entrancelogs | 'Tis rather inconvenient like this. +

Entry tags:

'Tis rather inconvenient like this. +

Who: You! !oot ,uoy dnA
Where: Wonderland, both Real and Mirror side
When: June 3 to June 10
Rating: PG-13, will vary by thread, warnings for higher ratings appreciated
Summary: A catch-all log for Mirrors and Reals during the reverse espionage event. Anything from Mirrors leading their daily lives, over Reals reacting to the show, to Reals and Mirrors exchanging messages goes here. Just label your locations and sides accordingly!
The Story:

Your own medicine is worth twice the sweetness in the bush, that is what they say! Here is my plan, now make sure you listen well, or you get it wrong, and then I would need to pair you all up, for only two even wrongs set my head back on right, and we've no time for such things, no time at all, do we?

As mighty as the sharpest blade, as stout as the hardest shield, a spool of thread woven from hearts of gold. It must exist, and I must have it! She'll do worse to my head if I search, but you'll help, won't you? I will let you see, and you will be my eyes! All good things come tomorrow - then I'll let you see, and you'll be my eyes, and when it's all done you'll use your own mouths to tell my personal ears all you know, won't you?

All of Wonderland's mirrors are suddenly working in reverse. The Real side can see everything, and the Mirror side is left with nothing but their own reflections. Details of the event can be found here.

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[ The tables have been turned on them.

The Captain didn't realize that the Duchess had such power, but he also doesn't let it get under his skin the way some of the other Mirrors have. There is nothing that he needs to hide here, and if he does, he can just as easily break the mirrors. The Real Things had relied on that strategy all the time.

So Steven makes a point of not putting any of his energy into worrying about the other side. His belief is that the rest of his kind should do the same, and yet certain Mirrors don't know how to keep themselves out of trouble.

It's by chance that he ends up walking past as Darcy scribbles on one of the mirrors to someone, and he halts, wondering yet again why she's the one he's been stuck with the longest, while other more useful Mirrors have disappeared.

In his full uniform as always, his boots come to a stop a few feet away from where she's writing. ] What are you doing? [ If she knows what's good for her, she won't give him a witty response. ]

[ Trouble always seemed to find her no matter how hard she worked to stay out of sight. She had a lot on her mind and with the recent change - it was intriguing. Add on top of that the fact that she seemed to be one of the few mirrors who could be considered nice? Well, it wasn't that hard to strike up a conversation with someone, having liked the real side the few times she'd been there.

Minus everything that actually happened.

She needed advice and it wasn't something she could anyone on this side, couldn't form into something that wouldn't possibly backfire and land her in hot water right off the bat. There was something about her, perhaps an unexpected benefit of what the Queen had in mind for her, where people underestimated just how much she paid attention to. What she could retain from conversations and books. She let people think she was stupid because it worked in her favor, although that didn't happen with everyone.

Seated on the floor, she feels as though she's having déjà vu - though she wasn't as well hidden as the last time he'd found her writing to someone what feels like a lifetime ago. ]

N-nothing. I... [ She swallows hard, trying to somewhat obscure the conversation from view. She keeps her gaze downcast, hair falling into her face. ] I was getting advice on something. I wasn't telling them anything about th-the Queen or us. I promise. [ At least nothing too specific. More general questions on telling someone something that might not be well received and a few random answers scribbled back about food and colors on this side. Though, it's clear the conversation was starting to turn to specifics - even if most of that is obscured by her body right now. ]

[ If it isn't anything vital in a strategic sense that she's discussing with one of the Reals, then why does Darcy seem so insistent on hiding her messages? Steven doesn't consider that it might be nothing more than a personal conversation that she would rather he didn't see. As far as he's concerned, her behavior is suspicious.

It doesn't help that her overall nervous nature always seems to push the right buttons to irritate the Captain and put him into a worse mood. His rage isn't his most well-controlled emotion.

While this might seem oddly familiar for both of them, that doesn't stop Steven from pushing the issue. There's no good reason for her to be speaking with the Reals, regardless of what the conversation is or isn't about. ]

What kind of advice? [ His eyes narrow as he glares down at her, expecting a quick response. ]

[ She knows, deep down she honestly knows that she should keep this all to herself and shouldn't even be entertaining the idea of speaking to the reals... But they were some of the only people she could actually speak to that would provide her with level-headed responses. That weren't driven by rage or murder or possibly something worse. They didn't tend to have a desire to manipulate the weak for their own entertainment.

It's hard to actually get a response out when he's looking at her like that. ] I-I'd rather not... It's personal, Captain. [ And almost as soon as that's out, she immediately regrets it. She breathes and focuses quickly on not stuttering, still fighting to avoid looking up at him. Because if she did, anything she might've wanted to say will go right out the window. ] How to tell someone something without them getting upset.

[ This particular Mirror isn't driven by rage or murder or even the desire to manipulate the weak. He's driven by a ruthless need to do as he's ordered, to fulfill his debt to the one who made him. All the same, he isn't exactly a good conversationalist, and wouldn't have patience for whatever personal problems Darcy might be struggling with.

It doesn't make any sense for her to be speaking to a Real about a personal matter, even if it is something that has no bearing on their ultimate goals. It's still fraternizing with the enemy.

It isn't difficult to put the pieces together. Steven eyes her coldly, arms crossed tight over his chest. ] And who would you be telling this potentially upsetting information? [ Maybe it's nothing that would concern him, but maybe it is, and he wants to be sure. ]

[ She echoes herself, murmuring under her breath with fingers tug at the hemming of her shirt nervously. Her volume is barely above a whisper, but still loud enough to be audible. ] I don't want to say - please don't make me.

[ She wasn't ready to do this, to spill the beans so to say. No, she needed time to figure out exactly how to pull this off, to gather proper proof so he didn't just dismiss her right off the bat. Didn't call her crazy or a liar. Granted, most of these things could be achieved by building a rapport... Which isn't something she excels at. She finally looks up at him after what feels like a lifetime locked in panic for her. One word slips out, body still tight against the mirror for as long as he'll allow. ]

You.

[ Some might have felt guilty for badgering someone so visibly freaked out, and Steven knew that it wasn't some act either. Darcy had always been this way, for as long as the two of them had existed. If she was simply scared of him or was this way around everyone, he couldn't say. But it's worked in his favor so far.

That pattern continues, given that she coughs up the information without him having to "make" her do anything. His gaze grows sharp as the implication of what she's said sinks in. She has something upsetting to tell him?

The fact is, he isn't easily upset, so this revelation only makes him more determined to find out what she's hiding. He marches toward her, seizing her by her upper arm to yank her away from the mirror. ]

Coming to me directly instead of sneaking around and speaking to the Reals would have been the better way to go about this.

[ You know, for future reference. ]

[ She doesn't scream when he pulls her up, almost expecting it in a way. Instead there's just a whimper as she squeezes her eyes shut. This really wasn't how she wanted to do this, in fact she might never have actually gone through with telling him. Not really... And this was one of the reasons why. She didn't have the grace in social situations that kept her from blowing it. Even if she put a lot of effort into a conversation.

Behind her there's a smattering of words still sort of left including Captain, Fitz, death, laser, and scared. Everything else is smeared, not that it really helped all that much to begin with. Taking a shaky breath, she gives a little nod. ]

Y-yes, sir.

[ Her gaze is still downcast, giving him a chance to put look everything over and draw his own conclusions before trying to speak again. That and she really didn't want to jam her foot into her mouth right now. ]

[ While she gets to her feet Darcy barely says anything. It seems that she can only run her mouth when she isn't actually speaking but instead writing on one of the mirrors. Steven's eyes flick over the glass, catching those few words that are still legible.

Fitz and death are the two words that stand out the most, but instead of trying to decipher what any of it means, he would rather simply squeeze the information out of Darcy here. So he starts to drag her down the hall to the closest empty room.

He hasn't forgotten that they're being watched, so as soon as they get inside he shatters the mirror against the wall of the room, a sharp jab with his elbow more than enough to get the job done.

Then he turns back to Darcy and stares her down. ] Talk.

[ By the time she knows to be quiet it's often too late. That was her curse in life, or whatever this existence was. There's another whimper as they move, working to keep her feet operating at the pace he was going.

When it wasn't physical, it seemed that he was mentally a step ahead of her. Not that her asking a real for help would've done anything. What could they do? Really? What could they possibly pull off to get her away from this mess that was mostly her own fault? Nothing. She'd made her disaster, it was time to face the music.

She flinches when he shatters the mirror, swallowing hard as she tries to work through the stutter that wants to come out. Something she'd been actively trying to suppress, easier done when not terrified. ]

Fitz, he -- he doesn't like you. D-doesn't like how you seem to run things. He... He's working on a-a way to destroy you.

[ It takes Darcy some time, but she does get the words out. Her stuttering is nothing more than a minor annoyance when compared with the realization that she'd at least been considering keeping this from him.

For her sake, Steven hopes it's because she'd been afraid of how he would react, rather than for more scheming reasons.

It doesn't particularly surprise him that another Mirror wants to cause trouble. For some it's in their nature. He's watched the Real Fitz across the glass a few times; he hadn't left much of an impression. ]

Something scientific? [ There might be ways to counteract or at least dampen the serum. Steven has no choice but to take the threat seriously. ] He must be a coward if he wouldn't confront me about this first. [ But one way or another, the two of them are going to need to have a little chat. ]

[ It was simply a matter of making a decision about her survival. Who's bad side would be more terrifying to be on. The Captain at least gave her space, didn't control her every move and breath to the point where she didn't even feel like herself anymore. Not that there was really much to begin with.

Yes, the thought had entered her mind that it might be a nice reprieve to get rid of one of the big bads on this side... But, again - she'd made a decision. Fitz didn't need to be elevated to that kind of power level given she wasn't sure what he'd do or how far he'd take it if he succeeded in getting rid of Steven. Rather than trying to speak again, more aware of how words seemed to falter and stumble off her tongue when around him than anyone else. How she didn't want to be a cause for more annoyance, opting for deference in place of pride. Her words are slower when she speaks again, effort visible on her face. ]

A laser. I... I think he knows he -- [ Breathe. You can do this. You've been working on it. C'mon. ] He can't take you on directly. I can draw it-- write down wh-what I can remember. He thinks out loud.

[ For all that Steven has been impatient with Darcy before, he's unnaturally still and quiet now as he waits for her to explain. This is something serious, an actual threat against his very existence, and from his own side. He would have expected this from one of the Real Things, but then again, they usually don't bother to pay them any notice, do they? The Mirrors are easily forgotten, hidden here behind the glass.

Except for now, but this is a special circumstance.

Darcy has finally proved her usefulness, if she's truly willing to take everything that Fitz had said when he thought she wasn't listening and write it down. While Steven doesn't show any sign of his approval, not usually one to give out praise, he nods firmly. ] Do it.

[ That's all she needs to hear, honestly. She lets out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding before nodding back. She could do this. She could spy on Fitz and report back.

Part of her wants to run right now, but she wasn't sure how quickly he wanted this. ] Um-- [ Oh god, don't screw this up when you just got ahead. ] I can start writing n-now. Or if you'd prefer I can just drop off notes as I go? M...make a regular schedule from it?

[ She wants to appease him and not make him regret what just happened. So, she'll basically do whatever he asks of her right now just to make sure that doesn't happen. ]

[ There's definitely something satisfying in having another person so ready and willing to follow orders. It also means that Darcy is more afraid of him than she is of Fitz, which is ultimately a good choice on her part.

Still, Steven considers himself reasonable. She should get back to Fitz as soon as possible, to make sure that he doesn't become suspicious. ]

A weekly report would be fine. Just don't let him catch on to what you're doing.

[ And Steven will be even more aware of the enemies surrounding him than he already is -- and to think that they're all supposed to be on the same side. Still, he's willing to defend himself if it comes to that. ]

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'Tis rather inconvenient like this. +

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holla holla hiatus tags x2!

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