>"Let's hope so."
>She nods.
>Smile a little ourselves. Moth's got a nice smile, rare though it is.
>Matter of fact, might a solid wager she doesn't get told that often enough.
>"Anyone ever tell you you got a nice smile?"
>No, no, stick to the business at hand. We need information.
>"Well, I suppose that brings us to the first issue. What I cared to know about Val R and its houses. See, what I'm thinking is, given the trouble I had in Braston, finding someone that knows what this thing I've got is, and how to treat it, could be a task and a half. And rare things, or people with rare knowledge, tend to be acquired by people with the most money, the most power. I'm thinking that, in one way or another, I may end up dealing with one of these Houses in order to find a cure. In case that priestess' 'Shintoist' lead doesn't pan out."
>"And if I do, knowing which noble is the easiest one to work with, or the best one, would help. If it comes to that, of course."
>You return Neu's smile; it isn't something you've seen often from her, but there's a quiet gentleness to it that you find oddly becoming. Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long before giving way to a frown once more.
>"That's a difficult question," she says, "and I'm not sure I'm in a position to answer; I've had limited dealings with any of them and can speak mostly of their reputations. Of the three, Lady Scarlet is the most munificent, though often when it can be made to benefit her in some way. She makes a show of being accessible to the public, though so many people compete for her favor that it may be hard to gain her notice."
>"Kaguya is... oh, Lady Houraisan, excuse me. She is an odd person, seemingly human, yet hasn't appeared to age in centuries. She hails from Takemura and the rural areas to the west of the city proper - my own birthplace, incidentally. She has a sort of sleepy and unasuming demeanor, almost simple somehow, and often secludes herself from the city and its politics entirely. Yet somehow she continues to maintain one of the greatest positions of influence there." Neu shakes her head and sighs lightly. "I don't pretend to understand the web of backroom dealings these nobles play."
>"In any case, I would say she's the most approachable of the three - I've spoken with her myself when I was younger - but I'm also unsure if you could expect any help from her. At the risk of being unkind, she always struck me as slightly aloof from the reality around her. That being said, she also seemed a kindly sort, and is held in fond regard by the people of her region."
>She pauses a moment. "Lady Mizuhashi is... well, actually I'm not sure I know that much about her at all. She's a youkai of some sort, and her House is a relatively new player in the city - I believe she may actually be of Rhashavalan heritage - but has managed to quickly rise to prominence in recent years. Her reputation is somewhat worse than Lady Scarlet's, though it wouldn't surprise me if this was Remilia's own doing - certainly, House Mizuhashi seems the greatest threat to maintaining her stable balance of power. Lady Mizuhashi is a rather less visible figure in the city than her; from your position, I suppose that could be either good or bad. I've heard some claim she's a hedonist, but I'm not sure how seriously such remarks can be taken. And frankly, I think the same could probably be said for most of them, in one way or another. Whether or not she would care to assist, I can't honestly speculate."
