26. LOL

[heisrisen]

[Public]

[The Emperor stands the hallway of Level One, awkwardly clutching a beehive shaped like a small griffon, with soot smudges on his face, dirt on his clothes, a few drowsy bees bumbling around him, and the door of his room, smoke billowing gently through the sliver of open door behind him.]

No need to be - alarmed.

[His breath catches wrong, and he coughs hard for a few seconds.]

Planned incineration. Perfectly contained.

If nobody claims the bees they're going to the greenhouse.



[Private to Barbara]

I'm going to need a new room.



[Spam - deliveries for Bush, Morgana, Hannibal, and Sylvanas.]

[Hours earlier, but not many- On the morning of the 10th, each of them will open their doors to find neatly potted plants. Bush recieves one elegant apple bonsai, less than two feet high. Morgana gets several pots of pansies, in different colors, arranged so as not to block the door, Sylvanas gets catnip, and Hannibal gets herbs - basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme.]

Comments

private

[heisrisen]

Hush, you.

private

[godsays]

You shouldn't set things on fire without a plan.

Private

[heisrisen]

[The symbiant was his stop signal for so long, it's like he forgot how to do it. He's overcompensating for a barrier that isn't there anymore, and he's spinning out, a little. But he doesn't, selfishly, want to talk about it, not yet anyway. He doesn't regret this and he doesn't want to sound like he does. And he has his pride, in spite of everything. Maybe later.]

None so far. Interested?

private

[heisrisen]

I had a plan. It was a simple plan. I should try more of those.

[yeah sure dude let's see how that goes]

Private

[bodilesswarrior]

It would definitely be a new experience. [She knows enough facts about bees, but actually keeping them is something else.] Can't say I don't like the idea of fresh honey.

[beingdifferent]

I'm glad it was.

[Perhaps she should do similarly, burn the old and shake off the ashes to become something new. It seems she's losing quite a bit of herself recently.

She pauses for a moment before offering a neutral question.] May I see the bees? I've never closely looked at a hive before, nor seen one fashioned like that.

[onecertainly]

Bees?

[shakenandlimp]

...you've burnt your garden.

[Some clues are blatant enough even for a man with no imagination.]

Oh dear.

[walkingmeltdown]

You want to maybe put out a warning the next time you do a thing like that? I was just on my way out of the dining hall and I thought we might have hit something again.

private

[godsays]

No.

[ Exercising boyfriend veto power. ]

Private

[heisrisen]

It's very good.

We'd have to synthesize a nectar replacement.

[Not really a con.]

private

[heisrisen]

Okay.

[Back to complicated plans, he supposes.]

[heisrisen]

If you like.

Come quickly, though, they'll wake up when the effects of the smoke wear off.

[heisrisen]

Yes.

[heisrisen]

Yes.

It wasn't like - I mean it was spontaneous, I lit the first match without realizing I'd even done it, but then I panicked and stamped it out and gave away a few things I wanted to save and started again.

You will keep the apple tree, won't you? It's not hard to care for.

[Please.]

[heisrisen]

The last time I did a thing like that, we did hit something.

[Spam]

[heisrisen]

[Some time later, when he swings back to check -]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

[He laughs and sits down, rubbing Lirath's ears. Big doofus kitty.]

Re: private

[godsays]

Good plans. Plans where you include a fire extinguisher or a smoke mask.

[onecertainly]

They allow you to keep bees aboard a ship?

[heisrisen]

The garden has countermeasures. I had to turn them off manually. I didn't want it extinguished.

[heisrisen]

Yes. There's another hive in the greenhouse already. The Marquis and I stole them when we landed in Chicago.

De Carabas, not de Sade. He's gone now.

[beingdifferent]

You don't mind?

[heisrisen]

Only if you bother them. Bees are wonderful creatures.

[People should appreciate themmmm.]

[beingdifferent]

Then I'll come to have a look.

[She arrives quickly, as drowsy bees are much better than fully alert and possibly angry bees.]

Why is the hive shaped like that?

[Spam]

[forsaken_queen]

[Lirath rolls his large head against the Emperor's leg, purring like thunder. He hugs the plant reflexively, more soil spilling out into his white belly. Someone is going to need a bath.]