we do not bear children until we have so chosen

[dark_light]

Amariah appears in the Belltower, throws herself into a chair, and tries to read postcards, but her eyes won't focus on them. She tries the Bellbook, and scarcely has better luck, although her eyes do catch on a certain word.

"Jane."

"Yep?"

"I want to talk to Aether."

"I'll let her know!"

Comments

[subtly_artistic]

Aether shifts her weight uncertainly, then also takes a chair.

[mind_game]

[Sue's free to attempt porting lessons,] Jane reports to Celo and Harley (and also Elspeth and Aether and Amariah, since they are in the relevant rooms).

[pythbox]

"Okay," says Celo. "I'll go do that, then, I guess. Good luck," he says to Aether and Amariah.

He wanders into another room of the tower.

[dark_light]

"So - you don't actually have any advantage over generic Bells unless I want you to poke my brain, huh?" Amariah asks Aether after a silence.

[subtly_artistic]

"Nnnot really, except that I am considering staying in school and I can log this as extracurricular practice. All the details zipped up in patient confidentiality," she adds. "So I might be more willing to listen than somebell else, but I really haven't taken any therapy classes at all, Juliet might have more specific expertise or you could take her Tony-related advice."

[dark_light]

"I think Juliet's case only sounds superficially similar. Probably very different on an emotional level."

[subtly_artistic]

"Probably. She might still know things about how good listeners Tonies are, and the cases do share the characteristic of an innocent person having suddenly dropped into your life without your permission."

[dark_light]

"True." Amariah swallows, closes her eyes. "Jane, you wanna poll some Tonies?"

[mind_game]

"Sure."

And she pings Tonies. [Juliet told Amariah that Tonies were good listeners in case of spontaneous teenage relative. Anybody want to listen to her rant?]

[pythbox]

Fusion, Iron, Sapphire, and Red all answer in the affirmative, Red fastest. Screwdriver says [Maybe?]

Iron Man says [Huh? Never mind, not me, no.]

[mind_game]

[Should I just assume you are exempt from statements in this category about the template?] Jane inquires of Iron Man as she relays the results to Amariah and Aether.

[dark_light]

"I guess in the absence of other distinguishing criteria I'll take Red," says Amariah.

[mind_game]

[You answered first and have spontaneous-teenage-rant-listening-experience, you win, ding ding,] Jane tells Red.

[pythbox]

[Yeah,] says Iron Man, [good plan.]

[toblameforit]

[Ooh, do I get a prize?] says Red. [Is the prize interdimensional travel?]

[mind_game]

[The prize is interdimensional travel. Report to the Janepoint to collect. Or they're in the Belltower, you could go by door if you feel like walking.]

[toblameforit]

He reports to the Janepoint.

[mind_game]

Yoink!

[dark_light]

Here is Amariah, looking like she has had her - well, not her soul stepped on, her soul is sitting on her shoulder in perfect physical health - but at any rate like she is in very poor emotional shape.

[subtly_artistic]

And there is Aether, looking totally out of her depth.

[toblameforit]

"Wow, hi," says Tony, taking a seat. "You look - unhappy. I barely know what's going on, but I guess that might conceivably make me a better person to rant to? Jane just said 'spontaneous teenage relative' and I'd give good odds you didn't get hit with a Soph."

[dark_light]

"No, her name is Helen. I hear Juliet has a sister now. I have a - a daughter."

[toblameforit]

"...Wow," says Tony. "Okay. What, like - happened?"

[dark_light]

"Kas had her. He wasn't trying to have her be anybody's in particular but his, I guess, but the wish - filled in the gap. She looks like a thirteen-year-old Damaris or Yseult, I recognized her right away when she showed up. I was gone a long time."

[toblameforit]

"At least thirteen years, I guess," says Tony. "Wow. I'm sorry."