It's For Your Own Good

[thechurbyboxmod]

Blind Date Meme



Let's face it, sometimes it's difficult finding someone to share your time, and your heart (or maybe just your body), with. Luckily for you, you have well meaning friends. Unfortunately for you, you have well meaning friends who didn't tell you this was coming. That's right. They have taken it upon themselves (and no doubt friends of friends or family members or someone else who clearly doesn't know you) to arrange a date. Without telling you.

That's right. The dreaded blind date. Which means now you've got to get through at least a reasonable amount of time with a total stranger (or maybe not a stranger if you're particularly, well, we can't say if it's lucky or not) before you can reasonably escape. Maybe it will go well. Maybe this will be the start of the rest of your lives. Maybe you'll get laid. Maybe you'll have a horror story for the ages.

No matter what plays out, though, you're here. Might as well see just how your luck is going to play out.

How to Play

1. Post your character and canon below along with any preferences. Then go back and edit your comment with the next number in order (i.e. first TL is 1, second is 2, etc)

2. Tag other TLs. If a character isn't in normal preferences, ask if they might want a date that goes poorly instead!

3. Optionally, get yourself a truly blind experience by going here and randomly generating a number. Then find the matching TL (numbered back in step one) and enjoy your blind date.

4. For more fun, use the list in the first comment for randomized date locations!

Comments

[ask_whydunit]

Guess so… [ Was he disappointed too? A little. ] I mean for now, anyway.

[ He added, reminding Nida in his awkward way that this wasn’t the last expected meeting. They had an actual plan, after all, and Waver wasn’t exactly deterred easily once he decided something…

Melvin side-eyed Waver curiously, then looked at Nida, then back at Waver… Then grinned in a particularly amused fashion. He’d never seen Waver willingly express an interest in seeing someone again. Usually, his interests were strictly things found between pages of a book! This was going to be fun to watch.

Meanwhile, Waver was wondering if Melvin would be disappointed that he wouldn’t get to be a ‘gentleman’ as he put it. However, Melvin’s main ploy was a little more time in the first place, so he nods almost sagely as he agreed with Nida. ]

That’s very thoughtful of her, certainly and perhaps sensible when you put it that way! Very well, we shall put ourselves in your care on the way back, then!

[ Waver let out a small huff at the other teen’s dramatics. ]

I guess if you guys want, if it’s not going to make sneaking back in unnoticed harder for you two.

[seed_pilot]

[Nida rises to his feet, collecting his things. Which includes pulling a long cloth-wrapped parcel from under the table and passing it over to Selphie. A second, shorter one, he puts over his own shoulder.

Clearly the Garden cadets didn't go anywhere unarmed. Selphie wraps an arm around one of Melvin's and smiles.]

I have magic to help me, and Nida's an infiltration cadet. If we can't get back in, we don't deserve our marks.

[Nida sighs and roll shis eyes.]

What she's saying is we're already prepared for thing to go whatever weird way they go. So let us do this.

[ask_whydunit]

[ Meanwhile, mages didn’t tend to consider carrying weapons beyond the odd mystic code specialized and suited to their magecraft. Which was occasionally their own downfall when dealing with mercenaries who knew that much. How do you win a fight with a powerful mage? Bring a gun, apparently. Their hubris left them thinking they were above that kind of thing.

Waver feels some sympathy though at Nida’s sigh and eye roll. Yeah, Selphie and Melvin were definitely cut from the same cloth. ]

Uh… Alright then.

[ Waver grabbed some spare napkins and held them out to Melvin, who was already delighted to have Selphie on his arm. The dork probably would have forgotten to grab some otherwise, by the look on his face. Once his friend-duties and precautions were seen to, he fell into step next to Nida, pulling a backpack onto his shoulder. ]

Our dorm building isn’t too far from here, anyway. I think it’s probably pretty safe from ‘weird ways’ thanks to the way the wards are set up the closer you get. As long as no idiot has gone and tried something outside the designated spaces.

[ Which could happen, students testing their ideas and limits and all that. Or fighting with each other… It wasn’t weird for certain parts of the school to need sudden maintenance or rebuilding. ]

[seed_pilot]

[Nida slings the bundle that was about as tall as he was over his shoulder, moving to walk alongside Waver as they follow the others out.]

Listen, so long as it's not a dragon, we can handle whatever shows up. And I only mention not dragons because I don't have the right weapon for that.

[ask_whydunit]

Probably not. As far as I know, we don’t have anything like that around the Clock Tower. Unless you count the dead one under ground that formed the spiritual tombs.

[ Albion had passed and what was left behind below the surface was a trove of valuable magical materials and rare (but dangerous) phantasmal species that thrived in the environment and fed off the mana left behind. Only those contracted to work down there or were granted special permission were allowed to go there, though.

Waver raised a brow, though, tilting his head slightly as he focused more on Nida rather than the other two. ]

They actually teach you to fight dragons?

(ooc: I think we are at a point where I will need more information on Nida’s canon and what I should expect to mesh their canons together (which I like the idea of!) when you have time/feel up to it. ‘Cause dragons left Waver’s world with the Fae to the reverse side a long time ago, not that the fae don’t sometimes end up back on this side for reasons, so I can probably use that as a workaround. But I wanna like, not mess up what you’re thinking and I know I have already a couple times thanks to knowing nothing about his canon.)

[seed_pilot]

[Ew, dragons. Don't tell him there are some around. It hurts.]

You kidding? We have pseudo-dragons on campus in our training grounds. The type of weapon I use is actually often suggested to people who are after monster hunting with a specialty in large creatures. I mean, of course they aren't dragon dragons, but that's just how it is sometimes.

[OOC: we can talk about it soon. Probably not this week because life stuff.]

[ask_whydunit]

Seriously?

[ Waver’s brows lifted with a curiosity that was barely subdued. He knew those were around, but he hadn’t realized they were kept at the Garden. And the fact that Nida’s personal weapon of choice was actually the kind for monster hunting was… pretty cool.

Listen, he grew up on the old stories about quests and monster hunts as much as he did digging through his grandmother’s magecraft books. It would one day grow into a small video game addiction thanks to someone else’s influence.

So maybe he’s a little impressed by that, but only more than a little! ]

I mean, uh- I’ve never really seen a pseudo-dragon, but I guess that makes sense if you’re going to learn to deal with some of that stuff.

[seed_pilot]

These ones look like t-rexes. So not really dragons, but enough closely common ancestry with them, sans high magical aptitude. I don't know if they're really the same thing at all. Guess I could have gone into science.

[He chucklse and shakes his head. As if he was smart enough for that.]

[ask_whydunit]

[ Waver’s attention is, more than a little, glued to Nida, and he ignored the cheeky smile on Melvin’s face as the other teen watched them. Nida seemed smart enough to Waver and lacked the condescending ‘better than you’ attitude of the mage association. It was refreshing! ]

No, that totally would make sense. [ Waver agreed with a smile. He kind of wants to see one, Nida. ] Same goes for the less high aptitude for magic, like… I think I read a paper about it that was published a while back. A lot of what we have today being vaguely related to the originals but more and more distant as time progressed. They survived and stuck around more easily than the true-blooded ancestors because they could adapt to the changes in the world better and the lowered levels of mana in the environment, and they also couldn’t leave to the reverse side either, since they weren’t true dragons.

Then there are things like phantasmals that developed from feeding off the remains of various species that didn’t leave, kind of like down in the tombs of Albion.

Nerd… Nida, your date is a nerd.

And realizing he’d been rambling a little, the teen hunched his shoulders a bit in a shrug. ]

Uh… But anyway, I guess I was just trying to say that what you said made sense.

[seed_pilot]

Wait, there are like, things that eat the residue of people? Like, Ghost energy drain or something?

[That sounds damn spooky.]

HOw do people deal with things like that?

[ask_whydunit]

[ The fact that Nida hadn't seemed bored and asked more was a pleasant surprise, and the hunch of his shoulder's loosened a bit as he answered. ]

Yeah, most things like that are down in the tombs. They’re really deep though, and the association strictly limits people going in and out that might run across them.

[ But that was dangerous work, and a lot of people ended up spending their entire lives down there. ]

But there can also be things either created or summoned by mages that can feed off people. Or they could call upon spirits that need a steady supply of mana to be maintained. Generally, it’s supposed to come from the mage that summoned it, though. It’s frowned upon to let them feed off other people. The whole secrecy laws and all that, people suddenly dying of weird unknown circumstances or disappearing to never be seen again and all that.

[ And the mages that did cause that kind of trouble usually ended up with a hit out of them or the policy department investigating and dealing out a punishment, if not a full sealing designation. ]

The department Melvin and I are enrolled with is specialized in summoning, studying and working with spirits or dealing with them. Generally, cutting off a spirit’s food supply helps, or whatever is anchoring them to this plane. If it’s an out-of-control situation, the church might intervene too.

[ Then there were grave keepers, but Waver did not yet know of them yet. Although they dealt more with the ghosts of the dead that lingered for whatever reason. ]

[seed_pilot]

Spirits that need a steady supply of mana... that sounds like our GFs. We have sort of a symbiotic relationship with them. They give us powers and access to magic, but we sort of give them a part of ourselves for them to feed and thrive on, when they aren't being summoned in our defense.

So I guess that means that potential SeeDs inherently sort of work in a similar department to you. We're assigned initial spirits to let us learn how to use magic, and as we get better we get paired with one that works well with our inherent nature. Mine is called Siren.

[But now he was wondering if some of those things Waver and them interacted with might sometimes be GFs like Garden Cadets desperately needed.]

[ask_whydunit]

[ Waver offered a nod as they walked along. It would not be strange to liken GFs and the kinds of spirits that some mages worked with. He himself would be involved in a situation in which he was meant to supply mana to a spirit in particular, for all that he didn’t realize that he was ill-equipped to do so yet. ]

That’s what I was thinking when you were explaining them earlier, so maybe we can look at angles where the dealings are similar enough that we can work out ways to improve on the foundation you already have. At least enough to help with the test.

[ he mused lightly, folding his arms. The biggest problem was Lord El-Melloi looked down his nose at magics that did not line up with the association’s traditions. Even those similar… Not that the man was successful in deterring Waver from his interests in exploring new magics or combining older methods in new ways. ]

I bet I could sneak you into our library so we could maybe compare details sometime when you’re not trying to make curfew?

[ Frowning lightly, he tilted his head. He kind of wanted to know more about Nida’s assigned GF, not to mention what he said about giving it a part of him. It sounded a little different from a mana drain or mana exchange… There were a lot of kinds of magecraft that had heavy costs to the users, though, like bestial magecraft. It would be good to know if he needed to account for that, he thought. ]

What do you give them as payment in exchange for using magic?

[seed_pilot]

[Sneaking into the library could be fun, especially if there aren't a lot of magical wards to deal with. But he doesn't know. For now he smiles at Waver. Or at least he does until the question of payment comes up.

Selphie must be listening in some because she looks back over her shoulder at Nida and the look that passes between them is... vaguely worried.]

There are... rumors. Suggestions that maybe it's memories that we give them in exchange. But it's hard to tell. Like, it's normal to forget quite a bit of when you were very young.

[But that shared look says maybe, just maybe, it's a worrying bit of loss.]

Me realizing this touches on one of Waver's canonical future big fears 'Oh no...'

[ask_whydunit]

[ Melvin doesn’t flinch, even as he side-eyes Selphie thoughtfully when he noticed her glancing back at Nida. Heavy costs for the sake of their power and trademark magecraft were normal. Memories, for the sake of progress and reaching beyond one’s limits, would probably seem more than worth it to most. Their children didn’t escape such costs either, often being experiments for their family’s magic and heir to the crest at the same time.

Even Waver understood that much. For all that he hadn’t been prepared for the Clock Tower’s ways, there were some truths you didn’t escape when you decided to become a mage. He was just… a little softer and questioned more. If someone had a say in their life or not, the ability to choose. He hadn’t grown up in the traditional mage family situation that Melvin had. So his reaction is a little mixed, more than observant enough to catch the look Nida’s friend was giving and the way the other responded to the question.

He doesn’t judge it because he does understand that costs are a given and it’s up to the individual to decide if it’s worth it. You expect to lose things, or to endure pain, if not both. Even the crest was a lifelong pain that was handed from one generation to the next that one had to get used to.

But he does feel a spark of concern for Nida, concern that he lies to himself about as a simple worry about how it could be a difficult cost to function with. Though the truth would more be ‘What if you loose memories you cared about? What if you forget someone important?’

Glancing at one and then the other, then back to Nida finally. ]

Rumors… Do they not know for sure yet where it’s still newer magic, or have they just… not said yet?

[ Shit, he needs more information on this now. ]

oh dear that is amusing

[seed_pilot]

Paramagic has only been in use for about a decade, and it's not been heavily used until more recently. We know there has been research done, a scientist named Odine. But he doesn't use it himself. And we don't know what he found.

[But he reaches into his pocket and pulls forth a healing potion.]

But the research led to things like these potions. They accelerate our body's natural healing cycle, at a cost of a hell of a lot of calories later one. So, uh, we don't know yet, but the magic is useful. I mean, it's people not born with magic like you, able to use it. I can jump three times as high with the right sorts magic channeled through my GFs to use the magic to reinforce my legs."

[ask_whydunit]

[ The young mage hummed, taking in the information with strict attention. ‘People not born with magic’ was exactly why people like Lord El-Melloi scoffed at this kind of magic, as though it were somehow lesser and not simply a new kind of magic. An innovation in a world where there was less than there used to be.

Waver found it, admittedly, fascinating because of that. The paper he was working on (much to his professor’s exhausted displeasure) was theories about how magecraft should change and adapt in the modern world.

That said, the unknowns of paramagic were worrying. Increase in calorie needs after using potions was one thing, even magecraft healing was a lot of acceleration of the natural cycles and that kind of need after the fact made a lot of sense. But memories… Yeah, he wanted to find out what he could. ]

I wonder if Odine’s research papers are available for reading… It would be useful to see what’s there, to get a better idea of what they’ve looked at and the process… [ His brow wrinkled slightly in thought. ] Hell, being able to use reinforcement magic at that level with your GF is seriously impressive. I can use it, but uh… not that well.

[ An understatement. He could reinforce to strengthen his arms or legs to avoid breaking anything if he had to use some force, or to stabilize himself on unsteady footing, but his circuits capacity was well below being able to jump quite like that. To him, it seemed that Nida could probably operate on par with his more powerful classmates, and that was incredibly impressive! ]

[seed_pilot]

Honestly, I couldn't tell you even if you wanted to know. We don't really have the free time to search for old research papers. They have us working so hard. But that's fair, because we really want to put ourselves into a dangerous line of work. It's important that we take it very seriously.

[Though he does look proud over the fact that their augmentation magic could be so potent. That's part of what they are meant to be. Sure they do some 'monster' fighting, but mostly they are a paramilitary. They need that sort of physicality to fight people too.]

Some people think it's the reinforcement abilities of paramagic that make it the most valuable thing for us, before even spell work.

[ask_whydunit]

Yeah, that makes sense…

[ They were different from mages, in that the amount of recorded knowledge and information collected over generations was kind of a big deal. Spending time researching and recording things was a part of the deal. That said, not all families published their research either for the sake of secrecy and ensuring it continued to gain power rather than be diminished if too many people understood it. He hoped that the latter didn’t turn out to be a factor, if only because it would make looking into it harder. Not that Waver shied away from puzzles or finding things. He was nosy to a fault. ]

Then I’ll see if I can find anything and let you know. It could be useful in helping you. We have more time for research, after all. Especially since I’m not in any of the combative magic courses outside the basic requirement.

[ Because they’d probably make mincemeat out of him and it would probably be a genuine accident, he’s pretty sure. He offered a nod of agreement, though, continuing. ]

I can see why! Depending on what kind of work you were sent on, being able to operate on that level would definitely give you an edge. Especially if you were sent for a job dealing with a mage. Or working alongside one alternatively.

[seed_pilot]

Wow, they're so nerdy.

[Nida hears Selphie's whisper, and he just ignores it. Because this is so much more interesting. He's really failing as a wingman here.]

Yeah, research isn't something we have a lot of time for. Beyond practical exams and other classes, we have two weapons training sessions a day, and those don't even include work out time or my freerunning course. So research isn't a priority for us. I think in part because a smart soldier can be a problematic soldier.

[The note about working alongside mages does earn a nod from Nida though.]

Some people are just inherently good at paramagic, so we classify them as mage students. Many three man teams has a magic specialist. Selphie's one of those, but I've heard she's also taking demo courses. So that's double useful specialties in the field.

[ask_whydunit]

Right?? I didn’t expect someone to be as nerdy as Waver.

[ Is whispered quietly (albeit delightedly) back. Thankfully for them, Waver was too focused on Nida currently to have actually caught what they were talking about, otherwise he’d have gotten all grumpy and bristly at them for it. Even though it was true.

Waver himself couldn’t be expected to be a proper wingman, given he didn’t know the first thing about being one, despite Melvin’s insistence. He could be expected to make sure no one died, and if Melvin had an emergency, at least one person knew what to do. ]

Yeah, that makes sense… [ He gets why a ‘smart soldier’ would be considered a problem. Doesn’t mean he agreed with it, though. ] But it means I know where I should start with before next time we meet up. Looking into the research and figuring out improvements on the foundations you already have and looking at different angles that might not have been pursued that work better for you.

[ Waver finally glanced to Selphie and Melvin where they were walking ahead, only now realizing the other two seemed to be amused about something. His brow raised slightly, but he turned his attention back to Nida fairly quickly… He’s pretty sure he doesn’t want to know what had Melvin grinning like he was amused by something. He’s seen that look before. ]

She is? Hmm... You guys would probably work in teams more often than mages do. [ They are fairly solitary and keep to themselves unless they really trust someone or need them for their research. ] But I get what you mean about some people having an affinity for something more than others. Even mages have certain branches of some magics or methods that they’re either better at than others or have developed through their families over time. I tested well for work with leylines and their analysis.

[ Made Waver wonder if Nida had a specialty with paramagic he hadn't discovered yet, though. ]

[seed_pilot]

[Selphie snickers at Melvin's commentary over the two that are following them. The quiet pair that are just caught up in nerd talk.]

IF you can figure out a way to help me get better, I'd really like that. It's hard to stand out sometimes, Waver. And I want to be able to help people.

[ask_whydunit]

Not if, when. We just need to put a little work in on figuring out what works best for you and how you could refine your techniques to adapt to better suit you.

[ Ah… Waver probably shouldn’t be so confident in this, but at his current age… Well, the teen was sure they could do anything if they went about it the right way and put in the hard work. He was like a small, stubborn wrecking ball among mages and he was pretty hard to stop. One day he’d regret refusing to consider the limitations one might have, but not today. Not that he’d ever stop being a bit of a wrecking ball, though.

And… Well, he gets it. Which was why his voice lowered a touch... But was no less stubborn and serious. ]

I know it is, especially when everyone already thinks you can’t do better than they’ve seen… But that’s why we have to prove them wrong, you know? We’ll make them see you, so you can make it where you want to be to help people.

[ Standing out is incredibly hard, especially when the world had decided you were too sub-par and lacked the potential to stand among them. Which was why he often got into some of the arguments he did. ]

[seed_pilot]

[It's nice to talk about things like this from a theory standpoint. And Nida really likes this. Someone taking him seriously is just a joy.]

You've got great spirit, Waver. I'm sure you'll find a way to help me. And change your own life for the better. If there's any way I can support that, let me know.

[ask_whydunit]

[ And this was very new for Waver… Most of his classmates didn’t tend to take him seriously, either. So having someone listen and engaging in interesting conversation, as well as accepting his offer of help? Well, it was a nice feeling for him. Plus the idea that someone didn’t see his confident, stubbornness as too spirited or foolish, was even nicer. It gets a rare smile, rubbing the side of his cheek lightly. ]

Oh, um… I just really hate when people with potential and dedication to doing something get written off by people. But thanks, Nida, I’ll remember that.

[ Gosh, he had so much to think about now. Does he want to start with research and figuring out the best way to sneak Nida into the library? Definitely. ]

I’m kind of excited, actually. It’s been really nice to meet someone who gets this stuff and that I can work on things with, you know? [ Voice lowering to a small whisper again. With a glance ahead, he continued. ] Don’t tell Melvin, being kidnapped today for this wasn’t so bad after all.

[ because that would go to the other’s head and no one needed that. ]