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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[With Urianger making Ithaqua comfortable, Ithaqua in turn takes his hand in between both of his, holding onto it as if his life depended on it. His bravado is slipping away, because he recognizes the gravity in Urianger's words, and he would like to meet that halfway. He bloody loves this man after all, and he wants to show that.]

Then ask your questions of me. [He starts to feel tired now, but resists sleep and rubs his face on Urianger's shoulder to disguise it as affection. Not that there's no affection in the gesture.]

As you said, knowing each other is key to our life together as lovers. I've much to hide, but with you? I willingly unmask myself, literally, metaphorically.

Edited 2024-05-29 18:11 (UTC)

[ it's not like him to act sheepish, but the expression on his face is almost there. sometimes you realize things in hindsight and call yourself out. ]

They were like the stars he was chasing.

[Ithaqua's actions speak loud and clear. Urianger's hand curls in his partner's, and he lets out a gentle sigh as he soaks in those words.

Much like he did in the past, Ithaqua hides his appearance from the world. Whatever his reasons may be for doing so, while they are together, he feels secure enough to forego that barrier. The weight of that is not lost on Urianger.]

May we begin there, then? Wherefore dost thou don a mask?

Mmh. [He should have expected this.

He adjusts his position, so his head is pillowed on Urianger's chest, like he's a cat awaiting pets. Wait no, this might be a dangerous position, he's really feeling sleepy now, but he has to fight it.]

That's a story that encompasses everything. I must start from the very beginning for you to understand.

[He disengages one hand to hide a yawn behind it, but it's too late, the damage has been done. He's too comfortable to fight sleep, and when he closes his eyes, he's out like someone had blown a candle out. This is what magical exhaustion will do to him. He fought it for too long, but it has finally crept up on him.]

[Urianger starts to get settled in for a long story, only for Ithaqua to suddenly fall silent.]

Ithaqua?

[No response.

He lifts his head, concern rising in his voice.]

Ithaqua--

[But before concern can turn into panic, he observes that Ithaqua is just sound asleep. He stares in silence, watching the steady in and out of breath, before letting his head flop back onto the pillow with a sigh.]

Calm thyself, Urianger.

[He murmurs to himself, so not as to disturb his sleeping lover. It has to be magical exhaustion, he inwardly hypothesizes. Ithaqua went through quite the battle, and his body is forcibly making him rest.

Well...since Urianger's going to be Ithaqua's pillow for the foreseeable future, he figures he may as well make a nap out of it too. He brings his arm back up to cradle the other man, quietly taking in the sights and smells of the room before he too drifts off.

Indeed, he could get used to this.]

[ Luna roulette...especially for those who have no magical fantasy land experience if one is selected for a Sage!! ]

I believe you have made marked improvements from before.

At the least, I could tell you have been visibly making more efforts based upon the last time we spoke.

[ He is thinking specifically about when they spoke that the other responded well to the report and he does not doubt the man made his follow-up where needed. ]

Whether or not everyone thinks so is truly up to them entirely, and, of course, your own efforts. Though, a good indication of how people think as much are their own actions and words. Have the others been keen on approaching you more often for guidance, at the least?

[ "This body is only 24." Oh boy. ]

Well, good thing I've got time.

[Syrlya raises a brow.] Does that not depend on how long we're actually here? If we believe the future it immutable, whether that be in our cohesion, trust, or any other matter, then we certainly will stagnate.

[Syrlya raised a dragon from an egg he has zero concerns about Robin biting his hand off.]

Very well. Good work, all of you. [He glances to the rock. That... will be much harder to store.

But they can worry about it later. For now he steps back and waves himself off to check on some of the others. He'll keep his word, though, and a little later circle back to Robin with a meaty food delivery.]

[ At that, she laughs, just a little bit. ]

Mm, you're right.

As it is, I do certainly believe in everyone to do their best; rather than fail due to any sort of stagnation.

The biggest? [Hmm...]

I suppose how little magic seems to have a presence in people's daily lives. They're all very unused to magic and magical creatures and even though it's still a natural part of the world, it lacks understanding.

[Not being able to walk in public without having to frequently stop and reassure people, that's an adjustment.]

The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can keep complaining.

[Haha jk... unless? That said once he actually focuses, his magic flow is strong and steady and quickly seeks out any cracks, holes, or thinning in the barrier, filling and reinforcing them.]

You certainly act like a member of that sort of family.

[Nobility... woo.]

Really? What's got you so interested?

[ Tatara falls silent for a moment, the past tense in the sentence reminding him the first time they talked about Aguero's past. He gazes up at his boyfriend, but decides this angle isn't what he wants. He turns to plant himself in front of him, and grasps his other hand with his free one. Now they are linked, on both sides, in a circle.

There's sympathy in his eyes. ]

You worked so hard for his sake. [ All the orchestration, the deception, even if it didn't end the way he thought it would...

Tatara, too, is cold and heartless, so he doesn't see the act as manipulative or calculating, but as one of devotion and passion. Is this why they get along so well? Or is he just so blind in his love that he can't fault Aguero for anything? ]

Did he...know?

[Is it a child? Syrlya purses his lips at the whimpering, continuing to creep closer while trying to spot the person crying.] Can you hear me?

[ honestly he—

after baam's death, there was grieving of course. belated due to the nature of the tower and more of a rallying cry than anything else. some cried, some got angry but khun;he had work to do. he's processed baam's death in some ways and not in others, some parts of it still rubbing him wrong and raw.

if it was anyone else besides tatara looking at him like that, he would have gotten angry. he knows, because some people have tried and other people have gone a different approach, insinuating that his way of grieving was taking baam's girlfriend. those people lost their fingers and sometimes more.

it's even funnier in hindsight, as if he could ever be attracted to someone like rachel—he forces himself back into the now at the question, looks at his boyfriend and then gently leans in to touch their foreheads together. ]

No. [ he lets his eyes slide mostly closed. ] It didn't stop him, actually. If anything it might have motivated him more, because now he needed to be her legs. [ literally, metaphorically. ]

I could have told him, but...I wanted to protect him as much as I could. Even from myself. I know how I am, after all.

Of course, it's how I was raised. But it's not like I swear fealty to my father or anything like that. I'll have his head one day.

[ just cheerful family things. ]

Hehe, yay.

[ Lion neighbor approval! He does vaguely remember Jing Yuan giving him advice on what to do to lead before, but there were a lot of other things in that meeting that lead him to promptly forget about what he said. So at least something is different now, even if he can't pinpoint what it is. Yay!

He nods. ]

I find a lot of people come to me for advice, even though I can't use magic. And a lot come to me to report in things they've found that might be relevant to our situation, which I also appreciate. [ He chuckles. ] The Northern wizards are the most diligent about that. Isn't that funny?

[ He has the context for the native Northern wizards, however, and that's why he thinks it's funny... ]

Yeah, you're right.

[ Ahito might not be aware, but that offhand comment strikes a chord with him. His energy dissolves, and a sad little smile crosses his face. Will Homra forget him? Will King move on without him?

The little flame that was Tatara Totsuka has gone out, and he'll never know if any of his family will see the charred embers and remember he was there with them. ]

But I want to keep our story alive for as long as possible. I want the sages of the future to know that we were here, and even though we aren't from this place, we still struggled and fought for them to have a future. That isn't so bad, is it?

[ he's keeping the tape— ]

Hm? But I'm not asking for info, I'm asking for anecdotes!

[ He'll zoom out now, getting all of Ithaqua in his little seat in the frame. ]

If you don't want to talk about other people, then what about you? What's something interesting or funny that happened to you while living here?

Too bad we don't have anyone who knows both. Apart from Solomon, anyway. That would have made things a lot easier a few days back...

[ But Solomon has already gotten the H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks out of here, meaning it's no use now. ]

Oh. Do I need to swap back out of this...? A-and. Well, no? No, I don't.

Hmmm... Now that you mention it, I guess you'd probably expect to see more of it in daily life, huh? Maybe it's 'cause wizards are so rare...

[ Not that it was all that common where Tatara is from either, even if he was a part of that exception. ]

Could you tell us more about where you're from? You're definitely one of a kind here.

[ you're the only plant, ]

I know you're strong, Ahito. I'm sure you can handle just about any monster thrown at you and all the other Northern wizards, but... That isn't going to change how glad I am that you came back in one piece.

[ He'll free Ahito from the hug quickly enough after that. ]

I need to go check on Solomon now, alright? Make sure to clean up and get something warm to eat before you do anything else.

... [ What else is there to even say? Bruno turns to offer Ahito a smile, albeit a sad one. ] Thanks, kid.

[ That's about all, isn't it? He follows that up with a quiet sigh and turns away again, looking back out across the ruined, desolate valley. From up here, where Casita used to sit, they have the best view of it. ]

I've been wondering if I should even go home, if we get that chance, y'know?

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thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

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