voicetesting; canon is the Bartimaeus trilogy

[birthname]

This is absolutely out of the question. I need to get back to London. Who knows how bad things've gotten while I've been gone.

And no, the username is neither clever nor even vaguely amusing. Don't you dare tell anyone, or I swear I'll send a marid after you.

[Nathaniel? Who's Nathaniel? His name is John Mandrake, dammit.]

Comments

[birthname]

If we do not protect Britain, nobody will.

[The statement sounds rote-learned, though he says it very earnestly.]

[ladyofadventure]

You must be a different kind of magician to the ones I know of, then. Magicians in my world are hardly fundamental to the running of the country.

[birthname]

Do you mean the commoners run things?

[ladyofadventure]

If by 'commoners', you mean not magicians, then yes. And the world hasn't imploded.

[birthname]

Well, it wouldn't work in the London I know.

[Probably because his lot haven't given the poor commoners any chance.]

[ladyofadventure]

So how does it work in the London you know? [What do magicians actually do?]

[birthname]

We are the Government.

[ladyofadventure]

And you're an important part of it? [How old are you, like thirteen?]

[birthname]

Not yet. But I will be.

[Fifteen. :|]

[ladyofadventure]

Confident. I like it. So what is your name, after all that?

[birthname]

John Mandrake.

[He's so used to saying it there's no hesitation anymore.]

Will you give me yours?

[ladyofadventure]

Christina.

[birthname]

A pleasure.

[ladyofadventure]

Likewise. So... magicians. I assume you do more than card tricks?

[birthname]

[Scoff.]

Of course.

[ladyofadventure]

Any examples?

[birthname]

[So many examples.]

Prague didn't fall by itself.

[ladyofadventure]

Anything you can show me?

[birthname]

I'd need chalk and incense, for a start.

[ladyofadventure]

That sounds like witchcraft.

[birthname]

Only the superstitious call it that.

[ladyofadventure]

So magicians using chalk and incense to cast spells is perfectly acceptable, but witchcraft is suspicious mumbo-jumbo? Something along those lines?

[birthname]

Witchcraft is the term the penny novels use. It's nothing to do with summoning or magic of any sort.

[ladyofadventure]

No need to be touchy. Where I come from, there's no magic at all. It's mumbo-jumbo whatever you call it.

[birthname]

It's your loss, then.