the history channel

[her_imperial_radiance]

It's something of a truism that "it's not like the Empress is going to make a speech or anything" when the Masquerade folds up. Regardless, there comes a time when the incessant requests to be allowed to make a documentary about the Golden Coven are met not with "absolutely not", but instead, "let's talk".

Elspeth does a fair amount of the negotiating for this - she does run PR. Harley, presently thirteen, is allowed to sit in on a few of the storyboarding discussions - the documentary will not be fictionalized, but they still have concern for narrative flow. It's going to be very long, after all.

Significant portions of the documentary will be conjured recordings of events, from outside or even first-person perspectives, but an entire segment is devoted to personally profiling members and peripheral associates of the Golden Coven, one by one. Harley's not on the list - it's mostly a history documentary, with younger generations present almost entirely for 'where are they now' color, and he's not, technically, her son - but Elspeth and most of her family is. And Harley is permitted to lurk around the studio setup while various people prep with their interviewers, or eavesdrop, or - if they are sufficiently non-vampiric to allow makeup to stick - get that applied. It's a big production; the supernatural community would have found it just as convenient to spread it out, but the film people want everything taken down, edited for a consistent look-and-feel, and released according to schedule within a certain time frame.

So there are a lot of people around. Mostly vampires, but plenty of hybrids - there are most of Emmett and Rosalie's kids, over there, with the proud parents themselves - and wolves; Jacob is over with Elspeth - and even a few humans, ranging from imprints to Lizzie who's with Carlisle, Esme, and Lily, and also Alice and Jasper and their son Brandon. People not normally seen around the Golden Capitols have been hauled in. There's Marcus, no longer as craquelure thanks to magic, and Didyme at his elbow, literally radiating happiness. (Bella rendered her power opt-in along with several other mind-affecting abilities that can't be turned off, but it's very inviting, so people usually do so opt.)

And of course Bella and Edward themselves are present, flitting around, mingling. Their interviews aren't until later.

Kerron waves to Harley when he shows up.

Comments

[luminous_regnant]

Bella finishes looking over somebody's clipboard of checklists, and has a moment of stillness, no longer running around micromanaging everything to her satisfaction.

[pythbox]

So naturally Harley decides to pester her next.

"Hi, Bella!"

[luminous_regnant]

"Hello, Harley. How've you been?"

[pythbox]

"Kerron wants me to feed him tons of pie for science! And Marcus and Didyme are adorable."

[luminous_regnant]

"What form of science is advanced by feeding Kerron tons of pie?"

[pythbox]

"Seeing what happens if a hybrid just keeps eating food," he says. "Maybe he'll explode!"

[luminous_regnant]

"I don't think that would be pleasant for Kerron. Also, I think he might call off the experiment before it happens."

[pythbox]

Harley giggles.

[luminous_regnant]

"It would be interesting to know the results, regardless."

[pythbox]

"I'll tell you if he explodes," Harley promises.

[luminous_regnant]

"All the other witnesses would presumably be too busy mopping up the aftermath to think of notifying me."

[pythbox]

Harley snickers.

[luminous_regnant]

"Any activities besides cooing over everyone's favorite reunited-after-centuries-of-despair couple and plotting to detonate your nephewoid?"

[pythbox]

"General pestering," he giggles.

[luminous_regnant]

"Always productive."

[pythbox]

"I am the most productive," he says. "They should credit me in the thingy when it's released. Nobody'd get anywhere without me pestering them."

[luminous_regnant]

"We shall see," says Bella.

[pythbox]

Harley beams at her.

"Best empress!"

[luminous_regnant]

"Locally, at any rate, I will accept the title."

[pythbox]

"Why, is there some other empress you think is actually better?" he wonders.

[luminous_regnant]

"You know," says Bella, "at Bellparties we would occasionally talk about having contests, but never actually set one up or even discussed how it would be judged."

[pythbox]

"You should have us judge it," giggles Harley.

[luminous_regnant]

"That would be one way to do it, I suppose. What sort of criteria do you have in mind?"

[pythbox]

"I dunno!" he says. "Besides just being awesome?"

[luminous_regnant]

"I imagine Aurum and Atlantis and Eos and whatever other empires have been formally established by the time we meet again all have our own unique characters of awesomeness."