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[ "did i do something wrong" -- the thought of every teenager when an adult tells them to come somewhere immediately

but he has things to talk to xie lian about too, so this works out in his favor -- last week brought a lot to the table, so he burns the note as instructed, dresses in his best, and heads over to the temple. he won't embarrass himself this time.... he refuses to.

when he can finally see the xian le head, he gives him a tired smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. xl! your son has arrived. ]

Good evening, Xie Lian. I hope you've been well.

[ xie lian doesn't want to implicate tsukasa in anything that's happening. he's already met with chuuya, practically a cardinal sin when it comes to their town, and xie lian is trying to be careful, trying to keep the damage from this traitor's explosion down to a minimum.

when tsukasa enters the temple, xie lian meets him personally, instead of waiting in his office. he's sitting on the altar, hands clasped together, deep in meditation, and he rouses when tsukasa speaks his name, eyes opening. he returns the same look, a soft, not quite there smile to spare for this good child. ]

Tsukasa. I apologize for the secrecy. [ and, patting the altar beside him. ] Come sit.

Is that really alright..? Ah, I mean, I'd be happy to.

[ he'll do so, mimicking xie lian's way of sitting on it -- it only seems courteous to do so. ]

And don't mind. About the secrecy bit, that is. Given recent events... [ he pauses, then shakes his head. his hands squeeze in his lap, still thinking about what he and shinobu discussed last week. ] It's just understandable.

[ xie lian's mouth quirks into a small, sheepish smile at the last part. yeah. understandable is a word for it. ]

I know that I've already asked too many things of you. I'm sure collaborating with the families isn't your desired path. [ he wouldn't blame him if it wasn't...sometimes the reality of life doesn't match up to ideal dreams, though, and the reality of montevallo is that these crime families are supposed to rule the world.

...even though it doesn't feel like it right now. ] I'm sure you also understand how dire things are currently. [ he turns to tsukasa, and --

bows his head, the gesture deferential. a swallow of his pride, that has taken hit after hit since this all began. ] ...If there's any information you have related to it, then I'll humbly ask you to share it with me. I don't want to make any actions uninformed.

It was sort of inevitable. My family's already had dealings with yours anyway... [ a small laugh -- not to mention until recently shinobu'd been part of it, too. and he has some people he treasures in both, and -

tsukasa raises his hands, setting them on xie lian's shoulders to push him back up. and then pulling away just as quickly, aware of how even more disrespectful that is. ] Sorry- I mean, that... Sir, there's no reason to bow your head. Please sit up... I'll tell you what I know.

[ and once he's done so - and tsukasa will very seriously Not Talk unless he does!! - then, well... ]

...Last week, I participated in a break-in at one of the Xian Le warehouses with two other people who were summoned with a note for similar reasons. We were pointed in that direction by some [ a little red faced, but baby is doing his best ] very friendly women in the employ of a brothel owner named Madame Wren. Unfortunately, we never saw the madame ourselves... We also unfortunately made it to the warehouses too late to stop a truck from leaving with several... I don't think it's presumptuous to say "kidnapped people".

The warehouse was nearly empty when we checked it out - there were rows and rows of cages, a room with an electrocution device, and an incinerator. We found... a woman who had passed away from exhaustion by that - she had a very lively baby, at least. One of my comrades said she was likely a Mori, and took the child -- he got Shishi to check her out.

[ ...he bites his lip, mulling it over, and looks away. ]

The warehouses we were looking into were the victims of the recent fire, however... So there's no chance to look further into them. Um, before that though - Shishi wanted to speak with me, so I visited her before the festival and we had a talk. She said...

[ ...it must be embarrassing, but- ]

There's a traitor in the Xian Le family, right?

[ grateful for tsukasa's kindness, xie lian feels a blossoming of warmth in his chest for this young man. it's affection, for his work ethic, his nature. he's truly a good child, the kind that montevallo needs if it intends to survive these troubles. surely, his uncle would have been proud.

taking all of that in, xie lian listens carefully, and stays quiet until the final question is asked. his expression changes, clouding over into something dangerously close to fury at the thought of a child, hands fisting slowly in his lap. it's only the question that has him acquiescing, offering a quiet, immediately answer. ]

There is. [ no harm in admitting it. ] I hope that you wouldn't think me the type to cause such suffering, no matter what financial straits we might be in. I had no part in ordering any of those things to happen, including the fire. It's not only that there's a traitor, but there's someone acting because they think I haven't acted fast enough.

[ xie lian softens, after a moment, his expression changes. it's heartbreak. utter, complete heartbreak, that weighs him down the way every other thing has, since this all started. the loss. the suffering. the image of a child, trapped in a cage. ] ...Thank you for acting so quickly to save that child, Tsukasa. Please don't blame yourself for the truck leaving, either.

[ whose fault is that really, but xie lian's? who let that go for so long, without knowing? ] What an appalling operation. All this, over money.

It does make it hard to believe in the best in people, doesn't it? That everyone is truly good at heart.

[ shinobu can fuss at him all she wants for the state of his jail, but it's only so relaxed because he does believe people are inherently good. even with this all staring him right in his face, he still... ]

Shishi mentioned one, and I just wanted to confirm. We discussed it a little... Based on something she overheard, she believes it to be a man with long hair, though how long is "long" is up to debate... I think anything around the shoulders down is considered to be long on men though, so it at least narrows down our search.

Mmnm. It's not the first I've heard of it, either.

[ xie lian lifts his hand up to his own hair, vaguely shoulder length in this fancy mafia world instead of all the way down his back, and rubs the end curl thoughtfully between his fingers. ] Long haired, and 'allied' to Xian Le, though that must be a loose definition... Really, that would make me the perfect candidate.

[ that's a joke! he promises!!! xie lian huffs a laugh, though it's not really amused. ] I suppose we should make a list. There's myself. Wei Wuxian.

[ anyone but him, he thinks, fiercely, a tiny voice in his chest. ]

[ xie lian don't joke like that!!!!! gosh... ]

And I can't imagine either of you being it. [ granted: tsukasa, once again, believes in the best of people -

but also, wei wuxian has like 20 kids or whatever. there's no way he'd fuck with the whole kidnapping business. ] Mmm... I haven't spoken with either of them very much but... Mr. Jiang Cheng and Mr. Yuri Lowell both have hair on the longer side of things, correct?

[ ... ]

Though they say pets reflect their owners, so I think Jiang Cheng is likely a very kind person. I've met one of his dogs, Peanut, and he was an extremely good boy. Very... slobbery, but a good boy.

[ xie lian huffs a laugh, soft, fond. that family, as broken as it is, had been so close to his own that his parents joked about adopting orphans. ]

Ah, you've met Peanut. It's not Jiang Cheng, either. [ that he knows for sure. ] He might seem grumpy, but he has a very soft core. And to say he's loyal would be putting it lightly.

[ way to just throw your bodyguard under the bus... anyway.... ] I've never met this Yuri Lowell, so I'm not sure. If he has an informant, it must be a very good one. Do you know anything about him?

Not at all. I like to think I'm fairly well-informed on most of the Xian Le, so I'm left to guess that he might be more neutral than in with the family... I only recalled him from the date auction, um-- [ ........ ] Incident.

[ ahem. ]

Let's assume they're both unconnected then.

[ that gets a smile from xie lian that is mostly a wince. let's... forget about that incident. he would like to. ]

En. I don't think this person dislikes me, either. Not as far as I can tell. I've been threatened, but it was never anything particularly harsh, and it's never been followed up on. [ xie lian pauses, trying to think. long-ish hair... there's only one other person he can think of that fits the description. it makes his stomach flip, and xie lian chews the inside of his cheek, even hesitating in saying the name. ] ...what about Baren?

[ everyone else, up to this moment, he'd been able to use a complete and total sense of deniability. jiang cheng's loyalty runs so deep that would be impossible. wei wuxian... it's not like him, although if coming from the angle of someone trying to create justice, it would make more sense. but he hadn't even thought to consider baren until right this second. ]

...Mr. Kumou?

[ tsukasa can't... say no to that, not so firmly as he can the others, and he bites the inside of his cheek. for a long moment, he's quiet, before he speaks again. ]

Miss Okuni'd know something was up, or I'd like to think so, and she promised me to come to me with anything suspicious. She's been good on her word so far... [ but he's slow in putting this out there, like he's not completely sure about it. ] I'd like to keep believing in her.

I'd like to believe in Baren, too.

[ there's a pause. xie lian looks away, finally, out into the distance into the temple around them, a sort of sad nostalgia on his face. ] ...We grew up together. He and Okuni were two of my only friends, when I was a child. [ along with two of their other listed options--jiang cheng, and wei wuxian. what a terrible, horrible position to be placed in. ] Baren especially. He was my bodyguard, for a very long time, and I've never felt anything but safe with him.

[ enough to trust him with his worst moments. his information. his kindness and warmth, suffering and hurt in twain. and in the end, baren and wei wuxian were similar in a lot of ways--xie lian has always known both of their "whys", and accepted them without guilt or anger.

even so, it's an undeniable fact. ] ...but he left, as did Wei Wuxian. Both of them have hearts focused on their love of this town, not on Xian Le, and the love and care of their people.

I've been thinking about the case itself, since I called for you. The traitor is more of a vigilante than a traitor, I think. They want whatever makes this town safest, and with a capability for great violence, as well. When Okuni came back, I thought it was odd... like someone had known she could be in grave danger, and so they had her leave town, right in time for the fires to go up.

[ xie lian sighs, reaching up to pinch gently between his own brows. ] Of course, she left with many of the children from Yiling Ridge, so who's to say either way.

[ SIGH. ]

[ tsukasa's stomach turns uncomfortably at either thought - there's no easy answer to this. no good end that'll make everyone happy without hurting a lot of people in the process. he wishes life were more black and white. ]

She left... I see. [ so she wouldn't know - but she left with yiling ridge children too, so it doesn't knock wei wuxian out of the running, either. tsukasa's shoulders straighten a little, his gaze drifting away. ] We can't discount him. To be honest... Um, really, honestly... I was thinking about Wei Wuxian myself, when I heard the description from Shishi, and I can't say my thoughts have been swayed from that with what you've told me either.

...mm. [ xie lian puts his hand to his chin, looking out into the distance again, too. their police officer... tsukasa is really too young to have to deal with all of these terrible things, isn't he? it's a shame. (in this moment, xie lian is barely older than him, but nonetheless.)

the idea of it being wei wuxian. he speaks carefully. ] ...I don't think Wei Wuxian would be involved in the kidnappings. On that, I think you're correct--it's against his character. I like to think he wouldn't involve innocent people, but...

[ but xie lian also knew wei wuxian before he left the family. his capabilities. his fury, when provoked, under the surface of that cheerful smile, his big heart. ] ...but vengeance against the people causing such suffering wouldn't be out of character for him at all. Leaving the family was so he could find peace away from all of this mess. If he was the traitor, then I haven't protected Xian Le enough for him to stay out of it.

[ even when people aren't in his family, he's failed them. wei wuxian left, and he's been dragged into this. baren left. he was dragged in too. every member of xian le who left to find a better life has the family wrapped around them like a shackle, because xie lian hasn't been strong enough. at this point, he's beginning to wear the guilt like a shackle of his own, after weeks and weeks of suffering and hurt. ]

It isn't your fault, Xie Lian. Maybe I'm a little stupid for saying so, but... I feel like a family should protect each other. It isn't on just one person to be strong for everyone else, but for everyone to be strong enough together to protect one another.

[ it's how he feels about the town, too: in unity, there is strength. and really, where there's that, there's peace - there's the potential to work things out, to look out for each other. but -- he also knows that bad blood isn't so easily flushed from the body, so to say, and even something like that would take time... ]

...Blood-related or not, you're all family. You look out for one another, so it isn't just your fault. [ a slight slump. ] Besides, this is probably more of my fault than anything... As police, it's my duty to solve issues and keep the peace, but it wasn't until recently that I could act on any leads with regards to the kidnappings. Before that, I'd gotten notices from an unknown sender telling me to do my job and so on. You could say it wasn't my fault that I wasn't aware of things, or that it wasn't my fault I didn't have anything to follow, but as it is... It's my job to find those things and bring justice to those who deserve it.

[ and yes - he isn't the whole of the police force. what he said before is true for them too: everyone works together, looks out for each other. but he is the police that's sitting beside xie lian now, apologizing. ]

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