public channel - D148 - fae jargon 101

[kingsroads]

If anyone, older member or newer arrival, wants information on... [ oh lord, this is going to take a while. Strange sighs slightly before obviously reading off a list of terms he's written down. ] Arcadia, the Rose Queen, Ignatius, Nightshade, the Count of Crows, Frost, the Summer Court, the Winter Court, how faerie court hierarchies work, the Wyld Fae, or the Beast, then I'll be happy to tell you what I know. I picked up some knowledge from my time in Portland and through conversations with the fae here and, for obvious reasons, don't want to bore all of you with far too many details and speculations at once.

[ There's a pause, partly to catch his friggen breath, before Strange continues talking. ]

I can at least explain Portland, though--for our new arrivals, of course. It's a city where the carnival was recently trapped for a month. Many members had their memories altered and believed they lived in the city for their entire lives. It was a...trying experience.

[ Understatement of the century. Strange sighs, like he's steeling himself for what he's going to say next. ]

Portland had it's own set of fae, some of whom I mentioned in my previous list. Plenty of the carnival members have ill-will towards those fae, who seemed determined to vex us and ruin our lives during that month. And despite the fact that we've left that world, I've a feeling that we'll see those fae again. Now that the Severing's removed, they can travel to different worlds the same way the Ringmaster can. And it wouldn't surprise me if some tried to reclaim what or who they believe they lost.

[ how dramatic! And quite possibly the worst way to end a broadcast as Strange just flips the radio off then and there. He has absolutely no clue how to best END the broadcast so not being cryptic is officially for chumps. ]

Comments

[kingsroads]

Sort of. That helped lead up to our trip to hell. The vampires placed the sigil, the Ringmaster retaliated, the vampires retaliated by kidnapping and turning some members of our company, so the Ringmaster retaliated again by launching a rescue mission and an attack on hell.

[ There is a lot of he said she said sort of bullshit behind this. Though, in Strange's mind, the main cause of the problem still lies on the vampires' shoulders. ]

[hippocarnival]

I hope that's not going to happen with the fae... [He frowns.] Gongenzaka said the vampires are gone now. Completely?

[kingsroads]

I don't know if the vampires are gone completely, but they're certainly a diminished threat. The Ringmaster...erm, ate their leader.

[ Literally. ]

I imagine it'll take some time for them to regroup and regain their strength.

[hippocarnival]

Wh--ate them? Like, swallowed and everything?! [Wh. What the fuck.]

[kingsroads]

I believe so. The Ringmaster and the leader of the vampires fell into lava, there was fighting, the Ringmaster came out of the lava with a heart and she...well, she ate it!

[ VAMPIRES WERE WEIRD. ]

[hippocarnival]

[That's all badass until you get to the literal heart eating. There's a moment were Yuya looks like he's going to be sick imagining it.]

... I think I'm done with questions about the vampires. [Done forever.]

[kingsroads]

[ Strange just has a small sort of 'yep that was a thing that happened' frown on his face. ]

If this helps, she was a dragon when she ate the heart.

[ it doesn't. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya clears his throat. Back to what they came here for--] So we can't put a barrier around anything we're not close to. Rita was the best at magic between all of us, but maybe if you're good at magic you can do it from further away...

[What other restrictions does he already know--] It only works with fae, but not just the fae themselves--it keeps out changelings and anyone using fae magic. Uh, but I can be specific so that it doesn't and just keep out a specific person.

[kingsroads]

Of course I'm good at magic, [ Strange can't help but respond as if it's one of the most obvious things ever. ] I'm one of the best magicians in the carnival.

[ Except for the Ringmaster. And possibly Sans. And maybe Zecora but Strange is fairly certain he's got her beat on combat magic. But, back to the topic at hand and not Strange being a prideful jerk. ]

We'd want to be as specific as possible. Considering how all of us have been touched by fae magic at some point, I wonder if the spell would count us as changelings.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya would correct him that he wasn't talking about Strange specifically, but... well, it's not that important.

Also because that makes him stop and think. Of Gongenzaka, Rita, Childermass, even Strange... era they changelings? Were they like those in Portland?]

What do you think of... changelings? Is that what we're becoming?

[He remembers enough about the groups of Portland that they weren't just born that way. They could be turned.]

[kingsroads]

I don't know how much help I'll be on this question. All I know of changelings I know from Portland.

[ And Strange's Portland opinion...wasn't exactly the best or most nuanced opinion of changelings. ]

In the stories of my world, those kidnapped to faerie usually were kept there. [ Usually. Strange plans to change that back home. ] I assume they were changed, I just have no idea how.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya leans back a bit with a thoughtful expression.] It can't be that different if they're the same fae, can it? I learned a lot from the changelings I was helping hide from the Courts... most of them were human before.

[He frowns.] But our changes reverse themselves after we leave. They won't.

[kingsroads]

The fae that gave them their changes might not want to reverse them in the first place. It is an easy way to mark which changeling is theirs.

[ After all, at least in Strange's mind, the only reason why the carnival changes fade is because the Ringmaster wants them to. ]

[hippocarnival]

You think it's all controlled by the fae? [He glances up.] ... That makes sense.

[He wonders if another fae could reverse them, then. If a fae can separate souls in a body, surely they could. They'd just need a reason.] Uh, what else do we need the spell to do?

[kingsroads]

[ There's a pause, while Strange mulls things over. ]

The spell keeps out changelings and anyone using fae magic. Of course, the problem here is that some of the threats we've faced don't use fae magic. Obviously it'd be best if we had a vampire or Agent here to try and test against this, but since we don't, we'll have to get one of the new arrivals and see if we can ward the trailer against them.

[ Strange takes a bit of a breath before he continues talking. ]

You said the wards could keep out a specific person. If you don't mind, I'd like you to ward the trailer against me, just so I can see what the wards feel like.

[ and so he can see if he can break them. Portland-Strange was much more adept at magical wards than he was, but England-Strange still has one or two theoretical concepts about wards floating around his head. ]

[hippocarnival]

Against you? [He raises a brow.] I can try but even if you're fae enough for it to work, isn't it the Ringmaster's magic?

[He's not sure what the effect would be to do "Strange who uses the Ringmaster's magic" when her magic is... everywhere.]

[kingsroads]

Can't you add my own English magic to the qualifications as well?

[ Probably not, if the spell's designed to just keep the fae out. ]

[hippocarnival]

Is it fae? The spell definitely said it was only for fae.

[So chances are: not likely.] I don't think it'll work on vampires, either.

[kingsroads]

[ His magic is not fae. But that doesn't seem to be a good enough answer for Strange as he just keeps on insisting, ]

We won't know if this works until we try. At least we should make an attempt to see if your magic can keep me out.

[ This is obviously a Very Important Point for Strange for some reason. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya leans back and raises his hands in the air.] All right, we'll try it!

[He turns to the exit, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Strange is following.] It's easier outside the building.

[kingsroads]

[ And indeed, Strange is following! He shuts the door behind them as they exit the trailer. ]

Hopefully this time it will ward more than just the basin, [ he lightly teases. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya wrinkles his nose.] Hey, at least the basin's safe now!

[He presses his hands against the door and takes a deep breath to concentrate. Just like before, he focuses on keeping Strange of English Maguc out of the trailer, but instead of interpreting the area as his he thinks about how Strange doesn't belong in it.

The magic builds up around his hands again and seeps into the door--and then it suddenly fizzles out, the spell failing to activate properly at all.]

[kingsroads]

[ Strange has been watching the magic, paying attention as the spell seeps into the door, builds up...and then just stops. ]

Goddamn it! [ he swears, not really caring that Yuya's listening. ] It almost worked! [ He sighs, far too dramatically before continuing...not really realizing that Yuya might not know what he's rambling about. ] Still, as annoying as this is, I'm sure we can find a work around. Tamaki was able to sense the magic even as a ghost, surely the actual magical spell would be stronger....

[ He trails off, muttering potentials to himself and just kind of ignoring Yuya. Yes this 100% is Strange just being absolutely paranoid about Nightshade returning and planning for the worst, why do you ask. ]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya sighs when Strangge confirms it didn't work. He knew it wouldn't, but it's still disappointing.

He turns around and leans against the door, crossing his arms.] Work around for what? This is the actual spell!

[He doesn't realize Strange means a very different spell.]

[kingsroads]

I'm not talking about your spell, I'm talking about Nightshade's! The likelihood that we'll encounter the Summer Court again is fairly high and if we do--

[ Strange cuts himself off, as he catches a glimpse of his right hand: it's visibly trembling. Swearing again, he shoves his hands in his pockets. If they do encounter the Summer Court again, there's a high chance that Strange might be brainwashed again. He's already placed the burden of taking him out no matter what on Lambert, but Yuya was another person who Strange straight up tried to murder, Yuya would understand why all of this tensed Strange out still. ]

If we do, you might need to protect yourself or others. Perhaps if I'm under her thrall then the ambient fae magic would be enough to block me from a trailer but I was hoping there was something in your spell that could block me no matter what.