Entry 406; Day 532

[misterblackbird]

Yesterday, I saw a man sitting the cafe for the whole of the afternoon, putting milk into his tea over and over and over. The cup never overflowed, and he never stopped adding the milk. He was hardly the first person I saw doing something over and over, unceasing--and not in any sort of peculiar way, the way I've know some people to check the locks at their doors far too many times. It was rather like seeing something in a recording on the Network being played over and over again. It must have been maddening for the people caught in those cycles, and I'll count myself fortunate not to have been one of them. It was eerie enough to see them--on the Network, of course, but moreso in person.

Yes, it was a curse, but it suggests something that we've already suspected: the 'deities' seem quite content and quite able to control time and our actions in it. I remember Merry coming into the City from an 'earlier' time--there's no better way to put it--than Riff and I. I know others have seen the same thing happen. Of course it would make sense that the 'deities' could snatch us from any time in our lives that they pleased--which means we'll never really be free of this place, even if we don't remember it in between the times that we spend here.

But to be able to set us on a circuit like that, to force us into repeating useless motions over and over until it drove us mad--that proves something more, I daresay.

Is it reason to fear them? I say no, but then I'm the one who refuses to even call them gods, because I say there's an explanation for it all, if it can be found. But they've some ability or skill to make these things happen, even maddening nightmares like that: to be putting milk into one's tea forever.

It's rather like it always being teatime, isn't it? Isn't that how it followed, that mad tea party? It was always teatime, forever, ever since the clock had stopped.

And, yes, I do see the strains of irony in all that. I won't give them credit or power over time. But it is interesting.

That hardly seems to matter now, though, since there seemed to be far more interesting things going on last night, and no sooner than the curse had ended.

What happened last night? I'm quite aware that there was something like a declaration of war--that's hardly the first time I've seen such a thing thrown on the Network. I suppose that proves the one responsible, and he hardly seems to care.

Another one, I suppose, who hates humans and would kill himself if it meant destroying us as well.

I certainly heard a great deal going on in the streets, and saw a few flashes of light--a few, since it seemed like the lights went out in that part of the City shortly thereafter. What the fight was, I couldn't see, though I tried for it. And nothing turned up on the Network thereafter either. I suppose the police found out about it soon enough.

I suppose the first question is whether anyone is hurt. The second question is what happened?

Can anyone answer me that?

[Private to Megumi || Unhackable]
Of course I felt some of what was going on. Are you all right? I know you were there somewhere--and I know it was nearby the hospital. What was going on?
[//end private filter]

Miss Reinette, I have not forgotten my promise to you, but this hardly seems like the time to discuss plans in that regard.

Rosella, I hope you're still bearing up as well as possible.

~C.

[ooc: Geeze--haven't posted in an age. Yeah, Alice-y types, he's referencing your mad tea party--it's basically canon that he knows it. lol, I'd wanted this to be a short post. Fail. Also, let's talk war~]

Comments

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

But it does suggest that there's someone or something else that might be behind this--someone or something quite against anything and everything 'magic'.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Or, perhaps, simply someone who wanted to make Prince Nuada very angry.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

I suppose that could be the reason for these attack, yes. I hadn't considered that.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

He's certainly never bothered to hide the fact that he hates humans--I think, in the world he comes from, there must've been some sort of terrible trouble between the elves and the people. It'd be an easy enough thing to take advantage of, I think, knowing how strongly he feels about it.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

Yes, but who would want to take advantage of that? They might have a grudge against him, or they might see him as a useful tool to be turned on the City at large.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I'm sure he must have no shortage of enemies...but I can't imagine many that would resort to killing innocent creatures just for the sake of angering him.

You did say the girl in the water was shot, didn't you?

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

I don't know enough of his enemies to say so either way. Perhaps that's the place to start.

She seemed to be, yes. There was a wound in her back like from a bullet, and a gun on the ground nearby her. It's a rather mundane way to try to kill someone, isn't it?

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Extremely so. And it's certainly not a way I would expect an elf to choose, either. It's too modern.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

So clearly it's someone not at all magical, then.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It's a place to start, if nothing else. Someone who dislikes Prince Nuada, is strong enough and cruel enough to kill a unicorn without remorse, and would know both how to hunt magical creatures and how to use a gun. There can't be many people who meet all those traits.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

No, certainly there can't be all that many people who meet all those traits.

I'll see if I can find anything out, even if it takes a call on the Network. I'd like to know who's behind all this, if for no other reason than to save us all a little pain and trouble.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

If I hear anything else, I'll be certain to let you know.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Rosella. It's a worthwhile knot to untangle, I think.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I think so, too. It's just a pity we don't have a sword to halve it with, instead.

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

That's the easy solution to it, isn't it? I don't think we'll have that much fortune with this.