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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.
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"I dunno, it just is," says Harley. "What's not funny about it?"
"No joke setup, no clever wordplay, no comedic timing, I'm not really seeing elements of humor in falling out of a tree and breaking your arm unless you, like, fled into the tree to escape vengeful mobsters who wanted to break your arm and you have irony to lean on," Brandon says.
"And yet, I did it, and I was giggling for like ten minutes," says Harley.
"High on endorphins," suggests Alice chirpily.
"And it was funny," says Harley.
"You have some crossed wires," snorts Brandon. "I guess we knew that."
"Your reputation precedes you," whispers Lily loudly.
"Your reputation precedes you," whispers Lily loudly.
Harley snickers.
"Do you even know the other guy?" asks Brandon. "Man, I would be so weirded out if there were more of me. There's another Dad but he doesn't have another Mom."
"I saw 'em all when I was just a baby, I don't remember it," says Harley. "Which is another good reason not to want a perfect memory, 'cause I'm gonna meet 'em all again and I want that to be the first time."
"If Jane's ever back. If she doesn't come back you're stuck with the Imperial Mint," says Lily. "He's not here today - actually I don't think they're interviewing him at all, I think the reveal here is limited to the array of species and witches. Elspeth told everyone that if we mention magic we should keep it kind of vague."
"I don't mind being stuck with the Imperial Mint," laughs Harley.
"I would rather like to meet another of me, I think," says Lily.
"Not me," says Brandon.
"Well, it's academic, Peace doesn't have an Alice and there haven't been copies of Mom and Dad found anywhere."
"Not me," says Brandon.
"Well, it's academic, Peace doesn't have an Alice and there haven't been copies of Mom and Dad found anywhere."
"I wonder what makes there be piles of some people but one each of everybody else," says Harley.
"No idea," says Lily.
"Glass was the best hope of figuring it out and we can't get at her now," sighs Alice.
"Glass was the best hope of figuring it out and we can't get at her now," sighs Alice.
Harley shrugs.
And then it's Brandon and Alice and Jasper's turn to be interviewed, and off they go, and Lily says, "Well, Mom, Dad, I'll see you Thursday, I'm going to hop home, I'm meeting Solana in a few," and she hugs Carlisle and Esme, and ruffles Harley's hair - she remembers when he was a baby - and teleports away.
Harley giggles. His hair is very ruffleable! He understands why people ruffle it. If he were somebody else he'd ruffle his hair too.
"It's so nice to have this sort of thing finally happening. No more hiding," says Esme.
Carlisle nods. "It's been a long road."
Carlisle nods. "It's been a long road."
Awww.
"I'm gonna go find somebody else to pester," says Harley, and he hugs them both and wanders off.
"I'm gonna go find somebody else to pester," says Harley, and he hugs them both and wanders off.
"Off" takes him in the direction of Marcus and Didyme, who are not talking to anyone else right now, just quietly smiling at each other and their surroundings while they wait. They are holding hands; they are rarely seen doing otherwise.
Harley beams at them.
"Hi! You're adorable," he says.
Of course he opted in to the aura of happiness.
"Hi! You're adorable," he says.
Of course he opted in to the aura of happiness.
"Thank you," says Didyme sunnily. "I believe you're called Harley, is that right?"
"Yep!"
"We've been somewhat withdrawn from Imperial affairs, since I'm no longer asked to help newborns settle in with other sorts of magic available; what is your story?" she asks.
"I'm a Joker," he says. "Elsie took me from another world 'cause she found me when I was a baby and Jokers have really nasty parents, so now she's raising me instead. I love Elsie, she's great."