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

[ending_of]

While she waits, she doubles the minimum residence space - bumping quantities in existing accounts as appropriate - and designs and implements a water-filled storage and transit system for the merfolk, including a link to the new Central Tower Station and water channels going right up to the future locations of the paired circles. She also distributes an announcement to the guides describing their new resposibilities. (The torturers and judges have already been decommissioned.)

[alicornucopia]

Eventually, Keo and Eights take a break from sightseeing and go to visit.

Keo, being keyed into the wards at the roots, can open the door if the admin wants to let her or not.

[ending_of]

The admin has no strong preference about that.

"Hello. I have been making changes," she says. "An interesting Elcenian named Kaylo helped with certain aspects. In particular, he offered to design a summoning and sending installation to allow for permanent travel to and from my domain."

[alicornucopia]

"...Kaylo was in here?" asks Keo. "He's offering to design complicated spells? He's still a student, albeit a talented one."

[ending_of]

"I found him charming."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Did you just smile?" says Eights. "I didn't know you smiled."

[alicornucopia]

"What was Kaylo even doing here? I suppose he has a class with Korulen... Well, he can try the spell, but I'll want to look it over and get an opinion from Narax too."

[ending_of]

"He suggested your brother as caster," she adds. "If payment is required, I can instantiate objects of value, such as lost items which may be of interest to archaeologists. I also got the impression that members of your species might be interested in learning that a new form of aware life has been developing in what he called the Taavlas Isles for the last year and a half."

[alicornucopia]

"Narax is my brother," Keo specifies. "I'll get Kanaat on writing to museums and such. ...And that's embarrassing."

[ending_of]

"So I am informed."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"...I'm missing something," says Eights. "Should I continue missing it?"

[alicornucopia]

"Yes please," sighs Keo.

[lookingforwardtoit]

She shrugs. "'Kay."

[alicornucopia]

"Narax will - probably want to talk to you anyway," Keo says. "Possibly without you in the room, Eights," she adds.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"All right," she says. "I'll go wander."

[alicornucopia]

"Think my name really hard if you need me," Keo says, and then she contacts her brother.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Eights goes wandering.

[alicornucopia]

Narax arrives a few degrees later.

"My wife," he says. "She died - almost a decade ago - and now I can supposedly just summon her?" he asks the admin. "And I'm supposed to cast a spell that one of Kanaat's students is inventing?"

[ending_of]

"It is possible to summon the dead from my domain," she says. "Kaylo is inventing a spell that will allow for permanent travel, as opposed to individual summons which I am given to understand die with the caster."

[alicornucopia]

"But inventing a spell like that would take weeks, if a half-trained wizard could do it at all - I could summon my wife right now?"

[ending_of]

"Yes."

[alicornucopia]

"Right, Keo, there's a circle in Kanaat's office?"

"Yes. Smudged, but you can use it."

Narax teleports away.

He is back less than a degree later.

"It didn't work," he says in a low almost-growl.

[ending_of]

"I am not familiar with your magic," says the admin. "But the most obvious explanation, if the spell correctly looked for her in my domain and failed to find her there, is that she is not dead."

[alicornucopia]

"She was murdered, I can't find her empathic signature, her friend crema-" Narax stops midsentence. "Oh, that bitch would have done it, wouldn't she, if she could, if she got the chance? But..."

"I don't know what to think, now," says Keo, shaking her head.

[ending_of]

"Who would have done what?"