strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff

He must have her confused with people from his past; had she not let Phoebe walk away, with nary a mark upon her body or threat upon her person? Has she ever punished anyone for speaking the truth? He does not know, he assumes, and so she will be bright and teach him the lesson of patience and being sure before he acts - or rather, says. Wessex isn't the kind to interrupt a train of thought, preferring to let the other's speech run its course before saying anything in return. At least, for the first, most important topic. At some point during his rattling off, she drifts towards a chair in the first room past the foyer, gesturing for him to follow as she makes herself a little more comfortable, taking the occasional note. “The good news is that there’s some time to get it all settled, so don’t worry too much yet. For food and water - pack snow into old wine barrels from the Rathskellar, and keep them outside until right before the sun goes down, then bring them into the basement. Kids can help with that. And I’ll see if Amalia can go overboard on the bread - or maybe some harder travelling biscuits. Most people will bring good with them, too. It’s always been a communal event that way.” She pauses briefly, not wanting to seem too directorial, but given the Rathskellar last year… “Some alcohol is ok, but not a lot. It can make people rowdy and loud.” Skipping over the medical supplies, she’ll come back to that in a second. He has a point about the Manor and the Temple, causing her to pause for yet another think. “Have you talked to many people who say they don’t want to come here? In my opinion the temple is too large to police. Too many entrances and exits. Here, people are contained if need be. We can give the keys to someone who can be trusted not to make any stupid decisions.” Her thoughts immediately go to Rex, one of the more trusted Ascended, who could stand guard on either side of the doors if need be. “We should also have a code to identify real people from the monsters, just in case anyone gets stuck outside. But I do agree that we may need to prepare another place. If the Blighted continue down this path… who knows how bad it may get. We have to take care of them and the non-Blighted and that may mean separating them for their own protection.”  Where, though, is another problem entirely. So back to the medical supplies. “You know…” Wessex says with a slightly sarcastic intro, “we did have healers before you guys dropped in. Most farms have their own kit with bandages and herbal remedies. More can be made. It’s not a total loss if we can’t get them, but I will pay the Infirmary a visit, myself.” Ronin isn’t the be-all, end-all of authority. She has her own. Phoebe will have to recognize it one way or another. Wessex is about to mention the tumbler after she’s reassured that the kids were alright, when Loren starts to tread into dangerous territory. Old Wessex would have snapped, snarled, and walked out in a huff. But even wew Wessex, the bright one, the Queen they need her to be has to clench her jaw at the ‘not-threat.’ Turning towards the man to make sure she’s crystal clear, the Ascended’s head tilts as she regards the man with a cold flash. “Yes, I know. I was the one who warned them that she might stoop so low.” Which seems to be a fact that everyone forgets. “It was very upsetting to Ronin, obviously, but to me so was the fact that no one realized earlier that Zariah was capable of it, much like the way she manipulated Remi.” Wessex had been right about a lot of things because she considered all the possibilities, even the worst ones. “Why do you think I would do something like that?” she asks quietly, fixing him with a measuring look. He knows nothing about her. He literally knows nothing. She’s trying to save people and he thinks she’d do thins and then turn around a hurt a child? Fuck off with that nonsense. WESSEX come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts unsex me here