Author: Mezereon, Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 1:57 AM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

"Ah, polymorph and psionics! Though they're not as wildly popular as elemental magic or holy magic, both are just as practical. From the students who were in my classes, most of them took psionics as a minor subject of study to supplement their main field of interest. None of those were required for my curriculum, but from what I've heard it takes great strength in mind to harness it well. For someone as determined as you, I'm sure you can succeed in whatever you put your mind to." Liselotte had pulled a bit of a play on words at the end there, but Nika's voiced areas of interest were a welcome surprise. Many mages considered polymorphic magic to be little more than fancy parlor tricks used to amuse or impress, while the attitude towards psionics were to either devote oneself fully to the art or learn whichever few caught their interest. "Whenever you do decide to enroll in the Mage's Academy, I'd suggest stating those two fields as your majors if that is what you wish to specialize in. It'll give you a higher priority when signing up for classes in those areas, and I'm sure the professors who teach those subjects would be more than happy to assist you in your studies." The alchemist whispered, lowering her voice as if imparting to the young aspiring mage a great secret.

Her pleasant smile had a hint of coquetry, but nothing more. She had helped someone who was planning to make one of the most important decisions in their life. That itself was something she took pride in. Perhaps she did have a slight bias towards her alma mater, but in this day and age achieving higher education in a craft or skill was more accessible than ever, and she believed in helping those who were interested in attaining it. The chime of the clocks reminded her that time had passed far more quickly than she had expected. Turning to Nika again, she gave her another smile. "Oh, look at the time–it seems I've kept you here long enough. I hope I dispelled any doubts or questions you might have on starting a new life in Iria." 

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:09 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

She blinked. That sounded more specific than she thought it would be. She was familiar with toxins, she had to be as formerly the only healer in her region, but all those words in Liselotte's description somehow gave her the beginnings of a headache just thinking about it. "To make it through that, you must be smart! I could never do anything like that. Too many numbers."  Part of her did wonder why Liselotte decided to spend so much time working in a field that he didn't naturally click with. She decided not to ask and thankfully, Liselotte filled the silence.
"Well," Nika said, staring off into the distance and evidently thinking hard about an answer. "I've been trained in healing, so I suppose that there's no point in stopping now. Although," she grinned sheepishly and continued in a slightly hushed voice. "I've always been interested in psionics spells. Shapeshifting too. Really, I just want to learn it all." She giggled. her face was flushing red. She hadn't talked about her desires in a long time. It was strange, frankly. She wasn't sure that she totally enjoyed it. Still, there was a little flutter inside of her at the thought that she had both the time and the agency to learn anything if she wanted to.

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:01 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Liselotte nodded. "Yes, the curriculum is intense, although you'd be hard-pressed to find a better place where you can be exposed to a wide variety of fields with such depth. I for one, can attest to that. Although I had an affinity towards druidic magic, I chose to major in alchemy and study in a subdivision of medicine specializing in dealing with toxins." Both of her areas of study were neither conventional or simple. Alchemy was very precise and dealt with painstaking measurement and processing, while medicine was the same way. Those five years were grueling, trying, and there were many times when she had wanted to quit. Although her parents paid her tuition, she had worked hard for her certification as an alchemist. Her education had been completed through blood, sweat, and tears.

Out of curiosity, she then asked Nika: "If you don't mind me asking, is there a particular area you're interested in studying? Even if it isn't in my field of expertise, perhaps I can give a few recommendations." She immediately thought of a certain professor whom she still kept in touch with even after she graduated and returned to Adeluna. Although said professor was no longer in charge of the hands-on laboratory sessions, having a person to speak with and gain counsel from would make the transition easier for the aspiring mage. 

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2017 6:33 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika was quiet, mulling over what Liselotte had said. She didn't have much family, any really that she knew of. Regardless, Liselotte was right: the grief and culture shock of leaving home would be difficult to bear. Her world was almost entirely the village where she was raised and her associates were typically limited to her mentor. She had never wanted to leave home anyway, but was forced to by want of employment. It left her terrified deep down. Still, the sadness would pass soon enough. Bad times always did. Friends, though would be desperately hard to come by. "Thank you," Nika said, doing her best to hide her anxiety. "That all must have been difficult for you, going to school. I heard a couple. Of groups of students talking about classes. They sound really hard." Nika folded her hands behind her back, fiddling with a scrap of her cheap blue clothes.

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Wed Jul 5, 2017 11:39 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Liselotte crossed her arms as she remembered the first time she came to Iria as a student. She remembered the butterflies in her stomach, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest, and the tearful goodbyes of her siblings. "It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that." The alchemist answered. "Leaving the countryside around Adeluna City for a metropolitan place as this was a drastic change in scenery. The first year was the hardest, and I was homesick often. I used to write and send letters home every week up until my second semester. And I knew without a doubt my family missed me just as much. I didn't stray too far from the academy grounds until I became more familiar with the city. Having a group of friends who were in their second or third year was a great help. It's absolutely vital to get to know a few trustworthy folk if you're planning on staying long-term."
 
There were always those horror stories of people who traveled to new towns for employment only for their families to never hear from them ever again. Some of those tales might have been exaggerated, but for every exaggeration there were two that were frighteningly accurate. Better safe than sorry, as her mother said. And for young women like them, being safe was of the utmost priority.

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Wed Jul 5, 2017 7:59 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika twitched her nose at the thought of poison sumac; she'd ended up in a patch before.  It was an uncomfortable few days.  As the thief bolted, she tucked her now ratty herbs away in her basket.  A small section of her basket had been damaged when she fell.  Her hand tightened unconsciously around the strap.  
Her face flushed when Liselotte reminded her to be careful.  "Yeah, I know.  I'm not used to city life."  She chewed lightly on the corner of her lip.  "How did you do it?  Moving from your home to the city?"  Nika regretted speaking almost the minute that she started, but she felt that she was in too deep to back out. "Anyway," she said, scratching the back of her neck.  "You're probably right about that last bit.  I've met a couple of people who'd do a lot worse." 

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:31 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Liselotte smiled at the thief, as the vines receded. "Oh I think it's only fair that I let her off with a warning. She should count herself lucky if she were to deal with the authorities first, rather than cross paths with me again. It would be a shame if she were to find herself in a patch of poison sumac." The thief when released, bolted back into the crowds out of sight. From what Liselotte was implying through her words, having the woman arrested would be the lesser of the two evils. And poison sumac wasn't even that bad–it only gave a nasty skin rash. There were plenty of more fatal flora, such as the butterfly vine or sarut de noapte. Sometimes the plants that killed instantly were the least cruel. "You'll have to be more careful with your things from now on. Of course Iria isn't like Vilpamolan, but there are pickpockets and petty thieves in every corner of civilization." She advised, turning to Nika. "The next time that woman takes from the wrong pocket, she might not be so lucky to see the inside of a jail cell." The alchemist mused. She had let her off easy compared to what less tolerant victims might do in retaliation.

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:00 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika sighed, embarrassed and increasingly angry. "Just give back what you took and we can all go about what's left of our days."
Anxiety was showing on the thief's face. "Fine, whatever, have 'em." The thief struggled, hissing in pain as the vines poked through her clothes and scratching her skin. She reached into a hidden pocket and pushed out the herbs as much as she could.
Nika reached up and pulled them through the vines. By the time she had them back in her hands, they had lost most of their flowers and a great many of their twigs. "Do what you think is right," she said to Liselotte. "Ordinarily, I'd report her to the authorities, but today…" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I got what I wanted. As long as she learns her lesson, you know?"

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:52 AM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Liselotte stood by, watching as the woman continued to deny she had stolen anything. That was fine with her, as she had plenty of time to wait for her to come to her senses. She made the vines constrict every so slightly, so that the thorns were beginning to press into the woman's skin. They shouldn't cause any bleeding or pain as long as she didn't move.The brambles also started to sway, to induce a fear of heights as they began to grow taller. Hopefully she didn't mind being the center of attention, as Liselotte had no qualms of making this into a public spectacle. Really whether or not this situation would become humiliating was dependent on how cooperative she was. The long she took to confess, the higher off the ground she would go. Eventually the rocking motion and gradual constriction got to her, and the woman caved. Once the stolen goods were returned, as promised she was let go. The vines that had rapidly grown from the ground disappeared back into the earth leaving behind fractures in the road where they had been.

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:15 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika ran over, panting.  She wasn't much of a distance runner.  "Thanks," she said to Liselotte.  "Very perceptive.  And very impressive magic!"  She took a moment to slow her breathing to a normal rate and to observe the alchemist's handiwork.  They were beautiful plant, really, very healthy, though probably painful to be wrapped in.  Speaking of which…
"Now," Nika said, sizing up the thief, the woman was small, thin, and subtly muscular.  Her face  had an expression of mixed pain, anger, and defiance.  "You have something of mine, and I want it back."  
A small crowd was forming around them as the woman responded, telling Nika and Liselotte that that had the wrong person.  Nika was starting to falter, not caring for all the eyes on them, but she tried to stay composed.  "Just give it here, and we'll let you go."

((Sorry for the fairly short post.  I haven't been feeling well for a while.))

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:17 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Liselotte was examining pieces of opal-petrified wood when a woman bumped into her quite roughly and started running. "Ouch! What was that for?" She wondered, when it seemed something wasn't right. Her lips forming a frown, she snapped her fingers and huge brambles rapidly burst forth from the ground entangling around the suspicious person. As the woman struggled to escape the vines simply coiled tighter. The people in the crowd looked at the sight with only passing interest, as feats of magic were commonplace here. Looking to see if a constable was nearby, she strode over to the prisoner caught like a fly in a web. "Ugh stupid vines! Let me go!" The woman cried as she attempted to free herself in vain. "Help! Somebody, help me!"

The alchemist walked up as if she were innocently analyzing an exhibit on display in a museum. As if she were just an ordinary person passing by, she glanced at the vines and politely said: "You should probably stop struggling so much. You'll only make them tighter the more you move." The woman stared wide-eyed at her, eyes shining with fear and apprehension. "What do you want with me?! I said let me go!" Liselotte smiled sweetly, her eyes making contact with the woman's. "Oh I was just wondering why you were in such a hurry. After seeing you bump into me, I was sure you were going to trip and fall. What's the matter? Something wrong?"

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 12:01 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

"Bye.  Thank you!"  Nika watched Liselotte go, then sat down again.  Quietly, she opened the lid on the left half of her basket.  Her pet mouse crawled up toward her hand and Nika obligingly scratched his head while counting the small handful of silver she had in her posetion.  She then checked the right half, which was filled with herbs.  It didn't seem like anything was missing.  She lifted the her basket, placing the strap over her shoulder and balancing it on her hip.  Now, time to find affordable lodgings for the night.  She quickly checked inside the inn that she was outside of, finding it a little outside of her means.  Part of her wished that she hadn't travelled so far.
Nika headed back down the street.  She trying to remember exactly where the scrappy-looking inn she had seen a little while ago was when someone bumped into her hard, knocking her off balance.  A few herbs tumbled out when she hit the ground.  "Hey!" She shouted, as the woman snatched up her goods and sprinted off.  She pulled herself to her feet, not thinking to brush herself off.  Damn it, where did she go?

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 8:21 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

"The same goes for me, though I've already finished my classes. But when your work coincides with what you enjoy it becomes much easier." Speaking of work, that was the reason why she was here today. "Best of luck to you miss, I've got a shopping list to attend to." Giving a polite curtsy she turned towards the market. She was in need of fulgurite, dragon scales, and ectoplasm. These weren't readily available back home, and she wanted to see how the prices compared to Adeluna. She would've asked her professor if she had any scales, but she was out of her office with the start of Ignius. If her search proved fruitless, perhaps she would have to go on her own collection expedition.

"It's a pity these new items are so rare…unlike obsidian and carbuncles they're always in such limited supply." Liselotte stood before a stall musing to herself. She wanted to find a way to create a device that would automatically regulate the climate inside her greenhouse with the seasons, both to keep conditions constant and to emulate nature's change of course with time. So far she had the nevermelting icicles for Glaciem and quatl feathers for Venti, but she would need something else for Terra and Ignius. 

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 9:36 AM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

"Nice to meet you."  Well, at least this woman,  Liselotte, rather,  was polite.  Probably intelligent too, Nika figured, if she had gone to the academy.  A real lady for sure.  "This place really is wonderful," the mage affirmed, taking a moment to look around at the towering buildings.  At the very least, they were towering in comparison to everything that she was used to.   So the locals could be a little rough and hard to understand; it was still nearly everything that she had hoped for. "And it's all work and no play for me, I'm afraid."  She shrugged.  "If I find the time, I'd like to take some classes, but employment comes first.  You?"  Nika glanced around while she waited and listened for Liselotte's reply, she picked up her things.  She had momentarily forgotten to keep a careful watch on them, still not quite being used to city life.  She would have to remember to double check that nothing had been stolen while she was distracted.

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 8:09 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

"For someone who can't even use shadow magic, it's still impressive. It is a pleasure to meet you, Nika. I'm Liselotte. Like you I'm not from around here either. I used to be a student here for a few years before returning to Adeluna. Seeing such a big city like this must be an incredible sight for you." she replied, taking the woman's hand and shaking it. "Not that I blame you, I felt the exact same way in my first time here. So, are you here for work or for leisure?" Both reasons were commonplace, and it was nice to see how the trends of visitors were leaning. At her family's request, she only came by Iria a few times a year. Each visit was no longer than two weeks, lest mother worry. Even though it was just the next continent over Mrs. Ellebore didn't like the thought of being too far from her children. Her father was more lax and less neurotic, knowing she was capable.

 "There's always something new brewing in Iria, especially in the Academy. Are you thinking of applying as a student?" Liselotte asked. If the woman was, she could give her a few pointers on how to adjust to city life in her first year. The Academy was sprawling and to the newcomer, a veritable maze. With so many rooms and places everyone got lost at least once.

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Fri Jun 9, 2017 12:44 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika quickly dispelled the shadows and stood.  Her heart was racing.  The lady before her seemed to be a noblewoman, elegant and composed.  The juxtuposition between her and Nika in her simple, worn dress left her feeling a little intimidated.  Because of that, and a little difficulty understanding the regional accent, she nearly missed what Liselotte said.  After half a second of processing, she relpied, hoping that her own accentt wasn't too thick.
"It's nothing, really," she said, waving her hand dismissively.  "It's really the only shadow spell I know.  I just spent twenty years practicing the basics!"  She laughed, but it came out a little high pitched.
Oh, gods, what am I doing? she thought.  Finally, someone was speaking to her for something besides strict business or to tell her to watch where she was going, and here she was twitching like a rabbit.  Nika closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath.  "Sorry, I'm just a litle excited.  You're right, it is my first time here.  I'm Nika, by the way."  She extended her hand to the other woman.  "What's your name?"

Author: Mezereon, Posted: Fri Jun 9, 2017 12:04 AM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Another young half-elf woman was in the crowd that day, and the little show the first one had created had impressed her enough to command her attention. "Shadow magic, I presume? Although I possess no talent for it, I daresay your display is quite good. Is this your first time in Iria?" Liselotte inquired of the girl, giving a pleasant smile to welcome her to the city. With its reputation as being the center of learning for things arcane and magical on the continent, it was no surprise that thousands of new hopefuls flocked to the place to take their chance at being one of the Mage Academy's illustrious alumni. She herself had been in that very position years ago, and was now familiar with the entire process. The rise of the academy revolutionized the city's economy and social structure, having adapted around the influx of new ideas and arrivals that entered every day. From local housing, to commerce, to the inns and restaurants surrounding the academy's stone walls–a great deal was built around the students' presence.

Pubs and taverns competed for the choice of undergraduates' weekend get-togethers advertising their selections of drink and entertainment. Landlords capitalized on foreign students' needs for lodging and made their living through renting rooms from inns and other owned properties through long-term contracts. Even the local markets had a section entirely dedicated towards catering to visitors and mages-in-training with a selection of curios and souvenirs. Here stall vendors could make more in a year selling a single category of items than in Adeluna for three. And instead of hawking their wares loudly, it was how unique and appealing your stock was that brought in customers. And with one of the most diverse populations in the entire world, almost any type of business could find its niche in the framework of Iria. Unfortunately that meant competition was high for limited demand, unless you were employed by the city. It was harder to form monopolies with so many individuals all seeking jobs requiring common skills. The only thing keeping the place from becoming dominated by financial clout like the duchy of Egjora was the free-thinking mindset of the citizens that continued to prevail long after the influence of the gods waned over Parvpora.

Author: Tellukka, Posted: Mon Jun 5, 2017 6:41 PM, Post Subject: Her Own Best Advertiser [O]

Nika held her head high as she strode through the city.  Despite her best effort to appear calm and collected, a girlish grin was spreading across her pale face and her violet eyes sparkled with excitement.  For years now, the half-elf had dreamed of travelling to Iria, of exploring the halls of the Mage Academy, learning about the flora kept in the conservatory, even wandering the streets of the city.  She may have been born a simple village girl, but now, she was determined to make a name for herself.  The entire day, she had been searching message boards for "help wanted" signs looking for mages or healers and so far, she hadn't found even one that had suited her.  
Growing exhausted, but still smiling optimistic, she plopped down on a seat outside an inn, setting her wicker basket and light staff down beside her.  For a few minutes, she sat quietly, absorbing the hustle and bustle of early evening in the city.  Then, in a move that was partly play and partly a bid for attention, Nika cast a shadow spell, manipulating them into the shapes of animals that chased each other around the mage.  Once or twice, the shadows flickered and distorted, but it was apparent that on the whole, she had a good grasp on the spell.  And all through her little performance, she kept a careful eye on the passersby, searching for anyone who was paying more than passing attention to her.