Whatever the case, I think we might be in for some answers here.
Tag: 13.7p2
Trickster accompanied me. We didn’t get the benefit of Bitch’s dogs. She’d wanted to check on her territory and take care of her dogs. I’d grudgingly agreed that she should take care of that, and Trickster and I had set off alone.
Hm, seems like we might learn some things about Trickster on the way. This seems set up for some interesting one-on-one interactions between Skitter and Trickster.
I gave him a sidelong glance as we ascended the stairs of the empty apartment building. What had Cherish said? Scared little boy?
I didn’t really comment on that part of it, because that’s honestly the least interesting part of what she said to me. Leaders being more scared and insecure than they appear is a Thing that I’m not really surprised to see pop up.
Though it is an interesting tidbit that informs some of Trickster’s behavior. He does a pretty decent job at hiding his fear when in the company of other teams, but he may be overcompensating, possibly lashing out, acting crabby and angry instead of letting his true feelings show.
My choice of the word “crabby” was not a coincidence, in case any Homestucks were wondering. This trait reminds me a lot of a certain other K-named leader of a dysfunctional team.
She blames you. They all do. I could remember Sundancer’s remarks on the drama in the group and how lonely it was to be around them. I recalled Genesis seeming less than thrilled when her team arrived last night. Was Trickster at the center of it? He was more ruthless than his comrades, which was interesting because his power was the least lethal.
Said other leader is also one of the least capable fighters on his team.
Also yeah, I’ve been pretty much assuming Trickster was fairly central to the Traveler troubles ever since 6.8. But Noelle’s situation (which is what I believe the “blame” bits refer to, although that could also have to do with their shared backstory) certainly doesn’t help.
It might have been a point of contention. But what would he have done that the others would blame him for?
Oops, I just answered what I think that’s all about before it came up.
Although I guess I didn’t give specifics. There are so many unknowns about Noelle’s situation, and there are so many things people might feel someone did wrong in handling it, or causing it. And that’s if it’s even that situation and not their backstory, which is shrouded in even more mystery.
If we pull in my somewhat weak “Travelers are in trouble with Cauldron” theory, maybe Cherish was saying that the Travelers saw Trickster as responsible for that trouble, or for getting them involved with Cauldron in the first place.
Fuck. I kept imagining uglier and uglier possibilities.
You need to keep that imagination in check. 
“They’re going to be waiting and ready. We’ll need help, I think,” I said.
But how? Most of the help you could find are in an alliance that’s only not against you by a technicality. Although… the Protectorate might be persuaded to help, I suppose, and the Crew are being paid by Coil anyway.
…please bring in the Crew.
“Help?” Trickster turned my way. “You’re forgetting that the rest of the factions in the city have made a pact against us.”
“Not everybody there agreed,” I said. “There was one group at the meeting that didn’t agree to the pact.”
It’s the Crew, right? They just agreed to follow the money, which appeared to be on the pact’s side.
Please be the Crew.
“Am I remembering wrong?” Trickster asked. “Coil, Merchants, Chosen, Faultline’s group…”
“That’s right,” I said.
If you hadn’t noticed, I am very on board with bringing Faultline’s Crew in on this.
Y’know, if I was being too subtle about it.
“What are you thinking, then?” Sundancer asked.
“Coil,” I said, “You got some surveillance gear for Tattletale, right? Can I see it?”
…hm?
■
Dammit.
I fidgeted. The idea of Brian in the hands of the Nine was… daunting.
Yeeah. He’s probably not having a good time, even if they decided they benefit more from keeping him alive or even unharmed for some reason.
Was Siberian eating him alive, literally? Was he at the mercies of Mannequin? Jack could be torturing him for details on us. Or he could be in Bonesaw’s clutches.
Or all of the above. Restrained using Mannequin’s chains, his toesies being eaten while Bonesaw operates on his head and Jack tortures him in the middle?
Chances were good that they were pissed. Jack excepted, maybe. He’d seemed to like our ambush. In any event, any anger or sadistic tendencies were likely to be taken out on Brian.
Makes sense that he would like it. It came as a surprising and unusual move, adding some spice to the feast that Brockton Bay is to him.
Now where were we…
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