[Yeah, and Tonies come with Sherlocks most of the time, and the personnel officer is a Libby, etcetera.]

[And Queenie and Ghosty and Aianon and I forget the last one...?]

[...Put your tea down.]

[...So you were actually dodging that one? It's put.]

[They call themselves Jokers.]

[Probably not. I was busy being dead while the local, eponymous Joker was active, so I'm not completely up on how his activities were covered in the news, but he's a one of them. There are lots more, though.]

[And there are three and a half of them in the world right now, not making the news?]

[Queenie and Ghosty describe themselves as 'retired'. Aianon and Ansharil hang out on Saturn, filling in gaps in the ecosystem and wishing they were back with Elf Bell back in their world and thinking at her a lot via telepathic bond thing. Jokers are really useful if you know what to do with them; the problem was the Bat had one and a worse than useless idea of what to do with him.]

[What are they useful for?] he asks, with a slightly desperate edge. [I mean, that man is fucking terrifying. I had nightmares about him. Sexy nightmares.] Half-laughing, [Fuck, did I say that out loud? I'm sorry, TMI.]

[I'll survive,] says Bella, amused. [I could introduce you to one or more of the available three and a half, if you want, although fair warning, Aianon and Ansharil are not humans. Jokers're useful for magic generation.]

[Do you make your magic out of fear or something?]

[No. They're not terrorizing the populace.]

[And what do you mean you could introduce me? Is it safe? Would they flirt with me? Do people generally survive their flirting?]

[I mean I could introduce you to them and they'd probably hit on you. They're not going around doing nefarious things! They're retired, they don't want Batlady's attention anymore - Aianon and Ansharil don't even come from a world that has one of her - and they wouldn't hurt you unless you're into that.]

[...Leaving aside the question of whether or not I'm into that, how did you ever manage to collect three and a half nice Jokers?]

[They're not unusually nice for Jokers. The Joker, from here, is living peacefully in a world called Aurum with his vampire boyfriend and their adorable hybrid children. Jokers aren't so much 'nice' or 'not nice'. It's a matter of what abilities and opportunities they're presented with. I hired Queenie, Ghosty followed her here, Aianon and Ansharil are stranded here because they were still around when Jane broke and they were doing Saturn's ecology.]

[I'm not sure I buy it,] he says. [And, you know, sexy nightmares are still nightmares.]

[Okay, I won't introduce you if you don't want,] says Bella.

[...well,] he says, wavering. [I'll think about it.]

She laughs into the brainphone. [They're as immortal as me and you, so no rush.]

[Oh, good. —Am I likely to run into one if I move to Saturn? How settled is Saturn?]

[They don't really hang out in inhabited parts of Saturn. Aianon and Ansharil are out in the non-habitats making critters sometimes, but they don't like the ground rules, they like more chaotic settings than Bell-operated colonies ever shake out to be.]

[Ground rules like the ones that mean if Rayne follows me to Saturn I can't punch him again? Yes, I'm not a fan either,] he laughs.

[And yet you plan to move there?]