Inavet hisses a creative curseword, and slams the door shut, and reaches for her magic. The door to the building she's hiding in becomes to all appearances an ordinary wall. It'll take her pursuers time to find it - none of their arcanists are any good at crystal craft, from what she can tell. It won't buy her enough time, but it'll buy her some, and every second counts.
She starts trying to patch herself up while she looks for an escape route they're not covering. Blood craft's not her best, but she's gotten a lot of practice at it, lately. Enough to stop herself from bleeding out from the wound in her side (because of course it's deep) and keep herself from collapsing from exhaustion. Too slow - one of these days it'll kill her.
But not yet, she thinks, as she spots a window to an alley. Out go her magic senses - no one's alive and breathing in that alley but a cat rummaging through the garbage.
She dumps an illusion over the alley, to appear exactly as it was before she entered it. She can't get the cat right in a rush, but she doesn't need this to hold out for very long. Just long enough to get away. Song disguises the sound of the window opening and her scrambling out of it. She's conscientious enough to close it behind her. Easier than another illusion. Maybe they won't notice the blood.
Which way? Mm. One that way, two to her left, three are - oh look they found the door, she needs to hurry. She takes a right, and runs.
And comes face to face with - a snake? With a mirror for a head? What, how in the -
It's very fast. She was not expecting it. She didn't even sense it, like it appeared from nowhere, she raises her knife but she's not fast enough -
And then there is darkness.
Darkness and pain.
She'd scream, but the air's sucked out of her lungs in a whoosh. She snaps her mouth shut and flails, lashing out with something, anything - but she feels nothing around her. Nothing at all. Not even air. It's like a pressure, on all of her, but instead of pressing in it's pulling out -
Is this how she's going to die? Some Ministry snake monster thing?
Not. Likely.
She isn't the best at blood craft, but she knows enough to keep herself alive. She knows enough to snap her eyes shut and cover her nose and mouth and push magic at herself so her body doesn't shut down. It's hard - there's so much to monitor, she has no air... But she can keep herself alive. If she doesn't move and she focuses near entirely on self preservation. For - for a little while, anyway. Not forever.
Time crunch, then. Well. She was always good at those.
Her lesser crafts won't do her any good here. No way to make sound with song, no air to ignite in fire with heat, no time for aura anything, nothing to move and change with breath. Forget stone and metal, even when she's not in a crisis she's awful with both, not to mention there's nothing around for either.
But she is good at crystal, and crystal deals in light.
If she's not the brightest fucking beacon the world has ever seen, it won't be for lack of trying.
Maybe someone will find her. Or maybe she'll blind the bastards who put her here. Either way, it won't hurt to try.
Generated:
Post last updated:
You know honestly I can't say I expected this
Inavet and T'Mir
Inavet
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Something approaches. It's silent, in the vacuum.
The something opens up and then there is air.
The something opens up and then there is air.
Inavet
She's still and limp, and the glowing has stopped because she's focusing on live live live live-
air.
She sucks in a breath, coughs shallowly, and breathes again. She doesn't open her eyes. She just breathes...
(And fixes herself, she has not been done any favors by being flung out into deep space while injured. The wounds can wait, she focuses on getting oxygen to everywhere it needs to go and recovering from too little pressure and a multitude of other things...)
air.
She sucks in a breath, coughs shallowly, and breathes again. She doesn't open her eyes. She just breathes...
(And fixes herself, she has not been done any favors by being flung out into deep space while injured. The wounds can wait, she focuses on getting oxygen to everywhere it needs to go and recovering from too little pressure and a multitude of other things...)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Someone is leaning over her, applying topical ointment and bandages to her injuries.
Inavet
Well, that is about a thousand times better than what she was expecting.
She finishes with the really important repairs, and then she gets to the injuries that could kill her.
The someone might be alarmed to notice those closing up.
She finishes with the really important repairs, and then she gets to the injuries that could kill her.
The someone might be alarmed to notice those closing up.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The someone is alarmed. She stops with the topical ointments and bandages.
"Do you speak English?" she asks, presumably incomprehensibly, as will be, "Do you speak Vulcan?"
"Do you speak English?" she asks, presumably incomprehensibly, as will be, "Do you speak Vulcan?"
Inavet
It's pretty incomprehensible, yeah.
But she can tell those were two different languages.
She makes a vaguely negative sounding sound, and goes back to self repair. She's alive enough to hurt now, that's novel. Ow.
But she can tell those were two different languages.
She makes a vaguely negative sounding sound, and goes back to self repair. She's alive enough to hurt now, that's novel. Ow.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The person gets up and walks away. She comes back with a bottle of water, which she offers to Inavet - she doesn't pour the water into her mouth, just makes it clear that this service is available.
Inavet
Inavet doesn't open her eyes. They took a lot of damage in the spacing. But her other senses (the magic ones) are working just fine. Damn being subtle, it's obvious she's been caught as an arcanist, and she hasn't been thrown to anyone nasty as far as she can tell. So she doesn't make any effort to disguise how she knows where the person is without opening her eyes.
Mouth: open. That looks like a yes to the water.
Mouth: open. That looks like a yes to the water.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
So, water, in little dribbles.
Inavet
She is very grateful.
She is - not okay. She is vaguely ambling towards functionality. But she can open her eyes (working, healed, as if she'd never been spaced) to look at the someone.
"Hi," she mumbles.
She is - not okay. She is vaguely ambling towards functionality. But she can open her eyes (working, healed, as if she'd never been spaced) to look at the someone.
"Hi," she mumbles.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The slightly-pointy-eared-but-not-really-an-
Inavet
"Mm mm," she says, shaking her head a little. She tests to see if she can lift her arm.
Nope. She cannot lift that arm. She can twitch it a little. More repair work. Hooray.
Nope. She cannot lift that arm. She can twitch it a little. More repair work. Hooray.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf picks up her ointments and bandages again and makes an inquisitive facial expression.
Inavet
She makes a vaguely affirmative sound. Hey, it helps. Save her some work. Maybe give her materials to work with.
Fingers, let's test fingers, can those twitch just fine...? Oh, look, yes they can, that's nice, isn't that nice.
Fingers, let's test fingers, can those twitch just fine...? Oh, look, yes they can, that's nice, isn't that nice.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf goes back to ointmenting and bandaging.
Inavet
"Thanks..." she murmurs.
She goes back to not moving. She knows what to fix. She'd like to be back up to basic functionality before she carries on further.
She goes back to not moving. She knows what to fix. She'd like to be back up to basic functionality before she carries on further.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Eventually the not-elf is out of things to ointment and bandage. She goes and gets something that smells like it might be food and offers Inavet a spoon of it.
Inavet
Oh this is a wonderfully smart helpful person. You are Inavet's favorite savior from horrible vacuum based death.
After about five spoonfuls of food, she somewhat shakily holds up a finger. Wait...
And then, very carefully, she sits up. She's a little wobbly, but she smiles anyway.
After about five spoonfuls of food, she somewhat shakily holds up a finger. Wait...
And then, very carefully, she sits up. She's a little wobbly, but she smiles anyway.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf smiles back. And would Inavet like to hold her own spoon now?
Inavet
She would! Thank you helpful smart vacuum savior person.
She's still very shakey and has to pause to rest occasionally, but she's still visibly improving at what is probably an unprecedented rate.
She's still very shakey and has to pause to rest occasionally, but she's still visibly improving at what is probably an unprecedented rate.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf sits back and watches her.
Inavet is on a floor, in a strange metal-plastic compartment surrounded by hard vacuum but filled with air, decorated with some objects of obscure purposes and also a chair in front of a window-thing that shows faint stars.
Inavet is on a floor, in a strange metal-plastic compartment surrounded by hard vacuum but filled with air, decorated with some objects of obscure purposes and also a chair in front of a window-thing that shows faint stars.
Inavet
Well that's terrifying. One hole in the wall and it's back to the vacuum. But she's in a place that's filled with air, so it's not completely awful. She's still not dead.
Eventually she is out of food. That's okay.
She stretches a little, experimentally, and then she carefully, carefully stands. Again: a little wobbly. But surprisingly stable for someone who was recently suffering multiple stab wounds followed by hard vacuum. She doesn't fall, and she doesn't look like she needs assistance.
She offers the empty food receptacle to the not-elf, and inclines her head in a 'thank you' manner. Because it's obvious they don't share a language.
Eventually she is out of food. That's okay.
She stretches a little, experimentally, and then she carefully, carefully stands. Again: a little wobbly. But surprisingly stable for someone who was recently suffering multiple stab wounds followed by hard vacuum. She doesn't fall, and she doesn't look like she needs assistance.
She offers the empty food receptacle to the not-elf, and inclines her head in a 'thank you' manner. Because it's obvious they don't share a language.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf takes the receptacle, carries it off to a little kitchenette very efficiently crammed full of arcane objects, puts it in an arcane object which makes soft noises, and then emerges into the main area again. She goes to the chair and starts poking the console in front of the chair. The air speaks, in the first language the not-elf tried; the not-elf replies to it as though she's having a conversation with it.
Inavet
That's... interesting.
She tilts her head, and she listens with song. She won't catch the meanings, but she'll catch the words. They'll stick.
(It's a trick she used for eavesdropping on government officials, but it can be repurposed.)
"Will it help you at all if I speak outloud?" she wonders. "Pinpoint my language?"
She tilts her head, and she listens with song. She won't catch the meanings, but she'll catch the words. They'll stick.
(It's a trick she used for eavesdropping on government officials, but it can be repurposed.)
"Will it help you at all if I speak outloud?" she wonders. "Pinpoint my language?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf looks at her, but doesn't, obviously, understand.
However, after another couple of minutes, she picks up a small plastic rectangle with a window of light on one side and offers it to Inavet. She has another one; the screens show the same thing, but the not-elf says a phrase and the initial image disappears and is replaced. They have similarities (blue square, blue circle) and so do the phrases. When a few of them have gone by she gestures at Inavet and the rectangle with the blue square on it.
However, after another couple of minutes, she picks up a small plastic rectangle with a window of light on one side and offers it to Inavet. She has another one; the screens show the same thing, but the not-elf says a phrase and the initial image disappears and is replaced. They have similarities (blue square, blue circle) and so do the phrases. When a few of them have gone by she gestures at Inavet and the rectangle with the blue square on it.
Inavet
... Okay, that's probably a 'talk to the strange thing that acts like a slab of quartz but very obviously isn't.' Got it.
"I don't actually know what type of phrase you need," she says. "I can start naming nouns, or - actually say words."
"I don't actually know what type of phrase you need," she says. "I can start naming nouns, or - actually say words."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
That is clearly too long a phrase to mean "blue square"; the not-elf corrects the rectangle's misconception and then points at the blue square and traces its shape with her finger.
Inavet
Ooooh. Okay. She understands now.
"Blue square," she says, instead.
"Blue square," she says, instead.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The rectangle moves on to other areas of language. It double-checks itself, making sure it has isolated "blue", and "square" (it talks to her through the speakers in the air).
The not elf, satisfied that Inavet knows what she's doing, goes back and sits in her chair.
The not elf, satisfied that Inavet knows what she's doing, goes back and sits in her chair.
Inavet
Inavet sort of wishes the whatever-is-speaking would say the words out loud in the language she needs to learn, but she can work with this. She dutifully says words.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The rectangle learns her language with apparently perfect memory and a very good grasp of extrapolation. It is slightly limited in its ability to learn non-concrete-nouns, of course, but it tries.
When it depicts people some of them don't have points on their ears at all. (And some of them have very peculiar foreheads.)
When it depicts people some of them don't have points on their ears at all. (And some of them have very peculiar foreheads.)
Inavet
When she first encounters one of these she slooowly tilts her head and looks at it in confusion.
"People," she tells it, and then she goes to the not-elf and points a questioning finger at the things with peculiar foreheads. Question face!
"People," she tells it, and then she goes to the not-elf and points a questioning finger at the things with peculiar foreheads. Question face!
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf looks at what she's pointing at, then - picks up her own rectangle, pokes at it, and produces an extremely realistic image of what looks like a child version of this very not-elf, with a round-eared woman who looks just like her apart from that and the eyebrows, and a slightly but not much elfier man who, in context, is probably the not-elf's father.
Apparently there are not only several kinds of people, but they can breed.
Apparently there are not only several kinds of people, but they can breed.
Inavet
That's. Definitely a thing. Okay, she can roll with it.
She taps her ear (pointed differently), then points at herself, and says the word for her species. Might as well be tidy.
She taps her ear (pointed differently), then points at herself, and says the word for her species. Might as well be tidy.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf briefly borrows the rectangle, repeats that word, and taps it and then gives it back.
Inavet
Works for her.
She goes back to saying words. Exciting stuff.
She goes back to saying words. Exciting stuff.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Very exciting.
Not-elf gets some food for herself, too.
The device eventually manages to get across that it wants to learn to talk about people being able to talk without making sound.
Not-elf gets some food for herself, too.
The device eventually manages to get across that it wants to learn to talk about people being able to talk without making sound.
Inavet
Slightly confused peering.
"... Telepathy?"
"... Telepathy?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
When she has told it this word, the air speaks to the not-elf, who then speaks back, and then the air says awkwardly in Inavet's language:
"If the person puts hand on face then telepathy. Yes or no?"
"If the person puts hand on face then telepathy. Yes or no?"
Inavet
Well, she asked permission first, and it's likely to help with language learning. If she hadn't of asked and saved her life, the answer would be no, but in this case...
"Yes," she says.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The air translates this for the not-elf, who smiles and gets out of her chair and goes over to Inavet and offers her hand in the general direction of Inavet's face.
Inavet
Nod, nod. Though she will let the not-elf initiate the touching, she doesn't actually know how this works.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Touch.
This should be faster, but I didn't want to do it without asking, at least not while things were calm and I thought I could get the computer translation software to learn how to ask you.
This should be faster, but I didn't want to do it without asking, at least not while things were calm and I thought I could get the computer translation software to learn how to ask you.
Inavet
Sure, she replies. Thank you for asking first, anyway. And for the life saving.
There is a vague knowledge that she is way out of her depth, and also - she has a lot of sensory information. Senses like, 'there is vacuum outside of this place' and 'the general temperature of the room' and it feels like there's a lot more but that information isn't caught.
There is a vague knowledge that she is way out of her depth, and also - she has a lot of sensory information. Senses like, 'there is vacuum outside of this place' and 'the general temperature of the room' and it feels like there's a lot more but that information isn't caught.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
What are you and where are you from?
Inavet
I'm an elf, my name's Inavet, and um. The Sunrise Empire? (Vague knowledge that that is likely not enough.) Um. Tervinia? (That is the planet.)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I'm a half-Vulcan, half-human, and we're currently near Ferengi space in the Alpha Quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy. How did you come to be floating in vacuum?
Inavet
I was eaten by a mirror snake thing. It - did something, and then I was in vacuum. (She knows it sounds crazy. But it's true.)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
How did you glow?
Inavet
Well. Tempting as it is to lie, it - seems like it's a bad idea. And she doesn't know enough of what she's dealing with to craft a lie that makes sense. Best to go with the truth, she thinks.
Magic. I'm an arcanist - do you know what that is?
Magic. I'm an arcanist - do you know what that is?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Let's go with no.
Inavet
Okay. I am an individual who has done a fancy ritual which has had the effect of giving me a ton of extra senses with which to observe the world, and the ability to affect it in certain ways. For example: glowing, healing myself, not dying in a vacuum. A number of other things, with varying degrees of ability and talent.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
That explains a lot. And... is unprecedented to the best of my knowledge, as is snakes that can teleport you into interplanetary space by eating you.
Inavet
That about makes us even, this is all extremely unprecedented to me, too. Also kind of terrifying, but I'll cope.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Do you think you might know enough about the stars around your planet for me to take you home?
Inavet
Maybe? Pause. I don't - um. Could you assume that I have never heard anything about space travel but some likely wildly inaccurate movies and then explain this all to me from there?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
... We're on my ship, the Prometheus, which I use to fly from star to star and see what's around them so that an organization called Starfleet will know the general layout of the area. If you had a sufficiently detailed understanding of what the sun and constellations look like from your home I might be able to find exactly where you came from.
Inavet
Thank you. Then comes a pretty decent knowledge of constellations, along with a basic understanding of what the sun looks like. She throws in other celestial bodies, just for good measure - her planet has a moon.
... They are recognizable. As Earth's.
... They are recognizable. As Earth's.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I don't think I can take you home.
Inavet
Not anything you recognize? she wonders.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
No, I grew up on the planet matching those celestial objects, and it is not known for having elves or magic.
Inavet
Oh.
I think I am very far from home.
I think I am very far from home.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I think so too. I'm sorry.
Inavet
It's. It's okay. But I think I need to sit down now, excuse me.
She sits down now.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Unfortunately this has broken the telepathy touch, but sitting down is immensely important.
She sits down now.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Unfortunately this has broken the telepathy touch, but sitting down is immensely important.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf, who has forgotten to introduce herself, goes back and sits in her chair, leaving Inavet to process this.
Inavet
Inavet takes a minute. It is a long minute.
She has friends. Family. Work that was being done. A - she hesitates to call it a rebellion, a something like that. Group of people that disagreed with how the system worked and wanted it changed. Could they carry on without her? Well, yes, it's not like she was a leader in it. She could have been, but she was too valuable to go recruiting and risking herself and going outside where people could see her and recognize her. Because she could get other people magic. And she did get other people magic. They still have it.
And even without her - they have the basic instructions of the ritual, they have arcanists who could figure out how to make rituals the best for the person doing them, give them the best chance at getting the most magic possible.
(But she was careful, she picked her new arcanists carefully, leader though she wasn't she was a force for communication, for slow change, not a bloody awful rebellion where a lot of people die and new people get put in charge but mostly the system that feeds and clothes and houses people gets horribly broken. What will happen without her there? Will all her nightmares come to life?)
She doesn't know.
But she can't dwell. Not now, she can hash out her feelings on the subject later when she's in private, but right now - no. No dwelling. Dwelling lies possible madness.
"... Okay," she says. She motions to her head. "Telepathy."
She has friends. Family. Work that was being done. A - she hesitates to call it a rebellion, a something like that. Group of people that disagreed with how the system worked and wanted it changed. Could they carry on without her? Well, yes, it's not like she was a leader in it. She could have been, but she was too valuable to go recruiting and risking herself and going outside where people could see her and recognize her. Because she could get other people magic. And she did get other people magic. They still have it.
And even without her - they have the basic instructions of the ritual, they have arcanists who could figure out how to make rituals the best for the person doing them, give them the best chance at getting the most magic possible.
(But she was careful, she picked her new arcanists carefully, leader though she wasn't she was a force for communication, for slow change, not a bloody awful rebellion where a lot of people die and new people get put in charge but mostly the system that feeds and clothes and houses people gets horribly broken. What will happen without her there? Will all her nightmares come to life?)
She doesn't know.
But she can't dwell. Not now, she can hash out her feelings on the subject later when she's in private, but right now - no. No dwelling. Dwelling lies possible madness.
"... Okay," she says. She motions to her head. "Telepathy."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The air prompts the not-elf, who comes back over to Inavet. Hand, face.
Inavet
Right, so - how does this place work, is there a - I don't know what one does with strange members of a species from another... Something. Not world. Dimension? What happens now?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The computer can continue learning your language - I can help it with the abstract concepts, since you're comfortable with the telepathy. And then you can get computer translation anywhere in the Federation with modern computing equipment. We've got a very good social safety net, basic necessities are effectively free, you won't be going without food or shelter or anything unless you find the Federation not to your liking and go somewhere else.
Inavet
I can learn languages reasonably quickly if you do something similar to this device and put words to concepts. Magic, she volunteers. Is there something in the Federation I would find not to my liking?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I like it for the most part, but no things are universally popular and it won't try to keep you if you don't care to stay. I'll set up the device to teach English for you if you like.
Inavet
That's a very diplomatic answer, but she doesn't know this person well enough to put it in context. She drops the subject.
That would be great, thank you.
That would be great, thank you.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The not-elf interacts with the device. It wants your name - oh, I'm Isabella T'Mir, by the way. Whichever's easier to pronounce of those is fine.
Inavet
Inavet, she clarifies. Nice to meet you, Isabella.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I only wish it didn't come at such an unfortunate cost to you. Isabella tells the device some more things, and then hands it back. The device attempts to teach Inavet all the words it has learned of her own language, in English. It's adaptive; it'll speed up and stop repeating things if you get them consistently right.
Inavet
Well, it's better than being dead, she points out. Which is where I would be if I hadn't met you.
Is she an optimist? She might be an optimist.
She starts speaking words in English.
Once told, she gets them right consistently.
Is she an optimist? She might be an optimist.
She starts speaking words in English.
Once told, she gets them right consistently.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The program quickly walks her through all the words it can directly translate and then starts gently introducing grammar and new vocabulary and the alphabet.
Inavet
The alphabet she can also memorize through somewhat cheaty song magic, and vocabulary is the same, but grammar's what's giving her trouble. Well, she'll cope.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It is well within this program's abilities to determine that she is better at some things than others and adjust in response.
I'm here to help if you get stuck, Isabella says, and she goes off to do whatever she does all day.
I'm here to help if you get stuck, Isabella says, and she goes off to do whatever she does all day.
Inavet
"Thanks!" she calls in English, and then: language.
Eventually, though, she needs to sleep. Possibly also tp eat. She goes to solicit Isabella for where to retrieve food for the latter, and where to do the former.
"Food?" she asks. "Bed?"
Eventually, though, she needs to sleep. Possibly also tp eat. She goes to solicit Isabella for where to retrieve food for the latter, and where to do the former.
"Food?" she asks. "Bed?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Yes." Isabella goes and gets them both some food, and then shows Inavet to a neatly made bed that is probably usually Isabella's own. "Sleep well."
Inavet
"Thank you."
Food, and then there is sleep. Flop!
She stays awake for a little while, staring at the ceiling and wondering who will notice she's gone first and how they'll react. There are so many options. Will anyone hold a funeral for a woman who's still alive? Well. She wouldn't be the first one. Eventually she runs out of scenarios and falls asleep.
Food, and then there is sleep. Flop!
She stays awake for a little while, staring at the ceiling and wondering who will notice she's gone first and how they'll react. There are so many options. Will anyone hold a funeral for a woman who's still alive? Well. She wouldn't be the first one. Eventually she runs out of scenarios and falls asleep.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella does not wake her.
Inavet
That's nice of her.
She's out for a while (it was a long, long day, she nearly died and got transported to another universe, she thinks she is allowed to sleep in) but eventually she drags herself out of bed and goes poking around the ship.
She's out for a while (it was a long, long day, she nearly died and got transported to another universe, she thinks she is allowed to sleep in) but eventually she drags herself out of bed and goes poking around the ship.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella's still in her chair. She turns around when Inavet gets up, approaches, and offers her hand in a faceward direction.
Inavet
Inavet nods. Sure, telepathy, maybe something important happened.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
No, just: Do you need anything or to be shown anything before I go to sleep myself? I can put it off until we dock, if necessary, but normally sleep at least once every other day.
Inavet
I found the bathroom earlier, she offers. If there isn't anything squirrelly about food and it's just how you did it I should be fine.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Much of it works how you've seen; I'll set aside some. She does this. Please don't fiddle with the console over there. Here's your language PADD. Rectangles: apparently PADDs. I'll be up in about eight hours on my own but you can barge in and wake me if you need to.
Inavet
Sure. Thank you. I shouldn't need to, and I will not fiddle with the console over there.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Good night, then.
Isabella disappears into her bedroom.
Isabella disappears into her bedroom.
Inavet
Inavet studies language.
She hits a brick wall and gets a little sick of it. She goes and gets food.
And ten minutes later she finds herself sobbing into her pasta.
Well. That's. That's a thing. That's a thing that she's doing and can't seem to stop. How does she feel about this?
... Lots of emotions. Vague despair, worry, guilt, self-recrimination (She could have been faster and not been eaten) the weight of the sheer amount of being out of her depth, having nothing useful to do, nothing but learning a stupid boring foreign language so she can even begin to tackle the overwhelmingly large galaxy of strangers with strange cultures and strange spaceships and strange telepathy and strange fucking ears. Fuck.
She lets herself cry. Isabella's asleep, she's pretty quiet about it, she doesn't want to stifle her emotions (and, in fact, doesn't know if she even can) and she cries. She thinks about how she will cope and what she will do and why she is very fucking justified in crying.
Hours and hours later, she washes her face (puffy and red) in the bathroom, and goes back to learning languages. She needs it in order to do anything else, boring or no.
Eight hours after Isabella went to bed, this'll be how she'll find her, dutifully learning English.
(There might be more tears later, but she thinks she got the main emotional cocktail out of the way and dealt with.)
She hits a brick wall and gets a little sick of it. She goes and gets food.
And ten minutes later she finds herself sobbing into her pasta.
Well. That's. That's a thing. That's a thing that she's doing and can't seem to stop. How does she feel about this?
... Lots of emotions. Vague despair, worry, guilt, self-recrimination (She could have been faster and not been eaten) the weight of the sheer amount of being out of her depth, having nothing useful to do, nothing but learning a stupid boring foreign language so she can even begin to tackle the overwhelmingly large galaxy of strangers with strange cultures and strange spaceships and strange telepathy and strange fucking ears. Fuck.
She lets herself cry. Isabella's asleep, she's pretty quiet about it, she doesn't want to stifle her emotions (and, in fact, doesn't know if she even can) and she cries. She thinks about how she will cope and what she will do and why she is very fucking justified in crying.
Hours and hours later, she washes her face (puffy and red) in the bathroom, and goes back to learning languages. She needs it in order to do anything else, boring or no.
Eight hours after Isabella went to bed, this'll be how she'll find her, dutifully learning English.
(There might be more tears later, but she thinks she got the main emotional cocktail out of the way and dealt with.)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella gets up, and hazards a question in English: "Do you need anything?"
Inavet
"Clothes, please," she says, in accented but intelligible English, looking up from the PADD. "Mine are - ... Blood covered." She lacks 'blood-stained' in her vocabulary, but blood and covered are both present.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Of course." Isabella eyeballs her size and goes back into her room and comes out with a set that should only be a little short on her. Trousers, long embroidered shirt with elbow-length sleeves, long socks.
Inavet
"Thank you," she says, smiling a little. "I'll - give back."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"We'll dock in a few days and you can get something that fits you."
Inavet
She understood the general idea of that sentence. She nods. "Thank you," she repeats.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"You're welcome."
That taken care of, Isabella isn't especially chatty on her own; she sits in her chair.
That taken care of, Isabella isn't especially chatty on her own; she sits in her chair.
Inavet
That's all right.
... More language practice is the opposite of appealing right now. Ugh. She's been at it for hours.
Well. She's got other things she can practice.
"May I - magic practice?" she asks. "Safe. Just - bored."
... More language practice is the opposite of appealing right now. Ugh. She's been at it for hours.
Well. She's got other things she can practice.
"May I - magic practice?" she asks. "Safe. Just - bored."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"If you're sure it's safe."
Inavet
"It is," she assures. "No... Fire or metal. No harm. Just lights."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Okay. Lights."
Inavet
She smiles a little, and then goes riffling through her somewhat meager items. She's got a few crystals on her, along with some seeds of her more difficult plants and her ever-present knife.
Crystals. She said just light, so - just light.
She gets up, puts a crystal on the other side of the ship, and walks away from it. Then she sits down (facing away from it; she's also honing her magic senses while she's at it) and begins fiddling with its fellow. She wasn't able to make an illusion of the cat under pressure. That's a weakness she'd like to work on. Crystals make this sort of thing easier, but they're not really required. But for helping her hone her reflexes, they're good. They make it easier.
Fiddle fiddle.
And then a slightly smudgy cat leaps out of the crytal on the other side of the ship, swishes its tail, and licks a paw.
Crystals. She said just light, so - just light.
She gets up, puts a crystal on the other side of the ship, and walks away from it. Then she sits down (facing away from it; she's also honing her magic senses while she's at it) and begins fiddling with its fellow. She wasn't able to make an illusion of the cat under pressure. That's a weakness she'd like to work on. Crystals make this sort of thing easier, but they're not really required. But for helping her hone her reflexes, they're good. They make it easier.
Fiddle fiddle.
And then a slightly smudgy cat leaps out of the crytal on the other side of the ship, swishes its tail, and licks a paw.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella's watching.
Inavet
Inavet isn't. She has closed her eyes and is holding a crystal and is focusing.
The cat gets less smudged. It scratches at an itch that assumingly doesn't exist, and starts investigating the room. Occasionally it gets a little bit more smudgy, but it steadily becomes clearer and clearer. Even the shadows are correct.
For fun, Inavet adds a jingle ball, as if it dropped out of the ceiling, and takes the opportunity to practice song craft at the same time. It jingles convincingly when it hits the floor. The illusion-cat notices. The jingle ball moves as if by a wind (there isn't a breeze) and jingles a little bit more. The illusion-cat stalks its prey. Stalk stalk. (The ball doesn't move.) Stalk stalk. Butt wiggle. Will the illusion-cat pounce?
What kind of question is that, of course it will. Like so.
The bell jingles convincingly then, too. The cat even thumps as it lands on its unsuspecting jangly prey.
The cat gets less smudged. It scratches at an itch that assumingly doesn't exist, and starts investigating the room. Occasionally it gets a little bit more smudgy, but it steadily becomes clearer and clearer. Even the shadows are correct.
For fun, Inavet adds a jingle ball, as if it dropped out of the ceiling, and takes the opportunity to practice song craft at the same time. It jingles convincingly when it hits the floor. The illusion-cat notices. The jingle ball moves as if by a wind (there isn't a breeze) and jingles a little bit more. The illusion-cat stalks its prey. Stalk stalk. (The ball doesn't move.) Stalk stalk. Butt wiggle. Will the illusion-cat pounce?
What kind of question is that, of course it will. Like so.
The bell jingles convincingly then, too. The cat even thumps as it lands on its unsuspecting jangly prey.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Can I touch it?" murmurs Isabella.
Inavet
"Illusion," she says. (The cat smudges some more, talking takes concentration.) "Not there. Sorry."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Can I try?"
Inavet
"The magic?" she asks, blinking. "Need to do - ... thing, procedure, to magic, first."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I meant try to touch the cat, but I'd like to try the magic too."
Inavet
"Sure, to cat," she says, and the cat ambles over to Isabella and meows at her. Convincingly. Though it's still smudgy. "Magic is..." Handwave. "... More difficult," she decides. "Later, maybe. Here not good for procedure."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella tries (and of course fails) to touch the cat. "What's the procedure like?" she asks, watching her hand pass through the illusion.
Inavet
"Simple. Usually. For elves - I would need to... to work on it, check work, do different, for more magic. Once only, need to get it right first time. Wrong and broken magic, or no magic, ever."
And if she doesn't want to give Isabella magic, she will say it's too dangerous or something. Or maybe flat out refuse.
And if she doesn't want to give Isabella magic, she will say it's too dangerous or something. Or maybe flat out refuse.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I'm not an elf..."
Inavet
Honesty, or say, 'Yeah I'm sorry you will never get magic ever because you're not an elf?'
...
"Humans have had it. Half human." She points to Isabella. "Maybe - ... not-elves could, too. Don't know."
...
"Humans have had it. Half human." She points to Isabella. "Maybe - ... not-elves could, too. Don't know."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Half human, half Vulcan," says Isabella.
Inavet
"Vulcan, maybe, maybe not. Don't know. Humans have had it. In history. You... I don't know. Maybe?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"But I can try."
Inavet
"Yes. But I would want to get right. Permanently affects magic."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I understand. What do you need to do to get it right?"
Inavet
"Would need touch, to read you. Then time, to figure out. Might not be possible safely, but I can try."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Read me? Like telepathy?"
Inavet
"Nnno. Not. I can't - telepathy. Read body, read blood - understand magic function, not thought."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Nod. "I would like magic."
Inavet
"Magic can't be taken," she says. "So I am careful with giving. I will think about it carefully, but - not saying no."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I understand."
Inavet
Inavet smiles a bit. "Some would - upset? Be upset? 'No just met here have magic go break people, I don't care' - can't. Won't."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Be upset," Isabella says. "And I do understand. I wouldn't either."
Inavet
Nod. "Good!" She smiles.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Nod, nod. "What can you do with magic?"
Inavet
"Nine groups of magic. Different things done in them. Is - strengths and weaknesses not chosen. Practically random. Crystal - light, illusion, glow, one of my best. Plant - is... hard to explain. Integrate, find way around, change and adapt through plant. Other best. Song - sound, memory, language. Blood - Heal self, stayed alive. Heat - temperature, fire, cold, some - lightning? Electricity? Very..." She makes an explosive hand motion. "Break things. Breath - movement, air, water. Aura, is - locations. Spots. Lock on door or no hurt when fall or alarm that rings or whatever. Stuff in a spot. Is also hard to explain. Metal - find, strengthen weaknesses, sharpen metal and remove impurities and make strong. Stone - is my worst, is building and foundation and non-change. Not - specific because not good at it. Awful."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"...Telepathy?" suggests Isabella.
Inavet
"None. Closest is - song, can -" She closes her mouth, but her voice carries to Isabella anyway, as if from behind her. "speak from far, but not the same."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"No, I mean, this might make more sense if you weren't trying to explain in a language you learned yesterday."
Inavet
"Oh. Yes, that - would help."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Hand. Face.
Inavet
There are nine groups of magic. An arcanist gets strengths and weaknesses at near random, though they're possibly influenced by the awakening ritual and the personality of the arcanist.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Light and illusion, whatever 'plant' does, song seemed pretty well-explained, blood is healing? Energy, movement and air, localized... magic stuff... and I'm not sure I understood metal or stone.
Inavet
Plant is sort of hard to explain even in a non broken language. It's - changing plants to do certain things. Except 'do certain things' can be a lot. Blood's healing and changing of the body, we gained longevity from it, but I didn't have the words to explain it. Metal deals traditionally in metal, but it's - finding weaknesses and shoring them up. Finding strengths and sharpening them. The traditional candidate is metal, because metal's good for that sort of thing. Stone's construction and moving of the earth and land - you can build houses with it, or roads, or dig out caves - as far as I know it's very slow by itself. Does that make more sense?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I think so. It sounds fascinating. Is it hard to learn once you've got it?
Inavet
I wouldn't say hard, exactly. A bit time consuming, maybe. It's pretty easy to grasp the basics of your strongest craft, usually someone has those down in a week or two. It's - learning what to do to help something best or what not to do in order to prevent making anything worse, branching out to stuff that isn't your basic strengths, mixing them, inventing things that combine several crafts - the nine groups are kind of vague, actually, there are a few things that are arguably part of several.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Is there a way to guess in advance what someone will get?
Inavet
No. Nor a way to guarantee something. Not that I know of, mind, and I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything. Sorry.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I'd be happy with any. By and large interesting powers in this universe are a matter of being the right species. I have a little touch-telepathy from my father's side but nothing else.
Inavet
Huh. Strange. I wonder what caused the mechanism for 'species get the interesting powers'? You'd have thought genetic tinkering got somewhere if you have space travel.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I'm not sure what you mean. Although actually one of the traits I don't like about the Federation is that genetic engineering is illegal.
Inavet
... I am confused as to why they would ban it. Why would they ban it? There are abuses, but that's true of most things.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
There were wars about it a while ago; some people were genetically engineered and decided to try to take over all of the everything. I don't think it makes sense to ban augmentation in general, but there are historical reasons.
Inavet
Well. I'm technically genetically engineered through blood craft. It makes it so it's harder for me to get sick and there aren't any genetic diseases that I know of that still exist, and if I take care of myself and stay healthy I'll live to around ten thousand years. I just. Why would you give that up? Because some people tried to take over all of everything? Lots of people try to do that, let's ban people with ten toes because almost every human that has tried to take over the world has ten toes, obviously they must be responsible. That is ridiculous.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I agree with you completely. Fortunately for you, you're the only one of your species around and no one will be able to tell that you're genetically engineered if you don't tell them.
Inavet
... What, would they arrest me? I didn't even choose, it was when I was in the womb!
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It would probably depend. You're technically ineligible for certain government jobs. Imprisonment per se unless you were found to be engineered after getting a job that you're forbidden to have would be unlikely.
Inavet
Why am I technically ineligible for certain government jobs? That. Doesn't make sense.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It's considered unfair. I'm really not the person to defend the policy.
Inavet
Right, yes. Ugh.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I'm sorry.
Inavet
It's not your fault, I'm just - annoyed at the system.
Does she have a gift for finding corrupt governments, or for spotting them? Mystery for the ages...
Does she have a gift for finding corrupt governments, or for spotting them? Mystery for the ages...
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It's one of only two things that really bother me about the Federation. It's mostly very nice.
Inavet
What's the second?
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The noninterference policy with civilizations that haven't developed warp drive. Since you don't have a civilization attached here, and anyway I couldn't have known that to begin with, I'll probably get away with having rescued you.
Inavet
... But if I were, for example, I don't know, being attacked and stabbed by my own people, and you were aware via - I don't know, something, you would not be allowed to interfere to save anyone involved, or even stop the altercation, because we don't have a warp drive.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
The idea is to prevent the Federation from becoming an empire. It is carried to extremes rather than allow judgment calls.
Inavet
Yeah I think I disagree with that policy, too.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Well, there's freedom of speech. You can disagree with it all you like and you won't be arrested over it.
Inavet
That's. Something. At least.
Better than her last empire...
Better than her last empire...
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It doesn't come up unless you do a lot of interstellar travel.
Inavet
It wouldn't come up for me. The same cannot be said of those on the other end of it.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I mean the dilemma doesn't arise.
Inavet
.... I suppose.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
And most of the interstellar travel comes up only if you take the government jobs you're safer avoiding, anyway.
Inavet
It's - I will not be less upset by the concept because it doesn't come up in my day to day life. I - would certainly balk at being asked to stand by if people were, were, I don't know, starving, and I had food to feed them, but I wasn't allowed because a rule said no. But I dislike that the concept exists in the first place. I can't pretend not to care. Or if I could, I wouldn't want to.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I understand.
Inavet
But it's not your fault and it's not fair to take it out on you, I'm sorry.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
I'm not offended.
Inavet
Well, good. I'm glad.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Smile.
Inavet
Smile!
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
And hand off face.
Inavet
Yep! All things explained, and all philosophical discussions done.
Back to practicing magic. The cat is going to practice jumping from thing to thing! Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.
It gets steadily less smudgy the more attention is paid to it.
Back to practicing magic. The cat is going to practice jumping from thing to thing! Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.
It gets steadily less smudgy the more attention is paid to it.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
It's cute. Isabella watches the cat, and taps on a PADD.
Inavet
Hoppity. Hoppity. Hoppity -
Okay bored now. The cat's getting wings.
It flings itself off of the back of Isabella's chair, and just as it is about to hit the ground, spreads feathering cat wings and soars. Flap flap. Flap flap.
(And now she is trying to get the air movement right from the movement of the wings. And the sound. Tricky stuff! She doesn't get it entirely right, but she'd rather keep her flexibility with almost-right than have one obvious trick that is always correct but very predictable.)
Okay bored now. The cat's getting wings.
It flings itself off of the back of Isabella's chair, and just as it is about to hit the ground, spreads feathering cat wings and soars. Flap flap. Flap flap.
(And now she is trying to get the air movement right from the movement of the wings. And the sound. Tricky stuff! She doesn't get it entirely right, but she'd rather keep her flexibility with almost-right than have one obvious trick that is always correct but very predictable.)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella giggles and applauds lightly.
Inavet
Inavet snickers.
"It is important to have fun with magic. And to stay creative."
(The cat flies to an appropriately high spot, and lands neatly. It preens its feathers, smugly.)
"It is important to have fun with magic. And to stay creative."
(The cat flies to an appropriately high spot, and lands neatly. It preens its feathers, smugly.)
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Why?"
Inavet
"In my experience, it keeps people second guessing. And if you're not afraid to try things you're more likely to see alternate ways around a problem."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"But it doesn't affect the magic or your skill at it directly?"
Inavet
"Doesn't affect the magic. Skill's a different story. You get good at what you practice."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Nod, nod.
Inavet
Speaking of. Back to practicing.
The cat goes back to flying around the room. Getting a believable flapping motion from a creature that doesn't typically have wings is tricky and fun. It does laps around the ship, swooping at random intervals, steadily un-smudging and looking more like it's an actual thing that exists and makes sense.
Then it is nice and fully un-smudged and believable, and Inavet sends it swooping after the toy. Jingling, anatomy, no smudging, air movement from the flaps, a coherent illusion overall... Her? A workaholic? Never. It's not easy, but she's not practicing to do easy things, she's practicing to get better.
The cat goes back to flying around the room. Getting a believable flapping motion from a creature that doesn't typically have wings is tricky and fun. It does laps around the ship, swooping at random intervals, steadily un-smudging and looking more like it's an actual thing that exists and makes sense.
Then it is nice and fully un-smudged and believable, and Inavet sends it swooping after the toy. Jingling, anatomy, no smudging, air movement from the flaps, a coherent illusion overall... Her? A workaholic? Never. It's not easy, but she's not practicing to do easy things, she's practicing to get better.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Magic is magic, but a cat jumping around the room loses its appeal when one is not personally piloting the cat. Isabella does some obscure console things, then:
"Is there anything in particular that would help convince you it would be a good idea to give me magic?"
Inavet
"Mm. People to talk about you when you're not there. General - personality showing. What would you do with it?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I don't know what I'd get, so I don't want to get attached to any plans. Unfortunately, I spend almost all of my time alone. The only person who knows me particularly well is my mother, which might not be a very objective source for you."
Inavet
"Not really," she agrees. "Mm. Why - all of your time alone? And with magic - what sort of thing would you try to do?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I described the job I do. It involves usually being very far away from anyone, in uninhabited systems, seeing what's there. It would really depend on the kind of job. I'd want to know how it worked. I don't immediately know what I'd do with illusion cats. But something with energy, for example, could help power all kinds of things people need."
Inavet
Inavet nods. "Fair enough. We'll see."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"In a couple of days we'll dock at a station. It's mostly Ferengi-run and I can't recommend it as a long-term place to stay because you don't have any money, but if you don't want to stay on my ship with me - which you are welcome to do - you could get a shuttle to Federation space."
Inavet
"I am willing to stick around until yes or no for magic," she says. "Seems - mean. 'Thanks for saving, want magic? Too bad, no convincing me, bye!'"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella giggles.
Inavet
"I try to be fair."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Thank you."
Inavet
"Yep!"
She smiles at Isabella, and then goes back to flying cats. She'll get bored of this eventually and practice something else, but right now this is fine.
She smiles at Isabella, and then goes back to flying cats. She'll get bored of this eventually and practice something else, but right now this is fine.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Eventually they dock at the station, where Isabella transacts with short large-eared lumpy-headed bald men in stupid clothes who leer at her. They do not stay long, just enough to refuel and buy some (less stupid) clothes for Inavet. ("Not too many here, they overcharge and we can get some things for outright free on a Federation station.")
Inavet
Inavet is pretty okay with not spending much time here. Someone calls her a Vulcan, she doesn't correct them, and then they can leave to... not be on this station of overpriced items, leering men, and gaudy clothing. She's just fine with that.
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"You won't look like a Vulcan to a Vulcan or anyone familiar with them. But there are fewer Vulcans around than there used to be."
Inavet
"I wasn't planning to claim to be a Vulcan," she agrees. "I just didn't want to get into a 'no actually I am another species with differently pointed ears see they don't curve forward they go back isn't that novel.'" She peers at Isabella. "... Do you want to talk about why there are fewer Vulcans, or should I skip it?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"The planet was destroyed. When I was a child, and on Earth."
Inavet
"Oh," says Inavet. "I'm sorry."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"There are Vulcans left. But many fewer. My father is gone. I don't recommend bringing it up with other Vulcans, or part-Vulcans. Although the species prides itself on emotional regulation, it would still be impolite."
Inavet
Nod, nod. "Yeah. I'm sorry."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"It's all right. You didn't know." Pause. "Magic can't put planets back, can it?"
Inavet
"Nnnot through any way I know. Bringing back the dead's similarly likely-impossible. I am unwilling to actually declare it completely impossible, but we've had a very long time to work on the problem."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Pity."
Inavet
"Yeah. But we can do longevity, which is something."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"To what extent?"
Inavet
"... My lifespan's measured in the thousands. I'm actually over a thousand already, and I'm considered rather young. I'm not fantastic at blood craft, but I've been getting a lot of practice with it lately. I know I could likely give a human an extra century or two, maybe. If I worked at it."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"That. I would do that with magic."
Inavet
Inavet smiles a bit.
"From what I hear, most of the bigger stuff's done while someone's in the womb. Better ground work. But some stuff can be done on adults to help, I think."
"From what I hear, most of the bigger stuff's done while someone's in the womb. Better ground work. But some stuff can be done on adults to help, I think."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Billions of children are born in Federation hospitals. If the doctors knew how to do this - especially if it could work on non-humans - then the total years gained would be immense."
Inavet
"Yep. Thus why I couldn't comprehend why you wouldn't play with genetic engineering. That's what I was talking about. I am not planning to keep a jealous hold on magic - it is really very useful for - helping people. Living longer, preventing sicknesses, dealing with disasters, so on. I just want to introduce it carefully because uh. I have also seen how it can be abused."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"What are the specific failure modes you've seen?"
Inavet
"Large-scale sterilization of our entire species, really thorough media censorship, magically crippling arcanists from the start despite how it's psychologically upsetting and irreversible, tracking every non-magical citizen at just about all times, something involved with keeping actual immortality to the elite... Plus all of the horrible ways one can kill someone. It can definitely be abused."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"I'd hope it would be somewhat reassuring that the Federation manages, for the most part, not to abuse its technological abilities in those departments. If anything it's too reluctant to use its abilities; the aforementioned Prime Directive."
Inavet
"I am very glad that the Federation is less abusive than my last experience with a government," she agrees. "Also nice to not be a fugitive."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"You were a fugitive?"
Inavet
"Heh. Um. Yeah. They - actually had a kill order on me, hence the stabbing. They took offense to me taking offense to them and giving other people magic. It was a tightly kept secret."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Oh."
Inavet
"It - didn't take very long for me to realize that there was something wrong with how they did things, and that I didn't want to be a part of it. So. Yep."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Can you keep a secret, or were you on the run because you weren't good at that part?"
Inavet
Blink, blink. "... Yes. To the first. I was on the run because they knew me. Because I'd technically betrayed them and made it personal. Why?"
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"When I'm doing survey runs, sometimes I find inhabited planets. If they're at a high enough technology level that they have data nets I can analyze from space, I find a physicist on their planet who shows signs of liking to plagiarize, and then I transport down and leave plans for warp drive on their desk, and then I fly away and wait for their warp signature to pop up and let them into the Federation if they want to join."
Inavet
"That," declares Inavet, "is clever and well-aimed, I congratulate you."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Computer, what's my current estimate?"
"Twenty-one billion, seven hundred and six million, one hundred fifty-nine thousand, six hundred sixty eight, plus or minus two point eight billion."
"That," says Isabella, "is an estimate of how many lives I've saved, based on the level of improvement represented by Federation standard of living or where applicable the effect of interplanetary commerce, how long they seemed likely to take to invent warp drive on their own, and how many times I've done this. I'm going to get arrested at some point, but they've already got warp."
"Twenty-one billion, seven hundred and six million, one hundred fifty-nine thousand, six hundred sixty eight, plus or minus two point eight billion."
"That," says Isabella, "is an estimate of how many lives I've saved, based on the level of improvement represented by Federation standard of living or where applicable the effect of interplanetary commerce, how long they seemed likely to take to invent warp drive on their own, and how many times I've done this. I'm going to get arrested at some point, but they've already got warp."
Inavet
"That is an absurdly large number. Do you want magic? I am much more willing to give you magic now."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Yes, I would like magic. Once I get arrested I'll be a political prisoner, and I bet they put me in a nice low-security place and let me practice magic medicine."
Inavet
She nods. "That'd be nice. Well. There's a standard procedure for the ritual to get magic, but you are likely kind of weird, so I'll have to tweak it. Um - I actually need physical touch to check and likely tweak the ritual."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
Isabella holds out her hand.
Inavet
Inavet takes it, and closes her eyes.
Nothing obvious happens.
Until:
"... Definitely possible," she pronounces. "I don't think I'll have to do much of any tweaking."
Nothing obvious happens.
Until:
"... Definitely possible," she pronounces. "I don't think I'll have to do much of any tweaking."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Oh?"
Inavet
"The standard ritual procedure - please don't fling this to the heavens - is to get a wooden bowl, draw abstract drawings on it in graphite that vaguely attempt to represent the one who is doing the ritual. Then to put a quartz crystal into the center of the bowl, fill the bowl with distilled water, prod yourself with a sentimentally significant sharp object, and bleed into the water. Then you put your dominant hand onto the quartz, put about a gram of copper onto that hand, and then your other hand on top of that. Then think about who you are as a person and what makes you you. You - might need the bowl-drawing to be in something other than graphite. I'll look for something that works just as well."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"That's... weird," says Isabella. "We should be able to get most of the materials at the next largish station we stop at, if the quartz and copper can be harvested from jewelry. Does it matter the way in which the sharp object is sentimentally significant?"
Inavet
"It definitely needs to matter to you. I would take a knife that was involved in something unpleasant that happened in your life over something you found and thought was pretty. I actually recommend trying to get things that all matter to you in some way, whether it's abstract or more direct. The ritual is very much about directing the magic to you. The more you can do that, the better, I think."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"...We could go back to Earth. I don't have a lot of sentimentality attached to my possessions - I still have a cloakpin that I was wearing the day I found out about Vulcan, that my father gave me? That could be my sharp object - but my mother probably owns some more of the relevant things and she's important to me, if that counts?"
Inavet
"I think so, yes. And we couldn't do the ritual on a spaceship, anyway, there's - the ritual needs to be done outside. Preferably at a time and place you like or find special to you in some form."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Which would also seem to suggest Earth. I'll let my mother know I'm coming for a visit."
Inavet
Inavet nods.
"And I will try to see if there is something to maybe replace the graphite."
"And I will try to see if there is something to maybe replace the graphite."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Why do you need to replace the graphite?"
Inavet
"The graphite would likely work to get you magic. But it wouldn't - give you the best chance to get the most amount of magic possible, I think. It's - I think it has something to do with you being Vulcan, but there's more something of what's associated with heat craft in you than an ordinary person. Just sort of floating about. Graphite in particular is useful because it's conductive, among other things - I will need to replace it with something that isn't as conductive, to balance out the whatever is in you, and replicate the other things graphite's contributing to the ritual."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"My blood is copper-based rather than iron-based, if that's what you mean?"
Inavet
"I guess, I don't get chemical compositions, though, just - how stuff feels through magic. Which I suppose is partially based on chemical compositions, but.... I wouldn't say entirely."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Do you think any of this will affect or be affected by my psi ability?"
Inavet
"It didn't feel like it would. And I can't see a psi ability being associated with stone, so I didn't miss it due to being inept."
Isabella T'Mir Ֆ "T'Mir"
warpfairy
"Okay."