Power does not destroy what works.
It adopts it.
The first sign is language.
Not force.
Not patrols.
Words.
By midmorning, the Candles stop calling the tables unauthorized. They stop calling them uncoordinated. The word mutual aid appears instead, folded gently into official notices and conversations like it has always belonged there.
We welcome community-led mutual aid initiatives,
in partnership with the Candle Order for safety and efficiency.
The sentence spreads fast.
It sounds generous.
That’s the danger.
At the river table, a Candle coordinator arrives with a clipboard and an easy smile.
“This is wonderful,” she says warmly. “Exactly what we’ve been hoping to encourage.”
No one stops working.
She waits a moment, then continues.
“We’d love to offer structure. Just to m
