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Adarin's magic has some advantages over witchcraft, but it is imperfect. Still, over time, mana recovers, and in this time Metis's hospitality does not run out.
They watch Harry Potter, Adarin is introduced to Wikipedia, he makes the second thingamajig. Isabella interrogates her alethiometer.
It's kind of cryptic about whether she has to fear being a "crazy witch". But she's tentatively optimistic and still brainstorming new ways to format the question. (She complains about the alethiometer being bad at numbers and at "yes" and "no".)
It can, however, identify landmarks by referring to whatever they're named after. It's not so hard to interpret on the subject of where she may find a place to claim. She moves into it, Adarin in tow, Metis retained as a friendly advisor but apprenticeship terminated. The place has plumbing and a generator already; she gets satellite Internet for an entire half-day of spellcasting and collects a hand-me-down laptop from a mortal friend of her mother's. She sets up arrangements for building a nice big wall along the edge of a clearing on her appropriated property. It's a very busy couple of weeks.
Eventually she tries asking the alethiometer a fifteenth way whether she's prone to crazy witchitude. Whether she'd ever hurt someone she loved if they rejected her, or even threaten it.
The alethiometer says: love violence counter-to querent nature.
She's starting to get the hang of interpreting it, even if most of the practice has involved getting the addresses (via intersection and cardinal direction because it can't give her anything so useful as house number or latitude) and this is - this is pretty damn good.
This is good enough.
Of course, that's not all the answer she needs, is it?
Path goes looking for Vernaia.
dark_light
prodigal_miser
"Sure," he replies, leaving Vern where she is on the couch to get up and open it. Door opening occurs. She may now enter!
"Do you know where it is, or should I help look?"
"Do you know where it is, or should I help look?"
She glances around. "Well, I thought I did, but it's not there. That would be very kind of you..." She starts making a systematic search of the room. "So how did you meet - Isabella? Am I pronouncing that right?"
prodigal_miser
"You're pronouncing it correctly! I met her by accidentally interrupting her picnic. Travelling to her plane guarantees a daemon and she was kind enough to explain what was going on."
Adarin helps in searching for bag. Vern doesn't, she's all snuggly, on the couch. It's not like her location in comparison to the ground is great for finding bags that were probably left on a table, or something.
Adarin helps in searching for bag. Vern doesn't, she's all snuggly, on the couch. It's not like her location in comparison to the ground is great for finding bags that were probably left on a table, or something.
Enathira makes her way across the room and checks behind the couch.
And then, almost as though she has mistaken the kagu for her bag, she scoops Vernaia right up with her bare hands.
And then, almost as though she has mistaken the kagu for her bag, she scoops Vernaia right up with her bare hands.
prodigal_miser
The reaction is instantaneous. Adarin's eyes go wide, and he leans on a table in an attempt to stay up, but he doesn't manage it. He tumbles to the floor in a heap, breathing erratic and shallow.
"S-Stop, stop, stop, stopstopstopstop," he whimpers, slowly reducing in volume as he curls around himself and shudders.
In Enathira's arms, Vern's having a similar reaction. She makes a yelp sound, then starts whimpering and begging to be let go.
"S-Stop, stop, stop, stopstopstopstop," he whimpers, slowly reducing in volume as he curls around himself and shudders.
In Enathira's arms, Vern's having a similar reaction. She makes a yelp sound, then starts whimpering and begging to be let go.
Enathira pets the bird. "Sh-sh-sh I'm not going to hurt you," she soothes. "I wonder how long it takes to work...?"
prodigal_miser
Vernaia can't manage to squirm. She keens, and continues begging. "Let us go, stop, please stop it hurts it hurts you're too close you're too close stop!"
Adarin continues to be a heap on the floor. He's making a pathetic sound in his throat, like he's in pain, like he wants desperately to get away. "Vern, my Vern, stop, stop please stop-" he whimpers, barely audible.
He can't get to the mirror to Isabella. He doesn't have the brain power for it, right now. She's too close, she won't let go, it hurts, it hurts. So he can think of nothing else.
Adarin continues to be a heap on the floor. He's making a pathetic sound in his throat, like he's in pain, like he wants desperately to get away. "Vern, my Vern, stop, stop please stop-" he whimpers, barely audible.
He can't get to the mirror to Isabella. He doesn't have the brain power for it, right now. She's too close, she won't let go, it hurts, it hurts. So he can think of nothing else.
Enathira sits down. She's beginning to look kind of uncomfortable, like something hasn't gone quite according to plan, but not enough to let go. She sets her jaw and holds the bird.
prodigal_miser
The bird is held, to her dismay and agony.
She breaks down into sobbing, gibbering and begging to be let go in increasingly less coherence. At one point she attempts bargaining, but isn't lucid enough to manage anything than, "Please - please, we'll do anything, let us go-"
Adarin has nothing of value to contribute. He's incapable of saying anything but 'Vern' and 'stop.'
She breaks down into sobbing, gibbering and begging to be let go in increasingly less coherence. At one point she attempts bargaining, but isn't lucid enough to manage anything than, "Please - please, we'll do anything, let us go-"
Adarin has nothing of value to contribute. He's incapable of saying anything but 'Vern' and 'stop.'
"I - I didn't think it worked like this," says Enathira, squirming, "maybe it still works like I thought and just - takes a while, if I let you go now he'll kill me probably -"
prodigal_miser
Vern can't think of an argument to counter that. Maybe if she didn't have someone touching her she'd say that Adarin hasn't killed anyone in his life. But she does have someone touching her, so she can't think of what to say other than new and interesting ways to beg for her to stop.
It's probably not any consolation that after this has been going on for about half an hour, Enathira starts quietly crying.
prodigal_miser
None at all. Vern has been crying for far longer, and Adarin doesn't seem capable of doing anything other than shivering and whimpering for release anymore.
prodigal_miser
Adarin would have thought that there would be some kind of - of way to get used to this. Some way of coping, some way of doing anything other than being a wreck on the ground and pointlessly begging for this to stop.
But there isn't. It's fresh, every time, in his skull and in his soul. There is no escape from it, no quiet place to think. No way to regroup, or make a plan, or even just block it out and get over it.
He and his daemon can only keep begging, and suffering. That's all.
But there isn't. It's fresh, every time, in his skull and in his soul. There is no escape from it, no quiet place to think. No way to regroup, or make a plan, or even just block it out and get over it.
He and his daemon can only keep begging, and suffering. That's all.
dark_light
Probably nobody in the room is in a position to notice the sound of Isabella landing.
They might hear the magic doorbell, though.
Enathira does, and squeezes Vern tighter, startled.
They might hear the magic doorbell, though.
Enathira does, and squeezes Vern tighter, startled.
prodigal_miser
Adarin, for one, is not in a position to react to any sounds at all. Vern isn't, either, for that matter, but when she's squeezed she lets out another wail, followed by, "Letgoletgoletgo..."
It's possible that it could be heard, from outside.
It's possible that it could be heard, from outside.
dark_light
Path peers in the window, and immediately shouts to his witch.
She tries the door, but it doesn't work.
So she goes around to the window, and in fifteen seconds has a verse composed:
"Shatter quick the window glass,
So that through it I can pass -"
And she lays her hand on the window and it comes apart under her palm, and she has her bow strung and an arrow nocked moments later.
"Drop the bird by the count of three or get an arrow in your brain. One. Two."
Enathira flings Vernaia away from her and curls up in a ball, hands cupped over the back of her head, on the couch.
She tries the door, but it doesn't work.
So she goes around to the window, and in fifteen seconds has a verse composed:
"Shatter quick the window glass,
So that through it I can pass -"
And she lays her hand on the window and it comes apart under her palm, and she has her bow strung and an arrow nocked moments later.
"Drop the bird by the count of three or get an arrow in your brain. One. Two."
Enathira flings Vernaia away from her and curls up in a ball, hands cupped over the back of her head, on the couch.
prodigal_miser
Vernaia is flung - she hits the ground in a whimpering heap, sobbing and shivering. She lies there for a little while, before she manages to get up and start making her way to her mortal.
Adarin's reaction is a bit more immediate. He gasps in a breath that half-sounds like a whimper, and murmurs quietly, "Vern..."
There is no walking, in this condition. Not right now, not while his daemon's over there and she's just been held for what feels like an eternity. So, he crawls, and the soonest he possibly can - Vernaia is in his arms. She's sobbing, but Adarin can't seem to manage it, though he certainly looks like he wants to.
Adarin's reaction is a bit more immediate. He gasps in a breath that half-sounds like a whimper, and murmurs quietly, "Vern..."
There is no walking, in this condition. Not right now, not while his daemon's over there and she's just been held for what feels like an eternity. So, he crawls, and the soonest he possibly can - Vernaia is in his arms. She's sobbing, but Adarin can't seem to manage it, though he certainly looks like he wants to.
dark_light
Path... stays out of the house, for good reason. He can't exactly snuggle Vern while Adarin is doing it.
Isabella climbs awkwardly through the window and retrains her bow on Enathira. Just in case.
Isabella climbs awkwardly through the window and retrains her bow on Enathira. Just in case.