The Temple of Inari 50: Foxside

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

"Oh! Did it look like any of these?"
Leah puts her hands together and then draws them apart, leaving a sheet of sleek paper with all sorts of different numbers written on it.

Spoiler: NumberFormats

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2857

101110101



1.23E12

10²⁸



... _
12⁴

||||==
T||T

LXVIII

Leah likes numbers.

Another shrug.
"I don't need money for much. So if you can use it, why not?"

[Deathkeeper]

Arboretum

That doesn't sound so bad, although I have no idea how that requires three other people.

"Would the people here be willing to help with the ritual or would they not be allowed to do such with other gods?" Arty asks the dryad.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Caroline looks over the paper

Oh! It was one point six multiplied by the ten with the small 28 raised up a bit, except the small one was 79. It puzzled me, because one point six times one thousand seventy nine is much too small and too... strange of an amount. I decided that I just didn't understand the number, but it seemed a little pointless anyway, so I didn't follow up on it.

---

[Arboretum]

Cienwen nods

Probably... it depends a bit on what needs to be done, but I'm sure we could find somebody.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Leah smirks and shakes her head.
"No, it's not an actual seventy-nine. The small number tells you where to put the point. Look."
Here she flips the paper over and starts scribbling at it with the tip of her finger, apparently leaving marks.

1.6 x 10⁰ = 1.6
1.6 x 10¹ = 16.0
1.6 x 10² = 160.0
1.6 x 10³ = 1,600
1.6 x 10⁴ = 16,000
1.6 x 10⁵ = 160,000
1.6 x 10⁷⁹ = 16,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 ,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0 00,000

"They're called exponents. That's...really quite a number. I guess you're right that this particular one doesn't really matter."
She suddenly looks sheepish, embarrassed for knowing and caring.

[Ionbound]

[Helen's Room]

Noriko points at Helen's old body, and it flashes down into a diamond of deep smoky grey. Perfectly transparent, but strongly colored, standard round brilliant cut, and probably 2 carats.

Then she winks at the pair

Wouldn't make a bad engagement ring.

Then she is no longer there. Frederick grins

Yeah, Aunt Carol probably ought to be told about the change.

Helen nods as she picks up the gem and says a she starts walking to the Sanctuary, "Hmm...I think Noriko was half-right, at least. This would look very nice in a necklace or something."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Caroline's eyes are round

That is rather a lot of zeros.

Well... Frederick was supposed to be going to the Dancing Fox. He told quite a few people he would, and he really ought to... but instead he follows Helen into the sanctuary. Caroline looks up from the paper.

Hello, Freddie, and greetings, priestess of Tamamo: can I help you?

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Leah nods, inwardly kicking herself.
But then Frederick appears! And another priestess who she doesn't recognize as Helen!

So the visitor gets up and waves to them. Nothing wrong with waving, right?
"Hello, both of you. Frederick, I know you just happen to be here, but do you think you could, as a wizard, help me with something?"

[Zefir]

[Empty Lot - Artifact Disposal]

Frederick nods

It's really great, but I have to know ahead of time that I'm going to do it - I can't just randomly grab any old image out of my head. The spell prepares things first, then I get the image formed in my mind however that might be, then it transfers that image to the paper. It's great for divination, or recording what I can see. It's a little weird if you try to do it from memory... and it gets really freaky if you do it before going to sleep so it records your dreams!

[Empty Lot - Artifact Disposal]

"That would make it much easier to remind yourself about your dreams, right?" Mia says.
"Is this ability something you learned or is it a special feat from you?"

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen smirks and says, "You don't recognize me Lady Caroline? It's me, Helen."

[Fenric]

[Empty Lot - Artifact Disposal]

Frederick smiles

Yeah, it does - even the ones you'd rather not remember. And it's a spell I learned at school, just last year actually.

---

[Sanctuary]

Caroline blinks

Is that why you wanted to talk to Noriko?

Frederick grins at his aunt

Isn't it great?

Then he looks at Leah

Sure, Leah! Whadya need?

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

"Well, I found this book,"

It's a perfect square, and has an hourglass in front of a pair of shotguns etched on the leather cover, plus a little clasp on the side. No title or author listed.

"But it's enchanted to go blank if you don't speak a code-word. Which I don't know. It didn't come with any instructions. I was wondering if you might be able to open it and keep the information."

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen shakes her head and says, "Not initially, no. But I decided to try being a Vulpan and...Well...Between the heightened senses, shadow magic, and being able to be with Frederick without magic, I decided to stay a Vulpan."

[Shadowcaller]

Arboretum

That doesn't sound so bad, although I have no idea how that requires three other people.

"Would the people here be willing to help with the ritual or would they not be allowed to do such with other gods?" Arty asks the dryad.

Arboretum

"It's a ritual, they're all about symbolism even if they don't make practical sense. I can explain more in detail before you perform it though." Chadwick says.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick comes over to look at the book

Hmm... Getting the text out of a protected book can be really challenging... Have you tried opening it under anti-magic? What about divination for getting the password? My Mom specialized in a couple of really sneaky ways around divination protections...

Caroline consider that, then nods

Well... it makes a lot of sense, Helen. So... um... are you planning to be my niece?

[Deathkeeper]

Arboretum

"It's a ritual, they're all about symbolism even if they don't make practical sense. I can explain more in detail before you perform it though." Chadwick says.

Arboretum

All right, in the meantime I'll find two people to help me perform it.

"Do you know anyone here who might be on hand to help? I think I only need two other people." he asks the dryad after speaking to his god.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

The visiting woman shakes her head.
"Hehe. Um, I came to you because I can't do any of those things. My only magic is conjuring stuff."
Not counting all those weird effects that aren't technically magic, the way Leah sees it.

"If you think you can teach me anti-magic, well, I can try. But otherwise..."
Helpless shrug goes here.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen blinks a few times and then says, "Umm...Maybe. I-I'm not really sure about marriage yet...I mean, I love Frederick, but...Marriage is a big step. And I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Cienwen nods

There's a few of the other gardener staff who would probably help out. We're just employees, you know: not priests

---

[Sanctuary]

Caroline's ears flick in embarrassment and she smiles at Helen

I am sorry, that really was not appropriate... I just have so few relatives around here, and I was used to being fairly well surrounded. Of course you are not ready yet.

subject change!

I had the opportunity to spend a few hours as a human yesterday after I teased Noriko. It was rather fun - I had never experienced that before.

Frederick shakes his head at Caroline before turning back to Leah

That does make sense. Hmm... I can't do anti-magic yet - it's too advanced for me: I only just graduated a few months ago. I should probably start with the basic analysis spells and see if I can figure out what the protection is.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Leah glances quickly between Frederick, Caroline, and Helen. Huh.
Then nods.

"Divining the password might work; I imagine it must be built into the spell somehow. And diagnostics are probably a good place to start."

She holds the book out to Frederick.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick casts his diagnostic spells on the book, looking into the nature of the spell that makes it go blank. Is it an illusion? How powerful is it? How sophisticated (as in, a simple "lock", or an advanced security system that monitors and accounts for many different possible attacks)? Is it part of the book, or applied to it separately?

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick will find that it is a transmutation that physically removes the ink. It's been added on to the book after its creation. It's fairly basic, accepts the password only from someone within a certain short distance of the book, but it only notices physical affects to undo the book's latch, and doesn't monitor anything else. It could be a lot more secure.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick chuckles

Looks like it's mostly to deter the casual reader. How attached are you to the book? I bet you could read it if you just cut the covers from the spine and took them off while taking care to leave the latch closed - the spell is only watching for it to be opened.

Then he shrugs

I can try dispelling it if you don't want to cut it up. Mom said stuff around here has a tendency to resist, but I can try - I do know some pretty strong dispelling magic.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick finds the simple nonmagic solution! There's hope for him despite being a wizard.

Leah shakes her head and goes to take the book back.
"I can always get a new cover. Thanks!"

"So how are you finding the DFI?"

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick laughs embarrassedly

I have yet to find it, actually... Kinda need to get that done, because I told the head housekeeper I'd be out today.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

"I can show you guys the way! It's a little bit outside of the city, but I'm there fairly often."
Excitement! And Leah will even take a reasonable method of getting there, if Frederick is along.

[Servants' and Priests' Quarters]

Tavlii is putting up flyers!

VOLUNTEERS WANTED
for a
Medical Study
benefitting the Common Good of
ALL VULPAN-KIND

PAID Compensation for one's time.

See Tavlii, the winged human priestess at the Nexus Temple, for details.

Adult volunteers only please.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen nods, smiles, and says, "I bet. I suppose it's true what people say about the grass being greener. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Caroline shakes her head

No, nothing pressing. I need someone to keep an eye on Chesepeak, but I'm sure I can ask Tavlii when she gets here, so go ahead and help Frederick settled in... unless you aren't planning to accompany him.

Frederick laughs softly

At least we never have to wonder what Aunt Carol is thinking.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

"Right this way, lovebirds."
With a wave and the book in the other hand, Leah starts strolling to the exit and then down the road.

Tavlii walks in soon after, attempting to walk up to the altar.
"Hello, Lady Caroline."

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen nods, laughs, and says, "Apparently. Anyways, off to the Dancing Fox, yes?"

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick nods

Yup: let's be off.

And he follows Leah.

Caroline smiles as Tavlii enters.

Tavlii! We've got a really weird situation going on: Do you remember Chesepeak, the pink cat sort of person? Something went very wrong this past new moon, and she became very strange.