thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

[promittere]

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

Comments

[lighthaus]

Should it be getting even colder? [ he throws a look at Jing Yuan, knowing he's not the source of it all. the chill is uncomfortable, though it's more due to the association than how actually cold it is. ]

[impacter]

[The boy shakes his head.]

I don't know. I don't get to anymore.

[impacter]

[He swallows, the salt of the water flooding his senses.]

Penance...

[It's not much of an explanation to start. But they will both feel themselves yanked upwards slightly as though by the ocean itself clenching a fist around their throat, their bonds straining.

You've regained enough. You will fix another of your egregious mistakes.

They both will nod weakly, despite whether or not they want to agree. A phantom of actions that already happened.]

T-the... spirits are not a... a species of overwhelming patience... t-they will protect what is theirs, when they feel it is needed...

[lighthaus]

Of course not.

[ the phantom pain however, does stop him, however brief it is. it's not an entirely unfamiliar pain even if the way it comes on is different, heat instead of sheer cold or the crackle of electricity.

khun takes a breath, focuses. ]

...you know what's going on. [ it's almost a question but not quite, given the gesture he just saw. ] Tell me.

[impacter]

[He just squeezes the younger man's hand in response, eyes locked towards the ghost of his companion.]

...We should probably go.

[And yet he doesn't budge.

The duo of apparitions is joined by a third - a figure that appears feminine, with piercing green eyes like that of a snake, hair shimmering in shades of magenta and pink, paled skin and lips that curl into a frown as she slaps Solomon across the back of the head. The tone is scolding, but the words muffled, even as Solomon laughs and waves her off.

Can't you read the sign?
Mm? I don't know what you mean?
Ugh -- see, this is why people can't stand you! Is that why you brought the human? Is that a gift for me? They do look unique.
I'm afraid this soul is off-limits, Thirteen. Here, let me introduce you.

This is Ibuki. My apprentice.

The scene shifts slightly. Rock gives way to a vast and eerie open space, a cave with no ceiling, air that hangs with an unusual weight and a magic that feels ancient. In the center of the space sits an enormous white fountain, surrounded by books as far as the eye can see. Thirteen has left the two alone, Solomon carefully seating Ibuki down among deep blue grass that covers the floor.

Welcome to my hideaway. Thirteen might say its hers, but it's not exactly right. This place doesn't really belong to either of us. Not right here, anyway.

Why? What is this place?

It's the real Solomon that answers, the phantoms of the memory not hearing, even if he matches his counterpart word for word, even if his tone isn't nearly as cheery.]

The Fountain of Knowledge.

[It's more ancient than most things you can find in the Devildom.

Ibuki peppers him incessantly with questions as Solomon laughs his way around them. Muffled, unimportant.

He seems happy. Genuinely happy.]

[dyingtohealyou]

What a good little student you are.

[(Derogatory)

That said, they reach a good spot to work on the barrier, so he'll go ahead and rest his hand on the gun holstered at his side and begin focusing on that.]

[foresightis2020]

[ The apocalypse...!!

Okay, no, just kidding. Jing Yuan has started to pick up some of the mana stones, putting them away, and whatnot. ]

...Mm, yes. If not for the cold wind.

I am not one for this type of environment, you see. Hopefully you are more well-acclimated to these types of temperatures, however.

[ It is definitely preferable to being praised thoughtlessly by far, though. Anyway, there are definitely more clouds overhead now, but that seems like such a mild change compared to many others that are possible... ]

[dyingtohealyou]

Why not? Too dangerous?

[lighthaus]

That's almost funny, cause I was a terrible one. But this has nothing to do with grades or pleasing anyone.

[ khun likewise, turns most of his focus onto the barrier. ]

[impacter]

M-mn.... The soldiers would get me. Which means the soldiers would get them.

So I gotta stay.

cw: mass death (My broken bold tag.............. im ashamed)

[impacter]

[He exhales, a slow and broken motion, as though bracing.]

It's this forest, dear Khun. And this...

[Distress will build in Khun's chest; not his own, but of a phantom, stumbling and bleeding and desperately trying to will something, something in him, something innate, to stop.

The picture grows clearer, in bits and shades, with the sky coated orange and thickly coated with ash from roaring fires. Buildings have been completely flattened. The cliffsides that face the distant sea are crumbling, clean holes carved straight through them by an unnatural force. The bodies are still fresh, still bleeding. But not moving.

All blown outward from a single point.

Where you now stand.]

This is a memory.

[dyingtohealyou]

That why you aren't so keen on people groveling at your feet, either?

[dyingtohealyou]

[...You know what? Baby Solomon gets headpats. Your life is so rough, kid.

Big!Solomon gets a pointed look, though. We are apparently done ignoring him for the moment.]

About how long would you say he has before he's free?

[dyingtohealyou]

[SURE WHY NOT WHAT COULD GO WRONG.]

[impacter]

[Solomon (real)(not child) has not moved from his spot next to the wall, arms crossed in silence as he watches Ahito and a ghost of his former self. At the question, his eyes flicker to the boy, to some of the surroundings. How hold must he have been here... six, perhaps? Seven?

...]

A decade. Perhaps a little longer.

Capital

[dyingtohealyou]

[Ahito's content to let Robin do the talking - for his part, he's just trying to keep a neutral expression instead of openly grimacing at the completely unearned reverence.

His eyes do, however, flick towards Robin at the casual threat/reminder for them to preserve some of their own stock for themselves. Hmm.]

[erythropoiesis]

[Just wait until he finds out "tia" is a title and not an actual surname... That's where the weird fantasy naming conventions really begin...]

I was looking through old study proposals and helping to organize materials. Nothing too out of the norm, really, before things suddenly got very, very strange.

[Hmm.]

Though it seems at some point I fell asleep.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Practically as long as Ahito's been alive... Cool.]

Under what circumstances?

[impacter]

Age. Once I came of age, I was no longer the responsibility or burden of my family, and I would be dismissed to fend for myself.

[dyingtohealyou]

Which went oh-so-well for everyone, obviously.

[impacter]

[He smiles slightly. It doesn't reach his eyes.]

Maybe I would have been better off kept down here?

In the North

[troublereduction]

[ Even with Day's protection charms, apparently the toxins are a little too strong. While Day's helping pick up mana stones, he also hears the same laughter. ]

Wait, why are there kids here?

[dyingtohealyou]

I didn't say that.

[Sharp.]

[foresightis2020]

I see.

All too common grief can hold one down, or simply the remembrance of those who have passed in the worst of ways. In retrospect, I can only imagine Baiheng would wish to be remembered for her brighter days as well.

[ The grieving process is, at times, simultaneously complicated and simple at the same time. ]

[impacter]

[As they talk, the noises outside seem to fade. The boy under Ahito's hand stirs as he looks up towards the window, hesitating, before slowly crawling to his feet. He cannot reach the window, but the boy barely needs to wave a hand for magic to come to him, earth and water alike forming a platform to lift him just high enough to peek through the latticing, ducking his head down frantically from time to time as though hiding.]

Then what would you wish, in this situation? [It's a gentle question.]

What would you do with this boy, who will become a man that does what you despise so deeply?