the truth is in the gallows

[inferus]

WHO: Wrath and YOU
WHEN: first half of August
WHERE: around Taravast especially Beacon/Necromancy District
WHAT: Learning about new magic, gaining disciples, plus whatever else.
WARNINGS: tbd. potential violence, dark emotions.

Necromancy District

Wrath spends much of the first half of August within the Necromancy District, interested in observing their more extreme methods of healing people, and especially interested in learning how to break a curse through magical methods according to what they know. Information is powerful, and he is well-informed about magic, which makes what he knows a commodity. Throughout the month, he slowly conducts lessons and gains three disciples within the district. Heard of his lessons? Want to join in on one?

If others are exploring the District, they may find him in any of the shops or rooms where healing/experimentation is happening that he has managed to trade his way into. He stays near a back corner, observing. Even with his mask on, he gives an aura of being off (otherworldly, angelically attractive, demonically predatory). He primarily observes, but sometimes asks questions, offers a hand in assisting if he has the chance.

He surveys the illicit potions, inquiring to the effects of each, hoping to find one that might cause incompetence. Emilia has many suitors, most of them hapless save for one. Wrath senses dark emotions that would make his brother Lust grin from ear-to-ear. Not trusting this suitor to know the meaning of a safe word, he is on a mission to find a potion that will take him out of the running and teach him a lesson. It is not murder he is looking to do. Yet.

Miscellaneous

You may find him at any of the following:

- Wrath spends time at the Beacon, visiting it several days, asking about it to locals, collecting information about it. It is warded and locked away like an ancient relic, like an item to be observed but never touched.

- Keeping an eye on Emilia di Carlo, but from an appropriate distance most of the time so as not to raise suspicion. Studying her suitors from afar and then being annoyed by their existence, especially when they are the ones who get to dance with her at the parties. Then being annoyed to find himself annoyed. This is fine, and he doesn't care at all.

- Wrath sometimes teleports into secure rooms within the two academies of magic when he thinks he can do so without being seen. This leaves the clear scent of fire and brimstone behind when he does so though he attempts to do so when no one else is around. Others might be sneaking into rooms that he teleports inside of. For the most part, he uses his influence and lessons of his own magic to study visions at the Attaryl school of magic, sitting in on lectures.

- He attends the parties with the air of someone who has been to many before. With ease, he speaks to the nobles around as if he has always been here, playing his role, performing miracles when asked to. These miracles include changing the temperature of the room, lighting fire with a few magic words, or even healing minor ailments. If he sees anyone struggling, he will assume they are part of the group and offer advice on how to keep up appearances if only so they will not be discovered. You are welcome.

[ ooc: hit me up with wild cards freely or simply contact me through pm/plotting post/plurk and I'd be happy to write something else. reminder there is always the potential for being near Wrath to increase angry feelings your character is having if you want to play with that. :) Wrath does not do this on purpose - it's just a side effect of being angry near him. ]

Comments

[inferus]

Wrath pauses at those words, letting them weigh in the air between them.

"There are things far worse than death," he says in a quiet voice that is altogether as ancient sounding as he truly is. Madness brought on by a curse is certainly far more difficult to be rid of than death itself. "But the procedure would be risky. It would likely result in a cost to you of some kind. It is highly unlikely for that cost to be death, but it would be significant, and they are likely not to warn you of it. They do not feel giving full information is required before making their deals."

This is not a procedure that he is familiar with so he is only making assumptions of his own based on what he knows of such dark magic in general.

"If you know where the mirror is, it would be worth trying, but cursed objects are dangerous on their own."

So caution is prudent.

[somebadnews]

The tone of Wrath's voice lifts his head, and he stills enough to look him over, his expression questioning. He's not wrong, but the curse isn't what's worse than death. It's magic. There's nothing physically wrong with him, which is part of why it took so long for him to believe it's real. The apocalypse was real, and he lived every minute of it with the knowledge that he put himself there. That was real anguish. If it hadn't been for Dolores, he would have lost his mind long before now.

What would she say if he told her what he's considering? Who he decided to consult before his family? She'd be unimpressed, then tell him he needs to admit to his mistakes and find his own way out of this. ( That's what I'm trying to do ) — but of course she isn't here, and he doesn't want to argue with her.

He feels sick when the word 'procedure' comes up, and he chooses a nice spot on the floor to glare at. Wrath might not think death is on the table, but a significant unknown cost doesn't sit any better with him. The mirror is at least something he has control over. Five is the one who grabbed it from the vault, so it would almost be as if he had the foresight that he would need it later.

"You don't say," he bites out eventually. But he straightens and seems to have a better grip a moment later. Enough that he can go back to ignoring what the curse is doing to him and refocus on who he's apparently taking advice from. "I thought you'd be endorsing your new allies, not trying to warn me about them."

[inferus]

Wrath remains still where he is standing, lifting his eyebrows then at the biting nature of his response.

"I would not consider them allies," Wrath says after a long moment. They are sharing information. It is a mutually beneficial exchange of information, but it does not make them allies. He wanted an in within the District because he could tell it would garner important information- the things that aren't spoken of in other places. He certainly would not trust any of them nor call upon them in a moment of need, which is what he would view as more of an ally.

Their deals often have a great cost unless there is something of true value that can be offered in turn... like learning about other types of magic.

"And I feel strongly about presenting a deal in all its details even if they do not. You were asking me for information so I assumed it was something you wished to know."

[somebadnews]

It's noteworthy that Wrath seems to take every opportunity to disassociate himself from them, almost as if he's offended at the thought. Of course maybe it is all transactional for him. That's exactly how Five would prefer most of his interactions with the general public, so he can't fault him for that. Doesn't mean he's going to turn around and be grateful.

"Except you didn't really tell me anything." Let's not make this out to be an act of charity just because he isn't misleading him about their intentions. True, he'd actually told him more than that, but it's easier to be angry if he disregards anything he couldn't have found out on his own.

He rubs his forehead irritably, which is an emotion he's more comfortable expressing so it's an improvement. Eventually he smiles.

"Since they aren't allies, I don't have to worry about any of this coming up."

[inferus]

Wrath tilts his head to the side as he looks down at him with an all too calm expression after a long moment. He already gave his word he would not reveal Five's condition to anyone so he is mildly insulted, and thus does not feel it necessary to respond to that statement.

"You are so full of anger, aren't you?"

It is spoken like a simple Truth (and it is- Wrath feels it all from mild irritation to the true anger lying buried inside of him that makes him paranoid of everyone in the world). Wrath rolls his eyes, straightens his shoulders again, and starts toward the door, stopping before he heads through it.

"If I am so unhelpful, don't bother asking me anything in the future."

And then he's gone.

[somebadnews]

Maybe he had said it before, but it was worth repeating after the display he put on. All he did was demonstrate his lack of control and his uncertainty to someone who was already too aware. There's no real reason for Wrath to keep it a secret, except that he has nothing yet to gain by telling them.

Bridge effectively burned, Five says nothing as he watches him leave. That habit of his, reading him with unfailing accuracy, is painfully effective. Anger doesn't begin to describe it. All the unspeakable things he's done, just to end up here, in the wrong body, cursed, his family still scattered in the wrong timeline. If he could even call it that. Rage is all that keeps him going.

Alone in the shop, he rubs at his neck and has a very real desire to rip the shelves from the walls and smash everything in reach. He closes his eyes and pushes back the urge, letting the violence in him settle so he can go on functioning like everyone else. It takes him a minute, but he gets a handle over himself before he makes another mistake.

This isn't over. He can still fix everything, with or without help. What's one more setback?

With a heavy sigh, he shakes his head and blinks away.