How can you remain, Staring at the rain, Maddened by the stars?
Azure had had much practice startling people in this manner, but she still couldn't help the quiver of the lip that came at the sight of an unsuspecting victim's face. And this time it was a queen's face. She'd only seen Maeve once, in passing, and remembered wondering how the monarch maintained her tan under Torchline's unrelenting sun. Did she have dockhands follow her around with sunshades all day? Is she secretly a highly evolved Ascended? Does she bathe in chalk and plaster?
Just as Azure had heard, the jungle truly did support an amazing variety of creatures, Maeve being among the more interesting she'd seen that day. "I'm Azure," she replied, "I imagine you don't spend a lot of time in the slums and alleyways? Probably why you missed me." She leaned forward, letting her arms hang between her legs, unafraid of the possibility of falling. "Has the burden of leadership become too cumbersome and you've decided to run off into the jungle and join the monkeys?", she asked blithely.
Azure
