undergrounds | [OPEN] Bromley & Bexley Claims + Afterparty

Heiji returned to human form, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, well. Looked like your associate was gonna maul someone." And he still didn't know what their exchange had been about.

"Is that what it was about? You know the courts here ain't been active for a long time. And that girl was obviously daft. She had a salt circle set up, for cryin' out loud. You coulda just let her dig her own grave and the cops would've picked her up for domestic terrorism. Probably pickin' up the shell casings right now."

That earned a blank look. Because why should that bother her in the least? "Yes."

"Stupidity is no excuse for disrespect." Mab replied, still irritated. And she certainly didn't need moral authorities to provided the needed spanking of a child who'd misbehaved. A mauling would leave a lasting impression. "You are too soft with them. Pain is an excellent teacher." The biggest problem for Mab was definitely the disrespect.

Heiji sighed. "Well, if I'd known she'd set up those explosives, I mighta thought twice. What'd she do to get under your skin so bad, though? Humans have awfully short memories; you must be used to havin' them not know who you are."

Maulings: nature's remedy...

Mab puffed out a breath of amusement. "Explosives. And she was concerned about the danger the fae posed. Humans well never realize that they are just as much a danger to each other as we are to them."

There was a soft motion of her hand, almost dismissive. Her quarrel was with Ringer. And she was still annoyed that Heiji had interfered. "Some humans are well read." It was Mab who had convinced a certain duo of brother's to write a book of Fairytales. She still had a signed copy in the original German. "Instincts exist for a reason. Wise humans pay attention when their instincts tell them great danger is near."

"Well, I think we can both agree that that one wasn't especially wise." But if Mab didn't want to discuss the particulars, that begged the question:

"So, you just here to chew me out or what?" Heiji was fairly used to that; he got it from his father all the time. Not that he listened very much. Or at all.

"I was here," She replied patiently, "To ask you not to interfere again." Her voice was cool, she mostly did not like her authority being undermined in front of even the silliest of humans. How was one to inspire the proper level of fear if foxes ran around stopping her every time she was punishing someone? And she did not particularly wish to make an enemy of Heiji just yet, they worked together very well as proven by the capture of his territory. It wasn't like Mab was going out and finding innocents to horrifically murder.

"You know we don't do absolutes," said Heiji. "I don't know that much about you; I can't just promise ya I'll never interfere in your business for ever and ever. Or if I did, it'd come steep. You gotta be more specific."

Besides, for all he knew, she was going to find innocents to horrifically murder.

Mab made a disgusted noise. "I am asking for courtesy." She said stubbornly. "I am sometimes open to recommendations but not when they undermine my position in public." And Mab held grudges. Don't make her look weak Heiji. She'll find a way to stick it to you later.

"Really? 'Cause I've been tryin' to give it to you. But you don't wanna discuss anything about yourself, you don't wanna tell me what's going on, and I kinda doubt you showed up when I was down and out purely out of the goodness of your heart. I'm sorry about your cat. I might be sorry about interfering with whatever your thing was with that girl, but I don't even know, 'cause I don't know what all happened."

That wasn't even including Mab's Thing with his personal space, which he just could not figure out unless it was some sort of weird trolling.

"And don't you think it undermines your position in public way more gettin' into a fight over some disused Door? You said yourself humans're bigger threats to themselves than we are. So why not just let them blow themselves up?"

"I do not have 'goodness' in my heart." She replied sounding a little baffled that he'd think otherwise. "Though I did come upon you by chance, I am what I am, I would think less of any fae who did not attempt to make a deal in such a situation. I accepted your decision." She left off what was clearly going to be something along the lines of, why are you even bringing it up again? "I did not press when you were uninterested in telling me the details of what happened to you." Just that it was a werewolf, after that he'd clammed up. And she'd left him to it.

She stopped and looked down at him. Was he being petulant because he actually cared to know all the details of her argument or was he simply in a terrible mood? "I think reclaiming territories that will be disputed in the future will require actual conflict. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sending a message to those who may wish to challenge us. I also think if you allow small things to go unpunished, others will pick at the weakness like a scab. Slights of even smaller things must be dealt with decisively. And I think you are being purposely obstinate about this." She can't understand why. He is fae, he should be familiar with the fact that fae do not share information freely, it had ever been this way in the Unseelie court. "Is it my dispute you wish to know about or is there something else you wish to discuss with me."

"It's an expression," said Heiji. Talking to Mab was like talking to a space alien sometimes. Or like someone super, super old who barely knew any slang or anything, which he supposed she was. "Anyhow, clearly we've got different definitions of what's okay and what's not."

"I agree that we're going to have to deal with real conflicts in the future. But I don't think pickin' fights with anyone who looks at us funny is going to do us any favors. I think that makes us look weak, like we can't even handle some little girl mouthin' off without taking the nuclear option.

"Plus, the courts've only just agreed to make a move on the human world. You know how rare it is for them to agree on anything. You think there's gonna be unlimited appetite for takin' on everyone we don't like? I thought that's why we talked to the wolves -- 'cause we don't want to be actively fighting with everyone in London. Plus, this is a whole different era. We can't always just do things the way we used to just because it's the way we've always done it."

At least he was coming out of this conversation with something, though. "I don't think I need to know the particulars, actually. Or rather, I can investigate the rest on my own. I just wanted to know who you are and why you do what ya do. And now I think I understand a little better. So thanks, I guess. I can't promise you that I'll never interfere again, but... I'll try and make more 'suggestions'. That oughtta be good enough, right?"

Even in terms of saying, Mab hasn't got anything particularly kind about her so she's still going to give Heiji a whatever look. "Yes."

Unfortunately Mab is a rule with an iron fist and possibly a whip kind of Lady so there's no way she's going to agree with the weakness thing. She just shakes her head once.

Well, at least he was going to make an effort. "It will have to do." She replied, sounding resigned for the moment. She lifted her head to look at the stars, letting the darkness seep in. Finally she looked back down at him. "I will leave you to your gazing."

"Chin up, yeah? I'll send your associate somethin' nice." Unfortunately, Heiji had very little idea what Grimalkin would like other than maybe mauling a human, but it seemed only right to send him a get-well present.

He returned to his fox form and curled up once more on the sweet-smelling grass.

[OPEN] Bromley & Bexley Claims + Afterparty

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