(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 6)

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, that's part of the problem, isn't it? Since I can't figure out exactly WHAT I'm chasing is, I'm not sure if it can wait or not. But I'm pretty sure, whatever it is, it doesn't belong on this ship."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, that's part of the problem, isn't it? Since I can't figure out exactly WHAT I'm chasing is, I'm not sure if it can wait or not. But I'm pretty sure, whatever it is, it doesn't belong on this ship."

>"Tad convenient, ain't it?" she says. "Gotta move quick and can't really say why. Wouldn't be the first person to pull somethin' like that."
>She shrugs. "Maybe you're on the level, and maybe you're not - either way, it ain't my call to make. You're still gonna have to stay put."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I just said why, I felt something that direction. That's what dowsing does. Besides, if you're so sure you can take me down, then you can stop me if I'm up to anything, right?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And just how long is Murasa gonna be gone, anyhow?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I just said why, I felt something that direction. That's what dowsing does. Besides, if you're so sure you can take me down, then you can stop me if I'm up to anything, right?"

>She snorts. "Got nothin' to do with that. Cap'n said to keep ya here, so that's what I'm gonna do."

>"And just how long is Murasa gonna be gone, anyhow?"

>"Didn't say," she replies.

[Hello Purvis]

So, shall we lure her into trying something, then pull the knives? Because at this point, I think there would be a lot of satisfaction to be had via either making her back down or taking some thumbs.

[Oldmansour]

So, shall we lure her into trying something, then pull the knives? Because at this point, I think there would be a lot of satisfaction to be had via either making her back down or taking some thumbs.

What is it with you and thumbs?

Regardless, I doubt she's gonna back down. She's acting on captain's orders, and that's an end of it, as far as she's concerned. So that leaves....
Wait a second, roughing her up isn't gonna do us any good. Whether we're delayed by dunking her in an ale barrel, or by depating the issue, we're just as delayed. It may already be too late.

I think it might be time for another approach. If we're stuck here anyway, maybe we should try pumping her for some information, something Murasa might not know. Maybe SHE got on someone's bad side, and that someone's making her crew pay for it.

[Hello Purvis]

And as Nazrin has seen time and time again, backing down hasn't gotten her anything, either.  I mean, I agree with you fully on the logic of the situation, but it largely ignores what Nazrin has been through. It's pretty clear we're not going to win and we're not going to get anywhere, so let's take some thumbs and at least get that much. We've done pretty much nothing but let other people trample on us lately and have gotten squat for it. So let's trample back. At the very least it'll get us a good eulogy from Yuugi, which is a damn sight more than we've gotten anyplace else thus far. If she has information to give, she can gasp it out while begging us to put the knife away.

Edit: Not that I'm opposed to other ideas, but I would think it would have to be something great, given Nazrin is pretty much a prisoner at this point is is being actively prevented from not only advancing the job, but also quitting it entirely. Given literally the only people who have really shown any desire to help are those who are completely unable to help, and that anyone in a position to help has either refused, tried to exploit us, or just not wanted to, Why would Nazrin not want to smash this little wannabe pirate's face in at this point? She's got pretty demonstrably nothing to lose.

Edit edit: In fact, let's take this logic a bit further, because Nazrin would. She has gotten literally no respect from anyone who doesn't know her previously, with one exception. She got none from Cirno. She got none from the farmer whose crop and wagon she saved. She got none from the busybody council member who went on to give Ichirin the third degree behind our back. She got no respect from our own home villagers, who tried to gyp her for saving their lives. She got no respect from the one shyster herbalist who tried to take her money for pisswater. She got no respect from the owner of the wild rose, who did gyp her and terrorized her new friend, and has the gonads to try and report Nazrin for calling her out on it. She got no respect from the archaeology team whose work she took time to advance by showing them the find of the century. And now she gets no respect from Murasa when she tried to help her no money down, and additionally gets no respect from this little buccanette.  Did I miss anyone?

She's gotten respect from exactly one person who didn't already know her or she wasn't buying something from. Yuugi. Why did Yuugi respect her? Because she demonstrated that she are not to be messed with. She have not demonstrated this to anyone else, and she has been burned every single time. People on this continent believe Nazrin is a pushover. This is why she is going to have a hard time not beating the shit out of this human anchor and dangling her off the boat, and has every reason to do it. Screw this boat and screw Murasa, she'll get another one.

Edit^3: Okay, forgot about Momoka and Ellen.  So we have two people who are grateful we helped them.

[Oldmansour]

Just making sure you were finished.

To be fair, Honey warmed up to us. And Momoka gave us some props, as well. The shovel youkai seemed to think we were okay. The fellow at the meeting that lent us a horse basically said 'don't worry about it'. And then of course there was Ellen, but she may be an exception, given that she's, well, Ellen.
As for the archaelogy students, I disagree. The two we met were students. We wanted Keine, and they couldn't provide. If anything, it was our fault for not mentioning the severity of our situation to Sasha, that we never got to meet Keine. That might have got her into town, and avoided this current mess entirely. We'll never know.
And.... "It's pretty clear we're not gonna win?" What?

All right, long story short. You're partly right, Nazrin has taken an awful lot of shit from an awful lot of people. You're tired of it, I'm tired of it, pretty sure Nazrin's tired of it, and that probably goes for our fellow Nazrin-questers as well. But you're not entirely right about all of those people, either.
Like you, however, I imagine we're all getting a bit fed up with this missy here. Her thumbs can stay where they are, but if she doesn't give us something, she's going through a wall.

>"Lemme see if I get this straight. Your captain and I come to an agreement, whereby I agree to solve your problem for you, at no charge, no pay, nothing except a ride to where you were going anyway. And now I'm basically a prisoner?"

[Hello Purvis]

Yeah, I added in Ellen and Momoka. But the general point is, we've been polite, and gotten walked on. We've taken half measures, and gotten pittances.  (I'd argue it'd be fully in character to go report the Wild Rose for having smuggler tunnels. Or sneak in and set fire to the basement stocks as a lesson. And as for college kid, he's had time to reconsider. We can probably go back and guilt him. Or beat him. And so on.)

[Oldmansour]

Yeah, I added in Ellen and Momoka. But the general point is, we've been polite, and gotten walked on. We've taken half measures, and gotten pittances.  (I'd argue it'd be fully in character to go report the Wild Rose for having smuggler tunnels. Or sneak in and set fire to the basement stocks as a lesson. And as for college kid, he's had time to reconsider. We can probably go back and guilt him. Or beat him. And so on.)

PREMPTIVE EDIT
I just noticed that this will be the 1k post for this thread. So, the debate can wait. Priorities, people.

>Squak as Orange pulls us down from the sky and ravishes us.
>Acquire half-celestial template though the power of LOVE.

[Hello Purvis]

>Don't accept templates; seek out a better system.

Lost track of that. =[  Oh well, more filler for Draco!

[DracoOmega]

>Squak as Orange pulls us down from the sky and ravishes us.
>Acquire half-celestial template though the power of LOVE.

>You let out a squeak as Orange pulls you down from the sky and reaffirms the vows you established a few degrees outside of continuity. Which is a neat trick, really, because it means that either she pulled you THROUGH the deck of the ship, or the ship disappeared entirely and oh god you're falling!!
>Unfortunately, you exhausted your supply of LOVE down Orange's throat at the end of the last thread. Besides, if Orange's reaction is any indication, dewy-eyed is a more likely result than angel-winged. Though perhaps you might spend the time between now and your eventual demise in less terror...

>Don't accept templates; seek out a better system.

>You decide to seek out a better system. Beneath the shower of oblivious kisses, you retrieve the grappling hook from your pack and hurl it at the rear rotor axle of a passing skimmer. You hear the grapple catch, and then the rotational action of the axle rapidly hoists you up and away from the abyss. You twist the two of you into a little flip as your near the fan blades and land hard against the deck of the ship, the solid wood comforting against your back. You've barely had time to catch your breath before Orange presses her lips tight against yours.
>"Get a room!" you hear someone yell.