cake and ice cream

[self_composed]

Bella finds Milliways next, too, on New Year's Day, and calls in Alice (he's not coming to Goldenworld even if they find a person who can take them there, but he might find someone interesting to talk to in the bar) and also Lazarus. She mentions the door to Libby, too, in case she and/or her wolf want to take an excursion and see if his friends and family back home can be visited.

Comments

[gunpowdergelatine]

Then a new skeleton appears, just slightly different from the last, and a new body assembles on it as quickly as the other one left. He's even wearing the same tight grey dress.

"—this, by any chance?"

[self_composed]

"Well, he would have if I'd let him get a bit older before I turned him into a vampire," says Bella. "So what are you?"

[yourheartstrings]

She unravels and reweaves herself again.

"I'm a ghost!" she says brightly.

[nonbird]

"It is both really gross and really fascinating when you do that," says Lazarus.

[self_composed]

"Agreed on both counts," says Bella. "What kinda world has this kinda ghost?"

[yourheartstrings]

"Mine," she says impishly.

[self_composed]

"Well," Bella says. "Now I am enlightened, aren't I."

[yourheartstrings]

"Aww, I'm sorry," she says with apparent sincerity. "But I really don't know! I'm the only one of me I've ever found."

[self_composed]

"Huh. Do you think you'd be able to see another of you if there were one? Since others who aren't Lazarus can't see you?"

[yourheartstrings]

"Maybe," she says. "Maybe not." She grins at Lazarus. "Maybe I should stick by you for a while."

[nonbird]

"...I am so torn," says Lazarus.

[self_composed]

"I'm considering sticking my head out the door and fetching Alice. You aren't," she gestures vaguely at the ghost, "evil or anything? I like it less when he hangs out with the evil one we met. I'm not gonna stop him but I'm not gonna go out of my way to facilitate, there."

[yourheartstrings]

"Evil?" she asks. "Really, honey?"

[self_composed]

"Well, come on, the other alt of my Alice who I've met was a terrorist because he liked a certain lady who went around executing vigilante justice and he wanted attention. We could argue about his underlying moral fiber all day but it'd take longer."

[yourheartstrings]

"I don't have underlying moral fiber," she says.

[self_composed]

Bella rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to fetch Alice, then. Oh well. What can your kinda ghost do besides take yourself apart and put yourself back together?"

[yourheartstrings]

She rolls her eyes right back, and disintegrates.

[self_composed]

Bella blinks.

"Is she even still here?" she asks Lazarus. "Or did I bore her to smithereens?"

[nonbird]

"She's... sort of...?" he says. "It's hard to explain. Harder than usual, even."

[self_composed]

"That's something," snorts Bella. "Well. After what happened last time I don't think I care to take risks in this department. It's a pity, I'm sure they would have had fun."

[nonbird]

"I don't know, she seemed nice enough to me," he says. "Albeit in a slightly creepy way. Definitely fewer axe murderer vibes than Addy."

[yourheartstrings]

"I've never murdered anybody with an axe," says the same voice out of thin air. "Well, I'm pretty sure. Not in a while, anyway."

[self_composed]

"I highly doubt Addy has ever murdered anyone with an axe either," remarks Bella. "And the terrorist alt seemed decent company to start with too, albeit aesthetically bizarre. Less bizarre," she concedes, "than intermittent discorporation."

[yourheartstrings]

"He had scars, I bet," the still-discorporated ghost says wistfully.

[self_composed]

"That one? Yeah. Can you not build yourself scars if you want them?" Bella says. "Or does that not count?"