socialcapital | [ JACKSON HEART ]

"Yeah, that helps, sure. What's all this about tea?"

[taking out the silver flower again to offer it over]

He takes it. He can't quite keep an expression off his face, though it's hard to discern exactly what expression it is.

"Hard to get these nowadays."

A pair of lil' princes showed me where ta get one [puts a hand out to show how tall the twins were]. I didn't really look inta what happened between then and now, I just figured it'd prove that I'm from way way way way outta town.

[pause]

Sorry if the symbolism is kinda dicey.

If I didn't already know better, Mr. Haze, I'd think it was a threat. C'mon, I'll show you how to prep it.

[ heading out of the alley ]

[!]

I'm doin' my best ta be unthreatening!

[follows]

"I can tell. You're trying too hard, it makes it seem like you're overcompensating."

He doesn't say it like an admonishment. It's like he's giving you notes.

Huh. It just comes off that way ta suspicious types...

Edited 2026-02-01 00:18 (UTC)

"You wouldn't need to work to be unthreatening to unsuspicious types. They just wouldn't question it. So you gotta play to the audience you got."

As he walks through the streets past his own wanted posters no one even looks up to notice him.

Yeah, I just thought it was funny. [Sparrow did it to him once.]

[Noting that curiously. Selective illusion stuff? Just pausing the area? If it's the latter don't hang out here if it sucks, Mr. Asp.]

Everyone else is still moving - a group of monks even passes right by them at one point.

"It's pretty funny. You're sure tryin' hard."

He leads back to the tent giving out the food because of course that's his doing.

[wow praiseknowledgement(?), how dare]

"A little practice and you'll be a pro~"

He heads past the tent and steps ... into thin air where absolutely nothing is, and disappears.

[scootscoot... poking in cautiously where he disappeared]

He pokes into the inside of a covered wagon, set up as storage but also an office space. He pulls out a kettle-shaped object and fiddles with some glowing stones set into it.

"Come on in and sit down."

[vision crimes wizard... oh no i'm being charmed must resist. sitting per invitation though.]

Why a tea guy?

"I happened to have extra on hand."

He produces two small teacups.

Whadya usually do, then? 'Cause so far it's tea and charity.

"It's not charity."

Self-defense disguised as charity...

"It's neither. It's social manipulation."

He pulls one petal off the flower, then slides the rest of it across the table back to Loren. Apparently one petal is enough for a pot of tea.

That doesn't really describe what for though.

[Well ok, accepting it back]

"The people in power in this city pay taxes and tribute to a noble house that I want destroyed. I'm going to replace the leadership with new people who won't pay up, by way of having their own hungry people do it."

He's fussing with the petal and the magitech pot for a bit, but eventually something starts to smell subtly sweet and floral.

[huh, that is demon behavior]

Oh. So are ya kill-on-sight cause of doin’ somethin’ like this before? Or..

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