our real estate is a great investment

[cross_and_bow]

"Welcome to Sunshine," says Juliet. "And to my front porch and whatever you do don't hit the light, it'll set Sherlock on fire."

Comments

[pythbox]

"I bought you a house," is how Giles chooses to return this greeting. "It's officially in my name, but you can do what you want with it, since I assume that turning part of it into a training area is on the agenda."

[cross_and_bow]

"Yup. Install the AI, have Sherlock move in, beat each other up in it, when I'm good enough with the wand that I don't have to practice on the beach I can do that there too." Pause. "Shell Bell, do you think squares could conjure copies of arbitrary demonology books?"

[she_sells_seashells]

"I could probably conjure a copy of Johanna Mason's unauthorized biography," says Shell Bell, "even though this universe doesn't have any copies and I have never read it before, so I assume demonology books that have actually been written in Sunshine would only be easier."

[pythbox]

Giles looks stunned.

Then he says, very rapidly and intently, "Can I write you up a list?"

[she_sells_seashells]

"Uh, sure," says Shell Bell, amused.

[cross_and_bow]

"Try it on one book first, to make sure it works," snorts Juliet.

[pythbox]

He rattles off a title as though he has been waiting for this day all his life.

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell switches from bending her finger to biting her cheek, so that she can catch the conjured book and present it to him. "Is this what you were looking for?"

[pythbox]

"Yes it is," he says, and immediately hauls out pen and paper to start composing that list.

[cross_and_bow]

"Er, please do remember that Shell Bell's only here for a finite amount of time, can make only a finite number of squares, and every book you request will cost a square of its own," says Juliet. "I might or might not find another me with mint powers before I run out even if I only use them for emergencies, since Slayers encounter, you know, lots of emergencies. And the squares and the fire wand are the only safe magic we have access to right now."

[pythbox]

"That," he says without looking up from the page, "is why I am not just naming titles as fast as I can think of them."

[she_sells_seashells]

"It's not any more expensive to conjure a big book than a small one, so if any of them might have been omnibused or otherwise combined..."

[cross_and_bow]

"Your conservatism is appreciated, Mr. Giles," says Juliet.

[pythbox]

He starts scribbling on the list, linking titles with arrows or brackets.

Eventually, he has it down to fifteen, written neatly in order on the back of the page. He hands it to Bell.

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell conjures him a stack of those fifteen books, easy as pie. They appear on his desk. "There you go. I hope they help!"

[pythbox]

"Immeasurably," he assures her.

[cross_and_bow]

"What sorta books did you pick out?" Juliet asks, peering over her shoulder instead of at the book she's currently notetaking from.

[pythbox]

"Ones I wouldn't be able to get any other way, but that I know exist. and want to own. Not all of them are demonology; a few are about magic."

[cross_and_bow]

"Ooh." Pause. "It's possible I should have mentioned earlier that we think the reason I haven't gotten magic from here to work for me is that various demonic-and-or-divine entities cannot inspect the contents of my skull to figure out what I am trying to do."

[pythbox]

"...Luckily, I don't think that will have too much impact on the usefulness of the selection."

[cross_and_bow]

"That's good! What kinda magic books?" inquires Juliet.

[pythbox]

"Historical, theoretical, and one practical. Just one. But I think you might find the theoretical more interesting."

[cross_and_bow]

"More interesting, maybe. Not necessarily more so by enough to keep me away from the practical once you're out of stalling homework. I want to stretch my square supply and I don't care to base my entire fighting-the-forces-of-evil strategy on being able to punch holes through brick walls."

[pythbox]

"I would say it's worked for hundreds of Slayers before you, but I can already imagine your reply," he sighs.

[cross_and_bow]

"It didn't work well enough for any of them to live past twenty-six," says Juliet.