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Bella's not sure where she has wandered. She thought she was about to walk into a shop, but this appears to be an unattended bar. With none of the windows associated with the shop she thought she was entering. It could be an elaborate psychic assault of some kind, but it doesn't feel very... assault-y... and she was in the middle of a town and doesn't think any humans want to sic their 'mon on her. It's strange. She approaches the bar, looking around warily, hand hovering near her belt.
Kisonde gives Promise an incredulous look, but (of course) follows her.
A parade of elementals troops around the corner of the building and back in by the other door, a journey of no more than twenty steps. Except that when they get there, it isn't the elemental barracks again; it's some kind of bar or something. They are confused. Earth directs them out to the lake area. Just as the last few are making their way out of the barracks, Ice and Shine land and follow the rest.
A parade of elementals troops around the corner of the building and back in by the other door, a journey of no more than twenty steps. Except that when they get there, it isn't the elemental barracks again; it's some kind of bar or something. They are confused. Earth directs them out to the lake area. Just as the last few are making their way out of the barracks, Ice and Shine land and follow the rest.
imeanforever
"We should probably do this in the yard," says Promise. "Well, elementals in the yard, Kisonde in here? Does that work?"
"Yes," says Earth.
Kisonde is really alarmed.
Lightning closes the door.
"Check all the amulets first to make sure we've got everybody," he says. "It'd be kiiind of a mess if we had somebody's amulet but they were out flying when we broke it."
"I did that, but we can double-check," says Earth. "Revelation, would you mind bringing the bag out to the yard and reading off all the tags and then bringing it back here?"
Kisonde is so fucking alarmed.
Kisonde is really alarmed.
Lightning closes the door.
"Check all the amulets first to make sure we've got everybody," he says. "It'd be kiiind of a mess if we had somebody's amulet but they were out flying when we broke it."
"I did that, but we can double-check," says Earth. "Revelation, would you mind bringing the bag out to the yard and reading off all the tags and then bringing it back here?"
Kisonde is so fucking alarmed.
imeanforever
"The plan does not involve harm to you," Promise informs Kisonde, "if me telling you that helps, at all."
Kisonde makes an eloquently sarcastic face.
There are neither any stray amulets not belonging to an elemental, nor any stray elementals not belonging to an amulet. Everything checks out.
There are neither any stray amulets not belonging to an elemental, nor any stray elementals not belonging to an amulet. Everything checks out.
The prohibition on talking does not forbid rude gestures. She makes several, very emphatically, while reaching into the bag with her other hand and scooping out handfuls of amulets.
A red droplet of Fire vents its substance into a wisp of smoke; a gleaming metallic drop of Adamant cracks apart into glittering shards that dissolve immediately; a pearlescent Glass does something similar; Water melts and turns to vapor, Ice shatters and does the same, Shine goes out in a burst of light, Shadow in a burst of dark, and on and on. The empty amulet chains pile up on the floor.
Finally, the last amulet turns to dust.
"What the fuck are you doing," says Kisonde.
A red droplet of Fire vents its substance into a wisp of smoke; a gleaming metallic drop of Adamant cracks apart into glittering shards that dissolve immediately; a pearlescent Glass does something similar; Water melts and turns to vapor, Ice shatters and does the same, Shine goes out in a burst of light, Shadow in a burst of dark, and on and on. The empty amulet chains pile up on the floor.
Finally, the last amulet turns to dust.
"What the fuck are you doing," says Kisonde.
Several of them are playing with magic. The landscape is suffering some damage, but will survive.
One of the Shines, wings visible only by the glow they cast, lands in front of him. "Was that the amulet-minder we all went past on the way in? What did you do to her?"
One of the Shines, wings visible only by the glow they cast, lands in front of him. "Was that the amulet-minder we all went past on the way in? What did you do to her?"
from_scratch
"I didn't do it. Short stuff with the leaf wings is a kind of person who can command people to do things if she knows their name. Earth gave her Kisonde's and I'm along for the ride." He shrugs off his interfering garments and reappears his wings.
"...And what's your deal...?" she asks, but she doesn't stick around to hear the answer, preferring instead to go straight inside and look for Kisonde.
Who has just finished saying: "Yeah, I noticed. I noticed that part. That is definitely something I noticed. I was more asking how, and why, and why me, and in general what the fuck."
Who has just finished saying: "Yeah, I noticed. I noticed that part. That is definitely something I noticed. I was more asking how, and why, and why me, and in general what the fuck."
imeanforever
"Oh. I have your name, although I don't expect to use it again. And because as you may have noticed magically enforced servitude is not much fun. And because you were on duty."
Kisonde splutters.
"Hey you," says Shine.
"Shine! Shine these people are crazy."
"Little bit," Shine agrees. "But I can't argue with the results."
"Aaaargh," says Kisonde. Shine hugs her.
"Hey you," says Shine.
"Shine! Shine these people are crazy."
"Little bit," Shine agrees. "But I can't argue with the results."
"Aaaargh," says Kisonde. Shine hugs her.
from_scratch
Revelation comes in. "There is the question of now what. Does Milliways have a wild elemental population for keeps or are they going to somebody's world, not necessarily their own? Is Kisonde in large amounts of administrative trouble that we should attempt to deflect as a courtesy?"
"Uh, no kidding, I just stole almost fifty elementals! 'It wasn't me' is not gonna be an excuse!"
Shine hugs her some more. "Is there, like, a strong reason you even need to go home...?"
"Well, the other option's staying here with the crazy people..."
Shine hugs her some more. "Is there, like, a strong reason you even need to go home...?"
"Well, the other option's staying here with the crazy people..."
from_scratch
"Mine's nice, but the balance of power and civilization and so on is pretty thoroughly reliant on the fact that there are only demons in it, and I don't know how to get anybody from here to the places where demons are not the sole species, since elementals - not to mention Kisonde - probably aren't summonable."
"I can't help feeling like the fact that you've got almost fifty elementals hanging around might help with that," says Kisonde.
"Yeah, I mean, what's the transportation barrier here?" says Shine. "I'm sure we could convince a Shadow to shadewalk some people from A to B if B sounded like a nice place to hang out and contained any shadows to shadewalk to."
"Yeah, I mean, what's the transportation barrier here?" says Shine. "I'm sure we could convince a Shadow to shadewalk some people from A to B if B sounded like a nice place to hang out and contained any shadows to shadewalk to."
from_scratch
"Normally the only ways between subworlds involve dying or getting summoned, depending on the direction," says Revelation. "But if you want me to hold the door while you try shadewalking from here to - I'm not actually sure where the best place to put you would be. There's options. What do you look for in a habitat?"
"Lack of humans?" suggests Shine. "Present company excepted." She ruffles Kisonde's hair. "But I have the feeling your humans aren't our humans, anyway, at least not as far as making amulets is concerned..."