tushanshu | 018 ✤ radio

Entry tags:

018 ✤ radio

Malcil-san and Berruz are the ones who attacked me- [ a voice similar to Akito's, but more boyish, can be heard in the background "Attacked?! What the fuck are you talking about?!" ] - but I was right when I said they were blackmailed! They aren't kedan - they need the substance to shapeshift so they can live peacefully with the kedan while hiding from the other Chihuelan, particularly Celaunn.

They also aren't responsible for any other muggings! Their supplier of the shapeshifting substance was withholding it from them unless they paid with a Foreigner's gem. Apparently the shapeshifting stuff is running out, or harder to get a hold of...

But the one responsible for ordering the attacks in the first place is either the supplier or whoever the supplier reports to! They used Malcil and Berruz as unwilling pawns, and who is to say it hasn't been the same for the others?

I only managed to find out after I informed the Metalworkers and Snakes about what happened. I told them to lay low and hide... I'm almost sure that I wasn't followed, either...

It isn't their faults! They only want to continue living peacefully!

I need to-

I-

This is so stupid!

[ rambling to himself mostly; clearly very upset about what might happen to the Chihuelans. ]

It must have something to do with... ... Because the Dust poisonings happened after, with older Dust... It probably isn't coincidence, but maybe it is...?

I have to talk to Zanru and Meisheng again- Heojin too, if I can contact him. I need to speak with all of them!

I... I- I'll be back later!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Akito, are Malcil and Berruz Chihuelan?

[It's implied, but never outright stated. And if that's the case, then... well, no wonder the Snakes are taking such an interest.]

Chihuelan defectors. They found the shapeshifting substance and saw it as an opportunity to escape Celaunn's tyranny. They aren't the only Chihuelans here - probably not the only ones who just want to live in peace, but there are probably others using the substance to spy and... And I don't know where the loyal Chihuelans are located.

And I promised them I wouldn't tell! But now they might die because I didn't find them before telling people about being attacked! I promised them I would help and I just- All I did was make thing worse!

[There isn't much Skulduggery can do to help this immediate situation, but it sounded - just for a moment - like at least Akito isn't alone. For now, that's going to have to be enough.]

Who in the Snakes did you tell?

I told Meisheng I was attacked, and that the guy had a scar on his face! That's all I said!

[Yeah, well, apparently that was all they needed. Interesting, though, that the magical shapeshifting substance didn't let him shapeshift the scar away - which, Skulduggery assumes, is what made the apprehension possible. It's almost as though the supplier wanted them to get caught.]

Don't try to free them on your own. If you can talk to Meisheng again, that should be worth a try.

I'm not going to try breaking them out, if that's what you mean! I worked too hard to alienate allies doing that. I just have to meet with them all to talk!

Celaunn is leading the Chihuelan?

[Valdis remembered the woman who had served beneath Yunxu, she had even met her once, back when she was the Basswood Commander.]

She's their commander, yes!

Have you considered the possibility that Yunxu has released their names in order to draw her out?

[cruel as it might be, it was a sound tactic}

There is still the possibility that he isn't! And what if these were the names they took on in their new lives? This isn't the way to get information out of them! There are countless other ways to try first!

He isn't trying to get information out of them, Akito...He is offering them up as bait, he doesn't care if they live or die...because they aren't Kedan.

I know! That's because he's an asshole! That's why I never talk to him! But if he wants to know where Celaunn is he can get the information out of them! He could discover her location and mount a surprise attack! Drawing her here not only puts innocent kedan at risk, but is also a tactical disadvantage!

Obviously he isn't against subterfuge, and that would likely be the best choice - especially since Celaunn is so familiar with Keeliai!

That's because he expects us to clean up any mess he makes. He would force us into his battles the same way Evandau did.

You think I don't know that? There's a reason I refuse to talk to him! There's a reason I'm going to speak with Meisheng and the others, not Yunxu!

We both are in agreement that he's a self-centered jackass, so I have to go now to arrange some meetings.

You may refuse to talk to him, but I do not. If I can get an audience, then I will speak to him about your friends.

Good for you! I'd rather not waste my time on someone who would build a throne from corpses than someone who can be sensible!

[ he thought he had more time to follow all these leads. he thought he would be able to get more information out of malcil and his friend; find out about the chihuelans and celaunn and what to watch out for. and now their lives are in danger because of him. because he was so fucking stupid. it puts him on edge enough that even agito - his other half - can be heard in the background equal parts worried and frustrated:

'Akito! What the fuck is going on?' ]

Bye.

[ he shuts off the radio with the full intent on filling agito in on everything. ]

Celaunn has no reason to be loyal to the kedan, her tenure under Evandau notwithstanding. But she has limited numbers of her own people here.

That doesn't mean she isn't able to get more people under her command, willingly or not. Either way she is the commander of the Chihuelan people, and who knows how many allies she has made within the city itself?

I don't disagree, but the reaction you implied they're fearing doesn't seem to match crime.

With the way Yunxu is, and how there is no true judicial system, I don't know what to expect or what they're afraid of, but I know that it won't be good for Malcil and Berruz!

Oh? You implied they were afraid of Celaunn, not Yunxu.

Now those two facing off would be entertaining.

They are scared of Celaunn. But they're scared of Yunxu, too!

Perhaps you shouldn't have dragged them out into the light, then.

All I said was that I was attacked by someone with a scar on their face! I didn't drag them anywhere! I told them to stay hidden for a while!

[ Bakura's voice is flat. ]

You ran off and cried to the Snakes about what happened, and then you're somehow surprised that the Snakes took the information and tracked down who you told them how to find. And the best you can do is accuse Yunxu of being too heavy-handed?

I told them the same that I told everyone else! If they want to blame them for attacking me, fine! But if they're going to pin the blame on them for the other attacks then that's... That's - [ he'll take a page out of agito's book, considering his other half is right in front him, looking equally irritated ] - That's fucked up! Not only that, it's stupid!

So yeah, I was a dumbass for thinking that the Metalworkers and Snakes would use the information for anything other than selfish reasons! But I'd still do it again because shit like this keeps happening because nobody tells anyone anything! Nobody is keeping open lines of communication and everyone suffers for it!

So unless you have something other than criticism to give me, then do everyone a favour and stop wasting your time!

[ fgkhghh hangs up because he's so upset. and mad. and sad. and furious. especially because he can't regret what he did, since it's true - nobody shares information. everyone is so secretive and it's so fucking stupid. which is why he's going to harass the technologically inclined people to get to work on enhancing the secure network ASAP ]

The Snakes, at least, have been concerned about the remaining Chihuelan forces at least since I arrived, if not longer.

[Very casually, like this is common knowledge. It might be by this point.]

Why would you imagine they wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity?

Because I'm an idiot who thought that maybe they might actually care about something beyond their stupid 'family'.

Then that was a mistake.

Even if they did care about more than their family -- and by the way, do you mean every single one of the faction-aligned kedan, or Tu Yunxu and Meisheng in particular? -- the Chihuelans have been a concern for a while. They're taking steps to keep their 'family,' and by extension the city, defended. What did you expect them to put before that?

I expected them to see the opportunity as one where they could get information on where Celaunn might be. If you have defectors then it's a perfect opportunity to get inside information. Are there other Chihuelan in Keeliai disguised as kedan and gathering information? Are there others willing to help?

Instead of just using them as bait, or whatever they're doing, they could look at the larger picture. I had been planning on visiting Malcil-san regularly until he would trust me enough to give me information on the location of the Chihuelan people or Celaunn, but for obvious reasons that isn't possible anymore.

That assumes defectors still have useful information even after their absence has been discovered. Which sounds like it was months ago, if these two were so entrenched in their lives here.

I imagine they are looking at the larger picture, only working with what they have now, rather than maybes and potentials. You're morally outraged, and I'm sure that's lovely, but it won't hurt you to slow down for a minute and think.

[In other words, she'd like a tiny bit of a grace period to compensate before someone changes the entire political landscape.]

I wonder who their 'supplier' is.

[because it couldn't be just a Chihuelan drug, or the defectors would be shit out of luck. And why would their supplier want soul gems?]

It probably isn't Celaunn, but who can be sure?

[ actually, the only person he can think of who knows local herbs and drugs well enough to assist would be Milyn... but then that would also make her somewhat suspect if she seems to know too much.

this is what he gets for wanting to make good relations with everyone. jeez. ]

Whoever it is, they probably are a more interesting target for the Snakes than your two 'friends'.

Akito? (She sounds faint; scared.) Please don't put yourself in danger.

They won't hurt me.

[ that, at least, he is fairly certain of - not positive, but sure enough. ]

Wha - wait, hey, what even is this? [A lot of names and backgrounds going way over Yosuke's head for now, that's what - but all the same, the part he thinks he picked up in the middle of it all is hard to ignore.] So what I'm getting is, you talked to a couple of these guys and they spun you a sob story, and... because of that, we're supposed to just let the rest of them off the hook too? Dude, if you mean that for real...

[Man, and here he'd started to think the other Foreigners here were the mostly sane ones.]

[This man has a grin that makes his cheeks bulge, and he's peering with fascination at the screen. And poking it.]

Awww, aren't you adorable when you're all fired up!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

018 ✤ radio

radio;

radio; i don't have many icons of this emotion GO FIGURE

radio;

radio;

radio;

radio;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

radio;

radio;

radio; i definitely put this in the wrong place first oops;

radio; he is so done with everything right now so he prob won't talk much more |D;;

radio; yeah i don't blame him;

radio

radio

Re: radio

(Radio)

radio;

no subject

video;