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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.
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dark_light
dark_light
"Oh," says Isabella, "I was given a partial guest list in advance, but I don't have it fully memorized; I was filling in a gap in my information."
prodigal_miser
"Uh huh," says the blonde.
She tilts her head. "Nice bird. Looks fluffy."
"Do not pet him," Adarin says, immediately.
She tilts her head. "Nice bird. Looks fluffy."
"Do not pet him," Adarin says, immediately.
dark_light
Isabella takes an alarmed step away. "Don't touch him."
"Don't ever," hisses Path, feathers standing on end.
"Don't ever," hisses Path, feathers standing on end.
prodigal_miser
"Why's-"
"Because I said so," Adarin growls, stepping between the two in a very protective manner. He is not letting anyone touch Path without Path and Isabella's expressed permission. No.
Lenora raises an eyebrow. Then she shrugs, raises he hands, and - backs off. She goes off elsewhere in the party. That was certainly an interesting thing to learn - usually, Adarin's not quite so directly threatening. Now she's curious.
In an undertone in English, Adarin says softly, "I'm going to stay near you. She could try something, and I hope you don't mind but I'm going to make sure she doesn't manage anything."
"Because I said so," Adarin growls, stepping between the two in a very protective manner. He is not letting anyone touch Path without Path and Isabella's expressed permission. No.
Lenora raises an eyebrow. Then she shrugs, raises he hands, and - backs off. She goes off elsewhere in the party. That was certainly an interesting thing to learn - usually, Adarin's not quite so directly threatening. Now she's curious.
In an undertone in English, Adarin says softly, "I'm going to stay near you. She could try something, and I hope you don't mind but I'm going to make sure she doesn't manage anything."
dark_light
"I could just send Path out, away somewhere...? I didn't really grasp till just now how thoroughly people here might not get it; you picked it up quick."
prodigal_miser
He manages a little tiny smile. "You sounded very serious about it when you told me. I'm also not in the habit of brushing off possible results, even if they sound bizarre. You can send Path away, but be careful where - Lenora's good at teleportation. He might be safer here."
prodigal_miser
Adarin winces. He leans over and says very quietly, "Isabella, I'll keep him - and you safe. You have nothing to worry about."
He looks like he means it.
He looks like he means it.
dark_light
"Thanks," says Isabella weakly.
Someone else - a respectful personal-space bubble away from all present - approaches. "Excuse me, but I don't think I understand. Why is it so bad to touch the birds? They don't look fragile."
Someone else - a respectful personal-space bubble away from all present - approaches. "Excuse me, but I don't think I understand. Why is it so bad to touch the birds? They don't look fragile."
prodigal_miser
There is a snark that Adarin wants to say, but he doesn't - it would be mean to a random bystander that had nothing to do with why he's angry.
"It's not a fragility problem, it's... Hard to explain, though. Isabella? You know more about it than I."
"It's not a fragility problem, it's... Hard to explain, though. Isabella? You know more about it than I."
dark_light
"Well, it's never happened to me either, but if it's the wrong person, it - hurts. There are minimal allowances where I'm from, for accidents, emergencies, preverbal children - but doing it on purpose is worse than rape, by most reckonings - because the only motive is pure malice. Outside of - dearest intimacy."
"Oh," says the guest, nodding understanding. "So for some people it's all right...?"
"For some people. I don't personally know anyone who does it, or at least not so they'd tell me. My parents are careful around each other's daemons, even."
"Oh," says the guest, nodding understanding. "So for some people it's all right...?"
"For some people. I don't personally know anyone who does it, or at least not so they'd tell me. My parents are careful around each other's daemons, even."
prodigal_miser
Adarin's only partially paying attention to the conversation. He's probably being paranoid, but - Isabella kind of just said it was worse than rape, so he thinks it's allowed, in this case. He is reminded just why he is paranoid shortly after.
Lenora's never been huge on 'morality.' Not to mention, she hasn't actually heard this conversation, so she doesn't get exactly what she's trying to do. She teleports, anyway, close to Isabella, and she reaches out to touch the daemon -
- Adarin snatches her arm mid-way, twisting it enough to cause her to yelp. Path is safe from touching.
"Do not touch him," he growls. "Try it again, and I will break your arm."
Lenora's never been huge on 'morality.' Not to mention, she hasn't actually heard this conversation, so she doesn't get exactly what she's trying to do. She teleports, anyway, close to Isabella, and she reaches out to touch the daemon -
- Adarin snatches her arm mid-way, twisting it enough to cause her to yelp. Path is safe from touching.
"Do not touch him," he growls. "Try it again, and I will break your arm."
dark_light
Path, frightened in spite of the last-second rescue, shrieks - it's an animal noise that belongs in a pitch-dark forest full of wolves.
Isabella steps back, stumbles, and falls.
Isabella steps back, stumbles, and falls.
prodigal_miser
Lenora's so stunned by threats of physical violence that she looks utterly bewildered, amused, and curious all at the same time.
Adarin startles a little at Path's shriek - he glances away from Lenora, spots Isabella, and reacts accordingly. Isabella's safety is the entire reason for the threats, and he's not so attached to them to let her fall for the sake of proving a point. He releases the arm, then jumps to catch Isabella, and succeeds.
The result is rather like an hour or two earlier, when he was about to kiss her.
Adarin startles a little at Path's shriek - he glances away from Lenora, spots Isabella, and reacts accordingly. Isabella's safety is the entire reason for the threats, and he's not so attached to them to let her fall for the sake of proving a point. He releases the arm, then jumps to catch Isabella, and succeeds.
The result is rather like an hour or two earlier, when he was about to kiss her.
dark_light
Except for the part where Isabella is trying to catch her breath from having been recently threatened, instead of gazing up at him with sparkling eyes? Very like.
Path's talons are digging into her shoulder hard enough that she'd be bleeding if she didn't have a protective spell for exactly this on her.
She hauls herself to her feet with Adarin's help.
Path's talons are digging into her shoulder hard enough that she'd be bleeding if she didn't have a protective spell for exactly this on her.
She hauls herself to her feet with Adarin's help.
prodigal_miser
"Are you alright?" he asks her, breaking from checking over her in worry to give Lenora death glares.
He doesn't think to switch to English.
He doesn't think to switch to English.
dark_light
"I'm fine," she replies. "Just spooked. She didn't touch him."
prodigal_miser
"Good," he says.
Back to being threatening, then.
"Lenora-"
"You threatened physical violence! You never do that!" she says, stunned.
Adarin rolls his eyes. "Yes, you're correct. So consider it a blessing that I'm going to politely ask you to leave, now."
"Sure," shrugs Lenora. "Worth it to see you lose it. Bye, fluffy-bird woman!"
She waves, and then - she walks out.
Back to being threatening, then.
"Lenora-"
"You threatened physical violence! You never do that!" she says, stunned.
Adarin rolls his eyes. "Yes, you're correct. So consider it a blessing that I'm going to politely ask you to leave, now."
"Sure," shrugs Lenora. "Worth it to see you lose it. Bye, fluffy-bird woman!"
She waves, and then - she walks out.
dark_light
"Wow," says the other guest, the one who is still politely standing back.
"I foresee a problem with immigration and tourism," mutters Isabella, dusting herself off from the fall.
"I foresee a problem with immigration and tourism," mutters Isabella, dusting herself off from the fall.
prodigal_miser
"Indeed," sighs Adarin.
Vern trills a little. Adarin pets her, soothingly.
He switches to English, "Should we just end the party there and blame it on Lenora's rudeness?"
Vern trills a little. Adarin pets her, soothingly.
He switches to English, "Should we just end the party there and blame it on Lenora's rudeness?"
prodigal_miser
"I wouldn't say so, after that little drama, but if you'd rather not take the chance I don't blame you."
dark_light
"Are there going to be dreadful social repercussions if you do end it...?"
prodigal_miser
"Nope. Pretty sure there's going to be rumors about us sleeping together no matter what we do, now."
He says this matter-of-factly.
He says this matter-of-factly.
dark_light
"Oh no. How dreadful. Stop them. I cannot bear it," says Isabella. "Those weren't the repercussions I meant." She shakes her head. "I'm pretty much recovered, but I can't claim I'll stay that way if anybody makes a second grab, let alone a successful one."