Author: incanted | There are now one dozen Bells.
They and most of their friends are all here on Planet Rainbowsand II, to celebrate the addition of Sarion, the elf one, and Aurora, the one with a sister. |
Author: small_magics | Sarion has been pretty much standing around, people-watching, letting her memory-crutch bubble up old thoughts to stand in for her diminished ability to generate new ones. Some of the thoughts are new, though, just because so many of the people are so unlike what she could have expected. It's a novel sensation, frightening but pleasant, like diving from a high cliff into a pool on a hot day.
Every few minutes a Bell comes to check on her, make sure she doesn't need anything, that she's still responsive to conversational stimuli. She is not improving instantly, but she is better, and she is glad to have her alts, and she is finding this party nicely stimulating. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | A-Joker-who-you-can-call-Queenie wanders by, nametag pinned to the front of her little black dress. She looks like the cuddliest person imaginable, not through any obvious physical quality but as an effect of her aura.
She spots Sarion.
She changes course immediately, approaches, and hugs her. |
Author: small_magics | "I See you," says Sarion. "And am hugged by you, as well." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Yep," says Queenie, releasing her from the snuggliest of hugs. "Hi! I saw you before, I'm glad you're feeling better now." |
Author: small_magics | "I am much improved," Sarion agrees. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I can tell!" |
Author: small_magics | "I hope my beloved is also recovering from the mishaps before a solution was found." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Your sweeties are fine," Queenie assures her. "I was snuggling the little one a minute ago." |
Author: small_magics | "It seems that this is one of the more soothing things that could have happened to him." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I have an aura of cuddle," beams Queenie. "It's the best. Wanna hug?" |
Author: small_magics | Evaluating her own wants is one of the harder things, and the memory-crutch doesn't help very much. Sarion considers this question carefully.
"Yes," she concludes. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | Queenie envelops her in snuggle. |
Author: small_magics | Snuggle!
It's almost like falling away into unthoughts like when the demon concentrated, before, except she's lucid. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | Cuddly cuddly hug!
Queenie could do this all day, really. |
Author: small_magics | Sarion's not going to start objecting any time soon.
"I have read your nametag, and know that you are an alt of my beloved, but I have learned little else about you." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I'm the snuggly one," she says cheerfully. "Which is why the aura, not because of the aura. The aura does things other than cuddly. Did anybody tell you about Voice?" |
Author: small_magics | "I have - heard the name. In connection with Shell Bell. I do not know the story." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Sometimes Jokers have brothers," says Queenie. "They tend to turn out pretty fucked up. Voice is mine. He was a serial killer when he was alive, and when he died he took to keeping people in a box in his basement, one at a time. He got Shell Bell, and then a while later he got me." |
Author: small_magics | Sarion thinks about this.
Then: "This is why I am referred to as being broken 'like Shell Bell was'," she concludes. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Probably," she agrees. "I'm not broken like Shell Bell was, but it fucked me up pretty bad. It's better if I touch people a lot, so - cuddly." |
Author: small_magics | "I am happy to help." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I'm glad!"
Hug hug. |
Author: small_magics | "I was not kept in a box. It seems unlikely that my form of breakage is the same as Shell Bell's." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I dunno exactly how she broke," says Queenie with a snuggly little shrug. |
Author: small_magics | "Perhaps we are simply the only two Bells who have broken at all, and there is more than one way to do it." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Sounds about right." |
Author: small_magics | Sarion considers for a long moment, then says, "I do not think I am irreparable." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | Queenie snuggles her. "That's good." |
Author: small_magics | "It is. Someday I will be able to think, by myself."
There is a double meaning to by myself. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Aww, sweetheart," says Queenie, snuggling her some more. |
Author: small_magics | It is a good snuggle. Sarion is glad to be in it.
"I do not know how much my beloved has said about how I came to be broken." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "I was there when they fixed you; I caught a bunch." |
Author: small_magics | Sarion nods.
She glances around the room.
"It seems that each Bell who found herself in company with a Joker is romantically involved with him. Except for me."
She doesn't know what she thinks of this - well, she doesn't think anything of it, yet, thinking is still hard - but it is on her mind. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "You love your sweeties," Queenie points out. She has spoken to the sweeties in question. She knows. |
Author: small_magics | "Yes. Of course, always." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "So what's the difference? Sex?" |
Author: small_magics | Sarion blinks. "I - do not know about other races, but elves can - recognize a connection, soul to soul. I do not know if I have it with my beloved - it is - muddied." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "You've got time to figure it out," says Queenie, patting her on the back. |
Author: small_magics | "Yes." She shrugs. "He has not thought of me in that way. Beyond a single vulgar remark, once." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "He'd fuck you now, if you wanted," says Queenie. |
Author: small_magics | "Perhaps. I do not think it would clarify the question. It does not seem to be a distinguishing characteristic of mine." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | Queenie giggles.
"Yeah, I'll give you that. But your sweeties love you. In a way the rest of us recognize." |
Author: small_magics | "A - a clarification of that would make good hearing." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "It's weird that there's only the one word," says Queenie, "when there's more different kinds of love than there are people. But the way your sweeties love you is a little like the way they love each other, and a little like the way we all love each other, and a lot like the way we love our sweethearts - those of us who have 'em." |
Author: small_magics | "I have not previously heard the assertion that loves are more numerous than lovers," observes Sarion. "Nor am I familiar with attempts to compare the kinds to one another." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Yeah, and?" says Queenie. |
Author: small_magics | "And so my puzzlement has not been much clarified." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "If I knew what you were puzzled about, maybe I could help." |
Author: small_magics | "If I am told that I resemble my mother, and also my father but less so, partial lists of the resemblances are often forthcoming." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Can't really help you there. Just 'case I know what it feels like doesn't mean there's words for it." |
Author: small_magics | "Oh." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "You could always ask your sweeties." |
Author: small_magics | "I know how they love me. They've shown me. I do not know what else this should tell me. Perhaps nothing." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "But they know how the rest of us love our sweethearts, and unlike me, they can show ya." |
Author: small_magics | "Oh. That is true. Perhaps it would be instructive." |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | "Could be," Queenie agrees. |
Author: small_magics | Snuggle. |
Author: gunpowdergelatine | Snuggle-hug! |
Author: endragoned | And Sarion's sweetie emerges from the orgy chambers. |
Author: small_magics | Sarion decides it is time to try her new and much improved connection to them. She broadcasts a greeting to him, and a summary of her conversation with Queenie so far. And she opens up her listening. |
Author: endragoned | He shows her love, coming over to hug them both; that much isn't new.
He shows her his love for Queenie, and that is, a little. |
Author: small_magics | It is different. Sarion turns over the differences in her mind, tasting them, thinking in her slow careful way about them.
"Queenie has said that your love for me is recognizable," she says. |
Author: endragoned | "It's a lot like - well, you saw," he says. "But it's even more like—"
Alice and Stella. The Joker and Nathan. Kas and Amariah. Micaiah and Angela. Sue and Aegis. The Beast and Rose. Jellybean and Cam. Brilliance and Aurora. Each and every one of them is different from the rest, but they share some points in common.
Jokers love. Openly, easily. They love people. They love people for who they are, and they love watching their people be who they are. They love being with their people. They love making their people feel things, especially strong things, especially strongly positive things. If their people love them back, it's wonderful.
They love with touching - snuggles, sex. They love with presents - a cake, a castle, an alethiometer. They love with words and actions. For those whose sweethearts read them, they love with love itself.
Sarion's beloveds love her the way Jokers love. |
Author: small_magics | Sarion leans into her demon, smiling.
"I love you," she tells him. |
Author: endragoned | "I love you too," he says, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. |