Queen

Emperor Thedeim’s ant scion enjoys this sort of expedition to the long ones required to defeat the Maw. She doesn’t hate having participated in the longer variety. Quite the contrary, as she was able to save Vernew and many other dwellers and delvers.

But something like this is what she prefers: steady and quiet progress, rather than frantic necessity. The calmer atmosphere is also nice, despite how important the mission is. The Emperor wants evidence to link the Earl and the thieves, and she is more than happy to deliver.

Not only can she give the Emperor what he needs, but she can learn something new. And she doesn’t get the chance to just do a little digging often. As much as she enjoys slowly picking at the secrets of creation, digging is just so… relaxing. She should try to take some time to do a bit of her own, to help her collect her thoughts.

Not all on her own, of course. While she’s not against getting her own mandibles and legs dirty, there’s simply too far to go for one ant to do all the digging. No, she directs her entourage even as she works, ensuring they dump the dirt into the waters of Violet’s sewer to hide even that small evidence of their work. And there’s more than just her fellow ants in here as well.

“You’re in a good mood, Queen,” comments Teemo with a smirk. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re practically giggling in happiness.”

She turns up her antennae at him in mock disdain, but she can’t hide the happy pheromones she’s still emitting. She keeps the facade for a few more seconds before relenting. “Most of my other work is in slowly figuring out all the ways to not create whatever potion or elixir I’m working on. Digging is… steady. With alchemy, the next small adjustment could be the breakthrough I need. When digging, even the literal breakthroughs are easy to anticipate.”

Teemo nods at that, taking a moment to reinforce the spatial expansion he’s laying through the tiny tunnel before answering. “That’s fair. Even the Boss prefers steady progress to occasional surges. I’m surprised he hasn’t figured out some way to just slowly expand his borders, instead of purchasing whole new sections when he runs out of room.”

“It’s the planning,” Queen answers simply, and smirks around the pebble in her mandibles at his reaction. She even keeps him in suspense as she slowly hands it off to a major to carry away, savoring the excuse to mess with the Voice.

“Each project has an allotted area, which the Emperor slowly works to fill. A single ant tunnel wouldn’t give him much space to work with, so he prepares and plans what room he’ll need, then purchases it. It’s still steady growth, even if some of it appears in large sections.”

Teemo rubs his chin in contemplation. “Hmm… I mean, that sounds pretty right for now

. But for the first couple expansions, he was just kinda doing whatever.”

Queen shrugs. “He had to learn, same as the rest of us.”

Teemo smiles at that and nods. “Yeah, we definitely all had to learn how to handle him. I think us old guard scions might have had it easier than the new guys, you know? With us, there was all kinds of things that needed doing, but with them, they have to keep looking for their niche.”

Queen shakes her head. “Not necessarily. It took Jello and Coda quite some time to find their spots, where Goldilocks and Titania, for example, found their places very quickly.”

Teemo smirks. “Jello and Coda aren’t the only ones with some growing pains. Remember when the Boss wanted you to be his new Guardian after Tiny outgrew the little Secret Sanctum?”

Queen snorts at the memory of herself. “Oh my, yes! He spent so much effort to have me be a Guardian, I was terrified of what would happen when he learned I was an Alchemist.” She fights to keep in the happiness at the memory, but the look on Teemo's face tells her she’s doing a poor job of it. “And then he gave me my own lab to experiment in.”

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“Yep. You know, I’m surprised none of the newbies ever tried to ask you for advice with the whole ‘finding their place’ thing. You’d probably have some good wisdom to share.”

Queen shrugs again. “Perhaps they worry I’m too busy to help them? I… do get focused when in my laboratory, but I don’t begrudge visitors.”

“What do you think of the new guys?”

“They all have their duties and purposes, even if they don’t know them yet. Poppy is an excellent peer to work with. Her plants and methods of cultivating them are inspired… possibly even literally. They have the Emperor’s touch on them. And with his guidance, she’s produced that incredible symbiotic tree and vine. I really do need to try to take some time to talk with her about enhancing some of the special herbs we have available. Extra potency or extra hardiness, either would be a boon for the Emperor.”

Teemo nods as he helps a few ants shore up an unstable section, and their conversation lapses as Queen pitches in as well. Pebbles aren’t the best supports, but they’re the most handy. It takes several long minutes, but the small tunnel is soon stable once more.

“Where were we? Right, the new guys! I’ve got high hopes for Doppler, you know?”

Queen doesn’t even try to suppress her pheromonal giggle. “Because it means you won’t have to translate for us in the Lecture Hall.”

“I mean… that too,” admits the rat. “But even that will eventually go to something else in the spawner. I just mean it’ll be nice to have someone else who can really talk with the delvers, even if he can’t hear the Boss clearly like I can.”

“What’s that like?” Queen blurts out, curious. “The others and I can only get glimpses, but even those are groundbreaking.”

Teemo smirks. “At first, it was painful. Boss has some big ideas and an active imagination. That kind of combination… I’m surprised I’ve only really popped my noggin once, to be honest. You know I chased the Harbinger into my trap with a few of the Boss’ ideas, right?”

Queen nods. “I know. It’s just… strange to think of the Emperor like that. His presence is a comforting warmth, which is at odds with the idea of him casually understanding concepts that would even send something like the Harbinger running.”

“He holds a lot of concepts back, too.”

“Oh?” Queen asks, intrigued, recalling the concept of explosives and how alluring they are.

“Oh yeah. Most of the nonsense he pulls off is from his understanding of what he likes to call the fundamentals, of physical truths that can be used in ways that are hard to imagine. I think Rocky somehow understands them even more than the Boss.” Teemo and Queen both smirk at that, thinking of the ridiculous feats of magic Rocky has done, not to mention his ability to link affinities that should have nothing to do with each other.

“But even with what Rocky can do, Boss doesn’t consider that outright dangerous, something that should just not be done. But there are some concepts he shuts down once he realizes he’s thinking about. And honestly? I do my best to ignore them, too. If it’s something the Boss thinks is dangerous, I don’t want to be the one to let it slip out into the world.”

Queen pauses as she takes that in, wondering just what could make even the Emperor refuse to entertain it. “...is it the explosives?” she whispers, uncertain if she’s afraid more of doing something the Emperor forbids, or of the temptation of such a concept. Thankfully for her, Teemo smirks and shakes his head.

“Nah. They can be used safely… well, for certain definitions of safe, anyway. I think they fall into a similar category as the armor and the new bows: things to give out to those he trusts, and nobody else. Imagine how things would have gone if the Maw had the bows and armor? He might not have been able to leverage them too well underground, but being able to accurately attack from a distance while not worrying about retaliation? That’s the kind of power to be careful with… heh, especially if you’re the god of Change.”

Queen nods at that, letting the conversation die off as she thinks. Like most of the other scions, she’s still not sure what it means that the Emperor is now a deity. For her and the others, it doesn’t seem to change much. They still serve at his will, do their best to accomplish what he wants. Teemo has the Herald title, but that seems to be about it.

Part of her wonders if it even makes a difference, but she has a feeling it does, she just doesn’t know how yet. But she’s not worried. That same part of her seems to think the Emperor himself is still trying to figure out the differences. He can focus on figuring that out, while she focuses on explosives. And digging. Right now, mostly digging, but the tunnel will only reach so far. And if she figures out explosives along with the others, maybe they can see how the thieves like it, too.