⇨ 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

[atouts]

In retrospect, visiting a horse with an affinity for mud would have made a good case for stopping by his trailer before the lake. Overall, though, better something out of wardrobe than his own coat, though he suspects that would have been easier to clean.

"Ask Strange, then. You'll want a real magician making up spells like that," Childermass retorts, not quite with a huff, but the sarcasm is there. He'll let that one go eventually, not like to hold grudges over something so petty and, honestly, expected enough. It isn't Lambert's problem, in any case. No, what his problem is would be that he's searching pockets that aren't his.

It doesn't earn Lambert any violent reaction this time. Before had been in defense. The witcher may not have actually been trying to attack him then, but he wasn't the one on the recieving end of trying to take the necklace back. This? This is just him rooting around for an apple, which is easy enough to find, though it does have Childermass turning his head to look back over one shoulder. He arches an eyebrow.

"Your no better than she is, Lambert. You could have just asked."

[whattaprick]

"Aren't you one?" Lambert counters, automatically, meeting that sarcasm with a sardonic laugh of his own. "There's a tent full of people behind us who'd say so. That applause wasn't for falling on your ass." Even saying that, he supposes it's a good thing neither Childermass or Strange are much like the magic users from his own world. Otherwise ... well, otherwise, they probably wouldn't be here right now.

Shameless about being caught as ever -- the only way Lambert would make a halfway decent pickpocket was if he stunned his target first -- the witcher pulls the apple from the magician's pocket, meeting that glance and raised brow with a grin full of sharp teeth. He tosses the fruit up and down so the firm flesh smacks into his hand, expression thoughtful.

"Where's the fun in asking?" Lambert releases the grip he has on Childermass's shoulder, only to prove his point by stroking the back of a finger against the feathers on the side of his face. Far be it for him not to take advantage, now that it's conveniently turned towards him. In a single, easy motion, he runs his forefinger from the curve of his jaw up to his ear, then steps away to hold the apple out to the Mudsdale.

[atouts]

All that nets Lambert is his hand being batted away. If only he could frown more than he's already frowning! But it's pointless. Telling the witcher off for it is likely just the reaction he would want and, ultimately, messing with his feathers isn't worth it. It's not as if it hurts him, though the strangeness of how it feels to have them brushed by like that is ever a distraction.

"Stick to monsters, Lambert. You're an awful thief," he goes that route instead, mostly ignoring the comment about being a magician. He knows he is, but the previous radio conversation still rankles for now. With him off to feed Pig, though, he finally takes the time to drop into a crouch and call Baker over. The dog happily breaks away from the towering Mudsdale and the witcher to him, where he'll get a scratch behind the ears. Childermass takes the chance to peel off the errant ribbon stuck to him, as well, and toss it aside.

Though when he gets back to his feet, he does take a second to pick the whiskey bottle back up as he goes. Of course, now he just has a bottle and nothing to pour it into. That's a dilemma. The fix to it? Still attached to Lambert, unfortunately.

"Now," Childermass glances down at the mugs he's brought along, "are you going to offer me one of those or are they actually meant as decor for that lizard tail of yours?"

[whattaprick]

The apple disappears in less than two bites, since Pig is ... well, a pig. The witcher pats the side of her neck when she's finished, both of them tending to their own animals for a while, at least until Childermass addresses him again.

"Back to lizard again, hm?" He'd half expected him to pull out the necklace before they got down to anything, but it's not like they haven't gotten tipsy more than a few times with each other by now. And not just at the magic-heightened frenzy of the Celebration, either. Aloln's tropical distractions means the magician's had ample time to discover that hangovers aren't a thing Lambert experiences.

Clawed hands deftly unhook the mugs from his tail, and he holds out both in his hands "Go ahead and top us both up, if you're pouring."

[atouts]

"Dragon, lizard, the only difference is size," he points out. Fundamentally, that's probably untrue, but the only dragon he has to go by is the Ringmaster's form from Hell. He will, though, crack open the bottle and pour for both mugs. For Lambert, more than one would typically pour out from a bottle of whiskey.

For himself? Less so. He isn't planning on resorting to the necklace because he isn't planning on drinking terribly much.

[whattaprick]

"Just wait until I start breathing fire and swallowing demon hearts," is Lambert's cheerful rejoinder to that, nodding in approval once Childermass fills up the mugs to about what's appropriate for their respective metabolic processes, holding the magician's mug out for him to take once he's done. It's pretty obvious whose is whose.

"Seems like we should toast something," he murmurs. "We're not going to be here for much longer." 'Here' being Alola, even though they're standing in the Carnival, it's still anchored to the world by the gates they enter and exit through.

Watching their Pokemon -- the comical contrast between the stoic, gargantuan horse and the tiny, hyperactive dog dashing around her legs -- he wonders if they'll even have any awareness of leaving the only home they've ever known behind.

[atouts]

"Seems a fair enough way to get rid of demons, so by all means, do," he replies, capping the bottle again before taking his mug from Lambert. He tucks it under one arm for the time being and looks out towards the two Pokemon again. He wouldn't be able to say the same thought has crossed his mind, seeing it as with any other animal. They go where the trainer goes, simple as that.

To the rest, he can only break away from watching the two Pokemon play, to look at Lambert again, and shrug. Overall indifferent towards the idea of toasting, apparently.

"And to what would we toast? To one stop without anyone getting hurt? To your promotion? To the carnival gaining a horrifying plant monster?"

Yeah, don't think he didn't notice what the Ringmaster is letting creep around the forest. Where did that even come from...? Oh well. He'll probably never know.

[whattaprick]

"Hmm," Lambert takes a moment to think that over, then shrugs. "How about: to changes, in all forms they take?"

With little more ceremony than that, he taps their mugs lightly together and takes a long drink, whiskey burning down his throat like a bad decision. After that, it's back to turning their attention to the Pokemon, Lambert coaxing Pig back to his side to give Childermass the opportunity to actually eat his damn dinner (assuming he doesn't feed it all to the dog) and brush Baker clean of dried mud. An attempt to play with the Growlithe by tossing grapes for him to catch in his mouth is cut short when Pig uses her height advantage to steal the whole bunch out of Lambert's other hand. Eventually, though, the witcher will step over to the other end of the enclosure and retrieve a simple bit and bridle, slipping it onto her head with practiced ease and using the reins to lead her over to the magician.

"Ready whenever you are," he grins, sharp teeth flashing in the dark. "Don't back out on me now." Of course, there is the question of whether they're riding double up or switching off, but the lazy ease Lambert holds himself with suggests he's not too worried about how things go from here.

Or possibly, he's waiting to see exactly how Childermass is going to manage scrambling onto her back. Either way, he expects to be entertained, and his tail lashing and curling behind him says as much.

[atouts]

"I'm not sure that's something I would ever toast to," Childermass has to say, but fine. He toasts to it regardless, for lack of anything else to toast to, and drinks. As for the food, he does, in fact, eat most of it, but it's inevitable that at least half is lost to Baker. The apple had originally been for the Growlithe, but Pig and Lambert both put a quick end to that idea.

Moving past all of that, however, and onto what the magician already knows all too well is expected to be the Nightrider's amusement for the evening. He probably expects him to go about this in a useless manner, seeing how the horse herself is taller than the both of them.

"Is she even trained to accept other riders?" Is the first thing he's going to ask because he's not an idiot. He doesn't want to get thrown, not by something that massive. And even as Lambert leads Pig over towards him, he shakes his head and sets his mug aside — still a bit of whiskey in there, he really nursed that drink this time around.

The headshake isn't meant as a 'no', however, but rather that he'll gesture for Lambert to bring her up alongside the enclosure itself. Time to see how well built this thing is, eh? There won't be any scrambling, provided Lambert's answer about how ridable she is seems positive enough. He'll be using the makeshift fencing to boost himself up half the way instead. From there, making his way up onto Pig should be simple enough.

[whattaprick]

"Since she evolved? You'd be the first," Lambert answers, not particularly reassuringly. His good mood's likely from the fact that unlike Childermass, he did indulge, though even two mugs of spirit's only just enough to render him pleasantly buzzed.

"She's never tried to throw me, and she knows you. I can catch you if she bucks," he adds, though his tone of voice suggests that's not something he's worried about at all. Indeed, while Childermass swings himself on top of her back (the fence, for a wonder, doesn't wobble under his weight), Pig's stoic as a wall, the flick of an ear the only indication she gives that she's noticing anything going on back there. From on top of the horse, Baker seems smaller than ever, a blur of orange and yellow fur darting around on the ground. It's a wonder she never steps on him.

Once the magician's found his seat, Lambert doesn't swing himself up behind Childermass just yet -- he'll step forward to check on how Pig's doing, pat her on the neck and murmur something low in her ear, before glancing up.

"Can you hold her steady for me?" he asks, offering him the reins. That probably answers the question of whether he was planning to ride behind him or not, at least.

[atouts]

It is a wonder, but one he can be grateful for. Baker is only useful if he isn't flattened. Childermass takes a second or two to watch the dog dart about, then glances back over — and down, which will be nice while it lasts — at Lambert. He arches an eyebrow at him.

"I could do that," he begins, "However..."

He won't. Now that he's taken the reins that the witcher so helpfully handed over, he's giving Pig's sides a gentle nudge with his knees and leaning the way he wants her to start trotting off in. Let's see just how loyal the Mudsdale is. Will she ditch Lambert? Will she stubbornly stand still?

Childermass honestly doesn't know. Baker may be quick to jump sides depending on whoever is giving him the most attention, but Pig may very well be the complete opposite.

[whattaprick]

Pig shifts her weight, lightly, but that's all the reaction the magician will get out of her. Sorry, buddy, she knows where her food supply comes from and it ain't you, so she stays with her feet firmly planted on the ground. If he was more inclined to spoil her it might be a different story, but alas, it seems Lambert's horse has all the disciple that her master lacks.

"Since when are you a horse thief?" For his part, Lambert's laughing, already setting a foot into the fence and using it to vault up onto Pig's back much the same way that Childermass did before, tail lifted out of the way so he doesn't awkwardly sit on it when as he slides up behind him. As before, she doesn't step or stagger, but her ears prick up a little and the muscles of her back flex as she adjusts to having two riders instead of one.

Once he's in his seat, and neither of them seems in any danger of getting thrown off, Lambert's hands drop to grip Childermass's waist, clicking his tongue. That seems to change the horse's mood, and she paws at the ground with a hoof, suddenly antsy.

"Try again." The witcher's grin is audible. He's using his own knees to keep himself on the horse rather than direct her, but this time, she'll respond to the magician's command, the same thundering stride that sets the ground to shaking underfoot a very different sensation to an actual rider.

[atouts]

"Since never, apparently," Childermass says with a quiet huff. Not quite a laugh, but close. He supposes he should have expected that, too. "It doesn't exactly count if it didn't pan out."

The thought had been to avoid just this, Lambert sitting behind him and hanging on. Admittedly, Pig is definitely big enough to carry two, but it doesn't have the same humor to leaving the witcher behind in the dust and probably just taking the horse back to his trailer. Seeing how Baker is bound to follow, it would have been a fine joke.

He tosses a look back over a shoulder at Lambert once he's settled behind and he signals Pig that it's fine to move, then shrugs and does just that, repeating what he had tried before. Rather than aim for making Pig turn back towards the backyard, though, he'll lead her towards the lakeshore itself.

[whattaprick]

A fine joke until an errant hoofstrike upended the trailer or turned it to scrap, at any rate. Pokemon can be appallingly destructive creatures.

Pig goes as Childermass directs, and Baker follows close, though less underfoot now that she's actually on the move. The Growlithe won't have much trouble keeping up, because her pace is a gentle one as she heads for the lakeshore.

For his part, Lambert's grip on Childermass is perfunctory, more or less for balance than to actually hold himself on. Her back's wide enough that it isn't terribly difficult to stay on, though the trot makes it a bumpy ride, jostling them together as she goes, until Lambert finally has to say it:

"Are you trying to crush my stones again? You can take her faster than this, you know."

[atouts]

"You made the decision to ride double, Lambert," Childermass shoots back in that typical bored-sounding way of his, as if this is clearly Lambert's fault. "You could have walked."

But no, apparently the horse doesn't go without Lambert on and so here they are. He will lean forward, though, giving Pig another squeeze to the sides to get her to pick up speed. He doesn't particularly want to cause any earthquakes, which seems to happen whenever the damn creature runs, but if that's what Lambert wants, well, he may as well take advantage of having a horse for the brief few moments he can.

[whattaprick]

"I didn't think you rode like an old woman," the witcher answers, with as much of his casual scorn as usual. "No wonder you said you've never been thrown."

A silly detail to remember, from a stupid game that was one ill-advised decision among many -- though without it, would they have caught onto what was going on? Lambert doesn't dwell on what-ifs, preferring to focus on the present. For example, when Childermass lets Pig pick up the pace. The difference is immediate, the hard, bouncing trot smoothing out into a canter more natural to move with. Of course, it causes the expected damage to the environment underfoot. Lambert presses his calves into Pig's sides to keep his seat, clawed hands tightening their hold on the magician for that first initial jolt forward then relaxing once she hits her stride.

Baker, of course, has no difficulty keeping up with her despite his much shorter legs. Pig is big, but she isn't fast, and it seems to be more of a game to try and keep ahead of her, then fall back to let her pull ahead, only to race forward again.

[atouts]

"There's a difference between 'old woman' and 'being sensible'," Childermass replies right back. He would roll his eyes, too, but he doesn't want to take his attention off where the Mudsdale is going, not even for a second. He's mostly sure Pig wouldn't run over or into anything, seeing how intelligent Pokemon seem to be, but it's better safe than sorry.

He's not much a fan of causing the ground to shake, however. Brewer was faster and much quieter, so he reckons he'll still prefer a normal horse over this. Just as well he decided against a horse from that world, he supposes, considering the options were increasingly odd (like one with a literal fire mane). Those thoughts aside, he lets Pig canter on along the lakeshore, occasionally letting his gaze stray to where Baker is darting about once he's more certain the way ahead of them really is clear.

Baker is definitely in no danger of being crushed, with how fast he is on his own, though he really wishes the dog would stop weaving in and out of Pig's path like that...

[whattaprick]

It's a peaceful enough ride, for the most part -- rumbling aside. As they race around the lakeshore, neither Pokemon seems to flag, and it's entirely possible they could both continue making a circuit of the whole thing at least a hundred more times if their trainers wanted them to. Though without a proper saddle, even Lambert would beg off; the idea of holding on with his legs for that long is highly unappealing.

Such ruminations are quickly terminated, however, when Baker's playful dodging has the only result one could have reasonably expected at this point: after the Growlithe skirts too close to the Mudsdale's hooves one time too many, breaking her stride, the Mudsdale is forced to pull up short, hooves digging into the ground as she slams herself to a halt.

That does nothing for her riders, though, still carried forward by the inertia she's built up.

"Let go!" Lambert snaps, as soon as he realizes what's about to happen. His weight slams into Childermass from behind, and in a blur of motion and surprising strength, he wraps an arm around the magician's waist, presses the other hand to Pig and pivots on the momentum to pull them both off her back in an emergency dismount. He's trying to land them on their feet, but considering he's not used to doing this with another grown man who might possibly not take kindly to being yanked around so sharply, it's entirely possible he'll find himself landing back-first on the ground, or worse.

[atouts]

Watching Baker leap in that close to the hooves, it's like his damn heart just jumped into his throat because he knows exactly what's about to happen. He's already dropping the reins before Lambert's words leave his lips but being pulled off the horse like that, against his own will, is still startling. Whatever jerk of motion he gives in answer to being dragged off is involuntary, yet still enough to throw off Lambert's plan. They aren't going to land on their feet, but—

Now, the nice thing about it being dark out? It's the abundance of shadows. Why is that an important thing to note? Because while they aren't going to land on their feet, Lambert's not going to find himself crashing painfully back-first into anything at all thanks to having them landing right in the shadow of a tree, one infinitely darker spot across the already dark ground cast by the distant lights of the carnival. It is, however, going to be scary as all hell since there's no warning. Darkness engulfs them both the second Lambert touches the tree's shadow and remains that way for all of one second, two, and then they're spat out of a different shadow not all that far away from the first, only Lambert will find them rolling across the ground to a stop with no painful witcher-to-solid-ground impact involved.

[whattaprick]

Lambert's not a fan of physical pain, but he's no stranger to it either -- and he's cocksure enough in his ability to cushion enough of the impact to avoid either of them snapping their necks or something equally unfortunate (probably). What does surprise him is when, instead of the painful thump he was expecting, they drop straight through darkness, and he doesn't even get the chance to yell in surprise about it before they're out and through, rolling along the ground until they come to a stop with the magician sprawled on top of the witcher, arms still looped around his waist.

Stunned, Lambert lies there panting. Farther away, Baker barks in confusion at his master's sudden disappearance, but that seems like such a distant thing with the blood rushing through his ears, heart thumping from the near miss.

"What the hell?" He says finally, wide-eyed, forcing himself to sit up despite the disorientation. "Did you just--?" The shock is, just faintly, starting to fade in an expression Childermass likely hasn't seen on his face before: awe.

[atouts]

It likely goes without saying that Childermass sits up when Lambert does, if not sooner. He doesn't bother trying to get to his feet just yet, which leaves the witcher with someone sitting on his lap for a moment longer, but who cares about that? It worked. It had to have. That's the very trick he's been trying to pull off since observing not just Strange and his mirrors, but from Joker's little teleportation trinket and even what the Warden could do, though obviously tying it to something besides math and coordinates and the like.

Shadows seemed thematic with him, anyhow, so it was natural to go with them.

"I can't believe it," he starts, but with a laugh rather than actual disbelief in his voice. He turns enough to look back at Lambert, a triumphant grin spreading across his face not unlike how he would grin back during the Celebration, only this time it's all on his own, no drink or drugs or enchantment required. "It actually worked! I've been trying to do that for weeks and it took this, of all things..."

It makes enough sense. Faerie magic is supposedly more attuned to wanting something to happen than having a laundry list of specific words, devices, and ritual to go through. Nearly getting their necks broken, that seems like a sure cause for triggering it.

[whattaprick]

When Childermass laughs, it only seems natural for Lambert to do the same, tipping his head back and letting it tear free as it shakes his frame. Now that they're safe, the adrenaline rush of a near-miss doesn't have any other way to express itself.

"That was amazing," he says, when he gets his breath back, grinning back at Childermass. Because it was -- Sans has teleported him before, and so has Strange, but those had been under markedly different circumstances. For one thing, those had never involved taking him out of danger.

The longer they spend staring at each other smirking like idiots, though, the more Lambert's expression shifts subtly, eyes dilated in the darkness so his irises are little more than a thin band of gold. Having Childermass in his lap makes it easy to reach up without a second thought, wind his fingers into the front of that fine, embroidered coat.

"Congratulations, you're a magician after all," Lambert murmurs, breathless for a different reason altogether. That's all the warning Childermass gets before he pulls him in for a firm kiss.

[atouts]

And Lambert will find it to be a very, very one-sided kiss. That it lasts as long as it does is due more to sheer confusion than anything else. He wasn't expecting this, so what other reaction can there even be? Surprise, for one. That's definitely part of it, too. Confusion, surprise, and... he's not quite sure. Irritation? Possibly. He doesn't like things like this coming straight out of the blue, but the other two are reason enough for him to eventually reach up and put a hand on the witcher's chest, shoving him back.

Uncertain on what reaction to honestly settle on, Childermass is going to fall back to good old-fashioned offense, brow furrowing, nose wrinkling as he frowns at Lambert.

"What—" Seriously, what? What? "What in the world do you think you're doing?"

[whattaprick]

Lambert can take a hint, letting himself be shoved away. Of course, given that Childermass is on top of him, there's only so far he can go. Propped on his elbows, a faint trace of amusement remains even in the face of the magician's ire (and why shouldn't it? As far as he's concerned, not getting shoved away in the first few seconds or punched out is a victory in itself). The question, though, makes him wrinkle his nose in turn, snorting.

"Kissing you," the witcher answers, slowly, like Childermass might be particularly hard of hearing or rattled by their unexpected tumble. "You do know what a kiss is, don't you?"

[atouts]

"I know what a kiss is," Childermass answers, not at all appreciating the snark. On that note, Lambert won't have to worry about a magician sitting on him for much longer, because he's getting back to his feet and stepping away, dusting himself off. They're all very sharp motions, as much as he'd prefer to keep the fact that he's this annoyed with the man from being obvious. It's just kind of hard to do, in this situation.

He will turn back to glower at him after, though, and add, "But it doesn't answer why. You're taking that joke a bit too far, aren't you?"

Because he can still easily recall the last two times the witcher's invaded his personal space. After Hell, during Alola, now this? Ridiculous.