chalk

[alicornucopia]

In Paraasilan, Esmaar, a pair of roommates are about to break a rule that, compared to the one about running in the corridors or even the one about unlicensed teleportation, is there for a good reason.

In unison, they complete their shared spell.

~~~

with Adarin (Aestrix)

with Ekador (kappa)

with Brilliance (kappa)

with the admin (kappa)

with Teah (kappa)

with Katran (lambda)

with Hall (kappa)

with Joy (kappa)

with Kalinda (Christy Hotwater)

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"Dragons can speak any language," says Keo, smiling. "Any other questions before I leave you be?"

[aeskhyne]

"Guess not," he says with a shrug. "Thanks for, you know, being nice and stuff."

[alicornucopia]

"You're welcome."

She leaves him be.

[aeskhyne]

For lack of anything better to do, he curls up in bed and snuggles into his blanket and dozes off again.



The other Teah wakes back up, and immediately checks on any previous petitioners that seemed like they might need followup - the mage and priest and elder sister who encountered Kindness; the dragon council member who had a conversation with a flying notepaper; assorted ex-shrens and rescued dragon babies with their fluttery little companions. Oh, and what about that vampire thing? Maybe he has time to take another look at the problem now - anybody praying about it?

[alicornucopia]

The mage had found herself a spring and is having a drink. The priest is regrouping with the survivors of the lion-devil attack. The sisters are solemnly receiving explanations of what things are like in Esmaar. The dragon has located a dragon who is a wizard, and the wizard is peering intently at the notepaper. The ex-shrens are working on dissolving their institutions without leaving anybody completely uncared for; they're distributing a lot of children back to their parents. The vampire hearer he encountered earlier would still like it very much if her family didn't think she was out of her mind.

[aeskhyne]

Maybe he can apply miracles. He holds onto her prayer and thinks about it.

...And designs a choice.

To be offered to all vampires currently over the age by which the hearing has either come in or it hasn't, and to younger vampires and future vampires each when it comes in or doesn't: this is what you are (hearer or not), and this is what you could be (not or hearer). Specifically for the ones who are getting it now, he adds in the knowledge that every vampire of relevant age is being offered this same choice, with its attendant information about the validity of the magic.

That should shake a few things up.

And as an extra present for the vampire who started it all - a little winged circle of paper, with For you written in vampire on the front and the name Teah in Draconic on the back. It is currently flat on her desk, but is capable of flying around or pretending inanimacy at her request.

Prayer granted.

[alicornucopia]

She keeps her hearing.

She picks up the paper and speaks to it.

She follows it to a room, and knocks.

[aeskhyne]

...He didn't expect that. She's following her magic - to - him?

He looks at the human sleeping in the room. He wouldn't have picked the kid out of a crowd, before now - not that he would've gotten the chance, he supposes, unless it was a crowd of sleeping people. But—



"Mmf?" says the boy, finally waking up to the sound of the knock. "Huh? Summony kid, that you?"

[alicornucopia]

"...Do you not speak Leraal?" Leekath asks in Leraal. "Do you speak vampire?" she tries in vampire. The paper has vampire writing on it.

[aeskhyne]

"I can't understand a damn word you're saying," he says. Still in English. "Uh, come in, I guess? You probably can't understand a word I'm saying either."

[alicornucopia]

She cannot, indeed, understand a damn word he's saying.

She has a sheet of paper and a pencil in her pocket, though, so if she can get him to write they can still talk. If he won't try it she can go look up a spell. She knocks again.

[aeskhyne]

He yawns and gets up and blanketshuffles to the door and opens it.

"Hi. You're not summony girl," he says.

[alicornucopia]

She offers him the paper and the pencil.

[aeskhyne]

He looks bewildered.

[alicornucopia]

She mimes writing, then repeats the offer. She's not prepared to believe he's illiterate, even if he can't understand spoken vampire.

[aeskhyne]

Okay. Sure.

He takes the paper and pencil, and goes to sit on the edge of the bed where his blanket will be in its natural habitat if it falls away from his shoulders, and puts the paper on the desk and writes: What?

In English.

[alicornucopia]

She listens, then decides that if he doesn't know why she's here one-way communication is not going to suffice. She makes a frustrated gesture and leaves to go look up a translation spell.

[aeskhyne]

"Uh... bye?"

That was weird. That was extremely weird.

Into bed he re-flops. But he's not as sleepy now. Confusion is not renowned for its sedative properties.

[alicornucopia]

Leekath is back a degree later with a book in hand. She knocks again.

[aeskhyne]

He opens it.

"Hi, mysterious pencil person."

[alicornucopia]

She rolls her eyes at him, and casts a translation spell. "There. I thought you would know why I was there and one-way communication would do it. But now we can just talk."

[aeskhyne]

"Why would I know why you were here? Why are you here? I am the most confused I have ever been in my life," he says.

[alicornucopia]

"You made me this," she says, handing him the little bit of paper.

[aeskhyne]

He turns it over to read - well, look at - both sides. He can't actually read either one. He's not even sure the Draconic symbol is writing.

"I did? I'm pretty sure I didn't," he says. "What's it say?"

[alicornucopia]

"The symbol on the back is pronounced 'Teah' but I think it's Draconic since I don't know what it means, but the words on the front are 'for you', in vampire. And it says you made it."