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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[Urianger's here to rescue Ahito! The bundled up Elezen steps up beside his fellow wizard, directing a gentle smile to the villager.]

Prithee, return to the warmth of thy cottage. Rest assured that we have everything under control. Thy barrier shall be restored posthaste.

Mostly the former. For the purposes of this forest, though? The latter. It's something that can't be avoided in a land like this.

[In a land that is so aggressive, so harsh, with people in so much desperation and despair... there was no time to worry about the ethics, so long as one understood any consequences. It's why he plucks up another stone, giving it only a cursory glance for color and texture before depositing it with the rest.

Faintly, distantly, there's the flickering smell of smoke. Of dust and debris. Of blood.

Of distant, mourning screams.]

[Oh.

...

Yeah, that's so much awkward than Ahito's situation, isn't it? His past is - personal, of course, but not so much that it's anything he hides or keeps to himself - quite the opposite, actually. If he was familiar with the phrase "That's rough, buddy" he'd probably use it about now, but...

In exchange for Day's own awkwardness at witnessing his memories, he offers:]

...Would you like me to pretend I never saw any of that?

Edited 2024-05-25 05:05 (UTC)

[He will indeed try to duck.]

Both? Or?

[What is going on here!! He doesn't know enough about Comet to have much in the way of context to put to any of this, leaving him floundering, if not literally.]

Parents wanted a guinnea pig. ...And so did their boss, I guess.

[At least he manages that one without his power fluctuating.]

[ Day is somewhere between wistful and absolutely mortified, for what it's worth. Just closed his eyes and rubbing his temples. ]

I'd appreciate it.

[ That is not foreboding at all in the slightest. He turns to see if he can find the current one and frowns when he is unable to.

...Well, all he can do is continue to follow, right? Soon enough, he should be able to find Kurapika. So he will do that, let's go down and through the double doors!

What's happening past them? ]

Edited 2024-05-25 05:14 (UTC)

[He means to reassure Bruno calmly. But the crack of noise above their head draws his attention quickly, the sharp change in temperature impossible to ignore.]

...And this warm, as well...

Bruno, stay with me for the moment. [Just in case. This one doesn't feel familiar to him in the slightest, so...

Is this something of Bruno's?]

Probably a good idea.

[Unless another memory were to come for Ahito haha... unless?]

...Alright. Good.

[ Though, really... he hopes Day's opinion of him doesn't change after this. If anything, that's what Kurapika is the most worried about.

The younger Kurapika withdraws, landing on a clifftop opposite the real Kurapika and Day. He lifts his hand, stating that he's able to hide the presence of his power. That prompts his opponent to try to move... only to find out he can't.

He's quite literally chained in place. There's a back and forth about powers, talked about in terms and phrases that Kurapika hasn't yet explained to Day, but what he can gather? Kurapika purposefully obscured the type of power he had just for this very moment. In other words—

"My bluff just paid off. While you were making empty threats, my chains were already wrapped around your body." And each of those hits? Those were moments Kurapika took advantage of to slowly wind his chains around the other man's body. Kurapika pulls, tugging him forward and knocking him off balance just enough to make him stumble, but not so much that he falls to the ground. There's an eerie calmness to his demeanor as he does so, as if he's testing his opponent rather than taunting him.

This is an assessment.

"You've been captured." There's a stillness to his voice as he says so, and his posture matches, a cool calmness as he watches his opponent try to work out why he's losing this battle. "I see you're having trouble understanding. Let me illuminate this for you before I send you to the other side."

With his free hand, Kurapika removes the contacts in his eyes, revealing an eerily bright red.

His opponent perks up in understand, if only just a little. "Those eyes. I remember them, there were a bunch of them out in the middle of nowhere. The boss really liked those eyes." He laughs. "They were pretty strong! So, you're a survivor? Then let's see what's stronger—your grudge or my power!"

Kurapika frowns, spitting out that he'll never be able to break the chains wrapped around him. And the man tries, attempting to summon up his aura in the same way he had before, when it had come easily to him. The surge of oppressive power that's meant to come, however, simply... doesn't. He falters back a few steps, sweating from the futile effort and looking confused.

"When my eyes turn Scarlet, I become a Specialist. I wield full control over every category of Nen."

And in a one-on-one fight? That means he has full advantage, which he demonstrates by immediately healing the shattered bones in his arm with one of his chains. Within seconds, it's as if he hadn't been hit at all.

There's a reason he chose a one-on-one fight, too, and the opponent currently wrapped in his chains. Kurapika has no problem revealing this information to the man either, and that he'd picked the strongest member of the Phantom Troupe for a reason—to see if he could truly break out of his Chain Jail through physical strength alone. And, as the man struggles against the chains...

That certainly proves that none of them will be able to break them. ]

Those are my abilities back home. Created for one specific purpose.

[ The real Kurapika says, softly. ]

[ Kurapika covers the lower half of his face with his hand in an attempt to create some sort of filter between him and the thick air now surrounding them.

That move towards his arm triggers a reflex, and he quickly tries to get out of Solomon's grasp, swinging his arm to the side in an attempt to get out of his grip. He shoots Solomon a mildly apologetic look.

...He'll oblige and move to the shadows, however, but he chooses a spot where he can see what's going on around him. ]

[Was that sheepishness he sees? Adorable.]

Now, now, General... I wasn't the one who went slicing up all those creatures in the woods with a glaive while this sorcerer cleaned up the stragglers from far away. You're really exhausting to watch with the effort you put in, you know. Why shouldn't someone point it out, when you were the one calling me so skilled in return just for the use of my hands?

[He knows he's talented. He's held that title for a long while, to the point of arrogance. But there's a strength to be had in not questioning it, while still not becoming a braggart out of turn.

And maybe, just a little, it might be a little fun to see Jing Yuan squirm over a compliment or two.

As for the question... he pauses, clearly hesitant, before letting his smile settle.]

Only one. Or... well. Two, now, perhaps. But only one through official means.

[And he would rather not dwell on Ibuki right this moment, for how much it still aches at him.

Anyway!]

Are you having that much trouble with protection spells, though, Jing Yuan? You managed transfiguration rather flawlessly.

Edited (why did i make that a 1/2 im sorry it's just 1) 2024-05-25 05:37 (UTC)

[Ah, another new face. G'raha has a friendly smile for Shinjiro, even as he awkwardly hovers in the doorway.]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Aragaki.

[He gestures to the seat across from him.]

Please, sit down and get comfortable. Otherwise this would be a poor tea party.

[ What's happening indeed?

Well, it's an auction!

"Now, everyone! It's time for our last item of the night!"

The man with the microphone says, stepping aside excitedly to reveal exactly what it is. And sitting atop the table are a pair of eyes, bright scarlet and almost eerie in their glow.

"It's one of the worlds most seven beautiful items, the Scarlet Eyes!" The reveal draws excited gasps from the crowd. "With the Kurta Clan's extinction, only 36 pairs exist. This particular set has a particularly brilliant red hue. Now, let's start the bidding at one hundred million!"

With Jing Yuan in the entrance, he can hear the way Kurapika's breaths grows uneven, shaking on each inhale and exhale. There's a light sheen of sweat on his skin, and he fumbles a bit as he takes out his phone and dials a number. ]

Boss? It's Kurapika. I apologize. The leader of the spiders is dead. The auction is proceeding as scheduled. The Scarlet Eyes are currently being auctioned. Should I bid on them? [ ... ] Is there a limit on the price? [ ... ] I understand.

[ The price has since gone up to three hundred million, and as the auctioneer makes a last call for more bids, Kurapika holds up a hand, rings on each finger with chains connected to them. ]

Three hundred and fifty million!

[ That Jing Yuan is right behind him is something he hasn't even noticed. While Kurapika would normally notice the presence of someone like him, it's as if everything has narrowed down onto the item right on that very table. ]

[So long as Kurapika follows suit, Solomon has no complaints. He'll press a finger to his lips as he glances up towards the window.

There's commotion - people with raised voices, the sound of wooden doors being slammed. Most is garbled, between aggression from one party and panic from the rest. It feels familiar, despite the fear. A common occurrence that doesn't lose its bite.

We take no argument to the harboring of heretics!

There's a scuffle, a disturbance of the horses. Someone distantly sounds like they're begging. Another screams.

Both the figure under the blanket and Solomon himself flinch hard as the scream is rapidly cut off with the sound of metal on flesh. A body impacts the ground. Someone starts to wail.]

[ People are being hunted down.

That's what this is, isn't it? They're being targeted. The very thought makes something twist sickeningly in Kurapika's stomach, but the only indication that he feels anything at all is the way that his fingers curl in on the sleeves of his jacket, nails pressing hard into the fleece and creating little crescents. If he were digging his nails into his palms, they would certainly draw blood.

He watches the figure under the blanket like a hawk, eyes assessing as he tries to figure out what's going on. Solomon seems to have some familiarity with what is going on here, and...

Kurapika strains his eyes a bit, chasing his suspicions as he tries to determine if that figure might have a shock of white hair. ]

They certainly do. It's been pleasant to see you following through with that.

[He'll give Syr a little pat on the shoulder for emphasis. Thank you for being decent, mister tree.]

I've been otherwise occupied, yes. Did someone take down the note on my door?

[ even if it isn't a serious suggestion, robin responds anyway: ] Because that would take excess effort and follow-through I'm not willing to spare.

[ really, what does he look like? he has no need for their paltry riches, no care for their simple luxuries. he is the end, and while the end may be unpredictable or cruel, it hardly takes pleasure in tormenting people purely for the sake of torment itself. ]

Don't misunderstand me. I'd simply rather not be stammered at for over half a conversation as they try to understand why I'm rejecting their offerings. Worship for benediction, they understand. They're given less reason to doubt when there is a clear exchange of some sort, and we're not here to start to try to change the hundreds of years of traditions they've built up.

[ a dismantling of societal structures and norms like that would take more time than they ideally have. and even if they did, when the original northern wizards are returned to this realm— what then? if this were his world the answer would be simple.

but it is not, and so his coat flares out behind him as he begins making his way towards the perimeter, ideally closer to where the edges of the dwindling barriers might lie. he's layers more than his usual, of course, warming hex or not, but the silhouette he cuts is the same as ever. ]

... Were I to offer more freely, perhaps in the manner of the South, I imagine they'd be even more fearful, because now they're waiting for the other shoe to drop. The lives of worms are miserable enough as it is without our adding to it.

Edited (why did i even have that as plural what) 2024-05-25 07:05 (UTC)

[ Truly, Day doesn't really understand what any of these terms mean, though he can make some guesses. But maybe it doesn't matter, because it doesn't change how he understands what unfolds after. He finds himself wondering if these red eyes are what they're supposed to look like, and not what Kurapika described to him about the curse he got from the moon rock. ]

Revenge? [ He doesn't truly mean it as a question, but he'll always give the benefit of the doubt. ]

[How did they end up- wherever this is, what the hell is going on-? All questions Ahito has in mind, although he decides not to give voice to them when he hears and sees just how distressed Bruno is.]

...What is this...?

[It's hard to tell from the angle he's at. But he won't have to wait for long. The scuffle continues, and something is thrown, hitting the latticing of the window with a clang that feels as loud as a gunshot in the tiny space.

The figure shoots up immediately - a child, a boy of no more than six or seven, thin and pale, barely stifling a scream as he scrambles back in his bed, pressing against the wall with both hands quickly shoved against his mouth, eyes screwing shut.

His hair is, indeed, the same brilliant white as Solomon's.]

Edited 2024-05-25 06:03 (UTC)

[Well, there's not much point in pretending otherwise.]

Yes, I did. It sounded like... young children?

[Thank you, ghost children, he is so tired of this boy's sass...

Still, he glances off towards the direction of the sound, eyes narrowing slightly, before glancing back towards Ahito.]

...Is everything alright?

[ And Day does, in fact, look up. The floor leads into a stage, the kind you'd find in some big theatre, where a somewhat younger Day stands, closer to a teenager than whatever maturity he has now.

The hallucination is more like a fever dream, or at least an experience where you think you might be going insane. The stars and destiny have come to claim you, and with that, all worldly ties are severed without so much as a word. ]

[He falls silent at Kurapika's words, taking in the scenery, the sound. ...Yeah, it does sound like a fierce battle, doesn't it?]

The forest's illusions...?

[What a choice in scene to show.]

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thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

reverence

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