The duty to live

[Anastasia]

Syala likewise dims her lights, to a faint glow that doesn't really hide anything. She hums softly as she brushes your hair, a wordless melody that soothes the spirit.

Queen curls up in the grass and sits, sword placed down besides her. "Being noticed," Queen says shortly, "The more people who notice me, the more who have an opinion they feel obligated to share, and not all are warm and welcoming."

[Ebiris]

Alicia nods. "Most deities don't bother with broadcasting their opinions even to those they dislike, but some are a bit too expressive. Who's been giving you trouble in particular?"

[Anastasia]

"Several," Is Queen's notice as she sits. "First, Waukeen kept pestering me over new trade routes and sending merchants, then acts like an offended maiden when I take her to task for it." Her expression is sour, "As if all she can see beyond my doors are piles of gold!"

Syala chuckles and pats your back before she's suddenly behind Queen. "Shh," she murmurs, taking her hair with a gentle touch and getting to work. She brushes away as Queen goes still, the very tip of her tail flicking back and forth.

[Ebiris]

"Just let Syala pamper you a little," Alicia says, sitting up straighter and smiling over at the pair. "Waukeen isn't too troublesome, she will be able to take no for an answer even if she might get huffy, so you shouldn't need to worry about reprisal or mischief coming from her direction. Still even if you're not interested in her offers it's worth letting her down gently because she has a lot of friends who like to gossip so it could sour your reputation farther than you might expect."

[Anastasia]

Meanwhile another Syala appears, gently massaging your shoulders as an avatar picks up where the original left off. Mmmmm.

Queen's tail tip twitches away as her hair is worked, "More, Sharess keeps making invitations and asking if I want to play. You blasted cat," she growls, "I have more to do than to frolic in the sunshine! She seems more interested in fun and pleasure than anything else. Then there's Cyric, he sent me a letter that just dripped with double meanings and menacing sleaze, all so interested in my realm and myself."

[Ebiris]

"Syala used to be a servant of Sharess," Alicia points out mildly. "She's a close ally of ours so I can see why she'd be interested in our new friend. Spending some time with her would be productive and help you with Brightwater in general - and thus Waukeen and dear Sulia. That's my recommendation anyway," she smiles nicely.

"Cyric's more concerning. I've had little dealings with him myself, but if he's approaching like that I'd expect he's trying to intimidate you into backing down if you catch him making some kind of move later."

[Anastasia]

"Besides, you're enjoying this well enough," Syala declares with a little smile, brushing away.

"Mmmmmmr." A little noise, almost catlike, from Queen. "Cyric is more concerning," Queen admits. "His kind exploits, takes and takes more."

[Ebiris]

"Those ones are both harder and easier to give advice for," Alicia admits. "Stay on your guard, don't give up anything you aren't prepared to see perverted and ruined. There's no real push and pull you just have to maintain your lines."

[Anastasia]

"Don't let them past them," Syala agrees as she works, both your shoulders and Queen's hair. The sun shines brightly down, warmth filling you without being unpleasantly hot.

"Then there's the Inevitables," Queen goes on, "With so many blasted documents they demand I sign and questions about this whole new Infinite Stair. They try and drown me in arcane regulations and rules from Mechanus, as if those hold sway here!"

[Ebiris]

"I could ask Antenora to look at what they're sending you," Alicia offers, "She has good intuition for that sort of thing, but you need to make clear that your realm, your laws. With one exception - if anyone comes to you about the temporal compact, make time for them and agree to whatever they say. That's backed up by everyone, not just Mechanus."

[Anastasia]

"It's very serious," Syala agrees, "It's why there's no time travel." Each brush seems to make Queen's posture soften, her tail twitching away. More than just her tip now, most of her tail swaying back and forth.

"At least one part of it serious," Queen declares.

[Ebiris]

"The rest is likely them just hoping to instil their particular laws before your realm has a chance to settle and deeply embed its own," Alicia adds. "It can be worth looking through the particulars in case any of it's useful or you can use compliance as a bargaining chip for something else if you were planning similar laws regardless. Unfortunately you can't really afford to just dismiss these things out of hand, if you're too high handed it can be easy for your enemies to turn neutral parties against you."

[Anastasia]

Queen starts to reply, but her upper body starts to sway back and forth. She smacks into Syala's front and she's knocked back, while Queen lets out a little cry of surprise.

Syala's after smiles at that and doesn't laugh, but you can feel a faint vibration from her, as if she's holding it in.

[Ebiris]

Alicia smiles as well, closing her eyes for a moment while everyone recovers. "Syala's good at brushing hair."

[Anastasia]

That was adorable, wasn't it?

Queen gets up and dusts herself off, "You were saying," she says, with as much dignity as she can muster.