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]

Bella decides to see if he put up a busy message before trying to apologize.

[edgeofyourseat]

Nope. He is unbusy.

[self_composed]

[I'm sorry,] she says.

(She's sorry the situation came up, she's sorry that what happened to make the Joker into what he became happened, she's sorry she didn't trust Alice to not throw a wrench in the plan if he had warning, she's - sorry.)

She sits in a corner of the office in her palace and hugs her knees.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice teleports to her. Nitrogen boils off him in the sudden heat; he triangles himself back to a completely unfrozen condition before he hugs her.

He's not sure he can say it's okay; he's not sure it is. But he loves her and he'd rather be hugging her than on Pluto.

[self_composed]

Bella snuggles up.

[It's almost Christmas,] she says. [Still almost Christmas, I should say. We weren't gone more than a few seconds here.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[Huh. I guess,] he says. Christmas isn't really a positive association; historically it's been a time when his parents give him a bunch of shit he doesn't want and then his dad gets mad at him for not wanting it.

[self_composed]

[Would you rather wait for your present until Boxing Day?] Bella asks, tucking her head against his neck so her face is turned in.

[edgeofyourseat]

[I dunno,] he says. [Was it gonna be for Christmas? It can be for Christmas. Or for now. I don't really care about the date, y'know?]

[self_composed]

[I was thinking Christmas. It will need to be an occasion when you don't have anything planned for a few days, possibly weeks.]

[edgeofyourseat]

[I don't really do plans,] he says, shrugging. [Whenever.]

[self_composed]

[It'll be Christmas somewhere on Earth in a couple days,] she says, kissing his neck.

[edgeofyourseat]

He smiles. [Okay.]

[self_composed]

[I'm glad that's okay. I'm pretty sure accelerating the spin of the Earth would be hazardous.]

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice giggles.

[I love you,] he says, kissing the top of her head. (Not fully on purpose, it's similar to the way the Joker kissed him when they were snuggling.)

[self_composed]

Little mannerisms like that are to be expected and do not bother her.

[I love you too.]

[edgeofyourseat]

Hearing that still gives him all kinds of warm snuggly lovey feelings.

[self_composed]

[I'm going to see if Lazarus is free to have another look at your ingot power now, unless you have some objection.]

[Lazarus?]

[edgeofyourseat]

[No problem,] says Alice.

[nonbird]

[Yes?]

[self_composed]

[Can me and Alice come visit? His ingot power is almost certainly not just a "touch-don't-change" mental defense, which we learned for reasons I would rather not explain right now. And I would like to know exactly what it is.]

There is, after all, a chance that ingots (like witches) may enhance their powers after turning.

[nonbird]

[...Sure,] he says.

[self_composed]

Alice's outfit is in a state; liquid nitrogen will do that. "You wanna not scandalize Lazarus?" she murmurs.

[edgeofyourseat]

He shrugs and squares some real clothes.

[self_composed]

Bella stands them up and teleports them to Lazarus's apartment on Mars. "Hullo," she says.

[nonbird]

"Hi," says Lazarus.