She couldn't tell for certain yet what the stone had given her, but Miriam straightened up from her slump with a perkiness to her nonetheless. Control slipped for a second, mouth widening far enough that her face appeared like it might have been splitting in half from her toothy grin.

"Why, thank you!" she trilled. Then turning around with painstaking care, she slid back into the crush of the crowd.

The following day, unsurprisingly, the Wishing Stone was visited by her again. Greed gleamed from her canines as she greeted it, another request falling from her maw. This one reeked far less of ulterior motive and had everything to do with practicality.

Hello, dear! I was wondering if you might have a way to fix this little issue of mine: I dabble in art, you see—carving—and my claws have difficulty with finer details, careful as I am. Would you happen to have tools for this, preferably for wood or stone. Perhaps I might render your likeness—though I'm afraid it might be far duller and dumber than you, I must warn. Unfortunate limitations.

The soft pitter-patter of Nameless's webbed feet signaled her arrival, followed shortly by the small, waddling figure. She approached the stone with haste and stopped in front of it, perked up and looking happier then ever. "Thank you for the chrysalis. I promise to take of them and raise them with all the love I can! If you're still taking wishes then there is something else I'd like to ask for. Is there something that will make me better at helping people? I'd like to be there for everyone when they need help. Something to heal people maybe? Or give them happiness?"

What to wish for...?

Porkchop considered. He would have power and recognition coming to him soon enough, he was sure. He hadn't had a watermelon since the quest group had left the carnival, though, and watermelon was a need... But even as his stomach growled, Porkchop rejected the idea. This was a MAGICAL WISHING STONE. He had to ask for something one-of-a-kind, something ORIGINAL.

But he was hungry.

So Porkchop leaned forward and whispered hoarsely, white eyes glowing with anticipation: "Gimme a snack! Something unique, original, one-of-a-kind, AS or MORE delicious than WATERMELON, that nobody in these caves has ever tasted before!"

Then he leaned back again, satisfied.

Zhusha had not visited the Wishing Stone himself yet, but it wasn't as if he had been totally ignorant of the Wishing Stone's existence. He'd only stood off to the side, watching the others come and go with new items in their hands/mouths (or on their heads, in the surprisingly common case of those who received some kind of hat), trying to get some kind of inspiration for what he should ask for.

Maybe he was overthinking about it all. Gembounds came and went and came back, after all, so he could always have asked for something and come back the next day if he thought of something better. But the truth was that Zhusha didn't really know what he wanted, and hadn't wanted to use a wish on something frivolous.

Watching each Gembound make their wish did help, though. Apart from a few odd occurrences, like the little primate who'd sat there looking shell-shocked, and then begun to cry, these Gembounds all seemed to be happy with their gifts. It gave Zhusha the confidence now, after a week, to finally go forward and make his wish, without second-guessing himself any longer.

He stepped forward and tilted his head at the stone, watching its colors pulse and shift for a minute before finally touching a claw to it. Do you remember the long, shining weapon you gave to the tall purple one a few days ago? he began. There are some old, rusted weapons in the space under Leo. Here, he pictured a few swords, something that looked like it might have been a spear once, a brutal-looking club, and even a battered, half-rotted bow.

But they are mostly large, and brutal. Many are not as beautiful as the shining weapon. I would like to wish for a weapon, too, please--but one that is beautiful, magical, and elegant; and not designed for something so big as a five-meter-tall Gembound.

It was less that he wanted something to fight things with—Zhusha had no hands, after all, but he always had his natural weapons for that. But even among the piles of jewelry and myriad hats, nothing had stood out to him so much as the Warden's glaive, with its lovely light, smooth shape, and gleaming metal. He wanted something different, but still beautiful for himself—and not so big, so he wouldn't look stupid next to it.

burn me to ashes and scatter me in the flooding spring river
that i might drift with the fallen flowers to a place no one has known

Bebby had CHEERED in glee at the fairy lights, thanking the stone through muffled teeth, before running off to tell forgraves.

the next day, she had of course returned. she was having alot of fun, and she had brought MORE flowers this time. infact she had a whole bouqet of them, of roses and daisies and tulips, beautifully colored. she dropped them in the now wilted pile of flowers (that she now noticed had purple shells in it), looking to the rock.

"i brought more flowers! i hope these are good!" she said, before sitting down again to talk.

"i know i've asked for alot, and i'm sorry if it's been alot of work. i love everything you gave me, so does nico and Forgraves, Forgraves wont shut up about the stars and Nico seems happier than i've seen him in a while. really, thank you! but.. i hope you don't mind me asking for one more thing..?"

"My friend Max, they visit the house alot sometimes, but they don't stay very long. they have a home of their own of course, but... do you have something i can use to make it a little nicer for them when they come over? so it feels more like a place they're welcome in? like some flowers, or something soothing? i know theres magic that lets you grow flowers, but.. i don't know it! if it's not too much trouble, that would make me very happy."

she smiled once again, and waited. before perking up, and adding sheepishly, "oh and.. if Genevive comes back, can you tell her i said hi..?" she asked, smiling nervously.



speech
thoughts

Archfey had hatched not long after their sibling. Redwood hadn't been very specific when they said to do something that made them happy, go wherever they pleased, as long as they were safe, so Archfey followed to soothing hum of the wishing stone, and came to it, wrapped in the wooly and feathered coat she was gifted.


It granted wishes, it said? she was still young, she didn't know much of herself yet, or what she wanted, but she knew she was bored at the very least. so, she sat by the rock to think.

"Give me.. she started, pondering. "Something.. to find.. something nice.. i'd like to discover something beautiful." she said, and waited for a reply.

Genevive had neighed in delight at the diamond collar and put it on almost immediately, the dangling stones twinkling as they swayed. she had thanked the stone, and left for a few days.


then she was back, and she seemed almost... hesitant.

"Hello, wishing stone. I've returned. i have.. i have a peculiar request. she started, and was quiet for a moment, before starting again.

"i feel i have been... rather self absorbed. i have a lovely place to stay, i have become more beautiful, and my friends seem to pay more attention to me. bebby, however... she's been here before, she seems to be the one who's noticed different things. she wants to talk to me more, she wants to be around me more, but i cannot tell why. it's like when she has to take a break from talking to me, her mood immediately takes a dip downward! i haven't the slightest idea why!" she rambled.

she sighed. "I fear i am not as skilled in reading other gembound as i thought. i cannot seem to tell what she is thinking, or how she feels, and not for lack of trying! but she just.. cares in a way others do not. and i don't have a word for it. do you have something? something to make it easier to understand, without completely ruining it?"

she hesitates, before admitting again, "i quite LIKE this new attention from her, but.. i don't know how to take it."

The "unicorn" waited, looking around to ensure nobody else had heard her.


"Speech." Thoughts.

Forgraves had come back a few days later, seemingly as if he was a whole other person, the sparkle in his eyes as if the sight of the stars had imprinted itself and never left.

he sat down, smiling, and asked the rock a question.

"hello, wishing rock! its lovely to see you again. i have.. i have the smallest question, and while it might be selfish, i have to ask..." he paused. "do you have a way of showing me the stars again? what you showed me... it was beautiful, and memory can't compare, but... i'd like to see them again, and i'd like to be able to show my family too. is there... is there a way you can make that happen? a way you can let us look at the stars?" he asked, and waited.

"Speech." Thoughts.

OOC note: if its hard to read, they're asking for a CLOAK

Banshy was happy, they thought. they lived with their brother and his large family, the people in the house. it was loud and active but not in a way they disliked. it was happy. but this also meant they heard immediately about the wishing stone, and while they had waited a while to visit, they came around eventually.

they had followed the hum, and the rock fascinated them. it was incredible. lovely colors, a nice shine, if the stone could hear their thoughts it might be inclined to take it as a compliment.

They waited, thought for a minute. what do they need? what do they need they don't already have?

well. they could go to the library they supposed if they wanted to learn a craft. but banshy did want something nice, so they'd ask for something nice.

"I.. would like a cloak." they said. it was simple, but they would like one. "just a cloak... with a hood, maybe.. something dark. it would make... me happy."

that was it, and so they waited. they nodded in gratitude though.

Banshy;

love, dante

---

Oka!

---

One of the last creatures to visit the stone was Oka. And it was no wonder, despite Oka's size, it was still a snail. As the snail went, it left a sizable trail of slime in their wake, though not as putrid as Effluviums. As at last they put a tentacle on the wishing stone, tentative and soft, Oka gave a simple request. "Um, I'd like anything grown on my shell to not die, please? I'd like it to thrive, actually... Can you do that?"

(Feel free to skip this one, it's rather last minute!)