EVENT ✨ Tournaments & Trust

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This is the event log for IC comments only! Ask OOC questions/plot/view event notes HERE or use the FAQ for general questions. Click here to view top-level comments only.

SUMMARY: King Arthur needs to go meet with Queen Elphame. Celliwig holds a tournament to invite other people to come with during the communication and celebrate their newfound friendship. A temporary barrier was put up so the river is currently mostly impassible. After the departure from Celliwig last month, the people of Celliwig have been working hard to make the area around their town safe again from the angered specters. For now, there are makeshift barriers that are preventing anything from crossing the river, dead or alive, except over the Pure of Heart bridge. It will, at the very least, prevent more from coming over and overwhelming the land surrounding Celliwig again. The city is open and, while the Elphame traders have stuck around to help train people in the proper use and treatment of mounts, the safest way to speak to Elphame is through Celliwig's hall of mirrors. King Arthur, Merlin, and a couple of other members of the royal court entered to speak to Queen Elphame directly in order to find out what information she knew about the Calamity and to begin discussion of what it would take to reclaim Excalibur. With the magics of Avalon having recovered significantly enough to not be at risk of falling apart if some of the otherworlders leave while still maintaining the barrier to keep Avalon safe, they need to begin discussing action. At the same time, in celebration of King Arthur's arrival and a royal wedding within Celliwig, a tournament is underway! Celliwig's tournaments work a little differently, however, and focus on a little more than just combat skills-- a modern tournament for the modern person. (Though there is fighting as well, of course.) Celliwig's Top Talents Tourney hasn't been held in a good many years since it's been closed off, so everyone is invited to participate. Invitations have been sent to all of Camelot's residents. The tournament categories are as follows: Cutthroat Cooking - For the chef's out there! Compete against other chefs to show off who has the best culinary skills. All contestants start with 2,500,000G which will be theirs to lose through the course of the tournament. This money can be used to purchase sabotages to use on other chefs throughout the course of the competition. Vicious Vocals - Singing competition. Anyone may participate, there are no auditions. Each contestant will compete solo first, then have to do a competitive duet with another person who moved onto the second round. The final round involves performing and singing at the same time, so you may want to go find friends to give you tips between each round and help you come up with an awesome set-up that will wow the judges! Speed Sculpting - This one's for the artists! Celliwig is really big on art, in particular sculpture. Any decent sculpture can be sold whether it wins or loses. Sculpture form can be made with anything you want-- glass, sugar, and ice are popular choices in Celliwig because of the city's aesthetic, but any materials are possible-- plants, stones, clay, chocolate, fabric, whatever you want as long as it stands on its own after you're done creating. (You can use your magic to sculpt if that's what you want.) Melee Mania - Fight your fellow competitors one-on-one. Weapons and magic are both allowed. Healers will be paid generously for assisting after combat is finished. Familiar Feud - Let your familiar have a little fun and combat each other! They're the star of the show here and otherworlders are only there in a support role. Mario Party - It's literally a series of Mario Party games. If you win your block, you move onto the next round and so on. 4 max players per game. If you don't rage quit at any point, you get free energy drinks throughout the day because this party isn't stopping. Silent Assassin - This competition will take place throughout the course of the tournament. All competitors are kept confidential, but required to wear a hidden body cam so that the experience can be shared online for audience viewing later. All competitors are given fake weapons (paintball guns, rubber knives, and so on) with sensors in them and have to find and "kill" the other competitors throughout the tournament period. Anyone who shows up to either participate in or watch the tournament will receive 50% off a hotel room and a single (Potion) Counter-curse. How the tournament will be run is a little different from an OOC standpoint. Any characters can participate, but in order to determine a winner, we will need anyone who thinks their characters skill is great enough to win to comment to the name of the tournament they are entering HERE! If your character would have canon advantages in a category, write +1 advantage in your comment. (So if you are from an idol series, you'll have a leg up on singing, or if your character is a skilled assassin in their canon, they could gain a +1. It won't guarantee they win, but it will give them a leg up so we're not ignoring their skill!) If you do not think your character has any chance at winning, please do not comment. (Someone who's never cooked a day in their life isn't going to magically win the cooking competition, you know?) If you think/want your character to lose even if they may have skills, we do not need your information. This is only an RNG for potential winners. We will RNG the winners from those who comment for each competition as linked. ICly, anyone who wants to thread any part of it out, go for it! You can thread out watching, you can thread out participating, interfering, anything you want! Thread out having an intimate moment with a healer after a battle, a tearful failure and hurt/comfort consolation, buying a round of vodka flashes for your fellow losers. Whatever you want! Just have fun. SUMMARY: King Arthur & Co. are still in chambers. A woman shows up and claims they're in danger, argues with Glwelwyd that she saw it despite that those abilities are not possible right now. Players voted to determine the next course of this prompt. (This section may be skipped for prompts now, but is still posted for reference.) The day after the end of the tournament days, all seems well and peaceful as usual within the city of Celliwig. The mirror hall that King Arthur's party had gone into is still closed shut. The Hall is guarded by a 7 foot tall man with a long, scraggly beard and huge rippling muscles named Glewlwyd IV. (You may have seen him around at past events.) None may enter until negotiations are completed, and it is his sacred duty passed down by his ancestors to ensure that none shall pass his guard. Most in Celliwig won't even try, knowing the futility of such an action, which is why it is particularly peculiar that Gwion can be found yelling outside of the halls that they need to be let in. After an argument and a call to action, some other worlders chose to find Gwion and ask questions. "Listen to me, there's something wrong, you need to let someone in there! Look for yourself! I saw it!" "Time is frozen, the future cannot be seen. A dream is but a dream, not a prophecy. Disrespect from the people of Celliwig interrupting a meeting of the fae and King Arthur's party would spell much more certain fate. After one more failed attempt to get past him, the woman stomps off to a nearby bar to blow off some steam, and ends up posting to the AOL Network instead. The King's party is in danger. No one is allowed in or out, but they're going to die if you don't work together to get past Glewlwyd. You can ask how I know, but it's a real long story and we're real short on time, so I'm kind of going out on a limb here. I'll be at Celliwig's bar if anyone wants more details. SUMMARY: A very close battle ensues in front of the Hall of Mirrors, with the doors eventually being forced open to reveal a dark, possessed hall. Reflects prey on characters' deepest insecurities and anyone who falls victim to them are trapped within the reflections. King Arthur and the Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul Mirror used to communicate with Elphame are possessed by angry specters trapped on Celliwig's side after the river barrier was put up. After the drama caused by Gwion's warning, the city of Celliwig is rather unsettled. There's an air of tension thick enough that you could hear a pin drop, and enough people who thought it was more important to protect the integrity and wishes of the fae than to worry about the unlikely chance that a seer had a vision while time was stopped. A large number of people have shown up to stand by Glewlwyd's side and defend the Hall of Mirrors, a show which will not be forgotten by the people of Celliwig... However, the strength in both numbers and battle goes to those wishing to enter the Hall of Mirrors. The battle is strenuous, a mixture of both Celliwig citizens and Camelot's otherworlders, and anyone wishing to play out part of it should put either defense or offense indicators in their prompt title to clearly attract those wishing to play out the fight. Those who manage to break through the line will make it into the Hall of Mirrors. The first and most notable thing once the door is open is that it's as dark as night. Not at all conditions for a meeting. And it's cold, condensation and fog forming at the door where the freezing night of the hall and the summer heat outside. It is not at all like it was the first time visitors were allowed in to place their Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul crystals in the mirror to communicate with Elphame. There is absolutely something going on, and those on either side of the battle may want to redirect their attention to the Hall. None of the party seems to be seen. Those who dare to venture forward into the hall will find themselves rather quickly at a loss for where the door went. There is a dim light still visible from it, highlighting the other people in the room and the edges of glass and mirrors throughout the hall. An eerie blue glow reflects through the number of the mirrors, but it seems to move about as if passing impermenantly. Those who try to chase it will find themselves further lost from the entrance, until they find themselves face to face with a reflection that doesn't seem to follow their own movements. This reflection will begin to speak with the character's voice, then immediately target the character's deepest insecurities. Every bad thought that they've thought of themself is fair game. If the character can remain calm and keep moving forward, then they will not fall victim to the trap. However, should they react with a burst of emotion, argue, or be unable to move forward when faced with their own insecurities, they will find themselves trapped in the mirror, replacing the reflection. Those who manage to pass the mirrors will find themselves at the Pure of Heart and Brave of Soul Mirror. The communication is still open to what appears to be an ornately decorated, natural throne. The Queen is long since gone, having been escorted to safety to keep her safe from the cursed mirrors. Notably, every crystal lining the edge of this mirror seems to have been infected by the blue, almost spectral color. Approached, a chilling laughter echoes from the possessed mirror, but the laughter is finished by King Arthur himself, back turned and facing the mirror. He turns around and wields his sword, ready to defend the mirror, eyes filled with the same blue as the mirror. As more people approach, reflections of Arthur seem to walk out of the mirrors as well to fight more and more people. It's hard to tell which is the real one, so can you really kill him to get him out of the way and get to the mirror? Fight the small army of King Arthurs and gather enough death mages to exorcise the spirits out of the mirror.. or maybe just smash it. Did you think this was the last choice you'd make this week? Please refer to the plotting post for any additional plotting needs and to check added notes for the third prompt. Timeline-wise, the new/third prompt doesn't start until the 23rd. The poll for it is here.

Comments

[emet_sulk]

[ Dual blades wielders are so troublesome to deal with, he thinks, concentrating fiercely as he fends off the other man's attacks. It's almost all he can do simply to parry or evade the whirl of their blades. He has a feeling that the moment he makes a lapse in judgement is the moment his loss will be determined.

The error comes sooner than he likes. His opponent parries his weapon aside, leaving Emet-Selch open for their other blade to close in. He instinctively, hurriedly moves back but the tip of it grazes his belly. It slices open the shirt and a small amount of blood begins to bead along the length of the wound.

It's a distraction he doesn't need. As if to compensate, he ignites an aether cartridge - covering his gunblade in eerie, blue, magical flame - and increases the fury of his attacks. Not just in the melee sense: he uses the fire to draw flaming X's in the air which hover a moment then shoot forward at speed. ]

[wuf]

Jane.

[ He repeats it. He spells it out in his head as if to make sure he understands her name on his own. So he's quiet for a few moments. She may hear an uttering of "J-A-N-E". ]

I am. Razor.

[ He pauses. ]

Will ask Jane if need. Promise. Healing magic very helpful!

[eightfoldfiend]

[Yuber whirls his blades, grinning madly with the thrill of battle.

He is about to close in on Emet-Selch again when the other man does...something to his sword. He manages to leap backwards out of the way of the flaming strike at the last moment and his eyes widen.

Emet's attack had been similar to one Yuber had used when he was still whole, a power this world had taken from him.

The demon stands off to the side a couple paces away, unharmed but momentarily stunned into confused silence.]

What?

[forbothofus]

[ Trusting her to match his height, Emil takes a breath and focuses, feeling the space around him and his presence in it. And then he lifts himself up, first floating a foot or two with the light orb, then higher, until he’s above her head, and waits for her spell to reach him to light the area.

Unfortunately, there’s no clear exit that he can see - not even the doors they came through; the darkness gets impenetrable at a certain distance. (Tenebrae would love this, he can’t help think.) But he can clearly make out a wall to their right, and behind them is a cluster of mirrors that doesn’t look promising either. ]

I think going straight or left is the best option for now.

[heavenlyskies]

"It's not really about being in a hurry so much as just feeling the wind and the rush of adrenaline. Not having to worry about anything else as the world and everything just speeds by."

Though it was true that there were a lot of people that were in a hurry. Some things though Haruka wished she could slow down, if for no reason than to savor and cherish them just a little longer.

"But we like to be efficient, after all the less time you spend having to work the more time you get to spend having some fun."

[forbothofus]

Emil blinks up at him, curious. A joint promise? Lloyd did say something like that... so that's what it was.

"It'll still be there once this is over." There's are lot of assumptions in that statement, he's aware. What’s happening, all the uncertainties, and what could come afterwards. Maybe it's too simple to say it like that, but Emil wants to believe in that hope for the future. It is his job as a summon spirit, after all.

"And I'll return to help them, too." He also has promises to keep.

[heavenlyskies]

"Sure I'll tell you what I can, but Setsuna is the one you'd really want to talk to. She knows a lot more about all of it than I do. I just know what I've seen."

A different galaxy in the classroom of her school, the door between them opened and slammed shut. The heart of the universe and cauldron where stars and sailor soldiers were born.

"Just don't go getting any ideas."

[kirijo]

[ The kick was aimed at his head, so bending back does indeed move him out of harm's way. Instead of colliding with his temple, the heel of her boot slices through the open air in front of his face.

[ She does not, however, lose control over her attack due to the lack of a connection. A decade of experience allows her to deftly complete the spin, plant both of her feet back on solid ground and launch a follow-up attack: an overhand punch from her free hand, with as much of her weight behind it as she can muster - which is good because she'll probably need every bit of it. The size and weight discrepancy between them is large enough that the punch isn't likely to be a telling blow by itself.

[ Knowing that ... she begins to channel her elemental magic through her fist, and as it travels, a solid sheath of ice begins to form around it. ]

[mayoninofukucho]

[Damn, he feels her heel cut the air just a hand's breadth away from his face... that's some impressive flexibility (he likes to deliver high kicks himself if he can't make headway in a battle by more standard means, so he knows that it takes some effort). By the time he swings back up to face her her fist is already coming to meet him, and all he can do is block it with his arm, which takes the full brunt of the ice-reinforced hit. There's a pretty ugly impact noise, and while he doesn't cry out she can probably see on his face that it hurt alright.

It's his non-dominant left arm, but this is still a serious setback. He'll have a much harder time casting magic while wielding his sword now, and the injured arm is pretty much reduced to a meat shield for the further duration of the duel since any movement below the elbow will hurt like hell. As such he tries to quickly compensate with a strong sideways slice of the blade in his right hand while Mitsuru is still within reach. If this one misses he'll attempt to drive her back with rapid-fire strikes and stabs, more forceful and aggressive than during their initial clash, and won't shy away from trying to pull her legs away with well-aimed kicks to make her fall (he'd have used water- or ice magic for that, but that option is pretty much gone now).

[mayoninofukucho]

[He lets out a relieved sigh. Seems like the healers, who must be terribly exhausted, are still going above and beyond... nonetheless it's bitter to know that despite his and everybody else's best efforts the king got seriously wounded. He pushes himself to his feet with some effort as he hears someone declare Arthur stable enough for transport and they move him onto a makeshift stretcher.]

Let's go, Junko.

[He doesn't want to drag her down to his low mood, not after she did such a fantastic job at wielding an unfamiliar weapon, so he makes an effort to string together some more words for her sake.]

You did well with Muramasha.

[yorhaberserker]

[She laughs, catching his arm and made the beeline for the door with him. She really enjoyed spending time with him as well.]

Exactly! The food awaits our willing tastebuds.

It's just been a hell of a month

[kirijo]

[ The transformation is a clever response, but it does leave him momentarily open to attack and she's in perfect position to capitalize.

[ She extends a hand towards Tokoyami, channeling her elemental magic to create and fire a cannonball of compressed air in his direction.

[ Well, calling it a 'cannonball' might be slightly generous. ​From what she knows of animal magic, most transformations result in the magi assuming all the characteristics of the animal in question, meaning that Tokoyami presently has hollow bones that could be shattered by a blow with too much force.

[ She's taken this into account and erred on the side of caution. The airburst is intense enough that it should be sufficient to knock an actual owl senseless, but if he's retained his ordinary level of durability, it will be far less effective. ]

[kirijo]

[ Her joy brings a smile to Mitsuru's face. ]

Is that so? Perhaps we could go riding together some time.

[kirijo]

[ A small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth, but she didn't allow her own satisfaction to slow her down for even a moment.

[ She points the tip of her rapier at Izuku, and again channels her elemental magic through the blade. This time, though, she opts for a bolt of lightning instead of a gust of wind. The voltage is low enough that it shouldn't do any sort of lasting damage, but getting struck by it would certainly not be a pleasant experience. ]

[sereneadherent]

[Marianne will answer those questions eventually. It's part of her growth and acceptance of herself, which despite the setback this Hall of Mirrors has presented she is still determined to see through.

Finally, she picks up her head and stares at the Beast within the mirror. It stares back, meeting her fragile expression with unspoken words of scorn, before tipping its head.]

"I take my leave. But remember the truth of the matter, Marianne."

[And with that, it turns and retreats further into the maze behind the mirrors. After a pause, Marianne releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding.]

...

Thank you again, Jade. For reminding me of that.

[kirijo]

[ It's a decidedly uncommon thing in Mitsuru's world -- the province of fiction. She'd probably have greeted the revelation with a bit of skepticism if it weren't for her own outlandish experiences, and the sheer diversity of the worlds that Avalon's other residents came from.

[ And of course, Ochako's own earnestness didn't exactly hurt, either. ]

Extraordinary. [ She said, shaking her head with a small smile. ] I can't say that I've ever encountered a professional superhero before.

[ The fact that such a thing was commonplace ... she had so many questions about their world.

[ Returning to Izuku ... ]

That was the impression he gave. Thoroughly decent, if perhaps a bit excitable.

[hegemonwings]

She's content to listen as Edelgard speaks, stilling her efforts. Of course, Byleth has no interest in gloating, or lording over her she was right about this. Finally though, when Edelgard turns, she leans forward to kiss her, resting a hand on her nape.

"I'm simply glad that it all worked out," she murmurs a hair's breadth from her lips, "but... if anything, I was too rash. You keep my feet on solid ground. You still my mind, you... you steady my hands, I..."

Her thoughts are not primarily on their disagreement, though that has been there as well. They've seen a cruel embodied glimpse of a fear they share about their future, after all. "You and I will grow old together," she finally says, gentle conviction edging into her voice. "We will have all that we've dreamed of... everything our makers tried to deny us. I promise."

It's not a reasonable promise to make, especially as both of them have tried to grapple with the possibility of the worst, but... she means it.

[patchricide]

Honestly, it doesn't even register to Allura that she's learned almost everything on the fly. While she's taken notice of how often Avalon falls into crisis — truthfully, she's already used to making progress through wild improvisation and maximum effort. And because of that, she knows how surprisingly effective it can be.

So she's actually dejected about moving on without rooting around in the memories of this extremely magical mirror.

"Of course, though I don't know how much I'll be able to find." She turns away from the mirror, trying not to let the pout show on her face. "It's difficult to see in here... and difficult to discern what can be seen. Did you, on the off chance, notice anyone come in here before us?"

[angel_of_death]

That girl again. What was her name again? Junko. Enoshima. What was she doing in a place like this?

Whatever it is, it's definitely not a reassuring sight. But the girl doesn't appear to have sustained any significant injuries.

"If you insist."

He can keep a watch on her via the mirrors, too.

Firming the wires around the captured Arthurs, Walter turns his attention to the mirror so many had gone to such trouble to repair. Blue light emanates from every crystal on its border -- affected, he reasons, by whatever is attacking them.

He lifts a hand, magic flowing from his fingertips. More can join in as they are able to, but he isn't going to wait.

[sighsheavily]

"None that I could tell, no..."

The flame in Cecelia's fingers flickers brightly, sending eerie glimmers and glows across the reflective walls and fog ahead of them as they go, giving her notions of wisps or other wicked things in the dark. In-between the muted echoes of their footfalls, she strains to listen for anything out-of-place.

Hearing none seems worse than hearing something at all, if she's honest. But it's what she glimpses out of the corner of her eye that is more unnerving than what she's straining to hear: It was a blink-and-you-miss-it sort of thing, but she's almost certain she saw her reflection's movements stagger.

"...But I daresay we're being observed in some fashion. Something is present."

[judgementor]

[He smiles at her, just a little. The reason for the expression is split between her (entirely inappropriate) questioning of his hobbies and her willingness to enter the battle ahead despite the worry he can see written all over her face.]

Stay close to me.

[If she can do that, he can make sure that nothing happens to her.]

And remember, there's no shame in running.

[judgementor]

Mm, we are.

[It's been a while since he needed to explain Food Souls. His name is often just dismissed as something unusual, or a code name, and he doesn't go about advertising his (former?) status because repeatedly explaining it grows very tiresome.

But they have nothing else to do here.]

Tierra, the world I come from, is occupied by more than just humans. Some time ago, humans discovered how to draw the idle souls held in the foods they eat and drink, coloured by the histories behind them, out into physical form. [He shoots her a tiny smirk.]

But I suppose you just thought my name was an alias when it was announced before the fight?

[writtendestiny]

[It's still hard to believe that little bird fought in the tournament.

Poison had tried not to get attached to her familiar - an extension of the fae magic that had brought her here that she could never, and would never fully trust - but its constant companionship had worked under her skin. She'd protect the creature with her life.

Maybe that was what was supposed to happen.]

Some of the familiars people get are creatures I've never seen before. Even in stories. It's worth watching even for that.

[writtendestiny]

[She lets out a soft chuckle.]

All right. Deal.

[It had only been within the past hour, but the mirrors feel so far away already. Had all of that really happened? A quick glance up at Gokudera's neck and the damaged skin around the collar confirms it.]

Does that... happen often? With the collar.

[fullgauntlet]

[It's alright, Izuku isn't any wiser to it. He won't be too nosy about it either. But it is nice to know a little more about them. Even if it's about smoking??]

I guess I can't really fault anyone for that. [Izuku rubs the back of his head.] But Gokudera-san seems like a good person. Not that... he liked me saying so, once.

[He laughs sheepishly.]