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Time passes.
Isabella's robot army cleans up the remaining robotic forces of their hated enemies without casualties, obligingly repurposes themselves for helping with infrastructure and explaining what she finds in the computer systems, and is generally convenient and helpful.
Adarin finishes the armor silk spell. Isabella's set are cosmetically special - mostly black, but with forest-green twining over the fabric and edged with pale blue as though she's been accumulating frost. In them, she looks almost more like a witch-garb-inspired runway model than a witch, but she loves them and promptly switches to wearing them all the time. (He asked if she wanted to wait till Christmas. She said no, and then teased him that he'd have to think of something else for Christmas.) He makes more, but doesn't pretty them up; they're for other people.
The portal network and the personnel helping with it expands. The hub building is operational on schedule and the surfaces with portals in them are moved there after being temporarily closed on their far ends. The price point starts dropping. Isabella's staff starts making progress on getting the necessary permissions to put portals in foreign countries. Isabella acquires ludicrous amounts of money; she's waiting for slightly more ludicrous amounts before she pays back her loan, though.
Zeviana and Luzia continue to get along famously without that much in the way of Serious Relationship Conversation. Zeviana does useful things for the clan and makes friends and generally fits right in. Ranata shows her interesting places on the Earth; with the help of her nepotism-based access pass to the portal network, this is mostly within the United States to start, though teleportation makes other continents more convenient to get to than they might otherwise be. Still, most of her time is spent on clan lands, which makes it at best inconvenient to scry on her from New Kystle.
Path continues to touch Adarin occasionally, briefly, especially if Isabella's off somewhere; he seems to do it mostly for a sort of check-in with the comfort it provides. Sometimes and apparently for separate reasons he will solicit extended petting, which seems to be more recreational than soothing (it's possible to tell mostly because of the way Isabella will go limp and smiley and heavy-lidded wherever she is in the room when this occurs). Vern doesn't touch Isabella again. Isabella is unbothered; she doesn't expect it.
dark_light
prodigal_miser
Once finished with the armored silk spell, Adarin tweaks it and figures out a way for it to extend to normal clothing. The attack on Path has made Adarin a bit more paranoid than usual, and so he ends up putting the same spell on several sets of clothing, and takes to wearing them.
He makes portals. He tinkers with his various projects, but these things take time and while he makes progress, they're not yet done. In the name of paranoia, he also makes several sets of armored silks - for Ranata, his sister, and his sister's - girlfriend? Or not? Adarin's not really sure. He thinks of her as such, anyway.
With an infrastructure in place, Adarin can start thinking of things to tackle before he can start poaching people from New Kystle and put them in a better place. Roads are mended, buildings are re-purposed, farms are set up, and things like plumbing and electricity are on the way to being installed.
It's around this time that Adarin gets the idea that since the colonists will all be in the same general area, he can get the entire place warded. Preferably by as many witches as possible.
So, to trade for their services - he makes lots of armored silk sets.
Then he goes and tells Isabella what he would like to do.
He makes portals. He tinkers with his various projects, but these things take time and while he makes progress, they're not yet done. In the name of paranoia, he also makes several sets of armored silks - for Ranata, his sister, and his sister's - girlfriend? Or not? Adarin's not really sure. He thinks of her as such, anyway.
With an infrastructure in place, Adarin can start thinking of things to tackle before he can start poaching people from New Kystle and put them in a better place. Roads are mended, buildings are re-purposed, farms are set up, and things like plumbing and electricity are on the way to being installed.
It's around this time that Adarin gets the idea that since the colonists will all be in the same general area, he can get the entire place warded. Preferably by as many witches as possible.
So, to trade for their services - he makes lots of armored silk sets.
Then he goes and tells Isabella what he would like to do.
dark_light
"You'd get a better rate of exchange if we were having a war, but you can probably trade a couple sets of armored silks for one ward around an area not in excess of the clan lands in size," says Isabella, "if we supply the herbs, anyway, and I can buy them no problem at this point."
prodigal_miser
"I can probably also think of things they'd like, but this was the project that was most recent, so... It seemed kind of obvious. Is there anything else that I can do that they'd probably be interested in?"
dark_light
"You could ask Zeviana what they've been getting her to do, but you're pretty differently specialized... I think portal bags would be popular."
prodigal_miser
"I can make a few portal bags, before I go making deals with witches, then. Or possibly just one, to demonstrate - then ask how many they'd like."
dark_light
"They'll take credit from you, I think, you aren't some random scammer."
prodigal_miser
"Then just one will do, I think. It shouldn't take long for just a single portal bag. Do you want to come with me to visit when I go?"
dark_light
"I think so, yes. I can show you around and shield your eyes when there are naked witches."
prodigal_miser
"Thanks. I'm going to end up making a fool of myself no matter what I do, I'm guessing now."
dark_light
"There, there." She pats his arm. "I am sure you will do so adorably."
prodigal_miser
He gives her a peck, then heads off to make another portal bag. This one's not quite as lovingly made as Isabella's, but it's sturdy and the slab that it's paired to gets a few improvements on weight.
Soon enough, he's finished it and goes to get Isabella. "Well, I finished the portal bag, so I'm ready to go visit the clan lands. Let me know when you're ready."
Soon enough, he's finished it and goes to get Isabella. "Well, I finished the portal bag, so I'm ready to go visit the clan lands. Let me know when you're ready."
dark_light
"I can text the lawyers on the way there, no problem." She has been using her new liquidity in exciting ways to buy things like a wrist strap for her phone, so it won't matter if she loses her grip a few hundred yards in the air. "Unless you mean to teleport the entire way instead of just portaling to Seattle?"
prodigal_miser
Adarin looks amused. "Well they're our portals, we might as well use them. I like flying, anyway."
"It's fun!" pipes up Vern.
"It's fun!" pipes up Vern.
dark_light
Isabella gives him a peck, and to the portal hub they go. There are people, mostly the kind of people who wear suits but a few people who are rich for software reasons and wearing jeans and t-shirts, going hither and thither. They portal to Seattle, depart the parking garage out the open part of the wall, and proceed clanward. Isabella texts-and-flies, but Path keeps an eye on her trajectory for her.
And here is the Olympic clan territory!
And here is the Olympic clan territory!
prodigal_miser
Unfortunately he needs both parts of the portal bag, so he can't stash the armored silks in it and not have to carry everything. To compensate, he uses several silks as a sling to carry the portal bag and the remaining silks. It's not like they're going to tear.
But once that's taken care of, he enjoys the flight. He doesn't read over her shoulder about her texts, but he does occasionally nuzzle. Because he loves her and this is nice.
But once that's taken care of, he enjoys the flight. He doesn't read over her shoulder about her texts, but he does occasionally nuzzle. Because he loves her and this is nice.
dark_light
Isabella approves of nuzzling!
She lands near the middle of the territory, where the queen is likeliest to be, but she's not there. There is, however, a naked witch! She's just sort of lounging around, mallard daemon sitting on her midsection.
She lands near the middle of the territory, where the queen is likeliest to be, but she's not there. There is, however, a naked witch! She's just sort of lounging around, mallard daemon sitting on her midsection.
prodigal_miser
Adarin tries not to make a big deal of it. He's really trying. Despite his best efforts, though - he looks a bit uncomfortable. Not that he's going to let that stop him.
He starts inspecting a really interesting cloud and says a friendly, "Hello."
He starts inspecting a really interesting cloud and says a friendly, "Hello."
dark_light
"Hi," says the lounging witch. "You're probably Zeviana's brother. Are you looking for her? I think she's with Luzia, possibly even interruptable."
prodigal_miser
"Good guess. I'll go looking for her in a little while, but I am actually looking for your queen."
He is still inspecting that cloud. Look at it, so fluffy and made of water vapor.
He is still inspecting that cloud. Look at it, so fluffy and made of water vapor.
dark_light
"I don't know where the queen is right now, sorry," says the lounging witch.
"He's so uptight," giggles her duck.
Isabella floats her cloudpine again, floating. "We can look from the air for somebody who might know," she tells her boyfriend.
"He's so uptight," giggles her duck.
Isabella floats her cloudpine again, floating. "We can look from the air for somebody who might know," she tells her boyfriend.
prodigal_miser
"Thank you for your help, anyway. Have a nice day," he says, blushing a bit at the duck's commentary. Nope, he is not looking at that naked witch.
Then they're in the air! "Yeah. If nothing else we can give Ranata, Zeviana, and Luzia sets of silks so their safety's guaranteed. I made sets for them before I thought about trading them for wards."
Then they're in the air! "Yeah. If nothing else we can give Ranata, Zeviana, and Luzia sets of silks so their safety's guaranteed. I made sets for them before I thought about trading them for wards."
dark_light
"We'll eventually find the queen. She doesn't travel much and her family tends to bring her all her food that she gets off the lands. I'll call Ranata, maybe she knows."
Below them is lovely Pacific Northwestern foliage and some unassuming little witch buildings and some witches, some naked and some not.
Dial dial. "Hi mom! Me and Adarin are looking for the queen, but we also want to talk to Zeviana - and Luzia, too, sure, and you - in person, we have presents! Mm-hm. Okay, on our way." Isabella hangs up and turns. "Mom doesn't know where the queen is but she knows where she is and where your sister and her - whatever Luzia is to her - are."
Below them is lovely Pacific Northwestern foliage and some unassuming little witch buildings and some witches, some naked and some not.
Dial dial. "Hi mom! Me and Adarin are looking for the queen, but we also want to talk to Zeviana - and Luzia, too, sure, and you - in person, we have presents! Mm-hm. Okay, on our way." Isabella hangs up and turns. "Mom doesn't know where the queen is but she knows where she is and where your sister and her - whatever Luzia is to her - are."
prodigal_miser
Adarin continues to not look at any naked people. He is really interested in the clouds. Also sometimes the trees, or the houses, just for a change of pace.
"We can go meet her, then," agrees Adarin. "And find my sister and Luzia with her help, handing out presents. Then we can tour and look for the queen if they don't know where she is?"
"We can go meet her, then," agrees Adarin. "And find my sister and Luzia with her help, handing out presents. Then we can tour and look for the queen if they don't know where she is?"