15[20:31] <@VoxPVoxD> The other Councilors haven't yet begun to filter in in earnest; only Gen and Kratz are at their seats, Gen absorbed in paperwork and Kratz in a headache. So Nogare speaks to Xia Lan as if they aren't even in the room. "I heard you've been very impressive in your first Council meeting." [20:34] 13Xia Lan smiles neutrally. "It isn't over yet; there's still plenty of time to ruin a perfectly good day." 13She, at least, has the good grace to look apologetic to Gen and Kratz, if they look towards the two. "Though I'm hoping my run continues," 13she adds, almost as an afterthought. 15[20:37] <@VoxPVoxD> "I look forward to seeing you work for once." [20:40] 13Ah, there it is. She waves a hand airily. "You know me, always lazing about. First day of honest work in my life." 15[20:44] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia pushes the door open, Hayle and Udelph behind her. Ephiselle lets Thalevar in and closes the doors again behind her. Nogare's steady stare lingers just a moment too long before he snaps to the other Councilors. "Thank you, my friends, for making time to hear me out. I hadn't expect you to be so prompt. I know many matters weigh heavy on you all." 15[20:46] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "Why don't we take a seat, Regent, and see if we can sustain that pace a while longer." [20:47] 13Or we could not. You know. Just an option. 15[20:47] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare sits with his sorcerer at his right hand, the pair of them along on this side of the long dining-table that seats the full eight Councilors opposite. Nogare's directly across from Pellicia. Xia Lan's directly across from the sorcerer. 15[20:47] <@VoxPVoxD> *alone on this side 15[20:49] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "Now, from what you submitted you want to renegotiate the terms of your lease in light of policy changes on our end. Is that correct?" [20:50] 13Xia Lan sits primly, listening. 15[20:52] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "Roughly. In the interests of cementing a lasting relationship with the city, we want to turn our temporary billet into a full diplomatic mission." 15[20:55] <@VoxPVoxD> Hayle: "Why?" 15[20:55] <@VoxPVoxD> Kratz: "Why now?" [20:59] 13Xia Lan: "The timing is..." 13she lingers, skipping over "transparent," "opportunistic," and similar before settling on, "...awkward." 15[20:59] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "The first reason is a simple show of faith. I want to make a commitment in words and deeds to Nexus not just in her hour of need, but in the peace beyond. And that means diplomats, it means infrastructure, it means a deep and special partnership. One of peers, not contractors." 15[21:01] <@VoxPVoxD> Gen: "Your proposal is... very scant on detail. What's your ask, and what's your bid?" [21:03] 13Stranger anticipated this. As long as that remains the case, Xia Lan can remain calm. 15[21:06] <@VoxPVoxD> Here the sorcerer produces a slim hidebound portfolio for Nogare, who opens it. "Right. First, I want to buy out Highland's lease on the buildings along the antemeridian, past the Firewander district line. I've visited the offices of the Assayer -- thank you, Master Gen, for your cooperation -- and obtained assessments on the value of the property, as well as the value of the property in the surrounding area." 15[21:06] <@VoxPVoxD> Udelph: "Those areas are unliveable." 15[21:07] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "For the moment." [21:09] 13A wrinkle. "...what?" 15[21:10] <@VoxPVoxD> "I've also taken the liberty of contracting out some projections -- again, all thanks to the city assayers -- for what the property might fetch after we've made some improvements and our presence has been felt in the city geography. I have copies..." The sorcerer hands them out silently. If Xia Lan reads hers, she'll see that the city assayers anticipate that liveable blocks in the outer blocks of Firewander could easily be ten or twenty times what they're worth now. And those are rented, to itinerant workers and people who weigh the prospect of long-term mutation against affordable rent. [21:13] 13Xia Lan: "I assume this is related to what you did with the Deliberative hall," 13she frowns as she looks over the proposal. Are there any mentions of what happens to the people who currently live there? 15[21:13] <@VoxPVoxD> No, there aren't. One expects that's par for the course with property deals in Nexus. [21:15] 13Naturally. "What of the people who currently live in those lots?" 13Then she can bring it up for them. 15[21:20] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "It is, yes. Part of what I'm offering the city is the ability to claw back some of its own territory from these ancient catastrophes. As for the current residents..." He shrugs. "That's for you to decide. If you want us to pay to relocate them, we can talk about that." 15[21:22] <@VoxPVoxD> "So our commitment is threefold. First, we commit to stabilizing the neighborhoods so they're usable again. Giving the city room to grow, which it will need with the massive influxes of investment and labor that'll come when the war is won. And with Master Gen's help, we've received outlays that tell us what we can expect these properties to be valued for a year from now, five years from now, and ten years from now. You see? We propose to buy in, right now, at the ten year outlay. A hundred times what you'd sell those properties for today." 15[21:22] <@VoxPVoxD> That provokes silence from the Council. [21:47] 13Xia Lan is the first to break it: "Of course! How very generous of you. First pickings at the spoils of Nexus before the first battle is even fought. As altruistic as your motivations may be," 13she tries very hard to keep the sarcastic tone out of "altruistic," "I'm not certain we can accept this. Such a diplomatic arrangement places Highland first in line, before the Lookshyans and the Thorns delegation - the buyin is great, [21:47] but marrying Nexus to anyone at this state is much too soon." 13And, she doesn't add, highly opportunistic; we're desperately in need of heroes, and here comes one marching in now. Who's to say this is best for Nexus, and not for Highland? 15[21:58] <@VoxPVoxD> Pellicia: "Our Emissary raises a valid point. This is precipitate. We all appreciate your confidence, Regent, but we can't broker the peace before the war is won." 15[22:00] <@VoxPVoxD> But the Dawn Sergeant meets a flurry of objections. "This peace commitment is a direct bolster to the war effort. We have to look at it through that lens," says Master Gen. 15[22:02] <@VoxPVoxD> "There's a practical consideration here, and surely we can't reject Highland simply because Thorns and Lookshy haven't made offers..." 15[22:02] <@VoxPVoxD> "If anything, this is the sort of thing that could draw matching commitments from them." [22:05] 13Xia Lan: "How eager will they be to negotiate knowing that Highland had their first choice, Minister?" 13It was the sarcasm in altruistic - overdoing it, driving a wedge... "We can't afford to show favoritism, not now." 15[22:08] <@VoxPVoxD> Gen: "It's not favoritism to meet with those who are willing to work with us. You don't see us turning Thorns or Lookshy away, and we'll be inviting them to respond. But we can't dismiss the Regent for taking the initiative. That would be to punish competence and reward indolence." [22:08] 13Xia Lan: "This is all putting the cart before the horse--" 15[22:09] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "That's not fair. While I'm grateful you don't share the Emissary's skepticism, she's certainly not advocating indolence." 15[22:09] <@VoxPVoxD> "Merely suspicion." [22:09] 13This is exactly why she was trying to stall earlier. Ugh. 15[22:09] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "If I may go on..." [22:10] 13She won't stop him. 15[22:16] <@VoxPVoxD> "There is a third component to our commitment. We've already begun to notice, as I'm sure you have, the spike in food prices. And with the prime growing season soon to be interrupted by an invasion, the war, for all my confidence, is looking like a longer, harder war." 15[22:22] <@VoxPVoxD> "We have a pipeline into the city from arable land, untouched by the war, unblocked by the army, where the growing season is already underway. Early reports are that it's going to be a very good harvest year." [22:23] 13It's hard not to see this as another avenue of tying the fortunes of Nexus to the whims of Highland, but after the first round... 15[22:26] <@VoxPVoxD> "As part of a deeper partnership, we're willing to sell our surplus food to you at cost." [22:38] 13Xia Lan: "That's assuming quite a lot of the Raksha and their designs for the city," 13she says, carefully. "What I've been told of them makes their desires seem capricious, infuriatingly unpredictable. As likely to assault the city directly and end the war in a brutal, bloody week as to besiege it 'til the winter. Have you fought them before?" 15[22:39] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "Not like this. No one living has faced a raksha horde of this magnitude before. Unless you've got the Scarlet Empress hidden in your blouse." 15[22:40] <@VoxPVoxD> "But even if we repel a quick invasion, our supplies, our manpower, will be depleted and directed to rebuilding the city. The harvest will still suffer, and we will still have mouths to feed." 15[22:40] <@VoxPVoxD> "A deal like this is good for all seasons, no matter how harsh the winter." [22:41] 13Xia Lan: "And also - I'm sure coincidentally - ties the fortunes of Highland and Nexus even tighter together," 13she notes, blandly. [22:41] 13Xia Lan: "And also - I'm sure coincidentally - ties the fortunes of Nexus even tighter to Highland," 13she notes, blandly. 15[22:44] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "Our fortunes are already tied together. That's why Highland is here at all. Nexus is the linchpin of the entire Direction. We stand and fight together. We win together. And together we prosper." 15[22:48] <@VoxPVoxD> "I can't pretend this arrangement doesn't advance the cause of Highland. Why else would I be here? But it's not at the expense of Nexus." 15[22:48] <@VoxPVoxD> "All I hear are philosophical objections to a practical solution." 15[22:49] <@VoxPVoxD> "That we shouldn't pursue these arrangements because... because what. We might hurt Thorns's feelings?" [22:58] 13Xia Lan: "No, because I suspect these arrangements are far more favorable to Highland, in the end, than they are to Nexus, and - should we survive the war, which as yet is undecided - we will find our city tied inextricably to you. Nexus has been a crossroads of civilization for far too long to immediately jump into bed with the first group to come along and ask for it. You seek exceptions to our system of justice, propose to [22:58] become our most trusted friend and ally in our hour of need, and we are to expect you to be a charity? No, Prince-Regent, your offers come at a price that Nexus cannot afford to pay." 15[22:58] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare: "And that price is what?" [23:19] 13Xia Lan: "The price is Nexus." 13She pauses for effect, then elaborates: "When I first came here, I didn't expect to fall in love with the place. Nexus was - a stop on the road. No idea where I would end up. And yet here I am, on its council, arguing to save it." 13Contrary though that may appear. "Nexus is a place where people, where institutions can flourish, truly. To become whatever they are capable of. And an [23:19] arrangement like Highland is asking for is fundamentally opposed to that." [23:19] 13She continues. "The scales of Nexus tilt only towards those of sufficient power or wealth to tilt them. Nexus does not care who you are, or who you were, or what country you are from - and an arrangement like Highland is proposing is fundamentally obscene. The previous Emissary, Sun rest him, would have flown into a rage at the mere suggestion. I, meanwhile, am only saddened." [23:19] 13This is a hell of a fucking speech. "The assistance from Highland is welcome. But it cannot come at the cost of Nexus's identity. We have two additional parties in the city who are willing to obey our laws, who are invested in our defense, and Highland is welcome to remain among their number. But if they wish to partake in the glory of victory, they should do it as those truly interested in Nexus - not in what they want Nexus to [23:19] become." 15[23:42] <@VoxPVoxD> The Council is sharply divided by Xia Lan's stirring speech. It might dishearten Xia Lan, but she knows they were unanimously against her a moment ago. 15[23:44] <@VoxPVoxD> The more backchatter builds up, the more Xia Lan gets the sense that she's won over enough people to beat the vote. [23:45] 13Thank goodness for that, because she clearly was too glib with her assumption she could just walk in here and make things happen. She's got a lot of studying to do... as soon as this vote goes her way. Please. 15[23:45] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare watches silently, rubbing a finger along his lower lip. 15[23:46] <@VoxPVoxD> Finally, he says, gently to Xia Lan: "Pretty words. Moving ones. Tell me, did the earth move for you too?" 15[23:48] <@VoxPVoxD> "Or are you smarter than you look? Smart enough to see when pretty words can lead people to their doom. Wise enough not to put a nation on your back when you know the hard road will make you stumble." 15[23:48] <@VoxPVoxD> "You're here today, troubadour. Today you're their hero. Tell me, where will you be tomorrow?" [00:08] 13Xia Lan: "Right here." 13She looks him dead in the eye. Her lip barely even trembles. 15[00:15] <@VoxPVoxD> Nogare just stares. 15[00:16] <@VoxPVoxD> It's his lip that trembles. He reaches for words and they slip through his fingers. "You, y-you--" And then the uncertainty collapses like a dying star, leaving only white-hot, crushing certainty. 15[00:16] <@VoxPVoxD> "You miserable, haughty CUNT--" 15[00:16] <@VoxPVoxD> Splinters of the table scatter like raindrops as he comes for her. [00:17] 13Xia Lan's out of her chair immediately, dodging to the side and soon to be sprinting towards the door--