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Wanted Wisps (11) : Small, wispy orbs are floating through the city. They can be found during the day but are far more visible at night. They seem to bob along a few feet off the ground and sometimes flicker in and out of sight. They are warm to the touch and seem to be somewhat magical in nature. Anyone can gather them in their hands; they do not quite feel solid but cannot slip through fingers or escape any container. If you find one of these, you must return it to the merchant. If you do not roleplay with him, it will be assumed that you returned the piece to him anyway; there is no way to keep these. Please see this post for information on turning in the Wisp and claiming your prize.
Paracelsian made sure to stay powered up and vigilant when the Star Festival kicked into high gear. Something was always bound to come around during significant periods in the city’s history or activity, and from what he’d been seeing, that something was already here. Between the massive thump and brief blackout and assorted other shenanigans being reported, he was very sure something was going to be waiting for him soon enough.
And sure enough, bobbing under a streetlight like a large, glowing, and very confused moth (except moths flapped, not bobbed) was a peculiar wispy orb. It was an item of interest to be sure, and he strode over to the wisp to examine it. When he put his hand up to it, it was rather solid for something that appeared to be made of soft light. "Silky" came to mind as a descriptor for its texture, or maybe silk-like. Soft, smooth, and ever so slightly warm was how it felt, especially after Paracelsian took one of his gloves off to handle it better.
The solidness of the orb belied how slippery it was. One of his fingers twitched, and the orb slid out like it had been greased. This resulted in a funny little incident where he kept trying to grab the wisp, only for it to slip away from his fingers again and again. In a fit of determination, he clamped both hands over the wisp, and very carefully spread his fingers to confirm he'd captured the thing. Sure enough, there it was, very carefully contained in his grasp. Though it was sort of solid, it was also not, somehow. Semi-permeable, perhaps? It yielded ever so slightly to being squeezed, or at least his fingers passed into it a little.
Suddenly, the wisp flickered, its light wavering before it blinked out of existence entirely. Thinking it had escaped despite still feeling it, he unclasped his hands and began to swipe around wildly, hoping to catch it again. It was definitely a mystery, and he had a thing for wanting to solve mysteries. He thought he felt it slide against his left hand when it flickered back into existence, or at least visibility. It bobbed harmlessly in front of Paracelsian, who couldn't help but feel a little taunted that the wisp had slipped away so easily.
Odds were that the item was magical in nature, and if it was, he would be able to contain it in subspace. With another clamp of determination, he seized the wisp once more, and slipped it into subspace just like he would an energy orb or his communicator. It went in as easily as anything else of its kind would. A quick double-check confirmed it was safely stored: completely invisible, as expected, but still very much there.
Now he had to figure out what he wanted to do with it. Every MacGuffin had a destination, so surely this wisp needed to go somewhere. It was time to beat feet and see what was up.
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