WESSEX
the wraith
Giving permission for Deimos to do whatever it is he wants to do, Wessex is immediately pleased when she realizes that he’s making a stunningly beautiful map of the Hallowed Grounds. Her mouth opens in awe as she sees her whole world laid out before her from an aerial view, decorated and detailed, and if anything isn’t correct, Wessex doesn’t notice it (yet). Standing up to get a better view of the creation, she flashes the General a grateful smile before gingerly reaching out to touch it. Her fingertips run over the gilded edges, the weighted corners, the smooth surface - she finds this house, new as it is - on there and looks again at the man. “You’ve outdone yourself this time, General.” There is little time to spare for more admiration, however, as the two deliver their ideas, and Wessex listens closely, still standing at the top of the table. She mulls over a few things here and there, looking from each man to the map at times. “That’s a shit ton of snow moss and black cloth to prepare either place. We should make sure the other Naturals have enough first, and consider putting down rugs in the Temple. Socks only, that kind of thing.” After a brief pause, she says, “If we choose those two places, it has to be with the understanding that each place is on their own and we need to prepare them that way. The only other viable option for two places, I think, is the Temple and here, if everyone is so set on being pains in the ass about it.” She sighs. Amalia knows better. Phoebe and Jigano can be counted on to be thorns in her side on any given day, but Amalia should know better.
“But since it’s not supposed to be much more than a central meeting place, I don’t think anyone used to comforts would be happy here for a week.” She almost rolls her eyes. Almost. “So I guess that’s it, then.” Moving merrily along, she begins to address Loren specifically, since he seems to be taking notes. “Loren, put this down as a tentative division for the houses.” Mentally, the Queen goes through everyone they’ve mentioned - unicorns, healers, rulers, etc, and begins to assign them places, fairly certain that they’ll agree with her own assessment.
“Remi and Ronin in the Guildhouse. Deimos and Amalia in the Temple. I’ll go to the Temple too - we should have one ruler in each place. Phoebe has the infirmary, so I assume Cera will be there as well. You to the Guild, please.” She pauses and begins to think about the Ascended, the amulets, how they’re going to do shit if things go to hell in a handbasket.
She also wishes Loren would have said something about the nature of his magic earlier, since Wessex had been operating under the assumption that he knows what he can and cannot do. This is a blow, but she does her best not to show her frustration and disappointment at the news. “We should operate under the assumption it won’t, then.” And now back to Deimos’s question, which had piqued a flare of anger, though she knew the question came from the right place. So the Wraith leans on to the table and swallows, trying to find the right way to put it. “There’s a reason I’m hesitant to try new things to fight the monsters. I know you ask because you mean to find new solutions, and we’ve never had this many powerful magic users in one place before. There is… the potential for a lot of change.”
And change has come, far too quickly, with far too many repercussions for many of them to do anything more than hold on tightly and hope for the best. “But anyone who has tried to do anything other than hide is dead. Look at the Palmers. Leave the door open a crack and they can get in. I’m the only one who’s ever survived an encounter and I sure as hell can’t count on it happening again.” The Ascended shakes her head, refusing the reveal that the Voice might tell her to come outside, to do - something - oh, mystery of mysteries!
“So humor me. Prepare the way we’ve always prepared. I’d rather get through this LongNight with everyone alive and be able to try to do more research than take unnecessary risks. It’s selfish, but I’ve got to have one good thing under my belt, to try and redeem the damage of the blight.” So they see, it’s not just a ruler thing, it’s fucking personal.
she's pullin' the trigger
cause it's me and the moon, she says
and i have no trouble with that
