erroneous messenger, sleep!

[incanted]

Brilliance is probably the first person to notice Rainbow's Janepoint broadcasting the message, "error 112358: inferior pattern recognition".

Comments

[withmypowers]

"Only in a very theoretical sense," she says.

[incanted]

"Well," says Bella, "they exist - I'd bring in some proof, but the interworld computer-person that does our on-demand worldhopping is down right now. But there are thirteen of me that we know of so far, plus however many more that haven't joined us yet, and also a bunch of him," she gestures at Brilliance, who she's still holding, "and also a couple of you. And mes, when we get together, spread particularly useful powers around, so, I'm a local magic-person and Brilliance here is a local Device, but I also have some other stuff."

[withmypowers]

"The popular non-specialized term for a local magic user in English is 'mage'," says Matilda. "What sort of other stuff?"

[incanted]

"You can probably notice my aura." It's still wrapped up around Brilliance protectively, although she doesn't currently expect Matilda to attack him. "That's an enchantress thing - so is this village, I made it via enchanting pretty much expressly to get the aura. And I'm a thing called a mint, and I can do something called torching, and usually I can also get the aforementioned computer-person - her name is Jane - to resurrect the dead and relay messages to or move me to other connected worlds, but she's down, her host got into some kind of pickle trying to welcome another one of us to the peal."

[withmypowers]

"I have noticed your aura, yes," she says. "It's very noticeable."

[incanted]

"Brilliance has one too but his is tucked away. They vary person-to-person; I'd put mine away but it has a threat-sensing feature that I want out because I'm a little paranoid right now, seeing as someone just kidnapped and tortured him." (Pet, pet.)

[cardistry]

(Snuggle, snuggle.)

[withmypowers]

"I'm very sorry about that," says Matilda. "If I'd found them sooner, I would have stopped them."

[incanted]

"I believe you," says Bella.

[withmypowers]

"Stealing and coercing devices is part of their usual operating procedure," she says. "I've been after them for a few months now over a series of similar incidents."

[incanted]

"Yikes. What are you going to do with the other Devices? Do they have nice people to go home to?"

[withmypowers]

"Not all of them, unfortunately."

[incanted]

"Maybe I should set up, like, a Wielderless Device Shelter or something, I have room." She nibbles her lip. "I don't suppose any of them want to work with my sister?"

[withmypowers]

"I don't believe any of them have met your sister," says Matilda. "Nor have I, for that matter."

[incanted]

"I mean theoretically would they like to meet her and see if they'd get along."

[withmypowers]

"I'll ask."

[incanted]

"Cool. Brilliance has ethical qualms about making Devices smarter than amoebas." (Pet pet.)

[withmypowers]

"I can imagine why you might," she says.

[incanted]

"So. What's the TSAB exactly besides a body that can arrest pirates?"

[withmypowers]

"It's an interdimensional peacekeeping and administrative agency that claims jurisdiction over all mages."

[incanted]

"Okay, can I get, like, a list of things that the TSAB might inconvenience me about if I chose to do them?"

[withmypowers]

"If you're not hurting anyone or damaging the fabric of space-time, we'll usually leave you alone," she says. "Especially on a planet like Earth. There are a lot more regulations in places where magic is more common."

[incanted]

"Cool, I do not plan to hurt anyone - I was throwing around threats when Brilliance was being hurt but they started it, if anything like it happens again maybe I can just teleport them all to you and you can make them stop - and I'm starting with Earth and it'll probably take me a while - what constitutes damage to space-time? Does space-folding and so on count? This village doesn't do it, but that's a thing that minting and enchantments can do."

[withmypowers]

"No, deliberate local space-folding and so on don't count. Handling large amounts of mana improperly can cause local disturbances in the dimensional fabric," she explains. "The usual case is a couple of careless high-powered mages getting in a fight. It's a pain to clean up, and if the disturbance gets big enough before we catch it, there can be lingering temporospatial distortions that make life unpleasant for anyone nearby."

[incanted]

"Okay. I mostly use my other types of magic instead of fussing with mana and incantations, especially for big stuff. I'll warn my sister. Dimensional fabric disturbances don't sound like anyone's friend." Pause. "Do you believe me about having met others of you and so on or is the fact that Jane's down really hurting my credibility? I could tell you more stuff about the other yous if that'd help."