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Shell Bell is dancing on literal air when they leave Milliways.
Stella is an even more fortuitous find than Amariah was, and Amariah was amazing. Stella has given her everything she needs. Stella is a Space Empress and Shell Bell is going to follow right after her, probably with slightly less Space.
The fact that Shell Bell has to torture her girlfriend to accomplish anything in this department is a mood dampener, but she went and had a look at the memories of those "tastes" Stella provided and - well. They're bordered pale, even the big one. She's spooked about looking any closer; she managed to neglect to ask Stella before she went back to her Empire if looking at pain-related thoughts hurts. She looked at the square-sized memory and it was... too close to call. Stella might not even know the answer - mental opacity could easily interact somehow with mindreading. Stella might be protected against painful reading where Shell Bell, with only a wished-for imitation, might not.
But Sherlock seems content, and so -
"We're gonna take over the wo-orld, we're gonna take over the world, we're gonna take over the wooooorld," Bell sings, dancing into the house from the bar. (She can dance now. She is not in the least danger of tripping, wouldn't be even if her feet were touching the ground, and if she does anyway, she will float.)
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she_sells_seashells
she_sells_seashells
[It would be good to know. I don't think any good can come of nuking anything.]
"What can this... magic... do?" Coin asks slowly.
"What do you want it to do?" Bell asks easily. "No fair asking for something I'd rather not see happen, but if you want, I dunno, a year's supply of apple butter in single-serving packets, I can make that happen."
"Apple butter," says Coin blankly.
"It's good. You should try it if you haven't," said Bell.
"Are you quite sane?"
"Quite," Bell says.
"What can this... magic... do?" Coin asks slowly.
"What do you want it to do?" Bell asks easily. "No fair asking for something I'd rather not see happen, but if you want, I dunno, a year's supply of apple butter in single-serving packets, I can make that happen."
"Apple butter," says Coin blankly.
"It's good. You should try it if you haven't," said Bell.
"Are you quite sane?"
"Quite," Bell says.
sicaria
[I love you,] says Sherlock.
She closes her eyes.
What does she need, exactly?
A new sense take root in her mind, feeding her direct information about the physical location and structure of nearby objects. She detaches its locus, expands it as far as it will go, and sends it scrolling through the complex.
Magic is such fun.
She closes her eyes.
What does she need, exactly?
A new sense take root in her mind, feeding her direct information about the physical location and structure of nearby objects. She detaches its locus, expands it as far as it will go, and sends it scrolling through the complex.
Magic is such fun.
she_sells_seashells
[I love you too,] Bell returns happily.
"You understand why you might not seem so," says Coin.
"Because I picked a silly example? Okay. Forget the apple butter. You want all your citizens fed for the next forever? With whatever strikes their fancy, without worrying about whether spores get into the hydroponics -"
"How long have you been spying on us?"
"Just for today," says Bell blithely. "I didn't know District Thirteen was still around until just before that, I certainly didn't know what you were like. But I am optimistic that we can be friends."
"You understand why you might not seem so," says Coin.
"Because I picked a silly example? Okay. Forget the apple butter. You want all your citizens fed for the next forever? With whatever strikes their fancy, without worrying about whether spores get into the hydroponics -"
"How long have you been spying on us?"
"Just for today," says Bell blithely. "I didn't know District Thirteen was still around until just before that, I certainly didn't know what you were like. But I am optimistic that we can be friends."
she_sells_seashells
[Mmmm... not just yet. I want to see if I can get her to tell me.]
"Friends," says Coin.
"You're the only non-Capitol-controlled population on the planet," Bell says. "I checked. Since I intend to no longer be controlled by the Capitol either, I'd certainly hope we could be friends, as opposed to turning a two-faction standoff into a three-faction..." She waves a hand. "Something."
"How old are you?"
"Not sure, actually," muses Bell. "Time doesn't pass normally in the other world, and I was there a lot. I am either eighteen or nineteen."
"Chaos and darkness," mutters Coin under her breath.
"Friends," says Coin.
"You're the only non-Capitol-controlled population on the planet," Bell says. "I checked. Since I intend to no longer be controlled by the Capitol either, I'd certainly hope we could be friends, as opposed to turning a two-faction standoff into a three-faction..." She waves a hand. "Something."
"How old are you?"
"Not sure, actually," muses Bell. "Time doesn't pass normally in the other world, and I was there a lot. I am either eighteen or nineteen."
"Chaos and darkness," mutters Coin under her breath.
she_sells_seashells
[We will do something about that when I am done here,] Shell Bell promises.
"I was hoping for order and light," says Bell innocently. "Look. Here's what I have: a ton of very flexible magic. Here's what I want: trustworthy people with non-crap educations to help me run Panem after I take it over with my ton of very flexible magic. You have some of those. I'd like to employ some of them. I'm prepared to be quite generous with the magic. Everyone here seems pretty okay with how you're running things, so I don't need to put you out of a job, or attack your District, or do anything in particular I'd expect you not to like."
"...I'm listening," says Coin.
"I was hoping for order and light," says Bell innocently. "Look. Here's what I have: a ton of very flexible magic. Here's what I want: trustworthy people with non-crap educations to help me run Panem after I take it over with my ton of very flexible magic. You have some of those. I'd like to employ some of them. I'm prepared to be quite generous with the magic. Everyone here seems pretty okay with how you're running things, so I don't need to put you out of a job, or attack your District, or do anything in particular I'd expect you not to like."
"...I'm listening," says Coin.
sicaria
[One cornucopia might make a nice goodwill present, at the appropriate moment,] she muses. [It represents abundance.]
she_sells_seashells
Bell trades in a pentagon for a cornucopia. The wish proves able to duplicate what Matilda did without a problem. "Here's a present," she says, setting the little golden horn on Coin's desk. "It's a cornucopia, only if you grab it, you won't be stabbed in the back by a tribute who wants your supplies. It's a voice-operated food-appearing thing. Ask it for something."
There is a stillness.
"Or don't, maybe you're not hungry," shrugs Bell.
"Bread," says Coin suspiciously to the cornucopia, in tones of great suspicion.
Bread appears. Coin stares at it as though she believes it is keeping secrets from her and may need to be tortured for the information.
There is a stillness.
"Or don't, maybe you're not hungry," shrugs Bell.
"Bread," says Coin suspiciously to the cornucopia, in tones of great suspicion.
Bread appears. Coin stares at it as though she believes it is keeping secrets from her and may need to be tortured for the information.
she_sells_seashells
[You're cute.]
"I can make more of those. I can make stuff that'll handle your water, your air filtration, whatever. And then you will have people going spare - because they won't need to work on whatever I just made redundant with magic - and then I would like to be invited to hire them. Does that sound like a good deal to you?" Bell asks pleasantly.
"It sounds too good to be true," Coin says frankly.
"Will you believe me after I pick up the entire Capitol and place it ever so gently on the Moon?" Bell asks.
"I can make more of those. I can make stuff that'll handle your water, your air filtration, whatever. And then you will have people going spare - because they won't need to work on whatever I just made redundant with magic - and then I would like to be invited to hire them. Does that sound like a good deal to you?" Bell asks pleasantly.
"It sounds too good to be true," Coin says frankly.
"Will you believe me after I pick up the entire Capitol and place it ever so gently on the Moon?" Bell asks.
she_sells_seashells
Coin stares at her.
Then, skeptically, sarcastically, she says, "Yes. I will believe that this arrangement you propose is not too good to be true if you pick up the Capitol and put it on the Moon."
"Splendid," says Bell. "I'll get back to you after I've done that, then! How do I go about making an appointment? I'd hate to unduly disrupt your schedule."
"I've a secretary," says Coin, clearly wrong-footed. "If you... appear... at him, he will arrange it with you."
"Will do," says Bell. "See you later!"
And she turns invisible, and takes Sherlock's hand, and puts them both back where they came from, and kisses her with a brilliant happiness.
Then, skeptically, sarcastically, she says, "Yes. I will believe that this arrangement you propose is not too good to be true if you pick up the Capitol and put it on the Moon."
"Splendid," says Bell. "I'll get back to you after I've done that, then! How do I go about making an appointment? I'd hate to unduly disrupt your schedule."
"I've a secretary," says Coin, clearly wrong-footed. "If you... appear... at him, he will arrange it with you."
"Will do," says Bell. "See you later!"
And she turns invisible, and takes Sherlock's hand, and puts them both back where they came from, and kisses her with a brilliant happiness.
she_sells_seashells
[I love you. I love you I love you I love you we're going to take over the world,] Bell sings silently.
sicaria
[I love you too,] she says, hugging Bell closer. [Shall we replenish our supply of coins while we're at it?]
she_sells_seashells
Bell stills in Sherlock's arms. [Still not used to that,] she admits. [But - yeah, I should - get accustomed to it. Um, bedroom - mine? yours?]
sicaria
[Mine?] she suggests, kissing Bell's cheek. [I like making coins. I will endeavour to show you how much.]
she_sells_seashells
[Okay.]
Bell turns on the read, so she'll be able to see, and goes with her to Sherlock's room. [Um, do you want me to ramp it up slowly, or just hit you with - what, pentagons, hexagons...?]
Bell turns on the read, so she'll be able to see, and goes with her to Sherlock's room. [Um, do you want me to ramp it up slowly, or just hit you with - what, pentagons, hexagons...?]
she_sells_seashells
Squares can be as small as ten triangles. When they're both sitting on Sherlock's bed, Bell bites her lip, and turns on the agony beam at that level. [..."Flavor"... preferences?] she asks dubiously, peering at the read.
sicaria
Her breath catches; her eyelashes flutter slightly.
She likes it.
[Sharp?] she requests, smiling.
She likes it.
[Sharp?] she requests, smiling.
she_sells_seashells
There's a dozen kinds of sharp. Why Stella's Alice felt the need to solicit such variety is beyond her. Bell picks glass-sharp, as the first thing to come to mind.
she_sells_seashells
Bell kisses back. The agony beam doesn't need attention to maintain, and Sherlock will tell her when she wants it kicked up. (Presumably.)