smoke and mirrors, silver and gold

[whattaprick]

Who: Idiot 1 (Lambert) and Idiot 2 (Jonathan Strange)
When: Day 148, after fae and Pokemon breeding chatter on the radios.
Where: Training grounds!
What: English magician bullshit meets witcher bullshit.
Warnings: The usual, where these two are concerned

Unsurprisingly, Lambert's at the training course already, eager to get to activities that involve sweating, dust, and exertion a lot more than Strange is. Jury's still out on whether this is going to be more of a physical exertion or a mental one, but he isn't waiting by the course to run Strange through his paces. Instead, he's standing in the raised, water-surrounded arena.

Before Portland, training usually meant bullying the magician through knife exercises, and they've managed to squeeze in one or two sessions since Lambert finally stopped poisoning himself. But today, for a change, it's not the dagger from Atlantis he's wielding: he's practicing with a sword, a blur of silver gliding fluidly through the air as he moves from form to form. A second sword -- one that Strange has seen before, since it's his steel one -- is in a scabbard on his back. Behind him, his tail swings and curls with every movement, counterbalancing his weight as it shifts ... and throwing his rhythm off, since he'll periodically stumble or tread on it and curse, before straightening to try the movement again.

Regardless of when Strange arrives, he'll complete the series of movements he's working through before he glances over towards him, grinning broadly.

"About time."

Comments

[whattaprick]

Nothing like a little competitive spirit to get the inspiration going, at least in Lambert's opinion. Though the flush on the magician's face is quick to recede, as a professional people-annoyer Lambert is quick to pick up on it, and it's going to get him a broad, smarmy grin in turn.

So that's what lights a fire under Strange's ass, is it? He knew he was competing with Norrell, but he hadn't exactly considered that extended to other magic-users (though from what he can tell, Childermass is exempt from that rivalry). Still, the conversation moves on before he can think to pursue it further.

"If it works the same way Zecora's does, the iron will force you to stay corporeal. She couldn't just turn to smoke," he says, frowning. Obviously, that's inconvenient for a number of reasons.

"I want to try something else." He takes a few steps backwards, gestures with his fingers, and the purple sigils of Yrden appear underfoot. "Turn part of yourself into shadow and step in here."

[kingsroads]

Ohhhh no. Strange recognizes Yrden all the way back from when Lambert used it on him before their trip to hell. Likewise, he knows this isn't going to end up well for him. Still, he does want to see what the results will be like.

With a little nod, Strange's feet turn to smoke. He floats in the magic circle...and then almost instantly, resolidifies, standing barefoot. Strange's frown deepens, as he concentrates on his feet. Nothing happens.

"It's not working," he grumps, as an explanation.

Turns out he works along the same lines as wraiths! That's totally reassuring except for the fact that it kind of isn't.

[whattaprick]

"Hm," Lambert answers, noncommittally. It's more or less what he anticipated, based on his limited working knowledge of Strange's abilities and Zecora's, but it's still disappointing. Can't count on it working in situations where it would really matter, then.

"Better learn to keep an eye out for anything that cancels magic. That'd put a cramp in your style." However, that seems to have satisfied his curiosity about the smoke, for now, and there are some other things he'd like to try out, too, so he waves Strange to step out of the ward.

"You've never seen me use Axii before, right?"

[kingsroads]

"If I'm familiar enough with the magic, I can identify it and avoid it." Though the little frown on Strange's face told Lambert that he's aware of the problem with that: he needs to be familiar with the magic in the first place. And even then, it varies. He would be able to recognize magic cast by a Summer Fae, but if he hadn't seen the spell in action, he'd have no clue what it does.

Though, as Lambert mentions Axii, the frown turns into a confused expression.

"I haven't. Which one's that?"

[whattaprick]

"The one that lets me tell you to turn around and walk to the edge of the arena," Lambert answers, his hand moving in a quick, subtle gesture while he puts the force of his will behind his words. For Strange, if the spell takes hold, it'll feel a bit like a fog descending on his mind and a compulsion to follow Lambert's words -- or at least finding them strangely persuasive.

[kingsroads]

Strange, as it turns out, is pretty easy to compel to do things. It's a combination of the fact that he's already been brainwashed once before and that he's not one for restraint or thinking things through in the first place. So, without thinking about it, Strange turns around and walks to the edge of the arena.

Aaaand then he realizes just what exactly Lambert did. At the same time, Strange discovers that he has a fun new sore spot and that sore spot is brainwashing! Naturally, Strange being Strange, he doesn't decide to take this slowly and figure out Lambert's method of why he did what he did. Oh no. We're starting with shouting.

"What the hell did you just do?" he hisses, spinning around to glare at Lambert.

[whattaprick]

To be fair, Lambert doesn't generally have a particular motivation for most things except "seemed like a good idea at the time," so Strange probably doesn't have much reason to expect anything deeper than that.

"I used Axii," the witcher answers, unperturbed and entirely remorseless. If anything, he's strangely cheerful. "You shook it off faster than I thought you would, so that's a good sign." Of course, he hadn't been putting much effort into holding the spell, and there's still the problem of Strange responding far too readily, but every witcher trainee's had to deal with that too. And they're proof it's not absolute.

[kingsroads]

"I probably shook it off faster because I already know how your magic works," Strange snaps, with a little roll of his eyes. And he sort of knows how Lambert's magic works. He can recognize the traces of witcher magic and piece out some aspects of the spells itself, but if someone asked Strange to replicate what Lambert did, he'd have no idea what to do.

While Lambert's reacting to this in an unperturbed manner, Strange has fallen right back into bitching, moaning, and sulking.

"Besides, you barely put any weight behind it," he grumbles, almost under his breath. Strange knows what deep magical possession feels like: spells that jumble your mind, remove your free will and replace it with something else. Axii wasn't that.

[whattaprick]

"But you still listened," Lambert muses, shifting his weight onto one leg and rubbing at his chin. "So did Childermass, back at the Celebration." And in case Strange was wondering how Lambert got Mr. Stuffy Breeches to let his hair down for that whole mess, well, now he has his answer.

"Yuya resisted it the first go," he adds, like it's an afterthought. It isn't. He isn't at all going to hesitate in taking advantage of that competitive spirit now that he knows it's there in all it's petty, whiny glory, and he fully intends to add more fuel to the fire.

"Maybe there's just something about English magicians that makes them easier to influence." Childermass had gotten brainwashed, after all, even if that wasn't under magical circumstances per say. "A spell like this wouldn't work on a sorceress back home, no matter how much I put into it."

[kingsroads]

Strange is just bristling, glaring at Lambert with utter annoyance. Easier to influence?! How the hell would either he or Childermass be easier to influence compared to other people! They knew magic! They should be harder to influence!

This still doesn't answer how Yuya was able to resist it during the first go. But, then again, Strange knows that Yuya is capable of many more things than people give him credit for.

Without saying a word, Strange gestures to the moat. Not even a second later, another tendril of water rises up and shoots towards Lambert: though this time, Strange is 100% aiming for his face. Eat English magic's dust, asshole.

[whattaprick]

Maybe it's got something to do with going crazy, though Childermass certainly isn't displaying any signs of insanity, and you'd think a mind that doesn't process rational thought would be harder to influence, not more so. However, Lambert doesn't get a chance to offer that theory, because he sure is getting splashed with water in the face, and has the gall to look indignant all over again, wiping the moisture away, though it's quickly replaced by a shitty smirk.

"What, did that offend you or something? I'm just telling the truth."

[kingsroads]

"A spell like that might not work on a sorceress, but your sorceresses couldn't do half the things I could do," Strange complains, pride wounded by Lambert's accusations. Granted, he had no idea how what Lambert's sorceresses could do in the first place, but travel through realms? Turn into smoke? Raise the dead? Ha, he doubted those sorceresses could even do a fraction of that!

"Try it again," Strange insists. However, his voice halts slightly in the middle, stubborn pride butting up against the fear of being taken over. "And actually put effort into it this time, will you?" He's seen the magic now. He knows what it looks like and what it feels like, moreso than just Lambert's magic. He...might not be able to resist it entirely, but Strange is certain he can at least put up more of a fight now.

[whattaprick]

"Unless one of them shows up here, guess we'll never know." Lambert doesn't bother to argue, just shrugging. If one of those sorceresses does ever show up here, no doubt they can have a spirited ego-off and see just whose hot air takes up the most space in the room, but he's got little interest in defending the nobleness of the magical profession to Strange.

Besides, the request is worth more of his attention -- and derision. "This must be the only training you've ever asked for more of," he jibes. He can sense the magician's hesitation, but there's no point in asking the obvious question, so he's simply going to go for the low hanging fruit ... making light of the whole thing. Still, that gives him an idea for what to ask for next.

"Take a run around the ring." He orders, putting more weight and force of will behind the words, but no more warning than when he'd used it the first time. If nothing else, it still ought to leave Strange disoriented.

[kingsroads]

Strange can recognize the spell. As soon as Axii hits, he can sense the magic and piece out that it's Lambert's magic and the nature of the spell itself. He doesn't need to do this. This is just the magic speaking, just the magic telling him to do something. He doesn't want (or need) to do this himself.

But it sounds like such a good idea. Of course he wants to run around the ring, why wouldn't he? Yes it's the magic, but if the magic is telling him to do something fun, then might as well listen. There's a moment of hesitation before Strange does decide to run around the ring, though he stops halfway through. The internal battle of Lambert's spell vs. Strange's mind might have taken longer than expected, but Strange's mind came out on top eventually.

"You can only command someone to do a certain action, correct?" he asks, trying to push back the confusion he's still feeling. "The spell can't change one's personality?"

[whattaprick]

Look at him go. Lambert grins as he watches Strange run off, shaking his head. When the magician seems to have shaken it off enough to ask questions -- quicker than before, but still not enough to convince Lambert he'll be able to immediately refuse any magical compulsion placed on him. Because the witcher version of this magic sits on the lowest end of the scale: a better magician could have him running in circles and thinking it was his idea in the first place.

"Yeah. It's temporary-- most it can do is misdirect and confuse, maybe make people forget you were ever there." He wonders if Strange has puzzled out the spell's other restrictions, but it'll stick better in his memory if Lambert's not the one to tell him, so he doesn't give it away just yet.

[kingsroads]

Misdirect and confuse...Strange doesn't really have much to go on with regards to mental magic. All he has is Nightshade's work, so he's comparing Lambert's spell to that. And, at least with regards to that, axii does seem at the lower end of the spectrum. He realized he was enthralled and could piece out the bits and pieces of Lambert's magic.

"Try to get me to do something I wouldn't normally think of doing." Because that's what matters in the end, doesn't it. Lambert can make him run around or walk around to the edge of the arena all the other man wants. But if he wasn't able to resist something dangerous even at a lower level of magic...that wasn't a good sign.

Who has two thumbs and is still a little guilty about almost murdering people during Portland? This guy!

[whattaprick]

Get Strange to do something he wouldn't normally think of doing? Lambert has to think about that, crossing his arms and mulling it over. It's not that Lambert lacks creative imagination in terms of things he could ask Strange to do that he'd dislike; it's just that it defeats the point of the exercise if it's something Strange would merely bitch about, not something that's the complete antithesis of his character.

A few moments pass by before he lands on the answer, and he straightens, already waving a hand without warning as he utters the command.

"Say 'I think my wife Arabella is an ugly cow.'"

If Strange can't resist that, they've got more work to do than Lambert thought.

[kingsroads]

"Absolutely not," Strange says, without hesitation, only a few seconds after the words leave Lambert's mouth. It takes him a moment to realize oh wait, he resisted the spell, good job Strange! The problem now is he looks annoyingly smug for a man who's only managed to fully resist Axii one out of three times.

"Well! I'm not certain whether that says more about my mental fortitude or your spellwork, but that's certainly a good sign!"

Strange's attitude has turned on a dime: nothing lifted his spirits like success! As such, he's far too pleased with himself and with this whole endeavor.