⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 22nd - 31st, 2017
Where: In Portland, for the last time.
What: The seasons change as the Winter Court seizes a surprise victory, claiming both the Tree of Life's pendant and the blood catalyst needed to take control of the Severing Ritual. Meanwhile, interdimensional problems are about to get more weird. Check out the conflict results for the attack on the Circle as well as the Beast's attack on the Summer Court here.
Warnings: Individually marked!

DAYS OF WINTER↴ As the end of October nears, so does the grasp of winter. On the night of the 22nd, it will freeze overnight, and the temperature will drop for the following days. As the night grow long, world-wide magic slowly reaches it apex, set to reach it on the night of Halloween. With so many factors at play, knowing what to do with that moment of power may be a challenge. ► FULL CIRCLE: The Angels succeed in their planned attack on the Circle, managing to get to the living quarters of the Council members with the help of Ashleigh Mischief. The plan goes without much resistance from the mages or from the demons attempting to claim the ritual object for their own. Of course, when the fae make a surprise attack on the Angels after they flee the scene, it has the surprise result of the Winter Court ended up with the pendant in their talons. Threads for this attack can be done in this log. If you need mod direction at all, let us know, but otherwise feel free to NPC demons, angels, or random Circle members as you require. ► THE QUEEN'S GARDEN: Realizing that the Rose Queen is distracted with attempting to claim the pendant, the Beast will summon her co-conspirators to raid the Queen's gardens. The ultimate plan seems to be to get the Beast far enough into the gardens to kill the Queen, while also rescuing as many changelings as possible along the way. As it turns out, this doesn't go well. While they do manage to penetrate the gardens with Childermass's help, the Rose Queen, Ignatius, and Nightshade happen to all be there. Seriously outnumbered, even by the Beast's terms, it will take everything the group has to just make it out alive, sustaining heavy injuries as they go. In the end they will manage to rescue Greg universe and four additional changelings that were imprisoned there, but any damage done to the Summer Court itself will be negligible. Threads for this can also be played out here! ► REFLECTIONS: As the ritual draws closer, the line between this reality and the one you came from will also be becoming less clear. Regaining memories is not required, but it will naturally become easier to occur, especially if you're already started receiving them. It's a good time to start making connections, while you still have the chance. ► THE SEVERING: One way or another, the Severing is going to make an impact on both this world and the lives of those trapped inside of it. The Angels are going to be making an attempt to interrupt the Winter Court's ritual, as will the Summer Court and Anath's forces. Whoever comes up on top will be the ones to decide what to be done with it. Yet, with news that the Severing continuing could cause irreversible damage to the planet's spirit, it could feel like there are no perfect options. There will be an event header put up for this by the mods closer to the end of July. (NOTE: canon powers will returning while the ritual is in progress, so keep that in mind for planning - both sets of powers will be active.)

Comments

[kingsroads]

Frost, maybe? Strange isn't 100% sure on the name, but he can give a vague description. Pretty short, white hair, pale skin, icy wings, uncomfortably naked, things like that.

[ringleaders]

Nightshade will make a sharp little "oooh," sound, as if that is hot goss. She rubs her hands together. What was he doing there? Does Strange have any idea? This is important.

[kingsroads]

Ohhhhh no you don't. Tell him where the entrance to the Winter Court is and then he'll tell Nightshade what was up with Frost.

[ringleaders]

She huffs at that, crossing her arms. "Do you even know what was up with Frost?" She would think that he still owes her information, after how little he's accomplished...

[kingsroads]

Sort of. Strange'll hem and haw for a moment before, "Oddly enough, I don't think he meant to be there. Back in that world, I summoned him for...whatever reason. He wasn't the right fae, though." And then he'll give an incredibly vague description of the snow day in Alola. Of course, he'd happily give Nightshade more concrete information if he had more of his memories HINT HINT.

[npcarnival]

"What? You want me to bring them back?" she ask, somehow incredulously, putting a hand to her chest. After a moment, though, she'll consider something, and grin. "...Well, I suppose I could accomplish that. If you allow me to be in your mind, that is..."

[kingsroads]

This is 100% a bad idea. And yet, Strange just so desperately wants his confusing memory situation sorted out that he is 100% considering the bad idea.

"I imagine that you'd take your time looking through those memories as well." Because who wouldn't? "If I agree to this, you must promise to only restore the memories, not tamper or change any of them currently in existence or any of the ones you're restoring."

[npcarnival]

"I agree to your conditions," she will say, still grinning. "Is it a deal, then?"

[kingsroads]

He needs to save Childermass. And he needs to break the Severing. And Jonathan Strange has absolutely no faith in the angels because he wasn't paying attention to that plot thread and therefore has no idea how powerful they are aside from the fact that a few of them punched him in the face during the fight for the plot device. And so far, the crackshot team he's working on assembling to actually save Childermass includes a changeling who can barely walk and possibly a human who can barely walk.

So, at least in Strange's mind, this situation sucks ALL AROUND. If he had his memories back, then maybe he could at least perform some of the magic he's used in those fragmented memories he's currently got and make the situation suck less.

"If I want to accomplish what I need to accomplish, I don't think I have much of a choice," Strange muses, to himself. And then, to Nightshade, "It's a deal."

He is straight up going to regret all this once he gets his memories back.

[npcarnival]

"Perfect," Nightshade says, full of delight, and then suddenly breathes some sparkly dust in Strange's face. He will pass the hell out right on the spot, and will wake up several hours later inside of Nightshade's forest realm, feeling like someone went through his brain with a pair of garden shears.

Nightshade flowers bloom all around him.

His memories will have returned completely as he wakes.

[kingsroads]

As Strange wakes up, various thoughts flit through his head. Nightshade flowers, huh he wonders if he's in her realm. It's certainly more vibrant than the king's roads and oh good Lord he remembers the king's roads. There's a good ten or so minutes of Strange just sitting on the ground, going through all he remembers, and just getting overjoyed at the fact that he has his memories back, he remembers the carnival, and Norrell, and Arabella...and also a conversation with Childermass about how a faerie back home is currently holding his wife hostage.

Ah. This might have been a bad idea.

He stands up, brushing some grass and pollen off his trousers. "Nightshade?" he calls out, hoping that she'll answer. "I have my memories back--which I am grateful for, by the way. But I'm afraid I have a ritual to disrupt so perhaps I could tell you about Frost, you could tell me about the entrance to the Winter Court's realm, and I'll be on my way?"

There's a lot of bravado behind those words despite the fact that Strange has a terrible suspicion he's not getting out of this realm any time soon.

[npcarnival]

"Hello again," she will say brightly, from somewhere he can't see. More importantly, some of those nightshade vines are going to whip out and grab his wrists - which maybe not be that unexpected, unexpected at this point.

"No need to tell me," she will say, and then suddenly appear in front of him the moment he looks away. "I saw quite well for myself!"

[kingsroads]

As the vines grab his wrists, Strange starts muttering, attempting to cast a spell. The main problem here? He might have his memories back, but he doesn't have his magic back, the English magic that he's used to. So, the spell that was supposed to set the vines on fire, instead does absolutely nothing.

"I should have bargained safe passage when I made the agreement," Strange idly responds, testing the vines and wincing as the plants dig into his wrists. "Still, you were the first fae that he summoned--I suppose some level of stupidity is to be expected."

But not that much. Good Lord, Portland-Strange really was a moron, wasn't he. Strange is trying to stay calm, trying not to show how rattled he is by all of this as he continues talking. "So, what now? If I understand correctly, I'll go back to my proper world once the Severing is broken. There's no use to keep me here if that's the case."

[npcarnival]

"Already referring to yourself in the past tense, hm?" she says, giggling. "Hardly! Your master might try to drag you back, but she simply wouldn't have enough power to wrench you from my grasp if I chose to keep you. You're as much mine as you are hers, here."

Her grin becomes sharp, with extra fangs. She darts to the space behind him, putting his small hands on his shoulders.

"I know that you used that summoning as distraction to keep me from my prisoners," she says, venomously. "Too bad the other you didn't consider that in your bargain!"

[kingsroads]

Portland-Strange's status has been upgraded from 'moron' to 'absolute idiot.' Strange's expression get a little tense as he connects the dots as well and he shivers as he feels her hands on his shoulders.

...though Nightshade does bring up an interesting point. He hasn't entirely made the best of first impressions. Why would she want someone like that? There's no use trying to con her for his freedom, he's never been good at that and his head's hurting too much to even think of a plan. Pointing out the obvious it is.

"If I may be blunt, why would you choose to keep me here in the first place? My magic's limited in this realm, I've consistently made bad decisions both here and in the carnival, I've burned all my contacts and destroyed most of my friendships, and I cannot even kidnap a child. I'm certain you can find a much more useful servant."

[npcarnival]

"My my," she says in his ear, voice soft and airy. "It's as if you don't realize that sometimes a fae can do something for cruelty's sake alone."

She pulls back from him, flying in a circle back to his front. She tosses her hair arrogantly.

"I know what you want... and I'm in the perfect situation to deprive you of it. Why should I just let you walk away from inconveniencing me and my court so excessively? You're right, though... I would have much preferred to have that angel. But, from the clutches of defeat, I will take what I can get."

[kingsroads]

Damn that other Jonathan Strange and damn his utter stupidity! Once again, Strange tries to struggle against the vines and once again, nothing happens. Oh, he could argue that he wasn't trying to inconvenience the Summer Court, that the other man was just an opportunistic idiot who had no idea what he was getting into...but what was the likelihood that Nightshade would listen to that to begin with?

"What do you plan to do to me?"

Because doing something for cruelty's sake alone? Strange has a worrying feeling he won't come out of this unscathed.

[npcarnival]

"Oh, it is delightful to consider," she says, switching into a pantomimed expression of thoughtfulness. Though, after a moment, the look fades. "Though... I suppose I will have to ask my Queen, first. It's possible that she may ask to take you as her own, but I hope not. You seem like you'll be fun."

As she speaks, she'll gesture, and an ordinary looking tree hollow in the trunk behind him hill begin to crack, opening wide like an predator's maw.

[kingsroads]

To his credit, Strange puts up a fight. He struggles against the vines, rattling off spells that he would know back in Portland as well as in England. A stray force bolt cast manages to knock off a tree's branch but ultimately? He's in Nightshade's realm, under Nightshade's grasp and none of his English magic is actually working thanks to this world's stupid rules. He's going down and he's absolutely terrified about it.

Unless Nightshade acts otherwise, Strange is straight up going to be eaten by that tree.

[npcarnival]

"I will express my enthusiasm for that bit about Jack Frost in the carnival, though," she says sweetly, smiling. "That part was most interesting. To think, that the Winter Court is beating that old corpse again. Can't wait to see how that turns out! You may even consider yourself lucky to be with me."

The tree hollow is approximately man sized now, and Strange is correct in assuming that eating is exactly what it's for. Nightshade offers him a friendly wave.

"Buh-bye for now!" she says. The vines will hurl him back into the tree's mouth, which will snap closed after him. As it turns out, the inside of the tree's mouth is... literally just the inside of a tree, though it's dark and cramped, with barely enough room to stand and barely enough room to sit down. It also seems to make his magic - from either world - completely impossible to use.

Hopefully her meeting with the Rose Queen goes quickly.

[kingsroads]

Well I mean there's not much to do when you're stuck inside a tree, so after a good five minutes of attempting to use magic to force himself out and another good five minutes of trying to scream himself hoarse in the hope that someone could hear him, Strange just resigns himself to leaning against the inside of the tree and just thinking of all the ways he could possibly get himself out of this mess (and then realizing that a lot of those ways revolve around his proper magic which wait a moment, he doesn't fricken have.)

Hopefully Nightshade remembered that people need to do things like 'eat' if she ends up taking a while.