11-24-2013, 05:48 AM
Jon held himself a mere fingernail away from wrapping Reed up in threads of air if she so much as batted an eyelash toward the firearm she'd been so kind to reveal when they'd met just a short time before. Or any other she might have concealed. A bullet only traveled as fast as the hand that reached for the gun and the finger that pulled the trigger. Otherwise it was jacketed lead and encased powder sitting impotently in a metal chamber. Jon didn't need to reach for his weapon.
Come to think of it, Jon almost hoped she'd make a sudden movement in any direction -- it'd drive his threat home with a sledge hammer if she found herself suddenly immobilized, splayed out against her own bedroom wall, unable to twitch a muscle.
What Jon didn't expect was to feel an intrusion on his warding. Nick Trano was breaking into Jon's sound barrier. How interesting - and perhaps a bit irritating. The barrier had been more to keep Nick unaware of the words Jon shared with Reed -- he hadn't any known way to be sure Reed wasn't still recording every word of the conversation, technology being what it was these days -- but it seemed he was going to get in on the conversation anyway. That was potentially problematic, especially considering the dreams Jon had interrupted last night involving Trano and Reed. Where would his loyalties lie?
Trano's breaking of the ward was indeed quite interesting. Jon hadn't known that the power of the Great Spirit could be used to break through another's weaving. Of course, it would make sense. And considering the weaving wasn't particularly elegant, somewhat unsurprising. He made sure to note how Nick Trano had done it.
Apparently, Trano had heard the last part of Jon's message to Reed, and wasn't happy about it. That actually worked to Jon's advantage. His strong stance, facial expression that beckoned imagery of men putting their fists up against one another -- obviously he completely bought into Jon's bluff that he was actually going to seize control of Reed's mind and turn her into a puppet. Clearly she wasn't a malicious person, just a very misguided individual who didn't understand that there were certain things you just didn't do to another person who was supposed to be on the same team. One of which was to spill their secrets without their permission. It was a simple thing called privilege. Even if she'd behaved in a crude and completely classless manner, she was safe from having her own will assaulted.
But she -- and Nick Trano -- didn't need to know that. And for Reed to see Nick buy into the fact that he believed Jon was capable, and willing to control her mind -- made the threat a very clear and present danger to her.
Nick Trano's retaliatory threat to stop Jon was -- well, cute. A good politician should show some mettle when confronted with a situation that violated his values. The fact that he likely had no real way to back that threat up didn't matter. Jon had chosen well -- he'd surely go very far, indeed.
Ultimately Reed backed down. Maybe. Her flippant attitude meant she probably hadn't thought much of Jon or the whole situation. Which meant she was unlikely to actually do as Jon had asked. Jon didn't trust her farther than he could kick her. If he used the power, he'd probably get a good two hundred yards. Without -- well, she wasn't shaped much like a football. Even so, two hundred yards wasn't a far enough distance from which to place his trust.
"I'm glad you are able to see reason, Ms. Reed,"
Jon said to her. "Be aware that if you are indeed on Nick Trano's 'team' as you claim, personal privacy matters to anyone who truly believes in the American way. You don't go digging into interpersonal matters or sharing secrets when you haven't been given permission to do so."
He regarded Nick Trano but remained focused on Reed. He didn't drop his prepared weaves -- and likely wouldn't while he remained in the same room with the woman, ever. "What is this about spiriting him off to Dominance V? While, due to Nick's apparent age, he likely has learned some semblance of control, he is still very inexperienced and without proper guidance he could be in severe danger to himself or others."
He turned to Nick. "Honestly I would recommend more instruction, and the sooner the better. People have died by failing to gain enough of a control over this power, that I know."
Jon glanced over again at Reed. What would she think about it? And whose team was she really on? For all Jon knew she could have been playing Nick Trano for a fool the entire time. It wouldn't be much of a stretch of the imagination. She could also have been lying about saying she would keep any intel about Jon and Nick away from her agency.
He took a breath and relaxed. Things would be all right. After all, she had to sleep sometime.
Edited by Jon Little Bird, Nov 24 2013, 06:21 AM.
Come to think of it, Jon almost hoped she'd make a sudden movement in any direction -- it'd drive his threat home with a sledge hammer if she found herself suddenly immobilized, splayed out against her own bedroom wall, unable to twitch a muscle.
What Jon didn't expect was to feel an intrusion on his warding. Nick Trano was breaking into Jon's sound barrier. How interesting - and perhaps a bit irritating. The barrier had been more to keep Nick unaware of the words Jon shared with Reed -- he hadn't any known way to be sure Reed wasn't still recording every word of the conversation, technology being what it was these days -- but it seemed he was going to get in on the conversation anyway. That was potentially problematic, especially considering the dreams Jon had interrupted last night involving Trano and Reed. Where would his loyalties lie?
Trano's breaking of the ward was indeed quite interesting. Jon hadn't known that the power of the Great Spirit could be used to break through another's weaving. Of course, it would make sense. And considering the weaving wasn't particularly elegant, somewhat unsurprising. He made sure to note how Nick Trano had done it.
Apparently, Trano had heard the last part of Jon's message to Reed, and wasn't happy about it. That actually worked to Jon's advantage. His strong stance, facial expression that beckoned imagery of men putting their fists up against one another -- obviously he completely bought into Jon's bluff that he was actually going to seize control of Reed's mind and turn her into a puppet. Clearly she wasn't a malicious person, just a very misguided individual who didn't understand that there were certain things you just didn't do to another person who was supposed to be on the same team. One of which was to spill their secrets without their permission. It was a simple thing called privilege. Even if she'd behaved in a crude and completely classless manner, she was safe from having her own will assaulted.
But she -- and Nick Trano -- didn't need to know that. And for Reed to see Nick buy into the fact that he believed Jon was capable, and willing to control her mind -- made the threat a very clear and present danger to her.
Nick Trano's retaliatory threat to stop Jon was -- well, cute. A good politician should show some mettle when confronted with a situation that violated his values. The fact that he likely had no real way to back that threat up didn't matter. Jon had chosen well -- he'd surely go very far, indeed.
Ultimately Reed backed down. Maybe. Her flippant attitude meant she probably hadn't thought much of Jon or the whole situation. Which meant she was unlikely to actually do as Jon had asked. Jon didn't trust her farther than he could kick her. If he used the power, he'd probably get a good two hundred yards. Without -- well, she wasn't shaped much like a football. Even so, two hundred yards wasn't a far enough distance from which to place his trust.
"I'm glad you are able to see reason, Ms. Reed,"
Jon said to her. "Be aware that if you are indeed on Nick Trano's 'team' as you claim, personal privacy matters to anyone who truly believes in the American way. You don't go digging into interpersonal matters or sharing secrets when you haven't been given permission to do so."
He regarded Nick Trano but remained focused on Reed. He didn't drop his prepared weaves -- and likely wouldn't while he remained in the same room with the woman, ever. "What is this about spiriting him off to Dominance V? While, due to Nick's apparent age, he likely has learned some semblance of control, he is still very inexperienced and without proper guidance he could be in severe danger to himself or others."
He turned to Nick. "Honestly I would recommend more instruction, and the sooner the better. People have died by failing to gain enough of a control over this power, that I know."
Jon glanced over again at Reed. What would she think about it? And whose team was she really on? For all Jon knew she could have been playing Nick Trano for a fool the entire time. It wouldn't be much of a stretch of the imagination. She could also have been lying about saying she would keep any intel about Jon and Nick away from her agency.
He took a breath and relaxed. Things would be all right. After all, she had to sleep sometime.
Edited by Jon Little Bird, Nov 24 2013, 06:21 AM.