smashacademy | [Video]

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[Gordon looks tired. Those of you college kids who have taken a final or two, know exactly the kind of tired you're looking at with him. He's drooped over a stack of books at a desk, and plucks off his glasses to rub his eyes before shoving them back on his face, before he even speaks.]

So, I've been trying to research possible geologic causes for the earthquakes and sea levels rising. Tectonic motion isn't the culprit. Climate change wouldn't act THIS fast, no matter how many fire flower farms there are out in the countryside. Now that I come to realize, whole islands made of rock float persistently in the air in this world. I'm get the feeling I'm barking up the wrong tree altogether.

So... has anyone in this school seen something like this in their own world? Did they ever figure out the cause, and what happened afterwards? If we can find a pattern, we might get a better idea of what to do--or even IF we can do anything--about it.

[He yawns, and adds in a quick grumble borne of hasty, sleep-deprived compromise:]

I'm willing to listen to anything at this point, no matter how un-scientific it sounds. Clarke's law holds here, and magic and science are all subject to the laws of nature... You never know when something outlandish might actually turn out to be RIGHT.

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[Have a curious looking co-worker! New, but still!]

Well, back in Azeroth there were plenty of reasons for these kinds of things to happen besides nature itself being upset with the way of things, not including the elemental lords and such.

Machinery made to cause such events, angry ancient dragons ripping apart the world, or Old Gods playing witht he lives of mortals. I mean, the probabilities are endless with these sort of generic situations...

[New and curious-looking indeed. He's actually heard of the world of Azeroth before, but not very much about it. But hang on a tic:]

Before I ask any more questions, there haven't been any dragons, have there? My lab's down in the basement, and there's not exactly any windows...

[GDI Gordon, you NERD. You need to stop holing yourself up in the lab on research binges.]

As far as I've seen since my arrival, besides the dragon-types? The, umm Pokemon I mean. No. Well, yes.

There was a dragon that attacked people investigating the lake. Which more than likely meant they were the cause of that particular disturbance? Can't be sure though, not enough time to study it or the area.

[You know, he was actually hoping she would stick with "no."]

Considering they were defending themselves from it, I can see why an examination was out of the question. But it's hard to tell if that was an indigenous dragon, or something more malicious.

["Indigenous Dragon" sounds like the name of a prog-rock band. Also now he KNOWS he needs to get out more.]

I doubt it's the force behind this whole thing anyway. If it were THAT big, then the lake wouldn't be able to hold it... I'm pretty sure this is closer to a "balance of nature" issue that you spoke about before. Some kind of deep-seated perturbation of the system that's been building up and only now starting to show symptoms. Reversal of core spin, magnetic fluctuations, mundane crap like that.

Although... I don't know. I can't shake the feeling that all the tremors and increased water levels implies it's being extruded from underground... like there's a sort of pressure building up down there.

More than likely but then again this place doesn't seem like it follows a specific type of law. [And neither did Azeroth all things considered, which made her not look bothered at all by this.]

There's much more that needs to be investigated before a satisfactory conclusion could be had... And even then, I don't think we'll find one.

I just hope everyone stays safe. [Because when things went weird, especially for Azerothian standards? You knew shit was going to hit the fan, big time.]

Maybe. But that's not going to stop me from trying. You're right, though. Everyone's safety comes first.

[Normally he'd say "The students' safety" or "the school's safety," but he gets the feeling that would be an error in scope by an order or magnitude.]

--Oh right, I was down there so long I didn't get a chance to introduce myself until now... Name's Gordon. Gordon Freeman.

[Ronnae was going to respond before he introduced himself, which prompted her to blush since she had forgotten to do the same altogether and felt a bit embarrassed about missing formalities like that.]

O-oh, yes, h-hello! [She bowed, off camera for a second then back.] A pleasure to meet you Mr. Freeman, I am Ronnae, Ronnae 'Mash Belore Ryllos. I'm a new student and teacher here.

[Those are some very bouncy pigtails. His eyebrows raise.]

Oh really, a teacher as well as a student? Now you have my curiosity! What subject?

[They are! And you should see how long they are too!]

Yes! [She said excitedly though quickly dropped that down to a sheepish, nervous smile.]

Since I'm not native here, I wanted to learn as much as I could, being a student seems like a surefire way to do so. But I'm a very adept engineer back home so I wanted to also help... as w-well as earning coin for my keep here.

I'll be teaching engineering basics from back home, as well as specialized courses on Magitech and Mechgineering which were my specialties back there.

Magitech...?

[He'd heard the word before, but any attempt to read up on the subject left him bewilderedly staring down sigils and tables that cross-reference using magic squares and pile together in equations that hold no order or operations and may as well be magic spells.]

[...Or maybe they WERE spells and he couldn't tell?]

[Either way, he's impressed that she seems to be an expert on it. Her knowledge in engineering makes it all the more topical.]

I guess if anyone would know if a magic were altering the geologic forces of the area, it would be you.

[She blushed at the assessment.]

I, w-well if I could get a chance to study the area I could definitely give it my best answer. And yup, it's the combination of magical arts and engineering to progress the science further. You get to use imbuments, magical, elemental and chaotic cores, delve in all sorts of impossibles! It's really exciting actually.

[She seems very passionate about her trade.]

[She certainly does.]

My training is in theoretical physics. I study the systems behind the way things work, the nature of matter and light and gravity and all those things no one in their RIGHT mind thinks about in depth. I try to break them down to their basest components to better apply them.

My original field was quantum entanglement as it applies to teleportation, but, well... Life has a tendency of changing one's specialty for them. Anyway, maybe we can compare notes sometime. We might learn a lot from each other.

[Can you say sparkle eyes? At the work of course.]

Ah it'd be wonderful! Yes! I'd love to sit down and compare notes!

I've made a handful of different teleporters back home too! They can be... finicky at times but boy are they convinient!

You've made teleporter arrays? That's very impressive! I'd ask about the principles you used for translocation, but we can pick that sort of thing up after the waters recede.

...Although... We might have to leave the school in a hurry, should things take a turn for the worst later. Maybe building a teleporter to the floating island might not be a bad idea...

[She nodded happily]

Yup! Different ones for different locations! They're really convinient and I'd love to show and tell.

[She looked more serious for the moment.]

That might not be a bad idea at all...

We'd move people faster that way than any airship or watercraft we can make.

I kind of doubt the floating island's the safest place, but I can't think of anything better and at least it would be guaranteed to stay dry.

Most definitely! I'll have to look around to see what supplies I have and start drafting. A-after I pass it by the hands of course. Wouldn't want to do something they won't allow or something.

Somehow I feel as if what happens here could be unnatural. Or nothing that can be explained with science.

Naw, no... As long as it exists, that means that somehow it's allowed by nature. It's just that science as we know it is doing a piss-poor job of describing HOW. Right now, the only reasonings I can come up with are objectively, spectacularly stupid. I know when I'm out of my element.

[Even if he hates admitting to it.]

So maybe if someone comes up with an analogous sequence of events, I can fit better context to this.

I suppose I just have a difficult time coping with how this place works even now.

Though I am hoping we can find a pattern before anything happens.

...Have you slept at ALL since prom?

...Once. Voluntarily.

[But on the upside, the impromptu nap in the library kept him from hallucinating this time. Last thing we need right now is a gun-happy physicist insisting that giant psychic grubs have invaded his lab.]

Why do you ask?

Because you don't look good at all. Need anything? If you try living on coffee, you're going to end up like a zombie.

[Because the only difference between tame zombies and wild zombies is coffee. Seriously.]

[He's used to only one variety of zombie, sadly, and they don't get any nicer when you feed them coffee. Still, the statement does hold meaning to him, at least in the metaphorical sense. He gains an ironed out half-smile.]

That's... more or less what I've been running on. I'm still not a zombie yet, but I guess a decent meal and some sleep would help keep it that way.

[He's convincing himself more than anything, but it convincingly sounds like he's inviting her share a meal.]

Good. If it'll help, I'll go with you and make sure you don't pass out in your dinner.

[Oh hey, looks like she was accepting the offer.]

What?

I... uh... okay. Sure.

[It's a date, he guesses?]

Ah, dhh, tell you what, you pick where. If left to me, it'd be more cafeteria fare, and you probably wouldn't want that.

[Probably not the word she would have chosen, but as long as Gordon didn't die of starvation or turn into an actual zombie.]

I was gonna just suggest the cafeteria, but sure, we can go out somewhere. How do you feel about burgers?

Sounds a helluva lot better than jello and day-old sandwiches.

[And they're less likely to serve coffee.]

Great. Sonny told me about a couple of good places, we can try one of them out. I'll meet you outside.

When I had experienced this sort of thing in the past, it was due to a rip in the dimensions.

However, I sense nothing of the sort. And even that lasted only briefly.

A rip in dimensions... No, I don't think that's it either, and that's actually a good thing. Last thing that we need is something from the outer reaches of human comprehension sniffing out this place.

[You can trust him in this one.]

...correct. This is not the time for that...

(Cyrus's own memory of the Distortion World still rang in his mind, and every attempt he had made to understand it led to a feeling of utter madness. Even though some years had passed, the concepts continued to evade him harshly)

...I will investigate this with you then.

Good.

[You still give him the creeps, Cyrus, but he could use all the help he can get.]

I haven't gotten wind of anything other than the water levels rising and earthquakes. Ronnae mentioned a dragon at the lake, but I'm thinking that was just a displaced pokemon or something... you hear anything other than that?

No. I have not heard much of anything in that regard. I recall that some time ago the beast in the lake was slain; might there be something there replacing it? Another of its kind, perhaps.

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