Milliways Again

[her_imperial_radiance]

It lurks. Oh how it lurks.

Comments

[prima_sequentem]

"Yep," says Libby.

[self_composed]

"Why?"

[prima_sequentem]

"I don't really know," she says. "It just doesn't seem to me that I have a really good reason not to be comfortable."

[self_composed]

"I suppose it wouldn't make any practical difference."

[prima_sequentem]

"Also," she says, smiling at Orfeo, "it's hard to be uncomfortable about things when I'm having a continual case of the warm fuzzies."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I'm glad I can help," Orfeo says.

[prima_sequentem]

"I know."

[self_composed]

Well.

Bella decides it is time to go make carrot-cake pancakes.

[prima_sequentem]

Bella is so kind!

"What else should we talk about?" wonders Libby. "I want to get to know you."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Dunno. What's your world like? It's got a Her Majesty in it so it can't be too wildly different, but obviously not exactly the same."

[prima_sequentem]

"Well, for starters, it's 2005," she says. "And there are no vampires or werewolves; I'd know if there were. There's mints, who make wishcoins, and ingots, who are roughly equivalent to your witches."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Funny names," Orfeo remarks. "And 2005, wow. I wasn't born then. This might be legally complicated if I can't just bring my actual documentation and claim that they must have lost everything on their end, even without hidden laws making everything easier for supernaturals."

[prima_sequentem]

"Oh, leave that to me," she says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Documentation is easy. When's your birthday? How old are you?"

[her_imperial_radiance]

"January 3, 2010. I'm twenty," he says easily. "I'm going to pass for 25 until and unless I quit, though."

[prima_sequentem]

"So with a little math: January 3, 1985. And I don't plan on aging much past thirty, but by the time that starts getting really obvious, people are going to be used to immortal Martians. In the meantime, we can fake you some reasonably accurate documents."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Martians?" he laughs.

[prima_sequentem]

"My world's Bella founded her empire on Mars," Libby says serenely. "It's very pretty there. I'll show you sometime."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"O-okay," he laughs. "Wow. And Martians are immortal?"

[prima_sequentem]

"There weren't pre-existing Martians, but she plans on eliminating death eventually and she's starting with her subjects. Who are all emigrating from Earth. Including us, eventually, but I have too many responsibilities to abandon my planet just yet, no matter how enticing the alternative."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Oh. Okay then. Wow. Her Majesty's working on death too but her plan doesn't involve Mars anytime soon." He grins a goofy grin. "Heh, I'm gonna live on Mars in the past."

[prima_sequentem]

"By the time we live on Mars, it might not be the past anymore," she says merrily.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Oh. Okay. I'm still gonna live in the past."

[prima_sequentem]

"Barring catastrophe, yes," she says. "This alternate universes thing does have its upsides."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Have you been to lots of them?" he asks. "I've been all around the world but I've never seen the inside of Milliways. Everything I know about it is secondhand from Jake."

[prima_sequentem]

"I haven't gone visiting like this before, but I've had some bizarre encounters there. The most bizarre was definitely the time I met Elspeth, though."