Post #3534654

#PennedPossibilities 1059 #2 — Antagonist POV: What object would you like to own someday? What makes it appeal to you?[I'll let Boss Mead, Don of the Thousand Eyes Syndicate, the insidious antagonist of the WIP Reluctant Courier (for the Mob), talk about some of the unrevealed backstory, and what motivates him. —RS] I don't own people. I don't think of them as objects, but the syndicate confederation that usually does what I think is good for us seems to. When this day angel who flies fast and succeeded in stealthily delivering any message, even one to a client under constabulary protection, started doing courier jobs for us, I talked about how she might be an asset. I pointed out that we ought not lose her. Soon after, I got handed an envelope of photos that made it look like she committed a crime. Now Lightning Bolt does what we ask. I've made sure she got treated will, not misused. A dozen years later, I think that if I gave her back the envelope, she might still work for us, but doing that would make the syndicate unhappy. A Doña friend back east told me about a certain level-head young woman who excelled at keeping the peace in her sprawling organization, that solved problems bloodlessly, a prodigy who might be a greater thaumaturge than the ruler of the world were she not so self-limiting. Now she's come to our city to study at the Academy for Thaumaturges. I've discussed her with the syndicate heads. The syndicate needs an enforcer who doesn't botch jobs or accidentally kill clients. I'll get the devil-girl to work with us, even if I have to convince her myself. The secret of who she was might be our key. [Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.] #BoostingIsSharing #gender #fiction #writer #author #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers #RSdiscussion #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory