hello milliways

[callmeleo]

Another day, another mysterious bar appearing out of nowhere. Leo is acquainted with Milliways and its lurking habits. He doesn't even bother calling Zanna; it'd take her too long to come over, and they get doors fairly regularly, so he just goes in and gets some absinthe with crushed cochineal. (Demonic tastes make for very odd mixed drinks.)

Comments

[liakoura]

"What's wrong with yours?"

[callmeleo]

"Can't get anything done, not very nice to the poor, slow and belligerent about granting various groups their rights. And just generally unpleasant people, for the most part."

[liakoura]

"King doesn't care much about doing his job, just installs people he happens to like doing everything and is a dick to his family. It lets things rattle along okay when he's not looking, though. And he doesn't get to pick primes."

[callmeleo]

"Well, he'll die eventually. I could lay a curse on him if you'd like to speed it up and have something with a connection to him, would that be worthwhile? You can prop the door open or I could take a vacation to Horoscope Land for a few weeks or months until I next find a door."

[liakoura]

"Oh, hey, that didn't even occur to me, you could come to my world, you'd fascinate Kiri. Miniature Pocket Kiri is ambivalent about cursing the king to the point where it's worth asking Actual Kiri. You want to come visit?"

[callmeleo]

"Eh, Milliways will... probably... stop time back home for me. If not, Mom and Zanna can scry me after a few days and that'll tell them I haven't been eaten or anything. And it's not like my knitting circle's going to miss me. I'd want to take some books for curses and generally witching at your kingdom, though... I'll get them from Bar, that's what the expense fund is for. And I assume room and board won't be a problem given you have three houses and a wing of the palace."

[liakoura]

"Oh, yeah, Kiri'll put you in a guest room. We're in the big estate now, lots of room. How do you feel about letting her mind-read you?"

[callmeleo]

"My thoughts might be a bit cloudy on account of shadowbrain, and, uh, they might be more unpleasant than she's used to because of apocalyptic hellworld, but she's welcome to go for it, I may have mentioned that I'm not one of those 'unimpeachable sanctity of the mind' types."

[liakoura]

"Cool, that will make her more inclined to be okay with you bringing in otherworldly magic."

[callmeleo]

"This is going to be less 'what is this man capable of' and more 'what is this man planning to do in my nice shiny kingdom', right? Because it's not exactly unheard of for me to do unpleasant things with my alien magic, but I'm willing to play nice in your sister's shiny kingdom because I suspect she could turn me into a greasy stain on the floor."

[liakoura]

"I think I've mentioned Kiri doesn't approve of murder? She isn't going to, like, squish you in revenge for whatever unpleasantness. If you behave while you're visiting."

[callmeleo]

"I wasn't saying revenge, It's about- her being okay with me. Her squishing me is just a background possibility."

[liakoura]

"...I can't promise she'll like you on, like, a personal level."

[callmeleo]

"What? No, I just didn't want to get you in any shit. I guarantee your sister will not like me, and I can't promise I won't be kind of delighted by it. She kind of reminds me of Zanna, it'd be funny."

[liakoura]

"She will definitely not like reminding you of your murder friend. But no, I'll be fine, me and Kiri are good, she'd be way more upset if I didn't try to bring her any magic."

[callmeleo]

"In that case... want to go home? Or would you rather wait for the gay to wear off, or something, that sounds potentially awkward."

[liakoura]

"I don't mind encountering Kiri while still gay," says Aleko. He reaches for his clothes and starts putting them on.

[callmeleo]

Leo does the same, after inducing his surroundings to stop containing sticky and licorice-scented substances.

[liakoura]

And now they are dressed!

"So the door just - will let you follow me out?"

[callmeleo]

"Yep! You'll have to hold it, but I can come through. You could do the same for a jaunt into Apocalyptic Hellworld if you liked, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say you don't."

[liakoura]

"I'll pass."

Once they are all clothed, back down the stairs they go. Hello, door. Aleko holds it open.

[callmeleo]

"Well, not yet, I have to do my shopping."

Leo winds up with an actual shopping cart full of books, various herbs, shiny rocks, et cetera and so on. "Okay, now with the door."

[liakoura]

Aleko re-opens and holds the door.

[callmeleo]

Leo trundles his shopping through the door.

"Nice place," he notes.

[liakoura]

"Yep. Sooo - if I just close the door and then open it again, library?"