Oh Look. It's Him Again. The Dumb Ass Whom Finally Gave Up Out Of Manipulation And Listened To The Voices

{ isola starter call ! || @oriar ! }

Now that he knows he'll never get back to the Constant, there's a strange pull to return there. That's you in a nutshell, William Carter. Always chasing what you can't have.

He doesn't really want to go back, of course. Not to the Throne, and not to the life of a survivor.

But.

It's been so long since he's been in civilization-- really been in it, not crept shadow-like into the real world-- that he finds himself retreating to the semi-familiar isolation of the forest quite soon into his stay on the island. He's indulged himself nonstop in the finer things of society, and now he needs to pause and reset before all of these recent changes completely overwhelm him. He imagines that this forest, with its easy-to-find forageables and mundane fauna, will be a perfectly relaxing alternative to his own spider-infested woods.

He's wrong.

Maxwell tears through the forest, eyes wide and wild. He's seen-- something. Something tall and shaped like Them that made his skin crawl and his sanity fall in an instant. He doesn't know where he's going, just that he needs to get away, and he almost doesn't notice when another figure (human-sized, thank goodness) appears out of the mist in front of him.

He makes a valiant effort to skid to a stop before he runs into them, but doesn't quite succeed; Maxwell slams into the stranger, toppling them both to the ground in a heap of limbs and disturbed leaves.

He scrambles to untangle himself, his gaze darting feverishly back and forth around the misty clearing.

"It's-- there--! It's coming, They're coming--! What are you waiting for, get up!"

MAXWELL ! PASSION CASTER/HEART STEALER {MAGE, with THIEF traits}

CHARACTER SKILLS: FIERY CARAMEL APPLE: As you raise a hand up into the air, a giant, flaming apple covered in caramel will be summoned; allowing you to hurl it towards any foe that stands in your way. It works on single targets, and on groups. This is a pretty dangerous way to go bowling, but hey, it’ll get you a good score! SUGAR PLUM FAIRIES: If you’re ever trapped in a dark place and can’t find your way out, simply summon a group of dancing sugar plum fairies to light your way to safety! So long as the spell is active, they will follow you wherever you go; each of them creating light in a ten foot radius. SLEIGHT OF GUMMY HAND: Every thief needs to know how to steal! With this knowledge you can easily sneak treats out of any distracted person’s cookie jar. It can be very useful in battle too, if the big boss you’re facing has an important item you’ll need to get through to the next level! SUGAR GLASS: You’re so good at tricking people, you can even make them see things that aren’t really there! Of course, these illusions will be completely made out of candy, but they will let you conjure items, monsters, or even change your own appearance. The candy people might fall for it a little easier than your friends, however.. especially when you suddenly have a beard made out of sour belts.

CHARACTER STATS:

STRENGTH: 3

MAGIC: 14

ENDURANCE: 0

SPEED: 3

Inktober Day 09: Swing! Decided to go with maxwell and charlie swing dancing! referenced a picture i found from vintagedancer

Eugh. Maxwell doesn't bother to hide that he's rolling his eyes.

"Yes, memorized, go on." He's watching the other performer's hands, of course, and doesn't miss when the card goes up into his sleeve. Classic, predictable, boring. And here comes the "oh no, I'm totally, honestly, really messing up!" bit. A typical diversion with a bit of showmanship to sell it all.

"Get on with it." The card's in one of the man's pockets or in his other hand or somewhere equally--

Something slips from Max's shoulder and he catches it, staring at the three of clubs.

"This would be impressive, if you hadn't used real magic to do it."

The entire point of this exercise is to practice stage magic, not spells! Is he just trying to rub it in that Maxwell's own magic is on freeze right now?

The magician pouts like a petulant child and looks down his nose at Nikolai.

"All you've done is proven you need to rely on your extra abilities to perform the simplest of acts. I bet you couldn't entertain a theater full of children without resorting to these parlor tricks!"

A LAUGH spills out of him at the defensiveness. he understands, though ! the pain of seeing a trick go awry. even the most seasoned magicians slip up from time to time, right?

nikolai himself works very hard to keep his skills sharp ( a mistake in his line of work can cost him his very life, after all ) and so he takes the deck and shuffles it. he's smiling, delighted, he loves meeting someone who understands magic and showmanship !

"i am indeed perfect," he agrees, that easy smile on his face. "thank you for noticing."

with a flourish, he draws a card—the three of clubs, but he's not really looking—and holds it up. "memorize this one. now..."

he shuffles the deck again, sliding it into his sleeve and activating his ability, making the card appear out of thin air above maxwell's head, falling onto his shoulder. how long will it take the man to notice?

"drat, where did it go!" he asks, feigning ignorance and patting his pockets as if searching for it.

"Please, Charlie, be gentle!"

He knows how pathetic he sounds, how hypocritical it is of him to beg for mercy when it's his fault she's trapped in the darkness in the first place. But he can't help it; he's terrified, stumbling over roots and grasping hands as he tries in vain to outrun the night itself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! What kind of idiot wastes their torch during dusk?

The dead kind.

He had been nervous, that's all. Winter's just around the corner and he had been doing one last resource rush before the warmth of Autumn fled for good. So many puppets up at once had sent his head spinning and shadows crawling in the corners of his vision and he hadn't been able to take the dim light of the setting sun. The puppets are gone now, abandoned along with their resources (what a god damned waste), leaving Maxwell with no light, no means to make another, and just enough clarity of mind for regret.

It's over. Charlie won't be gentle (she never is), and Max will be lucky if the others ever find his corpse in the upcoming snowstorms, much less bother to bring him back to life.

No. No, he refuses to die like this. This is still his world, and he must have something up his sleeve--

In the momentary glow of a firefly cluster, Maxwell holds the Codex aloft, murmurs to himself, and summons her.

@radiosent -- !

There are many ways in which this "deal" could go awry for Maxwell; off the top of his head, he thinks that if he were to use that wording on one of his pawns, he'd ensure that they didn't "forget" him by plaguing their nightmares until they went mad. ...that would be quite fun, actually. Maybe he'll steal borrow the phrase if he ever goes back to his old ways.

For now, however, he'll live with whatever consequences come from shaking the hand outstretched to him. He's suffered through worse.

Blackened claws close around the entity's fingers and Maxwell marvels at the being's strange biology. Perhaps, if things go well, he can ask for information about his guide's home realm. It's always smart to be aware of what's out there, especially if what's out there is in the habit of dealing in forbidden knowledge.

"Is it your hope that we will discover a way out together?" That is to say, is he itching to escape?

Honestly, not what he was going to mention when the other strolled in here and started asking about magic and information, but he appreciates the straightforwardness! He loves someone with enough ambition and reckless disregard to fly directly into the sun. His lower eyelid lifts into a grin, although he doesn't move to fulfill his request quite yet.

“IF IT’S HAPPENED, I’LL HAVE SOMETHING ON IT - AND I’D BE HAPPY TO SHOW YOU! IF YOU SWEAR TOLET ME IN ON WHATEVER YOU’RE PLANNING. IF YOU’RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF HERE, USE ANY CRAZY MAGIC… WELL, JUST DON’T FORGET THE GUY WHO POINTED YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION! DEAL?”

His hand stretches across the desk at that - sure, his deals might not technically have any power anymore, but this guy doesn't know that! Besides, he likes the gesture anyways. Feels natural, and he's not giving it up.

Certainly the latter; it's not her "integrity" he's after, here.

"You misunderstand. Back home, I spent my time helping people get what they want-- what they need. I merely assumed that someone used to a certain lifestyle like yourself might find yourself missing that sort of support now that you're here. I'm here to help."

That's his point exactly; she has no one to whom she can dedicate herself and her loyalty. So why not dedicate herself to him--?

"So that's what you call it." Freeing people from some other exploitative power just to keep them under her own thumb, no doubt.

"Well, there's no power more exploitative here than the Stars themselves." At least, that's one sentiment. Maxwell, for his part, finds their captors-slash-saviors to be perfectly adequate, all things considered.

"So it stands to reason that your first step would be to take on the big bads themselves, right?"

He's teasing her. He doesn't believe for one second that she's the underdog protector-of-the-downtrodden that she claims to be.

◈ Carlotta's gaze narrowed. "Oh? A most curious proposal to levy towards someone you've only just met, sir. Do I give off an air of integrity, or could it be possible you may be interested in my skillset?" She hadn't divulged her talents to him, but she wore a BB gun on her hip. With what she'd said, it was possible he could have concerned she was a marksman.

If so, he was absolutely correct in that assertion.

"Admittedly, as a fresh face I hardly have much in the way of aspirations just yet. Committed to my family as I am, that loyalty serves no purpose here." A world without the Montellis was something new to brave, but the woman was up to the challenge. "So I suppose I'll inevitable fall back on my principles alone. Surely there are those here that are suffering under the pressures of the exploitative, so I'd work to relieve those pressures so that the suffering know peace."

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ABOUT. 𝒢℘ POSITIONS. 𝒢℘ FORMS. 𝒢℘ CHORUS. 𝒢℘ NAVI.

William trying out his magic tricks on kids for the first time XD

Dialog

W: Ladies and gentlemen, I am the great William, I will show you magic!!

W:I will pull a bid out of my palm( hand) !

Wendy n Abigail:......

W:Tough crowd huh?.... (; • - •)

And catch he does! For all of his posturing, Maxwell is physically quite weak, and he doubles over as soon as those claws slash across his front. The Stars have not seen fit to return his armor, and he takes the full brunt of the attack.

Pain blooms in his chest, and red begins to stain his suit; it gives the appearance that the vibrant poppy on his lapel has begun to drip its color like splattered ink.

Ow.

On instinct, Max pulls out the book the Stars have given him and flips it open. Nothing happens.

"Fine, fine, yes! You've proven your point." Max's expression is still twisted into a hateful snarl. If only he still had the power to pull irritations like the Librarian into a hell of his own making...

"Now finish the job or leave me to lick my wounds in peace."

Surprised, his body pulls back as it sees Maxwell's lunge. But Maxwell makes contact all the same. The Librarian, while lithe, was exceptionally taller than most humans and human adjacent.

Thus he was tackled down, but not flat to his back. Instead his lengthy legs were sprawled out and he was sitting up with his arms holding him up behind him. His eyes were bright and he looked both like he were smiling wide and mashing his teeth for attack.

"Your claws suit your countenance well, a predator! Take a look at mine!"

He sat forward, swiping an arm in an arc in front of him, claws out, trying to catch Maxwell.