four - place the moon at my eyes

[kingsroads]

[ the post goes up late Thursday, into the evening hours. and MAN is Strange so thankful for this magical journal system. He really doesn't want to have to write this multiple times. ]

One of our new visitors is an enchanter of some sort. He has cursed me and trapped Sabriel.

Francis, McGonagall, I shall need your help. I cannot save Sabriel alone. Likewise, I will need to help of any new magicians who might have arrived with the visitors. As I cannot tell the new magicians this myself, I am relying on the rest of the ship's crew to pass on this message as I cannot myself. Please meet me at my room—the proper one, not my cursed apartment.

Persson, Sheehan, I have a question of you. How can one dream up an item they had back home? Does it work the same as the communal dream of Goodsir and Jopson's rooms or can I do this by myself? I know the item's properties perfectly as I created it myself, I simply need it here. Do not come to me in person, simply respond with your journal.

As for the rest of the ship, I need a mirror and something dead—flowers, perhaps? Please leave them outside my door if you have them. There is a spell I can still cast, a spell to see what my enemy is doing. I do not know who my enemy is but the enchanter hurt Sabriel. Undoubtedly he is my enemy and undoubtedly he is on this ship.

Stay safe.

Comments

[kingsroads]

Strange actually isn't at the cabin. He had taken Crozier's advice to look among the new arrivals for magicians, or at least someone who can help. The closest thing he found was a duck that's also a swan, shining bright like the sun, but he thinks he might have made her cry so that duck isn't going to work. Fortunately, he's returning to his cabin right as Molly knocks on the door. And the madness combined with Strange's own slight magical sensitivity tell him right away that this woman can help.

She radiates power, an icy breeze that makes Strange involuntarily shiver as frost drips from her fingertips and her hair shimmers with the colors of the Northern sky. Without hesitation, Strange rushes towards Molly, look of relief visible on his face as he makes to grab her hand. He's got no idea if she's coming or going but at far as he's concerned, he's not going to let her go anywhere.

The most recent enchantment lies at his throat. But Molly can also see traces of a different curse Strange is under, a curse of eternal night held at bay by the dream, as well as the effect of the madness swimming around Strange's mind. He wasn't doing so hot even before this recent curse.

[goodgrasshopper]

Molly stares at him in shock. Even if she hadn't spoken to Una and read the man's plea for help on their network, she would know that he needed help. She can see an enchantment similar--though different--to the one on Una at his throat, but he's also wound up in other magics, and the turmoil in his mind is actually making her a little seasick.

"Mr. Strange, I assume?" her tone holds a sense of mild alarm at his state. "Una told me you're having a problem with a curse. Where is he?"

Wait. No. He can't talk. She can see that.

She presses her lips together briefly. The fae aren't exactly known for their generosity of spirit, and favors must be repaid in kind. It's part of their nature, and it's not something she can just... will away.

"You're going to owe me after this. Blah blah blah, faerie bullshit. A favor to be collected at a time of my choosing. Do you understand?"

[kingsroads]

Strange nods as Molly says his name. The mention of Una surprises him-she scoffed at fairies once and yet she knows one with so much power? Though as the conversation continues, it becomes obvious to Strange why Una might not have known much about the fae. This fairy, this winter lady is...unconventional at best.

Strange can't help but gape a little at the words blah blah blah, faerie bullshit. Because...what? Just what. What the hell. The favor owed is reassuring because it's at least something he expects. Honestly, he'd prefer owing a more physical gift, but beggars can't be choosers.

He nods again to show he understands.

[goodgrasshopper]

"Super." she says with a nod of her own. "Now let's follow this enchantment back to where it came from, shall we?" Harry had taught her the basics of thaumaturgy, and Mab had helped her refine them. She doesn't need perfect silence anymore, and she could probably manage this without a circle, but she's still used to doing some things the human way.

"Do you have any chalk? This dress doesn't have any pockets."

[kingsroads]

It is a very good thing for Molly that Strange is quiet right now because he has nothing but questions. Chalk? What spell involves that? Shouldn't she use Belias's Scopus instead? Is this a fairy thing? Why can't she magic chalk herself?

Fortunately, they're right outside of Strange's cabin and Jonathan 'packrat' Strange has chalk. He holds out his hand in the sort of gesture for 'one moment' before he opens the door and rummages through some materials in his desk. Sabriel gets a hopeful smile (just hold on, we're almost there!) and Fitzjames, if he's still around, gets an excited grin. He finds the chalk in fifteen seconds or so, stuffs some more paper in his pocket and a pencil behind his ear, then in a flurry of movement rushes back out of the cabin to present Molly with the chalk.

[goodgrasshopper]

She had been about to follow him into the room, but the hallway is fine too. "Stand there," she says, taking the chalk from him, and motioning for him to stay exactly where he is. It only takes a moment to draw a chalk circle around him, and she touches it to imbue it with power. She looks at Strange-- "Don't move yet" --then sits down next to it and closes her eyes, muttering a few syllables of Japanese-sounding nonsense under her breath.

Strange should begin to feel a sensation of warmth on one side of his body in the direction of the Gentleman.

Molly gets to her feet again. "It's a locator spell," she explains. "You can break the circle now. It will hold until we find the fucker who put that curse on you."

[kingsroads]

As Molly draws the circle, it becomes very apparent that standing still isn't exactly Strange's forte. He's not the sort of person who's good at stopping and staying still normally, never mind stopping and staying still when his mind feels like a thousand birds and the ground feels like rocks under his feet. He bounces in place, waiting impatiently until Molly finishes the spell and he feels the sensation of warmth.

He knows what to do. This magic is telling him to go. Strange gives Molly a thankful yet harried smile as he reaches over to grab her wrist and yank her behind him as he goes off in the direction of that fiend who cursed him.

[goodgrasshopper]

This is more or less what Molly had intended, so she's ready when Strange grabs her arm and starts moving. She is ready to go fuck this enchanter up after what he's done to Una (and after interrupting a very pleasant interlude with Jake).

[sssstephen]

The Gentleman has been lingering in the Great Cabin, his curiosity with the mortals at its limits in this second day. He’s even lost the taste for his usual tricks; the mortals are so dull and predictable in their reactions to him. Not to mention boorish — their reactions to his special gift of dear Sabriel were downright rude! Yes, the Gentleman is certainly done with this realm.

[kingsroads]

Strange practically drags Molly down the ship's corridors, following the feeling of the spell on his body. When they make their way to the Great Cabin and Strange sees that familiar white hair, his expression almost instantly changes to one of pure loathing as he just stares down that fairy.

Not knowing if she can see him (can fairies see other fairies? He'll have to ask her that later), Strange gestures emphatically in the Gentleman's direction as well.

[goodgrasshopper]

Oh, she can see him all right.

"Hireki!" she snaps, and slashes her hand through the air to dissipate his veil. "Knock it off," she says to the Gentleman. "Drop the enchantments or I will drop you." She doesn't know this faerie, but she can smell fae magic all over him. He's not subject to Winter, so he doesn't have to listen to her, but she is the goddamn Winter Lady, and if he decides not to, she will make him.

[sssstephen]

Rude. Rude, rude, rude. Unacceptably rude!

The Gentleman stares wide-eyed at the two interlopers. The magician he knows, but the other? What is she?

The longer he stares at her, the more amused he becomes.

“And who are you to tell me what to do?”

[kingsroads]

Strange opens his mouth, like he's going to tell the Gentleman who she is (despite the fact that Strange also has no idea who Molly is), but for like the fiftieth time today, nothing comes out. He looks intensely frustrated before looking back to Molly, then over to the Gentleman, eyes darting between the two fairies as he tries to keep everything in view.

[goodgrasshopper]

"I am Molly, Lady of the Winter Court, and you are pissing me off," she tells him. "Release your enchantments over the people on this ship. Don't make me tell you again." There's power in threes. If she tells him again--at least in her world--it's as good as a geas.

[sssstephen]

None of that means anything to him, and he takes a step forward as the space around them begins to darken and shrink. In any of the usual circumstances a challenger would either make him smile with delight - because what an amusing notion - or cause deep vexation that usually ended with a very Displeased Gentleman, but this is not the usual circumstance, and she is not the usual challenger.

"I will not release the magician," he says. That he refuses. "But if I cannot have my pretty portrait, I must be given compensation."

[kingsroads]

It's obvious the encroaching darkness has Strange a little on edge. He takes a step closer to Molly, listening intently. He seems a little resigned when he hears that the fairy won't release him and lets out a voiceless sigh. All of this has been focused on releasing Sabriel, freeing Sabriel, could he live like this and accept this curse if she's safe? He honestly doesn't know.

[goodgrasshopper]

Molly grinds her teeth. As a Queen, she's obligated to at least entertain the negotiation, even if he's not one of hers, so even though she wants to flatten him, she can't.

Yet.

"You will release the magician. That's not under negotiation. He is indebted to me, and I mean to free him and the others you've cursed." Whether you like it or not, you greasy little shit. "What would you consider just compensation?"

[sssstephen]

The Gentleman nearly pouts. What does a debt mean if not owed to him? But he relents, waving his hand to call the wind back to return the nasally, deeply unpleasant voice. He will not take away the other curse though, but he doubts she's aware of it.

"Released. Now as a matter of my compensation, Miss Sabriel's youth will do," he replies, adjusting his lace cuff. "10 years, at the very least."

[kingsroads]

The wind enters through his mouth and Strange takes a breath. He feels something dislodge in the back of his throat and knows that he can speak again. And so, he's going to take advantage of that: there's unchecked loathing in his voice as he glares in the Gentleman's direction.

"So you can trap Sabriel in your realm like you did Lady Pole? Like my wife? I can answer for the Lady of the Winter Court, those terms are not acceptable."

He's not going to let this fiend take anything of Sabriel's.

[goodgrasshopper]

Strange isn't entirely freed. Molly can still see the curse of darkness around him, trailing off into nothing, but she's not sure there's much she can do about that. It's... bigger than this moment. Bigger than the petty bullshit that's happening here.

She glances over at Strange and gives him a quick grin at his response before turning back to the Gentleman. "It appears that your terms are unacceptable." Not that she would have anyway. The Lady might not think that ten years amount to much, but Molly, who used to be mortal, knows better. "If the Magician won't accept them, then neither will I, and on a personal note, you will also lift the geas on Una Persson. She's not a part of this." This is a little trickier. Technically, neither she nor Una owe each other any more than friendship, and there's nothing she can hang her power on there. No debt, nothing owed. She's hoping that it will go unremarked in the other demands.

[sssstephen]

The Gentleman looks unimpressed as the Magician begins speaking. He tried to spare them all, he really did. Does no one appreciate a gift?

"That curse was ended the moment you lifted the veil," the Gentleman replies, becoming frustrated as the 'talk' continues. "But if you cannot give me her youth, perhaps something else might be more agreeable. A memory which causes her pain."

[goodgrasshopper]

Molly's glad that Una is going to be all right, but the Gentleman's terms are still not acceptable to her. "No," she says flatly. "The girl didn't make a deal with you. She didn't bargain away her youth or life or memories." She hadn't been present, but she doesn't See any debt owed, so she feels confident in her stance. "Your terms are unacceptable. You will end your enchantments now." She slashes her hand again, as he had when dissolving the veil.

Threes have power, and she's the Winter Lady. Ice creeps up and engulfs him, and within moments, he's frozen solid. She thrusts a hand out, Dresden-style, in a wave of force, and smashes the ice, the Gentleman and his enchantments along with it.

[kingsroads]

This is impressive, amazing, and damn terrifying. Strange can only watch as Molly engulfs the fairy in ice and outright kills him. It's a bit humbling knowing that his magic is only a fraction of hers. So as the dust settles, Strange starts to explain, choosing his words very carefully.

"He'll be back soon," Strange sighs. "The dream only lets you stay dead for a few days. But thank you, my lady."

[goodgrasshopper]

She gives the remains of the Gentleman a cold look before making a face at Strange. "Is he a permanent resident or a visitor?" If he's a visitor, coming back will be moot. He'll be gone before he can pull himself together. If he's not, he's going to be a problem later. She might be able to work out a lasting protection if he's going to stick around, but she's not sure if it will last after she leaves.

[kingsroads]

Strange wrinkles his nose a little in confusion before his mind sorts itself out enough in order to understand and answer the question. "Visitor, I believe. Does that affect anything?"