The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Zevran is... not what I expected," Noire settles on finally. "Other males I've spoken to have been more or less how I expected, but he is... different. Perhaps he is truly a she underneath?"

[Estelle Emerison]

"He looks simply fantastic in a dress, I'll grant you that, but I don't think so. At least not as-- when you say female underneath, what does that mean to you?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Females are... Males are..." She gestures helplessly, closing her eyes as she tries to focus. "Males are meant to be subservient. They do best when they are given a role, a place in the society that they can occupy and serve to the best of their ability. Females are meant to do the more complicated work of governing and creating things, things that males just can't wrap their heads around because of their innate aggression and simplicity. Only, he's not like that. If you try to put him in a box he'll break out, just because you tried. Even if it was a comfortable box. He should have thrived in slavery, not wilted. He should be struggling now with freedom, with trying to run his own life, but he's thriving now."

[Estelle Emerison]

Estelle can't help but smile at 'just because you tried.' When Coquette finishes, Estelle is silent another moment as she collects her thoughts. "That is fairly accurate as to the mindset of the typical Iron Drow," she starts, nodding. "And it's not entirely unfounded; male drows, as per the Bitch's design, are inclined in the ways you stated. The same for females."

She smiles again, this time almost apologetically. "However, the full truth is-- no, that's not right, makes it sound like you're a child I'm schooling. Hrrm. Not all races are like Iron Drow. For instance, while orcs, elves and kender share those inclinations, gnomes and varang are inclined to the opposite. Dwarves split things four ways. Humans are a complete mess, of course. And the Outblood races vary wildly, as one might imagine."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"But he is Drow," she protests. "I have other husbands, and I realize they are nothing like us, but surely...?"

[Estelle Emerison]

"That's the other part," Estelle says with a shrug. "As I said, Iron Drow males are inclined to be passive and accepting, they're not always that way. It's like... Drow are born more nimble of body and swift of mind than most other races. As such, we are more often called to wizardry and the more subtle martial paths than we are to sorcery and brute force paths. But there are powerful sorcerers and bards and barbarians and so forth among our blood."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"I see." She falls into a brooding silence, clearly working on something. When Estelle lets her think, she says softly, "Just as there are women who are cowardly and irrational."

[Estelle Emerison]

Estelle nods somberly. "Our race is like grooves in stone. Many, even most, will simply flow down those set paths. Some spill over in places. A rare few will spurn the grooves entirely and forge their own path." She laughs, a sound of amusement but little joy. "And not all paths are good."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Good is just, just a way of having magic orient itself. There's no such thing as a good person."

[Estelle Emerison]

"That's not--" Estelle frowns, shakes her head. "How do you define a 'good person,' Noire?"

[Coquette Blacquin]

"People who naturally are inclined to be heroic and helpful and kind all the time. They're just playing you for a fool if you meet someone like that. Everyone's fucked up inside."

[Estelle Emerison]

"Naturally inclined? That exists, I think. I doubt any mortal follows through with their positive inclination all the time though, I agree with you there. But I do think there are people out there whose first instinct is to help, not harm."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Utter rubbish. We're born mortal, and that means we're corrupt, tainted by mortality in a way Outsiders never can be. My-- my husbands, the Outblood ones, were of a different ilk than you or I."

[Estelle Emerison]

"I believe you that they were," Estelle replies easily. "Having Outblood makes the corresponding inclinations much easier to embrace; or so I've read anyway." She cocks her head to the side. "But I've met fully mortal people before that were decent through and through. Not perfect, no, but were speaking of inclinations, not perfection."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Everyone is always out for themself. That's why I can't trust anyone. They'd all turn me over if it got them ahead."