lordofthering | IC SUGGESTION BOX

Ignatius and I?

[She sounds surprised.]

Is he still, erm, swallowed?

[ hopefully that answers what she's confused about ]

No...

[She admits, uneasily.]

It's moved on from that, by now.

Oh thank God, [ Strange can't help but say, a little relief in his voice. Both for RM not having a fae in her stomach and Ignatius not being in said stomach. ]

I doubt you'll let me see him, what with the whole recently enthralled thing...but can you at least tell him I'm alive?

[ there's hesitancy in his voice, like he thinks she'll say no or question him further ]

Are you under the impression he'll care?

[She isn't saying it in a way that suggests she doubts he will, but like she earnestly wants his take on it.]

He might. When we talked about our agreement, he said he respected my decision. [ and Strange can't hide the fact that Ignatius saying that means the world to him ]

Aside from that, we got along well. I don't know if he'll care but I would.

Alright. I see no harm in telling him, since I don't believe he knows. As far as I understand it, he was under the impression the other carnival members killed you during the fight in a surprisingly trivial manner.

[She considers something for a few moments.]

You sound... sympathetic to him. I'd like to believe it's because he actually treated you decently and not because there is lingering mind control at play.

If there is any lingering mind control, you have permission to root around in my brain and remove it. But honestly? He treated me so much better than I expected. He's nothing like Nightshade or the Rose Queen.

[ he also brainwashed strange to attack his friends but you know, nobody's perfect. ]

Can you tell me what he did while you were serving him?

[Nightshade and the Rose Queen are sort of extra nasty, so it's good he's not like them, at least.]

Training, mostly. First it was some sort of mental enchantment, then I could explore the gardens a bit.

He is a soldier, after all. What good is a general without a well trained army?

I see. Is that same spell the one that made you willing to fight people from the carnival?

[There's no particular judgment in her tone. She's simply looking for impressions.]

No. That one was...different. [ stop introducing complexities in this! ]

With the training, it was something in my mind. A battle simulation, if you will, with myself, other carnival members, and fellow soldiers from home against different enemies in different terrains and situations.

I won't lie and say it wasn't harrowing. But it was just training. I don't think he did it to be sadistic, just to whip me into shape.

[The Ringmaster has no idea if Ignatius received any satisfaction from doing something like that, but she certainly won't argue with Strange about it. He's the one that experienced it.]

I know what kind of spell you mean.

[She hesitates for a few moments longer.]

Do you want to talk to him? I don't think you should so soon, but... we may be stuck with him for a long while, now. I have no idea how I could release him without it bringing the carnival hell.

But I see no reason to make him unnecessarily uncomfortable... especially when he is far from the cruelest Court Fae we've encountered.

[ there's a pause before Strange answers, ]

I do. Aside from the fact that I simply want to, it might be good for Ignatius to see someone at least slightly familiar. I'm your magician, but I'm also his wizard now.

[ which he's a bit resigned about. ]

Yes... I suppose that aspect of things was never fully taken care of.

[Strange is still bound to Ignatius, as much as he's bound to her. Nothing she has done changes that, besides putting Ignatius in a situation where he can't call in the service.]

That's actually something we need to talk about. You swore your service to him, without time constraints... that means that any time he calls on you, you'll be obligated to answer, no matter how many times he does it or for how long.

In comparison, your contract with me is almost up. When that happens... he'll have more claim to you than I do. And that won't go away, unless he releases you. Or... unless he dies for good.

[She's quiet for a beat.]

It sounds like you don't want that to happen. But, my only solution to him having power over you is to maintain power over him. I'm not sure that can be considered a permanent fix.

It isn't. So I suppose we'll just have to come to an agreement. [ which...is a terrible solution. But what else can Strange do? He doesn't want to be the sort of person to lord power over someone who doesn't have it. That's all too Portland of him. ]

I have a wife to return home to, after all. And I'm not going to abandon Arabella.

Of course. I understand that, at least, but Ignatius would certainly see leaving her as part of the sacrifice a soldier makes.

I'm... hoping with time, that he might come to see... something different about you, and us. I'm not sure if it's reasonable expectation, but I want to try.

I want to try as well.

I still have my boon from creation. I doubt I'll ever use it on myself, but if there's anything it can do to help you or Ignatius, simply tell me.

I'm not very familiar with how those work... but I'll keep it in mind if I see anything it might be applicable for. For now, I've got to get some other things settled.

I'll see if you talking to him will be a viable option.

Thank you.

[ there's a pause...before Strange realizes OH WAIT, there's something else he wanted to tell RM. ]

Ignatius was looking for Lazuli, by the way. I can't remember what for.

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