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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[Ithaqua has already reinforced the foundation of the old, failing barrier, so only smaller details are left, filling in the gaps.

However, Ithaqua weaves in his own little touch, the signature of a predator that would deter any weaker creature from coming and attempting to take territory or resources for itself. It wouldn't keep the braver, more desperate or stronger ones, but the little ones may just run. That's the plan, in any case. It's a bit of a mean barrier, now, though not as capricious as Ithaqua himself.

When he's done with that, he stretches his arms and looks at Ahito.]

[ despite everything he's feeling, that simple question causes him to flush. usually when his colors are overlaid in red he's happy, if perhaps a little overwhelmed. here though, he looks...indignant? it's an extremely unique expression either way. ]

Tatara. [ actually, he's mostly embarrassed in a way he didn't know was possible until now. he squeezes their joined hands, a fidget. ]

I've never said that to anyone but you. [ not even family. ] And I don't think he would have noticed.

[Anecdotes. Of his time with people.

No, he doesn't think he'll be sharing those any time soon. Those are private, after all. At least the other question is far more innocent, and it's easy to be vague or hide names.]

You're really quite curious, aren't you? Very well... I met the feral colony of cats living on the manor grounds and have been courting their favour since then. I think they're warming up to me.

[Isn't that a funny bit of dissonance... After all, Ithaqua drinks either to keep awake. Still, tea keeps him less awake, and he's more in the mood for something mild right now.]

I shall take the tea, then. [He holds out his hand. The long, spindly fingers are indeed part of his features and not an illusion of his clawed gloves.]

Take a seat where you like, save for the bed. [Not just because that's for his personal use... but also because there's a depression in his sheets that's too large to be him. And he realizes this, so he shakes his blanket with one hand to remove it.]

Magic folk unaffiliated with the sage, and thus us. [He raises the bloodied coat for emphasis.]

They presented themselves as enemies, so you could say that our actions were initially motivated by self-defense.

[Which very quickly turned to something else entirely.]

[While Yoda was about to go to bed, the wind's whispers pull him from his room and out to the forest. The petals convince him to look in the direction of the circle of flowers with curiosity. How perfect, it's like a sign... So he steps right in!]

( So the pieces fall into place.

Mika glances briefly at the forest, and the snow, and all the things that used to comprise first a church, and then that grim bedroom. )

... He chose the wrong witch, then.

( Of all women to persecute, he chose the one caring for the twin he hadn't known he'd had, whom he'd perhaps never meet if not for this, and died a death he must have surely thought was below his station. )

I suppose God turned away from him, then. Something deserved.

( But so did He turn from Ithaqua's mother, and that was perhaps unfair. Still, this is expected, to Mika: from what little he knows of God, He is quick to dole punishment but reticent with mercy. )

No, I don't believe their God had anything to do with this. Not when she lost her humanity because of his actions. [There's no such thing as a God that's as merciful as the one they worship, when this happens to those who were truly faithful and the false believers are just... allowed to do this, and a person must take matters into their own hands.]

And I shan't be considered an instrument of punishment, when I'm not owned by any god.

With all these monsters scurryin' about, I don't blame them for bein' worried about the strength of their barriers and the safety of their villages. But there's gotta be a better way for them to get help than this!

They will.

[ Tatara chuckles softly. ]

Sorry, Ahito-kun. I won't let you be forgotten.

[ He's not deleting the footage! ]

[ Tatara squeezes back in reassurance. It's okay. They're the only ones here, and no one heard him.

His heart aches for his boyfriend. He's delighted that he's special, that he's the only one that's ever gotten his verbal love, but Tatara can see the pain that came from all of that, everything he's been through, and he doesn't know what he can do for him.

Slowly, he leans in, eventually resting his head on his shoulder. He could ask if he's cold. Or if he needs a hug. But who would he be if he didn't go for what he wanted, without checking first? ]

...I'm sorry.

Oh, that's cute!

[ It's an interview! He wants to know Ithaqua better! He also won't know if his questions are annoying or not, because he's having fun.

At least the cat story seems to be an appropriate answer. ]

Do you have a favorite cat yet? Do you ever turn into a cat yourself and hang out with them that way?

There's a ginger cat who insists I pat very precisely at the base of its tail. It gets quite demanding if I stop, and I must continue if I do not want my vision obscured.

[So... yes. That's his favourite cat. A little weirdo of a cat-- as oranges tend to be.]

"Initially"?

[ For what it's worth, Day doesn't sound judgmental, just curious. If Itha says these people came at them, then, well, Day can't say don't defend yourselves. ]

I cannot speak for the others, but I eventually just wanted them dead for the sake of making them dead. [Meaning, he wanted to murder.

And he got it. That's why he looks quite pleased with himself, despite all the blood and bruises.]

[ Yeah, that sure happened, didn't it? Whoopsie daisy!

Anyway, Jing Yuan certainly is glad that things seem to be working out now. And, oh, what a coincidence that the Northern wizards are quite diligent in that too. Or maybe it isn't much of one as a sense of responsibility. ]

Perhaps it may seem quite ironic indeed, considering how they might be quite distant in comparison to the others, but those within our Northern grouping are quite efficient and reliable individuals.

...Though, I do wonder what makes you find it amusing, in your own words.

[ It is quite chilly; chilled to the boned when they walk into the Forest of Dreams, daring to brave whatever lies deep within its trees. For him, not quite an unusual sight, but despite whatever tends to occur whenever one ventures here, Jing Yuan doesn't see himself staying away.

No, in fact, when Mika ends up going on a monster extermination quest, Jing Yuan accompanies, hearing the sound of a creature's call far beyond.

Not that it matters much, since the forest may distort before they go much further. ]

...Keep your focus sharp. The hallucinations that are woven are not a simple matter.

We should be continuously vigilant of whatever needs they have while we linger in the meantime.

[ Jing Yuan briefly closes his eyes in thought, giving a little sigh as he considers matters carefully. ]

...After all, changing ingrained traditions and habits would take far too much time otherwise, among other possible issues. Though, if they had more support or another way to expand their options in procuring assistance, it'd certainly be easier for them to get help without them degrading themselves.

[ Jing Yuan awaits silently as Kurapika continues to speak—even taking a breath by which he supposes the other tries to calm himself down further.

All things considered, if he was the one who went through what the other had, he can easily imagine himself in the very same position—acting the very same way. ]

You'd be correct. This is my first time attending such things, but still...

[ He says, thinking with a small sigh of his own. He has never gone to any black market auctions himself. He has heard of them, but never seen a glimpse of them in the slightest until now, remembering how ghastly it felt to see what he had been put on display. ]

I've found out very swiftly I have limits and not simply because of price points.

What happened? Why wouldn’t you be included?

[ It feels strange, in a sense. Seeing everyone again in a place that isn't his dreams. He'd gotten used to life at the manor enough, but there are times when he still expects to hear the faint sounds of dorm life. Of Akihiko getting up too damn early in the morning, of Makoto barely shuffling past, of Iori's loud yawning as he drags his feet. Of Koromaru lightly scratching at his door, and Aigis' rapid knocking with her monotone requests for assistance.

...It's not like he'd been there long. Hell, he'd been at the manor longer, at this point. He hears other things, instead. Tsukinaga's singing. Akira's banter with Kurapika as they walk past. Totsuka's guitar ringing from somewhere, anywhere.

...It's a frightening thought, if he dares to dwell, that he's known these people more already than most. Except for Aki. Except for Mitsuru.

The lines begin to blur. The edges of the vision fade with black blotches, like ink staining it out. It comes in time with the barest visions of the other him's eyes closing, every beat blurring and tearing the hallucination to pieces.

When the last thing they see is the red-stained hand slip from Akihiko's grip, there's a pause.

And then it disappears. No sounds, the figures disappearing into the ripples like they were never there in the first place, the eerie green tint going with it.

Because what else can someone who's gone remember?

The forest itself seems still, to punctuate how the question seems to have rattled Shinjiro. He doesn't speak for a long time, at war with himself as the seconds tick by with nothing but the steady fall of snow to accompany them.

He doesn't want to talk anymore. Doesn't want to think about it anymore. Feels the need to go back to the manor and find himself a damn cigarette for the first time in months, raid the cupboard for liquor he's never touched, and sit in the disconnected emptiness of his room for a while. He's never been the type to drown his sorrows, but in the moment, he can understand the feeling. ]

...I don't know.

[ Partially a truth, partially a lie. ]

That's not something most people have to think about. [ The breath feels shallow in his lungs. He's not a child; this sort of thing shouldn't bother him. And yet, being forced to face everything he's been running from, he feels like there's too much water in the air for him to breathe. ] When you're gone, it doesn't matter. It's over. That's how it was supposed to be.

[ How it should be, like he said. But that's not how it is, now. He walks. He talks. He breathes. He still has the nightmares, the insomnia, the cough in his lungs. ]

And even if it does...what's the damn point? [ A grit of the teeth. ] It's already happened. I couldn't change it, even if I wanted to. And I don't even know if there's a point to fixing anything here. Even if-

[ Even if- ]

...Even if I was gonna live. But I don't even know if I am.

Don't. [ he doesn't want the apology, but he will take the warmth, holding him closer. ]

...I never thought I'd use that word with anyone. My family isn't like that, we start killing each other when we're twelve, if not younger. I wasn't raised with any of that in mind.

[ he doesn't sound like he minds, he just feels the need to express that a lot of the weight rests on his end. ]

[ They're both young. Maybe as old as Day was when destiny came for him, or a little older than that. So it's painful to watch the emotions that emerge here, in this memory, and the talk about war and injury and...

... "The prince's sister, leader of her halidom, pacifist to the end, who spoke purely of peace between two countries with an ancient animosity between them, was slaughtered in her sleep."

Ah.

Day doesn't say anything. He just watches. ]

Yeah, I got hexed so I could only talk about a certain person in Spanish or not at all. I managed to get it across to Tatara eventually, though.

[ Anyway, time for him to get part way through pulling the dress off before remembering— oh crap. Bruno freezes in horror for a second, then drops the dress back onto himself. ]

I... I'll go back around. One minute.

[ Let him just change behind the screen again ahaha... ha. ]

[ It's fine! He's fine. He'll be fine. He ate some wizard sugar and everything, although he doesn't see much point in going into great detail about how he's taken care of himself the best he can. Overall, it wasn't only for Mika, but it gave him a reason to look at blood, work with it, and try to get over that urge to panic at the sight of it being spilled.

In a way, it has helped, even if having to fill nearly a whole teacup with his own blood after all the testing with tiny amounts has left him feeling a tad light-headed. ]

Right. So keep it smelling like blood. That's good to know.

[ But now for the real test. Bruno watches closely as Mika picks up the cup. When he glances at him, he'll nod. There's nothing else to do. It's all ready! And when Mika goes in for that lil' sip, it'll taste exactly how Bruno hoped it would.

It tastes like a very flavorful mint tea, sweetened with honey. ]

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thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

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iii. sweet dreams;

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continued cw for suicidal disc

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