Need a clarification on something that’s been bugging me for a while.
So if an NPC who isn’t an adult but does have a significant relationship with a PC is clearly trying to shift said PC’s labels, but the NPC doesn’t already have Influence over the PC, what’s supposed to happen mechanically, if anything? And if nothing is supposed to happen mechanically, why not?
If they have a significant relationship, they probably have influence. You ask: “Do you think Maestro has influence over you?” Or “Do you think your cousin has influence over you?” Or whatever and the player says yes or no. You can, and should, be checking on the regular to discover if various NPCs have or get influence over PCs for the things they do or bits of relationship that get revealed.
What Alfred Rudzki said, but if it is who sits behind them in math class or a cousin that lost influence after getting the character in trouble last time or whatever then I’d have them try to do it and the player could go “hmm, that’ll be interesting I’ll grant influence to them” (thus allowing stuff) as the character thinks it is well argued or whatever. If the player doesn’t want it then they can just reject it out of hand.