ITL 138

[blondiechic0]

Oh...  Pleasepleaseplease say it wasn't hitari!!

[LilacMajesty]

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO   

[anaskee]

Did everyone just felt a chill go through your entire body at the end of this chapter? 

I still don't think it's Hitari but I know that Hitari might be implicated.  This whole investigation is going to put so much pressure on Hitari and Talin's relationship.  But I am hopelessly optimistic so I hope that this horrible situation will end with Hitari more convinced that he's a good person and that people who doubt Hitari will finally see that Hitari's changed for the better.  Kudorin doesn't seem worried about it so I don't want to be worried at all. 

Anosanim doesn't love Ritek yet. 

Did he love Ritek?

Why wasn’t he sure?  Why couldn’t he tell?  How was everyone else so certain about these things?

For me, I always knew with certainty whenever I love somebody.  I presume everyone is the same?  And maybe this is why I don't like Ritek for Anosanim.  Where's the fireworks and angst and wild passion?  Anosanim deserves nothing less. 

“If it comes to it, if I satisfy you emotionally, will you consent to marry me, even if at the time we can’t agree on our permanent location?”

“No.  If you don’t agree that I belong here, you don’t love me.”

Xio Voe couldn’t return to Seijaces and leave Anosukinom behind.  “I want you with me.  Wherever I am.”

“Then you’ll have to be here,” Anosukinom replied gently.  “Because Orina Anoris is the reason I exist.”

The two things to seal the deal.  So easy for some and yet nearly impossible for Xio Voe to give.  But he's getting there.    I remember the time when Xio Voe thought that seducing Anosukinom then dragging him to Jacacea is the only way.

[LilacMajesty]

Its very apparent that the Heir is making a lot of progress and I'm very happy for him.  But I'm afraid in this chapter that I was so focused on Hitari that I really didn't pay much attention to anything else.  I just had a thought - what if its that cousin that Talin had to fire?

[LDoza]

        Thanks Lilac, I had forgotten that person.    Otherwise, I am with you all. full body goose bumps!  ....

But  isn't worried... and at least he would be worried about  , if not Hitari.

....and Xio Voe.."But he's getting there.  "  so so good.....

Okay now what is this about his Secretary and friend that irritates him so?  Just the way they
could possibly share PDA at the festival? What? 

...and so nice how Talin, ....finally.... teased  back into his closet!

Next Friday is going to feel a year away!

[Pagansrock]

Matthew,  Are you trying to kill us???

I don't belive it's Hitari at all...someone is framing him.  That's my theory and I'm sticking with it. 

[Magical_Jen]

Does anyone remember which chapter of ITL contains the scene where Anosanim and Talin are away at Satatunin with Hitari and Ritek?  I can't seem to find the scene where Ritek is talking about having to meet a couple business associates.

[Pagansrock]

Ok, I did some re-reading and I feel better now...whew 

CH 123- The return from Satatunin:

Akata was a free-spirited dreamer.  Being more invested in her own curiosity than Talin’s privacy sounded just like her, but lying about something so significant didn’t.


“Hitari loves you,” Kudorin murmured, rubbing Talin’s back.  “He wants so badly to be worthy of you.”


“I only meant to describe it in his words, his perspective,” Kudorin said, stroking the side of Talin’s face.  “I love Hitari, and I wish for the best for him.  In some ways, you, Inanodat, are the best that I have to offer him.”

I couldn't find mention of the cosin's lastname, but she is Rituriri's daughter. I doubt she would do it. 

[Susanne]

Matthew,  Are you trying to kill us???

I don't believe it's Hitari at all...someone is framing him.  That's my theory and I'm sticking with it. 

I agree with 100% on this. Hitari has been trying so hard to be a better person even noticed that he has changed for the better. Even thou he was uncomfortable going to the police station he still went because he wanted to help  and he didn't seem nervous when  showed up and spoke freely around him. If it all comes back around to point at Hitari then I feel he is being set up, I don't know by whom    but I just feel he is innocent 

[Susanne]

Its very apparent that the Heir is making a lot of progress and I'm very happy for him.  But I'm afraid in this chapter that I was so focused on Hitari that I really didn't pay much attention to anything else.  I just had a thought - what if its that cousin that Talin had to fire?

Another good theory    I forgot all about that.

[anaskee]

This is still the Rainbow Book, right?  I'm worried because it feels like half of the Red Book is done.  Of course, I don't want to assume anything.  For all I know, this is just the tip of the iceberg of Talin and Hitari's story.  If that's the case, I can't even imagine the angst they still have to go through.  So, I'll repeat Pagansrock's sentiment:

Matthew,  Are you trying to kill us???

I can hear Matthew cackling somewhere....

[blondiechic0]

Of course you can! He enjoys our torment. Evil, evil man.

...On that note, how is it that I'm mores cared of Diamond retaliating for saying something like that than MHT?

[LilacMajesty]

Because Diamond is scarier.  And has it occured to anyone else that Talin would have a harder time having to be the one to tell Anosanim that its Ritek, then he would have dealing with it if its Hitari?

[anaskee]

That's a scary thought.  I haven't seen Diamond around here lately.  She's ok?

[Susanne]

Because Diamond is scarier.  And has it occured to anyone else that Talin would have a harder time having to be the one to tell Anosanim that its Ritek, then he would have dealing with it if its Hitari?

It's that last sentence...   The hardest, worst thing anyone ever could have asked of him. To me that would be to break his other half's heart...   I love all these diffrent theories.

[Matthew Haldeman-Time]

Presuming to speak on Diamond's behalf, she's fine.  Thank you for asking!

Talin, on the other hand...

-Matthew

[JaeFire]

And has it occured to anyone else that Talin would have a harder time having to be the one to tell Anosanim that its Ritek, then he would have dealing with it if its Hitari?

Mmm, not really--because Talin knows (hell, Anosanim knows!) that Anosanim isn't in love with Ritek yet.  It's a blow to Anosanim, but not one so huge that it would cause Talin to react the way he did.  It's Hitari.

Why?  Because of this:
“He suggested that he felt comfortable dealing with the thief because he suspected that, because of the thief’s identity and personal connections, there would be no legal consequences.  There was an allusion to the theory that you personally might be aware of what was happening, and that by not putting an end to it, you were tacitly condoning it.”

Ritek doesn't fit this at all.  No one but Hitari does.  This is incredibly saddening.

- Jae

[Dena]

I honestly have no idea how it's going to go.  But my personal pet theory is that Hitari will be implicated, but cleared, and that in the end it will be Rini who comes forward with the true identity of the criminal - because there was that little brief moment of Rini wanting to help.  And Rini knows everyone, and everyone loves him.  And no one loves being useful more than Extra. 

I've yet to be won over into really liking or caring about Ritek, but I can't say that I'm sold on the idea of it being him at all.  Although I think that if it were, it will be a HUGE blow to Anosanim.  Despite the fact that it looks like the crimes started before he and Ritek started up together - I see Anosanim as blaming himself for letting him closer to the House of Art, giving him more access, trusting him, etc.  Anosanim would take it to heart and whoever was his next boyfriend would have an even harder time getting close to him.  Talin will have to nail him to the floor to get him to let some poor guy hit on him, if he's not a bela.

That said, I'm still not positive it's Ritek in any way shape or form.  Or that it's not Hitari, though I'm leaning toward him being implicated but not being actually guilty.  I still think his sister is a possibility, and maybe she was using him without his knowledge, somehow.  I'm looking forward to finding out how it really goes.

Also - how hard must it be for Selorin to not want to just march up to anyone it could be and ask if they did it to hear if they lie or not?

[JaeFire]

I still think his sister is a possibility, and maybe she was using him without his knowledge, somehow. 

Several people have tossed her out as a possibility, but after this chapter, I just don't think it could be her anymore.

------------------------------
Why?
            “We don’t have the mastermind in custody, and we’re not prepared to file formal charges,” she said.  “But we believe that there is one single individual responsible for orchestrating the stealing and reselling.  He took designers’ sketches directly from their homes and offices, of their new and unreleased and speculative creations, and sold them to the competition.”

            “He?” Talin asked.

            “We believe that it’s a man, yes.  We weren’t sure that we had the names of all of the designers involved, and last night, we had a confession from Muneserano Tetenate.”

            [...]

            “He’s dropped plentiful hints about the thief, but we don’t have enough evidence to feel confident in making an arrest at this time.”  She held his gaze directly, but her voice became quieter.“He suggested that he felt comfortable dealing with the thief because he suspected that, because of the thief’s identity and personal connections, there would be no legal consequences.  There was an allusion to the theory that you personally might be aware of what was happening, and that by not putting an end to it, you were tacitly condoning it.”

            The edges of the world dimmed.

            “I wanted to keep you informed,” she said carefully, “and aware of the progress we’re making."
------------------------------

They don't just "believe" it's a man.  Reading between the lines, they know it's a man.  Muneserano Tetenate confessed.  And Tetenate didn't meet with anyone except the thief himself--there doesn't seem to be any indication of a third-party, or a messenger.  The crime was within a very small group of people.  Contact was directly with the thief, and only the thief.  Tetenate also "dropped plentiful hints about the thief," and I can't see him not dropping information as basic as the gender. 

That's why Lo Denesina came to Talin before they filed any formal charges; as a courtesy, to "give him time."  As Talin himself recognized, "He understood.  He understood, very well, what she was trying to communicate."  

She says, "carefully," that she "wanted to keep [Talin] informed."  She's telling him who it is, because he's the one it will affect the most.  Sadly, Talin's hope that "[maybe] this could end without dragging him down with it," isn't going to happen. 

Lo Denesina told him before filing charges for a reason, and he was so affected that when he said thank you, "the words [scraped] his throat raw."  For stoic Nisutalin, he might as well have been screaming, that's such an extreme reaction for him. 

He wouldn't have reacted that way if it were Hamaki Samora.  Hitari's father was sent to jail by his Uncle Dimi; Hitari and Talin both have experience with a member of Hitari's family going against the law, and it didn't faze them then and it wouldn't faze them now.  It can't be her.

- Jae

[Dena]

He wouldn't have reacted that way if it were Hamaki Samora.  Hitari's father was sent to jail by his Uncle Dimi; Hitari and Talin both have experience with a member of Hitari's family going against the law, and it didn't faze them then and it wouldn't faze them now.  It can't be her.

- Jae

There is that, I'd forgotten them thinking it's a man.  Your encyclopedic memory is impressive.    What about the sister's husband?  Or is he in jail currently?  I'd have to go double check to be sure.

If he is in jail, then that pretty much does exonerate the sister, which leaves Ritek or Hitari, unless there's an incidental character that actually did it that we're all missing, pretty much, I think? 

It's sekritly Vade!  We've all been fooled.  He's a criminal mastermind in leather laced pants! 

[JaeFire]

There is that, I'd forgotten them thinking it's a man.  Your encyclopedic memory is impressive.    What about the sister's husband?  Or is he in jail currently?  I'd have to go double check to be sure.

If he is in jail, then that pretty much does exonerate the sister, which leaves Ritek or Hitari, unless there's an incidental character that actually did it that we're all missing, pretty much, I think? 

Oh, thank you   (Books are the one area of my life where my memory is excellent.  Every other area... well, my friends don't call me Goldfish for nothing...) 

Hmm... Last I recall, Hamaki's husband Mikohari wasn't in jail.  (From Ch.33.4: “He was fired for unethical behavior. He was altering accounts and pocketing money,” he explained with a tired sigh. “His boss didn’t want the bad publicity of pressing charges, but word spread and he’s had trouble getting another good job, so he can’t keep up his end of the payments. Now it’s all on my shoulders.”)  He was never formally charged and therefore never convicted.

Oh, and I forgot to add that since women are ruled out, their cousin Akata is ruled out as well.  (I would have ruled her out anyway, just because she wouldn't know the meaning of discretion if it knocked on her front door and introduced itself.  She simply doesn't seem to have the brains or cunning to pull off something like stealing and selling designs.)

- Jae

[LilacMajesty]

I believe that the past has shown us that Talin only reacts strongly to events that affect Anosanim.  So therefore, I'm sticking by my accusations of Ritek.

[mc_cart_ny]

Oooh good chapter!  I'm only sad that I wasn't able to read it until yesterday!!

I absolutely refuse to believe that Hitari has anything to do with all this.  I don't think he could do it.  He loves Talin and wants to be with Talin, he's not simply using Talin to try and further himself.

I've been thinking for a while that it's probably Ritek.  Someone mentioned in an early post about the meeting he had to go to when they were all at Satatunin.  I think it's a good possibility that he was doing something bad then.  The fact that it is a male that Talin is close to, would lend us to believe that it is either Hitari or Ritek or else someone in the family.  Out of those people Ritek is the most likely to have done something like this.  Maybe that's why he tried so hard to get close Anosanim?  So that he might have the royal family on his side should he be found out. 

I have to say, while Ritek is not my favorite character by any means, and I do not see he and Anosanim staying together long term, I would like it if I was wrong and the bad guy ended up simply being some character that we've never seen before that works in the Royal House of Art and is punished.  It'll be upsetting to see someone who works so closely under Talin betray him and Talin will be especially hurt.  However, Anosanim will be devastated if it's Ritek and pretty much everyone will be devastate if it's Hitari (which it isn't!).

~McCartny~

[JaeFire]

Since people have been bringing up the meetings Ritek had to go to after Satatunin, here are some excerpts:

Ch.114:
            “He’s going to be across the house, in the crystal blue suite,” Talin said dryly.  “I’m not asking you to compromise your integrity, Anosanim, I’m asking you to let him rest here before he leaves.  He’s on his way to Nekusurin to meet with some buyers.”

Ch.117:
            Stunned, Anosanim found himself staring into Ritek’s brown eyes.  “Stay?  You have to leave, you have meetings, you have people waiting for you.  The buyers are-”

            Ritek’s voice was so strained, so quiet, Anosanim barely heard him.  “One hour with you is worth more to me than entire shipments of Ilaeian silk."

- Jae

[mc_cart_ny]

Ahh.  I went back a reread part of the Sataunin trip, but obviously not all of it 

I guess I just sorta went with what some other people had said and thought that sounded great and only helped Hitari more! lol


My bad, sorry....

~McCartny~

P.S. Still think it's Ritek though.

[JaeFire]

My bad, sorry....

~McCartny~

Dude, no need to apologize!  Actually, it was an interesting theory, and several people brought it up so I thought I'd throw out the citation for general perusal.  Really, out of all the pieces of possible evidence that Ritek did it, I thought this one was the most concrete--that he was meeting with unknowns.  I mean, I don't think he did it, but still.  It was an interesting fact that could be used as possible evidence.

- Jae

[LilacMajesty]

Jae, ya know I love ya but can I just point out that it may totally be possible for Ritek to be lying?  After all, its not Selorin that he's talking to.

[JaeFire]

Jae, ya know I love ya but can I just point out that it may totally be possible for Ritek to be lying?  After all, its not Selorin that he's talking to.

I'll accept that Ritek, maybe, could be lying, if everyone accepts that Hitari simply being in the same room as Selorin for a few minutes at the police station doesn't exonerate him.

After all, the only thing he said in Selorin's presence in the entire scene was: “Koramo will break first,” Hitari said.  “He’s a nervous man.  He’ll point in any available direction to get the attention off of him.”

I hope everyone notices that Hitari never said in front of Selorin, "I didn't do it.  It wasn't me.  I did not commit a crime.  I'm not the thief."  Hitari's very smart, and very careful.  The bit about Koramo but not himself was very well done. 

Also, Hitari spoke to the police and talked about all he knew in the presence of investigators--not Selorin.  Selorin didn't get to the police station until the scene where Hitari talked about Koramo breaking first.  Selorin's also not an investigator, and is letting the investigators do their jobs and present him with their evidence in a courtroom. 

So yeah, maybe Ritek lied.  And maybe Hitari lied to investigators but was very careful not to lie in front of Selorin.

- Jae

[LilacMajesty]

Jae, you don't think that something that upset Anosanim would affect Talin more than something that would upset himself?

[JaeFire]

Jae, you don't think that something that upset Anosanim would affect Talin more than something that would upset himself?

Honestly... I'm wracking my brains, and I can't think of any time that's happened. 

The only times I remember Talin incredibly angry, upset, or near tears was when Hitari was involved.  I cannot actually recall any scene where Talin was super-affected just because Anosanim was super-upset; frankly, Anosanim's very in touch with his emotions, and if Talin were upset at everything Anosanim was, he'd have a coronary.  (His setting up Ritek and Anosanim doesn't quite count, because Anosanim was upset but Talin handled it all calmly; he gave Ritek an ultimatum, saw how it went, and then invited Ritek to Satatunin to set them up.  No emotional upset for Talin there.)

I actually remember getting pissed at Talin during his engagement dinner with his family, where he couldn't seem to tell how much he was breaking Anosanim's heart, where Orinakin thought, "Anosanim felt horrible. There was a faint wariness in the air, faint distrust.  Kudorin was serene, but no one else could fully pull it off. Talin, Bade, and Vade were fine.  Hitari was tense, although covering it well.  But Anosanim was so miserable, Orinakin was about to start crying for him" (Ch.126).  I remember talking with Rhia over the phone about how, if Talin were actually aware of how much Anosanim was hurting, really hurting, he'd stop pushing at Anosanim so hard.  But he didn't seem to realize, emotionally, the full extent of Anosanim's pain.  At the dinner, Talin wasn't upset because his twin was near tears.  No, to empathetic Orinakin, he felt "fine."

My memory's not perfect, but off the top of my head, here are the scenes I immediately remember of Talin being in a high emotional state:

• Talin's deep anger the night Anosanim found him after his dinner with Etaki and they talked about how Hitari was still affecting him.
• Talin being incredibly upset during the lunch Hitari invited him to, where Hitari was spouting such poison he had to leave and walk back to the House of Art where Anosanim and Bade found him and picked him up in the carriage they were in.
• The dinner (and aftermath) with Hitari and Selorin, where Hitari said he loved Talin and Selorin confirmed it and his voice was heard "somewhere in the blur before Talin’s unseeing eyes" (Ch.117).

I'm trying to remember anything involving something that upset Anosanim that made Talin react with high emotion, and I can't.  If someone would remind me of a scene, that would help me believe the theory.

- Jae


Edited to Add: I forgot to add Talin's emotional turmoil before his ascension, especially the day spent in the temple before the ascension ceremony when he couldn't seem to open up to Alanohi, because he felt like Anosanim should've been the royal artist instead of him.  But his being upset was because of his own thoughts and feelings about their roles; he wasn't upset because Anosanim was upset.

Edited (Again) to Add: I realized I forgot to put in Talin's being upset with Anosanim trying to distance himself from him, but I don't think that counts either as being upset for Anosanim, doesn't count as Talin being upset simply because Anosanim is upset.  Talin, here, was angry and upset at Anosanim, was frustrated with Anosanim, because of Anosanim's behavior and thoughts that it would be better for Talin if they were apart.  Talin's empathy for Anosanim doesn't quite work in the same way that Anosanim's empathy works for Talin.

[LilacMajesty]

Jae, I really wish you'd stop making sense.  You're upsetting my applecart!

[JaeFire]

::runs away:: 


::stops:: 

::runs back to take the applecart with her::  


- Jae

[LilacMajesty]

I'm still going to hold on to my Ritek theory, at least until Friday.  If for no other reason than just to be stubborn.  But I do seem to recall incidents from their childhood in which Talin reacted more to Anosanim being punished for something than he did for his own punishment.

[SilverMoon28]

OH, MATTHEW, HOW COULD YOU!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?

*SOBS*

Hi, everyone!!!!  I'm back!

I think.

MATTHEW, HOW COULD YOU?!

No, I'm not at that part yet, but I tortured Liz into telling me so that I wouldn't be unpleasantly surprised.  *sobs*

Okay, I'm going to keep on reading now...

Hitari... *sobs*

*sobs more*