opportunitycosts | [ empatheias ] message box

Come to my house, I have some bottles here. [A deep, frustrated sigh.] It's become official Enforcer business. It's not effective to let out one's frustrations if you have to keep your voice low.

Enforcer business, huh? All right, I'll be there in a few minutes.

Thank you. [And that's heartfelt thanks right there.

Come to think of it, Lu Meng realises this is the first time Alvin's come over to his place. It's a bit regrettable that it's for such a grim reason, but well...it's not like Lu Meng had any reason to invite people over anyway.

The moment he hears the knock on the door, he's there to greet his friend with a tense nod.] Alvin. I hope this isn't too troublesome for you.

[He lets Alvin into the house and guides him to the dining table. Lu Meng's home is sparsely decorated, which suits his frugal personality. But a possible note to Alvin is that the cupboards are only half filled with books, which would be strange for Lu Meng, given how much he likes to collect and read all forms of reading material. And that it's strange that he's got a spare room around. Two bedroom apartments...aren't exactly expensive, but he's such a scrooge that there's not much reason to have another room...

...unless it's because he misses Shun, and some part of him still holds onto the hope that the young teen could some day live with him again. But even though the curtains are drawn open to allow the light to stream in, there's a resigned air to the space, a deep, entrenched melancholy in the shadows.

Anyway, there are six bottles of really potent, hard stuff on the table. They're definitely not cheap.]

Which one do you want? Feel free to choose any bottle.

[Ever the observant one, Alvin does take notice of the furnishings. Given his previous occupation, taking such mental notes was always key in figuring out his targets. Such as currying favor by noting any particular favorite artists or writers, nudging in that door.

But he's not here for that, nor will he make any mention of it for now. Lu Meng has something else on his mind, and so Alvin is going to focus on the most important—]

Whoa-hoh! [In a few quick strides he's across the room and picking up one of those bottles.] Since when did you have these? [Holding it up and shakes it a little.] You've been holdin' out on me, Lu Meng.

[...Important matters.

Although, one should not be completely fooled. He senses the heavy atmosphere, knows that this is going to be deep. Just true to form, he disperses it with momentary distraction and interruption.]

I had been saving them for a special occasion for some time. Though...the reason I was saving them no longer applies.

[A troubled light briefly flashes in his light, before he lets out a slight huff, cross at that bit of sentimentality.]

Anyway it's too much of a waste to throw them away. And if anyone can appreciate such liquor, it'd be you.

Flattered that you would think of me. I'll be sure they don't go to waste.

[And now he'll make himself comfortable in whatever kind of chair Lu Meng has to offer before popping the top. He is primed and ready, man.]

So, vent away.

[Lu Meng takes a seat opposite to Alvin, the complete opposite of the casual, relaxed vibe Alvin is trying to give out.]

Earlier in the month, there were...thefts at the cemetery and the morgue. [His lip curls in disgust.] The thieves stole coffins and urns of the deceased.

I investigated the thefts with a group of other individuals equally as interested as I was in apprehending the scoundrels and recovering the remains. It took awhile, but we tracked them down to an abandoned warehouse at the north tip of the desert.

[Hands curl into tight fist, and the air starts to get a little heated around them.] We were too late to bring back many of the dead. Those, those bastard. They, they--!!

They poured out the dead into a giant vat. Ashes and bones, everything mixed together. There were too few left that were untouched, but so many of the dead, desecrated!

[The more he talks about this, the more angrier and heated he sounds, a faint red glow even emanating from him out of disgust and anger.]

[Alvin is already starting to take a sip of the drink before Lu Meng even starts—mostly to try and sneak a taste (damn it's strong—good, but strong). As the heat descends down his throat, he listens and recalls seeing that notice on the task board. Even then he had a feeling it wouldn't end well, but when he hears how badly, he could only sit still and stare wide-eyed.

Not only at the imagery, but his friend's justified anger about it.

Still, he tries to remain calm.]

Were you able to figure out who did it or why?

[Try to stay logical and practical. Although he was here to kind of "vent" for Lu Meng, he's also going to try and keep the place in one piece.]

We have an idea why. There were posters of the Anti-Arehtei movement plastered all over the walls, as well as posters about the Cult of the Arehtei. But one of the men we captured babbled that what they were doing was for the good of the island, to save the island and the world...and that the Arehtei were evil.

A line touted by the Red Haired Girl.

[He leans forward, elbows on the table, hands clasped in front of him.]

Even more troubling, we found old plans and blueprints depicting the location of the bombs that were set off during the Boreas Harvest Festival. They're interrogating that man right now, but the coincidences are there, and so far they've lead me to one conclusion; that they are advancing the agenda of the Red Haired Girl, to cause negative emotions on a wide scale so that they may gather such emotions for their cause.

...Damn. [Yeah, he's going to take a good swig of that drink.]

You know, I had wondered about what happened to those bombers. I don't think it was ever resolved, or at least I never heard anything about it. But it had been so long I also forgot about it until you brought them up now.

And if you're right about them being related to the Anti-Arehtei movement... [This can't bode well.]

But using dead remains? [That's just sick, man.] Were the graves targeted?

The selection of the deceased was deliberate. There was a list of names discovered at the cemetery, matching the targeted graves. However, why they were chosen is still a mystery.

The investigation has been turned over to the Enforcers, both the local and Otherworlder arms. That is where my participation ends. But I cannot understand how anyone can be so, so cruel to desecrate the dead, so close to Selenium. It must be deliberate.

Well, sad to say but there are all kind of people out there, including crazy lunatics like that.

[He sits back, mind processing the information while he idly swirls the bottle in his hand.]

It does make me wonder, though. It sounds organized—too organized. This wasn't just some nut job, like those cult people. [He never took them seriously whenever he saw the postings on the board.] If this really is for some kind of agenda, I can't help but try to figure out their end game.

Spur on certain emotions? But okay, then what? What are they trying to gain from that? As far as I understood, the people here can't align with the Arehtei, so the influence on them isn't going to be as great compared to us. Whatever they do mostly affects this entire island.

The entire operation was well oiled like a machine from start to end. We even found hints that they were carrying out illicit economic activities to fund their plans.

If we take the ramblings of the one person we apprehended with a little weight, it may have to do with destroying the Arehtei to save the island.

[He sighs and crosses his arms, looking quite frustrated.]

You're quite well-connected around the city. I don't suppose you've heard anything similar to that?

[A small pause.]

Aside from the general anti-Arehtei sentiment that's been going around? The only thing I can think of would be that woman who ran the tournament last year. You know, the one who was apparently out to inspire fear instead?

Edited 2016-02-09 07:06 (UTC)

...no. I'm not aware.

[And now he leans in to listen, eyes sharp.]

What's this about the tournament?

[And now there is a genuine look of surprise.]

You haven't heard? [...Ah. Well. It did come up in the Town Hall Meeting...]

Apparently the woman was actually from Shaarnath. Have no clue how she got up here, but apparently she's part of some rebel faction that's against Thras and the Arehtei in general. They believe the Arehtei are doing more harm than good and are trying to destroy them.

If I remember correctly, the point of the tournament was to inspire fear within the local populace and cause conflict between all the parties.

...do you think she might be behind this? Using the dead's crystal records, the dead were noted to have a history of having strongly negative emotions. I don't know how they were going to extract those emotions, but all that machinery down there must have been installed down there for a reason.

I don't know, but I wouldn't rule her out.

At the very least, someone very organized is behind this.

And it could even be someone with access to the crystal records or someone who had broken in, since we found the names of the dead on a list.

The scale, depth and complexity of this operation is...not something to be laughed at.

[He leans back onto his chair, troubled.] Did you hear anything about the meeting about what would happen if an Arehtei were to be torn apart or die?

No. In fact the meeting was the first time anyone learned they could die and actually have generations. At least that's what Thras told someone.

...alright, I think you're going to have to tell me everything that went on at that meeting, since I've really heard none of this.

[Seriously, the one time he called sick and he misses all the deets!?]

[Yep.]

You want me to tell you everything? Any place I should start first?

[DID SOMEONE WRITE A REPORT ON THIS YET...]

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