10:00 AM, September 5th 2012

From:

defrainspector.livejournal.com

*Molly turns over the page to a new - much longer - checklist.*

Thank you for your time, Speaker Bercow.

First, how are you guarding the werewolf? I see you have wards up. Are these maintained on a permanent basis? And do you post guards? This is a heavily populated area.

Edited Date: 2012-09-06 07:55 pm (UTC)

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

*John is very careful in his tone as well as his answer.*

The wards are permanent, yes, and frequently reinvigorated. As a matter of fact, the next update is due later today. As you can see yourself, he is in the collar and will remain so. Before the collar arrived, he was held by a bind that came from the Mace and so had the magical backing of the entirety of parliament. The wards are still, in part, funded by that magic.

Do I post guards? I have posted guards, most certainly, and, as you will see in the pack I handed you earlier, there is a rota system in place for those on guard duty.

If you'd like, I can arrange for interviews with all of the participants? Would that help with?

From:

defrainspector.livejournal.com

*Molly inspects the rota.*

This looks acceptable. In future, regulations call for each guard to countersign their scheduled shift after completing it.

Yes, interviews with the guards would be welcome, although only if that could be accomplished in the next -

*She looks at her watch.*

- thirty minutes. It's important for DEFRA to check that the guards do not feel coerced in any way to participate. Putting a human in danger of being bitten requires the human's informed and uncoerced consent.

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

*John checks his watch and gives a theatrical tut*

Unfortunately, that isn't possible - it's a terrible oversight on my part, and one for which I thoroughly apologies. I should have asked them all to be here, but, unfortunately they are rather busy at the moment and I'm almost certain they couldn't have attended.

If you're at all worried about their consent and participation, it might be possible to arrange interviews at a later date? Or perhaps written statements would do instead?

From:

defrainspector.livejournal.com

*Molly looks at him severely.*

Written statements will most certainly not suffice. I'm quite sure that you are of the highest moral caliber, but forgeries have happened before, and of course if coercion was being employed it could easily extend to written statements.

No, private interviews are necessary in situations such as this. Unfortunately I have a very full schedule and won't be able to return until next week.

When I return I will also need your sworn assurance - in writing - that your deputies are under no coercion to assist you in this matter and that you have not abused your authority over them in any way. Be advised that this is under oath and that proceedings may be filed against you in magical court by any of your deputies if you perjure yourself.

*So many protections for the humans, she thinks fleetingly, and none for the woebegone werewolf in the cell. But such thoughts spell madness.*

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

Well, if you insist. I will certainly do my utmost to oblige you in this matter.

Do you have any other questions, or do you have to be going now?

From:

defrainspector.livejournal.com

*Hostility is suddenly pouring off the man in waves. Molly raises an eyebrow, feeling even more uneasy about the situation. She's glad she'll be returning next week to talk to the guards. Maybe they will be able to shed more light on the matter.*

I do have to be going now. Thank you for your time and cooperation.

*And, tucking her checklist back into her briefcase, she motions to Sahar and sets off for their next appointment.*

Edited Date: 2012-09-06 08:50 pm (UTC)

From:

dasouzzle.livejournal.com

*As soon as the DEFRA inspectors leave, Frances rounds on John.*

What the hell were you thinking?

*Without waiting for a reply, she turns back to Peter.*

Peter, if I take that collar off do you think you can restrain yourself from physically attacking John?

*She remembers who she's talking to and decides she'd better be a bit more explicit.*

Physically or magically attacking him, that is.

From:

therealpm.livejournal.com

*Peter crosses his arms, looks her straight in the eye, and lies*

Of course.

Edited Date: 2012-09-09 04:59 pm (UTC)

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

*John splutters*

What are you-

Of course he's going to attack me! I'd attack me if I were in the same situation as Peter!

That's why he's in the collar in the first place, for Merlin's sake.

You can't take the collar off him.

It's simply-

You can't!

From:

dasouzzle.livejournal.com

I can, and am.

If you didn't want him to be angry with you, you shouldn't have sedated him and locked him in a collar without his consent.

*Frances lets herself into the cell- sealing the wards back down behind her; she hasn't gone completely soft- and walks over to Peter.*

Turn around so I can see the buckle?

From:

therealpm.livejournal.com

*After a few awkward fumbles, it's clear that Peter is a little too tall for Frances to see and undo the buckle easily. He grabs one of the chairs and sits with his back to Frances, staring down at his hands.*

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

*John splutters some more.*

*He thinks about running - he gives is serious consideration then realises the only place he would be able to run to would be back to the house - to Sally. He could run, but he'd have to face a lecture by his wife, more than likely followed by a lecture from Frances afterwards and then a forced apology to Peter. If he stayed, however, he'd only have to defend himself against an attack from Peter and a lecture from Frances, more than likely followed by a forced apology to Peter.*

*Even enraged and in werewolf form, John would still rather do battle with Peter than Sally.*

*Instead of tactically retreating, John quickly casts a few additional wards around himself. He knows it won't take Peter long to break through them, but in this case, any defence is better than none.*

From:

dasouzzle.livejournal.com

*Frances tries to unlock the magical seals on the collar. Unfortunately, the additional charms John cast on it that morning have interacted with the magic of the collar's locking mechanism and melted into an impenetrable lump, the magical equivalent of a big wad of chewing gum stuck over the buckle.*

Ugh. What did you do to this-?

*There's no way to neatly unpick the charms at this point. She's just going to have to rip them all off at once with brute force and take the rebound from the broken spells, and then she'll have to worry about unlocking the damn collar itself.*

Sorry, Peter, this may sting a little.

*Somehow under the circumstances she doesn't think he'll mind.*

From:

therealpm.livejournal.com

*Peter glares at John through the cell door window, then drops his head back down and braces for whiplash from the spells. When the collar drops off, he barely notices- the rebound from the spell cuts through part of the collar's own casing, allowing the magically enhanced silver thread to touch Peter's neck. He hisses in pain and runs to the bathroom- sticking his neck under a cold jet of shower water.*

From:

bamfbercow.livejournal.com

*John stays his side of the cell door while Peter rushes off.*

*He does, however, call through.*

Are you alright in there, Peter?

10:00 AM, September 5th 2012

Navigation

Expand Cut Tags

Page Summary