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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
He does!
"Two things - armored silks, and a portal bag. The armored silks I haven't been able to test against gunfire, but they defend against arrows and daggers, certainly. A few spells, too, but it's impossible to protect against them all. The bag has a portal in it to a moveable slab - it can be used to transport things without actually carrying them on your person."
"Two things - armored silks, and a portal bag. The armored silks I haven't been able to test against gunfire, but they defend against arrows and daggers, certainly. A few spells, too, but it's impossible to protect against them all. The bag has a portal in it to a moveable slab - it can be used to transport things without actually carrying them on your person."
dark_light
"Mine are armored, if you want to see," Isabella says, "though by default they'll be black, the pretty colors were just Adarin having fun with my set."
The queen pulls out her dagger, and Isabella sticks her arm out. The queen prods (safely armored) areas, then puts the blade away and nods. "How many sets?" she asks. "And how many of the bags, are available?"
The queen pulls out her dagger, and Isabella sticks her arm out. The queen prods (safely armored) areas, then puts the blade away and nods. "How many sets?" she asks. "And how many of the bags, are available?"
prodigal_miser
"Nine sets of the silks. I've only made one portal bag. I can make more, but they're more costly, mana wise, so I was being economical."
(Adarin frowns, just a bit, when Isabella is poked with a dagger. He gets that she's safe, but it bothers him a little.)
(Adarin frowns, just a bit, when Isabella is poked with a dagger. He gets that she's safe, but it bothers him a little.)
dark_light
Path, unoccupied by queenly daemon, goes to Vern to reassure Adarin by cuddly proxy.
Isabella withdraws her arm. The queen nods again. "They'll last indefinitely?"
"If something does manage to physically destroy them, then no, but the magic doesn't expire," says Isabella, "if I understand correctly."
Isabella withdraws her arm. The queen nods again. "They'll last indefinitely?"
"If something does manage to physically destroy them, then no, but the magic doesn't expire," says Isabella, "if I understand correctly."
prodigal_miser
"They last indefinitely, unless destroyed - which is rather hard to do. I made them resistant to liquids and heat, along with pointy things. I suppose if you threw them into a volcano they wouldn't survive, but I tested a set in a campfire and they were fine."
dark_light
"The portal bags are a little less resilient," Isabella adds. "But they're still handy, I really love mine."
"I think we can get you five layers of casting for the nine silk sets and a portal bag, and probably more later at a similar rate of trade," the queen says.
"I think we can get you five layers of casting for the nine silk sets and a portal bag, and probably more later at a similar rate of trade," the queen says.
prodigal_miser
Adarin nods. "That sounds agreeable. I haven't made the portal to the place that will be warded, but I trust you to keep your word when I have. It's rather hard to reach except by teleportation or a portal."
dark_light
The queen raises an eyebrow.
Isabella glances at Adarin, then says, "It's on another planet. We've been there; it's safe."
"Ah," says the queen.
Isabella glances at Adarin, then says, "It's on another planet. We've been there; it's safe."
"Ah," says the queen.
prodigal_miser
Another nod. "I can explain the specifics of the place, if you would like? Along with what we're planning to do with the warded area, as well. Nothing harmful, I would just like to colonize the planet with people from my former home and don't want unsavory mages to be able to find it."
dark_light
"As long as it's outlined such that the casters can find it, I don't need an entire essay on the place," says the queen.
"I was planning to lead them around myself, do all the castings in the first batch in a row," says Isabella.
"I was planning to lead them around myself, do all the castings in the first batch in a row," says Isabella.
prodigal_miser
"Yes. If we need more places warded in the future and you've gotten enough portal bags, there are also other things I can make in exchange. I tend to specialize in persistently magical items. Shields, too, but that's less useful in this case."
dark_light
"I'll collect suggestions," says the queen, smiling slightly.
Isabella starts unpacking trade goods to hand over.
Isabella starts unpacking trade goods to hand over.
prodigal_miser
Adarin helps with unpacking. Once that's done, he gives a brief overview of the safeties of the portal bag. Essentially, try not to get the bag stuck in itself with the slab's portal, and how portals break if the surface they are on is damaged.
dark_light
The queen listens, then sends a passing witch (stark naked!) off with the objects to be stored somewhere.
prodigal_miser
He becomes interested in another passing cloud when the starclad witch passes by. Because he is still not comfortable with naked people. Other than that, he doesn't react.
"Thank you very much," he says sincerely.
"Thank you very much," he says sincerely.
prodigal_miser
So it does! Well, that was easy.
He addresses Isabella. "Home, or tour of clan lands while we're here?"
He addresses Isabella. "Home, or tour of clan lands while we're here?"
dark_light
"I think you'd mostly wind up looking at the clouds, if we toured the place," Isabella says. "But I'll show you around if you want."
prodigal_miser
"I will probably end up spending most of my time looking at clouds," agrees Adarin. "But I'm a little curious. Ana's spending most of her time here and you grew up mostly here, so..."
dark_light
"I actually grew up mostly in Charlie's house. I mean, I spent time here, I did my magic lessons and fighting lessons and some hanging out with Ranata's friends and extended family here, but I slept five nights of seven in a normal mortal house and I attended mortal school through tenth grade."
prodigal_miser
"Oh, well. Then touring depends on you. Do you want me to get used to starclad witches sooner, or later?"
dark_light
"Let's tour the place."
Isabella shows him around! It's big, and sparsely inhabited. There are some full-time residents, but most of the clan population is married at any given time and lives with husbands near or not so near - or just choose other dwellings for unrelated reasons, like Isabella's old teacher. There are houses, mostly against hillsides but one up a tree, and gardens for herbs and food intermittently tended, and while there's plenty of game, there's also a small domestic animal population even if you don't count the silkworms. There are rain barrels and uncultivated forest and fields, but only the central part with the most densely clustered installations has actual paths on the ground - witches get around by flying. Making a rough zigzag over the whole thing and pausing over the highlights takes about half an hour.
Isabella shows him around! It's big, and sparsely inhabited. There are some full-time residents, but most of the clan population is married at any given time and lives with husbands near or not so near - or just choose other dwellings for unrelated reasons, like Isabella's old teacher. There are houses, mostly against hillsides but one up a tree, and gardens for herbs and food intermittently tended, and while there's plenty of game, there's also a small domestic animal population even if you don't count the silkworms. There are rain barrels and uncultivated forest and fields, but only the central part with the most densely clustered installations has actual paths on the ground - witches get around by flying. Making a rough zigzag over the whole thing and pausing over the highlights takes about half an hour.
prodigal_miser
As predicted, Adarin spends a lot of the time looking at clouds.
When there aren't any naked witches present he quite enjoys the tour. He's a little confused as to why they would collect rain in barrels rather than using piping, but everything else seems to make sense. The lack of electricity (and the constant barrage of naked witches) makes him not want to live there, but it's perfectly nice to visit. It's interesting and has an aesthetic he can appreciate.
When there aren't any naked witches present he quite enjoys the tour. He's a little confused as to why they would collect rain in barrels rather than using piping, but everything else seems to make sense. The lack of electricity (and the constant barrage of naked witches) makes him not want to live there, but it's perfectly nice to visit. It's interesting and has an aesthetic he can appreciate.
dark_light
"So that's clan lands," concludes Isabella, when they are hovering over the beach. (There are naked witches, but they are mostly underwater, swimming around.)
prodigal_miser
"Thank you for showing me. Clan lands are lovely, though I don't think I'd want to live here."
(He is focusing on Isabella, rather than naked witches. She's prettier than the clouds.)
(He is focusing on Isabella, rather than naked witches. She's prettier than the clouds.)