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

[edgeofyourseat]

"The fuck?" says Alice.

[manofmyword]

"Your girlfriend's jealous," says the Joker, smiling crookedly.

[edgeofyourseat]

He rolls his eyes. "She is not. She really doesn't like you, though. 'Cause you're a murderer and stuff."

[manofmyword]

"Well, that's her prerogative," says the Joker. "Did she tell you what she's gonna do about it? I bet not."

[edgeofyourseat]

"...No...?"

[manofmyword]

"She stuck me on a little asteroid," he explains. "And then she put me to sleep again to see if I'd come here, which I do, so that part's okay. She said earlier that if she did it and I didn't get Milliways she'd kill me, but the way she was looking just now, I bet she wouldn't. Too nice. She's pretty mad at me."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Mad about what?"

[manofmyword]

"Guess."

[self_composed]

A triangle suffices to wake him. Bella's sitting on the roof of his new little house. "Well?"

[manofmyword]

"Yep," he says, and leaves it at that.

[self_composed]

"Grand. If you do get bored, your food replicator is more flexible than the standard model, it'll make you hemlock or whatever - it's voice operated. The glowy air is controlled by thought. You should be able to keep occupied. Ask for avocados and grow more from the pits, build a castle out of your dishes, whatever." She shrugs. "And there's nobody for you to hurt up here. Questions? Comments?"

[manofmyword]

"If you don't wanna talk about why you're mad at me, then nope."

[self_composed]

Bella doesn't even say goodbye. She flits back down to Earth, to where Roberta's door is.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she says, sidling back in grimly. "He's alive, by the way."

[edgeofyourseat]

"...Thank you," is what Roberta settles on after a moment.

[self_composed]

"Thank Milliways. It showed up for him when I put him to sleep, or I'd have been another few minutes watching him swallow arsenic or something."

[edgeofyourseat]

She glances at the door, but doesn't comment.

[self_composed]

Bella goes back to the bar. Her milkshake is long gone. She wants hot cider now, and when it arrives she holds it in both hands, staring into the steam.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice is still upstairs, curled up alone in the Joker's bed, playing with that knife.

After a few minutes, he tries, [Bella?]

[self_composed]

[Mm?] Bella says, sipping cider.

[edgeofyourseat]

He relaxes a little when she reads him, but his thoughts are still chasing themselves in circles.

After a few seconds, he manages to straighten himself out enough to ask, [What're you mad at him for?]

[self_composed]

[I didn't strand him because I was mad. I'm pretty sure that at least one of his motives for what he did with you was to screw with me. And that put me in a bad mood - it would've even if he hadn't successfully frightened me. But I told him before you and he even laid eyes on each other that if I ever found myself in his world, he was getting put on an asteroid.] She sips. [It's a nice asteroid, and I stuck to what I said I would do regarding checking for Milliways.]

[edgeofyourseat]

Well, that helps. A little.

But:

[So that's where you were going when you said you wanted to visit somebody's world for a bit?]

[self_composed]

[Yeah. I met someone from his. She is of the opinion that the asteroid is a good place for him, and honestly I don't think too many people who knew he existed would disagree. He really fucked around with that city, Alice, and they don't have the means to contain him without outside help.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[There a reason you didn't mention that?]

[self_composed]

[I would've if if you'd asked, but as long as you didn't, I thought it would be better to have the argument after the fact.]