you opened your eyes, spreading it wide

[promittere]

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...

» NAVIGATION

Comments

CAT

[dyingtohealyou]

[There's a cat hanging around the manor today! For the most part, said cat seems to be perfectly happy napping in patches of sunlight, but I mean. It's a cat. You can't just NOT harass a cat, right?

If people bother to check, the cat has a magical ping that feels similar to Ahito. He also hasn't been around all day, mysteriously. Wonder what that's all about.

You can assume this happens sometime when Central characters are also around.]

[impacter]

[Oh my god... he's so upset that his phone is dead. Satan would be head over heels in love with a cat so white...

His delight is almost childishly pure as he gently crosses over to where the cat is napping, crouching down a short distance away.]

What brings you so far from home, little one?

[dyingtohealyou]

[The cat looks up and... somehow, looks very unimpressed?

It yawns and curls up (adorably) even more, tail swishing lazily but still aware.]

[impacter]

[Aw... cat rejection...]

Not happy with company, hm?

[Though with that vibrant eye color now prominent, it gives him enough of a reason to check the ping of energy... (12)

Hm. Wonder what happened here.]

You don't need to be so grumpy, Ahito.

[troublereduction]

[ Huh. Now that he thinks about it, this is the first time he's seen a cat around the manor... ]

Was this guy always here...?

[dyingtohealyou]

[Blinking up at Day. This cat's eyes really are a brilliant blue...

Headtilting cutely.]

[troublereduction]

[ He crouches down. Back home, Sunrise would sometimes ask him to pet some nearby cat and to describe it to her, since they all run from her. He tentatively reaches out for pats, watching the cat's reaction. ]

Hey there, little guy.

[jokey]

[Hello, Nyahito. At some point during the day, a silky black cat will come rolling by on his roomba and pause, locking eyes with the unfamiliar white cat. Rather than feel his magical signature, Catkira's first impulse is to sniff the other cat and recognize him by scent.]

Oh, hey, Ahito. You read that weird book too?

[To outsiders listening in, the conversation sounds a lot like meow? Meow meow meow. Nya.]

[dyingtohealyou]

[His ears pin back at the noise of the roomba, and stay there when Akira comes to investigate him - though he relaxes once Akira actually speaks, tail swishing with curiosity and interest.]

Book? I got some kind of weird ointment.

[jokey]

An ointment? What were you trying to use it for?

[..........]

Actually, I don't need to know what you do alone in your room. I guess the powers that be figured a nerd like me would fall for an enchanted book. It worked, obviously.

[jorunna]

[ Time to harass a pretty white cat! The little ears are so tempting to reach for, so Comet lightly touches one. ]

You found a nice little spot, huh.

[ They aren't pinged by the magic because they don't recognize it, oops. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[His ear twitches and he looks up irritably. Excuse you???

...

Wait, who the heck is this?]

[jorunna]

[ No excuses, only a teen wishing to enjoy the presence of c a t. ]

Oh, you woke up.

[ Gently rubs Ahito's forehead. ]

Good cat.

[dadsandals]

[ Oh...! Hello, new friend. Yamato doesn't bother to check if the cat has any traces of magic, because all he sees is c a t and he knows he must come and bother him.

Yamato approaches the cat slowly, and then he bends down while the little guy's sunbathing. He holds out his hand for him to sniff. ]

Hey there. You're a new face around here, aren't you?

[dyingtohealyou]

[The cat wakes at Yamato's presence, looking up at him sleepily and... not bothering to sniff, really. Just yawning and streeeeetching out, apparently fine being liquid on the floor, as cats do.]

[leewards]

Hmmm~?

Well, well. You seem new here. I've not seen you before. [And here he thought he knew all of the Manor cats! Well, "know" is a bit of a stretch, when he still hasn't managed to earn their favour.

Still, that doesn't mean he hasn't stopped trying to do something for them. In fact, he carries some homemade treats in his pocket in case he finds them, like bits of dried organs. It's one of said pieces tht he digs out of his pocket and places in his palm, holding it out like an offering.]

Here you go. Come here.

[dyingtohealyou]

[Waking up blearily and - oh. Uh, this guy.

...

Wait, this guy likes cats??

His body language, not that he realizes he's doing it himself, is cautious as he approaches to sniff at the proffered treat. He's not... thrilled to eat just whatever, but he doesn't particularly want to give away that he isn't actually a Literal Cat, so.

Down the hatch.]

[foresightis2020]

[ CAT?!

Sorry, Jing Yuan's braincells have ceased to exist so he doesn't bother to check for the ping. ]

Ah...hello there, how are you, little one?

[ His voice is gentle, as he kneels down, excited!! Jing Yuan LOVES cats. He is the biggest cat lover here. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[He's got some pretty stiff competition from everyone else here, judging by all their reactions.

Kinda like. Laaazily cracking an eye open and yawning where he sneeps.]

[themanwhoerasedhisname]

[Oh hey, cat.

Kiryu doesn't bother the cat nor tries to check, but when he sees this cat, his immediate reaction is to stop. Kiryu likes animals, really. Hmmmmm...

Better do this the ol' fashioned way, he doesn't want to screw up and do something wrong. Instead of trying to make some sort of food magically appear, Kiryu leaves, and returns some time later with tuna on a small plate, leaving it near the cat, talking gently:]

There you go.

[And he walks away]

[dyingtohealyou]

[He wakes up to fish??????

????????????????

Looking up at Kiryu and then back at the food. And back to Kiryu.

Cat faces aren't super expressive comparatively, but he's clearly confused.]

[fullspbar]

[ It's afternoon, the best time for a nap. Fortunately, one Shinjiro has only just woken up, and it's evident with the tussle of his hair and the yawn that escapes him.

That being said, he seems to wake up fairly quickly, since there's a cat in the middle of the hallway in front of the kitchen. A cat. A whole cat...what the hell.

There's a long silence, then his head looks down one end of the hall, then the next...and then he saddles up to kneel down, gently and carefully. There is, bewilderingly enough, an actual smile on his face. ]

Hey, buddy. Where'd you come from, huh?

[dyingtohealyou]

[Waking up at the approach, ears perked in curiosity. Oh... So this guy's a cat person, huh?

And then Shinji smiles and the cat just. Blinks in surprise. But if he were a normal cat that would probably be a sign of being chill/affectionate so surely his secret remains safe???]

[lustro]

[ CAT!! He likes the idea of them, so this is his chance to pet one... White cat meet Ginger's paw - I mean hand. ]

[dyingtohealyou]

[This cat cracks an eye open to watch him, but doesn't otherwise move to avoid the hand... For now.]