lunaecalamitas | thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

NEW MOON ADAGIO

Between the constant requests from the North and the sense of tension that pervades the manor, Sage Tatara makes an executive decision: we're going North, baby.

Of all the things that have happened thus far, let this be the ultimate test of your magic. Even as we near summer, it's frigid. Protect yourselves and your allies from the cold. Protect yourselves while also fighting off monsters (or other territorial wizards, should you make the terrible mistake of wandering into another's territory), flying through the vast wilderness, or protecting the poor humans who need your help to survive. Time to blow off some of your steam. Just be sure to obey Tatara's one rule: don't kill each other.

One particular problem of note is in the Forest of Dreams. Without its guardian, many of these rogue monsters and dangerous predators, displaced from their normal habitats, have found their way into the forest. Many of them, however, are unable to survive against the fatal toxin, and there are plenty of animal corpses and mana stones that litter the forest. It might be best to clean these up before the forest guardian returns...

That said, the toxin is yet another thing you must protect yourself against in addition to the cold. While you can likely keep yourself from dying from the toxins, you may not be immune to its effects. This deadly toxin causes anyone who breathes it in to dream and hallucinate vividly, be it images of the past, imagined futures, thoughts of the present processed and warped...

Strangely enough, those nearby may end up sharing in your dreams... Did you want the darkest recesses of your thoughts, hopes, and fears unearthed for others to see?

Those who decide to venture far past the more populated (in relative terms) parts of the North may find themselves stumbling upon what looks to be an abandoned bandit hideout. It seems it's been abandoned for quite a while—nothing to loot here, sorry!—but there sure are a whole lot of monsters that have decided to make this hidden corner of the North their home.

While you're at it, you may find a nearby cave. Beautiful crystals dot the walls and the floors, and there are small pools of hot spring water free for relaxing. It seems to be relatively free of monsters, too. So maybe this wouldn't be a bad spot to relax, away from everything else?

However, there's one thing that makes this cave truly unique, and it isn't the vistas or the springs—it's the bats. These bats hear echoes of the past and replay them for visitors. Should you stay a while and listen, a bat may pay you a visit. And when it does, it may play for you the voices from the memories of visitors past, whose stories may hold a clue or two to your circumstances...

While the Forest of Dreams is a memory/dreamshare free for all, the aural memories replayed by the bats in the Cave of Time will come from one of the original wizards only. If you'd like an audio replay of a perhaps significant moment either in their personal life or a clue as to what happened to them (it will be randomized), then please reply to this comment!

JOB BOARD

Clean-up and repairs. While thanks to the hard work of your Eastern friends the worst was prevented, the City of Rain emerged from their short ordeal a little worse for wear.

Buildings need repair, blood needs to be cleaned off the streets, the injured need help. This is, perhaps, the only time you will be allowed to use magic openly in the city (you've been given permits and everything!), but you still are not allowed to talk outside of designated zones. Please, please don't get arrested...

As for the scrap that litters the streets? Unfortunately, you'll have to take it back to the scrapyard. But this time, there's a big, roaring bonfire out there. Just chuck all the scrap and debris in the fire. The city isn't taking any second chances—extreme situations call for extreme measures.

Reverence. Several Northern villages are currently outside the protection of a wizard, and have requested the sage's wizards' presence. They're terrified of the monsters and worried the barriers for their villages will fail sooner than later. They don't simply ask for help for free, however, and these smaller villages are steeped in their tradition—they'll pay you their respects, praying to you, offering you gifts, groveling at your feet, in hopes for a modicum of your time and protection. Do their offerings please you? Then assist them with what you deem appropriate for their worship to you: kill a few monsters for them, or a lot if you're pleased. Strengthen the barrier a lot, or not at all if you're displeased. It's up to you! You have the power here. What's it like to be a god for a day?

Ladies' night. The monthly lady officers' gathering is coming up in the City of Affluence—it's an exclusive meetup for the women involved in and related to Western military and bureaucratic affairs. Anyone is welcome, so long as they meet two requirements: they are outwardly presenting feminine, and they have an invitation to the gathering. Here's your chance to flex your transformation and glamour spells! Infiltrate the meetup with a disguise and a fake invitation, mingle, enjoy the drinks, the jazz, the entertainment, and find out what you can... What's the Western army up to? Be careful, though—don't get caught and kicked out!

The attendees seem to be excited about the new phantasmagoria technology and the upcoming display, and many whisper about the upcoming Venator meteor shower...

G'RAHA TASKS

Greetings, new friends! I am G'raha Tia, and while I hesitate to call myself a mentor or a replacement for the one you had, I am eternally grateful for the assistance I received and will do my best to help your cause in any way I can. To that end, I feel I may need to be caught up to speed on the events and get to know all of you.

We can have some tea and sandwiches and have a discussion! That's the best way to learn, sometimes.

TATARA ACTIVITIES

Even if we're not here for very long, I think we should leave our mark (not literally! Don't paint on the walls!). I got paint and big paper in the dining hall, but no brushes... Do you know what that means? Finger paint! Finger paint a portrait of yourself with your name and I'll hang it up in the library when they're all done!

Thanks to Cid and Khun, my camcorder works now. The thing is, what's the point of filming anything if we have no way to watch the film?! Could you guys work together to make some kind of projector? Or like...VHS player? We could have a movie night together!

OOC NOTES

🌙 Welcome to your fourth event! It's your dreamshare and memshare event! Ready to open up with your deepest and darkest secrets?
🌙 We're halfway through the game. How do you feel?
🌙 Back at the manor, Kurapika and Maya have set up a bulletin board! Leave comments, argue with your neighbors, have fun. Be nice. Don't set it on fire.
🌙 On the admin side of things, Lav has swapped out Wanderer for G'raha! Please say hello to your new mentor NPC.
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting to the post, and remember to check back frequently, since not everyone checks plurk or discord all the time.
🌙 The next country to go on their mission is North. Do you think a PVP-enabled mission will go well?

» NAVIGATION

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[Another snort and Akira lets up, wiggling closer to rest his cheek on Kurapika's chest. No more bites, he promises.]

You're so harsh. If you'd seen the size of this thing, you would've struggled too.

In the end, I managed to catch him. My hype man Ryuji was there too, so if you don't believe me, you can ask him.

[...Does that imply he's taking Kurapika home to Japan? If Akira has things his way, he certainly will.]

I doubt it. I've done extensive weight training. A fish is nothing.

[ He has skills, Akira. Skills involving many things.

The phrase "hype man" has Kurapika muttering something under his breath, most likely some sort of judgment on the fact that Akira considers anyone to be that for him. Ah, but that little implication pulls his attention away from being an ass. ]

You intend to take me back, don't you?

Come ooooon. Don't put down my accomplishments like that.

[Kurapika would understand if and only if he took on that massive monster of a fish himself. Tch, hater...

Oh, but... ah. Yeah. Akira does intend to take Kurapika home, but he hadn't realized he let that slip. His lips purse, his answer delayed.]

...Yeah, but not right away. You have a mission to accomplish first.

[Deep breath in.]

I'm coming with you.

Edited 2024-06-17 04:04 (UTC)

[ That delay speaks for itself. ]

You'll die if you come with me.

[ But he isn't about to force Akira to break a promise either. That wouldn't be fair, and Kurapika isn't the type to abandon anyone either. ]

...I'm still considering my priorities. There's a chance I might not go back. [ A pause, and his voice softens. ] I'm still thinking it over.

You don't know that.

[Whatever the challenges are, Akira is certain he can adapt and overcome them. He won't let Kurapika call him weak and incapable.]

...No matter what, I'll be by your side. I'm not about to break a promise to you no matter what's at stake.

I know.

[ He wraps his arms around Akira, squeezing him tight like he's afraid that if he lets go, the worst of his fears will come true.

Quiet, nearly a whisper: ]

I wouldn't forgive myself if you died as a result of my decisions.

[He's rendered silent by the concern in Kurapika's voice— the fear and the worry. Kurapika... Silently, Akira wraps his arms around him and holds fast.]

Then don't blame yourself for something that hasn't happened. You believe in me, don't you?

[Or does Kurapika truly see him as weak and incapable, unable to learn and adapt to the hardships of his world?]

[ Yeah, it really is... ]

Yes...we should go now. I believe we've learned enough about one another.

[ Jing Yuan has probably seen what happens when two memories are suddenly upon them without warning by now, oop.

But he goes about it in a easy pace, and so comes an end to this interaction until next time! ]

I do.

[ That much, he can say without hesitation. Kurapika wouldn't even consider getting involved romantically with someone he didn't believe in. That simply isn't in his nature. ]

But it takes time to learn Nen, much more time than what we'll have. I can jumpstart it for you, I know that for certain, but it'll take you months to learn the fundamentals and develop your skill to a point where you can use it efficiently. Time isn't on our side and it's what we'll need.

[ So in the end, that's what worries Kurapika the most. ]

...Yeah. I get that.

[And he'll resign himself to that fact without question. Akira knows his limits, and moreover, he trusts Kurapika when he says the risks are too great to take.]

But there are other ways I can support you. I won't be a liability to you. You have to believe me when I say I'll do whatever I can to support you, including staying alive.

Don't ever think for a second that you're a liability to me, Akira.

[ He means it. What kind of person would he be if he saw his loved ones as liabilities? ]

The boat was full of Nen beasts... I saw someone become possessed by one and shoot two other guards. I've seen others crawling around, scoping out our suite just to see who they could take advantage of.

[ His hold around Akira tightens. ]

It isn't you. It's my world as a whole.

[His own hold tightens while he closes his eyes and tries to envision the world Kurapika lays out for him. By comparison, his world is about as dangerous as an ankle-deep ball pit.]

You need someone to take care of you after spending your day dealing with all that chaos. No wonder you were such a mess before we met.

[Kurapika doesn't know the meaning of the term self-care.]

...I wasn't a mess.

[ He totally was. ]

Are you offering yourself up to the task, then? Since you think I'm a mess that needs to be taken care of?

[ Despite his harsh words, he genuinely appreciates it, and that's evident in the way his hold hasn't loosened at all. ]

[...Kurapika is so fussy. Akira hums, amusement rumbling in his throat. He frees up a hand to thread into Kurapika's hair, ruffling it.]

That's what I've been saying, silly. You can't even remember to eat half of the time.

It isn't about forgetting to eat. I'm simply focused on more important things.

[ Like practicing his magic or reading... though he's especially bad when it comes to reading fiction. ]

[ The touch draws Tatara's attention back, and slowly, a distant smile crosses his face.

He drops his gaze to look at their two guests, and his answer comes after a short pause. A pause where his eyes rest fondly on the redhead. ]

That's Mikoto Suoh. The Red King. My king.

[ The dream figures stand in silence for a little while—Tatara's camera remains focused on the city lights, and smoke lazily rises into the air from Mikoto's cigarette. ]</small. I remember this night. It was one of the last we spent together.

You're not. I can hear it, you know. Your scent is thick with your body failing.

( He says this sharply and pointedly, brooking no shoddy excuse. Mistakenly, though, he assumes it's Phil's health that's the cause for his demeanor - Phil hasn't said anything to cause him to think otherwise, either.

Mika steps closer, a little too close into his space, as if - the closer vantage could help him see how to fix this. )

What do you need right now?

( If the healers aren't enough, what is? Vitality? Mika can offer his own, but he knows that's clearly just a quick fix. )

[Bruno will not receive an answer, even as the fog clears into a scene unfolding before him. He finds himself in some sort of massive indoor garden, full of all sorts of foliage and stately white marble architecture. Beyond the garden is fantasy city with a projected sky and everything else needed to support life in this strange locale.

A crowd has gathered at the center of the garden, many wearing white labcoats and hailing from a variety of fantasy races. Most recognizable to Bruno would of course be the tall and pointy-eared elezen, but there are seemingly humans among this number as well, and...wait, are those little talking rabbits? They're having lively conversations with the studious folk. In the middle of all the action is Urianger, acting as a go-between for the rabbits and scientists.

As Bruno approaches the gathering, he'll find a conversation happening directly in front of him. One of the rabbits, sporting a brown coat of fur over the white of the other rabbits, is speaking to a man that could only be described as "the protagonist of many fantasy novels that Bruno may have read in his youth." Human and average-sized with short brown hair and a bit of stubble, he's clad in full paladin armor and is also observing the scene.]

"Phew! Finally, some rest." [The rabbit proclaims to the man.] "Why, I haven't spoken so much in...well, in forever!"

[Another human man walks up from behind to meet with these two, this one dressed in black and white with a snazzy coat and white hair. A gunblade is strapped to his back.]

"Lively, isn't it?" [He says.] "The town is abuzz- everyone eager to meet with our friends from the moon."

[He turns his attention to observe Urianger, who is currently recommending one of the rabbits to a group of labcoat-clad people.]

"I'm impressed. Truth be told, I struggle to tell one from another. No offense intended, of course..."

"None taken!" [The brown-furred rabbit replies.] "After you and your friends left Mare Lamentorum, we spent no small amount of time with your Urianger. Oh, the conversations we had! He told us all about Etheirys- answered our every question, no matter how trifling or trivial."

[It seems like Urianger befriended talking rabbits from the moon! Wild. The brown-furred rabbit goes on to explain how much they were able to write down about Etheirys- the world that Urianger and the others are from. Now here they are, experiencing it and its people in person.

The white-haired man looks back to Urianger with a thoughtful smile.]

"What would they think if they could see Urianger now? I daresay they'd be more than a little surprised...and impressed, no doubt."

[Sounds like Urianger has come a long way in some manner. But who might he be talking about? Friends who are no longer with them, from the sound of it. As he's reminiscing, he falls quiet and balks at the sight of a couple—a man and a woman—approaching the scene. They are of another race than the humans and elezen, very tall and broad, and also clad in lab coats.]

"Ho there!" [The man calls out to Urianger.] "Heard there was a visiting expert who we might bother with a few questions. I take it you'd be the one?"

[Urianger freezes in place at the sound of this man's voice, a look of both surprise and fright in his expression.

Whoever these two people are, Bruno gets the sense that Urianger was dreading their appearance at this event.]

[ If Bruno had considered the countries in the land of wizards to be amazing, then that thought is blown out of the water by what forms around him in what has to be one of Urianger's memories. He turns about, wide-eyed, taking in the quaint little hamlet, followed by the vast fake sky overhead. What is this beautiful place? Where...?

But the crowd does draw his attention and the people there are as fascinating as the scenery. Strange to see humans amongst so many different kinds of people, from the tall elezens to the little bunny people. He draws close to listen in, a smile crossing his face as he takes in the lively atmosphere and the friendly chatter.

He could stand here and listen like this for, well, hours, probably. It's kinder than the Northern forest, even more so than his own memories, but that feeling will be short-lived as the dread creeps in with the appearance of two new strangers.

Bruno can't figure it out, though. He turns to watch the two approach Urianger. They seem normal enough, uh, despite being... really big? But they're dressed like most of the other people here. They're not exactly out of place.

Why is Urianger afraid of them? ]

"Y-Yes...I am..."

[Urianger's typically calm and collected voice is absent, replaced by something small and meek. It's unlike anything Bruno has heard from him before.

As the group Bruno is standing by watches on, the white-haired man fills the other in on who these people are.]

"Wilfsunn and Bloewyda. Sharlayan's foremost researchers in the field of teleportation magick...and Moenbryda's parents."

[Upon this reveal, Bruno will inherently come to understand that they are also Urianger's adoptive parents, and Moenbryda his adoptive sister. Yet this still doesn't explain the shock and dread.

Urianger keeps his distance from them, nervously stumbling over his words as he continues.]

"It hath been some time. 'Tis... 'Tis good to see you in...good health."

[The man, Wilfsunn, answers jovially, adding a strange dissonance to the encounter.]

"Likewise, old friend! Bloewyda and I were most honored to answer the call. Never expected this reunion though, did we, dear?"

[He turns to Bloewyda, who also stands tall over Urianger. Her eyes are closed in contemplation, seemingly holding back her feelings. But once she's addressed, she immediately steps forward and raises her voice in exasperation.]

"I'll say! The nerve...sending that letter, then running off to the gods know where!"

[Urianger immediately flinches and bows his head in shame. He knew this was coming, that's why he never wanted this reunion. How was he to show his face to them after what he did? He...

...He finds himself tightly embraced by Bloewyda. Absolutely shocked, he can only stand there, unknowing what to do with this.

She lowers her voice, still tinged with anger yet on the verge of tears.]

"Do you have...any idea...how worried we were?"

[Worried...? About what?]

Are you calling eating unimportant?

[Snnrk. He's not even going to try and hide his laugh. Kurapika deserves to get laughed at for that one.]

You'll die if you go too long without eating. Ever thought about that?

I’m well aware that it’s important.

[ Why is he even arguing this? This is so dumb!! With a huff, he loosens his hold on Akira. ]

You’re so annoying.

[ And yet, that’s what he likes. ]

I said earlier that you could ask me whatever you like and I’d answer. Go ahead.

And you like it.

[Heh!! While Kurapika loosens his hold, Akira wiggles in to get nice and comfortable.

What to ask, what to ask... He doesn't want to talk about anything serious right now, so—]

Tell me about your friends back home.

[ He doesn’t acknowledge that little statement with an answer! Mostly because Akira is right. ]

My friends… I’m shocked you believe I have any.

[ Just saying. ]

Gon, Killua, Leorio. They’re my closest friends, though I think I’d include Melody in that list as well. Gon is straightforward and earnest… the sort of person that’s valuable to have on your side, because he would do anything for you. Killua is smart and a bit rude, but he’s a good person. He tries his best to grow apart from the harsh environment in which he was raised.

[ There’s a lot more he could say about those two, but he’ll hold off for now. ]

Leorio is loud and annoying. He’s obnoxious and refuses to leave me alone. [ … ] But he’s a kind person, turning the tragedy he’s faced into something good to help others.

Melody has always known how to deal with the worst parts of me. She’s kind and considerate, but won’t back down from danger. I’m lucky to have her.

[ There's some heartbreaking about it all. These were the people who raised Urianger and Moenbryda, where is she? Why does it feel that there's an awful hole in his heart when he wonders?

Bruno's worried at first, but when Bloewyda pulls the elezen into a hug, he feels an inkling of relief.

Whatever happened, they aren't angry at him. Whatever Urianger must have expected, it doesn't appear to be true. ]

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thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

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