look at me, i'm the wound you tried to hide

[promittere]

ANDANTE ALLA WANING CRESCENT

Another day dawns for the Sage's wizards. It's been a month, now, since arriving in this world and being given a task nobody seems to fully understand—though after the jobs the Southern and Central wizards have taken on, it seems like it might just be possible after all.

And it seems like there's another task for the wizards, from the Eastern nation. However, unlike the other requests the Sage has been fielding, this task is far too big for five wizards alone. This is a task everyone will need to help tackle, whether they like it or not. Those that aren't particularly altruistic will still be whisked together by Tatara and Lazuli both, and they may still find the journey...illuminating. Answers to what happened to the original wizards may be just within reach.

Traveling via the elevator at the manor is familiar to some of you, at least, Lazuli setting a mana stone into the control not a surprise in a the slightest. The fact all of you can, somehow, fit in the elevator comfortably may be a surprise, but it's best not to dwell on it too much. You'll be staying at the City of Rain, Lazuli tells you with the air of someone reading you a court sentence, but you've been tasked with clearing up the site of some sort of disaster. He doesn't have much information beyond that—a fact that seems to greatly annoy him—and he warns you not to break any of the City of Rain's laws well before you're out of the elevator.

Which that shouldn't be too difficult, right? Right...?

Perhaps not, as the rules of the city are extreme. There are certain areas which forbid socialization and talking entirely, some areas where only talking to strangers is forbidden, only a handful of businesses allow chatter of any sort, and the list goes on. The most pressing law of all, though, is very simple: no use of any sort of magic within city limits. Do your best to follow the rules because breaking them will result in an arrest, and do you really want Lazuli and Tatara bailing you out? With the rules laid out and lodging sorted, Lazuli ushers you to the site you're tasked with dealing with. You will have downtime to explore the city, though, as it's expected to take several days to clear things up.

The site is a terrible, terrible mess. In what must have once been a peaceful patch of wilderness, there now sits a terrible gouge in the earth, several meters deep and twice as wide across, hollowed by what must have been a powerful force. The dirt is gray and sandy, dead in the manner the Southern wizards will recognize. Plants on the edges of the crater are dry and withered and splintered and broken. Permeating the air is a lingering dread, one both Southern and Central wizards will immediately recognize...

But it is clear now, now that your magic is considerably stronger, that the spirits are agitated by the disturbance in the fabric of magic. Dark clouds hang low over the site, and low thunder rumbles in the constant threat of a storm that will never come. The spirits' agitation, coupled with the dread hanging in the air, will feel uncomfortable, and perhaps leave the more sensitive of the bunch feeling on edge. This is not something that can will resolve on its own, so your most important task is to calm the spirits. That means doing the things they like: playing music, dancing, praying, telling stories, wearing fanciful and whimsical clothes to soothe their temperaments.

Your second most important task is to clear out monsters. The unusual energy in the air is attractive to beasts magical in nature—they slink out of their hiding places in the deep wilderness to the area, and their presence is threatening the humans who regularly use the nearby routes for trade and to commute. Kill them, take their mana stones for yourself. Win-win.

The third task is general clean-up. Remove the dead plants from the earth, remove the broken trees and any natural debris that might prove to be a hindrance. Characters are more than welcome to search inside the crater for any hint or clue as to what might have caused this strange explosion, but they'll find the site picked clean, earth having fallen into cavities where there might have been larger objects present at one point...like someone was here to clear out any evidence.

JOB BOARD

Reinforcement. Peace in Granvelle Castle has been restored. A liveliness and energy has returned to the castle and the surrounding parts of the city that hasn't been seen in nearly a month. Thank your Central friends for their hard work!

Their issues aren't quite resolved, however. The castle is asking for help in creating and then reinforcing a magical barrier around the castle. The barrier is a bit bigger than what one wizard alone is capable of at this point, so band together to create and reinforce what parts you can. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to use your own hair or blood as a conduit.

The type of barrier is specific, however—they want one that masks magical signatures. If you step inside, you'll feel a faint, but powerful presence within... What are they guarding?

Recycling. The Eastern country is known for its expertise in all things mechanical, particularly when it comes to clockwork. While not as bombastic or flashy as Western technology, the use of magic and mana stones being deeply frowned upon and rejected, Eastern artisans can create truly fantastical things just with gears and cogs and a bit of know-how... But, of course, sometimes it's better to scrap something and create something new than let the old items waste away, so some Eastern craftsman have asked for help gathering clockwork automatons and other creations in order to melt it all back down. Some of them seem a bit nervous and harried, but it's an easy enough job to scrap automatons and cart junk around.

Monster hunting. The few settlements in the North have been sending in frantic request after frantic request. There has been a disturbing increase in monster activity in the North, and the native Northern wizards are as unreliable as ever. They need your help in thinning the numbers, and that's all they really ask for—you can keep all the mana stones you earn.

For those of you who haven't been to the North yet, the weather is harsh, no matter the season. Protection on oneself to survive the negative degrees is crucial; make sure your magic is up to snuff enough to keep yourself at least room temperature. And using your magic to battle on top of that? This isn't going to be an easy job, not at your level. Be cautious, and good luck.

Mana areas & amulets. You've been here for a month now, and living in an unfamiliar place, alongside unfamiliar people, using unfamiliar magic must be wearing you down. Isn't it? In that case, it's time for the last piece of your wizardhood puzzle: your mana area.

Mana areas are spots where wizards feel most at peace with themselves, most whole, and a place where they can refill on the emotional load they've been chipping away at for their magic. It can be a specific location, or a conditional circumstance. Find more detail on the magic page. Your task—given to you by your sage and your mentor—is to traverse the continent, find your mana area, and recharge your batteries, so to speak. While there, make an amulet to take back with you, like a portable battery.

WANDERER TASKS

Listen to the spirits.

You've been here long enough that it's time to see if you can actually communicate with the spirits who've laid claim on you and have been empowering your spells. Try your listen and see if you can hear what they have to say to you.

OOC Note: For those attempting this task, ping one of the mods and roll a dice! Based on the dice roll, your character will get a little tidbit from the spirits... Or they might not hear anything yet, but they can always dedicate themselves to their studies and try again after leveling up!

TATARA ACTIVITIES

Don't make promises.

If you've made a promise, don't break it.

If you break a promise, you'll lose your magic. And I don't know if I can help you anymore or send you home if that happens. I'm sorry this is so late. But please...be careful.

OOC NOTES

🌙 Welcome to your third event! Everyone's lasted a month, congratulations! Keep working on your magic, keep forging those bonds.
🌙 As your characters settle into the world, they might find themselves irresistibly drawn to crowds, to music, to dancing. It's hard to resist the allure of a gathering, and it's hard to keep yourself from swaying to music when it fills your ears, no matter what sort of person you used to be. You're changing...
🌙 As we enter the second month, we are announcing a deadline for finding your pairs. This will be Friday, June 14 at 11:59 PM EDT. Remember, you may submit a guess at any time, and there is no penalty for getting a guess wrong, so long as you have a thread to back up your guess and consent from your partner. The pair page is here.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting on this post, as not everyone checks plurk or discord frequently.
🌙 Next up for missions is East. Let's hope they don't have to talk to anyone for this one.

» NAVIGATION

Comments

[jokey]

Is that an invitation to test that theory?

[Quite cheeky for a boy whose life hangs by the thinnest of threads. Akira shifts, the knife coming away from Ahito's neck... only to settle directly above his heart.]

If you prefer, I'll carve the heart from your chest and leave your fellow wizards to fight over it like a pack of wolves. Your life or your magic... which do you suppose they might choose?

[dyingtohealyou]

[Honestly? he breathes easier when the knife is at his chest rather than his neck. Thanks creature.]

What would they even fight over? My mage stone? Get a grip.

You have four shots. You can't take out everyone here with that gun. All you have is a hostage and a knife.

[He tries to concentrate - it's damn hard to focus when one is in mortal danger and missing their focus and unable to incant without giving the game away. Maybe that's why the fire flares behind them, but does nothing else (8).]

[jokey]

[Spitting hard facts here, little guy. A machine gun would do nicely, but again, that isn't how a wizard ought to be killed. No, they should be set ablaze and reduced to nothing more than ashes, else their souls won't truly leave this world.

They'll end up as he has, bound to a cruel world that took his purpose away from him.]

Then let us expedite the process.

[Akira lifts the knife like the blade of a guillotine and plunges it deep into Ahito's gut, twisting the handle for good measure.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Oh. He actually went for it.

Ahito doubles over with a scream of pain.]

[shortleash]

( Mika's teeth fucking grit, his hand on his rapier twitches— but the way his heel digs into the floor suggests he's more likely to dash toward Akito

But he gauges it isn't safe yet. So, unhappily, he stays put. )

[jokey]

Oh...? What's wrong, little vampire?

[Akira playfully waves the knife. Where will be stab next?]

You want to save your friend, don't you? So much for that cold, disaffected facade. You are nothing more than human at your core.

[The blade swoops down and stabs into Ahito's thigh.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Fucker-

He manages to grit his teeth against an additional scream, but at this point it's partially the exhaustion setting in as he loses blood - so, so much blood.]

[shortleash]

( ........ )

A human wouldn't be standing still right now.

( This truly fucking sucks. Man. He doesn't care. He doesn't!!! His thumb digs into the hilt. Stay quiet, stay calm... )

I'm willing to help you. Are you sure you should be trying to agitate me?

If you really think what's lost to you is irretrievable, then fine. But you can do a lot better than a couple wizards in a manor. Come here and I'll help you kill all the wizards you want, all across the country. You wouldn't need to fight for control with me.

( He doesn't know if there was actually a fight for control but he needs Something to sound more appealing because it can clearly do quite a bit in Akira's body... )

[jokey]

[Help? Oh, that's rich. Have another mocking laugh, hee hee ho ho.]

What help could you possibly be of to me? I need nothing from you, least of all a handout. The moment one of your "friends" turns their back on you is the moment you bury your fangs in their neck and steal that which is most precious to them. Your kind are the least trustworthy of all.

[Speaking of which... Pulling his blade out of Ahito's thigh, Akira brusquely throws him at Mika. Take it. Take your half-empty capri sun. Akira has no need of him.]

Let this stuck pig occupy your prattling mouth. Consider it a final meal before your execution.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Fucking finally-

He tumbles to the ground, lacking energy and, well, blood to even try to lift himself off the ground when he lands, breaths short and shallow.]

[shortleash]

( Mika's eyes only narrow, but the air about him is ice. What this thing says has landed, even if he won't deign it with a response.

He doesn't jump for Ahito at first, though there's a clear impulse to. Again. It's a measured pause. It's only when he judges it as unlikely to kill him in the attempt does he dart forward, unnaturally quick, and scoop Ahito up in his arms.

He's withdrawing, quickly - he'd love to leave the area entirely, but all the healers are here (and will probably be dead soon) and Mika has gaslit himself out of being able to heal, so he can't. He's dipping into the crowd, Akira in the corner of his eye.

To Ahito, muttering: )

Just keep breathing.

( He doesn't need to ask how he feels because he can guess how he feels based on his sound and his scent - and reflexively, he swallows.

The blood is at its sweetest when a person dies, after all. )

[revengier]

Let me help.

[ Actually, he's going to immediately start summoning up his magic, muttering his incantation in an attempt to begin the healing process on Ahito. ]

This won't be as much help as one of the Southern wizards, but...

[ It's something. ]

[fallingsand]

[ Kiryu stopped Bruno from rushing Akira, bidding him to move Yodarha somewhere safe instead, and he's done just that, but he hasn't gone too far. He's laid Yoda out somewhere behind the crowd and the chaos and when he looks up and sees Mika darting away with Ahito and towards Kurapika, he raises his voice, ]

Over here! Here!

[ Bruno's already covered in blood and exuding panic from every pore, but the blood isn't his, and the panic hasn't driven him off just yet. ]

[shortleash]

( Kurapika attending to Ahito on the stretcher as they wheel him off to the Southie ambulance... )

That's fine. It's fine.

( He's gonna let Kurapika work before Bruno calls out to them...!! Then he's bringing him directly to Bruno, laying out the Ahito however he needs it. )

[revengier]

[ Healing while on the move is a difficult task, but it's necessary here, and so he does it without complaint.

He'll help Mika lay out Ahito, too. ]

I trust you can cover the rest here.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Fucking EVERYTHING hurts but the starts of healing magic helps, his breaths - still not exactly calm nor lacking in pain - evening out, just a little, as it becomes slightly more bearable.]

[fallingsand]

[ Bruno gives poor Kurapika the most pained look. He can't help it. This has shaken him worse than the previous disaster, in this very same place. ]

Y-yeah, I... I... um...

[ God, he can't even finish. He wants to run away and leave this to someone else but not to a bunch of kids. He can't do that. He can never do that. So, instead, he sets to work, going through the same process he just went through with Yodarha, only without having to dig bullets out.

No, instead, he has to think real hard about how twisted guts should become untwisted and unstabbed. Pocket watch token clutched in hand and his other settling over the worst of Ahito's injuries, he whispers his incantation and pushes his will into his healing spell.

He wants everything to resettle as it should be, to mend, heal, and, considering the gut-twisting Ahito got? That first part is going to feel weird or painful or, most likely, both. ]

[revengier]

[ Before he leaves, he sets a hand on Bruno's shoulder, light enough so as not to distract him from the mess he's currently untangling. ]

Thank you.

[dyingtohealyou]

[There's a muffled sound of pain as his insides rearrange himself, but all told he's - holding up pretty well? Besides the initial scream from the literal twist of the knife in his gut, he's gritting his teeth and powering through, refusing to let much sound escape despite how much trauma his body continues to endure.

This. Is. Fine.]

[shortleash]

( Mika is sticking around the injured and watching healing attempts (and any attacks on the healers) like a sentinel. He looks intense (and his breathing a little hard). But he'll kill for you while you work so maybe this is good news. )

[revengier]

[ He'll be running off to go help out elsewhere shortly, but he spares a moment to take Ahito's hand and give it a squeeze.

It's only fair. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[His grip is a bit hand-crushingly hard, but he forces himself to release Kurapika, clenching his hand in a fist instead.

He will be fine.

Go.]

[dyingtohealyou]

Wasn't... planning on stopping.

[Ahito... is this really the time...

His voice is strained and he doesn't seem up to saying much more than that, eyes pinched shut in pain.]

[shortleash]

Don't speak.

( not the time at all!!!! ahhhhhh (normal and indifferent and fine) )

[dyingtohealyou]

'll be fine.

[Bruno's on it, even if trying to heal everything up is its own brand of painful, given the state of his organs.]