we are not truly immortal

[dark_light]

After Glass's party is over with, Amariah and Kas go home.

Amariah fetches down their alethiometers.

"It's about time I took care of Alethia's afterlife, whatever it may be," she says quietly. "What can the alethiometer tell you about what I'll find?"

Comments

[truthwright]

"If it happens that way, it will happen that way," says the alethiometer.

"Yes," says Kas. "But it's noncommittal about whether or not Grace is going to turn into a hawk-daemon."

[lifes_sake]

"I wonder if I can make a conditional reversal of my anti-daemon wish. Alethiometer, can I do that?"

[truthwright]

"The wish magic works in that way," says the alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

"Awesome. So I'll go if Grace gets to be my daemon, and otherwise I think I'm gonna have to pass."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"...I'll hang back in reserve," says Elspeth. "I'll go in if I'm needed."

[truthwright]

Kas shrugs. "Anything else we want to know?"

[dark_light]

"Will all our magic work in the afterlife?"

[truthwright]

Kas asks.

"The afterlife doesn't work the same way as other places," he reads. "Meaning: not all of it, but not none of it, or it would've just said so."

[lifes_sake]

"Which magic will stop working?" Cam asks.

[truthwright]

"Magic that depends on how things are outside of the afterlife will not work in the afterlife," says the alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

Cam theatrically smacks himself in the forehead.

"Will we be able to use coins there?" he tries.

[truthwright]

Kas giggles.

"Wishcoins will not receive wishes in the afterlife," says the alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

"...What did you get from that?" Cam asks Kas. "I'm not sure I know what it meant."

[truthwright]

"It means no," says Kas.

[lifes_sake]

"The way it put it was weird. 'Receive' wishes."

[truthwright]

"I wouldn't translate it that way, exactly," says Kas. "It was more like - the part of using a coin where you wish on the coin, that's kind of like you're telling it what you want, right? In the afterlife, the coins won't be able to hear you do that."

[lifes_sake]

"...Huh."

[she_sells_seashells]

"When are we going? And do you want me along?" Shell Bell asks.

[dark_light]

"As soon as we know who's going, I think. Elspeth in reserve, I can go, Cam will if Grace works out, you will - who else, though, not everyone's going to want a daemon. Jane, please ask all the Bells to see what sort of daemon they'd get and consider coming along? With all the relevant information."

[mind_game]

Jane passes this along.

[luminous_regnant]

Golden would not prefer to accompany the expedition, although if no one else is willing she will do as Shell Bell plans and leave Edward with her daemon for the trip. She reports, in case anyone is curious, that she would have a small golden dragon.

[bellfounding]

Pattern would have a firefly and doesn't want to instantiate him, thank you.

[self_composed]

[Hey Alice,] says Stella, [Amariah's gearing up to go after her afterlife. The alethiometer says anyone who goes there will get a daemon wish or no wish, and will have to separate from it too. I don't think I want to go, but apparently a square will show me what I'd get if I did, want to see me wish it?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Sure!]

He teleports to wherever she is.

[self_composed]

Stella wishes on a square.

Her result is a lap-sized dragon, red like her coins and broad-winged and with a peculiar effect like lava-flows between some of his larger scales.

"Nifty," murmurs Stella. "Tempting. But separation sounds nasty."