⇨ DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone out in the library.
When: Day 59
Where: The Athenaeum
What: Towards the end of the visit, we are visited by a series of worrisome NPCs, who may or may not be illusions. There will be at least 5 NPC toplevels posted overall, all happening in a similar time period ICly (in rough chronological order), so not everyone needs to be in every thread.
Warnings: Possibility of very real danger to anyone who participates. Remember that Sans has told everyone to travel in groups, so if you aren't, you'll probably get a scolding later.

TURNING THE PAGE↴ As the carnival continues to explore the Athenaeum in the pursuit of more information about the legendary Miracles, the tension is thick with the knowledge that the Summer Court could be in pursuit any day now. On Day 59, a series of threatening encounters will begin manifesting - but are they real, or an illusion?

Comments

[stompadour]

Jasper's grip tightens on Herbert's shoulder as Ignatius speaks. It'll probably leave bruises.

"What," she snarls.

[kingsroads]

Small blue woman, probably Lapis. Interested in defecting...well, that is new information. And information that, should he survive this encounter, Strange is going to narc to the Ringmaster.

Strange just continues talking over everybody, trying his hardest to keep the conversation going in a way that doesn't involve punches. "I'm afraid none of use have seen the blue person you're speaking of," he explains with a little shrug. Curiosity gets the best of him though, as Strange asks,

"How do you know she wants to defect?"

[scientificist]

As much as Herbert dislikes Strange, he gets it. This man who is literally on fire is dangerous. Thanks for the tip. He's still as polite as he ever gets when he speaks to Ignatius--albeit a bit strangled. Thanks, Jasper. Ow. Anyway, Strange's method is idiotic. Asking a question about someone he says he doesn't know? Nobody would fall for that, and what's more, he doubts Jasper will go along with it.

"You're too late," he says instead, before Ignatius can answer Strange. If that was Lapis defecting, earlier, she certainly put him through a great deal of aggravation for nothing. Seems odd, though. What with the completely disappearing underwater thing. "She's already gone. The meeting, I assume, is cancelled."

[stompadour]

Jasper's furious attention snaps back to Herbert.

"She can't be gone--"

[moonfang]

Zangetsu has absolutely no idea who they're talking about. Judging by the name Hebert gives, one of those weird rock people probably? He's never met her. But...

"Gone? Whaddya mean 'gone'?"

[scientificist]

Herbert makes a go at ducking out from under Jasper's hand, whether or not it works.

"I mean gone," he says, eyes wide and serious. "Dissolved away. Left." He cannot believe these people are going to try and have an actual conversation and ask him real questions in front of an enemy.

[stompadour]

(It does not work.)

[npcarnival]

Ignatius looks like he's a going to humor Strange's diversion, until Herbert just goes ahead and speaks up. It doesn't look like he's upset by the news, however. Mostly just curious.

"She dissolved, you say?" he asks, and lets that settle for a moment. "That's too bad. I was so looking forward to recruiting a traitorous welp."

He moves on like the discussion of Lapis was a passing fancy. He looks around, taking measure of everyone standing there.

"Anyway. While I have you here, I have a diplomatic suggestion."

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

"A diplomatic suggestion?" Yuzu asked, wary of what may happen. "I dunno; just a few moments ago, you were looking to help someone turn against us."

Someone who is going to get ratted on, no matter what, sorry, not sorry, Herbert.

[kingsroads]

Jonathan Strange, man with a creepyass contract quill burning a hole in his pocket, an intense desire to not see anybody here hurt, and a long litany of bad decisions with regards to the fae, looks over at Ignatius and takes the offer of a diplomatic suggestion like someone just offered him a chance at a winning lottery ticket.

"I don't know about the rest, but I'm interested," he answers.

[moonfang]

Zangetsu, thankfully, still says nothing, but his posture does relax a bit and he cants his ears forward. Can't hurt to hear a suggestion, can it?

[stompadour]

A little way behind and to the left of Strange's shoulder, Jasper growls like a dog. Lapis is objectively a traitorous whelp, but she's not into hearing it from someone this flippant about the whole affair, especially considering what Herbert just said --

She lowers her head to mutter to him through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off Ignatius -- how she's going to deal with him will depend on what this offer is. Her hand on Herbert's poor, unfortunate shoulder is like a vice.

"You mean she was destabilised?"

[scientificist]

It could be worse. She could be holding his right wing.

"I have no idea what that means," he mutters back. This fae had better be actually making a suggestion rather than "suggestion" being a fun metaphor for an attack.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius extends his arms, ignoring Jasper's interrogation of Herbert. He doesn't care about any of that at the moment. Maybe he will later.

"I have no interest in killing the weak," he says. That probably means all of you. "If one of you offers yourself to me now, without a fight, I will spare the rest." He crosses his arms, as if this is a hella good offer.

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

What kind of offer was this?! Honestly, though, there's a part of Yuzu who's willing to go through this, despite the fact that she'd get Yuya and the others up in arms over being put in danger.

But, she had to wait - she isn't sure what the others will do.

[moonfang]

"Ehhh..." Zangetsu says, tilting his head and almost appearing to give it some thought. "Naaaah. I like where I am and the deal I've got. 'Sides. Summer Court aesthetic isn't really my thing."

[anti_nonsense]

After the warnings issued a few days earlier, Rita started wearing her armor and sticking close to groups... but when she sees smoke, she ditches the group and charges toward it.

By the time she makes it, several others have gathered... but Rita pays no attention to them, even as she runs into their midst. Her gaze is fixed on Ignatius, her eyes widening, then sharpening as anger flares up inside her.

"You!" she cries.

She only caught the tail end of what’s been said here, but it’s already enough to get her blood boiling.

"Don’t be stupid!" she barks at him, her tone indignant (and perhaps just the tiniest bit scared). "If anyone’s going to die here, it’s you, and it’s been a long time coming!"

[kingsroads]

Strange is hemming and hawwing and looking intensely uncomfortable as he looks over at the rest of the crew...and then Rita shows up. Strange's expression just pales because he knows this isn't good and the situation's just gone from bad to worse.

So, desperately, Strange tries to keep these half-hearted negotations going, as he gives Rita that look of 'oh my god, please don't start shit.' "Are the terms of the deal negotiable? For instance, hypothetically, if one of us were to accept this offer, would we offer ourselves to you specifically or the entire Summer Court?"

[stompadour]

Jasper's about an incoherent third through trying to explain the process of a gem having her physical form temporarily destroyed when Ignatius makes it clear what he's offering.

Some offer.

"Without a fight?" She sneers, straightening up, her grip on Herbert's shoulder only just now starting to relax. "How about instead I pound you into rub--"

But that's about when Rita bursts onto the scene -- cut off, Jasper hisses through her weird Predator teeth and rolls her neck.

"You really want to take her up on this?" she says, looking skeptically at Strange. (Because nobody has actually referred to Ignatius as 'he' yet and this dude seems pretty powerful, therefore... )

[scientificist]

"Yes, and what exactly," Herbert interjects, again at a normal volume now that biology minute is over, "is happening to whomever offers themself?"

[npcarnival]

Ignatius plans of giving them all time to say their piece - at least until a certain girl runs into the fray. He steps forward, extending an arm to gently push Herbert and Strange out of the way, as if suggesting that they hush while he focuses on the person that matters the most, here.

"Girl!" he says, grinning. "You're more spirited than I remember."

A flicker of flame extends from his feet in lines that cut out a circle around the group, closing them in with a low-burning wall of fire. He eyes remain focused on Rita, though he's considering the words of the others, too.

"You know better than anyone that fighting isn't an option. I could raze you all to the ground if it served me, but I am offering a better way." Now, he looks around. His tone makes him sound so charitable. "Whoever comes forward will be sworn to my service... and I will make sure your sacrifice is remembered."

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

Yuzu thought this over... repressing the urge to smash Rita over the head with her fan. She was more than certain he was going to attack everyone and wreck everything if no one said anything...

"If one of us does this, do we have your word that you or anyone else will not attack us or this place?" Yuzu said.

[kingsroads]

The fact that Ignatius is focusing so intently on Rita is absolutely worrying to Strange. For all her bravery, he knows that she must be as terrified or as worried as he would be if they ran into Nightshade.

He zooms in one one word. Sacrifice. Ignatius could kill pretty much any of them if he wanted. And sworn to his service, not to the Court in general. Strange's mind is going a million miles a minute as he thinks.

"Of course they're going to attack this place," Strange grumbles, looking over at Yuzu. "We have what they want and they know it." The carnival has Steven, the Rose Queen won't stop until she gets him. No, what matters now is keeping everybody here safe. The words are out of his mouth before he realizes it.

"So unless anyone objects, I volunteer." Said with an expression that states he knows this isn't going to end well.

[stompadour]

"You cowards," snaps Jasper, finally letting go of Herbert altogether as she steps forward. "I could take this idiot. Let me fight her."

[moonfang]

And there's Rita, busting in with all the tact of a pissed off rhinoceros. Oops, there's also fire now. And now both Strange AND Yuzu are thinking of doing something very stupid. And then Jasper, too!

Zangetsu is starting to wish he hadn't learned to be cautious. ... Time to just let his instincts tell him what to do.

"You can't take him alone," he says, standing next to Jasper, sword brought to bear.