in which the narration is suggestive, yet vague

[subtly_artistic]

Neckrubs become a more regular part of Bella's life. And she does not tell him to stop until she is good and done. There is hugging. There is snuggling. There is kissing. There are some impressively sappy looks from his end, some fascinated mindreading from hers. The semester wraps up, Bella goes home for a week, and she comes back (now signed up for Utility Psionics 2, Intro to Mental Healing, Arcane Defense, Intro Cognition, and her survival credit, a lecture entitled "Wilderness Triage" (subtitled: Quick And Dirty Mechanisms For Identifying The Lesser Of Several Evils).

She missed Celo! She seeks him out at once. Hugs.

Comments

[dark_light]

[Any suggestions?] Amariah asks Celo. [I mean, she hasn't tried to behead me yet.]

[pythbox]

Celo shakes his head and doesn't answer by brainphone.

He does say: "What if I already knew?"

"Bet you don't," says Callahan.

"I might," says Celo.

[dark_light]

Amariah will let him take it from here for a bit.

[pythbox]

"You really don't," says Callahan. "But let's hear it. What's your guess?"

Celo glances reluctantly at Amariah. Then he says, "I think you knew they were coming somehow and you want them to kill a god. Maybe a bunch of gods."

Callahan cracks up.

[dark_light]

"The local Bell was very clear on considering annoying local gods a bad idea."

(She was also clear on considering talking to Callahan a bad idea, but.)

[pythbox]

"Yeah, she would be," says Callahan. "But I have faith that something's going to come along and kick her in the ass one of these days."

"So I was right," says Celo.

"Nope," says Callahan.

[dark_light]

"This isn't a good place for a Bell. It's stunted her growth. I don't think she's going to do anything interesting without help. She's met more of her now and she's still - showing up to classes, talking about being a mental healer when she grows up."

[pythbox]

"Can't be helped," says Callahan. "Yet."

Celo frowns thoughtfully at her.

[dark_light]

"Hmm?"

[pythbox]

"I could swear I was right about something," says Celo.

"Bet you could," Callahan agrees.

Celo grins. "Yeah, but would I be right?"

"Depends on the something," says Callahan.

[dark_light]

Amariah... listens. She is not Diplomacy Bell, but she can sometimes be Quiet Bell.

[pythbox]

"You know something about how Bells work. You know that there are Bells," says Celo. "And you want them to do something Bellish, which apparently means dangerously hubristic. Am I right so far?"

"No comment," says Callahan.

[dark_light]

"We don't all get anywhere without help."

[pythbox]

"Believe me," says Callahan, "I know."

"...You're just jerking us around because you like to watch us squirm, aren't you," Celo accuses.

Callahan grins sunnily.

[dark_light]

"I'm having trouble reconciling your behavior with you being a person who'd invite Bell influence."

[pythbox]

"Yep," says Callahan. "That's because you think that if things were going your way, you could knock me around. And you think the only reason to order up a Bell is so you can set up shop as a benevolent local deity. Wrong and wrong."

[dark_light]

"Care to enlighten me?"

[pythbox]

"Take a guess," says Callahan.

[dark_light]

"Reasons to 'order up' a Bell," contemplates Amariah. "We do lean pretty hard on the benevolent local deity angle. Given the chance, which the local is convinced she doesn't have. Some people like having us around for personal reasons," she inclines her head at Celo, "but you're not lining up to be her best friend."

[pythbox]

Callahan snorts eloquently.

[dark_light]

Amariah is starting to wish the landing party had included a Sherlock. "I suppose you wouldn't have to like what Bells do if you just disliked the alternative enough."

[pythbox]

"There is that," says Callahan, nodding.

[dark_light]

"Which just leaves all manner of politics, infrastructure, thaumatology, natural processes, and infuriating local metaphysics that could have you displeased."

[pythbox]

Callahan looks simultaneously inscrutable and smug.

[dark_light]

"Of the things on the list, though, the one she'll need fixed before she can accomplish any of the others is the last. Perhaps you think we're going to manage it."