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]

HOME REPAIRS

[It’s been a number of days since Akira has shown his face around the world at large. He has his reasons, many of which he has been quick to downplay the impact of. His injuries, compared to those of his friends, are nominal at best. Any emotional turmoil he may or may not be going through has been carefully compartmentalized and slotted away in favor of focusing on those who suffered most.

He can walk off the fatigue much more easily than someone can walk off a bullet wound or a series of bodily stabs. That’s exactly what he’s doing, as it happens, venturing through the City of Rain in search of all the people wronged by his recent actions. It hardly matters that a sad gay ghost took his body for a joyride. The fact remains that taking responsibility for all the harm caused falls squarely on his shoulders.

Thus, step one of Akira's apology tour commences. No matter how impacted you were by Stabgate or what you're currently doing, Akira grabs you by the arm and stops you in your tracks.]

Oh, hey. Hold on a sec.

[Akira digs into his pockets and pulls out a scrap of paper, thrusting it into your palm.]



[There wasn’t much time for home repairs before they’d all been swept off onto their next assignment, but thankfully, the elevator makes venturing to and from the manor a cinch. Akira is well aware that his gun punched a hole through Day’s floor (and shattered a pot? maybe??) at the very least, but the sheer amount of commotion caused leads him to fearing the full extent of the damage. May as well give everyone he comes across one of these coupons just in case.]

I’m sorry about… the other night. I’m pretty good at patching up floors and fixing stuff, count on me, alright? Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

FORGIVE ME YOUR HONOR

[A simple coupon and the promise of free labor isn’t enough to make up for hurting so many friends. Those who were injured directly are owed apologies, certainly, but there are few who weren’t impacted by Akira’s actions to one degree or another.

Yes, Akira’s actions. Good luck trying to convince him that he wasn’t at least partially to blame for what happened. Thus, Akira’s grand apology tour moves into its second phase.

Even those who weren’t shot at or stabbed are given apologies no less sincere, Akira bending at the waist at a sharp 45 degree angle. Bowing has largely fallen out of practice as a formal gesture among Akira's generation, but when you've caused problems to the degree that he has, a stiff apology is necessary.]

I apologize for what happened in the courtyard. For causing so much pain.

[Akira thought he had it all planned out. Apologize from the bottom of his heart and make things right. Endure the flurry of all the painful, hurt-filled words that follows. He can endure it all, he thought, and take the repercussions of his carelessness in stride.

That's what he thought, but in reality, his stomach twists painfully the moment his lips part to issue that apology. He bites his lip, troubling it white, when the words settle like a jagged lump in his throat. His fists clench and grind at his sides. Maybe he wasn't ready after all.]

...I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me, but— know that I'll regret this for the rest of my life. For not being able to do more to prevent this from happening. I'm sorry.

Home Repairs

[troublereduction]

[ Day immediately goes on alert at his arm being grabbed so suddenly, in absolute contrast to how laidback he kind of seemed moments ago.

Then he sees it's Akira, and he relaxes again. Looks at the coupon with...mild confusion and then dry disappointment, because ah yes, another thing he can't read in this world. Really makes him appreciative of the fact he got to learn to read at all back home. ]

Well, the only thing you really owe me is a new vase. And maybe some flowers to go with it.

[jokey]

A new vase?

[Is that what broke? Pretty unfortunate that Day would park his vase in the line of fire, but there's no sense crying over shards of pottery. That coupon dictates that he has to make Day, and by extension, his pottery whole again. So help him God, he'll make this right.]

I can do that. Flowers too. But did you happen to keep the shards of your old vase? I could probably piece it back together.

forgive me your honor

[dyingtohealyou]

[Oh my GOD is it possible for Akira to do anything without making a scene. Ahito is not Japanese, but there's still some gestures their cultures share, apparently.]

I don't even care anymore, stop bowing like that?!

[jokey]

...Huh?

[Excuse you, Ahito, he was getting all emotionally vulnerable here and now you're yelling at him? Akira steeled himself for yelling, sure, but this is different. Jerking upright, Akira claps a hand over his mouth.]

Shh! Are you trying to get arrested?

[And— hold on a second. Isn't Ahito also Japanese? His name sure is, so what gives? Akira pulls his hand back.]

What do you mean, "like that"? I'm apologizing. You've heard of apologizing, right?

forgive me your honor;

[foresightis2020]

[ Jing Yuan has been witness to his fair share of possessions while living on the Xianzhou Alliance. In fact, one of the very early tasks or missions he went on as a young soldier involved at least one of those, and not in a small quantity.

Not many survive possessions and those who do are quick to be filled with regrets. Jing Yuan speaks up fairly quickly. ]

While I cannot speak for the others, I hold no enmity towards you personally for what transpired.

I only hope you can use the regret you hold in your heart to still push yourself forward.

[jokey]

[That's one apology down... not that it feels earned or deserved, but who is Akira to argue? If Jing Yuan is the sort who forgives easily, Akira can't complain. Still, he sighs.]

That's the ideal scenario, right? Use this as motivation to move forward and better myself. On the flipside, it would be so easy to turn into an edgy bastard and live out my bad boy arc.

your honor...

[dadsandals]

[ Akira is at his door, and Yamato doesn't know what to make of it at first -- he's likely here to apologize, isn't he? Akira's a good kid, isn't he? He's not the monster that took over that day...right? He doesn't know him well enough to say, and there's truthfully a part of him that wants to walk away from this, not because of Akira, but because the memory of the bullet is still clear and painful in his mind.

But when Akira opens his mouth and bows, a lot of Yamato's anxiety seems to dissipate. This, this right here, is a good show of character and reassures him that Akira really is the honorable person Yamato thinks he is.

With his arm -- the one that got shot, that is -- he lifts his hand up and places it on Akira's head. ]

Hey.

[ He gives it a little ruffle. ]

Doing this couldn't have been easy. [ He owes apologies, still, elsewhere. He hasn't given them yet. He lifts his hand off of Akira and lets it fall to his side. ] Thank you. I appreciate it, Akira.

[jokey]

[It's impossible to look at Yamato and not relive the moment that bullet sunk into his shoulder, the deep red blood that bloomed from the wound. He sees it every time he closes his eyes, all that blood. He hears the pain in Yamato's voice in the moments leading up to dreamless sleep. Akira owes everyone an apology, certainly, but Yamato is among the ones whom he owes the most.

He can't lift himself from his bow. Not yet. Not until he can look at Yamato without reliving that moment all over again. He jerks, startled, when Yamato's palm settles warmly over his head.]

Getting shot couldn't have been easy. [Just saying.] I don't think you should be so quick to forgive me. It... still hurts, doesn't it?

home repairs

[lustro]

[ Before Akira can pull his hand back, Ginger’s fingers close around it. Lightly - give him just a sec. ]

I’m pretty good at carrying things and being tall. How about I help?

[jokey]

[Ah, and then there's Ginger. Ginger, who is kind even when he shouldn't be. You better not make him cry, man.

Akira smiles, though it's a slight, modest thing.]

Don't stretch yourself thin for my sake. I'm the one who shot a hole all the way through the manor, right? I wouldn't feel right making you fix my mistakes.

forgive me your honor

[fullspbar]

[ It's been...a rough couple of days.

Being forcefully shafted off cooking duty for a while (not really that much of a letdown), having to clean blood out of yet another set of clothes for the third time this month, and sleeping like the dead when not being woken up by people continuously knocking on his door. Hell, he didn't even have it as bad as Ahito; he just ended up with his blood smeared all over the kitchen.

Thankfully, he's not sleeping when this particular knock comes, but he's no less tired, perhaps from the current events. Or maybe it's the fact Akira is practically bent in half in front of his door, apologies spilling from his lips.

Shinjiro doesn't speak until Akira is done, and even then there's a brief moment of silence where he simply stares down at the younger boy. Finally, an exhausted sigh slips from his lips, and he promptly steps back. ]

Kurusu. [ His tone is gravelly and gruff as always, but it doesn't seem angry. ] Get in here.

[ 'Here', being the door of his room opening wider to allow entry. ]

[jokey]

[Akira didn't know what to expect from Shinjiro. Yelling and shouting and vitriol, probably. A condemnation or two. Being invited in is kinda... ominous.

Akira straightens up with some reluctance.]

...If you insist.

[That's it. Shinjiro's going to beat him to death. Akira's face still bears the bruises Shinjiro left behind when he decked him in the face, and really, is it not the guy's right to pummel him into a paste? If this is how he's going to die, Akira will embrace his fate, stepping into his room and turning on his heel to face Shinjiro. Please, make this one a sweet death...]

forgive me your honor

[fellheart]

... And why is it, exactly, that you see fit to waste my time with this ridiculous display?

[ the grand apology tour is in fact jarring to those who weren't shot at, thrown around, or stabbed. to those who only played observer from the sides, watchful and judging and primed to intervene should akira not have been the only one afflicted, it almost seems misplaced.

that alone doesn't seem to account for the hardness in robin's eyes, though, the strange lack of sympathy or anything soft to be found in them. it seems to flee even further as akira goes on, distressing himself further with the effort. and while there's at least a few in the manor who could speak of his cynicism and possibly guess at an accompanying, underlying cruelty ...

something about akira's apologies now has robin appearing so much colder than he had even overlooking the courtyard that day. ]

Tell me, if you are so eager to claim all the responsibility of that day for yourself... What does all this manage to accomplish? What will your words prove when that is all they are— mere utterances of disturbed breath, and hardly any proof of action? Why do you speak them not expecting forgiveness, if not to assuage your own guilty conscience?

1/2

[jokey]

Robin...

[...This is still Robin he's talking to, right? His buddy Robin whom he's spent so much time playing chess with and inventing ludicrous rules? His friend, brilliant and levelheaded and wise in all the ways Akira admires?

Being met with cold indifference is new. Being looked at like a scourge is different, and it's unsettling, enough so that Akira wonders what in Robin must have changed to make such a callous man of him. Maybe we should be exorcising him for good measure too?

Inch by inch, Akira raises himself to meet Robin's ice cold stare.]

No, maybe you're right. Maybe it's all pointless and self-serving. Still, I just...

[jokey]

...Wonder when you became such an edgelord. You're making me cringe over here, man.

Forgive Me

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya stops when Akira gets his attention, looking bewildered as he gets into the intense apology. His brow furrows... and then smooths out with a sigh, shoulders easing.]

Akira. [He starts, firm-toned but not unkind.] What happened during our mission?

[jokey]

What do you think? I got possessed by Ser Bury Your Gays.

[With a sharp sigh, Akira straightens up and meets Syrlya's eye.]

But if you're asking when he managed to hitch a ride, I have a few guesses.

your honor

[impacter]

[It's not until later on the week that Solomon can even be spotted back out on the outskirts of the City of Rain, seated alone near the wounded ground with his ivory-colored cloak in place of his normal coat with the hood still up. There's a small collection of stones in one of his hands, one of which he inspects and slides into his mouth as Akira approaches.

...

He stays silent at the apology, head turned just enough to watch the bow, to listen to the words that spill out. With Akira's head lowered, he can't see how Solomon's expression twists before settling.

He doesn't respond. But Akira may hear him get up from his seat to come close enough for Akira to see him.

One knee lowers to the ground, then the other, his cape flipped up behind him as his hands press against his thighs. A beat, just to make sure he has Akira's attention in return, before his own body tilts down deeply with his hands slipping in front of him, head nearly touching the ground.

Perhaps it's a refusal, or perhaps it's an apology in return. Perhaps it's both.]

i don't have enough angry icons for solomon

[jokey]

[Oh, but of course Solomon has his attention. When hasn't he? Whether he likes it or not, he can never fully push this man out of the frame of his mind, still lingering in the periphery no matter how much he tries to ignore him.

No one has answered Akira's apology in a way he expected. Some people are more gracious than others. Some people are Ithaqua. And then there's Solomon, prostrating himself on the ground like a politician caught embezzling billions of yen from charity. It's audacious, he'll give him that. It's enough to boil Akira's blood like so few people in his life have ever managed to do.

His nails bite into his palms until his knuckles go white. Straightened up and boring holes into the back of Solomon's head, it takes everything in him not to raise his voice and get them both thrown in jail. If he's going back behind bars, you can bet he's going to earn his stay.]

Get up before I kick a hole in your skull.

home repairs

[leewards]

[Ithaqua tilts his head like a confused bird, looking from the note-- with a script he can't understand, he's literate but not in this language-- and the boy before him. And then back again. However! He doesn't need to read the note to understand the boy's words.

The other night. Fixing floors.]

Ah. You. [He may not be a serpent, but there's enough venom in that tone to choke a bear. And are the eyes in his mask flashing? Maybe.] You know, you put a hole through more than just my floor.

[On any other day he would have been impressed that a single bullet had pierced through all the floors. But he had more collateral than said floor.]

forgive me your honor

[jorunna]

[ the temptation to miswrite the header as "forgive me father for i have sinned" WAS SO TEMPTING...

Comet wasn't hurt directly they just had to heal a friend who was hurt... But that was a little stressful. ]

...

[ Comet pets Akira on the head. ]

home repairs

[divineth]

[Urianger's a little startled to suddenly find himself grabbed by the arm, but he relaxes when he examines the paper scrap and realizes what's going on here.]

So, 'tis thee to blame for the damages to my floor.

[With a flourish, the scrap floats above his palm and vanishes. Where to? Who knows. But his robes don't have pockets, so.]

While I appreciate thine offer, I have since repaired it myself.

home repairs

[positivize]

[Considering Akira's been holing away since the incident, it's already a surprise to see him out and about in the city and even more of a surprise that he stops her and... hands her a handmade coupon? She takes a second to glance down at the paper before looking back up at him, brows furrowing in a mixture of confusion and concern.]

Um... thanks? I don't really think this is really necessary, though... You don't have anything to apologize for, as far as I'm concerned.

[Well, punching holes in floors and ceilings aside. But she's assuming he's talking more about the ghost possession incident considering she wasn't personally affected by the gun thing (aside from being startled from the noise).]

More importantly, how are you doing after all that?

cooking with yams and solomon

[jokey]

[Wherein Solomon is not allowed to do any actual cooking. Akira has set out all the ingredients for your run of the mill yellow cake, but before they can get cracking, he pulls out two pairs of manacles.]

Now Solomon, there's something I need you to understand.

[This is not a simple cooking endeavor. This is a lesson and Solomon will learn it.]

We're doing this for your own good. No pouting or fussing, got it?