[THREAD] It's as if Earth no longer existed ...

[longtobehold]

Characters: Jonathan Strange (ou), OPEN
Where: The park by the pond
When: Mid-day, although thanks to Strange's curse, it's darkest night in the ten feet surrounding him
Summary: Strange attempts some spells wit hout much luck
Warnings: Possible magic?

Comments

[ectoplasicious]

Johann watched the magical display from a distance not entirely too far away but out of sight. He was drawn here by the odd sight of the darkness surrounding the man--had followed it when he saw it was in the park, somewhat on his way (at least at first)--and anyway, he arrived there to see a man with a nasty curse surrounding him and all was clear. It would probably be rude to ask about it, so he had been simply going to leave when the man began to preform magic. Or attempted.

Johann vaguely recognized the type of magic being cast. And he was fairly certain he knew what the problem was.

He got a little closer before saying something to the man. "I don't believe your friend is to be found in this dimension."

[longtobehold]

It was debatable what surprised Strange more. The man's odd appearence, or the fact that he seemed to comprehend the nature of the spell Strange was attempting to cast.

"Sir," he said giving a quick bow, not being one to stand on ceremony in such an occasion, "please forgive me for being so direct, but do you happen to be a magician?"

[ectoplasicious]

Johann returned the bow with a respectable one of his own. He probably had more in common with this man then almost anyone else here--considering the time period in which he originally derived from at least. "Nein, I am not. But my studies are in general that of paranormal activities, practices, and entities. Magic most definitely falls within that category," he replied. It was obvious, too, where he hailed from originally; he had a distinct German sounding accent.

[longtobehold]

Strange cocked his head at Johann's explanation.

"Paranormal? I'm afrad I'm not familiar with that particular branch of studies, but magic has preoccupied my reading for the last decade or so." Strange said.

"Your accent," he remarked, extending an inquisitive finger. "Are you Prussian by any chance?"

[ned_piemaker]

Ned was getting accustomed to the place, little by little. It helped if he didn't think about it too much. He remembered Faye's warning about the people being dangerous, but mostly they seemed to keep to themselves, and that was the way he liked it. No one asking him awkward questions about why he was there or trying to enlist him to fight aliens or whatever it was.

The Piemaker knew that indulging his curiosity could have disastrous results. When he saw the strange Englishman setting the fountain on fire, seeming to hover in his own sphere of darkness, he was not sure it would be advisable to start a conversation. Something drew him towards that man that he could not identify - was it a new recklessness, brought on by his surroundings?

"Are you..." he asked, tentatively stepping into the bounds of the darkness with his hands clasped together behind his back, "Are you doing magic?"

[longtobehold]

Strange jumped upon hearing the peculiarly dressed man speak. It wasn't dignified for a gentleman to be startled so, so he took a moment to smooth out his shirt and waste coat before addressing Ned.

"Why, yes, I am," Strange said. He wasn't a boastful man by nature, but being one of two magicians in the world hadn't exactly smoothed out his already inflated ego. "Jonathan Strange, Magician-in-Ordinary to the Duke of Wellington," he said, extending a friendly hand.

[ned_piemaker]

Ned bit his bottom lip and, after a second of hesitation, unhooked one of his hands to accept the handshake. He did not want to be rude, but he drew his hand away perhaps a little more quickly than would have been normal and said, in an impressed voice, "I'm Ned, I bake pies." There was a wry humility in the way he said it - it hardly compared, after all. "Have you always been a magician, or does that happen to everyone here?"

[longtobehold]

"Aha," Strange said nodding. "I see there are all types here, even tradesmen."

Strange thought for a moment about how to reply, after all his career path was hardly what one might describe as ordinary.

"Well," he began, "I tried out many different careers over the course of my youth. Arcitect, poet, barrister. None of them seemed to suit me. Then, by a chance encounter I happenned upon a spell, which is when I discovered I had quite a natural talent at magic."

Sighing self-contentedly, he spread his arms. "Ever since then, I knew I was going to be a magician. A practical one of course, I have no interest in theory."