Summoning the gentleman with the thistle-down hair

[ironicalsmile]

A few days following his futile meeting with the gentleman with thistle-down hair, Jonathan Strange can be found in the library of the Mansion. He is alone, standing before the fireplace. There are several candles and lamps all around, attempting to provide some light

Comments

[thistledownking]

It will be hours before the gentleman comes to him--perhaps it is while Jonathan bathes, in the seclusion of the mansion's elegant bathrooms, or perhaps while he sits at his desk with a tome of magic and an untouched cup of tea. It will be hours (long, intentional hours) ... but when Mr. Strange finally notices him, the gentleman gives the distinct impression that he has been waiting there for an uncomfortably long time.

[ironicalsmile]

It is, indeed, while Jonathan is in his bath, and he is so startled when he does finally notice the gentleman that he splashes quite a lot of water onto the floor. 'Oh--wh--hello,' he stammers, trying to remember to keep his temper this time, and struggling to look as dignified as possible despite his situation. '...er, ahem. Hello.'

[thistledownking]

"You called for me--must I have your word again?"

[ironicalsmile]

'There is no need for that,' Strange says hastily. 'I promise, I will not harm you. I only wish to talk.'

[thistledownking]

"What do you wish to discuss?" The gentleman is seldom so serious; he has hardly even boasted, and there is no adornment to his speech.

[ironicalsmile]

'Lifting the Darkness,' he replies immediately. 'I do not know...what I may offer you, but if there is something you wish that it would be in my power to give you--not Arabella. Not her, and nothing to do with her. But if there is something I may, with my...meager powers, so weak next to your great magic, offer you, I may consider it in exchange for your releasing me from this enchantment.' He takes a deep breath. It was a carefully worded speech, which he has been composing in his mind since their last encounter, and though he has rather jumbled it in his haste to ascertain that Arabella will not be affected by any deal they may make, he has done his best not to outright promise anything to the fairy.

[thistledownking]

"There is nothing you could give me that I couldn't easily have in another way--except your suffering, for the harms you have done me and the shameful way that you neglect your wife!"

[ironicalsmile]

'I do no such thing!' Strange says indignantly; then, remembering that he was supposed to try keeping his temper this time, he subsides. 'I certainly do not neglect Arabella,' he lies says more calmly. 'I -- I love her, dearly, and I would not see her...' He stops and tries again. 'If that is what you wish, that I should not neglect my wife, then might I offer my attentiveness to her as an exchange for releasing me from this enchantment? An enchantment, I must add, which affects her as nearly as much as it does me. If you are fond of Arabella, I cannot think that you would wish her to be in perpetual night.'

[thistledownking]

The gentleman, although self-centered, considers the offer seriously. He does not believe in the least that Jonathan can keep the bargain, and it would make him even less happy to fail his wife as well. He is learning to play a longer game, and so he says at last, "If that is your bargain, then I will be watching to ensure that you keep it. When you shirk her bed shamefully to keep company with dry old books, or when you kiss another girl in the gardens--! Oh, I will certainly return you to deeper darkness than before, darkness that candles cannot break, and see that you stay there until Judgment Day!"

Typist snerking

[youngandhealthy]

T: Other girl in the garden, what? XD

Re: Typist snerking

[ironicalsmile]

T: I have a feeling the thread of Molly and Jonathan's enchanted little indiscretion has been stalked. XD

[ironicalsmile]

Jonathan flushes a deep red at the mention of girls in gardens, and mutters something rather indistinct about 'That was--that is to say--I was...under another...' or something of that nature, before sighing and saying, in a quiet voice, 'Very well. That is our exchange, then? I shall be a more attentive husband to Arabella, and you shall lift the spell you have placed upon me. And keep it off, unless I am truly neglecting my wife?'

[thistledownking]

"A fair bargain. I will go to work at lifting your curse, then; farewell!" And the gentleman bows, just an inch, and vanishes in a cascade of water and soap bubbles.

In the morning, as the sun rises, Jonathan will find its light penetrating and dispelling the cone of darkness. The first clock that he sees will read 6:15 precisely.

[ironicalsmile]

...leaving Jonathan Strange to shake his head, sigh, and get out of the, by now, quite cold bath.

In the morning, he will start a brand-new post.

T: I meant to ask you this earlier--where did you get the icon?? And how much alteration did you do to it? That hair is too perfect!

[thistledownking]

Typist: I combined three different images from GettyImages--one for the face, one for the hair (it was an afro that I color-inverted and then clone-stamped a bit to make it seem like it was actually growing out of the forehead), and one for the clothes. And then I did the little fadey line and the curlicue (which was made with the Ruritania font, I believe) for the background. And then I made it grayscale.

... I may just possibly use PhotoShop too much. ^_^;;;

[ironicalsmile]

T: ...okay, you rock too much. XD I can just about barely manage to get a border.