[PRP] precautions (temperance & jeremiah)

[azuredreams]

As he had said, Jeremiah was more than willing to meet Temperance after his work day. It turned out that the place to meet him was the Mercer offices at the Court. Fell would actually meet her at the door, not at all looking like a corpse. Instead she was a small, petite thing, in a rather nicely cut pair of trousers and a blouse with a vest. Her long hair was done up in an intricate braid, bits and baubles of delicate metal decorating it (along with a few pieces of bone it seemed) as it went down along her spine.

Her mismatched gaze rested only briefly on Temperance before she gestured for her to follow. "Chief Mercer is this way, Lady Clark. I believe he's preparing the list that you require."

The Mercer space seemed to be in the progress of being decorated, as if the magic had not quite settled yet, but Fell paid it no attention. Instead she walked lead Temperance under a pair of stairs that lead to a door. Going through the door, it felt as if there was some kind of barrier - not at all unfamiliar and quite like the way the Charter casting had been warded (but not as elaborate) - and within the room was Jeremiah.

He was standing at a table, clearly working some magic on what looked to be a piece of paper.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Thank you, Fell." It was Fell, right? The last time Temperance had seen the fetch there had been considerably less hair and more corpse-i-ness. "You look well." She was excited for the change for fetches; they deserved more than what they'd been dealt.

She glanced up at she passed through the doorway. A ward of some sort? Something magical, at least. "Chief Mercer," she said quietly, hoping not to break his concentration.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Fell merely inclined her head, no response given to her looking good (though it seemed to say, well enough, that she was quite aware she looked good). Instead, once Temperance was lead to Jeremiah, Fell seemingly disappeared from sight.

There was not an immediate response from Jeremiah, though brightly glowing eyes glanced towards her briefly in acknowledgement as he finished casting his magic. The paper retained a bright glow for a moment before it faded away in his hand.

"Lady Clark," he greeted, the paper still in one hand. The room they were in was clearly a magical work area, judging by the items and materials that were lining the shelves. "I was just finishing this up so I could give you the most complete list of names of those who blooded the original charter."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

She stepped forward a bit, peering curiously as his workspace. "What are you doing?" Temperance didn't think that a list of names would require any bit be magical, but who knew?

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Once it is in your hands, it will only be visible to you." The glow faded and he turned to offer out the paper to her.

"I would also request that you don't give out the names." There had already been issues with the list and the names getting out. It was, in fact, what had lead to them all being taken. "While deductive reasoning can reveal a fair majority, I'd still rather leave people what little anonymity they have because there are those that might have ill will towards those of us who had some long dead and gone version of ourselves give consent."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Ah, I see." That was certainly handy. Temperance reached out to take the paper and scanned it quickly. Nothing terribly surprising. "Some names may have to come out during the trial; no one can lie under oath there, I'm assuming. However, I won't scatter the names about will-nilly, Chief Mercer." It was predominantly that she needed to visit a few of them.

"Would you say this sort of scheme had been characteristic of the burning man?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I don't think that you will, Lady Clark. I've just reached a point where it is better to be more cautious. What is revealed - names or otherwise - at the trial is expected. Though I assume this is mostly because you'll want to talk to some of those listed."

His head tilted then, studying her before he answered. "Yes, I would. Especially given that he would do anything for his family."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Have you seen the, um, I can't recall their names - the month girls - since returning to court?" It would make sense that they'd be here, somehow.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"September and July," answered Jeremiah easily, "and I have. I have tea with them regularly, though not since the creation of the new Charter." Here, he paused for a moment and then spoke again. "They are important, they're his daughters and likely to know the most about what he was doing."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I could try to find them, though I imagine they'd be of much more use to the defense than me." She tapped the rolled up paper against her lips. "Were you convinced of your fingerprint or taken by force?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Though it was heat of the moment, threats were made against them- I doubt that they're easily found." Jeremiah knew they were likely around but hiding, keeping themselves safe against perceived threats (even if they weren't true threats).

A glance went down to his smooth thumb before he looked back at Temperance. "Convinced, as I am certain he changed his methods after Preacher, but-" There was a burning in his hand, faint and tingling that made him want to full body twitch except he did not. Instead he flexed his hand in and out.

"'Do not test him- he teeters on the edge, one wrong move will push him over.' These were the words the bone ring spoke to me." For one brief moment, his eyes were not marked by magic but merely that strange shade that was neither blue nor green as he looked at her.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Convinced how - did he reveal any of his plans to you?" The bone ring's words where only met with a slight incline of her head. From the progression of people, she imagined the Burning Man would get closer to the edge as the deadline drew closer.

"I, unfortunately, need details."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I do not mind sharing details, it is merely a matter of the geas still having some effect. The pain is lessened but still there." Jeremiah stretched his fingers out then brushed them against the smooth skin of his thumb.

"He," a pause as the burning sensation returned but was dealt with, "stated he needed the revoked consent for the Charter to use our magic to sustain itself. I was not entirely pleased," his expression flickered; the words said an understatement, "with him, not after the attack on Preacher - though he lured her out with a promise of that fight she wanted and greatly hurt her when she persisted - but I had no reason to doubt his words. Out and out lies are not what he does," Jeremiah knew this well enough, "but a lie of omission? Not giving you the entire picture? Yes, absolutely."

The 5emblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"So did you give your consent of your own free will, then?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Yes," responded Jeremiah before sighing. His fingers twitched again before he finally simply said what was on his mind. "However, it was gained under false pretenses. What he said was not the entire truth of the situation. Had he made it clear just what he was doing with the revoked consent, I would have never given it."

A small breath was exhaled then.

"... and, to be entirely frank," Jeremiah's jaw tightened for a moment before he continued speaking, "it was after the bone ring spoke that it did that I gave my consent. I was the one that found Preacher and took her to the hospital but more than that-" Another pause because this was not something he easily talked about, nor wanted to admit. "I have faced his fire before, Noble Clark, and given a choice, I would avoid it because - as the day we separated him showed - when it comes down to his true power I am still just as vulnerable to it. Without enough evidence to support that he was up to something truly heinous, I simply went along with it as I had no desire to be burned from head to toe once more and unable to do much more than breathe."

The Semblance of Unity