(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 7)

[DracoOmega]

>Glad Murasa didn't hear THAT bit.
>"Big ones know this place. Been here longer than you. Better to be safe. Safe yummies are better yummies."

>Ah, the benefits of being unintelligible to nearly everyone else.
>"You're... sure it's not safe?" she asks, a slight note of doubt creeping into her tone, for once.

[Oldmansour]

>"Trust me. This place belongs to the big ones. The big one in charge doesn't want you here. But we can find you a new place. A safe place."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And, like I said, I'll make them give us some yummies in exchange for leaving."

[DracoOmega]

>"Trust me. This place belongs to the big ones. The big one in charge doesn't want you here. But we can find you a new place. A safe place."

>"And, like I said, I'll make them give us some yummies in exchange for leaving."

>There is a moment's hesitation. "...okay. Safe is good. As long as there's yummies."
>She walks over to the box, then pauses and seems to examine it a little. She moves a little off to the left and repeats the gesture. Then she darts further off to the right and starts to circle around the box, almost like she were looking for a hole in the side of it or something, despite it being an easy climb up and in the open top.

[Oldmansour]

>Tilt the box to give her easier access.

[DracoOmega]

>Tilt the box to give her easier access.

>You tilt the box to present the open top to the mouse directly. The bed of wood shavings falls and settles against the side as you do so. Despite this gesture and the lack of obstruction in front of her, the mouse still hesitates in front of the box for a moment, darting to one end of the opening and then the other before finally scrabbling through and into the box itself. She wiggles herself beneath the pile of shavings and nearly disappears from sight.

[Oldmansour]

>"Good girl."
>Grab the box. "We'll be moving now."
>Pick up the box and leave the room.
>If Murasa's still outside, say, "Here's your extra passenger."

[DracoOmega]

>"Good girl."
>Grab the box. "We'll be moving now."
>Pick up the box and leave the room.
>If Murasa's still outside, say, "Here's your extra passenger."

>You she reassuringly to the little one and she squeaks an acknowledgment. Then you pick the box back up and tilt it upright again. The pile of shavings and mouse beneath them tumble gently to the side, the latter with a murine equivalent of an 'Oof'. She hastily puts her tiny paws to work throwing enough shavings into a pile to cover herself again. ...at least mostly. You exit the pantry.
>You find Murasa still outside, loafing against the wall by the pantry door. She throws you a dry look that seems to say "Took you long enough...", but you point out the presence of the fugitive mouse before she has a chance to say anything. Her brow furrows as she peers into the box and her mouth draws into a dull frown. Its occupant is about as well-concealed as can be expected given the available cover, but it isn't at all hard to spot the conspicuous mound among the shavings, and a few patches of tawny fur are visible through gaps between them.
>Murasa lets out a coarse sigh. "Guess I owe you for findin' the thing, but I don't suppose it's too much to hope you got somethin' worthwhile out of it after all this?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not really. But apparently someone else put her in the box. Anyways, she said she won't come back if you give her a couple pieces of fruit or some such for the road."

Possible idea: Take the mouse to Murasa's cabin, and see if it recognizes any people smells there.

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't think she's been on the ship long enough to recognize the crew members' scents, wouldn't be able to detect what smells don't belong. But I'm pretty sure Chisato isn't the only crew member you have that knows this girl was on board. I think Chisato may have put her in this box, but I don't think she was the first one that found her."
>"You might find it comforting, though, that she's the only mouse on board. She said I was the first mouse she'd seen in a while."

Possible idea: Take the mouse to Murasa's cabin, and see if it recognizes any people smells there.

If nothing else, it shouldn't take more than a few posts. Assuming Murasa wants the mouse in her cabin. But given that she only got close to two crew members, if she picks up something in the cabin that we couldn't, it could just be another crewman that she hadn't met. I'm honestly not sure it's worth it.

I think we should go with Murasa to have a chat with Chisato about her new pet, because I'm quite curious what a sailor would be doing with a pet mouse. And after that, we check out the harbormasters' office to see if our theif left a clue there.

[DracoOmega]

>"Not really. But apparently someone else put her in the box. Anyways, she said she won't come back if you give her a couple pieces of fruit or some such for the road."

>"Ain't that generous of her," she grumbles. "Gonna have to clean through the whole damn pantry and see what it's gotten into, so I'm not exactly feeling generous myself. Suppose we can toss it what we gotta throw out anyway. Not like it'll mind the difference."

>"I don't think she's been on the ship long enough to recognize the crew members' scents, wouldn't be able to detect what smells don't belong. But I'm pretty sure Chisato isn't the only crew member you have that knows this girl was on board. I think Chisato may have put her in this box, but I don't think she was the first one that found her."
>"You might find it comforting, though, that she's the only mouse on board. She said I was the first mouse she'd seen in a while."

>"Swell," Murasa says flatly. "Who the hell thinks keeping a door closed is enough to stop a mouse from goin' where it pleases, anyway? Hope Chisato can come up with a better excuse for that than I can."
>"Suppose that's somethin', anyway. Hope to hell she's right. Got enough problems right now."

[Oldmansour]

>How generous of HER...
>Other than a bag of millet, can we determine what the mouse may have gotten into?

[DracoOmega]

>How generous of HER...
>Other than a bag of millet, can we determine what the mouse may have gotten into?

>There seems to be plenty of resentment to go around at the moment.
>In truth, you don't even know for sure that she'd gotten into that bag. She was merely tucked away behind it. You didn't really inspect the pantry to see what might have been eaten or chewed on.

[Oldmansour]

>Ask the mouse, "What kind of yummies did the big one give you?"

[DracoOmega]

>Ask the mouse, "What kind of yummies did the big one give you?"

>"Some seeds and crumbs and a bit of carrot!" she replies.
>Murasa gives you a sidelong glance.

[Oldmansour]

>Shrug. "The right language for the right person."
>"She says one of the big... One of your crewman, gave her some kinds of seeds and a little carrot."
>Look about for another carrot.

[DracoOmega]

>Shrug. "The right language for the right person."
>"She says one of the big... One of your crewman, gave her some kinds of seeds and a little carrot."
>Look about for another carrot.

>"Yeah, I know how it works," Murasa says.
>She nods.
>You don't see any at the moment, though you'd be surprised if there weren't some stored away here somewhere or other.

[Oldmansour]

>"Think you can spare a carrot or two for my little friend here? I think that'll satisfy her, 'till I can find her a new home."

[DracoOmega]

>"Think you can spare a carrot or two for my little friend here? I think that'll satisfy her, 'till I can find her a new home."

>"Eh, suppose it won't hurt," Murasa says, leaning over and flicking the door of a couple cupboards open and then closed again before evidently finding the one she was looking for. She reaches in and pulls out a carrot, then tosses it in your direction.

[Oldmansour]

>Break off a piece and drop it in our new friend's box.
>"Thanks."
>"But before I take this little girl off-ship, let us have a little chat with Chisato, shall we?"

[DracoOmega]

>Break off a piece and drop it in our new friend's box.
>"Thanks."
>"But before I take this little girl off-ship, let us have a little chat with Chisato, shall we?"

>You catch the carrot, then break a small piece of it off and drop it into the box. The mouse doesn't immediately poke her head out to inspect it, but that's not really unexpected.
>"Sure," Murasa replies flatly.
>She throws you a dubious expression. "What do you have to say to her?"

[Oldmansour]

>Take a breath. "Well, she and I didn't exactly get off on the right foot, obviously. But, anyone that wanted to take care of a mouse can't be all bad, in my book. And besides, I'd love to know why a sailor would want a mouse in the first place."

[DracoOmega]

>Take a breath. "Well, she and I didn't exactly get off on the right foot, obviously. But, anyone that wanted to take care of a mouse can't be all bad, in my book. And besides, I'd love to know why a sailor would want a mouse in the first place."

>"That makes two of us," Murasa grumbles. "Don't take this the wrong way, but that's just asking for trouble."

[Oldmansour]

>"I grant that. But assuming she knows that, then maybe she had another reason, other than thinking 'Aww, how cute!', or something. And I'm as curious as you are."

[DracoOmega]

>"I grant that. But assuming she knows that, then maybe she had another reason, other than thinking 'Aww, how cute!', or something. And I'm as curious as you are."

>"No offense, but if it's just 'cause you're curious, then I think I can deal with her on my own."

[Oldmansour]

>"Hey, I was the one that found the mouse here. I wanna hear why it was under Chisato's bed. I think that's only fair."

[DracoOmega]

>"Hey, I was the one that found the mouse here. I wanna hear why it was under Chisato's bed. I think that's only fair."

>Murasa raises her hands in protest. "Hey, I'm not gonna stop you from talkin' to her. I don't run that kind of a ship here. But whatever dressing down she's getting for this is between me and her. Don't need an audience."

[Oldmansour]

>Consider.
>"That's a point. Your ship, your crew. Your discipline. I suppose I just feel a little involved, being the one that found the 'evidence', so to speak. I was only looking for a witness, wasn't after getting someone in hot water. Or, clouds, as the case may be."

[DracoOmega]

>Consider.
>"That's a point. Your ship, your crew. Your discipline. I suppose I just feel a little involved, being the one that found the 'evidence', so to speak. I was only looking for a witness, wasn't after getting someone in hot water. Or, clouds, as the case may be."

>"Yeah, I know," she says, then sighs. "Look, if that guy doesn't have anything useful to tell you, what now?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Girl."
>"And I was thinking about checking out the harbormaster's office. You said the document was missing from there, too. It's possible your thief left a clue there that he didn't here."