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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hmm...let me think about it for a moment.

[ Pause. ]

Play catch.

[ Yeah, let them throw mana stones at each other.

Anyway he is following along, and considering he hasn't bothered picking up the stones and throwing them, he clearly isn't being serious. ]

[ That makes him smile a little bit, even as they continue forward. ]

I'm almost disappointed that you haven't actually picked one—

[ ...Hm.

At some point, the scenery had shifted, the forest trees morphing into something else entirely—the hallways of a large, upscale building. In the middle of the hallway are closed double doors, the sound of a muffled voice speaking into a microphone coming from inside.

The sound of footsteps pattering down the hall come from behind, and if Jing Yuan isn't fast enough, he'll be clipped by someone familiar running past. He's slightly younger and wearing different clothes, but it certainly is Kurapika.

Does he follow? ]

[ Jing Yuan is casting alongside an amused look in Kurapika's general direction, because yeah. Maybe he is picking up a manastone to do exactly that (okay he is not going to play catch with the manastones!!)

But, anyway the sudden shift in surroundings has him reorienting his focus pretty much immediately.

The sound of someone coming along does at least give an indication that they are coming along at all. Enough that Jing Yuan steps out of the way, looking a bit, hm. Perturbed. ]

...Kurapika, it appears we are in the midst of an illusion.

[ He says that, certain the real one may be able to hear him? Maybe...anyway, he moves along forward, heading right towards the path of where the young Kurapika is headed. Where does it take him? ]

[ Can Currentpika hear him? It's hard to say, because he's... not there, at least not right at the moment.

It seems all Jing Yuan can do is talk to the one that nearly bumped into him. As he follows, he'll find himself in front of those double doors, still swinging from Kurapika disappearing behind them in a flurry. ]

[ 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)

[ 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. ]

[ ...

You know, without having had that conversation with Kurapika, this would be still horrible, though with an absence of potential context. Either way, this is incredible disgusting and disturbing, so Jing Yuan looks upon this auction with the literal deserving amount of judgment it deserves.

The darkness within the hearts of people can be great and unfortunate indeed. ]

Hrm.

Proceeding in line with the memory, then.

[ A mutter to himself as he watches this continue to unfold, with...a feeling of empathy for Kurapika have to sit through this; to have to participate at all. This must be unpleasant; the reaction is enough to see that, but even without it, he knows this. ]

[ The bids go up and up and up, until without missing a single beat, Kurapika raises his hand. ]

Five hundred million!

[ That should place him ahead enough of everyone else for him to safely retrieve them. That should be enough.

That is, until someone steps out from behind Jing Yuan, short in stature but overtly slimy.

"One billion." He laughs at Kurapika's shocked expression, but he's no less determined to win. Ask forgiveness later, not permission.

...

And so... the eyes are sold for 2.9 billion, with Kurapika as the winner. Shaking with anger, Kurapika steps out into the hallway as the auction wraps up so he can make a phone call. It's hard, trying to unlock his phone when he's so angry. ]

[ Jing Yuan is well aware of how black market auctions themselves can operate. Though, it certainly doesn't make them any more palpable watching them in action for certain.

The currency too is unlikely to be anything that is familiar to him, but even he can start recognizing that it is reaching staggering amounts once they exceed millions, and are spearheaded into the billions.

The stranger is given a scrutinizing look, before he places his gaze back upon Kurapika. He decides to pay more close attention to the blond who is experiencing further emotional turmoil; though there isn't anything he can do in the moment, even as he walks a bit closer so he can hear whatever he's going to say to the caller... ]

[ He can hear those footsteps approaching and he throws Jing Yuan a glance over his shoulder as he holds the phone up to his ear, but he makes no move to create distance between them. This is a signal of his own—this phonecall is unimportant, if Jing Yuan is someone trying to gain information on the Nostrade family. ]

It was 2.9 billion. [ There's an exclamation of surprise on over the phone, the voice of an older man, as he repeats the figure. ] Yes. The skinhead who was in the room with the assassins put up a fight.

[ The man on the other line curses. After a pause, Jing Yuan will hear over the line:

"Well, that's not a problem. Good job."

And then the line disconnects. ]

...

[ Kurapika stares down at his phone for a long, long moment before looking up to finally fully regard Jing Yuan. For just a moment, it seems like he's about to say something, when a woman opens up the double doors.

"The Nostrade family's auction item is ready."

Without wasting a second, Kurapika marches past Jing Yuan and into the auditorium. ]

[ He isn't in the auditorium for long, but it's the last item auctioned off, so the number of people milling about in the hallways is minimal.

And right now? It's just Jing Yuan.

So it's only Jing Yuan that sees Kurapika leave the auditorium with a white box in his arms, holding it close to his chest as he begins to walk down the hall. His steps are slightly uneven, uncoordinated in a way that betrays the intense flood of emotions surging through him. ]

[ Well, that is a strange sensation; of all the things, Jing Yuan hadn't anticipated that Kurapika would end up staring at him mid-memory, but perhaps he may be less himself and maybe someone else entirely. Which is honestly something that could make sense, though it isn't exactly a theory he is looking to commit to completely.

As it is, it isn't something he's about to dwell upon.

The memory is already moving along regardless.

Strange, how he is the only one in the auditorium with Kurapika. ]

...Kurapika?

[ He opens his mouth in a ask, as he follows, noticing the way the other moves, footsteps unsteady. Though, the memory certainly won't allow him to affect much, he asks nevertheless; it's just out of his usual form of worry. But, recognizing how useless it is, he just falls silent regardless. ]

[ Kurapika stops in his tracks, fingers grasping tightly at the box in his arms.

He doesn't turn around. ]

...How do you know my name?

[ His tone is carefully even, but there's an undercurrent of something else there, something akin to pure, unbridled rage. It isn't unusual for someone to know his name, not after he's moved up quickly in the ranks of the Nostrade family's security detail, but to ask for him out of concern?

That's new. ]

[ Hmm.......great.....

This certainly has never happened before while he was caught up in a memory, even where he was able to 'speak' while matters were progressing. He quickly looks at his hands to see if they so happen to look like his own.

Well, this is already going to go terribly, because he has no good excuse available; his limited knowledge of Kurapika's past, though bolstered somewhat, is severely lacking. ]

I have heard of your name before, prior to all of this.

My apologies for troubling you, but you looked quite upset. Though, I suppose it is none of my business.

You're right. It isn't.

[ Kurapika begins to walk again. He can't have a conversation right now, he can't, not when the rage in his chest threatens to overflow—

He stops. This is something he's worked on. He can control it.

He can. ]

You do know what's in this box, don't you...?

[ Jing Yuan standing there as it seems like Kurapika is about to just walk off, and he is considering his options.

Not that it matters for long, since that suddenly appears to be the opposite of the case here because then he stops walking, and hm.

That sure is a question he is asking. ]

Yes.

With that wretched auction happening, it'd be hard not to.

[ A pair of red eyes; ones that must have been taken from one of Kurapika's clan members. ]

You're right. It is wretched.

[ He still refuses to turn around, the seething anger in his chest threatening to bubble over any moment. If he were to actually look at this man—

A deep breath. ]

I suppose that's why you didn't bid.

[ He would recognize the voice, after all, having committed each and ever single bidder to memory. ]

[ 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.

[ Someone actually against this practice is rare in the underground, with so many hellbent on owning a pair of Scarlet Eyes, both for their beauty and rarity.

As such, Jing Yuan's words surprise him, and it takes Kurapika a moment to even gather a response. ]

And what will you do about your limits?

[ Will he report his auction? Will he kill the auctioneers? ]

[ In turn, Jing Yuan is made to give pause for a moment, not knowing how to answer the question at first. But, all the same, he isn't the type to allow himself to be silent. ]

If there is a way to bring down this place, I will find it. I suspect I would need to stop the individual who has been chiefly coordinating this to make a difference, however.

[ Jing Yuan doesn't know if that is even possible, but that would be his first choice of action back home.

Killing the people who bid doesn't necessarily guarantee that it will stop, neither does bringing it to the attention of the authorities. He'd need to research about it, and observe all manners of attack. ]

It's the mafia themselves.

[ He breathes out, slowly, some of the rage dissipating. It isn't enough, though. He can still feel it flowing through him, the eyes in his arms a conduit for it. A reminder. ]

If you think you can take all of them out, be my guest.

[ The mafia...

...

Well then. That makes things a bit complicated, doesn't it? Not that he imagines he can simply upend matters to such a grand degree in a memory — even if it is interactive. Though, he will do his best, and see where it leads. ]

I'll find a way to do something about it — about them. Even if I doubt I can manage it now, and it truly sounds like an ordeal.

But...better to give it a try than to do nothing instead.

[ This really wasn't the encounter he was expecting, but... he can't say he's angry over it either. Which is why he finally turns and faces Jing Yuan, his eyes a bright, burning red. It's the sort of red that's hard to look away from, a scarlet just as intense as the eyes in the box Kurapika has his arms wrapped around. ]

You're a nice person. So... I think you should leave.

[ The rage in his body is hard to contain, and he doesn't want Jing Yuan caught in the crossfire. Facing Jing Yuan, it's obvious that he's trembling, his fingers shaking as well as his legs... it's why he was stumbling as he walked. ]

You see... I don't care who I kill right now. Leave.

[ This man is kind, and he doesn't deserve the wrath threatening to be released. ]

[ Jing Yuan can't say he anticipated this kind of encounter either. All things considered, he believes he is simply fortunate that he hadn't come to blows.

That said, the red that is evident in Kurapika's eyes looks familiar. Not because he has seen it from the other before, but it mirrors the color of a Mara-struck individual. Even if clearly that isn't the case, and he does have context for it.

The sheer force of will Kurapika must have in this memory must be quite high. ]

...Very well.

Stay safe.

[ With that, he turns on his heel to retrace his steps, not quite in the mood to tempt fate in regards to facing a fight he'd rather avoid. ]

[ And as he turns back through the hallway, retracing his steps, the environment around him slowly melts back into the forest.

...And he comes face to face with Kurapika again. Only this time, he's the one that Jing Yuan has come to know—slightly older and much less volatile. ]

I caught a small glimpse of what happened. You did well, considering I didn't threaten you immediately.

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