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

[impacter]

Señor Madrigal. Have you forgotten already?

Though, I guess that would make it the second time. Not the first. But you threw me out pretty quickly both times. So perhaps either will do.

[He leans his chin against his hand, elbow against the tabletop, smile mirthless but contemplative.]

Maybe I should take a hint.

[jokey]

Oh, right. That jail.

[Phew. Scared him for a moment there, Solomon. Akira quietly exhales a sigh of relief—]

Hold on. Second time?

[Then did he have a weird dream of his own? Could Solomon have somehow ended up in the Velvet Room? Please don't let this be true.]

If I recall, you're the one who wanted to stay in your cell anyway. Angry or not, I would have bailed you out if I thought you'd allow it.

[And that's what Solomon needs to realize: no matter how frustrated Akira was at the time, he never would have abandoned him. Akira straightens up and locks eyes with Solomon.]

You get under my skin better than anyone else here— better than most people I've ever known. Do you think I hate you?

[impacter]

I don't see why you shouldn't. People have come to hate me over far less.

[The smile still doesn't reach his eyes.]

I had no intention of causing more of a scene, or getting Bruno or even Tatara in any further trouble. A day or two of jail is hardly the longest I've spent in captivity.

[His brow raises slightly, before lifting his head and sitting himself back against the booth's cushioning, arms crossing loosely.]

If you had taken Bruno, which I had hoped you might, then I would have let the guards thought I teleported him out. I mean it when I said he did nothing wrong, and I have an overall consequence of the whole to keep in mind.

[His head tilts slightly.]

Would Igor have been as merciful as you, I wonder?

[jokey]

[Ah. There's the confirmation that Solomon found his way to the Velvet Room, if only in the form of a dream. Somehow, the proof isn't as damning as Akira had expected it to be. That's only fair, perhaps, when he saw a part of Solomon he's quite certain he isn't eager to talk about either.

The temptation to anger rises, but Akira ignores it. Getting mad at Solomon never has been productive, nor does it feel good for either of them. Moreover, while it's obvious Solomon is used to invoking people's ire, maybe even comfortable with it, Akira doesn't want to perpetuate a bad habit. No matter what Solomon thinks he deserves, it isn't cruelty.

Rather than irritation, Akira answers with quiet compassion instead, seeking out Solomon's right hand and squeezing it in his own. He doesn't let go, not just yet.]

No matter what punishment you think you deserve, you're wrong. You don't belong in a cell. You aren't meant to pay for crimes you never committed. Did you think it was your role in life to suffer, even when you were at the mercy of your parents?

[impacter]

[...

That smile dies just slightly as Akira reaches out. But Solomon relents his hand with a quiet shake of his head, letting Akira take it to hold.]

It's kind of you. And I think that kindness is what makes you shine.

But you are not judge and jury of the world, Akira. The unfair happens, and the unjust happens, and the better of two evils must happen more often than not, because that is what makes humanity exactly what it is.

[His fingers tense slightly, but he forces them to relax with a smooth exhale.]

What was it you thought you saw? What truths did you find in that cellar?

[jokey]

[Would he have been surprised if Solomon withdrew his hand? No, no. Not even for a moment. Akira wouldn't have let himself be hurt by it either, having learned his lesson the first time. All he can do is hold out his hand. It's Solomon's choice to take it, and if Solomon can manage nothing more than to still his hand, that's progress enough. Akira can only be happy.

He loosens his hold such that Solomon has the freedom to withdraw his hand at any time. It's his choice, in the end.]

I saw a soul in bondage. Someone who didn't deserve their fate but was subjected to it anyway.

[Someone whom he could relate to. A victim of the unjust nature of the world.]

But he didn't stay locked up in that place forever, did he? It's never by chance that people escape being broken and beaten down by the world. I wonder when that boy made the choices that led him to where he is now. I wonder what those choices were.

[And he doesn't imagine the path Solomon strode was free of blood, of mess and of destruction. What Akira believes is that Solomon is a man with a good heart. No matter how many sins he's committed along the way, they weigh on him even now, don't they? Solomon, at his core, is a good person. Akira needs little more than that to place his faith in him.]

[impacter]

Is that your kindness speaking to fill in the holes of the story? [He chuckles lightly, but doesn't move to correct him. To assume was dangerous, so dangerous, something he also fell into so easily. To try and coax Akira to ask more questions would just have to be higher on his to do list.]

No, he didn't. A boy eventually becomes a man, and a man is responsible for his own steps. Even then, sometimes there is only so much he can do. Sometimes fate divides in directions that humanity cannot control, and one must make the choices you must to challenge it no matter what risk it takes, or what consequences it personally brings.

[His eyes drift to meet Akira's, studying. Remembering the mask, the eyes that shone like gold and stretched beyond the void, so very much like the gaze of a demon looking for a soul to satiate its hunger.]

I imagine you understand that much... even if it's only in concept. You strike a ferocious figure of a young man, unshackled from your bonds.

[jokey]

[Akira nods— he understands that even beyond a purely conceptual level. He's made his own choices in life, and what's more, for others. For those he deemed needing of change. For those who would suffer if their parents, their teachers, their friends and their lovers did not change. Whether they could or would of their own volition was nothing Akira ever waited to see. Depending on who you ask, he's committed his own fair share of crimes.

Akira closes his eyes, imagining what fate might have held in store for them in their paths intersected sooner. If Solomon was a man who existed in his world, if Solomon were a man he deemed necessary to change either for his own good or the good of those around him. How different things would be now if he did so without ever knowing how much he'd steal away from the man.]

I get that. I have my own share of enemies and people who don't agree with my methods. I never deluded myself into thinking I'd come out as a hero in everyone's eyes.

I did what I did because it had to be done. Is it any different for you?

[impacter]

I can see why that might be. You know some of my views on where your heart lies. You've known since we first met, in fact. [It's not his job to change how Akira feels or prioritizes how he manages life. But the line of a person's free will is a fine one, and it's something Solomon doesn't take lightly.] I think what has to be done highly varies on the audience you ask, and how much of it was even within your own control in the first place.

To steal someone's heart, their intentions, their evil, to take up the Shadows of the world for your own because you believe it needs to be done... it will always beg the question of why the choice landed on you in the first place. Is what you do good, or is your evil simply the lesser of the ones in front of you?

[He'll pick his way through a copy of the menu as he continues.]

As for me... it depends on what you think I'm doing, doesn't it?

[jokey]

[This isn't the first time Akira's judgment has been challenged, nor the second, nor the third. He's been met with questions as to his methods, his means, his motivations from the jump. What is good? What is evil? At one point, he thought it so black and white as to be unquestionable. Of course he was doing the right thing. Only those doing the wrong thing would argue otherwise. But now...

Akira's fingers idly drum on the table, his own menu still closed, still swept aside. He knows what he wants. Always has.]

It's all a matter of perspective, right? The outcome is what I focus on. If I'm the bad guy for forcing crooks to take their medicine, then they can hate me as much as they like. It won't change my mind.

[As for Solomon...]

You said it yourself: man is responsible for his own steps. Guess it's a matter of whether you see yourself as good or the lesser of two evils. Which is it, Solomon?

[impacter]

It depends.

[That's a good thing for Akira to have kept in mind, though. Man should never be absolved of their responsibility. It was an important part of the freedom agency brought.]

Should the powerful fight for the free will of the people even if the people do not ask for that option, or if they are not aware that the option is one that exists? Should they step aside and let other powers do as they please, toy with the weak, and maintain the status quo? Does fighting as one for the chance of trillions make one good, or does it make them evil if trillions of others might suffer from that fighting instead?

[jokey]

There's no one right answer. That's what it comes down to.

[Even tyrants believe what they do to be necessary. The only difference is whom they're favoring through their decisions. Akira points at Solomon.]

I want to hear your answer to the questions you just asked. I know the spotlight's uncomfortable, but we're mending bridges right now. That means less questions and more answers from you.

[impacter]

Is it wrong of me that I don't know whether I want to give you that answer?

[It's not said out of arrogance. Rather, he sounds almost embarrassed by the admission.]

[jokey]

Not wrong, per se...

[But while they're being honest?]

But it feels like you don't trust me, not that I've given you a reason to.

[impacter]

Mn.

[A serious turn, and one he lets sit so as not to dismiss it, even if it means they must both sit in the discomfort of it.

...]

I trust you more than I do most anyone else in this place, Akira. That's exactly why I don't know what I want to say to you at times.

I don't take any pleasure in making you upset.

[jokey]

I'm sure you don't. You're not that kind of guy.

[He wouldn't be here speaking to Solomon now if he were the type of guy who took pleasure in hurting people's feelings. No, he wouldn't be nearly so attached.]

But what you're doing? Shifting the focus onto me and hoping I'll drop the questions? That feels like a lack of trust. Like you're afraid of how I'll react if you drop the pretenses and speak with me honestly.

[impacter]

I could say the same of you as well, in bits and pieces. You keep reminding me too much of myself, when I was far younger.

[He lays the menu flat against the table, hands carefully smoothing it over as he tries to collect his thoughts.]

I've already dropped my guard with you once, and you did not like what you saw. And as much as you wish to fight, as much as I want to challenge you... I don't want to be the hydra under the microscope of your passions, when that is already the part I have to play for everything else. I don't like how I hesitate.

Call me selfish if you'd like. A coward, maybe, or a hypocrite. But... this isn't something I'm used to doing. [Showing his hand, in any sense. Being upfront. Being vulnerable.] This isn't something I should be doing, in most cases.

[jokey]

[A waitress swings by to take their order, a brief break in the seriousness of their conversation, her expression bright and warm as the summer sun. Akira orders his usual— a coffee with a splash of cream and an orange scone. When Solomon's made his order and the waitress departs, Akira opens with a thin, quiet sigh.]

I won't call you any of that. You're only human.

[And what is a human if not cowardly, selfish, and hypocritical? The degree to which they are these things depends on the individual, but Solomon is none of these things in enough excess that Akira would hold it against him.]

And sure, maybe there's parts of you that are hard for me to accept, but Solomon? I like you. If the person you've been to me is the real Solomon, I can accept that you have some skeletons in your closet. Like anyone else I care about, I just want you be your real self around me. That's all.

[impacter]

[For Solomon, it's a floral tea, and a set of what he hopes will be as close to a macaron as possible, given the description. It might not be close enough, but one does what they must when they feel a little homesick.]

Please don't say that, Akira. You already have.

[Called him a coward, in words and in actions both. He wouldn't hold it against the young man, if only because it wasn't incorrect. But he would rather Akira not make such claims if he couldn't follow through.]

I wouldn't say I hide my genuine self. I just don't choose to share every facet of it. The same as you.

I know you're from Japan, and that you hold tremendous power. I know some of your viewpoints of the world. I know, conceptually, you have struggled for your freedom. And I know you make a very, very good cup of coffee.

But I know nothing else about you, either, Akira. I do not know what you do, or what you like to do. Your family, your friends, your enemies. Your favorite food, your favorite season. What you want to be when you reach adulthood. Who you look up to. I don't even know how old you are.

[He can make educated guesses. But that is all they'll be.]

Should I bother to show a genuine Solomon, if this is all I will see of a genuine Akira?

[jokey]

But I didn't—!

[But he did, didn't he? Coward. It doesn't matter if Akira wasn't the one in control at that time. It doesn't matter if those were the words of the ghost that possessed him and not his own. Those words came out of his mouth regardless, and clearly, they still resonate with Solomon.

Maybe Akira would be more willful, more insistent, if it weren't for that reminder. Something like shock, something like hurt flashes across his face, but he's quick to sweep it away beneath the mask and center himself.

He hurt Solomon, intentions be damned, and he remains silent long after the man finishes speaking. There's some fight left in him, though more plaintive than before.]

...If this is all you want to see of the genuine Akira, then yeah. That's your choice. I never said you couldn't get to know me better.

[He's not the one here who has problems talking about himself... right?]

[impacter]

I did not say that's what I wanted. And no, neither did you. But I have noticed that every time I have set to try, you prefer to flip it back on me instead. I am always the topic. I am always the goal. You pour so much of yourself into your bonds that I wonder what is left for Akira himself.

Am I Solomon, or am I simply your Hermit?

[...

What tension his voice holds drops with a slow exhale.]

I say that from a heart that knows what it is like, Akira. It is a game we have to play. Not out of bad intention, but to protect. Ourselves, or others, or a larger picture that no one will understand.

But neither of us will be content, or find any middle ground or trust with one another, if we treat one another as playing pieces.

[jokey]

[Am I simply your Hermit? Oh, you best believe Akira takes offense to that. His expression hardens, frustrations clear, but he doesn't take the bait. Solomon ought to know better. Should know better, but he leaves room to consider what Solomon is suggesting here.

Is he truly that much of a closed book? Akira wouldn't have thought about himself as such if Solomon were the first to suggest it, but he isn't. He isn't even the second, and that's what gives Akira pause.

The waitress returns and drops off their order. He can't very well keep Solomon's hand hostage when they've got food in front of them, so he releases it.]

You're right about that, but I think you've misunderstood something. You're not a pawn in a larger game. You're someone, a person, who I want to get to know better. I have no plan to use you in some grander scheme. Is that hard for you to believe?

[Has Solomon gotten this far in life viewing others as pawns on a board? Not people, perhaps, but the demons he contracted with? ...Thinking about it that way, Akira's frustration mounts. Maybe this man has a point. He doesn't like that.]

[impacter]

When you proudly admit your power comes from your bonds, do you truly think no one will question your motivations around them?

Even if I like you, and see an enormous amount of potential in you, I do not feel I know you as a person. And though I do feel your kindness in moments, more often than not, I feel you see me far more as a demon to collect. Or, perhaps, something that needs to be fixed. A heart that needs to be stolen.

[Sugar into his tea, just lightly, as he brings the cup to his lips.]

As my student, it's a fine enough trait, to know how to set yourself up for what you know will strengthen you and keep you at the upper hand. But as a person... maybe you see why I am hesitant to tell you my thoughts.

[jokey]

[...Sure, he was willing to give solomon the benefit of the doubt, but was that a mistake? When his motivations are being doubted, when his objectives are called into question, Solomon highlights how little he truly understands him.

The obvious solution is to fix that. Let Solomon get to "know" him, as if he doesn't already, so he can view him from a clearer lens. Maybe he should fight back. Maybe he should insist Solomon give him a chance, one free of these misconceptions, so that he might rewrite them. Maybe.

Or maybe he doesn't need to bend for anyone who sees him in such an unfavorable light. Maybe, if this is what Solomon thinks of him, he's already failed.

Akira sips his coffee. Sips and thinks and sips again, taking his time. Letting that anger, that upset slowly float away like clouds on a windy day until, again, he's passionless enough to speak.]

...Maybe you are a coward, Solomon. I didn't want to believe it, but you're not giving me much choice.

[Akira's eyes settle on Solomon's— steely, sharp-edged, lacerating.]

You keep everyone at an arm's length or more. That keeps your life simple. But misjudging me, telling me who and what I am? Fuck that. I won't let you or anyone else question what I stand for.

[impacter]

Then explain my misjudgement.

[There is genuine hurt in his eyes as he says so. But for once it is not cold, and seems slightly apologetic. To rip one away from what kept them safe and grounded in their beliefs was like the tearing of a bandage from the skin. Unpleasant. Irritating. But they both wanted the raw honesty underneath. Didn't they?

He lifts his hands to his neck, the quiet sound of metal as he unclasps something that had been hanging around his neck, pulling it free from the fabric of his shirt. It's a pendant, with the dark polished slice of a deep blue agate in its center, sliced through the middle with a brilliant gradient of white and green.

He does not explain, merely dropping it to the table with a clatter.]

If you are going to completely withdraw, then I will not stop you. But I did not come with you to tear your motivations apart and watch you grovel and bark and bite like a dog. I did not give you that seal under false assumptions of your character.

I only bring this up because I want to know you as much as you want to know me, Akira. But I do not want to corner you. So I need to know you are not going to corner me, either.

[With a calm and deliberate motion, he slides the pendant over. It distinctively has Solomon's magical signature.]

I have given you an honest answer. I would like you to explain how I have misjudged you.

Explain, and you may hand me that back, and ask me a question. If I answer, I will ask you one in return. And we will do this until we have ripped apart this divide between us.