Cosmic Illumination - JRPGesque Space Magic Academy

[X] Stay on campus for other activities.
- [X] Visit the other clubs she joined.


"What do you want to ... do ... today, Sieg?"

Across the table from you, Theoxena heaves as she pops the lid off a jar of olives. Currently, you and your roommate (friend - why are you always hesitating?) are sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, enjoying the House of the Dawn's hearty breakfast offerings. So early in the day - the sky still a deep violet - and on the weekend no less, the bustling atmosphere of prior mornings is almost entirely absent, having given way to something muted, more subdued. Beyond the two of you, there are only a number of other students present (a bespectacled girl failing to feed her friend a chip; Santa-ziti yawning over cereal; a strangely stoic individual photographing a chicken sandwich with her Q-Gear) and the majority of them seem entirely content to converse quietly with one another, if at all.

But, you don't particularly mind. The peace and quiet suits you just fine.

"I, ah, don't have any specific plans," you confess. "Maybe I could ... visit another one of the clubs I joined?"

While watching a basketball game the night before (which, admittedly, you didn't really understand the appeal of), both of you and Theoxena decided against joining the Archaeology Club's expedition. Although you were rather curious about how their outings were structured, leaping into it straight away ... that gave you pause. You didn't want to spend your first weekend off campus when you barely knew your way around the school, and that was a sentiment the other girl agreed with. Fortunately, Dominique and the rest of the club seemed to accept that answer with grace.

However, that meant your itinerary for today was now empty.

Theoxena swallows down her food. "Then, um, can I come along?" she asks. "I didn't get to see much yesterday so, um, is that okay?"

"I don't see why not?"

Your emerald-haired companion smiles brightly at you. You immediately and very awkwardly clear your throat, coughing into a fist. It's not because you have a problem with her smiling at you or anything. Her smiles are ... perfectly nice! But you're still ... not used to being thanked with them. And it seems a little unnecessary. In any case, you think that she should be prioritising a more important problem, such as -

"Theoxena, you ... have, ah - " Uncertainly, you gesture at her collar. "- a stain on your shirt."

"Huh?" She blinks. "What do you - oh!"

Right underneath her pale blue shirt collar (and above the garish cartoon caricature of a pelican) is a splotch of oil, likely from the olives she was eating earlier. You hurriedly pull out your snuffbox, handing over to her a facial wipe. The other girl appears less concerned than you are, but you can't let her roam around the school with a stain on her clothing! It would be utterly embarrassing and ignoble besides.

For your sake at least, Theoxena does accept the proffered items.

"Thank you," she says happily. "But, um, Sieg, I don't think it's that big a tissue."

Except now there's an inkling of what you feel is regret. Maybe you should have looked for the disposable cloth dispenser instead.

Despite the flat stare you're currently giving her, Theoxena is entirely unapologetic.

"I'm proud of that one!" the green-haired girl chirps. "You um, don't like it?"

"Not at all," is your instant, fully instinctive reply.

"Oh, okay." Theoxena clumsily wipes at her collar, but then pauses, glancing up at you. "Um, what if I clean it up for next time?"

Too forced. Far too forced!

You can't help but let out a long sigh, staring down at your finished plate of scones even as she starts giggling to herself. Once again, you are beset by the ignominy of her jokes! It's not like they even happen to be that funny in the first place!

"I'm leaving," you huff, rising from your chair.

"No Sieg, wait for me---!!"

Which club will you visit first?
[] You should check in on the Shangarf School's atelier. As ... overly excitable Baya Telesio was, you can't deny your interest in the alchemical arts. What sort of experiments will she be performing? Seeing the work of alchemists first hand interests you greatly, and ... you suppose she did want your help with something yesterday.
[] That Sera individual was aloof, but he did ask that you visit on the weekend if you wanted to see what Student Affairs was actually about. You suppose that they would be most suited to helping you become more familiar with the campus, and whatever work that the club involves ... you could possibly get a feel for it.

[X] You should check in on the Shangarf School's atelier. As ... overly excitable Baya Telesio was, you can't deny your interest in the alchemical arts. What sort of experiments will she be performing? Seeing the work of alchemists first hand interests you greatly, and ... you suppose she did want your help with something yesterday.

As you step into the atelier, you're once again greeted by a ringing bell. The lobby is as you left it the day before - slapdash and untidy, with all sorts of manuscripts scattered haphazardly across the furniture - but very fortunately for your heart, this time around there are no exuberant women lying in wait to surprise you. There is only a tracksuit-clad girl sitting on a ragged sofa, diligently cleaning out what appears to be a glass potion vial. And upon noticing your entrance, her eyes light up in recognition.

"You're Sieghild," she notes, briefly studying your face. "And ... Theoxena, yes?"

"Ah -"

You can't remember her name.

It's not as if you don't ... recognise her or anything like that - it would be disgraceful for an individual of your standing to so easily forget someone's face, and the dark-haired girl is definitely familiar - but no matter how hard you rack your mind for answers, you just can't remember who she is. The embarrassment builds in your gut. How could you have forgotten? Beside you, Theoxena looks equally stumped. You school your face, hoping that she doesn't notice your hesitation.

But neither of you must have hidden it well, because her expression quickly turns crestfallen.

"... I'm Cervus-tiya," she sighs, pulling off the headband holding back her fringe. Her bob-cut hairstyle immediately becomes more recognisable. "I ... sit next to Santa-ziti? Like, diagonally behind and to the right of you two?"

"... Oh, um, I'm sorry!" Theoxena is immediately apologetic, bowing with palms pressed together. "I didn't mean to forget your name!"

Cervus-tiya waves it off with both hands. "No no no, that's fine!" she says. "For me, your name took a little longer to remember too."

Unlike mine.

However, you don't voice that sentiment. It's ... not too difficult to understand why you might be more "memorable" than Theoxena.

You push those thoughts to the back of your mind. Not now. You can't keep dwelling on them.

Instead, you decide to ... make conversation.

"Are you also a member of this atelier?" you ask politely. If she is, then you should aim to establish a more amicable rapport.

"I am," she replies, violet eyes turning back your way. "Yesterday I actually got grabbed by Miss Telesio -"

"Oho? Has somebody utterrrrred my name?!"

Your heart almost leaps out of your chest. Popping up right next to your face is the aforementioned girl herself, wide-eyed and grinning beneath her large wizard's hat. Where did she come from? How did she sneak up on you without you noticing? Why do the older students at this school keep doing these ... these confounding, stupid entrances? Do they want to give people heart attacks?

"Whuh, ah -"

You can barely stammer out a response. Not when she's so terrifyingly and annoyingly close to you. How are you supposed to respond beyond just ... rapidly scooting away? What sort of bizarre reasoning has motivated the Divinities to curse you with ... these people?!

"... What is this?!" you manage to blurt out. "Must you persist with this ... this foolish jumping about -"

"Sieghild Scylding!" She stretches out the final syllable of your ancestral name, bouncing away (and thankfully, putting more distance between you two). "I apologiiiiiise for that! Big Telesio is just really chilled to see you here again! Thrilled!"

You're making a conscious effort to keep Iršaappa Ḥalluwa's words in mind. Baya Telesio is merely overly enthusiastic. Yes, it's just enthusiasm. You think you can handle that somehow. Definitely. It's not like this is something beyond your grasp or understanding or anything. Alchemists are just ... prone to such excitable displays. And ... this is a career path that you can't deny your interest in.

A deep breath.

"A pleasure to ... see you again," you say, a little awkwardly. "And, ah, this is ..."

You look over at Theoxena. For a brief moment, she seems confused, before her face lights up in understanding.

"I'm Theoxena?" Her introduction is slightly hesitant. The green-haired girl's eyes dart between you and Baya Telesio, likely just as uncertain of what to make of the Shangarf School's ... representative?

Baya Telesio snaps her fingers. "Oho, nice-nice-nice," she starts, demeanour shifting into something less overly passionate. "Are you too seeking to seek out alchemical truuuuuuths under our spanner? Banner? We welcome great talents!"

"Um, not really?" says Theoxena. She glances at you once more. "I just wanted to, um, see what the atelier Sieghild joined was like ..."

"That's correct," you add. Which brings you back to the main purpose of your visit. "Yesterday you, ah, said there was an experiment you wished to perform?"

You're curious to see alchemy in action -

"Nyahahahahaha!" Her giddy laugh catches you by surprise. You shrink as Baya Telesio bounds towards you, eyes blazing brightly behind her goggles, mouth running faster than a motor. The frenzied, feverish energy you remember from the previous day has returned, and you can't help but feel overwhelmed. "Yesssss, this atelier will have the power of etherrrrrrr on its side! Your arrival is really-really-really just the best, Sieghild Scylding!

You open your mouth to say something.

She doesn't give you the chance.

"Now to the basement! Let's goooooooo!"

~~~

Despite your initial reservations, being whisked away to the basement of an alchemy atelier was significantly less frightening than it sounded. In fact, the room Baya Telesio brought you to was quite well-lit and tidy, a far cry from the mess that was the "lobby" above. As you look around, you can only think of it as the very model of an alchemical laboratory. Everything - whether it be vessels, reagents or other tools - is carefully organised and clearly labelled. If you didn't know any better, you could have believed it to be part of a completely different building.

"Personal protective experiment - equipment - is verrrry important!" declares Baya Telesio sagely from behind you as she buttons up her lab coat. "Even if you don't get hurt by anything, you don't want that blouse to end up a sacrifiiiiiiiiiiice in the quest for eternal truth."

She hands you a coat and pair of goggles. You gingerly accept them.

"So how do you manifest your godly talents?" she asks, smiling at you. "I've never gotten a chance to work with the ether before! This is a really-really-really great opportunity for me!"

You can hear the happiness in her voice. It's still ... astounding to know how eager she is to see your powers in action. Intellectually, you can understand why - a connection to the higher planes could only be a boon to alchemical processes - but to have such praise and awe heaped on you ... it's a strange feeling. You don't ... you don't dislike it, and you do appreciate having someone who finds you useful, but ...

You don't know if you can get used to it.

But, when she so eagerly requests your help ... well, it's not like you can refuse something like that. And besides, if she's showing this much appreciation for your ether affinity, then is it not only right and proper for you to explain to the best of your abilities how your powers work?

"I can, ah, commune with the etheric plane," you begin. Your arm pulses with cosmic power, and in a flash, your longsword manifests in a once-empty hand. "When I call upon the cosmic energies inside of me, I can create this ... connection that allows me to draw the weapon free of the ether."

Baya lightly taps your sword. It quietly rings.

"Is it made of metal?"

"In a way, it ... is?" You hesitate. By all appearances, your beloved blade is no different from a regular sword. It can be tarred and scuffed all the same. When it was first granted to you all those years ago, there was no doubt that it was cold steel. Yet, at the same time, it was an extension of you. "I took it into ... myself, I suppose. So it's ah, also a creation of the ether?"

"It became a higherrrrrrr grade of matter?" Baya Telesio marvels. "Wow-wow-wow ... so the ether maintains the form of metal - takes upon all the properties of the metal and becomes metal ... because you imprinted it into the place ... no-no-no, the spaaaace that you can access!"

"I believe so."

"Oho, it's like a kind of transmutation! I read they can use ether as a body for all sorts of transitions - transformations and it's incredibly-incredibly-incredibly puuuuuuuuuuurrrre so you can refine reagents easily or use it as conduit for the ingress of power and get Big Telesio loads of -"

She's babbling. Her words grow in speed. You can barely make out anything she's saying any more. Baya Telesio is no longer even paying attention to you or your sword, instead mumbling words you cannot understand - though, even if your ears could keep up with her rambling, you doubt you possessed the theoretical knowledge necessary to understand it anyway. She's lost in her own world, grabbing a notebook and jotting down some unreadable shorthand.

It's ... strange. But you don't know whether to interrupt or not.

Carefully, you place your sword on the nearby bench.

It clatters quietly.

"Sieghild Scylding!"

And in an instant, Baya Telesio is mere inches from your face. Blood rushes to your head, your heart pounds harder than a thunderstorm. Why is she - why does she have to keep - what is she even just -!! Aaaargh, can she not act so suddenly your soul almost escaped free of your body!

Your face is red. You embarrassingly look away from her shining eyes, taking a brief step back before she decides to climb atop of you.

"W-what, ah ... what do you want?" you muster.

She disappears to the cupboards (helpfully labelled "+3 STR MATS"), quickly rummaging through its contents before coming up with a basket of herbs you cannot identify and a few pieces of metal.

"Can you please-please-please enrich this?" she asks. Her eyes are almost stars.

"... Ah?"

"The Shangarf tradition focuses on improving health and physical abilities. Capabilities!" Baya puts the basket on the table next to your longsword. "That's the practical application - explanation - we give to people, but the end goal like every other alchemist is the transforrrrrrmation of the mortal into the immortal! Purification and transmutation of the body so we become as gods! If you're joined to the etheric plane, then maybe it's actually-actually-actually possible for you to enrich the reagents we use, refine and remake their essence in a way we can push eveeeeeeeeeeeeennnn further to that goal!"

She's ... very exuberant.

"How would I ... ah, perform this enrichment then?" you say, latching onto what you think is the main takeaway of her babbling. "Apologies, but this isn't something I am ... particularly familiar with."

"Oho, I don't have any records of that on hand, at hand, right now! None."

She's also ... not very helpful at the moment.

"Try and show me the sorts of ether manipulatiooooooon that you usually do."

... You suppose you can do that. Given the rarity of an ether affinity, you shouldn't be so surprised at how little you have to work with. Even in your childhood, much of your practice stemmed from a need to better your fighting. After all, it had been expected of you to be at least somewhat trained in the way of both sword and magic arts. Communing with things beyond what was an extension of your own self ... you don't really recall ever doing that.

With a sigh, you reach into the basket to pick up a piece of metal.

"Oho? Must you be touching it for your talent to work?"

"Yes."

Cosmic energy pools within you. The higher planes open a connection. You can feel yourself pulse in time with the ether itself, and beside the basket of reagents, your sword glows with etheric light.

Yet, of the metal in your hands ...

Nothing happens.

... As expected.

But, it still disappoints you.

"Sorry," you say. "I, ah, don't believe it's within my capabilities."

"Why do you have to be touching things if your sword does a glow-y thing anyway?"

You glance up at Baya, who's watching curiously. "Pardon?"

"It looks like you're linked to the sword in some way ... but the reagents can relate to you, no-no-no are not related to you ... is it because they're not connected ... hmmmmmmmmmmmm ..."

This time, it's low, rapid murmuring that Baya is partaking in. She's deep in thought.

Then -

"How your power work is currently beyond my ken!" she pipes up cheerfully. "We must stuuuudy it more and more and more. Why don't you want come back again and test it again when I rrrreaaady some things??"

You blink at the change in demeanour. The older student takes that as a signal to continue.

"I put a newbie into the deep end with no expectation! Preparation! You have no traaaaaaining whatsoever, and I did nothing for set-up! That's a big-big-big rookie mistake. But this won't stop us from trrrrrriumphiiiiing over those other pesky workshops! When you better your alchemy, then you can tell me how your powers interact with it, and we shall be even furrrrrther on the path towards universal truth, nyahahahaha!"

She grins at you.

"You're alreaaaady here, so why not get practice-y? With the power of the etherrrrrr itself on your side, you can make a great alchemist!"

Her enthusiasm is still off-putting. Yet, the fact remains: you have long been interested in the alchemical arts. And if you can make yourself useful in learning them, then it would be perfectly sensible of you to start practicing as soon as possible! Although, if you stay ... you're unsure as to how long you will spend here at the Shangarf atelier. Theoxena is still upstairs, waiting for you, and you're not too sure as to what she wants to do.

You decide to:
[] Stay and start practicing the basics of alchemy.
[] Make a visit to Student Affairs and see if they are in need of anything.
[] Explore more of campus and see what else is on offer.
[] Write-in.