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Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.
"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."
"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."
"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."
The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off, bracing to fight yet another city-destroying monster, and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.
...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.
Near the Golden Coven capital, in Aurum
Near Savarasse, in Thilanushinyel
Near Whately Academy
With Unbitwise
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witchwatcher
witchwatcher
[Okay, it's not nearly as hard to hold on as I expected. I was just a tad worried 'cause I can't use magic to stick to you like a broom. You can keep speeding up unless I say otherwise.]
witchwatcher
[Yeah, this is fun. It seems faster when you're so close to the ground.]
She'll keep having fun even on the relatively limited running area until he gets tired or hungry, unless that time is several hours from now.
She'll keep having fun even on the relatively limited running area until he gets tired or hungry, unless that time is several hours from now.
He runs her back and forth for a couple hours but then: [It's mealtime! Ashleigh says it's pulled pork!]
witchwatcher
[Yum.]
So they go have food, and Gren settles into the rhythm of the village and does miscellabeous work and follows when the capital moves until about a month later...
So they go have food, and Gren settles into the rhythm of the village and does miscellabeous work and follows when the capital moves until about a month later...
witchwatcher
...When eleven more witches appear around her in the capital compound, holding various antique weapons.
Shawn, who had been explaining the concept of electric guitar, interrupts himself mid-word to reflexively transform and stand in front of and over Gren, growling at the scariest-looking cluster of witches.
witchwatcher
One of them starts swinging a sword at him, but before they can do much of anything else, Gren shouts, "Woah, woah, STAND DOWN!"
The swordswoman arrests her own swing, they lower their weapons. One asks, "What the hell's going on, Gren, where even are we?
"Really long story. Ten second version version is I started working for some benevolent vampires and the wolf is my bodyguard."
The swordswoman arrests her own swing, they lower their weapons. One asks, "What the hell's going on, Gren, where even are we?
"Really long story. Ten second version version is I started working for some benevolent vampires and the wolf is my bodyguard."
When she says to stand down, Shawn interrupts his paw's swipe in Sword Witch's direction before it connects. But he stays wolf-shaped and he is Not Wagging At All.
An assortment of vampires, unarmed except for the whole being vampires thing, appear from both ends of the hallway.
An assortment of vampires, unarmed except for the whole being vampires thing, appear from both ends of the hallway.
witchwatcher
Various witches ask questions all at once. Grendyne Elspeths at them for a few seconds. They are still somewhat confused, but no longer feeling angry or thinking violent thoughts.
Sword lady says, "Jesus, I thought I'd be leading a rescue mission. Or a body-retreival. Sorry for the violent entry, everyone."
Sword lady says, "Jesus, I thought I'd be leading a rescue mission. Or a body-retreival. Sorry for the violent entry, everyone."
luminous_regnant
Shawn is too keyed up to defloof right now. He sits, though.
"As you can see," says Bella, "Gren is fine. I'm Empress Isabella Cullen of the Golden Empire. And you are all in my mindreading husband's range, which you may if you so choose stop by proceeding in that direction, down the stairs, and outside any direction you like for a mile."
"As you can see," says Bella, "Gren is fine. I'm Empress Isabella Cullen of the Golden Empire. And you are all in my mindreading husband's range, which you may if you so choose stop by proceeding in that direction, down the stairs, and outside any direction you like for a mile."
witchwatcher
One of them (Yvette) precogs for a moment and pronounces, "Everything's going to be fine. They could have slaughtered us already but they're not gonna do that."
Sword lady nods and announces, "Anyone who wants to get, get." Seven of them follow her directions to fly outside and proceed north into the surrounding wilderness.
"Once again I apologize for this invasion, Empress. I am Captain Morgana McAllister of the United Defense Force. I think we have a lot to discuss, is there a better place than this hallway?"
Sword lady nods and announces, "Anyone who wants to get, get." Seven of them follow her directions to fly outside and proceed north into the surrounding wilderness.
"Once again I apologize for this invasion, Empress. I am Captain Morgana McAllister of the United Defense Force. I think we have a lot to discuss, is there a better place than this hallway?"
luminous_regnant
"The compound isn't set up for this many human visitors on short notice, but we can crowd you into my daughter's office."
In they go.
In they go.
witchwatcher
Gren places herself nearer the Gren coven contingent, prompting slightly disappointed looks from the Witches.
Captain McAllister begins, "I am not actually authorized to negotiate on behalf of the UDF, just the clan of McAllister, but Grendyne's... Summary... Indicates there are good possibilities for cooperation between our worlds."
"Naturally I would be interested in weapons or magic to help defeat the Neuroi. Lytee can make a one-way trip between our worlds approximately twice a day, bringing up to 20 individuals or 10 tons of objects. There are other teleporters available, but not immediately. Is trade of goods or magic an option here?"
Captain McAllister begins, "I am not actually authorized to negotiate on behalf of the UDF, just the clan of McAllister, but Grendyne's... Summary... Indicates there are good possibilities for cooperation between our worlds."
"Naturally I would be interested in weapons or magic to help defeat the Neuroi. Lytee can make a one-way trip between our worlds approximately twice a day, bringing up to 20 individuals or 10 tons of objects. There are other teleporters available, but not immediately. Is trade of goods or magic an option here?"
luminous_regnant
(Shawn manages to defloof and re-uniform himself so that he can squeeze into Elspeth's office without bumping his head, and stand next to Gren.)
"If teleporters consistently exist on your world, trade of goods is absolutely of interest and certain forms of trading magic are possible."
"If teleporters consistently exist on your world, trade of goods is absolutely of interest and certain forms of trading magic are possible."
witchwatcher
Gren pipes up, "I have charged gold. You can go home as soon as she recovers from mana squeeze. I also have a list of weapons that would be most effective against Neuroi, and tech that would be of most benefit everywhere else. Made them just in case. Likely to be expensive in any quantity."
The captain nods. "What kinds of goods or magic are you most interested in?"
The captain nods. "What kinds of goods or magic are you most interested in?"
luminous_regnant
"Considering the situation I think we can consider some initial shipments foreign aid. It isn't overwhelmingly likely that you have any manufacturing that we need here in quantity, nor the means to effectively collect any natural resources we use; I'm more likely to be able to make effective use of creative works from your world, which will differ. I am definitely interested in the possibility of hiring more witches of your variety, though."
witchwatcher
"I'm quite sure you will find plenty of willing Witches, hopefully ones who are not in the middle of a term of service..."
"I'll buy out my contract if you insist," Gren says, "But I was cut off and had no hope of returning. And I probably just landed the UDF the mother of all force multipliers. I'm not going back into combat without a damn good reason."
The commander scowls and mutters 'coward' too low for any but the vampires to hear. "Yvette?"
"Take someone there or bring someone here to negotiate. Either way, good things."
"What do you think, Empress? Here or there?"
"I'll buy out my contract if you insist," Gren says, "But I was cut off and had no hope of returning. And I probably just landed the UDF the mother of all force multipliers. I'm not going back into combat without a damn good reason."
The commander scowls and mutters 'coward' too low for any but the vampires to hear. "Yvette?"
"Take someone there or bring someone here to negotiate. Either way, good things."
"What do you think, Empress? Here or there?"
luminous_regnant
Bella turns to Alice. "I take it you're drawing a complete blank."
"Yeah," winces Alice, "can't see anything in or after a visit to the other world."
"In that case I'd prefer to hold negotiations here."
"Yeah," winces Alice, "can't see anything in or after a visit to the other world."
"In that case I'd prefer to hold negotiations here."
witchwatcher
"I just get vague- feelings," Yvette pipes up, "But they never fail me. Even when folks change their minds. It's neat to meet another precog."
"At any rate, I'd like a piece of tech to serve as proof to get someone high enough up the chain to believe this."
A very bored-sounding Witch drawls, "Better show me where to land next time too."
"At any rate, I'd like a piece of tech to serve as proof to get someone high enough up the chain to believe this."
A very bored-sounding Witch drawls, "Better show me where to land next time too."
luminous_regnant
"Do you care what the piece of tech is, or can we just give you something convenient like a flashlight?"
witchwatcher
"Flashlight would be enough for a diplomat, but if you want to get the UDF opening negotiations in any kind of a hurry, it should be walkie-talkies or a gun or something similarly militarily obvious."
luminous_regnant
"Getting guns is a little legally complicated in Canada and we don't keep them around or have established channels for getting them... I'll have Razi pick up a walkie talkie set." She pulls out her phone and sends a text.
witchwatcher
"Morg, do you know if there's any shape changers in Suomus? Species changes could be really useful here if anyone can manage it."
"Not off the top of my head. UDF has witch directories, we can have them look it up."
"Not off the top of my head. UDF has witch directories, we can have them look it up."
luminous_regnant
"I'm perfectly happy to have appropriately vetted people turned into nonvenomous hybrids," says Bella. "That doesn't have the same containment problem."