space oddity

[rockeye_stonetoe]

One day in fairyland, there is an immensely bright flash of light a about a mile above the ground. Something like a metal house is suddenly flying through as if it came through a portal, faster than all but the fastest fairies.

It's flying, not directly down, but still very much towards the ground. It does not take long for it to stop flying and start carving through earth and trees. Eventually it runs out of momentum near a certain lake. The thing seems to still be in one piece, which is rather miraculous considering the two miles of destroyed trees behind it.

After a few minutes, a mortal covered in unusually bulky clothes emerges from the thing. All that is visible is his face. He starts inspecting the outside of his space oddity.

Comments

[imeanforever]

Promise (who still hasn't fixed her ears except while alone inside her tree, and still finds it weird to speak aloud while deaf and unable to moderate her volume) suggests learning to help plants along, or purify water, or make candied dewdrops.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He writes in fairylights, I'll try plants and water later, but how does one make candied dewdrops? They sound delicious.

[imeanforever]

So she collects some dew and shows him how to separate it out in drops and turn them into candy.

And finishes up her name, which is a masterpiece of escape routes and offense and defense and the occasional syllable.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

The apellodyne prepares a ritual circle in a huge room in the middle of Nick's ship.

Nick tells Promise, I would appreciate if you swear that you will in fact de-age me after you get your new name. I know you can break the promise if you want, it's not an order, but I'd like you to promise anyway.

[imeanforever]

You might be guessing that I take promises to others very seriously because of my nickname, but that's actually not what it's about. Barring discovering something unexpectedly horrible about you between now and then, though, I promise.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

No, it's more like- a promise makes it a proper deal and not a trade of favors. But thank you.

The apellodyne's intricate ritual circle is finished. Promise has probably already memorized the things she needs to say. "We can begin whenever you're ready," the apellodyne invites.

[imeanforever]

Let's go.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

The apellodyne cannot predict exactly how long it will take. In the end, it takes hours and hours and hours of repeating the same few phrases when tapped once, restarting the cycle when tapped twice.

Then, finally, five taps. It's time to say her old name, then her new one.

[imeanforever]

She says "Alisyrrabel".

And then, having set up appropriate target dummies ahead of time, she "says" her new one, complete with the flying and the exploding and the hand gestures and the fairylights.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

The apellodyne says something, pauses, then nods. It worked. Promise will find herself slightly taller, a little paler, and significantly better at the kind of concentration that lends itself to sorcery.

[imeanforever]

Well, those are all acceptable side effects.

She doesn't fix her ears. But she thanks the apellodyne in fairy lights.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

The apellodyne bows respectfully and retreats to her room.

Nick is grinning at her. I'm glad I could pay back my debt of freedom at last. He holds out a little silver coin. Where I grew up, a gift of silver is the traditional way of congratulating someone for a significant achievement, or to welcome someone returning home. This isn't quite the same, but please take it.

[imeanforever]

It's not the same? Is it not silver? she asks, taking the coin.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

I meant it's not quite the same situation. Though technically this is not pure silver either. It's about 95% silver, an alloy that will not corrode as easily.

He flips the coin in the air, looking thoughtful.

By the way, I learned to transmute water into deutritium fuel yesterday. The same stuff you made for me. Is a transformation usually that easy to learn? I suspect I had an easier time of it than normal, since I have an understanding of what the stuff actually is on a subatomic level. It occurs to me that if you had the same understanding, maybe some things would be easier for you. Some science lessons might help you find new ways to apply sorcery.

[imeanforever]

Maybe. Transmutation isn't a particularly difficult application of sorcery and you do have your sensory advantages on the ship, but knowing more about the substances can't hurt.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Does that mean you're not interested in getting a few science textbooks? Oh, and where might I find books on sorcery?

[imeanforever]

I would like the books. Sorcery books can be found in any respectable library. I have some, which you may copy while you're here but not take outright.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

I would appreciate it. I just need to see each page once to fully copy them. I'll get you a pad with some books on it in exchange. It will take an hour or two to change it from a communicating device to a library device, though.

[imeanforever]

You can't render the science books in paper form?

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Ironically, enough paper to print all the books I'm thinking of is more expensive than a library device, so I don't have enough in my ship right now. If you want me to print them I'm going to have to chop down a few trees and render them into paper. Maybe have you transmute ink as well.

[imeanforever]

I have ink and paper. I'm just concerned your device would break in some way before I could scribe everything on it out myself.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

I'll have you know my devices are very reliable! He laughs, inaudibly. But I understand. The thing is 'all the books I'm thinking of' are enough to fill a library themselves if they're actually printed out. I'll pick and choose, cut the number down.

[imeanforever]

I can expand my tree. How many books are you thinking of?

[rockeye_stonetoe]

The Standard Science and Engineering Library is 6732 volumes. Most are very long and complex and tedious but useful for specific applications, some are simpler and shorter, meant for children or new students.

[imeanforever]

It will take me a few days to grow my tree quite that large. ...And I'd like the tablet too in case it doesn't break and I have to move again.