we are invariably pleased to welcome tourism

[cross_and_bow]

Sherlock is usually very puncutal. He's only one minute late, but that's still not quite as punctual as usual. Bella peers out the window, not yet allowing herself outright concern.

Comments

[dark_light]

"There's no analogous period spent in the chrysalis," laughs Amariah. "It's a smooth transition from caterbella to bellafly."

[eversomuchfun]

...Sherlock cracks up.

[dark_light]

Amariah, meanwhile, has finished her next diagram. She summons a rat; rats are not in short enough supply for this to take very long, and when it scurries up to her she seizes it, pulls her dagger, and speaks another poem before stabbing it through.

[eversomuchfun]

"If you two are going to be occupied with this for some time, I think I will go and fetch some tea," says Sherlock. "Please don't get eaten while I'm gone; I would be terribly disappointed."

[dark_light]

"You said fire works? I can do fire if anyone besides you barges in," Amariah says.

[cross_and_bow]

Juliet picks up her laser pointer out of her messenger bag, tosses and catches it, and says, "You go ahead."

[eversomuchfun]

He grins at both of them and exits the crypt.

[dark_light]

When he's back within word-discerning hearing range, one of them - Amariah, on sufficient analysis - is midsentence:

"- to tell you while he was here, because there is some chance you'll flip before you calm back down again, but me and Kas kinda slept with Sherlock. Yours, I mean, not one of the others floating around."

[eversomuchfun]

...What timing.

He pauses in the doorway; if she does flip, he doesn't want to be an available target.

[cross_and_bow]

"I have no grounds for flipping. It's not like I'm dating him," says Juliet.

[dark_light]

"Oh, I know, but he liked you first, and I bet you like him even if you haven't decided to act on it so far, and while obviously we can do nonexclusivity just fine if we want to it doesn't come standard with being a Bell. So I wanted to make sure you had a minute to process first. Whistles don't come in monogamous; I don't know if Sherlocks do, but it's not default, at least."

[eversomuchfun]

He should probably either admit he's listening or go away.



He steps inside the crypt and closes the door.

[dark_light]

"He's back," says Path.

[eversomuchfun]

"Yes, with exquisite timing as always," he says, dropping into the hidden room to deposit his stolen tea. "Should I go away again?"

[dark_light]

Amariah and Juliet exchange a look.

"No, it's all right," says Amariah. "Unless Juliet's squeamish about you being in the room while I paint on the tattoos."

[cross_and_bow]

"Not especially," says Juliet. "They're just going on my shoulderblades, I don't even have to take my shirt all the way off as long as it's hiked up in back and held out of the way."

[eversomuchfun]

"In that case, I think I'll make some tea," says Sherlock. "Sorry, you can't have any, there's only the one mug."

[dark_light]

"Mug of oolong tea," Amariah says, amused, and one appears, floating before her and steaming gently. She takes it from the air, sips, sets it down, and returns to mixing her bayleaf ink for the first of several planned tattoos.

[eversomuchfun]

"Cheat," he accuses fondly.

[dark_light]

"Cheating is excellent," returns Amariah. "Juliet, lie down, shirt out of the way - idiotic nudity taboos, does it help that he's seen me naked already? no? all right then -" and when Juliet's shirt is out of the way she begins to paint.

[cross_and_bow]

"Whatever else you were going to say before he came back from his tea run I don't particularly care if you say it in front of him," says Juliet.

[dark_light]

"I was going to add that he comes highly recommended," says Amariah, painting the stem, "but otherwise I said everything I was going to."

[eversomuchfun]

"And I heard all of it from when you mentioned that we slept together," he says, "in case anyone was harbouring illusions on that front."

[cross_and_bow]

"Thank you," says Juliet.

[dark_light]

"All painted. Hold still while I recite the poem; it's not exactly going to tickle," says Amariah.

The bayleaf poem ensues.