Tea & Politics (feat. therealjinglang)
Federico had vetted people for positions within the Templars before. It was unsurprising, given his ranking. Usually, some sort of flattery was needed to push the target over the edge. That's simply how most people worked.
This time, he already sensed it would be different. This woman, Jang Ling or whatever she was called, referred to herself as the "Pirate Queen". His initial impression to that title was that she must be extraordinarily arrogant to don such a title, though he also thought there must be some truth to that statement.
Whatever her name was, she would be a very strong asset to the Templar cause, and an even stronger ally to him. He had to make a good impression somehow.
Within the depths of the Chinese-style ship, a rather harried attendant placed a small cup of tea in front of him and scurried away. He lifted the cup up to within his eyeing range, not to drink the tea itself but to admire the handiwork of the cup. Elegant blue designs, certainly unlike anything Federico had seen before.
As he placed the cup down with a delicate clinking sound, the curtains in front of him moved and a woman emerged.