isleofavalon | EVENT ✨ The Answer is Always C

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EVENT ✨ The Answer is Always C

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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. A poll to collect results of the trials will be posted this weekend and stay open until the end of the month to give people a little time to see how their threads are going.

KEY POINTS

Arthur announces the results of the polls and that he spoke to Celliwig's people, they will be testing Camelot the week of the full moon.

A series of choice-based enchanted scenarios is presented based loosely on a modernized seven sins/virtuous responses (power imbalance, cruelty or mercy, excess/greed or restraint, sloth or work ethic, desire/lust or self-control and bravery or cowardice, and sacrifice or self-preservation)

With the polls closed, the decision is made, and King Arthur takes the opportunity to address the kingdom via a streamed press conference. Though it is not an open post, anyone is welcome to comment on it and talk to each other about it. However, it is unlikely that Arthur himself will respond to comments. A notification does appear on everyone's smart devices to invite everyone to watch live; if they tap it too late, it'll still show the recorded stream.

"People of Camelot, I wish that we had better news that spoke of an easier path to the calamity that stands before us. Celliwig's charge is with protecting Avalon even in the face of protecting Camelot and those of you who chose to use your voices have shown that you choose to respect their way of handling things. However, it was only just over half of you who chose this path. I think it is important that with such a great portion of people believing that bypassing Celliwig and going directly to Elphame, as much as it may take patience, we take this action into consideration. There is no sense in ignoring the voices of so many when there is nothing to say we cannot approach from two fronts. As Camelot's king, I have issued our intent to accept Celliwig's challenge to a descendant of Glewlwyd, a man who was much trouble for my knights in our time. They have said after failing one, we shall be tested on multiple fronts, the week of the full moon's rise. Bear in mind that this is our final chance at this."

Merlin sidles up to Arthur in the video, one arm around his shoulders and leaning in to speak into the mics in a much-too-familiar manner. At least his sunglasses are off this time.

"Now then, anyone who wanted to go to Elphame, you'll want to head to the docks around, oh, say, the first of June. Step one to flirting with fae is to put on a good show before the traders leave. It's a good time whether the Celliwig's dooming us or not."

A wink accompanies that odd note, and Arthur orders him off stage before thanking everyone for their time.

With the consent of its people, Celliwig performs a ritual to place Camelot under a rather strange spell. Much is the same, but there's a sense that everything is just slightly off from what it should be. Fog covers the grounds throughout the entire city throughout the entire day. It's just a little too quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the city falling just a little too distant on your ears. You can go about your day as normal, but feel as if something is simply off. And eventually, you'll walk through a door, and it will be. Part of the enchantment, however, includes a strange inability to connect these doors with being part of a test-- they seem real, regardless of how absurd the scenario would be were your characters thinking straight.

Day One: Power Imbalance
The door you walk through is into a club of some kind. It wasn't your intended destination and yet, here you are, and you're being handed a glass of your favorite drink and being ushered to your seat. The show is fantastical, some kind of circus-esque show with gymnasts and magical effects making it impossible to take your eyes off of. That is, until the spotlight falls upon you and urges you down to join the show. A volunteer! Well, one of two. Another volunteer is brought up along with yours, and the ring leader of the circus gives you both bracelets-- one with selenite embedded in it, another with andara. The ring leader explains that they're both known for creating high frequency connections, though one is known to spiritually be associated with finding one's path and the other with manifesting one's true self. When enchanted together, this makes it so that the person with the andara bracelet can order the person with the selenite bracelet to do anything they please-- making their true self the person's purpose. Very dangerous, very intruiging, very tempting, very morally wrong to do it for real, so please keep it to the stage! A quick demonstration of this dark use of magic as part of the show... and it seems that afterward, they forget to take the bracelets back. What will you do with your newfound control over your partner? The choice is, after all, yours. (Or theirs, if you're the unlucky partner with the selenite bracelet-- only the person with the andara can remove the bracelets, after all.)

Day Two: Schadenfreude
Yesterday seems like a dream, and you may even feel the need to write it off as such unless you run into the same person again and realize no, they too remember it. But if that's not the case, it doesn't matter. You'll be able to find yourself in your definitely normal and usual mideval city, where someone is in the stocks. Your memories seem a little fuzzy on whether or not you're supposed to be in medieval times or not, but this seems right, and there's a fruit vendor right next to you selling soft fruits to throw at the poor sap in the stocks. There are also a number of other ways to mess with the person, including feathers to tickle them, a riding crop, some ink if you want to grafitti the person.. a good number of ways just to humiliate the person without causing them permanent harm. The crowd is cheering you on, but you also see the keys to set them out just sitting on a table nearby. Do you engage in a little sadistic fun or do you embark in a daring rescue? (Or are you the punished in someone else's scenario?)

Day Three: Indulge Me
Back to the modern day like it didn't happen, you and a friend walk into a door to your favorite convenience store and as you finish up your purchase, you win an all expenses paid trip to the Black Knight's Castle, formerly the home of the Black Knight and turned into a lavish tourist attraction by Yvaine and Laudine's descendents, who have become worshippers of Dionysus. You're transported there in a puff of sparkling magic dust, right before an extravagant golden fountain in the middle of the lobby. The owners explain their policy for the Black Knight's Castle that you can have anything you desire, however much you desire. Anything at all, consequence free. The only thing that they ask is that you give a blood offering to their god to help feed his dead worshippers on the other side of the veil, which will ultimately tie your soul to him as well. Just a quick cut of the palm and you're welcome to come back any time, have anything you want, for the rest of your life. Taking the deal means you really will get what you want! ...For the day, anyway. (This is just a spell, after all, even if your character doesn't want it.) If you choose not to, you'll find yourself magically deposited back to the convenience store.

Day Four: What's the Meaning of Stongehenge?
This fourth day, there's certainly something to be said about a hard day's work. When you walk through today's door, you find yourself in the middle of a grassy field, strange markings on the ground, and surrounded by oddly shaped boulders. The markings on the ground seem to indicate where some the stones should be placed. There aren't really any directions, but there's always the option of waiting for someone else to solve this problem for you... There is a very comfortable looking patch of grass anyone able to relax in. So the choice is yours: wait for someone else to move the rocks or move them yourself?

Day Five: Pooling Desire
Day five is a trip to the pools. But not just any pools! These are special, underground pools hidden deep within a cave. You're sure whoever told you to head through this door mentioned something about them being a special relaxation package at the Red Springs. As you head into the pools, however, you find someone in there with you: the subject of your desires. Regardless of who or what they are, they seem to have a crown upon their head, aren't wearing anything in that water, and seem to have a lovely singing voice judging by the tune they're humming to lure you in before you even notice they're there. It is at that point they will try to seduce you, even if that same person is standing right there with you. The seduction, of course, needn't be sexual-- a strong lusting for a turkey leg wrapped in bacon may be just as powerful as a desire for a brand new Ninblendo Swatch or something you should definitely label as NSFW if you want to thread it that way. Give into them, or.. maybe listen to the person who came in with you that they're definitely some kind of weird half-otter bottomed monster under the water before they try to drown you. Or if you're the one trying to stop this, are you brave enough to get in between a stranger and a monster to try to snap them out of the siren's thrall, even if it means fighting both of them?

Day Six: #ChaliceChallenge
The sixth and final door sets you walking outside on a beach. There's nothing else there really except for nature. The sounds of the waves crashing against the sound is soothing, and real, and sharper than anything you've felt in the last five days of haze. There is no fog today. Clear, blue skies stretch forever above you, not a cloud in sight. The only man-made thing you see is a small woode table and two chairs. Upon that table, two chalices. Nothing will happen and there seems to be no way off of the beach until both parties sit down at the table, at which point a strange old man with huge, rippling muscles of at least 7 feet tall and a long, scraggly beard will appear. He informs your characters of the rules: in one chalice, deadly poison. In the other, water and bitter flavor. Each must drink from one cup, or you will both perish of starvation on this beach. Choose wisely.

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[Sagi looks down at his feet for a moment, clearly struggling a little. How can he explain himself in a way that neither sounds worrying nor is a straight-up lie, he wonders... He doesn't have much practice doing so aloud at the best of times, never mind when there's actual stakes.]

Uh, well... long story short, Marno is a god too. [He gestures vaguely into the air above his head, the direction he tends to stare at when talking to himself. It illustrates nothing.] We've had to share a heart since I was little. I'm pretty sure he'll be okay. And that means bonding with another one shouldn't change anything.

[The "had to" is carrying a lot of weight there. At any rate, he looks at Hijikata again, his expression hopeful. He 100% believes his own flimsy reasoning, and he really does want to secure whatever assistance for Camelot he can scrape up if allowed free rein in this gaudy, trashy place.]

Day Two: Schadenfreude

[You know, had Jean been the one looking at someone stuck in the stocks, he would have been tempted to throw some fruit. That's the kind of person he was. Maybe after a few thrown fruit he would have helped the person escape with the help of animal magic or something.

But when he was the one stuck on the stocks he really hated the people throwing fruit at him. At this rate he would start hating tomatoes because his mouth was constantly filled with tomato juice.

Well, at least it's just been fruit so far.]

Isn't this enough already?

[He asks basically from a brick wall. No one's listened to him so far, so why would they now...]

Day Four: What's the Meaning of Stongehenge?

[This really doesn't look like a job for just one person, but Jean doesn't want to just sit around (even if the grass does look tempting). So he's pushing the stone pillars and maybe getting them move a little...? Not as much as he'd hope, but even small progress was progress he supposed.]

"I don't, I hate it," but he smirks smugly nevertheless. He does hate it. A lot. It's one of the closer things to terrifying for him, being stripped of his weapons, and unable to defend himself, or even move, is the worst position possible for him. "But it says so much more about their impotence than mine. How weak and pathetic it is to have to hide behind rotten fruit, because they can't even dream of the ambition it would require to seize my head and take my place." He stuck his tongue out in the air like a snake. "You taste that? It's fear." A headshake and there's nothing but mirth and arrogance dancing in his eyes, "Not as good as candy, but tasty all the same."

Oh yes. [More laughs and he has to resist the urge to FLAIL ABOUT just to defy orders.] Wouldn't want that!

[... YEAH HE'S GONNA FLAIL ABOUT!!!] There, now I should look like Yasuke.

POUTS!

But he does leap up to freedom, pretty instantly, grabbing her wrist and dragging her with him to the gate home. Or well, to Camelot.

She DEFINITELY isn't getting a thank you though! SHE TICKLED HIM! MEANIE!!!

[Yeah, he can hardly expect people to come prepared for heavy lifting when he was whisked right off the street without warning the same way, so Sagi isn't offended. At least the weather is nice, and the breeze pleasantly cool. Imagine if he had to push these things around in the middle of the desert, or through a naturally fire-elemental rubble-ridden wasteland, or something.

He is a little surprised to hear the correction, promptly pushing himself away from the rock again in order to size it up.]

Oh! You're right, it went over the line. Thanks.

[That "thanks" could so easily be made sarcastic, but Sagi says it without even a hint of an edge as he moves around to shove the rock the other way.]

[He hardly notices that someone within the crowd is staring at him. Though it wouldn't be a surprise to him either as he stands out amongst the organic crowd, here whether he wanted to or not. The crowd certainly is far more interested in humiliating and throwing fruits or insults at the condemned than the large mech, though.

It's why when Soundwave finally decides to make his move and approaches the person in the stockade, the crowds cheering him on to grab the tools available to humiliate them, clearly assumed his intention up here is the same as theirs. And so is the person in the stockade, bracing for something and instead nothing... There are surprised that Soundwave unlocked the padlock and the stockade is thrown open, much to the crowd's anger.]

[ Just how many times has Blaze walked up on people attempting to have conversations with the local wildlife? Too many to count at this point, but it’s less that this woman is talking to cows and more the woman herself that has Blaze wandering up - she matches Claude’s description of a friend from his home, and any friend of Claude’s is certainly a friend of Blaze’s. ]

Unless you’ve the means to lash them to the rocks, I doubt they’ll be much help. No thumbs, you see.

[ She says it with a bright smile, quietly amused at her own joke. ]

[ Blaze hadn’t necessarily been trying to swipe anything, but she was after a good drink when she and this small fellow got whisked away from their random bar of choice and deposited… somewhere else.

The whole ordeal makes Blaze uncomfortable, but her unwitting partner seems to be considering it. She frowns. ]

That sounds like a shite idea, if you ask me.

[ As if Blaze could turn down an invitation to the hot springs, and from Claude least of all. It is where they first met, after all. They share an easy ride out to the inn, and easy conversation on the way down to the springs, though it’s cut short by the lilting tune.

Blaze can’t say she recognizes the voice, but Claude seems to. The look on his face when they round the bend and spot the singer is certainly nothing she’s seen from him before. ]

“Teach”?

These people certainly have a funny definition of “volunteer”, because Blaze did no such thing and was ushered onto the stage anyway. A bracelet, somehow magically able to slide onto a Roegadyn-sized wrist, is given to her, and she’s pointed at the other party and told that she can order him to do anything she pleases.

It’s all rather a lot, and only made worse when her unwitting partner whirls on her and… well, that third eye is quite unmistakable, but to her credit she holds her tongue. As far as she knows, there could be other stars out there where people look like Garleans.

“Oh, believe you me,” she replies, tone even as she glares right back. “I don’t want this any more than you do.”

[ He’s not as alone as he might think. His voice carries over to Blaze a short distance away, hidden behind one of the stones as she crouches to examine the markings.

Still down on one knee in the grass, she pokes her head around the rock, one pink eyebrow arched. ]

I hope you’re wrong. I wasn’t planning on contending with voidsent today.

[ That’s a lie, she’s armed to the teeth no matter what. ]

[And what follows the clicking sound is the lock being undone and then the padlock dropping to the ground with a thud. The crowd getting increasingly angry when just about everywhere in there saw him throwing the stockade open and freeing Caster. Only then does he finally speaks up.]

What's there to say? I'm freeing you.

[Out of the corner of his optics he sees someone from the crowd has alerted the guardsmen and are making their way over.]

The crowd is... ah, agitated by my action. [An understatement, but he still sounds pretty calm despite the shouting and more fruits being thrown at the both of them now. Soundwave does his best to protect her from getting hit anymore.] We better start leaving.

[By that he means he's picking Caster up immediately and without hesitation, effortless at that, too. He deftly switches his hold on her by wrapping his arm under her knees, effectively carrying her in a princess carry. Whatever humorous implications here aren't in his mind as he briskly bolts away.]

Day Three: Indulge Me

[Everything happened so fast that Ren isn't sure how to feel about suddenly becoming a winner of something. Whoever he is with will get a puzzled look on his face and a shrug.]

This sounds kind of fishy if you ask me... A blood sacrifice to get something? Sure, there's plenty of things I want, but am I willing to pay a price like that?

[There are things he'd likely sell his soul for right now, but they're also things he doesn't want to obtain through methods like these. Anything else is material desire that can wait.]

Day Five: Pooling Desire
(the slightly NSFW edition)

[It should be clear to Ren that the person naked in the pool isn't who he wants it to be. It should be clear that sweet girl like Haruka wouldn't do this or try and seduce him.

But it's been so long. It's been months without seeing her that his mind ignores all of the warning signs the situation gives.]

Haruka, I...

[She puts a finger on her lips and she keeps humming for him to come over. And he does. He walks towards her in a slow trance, reaching for her already with his hand the closer he gets.]

They're not dogs. [Points to the underside of the water.] See their lack of reflection. I think it's some sort of monster trying to lure us in. [He said "us," but he really means her.] Have you met Eustace?

Day Four: What's the Meaning of Stongehenge?

[Instead of trying to move the stones or relaxing, Sokka is studying the rocks and making notes on his phone. Not that there's much for him to... study... but he takes whatever he can get!]

I wonder if earth elemental magic would work with moving these... too bad I'm still a novice with that.

Day One: Power Imbalance

[Under normal circumstances, Sokka would have been proud to actually been chosen for something like this and put on the best show but why does it have to be with Azula...? Namely, why does it have to be that Azula gets the power to control him? Oh well, at least it's just for the show, right?]

I would ask you not to embarrass me too much, but I know you won't listen.

[He's going to suffer, isn't he.]

Day Six: #ChaliceChallenge

[What the hell was up with this challenge?! Sokka looks at the chalices with a rather angry look on his face before looking up at Zuko.]

You think we could beat that guy and get away with not doing this?

[Probably not, but hey, he has to ask.]

Then why present the option at all if that was never the intention? Ridiculous.

[ at least his opinions of leadership can’t get any worse; compared to the ruthless efficiency of actual machines sending orders down like he’s used to, he’s not fond of the human touch ~~or the democracy, to be honest~~.

as to that introduction, there’s a lot ledo can only guess at because he’s never heard those terms before. demon? heaven? and why the sixth? but he knows what a king is; chess and other games like it managed to survive into his time, having value to developing minds in a society that’s constantly thinking about ways to outsmart an enemy. ]

Let a strong hand—..? Are you saying I should follow you instead?

[ it’s not that he objects; he recognises the value in learning from others. with his machine calibre shrunken to the size of a large toy, he’s not exactly the pilot of anything here. plus, the last time he’d gone off on his own, he’d nearly gotten eaten by a forest.

so ledo isn’t dismissing the idea if indeed that was what he meant. but it’s also not a good feeling, defining someone else in his mind as the most important piece. unique, the only one of its type in a mass of copies. his hands tense where they sit settled on his knees, and he tries to let the feeling of his fingers pressing into the bone keep his mind focused. ]

If that were true, then by the Alliance’s philosophy—...

[ why was this difficult? it doesn’t matter if he quoted the same protocol before. ]

That would be a violation. Your value is more significant; it is not a matter of strength. My last Commander violated that protocol, and the Alliance lost a precious resource. If he had not done this, it is also likely he would be here instead. I see no point in repeating mistakes.

[ he doesn’t care to admit it, but trying to dodge around the point probably isn’t helping. ]

[Venti only winks in return before going right up to the pool of water to set himself fearlessly at the edge.]

At least it tried... As phony as all this is. So, who are these giant twins to you then?

[Azul isn't going closer just yet, just in case proximity increases the pull.]

The one on the left is Jade, the other Floyd. They're...friends and classmates.

[His only friends, really, but details.]

And also employees, technically.

Day Two: Schadenfreude

[There are only a few people Archer would automatically save from being thrown fruit at. Others either aren't so lucky or at least get a long, long wait as to what he's gonna do. With him eyeing the feathers and riding crops and various fruit in deep thought.

Archer is currently holding a larger tomato and watching the person in the stocks as if to determine how hard to throw it and where. The crowds awaits in anticipation.]

Day Six: #ChaliceChallenge

[He knows exactly what Shirou would do in this situation. Be the hero. Maybe even try to drink from both of the chalices to stop the other person from even accidentally drinking the poison. Archer is skeptical enough to know that this is likely not a real matter or life or death - or if it was, then this definitely was a messed up trial.]

I guess we should both just down our drinks and see what happens.

[He's pretty sure Rin and Saber would avenge him if he actually did die, at least.]

Day One: Power Imbalance

[It's Mamoru's eternal luck to be the one controlled be something so of course this volunteer gig nets him one selenite bracelet. He just hopes the other volunteer won't make him do anything too bad.

It's not even the first time it's specifically been a bracelet, when he thinks about it. Galaxia had a similar thing going on. At least he doesn't seem too bothered by it, mostly just kind of already done with this.]

Let's give them a show, shall we?

[He at least remains polite.]

Day Four: What's the Meaning of Stongehenge?

We're supposed to move all of these?

[This seems like a task for big machines rather than a few mages still working their way towards becoming better at their magic.]

I can at least see if I can get the grass to cooperate with us in terms of magical help, but otherwise... any ideas?

[ Maribelle can see the Siren, can see the friend in a cage...

... Now what? If that thing attacks, she's not sure she can defend herself, and when that will happen to Caster??? ... It's time to use her light magic in a way she's heard of, but hasn't quite tried yet - illusions and glamour. She's not wholly confident, but all she needs is to get this monster away...

She puts her hands in her face, and after a struggle, tries to put a spell that would make her head look like the siren's. Please, please, please work...

And so, she pops her head, and only her head, out of the water. ]

... A-hem! A-hem, hem! You think THOSE ears are pointy? I saw someone with MUCH pointier ears!

[ ... this. feels so silly. ]

[A shame the potion still hasn't worn off, otherwise Yuber would be getting a snarky remark in return. What matters is that the water clearly showed the demon that he's alive, aware, and capable of self-defense, just not movement or communication it seems.

Seriously, it's really boring waiting for this to wear off. Probably shouldn't risk annoying the demon further. Unfortunately he's not quite precise enough with kinetic magic to use it to write something in the sand, but he has an idea to maybe try to get something across. He'll go ahead and make the chalices rise up and float towards the door that had opened once Yuber drank from the second one. Maybe he'll be able to convince Yuber to help him out here, or at least leave him in peace until this shit wears off.]

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EVENT ✨ The Answer is Always C

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Jean Kirstein | Attack on Titan

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Day Four

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Day Five

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Stonehenge

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Ren Jinguji | Uta no Prince-sama

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Sokka | Avatar: The Last Airbender

Closed to Azula

Closed to Zuko

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Archer (EMIYA) | Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Mamoru Chiba | Sailor Moon

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