[[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

[wickedwit]

Indeed, Claudius doesn't seem surprised, but he does seem suitably impressed. "Oh, that's clever. It must've felt like a joke no one else was in on -- those can be rather satisfying, in their way. But it would've been moreso, if Thursday arrived, and you'd already stolen all her opening lines from her." Claudius laughs. "At least you've learned people here don't like to be policed. Thursday would've run into her own set of troubles."

[forgethertoo]

"It was self-preservation. You understand, of course. Thursday Next is the media darling and the star law enforcement agent of our series¹... the one who can do no wrong. The main character. If she had arrived after me, I would have been put in a bit of a bind, so I decided to flip the script. But she didn't show up... which is why I'm a little pissed off. All dressed up for revenge and nowhere to go." She taps her fingernails lightly on her drink glass, empty now, expression thoughtful. It's clearly an opening.

¹Aornis has surmised from her time here that she's most likely from a book -- but not like the books in her canon, an actual book where she's not fully self-aware -- and that it must be a series since her canon is so complicated compared to everyone else's. She is absolutely aware that she's the villain.

[wickedwit]

"Now I have some guesses," Claudius says, taking that opening. He's so terribly curious about other people. "I have to. When you told me about that case to end all cases, the case of the century ..." He drops his pleasant, smiling expression, for one that's only flat. "Was that your brother?"

[forgethertoo]

"The one and only," Aornis says brightly, ignoring his change in expression. That wasn't quite the opening she was giving him, but it'll do for now. "He only did what everyone here wishes they could do. He changed a pre-existing storyline. He was only driven to kidnapping when Thursday pursued him with force. I think you and dear brother would get along quite well, actually. Both of you work best when cornered."

[wickedwit]

"Why, I'm flattered," he says, modestly. All the little details click together, in a satisfying way -- the law-woman, the criminal, the criminal's sister. He considers questioning a little more closely what a man has to gain from changing a storyline in a book -- but he wants to focus on the woman in front of him, on understanding her motives. Her brother's matter only so far as she clearly looks up to him. "It does have all the makings of a serial," he says. "The main character going from misadventure to misadventure, contending with consequences of her last case. Unfortunately, it means any vengeance is unlikely to succeed -- not unless it's something like Sherlock at Reichenbach Falls. But even Sherlock came back from that one. You'd have more luck here, on narratively neutral ground ... but it's already been a long time waiting. What will you do now?"

[forgethertoo]

"I have another situation." She pauses for a moment. It might be a dramatic pause because it's definitely not an uncertain one. "Luo Binghe is a problem."

[wickedwit]

Claudius rolls his eyes. "Believe me, I know. He's a problem I'm trying to distance myself from, at the moment. What makes him a problem for you, in particular?"

[forgethertoo]

"He views me as a threat." Aornis arches an eyebrow slightly, as if to say, am I a threat?

[wickedwit]

"What's a threat to Luo Binghe isn't necessarily a threat in reality," Claudius says with a sigh. "Did he tell you a long story about how you were plotting with his enemies to undermine him?"

[forgethertoo]

"If he ever stops speaking about Shen Yuan, he might," Aornis replies dryly. Her expression is now mildly amused. "Perhaps he's someone else who can't seem to escape their narrative trappings."

[wickedwit]

"So is Shen Yuan, to an extent. Since you aren't a jurisfiction agent, I'll give that one for free. I used to think Shen Yuan came from a higher reality than ours ... but now I think Luo Binghe came from a reality a step down. A fiction within a fiction." It's a deeper hole to climb out of, but Claudius is out of the business of caring how deep. With a smile, he picks up a dropped thread, and continues, "But I asked what you'll do now. Is he getting in the way of your next steps?"

[forgethertoo]

"Why would I have next steps when I don't even have a plan?" Aornis asks lightly, giving the ice at the bottom of her drink a swirl. It amuses her that everyone's out to find out what her next steps are, what her plan is, what she wants to accomplish... I'm not here to accomplish anything. I'm here to slowly make everyone's lives miserable. Those were her words to Shen Yuan.

[wickedwit]

“I can’t imagine what that’s like,” Claudius says, frankly. He can’t think of a moment in his life where he didn’t have some sort of plan. Perhaps one very far back. “Well, the unplanned life does seem to suit some people. If you need anything, do let me know. I’m sure we’ll have to revise our agreement.”

[forgethertoo]

"We did have an agreement, didn't we?" Aornis asks, as though just remembering. "Since my part of the agreement is now null and void, I'm not sure what I can offer you."

[wickedwit]

"Be gentle with Tress and don't string her along," Claudius says, lightly. "I'm a protective uncle now. That's how far I've strayed from my narrative. And," with a self-effacing smirk, "perhaps I've become a bit avuncular to you, too, seeing you all dressed up for revenge with nowhere to go. I offer terrible advice and enablement."

[forgethertoo]

"Everything that I suggested to Tress was a perfectly viable way of leaving here," Aornis says mildly. It's true. She then fixes him with a stare that's steady and almost predatory in nature. "And what would your advice to me be?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius gives it the appearance of reflection, gazing up for the answer. "The crowd here is more easily charmed by a villain with a sympathetic backstory than someone with -- forgive me -- cop energy. Especially someone like Shen Yuan. And if Shen Yuan likes you, then Luo Binghe can't touch you without facing Shen Yuan's disappointment. But obviously," he says, "you can't undo your earlier interactions. If you've met Shen Yuan already as a jurisfiction agent, you can't have him forget it and introduce yourself again. That's why it's bad advice."

[forgethertoo]

"That is bad advice," she agrees dryly. "If only someone could control all of the interactions they have. That person would be fairly dangerous here, in a place that's built on social interactions and social currency."

[wickedwit]

"I would think it's a bit of a double-edged sword," Claudius muses, without elaborating. "Oh, but don't take me too seriously about Shen Yuan. His weakness for villains is mostly a weakness for brooding, lonely men he believes are misunderstood."

[forgethertoo]

"Is Luo Binghe misunderstood?"

[wickedwit]

Claudius rolls his eyes. “What do you think?”

[forgethertoo]

"I understand him well," she says dryly. "He manages to perfectly balance egotism and insecurity. It's almost impressive."

[wickedwit]

Claudius laughs. "You know, I wasn't sure before whether you'd try to exploit my displeasure with Luo Binghe. But now I think you sincerely don't care for him. You couldn't sum him up so perfectly, if you weren't also familiar the frustration of understanding him." Shaking his head, he says, "I'm freer now that I don't expect him to show any depths I haven't already seen. There's my other bit of bad advice, if you want to navigate around him. He's a fiction within a fiction, you understand. His world is shallower than the one above it, and rather than leaving it behind, he carries it around with him. It's a narrative where he has only ever been the victim, and even his villainy is something he's punished by. He'll ignore any truths that clutter the narrative, forget everything he needs to forget, remember only what he wishes to remember. So if you did have the power to rewrite your interactions with him, I wouldn't expect much to change. It's likely to become repetitive."

[forgethertoo]

Aornis thinks about the multiple times Luo Binghe has interrupted her dreamscapes over the past few months, each time believing it was the first time. At first, it was somewhat thrilling, finally something new and unique to contend with -- but after a while, it became the same threats and insults. She's tired of it.

"Well, we can't all be written by Shakespeare," is all she says.

[wickedwit]

"Why, thank you," Claudius says, choosing to take the compliment without asking whether it was intended as one. “I hope to keep you entertained, at least. Boredom is a common affliction for mansion residents … though it’s one I never seem to suffer from. Too much of my own drama.”