lunaecalamitas | 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...

» NAVIGATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's still quite a bit.

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

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.

[The record scratch sound is practically audible.]

... w-what?

[To which part? Yes.]

[ 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.

[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.]

[ 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.

[Oh noooooo, Phil.EXE has stopped working. Please hold while he tries to reboot.

This may take a few moments.]

I... have to go. Somewhere else. Now.

[Sentences, what are they and how do you make them.]

I'm very sorry.

[Because even as flustered as he is, it's still important to remember his manners before he turns on his heel and starts to walk away.

... and promptly manages to find the tiniest uneven spot in the carpet and stumble over it, but it's fine as long as he can't see the look on Day's face when he does!]

[ ...Maybe he overdid it, whoops.

But before Day can dwell on that, Phil trips and Day moves to try and catch him, pretty much automatically. ]

Watch your step.

Wah!

[TOO LATE. He's going right over-- or would have, if Day hadn't caught him.

Only now he's just sort of hanging there because he doesn't even know how to respond to this. Pls assist.]

[ ...

He'll try and straighten Phil up and get him back on his feet, doing his absolute best to stifle a laugh. ]

There. Better?

... y-yes. Thank you.

[He's still scarlet and trying very hard to look everywhere BUT Day's face, but at least he's upright again?

This was very much not the first impression he'd wanted to make...]

[ Day knows he should let this poor man live because this is probably one of the more...extreme? exaggerated? responses he's ever gotten.

But also: ]

As cute as it is, you don't gotta avoid lookin' at my face.

[PLEASE LET HIM LIVE, DAY...]

Ah... of course. Right.

[If he looks for three seconds that counts, right.]

[ Day will just consider this some kind of small victory or progress, he supposes. ]

Ain't used to takin' compliments?

No. Not at all.

[...]

... no one's ever said that about me before.

That's a damn shame, then. I don't pay compliments I don't mean if I can help it.

[ ...It just seems kind of sad to Day, too, in the sense that not ever? Really? ]

[Phil doesn't respond to that. It isn't that he believes that Day was saying it in jest, but... it's hard for him to digest even so.

Ix was always the one who got the compliments and attention. Ix was handsome and athletic, Phil was just scrawny and sickly. No one ever gave him so much as a second look, especially not....

So to hear that now, in all sincerity... he's not quite sure how he feels about it.]

[ Day has to wonder if, perhaps, his read was a little more right than he would have liked it to be. He lets the silence go on for a bit, as he tries to figure out what to say. ]

...I don't see you out of your room much. [ You know, despite the fact they share a hallway. Gently trying to change the topic to something hopefully a little less awkward. ]

[This, fortunately, is a topic Phil is far more comfortable talking about. He switches gears instantly, glad for the diversion so that he no longer has to talk - or think - about anything even resembling his own attractiveness or lack thereof.]

Oh, that would be because I'm usually reading or doing research. The more we can learn about this place and its magic, the better, especially if we're being expected to learn how to use it.

...Do you remember to eat?

[ Why does he have the feeling the answer is "no"? ]

I've gotten better at it!

[... yeah, that would be a "no."]

These days I usually eat at least twice a day when Marcus is around to remind me.

[Which is leaving out how he tends to forget when Marcus isn't around.]

But he ain't here.

[ Day is looking at Phil with a look that more or less says, "So are you saying you don't remember to eat now?" ]

Y-yes...

[Busted...]

...Well, at least you're just across the hallway.

[ Knocking on Phil's door once every day will be easy, at least. ]

You really don't need to go to all that trouble for me.

[Somehow he's getting the feeling that saying this won't amount to anything, though.]

I remember often enough that it isn't a problem... most of the time.

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