where shall i begin?

[small_magics]

Isibel is without her loves, her mints, her enchannels.

She does have a coin stash. A reasonably large one, in her beloved's shifting geode colors, and a few in the higher denominations imported from Rainbow; she can make small ones herself. And she is still linked to her beloveds - she can still access Ansharil's magic, is still a functional elfmage.

And unlike any other Bell cast adrift without her convenient masochist(s), Isibel can enchant alone. It's the simplest application of hyperfocus: contemplate her spell and wake up again with it complete. Channeling through oneself leaves no lingering discomfort after the initial burst, and she can fail entirely to attend to that initial burst.

And -

She is reasonably well recovered from her earlier breakage.

It seems to her that it is time to do some... Belling, although she has not yet decided how to start.

She teleports from her folded-in-on-itself enchanted village to the town in which Magania resides, and there she looks for the other elf, who has given such good counsel in the past and already knows of the features of Bells.

Comments

[pythbox]

"No demons," he says succinctly.

[small_magics]

"I suppose that would be a mitigating factor, yes. It is fortunate that it was only I who found my beloved in the lake, and not someone else."

[pythbox]

"Yeah," says Liselen. "It really was."

[small_magics]

"I wonder what Glass would have to say about that. I wish I had found out when she was accessible. Perhaps Jane will return soon," sighs Isibel.

[pythbox]

"What Glass would have said about what? The Wild Magic did it," says Liselen. "I mean, I don't know that completely for sure, it didn't tell me or anything, but - the Wild Magic did it."

[small_magics]

"...Glass has the ability to see templates, like that which I have in common with other Bells, and things related to them. She might have been able to explain why or how the connection between Bell and Joker templates ensured that I and not another would find my beloved. I do not understand what you mean about the Wild Magic having done it."

[pythbox]

"Well, the Wild Magic knew you were going to have to save the world together, right, that's why it sent for me to tell you so," he says. "So the Wild Magic probably made sure you'd meet each other, too."

[small_magics]

"Not only that I found him, but also that no one else found him for ten thousand years, is necessary for what you describe."

[pythbox]

He tosses his head. "It doesn't sound like it would've been that hard, weren't they on an island all by themselves for most of that?"

[small_magics]

"Yes. It is not clear why it was never previously colonized."

[pythbox]

"The Wild Magic did it," Liselen reiterates.

[small_magics]

"Perhaps. Yet in other worlds, too, Bells and Jokers manage to find each other through - not identical but significant odds against it."

[pythbox]

"I wouldn't know about those," says Liselen.

[small_magics]

"That is why I wished to speak to Glass. She has seen them all and might know."

[pythbox]

He tosses his head again. "I guess you'll see her someday, right?"

[small_magics]

"Someday, yes. Even if Jane is irrecoverable we will eventually find Milliways again, I think."

[pythbox]

"Probably," says Liselen.

[small_magics]

"You are welcome to explore the village as long as you like," Isibel adds. "I believe I will go to the borders of the Elven Lands and begin flying, to see what there is to see where our neighbors live."

[pythbox]

"Have fun!" says Liselen.

[small_magics]

"I will try."

And she teleports, and she flies, and she opens up her bond and shows her loves what she has been up to.

[endragoned]

Her loves love her very much! They have been on Saturn, refining the ecosystem. They are delighted that she's keeping busy.

[small_magics]

They can both keep busy and update each other on what they are doing. She is so glad the bond works across worlds. It would be unbearable otherwise.

[endragoned]

It would be. But the bond does work across worlds, and so they are all... content.

Does she have a moment? No, she is flying. They wouldn't want to interrupt.

[small_magics]

...She can hover. She can hover without having to give it a bit of thought, a mile above everything.

[endragoned]

Then perhaps they should pass some time together. Their bodies may be apart, but their minds are not.