doublesmall | [INBOX] fractura.

[ Welp. Maybe Kano's report wasn't so dutiful after all. 9S shakes his head. ]

They didn't mention the gatling gun until we were going at it full-throttle. But... I'm sorry to say it, sir, but it wasn't exactly the best kept secret. It's a particularly loud gun, leaves a trail of massive .308 casings wherever it goes, and whoever's been operating it doesn't know the definition of discretion. If I came across it after just one night in Westside, I assume the full-time residents there have much better documentation on it.

[ 9S has a slight grudge against the gatling gun crew, but don't worry about it. ]

Anyway, the rest of the story happens pretty quickly. We found the soft-topped car and ended up crashing into it, and no one was really in the mood for a shootout after that. ]

When I find those dumbasses... do they have any idea how much more trouble they could've started?

[Chuuya groans at the thought, reaching up to rub at his temples. God. They're not trying to start a family war, here, but at this rate someone's going to go off half cocked and do exactly that.]

About the information these other guys promised you-- did they say what it was?

[ 9S just kind of nods like "yea bro. they fuckin things up" ]

Something to do with possible Mori involvement with the mayor dying a while back. The guys from Xian Le were pretty steamed about it. Do you know anything about that?

[That checks out with what Kano said-- his eyes narrow at that, with a little shake of his head.]

If they're going that far over just thinking we might have been involved... something else has to be going on. That, or they're way too trigger-happy.

[He doesn't like either of those options, though.]

Either way-- it's not something you guys need to be concerned about.

...

[ It's not like 9S is a stranger to getting stonewalled out of information, but as always, it just makes him more ticklish about knowing the truth. For now, though, he drops the subject. ]

Regarding the outsiders... I came across a couple of kids who were approached by strangers. Well-dressed strangers. They said they were from out of town and tried to get the kids to go with them. Luckily, the kids found them creepy, so they ended up running away.

And I doubt it was an isolated incident. If we're not kidnapping Xian Le members, then someone else is -- and I'd bet that group is responsible for our missing people too.

People are going missing on the Xian Le side, too...?

[Huh. That one's news to Chuuya; he's only heard about Mori disappearances, and his head tilts slightly as he considers.]

So you think we're getting played, then. What a pain in the ass-- I was hoping we'd get through all this shit without having to have a talk with Xie Lian.

[Sure, they have this tenuous peace happening, but that doesn't mean he's ever stopped seeing the guy as opposition.]

If you get any more details on this, Nines, I want to know. If this really is something targeting both our families, I want to make sure it's less of a problem for us.

It's a bit early to say for certain, but I think we should keep an open mind.

[ Maybe he's just overthinking it. Maybe he's seeing deeper plots where they don't exist... But with the limited information given to him, it's hard not to get a little creative trying to fit the pieces together. ]

What kind of person is Xie Lian, sir? Is he the type to orchestrate kidnappings?

Mm. I won't forget it's possible, but I'm not going to assume that's the case without more evidence. There's not much reason for it not to be the Xian Le.

[Speaking of them... he just sort of shrugs at 9S's question.]

It's not like I know the guy personally-- I've got intel on him sure, but we don't speak much. He doesn't seem like the type as far as I'm aware, no, but the thing is that it doesn't matter whether he's the type to do it. It matters whether the people who don't care for his authority are the type, too... far as I'm aware, they're not all falling in line with his leadership.

Edited 2020-02-05 03:47 (UTC)

Hmm. Unrest in the ranks, eh?

[ How messy. Humans are so messy. 9S thinks back to something he heard the other day and says: ]

Well, at least we don't have that problem on this side. Some of us might make some boneheaded moves, but I think even the guys running around with the gatling gun thought they were acting in your best interests. In their own way.

I'm sure they were, even if they were being dumbasses.

[Underneath the hard edge of his voice, there's something almost fond; his family is still his family, after all. He doesn't let people off easy for mistakes like this, but he makes sure they know it's for the sake of the Mori.]

...I want to make sure we keep it that way. Let me know if you hear anything about internal problems on our side-- I don't anticipate it being a problem, but I'd rather be keeping an eye out.

[ Even if he's a big-deal mafia boss, Chuuya still seems like a nice guy. 9S smiles and raises his left hand to his chest in a soft salute. ]

Yes, sir. I'll come running straightaway. 'Til then, take care.

[ And if there's nothing else, he'll show himself out! ]

[INBOX] fractura.

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