video | morning after the audience | unseelie & open non-locket comms

[boutant]

[ It's safe to say that Ariadne has never been this upset about anything in her entire life. She tends to smile, with large, gentle eyes. She does not tend to look murderous.

She does today.

Her trust has been broken, betrayed. Her people have been caught in the storm that Reynard started. Her mind has been violated, her companion dead.

When she speaks, her voice starts out calm. Cold. ]

So. When were we all going to start sharing what we know about the Cult of the Fox?

[ A breath and then she snarls. ]

Because it turns out they're wearing shard masks that let them look like anyone and they can get into your memories and mind control you to the point that you'll hang yourself.

[ It takes a tremendous amount of effort not to throw something. ]

That lying little fuck and those like him know how to use shards even when they're masks. If we don't stop sitting on our information then they're going to tear us apart from the inside. Do not trust anyone without- somehow verifying it's them, though I don't know how when they can do that much.

If you're staying at Diasbaile -- get to work or get out. I don't know how many people might still be under his spell but he's destroyed wards and rooms on the top two floors, read what was in my office if he didn't just steal it.

Everyone- be on your guard. And share your information, because otherwise we're all fighting this blind and then everyone is dead.

[ locked to steve rogers & sam wilson; ]
You need to get out of the Station. Just in case. Bucky's with me, he- we're not okay, he was with me when it happened, neither of us remember anything after a point. But we'll look after each other; he at least knows I'm me.

[ locked to grell, jason todd, loki, & waver velvet; ]
Gaff died in the Battle of Falling Fire. It was a cultist all along. Grell, can you watch Diasbaile? I can only assume that he'll know what I would do, but he didn't get in your head.

Comments

[gordianknots]

Ariadne, even with all of that you might not have understood separate strands of information until they converged. I certainty didn't until now. It is the eternal risk with intelligence. Somethings will only make sense in retrospect.

[Waver does not respond to the anger. It has no purpose being flung around. It must be channeled into smooth, concise, deliberate action, or be discarded as useless.]

So we must look at two questions here and now: what did they gain from targeting you, and how do you become your opposite and thus impossible to predict?

[boutant]

I'm close to Morla. I'm a Baroness. I'm considered a deity. I don't know.

[ Her voice breaks now, anger bubbling over into panic, into terror. ]

I could just stomp around as the Devourer of Light all day; it doesn't feel much.

[ That's meant to be a joke. ]

[gordianknots]

Could be the closeness to Morla. Could be the fact that you have so many shrines at the spire. Could be the connection to Clarke and Bellamy. Could be the prestige of it. The last one I'm inclined to discount. They want something you have, but what?

[boutant]

Other than my shard?

They have my face. My memories. What could they use from there?

[ She's pacing now. ]

A ritual to raise a god to combat the Void. They would have done that already, if they could. But I don't know about any ritual...

[ Really, as far as barons go, they should have grabbed the Brucolac. At least he knows about the sigils. ]

[gordianknots]

--Morla.

They might need something she has. You're close to her. Trojan horse.

[boutant]

...Shards.

Alice was right; they see you as a thing that holds the power. The shards. And where do shards taken in battle go? Right to her.

[gordianknots]

Their perspective isn't wrong. The minute one loses their shard is the minute the court boots them out.

Whatever they're after is in Caer Scima or in Morla's grasp. Do what you think is best.

[boutant]

Yeah. [ She swallows. ]

... I'm sorry.

[ For losing her temper. For throwing his information back in his face. ]

[gordianknots]

You are angry, and rightfully so.

Use it productively from here on out.

[boutant]

Keep me updated on what you find out?

[gordianknots]

Will do.