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]

"So she'd have a reasonable shot at quitting the carnage just by not dressing up as a bat anymore," says Bella. "If you don't know her daytime identity, that'd be all she'd have to do - quit appearing in the bat outfit in a way consistent with her being dead-or-disappeared. And then if it didn't work, she could just 'come back'."

[manofmyword]

He shrugs.

"She doesn't know that. And I bet she thinks getting me locked up solved the problem just fine."

[self_composed]

"Yes, but I mean after you get out. Unless you're planning to dress up like a marmoset to throw her off."

[manofmyword]

He giggles.

"Nah. Anyway, she's not just after me. And say what you like about her, she scared half the crime outta Gotham. The boys wouldn'ta hired me to kill her if she wasn't playing hell with their bottom line."

[self_composed]

"Well, maybe she can get the other half down to reasonable levels while you're put away, and then when you escape she'll have the leeway to retire-slash-fake-her-death," shrugs Bella.

[manofmyword]

"And once she's done that, whos gonna keep 'em down? Besides, she's not the only hot prospect in town. I could have some fun with our shiny new police commissioner, I bet."

[self_composed]

"Fair enough."

[manofmyword]

"What's it like?" he wonders idly. "Dating mini-me."

[self_composed]

"I like it," says Bella. "He sews me dresses. He's snuggly. He makes fascinating faces when in pain."

[manofmyword]

"I'll bet he does."

[self_composed]

"Took some getting used to, but I'm pretty adaptable in some respects."

[manofmyword]

"Do you ever set him on fire?"

[self_composed]

"I have a more all-purpose, sanitary tool for the job."

[manofmyword]

Inquisitively: "Mm?"

[self_composed]

"Magic," says Bella. "Obviously."

[manofmyword]

"Well aren't you sweet."

[self_composed]

"One could say that."

[manofmyword]

"You don't think so?"

[self_composed]

"Well, I do, but most people find the whole thing a little disturbing."

[manofmyword]

"Does that," he inquires, "bother you?"

[self_composed]

"So far it hasn't caused me any problems. It'll probably present a challenge for my future PR person if the details get out, though."

[manofmyword]

"See, this is why empires are bad," he teases. "Who wants to be beholden to all those opinions?"

[self_composed]

"I said I was a space Empress, not a space President. I don't want people to be uncomfortable with me; that doesn't mean I can't live with it and get on with my business if they are."

[manofmyword]

"You want my advice?"

[self_composed]

"I might ignore you, but sure."