Castles of Steel - Lesbians Good, Imperialism Bad

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Lieutenant Arisukawa Haruna

Balance Stats
❁ • ❁ Work / Life ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Warrior / Princess ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Radical / Respectable ❁ • ❁

Tactical Stats
Gunnery 0, Navigation +2, Command +2, Technology -4, Personal -2, Strategy +3

Stress: 3​


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PLEASE READ THE QUEST RULES BELOW

You collectively vote on the actions of Arisukawa Haruna, the first woman to serve openly in the Imperial Akitsukuni Navy.

This quest is set in a universe which is much like our own circa 1910, but with different politics, cultural norms, and ideas about gender and sexuality, as well as some unusual and advanced technology in places.

We are using this quest to explore themes like breaking the glass ceiling, divergent outlooks on gender and sexuality, colonialism and imperialism, and the place of royalty.

Content Warning
This quest goes some dark places.

There is violence, often explicit, often unfair, often against undeserving targets.

There are not always good options forward. The protagonist is not necessarily a good person.

There is implied content and discussion of sexual harassment and assault.

This is a world where people are often racist, sexist, queerphobic bigots. Sometimes, even the PC and the people they are friends with.

Voting Rules

We will tell you if write-in votes are allowed. If we do not say that write-ins are allowed, they are not. This is to prevent people from unrealistically hedging their bets.

You may proposal other options in a non-vote format, subject to approval, on non write-in votes.

We will tell you when a vote allows approved voting. If we don't say the answer is no, pick an option. We like making people commit.

Discussions makes the GM feel fuzzy.

Game Rules
When we ask you for a roll, roll 3d6. You are aiming to roll equal or under the value of your stat. If you succeed, Haruna gets through the situation with no real difficulties. If you roll above the target value, Haruna will still succeed, but this success will cost her something or add a complication.

Whenever Haruna loses something or faces hardship from a botched roll, she takes Stress. The more Stress Haruna has, the more the job and the circumstances she's in will get to her, and it'll be reflected in the narrative. Haruna must be kept under 10 Stress: if she reaches 10 Stress, she will suffer a breakdown and the results will not be great for her.

Haruna loses stress by taking time for herself, by making meaningful progress on her dreams, and by kissing tall, beautiful women.

Meta Rules
Author commentary is in italics so you know it's not story stuff.

Please don't complain about the system or the fact we have to roll dice. We've heard it before, we've heard it a thousand times across multiple quests. We're not going to change it, and it wears at our fucking souls.

Just going "oh noooo" or "Fish RNGesus Why!" is fun and fine. Complaining at length because you didn't get what you want less so.

If you have a question, tag both @open_sketchbook and @Artificial Girl. If you only tag one of us, you will be ignored. Seriously, we both write this quest.

And yes this is an alt-history type setting with openly gay and trans people, ahistoric medicine, and weird politics. Just... deal, please?

This quest employs a special system called Snippet Votes. Please read this post for more information.
 
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Wrote a long rambling argument that I realized wasn't great. Here's a better one.

The Laurent said:
Well for one, it's a terrible way to be in a relationship. As in. Here's what Aiko knows, "We're reluctantly going to this date, just to get them off our backs." Then we come back and it's like, "Guess what, I'm going to be pretending to date him long-term. I'll try after-the-fact to convince you that this is okay while having not let you in on the decision at all despite it affecting you."

I'd be pissed, and I'm pretty sure you'd be pissed on Haruna's behalf if Aiko did a similar thing out of the blue.

Also, and I'm going to actually call in the QMs, I'm pretty sure our parents can't actually *force* us to marry, at least not nowadays? They can exert tons of pressure... which they're already doing. @open_sketchbook , @Artificial Girl .

Edit: Also, the entire logic behind accepting the date is that it'd keep the parents off your back for a while. So we could say, "No more" right now and we'd have gotten what we wanted? So the idea that saying "no more" somehow means the parents will immediately be on our backs again is kinda silly?
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This isn't out of the blue though. Aiko knows that Haruna's career is in jeopardy, from more than just the parents too. Look back two updates to what Aiko said herself:
open_sketchbook said:
[Aiko]: "Yeah, but this still doesn't sound like a guy you want to stand up. You're always telling me how everyone is just looking for an excuse to sink your career." She held the letter up to the light, as though inspecting it for hidden messages. "This looks like one of those excuses. I don't want you to go… but we'll still have tomorrow night."
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Aiko already partially understands the need to for Haruna to keep opponents away. A quick turn down has chance of causing Shinzo's father to take offense, take choice words to the admiralty. That's in addition to the parents moving on to the next marriage meeting that likely shouldn't be turned down either. If and when we get a chance to write-in a talk to Aiko, let her understand the actions. Let her know these are more meetings than dates. Let her know that they will end with no emotional attachments. It'll probably still hurt, but it's temporary for not risking annoying two powerful parties.
 
AntiSanity said:
Wrote a long rambling argument that I realized wasn't great. Here's a better one.



This isn't out of the blue though. Aiko knows that Haruna's career is in jeopardy, from more than just the parents too. Look back two updates to what Aiko said herself:


Aiko already partially understands the need to for Haruna to keep opponents away. A quick turn down has chance of causing Shinzo's father to take offense, take choice words to the admiralty. That's in addition to the parents moving on to the next marriage meeting that likely shouldn't be turned down either. If and when we get a chance to write-in a talk to Aiko, let her understand the actions. Let her know these are more meetings than dates. Let her know that they will end with no emotional attachments. It'll probably still hurt, but it's temporary for not risking annoying two powerful parties.
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I don't really think we'll offend him by not going on any more dates? Or rather, offend Shinzo's father.

If we turned him down in some public and grand way, then yes? But otherwise it's just kinda how the game is played.
 
This is not Haruna making some kind of commitment to Boyfriend here, she's still gay as fuck and still not really interested in marrying. If you say yes, the 'dates' will continue infrequently, as will options from there, and it'll please your mother and the Admiral. If you say no, Haruna can bow out with her dignity and poise intact and get back to doing gay things.
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Saying yes to more dates guarantees pleasing two parties.
Saying no only keeps dignity and poise, unclear on offense.
 
AntiSanity said:
Saying yes to more dates guarantees pleasing two parties.
Saying no only keeps dignity and poise, unclear on offense.
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And manages to put our money where our mouth is as to our girlfriend? Manages to not keep playing the game of someone who would like, if he could manage it, to convince us to marry him and have children. For political and alliance purposes of course, but... ew.

But even so, he's not a person acting in terrible faith. If Shinzo is the sort of person who'd tell his Dad about the 'no' in a way that makes her an enemy of him, that would actually make saying 'yes' and playing along with him EVEN WORSE, because it'd make him an untrustworthy asshole, rather than an ally who clearly hopes for far too much and whose attention I don't welcome.
 
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The Laurent said:
Is any of the bolded part a reasonable interpretation of where things are going?

Edit: Also, "First step to happily marrying Aiko: pretend to date another guy long-term without asking her permission first, or even telling her about it ahead of time."
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Artificial Girl said:
I'm pretty sure the events of the quest so far indicate that Haruna is having anything but a normal, mediocre career.

She's jumped postings more in the couple of years since she graduated than most people do. She's saved a man's life from drowning, crewed a submarine that managed to torpedo a battleship that was in a general engagement, and blunted a Caspian counter-attack among many other things. She's our main character in the vein of Sharpe or Aubrey or Hornblower: she may face adversity and setbacks but mediocre is not the word that should be used to describe her career.
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Haruna has had a very successful career so far because she has grasped every opportunity available to her for service and advancement. This isn't an argument for not grasping an opportunity for advancement, this is a reinforcement of why we should. Sharpe and Aubrey and Hornblower never sat back and said "Actually I'm going to dial it back for this book and concentrate on kissing girls", they fought.

Also, again, this is not a long term commitment. It literally says that. God knows you can say "That would be lovely, I'll call you." and then ghost on people, we've all done it. We can say yes, we can go back to Aiko, we can get her take on it and then if it makes her even mildly miffed then we drop him like a hot stone because it's not worth it. I'm not trying to cause drama here, I'm not acting in bad faith, I'm not trying to Straight our Haruna. I'm trying to do what I think is best for her.
 
FrangibleCover said:
Haruna has had a very successful career so far because she has grasped every opportunity available to her for service and advancement. This isn't an argument for not grasping an opportunity for advancement, this is a reinforcement of why we should. Sharpe and Aubrey and Hornblower never sat back and said "Actually I'm going to dial it back for this book and concentrate on kissing girls", they fought.

Also, again, this is not a long term commitment. It literally says that. God knows you can say "That would be lovely, I'll call you." and then ghost on people, we've all done it. We can say yes, we can go back to Aiko, we can get her take on it and then if it makes her even mildly miffed then we drop him like a hot stone because it's not worth it. I'm not trying to cause drama here, I'm not acting in bad faith, I'm not trying to Straight our Haruna. I'm trying to do what I think is best for her.
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...you are arguing against the QM right now, you realize?

E: I'm not saying, "The QM says turning him down is the right decision" to note. But the idea that turning this down somehow is a route to the mediocre has been declared invalid by one of the two people who co-writes the story.
 
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[X] Perhaps, but I don't want to entertain this charade further.

Shinzo's a decent guy and someone I can easily see becoming a friend. If we had to marry a man then there are far worse choices than him.

That being said, we don't have to marry a man. Dating him takes away precious shore time that we could be spending with our actual girlfriend, and maintaining the charade would both hurt her and any girlfriend who he might want to get serious about. As such I think we should pass on the offer.
 
FrangibleCover said:
We can, of course, continue to be just another officer, have a no-doubt mediocre career, bin the royal privileges, marry Aiko and live our lives happily until we die in a small cottage in the countryside.
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Artificial Girl said:
So first, no, Haruna's parents cannot force her to marry. Second, I'm pretty sure the events of the quest so far indicate that Haruna is having anything but a normal, mediocre career.

She's jumped postings more in the couple of years since she graduated than most people do. She's saved a man's life from drowning, crewed a submarine that managed to torpedo a battleship that was in a general engagement, and blunted a Caspian counter-attack among many other things. She's our main character in the vein of Sharpe or Aubrey or Hornblower: she may face adversity and setbacks but mediocre is not the word that should be used to describe her career.
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There's not an option for mediocrity, and it certainly doesn't involve this.

Also, Hornblower actually constantly did the thing he thought was right over the thing that was most convenient to him, and sometimes even suffered for it, so I'm not sure if he's the example you want to use. ​
 
So, Laurent and I are pretty much on the same side here, so I'd like to actually get a sense of why people are voting the other way. As far as I can see, it boils down to a choice to:
1) sacrifice identity for power
2) sacrifice Aiko to family pressure
3) put playing the 'game' above personal happiness.

What are the positive outcomes people see?
1) possible new male 'friend'
2) mom is happier with us for the moment

It seems like it should be an easy choice. What am I missing?
 
Glau said:
So, Laurent and I are pretty much on the same side here, so I'd like to actually get a sense of why people are voting the other way. As far as I can see, it boils down to a choice to:
1) sacrifice identity for power
2) sacrifice Aiko to family pressure
3) put playing the 'game' above personal happiness.

What are the positive outcomes people see?
1) possible new male 'friend'
2) mom is happier with us for the moment

It seems like it should be an easy choice. What am I missing?
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I think a lot of people hope/think that the first won't really happen, or the second? And to be fair, I don't think they will happen immediately. I just also don't know if the voters who voted for this are actually up for opposing the next small step?

They see the political upsides as larger than that, as well. I mean, thus far his one major offer of cooperation involved maternity leave if that was the, like, roadblock to marrying him. But I'm pretty sure the voters for it don't think they'd trade marriage and children for maternity leave?
 
Glau said:
So, Laurent and I are pretty much on the same side here, so I'd like to actually get a sense of why people are voting the other way. As far as I can see, it boils down to a choice to:
1) sacrifice identity for power
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That hasn't happened yet. We aren't going to do that, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.
2) sacrifice Aiko to family pressure
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That hasn't happened yet. We aren't going to do that, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.
3) put playing the 'game' above personal happiness.
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This one, I grant, has happened to some extent already. We aren't going to do that to an extent at which we actually become unhappy, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.

What are the positive outcomes people see?
1) possible new male 'friend'
2) mom is happier with us for the moment
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For what it's worth, I don't give a flying fuck what Mum wants. Having Shinzo on-side will strike a telling blow for women's rights in the Navy and across Akitsukuni as a whole. If this parental leave thing goes through then it already has. We have an awful lot to gain from him as a friend, although we shouldn't lead him on.

It seems like it should be an easy choice. What am I missing?
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That's what it looks like from here too.
 
FrangibleCover said:
That hasn't happened yet. We aren't going to do that, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.

That hasn't happened yet. We aren't going to do that, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.

This one, I grant, has happened to some extent already. We aren't going to do that to an extent at which we actually become unhappy, if it looks like we will I'll vote against it.


For what it's worth, I don't give a flying fuck what Mum wants. Having Shinzo on-side will strike a telling blow for women's rights in the Navy and across Akitsukuni as a whole. If this parental leave thing goes through then it already has. We have an awful lot to gain from him as a friend, although we shouldn't lead him on.


That's what it looks like from here too.
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...how? Okay, explain how. Allow me to quote the update.

"Assuming I think wedding new money is a good move for my family, I can see your point. But I still have no interest. With things as they are now, I would have to retire to have children by the time I'm thirty. I don't plan to leave the navy to make babies for my mother to spoil."

"Understandable. You have a career you want to keep. If that's the thing keeping you from giving this serious consideration, I can speak to my father about the lack of maternity leave and it will be in front of the Admiralty board by the end of the week. Probably policy within a few years--I think it would have to wait until the war is over, otherwise it might look a bit odd," he replied as cool as a cucumber. It was the sort of conversation the wealthy and powerful were used to having--you could speak to a relative or a friend and have things changed because you wanted to have them changed. It was easy for men. So easy. Easy for you too, you realized.

You were all set to reply that his offer wouldn't change anything when you paused, a realization creeping through your brain. You'd gone into this ready to be selfish, to state your position and damn your mother and her meddling. But this… this made it not just about you.

There was a fresh class of cadets at the academy, and there were fourteen women there this year. Twenty-six total. Probably be more next year. Women who did not have your advantages. Women like Aiko who would have fought tooth and nail to earn a spot in that prestigious Imperial institution.

You sipped your wine carefully to cover up the pause in the conversation.

"That's an interesting offer." You said. "Though I'm in no particular rush on that front either."

"Of course." He smiled. "And I don't want to pressure you particularly. I'll bring it up with him anyway, honestly, though I can't say how much pull it'll have if he hasn't got a personal stake in it. Honestly, parental leave in general like how the Western militaries do it would be wonderful. I've met so many officers who barely know their kids, it's awful."


The actual, big, serious offer (as opposed to just bringing it up with his father in a way he doesn't know whether it will do anything) involves us saying, "We definitely are interested in marrying you if only this roadblock wasn't there."

But, would Shinzo actually just refuse to bring up the idea with his father unless we play along? I kinda doubt it. I also doubt whether it'd have an actual effect unless we commit. Which you've said we aren't going to do, so...
 
The way I see it, the success state for this story isn't to advance Haruna's career. It's to advance Haruna's personal happiness.
 
ReverseSide said:
The way I see it, the success state for this story isn't to advance Haruna's career. It's to advance Haruna's personal happiness.
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More like keep her sane. By virtue of her existing, Haruna is a political chess piece. And in chess, the piece is moved by the player. Not making a choice doesn't prevent a choice made for us. And in the future, we will still be pressured to take decisions we do not wish or desire to do. In the future, we will have the option to leverage our personal connections for public policy. Such is the nature of a highly traditional, tightly knit political circle.

Right now, we lose nothing for saying no. Right now, we get something for saying yes. Happiness, as our mother can attest, means nothing to the great machine of politics. To be blunt, happiness is not the sole lens this should be viewed from.
 
Always Late said:
More like keep her sane. By virtue of her existing, Haruna is a political chess piece. And in chess, the piece is moved by the player. Not making a choice doesn't prevent a choice made for us. And in the future, we will still be pressured to take decisions we do not wish or desire to do. In the future, we will have the option to leverage our personal connections for public policy. Such is the nature of a highly traditional, tightly knit political circle.

Right now, we lose nothing for saying no. Right now, we get something for saying yes. Happiness, as our mother can attest, means nothing to the great machine of politics. To be blunt, happiness is not the sole lens this should be viewed from.
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In the future we will be pressured to make decisions we don't wish, and so perhaps we as voters should practice the ability to actually say no since Shinzo will, if we say yes, continue to try to slowly convince us to politically-marry him (if he can manage it, I don't think he's scheming or anything, but he's offered it and he clearly thinks it'd be advantageous to both parties) by offering the same sorts of inducements you're jumping at now, but which you somehow will resist in the future.
 
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I find Shinzo an interesting guy and would like to know more about him. I am not going to try to force Haruna into a marriage (and neither are the QM's based on what they said at the votes).
 
The Laurent said:
In the future we will be pressured to make decisions we don't wish, and so perhaps we as voters should practice the ability to actually say no since Shinzo will, if we say yes, continue to try to slowly convince us to politically-marry him by offering the same sorts of inducements you're jumping at now, but which you somehow will resist in the future.
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... at what point did I say which side of the argument I fell on? I'm not advocating for one side or the other, just that strictly focusing on 'happiness' is shortsighted and missing the entire point.
 
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