Oh, and I just remembered that there's an action in your lodgings to reduce Scandal when your Admired and Persuasive are high enough. Boy, is it effective! It totally wiped out a good portion of my Scandal, though it cost 5 Admired.
And there's social actions you can take too.
Also, I've finished the Lapidary storyline! And I have a shiny new cane to show for it. At the moment, I'm now following Persuasive, and mingling with folks in the Shuttered Palace. Afterwards will probably come Shadowy, or grinding my Watchful enough to find someone at the University who can tell me about the Iron Republic.