self_composed | plotting to unnerve her

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

self_composed

"You made yourself my problem," says Bella darkly.

From:

manofmyword

"Oh, it's you."

He smiles up at her.

"Hiya, smarty pants. What'd I do?"

From:

self_composed

"I'm not really interested in having a prolonged conversation. I'm going to send you back to sleep, and give you about ten minutes, and then wake you back up, and all I need to know is whether you went to Milliways or not."

That's square territory. She feels a little bad about using Alice's coins for this. She makes her own square.

From:

manofmyword

He frowns, perplexed.

"No, really, what'd I—? Is this about your boyfriend?"

From:

self_composed

"That pissed me off, but I was going to do this if I found my way into your world before you and he even clapped eyes on each other," Bella says. "G'night." Square goes.

From:

manofmyword

...and there he is, right where he was before he woke up on an asteroid.

"Huh."

From:

edgeofyourseat

"The fuck?" says Alice.

From:

manofmyword

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

From:

edgeofyourseat

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

From:

manofmyword

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

From:

edgeofyourseat

"...No...?"

From:

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."

From:

edgeofyourseat

"Mad about what?"

From:

manofmyword

"Guess."

From:

self_composed

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

From:

manofmyword

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

From:

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?"

From:

manofmyword

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

From:

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."

From:

edgeofyourseat

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

From:

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."

From:

edgeofyourseat

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

From:

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.