well-behaved doors

[campanas]

Pen' was just going to go practice singing. (She likes singing. The words are all lined up for her already and she doesn't get them wrong.) But this doesn't look like the practice room. So it's probably the magic restaurant.

Pen knows about the magic restaurant! You can go in it, and get food or things to drink (she has bracelets!) and then you just go back out the door and it's been no time at all and you're right where you went in.

She goes in. She is going to have cake.

Comments

[beheld_beauty]

"What sort of proof would you like?"

[campanas]

"Pretty," admires Pen.

[aestrix]

The dragonness looks at Pen with vague approval. Yes, she says, a little smugly. Dragons are not known to be humble. Then she turns to Rose.

How do you cheat death? Is it something that's reversible? she asks. If it's something that can be taken back, that you can hold over our heads, then no. I would also like to speak to those from your world, or from others that you are in the process of improving. It seems smart to check your methods.

[beheld_beauty]

"Some time ago, my alts took over the management of an afterlife shared by a few dozen worlds, called Downside. People within this afterlife do something called 'torching': on suffering lethal damage, they reset to a healthy state on the spot. My alts and I can now distribute torching to anyone we choose, and for most worlds, including yours, we can also add that world to the sphere of Downside's influence by granting any person from it the ability to torch. Torchability is permanent and indelible; if I needed to get someone who was torchable out of my way, I could render them unconscious or put them far away from anything that they could influence to bother me, but it would be beyond any power we know of to destroy them outright. I'm personally overseeing only my native world at this time; others of me are managing their own, and yours would be added to the waiting list if you will allow me into it long enough to leave an anchor. Will my apprentice do or do you want to speak to someone with less of a personal connection to myself?"

[aestrix]

Your apprentice, and also - I think someone my mate would choose himself, on a visit to your world. I would like to prevent bias, if that's at all possible. Do you have proof of 'torching's' permanence?

Her mate nods in agreement.

[beheld_beauty]

"Your mate's desire to visit my world is currently my point of leverage for getting access to yours," Rose points out. "Doing it out of order so he can pick someone to interview seems like it might require more assurances. My confidence in the permanence of torching is the fact that I cannot undo it, the administrator of Downside claims that it is indelible, and my alt who can see magic and something called 'metacausality' agrees with her. To you I imagine any of those testimonies are just so many words."

[aestrix]

The dragons exchange a look, along with a silent conversation. The lady-dragon turns back to Rose when it's complete.

Then I will give you new leverage. Forget a simple visit. Our priority has changed. If you can defeat death - we would have it for our children. If you don't offer it for either of us, fine. Our safety is not our main goal. If you want to not let him into your world for an 'interview' - that's also fine. But we would need some other unbiased testimony before we begin to trust you. I don't know of another way to find that then picking someone unconnected to you than one of us finding it ourselves. If I must, I will do it, though I don't like even being here.

[beheld_beauty]

"If you want only my assurance that they will not remain dead forever as the epilogue to their lives, you can have that with the anchor in your world, which I will give freely and gladly, and need nothing more except patience. We are not going to deliberately leave anyone dead forever if that is not the person's own undiluted wish; the only question is what order we retrieve the deceased in and how long it takes to make someplace that is safe and comfortable for them. If you want them rendered torchable now, as opposed to whenever your world rises to the top of the general Bell to-do list and your children rise to the top of the world's - I will need to learn more, because that would give them a striking advantage over anyone else they encounter and that is something not to be taken lightly."

[aestrix]

Procellor considers her. Then he says carefully, Would you like to meet them?

[beheld_beauty]

"It would presumably help."

[aestrix]

His mate nods, I will retrieve them, then. However...

Her voice changes to a growl, and she gives Rose the mother of all death glares. If you harm them, you will regret it. I do not care how immortal you may be. You will regret it.

She gets a little nuzzle from her mate, for her trouble. Then she and said mate crumple back to human form - and go to retrieve children. Procellor holds the door, while she does the actual retrieval. They've stopped caring about freaking out the locals, and just leave the kids in dragon form rather than putting them under illusions, though the dragonness herself has to in order to fit through the door.

They return, hatchlings in tow. They're no bigger than four feet tall, all of them. In comparison to their parents, they're adorable.

One is a lighter grey than its father, another is a deep purple with swirling designs decorating its scales, and the last is a sort of black that changes to a blue in certain types of light. Each of them looks quite innocent. Also, cute.

[campanas]

"Aw!" exclaims Pen. "Did the one dragon Daddy look that way when he a baby?"

[beheld_beauty]

"You would have to ask Ansharil what he looked like when he was a baby; I don't know off the top of my head," Rose tells Pen. "Hello. I'm Belle, or Rose, either is fine. What are all your names?"

[aestrix]

The light grey one decides to hide behind its' mother's wings, peeking out with silvery eyes and looking apprehensive. Its siblings don't have the same trouble.

Yvae, says the purple one, identifiable now as female once she's spoken.

Pyranir says the male black-blue one. It looks between Belle and Pen. ... Ilayse is hiding. She thinks you're scary.

Don't tell her, hisses the little hiding dragonet. Petulantly, she adds, I do not think she's scary! She's... She's just human! She can't fly...

[beheld_beauty]

"I'm not going to harm you," Rose assures Ilayse. "Also, I can fly."

[aestrix]

That gets strange looks from all baby dragons present.

But you don't have wings! insists Yvae, incredulously. Ilayse and Pyranir nod along, though Ilayse doesn't leave her mommy-based hiding spot.

[beheld_beauty]

"I don't," agrees Rose. "I do it by magic."

The wind of her aura ripples when she lifts into the air.

[aestrix]

This gets a resounding agreement of surprise from all baby dragons present. Pyranir decides to join Ilayse in her hiding, choosing to flee behind his mother's other wing.

Yvae just stares. Sounding like she's upset at a big rule being broken, she says, But - humans don't do magic! You're a dragon! Aren't you? My daddy looks like a human sometimes! That's it, right?

[beheld_beauty]

"I am a human. On my world humans can have magic - in fact, we are the only thing that does. I am an enchantress. I also got some other magic that humans can use from other worlds."

[campanas]

Pen attempts to follow the hiders behind the concealing wing.

[aestrix]

Yvae looks stunned! So - there are dragons without magic in your world? That's crazy! It's so fun!

Pyranir makes a little squeaking sound, and runs into his sister in an attempt to flee from the terrifying little angel. The hatchlings go tumbling in a sea of wings and slightly oversized paws.

From under a blue-black wing, Ilayse says indignantly, Why'd you do that?!

Sorry, replies her brother. She has wings! It's scary!

From above, their mother carefully reminds him, Dear heart, she can hear you. That's rude.

Oh, says Pyranir. ... Sorry.

[beheld_beauty]

"My world doesn't have any dragons, actually," says Rose. "Pen', come back over here, don't frighten them."

[campanas]

"I not frightening! Am eight, have no squares, is silly."

[aestrix]

What?! two babies pronounce at once, upon Rose's explanation of 'No dragons.' Ilayse is busy trying to get out from the tyranny of her brother's wing.

No dragons?! says Yvae, staring with big eyes. But- But... That's crazy!

The sibling not currently buried under another nods along to this statement. Crazy talk. No dragons? Crazy. There are lots of dragons. Everywhere!

Ilayse is the one to notice Pen's strange sentence. Why would we be afraid of squares? They're just shapes.

[beheld_beauty]

"Come out regardless," Rose tells Pen firmly.