promittere: (Default)
lunae calamitas mods ([personal profile] promittere) wrote in [community profile] lunaecalamitas2024-05-18 12:19 pm

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?
fallingsand: (55;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno will take dress number two and slip behind the dressing screen already in the room. ]

I've never done anything with my hair ever, so go wild if you want. You know, apart from shaving it all off, ha... yeah.

[ Anyway, yep, those curly locks exist entirely without any effort, that's right. ]
fallingsand: (12; grappling with prophecies)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It sounds fun. Weird how Bruno feels less inclined to run away at the very mention of a gathering. When did that change, he wonders. Of course, they are still a concern, but even here, he's still decided to come, even if he feels too awkward to go mingle. ]

Exactly! That's what I was thinking. Find somewhere with a good view and bring our own lights. Ones we can dim when we have to.
lighthaus: (049)

[personal profile] lighthaus 2024-05-24 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he doesn't really have time to wonder about what baam and maria would think, which is for the better, honestly. though somewhere in the back of his mind he wonders if their positions will be reversed before they can leave this forest. things he'll quietly worry about while juggling everything else. at least he's always been good at multi-tasking.

anna might not be a princess of zahard, but from the second he sees her, khun can see she's fitting of the title. there's a certain way princesses hold themselves across the universes it seems, and he smiles, gentle and nostalgic. even still, there's no delay in him squeezing back, letting his thoughts refocus again.

he gives anna a friendly wave to go with the smile. ]


My name's Khun. Red and blue make purple, I hear. [ that might be a very rare dig at himself, or maybe it's just appreciation for the way his boyfriend sees things—the smile he throws his way certainly seems to suggest the latter. ]

Every family needs a princess.
foresightis2020: (68)

continued cw for suicidal disc

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-24 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The world may be a stage, but even though the story has been written for the actors whose parts have already been played, what does it mean for the one who unexpectedly becomes called back for an encore?

This memory may be an act shown without permission, though the fact it has been at all simply means that there can be nothing done to take it back.

It isn't easy, watching each part of this dreadful memory — the hurt exacted upon Shinjiro in the past and now — but he never felt too cowardly to look away. Even if the other man utters those words. ]


...Perhaps not. Though, the future is a different story.

[ He speaks this even as the horrid picture of Shinjiro being hit makes him feel ill; angry. There is at least some concern for the child too, stepping in like that — he must be younger than Yanqing, at least. But, whatever happens here, he can't stop it, so he turns his gaze back upon Shinjiro, at hearing those words. ]

Indeed, he was a child who didn't deserve to get caught up in this.

Still, you didn't deserve any of that either.

...What is done is done, I know.

But, everything that happened to you here...it certainly didn't fix anything. It didn't make any of it right.

[ Even if events grow worse to be displayed before them, one thing is certain, however:

Never again will Jing Yuan simply allow himself to be forced to keep from being there for someone who cares about — for being unable to help that person. The guilt of being the one to arrive too late, but to know it all.

Seeing this tightens his resolve, even if unease swims through him. He'll watch it all, every single damned accursed moment of it, and then he won't hold back. ]
1145pm: (this is what i was doing when i died)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-05-24 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Tatara has decided it is time to make a movie. He's pulled together several very (un)lucky and (un)willing volunteers for the manor's first and only major motion picture!

It's a sunny day here in wizard land, and the sun perfectly illuminates the courtyard. Tatara has his camera, his actors, and potentially limitless SFX by way of magic. So let's get this show on the road.

Once everyone's in place, everyone receives their roles:
Farmer: Aguero
Farmer's child: Robin
Village bard: Yamato
Merchant: Kurapika
Damsel Guy Damsel in Distress: Jing Yuan
Forest sprite: Joyous Day
King of the Demons: Bruno
Special Effects Guy: Shinjiro

Tatara shouts, "Places!" And after giving everyone a moment to take whatever spot they want. He starts his narration. ]


It's a bright and sunny day in the village... Almost too bright. The farmer is on his way to the village market with his son, because he's heard terrible rumors about the nearby forest being haunted! They cross the bridge over the river when...they hear a scream!

[ Take it away, actors! Go wild, threadjack, make stuff up! No one is your boss here!

People not acting in the movie can obviously popcorn with their reactions! ]
foresightis2020: (24)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-24 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jing Yuan is asleep.

Then, he suddenly wakes up and shrieks like a banshee with a slurpee because he brought a drink maybe.

Or maybe he's just slurping at the drink. Whichever is funnier works just fine. Then he suddenly says: ]


Ah. Oh no, I'm being attacked by a monster. Whatever shall I do?!

[ I'm sorry, what kind of acting is this, but it surely is happening. He is either improvising or just going off a script (whatever script there is???) ]
lighthaus: (069)

[personal profile] lighthaus 2024-05-24 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Don't you do your hair in the morning?

[ khun will wait patiently but also wtf. ]
dadsandals: (yama45)

[personal profile] dadsandals 2024-05-24 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ SIR...YOU CAN TRY A LITTLE HARDER..anyway here's wonderwall- jk

Yamato holds up his (fake) lute like it's a club instead of an actual instrument.
]

Do not fret, maiden. We will protect you.

[ HE IS TAKING THIS SO SERIOUSLY and so not seriously at the same time. ]
fellheart: (gιve мe yoυr ғaмe)

1/2

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-05-24 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ robin's just going to look at khun (???????) in response to this like '????????' ]
fellheart: (wнιle ι pondered weaĸ and weary)

2/2

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-05-24 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Father, did you hear that? Where do you think it might have come from?

[ oh no, not the haunted forest...?! ]
fallingsand: (19;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[ BRUNO IS ALSO TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY... kind of. A little. Look, he's never been in a play before! He's excited! Regardless, when he does show up, it's with a leap and a burst of light and smoke, as if appearing, and he grasps Jing Yuan's arm as if planning to drag him away.

He's definitely dressed up as a demon (disclaimer: he does not look as good as Satan because he is not, in fact, Satan), with horns and a green theme going still and everything. Since he's the king of them, though, a crown has been added.
]

I think not, silly bard! This dear maiden's soul has been promised to me, the King of Demons! Ahaha!
revengier: (53)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-05-24 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
You can't protect someone with that. Here, buy some of my wares.

[ He'll just...... take one of the weapons on his person out—a dangerously sharp pocket knife.

This is how you do this, right. ]
foresightis2020: (34)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-24 09:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jing Yuan does not put up a fight despite being 6'3/191 cm of solid muscle and everything that entails.

Instead he lets out a cry that sounds like a cough.

Another slurp of his tea too. Yum. ]


Please...somebody, anybody...SAVE ME!!

[ He looks like he's trying not to laugh, though. ]
foresightis2020: (11)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-24 09:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Trying hard? What is that?

Jing Yuan slips Yamato a little smile in the midst of this, tho. It just looks like a smirk. ]


My dashing hero~!
fallingsand: (93;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yeah, the casting was sure questionable here, but... ]

...Jing, can you, I dunno, at least try a little? Please?

[ He whispers this. Like, real whispers, not stage whispers. Jing Yuan, please, you didn't even wear a dress. Bruno knows you look good in a dress, c'mon! ]
dadsandals: (yama41)

[personal profile] dadsandals 2024-05-24 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you. I'll put your wares to good use.

[ Taking the knife...can't believe Bruno is getting stabbed (no). ]
fallingsand: (13; they couldn't understand)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
...wait, is that a real knife...?

[ Oh god, he is getting stabbed, isn't he?! ]
revengier: (91)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-05-24 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
That's 500 [ insert whatever currency they have here ] upfront.
fallingsand: (16; they say he saw the future)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-05-24 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That's right, lots of screaming and evil laughing from the haunted forest! Wow! ]
foresightis2020: (F10)

[personal profile] foresightis2020 2024-05-24 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Very well...when you ask like that, I can only concede.

Speaking of which...

[ I'm sorry if there is a random magical transformation in the midst of this because now Jing Yuan is a girl.

With appropriate clothes to boot. But, not exactly a dress. Good enough, though, right?

Please hold for any other potentially convincing acting. Or not still, because Jing Yuan is still a dubious choice for this. ]
lighthaus: (cobalt)

[personal profile] lighthaus 2024-05-24 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ god you're really asking him to play a father when his father is-

well it's fine. khun pats robin on the head with an assuring smile. ]


From the haunted forest, I'm sure. But come, my son, this will be an excellent opportunity to teach you what being a man entails.

[ to the forest!!! ]
dadsandals: (yama6)

please kill me

[personal profile] dadsandals 2024-05-24 09:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Ha-ha, so you thought, evildoer!

[ He's just gonna furiously strum some bullshit on his lute that sounds strangely like Wonderwall, and use some magic to send very fake lightning beams towards Bruno.

To some of the others, though:
]

Let us make this a joint effort. Come, comrades!
revengier: (81)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-05-24 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course it is. Do you think I keep fake knives on my person?
dadsandals: (yama1)

[personal profile] dadsandals 2024-05-24 09:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, but I won't use it, don't worry.

[ STAGE WHISPERING. ]
dadsandals: (yama64)

[personal profile] dadsandals 2024-05-24 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He moves to give Kurapika some fake money...

...and then he acts so frantic that he ends up dumping like six hundred coins all on Kurapika.
]

Kind merchant, take all that I have! We must hurry!