(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest

[Hello Purvis]

>To Orange: "So, do I want to know how my nose looks right now?"

[DracoOmega]

>To Orange: "So, do I want to know how my nose looks right now?"

>Orange glances at you. "About the same as always. A lot better than hers, anyway." Yuzu snarls.
>Due to the the height difference, Yuzu's headbutt mostly impacted your forehead and missed your nose entirely. Which you're fairly certain is an extremely fortunate thing given the force she hit with; you're not sure there'd be much left of your nose at all. You've still got a terrible headache as it is.

>"So which of them is it?" one of the watchmen asks.
>"The brown-haired one," Orange replies. "The other's a... bystander."
>One of the other watchmen jerks a thumb at you. "And her?"
>"She's a friend."
>The watchman nods, and the group of them slowly move to encircle Yuzu; you notice one of them is carrying a set of heavily reinforced manacles. Yuzu shudders with barely suppressed rage and contempt, but doesn't attempt to fight them off as they close in and shackle her hands behind her back.

[Hello Purvis]

>"She gave up in the end, so don't give her too much grief."
>Replace the sign where it was. And hope it's not too busted up. Check arm.
>"How're you doing, Orange? Wanna help me find a cat?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She gave up in the end, so don't give her too much grief."
>Replace the sign where it was. And hope it's not too busted up. Check arm.
>"How're you doing, Orange? Wanna help me find a cat?"

>"Yeah, what she said," Orange repeats. Yuzu gives you a strange look as the watch leads her past you - something between smoldering anger and confusion.
>You put the sign back in front of the pawn shop. With a frown, you realize that parts of its surface are obviously splintered, with visible cracks running along them. Yeah, there's no way anyone's missing that if they look at it. Your arm is a little bruised and will probably be sore for a while, but doesn't seem to have any serious damage.
>"A cat?" Orange says, cradling her ribs. "Oh, you were holding one in your arms when you got here, weren't you?" She looks around, frowning. "Where'd it go? And, uh, is there a story to that? You didn't suddenly become a cat person while I wasn't looking, did you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Some faeries ran off with this absent-minded witch's cat. I was talking it home when I head the ruckus."
>Did we see which way Sokrates ran off to?

[DracoOmega]

>"Some faeries ran off with this absent-minded witch's cat. I was talking it home when I head the ruckus."
>Did we see which way Sokrates ran off to?

>"Oh, ok." She grins wryly. "First good deed of your new career?"
>You saw him running down in the direction of the restaurant. You didn't really have a chance to keep an eye on him after that.

[Sect]

> Scowl. "Something like that. Anyways, gotta go chase that cat. See ya later!"
> Trot towards the restaurant, waving at Orange over our shoulder.

[DracoOmega]

> Scowl. "Something like that. Anyways, gotta go chase that cat. See ya later!"
> Trot towards the restaurant, waving at Orange over our shoulder.

>You say a quick goodbye to Orange and dash off towards the restaurant, waving to her over your shoulder as you go.
>"Hey, hold up Naz," Orange calls out, catching up you. "You only lost hold of him because you were trying to help out. Let me help you find him again."

[Sect]

> "Eh, you sure? Don't you have to, dunno, book that oni or something?"

[DracoOmega]

> "Eh, you sure? Don't you have to, dunno, book that oni or something?"

>"I'm actually supposed to be on lunch break, believe it or not," she says. "I was just in the neighborhood when someone ran and found me. Don't worry," she waves dismissively. "The paperwork can keep for another hour or two. Although I wonder what started all this," she frowns.

[Oldmansour]

>"I was hoping you could tell me, honestly. Was just passing by myself. How's your ribs, by the way? She gave ya a couple of good shots, didn't she."

[DracoOmega]

>"I was hoping you could tell me, honestly. Was just passing by myself. How's your ribs, by the way? She gave ya a couple of good shots, didn't she."

>"They're..." she grimaces a little. "Uh, not so great, honestly. But I'll be ok. Not going to let something like that slow me down." She gives a determined little grin.

[Oldmansour]

>Keep a chuckle to ourselves.
>"Yeah, that's about what I was expecting. You'd say that if your leg was falling off."
>Check for missing teeth from that last shot Yuzu gave us, while we're at it.

[DracoOmega]

>Keep a chuckle to ourselves.
>"Yeah, that's about what I was expecting. You'd say that if your leg was falling off."
>Check for missing teeth from that last shot Yuzu gave us, while we're at it.

>You restrain a chuckle.
>"Well, uh..." she frowns. "That might be a little much..."
>You're pretty sure your teeth are all where they're supposed to be, although the right side of your jaw feels mighty tender.

[Oldmansour]

>"Ah, I'm just messin with ya. I know you're made of solid stuff. You're much better built for brawling with oni than me."
>Sigh at a thought.
>"Brawling with oni in a city street. On my first job, no less. Marissa's never gonna let me hear the end of this."

[DracoOmega]

>"Ah, I'm just messin with ya. I know you're made of solid stuff. You're much better built for brawling with oni than me."
>Sigh at a thought.
>"Brawling with oni in a city street. On my first job, no less. Marissa's never gonna let me hear the end of this."

>"Hey now..." She frowns a little dubiously.
>You let out a sigh.
>Orange chuckles. "Knowing her, she'd probably be proud of you." She glances around the street. "Although, maybe you didn't cause enough collateral damage?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Ha. I'll make sure to use a bigger sign next time, just to make sure."
>Glance around for that cat as we go.
>"Still... I wonder..."

[DracoOmega]

>"Ha. I'll make sure to use a bigger sign next time, just to make sure."
>Glance around for that cat as we go.
>"Still... I wonder..."

>"Someone's going to have to pay to get that fixed, aren't they?" Orange says with a frown.
>The two of you continue down the road, looking around for signs of Sokrates as you go. The crowd that was watching the altercation have mostly dispersed, although you do get a few inscrutable looks in your direction from people you pass.
>"Wonder what?" she asks.
>You reach the Iron Rooster again. There's no sign of the man Yuzu was attacking, but a worker from the restaurant is outside, sweeping up broken pieces of table and ceramic dishes. You note one of the far tables is occupied now, by an either oblivious or unflappable middle-aged man, eating a bowl of soup.

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I wonder what it was Yuzu's friend said to her to get her to back down the way she did. I haven't dealt with oni much myself, but even I know how much they hate to give up on a fight, especially when they're mad. And that one was as mad as I think I've ever seen anyone. So what could her friend have said to make her give herself up?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I wonder what it was Yuzu's friend said to her to get her to back down the way she did. I haven't dealt with oni much myself, but even I know how much they hate to give up on a fight, especially when they're mad. And that one was as mad as I think I've ever seen anyone. So what could her friend have said to make her give herself up?"

>Orange shrugs. "Maybe she thought you had a point? We wouldn't have let this go." She frowns. "Or, well, I wouldn't. It just isn't right that she could do that and walk off like nothing happened. I don't care if she's an oni or not."

[Oldmansour]

>"No, I'm with you there. Oni or no, you don't go around throttling people consequence free."
>Not in broad daylight and in a public place, certainly.
>Approach the sweeping man.

[DracoOmega]

>"No, I'm with you there. Oni or no, you don't go around throttling people consequence free."
>Not in broad daylight and in a public place, certainly.
>Approach the sweeping man.

>Orange nods decisively. "Right."
>You decide not to be entirely frank with her about the logistics of consequence-free throttling.
>The person doing the sweeping is actually a young dark-haired woman, but you decide not to let such details get in the way of a good idea. She looks up as you approach.

[Oldmansour]

>Nod as a greeting.
>"Don't worry, show's over. We're just looking for that cat I had before the fracas broke out. Didn't happen to notice which way he went, did you?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod as a greeting.
>"Don't worry, show's over. We're just looking for that cat I had before the fracas broke out. Didn't happen to notice which way he went, did you?"

>You nod, and inquire about Sokrates.
>"A cat?" She frowns. "Huh... Don't suppose he was white, by any chance?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Yeah, that's the little guy. Bolted on me after that oni tried to cave my head in."

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, that's the little guy. Bolted on me after that oni tried to cave my head in."

>"Well, there was a white cat here a few moments ago," she says, "nibbling on some of the food that was knocked onto the ground. I, uh, kinda shooed him away so I could sweep it up. Sorry," she says, wincing a little. "Oh, uh, a medic came and took the guy off in a stretcher, by the way," she adds to Orange. "In case you were wondering what happened to him."
>"Good," Orange replies. "Um, did they say what kind of shape he was in?"
>"Just a broken bone or two, I think. Seemed to think he'd be fine."
>"That's good," Orange says, a measure of relief on her face. "Was anyone else hurt? I didn't see how it started."
>The girl shakes her head. "Just a bit shaken. I don't know what happened, either. The two of them just walked over, the short one started arguing with him, and the next thing I know she's knocking tables over." She shrugs. "The guy's a regular. Always seemed a half-decent sort; don't know his name, though."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Did you see where he got shooed off to?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Did you see where he got shooed off to?"

>"Uh..." She frowns, then points further down the road, past the restaurant. "I think he might have scampered off down that way. Sorry again."

[Hello Purvis]

>Head that way. "Yeah, it happens. Sorry your place got busted up."

[DracoOmega]

>Head that way. "Yeah, it happens. Sorry your place got busted up."

>"Not your fault. Just glad you two took care of it when you did," she says.
>"We'll make sure the damage is paid for, don't worry," Orange says, moving to follow after you. "Have a nice afternoon!"
>You continue along the road, angling past the Iron Rooster and back towards the warehouse district, and scanning about for Sokrates as you go. To your relief, it doesn't take long to spot him, poking his head in amongst some boxes in a short alleyway.