[ota] have to believe we are magic

[kingsroads]

WHO: Jonathan Strange & you!
WHERE: various points around the carnival
WHEN: Days 33/34
WHAT: actually doing his job + failing a bit at magic + accidentally succeeding a bit at magic
WARNINGS: n/a!

in the main tent: showing off some
To the surprise of everybody, Strange is actually doing his damn job. Granted, his damn job of a magician instead of his damn job as a mercenary with the Nightrunners, but he's staying in the carnival for now, trying to keep an eye on Childermass as best he can. After all, Strange knew in theory that Childermass knew how to rest, but he wasn't entirely sure if he knew in practice.

So here he is, in the main tent, actually practicing. Sometimes you can find him just staring at a candelabra, as if staring will magically make it do something. Other times, Strange is actually working magic, as a giant top made out of the dirt floor of the tent spins around the stage, or animals made of straw prance around the area.

The most notable thing about all this? Strange looks downright relaxed as he works his magic, possibly the most relaxed he's been since he first arrived.

anywhere: like the one thing childermass is better at than him
Something's weird about that patch of shadows out of the corner of your eye. It almost seems like it's trying too hard to be shadows. The stillness is unnatural and you can't shake the feeling you're being watched. It's not changing with the light, instead the shadows remain just shadows, no matter what. Occasionally, facial features can be made out in the shadows, that of a tall, wild-haired man, concentrating very hard on not being seen.

And then the shadows sneeze. Whoops.

"Damn," Strange can't help but swear to himself as he suddenly becomes visible, peeling himself off the shadows of whatever building he's up against. He sniffles a bit as he carefully rubs at his nose with clawed hands. "I still don't entirely understand how he manages to do it so well."

trailer 29: sorry y'all his bad
Strange is in his trailer (which honestly, is a bit of a mess, with stacks of paper on too many surfaces, this is what you get when you give the eccentric a closed space.) He sits at the table, a candelabra in front of him. Match lit, Strange mutters something under his breath before he lights the candle.

What he muttered was a summoning spell, something to summon a faerie. After all, it worked back home, why not see if it works here, while they're in faerie. The worst that could happen was that it didn't work, after all (Strange has very low standards for 'the worst that can happen') So, as the candle is lit, you find yourself randomly in this guy's trailer...and wow, is Strange a bit confused at your arrival.

"Hmm. It wasn't supposed to bring in workers."

( ooc: so because I thought it's hilarious, I kept Strange's ability to summon fairies except, surprise, it's weird in the carnival and he's equally likely to have summoned someone tainted with faerie magic aka characters in the game. This'll default more to veteran characters/characters with more changes but if you want your character to have been pulled out of what they were doing to appear in some rando's trailer, I am all for that! drop me a pm or plurk @allikateor if you have any questions! )

Comments

[kingsroads]

"You don't have to worry about that with me. I plan to spend my year at the Carnival exploring and learning everything I can about this place."

Because it's really amazing. He's actually in Faerie, surrounded by faerie magic, occasionally going off to strange new worlds (like the Matrix but that sucked so we won't talk about it)...what's not to love about this place?

[amusicaladventure]

"And afterwards? When you head back with all that knowledge?" Curiosity, cat; it can't be helped.

[kingsroads]

"Afterwards, I intend to quietly retire back to Shropshire with my wife." There's a fondness in his eyes as he talks about his wife, a sort of gentle nostalgia that's not really present in most of Strange's conversations.

"Perhaps I'll publish my memoir in that world as well."

[amusicaladventure]

"Oh, you're married!" Ash had been carrying a little tension for much of this conversation, but now it melted away as she relaxed fully. No wonder nothing was working! Better yet, now she didn't even have to worry about it. "That's cool. A lot of wizards end up in that whole, 'married to magic' deal and I always figured they were missing out."

[kingsroads]

Entirely unaware that Ash had been carrying that tension in the first place, Strange nods, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Older magicians tended to have that sort of 'married to magic' belief--my former mentor was unmarried as well. Still, I'm surprised I didn't tell you about her. It must have slipped my mind."

He is one of the more scatter-brained people in the carnival so that's expected. Strange doesn't seem to be too rattled by it, as he continues talking. "Her name's Arabella. I've loved her ever since before I took up magic."

It's obvious he loves her, just from the tone of his voice. But there's a little bit of sadness in there that seems oddly out of place with his words.

[amusicaladventure]

"Oh ho, that'll do it." Not insensitive to the sadness, Ash ran a finger over her jaw. "Miss her, huh?"

Ash figured he'd gotten stuck here, away from his wife, which would explain everything.

[kingsroads]

"Is it that obvious?" he replies, with a small laugh. Yes, it is. Everybody can see how obvious it is, based on the way his eyes light up when he talks about her and the way he views Arabella as if she's the greatest thing in the history of creation.

"I miss her terribly. Still, a year and a day isn't the longest time. We've been separated before, we'll be together again soon enough."

Especially when he figures out how to raise her from the dead in the first place.

[amusicaladventure]

"You'll make it," Ash said with a nod and a confidence she only had romanticism to justify. "And hey, no time passing for her, so only one of you carrying that weight."

[kingsroads]

Strange is matching her romanticism with his in equal value. Because yep! They will totally make and he'll come back home perfectly fine and raise her from the dead no problem at all.

Canon will later prove him wrong at that but who cares about canon when you have optimism!

"I do have to wonder about that. Those poor people who're back in our worlds once we finish with our tenure here--we'll arrive back a year older, with knowledge that they had no idea how we got it in the first place, whereas to them nothing's happened!"

That would probably do more damage to the timeline than Childermass's stupid 'you can't know about your future' edict.

[amusicaladventure]

To be fair, Ash would have a much, much different opinion about the whole subject if she knew the one tiny little detail she was currently missing.

"What, you can't just say 'it was magic'? I mean, fairy realms and spells of all sorts, why would anyone be disinclined to believe something like this?"

[kingsroads]

"I suppose I could say it's just magic, as could you...but what about the people from other worlds? My housemate, for example, he had absolutely no experience with magic before arriving here."

At least, it seems like he has absolutely no experience with magic, what with Strange having to explain what sort of weird things could happen in faerie. And surely there had to be other people with little to no experience with magic who're stuck working here as well.

[amusicaladventure]

"Same as anyone else that's happened to, I bet. Keep quiet about it or end up in the nuthouse." Sad but unfortunately true -- worlds that didn't know magic weren't prepared to face it, and without overwhelming and undeniable proof, saw insanity in the stories of those who have seen it.

[kingsroads]

Strange makes a little noise of assent, frown on his face. She's right. Keep quiet or become judged. What other solution would there be?

"I don't know how I could keep this secret were I in their shoes. It's all too...entrancing, I suppose. I want to tell everyone about the odd things I've experienced."

[amusicaladventure]

"Right. You tell everything that sounds like something out of an acid dream, and people stare at you sidelong, wondering what exactly snapped in your head to make you that way... Playing sane is a pretty valuable skill people pick up when their life depends on it.

"Come on, you gonna tell everyone you hung out with a catgirl who could make magic with music?"

[kingsroads]

"They'd believe the making magic with music part more than the catgirl." After all, who knew in what ways English magic would end up? There's two magicians, magic wasn't set in stone, Strange had a feeling if he described Ash's musical magic, explaining it in a thought out manner, then of course they'd have to believe him.

Maybe. He hopes.

[amusicaladventure]

"Exactly. Best you can hope for with me is that everyone writes you off as having a perverted fantasy." Which she literally was in many respects, but. "Now you might mention the magic without the physical attributes..."

[kingsroads]

"I suppose I'll just stick to 'charming young woman' and not mention the ears or the tail." He's teasing slightly, giving Ash a gentle little smile of his own.

[amusicaladventure]

"Well let's be real, pretty much any physical description you could give of me could be chalked up to fantasy," Ash said with a wink.

[kingsroads]

That flies right over his head. Sorry Ash. "I'm certain I can make it sound vague enough to appease even the least faerie-friendly members of English society!"

[amusicaladventure]

That was now officially okay, since he's married. "Oh yeah? They have girls like me where you come from?"

She straightened up to emphasize every inch of her six feet of height, folding her arms as she grinned.

[kingsroads]

"Well maybe not as tall," Strange teases, as he gestures to her height. He's drastically underplaying how different she is and they both know it.

[amusicaladventure]

"I don't think your world could handle me," she said, relaxing to a lazy slouch again.

[kingsroads]

"I know it couldn't." His world was still trying to get used to the concept of 'magic' and 'practical magicians', there was absolutely no way it would be ready for a six foot tall catgirl who could do musical magic. Maybe later, but certainly not now.

"Then again, I don't think my world could handle half the things at the Carnival."

[amusicaladventure]

"Old hat back home," Ash said with a wave of her hand. "Heck, the carnival is missing some key things. I bet they can't even have robots and cyborgs here because of the whole iron thing."

[kingsroads]

And he's confused again. Strange can't help but frown a little as he asks, "Cyborgs? What are those?"

Science fiction won't be invented in his universe for a few more years, after all.