This takes place on 20th Felsite, 258(( It is the day after previous Indigo / Virtue talk, and “My Virtue” scene. ))
(( It is therefore months before Jaxler's arrest and conquest of the badger pony hill. ))
((Previous:
Indigo talks with Glaive and Virtue: and
14 Felsite 258 fort update. Scenes
Apology accepted and
My Virtue are also of relevance. Note the difference in style between Indigo and Stiletto. Stiletto tries to befriend ponies, while Indigo relies on persuasion, manipulation and sometimes intimidation.))
Indigo wakes up, cleans, dresses, eats something fast and goes to find Partisan. It turns out, that there weren't any arrests recently, and Partisan wasn't informed about any warrants. They both go to see Virtue. Indigo knocks, then enters.
Virtue flinches mentally as Indigo enters her office, and doubly so when she sees Partisan enter. She knew exactly what this was about, and wasn't in a particular hurry to explain what had happened. She knew, he wasn't going to be happy about it. "Oh, hello Indigo, Partisan," she says, looking to each in turn.
“Hello Lady Virtue, why hasn't Stiletto been arrested yet? We filled the papers yesterday.”
She adjusts herself in her seat and considers what happened the day before. "She... well, before I can actually follow through with any charges I need to hear the testimonies. Since you don't hold a public position, you can't press charges for the damages. Right now the most I can do is make her pay for the chair, which she already has."
Indigo frowns “What was it about public position? Do you mean that only injured parties or government officials may press charges?”
This law must be to prevent accusations based on hearsay. I doubt Virtue would make something like that up and it does make sense. So be it, I won't be able to get that burden off of Glaive.She nods, prepared to fetch the law book to prove it to him if he so desired. "Yes, that's right."
“I just filled the paperwork. Glaive or Partisan or you can press charges. I'll go get the testimonies now.”
Do I have to do everything by myself? Including Partisan's work? Maybe it is for the best, at least I can make sure, they don't sweep this under a rug. "Alright then." As Indigo leaves, Virtue breathes a small sigh of relief. He hadn't jumped down her throat, like she feared he would, but somehow she doubted it would be much easier when he went to talk to Panacea.
Partisan follows Indigo as he leaves, preferring to hear any testimony for himself first hand. He was just a guardspony, not a judge, but it would help keep things simple. He wasn't happy about potentially having to arrest somepony in the militia, given the backlash there might be for it, but he was going to see to it, that justice was done. If Stiletto had caused property damage and potentially threatened somepony, she needed to pay the price.
Indigo wants to get this over with quickly. He walks to the hospital first, and enters the building, with Partisan following him and greets the doctor “Hello Panacea.”
Panacea lets the two in, and her expression grows concerned as she sees Indigo's expression. Had he gotten himself into a bad situation again? "Indigo? You look bad, are you hurt?"
“No, I'm not hurt,” answers Indigo. “Stiletto is charged with assault, harassment and property damage in the hospital on 12 Felsite 258, and your testimony is needed to prove her guilty.”
"Property damage?" She looks over to the newly replaced chair. "She already came by and apologized for the disturbance, and replaced the damages."
“You mean disturbing peace in the hospital, and harassing a patient undergoing a medical procedure is alright, because she apologised? I thought you cared more about your patients not being hurt, molested or otherwise distressed, while in the hospital.”
Panacea is a little hurt at the accusation that she didn't care about her patients, but she manages to keep a straight face. "She didn't actually hurt anypony. Even when Glaive insulted her, she never hit him. And she told me, she was sorry. I assume she and Glaive have apologized to each other."
“Being sorry is not enough. Her behaviour was unacceptable, and her crime must be punished. You need to testify to make it clear, that harassing your patients can't be tolerated. Ponies should feel safe in the hospital. And even if he
did insult her first, it was shortly after her lover broke his leg. I'm sure he was pretty angry about it, and she was the last pony he wanted to see. Plus he was just hurt, stressed, and rude. It was her, who crossed the line.” says Indigo, clearly annoyed.
(( I had an idea about Indigo lightly hitting her on the head, then apologising,
Lion King style, but decided not to go through with it. She is too much of a doormat to learn from it, and it is better not to give the impression, that her confession was forced or that he threatened her. Especially with Partisan present. ))
"He's the one who brought the chair up like a weapon," she explains. "She probably shouldn't have responded like she did..." She pauses for a moment, concerned about what her words might mean about Glaive now. "...but what about him? Is he going to be charged too?"
Indigo grows even more annoyed. “Like a weapon? Did he attack her with it? Throw it at her? Or did he just grab something to put it between them, when she started yelling at him? That monster can be pretty scary and Glaive is a soldier. Holding something to defend his life with must have been his natural reaction. And Glaive charged? With what? Being honest and telling the slut a few words of truth about her?”
How can Panacea even take her side?! Unbelievable!Panacea shrinks away from him at the tone of his voice. "Yes... I suppose he was probably just defending himself. I just didn't want him to be in trouble too..." The pegasus gives him a pleading expression and says, "...but Glaive started it when he provoked her. I admit things got out of hoof, but it's not entirely her fault. She isn't going to just attack ponies for no reason."
“Provoked her? Whatever he said, it was her, who caused any kind of damage.” Indigo sighs and turns to the silent pony in a corner. “What about you Wool? Will you testify?”
Wool looks up from the coffer, he was organizing, no longer able to feign as if he wasn't interested in the conversation. "Sorry, I, ah... wasn't around when it happened. I don't know any more than you do."
Indigo closes his eyes, sighs and after a pause says to Panacea “In any case, matters like this should be resolved and
not swept under the rug. You were here when it happened, so your testimony is crucial. Let us get to Lady Virtue now, so you can tell her and Partisan your version of the story. You should do that anyway, and waiting will only make you more anxious about it. Let's go now, and it will be over for you in an hour. I'm sure you'll feel relieved afterwards.”
The three of them come to Virtue's office. Virtue and Panacea clearly don't like it, but the testimony is written down. Indigo does his best to remain calm and interferes only to get Panacea to tell as much details as possible, including the exact words, who touched the chair first, was it thrown against one of them, what else happened, what was it about exile, how it all ended and how did Stiletto compensate for the damage so far . Overall he manages to get a pretty accurate account of the events out of her. He also asks about Glaive's leg, how bad it is, and how long is it going to recover. He gives Virtue a meaningful look to where papers documenting Flux's release are kept and says, that it wouldn't be fair for Glaive to walk around in a cast, while those who did this to him walk free, and that insults and assault are crimes of quite a different magnitude. After all is said and written down, he thanks Panacea for doing her duty, and goes to fetch Glaive.
Indigo is annoyed by this turn of events. He has to do everything by himself. Virtue was evasive as always, and Panacea is too nice and soft to do anything. She is great in caring about her patients, but unwilling or unable to defend them. At least Glaive has some backbone and agreed to play his part. Halberd's squad doesn't train in Felsite and Glaive still has his leg in a cast, so he probably wouldn't be training anyway. Indigo goes to Glaive's room an knocks.
Glaive, at the sound of a knock on his door, pulls his head out of the old text he'd been buried in. Turning his head to face the door he mutters "Door's open."
Indigo opens the door, comes in, and closes it. "Hello. I talked with Virtue and filled most of the paperwork. She insists that your confession is needed and that only injured party can press charges against Stiletto. Unfortunately she is only eligible for a month in prison and a small fine. So let's get this over with."
Glaive sighs and closes the book. "Indigo, I know you dislike Stiletto, and I don't like her either, but do we really need to push this? She yelled, I yelled back. She broke the chair, but no pony was hurt and she replaced it. Can't we just let it pass for now?"
DISLIKE?! "What? Why? We talked about it, and you agreed. Don't you understand, what it will mean if she gets out of this so easily?" Indigo was annoyed when he came here, but now can scarcely believe his own ears.
Glaive stands up. "I just don't want to be responsible for this feud escalating, if she were to do something like that again, I'd be more than willing to do something, but for now, I just kind of want to forget it ever happened."
"Forget and wait till she harms somepony? If you let this slide now, their audacity will only increase. Flux broke your leg, and Stiletto assaulted you, apart from all the other bad things she is doing to this town. Can't you see, this is an opportunity to teach her a lesson about consequences to her actions? I thought we had an agreement, I just don't get it. How can you stand for such an injustice?!"
"Flux hit me once, after I provoked him. Him breaking my leg, was purely bad luck, he never intended it and he was in tears afterwards. It is of no consequence. Stiletto's threats... perhaps you are right. She seems to be gathering a lot of influence, and I'll regret not speaking out if she gains to much. Very well, let us go see Lady Virtue." Glaive sighs, he isn't looking forward to this.
Indigo sighs with visible relief. "Thank you. I was beginning to feel, like I'm in a town of blind uncaring foals, who prefer to look the other way than face a problem." He looks at Glaive "One more thing, though. You aren't going to drop charges this time, are you? Sorry, but I have to ask. If you do, you may as well not go with me now. And remember, Stiletto deserves worse. This punishment is just to give her a taste of what's in stock for troublemakers and teach her, that she is not above the law."
"Yes, I understand. Don't worry, I won't drop them, not for her." promises Glaive.
"Oh, and about escalating a conflict in Dawnpick: It is going to escalate either way, or otherwise she will slowly corrupt the community. To use a metaphor, sometimes you have to cut out the rotten parts to save the healthy ones from disease." Despite Glaive's old age, Indigo feels, like if he was talking to a foal.
Glaive sighs again, "You are right of course Indigo. Let's get this over with." The two stallions walk towards the fortress keep and Virtue's office. Glaive knows, that this is right, but still feels uncomfortable. He tries to hid his uncertainty behind a shield of determination.
========================
((This part was supposed to be done as a scene between Virtue and Glaive, with Partisan and Indigo present, but it wasn't, so I'm just posting a short summary of what happened.))
Glaive presses the charges, he tells his account of what happened in the hospital, and says that Stiletto should be punished for it. He is a bit uncomfortable with it at first, but by the end he convinces himself, that it is right and is more sure of himself.
(( At this point the papers are in order, and it cannot be swept under a rug. Stiletto's testimony and the aftermath comes next. (
Between Telgin and Tallpanzer.) Since our time zones conflict, assume that after doing what's right Indigo left the rest to the guard. He could want to come with them, but they may not want him around and he still has a lot to do that day. ))
(( If she is in prison, Indigo wants to make sure, that the procedures are followed. Visitors only during daytime, magic suppressors installed ASAP, she can't have some items, and whatever else inconveniences Telgin may come up with. I'm sure this would rub Kat, Flux and Glyph the wrong way. Stiletto too, but judging from her previous scenes, she sincerely believes that yelling at the hospital was wrong. ))
Author
Topic: Dawnpick (My Little Fortress) (Read 236313 times)