Emancipation

[Anastasia]

"Mother is right," Xera speaks up as everyone eats, "Should mercy only go to the deserving, or guidance? Such a thing would mean there would be vanishingly little mercy to be found and what guidance could there be?"

"Still, taking care of a man means something," Amaryl smiles a little bit, "That's normally what a wife does, or barring that a mother. Misunderstandings can arise."

With a blushing uff and pout, "Then I'll worry about those if they ever happen." Kascha crosses her arms, looking away.

As Donald throws back his head and laughs, Ranbar stares, "She's..."

"It's a good look for you," Emily speaks up, "Isn't it?"

"It is in all truth," Ranbar agrees, "Do you agree, Seira?"

[Corwin]

Seira takes a sip of red wine that looks like a milkshake, before voicing, "As far as teasing goes, I think it's gone a bit too far. It's not the first time, and while a blushing Kascha is adorable, in this case it really is an overbearing older sister and not one of the other options."

Thinking about it for a bit longer, she ends up adding, "On a related topic, I do think you should reconsider doing this once you properly grow into your powers, Kascha. It's one thing to have favored mortals, and I won't tell you to treat all your followers equally, merely to offer them all the same opportunities. But if you hold such a strong and visible attachment to someone, they may gain all your divine enemies. After all, if you are allowed to clean Surraruthru's room in person, couldn't Shar send over an avatar to do something much worse?"

[Anastasia]

With another huff at that, "If it goes that far, he can move his lair here," Kascha declares.

"...no escape from Kascha, is there?" Donald murmurs to Elle, who quickly has a hand in front of her face, trying to hold in a laugh.

Meanwhile you feel a knock - ah, that should be Waukeen now, you feel her presence.

[Corwin]

"Yes, I suppose he could," Seira agrees, telepathically asking Vayley to show their guest in.

[Anastasia]

Amid the warm laughter of family and friends?

'Seira,' Amaryl sends, 'Do you want to talk about the Lost Chalice in front of everyone here?'

[Corwin]

'Only if Xera or Zariel bring it up. Otherwise, we'll talk about it afterwards.'

[Anastasia]

"Everyone!" Waukeen sweeps in a moment later, clad in regal finery. She glistens with gold as she announces, "Xera, Emily! How are my lovely nieces?"

Xera stands and takes a hug from Waukeen, "We're well, Aunt."

A hug that is returned, "I still don't smell enough gold on you," she chastises lightly, pinching Xera's cheek before going to Emily. Another hug is given. "You I smell gold on. Storing it up?"

"Ah yes, we're going to make a magnificent crown but it's expensive," Emily admits.

[Corwin]

"Oh?" Seira inquires, even as she gives Waukeen a hug of her own.

[Anastasia]

"I'll tell you all about it," Emily says, "It's Alyssa's idea."

"Well, if it's that big a project," Elle says, "Perhaps I can do some of it. I could use a new project to work on, I'm between them right now."

[Corwin]

"Oh yes, we've cleared out a rather large cursed hoard recently," Seira muses. "And since Elle volunteered, that should cut the pricetag something fierce. Perhaps you could take her and Donald along for a quick look around later?"

Seira glances at the couple to see how receptive they are to the idea. Especially since no one is to travel alone!

[Anastasia]

Elle looks fine with it, Donald looking up midbite. He swallows first - thankfully as Amaryl lets out a very soft sigh of relief - before, "Yeah? We can help out a lot. Are they having it made or making it themselves?"

"We're having it made, for all our magic we're relatively short of crafters of powerful magic items," Emily blows out a breath, "A kingdom for Aunt Elle, or Afina of Aurora."

"I'll take a kingdom there," Elle waves it off, "A nice one, something by the sea. I miss the sea breeze in the morning."

"Hmph." Zariel declares, "The rich smells of the forest are superior, mortal."

Elle doesn't back away from that inhuman gaze, pointing at Zariel with her fork, "If I want to smell elves and elf farts-"

That gets a protesting cry from Amaryl, but Elle pushes on. Donald breaks into a big grin at that, putting an arm around his wife.

"-I'll go visit Pallanth."

Zariel meets Elle's gaze, the two silent for long moments.

"Not long ago you would have been flayed for that," Zariel reflects, "Kept alive and with your eternal soul screaming as it is just barely kept in a cage of mortal flesh, never to find escape until I deem it worthy to plunge into the Lake of Fire."

A bite of her food, as if her own words don't disturb her a bit. "Now I marvel at the same bravery that saw me saved. You and yours are brave without compare."

"If I can't face you down over dinner, I have no hope of facing down serious foes in battle," Elle says, "Frankly, I like you more than Antenora. Brave and true, but she's so...earnest." A sip of her wine, long and deep. "You feel more human, less like a purpose given form."

Zariel smiles - a thin smile, but she smiles. She raises her wineglass and clinks it against Elle's, "I'll accept the complement, brave mortal, this once. Antenora represents something that should have been represented a long time ago. It might have saved me centuries and centuries of torment."

"You still have less of a stick up your ass than her," Elle chuckles and drinks deep from her wine after.

"To both throw off evil's embrace and reach apotheosis is astronomically unlikely," It's Xera who speaks up here, "A risen fiend who manages that may be as rare as a snowstorm in Fire."

Amaryl stabs at her food, glowering at Elle all the while. Finally she says, "Elf flatulence?"

Throwing his other arm around Amaryl, Donald says, "It's called learning from the best," he grins, getting a few chuckles. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

Amaryl sighs ever so deeply. "Elffather help me."

[Corwin]

"I humbly posit," Seira says not humbly at all, "that one needn't force herself to choose. A glorious kingdom will have the invigorating breath of the waves and the rich scent of the forest both, and many other wonders besides."

[Anastasia]

"That's rational, intelligence and boring," Zariel almost smiles at that.

"Speaking of intelligent," Emily speak sup, "Mom, how's your spell research? Have you invented any new spells?"

[Corwin]

"Kinda sorta. I got Mystra to teach me about curses and purification quests for them, and I'm actually working on a useful spell I could share with you for use in the field. A couple weeks, I figure."

[Anastasia]

"A new spell?" Xera muses, "What do you have in mind, mother?"

"I'd like to know, too," Ranbar speaks up, "If that's alright."

Zariel glances at Ranbar, who quickly looks away from that gaze. "There are as many possibilities with magic as they are snowflakes in a blizzard. Speak of them."