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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
prodigal_miser
Adarin manages a little smile at her words. "That one thing will have lots of repercussions, you know. But - all right. I'll leave it up to you. You're the one getting introduced, and the one who had a grab attempt."
dark_light
"What kind of repercussions?" Isabella wonders. She transfers Path from her shoulder to her arms, where he is quite thoroughly shielded and can get more so in a heartbeat's reaction time.
prodigal_miser
"The usual. People throwing themselves at me on the streets," he says, dryly. "Maybe some attempts to poison you - all of which will fail, by the way."
prodigal_miser
"If it's a thing you want to try then I won't check your food and drink for it, if you prefer?"
dark_light
She laughs. "No, please do check it. I don't want to have to fly home for Earth food twice a day."
prodigal_miser
"Sure," he replies. "So, party, or no party?"
They are getting stared at. Everyone in the room's pretty sure that Adarin and Isabella are a thing, now. Technically true, but some of them are going to react badly.
They are getting stared at. Everyone in the room's pretty sure that Adarin and Isabella are a thing, now. Technically true, but some of them are going to react badly.
dark_light
Isabella glances around the room.
"A short party, I think, and then I'm going for a nice long fly."
She says that in the local language.
"A short party, I think, and then I'm going for a nice long fly."
She says that in the local language.
prodigal_miser
"Sure," says Adarin, in the same dialect.
During the party, nothing else quite as dramatic occurs. People give the daemons present a respectful distance, and lots of boring small talk is shared. Adarin is definitely hovering around Isabella, all paranoia and protectiveness. He's trying not to make it obvious, but it is, anyway.
Then at long last, the party ends. Guests depart, and they're left alone.
Adarin flops onto a couch and looks extremely tired. "Well that was a nightmare."
During the party, nothing else quite as dramatic occurs. People give the daemons present a respectful distance, and lots of boring small talk is shared. Adarin is definitely hovering around Isabella, all paranoia and protectiveness. He's trying not to make it obvious, but it is, anyway.
Then at long last, the party ends. Guests depart, and they're left alone.
Adarin flops onto a couch and looks extremely tired. "Well that was a nightmare."
dark_light
"A bit. I fly faster than any of the New Kystle magic types, right? If I open it up? And I imagine people tend not to teleport in midair."
prodigal_miser
"Yes to both," he replies. "Have fun, Isabella. Mirror me if there's any trouble."
dark_light
"I will. I'll be back in a few hours. I'm just going to soak up some of that nice night-side light."
She gives him a hug, and then fetches her cloudpine, and then rockets off, Path clinging to the silks that cross over her chest.
She gives him a hug, and then fetches her cloudpine, and then rockets off, Path clinging to the silks that cross over her chest.
prodigal_miser
Hug is returned!
Then Adarin curls up with Vern and talks, for a little while. It's been a long day.
Then Adarin curls up with Vern and talks, for a little while. It's been a long day.
There's a knock on the door.
"It's Enathira. I forgot my bag," calls the voice of Polite About Personal Space Visitor.
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.'