[Henry reaches up and attempts to catch Maketh's offending hand.]
Too happy.
[He remarks wryly, giving his head a little shake. The memories are pleasant, without a doubt, but he still feels the ghost of embarrassment for his encorachment.]
We were not merely strangers. My imagined wife was Saber's lady.
[The emphasis on 'lady' suggests that it's a knight thing.
In truth, it's impossible for Maketh to know how dire that is without knowing who Saber truly is, the events of Saber's life, and the cultural impact of King Arthur's legend on Henry's era, especially to knights like him. But she can at least recognise the awkwardness of taking liberties with someone else's important person.]
[Maketh huffs, pleased that she's quick enough to dodge his hand. Not that he's really trying. Henry will always be faster than her when it matters. It's his place to master such things.] Oh, I see. I'm not the only one who has been scandalous.
[Cheeky little bastard. Maketh laughs, swatting at him.] You will make someone a good husband one of these days. Before I know it, you'll be swarming me with children.
[She means it, with all the sincerity in her heart. Henry will be a good father when the time comes. His children will doubtless be handsome and quick, and she will make them clever. Whatever happens, Maketh owes him that much.]
I fully intend to survive them. We are strong. We are reasonably clever. They do not know what they face.
We must be certain of that soon. We cannot organise this populace, but we can see that the Guard is ready. We must be sure of which guardsmen pretend to work with the Null, and which guardsmen work directly with the Gods. We must figure out what resources we have and what resources we might win ourselves. We need to set plans in place.
[It's a good question. Maketh leans back, watching him.]
It's come time to close ranks. Decide who can be trusted with our plans. A few can be convinced. Several I do not trust.
[She's quiet for a moment.]
Hux is still working on the weapon. There have been -- setbacks. We don't have the parts to mass produce it. But so far as I know, the gods remain unaware. That card cannot be played too early.
[Henry frowns in distaste at mention of Hux, but refrains from arguing about Hux's involvement. At best it's fruitless and at worst it drives Maketh to secrecy.
Secrecy makes it that much harder for him to defend her.]
Then we must consider them closely afore the hour is nigh.
[Saber is not quite as new, but he thinks it worth saying:]
I would trust Saber with my life.
[He truly means that, and he wants Maketh to know that she can turn to Saber in dire need and be safe. In his eyes, Saber is on par with Nick and Rey in terms of trustworthiness.]
...Many centuries before my ancestors came to England, the land was named Britain and it was splintered into many kingdoms, yet to become a whole nation. Saber hails from then and there. Her legend is well known to me... 'tis well known to every living soul in England.
[Legends are not a practical justification, of course. While Henry idealises Arthurian myth as he idealises all within his conception of knighthood, he believes that he is coming to know Saber as she is, beneath all of that.]
As a person, she is a good woman and a true knight. You should seek her out. Adjudge her for yourself.
[Had Jill still been with them, he would have unequivocally vouched for her too.]
[Saber. Maketh mulls over what she knows of the woman, nodding. Henry's trust is not easily given and has great meaning when he does. And a warrior of legend is often worth courting. Anakin certainly was.]
I will speak with her. I ought to know her.
[She considers him for a moment.]
You ought to speak with General Skywalker. He is -- difficult, at times. A dangerous enemy and a powerful ally.
[Wary as he is of those from her universe who remain in Hadriel, he trusts Maketh without question; she would not suggest it if she thought it destined to be futile.]
Very well. I will seize the opportunity that arises.
[Henry falls quiet in a brief and rare bit of hesitation. He bounces his leg, then sighs and says:]
Weigh carefully how much trust you place in the elves. They have earned no mistrust themselves, but Curufin dotes upon his lover, and his lover is a repugnant cur who is no friend of the Guard's. As they are all kinsmen... What man or woman is not honest with those whom they love? Who would not put them first?
[Maketh has been away from her own flesh and blood for so long, she doesn't know what she would do if they appeared before her. Surely there is no one left alive, after all this time.]
But I will remember what you said. I ought to know them better.
[Maketh nods, considering. Her record thus far has been strong. Even those who haven't spoken with her personally will respect what she has done.] There is work I must do, then. And soon.
[It's good to have a purpose. She presses her head against Henry's briefly.]
She was a good soldier. I hope her world treats her with the respect she deserves.
[They had a surprising amount in common and they'd got on easily. Kissing Jill under the mistletoe was a pleasant memory, and that she was otherwise engaged on that front is one of those light, transient regrets. He might have tried his luck otherwise.
He'll have to raise a glass for her, sometime.
For now, though, he says:]
She left behind all of her work on Will's murder on her desk, at least.
'Tis a strange case. I assume that you have through Jill's initial report and looked at her pictures of the scene?
[No sign of struggle, a neatly slit throat while Will was busy fishing. Hannibal had been the one who called Jill to the scene. She did not seem to consider him a suspect. No signs of the murder weapon, not tracks fleeing the scene. No witnesses. It's a possibility that someone knew he would be there, distracted. It was likely planned, given all the details. Jill, God bless her, had immediately taken multiple photos on her phone.]
And we have two more murders, this time by the same culprit. The one Sharon drew. Oh, and he was transformed by Seel's blood into one of their kind. His blood is now poisonous and may, with proper care given to his victims, render humans into magic-bearing hermaphrodites too.
[His tone is vexed — he's fed up with dealing with murders. They must for the sake of order and because it is the right thing to do, but combined with how thankless their work defending the city is and how they have no authority to simply make and use a dungeon without being treated like they're worse than the genuine tyrants present, it's a headache.]
Yes. I admit this sort of thing doesn't fall under my immediate expertise, but--I would almost call it professional.
[Very clean. No fuss, no mess. No witnesses. Maketh rubs her face with a groan. This just makes the whole situation more complicated, another detail they don't need and can't cleanly destroy.]
We don't have time for this. And what if we do catch them, hmm? What then?
[He bumps her shoulder with his where they already touch in solidarity. He feels just as done as Maketh about this.]
We must confront the public. Involve them. Let us ask them to determine how they should be dealt with. Either they afford us some power or take the matter of murders, aside from halting any attempts we come across, out of our hands.
[Truth be told, he'd rather the latter. But just in case...]
Tranquility yet owes me a prize. He built this city, did he not? So he may build us some secure cells if it becomes necessary.
That would help, [Maketh says slowly. Logistically, it would be the easiest way to accomplish the goal. The gods aren't perfect engineers, but their structures tend to hold.] If we step too far, we will be seen as tyrants. Too little and we are weak. Let them decide what our purpose should be, and then we will maneuver within it.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2017-08-31 03:25 pm (UTC)Too happy.
[He remarks wryly, giving his head a little shake. The memories are pleasant, without a doubt, but he still feels the ghost of embarrassment for his encorachment.]
We were not merely strangers. My imagined wife was Saber's lady.
[The emphasis on 'lady' suggests that it's a knight thing.
In truth, it's impossible for Maketh to know how dire that is without knowing who Saber truly is, the events of Saber's life, and the cultural impact of King Arthur's legend on Henry's era, especially to knights like him. But she can at least recognise the awkwardness of taking liberties with someone else's important person.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-01 03:19 am (UTC)[Her expression is light.]
I'm sure you were an excellent husband
no subject
Date: 2017-09-01 02:48 pm (UTC)[The intimacy of their marriage, physically and emotionally. Being surrounded by family — he and Irisviel had had three "children".
Not that Maketh isn't family enough for him. But he will always be greedy for it. Family brings him happiness.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-04 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-06 11:31 am (UTC)[He says sincerely, letting her swat him.]
And you shall have tutor them all.
[Imagine the advantage her knowledge might give them.
His amusement slowly fades, and though reluctant to spoil the good mood, he eventually addresses the next topic.]
If we should survive the Null.
[Of course he believes they can, but how is the real matter at hand.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-07 12:45 am (UTC)[She means it, with all the sincerity in her heart. Henry will be a good father when the time comes. His children will doubtless be handsome and quick, and she will make them clever. Whatever happens, Maketh owes him that much.]
I fully intend to survive them. We are strong. We are reasonably clever. They do not know what they face.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-09 01:38 pm (UTC)[Henry asks, touching his knuckles to his mouth.]
We must be certain of that soon. We cannot organise this populace, but we can see that the Guard is ready. We must be sure of which guardsmen pretend to work with the Null, and which guardsmen work directly with the Gods. We must figure out what resources we have and what resources we might win ourselves. We need to set plans in place.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-09 04:31 pm (UTC)It's come time to close ranks. Decide who can be trusted with our plans. A few can be convinced. Several I do not trust.
[She's quiet for a moment.]
Hux is still working on the weapon. There have been -- setbacks. We don't have the parts to mass produce it. But so far as I know, the gods remain unaware. That card cannot be played too early.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-10 12:09 am (UTC)Secrecy makes it that much harder for him to defend her.]
Whom do you not trust?
[It's important that he knows.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-11 04:31 pm (UTC)There are none I have evidence against. And I believe all our guardsmen will defend the civilians when the time comes.
[But there is always the possibility some of them truly will side with the gods.]
Drake Holloway is an unknown factor. The newer members in general. They have not seen what the gods are capable of first hand.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-12 12:05 pm (UTC)Then we must consider them closely afore the hour is nigh.
[Saber is not quite as new, but he thinks it worth saying:]
I would trust Saber with my life.
[He truly means that, and he wants Maketh to know that she can turn to Saber in dire need and be safe. In his eyes, Saber is on par with Nick and Rey in terms of trustworthiness.]
...Many centuries before my ancestors came to England, the land was named Britain and it was splintered into many kingdoms, yet to become a whole nation. Saber hails from then and there. Her legend is well known to me... 'tis well known to every living soul in England.
[Legends are not a practical justification, of course. While Henry idealises Arthurian myth as he idealises all within his conception of knighthood, he believes that he is coming to know Saber as she is, beneath all of that.]
As a person, she is a good woman and a true knight. You should seek her out. Adjudge her for yourself.
[Had Jill still been with them, he would have unequivocally vouched for her too.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-13 06:24 pm (UTC)I will speak with her. I ought to know her.
[She considers him for a moment.]
You ought to speak with General Skywalker. He is -- difficult, at times. A dangerous enemy and a powerful ally.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-17 01:53 pm (UTC)Very well. I will seize the opportunity that arises.
[Henry falls quiet in a brief and rare bit of hesitation. He bounces his leg, then sighs and says:]
Weigh carefully how much trust you place in the elves. They have earned no mistrust themselves, but Curufin dotes upon his lover, and his lover is a repugnant cur who is no friend of the Guard's. As they are all kinsmen... What man or woman is not honest with those whom they love? Who would not put them first?
no subject
Date: 2017-09-18 05:00 pm (UTC)[Maketh has been away from her own flesh and blood for so long, she doesn't know what she would do if they appeared before her. Surely there is no one left alive, after all this time.]
But I will remember what you said. I ought to know them better.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-19 01:47 pm (UTC)[It's possible that she might already have it, thanks to her position in the Guard and the good opinions of others that she's amassed.
Henry leans his shoulder against hers, then gives a little sigh and muses:]
...As glad as I am that she returned to her rightful place, 'tis a shame that we lost Jill.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-20 12:14 am (UTC)[It's good to have a purpose. She presses her head against Henry's briefly.]
She was a good soldier. I hope her world treats her with the respect she deserves.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-20 01:47 pm (UTC)[They had a surprising amount in common and they'd got on easily. Kissing Jill under the mistletoe was a pleasant memory, and that she was otherwise engaged on that front is one of those light, transient regrets. He might have tried his luck otherwise.
He'll have to raise a glass for her, sometime.
For now, though, he says:]
She left behind all of her work on Will's murder on her desk, at least.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-24 01:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-24 04:47 pm (UTC)[No sign of struggle, a neatly slit throat while Will was busy fishing. Hannibal had been the one who called Jill to the scene. She did not seem to consider him a suspect. No signs of the murder weapon, not tracks fleeing the scene. No witnesses. It's a possibility that someone knew he would be there, distracted. It was likely planned, given all the details. Jill, God bless her, had immediately taken multiple photos on her phone.]
And we have two more murders, this time by the same culprit. The one Sharon drew. Oh, and he was transformed by Seel's blood into one of their kind. His blood is now poisonous and may, with proper care given to his victims, render humans into magic-bearing hermaphrodites too.
[His tone is vexed — he's fed up with dealing with murders. They must for the sake of order and because it is the right thing to do, but combined with how thankless their work defending the city is and how they have no authority to simply make and use a dungeon without being treated like they're worse than the genuine tyrants present, it's a headache.]
no subject
Date: 2017-09-24 05:20 pm (UTC)[Very clean. No fuss, no mess. No witnesses. Maketh rubs her face with a groan. This just makes the whole situation more complicated, another detail they don't need and can't cleanly destroy.]
We don't have time for this. And what if we do catch them, hmm? What then?
no subject
Date: 2017-09-24 05:51 pm (UTC)We must confront the public. Involve them. Let us ask them to determine how they should be dealt with. Either they afford us some power or take the matter of murders, aside from halting any attempts we come across, out of our hands.
[Truth be told, he'd rather the latter. But just in case...]
Tranquility yet owes me a prize. He built this city, did he not? So he may build us some secure cells if it becomes necessary.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-26 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-28 11:11 am (UTC)Too many are determined to misconstrue our intent.
[He gives Maketh a brief cocky smile.]
It must vex them that we remain strong.
no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 07:16 pm (UTC)Our strength has not waned, brother. Not once.
no subject
Date: 2017-10-04 09:55 pm (UTC)[Not with their combined drive and determination. Of that, Henry is certain.]