plotting to unnerve her

[self_composed]

Bella finds Milliways in the moon palace instead of one of her balconies.

"Huh," she says aloud.

Then, to Alice, Libby, Elena, and Mary, and Lazarus except he autoreplies with a busy message, [Hey folks, Moonstone Palace grew a bar that I don't remember putting in, come check it out.]

Comments

[self_composed]

"Colonizer-sorceress-empress," says Bella.

[edgeofyourseat]

Roberta's eyebrows lift. "That's definitely new. I'm not sure whether to congratulate you, or sidle away."

[self_composed]

"I am a benevolent sorceress-empress," says Bella. "I'm just looking for a way to pass the time while my boyfriend makes out with his psychotic alternate self upstairs."

[edgeofyourseat]

(Was that a slight flinch at 'psychotic'? Well, it's reasonable for it to have been.)

"That sounds... trying," says Roberta. "The boyfriend part, not the benevolence part. The benevolence is reassuring."

Upstairs, they are in the process of shifting from making out to things involving fewer clothes and more sharp objects. Alice is having lots of fun. So is the Joker.

[self_composed]

"I'm a little concerned about leaving him alone with that guy, who is basically my boyfriend with a couple extra decades and not enough friends in high school and a tendency to commit terrorism. But I can read my boyfriend's mind and he's having fun. He has weird tastes."

[edgeofyourseat]

Terrorism definitely makes her wince. But then, that is a very natural reaction.

"Good for your boyfriend?" she hazards, looking mildly unsettled.

[self_composed]

"I suppose. When I met my alternate all we did was discuss trade agreements between empires - hers involves more vampires, less Mars, but still, respectable - but to each their own. You ever met one of you in here?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"I haven't," she says. And, smiling: "If I did, I don't think it would involve making out or negotiating trade agreements."

[self_composed]

"What would it be, then?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"You know, I really have no idea. But I don't have an empire and I'm not interested in making out with myself, so..."

[self_composed]

"Well, yes, those would be the reasons not to go my route or my boyfriend's," snorts Bella. "What do you do?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"I manage the family business," she says. "In theory. In practice, other people do most of the managing."

[self_composed]

"And you... stand around looking important? Sit in a corner office and stamp your signature on things? Golf?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"How did you guess?"

[self_composed]

"I'm running on pure stereotype. But come on, this is making you sound boring, and I didn't think boring people were invited in here."

[edgeofyourseat]

"I know defining people by their careers is a longstanding American tradition, but I'd hope the Martian empire would be a little more enlightened," says Roberta.

[self_composed]

"I'm not. I'm judging you for the golf. Golf is mind-numbing," says Bella, smirking.

[edgeofyourseat]

"As long as you don't comment on the size of my balls, I think I can survive your disdain," says Roberta.

[self_composed]

Bella snorts. "I guess not everyone can jump out a window and fly around when bored."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yes. Gravity: a tragic human limitation."

[self_composed]

"I'm a human. It's the other Bella who's a vampire."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Silly me," says Roberta.

[self_composed]

"Very." Bella takes a long drink of milkshake. "At the risk of sounding both like a cliche and like I'm hitting on you, neither of which is the case: come here often?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Not very," she says. "But I appreciate the break when it happens."

[self_composed]

"I've only been here four times, this being me on my way home from a round trip," Bella says. "And the first time, my personnel - officer? manager? I need to pick a title for her - found the door. I found it the time after, though. My alternate doesn't encounter it often; it's usually her kid."