beside herself

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell is currently explaining to her Director of Media that, yes, if she is gone, he is supposed to take orders from the duck, just like the Imperial Consort said. Neptune is nestling in Shell Bell's arms comfortably. The Director of Media is also now supposed to meet Jane and coordinate with his opposite numbers in Origin and Aurum about setting up an interworld generally-accessible internet with the use of ansibles.

Comments

[her_imperial_radiance]

Hugs. After a moment's pause in case there's a misjudgment and he needs to flinch away, but he doesn't. It's an interesting sort of feeling.

[pythbox]

"I love you," says Andrea, snuggling up.

"Gonna try now," says Harley. He gives them both a hug, and - flickers out.

Andrea clings to Elspeth for a moment, then relaxes with a shudder.

When Harley reappears, Andrea pounces on him with a bone-cracking hug.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth loves him. Them both. She sends so.

[pythbox]

"I love you too," says Harley, whose bones decline to stay cracked for long. Andrea shifts female-human.

Snugglepile!

[her_imperial_radiance]

The snugglepile engulfs Elspeth. She lets it. Her star will keep her free of sun conure infestation for days at least.

[pythbox]

"We should go back now," Andrea says at last, after considerable snuggling.

"Yeah. And wake up Zeus," says Harley.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"All right. Jane, if you wouldn't mind?" Since Elspeth cannot freecast.

Pop. Port.

[floofcoaster]

Here is Zeus, asleep in Harley's bed, strangle-hugging Harley's pillow.

[pythbox]

Harley snuggles up to him.

Andrea turns into a leopard and sits next to the bed, curling her tail around her feet.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Ready?"

[pythbox]

Herley nods.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus's eyes open, and he draws a shuddering breath, and he abandons the pillow and seizes Harley in a superhumanly tight hug.

"Harley."

[pythbox]

Harley hugs him back.

"I fixed it," he says. "I got a daemon."

"Hi," says Andrea.

"And now she can stay with you all the time," says Harley, "and I'll always know where to come back to."

[floofcoaster]

Zeus has never encountered a daemon before. He looks quizzically at Andrea.

[pythbox]

"I'm his soul," Andrea says helpfully. "You should pet me."

[floofcoaster]

"Okay."

Zeus pets her.

[pythbox]

Andrea purrs and rubs her head against his hand.

Petting her is like - well - touching Harley's soul.

[floofcoaster]

Zeus decides that he likes this confusing new development. He goes on petting Andrea.

[her_imperial_radiance]

(Elspeth quietly teleports away.)

[pythbox]

"I love you," Harley sighs, snuggling Zeus.

Andrea climbs up onto the bed and flops down between them. She is fuzzy and warm.

"We called me Andrea, by the way," she adds. "And I can shapeshift, all Joker daemons can, look!"

Suddenly she is, while still warm, rather less fuzzy. And more human-shaped.

[floofcoaster]

She's still pettable. Zeus goes on petting her. "I love you," he says.

[pythbox]

"We love you too," says Andrea.

Snuggles!

"And we don't have to do anything but sit here and cuddle," says Harley. "There's gonna be a Bellparty but that's not for ages. Oh, Jane's back, by the way, we're all hooked up again. And I met all the Jokers - well, almost all, Kas and Aianon were busy..."

[floofcoaster]

"When is it?" wonders Zeus. "I dunno how long I was out this time, the princess knocked me out before you'd been gone more than a second."

[pythbox]

"2060," says Harley. "Not that I even remember what year it was when I came back the first time."

[floofcoaster]

"I'm not sure either," confesses Zeus, nuzzling Andrea and then Harley and then Andrea again and then Harley again. "I hope my parents aren't too broken up about things."