EVENT ✨ Be Careful What You Wish For

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

It's a lovely winter's day. The rain is a light sprinkle, periodically the sun peeks out and forms a rainbow across the sky, and it's not even too cold to go out. The perfect kind of day. "Nothing could possibly go wrong!" is what someone said right before things started to go awry. All throughout the town, strange happenings began to occur... people began to experience odd effects, and though it was clearly magic, most of Camelot City's residents didn't seem to have an immediate understanding of what had happened. In fact, much of it seemed somewhat.. random. Characters will optionally be able to experience the following during this event (player's choice; characters may experience more than one): • Constantly bombarded with random flashes of what your friends are doing or are going to be doing later at inconvenient times during the day. • Uncontrollable super strength. Like go to open a door and it comes off the hinges or push someone and they fly through the wall level. • Being able to sense and feel the air around them. All of it, at all times. • Physically not being able to walk into any building without an invitation from the owner, including your own. • A part of your body grows in size. • Unable to be touched by anything, to the point that objects will move away from you as you try to pick them up. • Start seeing people you know from back home, but only you can see them. • Your technology falls in love with you and tries to keep you from looking at other pieces of technology. • You gain a canon magic! The only problem is, it was never yours to begin with. You gain someone else's magic/powers for the duration of the event. • You turn into whatever your zodiac sign is whenever someone touches you. • Emotions cause an immediate physical response regardless of strength; so if someone is even slightly sad, they'll start bawling. If anyone is happy, they're ecstatic and beaming. • Objects turn into your favorite thing when touched. As you can guess, chaos is ensuing because of these strange effects, and counter-curses don't seem to be doing anything about it. Unaffected people are being offered the chance to quarantine behind the castle walls in the castle's guest rooms-- a huge upgrade from the inns in just about every way (it's royal opulence, after all, enjoy the stay and the amenities!) or being told to find another location to spend their time other than the close-quarters of the city, in case it is some kind of magical disease that's spreading. The town criers (read: social media news outlets) who are sharing this information will also be gathering volunteers may be conscripted by King Arthur on a trip to the edge of the Forest of the Fisherking to seek the help of a magical archivist that might be able to help them identify the cause of this clusterfork. To get to the Forest of the Fisherking, the safest path is the pass between the Land of Rot and the water. It's a dangerous journey. The Land of Rot itself has the stench of death about it, and in the distance, anyone traveling with the party will once in a while be able to see a lone member of the undead traversing what appears to be barren, dying lands-- be they a walking skeleton or a rotting corpse of a zombie. The skies above are filled with vulture-like creatures that pick the flesh off of those who wander in and don't wander back out. Anyone who tries to go toward it will be warned that it's a bad idea or stopped by someone else nearby, as though one alone may look like a single creature, they can call a horde at a moment's notice. The camp could be overrun within moments and none of them are equipped to fight the undead right now. The pass itself doesn't appear to have many creatures to fight along the way- most don't want to be near the Land of Rot longer than they have to, and it's dead silent at night, except for the periodic shrill scream from the Land of Rot in the distance. In fact, if you wake up past midnight at the camp, you'll find that even the camp itself seems to have all of the sound sucked out of it. When you try to speak, no sound comes out. There is a reason that this little stretch of land between the lake and the rot is called The Silent Shore by the water creatures and fae who live just offshore... though since they aren't the ones making the maps, it's not common knowledge in Camelot City. There's no way for anyone to have known ahead of time that everyone in the camp would be silenced. It's also why orc bandits attack the camp in the dead of night, as they know that no one will be able to let out a scream. Try to get to your friend's tents and alert others as soon as possible, get help, and stop the bandits from stealing all of your possessions or hurting someone... you know, without a peep. Good luck. Once the arduous journey through the Silent Shore is finished, the party arrives at the Forest of the Fisherking. It's quiet, but not in the same way the shore was silent. In fact, it's a rather serene location. The sunlight peeks through the leaves of the canopy, and small bugs and butterflies and pixies and other strange things dance through the air like they're under an enchantment of their own. Eventually, the party finds the home of the magical archivist. On the surface, it looks like almost an abandoned steam-powered traincar. There are gadgets and gears and clocks in the first room, little experiments here and there, and at the end of the car is an elevator. The elevator only fits two at a time, so you'll need to take turns going down. And down, down, down it goes. The elevator itself is a little rickety, so it may stop and stutter and you may be trapped in an elevator for any amount of time, alone in a small box with another person. When you get to the bottom floor, a pocket-sized steampunk-dressed gnome will appear on the elevator railing in a poof of smoke. "In order to pass my door, you must answer my questions three." The first question will always be your character's name. The second question will always be what your character seeks. The third question can be anything the player wants no matter how serious or ridiculous you'd like, but both characters will have to answer all three honestly, or the elevator will go back up to the top. Should they answer truthfully, the gnome will disappear in a puff of smoke and the elevator doors will open to reveal a dusty, underground library, filled to the brim with books and references. The archivist appears, pulling up a helmet of variable magnifying devices from over his head, and tells everyone to look around, but they're not allowed to take anything. Anything truly dangerous is locked up, but characters may be able to find information on magical creatures, tips and tricks for different types of magic, or different accounts of Arthurian legend, and more. King Arthur himself goes to speak with the man after this, so they can talk about what exactly is happening in Camelot City. When Arthur returns, he tells everyone the following information: Apparently, those fireflies people were wishing on at the bonfire normally gather their ability to grant wishes from the stars, which are currently frozen in time. As such, the power they drew upon to grant wishes went absolutely haywire and granted messed up versions of wishes for all kinds of people, including the people who didn't make them. They are wishes and not curses, which is why no one's counter-curses worked. Fortunately, the fix is rather simple, and upon returning home, anyone who stays out of the sunlight for at least 24 hours straight will return to normal. As the sun is the only functioning star and it's supporting the use of the fragmented star power the fireflies use, the magic of the wish will dissipate. As this is an unprecedented situation, no one knew this would happen. He asks that those here on this journey take to spreading word and ensuring it be done.

Comments

Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV | open (will match format)

[emet_sulk]

(ooc: Emet-Selch will be afflicted with his best friend Hythlodaeus' powers. This includes the ability to see souls far more keenly than his own and the ability to manipulate souls and aether/magic freely.)

1. Siamese Gemini Twins

It's a bright and beautiful morning and you are an unwitting passer-by, privy to an argument taking place out in the town square. A town crier has unluckily picked Emet-Selch to be the target of his unwanted advertisements and made the mistake of clasping him on the shoulder.

Now there are two Emet-Selchs. One of them (the real Emet) is visibly irate, and the other (Emet but with white hair and a wing of brown) attempting to reason with...himself?

"If this is magic that you are selling, I want none of it!" he snaps, jabbing a finger at his inverted twin. "Reverse it immediately!" ("Sir, I promise, I have no idea what just happened--") "You touched me. Suddenly there is a copy standing here and you expect me to believe it wasn't your doing?!"

2. Shades of the Past

He sees hooded figures out of the corner of his eye. Citizens with white masks strolling idly along the streets, making quiet conversation with others or headed somewhere unknown. But he also sees images from more recent centuries: people he has loved and lost (so very many of those) and people who have tried to kill him. He thinks they're ghosts at first - and isn't that strange? He'd been told the undead only lived in the Land of Rot - until one of them begins speaking with him.

"Your Radiance..." They salute, and for a moment he's confused. Who are they again? Garlean, obviously, but-- "The medicus has finished their assessment. I am pleased to report that your grandson is strong and healthy."

Ah... More memories Garlemald. The soldier does not wait for him to send them off but hurries away. He stares at their fading back, wondering if they will respond if he speaks to one.

As if on cue, another man runs up to him, overjoyed and proud. "Father!" they say. "We have named him Varis!"

Emet-Selch's jaw clenches. It takes great effort for him to respond. "A good name. I am glad for you," he says numbly, echoing words he remembers dimly saying so many decades ago. But as they turn to leave, he breaks script and calls out, "Wait!"

Incredibly, they turn, looking at him curiously. His heart leaps into his throat and he finds himself mute. With his gaze only on the phantom figure of his first-born son, he's quite oblivious to who else may have reacted to his call-out. He seems to be staring at thin air - or perhaps even looking directly at you without seeing.

3. The Silent Shore (cw: blood, battle etc.)

He first becomes aware of the intruders when he senses a great mass of aether descending upon their camp. He grabs his sword and throws off the blankets, just in time for it to bite into the neck of one who had been hoping to make off with his things.

"We're under attack!" he yells, but no sound comes out. Strange. He knows he spoke the words. Yet he can hear nothing. Almost like a ringing in the ears when one is dazed, but his thoughts are utterly clear. He quickly moves to defend himself from another orc charging at him in his periphery, but the lack of sound means he's unprepared for the one that crashes into his back, sending him sprawling over one of the other sleepers.

"Apologies," he says instinctively. Not that you can hear it.

4. Wildcard

Not seeing anything you like? Have an idea that you want to run by me? I have a plotting comment here you can hit up, or you can just throw up a custom prompt. I also still have an active log for this month's quests and prompts.

closed to Hythlodaeus

[emet_sulk]

When he wakes up that morning, he can hardly believe his own eyes.

Because of the inn's...recent redecorating, he and Hythlodaeus have been forced to sleep together. He's not complaining as such - and neither is his friend for that matter - but the bed itself is so breathtakingly embarrassing that he'd almost rather have pushed their two former beds together instead.

All of that flies in the face of what he sees now though: the glorious, warm amber of his friend's soul, pulsing gently where their breast is close to the heart. He tries not to blink. If it is a delusion, he wants to enjoy it as long as possible. But even as his eyes water and he's forced to blink, that comforting hue remains. He sucks in a sharp breath and embraces his friend tightly, not caring if the sudden movement wakes them.

it has NOT been two weeks, time is fake.

[weenwoon]

The hug is certainly unexpected, but not unwelcome - even if normally it is Hythlodaeus himself who ends up initiating such things. He makes a muffled noise, instinctively shifting to make himself more comfortable against his friend, eyes still closed - but the tension and the tightness of the embrace work their way through his subconscious. This is not quite normal, is it?

"Hades?.." he mumbles, still not quite awake. "'s it a nightmare?"

Slowly, Hythlodaeus forces himself to open his eyes, blinking the sleep away. It's unusual for Hades to cling so and Hythlodaeus wraps his arms around the man in return, stroking his back.

"I am here. You needn't fear..."

Something else feels different, but with the remnants of sleep still clouding his mind Hythlodaeus has a hard time putting a finger on it.

let expanse contract, eon become instant--

[emet_sulk]

"No," he murmurs, burying his face in their chest. "No, 'tis no nightmare. I... I can see it again, 'Daeus. Your soul."

He has cried not a few times already but this time his tears are those of joy. It feels like a part of him has been restored. He does not know how long it will last, or even if there's something else afoot. But for the time being, he will drink in the sight and thank the gods for this chance.

i would appreciate if exarch stopped messing with the timeline

[weenwoon]

His soul?..

The words are unexpected enough that it wakes Hythlodaeus all the way. Slowly, he raises himself up a little to look at Hades properly--

--and freezes. Though the sun has risen, the room flooded with soft light, what greets his eyes is the familiar velvet purple of a gentle night. Darker than he remembers, rougher, changed - but how could he not recognize it?

His breath catches in his throat as he stares, unable to look away. Out of the corner of his eye can see it, the gentle glow of the surrounding world, but that pales in comparison to the sight directly before him. Hythlodaeus raises a trembling hand, carding his fingers through his friend's hair, almost reverentially.

"Hades-- I see it too... I can see you again..."

1

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku is quite new to this whole magic thing. While supernatural and metaphysical abilities are not new to him the concept of magic is something new to wrap his head around. He's been lucky enough to have gained alchemy magic as well which helps with the idea that magic can be scientific and logical too.

... But this? Izuku stands there and blinks as the man shouts and points rather irritably at his copy. At first, he thinks maybe he shouldn't step in! But his instincts automatically counteract that.]

... Is there a way to reverse the magic?

[Because honestly, he'd be pretty surprised at his own copy being made too??]

[emet_sulk]

[ He is still scowling as he turns to eye this third (fourth?) party. The would-be sales crier is looking like they'd rather be anywhere but here right now. ]

First I would have to know what magic I'm reversing, yes? [ he grates out. His white-haired twin folds their arms, shaking their head. ] 'Tis certainly not my own.

Ill temper won't get us answers. Let the poor man go; he clearly has not the faintest idea how this happened.

[fullgauntlet]

[Izuku sweatdrops. This is a pretty heated moment. Izuku looks around.]

There have to be some healers around town that could maybe look into it? If it's a charm of some sort or an illusion trick. I don't know much about magic yet, but it's worth it to try with a healer first.

[At least that's what most fantasy games and comic books would dictate...]

[emet_sulk]

[ He mutters under his breath in a foreign language. Then aloud: ] Fine.

[ Completely ignoring the crier who had initially touched him, he strides off to find chirurgeon, a healer - or whatever it is they call a medical centre here. His twin trails behind after making their apologies to the man. ]

...It cannot be light magic. [ He says this without warning, still scowling as he scans ahead. ] Light magic does not produce anything tangible.

3

[apshot]

[ Bakugou is actually someone that enjoys sleep. Once it hits a certain point of the evening, the blonde actually becomes something of a zombie and goes off to bed - usually early. Hoer, this time it's a little different. The whole "no Quirk" issue is a big one that doesn't settle well with him. Making sleep hard.

So he's kind of pissed that he's being startled out of hard earned sleep. Oh it comes with shouting and screaming and shoving the body that'd dare to crash into him. But there's no sound. No sound at all.

It's fine though, because Katsuki will immediately forgo it in the next moment to deal with the orc that's following through with his attack. Better cover your eyes though, since he's going to blind the thing with a flash of light. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ Emet-Selch flinches from the flash of light, which would have been a problem had the contact with Katsuki not triggered that annoying 'twin' effect he's been plagued by these past few days. His doppelganger - identical in all aspects save for the fact they have mainly white hair with a brown fringe - drags him out of the way of an incoming weapon.

'Get away from me!' he snaps at them. Though, of course, it goes unheard. Shoving his twin back, he brandishes his gunblade at the nearest opponent he sees and neatly runs them through.

No time to think about how this may affect the youths they have with them on this trip. These orc bandits certainly don't seem to care if they live or die. ]

[apshot]

[ Okay that's not something he had expected to happen. Why are there now two of them? For a moment there, the orcs are just as confused as Katsuki as these "twins" huff at each other. At least... Until a bandit gets run through. That seems to snap Bakugou out of it at least.

Now he's likely not killing any of the bandits himself - hero things and all - but he's going to go right back at it with twisting around and blinding the one right next to him with another flash of light from his palm. Then following up with a kick.

All this is going to do is encourage him to actually work on weaponizing his magic better. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ Gods above, he hates Light still. He knows he should work on not letting it affect him, but the memory of a bright flash continues to haunt his memories. It gives him a jolt to the heart and a deep sense of panic, lending a wild, unheard yell to his next attack. He carves a deep gash in the next orc and kicks it away.

His twin keeps close, apparently not well-versed in combat and relying upon its original to slay the intruders. It's just as well he has an extra pair of eyes, for the bright flashes eventually grow too much for Emet-Selch. He covers his eyes with a hand, breathing hard.

A bandit sees their opportunity. They rush him, spear ready to run him through. ]

1!

[minifilia]

[ Two Emet-Selches... Ryne isn't sure what to do about this! She glances between the two, trying to interject every so often, but they keep yelling over each other. This must because because of this world's strange magic right? That's what she thinks anyway. ]

U-Um... I'm not sure if this is supposed to be malicious. Er rather I don't think it's trying to do any harm.

[ That might not matter to him though. ]

[emet_sulk]

[ It doesn't matter to him one bit. ]

I don't need a copy of myself! [ He jabs his finger at his twin, who folds their arms and wears a rather familiar, weary expression. ] Either way, get out of my sight, boy. If you touch me again, you will regret it.

[ The salesman goes pale and books it out of there. Leaving Ryne to try and calm an irate Ascian down. ]

1

[victorytune]

Emet is trying to yell at him, but while there may be two of him... Ichiban is now a Capricorn. A sea goat.

"You're mad?!" Ichi squawks back. "I don't have any legs!"

Indeed, his legs have been replaced with a tail reminiscent of every painting of a mermaid. His upper goat body is just as distressing, especially because his ridiculous mane of hair has translated into being a very shaggy brown goat. He blows some hair out of his eyes.

[emet_sulk]

Indeed, having no legs would be a problem... But Emet-Selch has managed without those before. He's not very sympathetic.

And apparently still believes the man did this deliberately.

"Whatever prank you're trying to pull," he growls, "if you don't reverse it immediately--!"

It's a good thing he left his weapon in his room at the inn.

[victorytune]

"I don't even have that kind of magic!" he protests with a very goat-like yodel. "If you were the goat, it might have been me! Because I'm not very good at controlling it yet!"

Ok, Ichi, he probably didn't need to know that nor does he care that you have not yet mastered your animal magic.

His tail flops back and forth, wetly. Flop, flop, flop.

[emet_sulk]

A few more moments of glaring at the ridiculous man-goat-fish before him, before Emet-Selch has to grudgingly admit that they seem to have as little idea about what's going on as he does.

"...At least you have the means to turn yourself back." He shoots a wary look at his twin, who looks quite tired by all this already. "How do I get rid of you?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," they say with a shrug. "Why not try touching each other again?"

"And risk multiplying even further?" he snaps back.

1

[gutteringlight]

Jophrey knows he shouldn't get involved, but finds himself walking towards the familiar voice despite it. Then again, he didn't get to be the Warrior of Light without being an enormous busybody, now did he? He arrives in time to hear Hades haranguing the poor crier, and moves to intervene.

"Hades," he begins gently, "Surely this man has nothing to gain...by..." He trails off, blinking stupidly as he stares from one Hades to the other. He opens his mouth. Shuts it again. There's a long moment of indecision before he turns to the much more upset twin.

"Surely you can see that this poor man could never have done something like this on purpose." One Hades was difficult enough to deal with. "'Tis some Fae prank or...some kind of magic gone awry, surely."

[emet_sulk]

After glowering one last time at the hapless man, he turns to face Jophrey, fuming.

"A fae prank?" he grates out. "If this is a prank, we shall see if they yet laugh when I find the culprit. And Hythlodaeus had better not be the source of it."

It seems like something his unrepentant friend would pull. His twin remains quiet, wearing a tired, harassed look. If not for the wing of brown in their hair, they would look similar in colouration to the ancient Emet-Selch Jophrey once met.

[gutteringlight]

That was a bit of news he hadn't heard yet. "Hythlodaeus?" Jophrey repeats, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Your friend from Amaurot? In the flesh?"

The town crier, meanwhile, is quietly attempting to place as much distance between himself and the trio as possible. Jophrey pretends not to notice.

Instead his expression turns curious. "I thought such a reunion would be more of a happy occasion for you. Not..." He gestures vaguely, unhelpfully. "Well, you seem annoyed by it."

2!

[fearlessly]

Alisaie certainly hasn't made any effort to seek Emet out, nor has he made any attempt to seek her out, she can only assume, but that is just as well. What more could be said than what has already been said? Though she's relatively confident that he has no real way to continue his ancient crusade from this place, it is nevertheless a point of concern, but even still, nothing would come of their meeting again save for useless conflict, and happy as Alisaie is to take up her sword for her cause, there's no point to meaningless, endless arguments. It does not serve either of them.

But this place is only so big, and she cannot stand being a homebody, so it was really only a matter of time before they crossed paths again. Lucky it was not sooner, honestly.

Thankfully, he does not seem to have noticed her, and Alisaie is fully prepared to simply keep moving, and maybe shoot a dirty look at his back, when he calls out. When he.. is talking to emptiness. Furrowing her brow, Alisaie pauses, shifting an armful of books in her arms.

"Are you.. quite alright?"

[emet_sulk]

He sucks in a sharp breath and glances her way, before glancing quickly back towards the vision of his long-dead son as though afraid they'll fade if he takes his eyes off of them. The man continues to wait patiently for him to speak, though he now wears a slight frown of concern.

"...I was proud of you," he mutters. He doesn't want that girl to hear, but he can't bear to let this go unsaid. "I would have been content to pass the throne to you and see the empire that you would shape. I could have died peacefully and remained a villain in the shadows."

His son seems perplexed by these words, shaking his head. "I think you are growing old and tired, father. Allow me to handle the day's affairs. Get some rest."

And with that, they turn and walk away, fading into nothingness. Emet-Selch is left to continue staring at vacant air wearing an expression of anguish.

[fearlessly]

He's lost his mind at last, hasn't he?

But it does not take a genius to realize that he is not talking to her. Not only is he not looking her way, he's saying things she is quite sure he would never say to her, naturally, so she can do little enough but watch in puzzled silence while a scene she can see only half of unfolds. She thinks perhaps she should.. take her leave, for Alisaie cannot help but feel that she has walked in on something very strange and private, despite the fact that they are very much in public, but it seems rude, somehow, to simply leave him to it.

Gods, why should she even care? She's too much of a damned bleeding heart for her own good. After a few moments of silence, she approaches, her grasp on her books tightening.

"I take that as a no."