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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
It takes Adarin a while to recover, but eventually he starts to. He doesn't try to talk, he just focuses on breathing, occasionally giggling in between breaths.
dark_light
Isabella catches up with him eventually.
"And," she whispers wickedly, "you would tithe a sensible portion of your income."
"And," she whispers wickedly, "you would tithe a sensible portion of your income."
prodigal_miser
Well, it was nice to breathe for a little while, at least. He goes back to laughter.
"You're a -" (giggle, giggle) "terrible, sensible person," he manages. "You should be the - the sense inquisitor."
He changes the pitch in his voice to badly represent a woman's, and adds, "Are you sensible? Are you?!"
"You're a -" (giggle, giggle) "terrible, sensible person," he manages. "You should be the - the sense inquisitor."
He changes the pitch in his voice to badly represent a woman's, and adds, "Are you sensible? Are you?!"
dark_light
"It matters only a moderate amount what you say!" cackles Isabella. "I will search for concrete material evidence beyond your motivated testimony before making my final judgment! And then it will be reviewed by people with more emotional distance from your case! Bwahahahahah!"
prodigal_miser
"If you fail, they'll - they'll write a sensible and clear outline on what you need to work on and how to improve! With well-labeled and colored highlighting!"
dark_light
"And incentives and a twenty-four hour support service available in an appropriate number of languages."
prodigal_miser
Giggles. Oh, giggles.
When he can breathe again, he says, "You're absolutely amazing."
When he can breathe again, he says, "You're absolutely amazing."
dark_light
"I try, I try. You are the best company I've had in a long time."
prodigal_miser
"Likewise," replies Adarin with a grin.
That looks to be all he's going to say, but then Vern decides enough is enough. She pecks him.
"Ow?" he says, confused.
Okay, maybe he's a little dense sometimes.
That looks to be all he's going to say, but then Vern decides enough is enough. She pecks him.
"Ow?" he says, confused.
Okay, maybe he's a little dense sometimes.
dark_light
Path hoots, almost but not quite laughing.
Isabella raises an eyebrow, glancing around at all the entities in the room.
Isabella raises an eyebrow, glancing around at all the entities in the room.
prodigal_miser
Vernaia gives Path an 'I'm sorry about him' look. She gets out of cuddles, and then nudges him towards Isabella.
"Subtle, aren't you?" says Adarin, amused.
"Subtle, aren't you?" says Adarin, amused.
prodigal_miser
A stare-down ensues between man and daemon. Vern wins.
Defeated, Adarin fidgets a little, then says with supreme awkwardness, "Er - Isabella? Would you like to - redeem the hug voucher?"
Defeated, Adarin fidgets a little, then says with supreme awkwardness, "Er - Isabella? Would you like to - redeem the hug voucher?"
dark_light
"Sure."
Path gets out of the way. Isabella redeems her hug voucher.
Path gets out of the way. Isabella redeems her hug voucher.
prodigal_miser
Vern scoots out of the way, and exchanges a look with Path that says, 'Look, I'm trying.'
Adarin is pleased! Hugs.
Adarin is pleased! Hugs.
dark_light
Path wingshrugs back at her.
Isabella snuggles up, but is still technically within the parameters of hug.
Isabella snuggles up, but is still technically within the parameters of hug.
prodigal_miser
Yeah, Adarin's not going to complain. Snuggle, snuggle.
For the sake of cuddles, Vern trills to Path. Wingsnuggles?
For the sake of cuddles, Vern trills to Path. Wingsnuggles?
prodigal_miser
Time passes. While he would like to stay for - well, possibly forever, no one from New Kystle is going to have the power of Wikipedia on their own. Adarin's not the type of person to just leave that be. Unfortunately, it's time to go. They'll have the mirrors, and be able to talk, but it's still the kind of thing you say goodbye before doing.
He goes off to find Isabella, kagu in tow.
He goes off to find Isabella, kagu in tow.
dark_light
Isabella's on the roof with alethiometer, thingamajigs, and notebook.
prodigal_miser
Okay, he could get up there, but that seems kind of rude to just drop in; she could be asking the alethiometer a private question.
"Isabella?" he calls, instead.
"Isabella?" he calls, instead.
dark_light
She peers over the edge of the roof, grabs her cloudpine, and swoops down. "You heading home?" she asks.