I am very concerned Mr. Merlyn is going to do something to injure or otherwise harm Renart. You might wish to review her most recent missive for the conversation he is having with Captain Kirk. She is incredibly powerful. Their fighting may well end in a blood bath. I can hold her back to an extent. I have no power over him. Please advise.
Renart and Captain Kirk have been in a feud since our journey to the sandstorm. Captain Kirk pulled her tail childishly, and did not apologize to Renart's satisfaction. In some minor defense, her tail is the most sensitive part of her body. Yanking on it is excruciatingly painful. They have been tormenting one another from that point onward. She bit him in retaliation in the sandstorm, and I begged Captain Kirk not to mention it to Mr. Merlyn. He did anyway, and I asked Mr. Merlyn to exact whatever revenge he might take on Renart on me for failing to mediate the conflict as the expedition leader. He did nothing at that point, but threatened further action if I didn't mind her.
His idea of revenge is in the same vein as mine, typically, if that might provide some context for my fear.
She apparently took a whip to some people during the incident with the candle. We were fighting at the time, so I'm not sure what happened.
[Give him a few minutes while he skims over the summary, then over Renart's message from today.]
I understand that you're protective of Ms. Renart, Mr. Navarro, but I'm afraid I don't understand your concerns here. I fail to see any indication that Mr. Merlyn is planning to do anything at all to Ms. Renart based on this conversation.
Is this really something you think is going to escalate? It sounds like a middle school prank war to me.
[Really? Really? Perhaps, he should have just dealt with it, himself. Frustration rises in Monty's blood, particularly with Joseph calling him 'Mr. Navarro.']
'I have blades to sharpen and fix that one arrowhead.' 'I don't leave things I consider valuable in poor repair.'
Do you not see a veiled threat for what it is, Detective Oda? Surely a gentleman of your caliber would be able to read between the lines of that. You might also have noted the missive from him from however many years ago where he was plotting to mass murder a portion of his city. He is a madman.
Shall I quote another conversation for context? This was one I had with Mr. Merlyn after we returned from the sandstorm and Captain Kirk told Mr. Merlyn about being bitten.
Merlyn: 'That aside, there is still the matter of Kirk being damaged. I wouldn't have thought a woman, or a fox as Jim tells me, would be your downfall, Lord Navarro.'
Navarro: 'You do not know me terribly well at all if you did not think a vixen - human or fox - would be my downfall, sir. Whatever you'd like me to do for you or suffer on her behalf, please simply name it.'
Merlyn: 'You know me. I don't have to name it. I would simply take it out of your hide if I felt you responsible.'
I'm taking all of this into account as best as I can. But I have to ask you- what do you think should be done? What are you expecting me to be able to do?
You've seen my response to him the first time, sir. He's already intent to see me underfoot. I'll offer myself as a flogging boy to him on her behalf. He refused me the first time. Perhaps the second will move him more. If not, then I suppose I shall have to be more creative.
[He doesn't mean that as a particular threat of murder, but it may come off that way.]
How would you typically handle such a complaint? Talk to him, perhaps? Let him know that you're aware of the tensions and will be keeping a weather eye out for escalation on either side? You are a neutral party. Mediation? I would be a poor person to fill that role given my history with Captain Kirk, Mr. Merlyn, and Renart. I could not hope to be the least bit impartial.
I'm still trying to catch up with what's going on here. All of this because the Captain put a bell on Ms. Renart?
[Joseph has rarely felt so much like a preschool teacher.]
I'm a detective, not an officer. I can't say I've ever had to handle a complaint like this.
But as far as impartiality goes, no, you're far past that point. Though perhaps you should talk to Ms. Renart about staying away from the Captain and Mr. Merlyn, if this is the kind of tension that escalates every time they're near each other.
No. All of this because Renart bit and took a whip to 'something' that belongs to Mr. Merlyn.
I'm more than happy to try to talk to Renart, but please know that I am not simply being glib when I say it may be physically impossible for her to ever let this insult go. It is in her very nature to be vengeful, written into her as much as the color of your eyes is writ into you. But I'll do what I can to distract her from any mission, at the very least.
[And in the meanwhile, he supposes he'll have to deal with Malcolm on his own. This may well be the last time he turns to the police first.]
If that's the case, I'm not sure what you expect anyone to be able to do to control her. Not to make it sound like I don't want to deal with it, but it's difficult to even comprehend the natures of some of the people here. It's not like I can step in and wield authority... do you really think someone like Ms. Renart would even listen to me?
[There's a long wait between as Joseph tries to remember exactly how he got dragged into this.]
Don't go asking people to punish you for things other people did. I need to find an opportunity to chat with Mr. Merlyn.
I think she has a very different mentality from humans. I doubt she'd do so intentionally, but her claws and teeth are very sharp.
[Which is about all he's going to say on that because he is not going to tell another man directly that he thinks Renart is fully capable of living up to her namesake.]
[Joseph needs to stop that. It's a very nice face and Monty would be grieved to see it ruined.]
I think the only way we'll have a 'cohesive society' here, detective, is if someone steps up to take control. You've said you won't. I doubt Detective Castellanos would want to, and I think we both know why I might be a poor choice. There are other people I can think of who would like the power, but should not have it. And several who would make good with it, but who are not well known, nor the sort to step forward without some great and immediate threat cast against us.
We don't need one all-powerful leader. We need a collaborative group in which everyone has a voice. We need rules that people can agree on and a way to enforce them.
What we have to work with is a group of randomly assembled individuals, a portion of whom get insulted if you look at them funny and who come from places where decapitation is an acceptable response to an insult. That won't change if someone tries to take charge.
Perhaps this is the place I ought to mention that I am a subject of His Royal Highness King Edward's realm. One may have a monarch and a parliament together. The monarch is needed to establish the parliament in the first place, though.
Politics are to one side, though. I'll take care of Renart in what ways I can, detective, I would beg your creativity to imagine life as an officer with Mr. Merlyn.
[Else he really will have to try throwing himself at the other man's feet again. Or devising some method to murder him. Permanently.]
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I am very concerned Mr. Merlyn is going to do something to injure or otherwise harm Renart. You might wish to review her most recent missive for the conversation he is having with Captain Kirk. She is incredibly powerful. Their fighting may well end in a blood bath. I can hold her back to an extent. I have no power over him. Please advise.
no subject
Slow down and start from the beginning for me, could you?
What's going on?
no subject
His idea of revenge is in the same vein as mine, typically, if that might provide some context for my fear.
She apparently took a whip to some people during the incident with the candle. We were fighting at the time, so I'm not sure what happened.
no subject
I understand that you're protective of Ms. Renart, Mr. Navarro, but I'm afraid I don't understand your concerns here. I fail to see any indication that Mr. Merlyn is planning to do anything at all to Ms. Renart based on this conversation.
Is this really something you think is going to escalate? It sounds like a middle school prank war to me.
no subject
'I have blades to sharpen and fix that one arrowhead.'
'I don't leave things I consider valuable in poor repair.'
Do you not see a veiled threat for what it is, Detective Oda? Surely a gentleman of your caliber would be able to read between the lines of that. You might also have noted the missive from him from however many years ago where he was plotting to mass murder a portion of his city. He is a madman.
Shall I quote another conversation for context? This was one I had with Mr. Merlyn after we returned from the sandstorm and Captain Kirk told Mr. Merlyn about being bitten.
Merlyn: 'That aside, there is still the matter of Kirk being damaged. I wouldn't have thought a woman, or a fox as Jim tells me, would be your downfall, Lord Navarro.'
Navarro: 'You do not know me terribly well at all if you did not think a vixen - human or fox - would be my downfall, sir. Whatever you'd like me to do for you or suffer on her behalf, please simply name it.'
Merlyn: 'You know me. I don't have to name it. I would simply take it out of your hide if I felt you responsible.'
no subject
I'm taking all of this into account as best as I can. But I have to ask you- what do you think should be done? What are you expecting me to be able to do?
no subject
[He doesn't mean that as a particular threat of murder, but it may come off that way.]
How would you typically handle such a complaint? Talk to him, perhaps? Let him know that you're aware of the tensions and will be keeping a weather eye out for escalation on either side? You are a neutral party. Mediation? I would be a poor person to fill that role given my history with Captain Kirk, Mr. Merlyn, and Renart. I could not hope to be the least bit impartial.
no subject
[Joseph has rarely felt so much like a preschool teacher.]
I'm a detective, not an officer. I can't say I've ever had to handle a complaint like this.
But as far as impartiality goes, no, you're far past that point. Though perhaps you should talk to Ms. Renart about staying away from the Captain and Mr. Merlyn, if this is the kind of tension that escalates every time they're near each other.
no subject
I'm more than happy to try to talk to Renart, but please know that I am not simply being glib when I say it may be physically impossible for her to ever let this insult go. It is in her very nature to be vengeful, written into her as much as the color of your eyes is writ into you. But I'll do what I can to distract her from any mission, at the very least.
[And in the meanwhile, he supposes he'll have to deal with Malcolm on his own. This may well be the last time he turns to the police first.]
no subject
[There's a long wait between as Joseph tries to remember exactly how he got dragged into this.]
Don't go asking people to punish you for things other people did. I need to find an opportunity to chat with Mr. Merlyn.
no subject
And I'll do what I feel I must to protect Renart, sir. Whether she thinks she needs it or not.
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We don't need this kind of trouble on top of everything else.
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[Because if he isn't, there's going to be hell to pay on many sides.]
no subject
Though Malcolm's not the only one coming off as irrational and uncontrollable here.]
You really think she would hurt other people in the act of defending herself?
no subject
[Which is about all he's going to say on that because he is not going to tell another man directly that he thinks Renart is fully capable of living up to her namesake.]
no subject
And here people snap at us for not having organized all these different people into one cohesive society.
no subject
I think the only way we'll have a 'cohesive society' here, detective, is if someone steps up to take control. You've said you won't. I doubt Detective Castellanos would want to, and I think we both know why I might be a poor choice. There are other people I can think of who would like the power, but should not have it. And several who would make good with it, but who are not well known, nor the sort to step forward without some great and immediate threat cast against us.
no subject
What we have to work with is a group of randomly assembled individuals, a portion of whom get insulted if you look at them funny and who come from places where decapitation is an acceptable response to an insult. That won't change if someone tries to take charge.
no subject
Politics are to one side, though. I'll take care of Renart in what ways I can, detective, I would beg your creativity to imagine life as an officer with Mr. Merlyn.
[Else he really will have to try throwing himself at the other man's feet again. Or devising some method to murder him. Permanently.]