lostcarnival | title goes here [Open]

Entry tags:

title goes here [Open]

Who: Blue Diamond, Open
What: Getting down locations, meeting new 'coworkers'
When: 1-2 days before Event
Where: All over the Carnival
Warnings: None currently

1

[The only thing keeping Blue complacent is knowing she made the choice to be here herself. The indignity of being reduced to a mere aid for others when she was a diamond for stars' sake would be intolerable even for her. But the prize is worth it.. and it's only a year.

A year is still long enough to need to know who her coworkers are and more importantly who those who outrank her are. Not all of them would be telling her what to do, but keeping things working smoothly in case she did need to go to them for something - or them to her for some requisition or other - is simple common sense. A little asking around gets Blue pointed in the right direction..

Which means visiting supervisor's grove. She has a mental list of descriptions and names of those she's supposed to be looking for, and once she spots one (and presuming they don't look otherwise occupied at some other task - Blue is mindful, and she knows what work looks like in its many forms), it's just a matter of saying hello.]

Pardon me. Do you have a few moments?

2

[Peoplewatching follows. There's a lot of people in the carnival, some human, some ... mixed? Some don't seem as if they were ever human to begin with but there's plenty of locations for Blue Diamond to settle down in a somewhat out of the way place and do nothing at all but watch the others go about their duties, sitting or standing depending on location.

The diamond - in this case the Ringmaster - of course set the tone of a location, but it's the lower class gems that always lived and breathed it, and if she was going to blend into this place, she needed to better understand how they behaved, what they did ... and why.

Perhaps you're the person Blue's chosen to watch right now, a silent seven and a half foot tall azure shadow keeping tabs on what you're doing, what you're wearing, everything you're saying.. it might be a little uncomfortable but for the air of benign benevolence she manages to cultivate.]

3

[With a better idea of what this place expects by way of appearance, it's time to familiarize herself with locations. If a new arrival can get there, Blue's going to be there sooner or later, looking around with interest and attempting to at least become familiar with various locations and what they're for.

Roping her into lending a hand with this small task or that one shouldn't take much effort at all, Blue seems interested in learning and being of what assistance she can be. Got a task? Make use of the strange blue lady hanging around.]

4

[There are times when Blue simply leaves the main carnival and heads into the woods for a little bit of quiet to allow herself some time to acclimate to new information and the general headache and effort of pretending to be this entire place's newest Pearl.

The forest prevents anyone from leaving, but Blue isn't trying to leave and perhaps something of the entangling, confusing place understands that. It's easier to find little quiet out of the way spots amongst the trees to loiter a while, even if she's not terribly comfortable with being surrounded by so much organic mass. She'll be here well into the evening, a dark blue wraith between the trunks, seemingly looking for something. She's not lost .. not yet, but that could change at any time with this place.]

5

[Wildcard; bring it on]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Strange expects to be watched. After all, he's a circus magician now, and what do circus magicians do if not perform? And now that they're out of the damned Mainframe, he can actually do what he's supposed to in the first place!

Blue finds him in the Big Top, practicing and going through the motions of his magic act. Strange is constantly muttering and gesturing at things throughout in a manner that's far too hammy. Water leaps from a nearby barrel into a different barrel, jets of flame shoot out towards the audience, stopping a good six inches away from where the audience sits, a solitary peacock feather turns into a peacock that flies around the room for a while. It's a madcap display of magic that, with some refinements and some alterations, actually could be a wonderful performance.

It's halfway through the practice that he spots said seven and a half foot tall blue woman out of the corner of his eye but it's only after the practice that he decides to talk with her, as Strange gently teases, ]

Most people applaud after a performance, you know.

[ He's remarkably humanoid, six foot tall, slim, with wild hair that looks as if it hasn't seen a brush in weeks, though Strange's mirrored eyes are the most noticeably inhuman feature he has. He's also grinning like a loon, still riding high off the thrill of actually practicing his magic. ]

[Magic, real genuine actual magic doesn't exist in her vast empire. Therefore what this human doing must conform to the laws of physics somehow, she just can't... quite pin down how unless humans somehow have managed to steal the abilities of rubies and lazulis.

Maybe that's why she lingers here, hands folded, gaze measured and unblinking, to watch Strange go through his routine. The fire she could guess at, but the bird? Perhaps it was holography. So caught up is Blue in attempting to unravel his performance that she's still standing there when he finishes, still unmoving, brow furrowed slightly, expression thoughtful.

Until he speaks up, and suddenly she refocuses on the human and not what he'd been doing, blinking once in a distinctly owlish fashion.]

I apologize, I am not familiar with the customs of your people.

[Her humans were incredibly primitive and very happy for it, but he ... didn't really look like he'd ever fit in with the zoo, so something was likely very different.]

It was a very clever display, though I admit I'm not entirely sure how ... you were doing such things.

[ The customs of his people? Well, that confirmed that the tall blue lady wasn't tall and blue because of the carnival (ever since one of his closest friends grew a tail overnight, Strange has learned not to question these things). Still, Strange is taking this all in stride as he answers, like it's the most simple answer in the world, ]

I am a magician: I was using magic.

[ It's said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Of course, Strange knows people can arrive at the carnival from worlds without magic and the likelihood that he'll have to explain the ins and outs of magic to the tall blue lady is quite likely. Still, he doesn't mind. Strange enjoys talking and he enjoys magic, so naturally he loves talking about magic. ]

I'd be happy to talk theory. Or, if you wish, I could explain in detail how certain spells worked

[It's said as if she should understand what 'magic' means, and by the slight shake of her head, she doesn't. Clearly it's his profession, but it's one that eludes her.]

I have not heard of such things. It looks similar to the capabilities of certain gems, but I have never observed a human being capable of anything more than the mundane.

[Blue does sound curious though, and a touch impressed. Perhaps there was a chance humans were capable of advancement after all! They just hadn't gotten there as an entire species yet. Sifting through for those individuals though would ... take far longer than she had.]

... Oh. If it wouldn't distract you from your duties, I would enjoy explanations and theories.

Wonderful! [ said with a wide grin. Strange gestures for Blue to follow him as he walks towards the audience section. If he's going to be explaining magic, he probably should sit down. Especially considering that she doesn't know what magic is...it's going to take a while.

A looooooong while. ]

To start with, what is magic. I suppose the simplest way to describe it would be to manipulate or change some aspect of reality through willpower alone. Magic isn't a physical force. If you picked up a rock and tossed it on the ground, that's not magic. Magic is also exceedingly versatile. My type of magic, English magic, is a magic that is tied more closely to nature than most. Another person at the carnival, Ash, practices music magic which lets her shape things through the medium of song. Other members practice faerie magic, which is magic that's intrinsically connected to the realm of faerie.

[ It's a lot of information and a lot of examples, but Strange is trying to go through things as slowly and methodically as possible. He sits down on one of the chairs in the audience section and gestures for Blue to sit down next to him. ]

[If nothing else, Blue is very attentive, following as bidden though it takes her a moment to find a seat to her liking even if they're all pretty much identical. At least seated there is less of a disparity in their height as well.]

But it is a force. One independent of you, or others who make use of it in various ways? It continues to exist if you do not?

[Establishing ground rules, so to speak.]

Exactly! [ Strange remarks, with a smile. ] Magic exists all around us, like air, water, or earth. And, at least where I'm from, it's as much a part of my world as each of those elements.

[ Now that magic has slowly been reintroduced to England, Strange honestly can't imagine a world without it. It's small, and still gaining a foothold, but it's a fundamental part of England nonetheless. Why deny it or try to keep it restrained to a few people? ]

Magicians simply take the force and work with it as needed.

I imagine if it's in one world then it's everywhere. Especially as you seem capable of manipulating it even here.

[Magic therefore operates under the laws of the natural universe, although perhaps in ways gems haven't quite figured out yet. Or already incorporate and simply don't see it as magic.. Certainly nobody questions a sapphire's ice, or how a ruby can burn things.]

The ... creature you created, the one that flew. [Peacock.] Did you transport it from somewhere else or is it a true creation?

The peacock? It's made out of magic itself. [ There's a pause as Strange mulls things over, trying to explain this. Normally, he just sums up his magic as 'I did the thing' but he's got a feeling it'll pay to be a little more through with Blue. ]

Birds, actual birds, are made up of flesh, bone, muscle, and so forth. The bird that I made looks like an actual bird, but it's made of magic. It only exists so long as I will it to exist and so long as I concentrate on it existing. The feather is simply the...anchor? The anchor that helps tie the magic to being a bird.

[ Hopefully that makes sense. Strange's worried little frown belies the fact that he's worried it might not make sense in the first place. ]

[There's a lengthy pause as this is considered. It's easy enough to accept something can exist without being flesh and blood, after all she had none of either herself.]

While it exists, is it aware the way flesh creatures seem to be? Or is that too an extension of your own will with no life of its own?

[Even though the implications of the question are possibly a bit horrifying, creating an aware creature that perishes as soon as Strange stops thinking about it, the idea doesn't seem to actually trouble her any.]

Is such an anchor required for all you do?

[ At Blue's first question, Strange just shrugs! Sorry, he has no idea about the sentience of the magic whatever he creates and hasn't really realized that they might be sentient until right now. Whoops. ]

I think it's an extension of my will, but obviously I can't know unless it tells me. And, at least as of right now, I can't speak bird.

[ There's probably somebody else at the carnival who speaks bird and can have a lovely conversation with the magic peacock. Who though, Strange has no clue. ]

With regards to the anchor, it depends on the magic. Most magic requires some form of an anchor, usually a natural element of some kind, but I've been working on a few spells that are self-generating. Fire, mostly.

As it is your creation, perhaps you could make it with the ability to speak the languages you know?

[It has the sound of a hazarded guess as opposed to being certain it'd work. Her grasp on what magic can and can't do is tenuous at best, and clearly Strange would know better than she.]

If you are very curious there is a ... very large bird here you could perhaps ask, as far as I know it speaks this way.

[More importantly, it does seem rather like things she did know, albeit done in very different ways.]

When you are generating fire, are you using this magic as your source to fuel it, or is it merely the ignition? Is it more energy efficient to use an anchor? [Pause, then:] ... Do you know how efficient your cut of magic is compared to others, or compared to unmagical energy conversion?

I suspect it's a combination of the two. After all, I can't create the fire without magic but I still have to use my willpower and talents to keep it going. [ The more they talk, the more Strange is relaxing. It's so calming just to talk shop with people, to dive into theories and hypotheses that most would roll their eyes at. ]

As for efficiency, I haven't a clue. I'm from most people's pasts so my experiences with unmagical energy conversion are different than others. [ says the person who's STILL getting used to various levels of 21st century bullshit. ] But I've found that with smaller tasks like lighting a candle or filling a water bottle, it's best to do it yourself. My magic is more suited to larger works.

[Things she'd like to hand over to a competent team of science gems: Mr. Strange. This needs to be studied in extreme technical detail, using proper modern equipment.]

... How far in .. the past? I'm not entirely certain of Earth's technology curve but I have a fairly decent idea of where they are now and where they were five thousand years ago..

[That's a tremendous gap, Blue.]

What are the larger works you're capable of? I presume far beyond making creatures and fiery displays.

I can change the weather, permanently alter the surroundings, and scry on people hundreds of thousands of miles away.

[ Strange rattles off what he can do as if it's perfectly normal. And he can also raise the dead but hold the phone, let's go back to that first point, five thousand years ago what the hell. ]

How exactly can you have a decent idea of what Earth was like five thousand years ago? Even if there were books on the subject, none of them would exist anymore.

[Scrying sounded a bit like remote cameras without the technology. So did altering the weather, though changing the environment on a physical level usually required terraformers.. She gives a slow nod, thoughtful. Of course she's going to want to see some of this but as it's pretty grand scale, 'right now' is clearly a bad time.

Perhaps when some world or other was visited, a storm could be chased away.. She'll have to ask when the opportunity arose.]

I was there. Quite a bit earlier than that too but it seems about then that humanity began building interesting things.

[Blue looks a little surprised, as if baffled that this is the confusing part.]

It wasn't that long ago, was it?

[ Blue's confusion makes Strange's confusion even worse. How old could she be if she thought five thousand years wasn't that long ago?! And what sort of being did that make her to begin with? ]

It was exceedingly long ago! Most humans barely make it to eighty to begin with!

[ The life expectancy is different in the 1810s (Strange's time) than the 2010s (everybody else's time). ]

... Eighty? That's turns of your planet around its star, yes?

[BUT THAT'S NOT MUCH TIME AT ALL. It can't be right! Maybe it was galactic revolutions?]

What else would it be?

[ Oh God, is there something else? Is he going to have to learn space nonsense to grapple with the computer nonsense he still doesn't understand? ]

There's other forms of 'year', I had hoped it might be ... something a little longer. Only eighty years?

[Blue's shock seems to be turning rapidly to something very much like sadness.]

I think I see why your people haven't even reached the next planet, you're ... all only recently emerged and then...

If eighty years is so small to you, then how long do your people live?

[ This confusion is doing more to cement in Strange's mind that Blue isn't human than her coloring or her lack of knowledge about magic has. And Strange, in true nosy fashion, is just going to keep pressing for as long as she lets him. ]

We don't have a finite life span.

[To a species that is functionally immortal, one that only makes it to eighty or ninety was a terrible tragedy.]

... Perhaps that is one of the reasons she wished to preserve your kind. With such a fragile form and such short existences, how could humans prosper without being watched carefully?

[But that aside, before she works herself to tears again...]

But ... these 'vampires'..

[ At the word 'vampires,' Strange's opinion noticeably shifts. He sinks in his seat as his expression turns to a scowl. Almost getting murdered by vampires a few times has done nothing to endear the species to Strange. ]

Vampires aren't human. Oh they used to be, of course, but the act of becoming a vampire changes all that.

Many creatures are not human. What they are may be more helpful than what they are not.

[To a nonhuman, being told some other thing isn't human really isn't saying much, and by her tone might be confusing the issue a little. Blue hadn't been aware humans die at eighty, things like the undead were likely to be completely new as well.]

I don't know the specifics of vampirism, just what I've experienced. They subside off the blood of another, they're weak to silver and sunlight, and to properly destroy one, you need to destroy the head or the heart. They have some form of compulsion that they can use to draw you in. Joker called them demons...but I doubt that term means much to you.

[ Blue didn't know magic, Blue didn't know vampires, it was a logical guess that she doesn't know what a demon is either. ]

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