⇨ ALOLA

[ringleaders]

Who: EVERYONE.
When: Day 73 - Day 87
Where: The islands of Alola.
What: The Carnival arrives at its next touring location, a series of tropical islands inhabited by a species of animal called Pokemon and their trainers!
Warnings: Pokemon is pretty PG-rated.

IT'S A POKEMON WORLD↴ Alola is broken up into four different islands, with a number of unique points of interest. Boats can easily be rented in order to get between the islands, or you can just pay for the fair of a scheduled trip. If you can prove you have the skills for it, you can also call on a "Ride Pokemon" - that is, either a Charizard or a Lapras that will fly or swim you between locations. ► POPULATION: Though the islands appear very small as an abstraction in the actual games, that doesn't hold over into the actual reality of it. When interacting with the different locations, imagine that they are about as big and spread out as they would be in real life. It's about on the same scale as Hawaii is on earth. Ignore any wikis that say the population of each island is like 200 people, because that's just adding up all the scripted NPCs, and there are realistically more than six houses per town. ► AMENITIES: Even if they aren't overtly listed on island maps, it can be assumed that all towns and cities will have basic amenities - that is, places to eat, place to go to the washroom, places to buy souvenirs, and the other things one would expect in a tourist heavy area. You can also buy malasadas pretty much anywhere. ► POKECENTERS: You'll be able to find a Pokecenter in pretty much every town - a Pokecenter is a public building in which Pokemon Trainers can rest and get their Pokemon healed. Think of it like free international Pokemon healthcare. You can also buy Pokeballs here, as well as potions and other healing items for later use. ► AETHER FOUNDATION: A peace keeping organization that shelters Pokemon from harm and abuse. If you kill/maim any Pokemon or otherwise act violently in public, they will come to try to take you down with their Pokemon. They also are the main force working against Team Skull. MELEMELE ISLAND↴ [MELEMELE DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU KOKO] [WIKI LINK] ► TRAINER SCHOOL: A full fledged for young, aspiring Pokemon Trainers! Students go here to learn about Pokemon care and battling before setting out on their own journeys. It would be sort of weird for an adult to show up here, like it would for an adult to try to attend an elementary school, but you can probably learn some of the basics just from touring the facility. ► HAU'OLI SHOPPING DISTRICT: The biggest shopping district on Melemele, you can do a lot here, from eating out to getting your hair dyed. A lot of shops are, unsurprisingly, completely Pokemon focused - but there are some that aren't, too. There are also some very nice beach fronts nearby. ► BERRY FIELDS: Berries come in a lot of different types and have different effects when used. Mostly, Pokemon love to eat them, regardless of what type they are. This is a big field of them, most of which are free to take if you catch them when ripe. ► TEN CARAT HILL: The secluded interior of a small mountain, filled with some rare types of rock Pokemon. You have to be able to bypass the left overs of some recent rockslides to get in. ► TRIAL SITE: There is only one trial on this islands, which is the Normal type trial. All you have to do is fight a bunch of Pokemon ferrets, and then fight an even bigger Pokemon ferret that thirsts for your blood. It's not so bad. AKALA ISLAND↴ [AKALA DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU LELE] [WIKI LINK] ► TIDE SONG HOTEL: A big ass hotel near the port - if you want to stay on Alola overnight, this is a pretty good place to go. It isn't too expensive, and is also rather nice. ► DIMENSIONAL RESEARCH LAB: Alola, on occasion, has been the site of various dimensional breaks (haha) in which extraplanar creatures called Ultra Beasts have crossed over. There isn't much information about these beasts, but they are something that are being actively studied. Characters who are nerds might find some of this information interesting. ► HANO GRAND RESORT: The inevitably big, fancy resort that tends to take route in touristy places like this. If you actually pay to spend some time there, you can enjoy all the things you'd expect to find in a fancy resort, except with way more Pokemon. There is also a fancy, secluded beach for resort goers only. ► BATTLE ROYALE DOME: A battle area in which 4 trainers fight each other all at once, with teams of there Pokemon. The trainers here are mostly quite expert, and you need a team of three Pokemon to play, so player characters probably won't be able to participate. However, you can still come to watch, if you like seeing a bunch of colourful monsters slapping each other around. ► PANIOLA RANCH: A large ranch that keeps a lot of Pokemon that resemble earth farm animals. You can leave Pokemon here to stay for a while if you need a break from the strains of trainer life. Quite often, however, your Pokemon will end up getting knocked up and leave you with another egg to care for. ► TRIAL SITES: Brooklet Hill is a lake filled area that contains the Water Trial. You have to fight a bunch of schooling Wishiwashi, and then an even bigger schooling Wishiwashi to win. Wela Volcano Park contains the Fire Trial, where you must climb to the top of the dormant volcano, and spot the difference between a series of ceremonial island dances. Then you gotta fight a team of Marrowaks and a giant Salazzle. The Lush Jungle contains the Grass challenge, in which you have to find a series of rare organic ingredients in order to brew something that will lure out a giant Lurantis. ULA'ULA ISLAND↴ [ULA'ULA DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU BULU] [WIKI LINK] ► MALIE GARDEN: A nice big garden to hang out in and chill. Also, there are Pokemon there... and also, Pokemon battles? There's really no end to it. ► MOUNT HOKULANI OBSERVATORY: Up at the top of the local mountain, you can go see a space observatory. Like most things in Alola, it's like a regular observatory, except with more Pokemon, since some Pokemon just straight up come from space. You can take a bus up here, but you can also hike if you want. ► HAINA DESERT: A shitty desert in the middle of the island. Mostly only good for if you want the kinds of Pokemon that live in shitty deserts. ► ABANDONED THRIFTY MEGAMART: A Megamart, but haunted. Extremely haunted, filled with the kind of ghost Pokemon that would actually kill you. You have to take a bunch of pictures of ghosts on your way through here if you want to beat the Ghost Trial. ► PO TOWN: The ramshackle remains of the town that Team Skull have taken over. It's completely walled off from the rest of the world, and is pretty terrible. No point in going in there unless you're fighting crime, in which case you can expect to get challenged to Pokemon battles by a lot of Team Skull knuckleheads. ► LAKE OF THE MOON: A huge, round temple thing in the middle of nowhere. It's used to praise a legendary Pokemon that existed years ago, but there presently doesn't seem to be anything around except cool architecture. ► TRIAL SITES: The Observatory contains the Electric Challenge, during which you have to fend off various kinds of electric grubs, before eventually taking on a giant Vikavolt. The Abandoned Megamart must first be cleared before challenging the Ghost Trial officially, at which point you will have to defeat a powerful Mimikyu. PONI ISLAND↴ [PONI DETAIL MAP] [GUARDIAN DEITY TAPU FINI] [WIKI LINK] ► SEAFOLK VILLAGE: A village made of nothing but houseboats and other water fairing homes. It's the only major town on Poni Island. ► ANCIENT RUINS: Most of Poni Island has been reduced to ruins, over time. Not many people live here, relative to the other islands, but there are a lot of abandoned buildings from when they apparently used to. ► VAST PONI CANYONS: Most of the island is comprised of canyons, caves, and valleys filled with particularly strong Pokemon, and also a lot of fight-hungry Pokemon trainers. Most of them will want to fight you as soon as they see you, since they are there mostly to train, but they will back down if you tell them you're not a trainer. Though, at that point they will strongly urge you to go home, because it's too danger for anything other than the strongest trainers. ► ALTAR OF THE SUN: A matching altar to the one found on Ula'ula, except this time dedicated to a legendary Pokemon of the sun. If you play some magic flutes here at the right time then apparently a giant lion might show up, but there's no way to be sure. ► TRIAL SITES: The only Trial here is the Grand Trial, which is a fight against the leader's ground type Pokemon. You may also get lucky and have the Fairy Trial's kahuna deign to fight you, with her fairy types, if she randomly wanders into your path. Both of them are very strong, and are not advised to challenge for new trainers.

Comments

post-performance

[whattaprick]

The past few days have been surprisingly enjoyable one for Lambert, despite the relative lack of alcohol (except a few shared drinks on the beach and a trip down to the resort's bar, which ended rather quickly once he got a good look at the prices), sex (not that he's shy or there aren't enough attractive people around) and things to kill (it turns out there are more fun ways of making money, including non-lethal fighting that consists of just yelling at something else). All the sun exposure from roughing it with Childermass (minus a night in the island resort, won as a result of a betting on a Pokemon battle) has given him a decent tan now that the sunburn's worn off, and best of all? The tiny donkey has, after seemingly endless battles, finally gained enough experience to become a full-grown horse. Of course, this also means she now has to be kept outside, but the temperamental beast seems to have become calmer with her evolution.

After all that? Being the Nightrider while the Carnival's putting on its show isn't that exciting, at least not here. Lambert's doing his part by keeping an eye out for trouble -- he's even gotten rid of his tropical Alolan outfit and put on something approximating his old clothes so he looks more properly intimidating, all red and black -- but the truth is, breaking up the occasional scuffle or rowdy carnival-goer aside, there really isn't that much to worry about. No stray Pokemon is finding its way here unless someone leads it. He even gets the chance to watch a couple of nights of the performances and play some games, something he'd been too busy to do the last time. That loses some of its luster too, if only because he's not that interested in luring even more people into indentured service at the Carnival.

Which means making his own entertainment: like taking advantage of the distraction of the show to sneak backstage with a pocketful of treats, to spoil a certain beast he's gotten to see less of now that he's in serious performance school or whatever Childermass is doing with him instead of goofing around.

"Hey, pipsqueak." The tendency to call Baker by anything but his proper name -- since he'd gone so long without -- is one that remains even now. The mud on his pants says enough about where he's been, and the Growlithe will likely pick up the scent of its erstwhile playmate on the witcher with it. He'll crouch down to rest one knee on the floor, extending a hand for him to sniff in greeting, before he goes right for tickling the fluff on the little dog's chest, taking advantage of blunt claws to give it a good scratch.

[atouts]

And he'll find Baker easily enough back there, waiting impatiently for the show to end. He was told to stay, so stay he did, but it isn't without a lot of rolling over onto a side, onto his back, letting out long doggy sighs of a bored pup. Naturally, he'll follow the command, but he doesn't have to like it, not when he could just run out into the main tent and chase around.

So when a familiar scent and voice his ears and nose alike, the Growlithe perks up. Boredom is immediately replaced by happiness and he springs up to his feet, tail wagging wildly. He technically doesn't leave the spot he was told to stay, but with Lambert crouching down by him, it clearly doesn't count against it to jump up on the man and try to slobber all over him.

Dogs, man, dogs...

As for Baker's master, well, he's nowhere to be seen. Childermass is busy and not sure whether he's glad or annoyed to be back to work. His travels through Alola had been strangely relaxing, especially when compared to the mess the last few weeks had been. The resort had been irritating — comfortable, yes, but he is a stingy man when it comes to spending money and losing the bet and having to pay for that was annoying on principle. The rest, less bad off. All in all, the islands were a peaceful place to get lost in, despite all the strange beasts prowling around.

But that's hardly anything he's dwelling on currently and, until his act is over, Lambert is free to spoil Baker without the magician telling him off for it.

[whattaprick]

For his part? Lambert makes a disgusted noise as he catches the Growlithe on his lap and the wet, sloppy doggy kisses inevitably descend. Nonetheless, he grins and lets him have at it for a few long moments before he pushes him off, wiping at it with the back of his hand.

"I see he hasn't trained all the fun out of you," he tells the dog (but quietly, because gods forbid any random passersby catch their Nightrider cooing at a puppy like an idiot -- at least a horse was an acceptable creature to fawn over). He's definitely expecting the magician to be occupied for the next ten minutes or so at least, if previous nights' shows are a reliable estimate, so he's going to milk all the doggy spoiling out of it that he can.

Which, in this case? Means producing a dried pig's ear (not of the Mudbray kind) out of a pocket with a flourish, wagging it in front of Baker's face to encourage him to latch on. The resulting tug-of-war is a tussle less quiet than Lambert intended, but it'll eventually end with the Growlithe victorious and the witcher on his back, wheezing as a paw treads right on his stomach. Baker weighs practically nothing compared to Pig, though, so it's not terribly hard to sit up and keep patting him while the little devil works on chewing through the leathery hide with sharp little teeth.

The mane under his fingers is a lot softer and cleaner than Pig's, who he'd finally found a plaiting pattern he was satisfied with. Idly, he wonders if there's enough time left to tied ribbons into Baker's hair and leave him there as a 'surprise' when Childermass is done.

[atouts]

The answer to that turns out to be no, no he does not because Lambert's guess at how long the show has to go isn't at all off, but time tends to fly when you're wrestling with a dog. It's been well over those ten minutes and there's no telling how long Childermass has been silently observing the ridiculousness the Nightrider is up to.

He does eventually speak up, though, saying, "I would rather you didn't spoil him rotten, Lambert. You may regret it later."

Why he might regret it later, he won't say, because he's since decided to keep Baker's evolution to himself. He has to admit, even if only to himself, that watching everyone deal with a dog bigger than the average man after getting used to him at two feet tall will make for a very good day. Well, for him. Maybe not for everyone else. Though, now that the Nightrider is even taller, that part may not be as funny...

That particular train of thought aside, he leaves whatever shadowy alcove backstage that he had stopped to watch from, idly tugging off gloves as he crosses over to where they are. Since it's immediately after the show, he hasn't had a chance to change back into the much more familiar and much less fine clothes that Lambert is probably used to seeing him in, though the general lack of clear expression — good or bad — remains the same regardless of him being dressed up like this. Baker, of course, takes the pig's ear with him and immediately drops it at the magician's feet when he realizes he's back, then does that silly little bow thing of a dog who wants to play. Childermass doesn't look inclined to play along for a few seconds, just looking down at the dog and the ear as he tucks the gloves into his belt to keep them out of the way.

Baker pops up out of the little bow and spins around excitedly, though, and hops back a step or two, then back up again to nose the ear towards him. In the end, what else can he do? He sighs, muttering, "Oh, fine." He leans down to pick up the ear, giving it a toss and watching the Growlithe take off after it when he stands up again.

[whattaprick]

It's annoying, a little bit, to be caught off guard like that -- when did he even sneak up? -- but Lambert just offers Childermass a shit-eating grin over his shoulder, dusting himself off when Baker abandons him for his master. Ah, well, dogs are good, loyal creatures -- they won't so easily won over by something as simple as a few games and treats, so Lambert's never going to be more than a temporary replacement.

"Hypocrite," he laughs, once Childermass indulges the dog's demands for play. Childermass spoils the dog at least twice as much as he does, in his opinion. He just gets to say that also trains it to follow orders, as if that somehow cosmically balances everything out.

"How was the show?" Lambert's still lounging on the floor with his weight propped on his elbows, glancing up towards the magician with a sly, half-lidded expression. It's the first time he's actually seen what Childermass wears for performances up close, and it's funny and a little novel to see him in something so gaudy.

Gaudy by Childermass's standards, anyway, though it's much more understated than some other outfits even the natives wear ... speaking of which, while he's elected to pull on his gambeson over the black-and-white tank top he seems to have developed such a fondness for in Alola, he's left it open instead of buckling it up. Around his neck, in addition to the ever-present wolf's medallion, is a necklace Childermass will find familiar. Mostly because it's the one that Lambert lifted off him during the Celebration, which was the sorry start of all his troubles.

[atouts]

"Same as always," Childermass answers unhelpfully, entirely ignoring the 'hypocrite' comment. Truth be told, there's a spark of exhilaration he can't really hide. Silly as it is to be putting on any kind of magic show at all, figuring out how to use what little magic he does have and make it seem impressive, the reactions it gets, the applause, it's hard not to garner a wave of adrenaline from that. It colors his words with a breathless amusement and leaves him with a faint smirk tugging up the corner of his lips, in spite of how serious he normally is.

It makes any sighs or acting put-upon all an act, especially in the face of Baker bringing the ear back for a second toss. The dog gets it, of course, and it's only afterward that the second necklace catches his eye. He was going to pass by Lambert and go straight to one of the mirrors back there, no doubt to wipe off what little make-up he actually allows wardrobe to push on him, but spotting that stops him.

"Now that looks familiar," he says, turning to face the witcher, hands settling on his hips as he does. "Finally washed your clothes, did you?"

Referencing way back to the lakeshore, where the man had suggested the necklace lost in piles of worn clothing.

[whattaprick]

If Lambert didn't know -- or smell-- any better, he might have guessed Childermass was tipsy. That's the only other time he's seen the magician so ... lighthearted, for lack of a better word. He doesn't comment on it, however, and he remains lounging on the floor while Childermass moves around, considering beckoning Baker over to play again.

And then Childermass speaks, and he blinks and looks up at the magician, gaze plainly confused, a talon toying with the necklace beads.

"Yeah," he says, slow and drawn-out for a moment. "Guess I did." In truth, he'd been moving the last of his things out from the trailer he shared with Papyrus, and the necklace had fallen out of a pocket. He'd slipped it on without really thinking about it, and it takes a few beats to even remember that it isn't his.

Is it? Lambert frowns to himself, hand curling over the jade. He'd promised to return it, but though he starts to raise a hand to lift it off his neck, he finds he can't quite complete the motion.

[atouts]

Childermass holds still and watches expectantly, waiting for Lambert to pull the necklace off and toss it over. Of course, that never happens, which only earns a faint break in his previous good humor. He frowns, only a little, and changes course to walk over and stand over the witcher. He holds a hand out, making the fact that, yes, he wants that back all the more obvious.

"Well? Come on, then. Don't tell me it's stuck on something."

Because he wouldn't believe it. He hasn't even gotten the beads up to his horns yet, where he would most expect a necklace to become stuck. Though that is a really great image to imagine right there...

[whattaprick]

"It's not," Lambert answers slowly, frown deepening, though it's not directed at Childermass. Rather than offer an explanation, though, he'll tilt his face up to the magician and drop clawed hands to rest loosely in his lap.

"If you want it, come and get it." Perhaps oddly, he doesn't make that sound as mocking as it should, his brow's still knitted and his fangs biting slightly into his bottom lip.

[atouts]

A request he almost declines. 'Come and get it'? After he had said he would return it? Childermass narrows his eyes a hint, wary, but he also doesn't wish to leave the necklace in the witcher's continued care. Something in the back of his head is already warning him he may never see it again if he does that.

And so, he does try to come and get it, leaning down and placing a hand on one of Lambert's shoulders to steady himself as he does. With the other, he'll reach for the jade necklace.

[whattaprick]

Lambert doesn't quite tense up under the magician's hand, but he does go still, even his tail no longer thumping idly on the floor. But for at least a few moments, that's all the reaction there is, Lambert's shoulders rising and falling under Childermass's grasp while the other man reaches for his necklace. His attention's distant, focused on something else, though he gets progressively tenser all the way up until the necklace clears his horns--

With a sudden hiss and a blur of motion, he yanks Childermass down to him and flips them over, firmly pinning the wrist of the hand holding the necklace to the ground over the other man's head while his broader frame curls over and boxes him in like something out of a nightmare (or possibly fantasy, depending on whether one's into that kind of thing). Yet despite the way his lips curl back from his fangs, the expression on his face is one more of surprise than anger, eyes wide as he pants for breath.

"Well," he says conversationally, once he finds his voice again. "That's new."

[atouts]

What else Lambert will find new is a reminder that Childermass is not a gentleman and therefore he definitely does not fight like one. Secondly, that he actually is capable of reacting despite the sheer surprise of being dragged down and flipped onto the floor. It wasn't hard enough to knock the wind out of him and so he introduces Lambert to the lowest blow in the books.

Box him in? Without pinning down his other limbs? Oh, that for certain means he's jerking a knee up and back and directly into the witcher's crotch with as much force as he can muster from this position.

Meanwhile, in the peanut gallery, a population of one Growlithe, Baker has hopped his way back with the pig's ear to find this mess. Considering he's attached to both these assholes, he actually — and probably very thankfully — has to stop and really think about if he needs to be setting Lambert on fire right now or not. It's a conundrum, the worst kind for a dog to have!

baker is the real victim in all of this, call cps now

[whattaprick]

Sadly, whatever other changes the Carnival and the Ringmaster's magic has wrought, covering certain parts of Lambert's anatomy with armored scales was not one of them, and the clothes he's wearing don't provide much protection either. Bony knee solidly meets tender bits, and while it's not hard enough to seriously injure him, he certainly wasn't expecting it.

The shock of sudden pain is enough to make him yelp and jerk away, releasing his wrist and rolling off to curl on his side facing away from Childermass while his tail does its best to tuck between his legs. His face presses against the ground for a few seconds while his eyes water and he coughs, red flush creeping up the nape of his neck and wrist jammed between his thighs. After a moment, he groans and rolls over onto his back, hand spreading over his groin as though to make sure it's still there.

"What the fuck was that for?" he asks, plaintively, looking at Baker with a wounded expression like the Growlithe can possibly have an explanation to offer for his master's sudden tendency towards violence.

you're not even baker's real dad, lambert

[atouts]

On the bright side, Childermass finally has his stupid magic necklace back. Thanks, Lambert. Well, actually, no, no thank you at all. The magician pushes himself up to sit and turns to stare in open disbelief at Lambert. Of all the things to ask, like he has no idea what that was for?

"You literally just attacked me," Childermass states very matter-of-factly after a few seconds of just boggling at him. "What did you think was going to happen, that I was going to lie there and do nothing?"

Of course, since it's Lambert acting injured and not Childermass, Baker finally settles on taking his toy and going straight over to Lambert, sniffing him and generally checking for what's wrong. He whines. That only makes Childermass frown — even more, if that's possible at this point — at the dog, though he also doesn't bother trying to call him back.

he's real enough for baker

[whattaprick]

"That," Lambert says, with as much dignity as he can muster while keeping one hand splayed over his belly and the other reaching up to the dog coming over to snuffle at him. "Was not an attack." He sits up with a wince, ruffling his fingers through the Growlithe's fur. At least someone cares about him.

"I didn't even hurt him, did I?" Which is, in point of fact, true enough -- certainly nothing that's going to make Childermass sore beyond the next hour or two. Who knows how much Baker can actually understand of human speech, but Lambert croons at him as he would at any ordinary dog anyway, the words no doubt less important than the tone it's delivered in. And probably even less important now that he's scratching claws down to that puff of fluff on Growlithe's chest, reassuring him that despite his owner's efforts to unman him, Lambert's survived the experience.

In any case, the strange fit seems to have passed, Lambert's shoulder's relaxing as he focuses on the Pokemon. Though he does ask, without looking over his shoulder--

"How much do you know about the Carnival's changes?"

[atouts]

"Maybe not from your point of view," Childermass disagrees. He rolls his eyes as Lambert turns to whine at the dog instead and Baker is way too sympathetic towards the man (he doesn't even understand what happened, but the witcher is giving him scritches, so of course he is).

Though even as Lambert fawns over Baker, the question he shoots back towards the magician has him pausing a moment and considering. How much does he know?

"That they're supposedly meant to help us adapt, at least according to the Ringmaster. Another worker suggested it might be an allergic reaction mortals have to faerie magic. Why?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert doesn't look up from petting the Growlithe, but a cynical smile makes his lip curl. Of course she'd say that.

"Hm. Guess you could make the first argument for these." He holds up a clawed hand then gestures at the tail curling around him on the floor. The last time Childermass had asked about them, Lambert had shrugged and said one could blame it on the Ringmaster and a poorly worded wish for something to make him a better Nightrider. "Second one might be why you're turning into a chicken."

The amusement from the jibe doesn't last long, though, as he moves on to answering Childermass's question with another question. His voice is deceptively casual, for all there isn't a hint of a humor in his voice when he speaks.

"You ever hear about changes affecting someone's mind?"

[atouts]

"Better a chicken than a giant lizard," Childermass retorts coolly. He's turning into a giant raven, thank you very much, but he won't get pissy over specifics here. He'll take the time it takes to climb back up to his feet and dust himself off to consider Lambert's new question.

Affecting someone's mind...

Well, he doesn't bother hiding the look of annoyance at that one, brief as it is, but that may be enough to confirm the answer is 'probably yes'.

"In a way," he admits, looking back over towards the witcher one he's done dusting himself off and double-checking to make sure he still has that necklace. You know, just in case. "I've found myself filching all sorts of odds and ends lately, random items ending up in my pockets, usually shiny in some way or another."

Not unlike a crow or, say, raven.

[whattaprick]

The look is enough to make Lambert smirk over his shoulder.

"Turning into a magpie, then?" Fortunately, he doesn't seem inclined to grab for Childermass again, even though his gaze snaps greedily to the necklace dangling from his fingers. While it would be nice to think it's simply because the knee was a permanent deterrent, a brief consultation with himself and the new, strange urges he's found rising in him suggest it's only because Childermass has successfully 'won' the necklace back this time that he isn't attempting to grab for it again.

Though if he should misplace it... well, Lambert won't be held responsible for that. He ruffles Baker's fur idly, considering what the magician's just said.

"Can you stop yourself from doing it?"

[atouts]

Childermass returns the necklace to a pocket, picking one on the inside of his finely detailed magician's coat. Out of sight, out of mind, he decides once he notices Lambert's eyes following the string of jade. To the jest, he offers a wry smirk.

"Magpie? Hardly. It would be rude of me to steal Joker's look," he says, then the smirk fades some on the second question and its answer. "I find I don't even notice when I do it. It's certainly less obvious than flipping someone into the floor."

[whattaprick]

Lambert snorts, though any amusement at the situation is mostly of the cynical, dry sort.

"Could be worse. At least I didn't end up with the compulsion to steal other people's dogs ... or eat them." He bares his teeth, pretending to snap at the Growlithe, before he pushes himself to his feet, taking Baker with him in his arms, if the dog will let him.

"Thought I was done with magic changing me years ago."

[atouts]

Oh, Baker will let him, but Lambert's going to have to put up with a Growlithe shoving his nose up against his face and then licking him like the excited puppy he is. Considering the nature of the dog, his breath isn't just warm, but hot, like being slobbered on by a furnace.

"Even if you did end up with one for eating people's dogs, I rather think Baker would hold his own against you," Childermass says. To the rest, he shrugs, only adding, "And if that's what you thought, you clearly didn't think through signing on with a magical circus."

[whattaprick]

"Seemed worth it at the time. Still does. Guess I have eleven more months to change my mind."

He shifts Baker to one arm and using the other hand to nudge his face away. He doesn't mind the temperature all that much, and he isn't sure if that's an effect of the Carnival too or not.

"I'm not Pig, you know," he chides the dog, before glancing up at his master. "Speaking of, you should come by and see her sometime. You ride, right?"

[atouts]

"Eleven more to end up as a damn dragon, too," he says, which is at least a few steps up from 'lizard'. One has to wonder if Lambert might not sprout wings soon. Making sure one last time the necklace is properly stored and out of sight, Childermass steps back over to stand by Lambert, though it's only so he can reach over and give Baker a pat on the head.

Even if the dog is acting the traitor by fawning all over the witcher like this...

"If we ever have time." Ignoring how now is, in fact, his free time. He looks up from Baker, up at Lambert instead. "But yes, of course I do."

[whattaprick]

"Mm, that'd be interesting. Then I really would be able to eat people." He smirks down at Childermass, looking entirely too pleased at the idea of it, but that's probably (definitely) because he's a total shit. Who knows how serious he actually is, though.

Baker's clearly a fine judge of character! The Growlithe is probably in doggy heaven from the sheer amount of attention he's getting, even if Childermass is much more reserved than Lambert. At least they aren't kicking at each other or rolling all over the floor anymore, though even that probably looked more like play than anything else...

"'If we ever have time,'" His smirk only broadens, somewhat ruining the accuracy with which he mimicks the magician's gruff Northern accent. "You saying you have somewhere else to be right now?"