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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

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[x] This Plan Secretly Aims to Kill Ami by Feeding Her to a Sky Squid. (Don't Tell Hazou!)

Noumero said:
Order food from the Yabai Café. Commission a "creatively-baked" cake.
  • If Keiko/Mari know Ami's preferences, commission her favourite meals.
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Wouldn't just bringing her the favourite food while also doing the hair/braiding thing be more effective at screwing with her? Just imitating her isn't really effective.

Noumero said:
chocolate monopoly
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She probably knows or suspects, but in case she doesn't, do we really want to tell her? This is one of the things she might screw us over, just so that her other allies might gain.
 
[x] This Plan Secretly Aims to Kill Ami by Feeding Her to a Sky Squid. (Don't Tell Hazou!)

I like this plan.
Noumero said:
  • Bring barbed wire. Practice braiding it into hair beforehand.
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"Barbed wire" sounds... unnecessarily painful, and with a large chance for head wounds. Would you consider switching it out with a "garrote wire" or something similar? Doesn't really change my vote, though.

Noumero said:
Onto the topic: Keiko's loyalties are divided between three factions now, which is causing her obvious stress. You suspect that two of these factions have goals flexible and compatible enough that the friction between them could be greatly ameliorated. Ami's the only one who knows if it's so. Would she be willing to give up the advantage of unpredictability against you?
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I like this. I like that we're openly addressing Keiko's plight, and that we're working to get to a point where Hazou and Ami both agree to not (deliberately, at least) add to her struggles. Although, we might want to offer something in return for Ami's openness --she's not used to being vulnerable, and dislikes it enough that past scenes where she's been similarly vulnerable has "cost" a lot.

That said, I don't think Ami's ever actually "cashed in." So, maybe, framing their conversations in that manner is how Ami maintains a personal fiction of "this is just another political transaction like I've done a thousand times before" that she's both more comfortable with and more familiar with. Perhaps this excuse allows her to be more open with Hazou than she'd otherwise be? A sort of internalized doublethink where she knows it's just an excuse but keeps doing it anyway because that's the only way that she can allow herself to be vulnerable? It sounds as reasonable as anything else, when it comes to Ami.

Ordinarily, I'd be a little wary of framing the conversation in such a way, but I don't think Hazou's friendship? Relationship? I don't think Hazou has enough "social points" with Ami to have a Mari-esque "we know you, [here's proof], and we accept you as you are" conversation. I'd adore such a conversation and I'll readily admit that I'm looking forward to one day reading it, but I don't think that we're there just yet.

Anywho. Maybe we could allude to the fact that we're, cautiously, open to working together --with the obvious caveat of "provided you Ultimate Goal isn't contrary to Uplift." It would give Ami something in return for her openness --a reciprocation which is, I think, common among maybe-friends sharing vulnerabilities --and it would allow her to frame it in that "transactional" way that Ami's far more comfortable dealing with.

ContextBot said:
She probably knows or suspects, but in case she doesn't, do we really want to tell her? This is one of the things she might screw us over, just so that her other allies might gain.
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Well, our chocolate monopoly is pretty screwed, for now, anyway. And we have more than enough money from it to build up a mining town --legalities permitting. So that'll be a hefty source of income on its own. And if we manage to create chakra metal through experimentation with the iron ore refinement process and Noburi's VD? We'll be rolling in enough money to bankroll whatever idle Uplift fever dreams we can conjure.

I'm okay taking this small leap of faith with Ami by divulging this secret to her. I don't think she'll throw us under a bus, and if she does, whatever ramifications there might be are easily mitigated. Besides, even if Ami does use the knowledge of the chocolate monopoly against us, at least we'll know that we can't trust her --at least, not where it doesn't involve Keiko.
 
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Consider reminding Hazou to not dominate the conversation with only what he wants to talk about. Although if you want to avoid Ami taking control of conversation since social mastermind that makes sense too.

I dunno if I actually want this so I'm not voting for it yet. But thought I'd put it out there
[] Action Plan: HazouPilot
Have Mari check over the plan

Ami is smart, so don't accidentally leak FOOM.
Mutual hair-braiding
Hand Ami a post-interaction survey
Hazoupilot the rest
 
Noumero said:
Set up an 5SB-supported platform at the top of the tallest tree you can find around Leaf. (That isn't in a restricted area or something.)
  • Note: not a sky-platform.
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What's the difference between a skytower (a 5SB-supported platform in midair) and a 5SB-supported platform at the top of the tallest tree you can find?
 
Kiba said:
No. If we don't make the chocolate monopoly a success, we're royally fucked.
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...We are? We have a mountain range's worth of money leftover from Jiraiya, and a smaller mountain left over from the chocolate monopoly. So we have enough to bankroll our current stuff, along with the formation of a mining town --which will further supplement the Goketsu income, even if we don't figure out how to make chakra metal. And if the chocolate farmers are out of jobs, we can just offer them farming jobs in the mining town with pre-fertilized fields, via Till'n'Fills. Unless there's a political reason that I'm not thinking of, we should be relatively okay.

Wait, did Mari do anything sketchy? I vaguely remember that she coordinated with Gaku to arrange for a landslide or something, but I don't see how that would lead to the Goketsu being completely fucked if we don't reestablish a chocolate monopoly.
 
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RandomOTP said:
...We are? We have a mountain range's worth of money leftover from Jiraiya, and a smaller mountain left over from the chocolate monopoly. So we have enough to bankroll our current stuff, along with the formation of a mining town --which will further supplement the Goketsu income, even if we don't figure out how to make chakra metal. And if the chocolate farmers are out of jobs, we can just offer them farming jobs in the mining town with pre-fertilized fields, via Till'n'Fills. Unless there's a political reason that I'm not thinking of, we should be relatively okay.

Wait, did Mari do anything sketchy? I vaguely remember that she coordinated with Gaku to arrange for a landslide or something, but I don't see how that would lead to the Goketsu being completely fucked if we don't reestablish a chocolate monopoly.
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No. We don't. At least not nearly enough. We are engaging in printing money to cover the difference.
 
Kiba said:
No. We don't. At least not nearly enough. We are engaging in printing money to cover the difference.
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We are? Shit. Fair point. We should probably get on that. Securing our chocolate monopoly is a good start. Then we need to branch out some more, to keep our financial situation from being easily targeted. Citrus Trade to add to alcohol? Salt stacks? Ice trade? We could probably do most of the Iron Mine off screen by hiring Till'n'Fills or, to save money, by sending some of Team Uplift to do it while Hazou focuses on other stuff.

The Iron Mine will eventually bring in a lot of money, but we'll need to set up stuff to help us in the interim. The Jaybird isn't making money right now, do you think Mari could help with that? Spin some PR, maybe introduce more Leaf-specific stuff to their menu? Reduce the amount of Mist meals that could (easily) be cooked improperly? Once we get the Goketsu Town's farms up and running, we'll be able to cut our food costs by using their surpluses to supplement the Jaybird's food usage.

Once Kagome's done decrypting Jiraiya's notes, that'll free up Akane to do missions and Kagome could... sell non-secret seals?
 
Kiba said:
On a given day per month, let's open Goketsu cafeteria to the entire community at large, including foreigners, in akin to the Sikh tradition of Langar.

The idea is that a Community Meal Day serves both as a form of charity and a symbol of equality as part of the Goketsu uplift philosophy. Anybody can eat at our cafeteria, doesn't matter if they're rich or old, ninja or civilians, as long as they respect a few rules.

  • To ensure equality and fairness, each person gets one meal, not bigger or smaller.
  • They must not bring personal disputes, rudeness, and other unpleasantness into the cafeteria.
  • Everyone must wash their hands and feet before getting their food.
  • People can optionally donate, but it's not a requirement.
  • Everyone is welcome, regardless of economic status, ethnicity, gender, etc.

Why do this? Sharing a meal with someone at the table is a social event, build relationship and a sign of trust. By doing this en mass with the whole of leaf, we reinforce the identity of Leaf citizenship and shared humanity.

Plus it also breaks isolation marked by our walls by having everybody coming to us.
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In true naruto spirit let's make it a bigass ramen shop
 
ContextBot said:
Wouldn't just bringing her the favourite food while also doing the hair/braiding thing be more effective at screwing with her? Just imitating her isn't really effective.
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I'll have you know our relationship with the Yabai Café extends to well before the Ami date at Yukizome's Experimental Cuisine, so if anything, it's she who copied us. Acausally stole the idea, probably. Like with creative training! I'd call her out on that, but I can't come up with a good phrasing. Any ideas? @MMKII, anyone?

Ooh, I should call her out on acausally stealing our Seventh Path Peace plan too, while I'm at it...
She probably knows or suspects, but in case she doesn't, do we really want to tell her? This is one of the things she might screw us over, just so that her other allies might gain.
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Mari's plan included us making a billion-ryo purchase and making an even bigger deal out of the fact that the purchase was made using Gouketsu scrip. I'm pretty sure it's all public. @eaglejarl, @Velorien, @OliWhail, am I wrong?
RandomOTP said:
"Barbed wire" sounds... unnecessarily painful, and with a large chance for head wounds. Would you consider switching it out with a "garrote wire" or something similar? Doesn't really change my vote, though.
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Done.
I like this. I like that we're openly addressing Keiko's plight, and that we're working to get to a point where Hazou and Ami both agree to not (deliberately, at least) add to her struggles. Although, we might want to offer something in return for Ami's openness --she's not used to being vulnerable, and dislikes it enough that past scenes where she's been similarly vulnerable has "cost" a lot.
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I'd initially had it be an exchange, but I don't think it makes much sense. The situation is asymmetric: our goals are very public, hers deliberately kept unknown, so I don't think we need to give anything up. And that we would assist her if her goals are Uplift-adjacent is implicit in "the friction between us could be greatly ameliorated".
That said, I don't think Ami's ever actually "cashed in." So, maybe, framing their conversations in that manner is how Ami maintains a personal fiction of "this is just another political transaction like I've done a thousand times before" that she's both more comfortable with and more familiar with. Perhaps this excuse allows her to be more open with Hazou than she'd otherwise be? A sort of internalized doublethink where she knows it's just an excuse but keeps doing it anyway because that's the only way that she can allow herself to be vulnerable? It sounds as reasonable as anything else, when it comes to Ami.
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That was my reasoning, yes. It's reassuring that it came across.
eaglejarl said:
What's the difference between a skytower (a 5SB-supported platform in midair) and a 5SB-supported platform at the top of the tallest tree you can find?
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A skytower entirely lacks foundation due to the use of ninja wire in the construction process, allowing it to be nearly invisible, unassailable, and set an at arbitrary height, whereas a simple platform would be visibly connected to the tree, and restricted thereby. Unless I'm misunderstanding something?
Kiba said:
Why are we leaking our various plots to Ami?
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I mean, what else are we going to small-talk with her about? But fair enough, I tweaked that section.
Noumero said:
[x] This Plan Secretly Aims to Kill Ami by Feeding Her to a Sky Squid. (Don't Tell Hazou!)
Word count: 478
  • Prepare with Mari. Compare your conclusions with Mari's knowledge.
  • Note: Ami'll probably know the meeting is caused by Keiko wanting you to trust Ami because of some new development. Tacitly let it stay in context.
    • Precommit to avoid elaborating. Terminate the meeting if she starts digging.
  • Goal: Progress towards developing trust and learning her priorities.
    • Expectation management: It's unlikely you'll be able to take any answer she gives at face value.
  • Arrangements:
    • Set up an 5SB-supported platform at the top of the tallest tree around Leaf. (Provided it isn't in a restricted area.)
      • Not a skytower.
      • Anti-Hyuuga seal + Air Dome against wind and eavesdropping.
      • Pros: Private. Scenic. Exciting. Reminiscent of the Battle of the Heavens. Might spot a sky squid.
    • Order food from the Yabai Café. Commission a "creatively baked" cake.
      • If Keiko/Mari know Ami's preferences, commission her favourites.
    • Get a tabletop game with the weirdest rules. (If it needs more than two players, just play several characters simultaneously.)
      • Play it as you talk.
    • Bring garotte wire. Practice braiding it into hair beforehand.
  • Meeting:
    • She likes enigmatic questions. Open with one:
      • "If you could have anything you want, but you don't know what you want, what do you take?"
    • Onto the topic: Keiko's loyalties are divided between three factions now, which is causing her stress. You suspect two of these factions have goals flexible and compatible enough that the friction between them could be greatly ameliorated. Ami's the only one who knows if it's so. Would she be willing to give up the advantage of unpredictability against you?
    • If she refuses to share her goals, or gives a suspiciously convenient answer:
      • You think she doesn't have a specific goal. She's shooting for the stars because standing still has fatal opportunity costs, but her only object-level priorities are freedom and power — so that, if she ever decides what she wants, she'll be able to make it happen. In the meantime, she chooses to be disassociated from everything, "numb to love and hate", because attachments bridle her.
      • You can work with that. At least, it ensures that she's unlikely to work against you while you remain Keiko's family and in power; you have no plans of losing either status.
      • If she's ever interested in a discussion about the meaning of life and an individual's place in the universe, she knows where to find you.
    • Anyway, how about that mutual hair-braiding? You grew it out and brought some wire and everything.
      • You're considering adding hair ornaments with small seals slotted in...
      • She owes you a souvenir!
      • Small-talk about your miscellaneous plots. You recently ran into this annoying Hyuuga/Minami conflict when working on the Seventh Path trade network...
        • And no, you don't have to pay her royalties, you'd arrived at the idea independently, and before her. What was that about "summoners have the right to", by the way?
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