Ready to roar

[Corwin]

"I look forward to that, and so do all of us here back home," Seira tells Emily, stressing the last two words to her. She returns the hug, holding it before asking, "Would you like to return with me now, or do you need more time?"

[Anastasia]

"Let's go ba-" It's all Emily says, as meanwhile Alyssa feels it. A connection to Emily, strong and vital.

"Mom, I'm feeling it again!" Emily gasps, "The same connection to Alyssa as before."

Congratulations, Emily hide a node goal. Go read and review your node for the update, Alyssa.

[Corwin]

Hiding a sigh, Seira transports Emily back into her chair at the table, so seamless as if she had never left.

[Anastasia]

Emily reappears and calls, "Alyssa, do you feel that? My armor got stronger too!"

[Corwin]

Seira, of course, ensures that Emily is entirely presentable!

To Amaryl, she thinks, 'Please don't comment on this.'

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa considers, "As someone who has vastly more resources than we do? I'd try to make any sort of assault on us too costly to be worth it. We've managed that by being spread out on our islands. As for your comments about being a researcher..."

Alyssa shrugs, "With all respect due to a deity, I don't really care about your opinion on the matter. It's what I do and it's my calling. I will never stop following the horizon and or my research. It took me a long time to even understand what happened to me on the smallest part. Our order is small, and while we have our library, it's nothing compared to what I've heard of since. Our most powerful mages, before me, we're the council and they're at about ninth circle. I was totally unprepared for what happened and if my lack of foresight on studying deific politics is such a let down, well, I flat out had no reason or desire to study it. I don't even like dealing with politics in the Order. I've had far more important things to focus on."

Alyssa suddenly blinks at the feeling and Emily's reappearance.

"Yes... The same as when the artifact got absorbed. We've got to figure that out."

[Anastasia]

'As you like,' Amaryl sends back. Instead she says aloud, "That is a fair point. Powerful or not, you're still a mortal who has been focusing on mortal things."

Emily smiles at Alyssa, "We really do, I know Jarem's working on it. I'll be sure to tell him when we get back." Then a look at you, "Mom, do you know anything about this?"

[Corwin]

"So deities and monarchs are incidental things you care nought about and feel that even a token effort to spend on diplomacy would be wasted, but the opinions of fellow if weaker mages from your Order are paramount?" Seira rather succinctly summarizes up Alyssa's stated opinions on such matters. "My dear, you don't need to be a student of this phantom thing you keep on referring to as 'deific politics' to see that a conscious choice to avoid the effort in question, even in delegating to those better suited for such tasks, is nothing but a calculated insult. Not with me, if only because I have no need for anything you or your Order may provide and my own offer of aid with either your memories or the Sharran has no strings attached. With any monarch or power into whose domain you will invite yourself? That would be another matter entirely."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa raises an eyebrow, "In my opinion it is you that's been rather insulting. You prioritize my interests and values based on only your views and then have imposed those expectations on me with no notice, only to declare me wanting after the fact. You ignore the fact that my priorities are mortal and fleeting, that I am mortal, only because it does nothing to strengthen your points. I am a researcher from anOrder you yourself have acknowledged as small and inconsequential, who has had power thrust upon me with no understanding or guidance, and you speak only a hair's breadth away from outright insult when that small and inconsequential Order has lacked the resources to help me gain what you expect of me. It took months of hunting for the smallest bit of mention of the dragon that did this to me. Far longer for anything more.

Much of my time has been spent making sure the next spell I cast doesn't cause this unknown source of power in me to explode and kill me, or those around me. Much of my time has been spent turning a promotion to a figure head into an actual one of power. Much of my time has been spent making sure the countries around us don't decide to invade and kill everyone. And then, once I become confident enough to explore beyond my prime, Shar sends an assassin into my Order.

While  you are correct in that I could have done more to prepare for meeting you, you weren't killing people in my Order, nor were you helping to fix the defenses of my Order. Though you have my respect for being a deity, who actively cares about your followers from what I know, I will not apologize to you for my circumstances not lining up with your expectations. I might not be your equal, Goddess, but nor am I one of your followers to berate so. My Order is not my church to command, nor will I force them to become such, as the Mageocracy might. That does not relieve me of the obligation I feel to ensure their survival and prosperity."

[Anastasia]

"Um," Emily speaks up here, raising her hand. "Can I say something, you two?"

[Corwin]

"Your words do not align, I'm afraid," Seira points out calmly. "You spoke of not understanding the proper etiquette and of wishing to act cautiously to avoid drawing offense, yet when I decided to inform you of the matter, your response had been a rather rude statement that you do not care for my opinion." She spreads her arms as if to shrug, before thinking better of it. "You keep on dragging my divine nature into this, despite repeated attempts on my part to point out the logical fallacy inherent in that. To my questions of whether you would conduct yourself in the same way while in the courts of your neighbors, you have remained silent. Perhaps that sort of discussion technique is one you find acceptable. I, however, see it for what it is and the following attempts at deflection and obfuscation pointless."

Seira pauses, before wondering out loud, "What relation is there between one's fervor for travel and exploration, or one's commitment to research or one's comrades, and to taking half an hour to brush up on diplomacy or on finding the right person for the job to delegate it to? The equivalence drawn is false, I'm afraid."

Looking over at Emily, Seira smiles, telling her, "It's alright, Honey. We don't really need to like each other, and it's better to see someone's character sooner rather than later."

[Anastasia]

"But I want you two to like each other!" Emily blurts out, reddening.

At this Agathiel smiles faintly, "A noble desire - who wants those they care about to argue?"

Further conversation is stopped in the room as Vayley returns, this time bearing a rich roast and sides. "The main course is here, ma'ams," she announces, "Please enjoy."

[Corwin]

"I'm sorry, but when I contemplate the two of you approaching Kossuth or Talos the same way you have the Cauldron, I worry about your continued health," Seira apologizes to Emily. "I figured taking a risk and stating things directly when the oblique method failed would be worthwhile, if at some future point my words got through."

[Anastasia]

Emily looks down, going for the wine offered and pouring herself a large glass of it.

Amaryl quietly pats Emily's back, space compressing to make that easily possible.

'Hang in there, Seira,' Amaryl sends to you.

[Corwin]

'Hey, I've never so much as mentioned guest etiquette or made things personal, have I?' Seira sends back. 'It's all for a good cause, and if I don't get through, at least I tried. I prefer that to the alternative.'