Statement #0222208 | Best Policy(?)

[statementfuckingends]

WHO: Tim and Strange!
WHAT: Copping to a bad idea (no regrets)
WHERE: guess
WHEN: The day after the C4 Fuckery
WARNINGS: A very angry magic man

In the moment, there's a grim, vindictive satisfaction at just how badly the Brig gets hurt by that attack.

A few hours later, when the spell finally wears off, Tim snaps upright with a horrible sense of realisation.

Fuck. That was a bad, bad idea, and he stares at the far side of his room with a dawning comprehension of what his actions have done.

He'd... better find Strange. The guy might be a prat but he's genuinely not involved, and he deserves the truth. So off Tim goes to find- ugh, his Initiate's room.


After meeting up with Strange


There's a cat on the Brigantine. A quite handsome Siamese with dark fur, albeit covered in scars on the visible parts of its face, and present to the touch under its fur if anyone tries to pat it.

He'll scratch anyone that tries, mind you. Unless you're someone he already knows, which. Tim has a very selective list of people he's allowing near him right now.

Comments

Kitty Time!

[atowncalledtreffy]

"Hey." Comes a soft call. Probably softer than Tim's ever heard Trevor before.

He's got a soft spot for animals. Especially strays; he fishes around in his pockets for something to give the cat, giving him a warm, tired smile. He hasn't seen the full face yet but he knows the shadow of a cat.

"Bet you're hungry."

[statementfuckingends]

His ear flicks at the voice, almost totally unfamiliar in how gentle it is, and the rest of Tim turns all at once in the way cats do, one lithe motion to point himself at-

Trevor, apparently. Well, he knew he liked animals, with how well-cared for Lucy always looked, but this is something else entirely.

He's a little warier approaching Trevor than he has been his friends; he just doesn't know the guy well enough to make a confident decision when he's as vulnerable as this, and he feels his tail stand rod-straight behind him, a visual aid of his uncertainty, as he pads towards him.

[atowncalledtreffy]

He comes up with a bit of dried meat, and sits down on the floor to start breaking off pieces of it.

"It's all right. Not going to hurt you." He says, keeping his eyes low to not startle Tim.

[statementfuckingends]

He smells the meat before he sees it, and feels a bit betrayed by his own body when he can practically feel himself salivating. And he has to take a second to wonder how badly he's going to shove his already bruised ego down the stairs one more time just for a snack.

...well, he's already pissed on someone's things. Can't get much worse than rock bottom.

He considers trying to pick the pieces up with his paw, but everything else is already so goddamn weird that he just walks straight up, tail relaxing into a casual curve as he licks up the first piece to crunch on. Up close the scars are more visible on his muzzle, distorted by the transformation but still visible against the short black fur.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Trevor didn't get far into the monster hunting world without being hyper observant.

As the cat approaches, he frowns, sniffing the air. Magic usually leaves a mark or a scent, and he just caught a whiff of something familiar. It takes him a second, but he knows that stench;

"You smell like Strange."

A closer look at Tim is owed; Trevor peers at the cat, at first wondering if it's Strange who transformed himself into an animal to spy on people and get a free meal. People change into animals all the time; look at Adrian.

[statementfuckingends]

Tim doesn't mind the sniffing, but when he goes for a second bite Trevor mentions Strange; and he feels his spine crawl as fur stands on end between his shoulders, as he looks up at Trevor with a sudden stillness, betrayed more by his ears pressing warily back a little and his tail suddenly stilling again.

Not like he's ready to flee; more like ready to pounce and claw, and he can't help the discontent rumble that murmurs in his throat.

[atowncalledtreffy]

He's rarely interacted with Tim, and while Trevor isn't sure if Jon is on the ship, he knows those familiar-looking scars.

So, feeling like an idiot, he pulls back and says, under his breath;

"Jon?"

[statementfuckingends]

Tim's ears prick forward at his friend's name, and his tail flicks upright immediately.

So close, Trevor, really. But getting into semantics is just going to confuse the matter, and near enough really is good enough for this. He knows that Tim's human. Or- whatever. Person-shaped.

He gives a long, loud mraaaaow as he trots immediately up to Trevor and bunts his hand.

[atowncalledtreffy]

"Fuck." Trevor, rubbing Tim's head, swears angrily under his breath.

"That motherfucking magician. I'm going to kill him." Has Jon been here this whole time, under their noses? Jesus fucking christ he's upset.

"Come on. Let's go have a conversation with a mad magician." He says, extending an arm out for Tim to scoop into. He's not playing around.

[statementfuckingends]

Yes, this! This is what he was after! Someone who gets he's enchanted and is going to fix it!

He's gotten good at this by now, so Tim scampers all the way up the offered arm and settles on Trevor's shoulder like a big useless parrot, purring intensely against his ear. His dark fur and scars compliment Trevor's look well, but his eyes are as blue as Sypha's.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Trevor is pissed. But it's a calm sort of pissed, the sort that makes him hyperfocused rather than prone to missteps. Strange is obviously a powerful mage, and he has no issues with inflicting his magic on others with little hope of fighting back. This could be a fight.

He readies Vampire Killer at his side, getting to his feet once Tim is settled.

"All set?" He asks, before starting off for Strange's room.

[statementfuckingends]

Tim gives a sharp mrrp of affirmation as he steadies himself on Trevor's shoulder, but he's so ready. Kick his ass, Trevor.

[kingsroads]

Time for Trevor to get an even bigger headache. Because Strange is in his room, but he's throwing all sorts of magic at the corner of his room that's not quite there any more and just ate one of his books (which, rude). His current attempt is a spell of containment, in the hopes that he can at least shrink the odd little vortex a bit.

When the door to his room opens, he turns and looks at Trevor...before his expression sours a bit as he spots Tim. "You know it hasn't been anywhere close to twenty-four hours," he says to the cat, before turning back to the magic in question. "Though I am glad to see you, Belmont. Tell me, what's the largest size object you've seen these oddities take in?"

[atowncalledtreffy]

Trevor doesn't answer right away. Instead he walks over and grasps Strange by his arm, marching him towards the vortex itself.

"I don't know. Think it'll take a person?" he asks Tim on his shoulder, facetiously. "Maybe it's one of those spells where you have to kill the person who put it on you. We could find out."

[statementfuckingends]

Tim's response is a rumbling growl, almost-but-not-quite a yowl that Strange will understand as 'I'm more than happy to test that theory.' as his tail lashes furiously.

[kingsroads]

Ow ow ow. Strange attempts to wriggle out of Trevor's grasp but his skinny little noodle arms and absolute lack of upper arm strength fail him in this matter.

"What the devil is wrong with you?!" he asks Trevor, outright ignoring Tim for the moment.

[atowncalledtreffy]

"A fucking black magician's put a spell over my friend. That's what's wrong with me." Trevor yanks Strange's arm behind his back and holds him closer to the vortex.

"So we're going to undo the spell, or we're going to find out if the magic energy-sucking ball wants to eat people."

[statementfuckingends]

An angry hiss from Tim at Strange is, in his opinion, a very clear hear-hear.

[kingsroads]

Strange can't help but tense at that. He continues to try and wriggle out of Trevor's grasp before he snaps,

"Do you know why I turned Stoker into a cat? Because that impulsive idiot caused the magic energy-sucking ball in the first place! He's the one that set off the explosion, simply because he thinks that if he breaks enough of the ship, the Deacon would pay attention to him. And as his Initiate, why not punish him for his mistakes while keeping him out of my way so I can fix this?"

[atowncalledtreffy]

He pauses if only to look at Tim more curiously. "Tim? Sorry. Got the same scarring."

Then, back to threatening Strange like none of that happened;

"You don't use fucking magic as a punishment, and you absolutely fucking don't do that to someone who can't fight against it!"

He holds Strange firm, in a position that means if Strange struggles further, he'd risk damage to his arm and shoulder.

"And you're an asshole. If that thing gets bigger, Tim had no way of getting off the fucking ship. You might as well have broken one of his legs and forced him to outrun lava for all the doors you can't open as a cat. Now change him back and we'll let you get back to your spells."

[statementfuckingends]

Trevor getting Tim's identity slightly wrong is the least of his concerns, and he just mrps quickly in acknowledgement. His pupils are dilated, not leaving Strange's form.

'All this talk about opening my mind to shit, all you do is fit people into your stupid cult boxes. I don't fall in line that easy.' It's an extended, yowly growl again, and there's fur rising along his spine again as his claws prick into Trevor's cloak.

[kingsroads]

"If that thing gets bigger, I'll get him off the ship myself," Strange says, without hesitation. "Stoker, I know you don't like me, but you are under my watch. No matter what, I'll keep you safe—even if that means keeping you safe from your own poor decisions."

cw; bone break

[atowncalledtreffy]

The condescension is finally what hammers home to Trevor that this place is as big a shit pile - probably more so - than the Barge.

He twists Strange's arm up, sharp and with enough force to crack the bone.

"Turn him back." He says, politely enough. "Or I'll start on the other arm. Then you really won't have anything to stop that thing."

[statementfuckingends]

The sudden crack is loud to Tim's sensitive new ears, and he arches sharply on Trevor's shoulder so he can whip a paw out, claws extended, and swipe furiously at Strange's head.

'Change me the fuck back!'

[kingsroads]

Having his arm suddenly broken causes Strange to just let out a sharp scream of pain. There's a part of him, all this time, that still wants to dig in and hold his ground. But there's another part that is realizing that everyone from the Barge is a goddamn lunatic and there is a very real possibility that his other arm might be broken soon.

So, through gritted teeth, he casts the counterspell, waving a hand in Tim's direction. And congrats Tim, you're human again!

For the moment at least. The counterspell might have a few flaws in it because that's what happens when you try to do powerful magic while in immense pain. The spell might falter or have odd effects a bit later, but that's a problem for future Tim and future Strange!