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

[ khun watches the fight with interest, paying special attention to kurapika's expressions and moves. it's not a style he's seen before which isn't surprising, but it also feels like it has roots in martial arts which he is trained in.

something does surprise him, at least a little‐the cold heartedness coming from a younger version of the reflection he's come to know so well. he supposes it makes sense, because he himself can be that frigid, but it really doesn't suit kurapika he thinks. ]

Cocky. [ the familiar crunching of bones draws elicits a light shake of his head, more reflex than anything else. his chest visibly rises as he draws a breath, but he doesn't show any other symptoms of the oppressive atmosphere. though maybe the way he cranes his neck to try to get a better view might also just be him trying to find cleaner air to breath. ]

We're you that mad that you wanted to play with him?

Edited 2024-05-26 00:13 (UTC)

[ He'd be right about the roots in martial arts, as that's where Kurapika has borrowed a lot of his hand to hand combat practices from. ]

...I wasn't playing. I was testing my abilities.

[ Is that better or worse, really? Tamping down his emotions enough that he has no issues with goading his opponent into using his full strength just so he can see what happens and how he might need to adjust rather than outright toying with him?

That thought sits with the Kurapika standing by Khun's side as the younger Kurapika withdraws, landing on a clifftop opposite the real Kurapika and Khun. He lifts his hand, stating that he's able to hide the presence of his power. That prompts his opponent to try to move... only to find out he can't.

He's quite literally chained in place. There's a back and forth about powers, talked about in terms and phrases that Kurapika has only somewhat explained to Khun just due to its complicated nature, but what he can gather? Kurapika purposefully obscured the type of power he had just for this very moment. In other words—

"My bluff just paid off. While you were making empty threats, my chains were already wrapped around your body." And each of those hits? Those were moments Kurapika took advantage of to slowly wind his chains around the other man's body. Kurapika pulls, tugging him forward and knocking him off balance just enough to make him stumble, but not so much that he falls to the ground. There's an eerie calmness to his demeanor as he does so, as if he's testing his opponent rather than taunting him.

This is an assessment.

"You've been captured." There's a stillness to his voice as he says so, and his posture matches, a cool calmness as he watches his opponent try to work out why he's losing this battle. "I see you're having trouble understanding. Let me illuminate this for you before I send you to the other side."

With his free hand, Kurapika removes the contacts in his eyes, revealing an eerily bright red. This red is different than the red of his affliction, only covering his irises rather than the entirety of his eyes. These are the real Scarlet Eyes.

His opponent perks up in understanding, if only just a little. "Those eyes. I remember them, there were a bunch of them out in the middle of nowhere. The boss really liked those eyes." He laughs. "They were pretty strong! So, you're a survivor? Then let's see what's stronger—your grudge or my power!"

Kurapika frowns, spitting out that he'll never be able to break the chains wrapped around him. And the man tries, attempting to summon up his aura in the same way he had before, when it had come easily to him. The surge of oppressive power that's meant to come, however, simply... doesn't. He falters back a few steps, sweating from the futile effort and looking confused.

"When my eyes turn Scarlet, I become a Specialist. I wield full control over every category of Nen."

And in a one-on-one fight? That means he has full advantage, which he demonstrates by immediately healing the shattered bones in his arm with one of his chains. Within seconds, it's as if he hadn't been hit at all.

There's a reason he chose a one-on-one fight, too, and the opponent currently wrapped in his chains. Kurapika has no problem revealing this information to the man either, and that he'd picked the strongest member of the Phantom Troupe for a reason—to see if he could truly break out of his Chain Jail through physical strength alone. And, as the man struggles against the chains...

That certainly proves that none of them will be able to break them. ]

Apparently so. [ khun watches, assesses, thoughtful. ]

Not bad, though now I have to wonder about the practicality of contacts in the midst of battle.

[ it's a bit of a joke but also a touch serious; do you really want to be messing with your eyes like that in combat? mainly though he says it to anchor them to the present rather than the past. ]

[ It helps, a little. It keeps Kurapika's feet solidly on the ground, reminds him that he's here and not back in that fight.

He breathes out, a soft exhale that betrays a bit of his exhaustion. ]

They're necessary.

[ The fight continues, the Kurapika down below rushing towards his opponent with a punch powerful enough that his fist digs into the man's abdomen, causing blood to spill forth from his mouth and onto the dirt.

"It looks as though my enhanced fist is slightly stronger than your physical brawn," Kurapika remarks, almost mechanically. This is an important observation, one that will serve him well. "This is valuable information. I can beat every member of the Troupe barehanded, provided I've chained them." He moves the chains around his opponent, momentarily constricting them around his body before easing their grip just a bit. "Tell me everything you know."

Silence. After a moment, Kurapika aims another punch towards just underneath his ribs, forcing up more blood.

"Where are the others?"

"Kill me."

Kurapika's expression darkens, his mouth turning down into an angry frown, as he surges forward and aims for the man's arm instead. The bones crush under his fist and his opponent grits his teeth.

"What abilities do they have?"

"Kill me."

Calm, quiet, resolute. He'd rather Kurapika kill him than give away any real answers, and that prompts Kurapika to hit him again. Again. Again. Again. Each strike breaks and fractures new bones, damages organs, forces him to expel more blood until Kurapika is covered in it—it's on his hair, his clothes, his face.

Finally, Kurapika steps back, breaths heavy and uneven. His voice trembles and he doesn't mean to yell, yet it happens anyway.

"It makes me sick... The sensation left on my hand. The grating sound of each strike. The smell of blood. It all throws my senses into a disarray. How can you do these things, yet feel and think nothing at all?! Answer me!"

"Kill me."

That seems to be the last straw, as Kurapika extends a chain that pierces him in the heart, wrapping around the organ. It's a conditional bond, the sort that will allow him to live just a little bit longer if he obeys Kurapika's order. If he doesn't, the bond activates, crushing his heart and killing him. He must answer a question and answer it honestly. Kurapika's question is the same as it has been: Where are the others?

And just like that, his opponent laughs.

"Die, fool."

The rule is broken, and his opponent is dead.

He falls in a large heap in the dirt, and Kurapika walks over to a spot on the ground where he left his phone and makes a phone call. It's a one-sided conversation, but it sounds like he's checking in on his employer. It's quick enough, and he hangs up, an empty look in his eyes as he regards the result of his revenge.

Then, he grabs the shovel he brought and begins to dig a hole, every movement mechanical, as if he can't allow his mind or his emotions to be in the moment. But he has to do this. Everyone deserves a proper burial, to be honored in some fashion after their death. And as he digs underneath the moonlight, the scenery around them begins to melt away and shift back into the forest. ]

[ khun watches the man's obvious end approach impassive, cold. someone like this...they need to be broken first or they won't yield. sometimes in body, sometimes in spirit and not at all as straightforward as what he's witnessing in front of him. broken bones hurt but they're a familiar pain for those who've trained their body. a myriad of options run through his head and khun sighs, shaking his head in time with the clank of metal against dirt at the burial.

he's thought as much, but it's been made more apparent now. ]

...you're not cut out for this, Kurapika. You should leave these kinds of jobs up to people like me who don't care about others. [ it might sound harsh, but it's less of a judgment and more him trying to be factual, and in his own way, comforting. ]

[ It's harsh, but that's what he expects of Khun. He'll tell Kurapika his honest thoughts without any worry that it might hurt Kurapika's feelings.

The breath he lets out is sharp. ]

It's that obvious, isn't it? That I hate killing.

[ That it breaks him, scatters pieces of him that he can never get back. ]

Yeah. Protect that part of yourself, however you can.

[ kurapika probably already knows this, but he feels like he needs to say it again anyway. ]

[ Protect it...

It's one thing to know, but another thing to hear it from someone else. It feels as if the wind has been knocked out of him momentarily, but he finally takes in a soft breath. ]

That would mean giving up my goals.

[ Which is the answer he comes to time and time again. ]

Does it? Find someone like me. Find someone you can share that burden with. Just don't bear it like you have been.

[ khun thinks there's a lot of options, but kurapika has to be open to them first. ]

...I'll see what I can do.

[ His mind immediately goes to Akira, but he can't put that burden on him. Someone kind like him should never have to kill, and so... that's why Khun is right. It should be someone just like him. ]

There aren't many people in my world like you that I can trust.

[ Because despite everything, he really does trust Khun. ]

[ he smiles, wry. ]

Maybe try smiling more. Even people like me can't ignore that. [ that's the closest he'll get to a compliment here, and he tips his head to signal they should get out of this woods while they have the chance. ]

That almost sounds like a compliment.

[ Khun likes his smile? This is news to him, but... he'll take it, he supposes.

And he'll also take that signal, quickly treading back on the path they came into the forest on. ]

Almost.

[ out of the forest they hopefully go, dodging all the memories along the way—

yeah right.

the scene plays out similar to kurapika's, clearly the memory of a distant past.

By Order of the Princess

when it's over, khun's affect is mostly flat, though not entirely. ]

...see what I mean? [ let someone like him deal with killing others, someone like him who felt no remorse for driving his own sister to suicide. ]

[ He hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath until Khun finally speaks and all of it leaves him in a rush of an exhale. ]

...You told me about this, and yet... it's one thing to see it than it is to hear of it.

[ To see the lack of regret in Khun's eyes, the matter-of-fact way he spoke of his betrayal.

It's something that Kurapika finds that he needs to process. ]

[ his smile on his lips is cool though his tone is unchanged. ]

Kiseia thought we were family, but that word loses meaning when you're a Khun. And when you were born solely to aid someone else.

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. ]

My mother told me she loved me, and I'm sure she did, just not in the usual way. I don't really hold it against her, but I don't think I owe her more than I gave her.

I doubt we'll ever cross paths again anyway. [ and if they do, it won't be soon if khun has any say in it. ]

You don't.

[ Of that much, Kurapika is sure of. ]

Why won't you cross paths? Is that a result of your betrayal?

[ ...hmn. khun lets that sit, which is as much acceptance of kurapika's approval as he can manage. ]

I have a long way to go still. And she has a lot of enemies and isn't the type to lie down and cut her losses.

And past that...she doesn't have a reason to seek me out.

[ he thinks, anyway. and he certainly won't be the one to seek her out. ]

A stalemate like that can be for the best.

[ ... ]

You know, I have a friend whose mother loves him but only sees him for the purpose with which he can serve the family. He's much happier out of their grasp.

Oh? Are you trying to tell me you have two now?

I am. I have no shame in admitting that I consider you a friend. A good friend, even.

You've come so far. [ a beat. ] I didn't really do friends until recently, so I guess that makes two of us.

[ he's not allergic, but it's still kind of weird to say. ]

[ He laughs. ]

Congratulations on finally having friends. I hope it's a worthwhile experience for you.

Shut up, you're far from the first. [ #3 is far enough, right? yeah. ]

Let's get going before either of us share any more heart warming memories with each other.

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revengier - 2024-06-07 23:33 (UTC) - Expand

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lighthaus - 2024-06-08 03:16 (UTC) - Expand

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thousand dreams, lotus boats upon the waters

cw broken bones commentary!

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cw violence/blood, etc

cw; violence/torture

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cw; suicide, violence

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