Roleplay > Diplomacy and Events
The Plot To Destroy Rokkenjiman Democracy
Achkaerin:
Rion took one look at the whiteboard "Pieces not players." she said "Maybe it's better to say pieces of the jigsaw but with no idea of the final picture? That's what I see when I look at this. A lot of inconsistencies, a lot of things that don't add up." she pointed at 'Blue Silver' "Assuming that's Rowe then what purpose does Groves serve? Certainly Groves is no gatekeeper to the Imperial Diet for an Imperial Councillor, which Rowe still technically is for a few more days at least while the constitutional transition works itself through, chances are Rowe could walk into the Diet building and get information that Groves can't, so he's something else that's for sure. Seagull makes sense and I'm going to say it." she looked at Kado "We told you so." she took a breath "Seagull is required regardless, and should be the easiest to trap when we get there, but for now they're not too troublesome." Rion took a couple of steps back from the whiteboard "Groves is in the legislative, the mole is in your intelligence and if that is Rowe then that's the military, all of them critical areas of state and all of them to some extent capable of posing a threat, at least in theory. Groves doesn't belong in the majority at the Diet so his role is something aware from there. When Charles was making his moves, Groves was the messenger boy he could easily be the same here. But there's still something missing here" her eyes darted all over the whiteboard before she picked up a pen and drew a box in which she put a question mark before drawing arrows from each of Kado's box's to the one she'd drawn "Who's the guiding mind? this smacks of someone picking up the ruins of Charles plot, breathing new life into it and running with it. But this time there's no advantage on our side, Charles failed because we knew what he didn't. This time there are no secrets, everything's on the board and..."
Rion took another breath "In any case Blue Silver potentially being Rowe is the most concerning factor here, because we have to plan worst case scenario's. So tell me who asked you to look into Rowe? And what's the address in Ashinaxo that he's been going to?"
Beatrice:
"We'll call that box Rio," he said, noticing Rion's odd look. "What, if they've adopted a Duran Duran inspired naming convention, we may as well continue it," he paused before continuing. "I've been maintaining surveillance on a number of Rokkenjiman officials, considering none of the above the potential for betrayal; you'll be happy to know that my efforts have cleared your Count Emerson of conduct early on, he's quite the choir boy and quickly became most boring so I saved our taxpayers a few Ducats and ceased our observations there. Members of the Imperial Council are likewise somewhat boring but," he said as he pulled a photograph from a drawer in his desk, handing her a photograph of Lucius Stanley. "This one is keeping interesting patterns lately, and interesting company to boot. Out of the individuals we're observing his patterns have changed the most as of late; things as simple as not getting his morning apple fritter on his way to work, instead making a phone call around 7:45 AM just prior to walking into the office to begin his duties. I know, husband of the best friend of Beatrice, successfully returned home those who were unjustly tried by Transvaal, all around recognized as one of the "good guys" so to say. But, I would propose, what if that is his armour here? What secrets is he keeping from Lucinda in the bedroom?" he continued, "as I have here a late checkout from the Abruscato International Hotel in Ashinxao which places one Rika Miyano at the same hotel with a likewise delayed departure."
"As for who asked me to look into Rowe you need only to look as far as Princess Kyōko," he continued without missing a beat. "As for that particular address it's an interesting choice, multiple units contained within mind you, who's to say the stated unit is that which he ultimately ends up in? I can't access the records myself but via triangulation and wifi routers, I do believe if I heard your intelligence sources discovered something there, I could put a few puzzle pieces together, that is if you've been watching him. I just need that piece; it's there, everything points to it but it's at the moment the unreachable piece that just dangles beyond my immediate field of vision," he struck the desk aside him. "So close, yet so unattainable at the same time that is," he said using a finger to lower his glasses, "you have some information or sources you may call upon?"
Meanwhile, Asuna broke open a bottle of Pyrenan Mead, poured herself a glass, and drank it in quick succession, prompting a raised eyebrow from Serenity. "Look, there is much to unpackage here so forgive me and plus, I'm legal so don't judge me," she continued. "Sophia has found herself in a most difficult situation, she's found herself in love with a Toshikawan and my Gods, to some here still, that's still quite the sin. It's gotten to the point I've advised her that if things get too bad she declares Josai independent of Rokkenjima; I'll do what I can to protect her there but it's all so messed up, just because some people hold onto their prejudices so strongly, and that's someting I'm fighting to change. Sophia's been guided to the fight for Orion's Empress because of the type of Rokkenjima I hope to render wholly obsolete," she paused, "beyond doing what I can to ensure the IRAF does not seek to reclaim Josai if it goes independent, I don't quite know what I can do for her, even as Empress. Please," she stepped forward and took Serenity's hands into her own, "what the hell do I do here?"
Achkaerin:
"With what you've just said I don't really need sources." Rion said "And for the record I don't believe in the unattainable, there are times to be subtle and times not to be so subtle, this for the moment has become the latter. This conversation never happened and it goes without saying that under no circumstances does Lucinda find out about her husband, at least not until this is all over." she looked at the whiteboard again "Meanwhile I suggest you take that and get it somewhere out of sight, if Seagull finds out you've got anything like this then you know what the consequences of that are, whatever is coming and there's always something coming when dealing with plots like this, will happen before we're ready for it. First we need to be certain about Rowe, we need what we're missing, leave that with me. Groves's job is to deliver something that much is obvious but what, what is he positioning? Give him a loose leash and see where he goes, his movements will betray his intent and his part in this." she did another visual pass of the board "As much as I don't like leaving a mole embedded, Seagull's job is most likely to keep the other parties to this abreast of INIS activity and highlight any threat against any of them, Seagull can't report that which they don't know, so business as usual keep the circle small and when the time's right we'll catch them."
Serenity had stayed quiet, her ears were listening to Asuna but her eyes for large parts of what her niece had to say never left the bottle of mead, and that wasn't the worst of it, she could smell it in the air. As someone who was teetotal, and for good reason, the aroma of the alcohol in this concentration was offensive to her senses. Serenity closed her eyes and took a deep breath, channeling her maternal nature, the tough love that she knew she sometimes had to show her girls, picking up the bottle of mead she fixed Asuna with that honed piercing look of her green eyes, the one that gave the impression of seeing right through who she was looking at "What number glass is that today? What number bottle is this? Just because you're legally allowed to drink doesn't mean you get to drink as much as you like, that's how people lose themselves, that's how people get hurt and that's how the darkness seeps in. I've seen that abyss and walked away after the worst thing that ever happened to me happened." she stood up and pulled Asuna to her feet before essentially marching the Rokkenjiman Empress into her bathroom and shoving her into the shower, she turned on the cold water spray and blocked the exit "You can either be the Empress of Rokkenjima or you can be someone who copes by looking for answers at the bottom of a bottle. Your choice."
Half an hour later a drenched Asuna, now in a bath robe was sat down, Serenity put a cup of hot chocolate in front of her "Get that down you." Serenity said before sighing as she sat down next to her niece "I can't keep flying down here every time someone raises a concern about your behaviour, I came this time because it was certainly more serious than you galivanting around with Thomas on the Austrana again." she put an arm around Asuna "It strikes me what you need is a deterrent and what Sophia needs is a smoking gun. I'll make sure she gets what she needs and if she does declare Josai independent then I will play the part of protector, I'll stare the IRAF down, I'll give you reasons to think twice should be enough to keep your people on a leash and get a negotiated settlement out of it and hopefully no shots fired. Let me worry about Sophia, you start worrying about your wedding dress." she gave Asuna a kiss on the forehead "And if you can give you one other bit of advice, I don't care who you replace her with, find some random noble, make someone a noble if you must but for love of all that is holy get Evanthe back here because right now you decidedly lack when it comes to experience and judgement and she brings both in spades."
Beatrice:
Kado chuckled, "We wouldn't want her smothering in his sleep, would we? No," he paused, "I don't quite imagine that would be her preferred method; she'd want him to know, to see it coming, and suffer with the knowledge of his impending doom. We both know that while she may love Lucius, her love for Beatrice is yet greater than that, do what you can and I'll do what I can in the meantime. My circle remains naturally small, I could likely count upon one hand those I trust with the full knowledge of what is transpiring divided by half. Until our next non-meeting," he said as she left.
It was only after she was in a bathrobe and with cocoa before her that Asuna would respond, "Thank you, and I've got that picked out already, just thinking what Thomas will think is just, wow," she continued. "But on Evanthe, she's made clear she's advocating for Rishiri these days, I'd love to hand things off to her for a few while I work my life out, I could declare her my Regent," she paused, "I mean Emerson is already here so I don't have too much prodding there to do. And what will Auntie Eva do when she's back?" she continued, enjoying her cocoa.
Achkaerin:
Serenity looked at Asuna "When people look at Rokkenjima, at least since the second Patriotic War, what they see is a nation of great promise, a nation that ten years ago was arguably the most prominent nation on the planet in international affairs and then they see how it all went wrong. I'm the biggest critic of your mother in my opinion she's foolish and stubborn, yet for all that criticism we can say that between her ascension to the throne in 2004 and the Andean Genocide she was the undisputed titan of domestic politics in Rokkenjima, an effective ruler at home but abroad? No. However what she did have was Evanthe who without question was the other side of the coin, what Beatrice had domestically Evanthe had when it came to international affairs, like it or not she has all the experience in that arena when it comes to any Rokkenjiman, which these days isn't saying much. But there's only so many times you get to play the inexperienced girl card and not do anything about it, you want to know what Evanthe can do? She can advise you, which frankly is something you need especially in the international arena." she said
Rion meanwhile was making multiple phone calls as she sat in her car, she didn't like making moves without knowing the players and there were a lot of questions involved in this. Still she did have options "Paul." she said over the phone "I need you to send Robyn's team down here with Michelle and Misty."
"Will do." came the voice of Paul Kessel "What's happening?"
"We've got to get in somewhere, put a bully in his place and uproot a snitch." Rion said
"Busy schedule then." Paul said
"I know." Rion said "Just get them down here."
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version