[open]

[whattaprick]

Who: Lambert and YOU
Where: The Carnival
When: During the downtime between Atlantis and their next world.
What: Any Witcher worth his salt knows the first thing you should do when you're in an unfamiliar environment: get the lay of the land.

1. not the nurse you're looking for
[ You might have come into the medical tent looking for supplies or something else. If you were looking for Zecora, prepare to be disappointed because there's a scarred man scowling heavily as he clatters around the place, not working on anything in particular.

He doesn't seem to register there's someone else around -- or is he just straight up ignoring you??? ]

2. by the woods

[ With the carnival no longer water-logged, Lambert's taken a walk of the perimeter, even stepped into the edge of the woods, but he hasn't tried to press any further, although he's stood and looked at it for some time.

There's no sense letting his skills get rusty, so he mostly spends the time-- night or day-- sparring invisible enemies, steel sword flashing as he weaves it through the air.

When he's not swinging a sword around, you'll find him sitting on the dirt, legs folded under him and eyes closed. ]

3. getting to know you?

[ Lambert doesn't normally care about getting to know people, but he also normally doesn't stay anywhere longer than a few months, either. And that's at Kaer Morhen, where he can always get blind drunk and fuck off into the woods and kill some drowners if he needs to let off some steam instead of dealing with the other Witcher.

If he's going to be here for a year and a day? He's going to at least need to know names.

So wherever you are, whatever you're up to, you might notice a newcomer watching you for a few moments before he speaks up. ]

So what do you do around here?

4. wildcard!
[ If we discussed a previous scenario or you just want to do something not covered here, go for it! I'll match whatever prose style you go with. ]

Comments

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert has yet to cotton on to his own change, the sprinkle of bioluminescent spots down his spine, because he's not particularly used to admiring himself in mirrors and it doesn't otherwise affect him. ]

That's the one. [ He snaps his fingers. ] Can't speak ill of a man who gets me drinks, though.

[ Haha yeah right he can totally talk shit about him. ] I didn't think he had any friends.

[ He could be his friend and totally okay with spying on him. The two are not mutually exclusive. ]

[kingsroads]

[ They're not really friends--at least, Childermass hasn't described them as friends. But still, Strange can't help but feel a little affronted when Lambert mentions Childermass doesn't have friends. He definitely has friends! He's got...well...um...

Huh. Childermass might not have friends. Whoops. ]

I don't think we're at friends yet. We've interacted more here than back in our own world.

[ By now Strange has finished casting the spell. ] Here, it's ready.

[ If Lambert looks over the basin, he'll see the image of Childermass in the water...doing something really boring, like smoking his pipe or making notes or something. Strange just sighs a little. Yeah, this is expected. ]

[whattaprick]

'Yet?'

[ Interesting. He hadn't known more than one person could come from the same world, much less people who knew each other. Of course, now that he thinks about it, it should have been pretty obvious that was possible -- and Strange seems interested enough in the supernatural to have sought out a place like this just like Childermass did. He glances down into the water, taking a moment to marvel at the scrying magic at work, before he's inevitably disappointed by the regularity of what's depicted. But it beats a sorceress' megascope, so there's that. ]

Do you have to concentrate to maintain it? Could you use it for the Ringmaster?

[kingsroads]

I suppose I could. However... [ there's a pause as Strange trails off. How to phrase this. ]

She's a powerful being. I've a feeling that she could detect if magic was being used on her. Of course, occasionally she has meetings with other supervisors who are less adept at recognizing when magic is being used on them.

[ He's certain the Ringmaster knows of this spell in his arsenal, after all. She might even have detected it being used when Strange and Childermass spied on a supervisor meeting a few weeks back. But if she doesn't, he doesn't want to be the person to reveal surprise, I've got a creepy scrying spell that occasionally I use to spy on secret meetings.

No, he's got enough sense to play this one close to his chest. ]

[whattaprick]

Smart. Gets around her being the focus of the magic, huh?

[ The hesitation makes sense, he supposes. While he's only got a basic grasp of magic himself, he has a working knowledge of the sort of creepy shit sorceresses can do.

He reaches out, hovering a hand over the water, but doesn't touch it. ]

Nice trick. How long did it take you to figure out?

[kingsroads]

What, the spell? Not long at all. I'm a fairly quick study and, at least with that. I had my mentor to help guide me.

[ There's a pause, as if Strange realized he said something he didn't want to say before he shook his head slightly and then continued. ] My former mentor, that is.

[ He and Norrell may have severed ties, but there's always going to be a bit of sadness that there couldn't have been another way. Strange considered the two of them friends, once. ]

[whattaprick]

Killed him, did you?

[ No censure in his voice, only curiousity. It's not unexpected; apprentices often grow to overpower their masters. But Strange doesn't look like a killer to Lambert. And he sounds surprisingly sad about it. ]

[kingsroads]

What?! [ he was not expecting that. Giving Lambert a confused frown, Strange shakes his head. He's a bit horrified just at the idea of killing someone. ]

No, of course not. We simply had a falling out. [ Brushing some dirt off his coat, Strange attempted to straighten it's lapels, an entirely ridiculous action made even more ridiculous by his current hot-mess of an appearance. ] I am a gentleman and gentleman try not to kill.

[whattaprick]

[ Oh, that's significantly less interesting then. But more or less what he expected! The expressions are odd to look at with Strange's mirrored eyes, to say the least... ]

Must be awfully boring to be a gentleman then. [ He taps the side of the basin. ] Or maybe not, since gentlemen apparently aren't above spying on people. Is this the kind of work you do around here?

[kingsroads]

Of a sort. Most of the work I do here involves me performing a magic act for our shows.

[whattaprick]

Huh. I wasn't paying much attention to the shows when I got here. Do you have a signature act?

[kingsroads]

Not really, [ Strange has to admit, with a little frown. Mostly because he's really not that good at things like 'coming up with sustained concepts' and 'actually practicing'. ]

I generally default to animals of some sort? At least, the children like it if I make animals out of sand or feathers or something like that. The problem with that is I've been having a hard time moving past 'chickens' with regards to animals out of feathers.

[ said with a grumpy little frown. Chickens ain't regal. ]

[whattaprick]

What about making a griffin? [ Lambert asks, like it's totally taken for granted that Strange knows what a griffin even looks like ... though he remembers then what Childermass and Strange have both mentioned about the whole not having magic or monsters in their world thing. He doesn't correct himself though, smirking at Strange across the room.

This is totally a great idea and nothing can be wrong. ]

You can scry. A griffin shouldn't be a challenge.

[kingsroads]

[ Making a griffin = at least in Strange's mind, make a griffin out of sand or leaves or something like that. That's doable! That would look impressive! He can't help but nod a little, still a bit lost in his own world. ]

I'm certain I could make a griffin. Of course, if you're thinking of a specific griffin from your world, then I'm afraid I might get some of the details wrong.

[whattaprick]

Nothing special about griffins. Males and females have different plumage, and they molt with the seasons, but ... [ Hang on a tick, it's not like he's here to play monster expert here. ]

Anyway, it's not like anyone coming here would know different. If you wanna practice sometime, I can walk you through it.

[kingsroads]

[ 'He's not here to play monster expert' yeah well Strange is just listening with rapt attention because his world doesn't have griffins but apparently they have different plumage? Awesome. ]

For those of us whose worlds don't have griffins, I'd argue there's plenty special about them! Still, if you're offering to walk me through it, I'd appreciate the help. Occasionally, the difference between my imagination and the finished product is a bit...vast.

[ because Strange is probably gonna create some derpy looking catbirds without Lambert to say "no, make their legs a bit longer." ]

[whattaprick]

I can tell you now, this trailer wouldn't be big enough to hold a full-grown griffin. Whenever we do it, it better be outdoors.

[ If it does happen, it should be an educational experience for both of them. ]

I've been meaning to ask you something, though. [ A beat. ] What happened to your eyes?

[kingsroads]

Oh, these? Nothing, really. The longer you stay at the carnival, the more...changed, you become. It's a side effect of the fae magic used here.

[ Strange widens his eyes. With one clawed finger, he lightly taps his eyeball, just a few times. The small clink of nail on mirror is audible, even when it's such a small surface area. They don't just look mirrored: they are mirrors. ]

Don't ask me how I can see, by the way. I haven't the faintest idea.

[whattaprick]

[ Did he just do that? He totally did. Lambert leans across the table, and for a horrible moment it looks like he might actually reach out and touch Strange's eyeball too. ]

This wasn't in the contract. How long did it take for that to happen?

[kingsroads]

The claws came first—I gained them about a month or so after I joined the Carnival. The eyes are a more recent development. I'd guess I've been here for about...mmm, a month and a half? They appeared when I was in Atlantis. The scales appeared only a few days ago.

[ As he mentions his scales, Strange idly scratches at his neck, more out of a reflex than any actual itching. ]

From what I understand, the changes aren't permanent. Once you've completed your contract and return home, then any sort of changes gained here will vanish.

[whattaprick]

Did it hurt?

[ Lambert can't imagine it did, for him to speak so blithely of it. But if he can look forward to changes like that of his own, he might as well be prepared. He hasn't noticed any differences of his own from Atlantis, but ... ]

Seems like a waste of magic then. What's the point?

[kingsroads]

[ Strange shook his head. ] Not really. The scales itch horribly but that's the extent of how much it hurt.

[ Which is downright odd. You'd think anything involving his eyes would hurt a lot more than scales or claws. But no, he just woke up with odd eyes one day. ]

I suppose the point is to help us adjust. After all, we are in faerie. Perhaps taking on effects of the realm is something that happens to everyone here?