The Scorpion Oracle whispers, 'come on, turn the page.'

[wastlandrage]

The light filtering into the cells dims to an orange glow, and the scent of smoke and burning meat starts to carry through the air. The doors to every cell simultaneously grind open, and the guards - those not part of the walls of the dungeons - wait to lead the prisoners down the hall and up a set of stairs worn practically ramp-smooth

Comments

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor's sulking as he walks into the cavern, rubbing the back of his head and grumbling under his breath - probably because he spent the entire walk alternately trying to argue with and ask questions of the guards, and getting smacked by them as a result.

But the woman on the throne is enough to catch his attention, and make him forget he was sulking in the first place. He manages to stay put while she speaks, but when the circle flares to light and leaves the four newcomers standing there, he breaks away from the group and storms toward the woman, trenchcoat swirling around him.

"Did you just divert the Arch? How? And... Well, I suppose if you were inclined to answer why, you would've already explained why you kidnapped us. But while I'm asking questions, why not: who are you, and why did you take us?"

[onewomanrave]

Molly steps forward a beat behind the stranger, pausing just behind his left shoulder and readying her will to throw a veil should the fae on the throne take objection to his questions. She raises eyebrows and suppresses a grin at the Doctor's directness. Molly always did have a soft spot for people who weren't afraid to speak up regardless of how powerful the opponent. Bravado is so encouraging.

Her eyes dart between the guards, the presumable queen, and the man in front of her as she waits. Answers would be nice, but how often can anyone really get a villain to monologue? She doubts it'll happen.

[wastlandrage]

"Yes, one hundred years of study, because I need the help of those it brings, the same as previous." She raises one eyebrow delicately. "I am the Oracle, and you are repeating yourself."

She flickers a smile at Molly, bright and inquisitive and somehow strange on her paint-daubed face. "I won't harm one I went through so much trouble to acquire. Though it's a good choice, the veil rather than an attack."

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor blinks in surprise when the woman addresses someone behind him, and glances over his shoulder to Molly with eyebrows arched. He doesn't know what she was planning to do, but if the Oracle's psychic, if she really was planning to hide or protect him rather than attack anyone... he can't help but appreciate that. He flickers a reassuring smile at her - while he appreciates the thought, he does this sort of thing all the time. He's going to be fine.

The smile doesn't fade as he turns back to the Oracle, just turns cold and no little bit mocking. "And what help, exactly, were you hoping we'd provide?" He glances around to the gathered prisoners - tired, bruised, and most of all, annoyed and thoroughly unimpressed for the most part. "An army, pressed into service? Is that it? Don't think it's likely to go according to plan, with this lot."

[w_for_wizard]

Harry is usually all for a good villainous monologue (i.e., they got boring a long time ago), but right now, he's a little more concerned with looking for Murphy. She was there when he was taken, so unless she managed to escape with those weird new powers of hers, chances are she's here too. Then again, if she's here, she's out of her cell and as free to act as any of them, and he hasn't heard anyone screaming yet... so maybe she avoided capture after all.

Maybe she did, just to get cornered by Kitsune again. His stomach drops as that occurs to him, and suddenly her being here with a collar like the rest of them doesn't seem so bad.

He doesn't have to search for Mouse. The dog bounces toward him as soon as he catches Harry's scent, tail waving, and Harry smiles a little in relief, reaching out to ruffle Mouse's ears - and trying not to wince as his fingers brush the collar

[bestunrevealed]

"Do try and continue to not provoke anything else," Snape hissed to the 'witty' wizard in Muggle clothing. "She speaks like a man I once knew, full of grandeur and madness."

Which, at one time he followed -- he would not be surprised if there were those weak enough here to succumb to the idea of rebellion, of fighting -- against something, anything, to put a face or name to their captors.

Snape's just too cautious to believe in so-called speech-making revolutionaries of any stripe, now.

[w_for_wizard]

"Else?" Harry manages to sound at least a little affronted at that. "I haven't provoked anyone yet." Anyone... here, anyway. In Quakeheart. To be fair, he hasn't had a lot of time.

He doesn't actually look at Snape for long - just gives the man a quick once over before turning his attention back to trying to pick a tiny blonde out of the cluster of fae and prisoners - but the fact that he glances away doesn't seem to be a dismissal. "And... by the way? We were kidnapped out of the territory of one of the most powerful fae in the Wood, stuck in cells where the only way in or out is magic, and slapped with collars made of bone. That kind of thing kind of screams 'full of grandeur and madness' all on its own."

[mrsarcastic003]

Tim snorted quietly, listening to the exchange. He tended to agree--it wasn't like any of then had done anything. Even his conversation with White Eyes--ill-advised as it may have been--didn't really constitute asking for it. He brushed his thumb over a pocket in the belt he'd had returned in the second cell. He could feel the collapsed staff. Even with the creepy bone collar, he felt a lot better with his weapons handy.

[whateverthemess]

Murphy's retreated from the main group to a darker corner of the room. She knows she's still being watched, but the illusion of privacy, some small dose of it, is better than trying this in the middle of a crowd.

"Here's hoping I don't strangle myself," she mutters, and closes her eyes. She can feel the hum of the Quakeheart - the Quakeheart, she thinks, distracted into pressing one hand against the wall and feeling a thrum like a pulse inside it

[mrsarcastic003]

"Maybe not a great idea," Tim says, glancing over at her with a wry grin. "Maybe it would get the collar off--maybe it would blow your head off." He eyes her thoughtfully. She'd never mentioned any magical abilities before--where had that come from?

[whateverthemess]

She doesn't yelp, but it's a near thing. The flowers explode in tiny puffs of seed and petals and the vines drop away, dried up. "Pretty much the reason I'm not going to try it," she says. She rubs a hand over the collar, scowling. She jerks her chin toward the dais. "Her people say anything interesting after that performance? I was busy trying to keep the Doctor from getting himself killed."

[mrsarcastic003]

He scoffs quietly. "Not really. Not that I heard anyway. Just the usual awe, confusion, and sycophancy." He shakes his head a little, frowning slightly. "I have to say, I'm a little sick of being dragged hither and yon to fight in other people's wars."

[nothisnanny]

Peter is exhausted, unimpressed, and would really like a shower and a nap, so as soon as the fireworks and grand gestures are finished, he exercises his sudden freedom by dropping back from the group and trying to make himself scarce around the edges of the room, looking for an unguarded exit.

[nolimitation]

"Peter!" It comes out maybe a little too loud, when everyone in the room who's not going out of their way to argue with their captors is making an effort to stay relatively quiet and unnoticed. Olivia doesn't really care. She's been looking for him since before the Carnival, and seeing him alive and more or less okay is all that matters for the moment.

She hurries toward him, weaving through the group and clipping a few shoulders with hers as she passes, and catches Peter by the arm when she reaches him. At first, she looks like she might hug him, but she releases him a moment later, an almost shy smile flickering over her face.

"We have to stop meeting like this." It seems like the only time they see each other anymore is in the middle of some strange fae plot.