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

[aeskhyne]

He doesn't have a good direct intervention for depression, but he can provide a colourful cuddly stuffed animal with an expression of sympathetic affection on its nonspecific adorable creature face. The racer in Linnip and the lottery player in Nirlan can each get a little luck-blessing. The person who wants the band next door to shut up can instead have better soundproofing in her home. The gang violence, when he looks, seems too personal to succumb to the candy treatment; he leaves it alone for now. The painter can have a luck-blessing too.

The skyfolk can have a little boost to the speed of their fledging, to take it to the fast end of the species' range instead of somewhere in the middle. The difference won't be visible for a while, but it's still a help even if they don't know it. The poet who wants inspiration can have a paper bird that flutters around and chirps pretty tunes. The kitchen appliance installer is out of Teah's hands; the divorcee likewise. (He's starting to be actually fond of that name. It's short and pretty and represents one of his proudest accomplishments.) The princess can have the choice to pick a second face, and the ability to switch back and forth between that and her original one. The sailors can have the storm neatly unravelled.

In the circle, the boy yawns. His empathic signature flickers into being - flickers back out almost immediately - in again as he stretches, out for a heartbeat as he flops his face back into the blanket, and then finally in for good as he opens his eyes and utters a confused wordless mumble.

[alicornucopia]

The depression patient pats the stuffed animal, confused.

The soundproofed person falls asleep.

The poet is charmed and entertained and inspired.

The princess slips into her second face and sneaks out.

The sailors proceed, praising their good fortune.

"There you are," murmurs Keo.

[aeskhyne]

"Wha' the hell?" says the boy in the blanket, still largely in sleepy mumble mode.

[alicornucopia]

"I'm very sorry," murmurs Keo. "My daughter and her roommate summoned you from your original world as part of a poorly thought out attempt to impress a classmate."

[aeskhyne]

"...Am I dreaming right now?"

[alicornucopia]

"No. I'm sorry."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah. I heard," he says. "So... where's here? Are you saying somebody did magic to me?"

[alicornucopia]

"The world is called Elcenia, and, yes, there was magic involved. Unfortunately, they did it badly, and can't send you home right away."

[aeskhyne]

"Nobody's ever managed that before," he muses, gathering his blanket around him and sitting up. The chalk diagram attracts his attention. He reaches out to smudge it. This does not work.

...He looks up at Keo.

[alicornucopia]

"I can let you out if you're safe to let out. Do you mind if I check? I won't see anything in your head I'm not looking for."

[aeskhyne]

"...And what'll you be looking for, exactly?" he inquires.

[alicornucopia]

"Whether I'll regret letting you out. I'm very sorry that you were summoned against your will, but the spell they used chooses a random target, not necessarily a friendly one."

[aeskhyne]

"And you can just - check that, by itself? Hell of a magic," he says. "Sure, whatever."

[alicornucopia]

"Magic here probably has very little to do with whatever it's like in your world," Keo says.

She starts checking.

She smudges the chalk.

[aeskhyne]

"Magic in my world kind of defies description a little. What's yours like?"

[alicornucopia]

"There's a lot of kinds. I can do the checking thing because I'm a rare kind of dragon; I'm the only one right now. The kind that was used to summon you is called wizardry; this is a school of wizardry."

[aeskhyne]

"Huh," he says. "Cool. It doesn't really come in kinds at home. People ask for things, and sometimes they get them, but it kind of varies how. I've never gotten anything to work, but plenty of people don't, I'm not special that way."

[alicornucopia]

"Well, worlds can be expected to differ, that way. While you're stuck here, I can get you a room in the dormitories and a pass to the cafeteria," she adds. "And my daughter can take you shopping for anything else you need at her and her roommate's expense as part of their disciplinary process - and if you need to let anyone at home know what's happened, someone more competent with the relevant spells can send them letters, or even summon them reversibly if they'd like to visit."

[aeskhyne]

"I don't know anybody at home who'll miss me," he says offhandedly. "A room and a cafeteria pass sound good. And hey, I get to keep my favourite blanket." He snuggles it. It's so cozy.

[alicornucopia]

"All right then." Keo gets up and leads him out of the room, to the lift, which she directs to another dorm hall.

[aeskhyne]

Under the blanket, he proves to be wearing sweatpants in addition to the shirt. Naturally, however, no shoes or socks. He follows her serenely enough, wrapped in his blanket.

[alicornucopia]

She shows him to a room that looks just like the girls' except for being void of personal possessions. "What's your name?" she asks when they go into it.

[aeskhyne]

"Mm... Teah," he says, pretty obviously out of thin air. "You?"

[alicornucopia]

"Keo." The name's odd for his language, but not unpronounceable or anything; she doesn't comment. "When do you want Korulen to pick you up for a shopping trip for the essentials?"

[aeskhyne]

"Whenever's convenient." He yawns. "I've got my blanket, I'm good."