Drink to That

Zariah used to drink quite regularly back in Northaven. A glass or two of red wine each night to unwind - and when Neron was around it regularly turned into a full bottle. But since coming to Caido, she hadn't had a drop. Not that there hadn't been times when she wanted a drink, but she simply hadn't pursued it. But in the wake of her successful take over, she decided she deserved at least one. So she went to the Rathskellar, knowing Edrei would be there. She entered quietly, unassuming under the hood of a dark cloak, near the time when the bar usually closed. The click of her heel might be the only thing that would give her away to Edrei as she crossed the room and sat at the corner of the empty bar. "A glass of your best red wine, if you would." she said in a low tone, a smirk pulling on her lips. Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

With a feline sort of grace Edy watched without quite watching as her older counterpart strolled through the emptying-Rathskeller, taking up a place in a shadowy corner. Tapping her foot beneath the bar for a moment, Edy nodded dutifully at Z's instruction. Heading into the back, the Launceleyn-girl brought a dusty bottle of red and two glasses.

As she moved towards the head, fire licked up the sides of the bottle in a controlled blaze, burning away the dust and making the ruby liquid within gleam with a warm glow. "It isn't like it was back home. Not terrible, but not amazing either." Edy said with a warning shrug. Touching her finger to the cork, it disintegrated immediately allowing Edy to easily pour Zariah a small sampling to first taste, to see if the liquid within was worthy of her palette.

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Zariah smirked, crossing her legs as Edrei ducked to the back to procure a bottle. She gave the younger woman an appreciative nod at her show of magic, and the warning. "Not now. But perhaps someday. There is certainly room in this place for a good vineyard." she said quietly, swirling the glass and sniffing its contents. Yep. This wasn't going to be nearly as good as she wanted it to be. But it would do. She took a sip, closing her eyes to simply appreciate it for what it was. Like the Hollowed Grounds was just barely a place, it was just qualifying as a recognizable red. The tannins were weak, the flavor there, albeit a bit watery. Neither dry nor particularly sweet. Bland. She set her glass down and nodded for Edrei to fill it. "You're right it's not my preference but we must start somewhere." she said. Once both glasses were filled, she lifted it up to toast with her Left Hand. "A toast, Edrei: to our new beginning, and the destiny we were always owed." Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

"All these years locked away and the best they made is some average vodka." Edy replied with a roll of her eyes. The naturals said they had better things to do than make alcohol, but really, with no enemies and no way of leaving, Edy saw little else that could possibly have been more worth their time.

Nodding obligingly Edy filled Zariah's glass and then her own, taking her seat but not quite relaxing. No matter how comfortable she was beginning to feel in the presence of the head, taking it for granted was one of the fastest ways to get herself knocked right back down again.

Rising her glass and clinking it against Zariah's own, Edy chewed on the words for a moment before swallowing a sip of the wine. "Regardless of what the Voice said when we visited..it is interesting that she did not bring over any of the leaders from Northaven. The official ones anyway. Almost like the path was already being laid out for you."

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

”Considering that vodka is the most basic form of alcohol, are you really that surprised.” Zariah said dryly, a smirk tugging on her lips. She need not hide her distain for the naturals from Edrei. It was clear to them both how far beneath them they were. In all this time they couldn’t even form a legitimate nation. Worthless, the lot of them really. Zariah sipped her wine and considered quietly, mulling over Edrei’s words. ”Well, for starters, our official leaders were pretty useless.” she said, watching as patrons continued to stumble out. ”And I am less concerned about what the Voice said as to what she did not say. She did not say that we were not equals, only that I thought myself so. And I do, in a manner of speaking.” she said softly, sipping her wine again. Almost boredly, she swirled the contents of her glass around. ”And were I her, I would test me. I would see if I could make the cut, do the dirty work, stand the test of time. I would not ally myself so quickly upon being newly released from a cage…and I would agree; things seem far too coincidental to actually be coincidence.” Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

"That it was all they could come up with? No. That they didn't even try? Well.." Shrugging her bony shoulders Edy let her fingers dance around the rim of her stemware.

"Mmm." Edy all but grunted in agreement. She did have fun with Prince Charles once upon a time. They two had even wound up in bed together, but as a ruler? Yeah. He was pretty useless. Raising a brow, Edy narrowed her eyes slightly. She was a soldier, a blunt weapon. Not used to reading between the lines, Edy licked her teeth thoughtfully for a moment. "So...does that mean that you might be an equal then? Or that you could be one?"

It was strange to hear Zariah describe the Voice's motivations as such; it sounded precisely like what Edy had basically had to go through to get where she was. The only difference was that the younger Launceleyn knew precisely what was expected of her, whereas she wasn't so sure that Zariah did when it came to the Voice. "Speaking of ascendeds...How do you feel about them drawing power from us?" Edy said, not in any way hiding the fact that in the past she'd let both Lucas and Wessex drink from her.

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

Zariah scoffed, a grin tugging on her lips. ”Try? They did not try at anything in 300 years. They barely tried at survival.” she said, a hint of mocking in her tone. ”You give them far too much credit. I hope they are grateful to you for it.” she said, sipping her wine. She paused, trying to decide how truthful to be with her innermost musings with Edrei. She was her Left Hand after all…she ought to be open with her. It would make it easier for her to anticipate her wants and needs. ”Yes, that I could be. I will not be so bold as to declare myself equal with a goddess now…but she was as mortal as I once.” she said quietly. She fell silent again, waiting until the last patron stumbled out of the bar. ”And why should I not pursue that path? The Accepted and the Attuned have the Old Gods love and attention. The Ascended have the Voice…the Destined have no one…save me.” Zariah would not hide her preference for magic users. They were superior, chosen by nature to have powers beyond the grasp of the average person. Why should they not be loved? Why should they be Abandoned? They would not be, not so long as she was around. The Queen quirked an eyebrow at Edrei, considering her question. ”They have their own abilities granted to them by the Voice. If they cannot accomplish their tasks without stealing ours they deserve to die.” she said with a shrug. ”Just as if any other race could not use their innate abilities to succeed, they are doomed failure. It really is more a pity to the Ascended than it is to us though. Even if they steal our ability, the will not have our mastery of it. Sure, the capability is there, but you know it takes practice to actually know how to use powerful magic.” she said. Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

"So grateful." Edy sneered, crossing her arms. So far...she really didn't like any of them. There was Wessex of course, but she was basically the opposite of just about everyone that she'd met, so that tracked.

Leaning her head back, Edy listened and nodded. " It'd be a bit hypocritical of her to go against someone trying to become powerful, since that's what she did." The younger mused with a candid shrug. "The only difference being we'll know what opposition we will face." Edy added with a predatory grin. Second mouse getting the cheese, and all that.

"True...it's just...less of a theft in some cases and more of a sharing. Especially if it were to benefit us. Though I wonder if we can use that idea...a way to store abilities. Maybe it still is only the destined we'd give them access to, but imagine the benefit of having your lightning in my hands, and my fire in yours?"

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

Zariah laughed lightly into her glass as she took another sip. ”More or less grateful than they are of my rule?” she said snidely, but jokingly. She was well aware of just how popular she was. As Edrei mused, Zariah watched her over the top of her glass, smirking as she drew conclusions. ”Well done, Edrei. Now you know why I asked her where she went wrong.” she praised the younger woman. ”And as hypocritical as it would be, I do not think she would hesitate to strike me down were I openly against her Ascended. But as it is, I’ve nothing against them, nor anyone else really. Merely the wish to see our people rise.” she said with a light shrug. Sure, she had things against the Naturals, but when it came to matters of Accepted, Attuned, Ascended, and Destined, her preference was in line with her own people, plain and simple, as it was with the divine leaders of the other people. Her head tilted slightly at Edrei, her expression falling blank as she described her thoughts on the Ascended. Her eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in thought. ”How is it, that my lightning would be in your hands if it is an Ascended who claims them for their own?” she asked, intrigued but not fully convinced. The Ascended did not fall under her purview. She had no real claim to control them beyond her Queenhood, and she knew if it was between her orders and the Voice’s, hers would fall on deaf ears. Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

Ah." Edy mused, clearly being the eight-ball, but at least not too far behind. Far be it for her to ever think she'd match Z in terms of strategy, but it was good to be reminded of just how far ahead the head was actually thinking.

Gently Edy groaned to herself as she shrugged her head. Her lack of precision was already showing, and mentally she shook herself to try and force herself to remain on her toes. "I mean if like...if Remi could make something that can hold the power. Clearly the ascended can pull it out of us, so why can't some gizmo that he makes do the same?" If it could mirror the near-orgasmic effects of the bite, that wouldn't hurt either. "Maybe you just...push it against your skin, think about the power, and voila. It's inside the...amulet, or stone, or whatever"

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

Zariah laughed lightly into her glass before taking a sip from it. ”Soon enough you will be completely in synch with me, Edrei. To think as I do now takes practice and natural skill – and I think you’ve the skill.” she said, still watching her from over the top of her glass. ”I was not always this measured as you well know. The me you knew was a bit younger than I am now. More wild. Unruly…I grew a lot in the few years that passed that you had yet to experience.” She said quietly. That they had even been plucked from different parts of the same timeline indicated even more the very tactful nature in which the Voice had plucked them from their worlds. Edrei explained her idea more and Zariah raised a brow, intrigued. ”Ah, I see what you mean…not so much using the Ascended, but mimicking their abilities in a way that suits our needs.” she said, nodding slowly. ”I think that would be very useful…then we could focus on diversifying our skill sets before replicating them amongst ourselves…and we could lend our strength to our weaker members, like Beatrix and Peter.” she said thoughtfully. At length she smiled warmly at Edrei. ”That is quite the brilliant idea you’ve had Edrei. I’m impressed.” she praised. Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

Edy raised a speculative brow—listening carefully in the crevices of the head's words for signs of a trap. "Unlike others in my position, I am perfectly fine leaving the leading to you. Supporting, sure. I can do that. Needing to be just like you?" Leaning back, Edy took a long drink from her glass. "I think the world can only handle one mind like Zariah Launceleyn." Flattery? A proclamation of doom? Why not both.

"Mmm." Edy hummed, the weird gap which had occurred still sitting unhappily in her brain. And not just the gap either, but the golden-haired man who had filled part of it and apparently created a child...more on that later. Probably. Or not.

"Exactly. It would give us the time to hone specifically certain aspects that could then be shared among us. Growing one, grows the rest." Edy snorted at the idea that Bea and Peter were somehow in the same camp. He could learn a lot from his younger counter part as far as Edy was concerned.

Smiling inwardly but only letting her lips move incrementally at the compliment, Edy nodded appreciatively. "It would have been so much easier if that Arduinna had torn out the alchemist's tongue instead of his eyes, though." She said with a sigh.

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!

Zariah smirked a little. "If I wanted my Left Hand to be just like me, then I would never have chosen you. It is your differences from me that make you so valuable. I more meant, you will be able to anticipate me, read me, in ways that others cannot." she said, tilting her head back to finish off the last sip of her wine. Even if it wasn't the greatest stuff in the world, it did the job of warming her tummy and calming her nerves. The Family Head-Turned Queen poured herself another glass, swirling absentmindedly. "I think I will have to wait a little bit before having Remi make them. Making the keys and my ink, in addition to the general fortifications nearly killed him." she said with a bored sigh, eyes rolling. Such powerful magic in such a weak, weak body. It was such a shame, she thought as she sipped her new glass of subpar wine. "Though I bet he could manage to conjure some better wine...that might take priority." she said jokingly, wrinkling her nose at the red liquid in her glass. At her last statement though, a wicked grin curved Zariah's lips. "Well now, I have been working on a solution to that problem." she said quietly. Reaching out, she gently took Edrei's hand, allowing her new form of suggestivity magic to course through her counterpart. "It would be terribly inconvenient if you suddenly had the uncontrollable urge to kiss me whenever I said your name." she said, before she released Edrei's hand, smiling at her still. "Wouldn't it, Edrei?" she said, words spoken almost in a whisper. Zariah I won't be held down by who I used to be

"So much power inside of such a weak mind." Edy said, a grimace curling her lip as she thought of Remi. It was bullshit that someone like him could do as much as he could. Edy could hardly even imagine the sorts of shit she'd be able to do with even half the power that puppy-eyes seemed to possess. The thought made her stomach turn. Though perhaps that was just the wine.

With a smirk, Edy nodded. "His liquors are better than this, I'll give him that. He said he had a friend who ... imparted the importance of letting a wine age, or something." She shrugged.

Of course Edy let her hand be taken, not only because she liked the contact but because to flinch away from Zariah would have been the end of her. Raising a brow at Zariah's question, Edy was in the process of shrugging a confused sort of gesture when the head continued.

Wouldn't it, Edrei.

Dark eyes lowered to Zariah's doll-like lips, Edy's own parting ever so slightly. Had she ever noticed how perfect they'd been? All the time in Northaven she'd been mildly jealous of Zariah for being with Neron, but shouldn't it have been the other way around? His hands on her, in her. Lips on hers and—

—"yeah." Edy managed after a moment, clearing her throat awkwardly and taking a long sip of her wine with her free hand.

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

Coding base by Sky!