agentlelog | [open] april influence jobs

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[open] april influence jobs

Who: Ren Suzugamori and you!
When: Early April
Where: The ports and wherever food distribution is happening
What: Influence jobs (Sharing is Caring and Rumour Has It) + catchall if anyone wants to plot anything else
Warnings: None right now, will update if they become relevant

[a: sharing is caring]

[Ren might have been there to save the guild's workers when the power plant exploded, but he's noticed a very disappointing shift in the attitudes of the landens this month, and it's making him very reluctant to be taking their side on anything right now. Particularly when the situation of the Blood in the city's slums is well-known at this point, and people are still turning a blind eye.

Diplomacy has always been a strong point of his, though, as has been identifying the weakest links. As such, in one of the food distribution areas where guildworkers are offering food out primarily to landens while harangued-looking Blood lurk in the background in hopes of getting a chance at it, he might be caught in the midst of sweet-talking them around to his side of things.]

...there wouldn't even be this much to offer around without that gift from last month, would there? To just keep that all for yourself seems like it's just taking while giving nothing back...

[And congratulations, random Stranger, you're getting dragged into this conversation too once Ren turns his head to offer you a smile and a prompt:] Isn't that right?

--

[b: rumour has it]

[While heavy lifting is definitely not Ren's strong point, the whole "dawn training" business that's been insisted on while he lives with the court has definitely done a little bit for his strength and stamina by this point. As such, while he still doesn't like hard work, the offer of information from the sailors is a little too hard to resist.

That said, lifting crates by himself is not quite as easy as he expected it to be, and as soon as he spots any other Strangers hanging around the port area, he'll lean his crate against something briefly to wave a hand.] Hey, hey, sorry to ask, but could you help me with this? It's kind of awkward to carry when I can't see where I'm going...

[It's definitely big enough to be obscuring his sight, and there's a lot of rope and net and such like here to potentially trip over.]

--

[c: wildcard]

[[If you want to plot something else (potentially with dawn training or Ren trying to train his craft up a little bit before something else nasty happens), feel free to hit me up by PM or at

reviseleviathan!]]

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Yeah, no problem.

[She really doesn't want to, having headed down here to make sure there's nothing amiss going on, but since she's here and he asked, she's going to lend a hand. It won't kill her to help and it saves her from being bored by the lack of problems going on.]

Just helping though, I'm not carrying it for you.

[She says this like she definitely could carry it all by herself without a problem.]

[She sure does sound like that, though Ren's not quite rude enough to try and dump all his work on someone he's never met before. That's reserved for people he knows well already.

That said, he definitely doesn't hesitate to turn towards her in a way that's essentially offering the other end of the crate out for her to support.] Mmm, I figured...it's kind of awkwardly sized for one person to carry anyway, don't you think? I wonder how those people do this sort of thing every time they get to a port...

[Maybe because they're considerably burlier than Ren's rather slight frame is, but hey, the obvious answer is boring.]

Good question.

[She looks over at the dockworkers while she moves over to take her side of the crate.]

Never really thought about it. They probably know a bunch of ways to do this and not hurt themselves.

I guess if they do it all the time... [Ren seems very ready to get moving again once Mordred takes her end of the crate, because the faster it's done, the faster he gets to be doing something that's not carrying crates.]

You look like you're better at this sort of thing than me, at least. Or, you know, like you're actually used to lifting heavy stuff.

Don't be getting the wrong idea. I don't carry crap like this all the time.

[Which he probably wasn't since he clarified, but Mordred's mouth beat her brain to the punch there.]

But a knight's got to be able to do some heavy lifting though.

Oh, you're a knight? That's pretty interesting... [Ren has a lot of reason to like knights, honestly, so he looks pretty pleased with the revelation that Mordred is one.]

Doesn't armour sort of count as heavy stuff to lift, though? And swords and shields, if they're big enough...

Yeah, but that's different. And you usually wear armor, you don't have to carry it and walk around with it like this.

[..it's still heavy and not really different, but there's apparently a distinction between that and lugging a crate around in Mordred's mind.]

Still, it's heavy and you have to walk around with it, right? That's similar even if it's not totally the same.

[They're getting close to where the sailors are stacking up their crates by now, and Ren leans around the box a bit to try and see it more clearly.] I hope we don't have to lift this too high...

Nah, trust me. You spend all your time in armor and you're not going to think of it this way.

[Most knights probably don't spend all their time in armor, but Mordred's situation was a little different.]

If we do, I can manage it.

[She's peeking around the side of the crate looking over at it. She's pretty sure she can do it. Maybe like 80% sure, but she's going to act like she's more certain about it.]

Mmm, I guess I'll have to take your word for it... [Ren actually has worn armour, technically, but he's usually using someone else's body when he does it. And also a lot of the armour weight is in the slightly overdramatic accoutrements to it, like the shoulder pads.

In any case, he does not at all have a problem with Mordred's suggestion, even if he frowns a little in thought just for appearance's sake.] Are you sure...? I can help if you want...

Yeah, it's fine.

[She'll tug the crate away, showing she can carry it by herself. One of the perks of being a servant and mostly using her jewel for offense.]

Just guide me on this one, all right? I don't want to trip and drop this everywhere.

[She doesn't want to make an idiot out of herself. Or drop the crate on Ren, that'd be bad.]

[Ren happily lifts his hands from the crate when she pulls it away. He's definitely not used to this kind of hard work, so the less he has to do, the better as far as he's concerned.]

That's fine, hang on... [He goes around to the side a bit so he can see where she needs to go.] If you rotate like this-- [He makes a gesture with his arm to indicate the direction she needs to be facing, a bit to the left.] --and then go straight forward, you should be okay. The crates there are just a tiny bit higher than where you're holding it.

All right.

[She'll turn it, move forward and place it. It's not perfect, but easy enough for them to nudge into place. And Mordred seems oblivious to the fact that she just said she'd help carry but ended up being the one putting it into place.]

There we go. Perfect.

[More or less.]

[ The more Piper finds out about this place, the more legitimate wrongs on both sides appear. Seeing the landens deliberately hold back food while the Blood are going hungry (not starving, not yet, but hungry) does not make her very happy. How are they going to make any progress at all if they're constantly trying to one up each other and not even trying to come together?

So, yes, persuading people is something she's good at and yes, she's decided to talk to the landens and so she doesn't mind getting pulled into this conversation at all. ]

He's got a good point. And just think of how good you'll look when you start to share with the Blood. It will really show just how necessary and important the landen are to Dreaga.

[Oh good, someone who knows what they're doing. Ren had been a little worried he'd end up with someone who wouldn't play along, but as far as passers-by go, he feels like Piper is a pretty lucky catch, all things considered.

It might be a little obvious that Ren's already chosen people who looked like they might be more inclined to be talked into sharing, because a few of them are already glancing at each other uncertainly. One of them seems like they're trying to stand their ground for the moment, though, and makes a gesture towards the nearby Blood. "How do we know they're not going to take advantage of us once we start giving it out evenly? It's not like they care about what happens to us either."

Ren frowns a little at that - it gives him the impression they couldn't really come up with a good argument, which is good, but now someone's just arguing for the sake of arguing.] If they can't take advantage of you now when they're desperate for food, why would they be able to if you share it...? With how things are here, you know what people can be like when they're desperate, right? Honestly, sharing it out seems safer for both groups.

[ Piper shrugs a little and nods since Ren is making an excellent point. She carefully makes eye contact with the other two landen. ]

And no one's suggesting you just give them the food. They have money. They should pay. [ And the price you set, would be her implication. So who's the one with the opportunity to take advantage? ] You don't need to be afraid, especially if you strike a deal.

[Ren gives a slight hum of agreement to that, nodding along with Piper's remark. The holdout landen definitely looks a bit sour still, like they're trying to find an argument.]

A deal doesn't need to be money, either...a favour, or protection from other Blood who might cause trouble...there's a lot of options, right?

[While the other two are looking a bit more convinced, that just launches the third back onto the defensive, jabbing a finger towards the nearby Blood. "How do we know they won't just come back with friends?"

At that, Ren takes a moment to just look at their surroundings. Primarily landens, with any Blood in the area looking furtive and like they'd rather be anywhere else.] I don't know if you've noticed, but the landens have been lashing out a lot against the Blood recently...I don't think anyone wants to stir that kind of trouble over one food handout. Do you?

Especially not if you give them a good deal and make a profit. [ Piper adds, shifting her gaze to the hold out. She does not grab hold of her power, but she does smile at him. There's power in that kind of smile from a beautiful girl, the kind that says: You are so smart and clever and I just appreciate how amazing you are. ] Then you'd want them to come back, right? And bring their friends. But if you'd like, I don't mind standing witness to see you drive the bargain.

[ A glance at Ren. ] Do mind?

[ Come on, then you'd get to havetwo strangers as witness, that'd definitely count for something. ]

[Ren shakes his head at Piper's prompt.] Oh, I definitely don't mind. Especially if it would put everyone's mind at ease.

[The combination of the two Strangers and Piper's charm tactic against the one holding out seems to have shifted things against him a bit, and the guy finally relents, still looking a little sour, but waving a hand like it suddenly doesn't matter to him for reasons that have nothing to do with this discussion. It's such a transparent attempt to keep his pride intact that Ren would almost laugh if he had less self-control.

"Fine, whatever...let them get in line, then. You don't have a problem with that, right?"

Even as he says that, the two other landens start waving the nearby Blood over, and though their motions are hesitant, they come to join the line.]

Well, first people first just makes sense, though I feel like some of them have been here for a while... [Still, at least they're getting a shot at it before any other landens show up.]

[ Petty power plays and keeping food from hungry people - Piper's liking this whole thing less and less. She's careful not to let her irritation show, but this was just ridiculous. Oh well, at least the other two were waving the Blood over -- and they might have jewels, but it seemed like they had little else to recommend them in terms of power.

It was definitely good that they were sticking around to make sure they'd be charged something they could actually afford.

She tells herself to reinforce the positive changes she sees and try to continue to ease the way. ]

Yes, it's good to have them join in line. [ A smile, a nod. ] After all, everyone is coming to you for help. It's a good idea to have them all join together.

[Ren isn't impressed either, but making that obvious is just going to make them look biased when things are as sensitive as they are, and he doesn't want to end up complicating the situation further. As it is, he waves to anyone else who seems to be coming in this direction for food as well, and directs them to join the line regardless of if they look to be Blood or landen.]

Right, right, it's the easiest way to do it, isn't it? That way there isn't going to be any more of a misunderstanding.

[That said, most of the landens don't seem to be paying much for their share of the food, and Ren makes a note of that as the Blood get closer to the front of the line. He's curious how much trouble they're going to have preventing any extortion here.]

Oh, it looks like you've set a good price for your regulars~ [The smiles the two non-sour landens offer him at that are definitely a little bit awkward, like they're starting to realise the scrutiny this will be under.]

[ Yup. Piper'd brought up that they should be able to make a good deal, but making a profit and wiping the Blood out who are obviously in need are two Very Different things. It wasn't something she'd thought of immediately, put she picks it up now that Ren is hinting at it. So she smiles brightly, Interested and Impressed (and it's a little bit like nails clawing on a chalkboard to do it like this in the back of her mind, but she knows it works, and so...). ]

Yeah, that's really impressive. Do you make profit off of each item, or only when you sell them in bulk? [ And how much profit? What's a fair price here? ]

[Ren is quietly thankful that he's lucked out on someone who doesn't need him to basically flash a neon sign to pick up on his cues, and smiles gently to join in with Piper's interested air. While the landen who'd been resistant earlier suddenly looks curiously tight-lipped, one of the other two pipes up.

"In bulk usually gets us a little less, actually...we have to at least make enough to get back what the farmers charge in the first place, which can be a lot when things are this scarce. But you start to learn which people don't have much to give if they come to you often, so we try to do what we can."

Definitely a good choice of initial target, Ren thinks, and he gives a bit of a bouncy nod.] Oh, that's nice of you to support them like that. Do you get to know all of the people around here like that, or just certain ones...?

[In other words, is it just the landens, but he feels like that would probably seem a bit too loaded.]

[ Piper nods at the landen's answer, listening attentively. The landens in line seem to be confident that they'll be able to get what they need, which is good. The Blood who've only recently joined are tense... she hopes they're not combative when their turn comes.

She understand's Ren's question, but feels like making it specific toward the Blood would probably just draw the wrong kind of attention, so she decides to affirm the Guild's helpfulness instead. The landen who'd been giving them 'reasons' to not allow the Blood access to food looked as if he was chewing something sour, and she didn't want to give him a chance to start talking again. ]

That is really amazing of you. And I'm sure they try to pay back what they can, I've noticed people here take that really seriously.

[Direct or not, it seems like the landens run into the implication of Ren's question on their way to an answer, because it comes out somewhat awkwardly. "Well, naturally we tend to know the landens better because they come around here more...b-but I'm sure if the Blood come back regularly too, we'll know more about them! I don't think anyone here really expects to get anything for free, though, not with how scarce things can get."

They seem to be understanding the situation more with their own words, at least, and glance towards the Blood approaching the front of the line. The sour one looks like he might be thinking about opening his mouth again at that, so Ren jumps in first.]

Of course, only criminals and stuff are going to try and get things completely free in that situation, aren't they? Even if people are trying to get by with what they have, I think everyone understands what the situation is like here, whether they're landen or Blood. Nobody can make food from nothing, after all.

[Sourpuss bites his tongue with a somewhat sullen look and turns away, like Ren just stepped on a significant part of whatever his argument was about to be.]

[ Piper can tell that the sour one really isn't happy with how this is going, but he's willing to go along because the other landen are. Besides, the steady pressure and redirection Ren is applying seems to be working, and he's not being given a chance to try and spoil things. She can only try to keep encouraging the good choices. ]

And it shouldn't be so bad yet that people won't be able to give anything. [ Piper gives the landen an encouraging smile. ] Plus, it's only fair that you get something in return for all your work. I've been bartering working for people when I can't afford something here. It's been working out pretty well so far.

[Molly's tried straight diplomacy before, but given his carnie bullshit, it hasn't worked. Ren seems to be doing what only Fjord has shown significant skill in, so of course when he's dragged in, he falls into the rhythm.]

It was really kind of Fayura to offer her own blood, wasn't it? Just think... Next year she might just decide not to because of all the greed, and if the crops fail, everyone will suffer. And that's just awful.

[He's trying so hard. He just... always sounds like he's trying to sell sketchy beauty projects at a mall kiosk.]

[On one hand, Ren's definitely already targeted people he thought were likely to cave easily, considering they already look a little uneasy about their life choices. On the other...Molly's tone is definitely getting a bit of a side-eye from them, though Ren just rolls with it, nodding along seriously.]

The gift was meant to help everyone - and everyone helped out with it too, right? That included the Blood. Everyone wanted a good harvest, and now only half of the people who contributed are getting anything back. Does that seem fair to you?

[One of them is definitely rubbing their arm a little awkwardly at that, and a few of the others don't quite want to meet their gaze. "It's hardly fair what the Blood have been doing to us either, though, is it?"]

[Fairness is how Molly rolls, which is why he doesn't like this Us vs Them mentality in Draega. It rubs him raw and it's going to irritate him if he's constantly forced to have to pick a side.]

And as unbiased third parties, we've tried to keep the balance between all of you. We're doing our best to keep things balanced.

[This, at least, doesn't sound like carnie bullshit. It just sounds like Molly is deeply exasperated.]

Edited 2019-04-20 19:59 (UTC)

[Ren frowns a bit at that too, nodding his head. He hasn't even been here that long, and trying to keep the peace here without giving one side too much advantage has been exhausting and unproductive.]

Mmm, things are just going to keep going in cycles of retaliation if you guys don't try to support each other a little, right? If you're not sympathetic to them when you're holding the cards, why would they be in return when they are? Someone has to be the bigger person.

[That has a few of them glancing at each other a tad abashedly - it doesn't entirely seem like they've had this kind of conversation with any Strangers before. "But...aren't you guys basically Blood as well? We weren't even expecting you to help us when you arrived here."]

[Molly clutches the pendant around his neck- not for the first time since he's arrived, it's felt like more like the albatross in the story about the Mariner and the Stormlord. He doesn't like privilege, and having it is a responsibility.

But he sees that they have their ear, and Molly isn't going to be cowed now.]

Privilege is something that happens to people sometimes. If you use it to lord over people or treat them unfairly or just be a fucking dick, you deserve whatever comes of that. But you don't punish an entire group of people because a couple of them are arseholes. If one Blood treats you like shit then maybe that person doesn't deserve their share until they can learn something.

[If nothing else, it seems the straightforward phrasing Molly comes at it with gets their understanding - one of them opens their mouth like they're going to interrupt, and then closes it again as if they can't quite get their head around how to respond to that.

While they're still looking a bit thrown, Ren slides in on the tail-end of Molly's speech.] So, then the question is: have any of these people done anything to you that means they should suffer through not getting their fair share...?

[That definitely gets some faces looking like they don't actually want to respond to that in the positive, but eventually one of them caves. "I...I guess not. Though if you wouldn't mind hanging out a bit to make sure nothing happens..."

They glance slightly uneasily at some of the nearby Blood - they seem to have just realised that the ones who are aware of how unfair they've been so far might have more reason to retaliate.]

[Molly breathes a sigh of relief. When all else fails, there's nothing wrong with some good old-fashioned compromise. And it helps that Molly agrees with that sentiment. It's the core of his morality.

He turns towards the Blood, and very pointedly adds, in case they get Ideas about twisting his words:] Let's... just start this back over from scratch. You're going home with food and you'll have food tomorrow, and that's worth something.

[While the Blood look a little dubious about the whole thing, it does seem like they realise that the potential benefits of cooperating with this outweigh the benefits of retaliation, especially with two Strangers present. So they nod a little curtly and go to join the line of people receiving their food.]

We'll stay around this time to make sure everything goes okay, but I'm sure you can all keep this going on your own after today, right? Especially if everyone has an understanding of the situation.

[Like the Blood spreading the word that these people will treat them equally if they're not menaced in return. Maybe some of the other people distributing the food will take a hint.]

[Molly relaxes visibly, but there's still some doubt in his expression like he's concerned that the second he turns his back all hell will break loose, but... That's not really his problem, is it? He did his part.

...Gods, it's so gonna end up being his problem.

As the situation starts to turn itself around, Molly turns to Ren.] What d'you think? Think it'll take? I think we made fairly decent arguments.

[Ren turns to him as well so the conversation is a bit more private, considering he figures it might be rude to just talk about that sort of thing loudly within earshot.]

I think it kind of depends on what kind of stuff they hear after this...they all seem to get it, but sometimes even if people understand something, they're happy to let it get contradicted again. But the ones here right now seem like they'll probably be okay to stick with it.

[It just kind of depends on the people they bring and the external influences.]

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[open] april influence jobs

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a: sharing is caring

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sorry, got stuck here for a bit

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a.

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