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

[pythbox]

"Not on this scale, but I do get blank spots sometimes," says Mary. "I can usually just work around them, or make reasonable guesses like everybody else."

And since the link is right there, she pushes into it a rough sense of the distributions she's getting around this venture - no matter what they do, the Bells are going to end up in the blank spot if they enter Downside; before that point, they may tend to express various levels of positivity and negativity about the results of the expedition, depending on details of their plans that aren't clear to her; around the edges of the blank spot itself, the clearest constant is that Shell Bell is going to be nervous and unhappy for a while, and all the Bells are eventually going to leave Downside. The blank spot swallows up what kind of condition they'll be in when they do, and when exactly that might be for each of them.

[luminous_regnant]

"We all get out eventually," says Golden. "That's something."

[arenaria]

"Maybe I should get Sherlock. Just to hold onto," murmurs Shell Bell.

[self_composed]

"Does anything meaningful that you can see change if fewer of us go through, or if we handle our jobs in different combinations?"

[pythbox]

"Some effect on Shell Bell's mood," she reports, "but getting Sherlock has a much bigger one. No effect on you all coming out eventually, that's still as certain as it gets."

[temporal_affairs]

"...I get out too, right?"

[she_sells_seashells]

Shell Bell wastes no further time in dooring to Atlantis and calling for Sherlock.

[pythbox]

"Yep," says Mary.

[toblameforit]

(Meanwhile, Tony is chatting happily with Jane.)

[sicaria]

Sherlock appears when summoned.

[she_sells_seashells]

"We've figured out how to move from place to place without waiting for Milliways," murmurs Shell Bell, "and got everybody together, but Stella's precog says whatever happens I'm not going to have a fun time of it, even though I'm just sitting here to hold the door and bail them out if necessary. Will you stay with me?"

[cross_and_bow]

"Link Sherlock up too, Sue," suggests Juliet.

[sicaria]

"Of course," she says, hugging Shell Bell.

[arenaria]

Hugs!

"What else, before Aegis and Amariah go in, can anyone else think of anything?"

[autokinetic]

Heads shake.

Aegis looks at Amariah, and they go in, and they wish to be undetectable by the admin.

[ending_of]

It does not work.

[autokinetic]

Nothing doing, not even an arrow'll go. Catacombs for us, says Aegis. We want Bells, Charlies, Renées, Sues - Whistles? - Sherlocks, Tonies, who else?

[cross_and_bow]

Jameses, Gileses.

[self_composed]

Lazaruses, Marys, Annas, Sandys, Kolyas, Bridgets.

[jovahs_heiress]

Angela hesitates, but says, Nathaniels, but be careful. Serahs, Alleluias, Calebs, Delilahs.

[luminous_regnant]

Golden lists a great many extended family and friends.

[autokinetic]

Aegis nods. She looks to Amariah. You can drive. I don't wanna split us up.

[jovahs_heiress]

Angela and Golden go next. They can't teleport directly Upside, but they can wish to be able to, and do.

[self_composed]

Stella, Juliet, and Nathan are the next party. "Who's first?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Let's go see Eights, and go from there," says Nathan.