[A n o n y m o u s T e x t | A c t i o n]

[greatestgood]

There is a house. One enters it blind and comes out seeing. What is it?

[This riddle is so damn historical. Whoever gives the right answer will interest him greatly. A fellow lover of history, literature and philosophy! Or you've just heard this one before.]

[Action: Everglade]

[Everglade is where he lingers, the tip of his wand lit. He is in the process of searching, pausing now and then to cut leaves from surrounding foliage. Should anyone come upon him, they will find themselves briefly frozen by a spell.

Did he even move his wand? The real question should be: does he need to? No, Gellert is too fine of a Wizard to rely on such a rudimentary implement - though you will have to pry the Elder wand from his cold, dead fist. Unless you are Albus Dumbledore.]

You should wear a bell.

Comments

[Text]

[scarlet_devil]

Would that be a school?

[ Or just really old. Well, five hundred and fourteen, to be exact. ]

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

Very good. Do you like history? [Or are you part of it?]

[scarlet_devil]

You could say I've lived it.

[Action]

[randallboggs]

[What Gellert will see, frozen by his spell, is a human-sized purple lizard-like monster with wide, surprised eyes at this moment in time. Obviously, the freezing was unexpected but he'd had just enough of a second to register somebody nearby. It had clearly startled him.]

[Action]

[greatestgood]

[Poor thing. Gellert waves a hand to release him, lifting his wand so that they have plenty of light with which to see one another.]

Forgive me for being so rude. I wasn't sure who you were.

[Action]

[randallboggs]

[Randall shudders. That was an odd sensation. He brushes himself off as if he feels he's been covered in magical dust somehow. Then he glares in the stranger's direction.]

Just what d'you think you're playing at, pal?

[His manner isn't friendly.]

[Video]

[riddlemehiss]

[Ches is technically working when he sees the anonymous text post, but switches on the video anyway (because what is anonymous and why would anyone waste effort typing?) to respond. Who can resist a good riddle? It's fortunate Rose is such a forgiving boss.

Kitty is employed as a "tour guide" (lol why) at Torchwood Haunted House, which explains the bats nesting in the corner and the small group of guests clinging to each other in the background.

But meh. They can take care of themselves for a while. Probably.]

Does the house sell eyes?

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

[Mischievous Cheshire! Gellert is tempted to respond in kind, but he will draw it out a little longer. This is an innocent trap he has laid to see who has the right sort of mind for working out this world's mysteries.]

It does not. Could the eyes be a metaphor?

[Video]

[riddlemehiss]

[Ches gives a thoughtful hum and ponders on the question some more even while ushering his guests into the next room of the house. This one is home to some ghost Pokemon, so Gellert may catch glimpses of a few creepy and unfamiliar creatures in the background.]

Does the house fix eyes?

[What a shame! That generous hint is lost on him.]

[action]

[chambermusicandtenpins]

[He admits to being impressed by the skill with which he's frozen. Then again, he's always admired Gellert's skill, even when he was horrified by what those skills were used for. It's been one of his ongoing trials as Gellert's influence had spread, seeing what a talented man he was even as his goals grew more savage.

Dumbledore had been exploring Everglade partly for his own curiosity -- even if the magic there was supposed to be dark, it was still magic, and it was better to have some idea of what the place was then to simply ignore it. Gellert had been right, of course, that Fayren was far more his type of abode, but he was always ever-curious, even about the things he knew were dangerous.

-- which was probably why he'd approached Gellert in the first place and been frozen. Funny, really.]

[action]

[greatestgood]

[Surprise flashes over his features - and maybe something akin to remorse. Maybe. It's brief - like a flash of light - and then it disappears. Since he has Albus in this position, he might as well take advantage of it. Right? He is a true Slytherin.]

Well, well, well. Are you tracking me, Albus? [He walks up to the man and slides the tip of the Elder wand down Albus's cheek.] I can't leave you like this.

[The spell will be undone in the next breath, freeing the other Wizard without a word spoken.]

Tell me what brings you here. [Is that legendary curiosity leading his once friend down a different road?]

[action]

[borntolove]

[Being held in place by a binding invisible force - this is a new one]

Maybe you shouldn't be so uptight.

[Gellert may sense that this one may look human but isn't quite human and if legitimacy - only surface feelings that someone isn't human will be felt- digging, The Doctor will block back with his own telepathic abilities]

[A cheery]

Hallo.

[action]

[greatestgood]

[Uptight? Doctor. Gellert is a Seer - he is well-versed in Mind Magic - and he is curious about the force he feels pushing back.]

You're unexpected. What are you doing out here at such a suspicious hour?

[The same could be asked of you, Gellert. He doesn't undo the spell just yet.]

[Action]

[li_amaranth]

[He may want to pay more attention on who he freezes. Li's not going to be too happy once he lifts the spell. After all, she'd been hunting that night and just happened across him.]

[Action]

[greatestgood]

[Having a mad Kelpie on his hands - in any form - is dangerous and he well knows it. Before he undoes the spell, he holds up his hands, placating.]

I didn't know it was you. Remember, I serve a purpose.

[allforthem]

Hmmm...

Does this 'One' have to be a person?

[mutters] That's one hell of a house... [pauses, then in a normal voice]

Wait, is it a building like where those religious groups puts a hand on your eyes and says 'Be blind no more!' or something?

...Maybe that's a Church-but no, fanatics do so in normal buildings too..huh..

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

Not necessarily, but it does matter that they are sentient.

No, not quite, but they can change your life just as much. [Gellert heard that muttering and he is amused by it.]

[Anonymous Text]

[light_of_willpower]

Your riddle is too open ended; there are multiple answers possible. Which if your motive is trying to get a gauge of what kind of people will respond and how they think, makes sense.

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

There is one answer, but you're right: I am interested in how the populace thinks.

Take a guess.

[Video]

[child_of_bhaal]

[She cannot text to save her life.]

I love riddles. Hmm.

[She's taking her tone to think it through. Usually get riddle sneering is life or death, so it pays to think before you answer.]

The part about entering blind and coming out seeing makes me think of ignorance and truth revealed. Once blind and now seeing.

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

You are very close to the answer. Where would one go to learn the truth?

[He is giving it away at this point, but she is so close!]

Text

[bigbadrose]

A hospital!

[Anonymous Text]

[greatestgood]

A fair guess, but wrong.

[Action]

[notquitedracula]

[Being frozen by magic is not a novel experience for Soma. He's just glad he isn't actually petrified this time, for the short duration the charm lasts. Natural magic resistance; you're going to have to do better than that to really tie him down.]

And you should be careful where you throw your spells. Not everyone here is as calm as I am about being frozen.

[For his part, the white-haired youth Gellert has encountered... seems to be doing much the same thing he is. Collecting plant samples.]

You working on alchemy or ritual preparation?

[Action]

[greatestgood]

I was being careful. [He hit his target, didn't he? It's not his fault the target doesn't approve.] If you're frozen, you can't attack me right away. That does give me a chance to identify you and apologize if necessary.

[Obviously he doesn't think an apology is necessary this time.]

And if I am?