(Edited to fix typos from phone typing on the train. Apologies.)
Firstly, I want to thank MisterFiscer for sharing this story with us. I have always wondered how they would take on the Worm world and the SI into Worm genre. And they do not disappoint. I am liking the slow build with unconventional means of disposing of enemies rather than running right at them. Al's quiet planning, long term strategy goals for getting the mind perception field to protect from Contessa and his grind to increase his power is well done and a breath of fresh air in a genre that can sometimes be a little too reactive to canon and hung up on following cannon events, only to then deal with issues like a flying brick: overwhelming force to the rescue. So thanks for your hard work and sharing this story with us.
Secondly I just want to comment on something other readers seem hung up on. I'm not really hung up on the minutiae of the type of poison, how it kills, time frame and solubility etc. I can suspend my need for realism for a second to accept that Al used a rat poison of some kind to kill the Empire capes and it did so in a way that they blew it off as food poisoning so they died in their sleep. Accept it and move on with the story. It's a plot device, not a how to guide, a chemistry lesson or whatever. Al could have empowered the poison with his abilities making it act as no poison ever has before.
What I find most interesting is the poetic nature of the deaths. The Empire's most likely conclusion is that someone broke the unwritten rules and poisoned them, which considering Fleurs death, seems a nice turnabout. Othala would have washed up the dishes so the number of guests at dinner is unknown and the Empire is unsure if the poisoner was a guest or someone who just managed to sneak poison into the food. I know myself from soft recruitment that running the name of every potential hier up the flagpole at the initial meet and greet would be tedious and overkill. Victor was in the early stages of feeling out Al, trying to assess him and begin grooming him to take the Medhall job and then later slide him into the Empire. That is a slower process than people think. The dinner could have revealed a background issue, or a personal one. Al could have had a line on another job or a Jewish relative or been gay etc etc which may have slipped into well directed dinner conversation if Victor was half as good and skilled at communication and casual interrogation as his powers could allow. In such circumstances, yeah Victor said to crusader "hey come to dinner tonight. I'm feeling out a potential new recruit." It feels like a tried and true methodology for Victor so there is no reason for any of the Empire to question it or overthink it at this early stage. Capes are arrogant too with three of them in the house, they don't even consider anyone could be a real threat and doubly so with their unwritten rules supposedly protecting strong capes from established groups like them. Especially not a soon to be fired janitor whose only redeeming skill seems to be shooting. Telling the wider Empire about his recruitment dinner or telling Kaiser seems premature. I think Victor would see recruitment as his responsibility and he would want his ducks in a row before bringing the details to Kaiser. He would want a sure thing to confirm with his Boss before taking up time discussing it. Kaiser doesn't seem the sort to micromanage his capes. They each get a sphere of influence to run themselves while Kaiser runs the bigger picture. No leader of a large organisation is on a first name basis of mere potential recruits that a lieutenant is scoping out.
Thanks for your hard work and imagination MisterFiscer.
Firstly, I want to thank MisterFiscer for sharing this story with us. I have always wondered how they would take on the Worm world and the SI into Worm genre. And they do not disappoint. I am liking the slow build with unconventional means of disposing of enemies rather than running right at them. Al's quiet planning, long term strategy goals for getting the mind perception field to protect from Contessa and his grind to increase his power is well done and a breath of fresh air in a genre that can sometimes be a little too reactive to canon and hung up on following cannon events, only to then deal with issues like a flying brick: overwhelming force to the rescue. So thanks for your hard work and sharing this story with us.
Secondly I just want to comment on something other readers seem hung up on. I'm not really hung up on the minutiae of the type of poison, how it kills, time frame and solubility etc. I can suspend my need for realism for a second to accept that Al used a rat poison of some kind to kill the Empire capes and it did so in a way that they blew it off as food poisoning so they died in their sleep. Accept it and move on with the story. It's a plot device, not a how to guide, a chemistry lesson or whatever. Al could have empowered the poison with his abilities making it act as no poison ever has before.
What I find most interesting is the poetic nature of the deaths. The Empire's most likely conclusion is that someone broke the unwritten rules and poisoned them, which considering Fleurs death, seems a nice turnabout. Othala would have washed up the dishes so the number of guests at dinner is unknown and the Empire is unsure if the poisoner was a guest or someone who just managed to sneak poison into the food. I know myself from soft recruitment that running the name of every potential hier up the flagpole at the initial meet and greet would be tedious and overkill. Victor was in the early stages of feeling out Al, trying to assess him and begin grooming him to take the Medhall job and then later slide him into the Empire. That is a slower process than people think. The dinner could have revealed a background issue, or a personal one. Al could have had a line on another job or a Jewish relative or been gay etc etc which may have slipped into well directed dinner conversation if Victor was half as good and skilled at communication and casual interrogation as his powers could allow. In such circumstances, yeah Victor said to crusader "hey come to dinner tonight. I'm feeling out a potential new recruit." It feels like a tried and true methodology for Victor so there is no reason for any of the Empire to question it or overthink it at this early stage. Capes are arrogant too with three of them in the house, they don't even consider anyone could be a real threat and doubly so with their unwritten rules supposedly protecting strong capes from established groups like them. Especially not a soon to be fired janitor whose only redeeming skill seems to be shooting. Telling the wider Empire about his recruitment dinner or telling Kaiser seems premature. I think Victor would see recruitment as his responsibility and he would want his ducks in a row before bringing the details to Kaiser. He would want a sure thing to confirm with his Boss before taking up time discussing it. Kaiser doesn't seem the sort to micromanage his capes. They each get a sphere of influence to run themselves while Kaiser runs the bigger picture. No leader of a large organisation is on a first name basis of mere potential recruits that a lieutenant is scoping out.
Thanks for your hard work and imagination MisterFiscer.
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