video; un: eraserhead

[eyedrop]

[ Aizawa's lolling against some tree somewhere. Terrible, slumped posture; hair wild about his face. His expression is neutral, bordering on irritable, and his voice is an exhausted monotone. He sits with one leg folded over the other, idly tossing a cat figurine from hand to hand. ]

Hey. Myself and a few others did some looking around. Apparently, both the sea clan and the mountain clan have their allies--but they're not within easy reach. In the case of the sea clan, the empress's brother is married to some far-off queen. The mountain clan's allies aren't too nearby, either.

[ He shifts minutely. His eyes flutter briefly shut, and he sighs. ]

Point being, war between these two would be irrational. The old man we spoke with said no one really wants to start anything, but I don't know how true that is. I haven't tried to approach the nobles.

[ He really doesn't look or act the part, and he knows it. Nor does he have an escort. ]

If you've spoken to any of them, what's the mood? What do they want?

[ He cards a hand through his hair, frowning slightly. ]

They're the key to this, I think. Certainly the key to actually meeting that empress of theirs. So if you've got info, or if you've made any connections, spill it.

Comments

video | username: 182

[fuchsiative]

[ oh... this is reminding her of two earlier conversations... ]

Has anyone tried talking to the guy in charge of the Flowerlands?

[eyedrop]

Dunno. They should speak up, if they have.

[ He's been keeping tabs on the network, and on just about as many conversations as he's physically able to otherwise, but he's got limits. ]

I'm not really the guy for that sort of thing, though.

video; un: lodge

[refashioned]

Simon and I went poking around to see how much of an iron grip the Empress of the Celestial Mountain has over everything, especially in response to the Empress of the Crashing Wave showing up. The thing is: she hasn't set down any firm laws regarding them, because this whole situation is so new. In fact, things are pretty lax considering this is a military-bound land. I had my worries since some of the people I've talked to are gung-ho about decimating the Sea Clan, but it doesn't seem like that actually reflects the opinions of the higher ups.

The people are blood thirsty. The Empress isn't.

That seems like it might be the case on both sides of the fence.

But looking into the Empress and her lawmaking decisions aside, I haven't spoken to any nobles. Not yet, anyway.

[eyedrop]

Blind patriotism on their part, maybe.

[ Hmm ... ]

In any case, the nobles should be our next priority. And by that I mean 'yours'.

video; un: fiona

[cachemoney]

[Fiona is out in the Flowerlands, as evidenced by the beautiful terraced rice paddies behind her. She looks a bit like she's tired of all the fresh air.]

The guy I spoke to is -- was -- planning to skip town. He's probably long gone by now; he wanted to get out before anyone else had the same idea.

I think they just want to not get murdered.

video; un: lodge

[refashioned]

Any idea where he'd be going?

voice | un: Thrawn;

[mitthrawnaruto]

['Skip town'. It's a phrase that despite being translated, doesn't necessarily make any literal sense to his mind. Part of the problem with being from the farthest reaches of known space.

Still, the rest seems uniquely relevant via context clues, if nothing else: someone had been attempting to leave the kingdom in a rush to avoid being killed. Perhaps it is nothing, but perhaps...]

Forgive the interruption, but I feel I must ask: was this before the attack, or after?

[eyedrop]

Huh. Seems a little odds with the other reports. I wonder if there's anything to that.

[ Like something making him especially nervous, etc. ]

voice you video chat heathens; un:kyouken

[justbeingknife]

From talkin' to some others, the mood's not great. 'fact, sounds like those advisors of the empress's have been crowding her pretty much nonstop. Even her brother's affected.

You want my opinion, I think we'd better start talking 'em up before someone on this side decides to kick down the door and start yellin' demands.

[ not that he had anyone particular in mind..... ]

voice;

[refashioned]

We have to get the information to her that the ambush wasn't set by her opposing Empress. She's not obligated to take everything her advisers say under ... well, advisement.

voice; un: inuyasha

[boxedcrook]

What's that supposed to mean?!

voice; un: simonprime

[theseuschip]

Her advisors have been harassing her to start a war even tourists can tell would be a bad idea? With no nearby allies, against people who just popped into existence a few months ago?

[ this is the opposite of the situation he thought they were walking into here. the dossier made it sound like some Queen of Hearts shit ]

So it's probably a good thing she can pass laws without anyone else's approval, but yeah... we should talk to them next.

audio; un: alucard

[reposing]

For as much as the people seem stern in this country that they would desire the Empress of the Crashing Wave to not rule, I don't get the impression that anyone desires a civil war. The mountain clan seem to be proud warriors, but I think that in the end they would prefer no bloodshed.

A shame that there doesn't seem to be an easy resolution thus far.

[politics, man]

audio; un: LISSA

[healstaffs]

I guess we can't just tell the two empresses to meet and become friends, huh.....

[ Ugh, she hates politics!!! ]

video | un: lucina

[tolight]

A group of us spoke to a woman from the Flowerlands — it seems that her people want little to do with the rising conflict. However, they are aware that if the two clans go to war, they will be at the center of it all.

[eyedrop]

That's where the old man was, too. They do have a pretty vested interest in staying neutral. We should consider them when thinking about a plan forward.

[ I.e., consider how many lives are at stake here, and how important it is to proceed delicately. ]

voice because u do not want him to try typing; un: inuyasha

[boxedcrook]

All the nobles are dramatic babies. They're either crying or talking about murdering everyone in the other clan. So don't believe everything they tell you.

Some guards said the Empress is stressed. She should probably tell all those advisors to get lost.

also voice, un: LISSA

[healstaffs]

Not all nobles are dramatic babies. The ones I talked to were really nice, just worried like any normal person would be.

[ a little offended because she is also nobility. ]

[spiritgun]

Hey, you're awake again.

[ and digging up info yusuke doesn't really know what to do with yet. ]

What's the old man know? If they really want to fight, it's not gonna be rational. That sneak attack wasn't.

audio; un: aloy

[datapoint]

By all accounts, the "sneak attack" wasn't an official action. Don't assume everyone's irrational just because a handful of people took matters into their own hands.

voice; un: white_lotus

[pummelling]

It's not great, I'll tell you that much. I've heard rumors of locals fleeing for the Flowerlands-- no one wants their children stuck in all of this mess, and I can hardly blame them for that-- but those who do want a war want one badly.

We need to work faster.

[eyedrop]

Well, I won't deny that. But we can't just rush in screaming, either.

[ AS SOME WOULD LIKE TO DO. ]

audio; un: simonprime

[theseuschip]

[ Veronica explained their findings, but

he just gotta ask ]

Who's the 'militaristic' Mountain Clan fought with before if they have no nearby allies? Some of their citizens seem pretty confident about their chances.

video, un: ZARYA

[flexing]

[ man who gave the thinks-it's-human permission to speak :\ ]

It does not take battle to make confidence. Unfounded confidence looks very much the same.

voice | un: Thrawn;

[mitthrawnaruto]

I have spoken with a few of the nobles, and observed the others to the best of my ability.

They are nervous. Agitated. [The heavy accent that clings tightly to his patterns of speech slows, then pauses— recalling the exact exchanges he'd witnessed during his trip leaves him silent only for a moment.]

More than you might have expected are already calling for war.

[spiritgun]

More nobles or just regular people?

video, un: LISSA

[healstaffs]

[ The fact that she doesn't have much to contribute leaves Lissa feeling a little frustrated and more than a little useless, and she spends a good ten minutes wracking her brain for something useful to say before she finally settles on: ]

Um, I didn't really make any connections but I'm a princess where I come from. Maybe we can use that somehow to meet with one of the empresses. They're more likely to meet with other royalty than regular people, right?

[ It's the best she can come up with. ]

voice; un: inuyasha

[boxedcrook]

[First of all: WHAT??? Second of all:]

Anyone could just walk up and say they're royalty! They aren't gonna believe you because we're outsiders!

AUDIO. un: LOKIOFASGARD

[selfimage]

Well—there was a little buttering up of Mister Doro in the Flowerlands. Apparently he's the Empress' distant relative, he gave me a long, boring explanation of his lineage.

[ she drools out the words to prove her point. ]

He said that this Empire of the Crashing Wave just appeared—poof!—out of no where. Apparently the Empress leans heavily enough on her advisors to lean the conservative route to keep the peace. Though he did say she may be willing to give up her throne if her people our threatened. She is, after all, not a blood relation of the last Empress, but appointed after the last Empress died without an heir.

audio; un: aloy

[datapoint]

I hope you're not suggesting we let her people be threatened so she'll step down.

un: ren (voice)

[sololoquy]

Someone wants to start something, else there would not have been any fires.

[But its nice to have confirmation that neither ruler is interested in war.]

[eyedrop]

[ Slow, exhausted sigh. He read all about that theory, and did not find it at all rational. ]

This again.

un: quickfish // voice

[kisha]

[She hates these sorts of crowded posts, can hardly keep track of all the voices and opinions flashing on the magitek but.]

I spoke with women of the imperial guard. The palace is in chaos after the ambush, and the Empress sequestered and seeing only her advisors.

The nobility I have heard of two minds- those who weep and those who curse their enemies. There are surely moderates, but such is less noteworthy.

Rather than attempting like fools to suddenly appear as royals and think that will somehow gain us audience, I think it far wiser to spend that time ascertaining just who amongst the advisors has the actual power. Those ears are what we need to gain, and facilitators behind the scene is a far more fitting role for a motley group like this.

voice; un: kyouken

[justbeingknife]

Speakin' of which, Hayame-han -- heard ya spent some time in the noble's district. You get any promising namedrops while you were out there?

[ or would that just be too easy ]

video;

[hedonistic]

This would be way easier if we could just tell them about the Merging.

[eyedrop]

Probably not.

[ Moot point, anyway, since they're definitely not doing that. ]

voice; un: laphicet

[rhinostagros]

[ And he's finally addressing the original poster after poking around at everyone's conversations. ]

...Sorry about all the commotion in your post, sir.

[eyedrop]

[ Well, nothing for it now.

He grumbles. ]

It is what it is. I'm used to this kind of thing, anyway.