aterat | Open September Logs

Entry tags:

Open September Logs

Who; Waver & Anyone
What; 2 Open Logs
Where; Market & Fountain (memory)
When; Late September I guess
Warnings; For the fountain memory: Severe Injury & allusions to possible death

A. Market – OTA

Several people had been on his case (justifiably even if he wouldn’t admit it) to get out more. Not that last month had made it that easy to acquiesce to that suggestion… Waver had exerted himself a little too much over everything. Between the damned beast and the other situations, he’d gotten involved with (even if he’d been warned not to). His overused circuits ached, and the rest of his body had done what it did every time a case got a little too out of hand and he’d pushed himself until it was over. It stopped him by way of getting sick and he’d had to hide away while he tried to recover from it.

So there was at least a reason for returning to the hermit life.

At least until that day, as he opened his fridge and realized with disappointment that he was once again out of bread and other assorted sandwich making ingredients… Not to mention he needed to pick up some things for the workshop before he went there later to check in on the state of his current subject of interest. The mystery seed that definitely did not appear to be normal by any stretch. He’d been cautious, studied it a bit, then set up a carefully controlled environment to contain it and see how it grew. Giving Waver items of a magical nature was like giving a kid a toy at Christmas. He was going to be curious, and he was going to study the hell out of it.

So, between the need for easy to make food stuff and materials for his workshop, he found him in the open air market. Strolling between stalls with a bag over his shoulder to carry what he needed. The mage mumbled to himself as he ticked off each item on his mental list, “Tomatoes… Lettuce… Eggs… Bread. Right, I need bread.” He sighed, turning to move away from his current path and on towards the bakery. “Maybe I’ll stop at the tavern for lunch-” Waver started to muse to himself as he noted the time of day, only to stop with a startled sound as he almost walked right into someone, the bag on his shoulder slipping off when he started to drop to the ground with an audible sound of something breaking (RIP eggs). "What the- You startled me!"

Obviously...

Smooth, Velvet.

B. Fountain Memory – OTA

Waver sat on the edge of the fountain later that day as he fussed with his lighter that was being difficult, despite him being certain he just filled the damn thing. It was just meant to be a short pause to light his cigar before starting the walk to his workshop. He planned to check on the mystery planting project he’d set up in a small, controlled environment placed next to a window, maybe nap on the sofa and hope that nothing exploded for a few days.

Idly the mage glanced at the fountain as he seriously considered giving up on the lighter and conjuring a little flame to be done with it, but that was a waste of mana in his opinion when a lighter should be doing the job just fine. The little gold object slipped free of his grip though and clinked audibly on the ground as something caught his eye in the reflection of the still waters…

And when the memory played to the end, a muttered curse left his mouth and his shoulders shook lightly in annoyance. “Shit.” He did not, in fact, need the bloody reminder of what happened just before he suddenly found himself in this stupid city over a year ago now… Especially when he’d had to practice the art of dodging the obvious around people who were starting to notice his avoidance of certain subjects and questions.

It was then that he noticed he wasn’t alone, feeling a presence standing near enough that the fountain had probably been in full view. His head swivelled and his gaze was sharp as he glanced at them uncomfortably. “Can I help you with something or are you just going to stand there gawking?”

Oof... Have fun with that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Waver supposed he could understand that on a few levels. Even if he wasn’t the sort to be open to letting things go… There were plenty of things he might function better without when it came to memories.

But it’s not an unfamiliar way of accepting or pursuing things. “I can understand that. Mages in my world are often raised to study and follow their family’s chosen paths. Often times things most be given up for the sake of improvement. I have had many students whose personal magecraft has costs.” Not that Waver thought all of them were right, or that he didn’t wish they had more choice or chance at a proper childhood sometimes… But he gave them a safe environment to grow and learn at school, and the odd time he heard them admit that it was hard to deny he felt better about what he was doing with his life.

"What if the family's chosen path doesn't fit your own interests and aptitudes? Sounds silly to me," Nida said with a roll of his eyes. One can't always fit the mold set by the previous generation. In fact, they rarely could.

"Children need a chance to grow on their own I think."

“That depends on the family and the student.” He responded with a small sigh. The inane traditions that could end up stagnating magecraft and the pursuit of new discoveries was something he could complain about for ages. “Most of the time, the family naturally has an affinity for it… The magic crest stores generations’ worth of knowledge and power that the heir receives. Most of them continue to pursue the same studies, either by their own wish or their family’s.”

That didn’t hold true for everyone, though. Not if they were in his class. Waver was still an upstart in the eyes of the association, he just accepted his own limitations and focused on helping the next generation. “If a student comes to my class and I notice they have a knack and interest in something outside their family’s traditions, I admit I try to encourage them to pursue that instead.” Some students had sacrificed too much to change their path, though, but those usually excelled at what they were doing.

Then there were students like his newest addition. “I have one student, new to class… He became the heir to his family by chance when the last heir left. The family excels at spiritual evocation, but he’s not particularly skilled in it, but he’s got a hell of a lot of potential with electrical magecraft. He showed a lot of promise with the mystic code I was teaching him how to use, and he seemed to have taken to it.” And Waver was… really kind of proud of that. The kid was kind of mediocre, not unlike him (though still way more talented) but had a good head on his shoulders. Caules was doing better, even if he got a little overwhelmed looking at times… But that was more because he had Flat and Svin as classmates.

With a few more months, the kid probably would have been well on his way… Pity, Waver absently noted, that he might not have the chance.

Or Waver would go back at one point and thus give the boy a chance to be something more. That seemed likely as not. Though not when measured in Nida's experiences perhaps. This was his fourth world including home.

"You sound like a good instructor, Master Waver. The sort a Garden like mine could have used."

The comment gets something close to a softer expression, or at least the stress lines between his brow ease some. “I certainly try to be. I’m not much to speak of myself as far as mages go… But I’d like to at least see them excel if I can help it.” That’s a bit modest, his students all improved at impressive rates compared to other classes. Teaching had become his passion quite unexpectedly, to see potential in students and help them flourish. His students were somewhat wild and chaotic, stressed him the hell out on a good day, but they were worth it. And they were safe from some things in his class, as much as he wanted to deny that he was trying to protect them.

"Are you teaching things here as well?" he asks with a smile. Because people that were that good with teaching should be doing that as best they could wherever they could.

“A little, I suppose. I have an arrangement with someone who’s been interested in learning things here and there, but it’s a little less formal.” Waver had been teaching Ren things like how to construct a bounded field when the teen showed up sometimes, and it kept him from missing the classroom too much.

Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, he continued. “And I’ve been trying to help get the academy into shape with a few other people.” He’d made headway in funding and getting some of it organized… But there was a lot it still needed. Not to mention the mystery of the last headmaster, who Waver had the name of, but no clues as to if they still existed or not.

"Academy?" Nida asks. He'd been rather separated from that whole mess of that sort of stuff. The guard was mostly only focused within the city itself. And the Academy was further off than his patrols took him.

“Yes, the magic academy that appeared outside the city.” He confirmed, though it wasn’t surprising the patrols didn’t make it that far. Getting back and forth wasn’t ideal for him most of the time. He’d make the trip and stay there for longer than strictly necessary to make it worth it while it wasn’t quite up and running. He really missed his car…

Shaking his head, he continued. “I’ve mostly been going through the old records and getting things like funding arranged. Finding names of the people who used to support the school financially… It’s interesting to see who was here before what happened and still is. They all seem to think highly of it and the headmaster that they remember, not that I can find much about him.”

Clearly he should invest in a chocobo. They were good creatures when they liked you.

"Perhaps with time and the city's continued expansion you will find more. There were places that didn't really... exist when I first got here. Things that changed."

A chocobo was something the mage had definitely been considering, he’d even been trying to read up on the creatures. It certainly would be good for him to have… He just needed the time and opportunity so he could see about it properly.

“That’s been my hope.” It had been promising thus far, with some of the progress… But some of it also nagged at the back of his mind in a familiar sense that gave him a bad feeling. That was kept to himself, mostly, until he had more data to go off of and connect some more dots. “I’ve heard about that, I spoke with someone a little while back that confirmed the school was simply in another realm for a time before it returned here, it’s made me wonder how many other things are like that…” The mage hummed, before continuing. “But on that front, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. I’m still trying to track down more about the headmaster, but no one has recognized the name Percival Quincy.”

"I don't know it either," Nida says with a nod. So they really don't have answers at this moment. Chances were they weren't coming any time soon either.

"Did you have any records of where he lived?"

Waver hadn’t gotten his hopes up that Nida might, but he did wish he’d happen upon someone who recognized it. It feels important to the mage for a few reasons, but he’d keep looking. “Too bad, but that seems to be most people’s answer beyond the supporters of the academy. If you happen to hear the name or one that might be connected to it, let me know.”

The question gets a small shake of his head. “I’ve got his signatures on old documents and correspondence from the Academy itself, but nothing to indicate a permanent residence. The only thing the people who knew him could tell me was that he was a kind, inventive man.” So not helpful. “So, I can’t tell if he still exists here after what happened or if he does in a different way than before.” He mused, shaking his head. “Would think he would have come forward when the academy returned if he was, so I’m starting to wonder if he’s not among the returned citizens… but even finding some personal information on his own studies related to the academy might help.”

"I will keep an ear out for it," Nida promises. "The guard can hear things other people don't."

And he can ask the others to listen for him too. The guard was useful for that, for rumors. Plus, if a powerful mage showed up, Nida might be able to sense him.

"With time we can solve just about anything. Hopefully. I'll be positive."

Waver tilted his head at the offer, looking a touch thoughtful about the promise but nodding. “I’d appreciate that. It’s good to have a few ears out for information like that.” A name and reports of someone’s reputation weren’t much to go on, but it was better than nothing.

If Nida did happen to come across a Percival, or any variation of the name that seemed to fit the bill, Waver would be glad for the news. A lead to follow up on would at least give them some chance of progress.

Positivity wasn’t necessarily the mage’s strong point, but stubbornness was so it balanced out well enough. “Hm… We do have plenty of time around here, from what I’ve noticed so far. I’m confident at some point we’ll turn over the right stone.”

"Just wait. You said that and now it's actually going to be under a stone. Some underground lab," Nida laughs. Because that was how life works here.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t be the first time I had to go looking somewhere sub-level for answers.” Mages often liked to keep their workshops in underground facilities, basements and even sewers. He wasn’t fond of the latter, but he’d had to go down them at least twice now.

"Exactly," Nida says. "Sometimes the secrets are hidden out of sight, and we never think to look down or look up."

And that means they'll figure their things out in time.

And Waver can appreciate that way of thinking, a little relieved to hear someone around here can think on those terms without overlooking them. “Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. It’s best to keep all possibilities in mind, or at least I’ve found that it helps in a lot of situations I’ve been in.” He mused, thinking a long way back when even a simple overlooked method had brought him to find a culprit before far greater mages did. “I’m glad to have someone of a similar mind keeping an eye out for them.”

"What can I say, I was trained for secrets," Nida says with a shrug. Not much he can do about that now, it rarely comes up. Hyne, it stopped being relevant a while ago.

"But I can promise to watch."

“Then we’re in like company to an extent. Secrets are practically what mage society is run on where I’m from.” Talking with Nida was a little like talking with his ally, Shishigou. They were very different people, of course, but the ease at which the conversation flowed and understanding of being raised to handle secrets and work quietly was there. And Waver found an appreciation for that. It was an easy conversation in which no one tried to push his buttons or get a rise out of him for their own amusement.

So, the man had his respect, and some gratitude to know he was going to have another set of eyes on this problem that had been nagging at him since last Christmas. The promise gets a rare smile, and he tilted his head at the man. “That’s appreciated, and if anything comes of it, then we’ll be a little further ahead than before.” Progress was something the mage was desperate for at this point. He hated being at a standstill. “And if I can offer something in the way of payment in return, we’ll work something out.”

"Don't worry about payment for me. But I'll see if perhaps the Gullwings want to help. They might need paid."

Investigators need things like money after all.

That’s the second time he’s heard the Gullwings mentioned, but he didn’t know much about what they did. Somehow, he’d never really come across anyone who worked there to his knowledge, or at least no one mentioning they did.

“The more eyes on it, the better, and I’d be glad to pay them for their time.” He was used to ensuring people were paid for their assistance, and he does have funds here now; what with the work done at the Academy in general? The weird thing about Aterat is the realization that his earnings didn’t mostly go into paying off the El-Melloi family debt.

"Good. I'll talk to Llewellyn," Nida offers with a smile. "See if we can't get their eyes open on things too. They could stumble on things that we don't see on our own."

Llewellyn… Hm. That name is vaguely familiar, and he recalls that’s the name of Rhy’s husband. Right, so the man worked at this ‘Gullwings’ place, and he knew he was a detective… So that made sense. “That’s the hope. With enough eyes and different ways of looking at things, maybe someone can happen upon the thread that needs pulling.” He responded with a nod and a rare smile.

This maybe could work, and maybe they could get a few things cleared up. It bothered the mage that the school was such a mystery and in need of work. Schools should be running, should be full of students and life and the excitement of pursuing knowledge. He had jumpstarted the repairs needed, but there was so much left and the mystery of the headmaster was one of them.

(ooc: If you want to do something with that, let me know sometime. If not, that’s cool.)

Open September Logs

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move to wrap?

Sure thing!