The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Metaphorically. It's as hot and deadly as if you did that."

[The Iron Bull]

"Not as cursed," Bull offers after a moment, though he doesn't seem like he's disagreeing with the main of Cedric's point.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Fire is pretty cursed to begin with."

[The Iron Bull]

"Your face is cursed," Bull counters half-heartedly, already loosing himself back to the apathic stupor he's hiding behind more and more these days. While he's awake, he still puts on the show, still walks the line between stoic obdeience and violent disagreement. But here, in the safety of his own mind with only Cedric (and Little Bitch, not that he really pays her much mind) to see?

He's just so damn empty.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cedric looks up, nodding a farewell to Little B as she heads out of the room. Then he turns his attention fully back to Iron Bull. 

"Hey. We're gonna get out of here, you  know."

[The Iron Bull]

"...sure," Bull says tiredly. Everyone gets out eventually, right? One way or another...

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I mean it. I'm breaking you out of here. You're not doing well enough to wait for Cindy to get established."

[The Iron Bull]

"I'm... fine," Bull protests, making the effort to steady his voice and volume. "Just tired."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Fine enough to stand four more years of this?"

[The Iron Bull]

The sky goes overcast and the colors of the flowers around them fade slightly. "...if that's... what is, is. I'll deal." Or I won't. Not much to be done about it really.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"No way. I'm getting you out of here before that happens. I'll get you to the Enclave if it's the last thing I do." By contrast to the environment around them, Cedric seems bright, vivid, his gaze as intense as his coloration. 

[The Iron Bull]

Bull shifts, just enough to look directly at Cedric. He looks at the other man for a long time, then smiles faintly. "Okay," he finally murmurs. "Okay."

[GamesMaster]

Over the next few weeks, Coquette settles in to life at the Enclave. Despite her fears, nobody challenges the legitimacy of her marriage to Claudia; instead, the biggest trouble she has is with her new gifted servant. He doesn't want to be freed. he doesn't want to be given a cushy life. He wants to serve, and probably to spy, best Zevran can tell. It's awkward giving Zevran more privileges than him, especially as Noire wants to treat them both the same, but Cindy holds the line firm. Zevran is not a slave, not anymore. 

Coquette mostly keeps to herself. She spends a few hours every day with Claudia, working on her embroidery while Claudia tinkers; the embroidery is proving very popular, and she takes a few commissions to earn some extra spending money. She avoids Estelle as much as she can. 

Her biggest asset is Zevran, of course. She learns how to wield him like a knife, brandishing him when someone pushes against her, carving out space to exist mostly free of harassment. 

[Zevran]

Amusingly, it's not long before rumors reach Coquette regarding 'her twin husbands' Evidently, there is a not insignificant number of those that believe it more likely that Coquette has two husbands that are at least lookalikes rather than Zevran being both her amoral killer and the charming, helpful, warm servant their own servants speak of on occasion. Granted, it's no taken seriously by anyone of particular note, but it's surprisingly useful. In fact...

"I am uncertain if- or should I say what, given our new people- the ulterior motive is, but the request itself is, as far I can tell, legitimate. Vessu has far too much background and history in being invested in crafts for it to be aimed personally at the least," Zevran concludes, offering his lady a sheaf of chitin cut thin enough to be translucent. It's a green nearly black, with hints of blue, and someone has carefully carved out the lettering and then painted the depressions with silversheen. The message itself is not overly long; Riolin Emerison, requests that Lady Coquette Emerison instruct her daughter Vessu and Vessu's handmaiden (the drow word used implies that the handmaiden is a lower born blood relation) the art of embroidery. There's some fluff after that, but boiled down, it concludes with an invite to tea in order to discus terms for the favor.

[Coquette Blacquin]

Cindy sighs, looking over the chiten. "I wish Cedric were awake," she says, and not for the first time this week. "His ability to gather information was... well. In any event. I am grateful for what you have gleaned by speaking to the servants. Have you managed to obtain suitable stationary yet for a written reply?"