among her own kind

[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.

Comments

[she_sells_seashells]

"Okay. You don't remember what she was Empress of?"

[manofmyword]

"Mmm... some kinda magic empire?" he hazards.

[she_sells_seashells]

"I think most of me are empresses of some kind of magic empire."

[manofmyword]

"Well, this one's the one who's dating a younger, prettier me. That narrow it down any?"

[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]

"So what're you empress of?"

[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]

"Atta girl."

[she_sells_seashells]

Bell laughs. "You still haven't told me who you are."

[manofmyword]

"If you tell people you met the Joker," he says, "they'll know who you mean."

[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]

"Nah, not at all. Want a jelly bean?" he offers.

[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]

"Sugar, mostly."

He picks one out of a bowl—electric blue—and pops it in his mouth.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Mostly?"

[manofmyword]

"They taste like all different stuff. Some good, some bad, some just weird."

[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]

He gestures invitingly to the selection.

[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]

The Joker grins at her. It's quite friendly, considering.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Thank you," she adds.

[manofmyword]

"Y'welcome," he says affably.

[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]

"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]

"So why will they know who I'm talking about? Are you just here a lot?"