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

[self_composed]

A square induces such disappearance. "C'mon," says Stella neutrally.

[manofmyword]

He looks a little different when he appears in the doorway, wearing a lace-trimmed black nightgown instead of the nice shirt and pants, his hair better-washed and not quite so green. But his smile is the same.

If that's a comfort.

[self_composed]

It's not, but he's going to be Golden's problem, now. She holds the door, looking at the ceiling.

[manofmyword]

"Sorry, hon," he says softly, and he comes through and heads straight for Nathan.

[luminous_regnant]

Nathan catches him up in a hug and - relieved of the constant temptation to bite - kisses him. Still very carefully relative to how he'd kiss if he were kissing a vampire, but hard.

"Home we go," says Golden. "Thank you, Stella."

[self_composed]

"No problem," says Stella. "Best of luck."

[manofmyword]

The Joker kisses back happily, in complete disregard of their audience.

[luminous_regnant]

Nathan winds up carrying him to the door, which the four native Aurum residents all walk through.

Once the door is closed, Bella says: "I don't want to find out what happens if Addy gets her hands on a mint. I'm going to render it impossible, on her end, and I'd prefer if you didn't try to circumvent that, however sweetly she asks."

[manofmyword]

"Sure," the Joker says agreeably.

[luminous_regnant]

"Thank you." She expends a couple of coins on making her protections regarding Addy happen, then one more.

"Congratulations, you're a mint, and you've got the run of Aurum," Bella says, gesturing to indicate her world, "and a vampire irrevocably in love with you. Have fun with it. I'll probably want to pick up a batch of coins in the next week or so."

And she, followed by Elspeth and Jacob and joined by Edward and Renata, go down the corridor.

[manofmyword]

He kisses Nathan again.

"Let's go make some coins," he suggests cheerfully.

[luminous_regnant]

"Everybody here's got good ears," says Nathan. He grins. "D'you care?"

[manofmyword]

"Nnnnnope."

[luminous_regnant]

"My room's thisaway." And he scoops the Joker up off the floor and goes thisaway, at a bit of a run.

[manofmyword]

As soon as they get there, the Joker kisses him some more.

He's pretty sure Alice gave him regen powers, and even if he didn't, probably nothing Nathan's going to do to him will kill him before he can fix that. Which is a positive enough risk assessment that he throws himself wholeheartedly into experimenting.

[luminous_regnant]

"Babe," Nathan murmurs, "it's not strictly impossible for me to accidentally nip you if you keep doing that - I've got sharp bits - and you don't wanna turn."

[manofmyword]

"Fun, though," he says, undeterred. "I'll quit it until I've minted myself immune."

[luminous_regnant]

"You want some help with the minting?" Nathan's hands are a blur; he can't seem to decide where of many delightful locations to put them. He's careful. But not very very careful. The Joker's probably acquiring some bruises.

[manofmyword]

"Ooh, pretty please," he giggles.

[luminous_regnant]

"You wanna help me out with the details, babe?" Nathan's left hand settles more or less stationarily on a thigh; the other one's behind the Joker's back for leaning-on. Left hand starts pressing. Slowly.

[manofmyword]

"That's niiiice," he sighs, eyelashes fluttering.

[luminous_regnant]

"I've been known to make good guesses," purrs Nathan. The purring is literal and right in the Joker's ear.

The room doesn't have a bed in it; they're on the floor and Nathan's got his mate in his lap, and there is no give to said lap. The leg in question is slowly, inexorably compressed. Crushed.

[manofmyword]

He makes a soft whimpery sort of noise and hugs Nathan hard. Alice did come through; he can feel the counterpressure of regeneration trying to uncrush him, and he can control how hard it tries. All his other bruises heal before they start to show, leaving him with a few squares each on the chain Golden gave him; meanwhile, the pressure of Nathan's hand is starting to give him pentagons.

He can definitely see what Alice gets so excited about.

[luminous_regnant]

Well, if Nathan crushes this thigh any harder, he's going to wind up severing nerves.

And if he did that, then the Joker would have to heal again before he could feel similar damage done six inches down, to his knee. Six inches farther to his shin.

It's slightly less slow, the second and third times, though still within human-trackable speeds.

[manofmyword]

Yep. Clinging to Nathan and whimpering is definitely the order of the day.

"Sweetheart," he breathes, "you do make good guesses, you do you do you do."