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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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.
no subject
[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?
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[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.]
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And here people snap at us for not having organized all these different people into one cohesive society.
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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.]