nysalogs | january open post + catch-all

Entry tags:

january open post + catch-all

Who: Yona (

cutefaced) & you!
What: A catch-all for January with OTA prompts and closed starter toplevels.
When: Throughout January
Where: Mainly in and around Olympia; some visits to Wyver, too.
Warning(s): Nothing yet, but I'll edit if that changes.

olympia proper;

one - getting reacquainted;
[Before taking ill, Yona had spent much of her time in the market district - mainly because she's always been easily distracted by interesting things. As a result, she hadn't been completely familiar with other parts of the city before then, though she did make a few forays into the theater district.

No more. Now that she's back, she has every intention of learning her way around the city she and her friens have returned to.

Her wandering takes her almost everywhere - and as a result, she ends up hopelessly, uselessly lost. Maybe you'll catch her looking at her surroundings with a puzzled expression.]

...wait, was I supposed to turn right at the last street, or the next one?

[Help.]

two - weapons galore;
[You must never touch weapons, Yona.

Her father's words are fresh in her mind as she stands outside the weapons shop. Of course - she's already disobeyed him once, when practicing throwing daggers. But she can only keep "borrowing" from Jae-Ha and sneaking them back to him for so long, and they're his weapons, in the end; she needs to find something that suits her.

Sooner or later, she was always going to have to look out for herself.

So in she goes, although she nearly immediately looks a bit overwhelmed at all the different choices. Oh boy.]

There's so many of them...

three - order up;
[She can't just rely on other people to buy her things forever (although to be truthful, it's worked for her so far).

So, not long after they return to Olympia, Yona starts looking for work. Her problem is there aren't a lot of things she already knows how to do well - but part-time work serving food at a cafe seems simple enough, and she's managed to get a job as a waitress at the Wyvernest, which suits her just fine. One of the most interesting things about Wyver was the dragons, after all.

Now she's sort of got the best of both worlds - she can see the baby dragons while she's working, and can learn about them as she does. (The owner doesn't rebuff her when she asks for employment as some others have, but maybe that's because they remember she wore a Wyver pin at the gala. Maybe they think she knows more about dragons than she actually does.)

But at the moment? It's time to serve some customers! Yona looks up when she hears the door open and fixes the person who's just entered with a smile.]

Welcome to the Wyvernest! How many would you like a table for today?

the outskirts;

one - neutrality problems;
[The first time she borrows a mount to go exploring, she runs into some of the people who have left the city.

...up until that moment, she hadn't realized just how bad things had gotten. Sure, there were people who were vocal about wanting to keep themselves separate from the people of Wyver, and people who were talking about fighting with them... but she'd believed it was just talk. After all, when she'd gotten sick, the medicine that had cured her had only existed because they'd cooperated with them.

But, no. Apparently it is that bad. And when she hears that people on both sides have been refused help from the Sanctuary and the Altar of Volkkra...

Well, she can't take it. She really can't take it.

So, from time to time, she ventures out from the city on a mount for a "picnic," though what she's got packed is more along the lines of simple food for traveling, cloth cut into bandages, and other things she's managed to purchase with her earnings from the Wyvernest cafe. Some days, when she's gotten especially good tips, she has a little more.

Some days, when business has been slow, she's got a little less.

Either way, she's trying. And she could probably use a little help... be it with passing things out to people who need them, or actually providing effective medical assistance, or not getting mugged or attacked by wild animals or something.]

two - edrathe ruins;
[Is it foolish to be out here? Probably. Is that going to stop her from looking around? Probably not.

...except it really should have, because enough time has passed that Yona's borrowed mount has decided to head back to the stables and has definitely left her behind. She's wandering around near the entrance now, unsure if she's actually where she left it or if she's just gotten terribly turned around.]

Hello?

[...there's that strange rumbling noise; she jolts, then glances over her shoulder.]

Is someone here...?

a visit to wyver;

one - dragonwatching;
[No amount of tension is going to keep Yona out of Wyver - for the time being, anyway. But even she's not that stupid; when she does take off for the hotter country, about midway through the month, she at least has the sense to change the style of clothing she's wearing and smooth down her hair. It's perhaps not the most effective disguise she could have gone with, but at least when her hair reverts back to its usual frizzy state, she can use that as an excuse -

It couldn't have been me you saw! Do you really think I could get my hair to look like that?

Et cetera, et cetera.

Anyway, now that she's back in Wyver, she's going to be visiting some friends - but she's also going to be taking the time to go observe some fully-grown dragons. ...from a distance, of course; she doesn't want to be eaten. Still.

There's no small amount of admiration in her eyes as she watches them.]

They really are amazing...!

two - lagoons;
[Before she goes back to Olympia, she has to stop at the lagoons. Has to. There's no two ways about it. They're one of the things she enjoyed most about the jungle country, and she doesn't know when she'll get the chance to bathe in them again.

The public bathhouses in Olympia are perhaps a little more elegant, but the lagoon has its charm, too.

For now, Yona lounges in one of the public pools, her hair fanning out across the surface of the water and preserving her modesty. But ultimately, a bath is a bath. There's a time and a place for being naked; this is one of them.

So she doesn't really think twice about it when she catches sight of someone's feet at the water's edge - she waves them over with a smile.]

Come in, the water's great!

wildcard;

[If none of the above works for you, just hit me with whatever! I just ask that you let me know when and where it's happening; I can come up with a justification for Yona to be wherever you'd like. Alternatively, hit me up by PM or at hungriest and I'll be glad to write a personalized starter for you.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...you're right.

[Well, luckily for Mephisto, Yona doesn't know anything about anime, so she doesn't recognize the ripped-off line. Instead, it just makes him sound optimistic, and it cheers her up a bit.

She even manages to smile.]

In the meantime, we just have to do what we can to help the people in front of us. ...and that means doing well with these lessons! If I really do learn to change my hair color like you, I might even be able to get into places I couldn't before and help more people.

[A-Ah, what a nice smile... he made her smile!!]

[.../cough]

[Damnit, does his human heart go into overdrive around Yona because of the dragon blood?? He's gonna punch Jae-ha next time he sees him.]

Yes, now that's the spirit! Shall we begin, then? The exact method isn't too different from the last spell I taught you... ah, but first you'll need to decide on a color, of course!

[Congratulations Mephisto, now you really know Jae-Ha's suffering.]

I already know that! I want black hair. [She sounds certain of this.] What's next?

[He really really does.]

Oh, so quick! And a fine choice, at that. Black is much easier color to start with.

[He says as he shows off, his own hair slowly fading into black with dark purple roots... gotta keep his two-toned #aesthetic at all times.]

Now, rather than imagining your hair turning black all at once, I want you to imagine it growing darker. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a dark room, thinking of just how the shadows stretching over your hair would look in a mirror. Search for that image and grasp it -- clear your mind of everything else.

[Yona closes her eyes, as he instructs, and takes a breath.]

Darker...

[She can try that. As she's picturing it, though, he'll see her shiver; apparently, her imagination is a little too vivid. Clearing her mind of everything else is a little easier said than done.]

It's too dark, I can't even see what it looks like in a mirror!

[...so picture a candle or something giving a little light, Yona, god.]

[He gives her a gentle tap on the back of the head--]

You're over-thinking it. Let's take the mirror out of the equation.

["Faust" was a kind, but strict teacher. His voice remains soft and calm, being patient as he leads her in the right direction.]

Picture yourself alone in the room, with only just enough light present for your eyes to make out the shapes of the walls in the darkness. Imagine every corner of that room, seeing the way it slowly pulls together. You lift a strand of your hair -- and see how it slowly comes into view as your eyes adjust further.

Eep!

[The tap startles her into opening her eyes again, an all at once, she feels a little foolish for getting carried away.]

...umm... [Right. Okay. She takes another breath and closes her eyes, trying to picture it as he describes it. This is a little easier, and as she imagines it, she also lifts a few strands of her hair in her hand.

It starts to darken at the tips. It's not black yet by any means, but it sort of looks like the tips of her hair have been dipped into a cheap, low-quality dye.]

[Changing already? It's impressive, given how she hasn't been studying magic for very long, coming from a world without it. Was this a natural-born talent? Or was there something about this world that amplified one's ability to learn magic?]

[It was fascinating to him -- and with her eyes closed, he doesn't hold back the look it brings out on his face.]

Keep that image in your mind, just like that... now, I want you think of a spell. Remember: any words will do, so long as they is ones you associate strongly with the image in your head.

[If the connection between the words and the image she wants is strong enough, her hair should change in an instant -- though whether it'll last long enough for her to open her eyes and see it is another thing altogether.]

[But it's fine, he's got a camera ready just in case.]

[If anything, she's peaking too soon. The very tips of her hair are darker, but... it's not really progressing the rest of the way up to the roots, even as she continues to picture her hair getting darker and darker.

But maybe she just needs to pick out the right magic words.]

...what words do you usually use for your spells, again...?

For myself, I choose words that resonate with me. They're usually simple, and in my first language-- German. Either a word to describe what I'm trying to do, or just a simple count to three to help me concentrate.

[Or just a snap of his fingers -- but that's higher level stuff that he'll get to once she masters the basics. Because of course he's already thinking that far ahead -- even if he figures the possibility of being outed as a demon and spurned away will come sooner or later.]

Teach me German sometime.

[...ah, but she's getting distracted. She needs to focus. So, with her eyes still clenched tightly shut, she does just that. She imagines her hair black and silky, like her mother's, as if just by thinking about it she can will it into existence.]

...one, two... three...!

[She waits.

...and then peeks open one eye to look.

The tips of her hair are a bit darker, almost black, but most of the rest of her hair is still red. Great.]

[It may not have worked, but it's better progress than he was expecting from her right away. At this rate, she might only need a week to master it.]

That's very good for your first attempt! But I think you can still do better than that.

Now then, did you choose to count to three because you associated those words with the image in your mind-- or because I told you that's how I do it?

...um... I associated the words with magic.

[Not necessarily with the image of her hair darkening to black, though. She realizes that a moment later and fiddles with the hem of her sleeve.]

But... I might have associated them with spells because that's how you do it...

[Ugh don't look so kawaii!! He can't be a stern teacher under these conditions!!]

When you get a better handle on the spell itself, altering or even forgoing the magic word becomes much easier. But until then, I want you to find a word you associate with the image of black, silky hair.

It's best not to overthink it, which is why I asked you think of one in the moment -- but you can take your time if you think that would be easier.

[mission accomplished

Yona nods a little to herself as she thinks about it. Something that she associates with black, silky hair, huh? ...there's really only one thing that comes to mind.

Her eyes slide shut again, and she pictures it as she whispers one word:]

...Mother.

[The tips of her hair become a little darker, and it might juts be a trick of the light, but so does the rest of her hair. Not black by any means, but... definitely a darker red than it was just moments before.]

[And a little click of his camera -- just in case it fades before she has a chance to see it herself.]

[But that word... well, maybe it would be all right.]

Ahh, look at that! You managed to make your whole hair a different shade this time!

Ehh, really?!

[Just like that, her eyes snap wide open, and she's quick to grab a few strands of hair to pull into her field of vision -

But with her attention off of making it darker and on other things, the color is fading back to its normal shade quickly. She only manages to catch a brief glimpse of it before even the darkened tips of her hair become red once more.

Her shoulder slump.]

It didn't last for very long...

[THIS IS WHAT PHONES ARE FOR-- he holds up the screen and shows her the image, which might actually look a bit darker than it was because of the lighting on his phone... but a good ego boost might do her well!]

No, but we can work on maintaining a spell once you've mastered how to activate it! As with everything, the more you practice, the easier it'll be -- and over time, you might even find ways to permanently hold such spells with hardly any effort.

...it would be nice if I could get it right the first time, but I guess I don't have a natural talent for magic...

[Yona sighs. So many things in her life have come easily to her - by virtue of being a king's daughter, really - but... as disappointing as it is to not be able to just pick it up and excel, it's a little refreshing to have to try her best.

Will that make it more worth it when she succeeds?]

You'll see. I'll keep at it until I can change my hair color whenever I want just by thinking about it!

That's the spirit!

Now, as part of your training, I'll need you to add this to your usual magic routine -- at least twice a day, both during daylight hours and after the sun has set. The latter should be easier for visualizing your hair turning a darker color -- but you need to be able to perform the spell regardless.

[YES YONA U GET HOMEWORK but at least it's magic homework??]

[Ew, homework -

But no, this is interesting enough that Yona doesn't mind it. And it has potentially useful applications, too; if she can master this, it might become easier to move between Olympia and Wyver without getting called out by one side or the other.

That's what she'd like to do, anyway. She hates the idea of picking sides.]

All right... I'll do it every single day until I master it. Hopefully it won't take too long to figure out!

Oh, I'm certain if you keep at it, you'll have it mastered sooner than later... say, I know! Why don't I add a little incentive?

If you can manage to turn the color of your hair into one solid shade of black by the end of the week, then I'll let you decide what sort of spell I'll teach you next -- so long as it is within my power to teach it, of course.

[These little spells were fun enough and served as good fodder for his research on this world's magic... but there's so much more he could be teaching her. Things that wouldn't be quite in-character for "Faust" to suggest.]

[That's a good idea in theory, but...]

You say that like you deciding what you're going to teach me is a bad thing. I've liked the things you've taught me so far.

Really? My, that's a relief! Honestly, I was worried you might find it a bit dull. It's not quite as exciting as knife throwing or shooting practice, after all.

[Even if it is SIGNIFICANTLY LESS DANGEROUS plz don't accidentally shoot him someday.]

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