Public channel | D22

[hippocarnival]

Hey, everyone.

[There's a pause, like he's waiting to be sure enough people are listening before he continues. He wants to reach as much of the carnival as possible.] I spoke to Noa, and she explained a little bit more about the Void and the Harbingers to me.

She said she thinks the carnival members can still be saved. I think so, too. The Void makes them think there's nothing worth living for, but we know them and we know that's not true. If we can show them that whay they cared about before still matters, what was to their souls can be purified and the Void won't have them anymore. We think CY-Ren can be saved, too.

I... don't know exactly how to do that. But everyone taken, they have friends here, don't they? If we work together, we can find a way. Maybe we can share what made them happy, what might remind them of who they are or--or how to talk to them? [His voice wavers a little, but not out of lack of confidence in his plan.]

I know they can be reached. It won't be easy, but... I think we should try. I think it's better than just fighting them.

((TREAT THIS AS A MINGLE threadjack each other, this is an open forum of friendship.))

Comments

[kingsroads]

Well then, that person's going to be me, [ Strange cheerfully responds. ] Of course, I doubt I'll be able to keep an entire stadium safe, but I shall certainly try.

[whattaprick]

Can you cover your ears?

[ Lambert pipes up. ]

Music’s how she got people last time.

[kingsroads]

I'm certain I can find earplugs somewhere. I'll wear them when the concert starts.

[whattaprick]

Good. Last thing we need is you getting enchanted again.

... And we need to keep eyes out for the fae, too.

[kingsroads]

That's why I'm going to the concert in the first place. [ and because he knows everybody's going to yell at him about this, Strange just starts talking, potentially talking over anybody who's saying otherwise. ]

She hasn't tried to abduct any of us and if you hadn't found her, I don't think she would have attacked any of us. She's here for a reason and I want to find out what it is.

[whattaprick]

And what are you going to do when you find her? Just walk up and say 'long time no see, did you miss me'?

[kingsroads]

[ pretty much! ]

Well I'm certainly not going to attack her, if that's what you're asking. The medics are stretched thin enough as is.

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert grunts. ]

Childermass bought that spell for you. Don't waste it.

[kingsroads]

And unless she dispells it herself, it should still work when I return to the carnival.

Besides, I'm practically bleeding changes, contracts, and curses. She'll have to look hard to find the damn thing in the first place.

[whattaprick]

All right, stop talking.

You're not making me feel any better.

[kingsroads]

You really have no faith in me.

[ it's said in a teasing tone of voice, more Strange giving Lambert shit than being offended or annoyed. ]

[whattaprick]

I have plenty of faith in you. Just call me superstitious.

[kingsroads]

It is true that if things can go bad here, they probably will.

[ there's a pause, before Strange continues. ] I forgot to mention. In my conversation with Childermass, before he stole my stuff—which I'm still mad about, by the way, do try and get that gem back. Anyway, he tried to recruit me to join him and the Harbingers. I don't think he would have done that if he didn't care. Yuya's right.

[whattaprick]

We didn’t exactly get the recruitment speech when we ran into him at the museum.

[ Though to be fair, that’s because that situation Escalated Quickly. And he’d also held back from striking Lambert when he was down— something impossible for him to forget — though that’s not a detail he’s sharing, either. ]

... the Void really did a number on him though. He was hamming it up like something out of a bad play.

[kingsroads]

Weren't you already a Guardian when you were at the museum? That answers that question.

[ At least in Strange's mind, that explains things. Could Guardians be turned into Harbingers? Hell if he knows. But it's probably a lot easier to turn some random person into a Harbinger than a Guardian.

...though dang, now he really wishes he saw that museum fight. ]

Most of what he said to me was personal things. You'll never see Arabella again, you won't break the curse, why not go ahead and end everything already, and so on and so forth.

[ if you joke about it, that means it doesn't affect you! ]

[whattaprick]

Wow. That doesn’t sound like Childermass at all.

[ Like, not that Strange needed any confirmation. ]

[kingsroads]

Neither does him hamming it up. All the more reason why you need to get him back to normal.

[hippocarnival]

[... Uh.] You think she's going to be at the second concert, too?

[Him and Lambert anyway. He didn't hear from Gongenzaka if Nightshade expressed why she was here.] Are... is it okay if she sees you?

[kingsroads]

She might be. She might not. I honestly don't know.

[ but Strange is slightly paranoid about these things and straight up assumes the worst! ]

And I'll be fine. I've changed since she saw me last—I can use that to my advantage.

[hippocarnival]

You're not unrecognizable. [Yuya's Got no idea about his special protection.]

Just don't get caught, okay? [His voice is a little pleading even if he tries to be casual about it. He doesn't want anyone else to disappear.]

[kingsroads]

My track record with these things is better than people give me credit for. If I find her, I won't get caught.

[ famous fuckin last words, my dude. ]