THE STORYBOOK ARC [FINAL] (OPEN TO ALL)
[Amidst the confrontations and conflicts going on, a soft melody begins to play in the background. Someone may dismiss it at first, but it steadily grows louder until you may realize it sounds more as if it is inside your head than outside. That's when you realize - that melody, that music box song, is coming from your seal.
You whip it out, the video screen activated on its own and blinking in and out of focus. The second you lay your eyes on that screen, something pulls your attention in, and you find yourself unable to look away.
A little girl is seen sitting on a chair in what appears to be a vast and empty field. Her eyes are cast downward, her shoulders hunched, her body language resembling that of a very shy child. She is running her hand over a wooden music box in her lap, gripping it tightly in the other to make sure it doesn't fall.
Her posture, neutral expression, her air - even through the seal video, the similarities to her and the other Locals are too many to assume she is anything but. However, after a moment, this girl does something no other Local has ever done.
She begins to speak.]
[Her voice is soft, small, just like one would assume it would be by looking at her. Something about it sounds a bit off, though, like it is being amplified to a level much louder than her normal tone.]
The city told me it wanted to grant you one of your deepest desires. It tried as hard as it could to help you all, but it is only one city. It told me that those of you who wanted to be important have become important, that those who wanted to be saviors became them in the eyes of many, and those who wanted power were given it over few.
The city also told me it wanted to grant you the most pressing wish it could sense.
[The young girl runs her hand over the box in her lap, eyes still cast downwards.]
I tried my best to make them like the city told me, but I'm afraid not even the city can duplicate the Music Box. It likes to play hide and seek too much, especially with us. But I made one for each of you, because the city told me to.
But we also had a request of our own. The city can't take care of itself, so we take care of it. Our request was our way of taking care of our home...and some of you decided to ignore it. Some of you decided to hurt our home.
I made them like the city told me, but to those who helped instead of hurt...I made sure to make yours special. I couldn't change the ones of those who hurt our home, not how I wanted to, so I changed the rest.
I hope you like them. I really did spend a lot of time getting them perfect. You should all try them out right now.
[The little girl looks up slowly, much like a shy child being coaxed out of their shell, and smiles innocently.]
...Please?
[The feed cuts out, and now, sitting at the feet of every single new citizen to Splendor is a music box of the exact shape and design of the one that brought them there. That curiosity, the one that gripped you the first time, grabs you again, though slightly weaker than before. Nonetheless, something compels you, and you slowly turn the crank.
The music doesn't pull you in like before. No, this time something is different...off. Your vision clouds, darkening at the edges, and a momentary dizziness grips you. Eventually your vision rights itself, but it takes you a moment to realize it has, as your surroundings are quite different. Luckily (and perhaps also frustratingly) your surroundings are familiar.
You are now back in the city, standing in front of your bed in your place of residence, with everything looking just like before. The music box still sits in your hands, but those who chose to attempt completing their quest by force will find it no longer plays a song. The rest, however, are still functional, and will play the same song if used.
It appears those of you wishing for a music box received one. However, like with many of the things the city gives, it was not quite what you expected.]
((This is the final post of our event! Any posts made after this should be back in the city. You are feel free to hop straight to this post and skip the previous, or thread your heart out in that one and then hop here. Whatever you like works!))
You whip it out, the video screen activated on its own and blinking in and out of focus. The second you lay your eyes on that screen, something pulls your attention in, and you find yourself unable to look away.
A little girl is seen sitting on a chair in what appears to be a vast and empty field. Her eyes are cast downward, her shoulders hunched, her body language resembling that of a very shy child. She is running her hand over a wooden music box in her lap, gripping it tightly in the other to make sure it doesn't fall.
Her posture, neutral expression, her air - even through the seal video, the similarities to her and the other Locals are too many to assume she is anything but. However, after a moment, this girl does something no other Local has ever done.
She begins to speak.]
[Her voice is soft, small, just like one would assume it would be by looking at her. Something about it sounds a bit off, though, like it is being amplified to a level much louder than her normal tone.]
The city told me it wanted to grant you one of your deepest desires. It tried as hard as it could to help you all, but it is only one city. It told me that those of you who wanted to be important have become important, that those who wanted to be saviors became them in the eyes of many, and those who wanted power were given it over few.
The city also told me it wanted to grant you the most pressing wish it could sense.
[The young girl runs her hand over the box in her lap, eyes still cast downwards.]
I tried my best to make them like the city told me, but I'm afraid not even the city can duplicate the Music Box. It likes to play hide and seek too much, especially with us. But I made one for each of you, because the city told me to.
But we also had a request of our own. The city can't take care of itself, so we take care of it. Our request was our way of taking care of our home...and some of you decided to ignore it. Some of you decided to hurt our home.
I made them like the city told me, but to those who helped instead of hurt...I made sure to make yours special. I couldn't change the ones of those who hurt our home, not how I wanted to, so I changed the rest.
I hope you like them. I really did spend a lot of time getting them perfect. You should all try them out right now.
[The little girl looks up slowly, much like a shy child being coaxed out of their shell, and smiles innocently.]
...Please?
[The feed cuts out, and now, sitting at the feet of every single new citizen to Splendor is a music box of the exact shape and design of the one that brought them there. That curiosity, the one that gripped you the first time, grabs you again, though slightly weaker than before. Nonetheless, something compels you, and you slowly turn the crank.
The music doesn't pull you in like before. No, this time something is different...off. Your vision clouds, darkening at the edges, and a momentary dizziness grips you. Eventually your vision rights itself, but it takes you a moment to realize it has, as your surroundings are quite different. Luckily (and perhaps also frustratingly) your surroundings are familiar.
You are now back in the city, standing in front of your bed in your place of residence, with everything looking just like before. The music box still sits in your hands, but those who chose to attempt completing their quest by force will find it no longer plays a song. The rest, however, are still functional, and will play the same song if used.
It appears those of you wishing for a music box received one. However, like with many of the things the city gives, it was not quite what you expected.]
((This is the final post of our event! Any posts made after this should be back in the city. You are feel free to hop straight to this post and skip the previous, or thread your heart out in that one and then hop here. Whatever you like works!))