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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[The sudden strike takes Marianne by surprise, causing her to jump back a bit, but really it shouldn't have. Claude had been very clear that taking their captor out was an option from the beginning, and they have reached the point of "last resort."

Except it didn't succeed, and they're back to square one. She looks from the old man to Claude.]

It was a good try.

[Cold comfort, given what they're about to do, but she feels she ought to say something.]

I... I don't think we have other options.

...Yeah. Sorry to put you through this, Marianne, but I'm all out of schemes this time.

[He sheathes his sword, mouth set in a grim line, and shoots the old man a final glare.

Then he picks up the chalice. There's no use dragging this out any longer than it needs to be and making this harder for her. And so, once he's sure Marianne is ready to drink from hers, he drinks all of his in a few gulps. The effect is instant: the chalice slips from his fingers, and he falls to the ground, eyes wide. He's not breathing and his heart has stilled -- for all intents and purposes, he appears dead.]

[Marianne mirrors Claude's movement as he drinks even though there isn't anything in her chalice but a few drops that don't even travel far from the bottom when she tips it toward her mouth. Her eyes are on Claude the entire time, watching him like a hawk.

The healing spell is cast the instant he starts to fall. It makes no difference.]

Claude?

[She sinks to her knees and tries again, white light enveloping them both for the briefest instant. Still nothing.

Her heart is in her throat as the grim reality sinks in. As far as Claude's schemes go, they both knew this one was tenuous at best. It's now clear that Marianne never had a chance--the effects were instant, faster than even the best reflexes could have beaten. Still, it's hard not to feel like a failure and like she's basically killed Claude by her own hand. Dark thoughts that she had thought banished creep into the edges of her mind, and she finds herself looking out to the ocean and wondering how easy it would be to throw herself into it and let the waves crashing along the shore overwhelm her...

No. Claude would never forgive her if she did. He'd taken the risk for her sake, agreed to carry the burden so that she wouldn't have to.

So, instead, she clings to him and buries her face in his chest as she lets herself sob.

After what feels like an eternity, Marianne feels a pressure on the top of her head. She looks up to see the old man has placed his hand there. His expression is still stern, but there's no hostility there.]

"The Trial is over. He'll wake within the hour."

[And with that, he removes his hand and steps back, returning to his stoic vigil and leaving her to puzzle over what he means.

...Trial?

Marianne suddenly remembers Celliwig and Elphame and all that Arthur had discussed. Why hadn't she and Claude figured it out before? Of course this is a Trial. Already, the edges of the beach are losing their illusion, revealing a large, verdant field.

Honestly, she doesn't know if it makes her feel better or worse, or even if she dares to believe that Claude will actually wake up. She continues clinging to him, resting her head on his chest as she cries--quieter, now--and desperately prays to the Goddess to be able to hear a heartbeat.]

Edited (html sucks) 2021-05-27 18:21 (UTC)

[After the hour is up, sure enough, Claude's heart begins to beat again. Soon after, it kickstarts his lungs, and he wakes up with a jolt, taking a deep breath as if he'd just come up from being plunged underwater. His hands scrabble for purchase and find something -- someone? -- warm and clinging to him, in the middle of a field.

Give him a second to catch his breath and take his bearings, because he has no idea what's going on right now.]

[Marianne's heart floods with relief when she hears that first thump in his chest. Thank the Goddess, he's alive. The old man wasn't lying.

His startled awakening throws her off of him, but her tight grip on his shirt remains as if she's still afraid he might slip away somehow. After a moment of readjusting herself so that she's more next to him than on top of him, she gives him a watery smile.]

We're all right now.

[More or less. Please ignore how puffy and red her face is from all the crying and the way her voice cracks.]

Marianne...? [That's when the recollection returns. The beach, the poisoned chalice, the old man. Then... Nothing.

Until now, that is. He takes a steadying breath, and a relieved smile is already beginning to quirk his lips.]

Please tell me my nap was a little shorter than Teach's.

[The quip gets a small smile out Marianne despite the state she's in. It's a very Claude way of reacting, and really that just means he's okay. As okay as one can be after being dead for a little while, anyway.]

No, you were only out for an hour.

[She looks around at the field they're in, looking at it for the first time since the illusion had faded away. It's the polar opposite of the desolate beach, filled with life and sound with white clouds passing overhead. Seeing it brings a bit more peace to her heart--it's much more her speed of things.]

It was one of Celliwig's Trials. I don't know if we passed or not, but we're both alive. That matters more.

[An hour... That's not so bad, even if he can still see the toll it's taken on Marianne.]

I'm glad we made it. [His smile widens a little, and he can't resist -- he pulls Marianne into a hug. Not very proper for a pair of nobles, but he was never very good at being proper to begin with.] Thank you for watching over me. And... I'm sorry for scaring you.

[All goofing around aside, he doesn't want to dismiss how upset she must've been.]

[There was once a time where Marianne would have pulled away, although more out of sheer panic than due to the fact that this isn't considered proper. The only person in the Golden Deer that seemed to matter much to was Lorenz, anyway.

But now... Marianne wraps her arms around Claude as well, burying her face into his shoulder. They're friends first and foremost, and she appreciates the warm gesture of comfort more than he could possibly know. It's been a rough week.]

It's not your fault. But thank you.

I'll be glad when this is over.

Me too. [He pats her back a little to soothe her. He's not big on hugs, so he'd better make this one count. And maybe, just maybe, he needs a tiny bit of comfort himself, given he was convinced he really might die back there.]

But if it all works out, it'll be worth it. We'll open the way to Elphame, and be that much closer to our goal.

[And they even avoided a war to do it. Overall, things aren't going too badly, even if it's painful in the short term.]

[Marianne nods, although she doesn't pick up her head to do so. She, too, is making this moment of comfort count.]

You're right. And the pain will pass.

[Avoiding the war is worth this and so much more.]

All we can do now is hope that everyone else did their part, too.

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EVENT ✨ The Answer is Always C

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cw: thoughts of suicide

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