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

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Because it's easier than writing everything down!

[ Not that he's going to stop doing that. He'll be the first to come up with a sage's vlog, though! ]

Now all the sages and wizards of the future will know what you looked and sounded like, too. Isn't that cool, Ahito-kun?

[ Tatara looks at Khun, his face almost entirely blank—but he'll know by now that this is the closest he gets, in some circumstances, to an earnest expression.

He nods. With every inhale the smell grows stronger, and the nostalgia aches. ]

Can we?

[ Tatara is pretty used to having his hand grabbed by now (weird things he did not realize he would find normal after becoming the sage), and follows Day's lead. The quicker they get out of here the better, especially in a place like the North—

Except they'll turn a path, only to be suddenly met with the sight of a quiet side street somewhere in the heart of Tokyo. Regardless if Day knows what that is or not, there's concrete all around them, a narrow asphalt street at their feet. Buildings in the distance are lit, and a streetlamp illuminates them from overhead, buzzing quietly.

It's night above, the stars different from the ones in the wizard world. No trees to be seen at all.

Tatara freezes in place, the exhale of his breath white in the early winter air. ]

...We're...

[ ...home? ]

[ he doesn't trust this forest, but there's probably nothing he would deny his boyfriend at this point. there's a quick cast, silent to release his lighthouse, invisible to everyone but him in case he needs it. ]

Okay. But don't let go of my hand. [ his grip tightens and he walks forward into the sweet, yet acrid smell of smoke. ]

[ He is!! ]

First! Could you, um... [ tell me your name again— ] Tell me how to spell your name? Oh— [ taptap the page ] And what's the name of the world you came from?

[ Bwhasfkngfbmg?! ]

Th... thousands?! How can... that's... how does someone have that many brothers and sisters?!

[ If only Bruno could scream. There would be so much screaming if he could. It would have been regrettable for sure. Thankfully — or not, actually — the sensation of his soul being torn at, followed by the knowledge that he's dying... that Solomon is... was? Dying? It leaves any noise he could make on his own frozen in his throat and then he's violently ejected from the place where the younger Solomon is left.

He stares in confused horror as Barbatos moves towards the man. It isn't what he expected a demon to look like, ever. He looks too... too human... apart from the, uh. Parts. Those look demonic for sure.

But then the vision fades away, leaving the both of them sprawled out in the snow. He's been clutching his ruana tightly to his chest with both hands since being thrown back, struggling to get his breathing under control. Breathe in, breathe out, feel out the shield against the toxin, if it's still there.

Barely, but it is, for now. ]

Th-that was... was...? Wh-why was that s-so intense?

[ If there is someone who can guarantee someone's protection with relative ease, it'd certainly be Jing Yuan.

He doesn't mind accompanying Yamato, footsteps careful as he keeps an eye on their surroundings, but as usual there is a light smile on his face. ]

Yes, quite. Perhaps if we are clever enough with spells we can get all of the little items to dance straight into one bag and be on our way?

[ Light joking because there is a A lot. No way to manage it for all things... ]

[ Guess he is just watching this now...semi-amused. ]

...Now, what are you doing?

[ He might have noticed the whole-book-is-backwards aspect? ]

You'll get used to it soon enough.

[ Jing Yuan points out simply, because she does think it true. ]

Hmm, actually, if your wardrobe is very limited, I think we might want to hold off on changing anything, and shop for more material instead.

[ This amount is kind of pitiful, but considering G'raha didn't have time to get much, it is also realistic. Anyway, she starts to get moving. To the markets! ]

Follow me!

[The worst part is he totally gets away with it, because it's not the first time someone hasn't known how to deal with miqo'te names...

So he'll spell it out, making sure to emphasize the apostrophe's placement. It'd be a shame to erase his tribe...]

I come from a place called Etheirys.

My father's functionally immortal and only cares about three things: fighting, drinking, and women.

[ said with great distaste. ]

...It's not a position I envy.

[Sometimes, someone's joy has immeasurable costs. Sometimes billions of people get sacrificed because of someone trying to reunite with those they love, so they can be happy again.

Those sort of things... how do you weigh them?]

And for your sake, I hope you can stand firm and confident in the choice you've made.

[A pause, before he perks back up.]

Enough about that. While it's fascinating, I'm sure your work is the last thing you want to talk about.

Thanks. [ For telling him that, is what Day means. ] But heh, I guess in a weird sorta way, this is almost like a vacation if it weren't for the Great Calamity.

[ He's not commenting. Don't worry about it.

At the very least, despite Jing Yuan's...everything, Shinjiro finds him to be a decent enough partner for these jobs. He knows what he's doing, and there's no need to worry about him like he would for some other people...the old man can handle himself more than well enough.

That being said, it doesn't stop him from halting in the middle of examining another decently sized stone to look up and give a fairly unimpressed glare at the choice of wisecracks. ]

...You think you're funny or something?

[ Smartass.

And it's when he gets up, to turn back to the forest itself, exasperation on the tip of his tongue as fingers wrap around the collar of his coat to tug it higher. ]

I ain't some kind of-

[ -That he cuts himself off, words catching taut in his throat. Not because of the cold, no, nor because of the stretch of bones and death that seems to litter the ground, but because the poison around them seems to shift and ripple in real time, growing darker and darker.

Growing green.

Sickly, eerie green, one that seems to bring a sense of cold unease. If one were to look up, the sky seems to waver, tearing between the white emptiness of the north and the abrupt appearance of what seems to be the moon. It's so full and so bright, and yet the yellow it casts only seem to collide with the haunting hue of the night.

Unnerving. Heavy. Like a weight on your shoulders and on your lungs, pushing down and forcing the breath from your chest.

Shinjiro, for all his griping, seems particularly frozen. Whatever red the cold may have brought to his cheeks seems to fade in the ghastly light, sporting a bloodless pallor over his features as his gaze shoots left and right. ]

[ He won't. Maybe he will even look upon Khun with gratitude later.

Shinji would be right! He's a very good partner in these things; even when he seems like not the type for those who do not know him to be unobservant or worse, he is very capable of that, and more. Calm mind, fighting ability, and an absurd amount of focus makes for a formidable, strategic way of going about matters.

That being said, he also does very much like to mess around too, as Shinjiro is well familiar with by now. Hearing the other male asking in that tone gets his smile to widen a bit, as he already feels a witty or tease on the tip of his tongue until when he...stops short.

The change is surprising, but Jing Yuan's reaction is mild and he is able to shake off any of his own right away. ]

Shinjiro. Focus on my voice.

And while it is good to keep an eye on your surroundings, you musn't let them take too much control.

[ Jing Yuan moves closer to Shinjiro, so that he is by his side, and for a moment, moves to aim to lightly taps one of his arms, in case that needs to be done to snap him out of it. Then, he summons his glaive in one hand, just in case. He is not about to chance anything—something about this alteration seems...foreboding; he hasn't kept his gaze off of the other either, though. ]

...Yet, I have to wonder—what is this?

Edited 2024-05-22 00:03 (UTC)

...Ah, I see.

I had no idea you ended up dealing with someone who wielded such power. I wonder how you ended up gaining the upper hand after that, though.

[ Because that really sounds unfortunate. It's kind of amazing he emerged from an encounter like that live. ]

Yes, if you'd had an opportunity to see her in a memory before all of this just now, then I woulnd't disagree. The one I had previously known has been dead for a long time, and this is the first time in a long while since I've seen her face once more, even if only in a memory.

[god dammit grandpa stop running off

Akira approaches Solomon, no effort spared to hiding the discontent on his face. He knows you've been fucking around, old man, and he's not pleased. His gait remains measured, remains steady, steps casual, but he's not letting Solomon out of his sight. Now that he's finally hunted him down, he's never letting him out of his snare again.]

Don't talk to me about being careful. What are you doing, Solomon?

[ he did! ]

You're able to put more power into it because you're from the North, aren't you?

[ he's not sure exactly how that translates but. ]

I've got some serious questions about the previous Northern Wizards...

[If he knew, he'd be in full agreement with Itha.]

Proper leadership is what saves people from getting killed.

[ does ego factor in a lot? absolutely. but someone has to lead in order to get things done. ]

I see. Obviously I have no choice but to take you at your word.

[ he doesn't bother to try to hide the sarcasm. ]

[He doesn't speak to Jing Yuan's words, past that same tired smile that loses some of its mirth, eyes that trace down slightly at the path this conversation seems to trend.

And then their space swirls up again in unfamiliar shades, and they are rendered into silence.

It's a familiar story. A crushingly unfortunate story. Cliche, perhaps, in beats, of the student who must fight the master. He sees the dedication to the craft, the admiration of his superior, the words that stuck like burrs to the fabric of his soul in the paces of his training. Feeling and focus in rotation, the highs of determination, the lows of hesitance. The hard lessons, and unfortunate truths exposed.

And, ultimately, the worst case scenario unfolding. Whether in his control or not, some things could simply not be undone. And to remember the wish of the ones so deeply cared for, above the wishes and sentiment of yourself... it shows a heart forged fully in those beliefs. To honor until the end, to show respect to what possibly could just be the corpse, the memory, the shadow, of that which he'd once loved.

...

The silence settles as the memory dies back to white. And Solomon has to take a moment, memories of his own so raw in the opposite direction that shake the exhale that pushes out of his throat, eyes settling closed to center himself with a tightened brow.

But it's a moment he needs, and only that, before he lifts a hand to meet the arm against his shoulder, a careful and chilled touch. Loose, gentle, the careful weight of condolence.]

...

She would have been proud of your choice.

[As a teacher himself... it would serve him no greater joy than to know his apprentice had so faithfully committed to not only his teachings, but their own strength of heart.]

They don't need to know any of that.

[He's not interested in being remembered.]

[Solomon stays prone until the memory ends, raw hands grasping at the snow as it comes back into sensation, exhale shuddering the length of his body. It's here, it's fine, this is still reality. He's in control now. Still in control.

He can hear Bruno's hyperventilating off to his side through the tinny muffling that dies down as the pain recedes. Wincing at how his head spins, Solomon pushes up to his knees, a loose hand against the back of Bruno's ruana.]

Bruno.

[Will he turn if Solomon tries to guide him with a push against his shoulder? Face him, please... but the man is so tense]

We'll... we'll have time for that in a moment.

Ground yourself. You're okay.

It was in bad shape when I went with a small group a few days ago... but it's worse now.

[ He picks up a mana stone, frowning as he pockets it. ]

I suppose we should make use of the mana stones while we can.

[ Even if he isn't particularly happy about it. Kurapika's foot knocks against something, what he thinks is a mana stone, but when he looks down... it's a rock, the sort that doesn't belong in the forest.

In fact, why is the ground ahead of them covered in dirt rather than leaves? ]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 9 of 117

thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

dream big --> Childhood;

> library etiquette;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

nuke me grandpa

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject