Let's look at our options and how they would affect our building war against the pig nation.
[] start developing an information network. (free rumor roll (1d100) once per month. Low rolls may not reveal anything.)
That will give us varied amounts of knowledge on the pigs actions. It will then be on us to spend actions to try and counteract their plans.
This will give us an unknown amount of people to try and recruit. We would need to review them to see if they are worth the effort, if so we would then spend actions/money to recruit them.
[] develop a rhetorical framework for debate. (provides a situational bonus to convincing neutral parties to support or at least abstain from the competition between Quan Jia and Liu Lifen. Bonus may be lessened or negated by pre-existing prejudice.)
This creates weapons to damage the credibility of the pig. The effectiveness and opportunities to use it varies by unknown amounts.
I personally feel action is better then reaction. And building ourself up is more consistent then tearing the other person down.
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
This seems best suited for Quan Jia to take advantage of, though it'll only add to the AP hell.
So, the first month in and we have set up a really nice social base to leverage into securing breathing room for our friends. Two nobles in our corner against Luo Lifen's social attempts is really great for us. Additionally, we've set up our cultivation to start making some serious gains in cultivation should we put some effort into it.
I think we've set up our time at the Sect to be very productive!
Also, I'm voting for!
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] develop a rhetorical framework for debate. (provides a situational bonus to convincing neutral parties to support or at least abstain from the competition between Quan Jia and Liu Lifen. Bonus may be lessened or negated by pre-existing prejudice.)
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
While it is true that these people may not be powerful or influential there is strength in numbers. They may not be able to attack the pig, but stalling is winning for us. Buying time for our friend to blaze forward is ideal.
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] develop a rhetorical framework for debate. (provides a situational bonus to convincing neutral parties to support or at least abstain from the competition between Quan Jia and Liu Lifen. Bonus may be lessened or negated by pre-existing prejudice.)
Scheduled vote count started by dmclain2 on May 3, 2021 at 2:30 PM, finished with 17 posts and 15 votes.
[X] start investigating promising individuals. (identifies individuals that are predisposed to support Xiao Lien and Quan Jia. Individuals identified may not be powerful or influential.).
[X] develop a rhetorical framework for debate. (provides a situational bonus to convincing neutral parties to support or at least abstain from the competition between Quan Jia and Liu Lifen. Bonus may be lessened or negated by pre-existing prejudice.)
-[] Though it would be hard for anyone else to tell, Mei Mei was clearly being even more sarcastic than normal. It was time for Quan Jia to drag her off for a spa day. This wasn't because I keep grounding her, right?
Planning a spa day for Mei Mei was surprisingly more difficult than it had seemed. It was after all a Mei Mei kind of task, but she could hardly send her attendant off to plan her own day off… what kind of surprise would that be? Her maids, while cute, lacked a certain… go places and demand people do things for you, so they were out too. Xiao Lien was back in front of that mirror and had been no help… though she had a plan for that too. That had left Quan Jia to arrange things on her own.
Her first thought had been one of the parlors in the sect, but the image of Mei Mei terrifying a poor servant just wouldn't leave her head, so she'd had to scrap that idea. It was also probably for the best, Mei Mei didn't really like other people touching her anyways. Her next thought had been one of the tea-houses in the mushroom town, but again had to discard it. Mei Mei would spend too much time being formal and pouring tea… and not relaxing at all. Her final thought had been to wander around and try and find a good place to relax, unfortunately that had failed too… it seemed that fate didn't want Mei Mei to relax.
Hmph... I'll show Fate…
Still, her particular quandary had shown no particular signs of solution, and may have unacceptably resulted in failure if not for creepy guy:
Tang Huan, looking surprisingly not creepy in a flamboyantly red robe the sleeves embroidered with sinuous golden dragons tilts a wide brimmed hat back and frowns down at her, "so you're looking for a hot spring or something?"
"Right," she nods, loose blonde hair shaking with the motion. "Something quiet, secluded… moonlit maybe, ooh since it's spring maybe some cherry petals too…"
"My, the precociousness of the younger generations, to throw off the shackles of tradition like this," he muses, rubbing at some scrabbly looking facial hair. "Well, I can think of only one place that matches the… ambience for a night like the one you're suggesting..."
"Hmm," she frowns slightly as he trails off into silence, "creepy guys shouldn't be mysterious like this… keeping secrets is totally not cool."
"Oh," he grins, a sly look crossing his face, "but the last time I invited Quan Jia into a secret she cleaned out some good friends' purses."
"Wasn't that what Tang Huan wanted though?" she tilts her head in a mockery of innocent curiosity.
"Perhaps if my own purse had been left untouched," he continues to grin, looking expectant.
"So not cool," she pouts, and sighs when it does nothing. "Oh fine… so what do you want?"
"Nothing major," his grin rather belies the sentiment in his words, "just company for a party on the equinox…"
"Is creepy guy looking for a date?" she wonders, "he should know that Mei Mei is most exacting on proper behavior…"
"One can only imagine," he shivers in a way that is not entirely exaggerated, "however, I promise I have only the best of intentions in mind."
"That sounds exactly like something someone with not so good intentions would say," she grins, only slightly mockingly.
"It seems tragic that my good name and intentions have been irrevocably besmirched in my favorite first year disciple's eyes," he sighs, looking forlorn. "Perhaps instead just a promise that she will consider the offer when it comes?"
"The things I do for Mei Mei," she mutters and then nods, "ok, creepy guy can ask and I won't just have him chased off…"
"Your consideration warms my soul," he bows, flourishing both robe and hat in a rather impressive gesture, "in that case, you'll want to go…"
Quan Jia looks around at the place she had been directed to. Steam rises from crystal clear water as it pools in a small covered alcove before cascading down the cliffside. A single, ancient, cherry tree in full bloom sheds a gentle rain of pink petals onto stone and water. Trays float in the calm water, filled with a delightful mix of foods made by her favorite frowny chef. The reflection of the full moon shone with a pale radiance from the center of the pool while soft rays of luminescent moonlight bathed everything in a gauzy, unfocused, light. Creepy guy had really come through... perhaps she would have to listen to his invitation after all.
Just two things remained, and to address the first, she materializes a special set of water-proofed Comfy Cushions and arranges them next to each other in the steaming pool. Can't let Mei Mei sit too far away. The second is accomplished with an elaborate but entirely necessary flourish that transforms her dress into the thin fabric of a bathing suit. With an energetic motion she flops down into the near scalding water and sighs in utter relaxation as water that would have boiled a mortal alive washes gently over her.
"Is Mei Mei going to come in," she calls out to the flickering shadow underneath the cherry tree, "or will she stay out there? This is for her after all."
"I do hope my lady normally employs more reserve when inviting people to a midnight rendezvous like this," her attendant steps out of the shadows, her own bathing suit revealing skin marked with thin silvery scars.
Poor Mei Mei, to have been marked like that…
"Sometimes you have to be direct because..." she lowers her voice to a whisper, "Mei Mei's are really stubborn and don't like to listen…"
"I but pattern myself after my lady's beneficence," her attendant lowers herself down into the water without even the slightest disturbance.
"They also like to use big words to mock their poor, innocent charges," Quan Jia continues to whisper.
"Is it mockery?" her eyebrow raises mockingly, "my lady is, after all, the sun around which all must revolve."
"Well tonight the sun will revolve around the moon," she grins and gestures and a tray, propelled by blades of sand, drifts nearby. Sand ordinarily wasn't much use in water like this, but her dream sand was as much dream as it was sand, so it wasn't much of an impediment.
"Try the green peas, frowny chef dusted them with a spicy powder," she plucks out a few, enjoying both the crunch and spice as they hit her tongue.
"Curious then that my lady selected the food choices she did, if the moon were truly to be the focus." Mei Mei murmurs, but dutifully picks out a few peas.
"No complaining until you try them." Quan Jia sing songs.
A quickly muffled laugh escapes her attendant, "that my own words should be turned so viciously against me… truly my lady is without mercy."
"You can't leave the table until you at least try them, young miss," she continues her sing-song mockery.
"To have failed so fully in my appointed task by raising such a pitiless young woman," Mei Mei mourns, pops a pea in her mouth anyway, chews, pauses, chews again, and sighs in defeat. "It's not bad, perhaps not all of Shi Yun's experiments will be as regrettable as the smoked bison and fermented cream was…"
"It was kinda cool looking at least," Quan Jia grins externally even as she blanches internally, she'd eaten it, not at all out of stubbornness, but it had been… unpleasant.
Comfortable silence falls as a girl and her moon snack on spiced peas and barley tea. After a time though, said moon raises a customary eyebrow and asks, "so was there a reason my lady invited me out here?"
[] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
[] "These past few weeks have been different haven't they?" Quan Jia asks. (delves into deeper issues, probably stressful conversation, may address roots of said stress (if there's any), roll(s) required.)
Voters have a choice here, they can attempt to dig deeper into why Liu Mei may be feeling out of sorts (if she even is), though that will require passing one or more DCs (probably high, though modified by the social score). Or this can just be a relaxing night out that will only address the symptoms of any deeper issues (if there's even any deeper issues to address) and voters can try later if they want.
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
She's been doing a lot for us so we're rewarding her. We don't exactly have time to be dumped more questlines on Quan Jia, either.
Quan is to stubborn to back down until after it bites her on the nose.
[x] "These past few weeks have been different haven't they?" Quan Jia asks. (delves into deeper issues, probably stressful conversation, may address roots of said stress (if there's any), roll(s) required.)
[X] "These past few weeks have been different haven't they?" Quan Jia asks. (delves into deeper issues, probably stressful conversation, may address roots of said stress (if there's any), roll(s) required.)
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
Probably better to let her ruminate on it, she's an adult and can presumably handle her own shit somewhat. We can bring it up later if she's still a mess - but really how embarrassing would it be to have some sixteen year old rich girl play psychologist to you? Lets spare her that.
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
She's basically our surrogate mother not just our servant but we probably should give her sometime to figure herself out anyway.
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
We have two quests already, lets wait at least to complete one until we delve ok this
[X] "These past few weeks have been different haven't they?" Quan Jia asks. (delves into deeper issues, probably stressful conversation, may address roots of said stress (if there's any), roll(s) required.)
Mei Mei is far too stubborn to say what the problem is without prompting, and I doubt she'll just let it slip out.
[X] "Do I need a reason to be around one of my favorite people?" Quan Jia asks. (Keeps conversation casual, reduces Liu Mei's stress, probably doesn't address root causes of said stress (if there's any), no roll required.)
