thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

[promittere]

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

Comments

[dyingtohealyou]

[He barely spares a glance Akira's way, obviously more focused on trying to find the source of that sound.]

It's not- it shouldn't be.

[There's no way she of all people would be here-

And, in a way, he's right. She isn't. But there is an illusory boy with his parents, silvery hair and light, though otherwise normal eyes, walking into an equally illusory lab that seems to form around them to meet a robed man who promises him magic, shows him a lonely girl kept isolated in a room, her small body covered in bandaged wounds--

What plays out around them is not a happy story. But the whole while, Ahito can't seem to drag his gaze away, even knowing exactly how it ends.]

[jokey]

[...These are the phantoms that haunt Ahito's past, aren't they? If Akira didn't know the story, at least in part, he might be willing to chalk it up to the forest's hallucinogenic tendencies.

Ahito is a precious test subject. Akira knows this, and yet it angers him. Sickens him.

Akira had wanted to know what made Ahito tick, the reason why he refused to cry even for himself. Now, he realizes, he was better off not knowing.

Akira remains silent at Ahito's side for the duration of the memory. No smarmy remarks this time, and certainly no judgment. For a moment after the memory fades, Akira remains still, subdued, before turning to Ahito.]

...Do you feel responsible for what happened to her?

[dyingtohealyou]

[He glances Akira's way - has to turn his head a little more fully than might be expected, though Akira knows, now, why he can't rely on his vision in his right eye anymore.]

...I did. For a really long time, too. But I know better now.

[Even if it took years and years to confront - later is better than never, right?]

[jokey]

...Happy to hear it.

[Is that what it takes to forgive yourself for a death you didn't cause? Years and years and years? Akira wonders.]

It never gets any easier, losing someone like that. I wish I could give you more unwarranted advice, but you've come farther than me.

[dyingtohealyou]

Oh yeah? Have I earned the right to hear that one yet?

[A little needling, but more a prick than a stab - lightly though not so maliciously pointing out Akira's penchant for taking others' stories and giving little of his own in return.]

[jokey]

Only fair, right? I saw something you didn't want to show me.

[A prick is right, but Ahito's the kind of prick Akira likes. He's been told on several occasions now that he's straight up shitass at talking about himself, but he... can try, at least?

But uh, first things first. Akira broadly gestures to everything that is this damn cold forest.]

Why don't we get out of here first? This place isn't exactly a safe space for storytiming.

[dyingtohealyou]

[If that's how Akira wants to think of it, Ahito's not about to argue. Was the memory pretty awful? Yeah. Has he made a secret of any of the stuff that happened in it? Not really.

Seeing it play out for himself isn't even as bad as it could be. After all, those same scenes haunted his nightmares for literal years; it's not like any of this is new to him.

With an easy grin, he holds out his hand and summons his broom to his side.]

Where to?

[jokey]

Back to the manor. I'm sick and tired of the cold.

[For... various reasons, but they're in the business of not talking much about themselves and their traumas, so Akira leaves it at that. Summoning his broom, he sits on it sidesaddle and heads back towards home.]

You ever drink? I've got a bottle or two that need drinking. I could use some help.

[dyingtohealyou]

If you needed a better ward against the cold, you could've just asked...

[He's been getting a lot of practice in, and for good reason. The second part gives him pause, however.]

...What, like wine?

[jokey]

[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.

[dyingtohealyou]

Oh yeah?

Sounds pretty fun. When were you thinking?

[jokey]

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]

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.

[jokey]

[Does he answer this question honestly...? Eh, it's Ahito. He's not going to snitch on him. Honest answer it is.]

Somewhere in the ballpark of 20 bottles. If we throw our little shindig at the bar, that should take care of any picky drinkers.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Giving an impressed whistle.]

Just how long have you been sitting on all that?

[jokey]

[Please, compliment him more. Akira's preening over here.]

Not that long. A week, maybe two, but the idea of throwing a party's been brewing in my mind for a lot longer.

[dyingtohealyou]

People could probably use the chance to unwind, especially with how busy they've been keeping us.

["They" being anyone from ghosts to the various country officials putting in job requests.]

[jokey]

Exactly. And the more tightlipped among us, maybe you, might feel better with a bit of alcohol loosening their lips.

[No need to tell him that he falls right into the same category. Akira knows, but he's not passing up any opportunity to rib Ahito for being the kind of guy who keeps much to himself.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[Speak for yourself Akira, he's been inflicting his trauma on people since like day one.]

You're not going to make me wait that long for storytime, are you?

[jokey]

Are you that desperate to hear me spill the beans?

[Akira snorts. Ahito, you drama monger.]

The sooner you help me plan, the sooner we'll be partying it up and dishing out way too much personal info.

[dyingtohealyou]

And here I thought I was finally going to get something after my terrible life got dragged out for you to watch...

[Woe is him.]

[jokey]

Aw, c'mon. I don't mind sharing, but I'm not going to divulge the full details in front of a room full of people.

[Which Ahito will find out! But if he asks Akira again when it's just the two of them, he might be gracious enough to go into exacting detail.]

[dyingtohealyou]

Then why can't you tell me before the party?

[jokey]

I need time to mentally prepare.

[Yeah. That's his excuse. Take it or leave it, shorty.]

[dyingtohealyou]

Geeze, so particular...

I'm gonna hold you to that.