Honestly whilst Ling Daiyu seems shallow I wouldn't necessarily write her off; at least I don't think we should right now.
I believe Song Chyou when she says Daiyu bullied her, but I'm wary of excluding her and Lao Ai from this group on that basis. It could end up polarising relations even more.
If we let her join the group, then she shouldn't start any shit there, otherwise I imagine Yang Genji would smack it down. And as far as her character goes I'm skeptical of the idea that she's not treating Lao Ai well. She's been consistently genuinely supportive of her (publically so), and the makeup thing is hardly a mark against her?
I think we can let her join without it blowing up, and the risk would be worth getting Lao Ai as well.
....
Lao Ai seemed to resolve herself. "I will do it on one condition. If Ling Daiyu can join us."
[ ] Lao Ai would be a valuable contribution. Invite Ling Daiyu to the group. How bad could she actually be?
[ ] Ling Daiyu would be a distraction. Lose her and Lao Ai. Lose whatever bonus that Lao Ai would give to the group.
+2 Successes to Persuasion Progression.
Depending on some rolls in the study group action, it might not be there. The action will (likely) be there by the 8th update, with its attendant bonuses.
aka either we don't invite her then there are rolls to see if she sabotages the study group because she is vindictive for not being allowed to join, or she joins and there are rolls to either see how bad she actually is and whether that ruins the group, or she is bad and there are rolls to see how well we can manage her to stop the study group for imploding.
I don't think the former is too likely, she might take it as something of a personal slight if we turn lao ai down because she is requiring daiyu's attendance. But the implications here are that if we reject her our study group is slightly less effective than it could be because lao ai is a valuable person to have on the team, but there is no risk of the study group imploding. Versus if we allow her to come, then there will be social rolls of some kind, likely preventing conflicts that Ling daiyu causes for some reason or another and
IF we roll well then the study group will be better off for it in the long run. However if we roll poorly then the study group may not be an option anymore.
And i'm not knocking her supporting ao lai on its own, but drawing conjecture based on what little we've heard. I do think it is pretty obvious that she is trying to turn Lao Ai into her coat tail though. Which tbh i think is kinda normal for awakened to do with mortals it seems. Which is another point, Daiyu bullied chyou despite the fact she was awakened with the insult of and I quote"
"No, I don't. There're hardly any farmers here, and the ones that are don't like me because I'm Awakened. There's hardly anyone here from the Vermillion Plains! Everyone thinks I'm a country bumpkin, and everyone I talk to thinks I'm annoying." A sob. "They make fun of the way I look and the way I talk." She looked on the verge of tears again, "They don't even try to hide it! The nobles treat me like I'm worse than doggy poo. And that Ling Daiyu. She's so mean! I hate her! She called me a fatty piggy!"
She insulted the fact that Chyou is basically ugly. Now we don't know exactly why she did that. Perhaps Chyou overstepped cultural norms for nobles by getting too friendly with a noble despite being a country peasant. But between all the stuff we know about her it seems likely that Daiyu values physical beauty very highly based on her insults, her own beauty and the fact that she is paying for makeup for her own hopeful lackey.
Between all we've heard of her so far, she doesn't seem like a pleasant person. And given all the insinuations and information about her we really shouldn't invite her to the study club.
And really if we are trying to be friends with chyou, isn't it pretty rude to not only exclude her from our private study group intentionally, but also invite the person who bullied her and that she hates? Like if nothing else why cozy up to a known bully?
