if i were yours

[floofcoaster]

Behold the wolf in his unnatural habitat, eating the foods of his people in traditional quantities, his typical companion away in the distant land of The Bathroom.

That is to say, Zeus is in Milliways with one and a half heavily topped pizzas, waiting for Harley and Andrea to come back.

Comments

[mind_game]

The door opens. Butterfly is not on the first floor. "Stairs are to your left," says Jane.

[hold_infinity]

In she goes. She finds the stairs.

[instar]

Butterfly is on the second floor.

"Hi, Robin."

[subtly_artistic]

With her is someone who looks just like her, but several years older. "Hi."

[hold_infinity]

"Hi and hi," says Robin. "So - Butterfly - decided if we're being had yet?"

[instar]

"I'm pretty sure we are not being had. The large quantities of unchecked magical power and no catch yet has been a clue. This is Aether, by the way."

[hold_infinity]

"Nice to meet you. I'm Robin, but apparently you already know that," says Robin. "Good, Trouble was worried."

[instar]

"I'm in good shape, way better than I was. I should be ready to go home and solve all the everything in another subjective day or three."

[hold_infinity]

"Do you want Trouble to wait for you? He seemed pretty well ready to start solving things himself."

[instar]

"If I want him to wait for me will he?"

[subtly_artistic]

"I would - hope so, but you do have the worst Bell/Joker relationship the peal's ever seen," says Aether. "Which is probably affecting him less than it's affected you but makes me unconfident in my prediction."

[hold_infinity]

"He specifically asked me to ask you if you wanted him to wait, if it came up," says Robin. "Asking just to screw with you really doesn't seem his style."

[instar]

Butterfly glances at Aether.

[subtly_artistic]

"If you let him go ahead without you my best guess is that you'll find whatever he comes up with to be stylistically displeasing, morally tolerable if more risk-tolerant than you'd like, and involve very little of you wearing a crown."

[instar]

Butterfly snorts.

"I'd rather he wait," she says.

[hold_infinity]

Robin finds 'stylistically displeasing' funny enough that she bounces this utterance to Trouble through her Sue-link.

It comes back with commentary from War.

"The Jokers aren't sure about your estimate," she volunteers.

[subtly_artistic]

"...Uh, are you clear that Butterfly's visitor whitelist is a whitelist and not a free-for-all for reasons?"

[hold_infinity]

"...Eh?"

[subtly_artistic]

"Butterfly is on a low-stress diet while she decompresses. She made a list of people who don't stress her out, and no Jokers are on it. Let's not relay messages just yet."

[hold_infinity]

"...I think the specifics of 'let's not relay messages' are a lot more obvious to you than to me," says Robin.

[subtly_artistic]

"Please do not attempt to serve as a relay point for anything resembling real-time conversation between Trouble and Butterfly, nor distribute detailed information about what Butterfly's up to, nor bring her news about current events since most of her world is on heavy dilation and there shouldn't be any current events that need her attention. One-off yes-or-no questions like you first came in with are fine."

[hold_infinity]

"Okay, well, if you wanna know what War has to say about your guess, ask him," she says.

[subtly_artistic]

"I may. Thank you. If Jokers want to talk to me they have all sorts of ways of doing it without interfering with Butterfly."

[instar]

Butterfly sighs.

[hold_infinity]