delicious bubbly

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth is glad that Milliways likes her, because she likes it. Jacob at her side and a glass of this nice golden stuff in her hand (she's tried the other synthetics; they're nice for an occasional change, but only humans care about dietary variety that much and this one is her favorite) and hubbub from a hundred worlds around her: lovely. A lovely break from work that keeps no one waiting, that doesn't even throw off her sleep cycle because her sleep cycle cares about the sun. (It throws off Jake's, a little, but his is more flexible than hers.)

Comments

[her_imperial_radiance]

"All right," says Elspeth, and she lets herself out of her office, revealing Renata (staring into space) and Edward (also staring into space, but less happily) where they were left when they accompanied Bella to the scene.

[manofmyword]

"Even if I died right now I wouldn't be dead," he says, semi-reassuringly. "I'm dreaming, remember? I've tried getting killed at Milliways, it doesn't stick."

That is not an answer to Nathan's question. Perhaps he got distracted, or perhaps he doesn't want to give one.

[luminous_regnant]

"Would I regret it dreadfully if I invited you to immigrate in a non-dreaming state?" Bella asks the Joker.

"Not if my timer's smart," says Nathan. "My timer's pretty smart."

"Regardless," says Bella, "it's not very responsive to questions that don't begin with the word 'when'."

[manofmyword]

He grins.

"Oh, probably not," he says. "No promises. But I like you, and I don't wanna make your life difficult. And your imperial timer here is cute as a button."

[luminous_regnant]

Nathan grins toothily at him.

"Why," Bella says, "would it be undesirable to have you as a vampire? Because you realize that if you die you are more likely than not to render my imperial timer here somewhere between dead and eternally miserable."

[manofmyword]

"And if you make me a vampire I'll probably kill myself," he says cheerfully. "Which is why you," he taps the end of Nathan's nose, "don't want me to be one. See?"

[luminous_regnant]

"Babe, no, why would you do that?" exclaims Nathan.

[manofmyword]

He laughs and shakes his head. "It's complicated," he says fondly. "Don't worry too much about it. I'll stay nice and safe for as long as it takes to work all this out, just as long as nobody tries to change my mind or my species, okay?"

[luminous_regnant]

"It's about you, about something that might make you die, I can't not worry about it," says Nathan, and he glances at (but does not address) the Emperor, who glances at (but does not address) his wife.

"Do you have particular feelings about mind-reading that involves no mind-changing?" Bella asks neutrally.

[manofmyword]

"Well, I like to know about it," he says, and grins expectantly at Edward. Because really. That was obvious. He's not mad, though, it's cute.

[luminous_regnant]

"People don't usually appear unexpectedly inside the capitols without already knowing that Edward is a mindreader," Bella says. "His range is about a mile if he doesn't know you well, up to about five if he comes to, he only gets surface thoughts, he tells me everything I want to know but we can be jointly discreet if it's sensitive and there's no overriding concern, the Imperial Factotum can and occasionally does copy his power and she can and occasionally does give Elspeth a complete copy of her memories, neither of them is natively discreet but they do not make habits of disclosing the contents of others' minds. I think that's the extent of the ways in which your thoughts could depart your brain without you noticing them doing it."

"Unless you authorize them to share," Nathan says.

[manofmyword]

"Ah, that's fine," he says unconcernedly. "Thanks."

[luminous_regnant]

"Falls under the category of mind-changing," Edward says shortly to Nathan. "He likes you fine, but he isn't in love with you and doesn't want to start, that way."

"So... not a good time to propose marriage?" says Nathan wryly. "Heh. No it's not. Not for years, if I ask on that scale..."

[manofmyword]

"Aww, I do love you," he says, grinning at Nathan. "You're very lovable. But I don't wanna marry you and I don't wanna vampire-marry you either."

[luminous_regnant]

"Babe," says Nathan, "I will not-marry you if that'll make you happy."

"How charming," says Bella. "Well. Nathan, why don't you give your mate a tour of Safesun until he wakes up; Elspeth will include you in the notice if she finds a door to Milliways, we'll figure out what to do somehow."

[manofmyword]

The Joker gives Nathan a hug.

[luminous_regnant]

"Wanna see the place? This is the Golden Coven's Florida capitol. Compound of little condo-esque buildings on a beach in Florida, near a lot of permanent residents in the know, mostly hybrids," says Nathan, putting his arms very, very carefully around the Joker.

The Empress and her husband and bodyguard depart the room with the level, precise walk of vampires.

[manofmyword]

"Sure," he says brightly, snuggling up a little.

[luminous_regnant]

Nathan's certainly not going to interrupt snuggles. He (carefully carefully carefully) scoops his mate right up off the floor. "So this is the Princess's office," he says, and then he heads out the door and in the opposite direction down the corridor from the Empress and her contingent. "The entire PRPR department is down here; they handle turning people and telling folks everything that you know is a lie, vampires and magic and werewolves oh my, and making sure that Her Majesty doesn't do anything particularly tactless without having a really good reason."

[manofmyword]

The Joker giggles.

"You're funny," he says affectionately.

[luminous_regnant]

"I try. And I'm trying very, very hard to make a good impression, 'cause any scenario where I don't could go very badly," says Nathan, belying his light tone.

[manofmyword]

"Well, I like your sense of humour," he says. "That's a good start."

[luminous_regnant]

"Good." Walk-walk-walk. "That's it for the Princess's department. R&D is this way. They work on figuring out witch powers and reverse-engineering those yummy synthetics the Princess brings home from Milliways and so on -"

A head peeps out of the door to the department. She looks like the vampire equivalent of somebody's housewife, wearing a PETA t-shirt and floral skirt. She glances between Nathan and the Joker. "Huh," she says to Nathan. "Didn't know you swung that way."

"Neither did I," shrugs Nathan, "but so little swinging's been going on, how would I know, I've been nearly as uninterested as you till now, maybe you'll get a surprise one day too. I like whatever he is. Babe, this is Addy, Imperial Factotum."

"I don't think I like anybody in gooey matey ways," says Addy, unconcerned.

[manofmyword]

"Hi!" says the Joker, and he waves.

[luminous_regnant]

Addy responds by booping his nose.

"Aw, pfft," says Addy. "Nothing."

"She was checking to see if you had any magic she could copy," Nathan explains to the Joker.