⇨ 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

[starseedling]

Steven had been mostly ambivalent to the previous surroundings, because with everything else going on it didn't seem to matter. The barn setting, however, is actively a comfort. He wishes he could go to sleep here, even if he's always sleeping somewhere else.

To hear that about Childermass isn't totally surprising, but it does confirm something he was already afraid of. He didn't know before if the Rose Queen was just using standard fae enchantments, or if there was something wrong with him in particular that made him vulnerable to her swap. This seems to be confirm that it's the latter. He tries to take that in.

"She's been doing something like that to me," he admits, warily. "Whenever I try to fight her, all she has to do is just... look at me, and I can't." He puts his hands to his face. "...When I tried to talk to her, to lure her away from the others... I was going to run, but... I ended up wanting to go with her. I didn't understand what happened..."

[periphrasing]

"So it's like a compulsion," Peridot observes, rubbing her chin thoughtfully (something that she can no longer easily do in real life, thanks fuck-off huge claws).

She pauses to wince and grind her teeth for a moment with frustration, that familiar caustic hatred for the fae boiling up in her gut. She can't stand that they can do this to people, that Steven is having to put up with this kind of treatment.

"I know it can be resisted," Peridot says with confidence, punching one hand down into her open palm. "Childermass couldn't resist it completely but, he hesitated long enough that Rin and Shima were able to do something to knock him out, and then Lambert and Sans and I got him away. Maybe if you know going in and you... I don't know... Convince yourself to deny the strength of that blood connection?"

Maybe she's on the right track, but THAT part she sounds less confident about. Even coming out of her own mouth it sounds like a load of sentimental tripe.

[starseedling]

"I think... maybe I do, sometimes, but... when I can't get away from her she just keeps pushing until I mess up," he says. Not that he's been thinking about it in a denying the blood connection kind of way, though. But, the longer it goes on, the less energy he has to try.

"I'm really glad Mr Childermass is okay," he says, smiling faintly, despite everything. "I was really worried that maybe... all of this would be happening to him, too."

He's quiet again for a little while longer.

"...Thanks for being honest with me, Peridot. Maybe... I needed to hear that. Maybe it will help."

[periphrasing]

Peridot momentarily considers telling him that it wouldn't be happening to Childermass, because Steven's 'mom' would have straight up murdered him by now, but she decides against that course of action, thankfully.

His other words make her smile, though. She still looks sad, and worried, but she really hopes that it does help. "It's going to be okay, Steven," she says, and puts both hands on his shoulders despite how uncomfortable it is. "We'll figure something out to save you, we-- We're going to get you all back. And I know you can fight her, being a rebel is your thing! You're a crystal gem!"

And that's about as much touching as she can stand to deal with, and withdraws again. They may have limited time here in this dreamspace, and she feels like they should take care of exchanging information while they still can. "You're still warded against the Rose Queen, right? Remind me how that works, exactly?"

[starseedling]

Steven finds himself getting choked up again, but at least it's in a good way this time. The display of support is much needed, and it makes him emotional to think about people trying to help him despite how dangerous it is. He wibbles a little, appreciatively, before trying to balance himself enough to respond. He nods decisively before going on.

"I... think I am? It was supposed to make it so she couldn't sense me from a distance... and it seemed like it was working. It only stopped working when I walked up to her and got her attention. Normally... she would have been able to feel that I was close, even if she couldn't see me."

He has to pause to think about it.

"...I don't know if it will start working again, if I get away from her."