therookery | crystal; new phone who dis

Entry tags:

crystal; new phone who dis

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Ness Tavane (

aberratic, on behalf of The Forgotten (Julius, Bastien, Clarisse, Viktor (and Isaac)))
RECIPIENT: Everyone
NOTES: Player plot info! Basically: As far as everyone in the Gallows is concerned, the people Ness is talking about just straight up do not exist and never have.

[ the voice that comes over the crystal is a soft, somewhat frazzled soprano. other voices can be heard arguing behind her, but only the tones of frustration and suspicion are audible; the content of the discussion is indistinct. ]

Good afternoon, Riftwatch, this is Quartermaster Ennaris Tavane. We—that is, myself, the Seneschal, Griffon Keeper La Rue, and Messeres Bastien and Viktor, we are being barred from use of the ferry to re-enter the Gallows. Is there anyone available to vouch for us, please? We're all very tired from our return journey and have quite a lot of work to get back to.

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[ After this. ]

Hey. Wanda. Do you have a minute?

Doctor Strange.

[ So formal, so American. ]

Does the minute start now or after you've informed me of what you need?

[ If Wanda were a normal person, she would've said Yes. ]

You can— [ The smallest sigh, beleaguered in that way where he’s pretty sure she’s yanking his chain. (Once upon a time, it had been easier to read the mood between them.) ] Y’know you can still call me Stephen, right? Your first name privileges haven’t been revoked. But yes, I suppose your time starts now.

Have you been hearing this thing on the crystals? The new arrivals who claim we’re supposed to know them.

[ She's not doing that.

Is he going to judge her for her answer? ]

I've been ignoring it. I didn't want to get involved; I'm still new and very shiny, even if it's wearing off.

[ And, you know, since everything she touches tends to turn to shit. Wanda's still in her self-deprecation era, although she's trying her hardest not to let that be known! (It's so not fun to watch.) ]

Extremely fair. I would’ve stayed out of it myself, except one of them is claiming to know me in particular. I was wondering if—

[ If you might help. The words strangle in his throat; he swallows them. ]

I was thinking your particular skillset might come in handy, here.

[ She wants to make him say it, but Wanda, for the sake of not wanting to be a villain and overstep whatever it is they are, settles for - ]

Do you think they're lying?

[ No. Why would he ask if he did? Strange isn't one to doubt himself. ]

I think either they’re lying, or there’s some very complicated mind magic afoot; and in either case, you might be able to help sort out which one it is.

She could have been enchanted to fully believe what she’s saying, so it might not be full confirmation either way. But if you could suss out— [ he sounds tired, a little frustrated, it’s been a weird night, ] any kind of hint, a clue. If there is some lingering convenient moustache-twirling thought buried beneath the strata, going “ha ha, they’re falling for the ruse, our mind-control Venatori comrades will be ever so pleased”, well, then, at least we’ve got our answer.

[ And if it’s not that. Well. There’s a traumatised, frightened girl with telepathy who might be in need of a friend. ]

[ Very complicated mind magic. You might be able to help sort out which one it is. All that's missing is Ashton Kutcher to confirm she's being punk'd right now.

But Strange, for all his arrogance and sharpness, is not as cruel as Stark. ]

Will you insist on being there? I assume I'll have to meet her. I get a little headache when I try to read minds.

[ A little truth in exchange for this little nugget of trust. Wanda wishes to keep all her cards close to her chest, but she's gotten nowhere lying low over the last few months. And she wants progress. How else will she get her season three? ]

Yeah, presumably you have to be there in-person to work your magic. The girl’s named Ennaris Tavane. They’re all being kept at the dockside apartments.

[ Who better than the mind control specialist to find out if there’s been mind control afoot? It’s an uncomfortable truth, but an efficient one. At her question, though, Stephen hesitates. He can’t tell which one she’d prefer. ]

—And only if you want me to be.

I won’t insist on being there. It might be a distraction to you both if I’m lurking in the room. But I could wait outside with some Ibuprofen, if need be. [ A beat. ] As backup, too, in case something goes wrong.

[ Why does that name make her think of the Lochness monster? (Emphasis on ness.) Who knows how Wanda's mind works these days. ]

You can wait outside. People who are already confused and under suspicion need to feel safe.

[ She doesn't desire a supervisor. Can Stephen Strange stand in the shadows and remain quiet? While Pietro is so different to him (his shirt would be untucked, his language less refined, and he'd insist on going with her without offering her the choice), there are similarities. Both are pigheaded. Both have big heads.

But she knows she needs to offer an olive branch of some sort while advocating for herself. ]

How has this… Ennaris Tavane been with you? Has she been aggressive?

Not at all. [ Quietly, ] She cried. She seems bleakly convinced that nothing she can say will change my mind, our minds. Which in and of itself might just be a ploy to get my guard down and evoke some sympathy,

[ he’s still paranoid, all the time, ]

but still. Point being, she’s not aggressive.

[ Be kind if you can, he almost says; but he manages to bite it back at just the last moment, not wanting a replay of Stephen Strange standing between Wanda and a teenaged girl. He knows how it looks. Where was the rest of the world when Wanda Maximoff needed kindness?

So, just this: trust. ]

I’ll be very interested in what you manage to find out.

[ So you can swoop in and play hero?

Wanda, for all her self-preservation, at least stops herself from biting. Is it bait? She doubts it. Strange's idea of dangling bait is a little more obvious. ]

You should remember she may be trying to find your blindspot. If your gut tells you not to trust her, then I think you should listen to your gut instead of your mind.

[ But who is she to tell him what to do? ]

I'll see if I can help her.

It’s my mind saying that they’re all a bunch of strangers and their claims are ludicrous and likely a security threat; whereas my gut doesn’t know what to make of it. But I just keep reminding myself that there’s so many endless possibilities to magic, we’re likely barely scratching the surface. Anything’s possible. And even if it’s inconclusive, a little more information is better than none.

I— Thank you, Wanda. Appreciated. I’ll meet you on the other side of the docks, and then stay out of your way.

[ He needs her abilities, but he won’t push his luck on this tentative new bridge. They’re both taking a risk, here. ]

[ Can he stay out of the way? She thankfully has the foresight not to say as much. ]

Your mind thinks too much. Your gut is more elevator-pitch-friendly. Somewhere in the middle is the answer. I would know.

[ Hadn't his mind told him to trust her, but his gut had started to peel apart the pretty wallpaper of her make-believe world? Perhaps she shouldn't give Strange such a beacon to help guide him through the darkness, but… Sometimes, she likes to be helpful.

She has no idea what to do with his gratitude, so she files it away for later storyboarding.

(Did she want to try to get the last word? Yes.) ]

[ Stephen’s mouth instinctively opens — he likes to have the last word, pettily, just for the sake of liking to hear himself talk —

but in the end, he gives her this, and lets her keep it. Just a short laugh, and then disconnecting the crystal. ]

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crystal; new phone who dis

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