HELL OF A HANGOVER PT. 1

[ringleaders]

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.

Comments

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy nods, giving Strange's words the gravity they deserve. "And things like 'self-defense' and 'protecting others' only go so far." The shaking hands get noticed and Jimmy goes to get Strange the fixings for a cup of tea. A mug of hot water, tea bag (herbal), and the basket of creamer and sugar packets. Even if Strange doesn't drink it, he's got it to fidget with.

"I can't say that I know what that's like, and I'm not going to insult you by trying. But if you want to talk, I'm always available to listen." It's not much. Strange is his friend, though, and if Jimmy can help, he will.

[kingsroads]

They're noticed by Jimmy but not by Strange. He's staring off into seemingly nothing as he talks, thinking things over as Strange's hands continue to tremble.

"After all, surely the vampires were human once. Does it still count as murder if you kill something that once was human? And considering that we once were human as well, how would that enter into it?" Strange snaps back to reality as he looks over his hand, looking at his claws as well as the fish scales that dot the back of his hands, that he knows are scattered on his neck as well. Was it even worthwhile thinking he was still human to begin with, as changed with faerie magic as they all were?

"There's no simple answers with any of this." And Strange kind of hates it.

[empty_vessel]

"I'm not a trained professional by any stretch of the imagination, but I think the fact that it is still bothering you is a good sign. That even if it's anyone's guess whether or not you're still physically human, and let's be honest, you're flipping a coin for a lot of people in here at this point." His hands come up a little to forestall the response from Strange.

"I think yeah, it's iffy on if anyone that's been here long enough is still human. But I think that since this is still disturbing you so badly, and that the potential of having to do it again in the future upsets you as well, that your essential humanity remains and in the long run, that might be more important."

[kingsroads]

Strange opens his mouth, as if to say something, but Jimmy's hands hush him up. Frowning slightly, he listens. Jimmy does have a point, both with regards to how human (or not human) some members of the carnival are and of how his essential humanity is most likely still intact. After all, he didn't think of himself as fae. He thought of himself as Jonathan Strange, English magician.

"I suppose with the vampires, since they've given up all semblance on being human and want to make others like themselves, you could argue that their essential humanity has long since vanished." Maybe. He hopes. That sounds like a wonderful justification at least and Strange might be clinging onto it for a bit for hope and support.

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy nods. "I think that's a big part of it. You'd have to get the finer points of how it actually works from somebody else. But when you stop seeing them as people and start seeing them as targets then it takes something from you too."

"Just keep in mind that I've only been in an actual fight twice, and one of those was almost my first death, so I obviously didn't do very well." He smiles, trying to lighten the mood a little, before continuing. "But I'd start with the idea of not getting to comfortable with the idea of killing someone, and then see if the other Nightriders have any other suggestions." It's underwhelming, as far as advice goes, but Jimmy's never going to see the kind of fighting that Strange will. Not willingly, anyway.

[kingsroads]

"The problem with that is a few of the other Nightriders are far too comfortable with killing already." It's said with a small smile, Strange trying to hide the fact that he's not too sure what to think about that. After all, Lambert was a witcher. And he handled himself expertly in the masquerade, killing those creatures without a thought.

Of course, the duties of a witcher were different than the duties of an English magician. But still...it's something to ponder.

"I suppose I'll have to see if some of the other Nightriders have any suggestions."

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy winces, wishing he could be of more help to Strange. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." He'd rather refrain from giving bad advice and getting someone hurt, than weigh in on something he's got zero successful experience with.

"The lessons. When would you want to start?" With as enthusiastic as Strange was, there's no way that he could possibly forget, and it doubles as a lovely topic change! "Maybe I could show you how to cook in exchange?"

[kingsroads]

Oh thank God, let's swap the conversation back to magic. This is obviously more up Strange's alley as shown by him relaxing the moment Jimmy mentions the lessons.

"Obviously after the inevitable mission to hell," Strange responds, with a nod. And really, depending on how badly things go, they might need a few days after that for rest and recovery. Strange isn't so sure, something which really annoys him the more he thinks about it.

"I've written down a spell for you to start off with—a spell to see what my enemy is doing." Which, at least in Strange's mind, he automatically assumes that Castiel counts as Jimmy's enemy. "We'll start with that and, once you've perfected it, work our way up to a more general scrying spell. The spell itself is back in my trailer. I'm afraid you'll have to find the components on your own—don't worry, though. It's simply a a mirror and something dead. Dried flowers will suffice. As for your other question, I would like to learn how to cook."

He had servants back home so they generally took care of everything. But the idea of surprising Arabella with a home-cooked meal sounds...nice. It certainly sounds like something he would want to do, at least.

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy nods. "That shouldn't be too hard to find, no. Although... Is there a necessary size I would need? Beyond the obvious 'big enough to see through and get a good picture', I mean. And if I can't find a mirror, would the basin of water work, or is that the more advanced spell?" Yes, he's already running through the map of where the pans are and which one he could make off with, with minimal chances of it getting noticed.

"With the cooking lessons, I have to warn you that I'm pretty hopeless at baking. I follow the recipes, get the ingredients just right, and nothing. It doesn't come together, it doesn't rise... About the most I can manage successfully is the premade stuff they sell at the store. But the basics of chopping, frying, stuff like that? That, I can show you, and I can always ask for advice from the rest of the staff for things that I don't know." But he kind of suspects that Strange will mostly want quick and easy for meals between projects.

[kingsroads]

"Small enough to carry, large enough to see through. And the basin of water is for a more advanced spell--it's used for more general scrying than this spell."

Though really, one could probably use the basin in the spell in the first place. After all, mostly what mattered is the reflective surface. Strange's thoughts just trail off into somewhere different and magical theory for a few moments before oh, right, Jimmy's talking about cooking, best to pay attention, and he snaps back to attention like someone who's just realized he's been daydreaming.

"I don't have much of a sweet tooth so any other basics that aren't baking sounds wonderful." Jimmy is one hundred percent right on that guess. Even if he learns all the ins and outs of cooking, the probability that he'll stick to something quick and fast is pretty darn likely.

[empty_vessel]

Jimmy has to think about that one. Not where to get the supplies, but can he borrow them if he has to, without them being noticed for a while. "I think I can find a mirror, yeah. Or just see if the one in the bathroom pops off the wall. The flowers should be...." He stops and looks back towards the pantry. "Can probably use some extra herbs from here too."

"That sounds fine, then. And we'll start with something simple for cooking lessons too, say.... grilled cheese sandwiches." Simple to make, hard to screw up, and they can always upgrade with more fixings.

[kingsroads]

"If not, I'm certain you can ask one of the supervisors for one." He's not entirely sure whether finding a mirror would fall under Psionic's foreman keep the carnival running duties or Joker's stage manager find things to keep an act going duties. Still, at least one of them should be able to help.

And it's one hundred percent obvious from Strange's smile that he really likes the idea of learning how to cook grilled cheese sandwiches. They were something he didn't really eat much of in London, but since arriving at the carnival, he's spent a good chunk of time wondering why he didn't eat much of them in London. They're friggen delicious.

"That sounds like a perfect place to start!"

[empty_vessel]

"It sounds like a plan, then. Is there food you don't like? Besides sweets, I mean. Allergies? Dietary restrictions? I'd rather not plan on making grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon and find out that you keep kosher. Jimmy smiles, preferring to err on the side of caution. "I'm guessing no, but I'd much rather ask and find out before we get going."

"And with the spell, should I have a go at it as an independent study, and come to you if I have any questions or accidentally set something on fire?" Not that Jimmy expects the latter, but his luck isn't the best. "And probably run over in a joyous rush if I figure it out?"

[kingsroads]

"Not really," he answers, with a shrug. "I do like eggs, though, both scrambled and boiled." He gives a little nod towards the half-eaten and probably slightly cold by now plate of scrambled eggs. Those were pretty darn good, at least in Strange's opinion.

With the spell though...he frowns, thinking. What would be best for Jimmy? "Well, I imagine you'll have to partly take independent study no matter what." After all, there would be times when either or both of them were busy and couldn't help out the other. "But what if we agreed on a time and place for regular meetings? That way you could practice, I could critique, and then we could talk about magic in general."

Because sure, Jimmy could do this just as an independent study...but Strange really liked the idea of just talking about magic with someone. He wasn't going to let this opportunity slide.

[empty_vessel]

"Sounds good to me. Magic critique, cooking lesson, and then we finish with magical theory and lunch? Or dinner, as well. I'm flexible." At this point, Jimmy might need to get a day planner again. Shifts, not-therapy lunches with Sherlock, and now magical theory and cooking lessons with Strange.

It's amazing.

"Say.... three days for me to bang away at the spell, plan out a lunch option, and come back with a notebook full of questions?"

[kingsroads]

"That works for me! I'll try to remember that three days from now."

The key word here is try. Strange knows that his memory's absolutely awful on the best days, he's probably going to end up with the equivalent of post-it notes all over his trailer reminding him of when his meetings with Jimmy are.

"We should meet and practice at the big top. It's one of the more..." There's a pause because how best to say this. "...magic resistant areas of the carnival. I doubt anything will go wrong in the first place but if something does, better there than out in the woods."

[empty_vessel]

"Makes sense, that way if something goes wrong it's not a trailer going up in flames." Jimmy has no idea how scrying would make something catch on fire, but better safe than sorry. "And I'll have time to write up a list of notes about how I get this to work."

"... Should I remind you in two days?"

[kingsroads]

"I'll try to remember," Strange can't help but add, as he makes an absolutely futile attempt to defend himself. "But honestly, remind me is probably for the best. I'm certain that once this place settles down into something resembling routine I'll remember, but as it is?"

Strange idly gestures to seemingly nothing, but what he's trying to point out is the post-vampires chaos. As it is, it's a little bit chaotic.

[empty_vessel]

"Absolutely. I'll come find you when everything has settled down to the usual level chaos instead of the spikes we're having right now." Easy for something scheduled for three days from now to slip your mind when the entire Carnival goes to hell (again?) in six hours.

"See you then?"

aaaand that's a wrap?

[kingsroads]

"I'll see you then," said with a smile and a nod.

Except they won't because hell. Whoops! Still, Strange is treating all this like it's perfectly fine, no problem, no need to worry about hell in the slightest. They'll fight that battle when they get there.