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Avetlarinyarenesaar... Is currently trying to force herself to walk another few steps. She hasn't managed it, yet. Her reason for stopping was perfectly ordinary - check the address, make sure it was correct, be sure she was in the right place. She'd been quite sure, but there wasn't any downside to double checking, so she double checked. And triple checked. She stopped herself from quadruple checking, but she wanted to anyway. To - be sure that she was right. Yes. Not because she was procrastinating, or nervous, or thinking what am I going to say? She wanted to be sure that she was right.
Well. She's right. She checked three times, there's no doubt to it.
"Look," she mutters to herself, "I get it, it's scary, but deal. You are not allowed to - to -" To what? Go home? Maybe try to work up the courage later? Maybe try and avoid the shren house like so many other dragons?
It was a door. It's idiotic to be afraid of a door. Sure, there were shrens on the other side of it, but there could conceivably be shrens on the other side of lots of doors, some of them were in hiding, hair dye existed. Subtle colors existed. She could have been near shrens any number of times.
That - did not actually make her fear go away. Instead it makes her want to curl up in her little apartment and not go outside again.
Great. Okay. Stop that train of thought, it's not useful. If she stands here any longer, people are going to stare. (Is that person over there staring? Probably. Damn.) Just - door. Go. Walk.
She forces herself to walk to the door, somewhat stiffly. And then she is at the door. ... Does she knock? Does she just open it and go in? She has no idea. It's customary to knock, so... She takes a deep breath and does so. Resisting the urge to flee and teleport away (or scamper into the bushes) isn't easy, but she manages it.
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"Probably. My office is soundproofed. Do you want to talk there?"
To Jensal's office they go.
Once they're there, and the door is closed:
"Ehail and I don't think there's an easy way to cure shrens anytime soon. But, a sustained spell to let them temporarily fly might be possible."
"Ehail and I don't think there's an easy way to cure shrens anytime soon. But, a sustained spell to let them temporarily fly might be possible."
"That would be absolutely invaluable for the babies," says Jensal. "Do you have such a spell now ready to test?"
"That was the train of thought, yeah. No spell yet, I'd like adult volunteers before casting experimental spells on babies. I thought it was important to let you know so you could get a volunteer ready to go beforehand, so that when the spell's ready we can test is as soon as possible. Spare the babies as much esu as we can."
"I'll ask around. I can probably turn someone up in less than an angle if you want to wait."
Jensal leaves her alone in the office.
Avet sits, and waits, and wonders if there are any other obvious dragon and dragon-related problems she'll have to fix. And if she can let baby shrens fly temporarily.
In ten degrees, Jensal comes back with a mousy gentleman who is copper just like Avet.
Well, that's quaint.
"Hello," she says.
(Her empathic signature is one of a person who would like very much to get back to work. She's antsy. Antsy, determined, a little proud (of the conception trick) and backed with quiet sorrow over the baby shrens. Also a smidge of guilt, too.)
"Hello," she says.
(Her empathic signature is one of a person who would like very much to get back to work. She's antsy. Antsy, determined, a little proud (of the conception trick) and backed with quiet sorrow over the baby shrens. Also a smidge of guilt, too.)
"Hello," he says.
"This is Tziret. He'll be happy to serve as your test subject in some suitably isolated location," says Jensal.
"This is Tziret. He'll be happy to serve as your test subject in some suitably isolated location," says Jensal.
"Nice to meet you. Bottom of the world's probably the best place, unless you can think of a better spot? If not, I'll make a trip and we can teleport there when the spell's ready for testing."
Tziret just nods.
"Luck," says Jensal, waving Tziret on his way.
"Thanks!"
And off she teleports. Work awaits.
It's a harder problem than the last one. There isn't another spell to lean off of, here. It all has to be painstakingly invented. Neither she nor Ehail are brilliant at spell invention, but they are both going to keep at it.
Avet calms down, a little. She is still obviously working on the project, obviously making progress, but it does not rule her life. She flies to the bottom of the world, finds a nice spot in the middle of nowhere to let shrens fly, and then teleports home. She quits her job (because it is boring, she never liked it, and it was always something she planned to be temporary, anyway) and gets something more freelancy. Word of mouth from dragons that come to her for conceptions? Useful for that thing.
It takes a while. Almost a year. Avet feels vaguely guilty for every hour she steals for herself, but if she doesn't she suspects that by the end she'll be an empty shell of her former self. So she doesn't do that. But she does keep at it, and she does keep sending anonymous donations.
And then the spell is done.
She and Ehail check it multiple times. They are as sure as they can be that it'll work.
So. Avet knocks on the door to the Esmaar shren house, and tries to balance out worry, anxiety, and excitement.
And off she teleports. Work awaits.
It's a harder problem than the last one. There isn't another spell to lean off of, here. It all has to be painstakingly invented. Neither she nor Ehail are brilliant at spell invention, but they are both going to keep at it.
Avet calms down, a little. She is still obviously working on the project, obviously making progress, but it does not rule her life. She flies to the bottom of the world, finds a nice spot in the middle of nowhere to let shrens fly, and then teleports home. She quits her job (because it is boring, she never liked it, and it was always something she planned to be temporary, anyway) and gets something more freelancy. Word of mouth from dragons that come to her for conceptions? Useful for that thing.
It takes a while. Almost a year. Avet feels vaguely guilty for every hour she steals for herself, but if she doesn't she suspects that by the end she'll be an empty shell of her former self. So she doesn't do that. But she does keep at it, and she does keep sending anonymous donations.
And then the spell is done.
She and Ehail check it multiple times. They are as sure as they can be that it'll work.
So. Avet knocks on the door to the Esmaar shren house, and tries to balance out worry, anxiety, and excitement.
Avet receives some anonymous (and less anonymous) donations of her own, from grateful dragons; the Council can't throw around cash awards but individuals can.
Jensal answers the door.
Jensal answers the door.
Avet is pretty okay with getting anonymous and non-anonymous donations from dragons!
"Spell's ready for testing," she says. "... Also, hi."
"Spell's ready for testing," she says. "... Also, hi."
"Hi. I'll get your test subject."
Jensal goes and gets the test subject.
Jensal goes and gets the test subject.
Jensal returns, plus one copper fellow. He smiles a little.
"If it won't be inconvenient."