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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Of course I do. The Severing was cast to cut off the realms of heaven, hell, and faerie and prevent more angels, demons, and fae from walking the earth." However, the way Strange says that, it's like someone reciting company maxim. He knows that's what everybody says so it must be true, but honestly? Strange has no idea if it's true to begin with.

But the fact that Lambert's asking so many questions about this is interesting. Obviously Lambert knew Childermass, so it's possible the two had talked about this but, having zero clue that Lambert's got weird memories as well, Strange has absolutely no context for his questions. "Why do you care so much about the Severing in the first place?"

"I don't," is Lambert's immediate, flat answer. It's honest too, for what that's worth. "Up until a few days ago, I didn't even know what it was called. But you care, and you're the one who said it might be related to the dreams and memory problems I've been having."

'Said' is a strong word for 'dropped a fuck ton of notes on my foot and meowed' but he'd at least taken Strange's implication that it was relevant seriously, and followed that information as far as it could take him. And what he's found out so far is exceptionally shitty. Strange isn't the only one who's been having memories that aren't his own, but the idea of having that much in common with him rankles.

"You didn't answer my first question. How do you know it's going to work? Or are you just guessing?"

"I know it's going to work because my..." Hmm. What is Nightshade to him? "My patron believes it will work. At least on this matter, I trust her judgement. Besides, all magic comes with a sense of risk."

He doesn't trust Nightshade entirely. She's a fae, why would he, faeries are naturally tricky and duplicitous. But he trusts her with regard to the Severing. After all, why wouldn't she want to go home?

And, at least with regards to Strange, he's viewing this exchange as a back and forth between asking questions, ergo it's his turn. He removes his hand from his nose and crosses them over his chest as he looks up at Lambert.

"Tell me about your memories."

"I'm the one asking questions," Lambert answers, casually flexing his wrist and examining his fist like he's gauging exactly how much effort it would take to punch Strange out again, just because he can. Don't push him, buddy.

"You first. How did you figure out that you had a 'weird soul' in the first place? What do you remember that doesn't add up?"

Jesus Christ, is he going to get punched again?! Strange's eyes widen as Lambert looks at his fist. It's not cowardice, it's self-preservation, he tells himself as he straightens his posture, tries to regain his composure, and starts talking.

"To answer your first question, through magic." There's an unspoken 'you idiot', but it's plainly evident in Strange's tone. "The spell was cast, my soul was examined, the anomalies were discovered." It's all deliberately vague and Strange knows that Lambert's going to try and press some more.

"As for your second question, I have memories of an English magician, a different Jonathan Strange, though I don't know if I'm him or he's me. He's got power far greater than my own and uses magic that I couldn't understand to begin with. Scenarios and events flit in and out of my head like...like birds through trees, but I at least have the basics: he's a mad magician who lost his wife, a friendship, and his sanity and he's come to the carnival to try and regain at least one of those."

Now hang on. Strange can't help but frown as he mentions the carnival. He knew that was a thing--Yuya had memories of the carnival after all. But until he actually said the words, Strange hadn't connected the dots that the English magician worked for the carnival as well.

There's no hiding the reaction: Lambert cringes at the mere mention of souls being examined, given that it comes with a particularly visceral recent memory, but he shakes it off quickly enough. And he would follow up on that whole 'hey wait so did you get part of your soul sucked out of you and spat back in by a fae too' in favor of focusing on what Strange says next.

"The carnival?" The way he's searching Strange's face, though -- it's not someone looking for new answers. Just someone trying to confirm something he's already heard.

Twice is a coincidence. Three's a trend.

"What carnival is that?"

You bet Strange noticed that reaction and filed it away. He didn't even describe what the spell to examine one's soul entailed. Why did Lambert look so disgusted?

However, the mysterious carnival is the new topic of discussion. This is the most confused Strange has ever been since they first started the conversation. Because he hasn't been to any carnivals since he was a kid. And yet, he--no, not he, the other Jonathan Strange who may or may not be him. And yet the other Jonathan Strange apparently worked at a carnival. Not only that, a carnival which he couldn't remember the bloody name of.

"You know. The carnival. The one with..." With what? Why can't he think of any attractions or any other workers or any hint of a name that the carnival has? Strange trails off, at a loss for words, not even bothering to try and explain this thing that he does know and yet doesn't know in the slightest. He closes his eyes for a moment, massaging his temples as he tries to think further, tries to remember more. Damn, if only he had his tonic, that could at least help a bit. "I think he works there. He's a magician and has that other job, the one that sounds fake...night ranger or something like that."

"A nightrunner," Lambert finishes. He doesn't look happy about being able to fill in that puzzle piece for Strange -- if anything, he's only angrier and more frustrated. "Working for the Nightrider."

Though he doesn't rub his own temples (for now) he can sympathize with the motion, at least. Though Strange will get what he asked for to begin with, as Lambert will now take the opportunity to provide his own exposition.

"Your memories of ... someone else you used to be are connected to the carnival. So are mine." He pauses, regarding him with reluctance and obvious lack of trust.

"Did you know the Severing was supposed to keep this world from being destroyed?"

"That's it!" Strange exclaims, with a tone of relief...which is then replaced with one of confusion. Lambert knows about nightrunners. How on earth is that possible? It's not like it's an actual word...but then his question gets answered a moment later when Lambert mentions that his muddled memories are connected with the carnival as well. Which one, jesus fuck he was like the fifth person with weird memories? This is getting a bit ridiculous. And two, this means that he and Lambert are more connected than either of them realized, if they shared the same memory connection.

Well, points to the tarot cards! Strange can't help but feel a little bit of smugness because hah, he (sort of) knew this, that's a perfectly good reason to feel far too good about himself. But then, Lambert drops another confusing bombshell.

"That's ridiculous," he scoffs, with a roll of his eyes. "Who'd want to destroy this world in the first place?"

"Arcadia," Lambert answers, grimly. He's dead serious about it, too, despite the fact that he's got nothing more to go on than the sly word of a faerie but -- well, if he takes the stories at face value, the Fair Folk can't tell a lie. He knows that word isn't going to mean a damn thing to Strange -- it means nothing to him, either -- so he won't leave it at that, going on after only a brief pause.

"Apparently, the Faerie courts came here to..." What was it the Beast had called it? "... colonize it, for lack of a better word. Remake it into something they wanted, even if it meant getting rid of all the pieces they didn't." Another pause, and a grimace at the words as they come out of his own mouth. It really does sound like the plot of a terrible sci-fi B-movie, but Lambert shoulders on regardless, with the grim air of a man who can hardly believe what he's saying, but here they are anyway.

"I don't know how the Severing was cast," and neither does Strange, from the looks of his notes. "But I know that's what they came up with to stop it." With the unfortunate side-effect of probably killing this world anyway, although he's not going to say that quite yet, wanting to gauge Strange's reaction to see if he knew any of this beforehand.

Edited (holy exposition batman) 2017-07-23 05:54 (UTC)

Oddly enough, the word actually means a little bit of a damn thing to Strange. Arcadia. A word that brings up the image of snow, the feeling of guilt, and the action of writing a letter, but nothing concrete. So it probably comes as a surprise to Lambert that Strange's expression isn't one of staring blankly but mild confusion. He knows that word...doesn't he?

What he doesn't know anything about is the idea of faerie courts coming to remake the world into something they wanted--and frankly, Strange doesn't believe that part in the first place. Ridiculous. The fae didn't work that way, not in Portland, and not in England. Why would they want to take this realm if they already had one of their own?

"Who told you this information?" Strange asks, in a slightly derisive tone of voice. Because, at least to him, they obviously didn't know what they were talking about...which made the fact that they were telling Lambert 'rando human' Wolfe this info all the more curious. It may be bunk in his eyes, but this certainly isn't be bunk in someone else's.

"One of the True Fae," Lambert answers, with a shrug. At this point, it's not much of a secret, so might as well be out with it. Besides, Strange already read its fortune before; it doesn't get more intimate than that. "The Beast."

Strange's tone of voice, prickly and disdainful as it is, tells Lambert clearly enough that his words aren't believed, for all there'd been that brief flicker of confusion that gave him a twinge of hope before. In spite of that, Lambert lifts his chin and holds his ground, gaze steady.

"If you don't want to take my word for it, I'm sure you've got your own ways of verifying what I've just told you. But--" He shrugs again, affecting carelessness that he doesn't at all feel. "Faeries can bend the truth, but they can't actually lie. There's something in there that's true."

The Beast again. There was something familiar about that name when he first heard it, but now that he has more of his memories back, he's able to pinpoint exactly where he's heard it. So Strange just grins, a purely shithead 'I know something you don't know' sort of grin.

"I wouldn't take her words too seriously. The Beast is just as confused as we are with regards to all of this--and that's before you take her reading into account."

The word 'this' is accompanied by a vague hand gesture. If Strange remembered the Beast aka the Ringmaster from the carnival, then the likelihood that she's experiencing memory nonsense as well is preeetty high. After all, that damn carnival's the running thread in all of this.

Strange really is a pain in the ass, Lambert reflects.

"Yeah?" he asks, dryly. "And how would you know that, given you didn't seem to know jack shit about her the last time we talked?"

Not counting the cat cafe disaster, anyway.

Strange is such a pain in the ass. It really is amazing how smug a sickly man who just got punched not ten minutes ago can look because hot damn, does Strange look so amazingly smug.

"Because as the month's gone on, more memories have been coming back. I barely knew anything about the English magician at the start of the month but now I've got a vague outline of his life. I imagine it's the same with you as well."

After all, the Lambert who effortlessly murdered a changeling seemed radically different from the Lambert who kept yelling at him for dogearing the pages in library books.

Lambert's memories aren't nearly so well-formed -- most of what he recalls is sensation more than concrete events, an impression of blood and violence and rarer, quieter moments that seem to belong to another life entirely.

Hell if he's letting Strange know that, though.

"Something like that," Lambert says, reining in the urge to punch him in the face again -- though how long that lasts, who knows. In any case, he squares his shoulders and squints at Strange.

"... How much do you actually know about the Severing?" he asks, finally. "Do you know what's powering it?"

How much does he know about the Severing? Absolutely nothing. Still, Strange isn't going to tell Lambert that much. The fact that he doesn't know anything pisses him off something tremendously, especially since he's trying to seem like Mr. Hotshot Mage who's on top of everything and certainly isn't floundering as much as everybody else.

So, he's going to take a guess. "I assume it's powered by the strength of the mages and the Circle's collective magical will."

Swing and a miss.

"I think," Lambert says loudly, like Strange's answer didn't even exist at all, "That the the Severing is tapping into the Earth Spirit's power somehow. The tampering you're talking about -- whatever caused it -- it's only made it worse."

Of course, because the question as to the source of that information is inevitably going to come up, Lambert's going to beat Strange to the punch.

"I don't have any proof -- it's just a theory. A ghost told me that something's draining the Earth Spirit, and it seemed like too much of a coincidence." He shrugs again. "You tell me if that sounds plausible or not."

Strange quietly fumes as Lambert ignores his answer...and then continues to fume as Lambert offers a suggestion that's not only plausible, but it makes sense. This is hardly fair! He's a fourth rank mage from the Circle of Enlightenment (well, was a fourth rank mage from the Circle of Enlightenment, not that he's told Lambert that just yet) and yet this normal human's managed to come up with a theory that's more sound than anything he had?

He's not sulking. He's just expressing his displeasure at this whole thing.

"It is plausible," Strange has to admit. "I'll admit I know next to nothing about the Earth Spirit itself--that's generally thought of as hippie talk. But other spirits, proper spirits like the ones used in bindings, have been reported as weaker than normal, despite the fact that it's October. If they draw power from the Earth Spirit...well, weaken the Earth Spirit, weaken the rest."

It's the power of having some degree of genre-savvy, Strange. Unfortunately, having a hypothesis and acting on it are two entirely different things. Lambert seems a little relieved -- and then immediately worried -- to have his guess confirmed, and moreover, corroborated.

So, that's the end of all he's got to offer right now.

"Speaking hypothetically," Lambert begins, looking at Strange intensely. "If that theory is correct and that's how the spell works ... how would you break it? How would you even set it up in the first place? Binding ordinary spirits probably isn't a cakewalk to start with, how would you bind something that big?"

Edited 2017-07-24 06:37 (UTC)

"I wouldn't be surprised if all of the big players in Portland have a ritual to break it up their sleeve--I know the Summer Court certainly does." It doesn't occur to Strange that huh, Lambert doesn't know how he'd know that information in the first place. Strange leans back on the couch slightly, thinking things over as he talks.

"Alternatively, I'd imagine just punching a metaphorical hole in the spell would break it as well. But again, you'd need to be an immensely powerful mage to do that."

Hold on one damn minute.

"The Summer Court does? How do you know that?" Lambert asks sharply, stepping forward to loom over Strange on the couch, all the aggression he's been keeping in check rushing to the forefront now.

Edited 2017-07-24 15:40 (UTC)

Ah. Whoops. It's amazing how a grown man can sink into the couch so much. Strange is trying his hardest to seem like he's got everything under control and he's not scared of Lambert in the slightest. But honestly? Yeah, he's a little bit scared of Lambert.

"I know that because I've made an alliance with them," Strange simply responds, trying to force as much bravado into his voice as possible. "I've been in contact with the court ever since the start of the month."

Strange may find it comforting how easy the couch is to sink into, broken in by many enthusiastic jumps (it wasn't brand new when they got it) as it is. Of course, short of phasing directly through it like a ghost, he isn't actually going to succeed in melting through it, so he just has to deal with the full weight of Lambert's stare of disbelief.

Of course, in retrospect, it all makes sense. Strange knows a lot about faeries. Knows about binding and contracts. He'd been disdainful of the idea of contracting with demons, but he'd held the contract with faeries in high regard.

For a moment, his hands clenching into fists at his side, Lambert looks like he really does want to hit Strange again. Somehow, he manages to reel it in, though he grits his teeth and gets out the question word by painstaking word. "An alliance on what terms?"

Edited (NINE MILLION EDITS, SORRY) 2017-07-24 16:18 (UTC)

Congrats Lambert, you are succeeding at scaring the shit out of Strange. He looks like he wants to be anywhere but here and looks around the room in a skittish manner, like he'll somehow miraculously find a distraction that he can use to escape this line of questioning.

"Initially, the alliance involved me using the resources of the Circle to help find out more information on a question the Summer Court had. But now that I've left the Circle, the alliance consists of me helping out the fae in whatever way possible. We both want the Severing broken, after all, and I can do things and go places where they fae can't."

Most notably, the Sanctuary, now firmly shut off from the Rose Queen and her forces but not warded against nosy human mages.

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