(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 14)

[Oldmansour]

>Produce pencil and examine its useful duration.
>Assuming sufficient quantity of pencil remaining, "I'm good there."

[DracoOmega]

>Produce pencil and examine its useful duration.
>Assuming sufficient quantity of pencil remaining, "I'm good there."

>You dig your pencil out of the bottom of your pack; you've scarcely used it, so it's got plenty of letters in it yet.
>"Got it."
>Kyouko leaves her pack on the floor and walks off into the kitchen.

[Oldmansour]

>Tap chin and think. Would Ichirin even want to know? Do we know her well enough to know if she would welcome a letter of this sort?

[DracoOmega]

>Tap chin and think. Would Ichirin even want to know? Do we know her well enough to know if she would welcome a letter of this sort?

>You're pretty sure that Ichirin would welcome any and all contact that you sent her way - particularly if this really is the... last she hears from you. She was always more open to gestures of affection than you yourself ever felt comfortable or interested in displaying, but you do owe her a lot, and if the worst is to happen, you're sure she would appreciate knowing how things... ended.

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know what the rate of postage is between here and Estval continent?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know what the rate of postage is between here and Estval continent?

>It was 3 guilders to mail a letter to Easthaven, the last time you did this.

[Oldmansour]

>Even if this a bad news letter, we do owe the woman that much.
>So let us compose another letter to Ichirin. Tell her about the deal we struck with Yuuka, and how Grapefruit and Kagerou went out of their way to help us get to her. And the goat, too, of course. Explain how we honestly didn't think we'd find the orchid we'd need without a tremendous amount of difficulty, or some other kind of terrible deal as bad if not worse than dealing with Yuuka. But now we have it. Leave Ringo's name out of it though, she did ask. Just identify her as an 'extremely helpful woman' who gave us what we need when we need it. We'll pay her back for it somehow.
>"This journey's almost at it's end, Ichirin. I have what I need. My body just needs to last another few days. I can make it. I think I can make it. But I can't deny that I might not. And if I don't, then know that I tried, Ichirin. I did everything I could. And if I don't come back, included in this letter is a description of the cure I found. Minoriko needs to know there is a cure, one that's at least worth trying. In case this happens to someone else. It isn't an easy cure to come by, but it CAN be made. No one else should go through this again, if I can do anything about it."
>"I hope that you never have to read this, Ichirin. I hope that I can come home to tell you and Minoriko about this cure. About what's happened to, and what I've learned. The people I've met, the people who've stuck their necks out for me. But if I can't, then I hope I made you proud. I love you, Ichirin."
>                                                                                                                                                                                                                   -Nazrin
>Enclose a description of the cure we found.

[DracoOmega]

>Even if this a bad news letter, we do owe the woman that much.
>So let us compose another letter to Ichirin. Tell her about the deal we struck with Yuuka, and how Grapefruit and Kagerou went out of their way to help us get to her. And the goat, too, of course. Explain how we honestly didn't think we'd find the orchid we'd need without a tremendous amount of difficulty, or some other kind of terrible deal as bad if not worse than dealing with Yuuka. But now we have it. Leave Ringo's name out of it though, she did ask. Just identify her as an 'extremely helpful woman' who gave us what we need when we need it. We'll pay her back for it somehow.
>"This journey's almost at it's end, Ichirin. I have what I need. My body just needs to last another few days. I can make it. I think I can make it. But I can't deny that I might not. And if I don't, then know that I tried, Ichirin. I did everything I could. And if I don't come back, included in this letter is a description of the cure I found. Minoriko needs to know there is a cure, one that's at least worth trying. In case this happens to someone else. It isn't an easy cure to come by, but it CAN be made. No one else should go through this again, if I can do anything about it."
>"I hope that you never have to read this, Ichirin. I hope that I can come home to tell you and Minoriko about this cure. About what's happened to, and what I've learned. The people I've met, the people who've stuck their necks out for me. But if I can't, then I hope I made you proud. I love you, Ichirin."
>                                                                                                                                                                                                                   -Nazrin
>Enclose a description of the cure we found.

>Taking a deep breath to steady your mind, you put pencil to paper and begin to write.

>Words flow slowly at first, but they do flow - your pencil moving mechanically across the page as you coerce muddled thoughts into sentences. You describe your journey to Yuuka's garden and the bargain you struck there, how you managed to find the orchid she asked for, and the one step of your quest that yet remains. You haven't lost hope. You've already accomplished two impossible things and you're not dead yet. But you're too much of a realist not to acknowledge how little your body has yet to give, and how much you still must ask of it. You take another deep breath. If this really is the last thing she'll ever hear you say, what should it be? How do you want her to remember you?

>"I hope I made you proud."

>"I love you."

>For the woman who first taught you how to be a person, surely you owe her that much. It's... it's alright, isn't it? And at least if she ever reads it, you won't be around to feel embarrassed by it. You steal a self-conscious glance in Kyouko's direction. Still watering her plants. She's given you an almost conspicuous amount of space while you've been writing this letter; you hope you don't look as emotional as you feel right now.
>Brushing aside what certainly wasn't a tear, you conclude your letter with a detailed description of the cure you've been working on and the steps required to create it, then sign your name. There is a certain finality to that.
>Three pages, filled from top to bottom in clean, methodical script. It's just a fail-safe, you tell yourself. It isn't going to end this way. But now you're prepared, just in case it does.

>"I hope I made you proud."

[Oldmansour]

>Take a moment to collect ourselves.
>"Kyouko?"

[DracoOmega]

>Take a moment to collect ourselves.
>"Kyouko?"

>You take another deep breath. You're... maybe you're not quite as composed as you'd thought. But you can still keep it together. Keep it together.
>Kyouko looks up from whatever it is she's doing in the kitchen - cleaning the counters, maybe? You think you see the faintest hints of gentle concern in her face, but it's too hazy at this distance to be certain.
>"Yes? What is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I've finished writing. And I need to ask you a favor."

[DracoOmega]

>"I've finished writing. And I need to ask you a favor."

>"A favor? What is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I need- Actually remind me first, I've talked about Ichirin before, right?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I need- Actually remind me first, I've talked about Ichirin before, right?"

>"Ichirin?" Kyouko pauses, then shakes her head. "No, I don't think so... But maybe I just forgot?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, when you're finished out there, I'll tell you about her. She's the woman I'd like you to send this letter to."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, when you're finished out there, I'll tell you about her. She's the woman I'd like you to send this letter to."

>"Oh, I'm not doing anything important," she says, stepping out into the living room. "Tell me all about her, if you want!"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, the short version is, she runs an orphanage out in Easthaven, where I'm from. Actually she's the woman that raised me after I became a youkai. She knows about what's happened to me, she was there to try and put me back together after I got out of those spider caves. I told her I'd find a cure. I'm a Seeker, after all."
>"And even though I've found one, even though we're as close as we are to getting it, I'm still a realist, Kyouko. There's a chance that I won't make it back from this trip. Any delay could cost me what time I've got left. If I can make it at all. That's why I wrote this."
>Tap letter.
>"If worst comes to worse, I'd like you to mail this to Ichirin for me when you get back. It contains the cure I found here. There's a healer back in Easthaven that needs to know it exists. And Ichirin needs to know what's happened to me. I couldn't stand the thought of her not- not knowing."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, the short version is, she runs an orphanage out in Easthaven, where I'm from. Actually she's the woman that raised me after I became a youkai. She knows about what's happened to me, she was there to try and put me back together after I got out of those spider caves. I told her I'd find a cure. I'm a Seeker, after all."
>"And even though I've found one, even though we're as close as we are to getting it, I'm still a realist, Kyouko. There's a chance that I won't make it back from this trip. Any delay could cost me what time I've got left. If I can make it at all. That's why I wrote this."
>Tap letter.
>"If worst comes to worse, I'd like you to mail this to Ichirin for me when you get back. It contains the cure I found here. There's a healer back in Easthaven that needs to know it exists. And Ichirin needs to know what's happened to me. I couldn't stand the thought of her not- not knowing."

>"Well, you're not going to die on me," she says decisively, "so it doesn't matter." Then she pauses, and gives you a gentle smile. "But I promise I'll send it for you."

[Oldmansour]

>"Thank you."
>"We'll just think of it as insurance. You never want to have to use it, but you want in case you need it."

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you."
>"We'll just think of it as insurance. You never want to have to use it, but you want in case you need it."

>"Well, you're not going to need it, and that's final." She grins at you.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I'll try to make good on that as well."
>"At any rate, that was the last task I think I needed to do. I'm actually better on supplies than I thought. We can leave whenever you want."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'll try to make good on that as well."
>"At any rate, that was the last task I think I needed to do. I'm actually better on supplies than I thought. We can leave whenever you want."

>"Then let's get going!" she declares, leaning down to scoop up her pack.

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, I thought you were- Well, all right, then."
>Retrieve own pack, invite her to lead the way, and then follow.

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, I thought you were- Well, all right, then."
>Retrieve own pack, invite her to lead the way, and then follow.

>You gather up your own things, hoist them onto your back, and get ready to go. Kyouko gives her apartment a last glance over, then smiles and waves goodbye to her plants.
>"I'll only be gone a week, now! Try not to miss me too much!"
>And then, keeping an admirably straight face in light of how sincere she sounded, you depart.

>The walk to the ferry terminal is relatively brief, and once you get moving, you find you're not as unsteady on your feet as you'd worried you would be. The day is cloudy, but still bright; birds sing and dart between small trees that dot the edges of the cobblestone road. A small riverboat drifts gently northward as a pair of figures shuffle boxes around its stern; you can no longer even distinguish species from this distance.
>But your own ship, at least, is still too large to hide within the haze of grey. It is moored the same place you last saw it, and there are even a few people moving around it, despite how relatively early you've arrived.

>Kyouko hands you a ticket. "I got one with a private berth for you. I thought you'd probably want one. Is that alright?" She frowns slightly.

[Oldmansour]

>Does that kind of ticket cost extra?

[DracoOmega]

>Does that kind of ticket cost extra?

>It does - same as last two times you bought one. You think it was... 44 guilders?

[Oldmansour]

>Oh my.
>"I'll pay you for this, Kyouko. When I can."

[DracoOmega]

>Oh my.
>"I'll pay you for this, Kyouko. When I can."

>"Was that... too expensive?" she asks.

[Oldmansour]

>"I wouldn't say that. But it's plenty enough to make me want to repay. I'm the kind of girl who makes good on her debts and her promises."

[DracoOmega]

>"I wouldn't say that. But it's plenty enough to make me want to repay. I'm the kind of girl who makes good on her debts and her promises."

>"Well, I meant, do you not-" She gives her head a quick shake. "Nevermind."