promittere: (Default)
lunae calamitas mods ([personal profile] promittere) wrote in [community profile] lunaecalamitas2024-04-18 11:41 pm

you opened your eyes, spreading it wide

THIRD QUARTER ALLEGRO
While our newly-arrived wizards have been settling in, learning their magic, and getting to know one another, the sage and their mentor have been busy with a different kind of work behind the scenes—bureaucratic work. It hasn't been particularly exciting, but it has paid off.

Because now, the world is ready to receive them.

Put on your finest clothes, because Granvelle Castle invites you to a welcome ball in your honor.

Didn't bring any fine clothes with you? No need to worry—specially chosen tailors from Central Capital have been commissioned to take care of you, and they will be visiting the manor to get you gussied up in the fashion of your choice for the day (by this, we mean feel free to pick whatever fancy clothes you want for the ball).

As the sun sets on the designated day, all the residents of the manor make their way to the castle. Granvelle Castle stands proud in Central Capital, its lights a beacon in the darkening city, and its doors open to outsiders for the first time in weeks. Upon arrival they're greeted by brightly lit halls, welcoming staff, and a grand ballroom, windows flung open to let in the spring breeze and pale moonlight. Everyone and everything seems determined to make this a cheerful affair, despite the underlying sense of dread and tension.

Live music fills the air, played the greatest musicians in the world. There are some larger ensembles, solo acts; some pieces are of more traditional folk dances, while some are slower, and some are upbeat and avant-garde. Regardless, the floor is open for dancing—grab a buddy and dance the night away!

Lining one wall is a long banquet table, filled with plenty of food and drink, both alcoholic and non to sate the new arrivals. The hors d'oeuvres and small plates comprise an array of delicacies from around the world, with everything from savory lobster bites to the sweetest portions of tres leches you have ever tasted. It seems someone has also put in a specific request for Japanese food—a part of the banquet table has been set aside specifically for Japanese dishes, and this includes small portions of ramen. There also seems to be a plate on the far end of the table filled with lovingly stacked pieces of charcoal... Is that meant to be food?

You aren't the only ones in attendance tonight. Representatives and dignitaries from around the world are also present—they have quite a lot to say about the unusual situation, and they are most curious about these otherworldly individuals tasked with fending off the moon under their national banners. The most dignitaries are from Central, West, and East, while there do seem to be a few representatives from the less populated North and South. Those from Central, West, and South in general seem to be the most social, while the rest are more reserved. There are also a few of the castle staff that seem (begrudgingly) willing to speak with the new wizards. Most are here to chat and mingle—lend them an ear, you may learn something new...

For those tired of socializing, the ballroom opens out onto a breezy, spacious balcony. It looks out over the main thoroughfare leading to the main castle entrance, and the nighttime lights of the Central capital twinkle in the near distance. For those that would rather take a breather, there is a small patio table and a couple of chairs. Despite the waxing moon in the sky, it is a very nice evening.

If you would like to have a chat with an NPC, then please respond to this comment. NPCs will be assigned randomly if no preference is given. While everyone has something valuable to say, they're not giving potentially sensitive info out for free—let's hope your diplomatic skills are up to snuff. We're doing our best to give everyone meaningful conversations, so please bear with us!

JOB BOARD
Rejuvenation. Thanks to your Southern friends' hard work, the South has been saved from a potentially devastating crop failure, and these fledgling towns can continue to grow as they're meant to! Give them a pat on the back and a round of applause.

But the South is not without its scars. While the root cause has been taken care of, the damage has been done. A town's wheat field has been partially destroyed—help them tear out the blackened, dead wheat, till and fertilize the soil, and replant what can be replanted. The City of Clouds, the most prosperous of the Southern settlements, have also offered extra tools, hands, and seeds to help set the town back on the path to recovery. Transport these supplies to the town. Let's hope your broom skills are up to snuff too, because it's a long ride.

Shadows in the night. The residents of the Central capital have recently been reporting eerie sightings after sundown: shadowy figures lurking in corners, the constant feeling of being watched, and, in some extreme cases, these shadowy figures attacking when traveling alone at night. Many reports seem to indicate an odd concentration of these creepy figures lurking around the Granvelle Castle moat, as though trying to find a way into the castle. Residents are understandably frightened and unnerved and cannot go about their nightly business—beat back what shadows you find and make the streets safer for the Central capital residents.

While physical attacks don't seem to do much against them, they dissipate rather easily under magic. Try not to wear yourself to the bone, though—there are a lot of them.

Escorting nobility. The Eastern Blanchett noble family have called an important meeting, inviting nobles and others of import from across the Eastern Country. However, their castle lies beyond Sherwood Forest, a very large, dense, and deep wood—while a fine natural defense for the Blanchett family, it's a bit of trouble for those looking to visit. While the Blanchett's own forest guard is absent, it is your job to safely escort these nobles to the Blanchett abode, and back out. But be careful: lurking in the shadows amongst the trees are all sorts of territorial predators like bears and wolves, not to mention the magical beasts that sneak up on unsuspecting prey. You may come across a brigand or bandit or two, since the forest is a near perfect hiding place for illegal activity. And please—try not to get lost.

Typical of any Easterner, the nobles are reluctant to make much small talk and are a bit suspicious of the new wizards, but they are otherwise pleasant and will generally comply with most requests.

WANDERER TASKS
Can you go a week without ruining food or the pots and pans? Stop being so wasteful and learn how to cook or stop trying.

Learn how to use magic to repair things. Again, if you're going to keep ruining the kitchen at least learn how to put it back together.

TATARA ACTIVITIES
I need milk. I'm trying to perfect latte foam art, but I haven't really gotten the hang of it yet... I used up all the milk (oops, sorry!), so I need more. Actually, could you grab me other kinds of milk while you're at it? I want to experiment! I'm sure other markets in the farther reaches of the world will have weirder milk... Please!

We should start a veggie garden! Or an herb garden? Doesn't matter! I found a nice sunny patch of grass in the training forest—we could dig up that spot, right? Help me get it set up! I need people to dig, and till... Oh! We need seeds to plant, too! Please and thank you~

OOC NOTES
🌙 Welcome to your second event post! Get out your snazzy outfits. It's time to party.
🌙 As you grow into your magic, your character might start realizing they can differentiate between everyone's magic. Everyone has a unique signature, and you may be able to start sensing who cast what, where. Someone put a magical seal on the kitchen door? Smells like Shinjiro's magic. Akira had some of Solomon's sugar? You can sense that, too!
🌙 As you start getting past the basics, your character might realize they have a much easier time with certain kinds of magic over others. For North, this will be offensive and attack spells; for East, this will be intricate seals and curses; for West, this will be manipulative magic like illusions and transformation; for South, this will be healing, purification, and protection. Central? A little bit of everything. Read up on your country if you need a refresher!
🌙 It's been peaceful at home in the manor thus far, hasn't it? Do you think that will last?
🌙 Your OOC plotting post is here! Remember to keep all wider plotting contained to the OOC post, since not everyone checks plurk or discord frequently.
🌙 Our next group to go on their mission is Central. Be ready, heroes...
troublereduction: (day42)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-26 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[ This sounds exactly like something Sunrise would do—well, Mika's more methodical about it, which Day isn't sure makes this better or worse. He watches Mika, and it takes him an incredible amount of concentration to not rub his temples right then and there. ]

"Unfortunate" is a bit of an understatement. There anything else you're gonna test out?
shortleash: (pic#17077612)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-26 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Nothing that won't kill me if it fails.

( So, not worth the risk! Even if it'd be handy to know. )

... I didn't think anyone would see me in the shadows.

( tehepero... )
troublereduction: (day19)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-26 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh thank goodness at least Mika has set a limit. ]

Gotta say, when almost everyone here's a night owl, I don't think the shadows would've helped much. [ There are simply too many people for someone to not have noticed unless Mika used magic or had a stroke of incredible luck. ] And... if you ever try something like this again, can you at least grab a healer first?
shortleash: (pic#17120753)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-26 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I figured I could get to one fast enough if an issue cropped up. I figured most people who've volunteered to help me out would have tried to stop me, though.

( He's very meticulous about making sure people he drinks from have healers in the vicinity when he feeds, but himself? Nah. He can take it. )
troublereduction: (pic#17020437)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-26 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Pretty sure a lot of issues that could've cropped up are the kind that make getting anyone complicated?

[ Like. There are only so many issues cutting off a limb could incur if something goes wrong. ]

And if nothing else, you can ask me. I'm...used to this sorta thing.
shortleash: (pic#17120986)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-26 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
( Critical bloodloss and permanent delimbment is nbd... dw dw )

... People removing their limbs?
troublereduction: (day19)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-27 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
Someone losing her limbs, anyway. [ A beat. ] Works kinda like yours, actually.
shortleash: (pic#17103485)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-27 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
... Is she a vampire?

( just checking, )
troublereduction: (pic#17028974)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-27 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
Second time someone's asked me that. [ Which he gets why, given both times it's been by vampires, but it's kind of funny that it's happened twice. ] But no, she's a zombie. A...unique one, but still undead.
shortleash: (pic#17103510)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-27 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
( Vampires are reasonable, but zombies? Let's not get too silly now.

Which is to say, Mika seems - surprised? Kind of. Zombies... )


... Is she sentient?

( or like blahhh gonna eat your brains blehhhh etc )
troublereduction: (day23)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-27 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
Sentient, which is why I said she's unique.

[ Since, well, as far as most people are concerned back home, that normally doesn't happen? Even the resident necromancer-adjacent back home didn't think it was possible, though she's since come up with some theories. ]

She doesn't feel hungry or tired, but still has to deal with those things 'less she wants to drop dead all of a sudden. 'Cept she'll come back in a few hours anyway. And normally we have to sew her limbs back on, but once that's done it's like they were never lopped off to begin with. [ Implying they could, in theory, sew on replacement limbs if it came down to it.

...He won't get into the body horror stuff unless that somehow becomes relevant, he decides. ]
shortleash: (pic#17073799)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-28 10:12 pm (UTC)(link)
( That's... Mika thinks he's pretty bad off, but that's a pretty sorry way to live. )

... What is she sticking around for, at this point? Or is it that she can't die at all?
Edited 2024-04-28 22:12 (UTC)
troublereduction: (day122)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-28 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Mika wouldn't be the only person to have though that, because Day thought something similar the more he got to know Sunrise.

Day won't comment on whether she can die—that's one thing he should keep secret, for her sake. His gaze drifts upwards for a long moment, in the way of someone seriously trying to figure out how he should answer this instead. ]


[ To borrow her phrasing: ] Unfinished business. "To set things right." [ Like something out of a ghost story, which perhaps is an accurate description for her in many ways.

...Day isn't sure if he wants to entertain what might happen after she accomplishes those things, if she ever does. (And this is before he gets into her request to him, which is another kettle of fish.) ]
shortleash: (pic#17103537)

[personal profile] shortleash 2024-04-30 07:18 am (UTC)(link)
( Hah... That earns something of a wry smile, from Mika. It's painful, because - he can relate, even though he doesn't want to. )

... I guess that's what every perversion of death has in common. Something that makes it so we can't just let go.

( Him, too. A vampire is bound to wish for the end of their weary existence eventually - and even if Mika hasn't lived long enough to be fatigued, he does hate everything that he is.

But there are things - people - he can't just abandon yet. So not yet, not yet. He can't give up yet. )


Feels more like being a ghost.

( A vengeful one - one that just can't let go. )
troublereduction: (day69)

[personal profile] troublereduction 2024-04-30 08:02 am (UTC)(link)
[ Day just listens to Mika and, again, he's reminded of Sunrise, and with that a twist of complicated emotion in his gut because he so wishes there was something he could say that would make this better, or at least less worse. But that's not possible, because he can't refute the lived reality of undeath and things beyond mortal experience.

(It reminds him too that the task of bringing joy into the world sometimes feels—maybe is—Sisyphean because a world where the above can even happen is the kind that is fundamentally built on profoundly unhappy things, where fate's absurdity is frequently cruel and people are not always kind. That he has many years of this ahead. That he might have agreed to a fool's errand to have a sense of purpose.)

...He can't just say nothing either, so he finds himself asking this instead, trying to keep his expression subdued: ]


Even here? [ Even though it is kind of fucked how the moon is a terrible calamity, and co-existence is still distant, it seems, to him, a slightly kinder world. ]
Edited (me staring at my word choice) 2024-04-30 12:29 (UTC)