tushanshu_logs | Catch-All for Operation Get Our Stuff Back

Entry tags:

Catch-All for Operation Get Our Stuff Back

Characters: Tony, Sokka, Valdis, Gene, Cain and YOU
Date: December 12 onwards
Location: The Hotel
Situation: Tony is pissed about SI falling into kedan hands, and more levelheaded people have to talk him out of doing something stupid. Once sense and discretion have prevailed, it occurs to Tony et al. that the foreigners might be able to more rapidly regain some leverage in Keeliai if they worked together to befriend/infiltrate the gangs, especially the three major families. Devious plotting ensues.
Warnings/Rating: None so far

[1 - the common room of the Hotel - December 12]

Tony returns from his meeting with Zanru after less than two hours, and he is seething. Sokka had asked him about the status of his job at Stark Industries, and Tony had promised to go find out right away (he'd put off meeting with the new "boss" of SI long enough already). The meeting had not gone well. To put it mildly.

Now he's back at the Hotel, looking for Sokka, to deliver the bad news. And poor Sokka is about to get an earful.

[2 - around the Hotel - the following days and weeks]

Tony had - miraculously - been talked down from teleporting his entire lab and all its contents out of SI and permanently alienating the Metalworker family. A longer-term strategy of insinuating themselves into the families' good graces had been suggested, and Tony, grudgingly, had acquiesced.

Since then, word has been getting around. Anyone who hears about that discussion and wants to ask Tony about it or offer their help should be able to locate him pretty easily around and about the Hotel. That's where he's spending most of his time, after all, since he is currently unwelcome at SI.

[3 - Make your own starter!]

[ooc: the initial discussion will be closed to Tony, Sokka, Valdis, Gene, Cain, but anyone who wants to have their character hear about it second-hand is welcome to post a thread here. You can request a thread with Tony or any of the other original conspirators, but it isn't necessary - anyone can thread out anything related to this plan in this log.

Keep in mind that this is not (currently) a conspiracy to depose the families or destroy the gangs or take over Keeliai - merely an attempt to organize the foreigners so that they can pool information and coordinate their negotiations with the gangs without making the kedan more distrustful. However, this is supposed to be on the DL, so if your character accidentally or intentionally lets the plan slip to the kedan, expect there to be IC consequences!

The ooc plotting post for Operation Get Our Stuff Back can be found here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If we're going to work together to make a stable foreigner faction, your agenda is everybody's business. [Come on, Valdis, are you trying to sound shady and suspicious?] We can't know that your "agenda" isn't going to hurt the rest of us if we don't know what it is. [Oh, what, is this annoying, Valdis? Somebody suddenly giving you criticism that you didn't ask for and hounding you relentlessly about it? SUCKS, DON'T IT?

Honestly, he doesn't really care what Valdis' secret agenda is. But if she's gonna be all cryptic about it, he'll get on her case about it just on principle.

He's a lot more concerned about Gene's offer to lead this little scheme. He knows Gene isn't planning on making a power grab: it's not that he doesn't trust Gene, it just... feels a little bit too much like encouraging old, bad habits. Tony's not really sure he's comfortable with that.]

What other foreigners have political or diplomatic experience? We should have them on board even if they don't want to be the leaders. [And maybe, if they're lucky, someone from that group will step up to the plate so Gene doesn't have to.]

If you guys really don't think the kedan are going to be pissed about us taking over the castle, I guess it's not a bad idea. It'll solve the housing problem, for sure. [Maybe it won't come with a fully-stocked lab pre-installed, but at least they won't be - literally - building from the ground up.]

I can ask around, see who else has credentials, [Gene says, the gears really going in his head. He could probably do all this by himself, but he really doesn't want to.] I'd welcome any input.

[He shrugs.] They've taken over everything else. They took over Stark Industries, they took over our suites, they took over everything. Hell, they even replaced the police station with a mansion for Yunxu. But they left the Palace alone.

I'd say that we are in agreement.

[Valdis resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Tony, the boy was getting on her nerves, but she smiled at him, amused.]

It's called trust, Tony, something that is sometimes necessary to give even if you dislike the idea of it.

[She turned away, thinking about her next move]

Look into obtaining the Palace then. I'll speak with the leader of the Snakes first and see what he knows about us. Oh, and Sokka, say hello to your sister for me.

[She walked away, leaving the teenagers to finish their discussion.]

Edited 2015-01-29 04:00 (UTC)

I don't suppose that you'd consider trying to marry one chieftain's daughter, convincing a king that his advisor is an idiot, and trying to assassinate an evil dictator as being diplomatic and political experience... right?

[No? No? Thought so. Just checking. You know, in case it was. Maybe.]

Let us know how the Palace goes. I mean, it's probably stripped dry of anything that might be useful... though maybe they've left a few goodies deep down. And smart move talking to the Snakes about what they think of us. I mean, I know they think we're unnecessary and all, but it'd be good to know what we're up against.

[And say hello to his sister? Uh... okay... does she know Katara that well??? Huh, he didn't know that. She never really mentions Valdis that often.]

And, uh, sure, I'll... do that...

[Tony gives Valdis a sour look - and why should he trust you, lady? - but nods when she says she'll talk to Yunxu. That could yield some very useful information, if she can actually get anything out of him.] Sure. Sounds great. [And that only came out a little bit bitchy.

Valdis chooses to take her leave then, and once she's gone, Tony's ruffled feathers finally start to settle.

And actually, Sokka, that sounds like... a lot more diplomatic experience than Tony has. He gives the other boy a curious and surprised look. He wants to hear those stories, later. But for the moment, it sounds like the focus has shifted to the Palace.]

Don't you think we should... I don't know, ask permission, or something, before picking up all our stuff and moving in? I know they're not using it, but that doesn't mean they're going to like it if we suddenly claim it as ours.

[Gene also looks at Sokka, with some newfound respect.] I'll take that into consideration, [he says. Yeah, fat chance getting out of here without telling that story.]

Of course, [he says to Tony's inquiry.] That's the plan. However, I don't want to see the three heads and get three different answers. Then who will we know to trust? The Metalworkers could say one thing, the Snakes another...

[He shakes his head.] I'll figure something out. But I don't expect it to happen quickly. They're wary of us now.

[Why is everyone looking at him now? Did he say something? Something interesting? What are you thinking, Tony and Gene? ~~Did he just get volunteered for something?~~

[But he's suddenly chewing over the deal about the Palace, and Gene has an awfully good point.]

Actually, in this case, it might almost be better to ask forgiveness instead of asking permission. I mean, what's it going to look like if the Snakes tell us to go for it, but the Metalworkers veto everything. Then the Snakes will think we're kowtowing to the other gang and be all the more against us, and the Metalworkers will think that they're stronger than us. Neither actually helps us at all.

I say we just take it when the timing's right... and then see who comes forward to protest. And then just pretend to be the dumb Foreigners afterward. "Oh, this is the first we've heard of this. The other two gangs haven't complained to us about it yet. We're so sorry; we thought we were in the right." And then we just play the gangs off of each other. Simple.

Edited 2015-01-30 14:13 (UTC)

[Asking forgiveness instead of permission is a philosophy Tony can get behind. You might even say, it's a philosophy he already lives by. ~~Except he doesn't usually ask for forgiveness either.~~]

Good point. That's smart. I like what Gene said a minute ago, too - if we put some stuff in there that everybody can use, maybe we can get some of the kedan to back us up. Community gardens or training grounds, that kind of thing.

[And anyway, if the kedan are going to play the "possession is 9/10ths of the law" card with foreigner homes and businesses, why shouldn't the foreigners do the same?]

We could nominally run it by them. Give them a heads-up once things have started moving. [Please, send your complaints to Brian Williams, c/o NBC News...]

If nobody comes to call after we've started moving in, I think we can safely claim finders keepers. [Because "squatters' rights" is such an ugly term.] It's not like the place plays a low profile. And I doubt anyone would object to some good-natured renovation.

[Make the process as winsome and inoffensive as possible...until it's too late for the kedan to do anything about it. It's a strategy Gene knows well.]

[Sokka just grins at this. Finally, a unanimous plan is coming forward, and it's about time!]

That's it! That's the plan then. That way, no one can say that we didn't give them fair warning, and by the time they come forward to protest, if they do, it'll pretty much be too late. And if they insist on it not being too late to protest, well... we'll just force them to give us an alternative on the spot! Which will either mean the plans will go forward as expected—which means they'll lose face on the matter—or they'll have to give up something to us to cater to us—oooh, that part is nice, nice...

And if we make it kedan-friendly, too, well, no one can say we're looking out for our own, and it'll just make any protests unpopular!

[Yup, we're geniuses.]

[Or the whole plan could horribly backfire and the kedan could all decide that the foreigners shouldn't be allowed to have the palace, and kick them out, and they'd end up with no place to stay and an even worse reputation.

...but that probably won't happen. Probably. It's a better plan than anything Tony has to offer, at least.]

Okay. Whoever's going to give the kedan the heads up... shouldn't be me, I'm gonna say. [His mouth twists in a disparaging smile, though it's not obvious whether his scorn is for the kedan, or himself, or a little of both.]

[PSH, TONY. Since when do their plans ever backfire??]

I'll do it, [Gene says.] I'm a bit of an unknown quantity to them at the moment. Might as well try and get off on the right foot. [Before he fucks everything up.]

Great. [Seriously, great. Sokka's track record isn't the best with world leaders, after all, and he's liable to say something silly anyways.] So, is there anything else we need to settle before we start actually doing stuff?

[~~Is he going to have to tell his stories here, or are you guys going to corner him later?~~]

[Tony's still kind of uncomfortable with Gene taking point on this, but he nods and says, amiably enough,] I think we've got it all worked out. When do we start moving in?

[...soooo is anyone going to make him apologize to Zanru? No? Well, sweet.]

[Who else do you want to take point on this, Tony? You? I didn't think so.]

Give me a little time to get in touch with everyone, see what opposition we might face. But I wouldn't be averse to surveying the area to get the upper hand.

[And yes, Tony, you still have to apologize to Zanru.] Though repairing the relationship with Zanru might take some time. [And he gently whaps Tony on the back of the head again.]

[Sokka will give Gene a rather annoyed look at whacking Tony on the back of the head, but he will—smartly, this time—not say anything about it.]

I can start poking around the palace to start surveying it in the meantime. See what sort of condition everything was left in, see if there's anything still usable there. Maybe start sketching up plans for what to do with it. [He shrugs as he looks to Tony.] You're more than welcome to join if you're interested.

Yeah. Zanru. Uh.

[...aaaand wow that sure is an engaging and appealing proposition you've just made there, Sokka! Let's talk about that!]

Sure, I'm interested. We probably shouldn't be going in alone, anyway. There could still be some nasty surprises left over from when Big Ugly ran the place.

[It's how he demonstrates affection, Sokka. Like a wild animal.]

Sounds like a good idea. I may join you, if only so I can see the state of things these days. And I'd be interested to see any plans you come up with.

[~~Oh is that how the relationship works? Gene is a wild animal? What does that make Tony? The prey? Is he ravaged every night? Is there blood involved? Never mind, I don't want to know.~~

[Sokka smiles at Tony, glad he's coming along, though when Gene decides to tag in too, well...]

Wanting to have all the fun too? [He's being a little facetious and joking there; he doesn't really mind.] Probably for the best to check it out with a group for just that reason, [he says, gesturing to Tony.] I've never met the guy, but if Eshai was as devious as the stories I've been told, well... it makes sense to be on our guard.

And I'll make sure to keep you up to date on the plans I draw up. [There will be pretty artistic drawings of the palace. Completely with rainbows. In watercolours. It will be amazing.

[So is he really going to get out without telling his stories? Or is that for another time?]

[~~My, my, Sokka. Quite the imagination we have, there.~~]

I'll have the armor, too. That ought to protect me from just about anything the Palace can spring. We didn't run into anything too nasty when we explored it the first time around. Other than... you know. [Other than all the corpses. Not dangerous, but... Well. A small shudder runs through him at the memory.]

[~~Sokka, please. They're not that messed up.~~]

Of course I should have all the fun, [Gene scoffs.]

And you're gonna have to tell those stories, you know. You can't just drop that kind of tidbit and run.

Other than... you know?

[Sokka has no idea what you're talking about, Tony. Please elaborate.]

Those stories? Oh, you mean all that world leader stuff?

[Well, that's... okay.]

Well, okay. Well, I'll just go through them in order.

Fell in love with a chieftain's daughter, but she was already engaged to another guy. Who—I should add—was a complete jerk! [Ahem.] Anyway, she doesn't like him, but does fall in love with me. Volunteered for a dangerous mission to go raid some Fire Nation guys, but because I got into a fight with said jerk because he was a complete bozo and idiot, I got kicked off the team. [Harumph.] But! But the chieftain gives me an even more important task: the special task of being his daughter's own personal guard. And I did so quite expertly, I must say, and while I did protect her, the bad guys... well, they managed to kill the moon. And so in order to make life not be completely horrible, the chieftain's daughter sacrificed her life and became the moon.

[Tony doesn't answer Sokka's question. If he doesn't already know what a horror show the inside of the Palace had been, he's probably happier that way. Especially if they're really planning to move in.

Anyway, Sokka's already moved on to telling his "diplomacy" stories, and there's plenty to discuss there. Starting with:] Wait, how do you kill the moon? [Did they blow it up? Based on what Sokka's told him about his world, there's no way they had the level of technology to do that.] And how do you become the moon? Are we talking about the same kind of moon, here? Big glowy rock up in the sky that comes out at night?

Uh. [Gene points a thumb at Tony.] What he said.

[SUCH ELOQUENCE. IT BRINGS A TEAR TO YOUR EYE.]

Edited (dw wanted to foil my dr. mcninja reference >:() 2015-03-02 23:10 (UTC)

[Okay, that last question, Tony, is borderline insulting.]

I may not have a big awesome metal suit, but I do know what the moon is.

[Seriously, for real?]

Don't ask me how it works, because this is way way waaaaaay outside my realm of expertise, but apparently there's some little fish that's the moon spirit... or spiritual incarnation of the moon... or... just ask Aang about how that works, okay?

Anyway, Captain Grumpypants invades the north and kills the fish, and then everything goes dark. No more moon. And then Yue gives up her life to be inside the fish, and then the moon comes back.

[Seriously, Sokka's just flailing at an explanation. And his arms are flailing as well, as if trying to handwave all the parts he doesn't understand.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Darn you for making me watch that link, Gene.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

So help me, if you gagtag "That's rough, buddy" to me...

no subject

"I will KILL the President, thereby BECOMING the President..." "That's not how it works."

How dare DW kill your Dr. McNinja reference!? /outrage!