Moving spheres

[Ebiris]

She closes her eyes a moment, considering before she opens them to look at Latha. "Well, I said it would be different if you had a lead. I don't think this is enough to justify your personal attention, but have someone under you follow up and try to find out a bit more."

[Anastasia]

"I will," Latha says, silent after a short time. The three of you soak in the warmth and steam, until, "Alicia?" Latha asks.

[Ebiris]

"Yes?" she prods her to say whatever's on her mind.

[Anastasia]

"With all that is happening, with all that can be and what will be?" Latha is silent a time, "Do you wonder if a higher power guided you to rescuing me from the Hall of the Vanquished, or to find and redeem Antenora?"

[Ebiris]

"No," Alicia shakes her head. "It's all just a chain of events. Seira and her friends released Zquujaj, he caused such chaos in Hell that Antenora fled to make herself a petty tyrant elsewhere, the trials of the God-King's prison brought us to the same place where she'd have been very easily killed if she'd been a bit slower in begging for mercy... then that led to me annoying Hell enough that they tried to buy Beth - Shar also made her own offer to Beth that she refused, you might not know. And that led to Beth and I raiding the Halls and you along with a handful of other celestials were convenient enough for us to liberate and escape with."

Looking over to Latha. "Higher powers like Mystra and Shar and Asmodeus all interfere with the rest of us, but they're at cross purposes and nothing's guaranteed. The whole point of Creation is to find an Answer the Incarnations couldn't. Having them guide it towards any kind of result would go against its purpose."

[Anastasia]

"I understand." Latha says, then softer, "Sometimes when I'm worried, I want to believe that. I want to believe that we are all guided for a better future, that everything has a point and a purpose."

[Ebiris]

"If that were the case it makes all the bad things that happen, the existence of Hell and the Abyss and all that lies between, all the more unconscionable," Alicia says, disliking such a mindset herself. "I may dislike how the Incarnations have gone about a great many things, but allowing us the free will to get on with things ourselves I won't fault them on. Any better future we'll build from our own efforts, out of our own dreams."

[Anastasia]

"We have freedom," Syala adds, putting an arm around Alicia. Her lights are off for once, the warmth of the water the only thing clothing her. "Our own failings and our own victories are ours and ours alone in the end. Others support us and guide us, but we choose our own path."

Latha sighs softly, slumping. "Yes," she says, "And yet...I find myself in a cold, lonely season now. I feel as if I should have found at least one group already. So much may ride on this and yet I still struggle."

[Ebiris]

That's remarkably dramatic from Latha! She's usually a lot steadier. "Have you been talking to Auril?" she asks, giving Latha a funny look. "In any case, whoever these others are... are they really worth getting so worried about if they're not actually doing anything? We have strong friends and allies of our own, forged through our shared triumphs. Just because Empress Sulia for instance isn't one of the five, does that make her less worthy of regard?" She scoots over a bit towards Syala as her arm goes around her.

[Anastasia]

Latha rests on you, silent as you talk. She's warm and pleasant to the touch, "I feel this is important, Alicia. That it's something I need to do. I mean no disrespect about the others or ourselves, just that this is not to be neglected."

[Ebiris]

Do you mean Syala rests on you?

"Well, I don't want to discount your feelings. Like I said, see what you can dig up through intermediaries and if something more solid manifests we can take direct action," she reiterates.

[Anastasia]

No, you put an arm around her, after all.

"Thank you," Latha says, "Ah. Worrying like a lantern archon waiting for a hound archon to come guide them. I feel so childish."

[Ebiris]

No, Syala put her arm around me and then I moved closer to Syala in response. No one's touching Latha!

"You do seem rather... needy for direction, today," Alicia agrees with Latha's appraisal. "I'm sure though, if these others we've been told exist are to be true allies against Shar then they'll make themselves spectacularly known before long."

[Anastasia]

Oooh, I completely misunderstood your line for some reason. Dur. Disregard Latha doing that then.

"The hesitation says much," Latha remarks with a rueful smile, "Your chastisement is understood, Alicia."

"Latha," Syala keeps you close, "Everyone has days where they feel the need for support. Come to us before that happens, we're always here if you need to talk or even get a hug."

[Ebiris]

"We are," Alicia seconds, her free arm spreading out in invitation.

Now I can put an arm around her!