milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

sameth,
the fool

(no subject)

Sam enters from the back door and heads to the Bar to order food when he notices that he can see a Front Door.

Since he doesn't really trust what he's seeing, he finishes his order, gets his food and settles it on a table near the door.

Then he eats while still watching the door before finally getting up and reaching for the handle and pulling on it, it doesn't move,

"Charter, is this some kind of cruel joke?"

He's going to just keep trying the handle for a few more pulls before sitting down and glaring at the door and by the same token anyone entering or exiting.

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"Is there something wrong with the door?" the Fool asks, appearing over Sammeth's shoulder.

He's been fascinated to the point of near obsession with the door since his vanished.

Sam jumps and looks at the Fool,

"I can see it but can't open it. Don't do that."

"How strange."

He tilts his head.

"Do what?"

"Just appear there, I could have attacked you."

"That would have been rude of you."

Clearly it's Sameth's fault that he would have attacked the Fool for showing up right behind him and startling him.

"Well, I didn't so it doesn't matter. Do you have a door?"

He's trying to remember if he's met anyone who talked about seeing their door but it not opening.

Here the Fool scowls. "I had one. It's not there any more."

"I've been Bound for months, this is the first time I've seen one in a while. I wish I knew how it worked."

"Me too. It's like some sort of cruel and malevolent being is out there watching us and laughing at our pain and misery."

"Oh, I know Mogget does that, but I don't think he can control the door. Since he wants me back in the Old Kingdom."

He's met Mogget, but got Yrael as a name. Unfortunately Sam doesn't know Yrael, so! They'll likely miss each other on this instance.

"The Old Kingdom, huh. What's that like? Is there a new kingdom too?"

"Not that I know, just Ancelstierre over the Wall."

"Over the Wall," he repeats. "I like the taste of that."

"The taste of it? The Wall is of the Charter."

"What's that? It sounds good."

"The magic that holds the Old Kingdom together,"

Sam moves his hair so that the Fool can see the Charter Mark on his forehead.

The Fool stares at the mark with blatant and undisguised curiosity. It tingles in all sorts of strange ways that he'd never thought could be. It's so orderly and calm and strange.

He does the first thing that comes to mind which is to lean over and lick it quick as a wink be for jerking back with a startled noise. His tongue burned. Apparently the Fool and his folk are rather like wild magic to the Charter and reacted accordingly.

owch.

When the Fool licks his Mark, Sam moves his head quickly away and his chair starts to wobble.

He grabs the table with one hand as he instinctively creates an attack spell and holds a Charter spell blade in his hand,

"Why did you do that?"

Hnnh! He waves his hand around a moment jumping on his feet as his tongue hurts! He stumbles poorly on his bad leg, tumbles and smashes into the ground.

He's probably not much of a threat currently.

"Ow...!"

As the Fool hits the ground, Sam releases the spell and rights his chair to look at the Fool,

"What are you?"

"The Fool. What are you?" He stares up at him, legs still tangled up enough that he's not bothering to stand just yet.

"Sameth, prince of the Old Kingdom and Abhorsen-in-Waiting. What do you mean the fool?"

"I mean the Fool." He sits himself up and tips his hat out of his eyes. "The fear of being made a Fool. The truth speaker to all who wish to hear it and those who don't wish to hear it. The fortunate Fool the Wise Fool the motley Fool."

There's a pause. "I'm guessing you never heard of me."

"No, are you a god?"

Sam doesn't know what he's feeling from the Fool

The Fool laughs, bells ringing as he does so. They're bright and cheerful with just a hint of mockery right at the outside of hearing. It's a funny idea to him.

"No. Man created me back when they were just learning to put names to ideas and fears."

There is faint, catty laughter from the rafters, at the meeting of the Fool and the fool. The Mogget feels Sameth should be well-acquainted with the Fool by now, having played one so enthusiastically and often.

Sam ignores the laughter as it sounds rather familiar,

"Created you? To do what?"

"To be the Fool. I'm the fear of being made foolish. Fire cast shadow and ash given Name and life. They had the fear and then the Named it and then I existed."

He glances up at the rafters and sees Mogget, who gets a grin.

"So you just exist because people worry about being foolish?"

That doesn't make any sense to Sam.

"Fear about being foolish. But yes."

Fear doesn't make sense! It just is!

Sam sits down with a sigh, he doesn't understand why someone like the fool would exist.

That really is Sam's problem as the Fool has no problems understanding why he exists. He ambles to his feet and brushes himself off before dropping into a chair next to Sam.

"Though, if you'd like, you can call me Alexander. It's who this was before I wore it," he says. "And what is an Abhorsen and why do you have to wait?"

"The Abhorsen keeps the Dead down and my mother's it at the moment. I will be it after her so I'm in waiting,"

Sam shrugs, the Fool's confusing.

"Do they walk around often?"

"Too often due to necromancers."

He makes a face. The idea of the dead walking around doesn't sit right with him at all. It's not something that could happen in his world though he's read plenty of stories of such things.

"That's not good."

"It's not and as Abhorsens, we live to protect the Old Kingdom."

"But not the New Kingdom. I'm sure they have someone else to do that." He pauses thoughtfully. "Maybe it's the place on the other side of the wall.. Antsy Tire?"

"Ancelstierre and the Dead don't walk there. Whatever problems they have with them comes from us."

"Rude of you, sending the dead to walk all over their lawn."

Sam bites down on a curse and says,

"Necromancers do that. We do all we can to protect the Wall and make sure that Ancelstierre never has to even know about the Dead. Most of them don't and think that the Old Kingdom and the Charter are silly superstitions."

"You mentioned that. The Charter. It tastes terrible."

"Its not, its what make the Old Kingdom strong."

"Lemons taste terrible but they make fantastic pie."

Or, just because it tastes terrible doesn't mean it doesn't do good.

"What tastes good to you?"

"Waffles."

... he asked.

Sam sighs and goes back to watching the door.

"You asked," he does finally point out.

And steals some of Sam's food, since he doesn't seem to be eating it.

Sam bats away his hand, the Fool's almost as bad as Mogget.

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