perched in the dark

huang mei lian 650 vampire council member

[eternalssource]

[meilianxhuang]

@firebrandaesthetics​

[campodegirassois]

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi hissed from the sting of Mei’s fangs piercing his skin, his grip on her thighs tightening and holding her in place. He had never let anyone else feed from him but he loved being able to give Mei Lian something–to fuel and empower her in some way. He wrapped his arms around her, his hand slipping from her thigh to her neck as the other unhooked her bra. He wanted all of her and his usually saintly patience was running thin.

As she rocked against him, he could feel himself harden, wanting more contact with her. Yongyi rarely allowed himself the pleasure of feeling anything so it was rare and special when he let go and simply enjoyed himself. There was no greater purpose in this moment, no duty, only the pleasure that came from being with Mei Lian. This was about them and only them. 

Mei Lian felt another shiver run through her as his hands gripped at her skin, keeping here where she was and at what she was doing as she fed. She felt his fingers unhooking her bra and she shifted, one of the straps falling over her shoulder and she allowed herself a few mouth moments of feeding from him before she nicked her tongue against her fang and licked over the puncture wounds, immediately healing his skin. “Mine.” She said it again, more assuredly this time as she pulled her head back and faced him. She was flushed, eyes red for a moment more before they shuttered back to normal.

After she said it she reached up, cupping his cheeks again and kissing him, not caring that her lips were still stained in his blood, that its taste was still on her tongue. “And I’m yours.” she breathed against his lips, letting one of her hands trail down his neck and his bare torso, traveling between them as she rocked against him again. “And I trust you. So stop holding back.”

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi watched as the material slipped down Mei Lian’s legs, mesmerized by the sight of her nearly naked. He hadn’t seen her like this for hundreds of years but it still felt as if it were only yesterday that he had. He remembered every inch but yearned to rediscover them regardless. 

When the back of his legs hit his bed, he sat down, his hands running over Mei Lian’s thighs as she straddled him. The words she whispered in his ear made him shiver and his need intensified. “Yes.” He had never wanted anyone the way he wanted her–no one had even come close to catching his attention the same way she did. Yongyi was an angel, sculpted to perfection, so he always thought he was beyond wants and needs. She proved to be the only exception and he loved every bit of it.

His grip on her tightened, urging her to continue, to take whatever she wanted from him. For her, he would give anything. 

Mei Lian felt a little shiver roll down her spine at his touch, goosebumps erupting over her skin as his hands traveled over her bare thighs as she settled on top of him. She nearly growled at his words, something hot and possessive flooding through her. Yongyi was centuries older than her. Lived longer than her mind could truly comprehend. Theoretically, there should be little to nothing at all that he hadn’t done--and yet this, them, was a first. Mei laid claim to so many of his firsts and she cherished each and every one. How she could ever even entertain the notion that she wasn’t that important to him...

She pushed that thought away as she felt his hands tightening against her, giving the silent okay as she breathed into his neck, eyes closing for a moment as she took in his scent. “Mine.” the word rumbled out of her unconsciously- but as she said it, she knew how true it was. He was hers. And likewise she’d been his since the day they met what felt like a millennia ago. She wasted no time in kissing his skin then before she shifted, parting her lips and letting her fangs pierce into his neck. It was as intoxicating as ever and she let out a soft little moan as the taste of his blood filled her mouth, her body all the while pressing in closer still, rocking against him. 

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

All he needed to hear was that Mei Lian wanted the same thing as him. He broke their kiss only so that he could grab the edge of her shirt and pull it off before reconnecting their lips, his hands resting on her hips. As they continued to kiss, Yongyi guided Mei Lian towards his bedroom. 

When the need for air became too much, Yongyi reluctantly broke the kiss though he kept their faces close and his eyes on her. His fingers hooked around the waistband of her pants and he hesitated. “Is this okay?” he asked, needing to take advantage of the moment to make sure that this was what she wanted. Mei Lian had spent multiple lifetimes giving in to what other men wanted from her and he refused to be one of those men. He was happy just to be with her and required nothing else–she knew that but he had to be sure nevertheless. 

Mei easily let him pull her shirt off, the tank top falling to the ground as her lips connected to his again hungrily, her hands moving to cup his face as his own moved to her hips- calloused and warm and familiar even after over a century apart. It made her ache for more, eager to let him lead her backwards through his home.

When the kiss broke she knew her face was flushed and she was panting softly but she still nodded, opening her eyes and looking up at him as she felt his fingers sliding from her hips to her pants. “Always.” She trusted him with every fiber of her being. He didn’t have to ask--but she loved that he did. When she felt his fingers moving to the button of her pants she moved to kiss him again, letting them billow to the floor and gracefully stepping out of the material as she nudged him this time walking him backwards and towards his bed, not stopping until they were toppling onto it and she was again straddling his lap. “Tell me, A-Yi. Am I the only one to have ever had you like this?” She asked, breaking from his lips so she could kiss down his jaw and to his ear. Her hunger was at the forefront again, her eyes flickering red, her fangs grazing against his ear as she spoke. “The only one who’s ever seen you come undone? Gotten the real you- who wants and craves and takes?”

[swallowedabug]

[meilianxhuang]

dragon-feldrurth​:

“You would probably have a far faster time asking me what it doesn’t entail…” she hummed, giving a click of her tongue at the thought. There was an odd fascination with being able to chat with another species that was actually an almost respectable example of their kind. “Oh you know how I am by now, Mei Lian. I can’t say I have ever found an interest with others outside of my own. It’s a perplexing situation, try as I may. I seem to be rather irritable” she then shook her head. “I highly doubt it, I can’t seem to properly connect to them. Dragons connect to each other differently, we can sense each other, see our lives in a matter of seconds-” she trailed off.

Mei smiled at her--a real, genuine smile and hummed, “Fair enough. Maybe next time we have our large monthly meeting we should request more food options.” A genuine smile, joking. They really were bordering on friendly. And she wasn’t hating it. “And that’s fine, but just the same...cohabitation is the whole part of this city. And we’re not so bad right. Even a bloodsucker like me?” Her smile grew as she said it, bordering on a teasing grin as she looked to the other woman. “If I were to turn a human, I’d have a connection with them too. Siring. My deputy actually has a girl he sired. He could snap his fingers and she could come running. She can feel his emotions. We all have different ways of connecting, all of them in their own uniqueness, but even without it, I have found it’s quite....nice. Having others to speak to. To befriend. Like now for example.”

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Knowing that Mei Lian felt the same way was enough for Yongyi to take what he wanted. He wrapped his arms around her securely and tightened his grip. Without breaking their kiss, his wings began to flap and they were soon in the air. While the woods would have worked when they were only amongst humans, it was less secure when they had other supernatural creatures flying about. He didn’t know whether Mei Lian wanted people to know about them so he decided to fly them back to his apartment. 

It was only when they landed on his balcony in the Ether that he finally let go of Mei Lian, allowing her to walk freely for herself. He opened the door and gestured for her to come in. As always, the choice was hers. His apartment was minimalist and modern but definitely hollow with his philosophies. Yongyi was a man that shunned most material goods and no amount of income would change that. Nevertheless, having his own apartment was definitely an upgrade from sharing a single room with multiple monks. 

When the door was closed behind them, he sought out Mei Lian’s lips once again, his hunger for her not even close to satiated. He held her tightly against him, afraid that this dream would fade away any moment. He wanted her more than he had wanted anything else in his life. 

Mei only broke the kiss for a second, long enough to realize he was lifting her and they were flying until she focused back on him, sealing her lips to his once again. She trusted him with her life- literally, so she saw no point in worrying about falling when she had much more important things to focus on right then.

Minutes later she was being put down onto her feel, onto some sort of balcony, and his scent engulfed her. This was his home. He was all over it- even with how minimally he’d decorated it. Maybe at some other time she’d ask about it, wonder how he felt about having his own home here on Earth. And in that same time she’d find out the exact amount of time it took to get home his home in the Ether to her own in the Underground. She only had moments to look around though before the balcony door was closing and Yongyi was on her again, catching her off guard enough that she let out a soft little gasp before she all but melted into it- into him.

Mei Lian wrapped her arms around him again, gripping at him and pulling him in closer still as he kissed her, keeping her feeling absolutely breathless with every passing second. “I want you.” now it was her turn to breathe out confessions, her heart hammering as a different kind of hunger surged through her.

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Nothing could prepare him for the wave of emotions that hit him the moment Mei Lian’s lips actually met his. Yongyi had denied himself not only her affection but any affection at all for hundreds of years since leaving her. It was easy being alone because his heart had already been taken. Mei Lian was in a league of her own and no being on earth could compare. He wanted nothing else. He needed nothing else. 

But as Mei Lian kissed him, his carnal desires came flooding to the surface. He responded to the kiss in kind, sitting up and pulling her onto his lap so he could properly hold her, his arms wrapping around her and a hand weaving into her hair. Yongyi never took anything that wasn’t given to him and her kiss told him he wasn’t. She still felt something and her kiss was the key to unlocking his restraint. 

When she demanded he repeat his words, they came out easily: “I’ve missed you.” He repeated them over and over again, a mantra, a prayer, as he kissed her again and again. His wings suddenly sprouted from his back, sending a gust of wind into the world around them. The fallen autumn leaves took flight and danced around them, shielding them from distractions. His lips slipped from hers and began trailing over her cheeks, her jaw, her neck. As he strayed from her lips, he strayed from those words, replacing them with other confessions: I want you, I’ve dreamed of you, I’ve yearned for you, I need you. 

For the second time that afternoon, Mei’s breath was punched out of her lungs, leaving her gasping softly, a little shudder running down her spine. She didn’t think he wouldn’t kiss her back, but she didn’t expect this-- the desperation that fueled it, the need seeping out of him and pouring into the kiss. It left her breathless in the most overwhelming, amazing way possible. She let him easily take control then, knowing it was a rarity in their history: so often Yongyi let her take the lead, giving her power in her otherwise powerless existence when they’d first met. But now....now they were on equal footing. No higher power controlling either of them. They were free to do, to take, and right now she was all too eager to give the angel anything he wanted.

Every time he said the words they were like a balm, soothing the parts of her that had been frayed when he left. She moved easily with him, sitting up and settling in his lap with her knees on either side of him while her hands moved, one arm wrapping around his neck and the other moving up to cup his face as she kissed him harder- once again giving as good as she got.

Mei let out a ragged little breath as the kiss broke, her eyes staying closed and a little noise slipping from her as his lips continued to trail over her skin, practically leaving trails of heat in their wake. Every press of his lips to her body was punctuated by another declaration, and each one made her heart skip. “Me too..” she finally breathed, swallowing as her hand moved from his face to slide into his hair, tangling lightly into the strands. “I’ve missed you.” her hand tightened a bit in his hair, not letting him pull away. “I’ve missed you so much it’s ached..”  she used her hand in his hair to pull him up, needing to kiss him again as she shuffled more against him, totally blind to the fact that his wings had extended--the city could have gone up in flames at that point and she would have been none the wiser.

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Since reuniting, Yongyi had wondered whether Mei Lian’s feelings for him were as fond as his was for her. He knew that he had been the one that had left—the one who could never promise her heart would forever have a home with him—but despite the solemnness of their parting, he didn’t believe it was bad. It was bitter and he had never quite washed away its taste, but it wasn’t poisonous—not to him. He had to wonder: was it to her? Did she resent him? 

Admittedly, she had been kind since they ran into each other, gentle even, but she had always been good at hiding her feelings, faking them for the sake of face. Nevertheless, as she stared at him, the faintest bit of hope ignited in his heart. There was emotion bubbling beneath her eyes, a yearning that he imagined reflected in his own. His fingers instinctively weaved into hers and it took him every bit of discipline he had built to not move and close what little distance she left between them. Yongyi had never forced his will on Mei Lian and he wasn’t going to start now. 

He could only submit to her demand: “I’ve missed you.” 

Mei Lian felt the his hand shift under hers, his fingers securing their hold around her own as she just barely kissed him, the gentlest touch of their lips sending sparks flying through her. She forgot where they were, that it was the middle of an autumn day in the city. It felt like they were hundreds of years in the past, hidden away from the world, in their own little oasis. 

She understood it when he left- of course she did. His existence had a purpose. He was meant for more than this (than her) but when he looked at her the way he was now, the way he touched her, spoke to her, practically revered her, Mei couldn’t help but feel..boastful almost. He was as loyal to her as he was to his divine purpose. God had Yongyi’s duty, but Mei Lian had his heart. And maybe it wasn’t so bad- being tied for first. 

As he said the words again Mei let out a soft breath and closed the distance between them properly this time, kissing him soft and slow and tentative, her heart racing once once. “Say it again.” she needed it hear it. Needed to know it down to her bones that he was a stoic creature bound by duty over emotions and yet after all this time there was a part of him that was tied to her. A part of him that was still hers.

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi did not think his actions through. That was obvious enough the moment he met her eyes and saw the hunger boiling beneath. It wasn’t that he was scared—he’d never feared Mei Lian before—it was that the look she was giving him reminded him of the way she would look at him when they were in the midst of something quite different. It stirred something in him that he hadn’t felt for centuries and when her tongue darted out and ran over his fingers, he lost all sight of what they had been doing before. 

And that had been a mistake. 

By the time he reminded himself of what was going on, Mei Lian had already taken hold, knocking him back and down onto his back. While he could have resisted, he didn’t. He just lay there, relaxed and unconcerned that Mei Lian had him pinned to the ground. The air around them calmed and their racing hearts pounded in his ears. “I’ve missed you,” was all he could say as the sun haloed around her. His words were earnest, filled with a rare vulnerability that he never showed in public. Alone and exposed like this, he felt little need to hide his emotions. Yongyi had always been honest.

He had missed her. More than he could have expected. Leaving her had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done and he had to bury the memory of her deep inside to keep himself sane and focused on his duties. Now that she was here, his buried feelings for her erupted to the surface and since he never processed them, they remained painfully untouched. Whole. 

Straddled over him and pinning his wrist above his head, Mei was almost expecting him to buck her off of him, to have their match continue. Or maybe he’d give in like she’d asked, naming her the winner and she could playfully gloat the rest of the afternoon. But neither of those things happened. Instead he was speaking, saying a single sentence that made her heart stutter in her chest, the breath leaving her lungs. The smirk slowly vanished off her face. I missed you.

God how she’d missed him too. She’d never mourned a single husband, rarely lingered on a thought of a past lover. But Yongyi...He was different. He’d always been different. And she’d missed him. She’d yearned for him. And she’d never quite gotten over him either, regardless of how many years had passed, or how she knew he’d left her because he had a greater purpose. Admittedly, she’d wondered more than once over the years if he actually thought of her, if she was as important to him as he’d been to her. So to finally hear him say it, knowing he’d never lie to her...

Mei Lian’s fingers loosened the hold they had on his wrist but she didn’t pull them away--instead she moved her hand up, sliding their palms against each other and lacing her fingers through his, all the while keeping her gaze locked on his before she finally gave in and leaned down, just barely brushing her lips over his. “Say it again.”

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi had little difficulty following Mei Lian’s sudden movements. Perhaps if he didn’t know her so well, he would have missed her little trick but he reacted just in time to block her strike at his torso. The strength of their contact caused a loud clap to echo around them and Yongyi’s stance shifted slightly at the force of Mei Lian’s strike. He met her eyes before he forced her away, impressed that she managed to move him at all and it was enough to prove to him that she had no intentions of holding back.

A little smirk tugged at the corner of his lips before he dashed forward and threw a punch directly at her head. Unlike Mei Lian, Yongyi rarely felt the need to hide his intentions. His strength and speed had always propelled his wins and as an angel, not many people could match either well enough for the obvious strike to fail. Mei Lian was fast, however, and was able to easily dodge the punch. Without hesitation, the two began trading punches and blocks, the air around them whipping with force. 

To the human eye, the pair were nothing but blurs, too fast to make out any distinct movements, but to them, there was an intricate dance that had fallen into place. Despite being unrehearsed, it felt as natural as it did hundreds of years ago and every touch was electrifying and only fuelled them on. 

It took a few dozen strikes but their flow was eventually interrupted when instead of blocking a punch, Yongyi decided to catch it. His grip with one hand was strong enough that Mei Lian couldn’t withdraw her fist, much to her shock, and he sent a flat palm towards her chest, only letting go of her fist once his palm made contact. The force of his strike threw her back into a tree and Yongyi followed up, not giving her a chance to recover before striking at her head once again. His fist never made contact with her, however. It went directly towards the tree behind her, missing her face by a mere inch, and caused the tree to crack. 

When Yongyi withdrew his hand, it was bleeding from the hard bark and he simply held it out towards her, inviting her to have a taste so that she could recover.

Admittedly, Mei hadn’t done this in a long, long time. She never let herself truly forget how to fight, or all of the skills and moves her father and brothers taught her, but in the years since the war, Mei Lian’s fighting was more political than physical. Just the same though, she wasn’t exactly a target and she gave as good as she got, dodging many of his blows and getting her own hits in as well.

All the while she could hear the blood pumping in his veins, the elevated heartbeat, feel tension between them every time they made contact. It was more exhilarating and intoxicating than anything she’d felt in decades--centuries. Unfortunately, allowing her thoughts to drift gave him the in he needed and his palm throttling into her chest made her huff out a pained breath, the power behind it sending her hard enough into a tree that leaves rained down on them. The wind from the following punch blew through her hair, cracking more into the bark and making more tree limbs above shudder, more leaves raining down around them.

Mei didn’t move away from tree even as he withdrew his bloodied hand, and when he offered it to her she met his eyes, watching him. Never once did Yongyi fear her. Never once did he make her feel like a monster for living off of drinking the blood from a living being. Again her thoughts drifted for a second, remembering the first time she’d fed from him--a night of many firsts for them, and she kept her gaze on his as her own eyes flickered crimson, hunger running through her, and she only hesitated a second more before she leaned forward, enough to let her tongue slide over his bloodied knuckles. A little noise rumbled in the back of her throat as her own hand came up, wrapping around his and keeping his hand in place as she licked the blood off his fingers. She felt that tension rising all the while, both their hearts still pounding as she looked up to his eyes again. And instead of doing what she wanted, she did something different and moved in a flash, catching him off guard and using the hold on his wrist to knock him off balance and send him hurtling to the ground.

She followed suit, moving with him to pin him down, holding his wrist down above his head hard enough that it dug down deep into the dirt, a little smirk on her lips as she hovered over him. “Give?”

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi watched as Mei Lian prepared for their spar, shaking his head somewhat in disbelief. “Hundreds of years and you’ve only become more beautiful,” he mused, unable to believe that was even possible. Confidence always looked amazing on Mei Lian but with her new-found independence and the lesser modesty of this time, it was even more obvious how beautiful she was. 

He undid the belt keeping his robe together and pulled if off, tossing it to the side and leaving him in only his pants. Wanting the battle to be even mildly fair, he tossed his swords to the side and withdrew his wings. They both looked positively mundane and human standing in front of one another like this but there was no mistaking the tension and strength in the air. They were watching each other waiting for the first move.

Yongyi took a deep breath and got into his fighting stance. The smile faded away from his face as he watched her. If Mei Lian wanted him to take this seriously and not go easy on her, that was exactly what he was going to do. “Ladies first,” he challenged, ready for her to take the first strike. 

.

Despite preparing to ‘fight’ Mei couldn’t help the nearly bashful smile that pulled onto her lips at his words, “Compliments won’t make me go easy on you.” she teased lightly. Just the same though, she kept her eyes on him, unable really to look away. Mei watched as he stripped off his top layer, rid himself of his weapon, his wings. He looked so....human. So much like the Yongyi she’d met all those years ago that it took her a second to recover, countless memories flooding through her head.

She snapped out of it soon enough though, and as Yongyi positioned himself, so did she, taking a few steadying breaths and watching him before she moved at him in the blink of an eye, pretending to go for his head but shifting at the last second to aim for his torso.

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

“I get you for the entire afternoon? I am honored.” Yongyi smiled and offered Mei Lian his hand. “Why don’t we go somewhere more private? I have to admit, getting to spend time with you in public will require an adjustment period.” The moment she took his hand, he pulled her against his body and picked her up, lifting off the ground to fly them elsewhere. He didn’t drive and walking around just talking seemed beneath them. 

When he finally landed, they were at the forested edge just outside the city. He let Mei Lian down and observed the area. It was private and Yongyi preferred it that way. While trees surrounded them, the area he landed in was clear enough that they could move comfortably and if one ignored the sky scrapers in the distance, they could almost pretend they were far away from civilization and could leave their troubles behind.

“Do you need a refresher course, Mei-Mei?” he teased. “I hope your palace walls haven’t made you too delicate.”

.

“As you should be.” Mei shot back without missing a beat, the smile on her lips growing. She always did feel more relaxed around him. Free. Her expression softened as he spoke again though and she nodded, feeling the same. So much of their history had been spent in the quiet inbetweens of time. Stolen afternoons, quiet late at nights. To the outside world, they were practically strangers.

This time when he took her flying, Mei Lian was a bit more prepared and she only let out a little noise before holding onto him, knowing she was at least safe in his arms. And soon enough they were landing, miles away from the council chambers, away from everyone else. It was almost reminiscent of the spots they’d pick back home. It brought even more comfort and ease to her. So much so that when he spoke again she huffed out a laugh, playfully rolling her eyes at him once she was out of his arms and settled back on solid ground.

“You of all people should know I’ve never been as delicate as I look.” As she spoke she slipped off the heels she’d been wearing, allowing her bare feet to sink against the grass. She took off her blazer as well, leaving her in her pants and tank top, the elastic loosened out of her hair as well to let it fall in waves over her shoulders. “And you, A-Yi? I hope you don’t think of going easy on me.”

[meilianxhuang]

dragon-feldrurth​:

“Indeed and we have both made sure to learn from it and be the best versions of ourselves” she murmured, the dragon only then warily tipping and tapping her own glass against the others. “I must admit that I do enjoy the banquet that is on offer in this city, it is perfect for a creature with my appetites” she only then chuckled at her words “Well, as much as I would hate to admit it, we have both live whole lifetimes and there is always bound to be am overlap. I suppose that there’s a comfort to know that we share things?”

Mei Lian kept a little smile on her face as she nodded and sipped at her drink, happily surprised by the turn of events. While they weren’t exactly friends, they’d helped to rule this city for the last ten years ago, but Mei respected the other woman and could only assume it was mutual. “And what exactly does a banquet for a dragon entail?” She wondered curiously before playfully rolling her eyes, “Well I’m sorry you hate to admit that we could actually have a commonality with someone you’ve only known and worked with for the last decade, Feldrurth.” she teased, shaking her head a bit. “Just think, if you kept talking to some of the others, you may find you share things with them too.”

[meilianxhuang]

yongyi​:

Yongyi wasn’t sure if they still had something but he would be lying if he said that he had completely forgotten her and how she used to make him feel. Even now, seeing her brought a spark of it back and it was difficult for him to hide it from her. From the rest of the world, perhaps, but not from her. He started their relationship hundreds of years ago with complete honesty and truth; he didn’t plan on anything less now.

At her question, he smiled. “Always.” With that, he took his seat at the large conference table. Throughout the meeting, he simply watched, not in a knowledgable enough position to offer meaningful opinions. It would take time for him to learn how to participate but this was a chance to do something new and make a difference for once. He was almost ashamed to admit he was rather excited.

When the meeting ended, everyone shuffled out of the room. Yongyi waited by the front doors of city hall for Mei Lian to arrive. When she did, he found his way beside her. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you more radiant,” he commented. “You were really in your element in there, Mei-Mei.”

.

Mei nodded at him, giving him a little smile. And if any others in the room were watching them the entire time well...that was their problem. She never answered to anyone here and that wasn’t about to change. In fact, for the rest of the meeting she was on the ball, interjecting wherever she felt necessary and adding in her two cents about most topics, demanding attention whenever she spoke and feeling a twinge of pride that not only did her fellow councilmembers tend to nod along, but she noted that she had Yongyi’s rapt attention every time she spoke. It made her feel....powerful. Like everything had really clicked into place.

Once the meeting had adjourned Mei Lian told her assistant to cancel any meetings she had and that if anything pressing happened to contact Sean first before she headed towards the exit, following the angel’s scent like a beacon. His words made that pride swell up in her even more and she couldn’t stop the smile that pulled onto her lips, warm and happy and still tinged with a bit of disbelief that he was here. “That means more to me than you know.” she responded softly, smiling still as she nodded out the door. “I’ve cleared my schedule for the afternoon. So I’m all yours, Your Grace.”