The Hand

It was bittersweet, France had been home for his entire life, the seat of the European monarchy laid out before him. The Hand would depart from the foot of the throne and travel to see the Queen's will was done, his network of spies kept him informed of any uprisings or potential disputes between characteristically territorial vampires. Most problems were settled with words, others by the removal of fangs, and when that failed then it fell to the Hand to pull out the heart of the problem. Somehow over the course of the last year Theo had become attached to the city, and to the Romans whom he'd been desperate to leave behind since he'd arrived here. Theo had been present for and adjacent to greatness, in that some of it had rubbed off further on him, making the Juno vampire shine that much brighter.

Magister. Juno had come back; Rhiannon thought only time would tell before she saw her progeny at the side of the Original, magister or not. She looked at that twinkle of life and ambition in Theo's eyes and how she wished she could bring that back to herself. That had been her once, so full of promise. Morrigan's time had come and gone and now it was somehow much more daunting to have to figure out her next step in life than it had ever been to take the world by storm when she had. Death of herself and of so many had made the ancient vampire realize that she couldn't keep remaining so quiet and stagnant. All those wise-asses were right when they said students often taught their teachers.

Her progeny was no idiot; it was pleasing to be reminded of the fact. Rhiannon hadn't always liked Elessar by virtue of what he reminded her of. But he had very, very quickly grown on the faiman-turned-vampire and she had to admit that it would have been more than a shame to ever have to harm him. It was sweet to be reassured that the new eladrin wouldn't be an issue, though Rhiannon knew better than to be sure about anything. She didn't have the love Theo did to put rose-coloured glasses over her eyes. Everyone was unpredictable in the end, even lovers. She hummed and nodded slightly as though to say, 'I hope you're right.'

It was bittersweet, France had been home for his entire life, the seat of the European monarchy laid out before him. The Hand would depart from the foot of the throne and travel to see the Queen's will was done, his network of spies kept him informed of any uprisings or potential disputes between characteristically territorial vampires. Most problems were settled with words, others by the removal of fangs, and when that failed then it fell to the Hand to pull out the heart of the problem. Somehow over the course of the last year Theo had become attached to the city, and to the Romans whom he'd been desperate to leave behind since he'd arrived here. Theo had been present for and adjacent to greatness, in that some of it had rubbed off further on him, making the Juno vampire shine that much brighter.

Dorian's death had made her moody and aloof, violent and apathetic. Maybe it was seeing this damned statues that made Rhiannon suddenly feel so small and fragile in her grief. She hated looking up at them, hated knowing how'd they come to be and hated knowing that she had proclaimed Ezekiel a survivor with eons ahead of him. He was meant to join Emir and Theo as her legacies, the ones that would shake this world in her memory when she was finally gone. What was the meaning of her life now that she was still alive? A specter to watch the younger generations change the world and grow while she remained stagnant - a relic of the past? Rhiannon hadn't been afraid to die; she'd long since learned that living was a lot harder than putting down her sword. But she also had no intention to die on purpose; she'd live out of spite as always. The spiteful survivor.

Of the great many things that Rhiannon might be: hateful, conniving, ruthless among them. A relic was not a word that Theo would have used to ever describe her. She was a champion, a warrior, a leader, and a mentor. Ahead of Theo Graves the monarchy was waiting for him, grateful to put this viper's nest behind him, he was preparing to enter another one entirely. At least vampires were something that Theo was hyper aware of contending with, their machinations, and their motivations were entirely predictable.

Time: Riiiiiight before Theo leaves Location: ... Airport? Portal? Idk, it's just where to say bye Characters: @theograves & @bloodyrhiannon Notes: :manlytears:

"Don't waste your words, Rhiannon." Theo looked from the statues of the Six towards his sire, loss had made her sentimental, it didn't look good on her and quite frankly it made his skin crawl. He smiled though as he looked back towards the statue of Queen Titania. "I know." There was no limit to how far Theo intended to climb, he'd been nothing more than dying soldier on the wrong side of history when she'd come across him. A pious fool who believed that Gods cared for things like sinners or saints: the rotted truth at the core of this world was that people rarely ever ended up happy. The Hand had spent centuries serving at a Queen's behest, bearing the toll of lives so that Evelyn wouldn't have to. A thousand commands, a thousand wars, but he'd failed to stop this one.

The idea of the mushroom zombies all being cramped together in cages made Oliver's eyes flare in horror, humanity was gone and only rot and decay remained and that was obvious in the bloody thirsty gaze that could be seen through the mushroom caps that took over most of the skull. "It's horrible that death can't keep them, they'd be better off gone. No one wants to be remembered that way, no one who lived a good life wants to die a monster." His words colored with thoughts of his own fate, he lived and became the worst type of monster. "Nothing good can come for us." He felt terribly young all at once and as if he was in over his head.

"Everyone who lives long enough dies a monster." Theo said with a sigh as he tore off some of the creature's limbs to keep it from walking and thrashing around. The Eye had said not to kill if possible, even though things were coming back, Theo didn't question it - but their medical division was advanced, they could reattach limbs when necessary. "I challenge you to name one immortal who has not committed some atrocious and unthinkable act. Go ahead," Theo Smiled, "I'll wait."

@theograves

"Fortunately I have a closet full, he won't notice the other unless you tell him." Asher hugged him and that was - fine, Theo supposed. More Elessar's thing but given the circumstances the Hand didn't protest too much. Asher was his progeny and the boy was like a son to him, but that didn't make the Triumvir a good father. "I did try to tell you, but you never listen. Now here we are, with you in over your head once again." It was true that Theo was too hard on him, that his expectations were too high, but he wanted what was best for Asher. Something besides the staggering amount of money he was capable of burning through. A war was no place for Asher. All the same, Theo was resolved to see his progeny through this: not just for Elessar's sake, but for his own as well.

"You should've sent him away when you had the chance. That would've been coddling," Elessar pointed out, thinking about the vampire now. The faiman wouldn't wish for anything to happen to any of them, and now he here was, dealing with two children instead of one. At least Theo could hold his own at times. They were nearing the end of their journey here anyway, but Elessar wouldn't fight Theo the minute he was told to leave. "I coddle you because you'd cry if I didn't."

If there was a two who hadn't deserved to die happy, it had to be the two of them, but assuming they got through this then it seemed like their path was pretty well set. Harlow had all but confirmed it, Evelyn wasn't the monarch she'd been, the realm required a stronger hand to guide it into the future. "Really? You want to do this now?" Theo asked as he tipped the other's chin, "You coddle me because you need something to coddle. You're a nester, admit it. If you don't have something to do with your hands you start scratching at the walls."

It was hot of Theo to steal souls, that much Elessar could get behind, even as he had an unlimited source, this whole battle was a stalemate. The faiman stepped over another husk, moving towards the Senator now, "Asher is fine. I saw him." He knew Theo would feel whether or not the other was harmed, which made Ely feel better anyway. He put his hands on the other's features, wiping away the slightest bit of dirt. Otherwise, he looked impeccable. "I told him to find us if he gets into trouble."

Forever the liability, Theo still didn't understand what the boy was doing involved in all of this. Asher should be on a beach somewhere, not in the middle of a battle between literal good and evil. So fucking melodramatic. When this was done, Theo was resolved to put this damned city behind him for good. His successor chosen, if nothing else they needed to win because the vampire would be damned if all this shit was for nothing. "You coddle him." Theo said with a sigh, his smile was light before he nudged the other, "you coddle both of us."

Who: @senatusstarters Where: Base camp

There was a number of them in cages now, creatures that were being treated for the Autumnal Chancellor's rot. "There aren't enough cages or vaccines for everyone," Theo pointed out, "we prioritised the members of our forces that were targeted, soldiers, support staff, that sort of thing." Families, friends, innocents and civilians? They were alone out there still, left to contend with this vile plague all on their own. "Makes you wonder what else is coming."

@theograves

A progeny of Rhiannon's couldn't disappoint, and while she'd once plucked him from the battlefield Theo had no intention of letting history repeat itself. Especially not with original vampires and magisters in their midst. As it happened, Death was rejecting everything that wasn't dead already, but the souls did not come back after they were taken. Several husks littered the area around him, unphased, they came back to life only to die of some sort of systemic failure moments later. "It would take more than this, how are you? How's Asher?"

"I'd say it's bold of you to assume you don't have one at this point." She has seen what he has done. The loss of that poor young Juno vampire that hadn't ever even got to really settle into their senate seat had been horrible. It'd been a devastating loss, something shocking. And he'd stepped in and turned everything around for his bloodline when he hadn't had to. They could have found someone else and she knows that with his ambitions, he did not take the seat without thinking of it pragmatically. But that was kind of the point, that was why he was so good at it. "You could have just taken the seat and sat here and just looked good to the rest of us, but you have helped heal what was lost. You were here when we needed someone who knew what they were doing. I certainly think you're not at the kids table anymore."

"Juno's ear, the throne, and someday the magisterium." Power, power, and more power. Influence. "I want to make sure nothing like this ever happens again." Evelyn had failed because he, in part, had failed. He'd warned the Queen that there was unrest in Rome, he hadn't wanted to stretch out his Hand and tightened it around the city a century ago, things might have been different had she given him the okay to do so. The Earnest was soft though, weak, and her ideals had poisoned his words and ultimately had gotten her killed. Drained for the Leech that Theo in turn had saved as a demonstration of dedication and strength. He hadn't done any of those things because he cared about the Earnest, he did them because Theo believed at his core what he always knew to be true, it was the fire that Rhiannon had seen within him long before he saw it there himself: Theo Graves was the best candidate for the job. Unquestionable and without equal. "My current seat wasn't enough to keep this from happening."

Harlow offers a nod of understanding and it's slow, contemplative and her fingers twine together behind her back as they walk. It doesn't surprise her in the slightest that he is ambitious, though she doesn't think him malicious, not when he's been around the queen for so long. "I went to France after the wedding, I spent an ample amount of time there. She's not doing well. I don't think she was doing well before the wedding." Evelyn was already tired and it'd felt apparent that the honeymoon was even supposed to be a sign of her slowing down to be with her new bride. For fear of sounding conspiring against the crown, she doesn't say anymore. For the moment. "But what do you want of Juno?"

It was a fair question, but what Harlow tells him next isn't news to him. The Hand made it his business to keep lines of communication open with his informants, having eyes and ears firmly planted back home when he'd been gone for so long was important. Theo had heard of Evelyn's decline, had heard of it for some time. That didn't dissuade him from his path, in fact it only made Theo more certain of his course. "The same thing I've always wanted: a seat at the table."

"I cannot thank you and Ayla enough for standing strong despite everything. I know it is not easy." Both of them could have turned tail when the leech had started to attack, when the young Juno senator was lost. "But what is it that you want, Theo?" The smile comes across her lips is soft, her hands clasping behind her back as they walk. "From my understanding, you were supposed to be here temporarily. Do you wish to stay? When all is said and done?" From what she knows, he has a partner here with him, a direct bloodline too, that's reason enough. But as competent as he is and as much as she wishes those that were truly formidable would stick around, she understands there is no weakness in walking away when one is ahead, the weariness that can plague those that wear a proverbial crown.

"I took a lesser position at the Queen's behest, because the city needed a strong hand." Had he arrived sooner then this might have gone differently, but the Earnest's optimism and the inherent corruption within the senate had made this path inevitable. "I was to find a suitable replacement for the senatorship and then move on, that's still my intention once this matter with the Asphodel is settled." He'd managed to bring together aspects, the senate, and as a result countless forces trickled into the city. All things considered, these senators didn't have to like each other but that didn't negate the fact that if they wished to survive they had to work together. Even The Eye was playing nice now. "I found him, a marshal. Young but... he'll do. I want the throne, and Juno's ear."