(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 2)

[Hanzo K.]

>Be sure to add: "And the first date at that."
>"You gotta wait on it, gauge how strong they are before deciding if it's worth the trouble of fighting them. It's how a lot of good fighters have gotten through life and other things, Heroes too I'd wager."
>Come to think of it, have we done any regular maintenance on our weaponry, however simple it may be?

[DracoOmega]

>"You don't challenge them right off the bat! It's like asking for a kiss before the date..."

>Be sure to add: "And the first date at that."

>"Oh, it is?" She pauses, then frowns again. "And that's bad, too?"

>"You gotta wait on it, gauge how strong they are before deciding if it's worth the trouble of fighting them. It's how a lot of good fighters have gotten through life and other things, Heroes too I'd wager."
>Come to think of it, have we done any regular maintenance on our weaponry, however simple it may be?

>Honey nods a couple times. "I... think I get it. Gotta keep your strength for when it counts!"
>You do keep them cleaned, and sharpened when needbe. Given that all you've done with them since leaving your room yesterday is cut pie, they're still in fine shape.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Exactly."
>Poke Honey's nose lightly when we say that. Be sure to smile at her too.
>"A wise man once said, "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.""
>"In other words, if you don't know how strong your opponent's going to be, it's always a good idea to hold back and not pick fights until you've got a good idea of how strong they are."
>Take out one of our knives and examine it for any potential damage, just in case.
>"That sort of thinking's saved a lot of lives y'know, but there's a lot of folks who don't think about things like that. And it's those folks who always find themselves in way too deep."

[DracoOmega]

>"Exactly."
>Poke Honey's nose lightly when we say that. Be sure to smile at her too.
>"A wise man once said, "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.""
>"In other words, if you don't know how strong your opponent's going to be, it's always a good idea to hold back and not pick fights until you've got a good idea of how strong they are."
>Take out one of our knives and examine it for any potential damage, just in case.
>"That sort of thinking's saved a lot of lives y'know, but there's a lot of folks who don't think about things like that. And it's those folks who always find themselves in way too deep."

>You smile and poke Honey's nose lightly. She giggles.
>Honey nods attentively as you pontificate on picking your battles carefully. While you speak, you pull out a kunai and inspect it for damage. Looks in fine shape to you!
>"Too deep?" she says. "Did the strong people dunk them in the lake?" She frowns. "I hate it when they do that."

[Hanzo K.]

>"Not quite, it's a figure of speech that basically means they tried to do something that they just plain can't do."
>"In this case, fighting someone who's way out of their league. Which our frosty friend might just end up doing someday."

[Oldmansour]

>"Too deep?" she says. "Did the strong people dunk them in the lake?" She frowns. "I hate it when they do that."

>Smile despite ourselves. Fairy's....

[Hello Purvis]

>"Too deep into trouble, that is."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile despite ourselves. Fairy's....

>You smile at Honey.
>"Hey... it was cold," she pouts.

>"Too deep into trouble, that is."

>"Not quite, it's a figure of speech that basically means they tried to do something that they just plain can't do."
>"In this case, fighting someone who's way out of their league. Which our frosty friend might just end up doing someday."

>"Oh." She pauses. "Ok."
>"That'd take someone real special!" Honey says, a smile on her face.

[Oldmansour]

>Smile again, more softly this time. Real special, eh, Honey. Marissa might be there now, but anyone can be that special if they try hard enough. But I think that can wait for a bit.
>"Well, let's go take care of some paperwork, and Marissa might be here when we get back. Then we'll see how she fares against the world's greatest fairy hero. Unless you wanted to keep Cirno company in the meantime, it's your call."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile again, more softly this time. Real special, eh, Honey. Marissa might be there now, but anyone can be that special if they try hard enough. But I think that can wait for a bit.
>"Well, let's go take care of some paperwork, and Marissa might be here when we get back. Then we'll see how she fares against the world's greatest fairy hero. Unless you wanted to keep Cirno company in the meantime, it's your call."

>Honey frowns. "Paperwork sounds kinda... boring." Then she suddenly shakes her head and puts on a determined expression. "No, it's a sidekick's job to know this stuff. Teach me!"

[Oldmansour]

>That may well be the first time a fairy's ever volunteered to do paperwork. Or at least one of the first.
>"Can't fault your spirit, Honey. The first step is making sure you have the right papers. Which we will take care of now."
>Back to the receptionist.

[Kips McKipzerson]

>"...Buuut you cant quite work on it yet. Just watch what I do carefully, and maybe one day you can do it too?"

I really dont want to take chances with Honey, because chances are that she cant write for her life or something like that, and just waste time.

[DracoOmega]

>That may well be the first time a fairy's ever volunteered to do paperwork. Or at least one of the first.
>"Can't fault your spirit, Honey. The first step is making sure you have the right papers. Which we will take care of now."

>It's very much not a fairy sort of thing to do, certainly.
>"Got it!" she says, nodding.

>"...Buuut you cant quite work on it yet. Just watch what I do carefully, and maybe one day you can do it too?"

>She nods again, that serious look on her face. This is about as rapt attention as you can hope to get from a fairy.

>Back to the receptionist.

>You head back out to the receptionist, leaving Rinnosuke to mind Cirno, who looks to be getting bored already. Honey follows close behind.

>"Well, that was something you don't see every day..." she notes dryly as you near the counter.
>"Yeah," Honey says, "She's going to be a legend!"
>The apprentice looks unmoved. "Right."

[Oldmansour]

Better safe than sorry, yeah, Kips. But she might actually pick up writing from us, or at least start to learn. Which I damn sure never would've expected doing in this little adventure here. That's kinda cool, actually.

>"Well, she's an ice fairy that knows to wield a broadsword, that's not a bad start."
>"And now that the fireworks have been at least postponed, I have some business to take care of. I need three copies of the job-completion forms, if you please."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, she's an ice fairy that knows to wield a broadsword, that's not a bad start."

>"Actually," the apprentice replies, "I think that's a pretty terrible thing to start, if you ask me."
>"Hey!" Honey cries.
>She gives the incensed fairy a dull look. "No offense."

>"And now that the fireworks have been at least postponed, I have some business to take care of. I need three copies of the job-completion forms, if you please."

>"Right," she says, then reaches under the desk and spends a moment fishing around, before return with the papers. "Here."
>She hands you three copies of the form, as requested.

[Oldmansour]

>This one appears to be less shady than Sashiko. And perhaps none too kindly disposed fairys, either. Better move along before Honeysuckle lunges at her, or something.
>"Thanks."
>"The next step, Honey, is to bring the papers to the right people so they can be filled out. With the items we're supposed to be retreiving, as well."
>Back to the horses.

[DracoOmega]

>This one appears to be less shady than Sashiko. And perhaps none too kindly disposed fairys, either. Better move along before Honeysuckle lunges at her, or something.
>"Thanks."
>"The next step, Honey, is to bring the papers to the right people so they can be filled out. With the items we're supposed to be retreiving, as well."
>Back to the horses.

>It would certainly be annoying to avoid one fairy fight only to have another start a few feet away. Although you have a hard time imaging how Honeysuckle could actually hurt anyone, unlike a certain ice fairy.
>"Yup," she replies flatly. A veritable barrel of fun, this one.
>Honey nods. "Right!"
>You head out of the guild, leaving your most recent trouble behind you. As you reach the door, Honey pauses.
>"Um, er...." She fidgets uncomfortably. "We're not going to miss the fight, are we?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I hope not. But the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back here. But that's another reason why I asked if you wanted to stay here with Cirno, because I know how much you want to see her in action."
>"Which you can, if you really want to. I mean, you'll have more opportunities to learn paperwork if you keep traveling with me."
>"Actually, if you wanted to hang around the guildhall and wait for Marissa, there's something else you can do for me while you're here."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I hope not. But the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back here. But that's another reason why I asked if you wanted to stay here with Cirno, because I know how much you want to see her in action."
>"Which you can, if you really want to. I mean, you'll have more opportunities to learn paperwork if you keep traveling with me."
>"Actually, if you wanted to hang around the guildhall and wait for Marissa, there's something else you can do for me while you're here."

>Honeysuckle looks torn as you explain matters. You can practically hear her warring between 'gotta be the best sidekick' and 'but the fight's gonna be awesome!'
>"What's that?" she asks in response to your question.

[Oldmansour]

>Kinda feel sorry for the poor little thing. Might be the hardest choice she's made in a very long time.
>"Before I left town to figure out what happened to that fruit shipment, I found a kitty cat for a gang of fairys here in town. But I promised them I'd find another one for them, if I could. If you wanted to wait here at the guildhall, you could fly around outside a little, have a look around for any stray cats in the area, until Marissa shows up."

[DracoOmega]

>Kinda feel sorry for the poor little thing. Might be the hardest choice she's made in a very long time.
>"Before I left town to figure out what happened to that fruit shipment, I found a kitty cat for a gang of fairys here in town. But I promised them I'd find another one for them, if I could. If you wanted to wait here at the guildhall, you could fly around outside a little, have a look around for any stray cats in the area, until Marissa shows up."

>"Oh. Oh!" Her face lights up. "I can do that!"

[Oldmansour]

>Laugh and pat the sidekick in training on the head.
>"There's a good girl."
>Move to the fruit cart and unhitch it.
>"This should be pretty routine, so hopefully, I'll be back before Marissa gets here."

[DracoOmega]

>Laugh and pat the sidekick in training on the head.
>"There's a good girl."
>"This should be pretty routine, so hopefully, I'll be back before Marissa gets here."

>You laugh and pat Honeysuckle on the head.
>She nods. "I'm gonna find the best kitty," she says. "Just you watch!"

>Move to the fruit cart and unhitch it.

>You exit the guild and move over to Isato's cart, unhitching it. The horses look vaguely disapproving of you, but not especially feisty. The horse you rode in on turns to you and gives you the equine equivalent of a nod, seemingly otherwise impassive.

[Oldmansour]

>Return Steady's nod, then adress the other two.
>"Don't worry, I promise I'm a better driver than the last girl."
>Set off towards the Melon Bowl.

[DracoOmega]

>Return Steady's nod, then adress the other two.
>"Don't worry, I promise I'm a better driver than the last girl."
>Set off towards the Melon Bowl.

>You nod to your horse, then say something reassuring to Isato's pair. They don't seem particularly moved by it.
>With that, you mount the cart and set off for the Melon Bowl. Driving it does prove to require more concentration than your last ride, but nothing you're unable to manage with some care. The trip is brief and collision-free, and soon enough you find yourself back in front of the colorful restaurant.

[Oldmansour]

>Bet the townsfolk are grateful for a better driver, even if the horses may not share the sentiment.
>Hitch up the horse.
>"You'll be home soon, once the job's done."
>Enter the Bowl.

[DracoOmega]

>Bet the townsfolk are grateful for a better driver, even if the horses may not share the sentiment.
>Hitch up the horse.
>"You'll be home soon, once the job's done."
>Enter the Bowl.

>You find a suitable spot and hitch up the horses, then try to say something reassuring again. The bay snorts mildly at you.

>You enter the restaurant. It's about as crowded as it was yesterday, which is to say: not at all. There's a young woman in one of the corner tables, a short brown-haired fairy by the front window, and that's about it. The woman manning the counter is the same as before. She looks up as you enter, her rather dreary expression brightening ever so slightly when she sees you.
>"I hope you've got good news for me?" she asks.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Your problem was vigilantes. Seems the farmer got on the wrong side of some faeries, who took there grievances to him while he was on the road. I have what's left on the cart."

[DracoOmega]

>"Your problem was vigilantes. Seems the farmer got on the wrong side of some faeries, who took there grievances to him while he was on the road. I have what's left on the cart."

>"What's left of it?" she says with a frown.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, some of it got eaten. And some's probably a little ripe. So, where do you want it?"