The news of flickering lights on the green had reached the King of Clubs quickly, and it wasn't long after Asarlai's ritual began that he appeared on the Green himself, completely silent and almost completely still as he watched The Magician from behind. By now, it was no secret what he'd planned and what he was so close to accomplishing.
Elisha slowly drew the gun he still always wore, and there was a faint click as he took the safety off.
"I've always been fascinated with this version of diplomacy," he says, pleasantly. "It reminds me of home."
[ooc: people can - and should! - threadjack. Elisha is going to attempt to talk him down, and if that doesn't work, will knock Gustave unconscious, but it'd be a lot more fun if other people participated. :)]
Katya steps out of trees nearly opposite Ilyusha. She nods greeting to him, her own firearm in hand. "I see your eyes and ears are efficient as well. It is very familiar. I am warmed over with nostalgia." She smiles--Katya always smiles--cooly at the Magician. "It perhaps is best we negotiate."
The flickering light is hard to miss as she's walking back from Diamond Castle to Hearts, taking the shortcut through Town, and subsequently coming near the Green. Blythe bites her lip when she approaches and sees that it's Asarlai again; all that he's done this past week, and her common sense tells her not to face him now. One hand goes to her hip, hovering over the hidden sheath there. It's not the only knife she has on her right now, thank goodness, but a few sharp knives are all the protection she's going to have if her attempt to speak him down fails.
But as she gets closer, she can see two Faces already there - Elisha on her right and Katya on her left. And surely, with them, even if they do get hurt, it'll be less potent if there are three of them to get through. So she hurries towards the ring, not immediately taking out her weapon as the other two have done.
"At least tell us what you're going to do," she suggest dryly after Katya finishes speaking. "That's what happens in all the movies, yeah?"
can we get a diamond to show up opposite blythe? That'd be awesomestacks_the_deckSeptember 14 2012, 14:14:34 UTC
The click is not something the necessarily registers to Gustave as a potential danger. Though the fact it comes from behind him and accompanied with the King of Clubs' voice certainly does. He has no opportunity to respond, though, before the Queen of Spades and the newest Ace of Hearts arrive and make their presences known.
Since Blythe is the one to speak last, he replies to her first, the grove around them steadily growing brighter as time passes. "I have never made a habit of movies, Miss Merrick."
And then he focuses on Katya, "what is there to negotiate?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Slm3wziAc /winging it since I'm not totally up-to-dateishineonSeptember 14 2012, 15:33:07 UTC
"Our willingness to be kidnapped, for one," Säde says calmly, stepping up to the circle, across from Blythe. No gun for her- that's locked in her desk- but a throwing knife in each hand and more up each sleeve can be a fair substitute. "You imagined we'd go quietly, after what you've already done to yourselves? To us?" To her queen, especially.
Their willingness to let him go alive, for another. He'd promised to keep in contact with the Fool; he doubted that would happen if they killed his best friend, however mad he was at this point in time.
Elisha keeps his gun steady on Gustave's head, his gaze cool and nearly blank. "Lady Vesna has made it known," he says, "that the Arcana that remain in your lands do not want us back. Christophe has even said that he thinks it's time you go home. Burke Turis has always made it clear that he'd like to see us all dead. The people you've stolen the artifacts from tried defending them from you.
"Who, other than you, Magician, actually wants this? Is there anyone?"
Now this was not something Asarlai had expected, to be approached four Face cards, one from each Suit. For them to stand just so.
And it's not actually his choice that makes the column of light suddenly widen to encompass the four Cards, filling the space between them with brightness and perhaps each of them will also feel suddenly more energized than they were a moment before.
His expression of surprise as this happens, though not actual dismay, should illustrate well enough for those who can see it that it wasn't one of his magical tricks. Or, well, that it seemed not to be, anyway.
And he'll shake his head at Säde, at Elisha. "They're discouraged. They think it won't work because it's taken so long."
The woman who nods to red aces wears cold eyes. It is Snow Queen who is needed here, and Snow Queen they will have. Cold eyes she has even when they blink in surprise as the surge of something alien shoots through her. Her automatic maintains its steady aim at Asarlai's heart. "I am carried away by memories. Negotiations seem wise when dealing with one who attempts to start war. For that is what you are doing, after all. Your comrades are right.
"It is not possible to turn back clock, but it is always possible to move forward. Tell me, Gustave, are you truly Magician now or have you become Magician Reversed?"
She has to take a step back at the force of the energy surging through her, but it only throws her off for a moment. "Mister Asarlai, they don't think it won't work because it's taken so long. They know it won't work, because we're our own now. Don't try to convince yourself of untruths.
"If you're the only one who wants it, then maybe you're in the wrong."
don't think she'd succeed, but she's trying anywayishineonSeptember 14 2012, 17:04:03 UTC
She rocks back a little on her heels, not enough to step out of the light, but is soon steady and still again. Well then. Curious, but not enough to distract her from the Magician. She allows the others to talk. He can't pay attention to all four of them at once, and if she's able...
The chalice is the only thing she'd be able to knock over- and hopefully out of the circle- with one throw of her knife. It's also the only one with the Magician directly in the way. She doesn't lift her arm, not yet, waiting for-- there, enough space--
RNG is on Sade's sidestacks_the_deckSeptember 14 2012, 17:52:57 UTC
Gustave has enough time to sneer at Katya's comment, even if it carries with it an uncomfortable resonance.
Is heBecause it's true that, misguided, obsessed as he might be...if this many people have continued to hammer on his delusion, eventually the armor has to chip and crack
( ... )
It's enough to make Elisha's fingers tighten on the trigger, though it doesn't fire, and he staggers back a step, pushed back by the wind. Then his eyes go to the other Faces in turn - first Katya, then Blythe, and finally Säde, who took the initiative and ended this.
And finally he lowers his gun, turns the safety back on and slips it into its holster.
"It's over."
It's not a question. The words are incredibly final. The Magician has failed.
Katya rocks back a few steps before straightening. Her eyes meet Ilyusha's first, then those of Red Aces. She nods and holsters her own weapon before bending and retrieving the sword. Then she strides forward, crossing the line of sand, and pulls back Magician's head.
Blythe's first response is to run up to him, check if the man is okay. It felt like a tremendous gust of power, and she can only imagine it must have come from him. But Katya gets there first, and Blythe stumbles to a stop as the older woman violently tugs him up.
Right. He's still the enemy here. She pauses, glancing up at the Spade Queen, then steps back to retrieve the chalice, carefully holding it in one hand.
There's a steely triumph in Säde's eyes as the chalice rolls over the line of sand. It's brief, however, and swept away with the wind that blows past them all. Even briefer is the subsequent regret that comes with Asarlai's admittance that he doesn't know what will happen now. Whatever she has inadvertently and indirectly caused by disrupting his spell, it's still better than being forcefully absorbed into a larger land unwillingly.
She drops to one knee to gather up the coins, removing her jacket to make a makeshift sling. As she's doing this, she mutters, "For once, you know how we feel."
Elisha slowly drew the gun he still always wore, and there was a faint click as he took the safety off.
"I've always been fascinated with this version of diplomacy," he says, pleasantly. "It reminds me of home."
[ooc: people can - and should! - threadjack. Elisha is going to attempt to talk him down, and if that doesn't work, will knock Gustave unconscious, but it'd be a lot more fun if other people participated. :)]
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But as she gets closer, she can see two Faces already there - Elisha on her right and Katya on her left. And surely, with them, even if they do get hurt, it'll be less potent if there are three of them to get through. So she hurries towards the ring, not immediately taking out her weapon as the other two have done.
"At least tell us what you're going to do," she suggest dryly after Katya finishes speaking. "That's what happens in all the movies, yeah?"
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Since Blythe is the one to speak last, he replies to her first, the grove around them steadily growing brighter as time passes. "I have never made a habit of movies, Miss Merrick."
And then he focuses on Katya, "what is there to negotiate?"
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Elisha keeps his gun steady on Gustave's head, his gaze cool and nearly blank. "Lady Vesna has made it known," he says, "that the Arcana that remain in your lands do not want us back. Christophe has even said that he thinks it's time you go home. Burke Turis has always made it clear that he'd like to see us all dead. The people you've stolen the artifacts from tried defending them from you.
"Who, other than you, Magician, actually wants this? Is there anyone?"
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And it's not actually his choice that makes the column of light suddenly widen to encompass the four Cards, filling the space between them with brightness and perhaps each of them will also feel suddenly more energized than they were a moment before.
His expression of surprise as this happens, though not actual dismay, should illustrate well enough for those who can see it that it wasn't one of his magical tricks. Or, well, that it seemed not to be, anyway.
And he'll shake his head at Säde, at Elisha. "They're discouraged. They think it won't work because it's taken so long."
But they're wrong, of course. They have to be.
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"It is not possible to turn back clock, but it is always possible to move forward. Tell me, Gustave, are you truly Magician now or have you become Magician Reversed?"
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"If you're the only one who wants it, then maybe you're in the wrong."
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The chalice is the only thing she'd be able to knock over- and hopefully out of the circle- with one throw of her knife. It's also the only one with the Magician directly in the way. She doesn't lift her arm, not yet, waiting for-- there, enough space--
The knife whips out, toward the chalice.
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Is heBecause it's true that, misguided, obsessed as he might be...if this many people have continued to hammer on his delusion, eventually the armor has to chip and crack ( ... )
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And finally he lowers his gun, turns the safety back on and slips it into its holster.
"It's over."
It's not a question. The words are incredibly final. The Magician has failed.
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"What did that do to our people?"
Has he not harmed them enough?
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Right. He's still the enemy here. She pauses, glancing up at the Spade Queen, then steps back to retrieve the chalice, carefully holding it in one hand.
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"I don't know."
It wasn't under his control.
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She drops to one knee to gather up the coins, removing her jacket to make a makeshift sling. As she's doing this, she mutters, "For once, you know how we feel."
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