07.05h: At the Docks

The goings on of courts
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Joshua
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Joshua »

(OOC: Seeing as how he is Human rank psyche, yeah.)

The interrogation happens on the boat apparently, and goes fairly quickly. The man (who can be named if you want) was attempting a gang entrance ritual. There's a group that's planning on "something bad" during the festival. He doesn't know much, he has between Amber and Chaos strength, but really isn't all the exceptional. He picked WAY the wrong time to attempt said entrance ritual, and is now not going to get in. He only knows a few contacts which he cannot identify, although, if you do the full meld, you can pick-up their voices.

The group espouses anti-amber rhetoric. Basically talking about how Castle Amber takes all the hard work form the city for itself and random people who appear are being put in charge of the castle, while everyone else toils in obscurity.. (Which is sorta true.) They also don't like Dworkin's complete lack of response to these allegations and don't trust Ruben or Oberon (the two who have tried to explain more, and have reached people, just not this group.)
Ruben
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Ruben »

"Well, our triathlete here doesn't seem like he poses enough of a threat to warrant much more of our attention," Ruben says, oblivious to how his dismissive arrogance fuels the captive's anger.

"We can resume looking for the head troublemakers later. Shall I escort him to the guards' station for safekeeping and we can get on with the preparations?"
Veyska
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Veyska »

Asai's tail lashes in irritation. "If that's what they've run into every time they've tried more... reasonable means of expressing their displeasure I can't say I blame them for remaining displeased. It's one thing to know you're simply not the best at something. It's another thing entirely to know you stand no chance of ever even coming close. That level of imbalance breeds its own kind of discontent and its own kind of problems. If nothing else it would be wise to try and calm such troubled waters for the sake of saving beings like these from themselves when they dare to bring themselves to your exalted personage's attention."
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Ruben »

"Attempted murder as a 'reasonable' response to whatever imagined slight they feel has been visited upon them!"

Ruben stops a moment to compose himself, but fails to fully control the paternalistic attitude that the encounter has laid bare. "What I mean to say is, we've worked with these people. It's not just a matter of recruiting them as servants and supporting them directly, we've also allowed them to build a community, to trade, and have a taste of their own governance. And the result is still a simmering unhappiness. They blame us for their own lawlessness and for being too intrusive when we intervene."

He turns and squints off into the setting sun at the mouth of the harbor, just long enough to catch his breath, then turns back to Asai.

"What would you have us do?"
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Veyska »

Asai's ears flatten against her skull. "The only person who's mentioned murder and reasonable in the same breath so far has been you. The only person who's suggested people don't have reason to be upset has been you. You 'permit' them to work as servants, you 'allow' them to play at being responsible adults, and you act surprised when they don't act like they've been blessed by your deigning to give them some semblance of self determination? It's in the very nature of self-aware beings, I think, for there to always be some degree of unhappiness especially in large numbers. Couple that with the conflict between primal instincts crying to run and hide before the High And Mighty Powers That Be notice them and the desire of any sentient creature to better themselves and to be themselves and of course they're going to complain at and about those who stand out."

Her posture, as she turns her head towards Alys, is still clearly angry but her voice is polite, almost unnervingly so. "As I understand it, you at least are still trying to actually accomplish something towards reining things in and calming them. Would you be amenable to taking him into custody for his own protection and yes," with a sharp glance at Ruben, "suitable punishment or penance? Desperate people do desperate things, but perhaps we can use this poor being's unlucky timing to everyone's advantage."
Wyvern
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Wyvern »

"My... shadow of origin, was well used to such a divide; it is certainly not a permanent problem. Still, from what I recall of the history, that state took several bloody centuries to come about - and while such a transition might be faster here with the comparatively brief lifespans of the common citizens, it could be all the more messy for... well, people like Jericho, who were likely the very best and brightest in whatever world they came from, and are ill used to being second to anyone, let alone so far behind."

"That said, I also know my forebears did nothing to ease the transition - I'm quite sure we can manage better here. From what I've seen, Ruben, your work has done much to pave that path - though it seems we do still have some ways yet to go."

"As for this man here... From the reasons he's given, it seems he was attempting to help the city, for all that his choice of methods was... poorly made. Still. I do recall making an open offer to anyone who wanted to make Amber a better place - and I suppose it might be possible to commute his punishment to some form of community service."

"Of course," Alys looks towards Ruben, "The docks are your domain. May I have your blessing to deal with this at the castle?"
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Ruben »

Ruben fights, successfully, to swallow his bile and not prolong the argument.

"Very well, Lady Alys, if you'd like to try to reach him, I certainly will not stand in the way," he says as he makes an exaggerated move away from the prisoner. He is aware of a risk that he could be shown up if Alys' efforts at rehabilitation, or whatever she has planned, are successful. He's even slightly concerned -- his read of the prisoner's character is that he's a bit of a dullard, prone to follow whatever direction he's given, from whichever source. But at the end of the day, if the subject is to be prerly serviced and no longer a threat, that's good enough: It doesn't much matter if that happens in a rehabilitation effort or in the brig.
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Re: 07.05h: At the Docks

Post by Wyvern »

Alys nods. "I'll see you at the ball, then." And she marches the hapless prisoner off. (At some point there may come up the question of whether said hapless prisoner actually wants the opportunity for rehabilitation - if he'd rather just rot in a cell somewhere, well, Alys certainly won't try to stop him. Still, Alys is inclined to deal with that later; for now, preparing for the ball is more important.)

OOC aside: some of the brevity in this post - and offer to take him off Ruben's hands in the previous post - was done in an OOC effort to wrap up this thread reasonably before the ball starts. If, OOC, you'd prefer to simply declare the rehabilitation attempt a failure, I'd have no problems with that; Alys has enough on her plate already.
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