at the door

[she_sells_seashells]

The Bells are assembled, except the ones missing into the unknown world.

Shell Bell opens her aura up as far as it will go. (Back in Atlantis, Neptune glows with the spillover, snuggled up to Tinia.)

She reaches for the door.

She gets Atlantis.

She tries again and gets Downside.

"It doesn't look like I can get it," she says softly. "It looks like they're stuck until -"

The door opens, again.

"Thank fucking everything," Aegis says, "hello. Aether, Celo - these are - everybody and then some."

"Tab," supplies Tab.

Meanwhile, Glass staggers in the direction of the bathroom. [THAT IS NOT A NICE WORLD.]

[We fucking KNOW,] says Aegis, [how broke is Jane?]

[Very broke,] says Juliet, [tried a tenner, didn't go.]

[I might be able to do something now you're here,] Stella says, [with aura.]

Comments

[subtly_artistic]

"Is that what I'm getting?"

[pythbox]

"Yeah, you've got 'don't mess with this one' written all over you, it's hot," he says.

[subtly_artistic]

"Probably just makes you want to mess with me," she snorts.

[pythbox]

"Depending on your definition of 'mess with'..." He grins.

[subtly_artistic]

She giggles. "When it's in at full strength. I'll compare with Glass, I guess."

[pythbox]

"'Kay," says Celo, and he nestles close. He's feeling more snuggly now, not so much with the honey.

[subtly_artistic]

"She'll be able to tell what else it does, too." Snuggle. "I think I might be coming up on done, based on the estimates..."

[pythbox]

"Wanna go check? Or give it a little more first? I'm good either way," he says, snuggling.

[subtly_artistic]

"I'm gonna check. Wanna come along?" She tapers off the channeling.

[pythbox]

"Nah," he says, "you go, just don't be too too long with it, okay?" He grins. "I might get lonely."

[subtly_artistic]

"And that would be terrible." She nuzzles his throat and pops out of the room. "Hi, Glass. Hi - person."

[thaumobabble]

"This is Tony. One of my wives. Nickname Iron," introduces Glass. "Tony, this one's Aether. Looks like your aura's all full up and -" Glass peers at it.

[allthebrightest]

"Hi!" says Tony, waving.

[subtly_artistic]

"Hi," waves Aether. "Celo called me 'epic level', so I guess that's one thing?"

[thaumobabble]

"Yes and - and - I think - you can go home," says Glass. "I think this is - the opposite of the thing that is horrible about your world. I think you cancel it out, near yourself."

[subtly_artistic]

Aether bounces this to Celo.

[pythbox]

...okay but like what does that mean, says Celo.

[subtly_artistic]

"Can you be more specific?"

[thaumobabble]

"Your world is - anti-causal. Not all the time, but much more often than is healthy. Your aura won't let that happen within -" Glass squints. "A mile or line of sight whichever's farther. Even if you withdraw it. That's an always-on feature - well-behaved causality. It doesn't make you invincible, but - you can take actions and rely on their effects and nothing can cheat to stomp on you."

[subtly_artistic]

Bounce.

[pythbox]

That is pretty fucking helpful, says Celo. I want one.

[subtly_artistic]

You're not going to get the exact same thing probably, but you'll get something. "I can go home," she says slowly. "I can do my Belling at home."

[pythbox]

Yeah, but if that's how helpful they get, I want something that's that helpful to me, says Celo. I don't really give a fuck about causality the way you do, but I've got my own shit, you know?

[thaumobabble]

"Yep, you can! And I won't throw up again if I look at your world while I'm close enough to you. And it won't break Jane if you take a gem home as long as you keep it on or near you," says Glass.

[mind_game]

[That's nice to know.]