(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest

[DracoOmega]

>"Sure, why not. I'm between umbrellas at the moment."

>One of the fairies nods. "It's a great umbrella. You'll love it."
>"It is a great umbrella," the other fairy says, with just a hint of a frown.

>"Come to think of it, there's something I gotta ask before I can even get started with this."

>"Sure," the first fairy says. "What is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>Jerk our thumb towards the windows on the upper level.
>"Those the only way in or out of this place?"

[DracoOmega]

>Jerk our thumb towards the windows on the upper level.
>"Those the only way in or out of this place?"

>You point towards the windows, and ask if they're the only way in and out.
>A fairy nods. "Yup," she says, grinning. "Neat, huh? Mint found this place; only fairies can come and go. That's what makes it such a great secret hideout. " There's a pause. "...wait, how'd you get in here, anyway?"

[Oldmansour]

>"The hard way, I can assure you. Mint picked a fine place for your hideout."

[DracoOmega]

>"The hard way, I can assure you. Mint picked a fine place for your hideout."

>The fairy nods. "Yup. She's good at stuff like that."
>"...most of the time," the other adds.

[Hello Purvis]

>Look around for some suitable things to make a way out.

[DracoOmega]

>Look around for some suitable things to make a way out.

>You look around the warehouse for something you could use to make your exit. There's certainly no shortage of boxes, although most of the ones in the pile next to Sokrates couldn't bear much weight - shoeboxes, picnic baskets, and such. There are some large shipping crates in the corner among the old warehouse contents. They're certainly sturdy enough, although they're likely beyond your ability to lift, even if you had help. You could possibly shove one over to serve as a base, though. There's some more suitable crates making up the fairies' box fort, but you can't imagine they'd let you have those lightly. Aside from that, you see a few long wooden planks by the crates in the corner; most of the rest of the items around don't seem obviously useful for making an exit. There may be other useful items in the corner pile if you went and sifted through it, and it's possible the fairies have more stuff inside the box fort. You note the broom dryly - too bad you can't duplicate Marisa's trick.

[Oldmansour]

>Figures getting out wouldn't be easy, either. Wonder if Marissa ever had days like this.
>"You wouldn't happen to have a ladder or something I can use, would you?"

[DracoOmega]

>Figures getting out wouldn't be easy, either. Wonder if Marissa ever had days like this.
>"You wouldn't happen to have a ladder or something I can use, would you?"

>As long as you've known her, Marisa always seemed unflappable. If she's ever had days like this, you've never been around to witness them. That irks you a little, now that you stop to think about it.
>"What would we need with a ladder?" one of the fairies asks you quizzically.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, maybe to help get in things you couldn't just fly inside. Hmm. Could you give me a little help getting out?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, maybe to help get in things you couldn't just fly inside. Hmm. Could you give me a little help getting out?"

>"Well, you got in on your own, didn't you?" one says.
>"Can't you just climb back up again?" the other asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not without something to stand on, in any event."

[DracoOmega]

>"Not without something to stand on, in any event."

>"Well, what did you want us to do?"
>The dark-haired fairy frowns. "You didn't want to stand on us, did you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Of course not. But...could you help me move one of those big crates to the window?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Of course not. But...could you help me move one of those big crates to the window?"

>The brown-haired one leans towards you. "You promise to come back with a kitty?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"We made a deal, didn't we?"

[DracoOmega]

>"We made a deal, didn't we?"

>"Right," she says, nodding firmly. "C'mon, Juniper; we've got a box to push." With that, she marches off towards the crates. The black-haired fairy falls in behind her.

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow them.

[DracoOmega]

>Follow them.

>You follow the fairies over to the pile of crates and other assorted junk in the corner, passing by Cloudy Meadow speaking quietly with green-haired fairy, who you assume now is Mint. The latter is pointedly not looking in your direction. The tiny fairy is still at the table, polishing off the last of her pie; the piece was really too large for someone that size, although contented smile on her face suggests she's not at all put out by that.
>A brief glance over the old warehouse junk suggests that they were bits of scrap metal, some tools, and old mechanical parts; many of them are rusted now. The fairies set to clearing the top of one of the crates, moving the bits and pieces over to another. As they sift through them, your start to become aware of your treasure sense niggling you, very subtly.

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow that sense!

[DracoOmega]

>Follow that sense!

>As best you can tell, it's coming from something in the pile of metal bits the fairies are moving.

[Kasu]

> Head over and get a closer look.

[DracoOmega]

> Head over and get a closer look.

>You're already about as close as you can get without physically shoving past the fairies. It's subtle, and you don't think you can tell specifically what it's coming from unless you picked up some of it yourself and examined it more closely; most of it just looks like rusty junk to you.

[Hello Purvis]

>Sift through the junk, if we can do so without pushing the faeries aside.

[DracoOmega]

>Sift through the junk, if we can do so without pushing the faeries aside.

>You start picking up some of the bits of junk and taking a look at them, ostensibly as you help the fairies clear the top of the crate. You can't really tell what most of the bits are, to be honest, and even whether many of them are actually broken, or simply forgotten here when someone boarded the place up. There's an off chance they might be of value to someone, but you have no idea how to appraise them, and they're not what's setting off your treasure sense in the first place.
>As the three of you get to the bottom of the pile, you feel your sense subtly shift a little. You think it's coming from a small cylindrical item that Juniper just moved aside.

[Sect]

> Cock our head, then pick up said cylindrical item and examine it.

[DracoOmega]

> Cock our head, then pick up said cylindrical item and examine it.

>You cock your head, then pick up the object and take a closer look at it. It's roughly cylindrical, about three inches long and two in diameter, and partially hollow, with a gridded metal screen shielding the inner parts of it. The screen is so caked with rust and grim that it's hard to see further inside. It looks a little like a coupling of some sort, although you have no idea what for. It doesn't look in very good condition to be honest, but you're certain the something about it is more valuable than it appears.

[Sect]

> "Hey, where'd you get this?"

[DracoOmega]

> "Hey, where'd you get this?"

>"Oh, all this stuff was here when we found the place," Juniper says.
>The brown-haired fairy nods. "Scattered all over, yup. In corners, or under old junk."
>"Do you know what it is?" Juniper asks.

[Sect]

> "Oh, just a watchamacallit. Useless, really." Stick it in our pocket.
> "Okay, now let's just get this crate, and I can get you your cat."