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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know that I don't. ... honestly, if you had given me that impression, I would be less inclined to do it.

Are you looking away? Can I turn around?

Y...Yes. Yes, you can. I'm...I haven't looked your way at all...

...Like I promised.

[He might be panicking.]

Of course. I just had to be sure you didn't forget yourself...

[She turns around, and approaches him — and while she tries to keep a small, respectful distance, there's no way to do this without intruding into his personal space. At least it's behind him and out of sight, so it won't be quite as easy for him to tell. Maybe still easy, if his senses are hyperaware of what's happening, or his imagination starts running wild...]

[She pours a generous handful of the oil once again, and then starts to apply it to the surface of the scar. At first, she merely spreads it across the skin with the palm itself, but then switches to massaging it into the tough, smooth tissue with the tips of her fingers. And while it starts more in the center of the gash, as the surface becomes saturated she moves towards the outer edges of the scar to make sure the excess oil doesn't go to waste.]

... well? Are you feeling anything yet?

[Oh, he's feeling something alright. That scar is a lot more sensitive than he thought. Maybe it's the oil or maybe it's the situation he's in, but the nerve endings in that scar light up when she starts to apply the oil.]

[As such, she'll feel him tense. And she'll feel his muscles turn into steel cords beneath her fingertips. He bites his lip to fight back making any sort of sound...but it's likely from the way he's shuddering and the way his words hitch in his throat that he's feeling good.]

[He also shifts his weight a bit. He really hopes she doesn't get any ideas or prolongs this; there's only so much else to focus on in these caverns and he's desperately trying not to think about her delicate hands running up and down his back. Or the proximity of her body to his.]

Y-Yeah...yeah I'm feeling...I-It feels good...

[It really is a good thing he's facing away from her. Though he might have to give the rock wall a bit of distance at this rate.]

[She hears that quaver in his voice, and...]

I'm not being too rough about it, am I? Or... too delicate? [Yes, she thinks that it's him reacting to her touch itself, either out of pain or out of feeling ticklish.]

It's hard to gauge, since you weren't certain you could still feel anything. But as long as you can feel it working, then that's a good sign, isn't it?

[She keeps working, using more of both hands now to really work it into his back. As if she thinks that kneading it harder will help the effects reach deeper into the tissue.]

[But... she also slows again as she reaches the lower end of the scar, as if wary about her hands traveling too far down his backside.]

Almost done...

[Darin sucks in a breath.]

N-No...! No, that's...that's fine. It feels really g-good...

[He wasn't lying. That combination of the heat from the bath, the tingling of the oils, and the softness of her hands felt wonderful.]

[And suddenly being pressed against the rock wall of the pool wasn't really a viable option anymore.]

[Reflexively, Darin inches his hips back towards Allura, arching his back slightly. This meant two things: First, he was slowly closing the gap between them...and second, his lower half was rising out of the water.]

[Allura might mistake it for him just...being Darin, really. After all, she's already seen him nude; back and front. So, maybe he was just...showing off? With a muscular torso like his, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Now that's he's all oiled up and she's had some minutes to really feel just how well-defined he is.]

[I mean... yes. Yes, she has. She's tried to maintain her focus on the scar, to show that she can be mature and professional about this. But it's difficult not to notice his back muscles. Especially when it brings back those plundered memories from his dream, of when he showed off what they can do in battle.]

[Strange that she hasn't seen more of that, actually.]

[But as he shifts back, especially at the hip, she tries to pull herself back to accommodate... while, you know, still keeping her hands on his back. As a result, she finds herself stretching more and more, arching her own back into a less comfortable position...]

[It would be a lot easier if she wasn't so aware of how close their bodies were getting, and trying not to cross a line.]

[She gives a huff, and then he might hear her quietly mutter:]

... what I wouldn't give to be able to shapeshift again...

S...Shapeshift? ...Why? What for??

Because I used to be able to get taller. Taller than you, even. And it would make it far simpler to reach your back properly...

[How's that helping you with getting worked up, Darin?]

But unfortunately, it seems they took away every ability I have that humans do not.

I...yeah...that...um...

Well, look on the bright side? If you got bigger we wouldn't have any room...

[Don't focus on getting 'bigger' right now, Darin.]

...I...kinda can relate. I lost my super strength and my ability to regenerate. Kinda glad I got stuck with healing magic but...boy did I take my strength for granted...

But I could likely do a better job taking care of you. You'd be done quicker and feel better for it.

[Any innuendo here is not intentional.]

... it does seem like one of the most useful skills to have here. [A beat, and then:] Did I mention before that I used to have a sort of healing power as well?

[He's silent for a moment as if trying to process that first comment.]

...N...No, you didn't. Wow...shapeshifting and healing? Was that just you or are all Alteans that amazing...?

Well... a little of both? Alteans could do both, but I was particularly skilled...

[Her hands stop moving for a moment, her hands resting flat on his back. She also lets them rest in a slightly more comfortable position. Despite the fact that it's stretching uncomfortably that allows her to keep space between them... meaning yes, she's now standing closer than she ought to.]

[He probably won't notice, right?]

Our healing was based on energy channeling... the empathic manipulation of life energy, by drawing it into our bodies or infusing it into others. I used to be able to sense things about people just by touching them.

Huh...

It must frustrate you that I kind of have your power set now.

Wait...

[She draws her hand back. He can't see it, because she's standing behind him, but she's looking at him with questioning eyes.]

You can sense energy as well? I didn't think healing magic could do anything like that.

[And what, exactly, has he been noticing about hers?]

Not energy...per sé...

I can feel and sense living pulses. Blood. With my blood magic.

You mean — you can feel my heartrate?! Is it only when you try to sense it or... are you always aware of it, even now...?

[Because it's pounding hard and fast, as it has been since the fight against the siren. And even now, it spikes as she trails off, her thoughts honing on how he could very likely have noticed that the whole time. And the blood gathering at her cheeks in embarrassment at the thought of what he's likely thought of all that.]

[And it also means that whether or not he can see her directly, he can definitely feel how close she's standing near him.]

I'm always aware of it but...I've gotten so used to hearing so many heartbeats that they hardly register anymore. It's like...white noise. I don't hear it unless I'm really focusing on it.

I only ever use it when I'm hunting monsters. I don't like using it on people if I can help it.

Really? And is it louder when someone stands closer?

[Is it so easy to ignore her heartbeat when it's just the two of them in this sort of proximity? She's not asking it outright, but it's not the hardest underlying meaning to discern.]

... do you mind if I ask why not? Is it simply for respecting the privacy of others...? Or is there something else that bothers you about it?

It...um...now that you mention it...

[He hadn't been focusing on it but now that she asks...yes, he can sense the proximity of her heart and how hard it's beating. It seems to distract him a bit...and he subconsciously moves closer to the wall.]

[Not that he has much room...]

I-It's...a little of both, actually. There's a lot you can tell from someone's heartbeat and it just feels...invasive...

It seems like an abuse of power and I've never used my abilities like that...

[Oh, good. Not realizing why he backed away from the wall in the first place, she's relieved to see him moving closer to it again, giving her somewhat better access to his back once more. She can return to rubbing oil into it without stretching her back until it aches.]

Right, of course. Just knowing if someone might be nervous could tell you if they're lying, or scared...

[Or if their present circumstances has them worked up.]

Erm... right. Is there anything else it can do? ... your blood magic, I mean. [This is a transparent subject change, isn't it?]

I...I haven't really looked into it that much.

Trying to focus on learning healing magic first...you know?

How uh...how's it going back there...?

[She's been at it for awhile...]

There's quite a lot of tissue here... [It feels a little strange to describe the scar like that, but how else can she phrase it?] Is it still helping? Because if so, I don't mind continuing...

[Is getting too uncomfortable for him? Or worse, too comfortable?]

You're focusing entirely on healing? But it seems as if blood magic is far more powerful, offensively...

Yeah but...what about you...?

[He means 'what about your bath?' But it could very easily be misconstrued as another offer.]

I'd...rather put all of my attention on one school and master it before I try and focus on something else. Especially if the magical focus is my own blood...

[Sorry, the topic of blood magic is going to get shelved for the moment. Because...]

What... me? I mean... I suppose it does seem rather nice, and I could stand to give my hands a break...

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