⇨ 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

[npcarnival]

The surprising thing is that Jasper actually manages to get her hand around the gem on the fae's neck, as gets halfway through tearing it off before being stopped. The rest of what happens isn't surprising at all.

A crow launches out of the darkness, moving so quickly that it becomes a sharp spear of darkness. In the same moment that Jasper is pulling Lapis free, the blade pierces her body. It sticks in her body for a painful few moments, before her physical form will give way.

Her orange gem falls to the floor, side by side with the lapis lazuli.

"Well, I never," the Lady gasps.

[scientificist]

Oh, so that's what destabilisation is. Jasper was very bad at explaining it.

[flashover]

"Oh my god!!"

THAT WAS VERY FAST AND ALSO SCARY!

[bananaspeedrider]

He doesn't rev it up, but Yugo keeps his grip around the throttle of his D-Wheel. Because this looks really bad now.

"Aw damn. This already sucks."

[periphrasing]

As if she has just been doused with a bucket of ice cold water, Peridot. Abruptly stops putting up a fuss.

[worldlyafflictions]

Pretty much has been taking his cue from the others. Black fire flickers around the head of his K'rik, a summoning chant on his tongue, but he only remains tensed for further attack.

[atouts]

And that, for all Childermass knows, marks the end of them being non-violent. This has gone on long enough. They have their people. Most importantly, they have Strange and he hasn't said anything towards that so far but that doesn't mean it isn't on his mind.

While he won't stray from the Ringmaster's side, he will finally call out, "I know where the Silver Mirror is!" That should get their attention and, if not, he'll repeat, "I know where the Silver Mirror is," quieter and looking directly at the Count again, "And I am willing to trade the information."

[whattaprick]

Jasper goes, Jasper gets curbstomped. Lambert feels Peridot go slack under his hand, and his gaze turns to the Ringmaster. They’re in no position to make demands, at this point, but it’s a good reminder that the Count of Crows is pretty much the boss of this realm within a realm while they’re here.

On the one hand, they definitely brought this on themselves getting that stupid Rose. On the other, they went through hell to get that stupid Rose.

And then Childermass speaks up and Lambert’s gaze whips around to him instead in surprise. Well, he wasn’t expecting that.

“Seriously?” he groans. Do your own library work, you scrubs!

[npcarnival]

"For what?" is all the Count will ask, looking at Childermass, unmoved by the destruction of the gem. Meanwhile, the Lady of the Lake is picking up the jasper and lapis lazuli stone, holding them up with delight.

"Ohh... I love them," she says.

[atouts]

"The return of any carnival worker taken within the Atheneum, regardless of whether they agreed or not, safely, to the Ringmaster," Childermass does take a step forward against this time as he speaks, since he doubts the Ringmaster is pleased with him over this, anyway. May as well make every damn fae in here hate his guts, right?

"Changelings are a penny a dozen. Surely a handful of them are nothing compared to a Miracle."

[periphrasing]

Peridot is rigid, her gaze flicking back and forth between Childermass and the gems in the Lady's hands. There's a very big part of her that still just wants to fly at that woman and rip her to shreds, even if she knows very well that she'd never actually succeed.

[lordofthering]

"Childermass, what are you doing?" the Ringmaster growls, watching him carefully. She makes no move to grab him or physically stop him, but she is tense.

[npcarnival]

"I can't account for any carnival folk taken by fae that are not under my command. The Summer Court are their own," the Count says, obviously not really buying that Childermass isn't trying to dupe him somehow. "And the two gems will belong to the Lady, as it was her safety that was threatened."

He gestures to the naked fae, who is looking at the gems like she's just gotten them out of a Christmas stocking.

"Of course, we would also need to determine the veracity of your information."

[flashover]

Having recovered from the shock of seeing Jasper so quickly poofed, Rin frowns and crosses his arms.

"Tch... if her Highness wanted the rose so bad, she should have been the one to go get it from the Prince. We put in all the work!" He pauses, then looks at Shima. "That was the time with the brainwashing."

[atouts]

"It's all or nothing," Childermass replies, ignoring the Ringmaster for now. "Or was bringing the two Courts together here to deal with this for show?"

He turns to look at the Summer side of the room.

"Does the Count speak for you as well?"

[npcarnival]

The Rose Queen looks at Rin, furious. Clearly, she is not above responding to criticisms.

"The Rose is my birthright. It was taken from me unjustly. What could you possibly know of work, when I've toiled for longer than you've been alive?"

Then she basically snarls at Childermass, her temper rising.

"If you think I would give up my child to you again... I should kill you where you stand."

[whattaprick]

"We died for your stupid rose," Lambert snaps. "You weren't willing to do the same."

[scientificist]

Herbert starts giggling again. "I doubt we'll take the deal: tha-hat's an exchange for zero hostages." He's really talking mostly to himself at this point. Who else, when he might as well not be here to anyone here so far?

[flashover]

Rin flinches, but then looks at her like she's a little nuts. "I may not know much but I know that if someone likes something a whole lot, something that important, they wouldn't let some weird bat lion guy just run off with it. Did you ever even try to get it back?" Emboldened by Lambert, he continues. "Or did you just wait for a bunch of wild animals to do it for you?"

[atouts]

Rin gets a sharp look, Childermass breaking away from eyeing the fae for a second or two for it. He doesn't really tell him to stuff it since Lambert and Herbert sure aren't helping with that, but he's the last one to say something, so he gets the look.

"My, so attached to a mortal child," Childermass says, attention returning and narrowing in directly on the Rose Queen. She's working on getting him killed anyway, so whatever. He fears the Count, but her? Sure, there's fear, just less. "Nightshade is right to feel like you're wasting her time. I almost pity her."

[periphrasing]

"He's not your child you sanctimonious, half-cracked, dirt-eating MEGA CLOD!" Peridot snarls, chiming in with the rest of the peanut gallery. "And Lapis-- Lapis had nothing to do with that attack just now! Jasper's just an idiot but Lapis didn't do anything wrong!"

[scientificist]

Still giggling, Herbert lies down on his back, wings fully extended, staring at the dark above him.

This Is Stupid.

[npcarnival]

The Rose Queen is furious, angrier than she's been in a long while. She cannot believe she is being forced to endure this from a pack of beast-kin mortals. Her desire to put a sword through Childermass, in particular, is at a boiling point.

Her nails practically cutting into her palms, she twirls to face the Count, her irises glowing with her rage.

"Give me him," she demands, pointing her finger at Childermass. "Use your bloodbond to give me him, and I will cooperate with your plans. The bounty will be left to the Queens!"

[npcarnival]

"Very well," the Count says, and snaps his fingers. All at once, thousands of crows will emerge from the shadows forming the Elysium, dissolving the protections it contains.

[whattaprick]

"No!" Lambert lunges for Childermass pretty much instantly to grab ahold of him, panic spiking through the roof. Not again.

But if experience has proven any judge, holding on to someone isn't enough to save them from a True Fae.