lostcarnival | this is no place, but here I am

Who: John Childermass & Jonathan Strange
Where: Childermass's trailer
When: day 161
What: Strange got canon updated! as such, he & Childermass are going to actually talk about things for once.
Warnings: none, will edit if needed

It took Strange a few minutes to regain his bearings now that he was back in the carnival. He had gone home, he had delivered that box to Childermass, he had brought magic back to England, helped destroy a fiend of a faerie, and most importantly of all, he had saved Arabella. And? He got cursed for his troubles, trapped in a tower of darkness with his mentor turned enemy turned friend. But the faerie's curse was only tied to his world and apparently not the carnival. Because as soon as Strange arrived back on carnival grounds, he felt something lift. The curse was still there, lingering on his person, but not actively hurting him anymore. And what a relief that was.

He still looks far too tired, though. Almost dying does that to a person!

And it's after those moments where he regains his bearings, checks to see how long he's been gone, and reunites with his daemon (they were still in Greysol? All the better) that Strange realizes there's one person he desperately needs to see: Childermass. How much of all this did he know? How much of all this did Strange need to tell him? Because of course he was going to tell Childermass what happened, even if Childermass was now further behind than he was. Strange wasn't the sort to keep a secret in the first place.

So instantly, he makes his way towards a mirror, intent on just barging in on Childermass's trailer...before Strange pauses, thinks again, and decides no, he should actually knock this time. As such, he makes his way to the supervisor's grove on foot. And once at the trailer, Strange loudly knocks on the door. "Childermass? Are you in?"

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All a part of the Raven King's spell, perhaps, so Childermass won't scoff at the idea. He also won't suggest such an idea. Neither Strange or Norrell would be able to accept it, he imagines, that their actions were somehow not entirely their own. If it were himself — and at this point, it has been, at least once — he might be similarly annoyed, but only if it was anyone besides John Uskglass. That's the man he has always truly been in the service of, even if he never deigns to meet him. Knowing he can still be summoned... He's still out there...

Childermass won't let his mind wander down that path, though, and Pythia agrees, taking a nip at his ear to keep him on track. He cringes at it, even if it didn't really hurt all that much.

"What?" He complains quietly at the daemon, though she only gives him a beady look and a huff, feathers puffing. Of all the things for a crow to be jealous of, of course it would be a raven. Anyway, he turns back with a shake of his head and a sigh, because he doesn't have good news for Strange's question.

"Ah, that, that I do not know. There isn't a soul left alive who can read the King's Letters."

Siobhan badly represses a little giggle at Pythia's actions. Neither magician nor daemon can figure out what's on Childermass's mind, but the fact that Pythia has progressed from shy and nervous to nipping at Childermass's ear shows Strange just how far the man's gone in accepting her. Which honestly? Is damn reassuring.

Though, the news about the King's Letters is less reassuring. "Damn," he simply states, with a 'what can you do' sort of sigh. "I've no idea when or if I'll be able to actually read the book, so I was hoping for a summary. That is, unless you have it with you?"

He might not be able to read the book but Strange would at least like to look it over before making such a blanket statement. Because, at least in Strange's mind, this is obviously a pen and paper sort of book. And who knows, Childermass is so secretive and so cagey about his personal life that having the book with him isn't exactly a far-fetched guess.

Badly repressed giggles go blatantly ignored as Childermass goes on to, unfortunately (or maybe not, since the idea of dragging Vinculus along is horrifying in itself), give his head a shake.

"I do not," he admits. "I left it behind, safe and drunk in the care of the other magicians." Yes, that's right, not safe and sound. Safe and drunk. Because that man is anything but sound. "Which is for the best, as I'd rather we not lose the book should something happen to me out here. At least that way they might be able to figure it out if I fail to bring a translation key back."

Edited 2017-10-19 20:19 (UTC)

Strange nods—but then pauses because wait, what? The book was drunk? Obvious question here, how can a book be drunk, but then again, it is the book of the Raven King. Perhaps it was a magic book? After all, the menagerie has all sorts of mystical creatures and faerie itself is weird to begin with. Perhaps the library of John Uskglass played host to an alcoholic book!

If so, good Lord those poor magicians. Having to deal with no more books in England was bad enough, but if the most important book they had on hand was capable of getting drunk...visions of Childermass, Segundus, and Honeyfoot chasing around a book that was somehow scurrying around on the floor in a drunken fashion play in Strange's head. The mental image is friggen hilarious and he can't help but smile.

"Does the book have any particular preference to alcohol? Perhaps if you bribed it, it would be more amenable to translation."

Any particular preference for it, he asks. Sure. Childermass has the answer to that and it's—

"Free," he says blandly as if thinking about the situation back home at all is something he's found less and less funny over time. While it was undoubtedly amazing to watch all the newer magicians try and deal with Vinculus, it still came down to him having to keep an eye on the wild and rarely sober man.

"Bribery only does to keep him in one place most of the time, but he can't read himself, so a key is needed no matter what. Anything else would take years."

Well of course he can't read himself, books don't have eyes. Strange, unfortunately, is still stuck in a 'literal book' mindset, failing to realize that Childermass is talking about a person. As such, he still finds the situation quite funny and that smile still plays on his face.

"I assume you've already got ideas in mind of where to find a key?"

Because of course he would. This is Childermass. The man never did anything rash of halfway thought out.

And that's the mindset Childermass will leave him in until he either asks or figures it out himself. There is some minor humor to it, how Strange must be picturing a literal drunken book. The question about the key, though, now that he's surprised the other magician hasn't figured out yet.

He raises his eyebrows at Strange over it, stating, "Why do you even think I'm here, Mr. Strange?"

In Strange's defense, he's known this book existed for all of five minutes. Still, he puts the pieces together fairly quickly, giving Childermass a wry smile as he leans back in his seat.

"How I wish I would be there when you'd have to explain how you obtained the key. I'm sure half of them still have their thoughts poisoned by Norrell's thoughts on the fae. You'll have arguments for days!"

Because that's why Childermass is here: a year and a day to figure out how to translate the damn thing. And yes, Strange will reluctantly admit that Norrell may have been right with regards to certain aspects of the fae...but that little petty part of him doesn't really want to admit it.

Oh, that very thought only gives Childermass a brief flicker of dismay. He hadn't actually thought how how he would explain where the key came from, but now that Strange mentions it, he can only react by shaking his head. No, no, absolutely not.

"If you think I'll be telling them anything about this misadventure, you really are still mad," he tells him. "Mr. Segundus and Mr. Honeyfoot, perhaps, but maybe not even them. Better to let everyone assume I found it while searching the farthest reaches of the Raven King's kingdom than to bring up faeries, of all things."

"Then I'll simply tell them myself when I return to England. After all, I plan on telling Mister Norrell about this."

But that's different and Strange knows it. It's best to not hide one's experiences with the fae when you and your friend are possibly going to be dealing with the fae for the next who knows how long. Back in England...he's certainly somebody will end up summoning a faerie. There's too much magic there and too many people who follow his ideas for it to not happen. But at least for Childermass, it's less of an inherent danger than it is for Strange.

"Still though, you should tell them eventually. If only because some of my exploits would serve as what not to do!"

this is no place, but here I am

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