EVENT: WHEN YOU WISH...

[cuddlemods]

EVENT: WHEN YOU WISH...

With the slow but steady growth of the city, the demand for more grows every day — more housing, more retail storefronts available for rent, more space for businesses of every caliber and category. To create said space, the administration has begun the process of clearing a section of forestland on the southern edge of the city's boundaries. Far enough removed from the downtown area and the Welcome District, the sounds of construction should have little impact on the citizens' and volunteers' daily lives... that is, until construction is ground to an unexpected halt with the discovery of a long-forgotten glen in the woods. The construction project is naturally put on hold while the administration begins to investigate the discovery, but in its inactivity, the space becomes a natural lure for the curious and the questioning alike. What's so special about an abandoned patch of rock and stone, or the nearby pool of softly bubbling water? As with any mystery, rumors abound as quickly as smoke from a fire, twisting and changing with each whisper from person to person. The game of telephone has never been a good way to communicate. Some say the water is simply an extension of the city's springs and cave pools, nothing more or less than a shallow pool of water trapped by the stone walls that surround it. Others say it is a medieval mock-up of a reservoir, rain waters collected over the years and forgotten amidst tall trees and brush. Still others whisper of magical properties — waters once contained in a glorious wishing well that has since crumbled under the relentless march of time, waters that give impossible things to those that drink of it or that bathe in it or simply cup it in their hands. The rumors, much like those that visit the site, are many and varied; it can be almost impossible to know for sure which are truth and which are simply wishes. Of course, should the allure of an unsolved mystery appeal to your inner meddling kid, there's plenty of clues to uncover and even more questions left to solve at the site. ▸ In the very center of the clearing, a pool of water gently laps at its stone surrounding. The pool itself is small, barely four feet across, but its waters are kept clean from the dirt of the forest floor by a carefully laid stone barrier, two inches tall, each piece hand cut and carefully laid in place. Though the waters are clean, they are not quite clear — looking in, it is not immediately obvious just how deep the water goes, and though brave souls who climb in will certainly float, those who attempt to dive to the bottom never quite reach their goals before the need for air pulls them back to the surface. ▸ It's clear from the smooth surfaces of the stone that surround the pool that this place was once somewhere of grave importance, though what purpose it may have served is murkier than the depths of the pool itself. Adding to the mystery are the three stone benches, surrounding the water on all but its northern boundaries. They are long and cool to the touch; the surfaces remain smooth even after untold years subjected to the mercy of nature, and still hold weight of those who may choose to sit on them. ▸ At its northern edge, where the water seems to lap most often, there is no bench to sit on. The stones here are well-worn, the faintest hint of footprints left on the surface, as if someone stood upon the surface here more than anywhere else. Just past the stone barrier rests a chest — stone as well, and obviously made with care. Its lid is heavy, though someone with exceptional strength (or a friend) may be able to slide it open, and bears what must have been something important etched on its surface. Time has not been kind here; though the letters were once legible, only a few remain so today: wishing and water being the only full words left to view. What does it mean? Will you follow the rumors? Will you drink of the pool, or perhaps dive in? Will you, instead, dismiss it as fanciful dreaming? There are no wrong answers here, only possibly more questions to consider... and, of course, the wisdom of a well-known fairytale: be careful, dreamer, what you wish for. Oooh, spooky! As you may have guessed, this event is our take on the popular wishing well trope. Unlike Snow White's well that offers to grant her dream of a prince who may or may not come, this pool of mystical water isn't quite so straightforward. (Is anything straightforward here?) The wishing pool is here to grant your wishes. Or, more specifically, to try to grant them. Characters who touch the water and make a wish will find their wish (be it spoken out loud, thought only to themselves, or one lingering in the subconscious mind, unbeknownst even to them) granted within the next 72 hours — though, in most cases, the magic lingering in the water they've touched will be limited to short term effects only. How your character chooses to engage with the water is entirely up to you! Maybe they'd like to take a hesitant sip, or they're a more brave sort who wants to drink of it until they feel sick! Perhaps they want to simply stick a hand in to test the temperature — cool, surprisingly, but not cold — or they'd like to dive in! There are no lifeguards on duty, though... so swim carefully. Stone and skulls don't often clash with good results. Of course, we do have to warn: wishes made aren't always granted in the ways one might expect. The wishing pool is quite out of practice, and though it gets a gold star for effort, it's not usually very successful — unless, of course, your wish happens to be remarkably simple to grant! Wishing for something vague, like being happy, might result in wearing the face of a beloved storybook character or a friend of a friend rather than emotional adjustments or a sudden burst of cheer. Similarly, wishing for the knowledge to impress your date might bequeath the wisher with the knowledge of every romantic comedy known to man — while admittedly useful, it's probably not what you were hoping for. If you have any further questions specific to this event, we encourage you to ask away on our QUESTIONS COMMENT here in this post. We're glad to give suggestions on ways your characters' wishes can come true! If you have general questions, or prefer a more private venue, our GENERAL INBOX (and SCREENED INBOX) is always available for you. In addition, if you've got an idea for a future event, feel free to drop us a line at our EVENTS SUGGESTION POST. Have fun — we're wishing you all the best!

Comments

▸ QUESTIONS.

[cuddlemods]

RAISE YOUR HAND.

Any questions? We've (probably) got answers! If there's anything we can answer about this event, whether it's specific to your unique plotting dreams or more of a general gameplay inquiry, please don't hesitate to let us know! We know there's a lot to see and do, and we're here for you to make this event one from your wildest dreams... or not. Let us know, cuddlers! — xoxo The Cuddle City Mods

[nonstopnarcissist]

Are there any discernible differences from a scientific standpoint between the well water and the city's tap water? Tony's going to run a few experiments.

laurel lance | ota

[prosecutorial]

[Laurel Lance is not really a wisher. She's never really been one to trust something she couldn't bring to fruition with her own two hands. Then again, Laurel Lance is here, for things she doesn't have the power to change with those two hands, because as determined as she is, she can't bring back the dead.

That being said, she doesn't come to the so called wishing well because she actually believes it's capable of anything. She comes more out of introspection than anything else, wanting time away from the bustle of the city to just breathe and think about what she's really doing here.

In a lot of ways, her wishes are a moot point and she knows it. Sara and Oliver survive and even though they don't make it back to her for some time, they do make it back. Maybe in a lot of ways, she needs that time. Time to move on with her life and come to terms with the fact that they weren't the people she thought they were, and her life wasn't meant to be the way she envisioned.

She needs time to forgive. And she isn't one hundred percent sure that she's going to find it here.

Which is why she's standing at the walk in section of the pool, shoes off and standing with her feet in the water, trying to get her thoughts in order. Part of her is starting to realize that maybe she didn't come here with the most altruistic of goals in mind. Maybe she came to Cadelle to escape the weight that losing Oliver and Sara has placed around her neck. She came to escape a father who is drowning himself in the loss of a child, and she can't seem to pull him back up, only sink further with him.

More than anything, she wishes she could just feel lighter, and while it isn't a wish that she verbalizes in any particular way, it's just enough to have the magic water do it's work.

Eventually she puts her shoes back on and begins to make her way back to town, and while she can't say that she is any more certain of what she's doing here, there is a bit of relief in her chest, the kind that usually comes with at least recognizing the problem, if nothing else. It isn't until she's about halfway back to town that she realizes it's a different kind of "lightness" she's feeling. In fact, all it really takes, is a particularly strong gust of wind that sends her tumbling far too easily, a kind of stumbling off of the path and onto the grass nearby that has her confused.

She didn't think the wind was particularly strong when she left the house.

She pauses for a moment, confused, before she starts to push herself up to her feet, when another gust comes her way, scooping her up before she can get her feet under her, and sending her tumbling through the air like a leaf or a wayward balloon. Given that Laurel has never experienced super powers at all outside of Cadelle, she is understandably freaking out, a shrieking kind of yell as she spirals through the air out of control.

Eventually she'll manage to get her wits about her and catch hold of a lamp post or a flag pole but until then she's just going to be flying through the air, with zero control of her flight path whatsoever.

Help?]

[divaricate]

[Wanda had been on her way to check out this pool, when her attention is diverted to a woman flying -- well, more like flailing, probably -- through the air. Considering that she looks more out of control than in control, Wanda sends up a wispy net/shield of scarlet energy that Laurel can land on, hopefully before she winds up smacking herself against a building or something. Like, shit, don't break all your bones, Laurel. Body casts are not comfortable. Probably.]

Are you okay???????!!!!!!!!!!??????!?!?!?

[Wanda shouts that out at the same time she tries to offer magical assistance.]

[advena]

( for reasons that are likely fairly obvious, the act of flying itself isn't strange to kara. in fact, it's almost a bit of a delight to see someone else taking off from the ground without any effort at all — she could always use a new flying buddy, after all, and barry's speed still hasn't managed to get him off the ground quite yet. without j'onn around, she hasn't found anyone else to go on a tour of the city with.

but upon closer inspection, kara realizes that the reason the girl took off so easily is the fact that there's nothing to hold her down. the startled shriek that echoes across the plaza? it only confirms her suspicions. this isn't superpowers, this is something else entirely, and that person is not prepared to go wherever the wind might want to take her.

so, even though her cape and boots are still at home, kara takes off with a hard kick, zooming over to where laurel's still tumbling a bit and catching her in her outstretched arms. )

It's okay, I got you.

( supergirl's here... in her glasses. surprise? and then, as a follow up: ) When did you learn to fly?

Magnus Bane | OTA

[coyandcryptic]

It always pays to listen to rumors, but especially if you're in the market for magical ingredients. This mysterious spring that's mysteriously reappeared in the woods? Absolutely rife with magic. Magnus doesn't need to see it to know that.

That doesn't mean he isn't on his way there the next day, with a few empty jars in his pockets. Bottling and selling the water isn't remotely his intention—it wouldn't work anyway, this kind of locational magic gets diluted with distance—but he very much wants to know what sort of a potion base it might make. The area around it is quiet when he arrives, a little eerie, but for the moment it looks like he has it to himself. Good.

Any observers will pretty quickly notice the magic, blue and glowing like a fiery cloud, that he snaps into his fingers. "Let's just see what we've got here," he murmurs and sends a soft globe of light along the border of the pond, watching the ripples of color for any especially strong or weak points of magic. He wanders to one of the benches while that's making its rounds and runs inquisitive fingers over the smooth, cool surface. "I wonder who put you here? They ought to be proud, look how well everything's held up."

After testing the area around the pond, he sends another ball to the surface of the water and watches with interest as the water doesn't pause in its rippling at all when the magic touches the surface. It almost looks like there's a current, but where is it coming from? Absently, Magnus walks around the edge of the pond, examining footprints in the stone and the chest. "Whatever this place was, I wonder if it was supposed to be remembered or if it should have stayed forgotten..."

Loki of Asgard | OTA

[frostedire]

After his unexpectedly peaceful meeting with Tony Stark, Loki's thoughts had consistently turned back to Earth. Not the terror and destruction he'd rained down upon New York, nor the quiet corner of peace where he'd watched Odin rejoin his mother in Valhalla, but the parts between, the human lives he knows so little about. Midgard is not so large a planet, but as a world it is vast beyond what he'd imagined.

When he goes out to see this wishing pool for himself, he isn't thinking about Earth but about Alfheim, and the way the magic there flows through the trees and the soil and assuredly the water too. Was Cadelle once like Alfheim? Is it still? He looks at the chest first, his strength more than equal to the task of lifting the stone lid, before he moves to the pool itself. Loki trails his fingers through the water, feeling the way it almost clings. It's pleasantly oily. It's inviting. He sits beside the pool and puts his entire hand beneath the surface, watching the play of light on his fingers through the almost-clear water. He wonders if Midgard has pools of forgotten magic like this, and where they might be. If he knew more about Midgard he'd have the answers to that, but mortal lives had always seemed so brief, what could they have to teach him? He wishes now that he knew what it was like to be human—

—and almost immediately becomes aware of how clumsy and heavy and hot this armor is. Layers and layers of leather and metal are weighing him down and with a start he realizes that he's too close to the water's edge. It takes far more effort than it should to heave himself away from the danger, and he's sweating by the time he's lying on his back. "...oh no."

Later, someone might meet him on the (much longer) walk back to town, carrying most of his layers of armor back to the Alpha Building, or perhaps he's sitting at one of the tables outside Deja Vu, truly appreciating what a cup of coffee can do for a human body. The effect should wear off soon, he hopes. He'd wanted to know more about Earth, but not so literally.

[mothersdrapes]

It takes a day for Thor to find his brother. Loki disappearing was nothing new, but in this city he hadn't been quite prepared to never hear from him. Especially when his brother had taken to helping himself to Thor's fridge, and any food lying around. Thor may have gotten used to shopping for double since he was apparently Loki's very own supermarket.

If he had noticed the clothes missing, it wasn't something he was bothered about. He was more bothered by the food that was still in his fridge and cupboards, and the lack of response when he went to Loki's door, or tried to contact him via CuddlePhone.

Thor went on a search for his brother, trying to think of all the places that the God of Mischief could hide. This was strange, wasn't it? Thor didn't even consider the fact that Loki may have been nestled away with a lover. If Loki had found anyone, he didn't consider his brother the kind to sleep over. He would be embarrassed if he found out otherwise.

To his chargrin though, his search was fruitless. There was still no sign of his brother. No whispers of affairs, or even trouble caused by a sorcerer. Thor was tired and hungry by the time he returned to the apartment block, but instead of his own apartment he went back to his brother's. The door was broken down conveniently open, and he let himself in.

Once upon a time he may have respected his brother's privacy but not in this situation. Was it possible Loki had returned home already? Surely not. Surely he would have said something. His face scrunched as he approached the bedroom, not entirely sure he actually wanted to go in, but then he spotted the bundle of out of place clothing - a hoodies and jeans, much like the kind Thor wore.

He frowned, studying it with his good eye before reaching out to give it a poke. There was clearly a body inside the layers and Thor shoved back the hood to find his brother's face. "Loki! Have you any idea how concerned I've been? Did you not hear me knocking hours ago?"

gamora | mcu

[gardenofthegalaxy]

Like most residents of the city, as soon as Gamora heard about the halt in construction and the curious find, she had to investigate for herself. Who wouldn’t want to see a wishing well – if that was indeed what the mysterious pool even was. Gamora never trusted rumour, but in this city how could you not listen when magic was mentioned? Between Magnus and Loki her interest in magic was increasing. How it worked, the types of magic. She’d spent her life believing in only tangible things until the Infinity Stone crossed their path. Not to mention Ego and his planet.

And while she had made her wish when entering the city, to know that a wish might stand a chance of being granted relatively quickly? Well, she wasn’t sure she was going to make a wish, but how else was she going to find out?

By the time she was standing on the well-worn stone step, staring at the water she felt as if she’d already made her wish. It certainly hadn’t been spoken out loud, but it had been a clear thought. The only one that seemed to matter in a place like this – wasn’t it going to make life easier if she could blend in? Not have the green skin that made her stand out so much against everyone else. It wasn’t that she was uncomfortable in her own skin, or with who she was. It was just that she was getting a bit tired of the looks and just wanted a break from it all. She was a minority here.

She’d crouched and touched the water, running her fingers through it as she considered what her life might be about to become. Of what Peter would think if he were here. Of what he would even wish for. But those thoughts were quickly pushed aside because it was clear that it was time for her to make her life here in the city without him, or even waiting to see if he’d show.

It was a day later when the wish apparently decided to make itself known. Gamora had pulled out all her clothes and tossed them around her apartment as she checked and re-checked that she hadn’t just begun to hallucinate. No, it was true – her entire wardrobe was made up of camouflage clothing. The kind girl bands would have worn in the 90s and something she’d have recognised had she paid more attention that part of her musical education.

If this is what the city considered ‘blending in’ she wasn’t entirely sure it was working as she walked towards Deja Brew in her camouflage crop top and cargo pants.


wildcard.

(just in case there's something else you have in mind, or another place you want to witness gamora in all her embarrassing couture then have at.)

Wanda Maximoff | open

[divaricate]

❝01 ➤ OPEN❞

Wanda has been curious about this pool of water, so she goes to check it out, naturally. She doesn't go in with much of blatant wish in the forefront of her mind, because, well, being here was a wish, basically, right? She was here to do a thing in exchange for something already. In the back of her mind, however, was a wish to be able to shine here -- you know, to thrive, et cetera, for however long her stay here was to be. So, as she sits in the water's edge, running her fingertips through it and feeling the cool temperature, she just ponders as her mind wanders with that thought floating somewhere in there.

Wanda comes away from that with a literal faint glow around her. Not the scarlet of her magic,
but just a light, white-ish glow. Like those bright-ass white lights (without the yellow-ish tint) people put in their yards at night.

Uhhhh, well this is awkward. She's going to try to pile on as many clothes as she can to hide it. Or something equally ridiculous. Maybe, um, give her some advice?

❝02 ➤ OPEN❞

wildcard option; toss in whatever and I'll roll with it! Or hit me up via PM/Plurk to hash something out beforehand if you'd rather.

➤ the wishing pool.

[gasping]

( she's opted to come at night. she seems to go most places at night, lately, after her errand girl duties in city hall are completed; to a place like this, with the noise of water splashing to and fro, it's quieter during the evening hours. there aren't as many people milling about in the woods once night takes over, and so caroline gets an entire bench to herself.

it's a good spot to sprawl out, blonde hair tumbling towards the ground as she lays flat on her back, peering up at the night sky. it's still so strange to her to see stars so clearly. and it's without much effort that caroline finds herself having laid there for a good few hours, the slow pass of cloud coverage the only indication of time gone.

she's content to lay and think and daydream — nightdream? — in her quiet little spot, accompanied only by the sounds of water splashing as the rare person comes to investigate too... that is, until her drifting inner monologue is interrupted by the sudden realization that something quite bright is in her field of vision. and it's not something, it's someone. )

Wow. ( it's enough of a surprise to maybe even earn sitting up again, pulling her hair into a loose topknot as she does so. ) Do you have a dimmer switch, or are you always this bright?

malia tate | ota

[wildkingdom]

[Malia finds her way to wishing well before anyone realizes what is going on, mostly because she'd been going for a run in coyote form and happened to stumble upon the pool of water when she happened to be thirsty. She also doesn't necessarily wish for anything verbally, though she was hungry at the time, and that rumbling for deer, her favorite food, is enough to trigger a wish that she does not regret at all in the slightest.

Deer. There are deer everywhere.

She is going to chase all of them.

Feel free to see a coyote prowling through the woods and chasing deer. She kills one to eat it but after that she's chasing them just for fun. At the end of the day, she returns to Gamma block one happy coyote. The only problem is, when she goes to leave the next day in human form, the deer are waiting for her. They follow her to her various errands throughout the day, almost like a Disney princess, and while she's generally confused, the deer are pretty chill.

And maybe she could find a butcher to clean some deer meat for her. Certainly something to ponder.

Feel free to catch her and her woodland friends, either in coyote or human form!]

[recoined]

( the new year is supposed to be a time to embrace the new you. at least, that's what the overly sentimental yogi at kimberly's newly scheduled ten am bikram class keeps saying as they settle in for another hour of miserable, hot stretching, so she's trying her best to make it a reality. which explains why she's got a black archer's bow in her hands and a dulled arrowhead in between her fingertips as she aims for a training dummy across the woods.

it's better out here. she's not good yet, not even remotely close to good enough to do this in public, and in the middle of the woods, the most dangerous thing she's likely to hit is a tree. maybe two trees, if she's especially reckless.

so a flock of deer stampeding past her? not exactly the thing kimberly expects. one comes running just a bit too close for comfort, sending her off balance, and her trigger-happy fingers let loose just as her aim goes wildly off course. whoops? )

Sorry, wolf... thing! Sorry!

( wait. she knows that wolf shape. )

Sorry, Malia!

[kelvins]

[the rumors about some magical wish granting well which pass back and forth between the lips of his patrons sound a whole lot like the kind of tall tales spun by snake oil salesmen. it's just the sort of thing that makes him roll his eyes and mutter under his breath about how crazy as hell this city is.

it's hard to ignore though when one day a previously bald as a baby regular comes in sporting seriously long locks, which is the only reason why he decides to head his way out of town to the forests beyond.

he doesn't like nature. the woods remind him too much of being left for dead, of betrayal, and of scrounging for whatever edible things he could find.

but unlike that patch of dirt where leonard snart had written him off as a lost cause and left him to fend for himself, this clearing seems to be teeming with life. there's deer everywhere. his stomach grumbles as he tries and fails to count them all. lunch might not be a terrible idea, he supposes.

mick's sizing up the deer, carefully deciding which to go after when an especially animated coyote comes slinking through the clearing, shiny white teeth bared in what can only be described as a smirk. it's eyes look focused as it tracks the path of the same deer mick had very nearly decided on going for.

wait a minute... coyote?

he feels particularly ridiculous calling after it, because what if he's wrong.]

Hey! Is that you, Werecoyote?

[leads]

[he'd planned it to be a surprise. turning up that morning with a takeout box of breakfast in tow though, it feels like he's the one its being aimed at. finding the building surrounded by deer is the last thing he expected. especially given the fact that the building housed two werecreatures, along with the scent of a third. never mind the fact that one of said werecreatures is an active hunter of the visiting herd.

yeah, there's nothing weird about this. of course not.]

Uh...excuse me?

[no, you don't need to politely ask a deer to move out of the way, scott. just move.

a huff, and he starts to wind his way around the animals as he attempts to make his way to the door. something that would be a lot easier if they didn't all start moving around excitedly at the same time. they seem to realize that malia is just about to leave the building, even if scott doesn't. he's a little busy trying to keep himself from being pushed over. or worse, dropping the food on the ground.

a little help?]

baby, open

[killertrack]

1. wish wish wish

[ There are a lot of things Baby thinks he could wish for. He's heard the rumors, about the wishing well, which is why he's in the clearing one afternoon, sitting by the pool and staring down into it, very intently. What to wish for? Something selfless, impacting people back home - for Joe to be healthy, for Doc not to be dead, for Debbie to be happy - or something more... now?

He isn't sure the wishing well could impact anything happening outside of Cadelle, and there's a part of him that's worried about the potential, too. No. No, wishing for something he can't control at all is not right. He can't do that to other people. No, it should be about him.

It reminds him of his conversation with Jo, back when they first met, when he was drunk and sad and couldn't think of who he was, truly, beyond the names and the wheel of his car and the earbuds in his ears. He still isn't entirely sure, nowadays. Is he a musician? Is he a driver? Is he someone completely different, here, compared to who he is back home?

Maybe the wishing well can help. With a sudden thought and certainty, Baby leans forward, cupping some of the water in his hands and drinking it, all the same wishing be who I am as hard as he can, eyes closed tight.

And for a moment, he feels like nothing happens. He drinks, and sits back, and keeps his eyes closed. But then... something shifts, in his inner ear, and something pops, and when he opens his eyes, he is, apparently, swimming in the shirt he was comfortably wearing a moment ago. He looks down at himself, frowning until he holds up his hands, and realizes.

He is a baby. ]

2. wildcard

[ yes so baby managed to turn himself into a baby - consider him to look to be around 2 or so years old. However his brain is still his 23 years old brain...

Anyway feel free to hit me up with anything else if you want to! ]

[advena]

( there are certain sounds that you get used to, living in a city. people talking, cars passing by, shop doors opening and closing — the symphony of ambient noise becomes something easy to tune out and ignore. kara's gotten especially good at that, a matter of practicality thanks to her own superhearing; it makes picking up on different sounds that much easier.

like the sound of a toddler splashing in water, followed up by nothing at all. no heavier footsteps of a parent nearby to watch, no gentle chiding from a mother or father standing guard to prevent baby from getting in too deep; no, this baby is very clearly alone, and what's more, the noise seems to be coming from the woods near the southern border of the city.

realization hits her like a speeding bullet: a toddler must have snuck off, intrigued by the foot traffic in the woods, and somehow has managed to find its way over that small lip of stone into the water itself. she can't let a baby drown if she can help it, so it should be no surprise that kara zooms over as fast as she possibly can, superhearing honed in on the sound of the toddler's splashing.

sure enough, there's no one around when she lands, just a little boy and an abandoned shirt floating near the other end of the pool. the latter is, admittedly, a little strange, but definitely not worth investigating when there's a toddler all alone and desperately in need of anti-drowning intervention. )

Hey there, little guy. ( kara's hands nestle under his arms to pick him up and over the lip of the stone wall. upon closer inspection, he doesn't look hurt, and x-ray vision confirms there's no broken bones or internal injuries either, just to be extra safe. he's just a little wet, and a bit distressed, but she's willing to chalk that up to just being out here in the woods all by himself. ) Where's your mom and dad, huh? How'd you get out here?

[duelo]

[ When Derek shows up for work at a bar, the very last thing he expects to be doing with his shift is spending it with a toddler. Kara just sort of deposits the kid into his lap while he's sitting on his stool at the door and tells him they're watching the kid. They're. Like he's part of this whole thing. Questions about whose kid he actually is is answered with a quick explanation of how she found said toddler nearly drowning himself all alone. And then she disappeared behind the bar, because Kara's job is rather more demanding than Derek's, especially before five o'clock.

Derek actually loves kids, so he isn't exactly put out, he's just sort of at a loss to do with what appears to be a two- or three-year-old while watching the door at a dive bar. If he didn't need to be here, he could always take the kid to the park or something and, honestly, he might ask Kara for a long lunch to do just that before it gets dark, but for now... ]

I'm gonna be honest, little man, I have no idea how to entertain you while we're here... Do you like climbing?

[ Because Derek is more than happy to get off the stool and let the kid climb him like a jungle gym until he can take the little guy to an actual jungle gym. ]

What do you wanna do? You tell me. You want some juice? I bet I can get Kara to get us some juice, what do you think?

[ He sighs a little. Staying here with this kid is so not going to work. It's a slow part of the day, maybe he should just go ask her if they can leave for a little bit while it's still dead in here. If he can tire the kid out, then maybe he'll just take a nap in Derek's arms for the busier part of the shift. He's a little rusty at this; his family had plenty of little cousins not too much older than this and Derek had been eight when Cora had been born, so he's not a complete stranger to child care...it's just...been a while. ]

Yeah, Derek's going to have to ask Kara for a break, huh? You want to go to the park and play? There's a park around here, right? There's probably a park around here.

oh what a wish - OTA

[quinientos]

Looking back, he should have known that something was strange about the water. He hadn't cared much, out exploring and thirsty. He's drank from much worse water sources in his time, ones that weren't half as clear as this one. As far as Vasquez is concerned, when you're thirsty, you're thirsty. He slops up about four cups of water through his hands, grimacing as he sees his reflection in the water between. He's half in his old clothes, half in the new, and he feels as foreign as ever.

Shoving at the water to dispel his reflection, he scoffs and wishes to himself that he could just get used to this modern times better, able to shake off all the things lingering from his old life. As much as he's adapting, he's slow to want to learn and he still holds out for old reminders. Heading home, he puts it out of mind.

The next morning, something's wrong.

Well, something is wrong, but it's not like Alejo actually knows that. Getting up, he reaches for his phone to text a few people, peppering in a few stressed emojis because it's supposed to be his day off, yet he's got to work a shift later. Grabbing a pair of jeans and sneakers along with the cleanest shirt and sweater he can find, his eye doesn't even stop once on the spurs or hat in the closet, ignoring the guns and the lasso like they don't even exist. Everything is simple, easy, and there's no doubt as he heads outside to grab a cab to one of the diners, sitting himself at the bar where he sprawls out, phone in hand, as casual as anything as he texts, fingers speeding away while he tries not to think about work later on.

Modern times are easy as anything, but then, as far as he knows right now, they've never been anything else.

[I'm good for prose or brackets, your pick and I'll match! He's looking more like this and feel free to have him have texted your character!]

[gasping]

( does she expect a text out of the blue? not exactly. but is she complaining? not at all. )

hey yourself
i guess could take a lunch break if you asked nicely

Dr Nathaniel Heywood, Ph-to-the-D

[istoriografos]

[ When Nate hears about the wishing well, he can't help but go and check it out. See, he's read about such things in one of the many books he's read about Cadelle since arriving in town, but it's all - folklore, legends. Surely it can't be true, and Nate is set out to prove it.

Nevermind that he's met a Valkyrie here - one that he might be potentially casually dating? - and that he's been told of Gods and Amazons also living in Cadelle. A wishing well? Pfft, please. Try spinning that one to someone more gullible, like, say, Mick.

The place is not empty when he arrives to the clearing, a few people milling about, but Nate doesn't really pay attention. No, he has a goal in mind and he's going to go straight for it. Sure, his idea for a wish is kind of a stupid one, especially since he's already there, thank you very much, but. Without hesitation, he goes over to the well, bends over the lip, and dunks his head into the water, thinking as loud as he can: I want to be sexy!

He stays underwater for as long as he can, and it feels like nothing is different. Surely, nothing is. Besides, maybe, he's feeling the breeze a little more than he was earlier. So he pulls his head out of the water, throwing his head back ala Baywatch to keep his hair out of his eyes, and steps back. Ahah, win!

Only... not. When he looks down at himself, he notices a couple of things. One, he's shirtless. Two, these pants are leather, and not the ones he was wearing a moment ago. Three, he's... shiny. What the? ]

Oh, you gotta be kidding me!

[ ooc: for science. ]

[prosecutorial]

[So Thea, in her infinite genius, has determined that Laurel simply needs weighted shoes to keep her on the ground. Which involves Thea going out and buying Laurel the heaviest roller blades she can find.

This is a solution that actually works really well. The skates keep her weighted to the ground so as long as the wind isn't too strong, she can glide along safely without blowing away and she packs her regular shoes with her once she's in a room with a ceiling, and is fairly likely to not float very high. The only downside is that her feet are on wheels which means if a good gust of wind does happen to catch her, she goes speeding down the sidewalk, way way faster than she meant to.

Upside, when she inevitably collides with Nate, she doesn't weigh that much, so he probably barely feels it. She's mostly grateful just not to be moving.]

Sorry! I'm sorry!

[But then she looks and sees who she collided with and the thought process is something along the lines of oh hey it's Nate's ... abs. Those are Nate's abs. Those ... are very nice abs.

Also he's very shiny.

She swallows for a moment, before pushing back a little awkwardly, doing her best to keep herself steady.]

Nate. Hi.

Stiles Stilinski, aka Jedi Bubble Boy

[fadingspark]

Locked to Scott

[Well, once Stiles heard about the wishing well in the middle of the woods, he decided to go old school. Old school meaning pretty much climbing into Scott's window of his apartment and tempting his BFF to help him find a body in the woods.

A body of water. Get it?

So in the middle of the night, the dynamic duo are indeed walking through the woods with a flashlight to find their way.]


Open to All

[Well, Stiles' wish didn't manifest that night, and he was maybe just a bit disappointed. However, someone ELSE'S wish certainly came true as Stiles woke up and had a weird feeling of floating.

He then tried to turn over and promptly fell out of bed because his body was entirely covered in a suit of bubble-wrap around him like armor. The sound of pop-pop-pop echoed as he hit like someone stepping on the plastic bubblewrap.

It reinflated like magic as he shifted to sit on the ground, the popping and reinflating uncomfortable under his butt. He tries to reach it but his arms won't bend enough to grab any of the bubblewrap, and for a moment he tries to bite at it to get it off, but it won't tear.]

SCOTT!!!!!

[his best friend will probably be able to hear him from across the city with how loud he was yelling as he tries to hurl himself into a standing position because his joints don't bend so well with bubble wrap wrapped around him. As he does so, he goes to topple over and holds his hands out like it will catch him.

And instead he just kinda hovers there, half-toppled. He blinks, and then looks at his hands. Another second, and he feels the energy around him holding him up. How it flows through him. He will focus, and push himself with the energy until he's back on his feet again.]

See, now that's what I'm talking about!

[Yay force powers! He goes to look for his lightsaber because he totally should have one if his wish came true and he's not a Jedi. It's waiting for him on his dresser.
A perfect balloon shaped lightsaber. He pushes in the bubble button and the sword beam deflates with the typical lightsaber noise. Another press, and it reinflates]

You gotta be kidding me. Great, just great.

[Well, he's going to hook his balloon lightsaber to his bubble suit because there's actually a little place for it. Once he's steady, he's going to leave his apartment and find someone to help him get this off. Because it's plastic and hot and he's really hoping there are air holes in this bubblewrap helmet so he doesn't suffocate in a few minutes unless the Force is helping him breathe or something.]

[leads]

[as much as he may have wanted to stay in his nice, warm bed for the evening, he's been friends with stiles for too long to ever believe that he'd take no for an answer. which is about the only reason that scott is wandering alongside his friend that night, his hood pulled up in a vague attempt at keeping the chill out.]

Dude, if you end up getting bitten by a werefish or something, I'm done.

[because their last late night search in the woods for a body hadn't ended too well for either of them. regardless of how things now stand, years later.]

clary fray | open.

[creatio]

( Throwing caution to the wind only really works when you have caution to begin with. Clary Fray, fighter of men and doer of dares certainly does not, and so when she hears about the glen she can't resist finding her way to it. She's glad that she does, because it's actually beautiful, dapped sunlight, the softest of breezes rustling through the trees, the sound of lapping water. It makes her heart ache and her soul soar, fingers itching for a pencil. She should have brought her sketchbook.

But then maybe she wouldn't have found it in her to explore quite some much.

The pool of water glitters prettily when she leans over the stones, and while she can't see to the bottom, it's still calm. Without thinking about it, she's taking her boots off, her socks, stripping down to just a vest and her underwear. She's still mostly covered, and besides, it's not like Cadelle ever worries about indecent exposure. Dropping her stele on her little pile of belongings, Clary balances on the smooth rock and then dives, splashing into the water with pure excitement. She doesn't try to reach the bottom, instead she kicks her feet and drifts along the surface, red hair curling into tendrils, fabric vaguely see-through. It's peaceful though, worry leaving her in waves as she lets the sun warm off the droplets of water from her freckled skin.

Clary spends a long time just gently floating, but eventually her curiosity pulls her along to the chest. She sits on the rocks before it so that she can push the lid free with ease - thank you, Shadowhunter strength. It's not something she recognises, but it feels magical anyway, the stuff of fairytales and all she can think is how the world holds so much beauty in it, how she'd like to spend more time here --.

It happens instantaneously, Clary aware of a shift in the air, a stirring under her skin. Her scream is not quite in line with the tone of the glen, but hopefully she can be forgiven her sudden horror. Because where her legs had been drying moments ago, now there is simply a tail of glittering green and blue, fins flapping irritably. It's a tail. It's her tail. And also, she's naked from the waist up, because seashell bras have to be found, apparently. At least her hair does most of the covering. ) What the fuck! ( Wrapping her arms around herself, flushing brightly, Clary does not panic. She does not. )

Oh my god, oh my god.

[recoined]

( why do these things have to happen? why does her roommate have to text her an sos emergency message in the middle of the afternoon on her day off? because you can't just have a regular day off in cadelle, apparently, without a dramatic emergency to drag you across the city, towards a patch of woods that any sane, reasonable person would say no, let's not go in here, this looks like bad news to.

except, well, kimberly's roommate isn't exactly reasonable. she's impulsive and romantic and prone to flights of fancy — traits that remind her more of a disney princess than an actual human being sometimes, if she's totally honest — and diving headfirst into a mysterious woodland space to find some hyped up magical wishing well is exactly the kind of thing she expects clary fray to do.

so, yeah, she comes to find her. of course she does. she'd be a shit friend not to, after all. but she doesn't exactly know what she's up against until she happens to stumble upon said magical pool... and the five foot something mermaid currently flapping her bluegreen tail like an irritated dolphin waiting for its meal at the local aquarium. )

... Clary?

( also: ) What the — are you seriously a fucking mermaid, or am I on a shitton of drugs I didn't know about?

lydia martin ♥ open

[sanguinescry]

So sue her, Lydia could do with a little peace and quiet. When word gets around about a wishing well, besides the obvious wishing Allison alive again which, to be honest, is more likely to end badly no matter how one slices it — she's entirely too familiar with Be Careful What You Wish For — the thing her mind keeps going back to is wishing the voices weren't in her head, even just for a couple of days so she could remember what it feels like to have clarity instead of a dull buzzing perpetually in her ears. The obvious flaw in this wish is lost on her if only because the idea of that quiet is so goddamned appealing.

Lydia gingerly cups her hands together and pools some of the water from the well into them, pausing to stare down at it as if she's not entirely sure she's ready to put that kind of faith into what she's about to do, if only because she's afraid she'll be both disappointed and embarrassed that she believed it enough to try if it doesn't work. Nobody has to know she was here, though, right? She doesn't have to tell anyone she was silly enough to try it if nothing happens, she tells herself, and it's with that thought that she finally draws her hands closer to her face and sips some of the water in.

There's little taste to it even though she's expecting a mucky sort of nasty tang just because it's public water, and what she doesn't drink, Lydia lets trickle through her fingers onto the ground. At first, nothing happens. As always, the dull buzzing sound of God only knew how many dead banshees whispering what sounds like nonsense — until it matters; then it's more clear — continues on like it always does and Lydia tries not to let herself feel too disappointed as she rolls her eyes at herself and turns her back on the water to head back to her apartment. She's got homework to do, anyway.

It's not until she's taken a few steps away from the pool when suddenly the buzzing stops.

...but so does everything else. The silence in her ears is almost deafening and Lydia feels panic spiking in her chest, her heart racing as she opens her mouth to say something — hello? Oh God...oh my God... — and while she can feel the vibrations in her throat, she can't hear herself speak. She can't hear the water lapping at the edge anymore. She can't hear the other people, when she whirls back to face the pool with her eyes wide and lips parted in a horrified 'o' of surprise, that she can see are still milling around. No birds chirping, no leaves rustling.

Nothing. Lydia hears nothing at all anymore.

[fadingspark]

As she comes back to the city, she will see this all but bounce down the street. In that little slit, she may be able to recognize Stiles' eyes. He will see her and stop, waving his entire arm because his flexibility is shot.

"Lydia! Thank god you have to help me."

Tony Stark | OTA

[nonstopnarcissist]

Testing, Testing

Wishing well. Right. Magic isn't exactly something he can scan for or test but there's no such thing as a bottomless well and there's bound to be something he can pin down as a wish particle or something. There was too much about the whole 'wishes and positive energy' thing that's consistent for there to not be something measurable. Step one: Suit up (after checking the water seals to prevent contamination) and drop right on down the well. Measuring depth should be short and sweet. There's got to be a bottom.

But he keeps going. And going. And going. For all that he's wrapped up in his armor and has Friday in his ear, the lights of his HUD keeping him calm- it's only so long he can manage dropping down before the darkness and pressure feels too much like the void, before looking up at the surface seems too much like the wormhole. Panic barely has time to set in before Friday takes initiative and sends them back up. Covered in the stuff he slumps against the chest, fingers of a gauntleted hand tapping against the thrumming arc reactor that's still only running at half capacity. Flight will take awhile to reestablish. Mechanical problems are easier to handle.

So. Step two: Sample collection. Stepping out of the armor he rigs up the scanner and dips a glass flask in to run a few tests while set up next to the well. Mass spec, particle analysis, viscosity, boiling point- anything and everything compared to a sample he'd brought from home.

A whole lot of nothing unusual (well shit you'd find in a pond in the middle of a forest, that stuff he can filter out and ignore as a magical component) and it's. Starting to get dark and starting to frustrate him. The usual thought trips through as he wipes an errant bead off his wrist- I wish I had more time. More hours in the day, more light to work by, more stamina for this sort of work.

But the sun is setting and he can't see what he's doing and he packs it all in, taking a few more flasks for further research back at his semi-built lab.


A little bit of yesterday.

Rolling out of bed doesn't suck as much as it usually does- the usual pop of joints is missing, the usual aches and pains strangely absent. His usual morning routine of dressing, snagging his phone and shuffling out to Deja Brew for a cup of coffee while he goes over the results from the night before. It's all well and good until the first sip has him staring at his hands- fewer knicks and scars, fewer wrinkles- and when scrubbing at his face doesn't yield the usual scrape of stubble from his goatee. "What the-"

And yeah, that's a tenor he hasn't had in. Twenty some odd years.

Flipping his phone around to take a selfie for comparison's sake yeilds that he is, in fact a younger, sleeker Tony Stark than he'd been the night before.

Not exactly what he was going for with that wish but- shit. "Okay. Okay, I can work with this."

Testing is music to his ears

[coyandcryptic]

His first sample collection had been at noon, but Magnus had decided it couldn't hurt to collect a few more samples at sunset for comparison. Sometimes the time of day makes a difference in magical strength, after all. It's still afternoon when he arrives at the path leading back toward the well, the better to get several samples at different stages of sunset, but when he gets closer he can hear the sound of splashing.

"That can't be good," he murmurs as he starts running and skids to a halt in the clearing, looking from the red and gold suit of armor, still dripping, to the man kneeling next to the pool. "Uh huh. Were you just swimming in that?"

WAVERLY EARP - OTA

[angelpants]

One would have thought Waverly might have learned her lesson about strange substances after literally being possessed, but clearly that's not the case. And the water just seems so inviting. Besides, this is Cadelle City and nothing bad ever happens here right?

Except the earthquake... But things had turned out alright there, and she'd even been saved by a beautiful woman. So that definitely doesn't count, right?

Wynonna's already gone, but Waves hasn't accomplished what she came here to do yet so she's stick around. Admittedly, she's been having a great time making friends here and just having a break from the normal brand of Earp crazy.

She holds up her skirt high enough so she can wade into the water, it feels good on her legs. She's not even aware that she's thinking of a wish until...

Something happens and she blinks a few time at a reflection not her own. She'd wished to be a real Earp...but this was not what she had in mind as her sister's face stares back at her.

She stumbles out of the water looking at her hands and then at her reflection in pure confusion.

She pulls a small compact mirror from her purse to examine her face in case this is some kind of trick...it's not. For in the mirror she doesn't see the face of Waverly Earp at all.

"What? I'm Wynonna?" She asks no one in particular in a voice that's not her own.