lostcarnival | the terrible horrible no good very bad week

Entry tags:

the terrible horrible no good very bad week

Who: Strange & OPEN!
Where: mostly the carnival, with a Wismuth prompt
When: D17 and onwards
What: Strange has had a run of shitty days/decisions and is coping like a champ (he's sulking)
Warnings: mild drug & alcohol use, Strange's general asshole tendencies

sulking at the training grounds
Over the past few days, Strange learned that the closest thing he could call to an enemy was back and she had poisoned his best friend, found out his other close friend was kidnapped and enthralled, got dunked in a lake, got his emotional support gem stolen, got dunked in the ocean, made a kid cry, discovered he had a fun new phobia of sentient pineapple beasts, got gum in his hair, and received harsh truth bombs from at least two different people. And only half of this is his fault! (Maybe five-eighths. Strange'll fight it if anyone says three quarters.)

To top it all off, apparently the entire universe is in danger of ending and Creation's decided to fix that by giving people fun magical powers but apparently the universe doesn't think he's good enough! Like what the hell, Creation? As if his self-esteem wasn't already weirdly low thanks to the fact that he got beaten up by plants and the previously mentioned harsh truth bombs.

So, Strange is coping with pyromania. At least four of the practice dummies are currently on fire and have been on fire for the past half hour or so. Strange is in the process of casting a spell to set a fifth ablaze. Anybody who remotely approaches the training ground is getting an amazing death glare courtesy of Strange, as well as a grumpy "What?"

sulking part 2
Alternatively, there's an abundance of purple smoke hanging out near the top of one of the game trailers in the gamer's circle. Can smoke sulk? Undecided, but there's certainly something sulky about this smoke. It's definitely lingering around the top of the trailer and not moving in a manner that's reminiscent of sulking.

welcome to the plot
For the most part, Star Guardians need to sleep too. As does Strange But considering that Strange lives a comfortable life as the man with the world's most erratic sleep schedule, his is variable as hell and he's wide awake at around ten pm, when most people should be getting ready for bed. He's wide awake as he bangs on the trailer door of each inhabited trailer, hoping that someone's in.

He doesn't waste any time. Whenever anyone answers their door, Strange bluntly asks, "Did you get those odd powers like what Noa has?"

Fuck it, he knows about pillars, he can still be useful.

wismuth
Staying at the carnival and not getting out of bed just sounds like a really good plan right now. Except Strange is a nightrunner and when you're rooming with the deputy nightrider, you can only wallow in self-pity for so long. Scrying can only do so much so he's hitting the pavement. As he walks the streets (wearing a slightly ridiculous baseball cap), Strange keeps his senses open for any sort of magic: guardian, harbinger, fae. He's already gotten his ass whooped twice, any sort of large spikes of harbinger magic he is staying the hell away from. But it's the smaller things, the after effects that he can at least try to dispel.

And so, that's why Strange is standing next to an ATM that's currently spitting out cash, muttering something while debating if he's actually got to put his mouth on that thing or not. Thankfully, the machine sputters to a stop and the spell breaks before Strange has to actually kiss the box.

"I don't even know what this is," he complains, to anyone listening. Foggy modern AU memories can only go so far and did not extend to ATMs. But look at him go, stopping the horrible...money spitter outer machine. Greatest magician of the age, everyone.

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As Tyki reaches over to touch his hair, Strange's expression is pure 'what the hell'. This is a little too close for comfort, buddy! At least tell him what you're doing next time!

"I thought I had gotten all of that out," Strange complains, with a little sigh. Still, he deliberately takes a few steps away from Tyki. To no one's surprise, it turns out that someone running their fingers through your hair when you least expect it isn't a good feeling. Strange likes Tyki but they aren't that close.

"Anyway, my hair's fine. I trim it myself every now and then. I wouldn't want to confuse anyone in one of these worlds if the glamor wore off." While Strange's hair is still very humanlike, the gray in it has turned reflective. He's got no idea if the Ringmaster's glamor extends to things like fingernail or hair trimmings, but Strange doesn't want to find out.

Had it been something more invasive, such as reaching inside of his body, he would have said something. It'll be a cold day in hell the moment Tyki stops invading people's personal space whenever he feels like it. He's not as arrogant as Strange to think he's entitled to do what he wants with other people's bodies but it's a thing.

"I don't even want to know what this is," he says with mild disdain as it drops through his fingers onto the ground. His gaze does flick down at Strange stepping away and thankfully he's good enough at reading body language to get the message not to close the gap again.

He trims it himself? That says a few things. "I can't afford to make a mistake should I try to do it myself. I am the frontal image of my family and the head of our household is an Earl." His hand waves a little in momentary indecision, "Star Guardian wise, I don't think Creation would care if it decided to redo your look."

"It's not that hard," Strange explains, with a little shrug. At least, it's not that hard to someone who doesn't really care about his personal appearance like Strange does. His hair's perpetually a bit too long and a bit too shaggy. As long as it's mostly even and doesn't tickle his neck too much, he can deal with any mistakes.

"Besides, if you want to learn, no better time than now! We're at a magical carnival. Ask around and I'm sure someone's got a hair tonic or a spell to make things grow or something of that sort."

"Maybe after the boys have learned some manners," he says casually when referring to his tentacles. Tyki's too lazy to pick up too many spells at once unless something interests him. "Besides, Miss Doll cut my hair the last time I had an issue." And he did love to delegate his tedious tasks onto others. Unlike Strange's hair Tyki's extended down his back to about his shoulder blades with a mess of elegant curls.

"If I learn any spell willing it'll be something useful or convenient. Probably not fire or turning anyone into chickens~"

"Chickens is just applied transmutation," Strange explains, with a little shrug. He's owning that, ain't no shame, Tyki knows there's all sorts of other impressive magic Strange can perform that isn't turning people into chickens (and how many people in the carnival could turn others into chickens in the first place, that's right, nobody, suck it carnival members.)

"I can turn other people into other things that aren't poultry. It's just the turning back part that I have trouble with."

He's chuckling under his breath at the way he's presenting this knowledge. Tyki's stepping closer again in his excitement as his entire body leans forwards. His hands are spread wide including his bloody one, "Can you do it easily or is it something you're still working on?"

He does take note of the latter information, "Rabbits, dogs, birds, cats?"

This isn't information that Strange keeps hidden. He's always talked openly about his magic and about what he can do. It's just that he occasionally doesn't remember who he's told what. So sorry Tyki, time to ramble about magic.

"Think of it like running a marathon. I can do it, it just takes time and effort compared to my other magic. I've turned a woman into a cat and a vampire into a bird—though I haven't tried rabbits or dogs yet. Perhaps that will be my next attempt."

He enjoys his passion for magic so he can't exactly complain. Plus, he kind of brought this onto himself. Mentioning magic was akin to mentioning his wife. Strange was just going to talk.

"It's a shame then that you can't just turn all of the Harbingers into little birds for now if it takes that much effort," or maybe something easier to catch. "Carly managed to turn into a hummingbird and I wish I had the thought at the time to grab the nearest object to trap her inside of it."

There's something that falters in Strange's expression as he thinks. "I'm not sure if I could," he admits. "Harbinger magic...there's something powerful in it. You can't learn an entirely new system of magic in a day and yet these people have. If the spell hit, then they'd be out of luck. But there's a period while I'm casting it that they could put up defenses or just toss something at my head."

Strange obviously doesn't want to admit this. And he's obviously a bit uncomfortable doing so. But Tyki's got to know about the lack of viability for that idea, just in case he starts talking it up or it seriously gets floated as a contender.

"That's what I figured. Still, it's a shame." He's no strategist so he's likely not to go to someone higher up and start working out a plan. Tyki worked better as a lackey or someone in charge of a smaller unit. The whole grand plan just seemed out of his reach.

His hands are still out wide as if he's displaying something but that's merely his way of keeping his hands to himself and occupied. His fingers do curl as they count off the moments of indecision. Everything he reveals makes him more vulnerable but Strange is someone he somewhat trusts.

Sometimes.

"But you can. Harbinger magic isn't like yours. It's like mine. Everything I can do I learned the minute I inherited it. I wasn't perfect at it but I understood it. Over time it became easier, more viable, more dangerous if I didn't control it."

Strange can't help but frown a little at that. For someone who's learned his magic, who started off with a simple spell and then worked his way up to reshaping rivers and changing the world itself, knowing everything someone could do the moment they got it seemed a little bit like cheating.

It also seemed a little bit sad. But, he's certain Tyki won't understand that part.

"And yet, fae magic's added onto your magic—with the tentacles, of course. I wonder..." Strange trails off for a moment, briefly lost in thought, before he continues. "I've a feeling we'll do something about the Harbingers soon. After all, CY-Ren's got that concert coming up. But if we didn't, how much would their own magic change the magic of the Void?"

It's a fair trade off in all honesty. Strange started with nothing and yet he had all the potential in the world for anything even without fae magic. Harbingers, Guardians, and Noah like him inherited their power and were limited without the assistance of fae.

While he does like the journey of a good travel and growth, he admits he would prefer the lazy route when it comes to magic. The tentacles have been an ordeal and he does admit he's having some fun with them now that they are less annoying.

"It allows me to grow more than I was limited before. Childermass seemed to have his own abilities along with the new ones he had. But, I suppose the answer to that question would be if they were relying on their own magic or the new one they now have."

"Steven had his own abilities as well," Strange points out. He really hasn't seen Steven in action aside from this, Portland, and stories of what Peridot said he could do. So Strange is just assuming that Steven's vine powers and mass sentient produce life were things he always could do and always could do to that extent.

"But when Childermass and I fought, he was mostly using those damn cards. I don't think I've seen a Harbinger in action who's using a combination of both."

And Strange really, really doesn't want to do so. His small frown shows how much he's of two minds about the whole concept.

"He's the kid, right?" Tyki has made a point to single out the medical staff for his own personal reasons but he doesn't really know the boy or even has seen him either. He's only had that name mentioned to him once or twice.

"At least there is that. I would personally take a gamble on whether or not he could do anything without those cards. Getting them out of his hands is another matter," he replies with a bit of thought behind his words. "Or destroying them if that is possible."

"I can already tell you that some of the things Childermass did with the cards, he couldn't do beforehand. As for whether they're the source of his Harbinger magic or simply a focus, I don't know. And I'm afraid the only way either of us would be able to tell is to fight him again."

Which Strange doesn't look too pleased about. He knows he's probably going to end up fighting Childermass at some point or another but he really doesn't want to. Unsurprisingly, Strange isn't taking well to the idea that he'd get his ass whooped (again) by Childermass (again).

"Yes, that was a missed opportunity on my part. I didn't actually seek him out to fight him. He found me when I was following up on a few cons. I had made it clear that I had no intention of fighting him but he decided to play anyways. By the time I even decided to react defensively he was already gone," he responds with his own frown. In his eyes, Childermass was human and while he was fast and formidable now it didn't matter in the end. Humans were fragile to people like him.

Zangetsu hadn't been close enough to react and he would've set that wild rabbit on him instead. But the way he had just disappeared on him he wasn't sure if Childermass had been there in the first place.

"He found me when I was going for a walk," Strange explains. His hands are jabbed in his pockets as he thinks things over, with a bit of a frown. "Now that I'm looking back on it, he wanted me to join the Harbingers with him."

Which is...interesting. It would logically make sense for the Harbingers to try and recruit him, he is an immensely powerful magician, after all. But only Childermass did that. Steven and Shima were content to fuck with him and (in Steven's case) throw a hissy fit.

"I've no idea what that says about the Harbingers though," Strange complains with a siiiiigh. "Just that this situation is infinitely complicated and intensely annoying."

He would say something along the lines of 'what a dick' if he actually knew that phrase. Instead his frown remains fixed on his face with a grind of the back of his teeth, "So he's a bigger jerk that usual." Not that he thought he was all that much of a jerk to begin with. Childermass just had a way with things and prioritized important delegations harder than most. "He knows you. You're something familiar to him. You're powerful."

It's hazardous but if Childermass had bothered to ask him to come along he might've said yes just to keep an eye on him. It was a wonder the Void did not pick him but then he was so goal orientated on destroying his own world and loyal to the Earl. Plus, Joyd gnawed at the back of his mind until he paid attention when CY-Ren began to sing.

No one else had bothered to attack him. Most were content with just talking. Carly had even ran away instantly when he showed any hostility. "No one wants to just end the world. Everyone has a reason, Mister Strange."

"I know," Strange simply responds, with a little sigh. Chaos for the sake of chaos just wasn't Childermass's style. Even now, when he's enthralled, that shouldn't change him that much.

Still...there's nothing they can do about it just sitting around and thinking about what-ifs. Strange stretches slightly, looking over at the training yard.

"Call me a coward, but I'd like to wait a day or so before going out to find that reason. The Harbingers knocked me for a loop, I at least need a few hours to catch my breath and pick myself up."

No, Childermass was not a troll like he was. If he did something spiteful he seemed to have good reason for it. Despite how he treated others with vague indifference he was a man he could respect.

"The concert isn't for a few days anyways. Best we be more prepared," he says with some reluctance, "But I am going back out. With all of Acquisitions besides Zangetsu and I, either playing Star Guardian and Harbinger someone still has to make sure the carnival will be able to eat this coming month." Joker could handle shifts for Performances and the Magicians were more than enough, "But I suppose I should get my hand looked at first even if it'll heal on its own."

"You should," Strange bluntly says, as he deliberately looks at Tyki's hand. Yes, it would heal on it's own. And yes, Tyki probably has had worse injuries. But the fact remains that here and now, that hand could be a problem. And if there's something you can fix and patch up immediately, why wouldn't you do it?

Still, Zangetsu and Tyki? That's...a pair. A slightly worrying pair, just because one of them is Zangetsu.

"Best of luck dealing with Zangetsu, by the way." If the only other person in Tyki's department that wasn't changed by Wismuth was Murders McGee, that's definitely a sign of concern.

In his world it would heal likely instantly. Only Innocence could make wounds crawl and scar. Thankfully Allen and his band of Exorcists weren't here for that. Right now his hand is hastily wrapped with a piece of a very nice shirt torn at the corner.

He would be terribly amused to know that Zangetsu was the only problem. He's only vaguely aware that he ate someone's arm from someone's rough recap of stuff he missed while he was down in the Underbelly of the Manor.

"Zangetsu's not a problem to me. I trust him as a friend and well deserved companion." Zangetsu and Tyki had a way of balancing each other out. It was fun with him around.

Strange can't help but give Tyki a confused sort of frown. He knows he can't judge: Lambert's his closest friend here, after all. But Lambert hasn't ever eaten anyone's arm so Strange is going to judge a little bit.

"If you say so," Strange responds, with a skeptical shrug. "Just try not to get yourself hurt. Or, at least, even more hurt than you currently are."

Well, when you harbor creatures that eat humans on a daily basis along with commanding an entire army that also eats humans in order to grow, one kind of brushes aside one person eating one arm one time. Besides, Zangetsu is crazy and he kind of loves that. Judge away.

"The same to you, Mister Strange. Try to have a better day."

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the terrible horrible no good very bad week

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