crooked moon: draža and gideon

[onefellswoop]

-The Crooked House. shut the fuck up eustace. WHY ARE INFINITE WEASELS?
-A private word. jack you can't slip away from the bird that easily.
-Where you belong. hello puppy, hello daddy. hello gideon?



supplemental:
-Jack's notes. revelations in the margins.

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[onefellswoop]

Jack, now alone in the kitchen, cries. ;.;.;.; :c :c :c

In the hallway, Calamus shoves Orev.

Calamus: “I said kiss, not kill.”
Orev: (no words; simply stunned??)
Calamus (to Walt): “You said enemies to lovers!”
Walter: (shruggy, hands up gesture)
Orev: “He’ll be fine.”

The conversation turns to discussion of whether everyone’s liable to die in this house (because really if they’re all going to die, Cala would like to know why Orev and Jack shouldn’t kiss!). Calamus thinks everyone dies in this house.

Orev: “I don’t think that’s allowed.”
Calamus: “By who.”
Orev: (suspiciously silent)

Cala asks why Jack obeys Orev’s commands, and notes that she has to obey anything Jack tells her to do, though Jack is careful not to speak any orders to her. She mentions Jack said he’d never order her around, unless it’s for her safety.

Calamus: “He has my contract.”
Orev: “I have been curious about that.”
Calamus: “Mm!”
Orev: “He possesses your soul.”
Calamus: “Yeah. But not for long!”

Cala asks Orev if he tried to sell Jack’s contract (never mind that Orev has neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of any such contract, or that he really, really does not remember), and says the man who held her contract before Jack tried to sell her often. Orev says he wouldn’t sell a contract.

Calamus: “When I met him he was sad. He’s less drunk all the time now. So maybe if you’re not going to kiss, you should stop trying to break his heart.”

Orev enters the kitchen again, to find Jack who is sitting on the floor, head on his arms, looking a bit more composed now, and who definitely wasn’t crying at all not even a little. Orev crouches in front of Jack. When Orev stares at Jack and tries to remember anything about him, he absolutely fails his ability check and sees a tooth on the floor. He does not remark on it.

Orev: “I don’t remember you. I don’t remember anything.”

Orev goes on, saying that he would like to remember. Saying that he has only about a week’s worth of memories, and that his journal is the only thing that’s told him anything about himself. He notes that much in the journal was crossed out, that all names have been obscured. Including what seems to be one particular name appearing over and over. He thinks that name was Jack’s— Or. Well. Whatever name Jack went by when Orev knew him. Also says that he needs the rabbit’s foot since, you know, it’s his arcane focus.

Jack: “I needed it, too.”

Orev once again failing his perception check. Jack asks if Cala sent Orev in here, and tells Orev not to listen to her; she’s got a head full of stupid romantic notions. Orev notes that in that case, she’s in good company with Walt. Orev ventures that he suspects Jack bears a particular mark. Jack says yeah man he’s a gambler with a gun, of course he has marks. Orev asks why Jack is being so difficult. Jack points out that Orev doesn’t know who Orev used to be, so why should Orev think Jack has any cause to trust him? Orev would really, really like to reach something, and makes a… Not. Great. Attempt—

Orev: “There’s something missing in you.”
Jack: (freezes; then, nodding, licking his lips): “At least I know who I am.”
Orev: (has no words; starts toward the door)
Jack (as Orev reaches the door): “You seemed like you meant it last time you said it.”
Orev: “…What do you mean?”

Jack shrugs, big ‘who can say!?!’ vibe. Orev leaves the room, causing Cala and Walt to stumble back from the door, because they sure were listening in!

The party enters the dining room and fights a tablecloth and a jelly while being harassed by hurled fish, sugar, and the like. Jack gets another critical sneak hit, this time on the jelly! Walt gets sugar on his face, but that’s okay because it tastes nice! Orev tries to hurl the sugar bowl at the jelly for vengeance purposes, but hits Calamus instead, oh nO. Walt wipes the sugar off his face with the dead tablecloth, and tries using it to help with Cala’s sugar-on-face situation as well. Orev finds a gold ring and a Pearl of Power. Jack wants the pearl! Orev points out that he himself can actually use the pearl.

Orev: “Why don’t you take the ring?”
Jack: “I don’t want any ring from you.”

In the music room, the party comes across their first round of weasels (let the games begin!!!! all! the! weasels!). Jack crits on a weasel. The harpsicord has been playing a tune. After the fight, Orev uses mage hand to tap the keys. Then Jack sits and plays - quite well! - A Very Familiar Tune. The supernatural music stops, and the spirit of Joseph Patrini appears. He begins singing with the music, much like the spirit on the train. Orev has another memory of dancing: Someone's hand on his waist as they dance, with passing images of Jack smiling abashedly, looking down to keep track of his feet and counting in time with the music. In the wake of these memories, present-Orev reaches out, and Jack goes tense, looks at Orev. Orev can’t read this look (though it seems as if maybe, just maybe, Jack was crying again (f m l)), but will keep all of this in mind.

While heading upstairs, Jack takes one of Orev’s feathers, not trying to be sneaky about it, and sticks the feather in his hat. Orev wants to argue, but he’s… Charmed? He lets the matter go, probably clearly definitely simply because it’s not worth the fight! Also the Toothy Man appeared before they headed upstairs, brandishing an axe and being dramatic talking about people he cut down. Okay bro.

Up to the sitting room they go! Orev wants to check out the books which don’t yield anything of particular interest but dO kick off a fight in which a mass of weasels (writhing! what fun!) occurs and a grandfather clock won’t shut up and Orev gets to set fire to the clock which we know is fun for him. In a could-be-horrific horrific turn of events, Walt is attacked and loses a tooth, then is swarmed by the weasel-mass, which licks licks the sugar at his face. Orev kills off the swarm in a mostly just kind of horrified way. Walt returns the tooth to his jaw, and picks up a pocket watch with etched words that read ‘Remember the 3rd.’ Jack sprawls on the sofa and Watches Orev. The party takes a long rest, and while Orev is sleeping, Jack takes the rabbit’s foot again, as well as the Pearl of Power. He takes the journal, as well, peruses it through the rest, and returns it before Orev wakes.

[onefellswoop]

Well well well, it seems that time in the house is not moving! Look outside? It’s storm and perpetual midnight o dear!

In the midst of this external midnight, Orev wakes from a restless sleep, having dreamed over and over of the scene with Jack, and feels a deep sense of loss. In the dream, there was a bit more detail: He saw Jack smiling, looking down at his feet while they danced, as though Orev were teaching him; Orev also remembered being very happy.

Now awake, Orev wants that rabbit foot back ffs Jack?? Tries to get it back; commands Jack to give him the foot, and has a strong feeling that this has happened before, intuiting that Jack does this when he gets petulant and pouts. As well, Orev feels/knows there’s a way to get Jack over it, but can’t remember what it is. When Jack returns the foot, Orev offers—

Orev: “Good lad.”

Orev, having put Blood Bolt into a small pen, tries to give the item to Calamus. Jack sees the mark on the pen and tells her nope no no no do noT take that! He’s clearly, clearly fixed on the mark on the object. Orev gives it to Walt instead, okay finE. Jack meanwhile explains to Calamus that she ought not to take items bearing that particular mark. And Jack gives the pearl of power - stolen from Orev, by the way!! - to Calamus; Orev feels very tired, very sad. As Cala and Walt start down the hall, Jack puts a hand on Orev’s chest—

Jack: “I don’t have your focus anymore. But I have your name.”
Orev: “I’m not sure it’s my name anymore.”
Jack: “Oh, no. It’s mine now.”

Orev casts Detect Thoughts. He receives impressions: A lot of surface hurt, and Jack isn’t thinking Orev’s other name. At the forefront, Jack is thinking about stealing the focus for the first time, and the feeling that he doesn’t have anything else to remember birdman by. Orev is hit by a wave of hurt, feeling thoughts of ’I had nothing from you’ and ’I couldn’t even follow you.’ For all that Jack seems like he’s playing right now, this is definitely coming from a place of revenge. There’s also a sense of deep satisfaction that Orev is paying attention to him.

Orev: “When was it that I taught you to dance?”

With the question, Orev probes deeper with Detect Thoughts. Jack thinks of a party, where everyone has long gone home, and it’s just the two of them. Jack is so startled by Orev’s question that he doesn’t immediately answer aloud, and there’s a panic in his thoughts, aH!!

Jack: “What are you talking about?”
Orev: “I’d like to know your true name.”
Jack (picking up on the Detect Thoughts cast): “It doesn’t matter. You won’t remember it.”

Jack thinks: Why would he remember teaching me to dance? Why not anything else? The more Jack thinks about it, the sadder he looks, and the sadder his thoughts become.

Orev: “I suspect it matters to me.”
Jack: “You’ve had your memory for a week. Where were you for nine months before that? It doesn’t matter.”
Orev (unintentionally dropping Detect Thoughts): “I have no idea.”

Jack takes this as approval; as meaning that yes Orev’s previous name is his, all his to keep. And Jack will be smirking any time Orev looks over (little! brat!!!).

Into the childrens’ bedroom the party proceeds! With Walt leading, and finding an animate doll who asks him to check for monsters. He does check under the bed for monsters, and he sure does find a horrific one. Orev follows Walt into the room as the battle’s beginning, and is grappled by The Lurker. Jack, hearing this happens, shouts ‘Orev!,’ starts running, and crits on that Lurker goddamn?? (That is HIS bird >:O!!! Only hE may bully!) Jack shoots, and shoots, and shoots the Lurker until it’s mostly a hole-ridden, torn-up and largely unrecognizable corpse. When the battle ends, the mysterious animate doll settles to inanimation, and Walt takes the doll.

In the closet of this bedroom, Orev finds… H u h. That sure is a satchel with a moving eye on it: The Bag (ooOoOoo)! As soon as he touches the bag - part bag of holding; part holder of a Lurker that may fight and allllso might sneak out to cause some shit - it attunes itself to him. He, uh. Waits until the rest of the party has vacated the room to follow after, preferring not to mention or explain this bag.

Now! To the bathroom! Into which Walt leads them because this is what they’re doing, opening and entering every door! This turns out to be a mistake, because the bathroom begins to fill up with blood and weasels until Jack unlocks the door and party members and remaining weasels alike slide from the room in a rush of blood. Walt packs a bunch of weasels into a sack for a snacky snack. Jack does not like being coated in blood very much, and discards the feather he stole from Orev because it too is covered in blood. Orev finds a— Are you kidding, Orev finds a figurine of wondrous power, and though this kind would typically be a raven, this particular figure is a duck. Orev thinks the house maybe has it out for him.

[onefellswoop]

Party takes a short rest. Orev takes a feather from himself and - attempting to sneak - puts it into Jack’s hat. Though Jack does notice, he acts like he doesn’t, and he doesn’t move or say anything; simply lets the feather happen. Orev slinks away, so sneaky!

Next up: A bedroom! And a writhing shape beneath the sheets. Orev’s mage hand pulls off the blanket bit by bit to reveal a bunch of weasels in Phillip clothes. Jack, having anticipated more of this nonsense, prepped a bottle of oil and a rag in the hall, hurls it at the bed, and burns the mass of weasels. Cala follows up by destroying Filthy Jasper with ice. Jack and Calamus have Had Enough Of This. The party is left to regard the journal of Philip Druskenvald, unlocked by Jack. Philip writes of losing his powers on entering Wickermore Hollow; Adela wanted to leave, but Philip figured they could fight through the problem and come out stronger. There’s also a note about missing nobility from Astramar; Headmistress Narcissa has been looking for this missing noble (who ever could that be hahaha haaaaa ha). Jack goes to stand in the rain on the balcony, rinsing off the bathroom blood as well as he can. Afterward, the Toothy Figure appears again. The party is not especially impressed. Jack preps another bottle for fire purposes.

The nursery is filled with an ear-peircing infant scream, and the party fights a trio of animated stuffies. Orev is insulted by the presence of a raven stuffie. (The stuffies are in fact the cutest little guys thank you very much and shhhh Orev.) Cala gives the bear to the spirit babby, comforts spirit babby, and the bear is now in her possession, booM.

In the library, there is a cat! Who wants slash demands a story! Orev tries stumblingly to tell a?? Story?? Of some kind? It does not go well, but then most of the party realizes the cat’s got some serious ill-will and it’s best not to tell a story, anyway. Orev searches the shelves and finds an ancient tome, similar to the stolen paper he had/followed. It tells of a curse that resembles Orev’s, and illustrates parts of an incantation, though there are many blank pages. A note scribbled in the margins mentions secrets collected by demons, and includes symbols of eyes and [ ?? something else… wings?]. Orev will be taking this tome, thanks very much. On the liquor cart, there are four potions of healing; Orev passes one to each party member. Meanwhile, Walt begins to recite a romance novel to the cat, only to be hushed and told ‘later’ by Jack.

The trophy room has a Midsommared lady sewn into a bear, and a lot of taxidermied creatures with bulging eyes. Orev cuts through a seam of the stuffed bear, the creature is defeated, the last memento is collected, and the overhead trapdoor becomes! Accessible! Leading the party upward to a room covered in runes, and a door waiting for the momentos to be carefully (so carefully!) placed within. Jack is a brat about giving up the bloodstone for the door.

Jack: “It’s mine! Haven’t you taken enough?”

Jack does eventually shove it into Orev’s hand, the door opens, and the party enters the cauldron room, where a weasely hag called Vesla Browntooth (ah,yes, the weasels foretold her coming!) is in the midst of some manner of ritual with a bubbling cauldron and Philip and Adela. The hag tried to play a switcheroo by disguising herself as Adela and Adela as the hag, but oops no go on that babe, and the fight begins. The hag makes The Biggest Mistake by going after Calamus, attacking her and then fully shoving her face into the cauldron’s contents. Jack is pissed. Orev is pissed. Walt is pissed. Walt knocks Vesla prone. Orev drags and holds her with his magical chain (Jack, watching this, may or may not be jealous okay yes he iS jealous oh no puppyyyy). Jack shoots the absolute hell out of the hag, unloading round after round and tattering that corpse because you do NOT mess with Calamus! By the time Jack has finished, everyone is covered in Vesla guts and blood, what can u do.

After the fight, Philip and Adela gather themselves. The party finds scribblings that reveal Vesla to be one of three members of a coven or some such. There are also so, so many teeth. (In other worlds, every Rin is so jealous!!) On the way out, Jack snags the bloodstone again, and Walt takes the doll (which will end up tucked into bed in the shared inn room, sorry Jack(. Once downstairs, Philip tells the party he’s decided to remain in the mansion while in Wickermoor Village. In fairness, the mansion is now significantly less crooked and less decrepit, much more livable, and also the remaining weasels have scattered to the village, so that’s nice at least? Philip pays them each 75gp for their assistance. He lets Jack and Orev borrow a pair of clothes, and Adela gives Cala a shirt that fits her like a dress; Adela insists that she keep it, saying it looks better on Calamus. Finally, the party heads out into the 1:00am-ish night and back toward the inn.

[onefellswoop]

Jack, after not speaking during the walk back to the village, goes to take a bath, and is immediately followed by Orev. This time, Orev does doing some staring at those shoulders, looking for the mark and not? Seeing? A mark?

Jack (yep he’s in the tub): “See something you like?”

Orev casts Detect Thoughts and receives: ‘This is typical. Why doesn’t he just do something? I am so tired. I can’t believe he used the chain on someone else.’ Knows Jack is thinking about the feather pretty much every time he looks in the direction of his hat. ‘Never gonna be clean, all this blood.’ A lot of confusion about why Orev is following him and staring. A question about why Orev keeps creating opportunities and not using them. Also kind of thinking about who the other Puppy was, and how many others were there?

Orev catches on this reference to other… Puppies? And okay one, concludes that Jack was his ‘Puppy.’ Two, he has no idea who any other ‘Puppy’ woulD be.

Jack’s thoughts, cont’d: ‘Who did he like better, and why wasn’t I good enough?’ Lots of feeling sorry for himself. And: He misses him so much. Orev can tell that that missing is always there, and that’s probably what Jack’s hiding whenever he tries to reject Detect Thoughts.

Orev crouches by the tub, puts his hand on Jack’s shoulder.

Jack’s thoughts, cont’d: ‘Has he forgotten everything? How to deal with people? What’s he doing? Is he fucking with me?’

Orev (speaking without planning to): “I’m not fucking with you.” And: “Where is it?”
Jack (his thoughts showing confusion): “What do you mean, where is it?”
Orev: “You must have had a mark. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. Everything I’ve seen. Everything I’ve read— I would have. You would have the mark.”
Jack: “If I’d had a mark, it would’ve been gone when you sent me away.”

Note that to Orev’s knowledge, he is in fact able to take the mark away if he wants to. He has no sense of whether he did or would have done any such thing to Jack. (But. Yes. Draža did remove Gideon’s mark after leaving for the last time. Gideon was given no warning and no reason why.)

Orev: “I don’t know why I would have done that.”
Jack (leaning back, staring at the ceiling): “You would have done it because you were done with me. Hypothetically.”

Jack’s thoughts, cont’d: Going through the memory of that last night in little bursts. A lot of Jack thinking it’s his own fault for saying what he did, thinking it was so stupid. There are images Orev’s glimpsed before. There’s also Orev saying, ‘There’s something missing in you. You’re not enough.’

And Orev immediately drops Detect Thoughts.

Orev: “I wish I could remember. It might be a mercy that I don’t.”

Orev reaches over and brushes back a bit of Jack’s hair. In response, Jack does something that registers as very familiar: He makes a ‘tch’ sound and pulls away, the vibe of which is very ‘don’t do that right now.’

Orev: “I don’t understand or know why this feels so familiar. We should talk about it. Sometime.”
Jack: “Did now seem like the most apt time to you?”
Orev: “It’s beginning to occur to me that it might not be. But I’m not sure there is a good time.”
Jack: “You’re really bad at interacting with people, aren’t you?”
Orev: “What gave that away? If you knew me before, you must have known this.”
Jack (trying to decide if he wants to play the ‘I don’t know you’ game): “I doubt I would have seen you interact with people much.”
Orev: “I suppose that sounds right.”

Jack exhales, rolls his eyes a little bit.

Jack: “Our interactions were probably more of the midnight variety. If we had them. I don’t think I’m the type you would introduce to your friends.”
Orev: “I’m not sure there would have been friends to introduce you to.”

He gets a little laugh! From Jack!

Orev: “But I think I see your meaning. Maybe. No, that doesn’t… Something doesn’t add up.” And eventually, looking away, “What I’ve remembered has felt very warm and very deep.”
Jack: “I thought they were.”

Orev, very quiet and still not looking at Jack, nods.

Jack: “But you found someone else.”
Orev (looking right quickly at Jack): “What?”
Jack: “Suppose of all the things I could have told, I didn’t have to tell you that.” And. “I wouldn’t want somebody who doesn’t want mean.”
Orev: “What do you mean. What makes you say that.”
Jack (lifts his shoulder): “Read your journal.”

Orev goes quiet again. He’s not really surprised, and looks like he wants to be upset, but isn’t.

Orev: “I suppose I ought to thank you for returning it.”
Jack: “You would have noticed if I hadn’t.”
Orev: “Even so. You might have burned it.” And. “I called you. My Puppy?”

Jack takes a sharp breath. Slowly lets it out, and there’s a very long silence. Then—

Jack: “I gather you called a lot of people your Puppy.”
Orev (taking this as confirmation): “It wasn’t a term particularly prevalent in my journal.”
Jack: “Maybe you crossed it out.”
Orev: “Perhaps. I don’t know what those other instances of redaction would have had anything to do with… A. Puppy (?).”
Jack: “You’ve never been very sane. I don’t know what to tell you; who knows what goes through your head.”
Orev: “No, I gathered as much.”

Little laugh from Jack! Who also dips his fingers in the water and flicks them at Orev.

Orev (with a small, soft smile): “You little shit.”

Orev spends a few moments simply feeling Like This. Jack isn’t in any hurry to move the moment along, himself. He’s enjoying this a lot more than maybe he should be. Jack eventually suggests Orev pull the other tub closer and take his own bath, since birdman is still covered in blood. After thinking about it, Orev does this thing.

For a while, they simply talk. Jack speaks of Calamus and asks Orev about Walt. Orev doesn’t in fact know much about Orev, and admits he’s not certain why Walter is following him at all. (Secrets that we know: Walt stumbled across Orev and realized This Man Needs Protecting. And as Walt was trying to find a new existence for himself outside the land of fight fight fight die fight die fight, life as a bodyguard seemed like an all right plan!)

Eventually, the water’s grown cold, and Jack readies himself to dry off and head out (gambling time babeeeey). Orev tells Jack that if he needs somewhere to sleep, he can come to Orev’s room. And Orev can sleep in a chair or on the floor, nbd.

Jack: “I’ll find somewhere to sleep tonight.”

Orev looks like he’s been slapped in the face. There’s no sign of anger; only sadness. And he reiterates his offer. Reiterates that yes, Jack can come to the room, and yes, he’ll have whatever space he likes to sleep, unharried.

Orev: “Do you doubt me?”
Jack (tone more joking than anything): “Infinitely.”

And Jack departs for the gambling table, leaving Orev to watch the door, to eventually sleep.

(And. To eventually wake to Jack’s unexpected return.)