barring emergencies

[the_very_best]

Bella's not sure where she has wandered. She thought she was about to walk into a shop, but this appears to be an unattended bar. With none of the windows associated with the shop she thought she was entering. It could be an elaborate psychic assault of some kind, but it doesn't feel very... assault-y... and she was in the middle of a town and doesn't think any humans want to sic their 'mon on her. It's strange. She approaches the bar, looking around warily, hand hovering near her belt.

with Max (Benedict)

with Earth and Lightning (kappa)

with Ann and Sabrina (kuuskytkolme)

Comments

[just_a_shadow]

"I wouldn't like it if they did that," Shadow murmurs. "Okay. Wow, Fairyland is big..."

[from_scratch]

"It's ostensibly infinite. And they can move pretty fast if they don't like their neighbors. So they sprawl a bit."

[just_a_shadow]

"I'll just go farther away, then."

He is quiet for a minute.

[from_scratch]

Cam waits.

[just_a_shadow]

"I don't know how much a billion miles is," he says after about two minutes of looking, "but I found somewhere that's very, very far away, and pretty."

[from_scratch]

"Yea much is a foot," says Cam, holding his hands about a foot apart, "five thousand two hundred eighty feet is a mile. That map covers about 800 million square miles."

[just_a_shadow]

"I think I still don't know how much a billion miles is," Shadow says after a moment. "But... let's see... if you shone a bright light from that mountain at the north end of the map, it would take a little more than an hour to reach the south end of the map, and a little more than six to reach the place I found. So I guess I'm more than a billion miles away."

[from_scratch]

"Okay, light-hours as unit of distance, sounds like you found a good spot. Can you haul everybody there? I'm not sure if Kisonde's going with you but if the elementals have substantial lack of consensus over desirable habitats I haven't heard it."

[just_a_shadow]

"I think mostly we don't care very much where we go as long as it's not back. But probably we'd like Fairyland. I can bring everybody there, sure. The other Shadow might help. I'm... not sure I can shadewalk a Shine... maybe if they turn their halos down really low it'll work."

[from_scratch]

"I definitely have no technical advice for you."

[just_a_shadow]

The ball of darkness unravels. Shadow walks out of it and comes back in the Milliways door.

"Do you have any advice on how to carry someone who glows through a place you can't get to if there's too much light where you are?"

[from_scratch]

"Wrap them up in a blanket?" asks Cam, letting the door close.

[just_a_shadow]

"Maybe. It'd have to be a really big blanket. Do you have a blanket big enough to wrap up a Shine?"

"Why are we wrapping me in a blanket?" inquires Shine.

"Shadow walking."

"Oh, that makes sense," Shine says agreeably.

[from_scratch]

"I can make arbitrary blankets. Or form-fitting bodysuits out of snazzy light-absorbing black fabric that looks kind of super creepy and scissors to get out of 'em with at your destination, if you like."

[just_a_shadow]

"I'd take a creepy bodysuit, that sounds fun," says Shine.

Shadow looks thoughtful.

"What is it?" says Earth.

"I... um... I'm wondering if you're done rescuing people or not," he murmurs shyly.

[from_scratch]

"I have nothing better to do, Hell is kind of short on Meaningful Work."

[imeanforever]

"I'm not in a hurry to go home either."

[just_a_shadow]

"Well. I know where to find a Fire who's not warded against dark scrying," says Shadow. "But it probably won't be safe to go get him until nighttime..."

[imeanforever]

"You don't know his owner's name?"

[just_a_shadow]

...Shadow blinks at her.

[imeanforever]

"If I have a human's name, I can command them to do anything. I don't like doing this, and I'd want to be sure the human wouldn't get hurt following my orders, but that's how I got Kisonde to release you all."

[just_a_shadow]

"...As long as you didn't make him release Fire, probably nothing would happen to him..." says Shadow.

[imeanforever]

"Can Kisonde do it, if I make him give over the amulet?"

[just_a_shadow]

"Sure, why not," sighs Kisonde. "I'm not going to get set on fire, right?"

"I got you covered," says Shine, giving Kisonde wingsnugs.

"...okay," says Shadow. "His... his name is Caharas."

[imeanforever]

"Then if somebody from your world holds the door and will take me to the place I can do this."