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]

"Sure, but doing what with the money? Throwing it at the educational system? Funding the volunteer fire department? Renovating the libraries?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Orphanages," she says distantly.

[self_composed]

"Not bad," says Bella. "Er, you okay?"

[edgeofyourseat]

She shakes her head and summons a rueful smile. "Sorry, did I just make this conversation uncomfortably personal? Forget I said anything."



Meanwhile, in the Joker's room: The Joker observes that it's a pity he doesn't have a gun with him.

Alice fixes that.

[self_composed]

Bella makes a bit of a face at that and then shakes herself off. "It's okay, you - just don't look like you're particularly happy."

[edgeofyourseat]

"And now neither do you," says Roberta. "Quick, let's start talking about... puppies or something."

[self_composed]

"Sorry, I'm just - not comfortable leaving them unmonitored, but I am not that kinky," Bella says, pointing at the ceiling. "Nothing to do with our conversation. Puppies! They're so cute! I have never had one myself. You?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Me neither," she admits. "But they are very cute."

[self_composed]

"There aren't any on Mars. No one has brought pets up yet, and the ecosystem I designed doesn't include any predators."

[edgeofyourseat]

"That seems like a flaw," she says. "Paradise planets should have something cute and fluffy and domesticated."

(Alice and the Joker have not gotten around to using that gun for anything; they are too busy expressing and celebrating their mutual appreciation for its presence.)

[self_composed]

"There's bunnies," Bella says. "No shortage of nice fuzzy bunnies. They're modified so they don't, er, breed like rabbits, though, since nothing's eating them. If people develop an interest in hunting in my wilderness I'll fiddle with that."

[edgeofyourseat]

"People are probably going to want cats and dogs," she says. "But nice fuzzy bunnies are a good start."

[self_composed]

"They're allowed to bring pets with them, I don't object to that," Bella says. "Dogs, cats, red-tailed hawks, snakes, whatever. I just haven't got any running - or flying or slithering - wild."

[edgeofyourseat]

"And I guess you can always trade with Earth if someone wants a pet they didn't bring with them. Do you have trade agreements with Earth?"

[self_composed]

"So far I've talked to the President of the United States and told her she's welcome to set up customs around the magic door in case scary Canadians attempt to depart Mars," Bella says. "Everything else is still a work in progress. Magic isn't generally known on my Earth. Me and four other people have the general-purpose kind, and a few score worldwide have specific powers that do one thing and they generally aren't advertising themselves - some don't even know. But I certainly hope there will be trade. Enterprising businesspeople setting up pet shops in Olympus. Olympus is the city I built on Mars to start out," Bella explains.

[edgeofyourseat]

"You're not going to get enterprising businesspeople like that without a population," she observes. "Does Mars have any natural resources besides bunnies?"

[self_composed]

Bella starts ticking off fingers. "Open, scenic space. Pollution of various sorts fixes itself automatically, so it's a great place to put industrial anything. I put in plenty of plants, and freshwater oceans full of fish. I don't suppose people are particularly likely to find diamond mines or whatever, since I didn't install any, but there's Mars rock under the flora and that might stay interesting to astronaut types for a while. Magic free healthcare isn't exactly natural but it's a resource - if I don't get tourists with cancer I'll conjure a hat and eat it, and someone will need to sell those tourists lunch and t-shirts that say 'I Heart Mars'."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Suddenly I'm tempted to invest," Roberta says dryly.

[self_composed]

"I can sell you some Imperial Asters, even from here, but you might find it inconvenient to spend them."

[edgeofyourseat]

"You named your currency asters? That's cute."

[self_composed]

"I considered and rejected 'starbucks'," Bella says.

[edgeofyourseat]

Roberta chuckles.

Upstairs, Alice snuggles up and nuzzles the Joker's shoulder. It's nice, being with somebody he understands so easily, and who understands him the same way. It feels... not safe, kind of the opposite actually, but good.

[manofmyword]

"Sweetie."

He pulls Alice into a hug, kisses his cheek, his jaw, the side of his neck just under his ear.

"You're beautiful, anybody ever tell you that?"

[edgeofyourseat]

He laughs softly and doesn't answer, doesn't even consult his memory to find out.

[manofmyword]

"I know, honey." He kisses Alice's neck again and scoots closer, reaching past him. "Believe me, I know."