[FrostWynd]

Did this kind of stuff actually work?

A young woman was starting to have some serious doubts now that she was here, staring down into the darkness below. Sure, she did hear more than enough stories revolving around this ancient-looking structure that spoke of its wish granting properties after learning about it and doing as much internet research as she could on it. But after going so far as to actually visit the thing and see it for herself, she still wasn't sure if this could do what she hoped it would. With the way it was just out in the middle of nowhere, and had nothing particularly special going on about it, it just seemed... awfully sketchy.

With the tap of a button, the screen of the phone she held in her hand momentarily came to life and barely lit up the well with its dim glow. Looking at it only momentarily, she later put it away afterward. It was already starting to get late, so she wouldn't be able stay here for much longer. Better that she got this done and over with now, so she could go home and get back to focusing on what was ahead.

With a sigh, she rested her hands against the cool rough surface of the well and slowly leaned closer to the opening before her. "So I... I'm suppose to make a wish now, right?" Her words drifted down into the void with uncertainty. If anyone else had been around right now, she would've felt pretty stupid for what she was about to do. "I don't know if anything I've heard about this place is really true, but... please. Wishing well spirit, thing, or... whatever is supposed to be listening to my wish right now. Is it possible you can do me a favor? There's someone I just... really want to meet."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a coin that was taped to the back of a picture. The picture itself looked fairly wrinkled and tattered from plenty of wear and tear, and in it was a man of some sort, surrounded by neon lights and wearing what looked to be a full face helmet. It was something she had stared at countless times, and even now she couldn't help but look at it for another long minute.

"He is pretty famous, so it's probably a long shot, but... there is a concert of his coming up soon. It might be selfish to ask for this, I know. But I hope whoever's listening might let it slide this time and allow me to talk to him at least once. Just once." That was all she was asking for. To spend even just one minute face to face with him, and that would be more than enough for her.

To make sure this well thing got the message, she held out both the picture and coin over the opening, and dropped them down into the well. If this worked, then sacrificing that picture to the endless depths of the well would be more than worth it.

(Wishing for a Psi Fenling)

[amanda784]

Piper had heard of the wishing well before, but had not before visited it. She couldn't imagine wishing for anything for herself when so much had recently been given to her. Thanks to Farley, Piper had left her life of crime to become a hunter and so far her efforts had proven fruitful. In fact, she had even managed to catch the elusive corpse khuna everyone in the business had been raving about recently. Despite other's judgement based on the reindoe's appearance Piper was anything but naughty. That is, except for the occasional prank here or there. No one could expect her to completely change her ways.

Still, it was Christmas time and she wanted to give back to all those around her, but she didn't know. It was true business was going well and she had spare keystones to spend. The problem was that Piper could never repay Farley for all he had done for. She wanted to give him better life that he had given her.

Piper pulled a single keystone out of her coin pouch and held it up to her lips, "Please, bring my friend the same good fortune he has given me. Bring him a better life than the one he has now."

Piper knew Farley had a good life, but there was always better to be had and that's what Piper desired for her friend. So she tossed the coin into the well along with the hope that Farley would have the best Holiday this year.

[Wishing for keystones]

[Sarah]

Aksis wondered if it was, perhaps, not her place to ask for something so selfish. Asking for anything at all seemed a breach of her purpose.

The wishing well wasn't out of her way. Except it was. Her home - her duty - was miles and miles away. Hidden in the jungles and rainforests of the lower continent of Evelon. She had never been so far away before and never for so long. Even after her people had declined and eventually faded away, she did not leave her post.

What reason did she have for feeling selfish? Had she not given her home centuries of service? Guarding the place of her people, her god, from outsiders and decay alike. Time had worn hard on her soul, and she deserved selfishness now.

"I'm meant to tell you a story, I think."

The stone shelter surrounding the well offered some privacy. She sat and leaned against one of the corners. It gave her a clear view of the openings and protected her back.

"A long time ago I fought without asking questions. I'm done with that now. I want home to feel like home again, and I want a reason to stay."

Aksis sighed and leaned her head back against the stone. Talking to a well made her feel foolish. No matter what legends surrounded the place, no matter her own witness to the impossible, this was a bit too much for her. Desperate times and all, and she was clearly desperate.

"I just want a reason to stay."

She took a coin from her pocket. She'd come to the well otherwise empty handed. She looked the coin over. It was an ancient and dented thing. In the modern age she knew its worth was different than she remembered. Surely the symbolism would be enough.

Aksis stood and dropped the coin into the well.

(Wishing for an Elixir of Fertility + Posting for the raffle)

[Freezair]

Wishes! Pfeh! Damien couldn't believe that people would rely on the powers of this... this water reservoir! It was a well! The only power it had was in helping people water their plants! Not like him--he didn't need a dumb ol' well to get what he wanted. In fact, you know what he felt like right now? A hot chocolate! So he snapped his fingers--bam! A white-and-green festive mug appeared in his hands, topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles, and a peppermint stick.

He took a sip.

Okay, so he was much better at conjuring things with the look of food than the taste. And it tasted like most of his magic smelled--ashy and sulfurous.  

And... maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if he got better at magic.

He eyed the well out of the corner of his eyes.

((Posting for the raffle))

[Kitsumi]

She didn't necessarily believe in magic, but Kitsumi did believe in the power of intention. Of course, wishing for something wasn't enough to make it manifest, but it was at least a start. And what better than a wishing well to act as a focus for her intentions?

Peering down into the water, the woman closed her eyes to focus. There were so many things she wanted... and she didn't want to waste her wish. But one thing in particular stuck out to her. It was a new wish, and one that she considered somewhat urgent. Chewing her lip, she thought for a few moments, contemplating whether or not this was what she truly wanted.

Then, she made her decision. "I want to develop my sudden fascination in the Soveris species," she murmured to herself. "I wish for something to cultivate this new interest."

(Posting for the raffle + wishing for a Soveris Breeding Room Key)

[zapdragon555]

Ahh, well. Things had gone a bit belly up, hadn't they? Zadkiel still felt the shuddering effects of the Nothingness clinging to his feathers, even though it had been some time since he'd left. He hadn't meant for things to... well. End, how they had. But he supposed it was only natural, dealing with demons... no, more than just a demon—a veritable Duke of Hell, Mammon was.

Without Mammon... there was no doubt that Hell would be in a tizzy as every demon and their mother tried to fight to replace his seat on the throne of Greed. No doubt, it would cause another influx of demons escaping Hell and seeking refuge on Earth... and no doubt, Zadkiel would be sent along with the others to 'take care of it.' The angel grimaced and sat down, feeling a bit drained from it all. His violet feathers were looking a bit ashen at the tips. Perhaps... he should rest in Heaven, for awhile... as obnoxious as it was for him to be there.

That, and... he'd found a rather nice place. He wasn't entirely sure where he'd wandered to, but he found himself here, sitting on a stone wall, watching dragonflies flit around an ancient well. There was a magic, here... something outside of the realm of Heaven and Hell. Zadkiel felt comforted by it, a gentler smile alighting on his face. It felt like a place Isaac would have liked to go. Peaceful, and just a little bit mysterious.

Zadkiel huffed, fluttering his wings and standing with a small stretch. No sense in dwelling on past loves and losses. But... the loss of Mammon was still partially his responsibility. He'd found him, in the Nothingness. He could have saved him, or at least... done something. But it had gone wrong.

He approached the well and looked down, light blue eyes widening as he felt a dizzying sensation come over him, staring into the blackness of the depths. He fished into his pocket and stared at the coins that he pulled out, hot and dripping with demonic influence in his hand. They stung, but... this was the last of Mammon's existence. The only thing that was left, when he'd disintegrated in Zadkiel's hands. Maybe... maybe, he could...

"Oh, great power that sleeps beneath this well," Zadkiel murmured, drawing his hand further over the mouth of the well, coins sizzling in his palm. "Please... let me have a second chance at this. I need to make things right. So..."

He never had been very good with words. Zadkiel tipped his hand and let the coins fall. He stood, listening in silence, waiting for the telltale sound of objects hitting water. When none came... he simply turned, and let the hollowness in his chest be filled by a sense of hope.

[Wishing for an Elixir of Fertility + Posting for raffle]

[Celtic]

Marsh had just gone for a walk. Nothing more, nothing else, but rather, just a simple walk to clear his head. He heaved a huge sigh, hoping it would encourage his heavier feelings to dissipate with the breath. No such luck. The young man pulled the hat off the top of his head and hung his chin down to his chest, what was he going to do?

When Corin showed up, everything was wonderful. Their connection was as strong as it ever was, but... Corin hadn't changed. Marsh had. Marsh didn't want to spend his days partying, tripping on drugs. He actually liked having a boring job and being stable for once in his life. He wanted to provide for his loved ones now-- few though they may be. Corin still wasn't ready though, and Marsh knew that this wouldn't last.

He picked up his head, startled to see where he'd wound up. There was a well in the center of a clearing in the woods. The wishing well... He registered immediately. It had fallen into some slight disrepair, Marsh didn't know when the last time he had even heard of someone visiting it. A small smile graced his expression, and he walked over to the edge.

What was that saying his mom used to say? A warm feeling came to his heart as he remembered. "I wish I may, I wish I might, on this first star I see tonight..." It wasn't a star, but the feeling still remained.... But what would he wish for? He truly didn't know. His wants were so abstract that they were things he would have to deal with. He'd already started though, so he might as well wish for something.

"Ah, keystones. Everyone could use money to ease their problems, couldn't they?" His smile had turned sad now. It was true though-- he could always use cash. Everyone could always use some extra cash.

(raffle post!)

[GrayGriffin]

The shadowy figure hurried up to the well, its cloak flapping behind it.

"You just had to sleep early, didn't you?" it muttered.

Hey, look, it gave me more energy for today!

"Yeah, yeah." It leaned an elbow on the well.

"Alright, I'm just a proxy here. And the circumstances mean I haven't got time for one of those long elaborate wishes. Just give me one of those tickets I've heard about and I'll be satisfied."

(Posting for raffle)

[SpringsSong]

Lana. Xyshari.

Once again, the women found themselves at the wishing well that they had been at before. It was a better time, that time - and frankly, Lana preferred seeing more color than just the color in her wife's eyes.

But what would I even wish for, when I have everything I want right here? Lana found herself thinking. Xyshari squeezed her hand, offering a smile.

"That's sweet, my love," Xyshari said. "I don't know what I'd wish for, either. I mean, it's not like we can give Arcann and Senya their lost family back, or Theron his father. I think that's a little out of the power of this place," she said, and Lana nodded.

"Always putting others before yourself," she said, smiling as she looked into the well, taking a singular keystone out of her pocket. "I always did like that about you."

"I'm touched, Lana," Xyshari said, reaching in to pull out one of her own as she held it out over the well. "Well? What shall we wish for?"

"How about... the health of our companions?" Lana asked, and Xyshari nodded.

"I can agree with that," she said, and the two women dropped their keystones into the well.

(Raffle post!)

[Adelie]

A while back, Ven had experienced curiosity - and regretted it ever since.

It started like this. Ven had always enjoyed writing - she scribbled little poems in the margins of her notes, journaled her dreams and then some, always struggled to stay below the word count limit on her essays because she always had more to say. Her friends, too, had adopted that as part of her, and now it was a weathered ritual between them; they'd banter about something and she'd end up writing some ridiculous snippet of whatever ridiculous scenario they'd come up with.

So when she'd started deciding which classes she wanted to take, as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed young college student, she'd assumed that she would enjoy a course on writing. She's assumed wrong, of course.

Turns out that when you sign up for an introductory class on nonfiction writing, you do a lot of work on the nonfiction side of things and not so much on the writing side of things. Case in point - what she was doing here, standing awkwardly next to an old well, with a notepad in her hand.

The final assignment they'd been presented was to do a write-up on a current event, complete with finding their own primary sources and interviews. She'd decided, in a fit of inspiration, to do hers on the recent 'wishing well ticket' phenomenon, seeing as it seemed pretty easy to find someone to interview for that.

All she had to do was stand around here, and wait for someone to come by.

And hey, if she got a wish granted in the meantime, she'd still come out ahead.

(raffle ticket please!)

[Jedi]

Land wasn't her specialty. She preferred the open sea, where she had no limits to direction or speed. On land, she was clumsy, disoriented, and always came down with what others considered sea-sickness. She wouldn't be on land for long. She was just waiting for her boat to be repaired just off the shore southwest of Nabias.

She wandered through the streets, flipping a tin coin in her hand out of mere boredom. Eventually, she came across a well. She was confused as to why this fascinated her. She walked closer to it, but tripped on a loose slab of cobblestone. "Dang," she exclaimed as she hit the ground. The coin escaped her hand and bounced hard off the street, ricocheting up and into the well. She stumbled and staggered up to the well, realizing she'd probably never see that coin again.

[Just posting here for the Raffle]

[FrostWynd]

It had taken some time for sure before the surge of activity in this area would finally begin die down now that the evening hours drew near, and with the present lull a pair of small fuzzy critters could actually feel confident enough to approach the odd human made structure. One of them being far more wary than his other, more darker colored companion, Bacca would watch as she just darted ahead into the sheltered space with her usual energy. "We've seen so many people come in here already, yet what is it about this thing that's so special? They never even seem to stay for very long!"

Neither of them had dared to get too close to ever find out the answer, so all the curious young cats could do was make all sorts of guesses, and practically all of them were absolutely wrong. Not that they actually knew that...

Already they would start getting into everything, poking around all the nooks and crannies along the stone walls, checking out the few plants that happened to be growing in the darker conditions, and eventually they'd make their way up to the well itself. Standing themselves up on their hind legs to peer forward, they could just barely see over the edge to the open maw of darkness just inches away from them. "Whoa... That's... really creepy." Bacca nervously swallowed, growing more anxious the longer he stared at it that his fur slowly started to stand up.

He didn't like it one bit, but Kassia was another story. She wanted to see more of it, and would hop right up onto the edge to get a better view of it. "Yeah, but isn't it cool too? This thing must go down super deep!" She'd mew in awe, poking her head into it for whatever reason, and making her friend very uncomfortable. "Kass, b-be careful up there!" He hissed, moving over closer so that her tails were more within his reach, now dreading a possible accident occurring.

He did like to worry a lot, and with this of course being no exception, it was really hard for Kassia to not roll her eyes as she righted herself, and turned to face him. "Oh relax, Bee! Nothing's gonna happen. Everything is just-" Amid her effort to get the worrywart to calm down a bit, both cats would be startled by some sort of... odd grinding noise coming from the depths of the well? They weren't sure how to describe it, and wouldn't even bother as Kassia suddenly fell forward onto the floor from fright, barely getting the last word out with a small squeak before both quickly turned to scamper off for the exit immediately. The pair would vanish into the night, leaving the scary well far far behind them.

(Raffle Post)

[ToxicShadow]

A lace parasol began to weave its way through the many visitors until it reached the very well that it, and everyone else, sought out. Mixie tilted the parasol back, to reveal her strange face that only had empty, black voids in the place of her eye sockets rather than the eyes she, perhaps, should have had to be able to navigate so naturally without bumping into anyone else.

Clutched in her other claw was what had been deemed a mysterious egg, the same short of thing which Mixie had once been hatched from, and its two eyes flicked about almost too fast, almost as if it was overwhelmed with trying to take in all of their surroundings and all the noises created by all the other guests.

"I wish for something to help this egg grow into its final form," the spooky Socross announced as she proudly held out the mysterious egg, as if to show it to the well. Then, very carefully, she settled the egg on the ground, long enough to toss a keystone down into the well, before hurriedly scooping it back up again. "I believe a Sol Strain would do the trick."

[Kyariel]

Kyuuna Nagi had been walking home with the months groceries when she spotted the growing crowd near a well. Watching them toss coins in made her more curious, not having encountered the practice before. But after overhearing the wishes being made she stepped up to drop a keystone in "I wish for all who live with me to be safe and healthy this year, as well as any new friendsI meet". (Post for a raffle ticket please, and a Tanzanite Stargoyle)

[Adelie]

The first person who comes by the wishing well is, rather unfortunately, not a person at all. Ven is a woman of principle, though, and she's not about to discriminate on basis of species when it comes to gathering the information she needs.

That, and the fact that honestly, the wishing well is getting less traffic than she'd expected. Presumably, if her friends had heard about this whole 'wishing well ticket' rumor - despite living half a continent away - and clued her into its existence, then people in her city should be all over it. Presumably.

Then again, she should've learned by now that Aster, resident prankster and dubiously omniscient informant, is not a reliable source.

So having spent a fruitless thirty-five minutes doodling on her notepad and fantasizing about petitioning for a late withdrawal on her class, she was ready to take anything she got - even if that was a suspiciously absent-minded Wilson who'd less come to the wishing well and more stumbled halfway into it.

"Hey, watch your step!" she called out. When that didn't elicit a reaction, she reached out and physically stopped the Wilson from tumbling down six, seven - however many feet the mysteriously mystical well stretched. "Sorry," she apologized immediately. "But you were going to fall into the well, and I didn't want to see you get hurt or anything, I'm really sorry..."

(raffle ticket please!)