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

[manofmyword]

"Hiiiii," he says, lifting a hand and wiggling his fingers in a cute little wave.

[self_composed]

"This is apparently what happens if you don't meet me and a few other things go slightly differently," Bella says. Impulsively, she loops her arm around Alice's waist and leans her head on him. He's standing right there, after all.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice snugs his arm around Bella's shoulders and kisses the top of her head, but he is still looking at the Joker.

"Wow," he murmurs.

[manofmyword]

The Joker licks his lips in that way he has, kind of like a snake tasting the air. His lipstick glistens.

[edgeofyourseat]

Well, thanks for drawing Alice's attention right back to the most fascinating thing about you, Clownface.

(Did he mean it like that, though? Or...? No, he totally meant it like that. But did he know what Alice would think of it? How could he not?)

The hell with it. He teleports directly into the Joker's lap and kisses him.

[self_composed]

Ayep. Bella rolls her eyes. She got her little bit of hug, and this or something like it was predictable.

[manofmyword]

The Joker kisses back.

For quite some time.

"You'n'me could really have some fun," he says eventually, resting his hands on Alice's shoulders and looking into his eyes with a challenging grin. "Wanna?"

[edgeofyourseat]

Instantly: "Yeah."

[self_composed]

"Does this place have hotel rooms or are you planning to scandalize the patrons?" Bella asks dryly.

[manofmyword]

"I got a room," the Joker says brightly.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice teleports them there.

Just the two of them. If Bella wants to follow, she can, but he figures this isn't the kind of thing she's going to want to watch in person.

[self_composed]

It isn't.

But she keeps up the read.

And orders a milkshake and looks for someone else to pass the time with, because she doesn't think she can read Alice in Milliways if she goes home.

[edgeofyourseat]

She can have fun reading a hell of a lot of very physical, somewhat violent makeouts, then, because that's what they get up to. At least at first.

Meanwhile, perhaps that tastefully dressed businesswoman who is just sitting down at the bar and ordering a protein shake would be interesting to talk to.

[self_composed]

Bella plops down next to her. "Hi. I'm bored. Who're you and where are you from?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Roberta," she says. "Earth, 2008. Hello, Bored."

[self_composed]

"Bella, not Bored. Mars, 2005," Bella says. "Nice to meet you."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Mars. That's new," says Roberta. "Native, or immigrant?"

[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."