Okuu Quest Next - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hmm.... rush job? I suppose it's possible."
>"I don't suppose you have any idea where I could start looking for who hired her? Or, if she was indeed working for the Scarlets, how I might be able to find out for sure? I can't say for certain, but I get the feeling this is bigger than just me. Surely you must know a few people who have their ears on stuff. Nue said I'm "digging into matters I'm not supposed to be into" and heck if I even know what she meant."

>"What's in it for us?" says Sui, before the others can speak up.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Hey, I'm not asking you to do any legwork, necessarily. Just point me in the right direction. And then you don't have to give this two thoughts, again, if you don't want to. Surely you can't mind if I end up sticking my nose into the government's business a bit. No love lost there, I figure."
>If this doesn't seem to be getting anywhere, and no one else makes a helpful comment: "Well, I can pay you for it."
>We still have the 500☼ from Nue, right? If they ask for a specific figure, give something low, but not low enough that we think it will offend them. Don't want to spend any more money than we have to. But be willing to negotiate up a bit.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey, I'm not asking you to do any legwork, necessarily. Just point me in the right direction. And then you don't have to give this two thoughts, again, if you don't want to. Surely you can't mind if I end up sticking my nose into the government's business a bit. No love lost there, I figure."
>If this doesn't seem to be getting anywhere, and no one else makes a helpful comment: "Well, I can pay you for it."
>We still have the 500☼ from Nue, right? If they ask for a specific figure, give something low, but not low enough that we think it will offend them. Don't want to spend any more money than we have to. But be willing to negotiate up a bit.

>"Well, I guess..." says Chiko, looking to Yuugi in askance.
>"Depends on what you need done," says Yuugi, rubbing her chin. "You want her ass kicked or a brick through her window til she talks? We could probably handle it for a couple hundred. If you're looking just for background stuff...well, there's a couple ways we could go. What're you trying to find out, exactly?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"No, I don't need anyone's ass kicked." Pause thoughtfully. "Well, at least not yet. I don't even think Nue knows any more than what she told me. I, uh... already gave her quite a black eye, I think."
>"And... I'm not even sure I know exactly what I'm looking for. So much has happened today. If the governor really did hire Nue, I'd like to know if there's anything if there's anything she's involved with that I might somehow be connected to. Or who else Nue might have been working for, if she was just lying to my face. I really wish I knew where to begin."

[Hello Purvis]

>"No, I don't need anyone's ass kicked." Pause thoughtfully. "Well, at least not yet. I don't even think Nue knows any more than what she told me. I, uh... already gave her quite a black eye, I think."
>"And... I'm not even sure I know exactly what I'm looking for. So much has happened today. If the governor really did hire Nue, I'd like to know if there's anything if there's anything she's involved with that I might somehow be connected to. Or who else Nue might have been working for, if she was just lying to my face. I really wish I knew where to begin."

>There's a chuckle from Chiko and Sui at the mention of the black eye.
>"Yeah, that's the kind of thing that there ain't gonna be no official record of," says Yuugi. "Hmmm...Maybe beating her ass would be the right idea? Or...well, maybe Ace can do something."
>"Ace doesn't like talking to people, I thought?" says Chiko.
>"Yeah, that's a thing," Yuugi says, "But she likes a challenge, right?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Who's this Ace person?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Who's this Ace person?"

>"She's a problem solver," says Chiko. "Just..."
>"We don't know you from the pigs." Sui funishes. "Ace isn't one of those people what you can send just anyone to, see?"
>"Unless you can prove you're down," says Yuugi. "Which, I dunno. Not heard of any black-haired chicks with a nice rack being up to anything lately..."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Nice rack? Hmmm... compliments in strange places, today.
>"I'm not with the police. Heck, I don't even remember the last time I had contact them, to be honest. But, uh... I'm not sure how I can prove to you that this isn't all some sort of a setup. Is there anything I could do that might make you feel more comfortable? Collateral? Something?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Nice rack? Hmmm... compliments in strange places, today.
>"I'm not with the police. Heck, I don't even remember the last time I had contact them, to be honest. But, uh... I'm not sure how I can prove to you that this isn't all some sort of a setup. Is there anything I could do that might make you feel more comfortable? Collateral? Something?"

>"Might do," says Sui, "What kinda collateral you got? Unless you feel like knocking over a liquor store, that'd be pretty good proof."
>Chiko seems to be talking quietly with Yuugi.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Um, robbing a store isn't exactly my style. Besides, I don't want to draw any more attention to myself than I have to, given the circumstances."
>"And now that I think of it, I'm not sure that I have anything on me that would work as collateral, really. Mostly old books and random junk. Other than plain old money, which doesn't inherently do a lot to prove one's loyalty. "

[Hello Purvis]

>"Um, robbing a store isn't exactly my style. Besides, I don't want to draw any more attention to myself than I have to, given the circumstances."
>"And now that I think of it, I'm not sure that I have anything on me that would work as collateral, really. Mostly old books and random junk. Other than plain old money, which doesn't inherently do a lot to prove one's loyalty. "

>"Might be something else we could do," says Chiko. "You got an ID, right? And a computer? Ace might be interested enough in your problem to talk with you."
>Yuugi nods. "Yeah, it'd just be email and shits, and she'd have to give a rat's ass enough to go out of her way to contact you, so there's nothing guaranteed. And, if you fuck up, she just has you ruined for life."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, I've got a computer at home. As for ID, you mean just a regular old ID? I'm sure I have something like that. What for?"
>Is the bus pass we have a photo ID of some sort?
>"Oh, and 'Ruined for life?' That sounds... unpleasant. What counts as 'fucking up?' to her, I wonder...?"
>Check the time.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, I've got a computer at home. As for ID, you mean just a regular old ID? I'm sure I have something like that. What for?"
>Is the bus pass we have a photo ID of some sort?
>"Oh, and 'Ruined for life?' That sounds... unpleasant. What counts as 'fucking up?' to her, I wonder...?"
>Check the time.

>You do have a driver's license. It should do.
>"You try to rat out on her, she takes you down with her," says Yuugi. "Simple as that. As long as they law doesn't get any closer to her, no problem, am I right?"
>It is close to seven oclock now.

>_

[Kasu]

> "Well I wasn't planning on ratting on her in the first place."

[DracoOmega]

"Well, it's a possible lead, anyway. Thanks a lot."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well I wasn't planning on ratting on her in the first place."

>"Then you got nothing to worry about, right?" says Sui. "It's just insurance, like."

"Well, it's a possible lead, anyway. Thanks a lot."

>"It's something," says Yuugi.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"So, uh, were you going to give me an email address for her, then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"So, uh, were you going to give me an email address for her, then?"

>"Oh hell no," says Yuugi.
>"We're gonna give her yours, and you're gonna hope she gives a crap about you," says Chiko. "This isn't brain science, after all."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, um, sure."
>Give them your email address

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, um, sure."
>Give them your email address

>You give them your email address.
>"Lemme see that ID, and I'll make the call right now," says Yuugi.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Show them your driver's license

[Hello Purvis]

>Show them your driver's license

>Yuugi takes it. "Cell," she says, holding out her hand. Chiko produces a cell phone from her pocket and hands it to Yuugi. She dials a number, and looks toward the ceiling while waiting for the other side to pick.
>"Yo, Ace, it's Yuugs," says Yuugi. "Yeah, I got a job that might interest you maybe. ...Look, I didn't know you were having a pizza. Use a fucking napkin, Christ. Well it's not my fault you didn't any, look shut up.  Alright. So there's this chick here partying with us. She's got this thing, apparently someone named Nue Houjuu is stalking her? Like, professionally. Well, slipshod professionally. She wants to know what you can dig up. No, I don't know what she's paying, talk to her about that. Yeah, I got you some insurance. Her name's Reiuji Utsuho..."
>Yuugi reads off the information on your driver's license, then the email address you gave them. "Yeah, that'll do for you end, right? Good. Catch you when we need some real shit, unless you wanna come party with us. Naw? S'fine. Keep it straight."
>She hangs up, gives Chiko back her phone, and gives you back your license. "Ace'll think about it, so check your shit when you get home. If she doesn't get to you by tomorrow, I'd try something else because she don't care."

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed, I guess. Thanks, again."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed, I guess. Thanks, again."

>"No problem," says Yuugi. "You ever get a proper bike, by the way?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>We don't own or have access to a bike, do we? (I don't think the circumstances of driving that scooter were ever specified back then)
>If so, "Nah, I don't own one. I've driven a few times, though."

[Hello Purvis]

>We don't own or have access to a bike, do we? (I don't think the circumstances of driving that scooter were ever specified back then)
>If so, "Nah, I don't own one. I've driven a few times, though."

>You do not. You just used Yamame's.
>"She's got a zamboni," says Sui, prompting some laughs from the others.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Ha. Hell, I'm sure I can WALK faster than one of those things moves."
>"I don't actually own anything you can drive."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ha. Hell, I'm sure I can WALK faster than one of those things moves."
>"I don't actually own anything you can drive."

>"Well why the hell not?" says Yuugi? "Can't call yourself a real woman if you take the bus everywhere!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm not exactly rolling in money over here."
>Out of curiosity, is money at least a factor in why we don't own any transport? (Our pay was specified as pretty good, but we still seem to not have a lot of surplus cash)

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm not exactly rolling in money over here."
>Out of curiosity, is money at least a factor in why we don't own any transport? (Our pay was specified as pretty good, but we still seem to not have a lot of surplus cash)

>"Never stopped us," says Yuugi. "Well, except Chiko here, she actually bought hers."
>Chiko glares at her. "Hey, shut up!"
>Your pay is alright. You need to put in some more years before it'll upgrade to the pretty good status.
>Some of it is just choices; you prefer to eat well, have toys when you want them, and so on. With public transit being as it is, you've really not missed it. Also, you're kinda supporting Orin, since she's a full time student.

>_