learnt to walk last week!"

It's a gentle, playful ribbing (also not a factual statement) as he comes to a stop, standing beside Noctics.

"Follow after me-" Hands still behind him, he shows a simpler, short routine. Just a few seconds of steps, then gestures for Noctics to try. "And you'll be an expert in no time."

[sleepybitch]

"Is it?" he asks dryly, putting his hands on his hips once he's settled in the middle of the circle. "This is my first festival out of the Outlands."

And there's not a moogle or a chocobo in sight.

He watches Rikuo's dance, bemused. There's no way he could dance like that. He's in decent physical shape, sure, but with the way his leg twinges every so often... "You're pretty good on your feet. I'll try to keep up."

It's awkward and stiff, but Noctis does manage to follow the steps exactly. Given time, he'd be a decent dance partner, actually.

[prettykettleoffish]

"And this is my first festival on dry land, so we shall call it a learning experience all around!"

Once Noctis performs his own version of the dance, Rikuo raises his arms to the crowd- he doesn't even need to say the words. Everyone gives it up, applause and cheers. A couple of screams, like he's a popstar.

"Isn't he fantastic, friends!? But it seems our new friend is a little inexperienced. All together, let's teach-" He stops, leaning sideways to get very close, almost cheek to cheek, as he talks out of the corner of his mouth- "What's your name?"

[sleepybitch]

At least this guy has a positive attitude. It's a little overwhelming, honestly.

He blinks when he leans in close, but it's - it's kind of nice? It's nice, people not knowing who he is. He's not a prince, here. He's just some dude. "Noctis," he whispers back, though it's very much a staged whisper. Other people have probably noticed that.

Though it doesn't seem like they care. They're all charmed by this.

[prettykettleoffish]

"Noctis, yes, knew it all along! Let us teach our new comrade Noctis how we dance," Rikuo doesn't miss a beat, playing into the stage whisper. Always better to be in on the joke than the subject.

Lining up now face to face with Noctis, he places his claws on own hips and demonstrates a few new steps, some that involve backing away and coming close. Once done, he performs a flourishing bow to indicate it's Noctis' turn. But this time, when Noctis starts, Rikuo will perform back- a mirror image, aside from him being a handsome fish. When they're close, another whisper. "You know anything that rhymes with Noctis? I'm stumped."

[sleepybitch]

Gotta hand it to him, this guy is good with a crowd. Much better than Noctis would be, right now.

He mimics the dance moves once it's his turn, looking amused as Rikuo dances with him. He's more relaxed, now, so the steps are less stilted than his first attempt, and he seems to be loosening up in general - enough that when he mouths the word "nope" it's with a small grin.

[prettykettleoffish]

"A shame, a rhyme makes a good chant into a great one," Rikuo sighs his words out, the fins that could arguably be called ears drooping for a moment before perking right up. "Ah well! All the more for me!"

He turns to the crowd once the mini-routine is complete and really goes for it. It's off the hook^* as he leaps straight up, turning mid-air to land on his palms- where his legs fuse into one powerful tail like those of a more traditional merman. Whipping it around in a powerful circle to obtain momentum, he drops to a shoulder and starts to perform a perfect breakdancing spin, rolling from shoulder to shoulder to keep the tail up. The tail splits and he kicks up to get on his feet again, arms raised. As predicted, the crowd chanted 'go, go, Rikuo' throughout. "See? The rhyme really makes it pop!"


*🥁

[sleepybitch]

"That's pretty good," Noctis says after taking a moment to really let the performance sink in. He is, admittedly, kind of excited that this seems to be a bonafide fish....fish. He's spent so much time out at lakes in the Outlands, and he's never seen anything quite like Rikuo - he'd always known mermaids and mermen existed, but now he has definitive proof.

"If you want, my friends just call me Noct." For as much as he...has...friends... The guard and advisor assigned to him called him Noct, at least.