TTM & WM

by Throwaway1971

Please ignore

4. Entry 4

[01.29: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Hitchhiking on the Inter-Dimensional Highway...]

In many ways I could be considered to be 'Fortifying this Position' in Astral terms as my body sat in a meditative pose within the circle of various runes, wards, and sigils deep within the College of Winterhold. It was badly needed as fragments of my mind, my vulnerable soul anchored within my protective wards, explored out into the realms beyond. My mortal mind seemed to interpreted things in terms of games, or an interactive map in this case, as my mind 'stood' upon the 'sphere' that was Mundus and saw many lines and spheres and other shapes without description beyond.

Potential paths to other realms, though with barriers and various obstacles, shields even, floating out there in the mists beyond my vision. My plan had been rather simple, Plan A at least, but it seemed a straightforward movement to the Outlands, or realms near, were very, very, risk at best, and too much power was likely to get me killed or gone elsewhere. It was like a spiders web within a fog, connects going off into various realms, Daedric ones, Sovngarde, and others beyond knowing, that were all linked to this 'chain' of reality. Slowly, cautiously, my 'senses' probed forward along a string of light, then withdrawing before committing to that particular path – then trying another.

The Rune Gate gave me options I normally didn't have, but it was showing a clearer picture of where and what I could do. Avoiding any of the realms of the Daedric Princes, the strongest routes outside the Aedric ones, was the priority so it the 'side paths' and 'untouched trails' that I looked at as it was also equally clear whatever route we'd come in on was closed, or gone. That unfortunately was not leaving me with many 'good' and 'easy' options for a direct path out as those 'Princes' effectively 'blocked' jumps out of the cosmology. Or, at the very least, a straight exit to Sigil or back to Quinn's Earth like Plan B had been...

So if one couldn't go forward, then maybe a side route was for the best?

Idly I wondered, suspected really, that part of my subconscious affected the more 'instinctive' jumps in logic that occurred to make the planeswalk function effectively. Largely as the 'realms' I 'touched' on the shimmering spider-tread path were quasi familiar, and linked to Mundus, yet separate. For one I swiftly pulled back from the 'realm' of Vyn; yes, a path out beyond, but yet another world at the stage of Nirn, and the High Ones were...vile creatures. So little gain for too much risk - so that would be for a much later inspection. No, the next choice was less than ideal, but still better as I touched the realm with magic, but more like Other-Me's origin world.

Radiation would be an issue, not majorly as magic world fine there, but there was a path beyond that path of other 'technological' realms as best I could tell. It should also be harder for 'Higher Plane' beings to manifest there as well, beyond working through their agents, so I approached the path to that reality with a slow, deliberate, pace as I sought the crack in the sphere to slip through. Finding a 'safe', or at least a relatively 'safe' exit point was the key here, and I mentally I focused on requirements and allowed my magic to 'auto-pilot' on the winds of fate somewhat.

Again I suspected subconscious 'knowledge' at work for 'finding' such places as various 'empty' areas seemed to flash before me like hazy map-screens, or old video footage. It wasn't easy, but I tried to carefully focus and narrow them down, probing the ether and then committing to a course decisively. The goal would not be to stay there long after all, but to move unto the next path on the journey. My hands in the physical world, scribbled notes and drew a 'map' with sightless eyes as I observed and the crack formed into a doorway, a connection back to a sealed door...

--

{Open your eyes and see the world as it is...}

"Sooooo?"

I sighed as I stood up, ignoring the questioning tone for a moment from Kara as muscles protested moving after sitting in place for several hours. Letting out a groan as I stretched, I turned to where her and the others waited, a faint glow coming from the Rune Gate "Bad news is it's not to where I wanted to go, nor to our secondary location. We're going through another world to get, well...free?...of the barriers and various planes around Mundus. So, not ideal, but there is a path to where we want to go...just, well, I'm reasonably sure the world we're going through suffered an apocalypse in the past. There's low level background radiation, so protective magics are in order"

Quinn, who'd been apparently dozing on a chair till I'd gotten up yawned, then nodded "Like that one the..."

I shook my head "No, not near that bad, world's alive at least, just dangerous in the quick scry I could give around in my astral form..." then glanced at the Archmage, who was watching Phinis Gestor inspected the humming and faintly glowing doors "...we're nearly ready to depart. I just want to get something to ease my thirst and get basic protective incantations up. We've about an hour before the spell dissipates, so I'm just going to change clothes and have a quick drink of water first"

"Indeed, an advisable course of action and gives myself and my colleagues time to inspect the structure while it is active" came the replied and I headed into the side-room, pulling the curtain behind me, and began to get into a more 'modern earth' combat gear look like Quinn was wearing. Kara was dressed in what was a mix of 'modern' hiking gear and local garb, and I could hear the hustle and bustle outside as the mages descended on the active Rune Gate. I didn't mind, as it gave me a few minutes to catch my breath, have a drink, and of course I didn't have to relieve myself immediately after crossing the Event Horizon of that portal.

So I took my time, carefully checking I'd packed all the things I wanted, outside of the magical trader's carrier cases which I illusioned to a simple camouflaged backpack. Sure my White Suit was the better enchanted, and protected, ironically enough but this was better for simple movement in the wilds, while having good body armour. The terrain around the end point indicated...well, even the mages were dressed in travel gear and armour, albeit local, so best to a balance of comfortable and protected while travelling in the wasteland likely beyond.

Explaining took another few minutes, along with the basic protective spells and taking some anti-radiation medicine, so it was lucky I'd set the spell as long as I did. Some of it could be my own paranoia and stress of course, especially with Kara eager to go through like the mad mages, but better safe than sorry I found as I cloaked myself in invisibility just before the doors opened. The mirror-like 'glass' surface rippled like water as I stepped through ahead of the others...

Out into a dusty, smell, dreary, inside of a crumbling building that's windows had been clearly been barricade long ago as the wood was rotten, and metal rusted. No matter, the room was clear, as was the two beside it, and I signalled for the others to come through as I went out through the broken door, with a bit of effort, into a dreary sunlit yard. One full of broken up ancient concrete and various rusted hulks that had once being trucks and other vehicles, though thankfully little beyond a few insects and birds as my Life Detection picked up no sign of Ghouls or natives that might be Raiders.

'And...bollocks' I thought as a certain blonde teammate of mine came out behind me...and proceeded to rise off the ground with a big smile on her face as she rose up into the air ever further with a "I'll see whats in the distance! Back in a minute!!"

... to where she thought I might be,before flying up into the air, arms out, and clearly basking in the sickly sunlight. I made a mental note to e ensure I made her invisible in the future, all while hoping there wasn't any aircraft or drones on this battered Earth to observe the flying blonde haired girl. For now though I tried to ignore that point as I activated my own flight spell, rising up a little bit into the air, bincoculars coming into hand as I started to scan around the area we'd come out in.

'Mole rats looks like over there...nothing there, nothing there, messed up looking town...metropolitan area to the north-west...' I thought to myself doing a second pass, before inspect the immediate area around the...Red Rocket Station and Repair Yard...before descending back to the ground, deactivating my cloak, and heading back into the others. Sans Kara of course, who I sent a 'get back down here!' to over the small military radio on the shoulder of my, and her, clothes. Thankfully she did come back a few moments later, decent enough to look embarrassed when I gave her a mild glare at running off, before sighing and looking at the others as the Door vanished.

"Well, welcome to a fairly battered world. Our home for the next day or two till I plot out our next door from here"

Faralada nodded, looking around at the old filth and dust...and the remains of someone's skeleton behind a counter with a frown "No sooner?"

I shrugged "I could jump us out right now, but that'd be a fairly blind one, and myself and Quinn found its best to wait a few hours, a day or two really, before doing the next jump unless it's too dangerous. Rushing spells can be..."

"Fatal, yes, your caution does you credit..." the grumpy man, the Master of Conjuration Phinis Gestor, mouthed looking around the place "...now. Are we to stay in this...filth?"

I glanced at Kara, who shrugged and I sighed turning back to the others "There's a ruined city to the north-east according to the compass..." indicating that they worked here at least "...but it'll be night in a few hours, so I'm inclined to focus on making this place liveable and defendable right now before we do anything else. I know your all eager to explore, but, please, a secure camp is a first, especially with these lands being bandit ridden, as well as mutated animals, if I'm correct on the information for where we might be"

Having words with Kara came next, after we cleaned this place, but not in front of anyone but me, her, and Quinn, as used some minor cantrips to start cleaning the inside as Kara and Faralda took up a watch position outside. One benefit of competently trained magic users, even if those from Nirn didn't really bother much with simple spells like this, was that cleaning and getting a camp established was relatively easy. Especially when I could simply pull out a section of my Trader's Pack and unload a mobile camp as the room got de-dust and de-skeletonised. Gestor at least summoned a flame autronarch to serve as security, while held off on my own till my unseen servant did some cleaning and blocking of windows...

--

[1.30: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Robbing a bank is so much easier with magic and a Kryptonian...]

The city to our north was called Lowell, or, well, at least it had been once upon a time and it put us somewhere north of Boston, and more immediately, Lexington according to the signs. It reeked of ancient death to my more arcane senses, however faintly, and it was surprisingly intact despite two hundred odd years since the bombs falling if memory served my right. Not that there wasn't life around, as our annihilation earlier today of some feral dogs and mole-rats showed, just that it was...somewhat like what the Dwemer ruins were supposed to be like according to Faralda.

Dead, yet not dead, and both me and Kara had seen distant signs of humanity, living humanity, when we'd gone airborne earlier in the day. Not that that I had much interest in going towards those groups as it might lead to violence, but it led me to have an...idea towards gaining trade goods and funds for Sigil. People on this Earth had made their weapons, and many of their goods, very, very, durable it seemed, and also it looked like there was looting to be done. Not much, but the sealed safe here in the Red Rocket, after a certain girl X-Ray scanned to find it, had a functional laser pistol and micro-fusion cells to power it. So...there were banks, with sealed vaults, in Lowell...

'And we have wizards and a Kyrptonian'

"I don't think I like that look on your face, or should I?" Quinn as me from where he sat on the roof with me as I lowered the sniper-snoped Ternathian Model 10 rifle and gazed at the city. I sat back in the chair, resting the rifle behind side as Breylna came towards the two of us with some tea while Kara played bodyguard for Faralda and Phinis Gestor while they looked around the junkyard. Well, repair yard, now the mole-rats were dead, but everything was junk now...though it still very much interested them of course.

"I'm thinking that there are banks over there whose vaults might be full if they are still sealed. Vaults we can access too as magic and Kara" I replied honestly as I waved Breylna to sit with us as she handed me and Quinn a hot mug of coffee each "Sit, and thanks for the mug, I could really do with it"

"Did...did I hear you correctly" the young Dunmer woman asked with confusion as she sat down, on the now clean metal and plastic seat "Stealing? That's...not good Callum!"

"It's not stealing if everyone's dead and nobody's using it..." Quinn answered before I could, so I shrugged and took a sip as the hot mug warmed my hands "...like the ruins on your world. It's not a bad plan Callum, you and Kara maybe? One or two of the others? How do you plan on getting there? Flight?"

I nodded "Aye, flying, myself or Kara could open the vault doors, load up our storage bags. You'd might be able see any useful electronics...there's life in the city, but not much from the looks of it"

Breylna's head lowered, staring into her mug "It is so sad...such might cities, I would not have believed...and all gone. How terrible to live in the ruins of your ancestors in such a manner, when all has fallen"

'Well, least they've gotten over how easily Kara flies, and the giant cities in the distance by the standards of Nirn' I thought before nodding "That it is, but don't forget a number of them have turned into some of the worst bandits you can think of as a result. Anyway, as Quinn said; it's not stealing when the owners are long dead and no one else has claimed it...so dungeon delving and salvage"

A amused feminine sigh came from just above me as felt, then saw, Kara hover down to stand above me, arms folded across her chest "Is that what your calling it?"

"Aye, that's what I'll call it. Salvage and reclamation, and it's what'll pay our bills for the next while" I answered with a smile as she shook her head pouting a little.

"You two are, like, bad influences!"

"Why do you say that?"

She snorted, looking at me in with both irritation and amusement "You want me to help you rob a bank!"

"Salvage and reclaim things that just happen to be stored in a bank vault actually!" I answered reaching into my back pack and pulling out a bottle of water "Drink?"

Quinn snorted in amusement as Kara huffed in annoyance, shaking her head before taking the bottle out of my hands "Okay, fine, you win. Now let's here this plan of yours..."

--

{It's not theft, its salvage...just keep telling yourself that Kara}

Kara Zor-El found each day hard since being lost in magic-sword-fantasy land. She missed home, she missed her family, hell she missed girl-talk with Barbara, and days had turned into weeks, then months, even if it felt they were slowly making progress now. Of course ripping the door and hinges off a bank vault wasn't what she'd planned to find herself doing since becoming a superhero...but here she was. Finally strong again, finally able to fly again, and even the depressing horror that was this particular Earth appeared to be could get down her joy at being able to fell herself again.

"J'zargo remember not offend pretty Kara yes, strong yes, very, very strong"

Callum chuckled at that patting her on the shoulder and giving her an 'are you okay?' look as he replied to their cat-man, Kaj-it, friend who he'd flown here "Yes she is, now into the heart of the vault and see what can gather up"

She smiled back at him, giving a thumbs up in answer, and an honest one at that. Callum and Quinn cared about her, each in their own, often weird, little ways and it had helped with the strange situation of staying in a room, and camping, with a boy only a little older than her, and a man a decade older. Clark would freak out if he knew of course, but both had been perfect gentlemen to her...even if, even weakened, she'd have kicked their asses if they had tried anything anyway. It had helped with keeping the misery and loneliness of these past weeks tolerable, and it was strange too...

'It's so weird being seen as the nerdy tech girl as well' she admitted hovering into the dust covered vault with the two others while the elf woman, Faralda, watched the doors after 'summoning' some sort of ghost-wolf-dog thing to help her. Callum motioned at a computer terminal, and it was super-weird that it was still working after decades being abandoned, and she hovered over to it, fingers dancing over the terminal. Barbara or one of the Bats, or The Question, or maybe Steel, would usually have handled this but she was 'Science Girl' now along with Quinn being 'Super-Genius' so she focused on cracking the codes.

Sure the machines were primitive looking, but they were also strangely advanced for all their weirdness too, and for a few moments she could pretend she was home, home-home not Earth, and playing with the some super-retro logic puzzle game "And...done!"

"Awesome, I'll open the rest then!" Callum congratulated her with a grin as part of the vault slid open revealing gold bars and yet more banks of small metal deposit boxes. His hands did...something, as he chanted softly under his breath, and then all the locked boxes clicked all at once, opening up. She'd seen Zatanna doing similar before, and it really made life easier as she pulled Quinn's 'bigger-on-the-inside' backpack off her back and opened it up so they could fill it up. Was this how the villains felt when they successfully pulled off a heist?

'Maybe, but this was super-easy since no guards, or people, or Kal or me coming to stop them' she admitted taking out a box, seeing cash in it and putting it aside. The next one had jewels in it, and silver coins, so that went into the magic-bag just like the others were doing. This probably was going to be part of her 'epic adventure' that got skipped when she got home and told everyone about {after they'd fixed Callum and whatever was making Quinn so unhappy} how awesome and independent she was!

"J'zargo wants to know is this of use?" her cat-man friend asked, holding up some sort of energy weapon if she was judging right "Is worth much coin, yes?"

"Yes, into the bags J'zargo, we're doing well!" she answered cheerfully ignoring the fact that this was probably not what super-heroes were supposed to do. Then again, having clothes on her back, and a full belly, without even talking of getting home, meant they needed things, and it wasn't like robbing an actual bank since...all the skeletons upstairs told that story depressingly well. So, Supergirl could...do some salvage and reclamation to pay the bills as Ma and Pa Kent would call it...

--

{Damned Raiders! Trying to steal the stuff we stole!}

Things had gone so well till we just about finished I found as the crack-crack-crack sound reached us from above along with loud shrieking. Thankfully that turned out to be 'battle-cries' from certain drugged up raiders across the street as the charged forward, shooting wildly, before a ghost-wolf bit the man in the crotch and turned that shriek even more high pitched.

"What happened?" shouted to Faralda, rifle in hand as I came up behind some rumble at the window and took aim...

"One of the golems saw me, or my wolf, I do not know how, merely that that they did!" she answered sending a gust of flame out the doors with a hand while staying in shelter. Kara had gone airborne, or at least should be out the roof, so I responded with a careful shoot of the rifle while judging the tactical situation. A raider went down screaming as the bullet ripped out their left leg and I saw...about eight in total behind him, in heavy mismatched armour, along with a rolling mini-tank like droid. My hand tapped my shoulder comm..

"Kara, take out that robot and I'll try non-lethally deal with the rest"

"Got it!" came back mere seconds before a blot descended from the sky and the dual gatling gun wielding machine literally exploded...

'Shit, lasers hurt her apparently' I saw as I came out, the spells erupting from my hands as I stood up and gestured, just as someone shot Kara in the back amidst the wreckage. Bullets weren't bothering her, but apparently the high-energy lasers here were sufficent to stagger and have her cry out in pain. Didn't matter as Horror and Sleep ignited as my hand moved and the raiders either went down asleep, or in two stronger willed cases, turned and ran screaming from the field. Other than the no unconscious one with a gunshot leg, or the one with a blood crotch of course, but that didn't matter as it was time to loot them and get gone...

--

[1.31: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Engaging in Dynamic Archaeology and Civic Renovations is vital to a business...]

--

[Trader's Journal: Day: 238]

[Current Dimension]

Earth, Fallout-verse

[Current Location]

Abandoned building, near Lowell, Massachusetts, former United States of America

[Current Cash Reserves]

1,080 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

104 Silver Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

420 Septims [Gold-mix[Low Quality]

488 US Silver Dollars [Fallout United States[High Quality]

932 United States Dollars [Buffy-verse]

1,628 Californian Dollars [Earth-04, Chain-2091, Disunited America]

2,621 Dollars [US Provisional Government, Earth-01, Chain-209, German-ruled Earth]

[Recent Trades – Salvage in this case]

488 US Silver Dollars [High Quality]

Assorted Jewels and Jewellery [Three Boxes worth[Unknown value, look High Quality]

142 Gold Bars [United States Stamp[High Quality]

128 Piece Dinner Set, Silver, High Quality

2 X 6 Set Crystal Glass Wine Glasses

1 X 6 Set Crystal Glass Tumblers

4 X Bottles of Wine [Unknown maker]

4 X Bottles of Old Overholt Straight Whiskey

5 X Wreckage of Lowell Civic Bank Security Protectrons

1 X Wreckage of Junkbot

4 X Hunting Rifles [still have check make]

3 X Assault Rifles [unknown make[Low Quality]

2 X Laser Pistols [I'd say very worn and battered High Quality]

3 X Assorted Revolvers [Modified]

7 X Assorted Paintings [with sealed cover cases]

212 X Microfusion Cells

7 X Crates of Assorted Ammunition for rifles and pistols

18 X Packs of Mentats {Small}

15 X Stimpaks

8 X Packs of Med-X

4 X Packs of Rad-X

3 X RadAway

6 X Crates of Assorted Electronic and Mechanical Parts

2 X Crates of Canned Foodstuffs

Assorted Books, Magazines and Technical Manuals from Red Rocket Station and nearby

[Diary Entry]

Well, writing by lamplight in a battered ruin again it seems. It's a pretty clean ruin now, after some effort and minor construction work, as well as being defensible to some degree. I've 'veiled' it too with a boundary field, a very basic illusion, but we're still maintaining an active guard while we sleep. It's night now, and I'll be on watch in an hour or so, so I figured I'd do a quick inventory and do some writing to wake me up a bit more before I take the late-night to dawn shift. Had a good long sleep after all, went to sleep before sundown after being continuously going for the entire day before.

I'd planned on been gone from here quickly after all, and instead we've been here for four days, and four nights now, My College of Winterhold colleagues are too fixated with learning all they can, massive shock of the state of this world sinking in after the first day here, so we've lurked longer than I'd like. Still, its given opportunity to actually get our 'mobile shop' restocked, especially with Gold Bars to trade when we get to Sigil – all without returning to Quinn's Earth immediately. Or at least we shouldn't, but Quinn wants to try something, so we'll jump to the Outlands next and see what we can do. The advantage of the two Trader's Cases is that we've still a great deal of free space in them, so it leaves options open.

Really what's come up now is that Quinn wants to experiment, because he has an idea, which is always a dangerous and bad thing. Honestly all the study of the Disappearance of the Dwemer, not the Dwemer as I'd thought, seems to have given him a 'eureka' moment for getting his technological portalling device, and maybe start towards 'fixing' his 'mistake' as he put it. So, yeah, that is best tested out where we can't do too much more damage – as if it did work it would make things so much easier, and take the pressure off myself as the sole one able to dimension hop. If it works anyway, and isn't deadly dangerous.

He told Kara yesterday, and she is mad about it, but that's a sign he's serious about it at least. I've calmed Kara down about, convinced her he's not Lex Luthor with hair, merely a mad scientist who couldn't have realised the extent of the disaster he caused. The fact that we're trying to fix it as part of our activities, along with me regulating my magic, has raised her who 'save the world' hero thing, so even if she's currently not talking to Quinn she's going to want to 'fix it' as well. Not only have I have to spend time making sure my soul and body 'heal' but now I have to play middle-man between the dynamic duo, as well as watch eager mages on a deathworld.

Thanks to the short, sharp, engagement with the raider band it was easy remind them that this place is dangerous and not a study session. Now, we ran a little 'ghost-horror' on the bandit reinforcements with illusions and summoned fog and creatures, so I don't think we'll have much trouble from them, but always best to be careful regardless. Onmund is the most curious, as this was a human world, and has been studying things very seriously from the coins to the various junk lying around. J'zargo, well, sticky fingers, but that's fine as long he leaves our goods alone. As to Breylna, she seems more sad and interested in what happened here than anything else, even if lack of being able to read English is slowing them all down.

Phinis Gestor has been surprisingly quiet, almost helpful, as he records everything and anything in the empty journal's he brought with him and his drawings are actually pretty good. At least I'm delivering on my part of the deal, even if not in the way I intended originally. It's certainly a research project of a lifetime from their point of view, and probably less dangerous than the many planes of the daedra and aedra. Faralda agrees with that, to a lesser extent, but has voiced concern over the safety of everyone with the revelation of how guns and laser weapons work. I do understand the concern, magic isn't an I-Win button after all, and it's possibly an idea to consider inter-dimensional caravan guards?

For another night I think, my watch has started it seems.

--

[Trader's Journal: Day: 240]

[Current Dimension]

Earth, Fallout-verse

[Current Location]

Base Camp, near Lowell, Massachusetts, former United States of America

[Current Cash Reserves]

1,080 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

104 Silver Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

420 Septims [Gold-mix[Low Quality]

555 US Silver Dollars [Fallout United States[High Quality]

932 United States Dollars [Buffy-verse]

1,628 Californian Dollars [Earth-04, Chain-2091, Disunited America]

2,621 Dollars [US Provisional Government, Earth-01, Chain-209, German-ruled Earth]

[Recent Trades/Salvage]

67 US Silver Dollars [High Quality]

4 X crates various parts Fallout-verse automobiles

18 X Stimpacks

11 X Cartoons of Cigarettes

5 X Packs of Mentats {Small}

4 X Intact {functional} Computers plus Central Processing Unit {Small}

6 X Broken Computers {various degrees functionality}

4 X Non-functional Mr. Handy robots

2 X Crates parts for Mr. Handy robots

Assorted Books, Magazines, and Data-drives on Electronics

[Diary Entry]

Yeah, we're leaving, looks like a big band of raiders coming down from the north, and we're not really bothered dealing with them beyond me unleashing a Death Fog, and Gestor a few flame autronarchs, on them before we depart. Though, to be honest, that's more to keep them busy while we leave and 'clean up' any evidence of our stay here. Ghost stories are fine, but I'd rather not have our actual location be found in case I want to use it again in the future.

Which, to be honest, I might as the salvage here is damned useful, now that Kara is talking to Quinn again. Yes there are many technologically advanced realms out there, and 2091 California is a great place, but some of the tech here is very useful. Hence our scavenging one of the General Atomics sales-shops, and a nearby electronics store, even if the stuff we got was broken and shut down – the shop at least had working computers that we could loot. Not great by computer standards, but they lasted centuries through a nuclear winter so that durability is certainly to be considered as well.

Honestly I'm just looking forward to not being in a radioactive hellhole, as giant cockroaches and mutated dogs are not fun to deal with. Not dangerous per se, but they are a potential danger and very much a nuisance to trying to get any work down, or simply having to waste maximised anti-vermin and insects spells keeping them out of the ruins. I doubt we'll get much for the meat of either after all, but I'll try sell them in Sigil regardless of that. My bags are certainly filling up now, even with the various magical storage spaces in the Trader's Packs, so I'm going for a quick in and out of a few days, then back to 'base' on Quinn's Earth essentially. It's probably the safest option as I want to try 'locate' Kara's Earth, while also getting the Team Mages back home as well.

Also – need to get 'staff' for the business. In this case help Quinn and Kara get one or two, or all, of the Mr. Handy's up and running for one. If we can get a basic operation, salvage I mean, up and running on his Earth then we start {safely} exploring for his Earth's former population and, assuming they are alive, try and get them back alive and getting the world functional again. After all – if they came back now, all at once, with everything gone for a year and a half, they'd likely all starve within a few months since the crops rotten in the field and in the storage areas. So much to do, so little time!

--

[Trader's Journal: Day: 244]

[Current Dimension]

Sigil, The City of Doors

[Current Location]

Airions Boarding House, The Guildhall and Market Ward

[Current Cash Reserves]

790 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

104 Silver Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

420 Septims [Gold-mix[Low Quality]

555 US Silver Dollars [Fallout United States[High Quality]

932 United States Dollars [Buffy-verse]

1,628 Californian Dollars [Earth-04, Chain-2091, Disunited America]

2,621 Dollars [US Provisional Government, Earth-01, Chain-209, German-ruled Earth]

[Recent Trades]

1 Week's Accommodation {8 People} Boarding House [-80 Gold Coins{Sigil}]

1 Night's Dinner {8 people} Imel's Happy Tongue Restaurant [-64 Gold Coins{Sigil}]

Information Payment Innkeeper [-35 Gold Coins {Sigil}]

Dues to Planeswalker Guild [-11 Gold Coins{Sigil}]

Payment Escort Guild {5 Day Support} [-100 Gold Coins {Sigil}]

[Diary Entry]

Ah, a good meal, a good night's sleep, and oh, wonders of wonders, a nice hot bath after is well worth the cost in my humble opinion. Two rooms of four, but they're nice big rooms, with nice, clean, comfortable beds, so I am not complaining at all. Nor is any of the others frankly, as well all had not enjoy the usual fun times of camping in a post nuclear horror, then travelling and camping in the unnatural Outlands. So when we got to Sigil, once we'd paid some dues, and organised a guide and guard for the week, getting nice accommodation was next on the list.

This Boarding House fits all those criteria, and while individual rooms were doable, its generally safer to keep two large groups. For us that meant myself, Quinn, Kara, and surprisingly Breylna who was more comfortable with us and Kara than 'the messy boys' she studies with. Personally I suspect it's getting away from the grumpy-grump that is Phinis, or Faralda's wariness, but she and Kara got good and drunk last night and are only now rising to get their baths. Good for them, I certainly relaxed last night, as much as you can while watching for danger in this place anyway.

I know, I know, original plan was in and out, but everyone seems to take 'a break' with hot baths, and taverns, and all the other indulgences of quasi-civilization. Of course part of that is the shock; Kara, well, Kara found the whole crazy Escher painting donut city-world thing rather disturbing as when you look up in the sky and see more of the city. I think it's because she was doing some flying, back in her Supergirl outfit today it seems like me in my White Suit as well, and that can be weird when Up and Down can get very, very, confusing, very, very fast. Our friends from Winterhold have varying reactions {drunken Breylna and Onmund for one}, but this is more 'what they expected' apparently for a 'Plane of Oblivion'. Eh, better than most first impression.

Anyway I've hired a Tout and a Guard, at cost, from the Escort Guild for the week. Half now, half at end of the contract, and I figured it's the best way when there are eight of us and I've specific things I want to trade, and hopefully acquire. All while herding five very curious mages of varying levels around a place where anybody could be a danger, or just simply an idiot who thinks they are. In a funny way our five from Winterhold are less problematic when dealing with demons or daemons that trade here in the markets than Kara, or potentially Quinn, should it come to it. Not for her selling her soul of course, just for fear of her starting a fight 'for great justice' or something;- but, so far, so good.

So for now I say Slán, my breakfast awaits since I'm being kicked out of my room by two bathrobe clad ladies.

--

[1.32: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Buy low, sell high...just another day for a trader at the markets!]

I smile politely as our 'guide' and 'escort' arrived, internally groaning as I noted that our guide was a six-foot tall Githzerai, and the 'teenage girl' was very much not the human she pretended to be. Sighing I rubbed the 'dust' off my fake glasses with a cloth, then placing them on my nose to see the...

'And we have a White Dragon chibi. Joy. Well at least she's got the muscle to serve as bodyguard' I thought standing up from the bench outside in the Boarding House's front garden. They had the Escort Guild insignia anyway, and I'd be sure once they swore on the Standard Contract. So best be polite I figured as the robed Githzerai woman drifted forward, nodding politely to me and Faralda as Quinn dropped back inside to get the others.

"Greetings, I am Oralis, your guide, and this Haetelolth the Quiet, who will serve as guard by the Escort Guild"

"Unnn" the short white haired not-girl grunted back after the polite introduction of the Githzerai monk woman as she bowed a moment. Only for the briefest moment of course, glancing at the bored looking not-girl with a look of mild reproach before taking out half a scroll from the inside of her right sleeve. I removed the other half from the pocket of my white suit, unfolding it as the others began to filter out from the Boarding House behind me.

"And to initialise the Contract, by blood of course"

I sighed, flicking open a switchblade but holding it ready first "Of course, may I just confirm the Contract, as you confirm my half?"

"That is Acceptable of course" was the reply as we exchanged our respective halves of the Contract, both of us doing our 'checks' with magic that there had been no alternation before putting them together. I waved off the fussing by Kara as I cut my thumb with the blade and pressed it to the faintly glowing document. The two 'ladies' did the same on the other side of the paper, though they used slightly different items to cut themselves even to make a mark. All it took was us repeating the same words, and then the paper caught fire, burning to dust, then giving a small flash as it vanished...

"I swear to abide by the terms of this contract till the duration has been completed"

...leaving two copies, one in my pocket and one in the Escort Guild's headquarters. I sucked my thumb a moment, clearing off the blood as I healed the 'wound' before putting back on my white glove with barely visible silver ritual circle etched unto it. At least now I could rely on them not to outright betray us as I felt the magic take hold, both me and not-girl wincing faintly as the spell bit home. Both senior Winterhold mages were looking at me curiously, clearly studying the ritual as I rested my walking-cane back on the 'stone' ground and nodded to the duo, then to my team.

"Excellent, these seven individuals, along with myself, here are those named in those nominated in the Contract, with myself as team leader. I will supply you with two communications devices in a moment to link in with the rest of us, mostly so we can be tracked should we be separated"

Oralis nodded "You have experience in the Cage"

I shrugged "Me, yes, Quinn..." I gestured "...yes, to a lesser degree, but my companions here have not. I trade with outside Sigil, and things change here quickly and part of your role is guiding to the more favourable locations in the Markets and Guildhall, and ensuring our safety"

"J'zargo think that little girl is..."

I cut him off immediately, staying polite as best I could as I gave him a firm look "J'zargo will say nothing about her. Let's just say she's perfectly capable of protecting us, and many other things that are none of our business I imagine. Looks can be very deceiving here in the City of Doors"

The Githzerai paused as the white haired not-girl gave a 'friendly' sinister grin of politeness that only White Dragon could manage in teen girl format while her colleague studied me a moment "Ah, you are a mage of some skill then I see in addition to being a merchant. But, yes, be assured that we are perfectly capable of fulfilling our contractual duties for the set period"

I gave 'maybe/maybe-not gesture with my arms in response to statement on my magical abilities "Excellent, as I expected..." then opened my bag and took out two of the walkie-talkie like comm-units with a crude arcane ward on them "...and these are for both of you for the duration. One goal is I want to get my hands on a Celestial Etherscope and some skilled practitioner of, or merely a created item with, some multi-versal planar protections...perhaps some Seeker Stones as well. If I had more time I'd do it myself, but we are on schedule and I want to avoid any Conduits or Portals that could be accidently triggered. My colleagues here are going to need access to the Hall of Records and Information, so any paper I need to deal with I'd like to have it sorted today"

Truth be told I had a good bead on an Amulet of the Planes, but various other Celestial tools would come in really bloody handy now I was starting to get forward momentum. If I could get some idea of Kara's Earth from the Hall of Records and Information, as well some for my own...problems...then I could rest a time of Quinn's Earth while we established a base of operations there. Having basic access to one of the libraries, and perhaps the debating areas in the Guildhalls, might keep my Winterhold team happy while I went about my business – though today was more sightseeing than anything else...

--

{The world was insane...then again Faralda had very much expected that...}

The 'esteemed scholar' was a bear, an old bear with glasses, and wearing robes. With a goblin...female?...assistant of all things...who Phinis was grand, friendly, very involved conversation on Conjuring with...

'Hmm, perhaps Sheogorath did snag us and we're all currently going mad' Faralda wondered idly as she sat in this very upscale, and strangely nice feeling, tavern called the Eyes of Elysium as the madness continued on around her. First there was the strange human girl, who was, apparently, a dragon pretending to be human...and Gods did that open up debates on Great Wyrms, Dragons, and the nature of where they'd gone. That at least was more believable than Professor Tripicus the gods-damned bear scholar!

Gods, she wasn't arrogant like so many of her Altmer kin, but by the Aedra why was there a bear that was clearly more educated than her or most of the mages on Nirn!

Yes the human world, with its stunning magicless power and self-destruction she could grasp, the races of Men tended towards great and terrible things historically after all. Really was it all that surprising if denied magic that they didn't go off, probably in an angry rage, and decided to build a massive civilization and then deciding to fight themselves. Not that Mer were any better as that vermin Ancano, and that bitch Nirya, had proven but a gods-damned talking bear scholar!

'Now Faralda, swallow your misplaced pride, he is clearly an expert and our patron here is paying significant coin for us to attend two days of lectures under the...wizard bear' she reminded herself firmly taking a sip of wine and letting out a tired yawn. This whole plane was madness, filled with hidden dangers, and she had to keep her eyes on J'zargo for fear he'd try take something, and Phinis for fear he'd open his Daedra damned mouth. Of course now he was involved in an intellectual discourse with a goblin of all things, so what in Oblivion did she know...

"...new clothes" she heard the blonde not-Nord, as despite her looks the girl Kara could fly and was physically invulnerable now they had left Mundus and Nords could not do that. Because if they had Faralda was fairly sure they'd have crushed the Aldmeri Dominion with ease and they'd currently be playing the fun game of who can kick the Thalmor farthest. Faralda would find out the truth eventually, as she saw the white clothed form of the wizard Callum shrug in response.

"Yeah, yeah, we will. I've a tailor organised for two days from now, an armourer, and we'll get you, me, and Quinn done before we leave..."

Faralda would have rolled her eyes at that. The girl had dressed very sensibly during the weeks and months with them, and the moment she'd gotten a chance she'd slipped into this blue-white-red outfit that showed off legs and mid-riff without a care. It was enough to make a Mer feel insecure with a young not-Nord woman outshining her like that without even trying. As best she could tell it was something to do with wanting Sunlight, hence the showing of skin, but cocking her head to the side she listened as young Callum listed out an 'light armoured' clothes-like solar absorbent something-something instead. Faralda could relate to the younger girl; when she'd been young and wild...and not in the frozen wastes that were Skyrim...she'd liked to move about in more free-flowing wear.

"...luck with finding a way for me?"

"I've tried Kara...but it's not easy, I'm sorry. I've some leads, but it could be weeks or months more before we can make an attempt"

"I know Callum, it's just hard to..."

"Refill?" came across the table from her, distracting her from the conversation, so with a smile she held out her goblet to the other Outsider as he held up a fancy silver wine decanter.

"Thank you" she replied as he refilled the goblet, then young Onmund, followed by his own "...it has certainly been an experience till now. Not quite what I expected of course, but it is knowledge that will upset a great deal of thinking in decades to come. You and your two friends have delivered on what you promised, and more even"

"Ehh, Callum be happy with that..." the more surly, or perhaps quietest of the three outsiders, replied as he picked at the plate of dates, figs, and stuff pork cups "...and I'll be happy to just get started on my...on an experiment of mine. You'll see, something...ah...something like with the Dwemer happened to my world, and I might...be able to fix it"

"That'd be a thesis in itself" Onmund muttered shaking his head in bemusement as he looked around the tavern filled with...madness in people shapes really "...but I don't know if anyone would be believe all this"

"Oh, God yes..." Quinn agreed with a tired laugh "...it's been all one crazy adventure since I met him you know? Down to I've got magic clothes and a magic ring on these days!"

Faralda chuckled "The life of a wizard and a scholar my young friend, the stories I've heard..."

--

[01.33: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Magically, magical, clothing, and all the joys of shopping with a fussy shopper]

It was the most pointless pair of gloves in the world I thought for a moment, though the enchantment made them somewhat useful other than hiding the shield ring Kara wore under them as she spun around, hovering in the air in front of me "Ta-da! Supergirl is back in business! Old look! New Clothes! Oooo...Retro Supergirl...no, no, Supergirl Original, the Best!"

I sighed, rubbing at the back of neck "Yeah, yeah, you look gorgeous, happy now?"

She curtsied mid-air, gripping the ends of her min-skirt with the white gloves of protection "Why thank you good Sir! Was that so hard to admit?"

"Would it be so hard for you to get that wearing some protective wear is feasible even with how 'super-awesome I am' as you put it about yourself..." I replied shaking my head in amusement. Truth be told it was a very attractive look, very revealing with the blue mini-skirt and white top with S-symbol emblazoned on, but it did annoy my more 'practical instincts' so to speak. Least those not hormone influenced anyway, even if she did have a point in solar absorption on skin for a Kryptonian "...and we are getting you some armour made up, Wonder Woman style"

"Hmph! You don't understand girls at all! Worse than Kal!"

I rolled my eyes at the indignation "Oh, don't compare me to him, I'm not your cousin, though I'm pretty sure you did it as teen rebellion against him by showing off that body..."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, yeah, all offended, but you know you were" I retorted with a smile as I stood up, walking cane taping off the stone floor "I'm sure your first outing with him was hilarious"

Kara huffed, arms folded across her chest, feet kicking the empty air as she hovered "He chased me with a blanket would you believe, squawking 'Young Lady where to do think you're going like that!' and silly things like that! Back on Kyrpton I used to..."

She trailed off, looking off into the distance rather than at me, before sighing "Rao! He's such a fuss! I'm an independent girl! I should have been taking care of him, not my younger dorky cousin watching out for me!"

"Yeah I know, never fun, still don't think me and Quinn don't value you. You are Brains AND Brawn to our little organisation"

Kara chuckled landing beside me and giving me an bemused look "Organisation of three?"

"Early days, early days, and you'll already return rich and wearing magic clothes! Success I'd say! Just give it time!" I replied cheerfully waving my cane around as I gripped it a third of the way down from the hilt "And don't think you'll distract me, Armour my dear Kara, Armour. I have experience with it after all, Superboy needed good armour and SHIELD delivered, through me, with a solar absorption under-cloth layer"

The simple, cold, hard, truth was there were weapons, and powders, and other things, which would deal serious, maybe fatal, damage against organic flesh. Didn't matter of it was weak squishy human flesh, or physically near-invulnerable Kyrptonian flesh, as certain weapons would cut through it like butter. Back in SHIELD me and Constantine and Brendan had done up such a potential counter for Superman, and one or two of the Earh-Bet 'heroes' and I'd life drained enough of my clone-sister Alexandrias to prove that. Nakedness offered little defence against the darker arts and tools after all.

"You are really set on buying me things, things I don't want mind you. Couldn't you just...I dunno, buy me chocolates and flowers like all my other admirers, and then let me let you down easy?"

I sighed, shaking my head at her bemused tone "I'm investing in you and Quinn Kara. I want to survive, even in the bad realms"

"Says the boy who isn't wearing armour and just bought another white suit and hat!"

"Ah-ah Kara, it's actually armoured, albeit lightly..." I argued back gesturing at my new clothes "...with a mithril weave that'll tank an rpg, maybe a tank shell, as well as a host of other minor protections and illusions should I need them. Oh, and inside pockets too, those are great! Anyway, merchant and salesperson, I need to have the whole colourful...while shiny white...look to encourage people to have faith in lil'ol me"

It also helped conceal, rather effectively, the rings and amulet I now wore separate from the illusions I'd have to use. Damn thing, along with Kara's and Quinn's new clothing, cost a big, big, big, chunk of the small fortune I'd made by selling all the solid gold bank bars, but protection was important when in my 'civilian' gear. I didn't want to admit it either, but I'd wanted to buy a full suit of armour for myself, but cost was a factor, and it'd have to wait for a later date. More time too, but we only had two days left before departing, and that wasn't nearly enough for my desires.

So I'd taken Kara as my bodyguard while the others attended lectures under the guidance and guard of our White Dragon not-girl and the, more friendly, Githzerai guide. Well, bodyguard and shopper all rolled into one as we emerged out of the 'fitting room with waiting area' in the enchanters dress shop and I paid for all of the purchases with several thousand gold coins. It'd make you cry how easy it was to burn through funds in this place. The Amulet of the Planes alone would have bought we another specially made Trader's Pack for instance...

'Market for everything, just costs a fortune' I reminded myself as Kara adjusted her, also bloody expensive, mild enchantment cloak "Sure, Callum the White, Snake oil salesman and wizard!"

"Har de har har har" I muttered as we walked outside into the bustling street, trying to ignore some of the stranger denizens of the Ward "I'm an honest tradesman and merchant I'll have you know. One who badly needs staff to do what we need to do"

"Isn't that what Oralis and Creepy Girl are?"

I shook my head "No, they're temporary subcontractors..." and I wouldn't trust either knowing the location of Quinn's Earth "...who'll we'll deal with here, probably in the future too as they are professional at what they're doing. No, I mean more manageable things, like maintain computers and doing scavenging and general repair work"

Kara hummed in through, going back to hovering beside me, looking thoughtful "So...what, you going to do? Put up a sign saying Minions Wanted? Is that how Lex does it?"

"Lex Luthor had a multi-billion dollar company, hiring probably wasn't overly hard...till he apparently went nuts on your world anyway. As to how...no idea as yet, we'll fix the robots first and that'll be a start while...we recruit along the way maybe? Dunno yet, not really a hundred percent on the how and where, hence asking my second tech genius for ideas"

"You could ask Quinn"

"I will ask Quinn Kara, but...it's Quinn, he'll want more robots"

She frowned, then gave a snort "Yes, he probably would, and that would be bad"

"Yes, yes it would. He means well"

Kara gave me a serious look "He killed his world Callum, even Luthor didn't do that!"

I shrugged "Well, some Luthor, somewhere, probably did. Look, we're fairly sure he didn't...he just did something nearly as bad, but he didn't intend to do it as you well know, and he's trying to fix it. Hence the controlled experimentation and why I don't want leave him unsupervised there. I'm a believer in offering chances at redemption where feasible"

She poked at me with a gloved finger "Superman is that you in disguise?"

"Bugger off, I don't believe in the revolving door cardboard prison either!" I retorted swatting at her, though failing as she was super-strong and I wasn't pushed to using my magic "Now, let's get back to the team of researchers so we can get something to eat..."

--

[Trader's Journal: Day: 249]

[Current Dimension]

Sigil, The City of Doors, The Cage

[Current Location]

Airions Boarding House, The Guildhall and Market District

[Current Cash Reserves]

450 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

154 Silver Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

420 Septims [Gold-mix[Low Quality]

100 US Silver Dollars [Fallout, United States[High Quality]

932 United States Dollars [Buffy-verse]

1,628 Californian Dollars [Earth-04, Chain-2091, Disunited America]

2,621 Dollars [US Provisional Government, Earth-01, Chain-2091, German-ruled Earth]

[Recent Trades – Multiple Trades/Barter]

Sold/Traded Away

340 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

455 US Silver Dollars [Fallout, United States, High Quality]

142 Gold Bars [United States Stamp[Fallout-verse[High Quality]

3 X Assault Rifles with assorted ammunition crates [Fallout-verse]

128 Piece Dinner Set [High Quality]

Three Boxes Assorted Jewels and Jewellery [Mix High and Medium Quality]

Assorted Sets Crystal Glassware [Fallout-verse]

2 X Crates of slightly irritated Canned Foodstuffs {note: sells well species having natural radioactivity}

11 X Cartoons of Cigarettes [slightly irritated]

5 X Packs of Mentats {small}

7 X Assorted Paintings [sealed cover cases]

3 X Revolvers with assorted boxes of ammunition [Fallout-verse]

4 X assorted Hunting Rifles with assorted boxes of ammunition [Fallout-verse]

6 X Boxes {12 Bottles per} of Nord Mead

Assorted Mole-rat and feral dog meat [slightly irritated]{decent price with seller from Lower Wards}

4 X Scrolls of Sleep

4 X Laser pistols with power supply [LexCorp make, DCEarth]

20 X Assorted Swords [Various Quality, Skartaris]

Acquired/Purchased

Ring of Flight [Myself]

Ring of Stored Spells [Myself]

Ring of Protection [Quinn]

Ring of Shield [Kara]

Amulet of the Planes [Myself]

Supergirl Outfit {Enchanted} [Kara]

Cloak of Minor Charisma [Kara]

Armour Set {Enchanted} [Kara]

Enchanted Suit [Myself]

Enchanted Casual-wear [Quinn]

Various Meals for ourselves and escorts

Celestial Etherscope {Gods was this baby expensive!}

2 X Seeker Stones [Blue]

Book: Primes and the Dimensions of the Planar: A Primer - by Profession Tripicus

[Diary Entry]

Gods it's been a long week, and we're still in one piece, which is very good. Especially since someone {very stupidly} tried to mug us when we had to pass through a less nice areas of the Lady's Ward yesterday. Bad move for small time crime gang with no special powers with a bunch of mages and a Kyrptonian. Newbies to the Planes apparently, and haven't got beyond 'I have armour and a big sword, gimme' it seems. Thank heavens it wasn't a real danger, or that one of them wasn't a dangerous hidden monster. So, that aside it's been a decent time here, and it'll be time to leave shortly.

To note;-

Consider Oralis and silent creepy White Dragon Haetelolth as future escorts for this place. Powerful, professional and in the know, what more can you want?

We've formed an informal agreement with Professor Tripicus, an Ursine Scholar, for detailed pictures, footage, or other data from various Material Planes. Not much in the way of coin, but the reciprocals knowledge is well worth it!

Low-level magic items aren't extraordinarily expensive when you can chip in with creation, or can effectively judge the enchantment. Thank the heavens and hells that I could do that, as more powerful items – ridiculously expensive, much more trading to trade up.

Sometimes Junk dealers don't know what they have as evidenced by my acquiring a Ring of Stored Spells {5} for a fraction of what it's worth. At least once I was positive it wasn't cursed anyway.

I've got some 'scanning' capacity on the Planes now, so that might help once we figure the general direction of Kara's Earth. Hopefully. I'm very wary of it due to so many variations, and potential to hit evil ones. Need to build up a bit first in case of having to evacuate quickly any such dimension.

Anyway, now it is nearly time to travel out into the Planes and then back to Quinn's Earth, all while making sure Kara does not get grumpy at him, or he get's depressed. Oh, and watch the rest of the team for wanting to research everything. Goal number one is magically restoring one of the Mr Handy robots, and then using that template to get the others up and running, then the Protectrons and the Fallout computers. I'll be honest that's more Kara and Quinn than me, but I'm happy enough to let them team led on our ad-hoc project. Primary Goal is getting that Base active and establishing some sort of functional headquarters or fallback area for us if things go wrong. Fun times ahead, oh, and all while getting my very much needed alchemy lab established.

--

[01.34: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Back at the Start, Back in Business, and Back to the Books...]

"Yes, yes, soak it all in..." I announced to the others, holding my cane like a tour guide as I walked forward in the dying sunlight of the late evening that illuminated Sunnydale "...an active, functional, non-nuked, human world as promised! Now, remember, Humans, you are all Humans right now!"

Sure they'd wanted to see an active 'world of Men' that wasn't Fallout but the decision to come back to Buffy-lands had more to do with effective plotting of my journey via the Celestial Etherscope. My health after all was a concern to me and till I established a firm Rune Gate on Quinn's Earth all indications showed this was the 'better route' as Buffy-verse was a sort of mini-nexus. To some pretty horrible places admittedly, but that wasn't unexpected considering the local wildlife, and I'd been here already so I could do a passable local. Had contacts and everything!

I paused, turning so my back rested against the wall of the second-floor balcony of the house we were renting for the next week "Now. Important notes;- there are Vampires, and Demons, and other such creatures here as I mentioned earlier...which in part is why it was so easy to get here relative to other realms...but not publically spoken of for various reasons. So be on guard, stick together, and don't get all talkative about magic and such outside of certain areas. One of which is a Demon Bar, so don't start trouble there by the way, I'm trying to stay on good terms with the owner"

Kara frowned at me "Is this like the pawnbroker straight after we arrived and you made us all wait in the park?"

"Eh, not many easily sell to our sort here, and, hey! It was a lovely sunny day!" I replied sighing as Breylna and Onmund stared out eagerly over the still bustling areas of the town we could see from the second floor. Most of the others were more tired, or eager to eat so merely sat around or stood just inside the glass doors listening to me give my spiel "And, honestly, needed to find, and talk to, a rental agency or auctioneer to find a place...here basically. Sunnydale is the safest place, but most of the dimensional places here on this Earth aren't by their very nature"

It was also surprisingly easy, and...well, not cheap, but doable with some trade of our last gem reserves to local pawnbrokers, a demon and human respectively, along with what cash I'd left for here. There'd been a murder here, but many houses in Sunnydale had that problem, and I was certainly going to sanctify this place just in case while the others raised protective wards on it. Never a bad idea to ensure all protections were in place and layered after all, especially here of all places Faralda sniffed from where she was looking at herself in a mirror, the illusion on her more importantly.

"So much like any city in Tamriel, all shine on the surface to hide the dark underbelly"

"J'zargo think it very shiny, very, very, shiny, so much to learn yes" came another voice and I sighed resting my head back and looking out at the streets across the way. There was a decent view from here, and it was almost pleasant, a nice dose of 'normality' from Sigil and the Outlands...without any of the emptiness and loneliness of the next Earth on the list. So I smiled, shaking my head.

"Yep, much to learn, and use this as an example of what many such world's are like. The next one, well, that's a lot emptier mind you"

"Proving once more the planes of the Outer Aetherius are ones of disaster and madness as suspected..." Faralda noted shaking her head and turning around to look at the room we were in "...now, unto more mundane matters of cleaning, and eating"

I nodded "Well, myself and Quinn here will go purchase some quantities of food from near restaurants if you brave souls wish to do a quick tidy up?"

"Takeout Callum?" Kara muttered "Really?"

"Yes, really, unless you want to start cooking after cleaning this place up a little?" I retorted "As I'm tired, don't know about you, so keeping things simple tonight I say. I've still an hour or two to place wards, so...yeah, come'on Quinn let's see what's nice local..."

--

{Off shopping on a sunny day in Sunnydale...}

"...so, magic shop. With actual local magic, so we can do a little shopping, for all our benefits" I finished explaining as I took a sip from my disposable coffee cup while walking with Onmund, Faralda, and Breylna through the early morning streets of Sunnydale. Pooled resources and all that reducing my costs on buying a few magic books...

"I had thought there was little local magecraft from what you had said last night?" Faralda queried, though she already knew the answer I suspected. It was probably for Onmund and Breylna, whose disguises should be appropriately student-y. So I shrugged.

"Eh, there is a magical community here, just not a very visible one...or at least there's one under all the charlatans wandering about. Folks here are a, strangely, superstitious yet non-believing lot"

The elf woman sighed, though clearly enjoying her iced donut despite the unhappy sound "Peasants, not wanting believe their lying eyes"

"Maybe, articles of faith and belief at work I think sometimes..." I answered as Breylna's eyes darted everywhere, at everyone, hand scratching notes into the notepad she'd acquired from somewhere "...one of those things really. That and most sides of the so-called supernatural here want to stay away from the view of the very numerous, very well armed forces..."

"Pitchfork wielding Nords, had that particular Joy" Onmund muttered.

I nodded "Well, it's more guns and fire, but something like that. Best not to do blow the masquerade and have armies hunting you, anywho, nearly there"

Currently though my mind was on trying to figure out a way to recruit people, with technical experience, to work on an empty Earth, while explaining the whole inter-dimensional thing. Fallout was the other possibility, as Sigil was far too dangerous, but I needed people who work electronics such as the base's cameras or restoring salvaged equipment. Paying oddly enough wasn't the problem, not with an empty world to loot, but explaining the situation was going to be insane, along with the whole 'you have to go away from people for months on end' as well.

The sad part was I couldn't do it all myself, not unless I limited myself to just looting Quinn's Earth...and that would somewhat break my informal pact with him to work on his 'fixing the problem' thing. And that meant getting to the next stage of business, having minions...staff, to do things you pay them to do, like setting up a base of operations. If I could do that then we could start trying to figure out Quinn's Dimensional tech, and then where he banished everyone...and then maybe a way back. Sadly while he was the tech guy, business he was not...and supervision he needed as well...and of me, him, and Kara that left me as the business and management side of the current triangle...

'Aaaannd it's a crazy homeless guy threatening a teenager. Sunnydale, yay!' I thought with irritation as I let out a weary sigh as I saw a scared girl pushed back up against the back of a truck while a dirty, creepy, dude in a battered suit pressed a finger to her lips. Never a good sign, and as much as I wanted to ignore the idiocy and really couldn't let it go as with a burst of speed, despite moving normally in visible terms, my gloved hand clamped firmly down on his arm.

"No Sir, I think the young lady would rather you not do that"

"She doesn't belong here!"Crazy McCrazyface muttered giving me a thousand yard stare "The cats says so, there' always hissing"

"Uh-huh, sure they are" I muttered drawing on my magic a little then pressing on the crazy mind gently with a suggestion "Now, I think you should go seek medical help Sir. You are acting somewhat crazy"

He blinked at me as I smiled, holding his arm as blinked again, head-nodding "I...really need to go...talk...yes to Doctor Sanchez, they are probably missing me. My plants, the cats hiss at them"

I smiled, releasing my grip and patting him on the shoulder as he staggered away, then waving as he moved away "Yes, have a good talk with your physiatrist and take your meds, see about getting better..."

Before turning to the brown-haired girl who was resting back against the van outside the Magic Box, offering my hand to her "Hello! A pleasure to meet you, I hope that fellow didn't scare you too much?"

"I...I...yeah, I'm okay...I'm Dawn...I'm...thank..." she babbled blinking at me, slide down the van halted, hand reaching out and gripping mine...

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...winced as my senses burned a moment, the Amulet of the Planes flashing like an electric charge against my skin. I held back showing it as...what the fuck was she?...as the girl's eyes flashed a moment...

...then was it was gone, a relieved sigh as she gripped my hand and I helped her stand "Dawn, I'm Dawn, sorry, thank you for getting that man to go away"

I smiled pushing aside my misgivings as my three companions came up behind us, looking curious or watching the retreating form of the crazy guy "It's my pleasure..."

Then glanced at the dark looking Magic Show as I helped the girl forward to stand "Out shopping like ourselves perhaps? Interested in the arcane and mystic arts are we? Though looks closed...bit odd"

"My sister and her friends went in..." the girl, Dawn, pouted as I let her go and looked at the building "...but they told me wait here after we went in"

"Oh..." I replied tapping the hilt of my walking cane off my chin in speculation as I stepped forward towards the door to the shop "...well, best to see what the problem is then, as we're not planning on being in town for very long"

It seemed teen rebellion was the name of the game, and after her scare it was understandable perhaps, as I gripped the hand of the door, pushing it open as I hummed away to myself a jaunty tone. There were people inside, standing around the middle of the shop and inspecting...

'Oh dear' I noted sensing death and then seeing what was likely a body amongst the little group of people who turned towards the sound of the shop door bell opening. Faces turned towards me, faces I, after a moment, recognised as a blonde stared at me...

"Buffy, sorry, but this nice man..."

'Oh dear' again popped into my mind as the young brown haired girl appeared at my side as Rage flashed over the Slayer's face and her mouth moved...

"YOU!"

I sighed, readying spells as my three mages were coming after me and a Slayer, two Witches, and a Watcher stood in front of me over a dead body. It was just going to be one of those days, wasn't it?

--

[01.35: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Introducing the tourists to the friendly and cheerful locals...]

'Okay then, angry Slayer, her minions, and a dead body...how do you respond?' I asked myself in the split second as eyes came to focus on me, one of them a grumpy blonde girl who was...now pointing at me with her finger after shouting 'YOU!' in a threatening manner. My mind grasped that 'Dawn' who was shrinking in behind me as my mind answered as I smiled broadly, arms rising in a 'friendly' greeting as I held my walking-sword-cane in my right hand.

"Oh, if it isn't the ever-lovely Buffy!" I cheerfully announced looking at her, then at her very tense looking allies of her "Why it's been ages! Now, these must be your minions, the Scooby Snaxs! Now, I'd really like to know if you didn't kill my trading partner, whose lying dead at your feet mind you, so..."

The blonde-haired murder machine clearly wasn't listening, mouthing something about 'Dawn!' or some such, rudely interrupting my introduction before she jumped forward...

Hold Person

I sighed as I gestured at her with my walking-cane, my other gloved hand wagging a finger at her as body froze mere inches from getting into 'hitting range' from lil'old me "Now, now, calm down my dear! Also, its Mr. Outis not YOU! let me tell you!"

"You...you...lettt myy sister goooo...please?"

"Oh she's fine!" I told the girl just to my side and a little behind me with a friendly smile, bring her around, my free arm resting on her shoulder in an encouraging manner as the three Winterhold mages tensed up in the doorway "Just having a time out because of anger management issues...now, where was I..."

I gestured at the nervous and tense trio behind the fleshy breathing statute known as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, apparently, the two Witches weren't too skilled, though the Englishman was clearly dangerous and preparing to throw something sharp at me "Oh, yes, dead Bob over there. Explanations are in order I do believe?"

"Ah...ehm, yes...that might be best..." the Watcher replied after a moment, gesturing at the redhead and blonde to calm down "...but, first could you...undo whatever you've done to...Buffy please?"

The key to a good mirror image, or illusions in general, was often just a matter of timing. So I smiled back, stepping forward and with the barest shove sending 'Dawn' into a quick jog towards her 'friends' as I ignited a spell of Invisibility and an Illusion of myself that continued stepping forward and speaking "Well, if you all could keep her under control I'll be happy to oblige. She can hear you, by the way, she's just temporarily paralyzed is all. Faralda, you and the others please remain calm, tourists remember? Just let me have a little chat to our friends here if you please"

My illusion strolled forward, sitting down on a chair beside a damaged cabinet while my actual body, silent and invisible, retreated back towards the door while controlling the illusion and voice projection. While my illusion 'played' with his walking-cane the red-haired girl...Willow?...hugged Dawn along with her blonde haired companion. The Watcher was watching Illusion-Me with a calculating look as 'I' smiled back, before sighing, with a glance at where the three mages in their 'human' disguises were looking tense as he started to 'clean' his glasses "Of course, of course...Buffy, please stay calm while we...have a chat with...Mister Outis here"

"Uhh, uhh, Giles...is that...such..." the redhead trailed off as 'Giles' nodded to her, then to me.

"Yes, now, if you would release..."

Illusion-me nodded, gesturing simply and snapping 'his' gloved fingers while I carefully released the mystic bindings holding the Vampire Slayer in place "And there we go, now, I really would appreciate answers about dead Bob Bogarty and why you're all here over his dead body"

"Giles! Bad Guy!" Buffy pouted as she tensed up, gesticulating at Illusion-me "He threatened Dawn..."

'I' cleared my throat "Eh-hem, I found Dawn outside being threatened by a crazy guy, what were you thinking of leaving the poor girl outside on her own like that. This is Sunnydale after all! Even in the daylight, the town is filled with monsters and demons!"

They all just stared at me for some reason as I sat there...well, not really...smiling at them "Now, explanations if you please?"

"Just who do you think you..."

English Watcher man grumped, placing his glasses back on his nose as Buffy seemed to restrain herself from having another go at me "Buffy...I think, we have, um, a commonality of interest in this situation...and I can assure you, Mister Outis I believe it was, that we had nothing do with the death of the shop owner. We had just arrived to make a purchase ourselves when...well, discovered his body. Vampires appear to be the culprit as you can see from the wounds...multiple bite marks"

I was a little distant from the body, but I could make out enough from my position to agree that the undead terrors were the problem behind this entire situation. Illusion-me let out a sad sigh, shaking 'his' head "Ah, of course, dreadful business, and I doubt I should expect much from the local law enforcement based on what I recall of them. Suffice to say I believe you have no involvement in this...unpleasant business"

It was 'Dawn' to my surprise who spoke first "Just like that? You believe us just like that? There's a dead body...oh, God, there's a dead man here..."

'I' shrugged, my illusion rubbing his chin with his free gloved hand in a speculative pose "Why yes, just like that my dear. I can see the bite marks from here...and yes, sadly he is dead, I am mildly surprised, but magic shop I suppose, and they wanted something from the looks of it...hmmm...well, this raises a little bit of problem now doesn't it?"

"I'm not letting you loot this place" Buffy announced huffily and I nodded slowly in response. Much as I'd like to do just like to do that it would cause problems of its own, such as local law enforcement almost being forced to do something like 'looking for the robber' when they inevitably went after someone. Still, there was a shop here now, owner dead, and a host of mystical items on hand...

"Loot? Of course not, I'm more inclined to invest in the future owner or just buy the place..." I answered politely "...along with punishing whoever did this terrible thing. And, why, this is a fateful encounter! Vampires kill this shopkeeper and lo and behold a Vampire Slayer, with her brave minions, appears before me! Together we shall take down the forces of Evil...or I pay you to do your thing, either way, suits me!"

"Why...yes, the shop has surprising margins..."

Buffy glared at the older man "Giles!"

The Englishman made an 'I don't know!' gesture back as a sort of shrug "Now Buffy, it seems best if we cooperate with the..."

"Demon!"

'I' cocked my head to the side at the girl and man's sudden outbreak of posturing while my three mages milled in confusion at the door like the three girls behind 'Giles' "I'm right here you know"

"We have to stop his nefarious plan!"

"I have a nefarious plan?" 'I' muttered in confusion from the blonde girl's continued, thankfully non-violent now, protestations "I thought I wanted to catch the villains who'd done this, and then reinvest in the local economy after this tragic loss. Your English Watcher-dude is studying what I'm guessing to be the financial ledger very carefully despite this whole situation"

The Englishman looked uncomfortable a moment "Well, life gives you lemons sometimes and..."

"Um...ah, can we...umm...not have this talk over the dead body?" red-haired Willow asked as she and blonde girl moved 'Dawn' away from it, though the younger girl seemed more fixated on Buffy and myself than on the dead man "...like, the door is totally open...and ugh, Hello people there!"

"Hello! We are very normal human tourists! Ignore us!" Breylna called back awkwardly and face-palmed in both illusion and invisible forms "We ignore dead body!!"

"Hnnnn! Hnnn!" Buffy growled at Giles gesturing at the two elves and a Nord in 'local human' illusionary disguises "See!"

'I' pushed myself up to stand "Well now, since I believe its best we all have some time to think about this, and not be here when the authorities arrive, so..."

Illusion-me gestured at the desk while Actual-me placed down a card with my contact number on it for the burner phone I was using currently on Buffy-Earth "My card, active for the next few days, and I expect a call or I shall come looking for you all to find out why. Ciao!"

Then vanished my illusion as I stepped outside, becoming visible again just behind them "Now my friends, let us away for now..."

--

[01.36: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Well, hardly the terrible monster and mastermind foe I'd expected...]

"It's more ensuring justice is done...or a reprisal since the official legal system doesn't quite work around here when it comes to the nastier undead" I told Kara as we walked along the street here in 'lovely' evening, turning to night, Sunnydale. Seemed the Slayer and her merry band had come to a decision quicker than I'd have thought, and I'd barely herded my 'tourists' back to the house than I'd received a call from her Watcher, the Englishman Giles. Not only that but the police and coroners had arrived at the Magic Box, released 'Vampire Attack' and went...'Derp, our jerb is done!' then and there it seemed.

"And police do nothing?" Kara muttered back unhappily, dressed in jeans, running shoes, and hoodie, hands stuff inside its folds as she glared at nothing "How do they...ignore a murder by vampires when you know they exist"

I shrugged as we walked "People's, frightening, capacity to ignore reality in part, but I'd also hazard lack of powerful human elements in the local authorities, legal or criminal. Outside the Slayer and a few hunter groups it seems to be a disorganised mess, no Batman, not special police departments...not Lex Luthors to stamp down on the monster competition. So, in the absence of law you get Wild West justice or the vampires would run about killing indiscriminately"

She looked off at the evening sky "And no heroes to save them..."

"Oh, there are plenty of heroes Kara..." I replied firmly as we walked gesturing around "...but if mean powered ones...less so, but humanity is a nasty, vicious, species when threatened and you'll note the vampires and demons are determined to stay hidden as they know what'd happen if humanity got panicked. That and there's some sort of Cosmic Balance between the major magical factions helping keep up the charade. I'd say get used to it, a number of worlds like this one"

"It's just strange not seeing...you know?" she answered one hand coming free and gesturing at the road...at the sky above. I gestured with a non-committed answer with my own gloved free hand in a side-to-side motion.

"Sure, but we won't be here too long either. I just want to ensure that murderers are dealt with, and, at this stage, that I get a foot in the door on that magic shop. It's not like I've many places that sell magic books on modern Earths that I know about, or can easily find, ya'know!"

"I...just don't agree with the killing part Callum" she admitted and I sighed.

"Aye, I know, but there's limited options otherwise Kara, so as long as you don't try stop people slaying them we're okay. I'm not exactly planning on killing them willy-nilly, and they're all already dead in all honesty, and if they'd not murder people I'd be quite content to leave them be"

And that was the truth, as in the end I was a lot more morally...pragmatic...than Kara, as Supergirl, was ironically enough. It was an uncomfortable position from her point of view, and she was used to the heroics and no-kill rule on sentient and sapient beings {mostly} from the Justice League. Of course those no-kill rules didn't always apply, with AI and things like para-demons killed merrily, but vampires looked and sounded like normal people so her instincts kicked in with them I suspected.

Unfortunately there wasn't even the cardboard prison option here, just violence and death, so it was best introduce her to the problem where the danger level to her was at least kept minimal. She was a Kyrptonian, so very physically powerful and damage resistant, and unlike several other realms she didn't run the risk of immediate death or serious injury from most local vampires. That and she served as my muscle basically should things come to that, as it was always good to have extra protection when dealing with any of the various monsters that should pop up.

"Maybe..." she muttered trailing off again, slumping a little as we walked, my walking cane tapping off the ground as we moved "...let's try not if we can help it"

"Of course, of course, though ideally our resident vampire slayer will fix the problem for us and I just get to deal with investing in a new shop that gets me magic book to...well, help my own personal issues"

Stabilising myself was working, along with health potions, but it wasn't a long term solution in avoiding my dying or crumbling apart over time. Having access to the books of various realms on souls and body duplication magic, and a steady access to materials, should help with working towards a solution that wasn't just rest and ad-hoc fixes. Kara nodded after a moment, and we walked in silence for a few minutes as the streets began to empty, and it was another reason why Kara was a better bet than any, or all, of the Winterhold mages as a support group.

"And here we are...and police cordons up and gone before the day is even out" I muttered in irritation, my Law and Order senses bothering me at the situation this town existed in. Investigations didn't take place, it was just a cleanup operation, and there was already a For Sale sign on the wall outside the building. Yes that was convenient for myself, but it was...grating for my SHIELD experience, and Karguk's doctrine, to see such Stupid Evil succeed. No wonder Sunnydale was such a rundown place economically when shop-owners were just killed like that, and the resulting 'investigation' consisted of selling off the property.

"Hello inside?" I announced cheerfully, hiding my irritation, as I rapped my cane hilt off the door "Knock, knock"

"Yes, yes, come in..." came an Englishman's voice as the door clicked open, revealing said Englishman's face and the still very messy disaster area that was the Magic Box, with the blonde Slayer standing at the desk glaring at the door where I stood "...I do believe we have a few matters to discuss"

"Oh, indeed we do..." I answered strolling forward, trying to locate any other dangers despite this being a meeting under a Truce "...though I am very surprised that your choice of meeting place was here, or that you were allowed access to it at all"

Giles frowned as he glanced at Kara who followed in behind me, door closing behind us "Yes...law enforcement in the city leaves much to be desired, the auctioneer was kind enough to give the key the prospective buyer"

"Conveniently for us all" I murmured shaking my head at the bizarre logic of this place "...though I do believe magical protections might the order of the day to keep out unwanted guests. Something I'm quite willing to supply should we reach an amicable arrangement on this fine establishment"

First though I clapped my hands together "Now, has there been any further developments on finding and dealing with the troublesome fellows that let us to this current predicament?"

"No, sadly no, and I'm afraid this meeting has perhaps taken away from patrol times..." Giles replied as I noted another man standing across from Buffy, one I faintly recognised as the soldier fellow from my fight with the Silent Demons called The Gentlemen "...and you know Buffy of course, and this is Riley, no more than two others present as agreed"

"Excellent, a pleasure to see you both once again..." was my friendly and cheerful reply along with a wave, before gesturing at Kara "...and this is my lovely colleague Kara. Kara, this is Giles, someone named Riley, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, say hello to everyone"

"Um...Hi?"

I rested both my hands on my walking cane as Kara gave a friendly response and confused wave at them as Giles retreated over to his two allies "Let's get down to brass tacks as they..."

...and that's when the door was kicked in by a big burly vampire, judging from the fangs and the facial features, who stomped through, followed by a number of others armed with melee weapons. Then a female voice...an annoying female voice...cheerfully came from behind them as I just stared at the idiocy "See! I told you she'd be here! Yay for following!"

"Sun's gone down" I muttered, and Giles nodded.

"Sun's gone down apparently yes"

I sighed giving a wave and a friendly smile to our uninvited guests "Hello, vampire scum! I'd suggest you all go somewhere else very, very, quickly before bad things happen to you! Unless you've been here before, and harmed the shop-owner..."

The big one, dressed like a biker, sneered at me, sounding as dumb as he looked "He were tasty, bet you be tasty too"

"Well, I'm positively scrumptious I imagine..." I answered cheerfully as everyone seemed to get ready for battle as I stood at ease "...and, wow, I did not think you could be this stupid!"

"Hey! I am not stupid!" that annoying feminine voice shouted from behind the gang of vampires "This is my plan! And here she is!"

"Yes she is..." Buffy announced almost sound bored, or amused "Harmony, what are you doing?"

"You've fallen into my trap!" 'Harmony' announced from behind the other vampires...seemingly trying to bounce up to see over their shoulders "Minions! Get them!"

"Callum"

I sighed at Kara's firm growl as the vampires started to stride forward, and gestured vaguely in their general direction "Fine, fine, Kara smash!"

Then there was two super-powered blondes jumping forward as I stood humming quietly while readying my spells just in case as the big one swung a fist at Kara...

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

...only to realise that was a bad idea as Kara caught his fist, squeezing as she punched the vampire back into the others behind it. The axe wielding vampire beside him died as Buffy tore in her with a flurry of punches, before stabbing home with a stake to turn the undead creature to dust. I turned my attention to the other two people in the room, the Watcher and the soldier-guy, who was moving towards the fight, but looking warily at me as I strolled over as the fight went badly for the undead idiots.

"Oh don't worry, my friend seems to be working out some much-needed stress, as does yours apparently, so let's not ruin their fun..."

--

[01.37: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Small business ownership and investment across dimensions]

Rupert Giles had been in much worse situations than this, though it was concerning the ease with which the...Demon of unknown type...in the white suit and his, not human, female friend had helped dispatch the vampires, and before that incapacitate Buffy for the second time. Oh the blonde 'girl' Kara had not actually slain any of the vampires, but she'd taken an axe to the arm without any visible harm, and had easily overpowered even the strongest of the vampires. So, here he was...once again...making deals with potential evils and monsters to fight even worse ones. This time on his own though, not on behalf of the Watcher's Council, and for, in part, personal gain.

'Well Rupert you've signed on the dotted line as they say, so rather late to try walk back on blood sworn magical contract' he admitted silently to himself watching as 'Mister Outis'...and wasn't a name to bring forward...entered the shop once again with 'Kara' on his right side and another, bored looking, man at his left shoulder...then five more 'people' just behind The contract had been a fairly bland business one to his surprise, stating ownership rights and 'duties of care' and with no hidden clauses, or talk of souls, or...very much everything else Rupert had expected to have to fight over.

No, this 'Callum Outis' was completely fine, unnervingly so to Rupert, with sponsoring the Slayer with converting one of the backrooms into a training area. The only stipulation being that he, and his associates, be able to make use of the 'facilities' whenever he choose or was...on this particular plane of existence...

'Now Rupert, look at it like this; if you had not stepped in then this place would very likely have been bought by extra-dimensional being with an unknown agenda. At least this way you can ensure it is watched carefully and unethical sales stopped before they occur' he reminded himself firmly as everyone went on guard. Xander's poor life decision, Anya, was eyeing the newcomers, then edging away from the smiling and 'friendly' white suited young man as he strolled forward towards them, walking cane almost skipping over the wooden floorboards of the shop.

"Well hello everyone!" yes, there he was cheerful and friendly like the last time Rupert noted, the smile 'Outis', and now there business partner, adjusting his walking cane under his arm and clapping gloved hands together while smiling at them all "Quite the band of helpers you've assembled Mr. Giles! Fantastic! And this is my crack team of magical consultants"

Rupert let out a small cough, taking off and cleaning his glasses in an effort to clear his mind and be ready should any trouble happen, or any dangerous spells be put in place during this 'warding session' as the Contract called it "Eh, hm, I do believe they were tourists? Perfectly normal humans I believe?"

The smile continued with a nod "Yes, that too, but today is a work day, so they are here to help while we catalogue the contents of this place, put up protections, and all the other ancillaries matters we agreed upon. Also, any luck with our escapee vampire?"

It was Buffy who replied, before Rupert could, though less confrontationally than the last time "No, but its Harmony, she's an idiot though, so I wouldn't worry about her if I were you"

"Unfortunate, I dislike loose ends like that..." the smiling 'man' admitted shaking his head but nodding back to Buffy politely "...but I'll defer to your expertise in the area Miss Summers, and trust in your proven abilities for dealing with such problems"

"Umm...yeah...thanks. It's, ugh...Buffy, Miss Summers makes me sound super old" Rupert saw his Slayer charge muttered back awkwardly at the compliment, as she did that subconscious discomforted body language when she didn't know how to handle a situation. 'Mr. Outis' was her age, and had clearly put her at his mercy twice, helped her sister Dawn who now sat at the table waving at the 'man', while helping them deal with a big threat and a bunch of vampires. He'd found Buffy did not react well...know how to react at all to such really...to being overpowered or outmatched in certain areas. Perhaps it might be best to sit her down and give her a primer on magic with Willow's help?

"Of course, Buffy then..." came the reply as eyes moved over the others, settling on Anya a moment, who took a step as Xander looked at her with concern "...I'm not going to bite you know. Tiefling? Bloodline?"

"Former demon" came the response from said former demon as she studied something on the suit "Not like you, I don't want to offend. I'm looking for gainful employment. Xander suggested it"

Rupert frowned at that, making a note to ask what Anya was looking at now as 'Mr. Outis' waved it off "Oh, not at all, and why I have gainful employment to offer! Also, I thought it was Xamdar, one of the Scooby Snaxs?"

"Scoobies!" Xander protested "Not Scooby Snaxs!"

Anya huffed in annoyance "Shut up Xamdar! I'm talking to the weird magical celestial person about getting money, and money is good"

'Mr. Outis' nodded "Yes, money is good. Yay, Capitalism!"

"Yay, Capitalism?" Anya replied less confidently before following on with, more worryingly "Do you sell powers?"

"Directly no, but I do teach magic and sell magic items that can grant some powers if you're interested?"

Rupert sighed rubbing at the forehead at the cheerful, arms in the air, reply from Anya "Yay! Capitalism!"

"I think we need a not-demonic proletarian revolution right now..."

Xander got a pout back from his poor life choice "Xamdar! I'm helping here..."

--

[Trader's Journal: Day: 254]

[Current Dimension]

Buffy-verse

[Current Location]

Rental House, Sunnydale, California, United States of America

[Current Cash Reserves]

100 US Silver Dollars [Fallout, United Sates[High Quality]

480 United States Dollars [Buffy-verse]

1,628 Californian Dollars [Earth-04, Chain-2091, Disunited America]

2,621 Dollars [US Provisional Government, Earth-01, Chain-2091, German-ruled Earth]

[Recent Trades & Investments]

Sold/Traded Away/Invested

450 Gold Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

154 Silver Coins [Sigil[High Quality]

420 Septims [Gold-mix[Low Quality]

452 US Dollars [Buffy-verse]{It's actually several thousand spent, but that's just the fall vs start amount}

1 X Crystal Ball

2 X Empowered Scrolls of {Lesser} Healing

1 X Revolver {with 24 X Blessed Silver Bullets and 12 X Hellfire Bullets}[Storage case Included]

2 X Potions of Healing

2 X Potions of Invisibility

Magical Services – Protective Wards placed upon the Magic Box Shop, keyed to Management Staff

4 X Assorted Training manuals on Hand-to-Hand Combat techniques

Purchases, Investments & Acquisitions

50% Share ownership in the Magic Box Shop via Giles-Outis Arcane Industries [Body Corporate]

10 Days Rental 'Emerald Grove 18' House, Sunnydale

10 Days Living Expenses for 8 People

24 X TV Microwavable Dinners

16 X Assorted Bags of Fresh Food plus 4 Small Crates extras [Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, Apples, Flour, Butter, etc.]

[Diary Entry]

Well, busier week than expected. Then again what did I expect after everything that's happened, and the general nature of where we are?

So, I'm, somehow, through a series of odd events, the partial owner of the Magic Box here in lovely Sunnydale in cooperation with the Slayer's Watcher, or former Watcher member Watching her anyway. Funny how things go really, and I've invested in the place due to those circumstances – even if they don't seem overly trusting of my good self. What can I say, a suspicious bunch considering the vampires she's friends with, and the 'former' Vengeance Demon one of their number is dating?

Whatever the case said 'former' Vengeance Demon now works for me {and Giles} as an employee of the Magic Box, while her boyfriend is currently a repair and maintenance man. Oh, and I've hired their Witch, Willow, as part-time research assistant and 'liaison' with the Wiccan community as well;- one can never ignore the usefulness of a salesperson with needed customer groups.

Now, before I go of course, I'll be discussing with the Demon Bar {Willy's, though Willy's not there apparently} that the Magic Box is open for business, and technically neutral ground under truce. Anyone fucks that up gets to die when I return at some point in the future of course. Also, again, that it is open for business and open to trade within a laid out rule-set – no Chaotic Evil willy-nilly nonsense thank you very much!

I'd thought they'd all be more talkative, Buffy's team, but all very formal and wary of me despite all my helpful nature. What can you do? Still they are the good guys, and that should be encouraged, as long as they don't get murder-happy with the entire prospective customer base. Order will prevail, but it needs to be encouraged along in many circumstances, like this dimension.

One sales item I want to get created, actual multiple related to one subject, is an information booklet like a Sunnydale Survival Guide, and a general self-defence survival kit for normal folk here. It's not like stakes, holy water, and such are overly expensive after all, and this general ignorance, leading to death, really annoys me. Sadly I don't have a production setup right now, nor manufacturing staff, so that isn't a mass production item but I do believe I can get the Scoobies to make a few and put them on sale. Better than nothing I say. Amusingly enough I have staff now! Yay!

I placed an advertisement, only four days ago bizarrely, for an extended tour, isolated location with no contact with the outside job contract, and weirdly enough people responded. Honestly, I'm shocked, I know it's Sunnydale but the simple fact of 'Giles & Buffy act as guarantee' somewhat concerns me in addition to the lemming-like nature of coming with me. Yes, yes, magical contract with my co-owner of the Magic Box and the three new employees, and, yes, make you rich wages;- but wow it surprised me even with a bound promise to safely return them. No wonder this town is as messed up as it.

Anyway, our three new bonded employees are, in addition to being all former schoolmates of Buffy & Friends;

- Beverly Brewster {or just Brewster} a somewhat suffering girl who was a possession victim at some stage, and magical protection sounds awesome to her. Also she's nearly homeless, so there's that.

- Jonathan Levinson, whose a minor warlock and computer nerd. Exactly what I want really, even if he's apparently done the whole 'Make me awesome!' spells in the past. I think he was just bored and unemployed, and wants to prove something, magical other world aside.

- Rose Martinez, okay pink highlights in her hair nearly turned me off hiring but she's A-okay with months in an 'isolated location' and that magic exists so beggars cant' be choosers I guess?

All three know electronics and computers most importantly, and realise that magic and monsters exist in this particular horror world. Now I have to admit the reaction to taking people as minions to another dimension was greeted with significant discussion and opposition from the Slayer and her Watcher but I convinced them of my honourable nature. Largely by magically swearing a double-sided Geas and ensuring I do a 'return' in a month of one of them to confirm I'm not lying. So I've got staff, huzzah, and can finally start working on establishing a true base of operations on Quinn's Earth. Yes we've to go back his equipment, and what we've stored at the naval base in San Francisco, but I think a more permanent location, maybe in Ireland, might be best?

Something to consider I suppose, but not now, need to start packing up and then organise a meeting with said new employees in the Magic Box.

--

[01.38: The Inter-Dimensional Peddler]

[Home Sweet Home and the fire out...]

I strode out of the portal an elevated area of the naval base, gazing out over a fog covered morning in dead San Francisco. Raising my hands I gestured out at the erriely silent city, using my walking cane to make a sweeping motion to those behind me "And here we are, the lovely, and completely empty and dead, San Francisco of an Empty Earth as promised;- your place of employment and home for the next few months for some, and research area and home for others!"

"It's so...quiet" one of the women, Rose I believe, muttered as she came up to gaze out at the view, then looking back to the mirror like door in reality behind us as Kara came through last. Everyone was quiet, and at least the three newbies weren't freaking out from the trip to another dimension. Quinn was quiet too, hands stuffed in his pockets as he uncomfortably gazed out at the silent fog shrouded city he called home once upon a time. In response to Rose's question I nodded, lowering my cane and resting my hands upon it as I smiled sadly, looking up at the sky.

"Aye, aye it is, the whole world...for now"

Breyna came up beside me, eyes alive and staring out "Like with the Dwemer as you said!"

I nodded avoiding glancing at Quinn "Indeed Breylna, though part of our mission here is to attempt to locate where the populace went too, and, if possible, arrange a means for their return"

"I'm going to look around..." Kara announced rising up from the ground to hover in the air above us as the three new staff either gasped or gaped at the sight of her flying "...that okay Callum? Comms at hand, see!"

I sighed, nodding "Fine, fine, don't go far though please, we've a base to setup so we can have comfortable beds and a nice meal"

...and just like that she was slowly flying off towards the empty city as shook my head in amusement. Girl was just bored and really just wanted to be able to fly around for a bit I suspected. Oh, and leave explaining to the others who she was I heard the gasp from Jonathan behind me "She's Supergirl! How did I not see it! Doh! Hey, hey, is..."

I tuned out the babbling a moment as he, and then Rose, with Brewster just staring at the distant flying figure "Can we fly too?"

"No, not like that anyway" I told her honestly over the rapid-fire questions of the other two Buffy-verse natives as Quinn gave an amused snort while walking a little distance away towards the observation railings. Leaving me to deal with comic book geeks it looked like as I raised my arms, gesturing at the duo "Now, now, silence please! You have been told its dimensional travel, and yes, Kara is sometimes known as Supergirl. The multi-verse is a vast and mysterious place indeed!"

Then sighed, tapping the butt of the staff off the ground for attention "Now, you will NOT bother Kara over this you understand. Polite conversation and friendliness are perfectly fine, we'll be together for some time after all so you can ask politely when happy, but I will not tolerate bothering her, as those comics are not entirely reflective of actual people's lives. So, introductions are in order I believe?"

Faralda nodded, coming forward as the illusions fell away "Yes, we are all from different Planes and have different cultures. I am Faralda, a Master of Destruction of the College of Winterhold, in the land of Skyrim..."

I allowed everyone to introduce, or, well, re-introduce themselves while the questions over Elves and Khajit kicked off from the three from the lands of Buffy. It was unsurprising, and I let the questions get asked and discussed amongst themselves while Kara did her little sightseeing flight. Best to let the worst of this get out of the way now, rather than in an hour or two when I needed everyone focusing on making the base liveable for the expanded numbers. While not much of setup...it was a start, and once we got the Mr. Handys up and running then I could start salvage operations proper.

Protectrons too of course, but the salvage crews were most important while I and the mages got to work on a temporary Rune Gate here. After all I needed them to get back home to Winterhold to prove my claims, and ensure continued support from that particular market – along with things like fresh food, and access to the mead and refrigerator businesses as well. This place wouldn't be our permanent headquarters, but if I could build up sufficient linkage between a few of my recent markets I could jury-rig enough of business to get staff, and start research...

I turned back to my staff, flashing a smile, as the conversation eased off, just as I saw Kara come back slowly across the harbour "So, everybody got to know each other? Excellent! Now, you all know me, Callum Outis, Outis owner of Import/Export, and this here location shall be our workplace for the next few months most likely. As I said, this world is devoid of humanity, but dangerous animals and nature remains, so, please don't wander without permission or on your own. Now, Brewster, Jonathan, Rose, you shall be working with Quinn, and Kara..."

"I'm working with Supergirl!"

Came back from the nerdy duo and I gestured at them "...with Kara, as our technical department in getting our, currently damaged, robot workforce up and running. That will make out lives much easier I imagine, and I shall restore the first via magic along with the help a few of our mage friends here. Between a functioning model and all the technical manuals I expect good things that will make us all very wealthy in time..."

--

{Several hours later}

Night had fallen, and how strange it was, like the last time here, to see the city pitch black with no light nor sound beneath the full moon and starlit sky above. I'd cooked dinner, though thankfully the trio of Onmund, Breylna, and J'zargo were cleaning up afterwards, and right now it felt good to stand outside and feel the cool sea breeze on my face. We'd the power up and running in a good portion of the base, the fridges were clean and a few stocked with all the fresh produce we'd brought, and we'd assigned clean, comfortable, rooms to everyone to sleep in.

'We'll get better in time, but it seems most everyone's too tired to care at the moment' I thought with amusement as I took a sip from my bottle of lager. American, but decent enough considering;- had to stock up on better supplies soon, such as getting access to good craft beers and such again, beyond Nord Mead. All three of my employees from the lands of Buffy were already in bed, as was Kara, Quinn and Gestor, with only the trio of students, and Faralda supervising them, up at the moment. Apart from myself of course, but I figured one drink and a few moments to relax before giving into the tiredness was after I relax outside a bit.

Relax and think of course. There was a danger in revealing our little goldmine after all, and only time would tell if it was a good idea. If it'd just been me on my own...well, I'd probably still done the same, but the option of simply returning again and again to loot might have been more appealing. The simple fact was a support organisation appealed, a further backup to avoid getting stuck in a dimension with no hope of rescue coming, or no way to defend my claims. I smiled at nothing;- trying to get into the next level now was I?

"Curiously dark compared to the last world of Men..." the voice of Faralda came from behind me as I rested my arms on the solid railings of the roof's edge. Turning away from the moonlit city I turned my back to rest my back against the railings, sitting on the edge of the stone beneath.

"Much like the underground cities of the Dwemer I imagine" I replied taking another gulp from the bottle as the robe clad wizard walked over to me "...but, yes, it's strange to see after staying on our last Earth, but it's where we need to work"

"And much like the Dwemer they vanished...yet you know more than we know of that vanishing"

I shrugged where I sat, sighing "Aye, we do, though exactly what, or where, I know not. As said this was Quinn's realm, and only he was sheltered by his laboratory as best we can tell as he said. All we can try do is try locate his people, and find some means for them to return if they yet live"

Faralda frowned at me "A noble goal I'll admit, but not one you sound confident on"

I waved my free hand up and down in a 'I don't know' motion "This world has been empty for...two?...years I think, and no harvest was collected, no crops planned...food left to rot in the field and in the granary. Much like if the Dwemer were to suddenly reappear today in their great cities..."

Faralda nodded "Many of them would simple die, likely of accidents or starvation as all that supported their cities has fallen into chaos"

"Essentially, Yes" I admitted looking up at the starry sky above "...and I do not doubt that, eventually, that Quinn will find a way...but if it simply summons everyone back, all at once...then that would be a very bad thing, a very bad thing indeed"

Something that might have been deemed Quinn's Plan A till I, and Kara, had spoken to him about it...

"Yes, it does sound that would be the case" the elf woman admitted coming over beside me, resting arms upon the railings and gazing out over the waves softly crashing up against the hulls of sunken ships "Though I must say it is beyond fascinating this discovery, and will bring forth a lifetime of study I know. But I must say, a stronghold such as this will require far for than the three and five you have found so far that are not you or your two companions"

I chuckled at that "Oh, tell me about...sorry, local phrase. Yes, I know, and there will be more, in time, once this place is up and running I intend to hire for people"

The elf seemed amused at that "One hopes so, as by the Divines I did not become a Master of Destruction Magicks merely to serve as nursemaid to students and hauler of goods"

"Oh, don't worry, I'd much rather you are free to research things and such more important tasks, and you shall in time...just give it time please. Once we get the robots...golems or automata as you would think of them...up and running and then I can look for further helpers when we have the Rune Gate here ready"

Which was a very honest answer as I intended to ensure there was an escape route for everyone should I die on the next excursion, and I did intend to recruit from places like the Fallout-verse. Potentially in the German-ruled world, or other, less-developed, Earth's along that chain, as it took a particular combination of ambition, desperation, and trust to go for the idea of 'disappearing for long periods, big money!' that I offered. Or stupid of course, but I really wanted to steer clear of outright morons and hire competent people instead. It was just better in the long term for the business really.

She nodded in response "Excellent, I am glad to see we are both on the same scroll then. I would not wish to have to deal with Phinis for extended periods where his...valuable research time as he calls it is eaten up by other activities. Oh, and these showers as they are call here and on the last world...you must ensure one, not the crude ones of Tamriel either, are created for me in Winterhold"

"Perhaps in time, I quite like having them as well after all..." I admitted finishing off my drink, then shaking my head "...but we've much to do here first. Such as getting a Rune Gate for you to get home and confirm to Archmage Aren I've delivered on my side of the deal..."

--