Strixhaven Campus, Arcavios, Friday (Fandom Time)

[deathsmajesty]

For once, Liliana hadn't made too much of a fuss getting up early. Today was the Midsummer Music Festival at her alma mater, Strixhaven University, and as a thank you to Prompto for finishing the job of teaching her to drive, she had invited him to go see it. Which, of course, had turned into an invitation to his family, and there was no way that Ignis wasn't going to come along, and also no way that Prompto would stand for leaving anyone out, and so it was a merry party of seven that stepped through the portal. Liliana had asked folks to wear nothing too Earth modern and explained that very few people, if anybody, they would meet knew about other planes (many, many, many Quandrix theories aside) and to please keep it that way. Once any questions were out of the way, they stepped through a portal...

...And onto into a large walkway made from gleaming white stone. A short staircase led up to a park, full of greenery, fountains, and comfortable benches. In the center of the park was an imposing statue of a magic user made of white marble and curving over its head was a arc of huge stones, the largest easily hundreds of feet long, hanging in the air in a perfect arch. Above them shone two suns, beaming brightly down, though the heat was not particularly oppressive. The area was crowded with people, though there was still enough room for people to walk without being pressed against anyone else. "Welcome to the Archway Commons," Liliana said, possibly grinning more broadly than any of them had ever experienced, save Ignis. "So named because of the star arch above there - the second largest star arch on campus. The largest is the Dawnbow, over the Bibloplex. Star arches get their name from their irregular spokes evoke the radiating lines of a shining celestial star. They're found all over Arcavios, made from spokes of natural materials that float in an arch shape, with a precise inner curve and a rough and irregular outer arch. They can stand straight or lie at an angle; they can be small or enormous, whole or broken, grown over or mysteriously clean. Their origins are a mystery lost to the Dawning Age, though many people have said that they've seen an arch appear to them at a critical juncture in their lives, helping them understand a lesson or answer a burning question in their mind." She laughed. "It's important to note that I've never had a star arch manifest in front of me, so I can't say for certain how accurate that is, but there are plenty of theories about them."

Arm laced through Ignis', she led them forward through the central campus, pointing out various landmarks, though there were a few that she clearly didn't recognize, like the Strixhaven Stadium where it seemed like some kind of game was underway, the stands maybe half full of cheering people. The large crowds continued as they went along, an excitement in the air.

"I see the popularity of the Midsummer Music Festival has grown since I was a student here," Liliana said with an almost apologetic smile. Almost. Liliana Vess didn't apologize. "It was large even then but not like this!" Strange what a difference almost two hundred years could make. "Anyway, I brought us early enough that we'd have enough time for quick tours around the other college campuses if you'd like? We can also go right to Prismari, there's plenty to explore there and we can get set up."

[For thems what are here! NFB for awayness.]

Comments

Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

Welcome to the one place in the Multiverse where Liliana is just...uncomplicatedly happy.

(Don't worry, this unfettered happiness will be ruined for her later.)

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Oh, wow," said Prompto, wide-eyed as they arrived to get their first look at Strixhaven, feeling like this had made the whole entire struggle of convincing Noctra to wear something other than her chocobo outfit worth it. His fingers were itching for his camera right now, though, but he was reminding himself that if they even had to be careful about how they dressed for this thing, then whipping out his LOKTON was definitely right out. He'd just have to settle for pointing things out to Noctra as he saw them, his grin growing wider and brighter by the minute, and just sort of shaking his head as he marveled.

He'd only been there the once, and it had been incredibly brief, and they hadn't exactly had the time or desire to sight-see while they were there, but Prompto couldn't help wondering if this was what Tenebrae had been like. He wanted to ask Ignis, since he was the only one who had spent any notable time there, when he and Noct were kids, but, well...obviously, he wasn't going to do that.

He was just going to gawk a little and appreciate it in the moment, and shake his head a little wonderingly at the idea that, in some potential future, he might have sent his kids here. Would it be too early to start filling out an application for Noctra while they were here, actually?

"This place is amazing."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"I know," Liliana said. Usually that would have been said with a fair bit of smugness (of course it was amazing, why else would she have brought everyone here/did he think would she have gone anywhere not amazing for her continuing education?), but - for the moment anyway - her voice held nothing but happy agreement.

And then she was giving him an extra bright smile, all just for him. "No pictures?" she asked innocently. "And here I thought you wouldn't be able to keep your proprietary magical artifact out of your hand as soon as we arrived."

Jeans? Jeans were weird. Immediately raised questions about what that fabric was and where did they get it and who was wearing it that way. Made peoplecurious. Magical artifacts? Especially on Strixhaven campus? Easily a dime a dozen. And calling it proprietary meant that even if some curious person came over to talk about it, Prompto had a reason he couldn't show them how it worked.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[hashtag_chocobro]

At that, Prompto's eyebrows lifted.

"What?" he asked. "For real? You think it'd be okay? I, uh, well, it's just when you said we had to be careful, I just sort of figured...."

He trailed off, because he could tell Liliana already knew what he figured, by the way she mentioned his, uh, proprietary magical artifact.

Which of course he still brought. Like, he could be discreet enough to not just start gawking and snapping pictures like a tourist the moment they got here, but was he maybe hoping to sneak a few shots here and there? Totally. Especially to help preserve the memory for Noctra. But he was saving that for when he could be nice and subtle and quick, like when he took his battle shots.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"Prompto, darling, remember how this is a thank you?" Liliana teased. "Of course I was going to find a way to make sure you could take pictures. Granted, Strixhaven makes it easier than most places, but either way, this was one time I would have bestirred myself to ensure it could happen anyway." She glanced around and then leaned in to whisper in his ear, plenty loud enough to be overheard by the gentleman in question, "How else are you going to document how often Ignis smiles today?"

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[sword_chocobro]

Had Gladio considered using the directive to not wearing anything too Earth modern as the basis for an appeal to just go shirtless? Yes. Obviously. Of course he had. But he was being good and wearing a shirt without complaint (he'd feel the vibe of the place first before trying to find excuses to conveniently lose it, though, maybe), and he was giving Strixhaven a seemingly mild inspection as they arrived, before his eyes sort of drifted to Liliana, momentarily, with the faint quirks he wanted to give his brow and his smirk in check. He did shake his head, though, and went back to just sort of checking things out and glancing over at Prompto, too, since, you know, this whole thing was essentially for him in the first place...

Oh, did he have thoughts. But he was definitely keeping them all to himself, and decided to just focus on what kind of food they were going to be able to get at this thing, because that he was more interested in than most of the music and grandeur, and sticking close to Nell and taking note of good places to step aside for a breather if she started to get a little overwhelmed with it all.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"I think you'll enjoy Lorehold, if you end up visiting," Liliana said, stepping up to him, for once not even sounding exasperated. "And the Biblioplex. Granted, I think everyone should be impressed by the Biblioplex, but as a noted bibliophile, I think you might truly appreciate it."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[sword_chocobro]

"I'm impressed by even just the name Biblioplex," Gladio had to admit, with a faint snort, and another shake of his head. "Gotta hand it to 'em, they're on point with their names. Lorehold? Like a stronghold, but for lore? I mean, how could I not at least have a little peek?"

And he wasn't sure if it was a good thing that Nell was here so that she could be mindful enough to drag him out of there to actually do what they came here for, or if she'd just end up joining him and none of them would see either of them again until it was time to leave.

But he'd started eying Liliana a little more openly now, a little more obviously, before offering, "This place seems pretty cool. Thanks for bringing us here."

He still wasn't entirely sure he was ready to let his guard down because usually, 'going places with Liliana' didn't really have the best turnout in his experiences and from what he'd heard from Iggy so far, but....this all seemed pretty legit and less likely to go south quickly.

But always being ready for that kind of thing was sort of what he did best.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

Bah! Most of the time they'd gotten into trouble, they'd been going to places where they expected it. Maybe not the magnitude or scope, but they'd often been prepared for something.

But Strixhaven was different. Strixhaven was peaceful. Protected. Safe.

...Don't worry, that, like her pure happiness from being here, would absolutely be ruined! But not today.

"The Colleges are actually named after the dragons that founded them," Liliana said. "Galazeth Prismari, Beledros Witherbloom, Shadrix Silverquill, Tanazir Quandrix, and, Velomachus Lorehold." She took a moment to preen slightly. A decade or two shy of two centuries and she could still name all five without missing a beat. "They were the first beings on the plane to explore not only the tensions inherent within the enemy mana color combinations, but the ways in which they complemented each other, too. After the devastation of the Blood Age, they realized that only through disciplined study would magic be in safe hands. So, centuries ago, they each founded a college devoted to the study of the mana dichotomy they found most fascinating, with an overall institution that united them." She waved a hand around. "And here we are."

Did the grandeur make a little more sense knowing that dragons were involved, Gladio?

"But you'll love Lorehold because it's the College devoted to history. With a particular emphasis on military history. They live it, breathe it, fling themselves from hundreds of feet in the air to dive down into it..."

They were absolutely going to have to drag him out of there.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[chef_chocobro]

Hopefully, Ignis could be forgiven for not being quite so stunned by the aesthetic grandeur of the place, though he expected Liliana would help him to appreciate it a little more when they had a little more time. Either way, though, he felt he could discern enough of an understanding of it from the reactions of his companions, which he was carefully noting, and a soft smile for the way Liliana did describe it thus far, informative from an introductory standpoint as well as to fill in some of those visual gaps.

Besides, there was plenty enough of a feast for sounds and scents to catch his attention, but what struck him and influenced his perception the most was that clear excitement and the sense o celebration and anticipation in the air, easily feeding into his own, and if there was a moment or two where his arm tightened against Liliana's laced through it as a sort sign of appreciation, then what of it?

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

And, of course, there was the way that Liliana was almost vibrating on his arm, similar to how she felt when she had a surprise, though not quite. This was pure kid-in-a-candy-shop excitement that she was trying to downplay--with less success than she'd like, but even that wasn't enough to lessen her effervescent pleasure.

"Shall I describe things for you, love?" she asked. "Or are you still taking things in in other ways? We can also walk about the commons a bit more, give you a feel for the space?"

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[chef_chocobro]

It was, truth be told, a sort of vibration that made Ignis rather wish they'd found time to visit this place before, although he had to admit that there was a certain something...extra, in these specific circumstances, that made him feel almost content in the fact that this would be their first experience here. The way it all tied together, remembering how fondly she spoke of her time at Strixhaven, the peace and contentment she'd felt here, especially after so much turmoil and tragedy in her life. That she would be sharing something so important to her with people so important to him.

To them, really, but he'd be keeping that very much to himself.

And for a brief moment, he wanted to her to just sort of have it to herself, tempting him to put off his own curiosity to just let her linger in it a bit without having to put in the effort of bringing him in on it. But he didn't have to think back very long at all, just a few short days, to recall the last misstep he'd taken when it came to overanalyzing an offer to share a piece of her with him.

So he smiled, giving a small nod. "Please do," he said. "Already, it sounds quite magnificent, and I'm sure your illustrative descriptions will only work to make it even more so....Let my feel for the space work in conjunction with your words."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

Nonsense. These were his people. Liliana didn't want, need, or even understand friendship, and so there. Just ask Jace Beleren!

Having no qualms about leaving the others to their own devices for a bit, Liliana escorted Ignis around the commons, first walking the perimeter so he could get an idea of the vastness of the space, and then winding inward as a leisurely pace, stopping every so often to provide him with a tidbit or other from her time here. This bench had been replaced in her fourth year after a mage duel at midnight had gotten out of hand, this waist-high hedgemaze hadn't been intended to be a hedgemaze, but some drunken Quandrix students had decided that it would be more fun if it were and had cast spells to make it so. Even though the bushes were only waist height outside, they towered above one's head within, the Quandrix trick of folding and embiggening space on full display. And then she'd gotten to demonstrate to him how this hedgemaze was often used, tugging him into a small nook of a dead end and kissing him deeply - several times - before leading him back out.

...She might be able to remember the names of the five Founder dragons easily, but she couldn't remember the name (or even the number) of people she'd kissed in the hedgemaze in the Commons.

At last, they ended up sitting on the edge of the fountain, Liliana telling him about the debate of the statue standing within. "Some people say that it's a statue of the first Voice of the Dragons," she explained. "They don't really have the temperament to be involved with the school as a whole and generally prefer to leave the running of the Colleges to the Deans of their individual schools. But sometimes, if the Deans can't agree or it's something that affects multiple colleges, the Voice of the Founders will step forward for the last say. And this statue was built for the first person appointed to that position, but the proximity to the star arch has weathered away its features so it's impossible to know more about them. Others say that it's a deliberately ambiguous figure - any gender, any race, any type of magic user - a testament to the potential of all Strixhaven students." She laughed. "It's a very stupid debate and one easily solved with just a bit of research, but we've all collectively decided that it's more fun to argue about it than learn the answer. Which is, of course, the third possibility - that it's here to be a bit of a mystery, to remind us to always question even that which seems obvious and debate with our peers, even over the most nonsensical of things, keeps us sharp."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[flamesburned]

Liz was definitely in awe as she looked around the campus, even though she would have loved to have taken photos she knew that would definitely raise too many questions so she was content to look around and take everything in and was looking forward to spending time away with her family and friends.

“This place is incredible,” she remarked as she looked around.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"It turns out that when the founders of your school are five ancient dragons, you have both the means and incentive to go all out," Liliana said with a soft laugh. And then, like she had with Prompto, urged Liz to take her camera out. "If anyone tries to ask you about it, say it's a proprietary magical artifact and you can't explain more."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[flamesburned]

"They definitely did an amazing job," Liz smiled as she looked around, "if you don't mind, then I definitely have to take some photos while I'm here," she said eagerly, not wanting to pass up the opportunity.

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"Of course," Liliana said, gesturing for Liz to feel free. "This is a thank you to Prompto, it would hardly be fitting to take him somewhere he couldn't take pictures, darling. And of course, that goes for you, too."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[hashtag_chocobro]

Noctra still in his arms because he knew the second he set her down, that girl was going to go running and they'd spend the rest of this tour chasing after a surprisingly sneaky toddler, Prompto leaned his shoulder in against Liz's, and grinned at her.

"Forget potentially sending our possible future triplets to school here," he noted. "I'm wondering if I can attend!"

He didn't have a single magical thing about him, but whatever!

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[flamesburned]

Liz grinned at that as she leaned against Prompto, taking everything in, “it would definitely be amazing to attend,” she agreed, “it’s so beautiful here,”

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[hashtag_chocobro]

"Right?" Prompto agreed, with a happy sigh, and he shook his head. "It's amazing what's out there that we don't even know about, and never would, if it weren't for Fandom. Heck, we wouldn't even know each other if it wasn't for Fandom! And all this," he chuckled a little, "just because of a few driving lessons."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[mylandmyrules]

Nell's long skirts and tunic top were probably just fine here. She gazed in awe at everything around her, sticking close to the group - especially Gladio - with the huge crowd of people around. "This is amazing!"

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[sword_chocobro]

And, yeah, Gladio definitely wasn't going to let him steer too far from Nell, either. At least not at first. Pretty much until the siren call of the library was a little bit too strong for him to ignore.

But for now? He was grinning over at Nell and watching her as she took it all in.

"Yeah," he said, "it's okay, I guess."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[mylandmyrules]

Nell poked him and gave him a grin. "Right. Like you're not practically drooling at the idea of the library."

She just shook her head. "I never could have imagined this."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[deathsmajesty]

"Thank you, darling," Liliana said, grinning. "I loved my time here very much."

Re: Arrive At Strixhaven

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm sure you did," Nell said, still trying to take everything in. "But I can't imagine living here. There's so much - how do you not get lost any time you go anywhere?"