[Origin Cave]

Origin's Fourth Olympics

Magicka Show

Welcome to the Magic portion of the Olympics! Gembound from across the caves congregate in an area set up by the Spire to display their spellcasting prowess and creativity.

Rules

⁠— ⁠You may use anything in the environment for your spells except for other Gembound, unless they are willing subjects. Casting on the Judges is disallowed entirely.
⁠— Each character has up to three posts to wow the Judges and audience with their magicka use. You may use less than three posts, if so desired.
⁠— Winners will be picked based on in-character performance and the success of the rolls. Be creative!
⁠— If a competitor is called and fails to respond within three days, they will forfeit and the competition will move on without them.
⁠— Please allow a Judge ( @Damask @Pride @/Aure) to post first and call up the first competitor!
⁠— Once you're done, please @Tag the next participant in the order. Don't forget the space after!
⁠— As with the other Olympic events, spectators are allowed! There is no set posting order for the spectators.

For your point-tallying convenience, here's a link to a Google Sheets detailing current rolls!

Posting Order

1. Sebastian
   
2. Azure
   
3. Tahi-Shei
   
4. Temperantia
   
5. Svartis
   
6. Akaari
   
7. Wilder
   
8. Mercurius
   
9. Madhukar
   
10. Azrael
    
11. Artume
    
12. Fisher
    
13. Kalama

They were all a little bit late to the punch this year given the numerous... occurrences in the way. Mother's infestation, snowy Trials, discussions of ancient society's return out of necessity.

Regardless, Aure couldn't help but feel eager. This was a low-stakes contest of skill and creativity. Gembound had come together to arrange it once more, and someone had approached him with the prospect of judging this year - given he'd blown everyone away last event. The young King had no reason not to accept. Now, he was perched with Damask on his left and Pride to his right. The Spire was at their backs, illuminating the small arena setup.

It was mostly rocks here and there; but, if this would be like previous years, crystals and plants and lights would litter the place.

After doing a brief headcount, confirming it with either of his companions, Aure chirped sharply. Silence - and he spoke, "welcome to the Magicka Show, everyone! I am Aure Vita, of the Bonebound - and my fellow judges are," (he indicated towards his left) "Damask Vita, also of the Bonebound" (he indicated back towards his left) "and Pride, of the Seven." Back to the crowd, he called, "I'm certain that you are all aware of the rules: use what you wish except for others, and be creative!"

Pause, mostly for a breath. "The show will begin with Sebastian."

"That's right, right?" he muttered quietly to Pride and Damask.

@Sebastian

damask stood tall beside her father and the white stag opposite, spine straight, feathers neat as a fresh tuxedo. awful lot of bodies, here, and one third of their appraisal rested squarely on her. she would've liked to count herself among the competitors, but — (strut your stuff in front of a crowd? risk having one of your things in front of 'em all? you? not a chance) — ... but this was the next best thing. no, better, bearing her circumstances, her aspirations in mind. an opportunity, that was the word; and what an honor to be given it. auré was reigning champion, pride a paragon of all the caves, and damask? damask was painfully out of her league.

overwhelming? more than a maybe. but she was doing a damn good job hiding it.

she quirked her head to the right as auré spoke; one silver eye held the congregation, the other her fellows. upon introduction, the accipiter swept a little lower in the slightest suggestion of a bow. never mind the rabbit-thump of her heart, the itch of anxiety just below her skin. today, she'd hold steady. perception, analysis, judgment — those parts, she could handle. the roster came to mind at once, every name, top-to-bottom. sebastian, number one. "you got it," she murmured to auré, huffing out a soft chuckle. deep breath. this was a fun event, certainly not some kind of test or performance, and she was going to have a nice time. "best of luck," damask called, straining to lift her voice over the arena. a push of enthusiasm, now: "may the best magician win!"

Sebastian hadn't really come to the competition to compete.

Sure, competing was fun and all. But so was watching, and he liked watching.

Thing is, he knew Rift did, too.

And he'd been looking for Rift - though, perhaps, not as well as he should have been. Eridanus was his home, even after everything. And with his family gone, it was his to protect. But maybe... maybe Rift would be at the competition?

So he put his paw in, and waited for his turn.

They announced his name and, oh, he was going first. Wonderful. He swallowed on a gulp, Rift had been the king, he'd only been a guard, never one to address large crowds, but he'd signed up for this, and he did have a plan, so standing he trotted forward, shaking his fur and feeling it began to heat up, feeling slightly bad for those around him at the smell of burning fur as smoke began to billow off of him, closing his eyes as he approached the judges to stand before them.

And now...

'Please work.' nothing would be more embarrassing than for his magic to abandon him in front of a crowd of Gembound, leaving him standing in a cloud of smoke like some sort of fool.

His stomach burned, and heat built-built-built, expanded through him as his paws, then his ears began to glow bright through the smoke, and finally he opened his eyes, two golden disks glowing white-hot through the billowing smoke.

Last... last was a spell he was new to.

He gulped, prayed it would work.

Reached deep for his magic, forced himself not to close his eyes, still glowing deep in the smoke, dug his claws into the ground and set himself alight, flames sparking across black fur before engulfing him, shooting up and out before, and he inclined his head, gritting his teeth at the pain, and rasping "Thank you," as he turned to trot back to his spot on the crowd, shaking himself to put out the smoke and the flames.

@Azure

Pride stood beside the other two judges, confident in his presence here. He was Transcendent, after all; he and Aure both and who better to judge magicka than they?

"We expect a fair competition; and wonderful displays. Please, begin," he'd said, at the start.

He tried not to think about the Seven who had not returned from Hydra; this was meant to be a happy time.

This was meant to be a happy time...

He struggled to focus on Sebastian. To give this first contestent his full attention. He looks like Nassir- To watch closely the magic he used. The glowing face--an interesting introduction. The roiling smoke: impressive, and Pride wondered if it could be used to drive away enemies. Ahh, and then the cat set himself on fire. This wowed the white stag judge; a dangerous game to play, and one that showed both power and control.

"Very good. Very impressive, and excellent control. Fire's a difficult element," he observed, his tone warm.

He looks like Nas-

"Next, please?" he offered, keeping a light and pleasant expression on his face.

She was, needless to say, nervous. She knew Pride and Sebastian both, and not from fantastic circumstances; she'd spent a long time alone. And then there was the large crowd-... Azure deliberately didn't look at them. Groups, crowds, were... overwhelming, really.

Anxiety rode her nerves, and she did her best to steel them. She'd found joy in creation, and she knew that she was good at it: a skill she'd learned with Dip. It wasn't very flashy; it wasn't dramatic, as the black cat's had been--she couldn't set herself on fire (Holy shit!) but she could show what she could do.

It was a step, for her.

"Hello," she began, and her voice was too damn quiet and immediately shamed her but she pushed on: "I'm Azure. I'll be showing how I create, today... It's not that flashy but if anyone would like to learn more, I'm-... I can teach. I'm happy to."

Azure fidgeted for a moment, hyper-aware of the eyes on her, and then dipped her head down shyly and, with a touch of her sharp beak, opened up the pouch she'd brought with her.

From it, she extracted a flower. Her beak touched it--a richly cobalt-blue bloom--and magicka flickered up, invisible, uninteresting,, undramatic. And so she briefly explained.

"I--know you can't see it but I'm making it so the flower will never wilt. My magic is in it, now."

Confidence sparked just a little bit as she got back into her habitual process. She had done this so many times, now, that it was automatic, and as she pressed her magpie's beak back to the flower, her mind moved to her work instead of lingering, fearful, on the crowd.

Magicka flickered--and failed, and she felt her heart kick up a notch, shame darkening her cheeks beneath the feathers.

"That was supposed to make a stone around it," she murmured, and set herself to try again.

She'd come prepared for this, at least.

She pulled out another gemstone from the pouch: one with a flower already embedded in it. One with, too, twine looped through its little hole.

"It comes out like this. I'll-... skip to the last step," she added, her nervous voice barely loud enough to be heard.

...Nothing happened, her beak pressed to the stone, and the shame roared up around her. "Shit," she snapped, and that was too loud and she looked around, surprised. A little frantic now, she up-ended the pouch, so that a few pendants were visible: baubled flowers preserved in their stones, illuminated with soft glows, permanently beautiful.

Or until Azure died, at least, but she didn't know that bit.

"...They come out like this, anyway, if anyone wants-... We're in Orion-" The hybrid's voice cut off nervously, and then she was rapidly scooping all her gemstones away, head low as she rushed out of the open area and back through the crowd.

@Tahi-Shei