lostcarnival | [closed] well this was unexpected

[ Strange catches the bread roll easily. He looks at it with an expression that's a little ravenous as he digs in, eating the roll like he hasn't eaten in ages. It doesn't matter how good or not the roll is, Strange is ravenously eating it. Eventually, he pauses, swallows, and speaks. ]

I do hope that you literally dragged him at certain points. I doubt it, but the image is quite amusing.

[ Making fun of Norrell's a valid reason to pause eating. And, now that he's finished with that...Strange goes back to finishing off the roll as fast as he can. ]

Out of the way of something, on occasion. [ Which isn't as amusing, but it's the best he can offer. ] He's never been very aware when he has his nose in a book.

[ Hey, something Strange and Norrell both share, isn't that hilarious? No? Maybe? He won't point it out, of course, and instead finds a spot leaning against a now larger, grander kitchen counter and helping himself to a bread roll of his own. ]

[ How weird, something they both share, who knew? Strange doesn't realize that Childermass is essentially calling him out as well. Instead, he finishes off his bread roll and prowls around the kitchen to find more food. ]

That much is obvious, [ said with a little smirk. ] I've had to struggle to get his attention plenty of times while we worked together.

[ look at him, he's...oddly nostalgic ]

[ Here's hoping the cinder sprites have managed to hide any additional pineapples as Strange goes on the prowl... ]

I usually found it quicker to work around him. [ Which probably explains a lot, it's only that the 'a lot' falls to a number of details Strange just wouldn't have known. Who ever really pays attention to what the servants are up to, right? ] Though I could see where that would be more difficult in your own position.

[ Man, a couple of those cinder sprites are doing a REALLY GOOD JOB of "move the pineapples behind Strange's back when he's not looking at them." The carnival will live to have fruit salad another day. ]

It's hard to work around someone who's supposed to be your teacher. [ Bitter? Why would you think that, he's not bitter in the slightest, oh my god he is really bitter. Strange is frowning as he continues to search the kitchen and ooh, wait, that's a bit of cheese, that looks pretty good.

He looks back up towards Childermass as he munches on the cheese that he claimed for himself. ] This is a depressingly normal kitchen, by the way. This is Faerie, after all, I was expecting something a bit less... [ a bit less like an actual kitchen. ] Well, more different!

[ Well, it's not as though Childermass can't understand where the bitterness comes from. He knows all too well and he isn't about to defend Norrell. He won't add anything more to that fire, however. Instead, it's time to consider the kitchen.

The depressingly normal kitchen. ]

Oh? You've often spent time in a normal kitchen, Mr. Strange? [ Seems to him the kitchen is greatly improved from, say, what was expected in their own time, actually. ] Could be there's no need to add magic to what already works.

I've spent enough time in a kitchen to know what one looks like. I managed an estate once, you know.

[ granted it was for five minutes before he fucked off to become a magician because some dude under a hedge said so but Ashfair still counts, dammit. ]

And yes, you have a point but...well, it's Faerie.

[ The bits of the Kings Roads that he had seen were awe-inspiring. Strange could have (and did) wander around those for hours. This...well, roller coaster aside, it looked a lot like a normal carnival.

It's entirely possible that Strange has way too high expectations and way too big an imagination. Though, the lighting that's not candle light is quite convenient, that can stay. ]

[ So long enough to delegate anything related to the kitchen to someone used to kitchens, he would imagine, which Childermass isn't sure counts. ]

Faerie will look however it wants to look, even if that happens to be mundane. [ Finished with his own roll, he'll just keep on hanging out, leaning against the counter. ] In my own experience, it looked mostly like a poor reflection of England. This is far more solid.

[ And therefore far more preferable. ]

[ Yes, but he doesn't want solid. And that's the main problem these two are having. The familiar is comfortable for Childermass. Strange is perfectly fine to throw away the familiar and plunge straight into the unknown given the chance.

He finishes his food as he looks over at one of the cinder sprites, busy working. At least there was one thing properly otherworldy in this kitchen, even if it was...not what he expected. Sighing, Strange looks up at Childermass. ]

Solid as it may be, carnivals travel. Perhaps I'll see something more like my tastes at our next destination.

[ well no, it'll be the matrix which'll just confuse Strange even more but details, details. ]

[ Which is a place Childermass could take him to, as they're already settled there, but the thought of trying to keep a madman wrangled through a trip to a sprawling, futuristic American city is the stuff of nightmares. In fact, he might prefer dealing with literal Nightmares again, instead, since at least something intent on hunting him down and killing him is predictable.

So, as if probably expected, he shrugs. It is what it is, Strange. Deal with it.

The lone silver lining is he can at least mention the previous destination without having to worry about Strange running off to try and visit it, and so he will, adding after the shrug, ]

I'm sure you will. The one before was a literal realm of dreams. I'd say the carnival was the only thing there that didn't keep changing.

[ A realm of dreams...Strange pauses for a moment, as he lets his imagination run wild, picturing just what sort of place a realm of dreams would be, especially if you added in the dreams of Faerie and the carnival residents as well.

That pause lasts for a moment, before Strange wistfully responds, ]

That sounds wonderful and yet at the same time quite dangerous.

[ Not just because some dreams are nightmares--even the happy dreams have the potential to lead one astray. After all, more lately than in the past, Strange has found himself dreaming of Arabella. ]

I do wish that I could have seen it.

Very dangerous. You'd be amazed at how many creatures in a dream will try to eat you.

[ Or more like in a nightmare, though hardly limited to that. It's only the phantasm he met in a regular dream seemed more silly than dangerous. ]

I did keep notes, [ He'll include after a short, thoughtful pause. No one's ever actually seen what writes down in those little books of his, since no one's ever really cared before, but he may as well offer. There's nothing damning in the Dream Realm one, in any case. ] Though I know that's nothing like visiting it in person.

[ On the one hand, Strange isn't surprised that Childermass kept notes. On the other hand, he is a bit surprised that Childermass would let him see the notes. How nosy he can be with the rest of that little book, Strange doesn't know, but at least seeing the notes would help him figure out what sort of places the carnival visited. ]

If you don't mind, I'd like to see those notes. After all, I have absolutely no idea what sort of places the carnival stops at--they could at least provide a small bit of enlightenment.

[ It won't be an offer Childermass will be making often, but a book of notes may as well be as good as a babysitter in this case. He can skip out and track the stage manager down while the other magician is distracted. ]

It's only on the one location, so, no, I don't see why I should mind. [ The Matrix notes are still in progress. There's a lot of opinions about automobiles in those. ] We should get going, anyhow, before the cook catches us back here.

[ If there's anything else Strange wanted from here, he'd better pocket it now or forever hold his peace. ]

[ Strange casts one more look around the kitchen as if he'll somehow miraculously spot another pineapple that he can vanish (or more likely, that he can unintentionally teleport to someone else's bed). Once that once-over is done and the kitchen is blessedly pineapple free, Strange gives Childermass a small little nod as he starts to follow him out of the kitchen. ]

I doubt either of us would take well to being punished--especially for something so childish as sneaking a bit of food. [ though it'd kind of be amusing to watch Childermass get in trouble for filching food--he's just so serious! ]

Where to next?

[ he asks, completely forgetting the fact that no, it's nowhere next, you already ruined the tour Strange, stop that. ]

[ Well, he doubts there'd really be anyhting to punish, but being run out of the kitchen like a pair of uncouth brats doesn't quite fit. Best to leave before it happens, right? ]

Back to the trailer. [ Because Strange may have forgotten, but Childermass has definitely not. It's back out the way they came in, then he's leading on to cut through the Gamer's Circle again, only this time in the direction of the backyard. ] It's not as though I'm carrying those notes on me.

[ Those would be what populated his small, organized space in the chaos that he's stuck calling 'home' for now. ]

[ As they reach the Gamer's Circle, Strange stops walking for a moment, idly looking at a few funhouse mirrors, set up off to the side for passing people to look at. There's a pause while Strange thinks things through. Back to the trailer...there was a larger mirror in that trailer as well, affixed to the bathroom wall. He wasn't able to access the King's Roads back in the mirror maze, but perhaps that was because of the enchantments on the maze itself (for it must have been enchanted.) These mirrors, warped though they be, might be different.

It can't hurt to try, after all. ]

Perhaps I shall get there first, [ he idly muses, as he takes a few steps towards the mirror, ignoring Childermass. Why not. After all, there's no harm in trying! Placing his hand in front of him (because he is not going to smack his nose into a mirror again), Strange walks towards the mirror, murmuring slightly as he does so...

...and then surprise, just creepily vanishes into the mirror. The King's Roads might not be here but travel by mirror somehow still works. Might want to hurry back to the trailer, Childermass, before Strange pokes his nose into everything imaginable. ]

What?

[ But too late, when Childermass turns at what Strange says, the man's already gone, vanishing though the mirror. It's not the first time he's seen that and it's also not the first time he's cursing himself for never getting the other magician to show him how that works.

Left behind again, it would seem.

At least he knows where he's gone this time, though, and while he does consider rushing after, there's something about showing up winded and frazzled that irks him. It would only show it's that simple to get on his nerves, which a mad Strange might take as just too funny. So, no, he'll walk (albeit quickly) instead of racing after, trying to recall what he's left out in the trailer as he goes.

The memo book full of his notes and drawings from the Realm of Dreams is a given, along with the earlier musings on the carnival itself, a few of the carnival denizens, hippogriffs, the monster book. There'd be the dreamcatcher he got to keep to put up in the trailer (with a footnote regarding that in the dream notes).

Then there's the other little notebook, older, more dogeared, and slightly more hidden under his other papers. That's the one with an awful lot of letters in a language that makes absolutely no sense copied down towards the end, followed by some frustrated seeming writings on searching elsewhere. Further back would probably reveal much more, but, well, regardless of what Strange goes after first, Childermass will be throwing the door open sooner than might've been expected. ]

[ Thankfully, Strange hasn't gotten to the end of that little notebook, partly because his attention span isn't that great. All these little letters make no sense. It is curious why Childermass has a notebook written with seemingly gibberish, which of course makes Strange believe that it's not gibberish in the slightest.

The memo book gets more of his attention. He pours over the Realm of Dreams section before coming to the menagerie. When Childermass enters the room, he'll find Strange sitting at the table, reading the memo book, and just generally acting like he belongs here, nothing weird happened, this is totally normal for him to be sitting here reading like this.

Strange looks up as the door opens, giving Childermass what's supposed to be a nice little smile but he can't hide the triumph of making the mirrors work and his humor at the fact that oh man Childermass must be so annoyed. ]

Would you mind telling me a bit more about the book with teeth?

[ When he steps in, he's already drawn himself up and squared his shoulders as if expecting a fight, for some reason or another, but when all Strange does is ask about the book with teeth? Childermass pauses, giving him a suspicious look, and then he lets go of all that tension.

He's only been reading the Realm of Dream and carnival notes. That's good. Of course, it's not going to stop him from closing the door a little harder than necessary and marching straight on over to grab the second, older book of notes right off the table. He's pocketing that one, thanks, and no doubt planning to put it well out of reach, somewhere. ]

It's a book. It has teeth. What else is there to know? [ Okay, sounding a little grouchier than is normal there, and definitely not returning any smile whatsoever (as if he ever would, anyway, but still). ] Which mirror did you come in through?

[ Strange definitely notices Childermass grabbing the second book, the one written in gibberish, off the table almost instantly. Well then. That book has instantly become a thousand times more interesting. What could possibly be in there to begin with?

Though, that little petty part of Strange is taking great pleasure in the fact that he's managed to bother Childermass yet again. Hopefully no one back home will figure out that's it's really quite easy to prod the other magician into almost losing his cool. ]

The one in the bathroom, [ Strange casually mentions, before going back to the monster book. ] I assume one can read the book in the first place, but how precisely do you do so without getting bit?

[ How to make Childermass lose his cool: show up mad and unexpected at a carnival in Faerie, proceed to invade his space abruptly via mirror. Thankfully, the rest may find that act a little difficult to follow. Strange will have to cherish today, as he does not plan to be thrown so off balance again. ]

Hm. [ He'll take a quick look into the bathroom at the offending mirror. How easy would it be to take that down, he wonders. ] You stroke the spine of it. [ And there, a real answer. He turns back towards Strange again. ] Provided you can pick it up without it latching on to begin with.

Edited 2016-12-13 17:00 (UTC)

[ He will relish this day for the rest of his life. Guess what Norrell, Lascelles, and the rest? He successfully annoyed Childermass.

Stroke the spine. Huh. He can do that! ] And the book's located in the menagerie? We should have gone there on our tour!

[ Joke's on Strange, all of those people have managed it far more often than Strange ever has. It's just it comes out as very dry sarcasm instead of, well, actually seeming bothered. ]

You already know why we did not go. [ Someone messed up. Does he really need to remind him? Anyway, he'll pace back though the trailer towards the door. ] If you plan on reading through the rest of that, I can leave you to it. I do have a few other errands to see to this evening.

I'll simply leave it on the table when I'm finished, [ Strange explains, with a nod. Because yeah, he is totally reading through the rest of that. ] That is, unless you want me to leave it somewhere else?

[ No matter what, he's gonna keep poking at Childermass's stuff and probably accidentally rearranging things in the trailer for better access to poke at Childermass's stuff. ]

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