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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
dark_light
"Believe me, if you can crank out enough portals to replace even a single percent of airline traffic, you're golden, and I think you can top that."
prodigal_miser
"If they're all inside one plane? Oh yes. But if that avenue of magical capitalism dries up, I have other options. Portal-bags, the mirrors, illusions, translation spells, fancy lights, magic doors for security... I have lots of options."
dark_light
"I don't think any of those are as lucrative as portals. They're great, but they're sort of - consumer gadgets, and keeping up with the volume you'd need for fuck-you money would be really hard even if you weren't mana-limited at all. Portals are fantastic for volume and offer a huge leg up from plane traffic."
prodigal_miser
"Oh, I agree, but they're alternative options and I don't like putting all of my eggs in one basket."
dark_light
"Hey, is this a meeting-each-other's-families kind of relationship or just a sex and world domination thing?"
prodigal_miser
"Well. I think you're the most amazing woman I've ever met and while I enjoy both the sex and the world domination, I like being with you for you, so my vote goes to the first."
Pause. "Though if it's the second, I'll understand."
But he sounds sad.
Pause. "Though if it's the second, I'll understand."
But he sounds sad.
dark_light
"...Goddesses all, you poor thing, I was angling for the first thing, I just didn't want to be all pressure-y. I was just thinking I haven't seen my parents in a while."
prodigal_miser
Happy grin, little gentle kiss. "That's adorable, and I'm happy to meet any of your family members at any time you like. You can meet my sister, eventually, when a trip to New Kystle seems like a good idea."
prodigal_miser
"I am expecting to remain on Earth for most of the time because it's better here, with occasional visits to New Kystle to do important things," he informs her, brightly. "But honestly, screw politics. I'm officially sick of it after my four year term of suffering, they can get over themselves and throw their own parties."
prodigal_miser
Snuggle snuggle. "Also, you're here. So..."
He awkwardly trails off, then makes a little embarrassed grin.
He awkwardly trails off, then makes a little embarrassed grin.
dark_light
"You succeed. You are awesome. Ranata will love you. Charlie will make vague threatening remarks but will probably also love you."
prodigal_miser
Adarin giggles. "Vaguely threatening remarks? I'm going to need to call him sir, aren't I."
prodigal_miser
"Alright. I'll call him sir to be safe, then."
He pauses, then thinks. "Oh, Zeviana's going to be ecstatic that I'm leaving politics. If we tell her you convinced me, she might hug you."
He pauses, then thinks. "Oh, Zeviana's going to be ecstatic that I'm leaving politics. If we tell her you convinced me, she might hug you."