WINTER TERM OPENING CEREMONY AND CLASS START

[thewatchers]

WINTER TERM OPENING CEREMONY AND CLASS START
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The snowfall has only intensified as Daybreak moves into the first day of Winter Term classes. A school-wide orientation will be held in the auditorium, followed by an open period where tours will be given to new students by student volunteers. After a noon lunch in the main hall, short introduction classes will be held where the syllabi will be distributed and professors can give a brief overview of what they’ll be covering over the term.

A. ORIENTATION ASSEMBLY

With a new school year comes a fresh address. The orientation assembly is one of the few times that the Headmistress and High Seer, Mila Duchene, speaks to the gathered faculty and students about their purpose and why they’ve been found and gathered here. About how Nightfall looms ever closer, and how together they will be the flames who light the coming darkness.

It is, in the manner of many orientation speeches, fairly long-winded. Those who have been here for more than a year have likely heard this speech before, though it’s slightly more urgent this time. Maybe it’s a good time to get to know the people on either side of you a little better while the Headmistress talks, because you’ll be here for a while. Or maybe you’ve planned ahead, and you have something to entertain you at orientation - much to the shared entertainment or dismay of others in your vicinity, perhaps.

Or you could actually be listening to the speech. It’s up to you.


B. SCHOOL TOUR

For students fresh to the academy, the sprawling nature and architecture of Daybeak Academy can be quite intimidating. Fortunately, helpful student volunteers have been tapped to help escort the new students around and give them a feel for campus. Student volunteers are typically chosen for both their experience on campus and helpful nature. While some scripts are provided, students are encouraged to ad-lib and put their own spin on campus and what they like about it. New students are, of course, encouraged to ask as many questions as they can to make sure they fully understand and familiarize themselves with the campus as quickly as possible.

C. SNACK STATION

During the first three days after the Holiday break, throughout the campus grounds are small stations manned by the kitchen staff and volunteers, the smell of hot chocolate, cider, and frying bread fills the air, stirring the appetite and promising warmth on this cold winter’s day.

Every booth has hot chocolate, some spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, others rich and creamy, but always with an option for marshmallows, peppermint bark or caramel drizzles - with non-alcoholic hot cider for those with an allergy to chocolate. For food options, naturally being France there are crepes of all types and beignets on offer, with jam- or custard-filled berliners, while those looking for a more savory fare will be treated to rissoles - a fried bread stuffed with minced meat or bechamel sauce and cod.

While the drinks are on tap and readily available, it may take a few moments to get the treats out, so might as well make conversation while a fresh batch is made.

code bases by tricklet

Comments

[elliexir]

There... are a lot of things that Ellie wants to question at that moment, but she thinks she can start with this one:

"Uh, why are you eating McNuggets out of a dumpster?

[tiredcharmer]

Oh, Ellie. You sweet, summer child. Tyzias looks at her appraisingly, then shrugs. "No money. Nothing to eat. Most of the food in dumpsters is still edible, believe it or not." There's a brief pause. "They're pretty comfy places to sleep, actually. Sorta like a mini homeless shelter."

[elliexir]

"Oh..." That's all that she can say because yeah, that-- that makes sense. She supposes that she was at least lucky enough to have a roof over her head, even if things were kind of shitty overall. Well, let's change the topic and move the conversation away from how much it sucks to be homeless.

"Well... aaaaanyway, how'd you do make that paper bag all cold?"

[tiredcharmer]

Tyzias doesn't mind talking about her pathetic, scrounging existence. It was just the facts. She was mildly surprised that anybody even took issue with her eating out of and sleeping in dumpsters, actually. At Ellie's question, Tyzias just shrugs. "Basic runic inscription. You new to the wonderful world of magic? Spoilers: it's shitty and you were better off being a normal human being who didn't have to deal with this fuckery."

[elliexir]

Haha, tell her about it... she wishes he can go back to a life before she had to deal with all this magic stuff but she guesses that she can't really do anything about. "I don't know, I guess it's kind of cool." She shrugs. "I mean, I saw someone hanging on the ceiling earlier." That is totally cool.

[tiredcharmer]

"Mmmm." Tyzias shrugs. Ellie was right, there were a few cool parts to the magical world. Like magic cybernetics, for instance. But then again, Tyzias would never have needed the cybernetics if she grew up with halfway normal family. "Guess I'm a bit biased, though," she says, her tone dry as a desert as she flexes her automail arm.

[elliexir]

"What do you mean?" She notices the automail arm but doesn't comment on it.

[tiredcharmer]

Tyzias's face creases into a frown. "...how much do you know about mage society? Just, like. In general."

[elliexir]

"Thatttt it's a society? And full of mages?" Translation: nothing.

[tiredcharmer]

"Basically every mage who's raised by any clan that's remotely powerful acts like a fuckin' Saturday morning cartoon villain with zero self awareness and makes everyone around them miserable. Then again, my own crazy, rascal uncle figure ripped my arm off when I mildly inconvenienced him, so. I'm kinda biased, yeah."

[elliexir]

And now Ellie feels a little awkward for staring at the mechanical arm. Yep... this sucks...

"... okay, that's a pretty compelling point." She... doesn't really know what else to say... "Your uncle sounds like a total dick..."

[tiredcharmer]

"I mean, if it helps, he wasn't really my uncle. Just a weird juggalo who had all of the crazy uncle stereotypes except like legitimately crazy and psycho." Tyzias shrugs. She was desensitized to the horror at this point, really. She talks about it like it's just some particularly bad weather. "My entire 'family' was like that, actually. Except only some of them were juggalos."

[elliexir]

"Jeez..." It's really hard to know what to say after all this. She feels awkward in general because she knows that you can't really say anything to make people feel better about their past or situation. She hates it when people do it to her... "But not all magical families are like that, right?"

[tiredcharmer]

"...not all," Tyzias admits, somewhat begrudgingly. She sighs, leaning back. Oh, she had a lot to say about this. "You want the long version or the short version of why everything in the magical world is so fuckin' shitty?"