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It's an average day. Nick the fairy is poking at one of his little electronics projects, paying attention to the incoming summons with half a brain, trying to grab one. But while a lot of fairies get summoned, equally many are looking out for summons. It takes a while unless you're really focusing on it.
He starts an automated test and gives the stream of summons his full attention, and gets one a moment later.
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Toss.
impetuous_force
She does not catch it; she has to scoot over and grab it. "How does it UV?"
"Short version: The thing that came after LEDs."
"Ah. The button that's labelled like an 'A' and an 'X' combined."
impetuous_force
She hunts for one of those. When she has found it, she nods and stows the light in her bag. Then she finds what she was looking for; it's a crystal.
She closes her eyes, holds the crystal at arm's length in front of her nose - drops her arms and leaves the crystal floating there - and starts chanting in Latin.
She closes her eyes, holds the crystal at arm's length in front of her nose - drops her arms and leaves the crystal floating there - and starts chanting in Latin.
Nick patiently waits for her to cast the thing.
He'll have plenty of time to start processing all this sudden change.
He'll have plenty of time to start processing all this sudden change.
impetuous_force
Eventually she's done chanting and Nick and his possessions are invisible.
"Back when I'm back," she sighs, and she shoulders her bag, stashes the crystal, and tromps away into the woods.
"Back when I'm back," she sighs, and she shoulders her bag, stashes the crystal, and tromps away into the woods.
And Nick floats there with a modicum of effort, resigned to being bored.
impetuous_force
Nothing happens to come upon him in the four and a half hours she is gone.
After that time, she comes back. In a black uniform with a name badge that says Witch I. Swan and has one empty pip on the collar. They've apparently allowed her to dispense with the hat. Her companion (Witch M. Roxbury) wears one - black, mesh panel, brimmed - and has two pips, full.
Witch I. Swan dispels her invisibility spell by chanting in Latin some more.
After that time, she comes back. In a black uniform with a name badge that says Witch I. Swan and has one empty pip on the collar. They've apparently allowed her to dispense with the hat. Her companion (Witch M. Roxbury) wears one - black, mesh panel, brimmed - and has two pips, full.
Witch I. Swan dispels her invisibility spell by chanting in Latin some more.
"Hello, I-forgot-to-get-your-name Swan and M. Roxbury. Has she sufficiently reassured you I am not a ravening fiend?"
impetuous_force
"Bella," says Witch I. Swan.
"She's reassured me that she has some reason to think so," M. Roxbury says. "We'd like you to come down to the USADI base and talk it over there."
"She's reassured me that she has some reason to think so," M. Roxbury says. "We'd like you to come down to the USADI base and talk it over there."
"Sure. Can I have my flashlight back, Bella?"
impetuous_force
"I don't have it with me, they wanted to keep it."
"Ultraviolet weapons are of strong research interest to us because of their efficacy against vampires. We tested yours on a captive and its results were impressive."
"Ultraviolet weapons are of strong research interest to us because of their efficacy against vampires. We tested yours on a captive and its results were impressive."
...A captive. Well. "I am willing to share technical documents and by my guesstimate I could build a machine to produce the same kind of UV emitters at scale in a week or two. But I want my property back. Please also keep in mind that I have never visited this version of Earth before, and will probably react to things differently than you expect. For example, killing a prisoner is often considered a war crime."
impetuous_force
"Experimenting on vampires is legal and strategically essential," says M. Roxbury, sounding surprised that he'd take offense. "We don't always have one around, but since we did, it was used to verify your story that your flashlight was ultraviolet. At any rate, we have no attachment to the individual flashlight, but our techs been trying to develop handheld civilian-suitable ultraviolet flashlights that produce a strong enough beam to dust a vampire for years."
"I don't doubt your word, but imagine if someone told you they had executed a, say, a religious extremist. That's what I mean by warning you that I might react to things strangely. At any rate, lead the way to the base, or I can fly us all there very quickly if you give me directions and trust me enough for that."
impetuous_force
"We'll walk. Swan's on alternative exercise protocol and the hike will be good for her."
Bella sighs.
"Vampires have no souls," Roxbury continues. "By and large their interests are murder, murder-themed hedonism, and occasional apocalypses."
Bella sighs.
"Vampires have no souls," Roxbury continues. "By and large their interests are murder, murder-themed hedonism, and occasional apocalypses."
Nick gives Bella a sympathetic glance. Having to answer to someone is not fun, even if it felt necessary.
"I see. In that case I can certainly help set up manufacturing of the UV emitters as quickly as possible, under some conditions. An expedited patent, or perhaps just a large lump sum." Nick follows them, walking instead of floating for solidarity, and to seem less alien.
"I see. In that case I can certainly help set up manufacturing of the UV emitters as quickly as possible, under some conditions. An expedited patent, or perhaps just a large lump sum." Nick follows them, walking instead of floating for solidarity, and to seem less alien.
impetuous_force
"What are you planning on doing with the money?" Roxbury inquires.
"Buy raw materials, factory space, hire employees, kickstart a new industrial revolution. Also to buy things of course. Quality exotic foods, new media, maybe art." He shrugs.
"I don't have selfish uses for large amounts of money beyond a certain point since it's no good in Fairyland and I can only bring so much when I go back. But I do want the options it provides as long as I'm still on Earth."
"I don't have selfish uses for large amounts of money beyond a certain point since it's no good in Fairyland and I can only bring so much when I go back. But I do want the options it provides as long as I'm still on Earth."
impetuous_force
"Historically only a handful of demons want money and they usually don't want it for anything nice," Bella says. "You can probably get a better deal if you offer to let the USADI or a representative hold it in trust for you and block you if you start hiring mercenary vampires with it."
"It'd come with a fair bit of bureaucracy, wouldn't it? So that's a 'maybe, negotiation pending'. But I'm not a classic demon. I'll swear under lie detection- my temperament is better described as similar to the so-called neutral species. I have never killed anyone or indirectly caused any deaths- any humans, I should amend, given the test you mentioned. And I plan to keep it that way."
impetuous_force
"I'm actually considering assigning Swan as your liaison," Roxbury says. "You're currently need-to-know but everyone who needs to know has a lot on their plate and she can be freely assigned. Too bureaucratic?" asks Roxbury dryly.
"No, that's fine, not too bureaucratic. And I like that you're taking infosec seriously."