many people move here to start families

[cross_and_bow]

Bella is hanging out in a Jarvis - the familiar one - handwriting a nonaggression proposal-slash-bribe. Has to be handwritten. Damn fussy demons. At least it's okay for her to conjure rather than personally harvesting the weird ink she's supposed to use.

Comments

[eversomuchfun]

Hug.

[cross_and_bow]

Snuggle.

"How're you feeling?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Suspending a lot of reactions until things have settled out a bit."

[cross_and_bow]

"...Why?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Because it's easier that way."

[cross_and_bow]

"Does that mean you don't have advice for me?"

[eversomuchfun]

"Advice about what, specifically?"

[cross_and_bow]

"How I should handle Soph. I haven't definitely decided to fork. It might not even work."

[eversomuchfun]

"If you can fork and then merge, I think that will probably end up being the best outcome."

[cross_and_bow]

"...I am not one hundred percent sure my fork would want to merge with me. It's not like Shell Bell where one of the forks was clearly not capable of managing alone."

[eversomuchfun]

"My best guess is that she would, but it's only a guess."

[cross_and_bow]

"Yeah, that's about where I'm at. There's also the possibility that I can make her exist but can't merge with her even if she's up for it. Shell Bell has no native opacity; I do."

[eversomuchfun]

"And of course, we can't consult any of the available fortune tellers."

[cross_and_bow]

"Right." Bella nibbles her lip, then goes and gets her crystal ball and reappears with it, cradling it in both hands.

It shows one of her, then two of her; they stare at each other, perhaps brainphoning; there is the one of her.

"Crystal ball suggests I can," she says.

[eversomuchfun]

"Do we trust the crystal ball? I am inclined to trust the crystal ball."

[cross_and_bow]

"In the absence of being able to ask Mary or Alice, or even consult Glass or Lazarus about how my opacity works, I think trusting the crystal ball is the best bet." She looks up at Mercury's sky; during the day it's a pleasant lilac but right now, where she is, it's nighttime. "It'd be a big change, though."

[eversomuchfun]

"Yes, I suppose it would."

[cross_and_bow]

"I should probably get to know Soph. As just-me. That'll help. Do you know how she's holding up, have you been talking to her?"

[eversomuchfun]

He shakes his head.

[cross_and_bow]

"...Has anybody been talking to her? She probably needs someone to talk to at least as badly as I did."

[eversomuchfun]

"She claimed to have collected an adequate supply of hugs, last I heard."

[cross_and_bow]

"Not so much a talking-through-her-feelings person? What's she like?"

[eversomuchfun]

"She is like herself. I'm not especially good at describing personalities," says Sherlock.

[cross_and_bow]

"I asked Tony and he told me she plays softball," sighs Bella.

[eversomuchfun]

"Decently well, too."