Calling on Zeus

In an open field on Arcadia, stood a woman with short silver hair with her feet planted firmly on the ground and her head held upwards toward the sky. She had trouble keeping her eyes open because of the heavy rain hitting her face, so she tried to keep them shut, but her eyes kept flickering open. Although the sound of thunder sent a chill down her spine, she stood tall. 

Minutes passed and Celis shivered in her soaking clothes. She didn’t bother to wear a raincoat or to bring an umbrella. This was between her and the sky. Her goal: to be struck by lightning.

To any rational person, this idea would seem mad, but Celis wasn’t thinking rationally. She had survived a lightning strike once and she planned to do it again. 

The thunder sounded close, but the former witch couldn’t see any lightning. She could barely see anything through the heavy rain. All she wanted was her powers back. Was that too much to ask. It was the lightning that stole them from her and she was just kindly asking for them back.

“Hit me, damn it!”

new in town

Draco, who was currently his original color, red (which Ren liked because it matched his hair), kept making sad dragon noises as he and Ren got off the boat and started their adventure in Arcadia. Ren couldn’t blame him, he was homesick too. Maybe it would have been better to have left Draco at home, but Mother insisted on Ren taking the dragon with him. It was a shame Draco couldn’t voice his opinion.

Adjusting the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder, he lifted an arm to block out the sun and got a good look at the island. A man behind Ren cleared his throat, so Ren apologized quietly and kept walking. 

It was a beautiful island. Not as beautiful as home, but beautiful nonetheless. As he passed building by building, he admired the nature making its home on the island, untouched by man. He felt relieved that it wasn’t one of those bustling cities that he had seen pictures of. It felt like home. Only, it was much more populated. 

Eventually, Ren found the apartment complex. The hotel he stopped by wouldn’t let Draco in, but they told him that the local apartments had barns. Apparently, the cheapest apartments were the Shade Apartments, so that’s where Ren went. 

This was all knew to him, so he wasn’t sure how to go about renting a room. Seeing someone passing by, he stopped them.

“Excuse me, are these the Shade Apartments?”

•｡ ღ 𝒲ithin each mailbox on the island of Leuda and the island of Arcadia, there sits an A-Style Envelope - crimson red with a golden trim - with a formal invitation enclosed that reads the following:

“Dearest Neighbor,

We hope that this letter sees you healthy and well. We wish to cordially invite you and your loved ones to join us on the evening of the 23rd of December - the eve of Christmas Eve - on our island, the Isle of Fireflies, to celebrate the holidays for this winter season. Enclosed are specific details for the evening, but we sincerely hope that you are able to attend and rejoice in the festivities together with us. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us through mail or our places of residence and businesses on Leuda and Arcadia. Thank you.

Fondly, The Former Mayor of Leuda, Luke Hunt The Former Mayoress of Leuda, Sofia de Sainte-Coquille Hunt ღ”

A Reasonable Exchange | Pam & Odette

Pam soared through the air, bouncing around the general plaza in excitement and happiness, before quickly coming back to her senses and returning to her usual stance. She had just seen a posting on the Request Board, advertising the fact that there were now cooking lessons being given out by some person named “Odette.” They were dirt cheap compared to the potential value Pam might get from better culinary skill. The only catch was that Pam was going to have to take trips to Arcadia in order to make it. It wasn’t too much of a bother, thanks to Pam’s new-found riches.  After snatching up her purse and her precious Pink Diamond, Pam hitched a ride to Arcadia and went to the house of the person giving out the cooking lessons. She brought her fishing rod, too, so she could get some fish out there while she waited for the round trip boat to return for her. Perhaps she could even forage a bit, too.....

That wasn’t the point, though- the point was that Pam was now ready and rarin’ to cook up a storm- hopefully not literally, although there was a good chance of that. She knocked firmly on the door and waited an uncomfortably long time before realizing it was an inn. She walked up to the door inside the inn of the room of the person hopefully who could teach her how to cook, and she knocked on the door firmly again, standing as confidently and cooly as she could.  “Hello there, ma’am. My name’s Pam, and I’ve come to take you up on your offer for cooking lessons. The payment’s here in full, if you want to check first.”

Buying the Blacksmith | Open

Purchases: 

Owner of Blacksmith “Meanderer” (20,000g)

 Became boss of Blacksmith “Meanderer” (10,000g)

Total:

 30,000g

New Balance:

Owes 5540g

(No menu yet)

He did it! Finally, he owns this place. Yeah, sure, hes in debt now, but he can make it back easily enough! He was buzzing with excitement, rearranging the shop and setting it up to his own tastes. He’d be able to put all his work on display without anyone having him take anything down.

Now, all he’d have to do is open for business and get some advertizing done... Maybe a sign? A sign would be good. He checked the back room, finding a standing sign with chalk and wrote down what he wanted.

New Owners! Blacksmith Meanderer is Open for Business! Custom weapons and accessories! ★

That should do it!! He set it outside, flipped the sign on the door, and retreated inside to start doing some work. Later he’d work on some flyers to hand out or hang up...

Lost in Thought || open

Trent didn’t think of himself as a broody person, but every so often... well, every so often he couldn’t help himself. It was easy to get lost on thought when you had something to think on, all the moreso if you were disappointed or displeased by something.

And he was, a little bit. With himself.

Not that he’d ever complain or admit it openly, but well. Suffice to say there was a reason the good doctor found himself sitting on the peer, staring out into the ocean pensively. It might take the jaws of life to get it out of him, but at least he had the peace and distraction of the ocean in the meantime.

hideaway home | open

Her sneakers thumped dully against the wooden dock as she stepped off the boat, daylight shining on her bare, sun-speckled shoulders. She adjusted her pack on her shoulder and took the place in. Immediate first impressions wrote the island off as a small, rural community, just like plenty of others she’d seen.

Oh well. By the information she’d scavenged in her rush to relocate, it sounded like a decent enough place, new and unexplored. So long as it kept her well away from the mainland, it was good enough.

Settling in was first on the agenda. Nami lifted her head to glance over the docks, sliding her hands into her pockets. She settled for the first passerby who didn’t look too busy, quietly approaching them.

“Hey,” she spoke up. “You know the way to, uh... Gigant Inn and Springs?”

Request: Garment Models

Date of Request: April 18th

Location: Sonata Tailoring, Arcadia

Number of People: As many as are willing

Reward: A custom-made outfit, plus snacks provided

Details: I have recently taken over Sonata Tailoring, and I need to create clothing pieces to stock the shelves and racks. I could use some inspiration for this. If anyone is willing to model for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I promise I will poke you with needles as little as possible. You will get the original outfit to wear for yourself, specially made for you--but I will be making more of each piece.

ROMO - Romantic Modernist 1995-1996

Romantic Modernism, more commonly known as Romo, was a musical and nightclubbing movement, of glam/style pop lineage, in the UK circa 1995–1997, centred on the twin homes of Camden-based clubnight Club Skinny and its West End clone Arcadia,  as well as concerts by the chief associated bands.

The Romo movement was essentially a derivation of late-1970s disco and early-1980s club music, with an emphasis on the extroverted sartorial style and decadent air of New Romantic-era bands such as Japan and Soft Cell. Nonetheless, contemporary features in Melody Maker (where the genre was championed mainly by Simon Price and Taylor Parkes – it was dismissed by the rival NME) tended to downplay the nostalgic connection with New Romantic, emphasising Romo's newness and contemporary relevance.

Much championed by the aforesaid writers at the Melody Maker as a stylish and poppy backlash against the dressed-down style of the Britpop movement, while variously feted and lambasted by others in the media as a New Romantic revival (a tag rejected by those on the scene), Romo's prime legacy has been chiefly in club culture as it heralded a new generation of glam/style orientated club nights which would continue through the 2000s.

Seeking Inspiration

Iris had been staring at her blank notebook for what felt like no small eternity, and finally shoved her pen in and got up with a huff. Clearly, today if she was going to be inspired she was going to have to go out and find it. Scowling, she rose from her seat and started striding forward. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, something... someone... some interaction, some motivation... some muse.

But she would find it. She just had to keep her eyes open.

once upon a moon

It was time, yet again. Pandora’s least favorite time of the month. The dreaded start of the cycle. The moon cycle that is. When the moon disappears from the sky, so do her powers. This was when Pandora was most vulnerable. Her hair changed from silver to a dark brown; her usual violet eyes turned to a shade of deep green; her ears, once pointed, became small and round; her sharp nails became dull and useless. She was human.

The safest option was to stay, locked away in her room. However, Pandora didn’t want even the slightest chance of her roommate seeing her in such a state. It was better to be outside where no one would recognize her. When Alicia wasn’t in sight, Pandora crept out of the apartment and onto the street. She had no idea what time it was. The streetlight flickered and Pandora shuddered. In her usual garments, her shoulders and legs were left exposed. This was not opportune for the chill of the night.

Walking down the street, Pandora held herself. She wondered if this was really the best idea. Without her powers, she was helpless. How did those without magic get by? A part of her, small yet powerful, felt sympathy for them. This was human nature’s thrall.

The farther she walked, the more unsure she was of her actions. How long was she planning to stay outside? Well, there was no planning. Perhaps, she would wait until the time that Alicia typically went to sleep. When was that? She hadn’t a clue. If only she wasn’t so self-absorbed.

Eventually. she found a bench and sat down, still holding herself for warmth. She sat there, waiting. For what? She hadn’t a clue. The longer she sat there, the more she noticed the noises of the night. Chirping crickets, an owl hooting, and the low, steady hum of the streetlight. These noises filled the night and surrounded Pandora. It became all that she could focus on. It was a hypnotic serenade. She scooted to the side and lied down on the bench. The cold metal met her skin. Clinging to her robe, she drifted off to sleep.

The Forest || Open

Fugue Forest was a wild place. Foliage and vines grew without remorse for their surroundings. Stone that could have been remnants from civilization were threaded within roots and vines. It seemed the trees were taller than the sky, blocking out nearly all of the moonlight from above -- the little bit that did peak through was only due to Wizard’s own magical incantations he occasionally whispered. It was all silence around him as the creatures of the night did not even enjoy roaming these woods.

Though it was not the most pleasant area, it was overgrown with fugue mushrooms. As far as Wizard knew, it was the only place to acquire the intoxicating specimens. They were dangerous for mortals, but were a delightful and tangy treats for others -- plus, they were entirely useful in a number of potions. 

Wizard was just gathering the last of his bounty, stuffing the fungi in a worn satchel when a whisper of starlight caught his ear. The convenient thing about celestial beings was the fact that they were always watching, and it was often one of their better uses. Without turning, Wizard held a tanned palm out behind him, flattening it against the breeze. 

“Halt... No need to bother with stealth... I can sense you...” He raised his head slowly, facing the brush the stars had hinted at. 

lionheart

[ ❣ Open ❣ ] 

•｡ ♡ Spring had finally arrived at the islands - embracing the land and its inhabitants in her wake with warmth and revitalization; it was a time of rejuvenation where the cycles of life were reborn - and the cherry blossoms from the trees on Arcadia were blooming and sharing their beauty by spreading across the town. Jack had recently finished a task involving work with the animals, and because he had some free time on his hands, he elected for the scenic route; it posed as a reminder that maybe, just maybe, there was something worthwhile here to stay for that was not on the mainland.

Home here, or home there... another year was coming with him on the island, and he still had not reached a decision yet; but a scene was quickly unfolding right there in front of him, before his very eyes - get your head out of the clouds, Jack!

“Hey!” Jack shouted to the person standing in the middle of the path just beyond the outskirts of Fugue Forest, moving forward at a rapid speed to get them out of the way of an enraged herd of monsters exiting the forest.

It appeared that the beasts had taken an interest in them.

“Are you alright?” He was not certain what was happening, but what he did understand was that the monsters needed to be contained; he braced himself for impact with his fists in the air ready to swing. “Do you know how to fight? If not, make sure you get out of the way; otherwise... get ready!”

Trespassing || Open

It wasn’t often that someone meandered onto Brownie Ranch without a reason. However, Neil knew that someone climbing over the perimeter fence was never a good sign. He had been exiting the barn, just having finished letting all of the animals out to graze, when he spotted someone rather clumsily trying to get over the wooden fence. With a long, drawn out sigh, not wanting to waste too much time on the matter, Neil hopped on his horse and rode over to the trespasser. 

“Hey, what the fuck do you think you’re doing sneaking onto my farm, huh? What business do you have here?” He loomed over the person when he was sat atop his horse, and he used it to his advantage. Intimidation was important when confronting thieves, after all. 

Bonk || Open

Oh, the flowers looked so pretty today.

Violet had stopped along her walk, admiring some flowers that were beginning to bloom further off in the field. It really was becoming Spring, wasn’t it? The wildflowers were beginning the bloom, it was getting warmer out, and it was so much more cheerful outside now. She smiled, wondering just what else would bloom in the coming weeks. The ones out there were already so beautiful that -

Her eyes widened as she watched someone step right on the flowers, smashing the blooms right in front of her eyes.

With a shocked expression, Violet slowly looked up to the perpetrator.

trespassing » open

open

It had been some time since Lily had let her curiosity get the better of her this way. 

She had been out for a simple walk when a strange creature had caught her attention. From a distance, she couldn’t tell whether it was some monster she hadn’t encountered before or a rare animal, but when she approached, it had sprinted off. She’d followed it for some amount of time that she’d lost track of, and now that it was getting dark, she was beginning to lose it. 

She had just stopped to listen for some rustle that might indicate where the creature had gone when a flashlight was turned on her and somebody called out, “Freeze!” 

Stopping still, she put her hands up to show that she wasn’t up to anything. Although she knew the primary problem was that she likely trespassing and in trouble, she couldn’t help but feel immediately disappointed that she would now likely never find out what the creature was. Shame. 

“I can explain,” she said, squinting in the bright light.