promittere: (Default)
lunae calamitas mods ([personal profile] promittere) wrote in [community profile] lunaecalamitas2024-04-04 11:33 pm

if you say it's magic, then you're my wizard

WANING GIBBOUS OVERTURE
The seconds tick by, the elevator rattles. There's a soft, musical chime announcing your arrival before the elevator doors creak open, leaving you and a number of others in the courtyard of a stone manor. The manor is large, looming over the trees surrounding it, and the gardens are well maintained, rows of hedges and beds of blooming flowers as far as you can see. The doors linger open until you clear the threshold, as if waiting patiently for you. Dawdle too long and you’ll feel a gentle push, nudging you out into the yard. The doors shut with more rattles and a cheerful ding!, and if you turn to look at it there's nothing to be seen behind you but the milling strangers.

Then there's a sting, mild at first. But soon, the spot where your sage's crest is starts to burn. It's as though you have been branded, and the searing heat clings to your skin. Should you look at your crest, you'll find it glows a faint red, like the dying embers of a fire, but given enough time it will cool to black and no longer hurt.

Once the pain fades, you notice is that the air around you feels distinctly different. It's hard to say exactly what makes it different, or how. It feels brittle, but malleable. That perhaps if you said or did the right thing, you could command reality to your liking—

The wind blows, stirring leaves and flowers, and that's when you notice there are two people in the courtyard that did not emerge from the elevator like everyone else. The taller of the two looks briefly shocked, before a warm smile blots it out, while the shorter of the two looks remarkably unimpressed—for as much as you can make out his expression under the large hat he wears. He glances at the taller man, the charms that hang from his hat clinking, and crosses his arm over his chest.

The taller man nods, turns to the group, and says, "Sorry. I know you were probably in the middle of something important. But...I need you. My name is Tatara Totsuka. I'm your sage, and you are my witches and wizards."

He looks up to the moon hanging in the sky, still pale and visible despite the light of day, and lays it all out for you: a wizard under the sage's guidance is supposed to fight off the Great Calamity—the moon—when it nears. But you are not meant to carry out this task. The original sage and twenty-one wizards suddenly vanished not long ago. No one knows what happened to them, or where they are. They aren't dead. They are gone.

That you are here, that there are so many of you, that you came from different worlds, means that this is a mistake. Something, somewhere, isn't right. Yet the world has decided to claim you in a frantic attempt to keep itself together.

This world is breaking. If you don't fix this, then you'll be stuck here fighting the Calamity yourselves.

When Tatara looks back down to the rest of you, there's a smile on his face, tinged with apology. "But I think it'll be okay. We'll figure this out... Right?"

The golden light of sunset is oddly cold. It settles over you not in a welcoming embrace, but in a possessive hold. There is a sinking feeling in your gut: whatever your home was before matters no longer. Welcome to a world on the brink of destruction—let's hope it's not for good.


The day begins to draw to a close. You're given the rest of the day to process Tatara's words and to familiarize yourselves with the manor. There are plenty of empty spaces in the manor with sparse furniture where you can rest and try to unwind, and hopefully get some sleep. Everything about today might be a lot to unpack, but surely you can at least relax and prepare for the next day.

The morning starts with the sound of bells. A cacophonous racket of them, ringing in your rooms, in your head, jolting you from whatever slumber you can grasp. The source seems to be a note, unassuming if not for the way it shakes with each toll of the bells, and the noise only stops when you read it.

"Go to the courtyard," it says, and if you try to ignore it the noise returns, growing louder and louder until your vision swims and you find yourself standing in the courtyard with everyone else—and the shorter of the two men from yesterday.

"Practice starts right now," he says, looking bored and just as unimpressed as he did yesterday. The sun has barely started over the horizon—it's early, almost absurdly so. "You need to learn magic sooner instead of later, unless you want to die like miserable worms. If you do, just quit now so we can replace you with someone useful."

His explanation on magic is brief—he explains that magic is a deal struck between caster and the spirits of the world, using a meaningful word or phrase to communicate your will to the as-of-yet unseen spirits of the world, who will respond to your desires and power your magic. A focus, an object of significant meaning, will help strengthen your ties to the land and direct the magic for your spells. If you have nothing that would work as a focus right now, he says, chances are the perfect thing will find you anyways.

While he looks unhappy to do so, he emphasizes that magic—as it works here—is all tied to your emotions and your convictions, and then he assigns you a challenge for the week. He wants you to come up with your incantation—the words you'll use to cast all of your magic—as well as find or draw forward your focus, with the final task being summoning a magic broom you'll use for transportation.
Threading out magic practice and ICly discovering your characters' magic words, manifesting their foci, and summoning their broom will count as three different jobs, and will be eligible for a set of rewards each. While not technically classified as a job this time around, this is a special circumstance. When you've accomplished any of these things, please submit them to the rewards page as a job submission.

If you're having trouble coming up with a focus or incantation, think about your answers for the first and third mandatory questions on your app! Your focus of choice does not have to be in your character's inventory—if what works best for them as a focus did not come with them, then they can focus and reach across universes to bring it here with them.

JOB BOARD
You may have just gotten here, but people across the continent still need the sage's wizards to do things for them. The job board will typically have 2 - 3 requests each event that can be turned in for rewards when completed.
Sugar delivery. Confectionery shops and pharmacies put in regular orders for wizard sugar to the manor, and despite the unusual circumstances, now is no different. Wizard sugar—sugar spontaneously created through a wizard's magic—is said to have restorative properties and said to bless those that consume it, so it's no wonder it's in high demand. It also happens to be one of the first things young wizards learn to do. So once you've perfected your sugar, go deliver it to the shops in Central capital and to the Southern merchants waiting for shipment near the Central tower.

The Southern merchants, in particular, seem rather anxious to receive as much sugar as possible, as soon as possible.

WANDERER TASKS
The wizards' new mentor knows that this must be an incredibly overwhelming experience, so he has a list of things that should help break down the process of learning and understanding magic. Or that's what he says, at least, but it feels like he's trying to make things more difficult...
Nobody is going to hold your hands for you, and the best way to learn is to understand the root cause of an issue. Use that paper being left around for something actually useful and do some research on the spirits of the countries you've been tasked to represent. I'll be expecting some actual thought out papers within the week.

For the idiots who can't research to save their lives, prove you can actually manage the bare minimum. There's a spot you can't reach without magic within the manor grounds—bring me one of the trinkets you find there.

For the even bigger idiots who are overconfident, come find me and we can spar. I won't go easy on you.

TATARA ACTIVITIES
Tatara knows things are tense and uncomfortable for his new wizards, so he'll offer up a few activities each event post to help them relax if things get too tough.
We're all new here, but we'll be friends before long, I know it! There's a table in the dining room with paper, pens, markers, glitter, and pins so we can all make name tags and get to know each other better. We'll go from strangers to neighbors to besties before you know it!

Oh, you should probably get a feel of the manor, too. This IS your new home, after all! And what better way than...hide and seek?! Sounds fun, right? I'd tell you MY favorite spot to hide, but then that wouldn't be fair!

I don't know how long we're going to be here, so it probably wouldn't hurt to settle in. Grab a friend or two and head to the market in the Central capital to stock up on whatever food you like and stuff for your room. May as well get comfortable!

OOC NOTES
🌙 Welcome to Lunae Calamitas's first event post! Yer a wizard, whether you like it or not.
🌙 While not technically jobs, ICly working out your character's focus, incantation, and broom are all separately eligible for rewards. Good luck on your basics, little wizards! You'll need them...
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Please keep all your plotting on the plotting post, since not everyone uses discord or plurk.
🌙 The South will be going on their mission next week to get this party started. Keep an eye out, Southies!
fullspbar: (95)

[personal profile] fullspbar 2024-04-12 08:05 am (UTC)(link)
If it weren't in the kitchen already, hell knows if I'd try eating half that stuff. Not too thrilled about the concept of glowing rice.

[ Or Feels Like Rice™, as the containers like to say. Luckily, a (hesitant) preliminary taste-test proved it at least tastes largely the same. He can work with that.

The question, however, earns a grimace. ]


You know how many mouths that is to feed? Makin' three meals a day, on top of it? I'm fine with cooking for myself, but why should I feed everyone else...they're not my problem.

[ Is what he says now. But give it a while of Kitchen Disasters and Poor Nutrition and he'll probably cave. ]
shadowkin: (Default)

[personal profile] shadowkin 2024-04-12 08:06 am (UTC)(link)
Hmmm. Well, if you haven't fought the moon, then I guess so?

[Looks at the Akademiya, looks at Wanderer-- anyways Cid is definitely wasting time all around but also -- this has been totally fruitful for him, somehow. He would be so proud to know Wanderer's eyes are properly glazing over...

It's also nice to know that somebody else out there wants to punch the moon for fun(???).

He's not too fussed about the magic teaching part of it; it's not like he ever learned all that much from actual teachers anyway.]

Anyway, thanks for the uniform.

[He still has no idea what the colors mean but it's fine. He accordingly just wanders off.]
shadowkin: (013)

[personal profile] shadowkin 2024-04-12 08:17 am (UTC)(link)
[Instead of stopping by the icebox, Cid just trundles his way directly to the pantry, where all the snacks are at. It's a practiced trajectory; he may be in here more often than he should be. Wonder how many midnight snackers are nibbling away........

... so he sticks his head in and starts rummaging, because they appear to have enough cooks and the place hasn't been burned down juuuust yet so surely it's fine. Hmmmmm. Peckish.]

Vacuum... Vacuum....... Oh, we're out of strawberries. Fruits are a pain. [maybe they're in the icebox, Cid] It does clean, though, so -- I think I've seen machines kind of like that. Not maids or roombusses, but they could grab things off the floor if you worked at 'em.

[Though it's not like he's ever used one?? Sometimes you're literally a nobleman's son and sometimes magic is more convenient than dealing with weird proto-vacuums.]
shadowkin: (006)

[personal profile] shadowkin 2024-04-12 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
Isn't there a pretty fancy hat right there? I'm thinking about it.

[Are you thinking about it?? His shit-eating expression says that for a moment before he sobers up (presumably).

Dinosaurs are just smaller dragons, it's totally fine. Maybe that's why Lindwurm is called Lindwurm.....]

It's not like I want to go and wreck the moon or anything-- [lie] --but if it's been so long, it's pretty weird that there isn't much information or research? Maybe I'm just not that good at browsing, but can't say I've really seen much detailed stuff about the moon. Just lots of 'Man! This is scary! We'd better not let our guards down!' and 'Man! The moon can do some crazy stuff, just like that time in the year 28!' or whatever.

So you never know? Could be researching it is as dangerous as fighting it. But the hat shortie said it should be less than a year.

[Still a bit too long for his liking, but sometimes isekais are as isekais do.]
fullspbar: (51)

[personal profile] fullspbar 2024-04-12 08:55 am (UTC)(link)
I can work with what tastes good. Could do without all the weird side effects.

[ Like the screaming. And the popping. And whatever else there is, because there's probably a lot they simply haven't discovered. ]

But food's food, and everybody's got to eat. No use bitching about it.
fullspbar: (96)

[personal profile] fullspbar 2024-04-12 08:58 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I'll pass.

[ He is not riding on the back of another dude's broom. Nevermind he hasn't even summoned his own, since he's not too keen on the idea of broom-riding to begin with... ]

If you wanna fly, then fly. I ain't stopping you. [ Please...don't skip... ] As long as you don't drop anything when we're bringing the groceries back.
1145pm: (pic#16970041)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:06 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm...

[ A dramatic, fake-thinking pose. Well, they're not going anywhere, per se. But metaphorically: ]

Victory against the moon, I guess.
1145pm: (pic#16970045)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ with THESE twink ass limbs??? ]

Nikaido-san! Glad to have you with us!

[ A normal address for now, yes, but wait until he finds out they're twins...

Either way, Tatara raises a hand of his own, and gives a little laugh. ]


You'll be fine. [ Thinking of the regular nightly destruction that came with the last batch of wizards... ] The biggest trouble you can cause me right now is not teaching me how to play basketball.

[ As they reach the end of the hall, their path comes to an end, and the hall diverges left and right on either side of them. Tatara stops, and looks down both. Where to go... ]
fullspbar: (83)

[personal profile] fullspbar 2024-04-12 09:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yes, actually, he must! ]

You sure ain't actin' like it! [ He's keeping that pan away, thanks. Shove another knife in there, my good bitch, he dares you. ] You trying to damage the kitchenware on purpose?

[ Luckily, it shouldn't be more than dented, but even that...why... ]

Whatever iron stomach you got isn't the problem, it's that you think this is edible for anyone else! At 600 degrees, you might as well be making charcoal-
fullspbar: (75)

[personal profile] fullspbar 2024-04-12 09:28 am (UTC)(link)
[ Nobody knows how to mind their own business, huh.

...But he can't really blame the guy, not right now. And maybe if it weren't like this, he'd decline as he always does. He doesn't need people worrying about him.

A moment passes, and Shinjiro exhales sharp. ]


Think what you want- [ Which a lot of people do, ] but I'm not looking for a fight anytime soon.

[ And as for the last part...well, no point in denying the obvious now, he supposes. ]

And I ain't injured. Not anymore, at least.
1145pm: bet u havent heard of it (my hand lotion smells great)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:31 am (UTC)(link)
Kurapika-kun.

[ Nice to meet you!

His eyes close, memories of a lifetime past playing on the back of his eyelids. ]


I do.

[ Is he smiling? ]

We'd have to chase people like that out of our territory every once in a while...
1145pm: (pic#17103119)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ gold star sticker!!! congrats on winning gay chicken!!

Tatara sticks his hands in his pockets and stares up at the sky. It's clear, sunny. ]


When a King loses control, their Sword of Damocles falls. The last Red King left a crater 100 kilometers wide in southern Kanto.

[ He doesn't seem particularly sad, or bothered by it. He stares blankly up at the sky, that little smile still dancing on his lips. ]

I think I was nine...or ten? I just remember everyone around me being so scared.
1145pm: (pic#17103112)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:43 am (UTC)(link)
Whoa, that's so cool!

[ An erhu!!! What if Tatara learned how to play the erhu?! The day hasn't even ended yet and he wants to learn so many things from everyone... ]

I have a guitar! We should play together sometime!
1145pm: (pic#16970045)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:47 am (UTC)(link)
Every year.

[ For millennia.

At that, Tatara drops his hand and casually nestles them in his pockets, tilting his head as he thinks. Good question. ]


Hopefully, we won't have to look into answers for either of those questions.

[ In other words: he doesn't know. ]
1145pm: (pic#17103096)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ He hums... For as familiar the human (?) guy looks, the words coming out of his mouth are not familiar at all. He was a little more confounded when he first came to this world. Maybe it's different hearing about things that just start to dip into the uncanny valley? ]

Huh... I've never heard of an Oriana Kingdom. That's funny...

[ Just that things can be both different and the same. ]

I guess so? [ He leans over the counter to rest his chin on his hand, and he smiles. ] I've never been. I've only heard stories and seen pictures. But I guess it would probably look something like this? I don't really know.
1145pm: (pic#17103102)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Robin is right... He isn't surprised.

When Robin smiles, Tatara mirrors it, though it's more with childlike fascination than anything else. ]


Wow, that's so cool... [ He thinks him cool—will Robin live up to Tatara's expectations? (a jest, in part, but what if—) ]

You'll probably be fine, then. [ He hasn't seen the discrimination in full force for himself, but he thinks someone like this guy will probably be fine. Well. Maybe the humans won't be, but they can cross that bridge when they come to it.

Oh, speaking of— ]


What should I call you, then?
1145pm: (pic#17103097)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
Hm?

[ When his eyes open again, he looks a little confused. Still smiling, though. ]

Is that bad?
troublereduction: (day74)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-12 10:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ This is weirdly charming, seeing someone be so excited about this? ]

Haha, since you're so excited, we should. Kinda wonder how many musicians there are here.
1145pm: (pic#16970054)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm, hmm.

[ Tatara assumes his thinking face, which is just an imitation of an old man pondering the weather. ]

Well, good thing you're the only vampire... [ He doesn't know about Mika! Ha ha ha!

He snaps an eye open. ]
Got it. It'd probably be easier to get more blood from a butcher's, so maybe that balances out somehow. But I'll see what I can do, anyway.
1145pm: (pic#16970059)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ Good thing Tatara had his back turned to Solomon when he put those leaves in there (and when he held out his toy to the sage, sorry big guy). Back to searching for the rice, because he has no reason to doubt this kind man's cooking abilities! ]

My King's! [ Said normal, like this is normal?

When he whirls around again, he has a little packet of something-like-rice in hand. Found it! ]
But he said no when I asked. Oh well!

[ He is not bothered... He strides over and places the pack next to Solomon. ]

What else do you need?
1145pm: (pic#17103096)

[personal profile] 1145pm 2024-04-12 10:13 am (UTC)(link)
No problem!

[ He wants things to work out smoothly just as anyone else here. He's got no reason to make life hard for Maya, or for anyone else, for that matter. Even if the knowledge he can offer is a bit scattered.

But then again, he's got faith they can work this out together. ]


Not really. He's grumpy, but he does care! [ Said affectionately, like he might for a little brother. ] Though he might tell you he doesn't have a name to give, so you can call him Lazuli.

[ You have his full permission :))) ]
leewards: (Default)

magic practice

[personal profile] leewards 2024-04-12 11:18 am (UTC)(link)
Hm hm hmm~

[For someone who's been interrupted while reading a book he's taken from the library, Ithaqua isn't actually bothered by said interruption. He's still as cordial as can be.]

Well, I've something already for a focus. [He's just not saying what it is though.] But an incantation? Mm, perhaps I do have it.

A broom? [That's when he shrugs.]
impacter: (059)

[personal profile] impacter 2024-04-12 12:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[A king, huh.]

I would think serving royalty would make you a knight, not a hound. I wonder why he would say no to enthusiasm like yours.

[He carefully examines the not!rice. Yeah, that should be good enough to fry. Might have to eyeball the doneness, sure, but he trusts his gut.]

Mm... just eggs and a replacement for the dashi. We can improvise the latter - wasn't there seaweed somewhere around here?
lustro: (073)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-04-12 01:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even celestial beings don’t heal in a snap like that.

Ginger doesn’t really know what to make of his last statement, but his mismatched eyes soften a little anyway. Someone else he kinda likes said something similar (‘Uh...let's just say I had a really long night, and I ain't lookin' to pick any fights.’) and they’d end up having a pretty good talk. The vibes were good.

Here… ]


Your mind must be buzzing then. Want a distraction?
lustro: (052)

[personal profile] lustro 2024-04-12 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
That’s true. Usually, when life is speeding into chaos, you don’t really have an option to pause things and come back to it later.

[ If they look at it that way, this is… good? As good at looking through really dirt smudge rose-tinted glasses. ]

I don’t know how much advice I can give on anything, but… talk to me about things, if you need an ear. If not tonight, then anytime during our stay. My name’s Ginger.