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
if this isn't okay, let me know
It's when she gets closer that she stops, blinking confused for a moment, before she leans in to get a closer look. She knows that scent, has spent time with that scent, even if the face isn't quite right, and she plants her hands on the table drops her nose and sniffs at the top of his head.
Then she pulls back and looks him in the eyes, clearly confused.]
Baby?
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Lia!
[ Baby has never been this frustrated in his entire life. He can't say anything that makes sense, he's going to go crazy. But at least, he's not going to stay like this forever. Surely. He can't stay like this forever, right???
Please help him, Malia. Maybe dunk him in the wishing well again? He can't be a baby living in a bar. ]
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What happened to you?
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This is just a disaster, especially since he can't tell her 'well apparently I didn't exactly phrase my wish right'. He can put a few words together in a semblance of a sentence, but it's so... primitive.
Baby's never regretted not being able to speak much, until now. ]
Splash! [ Complete with hands flailing above his head.
He's useless and silly like this, but at least he's pretty sure he's cute. ]
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You got stuck in the wishing well? What the hell did you wish for?
[She's pretty sure he didn't wish to be a baby.]
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He can't really explain what he did wish for. So he shrugs, the movement making him flail some more. And then, and then, he starts crying.
Because, why not, apparently. ]
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- Why are you crying at me, I'm just trying to help!
[And then she'll just glance around the rest of the bar like HELP.]
Someone make him stop.
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Between large, gulping hiccups, he manages to say, again: ]
Splash!
[ Translate for yourself, Malia. This happened because he went to the wishing well, so maybe... going back... would help. ]
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Coyotes eat their young.]
Alright, alright, I'll take you back. Just don't start crying again.
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He tries not to cry, even as she holds him in a hold he promises himself never to use if he ever has children himself, but at least they're on their way back to the wishing well. Just throw him in the water, Malia, and be done with it. ]
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It's not important.
But basically, she books it back to the wishing well, manages not to drop baby Baby, and takes a deep breath before placing him down on the edge of the water, where it's too shallow for him to drown but enough that he's in the water.]
Okay. Splash away.
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Hopefully it will happen fast, otherwise she may get both frustrated and bored.]
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Sorry, Baby. Guess you're just going to have to wait it out.
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Hopefully, this will get easier. ]
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