Quoted By:
>Ellery. Bro. Touch grass
>73, 1, 109 vs. DC 55 -- Mitigated Success
"No?" you say. "Why would I ever decree that? If you don't want a body back, I don't care, but you should at least go talk to people. They're probably going to want to talk to you, you realize? What are you going to do, walk away? I happen to know first-hand that they all care about you, for <span class="mu-i">some</span> reason, and they got really worried when they heard you were in mind exile, and they'll be even more worried if you ignore them for no reason, so— yeah. Go talk to Monty! Or Eloise! Or Madrigal some more. I know they're busy, but talk to them when they're not. It's not like they won't make time for you."
"I should go talk to them?" Ellery says. "That's your decree? Herald?"
"No! Did I not explain this enough? I can't go around decreeing... I mean, I can strongly recommend it, which I do, because you'd be stupid not to. But I'm not the Herald, like I told you, just now, in great detail, so no! That's not my decree! Stop being a jerk."
"I can't help it. It's what I am." He grins fiercely at you. "And what are you, Charlotte? If you're not the Herald, you must be a nosy little kid. And I don't listen to kids. Sorry. Run along."
"It's a normal suggestion!" you say. "What would Anthea say, huh? She'd probably say the same exact thing as me. Should I go get her?"
"Don't drag Thea into this." He's suddenly serious. "She'll faint. This is between you and me. And between you and me, <span class="mu-i">kid,</span> there's nothing left. You got what you came for. If you won't face the facts, leave me the fuck alone."
"You're delusional!"
"Takes one to know one. Hey, tell Thea I headed home, will you?"
"What? Hey!" (Ellery has fished out his pocket mirror.) "Put that away! You're not done here! What about Casey?"
"What about him?"
"Uh..." You don't know. "What about all the Headspace employees? Don't you care about them? Ellery!" He's flipped the mirror open. "Fine! I decree, as a— as a strictly temporary vessel of the Herald, that you should put that away and go talk to Monty. Is that what you want?"
He looks up. "You don't mean it."
"Yes I do! I mean it super hard. Don't be stupid, Ellery— Ellery? Come on!" He's looking down again. "Tell me what you want me to say!"
"I don't care what you say. I want you to <span class="mu-s">mean</span> it."
"I don't know what that..." He's raised the mirror to his face. "Damnit! Give me that!"
Before you can think, you've lashed out and snatched back Ellery's sticklike wrist, the one attached to the hand with the mirror. You hold it pincerlike between the two of you. Ellery, a head taller than you, looks down into your eyes. He's half-smiling.
Without tugging his wrist away, he rotates it, so the pocket mirror is facing toward you. "Look."
(1/5)
