[ text ] | @traitors.replacement

[seaboard]

To All Whomst Live about This Lake, Most Kindly Residents, and their Spirit Kindred.

I write to you in the most sorry state, and I must beseech your goodwill to my lacking knowledge and skill so if that I write boldly with no invitation to do so you will look upon me with mercy if I have mistakenly given offense. You will do me the greatest kindness if you will take pity upon me, as I am now so far from home and so wholly without that which I know well. It is no small matter for me to be gone from where I came, I would not trouble your good humour with myself on anything less than the direst of situations.

It is paramount that in all haste that I send word to my homeland, as I have been assured no return is possible. There is a great matter for which it is my duty to attend and in such present circumstances as these, my absence will be a great misfortune. As I cannot leave in good time, I must at least send word to my Fathers that the succession has to pass to my sister due to this present situation.

I ask most heartily how I may do such a thing? I am at your mercy, please, take pity upon my lands, if not myself, for their are good and innocent citizens of the Isle that must be guided, as has been my family's duty for near 500 years.

Simply give me the means, and I will owe you a lifetime of gratitude, I have no more than the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet and the love of the Great Sea-Father in my heart. Ask and whatever you wish that I can give is yours if you will but help me with this.

In salt-air and In ocean wave, I plead as a faithful if a helpless servant of the Sea-Father,

Gilia St. Loe, of the Isle St Loe. Daughter-Sea to the Spirit of the Great Ocean, Second-Child of the Isle, She Who Sings with the Ocean to Give Prosperity.

Comments

@Jiang.Wanyin

[legbreakings]

[ Seeing an actual proper letter on this network is enough of a curiosity that Jiang Cheng actually takes the time to read the very long and painstakingly polite letter properly instead of just jumping to conclusions.

Alas, the conclusions are pretty much exactly what his first thought had been and thus, the curtness of his response is only a little bit lessened.

He does hesitate a little at how to address her, the unfamiliar terms are obviously titles but which and how to address her by it? She's obviously gentry, so manners should be minded, to some extent, even if the sheer extent to which she lowers herself in supplication makes his hackles raise rather than convincing him to help. ]

Daughter-Sea,

You would do well not to make too many promises to strangers, or to put yourself at anyone's mercy just yet.

None of us prisoners can help you send a letter home. If anybody offers, it's a lie.

If you want to go home, help us figure out how to fight our captors and escape this place.

Jiang Cheng, courtesy name Wanyin, sect leader of the Yunmeng Jiang

[ There. That is polite, right? ]

[seaboard]

To Jiang Cheng, Courtesy name Wanyin, Sect Leader of the Yunmeng Jiang,

Would they lie to me about such things? That would be ever so cruel. It is not for myself I beg, I can come to accept this fate if it the will of the Spirits.

I am at your service to help in whatever form you wish. But I confess only to speak a truth, not to dissuade from the notion I will not do my best to assist - it is forbidden for those of my lands to ever take up arms against any foe. I have no knowledge nor gift in this matter.

My fondest regards and thanks,
Gilia St. Loe, of the Isle St Loe. Daughter-Sea to the Spirit of the Great Ocean, Second-Child of the Isle, She Who Sings with the Ocean to Give Prosperity.

[legbreakings]

To Daughter-Sea,

I don't know if anybody would lie about that. But it is something that needed to be said, just in case anybody does try. It is better to speak unpleasant truths before harm is done.

I understand you have duties to return to. I appreciate that. I'm the same. I was taken from my sect right after a devastating battle, at a time of great political upheaval. I would need to be there to make sure Jiang doesn't become the scapegoat.

The pamphlets say that when our captors tire of us, they will take us back to the place and time they took us from but I don't trust anything they say. They have lied before.

My sister doesn't fight either. You can survive here as long as you have protectors but it is even more dangerous if you can't defend yourself. Since it is forbidden for you, I don't know what to tell you. Are you forbidden from all fighting, even in self-defense? It won't be against people, if that is what you worry about, we have mostly fought against beasts.

Jiang Wanyin

[seaboard]

To Jiang Wanyin,

I shall never be caught, I know that truly, for I am gifted many things by the Sea-Father, to aide in our agreement. Perhaps I might show you it, so you can help me prepare myself. I know all the matters a woman of my position must ready herself for. But I can escape almost all things if I am alone, should they so truly seek to harm me.

But please, pray tell, who would seek to harm us that this weighs so upon you? Is there a villian in these lands that does these things you say?

With a worried heart,
Gilia St. Loe, of the Isle St Loe. Daughter-Sea to the Spirit of the Great Ocean, Second-Child of the Isle, She Who Sings with the Ocean to Give Prosperity.

[legbreakings]

To Sea-Daughter Gilia St. Loe,

Didn't you read the pamphlet yet? We have been kidnapped by these people who keep us as their pets to be experimented on. We are in a very large cage and this place isn't anywhere near as harmless as it looks at first. Everything here can suddenly turn out to be deadly, or something attacks you out of nowhere.

You should be worried.

And you're caught, like the rest of us. We can only try to escape. I don't know how. We tried it before, the lake drained and a tunnel underneath was revealed but it ended up nearly killing us all, and in the end we had to come back.

Jiang Wanyin

[seaboard]

To Jiang Wanyin,

Forgive me! I phrased that most poorly, may I clarify myself to you? Yes, I have read the pamphlet that has been provided to us, and I know I cannot leave this land.

It grieves my heart deeply to know anyone could be so cruel. Do they not know the pain we go through? How could anyone do such a thing? Perhaps they do not know, then. Surely if we tell them, they will understand our suffering and make amends.

My regards,
Gilia St. Loe.

[legbreakings]

To Gilia St. Loe who must be drunk

[ No wait fuck formality he tried behaving himself and this is where it got him. ]

Yes, yes, they know exactly what they are doing to us! Did you somehow miss that they are doing it on purpose! They captured us for the express purpose of tormenting and killing us! They won't stop just because you asked nicely!

[seaboard]

To Jiang Wanyin,

I am most grieved my foolishness has been so wrong. I pray you know only it is that I am no more than a fool, a fool who was raised to seek the best in others, these lands are so far different to my own. I hope with time I can be more understanding.

I heartily apologize, and I will take my leave in writing to you in this way, lest I offend you further.

My regards,
Gilia St. Loe.

[legbreakings]

[ He stares for a while, torn between the desire to rant some more at her about her foolishness and berate her for permitting him to walk all over her in the first place... Which would be the closest he could bring himself to come to an apology.

In the end, he just glares at the phone and slams it down on the table - only narrowly avoiding breaking it in the process - and walks off to sulk. Feeling discomfited by how this conversation has ended and strangely dissatisfied with it.

He has won - but it doesn't feel good. ]