psychic thread

[agentlenpc]

[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.

Comments

[agentlenpc]

Trust is important among the Blood because we can cause devastating hurt with casual ease. When that trust is violated, the offender is... removed. So they might not hurt someone else.

[She gives him a faint smile.]

It's not something I enjoy, but trust, once violated, is not easy to regain. If someone proves unworthy of it and capable of damaging society as a result, they won't be allowed to continue.

[yesterweek]

[ It's actually a little horrifying, and there's definitely a sense of discomfort surrounding him at the thought. He came from a place where rules of law were extremely important, and a state where the death penalty hadn't been issued in a over a decade.

He's trying to keep that in though, because he's currently at the mercy of the court, and he's got decent survival instincts. He's not exactly looking to tick off his hosts right now.

So he tries to keep it light, even if this isn't a light conversation. ]

You guys really don't mess around.

[agentlenpc]

[If she senses his horror at all, she doesn't show it.]

We don't, no. The Cataclysm itself...

[Fayura's brows come together. Deep in her mind, there's a quiet rumble like thunder over a mountain peak at midnight.]

Well, it was 5000 years ago, and we've nothing to tell us what it was. [She leads him back to his own mind, following the thread that still hangs between them.] I think, however, I should go deal with our guest. Eventually, he'll stop associating my presence with fear if I walk by him enough times and cause him no harm. If ever you need something, don't hesitate to ask.

[yesterweek]

[ Just like going home. Or more, this whole experience has been a little strange and jarring, so settling back into something he's more familiar with is easier. ]

Yeah, thanks. I appreciate that.

[ And even though emotions can be felt in this link, he still feels the need to add-- ]

Seriously.

[ Oh, also-- ]

And good luck with the guy, and, you know, the whole murder trial in general.

[agentlenpc]

Thank you, Calvin. I need all the luck I can get.

[Her mind withdraws, a gentle ripple, and leaves him alone in his thoughts once more.]