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This was a bad idea this was a bad idea this was a bad idea.
Holly runs as fast as she can but the demon's faster. She has no idea where Lightning's gotten to; maybe he found a tree to climb. She on the other hand has been diverted into a treeless hill and she's careening down a slope, trying very hard not to trip.
And the demon's gaining on her.
She's never seen anything like it and neither has Crystal; maybe Book knows what it is but Book's asleep. It's mostly mouth - it looks like a cross between a floorlength mirror of a mouth and a snake to propel the mouth along.
And Holly's not fast enough.
The mouth catches her.
But it doesn't hurt.
Where are we?
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inourhead
when_spoken_to
"No..." Emma says, shaking her head and wishing desperately they owned a globe. "Sun go circle." She draws one again in the air. "Map circle."
She grabs it and points out the edges, and how they wrap around.
She grabs it and points out the edges, and how they wrap around.
when_spoken_to
Emma nods. "Circle!" She can't get the map into a sphere, but she can (carefully) fold it into a cylinder. First in one direction, then the other, to show how it overlaps. It's not the best projection, but it's close enough. "See? Circle."
when_spoken_to
Emma giggles. "My world-" she gestures to encompass the whole map, to explain the world. "not not not your world, I think, yes?"
when_spoken_to
This particular discrepancy is at least abstract enough not to bother Emma. For all she knows, Holly's world just thinks the world is flat still. Welce did for centuries, after all. It has not turned to silver in front of her. She is allowed to giggle.
But also- she feels bad. It really is a very different world. She wants to be welcoming, on behalf of her world, or something?
"Sorry," she says. "I know you sad, want your world. I just- I know, your world good, but I want you think my world good also."
They hadn't actually gotten to 'also', yet, but hopefully it's reasonably obvious in context. Maybe.
But also- she feels bad. It really is a very different world. She wants to be welcoming, on behalf of her world, or something?
"Sorry," she says. "I know you sad, want your world. I just- I know, your world good, but I want you think my world good also."
They hadn't actually gotten to 'also', yet, but hopefully it's reasonably obvious in context. Maybe.
inourhead
"Um -" Crystal taps the books. "Book. Person Book. Crystal's and Holly's -" She's missing the word.
when_spoken_to
Oh! "Name," Emma supplies. "Emma my name, Crystal and Holly your names. Book person's name?" She recalls vaguely that she was missing a word. "Friend?" she tries. "Alli, Jenny, my friends."
inourhead
"...Book with Crystal and Holly," tries Crystal. "Book go with Fwaysyee... Fwaysyee friend. Book..."
when_spoken_to
Book with Holly and Crystal? "Crystal and Holly, two person," Emma says slowly, thinking aloud. "Book with Crystal and Holly, three person in one," she gestures indicatively, "body?"
If they shared a body, that narrows down relationship choices. Hmm. She digs a family tree out of somewhere or another and starts naming various relationship types.
If they shared a body, that narrows down relationship choices. Hmm. She digs a family tree out of somewhere or another and starts naming various relationship types.
inourhead
"Book brother," says Crystal decisively, when supplied with the words. "Holly and Crystal sister sister, Book brother."
when_spoken_to
Awwww. That's just sad, they left their brother behind and they don't know what happened to him. "Sorry," she says helplessly. "I hope- um, think/want?- him good."
inourhead
"Book asleep, Fwaysyee awake, tlaa eat Crystal and Holly," sighs Crystal. "Tlaa eat Holly and Crystal go here. Tlaa eat Fwaysyee and Book - go -?"
when_spoken_to
"Fwaysyee and Book run, tlaa not eat?" Emma suggests. "Go here, not here, Chialto? Welce?"
Looking on the bright side! She's not sure what else to do, here, really.
Looking on the bright side! She's not sure what else to do, here, really.
inourhead
"Not eat, not - no tlaa eat Crystal and Holly here, not go Kuigao. Not see. Eat, go - here, not here -"
when_spoken_to
"Um..." Emma attempts to parse this. "We go- not now, more day go- search Chialto, see Book, no Book?"
when_spoken_to
Emma has a note sent over to Alli's mother's store to ask her to come by later. The store closes about when Emma's done with tutoring, and Alli will bring Jenny, and then Emma can sell this to her mother as a "shopping expedition, just us girls," and get approval to go out in the city. Her parents don't like her going out alone, and in their defense it isn't terribly safe for a young noblewoman to just- wander the city. But she'll bring her friends, who Emma will happily admit are much more city-wise than she is, and they'll bring the stable hand as an escort / bodyguard / chaperone.
(Who will then trail behind them lazily, chatting up his many lady friends in the markets. He doesn't ever fall far enough behind Emma to make her feel unsafe, and she enjoys the safety-without-strictness feeling, so she doesn't bother him about it, and he appreciates the time off, and really everyone wins. Emma's never understood why a male stable hand counts as a chaperone, but she supposes she usually has a friend or a maid with her as well.)
But unfortunately, this all takes time. Time for her mother to come home, for her to finish her language lessons for the day, for her friends to get off work and get her note and come over, to get permission from her mother and the company of the 'bodyguard' and to go out into Chialto.
So in the meantime- would Holly like to learn some new words? Because Emma is a language nerd with very few bright ideas for activities, when they can't leave the house and are actively hiding from the other residents.
(Who will then trail behind them lazily, chatting up his many lady friends in the markets. He doesn't ever fall far enough behind Emma to make her feel unsafe, and she enjoys the safety-without-strictness feeling, so she doesn't bother him about it, and he appreciates the time off, and really everyone wins. Emma's never understood why a male stable hand counts as a chaperone, but she supposes she usually has a friend or a maid with her as well.)
But unfortunately, this all takes time. Time for her mother to come home, for her to finish her language lessons for the day, for her friends to get off work and get her note and come over, to get permission from her mother and the company of the 'bodyguard' and to go out into Chialto.
So in the meantime- would Holly like to learn some new words? Because Emma is a language nerd with very few bright ideas for activities, when they can't leave the house and are actively hiding from the other residents.
inourhead
Both sisters would like to learn new words.
Though Crystal is the one with the tolerance to make their notes about them.
Though Crystal is the one with the tolerance to make their notes about them.
when_spoken_to
Well, then Emma is going to try to get slightly fancier with words. There might even be verb tenses.
when_spoken_to
Well, fortunately Emma is not covering anything too complicated. Past, present and future. Things like 'imperfect subjunctive participles' are for people who share a common language.
While she's at it, she tries to throw in related time words. Things like "tomorrow", "today", "now", that sort of thing. So she doesn't have to just... hand wave how long they have to wait before they can go into the city.
While she's at it, she tries to throw in related time words. Things like "tomorrow", "today", "now", that sort of thing. So she doesn't have to just... hand wave how long they have to wait before they can go into the city.