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! |
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cuddlecity2018-02-17 12:14 pm
no subject
If he could groan and tell Derek he'd rather have some strong whiskey rather than juice, he would. But he can't, his vocabulary completely gone whenever he opens his mouth and tries to form a sentence that features more than three words, so. He sighs, hangs his head, lips down into a pout as his pudgy fingers close around a fistful of Derek's shirt.
At least, he's not in a baby's body, all alone and defenseless. At least there are people willing to take care of him. That's nice, at least. When Derek mentions going to play, Baby looks up, wishing he could shrug. Instead, his bottom lip starts to quiver a little, and seriously, this baby business is extremely humiliating. He points to his ear with his free hand, wriggling a little in Derek's arms. ]
Music? [ It sounds more like he's saying moooosic, but he's trying. ]
no subject
Shifting the toddler to settle on his hip, Derek nods. ]
Now music we can do here. You like music? What do you like? I don't think we have anything like Kidz Bop or the Wiggles or anything, man, do you like Fall Out Boy?
[ He lowers his voice a little like he's telling the kid a secret...because he is. ]
I like Fall Out Boy and I'm going to blame you for it when I pick a song on the iPod. Don't tell.
[ Derek moves toward the back room, letting Kara know he's just turning on the iPod they have in the back to play music when the mood strikes them. He's kind of bouncing the toddler gently on his hip, one arm wrapped protectively around the little guy's back as the other fiddles with the stupid iPod — he hates that thing with the exception of being able to choose specific songs; he doesn't find the scrolling to be terribly intuitive and he always scrolls past the things he wants at least twice before landing on them properly — until he finds one of the newer songs. ]
There we go, that's the stuff. Hey, what's your name, buddy? Do you know your name?
[ He continues to sort of gently bounce the kid along with the music as he heads back out to sit on the stool at the door again. ]
What should we call you, little man?
no subject
They go somewhere, and the second Baby sees an iPod, he's reaching for it, wanting to find music himself. But when he looks at the screen, he can't decipher anything, because obviously, he can't read, should have guessed that one. He lets out a whine, frustrated beyond belief, but at least Fall Out Boy is not the worst. It wouldn't be Baby's choice, but it's better than the nothing in his head.
He closes his eyes, relaxing into it. He knows the song - it'd been on an emo playlist he'd gotten on a teenager's iPod he'd found in a souped-up Renault 5 GT, years ago.
It feels, suddenly, like the most tangible, familiar thing in his life right now. ]
Baby, [ he says when asked his name, firm, certain. It is, after all. ]
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Eyebrows lifted, Derek looks surprised by the certainty in the tone when the little guy says 'baby' and he wonders whether his question was even really understood. ]
Baby? Nah, you're a big boy, what's your big boy name?
[ Maybe it's a term of endearment the kid's parents use and that's why he's a little confused. ]
You like this song, huh?
no subject
Baby, [ he says again, sounding a little drowsy. It's not even what his parents used to call him, not as much as they used his real name anyway. Maybe, when he was this small... But he can't remember it.
If he could, he'd shrug. He doesn't mind the song, but it definitely wouldn't be his first choice. But he can't seem to make himself say Pink Floyd or Little Mix, so. Fall Out Boy will have to do. ]
no subject
Okay, Baby.
[ He's sure that's not the kid's real name, but if he's going to be insistent, in an effort to help the kid pass out because he's acting like maybe it's nap time, Derek's willing to concede. It's something to say other than Little Man. ]
Are you a sleepy boy? You can take a little nap if you need to, buddy, I got you. You're okay, I got you.
no subject
Maybe he should sleep. Maybe , it seems like a good idea, and Derek is warm, and comfortable, and...
Yep. Sleeping. ]