lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 3

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 3

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 15st - 22th, 2017
Where: Still in Portland
What: As all sides of the struggle gradually become informed, and the awareness of outsiders begins to spread, Portland faces a critical question - what should be done with them? And who gets to decide?
Warnings: Individually marked!

THE WOLVES AMONG US↴

► WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS: It's fairly common knowledge that October is a special month - Halloween has always been an excitable time in the supernatural community, because its during this month that the magical energies of Earth seem to disproportionately swell in power. This peeks on the 31st, and has every year for as long as anyone can remember. The holiday of Halloween is a byproduct of this, because the magical phenomenon has gone on for ages past. It's also a pretty common time for wizards to attempt bullshit shenanigans, and also when the Severing first came into effect.

► TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: Towards the end of the week, Prudence Jaeger will be asking her angelic contacts for a pretty huge favour - she wants them to help her and some of her associates break into the Circle stronghold that the visiting Council members are staying at. It seems that they have some kind of macguffin item that will be needed to crack the barrier cutting off the Earth from the cosmos - and, to that end, allow the angels and mysterious outsiders to return to wherever they call home.

► THE PATH TO HELL: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Team Heaven isn't the only group to clue into the fact that the Circle has what they need. On the same night that the angels go in, so will Anath's army, as the arch demon finally arrives in the city just in time to join the party. Whether the angels and demons fight each other all the way or cooperate to achieve a mutual goal is up to them.

► WITH GOOD INTENTIONS: The Circle and Torchlight aren't all bad, okay? It's entirely possible that they are just acting in the best interest of humanity - unfortunately, that has resulted in them being pretty massive pricks recently, and now the payback for that is arriving on their doorstep. If you're a member of the Circle, you may or may not realize that anything is coming in time for you to prepare. (That will depend on your threads up to the end of the week.) However, once the fight starts, you'll be charge with defending the Councillors whether you like it or not, and Torchlight is getting pulled in as an unexpected ally to ensure their safety as well. Are you going to heed their call? Or is it time to split from the pack?

► BLOOD OF ICE AND FIRE: It's been made no secret that the Rose Queen isn't the only fae trying to pull back her lost changelings - now the Winter Court appears to be doing it, as well. More than a handful of changelings have gone missing over the last couple weeks, lost to both the thorns and agents of the Count. Whatever they're doing, it's also in competition with each other - Winter and Summer will be biting at each other's heels far more than normal, to the degree that it becomes clear they must have some competing objective in mind. Unfortunately for everyone else, that objective happens to conflict with the desires of just about everyone else. Fae are, by nature, opportunists.

- ✪ -
These are the major conflicts that will be coming to a head towards the end of Week 3. In the meantime, your actions will decide how certain elements are set up, and what the likelihood of success is for each group.

Dice rolling handily won the opinion poll where we asked for the preferred method of conflict resolution, so that will be coming into effect a bit later on to determine who actually wins and loses, with advantages based on the choices made.

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"Of a sort." And because this is Strange, he's taking this far too officious and being a little bit of a drama queen about it. He crosses his arms over his chest as he leans against the counter and starts talking.

"I rescind the order to provide a report on what Amanda is doing. Instead, I order you not to go near her or talk to her unless circumstances must." Absolutely petty? Yep. Does Strange care? Not in the slightest. "I rescind the ban on leading me to the Rose Queen's domain. If you wish, you can take me there, introduce us, and so on and so on. Likewise, I rescind the order to provide a report on what the Rose Queen is doing.

After all," and here his smirk gets downright nasty, "there's no need for you to spy on her anymore. Not when we're on the same team."

That much was expected. Overall, Amanda would be better off without him around and especially without him reporting everything she does back to her deranged ex. The rest, however... That, that earns Strange a moment of confusion from the changeling. Childermass frowns, brow furrowing.

"We're not on the same—" He stops there, abruptly shutting up, a memory of his conversation with Lambert rearing its ugly head. If Strange had already made a deal with something rather than still seeking to, if power outside the circle was his goal. Childermass pushes away from the counter, standing up straight, arms falling stiffly to his sides as he turns sharply towards the mage. "What have you done?"

It's odd. Most of Strange delights in seeing Childermass squirm, to see him so thrown out of his element. He still hasn't decided how he's going to punish the changeling for his role in that whole cat nonsense, but seeing him so uncomfortable is a beautiful start. And yet, there's a little voice in the back of his brain, a little feeling in the pit of his stomach that just feels awful at how much pleasure he's taking from this. The changeling deserves better.

Still, Strange looks far too smug as he continues talking. "I've made an alliance with the Summer Court. Together, the Rose Queen and I are going to set this world right."

Or, at least, the Rose Queen's going to break the Severing and set the world right while Strange desperately tries his hardest to be even remotely useful. Still, wouldn't be Jonathan Strange without a healthy dose of arrogance with regards to his abilities.

"You idiot," Childermass snaps, going from startled to angry by the time Strange finishes talking. He advances on the mage, though that takes all of two steps, in all honesty, and makes to grab him by his shirt, yet again, because, of course, they're going through this again.

"No one makes an alliance with the Summer Court. They don't even understand the word! Does she even know about you? Then who is this N you keep writing about?"

Second verse, same as the first. By the time Strange realizes Childermass is going to grab him by the shirt, the changeling's already there and Strange is pinned between the changeling and the counter. All he can really do now is glower at Childermass and feebly try to defend himself.

"Her name is Nightshade. I summoned her at the start of the month when we made our first agreement--and that is all it was, an agreement. Changelings might not make alliances with the Summer Court but they're perfectly content allying with mages. I only offered my full support a couple of days ago."

It doesn't count as betraying someone if you're talking about it with someone who also works for the court, right? Hopefully? "And honestly, considering that you also sought out an alliance with the Rose Queen, I don't think you can throw stones in the first place!"

"Nightshade," Childermass repeats, tone flat. Of course. That makes sense. His expression twists viciously, but he doesn't do anything to Strange apart from shoving him against the counter as he releases the mage's shirt. Then he's whirling away, stomping off a few steps before turning around again and waving a hand towards the jars of poison.

"Now I see why you've gotten it in your empty head to slowly kill yourself," he snaps. "Nightshade, of all the—" Though he supposes it doesn't matter. They're all terrible. "At best she's telling the other fae she's found an absolutely gullible mage to sucker. You think what I have with their court and their queen is an alliance? I bargained for a hiding place, Strange! For protection! She only keeps me around because it pisses the Count off!"

Edited 2017-07-21 04:44 (UTC)

"If I wanted to kill myself, I'd already be dead," Strange snaps, gripping the counter tight. Because that's true. There's enough plants here to kill someone and it's apparent that Strange, for all his crazy, has been taking them in diluted doses.

He's not moving because he can already feel a pain in his stomach starting up. If he moves, the likelihood that he'll double over is fairly likely...and he is not showing weakness. Not now. "I'm doing this for another reason entirely."

"You say that, but you look bad enough to already have one foot in the grave," Childermass refutes his claim. Just because he isn't dead yet doesn't mean he isn't being pushed that way. Why the hell does he even care? Wouldn't it be easier that way, if he died?

"But go on, then. Humor me. What's this other reason of yours?"

And this is when Strange realizes that if he tells Childermass his actual reason, the man will think he's a downright lunatic. Don't mind me, I've just been poisoning myself in an attempt to go crazy because that's what the me of my memories is doing and redoing his mistakes has proven to be an awesome way to regain some of his memories.

...fuck it, things can't get any weirder, might as well tell him the truth. And he can't come up with any good explanations off the top of his head (and doesn't really want to come up with any good explanations to begin with.)

"I'm trying to become mad. The thought's been plaguing me even before I met Nightshade, since the start of the month."

Why does this not surprise him? It's almost as though he expected this, a moment of serious deja vu overcoming Childermass for a moment there. As such, he only stares at first, giving Strange the look he likely anticipated, like he's a lunatic, which, franky—

"Then you're already there," he finally says, "You were always a terrible man," which doesn't sound right, something making that difficult to say to the mage, "And now you're an insane one, too, and for what? You're miserable."

"That may be," Strange admits. Because there's no hiding just how miserable and how angry he was when he saw Childermass with Amanda. There's not even a point to try and argue that he's happy when it's so obvious he isn't.

"But now I have access to more knowledge and soon more power than I'd have ever dreamed of. It's worth it."

He hopes. Going mad, repeating the actions that the English magician took have certainly unlocked more memories, but nothing yet's unlocked just how the other Jonathan Strange does the magic. It's no use to remember traveling though mirrors and turning people into cats if you have no idea how to do it in the first place.

"And what is that supposed to mean? Just what did that nasty creature promise you?"

More knowledge, something he'd gained from Nightshade? But how does that link into having more power? The notes mentioned the Severing, but Childermass can't imagine how the mage might connect undoing that to more power. It's not as though the courts would bestow a kingdom or something on him for helping them with that.

How on Earth is he going to explain this? Oh, she simply told me that I'm not from this world which led to the memories of this magician rattling around my head and oh by the way, he's probably from the fucking 1800s and also downright insane.

"She didn't promise me anything. She simply showed me the truth and showed me my potential." Strange pauses for a moment, mulling things over, looking at Childermass with a frown. There's another Jonathan Strange and another Yuya...it would be just his luck if there was another Childermass.

"Tell me," Strange asks, seemingly out of nowhere, hoping that the madness will cover for this seemingly random question, "have you ever been to England?"

There are about a hundred scathing things Childermass could say about Jonathan Strange and his "potential". Thankfully, what he asks next is out of left field enough that it derails any rudeness for the moment. Instead, he'll settle on giving Strange yet another 'are you crazy' look (the answer is yes, but for good measure) before saying—

"Of course I have," which isn't what he actually meant to say, but now that he is? The rest spills out as if it should all be obvious. "Proper England, none of that southern nonsense like London."

Because suddenly London seems like a terrible place and even the name itself is said with such disdain, though he can't even recall visiting it. He pauses after saying all that, brow furrowing in confusion and his gaze darting away from the mage, off to a corner as he thinks. When did he... ever...?

Strange just laughs, a short little unhinged laugh of triumph over anything mean or spiteful. He knew it! This would make things so much easier if Childermass had the same memory problems and it turns out that (slightly) he does!

"That is the reason why I've been doing all this. Because I'm simultaneously from Portland and from Shropshire and I'm simultaneously part of a large magical organization or one of a handful of magical practitioners period. I want to find out why."

Which still explains nothing. But, based on how smug and triumphant Strange seems, it's an explanation that makes sense in his mind. All of his actions have been to help explain the memory problem, to learn more about the other Jonathan Strange and, most importantly, learn precisely what he could do.

"Good god, your madness must be contagious," Childermass grumbles, preferring to opt for blaming Strange over actually worrying about whether or not he truly has been to England. All over it, in fact, only no, that isn't right! He shakes his head and turns away, looking back towards the door and contemplating just making with another disappearing act.

It'd be quick and easy, preferably done before Strange can actually do anything about it, only he did come here for a reason. Several, now that the mage has revealed his alliance. As such, he turns back, though the disdainful look he wears hardly changes.

"Even if it's true, you still shouldn't trust Nightshade. Any of the true fae, at that. They only make a deal if they think they have the upper hand and with you, I'm sure that's as easy as taking candy from a baby."

"Nightshade's done nothing but tell me the truth," Strange explains, a scowl on his face. "Which is more than any other people here have done."

The venom in his voice is apparent: he's angry at the Circle, angry at the changeling, angry at everybody else for keeping needless secrets from him despite the fact that Strange has been keeping needless secrets from everybody since the month started. Yes, he shouldn't trust her. Yes, Nightshade was a fae and her kind were dangerous and power-hungry. But he could live with that, as long as he learned things.

"Besides, I'm sure you'd be happy if something happened to me. After all, that'd be one less master for you to worry about--and you've got too many of them already, bird." Strange, the Rose Queen, hell even the Count of Crows, though he knows Childermass won't admit it.

"Out of all of them, you are the one I would least wish to see dead," Childermass says truthfully enough, though he still doesn't sound all too pleased. In the end, Strange can be dealt with. He's mortal. The Count and the Queen, however, are far worse, far, far worse.

But his wrongful assumptions about the true fae rub him such a wrong way, then he'll continue to insist, "And that's the thing about them. They won't lie to you. They don't need to. They'll tell you whatever you want to know, but then ask for something in return."

He steps forward again, one step, two, three, closing the distance between himself and the mage again. This time, it's to jab a finger into the ill man's chest, viciously.

"Keep this up and you won't be able to talk shit about changelings much longer. You'll be one."

Strange still tries to remain calm and smug, trying to seem like he has the slightest idea about what he's doing when in reality he does not have a goddamn clue in the slightest what he's doing. So, he lets Childermass get all up in his space and just glares at the changeling

"I know what I'm doing," Strange hisses, with a scowl. "And as for the changeling point, that's not going to happen. Has it even occurred to you that the Summer Court might have use for a human ally?"

He won't be a changeling, he'll just be brainwashed, totally different things, gosh Childermass.

"And has it occurred to you that simply spending so much time near a true fae is what causes the change to begin?" Childermass counters just as viciously, treating Strange like he's just as stupid as Strange seems to think the changeling is. "You'll be useful until you change too much, then I'm sure she'll find a lovely cage to stick you in for laughs."

To be fair, brainwashed can be reversed. Strange will be lucky to get out of here without poisonous plants sprouting from his hair.

"That won't happen to me." It's an absolutely lame answer, especially considering that it could happen in the first place. He can't remember the source, but Strange knows he's read something of people changing the more time they spend in the land of faerie, their bodies adapting and changing to fit the surroundings, gaining things like feathers and scales, someone's eyes turning into mirrors.

But that just straight up hadn't occurred to Strange until Childermass pointed it out. He was far too arrogant to think otherwise.

"But if it does, then I'll simply have to prove my use in other ways. I've more spells in my arsenal than you realize, changeling."

There's something grating about that. How often he used to go on about how changelings were lesser creatures, not worth more than to be used as tools, and now here he is saying he'll just make do if it happens to him. Good god, man...

"Doesn't matter," Childermass drawls on, grimly mocking in his tone. He leans in even closer until they're actually nose to nose. "Only takes one slip up, then she'll realize she clearly hasn't improved on you enough yet. Might put you away somewhere in her realm for a few weeks, maybe a year, maybe ten, until she thinks you're worth letting loose again. You've said it before, Mr. Strange. Changelings aren't people. Why would she treat you like one, even with all the magic in the world?"

All of Strange's justifications are melting away thanks to Childermass's cold logic. Because he's right. These are the fae they're talking about, beings of wonderful power who could easily drop him at a moment's notice. He's certainly useful: he knows he is. And he'll prove it to the Summer Court no matter what.

"I--" And then Strange cuts himself off, glaring at Childermass. He's the one in charge. If he doesn't want to have this conversation, then he won't have this conversation. "I certainly don't need to justify myself to you. And if you had any sense, you wouldn't be challenging me to begin with. Remember: you're under my thrall. And I haven't decided how best to punish you for that cat nonsense."

Edited 2017-07-31 02:44 (UTC)

At that, he holds still, standing all up in Strange's personal space a breath or two longer, and then he finally relents and takes a step back. As he does, he scoffs, as if finding the threat of potential punishment a joke.

"Oh, I remember," he agrees all too bitterly. He knows Strange has power over him, but it isn't like the Rose Queen or the Count. It's different. This poor man isn't the least bit intimidating and he'll make that much clear. "I just don't care. Any punishment you hand out to be can't be too terrible or it'll limit what you can use me for."

He's right. Damn it all, Strange knows that the changeling is right. What could he do? If he hurt the man in any way, shape or form then congratulations, he's out one servant. Strange didn't know of any friends he had or any family that Childermass actually liked that he could use to punish him with. (It doesn't occur to Strange that Childermass and Lambert at least know each other slightly well, he could do something with that. Probably for the best.)

But at the same time, there's really no way he's going to let that bird get away with this. He just doesn't know how.

Strange storms away back to the kitchen, bright red with embarrassment and anger. He snatches a piece of paper off the fridge and offers it to Childermass. Before he can say what it is, though, Strange just falls into a coughing fit because oh yeah, things like that happen when you're an idiot who poisons themselves.

The piece of paper in question is the most anal-retentive and needlessly descriptive grocery list in the history of creation.

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atouts - 2017-08-03 01:37 (UTC) - Expand

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⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 3

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and then i realized oh it is my turn

lmao, no worries

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