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?
revengier: (60)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
Lovers...

[ Damn. ]

I imagine she went all out, so to speak, once her lover passed. No reason not to at that point, I suppose.
revengier: (11)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
With a family such as yours, you're right. Family means nothing if love wasn't part of it to begin with.

[ At least, that's what he thinks. Love needs to be there first and foremost. ]
revengier: (73)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 12:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ It catches him off guard, his expression shifting to something full of doubt as he looks down at his right hand, the one that had chains on it in the memory. ]

...I don't know. To me, killing is one of the worst things anyone can do. There's no honor in it.

[ He looks over at Day. ]

What would you say? Am I still me, having gone against my very own principles?
fallingsand: (37;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-06-04 01:46 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. Huh. Right. I'll let you know?

[ Which he probably will if he ever finds out! Although the answer will inevtiably be "fancy stores in the West". ]
leewards: (006)

[personal profile] leewards 2024-06-04 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
Of course. [He sounds casual for a man who just murdered a pair of lovers.

He really does not care. They were trying to kill him, after all, and that was unacceptable.]


But it matters not in the end-- she still died. At the very least she left us with a good pile of mana stones as useful trophies.
fallingsand: (03; stuttering or stumbling)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-06-04 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno will grab a seat at the same table Khun is working at to sit by and watch. He knows how to sew, actually, but rat-sized clothing versus human-sized are two wholly different things as far as he's concerned. ]

I wouldn't be surprised if that's true. I wish he would just trust someone with what he gets up to...

[ Sigh. Oh well. ]

Hmm, but the spell had two parts? One was to let me check where he is once it pings me, the other was to let me know when he's deciding to do something dangerous without anyone else's involvement. I'm surprised it worked as well as it did?
fallingsand: (64;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-06-04 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Which means she must have... oh... ]

Ahito... [ The urge to drag him into a hug is strong but with how tense he is under that hand on his shoulder, he isn't sure how well Ahito would take that right now. ] Everyone failed you, didn't they? Everyone who should have cared about you... and her... I'm so sorry.
fallingsand: (37;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2024-06-04 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
...mm, I wouldn't say normal, but...

[ Mika, please, he's a very odd human. ]

I don't know? I... don't have a reason? I just thought, I dunno, that it isn't fair you don't get to enjoy the same stuff we do? I've tried the blood. It tastes terrible.
fellheart: (gιve мe yoυr lυng)

[personal profile] fellheart 2024-06-04 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
Fɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴏᴛᴇ, ᴜɴᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʀsᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪɢ ᴀ ʜᴏʟᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴜʀʏ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sᴛᴏɴᴇs ɪɴ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ sᴇᴇᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴇғғᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴇɪᴛʜᴇʀ, ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴜᴘᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴇ. Qᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴜɴᴅʀᴜᴍ ᴡᴇ'ᴠᴇ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ...

[ because yeah, it certainly does seem that the wizards' quintessences sure did end up trapped in the rocks somehow. even if the stones are now purified ... well, they did apparently transform from an inert state to somehow causing trouble in all the countries thus far somehow

but also, a thought, idle: ]


... Hᴏᴡ ᴄᴜʀɪᴏᴜs ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀsᴛʟᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ. Tʜᴇʏ'ᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴊᴜᴅɪᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴡɪᴢᴀʀᴅs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛᴏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴄʟᴀɪᴍ.

Oɴᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴍɪɴᴅs ɴᴏᴡ.
jokey: (a4ICRvF)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-06-04 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Akira looks back at Ahito and nods.]

Mm, but not the weird kind that makes you confess your true feelings or get all sappy and romantic. I bought it off a merchant in Central.

You know... I was thinking about throwing a little party with it. Something to get our minds off all this unpleasant stuff.
jokey: (j2SCs24)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-06-04 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[He stirs to the sound of Kurapika's panicked voice, the call of his name ringing like bells in his ears. His mind's all fuzzy, and when he opens his eyes, he can barely focus on Kurapika. Still... at least he's alive, no?]

...Hey.

[What's up, homie?]
revengier: (06)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
Is that all you have to say?

[ He frowns, deep enough that it's easy to see even as Akira can't focus his gaze at anything in particular. But now that Akira's awake, his voice has taken on a much calmer affect, and he presses a hand to his cheek, murmuring his incantation to cast a healing spell. The warmth that blankets Akira is soft yet fiery, filling his very veins with what should now be a familiar magical scent. ]

What were you doing out here?
jokey: (5jSCW5B)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-06-04 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[...Better, much better. It takes a minute for the heat to sink into his skin and clear the fog from his mind, but once it does, Akira can think coherently enough to give Kurapika an answer. He still can't move, however, his limbs tight against his sides.]

I was... looking for someone.
revengier: (40)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
Someone who didn't want to be found, clearly.

[ How long was Akira even looking? With a sigh, Kurapika pulls out an extra pair of gloves from his pockets and charms them so that they're as warm as typical handwarmer from a supermarket before sliding them onto Akira's hands. ]

Who was it?

[ He'll summon up a broom soon, he just needs to work on getting Akira warm enough for the ride first, and he may as well question him while he's doing just that. ]
leewards: (007)

[personal profile] leewards 2024-06-04 02:42 am (UTC)(link)
Seems to me that they haven't a spare. [After all, he did not hear of a second prince or even a cousin of the prince while he was in the castle.] They lack a choice, and must live with the fact that the crown prince is a wizard and not one of their own.

[Now he takes a seat on the ground, leaning against Robin's neck, mirroring how he sat weeks ago, back at the beach.]
jokey: (1591591 (55))

[personal profile] jokey 2024-06-04 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
...Yeah. Something like that.

[Solomon most surely did not want to be found, and if Akira had the blessing of foresight, he would have left him be. Nothing can be gained from chasing down someone who doesn't want to be found. He gets that now.

Akira shifts, burying his face in Kurapika's clothes. He doesn't want to have this discussion right now, but he knows how Kurapika is. He has no choice.]


Solomon.
dyingtohealyou: ([Smile] I sing the dream)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah?

Sounds pretty fun. When were you thinking?
revengier: (109)

[personal profile] revengier 2024-06-04 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ He certainly doesn't, evident by the sigh that escapes Kurapika's lips. ]

And what were you doing all the way out here looking for him? At least have some sense and know when to give it up.

[ His tone is scolding and his words are blunt, but he places a hand on the back of Akira's head anyway, fingers gently tangling in his hair. With his free hand, he summons his broom. ]

Well, you can explain all of it to me on the way back. We're not staying here.
jokey: (KhxQffk)

[personal profile] jokey 2024-06-04 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Let's give it a few days for the dust to settle. After that, we'll throw a party, but we need a theme.

[Yes, he's using "we" here, because obviously Ahito is planning this party with him.]

I'm thinking "under 21 only". Why should adults be the only ones having fun?
dyingtohealyou: ([Sweat] my feeling of unease)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
Well... you did mention you were found...

Were you originally of the beasts of the forest, or...?
dyingtohealyou: ([Smile] Where you are)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
I can get behind that. Don't want anyone bringing down the mood.

[Like certain shady grandpas,,,,]

Just how much wine did you actually get? There's a bunch of teens here, you know.
leewards: (004)

[personal profile] leewards 2024-06-04 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. Beasts eat their dead. [A bit disgusting, but true. Take the nutrients in their bodies, fill their bellies, and move on.]

No, humans left me in the forest, and a witch found me. Then one day, I decided I'd had enough of humans, and cast away what little humanity I have left to become a monster.

[Of course, there is a lot he's skipping, but he's not about to elaborate.]
dyingtohealyou: ([Smile] color or shape to it)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks, I'll take all the luck I can get.
dyingtohealyou: ([Sigh] The lonely parade)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
I'll judge enough for the both of us, then.
dyingtohealyou: ([Think] Someone is crying out)

[personal profile] dyingtohealyou 2024-06-04 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
[...Ah.]

...Yeah. I see what you mean.

[...Shame it didn't work out for either of them, though, now did it?]