i am the oncoming storm

[autokinetic]

There are three Bells in Milliways.

They want a fourth. A fifth. A sixth. A seventh.

And then Downside is going down.

Comments

[nowait_letme]

"I meet a lot of people," Chainsaw says dryly. "I guess I don't get along with most of 'em. What's his relationship with power tools?"

[self_composed]

"I don't involve myself in the details," Stella says archly. "My guess is that it would be a friendly-like relationship."

[cross_and_bow]

Mmm, pancakes. "Thanks!"

[nowait_letme]

"Then I bet you've got the right guy," he says. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

[self_composed]

"Nothing in particular. It does mean that if we successfully take over and you have something to say to one of us you've got a better-than-average chance of queue-jumping," shrugs Stella. "Since someone of your template's in with someone of ours."

[cross_and_bow]

"Amariah and Aegis are covering the catacombs, but maybe we should scope out the wakeful population for alts," muses Juliet. "If nothing else we should tap the Sherlock that Shell Bell found."

[ending_of]

All of a sudden, Stella and Juliet are no longer present.

Yoink.

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan's as surprised as everyone else.

"Well," he says.

[nowait_letme]

Chainsaw blinks.

[temporal_affairs]

"They're talking to the admin," Nathan reports a moment later. "We'll see how far they get with that, I guess."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Not far, I bet," sighs Eights.

[temporal_affairs]

"Well, I don't know, the ones who started out alive are still alive," he shrugs.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"I guess that's a start."

[temporal_affairs]

"I'd ask for a pancake, but I no longer eat solid food," Nathan says after a bit of an awkward silence.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"What do you eat?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Conjured synthetics. Occasionally human blood, since I've got a source who won't die of the loss. I am, you see, a vampire again."

[lookingforwardtoit]

...Eights looks speculative.

[temporal_affairs]

"I'll be happy to show you sometime," Nathan adds.

[lookingforwardtoit]

She beams.

[nowait_letme]

"Can I watch?"

[temporal_affairs]

Nathan peers at him.

"You going to try to make me regret it if I say 'yes' instead of inviting Eights out of the world for the purpose and then never interacting with you again?" he inquires.

[nowait_letme]

"Now why would I do that?"

[lookingforwardtoit]

Eights rolls her eyes.

[nowait_letme]

He laughs.

"All right, I won't. I promise."

[temporal_affairs]

"Hmm."

Now, when is a good time to take a bite out of Eights, and when is a good time to ask Jane to get him the hell out of here?