July 2024 - Question & Answers (Extended)

As suggested by the Greater Circle and voted on by the Greater/Lesser Circle tiers -- it's the July Question & Answer session... starring Merlin.

Three seats are filled on stage, while the rest remain conspicuously empty. Percy's chair has been replaced by a rocking horse that the sombrero scarecrow is now riding.

Merlin: *crosses legs with a flick of their silver hair* Naturally, everyone's fascination would turn to me.

Adrian: *seems unsure if he should be relieved that he's not the current center of attention or wary that it's Merlin instead*

Lorelei: *straddling one of the folding chairs, still clad in the gas mask from her recent cameo on the news, with her bow strapped to her back* I'm here purely to fulfill contractual obligations since I haven't appeared on stage yet... *stares hard at Percy's rocking horse* ...although I'm not the only one who's still yet to make an appearance here!

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Adrian: Uh... Lorelei, you know we're supposedly immune to diseases so you don't really need to wear that out here...?

Lorelei: *turns with her gas mask staring blankly at Adrian*

Adrian: Uh..o-okay then.

Merlin: *still posing and nonchalantly waiting for the first question*

All right, let's begin the session. Merlin, what are your views on the Changeling MC? Was it a pleasant or unpleasant surprise? More advantageous or disadvantageous?

Merlin: I can't say it was that much of a surprise. While rare, fae to human—and vice versa—incarnations aren't unheard of. And there are plenty of the fae-blooded destined to be involved in the apocalypse. I suppose the biggest source of surprise would be finding a fae still on this side of the Veil, but given the timing... *trails off muttering to themselves for a bit* No, not very surprising at all.

Merlin: As to whether it's better to be a pure-blooded human Harbinger or one of more mixed heritage, like most other things, there are advantages and disadvantages. Changeling MC should already be blessed with an affinity for magicry that others may lack, a better intuition in certain circumstances, and a more favorable hand when it comes to luck. However, fae nature is rather more... tumultuous, shall we say, compared to a more human one. This is something that will become more and more apparent as the shadow of the Otherworld grows across the mortal realm.

Adrian: *somewhat grumpily* You sound as if you're comparing the benefits of various features in a car you're planning to buy.

Merlin: *smiles breezily* They did ask.

Lorelei: How dangerou--

Merlin: Hmm...? *still smiling*

Lorelei: No, never mind.

Next up is a question aimed towards one of the fan favorites! Adrian, how does it feel to be the favorite of both the fans and the MC? 🥰

Adrian: Well, I suppose that-- ♡❤ *pauses as hearts go floating all over the stage* ♡♥️ Uh...

Merlin: *chuckles behind a hand that's been elegantly raised to their face*

Adrian: I mean, MC and I have known each other for years, so it makes sense that they'd trust me and I'd be a f-fav... uh, they'd trust me. I hope that they can find others in this crew that they can trust just as much to watch their back as me, however. *squints suspiciously at the still chuckling Merlin* Yes, someone else trustworthy.

Lorelei: *nods solemnly along, apparently in complete agreement of Adrian's search for trustworthiness*

Adrian: Being a fan favorite... *takes off his eyeglasses and furiously begins polishing them* ...that I can do without. Not that I'm ungrateful... *stealthy look* ... but I, uh...

Merlin: You realize that being MC's favorite and being a fan favorite goes hand in hand, right?

Adrian: *puts his glasses back on while faintly muttering to himself*

And back to Merlin again...

Merlin: Of course. ┐(✿︶ヮ︶)┌

How are you using kaomoji in person? ... no, never mind that. Merlin, what do you think about the Cloudcuckoolander MC?

Merlin: I think they're definitely someone from Camelot. And I certainly have my suspicions there. Such a sort would blend in quite easily with certain groups back during the height of Britannia. Although there's always the chance that they're simply acting that way to throw off suspicion.

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Merlin: . . . yes, the existence of both Percy and the Cloudcuckoolander MC at the same time certainly does put a spanner in some theories.

All right, and now a question aimed to everyone on stage--

Broderick: *offstage* Ha!

Merlin: Someone truly wants to come out here and join us in the spotlight, I see.

Broderick: *offstage* You wish. No questions to me and I'm free!

Lorelei: *glaring coldly off stage*

All right, stop gloating, Broderick. To everyone on stage, which Arthurian character would you like to claim for yourselves?

Merlin: *stands up and takes a bow*

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Adrian: Definitely not Mordred, or Lancelot, or Guinevere which keeps getting brought up over and over again for some reason. I d-don't mind some of the other suggestions like Percival, or Gawain, or Drian that've also been suggested. *fidgets in his seat and pulls his hoodie up around his face* However, if I had to make a choice I'd pick Bedivere because... uh... because. Loyal and trustworthy, right? But I'm not worthy of being someone legendary like that, so I lay claim to JimBob the Pigfarmer, which is probably who I actually am with my luck.

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Adrian: ... if I'm lucky.

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Merlin: Percy, perhaps you'd like to come out here and join us, hmm...?

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Lorelei: No, Percy is right. *dramatically sweeps back her golden braid* They are all suspicious—these claimed legends that are supposedly our past reincarnations. A pack of warlords, plotting nobility who trample across the rights of the so-called lessers, kidnappers, thieves, and betrayers who can't stop stabbing each other in the back even as they're faced down with the existential threat that will eventually destroy their country and wipe away all trace of their own people.

Merlin & Adrian: *turned and staring at Lorelei*  . . . . . .

Lorelei: Betraying the sacred vow of chastity, betraying the sacred vows of marriage, betraying the sacred vows of knighthood to protect the people, and all the while the bards, and the scribes, and the surviving tales all sing about how great and legendary these people are. Who the hell would want to be one of these people when EVERYTHING IS A LIE?!

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Merlin: *laughs* Yes, tis certainly an illustrious circle of Harbingers with well-balanced tempers and mental fortitudes that we are assembling here.

And once more, back to Merlin again...

Lorelei: Someone is certainly popular today. *squints suspiciously towards Merlin... maybe, perhaps, it's hard to tell in that gas mask*

Merlin: *lounging in their seat with a smug smile*

*Ahem* And back to Merlin. Do you have a favorite type of MC?

Merlin: I see that we're very MC-focused during this particular session. Let's see... the MC that I like is one that doesn't need to be turned into a duck in order to be convinced that magic is real, that doesn't go frolicking off into the distance after I specifically warned them that it was dangerous, and isn't one of those so-called escapees from a horror movie that hides the fact that they've been infected—or rather marked—thereby putting the entire group at risk...

Adrian: *is most certainly squinting suspiciously towards Merlin as he reaches back into his backpack*

So, it sounds that you want someone obedient, then?

Merlin:  No, not exactly that. Simply one who is sensible in their options when they try and thwart me.

Adrian & Lorelei: *turned and staring at Merlin*  . . . . . .

Percy: *offstage* Sus.

Merlin:  *elegantly shrugs, the smile on their face not flickering a single bit*

Oh, and here's a different one. To the mysterious 4̵̛̤͖̣̻̗͔͂̿̓͒͝0̷̢̘̐̽̀̒̕4̵̢͔̼̞͔͌ ̵̡̫̱͙̄̋Ę̶̰͚̠͇͙͊̄̈̌̃r̸̠̩̈r̸̡͉̫̝͓͂̚̚ơ̷͖̔͐̀r̸̡̢̛͙͍̲͐́͌ ̴̛̻͚͇́̔̈̄̚Ņ̶̠̠̣̜̇̋ͅõ̸̜͕͔ṱ̷̺͖͎͙̀͌͜ ̷̥̯̼̜͐͑̈F̷̥̦̗̱͕͕̿͂͑̏ǫ̵͍̯̳̟͔̋̔͑ử̶̢̯̮̼̘̗͑̆͆͝ņ̴̜͓̞̖̖̎̿̀́̑ḑ̴̱̟͙͝... if you were romancing the MC, what would be your reaction to someone flirting with them?

*An inhuman shriek rises from offstage left as the floor and walls begin to groan and tremble with the thunder of a thousand hoofbeats. A shadow slashes the air as a black lance materializes, all sharp spurs and blackened bone, hurtling straight towards the stage. A keening wail rises in its wake.*

Gwen: *offstage, screams helpfully*

Adrian: Holy sh-- *flings himself to the floor before he gets skewered*

*With a thunderous roar, the lance embeds itself in the wall behind Adrian, the structure quickly collapsing as the back of the stage begins to slowly be consumed in dark flames.*

Adrian: *cautiously peels himself off the floor, clutching a hunting knife that he's pulled out from somewhere or other, as he looks behind him* What the fu--

Broderick: *offstage* WHO THE FUCK KEEPS SENDING QUESTIONS TO THIS ^#&%&? IT'S NOT ANY SAFER BACK HERE THAN ON THE STAGE!

4̷0̵4̸ ̸E̶r̴r̶o̸r̴ ̵N̷o̷t̴ ̴F̶o̵u̷n̵d̸: *offstage* Ċ̵̠͈̠̈́̈̉̅ó̵̧̝̞̪͘m̵̯̬̥̠̍ĕ̴͎͔͉̮̥̃̇ ̶̡̝͖̭̓̿ǹ̷̫̥̥ǫ̴̩͔̆͛͜͝w̶̡̧̘̬͋̔͆,̷̞̗̙̩̓ ̷̮̳̀͜I̷͎͌̆̅́̕ ̵̤͙̺̏͋̎͝͠s̶͈͐ḧ̶̨̢͖͖̈́̏͆ą̶̨͍̿͆̕͝ḽ̷̡̢̼̈́̎́͜l̶̗͍͉̽͒͝ ̵̠̚w̶̢̖̼͗̓͆̍͂͜ȩ̵̧̨̬͈̀͗͂̀̈́a̸͓͈̅̋̾̈́̐r̸͎̾̚ ̴̛̜̈́͐̃ŷ̵̫͑o̵̱̹̜͆̔̀u̸̡̞̩͓̒̕ṙ̵̦̣̻̺̮̂̾͘ ̸̼̬̖̰͕̊͊̑͝͝s̶̝̑͛͛k̶̯͓͖͚̈́̀̑̈́͂ǐ̷̗̺̹͜n̴̟̹̬̤̼̂ ̶͖̬̒͆̚a̶̻͗ͅş̷͍̳͙̇͘͜ ̴̠̦̥͆̔́̄͛a̸̺̟̹͌̽̌ ̷̯̘͕̟̃͂̐̾ǹ̵̢̺̆ͅȇ̵̘͍͋̎̆͋ẁ̵͔̭͈̕ ̶̫̯̙͗͂͋c̷̭̀l̷̘̼̞̯͓̽̌o̷̯̹͎̬̽ͅa̷̯͗̏k̴̨̒͆.̴̢̋ͅ

Percy: *offstage amidst the rising clanging of clashing metal* Sus.

Arthur: *offstage* Those on the right, hold firm. Those on the left, circle around five paces. We nearly have it encircled... it must not be allowed to reach the audience!

Lorelei: *unslings her bow and quickly runs offstage left while she pulls it taut*

Merlin: Ah.... and there she goes.

*The back of the stage is nearly totally consumed in flames that shriek in gibbering high pitched voices as Adrian continues backing away. Merlin remains sitting unruffled stage center, their smile ever unwavering*

Adrian: Uh, Merlin, I think we need to-- *hits the floor again as a deluge of water comes spouting from the side, extinguishing the dark flames with an overwhelming sound of escaping steam. Said hiss of steam may bear a slight resemblance to the coquettish giggle of a young girl*

Merlin: There you go. Our gratitude, Vivian.

Right, well then, best to start wrapping this up before everyone leaves....

Adrian: *picks himself up again and carefully tiptoes off stage right, very much assiduously ignoring that someone threw their panties on stage during all the excitement*

All right, one last question to Merlin. Are there magic pets? If so, can we get one?

Merlin: While there were certainly fae animals within the retinue of the more prestigious legends back during Camelot, I would refrain from calling them 'pets'. They might take umbrage at the presumption behind such a diminutive word. However, we shall indeed eventually have access to such creatures once the Veil begins to fall.

Adrian: *he gone*

Merlin: *The last remaining figure sits atop the pile of ashes that was once the stage* Indeed. Not quite something that I'd dare to call a pet.

The Stage: *hisses*

Merlin: *laughs, both light and ominous*

All right then. That's all the time we've got for today. Remember to send in your questions in the next Suggestions post if you belong to the Greater Circle!