lostcarnival | HELL OF A HANGOVER PT. 1

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HELL OF A HANGOVER PT. 1

Who: The people who escaped!
When: Very early Day 66 to Day 67
Where: The Carnival
What: The Ringmaster brings everyone she can back to the carnival after getting kicked out the Celebration, a bit worse for wear. Those that have resolved their threads at the Masquerade can start trickling over here as they sort things out.
Warnings: Angst, mostly likely, as well as potentially graphic injuries.

RETURNING HOME↴

About 45 minutes after the conflict with the vampires begins, the Ringmaster will finally show her face at the Masquerade - and immediately be mortified by what she sees. Though initially mostly confused by the fact that there's been problems over the week, and characteristically obtuse about what's going on, as soon as she realizes the severity of the threat she will launch into action. If the Host managed to miss the combat already going on, they won't be able to miss the Ringmaster tearing up the joint and looking for her people. She's quick to scoop up those that have managed to gather in the dining hall - but unfortunately her arrival seems to be the vampire's cue to retreat.

Her attempt to challenge the Host about this will result in the being finally losing their patience and banishing all the vampires and all of the carnival workers from the premises, forcing them back to the portals they arrived from and launching their remaining belongings out with them. The Ringmaster will be pretty fucking pissed off when they return (once again) and will tell everyone to take the time they need to recover, but to stick together and stay safe for the time being. She has a plan to chase down the carnival members that have been stolen, but it will take time.

► BEER PONG: Apparently the Ringmaster spent the entire week playing a nonstop game of beer pong, against several dozen of the Host's bodies. She hadn't quite won yet when the Masquerade began, so she was late. Whether or not she was caught up in the same spell as everyone else is up to interpretation, but the answer "definitely probably." She won, for the record.

► MISSING: Upon doing headcounts, it will turn out that all the supervisors are missing, as well as several regular workers - a few of which will have been spotted as freshly turned vampires during the fighting. Whether that was the point of the attack or not is unclear, but it's pretty clear that the Ringmaster is a little bit devastated about it - particularly about the supervisors. However, she will refuse to talk to anyone long enough to get into too many details.

► THE PLAN: The Ringmaster will announce that she intends to get everyone back - it's just a matter of figuring out their way back to the dimension they've been stolen off to. She guarantees that she will find it, but that it may take some time. In the end, the workers will have a total of two days to recover and plan - during the evening of Day 67, she will be leading a rescue mission to get them all back. You don't have to come, but lives do depend on its success.

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"And I assume those people who hold the magical texts keep them all to themselves? Mister Novak was under the impression that there weren't many widespread texts to begin with."

Of course, angels as old as eternity probably know more about these things than forty year old men who've recently been drafted into supernatural nonsense, something that Strange hasn't yet connected the dots about.

It's obvious he's projecting a bit as Strange rolls his eyes at Castiel's words. He's had far too long being cut off from certain texts, Norrell squirreling away some of the more powerful books at his home in York. Strange has no doubts that the magicians of Castiel's world do the same. Hiding away books so no one can read them, how ridiculous. No wonder people got hurt when they summoned angels.

"Nothing may enjoy being summoned but that won't stop people from doing it. I simply want anyone from your world to do it safely. There are proper ways to do these things that prevent the magician from being hurt—I myself have summoned a faerie and plan to summon him again when I return to my world." Granted, the summoning him again will mostly be for Strange to double-check to see how the faerie screwed him over, but details details.

"I'm not a witch, but I am told they do. It keeps the foolish from attempting to contact someone or something well beyond their means."

The eyeroll isn't lost on Castiel but is given as little regard as he gives Dean or Sam when they're upset about something. There's few times when they weren't upset. There's no change in Castiel's expression, perhaps the biggest sign he's not Jimmy. Humans have motion and animation to them. Angels often lack those little hints. Unless it's anger. Rage is something they're very good at displaying.

"I'm going to have to talk to Jimmy about what he tells people," Castiel says dully, more to himself than to Strange before he directs his next words at the witch. "There is no chance of anyone summoning an angel to live after unless the angel wants them to. I'd abandon that part. Fae have a sense of humor. We don't. Something that Jimmy should have told you.

"Where did you last see him?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to talk to Mister Novak about more than that. Though tell me, how much do angels actually tell their hosts? Because based on the conversations I've had with both of you, it seems that angels only use humanity for their bodies and nothing more."

After all, their conversation mostly consisted of Strange listening as Jimmy explained about angels and poor Jimmy being so confused while Strange nattered on about magic and summoning. Based on that? It seems the magicians of Jimmy's world weren't the only people who kept details to themselves. There's still a scowl on Strange's face as he looks over at Castiel. This has been an entirely awful first meeting and he's already dreading the fact that he might end up having to work with this man—after all, he's got no idea just what part of the carnival Castiel works under.

Strange is decidedly not answering the question about where he saw Jimmy last, instead ignoring it to further argue with Castiel.

"More than that?"

In an ordinary situation, most former vessels were left catatonic shells or too traumatised to remember anything when the angel departed. One of them being mentally intact enough to talk was rare. Fate's laughing at Castiel with said vessel telling his tales in a place where they would be believed instead of dismissed as madness.

"We tell them enough to get them to say 'yes'."

Explaining the complicated relationship between humans and angels isn't a conversation Castiel wants to have with anyone, especially not with an emotionally invested witch. The question of working together doesn't bother Castiel because he isn't upset by anything they've discussed. Strange is frustrating, but again, that's a common trait among humans. Part of what makes them so fascinating.

"What has Jimmy told you and how much are you willing to listen to?"

"To answer the second question, I'm willing to listen to whatever you have to say." It's said very matter-of-fact, absolutely no nonsense in his tone. If Castiel wanted to natter on about angels and the ins and outs of magic in his world, then he'd try his hardest to listen and keep up.

"As for what he's told me? His world has very little magic to begin with—or, at least, very little publicly acknowledged magic. Where I'm from, everyone from the lords in parliament to a street beggar knows about magic." That little scowl tells Castiel just how ridiculous Strange finds that. A world where people thing magic doesn't exist? Logically there should be a world like that, but practically Strange hates the idea of that world. "Occasionally, people summon angels but that usually ends up terribly for all involved. Most people cannot see an angel's true form without going blind or mad. It's hard for an angel to understand humanity in the first place. A person's bloodline is important in whom an angel chooses to serve as a vessel. He also had very definite opinions about how angels regard humanity."

Definite opinions that Strange just isn't gonna mention right now! There's a pause before Strange adds in one last thing. It's in a very tentative tone of voice because Strange knows from experience that occasionally, there's timeline nonsense between two people from the same world. But really, this is something that Castiel needs to know no matter what—and ever since his conversation with Childermass, Strange has been loathe to keep secrets. "Our conversation started when I asked about people who had been raised from the dead"

Like Strange, Castiel prefers to begin at the end and go backwards. The beginnings of a frown are seen on his face before it smooths out to his usual blank slate.

"Some angels can raise the dead. I can. It doesn't end well. Death wants what is his. Jimmy told you the truth on the subject of magic. Few have it. Of those, most buy the ability from demons at the cost of their souls or those of other. Witches aren't liked or trusted on the whole. Some use their learned powers for good, but their societies are far and few between over the Earth. Corruption comes easily to mortals."

He sighs, thinking carefully over what to tell Strange and what not to. What might keep this witch from killing himself with stupidity. If Jimmy was important to him, the same might be true for his vessel and this witch.

"All those things Jimmy told you are true. Angels appear without a vessel if snatched by a summoning." 'Most often' which Castiel doesn't care to add. He would appear as he is now within a vessel. "Most would kill a human immediately because you can't bear our true forms. Those that didn't would shortly after out of anger. You have no right to command us. The majority of angels consider humans arrogant hairless apes," he said patiently, fixing his flat gaze on Strange. "Angels don't make deals, Jonathan Strange. Summoning of us is suicidal.

"Is that what you want? To have someone brought back from the dead?"

Because no human beyond the Winchesters did something for the benefit of others. A pamphlet would be put out only to gain power for himself or someone else, not humanity's good.

"I thought that was what I wanted," Strange remarks with a tired sigh. So much has changed for him in the days between his conversation with Jimmy and this conversation with Castiel that what he thought he wanted and what he now knows he wants have turned out to be something entirely different.

"But a day or so ago I learned that my situation is drastically different than what I thought it was." And that's all he's saying! There's a definite end to that sentence, a tone in Strange's voice that's implying 'buddy don't ask any further' as well as a stern look he gives to Castiel implying that he doesn't want to talk about it more. There's just some things you don't talk about with random strangers and 'surprise, your wife isn't dead' is one of them. Likewise, Strange goes ahead and changes the conversation himself.

"At the risk of pointing out the obvious, considering you're working with a fair amount of humans now, I'd recommend keeping comments like that to yourself." Says the man with a few exceedingly inhuman features—ain't no humans have mirror eyes, buddy.

"I'm sorry to hear that. In my world, humans often sell their souls for ten years of time with whatever they want only to find out they regret it. At least you didn't do that."

And he is. Disappointment is something he sees too often in humans. He's supposing that Strange didn't sell his soul. Even as human-stupid as he is, Castiel gets that warning look. Strange could have gone to the Winchester School of Dealing With Angels with one that clear. He lets the matter go on that front.

But the other? That's different.

"I said other angels thought it, not that I did. I think humans are amazing with what they can accomplish. Even derail the Apocalypse no matter what angels and demons try."

The monotone of his voice is a little different there, a bit of warmth and maybe admiration creeping in. Strange's inhuman look doesn't bother Castiel much since his eyes aren't jet black. If they were, this whole meeting might have gone different.

"Somewhere along the line, my brothers and sisters forgot God tasked us with guarding all of you. But that's not important. Not now."

"No, I just sold a year of my life for something that I regret." It's said with a small hint of bitterness. Because his contract with the Ringmaster? That information's useless now. What's the point of learning how to raise someone from the dead when the person you thought was dead wasn't dead to begin with?

Though that bit about humanity is...interesting. Something about Castiel sounds different when he's talking about humans derailing the Apocalypse (and surely he doesn't mean the literal Apocalypse). Nosy as he is, Strange is halfway tempted to ask more questions and pry even further.

But as much as he hates it, the angel's right. They can debate about the merits of humanity all day but it wouldn't help out those people that were kidnapped. Strange turns back to his basin with a sigh. "I've been trying to take account of everybody that's here. We're missing a fair amount of people and my magic is unable to tell me precisely where they are."

"That is the problem of making deals with other creatures. At least it was only a year, and there's plenty for a witch to learn here."

Curiosity is there on what happened to Strange, but that look is remembered. His questions are held for now, but that will only last for so long. That change Strange noticed is why most angels think something in Castiel is broken.

"Something or someone is blocking you then? Do you know if it's a source, a person or a spell? I do not know how you magic works, but maybe that shield can be traced back to where it came from?"

Witchcraft, or magic in general, isn't something Castiel knows about so he's careful as he gets closer to Strange to try to take a peek into the basin himself.

"How many have you found so far? Has the Ringmaster offered any advice?"

Edited 2017-03-08 08:04 (UTC)

"I'm afraid what's blocking me is the limitations of magic itself. With this scrying spell, it can only look through certain realms. For instance, I cannot view people back in my world while we remain in Faerie."

And if Castiel doesn't know how his magic works, then Strange is perfectly fine showing off. For a demonstration, Strange draws a circle in the water, dividing it into four equal parts. He repeats that process a while, as he mutters "Show me Lambert." And there, reflected in the water, is the image of Lambert, helping out in the medical tent.

As he waves his hand over the water, the image of Lambert disappears. He repeats the same process again, but this time muttering "Show me Joker." Nothing happens. The water in the basin remains just water. He turns towards Castiel with a wordless See? Obviously this isn't due to any limitations in Strange's knowledge, it's due to a limitation of magic itself.

"So far, I've counted ten or so of us here and eight or so of us taken by the vampires. As for the Ringmaster, I haven't asked for any advice--though once I run out of names I remember, I might ask her for a list of those employed."

The reluctance of any creature that magic could harm is in how Castiel follows Strange to take a better look in the basin. Someday he's meet a decent magic user, but all those so far have tried to kill or capture him. Those that didn't were arrogant shits.

He's quiet as Strange shows him the images in the water, a small frown showing his puzzlement and then understanding of what had been meant. That does lead to him wondering if the limits are true or just for his benefit. The idea that this witch might be able to watch him go about isn't a comforting one.

"Almost half then," he says in that same dull tone. Not the best odds. "I haven't been around for more than a few minutes for a long time. Do you have any idea what the current population of the Carnival had been before the attack?"

The more they talk, the more it'll become apparent to Castiel that Strange is 100% an arrogant shit. Sorry bud.

"I don't have an exact number on me, but certainly more than twenty-five but less than fifty. We've recently gained some new arrivals, though I'm not entirely sure how many."

Strange isn't exactly the best at things like keeping inventory and knowing how many people are here in the first place. He's far too flighty for anything involving keeping track of things.

"They also took some of us who can fight. I imagine it'll be a challenge trying to get the supervisors back." Because that's going to happen. Strange knows that at least the nightrunners will be tossed into hell to try and go on a rescue mission...but what about the other members of the Carnival? He's spotted a few people here, like Tamaki and Jimmy, and some of them simply can't fight.

Arrogant shits are easier for Castiel to go along with because the better the barb, the more lost it is using on someone like Cas. But what Strange is offering him are solid facts when he hasn't gotten much out of others except for threats on if he touched Jimmy or hearing about the wounded. Until shown otherwise, he takes Strange at his word.

"New arrivals may not be willing to fight without knowing what they stand to lose or having a personal connection to others."

He doesn't fidget as he things, no nervous tic or habit. Humanity is a disguise he wears not is. It might console some that even if Castiel decided to pretend to be Jimmy that he would be found out quick.

"We will get them back. Vampires aren't immortal. They can be killed, and if what I've been told is true, these ones are like demons or are demons. They're easier." At least for an angel. "Thank you, Jonathan Strange. You've helped even if you don't agree with me on attempting to summon an angel. Prayer does work best. We hear even if we don't answer."

It isn't a subject he can easily let go, especially with Jimmy about. Who knows what Jimmy might have told the witch, er, magician?

"Of course I've helped," Strange remarks, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "There are people in danger, why wouldn't I help?"

He might not like, trust, or tolerate some people in the carnival, but all of that had to be put aside for the moment. People were in danger, people were kidnapped, he was going to try his best to find a way to get them out of there as fast as possible. Not just because he's a nightrunner and it's his job, blah blah blah. But Strange actually likes a few people in there. It would be terribly sad if any of them were to die.

He looks up from his basin for a moment, looking over Castiel. This conversation got off to a terribly rocky start and Strange still doesn't really like him, but that's no reason to withhold information that could save a life.

"These are more like demons than vampires. There are some aspects of the traditional lore they don't adhere to--setting them on fire only succeeded in, well, setting them on fire. In order to fully kill these vampires, destroy the heart."

"Witches do not where I come from."

That might be the closest Castiel can come to complimenting a magic-user. In time, he might be able to understand Strange, maybe trust him. Right now, he's a danger, one of the few who might figure out how to trap or counter Castiel. 'Caring' in a witch is a new aspect for Castiel to encounter.

The angel gazes back at Strange with open puzzlement on his face, struggling to match this with what he 'knows' to be true. Moving on to demons is a welcome turn of the conversation and leads to him becoming emotionless again. The sad part is that Castiel has no idea if someone likes him or not. He's too used to the Winchesters who blunted stated if they were angry with him over a matter.

"Fire or holy fire? In my world, I can touch demons and destroy them by filling them with holy fire or light. It would be helpful to know before I attempt to touch any of our people or trap them with me."

"Then it's a good thing I'm a magician, not a witch."

It's said with a smug little smile as Strange just laps up Castiel's confusion. Good. He's no idea what sort of expectation the angel had about magic users to begin with, but he's already so pleased that he's breaking them. Really, if all it takes to confuse the angel is Strange being a decent human being, then this should be fairly easy!

"I assume regular fire--I don't know if anyone here has the ability to summon holy fire in the first place." He certainly didn't, at least.

"Magicians usually pull rabbits out of hats with false bottoms or make balloon animals at children's birthday parties. You also do not have a scantily dressed female assistant to distract the crowds."

He looks left, right and then back to Strange to confirm for himself that no such 'assistant' existed. Nope. Not a one in sight. Decent humans? Well, Castiel hadn't gotten much of a chance to interact with them much.

"I can summon fire or light if we need it," he said thoughtfully, looking at Strange still but more through him than seeing him. "I hadn't considered either that the Ringmaster might have taken on the contracts of dark creatures or evil people. I could inadvertently hurt them." Not the best belated thought on Castiel's part. "I should have asked her when I had the chance. Are there many here of that sort?"

It's an old behaviour of Castiel's... ask questions and find out what he needs much like he would if he had taken possession of another meatsuit. Just without the horrible being taken over by an angel after-effects.

"Why would someone pull a rabbit out of a hat?" he asks, absolutely confused, momentarily distracted from the vampire problem. Surely there were more impressive ways to show off one's skills. Still, something like that should be fairly easy. A spell of concealment could easily hide the rabbit, or perhaps he could hide a mirror at the bottom of the hat and pull a rabbit out that way.

Strange is distracted for a moment, thinking about rabbits and hats and apparently ignoring the part about the false bottoms. Balloon animals would be easy though, he could easily cast a spell to make the balloon form an animal.

But oh, wait, Castiel's talking, time to pay more attention. "There's only a few people like that here, I believe." And he's not naming names. Carly had such a mixed relationship with her demon in the first place, he's not going to tell this boring angel about her.

"Really, the easiest thing to be would be to not summon fire around the carnival members in the first place."

"I don't know, but that is what they do. Nothing up their sleeve. They sometimes pull colourful scarves from their mouths or buttonholes too. It makes small children laugh."

Sorry, Strange, this is a case of the clueless leading the, uh, real magician on. He shakes his head with a small shrug showing his own lack of understanding why humans do the things they do. If a witch like Strange can't explain it, neither can he.

With how he thinks, multiple tracks of thought aren't unusual with Castiel. He's used to Dean or Sam making him focus on just one instead of jumping all over the place in a single conversation. For as long as Strange (or others) let him do it, he'll keep doing it. Sarcasm zooms over his head with a sonic boom.

"I hadn't planned on summoning fire or light without reason." But 'reason' to an angel and the average person could be two different things. "But -"

He cuts himself off there and shakes his head. It isn't something to discuss with a witch. For what isn't the first time, he misses the Winchesters. Them he could ask.

"Good luck with your tracking."

Castiel's multiple tracks of thought are a perfect fit to Strange's multiple tracks of thought. Ever since his madness, he's found it hard to think straight. He follows Castiel's scattered conversations with ease.

"We'll need to talk more about your world's magicians later," he mutters, seemingly forgetting the fact that this whole conversation started with Strange threatening Castiel. What possible use could a colorful scarf be?

At that 'but', Strange raises an eyebrow, as if expecting more story. When he realizes he isn't getting more story to begin with, he sighs and frowns. Well fine he supposes he can wait. He'll just poke around later.

"Thank you," Strange responds, with a nod. "Good luck with...well, whatever it is you'll be doing to help."

They do often say in Castiel's world that the mad are closer to the divine than the average person. Maybe Strange has a leg up of sorts in that area.

"I would like that." He thinks. One of the reasons he's never stayed long with the Carnival is that he's not good with humans. It took a long time for him and the Winchesters to come to an understanding. "You as well, Jonathan Strange."

He's there and then not, only a distant wingflap sound marking his departure. Can't just use a door like a normal person.

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HELL OF A HANGOVER PT. 1

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