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]

It's slightly but not overwhelmingly less efficient to look them all over at the same time.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Would it cost you less total time? That's my standard for efficiency in this case.

[imeanforever]

Yes, I'd just be ready to de-age the first one later.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Then arranging for them to all have free time at once at times convenient to you will be more efficient. I'll do that. When are you best available?

[imeanforever]

I don't have any fixed demands on my time but I do need time to, say, eat and sleep every so often.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

How does... Three or four hours a day, starting six hours from now sound? They'll probably spend the time playing card games - three of the four make a habit of it. Let me know if there's something you need, except, obviously, any food from the ship that probably counts as belonging to the cook or something.

[imeanforever]

I won't need anything and that schedule sounds fine.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Nick goes back to the ship and practices sorcery. Six hours pass.

The mortals who want to be de-aged vary from only a bit grey-haired to almost as old as Nick looks. They introduce themselves slightly nervously. One of them asks how it feels to have wings. Nick explains that she can't hear them.

They do in fact play card games.

[imeanforever]

She sits nearby, watching them exist and incidentally trying to learn the rules to their games by observation.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Some of the games they play are fairly simple. One involves matching sets of cards with the same numbers or colors and trying to avoid letting others do the same, another seems to be a betting game based on sheer luck. Other games are more difficult to figure out. They keep glancing at her once in a while, but eventually the looks fade from nervous to simply noticing.

After three hours and a bit, three of them leave. The fourth writes 'thank you' on the back of a card and shows it to her.

[imeanforever]

She doesn't watch while he writes, but reads the card when he's finished. You're welcome, she writes in fairylights.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He is surprised at the lights! But he nods and follows his friends.

After a few days of this, Nick tells her, I've decided to tell you part of my new name. Thinking about it, trying to decide, is just making me miserable. Somewhere private, preferably.

[imeanforever]

In my tree, she suggests.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He follows to her tree. I'm going to turn off all my cameras and sensors. It's very unlikely but theoretically possible that someone could gain access to them without me knowing about it. Can you do anything to stop other fairies from looking in here?

[imeanforever]

It's my tree. Nobody can go into my tree if I don't let them.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Alright. Will a small part of it do, you think, or do you need a significant fraction?

[imeanforever]

I don't know. If you start with a small part I can tell you if it snaps.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes. Vinga.

[imeanforever]

That much works.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Are you still under the no-ordering-me orders from all those years ago? You may give me the reciprocal order of any of my orders you are currently under.

[imeanforever]

"Never," her voice is loud and awkward in her mouth after so long avoiding it while deaf, "give me an order that I do not expressly request of my own uncommanded will, or that you do not sincerely without mental contortion believe to be in my best interest as you genuinely understand it."

Thank you.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He nods serenely. I'm glad I forced myself to do this. Once burned, twice shy they say - but I'm the less trustworthy of the two of us, honestly.

[imeanforever]

What should I be looking out for? she asks, rubbing at one of her ears.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

I betrayed your perfectly designed plan to escape Yellow. I tried to hide information from you when I arrived, even though I was trying to help you. I'm a paranoid and suspicious old ogre who never quite manages to think the world isn't out to get me.

[imeanforever]

"Well," she says, voice adjusting before the syllable's halfway out, "you did help me escape Yellow, and you brought me here too."