local insurance rates are surprisingly reasonable

[cross_and_bow]

Having minions comes in handy surprisingly often. They aren't very effective at tasks, but they're very good at acting miniony, and in some contexts it is exactly what she needs for added diplomatic consequence to have three or four of them following her around, addressing her as "Your Majesty", carrying stuff for her. They wanted detailed feedback; they get it. She learns all their names and supplies reports whenever anything out of the ordinary happens and once every other month. They're even doing pretty neat things with the garden. There is now a dense red-flowered shrub that is sort of the same shape as her. Soph has taken it upon herself to teach them board games and hangs out in the palace playing Parcheesi with available minions plus Tony on a routine basis.

Val's interview with James goes well; Bella starts calling her Ambassador, but only when she feels like getting laughed at. Other ambassadors accumulate. There's always work to do, and when it becomes wearying there's always people to love. Bella doesn't sleep. Sleep is boring.

She has a crown now, which pleases the minions to no end, though she doesn't usually wear it when she's not on Mercury. It's simple, just a ring that comes to a peak over her forehead, made of glossy indigo metal that matches her Jane-necklace. It attracts flames when she auras.

Here she is, not-sleeping with two minions, Soph, and Monopoly. When it's not her turn she is reading up on the cultural practices of the Kknrr demons.

Comments

[cross_and_bow]

[And fix the house, if you want.]

[pythbox]

[I would love a new ansible,] says Tony. [You know what else I would love? I would love to be a mint. That would've saved me a lot of trouble a few weeks ago.]

[cross_and_bow]

[Yeah, we can do that too.]

[she_sells_seashells]

[And we should definitely replace the house while we're here, if only because then I can open a door in it and your Jarvis will know how to make more doors,] says Shell Bell.

[pythbox]

[No, do not replace the house,] laughs Tony, [come here, I'm in Stark Tower, there are plenty of doors and plenty of Jarvis.]

[she_sells_seashells]

[Sure, that works too.] Pop!

[cross_and_bow]

Also pop!

[pythbox]

"Hi," says Iron Man.

[most_capable]

"Hi," says Pepper.

[pythbox]

Tony snaps his fingers. "Right, and while you're here, could you do the funky immortality thing for Pep?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Torching for Pepper, check," says Juliet, waving a hand, while Shell Bell seeks an appropriate door. "Anyone else?"

[pythbox]

"No," he sighs. "Thanks."

[cross_and_bow]

"Are you sure? It's much more inconvenient and expensive to retrieve people who get as far as Downside with Jane out. I had to make a trip a couple months ago."

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell, meanwhile, flares aura - magicmagicmagic! - and doors to Milliways. "Got it, Jarvis?" she asks.

[poeticterms]

"Fascinating," Jarvis remarks. The door closes. The door opens. The door closes again. "Everything seems to be in order."

[pythbox]

"Yeah," says Tony, "there was a whole conversation about that, let's just - forget it."

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell lets her aura subside to a normal level of magicmagic.

[cross_and_bow]

"Your call," shrugs Juliet. "It'll depend on how I'm doing for stars and how cooperative the door is on any given day how quick I go get anybody you lose, though, I can't readily get ahold of Aurora for a wheelbarrowful of big coins and I have a lot of demonic shit to handle with my available influx."

[pythbox]

"Yes," says Tony, raising his eyes to the ceiling. "I know that. I have been made aware."

[most_capable]

Pepper pats him on the arm.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Anyone fetched from Downside will torch after that anyway," says Shell Bell.

[cross_and_bow]

"Yes, well," shrugs Juliet, "not everyone is a sensible Bell."

[she_sells_seashells]

"Speaking of that sort of thing I wonder if I should door us to Rainbow to pick up coins? You lean on the others more than anybody, with a Sunshine world and no Joker."

[cross_and_bow]

"...Maybe. I don't suppose you can door to 'wherever the hell Aegis and company went'."

[pythbox]

Iron Man has no comment on dooring to Rainbow or anywhere else; he is busy looking annoyed.