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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
luminous_regnant
Razi pops in with walkie-talkies, drops them in their packaging into Bella's hands, and then disappears again.
"Gren, perhaps you should introduce us to your friends," remarks Bella, offering the package to her.
"Gren, perhaps you should introduce us to your friends," remarks Bella, offering the package to her.
witchwatcher
"Captain Morgana McAllister here is the overall commander of the 42nd wing. She's a tracker. Yvette Polska is precognitive. Lytee Normanson is the fabled inter-world teleporter. Miyako Mio has enhanced vision."
luminous_regnant
"So you work between worlds, Yvette? How good's your vision, Miyako?" wonders Alice.
witchwatcher
"I guess I work between worlds? I predicted that our rescue mission would be confusing but ultimately good, so there's that. It sounds like you get actual visions. I get feelings about plans and that's it."
Mio glances at a compass, then around her. She says, "I have distance and object-piercing vision, not any great detail. For example, there is a bear 9.3 miles at 279 degrees heading from here, but I cannot tell if it is male or female."
Mio glances at a compass, then around her. She says, "I have distance and object-piercing vision, not any great detail. For example, there is a bear 9.3 miles at 279 degrees heading from here, but I cannot tell if it is male or female."
luminous_regnant
"Ooh, you see through things, we can't do that," says Alice. "And yeah, I get actual visions, no sound though, and I have blind spots."
witchwatcher
Lytee pipes up, "Anybody gonna give me a better spot to aim for next time? I had to adjust at the last moment to keep us from appearing inside a wall or each other. I would prefer to not have to do that again, if possible."
luminous_regnant
"While we're at this capital site you can land outside, as long as you're prepared for the cold. We can show you," says Bella, and she leads the witches out of doors.
witchwatcher
"This'll do. Thanks. Can't go yet, though, emergency adjustment on a big port is like getting punched in the gut."
"I'll fetch my charged gold," Gren reports, "Be back in a few minutes if Shawn doesn't mind running me."
The captain says, "The diplomats will probably want to meet outside of your husband's range, if possible. Any ettiquite or customs they should know?"
"I'll fetch my charged gold," Gren reports, "Be back in a few minutes if Shawn doesn't mind running me."
The captain says, "The diplomats will probably want to meet outside of your husband's range, if possible. Any ettiquite or customs they should know?"
luminous_regnant
"As long as they don't mind waiting a moment for Alice to evaluate the situation, being out of my husband's range is acceptable."
(Shawn wolfs again to run Gren.)
"We're fairly casual for most purposes. Vampires present can and will hold multiple parallel conversation threads above the range of human hearing too rapidly for humans to follow simultaneously with the audible conversation, which you might want to know in advance. If there are wolves present, it is of utmost importance that everyone avoid any appearance of threatening their imprints, such as Gren or my daughter. Vampires have comparable attachments but are less likely to consider our mates relevantly vulnerable so it's less of a concern. Some of the species we have here age oddly and we've made some cultural structures around that which may seem odd, but which I assure you make sense under our circumstances. Vampires don't sleep, and you'd have trouble blending in in a human town even if we got you hotel rooms, and putting female humans near wolves does run the risk of more imprintings, which risk you may take assuming you can be individually trusted not to misuse wolves you may acquire but which should be considered carefully and with full information. The bottleneck in transit means that it would be most convenient to speak to someone who is at least almost as authorized as I am to make agreements, but you're probably in more of a hurry than we are so if that's inconvenient it can be dispensed with."
(Shawn wolfs again to run Gren.)
"We're fairly casual for most purposes. Vampires present can and will hold multiple parallel conversation threads above the range of human hearing too rapidly for humans to follow simultaneously with the audible conversation, which you might want to know in advance. If there are wolves present, it is of utmost importance that everyone avoid any appearance of threatening their imprints, such as Gren or my daughter. Vampires have comparable attachments but are less likely to consider our mates relevantly vulnerable so it's less of a concern. Some of the species we have here age oddly and we've made some cultural structures around that which may seem odd, but which I assure you make sense under our circumstances. Vampires don't sleep, and you'd have trouble blending in in a human town even if we got you hotel rooms, and putting female humans near wolves does run the risk of more imprintings, which risk you may take assuming you can be individually trusted not to misuse wolves you may acquire but which should be considered carefully and with full information. The bottleneck in transit means that it would be most convenient to speak to someone who is at least almost as authorized as I am to make agreements, but you're probably in more of a hurry than we are so if that's inconvenient it can be dispensed with."
witchwatcher
Morgana replies, "They'll send someone important, I'll make sure of it. You probably want to keep all of us away from unimprinted wolves until some of this is sorted out. Thanks for the information."
She helps Miyako write up summaries until Gren returns with jewlery. Then they report an estimated return time of 6 hours when they depart to find the Witches who declined to be near Edward.
She helps Miyako write up summaries until Gren returns with jewlery. Then they report an estimated return time of 6 hours when they depart to find the Witches who declined to be near Edward.
luminous_regnant
"Do you want someone to go with you? It's not likely that you'll encounter anyone around here, but it's not impossible and there are enough wolves around that Alice isn't a guarantee against it."
witchwatcher
There is an uneventful trip though the woods.
When the group is regrouped, Lytee asks, "You two coming with us?"
When the group is regrouped, Lytee asks, "You two coming with us?"
luminous_regnant
"No thanks," says Alice. "Negotiations on this end. Probably until Bella can hire an interdimensional teleporter who reports direct to her."
witchwatcher
She shrugs. "I wouldn't mind working for vampires if you pay me. You can probably buy out my enlistment contract. Later."
Ignoring the looks from her squad, she disappears.
Seven and a half hours later, she's back with Morgana, Yvette, one unfamiliar witch, and a bunch of older, diplomat-looking people in the designated landing spot.
Ignoring the looks from her squad, she disappears.
Seven and a half hours later, she's back with Morgana, Yvette, one unfamiliar witch, and a bunch of older, diplomat-looking people in the designated landing spot.
her_imperial_radiance
Bella, Elspeth, Alice, Jasper, and Jacob are waiting, along with Gren and Shawn.
witchwatcher
The diplomats introduce themselves with only medium amounts of self-importance. They are apparently empowered to make short term agreements, but do not have final say on long term treaties.
The extra Witch is Lina. She can change a person's physical sex and might be able to alter species in a similar way. Gren looks at her and announces, "Yeah, she has a good chance of managing it, and she can undo anything she screws up."
The extra Witch is Lina. She can change a person's physical sex and might be able to alter species in a similar way. Gren looks at her and announces, "Yeah, she has a good chance of managing it, and she can undo anything she screws up."
luminous_regnant
How much to buy out your enlistment contract? inquires Elspeth of Lytee alone.
"Hello, Lina. Please be advised that if you turn anyone into a vampire when they are not expecting it - and they should not be expecting it - they will probably eat you before they have a chance to think twice, in addition to all the other reasons you shouldn't do it."
"Hello, Lina. Please be advised that if you turn anyone into a vampire when they are not expecting it - and they should not be expecting it - they will probably eat you before they have a chance to think twice, in addition to all the other reasons you shouldn't do it."
witchwatcher
Lina looks young, even for a Witch. She might be 13 or 14. "I won't. They gaesed me not to use it anymore, unless I'm told. Even though Lisa said she wanted to see what being a boy is like. Didn't know she'd lose her magic."
The diplomats are mildly annoyed that they're being ignored for a criminal, and say so. They also say she's lying. Gren has Lina repeat herself, and finds Lina lying about consent but telling the truth about everything else. Lina scowls at her.
(Lytee makes a 'wait' motion at Elspeth.)
The diplomats are mildly annoyed that they're being ignored for a criminal, and say so. They also say she's lying. Gren has Lina repeat herself, and finds Lina lying about consent but telling the truth about everything else. Lina scowls at her.
(Lytee makes a 'wait' motion at Elspeth.)
luminous_regnant
"Well, the advice applies to your handlers, as well, who might have been well advised to mention up front that they were bringing a geased convict to interdimensional negotiations. I don't object in principle from a safety perspective as long as the geas is sound."
witchwatcher
The lead diplomat steps forward. "My apologies. This whole thing was... Hastily planned. Captain McAllister said you had a copier, and that this magic would be useful here. And she is under a gaes. Considering your claim of governance over all vampires we have no plans to introduce them to our world until a permanent treaty can be worked out."
luminous_regnant
"Of course."
Treaty negotiations ensue. Elspeth pitches in explanations of various local things as footnotes to everything said; Jasper monitors the emotional situation and Alice checks future possibilities on an as-needed basis as much as she can around Elspeth and the wolves; Shawn hovers near Gren protectively and Jacob does the same with his imprint much less conspicuously.
Treaty negotiations ensue. Elspeth pitches in explanations of various local things as footnotes to everything said; Jasper monitors the emotional situation and Alice checks future possibilities on an as-needed basis as much as she can around Elspeth and the wolves; Shawn hovers near Gren protectively and Jacob does the same with his imprint much less conspicuously.
witchwatcher
With all these powers, the diplomats can't exactly negotiate to their own advantage. They respond by attaching expiration dates to everything in about a year.
The end result looks a lot like 'the UDF recognizes the Golden Coven as legitimate sovereign ruler over supernatural creatures other than Strike Witches and will follow the relevant laws. The Golden Coven agrees not to invade or interfere with the UDF without good cause.' With some legal preparations for interdimensional trade on the side.
The end result looks a lot like 'the UDF recognizes the Golden Coven as legitimate sovereign ruler over supernatural creatures other than Strike Witches and will follow the relevant laws. The Golden Coven agrees not to invade or interfere with the UDF without good cause.' With some legal preparations for interdimensional trade on the side.
luminous_regnant
All of which is agreeable to both parties, that being the entire point of a treaty.