exploratory kidnapping

[alicornucopia]

In this room are two women, one gray and sixty years old, one just thirty and red-haired, both wearing elaborate outfits. The younger casts a spell.

In this room is now also a third person. (On whom the elder woman promptly also casts a spell, which she had at the ready.)

Comments

[alicornucopia]

And Jensal is there. "Any luck?"

[missnicegirl]

"Yes! It was really obvious. Two of the babies just had no magic at all," she says. "I gave them full magic transplants. Now I need to find out where all the rest of the babies are so I can do it for everybody. Can you and Ludei help?"

[alicornucopia]

"Help transplant magic? Yes. And the rest of the ialdic miracles too, potentially."

[missnicegirl]

"Anyone you can teach to see magic, you can teach to transplant dragon magic with ialdae, I think," Matilda agrees. "Okay. But I really want to fix all the babies who are alive right now and might not be later. Let's call the dragon council again."

[alicornucopia]

Jensal nods and produces the crystal again.

[missnicegirl]

She rings it.

And says, "I found out how to fix the babies so they don't die and it's very easy and I want to get all the babies fixed as soon as possible. How fast can you get me and Jensal and Ludei a list of where all of them are?"

[alicornucopia]

"You fixed my grandchildren?" asks the voice on the other end.

[missnicegirl]

"Yes. There was one who was already fine and two who needed magic transplants, and now they have them."

[alicornucopia]

"We'll get you a list of addresses. It'll take a few angles to be complete but I can give it to you piecemeal as it's assembled."

[missnicegirl]

"That would be very good, thank you."

[alicornucopia]

There is a pause, and some murmuring, and then the dragon starts reading off addresses.

[missnicegirl]

Matilda needs to distribute this list, and she can't actually be in several places at once.

Matilda has heard of link paper.

She conjures up two pads of paper, hands one to Jensal, retrieves a pen from her pocket, writes three columns on her paper - Matilda, Jensal, Ludei - and starts writing down addresses while she teleports to the first one.

[alicornucopia]

Jensal seamlessly takes over writing down the addresses the councilmember speaks.

[missnicegirl]

And Matilda knocks on some dragon's door.

[alicornucopia]

And some dragon with bright green hair answers the door and asks in Vansalese, "What is it?"

[missnicegirl]

"Can I come in, please? I have a lot of magic and I found out how to prevent little baby dragons from dying and I want to fix yours if any of them have the problem that makes them die," she explains.

[alicornucopia]

...The dragon steps aside and calls for her wife, who comes bearing a single baby with platinum scales the same color as her ponytail.

[missnicegirl]

Matilda gives the little baby a magic transplant. "There, that one's fixed now. Are there any more?"

[alicornucopia]

"Not anymore," murmurs the green one.

[missnicegirl]

"I'm sorry," she says. "I have to go, then."

And she crosses off the first address in her column and teleports to the next.

[alicornucopia]

There are a considerable quantity of babies to take care of. Jensal duplicates the link paper until it's a larger network, delegates writing down addresses from the Council, and starts filling up her column; Ludei follows.

[missnicegirl]

When there are no more un-crossed-out addresses in anyone's column, and no more addresses coming in, Matilda teleports back to Jensal's house and finds somewhere to sit and flumphs there. She wishes very much that she had learned about all these terrible magic problems a month ago.

[alicornucopia]

A miracle notices her flomped in the library and brings her a hot cocoa.

[missnicegirl]

"Aww, thanks," she says. Hot cocoa is very improving.

[alicornucopia]

"You're welcome," smiles the miracle.