The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Claudia Emerison]

Blushing a little, the younger woman shrugs shyly. "You're family now," she says quietly. "I... I don't really have any family these days, not after I..." Her gaze drops. "Anyway. I'm glad I can help."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I've never had true family. Or at least, not family that I could rely on for aid. So I thank you. Despite the blood relation." She smiles, but her mind is already an hour later, on her plans for the evening.

Claudia takes her leave, after fetching the 'sleep aid'; Cedric goes wandering, and though he has to work for it considerably more than he's used to, he's able to slip down to the kitchens unseen, find Tenachka's glass between refills of dark red wine, and slip a little something into it before heading back. He's just back in time for his own food to arrive, which he lets Cindy pick at (though she eats all the honeyed crickets at least).

Then the dressmakers arrive, expecting to work late into the night for this last-minute call. Cranky dressmakers make for rough measuring, and Cindy just wants a chance to cry herself to sleep, so it's Noire who handles them with cold disdain for their antics. Then they turn in, slumbering fitfully.

[Claudia Emerison]

She hears the conversation for a while before she can listen to it, the twilight haze of fitful sleep wrapping the words in an endless distance. She knowns one of the voices, Cindy observes absently. It's not even been two full days, but she knowns Claudia's voice pretty well by now. The tone is new though. Polite. No, not politeness: reserved. Distant and guarded, but yearning. Careful, so very careful, but Cedric doesn't hear any fear.  Noire does, but it's her kind of fear, the fear of saying the wrong thing and making a fool of yourself. Making yourself look useless or undesirable to someone else. Claudia wants to impress or befriend the other person, the other woman, but is afraid of making it worse. 

The other voice... Female, that's easy. Smooth, sultry, heavy with a proper drow accent, and clear. She's more controlled, more poised, than Claudia by a mile, but Noire can still make out some tension carefully hidden. The note of polite concern isn't covering up disinterest or malice, but, strangely, a more sincere concern. Words... words are harder. It takes an infinity of minutes for Coquette to force herself out of her aching doze and snap into focus. 

"Be careful, Claudia. This is a more dangerous game than you realize."

"I am." The reply is delayed, and trembling with repressed resentment and hurt.

"I didn't-- I am merely concerned. I do not wish for--"

"It's fine. I'm fine. I'm not-- I'm not going to try and play at court, I was just introducing her. I know my place." No small amount of bitterness mixed in that last part. The two are silent for a painful moment then.

"Claud--"

"No. Please. I can't-- Can-- Can we not do this again? Please?"

"...I'm sorry. I shouldn't-- I should leave. Take c-- Be well. I-- Be well."

Claudia mumbles something too low for Coquette to make out, and then there's silence. A door opens and closes. Silence.

Crying.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette rolls over, reaches out towards Claudia in her sleepy state, expecting to find her in the bed and disappointed when she does not. "'dia?" she mumbles, in a small, high-pitched voice. 

[Claudia Emerison]

No response; a bleary look around shows that the bedroom is empty. Claudia must be in the small tea room, or possibly the slightly larger dining room, on the other side of the suite. As Coquette continues to wake, she hears the click of glass and then a fizzing noise underneath the muffled crying. The sobs pause briefly, then transmute into a series of shuddery breaths.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette burrows deeper into the covers, as the small submissive one finding herself awake goes looking instead for someone else to handle this. 

So it is Cindy who slips out of bed, wrapping a robe around herself and slinking off to the tea room. "Claudia? Is everything alright?"

[Claudia Emerison]

The merikos gnome jumps a little, though she thankfully doesn't spill her wineglass. "Wha-- Coquette? Oh, uh, hey. Morning! You're up earlier than I expected, you okay?" She turns around to face Coquette as she speaks, leaning back against the edge of the sofa she'd been resting her arms on when Coquette entered the room. She's already dressed, though only in a lounging dress, which looks a touch strange thanks to the heavy work belt she's wearing. Same one she'd worn yesterday, both above ground and to court, Coquette notices. 

Before Coquette can reply, Claudia adds, "oh right, low voices." She nods her head across the room, towards the loveseat. Mostly covered by a heavy blanket, Zevran lies curled up and sleeping. His face is partially covered by his hair, loose and messy for once, but he doesn't seem to be in pain or injured at least.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Coquette goes to look him over carefully, hovering so she doesn't wake him. "He seems unharmed," she sighs, relieved. 

[Claudia Emerison]

Not hiding her wince, Claudia shakes her head. "You said 'in a shape he can be useful in' or something like that. So... magical healing," she says quietly. "Tena isn't a true healer, but she can-- I've seen her magic someone's guts back, seal up the skin and put back enough blood to keep them alive. But they screamed the entire time and for a half hour later. Pa- I was told by someone," someone she doesn't want to name and begins with a 'Pai' sound evidently, "that she it's a type of necromancy, something about burning strength, willpower and self-mastery to restore the flesh, blood and bone." Claudia furrows her brow, admitting, "but he's in way better shape than I'd feared he be. I mean, technically, organs in a jar could be used as a paperweight."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy blanches, but otherwise doesn't react, straightening again. "Alright. So that's over, then. What's next? What can I expect for today?"

[Claudia Emerison]

"Uh, I mean, maybe breakfast?" Claudia shrugs a little, looking perplexed at Coquette's reactions. "We were subtly ordered to stay in here until you lunch with the Matriarch, but otherwise your morning is wide open. Did you need something or..?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Just trying to figure out what to expect. I assume the dressmaker will be back with the gowns before lunch? I'll want to bathe, I think, and wash my hair, so that it is at its best. Probably the same for my husband. We were staying on an airship previous, which only had one of those Toukami waterfall devices, which was not nearly as conducive to hair washing. I saw some perfumed hair oils in there that may be of use..."

[Claudia Emerison]

Claudia is nodding before Coquette gets even halfway done. "Yeah, probably in the next hour or so, just to check if there's any alterations to be made. A bath is a good idea, a really complete one. I think it's just going to be you and her though. Which..." She bites her lip. "How much do you know about drow culture in regards to, ah, umm," a blush forms as she manages to finish, "sexual... things."

[Coquette Blacquin]

Her face goes blank. "Plenty."

[Claudia Emerison]

Claudia's face falls, dismay showing clearly. "Okay, that's not good. Fizzlesticks. Umm. Given-- Well, I never met, uh, your ex-wife, but I've, uh, there were stories and rumors and the like about someone that could have existed and they were really not flattering. So, umm, I'm kinda thinking-- hoping even, sorta-- that your knowledge is maybe a bit, uh, tainted?"