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Time: Early Evening - Present Day
Location: Odette’s Hotel Room - Las Vegas, Nevada

The hotel room silence grew in a dreary tension, like a bubble had formed waiting to burst. Shortly after Puck had left Odette made a hasty retreat to the bedroom behind doors, presumably doing what she said she’d be doing. It was a successful bargaining, securing the protective contract with Gwyneth Owens. The new or rather revised prophecy from Puck snatched the finish line frustratingly away. While being more prepared for it helped The Ambassador to keep her composure during Puck’s visit while in private she soaked in the details, not having the energy to act any other way.

If the creak of the floor did not signal Mandate’s arrival at the bedroom door, the polite but heavy thump of her hand certainly did. It was admittedly more hesitant than the manner in which she usually approached a closed door, with a gentleness that went with her current thoughtful mood. The matters of both Gwyneth and Puck had given her much to roll around in her mind, and while she was hesitant to disturb the Ambassador, she longed for the opportunity to bounce her thoughts off of the human. ”Miss Ambassador, are you there?”

“Mm. Come in, Mandate.” She replied with her back to the door, her tablet beside her phone. In her hands a notepad with scribbled word associations, though there was little to decipher from the well known biblical stories of Eve and the Garden of Eden. “What do you need?”

To the point, lost in thought.

Mandate, although hesitant, was anything but meek. She quickly made her way into the room, ducking slightly to do so; Doorways were something of an enemy of hers. She paused for a moment to take in the sight of the Ambassador, before closing the door behind herself. ”Do you feel like talking, Miss Ambassador? I have some questions about Ms. Gwyneth, and Mr. Puck.” She stayed standing in front of the door, her tone curious and hopeful as her fingers idly tapped together in front of herself.

She paused in her note realizing now she had written the same thing twice in a row. Giving up she closed the notepad on top of the tablet. Turning fully to Mandate, she nodded. “A break to brainstorm will help. What would you like to know?”

The golem gave a contemplate hum as she stood there, sorting through her thoughts. Where did she want to begin? In the end, she selected the topic that had been nagging at her since her human companion had awoken. ”I think I’d like to talk about Ms. Gwyneth first. She sounds very interesting, but dangerous too.” Stepping further into the room, Mandate settled herself down near the Ambassador. ”If that’s okay?” she added hopefully. Her smile was fully in place, perhaps failing to convey her subdued but warm mood.

“Yes that is alright. There is still much to discuss in regards to Madame Owens. Very powerful, showed me her life through illusionary scenes. The very world she inhabited was built by herself…” Odette sighed wistfully, “A firm reminder I still have much to learn myself.”

The golem tilted her head as she studied the ambassador. Earlier conversations came to mind; a discussion of the mortal lifespan, and its limited offering. ”I believe in you, Miss Ambassador.” Mandate offered. The words came without thought, with an earnest tone more at home in the voice of a child.

The grey mood around The Ambassador lifted at Mandate’s sentiment, her earnest support helped to pop the dreary bubble. Slowly she smiled. “Merci beaucoup, Mandate.” She reached to pat the back of Mandate’s hand. Cool to the touch, as usual.

“Madame Owens could only hope to know such support after so many centuries in isolation. How she was able to preserve her life and presumed sanity. What does she plan once regaining power?” Odette thought out loud, “I would feel bolder to ask her those questions next time, now that we are protected under the contract.”

As pleased with herself as Mandate was, she quickly found herself swept along in the ambassador’s external thoughts. In truth, her words touched upon some of the golem’s own curious musings. Her hand turned over without much thought, gently curling around the smaller hand of her human companion in a further extension of solidarity.

”You’re welcome, Miss Ambassador. I was wondering about that too, actually!” The crimson center of her eye shifted its attention from the human to the ceiling, studying it as she expressed some of her thoughts. ”She wanted to be invulnerable so she could be safe, right? Maybe once she has that, if she holds grudges, she’ll go on a little rampage or something. Well, a big rampage.” The golem’s eye darted downwards, her thoughtful tone lowering to a curious murmur. ”A fiery rampage?”

“If anyone who had done me wrong in a past life still lived I would kill them as well, rampage centuries worth of emotion.” Odette agreed, her toes flexing joints popping with the stretch. “By fire refers to Witch-Fire, from what I have researched it is an ability that burns the spirit as it would burn the skin. From my own personal experience, it is not so easily treated. An ability inherited. I believe White Witch knows little more about it than I.”

“I would very much like to see it affect someone else. See what else it can do.” She reached for the trunk containing the Sight, “I’m not so sure just how invulnerable she is. With all the pieces collected she could come back as powerful as she once had been, but how would she dwindle if any of the pieces were destroyed.” She held up one of the coins examining the runes, she never had the knack for divination nor scrying.

“Had these talks gone any other way, it would be a simple matter of shadowing the White Witch to each item to destroy them one by one. Would that unravel her sanity, her world?” Turning it over, coldly noting. “Take away the keystone, the bridge collapses.”

It was an intriguing thought. What would happen if parts were stripped away, piece by piece? What would be left. It was a destructive sort of discovery. Not that she’d be able to explore the hypothetical, the golem reminded herself; not unless Gwyneth gave them some form of reason. Perhaps not even then? Mandate did not have a good head for magic.

The golem hummed, then shrugged. ”I don’t know much about mystical things, Miss Ambassador, but if you shred someone of so many of their little parts, is the thing that’s left them anymore?” She paused for a moment, another thought occurring. Her gaze refocused upon her human companion, briefly flicking down as the ballerina popped her joints; it was a sensation that the golem would never experience. ”What would you do if you had the power she’d been trying to get, Miss Ambassador? Invulnerability.”

Odette did not need to think of her reply, attractive as it was to be harder to kill, Gwyneth was not truly invulnerable. “Given the same opportunity to what Madame Owens has, I would refuse. It is not complete, as she said she only completed one part of the spell. I would certainly not split my soul as she has, I would preserve both my mind and my body as a whole. If I were successful. I imagine you’d agree with that sentiment Mandate, having parts of you tugged away is a very different kind of pain.” Odette focused on the red eye of the golem, “I would refuse even if I was forced between splitting myself and survival.”

Memories. Mandate looked away first, her head slowly bobbing its acknowledgement. Her hand closed ever so slightly tighter around the human’s, gently squeezing in thought. It seemed a much less appealing topic when the subject was herself. ”Yeah. I like being whole.” Still, the other matter tugged at her; The matter of ‘after’. ”If you were successful though, and you kept yourself intact, what would you do with it, Miss Ambassador? I’d do whatever I want, but I already do that. I’m a lot less fragile than human meat.” Blunt honesty served her well.

Odette laughed at human meat, certainly not the worst thing she’s ever heard humans being referred to as. “That is like asking what I would do if I won the lottery.” She used her free hand to pat Mandate’s hand again squeezing back. “I am wealthy, I live in a lap of luxury. While immortality... ” She sighed wistfully once again, a slight sparkle in her eye. “I would become a force of nature, with the entirety of the Fey at my back. I would have time, I would have everything I needed to do what it is I need to do.” She smiled, toothy and genuinely excited by the sheer idea. “You would see it all first hand, at my side.”

Yes, that was right, wasn’t it? Mandate couldn’t deny that the idea was thrilling. She hadn’t known Miss Ambassador long, but the human was dearly important to her. Giving her fragile but important companion the same longevity that she would likely have was a good thought, a warm thought. And yet, perhaps it wasn’t the idle thought that the ambassador might be imagining, if the vague recollections that ‘lottery’ brought about were any indication. ”I think you becoming immortal is probably more likely than you winning the lottery, Miss Ambassador!” the golem cheerfully announced, as she too was quite thrilled by the prospect.

”I mean, you have magic, and lots of weird connections, right? And you’re really young for a human, so you have plenty of time.” Perhaps she was rambling a bit in her excitement, but she was fairly taken by the thought. An immortal Miss Ambassador, no longer as fragile as human meat? It was a solid long term goal, she thought. More solid and significantly more motivating than her idle dreams of exploration and deconstruction. ”I think you should definitely consider it, as long as it’s not some strange fairy trick.” Dependence was unacceptable with something as important as your mortality- or lack thereof.

“There are many things to consider, something as important as your immortal soul shouldn’t be left in the hands of one single faerie.” She said. “Preferably something that preserves my contact with Bach and our autonomy. That connection is… more complex. I have a piece of him and he has a piece of me, it is what allows our fusion to happen and allows me to dip into his own magical reserves. Mandate I trust you will not repeat this to anyone, it is a secret.” Odette warned, firmly. Wanting that note of secrecy to be very clear so there would be no mistaking it. “We entered into this agreement many years ago but he has been my companion for much longer. Since I was a little girl. If immortality meant severing that connection it would break my heart.”

She patted her chest, it felt just as long since she had acknowledged Bach in such a way, with how they had been butting heads as of late. She felt resolve to take the time to get back to the same wavelength as him.

Mandate’s smile seemed to waver for a moment, turning downwards at the reminder of a certain fae individual. It was too simple of a thing to convey complex emotions, though, and the golem hid the true reason with as solemn of a nod as she could give, her tone uncharacteristically serious. ”I promise, Miss Ambassador. Your secrets are always safe with me.” It wasn’t the time to bring up certain things, and her words were absolutely sincere anyway.

But there’d be a time. Mandate’s smile returned, ambiguous in its origins but conveying the same cheer as her next words. ”You really are very smart though, Miss Ambassador. I’m sure you could find a way to take immortality for yourself with your own two hands, when you have the time to set your mind to it. Something that doesn’t need any fairies or fiery witches, too.”Without severing the bond was left unsaid, partially because the thought of doing just that was now a guilty pleasure.

Said guilt was more from the thought of such heartbreak for the ambassador than for any concern for Bach, of course. The golem shifted, pushing the thought back.

“With all this talk of immortality, what do you know of the stories of the Garden of Eden? The renewed prophecy took a particular turn onto biblical references, which is… quite the concern. I am unsure to what level of severity Puck applies to such stories. His words are not to be taken lightly, regardless. It is another puzzle to solve as I did with the previous one.” She said pursing her lips. “It is chilling, nonetheless. The feeling equivalent to someone walking over your grave.” Suddenly the chill in Mandate’s hand seeped into her skin, she slowly removed her hand from the golem’s palm. She reached for her tablet, on it she downloaded a .pdf version of the bible. “I have been rereading the stories looking for more clues, more meaning to Puck’s words.”

“It has not brought any new ideas.” She said, “I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter.”

Mandate tilted her head as memories of her brief time in Mister Puck’s presence drifted to the forefront of her thoughts. A serpent sneaks into your Eden and wraps itself round the Tree of Life. Puzzles. Puzzles and wordplay. Mandate wasn’t always very good with the cryptic, but her thoughts were often spontaneous. Maybe she could be helpful here?

As ever, the golem’s memory of such things was vague contorted, but context allowed her to draw conclusions. ”Well,” she began, tentatively and thoughtfully, ”I’m not sure I’ll be very helpful, Miss Ambassador, but I’d like to try.” Her eye, thoughtfully turned downwards, focused back upon the ambassador’s face. ”Could I see that?” she asked, reaching out with one massive hand to match the request.

Odette hesitated having seen the strength in Mandate’s hand alone. “It is very fragile to you. Please be careful.” Like most everything was fragile to Mandate.

She placed it into the golem’s hand. 

Mandate’s smile didn’t waver. ”Don’t worry, Miss Ambassador. You know I can be soft with soft things. I’ll hold it like it was you!” she promised, delicately taking the device. She was well aware of the fragility of most things when compared to her hands, and this was property of Miss Ambassador’s; being anything less than very careful was unthinkable.

Nonetheless, her hands made the thing almost look tiny, as large as they were to fit her generally massive frame. Gently cradling the device, she examined it with a keen eye, focused on the task at hand.

She laughed behind her hand. “I will take your word on that, my dear. I know you are not entirely knowledgeable on magic related things but you provide a unique perspective.”

”I’ll do my best, Miss Ambassador.” the golem promised warmly, pleased with the laugh from her human companion. She was somewhat distracted by the unwieldy size of her hands beside the device, but she had spent enough time unabashedly staring at the ambassador to gain some small sense of how to operate it.

It involved a lot of hand motions, she recalled, and some of the fresher parts of her mind seemed to agree with this. A testing poke with her finger against the surface of the device yielded some results, and so she repeated, humming as she did so. Yes, she could recall this, and she learned quickly anyway.

Pleased with herself, the golem set about refreshing her muddied memories, sinking into her focus. It was not true fragmentation, like she’d experienced before, or anything like simultaneous thoughts. It was simply… Allowing herself to focus upon and absorb the information at hand. She was sure that it was much more human than the times in which she forgot herself and the world.

In her mind’s eye, the story unfolded, old and new all at once. The details were lost to her memory, but it was a familiar thing all the same. Creation, divisions, the birth of man- and that was a topic that would come back to her, she knew. But what was more important in that moment was the prophecy, and the allusions therein.

The temptation of the serpent- and yet, the one Puck spoke of was different, wasn’t it? The hunger of a serpent, creeping upon Miss Ambassador, but the basic idea still laid there. It was a malign force that invited itself in with a slow subtlety, and then constricted. Constricted the tree? Miss Ambassador’s power? Or something else?

Mandate shook her head, her fingers ever so gently tapping against the device she cradled. When she spoke, it was something of a rambling daze. ”In the biblical story, the snake gets close, and it isn’t rejected. It’s… Crafty, right? Cunning. And your acquaintance said that it would work its way into your Eden, your paradise. Or… Your safe space? If it’s supposed to be like the biblical serpent, it might be something you won’t see coming, or that you’ll invite in yourself. Something you’ll let get close.” Mandate tilted her head, considering the device once more. ”It’s something old, and it has your ear… Maybe that part was literal? Something you’ve spoken to before, Miss Ambassador?” The golem shrugged, turning her eye back towards Miss Ambassador. ”And if it is literal, it might be targeting that tree of yours, or connected to it.”

Slowly, the golem collected herself fully. Her thoughts aligned, and she straightened in her seated position. ”I think it’ll be something or someone you know or will know, and it’ll get close to you and try to take from you without you realizing it. I don’t know what it will take, but… Something to do with the tree? Or yourself? It ‘thirsts for new life’. Maybe it wants to eat you.” It was a disturbing thought to Mandate, and an infuriating one. I won’t allow it.

But… What else? It was frustrating, in the way that Mandate imagined prophecies must often be; It provided the recipient with just enough information to see their doom coming, but not enough to know the form it took, or when it would strike. Why can’t it be straightforward?”I’m sorry it’s not much, Miss Ambassador.” she added, genuinely annoyed by the idea of the truth -the answer- dangling out of reach, unable to be provided to Miss Ambassador.

Odette watched Mandate intently as she listened. She drummed her fingers across her lap, turning her words over. Odette’s source of power being threatened could very well be referring to her permanent portal anchored to the Yew tree. To her, there were connections to it in all aspects of her life. It was why she had it tattooed on her back. It was a long shot, it was somehow more difficult to narrow down who would be interested in knocking her from her seat of power. Tampering with the portal would be the first. 

Solidifying alliances with Fey often came in two distinct routes of security. By gratitude or by blackmail. Grateful to the Ambassador for the help and power she provides in an alliance, or resentful for strong arming the Fey with dirt or tricky favours. While some she could very well imagine they plotted to remove her or take hold of her resources once she was gone, some may be getting impatient. That thought sent a paranoid bolt through Odette’s mind. For a long time she had been wise to keep Fey allies at arm's length, never embedded directly in her affairs but the future may very well change that. As it could with anything, really.

“Perhaps this means we must be on our guard more than usual. I fully expect some of my allies would revel upon news of my death. I know some are waiting for the day my short life ends, no one truly knows of my affairs outside my inner circle. If I am to distrust of everyone I would surely drive myself crazy with paranoia.” She said.

She tapped the screen over Mandate’s large shoulder pulling herself up and over to reach balancing on her belly. She highlighted the passage Mandate was using for reference. “We’ll need to do some research, a little spying, gather more information. Fill in the holes, so to speak. This is a good start.”

She lifted herself up bracing against Mandate’s back, gently pulling the tablet back to her. “As fascinating as this topic is. I believe we do have more important things to worry for right now. I feel the presence of another one of Gwyneth’s items arriving to the city. We must meet with her reincarnation, White Witch. Not that she really has a choice in the matter now, Gwyneth and Puck assured that. Really just… a courtesy call.” She smiled widely at that, then hid a small laugh behind her hand.

Mandate, giddy with the Ambassador’s close contact, offered her human companion a giggle as she was braced against, and gave the tablet back without complaint. Had her small thoughts been sufficient, then? That was good. The golem could honestly say that she was pleased with herself; it was the feeling of discovery.

”I’ll be right there with you, Miss Ambassador. Courtesy is important.” she cheerfully assured the human, her V of a smile as unyielding as ever as she peered upwards.

Feeling lighter and calmer, Odette smiled at her, “I also have an idea for White Witch’s first trial. One phone call will be all it takes.”

The golem hummed as she stared up at the ambassador, her gaze focused upon the human’s smile. It was strange to see it from an upward angle rather than a downwards one, but not unpleasant; the ambassador’s smiles were never unpleasant. Then, the ambassador’s words registered, and curiosity nagged at Mandate once more. ”Really? Who are we calling, Miss Ambassador?”

“They are certainly not friends, but… tools.”
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