Eastbound Contact

[weifinder]

Wei Wuxian
missives | encounters

Comments

[bearshermark]

[Eleven skims over everything past the first sentence, deeply shaken. The ink blots heavily through the scant, unsteady letters he manages in reply. The question mark is scratched on almost as an afterthought]

Sold?

[weifinder]

Taravast is a citadel of trade in magic. Magic is a tool in war and conquering, like any other. Sell what you excel at, and your knowledge, to bargain for your citadel's freedom.

People make hard choices all the time. I don't agree with this one, anymore than I suspect you do. It also predates all of us, by many years.

I recommend you only share this with those of us in the same situation. I've made the Merchant aware.

[bearshermark]

[He has to walk away for several minutes before he returns to reply. Even then, he's not that much calmer]

He had to know all he was doing was buying time! It didn't solve anything except give the city less allies!

I hope he lives long enough to regret it.

[weifinder]

Meanwhile, I hope he dies swiftly, cursed by his own body. Some justices are in what come naturally delivered.

He bought time. His people were safe. What happens when he falls, Macaluso or Vannozza will decide. She opts for a cut forward, if she can make it. Macaluso implies alliances; I'd be curious to learn specifically what he thinks on that count.

[bearshermark]

Clearly he doesn't think much about alliances.

How did you find about all this?

[weifinder]

I heard as much from listening to a certain recently arrived representative of the Bessis.

[bearshermark]

He was just talking about that in public?

[weifinder]

Hardly.

[bearshermark]

[Goddess, he hoped not. But..]

I'd hope no one would joke about that sort of thing.

[weifinder]

People can be very morbid in humour, you never know! Or simply have horrible tastes.

[bearshermark]

You're always well informed.

[weifinder]

Ah, hahaha, at some point, I had to learn to listen more than ignore what I found annoying...

[bearshermark]

And learning how to talk to the right people. I don't know if I envy you for that or not.

[weifinder]

It usually starts with talking to and with everyone, but especially the people who work for others.

[bearshermark]

He's a coward.

Or terribly arrogant. Maybe both.

You're right. I don't have your patience.

[weifinder]

Ah, well, I learned patience over a lifetime. I wasn't born particularly patient myself!

Also, it's not something he'd confess readily, is all one can say. But it's in listening that you learn.

[later] did not get this notif sorry!

[bearshermark]

It all seems like a terrible game. I'm not sure how you don't lose yourself in learning to play along.

trust me i feel this hard

[weifinder]

I won't say you do or don't. Just make the best peace you can, and try not to lose yourself. Why play the game if you can't remember who you are under your mask?

I wonder if either of our candidates for future leader remember that, by now.