Author Topic: (Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 7) (Read 78005 times)

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #750 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:04:06 AM »

> Sigh.
> "Yeah, I know. And I'd be very happy to be able to return here too."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #751 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:10:47 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on February 06, 2012, 04:04:06 AM

> Sigh.
> "Yeah, I know. And I'd be very happy to be able to return here too."

>"Well, this is where Seeker HQ and all is," she says, then pauses a moment. "Or are you from around here, too?"

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #752 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:20:32 AM »

> "Kinda. Moved here a few years back. Was in Easthaven before that."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #753 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:24:52 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on February 06, 2012, 04:20:32 AM

> "Kinda. Moved here a few years back. Was in Easthaven before that."

>"Easthaven's 'here' enough," she says. "Can't get there except through Braston."
>She chuckles again. "For what it's worth, I'm sure I'd get in a lot more shit over it than you would, if you're like any Seeker I've ever known."

Kilgamayan · « **Reply #754 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:30:59 AM »

> Shrug with a grin.
> "With the way things are, there's only so much trouble I can possibly get into. That's the only reason why beating the tar out of her has seriously crossed my mind at all."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #755 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:33:22 AM »

>"And besides, my old mentor would never let me hear the end of it if I got kicked out of town before she did."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #756 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:36:45 AM »

Quote from: Kilgamayan on February 06, 2012, 04:30:59 AM

> Shrug with a grin.
> "With the way things are, there's only so much trouble I can possibly get into. That's the only reason why beating the tar out of her has seriously crossed my mind at all."

>Murasa gives you a sidelong look for an oddly pointed moment, then shrugs.

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 04:33:22 AM

>"And besides, my old mentor would never let me hear the end of it if I got kicked out of town before she did."

>"Ha! She a real rabble-rouser, or something?"

Oldmansour · « **Reply #757 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:37:46 AM »

>"That's puttin' it mildly. You ever hear of Marisa Kirisame?"

DracoOmega · « **Reply #758 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:44:37 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 04:37:46 AM

>"That's puttin' it mildly. You ever hear of Marisa Kirisame?"

>She shakes her head. "Don't think so, sorry."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #759 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:49:38 AM »

>"Well, let's just say she has a.... rather BIG personality. If you had run into her instead of me, you'd probably have heard explosions after she'd been on the case for 5 minutes."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #760 on:** February 06, 2012, 04:54:43 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 04:49:38 AM

>"Well, let's just say she has a.... rather BIG personality. If you had run into her instead of me, you'd probably have heard explosions after she'd been on the case for 5 minutes."

>Murasa gives you an awkward frown. "No offense, but I think I'm just as glad I didn't. Got enough problems already."
>At this point, the cabin door opens and Neu steps inside again.
>"I have the things I went to fetch," she says. "I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #761 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:20:41 AM »

>"Well, I exaggerate, of course. Mari's the best in the world I know of at making things go boom, but she's got a good sense of when NOT to, as well. Matter of fact, she'd probably be proud of me for keeping my temper in the face of little miss bureaucracy."
>Stand, if we are not.
>"But, plenty of time to talk about that later, if we get this mess settled THIS time."
>Turn head to Neu. "Then let's move."
>Back to Louise for round three!

DracoOmega · « **Reply #762 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:42:44 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 05:20:41 AM

>"Well, I exaggerate, of course. Mari's the best in the world I know of at making things go boom, but she's got a good sense of when NOT to, as well. Matter of fact, she'd probably be proud of me for keeping my temper in the face of little miss bureaucracy."
>Stand, if we are not.
>"But, plenty of time to talk about that later, if we get this mess settled THIS time."
>Turn head to Neu. "Then let's move."
>Back to Louise for round three!

>"They should start giving out medals," Murasa says dryly.
>You are already standing.
>Neu nods, then turns to Murasa. "We should be back before too long."
>"Good luck, you two," Murasa says as you leave.

>The trip back to the customs office is quick going, even if you feel the pressure of the ever-advancing hour upon you. You and Neu exchange only a little small talk as you walk, but she seems pleasant enough. She's fairly soft-spoken and her demeanor seems rather different than the rest of the Blue Maiden's crew you've met so far, or, for that matter, what you might associate with a sailor in general. Still, her lack of bruskness seems not to imply any degree of shyness. Her wings are broad enough to make walking alongside her a tad more awkward than it is with most people, but you find yourself rather impressed with how easily she navigates through the crowd despite them, bending and shifting around workers and walkers without appearing to spare it a conscious thought.
>About ten minutes later, you find yourself in front of those same doors that you've returned to once already this afternoon. Third time really better be the charm or you might be tempted to shove Louise up against a wall, despite yourself...

Oldmansour · « **Reply #763 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:54:25 AM »

>Look inside for signs of Louise.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #764 on:** February 06, 2012, 05:58:22 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 05:54:25 AM

>Look inside for signs of Louise.

>You peer through the door for a moment, but see no sign of Louise. The lobby doesn't look much different than either of the previous times you were here, though the line is slightly shorter.

Oldmansour · « **Reply #765 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:03:17 AM »

>Good, then.
>"Like I said, I'll wait outside her office, let you handle things, unless you need me."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #766 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:11:58 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 06:03:17 AM

>Good, then.
>"Like I said, I'll wait outside her office, let you handle things, unless you need me."

>"I should be okay, I think," she says. "But thank you."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #767 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:23:52 AM »

>Open the door for her.
>"After you."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #768 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:27:39 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 06:23:52 AM

>Open the door for her.
>"After you."

>You open the door for Neu.
>She smiles and nods, then steps inside.

Oldmansour · « **Reply #769 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:29:30 AM »

>Follow the moth.
>Keep a bit of distance between us and Louise's doorway when we get there, so we don't complicate Neu's job.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #770 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:31:40 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 06:29:30 AM

>Follow the moth.
>Keep a bit of distance between us and Louise's doorway when we get there, so we don't complicate Neu's job.

>You step inside after she does, but after only a few steps she pauses and looks back at you.
>"Where exactly is her office?" she asks. "I've never dealt with her in person."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #771 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:34:12 AM »

>Wasn't that marked? No, we had to ask.
>Point in the correct direction.
>"Thataway."

DracoOmega · « **Reply #772 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:41:05 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 06:34:12 AM

>Wasn't that marked? No, we had to ask.
>Point in the correct direction.
>"Thataway."

>You give Neu directions and resume your approach to Louise's office, with the moth taking point. As you turn down the hallway beside the service counter, you catch one of the attendants following you with wary eyes; she hastily turns back to some paperwork in front of you once she notices you looking back at her. You pass no one else along the way and are quickly back in front of Louise's door.

Oldmansour · « **Reply #773 on:** February 06, 2012, 06:49:10 AM »

>Sidle back out of line of sight from within.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #774 on:** February 06, 2012, 07:36:58 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 06:49:10 AM

>Sidle back out of line of sight from within.

>You move out of sight of the door and Neu goes ahead and knocks. A moment later, a familiar voice answers her. "Come on."
>Neu opens the door and steps inside. From here, while you cannot see either party, you can follow their conversation quite easily.

>"Good evening, Miss Saint-Claire. I'm Neu Mitsuzoe, second mate of the Blue Maiden."
>"I see," comes Louise's reply, with a not-so-subtle hint of displeasure beneath her cool professionalism. You can practically see the accompanying glare from here.
>"I apologize for the number of times you've had to deal with us today," Neu continues, "but I wanted to correct the date you were given earlier. Our export permit was originally issued on June 4th, 574, and not in April. I'm afraid there was a slight mix-up."
>"I... see," Louise repeats. This utterance seems a little less certain in tone than the first. She pauses and takes an audible breath. "Miss Mitsuzoe, are you aware that the Seeker you hired attempted to coerce me by claiming she carried a deadly airborne disease?"

Oldmansour · « **Reply #775 on:** February 06, 2012, 08:59:53 AM »

>Shit.
>Wait for Neu's reaction.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #776 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:29:12 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 08:59:53 AM

>Shit.
>Wait for Neu's reaction.

>Ah, bloody hell...
>"No, I was not," Neu replies, without even missing a beat. You find yourself a little surprised at her lack of hesitation. "And I assure you that is well outside the bounds of what she agreed to do. Or reported, for that matter."
>"I should hope so," Louise says coldly.
>"I apologize sincerely if she caused a disturbance, and I'll make sure our captain is informed of this. She may wish to nullify our agreement with her."
>"A wise action," Louise says. There is a moment's pause. "And I will assume that this threat of hers was quite empty?"
>"She seemed in fine health when I spoke with her earlier," Neu replies, "but she was only contracted by the captain this afternoon; I don't know her any better than you do. If you're concerned she really is harboring a plague of some sort, I'd suggest you're better off inquiring with the guild. But if I may... that issue is a separate one from the matter of our license, which is still pressing."
>There is a slight pause. "Of course."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #777 on:** February 06, 2012, 09:32:56 AM »

>Clever girl. But we're gonna have some explaining to do later. After all this mess, we damn well better not end up stranded here.
>Did we mention our disease to Murasa yet?
>Neu don't need us yet, let the moth do her thing.

DracoOmega · « **Reply #778 on:** February 06, 2012, 10:20:32 AM »

Quote from: Sourfang, the Falling Star on February 06, 2012, 09:32:56 AM

>Clever girl. But we're gonna have some explaining to do later. After all this mess, we damn well better not end up stranded here.
>Did we mention our disease to Murasa yet?
>Neu don't need us yet, let the moth do her thing.

>You cringe at the mess you may have gotten yourself into. If you end up stuck here after all this, maybe you really will come back and strangle Louise, just for spite.
>You made no mention of this. You merely said that you were in a significant hurry to arrive in Val Razua; she didn't inquire further.
>She seems to be doing well enough for herself at the moment. You continue to listen in.

>"How long would it take you to examine your financial records for a single day?" Neu asks.
>"Not terribly long," Louise replies. "At least not to merely look for a single registration transaction."
>"Less than a half hour?"
>"I'm sure we'll have the matter processed within a day or two," Louise responds smoothly, evading the question in that same vexingly sedate tone she seems so fond of.
>"Would it be possible to have it examined before closing tonight?" Neu asks. "I know this is an imposition," she hastily adds before Louise can respond, "but we'd really appreciate it."
>Nonetheless, the reply is predictable. "I'm sorry. There are more issues on our plate than just yours, as I have explained to your captain several times already, I might add."
>Neu's response is conciliatory, verging on affable. "I know, I know, but this would settle the issue once and for all, wouldn't it? If there's no record of sale, then that's it. It's hard for us to keep arguing our case against that sort of evidence."
>"Your Seeker seemed intent on investigating whether our records had been forcibly altered," Louise retorts coldly. The emphasis on your title is particularly bitter.
>"I don't think she'll be ours much longer, so I'm not sure her opinion is relevant anymore. And in any case, I certainly wouldn't be able to tell a fake document from a real one. I'd hope you would, actually..." She pauses a moment. "Look, I'm sure you're just as eager to be rid of us as we are to be gone from here, so could we please put this to rest tonight? You said it would only take a few minutes, so wouldn't it be quicker to go and check than spend the next 15 minutes telling me why you can't?"
>There is a long silence. Or, perhaps not so long, but merely drawn out by your own anticipation at the conspicuous lack of a reflexive dismissal. When Louise's reply comes, is almost grudging, but she says the words nonetheless. "Very well."

Oldmansour · « **Reply #779 on:** February 06, 2012, 10:27:55 AM »

>Not bad, moth girl. Not bad at all.
>Of course, if you meant all that about getting rid of us, Louise won't be the only one getting throttled.
>Let's make ourselves scarce. Louise might shut us both out if she sees us, and Neu... Well, either she doesn't need our help, or she'll dismiss us and then things would get ugly.
>Head back the way we came, but wait outside the building exit, so we can still be handy if anything complicated happens.
>Did we get any sense that Neu was carrying anything magical?