maskormenacelogs | (no subject)

[He lets a couple days go by after his talk with Kitty. He needs to work up the nerve. Then, he goes in search of Bartimaeus.

Problem is, it isn't actually as easy as all that. Bartimaeus is a spirit, not a human. He doesn't live like humans do, doesn't stay in the one place or shape for too long. And he never actually got Baritmaeus's address. He frowns. Usually the djinni is always lurking somewhere close by, but now he's having a hard trouble finding him. Finally, he shoots off a text.]

I need to talk to you.

... Please.

[The wonderful thing about being in this world, summoned by no one and controlled only by a few troublesome ties to Kitty "Dive Headfirst Into Danger" Jones and John "I'm a Definite Ass but Slowly Working On It" Mandrake is that Bartimaeus can do all the lurking he wants, and no one can disrupt or call him out on it.

And, well, he's definitely been lurking. After all, there had been an earthquake the day Nathaniel had gotten back. So of course the djinni would go and check on Kitty, and of course he'd find Nathaniel had managed to stumble his way home like a lost, dazed animal.

Now, though, he's lounging on the roof of Nathaniel's house as he has been the last few days, having burrowed his way under any sensor web that may be up and just-- well. Keeping an eye on the not-so-dead magician. After all, what is he supposed to do? Go up, clap his old Master on the back, and congratulate him on a mostly respectable death?

Glad you're not as blown to bits as you should be, hope they take some artistic liberties with your inevitable statue?]

What, no more hopping up and down like an angry toad and demanding I appear?

[Is what he eventually sends from his vantage point basically directly above Nathaniel's window.]

I'm still surprised that's a word you know the meaning of.

[.......... what? You didn't think he'd be nice about it, did you Nat?]

[Nathaniel sighs deeply when he sees the reply. He should have expected that, he feels.]

It's about Kitty.

[Sort of.]

Edited 2015-04-30 02:36 (UTC)

[Nathaniel stands in front of Kate's door, shifting awkwardly. It's not that he's not used to people disliking him. He can deal with that. But he's not so much used to dislike coming from people he actually likes and respects.

The way they left things abruptly all those months ago sits badly with him. He wants to set things right-- and not because of Billy. He likes Kate. He isn't sure if turning up at her place unannounced is the right thing to do-- perhaps he should have called ahead? But it's too late now.

He knocks on the door and then fiddles with the cuffs of his sleeves, waiting anxiously.

Perhaps she's not even home. He'd feel awfully silly then, wouldn't he?]

[Of course, her not being home would mean that he'd have a higher chance of running into Billy. But there would be none of that today. Combined with her new go-getting attitude, Kate's spending less time in the office because ... well, because Matt is out of town at the moment. Possibly permanently, but she hasn't really allowed herself to entertain that possibility.

She can't.

Right now, she's home to pick up a couple notes to drop off and take Springsteen for a walk when she opens the door to find Mandrake standing there.

Her eyebrows raise and a little bit of irritation enters her stomach. Hadn't he left?]

Billy's out right now. Possibly with Teddy. [Yes, because Kate rather dislikes the crush on Mandrake scenario above all. It's like the really annoying icing on the "Mandrake is not great" cake.]

I--

[He falters for a minute, because of course he should have anticipated that reaction.]

... Actually, I came to see you.

[That's ... unexpected. The surprise is very, very apparent on her features.]

Why?

I... wanted to apologise.

[He shifts his balance from one foot to the other, trying to figure out how to vocalize what he wants to say. This is clearly a very different Mandrake to the one whose body language and posture was always so confident and sure of himself.]

I could have just called, I suppose. But I thought it ought to be said in person, rather than over a communicator.

[As someone who varies between "quick to forgive" and "harsh," Kate finds herself uncertain as to which approach she should take here. As a result, she stares at Mandrake for a long moment. She also debates finally letting him inside, as this conversation is happening in her doorway.

After a beat, she allows him to do that, motioning for him to come inside. Springsteen stirs from where he is, and being a friendly dog, he trots over to sniff Mandrake's hand. (Of course, Kate thinks, he's met her dog. He's familiar.)

She watches the scene placidly as she closes her door, crossing her arms to watch him.

She's not sitting, but she doesn't care if he does. Not that she says that. She's not feeling very hospitable. In truth, Kate doesn't know what she's feeling.]

I need the story. [Behind all of this.

She senses that there is a story.]

[He nods his thanks as he steps in, and crouches down on his haunches to pet Springsteen as he approaches. He's not... good with animals, but he's not bad with them, either. Mostly just unused to them. He pats the dog more gently than someone familiar with dogs might, as if he's not sure how much pressure is really appropriate when patting a dog. But he stays there, for the moment-- it's easier to concentrate on the dog than look at Kate while he talks.]

... John Mandrake was a rubbish individual, that's all. I've no interest in making excuses, for there are none to be had.

I don't want anything in return, I just... wanted you to know that. As the first person here I came to respect.

Speaking of yourself in third person isn't really a tip-top way of showing that you feel ashamed for what you've done in the past. [Kate feels like she's missing something. It's why she goes with this remark above all the others. There is a question: has he had this conversation with Kitty yet? But it doesn't fall from her lips.

Not yet.]

[He looks up at her from where he's crouched with the dog.]

No, it's-- you don't understand. [He really wants her to understand. Please understand.]

John Mandrake was the name that I took for myself when I became a magician. It is not my true name. We don't-- magicians don't use our true name, in my world. Names have power, and to let another person know yours is to give them power over you. So we hide them. My birth records were destroyed when I was five as routine.

But I do not want to be him any more.

But you are him. [Even if he doesn't want to be him, that's still the person who did all those things, who used demons because he had justified it to himself. Even if he's changed, she thinks he has to understand that.

A name is a name, after all. It doesn't change everything leading up to that.]

I know that. ... I know that. I am still him. But I am striving to-- to be better. And that has to begin with... trying to make reparations, where possible. And ... trusting others. And quite simply, I cannot claim to be doing that if I am still hiding behind the protection of a false name.

Even if you know that names don't have the same strength here?

That may be a slight misconception.

Names have the same power here they always have done, only to those who know how to use them. Bartimaeus, for example.

Or anyone else from my world or a similar one, should they appear here.

[Her eyebrows narrow suspiciously. This isn't something she's particularly keen on hearing.]

Power how? [They'll get back to the subject at hand in a moment.]

[3:45pm finds Nathaniel waiting in an unfamiliar coffee shop, waiting for one Teddy Altman after their briefest of text message conversations earlier in the day. Despite his eighteen years, he doesn't dress so much like a modern teenager as one from the past. Billy might have convinced him to give up the suits when they hang out together, but Teddy is not Billy. So he dresses as he normally would for a warm Florida day-- in a crisp, white, short-sleeved button-down, suspenders, brown slacks and loafers. It does blend in with the local population somewhat better than Billy's t-shirt and jeans fashion, but it also has the unfortunate side-effect of making him look like an eighteen year old who ransacked his grandfather's closet.

Of course he's fifteen minutes early, because he's Nathaniel. Obsessively punctual to everything. But perhaps in this case it was too much. Fifteen minutes gives him ample time to stress over what this conversation might be about. He really doesn't know Teddy at all, so his imagination rather does get the best of him.

Finally, at some point, he gets tired of running through increasingly ridiculous scenarios in his mind and starts doodling on the table napkins with a pen he found in his pocket while he waits.]

[Teddy's there at 3.55pm, but he stands outside the door for half a minute before going in. He's already regretting forcing this a little, but... well, sometimes Billy is maybe a little too trusting. And sometimes Teddy is just over-protective and he knows it. And seriously, if he's going to tie himself in knots about it, he'd kind of like to know which it is, really.

And then he shrugs and goes in. By process of deduction he goes for the dark-haired guy sitting alone at a table looking a little awkward.]

Mandrake? Hi.

[Teddy, on the other hand, is basically six feet of casual, baggy t-shirt and cargo pants and trainers. He's comfortable, at least, and he finds it makes him less threatening at first.

If he needs threatening, he can do that later.]

[Teddy takes him by surprise. He'll allow himself to feel ashamed over it later-- for being so engrossed in his doodling that he didn't notice a hulking six feet tall man approach the table. It is, quite simply, unlike him.

But Nathaniel stands when Teddy greets him, as is only polite, and tries to school his face to calm.]

Ah. Please. Call me Nathaniel.

[Of course Billy would have introduced him to Teddy as Mandrake. Because nobody here knows that he hates that name, now. How could they? He hasn't told anyone. It feels like a bucket of ice water. But he sits again, grabbing the scribbled-on paper napkin and stuffing it in his pocket.]

[He blinks a little at that name- what is it with ridiculously formal people called Nathaniel? But that's not the best of memories, right now, and he sits down opposite the table from Nathaniel, studying him.]

I guess you already know I'm Teddy, then?

[Not exactly difficult to find out, after all. He smiles wryly, genuinely enough; if Nathaniel doesn't know what this is about, he's an idiot, and that's not the impression Teddy got from Billy.]

I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I'm pretty sure you don't exactly feel the same way.

I'm aware who you are, yes.

[His face remains impassive and carefully neutral-- not out of conscious effort, but rather out of habit. It's become his default state, when dealing with situations or people he's uncertain of.]

That's quite the assumption, though. In fact I have no quarrel with you, Mr. Altman. If you are important to Billy, I see no reason why we should not get along.

Really? Most people might get a little annoyed when someone rings up out of the blue to ask for a meeting.

[It's not a dig, just a statement. Teddy's not quite as nice as people like to think, sometimes, but he's not about to deliberately antagonise anyone if he doesn't have to.

And there's the topic they do have in common, and Teddy goes very, very still, eyes narrowed a little.]

Whether or not I'm important to him, believe me, he's the only thing that's important to me here. If you hurt him, and it's not because he's been an idiot again, there's nothing in this or any world that will stop me from making you regret it.

[He pauses for a second, and then shrugs, face falling back into more neutral lines now the traditional over-protective boyfriend threat is delivered and done.]

I'd prefer to get along though. And I don't get the feeling you'd deliberately hurt him, so I'm not that worried.

[He promised Kitty he would go investigate the cause of the earthquake-- that included tracking down the information on the epicenter. Strangely, reports have been conflicting, as if there were multiple different epicenters. Like it had been moving. He isn't sure how to interpret that, other than to assume it was man-made. But the data makes no sense, if it was done by a terrorist. Cross referencing the various co-ordinates he was given with a map in the library, the various earthquake epicenters from that day seem to get progressively further away from civilization. He frowns, brow creasing.

Perhaps he needs to see what is really at those locations instead of just looking at them on a map. Something there might hold the key.

So that's how Nathaniel finds himself traversing the city on the 24th, and running for his life from a sudden attack of dragon fire.

Honestly, why today of all days? He looks around desperately for some serviceable cover that won't be immediately incinerated.]

Edited 2015-04-30 05:00 (UTC)

[Edgeworth came to the city to investigate, to see what else could be done to help in the wake of this strange new illness. Instead, he sees a damn dragon. An actual, honest to god dragon, rampaging through the city.

Well. While his new talents made him immune to disease, they unfortunately didn't make him fireproof. So, after a moment of staring in slack jawed horror, he turns tail and sprints down the street, eager to make a strategic retreat.

He has the same idea as Mandrake, and keeps his eyes open for anything resembling cover. Unfortunately, he's so focused on protection that he barely notices the people around him, and before he knows it, his body crashes against another, with a dull, fleshy thud and a loud, undignified squawk. Did Mandrake run into him? Did he run into Mandrake? It's impossible to say. Edgeworth doesn't bother to assign blame, largely because he's too busy crashing into the ground to think on the matter]

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FOR BARTIMAEUS

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FOR KATE

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FOR TEDDY

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FOR EDGEWORTH

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