092: Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose

[Sierra]

* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: None! | '
<El-Cideon> After a thorough looting of Krae's mansion, the Furies return home to celebrate victory by, in all probability, getting astonishingly drunk. The party swings back out into the city to pick up one wayward father before following the mercenary company back to Azure. Clear skies and clear heads no doubt strike everyone as a relief after the constant malaise of Baator.
* Franceska is happy to just fly a bit with the power of her mind, rather than a pair of wings.
<Steph> Stephanie seemed on-board with the plan of getting drunk, but her constitution fails her by preventing any imbibement from taking much effect. "What are the most joyful things in life?" she wonders, leaning over the side of the deck.
<Julia> Julia left the dryad with instructions to turn the mansion into a home for the poor and then promptly forgot all about her. "Good food, good friends?" she muses to Stephanie's question. "Music, too."
<Franceska> "Being able to leave terrible places you don't like."
<El-Cideon> "Going home," Rosemund says, sounding as though this encompasses all other responses. "But this will have to be close enough for now."
<Steph> "Ah, I should've visited an infernal bar. The drinks pack a punch, I could've stolen a recipe." Stephanie blinks. "Wait, I could become a bartender! If I can't get drunk, I can test out a huge number of cocktails real quick..."
<El-Cideon> "What kind of world do we live in, where Stephanie can no longer become intoxicated?" Rosemund jests as she steers the ship toward the asylum.
<Julia> "You'd ruin your palate, though," Julia points out a flaw in that plan.
<Steph> "Wouldn't more exposure sharpen it?"
<Julia> "Not if you do them all quickly. You'd be tasting the last three cocktails while testing the fourth."
<Steph> "Maybe if I learn to make a little whirlwind with my tongue, I could clean it?"
* Franceska tunes Stephanie out by that point.
<Julia> "I'm sure that would have all sorts of uses," Julia can't help but crack a smile there.
<El-Cideon> Ione is found wandering the gallery, taking in the sights. "Come to check in on Her Majesty?" she asks in greeting. "Or did you find yet more lost souls in need of a home?"
<Franceska> "The former," Franceska responds, glad to see her.
<Julia> "This trip was refreshingly free of that," Julia says, unless Franceska's father would like to check himself in. "How's she doing?"
<El-Cideon> "You mean, 'How are they doing?'" Ione corrects. "I think they grudgingly accept the other's existence at least. I've taken Her Majesty out on brief trips to see the city when she was in her right mind, quite against her protestations about how dangerous she is. Of course, I hesitate to extend the same privileges to her other self, but at least the shifts follow a predictable schedule."
<Julia> "Small mercies," Julia says. It'd be difficult to work with if she did it randomly. "No sign of her villainous side mellowing out?"
<Steph> "She seemed pragmatic. Maybe she'll refrain from being such a huge bitch if it means her decent half will lock herself up again, or go for suicide."
<El-Cideon> "She no longer greets me with promises of unspeakable torment simply for keeping her imprisoned," Ione confirms. "Of course, that may just be a practical approach. She's been engaged in a dialogue of sorts with her other half, for what that's with." As she leads the way through the gallery to the asylum proper, she nods to Stephanie. "I would not consider either act outside of Her Majesty's inclinations."
<Julia> "Oh, who won the chess game?" Julia asks, recalling she was left just starting that.
<Steph> "Ten gold says it'll be a stalemate."
<Julia> "I'll take that bet," Julia says, figuring the evil queen won but so long as either did she'll be up ten gold.
<Franceska> "Bets aside, how does she greet you now?" Franceska asks Ione.
<El-Cideon> Ione snorts. "Quite frankly, they are both appalling strategists. I think this took Her Vampiric Majesty rather by surprise." To Franceska, she says, "With an imperious smile that means to suggest she could escape any time she wished to do so, if it suited her. I've seen more convincing acts." Ione leaves you in a conference room with a nice view of the city and goes to retrieve Auranelle, now supposedly in the docile half of her cycle. The queen is wearing a respectable dress and, upon recognizing you, a downcast expression.
<El-Cideon> "Should we bow?" Rosemund whispers, not quietly enough for the queen answers, "I no longer reign. Do not trouble yourself."
<Franceska> "It is nice to see you again, Majesty," Franceska greets the queen, her crown sensibly removed ahead of time. Since a bow is waved off, a middle ground between politeness and casualness will have to do.
<El-Cideon> "Is it?" Auranelle sounds genuinely perplexed as to how this could be so.
<Julia> "Well you're still royalty, I mean I think we'd have to bow for any member of the royal family?" Julia hazards, not really up on her high strata formalities. She bends her waist a little in an awkward compromise. "But yes, it is nice!" she quickly seconds Franceska. "We wouldn't have come visit otherwise."
<Franceska> "Of course it is," she agrees. "After all, we are meeting out here like this. I hoped as much."
<El-Cideon> "It's pleasant to hear that," she says, taking a seat instinctively at the head of the table. Ione sits next to her, keeping a careful watch on her patient.
* Franceska sits down on Ione's other side, at that. "How have you been?" she asks, interested in hearing the answer directly from the queen.
<Julia> "So how have you found Azure?" Julia asks, taking a seat herself. "I've liked it very much on my own visits." Mainly because she can walk around with a giant undead dragon and no one really cares to say anything about it.
<Steph> Stephanie drops in place beside Julia, but only scrutinizes the queen for now.
<El-Cideon> "Properly behaved," she answers Franceska with an attempt at brightness, but then feeling obliged to point out, "at least fifty percent of the time." To Julia, she says, "Flight required a degree of adjustment. I realized with a start how long it had been since I saw a real sky. But the expansiveness of the city is refreshing, though perhaps some of the customs of its strange inhabitants were rather more permissive than would ever have countenanced in Solata."
<Julia> "Well when everyone can just fly away I suppose that requires certain liberties?" Julia surmises.
<Steph> "The threat of exile probably does enough for keeping people from being too rowdy. I mean, it can't be easy navigating this plane."
<El-Cideon> "It's been suggested to me that such liberty of movement innately fosters a certain...lassitude of authority? One could hardly build a wall around this city, after all."
<Franceska> "It would be rather pointless," Franceska agrees.
<Julia> "Well there were lots of walls in hell even though most devils can either fly or teleport. I suppose it makes them comfortable?"
<Steph> "I guess justice is mostly a personal thing around here- though there are enough decent-hearted guilds and temples around in case anyone gets too rowdy."
<El-Cideon> Auranelle looks out the window. "It's in the nature of some creatures to draw comfort from being bound within restraints." She draws a breath. "I must ask whether you've ever any intent of bringing me back home."
<Franceska> "Yes, actually. But that depends on how such a visit would go."
<Julia> "We'd quite like to do so, just when your other half can be... better behaved," Julia says, to borrow Auranelle's terminology.
<El-Cideon> "If it suits the later fulfillment of her hungers to cooperate for a time, I suspect she might," Auranelle admits. "I would not suggest we be permitted to remain at liberty unsupervised." She glances at Ione, who's forced to nod in agreement. "We are told that one of our former servants has ordered the execution of at least one innocent soul in our name," Auranelle says solemnly. "We are in agreement that such transgressions cannot be allowed to continue."
* Franceska perks up!
<Julia> Is that the royal we or does she mean both Auranelles? It'd probably be rude to ask, so Julia just nods pleasantly.
<Steph> "We can probably get somewhere if you head to court, and present your signet ring," reflects Stephanie. "We can either just try gatecrashing the palace- well, we will likely have to do things that way, unless we can think of a good way to lay the groundwork with people inside it ahead of time."
<Franceska> "Arriving to it in our ship should gather enough attention," Franceska offers.
<Julia> "I feel like I should bring lots of undead because we'll probably be attacked... but if I bring them I guarantee we get attacked, don't I?" Julia muses over her dilemma with this plan.
<Franceska> "What if they're just hiding belowdecks?"
<Steph> "We'd be accosted by the mages immediately," points out Stephanie. "Once the archmage saw what was up he'd probably attack. I think we should head to the palace with Her Majesty in disguise, then bluff our way into court to see the King. He'll give her a hearing."
<El-Cideon> "I will *not* return to court," Auranelle says with sudden vehemence. "Let my son reign in peace and ignorance of my fate. Isn't that kindest?"
<Franceska> "Then we will need your help to lure the traitor out. If you write to him, and we have it delivered...."
<Steph> Stephanie coughs. "Or, well, I suppose that's a fair condition," she admits. It reduces them to knives and daggers, and removes her chance of making a splash...
<Julia> "I can see that," Julia nods, agreeing with Auranelle's motherly feelings. "But we really need to do something about that evil wizard."
<El-Cideon> "If he thinks to act on my behalf, then it may be he would respond to a written invitation," Auranelle admits. "He wouldn't simply assume it to be a fabrication since he already knows that I still..." She hesitates with the last word. "Live."
<Julia> "I could get an angel or something to deliver it, so we needn't go to the palace personally," Julia suggests. "Then we pick a location, with lots of undead nearby in case he shows up with an army?"
<Steph> "He can't have a huge number of conspirators whom he can call upon," reflects Stephanie. "I doubt he'll show up with an army. Maybe a squad of special forces and a few other mages, and maybe some bound creatures or golems."
<Franceska> "That sounds fine. A day's riding away from the capital?" Franceska muses.
<El-Cideon> Auranelle shifts a little uncomfortably at the mention of large hosts of undead, but evidently doesn't feel entitled any longer to object to their existence. "There is one thing that I must caution you about," she adds. "Ione tells me that my other self and I trade possession in accordance with the daily cycle of Solata itself. I may be of use to you only as a voice of authority. My twin would be only too effective at committing egregious acts of violence, as you know, but it may be that this is in fact what you require of us. This man tried to silence us once; it may be he will consider this meeting only a better opportunity. So consider carefully when to stage this confrontation as well as where."
<Steph> "I don't know what kind of diplomatic solution we could enact," says Stephanie, sighing. "He killed Leah, and likely more besides to keep these secrets. We can't let that go, and even if we did- what, demand he exiles himself?"
<Julia> "Well... I'm not sure we can hope for all that violence not to be directed our way, can we?" Julia says. Not to mention the potential for mayhem if she starts dominating them.
<Steph> She pauses. "But those with him might be more willing to be persuaded..."
<El-Cideon> "I leave it to you to decide," the queen says primly. "Your lives are the ones at risk. My own is of little consequence."
<Steph> "I don't really want to kill decent servants of the kingdom, if we can avoid it," says Stephanie. "I also don't think we need to rely on some vampire to do our fighting for us. We should meet at dawn and see if we can persuade them to turn in their boss. And if they spring a surprise attack, we'll just handle it when it comes."
<El-Cideon> Auranelle nods. She looks satisfied with this decision.
<Franceska> "I find myself in agreement with Stephanie. Your Majesty, having you with us is all that we need."
<Julia> "Diplomacy could win out." And if not she has plenty of undead without needing a vampire.
<El-Cideon> "When do you plan to proceed?" Auranelle asks. She adds, with a deferential look at Ione, "That is, presuming I am permitted to leave." Ione's response is to the group: "I'd feel personally responsible of anything untoward happened. I feel bound to accompany her majesty, but then I also don't suspect your kingdom would welcome my presence."
<Julia> "We'll pick a place where we can hide... things or people we don't want being seen unless it turns violent?" Julia suggests. "Some old ruined castle or something, maybe?"
<Steph> "Old battlegrounds," replies Stephanie. "There were some not too far from the capital. Nobody likes going there, since everyone thinks they're haunted. Plenty of old watch-towers and dugouts to hide in."
<El-Cideon> "Your tower hides lots of unpleasant things, does it not?" Rosemund points out, then feeling it necessary to add, "I only mean that in a nice way."
<Franceska> "There is no need to leave such a direct link."
<Julia> "Not to mention its a week's journey from the capital. We need somewhere closer."
<El-Cideon> "I just meant it as a safe place for strange people to stay until our plan takes effect," Rosemund clarifies.
<Julia> "Oh, of course I'd be happy to host you both," Julia beams at Ione and Auranelle.
<El-Cideon> "Not that anyone in this room is terribly strange, or that there could be anything wrong with that," she adds hurriedly.
<Steph> "We are all incredibly strange," Stephanie feels the need to voice.
<El-Cideon> "It's secluded from living populations?" Auranelle asks, sounding sad to require the question.
<Julia> "It's about a mile and a half out of town," Julia says. "Not to mention it gets quite labyrinthine below the surface, so there should be plenty to keep your other half occupied, your majesty." Plus various undead to restrain her if it becomes necessary.
<El-Cideon> "I think it should suffice," Auranelle says. "I will insist that I be safely restrained before nightfall, of course. I'll not permit any opportunity for her to cause mischief."
<Franceska> Her spot next to Ione allows Franceska to easily gain her attention, and ask, "Has there been any progress with Brijid?"
<El-Cideon> "Of a sort," Ione says. "I'm certain she'll not regain her essential self on her own initiative. She could only learn it all over again. I believe I could turn the gem that was used to store her memory into some concoction that could be imbibed and, hopefully, restore all recollection to her. I'd not yet taken the liberty of doing so, however. It's something of an experiment."
<Franceska> "Are you waiting to test it on someone else, first?"
<El-Cideon> "I may," she says. "I've still got the other gem you provided me with initially. Of course, it would be a powerfully confusing experience to ingest someone else's memories, would it not? But then, you've been around Azure, and it should be no great surprise that we've our share of adventurous souls open to such odd thrills. I could find a volunteer if I wished to, once I conclude whatever moral uncertainties I have with the experiment."
<Franceska> "It would be for the best. Do you think you would have time to do this while we arrange the meeting?"
<Steph> "I could do it. My mind is strong!"
<El-Cideon> "I'll look into it," Ione says. With a wry smile, she points out to Stephanie, "It sounds as though you have you own immediate challenges to attend to."
<Steph> "Eheh, I suppose."
<El-Cideon> "Well, please let us know when you are prepared to embark upon your journey home," Ione concludes. "Unless there's anything else?"
<Julia> "No, I think we're ready?" Julia says, unless anyone else has other plans.
<El-Cideon> Shortly the whole gang is gathered back onboard the ship and Rosemund brings everyone back home. You arrive in the air above Julia's tower. Spring has got itself vigorously underway during your absence and it's a warm, verdant morning on the outskirts of Amaranth.
<El-Cideon> Auranelle flinches reflexively from the sunlight but, shading her eyes a moment, seems to come to no particular harm.
<Julia> "Oh, it's a nice day," Julia smiles approvingly, although she'd better get inside soon given her fair complexion and tendancy to burn up, if not quite as catastrophically as a vampire would. Looking at both Bedford and Scarlet she frowns a bit, since she's running out of space to store all her giant-sized undead. "It might be a little cramped until I can get some of these down below," she
<Julia> says apologetically. "The tower isn't very roomy itself, but I've hollowed out much of the hill for extra space."
<Franceska> "We'll see you soon, then?" Franceska muses, glancing over at Rosemund.
<Steph> "Hey, Julia, can I stay with you while we're here?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund lowers the ship down to the ground so everyone can disembark. "I suppose I shouldn't still be unnerved by such things," Auranelle admits with resignation, in regard to Julia's undead minions.
<Steph> "No, no, it's normal."
<Franceska> "I'm still unnerved," Franceska agrees.
<Julia> "Of course, there's plenty of room for people that aren't giant monsters," she says, clapping an affectionate hand on Bedford's femur. Stepping off she opens the door into open plan ground floor, where a large marble statue of Auranelle has pride of place at the far end, with stairs up on one side and a large tunnel down on the other. "Come on you," she bids the dragon and nightmare, corralling
<Julia> them down said tunnel to the larger chambers excavated below.
<El-Cideon> "Oh my," Auranelle exhales quietly. She's no longer capable of blushing, but she probably would be if it was physiologically possible.
<Julia> "Oh, we found that in your cathedral," Julia tells the Queen, smiling. "I think it's rather striking, so I just had to bring it home with me."
<El-Cideon> Auranelle forces herself to appraise it critically. "It's very accurate and lifelike," she admits stiffly, "but I believe we will wait upstairs." So saying, the queen seeks out a place to securely hide herself away before nightfall, with Ione shadowing her all the way.
<Julia> "I'll send Maeandar and Friday up to stand guard," Julia calls after them, going to fetch her more reasonably sized minions before making a start on dinner.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund takes Franceska back into the city for some personal business while Julia and Stephanie remain behind to watch over the queen. As Rosemund sets the ship down a safe distance from the city walls, she says, "I will be going to see the high priest but, um, privately. Is there anything that you wanted to do first?"
<Franceska> "Just visit home, I think," Franceska responds with a shrug. "See Darren and Grey. You are most welcome to come by later?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods, with some minor reluctance dons the hat of disguise she's obliged to use at home to conceal her transformation, and parts ways for the time being.
* Franceska simply heads back home. After spending some time in hell, it would be nice to catch up on far more mundane matters.
<Julia> After the sun goes down, Julia goes to see the other Auranelle to see how she's doing and also ask about the statue!
<El-Cideon> Rosemund eventually rejoins Franceska at home (evidently preferring it to her own empty one at the moment), seeming more at ease about something. Grey is not immediately in evidence, returning around evening to note with some surprise the return of her employer. "Oh, my apologies, Miss Durant," she says with a respectful bow. "I was seeing to your other residence."
<Franceska> "I'm glad to see it and our guest taken care of," Franceska responds with a nod. "Have things been quiet around here? I don't suppose I had any visitors?"
<Steph> Not feeling much like visiting anyone for now, Stephanie tags along with Julia to hopefully get in a few jokes at the vampire-queen's expense.
<El-Cideon> Auranelle herself ultimately decided that an underground cell was the best place for her after nightfall. She can be found there with Ione standing outside the door. "She's very interested in what she perceives as our upcoming act of revenge," Ione says first to Julia, implying the queen's transformation after nightfall. "I suspect she'll cooperate until that's done. Afterwards..." She sounds dubious.
<El-Cideon> Grey shakes her head. "It's been very quiet lately, so I often spend the afternoons seeing to the other house."
<Julia> "Well still, it's nice that she's caring about other people," Julia says, taking this as a sign of progress. "Can I go in and talk to her?"
<Steph> "You know, if her transformation is related to the phases of the sun, you'd think the temple might be able to do something," muses Stephanie. "But it's so awkward to ask them..."
<El-Cideon> "I think so," Ione says, "though perhaps it's best if we all go in and talk to her." As she busies herself unlocking the door, she says to Stephanie, "Her majesty did not wish her condition to become widely known. I suppose you could try to convince her otherwise if you wish."
<Franceska> "You like it there?" Franceska inquires. "The reason I ask is that my travels seem to be drawing to an end, soon. But where I will live afterwards had not been decided. One of the houses here or, perhaps, one on a nicer plane."
<Steph> "I kind of get it, though. If I had a powerful and violent evil side, I wouldn't tell anyone."
<El-Cideon> Ione nods. "I think she prefers being remembered as a martyr. I hardly find that a great surprise, but it reminds me that she avoids addressing what actually *will* occupy the remainder of her conceivably eternal existence." The cell door opens, and within the queen is sitting calmly on a wooden bench, hands folded in her lap with a carefully knowing expression on her face. "I hear that you're all preparing another devious scheme," she says imperiously.
<Julia> "I'm not sure if it's devious," Julia admits. Their last scheme in Hell certainly qualified, but this? "We're just luring out a wizard with something he very much wants to conceal so we can ruin or kill him."
<El-Cideon> "It's a very pleasant place to spend the days, Miss Durant," Grey says. "There's just the wind in the trees and the brook and whatever the two of us wish to talk about. I like it very much," she admits hesitantly, "now that I am accustomed to it. Brass was a much busier place."
<Franceska> "Then I believe I will keep this arrangement," Franceska muses. "Perhaps I'll need to invest in ways to call me back should anything happen, but other than that you will be taking care of my residences in Solata."
<El-Cideon> Auranelle brightens up at this admission. "I would happily assist you in this latter endeavor. I should be glad to inflict such suffering as would leave its mark upon his soul as we send it screaming to the Abyss," she admits with relish. "Why, I could even overlook certain past infractions for the opportunity." She peers around the confines of her cell, as though numbering the sparseness of her accommodations among a long list of personal offenses.
<El-Cideon> Grey blinks in surprise. "But wherever will you be going? Do you mean to be away indefinitely?"
<Steph> "Don't you think he's more likely to go to Baator, Julia?"
<Julia> "Well, we think your more... delicate half, might better serve at undermining everything he believes he's stood for," Julia admits. "But definitely Baator, yes. He seems to be a big fan of structure."
<El-Cideon> "Technicalities," Auranelle dismisses with a wave. "The point of distinction is that we visit upon him such unspeakable torments as to prepare him adequately for an eternity of comparable misery." She looks at Julia and her expression of smug self-assurance curdles into a tighter and more humorless smile. "Well, I hardly see what SHE could do to help you."
<Franceska> "Possibly. I haven't quite decided yet. I do know I no longer want a return to my previous life, and if I must stand out it might as well be in a place where everyone isn't predisposed against me, wouldn't you agree?"
<Julia> "Shame him, really," Julia says, considering it. "Though if that doesn't work out we might need to call upon your more... varied talents, your Majesty," she says to soothe the pain of rejection.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund looks as surprised to hear this as is Franceska's servant. "Really? Where else would you want to live?"
<Franceska> "Air and Astral are at the top of a short list. It is regrettable, but there is no ideal plane for humans out there so I will have to make do."
<El-Cideon> Auranelle laughs, briefly and coldly. "I can as confidently state you will need my talents as I can that hers will be of no avail. I hardly expect this man to be susceptible to diplomacy when his first overture was to send assassins after me. But," she adds with a shrug, "if you must first err before the crucial flaw in your reasoning becomes apparent, so be it."
<El-Cideon> "I am not certain that I understand," Grey admits in a mild panic. "Who then would be my employer? Would I only maintain empty houses?"
<Julia> "On another note, I wanted to ask something about your former residence," Julia asks, changing the subject as this one is fruitless. "There was a rather striking statue of your Majesty in the cathedral which I liberated to decorate my home. I was wondering if you could tell me its provenance?"
<Franceska> "I will be sure to visit once in a while," Franceska tells her calmly. "And you could always come with me, except I believe you like it here?"
<El-Cideon> "Oh, I had that machine carve it up for me," Auranelle answers. "Very handy with sharp implements, that one. Hadn't a degree of artistic talent installed when they created him, but took instruction very well and worked tirelessly. I had to oversee his efforts very carefully for years before he was capable of carrying out the work to my satisfaction. I'll have you know it was a grueling ordeal watching over his shoulder all the while! Whenever he wasn't otherwise occupied, that is." She straightens up and nods sharply in approval. "It pleases me to hear you're sensible enough to appreciate such a fine rendition of our natural splendor."
<Julia> "Poor CLANKTRON," Julia sighs. "If only he hadn't been so focused on the torture and hurting. He had an artist's soul in there..."
<Steph> "We should get Alistair to paint your portrait! Although it will probably be something with a dualism motif... maybe I'll ask him to paint each of you specifically," muses Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Someone must be here to provide Alunoriel with company," Grey insists. "I think she would be distressed if she were to be left alone again."
<El-Cideon> "It's true," Auranelle admits with complete modesty, "that a single portrait could not adequately appreciate our regal dignity."
* Franceska nods slowly. "I have plenty of time to decide, in any case," she finally says, after thinking it over. "And I suppose meeting someone agreeable is still possible here. Stranger things have happened. Putting that aside for now, I believe I will accompany you tomorrow when you go see Alunoriel. I can spare that much time while I'm here, at least."
<Julia> "I'm sure there are lots of portraits from your reign, but something more current would be nice," Julia agrees.
<El-Cideon> "Yes," Auranelle agrees. "Something to celebrate our return would be nice. This minor interruption of a few decades, well, a work of some great artistic merit could smooth the transition of rulership back to its rightful hands, don't you think?"
<El-Cideon> "I think that would be nice," Grey says happily. "I could bring my harp, although," she admits, looking aside, "I am not getting along that well with it."
<Steph> "Alistair's very good! He really brings out the inner nature of his models," replies Stephanie. "A true artist of the soul."
<Julia> "I'm not sure about that, your other half was quite vehement about not returning to court," Julia says sympathetically.
<Franceska> "It takes time and a great deal of practice," Franceska says in an attempt to be encouraging. "So long as you keep at it, you will get better."
<El-Cideon> "I should like to see that," Auranelle says to Stephanie with a wry twist to her mouth. "In fact, see him to me, if you can, if we are going to persist with this ridiculous isolation of mine." To Julia, she just waves one dismissive hand. "Well, she can knit or hold tea parties or whatever it is that figureheads do and leave the ruling to me. I'm not troubled so long as she doesn't fight me for control more than she already does."
<Steph> "Your son is the king, though. Since you're technically dead, neither of you can legally take over," points out Stephanie.
<Julia> "He's been fairly good at it too," Julia says in hopes of rousing some maternal pride. "No demon or devil invasions yet!"
<El-Cideon> "I'm sure that we can make him see reason," Auranelle sniffs. "Sons should listen to their mothers, after all. It's not as though he holds the throne legally anyway. I'm hardly dead and buried."
<Julia> "Well, you did sleep in a coffin, that almost counts as buried doesn't it?"
<El-Cideon> "A technicality," Auranelle insists. "That force of personality required for ruling should render all such distinctions irrelevant. Besides, it's hardly necessary for the common rabble to know the particulars of a queen's personal habits."
<Julia> "Well, so long as you can be sustained without feeding on your own subjects. Taxes are bad enough, but I think being eaten is where most people draw the line."
<El-Cideon> "A blood tax isn't so objectionable, is it?" she says. "Oh, if it's necessary for the sake of appearances, I suppose I could avoid killing anyone in the process," she admits, sounding rather disappointed in the necessity.
<Steph> "You will most certainly be ousted and killed if you reveal yourself as a vampire here," notes Stephanie. "The, ah, church will denounce you as an imposter, there will be all sorts of rage. You'd be better off setting up in Baator or Acheron or something! Start anew, carve out another legend!"
<El-Cideon> "Mm. I'll consider that if this looks like too much trouble," she admits.
<Julia> "Yes, outsider blood is probably more potent anyway," Julia agrees. "In fact, I know a currently unoccupied mansion you could start with..."
<El-Cideon> ~