Audience: Gu Yun

[probe]

Comments

[liuli]

[ look he's innocent!!! ]

Can I ask what the figure is, then? I'm quite curious.

[probe]

[i'm crying.]

It's...simply a figure from a television show I've seen a few times. It was a gift.

[liuli]

[ television show..... no he can put context clues together so. sounds like a movie. ]

The gift part’s what’s important, isn’t it? Not so much what it is. [ it reminds him of seeing his old iron shoulder guards at the top of chang geng’a bed. maybe not his best idea for a gift.... but one that had been touchingly meaningful all the same. ]

[probe]

I suppose. I despise the woman it came from, but it would be rude to reject it.

[...and also...they wanted it...]

[liuli]

[ he

immediately thinks of his new vocabulary word.

....tsundere..... ]

Well, you don't seem the rude type, for certain.

[probe]

...thank you? [why are they baffled about this. it's because yeah, gy's right, greed is tsundere please stop perceiving them even further.]

[liuli]

[ i'm in tears. anyway, he laughs, amused, and pats the table. ]

You don't have to be confused! Unless you think that's a bad thing? It's a compliment.

[probe]

If you insist. [there is still much confusion it's fine.] I'm not one for compliments, however.

[liuli]

[ he tilts his head, thoughtful. ]

Observations, then? Of behavior over time?

[probe]

[they tap a claw on their desk.]

I suppose you could say that. Consider it part of the job to understand the people I'm working with.

[liuli]

[ he thought so! ]

Hmm. It's the same for me, though, 'working with' often means working against. "Know thy enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated", and all of that, though, I'd argue you need to know your allies just as well.

[probe]

[hmmm.]

You and I fight severely different battles, Gu Yun. But the philosophy is similar enough.

[liuli]

[ playfully - ] You did just say I was meant for something simple!

[ but, joking aside, he gets it. ] The mind is a weapon in and of its own, I believe, no matter where you are. Letting such a thing fall flat is akin to dulling a sword's edge.

Are you something of a scholar?

[probe]

You're correct. I've never let my mind rest for fear of letting it grow dull. [greed doesn't know what the fuck a relaxation is.

and given the circumstances, they shrug.]

A prosecutor. [they do not expect gu yun to know what that is, so.] My job is to prove the guilt of a culprit in a court of law.

[liuli]

[ wow same!!! local man sleeps in his iron armor for days at a time so he can use it as a cast for broken bones so he can continue leading his army

i mean ]

Oh? No wonder you take such thorough notes. [ a beat. ] It must be so frustrating to watch us at these trials each week, hm.

[probe]

[sir?

but greed pauses. and there's the most weary sigh in the world. ]

Incredibly, though I've been a part of plenty of ridiculous trials myself.

[liuli]

[ he's fine.

anyway out of absolutely genuine curiosity, almost chinhandsing-- ]

Anything in particular stand out as comparable to this place? What's the most ridiculous thing you've seen?

[probe]

[they seem to think.]

The most ridiculous here, or the most ridiculous there? There aren't many things that top the defense cross-examining a parrot.

[liuli]

[ oh my god ]

A parrot! Did you interrogate it? My second-in-command has the most dreadful parrot in the world. Can't stand the creature - I can't imagine it was helpful!

[probe]

I didn't, no. I happened to be on trial and could not, but my...the defense did. The parrot was a vital key to proving my innocence.

[they sound so goddamn exhausted saying that.]

[liuli]

[ he


looks like he's .5 seconds from losing his mind laughing but he is trying not to TOTALLY be rude. he's covering his mouth and staring at him, eyes wide, face just gleeful and not saying anything because if he opens his mouth he's going to lose his marbles. ]

[probe]

[gu yun...

greed...taps their nails on the desktop as if challenging him to laugh.]

[liuli]

[ STOP

he

coughs. loudly. very loudly. clears his throat. ] That. Well. Any useful evidence is useful evidence in that case. Right.

[ his hand is still over his mouth. please he's dying ]

[probe]

All the more reason it would benefit you to look twice at your evidence that you abandon so early, and let go of the evidence you waste so much time on.

[rude.]

[liuli]

If we get a parrot to interrogate, I promise you, I will spend an appropriate amount of time interrogating it.


[ .....



ok he's done he pffffts into his hand and muffles his laughter, which comes immediately. ]

Ahhh. I know, I know. It's good advice! We all need it, we get so very turned around - then again, solving a case in nine hours is quite difficult! Hahaha....