[LP CYOA] 傳

[Nevill]

I think that harem bloat is going to be a problem from now on. Especially with the demon possession. We were lucky that forced inaction this time didn't mean a lot more trouble than it did.

If it did mean a lot more trouble, we would be looking at forced action instead, no?

 

[Kashmir Slippers]

Maybe. What I am saying is that the demon robbed us of a choice. Having too many dependents following us around increases the chances that we are forced to do something, whether it be action or inaction, that we wouldn't want to do because our followers are close to us and would need our help.

 

[Nevill]

I think we've long surpassed the number of people that we can protect by ourselves. It's a good thing our people do not need much in way of protection. In fact, the more we have, the less we need to worry about them, as there is safety in numbers - especially if these numbers are made of exceptional fighters.

If we had less people than we did, we might have ended up dead. Our girls have bailed us out here.

The argument goes both ways. The only way to be sure the incident will not repeat itself is to travel alone, and it just isn't happening at this point.

 

[Grimgravy]

Having a hard time deciding which option is best. So I'll fall back on self determination. E

 

[Absinthe]

C. You will publicly take responsibility for the twins, likely earning Nie Wuxing’s undying grudge. You will have to put up a great act to ensure this does not destroy your current goodwill with some of the Eight Sects, but you do not doubt that you can pull it off.

That kind of absurd confidence can only be the demon. Something tells me we're not going to like how he'd succeed, if he does.

Voting A>Not C. Any option where we bide our time is more likely to work out in Madam Nie's favor as she can plot and meet up with the Zhang clan. Confronting them now is more likely to make a mess of things and ruin their plans; plus, we actually have good rep with some of the sects atm. I also think Bai Jiutian is more likely to jump ship if Huashan's plans are getting screwed over and his own rep is on the line.

 

[Rex Feral]

A>B>E

 

[Elfberserker]

Can someone explain me in simple clear sentance, why would Xu Jing fight in D?
It's about independence of twins, so I imagine that the twins themself have to duel rather than Xu Jing.

I wait and see more arguments before deciding.

 

[Kz3r0]

C.

 

[treave]

Forgot to add in 'F. Sneak away like a thief in the night' for those that might prefer to postpone any confrontations.

 

[Tigranes]

You mean sneak away with the twins, right? That could also be a decent choice, though in that case the problem would be that the twins themselves will feel it is not right and they will remain susceptible to manipulation the next time they see BJ / Nie.

For people voting E because they can't choose - uh, E isn't a get out of jail card. E means we give up control over what happens and then something out of the remaining choices will still happen. And given how confused and ambivalent these two are at the moment, it's probably an outcome we won't enjoy / won't end well. If you're going to vote E for such a reason, just abstain?

ANyway, taking Nevill's points on board, A is a situation where we will lack any concrete proof and the words of the twins as sponsored by MTP is unlikely to win over Nie / Madam Nie / BJ. B is one way ticket to Madam Manipulator. The remaining question is C vs. D:

-Is the demon at work in the confidence in C?
-Which one is more likely to lose us allies in the spectators, C or D?
-The duel in D would feature BJ or some other difficult enemy - can we handle it with our new arm?

 

[Absinthe]

Tigranes, no, we don't need to definitively prove the accusations in A. Remember what Bai Jiutian said:

“Bai shixiong!” Nie Mudan cries out. “Why? Why are you doing this?”

“I have my reasons,” replies Bai. “Besides, you should be a good girl and come home, Mudan. If you insist on being so stubborn you will ruin everything, even your father’s plans.”

Ruining everything is good enough. Just getting the accusations out there will do a lot to bring suspicion upon them, restrict their movements, and force their hand.

 

[Tigranes]

Do you really think that comment is to be taken literally like that in that context? Really?

The only way in which that comment could be interpreted as genuinely alarmed is to mean that them cracking shit up half-assedly would ruin whatever plans BJ has as well.

 

[treave]

You mean sneak away with the twins, right?

Yes. It is possible that you may be able to get some info at the Black Dragon Society that will strengthen their resolve. Or weaken it. Depends.

 

[Nevill]

-Is the demon at work in the confidence in C?

No, I don't think so. The demon never had to do anything with confidence, it was always Jing who overestimated his chances. The possession only suggests the course of actions that would likely help people depending on us - and at the moment, we don't really know what will. All of the choices are taken from this standpoint, so if anything, the possession is responsible for all of them.

It even detracts from our confidence sometimes, just like in the current update where it stopped us from fighting on a pretence that we would not be able to protect our people.

Blaming THE DEMONZ for everything related and unrelated is going to be a new game, isn't it? Where is the option to hide under the bed and go to sleep when we need it?

-Which one is more likely to lose us allies in the spectators, C or D?

Why would D lose us allies? The drawbacks are mentioned in the choices themselves.

C is a non-violent and a highly scandalous option. You don't risk your hide, but your relationships take a hit.
D will involve a difficult fight as a way to settle the matter with Wuxing. I assume that it would be a challenge with a condition, similar to the one Bai Jiutian proposed back at the tournament. If they win, they can have it their way, if we do, they agree to ours.

Sometimes it is just as simple as it sounds.

-The duel in D would feature BJ or some other difficult enemy - can we handle it with our new arm?

That's the real question.

I don't know. I think we would be okay, as we were fighting just fine until Bai Jiutian unleashed her killing intent. I assume she would not be able to fight to kill in a legal orthodox duel. Still, there is no way to be certain.

For people voting E because they can't choose - uh, E isn't a get out of jail card. E means we give up control over what happens and then something out of the remaining choices will still happen. And given how confused and ambivalent these two are at the moment, it's probably an outcome we won't enjoy / won't end well. If you're going to vote E for such a reason, just abstain?

I guess people are treating this situation as the one with Cao'er, hoping for a 'third option' (or sixth, as the case may be). Unfortunately, we would have to ignore the fact that the twins are under a lot of stress right now - the whole situation is alien and unexpected to them, - and they have stated they don't have a clue about what they should do.

I imagine that if we let them, they would prefer something along the lines of B. It is the only thing that does not shame their father publicly, and they take the majority of the risks like good self-sacrificing daughters should. Whether we want to support that choice, I don't know.

We should also keep in mind that our Amesha Spenta will arrive soon. Their appearance - if they decide to do so openly - will likely shake the Twins' confidence in what is right and wrong even more, and strenghten Wuxing's position if we try to accuse him of something. He can always write it off as another evil scheme by the Fire Cult and their henchman Xu Jing, and it would sound plausible, given our affiliation with the Holy Maiden.

I don't think the Twins would take the news about us being the Fire Lord very well, so that's a thing to think about in C.

I guess F is starting to look better and better in these circumstances. D>F, I suppose. Though it would certainly provoke a shitstorm from Wuxing about Xu Jing kidnapping his daughters, and would be no less harmful to our reputation. But at least it leaves a way for us to clear it afterwards.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

harem is the only path to peace, bros. we will unite the 8 sects in one glorious harem! Well, the ones with girls anyway. shao lin and wudang can suck it...figuratively speaking...

edit:

I don't think the Twins would take the news about us being the Fire Lord very well, so that's a thing to think about in C.

if they are willing to be so chummy with us after we stripped them both (one of them twice), they won't care that much. They may make a stink about it tho for show. I mean, you do realize that the "Holy Maiden" is right in front of them, yes? The one they've personally battled. And we are known to hang out with her, right? And we've been accused of being in league with them before, right? Big surprise.

 

[Nevill]

You seem to forget that 'taking responsibility' for Song Lingshu was the anti-harem choice.

Taking advantage of one's abnormal physical or emotional state to make them do things they would never normally do is not going to endear you to them. The choice literally take their futures away from them - once you are branded the Man Tiger Pig's wife/lover/concubine, there is no way back. Their father will not spare them a single glance after that.

You mistake a momentary shock for being chummy. We are still a pervert and a villain out to harm their beloved father and saw chaos in jianghu. I would not be surprised if they leave us once the realization of what they've done settles in.

As for the Holy Maiden, their father have authorized her presence in the expedition - twice so, in fact. The orthodoxes only tolerate her because we assured them she is not here as a part of the Fire Cult's plots, but is merely sightseeing and learning the ways of the Han. You do realize that this explanation loses its credibility after the big reveal, right?

Can someone explain me in simple clear sentance, why would Xu Jing fight in D?
It's about independence of twins, so I imagine that the twins themself have to duel rather than Xu Jing.

Because we will be the ones backing them up. If it comes to a fight, we can do better than them both, so if we want it to succeed, that is what we will do. On the Nie side, they would be more open to the idea of thrashing and humiliating us instead of publicly fighting between themselves.

That said, you are right in that it mentions a duel 'of some sort', and we can't be 100% sure what it will be.

 

[Absinthe]

Do you really think that comment is to be taken literally like that in that context? Really?

I think you're overreaching here. At the most basic level, we know that voting A will make a mess of things. That can actually work in our favor since the Zhang family is already in a bad position. Yes, it won't work out well for Huashan, but they're not exactly our friends and we have to expect that Madam Nie will use any possible extra time to her advantage if possible. As for Bai Jiutian, she has the option of jumping ship.

I doubt we'll have definitive proof for some kind of amazing victory over Huashan if we do this, but I do imagine it will throw their plans into disarray and give them less space to maneuver with these new suspicions cast upon them. That alone works to our advantage.

The only way in which that comment could be interpreted as genuinely alarmed is to mean that them cracking shit up half-assedly would ruin whatever plans BJ has as well.

BJ is playing both sides. Her plans won't necessarily work out well for us.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

You seem to forget that 'taking responsibility' for Song Lingshu was the anti-harem choice.

How does publicly promising to take care of them equal the rape choice from earlier?

Also, we just asked them what they wanted to do and it seems like they're willing to follow our lead on this. I still don't get why D is so chivalrous to you. D isn't "make up your own minds. It's "you're on your own".

edit:
If it said "I will fight for your freedom and you can decide whether or not you want to come with me, I'd ALMOST be right there with you, bro, but it doesn't. Even if it did, which it doesn't, I really doubt they'd want us to duel their father or any other member of their family. If we harmed them - or worse, accidentally killed them - they'd be much more likely to hate us for it than for the Fire Lord nonsense.

edit: changing my vote to C>E btw.

 

[Nevill]

How does publicly promising to take care of them equal the rape choice from earlier?

It is 'equal' in that both choices would utterly disgust the parties involved in normal circumstances. The only way the Twins would agree to it is if we abuse their confused state of mind.

It is not just 'taking care of them'. It is admitting that they are our women. Why do you think Shuixian blushed so much?

It completely destroys their reputation, disgraces them, ruins any marriage prospects they might have and breaks their connection with their father for good. And we have a reason to believe they care about these things.

If you think about it, trading virginity for a life is a wise choice. Bai was alright with it, after the initial outburst, at least. But Song Lingshu would not be. Similarly, the Twins as they are now would never accept the outcome of C if they were able to think clearly.

That's how the choices are alike. They both involve acts that might not be that ugly by themselves, all things considered, but would be absolutely devastating to these particular people in question.

Or I may be overdramatizing and they would adapt. I do not want to presume too much, but I get a vibe that this is 'wrong', to put it in Yifang's words, in that it goes against their natures, upbringings and everything they believed in so far.

Also, we just asked them what they wanted to do and it seems like they're willing to follow our lead on this. I still don't get why D is so chivalrous to you. D isn't "make up your own minds. It's "you're on your own".

I don't read it as such. I read it as "I will not force you to associate with me, but I will support you in any other way if necessary". Think about 'responsibility' as it is mentioned in the choice in the context of C, and it will all fall in place.

C. You will publicly take responsibility for the twins, likely earning Nie Wuxing’s undying grudge.
D. You will not take responsibility, but will push for the twins' bid for independence from their parents.

It is not 'I wash my hands off the case'. We are still getting involved.

Actually, there is no choice to tell them that they are 'on their own'. THE DEMONZ has ensured that. :D

If it said "I will fight for your freedom and you can decide whether or not you want to come with me, I'd ALMOST be right there with you, bro, but it doesn't.

For me it does. I mean, why would there be a duel with Nie Wuxing (or whoever) if not to decide whether the Twins get to walk free out of this or not? If he wouldn't accept it, why offer us a choice in the first place?

As Nie will not let it go that easily, this is extremely likely to end in a duel of some sort...

The wording implies that if we win, Wuxing would have to let it go.

Even if it did, which it doesn't, I really doubt they'd want us to duel their father or any other member of their family. If we harmed them - or worse, accidentally killed them - they'd be much more likely to hate us for it than for the Fire Lord nonsense.

I don't think we can 'accidentally' kill anyone at this point of our career, especially not a master of martial arts. Our last accidental victim was a bystander prince, and it wasn't exactly Jing who did him in.

This fear was a common theme during the gauntlet, too, but so far in all of the tournaments we had perfect control over ourselves, even when faced with Abbott Fangci who was our better. Nah, I think it would have to be a conscious decision on our part to do grievous harm to someone.

 

[Akkudakku]

Tufan redux...
Yea throw the taishan girls under a bus.

You are a bunch of sorry fags.

Flop to solid C.

 

[Absinthe]

Also, we just asked them what they wanted to do and it seems like they're willing to follow our lead on this. I still don't get why D is so chivalrous to you. D isn't "make up your own minds. It's "you're on your own".

That would be rather unlike Jing. D does not say "you're on your own" anywhere. Seeing as Jing will be pushing for the twins' right to self-determination, he would not be abandoning the twins. Heck, he'd likely get dragged into a fight on their behalf. If anything, I think D is more likely to build good relations with the twins than C. Because D will earn their respect by fighting for them and letting them have their own freedom while C will really tie them down to Jing in an ugly way.

Literally the only person who actively approves of C is Xuezi, which is a bad sign in itself.

 

[Nevill]

I guess I'll expand on what I said earlier.

I can somewhat agree that the outcome of A would be harmful to Nie family and Huashan in general. However, the harm would be not of a sort that we would like. As we lack anything to prove our claims, the accusations will come off as a mere slander against Nie's impeccable reputation. He will lose face before the Eight Sects not as a corrupt schemer and a traitor to the Empire, but as a father who failed to discipline his own daughters and allowed them to fall under the influence of Man Tiger Pig. It would do him no good, as his image as a leader would take a significant hit, but it would also paint us in an unpleasant light as well. Such accusations are not to be made lightly and casually.

In essense, it is a double-edged sword.

While Bai may still change ships, it does not affect the balance of power in a significant way. The Huashan would not miraculously sink after our stunt. I guess it might simply piss her off for messing with her 'sisters' with no tangible results. I imagine the girls would end up on the receiving end there.

I do not get the bad rap D is getting out here, as it is the most clean way out, except for B. Yes, it places us in a greater personal danger, but when did it stop us before? I'd say it fits an established 'risk yourself to do the right thing' pattern like a glove. At least we would be utilizing our fighting talents, and not our abysmal skills in intrigue.

However, if people are that unwilling to go through with it, why not consider F in the meantime? I don't think it got its fair share of discuss yet. Yes, initially it is going to be almost as bad as C, relationship-wise, but it also lacks the finality of it. If we can get to BDS, free Lanhai's kids and add their voices to ours, we would have a much greater chance of dismantling Nie that way. It would no longer be just Nie's family business if two of the sword wielders belonging to their group testify against them and zhangs. If we succeed, we would be able to clear our name of their insinuations and damn them at the same time.

If we don't... well, let's just stay positive, shall we?

Tally

Kipeci D>B
Lambchop19 C>E
Jester E>D
Akkudakku C
Kashmir Slippers E>D
Azira A
Fangshi E>C
Nevill D
Grimgravy E
Absinthe A>D>F
Rex Feral D
Kz3r0 C
TOME D>E
Tribute C>F>A
Elfberserker D
asxetos C
Bloodshifter C
Sunnmøring F> !C

A - 2 (1) Absinthe -> D
B - 0
C - 6 (7)
D - 5 (9)
E - 4 (1) Kashmir Slippers & Jester -> D, Fangshi -> C
F - 1 (0) Sunnmøring -> D

 

[Akkudakku]

I feel sorry for those girls now...
You guys just love to be inconsistent. If you didnt want them then why didnt you vote A last time?

 

[Nevill]

Rephrasing Senya, 'you are always sorry'.

Where and how did you get an idea we don't want them? We aren't obsessed with them to the point where we would take them with us against their will, in their moment of weakness - if that is what irks you so. They are welcome to decide if they want to join us on their own accord.

 

[Tigranes]

A is throwing them under the bus, definitely. "Hey guys, I don't even know what you guys know about the Nie family, I know they are the family that you absolutely love and you still hate me, but I think you should go and basically destroy your entire life and denounce your parent even though you don't have absolute evidence to destroy them in public, thereby guaranteeing that you lose everything forever for some spurious strategic gain on our part!"

Remember, if the twins did possess information that could destroy Madam Nie's position in public, why would she have let them go without a fight?

It has to be C or D with an outside chance of F - we opted to take them away and jeopardise our position in the Nie's Delivery Boat (for instance, opportunities to further solidfy relationships with BJ or orthodox players or to make a play at the Manual), so now we need to follow through and try and make them our people and learn what we can from them.

(One final word on 'what do they want' etc; the update suggests they are ready to be persuaded by any option, and that we are persuading them, not forcing them.)