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Bella's on her way to kill a witch.
It usually hits Port Angeles, inspires arson, and then if allowed spins off a familiar that does the same in Forks. She's tracked it back far enough that she can reliably head it off before it makes that fellow set that apartment building on fire as long as she hops in the car without doing her hospital exit paperwork. If she's lucky, this time she's early enough to nab it before it lights up the bakery, too.
...The fuck is that? It's not usually there.
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onceandforall
"That's weird, but it might be why your [----] signature is subtly different. Do all puella magi do that?"
"Oh, and I looked for proof the last few days. I found the same burst that was emitted when you claimed to kill a witch in several cities, and looking at recordings, every single one of them happened soon after people started killing themselves nearby. So, I believe you about all this, I have external proof. That's why I'm willing to trust you with a ray gun."
"Oh, and I looked for proof the last few days. I found the same burst that was emitted when you claimed to kill a witch in several cities, and looking at recordings, every single one of them happened soon after people started killing themselves nearby. So, I believe you about all this, I have external proof. That's why I'm willing to trust you with a ray gun."
"You can use the [----] scanner (that's the blue and silver one) to identify other puella magi. Maybe. The difference is pretty subtle."
onceandforall
"I could also just look at their fingernails, but sure, why not."
"Their fingernails? I thought that mark on yours was an aesthetic choice."
onceandforall
"Nah. I mean, I don't hate it cosmetically, but it came with the package."
"Well, nothing says 'magic' has to make sense. It sometimes seems like the point is for it not to make sense."
onceandforall
"Yeah, I still want to know why the evil aliens found their current model to make more economic sense than asking for donations from depressed people or something. Apparently some people have more magical potential than others - that's why all the puella magi are girls - but still."
"Something about the fighting, perhaps. I wouldn't know. Do you want to have a look at what I have done so far for your little fold-up vehicle? It's an interesting puzzle to try to make it - relatively easy to assemble from medium-size pieces."
He shows her at least two dozen little self-contained bundles of machinery. Some look like engine parts, some look like folded-up wings, some are just unidentifiable, that one folds out to become the seat.
"I'll show you how to assemble it when it's done. The central engine is the hardest part." He points to it - a bundle of metal with points to attach other things, just narrow enough to fit into the shield, but almost as long as she is tall.
"That one doesn't work right. I don't think I can make it small enough to fit into the shield, next thing I was going to try is to make it in three wedge-shaped parts, which you could put together with the joiner. You mind making my silver now? I'll get you the ray gun in a bit."
"I'll show you how to assemble it when it's done. The central engine is the hardest part." He points to it - a bundle of metal with points to attach other things, just narrow enough to fit into the shield, but almost as long as she is tall.
"That one doesn't work right. I don't think I can make it small enough to fit into the shield, next thing I was going to try is to make it in three wedge-shaped parts, which you could put together with the joiner. You mind making my silver now? I'll get you the ray gun in a bit."
And Nick will be by the reshaper, apparently operating it manually.
After about twenty minutes, "That's enough silver, thanks. Wait here, I'll be right back with the weapon."
He comes back with the ray gun. It looks like a bulky power tool redecorated as a sci-fi prop. "Don't test it in here."
After about twenty minutes, "That's enough silver, thanks. Wait here, I'll be right back with the weapon."
He comes back with the ray gun. It looks like a bulky power tool redecorated as a sci-fi prop. "Don't test it in here."
onceandforall
"I won't." She puts it in her shield, takes it out again. "Do I get an instruction manual?"
"There's a trigger. Connect to it like the scanners and it'll let you change the power level and tell you how much juice is left and what things are acceptable targets. After that, point and click."
onceandforall
"Cool. Do you not believe me about the time reset thing, or do you just not think that's a good enough reason to authorize lethal force?" she wonders.
"I admit that the time reset thing sounds likely given the available evidence, but I can't verify it. I learned not to hand out tech without supervision and safeties over a hundred dimensions ago. I sold a relatively tech-poor world a lot like yours un-safetied power tools and shuttles. The two major powers turned them into fusion weapons inside of a year and annihilated each other. So I just - don't do it without all the safeties I can cram in anymore. It'll hurt witches just fine, probably."
onceandforall
"Probably," she says. "Well, lucky me I already died once and know it just resets me, so a nasty surprise isn't game over."
"Is that so? I would rather you not die until I find my D-fuel, in that case."
onceandforall
"I try to avoid it. I've only done it a few times - usually I reset if it looks like I can't avoid it - and I'm not, like, used to it."
"Unfortunately, I've given up hope for finding what I need on this planet. I'll make a few passes over Luna tomorrow, then head to Mars."
He looks thoughtful for a long moment.
"Heh. I just realized that I trust a teenage girl more than most governments. Sure, you can come."
"Heh. I just realized that I trust a teenage girl more than most governments. Sure, you can come."
onceandforall
"Cool. We don't have casual space travel and I'm nowhere near being able to assemble it myself inside a month."
"I'll probably want you to duplicate things as long as you're on board anyway. But before we leave you should get some local food and meet me for pickup later. I only had a week's worth in the kitchen when I arrived and I'm down to a couple days now. Hydroponics don't take well to dimensional jumps. Get some meat if you can, I like meat."