- Location
- United States
[X] It's important to keep up with the biggest players. Make your way to the Luo attendee and chat a bit about history and current events, perhaps speaking to the Golden Fields as well about their own problems in the south.
Got an extra space in the bracket there.[ X] You are in the rare position of being the center of this whole gathering, being the sellers of this auctions lots, perhaps it is better to only lightly mingle and instead see who comes to you. It may be more revealing than making advances yourself
We don't really know who the mystery friend is either. They are on the mailing list that Ling Qi has started, made up of a list of names provided by Meizhen's dad, and that is our connection to them. We know they are a court clan member and that they are here. Ling Qi likely knows more because she has read the actual list, but we don't know much more.Am I the only one who already forgot who this mystery friend is? 😂 I also keep forgetting who's a Count vs Viscount. The only thing I'm sure of is LQ is Baron and CRX is Ducal heir and then there's a bunch of levels in between. Are Meng and Luo considered Counts or something else?
It wasn't that long ago that Ling Qi's own opinion of courts were the same as Xia Lin's. She's grown much more comfortable with socializing in these last few months but even here she wanted to check that the auction hadn't pocketed any of her wares. Honestly these two are again closer than they might realize and I kind of like that this has become a common occurrence."I suppose that kind of distance is inappropriate, after smiting a corpse immortal together," Xia Lin said absently, turning an assessing gaze over the other guests. She looked like she was assessing danger in the wilderness instead of measuring a gala full of civilians even now.
And here Xia Lin goes deferential to Ling Qi again. This too feels like a retreading of our last adventure with her, when we accepted command because we were better suited as a scout and then didn't give it back even when Xia Lin's own competencies lair-delving were preferred. The voters and perhaps Ling Qi's subconsciousness decided that they'd rather have Ling Qi in charge then and it seems we're seeing the effects of that decision here, as Ling Qi rationalizes Xia Lin's general deference as incidental rather than realize she never corrected their dynamic.Ling Qi blinked slowly as she came to realize something. Xia Lin was looking to her for marching orders. In this pairing, she was the more expert at social business.
Stop laughing, Sixiang, she thought sourly.