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.

Comments

[patchricide]

[It's a little difficult for her to reconcile what she's hearing with her own impression of his feelings. As she had said earlier, she had honestly thought that he hated her — that he had built up a vicious grudge against her for reasons that were, at least from her perspective, entirely unfair. It was unthinkable that one night could get him to drop it. No, surely if he had learned who it was, he would find some way to turn it all against her, to use it as more evidence of her horribleness.]

[But she also gets it. Because...]

... it surprised me, too. Hearing that someone else wanted to call this place home. I know that it's dire circumstances that brought us here, and it's irresponsible to not want to return to where we came from, but...

[How she phrased it, the day before last, when she had tried so hard to explain why she would rather work for what she has instead of be drowned in luxury? It's made me feel as though I actually am living my life, perhaps for the first time.]

Perhaps... we need a fresh start.

[It's a simple answer. Maybe too simple. After all, didn't his wish to be accepted by her lead to the monster they just fought?]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...Maybe. I...I don't know.

I'll be honest...it still hurts...thinking about that night. I know I don't deserve much but...

I guess I just thought that maybe I deserved a second chance then. That it shouldn't take me almost dying to...to be acknowledged...

[He's spent this entire time practically submerging himself in the pools. He didn't want to look at her. It felt...shameful. Embarrassing.]

[scension]

[The blood splatters onto Sagi's sodden jacket too, but he was already going to have to wash it after this. His only obvious reaction is to exhale in a small sigh and withdraw his katana back into the playing card he pulled it from. Kind of an unpleasant way to die, but it's not like the creature didn't ask for it.]

Yeah, I think you're right.

[His wings vanish with just as little fanfare as he wades back out of the pool.]

Sorry. I mean, thanks for the save. I don't even know your name.

[scension]

Well, let's hope you're right. She must miss you as much as you miss her.

[yorhaberserker]

[The android starts back up to the shore, she'd need to take a bath when they got back to Camelot. But she wasn't too worried, she had been covered in worse shit. She put her sword back to her back as she walked.]

My name is A2, yours?

[She really wanted to ask about the wings, but didn't feel like now was a very good time. He definitely seemed a bit downtrodden if the sigh was any indication.]

You're welcome. Wish it wasn't so fucking difficult to get you to listen to reason though.

[tantailizing]

Haha! We should be able to get those. Oi, old man, the chalices are empty!

[But he's still there... like he's waiting. Zidane stares, ignoring how his brow twitches as he struggles not to grimace. A keen eye of course would note his skin looking a mite paler and a few beads of sweat dotting beneath his hair.]

[angelolatry]

Okay....

[She isn't sure what to make of them seeing something different. But he might have a point that there's reason to be cautious. So she gives a nod of agreement and steps back with him. Wondering what they should do. If something might happen to someone else that shows up here that doesn't have their own Bakugou to caution them like this.]

[tantailizing]

I hope not that much. She has a Kingdom to look after. I'll be home in no time!

[liveandforgive]

[ Cloud's making some headway here! Just a few more inches and he'll have taken the boulder onto relatively flat ground and he can take a breather. As he grits his teeth behind sealed lips, his eyes widen as he taps into further reserves of mana to give one last pu— ]

[ "Oh, sword guy!" ]

Uh?

[ Shoulders? Visibly jump. Muscles? Lose all tension. Concentration? Gone. Boulder? ]

Crap-

[ Very slowly, pathetically, rolling down the small incline- until it gets stuck in a little groove in the ground. Rather than get angry however, he sighs and shakes his head before turning to the monkey-tailed blond. Very briefly, Cloud fixes Zidane with a confused look. One, for getting recognized by someone he doesn't know. Two, because he almost mistook him for another blond-haired, monkey tailed friend he once knew.

Coolly he clears the air with, ]

Think you got the wrong guy.

[ Sort of. He does have a sword. ]

[scension]

We're fine. Sorry if we worried you.

[He manages to smile. Abrupt return trip or no, it's certainly easier for him to relax in places that don't have ostentatious gold plating everywhere. He didn't even lose his own grocery bags for the trouble.]

... Actually, he says he's relieved.

[tantailizing]

Hey, don't worry. She didn't tell me anything - just mentioned your name really.

[With everything done, the ring leader ushers them away. Maybe to get the bracelets off? Good, he'll wait.]

Still, if you're from the same world, I'll wanna know more about you.

[tantailizing]

Oh, shit...

[Ha ha ha... whoops, he didn't mean to make that happen. Well, at least the boulder didn't crush him or anything like that. Approaching, Zidane looks the guy over... and then again; first time was for injuries, second time is just to confirm something.]

Huh... yeah, you look the same, but you're not the same guy. My bad... What a coincidence on the sword though. [He shakes his head with a shrug.] Oh well. You want some help with this?

[scension]

[He laughs self-deprecatingly.] Yeah, my bad. She looked like my girlfriend... [Robot parts and all, at least until the siren started bleeding.] I wasn't thinking straight.

[Or maybe he was thinking too straight.]

My name is Sagi. I really owe you one, seriously. I don't care if it's programming or whatever.

[He is painfully sincere. He always is.]

[yorhaberserker]

[She gives a small laugh at that.]

Seems like we were most definitely seeing two different things.

[A smile crosses her lips as she gets to the shore, turning back to look at the now blood colored water.]

Hey, Sagi, don't feel bad. I can understand. I've been there many, many times. Sometimes on repeat.

[A2 reaches out and gently squeezes his shoulder.] The important part is you're still alive and that thing is not.

[scension]

[He's surprised not just at the touch, but by how it feels a little heavier than he would expect... Still, he doesn't really mind it right now.]

Just don't tell my actual girlfriend, and I'll stay that way. ...Let's go find somewhere to get cleaned up.

[Who knows, maybe there's a spring somewhere in these caves that doesn't have any dead otter monsters in it.]

[liveandforgive]

[ Her words register. It's Weiss' voice, yet the stronger one still remains the monster taking her image. Cold and lost, it feels like he's being barraged from both sides by the same voice. If he had a better sense of self, Cloud would have struggled and been shocked at her moving closer to him, not even drawing her weapon. He can kill her. He's going to kill her. Why wasn't she defending herself? Yet as she berates him for being an idiot, Cloud's free hand raises as swirling particles of ice begin to form in his palm.

Standing between Weiss and the siren he's hypnotized by, he casts a strong wave of ice magic, frosting the surface of the water on its way towards her. ]

[tantailizing]

[Maybe he's not doing the physical labor, but eyeing where to work next and providing company was a-okay for Zidane. Slowly, but surely, the first boulder is soon placed upon its mark, Weird matching Weird. He lets out a breath and stands back, nodding once he's sure it's not going anywhere, and then looks Kadoc's way.]

I got it. And there's nothing wrong with having to fight with someone else. It just guarantees victory!

Did you find the next mark?

[yorhaberserker]

[Another laugh, she couldn't remember the last time she laughed so much. It must have been before she had been sent on the mission to Earth.]

That sounds like a deal; I can keep a secret. But yes, should find somewhere to clean up, and perhaps maybe get something for you to eat, or drink.

[She started to look around the caves, they were there after all, and if there was one spring one would think there'd be another.]

[patchricide]

... you're right. And I'm sorry.

[She gives a sigh of defeat, pushing herself back up to her feet. Of course it was asking too much, to simply forgive and forget and try to move forward.]

[In a way, it felt like nothing had truly changed, that there was never a right thing to be said. The only difference is that it was easier before, when it resulted in nothing but hatred and anger. When she knew where she stood with him and it was, in its own way, cathartic to exchange blows.]

[Now, it feels as though she's done something unforgivable, and any attempt towards resolution simply leads back towards how hurt he feels, and how badly he wishes she'd acknowledge her.]

[... and, honestly? She's also feeling hurt. He's speaking as if she was just being callous and cruel, that she's treated him like a wretch of a person. But she's been trying, even before they had that encounter at the masquerade, even despite how many times he's dismissed her efforts.]

[Even now, she's trying. She's apologized and explained that the fault was hers, and... he's still as hurt as ever. Talking about how there's something fundamentally wrong with him, while refusing to acknowledge that maybe she just made a mistake. And in turn, making her feel like maybe she's not allowed that sort of ordinary luxury. That she simply has to be better than she is.]

[And unfortunately, her method of dealing with these sorts of twisted-up feelings in her heart is to keep them to herself, letting them sort themselves out, never letting them get in her way.]

I shouldn't be reminding you of such painful things. If there's anything I can do to help deal with this mess [she says with a gesture to the pool,] I'll take care of it. But otherwise, if you want me to... I'll... leave you be.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...Stop apologizing already.

You keep...blaming yourself for something that was and always has been my problem. I lashed out at you, I made it so that you'd want to ghost me rather than spend the evening with me after I revealed my identity. All of these things are consequences of my actions.

Why do you keep apologizing for the fact that I'm just not a good person? That I'm screwed up? You didn't make me this way!

[As he gets more worked up, he turns to the edge of the pool and rises out of it a bit.]

Why do you keep trying to take responsibility for the fact that I'm so...messed up that I almost got myself killed today?

[He's barely fighting the quaver in his voice but it might start becoming obvious now.]

[The fact that, deep down? He truly hates himself. He wants connections that he's afraid to work for. He acts like he's fine all alone when all he wants is a place somewhere.]

...I don't deserve your kindness, Allura. I haven't from the start. All I did was antagonize you. Push your buttons. It's like...I don't know how to be the man you danced with that night. Why would you waste your time with someone like that...?

[liveandforgive]

[ While Zidane gets a better look at him, Cloud puts a hand on his hip as he studies him right back. ... not everyone with animal parts was a Faunus. He puts a mental stamp on that because he doesn't need to go spouting terminology that may not apply to someone. As he explains himself, the acerbic swordsman can't help the sense of déjà vu that comes over him.

Looks the same, huh? Where's he heard that one before? ]

Wouldn't be the first time that's happened.

[ Learning that there might be different versions of him out there that people have met? Still something he tries putting at the back of his brain to forget about. ]

Can't hurt. [ He shrugs before stepping aside to give Zidane some room to join him. ] It ain't easy pushing this with your bare hands.

[ Not anymore, thanks to this realm practically sapping all of super soldier strength. ]

[tantailizing]

Really? Huh... wonder if I've been seen around before then.

[But could this place handle two Zidanes? Haha, maybe not, but it'd be fun!]

[When the guy moves aside so he can join in, he nods.] That's fine. I was planning on using some magic to help anyway. You have it too, right? Kinetic Magic I mean.

[Maybe it had been something else, but he hadn't seen too many other magics performed that could move things around like his own.]

[notcethleann]

I say, let us try it! It is lovely, is it not?

[Flayn makes her way to the outdoor seating and chooses a table in the shade of a tree blossoming with little white flowers.]

Are there new beverages to be sampled in Avalon that we know nothing of at home? I do so love to try new things!

[phoenixwiz]

“Sounds like a great idea, Claire,” Harry nods in agreement, “Anyway, I’m ready to get in there and save the guy. Let’s do this.”

Without any second thoughts, Harry immediately goes out and sneaks his way towards the guards while hiding and ducking once in a while to avoid being caught by the guard holding the key to the stocks.

selenite bracelet;

[monostich]

W-wait!

[Now, there’s not a lot Kaede knows about anything, but he thinks that getting angry is... Probably not a good thing? There’s no reason to be, he thinks, as he skitters after Kaoru.]

You should probably calm down first...

[He has not considered that anything he’s saying could be an order, too preoccupied with the pink-haired man who is (perhaps justifiably) angry.]