let's get down to business

[whattaprick]

Who: Nightrunners and whoever wants to make use of the training yard for whatever reason.
When: S2 D1-D5
Where: The Training Yard
What: Training, or pointing and laughing at people training.
Warnings: Explosions and swearing, probably.

Though it's never really been off-limits, once they're down off the moon, Lambert wastes little time informing the nightrunners he officially expects them to get back to training and getting in shape. They can make ample use of the training yard facilities to learn how to work with each other after their extended vacation, or just get to know their newer coworkers in an environment closer to what their actual working conditions will actually be like.

The yard, as usual, isn't limited solely to nightrunners. Anyone who wants to work on their physical or magical skills are welcome, as well as anyone from the other departments who have anything they might want to test out that requires a combatant, for some reason.

Lambert's generally a constant presence at the fringes, sometimes participating in exercise or sparring himself, but mostly just watching and making sure no one's about to put someone's eye out or break the equipment, because that would be bad for obvious reasons.

[ ooc; this is an open log, so bring your own toplevel! ]

Comments

[prazerbutterfly]

"Yes, three I believe," he says gently as a Tease crawls up the side of his arm from inside of his shirt and buzzes three times to confirm. Occasionally he takes scent checks from them just as he does anyone he's come to be fond of here. He doesn't have everyone tracked, just some.

He peels his sandwich apart with a faint bite while he listens to Strange and he'll wipe his mouth on the back of his glove since he forgot his napkins at the trailer. "There are subtle things I don't mind talking about the boss. The man is uncomfortably deadpan constantly and has a tone that makes you question if he's serious or not." But again, that was because it was another way that Childermass can hide.

"I am sorry I am disappointing you so~"

[kingsroads]

Strange doesn't say anything at Tyki's confirmation, but he does raise his eyebrow slightly. Bit hard to effectively manage everything and get things done when there's literally three people in your department. Concessions must be made, people must do double work, and Strange has a feeling Childermass probably has to take on more than he wants to himself.

He takes another bite of his sandwich, chewing and swallowing as he looks over at Tyki. Uncomfortably deadpan, remarkably good at not showing if he's joking, dangit Tyki these are things about Childermass that Strange already knew. Which, on reflection, is probably the reason why Tyki's mentioning that in the first place.

At his last statement, Strange shrugs. "It's no great loss. I'll simply find someone else to gossip with."

[prazerbutterfly]

"I try to assist him the best I can. During performance week I am up before the sun to best utilize time before performances start." Strange isn't wrong. He knows Childermass takes on a lot but he's already said that a moment ago. Tyki tried to take on a lot of the conman routine to alleviate stress if not all of it but he's sure Childermass handled some things on his own. It's the only time he's ever up that early and especially after the manor incident he's grateful.

He laughs as words tumble out of his mouth, "No great loss? My friend, you thrive on gossip and so do I. It strains me not to talk about the boss but I have a high respect for him. Unlike Childermass, who hides everything about him so well, your emotions are easy to read akin to a book. You're disappointed just as you were torn and almost looked as if you were grieving for some reason around your wife."

[kingsroads]

"Now I know you're teasing," Strange teases in return, giving Tyki a wry little smile. "After all, grieving? That's a turn of phrase that would be marked down as 'too hyperbolic'."

By now, the sandwich is pretty much vanished: Strange polished that sucker off fairly quick. He chews and swallows before he continues talking.

"Anyway, you're not the only person in the carnival I can gossip with and not the only member of acquisitions who I can bother with questions." But let's be real, he's going to be the only member of acquisitions that Strange bothers because Cole is weird and Zangetsu is slightly terrifying.

[prazerbutterfly]

He could mention he saw a lot more than he's has been willing to talk about that night. He had seen Mr Norrell's interactions with a lot of people. He had been tracking Childermass himself and Joker until the fighting started and his own inner bloodlust had gotten carried away to the point he stopped observing. He had seen the way a lot of people interacted with various members of their family. It was all habit and he closes his eyes with a hum at his answer. So be it.

Tyki grins a little wider than he should. Maybe it is because he would love for Strange to talk to Zangetsu and experience the vulgar repetition of the man. Tyki personally loved talking to Zangetsu. Cole was someone Tyki had yet to experience because much like Childermass he often hid. "Oh, I know. I'm just the only one like you on Acquisitions. But I understand~"

[kingsroads]

"Then perhaps that's the problem," Strange muses, with a little frown. "Maybe I need to bother someone who isn't like me if I want to find out certain things."

It's a good idea. After all, Strange knows that he would be tight-lipped if he had to talk about certain people. It only makes sense that Tyki might be the same. But someone who had a different opinion or might just be more careless with gossip to begin with...well, who knows how that conversation would go?

[prazerbutterfly]

His brow lifts into the air rather high at his tone, the fact he used the word 'bother', and how it almost seems like the air is suddenly tense. Thankfully he doesn't take it to heart as his eyes close and he seems like he's about to laugh. His entire body shakes with a stirring rumble until he's barking laughter at how serious Strange looks.

He sets a hand on the object he was sitting on and rises to his feet as it lightly spins underneath him. His balance is on point regardless and he regains his footing with ease, "Mister Strange. I sometimes forget that you have such a passion for knowledge, understanding, and information that when you don't receive it you get extremely frustrated. Please don't change but I'll remove myself if I am indeed a bother. Not that you, in any case, bother me with gossip. I enjoy it."

But then he looks away from Strange, his expression changing to a calm look as his hands fold behind his back like he's trying to compose himself, "But I will tell you one thing. Back in the manor, when all was said and done, and he came to fetch me along with Zangetsu... I have never seen the man so pale and almost..." Scared...? Even Tyki's not sure of that. "I never want to see that look on his face again. So forgive me if I have soured the mood."

[kingsroads]

"I never said you were a bother," Strange calmly remarks, with a little confused frown. No, if anything, he thought he implied he was the bother. After all, he was the one who said he'd annoy the rest of acquisitons for petty gossip, there's nothing more bothersome than that.

That confused frown still stays on Strange's face as Tyki goes from laughing (okay) to calm (okay???) all in the span of a few seconds. Having turned into smoke to get up here in the first place, Strange is still sitting still as Tyki stands up. He'll move after the other man gets out of breathing range, he knows he's a smidge poisonous.

Though, the information about Childermass in the manor...Strange can't help but nod at that. "He pulled off a remarkably dangerous heist only to come back to everything literally falling apart. I don't blame the man for being a bit off."

[prazerbutterfly]

He's up on his feet for a reason as he takes a few more steps to the side until his feet touch air and he can reach down to pluck another sandwich. He's keeping himself away from Strange to give him space and keep him out of harms way.

"I had to ask to get all of those pieces filled in. Despite my eagerness to assist and all of my efforts to be careful, I still left my room. It doesn't matter my intentions but you know that story already." He had talked about it at the hot springs when he was sick.

"I don't want to be a danger to him even by word of mouth." Because he was a danger and with his arm extending outwards Strange will start to notice the swirling energy around his arm starting to manifest into a brighter color. It's alarmingly quick the way his Dark Matter, bright purple and coursing, surges around his arm to his fingertips. He can watch as that sandwich tears itself apart in his hands, plastic and all until it is nothing, "Had I not been stopped as quick as I had been things might've turned out for the worse. I understand he has a lot on his plate."

[kingsroads]

The hell is that? Strange frowns as Tyki's Dark Matter starts up, swirling around his hand. Though he notices the sandwich vanishing into nothing, Strange is much more interested in the coursing matter itself, as if staring at it will help Strange figure out just what the hell it is.

"Is that something you've picked up here or something you've always had?" It doesn't look familiar or like the magic of any of the various worlds they've been to. Which makes Strange think that Tyki's always had this...but why would he keep something like this a secret? Yes it's dangerous, but surely this purple whatever it is could be put to use as well.

[prazerbutterfly]

He's been hiding his Dark Matter for a while now because that was the source of everything. Tyki didn't like to show all his cards at once but despite his tease he did trust Strange. He doesn't care if he was 'good or bad' because that was something that didn't matter to him.

"It is the source of my magic," he responds to Strange in the best way he knows how or more so in a way he can understand. He's sure Strange can feel how alive it is and how much energy was just coursing naturally now that he had brought it out into the open. It was pure energy given life from his Noah.

[kingsroads]

He can feel it. That thing felt powerful, enticing, and dangerous all at once. And then, despite his wondering earlier, Strange realizes the obvious. No wonder Tyki kept it hidden. Strange can't help but think back to the peninsula: once people knew what he could do, then he was expected to do it, time and time again. For someone as disinclined to do anything as Tyki at times was, it only made sense that he would keep the nature of this power secret.

"It's impressive," he can't help but admit, as he still watches the Dark Matter. "Does it take a lot of power or concentration to hide it like that or is this something you can easily do?"

[prazerbutterfly]

He won't let Strange touch it even if he asks unless he was absolutely sure it wouldn't hurt him. Dark Matter was no joke to humans and while he was sure it wouldn't transmit the akuma virus given he was pure Noah he's being careful. Tyki would rather not have obligations in a place where he already got in trouble once.

"It's something I can easily do. It is my magic and it is what courses through me. It influences all my actions and even the manifestation of my tentacle spell. I have not had a chance to really burn it for hours as I did at home but so far it doesn't seem to cost me heavily if I use it for extended periods of time."

[kingsroads]

"But what if you don't use it for extended periods of time. For lack of a better term, can it get rusty?"

Given the chance, Strange is just going to ask so many invasive questions about Tyki's dark matter. It's interesting, he's interested, it's some new sort of power that he doesn't know much about that fuels Tyki's magic, of course he's going to try and get Tyki to explain the ins and outs of it. And, given the fact that Strange has a calculating look on his face, it's blatantly obvious to Tyki that Strange is just going to ask him so many more questions.

[prazerbutterfly]

"No. It is apart of me. It fuels my strength, my speed, and everything about me. I could become lazy but I am almost always using it."

Because his Power to Choose was always passive. He had to choose to touch something otherwise he would touch nothing. Subconsciously he always touched the ground when he walked or the air when he moved through it. Besides, he was use to this kind of thing with Strange. As he had said before Strange had a huge passion for magic and knowledge. Ask away, Strange. He's sharing.

"Also, no. You cannot touch it. I would rather you not."

[kingsroads]

"Considering how quickly it devoured that sandwich, I'd rather not touch it either." That thing tore a sandwich to bits, it'll probably maul his fingers something fast.

"Is it always that ravenous when you summon it that way? Is there a way to summon the source and have it be more sedate?"

Knowing next to nothing about the source of Tyki's magic, Strange is treating the dark matter like it's something interesting and unexpected, more of a power granted by the carnival than a magic. After all, none of the people he knew had magic that was so visual.

[prazerbutterfly]

"I was hoping what rational thought you usually don't present out in the open would be used in this case. Still, I wanted to warn you." It's good to know that in intense moments Strange might actually think even if he had no tact.

He has to think considering the word ravenous was almost too perfect of a word. His fingers curl upwards until the magic starts to drift away from his full arm and towards his hand. It isolates itself to his palm where it rises off his skin. Strange may notice the way it changes color to a dark and inky purple instead of that bright intense light he saw moments ago. Even his skin is wrapped a very thin layer of of the same color with tendrils that look similar to his tentacles snaking up his arm. It's a perfect sphere floating above with gentle light cascading off of it, "If I contain it, sort of."