Persephone tucked a curl of her sea-green hair behind her ear, biting her tongue to stifle a yawn. She loved working for M, she truly did, but it was days like this that made her question why she'd followed the damn woman from system to system until she agreed to take Persephone on. Most of the time she did not regret the tenacity that had resulted in her position with M, but man... These meetings blew. Big time.

Like, c'mon. M was practically a deity, at the very least some kind of myth bought to life. Perhaps it was her willingness to deal with the petty problems of those who chose to live in her system that made her seem even more omnipotent in their eyes. Or perhaps it was the stories that trailed after her like whispers of fog, clinging to her like a second skin.

Whatever it was, it made for very boring Tuesday afternoons.

Stretching her back, Persephone rolled her eyes at this latest claimant, muttering on about a neighbour or something. Apparently there was a border dispute. Or something. Persephone wasn't exactly paying much attention to it all. She never really did, no matter how important M insisted the whole process was. It was boring. Even paperwork was better than listening to claimant petitions. Hell, cleaning out a Priantex enclosure was better than claimant petitions.

Sometimes Persephone could even see the great, ever patient M growing frustrated with the menial arguments of her tenants. It was all crap they could deal with on their own. In fact, whenever M was out of the system, they seemed to manage quite fine. Of course, the first day back, they were always inundated with pleas for her to come and sort out which patch of slime covered nonsense belonged to which three winged water dweller.

Considering theirs was the most peaceful system within a hundred quarters, it made everything seem insufferably petty.

So much for a self-governed community.

"Human beings, regardless of the peace around them, will always seek out conflict," M had once said when confronted with the pettiness of those living in her system.

"But they aren't even human," Persephone had argued. "Most of us here aren't."

"Oh Percy," M had replied, chuckling. "Human or Humanplus, we're all just the same when push comes to shove. You should know that by now."

Laying her head on her hand, Persephone flicked her gaze back to where M was sitting behind her ancient desk, looking too serene. It was the clearest indicator that the other woman was bored beyond even her interminable patience.

"Enough," M finally said, raising a hand to signal that the Lycan before her was done speaking for the time being. "Mischeiit, you know full well that I am a busy woman-"

"And I am thankful for being presented with the chance to bring this grievance to your attention," the man blurted out, taking another step towards M. One more step and the forcefield would activate, Persephone noted idly.

"You cannot sell another man's crops," M said flatly. "The water in the lake belongs to you however you have no claim to the rivers that flow from it. It was not your water that grew your neighbours crops. You will repay him for what you took."

"But-"

"That is final," M said, her voice gravelly and enough to send shivers up Persephone's twin spinal columns. "Leave."

And with that, the man evaporated through the teleport beam, leaving the office peaceful once more. M rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily.

"The Comms are the worst," Persephone said sympathetically. "At least the Hollows and the Surfies bring actual problems to you."

"They are just..." M said, obviously struggling for a more polite way to couch what Persephone had said. "They are simpler," she said finally. "Simpler. Their problems relate directly to that which troubles them which is-"

"Simpler," Persephone said with a sigh. "I get it. Can we go now?"

M shook her head and smiled, running a hand over her short hair as she looked down at the screen on her desk. Resting a hand at the nape of her neck and playing with the small curls there, M frowned.

"Unfortunately not," she said. "One more person to see today, I'm afraid. Something about wanting a slave."

Persephone groaned and slumped forwards. Burying her face in her arms upon her desk, she sighed.

"It's a council member," M remarked with surprise. "Well, this could be... interesting."

"Or completely pointless and mind-numbing," Persephone interjected.

"Chin up, Perse," M said. "Next up is cleaning duty in the SHU, which would you prefer?"

"Cleaning," came the automatic response. "And that's not even a lie."

M chuckled indulgently, making Persephone feel more like her child than a protégé.

She was about to snap something at M when the doors flew open and a very disgruntled looking man came striding in. That in itself caught Persephone's attention. Was there something wrong with the teleporter?

"M," the man grumbled, bowing to her in a manner that was clearly out of habit, than any true respect. Not that M would complain, she hated all that reverence.

"Councillor Joff," she said, nodding her head in his direction before settling back in her chair. "I understand you are seeking my verdict on slavery?"

Persephone slumped back into her chair, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. This was gonna take forever.

"That was my original intention," Joff said, scowling darkly enough to make Persephone contemplate reaching for a zapper. The man was Humanplus, she knew that much but the specifics escaped her memory. Surely a few thousand volts would just knock him out, yeah?

"Your original intention?" M echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"I would ask to change my petition," Joff said, nodding once. "I seek permission to banish a being from the system."

M's eyebrow rose higher at that though she said nothing.

"This... this... this monster has been terrorising Catroisa for weeks now. He has broken in to countless houses, terrified young and old alike before taking whatever pleases him. We would have pursued imprisonment had he not proceeded to hold at hostage our most secure facility. Before destroying it. We had thought to put him to work in the mines, to further the tunnels with his brute strength but he... he... he..." Joff's face grew red, his fists balling as a dangerous little vein threatened to burst on his great shiny forehead.

"Spit it out, Joff," Persephone cut in. The little old man was known for his dramatics and temper, neither of which she had the patience for in that moment. M shot her a dark look supposedly to frighten her into silence but Persephone merely shrugged.

"He defiled the offices of the Councillor's."

Well that explained the anger. The Councillor's offices were a grand building in the centre of the underground city, resplendent and luxurious. And, within its walls were fantastically large portraits of each Councillor. Joff was unnaturally proud of the image of him painted on one of the great walls.

"Do you have the man in question with you?" M asked, her humour well hidden so that only Persephone could detect the faintest trace.

"Of course," Joff said, raising his arm to signal several guards apparently waiting in the room just outside.

They marched in, carrying between them a thin man in a torn up suit. He held his head high, despite his captivity, grinning crookedly at his predicament. A loony, Persephone decided in an instant. A total whack-job.

The guards dumped the man before M's desk and though he crumpled, his grin stayed in place.

Narrowing her eyes, Persephone waited to see the captive man's next move. Would he attack? The force field would keep M safe but subduing the crazies was never Persephone's favourite of tasks. She liked adventure, not the bag'n'tag routine M so lusted after.

And this guy looked particularly crazy. People who had been held in the Councillor's jail were usually a little less... cocky. He was filthy enough for it to be the case, but though he was thin, it did not seem to be from malnutrition that accompanied the worst of the prisoners they saw. M worked hard to try and keep the prisons at least slightly humane but her whole 'no interference' policy often made that tricky.

The man chuckled, something predatory in his gaze that made Persephone glad it wasn't directed at her.

"Nikola," M breathed.

Her face was ashen, her hands holding tightly to the edge of her desk.

"Helen, darling," the man cooed, his icy blue eyes glued to M. "Miss me?"