she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell finds Milliways once when she is eighteen. She has been there for two days now, setting up her sign ten minutes out of every waking hour, wiping down tables for her quarters in the staff area, eating buttery potatoes (she has been told that this is a complete nutrient package, for humans). Her wand is holding a bun of hair in place on the back of her head. Her shells are stashed safely in her room; she's budgeting carefully and she'll pay her tab when she leaves.

No one's talked to her due to the sign yet. They don't always. She sets it up anyway, like clockwork, so everyone gets the chance.
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
Someone is watching her.

Someone wearing a plain brown cotton dress, who stands like she is ready to bolt or kill something at a moment's notice, even though she is perfectly still and at a casual glance might even look relaxed.

Someone whom Shell Bell might recognize, if she happens to know what the victor of the seventy-first Hunger Games looked like.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell does in fact know what that person looks like. And since Shell Bell was on television herself not long before, albeit for only a minute, she is a little concerned that she will also be recognized. She's never met anyone else from Panem here. Maybe this is an alternate. She shouldn't be so nervous. The District Four tributes from that year weren't even people she knew; the district is big and they lived in other towns.

But why, why is Sherlock Stark watching her?

There's no point in taking down the sign and hoping to gather less attention. Sherlock has already seen it.
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock comes to stand in front of her table.

"Bell Swan," she observes.

A slight, slight smile turns up one corner of her mouth.

"I am intrigued by the sign."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It's there to intrigue," Shell Bell says.

It's not there to intrigue Sherlock, but it is there to intrigue.
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"Is it true?"
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I think so. I haven't met any others of me. But I've met people who've met some. And two people have erred on the side of calling me Your Majesty rather than trying to figure out if I was a majesty first."
sicaria: Annoyed or distant. (⒁ belongs to no one)
Author: sicaria
"An interesting sort of horizontal legacy. The majority of my alternates seem to be male," she says with a hint of distaste, "and renowned for their genius at reasoning from observed facts."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Bells - well - most of them are called Bella - seem to need magic to take over anything," Shell Bell volunteers. "So I probably won't. Take over anything. Please don't kill me."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"I am not going to kill you," says Sherlock. "Unless you present a threat to my brother, but that seems unlikely. What sorts of advice do you tend to give?"
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"People explain their magic systems. Or sometimes their fancy technology. And I ask them questions, and I tell them what I'd try to find out the answers to the questions they can't answer. And then I tell them what I'd do with what they have to get - whatever they want. They have to specify or I don't know what to do with them."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"Hm," says Sherlock.

"May I sit?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell nods.
sicaria: Serious, intent. (⑿ you know it is my choice)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock takes a seat.

"I want to overthrow the Capitol," she says, characteristically level. "Advise me."
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What do you have?" Bella asks instantly. "Anything special?"
sicaria: In bed, not sleeping. (⒀ no rest for the wicked)
Author: sicaria
"Myself and my brother," she says. "If you saw our Games, I assume you can extrapolate."

When Sherlock won her Games, it was a brief and bloody surprise. Until the very second they began, she maintained the persona of a clumsy, nonthreatening, utterly useless girl who was in over her head. And then, when the other tributes' belief in her incompetence was well and truly cemented, she turned out to be a brutally efficient killing machine who slaughtered twenty out of her twenty-three competitors in a matter of hours. (The other three died before she got to them.)

Tony, by contrast, charmed the pants off everyone in sight with his easy, friendly manner. And then, much to many people's surprise, he never asked for a single weapon. The gifts that rained down on him started with a screwdriver, and the image of him pressing it to his lips and blowing a kiss to the sky is still iconic. He built his weapons, from whatever scraps he could beg or steal, and by the second day it was clear to everyone that he had cobbled together an unbeatable advantage. He still might have gone down, if the Gamemakers had decided to level the field, but he played the audience with impeccable showmanship. The seventy-second Hunger Games would not have been half as entertaining without him.
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yes, but anything I don't know about," Shell Bell says. "Has he got anything cool hidden in his basement? Do you have infiltration abilities that would make you a useful assassin even now that everyone knows you can kill them? Have either of you brought any magic home from Milliways?"
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"He has or could gain access to any technology created in District Three. Our father invented a third of it."

She pauses briefly, then says,

"It is likely that I could assassinate any one chosen target in the Capitol without difficulty. After that, the danger would increase."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell thinks.

"I don't know a lot about how the Capitol works. Fortunately enough, I've never gone there," she says. "Tell me about it."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"There is no scarcity on the level of basic needs," she says. "Food and clothing and so forth are abundant. At feasts it is a common practice to induce vomiting periodically in order to make room for the foods one has not yet tried. The scale of wealth therefore measures differently. Money is power."
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"There is no scarcity as in it is free or as in everyone makes enough to buy as much of it as they want?"
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"The latter," she says. "But the former is the effect their social habits try to portray. It's considered somewhat vulgar to speak of prices in direct, specific terms. And in fact things considered to be of negligible value are often given away as a display of status—to remind the recipient and observers that the giver need not consider the loss."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"So someone with - say - a gambling addiction could go from Capitol to poverty. Could be a malcontent, and still have enough resources to move around, go places, hear things," Bella says.
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"In theory, yes," says Sherlock. "I have not witnessed any obvious examples, but my view of Capitol life is not unrestricted."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What would be the problem after you assassinated one person? Would you be caught? Just suspected? Ushered home for your own safety?" Bell asks, changing tacks abruptly.
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"It depends on circumstances. But suspicion is likely," she says. "Unfortunately I have had cause to point out to President Snow that I make a better assassin than a prostitute."

Can Bell extrapolate sufficient context from that? Sherlock rather hopes she can.
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks and chews her lip.

"Has he told anybody?" she asks, without addressing the prostitute portion. "Because, he's a person. One person. I don't know yet if he'd be the best person."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"I cannot depend on any expected answer to that question," says Sherlock.
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Right. And you haven't brought home any magic." She chews her lip. "Have you got friends here who might help? I really am best when there's magic involved."
sicaria: Smiling. (⑶ you charming creature)
Author: sicaria
"Unfortunately, no," she says, with another of her barely-perceptible smiles. "People seem to find me off-putting."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (maybe)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"All right."

Bell thinks.

"...Can you convince me to trust you?"
sicaria: Annoyed or distant. (⒁ belongs to no one)
Author: sicaria
"I don't know," she says. "Regardless of my preferences I am a walking threat of violence and it is difficult to establish genuine personal relationships under those circumstances. My brother might have better luck."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"He can convince me to trust him, or trust you? It seems like I'd be working with both of you."
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"To trust him, and thereby to trust me. The two things are not separable."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell is slightly skeptical, but doesn't voice that aloud. Tony isn't here, after all.

"Have you ever set up a consultancy? Like mine, only advertising your ability to separate people from their blood?"

Because the bar takes seashells, but her patrons mostly don't.
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"I have not," she says. "Do you think it is a good idea?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Not everybody wants my advice. Most people want money, and some of them have magical trinkets they'll part with. And you've got your victor's village house, you can probably hide more stuff than I can."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"True," she says.

"Why did you ask if I could convince you to trust me?"
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Guess," says Bell.
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"You also desire to overthrow the Capitol. If we were to combine our efforts we could each access resources otherwise closed to us. For example, I believe I access Milliways more frequently than you do, although I have not been doing it for as long. I also have the means to visit the Capitol, which you do not. On the other hand, you have evidently learned to make much better use of Milliways than I. You have a room here, you trade seashells for sustenance. And you are wearing a magical weapon as a hair ornament."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell sits back.

"How often do you come here?" she asks softly. "I barely - never more than once in six months. Once it stayed away for more than a year. I thought it was never coming back. That I'd grow up and think I'd imagined it. And how do you know about the shells and the stick?"
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Your accent tells me your district. Your hands tell me your occupation. I have previously observed the use of shells as currency. I know you have been using this place to obtain better nourishment than your usual standard, periodically throughout your life. As for the stick, its design is not suitable for its current use; it is clearly meant to be held in the hand. Magic wands are a staple in some worlds, and the aesthetic matches. I was not sure it was a weapon, but it seemed likely. You wear it like one."

She pauses.

"I encounter the bar on my own roughly twice a month. Tony is capable of summoning the door in one try out of three, discounting repeats on failure, which never work."
she_sells_seashells: (run)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"He can summon it?" splutters Bell. "I - I'd half live here if I could and it went and left me alone the entire year I was ten, I have sacks of shells by every door in town so I can stay here for weeks rationing them when it shows up and everyone I know thinks I'm some form of touched in the head because I pitch a fit if they move the bags and when it finally starves me out I have six months minimum to get along without, the only reason I haven't been flogged yet for poaching abalones is because my dad used to be a Peacekeeper, and you get it twice a month and he can summon it a third of the time. Kraken."

(The last word in that tirade is, in District Four, a curse word.)
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"We only found the place after Tony's victory," she adds.

"Would it be a trust-establishing gesture if I put you on our tab?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bella blinks.

On their tab. On a rich, victor's tab.

"It would help," she says, because she's needy but she's not reckless.
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"Then I will," she says. "Please do not bankrupt us."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What would do that?" Bell asks. "...I mean, I wouldn't actually put it past myself to live here for half a year. I love my parents but I don't miss them, not really. I just don't know if they'd have enough to eat if I weren't around."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"That, then, would depend on how much time your half year spanned for us. If our timelines are closely linked, and you live on the Bar's idea of unexceptional meals, I don't anticipate a problem. If you live here at six months to my two weeks, or make frequent extravagant purchases, there may be trouble eventually."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I usually get potatoes. With butter on them they're nutritionally complete, and at least they aren't clams," says Shell Bell. "And they're cheap. But that's when I'm trying to stretch one bag of clamshells as long as I can. And rationing my others to buy nonperishables to bring home and 'find on the beach, it must have fallen off a cruise ship, Mom' at... key moments."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"It is no longer necessary for you to live on buttered potatoes," says Sherlock.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell looks nostalgic. "First time I came here I was six and didn't know shells could be money. I asked the bar for 'food I could afford'. I have dreams about what she gave me sometimes."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"Evidence suggests that the bar enjoys providing people with food they will find both pleasant and nourishing."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"She managed it." Bell sighs. "If your dad invented a third of the tech District Three has your family probably captured some of the proceeds, right? I never pay attention during the backstory spots during the Games, but. I suppose I sound like a hick."
sicaria: In bed, not sleeping. (⒀ no rest for the wicked)
Author: sicaria
"He spent it all," says Sherlock. "Tony has begun to make some of it back."
she_sells_seashells: (run)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh."

Pause.

"What on?"
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"Me."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Were you... sick?" guesses Shell Bell.
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"In a manner of speaking. I was born Tony's identical twin," she explains. "That did not suit me. The kind of relatively subtle modification necessary to correct the dissonance is an unremarkable thing to achieve, in the Capitol. Our father had a friend from the Capitol who arranged the appropriate access, for a fee, of course. An increasingly exorbitant one. When he was finished with us, I was as you see me and the family fortune was largely his. We no longer consider him a friend."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh," says Shell Bell. "Well. They did a very good job. I'm sorry your ex-friend is terrible."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"They did indeed do a very good job," she agrees. "I am probably the only girl outside the Capitol who can truthfully say her breasts were designed by an artist."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Speaking of outside the Capitol. I've never seen anyone else from Panem here, and I do my very best to talk to everyone," says Shell Bell. "Even scary people who want to spend the entire conversation talking about how if we weren't in Milliways they'd like to drink my spinal fluid. Have you seen anyone else, besides Tony and me?"
sicaria: Smiling, perhaps angrily. (⑷ consider yourself murdered)
Author: sicaria
"I have not," she says. "Was that an example from practical experience?"
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yeah. I was nine. Creepy, ugly kraken, that guy. He didn't actually get any spinal fluid. Or any other fluid."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Why spinal fluid," Sherlock muses. "Personal preference, or dietary requirement? Around here it can be difficult to tell."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I think he was a human. Although plenty of folks just pass for it and aren't. I haven't had any luck getting superpowered aliens to come home with me. At least not yet."
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"Have you met many superpowered aliens?" she inquires.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"A few. A surprising percentage of them speak English. A couple of the ones who didn't were telepathic, that was interesting."
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"Yes, I imagine so."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I hear that when me's are born where there's magic, we tend to have some. Not the world takeover kind. Just a defense. People are sometimes surprised when I tell them I can talk to telepaths."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"As far as I am aware, my alternates do not ordinarily possess magical powers. Although I believe at least one of them is a vampire."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I heard of one of me being a vampire too. But it was third- or fourth-hand."
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"I find it curious that we are both so oversupplied with other selves, when generally the people I meet here have few or none of their own."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Maybe we're easy to produce. Or very likely to wind up interesting enough for Milliways. Or it entertains someone to put us together in a way it doesn't with most other collections of variants on a template," shrugs Bell.
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"I have frequently suspected that whoever arranges the movements of the front door does so at least partly for entertainment."
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell looks like she'd dearly like to say something snide but doesn't quite dare.
sicaria: Smiling. (⑶ you charming creature)
Author: sicaria
"Yes?"
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock observes her for another moment, then says,

"I see."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I wonder if me's keep running things where they're from, not because we're power-hungry, but because we're just easily annoyed by how things are run and have - well, not counting me - decent luck."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"It occurs to me that your luck may have just improved."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Because you can get me to the capital and I can point my stick at stuff?" Bell asks. "I don't think that alone will help. I need to know more, have a look at stuff, maybe talk to your brother about building some things."
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"Naturally," says Sherlock. "Would you like to meet him?"
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yeah, but we don't know how the timelines work. And I can't really saunter into District Three. So unless he gets a lot of time off to visit shell-collecting clamdiggers on his Victory Tour..."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"I was thinking that I would leave you holding the door while I go and find him," she says. "It would not be long. Both the door and Tony are in our house."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh, is that how that works? I suppose it must," muses Bell. "Okay."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock stands up.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell goes with her to the door, and holds it.
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
She steps out.
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
When she returns, it's with someone much more... perhaps the word is ebullient... in tow.

"But you never meet anybody at Milliways, Sherry," he's saying as they turn the corner at the end of the hall, and then he spots Bell and smiles a smile that lights up his whole face, and hurries the rest of the way.

"Hi!" he says, offering his hand as soon as he's through. "I'm Tony."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Shell Bell," replies - Shell Bell, letting the door go.
ferratus: Giggling. (⑴ ehehehehe)
Author: ferratus
"That's cute," he says, grinning. "So what's the deal?"
sicaria: Serious, intent. (⑿ you know it is my choice)
Author: sicaria
"Bell has expressed a tentative interest in helping me overthrow the Capitol," says Sherlock.
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"Gotcha," says Tony. His friendliness doesn't exactly vanish, but it is definitely serious time now.
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"But there's not enough to work with yet. I have a stick, and I don't think it's Capitol-overthrowing material, although it could be part of a plan to accomplish same," says Bella, leading them back over to her booth and sitting them down. She flattens her sign to the table so it won't be visible from across the room. "We need more stuff. Tech they don't have, magic nobody has."
ferratus: Thoughtful or dubious. (⑽ it's never that simple)
Author: ferratus
"We can have all the tech we want if I can figure out somewhere to put it," says Tony. "Our house doesn't have the tools to manufacture anything big, and the places that do are watched closely enough that even if they couldn't catch me lifting the merchandise, they could catch me covering my tracks. Plus transport is a problem. Less of one now that we've got the bar, but still, problem."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What about little things?" Bell asks. "How are you at miniaturization?"
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"Pretty fucking good."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't think there's a reason to prefer big stuff. Does your house get searched regularly or anything?"
ferratus: Smiling uncertainly. (⑶ not sure you caught that)
Author: ferratus
"Nope," he says with great confidence. "And I'd know."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"There you go. Build tiny things in the basement." Bell closes her eyes. "I know - very little about how technology works. I've learned a lot here, but it's all scattered from a thousand universes. I don't know what the state of the art actually is in Panem. Because they don't tell us. Because we don't need to know it to operate boats. What kinds of tiny things could you make in the basement?"
ferratus: Pensive. (⑹ hrmmmm)
Author: ferratus
"...Limited kinds," he admits. "Like I said, I don't have the tools. I can make tiny things that will blow up much bigger things. I can make tiny communication devices. I can make... I don't know, what do we need me to make?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Communication devices and blowing-up things are good," Bell says. "We can start there. Can you make blowing-up things that can put themselves where they're told?" Pause. "Especially if free of the engineering constraint of having to make them blow themselves up without an outside source of ignition, because... I have a stick. And what kinds of tools do you need? If you're serious about this you should both set up consultancies in the bar like mine and see what you can trade for or buy."
ferratus: Questioning, skeptical. (⑾ are you fucking with me?)
Author: ferratus
Tony glances down at the sign.

Then he says: "...Stick?"
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yes. A stick."

Bella sighs. In for a clamshell, in for a cowrie.

She pulls the stick out of her hair, and makes a wee flicker of flame appear at the tip.

"It has some serious range. I'd have to be within a few blocks and know something about where to aim, but I could set off an explosive with this, if it's the kind that explodes when on fire."
ferratus: Smirking. (⑵ well this should be fun)
Author: ferratus
"Nice stick," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I like my stick. You can't have it. It took practice to make it do what I want and I'm lucky I live near the ocean."
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"Hey, you can keep your stick," he says, raising his hands placatingly. "I wouldn't dream of touching your stick."
sicaria: Smiling. (⑶ you charming creature)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock snorts.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
The flame goes away. Shell Bell puts her hair up with it once more. "If it were easier to use, it might make sense to a certain sort of mind to put it in the hands of someone with more freedom of movement than I have," she says. "But it's not. Anyway. Self-deploying explodey things? Yes or no?"
ferratus: Pensive. (⑹ hrmmmm)
Author: ferratus
"Easily if I had the right stuff," he says. "Not a chance if I don't. Right now I don't."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What stuff?" Bell asks, predictably.
ferratus: Thoughtful or dubious. (⑽ it's never that simple)
Author: ferratus
"Depends what kind of self-deploying I want," he says. "Do we want flying or scuttling? Scuttling's easier, I could probably scrape that together without worrying anybody, but it's more limited. Flying means propulsion systems, which usually means some kind of fuel, which means controlled substances that I can't actually get from Bar and I know this because I've tried."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You can't use, I dunno, booze as fuel? Because she does booze," Bell says. "Flying's better because it won't leave tracks but scuttling could work."
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"Flying can leave tracks, too, and sometimes they're a lot clearer," says Tony. "No way alcohol is an efficient enough fuel. I could probably... hmm, there are options. What do we blow up, anyway?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't know yet. A map would help. Knowing more about the Capitol's inner workings would help. It's possible directly burning things down is a better idea anyway."
ferratus: Shirtless, hands clasped. (⑺ get this show on the road)
Author: ferratus
"I can get you a map," Tony says easily.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"A good map? Not a pointless little tourist map or something out of a kids' book. Actually, I wonder if the bar has them." Bell gets up to ask.
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"She probably does," he says.
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell comes back with a crisply folded map. She spreads it out over her sign. It's kind of odd that Tony hasn't commented on the sign, but whatever.

"I can control a lot of fire with my stick," she says. "But only one... amount of it at a time. Anything requiring simultaneous strikes requires something else. And it would be a good idea to know what we want to leave standing. In terms of structures and in terms of structure. Who is pulling crap? Who is an ignorant patsy? Who is trying to help? That being a list of people in the Capitol in order from most-acceptable-casualties to least-acceptable-casualties."
ferratus: Smiling uncertainly. (⑶ not sure you caught that)
Author: ferratus
"Now that is something I can do," he says.
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Can you? Good."
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"Most of them are ignorant patsies," he says. "Like, upwards of ninety percent. And then you have the ones who are pulling crap, which is most of the rest."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Nearly nobody being decent?" sighs Bell. "Well. I guess that makes logistics easier, if there's just about no one it's a massive priority to avoid." Pause. "Are we on roughly the same page with casualties, here?"
ferratus: Questioning, skeptical. (⑾ are you fucking with me?)
Author: ferratus
"What page are you on?" he asks.
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I expect people are going to die," Bell says flatly. "I expect not all of them are gonna be personally responsible for the Games, or for policies related to public flogging, or for people in the Districts not having the vote. I expect that, since as of this time we are all humans with extremely limited resources compared to the bad guys, we will be off our game one day and somebody who really oughtn't be dead will die - somebody we like or somebody who happens to be twelve or somebody who would've gone on to cure salt fever. And I expect we ought to do what we can do anyway, because if we wait for someone else to do it, that amounts to betting that the next revolution will not only succeed, and will not only be less bloody than ours would, but that it will come quick enough for this difference in death toll to make up for every person in every District who'll die in the interim of the Games or of starvation or of terrible medical care or of casual execution."
ferratus: Uncertain, wary. (⒀ keeping watch)
Author: ferratus
Tony exchanges a look with Sherlock.

"Believe me," he says, "we get it."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"So," says Bell. "Pages, similar, yes. Okay." She turns her attention to the map.
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"I mean, not that I wouldn't love to do this without killing anybody we don't wanna kill. But unless we have seriously superior force, the real world doesn't work that way."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"But," Shell Bell says, "the more superior the force, the faster and more surgically we can work. So I think you guys probably want to set up signs for assassinations and custom engineering projects. And acquire stick-equivalents of your own if you can."
ferratus: Thoughtful or dubious. (⑽ it's never that simple)
Author: ferratus
"The kind of custom engineering I do best, if I sell it to the wrong people it could actually give us worse collateral than trying to run our revolution on a shoestring budget," says Tony. "So: yes, but very carefully."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Right. You both wanna pick customers carefully. I'm not so picky. I think talking to me usually cuts casualties in the worlds of whoever I'm consulting. Even if they aren't nice people, the ones whose priority is being not-nice don't want my help in the first place. We can coordinate, maybe, if I get people who could be running things cleaner with some precision stabbing or explodey trinkets."
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"Now that sounds like a plan," says Tony.
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
The phrase 'precision stabbing' actually causes Sherlock to smile slightly.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"And," Bella says, "comm devices could come in handy here. I'm happy to just live in Milliways for months now I'm not running down a supply of shells that I could get away with leaving by whichever door and the ones I can carry on my person. If I find somebody, I can stick my head out the door and call you, if we have those. And then you can try for a door-summoning, yeah? If the timeline works out. I'm not so sure how that works. I hear all kinds of stories but I've never found anyone else from Panem here before. So I haven't been able to compare."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"The most obvious question is, when are you?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"July ninth, year 72," says Shell Bell. "It was early morning, if that matters. I found this instead of the hall when I opened my bedroom door. Tony's supposed to start his Victory Tour next week."
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"Sounds about right," says Tony.
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"Yes," Sherlock confirms. "This time at least, we are within a few hours of one another."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Are our districts even in the same time zone? Actually - forget districts - Four spans two all by itself. I'm in the earlier one. And... what does this imply about us being able to contact each other again? If you leave and I stay here, even for a solid six months - when I come out it'll still be July ninth, early morning. You won't have time to find the place again. Unless you will. I've seen people enter and leave several times, when they come often enough and it's one of my longer stints, but me being here doesn't do anything to time passing in their worlds. For that matter, I'm not clear on how Sherlock appeared here when I've already been on the premises for two days. Ugh. I've been coming here for twelve years. Actually, I spend so long here that it might add up to more like thirteen by now. And I still don't get this sort of thing."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"I am not sure anyone does," says Sherlock.
ferratus: Pensive. (⑹ hrmmmm)
Author: ferratus
"I'll be right back," says Tony, and he gets up and heads over to the bar.
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Well," says Shell Bell. "We can experiment and make tentative conclusions, provided we don't expect them to hold every time. But it would be really convenient if we had a way to communicate in Panem, too. Especially since it's otherwise going to be hard to coordinate service sales. In theory I can take down room numbers and Tony can leave whatever he makes as an inter-room package for the next time the customer reappears. I don't think assassinations can be made to work the same way. Do you do anything else?" Bell asks Sherlock. "Anything... portable."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Solve difficult mysteries," she says. "Although I am not sure that is especially portable, either."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (maybe)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It could be, if at least one of us manages to meet the person more than once and collect lots of portable evidence the second time - photos of places? Articles by unreliable reporters? What can you do with that sort of thing gathered by not-you?"
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"I have never tried. It is a habit of mine to find out more than I'm meant to from whatever information is left in my path."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. Well. We can try it, advertising results-not-guaranteed and all. You're comfortable enough with the assassinations idea in the first place that I gather you aren't scared to go to other worlds."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"I am not, no. Should I be?"
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I am," says Bell. "I never have. I don't know how long it would take me to get back or what I'd do in the meantime."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"I see what you mean," Sherlock acknowledges.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"But," Bell shrugs, "you're probably better at operating in unfamiliar environments than I am. If nothing else, you can beat people up and take their stuff. I can only do that if I want to set them on fire. And that's pretty extreme and doesn't work as a harmless threat anywhere that doesn't commonly have magic wands, and hence people who can counter my stick. And you could expect to find a door sooner."

Bell is still a little upset about that. She scuffs her foot on the floor in a halfhearted kick.
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Yes. But I suppose it also matters why one might be visiting another world in the first place, and the trustworthiness of one's escort."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yeah. I haven't found anyone who I trusted that much yet. To also let me go back, anyway. It would probably have been easy to find an acceptable person to outright adopt me when I was little and cute. And they'd have tried to make sure I never went back to my parents, for my own good. Because Panem's no place to live." She shrugs. "It's even possible they would've been right, but I avoided going anywhere else from visit one."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"Wise."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Maybe. What's Tony off getting?"
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"Parts," says Sherlock. "It seems our conversation has inspired him somehow."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Ooh," says Bella.
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"Expect something useful to come out of it."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I will. I'll be terribly disappointed if he just makes us celebratory hats."
sicaria: Grinning, perhaps smugly. (⑴ I always know)
Author: sicaria
—She laughs.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Unless they're useful celebratory hats," acknowledges Bell.
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"Unlikely. But possible."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"They could be hats of invisibility," suggests Bell. "That would be very useful indeed."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"Unfortunately, I don't believe he has the means."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh well. I guess we'll see."

Bell retrieves her marker and adds to her sign. Other services may be outsourced, subject to cooperation of Milliways.
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Should we list the other services, I wonder?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't think so. If clients have strong opinions about how they want to conduct their world takeovers or whatever, they might start lying to me to get me to call you or Tony in. Then I can't evaluate cost-benefit correctly or even give the best advice. Most of my business isn't directly from word of mouth but it's not negligible."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"A valid point," says Sherlock.
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Besides. I haven't met any others of me personally, but I've met folks who live under their empires. I think they're mostly... not the sort to call in assassins. Not as an advertised service, anyway. It can't help if my parallelism is doubted."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"I see."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"They build pretty utopias and style themselves Empress. Sometimes there are Emperors too. There is at least one Princess. Which is weird to me. At this time I'd consider accepting any risk of having children unconscionable. I guess it might be different if I lived in a pretty utopia."
sicaria: Grinning, perhaps smugly. (⑴ I always know)
Author: sicaria
"Most things are."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell chuckles.
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock smiles.
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I wonder why I've never met one of me. I bet if I met one, she'd help."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Perhaps that is why."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You think Milliways or whoever... pilots it... disapproves of overthrowing the Capitol?"
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"They might. Or they might find it less entertaining if you had imperial help."
she_sells_seashells: (irked)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell makes a disgruntled noise.
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock shrugs.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What is it like?" Bell asks, folding her arms on the table and putting her chin on them. "Having money, I mean, and enough food that isn't clams for every meal forever and salmon most Tuesdays and Fridays."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"Relaxing," she says after a moment. "Fewer things to worry about."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It sounds it. I haven't been exactly worried since I built up my stash of nonperishables. Even after I started bringing them to Lynnis's family occasionally too. I'm not likely to run out. But I still have to spend so much time on the clam boat and poaching to get a reasonable baseline of calories on the table."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
She has to ask.

"Why do you go back, besides scarcity of clamshells?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"My parents would wonder where I'd gone," she said. "If I just never came back. I don't think Panem would pause in eternal stasis if I just never came back. They would worry. They love me. And they eat the clams too. I'm a net positive calorie source."
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"I was wondering if the cause might not be better served by your coming to live with us," she explains.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks at her.

"After I... fake my death? Pretend to try to run away to Atlantis? Magically obtain a relocation visa? It's a good idea if you're willing. But I don't know how to explain to my parents. Or make sure they get fed. I think they'd get by, but not... simply."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
She shrugs.

"Parents are not my area of expertise."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"If we lived in Eight, Tony could stop there on his tour and announce that he wanted to spend a staggering amount buying a dress for you or something and hire Ranae. But we don't. It would be weird to go to Four and ask for a dress there after having passed through Eight. And having access to the Capitol, more to the point. And Ranae isn't even very good at making clothes from scratch. She does more in repair." Shell Bell chews her lip. "Actually, I shouldn't be worrying so much about the food part. On your tab - if you don't mind - I could buy a big old chest full of cans and bags of things, say I found that on the beach, and trust them to sort it out. The question is how I then slip away."

She sighs. "Maybe it would actually work best to fake my death. Then the question is how to get me to your place when I can't count on Milliways to appear for me anytime soon after I pretend to drift out to sea."
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"Certainly something of a logistical problem."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Rather. Is there a way to stow me on the train when the Victory Tour comes by? He'll skip Three until the end, so it won't be the next stop, but..."
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"Perhaps that can be arranged."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't live in the town near the train stop, but it's walking distance. And I can leave a note for my parents telling them that I'm making a try for Atlantis and when I don't come home they will think I got eaten by a kraken and they will be upset, but they won't worry any further."

It occurs to Bell that people outside of District Four may not know Atlantis-related lore. "Some people in my District think there've got to be other countries besides Panem in the world. Especially since the Capitol bothered to put, supposedly but I've not personally met them, actual kraken mutts patrolling a ways out. Though those could just be to prevent anyone from stealing a boat and trying to live out at sea permanently. We call all the possible other countries Atlantis."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"What a fascinating notion," she murmurs.
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It might be necessary for me to steal someone's canoe," Bell muses. "And push that out so it can drift back in later, empty of Shell Bells." She sighs. "This is not going to make Ranae and Shark happy, not in the least, but I can un-die when we're all done, if everything goes all right - and if everything goes pear-shaped I can slip away to the multiverse at the next opportunity without worrying further about them."
sicaria: Dressed up. (⑺ primarily innocence)
Author: sicaria
"I believe that is a solid plan."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. So a day before Tony's due to arrive, I leave a note, swipe a canoe - that'll be easy, I can melt the lock off the shed and bury it - push it off, make for the train stop, and - what is the plan for getting me onto the train? Are you allowed to travel with him? Will he and I have to figure it out ourselves? How obnoxious is his prep team and escort and mentor and so on? Were you his mentor?"
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"I was his mentor," she says, which answers multiple questions at once. "His prep team and escort love him and fear me. I will find you if you are there to be found, and convey you to our compartment."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. I'll leave that end of it in your hands. I would like to know what happens if I'm caught, though, so I know how quickly to start setting things on fire."
sicaria: Smiling, perhaps angrily. (⑷ consider yourself murdered)
Author: sicaria
"I will try intimidation first," Sherlock says dryly. "I am very good at it."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Good enough that they won't promise compliance and then go home and tell their spouses, or their friends, or Caesar Flickerman's friends...?"
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"Not if you are caught by someone who expects to ever see me again."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"And that is everyone on the train."
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"It is likely to be."
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"All right then."

Bell smirks. "But first, let's hang out here for a while and see if we can get anybody to give us a teleporter."
sicaria: Smiling. (⑶ you charming creature)
Author: sicaria
"A splendid idea."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
The sign is sitting there so enticingly, after all. "How long are you and Tony likely to stick around?"
sicaria: Looking up, thoughtful. (⑼ a brief and thoughtful moment)
Author: sicaria
"At least until Tony is finished... whatever it is Tony is doing," she says, glancing around to see if he can be located from here. He cannot.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"How long does he usually take to make... stuff? Of the sort that he will suddenly decide to make at the bar."
sicaria: Grinning. (⑵ tell me you saw that)
Author: sicaria
"Variable. It shouldn't be more than a day, unless he is somehow distracted."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Cool," Bell says admiringly. "If you don't mind - I think everyone who's looking has had a chance to see this sign now, so I'm gonna put it down and prowl around talking to recent arrivals." She pauses. "Actually - do you want to mind it for me? I can put up a back soon note on a bit of card and you can call me over if anyone looks interested."
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (Default)
Author: sicaria
"I would be happy to."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Thanks!" Bell obtains a bit of card, writes Up and about - back soon - consult my colleague with requests, puts the sign back up and props the note on a blank part of it, and goes a-wandering.
manofmyword: Quasi-innocent? (⑽ i wanna drive)
Author: manofmyword
How 'bout him?

Over by the lake door, tucked into a booth, sorting an improbably large jar of jelly beans into a number of small bowls by some impenetrable algorithm that definitely doesn't take colour as a primary feature in any straightforward way.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell does talk to everyone. Even if they look like they might be spinal-fluid-drinking types.

"Hi," she says politely. "I'm Shell Bell. Panem, Earth, year 72 by our count and something else by everyone else's. Who're you?"
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
He chuckles.

"We-ell," he says, tipping his head to one side (no makeup today, but smudges remain here and there) and smiling. "You're familiar, is what you are."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh, have you met one of me?"
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Called herself Bella," he says. "Empress of something-or-other. Cute boyfriend. Didn't like it much when I fucked him."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks. "I - do most people? Like it when you do that?"
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
"What, fuck their boyfriends? I don't do it that often."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. You don't remember what she was Empress of?"
manofmyword: Sitting calmly on the floor, leaning against a wall. (⑺ gonna enjoy this)
Author: manofmyword
"Mmm... some kinda magic empire?" he hazards.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I think most of me are empresses of some kind of magic empire."
manofmyword: Gesturing, explaining. (⑾ never start with the head)
Author: manofmyword
"Well, this one's the one who's dating a younger, prettier me. That narrow it down any?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't know. I haven't met any of them personally. I only hear second- and third- and fourth-hand."

Bell briefly considers being squicked by the idea of having sex with one's own alt, but then decides there's no particular reason to.
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
"So what're you empress of?"
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm not Empress of anything."

Bell contemplates the fact that she's currently plotting the violent overthrow of her nation's government.

"Today," she continues.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Atta girl."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell laughs. "You still haven't told me who you are."
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"If you tell people you met the Joker," he says, "they'll know who you mean."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay," says Shell Bell, "so is that you telling me that if I want to know about you, I should stop talking to you and go ask someone else?"
manofmyword: From behind, in the suit, holding a knife. (⑻ nothing in his pockets)
Author: manofmyword
"Nah, not at all. Want a jelly bean?" he offers.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell has never had a jelly bean before. They don't... exactly... look like food. An hour ago she wouldn't have turned down anything that might be food. At this moment, she says, "What are they made of?"
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Sugar, mostly."

He picks one out of a bowl—electric blue—and pops it in his mouth.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Mostly?"
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
"They taste like all different stuff. Some good, some bad, some just weird."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
He's probably not going to poison her. Milliways frowns on that sort of thing. "I'll try one if you're offering," she says.
manofmyword: Quasi-innocent? (⑽ i wanna drive)
Author: manofmyword
He gestures invitingly to the selection.
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell takes a red one.

She pops it into her mouth. She's not really sure if she's supposed to chew on it or not, so at first she doesn't. It's... weird. Sorta fruity, though Bell's ability to identify fruits is not what it would be if she'd had more dietary variety. But it tastes like sugar, mostly, and sugar, mostly, is good. "Interesting," she says, after going on to chew it and having dispatched it completely.
manofmyword: Grinning. (⑵ simply makes you stranger)
Author: manofmyword
The Joker grins at her. It's quite friendly, considering.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Thank you," she adds.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Y'welcome," he says affably.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"So my template is famous for becoming Empress of assorted magical empires," Bell says. "If I ask people about the Joker will they know I mean you specifically, or are there lots of you by that name who've got a reputation for something?"
manofmyword: Quasi-innocent? (⑽ i wanna drive)
Author: manofmyword
"I've only met the one of me, and he went by Alice. Haven't heard of any others. Could be, though."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"So why will they know who I'm talking about? Are you just here a lot?"
manofmyword: Hands, seen through jail cell bars. (⑼ the store by the dungeon)
Author: manofmyword
"If they've heard of me, they'll know, and if they haven't they won't," he says reasonably.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell's becoming less interested in this conversation now. If she were still nine, she'd be hanging around and keeping him talking and throwing manipulative looks at the jelly beans. That was years ago. "Well, yes. I think that's how that works."
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"I usedta be famous," he adds, taking another jelly bean and repeating the inviting gesture. "Back home. You meet somebody from Gotham, two thousand eightish, they'll tell you all about me."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What did you do?" Bell asks. She takes the jellybean. She hasn't been on the Starks' tab long enough to obliterate her instincts that say yes, carbohydrates, take. "I don't think most people in other worlds get famous the way it's customary to in Panem."

And this conversation has begun to interest her again so she sits down.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Mmm. Well, there's a lotta ways I could tell that story," he says. "You the squeamish type? Bet you're not."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm not," Bell agrees. She's pretty sure no one from Panem who doesn't actually faint during the Games broadcasts is "squeamish" by normal standards. She gets woozy around blood, but only in person - it's the smell, not the sight of it.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Didn't think so."

He takes another jelly bean, invites her to have some more again, and settles back a little on his bench.

"The really short version," he says, "is I'm a retired terrorist. But I think you'd rather have the details. Am I right?"
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yes."

This is, as of recently, relevant to Shell Bell's interests.
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
"There was this girl, y'see," he says. "And I guess she thought there were too many criminals in Gotham—mind you, she mighta been right—and she decided what they really needed was the hell scared out of 'em. Worked out fine as far as that goes. After the first coupla times she swooped in on a drug deal and beat everybody half to death, they were sure as fuck scared, lemme tell ya. But some of 'em were mad, too."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay," Bell says, trying to figure out if she's supposed to imagine a rogue Peacekeeper or maybe a member of the fictional United Panem Defenders.
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"Some of these people decided—well, I say decided, I might've had a little something to do with it—anyway, they hired me to kill the lady. She had 'em by the balls, see; they couldn't make any money with her wrecking their operations from here to Sunday. Heh."

He delicately picks another jelly bean out of the bowl in front of him. This one is blood red.

Crunch.

"Buuuut I didn't really wanna kill her," he says. "I just wanted her attention. I got it, too. We chased each other around the city a couple times, she got me in a police interrogation room and roughed me up some, I detonated a friend'a mine and left... oh, it was loads'a fun."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It sounds like... an adventure," says Shell Bell diplomatically.
manofmyword: Grinning. (⑵ simply makes you stranger)
Author: manofmyword
"Oh, it was," he says with a nostalgic smile.

"Didn't last, though. I blew some more stuff up; she threw me off a building and then turned me over to the cops." He dusts off his hands.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh." Well - he's not an Avox. He looks like he could've been flogged, maybe more than flogged, but he doesn't sound like that would stop him. What is it other worlds usually do? "And your prison has enough doors in it that you can come here sometimes?"
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Nope," he says. "I started coming here in my dreams, the night she caught me."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I've never heard that one before."
manofmyword: Sitting calmly on the floor, leaning against a wall. (⑺ gonna enjoy this)
Author: manofmyword
"Her majesty hadn't either. Guess I'm just special."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I guess. So you're technically there now?"
manofmyword: From behind, in the suit, holding a knife. (⑻ nothing in his pockets)
Author: manofmyword
"Nope," he says again. "Her majesty didn't like my style, so she found somebody to take her to my world for a bit and she put me on a little asteroid all by myself."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks.

"...Because her boyfriend cheated on her with you?" she asks skeptically. That doesn't sound like her, let alone like the utopia-building versions of her with magic whose citizens tend to have such nice things to say. "Or because you were going to blow up more things from inside prison?"
manofmyword: Grinning. (⑵ simply makes you stranger)
Author: manofmyword
"Well, I was gonna get out first."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh."

Yeah, she could see doing that.

Bell doesn't even know enough about astronomy to ask how he can live on an asteroid. She is vaguely aware that asteroids are in space.
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
He shrugs.

"Kinda lonely up here, but she gave me some neat magic toys, so I don't starve or get too bored. And every so often, this place shows up. That's always fun."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"That's good, then," says Bell.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"So," he says, "how do people get famous where you're from?"
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"They go on television and outlast twenty-three other teenagers in a deadly arena, usually by killing at least some of them," says Bell. "There are other ways that I guess are more common world to world - other television, some books, some music. But most celebrities do that first."
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"Sounds like my kind of game," he says.
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You're too old for it, or I'd take you through my door and suggest you volunteer and some kid could stay home and live."

Bell says this as one of the kids who got to stay home and live.
manofmyword: Conspiratorial or condescending. (⒁ they'rrre cheap)
Author: manofmyword
"You see any of me the right age, you make an offer. They'll love you for it."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I will," says Bell earnestly.
manofmyword: Grinning. (⑵ simply makes you stranger)
Author: manofmyword
"Thanks." He smiles. "You're a sweetheart."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Well, it helps that if I bring a terrorist home, there's some people I'd be willing to aim one at," Bell says, shrugging. "I have to overthrow a government."
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"Sounds like fun," he says cheerfully. "I didn't get into that much when I was younger, though. Teenage me mostly whored around and stole stuff."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"That is also fine if he's stealing from people I don't like," says Bell serenely. "They have a lot of stuff."

Then she moves on to something she does generally ask after a long enough friendly conversation.

"I'm trying to collect any magic trinkets or neat tech that I couldn't get at home. Do you have any? I mean - you're in space - so maybe not, but I ask everyone."
manofmyword: From the side, serious. (⑿ is it the scars?)
Author: manofmyword
"Mm, not unless a shotgun's big news to you," he says, shaking his head.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell thinks.

"I can't easily get a gun at home," she admits. "They exist but I can't casually lay hands on them. Does it need special ammo?"
manofmyword: Hands, seen through jail cell bars. (⑼ the store by the dungeon)
Author: manofmyword
"Not special to me. Probably special to you."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Then that depends on what you want for it." Pause. "It would depend on that anyway, but the threshold changes if it's only got a fixed supply of ammo."

(Tony can probably cannibalize it for parts, but that's not something she has to bring up in negotiations.)
manofmyword: Conspiratorial or condescending. (⒁ they'rrre cheap)
Author: manofmyword
"Tell you what," he says musingly. "Why don't you come upstairs and see what I've got?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You said you've got a shotgun," says Bell. "Is there also lots of other stuff?"
manofmyword: Gesturing, explaining. (⑾ never start with the head)
Author: manofmyword
"Some guns, some knives," he says. "I don't have much use for 'em these days, I just collected them because I could."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Can you at least give me a ballpark of what you'll want to trade? I don't have a standard complement of resources and a number of people have things they're willing to part with but don't want anything I can give them."
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"I haven't," he says with a slow smile, "decided yet."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oookay," Bell says. "Usually I dispense advice on taking over the world, but I get the impression that the object you live on is already all yours." She gets up, prepared to follow him.
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"Yep!" he says, scoots out of his booth, and leads her toward the stairs.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Up she goes. She hopes he's not going to proposition her. That happens sometimes and it's always awkward.
manofmyword: Smirking, pushing hair out of face. (⑸ well hello beautifulll~)
Author: manofmyword
He does seem a little bit flirty, doesn't he?

Well. Only one way to find out.

When they arrive at his room, he opens the door and leads her inside.

It is a godawful mess.

There are, in fact, guns lying around; most of them are on the floor, between piles of discarded clothing. There is a sewing table shoved up against the wall, and a half-sewn dress suspended in the act of falling off it. It's very pretty, if you like red.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bella's room is so much tidier than this it's hard to believe both of them occupy the same dimension.

"Yep," she says. "Those look like guns."
manofmyword: Quasi-innocent? (⑽ i wanna drive)
Author: manofmyword
"Mhm," he says, and perches on the one small part of the edge of his bed not covered by an enormous tangled blanket monster (this being the only place in the entire room to sit down), and regards her thoughtfully.
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Well, if he's not going to answer her question about exchange rates yet, she'll carry on beholding scattered objects.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"You don't scare easy," he observes. "Do ya."
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You told me you had guns," Bell points out. "If I came up to your room and there weren't any guns I would be thrown into sudden uncertainty about your motives. Why would there being guns that you told me about that I voluntarily came to shop for scare me?"
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
"Maybe I'm losing my touch."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell spreads her hands. "Maybe. Have you decided what you want for 'em yet?"
manofmyword: Hands, seen through jail cell bars. (⑼ the store by the dungeon)
Author: manofmyword
He reaches down t the floor, grabs the promised shotgun, and offers it to her grip-first.

"You can have it if you shoot me with it," he says. "In fact, you can have all of 'em. Anything you want outta this room."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell takes the gun, and looks at it. (It is currently pointed at the ceiling. She has watched Peacekeepers handle guns.)

"That's weird," she says, "but if you're serious, I'll go ask Bar if that'd bother her."
manofmyword: Grinning. (⑵ simply makes you stranger)
Author: manofmyword
"She doesn't mind as long as everything's consensual," he says. "But suit yourself."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell puts the gun down and runs down to ask Bar.

Bar says why, if he asked you, I cannot imagine why my opinion ought to matter.

Bell goes back up. "D'you care where? I probably have terrible aim. But you're not really far away so I can probably be at least approximate," she says, picking up the shotgun again.
manofmyword: Smirking. (⑷ coral is far more red)
Author: manofmyword
"Nope."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shotguns scatter, right? She's probably safest aiming for a leg.

She aims and sticks her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and mentally reviews her memory of the last several minutes to make sure she's not hallucinating the request or Bar's acquiescence. She pulls the trigger.
manofmyword: Grinning, eyes nearly closed. (⑶ now i see the funny side)
Author: manofmyword
Shotguns do scatter, yes. This one, given what it was loaded with, a little more so than usual.

The Joker... giggles. It doesn't sound quite right. It usually doesn't, mind you, but it also usually doesn't have that bubbling undertone to it.
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell determines that he's not going to be helping her collect any further guns.

"This place isn't... booby-trapped or anything, is it?" she asks, pointing the gun back at the ceiling. She's going to have Tony look all the guns over.
manofmyword: Laughing maniacally. (⑴ ahahahaha!!!!!)
Author: manofmyword
Still laughing, he shakes his head.

She is, of course, welcome to disregard this information as suspect.
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
It's suspect enough that she picks around the room carefully, but she does pick her way around. She collects seven assorted guns, boxes of bullets (and other ammunition) and powder, and some of the more portable knives - she's no good at knife-fighting, but Sherlock sure is, and they have utility applications.

She also takes some of the fabric. One folded sheet of strong, shiny stuff that she just plain likes. She re-folds it so it's longer one way, and wraps it around herself and tucks everything but the guns into it so she can have her hands free for those.

Several of them are small. She tucks those in the makeshift sarong too, pointing away from herself and down - she doesn't know how to unload them, that's going to be Tony's job. The longer ones she carries in her arms. "Thanks," she says, not sure if he can still hear her. "Uh, good luck with being full of bits of metal."
manofmyword: Quasi-innocent? (⑽ i wanna drive)
Author: manofmyword
There is no response. Even the giggling stopped a while ago.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
She doesn't really know what happens to dead people in Milliways, but Bar didn't say "it's okay as long as he lives through it", she is not this guy's personal friend, he said the Hunger Games sounded like his idea of a good time, he has to have loaded the thing or at least known what was in it... yeah, she can't think of any good reason to dwell particularly on the fact that he may be dead. Lynnis is dead because of her too. Is there a meaningful first here? Maybe. Maybe not. She's got stuff to give Tony.

(Lynnis would have volunteered in place of anyone - she was up that year - and this guy would probably have gotten someone else to shoot him if Bell had turned him down. This analogy makes sense to her.)

Bell goes down to stash the swag in her room - she can invite the twins to see it later - and goes to check in on Sherlock, who has been left with her sign for some time now.
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"No takers so far," says Sherlock. "Who did you kill while you were gone?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"He said he was called 'the Joker' and he seemed enthusiastic about his proposed deal of me shooting him and taking his stuff. He's weird. You think he's dead? He could've just passed out from what I saw."
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"I'm not sure of it," she says. "But you smell like a lot of blood and don't have very much on you. That suggests someone was doing a great deal of bleeding close by."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Well, I have seven guns and accessories for Tony to take apart and cannibalize or improve, now. And some knives. And a pretty bolt of fabric that let me get it all down the stairs in one trip. And I guess now I know I can maybe-kill a guy, at least if he literally hands me a shotgun and asks nicely."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"A good start, all in all," says Sherlock.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yeah. For certain values of 'good', I guess. Tony's still working?"
sicaria: Sitting on a log. (⑻ who sits by herself)
Author: sicaria
"So I assume."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. Unless you're bored and wanna switch places I'll make another excursion, then."
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"I am not bored."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Good," says Bell cheerily, and off she goes in search of someone else she hasn't talked to yet. Who's shown up in the past hour?
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Well, there's that girl sitting at the bar who's a little older than Bell, bears a passing resemblance to her actually, and has an impressive and incongruous war hammer hanging from a braided leather belt around her waist. The rest of her outfit is pure twenty-first-century Earth, but those two things look like they came out of a century rather earlier than that one.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Shell Bell squints at her. She doesn't think this is an alternate, but maybe they're related or something - she's never met anyone who claimed to be related to one of her, either. No, probably this is just someone who happens to be pale and brunette. "Hi," she says, sitting next to her. "I'm Shell Bell. Panem, Earth, year 72 by our count, something else by everyone else's. Who're you?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Darcy," she says, with a friendly smile. "New Mexico, Earth, 2011. What's up?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Nice to meet you, Darcy! My life back home is actually pretty dull" (so far; and Bell doesn't like to bring up 'please give me stuff' this early) "so I just talk to everyone when I get here to compensate. Your hammer is nifty. Doesn't look like the sort you build houses with."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"My hammer is the niftiest," she says, patting it fondly. "It's magic, and from space."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I like both magic and space! Tell me all about it," says Bell.

It looks like the sort of thing that is not mass-produced. Especially if being "from space" is a relevant property. But its details could suggest things about what else there might be to be had.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"It flies and shoots lightning," Darcy says smugly. "And it has a cool name I totally can't pronounce, but it doesn't mind if I call it Mewtwo."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
This reference does not register at all with Shell Bell. "It flies around? By itself? It can mind things?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Technically not by itself," she says. "But yeah, there's like... a very, very small number of people who can pick it up. And giving it a dumb nickname didn't take me off the list, so I think I'm good."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Do you let people try to pick it up if they ask nicely?" Bell asks.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"All the time," she says, grinning. "But not off Bar, 'cause that would be mean."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Is it staggeringly heavy to everyone else, including Bar, or something?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"She says it's uncomfortable," Darcy says with a shrug. "And if I put it down on her and something happened to me, it'd be stuck there until another hero came along."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"That's fair," says Bell. "Heroes? That's the criterion?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Kiiiind of?" says Darcy. "To be totally honest, I'm still not sure exactly how it works. Like, there's plenty of heroes who can't pick it up. But if somebody can pick it up, they're definitely a hero."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"So you... do heroing," Bell says.

Maybe they can just outsource the whole thing? Or parts of it?

"Lots of heroing?"

Ulterior motive is creeping into her voice now.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I'm kind of a trainee hero?" she says. "It's complicated. There was this huge fire-breathing robot, and my buddy's" (she pats the hammer) "old wielder couldn't lift it anymore, and I could, so I kicked the robot's ass, because what else do you do, right? But I'm not actually a trained warrior" (the word seems a little uncomfortable on her, like she can't figure out how it's supposed to fit) "or anything. So if something comes up that seriously needs a bolt of lightning to the ass, I'll get it done, but I'm not gonna go looking for trouble until I'm sure I can handle it. You know?"
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh," says Bell. "You're sure about that? I... live in a pretty shitty world."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Darcy looks warily intrigued.

"...What kind of shitty are we talking, here?"
she_sells_seashells: (chilly)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"The part that gets most people's attention is the fact that, annually, two dozen disadvantaged teenagers are forced into an arena with some combination of environmental hazards, genetically engineered animals, and other variously lethal props to fight to the death on national television," says Bell. "But more people - including more kids - tend to die of various other problems related to economic inequality and the side effects of totalitarianism. The only reason I look reasonably well-nourished is because I have been coming to Milliways since I was six and trading byproducts from the job I've been working since age eight for nonperishables to bring home with me. The only reason I didn't have to try my luck on the TV show is because my District has a system to train selected kids for the games and arranges for them to volunteer and spare whoever gets picked in the lottery."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Holy shit," says Darcy. Without her quite meaning to, her right hand drops to the hammer. She deliberately unwraps her fingers from the handle and flattens them against her leg.

"Okay, so that is really shitty," she says, "but I think it might be a little above my pay grade. I mean, there's all these epic poems where the lone hero goes up against the army of whatever-the-fuck, but in reality the lone hero had an army of his own and half of them died. I hate to say this, but I might have to give you a rain check at least until I graduate from lady warrior school and maybe until I can bring some friends."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm currently planning to overthrow it in a guerrilla warfare slash terrorism campaign with two people who won their Games and whatever magical or technological trinkets we can beg, borrow, barter, or buy here."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
'Terrorism' makes her wince.

"Well, if something comes up that you could use a half-trained thunder-thrower for, and that... doesn't involve terrorism directly, because I'm pretty sure I'd lose my Mewtwo license... sign me up."
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"How much range and how much lightning are we talking about? And what counts as terrorism to Mewtwo?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I haven't actually tested the range on the lightning yet," she says. "I'm gonna, though; my boss has her eye on a nice empty patch of desert. And, uh, when I asked Thor how much lightning I could summon if I had to, he said 'Enough'. Haven't proved him wrong so far."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell takes it that Darcy doesn't know what counts as terrorism. "We don't have a plan yet, and unless your range is more than a couple blocks I think we may have a comparable item already acquired - different stuff, similar effect - but if I think of a place you'd be useful and I see you again, I will let you know. I don't like to sound like I'm begging, but I am: have you got anything on you other than the hammer that you'd part with that a group of Panem teenagers are likely to have trouble finding? We're selling advice on taking over the world, because my alts tend do to that and I seem to be heading that way myself, and also custom engineering projects from Tony." She doesn't mention the assassinations. Mewtwo probably wouldn't like assassinations.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Nuh-uh," she says regretfully. "The hammer's pretty much it as far as my fancy shit collection."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Might not be fancy to you. I have a little audio recorder that I think probably cost pennies where it came from. I'm not kidding about the economic equality. I mean, I have seen Tony Stark engineer things on TV, that's how he won, but it cannot hurt to give him things to take apart and figure out and soup up."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
...Darcy double-takes.

"Whoa, okay, back up. Stark? Tony Stark? Tony Stark is an ex-gladiator in your world?"
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"...Yes? Why, do you have an alt of him? He and his twin sister were consecutive winners, her first. What's his alt do? Does he ever come here?" Bell asks, leaning forward intently.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"His alt is uh, kind of a massive dick? Also an only child, like, as far as I know. And kind of a superhero. Well, he made this big famous speech on national TV about how he's totally not a superhero at all, but he flies around in a robot suit defending the nation, so. Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, as far as I'm concerned. Which I'm pretty sure is where he was going with that, because the guy has an ego the size of Texas."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh. Mine seems very friendly, not at all dickish. He's about my age, though, how old's yours? And did yours build his own robot suit? Because if so, that does sound like an alt, not a name collision."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"He's... I think in his thirties? Definitely built the suit, yeah."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'll tell Sherlock to warn her brother to not become a dick in his thirties," says Bell. "You don't know if he comes here? Actually, how many 'superheroes', or technically-not-superheroes, do you have flying around saving people from things? Some of them have to have finished lady warrior school or the equivalent, yes?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Um... Tony Stark's really the only superhero I'd say we've got," she says. "Unless you count me. But I don't count me. I only really heroed the one time."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Will you go anywhere if I go ask Sherlock how her brother takes to being interrupted while working and then, depending on her answer, bring him back to meet you, or return alone, or possibly bring Sherlock if you sound interesting to her?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
'Sherlock' makes her blink, but hey, she's heard weirder.

"Nah, I'm sticking around for a while anyway," Darcy says agreeably.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Great! Back, accompanied or not, soon." And towards her sign she goes.

"Sherlock, met a lady with a magic space hammer that she cannot lend out and is not fully trained to use, but she knows an alt of Tony - in his thirties, only child - who has built himself a suit of armor and makes it his business to fly around saving people from things. How does Tony take to being interrupted while working?"
sicaria: Reaching for something. (⑽ just a touch)
Author: sicaria
"Tolerably well. Would you like me to fetch him?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yes please. Do you want to meet the magic space hammer lady, as well?"
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
"Tempting," she acknowledges.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"All right. I'll put the sign away in my room for now, then."
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"And I will find Tony," she says, getting up from the table.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
They relocate each other after sign has been put and Tony has been got. Bell leads the way to Darcy!

"Darcy, Tony and Sherlock Stark," she says, "Panem versions. Tony, Sherlock, this is Darcy, she of magic space hammer."
sicaria: Serious, intent. (⑿ you know it is my choice)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock studies Darcy closely.
ferratus: Questioning, skeptical. (⑾ are you fucking with me?)
Author: ferratus
"Okay, so what's this about another me?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Darcy is mildly uncomfortable with Sherlock's scrutiny!

"Wow," she says, staring at Tony. "You're like a walking, talking embarrassing high school photo."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Embarrassing high school photo?" Bell asks. She has learned not to continue such confused inquiries into guesses like "there is a photography school on a mountain that people are embarrassed to have gone to?" because that generally gets her laughed at.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"A photo of somebody from when they were a teenager, that they're embarrassed about because they're not a teenager anymore," she says. "Except that when Stark was your age he was in grad school, which is like, two schools higher than high school, because he's mega smart."
ferratus: Giggling. (⑴ ehehehehe)
Author: ferratus
"I am not surprised," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You didn't say if you know whether he comes here or not," Shell Bell prompts Darcy.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Not a clue, I never met the guy."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh. Then how did you come by your evaluation of his personality? People say all kinds of things on television." Pause. "I mean, I guess yours wasn't trying to collect sponsors so he wouldn't die? But even on the other channels I don't think everyone's like that when they get home."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Because nobody can be that much of a dick on television and a great dude in real life? I mean, the guy's led a pretty public life, you can kind of tell the persona has some basis in reality."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Oh." Shell Bell glances at Tony to see how he's taking this.
ferratus: Uncertain, wary. (⒀ keeping watch)
Author: ferratus
Tony is mildly disconcerted! But only mildly.

Still: "This is weird," he volunteers.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
Darcy snorts. "Yeah, tell me about it."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"If we could meet one of my alts that would solve everything, probably, they tend to be magical empresses of stuff," Bell huffs. "But we'll take what we can get. Do you have any way of getting in touch with the Tony in your world? Would he believe you if you told him about Milliways? Could you hold the door long enough for him to show up and check it out next time you find it?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Iiiii, you know what, I probably could get in touch with him," she says. "I'd have to go through Coulson, but he's an okay dude. Kinda busy though, so it might take a while. Especially if I have to prove Milliways to him first. Iron Man's pretty all-American, though, so I'd keep a lid on the T-word around him if I were you."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"The T-wo- oh. Okay. Is 'guerilla warfare' okay?"
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah, probably."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. Probably hard to formulate a plan otherwise. I know a smattering of things about America, but if you want me to understand the relevance of that explanation you will have to tell me."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Terrorism is a bad word around here because some guys flew a plane into some culturally significant buildings ten years ago and everybody's still mad about it," Darcy summarizes.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell decides not to comment that this is an interesting use of a plane and if she ever gets her hands on a plane she will consider it!
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah, there was a whole thing. Lots of dead people, a couple increasingly pointless wars, more dead people, depressing all round. Don't do that," she adds.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I am not in favor of pointless wars," Bell says, managing not to sound like she's carefully omitting things.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"And I hope you're not in favour of killing innocent people, either, because if you are then we can't be friends," Darcy says mildly.
ferratus: Slightly impatient. (⑸ because you're wrong is why)
Author: ferratus
"I'm not in favour of killing innocent people," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Killing innocent people is to be avoided whenever feasible."

Technically the guy she shot wasn't innocent. Also the asking part probably changes something.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I can probably take that," says Darcy. "But like, just so you know, I literally can't help you if it gives me weird feelings in my moral place. There's a whole hero thing. And if you lie and make me do something that's actually really bad, I have to kick your ass. The magic space hammer says so."
ferratus: Questioning, skeptical. (⑾ are you fucking with me?)
Author: ferratus
"...Wow," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"The magic space hammer mostly does lightning. We can already do fire under what seem to be similar parameters, and my stick has no conscience," Bell says, mostly to Tony and Sherlock. "And Darcy isn't through hero school yet. Given this, placating the magic space hammer is not our top priority unless for some reason we want an external, enforced moral babysitter. We can use our own ethical guidelines and our own evaluations of the situations. We do not have to trick anyone into anything."
sicaria: In profile, looking down. (⑾ time to go home)
Author: sicaria
"So noted," says Sherlock.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I would love to help," says Darcy. "But them's the breaks."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It's all right," Bell says.

She's glad her stick has no conscience, though.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"If I see you again in a couple years when I'm properly trained and stuff, and you have a use for me and Mewtwo that we're okay with, count me in," she adds.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"That's very kind. In the meantime we would probably benefit from the attention of anyone else in your world with things magical, space, or technologically shiny who is disposed to help."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah, like I said, I'll see if I can talk to Stark," she says. "And maybe some Asgardians, but they're not really guerrilla warfare types, and they've got their own shit to worry about."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"We're open to non-guerilla forms of revolution. We just don't have the personnel for it."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Then I'll see if I can get Sif and the boys interested."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Fair warning, the shitty government has much better tech than we can get our hands on until and unless Tony has lots of parts and time. I'm not sure how it compares to yours."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"To mine, it's probably better. To Asgard's? Well, they made the magic space hammer," she says. "They walk around with spears and axes and shit like that, but I'd back Sif against a SWAT team any day."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay, if they can make stuff with consciences then they can probably do okay against the Capitol as long as the Capitol doesn't come down on them too hard."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah, you'd hope," she agrees. "Anyway, good luck with the revolution. I hope you hit the jackpot and get some allies who can wipe the floor with your evil totalitarian regime."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm hoping so!" Bell says. "Or at least some gadgets that make it easier to do it cleanly ourselves. Or cheat, I'd like to cheat. I don't want to have to fight armies of Peacekeepers. My dad used to be a Peacekeeper until he screwed up his knee."
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"I am totally on board with cheating," says Darcy.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It's the best," Bell agrees. "And if Milliways cooperates it is one of the best possible ways to cheat. Anyway. Anything more to cover here - Tony, more questions about your alt, maybe? - Sherlock, am I missing anything?"
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"It's weird having an alt who's a superhero," Tony volunteers.
pythbox: A book. (Default)
Author: pythbox
"Yeah," says Darcy, "I'm hearing that."
sicaria: In bed, not sleeping. (⒀ no rest for the wicked)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock shakes her head.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Time to go set up the sign again?" Bell asks Sherlock. "And Tony, I wanna know what you were working on."
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"Communication... thingies," he says vaguely. "More of a challenge than I thought; the size and the power don't wanna match up, especially not when I add in encryption."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks.

"Audio communication thingies?"
ferratus: Slightly impatient. (⑸ because you're wrong is why)
Author: ferratus
"Yep. Why, is that bad?"
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"No. It's good. I just wish I'd mentioned this sooner."

Tucked into Bell's pocket - much more surreptitiously than the stick - is her recording device. She takes it out and holds it up. It's got a cheap plastic casing - which leaves it pleasantly waterproof - and six buttons.
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"Ooh," says Tony. "What's it do?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Records, searches, and plays back audio," Bell says. "I leave it on whenever I am alone, and then I talk to it, and I leave it on whenever I'm at Milliways. It's got enough space to record continuously from when I got it to when I'm a hundred, assuming I live that long. It's restricted to respond to my voiceprint."
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (Default)
Author: ferratus
"Shiny," Tony says approvingly. "Got a backup?"
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"No. I only have this. The guy who gave it to me didn't have any spare disks," says Bell, shifting uncomfortably. "It's very reliable. And waterproof and shatterproof."
ferratus: Thoughtful or dubious. (⑽ it's never that simple)
Author: ferratus
"Yeah, I'm gonna make you a backup," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Can... you do that... and be absolutely sure you won't break it? All my - all my everything is on there. Which is why it is good to have backups but also why it is bad to break it."
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"I trust me not to break it when I'm being really careful way, way more than I trust random chance not to break it sometime in the next hundred years," Tony points out.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. But be really careful. I think it's cheap junk where it came from. It works so well because it's easy for that world to make stuff work well, not because they were trying."
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"Trust me," he says, smiling with trademark Stark confidence.
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell squirms.

But she gives him the recorder.
ferratus: Thoughtful or uncertain. (⑼ debatably)
Author: ferratus
"You wanna come hover over me while I work on it?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Would that affect the likelihood of you breaking it?" Bell wonders. "If you don't like being watched or it'll make you liable to slip, then I won't. But I don't want to go talk to people while I don't have it on me to review the conversations later, either. So yes, all else equal."
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"It won't make a difference as long as you don't distract me right at a critical moment or throw stuff at my head or whatever," he says, "and I bet you won't do any of that."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay. Where are you working?"
ferratus: Smirking. (⑵ well this should be fun)
Author: ferratus
"I got a room, I'll show you."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell is shown. She watches. Nervously.
ferratus: Shirtless, hands clasped. (⑺ get this show on the road)
Author: ferratus
Tony opens up the recorder, oohs and ahhs at its inside parts, makes a quick run to Bar to get some stuff he didn't have on hand, disassembles the communicators he was working on, and builds Bella two backup drives with equal storage capacity to her recorder that are compatible with its existing backup function.

All in all, it takes him two hours.
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
When he seems done, she says, "Do they have what the original had on it, or not?" Pause. "Oh. And thank you. Thank you so much."
ferratus: Smiling uncertainly. (⑶ not sure you caught that)
Author: ferratus
"Not yet," he says. "You'll have to do that part yourself; I can't touch the data without your authorization. The encryption tricks in this thing are flat-out sexy, I'm definitely stealing them."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"The guy who gave it to me taught me to use it, but he didn't include an instruction for making backups. Do you know what I have to say to it?"
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"'Back up'," he says, "conveniently enough. And you already know how to specify a data set."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"It'll be able to find the ones you made? Okay." She pushes the button that means she's talking to it, and not just talking, and says, "Back up from first entry to last entry."

Her recorder whirs. A little green light goes on.

Bell beams and spontaneously hugs Tony.
ferratus: Giggling. (⑴ ehehehehe)
Author: ferratus
Awwwwwwwwwwww.

Tony hugs back!
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Thank you. My entire brain practically lives in this thing."
ferratus: Quasi-innocent. (⑷ maybe a little)
Author: ferratus
"And now you have three of it," he says. "Keep one close by and one somewhere safe and synchronize them every so often, and let me know if I need to make you a new one."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I will," she says, letting him go at length. "I think I'll leave one in my room here, which is safe if not always particularly accessible - though more so soon, assuming we follow through with Sherlock's plan of me moving in with you and I can just slip through your doors sometimes."
ferratus: Smirking. (⑵ well this should be fun)
Author: ferratus
"It's a good plan," says Tony. "I like that plan."
she_sells_seashells: (preoccupied)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm still sort of hoping we find a way to cheat massively before I go home and write a note to tell my parents I'm running away to Atlantis and stow myself on your train."
ferratus: Smiling uncertainly. (⑶ not sure you caught that)
Author: ferratus
"Cheating massively is a better plan," he agrees. "It usually is."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yep."

She picks up her recorder. She pets it. She also picks up and pets the backups. She puts them all in her pocket.
ferratus: Giggling. (⑴ ehehehehe)
Author: ferratus
That is terribly adorable.
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
It rather is, isn't it?

Bell realizes this only after she puts the last one away, and then she looks embarrassed. "I got into the habit of doing small, visibly eccentric things at home," she says. "The 'some kind of touched in the head' reputation works for me. And here people are never from home and don't know if it's normal for me to pet things or talk to myself or eat my potatoes counterclockwise."
ferratus: Smirking. (⑵ well this should be fun)
Author: ferratus
"Well, I think it's cute," says Tony.
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell doesn't seem to know what to do with that information!
ferratus: At a distance, walking. (⑻ step inside)
Author: ferratus
"Let's go find Sherry," he suggests after a moment.
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Okay." She leads the way, tracing a line on the wall with her fingertips as they go.
sicaria: Smiling slightly. (⑸ smiling as she falls)
Author: sicaria
Sherlock is minding the sign. No takers yet, apparently.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I have backups," Bell says cheerfully.
sicaria: Looking over shoulder. (⑹ look what the cat dragged in)
Author: sicaria
"Congratulations."
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I guess I'll make another circuit. I appreciate you manning the sign for me."

And off Bell goes, looking for more people she hasn't investigated yet.

She talks to four, three briefly and one with interminable rambling. None produce anything she's interested in; the first and third don't even let her get far enough that she asks. She swings back by the sign to look in on Sherlock.
prima_sequentem: (ℕ what's in a name)
Author: prima_sequentem
There is someone reading the sign just as Bella walks up.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Hello," Bell says, smiling brightly, sitting down, and plucking away the away notice.
prima_sequentem: (ℂ say the sweetest things)
Author: prima_sequentem
"What exactly do you advise people about?"
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Taking over the world, usually. One person was only interested in a town. On several occasions I've adapted to fit my advice to fit things like taking over corporations instead, handling uninhabited islands that can be colonized from scratch without any native competition, keeping one's own mindscape orderly, and a world takeover plan that would be suitable for novelization."
prima_sequentem: (ℚ all kinds of innocent)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Fascinating," says the stranger. "Was that a metaphorical or metaphysical mindscape?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't invited to visit it. But my guess is on the latter, since anyone so keenly interested in the advice is probably not dealing with metaphor."
prima_sequentem: (ℚ in the details)
Author: prima_sequentem
"How about criminal organizations," she says. "Any of those?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (Default)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Not so far, but I'm happy to try," says Shell Bell.
prima_sequentem: (ℂ enjoy your company)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Hmm," she says speculatively, and then smiles.

"Oh, where are my manners. I'm Elizabeth."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Shell Bell," says Bell. "My alts usually go by Bella and wind up as magical space empresses of one sort or another."
prima_sequentem: (ℕ works for me)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Impressive resume," says Elizabeth. "But no magical space empire of your own?"
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Not yet. I'm working on it. No magic native to my world, you see, I have to get it here - that's the sort of thing I trade advice for."
prima_sequentem: (ℂ say the sweetest things)
Author: prima_sequentem
"What other sorts of things do you trade advice for?"
she_sells_seashells: bitey (bitey)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Interesting technological devices - interesting relative to what I can get at home, not relative to what the customer has. Sometimes money, when the aforementioned are unavailable. Right now we could also use suitably qualified allies or advice, as we're in the process of attempting to take over my world at a resource disadvantage."
prima_sequentem: (ℚ all kinds of innocent)
Author: prima_sequentem
Elizabeth looks intrigued.

"What kind of disadvantage?"
she_sells_seashells: seacreature (seacreature)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"You name it," says Bell darkly. "Let me put it this way: the government we're planning to overthrow hasn't encountered a hiccup of significant-scale resistance from the parts of the country where we live in the last seventy-two years despite routinely kidnapping kids our age and younger and killing most of them for the entertainment of the viewers back home."
prima_sequentem: (ℝ not according to plan)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Harsh," says Elizabeth.
she_sells_seashells: (irked)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Yes. Rather. And of course there are the other effects of malicious totalitarianism - the only reason I'm reasonably confident about the lack of rebellion is that Bar will loan me archives of Capitol newspapers, not just the District Four Gazette, and there aren't any prolonged, suspicious 'resource shortages' that I'd expect the media to cover for unrest with even there. You can see why we'd like the Capitol in question to go away."
prima_sequentem: (ℝ long way to the top)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Completely," she agrees.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Do you," Bell says, all smiles, "need advice about a criminal organization?"
prima_sequentem: (ℂ say the sweetest things)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Probably not," she admits. "But I might want to get your perspective anyway, just for fun."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What's fun worth to you?"
prima_sequentem: (ℕ what's in a name)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Highly variable."
she_sells_seashells: (becalmed)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Can I get a range of examples, maybe?"
prima_sequentem: (ℕ works for me)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Well, let me put it this way," she says. "If I want to give you whatever has the most value to you at the least cost to me, I need to know more about the kinds of things you take in trade."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"In the past, when it's not just straight-up money? Magic wand," says Bell. "Audio recording device and instructions on how to use it. I took water purification tablets once but I wouldn't find more of those specifically useful. A nifty little bag that I'm not sure if it's magical or just high-tech. I've been optimizing for objects that are small, because I've needed to hide them, but that will be less important going forward."
prima_sequentem: (ℚ all kinds of innocent)
Author: prima_sequentem
"And let's see... what would constitute a suitably qualified ally?"
she_sells_seashells: maybe (maybe)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"The last person I asked bills herself as 'a hero' and carries a magic space hammer," Bell volunteers. "You'd need to have something exceptional for humans to make up for unfamiliarity with our world, I think, or just be a fantastically quick study."
prima_sequentem: (ℂ just wanna have fun)
Author: prima_sequentem
"I wasn't intending to be the ally in question. But I could probably find you one or two," she says.
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"That would be worthy of a finder's fee in the form of my undoubtedly entertaining advice," Bell says.
prima_sequentem: (ℕ works for me)
Author: prima_sequentem
"I think that sounds like a fair deal."
she_sells_seashells: (smile)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"Lovely. Suitable allies are anyone who's willing to come to Panem for a while and help us and who stands a chance of actually doing so. We're currently in planning stages, which might not last longer than the time I spend here but that could be months Milliways time. We'll build a plan around what we find here."
prima_sequentem: (ℕ what's in a name)
Author: prima_sequentem
"I have someone in mind already. As a bonus, it's going to piss off my fiancé tremendously if he ever finds out."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"...Pissing off your fiancé is a bonus?" Bell asks.
prima_sequentem: (ℂ just wanna have fun)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Sometimes, yes. In fact it was a crucial component of getting engaged to him in the first place."
she_sells_seashells: (skyward)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell is curious about that but doesn't want to ruin anything by prying more than she has. She settles for looking puzzled.
prima_sequentem: (ℂ say the sweetest things)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Yes?"
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't think I follow, but it's a peripheral matter, so I wasn't going to inquire."
prima_sequentem: (ℚ all kinds of innocent)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Inquire away. He's actually part of the criminal network story, albeit peripherally."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"I don't plan to even think about causing the existence of my love life until after I have taken over the world, because Panem as-is is no place to get too attached to people. But I'm led to understand that engagements don't usually involve the kind of antagonism you're describing."
prima_sequentem: (ℂ enjoy your company)
Author: prima_sequentem
"My fiancé thrives on antagonism. He's the predatory type; you have to give him something to hunt down and kill or he loses interest. Metaphorically speaking."
she_sells_seashells: (unsettled)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"And you're planning to annoy him by inviting your staff to assist another world's revolution and thereby encourage him to hunt down and kill... whom, exactly?"
prima_sequentem: (ℂ say the sweetest things)
Author: prima_sequentem
"Me, of course. And not my staff; his former boss's kids."
she_sells_seashells: engaged (engaged)
Author: she_sells_seashells
"What do his former boss's kids do that's liable to be helpful?" Bell inquires.
prima_sequentem: (ℚ all kinds of innocent)
Author: prima_sequentem
"One of them builds missiles. The other one solves mysteries and kills vampires."
she_sells_seashells: tricky (tricky)
Author: she_sells_seashells
Bell blinks slowly. This wouldn't have registered as special a few hours ago, but now she glances at Sherlock, and then says, "What are their names?"