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

[nonbird]

"...Well, it can't do what Alice doesn't or wouldn't want it to. Can't or won't, it's the same thing. So... that might be reassuring?"

[self_composed]

"Some," Bella acknowledges.

[nonbird]

"Okay."

[It doesn't look to me like this power wants to change what it can do,] he says. [But I wouldn't have said it would protect experiences he was having, either, and then it did.]

[self_composed]

[Well, if it wants to do what he wants, then him being a vampire can only improve it. I ran the idea by my alt's precog-sister and precog-sister says that his magical vampire mate bond thing will stabilize on me, no problem.]

[nonbird]

[I wonder what that will look like.]

[self_composed]

[I doubt he'd mind you watching. It'll happen three days after I start the process. However, the entire thing is also going to hurt in ways human beings don't even know how to hurt, so whether you'd want to be around...]

[nonbird]

He blushes faintly.

[edgeofyourseat]

"You're talking about me," Alice accuses.

[self_composed]

"We're talking about your Christmas present," Bella says, floating off the floor a couple inches to kiss his temple. "It has some magically interesting properties."

[edgeofyourseat]

"And it makes Lazarus get all blushy," he says. "I'm gonna like it, aren't I."

[self_composed]

"I rather think so."

[edgeofyourseat]

He beams and kisses her.

[self_composed]

Bella is quite pleased with this development!

[ignorable]

Kolya becomes apparent juuuuust long enough to laugh at them.

[nonbird]

Lazarus's blush kicks up a few notches, to catch up with all the blushing he didn't do because he didn't know Kolya could hear that entire conversation.

[self_composed]

Bella laughs hard enough that she can't even go on kissing Alice anymore. And she doesn't stop when he fades out, either, because she just doesn't have that much self-control.

[edgeofyourseat]

"...What? Who was that and why's he think we're so hilarious?"

[nonbird]

"That was Kolya, and he can speak for himself if he chooses," says Lazarus.

[self_composed]

"I don't know to what extent answering that question would violate my agreement," muses Bella.

[ignorable]

Kolya appears again, rolling his eyes.

"I've been here the whole time," he says, addressing Alice directly. "You just can't see me. I, however, can see you."

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice grins at him.

"Hi!"

[self_composed]

"That's funny, because Alice can see my alt's bodyguard who has a comparable power," Bella muses. "I really need to bring you there with me, sometime, Lazarus."

[nonbird]

"I would love to go! Let me know the next time you organize an expedition."

[self_composed]

"Will do! You can compare notes with the Imperial Factotum. There's a guy who just sees stuff, like you, but he doesn't involve himself with the empire - she does and she copies powers by touching the people who have them."

[nonbird]

"...Innnnnnteresting," says Lazarus.