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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
witchwatcher
Eventually they arrive at a little house and Kelly parks.
"Maggie and her mate probably don't want us in the house, and frankly it's mutual," Kelly says. "We can go with you if you want, but if you don't mind going and knocking yourself..."
"Maggie and her mate probably don't want us in the house, and frankly it's mutual," Kelly says. "We can go with you if you want, but if you don't mind going and knocking yourself..."
witchwatcher
"I don't mind. I can almost get the power from here, but that seems rude."
So she walks up and knocks.
So she walks up and knocks.
The door opens, revealing a short, redheaded vampire. "Eugh," she says, "I can smell the wolves from here. So you're this Grendyne person?"
"Mummy who's there?" asks a child's voice.
"Elsie sent a visitor," Maggie calls over her shoulder.
"Mummy who's there?" asks a child's voice.
"Elsie sent a visitor," Maggie calls over her shoulder.
witchwatcher
She's talking to a lie detector, so she carefully avoids pleasantries that might not be strictly true.
"Yes, I'm Grendyne and I've been sent to copy your power. I have it already, in fact. I probably won't replace you completely, since I'm limited in how often I can use copied powers, but I'll need to hang around for an hour or so to be sure I'll keep it and not need to disturb you again. Should I come in?"
"Yes, I'm Grendyne and I've been sent to copy your power. I have it already, in fact. I probably won't replace you completely, since I'm limited in how often I can use copied powers, but I'll need to hang around for an hour or so to be sure I'll keep it and not need to disturb you again. Should I come in?"
"Sure, why not. I don't actually work for the Coven on a regular basis, you know, I don't mind being replaced."
witchwatcher
"That's always a bit of a worry when I copy someone. Glad it's not an issue." She follows Maggie in.
"I play poker and adore my mate and bring up a half-pint, I don't require a career in listening to people try to fool me," snorts Maggie.
In the family room is a half-pint little girl making things with play-doh.
In the family room is a half-pint little girl making things with play-doh.
witchwatcher
"Hullo, half-pint. That stuff looks neat. Almost like Alexandrite clay."
"...I'm from a different world with less tech, got dropped here by a magical accident," She explains, mostly to Maggie.
"...I'm from a different world with less tech, got dropped here by a magical accident," She explains, mostly to Maggie.
"Play-doh isn't tech," says the half-pint. "It doesn't plug in walls."
"Molly, this is Grendyne," says Maggie. "She's got a magic-learning magic, sorta like Adalady, and she's learning to tell when people are lying from me."
"Molly, this is Grendyne," says Maggie. "She's got a magic-learning magic, sorta like Adalady, and she's learning to tell when people are lying from me."
witchwatcher
"Medicine is technology and it doesn't need wall electricity, right? I learn by being near her and smelling her power, then practicing it. It smells like pine trees, for some reason. I have no clue why powers smell how they do."
witchwatcher
"It would be more surprising if our synesthesia matched up, I think. There must be millions of possible combinations of smells, and millions of tastes. I get sounds too, sometimes, but not from yours."
Maggie shrugs, accepts a wad of play-doh from her child and responds to the command "fix it!" by smoothing and pinching it until it is a neater version of whatever it was shaped like, and returns it for further addenda.
witchwatcher
Gren telekinetically sculpts a little Witch, complete with old-fashioned flying broom and robes and pointy hat.
"I see why you like play-doh, Molly. Got any other neat toys?"
"I see why you like play-doh, Molly. Got any other neat toys?"
witchwatcher
"Well, I think play-doh is gonna stay my favorite for now."
Kids are cute, at least in small doses. She goes between glancing at Maggie and the play-doh until interrupted.
Kids are cute, at least in small doses. She goes between glancing at Maggie and the play-doh until interrupted.
Maggie keeps an eye on the half-pint, "fixes" play-doh creations on request, fetches Molly apple slices when Molly wants them and offers Gren an apple too, and otherwise plays computer poker with about a third of her attention.
witchwatcher
Gren accepts the apple.
After about 20 minutes, "Would one of you mind telling a silly little lie, just to make sure I've got this spell right?"
After about 20 minutes, "Would one of you mind telling a silly little lie, just to make sure I've got this spell right?"
witchwatcher
"Hah, yeah it's working. I think I've got it, your power is the kind that is, mm, well-defined. It's obviously messed up if I mess it up even a little, which helps me remember it better."
witchwatcher
"Yeah. It's a very clean and neat power, I like it. I'll be going, thanks for the apple and it was nice meeting you two."
witchwatcher
So she goes back out to the car. Along the way, [Shawn, could you say something true and also a lie? But don't say which is which. I want to see if I can use Maggie's power through this.]