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This was a bad idea this was a bad idea this was a bad idea.
Holly runs as fast as she can but the demon's faster. She has no idea where Lightning's gotten to; maybe he found a tree to climb. She on the other hand has been diverted into a treeless hill and she's careening down a slope, trying very hard not to trip.
And the demon's gaining on her.
She's never seen anything like it and neither has Crystal; maybe Book knows what it is but Book's asleep. It's mostly mouth - it looks like a cross between a floorlength mirror of a mouth and a snake to propel the mouth along.
And Holly's not fast enough.
The mouth catches her.
But it doesn't hurt.
Where are we?
inourhead
inourhead
Some unclear blend of Holly-and-Crystal fling themselves at Lightning for a hug. "You're okay!"
"We're what? Where is this?"
"No idea really, but there aren't any demons in it! And magic that isn't troportation!"
"We're what? Where is this?"
"No idea really, but there aren't any demons in it! And magic that isn't troportation!"
characterquarry
"Hi. We have no demons, no cohabiting, no troportation. But we do have wishes from what may or may not be a god."
inourhead
"Look," says Holly, pushing up her sleeves, "look, they're -"
"Holly, let Crystal tell me, would you -"
"We'll both tell you, it changes when we do, watch -"
Lightning watches. Crystal fades forward and the constellation of wishes changes.
"That's - I'm sure this is amazing," says Lightning, "but right now I really need a mouse and water and maybe food."
"Holly, let Crystal tell me, would you -"
"We'll both tell you, it changes when we do, watch -"
Lightning watches. Crystal fades forward and the constellation of wishes changes.
"That's - I'm sure this is amazing," says Lightning, "but right now I really need a mouse and water and maybe food."
characterquarry
"Will nonmouse small animals do? We have frogs and fish, in the pond. I really want to troport. If I can't get it without, I'm going to burn one of my last two Favors on it."
inourhead
"It doesn't matter if they're mice in particular but I don't know if frogs and fish would work as well," says Crystal.
"I'm not sure I can pull it off even if they do technically work. Used to mice," says Lightning.
"Holly can do it for you," Crystal says, patting his arm, "if it does have to be something non-furry."
"I'm not sure I can pull it off even if they do technically work. Used to mice," says Lightning.
"Holly can do it for you," Crystal says, patting his arm, "if it does have to be something non-furry."
characterquarry
"You could probably buy mice somewhere in the city if you were willing to troport things for people. Or catch squirrels in the forest or something. But the frogs are right here if you want them. You're Lightning and Book, correct? I'm Erin."
inourhead
"He's just Lightning. Book's asleep - very completely asleep, he can't hear you," Crystal explains. "When do you think...?"
"I can sleep in another sand or two," says Lightning. "I don't quite understand...?"
"They don't have demons here. Any of them. Or troporting. She's all alone in there, apparently everyone here is," says Crystal.
"If I have to run through a forest to get a squirrel - ugh. Holly, a frog, please."
"No problem," says Holly, and she leaps at the nearest frog.
"I can sleep in another sand or two," says Lightning. "I don't quite understand...?"
"They don't have demons here. Any of them. Or troporting. She's all alone in there, apparently everyone here is," says Crystal.
"If I have to run through a forest to get a squirrel - ugh. Holly, a frog, please."
"No problem," says Holly, and she leaps at the nearest frog.
characterquarry
"Not to bore you, Crystal, Lightning, but here I have interesting magic in front of me. Was that body-tiredness or mind-tiredness? What other kinds of things can be troported?"
inourhead
"Body-tiredness. Frogs haven't got minds to put mind-tiredness into and I can't touch Lightning's mind without doing tricky fancy stuff. They handle mind-tiredness by switching. Not like me and Crystal, but still."
characterquarry
She makes a thoughtful face. "Can you troport injuries and disease? Real miracle-quality healing powers need a Boon, but I know people with good regeneration from a Gift, they might be able to troport ailments on themselves and be fine in twenty seconds."
characterquarry
"Oh, right, animals. I like combining wishes in creative ways, so my first thoughts are always how to use more other magic. Sometimes it makes me miss the obvious."
characterquarry
"If it turns out people here can wish to be able to troport, I think I'm going to get a loan and start a mouse-breeding business."
characterquarry
...Erin wishes to be able to troport, to know how to troport, and to be good at troporting, in that order of priority if they can't all fit into one Favor.
One of her dots disappears. She knows what to do, this time, and her jacket is now bright blue while her shirt is grey. "Tricky. I don't think my wish made me good at troporting, just... Able to do it."
One of her dots disappears. She knows what to do, this time, and her jacket is now bright blue while her shirt is grey. "Tricky. I don't think my wish made me good at troporting, just... Able to do it."
inourhead
"Most people aren't good at it. I'm really, really good at it. I'm planning to be a pro, moving souls around and stuff."
characterquarry
"Hm. What else besides color and tiredness is relatively easy to troport? And are you guys planning to stay here? I'll have to get you signed up for public support, if so."
inourhead
"Size isn't so hard," says Lightning.
"It's not divided up like that, mostly. Colors are always easy, swaps are easier than transfers, anything with souls is the hardest, it's easier to swap between more similar things - that's why mice and not frogs most of the time and why I had to drowse the frog for Lightning - anyway it hadn't actually occurred to me that we could just not go home, but I guess we could stay, couldn't we?"
"We have families," Lightning objects.
"They'll live."
"I want to see mine again!"
Holly sighs. "And Lightning takes Book wherever he goes so we're going home, I guess, but maybe not right away, it's interesting here."
"It's not divided up like that, mostly. Colors are always easy, swaps are easier than transfers, anything with souls is the hardest, it's easier to swap between more similar things - that's why mice and not frogs most of the time and why I had to drowse the frog for Lightning - anyway it hadn't actually occurred to me that we could just not go home, but I guess we could stay, couldn't we?"
"We have families," Lightning objects.
"They'll live."
"I want to see mine again!"
Holly sighs. "And Lightning takes Book wherever he goes so we're going home, I guess, but maybe not right away, it's interesting here."
characterquarry
"Well, I think we may begin to bother some people if we keep talking right here. We should go give you a tour of the city. Lightning, do you want to try for wishes first?"
inourhead
"Just poke the water," Holly advises Lightning. "We can come back and have Book try later."
Lightning looks dubiously at the water, but touches it.
Lightning looks dubiously at the water, but touches it.
characterquarry
He gets five Favors. "That's... Way below average. Unfortunate, but there's no helping it."
inourhead
"The water god doesn't like you," teases Holly.
Lightning sighs. "If we're done having technical troportation conversations maybe Crystal can come out."
"Are we done having technical troportation conversations?" Holly asks Erin.
Lightning sighs. "If we're done having technical troportation conversations maybe Crystal can come out."
"Are we done having technical troportation conversations?" Holly asks Erin.