un: fox rain [voice]

[foxable]

Hey, um, everyone. So, I uh - I know we have a lot going on right now, but uh - we may have more? Going on? Soon? Though I really want to talk about the implications of body switching sorcery but that's not the point --

Anyway, so, uh, for those of you from Earth - and from a vaguely similar time line to ours - you might remember something called the French Revolution. Yeah? Where the upper class got in some deep shit and a lot of unrest went down and a lot of killing happened.

Anyway, um, so our charge - Tamaiu's niece, Eydis - she's uh, the belle of the ball. Basically. I can barely show my face at court anymore but she's got like a billion suitors, which is all great -- if you like that sort of attention -- but one of them gave her a pretty dire warning.

He told her to flee Taravast and go back home to Sa-Hareth - you know, place being run by our friendly neighbourhood undead guy with a bear for a pet, super safe place - because unrest is starting to 'mount in the streets' and the gentry are going to be a target.

I know this sounds like no big deal compared to literal undead invasions, but we do not want to ignore something like this. Not when we, thanks to our patronage, are not only gentry but foreign gentry. They may not be zombies but when people decide that enough is enough they can overthrow anything.

Anyway, um. Just. Uh. Food for thought.

Comments

[descendency]

[ They've probably already been over the pertinent points in private, so publicly we'll just address the more important issue— ]

I've always been a big fan of the guillotine. [ What's that, wasn't he modern day aristocracy even back on Planet Canada? Maybe. ]

I understand it's proving to be the opposite of a problem given our current predicament, but why is it that you don't have at least half as many suitors as our child?

[foxable]

Um, because I have to pretend to be an idiot. All the time. Do you know how hard it is to pretend to be an idiot?

I mean I am an idiot, but what the hell am I supposed to talk about if not magic?


Also no guillotines.

[descendency]

...Huli. I would like you to recall the circumstances under which we met.

[ You know, where he made a full time and fairly lucrative career out of feigning to be a vapid socialite. ]

[foxable]

Okay, difference being, you know how to talk about things other than magic, but alright I take your point.

Plus you know you being a literal angel of beauty deal kind of steals the spotlight sometimes. How am I supposed to compete? [ He sounds amused, though. ]

[descendency]

You could've come to me for pointers. I'm a little hurt, you know. I could've taught you all about alphabetizing your pantry in your head while smiling prettily, thus leading to being realistically confused whenever anyone tries to drag you back into an active conversation.

[ Mingyu is being as contrary as always, but there's a warmth in his voice that doesn't manifest for anyone else. ]

Flattery can't distract me. I'm immune.

[foxable]

I can't believe you think I would know what goes in a pantry, let alone how to alphabetize it.

And I'm sure that isn't true.

But uh.

We might want to talk about what to do about Eydis. [ In public, he means. ] Because the last thing we want is her getting hurt.

[descendency]

I considered the matter settled. [ As in Mingyu upped his paranoid fathering, vaguely toyed with the idea of putting a protection spell directly on Eydis's body, then decided a bracelet would be a fair, sane compromise. What seems to be the problem here, Fox? ]

Do you think she's safer without us than with?

[foxable]

No. But I'm not sure the palace is going to stay a safe place for any of us.

We might want to look into other accommodation for a while.

[ Fox has already been kicked out, having been on the wrong side of the whole family feud, but with Mingyu still in good graces has been able to spend his time there. Now, though... ]

[descendency]

[ But Mingyu loves to live recklessly in danger. ]

Ah, fair point. You should take her, then. Teach her your ghostly ways.

[foxable]

You will note I said any of us, Mingyu. Including you.

[descendency]

Why would it benefit us for me to go?

[foxable]

I'm thinking decreased risk rather than increased benefit.

Palace.

Guillotines.

Would like to avoid Guillotines.

[descendency]

Someone should remain to keep an eye on things. I'll evacuate when necessary.

[foxable]

[ He makes a frustrated sound, and then: ]

Why not let the guy with the sword do it.

[descendency]

There are a lot of 'guys with swords' around here, but I'll presume you're specifically referring to the one I'm fucking.

That would be because he's literally just some guy whose primary life skill is swinging around a sword pretty good and also, I guess, not getting bitten by things. That's it. He can't, say, blast his way out of a jail cell with some cellar mold, a tooth I stole from a fellow prisoner, and a little creativity. He'd just get marched to the headsman as handsome as he is furious, fuming at the irony.

Did I address all aspects of your concern?

un: Black Prince; text

[blackscales]

They are very insistent, it seems, that they can have a nice casual cat with Bonaccorso and all will be well again.

A chat they intend to have by force, where they think nobody will be hurt.

un: daozhang | audio

[binghua]

[Well, that sure is a good chunk of information to unpack.]

I was hoping the situation wouldn't head in that direction.

What does Lady Eydis think? I cannot imagine going back to Sa-Hareth would be much safer than staying with our group.

[A pause.]

I do keep saying that we have a habit of finding trouble, though.

UN: Senth; Voice

[sergeant_slick]

[Ah crap. Well, that ties into stuff he's been dealing with too. But...]

Are we sure it's safe to be talking about this on an open comm channel? Especially using devices handed out by a local.

[foxable]

I mean, I’m pretty sure the fire sword would help, but um, point taken.

But you know they don’t have to take us captive, right? And magic isn’t - as much as I love it - a path to immortality.

[ There is a pause, then nearly an audible wince, before he continues briskly: ]

My point is that I don’t really give a shit about what happens to some random nobles but I give a lot of shits about what happens to you so I don’t see the point of putting you in danger when you don’t have to be. That’s all.

Re: un: Black Prince; text

[foxable]

Yeah. As much as I believe in democracy and voice of the people and all that jazz, pretty sure that isn’t going to happen. So we need to be scarce.

Re: un: daozhang | audio

[foxable]

Um, yeah no, we are definitely not sending her back to Sa-Hareth. Not unless we find a plane and one of us is a pilot.

But we are fucking disaster magnets, it’s true.

Re: UN: Senth; Voice

[foxable]

Handed out by a local that all things being equal I would also not like to see face the guillotine, so yeah.

The kind of Justice that mobs like to dole out is strangely enough not my bag at all. [ The sarcasm is thick here. ]

There isn’t much I can do to make people treat each other better, or to stop hurting or killing each other. But I can warn people to get the hell out of dodge.

If we need to have more private conversations than that, we will work something out.

[binghua]

[What are these words you speak, sir.]

Would it...be likely to find a...a plane?

[Though he's pretty sure they're still both in agreement that Sa-Hareth in general is out of the question, but he's making sure.]

[foxable]

. .. …

No. No, we are not likely to find a plane. That was sarcasm.

Though honestly who fucking knows, maybe hey have a dirigible hidden somewhere.

… Hmm, I wonder if I could enchant something into a dirigible….

[blackscales]

I would encourage being aware of the exits at all times. I've tried to dissuade them, but they seem very convinced. Far be it for me to tell them they're wrong -- injustice is, after all, happening.