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Here is a house.
It is pretty and trim and green-and-cream and really ought not to be able to hold itself up like that, and yet here it is, somehow defying the laws of architecture. It is surrounded by a neatly bordered garden of ornamental and useful plants of all sorts: here vegetables, there herbs, there spell components, there rows of flowers.
There is a sign out front. It says only: Magic. Not, Beware, Magic or Magic Emporium or anything like that. Just: Magic.
Sitting on top of this sign is a cream cat with smoke-dark points of color on each paw, his ears, and his face and tail.
All in all, you could be forgiven for thinking that a witch lives here.
thaumobabble
thaumobabble
"But who're you? Why should he believe you?"
"This is Princess Sherlock," explains Bella.
Calemar stares, then bursts into tears.
"This is Princess Sherlock," explains Bella.
Calemar stares, then bursts into tears.
thaumobabble
"Aw, Calemar, she's not sca- she won't hurt you," corrects Bella.
"I don't wanna meeeeeeeeelt," wails Calemar, "it looks like it hurrrrrrrts!"
Oh.
Bella sits back a bit.
"Melting doesn't hurt," she offers. "It's just inconvenient."
"I don't belieeeeeeeve youuuuuuuu!" Calemar wails.
"I don't wanna meeeeeeeeelt," wails Calemar, "it looks like it hurrrrrrrts!"
Oh.
Bella sits back a bit.
"Melting doesn't hurt," she offers. "It's just inconvenient."
"I don't belieeeeeeeve youuuuuuuu!" Calemar wails.
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"Daddy said you would if anybody found us but the trees told you and we're all gonna be melted except Mommy and I don't wanna meeeeelt!"
Bella pats Calemar on the head awkwardly. It doesn't seem to help.
Bella pats Calemar on the head awkwardly. It doesn't seem to help.
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Calemar looks himself over, sniffing, and stops wailing on observing that he is not melted.
"What are you going to do with a family of wizards in the Enchanted Forest, Sherlock?" asks Bella quietly.
"What are you going to do with a family of wizards in the Enchanted Forest, Sherlock?" asks Bella quietly.
calendarofcrime
"Good question," says Sherlock. "Perhaps if I bring back their lost child, none of them will try to kill me."
calendarofcrime
"If they do not try to kill me or anyone else, or destroy parts of my forest, I don't see why I should do anything with them in particular."
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"Fair enough. Detour?"
"You're gonna take me home?" asks Calemar suspiciously. "By tree directions?"
"You're gonna take me home?" asks Calemar suspiciously. "By tree directions?"
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"Oh."
Calemar seems to decide that there's nothing he can do about this. He gets up and shifts his weight from foot to foot.
"Is it far?" Bella asks Sherlock, wondering whether to solicit more carrying or just trip her way there on her own.
Calemar seems to decide that there's nothing he can do about this. He gets up and shifts his weight from foot to foot.
"Is it far?" Bella asks Sherlock, wondering whether to solicit more carrying or just trip her way there on her own.
thaumobabble
Bella walks under her own power unless Tony says something about it, and she offers Calemar her hand, which he takes. This is actually a steadying influence, whether because of how it draws her attention or because of actual physical steadying; she doesn't fall on the way to -
The cave.
Yep, that's a cave. Calemar breaks away from Bella and hurtles into it, screaming for his parents.
The cave.
Yep, that's a cave. Calemar breaks away from Bella and hurtles into it, screaming for his parents.