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[Zanru looks irritable. This is nothing new. She also looks tired, and that makes the irritability worse. Whoever has been going around the city is focussing enough on Metal Sector that they've lost a bit of revenue and held up a few projects owing to, oh, vital components being filched.]

Right, listen up. Someone's been haunting the city, stealing things and leaving people bloodied. There's been rumours spreading, so let's clear some of it up.

Fact A: Yes, I know the perpetrator can use something that looks a lot like shadows. No, that does not mean the Old Nightmare is back. Think big, people. He wasn't so small-minded as this.

Fact A-dot-1: No, it isn't that Foreigner bloke who throws shadows about either. He's laid up and can't be in two places at once.

Fact B: The perpetrator can probably shapeshift and is probably not made of metal. Stop blaming the Foreigners for every petty thing, it makes us look bad. No matter how idiotic they can be.

Now, I don't care if people moonlight as a damned roof-hopper. What I do care about is knowing whether this person is involved in the crimes, stopping them, or just generally trying to build up some kind of morale game. Whatever the case, it's stupid and it's pissing me off.

The only competent investigators we've got left are Foreigners, so this is over to you: Get me the idiot who's playing up. I'm available on this broadcast for the next hour for questions and contracts. Anything after that I'll pick up as I've got time.

[ooc: Related to this plot here, but will not progress at any point beyond what Callaghan's mun stipulates. This is not an NPC plot, just NPCs reacting to things that happen.]

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[The glass paperweight smashes against the wall behind Yunxu. He flinches; there's not a kedan alive who wouldn't. Zanru's flares of temper are predictable only for being increasingly frequent. There's no telling what she'll do if pushed far enough.]

Your livered jellyfish, then.

[He hesitates, concerned even that might have pushed too far, and bows his head.] My apologies. I'm far too glib. I didn't intend to bring you further pain.

[Surprise her, certainly. But hurt her? No.]

Why do you suspect him?

[Zanru turns away and takes a few deep breaths. They don't do a whole lot to calm her down, and when she turns back her face is that fragile sort of tight, the kind that didn't in the least bit hide anything she was feeling but kept it together somewhat.]

Do you really think that Dust contamination was an accident?

[Of course not. Even if Yunxu was leaning towards dismissing it as such, the constant reminder that he was the only family head not to support the Palace's demolition... it was only natural suspicion fall on him. He'd spent the next month trying to determine who would want suspicion to fall on him.

Fortunately, everyone of consequence seems to be dismissing the whole debacle as an accident. Everyone apart from Zanru, it seems.]

And what would your livered - [Pauses.] - Daseng have to gain from the contamination? It was easily cleared up, and the construction has proceeded on schedule, has it not?

I don't know.

[She leans against the desk and some of the anger deflates, and she rubs her fingers absently. She hasn't worn a ring in years, but she's still used to having it.]

I sent him back the ring just before the demolition started. The contamination only happened afterward. He's petty enough to have planted it just to remind me what he's capable of.

[Zanru was the one who pushed for something to be done about the palace, after all.]

[Yunxu nods. A show of power. One in which multiple Foreigners are casualties, and none of whom mean anything to a man such as him. But multiple kedan are casualties as well, and that? That's where Yunxu unequivocally draws the line.

He's careful to keep that anger off his face.]

And the Foreigners' soul jewelry?

I don't know.

[And that's the truth, one that Zanru's too tired to deny, even to Yunxu.]

But it's like him to be curious about that too, once he has the opportunity to do something about it.

[Her lip curls.]

He always did style himself a scientist.

[Maybe she's right. Maybe Daseng does have a hand in the muggings. But Yunxu doubts that's the full story; Daseng wouldn't have so many contacts within Keeliai.

He came here to confirm Zanru's thoughts on the matter, and he's now done that.

Now, an opportunity has presented itself.]

What do you believe the Foreigners are going to think?

[She snorts.]

Who the hell knows what any of them will think? They're far from being a cohesive unit. Some will think the opposite of others, and none of them will bother to get together to come to a working conclusion--let alone use it in the future.

[He chuckles.] You may be right.

[And that's part of the problem. Without a cohesive plan, the Foreigners have a tendency to jump on the first available target. These days, that first available target tends to be Yunxu. Or, at the very least, the Snakes.]

Could I persuade you to consider a deal?

[Aha. Here's the anvil dropping.]

That depends on what you want and what I get out of it.

There is someone I suspect in these muggings. If we're in agreement the Foreigners will take too long in arriving at the correct answer - if indeed, they arrive at an answer at all - are you willing to broker a truce?

[The smile he gives her is a grim one.]

I would like to catch whoever is behind these muggings. Should it turn out to be your livered jellyfish, I'd be more than happy to include you in the sentencing.

[Zanru's eyes narrowed. Well, it's sure not Daseng he suspects.]

First tell me who you're thinking of.

[Another pause. It's a card he's reluctant to play, but he has already played it, after all - twice. It wouldn't do to start trying to take it back now.]

The Cherrywood Healer.

The Cherrywood--

[Zanru sighs. At least she manages not to laugh, because that's as underhanded as Yunxu's bringing up her husband.]

You're still looking for Enon's killer? And you wonder why people were so ready to believe those stupid rumours about you and Heojin.

I don't care about those rumours.

[He definitely cares about those rumours.]

It doesn't matter which of us is right, Zanru. If I wanted to rid myself of her, I would have done it a year ago. My only concern right how is catching these criminals, and I would like your help. Tell me 'no', and I'll consider the door closed.

[She looks at him suspiciously for a while. Zanru doesn't like Yunxu and she doesn't trust Yunxu, but that whole debacle with Yunxu's best friend--rumoured lover--isn't something Yunxu would just abuse as a tool. However slimy he was, it was a grudge that ran too deep to be misused.]

I just outsourced the whole lot to those Foreigners who might actually do something about it. What do you have in mind specifically?

[It's definitely not a 'no'.]

[He has her attention. For now, that's enough.]

To begin with, I'd like to keep this - [Truce? Alliance?] - hidden. If I am right, we certainly don't need to warn her. Beyond that...

[He spreads his hands.

And the scene fades to black.]

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