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

(later on, for akira)

[impacter]

[Because for some reason Akira cannot resist the siren song of Crime.]

[jokey]

[Breaking and entering has so many practical applications. Akira never expected he'd need to stealth his way into a building ever again, much less in the real world, but here he is breaking into a prison as opposed to out of it.

The ceiling creaks. Something within shuffles and scrapes. A few moments later, a familiar shock of curly black hair pops out from a vent in the ceiling and scans the periphery for guards. During this time of day, security should be minimal enough that he can talk to the captives unimpeded. Speaking of which...]

...Oh. There you guys are. Well, that was easy.

[Got it in one! Repelling down from a rope in the ceiling, Akira waves. Hey dads. How we feeling?]

[impacter]

[Solomon's been out cold for a while now, flat on his back in the bed on the far end of the cell. The rattling noises get him to finally stir, and when he turns his head to squint out the bars, a rope is dropping down from the ceiling, and--]

...

Akira?

[Yeah, yeah that's definitely Akira. How in the world...

He winces in discomfort as he rolls himself over to try and get a better look.]

Here I thought thievery was your style, not a jail visitation.

[fallingsand]

[ What in the world is—

Bruno has been spending much of the time pacing and being nervous overall, but in silence to allow Solomon to rest undisturbed. The ceiling making a noise and the rope appearing, however, gives him a start. ]

Akira?! [ Bruno whisper-shouts. He isn't going to actual-shout. That would be bad and he has enough wisdom to not do that if nothing else. ] Wh... what are you doing? You have to go! What if they catch you?!

[jokey]

[...Man, they both look like differing degrees of hell, but that's to be expected. No one looks happy and healthy behind bars.

Akira dusts himself off and pockets his hands, looking from Bruno to Solomon.]

What can I say? I'm a man of many talents. Besides, I really couldn't care less if they catch me.

[Maybe he should. Normally, he would. Maybe he deserves a little time in the slammer after what he did.]

What did you guys do to get locked up? I don't know about Solomon, but Bruno doesn't strike me as the law-breaking sort.

[impacter]

[It's a relief to see him, whole and back to normal. But there's something off about how blasé he is. This is supposed to be a point of pride for him, isn't it?

...

Solomon's smile is tired as he rests back on the bed, closing his eyes.]

You would be exactly right. Bruno did nothing wrong. You can consider him an accomplice in escape.

[fallingsand]

Couldn't care... Akira, I don't care if. If you don't care, but I would! Don't you dare get caught!

[ Bruno isn't quite clued in on the thievery aspect of Akira but, frankly, after seeing him sneak into a jail from the ceiling? He wouldn't be surprised. ]

And you didn't do anything wrong, either, Solomon. It's this stupid city. What are these rules? No talking? No magic? C'mon. None of that makes sense.

[jokey]

Oh?

[Akira stares sidelong at Solomon, a challenging rise in intonation. Solomon could very well be right that Bruno was a bystander caught in the line of fire, so to speak, but the way he so casually excuses himself as the primary suspect doesn't sit well with Akira. No, it pisses him off, actually, which is why he turns his back to Solomon and addresses Bruno directly. Now is not the time to ride on his nerves, old man.]

Worry about yourself, Bruno. I can deal with the consequences of my own actions.

[He has to. No one else can do it for him. No one else should.]

Stop blaming yourselves and get to the point. What did they arrest you for?

[impacter]

[Hm. Akira's short-tempered today. Not that Solomon can blame him - not after everything he just went through.]

Now, now. Don't take his concern out on him, Akira. He's been through enough.

[His hands fold against his stomach, still calm.]

It's as I said. I ran my mouth in one of the silenced areas. Bruno simply reacted, and helped me run when we were pursued. He even pleaded my case for me.

The guards wouldn't have much of it, I'm afraid, but his effort was very kind!

[fallingsand]

[ Okay, Bruno would really like to know where this tension in the air is coming from. He may not know what's up between Akira and Solomon but, dang, he can feel that something is up. As if he needed to be any more nervous than he already is! ]

You... Akira, you don't get to tell me who to worry about.

[ He will continue worrying and cannot be stopped. ]

And that isn't the whole truth, Solomon, geez... He didn't just talk or anything little like that. Something hurt him. His chest burst into flame and everything, so, yeah, he made some noise! Who wouldn't?!

[jokey]

Don't count on Solomon to tell the whole truth.

[And where's the lie in that? Don't mind them, Bruno. They're fine.]

They won't make exceptions even for medical emergencies, huh? Well, I'm not surprised.

[Japan isn't the only place with a corrupt and counterproductive criminal justice system. It's more of a human issue than anything else.

With the whole truth out in the open, Akira turns on his heel, gait casual as he wraps his hands around the bars holding Solomon in bondage. His heart aches for Solomon, truly, but the old man's nasty habit of casually disregarding himself negates that worry. Why should he care for a man who can't even care for himself?]

What part of that wasn't worth mentioning?

[impacter]

[...

He glances over, brassy eyes looking to that sharp young gaze that bites, then flicking to Bruno. Poor, anxious Bruno.

Bruno, at least, gets an apologetic look from across the cells. Brief, exhausted. Sorry about this, Mister Ancient One.]

Ah~ You really had to go and blow my cover, huh... [Oh well. Bruno was an earnest and very truthful heart. Solomon couldn't be upset about that.]

Because I'm fine, Akira. There was no sign of a curse. Bruno said he and I were the only magic users in the area as well, so it likely wasn't an attack, either. [Which starts narrowing it down to things that he believes should have been on his radar from the start. But he already admitted that much to Bruno, and with Akira as tense as he is right now, he doesn't want to add fuel to the fire.]

Take a second to calm yourself. I'm okay. I can handle my own consequences just as much as you can.

[fallingsand]

[ Cover??? What??? ]

Why would you even want to hide that? It's sort of important! A. An important detail!

[ Just a little, tiny bit, maybe. He steps up to his own bars and rests his hands and forehead against them, watching the two with growing confusion. ]

[jokey]

Because that's the kind of man he is, Bruno. That's the person you covered for and got thrown into jail to protect.

[Was it worth it? Protecting someone who won't protect himself? He turns back to Bruno, his gaze icy cold.]

You made a mistake and got yourself tangled up with the wrong guy. Explain that to the guards and maybe they'll let you out. If not, I'll get you out of here myself.

[impacter]

He's got a point, you know!

[Go Bruno go, get that jailbreak.]

[fallingsand]

What the heck is going on with you two?

[ Because Bruno sure doesn't know. Do they hate one another? Why? Since when? He leans away from the bars again, giving Akira what is, essentially, a disappointed look. This isn't the funny, joking-around kid who bounces back with ease. That's the Akira he knows. Not... this. ]

Akira, you aren't... this isn't you. Stop acting like this. You would have helped him, too, uh... though... you. You probably would have gotten away with it, so. [ Bruno was not the best helper in that situation. Oh well. ] So, cut it out already? Will ya? We'll be fine.

[ Probably... ]

I mean, Tatara can't just leave us here, right?

[jokey]

No can do. Sorry.

[At least he has the courtesy to hear Bruno out. It's a shame he won't take his words to heart, or maybe it's that he can't. Will he ever be the boy that he was? The one that joked so casually, took all of life's hardships with a grain of salt?

He wasn't taking life seriously enough. His carelessness very nearly killed several of their friends. Akira won't make the same mistake twice.]

Why sit around and wait for Totsuka? I can get you out of here in a snap.

[...Oh, he gets it. Akira huffs, some soundless, incredulous laugh.]

Don't tell me you'd rather stay in here out of concern for that guy. Let him rot in here if that's what he wants, but I don't want to run the risk of you getting hurt.

[And he doesn't want to see Solomon get hurt either, but it's already been established that his words hold no sway over that man. There's no point in wasting his breath on him any longer.]

[impacter]

[It's concern after concern, quietly filtered and put away... and then hurt, hot and vibrant in the pit of his stomach.

He doesn't have any quip for that. He's just glad Akira has his back turned, because he can't quite hide how his entire expression fades at the statement.

But he'll look back at Bruno, before silently gesturing with a push of his fingers.

Go. It's okay.]

[fallingsand]

[ Akira may not see how Solomon's expression fades but Bruno can, with how his cell faces the other's directly. Okay, he's done with this. It may come as a shock at how fast Bruno can actually move since a hand snaps out like a shot and makes for Akira's face, meaning to pinch a cheek sharply between two fingers. ]

That is enough. Stop being a brat! You... the both of you going on about facing your own consequences, but I don't have to? Really? What, I don't get a say?

[ If he managed to get that cheek, he isn't letting go. Pinch, pinch, ya little shit. ]

They'll just... they'll look for me if I vanish and then what, huh? C'mon, you're both being estúpido. Stupid! Just say why you're upset already, 'cause that's why you're really here, right?

[jokey]

[He does in fact manage to catch Akira by the cheek! A thorough scolding was the last thing he was expecting from Bruno, so he's already floundering and pinwheeling his arms by the time he realizes what's happening. This was deserved, but—]

Ow. Ow. Oww!

[Please, Dad #3, have mercy...!]

So you're gonna risk getting roughed up in prison instead?! That's estúpido. Just- oww— let me get you out of here...!

[He didn't come here to fume and throw a tantrum, believe it or not. Submitting to Bruno's pinching fingers and settling down, Akira chances a glance over at Solomon. No, no, that isn't why he's here at all.]

I came to bail both of you out of here. Sure, the guards might go looking, but if you lay low, they're not going to chase a low-level criminal for long. Besides...

[Akira exhales a sigh. The anger's left him, and in its place, a much more plaintive tone.]

I know how jails treat people. I've been through it firsthand. I can't... I can't risk any more people getting hurt when I have the power to do something about it, so please come with me. I'm begging you.

[impacter]

[...

He lifts himself up from the bed into a sitting position, swinging his legs over onto the floor with a wince and a long exhale.

His voice, when it comes, is just a little colder, far more authoritative.]

We are Tatara and Lazuli's responsibility. Not yours.

[He knows Tatara would say as much. He remembers the look. He also knows he's being hypocritical.]

Bruno, I'll remind you that I was the one who told you to comply rather than keep running, right? You can choose what you'd like to do, but I instigated all parts, save for our initial escape. I do not think anyone will blame you, and I think you must be very careful in blaming yourself.

Akira, I managed two meetings with your little passenger. I can manage a couple days in prison for disturbing the peace. Have you considered that you taking this action could also hurt the ones you intend to help?

[fallingsand]

[ Bruno's heart was breaking over the pleading from Akira. Maybe it would be alright but... oh, but then Solomon has to open his mouth again. Funny how that works. Everything is fine right up until that last part, where he mentions that "little passenger".

Akira will find his cheek released from its hellish pinch and Bruno looks past him to stare directly at Solomon. ]

Wait, wait, two meetings? What do you mean two?

[jokey]

[Idiot. Stubborn jackass. Does he have any idea what he's doing, arguing to stay in confinement? They could both end up injured or worse, but more important to Solomon is rejecting Akira's every effort to help him. That's how it's always been. How it always will be.

If that's what Solomon wants — if that's what Bruno wants — then fine. It's not Akira's place to argue with people who don't want help. He's burned himself on that flame one too many times before. You have to let people make their own choices even if those choices kill them in the end.

Akira steps back, straightens up, and draws in a long, deep breath. No more anger, no more pleading, no more stretching himself further than he can reach. He'll answer Bruno's question and see himself out.]

I asked Solomon to stay with me the night I first realized something was wrong. At some point, I managed to break off on my own. I don't remember the details.

[He doesn't damn Solomon by telling Bruno the man had fallen asleep. Even if he wanted to, the whole truth stings too much.]

[impacter]

Mn. I can clear it up. I remember nearly everything else.

[He crosses one leg over the other, arms tightly folded as he addresses Bruno.]

I noticed Akira hadn't quite been himself the day that the Central wizards came back. So I confronted him, and attempted an exorcism on my own when it was obvious he'd been possessed by something. As you might have guessed, it didn't work. I'm surprised more people didn't come banging down the doors about the gunshot that went off.

That said, Akira is right in that he asked me to stay once he'd regained himself. Neither of us could tell if the situation had been resolved, and though I recommended waking Tatara, Akira was far more worried about being left alone for any length of time. So I confiscated his weapons, and watched over him, because he trusted me to step in if things escalated.

I'm aware I could have gone to the Sage regardless. But I didn't.

And unfortunately, because of my foolish thinking, I overdid myself in every aspect. Not only did I fall asleep, but my magic was still completely drained when the fires woke everyone in the morning. So I was not able to stop him when the ghost took back over, and was unable to intervene or heal when things escalated as Akira trusted me to do.

[A beat. He exhales slowly through the nose.]

Does that clear things up for you, Señor Bruno?

1/???

[fallingsand]

[ Bruno stares, just stares at Solomon, as he takes in what he has to say. There's a lot that goes through his mind right there and then. He's torn between reassuring Akira and immediately launching into a tirade against Solomon.

What should he... what can he...? ]