Open Post: Woven Strength

[sorrowandsorrow]

Fuck it. Janet's stuck in purgatory. She may as well use this time to brush up on the things that actually matter to her. Those things, in no particular order, are: Eliot, welters, magic, ruling Fillory, kicking ass, and judging first lest she be judged.

Right now, she's practicing magic. It makes her feel like a first year again, but who's going to know that? She hasn't seen a single other Brakebills graduate here. This is a spell that saved her sanity, if not her life, and she sure as shit better be positive she can cast it even outside of Fillory, outside of the desert.

Woven Strength at full power, she's in one of the lounges with a stack of weights, experimenting with how far she can take it. She's grinning, because she has a giant barbell with weights stacked on either end, a couple hundred pounds easy, and she's picking it up with one hand like it's nothing.

Comments

[lostandforsaken]

Asmodean is passing by when he notices the spectacle out of the corner of his eye and pauses. He debates continuing on, but is fairly sure avoidance in this place can by necessity only be effective for so long, so he moves to stand in the doorway. "Impressive."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet looks at him and bites back a laugh. They have some stuff to talk about, huh? "Hi, Joar," she says innocently. She tosses the barbell into her other hand, delighted at how easily it goes.

[lostandforsaken]

The expression that crosses his face is almost a grimace. "If I requested you not, would it work?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

"Hmmm, maybe." Janet's struck with visions of his ascot tied around Sagramore's arm. Like sugarplum fairies, but much weirder. "What's it worth to you?"

[summerdude]

"Yooooooooo," Magnus says, passing by and then walking backwards until he's standing at the doorway. "Are you an einherji too? Or just like super strong?"

[sorrowandsorrow]

Jesus, is that an actual teenager? Like, a real one, not just the victim of the capricious magician who apparently has them all at his or her beck and call?

"Technically, neither," she admits. "This is a spell. Hi."

[summerdude]

"Oh sick," Magnus says. He hovers for another minute, then goes into the room. "What kind of magic do you do? I have some alf seidr, but my friend Hearthstone -- he's an elf -- he can do rune magic." This latter is said in hush tones, befitting the sacrifice and talent required for such an accomplishment.

"I'm Magnus, by the way," he adds. "Magnus Chase. I don't think we've met?"

[untamedantinous]

This can safely be added to the growing list of 'things Enjolras has never seen before.' He is passing by on his way --outside, perhaps, and just...pauses in the doorway, watching, with one eyebrow raised.

[sorrowandsorrow]

Once Janet notices him, she smirks, hoisting the barbell slightly higher in simultaneous greeting and demonstration. "Hey, pal," she calls, "tickets are five bucks."

[untamedantinous]

"I am sorry," he replies, a little sheepish. "I have just never seen a young lady doing anything of that nature before." Lifting weights and magic, one would assume; but he hasn't found out about that bit just yet.

[timebethine]

For a moment, Laertes just stands in the doorway, admiring the sight of her. Even if the magic is carrying most of the weight, the flexion of her arm is beautiful to watch--up and down, tensing and relaxing, pumping that great weight as though it weighs less than a feather.

Then he realizes that he's staring, and shakes himself a little. "Queen Janet," he says. "How good to see you. I'd hoped to tell you some pleasant news."

[sorrowandsorrow]

A little startled, but not unhappy to see him, Janet waves with her free hand. "Laertes. Hi." For him, she actually sets the barbell down, careful it doesn't thunk too hard on the floor. "I'm guessing it's not 'we found a way out and you get to go back to Fillory,' so now that the disappointment's out of my system, shoot."

[timebethine]

Laertes has other good news, urgent and sweet as a heartbeat--but it feels improper to be the one to tell Janet of his marriage, as though he's staking a claim by it. He'll leave that news to Sagramore to break. Instead, he says, "The magician Nightingale has agreed to teach me magic."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu is looking for Janet. He's kind of looking for--anything straightforward, really, emphasis on the straight, and he knows he has to apologize to her (again), and he knows what he has to apologize to her for (being rude while gay).

Still, he nearly turns around and walks away when he sees what she's up to. Approaching dangerous women who are currently mad at him while they are casually displaying superhuman strength is not the best idea, in his experience.¹ But if he doesn't do this he has to go back to his rooms, or back to Binghe's, or chance running into Sagramore, or--

He leans against the doorway and clears his throat.

¹His experience primarily being Qi Qingqi, who, while technically his shimei and also his friend, could definitely kill him with her pinkie.

[sorrowandsorrow]

Shen Qingqiu is so lucky that Janet is battle-honed enough not to startle and drop that thing on her foot. It's Woven Strength, not Woven Steel-Toed Boots.

Admittedly she doesn't look the most excited to see him. She gives him a flat stare. "Hi, asshole."

[peaklordshen]

Shen Qingqiu winces, but--deserved. "Hi," he says. "Um. I'm sorry I told you to leave, when I was doing my experiments. I got kind of--singleminded. It was rude."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina walks by a while later and notices Janet with the weights, also noticing she looks upset and rather angry. She pauses by the door for a second.

“That’s impressive,” she says quietly, to signal to Janet that she’s there. The one thing she knows from living at court with many Grisha is that you don’t want to sneak up on each other.

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet is so shockingly happy to see her, to see a friendly face that doesn't belong to a man, that she comes close to dropping her weights. Embarrassing. She doesn't, though -- she catches the barbell before it can really slip, and then sets it to one side with care

"Hi," she says. "Thanks. It's a spell. Get in here, okay?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina gets the sense that Janet probably needs a hug right but she also knows that Janet really isn’t the full-on, enveloping hugging type. She’ll compromise by heading into the room and putting one arm around her in a gentle half-hug greeting.

“It’s good to see you again,” she says, and then she’ll cut straight to the chase. “Is everything okay?”

[sagramore]

Sagramore, having talked to Laertes, is looking for her, and even knowing this is going to be a bad conversation he feels a pleasant little lurch in his chest when he sees her. "Lady."

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet goes iron-stiff when she hears Sagramore's voice. She'd have tracked him down herself if he hadn't come for her, so this is really almost gentlemanly of him. She does, in fact, throw that weight she's holding across the room, although she aims for a couch, so she can turn on her heel and give him a hard stare. "Hey, shithead."

[sagramore]

"I owe you an apology."

[protagonisthalo]

Even though Luo Binghe has sworn off women, he can still appreciate a beauty with formidable strength. He stands for a few moments, appraising her favorably.

Luo Binghe likes Janet quite a bit—warlike and headstrong women are some of his favorite people—but he is embarrassed at how he conducted himself the last time they met. He was in dire straits then, and now, secure in Shen Qingqiu's affections, he has regained the confidence that Janet saw him without. He must show her how things have changed. "My queen," he says generously.

[sorrowandsorrow]

Janet's having one of the longest and weirdest days of her life. The image of Sagramore's softly apologetic face is dancing around in her mind's eye and taunting her. She wants to punch it.

She's not really in the mood, but fuck it. At least Luo Binghe is entertaining. She turns to eye him, then shrugs and makes a come on in gesture with her free hand. "Emperor," she says dryly.

[protagonisthalo]

Ever since he woke up this morning with his arms still wrapped around Shen Qingqiu, Luo Binghe's heart has been light as air. (He continued to hold Shen Qingqiu until he stirred, at which point Luo Binghe pretended to still be sleeping, and was rewarded with Shen Qingqiu's shy little forehead kiss—as though he wanted to reassure Luo Binghe that everything from the night before was real.) He is eager to see Shen Qingqiu again as soon as possible, but just turning over the memories in his mind is almost more wonderful than he can stand. He is too happy to notice Janet's mood.

"When we last met, I told you of my agony over the man whose presence here has distracted and tormented me. There have been... developments."