falling ill

[keep_busy]

A few months after the business with the chalice, Annie (with a gold engagement stud in one earlobe, now receiving mail at Aldaras's apartment, and thoroughly comfortable with Being Necklaced, to the point where she's helping mold the thing towards more exacting standards for real-world-practical as well as theoretical compatibility) is in bed with some unidentified sort of head cold or flu. Aldaras doesn't have it so far, so she is snuggled under the covers while he makes her spicy soup to help clear her sinuses and because she's having a little trouble with non-liquids. He's worried, she's mostly just groggy. Zzzz.

Comments

[darkest_evening]

"Let me guess. Twin sibling, adopted father, endless desire to see the world neat and orderly and well functioning, and you do a numbers thing in your head."

[touchedinthehead]

"Wh- yes?"

[darkest_evening]

"Hi. I'm your alt. Nice to meet you, magical power, multiple worlds, seem to come in pairs with Bells romantically, something something, so on, so forth. How exactly would you describe the extent of the disturbing love necklace's disturbing results?"

[keep_busy]

"...Aldaras is a special case because he's twice-touched. So in addition to being magically in love with me he also is incapable of keeping secrets from me without stupid magic guilt trips. Um, it's... extensive. But not otherwise mind-altering. I did it on purpose when there was a mind-reader on the loose who could be expected to not have the usual range limit or telltale signs."

[darkest_evening]

Mind readers are present here. Fantastic. Maybe he can find one to decipher all of the screaming in his head. No? No luck? Oh well, he'll just have to put up with it.

"Okay. I'm going to call the others."

He retrieves the mirror, turns it on, and explains with, "It turns out that this world's got a disturbing magical permanent-love inducing necklace. Spring has accidentally touched it."

[dark_light]

"Uh, shit. Set up portal, turn her over to us, we will - do - something. Nothing's instantly coming to mind for me as a post-emptive measure but I could try general countercurses in case... Is it on you or something even more awkward?"

[darkest_evening]

"It's on me," clarifies Prime, neutrally.

He looks at Aldaras and Annie. "I need to put a portal to our hub-world somewhere. It doesn't have to be easily visible, and I can put it on something that can be moved."

[keep_busy]

"...Back of the hinged bookshelf?" suggests Annie. "There's a safe on the wall, for stashing the necklace when we're both asleep, but the bookshelf itself is blank."

[darkest_evening]

"Show me, please."

[touchedinthehead]

Aldaras does, looking just a bit overwhelmed.

[darkest_evening]

And: portal.

"You or Annie won't be able to pass through it until Revelation gives you fancy microchips. It's a safety concern. Spring? To Pantheon?"

[namesthesky]

Spring gets up - a careful observer may notice that she is doing this more with her flying necklace than with her legs - and goes to the portal and through.

[darkest_evening]

"We'll send someone back through the portal shortly. I just became rather busy."

And then he goes to Pantheon, too.

[dark_light]

"You're not contagious or anything?" Ice asks Spring.

[namesthesky]

"I don't think so. She didn't say."

[dark_light]

Ice sticks her head through the portal. "Hey, is she contagious or anything?"

[keep_busy]

"No. You have to actually touch the necklace."

[dark_light]

"Okay." Ice retreats back to the Belfry. "Let's go put you in your house and get you some paper, how about."

[namesthesky]

"Okay."

Spring lets Ice usher her away.

[darkest_evening]

"Revelation, I think they need microchips. Probably also explanations."

[ask_nicely]

"Yeah. Let's - do that."

[from_scratch]

"Coming right up. Is there an Adarin or just a Bell?"

[darkest_evening]

"She's engaged to an Adarin - he looks different, but I asked him about the relevant traits and he apparently fit them. But I didn't exactly have much time for conversation."

[from_scratch]

"Right. Here goes."

Through steps Revelation.

"Hello, I'm another Bell - most of us look like you, you've seen an unrepresentative sample," he tells Annie. "Please put the necklace away, it is making me extremely nervous."

[keep_busy]

"I wouldn't - okay," says Annie, and she unclasps it and puts it in its box. "There. I'm really sorry. I was super sick."