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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[Hijikata has heard stranger stories in his life (not many, but even so), and he trusts Sagi to not just troll him for no reason, so he's totally buying it! He won't let him off the hook regarding the state of his soul so easily, though.]

Why does he live inside of you? How did that happen? Did he possess you..?

[Right now he suspects that Sagi basically allowed a ghost to share his body with him out of the goodness of his heart, and that's just not right. Despite Hijikata's lack of experience with the possession-related aspects of death magic the gears in his heads are already turning to find a possible solution for the situation.]

Anyway, we don't know what happens if you agree to this blood contract. Will only your soul get bound to Dionysos since it's originally your body? Or Marno's as well, since it's his body too now?

[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.]

Since you were little...

[That sounds like a pretty heavy burden!! But then again Sagi seems fine with the constant presence in his mind, so maybe it's not so bad? Perhaps it's nice for him to never be completely alone?]

...

I guess if it really can resolve the whole situation and restore the flow of time, and if you're sure you'll be okay, and Marno agrees too, then I guess it's probably worth it. I find it hard to believe that there's no catch, but those people swore up and down that there isn't.

[The decision still doesn't sit right with him, and his gut instinct tells him that he should discourage Sagi out of it, but if this really is a short-cut to the solution of the problem they're all struggling with, then wouldn't it be pig-headed to refuse?]

Still, let's first get confirmation that this will actually work out. If it won't, then don't do it.

I mean, yeah, there has to be a limit. Otherwise someone else would have done it by now.

[Illusion or no, it doesn't occur to him that they'll just grant exactly what he asks for. Imagine people in the greed-exploiting, soul-buying business being dishonest or manipulative in any way. That would just be sad.

He looks down again, scratching his chin.] I wonder if we can just do it first, then ask for more time to think about the next part...

[This is more or less the calibre of all the bright ideas he's ever had.]

Asking for more time first of all sounds good - before we do anything at all. We need to gather more information before we sign your souls over to anyone.

[Hijikata really misses his spy subordinate Yamazaki. If he were here he'd simply order him to stay behind at the castle and investigate while he and Sagi return to Camelot, but it looks like they'll have to do the legwork on their own.]

If other off-worlders showed up here before us chances are they really already wished for that, because what else would any of us want more? But if we're the first ones the responsibility is on us.

[The castle owners choose that moment to return to see if their guests were able to make a decision, and Hijikata wastes no time needling them with questions.]

Are we the only winners who've been given this opportunity?

Oh, no! We wanted to give as many people as possible a chance to visit our castle and--

And join your cult, got it. Did anyone else already wish for the time freeze situation to get resolved?

No, actually!

[That gives Hijikata pause.]

Are you kidding me? Then what did the others wish for?

Most people considered food!

[And were promptly talked out of it by their companions, but mentioning that would be bad for business. Hijikata groans and turns to Sagi.]

I guess this really is going to have to rest on us.

[He flatly addresses the castle owners again.]

We'll need more time for consideration.

That's alright, but our special offer is only valid today, so please keep that in mind!

Oh, for God's sake. Sagi, do you want to go home or stay here to discuss this further?

[Sagi remains silent while the whole exchange with the resort owners plays out, but he's beginning to look a little torn. The louder Hijikata gets about the whole deal being way too sketchy to take lightly, the easier it is to believe.]

...Is it really that high a cost?

[Honest question. The main reason he'd been about to go through with it was because he didn't think it could hurt him worse than the soul-mutilation he's already survived. If there's any reason to think it can, then... yeah, of course he'd have to reconsider. He'd hate to let himself get exploited again.]

Of course it is.

[He briefly turns back to the patient cult leaders.]

Give us another half-hour or so.

[Then he drags Sagi out of their earshot (never mind that the pair is already retreating up the staircase again; they can have another coffee while the off-worlders hash things out).]

I can only assume that no one in your world routinely screws around with souls - although your situation kind of suggests the opposite -, but while I'm not really an expert on the topic either I know that you shouldn't hand your soul over to anyone lightly.

[He scans the ceiling for smoke sensors... damn it, there are some, so no cigarette for him.]

We've got basically no information about Dionysus. I think he's the Greek god of wine, but apparently there's either more to it, or he changed domains lately. In any case the bottom line is: we don't know what he's going to do with you. What if he keeps you from leaving with everyone else when we can return to our worlds? What if he makes you fight in the skeleton war?

[Okay, so maybe the latter is kind of unlikely, but there's a whole area full of undead creatures here. It might happen!!]

...What skeleton war?

[This was obviously the most important point to process first.]

[Obviously!!]

That's hypothetical. Let's just say I've seen some shit.

[Back home he witnessed an outbreak of unibrow zombies once, if that's an indicator of what he deals with on a regular basis.]

The bottom line is that we need to find out more about the repercussions of this deal, and the people here aren't giving us enough time to do it. It's simply too good to be true. Call me an idiot for passing up an easy shortcut to getting time moving again, but if you get screwed over in the process it's just not worth it, and we're better of taking the long route.

[Hijikata actually has an assholish streak and might have ruthlessly thrown a more annoying person under the bus, but Sagi is a good egg in his book, and clearly he's an important main character back in his world, having a god soul-bonded to him and all, so it'd be a real dick move to let him do anything stupid that might bind him to Avalon!]

[Sagi is lost in thought for a second - actual thought for once, surprisingly little mumbling. The term "god" threw him off, but... come to think, he has seen what happens when otherworldly contracts like this go wrong. And if it's between wholeheartedly trusting Hijikata or trusting these overly friendly resort owners he just met, there's really not much contest. Hijikata is nice. He bought dinner once.]

Yeah, you've got a point. They might not be honest about the ways it could get out of hand.

[He looks a little disappointed in even having to admit that, but he's convinced. Better to be wrong once than stuck in denial.]

Let's go back. I'm not a fan of the decor here, anyway.

[Which immediately begins to blur and fade around them, because his indoor voice wasn't quiet enough for the cult leaders to ignore. Within seconds, they're back in the convenience store, face to face with whatever absurd number of mayonnaise bottles Hijikata left piled up by the register before they were swept away.]

[Hijikata goes right back to paying for his mayonnaise haul as if nothing happened. He's secretly relieved that they were transported back immediately, because otherwise he might still have wavered. It could have been a shortcut... but his gut instinct is telling him that this is for the best. He really would have hated for Sagi's soul to be compromised with unforeseeable consequences.]

Are you okay?

[Sagi ultimately made his decision under a lot of pressure from him, and his initial readiness to agree to the deal still somewhat concerns Hijikata.]

You and Marno?

[He still doesn't really understand how and why the two of them ended up together, but it seems like Sagi has a lot on his mind right now, so unless he wants to talk about it further questions about his backstory can perhaps wait until another time.]

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.

Really? That's good to hear.

[It truly makes Hijikata feel better. Being unable to bring about justice for some local ghosts who met untimely fates has been gnawing at him lately, so hearing that his pushiness spared at least one other ghost undue stress (at best) and the skeleton war (at worst) lifts his spirits.]

Be careful around cults from here on out, okay? We'll probably never find out if they really could've resolved this whole mess, but generally speaking they tend to be bad news.

[Sagi nods, but he looks vaguely preoccupied as he gathers up his own mayonnaise-less groceries.]

We could let the king know that's what they were offering, I suppose. [Even though they never actually asked the cultists about it explicitly...] Maybe later, once he's less tied up.

[Yeah, okay, that sits better with him than considering the entire trip a waste. Filing that particular idea away in the back of his mind for now, he turns to head out of the convenience store by himself.]

That's a good idea, actually. I'll take care of that, I'm used to handling reports.

[King Arthur will get a tersely worded complaint letter about "a cult disguised as a tourist trap", and Hijikata won't even offer to help beyond providing further details. The local authorities can make themselves useful for once; he'll focus on the monster-slaying quests and such.]

You take care, Sagi... and Marno.

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EVENT ✨ The Answer is Always C

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