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[greatlightother]

[Private to Petronilla]

Let's have tea. Or cake. Or...something. I don't really mind what the excuse is, but I'd really like to sit down and talk to you properly. When would be a good time for you...well, either tonight or tomorrow?

[Private to Una]

I have what you asked for. And a few other things. Whenever you're ready.

[Private to O'Brien]I

Comments

Private, audio;

[damesuccubus]

Not tonight, I'm too busy tonight. [LIES. She just likes to keep you waiting, Sveta.] Tomorrow would be better for me.

What shall we be discussing tomorrow? So I can best prepare myself.

Private, audio;

[greatlightother]

[Games. Sveta can play those, too.]

Nothing in particular. Just a discussion. Tomorrow is fine.

Private, audio;

[damesuccubus]

[...damn you, Svetlana.]

Tomorrow it is then. Where shall we meet? Your cabin again, as usual?

Private, audio;

[greatlightother]

No. I will come by after lunch to your cabin.

Private, audio; -> spam. C:

[damesuccubus]

Oh, something different! How unusual. I'll be waiting for you then.

---

[Petronilla sat waiting for Svetlana in the chair by the unlit fire, practising her psaltery with the door to her cabin propped open with a heavy pot. As she played she sang a tune about a scandalous affair between a monk and a merchant's wife - a bawdy little ditty, but one of her favourites. Her appearance was deceptively calm.]

spam. C:

[greatlightother]

[Sveta hesitated outside the door when she heard the singng and smiled to herself, shaking her head in mild disbelief. She knocked once before stepping inside, waiting for her song to finish.]

spam.

[damesuccubus]

The monk was brave brave brave, and the wall was high high high.... [She sneered as she sang, finishing up the little ditty with a final pluck of her psaltery. The song was about her wretched brother-in-law and his precious little wife, but she knew it had been written as a slight on the both of them.

Petronilla lifted her head and greeted her warden with a soft nod.]

Afternoon, Svetlana. So surprising to see you out and about. Come in, please.

spam.

[greatlightother]

Why so surprising? [She really wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to that, but she asked it anyway. Stepping inside, she shoved her hands in her pockets again.]

Re: spam.

[damesuccubus]

[Petronilla rose and placed the psaltery on her now vacation chair, motioning for Sveta to have a seat at her table.]

Oh Svetlana, such a silly question. You've been spending a lot of time in your room lately. Weeks and weeks, as a matter of fact.

Re: spam.

[greatlightother]

[She sat down, shrugging as she did so.] It's been a difficult few weeks, honestly. But that's all passed now. I'm assuming you didn't get into too much trouble.

Re: spam.

[damesuccubus]

[Petronilla raised an eyebrow slightly - she assumed Svetlana was lying, but didn't say so.]

Me? No, no trouble, Svetlana. [She sat down on the bench opposite her warden.] I keep myself out of trouble now.

Re: spam.

[greatlightother]

Good. [She gave her a smile again.] I wanted to talk to you about your baby. [She resisted the urge to make a snide remark about that. It wasn't going to help anything. She just had to accept that this is what Petronilla believed.]

Re: spam.

[damesuccubus]

Oh? [Petronilla sat up a little straighter. Svetlana had been good so far, in that she hadn't tried to argue with Petronilla about whether or not she even was with child. She thought that was just a little ridiculous.]

In what regard?

Re: spam.

[greatlightother]

[She spread her hands out, trying to not look threatening.] Well, what are your plans. If you do have this child here, you know that it will have to go through all of the things that you do.

Re: spam.

[damesuccubus]

[Ah, yes, when the child was born. That was a bit tricky. There wasn't a nursemaid here, or any servants, she'd have to...take care of her son herself.

Not ideal, not at all.

Petronilla furrowed her brow and fell silent for a long moment.]

If the Barge will not let a new mother leave, I suppose I will have to care for him.

Re: spam.

[greatlightother]

You won't leave. But you will still have to take care of this child and take care of his needs. You will have to make sure that he survives the floods, ports and everything else. You will have a child here who will grow up to think all of this is normal. [She leaned forward again.]