agentlenet | psychic thread

[The gentle brush against the Strangers' minds comes in early evening. It is, as all mental touches are from Fayura, soft and unassuming, much like a polite knock at a door. Once as many minds are connected as she thinks will open the door to her, she speaks.]

I am curious, Strangers, what you would do with the young man who shot and killed Councilwoman Vera.

Many of you come from worlds where there are laws against murder. While we have no such laws here, when a Blood male in a Queen's Territory kills another without cause, she may demand a price from him. Sometimes, that is his own life if he was negligent enough with his temper and sometimes, it's something less.

My trouble is this: if I execute him according to the laws of the Blood, of which he is not one, the Guilds will rouse their people into a furor and attack not only me, but the people of Draega. If I turn him over to the Ebon Council, the Guilds will do much the same, and that will incite the Council to strike back. And if I return him to the Guilds for accolades instead of punishment for taking a life, the Ebon Council will have cause to rip apart the Guilds and anyone in their way to extract from him the price for murdering one of their own.

Were you me, what course would you take? And please try not to shout over each other; this is as many of you as I could reach.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She's absolutely taken aback by the hostility and accusation inherent in Alex's words, and that feeling ripples through the connection.]

Which is why I'm trying to focus on solutions to the problem. Grinding the bones of an old issue will only make more dust.

[There's a long pause, before Alex admits, grudgingly]

I suppose that's fair. I know other people are suggesting trials. That's probably the most reasonable. But both sides need to get in on it.

It will be difficult to get them to agree on a verdict, but I imagine very easy to ask them to have an opinion. A trial will likely be the best solution, yes.

What's going to happen to the boy in the mean time? Trials do no good if he meets with an... accident.

[Cheerfully:] Anyone who tries to touch him while he's living at the Residence will find out what their insides look like, and that's supposing they even get past the door uninvited.

After the Hunters broke into the residence a month or so ago, we... enhanced the webs at the doors and windows.

[The cheerfulness to the threat throws Alex a bit. But she covers it quickly.]

Huh. Maybe I shouldn't have moved out. [Nah, she hates being beholden to anyone, a fact that she's made no effort to hide.]

If you'd like to learn how to weave tangled webs to protect your home, I'm sure Prince Verim would be happy to teach you. There are other Black Widows in the city, too. [She hesitates for just a moment.] While I don't often agree with Lady Abigail's positions, she is an exceptionally talented weaver.

That's a... really generous offer. [There's genuine surprise in her mindvoice] I've rigged up some basic booby traps, but I doubt they'll do much against actual magic.

An unwary person is a vulnerable one. Playing against your enemy's expectations is an effective strategy. If you decide you're interested in learning, I can send a letter ahead of you to Lady Abigail. If you'd like to speak with my Prince—[Love and warmth and pure affection fill the connection between them.]—I'm happy to let him know.

I'm real good at playing against expectations.

[There's a certain amount of smugness there]

I think I would like that. If nothing else, it always helps to have more tricks up one's sleeve.

Lady Abigail or Prince Verim? One is a quicker tell than the other.

[Humor flavors her voice—one is sprawled on the couch nearby, scowling viciously at her because he's tired and thinks she's tired. He also likely suspects he's being volunteered for something. The other is a curmudgeon, and Fay much prefers dealing with curmudgeons to Warlord Princes.]

Probably both, eventually? But for now... [there's a pause while Alex literally flips a coin]

I'll go with the Prince dude.

Prince Verim it is. I'll let him know. I think you'll like him. He's quite a bit like you.

Whenever you're ready for lessons, feel free to stop by. Have a pleasant evening, Alex.

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