Milliways' guide for first-time patrons

[herr_bookman]

Autor's been a bit busy recently. He posts his Milliways' Guide for First-time Patrons up on the bulletin board, spreading out the maps.

He also posts the following note:

Attention: I, Autor, am writing this guide for first-time patrons, and require help finishing it. If you see anything missing, please let me know either via note or in person. I'll be sitting by the bulletin board until I finish a pot of tea.

The boy acquires his libation and seats himself at the table nearest the board to wait.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"Remind them to not be shy of Security, and wonder if any stranger may persuade them too easily, and ask," Teja says. "We would not allow the powerful and the divine to make play-things of mere mortals; from Orpheus through Eric Northman or Charles Xavier to Hannibal Lecter, I mistrust those that bend others' wills to their pleasure. But here, we must not name names."

[herr_bookman]

Autor's shy of Security himself, but he can see why this is a reasonable thing to add to the guide. Frowning a bit at the mention of Dr. Lecter, he nods. "It is good that you take it upon yourself to protect the bar's patrons," Autor murmurs. "Especially from those with powers and magics far beyond mortal ken. But it's also true that Charles Xavier and Orpheus have a right to the bar and to be protected from each other, just as well."

[ostro_goth]

"As do Eric Northman and Hannibal Lecter," Teja says. "Whoever this place brings, is welcome and has a right to be protected. I must admit that the abuse of powers against the unsuspecting is a pet peeve of mine; I will go very far to persecute or prevent it."

[herr_bookman]

"And yet, we shouldn't warn people in an official capacity about the likes of Hannibal Lecter," Autor says, puzzling this out. "We can only punish him for violence he perpetrates, not violence he is capable of. I wish we could warn them."

[ostro_goth]

"We cannot warn them of Eric Northman, either," Teja says. "As you said, they are patrons in their own right, and it would break the second rule to warn people of them because of what they do in their own worlds, while in here, they skirt the rules by a hair's breadth, smiling."

[herr_bookman]

"And there's no point in having a second rule if Security condones its breaking, even to protect people," Autor reasons, sipping his tea. "Still, Hannibal especially is capable and willing to harm people. I'm wondering if we can make a general warning which doesn't name names."

[ostro_goth]

"If we make it too general, then all that feel touched by it will complain," Teja says. "But we may add that there are patrons who can and will bend minds, as the powers from their worlds and their particular skills affords them -- that covers all four that we mentioned."

Pause.

"You know him well, though, to call him by his given name only, and not his title and family name."

[herr_bookman]

"Ah, that's an excellent idea," Autor says, nodding along. "I mentioned telepathy in the guide but not as any sort of warning. I'll add that forthwith."

At Teja's statement of fact, however, Autor blanches. "Ah, that... That was a mistake." He can't lie to the Ostrogoth. "But it is true that I do know him. Well."

[ostro_goth]

"Better than you yourself would wish to?" Teja says.

[herr_bookman]

"Absolutely," Autor says, frowning fiercely. The boy adjusts his glasses. "He wouldn't leave me alone, so I didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

[ostro_goth]

"How would he force you to use his first name, though?" Teja asks.

[herr_bookman]

Autor stares at his shoes, ashamed. "I allowed him in. I allowed him to get closer to me than I wanted," he murmurs. "Like I said, it was a mistake."

[ostro_goth]

"Was it your mistake, or did he bend your mind to his will, as surely as Orpheus would with his music?" Teja says.

[herr_bookman]

Autor shakes his head. "No, it... It was my mistake," the boy says. "I don't believe Dr. Lecter has those kinds of powers. If he did, he'd be even more terrifying."

[ostro_goth]

"If you ever feel that he might exert such will over you, after all, then come straight to me," Teja says. "He still used his skills, if they are not powers as such, upon one that I count as a man of my comitatus; I take an extremely dim view of that."

[herr_bookman]

"I will. Thank you, Teja," the boy says, inclining his head.

"Ah, do you mean Javert?" Autor asks, wondering if he's wading in too deeply by the asking. "What did he do?"

[ostro_goth]

"Something similar, it seems, to what 'Hannibal' did to you," Teja says. "Now, had that been magic, he would be -- as the moderns say -- toast."

Teja doesn't do threats, and this isn't one. Teja delivers, and as soon as he can, he will, in this case.

[herr_bookman]

That's a rather evasive answer, but Autor's not about to challenge the resentful blacksmith. If he wants Dr. Lecter to go down in flames, who is Autor to stop him?

"Ah, imposed his will upon him in such a manner as to make him question himself?" Autor mutters. "Indeed, he's not magical, merely mortal like the rest, but he's a connoisseur of pain."

[ostro_goth]

"To bring that about, he must be something else than a mere man," Teja says. "Or one that has lost or discarded his humanity to style himself into shape-shifter or blood-drinker of his own invention."

[herr_bookman]

"A psychic vampire?" Autor says, furrowing his brow. "Possibly. Though I really think Hanni--Dr. Lecter is just a regular monster, and not so much a supernatural one. His powers are along the lines of persuasion and fear-inducing rather than truly bending the mind to his will."

[ostro_goth]

"But where is the line drawn, between that which is natural but skilful, and not attainable to all else, and that which is magic?" Teja sighs.

It's a rhetorical question, but one that bothers him.

[herr_bookman]

"Magic isn't everything," Autor says, sipping his tea. "What Dr. Lecter does can still be considered violence, just on a psychic scale."

[ostro_goth]

"Words are never violence," Teja says, "or we would be swamped with moronic complaints. But if he abuses a power that goes beyond the ken of those known as baseline humans, then he does break a rule."

[herr_bookman]

"They can certainly make one feel awful, or incite more physical violence," Autor says, thinking of his altercation with Noriko. "But as you like. I still don't believe Dr. Lecter has any magic of his own, nor does he need it. He wouldn't use it even if he had it, so that he can skirt by the rules and, 'not harm his chances at this place.'"

[ostro_goth]

"Violence is violence," Teja says. "Damaging force used upon another. We are far out on the limb by including magic and super-powered mind control, as it is."