un: unlikely friend

[allforthecause]

[ Stealing a second pendant wasn’t easy, exactly, but not was it particularly difficult. As shrewd as merchants were, they were simultaneously arrogant when they thought they were going in for the kill - so using Kahl as a distraction (deliberately looking both well meaning and slow with too much coin weighing him down) made it easy to slip the device away and make his own exit long before the man noticed. He and Kahl met up again in a dank little corner, dark and damp, and crouched down over it as they changed the username and prepared their post.

They needed to get the word out - and quickly - but doing so as themselves would only paint a target on their back. So. Burner device, pretend to be a native from the city, get the word out, then ditch the device as soon as they were done.

Time to go. ]

To our foreign guests:

You’ve been promised to Rakkathu as bodies for his horde. Our King plays your host but has already cut a deal - your lives for ours. Or at least some of them.

A dozen plus a tax - this is what he has been promised.

My conscience won’t abide for it. You’ve done nothing but help where and when we’ve asked, only to get this in return. Don’t let him sacrifice you. Murder won’t buy us freedom, whatever our masters believe.

Please. If you’re anywhere near as strong as I think you are: help free us from him once and for all.

-L

[ ooc: comments with this icon and the un “unlikely friend” are from kahl and cass’s burner phone stolen pendant. Any replies from Kahl or from Cassian’s un “bee” are from their personal pendants. ]

Comments

[allforthecause]

Then he’ll find you there.

And I’ll see you soon.

[allforthecause]

And I’m not in a mood to ask for it.

But as long as Rakkathu lives - for whatever sense of life he has - then desperate men will do desperate things in the name of safety and peace.

[ Even if personally he’d be all for a coup - he doesn’t think that’s their biggest problem right now. ]

[wantshappiness]

No one else? He must have people helping him, surely?

And I'm not sure. If this is true, what reason is there to think his family would choose helping us over helping him?

[downswing]

You are not he, the Lord Who Waits. We are certain?

[spoilers]

I see. You want us to kill Rathakku. Or defeat him, as it were. I rather thought that's what we were doing here, given the nature of our circumstances. We aren't exactly all for practising non-interference.

So why throw your king under the bus? To create a greater sense of urgency?

[beitangmoran]

That would be a good deal. But now comes the other question : how did the King know we were valuable to trade?

The flow of information in this world is puzzling. This place has been besieged for months. How could they even know about us?

un: unlikely friend -> un: bee [private]

[allforthecause]

I don’t think he cares enough to bother trying to turn us against each other.

We’re nothing to him.

But I’m willing to meet, if you need to be sure.

[ Wangji, at least, he knows personally - so he can go seek him out.

He waits an hour and then messages Wangji directly from his own device: ]

Where are you? We should talk.

I’ll come to you.

[allforthecause]

So you know you can’t trust him.

There’s a wide gap between distrust and depose.

[allforthecause]

[ Cassian is curious about this himself but has no answers, so he does not reply in the hope that someone else from the party will. ]

[beitangmoran]

[Don't mind Moran, he's just thinking out loud.]

There's, of course, a chance that the other party would know we're valuable. Those undead lords probably communicate much faster than humans can, and they've been looking for people like us. But if it was him who knew to ask for us, then the question becomes, how did he know we were here? We didn't even know where we were going until quite late in the journey.

[spoilers]

Maybe. Maybe not as wide as you'd think.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't trust him to begin with. But then, I don't trust most people.

[allforthecause]

Wise.

I know the feeling.

[weifinder]

Better understood in what your intent is now, thank you.

I wouldn't ask us to handle him in the sort of way you're implying. We ate one of the death lords youngest to his horrors. Another, trapped and weakened, was executed. Rattikins is neither of these at present.

He's plagued your world for years. Did it only matter now that your home is being razed like the rest of the citadels?

[weifinder]

Yes, and some clarity in wording helps to make this person's intent clearer than before.

I would presume all messages would be sent knowing they can, would, and likely are being intercepted more than once along the way. So that is worth keeping in mind. None of these are meant to be secure.

Even if such a deal is made, what is behind it? In thought. I don't need to think someone is beyond foolishness or hubris to believe they're also not this shortsighted given the nature of the siege that's been ongoing.

[cosplayqueen]

Thank you! I totally support your people no matter what happens by the way. You have nothing to worry about, I swear.

Oh! I guess I should ask how we can verify this! Like is there some cool secret messages you can dump on the internet? It worked for Captain America and Black Widow. :) You'd be shocked by how many bad guys email their evil plans to the other bad guys.

[westviews]

I agree. I'd take this with a big grain of salt. We can't act yet. We don't know what the truth is.

[inferus]

Regardless of intent, such accusations stated as fact are dangerous.

There are occasionally benefits to making deals with your enemies. The king certainly has had ample opportunity, however, to hand over several of us.

Why wait? Why give us room to stay here at all if he intended to hand us over? And he must know we would protect our own, creating enemies who already reside within his own walls- Far too many questions without answers.

[weifinder]

There's no benefit to waiting on his behalf. We might not have access to everything within the fortress, but we do have access in a more viable way than simply the Gut's Bind. Which by feel is stomping ground for death, some element of seeping from the gateway itself I presume, and the ones at hand for Raichuchu too.

[stephanivien]

Quite. Even if this message is passed on in good faith, given the nature of the politicking here, I would argue it is not even certain who is brokering the deal to begin with.

Reminds me 'pleasantly' of the bickering of the High Houses back home. Perhaps worse, because at least they could generally agree on how to address that war at large.

[ There is a short delay between messages, as if the device had been set down to engage in a different task, and then resumed. ]

In the end, I am not wholly convinced the veracity of the message matters. The sentiment is almost certainly held by some of those here, and greater caution can't hurt.

[spoilers]

Yes. Yet you've trusted us with this information, hoping we'll act on it. Apparently at risk to yourself.

[downswing]

( And then, this fool who does not yet see connection between the two: )

Apologies. I am pledged to await contact.

[allforthecause]

[ That would almost be cute if it wasn’t frustrating. But as he still doesn’t trust the privacy of these connections: ]

I know. That’s what I want to talk about.

If he hasn’t met you yet, then let me come first.

[downswing]

You have liaised with him?

[allforthecause]

You could say that.

Just tell me where you are.

[downswing]

You will discourage their appearance.