un: daozhang | The Piazza (backdated to the day after Macaluso's post)

[binghua]

The Honourable Xiao Xingchen
In Service of the Esteemed Macaluso Spina
Speaking Only Their Truth and Their Wisdom
Humbly Puts before the Piazza:

Don Macaluso's offer has been heard and otherwise dismissed, understandably so. Criticisms of his actions after the cowardly poisoning of his guests are, I think it is safe to say, warranted. And yet, where has his good cousin been amid all this? Has the Lady also no spine to at least speak up and condemn the actions of what appears to be a dissenting citizen? Has she also not looked beyond appearances to find the spark that drove him to such treachery? Did he act alone? Did someone with power drive him to it? Where is the justice? Where is the truth?

I urge these cousins to become better than they have been, not for their own face, but to help their guests. For we are guests! And yet we have been left to our own devices to search for our own cures while those with real power and influence sit by either silent or unwilling to move. Surely the great city of Taravast is better than this. Taravast certainly deserves better than this.

Someone must stand up and put an end to all this.

May All Good People Hear, May All Good People Know!
May Fortune Ever Favour Don Bonaccorso!

Comments

un: la bella | audio

[aprescoup]

Good morning, my pet. You speak to the woman whose honour you have offended.

Perhaps, in your luxurious accommodations mere steps away, in my cousin's employment, privileged to enjoy his coin — you were at difficulty to traverse your wing and reach mine, to express your concerns, one man to a woman.

Perhaps you are not possessed of these sophisticated instruments, a pen... the paper?

Perhaps, also, you cannot avail of a common servant, one of the many placed at your disposal, alongside considerable resources, and send your message.

Perhaps, at last, you could not even befriend a carrier pigeon, which speaks, may I say, more of your character than its own.

I imagine, not one, but all of these conditions have... somehow been met, leaving you with no other recourse than to debase my name in the public eye. Surely.

[binghua]

[Well. He probably should have, ah, seen this coming.]

My Lady, I am pleased to hear your voice.

I hope you can forgive this one for his actions, as rude as they have been. I could say I am but a chef and not used to these avenues of speech. I could say as a foreigner in these lands I am not used to your customs. I believe you would prefer honesty, though, and the truth of the matter is I am frustrated. I believe we are all frustrated. I hope you can at least understand such sentiments, if not accept them.

[aprescoup]

My dear, shall we be friends in the spirit of your honesty, you and I?

If you wished to speak to me, you had alternatives. But you did not pursue them.

[binghua]

I did not and that fault lies with me. But must matters of emergency such as ours still rely on bureaucracy? Are peoples' lives that unimportant?

[aprescoup]

You may tell me, sir. After all, you took the choice from my hands. I would have dealt with this peacefully. Instead, you... wounded my pride.

And now you appeal to my finer sentiments. Perhaps you will soon ask if I do not... sympathise?

[binghua]

Pride can heal with time, but I do not know how much of that we have right now.

I simply wish for undue suffering to end and if you must disregard me to ensure it, then please do so.

[aprescoup]

Only, I cannot. You have made it impossible.

So I ask, what do you wish of me? Precisely.

[binghua]

Are there any resources you can offer to help those who were poisoned recover? I ask not for myself, but for those who have not offended you. As I have said, Don Macaluso's terms were...lacking and not as generous as I think he had imagined.

[He's half a moment from asking if she can have someone look into the death of the supposed poisoner, too, but he stops himself. Dancing around issues isn't something he likes to do, nor does he feel it gets things accomplished as well, but even vaguely asking someone if they're behind a murder plot is definitely not the best choice, especially in his current position.]

[aprescoup]

You ask me to... rescue my cousin's supporters?

[binghua]

No one who deserves to die for that, surely.

[aprescoup]

When you all took arms with my cousin, you became his soldiers.

Soldiers bleed.

[binghua]

...Mercy is not a word in your repertoire, is it.

[aprescoup]

First, ask sweetly.

un : deft hand of little deaths [voice]

[scrapgege]

...... Daozhang, maybe that wasn't... the best idea.

[binghua]

I think I'm full of bad ideas anymore.

[scrapgege]

I understand the urge. Really, I do. But I don't think meddling like this at this stage will be very fruitful.

You've been poisoned, haven't you? How are you doing?

[binghua]

I will not sit idly by. I cannot.

[He may be useless in any physical capacity, but at least he still has use of some of his faculties. Isn't this enough?]

I am well enough.

[He isn't.]

You need not concern yourself with me.

[scrapgege]

Daozhang...

In the end, we are not the ones who will have to live with whatever choice of a leader they make. Is it really that important that we put ourselves in the middle of it?

[Then again, he has bene pretty awful at pretending to be a pirate.]

Of course I am concerned. Some people are looking for an antidote, I'm sure they'll find one soon.

[binghua]

We were put in the middle of it when some of us were targeted. Shouldn't we demand someone take responsibility in some way?

If they find the antidote, others should get it before me. I'll be fine.

[scrapgege]

[Okay, this doesn't feel like the kind of conversation to not have face to face, Xie Lian decides.]

Daozhang, where are you?

[binghua]

In my quarters. If you wish to stop by, I will do my best to look presentable.

[scrapgege]

I'll come find you, if you don't mind.

[Because Xie Lian can't claim to know the other man very well, but it still feels unlike him to lose his temper publicly like this.]

[binghua]

I don't. I'll leave my door open for you.

[He doesn't know Xie Lian all that well, either, but the other man has always been kind to him - food poisoning aside - and Xingchen would consider him a friend, for all the stock that he holds in friendship right now.

When Xie Lian arrives, he'll find Xingchen in his normal clothes, fumbling around to light a candle for his incoming guest. Is it even dark enough to necessitate a light? He doesn't know; the stress on top of the poison in his body has wreaked havoc on his sense of time. But, regardless of all that, his efforts aren't going well. The candle has been located, at least, but the means to light it... If only he could still write and use a talisman for something so simple.

But he can't. So he sighs, defeated.]

[scrapgege]

[Xie Lian can see the man scrambling about as he arrives, and he makes a small noise to signal his presence.]

Daozhang, I'll light the candle for you. You shouldn't move about so much if you've been poisoned.

[binghua]

[Hearing Xie Lian make himself known, Xingchen simply retreats to his bed, dropping himself on the edge unceremoniously. He leaves the other man to take over, meanwhile twisting his fingers together in his lap. His sense of touch has dulled over the past couple days, though he can still feel something. Just not enough to get much done, it seems.]

...Are you able to see well enough? I did not mean for you to have to host yourself.