Emancipation

[Anastasia]

"Ianvasah's angry now," Emily admits very quietly, "She's lashing out. Bastian thinks it's a good thing, provoked her to do it, but I don't like it. All I got her to tell me is that there's a season for it."

[Anastasia]

Meanwhile, Donald goes to take a seat, not pressing the argument. Instead he adds, "Does she follow anyone?"

[Corwin]

"You can probably share it with me without breaking her confidence due to my nature, but if you need it I can make sure Donald can't hear you," Seira offers. "I can't look in easily on what goes on in realms under the direct control of other deities, be they Shaundakul or Shar."

[Anastasia]

"It's..." Emily shakes her head, "I trust Uncle Donald."

"Thanks!" Donald chimes in cheerfully.

"It's that she's not telling me a lot. She's gone from withdrawn to angry," Emily admits, "I don't think it's healthy. She's lashing out, and I'm not sure with much control or caring who she lashes out at."

[Corwin]

"It's not healthy," Seira agrees. "When it happened to me, my companions and Amaryl helped me get through it. And Lagann, of course. What did Ianvasah tell you?"

[Anastasia]

"Not much," Emily admits, "I remember the stories you told me about it," In a very quiet voice, "Was it that bad for you, Mom?"

Donald's expression darkens here, reaching over to put a hand on Emily's shoulder. "Not that kind of bad, but bad.  Sit down already, kid."

"Not a kid," Emily murmurs, a hint of red as she indeed sits down.

[Corwin]

"They tricked me, took all I had and were about to take out my eyes while my magic was all but expanded and I was exploring so far that no one from home was able to follow me. Forgetting the feel of those fingers on my eye wasn't easy...." Seira trails off, rubbing it briefly. She doesn't try to pretty it up for Emily, however. "I did hold back a bit in reserve, so I set them on fire and escaped. Found some clothes and a weapon, then grabbed Lagann and escaped off plane. Bonded with him, too, since the Sharrans sacrificed my familiar. And still, leaving the other prisoners behind was the hardest thing."

Seira shakes her head. "I couldn't have gone back after them on my own, but the Crimson Guard let me take the fight to the Sharrans again. I was able to rescue those poor souls, too, and worked hard on rehabilitating them. Then, your mother aided me on a quest to overcome my lingering issues that took us into Shadow and we ended up facing those monsters again, now undead. It's when I was finally able to put it behind me for the most part, though you'll find out for yourself that it never fully leaves you."

Glancing over at Emily, she asks again, "So what did your friend tell you? While not much, it should still be enough for a start."

[Anastasia]

'Dear,' Amaryl interrupts as Emily takes that all in, 'Xera and friends are here.'

Meanwhile Emily is silent, "I...." She leans forward and hugs you, no other words coming. "Mom." She holds onto you tight, "I think...what I don't want to say is that Shar let Ianvasah live so she could suffer. She had her and could have killed Ianvasah."

[Corwin]

"That's not actually it, no," Seira tells her daughter, hoping that her hug provides all the comfort she can summon. "Shar is playing the long game, trying to get people to despair so that they'd turn to her service. It sounds unbelievable that someone she takes the effort to break would become one of her pawns, but her success rate isn't important so long as she remains prolific. Even if one attempt in a thousand gets her results, it all eventually adds up. Shar... she's probably hoping that no one manages to connect with your friend properly while there is still time to heal those wounds. Why don't you hop back and bring her over after all? It's not a strictly family-only event, you're allowed your plus one."

[Anastasia]

"Alright," Emily agrees, parting from the hug, "I'll go over and ask her if she wants to."

[Corwin]

Seira holds Emily's hand, smiling at her daughter, and transports her to the entrance to Shaundakul's realm.

Emily had to step out, she thinks to Amaryl, but you could come over with Xera and our guests?

As she awaits Amaryl, Seira mentions casually to Donald, "So that's one easy goal accomplished. What was the surprise? Your actual visit?"

[Anastasia]

A handwave, "Something like that. Say, what ARE we having for dinner?" Donald asks, "I'm hungry."

[Corwin]

"Everything today is candy."

Or looks like it, at least. Seira is confident Vayley will work miracles with the texture, smell and taste.

[Anastasia]

"All candy?" Donald says, "It'll go right to your body, you know."

[Corwin]

"That's alright, I'll exercise. We can go punch some Sharran in the face after?"