bakerstreet | Baby, you’re perfect

[Goodbye, peace and quiet~]

Yeah? You've certainly got your qualities.

[ ............?

She hasn't asked him. ]

If you are idle, you could look after your State, Lot.

[ Remember the one near the Pit from that poor fae who ran his mouth in the middle of a royal audience and ended up being flogged to death by her orders. ]

You misunderstand, Your Majesty.

[Ever since she'd stabilized him, his voice sounded quite a lot more like Urien's.

He'd taken off one of his gauntlets, reaching into a pack at his side to withdraw a set of cards.]

It's a game being played in Gloucester that he used to help even out the wrinkles with Tristan. He was too embarrassed to show it so you, so I thought I'd pull it out while he's busy with his training. [Gently, he rapped his knuckles on his temple. Urien was busy in that city doing who knew what.]

I see.

[ A game... Morgan stares blankly, but what she truly registers is that her daughter was involved, too. The spear she always wields is resting on her lap. It is simply a show she is relaxing in her own way. She might not leave her throne, but she sometimes shows signs of rest. Her free hand beckons him to approach and show her this set. ]

...It sounds like they are finally starting to smooth their relationship. [ It probably wasn't very easy for either Urien or Tristan. Not when they have their differing opinions regarding Beryl Gutt. ] How do you get along with your niece, Lot?

You could say it's a toss-up, depending on the day. Sometimes she likes him more. Sometimes she likes me more. [Shuffling the cards in both hands, he approached the throne and Morgan.]

Pretty sure she likes getting to answer all his dumb questions. It's advertised as a 'get to know somebody' game. You pull from the top of the deck after shuffling and ask whichever question you get. Course... Urien made sure to pry the less-than-savory questions out when he played with Tristan.

[He held out the shuffled deck for Morgan to take. Before entering the throne room, naturally, Lot added those discarded cards right back in.]

[ Morgan wonders what causes the swing. There are still things she misses in how to make her daughter happy. Their feelings do not always align despite the great affection they can share.

As Lot approaches, her grave gaze flicks to the guards outside the throne room. She doesn't need to give any signal; they close the doors and won't admit any guests unless they belong to the "royal" family.

"Family'" is such an outlandish concept to grasp, yet it applies. ]

And you say Tristan enjoyed this game...?

[ She mumbles. Maybe she should borrow it to...play it with her daughter one day. She reaches out to choose one of the middle cards from the offered selection. ]

Is there any penalty? I am not familiar with the rules.

['It's a big brother's responsibility to make sure his sisters are happy.'

Urien's reasoning had been sound and, thankfully, he hadn't questioned where he accumulated that line of thinking. Rather, Lot was happy to leave it as a mystery.]

Hm. [A thought came to mind. Morgan's incredulity... had she not realized Tristan hadn't been that difficult to entertain? Perhaps he and Urien had understood her simply because they shared the same kinds of instincts.

Well--he could reserve information for a special occasion, then. He didn't have much of a mind for gifts but some were just obvious. At her question, he smiled just a little and spread his hands in a half-hearted shrug.]

Neat thing is there aren't any rules except you having to shuffle the deck and take turns. You could make up rules if you wanted but those two answered everything that came up.

[ It shouldn't be so difficult to grasp that Morgan faces challenges in properly bonding with her daughter. As a monarch, she's efficient in her own ruthless way (who else would have organized such a chaotic world during two thousand years?), but when it comes to approaching Tristan, she is paralyzed about her methods.

Partly, she carries the guilt of the times she could not save that child from her grisly fate. ]

I see. I'll go first— [ the queen announces as if she hasn't retrieved a card already. She lowers her gaze to read the contents. ] "Can you describe your own taste in interior and design?"

[ Her eyebrow raises at the specific topic. No matter. This might be a good way to know if he has made changes in his inherited State. ] What do you say, Lot?

[He'd furrowed his brows when posed with that card. Tristan had given a pretty straight-forward answer to the question--one that could have been picked apart simply by glancing over the interior of her suite in the castle.

Lot, on the other hand--Morgan had already seen his real home, though he knew better than to say as much. Sighing, he drilled his fingers upon his chin, sitting cross-legged beside Morgan's throne as a hound might.]

I'm not saying I'll pass but I don't think it applies to me. 'Four walls and a roof' aren't in my taste to begin with.

[Suffice to say that his mansion was collecting dust.]

[ Morgan looks down at him; his manners are similar to Urien's, plopping down on the steps of her dais and staying there under the shadow of her throne. She might have to sacrifice the tasteful minimalism of her throne to bring chairs for them if this continued. ]

You have a State.

[ She reminds him with a dry voice. She will have to order him to at least spend a day per week in that place. Otherwise, the staff will never become familiar with him. Urien could accompany him, too. Perhaps they could take Tristan with them. She might have ideas to redecorate that manor to her liking.

.......................

She will consult with Urien first. Morgan extends her hand to return her card into the shuffle. ]

It should be your turn to choose.

[Really, he might have been content with a cushion. There was no opportunity to chat with her at the kotatsu and, even if there had been, he could imagine she would be unhappy to try it.

Had he known she was considering the option of throwing Tristan his way once more, he might have blanched. That girl would turn those quaint farmsteads into something that would put the other lords to shame.

Lot, made weary by the prospect, offered her a dry look in return, rather pointedly.]

You have thousands of acres of fields to frolic in.

[Picking up the deck, he placed Morgan's card at the bottom and drew one from the top of the deck. He read it while shuffling it once again.]

'What's your favorite leisurely activity?' [Though, his brow wrinkled. It seemed an unfair question to pose her as well.]

Edited 2024-03-11 18:58 (UTC)

[ Her plans to appoint Tristan as assistant to run his state is all but decided. His words that she tolerates his presence have only encouraged her. It might keep her daughter busy and happy, with less idle time to sulk about Beryl Gutt.

It would also take that burden off his shoulders some of the Lord's duties when he doesn't have the heart for that role. Unfortunately, the personnel needs to understand the presence of the owner switch. She could ease the transition yet still expect him to at least show his face.

She returns his gaze, unfilinchingly. ]

My place is on this throne.

[ She cannot move as freely as she used to. But she has known and explored every inch of the isles in the past. This also limits the things she can do. Fortunately, there is one thing she has always liked, even before she left the Rain Clan. ]

Reading. [ She asnwers quickly, meeting his gaze serenely. She suspects he will pass this information to Urien. ] I like reading.

morgan | fgo

au

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here let me create lore for future memes

yay

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if he knew lol, lb6 is such a trainwreck