milliways lurks

[her_imperial_radiance]

Milliways lurks.

Comments

[prima_sequentem]

"When two very wary people meet each other, it's hard to be the first one to do the good-faith thing. So naturally, I'm cheating," she says, gesturing between herself and Elspeth.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"But I'm just not sure how it could harm her to own up to having that power. Granted I'm at a disadvantage understanding reasons people have to not say true things," muses Elspeth.

[prima_sequentem]

"Oh, I agree that it doesn't make a lot of sense for her to keep that particular thing to herself. But I find it totally reasonable that she's being generally paranoid."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Have you asked her about it, or do you not want to admit that you know?" chuckles Elspeth. "But, I don't know, is she an especially good 'mint'? What does being a good mint consist of?"

[prima_sequentem]

"There's a few different ways to be a good mint," she says. "The main one lacking among the mints I know is output, but if she's especially productive, she hasn't dmonstrated that to me. Then again, I can see why she wouldn't."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Output... of...? I'm trying to be helpful, but I can't pull all facts out of thin air."

[prima_sequentem]

"Coins," she says. "Mints generate coins that allow people to make wishes. A good mint is either especially good at wishing, or especially good at producing coins."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I bet she's very good at wishing," Elspeth says, after a beat.

[prima_sequentem]

"Oh, I bet she is too. But I already know enough people who are good at wishing that I don't think that would be a major point in her favour."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth shrugs. "So maybe she's good at the mysterious coin-making process?"

[prima_sequentem]

"Could be," says Libby. "The mysterious coin-making process involves turning pain into wishes. How good do you think she'd be at that?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth frowns. "Not... unusually good, I don't think. I mean, she'd be motivated to try, to get magic, but... much to my dismay, if she were into that, I would know."

[prima_sequentem]

"Should I not ask?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth shudders and plugs her ears and nudges Jake with her foot.

"It's my fault," he says. "Right after she got blasted with the memory payload I said something that pointed out to her that she had pretty up-to-date memories from her dad in there. She remembers... their honeymoon and stuff." He taps Elspeth on the shoulder and her hands come down from the sides of her head. "For whatever it's worth," Jake adds, "I find Bella's rulership pretty satisfactory and I'm not an imperial princess."

[prima_sequentem]

"It's worth something," says Libby. "Okay, so we know Bella is probably not an unusually productive mint... does she know an unusually productive mint, I wonder?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Maybe, but I can't help you there, I don't think," Elspeth says.

[prima_sequentem]

"I guess not," says Libby.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Maybe mint magic just works better for her style of world-ruling than having to coordinate with a lot of witches does," suggests Elspeth.

[prima_sequentem]

"It's possible. But if she's not especially productive, she's still going to have to coordiate with a lot of mints to get anything done."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"It sounds like mints are more interchangeable than witches. There are some duplicate or near-duplicate powers, but not that many - if she didn't get along with Maggie she'd have a hard time getting her lies detected."

[prima_sequentem]

"...Is this the point where I mention I know a lie detector named Gretchen?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Is she redheaded, Irish, a little over a hundred and fifty years old, yea high, gay, and adorable?"

[prima_sequentem]

"No, no, no, yes, yes, and yes."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Huh. That's still rather coincidental. She married to an Italian lady named Gianna?"

[prima_sequentem]

"Not as far as I know."