IKAG Council Arrangement v0.5

>Since she's a businesswoman the principal appears at school sporadically, otherwise Princess Daughter is left in charge, including holding assemblies and attending press conferences
>Mother Queen has homes all across the country but she shows up at the house where Princess and Amelia live at, and they have dinner together which is a rare treat nowadays
>QM listens intently to everything she's missed out on, the attacks, the delinquents, clubs representing the school etc
>While she's a seasoned businesswoman QM seems very flighty in private and has a lot of candour
>Princess complains that they're not taken seriously by the press, nor do they have the budget to cover things like stricter student safety regulations that the press/parents champion; QM says that limitations breed creativity and resolve; Princess is frustrated that they're stretched to the breaking point as is

>QM: "I don't know about that, dear. Don't you still have that layabout [Bucky] Jones on the team? And your 'butler', Frank, is he still half-and-half? How about that girl with genies for brains? ...is she house-trained?"
>Princess: "What are you saying? It's not like I picked them to be councillors, Mother! Their families petitioned for them!"
>QM: "Yes, I seem to recall they were very generous, or if not generous, then co-operative. They had a lot of wisdom to fritter away, I believe. Another limitation you have yet to overcome."
>Princess: "Mother, it's almost starting to sound like you think we're doing a suboptimal job."
>QM: "I didn't say anything to that effect. I simply think you shouldn't limit yourself to arcane notions on how to run a country. Why limit yourself to five people?"
>Princess: "A count-? Because that's what the rules-?"
>QM: "And who runs the school?"

>Princess: "...even so, I should really hesitate to recruit more people. All the brightest minds are also the most ambitious. And sociopathic. It's far easier to keep the people you know and trust under your thumb."
>QM: "Yes, and it's far less of a challenge. You kids need more adversity in your lives!"
>Princess: "More?!"
>QM: "Yes! Someone to really light a fire under you! To keep you on your toes."
>Princess: "On our toes?!"
>QM: "Whatever happened to that nice young man you used to talk about, Conner? Now there was a bright boy with ambition!"

>Princess: "...I'm not putting Conner on the team."
>QM: "I think it's a wonderful idea."
>Princess: "We have benches for people like him."
>QM: "Oh. Oh, he's not dead, is he?"
>Princess: "No, Mother, I mean …he belongs on a bench. He's not council material. He's more of a... protester? I guess you'd call it that? He's made a lot of waves within the student body. We've had a lot of meetings about him, he's upset everybody."
>QM: "Well, excellent. A bit of energy to shake things up, threaten to rattle the status quo, give the people something to believe in for a bit! I still don't see the problem?"

>Princess looks to Amelia as if to say, 'tell her'. QM looks to Amelia as if to say, 'is something wrong?' Amelia doesn't want to admit that Conner has flouted the intentions of the reform class, nor does she want to put Conner on a pedestal in such a way that makes him fit for the council. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she tries to bargain.

>Amelia: "He has joined a lot of clubs and committees. And left all of them, without fail. Generally within a few weeks each."
>QM: "So he hasn't found his niche, yet?"
>Amelia: "We gave him the support with which to engage in more productive hobbies. Half of all the clubs lodged complaints about him because he reduced the productivity to around 0 percent."
>QM: "And what about the other half?"

>Another look from Princess - 'Say something! We don't want him! Make something up, even!'

>Amelia: "...Activity shot up through the roof. He generally left out of a lack of interest in either case--"
>QM: "Well, that's settled, then. If he joins the council and efficiency increases, bingo. If it doesn't, then you simply weren't up to the task."
>Princess: "I will not turn this team into a circus! Why are you so gung-ho for all this?"
>QM: "I don't know the inner workings of your school, dear. I have businesses to settle all across the world. I just don't want you throwing away your best cards or sitting on your laurels."
>Princess: "We are not-"
>QM: "When you go to university, you need to sharpen your wits even further. The other people there will be from all across the country, all raring to go. This is the best opportunity to get a head start on everyone else. The best ally you could ever make, the biggest asset you could ever find, could just need that little bit of polish and nurture, until it pays back in dividends."

>There's a pause while QM clearly seems more affected by the life lessons of stagnation than her daughter. Amelia tries to mediate once again.
>Amelia: "Let's put this to a meeting. We'll gather everyone in the office, and we'll ask Conner to come along, and we can ask him what he thinks of the school and how to change things up. If he has any bright ideas, we'll poach them. Just like last time."