[Her laugh is very short and very humorless, and it doesn't even begin to reach her eyes.]
That's why you're here, isn't it? You know why he chose to start it, and you're here to deal with me yourself. Why not just let him dirty his hands more? Wouldn't that be convenient for you?
No one really misses the Mori, sometimes not even the Mori. They'll just add more families to their stock. Perhaps one day, maybe even Xian Le families who don't have anything left.
[ this is why xie lian usually does the talking. kara doesn't particularly care about why wren or the traitor are doing what they're doing, only that they're doing it and hurting xie lian in the process. ]
We don't work with traitors.
[ why else would they look for him? but also... there can only be so many people close enough to xie lian that she would believe this, and kara hates that more than anything. they're out here claiming to have the best interest of the family in mind, but how can they? if they're really so close to him, they'll know exactly what they're doing to xie lian.
[ that gets xie lian. it sticks deep and he feels the rise of rage in his chest like a furious tide. his serene calm snaps, smolders, turns to fury. the fact he doesn't push past kara guarding him is a miracle. ]
Their stock?! They're not cattle! Mori or Xian Le, they're children, Wren! People who sat in those damned cages-- until they died, at your-- at our hands! How many people got hurt because of your actions-- and for what?
You said I did this because I wasn't paying enough attention to you and the family? Look at you! [ he gestures, throwing out his non-dominant arm in gesture at her jewelry, the pile of money behind her. ] You call this suffering?!
[Like Xie Lian, the anger boils up in her, and she turns the gun around on the two of them again, arm quivering. Her voice is high and strained.]
I crawled out of suffering however I could! I did what I had to do when you were busy living just fine! How many girls would be out on the streets without this place? How many are there now because this one is in ruins?! Maybe the Mori will shoot them down with another gun and put them out of their misery!
Maybe the long-haired Middleton Specter will come for you next time!
[ haha yea, no, we're not doing this. xie lian may recognize what he's about to do as Kara's weight and grip on his gun both shift, but he doesn't wait for confirmation. he just lunges forward to grab wren's wrist tight and twist it to the side, where she won't be able to aim properly even if she does pull the trigger. ]
[ not a split second later xie lian catches on. the shift in weight in front of him is the perfect indicator, and he's right after kara with the same terrifying speed as ever, ducking underneath her arm and grabbing the gun, pushing downwards. it's easily enough pressure to break her trigger finger, but at this point, xie lian wants her unarmed and he's lost his patience.
gun now safely in his hands, xie lian doesn't bother pointing it at her. she's unarmed, kara's on her, and he won't sacrifice his principles even in the face of his own anger. instead, he steps to the front, putting on the imposing presence that has to come from the head of xian le. ] If this place is in ruins, then we'll build another and rehome the people who have done nothing wrong. If you were really, truly suffering, if you could've looked beyond your pride and come to me, I would've given you the shirt off of my back. Instead, you've disrespected my family, disgraced my parents, and betrayed the very principles of Xian Le.
I don't support a traitor. You can tell me everything you know about this 'Middleton Specter', and maybe then, you can hash out your problems with him together in a prison cell. I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about.
[As soon as they move, she makes an attempt to turn the gun on herself and pull the trigger. She's too slow for that. The gun does go off, but doesn't hit anything but the opposite wall. The woman yells and then growls, weakly struggling against both of their holds.]
That's all I know! A dark- and long-haired man from Middleton whose eyes were fire when he came to blow up my warehouses! It was dark, and we were busy trying to get away before he killed all of us! Put me in a cell with him, that's fine! I'll do what you're too cowardly to do and kill him myself!
[ kara only tightens his grip, holding her as still as he can. dark, long-haired, with eyes like fire? that... doesn't give them much more than they already had, does it. ]
If you want us to do something about him so badly, you have to give us more than that.
[ even just that sentence crosses one suspect off of xie lian's list. two, though he hadn't suspected the second much at all. but it's not enough.
he won't let wren's shrieking and threatening bother him, stepping around kara to be seen, though out of reach. ]
How many people are involved in your operation? Anyone left is a target, Wren. [ if they find the other members of this ring, they'll find their traitor, desperate for vengeance. ] I'll protect the girls in your house--they're innocent compared to you--but you have to talk.
No one in Montevallo anymore! He killed them all! It was too dark--none of us alive could see who it was. He fled back in the direction of Yiling Ridge, and the rest of you are too stupid to find and kill him.
There are too many in this operation in other cities! You can't get rid of them all from here on your high horse, Xie Lian!
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no subject
That's why you're here, isn't it? You know why he chose to start it, and you're here to deal with me yourself. Why not just let him dirty his hands more? Wouldn't that be convenient for you?
No one really misses the Mori, sometimes not even the Mori. They'll just add more families to their stock. Perhaps one day, maybe even Xian Le families who don't have anything left.
no subject
We don't work with traitors.
[ why else would they look for him? but also... there can only be so many people close enough to xie lian that she would believe this, and kara hates that more than anything. they're out here claiming to have the best interest of the family in mind, but how can they? if they're really so close to him, they'll know exactly what they're doing to xie lian.
for that, he'll kill the traitor himself. ]
no subject
Their stock?! They're not cattle! Mori or Xian Le, they're children, Wren! People who sat in those damned cages-- until they died, at your-- at our hands! How many people got hurt because of your actions-- and for what?
You said I did this because I wasn't paying enough attention to you and the family? Look at you! [ he gestures, throwing out his non-dominant arm in gesture at her jewelry, the pile of money behind her. ] You call this suffering?!
no subject
I crawled out of suffering however I could! I did what I had to do when you were busy living just fine! How many girls would be out on the streets without this place? How many are there now because this one is in ruins?! Maybe the Mori will shoot them down with another gun and put them out of their misery!
Maybe the long-haired Middleton Specter will come for you next time!
no subject
no subject
gun now safely in his hands, xie lian doesn't bother pointing it at her. she's unarmed, kara's on her, and he won't sacrifice his principles even in the face of his own anger. instead, he steps to the front, putting on the imposing presence that has to come from the head of xian le. ] If this place is in ruins, then we'll build another and rehome the people who have done nothing wrong. If you were really, truly suffering, if you could've looked beyond your pride and come to me, I would've given you the shirt off of my back. Instead, you've disrespected my family, disgraced my parents, and betrayed the very principles of Xian Le.
I don't support a traitor. You can tell me everything you know about this 'Middleton Specter', and maybe then, you can hash out your problems with him together in a prison cell. I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about.
no subject
That's all I know! A dark- and long-haired man from Middleton whose eyes were fire when he came to blow up my warehouses! It was dark, and we were busy trying to get away before he killed all of us! Put me in a cell with him, that's fine! I'll do what you're too cowardly to do and kill him myself!
no subject
If you want us to do something about him so badly, you have to give us more than that.
no subject
he won't let wren's shrieking and threatening bother him, stepping around kara to be seen, though out of reach. ]
How many people are involved in your operation? Anyone left is a target, Wren. [ if they find the other members of this ring, they'll find their traitor, desperate for vengeance. ] I'll protect the girls in your house--they're innocent compared to you--but you have to talk.
no subject
No one in Montevallo anymore! He killed them all! It was too dark--none of us alive could see who it was. He fled back in the direction of Yiling Ridge, and the rest of you are too stupid to find and kill him.
There are too many in this operation in other cities! You can't get rid of them all from here on your high horse, Xie Lian!