VD - Dirty Politics Part 3

Morrigan doesn’t look happy.

You’re in her trendy home downtown, but for once it’s not full of partiers. It’s just you, Demi, Tari, and your running mate.

“What about the land?” Morrigan asks.

“They’re allowed to have it on my land because of implied permission,” Demi says, taking a grumpy drink of tea.

“Who could’ve predicted that purely verbal, self-executing magical contracts that infer meaning from the parties would end up causing problems?” Tari asks, helping herself to cookies.

“They really cut down on clerical positions,” Morrigan tells her defensively. “Which nobody likes. Maybe we can use that. Pin this on Trish.”

“Her administration didn’t introduce this. Megan’s did,” Demi says absently. “That won’t work.”

“How long before TV has it?” Morrigan asks. Weirdly, in Demon World, people are more into TV than social media. It’s a strange place.

“Not sure,” Demi replies. “Depends on Lady D. She may not realize what she has. She’s obviously been gunning to get her own castle out of all of this. It’s not about the campaign. She may not care enough to try to leverage it.”

“And if she does?” Tari asks.

“Then we can expect Trish to run with it,” Morrigan says with a sigh.

“Is it that much of a scandal?” you ask.

“You didn’t just get swindled, Riley. You got swindled by an outsider. We like you as a candidate because you’re a human. You’re delectable. But you’re not a Demon and now you look incompetent. That’s two barriers to running you.”

“I never pretended to be competent,” you say.

“We know, baby.” Demi pats your hand and focuses on Morrigan. “You have to assume that it comes out.”

“Maybe not until after the election,” Tari muses.

Morrigan shakes her head. “We need to assume that it’s on TV right now. My running mate doesn’t have even a basic understanding of Demon Law.”

“I definitely don’t,” you say, nodding. “That is accurate.”

They all look at you. Tari crunches a cookie, slowly.

“So, what do you think?” Demi asks Morrigan, who leans back and crosses her legs unnecessarily sexily.

“I think we can still make it work,” Morrigan replies with a shrug. “Riley has the aura and the human juice; her reputation will always bounce back. It’s yours that’s in danger.”

Demi grimaces.

Right… you kind of get it. Demons like you for your human powers that are a part of you. A natural talent. As long as you don’t… start a war or something, you’ll be popular. Demi is just another Demon, though. She has a reputation. Maybe she doesn’t want that reputation to be all about being married to a moron. That is exactly what will happen if this comes out and the opposition drags you through the mud.

“What do you think, Riley?” Morrigan asks you directly. “You’ll be under fire if you stick this out.”

It’s a fair question. You need to put aside feeling hurt by what Lady D did and focus on the here and now. What should you do?

Step down and let Morrigan choose another running mate?

Or stay in and fight it out for the second-highest office in Demon World?