friendly door

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth gets a door.

It's been so long she reels for a moment, and then she throws herself forward and almost lands in a peal of Bells. Yes, there's Shell Bell, there's Juliet and Aurora, there's Glass, there's some Matilda she hasn't seen before.

"Elspeth!" exclaims Glass.

"How long has it been?" Aurora asks.

"Seventeen years. Shell Bell - I need you to help me find Harley," says Elspeth.

Comments

[incanted]

"No, but we can all check when we get home."

[thaumobabble]

"He's not especially personable," says Glass. "Also sort of acted like he didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned his magic."

[giftedandtalented]

"There's a cultural thing about calling Gifts 'magic'. If you say otherwise I'll buy it."

[thaumobabble]

"It's definitely magic. And that's not just my seeing rounding up; Peace's mutant powers don't register this way and they're just as good as the magic kind."

[salus_populi]

"I suppose using your perceptions as the litmus test at least gives an easy categorization. For you. If your perceptions are that clean-cut."

[thaumobabble]

"I bet you Lazarus says the same thing when he sees Tab," says Glass.

[incanted]

"Magic in my world has genetic markers and interacts with advanced magical technology. Still magic," says Aurora.

[salus_populi]

Aelise shrugs.

[cross_and_bow]

"Speaking of going to see Lazarus, do we need to hang around here any longer? Should we just pack up some Kers ansible-halves, sweep Downside for more Gift alts, and move on? I mean, we are agreed that if anything needs doing about the dead babies and mind control thing Tab can do for the peal, right?"

[luminous_regnant]

"Grudgingly," mutters Golden.

[giftedandtalented]

"Your core staff is composed almost entirely of former serial killers," Tab says to Golden.

[queensidecastle]

"How many ansible-halves do you think you're going to need?" says Kers. "I can do a bunch more connections like that, but not an infinite amount. And if they require active attention, there's going to be a problem when I sleep."

[giftedandtalented]

"Are you very attached to sleeping?" asks Tab brightly.

[she_sells_seashells]

"And one per Belled world should do, optionally skipping either Chronicle or Sunshine but not both. We have regular contact with the other Jarvised worlds, but Jarvises do their own time-syncing amongst themselves."

[queensidecastle]

"So, thirteen or fourteen? I think that's doable," says Kers. She smiles fondly at Tab. "And no, I'm not especially attached, although if your solutions to sleeping are particularly gruesome I might pass."

[giftedandtalented]

"Nothing gruesome! Just perpetually feeling like it's ten in the morning and you've had a cup of coffee," grins Tab. "Pealed Bells sleep only recreationally."

[queensidecastle]

"In that case, hit me," says Kers.

[giftedandtalented]

Tab hits her. "Other superpowers for the two of you should probably wait till you have a full set picked out, because then I can stick them onto your torching all at once. Not that I expect either of you to need to torch."

[queensidecastle]

"Ideally not," Kers agrees. "All right. Set for now? Tab, do you want an extra gem to carry around personally? For that matter, I think I want an extra gem to carry around personally, but installing it might get delicate and my usual connection is just fine for now."

[giftedandtalented]

"Yeah, I'll take a spare, if you can cover that many," says Tab. She conjures up a batch of the requisite size, including one with a charm that matches the dormant Jane-charm on her wrist. "I can probably wish the installation, if you wanted."

[incanted]

"...So, cyborg, Gift feature, other local oddity, what exactly is going on?"

[queensidecastle]

"Cyborg," says Kers. "My Gift is an externally-focused multiple-target shield against various kinds of harm. I also happen to be hooked into the orbital ring's computer systems. And I think I'd rather wish the installation myself, Tab, if it's all the same to you. I'm the one who knows all my specifications."

[giftedandtalented]

"Sure," shrugs Tab, and she makes her three mirrory squares and hands them over.

[queensidecastle]

Kers peers thoughtfully at them, then wishes up an ansible pair and wishes half of it mysteriously disappeared.

"Gotta love instantaneous transmissions," she murmurs, smiling crookedly. "Do you want to go plug this into the ring?" She offers Tab the other half, along with the unused square.

[giftedandtalented]

"Sure." Tab scoops up all of the half-ansibles that will be remaining in Gift, and goes to plug them in. She is back a minute later. "All done. I guess we'll just stick the other halves in the Janepoints?"