Parsnips and Sticks

Thunk thunk thunk. It's been a while since Robert has visited. But it's his characteristic knock, forceful, each crash of his fist against the wood equally spaced. On the bright side, he's at least taken care to ensure that this happens in the evening, rather than the middle of the night when Ayame might actually be trying to sleep and frightened out of her socks at some random nearby crashing.

Ayame has been tired. A strange mood does rather take it out of you, but she was somewhat more composed than she had been. So, there was tea on the table, and there were books, and she was making sense of her scribbles before she answered the door, moving to block it from opening fully with her hip before seeing who it was "Oh. Good evening, Robert" She smiled politely, opening the door and letting him in. It was a quietly appointed room. The table? Tea, books, and the stack of scrawled scribbles of the strangemooded

"Ayame." Robert's return-greeting is equally polite. He never really leaves the location of the door behind. Indeed, if permitted, he leans against it and folds his arms across his chest. There is no intrusion into her space, no perusal of her writings. It would appear that he has something specific in mind, and has not, mercifully, come by to tease her. "I came to see if you might be interested in a field trip of sorts, as part of your current work."

"Well. Perhaps?" She says with a distracted look, Ayame glancing back to her notes and then to him, considering. A distracted air, as she moves back to sip. There's an absent sip of her tea, as she returns to her careful transcribing of the scattered notes, putting things in order, tidying them. "What did you have in mind?"

"People seem to like talking to you," Robert prefaces, as his eyebrows nudge upwards. "I am increasingly concerned that, as the Palace Landers continue to undermine our stability, Wake's Duke-problem will become considerably worse. But if they are going to pull anything, it is likely they would need to preface their actions by rhetorically setting the stage for them. Would you be willing to find out what their people think, and how public opinion has been changing recently?"

"I can talk to people a little" Ayame says with a little sigh. She shakes her head "I don't really think I'm all that sociable, unless you think they have secondary reasons for wanting to talk to me" She smirks up briefly, and then drops her eyes back down and continues writing "I'll lend a hand where I can, of course. It's the least I can do. What's the real concern, though?"

The smirk is returned with a sideways glance that, amused though it may be, suggests that her suspicions are at least partially correct. Even if he'd prefer not to say so outright. He briefly bites down on his lip. "They want power. Always have, always will," he explains. "And are generally known as a bit of a backstabbing bunch. In normal times it's viable to just not let them see your back. But now?" Robert trails off, shaking his head. "I don't expect you to try and figure everything out. That is more danger than is reasonable, I think, though of course I leave it up to your own judgement. But keeping fingers on the general pulse can be incredibly useful."

"I'll see about keeping my ears open" Ayame nods, said pointed ears flicking back and laying flat against her hair, pinned tightly as it is "You really think they're foolish enough to engage in jockying for power in the middle of a war?" She asks. It's not accusatory. If anything, it's a little horrified

"People rob each other in the middle of a war," Robert points out. "People murder each other in the middle of a war. The narrative is usually that we all must draw together to present a united front. And that is generally a good strategy. But it also means presenting vulnerabilities that are not normally present, especially if the war does not look like it is going particularly well." There's a light shrug, a self-deprecating smile. "Wake was keeping them in check, and now she is preoccupied. I have no idea what they will -do-. But I know an opportunity when I see one, and they did not get to where they are by ignoring opportunities. I'm probably looking too deeply. But it's not something, I think, we can afford to let slide by if it is happening."

"Then you may want to see about creating an opportunity for them" Ayame says, distracted, as her pen dances across the paper, and she sets a sheet aside, crumpling up a pair of others and flinging them into the open fire "Either one that will support her and offer gain for doing so, or one that has the potential to undermine her. See who takes the bait. At least then we know who to watch for."

Robert is silent as he observes her activity, the arc of wadded-up paper floating through the air to land in the fire, where it twists, contorts, slowly withers away before the dancing flames. "Perhaps," he agrees. "But they all have the potential to undermine her, and I'd rather not run the risk of actively creating a disaster that would not otherwise happen. So for now, I think, it is fairer to see if anyone is laying foundational groundwork. Pending the Baroness's approval, of course. Further measures, such as your idea of nudging things forward, can be determined afterwards."

"I don't see that creating an opportunity for advancement that supported Wake would be a poor thing" Ayame notes as she smooths more papers. Her lips move for a moment as she begins writing, copying down the smudged and hurried scrawlings "It's basic feudalism. Carrots, sticks. Those who support her are more likely to benefit from her largesse. Do you have a carrot you can throw them, Robert?" With a tiny note of amused sarcasm in her voice

"Market's out of carrots," Robert opines with a grimace and a sigh. "There's only parsnips. And basic as the feudal system with carrots and sticks may have been, there's only so many carrots you can dispense before people decide they maybe want your whole carrot farm. As for opportunities to support her, she's been doing it this whole time. Opportunities to undermine her are more specifically what I find to be problematic. But again, that's just me. If you prefer to set up a series of opportunities, I have little doubt that the Baroness will be interested in what you propose."

Ayame only nods, and then sighs a little, scratching her nose with the back of her pen before she looks up again, continuing to write with a sigh "It would narrow the field of those trying to focus their attentions on advancement" She says with a nod "But I won't argue. I'll watch and see what I can find for you. If I find anything, I'll let you know"

"I'm not in charge of this," Robert murmurs as he pushes away from the door. "I'm simply exploring your interest before floating the idea by Wake. I have little doubt that the critical details will be entirely hashed out by the two of you. And will probably be almost exclusively your call." There's a wink and a flash of a smile before he pulls the door open to let himself out. "Goodnight, Ayame."

Ayame chuckles "I defer to Wake's judgement on that. And yours. I am only a humble functionary" She notes absently, flicking her pen like a wand - then looking confused when nothing happens. Then down to the pen. Then a "Huh. I must be tired" She chuckles a little, blinking on up

Only to find that Robert is gone, the space he was previously occupying empty, and the door shut behind him.