witch's cape, not hat

[characterquarry]

Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.

"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."

"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."

"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."

The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.



...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.

[note: halfway through this thread I created a unique account for Grendyne. Do not be alarmed by the change in account. -Rockeye]

Comments

[witchwatcher]

Earth Gimel's version of the Protectorate (close enough) maintains a comprehensive list of all known powers. She names a few of the powers available - various Brute, Blaster, Shaker and Thinker types. There seems to be quite a lot of them. They don't seem to operate on the same rules as capes from Bet, though how exactly they're different is hard to pin down with only a few examples.

An expanded subset of the list will cost an amount of money that's significant for some random joker but close to pocket change for a supervillain group: $5000. The full list and contact information will cost more, she hasn't decided how much yet. Going to Earth Gimel (Terra, as it calls itself) will cost quite a lot, especially if they want her to keep it quiet, and comes with conditions, the first of which is an in-person meeting at a time and place that Places chooses. She'll have a bodyguard, by the way, and you do not get to know what powers the guard has except that Places thinks it's enough to keep her safe long enough to teleport away.

[wormcan]

This is all perfectly acceptable. As long as the meeting can be in costume and she doesn't insist on learning any secret identities.

They can pay whatever it takes for the full list; they've been successful so far. They're looking for powers that can transform people, powers that can heal, powers that can enforce action, and anything that Bet would consider a trump power.

At the meeting, even though they said transport for six, only five show up. And they want to make sure Places' power doesn't require physical contact.

[witchwatcher]

Places appears to be a woman. Her costume is chaotically colored, and armored, but she doesn't seem to have trouble walking around in it. Her guard's costume is all black, the mask painted with an angry expression, and also armored.

"Let's get straight to business. You have the money?" They do. "Here's the list." A USB drive is handed over.

"I don't need physical contact, but I do have a mass limit and a number-of-targets limit. As to the powers you inquired about: There are at least two who can transform people into animals. Another can transform men into women and vice versa. There are various healers depending on what you want healed, but none of them match Panacea. There are a couple flavors of enforced action. The first is geasing. When willing targets swear to a particular phrase, they become literally unable to break the promise. There are also curses, which are rather finicky but have been known to de-power people, among many other unpleasant things. Will you be wanting to go to Earth Gimel soon?"

[wormcan]

The red-costumed man in the top hat does most of the talking. "I imagine we will. It might take several trips, to prepare things safely. And what is this mass limit? Our sixth member might exceed it, in which case we'd need to bring all the candidate capes here one at a time."

[witchwatcher]

"If I teleport anything over two tons I'll need time to rest. I can't safely 'port anything over twelve tons. There's more you'll need to know, though - Gimel's capes work differently than Bet's. They all get low level brute, mover, and blaster stuff, only women, no trigger events, they decay with age... And you can't buy 'em." She tilts her head inquiringly. "For my own safety, your sixth member is what they call a Case 53, correct?"

[wormcan]

"Yes. Over two tons, though less than three, and not always in control of herself. We'd need to go first with enough time to set up a place that can keep her contained.

Gimel capes can work however they want, so long as they work. If nothing does work, we'd probably want passage back when Bet is our best chance again. Wouldn't want to throw away our shot. Will we be able to contact you from there?"

[witchwatcher]

"Gimel capes also don't do costumes so much. You'll catch attention as you are. Bet's dollars aren't much good in some places, but I'll exchange currency for 5% if you like. Contact between the worlds will be slow at best, but I can make sure to visit at least once a day. They were much lower tech than Bet when contact happened, but they're catching up fast. I'll give you a mailing address which you should not actually show up at, and a radio frequency that someone will be checking every day at midnight in Gimel's London's time."

"Now, my prices. Given the potential danger from your last member, the heat I'll bring down by moving known villains across the world barrier..."

They're high. Very high. But not completely out of reach, they can afford two round trips to Gimel for everyone and then some.

[wormcan]

Places is oddly well informed on the available funds of successful mercenary villains. But the Travelers are willing to spend more of their money on this than most customers, at least going by how their leader talks. To minimize the number of trips they arrange for three to go earlier and arrange a place to hide their other member, then the remainder to follow with her.

[witchwatcher]

"Where on Gimel would you like to show up?"

[wormcan]

"Some city where where money is good, either currency, and close to some of the more promising capes." He scans the list. "Does a geas work on involuntary actions?"

[witchwatcher]

"London would be my best bet. One of the transformers is there, at least three geasers, and probably someone who can do curses but I don't keep close track on them. And it's a big center of government and trade to boot, so Bet dollars are gold there. Geases work on obsessive disorders and nervous tics and the like, but not for example your heartbeat or that thing where you kick if someone hits your knee just right."

[wormcan]

"Worth a try. London, then."

[witchwatcher]

"I need to arrange a place in London for you to land. Tomorrow afternoon earliest. Email me a time after that you'll be back here, bring the money for the first one-way trip."

And whenever the three that are going are ready and the money is counted by that guard...

They and all their luggage are in a nondescript but old-looking warehouse in Earth Gimel's London. "Go nuts."

[wormcan]

They do. Going from being present in an unfamiliar city in an unfamiliar world with nothing but the clothes on one's back (and lots of money) to being in possession of a fortified vault isn't necessarily easy, but it works eventually. When it does, they contact Places again. The transport for the remaining Travelers is going to be the dangerous one.

[witchwatcher]

She shows up at the designated place with two guards. The second one is wearing non-costume armor and a simpler mask labelled 'N'. "I need line of sight on your last member. Where to?"

[wormcan]

"This way. Light's low, it makes it easier for her around people." All the clients are speaking softly. They lead the way to a heavy steel door, which they open.

[witchwatcher]

She follows, whispering, "Twenty-five seconds to build up juice once I see them. N is a telekinetic, she'll hold your last member back if they attack."

[wormcan]

The sixth member looks like an ordinary young woman from the waist up. Everything else, the vast majority of her body, is an enormous mass of flesh. Three giant animal heads, prehensile slobbering tongues, too many legs to count which species they're all imitating, a handful of tentacles, and a tentacleful of hands.

She doesn't attack. She's studiously facing away from the strangers, and while some of her body is wavering and gesturing at them she doesn't make any especially sudden moves.

[witchwatcher]

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. "Brace for transport."

And they're in the Travelers' Earth Gimel vault. Everyone falls two inches. Places and her guards back out of the door immediately.

[wormcan]

Their clients don't spend long in the vault either, with the exception of their leader.

Thanks to the list they got from Places, finding the relevant capes—or Witches, here—is far easier than it was on Earth Bet. Oliver does most of the talking. Masks aren't customary here, and even though there's almost no risk of being recognized by the same person in both worlds they may as well have the most visible face be the one that's never the same twice.

They go for one of the geas Witches first. It won't be a cure, but if Noelle can be made safe to be around then subsequent searches will be much easier.

[witchwatcher]

Two of the geas Witches work for the government and don't give geases to the public. The last bills herself as helping with addictions and similar. She is a little hard to find, but jumps at the chance to name some extra money.

She's intimidated and grossed out by Noelle, but money is money. What phrasing where they thinking of? So she can point out any holes.

[wormcan]

"I'd say never using her power, but most of it is passive. So an inability to touch or attack anyone using the mutated parts of that body," the long-haired man doing most of the less public negotiating suggests. "Something that wouldn't restrict her once she gets changed back."

Noelle herself doesn't express much of an opinion; making her situation less of a problem and her safer to be around would be worth it whatever side effects if comes with.

[witchwatcher]

"If the power is largely passive, it would be safer to have a fully general restriction that expires at some later time. Geases can be fuzzy around involuntary or compulsory actions. How about never touching or attacking anyone at all unless the power is to her own best judgment, or one of yours, no longer a problem? If there are things that aggravate the involuntary parts of your power, you can include an clause not to let them aggravate you. It might help. I can loosen or remove a geas easily if you change your mind, by the way."

[wormcan]

"And there are no cases where using this power is a good idea. A general one with an expiration date sounds just as good."

"How does the not being aggravated clause work?" the blonde Traveler asks. "She has to avoid those things, or they magically don't affect her, or they affect her less depending on how much choice she has in it?"

[witchwatcher]

"I'm not entirely sure how it will work with otherworldly powers, but it mostly helps you not care about the things that are aggravating you. It takes away, automates, most of the mental effort. When I geas addicts not to crave their sin of choice, they still crave it, but they find it easier to dismiss or ignore the craving because they are not allowed to let it affect them. It only helps so much, but some is more than none."