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

[pythbox]

Harley rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Jokers are not literally the only people who like to cook," he says.

[pina_colada]

"Sure, but you look way less like Lily."

[pythbox]

Harley cracks up.

[pina_colada]

"Besides, she does fancy molecular gastronomy. Deconstructed haggis or whatever's new this week. If she ever made a 'pie', the crust would be over here, probably raw and cut into some kind of shape with a cookie cutter, and the fruit would be over here arranged in a flower, and there'd be a little pile of cinnamon-sugar over here and then she'd drizzle it all with a caramel spiral and lecture everyone on how to eat it."

[pythbox]

Harley wrinkles his nose. "No thanks," he says. "I think the best way to eat a meal like that is to throw it at a wall and go get pizza."

[pina_colada]

"If you pick a fight with Lily I want to watch."

[pythbox]

"Hey, I didn't say I'd throw the pie at her," Harley points out, grinning.

[pina_colada]

"She gets fierce about the value of deconstructing food. Also about appointment-keeping and dressage and comic books. Things in general. It's weird, her parents are lambs."

[pythbox]

"This is not a person I would get along with and if I have to hang out with her I am going to throw food at something," Harley predicts.

[pina_colada]

Kerron considers, then discards the possibility of telling Harley that on some occasions Lily's ferocity has taken the form of biting. "Well, she lives in Barcelona, these days, so you won't run into her if you don't want to."

[pythbox]

Kerron is wise in the ways of Jokers.

"Good!" says Harley. "She can stay in Barcelona and keep her half-baked pie."

[pina_colada]

"Well, she's here," says Kerron, glancing around, "but I don't think she'd be hard to elude."

[pythbox]

Harley giggles.

[pina_colada]

"Mr. Corlett?" says one of the film people. "Are you Mr. Corlett?"

"If you'd drop the formality I could tell you if you're looking for me or my dad," Kerron says.

"...I don't know how to pronounce the first name."

"Then yep, I'm Mr. Corlett. It's Keh-run."

"All right. This way, please?"

"Sure. Later, Harley!"

[alicornucopia]

Emmett hears Harley's name. "Harley!" he calls, waving. "We're bored, come distract us."

[pythbox]

"My favourite thing to hear!" says Harley, skipping over to Emmett and company. "Hi, Emmett. Hi, Rosalie. You're still pretty."

[alicornucopia]

"Thank you," says Rosalie, chuckling.

"What are you up to?" asks Henry. "Are you getting interviewed or are you just tagging along with Elspeth?"

[pythbox]

"Tagging along with Elsie, getting in everybody's way, threatening to feed Kerron pie," says Harley.

[alicornucopia]

"How terrifying," says Parker.

"I doubt anyone appreciates you deliberately getting in their way," says Nicole.

[pythbox]

Harley blinks at Nicole.

[alicornucopia]

Nicole rolls her eyes.

Emmett says, "You coming to watch the Olympics this year, Harley?"

[pythbox]

"Dunno. Maybe," says Harley.

[alicornucopia]

"I'm in for swimming and Lindsay for gymnastics," Parker volunteers.

"Are you going t-" Lindsay starts to ask Harley. "Oh, right," she corrects herself. "Maybe there should be a human division."

"That's just the regular Olympics," says Nicole.

"They're different in other ways," Oliver says.

[pythbox]

Harley giggles.

[alicornucopia]

"Are you ever gonna turn into a vampire, do you think?" Henry asks.