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

[dont_look_back]

"Damn, that was unpleasant, good to see you Ashleigh," mutters Elena, lurching into the side of the first wolf she sees at the ongoing birthday party, a woman who pats her on the head indulgently.

[prima_sequentem]

Mary chews thoughtfully on her lip, and then looks around.

"No looming disasters," she reports. Libby smiles.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Man, where's the fun in that?"

[self_composed]

"The fun is in getting to steer," says Bella lightly. "Mary, if we leave you here and Elena shows you around, can you do your fortune-telling while I go consult the Imperial Seer about that question you drew a blank on?"

[prima_sequentem]

"Sure," Mary says agreeably.

[self_composed]

"Thisaway," Bella says to Alice. "The Imperial Seer is also named Alice. She's interesting. You'll like her. Now, her office is within range of the Emperor's mindreading, so... see if you can avoid deliberately antagonizing him, at least, you probably can't help but discomfit him somewhat. This assumes witch mindreading beats star defense powers, of which I am unsure."

[edgeofyourseat]

"I'll be good," he promises, which is probably impossible. He'll give it his best shot, anyway.

[self_composed]

"Good," says Bella, scritching his head. "Do you want your present to be a surprise till I can give it to you, assuming I can, or do you want to find out today?"

[edgeofyourseat]

He thinks about this.

"Surprise, I guess. I don't care that much, though; I won't get mad if somebody spills."

[self_composed]

"Alrighty. Cryptic conversation it is," says Bella.

The trip through the tunnel isn't long, flying, and Alice's office is near where it spits them out. "Hallo again!" Bella says.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Hi, Bella-clone!" says a tiny pixielike person with dark spiked hair. "Oho. Yes. You can do what you wanna do perfectly safely, there is no doubt."

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice waves.

Should they use a different name for him while he's here? Would that make people more confused, or less?

Also, Other Alice is adorable and he kind of wants to hug her.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"You are going to have a disturbing amount of fun, Whistle," Alice tells him.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice—make that Whistle, sure, he likes that one—beams.

"Bella gets me the best presents. Bella, you get me the best presents."

He can hug Bella, right? He is going to hug Bella.

[self_composed]

Of course he can hug Bella. And Bella hugs him back, too.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Is there anything else you wanted prophesied? That is here in this universe?" Alice asks.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I dunno, is there?"

The only concern Whistle has for the future is how much hug he can pack into the next ten seconds. Snuggle snuggle.

[self_composed]

"I didn't think there was, but actually, is it a bad idea to bring Whistle with me to talk to Bella?" asks Bella.

"Far as I can see, no disaster, just Edward looking constipated," says Alice.

[edgeofyourseat]

(Whistle giggles.)

[self_composed]

"And near as I can tell he would be doing that even if it were only me," Bella says. "Okay. Thanks, Alice!"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"No problem! You have fun and disturbing amounts of fun, respectively!"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Always," says Whistle, and impulsively blows Alice a kiss.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Alice snorts.

[self_composed]

"This way," says Bella.

The throne room is as before, containing assorted persons. "Hi!" Bella greets her fellow empress. "Brought an extra guest this time around."

[her_imperial_radiance]

And lo, Edward does indeed look constipated.

"What is his name?" asks the dark woman in the sari-type outfit who's lurking next to Golden Bella. She's casually talking over a nearby conversation, like she doesn't expect anyone else in the room to pay attention to her besides the Bellas.