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Lux:
Lux is sitting at a booth, a plate of mostly eaten fries in front of them, loaded with nacho cheese sauce. There's a huge strawberry milkshake in front of them too, which they idly sip at while slumped over, arms crossed on the edge of the table. They're staring out the window of Maddy's with a distant, day-dreamy expression, like they might drift off to sleep at any moment.
Vorpal:
Leaves swirl up into a Vorpal for a split second as she opens the door and moves in, closing it behind her, her existence to the world terribly brief and unimportant. Stepping inside, she let's out a long, slow sigh.
She's anxious.
That's new.
Jack:
Did Jack have plans to meet Lux here? Perhaps, perhaps not. But here he is, the rain-and-blood scent of his Mantle preceding him, sketchy roses scribbled across the floor behind him as he walks. He's either freshly showered or got caught in the rain - his hair is damp, but styled, and his clothes are clean and comfortable, for him - skin-tight jeans and a drapey tank under his raincoat.
"Hey, babe," he murmurs as he gets close to the Bright One, reaching out a hand to slide around their shoulders.
Lux:
Lux slips out of their daze as the door opens to let the two lost in, glancing up--then smiling after a beat. "Hey, you two." They straighten, gesturing to the booth. "Have a seat?"
Jack does not get a choice of where to sit. Their tank top is tugged to pull him down beside them, scooting in close.
Vorpal:
Jackie gets to choose! So she does, and slings herself down across the whole other half of the booth, back to the wall where she can see the door. "Hey. Hope everyone's doing well?"
She looks anxious, worn ragged- but possibly recovering? She's not at her wits end, just... tired.
Jack:
As if he would choose anywhere but as close to Lux as possible. His arm slides down to drape around their waist, his lips press a contented kiss against their cheek, and he settles in with a hum.
Jackie gets a concerned once-over. "Doing okay. Managed to get through Christmas hell, I've been working too much to keep on top of everything...else."
Lux:
Lux gives Vorpal a worried glance as they realize how anxious she looks. "Are you okay, Jackie?" They glance aside at Jack, smiling gently. "Yes, well, now that you're no longer swamped in Nutcracker hell... I have a job for you."
Vorpal:
"Me? No. Not- not really. I mean, I'm not falling apart. Just- stressed. The, uh. The "member of the Freehold" attacked by the Mark IIs? That was me. And it was a fucking nightmare even before they unleashed the tiny drone firing squad. I'm just- being really careful not to exist in reality for long or to leave it in places anyone else needs to show up. I'm- terrified the next note I see is going to be about a Mark II sniper unit burning someone to ash for noncompliance.
But on the plus side, I finished a present for Sigrun, so. That's something."
Work? Well. Technically, they said work for Jack. So she listens for now.
Jack:
Jack frowns as he puts the pieces of the past few weeks together, and reaches out across the table to offer a touch on her shoulder or arm. "And I thought I was dealing with hell," he mutters quietly. "I'm glad you came out...relatively unscathed."
Lux:
Their brows raise in surprise, then crease with concern, frowning at Vorpal. "Oh fuck, I'm so sorry. I--don't know what happened but it seemed like it was really scary. I'm glad you got away from that, but... don't blame you. I... Unfortunately, do not have any good news to give you," Lux says softly, grimly. "Well... Not really. Maybe there is some silver lining, I don't know. But--I don't think Jack knows anything about the dream stuff going on, so apologies if I'm rehashing things you already know," they say to Jackie, before picking up their milkshake for a long siiiip. Then focusing on Jack.
"So, you know how like... a while back, everyone had weird dreams? Apparently almost everyone weird in the city had some version of the dream, though people remember different things. Well, there's this whole... huge conspiracy plot going on, that somehow involves all of us, but especially the mages in the city. It's all tied to a group of shitty mages called Seers of the Throne, who serve this entity called Panopticon, also known as The Eye, also known as the Queen of Mirrors. And other names. You know that all-seeing eye that's on the dollar bill? Kinda like that. An eye on a throne. Watching everything. Wants to enslave and control the world and other mustache twirling bullshit."
"Apparently Panopticon has been tugging at the strings of fate for... a long time. Little nudges, subtle pulls. These dreams... They're warnings. Signs. A lot of those initial dreams represent people who Panopticon have been tugging along and watching." Lux frowns at Jack. "You are one of the dreams I was able to interpret."
"One of them was me, too."
Vorpal:
Jackie nods and waves off the apology. "Refresher's never bad."
The rest, she knows, mostly. But with that last point, Lux feels to be leading into something, and she lets them do so.
Jack:
"Shit." Jack sounds a mixture of horrified and impressed with Lux's explanation, his sketched outline flickering in agitation at the concept that there's an evil group of people literally trying to take over the world.
"I...knew some of it. I think. This is connected to all that shit with the Woods, right? And the mage that was trying to kill people...?"
Lux:
"I think so, yes." Lux nods. "Though I don't know the details about that branch of things. I've been focusing on the dream part and--I think this is a multi-branched issue. A lot going on..."
"But--so--those aren't the only dreams going on." Lux looks between them, frowning. "Do either of you know the story about Michael Zloof? The Winter King before Marjorie?"
Jack:
"Maybe at some point?" Jack doesn't sound particularly sure. "I'll be honest, Freehold politics isn't something I've ever been close with. Don't tell Ari." His grin is a little self deprecating.
Vorpal:
"It was most assuredly connected to the attempt on the Wood's lives. That's no longer in question." Jackie shifts a little, and pulls a... just incredible piece of jade and gold-work in the shape of a... worryingly-functional... looking... knife. And sets it on the table.
"That, was made from pieces of the sword that USED to have cut down the Woods. I kept it, I shattered it, and I buried the pieces in a creek in the hopes that taking something from a severed timeline, which had previously severed lives, and letting the Wyrd play with it, might make something that could carve through Helldiver tethers." Her fingers rap on the tabletop a few times. "It worked. That'll cut tethers.
And absolutely everything else but cold iron. And when I had Artie check the memories of the knife, he saw Panopticon itself, on its throne, handing out the sword to the Seer that tried to kill them."
The blade flicks back under Jackie's coat, though. "So. Yes. Connected. You were saying about Zloof?"
Lux:
Lux glances at the knife and nods distractedly. They'd seen the blade before, but hadn't made the connection to the attack on the Woods--or at least, the player had forgotten that part.
"Michael was the ruler before Marjorie, a Bright One. He sacrificed himself to save a group of newly escaped Lost from one of Le General's Huntsmen. The people he saved got away, but... it was always assumed that he was killed. Or was taken. But he wasn't..."
Lux frowns at Jackie. "Somehow... He was made into a grigori." Their voice softens to a near whisper. For Jack's sake, they explain, "They are... servants of the Seers of the Throne--of Panopticon. His body is still living, technically, but asleep and wrapped in these magical dressings like a mummy. They use grigoris for scouts and spies. Vasya said that this shouldn't work on a Lost but somehow it's true. And it's Michael that is reaching out through dreams."
"There is a map that he's hidden among our dreams. I found a piece of it in my dreams. There's another one in Vasya's that we need to recover--and there's several others hidden among dreams of... some people in the city. I've been searching but not found them yet. But when we get all the pieces, the map will lead us past the Dreaming Roads and into the Living World--also called the Oneiros. Vasya believes that he is there, somehow. That he wants us to find him. I... don't know if his mind can be recovered there? I hope so. But either way, he's reaching out and he wants us to go there. And he doesn't have much time. Their control over him isn't absolute but they do control him and his time is running out."
Jack:
Jack actively shies away from the knife, bits of charcoal exploding away from his silhouette to dissolve into nothingness in the air as he leans into Lux a little more.
"There's a lot of shit going on that 'shouldn't' be," he mutters as Lux finishes explaining. "That...I'm not the best at navigating dreams but...if you need me to I'll help. I'll...yeah. Whatever's needed, you've got me."
Vorpal:
V doesn't know why Jack shies away, but she winces a little. "Sorry, sorry. It's- it's a Token. It has to be turned on. It... costs sanity to do so. So I've never used it, but. I've been assured it will do the trick."
The word Grigori visibly leaves Vorpal shaken. The instant it's spoken in connection to a Lost, the knife-thin gleam of white in her shadowface gapes, stunned, her eyespots fluttering in abject disbelief. "No. Nono, that's- God be merciful, such a fate."
"That... means... Le General had to have turned him over to the Seers, then. If everything as described is true. And-" A shuddering breath. "I'd believe it. I already know a Huntsman sic'd a vampiric owl spirit as old as Rome on me, and the Seers are attempting assassination attempts on us. It- it tracks. It's awful, and beyond horrific but... it.... tracks."
Lux:
Lux nods grimly to Vorpal. "Yes. We also know that the fae Queen of Mirrors is somehow tied to the Exarch Queen of Mirrors. My dreams told me that they are maybe working together and Vasya's divination on whether they are the same entity was.... inconclusive. Also a big magic shrug maybe. So there's already some establishment of the Gentry having connections to Panopticon."
"What I need from you is exactly your job, actually." Lux kisses Jack's temple. "Though if I can search through your dreams for the map soon, that'd be great. But--those initial visions? The symbols? They're not just of individuals. One of them was of rose petals scattering across thorns. It means the Rose Red Freehold, in Lancaster. I was able to decipher that they're not plotting against us, but they are involved somehow. Their fates are tied to all of this in some way. We need to know how. But... Rose Red isn't exactly a friend of Shackamaxon. I thought... Maybe it's time we try to fix that. Get together some diplomats, see if we can get some communication going between us. Make sure they aren't getting targeted or used." They squeeze Jack's hand. "Do you think that's something you could take charge of, babe?"
Jack:
"So the Mages and the...Them are...working together. That's...fuck. That's..." Jack actually laughs, a bitter, humorless laugh. "I'd heard there was one of His Huntsmen around, that...fuck."
There's a beat pause, as he takes a moment to calm down, leaning into Lux's affection. "You can search my dreams whenever you want, babe." It comes out maybe a little more lewd than he'd intended, but, you know. It's Jack. "But yeah, I can do that. There's at least someone around who used to be a member there, isn't there?"
Vorpal:
V shakes her head slowly. "I shouldn't be surprised. The Exarchs all sound like fucking Keepers themselves. Warping and blinding reality to suit themselves, fucking with existence just for their own benefits..."
Talk moves to business directly, and it's quiet time for V again. She spends the time thinking and trying to see if she missed anything important.
Lux:
"I have no idea?" Lux squints. "I don't know anyone that is from Red Rose, anyway... But there might be." They squeeze Jack's hand. "Either way, I think going and trying to get them to open up and trust us more is a good first step, and hopefully we can learn stuff from there. I trust you, though. However you wanna handle it."
They pick up the milkshake again to slurp from, looking across to Vorpal. "When we do have the whole map... Do you want to come with me and Vasya? I know you said you don't like dreams though, so I understand if you'd prefer not to."
Jack:
Jack runs a hand through his damp hair as he nods slowly. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe fuck around with finding a good gift to bring them first, a peace gesture, you know?"
Vorpal:
"Oh, I'd have no problem with this. That's a trip beyond dreams, that's- I'd LOVE to go, honestly. Probably best if I set myself up with some Clarity reinforcements, first, you know? But that's a trip I'd never turn down."
She pauses, and hesitantly asks, "I hate to put more work on your plate, Lux, but do you have any advice for locating a Bastion with a Huntsman's Heart in it? I want to find the Viscount's heart- so I can free it, and see if maybe... the part crammed into the Huntsman could be... destroyed. Either way, we'd be free of the Vicsount."
...
"I'd be free of the Viscount. So... if you have any ideas... I'd really appreciate it."
Lux:
"Probably a good start, yeah. I don't know a ton about them, but they're all into... history and shit, I think." Lux shrugs.
Then they nod to Vorpal. "I figure this is something a Helldiver would be useful for. Clarity reinforcements are a good idea. I'll probably do the same."
They pause as Vorpal mentions the Bastion, looking thoughtful. "What all do you know about the Viscount?"
Jack:
Jack falls silent, and steals Lux's shake to take a sip of, eyeing Jackie curiously across the table.
Vorpal:
V takes a moment to think and collect everything she knows.
"Viscount of Victims and Villainy. That's how he introduced himself. He's probably carrying the part of the Stone Haunter that enjoys taking innocents and turning them into monsters and vice versa. The name fits. He's big on ambushes and indirect combat. He's sniped at me across the square outside City Hall, for instance, and sent vampire owl spirit assholes to try to make me kill my friends with vampire magic. If you hear someone say Strix, that's what they're talking about, old asshole owl spirits that can possess vampires. He's relatively proper, personification-wise, and still refers to me as the God of the Hunt, which is super uncomfortable."
Lux:
Lux nods slowly, handing the milkshake over to Jack to finish without a fuss.
"And the Huntsman has been after you for a while, right? It's been stalking you in the mortal world for a while?"
Vorpal:
"He has. I bought a lot of time by agreeing not to Dive for... months. It didn't stop him chasing me, but he agreed not to target other individuals to get to me. We've made a new bargain- or Teagan did, with Sigrun's help, which was damnably impressive- but we need to find its heart and return it as soon as possible."
Lux:
"That's good for you, then. A Huntsman's heart infects the Bastian it's hiding in. It will cause the dreamer to dream of hunting of some form. Sounds like this guy would bring about dreams of stalking and ambushes, maybe... tracking prey through shadows. Dreams of people turning into monsters. The dreams are going to be pretty intense, so if it's been this long, the odds are high that the person's psyche has been greatly effected."
"So I'd suggest two ways of finding the dreamer--you can do it the old fashioned way. Wander the Dreaming Roads, try to search for any signs of the Viscount's... resonance. And look for a Bastian that looks particularly fortified, cause I doubt the heart is going to be hidden in a dream that is easy to step into. But obviously that's going to be like looking for a needle in a hay stack. Which--I'm always hopping from dream to dream and exploring the Roads anyway, so I can keep an eye out if you want?"
"But another route you could take is to make friends with local psychologists. Or go into their dreams to search--or just straight up break into offices and look through files, whatever. If this person has been plagued by dreams for months? Especially if they're dreams of hurting people? Odds are high that they've sought out help for their mental health. There might be a lead to follow there." A beat pause. "Or hell, the dreams might have driven them mad enough that they start playing out the violent dreams in real life." They grimace. "But--hopefully not."
Vorpal:
Something about the idea of possibly being left no choice but to hunt others like Lux had said left her looking... can Shadows look pale?
This one does.
"Mercy, but I hope not. That- nobody... should have to live like that. Yes. Please. Keep an eye out. I'll ask around for anyone with contacts in mental health fields, see if I can find anyone with that sort of affliction." She shudders. "That's excellent advice. I really appreciate it, Lux. Seriously."
Jack:
"My baby knows dreams," Jack says with a small smile, and squeezes Lux's waist gently. "I hope you can find them, that...fuck, I mean no one is having a good time, there."
Lux:
"I'll keep an eye out," Lux assures, giving Vorpal a sympathetic look. "Petra might know some people? And I remember Eugene Moon being a psychologist, I think. I haven't seen them around in a long time, but you might be able to track them down." (I know the player mentioned today they wanted to get back into things!)
Vorpal:
"Those are both good leads. I'll start there." Jackie grins at Jack, nodding. "They really do. When you get wizards impressed with your dream knowhow... you did somethin' right, yeah?"
Lux:
"Heh. I spend more time dreaming than I do awake, these days. Guess you learn some things." Lux shrugs, but based on their smile they certainly don't mind the praise.
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