how are you feeling?

[small_magics]

[It seems that perhaps we should speak,] Isibel says to Lycaelon. She wishes him a cup of tea, wherever he is, hovering in the air waiting for him to take it. [Though I confess I do not know where to begin.]

Comments

[pythbox]

Sherial nudges the red-gold dragon with her foot. "Go find Elasirae," she says. "Tell him there's something interesting and he should come here."

"Okay," says the red-gold dragon, and she takes off.

[small_magics]

"Thank you." She sneaks a quick glance at Elasirae to confirm that the name matches the dragon she guesses - "His alt is already in this world, if it would be useful to have him present."

[pythbox]

"He might as well come here too," says Sherial. "Is he very enthusiastic about magic? They can be enthusiastic about magic together."

[small_magics]

"He is in fact very enthusiastic about magic."

[Sherial invites you to come here, where your alt will soon appear.]

[nonbird]

Lazarus appears.

He looks up at Sherial.

[pythbox]

Sherial looks down at him.

"You don't look very much like Elasirae at all," she observes.

[nonbird]

"Are you sure? Maybe you should wait until he shows up and you can compare us," Lazarus says dryly.

[pythbox]

"But you do talk very much like Elasirae," says Sherial, giggling.

[small_magics]

"One of my alts can see things about the sort of causality that produces alts. I can invite her here to confirm, and will probably do this sooner or later anyway."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"But the template sweep will have been perfectly accurate, so all she will be able to add is fine detail."

[pythbox]

"What kind of fine detail?" says Sherial.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"What template attractors you do and don't have, and any other ambient metacausality. She is better at it when she can compare things directly against each other - you with other Sherlocks, for example."

[pythbox]

"Will you be inviting more Sherlocks here, then?" she asks.

[small_magics]

"They are certainly welcome. Although none asked particularly to come when Jane inquired of them how best to introduce you to the news. If nothing else, there will in some days be a large party of my alts and our friends, including all of the Sherlocks who care to appear."

[pythbox]

"I've never been to a party before," says Sherial. "Dragons don't really have them. I don't think there are enough of us. And we don't easily all fit in the same place at once."

[small_magics]

"A sufficiently large place can be made," Isibel assures her. "Although perhaps this eventuality will make Amariah reconsider her offer to host in her new palace, which I do not believe was created with a population of dragon guests in mind."

[pythbox]

"If you say so," says Sherial, tapping her tail idly against the ground with a considerable thump. "Elasirae must be off somewhere. I'm less sure what to do about Sidanar and Arianna. Maybe Tianthonet will think of something; she knows them better."

[small_magics]

Isibel quickly checks the names against her pastwatching: Sidanar is the Darcy, Arianna the Anna. "Perhaps."

[pythbox]

"I'm going to guess that Amariah is one of your alts," Sherial adds. "That thing you do is magnificently useful, Elspeth."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Thanks!"

[small_magics]

"Amariah is one of my alts, yes. There are sixteen of us in total."

[pythbox]

"That's a lot," says Sherial. "You can tell me more things about them while we wait for the others if you want."

[small_magics]

Isibel laughs softly. "I can - I also do not mind being asked questions, which helps with interacting with my alts, none of whom are elves. They are mostly humans, although Amariah and Angela and Golden would not call themselves so."

[pythbox]

"What would they call themselves instead?"

[small_magics]

"Amariah is a witch, Angela an angel, and Golden a vampire. Whether these things are species in their own right is an ambiguous matter, as all three sorts of people are normally interfertile only with humans."