* [semi-closed post]

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan is still struggling, but she's established a little routine, specific to Dark: every morning, she goes to her favorite room - the one with all the rugs - and retrieves several bottles of alcohol. These, she ferries down to the cafe and arranges them on a corner table, where she sits for the next hour or so, passing bottles to anyone who needs a full one, and measures from the bottles to anyone who would prefer just a drink or two. By now, she's got a sense of the regulars, their preferences (though she cannot always accommodate these - it really is the queerest assortment of libations), and how much they require, but she always brings an extra bottle or two just in case.

Today, she's tireder than normal, and moving slowly. Her tea was running low, and so she's rationing it. She's even on the verge of capitulating and getting a cup of coffee to tide herself over.


[Primarily intended for Dionysus and Lan Wangji, but if anyone wants to play out the awkwardness of the daily alcohol retrieval I'm all in!]

Comments

[vineleaves]

“Not a bad idea. Maybe if we put out a survey about it, it would be a gentle way to let everyone realize the situation.”

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan sighs. "Or it might panic everyone," she says.

[vineleaves]

“Oh,” he says quietly. “That’s a good point.” He is back to feeling useless and helpless. “You are a — a queen, right? I’m remembering correctly?” She certainly seems like she knows what she’s doing at any rate.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Once, yes."

[vineleaves]

"I can tell. You're very good at this." All of this. Making sure everyone is safe and has what they need, making sure a panic doesn't break out. Everything. "I'm royal on both sides, but it's not like I've ever had to actually rule anything. And they don't exactly give out lessons on this stuff when you're being secretly raised by wood nymphs."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

A smile flashes across Susan's face, here and then gone again. "Dryads are terrible for that sort of thing. They didn't give me lessons either."

[vineleaves]

"Great if you want to learn about outdoorsey stuff, less great if you ever find yourself needing to deal with people. Not to disparage my aunties, of course, I love them all dearly you know."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Terrific dancers, though."

[vineleaves]

“Oh goodness yes! You won’t find a better dancer at Juilliard!” It’s a welcome distraction, thinking about his childhood. It was good… right up until the point when it wasn’t, anymore. He’s not thinking about that part though, just the nice bits.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I was neither born nor raised royal," Susan says, thoughtfully. "I was just given the job and did it for a while, I suppose."

[vineleaves]

"I think not being born royal probably made you better at the job, honestly." Dionysus does not have a very high opinion of the majority of world leaders, if it's not obvious.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

She gives him rather an amused look. "You've got no idea how I did. Perhaps I was a tyrant."

[vineleaves]

"I've known tyrants, you're not acting very tyrannical."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Maybe I'm rather good at hiding it."

[vineleaves]

"That's fair. Were you?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Alas," says Susan. "I merely helped depose one."

[vineleaves]

“Hmmm, just what a tyrant might say,” he replies, obviously joking. “But truly, I do think we’re all lucky you’re here, my dear. The world would be a better place if more leaders were kind and well meaning like you seem to be.”

[quote_gentle_unquote]

That's very kind of him, but Susan really is primarily interested in her own comfort. If people here were suffering, she'd be less comfortable. "Thank you."

[vineleaves]

"What year was it when you left Earth, if you don't mind me asking?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Early April, 1950."

[vineleaves]

"Not too long ago! It was 2024 for me, so we're barely seventy years apart!" He is, of course, also thinking about all of the plays she has missed, but considering the time periods a lot of the mansion comes from, they might as well be a weekend apart.

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"Barely seventy!"

[vineleaves]

"Seventy years isn't long!"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Her siblings' ages when they died did not collectively add up to seventy. Seventy is plenty long. "Perhaps not to a god," she says.

[vineleaves]

"I meant more in comparison to how long ago some other people are from. I had to explain to Mercutio not to stick a fork in an electrical socket." In Mercutio's defense, it's not like he was about to do it, Dionysus was being proactive.