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May and Isabella write Joel the white stag leader of the Christina Lake Regional Avalon. He is surprised. When he calms down, he has some suggested tweaks, which they make, and then they start envelope stuffing, a task accomplished substantially with magic.
They include, after some deliberation, a fundraising scheme: Isabella can heal people and they're planning to run around visiting lots of Avalons. If anyone would like them to visit their Avalon sooner rather than later, they can bid on the privilege, and while they're anywhere Isabella will heal needy parties. (They suspect, but have no affordances to test immediately, that May might be able to soak up some of the side effects of the healing, like an eaten spell. They mean to find this out as soon as possible.)
Before they mail out the final letters, it occurs to May to call her friends back in Toronto. She starts with Alli.
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maybeso
lyonhearted
"Have fun, winged ones. I'll be locating the best sunbathing spot. Block my sun and be glared at." She shifts fullform.
maybeso
And likewise dragon wings. Up go Isabella and May, wingspans prohibiting handholding but not synchronized flight.
Father O'Brien has been feeling much better. He has met the soulless; he has met angels. (Not very many of either, thank the heavens; both were unsettling in very different ways.) And Isabella is- well, she's a teenager. Right down to the attitude. Comforted, he calls his superior. "Your Eminence, thank you for-"
He's cut off. "Father. Have you talked to the unnatural one?"
He sighs. "Yes, but she's not-"
"Is it true? Her origin?"
"I suppose, but-"
"And what of her soul? Is she a believer?"
"Well, no, but-"
"What, precisely, did she say?"
Father O'Brien winces at the memory. "That God is neither morally defensible nor empirically plausible, but really-"
"Thank you." The phone clicks.
Father O'Brien glares at the receiver, thinking decidedly unChristian thoughts. Cut him off like that, indeed!
He's cut off. "Father. Have you talked to the unnatural one?"
He sighs. "Yes, but she's not-"
"Is it true? Her origin?"
"I suppose, but-"
"And what of her soul? Is she a believer?"
"Well, no, but-"
"What, precisely, did she say?"
Father O'Brien winces at the memory. "That God is neither morally defensible nor empirically plausible, but really-"
"Thank you." The phone clicks.
Father O'Brien glares at the receiver, thinking decidedly unChristian thoughts. Cut him off like that, indeed!
revivian
For the most part, Vivian can work from anywhere. Most of runecasting is just drawing and speaking, after all. And she likes seeing Isabella so happy. But she misses her home, and her friends, and her workshop, and there's a rally coming up she wants to attend, and a couple of her old clients are calling, and- well. She can't really put it off much more. So, after two weeks, she apologetically hustles her daughter back to San Francisco.
The day after they land, two priests arrive in San Francisco. They are tall, solemn looking men, with a large black bag dragged behind them. They are quiet and efficient and are shortly checked into a small, out of the way hotel not far from the Suns' house.
The next day, after Vivian has left for Avalon, there is a knock on the door.
The day after they land, two priests arrive in San Francisco. They are tall, solemn looking men, with a large black bag dragged behind them. They are quiet and efficient and are shortly checked into a small, out of the way hotel not far from the Suns' house.
The next day, after Vivian has left for Avalon, there is a knock on the door.
shesepankh
Isabella misses her girlfriend. This is annoying. They email constantly and are planning to move in together as soon as this is feasible, probably during college if they can manage to go to the same one, so that this sort of thing can't happen anymore.
In the meantime, May's in school and Isabella goes to answer the door.
In the meantime, May's in school and Isabella goes to answer the door.
The two men are standing there, looking stern and unsmiling. "Is this the Sun residence?"
The taller one reaches into his pocket for a piece of paper. The closest edge shows what are clearly runes drawn on it. "Statim dormi!"
shesepankh
Isabella doesn't even have time to blink in confusion before she slumps against the doorframe and to the ground.
They had waited to knock until no one was visibly outside, but you can't be too cautious. They bundle her up carefully, then arrange her so they can carry her out between them without looking too obviously like they're carrying her. And then they're all in their car and returning to their hotel.
Once they arrive, they begin setting up. One ties Isabella securely to the bedframe, while the other stands over the runes inscribed around its base and begins chanting in Latin.
Once they arrive, they begin setting up. One ties Isabella securely to the bedframe, while the other stands over the runes inscribed around its base and begins chanting in Latin.
The chanting priest keeps chanting, but the other one looks at her dispassionately. "Quiet, demon. This shall be over soon."
"A simple exorcism to return you to Dis. Now, cease."
The second man finishes his chanting, and smiles with satisfaction as the spell takes hold. "The suppression is done. Shall we?"
And they start unloading their bag. Crosses, holy water, Bibles- they came prepared.
The second man finishes his chanting, and smiles with satisfaction as the spell takes hold. "The suppression is done. Shall we?"
And they start unloading their bag. Crosses, holy water, Bibles- they came prepared.
shesepankh
"The what is done? I'm not a demon! I've never been to Dis!" Her medallion is suppressed with everything else; the restraints are abruptly too snug. "Ow - you're cutting off my circulation -"
The closer one frowns. "Your lies will gain you no sympathy, demon. If you quit your host, this can all be over."
The other priest has opened his Bible and begun to chant again. Most of what he's saying is Bible verses read aloud in Latin, but there's loose leaf sheets poking out from the book, he clearly has supplementary notes. After the first few sentences, he picks up one of the crosses and holds it out over Isabella, still chanting rhythmically.
The other priest has opened his Bible and begun to chant again. Most of what he's saying is Bible verses read aloud in Latin, but there's loose leaf sheets poking out from the book, he clearly has supplementary notes. After the first few sentences, he picks up one of the crosses and holds it out over Isabella, still chanting rhythmically.
The priest doesn't quite roll his eyes, but his weary expression implies he might like to. He ignores Isabella's question and begins chanting with his companion.
shesepankh
"Is this because I was irreverent near a priest one time? Did the fucking Inquisition kidnap me because I snarked near May's friend's priest?"
The priests continue with their chanting. One takes a bowl of water, sketches a cross above it, and sprinkles it on Isabella's forehead.
shesepankh
"That's not going to do anything because I'm not a demon nor do I contain a demon, did you consider that possibility, do you even have a contingency for oh gosh golly we kidnapped a nondemonic teenage girl and probably gave her nerve damage or something? Seriously the ropes really hurt, you could loosen them a little and I wouldn't be able to get away as long as it's paws."
The priests pay her no mind. Demons are accomplished liars. They're just going to finish their exorcism over here.
revivian
Vivian is already not pleased with her day. The creatures in Avalon are usually lovely, pleasant people, but today there were being bullheaded, the lot of them. There's starting to be something of a housing crisis on the island, space limited as it is, and Vivian was attending the meeting on solutions as something of a magical consultant. But then some airhead had to go and suggest just creating another island, with no thought to how that would disrupt the bay's ecosystems, or currents, or even just the human shipping routes, which turned into an hour long shouting match about how humans are not intrinsically inferior, thank you, Vivian is one, you can't just throw magic at a problem and expect it to disappear, ships will notice if their routes move too much too often, scientists will care if the fish die and the currents change, and- ugh. Vivian barges into the house, tired and stressed and vehemently wanting her day to be over.
When she realizes Isabella's not home, she's concerned, but not unreasonably so. Isabella likes to fly, but she usually leaves a note, so that's a little worrying. When she casts a quick spell to see where Isabella's flown to, and nothing happens-
Then she starts to lose it.
When she realizes Isabella's not home, she's concerned, but not unreasonably so. Isabella likes to fly, but she usually leaves a note, so that's a little worrying. When she casts a quick spell to see where Isabella's flown to, and nothing happens-
Then she starts to lose it.