in a supposed democracy

[she_sells_seashells]

Snow's death is announced on television the day after it happens. The announcer speaks of "sudden illness".

There are going to be emergency elections to replace him in three days. Without advance notice and the standard scheduling of elections, they're going to be setting up polling places in the Capitol at a limited number of sites. Some outlying neighborhoods will be served by schools and the like. But most of the city will be congregating at the Memorial Dome to cast their votes for the next president.

(There follow thirty solid minutes of campaign ads. The district imports comptroller, the chairman of the traffic control commission and former Gamemaker, the deceased Snow's personal assistant, and a handful of lesser individuals are running. Bell hates them all.)

"Suppose the Memorial Dome caught fire," she says to Sherlock and Tony, frowning at the TV.

Comments

[she_sells_seashells]

"My instincts towards plain stuff are mostly about the fact that manufacturers don't make the fancier stuff durable or sometimes even comfortable. But Bar can," says Bell, kissing Sherlock's cheek. She stretches a finger away from her grip on her pigtails and pats her scalp. All dry; she lets her hair fall.

[sicaria]

Awwww. Sherlock smiles.

"Fashionably disastrous," she says, running her fingertips down the blue side.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Grand," says Bell. "It'll wash out eventually."

Here she is on a bed with her girlfriend. She snuggles up.

And then she observes that she didn't have to ask her brain what would drugged Bell want?

"All done pretending," she reports.

[sicaria]

...Sherlock grins.

A kiss seems like a properly thematic celebration! Doesn't it?

[she_sells_seashells]

It does! Kisses kisses.

[sicaria]

Many kisses. Snuggly kisses. Lovely snuggly kisses.

[she_sells_seashells]

The loveliest and snuggliest. They're not even keeping Tony waiting. They're in Milliways. Bell loves Milliways and she is so fond of Sherlock. She is a happy Bell even with her stupid hair.

[sicaria]

It is very stupid hair, and Bell is very lovely anyway. Funny how that works.

[she_sells_seashells]

Isn't it just.

"Do you get people trying to talk to you in the Capitol? I imagine nothing like Tony does, but enough that I might have to introduce myself or something if we're standing together?" Bell asks when cuddly kisses have calmed to mere cuddles.

[sicaria]

"I am extremely good at discouraging casual conversation," she says. "Perhaps not infinitely good. But it would be best if you spoke as little as possible; your accent will be incongruous."

[she_sells_seashells]

"I can try to talk like a TV personality," says Bell, doing a vaguely passable job of shifting her vowels around. "But yeah, I'll default to shutting up, I'm not that good at it and could forget."

[sicaria]

"Handily, shutting up is an easier skill to cultivate," Sherlock jokes.

[she_sells_seashells]

Bell snorts. "It is. Maybe it's just because I've been coming here so long, but even the accents from other worlds don't sound as weird to me as Capitol accents do." She pauses, thoughtful. "Did you notice - well, of course you noticed. Do you know why your alt and Tony's have different accents?"

[sicaria]

"Yes," she says. "For much the same reason I can speak flawless Capitol and Tony cannot, I think. They formed their speech habits in different contexts."

[she_sells_seashells]

"What do you mean?"

[sicaria]

"I was frequently in the Capitol as a child. The other Sherlock spent much of his time with someone whose accent differed from the local one. The effect is similar."

[she_sells_seashells]

"Oh. I wonder why. He obviously didn't have your reasons."

[sicaria]

"Evidently not," she agrees.

[she_sells_seashells]

Snuggles. "Lemme know when you want to go home," she says. "I'm liable to just fall asleep if it's not soon, fair warning."

[sicaria]

"I would not mind if you fell asleep."

[she_sells_seashells]

Oh, okay then.

Bell snuggles up. And she falls asleep.

"Blue effervescence," she mumbles into Sherlock's shoulder.

[sicaria]

"Quite so," Sherlock murmurs.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Yes," agrees sleeping Bell. "Boots brightness pencil."

[sicaria]

Sherlock laughs softly.

[she_sells_seashells]

Bell continues babbling at a more or less steady rate throughout the time she spends sleeping.

Uninterrupted, this will amount to an hourlong nap.