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

[troublereduction]

I've heard stuff like people makin' pacts with elementals back home, but usually, it's a rigmarole gettin' one to agree to that sorta thing. [ Also it takes some serious stones to approach any kind of spirit for a pact, depending on who's being asked. ]

Why'd he object, though?

[mirristry]

[Phil: a man who has more intellectual curiosity than sense, alas...]

Ah, well... he's something of the jealous sort. I don't think he would take too well to the idea of having to share me with anything or anyone else.

[He doesn't even realize that he's giving off the completely wrong impression here but shhhhh.]

[troublereduction]

[ ...Hm? Hmmm? Is he reading this right? HMMMM??? ]

It's just a pact, ain't it?

[mirristry]

[The irony: he absolutely is but even Phil hasn't realized it yet.]

Well, yes, but it means forming another bond. Mirrites exist connected to their masters, so I imagine for them it would feel like something of an intrusion to have another connection there.

[troublereduction]

[ Oh. There's this sigh that probably comes out of nowhere from Phil's pint of view. ]

When you it that way, makes sense. What's a mirrite?

[mirristry]

[Of course... someone from another world wouldn't know. No wonder Day looked so confused.

Phil pauses for a moment, trying to decide the best way to explain it.]

... think of it as a part of your heart given physical form. Your hopes, your deepest emotions, even the things you want to hide... all of that manifested as its own existence.

[troublereduction]

[ Huh. Day actually doesn't find it too hard to imagine—there are a lot of strange things out in the world, after all—but it also sounds kind of scary, in that it's revealing closely held parts of yourself to the world, too. ]

As its own person?

[mirristry]

Yes.

[Let's not talk about how Marcus is exactly the same height, weight and build as First Ix--]

... I suppose that must sound strange to you, to have someone who knows all of your feelings before you even say them aloud...

[And sometimes before you even realize them yourself.]

[troublereduction]

Little bit. But I guess that also means in a way, you ain't ever truly alone.

[ Maybe it's a weird thing to take away from all of this, but it's what stands out to him as someone who has been left adrift in the world once. To have your heart exposed to the world is terrifying; to have your heart be someone who's there for you is strangely comforting. ]

[mirristry]

Mmm.

[It's certainly true-- no matter where he goes, Marcus is always connected to him. That connection has become as certain as the rising and setting of the sun, its warmth an ever-present existence in the back of his mind.

... which is why it's so strange - almost painful - that he can't seem to feel it here.]

Non-mirrists tend to find the concept odd, which is understandable. It's difficult to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it for themselves. Some people find the idea of a connection like that to be unsettling, even though in reality it's anything but. It's more... reassuring than anything else.

[troublereduction]

'Cause it means there's at least one person in the world who understands you, yeah? Can't say I've ever experienced anything like it myself, but I can imagine it, 'least a little.

[ It's...nice, even if a part of him also thinks it's a little fanciful for him to wish for. A tie that isn't because of a shared situation (destiny) that he had no real say in, as much as he knows it's unfair of him to have that opinion, and that doesn't need to be one day given up. ]

You miss Marcus?

[mirristry]

... yes. Very much.

[Even the way he sometimes says "you idiot," but never with any real malice behind it. That too is comforting in its familiarity, something he's only come to realize now that he doesn't have it.]

I'm sure he's beside himself wondering where I went and why he can't get in touch with me...

[troublereduction]

[ Man, considering what he just came off from before arriving here, Day finds himself hoping time hasn't passed back home, or at least not much. What a right mess they all got themselves into back home. ]

I bet. You got pulled in here at excellent timin' too?

[mirristry]

[He thinks of how Rowen had finally managed to convince him to leave the bridge and go lie down in his room for a short while, how he'd thought he'd just drifted off, only to wake up and find himself in a strange new world.]

That... would be putting it mildly. I know Marcus and Rook and Kratos can handle things without me, but...

[... but I should be there. It's my responsibility.]

... anyway, it isn't as though it makes a difference. We can't go back until we've done what we were brought here to do.

[troublereduction]

[ Day seems to be watching Phil's reaction, but knows that this is neither the time nor place (or his place, for that matter) to pry. ]

True. Feels like we still got a lot ahead of us. [ Ha...ha... ]

Don't think I caught your name. I'm Joyous Day, but just Day's fine.

[mirristry]

[At that, Phil straightens up and tries for a little smile, although it doesn't quite reach his eyes.]

Phillip-- Phillip Reston. It's nice to meet you, Day.

[Then, with a touch of wryness:]

Forgive an old man getting carried away with his thoughts.

[Phil you're 35...]

[troublereduction]

[ Hm. Let's see if Day can fix that. ]

You're gonna tell me how old you are before I can say you're "old".

[mirristry]

I'm 35...

[To be fair, he definitely has the aura of someone in his 50s because this man is just Tired.]

[troublereduction]

...You're only like 12 years older than me.

[ Granted, he has the vibe of someone older but Day is willing to put that down to bad habits. ]

[mirristry]

That's still quite a bit.

[Marcus is 23 and Marcus is the one who calls him "old man" more than anyone else!]

[troublereduction]

It'd just make you like, what, second or third youngest after me where I work. [ It's fine if he's vague like that. ]

Thirty years too early to be callin' you old, anyway. Especially since you've got pretty looks too.

[mirristry]

[The record scratch sound is practically audible.]

... w-what?

[To which part? Yes.]

[troublereduction]

[ Day would not know what a record scratch is, but he could compare this to a musician dropping a beat during a performance. Same difference.

...Phil looking at him like that makes Day resort to the tried and true advice he's received from many of his seniors in the Division of Serenity: when in doubt, reaffirm the compliment. ]

You're pretty.

[mirristry]

[This is a cue for Phil to start doing his very best impression of a tomato, and briefly he finds himself regretting that he can't use exoflection here so that he could exercise the very inexplicable ability of mirrists to be able to exoflect holes in things and allow the ground to swallow him up.]

I-I, um... that's...

[Not something anyone has ever said to him before, that's for sure.]

[troublereduction]

[ Oh. Oh this is adorable, and kind of sad because this is the sort of reaction that happens when someone isn't used to compliments. ]

You're cuttin' quite a dashin' figure in that outfit, your hair looks soft, and the way you're reactin's adorable.