⇨ INTERLUDE: A Continuation

[ringleaders]

Who: The Ringmaster, all Supervisors, and any rule-breaker onlookers.
When: Twilight on D40
Where: The woods surrounding the grounds.
What: The Ringmaster found something threatening and has decided to share it with her supervisors.
Warnings: Wannabe satanism.

CATCH A FALLING STAR↴ The Ringmaster waits for all of the Supervisors to arrive before continuing onward. She doesn't say much about what they are doing as they wait for everyone to arrive, simply explaining that she has found something concerning that she needs to show them. Once everyone is together, she will lead the pack into the woods - with or without any snoops who may be trying to follow after, against her wishes. The forest is far more accommodating to her than it is to anyone else who tries to navigate it. Instead of getting wound in circles by its path, and running into dead ends, it's as if the trees have moved themselves to intentionally create an easy path for her to follow. It's stretching into the twilight hours as they travel, and various phosphorescent flowers and pods have begun glowing among the leaves with the shift to night, faintly illuminating the way. The sun is low in the sky when they arrive at the spot, still present but swiftly fading as its light cuts through the trees in beams. They reach an area that is not so much a clearing as it is a small space, tucked away between trunks and branches. In the center of that space lies a large, black mark, cut into the earth like a ritual sigil. The dirt and rock is blackened along its lines, and all plant-life within a few feet of its presence has died out completely. As the dark approaches, the black of the lines will seem to paradoxically glow, as if the void within it somehow creates a light of its own. The Ringmaster kicks a few last leaves off of the mark - it seems that she's been clearing away mess from this spot already today, and indicates the digit with a snarl of disgust. "I told you I was cursed!" she insists, putting her hands on her hips.

Comments

[atouts]

"That does sound like the very sort of an answer a fairy would give," Childermass has to admit. Although, he did expect some measure of danger when signing on. Even if the domain they're in is controlled by someone fairly good-natured, the domain itself was still connected to Faerie.

And the fae are nothing if not dangerous.

"This would be a lot more helpful if we could hear them," he'll also add, grumbling, even though he knows it's not meant to work that way. He leans in a little closer, frowning as he tries to make out what else is happening through the branches. "Though there goes the Warden." And Peridot, though he's never spoken to either of them, not really. "We may have to track down Joker and ask what this was all about later."

[kingsroads]

Strange knows that Childermass is grumbling for the sake of grumbling. He's not going to make a sort of huffy retort that the spell doesn't work that way, which he might do with Wellington or Lascelles or people who don't know better. Childermass knows better. He's definitely right of course, this would be much easier if they knew what they were talking about...and just where exactly the Warden and that green person were going.

"That would be a good idea. After all, I doubt he'd be surprised to hear I was spying," Strange remarks, in a casual tone. "I accidentally summoned the poor man to my trailer one time--did you know that at least in this realm, when you attempt to summon a faerie, occasionally you summon one who's been touched by fae magic? Unfortunately, I'm three for three in that regard."

Which, of course, is exactly what poor Childermass needed to hear at the moment, that Strange has been accidentally summoning coworkers to his trailer.

[atouts]

Yeah, Childermass is going to keep staring down into the basin of water a moment longer after Strange admits to doing all that. He's still tired, he can be excused for having a delayed reaction here, as he considers what was just said, considers it really hard. Honestly, he shouldn't be surprised that Strange managed to do that. More like he's surprised he hasn't heard anyone complain yet, about being summoned abruptly by a madman. Maybe the people here are just that used to absurdity, which at least means one of the two magicians standing here are definitely in good company.

Just a few seconds longer, he's still thinking here, then he slowly turns to give Strange such a look, almost one of disbelief.

"Of course you're not summoning faeries into Faerie, we're already in Faerie." Does that even make sense? Did Strange's spell for it take that into account? God, he doesn't know, he's tired. "Besides, the carnival is probably warded against that sort of unexpected guest... or usually, anyway."

With the Agent incursion and now this sigil problem, whatever the problem actually is, that may not be as true as it should be. But more importantly,

"Why are you even trying? You've already gotten what you wanted."

[kingsroads]

One of the people summoned just rolled with it and another beat him up. That might be a good enough explanation.

When Childermass starts talking, Strange turns to look at him...and instantly counters that look with a slightly defensive one of his own. He turns back to look at the basin, hoping that something'll happen, just to get rid of this feeling he's got like a schoolboy being chastised by his teacher (which is a stupid feeling to have in the first place, this is Childermass, not Norrell). Unfortunately, nothing's really happening for him to divert the conversation.

So at the question, Strange looks up from the basin and gives Childermass a look that's slightly confused as well as slightly amused. At least to him, the answer is obvious. "I tried simply to see if I could do it here."

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Strange has always been the one to say that magic needed to be explored, boundaries needed to be pushed, what was the use of the unexplained if not to explain it? And, apparently, testing the limitations on summoning faeries counted as exploring.

[atouts]

No, maybe not a surprise, but it did count as trying to get himself killed, that's what. Childermass lucked out in never having to meet the Gentleman directly, but he knows enough after the fact to know he'd rather Strange not call that creature into the carnival just to see if he could. And if not that one, then one similar.

But since he can't actually give Strange that direct a warning without further explanation, he'll just have to resign himself to hoping Strange never succeeds beyond annoying their coworkers. So, he shakes his head and returns to watching the scene in the water unfold.

"Of all the magic you could be trying on a whim, that is one I would prefer you let be for now, that's all," is really all he can say to that. It's not like he can actually stop Strange. Luckily, they won't be stuck on this topic forever, since something is happening at the meeting again.

That something looks like it might be an argument.

[kingsroads]

He's about to pry further, about to ask just what was so bad about summoning faeries that Childermass feels the need to warn him. But one, he doubts Childermass will actually answer that question in the first place (it probably ties back to his damn future again) and two, something's happening at the meeting.

Strange simply watches as Psiioniic and Mari argue, entirely unaware of what they're saying. But the fact that Mari's one of the people arguing interests Strange. After all, she's the Nightrider. If this involved Nightrunner business, he might get answers faster than they expected.

"Now we definitely have to ask Joker about the meeting," Strange muttered, with a small frown.

[atouts]

He's terrible like that, he knows, so it's a good thing the meeting is such a good distraction. Childermass isn't sure he has it in him right now for that particular argument.

"And if he won't tell us, we may be able to try Psiioniic," he says, gesturing towards the images in the basin the best he can with them partially obscured like that. He'll point out the more insect-like of the two arguing, the foreman of the supervisors. "That one, if you haven't met him yet. He's friendly enough."

[kingsroads]

"I have, actually," Strange explains, as he looks at the basin. And then, without thinking, Strange continues, "We met while you were kidnapped."

There it is, unintentionally bringing up the Matrix again, that elephant in the room and the reason why they were both in the medical tent. They're going to have to talk about it at some point and Strange knows that he's going to have to be the one to bring it up. Childermass is Childermass, after all, he's not going to be the one to do it.

Turning towards the other man, Strange gives him a weak smile. "I set you on fire, you shoot me. I suppose this makes us even?" It's a terrible joke, but it's at least an attempt.

[atouts]

"Ah."

Just... that, a thoughtful noise before he falls to silently watching the supervisors again. Even after Strange's awful joke, he won't say anything, not right away, instead directing what scowling he is doing at the water. It would be very easy to simply not acknowledge it, any of that, but then he has to consider how not speaking about certain things got them all into trouble in the first place.

"That wasn't me," he answers with a sigh, breaking the drawn out silence that had followed and, when it's apparent the meeting isn't about to erupt into a fist fight, he'll step away from Strange, the table, and the basin altogether, moving off to take a seat on the nearest cot. From there, he'll watch Strange in return. "I told you to run. You should have listened."

[kingsroads]

Strange still sits in front of the basin, eyes halfway on the scene but also on Childermass. It's a bit awkward, trying to watch two things at once, but somebody's got to view the basin to see if something interesting happens. That's the reason why he's doing this, after all.

"I thought I could stop you," Strange simply says, as if that explains everything. "I was in the peninsula, I used magic to help save people in the peninsula, I thought—" but he cuts himself off, frowning slightly. He's gripping the table where the basin is, hands shaking slightly. He thought he could stop Childermass. He thought he could save people. He was obviously wrong about that. And he hated that fact more than he wanted to admit.

[atouts]

"This isn't the peninsula," Childermass points out. He isn't going to be particularly cruel about it — certainly not telling him to shut up about it — but he isn't going to be kind, either. He's going to be stern, which he does well. "You took a stupid chance. Standing out in the open, doing magic? A bullet is faster than a spell, Mr. Strange. You should already know that."

Seeing how he was in the peninsula and all.

[kingsroads]

His hands are still trembling as he turns away from the basin in order to properly yell at Childermass. Although, not really yell. The man's making nothing but valid points, which aggravates Strange even further. It was a stupid chance and yet what on Earth did Childermass expect him to do?

"And what would you rather I have done, let you leave so you could continue to shoot people? Stupid though it may be, it was still a chance."

[atouts]

"Yes," is the unfortunate truth.

Yes, he did expect that. He doesn't like the idea of it, but dislike isn't going to change the fact. Let Strange get angry. It won't be the first time a magician's been mad at him, meaning he has more than enough practice at keeping his own side of the conversation as calm as ever.

"Yes, you should have left me there. Yes, even if it meant I went on to shoot other people. Do you have any idea what will happen if you die here? Do you want to alter the past?"

[kingsroads]

"How the hell should I know?" Strange snaps. And once again it comes back to the past, the damn past, his bloody future that Childermass is so keen to protect and Strange has no idea what happens to begin with. He's spent weeks not knowing and it's driving him mad. Does he want to alter the past? Well considering he's yet to live whatever Childermass is so determined to protect, he's got no idea if he wants to alter the past to begin with.

"I'd be far more keen on keeping your precious past intact if you tell me what happens in the first place!"

Which isn't going to happen. No, Strange is slowly resigning himself to the fact that he'll have to break into the other man's trailer and steal that little notebook of his to find out any information in the first place.

[atouts]

"Do you even need all of the details to care?" Childermass won't quite snap back, but it's close. It's just that his anger doesn't involve yelling, it more involves getting to his feet and striding right over to get up in Strange's face. There's no need to get physical, all he has to do is loom. He's good at that.

"You should be so keen on preserving it, else you lose everything you've been working towards, everything I've been working towards," because, yes, this is quite personal. "Why even bother saving me if you're going to destroy the world I know in the process?"

[kingsroads]

He's going to ponder that later. Everything I've been working towards? What on Earth could Childermass be working to in the first place? The man must have an agenda—after all, he's stuck with Norrell for that long. But what it is, Strange has no idea.

But right now, it's back to the fight. Strange is just manic energy as he continues to yell, pointing a clawed finger at Childermass as he does so. "I cannot believe you're attacking me over the fact that I don't want people to die! I'm a Nightrunner! I was supposed to keep this from happening in the first place!"

Find out about their enemies, the Ringmaster had said. But madness and confusion and anger at that stupid other world prevented Strange from doing his job in the first place. Maybe if he had been better, then this wouldn't have happened to begin with.

[atouts]

"You think I'm attacking you over it? You wanted to know what I would have had you do instead and I've told you. You don't have to like it."

Nor does he seem to care if other people might have been shot in his stead. In all honesty, he does care, he cares about that a lot, but those others still aren't worth as much as one of England's two magicians. And since he's close enough to get that claw pointed right up into his face, he's going to reach up to make a grab at Strange's wrist, to redirect that pointing elsewhere in the medical tent, just in case.

"But you're right. You are a Nightrunner. I suppose that means I should let you get back to your spying, now shouldn't I?"

[kingsroads]

He doesn't like it. And Strange still doesn't grasp why Childermass seems to care about it so much. He could have stopped him! He almost stopped him in the first place, and yet that's somehow a bad thing?

Pity there's not that much self-awareness in all that arrogance. Strange lets Childermass grab his wrist and move it elsewhere, still glowering at the other man all the while.

"I don't think I need to remind you that you came over here and looked at my spying of your own free will." Yes, Strange was totally spying. But Childermass had the option of not looking and he didn't take it.

[atouts]

Almost doesn't cut it in this case, unfortunately.

"You're right, I did," Childermass will admit that, yeah, but he can also decide to stop spying and carry on, which is exactly what he's going to do. Pointing claw redirected, he lets go of Strange's wrist. "And I'll be sure to ask Joker how it all ended the next time I see him."

Meaning it's time to go. It's for the best, if they're going to fall to bickering like this. If he's fine to spy and argue, then he's fine to make it back to his trailer and rest there instead, and so he'll be turning to go. Have fun with your really silent basin of water there, Strange.

[kingsroads]

Strange just silently fumes, glaring at Childermass's general direction. Recovering plus the fight plus Strange's ever growing annoyance that Childermass won't tell him what happened have wound him all up into a ball of nerves. Fuming still, he heads back towards the basin, sitting back down in front of it.

"For your sake, I hope he's generous enough to tell you." It's said like Strange wouldn't tell Childermass himself but he knows that if something interesting happens, of course he's going to tell Childermass. He's missed that feeling of working things out with another magician.