THE GREAT, AMAZING BARTIMAEUS

The esteemed John Mandrake was not looking much like his usual self right now. Gone was the perfectly coiffed hair, the perfectly ironed and starched suit and the shiny shoes. In his place was a man recognisable as Mandrake but he was covered in soot, scrapes and rather torn clothing.

Still, he presented a rather striking figure, fighting with a power that seemed unreal against the fiery hell raining down upon them all. The effect was rather spoiled when he seemed to try to turn both left and right at the same time to avoid a fiery missile and instead fell over. At least the fireball missed him?

"Hey, I'm in charge of direction, not you." He yelled at no one in the vicinity. Had he finally snapped?

And strangely enough, he responds himself - his words to no one.

"You weren't moving fast enough!" John speaks again, seemingly arguing with himself. Maybe this event really had finally made him snap like many thought he would. The workload had taken it's toll, perhaps?

[The first time Bartimaeus takes Ptolemy's form after the fight with Nathaniel, the PCD does it's strange thing where it displays what it's owner would prefer to not be broadcast. He is in the little nondescript room he has been using as his own since he quit Whipstaff. He mutters to himself (he is lonely, okay!).]

Maybe it is time. [He walks purposefully towards the door, then stops.]

Nope, can't do it. He is too much of a prat to deal with today. At least I'm not in his skin anymore. Yuck.

[Ever since his rather tense conversation with Nathaniel, Bartimaeus has kept himself to himself and not been seen. He has still been suffering the Mournful Orb night after night, but he no longer believes that Whitwell laid her bony hands on the Ring of Solomon. He realized quite quickly that it was all fake, but the atmosphere between himself and Nathaniel is far more able to hurt Bartimaeus than any illusion can.

The wolf is curled up on the bed that he usually never uses, but the wolf is giving off a disconsolate air and has no idea the PCD on the shelf has switched itself on.]

[A young boy, wearing nothing save a loincloth and modest jewellery appears on the feed. Those who have seen Bartimaeus in his Ptolemy form will recognise him. He is in a very simple room that appears to be "his" room, but it is very spartan. There are a few (squashed) pillows about and a simple one-person bed but no artwork can be seen or little trinkets. The boy is looking thoughtfully into the screen.]

I'm curious about these Wastes I have heard about. I'm going to take a look for myself. I'll be leaving this device behind.

[he reaches forward and the feed ends...except to Nat]

( filtered to Nathaniel; )




[[ooc: Explanation - I'm on holiday to go and see my family next week. This affects Willow and Bart and extra info is here about their whereabouts/doings while I'm gone.]]

[When the feed flicks on, it will make anyone with even slight vertigo feel a bit sick. It seems some kind of claw is visible (and probably to blame for the accidental feed) and the city swirls around with each beat of the wings caught by the microphone. The red and gold plumage sweeps in and out of view as the ground suddenly veers up. It appears the bird is coming in to land.

It settles on a high rooftop and with it's beak, sets the PCD on a nearby ledge. It is revealed the bird is actually a very impressive phoenix which spreads it's wings again in a stretch and settles happily to rest on the rooftop.

A moment later, the bird realizes the thing is on. Then it speaks, sounding irritated.]

Can someone tell me how to stop this cold thing turning on by itself?

codes from here

( CR )

[a little ladybird is flying around the random flower circles]

So...there is magic here, but it isn't the kind I know.

[The gaseous form of Bartimaeus coalesced and formed his most familiar shape - that of the boy, Ptolemy. He looked around his current surroundings, wondering where he was. Nowhere he had yet visited on Earth seemed familiar. This place was so...what was that? Bartimaeus jumped out of the way of a car. It was like no car he'd ever seen before.]

Was that a car? Oh-kay, so I'm somewhere wierd again. Oi, Nat - where are you? This place smells worse than your armpit.

[A look of realization crosses his face]

Nat? [pats his body down]

We...you...did it work? [looks around again] I'm not in England anymore... [looks at the floor and seems to be looking for something, a wide, wide smile spreading across his bronzed features]

No pentacles. Ahh, if Farquarl could see me now. Ha! Bartimaeus always wins, Farquarl!!!

I wonder if the brat is round here somewhere..... [:|] Not that I care.

The djinni stretched his arms and grinned. Finally, he was free. Really, truly free. Or...so he hoped, anyway. This definitely was not The Other Place, but this didn't have the same smell as Earth or the same oppressive feeling he'd felt no matter which country he was in or which Empire he had had to serve. His form didn't hurt as much and he decided he wanted to get a look around.

He ducked into an alley way and carefully checked that no one was watching him (still wary just in case there were magicians here that might find him out) and changed smoothly into a large hawk on six of the seven visible levels and he opened his wings and took to the skies.

As he soared on the air currents, he could not feel any of the magic he was used to, but his essence tingled as he neared a large gate. Eying it carefully, he flew around it, then chanhed direction. He didn't recognise the magic (which was new in itself, he thought he knew every kind of magic there was) - but he got a distinctly bad feeling about it.

Bartimaeus of Uruk was not interested in such things! No! He was above all that. He ignored the little voice in his head that told him that he was just scared of it and wanted to enjoy his new found freedom.

He flew into the park and landed, changing smoothly back into his favoured form as Ptolemy and strode out, figuring he could explore this new place and maybe...maybe he'd find Nathaniel and Kitty.