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

[troublereduction]

[ Indeed, if Tatara won't pay the stranger any mind, Day won't either. He watches Tatara's face, trying his best to keep his own expression neutral and failing. This...does not seem like Tatara has managed to reach a peaceable conclusion. Who would, with a death in these circumstances?

So he ends up asking, quietly: ]

Do you want a hug, Tatara? [ Because Day doesn't know what else he can offer. ]

[1145pm]

[ The stranger eventually leaves, leaving dream-Tatara alone on the cold concrete to bleed out. He reaches for his phone, makes a phone call, and distressed voices come from the other end.

The real Tatara's eyes lower to look at Day. He bites his lip, keeping his tears back, and gives a small nod.

Please. ]

[troublereduction]

[ Day carefully moves to wrap his arms around Tatara's shoulders and pulls him into a hug. It's perhaps a little tighter than he might have done otherwise, like some part of him is irrationally afraid Tatara will be gone if he lets go. Much like how he kept holding his hand this entire time.

Tatara deserved something better than what had happened. And maybe life in this strange world is a second chance, but it still hurts to know this was what he went through. ]

[1145pm]

[ Tatara remains perfectly in place in Day's hold, and doesn't move. His breathing is deliberately even as he tries to keep a handle on himself, and his eyes remain flat, and open. If he blinks, he thinks to himself, he might cry. And he doesn't want to do that.

Dream-Tatara mumbles to himself as his death nears, and Tatara remembers saying all of this. It's himself, after all. He can carefully trace the lines of his own thoughts and knows his conclusion.

So he says it again, in tandem with his dream self, to assure Day: ]

I was...happy...

[ Not about his death, of course. But— ]

My life wasn't perfect, but it felt like it was... I had everything I needed, and everything I wanted. I just...

[ He pauses to bite his lip again. ]

...wish I could've wished her happy birthday.

[troublereduction]

[ Day has to tell himself to believe in Tatara when he says that he was happy with his life. Even if he died that way, he still had a fulfilling life.

It still hurts to see him like this. ]

I know, but... You can cry if you need to. [ Not want to, because Day is alike in this regard. ]

[1145pm]

[ Tatara remains still and his eyes, dry for a little moment longer. The door to the roof swings open and several thuggish looking young men rush and surround dream-Tatara's body. One falls to his knees and cradles him, shouting his name.

But it's too late.

It's hearing the voices of the people he cared so much for that eventually breaks the dam. He's not a loud crier, but his shoulders shudder in Day's hold, and his tears dampen whatever part of Day's clothes that Tatara rests his shoulder on.

The boys keep shouting Tatara's name, but it all fades as the dream does, and eventually, the two are left standing in the Forest of Dreams once again. ]

[troublereduction]

[ Day realises that, perhaps, it is terrible timing to be thinking this, but he still has the thought anyway: he's glad that Tatara loved and was loved in return. And he hopes that this is still true of him, even now.

He lets Tatara cry on him, rubbing circles on his back with one hand to try and comfort him. ]