You have been moved close to tears four times in your entire life.
You baited us how dare.
The idea of someone not wanting to know every facet of information they can gather about your charms is utterly foreign to you, and again you have to hold back your instinctual response. "No, that will not suffice," you answer. "Charms are not like a sword or a hammer; you cannot simply flail them about if you wish to show off their full potential. And since the entire purpose of this challenge is to show off the full potential of my creations, you will be hearing about each and every one of these in detail. Are we clear?"
Such authoritative language! Kong Zhi is taking this seriously!
Jai Fa nods and you continue. "As for it's capabilities, it conjures a shield in a place or a position of your choosing. The best use of it is to create armor where none exists. But in a pinch, you can use it to create obstacles in your opponent's path. It's use comes with a wonderful side-effect as well; every time you use it, the blood anam within will leach out into your own veins."
"...that sounds like it could end poorly," Jai Fa tells you after a moment's consideration
Creepy Zhi! You don't tell a girl you're gonna sanguinate her!
Heh. "Your champion." Like Fa's a knight and Zhi's the princess.
Sense Motive Check: 3d10s7(0.9). Dice Rolled: 1, 10, 5, 2. 0 Successes! Fail!
It takes you a moment to answer the strange question. "It just felt right," you eventually say. "The Rakshasa dances, it is infused with night, and it has a certain poetic quality to it that I felt suits it's nature well. Why? Did-" you stop and shake your head, a smile on your face. "I am not changing the name. No matter how foolish it makes you feel, you will be using The Dance at the Midnight Crossroads."
Jai Fa studies your face for a long moment. Then she lets out a long, heaving breath. "As you say," she says. But she doesn't sound convinced. Does she really think she's going to be able to talk you into changing the name? If so, she doesn't know you at all.
Aah.
Isn't that hard to figure out what we missed. Jai Fa is wondering if the name is saying something about Kong Zhi's experiences. She isn't mocking the name, she's wondering of its origins and what it says about him. It's fine. Still, frustrating!
"The Respite and the… Dance will be fine," she says. "They do not need much input besides triggering them or preparing to deal with their backlash. But the other three? They are all charms that need focus and attention to use properly. I have to decide when the best time to use each of them would be, I need to plan ahead several steps to get the best value from any of them, and all of them cost anam to use."
You got something to say Fa?
I think she's on the right track though. It's been shown in previous updates that Fa is bad at thinking on her feet, she's the type to think about her actions in advance. Overwhelming her is not a recipe for success.
Jai Shouxi waves off your concern. "I am entirely certain. Please, take it back and use it with my compliments. Work so fine must be shared with the public! However, I do expect it to be returned. So do not get too comfortable with it."
Damn it Shouxi your shit is our worst work! Take it back you fiend!
[] [LOADOUT] A Moment's Respite
[] [LOADOUT] A Pond, Reflected
[] [LOADOUT] The Widow's Ward
[] [LOADOUT] The Vitriolic Retort
[] [LOADOUT] A Dance at the Midnight Crossroads
The Pond has the bad side effect of making the War and Retort redundant, since it would double up on techs. The Ward and Retort are simply better charms, and I won't be hoodwinked into making a bad deal.
[X] [LOADOUT] A Moment's Respite
[X] [LOADOUT] The Widow's Ward
[X] [LOADOUT] The Vitriolic Retort
[X] [LOADOUT] A Dance at the Midnight Crossroads
Perception Check: 4d10s7. Dice Rolled: 4, 8, 5, 7. 2 Successes!
Opposed ??? Stealth Check: 3d10s8. Dice Rolled: 2, 5, 1. 0 Successes!
Kong Zhi is victorious!
Well. Between the two rolls in this update, better we win this one.
You have never spoken with Teng Lim before, but you know him from your classes and from his reputation. He is not martially inclined, nor does he seem to be an artisan of any stripe. But according to Jai Shouxi, he is close to receiving a sigil from Elder Tantoi regardless. Aside from that, all you really know is that he is highly nervous and has terrible vision.
Jai Fa shakes her head. "We are being stalked by Teng Lim," she muses. Then she glances over at you.
"How do you wish to handle this?"
[] [TAIL] Write-In
Ahah!
So, we're gonna flip the script on this guy. Stakes are to high right now to play softball, we're going hard.
Here's the plan. Jai Fa and Kong Zhi split up. We'll do this to see who Teng Lim is after. I know you guys think we're the center of the universe, but maybe he's Fa's creepy stalker, we have to make sure. Whoever he follows, the other person will start to turn around to get behind him, than we trap him in a classic pincer maneuver. This'll mean he has nowhere to run, and than we can shake the guy down in safety.
You guys want tobe civil about this, and we can be-from a position of absolute power. Capiche?
[X] Split up with Jai Fa to determine who Teng Lim is after. The person he doesn't follow will go around and creep up behind him to trap him between Zhi and Fa. Once he is trapped, confront him aggressively, but do not attack him unless he makes the first move.
