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[wizard_howell]

Honestly, he's been making every attempt to be respectable but the problem with that, as he sees it, is that he is in fact in no way respectable. That's not to say that marriage and the title of Royal Wizard don't suit him; they do. It only means that every now and again he needs to dust off that little-used dab of silver paint on the doorknob to

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[wizard_howell]

"Often? I should think not. I'll have to have a stern talking to it."

Hair. It's the bane of his existence and has been ever since the time Sophie turned it pink on accident. "Let's simply pretend it's behaving until I can muster up the correct spell to fix it. I'm not so certain I can get the appropriate supplies at this place, but one never knows."

This is the pub that's full of surprises, after all.

"But I do thank you kindly for laughing with me at my sad misfortune."

[wizard_howell]

Another magic user: that's always good for an interesting time. He does, however, have his pride and waves away the offer. "It's bound to settle down by itself eventually. After all, I'm rather a long way from home and the source of the magic. I can't imagine it will last for too long."

A nod of the head cements that and it does seem as if the spell is slowing down just a bit. There will -- perhaps -- be words over it later, but then again, perhaps not.

"I do believe introductions are in order. Howl Pendragon, Royal Wizard to the King of Ingary. You're a fellow wizard, then?" If so, he'll buy the man a drink. If not, he'll buy him a drink.

He did grow up in and around pubs and knows quite well how to behave in them, diolch yn fawr iawn ichi.

[wizard_howell]

Heavens above.

"From the stories of my youth. One would do well to remember that all tales have a basis in fact." He bows deeply, but no more so than he would do for anybody else. This end of the universe serves as a great equalizer for all sorts of people with all manner of skills and backgrounds.

"A pleasure to meet you. And how do you find things here?" He's not certain exactly what the High King of the Daoine Sidhe, not to mention a Lord of Dreams, is used to in his own court, but this has to be a shock to the system no matter who or where a person -- or a not-person -- finds himself.

[wizard_howell]

"Mine will believe in you."

That's a promise he can make.

"So what brought you to the end of the universe?" It's a question spurred by mere curiosity, nothing more. When one is a Lord of Dreams, he assumes there's plenty of fodder for all manner of unexpected experiences.

[wizard_howell]

"Fantastic." Because they're sharing stories, he goes ahead and tells his own. "I've a castle with the door enchanted to go to one of several worlds, depending on which part of the doorknob is top-up. One day I must have landed it on the spot just between two others and wound up here."

Needless to say, it immediately became a favored bolt-hole for him.

"I've been coming back ever since. The place can be rather addictive, and the cider is very good. Can I buy you a pint?"

[wizard_howell]

"Right, then." He calls over one of the wait-rats and, as usual, lifts it into his hand to whisper in its ear, then listens as it squeaks to acknowledge.

"Thank you, friend." Setting down the rat, he watches as it scurries off.

"It still amazes me that the little creatures can carry pints of anything without spilling them." Gesturing to a nearby table, he takes a seat. "And it did take me some time to get used to them as servers, but it works well."

[wizard_howell]

The quick and flippant answer is by appointment by the King, of course, but he won't put it that way.

"The King's Royal Wizard had gone missing, so he hired me to fill in until the original one could be found. At the same time, his brother turned up missing. After I found them both, he kept me on in the position."

That's it in a nutshell.

"Then war broke out, and the King needed both Royal Wizards, and I've been working for him" -- after a fashion -- "ever since. As has my wife, who's a gifted witch in her own right."

[wizard_howell]

The way he waves his hand is casual in the extreme.

"Oh, in bits and pieces. We" -- meaning he -- "managed to put him back together, though."

It was a dark and bitter magic that put Suliman into that position, but it took a well-intentioned bit of spellwork to set things right again.

"Now he's right as rain."