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

[dark_light]

"This is still sounding like the best plan we have going?"

[mindfields]

"It seems to be the only plan we have going," says Yseult, "and not a bad one."

[dark_light]

"...Okay. Jane, if you wouldn't mind?"

[mind_game]

[On it.]

[Hullo, Helen, I am Jane!]

[telesonorous]

[Hello, Jane,] says Helen, tentatively.

[mind_game]

[Your alts are in the Belltower and want to talk to you. Amariah's there too but she'll leave if you'd rather.]

[telesonorous]

[I wouldn't rather that. I don't know if - well. How do I get to the Belltower?]

[mind_game]

[I can take you there, just go to the basement of Amariah's house.]

[telesonorous]

She tries to do that.

She cannot do that.

She goes where Kas is instead.

[truthwright]

"Hey, button," Kas says quietly from the living room floor.

[telesonorous]

"Hey. How do I get into the basement?"

[truthwright]

"Oh." He flutters a hand. "There ya go."

[telesonorous]

Helen hugs him.

She tries teleporting into the basement again.

It works this time.

[mind_game]

"Hi!" say Jane's speakers. "Ready? D'you want to bring your daemon?"

[telesonorous]

"I wasn't planning to. Will something terrible happen if I don't?"

[mind_game]

"Not if you're separated, no."

[telesonorous]

Helen nods. "Okay."

[mind_game]

"Here goes."

Pop!

[telesonorous]

"...Hi," says Helen, to the assembled.

[dark_light]

"Hi."

[telesonorous]

Helen just sort of stands there for a few seconds.

Then she says tentatively, "I'm Helen Ianthe. And um, my daemon's Kalavar but she stayed home. She doesn't really do indoors that well."

[dark_light]

"Well, I'm - Isabella Amariah, and this is Pathalan," (Path is on her shoulder again since the hugging concluded), "which you probably already knew, and - doesn't do indoors?"

[telesonorous]

"She's six feet tall with a twenty-four-foot wingspan," Helen explains. "Argentavis magnificens. She can more or less fit in most buildings, but she feels cramped there, and even if people are careful, somebody could bump into her."

[fortissima]

Damaris's wings unfold slightly and she peers at them as though trying to compare.

[dark_light]

"You can't tuck her away, then? - Kas didn't - how much stuff about - stuff do you know?" Amariah asks, gesturing generally at the Belltower.