⇨ 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]

"Right," Ignatius confirms. "The Winter Maiden took the throne not long after... but the Summer Queen wasn't so sure about it. Both the Maidens had been publicly supporting the Great Beast's exploits up until the last minute, so... either she suddenly went too far, or..."

He raises his hands and and eyebrows, seeming to suggest something he isn't willing to actually say.

[kingsroads]

Considering that Strange's strategy is bullshitting an entire conversation around rumors and out of context scribe texts, he doesn't really get what Ignatius is suggesting. Or what? Murder would be a dealbreaker for most people, what other option is he implying?

"Or what?" Strange isn't even going to bother hiding the interest in his voice.

[npcarnival]

He looks at Strange, hesitates, and then decides to drop it. He shrugs his shoulders.

"Maybe I'm wrong. Just seems a little odd that the Wyld Fae go out of line like that."

[kingsroads]

Damn. Still, if Ignatius is going to drop the conversation, then Strange will as well. He doesn't want to deliberately antagonize him, after all.

He can't help but smile a little as the conversation shifts to the Ringmaster. "I know it's obvious, but she's not like most Wyld Fae. The Ringmaster actually gives a damn about her changelings. After all, she brought me back to the carnival from Portland."

It would have been so easy to leave him there. After all, he spent almost an entire month in the service of a different fae and actively tried to kill multiple members of the carnival while in said service. But nope, the Ringmaster picked him up, brought him back to the carnival, and removed whatever enthrallment Nightshade had put him under. Strange is eternally grateful for that.

[npcarnival]

"Hmm," is all Ignatius says to that, at first. Maybe giving a shit about your changelings isn't that important of a trait to most fae. Maybe admitting that you care about that is a sign of weakness. Maybe it's just an awkward segue in general. He doesn't make it clear.

"...Well, there's little point in putting unequipped soldier on the field," he says, thinking back to Portland. "You were the one that the Nightshade was towing around, weren't you?"

That had been kind of funny, actually.

[kingsroads]

Strange nods. He was the one who Nightshade was yanking around, who spent a good amount of time staring at her like a devoted idiot, who generally failed at murder, and also the one who went down with pretty much one punch. Thanks for that, Lambert.

"It wasn't exactly my finest hour," Strange admits, with a frown. "But my magic's only grown since then."

Which is probably not the thing you want to be telling your technical captor but look, being brainwashed and enthralled made Strange do some really dumb decisions. Even if he is kind of captured by the Summer Court at the moment, he's still got his pride.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius sits back and considers, looking Strange over. There's a question lurking in his mind.

"You do realize this is forever, don't you?" he asks, after a moment. "The oath you made. It was no small thing."

[kingsroads]

Well he's not outright going to say 'I'm pinning all my hopes that the Ringmaster will launch a rescue mission, I'll find an escape route myself, or someone will stab me and the carnival will get the hell out of dodge before Ignatius learns about the rebirth.' But Strange is certainly thinking it.

"I know the power behind oaths and contracts." Says the man currently under one curse and four different contracts. "And I know that if I do somehow manage to escape this realm, unless something drastic happens, I doubt I'll ever be truly free from the Court."

But he's going to try to find a way to free himself from his own mess anyway. Like hell Strange would ever admit he can't do something. "Like I said, it was either myself or them."

[npcarnival]

Ignatius grunts in acknowledgment, like it's something that doesn't warrant words. His face becomes a bit more stern as he regards Strange.

"I've already read your ashes, but I'm going to need more information," he says. "It won't be pleasant for you."

If it sounds like this is a direct reaction to the things that Strange just said, that's because it is.

[kingsroads]

For all of him trying to give off the impression that he's calm and accepting of his fate, there's an obvious trace of panic in Strange's voice and blatant worry in his expression at Ignatius's words.

"What?! I've answered your questions, what are you going to do?"

Oh God, don't let him be enthralled again.

[npcarnival]

"We need to know everything you know about the Miracles," he says, levelly. "And your word isn't going to be enough." It might have been, if Strange were a different man. Ignatius has been through this enough times to be able to read the difference between bravery and arrogance.

Ignatius gets up from the table, towering over Strange, his flames burning brightly.

"Stand."

[kingsroads]

Well shit. As he gets to his feet, Strange realizes this might have been a terrible idea. Because on the one hand, fae can read memories and he knows a lot about the Miracles, having seen the Blue Rose in action and being a massive creep about the Silver Mirror. But on the other hand, what was he going to do, stand by and watch as Ignatius killed Rita? She was already gunning to fight him!

His hands are trembling as he looks up at Ignatius. He remains quiet, though. Strange isn't going to betray the carnival, he won't willingly tell the Court where the Miracles are...even though he knows the alternative means they'll be rooting around his head to find that information out anyway.

[npcarnival]

Lucky for him, whether it's willing or not won't really matter.

Ignatius puts a hand on Strange's shoulder, in a way that feels like an almost congenial gesture. Unfortunately, all of that will slip away as he goes ahead and just plunges his fingers into Strange's third eye.

It's hard to be aware of any specific physicality after that point. It's not a pain you find in limbs or in wounds, it's a pain that fills the entire spirit - the pain of primordial flames filling his entire being.

It must be what hell feels like.

[kingsroads]

He lasts about three seconds. Strange bites down on his tongue, grits his teeth, and tries to steady himself but the pain is just too strong. He knew it would hurt. He didn't know it would hurt this much. He gives in and starts to scream.

He wants to crumple up, he wants to pull away from this. But whether it's Ignatius's magic, Strange freezing in place, or the pain itself, something is holding Strange still and upright.

He takes rapid, shallow breaths to try and at least get some air before that burning pain throbs again and Strange lets out a scream of pain. "Stop this," he manages to get out, in between panicked breaths with a voice that already sounds a bit hoarse. "Please."

[npcarnival]

"Soon you will understand the meaning of sacrifice," Ignatius says, unmoved by his screams.

It doesn't come to an end that Strange will remember. The pain will outlast his consciousness, and by the time he comes to himself again, he will be reborn in a new world.

[kingsroads]

He tries to hold out for as long as he can. But in the end, Strange is only human and the pain is just too much. It's less than five minutes before Strange passes out.