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[major_rawne]

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[major_rawne]

He's quiet for a long moment. He's not sure what, exactly, counts as the beginning.

Finally, he speaks. "For one, I'm not trusting Pagan to plan our way out of a paper bag. Larry was right, the whole thing was fethed."

[magician_king]

Quentin leans his elbows on the table, biting his bottom lip in sympathy.

"What was Pagan planning?"

[major_rawne]

"Revenge. For Quill killing Norton."

[magician_king]

"What?"

Says Quentin- who knows that story, and hadn't thought it was super-revenge requiring.

"Why?"

[major_rawne]

Why do people keep asking him that?

"She killed him. I'm supposed to kill her back. In revenge. That's how it works." Also Norton wanted him to and Norton can be very... persuasive.

[magician_king]

"That's definitely not how it works."

Says Quentin, gently.

"I mean maybe in one specific heuristic, but that's such a weird thing to take for granted."

[major_rawne]

"What, you wouldn't avenge someone you loved?"

[magician_king]

"On the barge? No fucking way. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind."

That had been a rough port.

[major_rawne]

"But why is it different here?" That's probably the part he's not getting the most.

[magician_king]

"Well, for one thing, Norton isn't dead?"

He may notice.

[major_rawne]

"Right. Does that mean revenge isn't as helpful?"

[magician_king]

"It means it's now doubly as unhelpful. She was confused when she got here because she'd come from a place where she was being attacked by reality warpers. She lashed out, then figured out where she was, then stopped. Now because you guys have decided to take vengeance on an honest mistake that was previously over, it's not over any more. She goes for Pagan, you go for her again, she comes for you- your endgame is what?"

[major_rawne]

He shrugs, uneasy. "It was to warn her away, as well as retaliation, but I don't think there's a point in trying again."

[magician_king]

As opposed to what a killer plan it was to begin with?

He bites hard on his tongue and doesn't say it.

"So what was the plan?"

[major_rawne]

"Pagan was supposed to lure her to someone's cabin and then we'd kill her there. I guess she was jumpier than we thought." Maybe she expected retaliation?

[magician_king]

"Just two on one, gang up on a woman and murder her out of nowhere?"

His tone is shifting rapidly away from worried on Rawne's behalf.

[major_rawne]

"Uh." He's picking up on the tone shift. "Yeah."

[magician_king]

"Jesus, Rawne. I get being upset on Norton's behalf, but seriously, long term, how did you think that was gonna go over?"

[major_rawne]

He ducks his head. "I, uh, didn't."

He hadn't been thinknig long term at all. He just knew Norton's death had to be avenged. And the only person to try and talk him down had been Larry.

[magician_king]

"I'm extremely glad you don't have her blood on your hands,"

Breathing out, leaning back.

"And I'm not totally sure what to do next, either."

[major_rawne]

He should punish you, a little voice says in the back of his head, you've been bad.

"Shouldn't there be, you know, consequences?"

[magician_king]

"Yes."

He says, breathing out, straightening up.

"I don't know what to do to convince you not to keep these secrets and act this impulsively. And I do want to point out that this has happened twice this month. What else are you not telling me?"

[major_rawne]

He thinks things over, carefully. "I think I'm doing this because I have no idea how my emotions work. I've just been... I think things are fine, and the something happens and I just react. No thinking."

[magician_king]

"Did you get as far as getting involved in the violence today? If you attacked her, I owe it to Quill to ask her opinion on what comes next."

He still doesn't have a clear picture of the blow by blow of the afternoon.

[major_rawne]

He shakes his head. "No, I hung back. Pagan had shot her before I could do anything."