I don't know. In truth... I can only hope so, perhaps in order to protect his team.
However this cannot persist - because we need to know which teams have murdered, and how many. So... next weekend, we'll have to see if things are back to normal.
If you know Emet-Selch's Leader, please speak with them. I will also be speaking with leaders that I haven't seen in some time. Hopefully we will be able to learn something new -
But.... perhaps if you speak with your Leader, they will be able to disclose it to you. At present, I don't believe that particular bit of information will be of much use to us.
It's not that I disagree - but that information itself is rather sensitive. We do not yet know what will happen if a Leader is killed - and so I don't want to share anything that might invite that possibility.
[he's! not! excited about it!]
But... I asked Sharon to send me a headcount based on those who have been removed. Should I receive an answer, I'll consider sharing it.
You don't have to share it. I don't have to know. As long as you know, that is enough. As long as one or two know, at least, so we aren't surprised by something happening.
[He peers at Soo-won.]
Did you ever figure out your letter? I learned something I thought was related, but... it doesn't exactly fit, so I think I was wrong.
[ . . . . . he pauses at that. as long as he knows, that is enough? he raises a brow at blanca at that but.
he supposes he won't disagree.]
.... no, not the middle portion. The rest of it was - Consciousness persists after removal. The pathway to us is dangerous and difficult for the Leaders to travel. The middle portion was difficult to decipher. It continues - speak to Fox if you haven't, and she is at my service.
But Fox didn't seem to know why I was sent to talk to him.
Mm.... Fox told me that as well, though from what I understand it sounds like there's a price in order to make it happen.
[so that's not like.
great.]
I'm not sure... I'd heard that someone received a message last week that wasn't obscured - so I wonder... if we all possess the app now, will they come through clearer?
You are nine years old, and you are breaking into your father’s grave.
Not by accident, but by design.
Darkness provides cover for you to break into the royal family’s mausoleum, where your father was entombed along with his father, and his mother, and all the royals before him. Your father, who was originally meant to be king, before he was passed over by his younger brother; your father, who did not care for rank and wanted only to serve his country; your father, who would not die in an accident.
Kye-sook’s story sits with you – what the man witnessed with his own eyes. Even as you muscle open the coffin with your small hands, with your hands who are dirtied by this act of desecration, you think about what your father would have wanted. What he would have thought, if he could see you now.
“If we don’t apply our reasoning with efficiency to swiftly arrive at answers, the country will be ruined.”
The people are saying that Lord Yu-hon died by accident. An eyewitness said that he was murdered.
To swiftly arrive at an answer, the simplest way would be to check the corpse.
Your father is broken.
His body is mangled, bloodied, and torn. His skin is cold and ripped in places where tree branches punctured him upon his fall. He is not your gallant father, who would tell you to beat your colds into submission, or lavish you with praise when you finished another book.
At first glance, it would look like an accident.
You turn him onto his back.
It takes time, but your fingers eventually run across it – a wound that is in the middle of his back, the incision wide and deep, of a blade that ran through his body.
You think of what Kye-sook said he saw. The report that he gave to you before you entered this place, and the words exchanged by your father and uncle.
Uncle Il will entrust this country to gods he has never met, and hope that will be enough to serve the people.
You think of the strategy books you’ve read as a child. Economics, agriculture, trade, war strategy – all necessary items to consider in the ruling of a kingdom. There are no chapters on the gods providing rescue.
You hope that Uncle Il’s rule is fair, and he will wake up from this dream of godly rule.
You lay your father back into his resting place, you don’t cry.
(You want to cry. Your mother hasn’t stopped crying since the day your father was taken. You have to be strong for her, who has become so afraid – you want to go back to vibrant days, but if they’ll never return, you have to give vibrant days. You know you can’t cry. You know you can’t cry.)
[ . . . . of all things, for some reason, he didn't expect that. the sadness clears from his gaze - mostly. it lingers in the corners of his eyes, but when he faces blanca, he's mostly questioning.]
... for what?
None of that was any fault of yours. If anything, I brought it upon myself since I wasn't watching where I was going.
[against a rogue bubble.]
It's... just politics.
[and a young boy who had to solve the problems of the adults who came before him.]
[By the expression on his face, it looks like he disagrees. He's so tired of children having to accept such cruel things, like they always have, maybe even like he has.
Very carefully, he lifts his hand and stretches it out to try to touch Soo-won on the shoulder.]
You don't have to trivialize something that causes you any grief.
[he looks a little surprised when the hand falls on his shoulder, even a little bit confused by it. for what reason is someone offering him condolences? probably only because...]
... you're a kind person, Blanca.
[and his expression just turns a little bit more rueful]
... I have no interest in trivializing my father's death. It caused me pain, along with deeply hurting my mother - as far as I can recall. I love him, and I miss him. I wish I had more time with him.
.... but it was my choice to examine his body. That is something I decided to do, so I cannot accept condolences for it.
[The hand doesn't really rest there when he finally touches Soo-won. In fact, it pulls very gently, he he brings Soo-won forward to him so he can give Soo-won a hug.
he'll let him - but he's obviously a bit perplexed about it. he stiffens up in a way that lends itself more toward confusion than it does aggression or defensiveness, a bit of awkwardness that comes with receiving affection from someone else.]
You aren't obligated to offer any kind of response. Thank you is enough.
[He can already tell Soo-won has not grieved, but sort of buried it and moved forward. It happens to a lot of people, some by choice, and some not by choice.
He can't begrudge Soo-won that, though he does wish Soo-won was given the time to mourn.]
It--
[The bubble is sneaky, a little sneakier than Soo-won's before. It comes up on him from behind, and he's so broad in the chest, Soo-won might not see much of it, and he certain wouldn't facing the way he is. As soon as it pops, he understands what will happen.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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No one's? Was it because of... Emet-Selch?
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However this cannot persist - because we need to know which teams have murdered, and how many. So... next weekend, we'll have to see if things are back to normal.
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Do you think we would be able to tell based on whether or not the leaders have regained anything?
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[ . . . ]
If you know Emet-Selch's Leader, please speak with them. I will also be speaking with leaders that I haven't seen in some time. Hopefully we will be able to learn something new -
And hopefully useful.
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And what should we do if that isn't the case? [A pause.] Mister Won, do you happen to know the standings of each team?
In terms of who may have the lowest followers currently.
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[which isn't great]
But.... perhaps if you speak with your Leader, they will be able to disclose it to you. At present, I don't believe that particular bit of information will be of much use to us.
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I just mean, we should be sure to have as much of a record as possible, even if it's speculation, just in case.
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It's not that I disagree - but that information itself is rather sensitive. We do not yet know what will happen if a Leader is killed - and so I don't want to share anything that might invite that possibility.
[he's! not! excited about it!]
But... I asked Sharon to send me a headcount based on those who have been removed. Should I receive an answer, I'll consider sharing it.
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[He peers at Soo-won.]
Did you ever figure out your letter? I learned something I thought was related, but... it doesn't exactly fit, so I think I was wrong.
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he supposes he won't disagree.]
.... no, not the middle portion. The rest of it was - Consciousness persists after removal. The pathway to us is dangerous and difficult for the Leaders to travel. The middle portion was difficult to decipher. It continues - speak to Fox if you haven't, and she is at my service.
But Fox didn't seem to know why I was sent to talk to him.
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I don't know if it is related, but Fox confirmed those who have been removed can be revived.
[He says this as if he isn't sure Soo-won already knows completely or not.]
I thought the middle portion of your letter was related to that information, but thinking about it, I don't think it is. Perhaps.
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[so that's not like.
great.]
I'm not sure... I'd heard that someone received a message last week that wasn't obscured - so I wonder... if we all possess the app now, will they come through clearer?
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[About the price. GOD.]
I guess we shall have to wait for replies to find out.
[1/3]
[and he'll move to turn, though as he does so - a bubble suddenly appears at the corner of his eye. he doesn't move fast enough in order to dodge it]
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You are nine years old, and you are breaking into your father’s grave.
Not by accident, but by design.
Darkness provides cover for you to break into the royal family’s mausoleum, where your father was entombed along with his father, and his mother, and all the royals before him. Your father, who was originally meant to be king, before he was passed over by his younger brother; your father, who did not care for rank and wanted only to serve his country; your father, who would not die in an accident.
Kye-sook’s story sits with you – what the man witnessed with his own eyes. Even as you muscle open the coffin with your small hands, with your hands who are dirtied by this act of desecration, you think about what your father would have wanted. What he would have thought, if he could see you now.
“If we don’t apply our reasoning with efficiency to swiftly arrive at answers, the country will be ruined.”
The people are saying that Lord Yu-hon died by accident. An eyewitness said that he was murdered.
To swiftly arrive at an answer, the simplest way would be to check the corpse.
Your father is broken.
His body is mangled, bloodied, and torn. His skin is cold and ripped in places where tree branches punctured him upon his fall. He is not your gallant father, who would tell you to beat your colds into submission, or lavish you with praise when you finished another book.
At first glance, it would look like an accident.
You turn him onto his back.
It takes time, but your fingers eventually run across it – a wound that is in the middle of his back, the incision wide and deep, of a blade that ran through his body.
You think of what Kye-sook said he saw. The report that he gave to you before you entered this place, and the words exchanged by your father and uncle.
“If you rule righteously as king, I’ll gladly swear my loyalty to you! I’ll dedicate whatever life I have left to you! But don’t clutch at a useless straw of hope in a position like yours!! Do you think you can entrust our country to the gods!?”
You know it then.
Uncle Il killed your father.
Uncle Il will entrust this country to gods he has never met, and hope that will be enough to serve the people.
You think of the strategy books you’ve read as a child. Economics, agriculture, trade, war strategy – all necessary items to consider in the ruling of a kingdom. There are no chapters on the gods providing rescue.
You hope that Uncle Il’s rule is fair, and he will wake up from this dream of godly rule.
You lay your father back into his resting place, you don’t cry.
(You want to cry. Your mother hasn’t stopped crying since the day your father was taken. You have to be strong for her, who has become so afraid – you want to go back to vibrant days, but if they’ll never return, you have to give vibrant days. You know you can’t cry. You know you can’t cry.)
There is no waking up from this. ]
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... oh.
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Soo-won is so young, and was so young.
Uncertain for a moment how exactly to broach this in a careful and less infiltrating way, he is briefly quiet.]
I'm sorry, Soo-won.
[For what happened, or for seeing the memory?]
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... for what?
None of that was any fault of yours. If anything, I brought it upon myself since I wasn't watching where I was going.
[against a rogue bubble.]
It's... just politics.
[and a young boy who had to solve the problems of the adults who came before him.]
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Very carefully, he lifts his hand and stretches it out to try to touch Soo-won on the shoulder.]
You don't have to trivialize something that causes you any grief.
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... you're a kind person, Blanca.
[and his expression just turns a little bit more rueful]
... I have no interest in trivializing my father's death. It caused me pain, along with deeply hurting my mother - as far as I can recall. I love him, and I miss him. I wish I had more time with him.
.... but it was my choice to examine his body. That is something I decided to do, so I cannot accept condolences for it.
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[The hand doesn't really rest there when he finally touches Soo-won. In fact, it pulls very gently, he he brings Soo-won forward to him so he can give Soo-won a hug.
Well, if Soo-won will let him.]
I'm sorry for your loss.
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he'll let him - but he's obviously a bit perplexed about it. he stiffens up in a way that lends itself more toward confusion than it does aggression or defensiveness, a bit of awkwardness that comes with receiving affection from someone else.]
Mine...?
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[Luckily, the hug is brief; he doesn't strangle Soo-won with too much of it. But he doesn't back away, or anything.]
It's what you say to someone when they've lost someone they cared about.
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[said almost in an amused tone of voice but.
.... he just manages a tilt of his head even as blanca pulls away, almost wondering.]
... thank you for your sentiments. I wish I knew a better response to them.
[no one ever really gave him time to grieve, outside of the norm - they opted to put him to work on recovering the country almost immediately after]
1/2
[He can already tell Soo-won has not grieved, but sort of buried it and moved forward. It happens to a lot of people, some by choice, and some not by choice.
He can't begrudge Soo-won that, though he does wish Soo-won was given the time to mourn.]
It--
[The bubble is sneaky, a little sneakier than Soo-won's before. It comes up on him from behind, and he's so broad in the chest, Soo-won might not see much of it, and he certain wouldn't facing the way he is. As soon as it pops, he understands what will happen.
He just doesn't know what it'll be.]
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