[[half interlude/half open post + entropy manipulation: a fatalistic warning]]

[forgethertoo]

FOR EVERYONE

Aornis is mildly irritated. For all everyone in this place talks about fresh starts and second chances, she doles out some measly nightmares and eradicates a few non-essential memories and all of a sudden, everyone is acting as though they've discovered a grand villainous conspiracy. It's irritating because she should feel flattered that she's caused this much trouble with so little action. After all, she can sense it. Every mention, every ping.

The problem is, the current situation doesn't feel evil enough. Would her brother Acheron be proud of her for what she's done so far? No. It's not quite as bad as her brother Styx's "evil deeds" but it all feels rather pathetic. She's well aware that she's the villain of this place, in terms of the narrative. That particular narrative intent is so strong, it's nearly hitting her over the head with it. Although she can't tell who the hero is supposed to be, it is perhaps time to fully step into that role. She is a Hades, after all.

At the moment, she's debating her options. She could just wipe everyone's memory and start fresh. That would be the easiest way to handle this situation. It's a distinct possibility. There's a slight issue with that plan... but she's taking care of it. Aornis is currently rolling over these issues with a Moscow mule somewhere public, if anybody would like to speak with her...


FOR SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR

It's a small coincidence. Very small in the grand scheme of things. In a hallway off to the side of the main area of the mansion, a sheet of paper sits on the floor, undiscovered and unnoticed up until now. Perhaps it was dropped by Susan and Lancelot when they were moving the boxes of papers inside. It's an application for a library card; very nondescript in nature. Name (William Jones), DOB (January 13th), Sex (M), City and State (Boston, MA). The rest is blank as if whoever started filling it out had been interrupted.

Comments

[summerdude]

Magnus is on his way in to wake Galahad up/drag him out of bed with promises of a cool new thing he found in the game room when he stumbles across the paper. He doesn't mean to pry, but things aren't usually just, like, lying around here and there outside of people's rooms, so he picks it up to see who it belongs to.

"Huh," he says, perusing. "Must be my long-lost twin." And he puts it in his pocket.

[forgethertoo]

As Magnus heads down the hallway, he'll notice that he's walking past the same hallway table five times. Every single one of them is an antique dark mahogany table with the exact same set-up: a flower in a vase on the left side, a framed painting of a tree on the right side. The tree is suspended in space, branches and roots flowing out in a tangle.

[summerdude]

It takes Magnus a moment to realize, actually; he's focused on what it's like to wake up in camp with Alex next to him, and on what sort of activities he might get into with Galahad once Galahad wrangles himself out of bed. When he cottons on, he frowns. Monthly mischief? Okay, sure, might as well stop and inspect the array to see if there are any clues.

He leans in to peer closely at the tree. "Is that... Yggdrasil?" he wonders, tilting his head.

[forgethertoo]

Whenever Magnus moves on to the next (identical) table further down the hallway, there's a book prominently displayed on it titled Finding Valhalla with a picture of a griffin on the front. The book's author is Alex Morgan. If he flips through it, the main character is named Alex. Her (male) best friend, also named Alex. The villain of the novel? You guessed it: also named Alex.

[lightbearinglord]

For all of the half-suspicions that Lan Wangji has turned over in his mind about Aornis, he has very little of substance with which to pin any deeper mistrust on her. Her demeanor reminds him of some of the more distasteful members of the cultivation world; he discovered that unsettling list near her seat in the library; Claudius expressed unease about his arrangement with her; he recalls asking Magnus to take care around her, and Sagramore echoing the sentiment. There is nothing more than that. He likes to trust his own instincts, but he is also well aware of the pitfalls of succumbing to fear without basis.

The season is not helping with that. He spent a very long time in seated meditation this morning, and would have said it was as successful as any, but he can't dispel the remnants of dread lingering in his thoughts. It was persistently grey outside when he ran his sword forms, a grey like the pallor of a fresh corpse. There's a tiny frown playing at the edges of his otherwise blank face as he steps inside the mansion. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Aornis, seated in a lounge with her drink in her hand.

He may as well. He sweeps inside that lounge, clears his expression entirely, and bows.

[forgethertoo]

Aornis isn't certain how she feels about Lan Wangji. There are other residents that she dislikes on principle and personality, but their previous conversation was rather subdued.

As he enters, though, he may note that her personality has shifted quite subtly. She's sharper, less bland. She lifts her glass to him in greeting. "Good afternoon."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji does note the difference, but he doesn't remark upon it. He considers taking a seat next to her, but he also refrains from doing that just yet. "Young mistress," he says, perfectly polite. "Have your dreams improved?"

[forgethertoo]

"No nightmares recently... but this place has certainly become more lively at night," Aornis says, raising an eyebrow. She obviously means the whispers, scuttling, and banging shutters at night. "Thanks for asking."

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot is simply looking to make a drink before he settles in with a book. He's surprised to find a woman he doesn't recognize, looking rather at home, sipping her own drink in the bar he decides to duck into.

"Oh," he says, and gives a little bow. "Hello, madam."

[forgethertoo]

Ugh, Aornis thinks. Not Lancelot. He was such an annoying bore to talk to the first time and she doesn't have the fortitude to deal with that a second time around. She looks at him, making eye contact for a long moment -- then knocks back half her drink and gives him a thin smile.

"Hello."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I don't believe we've met. I am Lancelot." He moves toward the bar, as if to demonstrate that it's not his intent to interrupt or disturb her.

[forgethertoo]

"Oh, I know," is all she says, crossing her legs and taking another sip of her drink.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus notices her. He's fairly certain this is the person Laertes was concerned about -- unless he was talking about someone else who had been at the party, but his (granted, fairly nonspecific) description seems to fit this woman.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you?" he says, and magics up a glass of wine for himself. It's not the best wine he's ever made, but it'll do. He mostly just thinks he needs a prop. "I am Dionysus, I don't believe we have been introduced?"

[forgethertoo]

Aornis eyes the wine and its sudden appearance. She's a heavy drinker when she's out of the country and partying but she's not an alcoholic by any means, especially when she needs to keep her wits about her. She does appreciate a nice cocktial, though, and had gathered together a small but well-curated bar cart in her room by the time Dark hit.

"Nice trick," she tells him. "I'm Aornis. Dionysus... as in, the god?"

[vineleaves]

"The one and the same, yes." He gestures with the wine glass, to emphasize the point. "Nice to meet you, Aornis." He smiles -- pleasantly, he makes sure of that! -- and takes a sip of his wine. "I think you were at Enjolras' party a few weeks ago? Forgive me, I should have introduced myself there, I'm usually much better at saying hi to everyone at those sorts of events."

[forgethertoo]

"No worries," Aornis tells him, with an expression that might pass for mildly amused. "I mostly keep to myself. Would we call that a party, though?"

[protagonisthalo]

Luo Binghe pauses when he walks past the doorway and sees Aornis nursing a drink within. She is still an enigma to him, and he has been suspicious ever since the incident with Shen Yuan's mysterious message in the library. He keeps intending to investigate her dreams as they discussed, but every morning when he wakes it seems to have slipped his mind. Perhaps a conversation in person will be better.

He slips into the room and takes a seat beside her. "Aornis."

[forgethertoo]

When he sits down next to her, there's the briefest flicker of surprise or uncertainty in her eyes -- but it passes so quickly that it could almost have been imagined. "Luo Binghe," she greets him, expression now unreadable and tone neutrally friendly. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

[protagonisthalo]

"Merely greeting someone I've barely had the chance to get to know." The last time they spoke, it was largely about Claudius. "Have you adjusted to this place? Grown close to anyone?"

[timebethine]

Laertes goes to the library with an armful of books. The books in this batch are all about astrophysics--mostly written for lay readers, but a couple of them are slightly more technical volumes that he'd thought he might use to test his familiarity with the mathematical underpinnings of the discipline. He drops them off on the book return cart (from which they always seem to vanish mysteriously by the morning).

As he's looking up, he seems to notice Aornis for the first time. At once, his expression grows a little warier, before he seems to nerve himself up to approach. "Forgive me," he says. "I've seen you in passing, but never introduced myself--I'm called Laertes. And you are" he must remember the name Claudius used; it's not Avernus, it's the Greek "Aornis?"<sup>1

1</sup> Ping ...

[forgethertoo]

Aornis, of course, has been expecting this. This confrontation has been a long time coming, the planning of it involving multiple conversations and discussions. She's gleaned a decent amount of information from memories and dreams about what Laertes thinks of her and what he is trying to discover.

"That's me," she says with a small smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Laertes."

[timebethine]

"I hope it is," he says, oblivious to all that she knows. "I--I know not how else to say it, so I'll say it plain. I've heard that you're in the business of returning people like me to their stories. And my heart misgave me, for I cannot but think my story is a tragedy. I've been too craven to speak with you before, for fear that you would see that I was not where I belonged."

[wickedwit]

A day comes when Claudius feels like tempting fate. A day near the end of Dark, where he has his daily gifts of wine and his flattering new hair color, and a new resolve to recognize when smooth politicking has run its course. Sometimes one has to be direct.

“Aornis. I think I owe you some congratulations,” Claudius says with great cheer. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been so subtly and skillfully manipulated before. You had to do very little, I suppose, because of the strong emotions engaged — but it still takes talent to identify a strong emotion and exploit it, especially after one or two meetings.”

[forgethertoo]

Aornis has her compact mirror out to check her makeup and carefully closes it and puts it away before looking up at Claudius. She doesn't seem bothered or surprised by what he's saying, but she does tilt her head with mild curiosity. "Indulge me and explain what you've just said. If I'm being complimented, I'd like to understand it."

[wickedwit]

“Of course you would. Any of God’s vain creatures would.” Claudius smiles pleasantly. “But that means I’m holding something you want. What fool would I be to let it go easily? How are you, Aornis?”