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

[toblameforit]

"Huh," says Tony. "Postcards. Okay. Um, well, is this," he gestures between the two of them to indicate their conversation, "helping with the calming down part?"

[dark_light]

"Yes. I am calming down," says Amariah. "Probably I'll be fit for innocent-thirteen-year-old company any minute now."

[toblameforit]

Tony smiles wryly. "Okay, good."

[dark_light]

"You are totally getting a second recommendation next time a Bell comes down with Spontaneous Teenage Relative Syndrome."

[toblameforit]

He laughs.

"Great. The job I've always wanted." Smiling, he adds, "No but seriously, glad I could help."

[dark_light]

"I appreciate it." Amariah closes her eyes. "I suppose the option of pastwatching her childhood exists, but that might make it worse. I can't exactly go 'no, I don't like the name Helen' or 'why are you letting her eat that bug' and have it change anything."

[toblameforit]

Tony winces. "You don't like her name? Ouch."

[dark_light]

"I know, right? Don't tell her," says Amariah ruefully. "It's not terrible, it's not like he called her Euphemia or something, just - I definitely would not have named her that."

[toblameforit]

"Yeah," says Tony. "On the other hand, at least she has a name."

[dark_light]

"Yyyes, although I did briefly wonder if she had when it occurred to me all I heard Kas call her was 'button' and the Joker let his boyfriend name their kids."

[toblameforit]

"Still, he's got one up on me there."

[dark_light]

"And Sherlock turned out all Sherlocky, which is, as the multiversal observational study proves, not strongly related to anything you did - so I guess I should expect Helen to turn out templatey, too, unless that's just a way the templates in question differ. I suppose I could see if Yseult or Damaris wants to talk to me."

[toblameforit]

"You could do that!" says Tony. "That is something you could do. And if they both want to talk to you at the same time, that might be a better way to get a handle on what's template stuff and what's just so-and-so stuff."

[dark_light]

"Oh, good point. Yeah, that probably makes sense now I'm not - about to burst into tears." (Path leans his head on her cheek.)

[toblameforit]

Tony winces. "Also I could hug you," he says. "If that would help any."

[dark_light]

Amariah considers this, and then she gently tucks Path away and stands up from her chair and holds out her arms.

[toblameforit]

Tony hugs her.

[dark_light]

Hugs.

"Thanks for listening."

[toblameforit]

"Anytime," he says. "I mean, hopefully never again? But anytime."

[dark_light]

"I understand completely," she laughs. "Jane, can you talk to Yseult and Damaris for me?"

[mind_game]

"I will invite them over."

[Hey, Yseult, Jane here.]

[Hey, Damaris, it's Jane.]

[fortissima]

[Hi, Jane!] says Damaris.

[mindfields]

[Hello,] says Yseult.

[mind_game]

[So,] Jane says to both of them, [Amariah would like to talk to you and your alt about your template. She's in the Belltower. D'you have a while?]

[mindfields]

[Yes,] says Yseult.