Onward with war

[Corwin]

"Alright, I'll do that a bit later. He's still dealing with the events in Balmuria, so I'll take care of that after we secure Moore's cooperation."

[Anastasia]

"Until then," Antenora says, "What do you make of this Alyssa and Moore?" She sits, expression thoughtful, a single curl of black hair falling down from her tied back hair.

[Corwin]

"I don't think Alyssa is anything special but she might be a really late bloomer, and Moore seems alright if perhaps too chatty," Seira summarizes her opinions on the pair.

[Ebiris]

"I think Alyssa's younger than I was when I met you," Alicia tells Seira in a somewhat weary tone. "I didn't get much sense of initiative from her - you mentioned how she wanted to run everything by a committee when you spoke to her, and I got a similar impression when she wanted to involve her patrons when I met her. I tried to impress on her how true growth comes from struggle but I get the feeling she'd be happiest just running a quiet school of magecraft. I've never met Moore but Ebony speaks well of him and he was part of the final battle for Lifasa against Taelfagn, so that's a good mark of character."

[Corwin]

"It's got nothing to do with age, and everything with how she's spent years running everything by committee and, if you'll excuse me, with a really warped sense of what's urgent. Someone who doesn't have that spark of action is a bad fit for me."

[Anastasia]

Antenora absorbs that and adds, "Io chose her for a reason. She needs a nudge forward, then. Though, ti is possible if Io empowered her of his own initiative, what he wants and what he values is different. Or he operates on motives we don't know yet. I will have to ask him."

[Corwin]

"Potential and reality are two different things, due to free choice. It's the most important thing we all get in life, and the one thing preventing a deterministic universe. Had Io been able to verify without a doubt that Alyssa would live up to her potential by this time, nothing we could do would matter, you know?"

[Ebiris]

"Divinations only go so far," Alicia agrees. "She also said she spent years trying to research the power Io gave her, so it's possible doing that actually stunted the development she'd have had learning other things or going out learning in the field and making the world a better place."

[Corwin]

"Exactly! I filled Emily in on the planar stakes, so we'll just have to observe calmly and see what she decides to do."

[Anastasia]

After this Antenora sits back, patiently waiting. "How is Amaryl adjusting?" Antenora asks, "I'm just starting to learn, and it's so easy and yet so hard. It feels natural, but doing it..." she frowns a moment, "It's like trying to work a muscle that's never been used before, and is so painfully weak."

[Corwin]

'Would you care to join us, Darling?' Seira asks Amaryl at that. 'Antenora would like a word~'

"There's definitely that, but also the frustration from not being able to go places while your avatar is being prepared. We've all been through it, at least those of us without cheating assholes for a dad."

[Anastasia]

"I find myself wanting to go to Balmuria. Syala made me her proxy a few times so I could visit, and now I want what I can't have right now, lest I bring ruin." A soft exhale, blowing back her stray strand of hair. "No matter." Smiling, "Any discontent is more than offset by so many things, including Marie's success. I'm so proud of her growth."

'I'll be there in a minute, love,' Is Amaryl's reply.

[Corwin]

"Yeah, it's exactly like that. At least Amaryl had a chance to get used to the prayer through me, since her growth was gradual. It must've felt even weirder for you that it was for Alicia and I after our ascensions!"

[Ebiris]

"You'll have an avatar soon and it really is just like being there yourself," Alicia comforts Antenora.

[Anastasia]

In spite of it all, Antenora smiles. "It's all so sudden. Asmodeus said I was not planned for by anyone, a cosmic accident beyond Creation." She laughs now, a warm sound, strong. "I value the rules so, yet here I am, breaking the most important rules."