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

[healstaffs]

How are you going to get in with only one or two people? There are TONS of guards outside.

[ Tons of them!!! ]

[boxedcrook]

So what? Go at night when it's hard for them to see. They're just humans. I can climb the castle easy, even carrying someone.

Or get someone else to do it. There's gotta be someone who can sneak in without being seen. We're wasting time!

If anyone convinces her to retaliate, all the people from here to the Sea Clan are going to be bird food. You think they won't make an example out of those women they captured?

voice; un: laphicet

[rhinostagros]

I... could try sneaking in.

[ He could wind up getting locked inside too... but gonna do it for the team... ]

Most humans are unable to see me, so it's possible I can't communicate to her. But what if we wrote a letter requesting an audience? I could deliver it to her.

[boxedcrook]

Huh? What're you waiting on then, if humans can't even see you! Why didn't you say something already! Geez!

[rhinostagros]

I have my reasons and I'm not telling you. And I said most humans, not all.

[ He doubts he'll care about his reasons anyway ]

I'll find someone who can write the letter for me.

[boxedcrook]

Oh yeah? [He wants to say something smart, but... he’s not smart and can’t find anything to say.] Fine.

Don’t let them write something stupid. We have to talk to her without wasting time with anyone else or waiting. Hey!

What’re you gonna do if someone sees you?

[rhinostagros]

[ Yeah... that's also an issue he considered. ]

I... hadn't thought that far ahead yet. If one person does see me and the others don't, they'd probably just think that person saw a ghost.

[boxedcrook]

Great.

Have you ever done something like this before?

voice | un: RHY5-W1NZ

[dbag]

You want to leave her a letter. By breaking in to her castle. And leaving our names. So she'll know who broke in. And then arrest us and never talk to us at all because we broke in to her castle.

Slow clap it out, everyone. We're all gonna die.

[rhinostagros]

Fine. I'll just leave my own name if you're so afraid.

[refashioned]

Let's consider that a plan B. We have a plan A.

[rhinostagros]

[ Maybe hanging out with adults who break into places is rubbing off on him.

He tries to sound levelheaded for a moment because, well... this response doesn't rile him up as much as Inuyasha and Rhys does. ]

...Yeah. Plan B or a last resort, fine. It's an option. I understand that there are other plans being discussed right now.

[refashioned]

You being able to get into places undetected will be important down the line. It might even be important in trying to figure out whether our ruse is working.

[dbag]

Aaaannnd then they're going to arrange a meeting between the Empress and some guy she can't even see.

[rhinostagros]

That part may be a problem... [ Yeah, he'll admit that. ] Look, it's just an idea. If it makes you happy, it's not the initial one we're going through with.

[dbag]

I'm not sure 'happy' is the word for the bare minimum of not scaring the Empress, but sure, I'm happy.

[eyedrop]

Yeah, this guy's right.

[ Rhys? Rhys. SKINNY GUY. ]

That plan is not rational.

[dbag]

I don't know, it's perfectly rational if we all want to die gruesome deaths at the hands of an executioner. Screw diplomacy, right? Let's just bum-rush a castle and corner an Empress! Haha. Ha. Ha.

[ he's laughin but he's dyin inside ]

[eyedrop]

[ Aizawa sighs. ]

Hopefully it won't come to that.

[ It seems like the more aggressive plans have been set aside, for now. ]

[dbag]

But if it does.

If someone maybe, you know, goes rogue or something.

I'm just saying, maybe we should have a plan to, um. Neutralize them.

[healstaffs]

[ Gods above!!! But he......sort of has a point, she doesn't really want to think about what might happen to the captured women. ]

Do you really think they'll—hurt the women they captured?

[ It makes sense but also she's too soft for this. ]

[boxedcrook]

How am I supposed to know? But all those nobles wanted them to pay for what happened at the festival. I wouldn’t be surprised if they would.

[healstaffs]

[ :( ]

You make it sound like you know everything.

[ There's no heat behind her words though. ]

Maybe the nobles do, but what about the Empress? She can still disagree with them.

[boxedcrook]

Sure, and then what? All of the nobles will be angry and riot or something. They’ll feel betrayed because she wanted to spare the people who destroyed everything.

[healstaffs]

Well they shouldn't, not if they really trust their Empress. And besides, peace is always better than more war. If my sister can bring peace to the entire country of Ylisse, then I'm sure the Empress here can too.