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

[pythbox]

Shine comes back, leading an elemental with wings made of swirling grey-and-black dust.

"This is Dust," she announces. "Air/Stone hybrid. She can do all the invisibility things."

"I can go collect volunteers," says Earth. "Should I? Or do you think me and Dust and Shine will be enough to keep you company while Shadow and Promise go rescue that Fire?"

[from_scratch]

"Hi, Dust. This'll probably do for the time being, I doubt if anyone's even noticed Kisonde and the university elementals missing if the time pause thing works like Bar said."

[pythbox]

"Then..."

Earth opens the door.

Shine stands in the doorway for a moment, then steps back.

"Who or what am I supposed to be making invisible?" inquires Dust.

[just_a_shadow]

"Me, I think," says Shadow. "And Promise if it won't do anything to whatever you do with people's names."

[imeanforever]

"It won't make a bit of difference. He has to hear me, seeing me is optional."

[just_a_shadow]

Dust nods. She looks at Shadow, who fades into translucency, then absence. Then she looks at Promise, who does the same.

While Promise is mid-fade, Shadow touches her hand. "I have to be touching you to shadow-walk you," he murmurs.

"You are now invisible in air," says Dust. "I'm very good, so smoke and mist and airborne dust will go right through you without a problem, but if someone dumps liquids or solids on you or throws you in a pond you'll make a visible you-shaped space in it."

[imeanforever]

"Thanks," says Promise.

[just_a_shadow]

Shadow leads Promise out the door and a step or two to the side, into the shadow of the building. Darkness collects briefly around them.

"Humans find the shadow places really weird," he says. "You might not see anything, but if you do, you can close your eyes if it bothers you."

Then he takes her hand and steps from shadow into darkness. There is a sensation of movement. Time passes. Not a lot of it, but some.

[imeanforever]

Promise finds it weird, but not enough to close her eyes against.

[just_a_shadow]

"Caharas," Shadow reminds her. "That's his name."

Then they emerge into ordinary shadow again.

Caharas is presumably the man in front of them, holding a Fire amulet and a whip. Shadow's friend is presumably the one lying on the floor, crying and covered in fire.

[imeanforever]

"Drop the whip," Promise tells him. "Be silent. Give me the amulet."

[just_a_shadow]

...Caharas drops the whip and holds out the amulet to the invisible voice. He is confused and alarmed!

Fire is also confused, but much happier about it. Shadow darts forward to take his hand and pull him into the shadow.

[imeanforever]

And Promise takes the amulet.

"In fifteen minutes you may speak again," she tells the man.

She squeezes Shadow's hand.

[just_a_shadow]

Darkness engulfs them.

They emerge again beside the open door.

Shadow pulls Fire and Promise through into Milliways.

"There you are," says Dust.

Earth closes the door.

Shadow and Promise fade back into visibility.

Fire hugs Shadow hard enough to lift him right off the ground.

Kisonde nervously holds out her hand to Promise for the amulet.

[imeanforever]

And Promise hands it over. She doesn't think she'll have to give an instruction this time.

[just_a_shadow]

Kisonde looks at the weeping Fire, and decides breaking this amulet is probably safe.

She does.



The floor starts to smoke under Fire's feet.

"Pull in your halo," says Shadow, giggling. Fire looks down and snorts. The flames wreathing his skin subside until some parts of him are actually visible through them, and the floor ceases to be imperiled.

[imeanforever]

Promise giggles.

[from_scratch]

"Hi, welcome to Milliways, it is a multiworld hub, the ultimate plan is to move you through my house to a remote part of Fairyland but for the time being most of the swiped elementals are flying around in the backyard."

[just_a_shadow]

Many of the parts of Fire that are visible are damaged in some way. This does not prevent him from hugging Shadow some more.

"...Hey, you want a heal?" asks Shine.

"Who, me? I'm fine," shrugs Fire.

"You're not fine," mumbles Shadow, almost inaudibly.

"I am now."

[from_scratch]

"Short stuff who mugged your owner is Promise, by the way, and she's a fairy."

[imeanforever]

"Promise is already a nickname. What's the added value of 'short stuff'?"

[from_scratch]

"Amusement. And call me Revelation, because she does her thing with names so I'm not using my real one."

[just_a_shadow]

"...I sure hope elements don't count as names," says Fire.

"They don't," says Earth. "I checked."

"Good for you," says Fire. He finally puts Shadow down and looks around. (Shadow continues hugging him.) "Hi, Revelation. I like your tail."

[from_scratch]

"Thanks, I made it myself."

[just_a_shadow]

"How's that work?" asks Fire. (Snuggle snuggle. Nope, Shadow and Fire are not going to stop hugging anytime soon.)