#giant challenge

[hollowfaith]

໒꒱ GIANT CHALLENGE

intro post

vanth

mira

wolfwood

dar'khol

architect

eiden

will

sun wukong

balduran

ethos

໒꒱ EVENT THREADS

[sunsage]

@sageshadowed

He's picking idly at the stone crust on the edge of his fingers. It's not helping much - the stone regrows just as fast as he picks it off - and the only result he gets is a pile of stone dust in his lap. But given how dirty he already is, it's not much of a change.

Some of the smaller monkeys tried to clean him earlier, but with the sand being too fine they only managed to get a little of it off. And then one of them jumped down on his knee and screeched in alarm at the hard texture of, well, him, so Macaque escorted all of them out of the room and told them to go play somewhere else. It was a little harsh, but Wukong couldn't really say anything about it (not right now at least). It's not like he can entertain the little ones well in this state anyway and he didn't want them to worry any more than they needed to (which is not at all). He will just have to make it up to them later.

If there is a 'later' for him, that is.

So it's just him and Macaque in here now. Him, slowly dying, and Macaque, who looks like he's about to do the same. Again, his brain unhelpfully provides. Wukong doesn't regret asking the other to stay ("Someone should stay behind to call off the search party if you guys are too slow", is what he said. In hindsight, the joke was terrible), even if he still wishes he didn't need to. If there is one person he doesn't feel too bad dying in front of, it's Macaque. He probably deserves to see it, after, you know. Everything.

That is also a terrible joke.

"It's going to be alright, you know that." Wukong breaks up the silence, softly but with the edge of his usual confidence hiding in there. Doesn't add "I will be alright" or "they'll get here in time" or "the cure will work and I will not die.". Doesn't want to say anything he doesn't one hundred percent believe.

[plantfell]

To do a good deed is an almost frustratingly broad task, for Knives. There are so many factors that go into it. Would the Stars think that helping someone cross the road is enough or does he have to save a baby from a burning orphanage? Can he explicitly ask to do a good deed or would that dull it?

Legato's a tempting first stop, but Knives doubts it's what the Stars had in mind with this game of theirs. The human is far to quick to give his approval for most things, and anything that could count as a genuinely good deed would feel too disingenuous to do because he wants to get this over with.

There is another candidate in the Ark. Someone who is in need of a few things from Knives, and who can act as a test of what exactly a good deed is.

Knives shoots Zazie an innocuous text, asking them to meet at the entrance that connects the Ark to their tunnels. It seems more polite to meet them on their home turf, so, when he does reach the access, he waits in the the tunnels with a small electric lantern to light the space. He waits, and tries his very best to not fidget too much.

@gunsmokeheart

[carrdsoldier]

@heartsnare​ // giant challenge | pt. 1 !

Running head-first into Ace was probably the worst thing that could have happened in this situation. Genuinely, truly, the worst person he could have rammed into at full speed trying to re-orient himself.

Quickly standing back up after knocking the both of them over, Deuce let off an awkward laugh and quickly moved to try and guide the redhead to a different spot before they were caught up to.

Thank whatever greater power was out there that he only started running recently, which did great things for his speed and times.

“A-Ace! Buddy, pal. Crazy running into you here, let’s, uh...! Go this way!”

Okay so he was definitely acting suspicious, and Ace would definitely catch on, he was smart, but...! He really couldn’t think of anything else. He had just told the other about his past and...he had severely underplayed how bad he once was.

For Ace to meet the person he used to be? He...didn’t want that at all! 

[sunsage]

>>>

He hobbles to the cave's entrance and drops on the ground just outside, phone in his hand. It's late, or early, either way the desert is still dark when he sends the texts.

to: @sxnburst from: Monkey King

[txt]: need your help. urgent

Monkey King shared his location with you!

[txt]: don't tell anyone else

[sunsage]

It's a little awkward, when everyone comes back. The process of being stoned over obviously hasn't paused as he was lying down wrapped around Macaque, so now Wukong is stuck in a half of an embrace as he gets flipped over onto his back and put into something resembling a sitting position. Not that he can sit, not really. He can move his arms, barely. Can breathe, barely. Can talk his mouth off - always - in an attempt to break some of the tension.

(It doesn't really work but at least it makes being manhandled like a doll a little more bearable).

Everyone made it in time (of course they did, he shouldn't have doubted it for a second). Now all that's left is finding out if the supposed "cure" will actually work. Sun holds out a spoon full of mashed ingredients in front of his face and Monkey King opens his mouth obediently, feeling a little queasy. And not just because the spoonful is not looking too appetising (it doesn't, to be clear; they didn't really want to waste time preparing it so it's just raw fungus, pear and kelp mush. whatever, beats iron pellets anyway). Or because Wukong is pretty sure he doesn't have a stomach for the food to go to anymore (he chooses not to mention it). No, it's the fact that everyone in the room is staring at the whole thing. Wukong can't fault them really, and these are the people he would (just did) trust with his life, but that doesn't mean the intensity isn't starting to make him feel exposed in a way both familiar and extremely uncomfortable.

Well, there's one way to end it. Closing his mouth around the spoon, he swallows, not bothering with chewing it first. In the face of death, indigestion hardly feels like a real problem (not that he has guts for it, currently). And waits.

...And nothing happens. The moment stretches, long enough for Wukong to consider if maybe they picked the wrong ingredients, or the stone spread too far for it to be removed, or maybe it was never going to work in the first place- then suddenly, he feels it. A subtle lightness spreading from his chest, the stone on the surface cracking as he takes a bigger breath. Slowly, he unfurls his tightened fist, stone shedding off of it like snake skin and dissappearing into thin air. The rest of it soon follows, leaving him with nothing but the feeling of pins and needles, as if his whole body just fell asleep without him. Wukong stretches, ignoring the prickly feeling, and wonders if it felt just as relieving the first time he broke free of the stone. He can hardly remember it now, but he feels like it did.

But he was alone back then. He isn't now.

...Oh right, everyone is still staring at him.

"Looks like it worked after all. Thanks, all of you." Yeah, this is the best he can do right now. Give him a minute.

@sxnburst @sunluzhen @light-imperfected @sageshadowed @ringlorn

[sunsage]

@sunluzhen

Click. Deep breath.

"Hey, bud! I hope you're not out there worrying for your beloved mentor too much. I'm just checking in, sharing a few thoughts with you before- you come back and all."

There is a moment of silence where not even breathing can be heard, before his voice returns again, less fake enthusiasm and more earnestness than before.

"Listen, I know- I know there are things that are bothering you and I'm- well, I don't really have a good track record when it comes to communication myself- but I know that you should talk to someone about it. Doesn't have to be me, but you have people who care about you and want to see you happy. Let them help you. Or- well. You'll end up like me right now."

There is a sound of fabric shifting, and a barely audible sound of stone scraping on stone.

"You're a good person, MK. You've been better to me than I deserve, really. And I want you to have a better life than I did. You already have a blueprint for all your worst possible mistakes right here (sound of knocking on stone) so it should be easy to avoid them, right?"

"...Yeah, I know it's never that simple. Let an old man dream, alright?"

Silence again, as if he's gathering his strength to say what comes next.

"Kid- Xiaotian. I don't really know how this works, if me- being gone here means I'd still be waiting for you back home or not. But I need you to know that even if you don't come back in time that I am so, so proud of you and everything you've done. I don't know where I'd be without you. Hah, probably still hiding away on the mountain, binging TV shows on loop."

"So no matter what you might think, you changed my life for the better. Don't forget it, 'kay? Promise me that you won't."

Another pause, shorter this time. Then, quiet-

"I made a lot of mistakes in my life. But picking you as my successor was never one of them. I just... wish it didn't burden you this much when I did it."

"Alright. See you later, kid. 照顾自己."

Click.

[carrdsoldier]

@dicuori​ // giant challenge | pt 1 !

Riddle didn’t know these things about him.

That was terrifying, to suddenly trust someone with this information about himself without the freedom to fully explain it. But Deuce needed all the help he could get, and there was no one he trusted more than the friends he made in his dorm.

Riddle, perhaps most of all. He was a role model, above all else! An honor student, who helped people like him diligently. He knew Riddle had high hopes for him - why would he tutor him and help him with things he struggled with otherwise? - and it truly was terrifying to introduce this part of himself to Riddle.

The part he hated. He had come to terms with a lot about who he once was, but the whole package deal? That was way too much.

...oh well. This was too important to get secretive about, and it would at least be a little better to be the introductory factor opposed to Riddle just stumbling upon that guy himself. Even if he did try to mask how flustered he was.

“Prefect Rosehearts! A-Are you available to help me with something? Wait, actually, do you have your Unique Magic back-?”