Backdated to early 8 Feb | Text | Unseelie locked

[gordianknots]

By now I think everyone knows that the monarchs are asking us to run after the Jabberwock to try and return it back to them. We know that it responds to touch, that it likes puzzles, and that lavender will help soothe it.

But there are problems with what we’ve been told that need to be solved now.

1. It’s the middle of winter. We need sources of lavender, and I do not imagine that this will be easy. If anyone knows where to begin, and can say so on an open post here, you’d be doing everyone a great favour.
2. The Jabberwock isn’t small. Making puzzles that will be the right sie will be a struggle. Thoughts on how to go about that are welcome. I’m not imagining that it is going to be possible to walk up to this thing and ask it why did the chicken cross the road?
3. Touch. If this thing’s aura of rot is as true as old accounts have presented it, we need to find ways to deal with that. Quickly.

I’m encouraging brainstorming on this network post because anything that can be thought up together will have a greater chance of working.

Chime in if you can and for the love of whatever is dearest to you, stay safe.

Comments

( text, unseelie. )

[manipulative]

[ katherine has nothing of significance to add — a jabberwock belongs in wonderland, not the drabwurld. she merely recognises the identifier of the broadcast and chooses to respond. ]

But did the chicken cross the road before or after the road itself was decimated?

[gordianknots]

With grate difficulty. The Black Shuck probably gave it a hand.

[manipulative]

He sounds like a good friend to have.

But as much as I love talking about dead chickens, I'll cut to the chase. Were you anywhere near Caer Scima the day before?

[gordianknots]

Not at all. I've been far away for a while.

[manipulative]

[ that's a relief; too many times has katherine's own contacts fallen to the hands of death before she'd ever properly either become too attached or had used them. mason lockwood comes to mind, but, thankfully, he had a werewolf nephew to sacrifice for the sun and moon curse. she doesn't know anyone else who could possibly enjoy tea and speaking of a time where half of those who make up the courts weren't even born. ]

Hopefully far from Wonderland, too. Though, I'm starting to doubt any rabbit hole is truly safe from what's in store for us.

[gordianknots]

It's only a temporary hole, and I've accepted that if you think a place is secure, the Drabwurld will rip it out from under you. Asshole place it is.

I trust you're okay?

[The whole metaphor is hilarious, given Miss Alice Lidell, but Waver doesn't have it in him to laugh right now.]

[manipulative]

I'm starting to believe being distrustful is the only true weapon we have.

I am. Though, I'm not sure for how long. I dislike not knowing where this Jabberwock is. And these types of creatures tend to find me. I've experienced rotting before; I'm not a big fan.

[ her taking to the seelie armies and breaking all their spines and necks while rotting outside of a tomb is a bright side. but the act of desiccation, while she may not be forced to starve, is still incredibly unpleasant. it's baby steps; there's always some opportunity for optimism in the pessimism. ]

[gordianknots]

Accurate in terms of weaponry, actually.

I'm trying to get a read on its location, but it isn't going very well. The speed is hard for people to deal with.

[manipulative]

[ it appears it's as fast as her, but katherine has no inclination to go run after it. she likes her skin as it is, even though she can heal from almost anything. ]

Add that to the automatic flaying ...

Did a caterpillar with a hookah come with it?

[gordianknots]

Oh, wouldn't it be nice if it did? We could just pretend this entire month was a vivid, vivid hallucination.

[manipulative]

Do you think the Mad Hatter makes good tea? It'd be unfortunate if we didn't fully embrace this hallucination at tea time.

[gordianknots]

I'd hope so, I mean. We'll doubtlessly have a queen yelling off with their heads in the aftermath of this.

[manipulative]

Even if the Jabberwock somehow magically pulverizes Caer Glaem, sees their precious monarchs decay, and wins this pointless battle for us?

[ it's such a big hypothetical katherine could almost laugh. of course they'll be punished for it. it's clear within her message she doesn't believe her own hypothetical scenario, it truly being born from a vivid hallucination. ]

I hope we can get in a game of croquet before that happens.

[gordianknots]

Shit, are there flamingos here?

[Serious question is actually serious.]

And it is a pointless battle, isn't it? Watching people on the network act like it's some major thing...no. Not really.

[manipulative]

Not that I've been able to spy. I'll check back in with you in the next few days with what I find.

[ given she's going to war, she might as well make it a fun adventure, right? testing her boons and ensuring they're properly invulnerable is her true motivation to go to the battlefield, but she knows she'll learn what she longs for within seconds. ]

This is how it always goes. One side believes they have the advantage, but, truly, we're still chipping at the same space within that rock wall. It won't tumble down. I've had five hundred years to learn that a hammer and chisel are not the only tools you can use to win. But we continue to pick them up.

[ it simply meant she had to try another method to see the wall crumble. according to elijah, she does — who knew a simple letter would grant her her freedom? ]

[gordianknots]

Baring flamingos, any other native birds that might work would be welcome.

[Bouncing between the ridiculous and the serious does help a little. Waver would kill to check out entirely, but he's had responsibilities heaped upon him by his own allies and he can't shrin them.]

And from everything I've learned with this place and its history, they only use the hammer and chisel. Even the Jabberwock is a repetition of the same pattern, just with a new Jabberwock. Nothing's changed. Nothing may ever change.

[manipulative]

[ she'll definitely keep that in mind. ]

But perhaps the Jabberwock will die and we can finally start using an axe instead.

[ she'd been thinking about his own observations of this war, of how the monarchs repeat themselves over and over. though it'd benefit her if she picked up a book every once in a while, she often went to armel and the natives she compelled for her information. ]

I'm going to take a wild guess and assume the Jabberwock in the past accomplished nothing.

[gordianknots]

Tore through Seelie shards, gobbled them up, wake of famine, would be fine if the Seelie couldn't counter with dragons.

[manipulative]

[ all katherine's getting from this is that she should've gotten herself a jabberwork five hundred years ago. ]

Shame.

I always find it so dull when one side brings forth Superman and another kryptonite. No wonder we're stuck in such a boring stalemate.

[gordianknots]

Piss poor tactics on both sides. And you'd think they would figure it out over centuries, but nope!

[manipulative]

[ maybe katherine can't talk, given she ran for five hundred years from klaus, but given she writes him a letter instead of trying to kill him herself, she think she's learned from the repetitive failures she's endured for the last few centuries. ]

Something tells me I'm going to need to become a fan of Groundhog Day.

Or find that caterpillar. One of these things seems more possible than the other.

[gordianknots]

[At least it was something. From where Waver sits, the monarchs have had so much longer to learn and invent.]

Both. Both are probably possible give this place.

[manipulative]

Can we opt out for Bill Murray?

[ she has a feeling he'll say no. he knows the drabwurld better than she, but she's beginning to realise nothing good comes from this place, regardless of how hard she tries. ]

[gordianknots]

We can try very hard and then not be surprised at failing.

[Which is about as much optimism as Waver can ever attempt in the Drabwurld.

[manipulative]

You could've lied. I promise I wouldn't have held it against you.