Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Mystia's Stored Games => Topic started by: DracoOmega on June 30, 2015, 01:23:09 AM
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>You are Nazrin, a newly inducted member of the Seeker's Guild, and you are dying. The stygian brands of the Blight scar your body, and your vision and vitality are failing, but perhaps not all hope is yet lost. If you can just retrieve the lunar orchid Yuuka requested and return it to her before the last of your strength fails you, you can still make it through this. Perhaps that's even possible.
>Your career got off to an interesting and busy start two weeks ago, between stolen cats, missing cattle, and sword-wielding fairies, but things took a much darker turn when an encounter with a wild spider youkai left you infected with a mysterious and deadly illness. Thanks to Minoriko's creative thinking and the power of an ancient sword found buried in the spider's lair, the Blight was kept at bay for a time, but it is reasserting itself with greater vigor each day, and you do not know how many more you have left.
>Your search for this cure has been a long and frustrating road, taking you from Braston to Val Razua to Isir's Cross and then into the depths of the wilderness beyond. You have tangled with sky pirates and obstructive bureaucrats, been stabbed and sliced open, fallen off a cliff, and even gotten cursed by a grimoire-wielding fairy. But you found it. After all that work, you finally uncovered the hidden garden you'd been seeking, the one place you could obtain the flower you need to save yourself.
>And then you were forced to turn around without it.
>The garden was everything you'd been led to believe ? beautiful almost beyond description ? but its keeper was heartless and indifferent to whether you lived or died. She offered the flower you needed only in exchange for bringing her one she did not already possess, and was deaf to your pleas that the disease could easily kill you before you return to her. But she could not be swayed, and so you are left to shoulder one final task: obtain a lunar orchid from the inner gardens of Eientei and return it to Yuuka, or die in the attempt.
>Does it appear that any of the shops down there are open?
>You can only catch glimpses of what passes for a commercial area in this place, but you'd be surprised if there wasn't something still open. Of course, you're not getting that far into town without letting a whole lot of eyes rest upon you, which defeats half the purpose. But you suppose that even if it didn't help your situation here, it might still be useful to have for Val Razua.
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>Is that winter coat of ours able to be tied around our waist to cover our legs, like these kids today do with lighter jackets?
>If so, use that to cover our legs, cloak to cover body, then head into town to try and find a trouser seller.
>And keep an eye open for ferry schedule postings along the way.
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>Is that winter coat of ours able to be tied around our waist to cover our legs, like these kids today do with lighter jackets?
>If so, use that to cover our legs, cloak to cover body, then head into town to try and find a trouser seller.
>And keep an eye open for ferry schedule postings along the way.
>It's really unpleasantly bulky to do this with, and it won't provide total obscuration, but you're not in a position to be too picky.
>You take out your coat, tie it around your waist so that the majority of the coat falls down over your legs, then don the cloak. You are now altogether too dressed for this weather and have to tread carefully simply to avoid tripping yourself up in your own coat, but at least if people stare at you, it will probably be for your fashion sense rather than your illness. Either that or they'll think you're the world's most conspicuous burgler. You try to move briskly enough not to give them too much time to ponder this subject.
>Unsurprisingly, stores are scarce in this town and visitors not much less; there's little you can do to keep from sticking out like a well-insulated sore thumb, and whispers follow you whenever you walk past people, but you do eventually make it to a modest outfitter's selling some too-large work pants in utilitarian brown. They're nearly as ugly as your current ensemble, but at least a little less conspicuous. You'd have to be twice as blind as you are to miss the pointed looks the shopkeeper keeps giving you, though.
>"Sure you're not too hot under all that?" he asks, fingering a mop tensely.
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>"Least of my problems lately."
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>"Least of my problems lately."
>"I see." He looks unconvinced.
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>Are those pants the best deal he's got in something our size? Being in a hurry is no reason not to at least try to find a deal.
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>Are those pants the best deal he's got in something our size? Being in a hurry is no reason not to at least try to find a deal.
>There's only a limited amount of clothing here, and this is the best you've managed to dig up in the pants category. The price isn't too bad, all things considered, but they're nothing you'd choose to wear if you had a wider selection.
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>Needs must.
>"I've been having a bad run." Glance around for a changing room, then retrieve pants. "I need these."
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>Needs must.
>"I've been having a bad run." Glance around for a changing room, then retrieve pants. "I need these."
>You don't see a changing room in evidence; clothing is not this store's mainstay.
>"I hope you mean to pay for them," the shopkeeper says warily.
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>Offer a tolerant sigh. "I realize how I look, but I'm not as shady as that. I'm just... Having a run of bad luck."
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>Offer a tolerant sigh. "I realize how I look, but I'm not as shady as that. I'm just... Having a run of bad luck."
>"Sorry to hear that," he says. It sounds genuine enough, though he doesn't relax much.
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>Maybe the sight of our money will help with that.
>Let us pay the man.
>And while we're at it, let us inquire into the riverboat sched.
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Might want to make sure you hand your money over with the non-disease hand.
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>Maybe the sight of our money will help with that.
>Let us pay the man.
>And while we're at it, let us inquire into the riverboat sched.
>You pay the man his 14 guilders, taking care not to expose the diseased parts of your hands or face in the doing. He accepts it with a quiet nod.
>You now have 259 guilders and a new pair of pants.
>"Think the ferry to the city leaves in... half-hour or so?" he says. "Thereabouts, anyway."
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Well fine, go ahead and make me look silly for trying to remember important details. :(
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Hey, I added the note specifically because you mentioned it, rather than wait around for a post amendment!
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Feel free to do some of the leg work while you're here, Kilga, I'm going to be sporadic for the next couple of days at least.
>Did we note any back alleys or out of the way back of buildings we could change comfortably?
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>Did we note any back alleys or out of the way back of buildings we could change comfortably?
>The construction in the town is not very dense, but neither are there are a great many people out and about. You imagine you could find the backside of a shed or a large tree or something, and get changed without much chance of being spotted in the process.
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>Excellent.
>"First bit of good news I've had in days. Thanks."
>Let's go find somewhere to apply pants.
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Offer's appreciated, but I suspect I'm a spectator from here on out, unless Purvis is willing to relent on decapitating Yamame once Naz runs into her again at the end.
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I'm on your side with that one. Nobody decapitates Yamame unless and until we have no absolutely choice in the matter at all. Especially if she's at Ichirin's, as we planned. I make a point never to decapitate in front of mommy.
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>Excellent.
>"First bit of good news I've had in days. Thanks."
>Let's go find somewhere to apply pants.
>"No problem," he says, looking a little reassured for the transaction having concluded in the conventional fashion.
>You exit the shop and find the nearest concealed spot to change. A large woodpile beside a windowless shed serves well enough, particularly with hearing as sensitive as yours; the only witness to your underpants is a lone sparrow. You stuff your coat back into your pack afterward, feeling rather lighter for it. This cloak's still too damn hot, though.
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>Merely 'uncomfortably' hot, or 'swelteringly' hot, or 'our little mousy tits are melting off' hot?
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>Merely 'uncomfortably' hot, or 'swelteringly' hot, or 'our little mousy tits are melting off' hot?
>Somewhere between the first two. You'd really rather not have to hide yourself so deep inside it on a summer day, but you're not about to collapse of heat exhaustion or anything.
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>Note to self: investigate slighter cloak later.
>Let's hit up that ferry.
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>Note to self: investigate slighter cloak later.
>Let's hit up that ferry.
>You make your way down to the docks, purchase passage on the ferry, and board it without incident; your conspicuously cowled countenance does elicit a few wary remarks from the people you interact with, but nothing that causes you any real trouble. Once on board, you head straight for your cabin and collapse into bed. It is dawn before you are even vaguely aware of your own body again.
>It aches. Everywhere. Even your tongue is aching, somehow. Your throat is dry enough that it is difficult to swallow, so you attempt to haul your leaden weight far enough out of bed to reach for your canteen, only to sway dizzily in the attempt. It takes a second try before you can even remain upright. The water does help a little, though.
>Feeling a bit more steady on your feet, you push back the curtain to gaze out the window. The morning air is wafting cool and gentle off the river as low green hills drift slowly by, the faintest hints of the new sun warming the edges of the sky. Everything's still rather hazy, though. You blink once to try and clear your vision, and then again. Oh. Right.
>That puts something of a dampener on the scenery, so you let the curtain go and flop down on the bed again. Even this nondescript bunk in a tiny riverboat cabin feels wonderfully soft and yielding after a week of sleeping on the hard ground; if only your health allowed you to enjoy it fully. Some of your arches are from the week's exertions, and some of those are even fading ? the soles of your feet, for example ? but so many parts of you are as bad or worse than ever. You hold your hand up and stare at it, slowly tracing the network of black tendrils that now snake halfway up your arm. It's spreading faster than ever. Whether this is a sign that the disease is approaching some final stage, or just your body finally losing in its struggle, you can't say. One week feels like an awfully long way away.
>You stare at the ceiling, you reflect on the past, you roll around in bed to find some respite from your aches that will not come. At some point you even stand up and stare out the window again, watching the trees drift by beneath that fog of grey which fills your vision. You cannot decide if this room is a sanctuary for your road-weary body or a cage ? probably both. A hazy speck that might once have been a bird streaks across the cloudless sky.
>At some point, you fall back to sleep ? for a minute or an hour, you're not sure. Time passes in a half-forgotten reverie as you drift in and out of consciousness; your dreams are dull and jumbled, your sense of time hazy. You force yourself to have a nibble of your rations at some point, but even this feels like effort. Not that you'd have any desire to fraternize with your cheerful fellow passengers even if you could remain upright; frankly, you liked them better when they were asleep. The hours are long, and yet too vague to count. Time is urgent, and yet you crave nothing more than rest. Did you want to reach your destination yesterday, or not until you spend another week in bed?
>Eventually, the ship pulls into Val Razua. Or so you gradually surmise by the stern rapping on your door and words firmly shouted through it. You rub your eyes and try to get some sense of what time of day it is. Sunset? Just how long were you asleep?
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>Is that quite possibly the most miserable voyage we've ever had?
>Are we hungry? Still tired?
>We can still at least think clearly, right?
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>Is that quite possibly the most miserable voyage we've ever had?
>Are we hungry? Still tired?
>We can still at least think clearly, right?
>You think you spent too much time out of it for it to have been truly miserable, though you wouldn't have called it pleasant, either. You are distinctly unwell.
>It is a bit hard to assess these things, having only just woken up again; your thoughts are nearly as hazy as your vision. But you can still stand up, and remember where you are and where you're going, at least. Maybe the rest will follow once you're up and about for a while.
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>Then let's attend to that.
>Disembark.
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>Then let's attend to that.
>Disembark.
>You gather your things, toss on your form-concealing cloak once more, and stumble off the ferry before the crew can complain much more in your direction.
>The dock in Val Razua is a world apart from Isir's Cross, even as modest as this riverside terminal is compared to the true hub of commercial shipping to the north. There is a bustle of people moving in all directions amid the endless rows of tall buildings and sculpted ironwork that stretch off into the blurry distance; though it might have been only a week, it feels closer to a year since you've been among real civilization. In your current headspace, it feels more than a little loud.
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>By any chance, has our potted plant showed any sign of flowering in the time it took us to get back here?
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>By any chance, has our potted plant showed any sign of flowering in the time it took us to get back here?
>Sadly, no. What good has this thing even been, anyway?
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>Okay, that brings us back to our latest quest.
>What did we learn about Kaguya Houraisan? Especially her stances on making deals with downtrodden, hard luck Seekers.
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>Okay, that brings us back to our latest quest.
>What did we learn about Kaguya Houraisan? Especially her stances on making deals with downtrodden, hard luck Seekers.
>You've heard very little direct mention of her outside of the brief conversation you had with Neu about the major players in the city; while Sachi warned you off politics in the city in general, the only person she mentioned by name was Lady Scarlet. Neu described Kaguya as a generally kindly sort, though a bit aloof from reality and with a habit of secluding herself from the city and its politics altogether; she wasn't altogether sure how she maintained her hold on power while appearing so uninvolved. She is from the rural Takemura area to the west of the city, which is also where you believe Eientei is located. For what it's worth, Neu seemed to consider her the most approachable of the big three, and had apparently spoken with her in past. Though while she described the woman as 'seemingly human', apparently she hasn't been seen to age for centuries; she didn't have an explanation for that one, either.
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>Do we know anything about Eientei aside from what Yuuka told us?
>Would we know her crest if we saw it, or what sort of businesses might be under her purview?
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>Do we know anything about Eientei aside from what Yuuka told us?
>Would we know her crest if we saw it, or what sort of businesses might be under her purview?
>Not a great deal. You believe it is the ancestral residence of House Houraisan, located in Takemura, some distance west of the city proper. That's honestly about it.
>The Houraisan crest is a silhouette of a bamboo stalk upon a full moon in dusky blue and silver. You saw it when you entered the city, as well as on several of maps you examined that indicated major House holdings - including what you believe is Kaguya's primary residence in the city, Ozukitei - not to mention on the uniforms of a handful of retainers you've passed in the street at one point or another. You aren't particularly informed on the House's commercial interests, though.
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>Do we know of any greenhouses or nurseries between here and there?
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>Do we know of any greenhouses or nurseries between here and there?
>Most of the greenhouses you visited are in this general area - towards the south of the city, near the river. You're not precisely sure of the road that goes west to Takemura, but you think it's further north. You don't think any greenhouses are directly along your path, but it wouldn't be a lengthy detour.
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>So we don't know how far it is between here and there?
>Considering our condition, and our riding habits, if we have to travel ere bit of distance, would it be a better call to walk or rent a horse, or chocobo, or cerkle?
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>So we don't know how far it is between here and there?
>Considering our condition, and our riding habits, if we have to travel ere bit of distance, would it be a better call to walk or rent a horse, or chocobo, or cerkle?
>While you examined a great many maps the last time you were in the city, none of them were of the western territories; you had no reason to expect you would be going there on short notice.
>You are not an experienced rider, and while you are probably still capable of the walk, it would seem prudent to conserve your meager strength and try to hire a carriage or some similar form of transport that doesn't require you to exert yourself; you're not going to be able to avoid an extended hike for the last leg of the journey back to Yuuka's, after all.
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>Of course it would be best if we didn't need to go that extra mile at all.
>Where is this Ozukitei of hers?
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>Of course it would be best if we didn't need to go that extra mile at all.
>Where is this Ozukitei of hers?
>Some distance north of here, towards the city's center; you don't know the most direct route from your current location, but you believe you could still find it using some landmarks you observed on the maps.
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>Chances are there's a greenhouse closer to us than that. Let's hit up one of those first.
>No wait. Before we go there, is there anywhere around here where we can buy a lighter cloak?
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>Chances are there's a greenhouse closer to us than that. Let's hit up one of those first.
>No wait. Before we go there, is there anywhere around here where we can buy a lighter cloak?
>Val Razua is replete with vendors for nearly any type of clothing you could care to have. You do not, however, know the location of many of them off-hand, and prices at some are liable to be more than you'd rather pay. That being said, you're sure you can dig around to find one with a lighter cloak for sale at a reasonable price, if that's your intention - though if you're just needing to cover some specific parts of your body, there might be lighter or less shadowy-looking options. Your hands, at least, could be covered with a simple pair of gloves.
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>Okay, so at the moment, just how much of our body do we need to cover the blighted parts of? We covered our legs back in Isir's Cross, but there's still the rest of us.
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>Okay, so at the moment, just how much of our body do we need to cover the blighted parts of? We covered our legs back in Isir's Cross, but there's still the rest of us.
>Of the parts that are not already covered by your clothing, the only visible blight patches you are aware of are on the back of one hand, and the side of your neck, up across one cheek; last you looked, it hadn't quite reached the level of your nose, but that may have changed.
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>Well that at least is easy to find out. Have a glance in the water's surface, or some conveniently empty window nearby.
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>Well that at least is easy to find out. Have a glance in the water's surface, or some conveniently empty window nearby.
>You pass by a shiny enough window to pause for a better look at your face, taking care that there is no one staring back at you from the inside. The blight mark has stretched just a little above your nose on that cheek, though not quite yet to your eyes, and about halfway across your face, below the lips. There might be a tiny spot forming on the other cheek, but it's honestly hard for you to be sure with your vision as hazy as it is.
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>So to cover those blighted parts, we'll need some gloves and some kind of mask?
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>So to cover those blighted parts, we'll need some gloves and some kind of mask?
>That could work. There's a variety of facial coverings that you could probably finagle to cover it - a mask, a heavy veil, even possibly a large scarf if you tied it somewhat unusually.
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>Then it would appear a clothing store should be our first stop. And while a veil of charisma and gloves of lock picking would be nice, best not to get sidetracked looking for things to improve future jobs until we can be sure we HAVE future jobs. So any clothing store that appears to be within our budget will do.
>And if there's none in the immediate vinicity, then keep an eye out for one while we travel in the direction of a greenhouse.
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>Then it would appear a clothing store should be our first stop. And while a veil of charisma and gloves of lock picking would be nice, best not to get sidetracked looking for things to improve future jobs until we can be sure we HAVE future jobs. So any clothing store that appears to be within our budget will do.
>And if there's none in the immediate vinicity, then keep an eye out for one while we travel in the direction of a greenhouse.
>You spot no clothing stores in your immediate vicinity, so you carry onward towards the greenhouse you visited with Kyouko last week ? or at least do your best to locate it again. The busy crowds of Val Razua do allow you to blend in more easily, despite your face-concealing getup, and the coolness of evening makes the cloak a little less uncomfortable. Though your navigational abilities start to feel a bit on the fritz after 15 minutes walking without spotting your destination. It was in this general area, wasn't it? Or were you supposed to have gone left on Claremont? What street are you even on now?
>You glance around for the nearest street sign and have trouble even spotting it at first; it takes until you are practically beside it before the hazy blotches of white resolve into letters you can read. Wicklow Street. Was that... You don't actually recognize that one.
>While you are trying to get your bearings again, you pass by a squat row building, its brickwork faded and even a little crumbling in places ? this does not seem to be a rich part of town. But what catches your eye is the crowded rack of suits and dresses pressed almost up against the single shop window. A boldly-lettered sign hangs above, looking more than a little faded itself. Donovan Clothiers. Dapper at a Discount.
>Everyone says their prices are good, of course, but it doesn't look like this place can expect to attract a wealthy clientele either; maybe they're even being honest?
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>Are we going to need glasses soon? Or would those even help, given our circumstances?
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>Are we going to need glasses soon? Or would those even help, given our circumstances?
>You don't know how much they would help; at the very least, you don't think shortsightedness is normally accompanied by a dark hazy film across your vision. It feels a little like viewing the world through a grimy pane of textured glass.
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>Extrapolation. How impaired will our vision be in three days time?
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>Extrapolation. How impaired will our vision be in three days time?
>Hard to say. It hasn't gotten a lot worse in the last day or so since it started to become visibly impaired; even fine details are mostly okay, so long as you're close and can concentrate, although you're increasingly left with only coarse impressions at range. That's plenty enough for serviceable navigation, though; whatever issues you've had finding this greenhouse are more a matter of sluggish memory than bad eyes. After three more days... well, you might be bad at reading signs, but surely you'd still be able to navigate with landmarks the size of the ones on the route to Yuuka's. Right?
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>So that makes it all the more critical that we limit our traveling as much as humanly possible.
>From here, can we tell just how within our price range Mr. Donovan is?
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>So that makes it all the more critical that we limit our traveling as much as humanly possible.
>From here, can we tell just how within our price range Mr. Donovan is?
>The hike through the wilderness is going to be plenty demanding on its own, even now; you really don't think you have a lot of time to spare. Frankly, just walking around the city feels like more exertion than you'd rather at the moment, and you just spent most of the last day in bed.
>You can't actually make out price tags on anything inside, but the look of the store and what merchandise you can see makes you think it's relatively on the low side, at least as Val Razua goes.
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>Then let's investigate his wares before we fall over.
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>Then let's investigate his wares before we fall over.
>You step into the shop, the door jingling a tiny bell as you do so. Your first impression of the interior is: cramped - not with people, but with clothing. It is only a modest space, but its owners appear to have squeezed in an inventory more fitting for somewhere twice its size. The whole place is a warren of racks and partitioned wooden shelves jammed with tweed suits and woolen vests, sundresses and colorful caftans, slacks for all occasions, and an assortment of absolutely florid hats; you're half-blind and that cacophony of feathers and ribbons is still much too loud. The rest of the shop is virtually silent by contrast; even your footsteps upon the worn hardwood floor are distinctly muffled by the press of fabric on all sides. There's certainly no shortage of inventory here, even if it might take you a little while to find something suitable; organization appears to have been another casualty of their shelving strategy.
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>Can't be as bad as Marisa's room.
>Does it all appear to be mundane clothing, or do we see or sense any indication of enchantment about?
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>Can't be as bad as Marisa's room.
>Does it all appear to be mundane clothing, or do we see or sense any indication of enchantment about?
>This place is at least tidy, even if there seems little pattern to what is shelved where.
>Nothing seems appears enchanted, as far as you can tell; or if it is, it's shoved unassumingly between some floral skirt and a plaid smoking jacket.
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>how much money do we have left?
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>how much money do we have left?
>Accounting for the ferry ride into Val Razua, you currently have 214 guilders.
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>Okay, so, what did we need.... A lighter cloak than we have, a pair of gloves, preferably grey, and either a veil or a scarf. No, probably a light scarf, that's more up our street.
>Barring the need to attend the opera or something in the next day or two, do we feel in need of any other articles of clothing?
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>Okay, so, what did we need.... A lighter cloak than we have, a pair of gloves, preferably grey, and either a veil or a scarf. No, probably a light scarf, that's more up our street.
>Barring the need to attend the opera or something in the next day or two, do we feel in need of any other articles of clothing?
>Gloves are an obvious purchase. A scarf could cover the marks on your face for now, though it would need to be tied somewhat oddly to comfortably cover halfway up one cheek - or else be very poofy. Strictly speaking, you don't know that you'd have any immediate need for another cloak, if these two articles covered the blight adequately; the one you have still isn't quite your size, but it served you well enough through that rainstorm last week.
>Unless you're concerned with matters of fashion, you think the rest of your clothing is fine enough for now; the pants you picked up in Isir's Cross are kind of ugly, but at least they're not too uncomfortable.
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>All right, we have our shopping list.
>A pair of gloves, elbow length if possible, in black or grey.
>Either a veil or a light scarf, whichever will serve our purpose better, again in black or grey.
>And if we can find an outfit like the damaged one we have on the cheap along the way, more's the better.
>Let's get to it.
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>All right, we have our shopping list.
>A pair of gloves, elbow length if possible, in black or grey.
>Either a veil or a light scarf, whichever will serve our purpose better, again in black or grey.
>And if we can find an outfit like the damaged one we have on the cheap along the way, more's the better.
>Let's get to it.
>With your shopping list in mind, you set to sifting through the cluttered racks of clothing that line the shop. Too big, too small, too ugly, pants. For as much variety of clothing as this place has, it's remarkably difficult to find anything specific. Oh, that dress is kinda nice and breazy; might be good on hot summer days if you... if you had time to ponder what to wear if you're still alive next week. You put it back.
>As you approach the end of the first aisle, you hear footsteps rapidly descending some kind of staircase that must be concealed behind the maze of inventory.
>"Sorry, sorry," a woman calls out in a nasal voice before ducking into view between a rack of neckties and a pair of ballroom gowns. She doffs a rather tired-looking bowler hat and sketches a little bow. "Welcome to Donovan Clothiers. What can I do ya for?"
>...those ears and tail. She's a... a rat.
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>Oh, that's just someone's cruel idea of a joke, isn't it?
>Can we take her?
>Have we ever had the pleasure of meeting a rat youkai before?
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>Oh, that's just someone's cruel idea of a joke, isn't it?
>Can we take her?
>Have we ever had the pleasure of meeting a rat youkai before?
>It certainly feels like the universe is having a very long laugh at your expense right now.
>The woman's barely taller than you are, and you're armed. Not so big now, are you?
>Twice. And they were both absolute jerks.
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>Oh, well. Let's try to be optimistic, Nazrin, at least she can't be as bad as Yuuka.
>"Yes, I've been looking for a pair of full-length gloves. And a light scarf."
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>Oh, well. Let's try to be optimistic, Nazrin, at least she can't be as bad as Yuuka.
>"Yes, I've been looking for a pair of full-length gloves. And a light scarf."
>One upside to meeting Yuuka is that you now may be able to go a very long time without meeting a bigger jerk. ...hopefully.
>"Finding it a mite nippy, are we?" The rat almost, but not quite, snickers.
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>"I've been in hotter places."
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>"I've been in hotter places."
>The rat grins. "Well, I'm sure we can get you kitted out in somefink smug and toasty, hey? Got a favorite color?"
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>Is that a 'rat' accent?
>"Grey. Or black, I'm flexible."
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>Is that a 'rat' accent?
>"Grey. Or black, I'm flexible."
>You don't know if there properly is such a thing. You don't feel you have a 'mouse' accent, anyway.
>"Black's a good color if I do say so m'self," the rat says, tugging lightly on her black vest. You might even describe it as rather stylish under other circumstances. "Come along, let's see wot we can dig you up."
>And with that, she turns and disappears between the clothing once more.
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>So the last two rats we met didn't have a similar dialect?
>Either way, suppose we'd best follow her, before we lose her. Not that we could lose the scent of a rat.
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>So the last two rats we met didn't have a similar dialect?
>Either way, suppose we'd best follow her, before we lose her. Not that we could lose the scent of a rat.
>Not that you recall. That was years ago, though.
>Actually makes you wonder if your nose is starting to fritz out now, too. Wouldn't that be fun.... Stifling a sigh, you follow after the rat.
>Whatever else you might be able to say about her, she does seem to know her shop well. She narrows in on one shelf after only a few moments poking at another, and then produces a pair of long black gloves from them, as if by magic.
>"How do these suit ya?" she asks, giving them a little wave.
-
>Do they fit?
>Visible price tag?
-
>Do they fit?
>Visible price tag?
>You'd have to actually try them on, but they look to at least be in the ballpark.
>If it's visible, it's not visible to your eyes in their current state.
-
>But they are long enough to fit our purposes, yes?
>And we don't smell anything out of whack with them, right?
>Assuming a yes and a no, "Can I try 'em on?"
-
>But they are long enough to fit our purposes, yes?
>And we don't smell anything out of whack with them, right?
>Assuming a yes and a no, "Can I try 'em on?"
>They are more than sufficiently long; your shirt is long-sleeved as it is, so the gloves don't need to be particularly unusual. These are slightly longer than most, though, with deep gold edging along the bottom.
>Nothing about the place smells dirty as such....
>"'course!" the rat says in a chipper voice and presents them in your direction with a small flourish.
-
>Then do so!
>And in the doing, "And how much might these run me?"
-
>Then do so!
>And in the doing, "And how much might these run me?"
>You take the gloves with your good hand, then take care not to expose the other while you slip them on. They're... actually surprisingly comfortable. The size is good, they're nice and soft on the inside, maybe just a little stiff?
>"Eight and a half guilders," she says smoothly. "And they're right sturdy-like too, I guarantee."
-
>Apart from being jerks, which isn't unexpected for rats, were the last two otherwise shady or untrustworthy?
>Are our senses dulled enough to mess with our ability to gauge when we're being taken?
-
>Apart from being jerks, which isn't unexpected for rats, were the last two otherwise shady or untrustworthy?
>Are our senses dulled enough to mess with our ability to gauge when we're being taken?
>Probably! But you never had the misfortune to deal with them in any capacity besides an exchange of unpleasantries - one of them even ended up head-first in a bowl of noodles for their troubles. Served 'em right.
>You're hazy right now in many ways, but the price doesn't seem bad on the face of it.
-
>And we likewise detect no obvious quality issues?
>Assuming affirmative, "Sold."
-
>And we likewise detect no obvious quality issues?
>Assuming affirmative, "Sold."
>They seem fine to you.
>"Wonderful!" she says with a toothy grin. "Now let's see about that scarf." The rat marches off into another part of her warren.
-
>Never thought we'd be following a rat twice in one day, but, do so.
-
>Never thought we'd be following a rat twice in one day, but, do so.
>You follow the almost irksomely polite rat to the other end of the store, where she pauses in front of a series of wall hooks laden with dozens of scarves, from wispy silken things to a woolen behemoth that could probably ward off the next ice age and still leave fabric enough to trip up in.
>"Take your pick. Silk's 14, most of the rest are 6 if they're plain, 8 if they're fancy. 'cept this thing." She pats the behemoth gently. "Could practically replace a coat, it could. Might be a wee bit long on ya, but it will keep ya warm, I guarantee."
-
>"Me and a friend, if you're my size."
Did you get that from a man in a blue box?
>We don't need anything too heavy or too fancy, so let's see if we can find something the right size in a dark grey, or black.
-
>"Me and a friend, if you're my size." Did you get that from a man in a blue box?
>We don't need anything too heavy or too fancy, so let's see if we can find something the right size in a dark grey, or black.
>The rat grins. "Sounds right romantic, it does."
>You sift through the scarves, eschewing numerous floral prints and ones too thin to adequately mask the blight. Eventually you settle on a fairly lightweight but opaque number in dark grey linen with a subtle pinstripe pattern. You'd need some privacy and a mirror to see how well you can hide your disease with it, but it looks promising.
-
>And it doesn't clash with our gloves?
>Assuming no, "Maybe I'll give that a shot when winter rolls around. For now, though, I think this one'll do me."
-
>And it doesn't clash with our gloves?
>Assuming no, "Maybe I'll give that a shot when winter rolls around. For now, though, I think this one'll do me."
>Does black really clash with anything?
>"Right you are," she says crisply. "Now is there anything else ya need? Pair of good shoes, maybe a nice dress if ya ever got someplace swanky to be? Whatever it is, I'm sure we can dig ya up somefink ya fancy; always plenty to choose from here, yes sir."
-
>"So I see. I'm not sure I've seen a store in this city that has quite as much selection."
-
>"So I see. I'm not sure I've seen a store in this city that has quite as much selection."
>This draws a broad toothy grin from the rat - you could even think it was genuine. "Why, thank ya kindly, ma'am; we do our best."
-
>"But I think I've got all I need for the moment."
-
>"But I think I've got all I need for the moment."
>She nods. "Right you are. That'll be 14 and a half guilders, then."
-
>Count out the dough.
>"Let me ask you something else, though, miss...?"
-
>Count out the dough.
>"Let me ask you something else, though, miss...?"
>You produce the requested sum of money.
>"Call me Iori," she says.
-
>"Iori. I'm Nazrin, by the way. Do you know where the nearest greenhouse to here is? I'm a Seeker, and a client of mine is looking for a specific flower."
-
>"Iori. I'm Nazrin, by the way. Do you know where the nearest greenhouse to here is? I'm a Seeker, and a client of mine is looking for a specific flower."
>"Oh, are they now? Well, I'm not much of a flower person m'self, but there's one just a block or two away from here. Hatani's, I think it was? Go left once you step out the door, then take Pritchard 'til you pass the building with the big 'ol statue out-front. Looks kinda like an upside-down pyramid? Should be able to see the greenhouse from there, real easy like."
-
>Is that one of the ones we visited last time?
-
>Is that one of the ones we visited last time?
>You believe so, though some of them seem to blend together at this point.
-
>Either way, a bit of direction never hurts.
>"Ah, I was close then. Very good. Figuring out where everything is in this city is a task and a half."
-
>Either way, a bit of direction never hurts.
>"Ah, I was close then. Very good. Figuring out where everything is in this city is a task and a half."
>"It can be that," she says. "Guess you're a mite new around town, hey?"
-
>"Little bit. After I arrived, I only got to spend a day or so in town before I had to leave again for a job, and I think I need to have this new job finished before the end of the day so I can leave again." Breathe out a chuckle. "I might really need some new boots after all this is said and done."
-
>"Little bit. After I arrived, I only got to spend a day or so in town before I had to leave again for a job, and I think I need to have this new job finished before the end of the day so I can leave again." Breathe out a chuckle. "I might really need some new boots after all this is said and done."
>"Well, if you're ever around this way again and in need of some shoes that'll last ya, you know where to come."
-
>"That I do. And I suppose I'd best get back to work, at that. Thanks for the help."
>Maybe big city life agrees with rats, makes 'em nicer?
>Depart and follow those directions.
-
>"That I do. And I suppose I'd best get back to work, at that. Thanks for the help."
>Maybe big city life agrees with rats, makes 'em nicer?
>Depart and follow those directions.
>Iori tips her hat at you. "Be seein' ya!"
>She was... honestly she almost seemed... decent? Is that even possible?
>You pay the woman her money, depart the shop, and within ten minutes are in front of the greenhouse. Seems you weren't very far away, after all.
-
>Suppose this is gonna be the place manned by the surly badger. Balance out the nice rat.
>Allons-y!
>But first, find some cover so we can change unmolested.
-
>Suppose this is gonna be the place manned by the surly badger. Balance out the nice rat.
>Allons-y!
>But first, find some cover so we can change unmolested.
>You attempt to find somewhere out of the flow of traffic to change into your new purchases and divest this heavy cloak before walking to a literal hothouse. You eventually settle for a short alleyway between a postal depot and a financier's office with a needlessly shiny downspout. Really, you'd like a proper mirror to be doing this, but after some fussing and poofing of your scarf, you're]reasonably sure the blight is concealed. You just appear to be making a dubious fashion statement instead. Well, you'll put up with it; you're too busy literally dying to worry about embarrassment. You trek back to the greenhouse and walk inside.
>It actually takes a few minutes to flag someone down, between the sheer size of the greenhouse and all customers milling about within it. For just a moment when you enter, your mind returns to that other sea of flowers - so much more breathtaking and treacherous in its beauty. You can feel the smooth texture of the vines against your skin, their merciless grip around your throat. But only for a moment. Really, the greatest hazard here is getting bored of waiting in line.
>Eventually you are approached by a brown-haired fairy holding a metal watering can nearly as large as she is.
>"How can I help you?" she practically shouts.
-
>A fairy, huh. Much less odious company than your standard rat, but potentially not entirely as helpful as the last one.
>"I was wondering if you had a flower here called a lunar orchid."
>That was what it was called, right? Yes, yes it was.
-
>A fairy, huh. Much less odious company than your standard rat, but potentially not entirely as helpful as the last one.
>"I was wondering if you had a flower here called a lunar orchid."
>That was what it was called, right? Yes, yes it was.
>"Nope!" she answers cheerfully. "We have sun orchids, though! And the sun is way brighter than the moon anyway."
-
>"Yes, it is that. But I'm afraid my client was very specific. Have you run out of them? Lunar orchids, I mean."
-
>"Yes, it is that. But I'm afraid my client was very specific. Have you run out of them? Lunar orchids, I mean."
>"Don't think so," she says, shaking her head so vigorously that water slops out of her watering can. "They're pretty special, aren't they?"
-
>"My client said they were rare. She thought that Kaguya Houraisan was the only one that had them in her garden, but she could be wrong."
-
>"My client said they were rare. She thought that Kaguya Houraisan was the only one that had them in her garden, but she could be wrong."
>The fairy's face lights up. "Oooo... Lady Houraisan!" She nods emphatically. "Yes, that's one of hers! Very special. I hear they're really pretty."
-
>"So... They really don't grow anywhere else in the city?"
-
>"So... They really don't grow anywhere else in the city?"
>"Oh, maybe some other rich folks have one, too." Then she leans in and whispers, "I bet just one would cost more than I make in a whole year!"
>"Ah, wealth," she sighs wistfully, looking up at the sky. "You and I were just not meant to be."
-
>There's a first. A fairy bemoaning the absence of cash?
-
>There's a first. A fairy bemoaning the absence of cash?
>Money is useful! And you expect she probably isn't being paid a great deal to water the flowers, either. Fairies are... exploitable. If you can actually convince them to do work in the first place, of course.
-
>Still, it's a sentiment we can relate to. But fortune awaits us! After flowers. And while a fairy isn't the best confirmation that the flowers are actually where Yuuka said they were, it's still something.
>"So you've heard of Lady Houraisan and her gardens?"
-
>Still, it's a sentiment we can relate to. But fortune awaits us! After flowers. And while a fairy isn't the best confirmation that the flowers are actually where Yuuka said they were, it's still something.
>"So you've heard of Lady Houraisan and her gardens?"
>"Oh yes. I hear they're very pretty. Of course, I think the Scarlet Rose Gardens must be even prettier!" She lets out a dreamy sigh. "Flowers are great."
-
>Well that explains how they got her to work.
>"That'd be Remilia Scarlet's?"
-
>Well that explains how they got her to work.
>"That'd be Remilia Scarlet's?"
>It's one of the same reasons you see so many fairies working in bakeries. ...provided one can stop them eating all the pastries before getting a chance to sell any of them.
>"That's right! She has a lot of gardens around the city, but the rose garden's my favorite. Our roses aren't nearly as nice.... Uh, they're still totally nice, though," she says, catching herself. "Buy our roses."
-
>Chuckle, then give her a wink. "Nice recovery."
>"And does Lady Houraisan have a lot of gardens around the city, too?"
-
>Chuckle, then give her a wink. "Nice recovery."
>"And does Lady Houraisan have a lot of gardens around the city, too?"
>Your friendly compliment does little to dispel the fairy's abrupt dismay. "They're reasonably priced!"
>"Not like Lady Scarlet, no. Maybe out west, but I've never been that far away from home."
-
>"Well, there is actually another flower I was looking for here. I know it's out of season, but you never know, I could get lucky."
>Heaven knows I'm due for a bit of luck.
>"Bittercress."
-
>"Well, there is actually another flower I was looking for here. I know it's out of season, but you never know, I could get lucky."
>Heaven knows I'm due for a bit of luck.
>"Bittercress."
>The fairy frowns for a moment, then shakes her head. "Don't think we have that one. We have Rock Cress, though!"
-
>Have we heard of that one?
-
>Have we heard of that one?
>It doesn't ring a bell, but you doubt it's related in any way that would be useful to you; there's all kinds of cresses.
-
>Accept no substitutes, eh?
>"A less bitter sounding flower, but I'm afraid my client was quite specific."
>Smile and shrug. "Problem with being a Seeker. You don't always get to shop for what you want yourself."
-
>Accept no substitutes, eh?
>"A less bitter sounding flower, but I'm afraid my client was quite specific."
>Smile and shrug. "Problem with being a Seeker. You don't always get to shop for what you want yourself."
>Professor Bosqueverde felt that even the Athran's Vigor ought not to be substituted with a generally-superior modern equivalent of that potion, since there was no telling what specific ingredients of the original were responsible for this disease-curing effect; it could easily have been some incidental property of a deprecated component that did not otherwise appear vital to the potion's core function. In this situation, you can't afford to be a test case for which deviations from the original recipe still produce the desired effect.
>"Well, everyone needs to treat themselves from time to time," the fairy insists. "Right now we're having a sale on petunias! Buy one get one free!"
-
>"Maybe once I get paid. I've still two jobs that haven't paid off yet."
>"And I suppose I'd best get back to them." Offer her a slight, polite bow of the head. "But thanks for all your help."
-
>"Maybe once I get paid. I've still two jobs that haven't paid off yet."
>"And I suppose I'd best get back to them." Offer her a slight, polite bow of the head. "But thanks for all your help."
>"They'll still be on sale for the rest of the week!" she adds hopefully.
-
>"Good to know. I may be seeing you again, then."
>But not for now, let's book.
-
>"Good to know. I may be seeing you again, then."
>But not for now, let's book.
>The fairy waves as you turn to depart. "Have a nice day! And thank you!"
>A few moments later, you are back on the street, the bustle of the city barely slowing as the sun sheds the last of its light. What now?
-
>What was the name of Kaguya's pad here in town again, Otokichi?
>Let's go case the joint.
-
>What was the name of Kaguya's pad here in town again, Otokichi?
>Let's go case the joint.
>Doing your best to recall the details of the maps you studied last week, you set off northward for Ozukitei.
>Even half-blind, it's hard to miss the transition into the richer parts of town. Crowded row buildings give way to manicured lawns and gardens. Walls and gates start to appear. Kaguya's neighbourhood is richer still ? entire avenues of mansions, each in singular style, from stately villas framed by ornamental hedges to gleaming exemplars of architectural excess ? did anyone really think what their garden needed was a golden three-story lion-headed fountain bisecting the walkway? You could live for a decade on the money it took to build that eyesore.
>But for every gaudy edifice, there is another whose tasteful luxury is alluring; there's just so much money here. And with as terrible judgement as some of them obviously have, surely it can't be too hard to convince them to part with some of it in your direction. Maybe offer to find them an even gaudier statue than their neighbours.
>Kaguya's own home, once you finally reach it, is surprisingly understated. You stifle a snicker ? understated by what standard, exactly? It could beat every single home in all of Estval with barely a contest. It only looks understated because you've just spent the past 30 minutes strolling past mansions that wear their opulence on their sleeves. And while Ozukitei certainly is large and doubtless worth an appalling sum of money, there is unexpectedly little ostentation about it.
>It is a low-lying structure of interlocking angular roofs clad in dark clay tile, rising an extra story here and there with tasteful asymmetry. It is ringed all around by white walls capped with the same manner of tiled roof, split in the middle by a large wooden gate; House Houraisan banners flank it on either side. The grounds within are larger than its neighbours, though not expansive ? such is the density of Val Razua that even the rich lack for space ? but there is a certain peaceful simplicity to what you can see through the open gate. There is an ornamental pond beneath the boughs of a large cherry tree, weathered stone lanterns casting the gentlest of light upon its surface, a low gazebo beside a small rock garden with just a few leafy plants to break up its sparseness, and narrow trails of finely crushed stone that meander off into the blurry distance. There is a rather meditative quality to the landscaping, in fact ? a moment's stillness in the bustle of the city, rather than a beacon to announce one's wealth to the world.
>The grounds are also mostly empty at the moment, save for a few indistinct figures milling in the distance, but the gatehouse appears manned by a pair of rabbits wearing Houraisan colors ? neither looking particularly attentive at the moment.
-
>Do the streets extend around either side of the compound, and/or is there a visible walkway that circumvents the place?
>Apart from the gatehouse, do we see any other obvious signs of defensive measures?
-
>Do the streets extend around either side of the compound, and/or is there a visible walkway that circumvents the place?
>Apart from the gatehouse, do we see any other obvious signs of defensive measures?
>The walls around Ozukitei seem to essentially abut against the neighbouring properties, both of which are also gated - though neither quite as well as Kaguya's.
>No.
-
>From where we are, can we see if the rear side of the compound is similarly abutted by something?
-
>From where we are, can we see if the rear side of the compound is similarly abutted by something?
>No. Even if your vision wasn't as lousy as it is, there's still the matter of the large house and various trees in the way; you can't actually see the far end of the property very well from here. The wall does appear to circle around, but you can't tell what's immediately on the other side of it.
-
>And the guardhouse has a clear view of the wall surrounding it, right?
>Does the wall appear at all scalable?
-
>And the guardhouse has a clear view of the wall surrounding it, right?
>Does the wall appear at all scalable?
>It's quite likely they mightn't notice the attempt if you were around the corner, though you have to imagine there's still security on the inside.
>Not without the aid of tools - it's fairly sheer - but you might be able to catch your grapple on the ridge of the roof and climb up that way.
-
>Best prepare for the unwanted outcome before we look suspicious to Kaguya's people. Well, more suspicious than we do with our get-up.
>Let's talk a walk around this block of buildings here, see if we can spot an easier way to gain access unobserved.
>And, if we can find a spot to dowse unobserved, then scan Ozuteiki.
-
>Best prepare for the unwanted outcome before we look suspicious to Kaguya's people. Well, more suspicious than we do with our get-up.
>Let's talk a walk around this block of buildings here, see if we can spot an easier way to gain access unobserved.
>And, if we can find a spot to dowse unobserved, then scan Ozuteiki.
>You do hope you shouldn't look especially suspicious in your current getup, just a little odd; that was a large part of the point of changing your clothes, after all.
>You take a few minutes to walk around the neighbourhood and see if the backside of Ozukitei presents an opportunity for easier access. The streets here are broad and curved, winding their way gently around the city's core; you are walking for some distance before you can find a way to double-back from the opposite side, and it takes a few minutes more to be reasonably confident you've located Ozukitei again. You can just barely make out bits of that distinctive wall through a stand of trees at the rear of someone else's property - another mansion. Just how many rich people does this city have?
>Traffic in this area is not high, but there are typically at least a few people to be seen along the roads at any time. If you want to conceal your dowsing attempts entirely, you might need to slip onto someone else's property - though the act of dowsing itself is hardly any kind of criminal transgression.
-
>So there is another manor house and grounds between us and the target back here?
>How guarded does this place look?
-
>So there is another manor house and grounds between us and the target back here?
>How guarded does this place look?
>It does appear so.
>You see no evidence of guards at first glance. There is a wall and gate, but it's only waist-high and not a serious deterrent to anyone that would want to set foot on the property.
-
>Can we see from here how accessable and/or defended the back wall of Ozuteiki is from here?
-
>Can we see from here how accessable and/or defended the back wall of Ozuteiki is from here?
>Not clearly - in the most literal of senses. If it wasn't quite as distinctive-looking, you might not even have noticed it for the trees in the way.
-
>Well, no sense in probing any deeper now.
>Let's head back out front.
-
>Well, no sense in probing any deeper now.
>Let's head back out front.
>Satisfied enough about the rear of Kaguya's property for the moment, you make your way back around to the front. Nothing much seems to have changed while you were gone.
-
>Let's mosey up to those rabbit troopers and say hello.
-
>Let's mosey up to those rabbit troopers and say hello.
>You walk up to the gatehouse and greet the guards.
>The light-haired one looks up at you and grins. "Nice scarf."
>Her long-haired companion takes a glance at you over the edge of the book in her hands, but says nothing.
-
>"Thanks. I'm ready for winter."
>"My name is Nazrin, with the Seeker's guild out of Braston, and I'm here on business."
-
>"Thanks. I'm ready for winter."
>"My name is Nazrin, with the Seeker's guild out of Braston, and I'm here on business."
>She chuckles. "Might have a while to wait, yet."
>"What sorta business?"
-
>"I'm willing to bet you don't hear this too often, but I need to speak to the gardener about that."
-
>"I'm willing to bet you don't hear this too often, but I need to speak to the gardener about that."
>She laughs. "No, I suppose I don't. That a new one for you, too, Aika?"
>"Maybe." Her companion's voice is soft.
>"In any case," the first continues, "I think you've missed her by a few hours. Could leave a message for her if you'd like; I'll make sure she gets it."
-
>"I'm afraid it can't wait. This isn't like normal Seeker business, this is a matter of life and death. If I can't speak to the gardener, then perhaps the steward, or someone else in power."
-
>"I'm afraid it can't wait. This isn't like normal Seeker business, this is a matter of life and death. If I can't speak to the gardener, then perhaps the steward, or someone else in power."
>The gatekeeper frowns slightly, then glances to Aika. Though if she was expecting to get any useful feedback from her, that hope is rather dashed by the rabbit's silence.
>"That's a bit unusual," she says, turning back to you. "I think I'm gonna need you to give me a few more details."
-
>"There's a rare medicine that I'm trying to put together for someone suffering from a even rarer disease, a kind of blight. And believe me, it has NOT been easy. The only source of the last ingredient I need is in the hands of someone who wanted me to get something else for her. Something that, I hope, I can find here. If I can't..." She can fill in the blank there.
-
>"There's a rare medicine that I'm trying to put together for someone suffering from a even rarer disease, a kind of blight. And believe me, it has NOT been easy. The only source of the last ingredient I need is in the hands of someone who wanted me to get something else for her. Something that, I hope, I can find here. If I can't..." She can fill in the blank there.
>"That's, uh...."
>Aika puts her book down and regards you with a skeptical frown.
>"Could you run that past me again?" her companion asks. "Slower. And more specific."
-
>Take a deep, steadying breath.
>"Please. I've come a long way, and I don't have a lot of time. I need a specific kind of flower, and I need to speak with someone about it."
-
>Take a deep, steadying breath.
>"Please. I've come a long way, and I don't have a lot of time. I need a specific kind of flower, and I need to speak with someone about it."
>You take a breath and try to calm yourself.
>"You're already speaking with someone, aren't you?" Aika says. Though plainly skeptical, you don't sense any sarcasm in her words.
-
>"Yes, that is true. But are you authorized to make deals with Seekers involving flowers? Particularly rare ones. Because that would actually be great, would save me time, and at this point a few minutes here and there are good for me."
-
>"Yes, that is true. But are you authorized to make deals with Seekers involving flowers? Particularly rare ones. Because that would actually be great, would save me time, and at this point a few minutes here and there are good for me."
>There is a long pause. "No."
>The other rabbit scratches the back of her head; she looks distinctly awkward. "Are you sure you can't just come back tomorrow or something? I think this is above my pay grade."
-
>"I would if I could. But I wasn't exaggerating when I said I couldn't wait. I don't enjoy making trouble or insisting, but I really don't have a lot of choice."
-
>"I would if I could. But I wasn't exaggerating when I said I couldn't wait. I don't enjoy making trouble or insisting, but I really don't have a lot of choice."
>There is another pause, then the short-haired rabbit sighs and stands up. "I'll go get my boss."
-
>Nod. "Thank you."
-
>Nod. "Thank you."
>With a very slight nod and a reluctant expression on her face, the rabbit turns and departs for the mansion. Aika returns wordlessly to her book, peering over it just often enough to make you feel self-conscious about your recent fashion choices. Time passes in silence.
>You feel uncomfortably weary, even though you've honestly not done much walking yet today. It's as though someone's loaded down your body with sacks of potatoes while you weren't paying attention; even your pack feels burdensome. Some figures mill around in the hazy distance; you can't even tell what species they are beneath all the grey, let alone what they might be doing. There's still no sign of the other gatekeeper. You take a deep, tired breath and try not to wobble on your feet.
>"Are you... okay?" Aika asks.
-
>"... I'd be lying if I said yes."
-
>"... I'd be lying if I said yes."
>She puts her book down. "What's wrong?"
-
>"I think I need to sit down for a bit."
-
>"I think I need to sit down for a bit."
>Aika regards you in silence for another moment, then gets up and steps out of the gatehouse, carrying a small wooden stool in hand. She places it on the ground near you.
>"This is the best I have," she says. You can't be sure how much of her expression is concern and how much is skepticism; your mind feels fuzzy.
-
>"Better than street."
>Sit heavily.
>"Thanks."
>Place head in hands. Is this how we felt when we found our way out of Spiderville?
-
>"Better than street."
>Sit heavily.
>"Thanks."
>Place head in hands. Is this how we felt when we found our way out of Spiderville?
>You flop down on the stool and thank the rabbit who delivered it. A faint trace of a smile briefly graces her face.
>Then you bury your head in your hands, rubbing gently at your forehead. This still isn't as bad as it was back when you were first diseased, thankfully; if you were in that kind of state now, you doubt you'd even be capable of holding this conversation, let alone making it back to Yuuka's again afterward. That... still doesn't feel all that hopeful right now, to be honest. Another three days of hiking. Three days, in this state?
>At some point, you hear footsteps approaching from your right; they're rather close before you even notice them and you're not sure how much time has passed while you were waiting. You look up to see the gatekeeper trailing behind a shorter rabbit in voluminous yellow slacks; one could compare them unflatteringly to a pair of bananas, but her bearing makes it clear she's the one in charge. She adjust the brim of her cap and gives you a once-over.
>"So, I hear you've got some life or death situation involving a flower?" Her tone is clearly skeptical.
-
>Just a moment, wouldn't it be three days to there and back?
-
>Just a moment, wouldn't it be three days to there and back?
>Well, one hopes that the hike back is done in better health, or you're probably in real trouble.
-
>From what we read of the recipie for the medicine, if we mixed what we could of it here in town, and then added the flower that we get from Yuuka there, would that get the job done?
-
>From what we read of the recipie for the medicine, if we mixed what we could of it here in town, and then added the flower that we get from Yuuka there, would that get the job done?
>The instructions for preparing the overall medicine, as you found in the old botanical text in the library, seemed simple but fairly non-specific; they called for steeping the flowers in a brew of one part Athran's Vigor to four pasts Aqua Veritatis. Your knowledge of herbalism is so skeletal that you don't know if there are additional complexities which are non-obvious, but it sounds simple enough; perhaps it might even be possible to do it yourself on-site. You'd feel much more comfortable leaving it in the hands of an expert, of course, but you may not have that option anymore. The Athran's Vigor itself is a far more complicated mixture, the details of which you obtained from Professor Bosqueverde, and which she warned should only be prepared by an experienced alchemist. It also requires a great many rather curious-sounding components, but you were told that all of them ought to be purchasable somewhere in town.
-
>Did she happen to mention if the Vigor had any kind of 'best before' date? Specifically, if it would stil be potent after a few days.
-
>Did she happen to mention if the Vigor had any kind of 'best before' date? Specifically, if it would stil be potent after a few days.
>She did not, but you gathered that Athran's Vigor was a common variety of stamina potion back in the day, and thus something you'd expect had some longevity to it.
-
>But, realistically, if we can't find some way to make the trips shorter, and if we fail to make the medicine we need at Yuuka's, then we're not coming back.
>We set aside our pride once before, time to do it again, Nazrin. We need help, don't we? If we're in this condition now, how can we possibly do this on our own.
-
>But, realistically, if we can't find some way to make the trips shorter, and if we fail to make the medicine we need at Yuuka's, then we're not coming back.
>We set aside our pride once before, time to do it again, Nazrin. We need help, don't we? If we're in this condition now, how can we possibly do this on our own.
>You can't say it's impossible, but... you're worried. Things aren't looking optimistic right now.
>You don't know. You'll press on as far as your body will let you, of course, but there's no mistaking how weakened the blight has already left you. Another three days of hiking is a very tall order. But six? Right now, that feels like asking you to lift a mountain with your bare hands.
-
>Despair. I pause, to breathe...
>Then pull ourselves together.
>"Yes. Yes, I, I do, thank you for seeing me."
-
>Despair. I pause, to breathe...
>Then pull ourselves together.
>"Yes. Yes, I, I do, thank you for seeing me."
>You take another breath and try to gather yourself together to respond to this new arrival.
>"Well, let's hear it," she says. The first gatekeeper moves quietly back to her post.
-
>Glance around. We didn't plan to have this discussion outside, just how many bystanders are we dealing with here?
-
>Glance around. We didn't plan to have this discussion outside, just how many bystanders are we dealing with here?
>The only people you can see within earshot at the moment are the two rabbits manning the gatehouse and the one who is currently addressing you. There's some light traffic on the street, but none of it very close at the moment.
-
>Just as well. Last we need is some rubbernecker making this more awkward.
>"All right. First, I need to know, does a flower called lunar orchid grow here?"
-
>Just as well. Last we need is some rubbernecker making this more awkward.
>"All right. First, I need to know, does a flower called lunar orchid grow here?"
>"Well, we've got some in the garden," she says, cocking an eyebrow. "What of it?"
-
>Smile. Relief. "It's that flower that brought me here. I was afraid I'd have to travel all the way to Eientei to find it."
-
>Smile. Relief. "It's that flower that brought me here. I was afraid I'd have to travel all the way to Eientei to find it."
>"They're not for sale," she replies flatly.
-
>"And that applies to the seeds as well?"
>When she inevitably confirms that, "Of course not. Nothing in my life's been easy ever since I met that spider, why should this be any different."
-
>"And that applies to the seeds as well?"
>When she inevitably confirms that, "Of course not. Nothing in my life's been easy ever since I met that spider, why should this be any different."
>"It does."
>"Uh, sorry you've been havin' a rough time." She regards you quizzically.
-
>Look up into her eyes. "Wanna know how rough? If I can't get one of those flowers, or one of its seeds, then I won't make it to the end of the week."
-
>Look up into her eyes. "Wanna know how rough? If I can't get one of those flowers, or one of its seeds, then I won't make it to the end of the week."
>The rabbit lets out tired sigh; she clearly doesn't buy it.
>"And why is that, exactly?" The question sounds perfunctory, like she can't imagine you will provide an answer worth hearing.
-
>"That spider I mentioned? It poisoned me."
>Remove our scarf. Show her mean it.
-
>"That spider I mentioned? It poisoned me."
>Remove our scarf. Show her mean it.
>You take your scarf off to reveal the blight marks on your face. The rabbit you're addressing grimaces.
>"Yowzer," the shorter gatekeeper cries. There is an awkward pause.
>"...it's not a medicinal plant, y'know," the head rabbit eventually says, still staring warily at your affliction. "Looks pretty, but that's about all it does."
-
>"I realize that." Replace the scarf. No need to have that sight hanging out there. "It's another flower I need to finish the medicine, but the only person on this cotinent who seems to have that flower will only give it to me in exchange for a lunar orchid, or one of its seeds."
-
>"I realize that." Replace the scarf. No need to have that sight hanging out there. "It's another flower I need to finish the medicine, but the only person on this cotinent who seems to have that flower will only give it to me in exchange for a lunar orchid, or one of its seeds."
>You retie your scarf - or at least as well as you can manage without a mirror.
>"Who's this?" she asks cautiously.
-
>Think back. Yuuka would not like us to drop her name, would she?
-
>Think back. Yuuka would not like us to drop her name, would she?
>You don't believe she commented on the subject. Certainly her name was already know (or strongly suspected) and shared among several people you've encountered yourself. You imagine she wouldn't want want you giving guided tours back to her garden, but you don't know if she cares so strongly to have her very name hidden from the world. Besides, how would she even find out?
-
>Given how people have reacted to her name and reputation, what are the odds that banana pants here shuts the door in our face if we tell her?
-
>Given how people have reacted to her name and reputation, what are the odds that banana pants here shuts the door in our face if we tell her?
>You have no idea what reaction to expect for a person you know almost nothing about. She might not even recognize the name, she might assume you're making it all up, she might want nothing to do with aiding a possible war criminal. Or perhaps it could even lend credibility to your story; it's hard to say for sure.
-
>"A sour old hermit who lives in the ass end of nowhere outside of town. And who was none too keen to help me until I offered to find this flower for her."
>Take a moment to quell the bile rising from our anger at that development.
-
>"A sour old hermit who lives in the ass end of nowhere outside of town. And who was none too keen to help me until I offered to find this flower for her."
>Take a moment to quell the bile rising from our anger at that development.
>You try to stifle the bitterness that wells up within you when you think back to when Yuuka sent you on this damnable suicide mission.
>"A sour old hermit who wants a lunar orchid specifically?" The rabbit's tone is dubious.
-
>"She's a flower lover. In fact, I think one of the only things she likes is flowers. I think she wants at least one of everything, at least the pretty ones, and one of the ones she doesn't have, apparantly, is a lunar orchid. I got the impression from her that they're really rare."
-
>"She's a flower lover. In fact, I think one of the only things she likes is flowers. I think she wants at least one of everything, at least the pretty ones, and one of the ones she doesn't have, apparantly, is a lunar orchid. I got the impression from her that they're really rare."
>"They are."
>"You won't find them anywhere but the princess's gardens," the gatekeeper adds, then hastily corrects herself. "Uh, Lady Houraisan's, I mean." She cringes a little, throwing a furtive glance at her supervisor.
>"Not to call you a liar or anything," the chief rabbit continues, "but you have to realize that sounds a bit far fetched from where I'm standing. You wouldn't be the first person to try and get their hands on an orchid, or even the first to try being clever about it. Though that, uh..." She gestures vaguely at your face. "Is a bit more grizzly than usual. ...you've seen a doctor, right?"
-
>"Several."
>Probably not a good idea to mention we had a God help us out, too, that'd be even more far-fetched.
>Unless it isn't uncommon for Gods to walk about with us mere mortals. Is it?
-
>"Several."
>Probably not a good idea to mention we had a God help us out, too, that'd be even more far-fetched.
>Unless it isn't uncommon for Gods to walk about with us mere mortals. Is it?
>"Then where's this sour hermit come in?" she asks.
>Minoriko's choice of lifestyle is rather unconventional for a goddess, but it's hardly uncommon for divinities to commune with worshipers or act upon the world. You understand that the patron deity of Hanashibara played some major role in their war of independence and apparently still dwells on a mountain there.
-
>"At the end of a long road. If you want, I can give you the whole story. But it's a long one to tell in the middle of a street. You might want to bring a chair out."
-
>"At the end of a long road. If you want, I can give you the whole story. But it's a long one to tell in the middle of a street. You might want to bring a chair out."
>"Just say your piece." Her tone is weary, but not altogether curt.
-
>"Suit yourself."
>Take a moment to gather our thoughts. And breath.
>"None of the doctors back home, or even here in town, could find a cure. Even our local Goddess couldn't do any better than slowing the poison down. If she hadn't, my insides would have liquified weeks ago. At that point, I had the options to either lie down and die, or try to find an impossible cure. And when I got here, I found one, in a very old book in the university library. Guess that bit of knowledge never made it to Estval. 'course even if it had, I probably would have ended up here anyway, since one of the ingredients for the medicine is a Bittercress flower. The plant may be common enough, but the flower's another story. ... Unless by some mircale you folks have a way to get bittercress to bloom out of season?"
-
>"Suit yourself."
>Take a moment to gather our thoughts. And breath.
>"None of the doctors back home, or even here in town, could find a cure. Even our local Goddess couldn't do any better than slowing the poison down. If she hadn't, my insides would have liquified weeks ago. At that point, I had the options to either lie down and die, or try to find an impossible cure. And when I got here, I found one, in a very old book in the university library. Guess that bit of knowledge never made it to Estval. 'course even if it had, I probably would have ended up here anyway, since one of the ingredients for the medicine is a Bittercress flower. The plant may be common enough, but the flower's another story. ... Unless by some mircale you folks have a way to get bittercress to bloom out of season?"
>"I'm not a gardener, sorry."
>"...doesn't bittercress only bloom once every few years?" Aika says quietly.
>Her companion's head snaps to the left. "What, you've heard of it?"
>Aika nods slightly.
>"What the hell kinda spider is this anyway?" the head rabbit asks.
-
>What kind of spider was she, again?
-
>What kind of spider was she, again?
>She called herself a tsuchigumo, though that name has meant nothing to anyone else you've spoken with so far. Though you haven't even mentioned that she was a spider youkai to the rabbits yet.
-
>"A youkai spider. She was a suchi... suchigumo, I think it was pronounced."
>Look at Aika, "Every seven years, I think it was. Which is why I'm still the glorious sight you see today."
-
>"A youkai spider. She was a suchi... suchigumo, I think it was pronounced."
>Look at Aika, "Every seven years, I think it was. Which is why I'm still the glorious sight you see today."
>"Wait, wait," the head honcho interrupts with a wave of her hand. "We're talking attempted murder here?"
-
>"I don't know if 'murder' is the right word, but she was doing her damndest to kill me at the time."
>"I did say it was a long story."
-
>"I don't know if 'murder' is the right word, but she was doing her damndest to kill me at the time."
>"I did say it was a long story."
>"Well, let's hear it," she says.
-
>"Well it all started back in Easthaven, little village back on the Estval continent. I'm a Seeker, and I was called out there to investigate some dissappearances among the local livestock. But what I found was giant spiders, some of them as big as a horse. Nasty bastards, too. They were the ones that'd taken the cows, and it was only a matter of time before they started on the people. 'scuse me."
>Take a drink of water.
>"I found their underground lair after a bit of searching, and while I was investigating the place, I found that tsuchigumo youkai. First thing she did was try to web me up to feed me to her overgrown friends. I got out of it, but things got worse after that. Eventually she cornered me in a dead-end cave and sent a cloud of poison down there after me. I had no choice but to go through it, which is how I got this." Pat the scarf over our blighted skin. "We fought some more after that, and thanks to this little gem here," Pat our katana, "I managed to make her back off. But I didn't realize what she'd done to me until after I got out of the cave. I knew that cloud was bad, but I didn't know just how bad until I got checked out back in town. Even with everything they did to try and help me, I only had weeks to live."
-
>"Well it all started back in Easthaven, little village back on the Estval continent. I'm a Seeker, and I was called out there to investigate some dissappearances among the local livestock. But what I found was giant spiders, some of them as big as a horse. Nasty bastards, too. They were the ones that'd taken the cows, and it was only a matter of time before they started on the people. 'scuse me."
>Take a drink of water.
>"I found their underground lair after a bit of searching, and while I was investigating the place, I found that tsuchigumo youkai. First thing she did was try to web me up to feed me to her overgrown friends. I got out of it, but things got worse after that. Eventually she cornered me in a dead-end cave and sent a cloud of poison down there after me. I had no choice but to go through it, which is how I got this." Pat the scarf over our blighted skin. "We fought some more after that, and thanks to this little gem here," Pat our katana, "I managed to make her back off. But I didn't realize what she'd done to me until after I got out of the cave. I knew that cloud was bad, but I didn't know just how bad until I got checked out back in town. Even with everything they did to try and help me, I only had weeks to live."
>"Would probably take a couple of those just to get here from there," the head rabbit says.
-
>"And would have, too, but I had a little good luck there. A ship called the Blue Maiden was in port at Braston- Ever heard of it?"
-
>"And would have, too, but I had a little good luck there. A ship called the Blue Maiden was in port at Braston- Ever heard of it?"
>"Sounds vaguely...." She frowns. "Whose was that again?"
-
>"Captain Murasa Minamatsu. I think she might still be in port, too, they had to make some repairs. If she is, then she or her first officer, Neu, can confirm my story."
-
>"Captain Murasa Minamatsu. I think she might still be in port, too, they had to make some repairs. If she is, then she or her first officer, Neu, can confirm my story."
>"Oh yeah; of course. I heard they ran into some nasty business out in the expanse, now that you mention it." She cringes sympathetically. "What was that all about?"
-
>"Does the name 'Aya Shameimaru' mean anything to you?"
-
>"Does the name 'Aya Shameimaru' mean anything to you?"
>"Of course it does."
-
>"She decided to pay Captain Murasa a little visit."
-
>"She decided to pay Captain Murasa a little visit."
>"Oh, that sounds like fun," she says dryly.
>"Wait, you actually met her in person?" the short-haired gatekeeper asks, only to immediately look self-conscious about piping up.
-
>"Oh yeah, we met. And believe me, she loves the sound of her own voice."
-
>"Oh yeah, we met. And believe me, she loves the sound of her own voice."
>The head honcho chuckles wryly. "So I've heard. Keep going."
-
>"Despite Aya getting involved, the Maiden still made good time to Val Razua. After we pulled into port, I started looking for more information on the blight that the spider poisoned me with. Took a fair bit of poking, but with a bit of help from the university librarian I finally found a recipe that should work. Which brings me back to the bittercress flower I need. I wasn't able to find one here in town, so I had to find that 'legendary' hermit gardener I mentioned before. And that was a task. They warned me she had a bad attitude, and they were right, but I managed to cut a deal with her. The bittercress I need for the flower, or seed, she wants."
>Pause for breath.
>"And here we are."
-
>"Despite Aya getting involved, the Maiden still made good time to Val Razua. After we pulled into port, I started looking for more information on the blight that the spider poisoned me with. Took a fair bit of poking, but with a bit of help from the university librarian I finally found a recipe that should work. Which brings me back to the bittercress flower I need. I wasn't able to find one here in town, so I had to find that 'legendary' hermit gardener I mentioned before. And that was a task. They warned me she had a bad attitude, and they were right, but I managed to cut a deal with her. The bittercress I need for the flower, or seed, she wants."
>Pause for breath.
>"And here we are."
>The rabbit cocks an eyebrow. "'Legendary hermit gardener'?"
-
>"That was the rep she seemed to have, anyway. I don't know if 'legendary' is the term I'd use after meeting her- meeting Aya was almost as pleasant- but the gardener part's pretty spot on."
-
>"That was the rep she seemed to have, anyway. I don't know if 'legendary' is the term I'd use after meeting her- meeting Aya was almost as pleasant- but the gardener part's pretty spot on."
>"So who is she?"
-
>"Her name was Yuuka."
-
>"Her name was Yuuka."
>"Yuuka...." There is a moment of thoughtful silence, then the rabbit's eyes very slowly narrow. "Where exactly did you say you ran into her, again?"
-
>"In her garden, about three day's travel from here. And you don't want to know where. Trust me, she doesn't want any more guests. The only reason she didn't kill me is because I was useful to her."
-
>"In her garden, about three day's travel from here. And you don't want to know where. Trust me, she doesn't want any more guests. The only reason she didn't kill me is because I was useful to her."
>"Sounds like you're getting all the breaks," she says, then gives you another once-over, her eyes resting briefly on Kumokirimaru. "Anyhow, you want to check your weapons at the door and step in somewhere more comfortable for a bit?"
-
>Still not easy giving up that blade, but, unbelt it.
>As we hand it over. "Just be good to it, okay? I wouldn't have got away from that spider without it."
-
>Still not easy giving up that blade, but, unbelt it.
>As we hand it over. "Just be good to it, okay? I wouldn't have got away from that spider without it."
>You some reluctance, you remove your sword from your side and hand it over to the gatekeeper with spare hands at the moment - which is to say: not Aika.
>"You've got my word," she replies readily, tilting the blade to get a better look at the writing on the hilt.
>"And the rest of them," her boss says dryly.
-
>"Yeah, yeah, I'm just not as attached to the kunai as I am the katana."
>Disarm the rest of the way.
-
>"Yeah, yeah, I'm just not as attached to the kunai as I am the katana."
>Disarm the rest of the way.
>You take out the rest of your weaponry and deposit it on the counter of the gatehouse.
>"Is this some kind of writing?" the gatekeep asks, gesturing at Kumokirimaru's hilt with her finger.
-
>What was it that those eggheads told us about that writing again?
-
>What was it that those eggheads told us about that writing again?
>That it was Freelands Archaic, of which little is known and few good examples survive - a language you gather predates the colonization of the Outer Freelands by Val Razua and other major nations. You were told Professor Kamishirasawa could likely translate at least some of it, though a full translation might be beyond current archaeological knowledge. In either case, you have no idea what it actually says.
-
>"Yup. Apparantly the language is called 'Freelands Archaic', so I was told by the university people I met." Pause and smile. "They made a pretty big deal out of it, too. I had tried to find someone to translate it, but that's proved to be a bit of a challenge."
-
>"Yup. Apparantly the language is called 'Freelands Archaic', so I was told by the university people I met." Pause and smile. "They made a pretty big deal out of it, too. I had tried to find someone to translate it, but that's proved to be a bit of a challenge."
>"Ooo...." The gatekeeper holds your sword up gently to get a better look at it, clearly impressed.
>"Fancy," her boss says more mildly, then gestures towards the inside of the gates. "Now c'mon."
-
>And we gain access after all. Pleasant surprise.
>Follow those banana pants.
-
>And we gain access after all. Pleasant surprise.
>Follow those banana pants.
>Feeling just a touch surprised at the invitation, you follow after brightly-garbed rabbit. But rather than heading to the mansion itself, she leads down one of the garden paths, towards the gazebo you spotted earlier. As you pass out of sight of the gatehouse, she stops abruptly and turns around. There is a serious gleam in her eyes.
>"And now that we're alone, I'd like to know exactly who this Yuuka is and where you met her."
-
>"I'm getting the feeling you know who she is already."
-
>"I'm getting the feeling you know who she is already."
>"Then why don't you go first?"
-
>"Fine. If you want me to say it was Yuuka Kazami, then I will. At least I'm pretty sure she was. She never mentioned her name when we were talking."
-
>"Fine. If you want me to say it was Yuuka Kazami, then I will. At least I'm pretty sure she was. She never mentioned her name when we were talking."
>"Yuuka Kazami died half a century ago, you realize?" Something about her tone sounds less dismissive than the words would imply.
-
>Is that consistant with what we've heard about her?
-
>Is that consistant with what we've heard about her?
>Sekibanki did say she was presumed dead after some kind of incident during the Wild Surge, which would be around 50 years ago now, give or take.
-
>"I had heard that everyone thought she was dead, but there was no body ever recovered. The woman I met seemed to fit her reputation, and so did her garden. If it wasn't Yuuka, it was someone doing a very good job filling her shoes."
-
>"I had heard that everyone thought she was dead, but there was no body ever recovered. The woman I met seemed to fit her reputation, and so did her garden. If it wasn't Yuuka, it was someone doing a very good job filling her shoes."
>"If you really did meet her," she says dryly, "you've done a remarkable job of remaining in one piece. Where was this?"
-
>"I think that's the third time you've asked me that. Why's it so important to you?"
-
>"I think that's the third time you've asked me that. Why's it so important to you?"
>"Why's it so hard to answer?"
-
>"Because I've met her, and I know that the next person she meets probably won't be as lucky as me. I was potentially useful to her, that might not be true for the next person. I think it's safer if people don't know where to find her, then they won't be tempted to go visit her."
-
>"Because I've met her, and I know that the next person she meets probably won't be as lucky as me. I was potentially useful to her, that might not be true for the next person. I think it's safer if people don't know where to find her, then they won't be tempted to go visit her."
>The rabbit chuckles and shakes her head. "I have absolutely no intention of going looking for her, believe me; I've got enough lunatics to deal with as it is. But if you really want me to believe you're here on the bidding of a long-dead misanthrope, it would help a bunch if you could tell me where you met her."
-
>"All right, fine."
>Produce our map, and point to the location of Yuuka's abbatoir.
>"I found her there."
-
>"All right, fine."
>Produce our map, and point to the location of Yuuka's abbatoir.
>"I found her there."
>You dig out your map, with all its scribbled notes, and show the rabbit. She mulls it over with pursed lips and some measure of surprise.
>"Well, what do you know," she says after a few moments. "Maybe you actually did."
>She scrutinizes the map a little more, then pulls herself upright and fixes you with a serious expression. "So. What in the world does Yuuka Kazami want with a lunar orchid?"
-
>"Apparantly, she finds it very pretty, but she doesn't have one of her own. So she wants to add it to her garden."
-
>"Apparantly, she finds it very pretty, but she doesn't have one of her own. So she wants to add it to her garden."
>She raises an eyebrow. "And that's it? Because it's pretty? No ulterior motives? No flower voodoo nonsense? You'll forgive me if I don't exactly trust her."
-
>"I'm not keen on trusting her, myself. The thought that she could just kill me when... If I get back there has occured to me. But I really do think she just wants to be left alone down there. If the world thinks she's dead, I think she'd be okay with that, it means less people crashing into her little slice of paradise down there."
>"Speaking of, does that location have some meaning or something? Is that where she's supposed to have died?"
-
>"I'm not keen on trusting her, myself. The thought that she could just kill me when... If I get back there has occured to me. But I really do think she just wants to be left alone down there. If the world thinks she's dead, I think she'd be okay with that, it means less people crashing into her little slice of paradise down there."
>"Speaking of, does that location have some meaning or something? Is that where she's supposed to have died?"
>The rabbit shakes her head. "Nah, that was way down south, back where the war was. Don't think there's very much special about this corner of the world at all, 'cept nobody goes there." She throws you a sidelong glance. "Almost."
>She takes a deep breath and lets it out as a sigh. "So let me see if I've got this straight. Someone in Easthaven poisons you, you fly all the way out here looking for a cure and somehow Yuuka bloody Kazami is the best person you can find to help you?"
-
>"And got waylaid by pirates along the way, as well."
>"It hasn't been my best run."
-
>"And got waylaid by pirates along the way, as well."
>"It hasn't been my best run."
>She shakes her head. "And you really will die if she doesn't give you that... whatever-it-was? Seriously, no other options? Val Razua's got healers up to here, seriously." She waves a hand vaguely above her head.
-
>"Bittercress flower. And believe me, I would love another option, absolutely love one, especially since I'm not completely sure anymore than I can even make it back to Yuuka. But the only cure for this blight is that medicine I told you about, the one I found in the university library. The goddess I mentioned back in Easthaven, she told me that she'd never seen anyone cure it. Or survive it. If there is another cure to be found somewhere in this city, I have no idea where to look for it. Or the time left to look."
>Pause for breath.
>"I would not have gone looking for Yuuka Kazami if I thought I had any other choice that ended well. But I don't. She was my only hope."
-
>"Bittercress flower. And believe me, I would love another option, absolutely love one, especially since I'm not completely sure anymore than I can even make it back to Yuuka. But the only cure for this blight is that medicine I told you about, the one I found in the university library. The goddess I mentioned back in Easthaven, she told me that she'd never seen anyone cure it. Or survive it. If there is another cure to be found somewhere in this city, I have no idea where to look for it. Or the time left to look."
>Pause for breath.
>"I would not have gone looking for Yuuka Kazami if I thought I had any other choice that ended well. But I don't. She was my only hope."
>"Thank about desperation...."
>The rabbit taps her foot a few times, then briefly paces in front of the gazebo before rounding on you abruptly.
>"Okay, fine," she says. "Let's assume everything you've said so far is actually true and accurate. That would make it about the most unlikely story to cross my desk in years, but almost too crazy to fake - at least with this much effort put into it. But Yuuka freakin' Kazami? Really?" She shakes her head in irritation. "That woman's gotta be somewhere near the bottom of the list of people I'd like to do a favor for, and none of this changes the fact that lunar orchids aren't for sale. At any price - I don't care if you handed me a hundred thousand guilders on the spot." She doffs her hat with an exasperated sigh and runs a hand through her hair.
-
>"Why are these flowers so special? Didn't you say they weren't medicinal or magical?"
-
>"Why are these flowers so special? Didn't you say they weren't medicinal or magical?"
>"Well, they're probably a little magical," she says with a shrug. "They do glow in the moonlight, after all. But they're also extremely rare and Lady Houraisan's personal property. I'm sure I don't need to tell a Seeker of all people the value of rare things, even if they don't do anything at all. The kind of money they could fetch with certain parties might surprise you; certainly more than I could afford on my paycheck."
-
>"And you're worried that I might just go off and sell one if I got my hands on it?"
-
>"And you're worried that I might just go off and sell one if I got my hands on it?"
>"It's the most obvious reason anyone would ask for one," she says.
-
>"If you want to have one of your security types follow behind me to make sure I don't do just that, I wouldn't object. In this state, I couldn't even put up much of a fight either."
-
>"If you want to have one of your security types follow behind me to make sure I don't do just that, I wouldn't object. In this state, I couldn't even put up much of a fight either."
>"Well, that's awfully polite of you, but I don't have authority to give it to you either. So if you really are on death's door and this is the only way out, we have a bit of a problem."
-
>"Let me guess. Only Lady Houraisan herself has that power?"
-
>"Let me guess. Only Lady Houraisan herself has that power?"
>"Well, they are her flowers. But I'm afraid she's not in town right now, and I'm getting the impression you don't have a lot of time to play around with, either."
-
>"You got the right impression."
-
>"You got the right impression."
>"How much are we talking?"
-
>"Optimistically? I think I can make it back to Yuuka's again, which is about three days. And then, assuming I can still see by that point, I have to try and make the medicine there myself, because if I don't, I'm not coming back."
-
>"Optimistically? I think I can make it back to Yuuka's again, which is about three days. And then, assuming I can still see by that point, I have to try and make the medicine there myself, because if I don't, I'm not coming back."
>She cocks an eyebrow. "'Still see'?"
-
>"My vision's starting to fail. I'm... sort of falling apart."
-
>"My vision's starting to fail. I'm... sort of falling apart."
>The rabbit lets out another sigh and rubs her forehead. "Look, I'll run some checks and see what I can do. You got an address in town?"
-
>"Actually, no. Since I arrived on the continent, I only spent the one night here before I left for Yuuka's, and that was with a friend."
-
>"Actually, no. Since I arrived on the continent, I only spent the one night here before I left for Yuuka's, and that was with a friend."
>"Well, that'll do, won't it? They can get a message to you?"
-
>Would we be able to kip up at the Guildhall for a while?
-
>Would we be able to kip up at the Guildhall for a while?
>You could probably hang out in the lounge for as long as you care to, though it's not likely to be the most private or quiet of places, and it's not really set up for sleeping. Though you doubt anyone would throw you out if you nodded off in a chair. Rifle through your stuff, though...? Well, you suppose you couldn't rule it out, though hopefully they'd be more polite.
-
>Guildhalls don't offer rooms to visiting Seekers?
-
>Guildhalls don't offer rooms to visiting Seekers?
>Well, if you wanted to pay for them. The price the receptionist quoted you was 40 guilders a night, with a 100 guilder deposit; you imagine they're fairly spartan, too. You don't believe the guildhall in Val Razua has the same kind of housing available as the one in Braston - most of that comes from all the students they have to put up, back home.
-
>Do they have a messanger service of any sort? If for example banana pants here actually does intend to get back to us.
-
>Do they have a messanger service of any sort? If for example banana pants here actually does intend to get back to us.
>At least in Braston, you could have mail delivered to the guildhall and kept there for when you dropped by next, but they didn't actually do any wider delivery of their own. You imagine you could have them leave some kind of message at the front desk here, provided you were willing to go back periodically to check.
-
>"Probably best to leave a message at the Seeker's Guildhall. I'll be in and out of there while I run some checks of my own. I still need to resupply myself, for a start."
-
>"Probably best to leave a message at the Seeker's Guildhall. I'll be in and out of there while I run some checks of my own. I still need to resupply myself, for a start."
>"Fair enough." She pauses. "I don't think I ever got your name."
-
>"And I don't think I got yours. Mine's Nazrin."
-
>"And I don't think I got yours. Mine's Nazrin."
>The rabbit holds a hand out to you. "Ringo."
-
>Exchange handshakes.
>"Any idea how long these checks might take?"
-
>Exchange handshakes.
>"Any idea how long these checks might take?"
>You exchange handshakes. Ringo's is surprisingly vigorous, if brief.
>"Wish I could tell ya. I'll try to be brief. I can't make any promises, but...." She sighs and shakes her head. "I'll try to figure something out."
-
>"Then I suppose I should let you get to it."
-
>"Then I suppose I should let you get to it."
>She nods. "Right."
-
Sounds to me like this is as good a time as any to get the rest of the stuff that you need to make the antidote.
If nothing else, the dedication to shopping will make you look more genuine! >_>
-
Good plan. Plus, now that we know the route to Yuuka's, we can bring along anything we missed the first time. Like a sleeping bag or something similar.
Talking of which...
>Were there any items or tools in particular that we felt the absence of keenly during our voyage to Yuuka's?
-
>Were there any items or tools in particular that we felt the absence of keenly during our voyage to Yuuka's?
>You wouldn't have said no to a sleeping bag. Or better climbing gear, after that rather excruciating tumble off the cliff - not that you expect to have need of it on the return. Better divining or mapping implements would also have been nice, but again this should be less relevant on the second trip. But unless you can buy some kind of flying carpet that will let you sleep your way to Yuuka's without the strain of walking, you're not sure how much you can do to offset the worst part of this forthcoming ordeal with equipment.
-
>How much do flying carpets go for this day and age?
-
>How much do flying carpets go for this day and age?
>You don't even know if it would even be possible to find one that would work properly for a non-magician like yourself, and you can only imagine that it would cost a small fortune if you could. Though Val Razua is certainly the best place in the world to find magical trinkets and devices for sale, if you cared to shop around. There might be something useful to dig up.
-
>Well first things first, we're going to need some money for the bits of the medicine we CAN get without rabbit help. So we should probably do that first.
>Didn't Neu mention a particular apothacary way back when?
-
>Well first things first, we're going to need some money for the bits of the medicine we CAN get without rabbit help. So we should probably do that first.
>Didn't Neu mention a particular apothacary way back when?
>That sounds like a sensible idea.
>Neu hesitated from calling it a true recommendation, but she did give you directions to an apothecary of 'mixed reputation, but unarguable skill', as she put it. Though, if you understand Professor Bosqueverde rightly, mixing the Athran's Vigor should not present any difficulties for any run-of-the-mill herbalist, even if some of its ingredients are eclectic enough to require some shopping around. You have no personal awareness of which of them are common and which are not, though she seemed confident you could find everything you needed somewhere in the city.
-
>What ingredients did we need?
>How close was that apothecary? Did we pass any other along the way or herbalists shop?
-
>What ingredients did we need?
>How close was that apothecary? Did we pass any other along the way or herbalists shop?
>Professor Bosqueverde's note mentions fresh arlan, essence of hawthorn, crushed sunthistle, honey, green vitriol, tannic acid, silver dust, an eagle feather, and bull's blood - at the very least. But there are more than a handful of technical specifications that mean little to you; you might need a proper herbalist to interpret them, if only to ensure that you get the precisely correct ingredients.
>The apothecary Neu mentioned is on the north end of town. You didn't notice passing any others along the way, though your awareness is poor at best today and you were focused on other things. You're not altogether far from that herbalist you visited the last time you were in town, though.
-
>Closeness is a virtue. Let's head there, then.
-
>Closeness is a virtue. Let's head there, then.
>You return to the gatehouse and retrieve your weapons from the guard, securing Kumokirimaru by your side once more; even if your life no longer rests upon it in the moment, there's something comforting about its weight beside you. Then you depart Ozukitei and attempt to make your way to an herbalist.
>The trip is longer than you expected, or perhaps that's just the weight of your own body making every step feel like two. You fall into a sort of hazy reverie as you track westward, only peripherally aware of your surroundings and the unending flow of people and lives around you. You pass beyond the rows of mansions, though a broad avenue dotted with upscale boutiques, and eventually make your way past the university - the sight of its clock tower anchors your sense of position, though the route you took last week feels strangely indistinct. Twice you pause and struggle to recall which street you took to reach this shop, and even then are uncertain of the answer. So between your blurry vision and geographic confusion, you could be forgiven for not noticing the green-haired woman enthusiastically waving at you from down the road. But once she decides to add her voice to the mix, the result is unmistakable.
>"Yoo-hoo!"
-
>Kyouko?
-
>Kyouko?
>Without a doubt. You can barely make out her face at this distance, but there's no mistaking the familiar cheer in that voice.
-
>Smile and wave.
-
>Smile and wave.
>You smile and return Kyouko's wave - albeit with somewhat less vigor. The yamabiko closes the distance between you briskly, her smile shining brightly through the haze around her face.
>"Hi, Nazrin!" she says, then giggles slightly. "That's a funny kind of way to wear a scarf."
-
>"I've never been one to follow the crowd."
>"How've you been?"
-
>"I've never been one to follow the crowd."
>"How've you been?"
>"Oh, pretty good!" she replies. "Busy, busy! My choir had a recital the night before last! The crowd was really big! Well, it wasn't really big," she adds a touch sheepishly. "We're just a small choir. But it was bigger than usual and everything went really well. It was fun."
>"How'd that business with the plant work out?"
-
>Laugh quietly. "It's actually still going. If you've got time to kill, I can give you the story."
-
>Laugh quietly. "It's actually still going. If you've got time to kill, I can give you the story."
>"Sure!" she says brightly. "Want to grab a bite to eat? I was just about to pop in somewhere, myself."
-
>If nothing else, we could use a drink. Or twenty.
>But wait, won't that activity show Kyouko our uglyness?
-
>If nothing else, we could use a drink. Or twenty.
>But wait, won't that activity show Kyouko our uglyness?
>You imagine it's possible that eating would disturb the way your scarf is wrapped enough that it might no longer provide adequate coverage of the blight; it's a bit hard to say without trying it near a mirror.
-
>Then again, Kyouko saw the blight before, didn't she?
-
>Then again, Kyouko saw the blight before, didn't she?
>You were careful last time you met to never actually let on that you were even sick. You'd chalked the bittercress you were carting around to a time-sensitive job on behalf of a client in Easthaven. Which... was only sort of a lie, you suppose....
-
>Terrific.
>Are we hungry, anyway?
>Regardless, "Sounds like a plan. I have a little time to play with."
-
>Terrific.
>Are we hungry, anyway?
>Regardless, "Sounds like a plan. I have a little time to play with."
>You haven't eaten for quite a while. Your stomach seems more ambivalent about the idea of food than you'd expect, but you really ought to eat something.
>The girl's ears flutter. "A little time to play with!" Then she puts a finger to her chin. "Hmmm... I think I'm in the mood for a sandwich. How about we drop in over there?"
>She points to... actually, you can't really tell what she's pointing to, aside from 'a business down the road'.
>"It's close!" she says. "And their biscotti is great!"
-
>Have we ever tried biscotti? And did we like it?
>Either way, "I'll try anything once. Lead on, my friend."
>Follow her lead. She's the one with the working eyes.
-
>Have we ever tried biscotti? And did we like it?
>Either way, "I'll try anything once. Lead on, my friend."
>Follow her lead. She's the one with the working eyes.
>Not specifically, you think, but it's usually hard to go wrong with biscuits.
>She thrusts a finger upward. "Lead on!"
>You follow Kyouko as she leads you to what turns out to be a rather cafe-like establishment. It is a rather small and dimly-lit space, or perhaps that's just the effect of the dark slate tile and darker furnishings; it manages to feel somehow private, despite the large front window and half a dozen other patrons. The waft of coffee in the air is a little sharp, but the aroma of freshly-toasted bread stirs your dormant appetite. And there is cheese.
>Kyouko pauses in front of the large glass sandwich display with a thoughtful hum. You have to admit, they all look pretty good.
-
>We did ask her before about that repeating thing, right?
>How do we take our coffee?
-
>We did ask her before about that repeating thing, right?
>How do we take our coffee?
>You did. It's a yamabiko thing, apparently. It's almost a little endearing, somehow; she always seems so earnest about it.
>You mostly don't drink coffee, in fact. You find it a bit bitter.
-
>Given our recent lack of verve and vigor, though, a bit of coffee might not be an entirely bad idea.
>We'll go for... the... BLT, it is a classic. With cheddar cheese. And coffee, with (hopefully) enough cream and sugar to take the worst of the bite off.
-
>Given our recent lack of verve and vigor, though, a bit of coffee might not be an entirely bad idea.
>We'll go for... the... BLT, it is a classic. With cheddar cheese. And coffee, with (hopefully) enough cream and sugar to take the worst of the bite off.
>In the faint hope that the caffeine might help offset your flagging energy levels, you elect for a thoroughly sweetened coffee and a BLT with extra cheese. Kyouko orders a toasted pastrami sandwich and some kind of fizzy green drink capped with a generous swirl of whipped cream. Food in hand, you pick a small round table in the corner of the cafe and settle in. Kyouko takes a sip of her drink, then leans forward with a grin.
>"So!" she says expectantly.
-
>How much did we tell her about our quest last time we spoke?
-
>How much did we tell her about our quest last time we spoke?
>Very little, all things told. She knows of your battle with the spider youkai in the caverns north of Easthaven, and that you were nearly killed during it, but not that you suffered any lingering effects. You said the bittercress you were carting around was for a time-sensitive job on behalf of a client in Easthaven, but never connected the two, or implied that anything so serious as a person's life hinged upon it. She did hear you make some inquiries about Yuuka's garden at the Seeker's guildhall, but this too was not obviously connected to your bittercress or the incident with the spider youkai or any matter of urgency. Nor, for that matter, did you even imply you would be leaving town in search of it. For all Kyouko knows, you mailed the flower back to Easthaven and have spent the rest of the week making money doing contracts for rich people.
-
>"I've had... a bit of a journey. You remember that garden I was asking around about before?"
-
>"I've had... a bit of a journey. You remember that garden I was asking around about before?"
>"Yeah, I think so," she says. "At the Seeker's guildhall the other day?"
-
>Nod. "I did find it. After a fairly grueling trek. It was hidden outside of town in the middle of nowhere. And as pretty as it was, I'm glad I was the only one who went there. The gardener, Yuuka, was not the kind of person you would have enjoyed meeting. Not by a long shot."
-
>Nod. "I did find it. After a fairly grueling trek. It was hidden outside of town in the middle of nowhere. And as pretty as it was, I'm glad I was the only one who went there. The gardener, Yuuka, was not the kind of person you would have enjoyed meeting. Not by a long shot."
>"Not by a long shot?" Kyouko frowns.
-
>"To put it mildly, she was not a nice person. She loves her plants, but she's not as fond of people. But she did have the bittercress flower I need, and, after a bit of fast talking, I made a deal with her. She'll give me the flower I need, if I can get a flower for her that she doesn't have yet."
-
>"To put it mildly, she was not a nice person. She loves her plants, but she's not as fond of people. But she did have the bittercress flower I need, and, after a bit of fast talking, I made a deal with her. She'll give me the flower I need, if I can get a flower for her that she doesn't have yet."
>"A flower she doesn't have yet?" Kyouko takes a bite of her sandwich and chews it thoughtfully. "Like, any flower?"
-
>"By the looks of her place, there aren't many she doesn't have, but she had one in paricular in mind for me to get. It's called a lunar orchid."
-
>"By the looks of her place, there aren't many she doesn't have, but she had one in paricular in mind for me to get. It's called a lunar orchid."
>"A lunar orchid...." she breathes. "Wait, I think I read about those once. They're one of those rare flowers Lady Houraisan has, aren't they?"
-
>"Right first time."
>"And they don't just give them away, either. I was just coming from Ozuteiki, as a matter of fact, to see if I could eiher buy or trade for it. I met a rabbit named Ringo who said she might be able to help me, but that she had to clear it through channels first, and that she needed time. I was off to resupply myself when I ran into you."
-
>"Right first time."
>"And they don't just give them away, either. I was just coming from Ozuteiki, as a matter of fact, to see if I could eiher buy or trade for it. I met a rabbit named Ringo who said she might be able to help me, but that she had to clear it through channels first, and that she needed time. I was off to resupply myself when I ran into you."
>"Resupply? Oh, to go back to Yuuka's again?" She takes a sip of her drink. "How far away is it, anyway?"
-
>"At least three days. Maybe more. I know where to find it now, but getting there in the first place was... tough. I actually fell off a cliff once. And then I had to come all the way back. I'd be lying a little if I said I was at my best."
-
>"At least three days. Maybe more. I know where to find it now, but getting there in the first place was... tough. I actually fell off a cliff once. And then I had to come all the way back. I'd be lying a little if I said I was at my best."
>"Fell off a cliff?!" The girl's voice actually turns a few heads in the establishment, and you cringe inwardly a little.
-
>Use a polite hand gesture to indicate 'little less volume, please.'
>"Only a small one."
-
>Use a polite hand gesture to indicate 'little less volume, please.'
>"Only a small one."
>You try to gesture for quiet, though you're not certain Kyouko gets the message.
>"How small?" She looks concerned and just a little unconvinced.
-
>"Well, I didn't actually get that far up it. I... miscalculated my stamina."
-
>"Well, I didn't actually get that far up it. I... miscalculated my stamina."
>"Oh no...." The sympathy in Kyouko's expression is effusive.
-
>"Hey. I'm still here. I beat those spiders, no cliff's gonna do me in."
-
>"Hey. I'm still here. I beat those spiders, no cliff's gonna do me in."
>"That's the spirit!" she says, then takes another bite of her sandwich. She waves a finger in the general direction of your own meal. "Aren't you going to eat?"
-
>"Yeah."
>Reach up to pull our scarf down. "Just, um... Don't yell, okay?"
-
>"Yeah."
>Reach up to pull our scarf down. "Just, um... Don't yell, okay?"
>Kyouko frowns uncertainly. "Don't yell?"
-
>Pull it down.
-
>Pull it down.
>You pull your scarf down, revealing the blight across your face in full relief. To her credit, Kyouko mostly stifles her yelp, though her eyes widen and her ears twitch in alarm.
>"What's that?!" she whispers in an exaggeratedly hushed tone.
-
>"I'll explain later."
>Take a small bite.
>"Probably... should have done that before. I suppose I owe you an apology, too, for that."
-
>"I'll explain later."
>Take a small bite.
>"Probably... should have done that before. I suppose I owe you an apology, too, for that."
>"Later?" She frowns. "Why not now?"
>You take a bite of your sandwich. Probably in some other headspace you would note that the bread is fresh and savory, the cheese tangy, and the bacon crisp. But right now, it's simply sustenance and you chew it mechanically.
>"I'm not sure I understand," she says. "What's this all about?"
-
>Glance around. "I'd rather say somewhere less public. It's... personal."
-
>Glance around. "I'd rather say somewhere less public. It's... personal."
>"Oh! It's, uh...." Kyouko glances around the room. "Oh."
>You don't get the impression that she really understands, but is very obviously concerned.
-
>"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the mood."
-
>"Sorry, didn't mean to kill the mood."
>"No, it's just- I, um-" After a moment's consternation, Kyouko fills the lack of words with her sandwich.
-
>As we eat, ourself, "Getting back on point, that little fall I mentioned earlier did have its upside. I met a very helpful fairy afterwards, and her goat. Have you ever seen a fairy trying to be a knight?"
-
>As we eat, ourself
> :winky:
-
>As we eat, ourself, "Getting back on point, that little fall I mentioned earlier did have its upside. I met a very helpful fairy afterwards, and her goat. Have you ever seen a fairy trying to be a knight?"
>"Trying to be a knight?" Kyouko offers a smile, but it is a hesitant thing. "I've seen some play-fighting with prop swords before. Though poor Melon Seed was forever losing the pot off her head whenever she tried to thrust. It made a real racket clattering on the ground!"
-
>"This one was pretty close to the real deal. Worked for that goat house here in town, uh... House..... Help me out here."
-
>"This one was pretty close to the real deal. Worked for that goat house here in town, uh... House..... Help me out here."
>She cocks her head to the one side. "House....? Oh, you mean Pardacas?"
-
>"That's the one. Anyway, her and her goat helped me find Yuuka's place in good time. Probably saved me a day or so wandering out there. If I have the time, I should drop by her house to see if I can see her again, make sure I thank her again."
-
>"That's the one. Anyway, her and her goat helped me find Yuuka's place in good time. Probably saved me a day or so wandering out there. If I have the time, I should drop by her house to see if I can see her again, make sure I thank her again."
>"Her... goat?"
-
>Smile. "Being from Pardicas, she opted to have a goat for a companion and steed, rather than a pony." Take a sip of coffee. "Which is more practical, too, goats are more fairy scale."
-
>Smile. "Being from Pardicas, she opted to have a goat for a companion and steed, rather than a pony." Take a sip of coffee. "Which is more practical, too, goats are more fairy scale."
>This one draws a genuine giggle from Kyouko; a welcome sight after that somber mode settled over her. "So she was actually riding around on it?"
-
>Think. She was, wasn't she, yes she was.
>"Oh yes. They made a fine pair."
-
>Think. She was, wasn't she, yes she was.
>"Oh yes. They made a fine pair."
>Another giggle. "That sounds kinda cute. Was she dressing the part, too?"
-
>"She had the helmet part down, and a lance, but she was missing the full on armor."
>Laugh. "Which she could probably have swum in, so that probably worked out better for her."
-
>"She had the helmet part down, and a lance, but she was missing the full on armor."
>Laugh. "Which she could probably have swum in, so that probably worked out better for her."
>"Aww, that sounds adorable. And she actually helped you find that garden you were looking for?"
-
>"Uh huh. Pretty much led me right to it. I was close, but she still saved me a fair bit of walking."
-
>"Uh huh. Pretty much led me right to it. I was close, but she still saved me a fair bit of walking."
>"That sounds awfully helpful of her. Hmmm... I wonder how she knew where it was, if all those Seekers didn't?" She takes another sip of her drink then pauses with a thoughtful expression. "Can fairies be Seekers?"
-
>Presumably they can, I don't think there's a law against it. But do we recall any off the top of our heads?
-
>Presumably they can, I don't think there's a law against it. But do we recall any off the top of our heads?
>You don't think there are any particular rules against it, but completing the training program is a non-trivial task, involving years of study and practice, and no small amount of cunning. Failing to become fully certified is not at all uncommon. You don't know of any fairies that have even seriously attempted it.
-
>Come to think of it, how DID Fearless know it was there again? Did she say?
-
>Come to think of it, how DID Fearless know it was there again? Did she say?
>You get the impression she spotted it from a distance at some point earlier in her wanderings, while looking for that... Overgoat thing.
-
>"I suppose they could. I just haven't met one that had the 'stick-to-it-iveness' to earn their stripes. Well, not yet, anyway. For all I know, Honeysuckle's past basic training by now, she was a determined little thing."
-
>"I suppose they could. I just haven't met one that had the 'stick-to-it-iveness' to earn their stripes. Well, not yet, anyway. For all I know, Honeysuckle's past basic training by now, she was a determined little thing."
>Kyouko giggles. "Well, I just suppose you'll have to see, once you get back."
-
>Let's see if we can keep a straight face. "And I'm looking forward to it, too."
>And then have the rest of lunch.
-
>Let's see if we can keep a straight face. "And I'm looking forward to it, too."
>And then have the rest of lunch.
>Kyouko smiles. It's not a lie that you're looking for to going home, is it? Even if you... don't.
>Pushing that aside, you apply yourself to your meal. The coffee isn't much more palatable for all the milk and sugar you dump into it, and you're not even sure it helps with your energy levels, but the sandwich is nice at least. You and Kyouko exchange more idle chatter; she manages to go on at some length about a theatrical performance she saw recently, which at least frees you up from having to gloss over more uncomfortable topics. Though even as things as pleasant and superficial, there is still that air of subtle disquiet to the conversation - those fleeting glances at your cheek, the way her smiles seem to light up her face less wholly than you remember - as if everyone were avoiding talking about the elephant in the room. You suppose they are.
>Kyouko finishes her sandwich before you, orders a flaky cherry pastry to follow it, and is nearly finished that by the time you polish off the last of your own meal; your appetite feels rather muted, somehow. Can't imagine why.
-
>Presuming that we are satisfied in appetive, we can then replace our scarf.
-
>Presuming that we are satisfied in appetive, we can then replace our scarf.
>You adjust your scarf to hide the blight again. Kyouko frowns pensively.
-
>"I know. I don't like it either."
>Try a grin. "Didn't make your appetite less healthy though, eh."
-
>"I know. I don't like it either."
>Try a grin. "Didn't make your appetite less healthy though, eh."
>"Well, it was tasty," she says, seeming almost a little sheepish.
-
>Do we know of a place nearby where we are to acquire travel gear?
-
>Do we know of a place nearby where we are to acquire travel gear?
>You haven't yet gone shopping for such a thing in Val Razua, and did not specifically notice any such shop along your route. Of course, you're certain you could find such a thing if you apply yourself.
-
>Presumably we didn't feel like dessert?
-
>Presumably we didn't feel like dessert?
>You think you could pass today, honestly.
-
>Then let's just let her finish off.
-
>Then let's just let her finish off.
>You give Kyouko another minute to polish off the last of her desert. There is an awkward silence once she does; it's clear the matter you evaded earlier is weighing on her, though she seems uncertain what to do next.
-
>Guess that makes two of us.
>How far is it between here and the Guild hall?
-
>Guess that makes two of us.
>How far is it between here and the Guild hall?
>At least a half-hour, you think. Maybe more?
-
>"Well now. Were you working, or have somewhere to be? I need to stop by the Seeker's Guildhall before I go anywhere else."
-
>"Well now. Were you working, or have somewhere to be? I need to stop by the Seeker's Guildhall before I go anywhere else."
>"I have free time," she says.
-
>"I need to visit the Guildhall, and then see about resupplying myself. You can come with me, we can talk along the way. If you want."
-
>"I need to visit the Guildhall, and then see about resupplying myself. You can come with me, we can talk along the way. If you want."
>"I'd... like to know what that mark on your face was, and why you feel you need to hide it. ...and why you feel you need to apologize to me about it," she adds in a fainter tone.
-
>"Then we can find somewhere a bit more private on the way, and I'll tell you."
>"And you won't like it."
-
>"Then we can find somewhere a bit more private on the way, and I'll tell you."
>"And you won't like it."
>Kyouko's frown deepens; it actually hurts a little, to see that kind of expression on her face, and to know you're only going to make it worse. She nods silently.
-
>Silent Kyouko. There's a heck of a thing.
>But there's no point staring at her frowning face, let's do what we said we were doing.
-
>Silent Kyouko. There's a heck of a thing.
>But there's no point staring at her frowning face, let's do what we said we were doing.
>The two of you depart the restaurant and make for the Seeker's guildhall. Your gait is lethargic and weary - the coffee seems to have done nothing at all - but if Kyouko notices, she must be filing it under things to ask later. You're in two minds whether her presence beside you makes you feel better or worse; she's a friendly face, but also one you are likely about to make very sad, and even in the present circumstances, that feels like a shame. Maybe you can avoid that for a little longer. The streets of Val Razua are always crowded, after all, and this is not a quiet part of town. But scarcely ten minutes have gone by before Kyouko points a finger down a shadowed alleyway as you walk past it - windowless and empty of everything but litter and a few broken shipping crates.
>"Is that private enough?" she asks.
-
>Sample the air coming from there with our nose.
>Presuming it doesn't stink horribly, "I think it'll do."
-
>Sample the air coming from there with our nose.
>Presuming it doesn't stink horribly, "I think it'll do."
>It doesn't seem particularly worse than anywhere else in the city. You give Kyouko the okay.
>"It'll do," she says as she steps into the alley.
-
>Follow.
>And once we're alone, "I guess I should start with that apology I owe you. I didn't tell you everything about why I'm her in Val Razua. I didn't lie, but... I didn't want to give you bad news, either."
-
>Follow.
>And once we're alone, "I guess I should start with that apology I owe you. I didn't tell you everything about why I'm her in Val Razua. I didn't lie, but... I didn't want to give you bad news, either."
>You follow Kyouko into the alleyway, then once you feel you're a safe enough distance from the road, start to speak.
>She frowns. "Bad news?"
-
>"You remember that spider youkai I told you about, the one that damn near killed me?"
-
>"You remember that spider youkai I told you about, the one that damn near killed me?"
>"The one you talked to Sumiko about?"
-
>"Yeah, that one. Well, she did more than use her claws and webs on me."
>"She poisoned me."
-
>"Yeah, that one. Well, she did more than use her claws and webs on me."
>"She poisoned me."
>"Poisoned you?" Kyouko's voice is pensive, as if waiting for the more dreadful follow-up to this statement.
-
>"That's actually what I brought me to Sumiko. The poison that spider used is a blight of some kind, it's supernatural in nature. And what brought me to Val Razua at all was the search for a cure. And I HAVE found one too, at long last. That's why I'm carrying that potted plant around with me. The bittercress flower is the last ingredient I need to make the medicine."
-
>"That's actually what I brought me to Sumiko. The poison that spider used is a blight of some kind, it's supernatural in nature. And what brought me to Val Razua at all was the search for a cure. And I HAVE found one too, at long last. That's why I'm carrying that potted plant around with me. The bittercress flower is the last ingredient I need to make the medicine."
>"That's... that's good, right?" she asks. "I mean, you found one, and she's willing to trade it to you, right?"
-
>Nod. "That's right. Now I just have to hope Ringo comes through for me."
-
>Nod. "That's right. Now I just have to hope Ringo comes through for me."
>"Hope Ringo comes through for you," she agrees, then pauses. "Wait, so that plant wasn't for some lady back in Easthaven?"
-
>"Well... Technically. She didn't think this blight has a cure. I set out to prove her wrong."
-
>"Well... Technically. She didn't think this blight has a cure. I set out to prove her wrong."
>"Didn't think this blight has a cure?" Kyouko frowns. "You mean like... you'd be poisoned forever? Was that..." She gestures vaguely at you with a finger. "Was that what that black stuff on your face was?"
-
>"Yeah. It's the blight working its way through my system. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
-
>"Yeah. It's the blight working its way through my system. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."
>"...working its way through?"
-
>Offer her a grin. "Well, I don't have the bittercress yet, do I."
-
>Offer her a grin. "Well, I don't have the bittercress yet, do I."
>"What's it... like?" she asks tentatively. "Does it hurt?"
-
>"... Sometimes. But the worst part is the weakness. That's why I fell off that cliff. This blight has already taken the best out of me. I'm not as strong or as tough as I should be. "
-
>"... Sometimes. But the worst part is the weakness. That's why I fell off that cliff. This blight has already taken the best out of me. I'm not as strong or as tough as I should be. "
>The sympathy in Kyouko's expression is effusive. "Oh no!"
-
>"I was really, really hoping that I wouldn't have to go back to Yuuka's garden. Not only because she isn't good company, but because the trip's going to be even more difficult this time around."
>If we even can make it.
-
>"I was really, really hoping that I wouldn't have to go back to Yuuka's garden. Not only because she isn't good company, but because the trip's going to be even more difficult this time around."
>If we even can make it.
>"Even more difficult? Why's that?"
-
>"Because I'm going to be in worse shape than I was when I went there the first time."
-
>"Because I'm going to be in worse shape than I was when I went there the first time."
>"Oh no," she repeats, then asks timidly. "...how much worse?"
-
>"I honestly don't know. I haven't been able to predict how this blight would affect me until I start to feel the effects."
-
>"I honestly don't know. I haven't been able to predict how this blight would affect me until I start to feel the effects."
>"Like with that stuff on your face?" she asks.
-
>Grunt.
>"I suppose I should have guessed that it would reach my face eventually. It didn't start there, but it's a sign of progression. Like I needed one."
-
>Grunt.
>"I suppose I should have guessed that it would reach my face eventually. It didn't start there, but it's a sign of progression. Like I needed one."
>Kyouko frowns. "There's more black stuff like that elsewhere?"
-
>"Yeah. I'm a far cry from a majestic sight right now."
-
>"Yeah. I'm a far cry from a majestic sight right now."
>The girl seems genuinely saddened by this admission. "Is there... is there anything I can do to help?"
-
>Pause for a moment, to think.
>"Have you ever done much hiking?"
-
>Pause for a moment, to think.
>"Have you ever done much hiking?"
>"Of course!" she says. "I used to live on a mountain, remember!"
-
>"And you could make good time at it?"
-
>"And you could make good time at it?"
>"Good time at it?" She considers this a moment. "Pretty good, I think! I mean, good enough. It's been a while since I've been back there, now," she says with a nostalgic look on her face.
-
>"Reason I ask is that, if I'm honest with myself, I might actually need some help getting back to Yuuka's. I'm really not in good shape, and even at my peak, it'd take me three days to get back there."
-
>"Reason I ask is that, if I'm honest with myself, I might actually need some help getting back to Yuuka's. I'm really not in good shape, and even at my peak, it'd take me three days to get back there."
>"Where is her garden, anyway?"
-
>Start to fetch our map, then pause. "Promise you won't tell anyone? I'd rather not have too many people find out where she is. Believe me, she doesn't want company."
-
>Start to fetch our map, then pause. "Promise you won't tell anyone? I'd rather not have too many people find out where she is. Believe me, she doesn't want company."
>"I promise." Kyouko's face is the very image of sincerity.
-
>Girl, you should never play poker.
>Fish out our map and give her a gander at it.
-
>Girl, you should never play poker.
>Fish out our map and give her a gander at it.
>Wondering if the girl's a bit too earnest for her own good, you dig your map out of your pack and show it to Kyouko. Her eyes slowly widen as they scan over it, and she lets out a soft whistle.
>"Oh, wow. There's so many notes on this. Did you draw all this yourself?"
-
>Nod. "Yup. I'm no expert map-maker, but I did the best I could."
>Point out the travel route. "This is kind of terrain I'll need to cross to get back to Yuuka's."
-
Dunno if you've already considered this, but it might be a good idea to leave Kyouko on the outside of Yuuka's garden, just to make sure she doesn't trespass and get caught in the tetchy crossfire. And it'd be best to tell Kyouko such up-front, so she know's what she's getting into.
-
>Nod. "Yup. I'm no expert map-maker, but I did the best I could."
>Point out the travel route. "This is kind of terrain I'll need to cross to get back to Yuuka's."
>You point out the route to Yuuka's on your map. Kyouko stares thoughtfully at the path your finger takes across the paper.
>"Is it rough?" she asks. You're not entirely sure whether to blame her cartographic skills or your own for this one. "And I still don't really know where this- Oh, is that Isir's Cross?" She stabs a finger at the fort.
-
Dunno if you've already considered this, but it might be a good idea to leave Kyouko on the outside of Yuuka's garden, just to make sure she doesn't trespass and get caught in the tetchy crossfire. And it'd be best to tell Kyouko such up-front, so she know's what she's getting into.
I intend to. After that last encounter, I don't think even bringing another flower lover along would help meeting Yuuka go any smoother.
At this point, I'm not even sure I want to take Kyouko along or not. But since she's here, and decent company, I felt I should at least sound out the possibility.
>You point out the route to Yuuka's on your map. Kyouko stares thoughtfully at the path your finger takes across the paper.
>"Is it rough?" she asks. You're not entirely sure whether to blame her cartographic skills or your own for this one. "And I still don't really know where this- Oh, is that Isir's Cross?" She stabs a finger at the fort.
>"Uh huh. And yes, it's fairly rough. Or at least it seemed that way to me."
>Sketch her in on the gory details of our travel route.
-
>"Uh huh. And yes, it's fairly rough. Or at least it seemed that way to me."
>Sketch her in on the gory details of our travel route.
>You fill Kyouko in on the details of your trip to the garden, the kind of terrain to expect, and the distances involved. She marvels a little at the underwater passage and the grotto beyond; you can see a dreamy look in her eyes as she pictures the quartz formations glinting in the moonlight. You leave out some of your meanderings that you have no need to repeat, and the details of the garden itself, but otherwise try to be comprehensive.
>"That's a long trip," she says quietly. "I wonder why someone would want to live all the way out there? It must be awfully lonely...."
-
>"She didn't seem particularly hungry for company."
-
>"She didn't seem particularly hungry for company."
>"But company's good!" she protests. "I think anyone's day can be brightened a little by the right voice."
-
>"Most of the time, I'd probably agree with you. But Yuuka has other ways of brightening her day. I think her flowers are all the company she wants. Otherwise, she wouldn't have set herself so far off the beaten path."
-
>"Most of the time, I'd probably agree with you. But Yuuka has other ways of brightening her day. I think her flowers are all the company she wants. Otherwise, she wouldn't have set herself so far off the beaten path."
>"Well, flowers are nice, too," she offers tentatively. Then her face brightens up. "Rin Rin is doing really well, by the way! She's so bright and cheery! Thanks again, Nazrin."
-
>Rin Rin?
-
>Rin Rin?
>You... think that was what she named the bellflower you bought her the last time you were in town.
-
I intend to. After that last encounter, I don't think even bringing another flower lover along would help meeting Yuuka go any smoother.
At this point, I'm not even sure I want to take Kyouko along or not. But since she's here, and decent company, I felt I should at least sound out the possibility.
I think it's very much worth doing, if only for (a) a chaperone in case we keel over, and (b) a voice of optimism, in case we feel like we want to keel over.
-
I was also thinking of checking the Guildhall for a companion as well, someone who could travel well, yes, but also someone who could mix medicine on the spot. We'll need to do that down there at Yuuka's, and it's been stated that our own brewing skills are nicht perfect.
>"Ah, don't mention it. I knew you'd give a flower a good home."
-
>"Ah, don't mention it. I knew you'd give a flower a good home."
>Kyouko beams. For a moment, at least, before a frown tugs at it once more.
>"So you... don't know if you're healthy enough to make the trip back again?" she asks.
-
>Oh, fine. Force the issue, why don't you.
>Pause, then turn away from her, taking a few thoughtful steps back into the alley. "Honestly?"
-
>Oh, fine. Force the issue, why don't you.
>Pause, then turn away from her, taking a few thoughtful steps back into the alley. "Honestly?"
>"Honestly?"
-
>"I know that I need to make the medicine at Yuuka's, once I get the flower."
>Turn back and look her in the eye. "If I don't... then I'm not coming back."
-
>"I know that I need to make the medicine at Yuuka's, once I get the flower."
>Turn back and look her in the eye. "If I don't... then I'm not coming back."
>"Not coming back?" There is a worried pause, as if she's hesitant to connect the dots to their obvious conclusion. Her eyes drift downward, and with some hesitation, she asks "What do you mean?"
-
>"I mean, if I can't make the medicine at Yuuka's... then I'll die."
-
>"I mean, if I can't make the medicine at Yuuka's... then I'll die."
>Kyouko's eyes widen and her ears wilt. Her voice sounds very small. "...die?"
-
>"The truth is, Kyouko, I should have been dead days ago. I've been living on borrowed time. But that's running out now, too."
-
>"The truth is, Kyouko, I should have been dead days ago. I've been living on borrowed time. But that's running out now, too."
>"Running out? Oh no!" She shakes her head vigorously. "Oh no no no. We have to do something! Well, you've already done something. We have to- Wait, did Yuuka realize you were... dying?" The last word is still said in a half-whisper, as though she didn't want to hear the sound of it herself.
-
>"Yes."
>"She didn't care."
-
>"Yes."
>"She didn't care."
>"She didn't care." Kyouko repeats the words blandly. There is a pause. "She didn't care?! How could anyone not care?!" Despite your sheltered surroundings, you find yourself glancing back at the street to see if that blast caught anyone's attention. Kyouko's expression is a mixture of outrage and dumbstruck disbelief.
-
>"I wasn't exaggerating when I told you what she was like."
-
>"I wasn't exaggerating when I told you what she was like."
>"So she really had the flower that could save you and she sent you all the way back here first? To get something for her?" Kyouko seems to be becoming increasingly agitated. Not to mention loud.
-
>"Kyouko, calm down. I don't want what happened to me broadcast all over town."
-
>"Kyouko, calm down. I don't want what happened to me broadcast all over town."
>"Oh!" The yamabiko slaps her hands to the side of her face, then in a much more hushed tone adds "Sorry."
>"But really, is that what she did? Because that's just awful!"
-
>"She's an awful person. But she's also the one that has what I need."
>Ball up our fist. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
-
>"She's an awful person. But she's also the one that has what I need."
>Ball up our fist. "Doesn't seem fair, does it?"
>"It isn't fair," she insists. "We're going to go there, and I'm going to tell her to her face just what a horrible thing that was she did." There is a surprising amount of fire in that voice.
-
>"No you're not. You're not going near Yuuka. Kyouko, she was willing to kill me, and the only reason she didn't was because I was useful to her. That won't be true for you."
-
>"No you're not. You're not going near Yuuka. Kyouko, she was willing to kill me, and the only reason she didn't was because I was useful to her. That won't be true for you."
>This does seem to snatch some of the fire away again. "Kill you? But why?"
-
>"Because I was an uninvited guest. Trust me, Kyouko, she really doesn't like visitors. I wouldn't even think about going back there if I had any choice in the matter."
-
>"Because I was an uninvited guest. Trust me, Kyouko, she really doesn't like visitors. I wouldn't even think about going back there if I had any choice in the matter."
>"It's hard to kill a youkai," she protests. "You might be sick, but I'm not!" There's much less conviction in her voice than earlier, though.
-
>"Yeah, and you're gonna stay that way by not getting within shouting distance of Yuuka."
>Smile. "And I guess that's some distance for you."
-
>"Yeah, and you're gonna stay that way by not getting within shouting distance of Yuuka."
>Smile. "And I guess that's some distance for you."
>"...is she really that scary?"
-
>"I think so. I think if I had to choose, I'd face that spider again before I faced Yuuka. At least the spider seemed to put some value on life, even if it was spider's life. Yuuka doesn't even care that much."
-
>"I think so. I think if I had to choose, I'd face that spider again before I faced Yuuka. At least the spider seemed to put some value on life, even if it was spider's life. Yuuka doesn't even care that much."
>"Yuuka doesn't even care that much," Kyouko says glumly. "Wow. What an awful, mean person. I wouldn't have thought anyone who liked flowers that much could be so miserable. It's not right! And it's not right that she should be able to get away with it, too! Do we have to give her that orchid? Can we trade it to someone else instead?"
-
>"It's a nice thought. If I'd been able to find anyone else that had the Bittercress, I'd make them the offer pretty quickly. But no one seems to have it, or the means to come up with it."
-
>"It's a nice thought. If I'd been able to find anyone else that had the Bittercress, I'd make them the offer pretty quickly. But no one seems to have it, or the means to come up with it."
>"Well, you're the Seeker," she says. "I'm sure if you couldn't find it, it can't be found!" Then she droops again, scuffing her foot idly on the cobblestone. "It doesn't seem fair."
-
>"No. It isn't fair."
>Tired sigh.
>"But at this point, that doesn't even matter. Fair or not, it's the situation I'm in. I don't have the time to waste crying about it."
-
>"No. It isn't fair."
>Tired sigh.
>"But at this point, that doesn't even matter. Fair or not, it's the situation I'm in. I don't have the time to waste crying about it."
>Kyouko straightens herself up and nods. "Right. So what do we do now?"
-
>"What I need to do is head to the Guildhall, to see if Ringo's left any messages there. Then I need to assemble what parts of the medicine I can here in town, plus the supplies I'll need for the trip."
>"And then I need to gauge my condition, to see if I need help getting back there in the first place."
-
>"What I need to do is head to the Guildhall, to see if Ringo's left any messages there. Then I need to assemble what parts of the medicine I can here in town, plus the supplies I'll need for the trip."
>"And then I need to gauge my condition, to see if I need help getting back there in the first place."
>"Count me in!" Kyouko says, then grins. "I'm not about to let a friend drop dead in the middle of nowhere, after all!"
-
>Smile. "Thank you, Kyouko."
>"But now that you know how critical time is for me, I need you to be honest with yourself. I'm going to be moving as fast as I can for days straight over rough terrain. It'd be a test of stamina for anyone. I can't afford to take anything, or anyone, that might slow me down. And I'm sorry if that sounds blunt, but that's how I have to think now. Do you think you can do that?"
-
>Smile. "Thank you, Kyouko."
>"But now that you know how critical time is for me, I need you to be honest with yourself. I'm going to be moving as fast as I can for days straight over rough terrain. It'd be a test of stamina for anyone. I can't afford to take anything, or anyone, that might slow me down. And I'm sorry if that sounds blunt, but that's how I have to think now. Do you think you can do that?"
>"If I can't keep up, you can leave me behind!" she says instantly.
-
>"And I meant what I said about you keeping your distance from Yuuka. I don't want you going near her. Once we get close enough, I go on alone."
-
>"And I meant what I said about you keeping your distance from Yuuka. I don't want you going near her. Once we get close enough, I go on alone."
>This sombers her expression a little. "I can keep my mouth shut if I have to."
-
>"Be that as it may, that won't matter to her, believe me. She'll see you as another uninvited guest. She may even do worse to you than she did me; one person was enough to her, two would irritate her that much more."
>"Besides," Smile. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't try to my friend out of danger."
-
>"Be that as it may, that won't matter to her, believe me. She'll see you as another uninvited guest. She may even do worse to you than she did me; one person was enough to her, two would irritate her that much more."
>"Besides," Smile. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't try to my friend out of danger."
>"I don't like you going there alone, either," she adds glumly. "But... I'll trust you. I'm sure you know what you're doing, Nazrin."
-
>Nice to know one of us is sure.
>"Count on it."
>Pause for just a moment, then, "And, uh, thanks, too. For being willing to go to Yuuka's for my sake."
-
>Nice to know one of us is sure.
>"Count on it."
>Pause for just a moment, then, "And, uh, thanks, too. For being willing to go to Yuuka's for my sake."
>You mightn't entirely share Kyouko's confidence, but it's nice to hear it, all the same.
>Kyouko smiles. "There's no way I'd abandon someone with their life on the line. That's no good at all!"
-
>"Do you think you'll need anything from home for the journey?"
-
>"Do you think you'll need anything from home for the journey?"
>"Oh, well I'll want some food," she says, putting a finger to her cheek, "and better hiking boots, and a sleeping bag, and- do you already have something to start a campfire?"
-
>We actually don't, do we?
-
>We actually don't, do we?
>You have a bunch of waterproof matches, at any rate.
-
>"Some matches, yeah. I'd planned on picking up some flint and tinder too, to cover my bases."
-
>"Some matches, yeah. I'd planned on picking up some flint and tinder too, to cover my bases."
>"Let's see, what else... a rain jacket, my canteen, some first aid supplies - just in case! Probably some gloves..." She trails off in silence for a moment, then smiles. "I'll figure out the rest when I have a look around the house!"
-
>Nod. "How far IS your house from here?"
-
>Nod. "How far IS your house from here?"
>"Don't remember where it is?" she asks with a grin. "It's, oh.... maybe an hour and a bit from here? Something like that, anyway! Down towards the south."
-
>Guild hall was closer, right?
-
>Guild hall was closer, right?
>Yes.
-
>On the other hand, what sort of impression did we get from Ringo about how long those checks of hers might take?
-
>On the other hand, what sort of impression did we get from Ringo about how long those checks of hers might take?
>You don't even think she knew. You imagine it might be a while yet, though, depending on what she needs to check and who she needs to check with.
-
>"Then we'll start there. We can see what we have, and what we have to go shopping for after."
-
>"Then we'll start there. We can see what we have, and what we have to go shopping for after."
>"What we have to go shopping for...." She tilts her head. "Didn't you say you had to stop by the Guildhall first about that message you're waiting on? And something about parts of the medicine you need made in town? I'm sure I don't have any of that stuff in my closet," she muses. "...even if there is a lot of stuff in there."
-
>Do we think we'll need to stop to buy ingredients at any store outside the apothecaries?
-
>Do we think we'll need to stop to buy ingredients at any store outside the apothecaries?
>Professor Bosqueverde did say some of the ingredients were a little uncommon, so you might need to do some shopping around, but you would assume that herbalists and apothecaries would be the best places to look.
-
>"Thinking on it, I don't think I need to visit the Hall right away. Much of a hurry as I'm in, I doubt Ringo will have any information for me by now. And I do need to visit an apothecary, but if there's one along the way between here and your home, that'll do."
>"Of course, if there's one close to here, then that's different, I'd go there first, but I don't know if there is."
-
>"Thinking on it, I don't think I need to visit the Hall right away. Much of a hurry as I'm in, I doubt Ringo will have any information for me by now. And I do need to visit an apothecary, but if there's one along the way between here and your home, that'll do."
>"Of course, if there's one close to here, then that's different, I'd go there first, but I don't know if there is."
>"Oh, we're pretty close to one!" she says. "I think. I can show you the way!"
-
>Smile. "That would be excellent."
-
>Smile. "That would be excellent."
>?Excellent! This way!? she exclaims, thrusting a finger towards the street and immediately marching after it.
>It takes the two of you less than five minutes to arrive at the herbalist's, but two hours later you're still shopping. Half the ingredients were purchased immediately and without fuss, but the shop was out of sunthistle, its arlan wasn't fresh, and asking about bull's blood precipitates an enthusiastic rant against superstitious folk healers.
>?Just because our Lady Scarlet does it, doesn't mean drinking blood does a lick of good for anyone else, and mind I'm telling you!?
>While he pointedly refuses to assist in your search for that particular reagent, he grumblingly notes a competitor who might have the herbs in stock that he lacks. They do, but the arlan's price can be charitably described as 'galling', and bad enough to send you trekking to the other end of the city to find better. The silver dust is worst of all ? at least of the specific grade and preparation that Professor Bosqueverde's note calls for, which apparently hasn't been used for years. At least all it take is a quick detour to a grocer to get the honey for a pittance.
>By the time you finally track down the right type of feather, you feel like you're barely dragging your own feet around and the dizzying array of pungent chemicals from that last alchemist has left you more than a little nauseous. But you finally have everything, and an herbalist who was willing to prepare it for you tonight, and you're only 58 guilders poorer for it ? which honestly feels like a lot, but it's hard to put a price tag on your own life. You just need to cart all of this stuff back to her.
>?Are you alright?? Kyouko asks. She's been an awfully good sport all this time, never antsy or impatient as the minutes dragged into hours, helping lead you around the city and sometimes running quick scouting missions to do inventory checks with nearby shops. If it weren't for her functioning eyesight, you're sure you'd still be walking in circles around Prestor Lane, looking for that damnably camouflaged cul-du-sac. One wonders how they manage to stay in business while hiding from their own customers.
-
>Remaining guilders.
>Remaining eyesight.
>Remaining stamina.
-
>Remaining guilders.
>Remaining eyesight.
>Remaining stamina.
>You technically haven't paid the woman to make you your potion yet, but once you do, that will leave you with 137 guilders.
>Your eyesight hasn't gotten any worse over the last few hours, as far as you can notice. That's still not good, of course.
>You could probably use a rest, to be honest, but still have it in you to keep going for a while. Even if you're half a zombie, you can still keep moving - and given how much more demanding the hike back to Yuuka's will be, you'd perhaps better get used to it. Though perhaps saving up your strength has some merit, too.
-
>"Just, give me a minute, I think I just need some air. I still- We still have work to do."
-
>"Just, give me a minute, I think I just need some air. I still- We still have work to do."
>"Still have work to do," she says gently. "But we got a lot done! Who'd have thought it would be that hard to find all those ingredients.... But I guess it makes sense for such an old recipe."
-
>"Makes me glad I'm a seeker, not a medicine maker. Imagine needing to make these potions on a daily basis. Ugh, imagine the smells."
-
>"Makes me glad I'm a seeker, not a medicine maker. Imagine needing to make these potions on a daily basis. Ugh, imagine the smells."
>"Oh, it's not all bad," she says. "You get used to it!"
-
>"Maybe not with the nose of a mouse."
>Grin and tap our beak.
>"Great when you're next to a bakery. Not so good in other places."
-
>"Maybe not with the nose of a mouse."
>Grin and tap our beak.
>"Great when you're next to a bakery. Not so good in other places."
>"Oh! Well, maybe. But I have great hearing and loud noises don't bother me at all!" She grins.
-
>"Speaking of noises, Kyouko, do you mind if I ask you something about your echoing ability?"
-
>"Speaking of noises, Kyouko, do you mind if I ask you something about your echoing ability?"
>"Echoing ability?" She giggles. "Ask away!"
-
>"You echo back some words that you hear. But can you echo other sounds, too?"
-
>"You echo back some words that you hear. But can you echo other sounds, too?"
>"I can!" she says. "I don't do it a lot these days, though; it kinda unnerves some people. Besides, words are more fun anyway!"
-
>"That's still a pretty neat ability you've got there."
>Are we breathing any easier now?
-
>"That's still a pretty neat ability you've got there."
>Are we breathing any easier now?
>Kyouko beams. "Aww, thank you!"
>You're breathing okay, you think. You're not feeling altogether great, but it's nothing acutely worse than usual.
-
>"Well, I'd guess we'd best get back to work, hadn't we."
>Let's get back on the road.
-
>"Well, I'd guess we'd best get back to work, hadn't we."
>Let's get back on the road.
>"If you want, I can go get the potion made for you, and you can take a break at the guildhall for a bit," she offers. "I'll be quick, I promise!"
-
>Do we feel that we need a break that bad?
-
>Do we feel that we need a break that bad?
>You certainly don't have to. You can keep going, if you choose.
-
>Putting it bluntly, would we trust Kyouko to get what exactly we need? It is kind of important, after all.
-
>Putting it bluntly, would we trust Kyouko to get what exactly we need? It is kind of important, after all.
>You already have all the ingredients, to the specifications on Professor Bosqueverde's note. And the note itself has a complete recipe, which the herbalist you spoke with earlier glanced over, and Kyouko could simply deliver. You think this would be awfully hard to screw up. Hopefully.
-
>Approximately how much time has passed since we left Ozuteiki?
-
>Approximately how much time has passed since we left Ozuteiki?
>At least three hours, you think.
>Also, it's Ozukitei.
-
>Well they were the same guy.
>How long will it take us to get to the Hall from here?
>How long would it take us to get to the Hall from the medicine womans?
-
>How long will it take us to get to the Hall from here?
>How long would it take us to get to the Hall from the medicine womans?
>You've trekked a decent distance in search of reagents by this point, so you're not even completely sure. Probably at least 45 minutes. Maybe more.
>That might also be the better part of an hour, though in a slightly different direction.
-
>"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. Saves some time. Okay, we'll do it that way."
>Transfer the goods, the note and the necessary money to the guide-dog.
-
>"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. Saves some time. Okay, we'll do it that way."
>Transfer the goods, the note and the necessary money to the guide-dog.
>"Okay!" Kyouko says. "We'll do it that way!"
>You transfer all the vials and bundles and packages that you've accumulated during your shopping trip, then hand over the instructions on how to use them. Kyouko slips the note into her pocket, cradles the rest of them securely, then grins at you.
>"I'll be with you again before you know it!"
>And then she's off, dashing merrily down the road. Does that woman ever run out of energy?
-
>Excellent quality in a time sensitive situation. We might do well with this one after all.
>But we can dwell on that later. Let us make our way to the Guild Hall
-
>Excellent quality in a time sensitive situation. We might do well with this one after all.
>But we can dwell on that later. Let us make our way to the Guild Hall
>Whether or not Kyouko runs out of energy, you certainly do, and already have. But you keep moving anyway, ambling towards the guildhall at what feels like half the yamabiko's speed, weaving through blurry lanes and still-crowded avenues. You're less sure of your orientation than you'd like. Without Kyouko around to guide you briskly around the streets of her home, you're left to your own sense of direction; ordinarily, this would be excellent, but your mind is not what it used to be, and it feels like there's as much fog behind your eyes as in front of it. Still, you eventually arrive in front of the guildhall again, with perhaps only a few needless detours taken. The lights are on inside, though it sounds pretty quiet at the moment.
-
>Let's go interrogate the desk jockey.
-
>Let's go interrogate the desk jockey.
>You enter the guildhall and approach the front desk. The person manning it this time is a green-haired befreckled woman in a turtleneck sweater, busily scribbling on a ledger. She looks up from her paperwork as you approach, gives the pencil a little twirl in her fingers, and grins.
>"Yo."
-
>"Has anyone from Ozukitei been by in the last few hours?"
-
>"Has anyone from Ozukitei been by in the last few hours?"
>"Hmm.... Don't think so."
-
>"Nobody wih a message for a Nazrin?"
-
>"Nobody wih a message for a Nazrin?"
>The woman leafs through a bundle of papers, idly tapping the pencil against her chin. "Hmmm... don't see anything for that name, sorry."
-
>Sigh. "Yeah. That figures."
>"You wouldn't happen to know anyone around here that's had dealings with that lot, do you?"
-
>Sigh. "Yeah. That figures."
>"You wouldn't happen to know anyone around here that's had dealings with that lot, do you?"
>"Most of the big houses don't usually go through us," she says. "They're got their own resources. 'course, that's just for petitions and junk. If you're talking about off the job...." She twirls her pencil again and shrugs mildly. "I had a girlfriend who was an assistant cook there. Doubt that's much help, though." She laughs.
-
>Well it is worth a chuckle, so let us chuckle.
>"I'm trying to work out a deal with one of them, but she, of course, had to go through channels. You know how the big houses are. I just hope she doesn't drag her feet for too long."
-
>Well it is worth a chuckle, so let us chuckle.
>"I'm trying to work out a deal with one of them, but she, of course, had to go through channels. You know how the big houses are. I just hope she doesn't drag her feet for too long."
>You have a little chuckle with the deck jockey.
>"Doesn't everyone just love bureaucracy?" she says with a wry grin. "Mind if I ask what it's about, or is this a trade secret?"
-
>"I think I have to save the details 'till the job's done. Or at least until I hear from them one way or the other, I'm not jumping any guns on this one. But trust me, if I can pull this, it'll make history."
>"Of course for now, it seems I have no choice but to cool my heels a bit."
-
>"I think I have to save the details 'till the job's done. Or at least until I hear from them one way or the other, I'm not jumping any guns on this one. But trust me, if I can pull this, it'll make history."
>"Of course for now, it seems I have no choice but to cool my heels a bit."
>She grins. "Making history sounds fun."
>"Well, there's some wonderful lemon biscuits in the kitchen. Fresh this morning! Very yummy."
-
>"I could go for some of that."
>We do know where that is in this building, right?
>If so, avante.
-
>"I could go for some of that."
>We do know where that is in this building, right?
>If so, avante.
>"Help yourself!"
>You don't actually know where the kitchen is for certain, but the building is fairly small, and your sense of smell makes it easy enough to find. You pass through the upstairs lounge - occupied presently by just a few Seekers, engaging in quiet discussion or scribbling notes - and into one of the adjoining rooms. It is a small space, almost cramped, though tidier than the guild kitchen in Braston ever was; you rotated through cleaning duties multiple times yourself, and staving off the debris of a few dozen apprentices will forever be a lost cause.
>On the closest counter sits a silver plate with a half-dozen lemon biscuits, large and flat, and sprinkled with granulated sugar. There's also mostly-fresh fruit in a cupboard somewhere - a couple apples, pears, apricots. Coffee, too, though you're in no hurry for another cup at the moment.
-
>Are they complimentary for Seekers, or do we see prices listed?
-
>Are they complimentary for Seekers, or do we see prices listed?
>While everything seems double-priced in this city, the woman at the front desk did say you could help yourself. In Braston, at least, the kitchen was reasonably communal.
-
>Then let's sample a couple of those biscuits. And a pomegranate if they have one.
>And then find a relatively quiet seat to try and recoup some strength before the girls arrive. One way or the other, we still have work to do today.
-
>Then let's sample a couple of those biscuits. And a pomegranate if they have one.
>And then find a relatively quiet seat to try and recoup some strength before the girls arrive. One way or the other, we still have work to do today.
>While there seems to be no pomegranate in evidence, you do avail yourself of the biscuits. Hmmm... crispy. More sweet than sour. Pretty decent.
>Food in hand, you go find the most comfortable-looking chair in the lounge and sink into it with a sigh. Okay, in this respect, they may have your old guildhall beaten.
>Time passes, as you slowly nibble away at the biscuits and let your weary body rest. Someone inquires after a Satomi, to a round of shrugs and mention of a job in Meijima. A pair of Seekers nearby debate tax exemptions. Footsteps come and go downstairs, the chipper voice of the attendant drifting upwards as she accepts a petition regarding a stolen hat. At some point you must have fallen asleep, because it is with some alarm that you are jolted alert by someone shouting your name at an unreasonable volume.
>"Nazrin! I'm back!"
-
>If there are alarm clocks, she's probably better than one.
>What kind of mood is that voice?
-
>If there are alarm clocks, she's probably better than one.
>What kind of mood is that voice?
>She certainly got your attention. And the attention of everyone else in the room, by the looks of it.
>Cheerful. Not that this is altogether surprising, given who it belongs to.
-
>Better go down and meet her before she trumpets again.
-
>Better go down and meet her before she trumpets again.
>As you hoist yourself to your feet, you hear the attendant add (in a far quieter voice), "You know, I could've just gone up and told her."
>"No, that's fine!" Kyouko says.
>As you reach the top of the stairs, you can see the yamabiko's smiling face looking up at you. She holds a glass vial up in her hand and gives it a little shake; an amber liquid sloshes within.
-
>"That's it, huh?"
-
>"That's it, huh?"
>"That's it!" Kyouko says. "Athran's Vigor, exactly as ordered! ...she said I couldn't go upstairs on my own because I'm not a Seeker," she adds in a quieter tone.
>"Guess this is what you were waiting for?" the woman at the desk asks.
-
>"Half of it, anyway. And in good time, too, Kyouko."
>Jerk our thumb towards her as we walk over to her. "This here's my... Well I guess you could call her my partner now."
-
>"Half of it, anyway. And in good time, too, Kyouko."
>Jerk our thumb towards her as we walk over to her. "This here's my... Well I guess you could call her my partner now."
>You descend the stairs and gesture towards your... partner.
>"Partner!" Kyouko grins wider. "I think I like the sound of that."
>"She's got some pipes on her," the woman says. "What's in the bottle, anyhow? Or is that another secret?"
-
>"Until it's finished, anyway. Kyouko here brought me half, now I need the folks at Okuteiki to come up with the other half."
>Give Kyouko a grin. "Sure wish they made as good time as you did."
-
>"Until it's finished, anyway. Kyouko here brought me half, now I need the folks at Okuteiki to come up with the other half."
>Give Kyouko a grin. "Sure wish they made as good time as you did."
>"Got me all curious now," she says.
>Kyouko frowns. "You haven't heard from them yet?"
-
>Shake our head. "No one's been by here yet with anything for me, except you."
>"So I suppose that means we should take care of the rest of our business. No sense hanging around here when there's work to be..." Pause. She's actually been running around town for longer than we have, hasn't she? "Unless you wanted to take a break yourself for a bit."
-
>Shake our head. "No one's been by here yet with anything for me, except you."
>"So I suppose that means we should take care of the rest of our business. No sense hanging around here when there's work to be..." Pause. She's actually been running around town for longer than we have, hasn't she? "Unless you wanted to take a break yourself for a bit."
>"What do we need to do next?" Kyouko asks.
-
>"We still have some travelling to do, and we'll need some equipment that I didn't have the first time."
-
>"We still have some travelling to do, and we'll need some equipment that I didn't have the first time."
>"Like what?"
-
>"A sleeping bag, for one. I don't mind sleeping on the ground usually, but these aren't normal circumstances. And maybe some better climbing gear than I had the first time. Even if we don't have to scale any cliffs, I don't want to be underequipped in case I ever have to again."
-
>"A sleeping bag, for one. I don't mind sleeping on the ground usually, but these aren't normal circumstances. And maybe some better climbing gear than I had the first time. Even if we don't have to scale any cliffs, I don't want to be underequipped in case I ever have to again."
>"Don't want to be underequipped!" she agrees. "Certainly wouldn't want to fall off another cliff!"
>The woman at the desk snorts. "Dare I ask?"
-
>"I'd prefer not. It wasn't one of my most glorious moments."
>That store we hit up before leaving town last time, that was close to here, wasn't it?
-
>"I'd prefer not. It wasn't one of my most glorious moments."
>That store we hit up before leaving town last time, that was close to here, wasn't it?
>She snickers. "That just makes it better, doesn't it?"
>What store would you be referring to? You visited an herbalist and a large number of greenhouses last you were in town, but nowhere to purchase traveling supplies.
-
>Oh yeah. We haven't gone shopping for those kind of supplies since Braston, haven't we?
-
>Oh yeah. We haven't gone shopping for those kind of supplies since Braston, haven't we?
>Well, you did purchase some additional gear from the surplus at Isir's Cross, but none in Val Razua itself.
-
>We DID get some information on which stores have deals with the Seeker's guild here in town, though, didn't we?
-
>We DID get some information on which stores have deals with the Seeker's guild here in town, though, didn't we?
>Sachi mentioned you could consult the list of guild-affiliated vendors, but you never did so.
-
>Do we have said list?
>If not, is it posted up in here?
-
>Do we have said list?
>If not, is it posted up in here?
>You do not.
>You're fairly sure it isn't, but rather in among the paperwork somewhere; you could ask the woman the desk.
-
>"I'll work it into my standup routine one of these days."
>"For now, though, I need to know about the local shops that are affiliated with us."
-
>"I'll work it into my standup routine one of these days."
>"For now, though, I need to know about the local shops that are affiliated with us."
>"Ha!" It seems the woman approves.
>"The approved vendor list?" She turns and rummages through a stack of papers with practiced swiftness and furrowed brow. "Ah, here it is!"
>And with that, she plucks a thin bundle from the pile and deposits it on the counter with flourish.
-
>Examine paper pile.
-
>Examine paper pile.
>You leaf through the papers. In among ledgers and contractual details of little relevance to you are the names of more than two dozen businesses, ranging from grocers to outfitters to pawn shops and assayers, at least one cafe, and several more whose nature you can only guess at. 'Wexford's Wending'? Do they sell compasses or tacky souvenirs? There are addresses, but most of them mean nothing to you yet.
>"Lost Caerstad Emporium the other day," the woman says. "Pity. They had the most brilliant star globes."
>Kyouko gets a dreamy look in her eyes. "Oooo...."
-
>Does there appear to be a one-stop shop for the kind of travelling gear and provisions?
-
>Does there appear to be a one-stop shop for the kind of travelling gear and provisions?
>A couple look promising, though you have no way of telling how good either's selection or prices are from the papers in your hand.
-
>Well, we have a source here. Let's inquire about them.
-
>Well, we have a source here. Let's inquire about them.
>You inquire about the outfitters on the list with the woman at the desk.
>"Well, hmmm...." She purses her lips to one side and taps idly on her chin. "Probably the one with the widest selection is Lexworth. But if you ask me - unofficial-like - the Northern Compass has the nicer stuff."
>"The Northern Compass..." Kyouko repeats. "I think I bought a pair of boots there once. They were nice boots!"
>"You looking for anything specific?"
-
>Tick off fingers, "Decent sleeping bag, some climbing gear beyond a grappling hook and rope, provisions for four days travel..."
>How many kunai did we have left?
-
>Tick off fingers, "Decent sleeping bag, some climbing gear beyond a grappling hook and rope, provisions for four days travel..."
>How many kunai did we have left?
>"Well, that shouldn't be hard to get at either place, I think. Uh, not the food part, but hey." She shrugs lightly.
>Four.
-
>"Not the food part?"
-
>"Not the food part?"
>"Well, they're outfitters, not grocers."
-
>"Ah. Then where would you reccomend for that?"
-
>"Ah. Then where would you reccomend for that?"
>"Well, I buy most of my stuff at Quinlan," she says with a shrug, "but that's only because I practically live next door. They're fine, I guess."
>"There's a little market on the south side of the river I like to go to," Kyouko adds. "Actually, I was going to go grocery shopping tomorrow anyway, so you can leave that part up to me, if you want! Um, unless you're really particular about what you eat on the road...."
-
>"Not especially, but we can talk about that along the way to, uh, North Compass. You know how to get there from here, Kyouko?"
-
>"Not especially, but we can talk about that along the way to, uh, North Compass. You know how to get there from here, Kyouko?"
>"That's, um... off of West Alder, right?" she says uncertainly. "Near the fountain?"
>The other woman shakes her head. "No, it's up by Hillcroft, just past the... actually, do you know that statue of the old dude with the hammer?"
>"The real grumpy-looking one?"
>She snickers. "Yeah, I suppose he is, now that you mention it. Anyway, it's right around the corner from there. Down Haydon."
>Kyouko nods twice. "Down Haydon. Got it!"
-
>"Excellent, then let's go and get it over with."
>"Uh, again, unless you wanted to sit down for a bit first, Kyouko, you've covered more ground than me, after all."
-
>"Excellent, then let's go and get it over with."
>"Uh, again, unless you wanted to sit down for a bit first, Kyouko, you've covered more ground than me, after all."
>"I'm good!" she replies instantly.
-
>"I sort of figured you'd say that. Well, let's go, then."
>Do that.
-
>"I sort of figured you'd say that. Well, let's go, then."
>Do that.
>Kyouko thrusts a hand into the air. "Let's go, then! Oh, uh, but maybe I should give this to you first."
>Somewhat sheepishly, she hands you the vial of Athran's Vigor. The viscous liquid within has the look and consistency of cooking oil, but smells more like vinegar mixed with potting soil. Very expensive vinegar and potting soil. It looks so fragile for something so precious; what you stand to lose if it breaks on the journey back doesn't bear thinking about. You place the vial in the safest, most padded pouch of your backpack, and then depart the guildhall.
>You reach two conclusions on this next leg of your shopping trip. One: Kyouko is not to be trusted around anyone with a headache. Two: The Northern Compass is entirely too far away when your body is made of lead and heavy blankets. By the time you arrive in front of the rustic-looking boutique, it is with a somewhat grumpy spirit that even Kyouko's effervescent chatter could not quite stave off.
>The interior of the Northern Compass is all dark wood and exposed rafters, dominated by the smell of leather and metal, oilskin and canvas. The shelves are lined densely with boots and heavy cloaks, camping gear and knapsacks, survival knives, water purifiers, and navigational aids, both magical and mundane. The crowded floor and spacious ceiling give odd acoustics to the space, with footsteps seeming to resonate loudest where they are not; there are several other customers here, even at this time of day.
-
>We lost that good knife we had back in the spider cave, didn't we?
-
>We lost that good knife we had back in the spider cave, didn't we?
>The last you saw it, it was still embedded in the spider youkai's torso.
-
>Good, maybe we can ask for it back if WE get back.
>For now though- Actually, since our money situation is a bit uinque, let's go looking for an enchanted knife if they carry them, nothing fancy, one with a Fire or Frost enchantment would be okay.
>And a magic carpet, we need one of those.
-
>Good, maybe we can ask for it back if WE get back.
>For now though- Actually, since our money situation is a bit uinque, let's go looking for an enchanted knife if they carry them, nothing fancy, one with a Fire or Frost enchantment would be okay.
>And a magic carpet, we need one of those.
>Well, it wasn't your knife in the first place, and it wasn't particularly remarkable one, either.
>The store does have a decent selection of knives, and some of them are even enchanted, but if you're looking for something that bursts into flame or freezes on contact, you're probably at the wrong store; these are wilderness tools, not weapons. Some are labelled as rust-proof and self-sharpening, one apparently has a glow in the dark blade (to keep one from fumbling it at night, presumably), some are extra-effective at cutting wood and plant matter, and a very pricey model boasts an antiseptic enchantment for butchering kills or performing crude first aid.
>No carpets of any kind, magical or otherwise - not even on their own floor. If you'd wanted magical esoterica, perhaps you shouldn't have asked for a place to buy climbing gear and sleeping bags; those, at least, this store has in abundance.
>Kyouko picks up a long spyglass from a shelf and peers through it, turning around in place until she nearly hits you in the head with it, unaware.
>She giggles as she stares at you through it, one eye squeezed firmly shut. "Your nose is so big!'
-
>"All the better to smell you with."
>Price check on a mundane hunting knife and rust-proof knife. And anti-plant knife.
-
>"All the better to smell you with."
>Price check on a mundane hunting knife and rust-proof knife. And anti-plant knife.
>Kyouko lets out a peel of laughter.
>On the more budget-conscious end of the scale, you find a perfectly serviceable knife for 16 guilders. Once you move up to self-sharpening ones, the best you can manage is 32 guilders and the blade is somewhat small; there's one with much more satisfying heft for 44. The plant-cutters range from 24 to 50, though you question the effectiveness of the enchantments on the lower end of that price range.
-
>Wait a second, we didn't have a spyglass either, did we?
>What's the damage on those?
-
>Wait a second, we didn't have a spyglass either, did we?
>What's the damage on those?
>You do not.
>They seem to range from 26 to 185 guilders, depending on size, magnification, and enchantment. One of the more expensive ones claims to compensate for foggy weather and poor lighting. Another has a built-in range finder. There is even a frighteningly expensive one ornamented with patterned bronze feathers that claims to accurately identify any bird the user gets a good look at through it. Well, you guess if someone really really likes bird-watching....
-
>Well we don't need a GREAT one for now, so let's select a 26 buck spyglass, a good length knife for around 20, then go find us a sleeping bag we can carry without too much hassle.
-
>Well we don't need a GREAT one for now, so let's select a 26 buck spyglass, a good length knife for around 20, then go find us a sleeping bag we can carry without too much hassle.
>You select the cheapest spyglass available - a compact brass model with only modest magnification, though hopefully still useful. Sadly, your eyesight is too far gone to gauge its focus and clarity with any confidence. Next, you try out a few knives and select an affordable one whose grip feels most comfortable in your palm; it's always more satisfying to have a tool that feels right to hold. Then you move on to the sleeping bags. Probably you're not doing any better than 32 guilders here, and if you want perks like waterproofing or self-heating or ultra-compact, it could cost as much as 78.
>"Oh look," Kyouko says, pointing at a black sleeping bag dappled with tiny stars, "This one twinkles in the dark!"
-
>It wasn't wet enough for us to really need waterproofing on the way to Yuuka's, was it?
-
>It wasn't wet enough for us to really need waterproofing on the way to Yuuka's, was it?
>It rained for almost an entire day on the way in; it was difficult to find any place to sleep that wasn't hopelessly damp and muddy. Good shelter is always better than a waterproof sleeping bag, of course, but waterproofing is always a perk.
-
>How big a bill have we racked up so far? Taking that amount away, how much cash would we have left?
-
>How big a bill have we racked up so far? Taking that amount away, how much cash would we have left?
>The knife and spyglass you have selected come to 47 guilders. Purchasing them would leave you with 90 guilders.
-
>And if we opted for the cheapest waterpoof sack, how much would that leave us with for the rest of our supply shopping?
-
>And if we opted for the cheapest waterpoof sack, how much would that leave us with for the rest of our supply shopping?
>The cheapest waterproof sleeping bag you can see is priced at 46 guilders, which would leave you with 44 remaining, once your other two purchases here are accounted for.
-
>Ouch.
>Did we pass flint around here, we need that, too, how much was that?
-
>Ouch.
>Did we pass flint around here, we need that, too, how much was that?
>You are running a little shorter on money than you'd like after today's shopping expedition, but it's hard to put a price tag on your own life.
>The shop carries a variety of fire starters, though the waterproof matches you already possess would seem to serve that function adequately. For that matter, you imagine you could strike sparks from either of your knives, if you really needed to.
-
>Apparently we need to start counting pennies.
>Let's price out- Oh wait, we don't really need to do any climbing on the way back, do we, not with our increased knowledge of the area.
-
>Apparently we need to start counting pennies.
>Let's price out- Oh wait, we don't really need to do any climbing on the way back, do we, not with our increased knowledge of the area.
>There is a little climbing, though more in the sense of a steep hike than a cliff face - nothing that requires any special gear. The one you fell off of while pursuing Fearless Grapefruit was a detour for the main route towards the garden, as it turns out.
-
>Apart from provisions, what else would we need to spend money on before leaving tomorrow?
-
>Apart from provisions, what else would we need to spend money on before leaving tomorrow?
>Given that you already made the trip once with the things you already possess, there's probably nothing you need in that regard. Your health is the sticking point, of course, but if you could buy something here that could fix that problem, you'd have already done it. Maybe something that could boost stamina or energy? Though you imagine anything genuinely effective in your current situation might be more than you could afford; some magic doesn't come cheap.
-
>"Reminds me of a fairy I met back in Easthaven."
>Select a waterproof one that can be easily accomodated, and assuming we can't think of anything else or Kyouko doesn't point out anything else, go check out.
-
>"Reminds me of a fairy I met back in Easthaven."
>Select a waterproof one that can be easily accomodated, and assuming we can't think of anything else or Kyouko doesn't point out anything else, go check out.
>Kyouko giggles. "Did she twinkle in the dark, too?"
>Kyoko wanders off as you mull over the sleeping bags, eventually settling on a small black one for 49 guilders. It's a bit on the pricey side, but it seems sturdy enough to last you for a good few years, assuming you... still have them. There's probably something else here worth your guilders, but your mind is fuzzy and it feels like you've been shopping forever. It'll do.
>As you amble towards the shopkeeper with your purchases in tow, you hear Kyouko cheerfully call out behind you. "Here, what do you think?"
-
>Turn and look.
-
>Turn and look.
>You turn around to see Kyouko wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat tied with a bright green ribbon that nearly matches her hair. She grins and pivots around on one foot.
>"How's it look?"
-
>Smile. "It works for ya."
-
>Smile. "It works for ya."
>"Thanks! I think I might buy it. A good sun hat is a useful thing to have! And we've got a long walk ahead of us, after all."
-
>"Oh yes we do."
-
>"Oh yes we do."
>Kyouko puts a hand on your shoulder and gives you a gentle smile. "We'll get there, don't you worry."
-
>"Thanks. But right now, I'm more worried about being able to leave at all, if Ringo doesn't come through."
-
>"Thanks. But right now, I'm more worried about being able to leave at all, if Ringo doesn't come through."
>"If Ringo doesn't come through, we'll just come up with something else!" she says, as though doing so presented no particular difficulty.
-
>Chuckle. "My, we are optimistic."
-
>Chuckle. "My, we are optimistic."
>"We are optimistic!" she says emphatically. "There's no problem that isn't made easier by a positive attitude!"
-
>Think back. Didn't she have that on a banner on her wall?
-
>Think back. Didn't she have that on a banner on her wall?
>It's a little fuzzy now (everything is a fuzzy little now), but you think her wall scroll actually said "Embrace every morning with a smile."
-
>Feel almost a little bad for dragging her into this mess. Life and death fire journeys don't seem to suit this girl.
>Too late now, though.
>"Well, you're right, worrying about it isn't going to do us a lot of good, is it now. Did you need anything else from here?"
-
>Feel almost a little bad for dragging her into this mess. Life and death fire journeys don't seem to suit this girl.
>Too late now, though.
>"Well, you're right, worrying about it isn't going to do us a lot of good, is it now. Did you need anything else from here?"
>Your companion almost seems too... innocently cheerful for such dire scenarios, but what's done is done. You doubt she'd brook disagreement at this point, anyway.
>"Did I need anything else from here...." she muses. "Hmmm.... Well, maybe I should pick up some new shoelaces for my boots, too. The ones I have at home are getting kinda frayed. Can't have them wearing out on the trail!"
-
>"Take your time, best to get everything in one shot."
-
>"Take your time, best to get everything in one shot."
>"I won't take long; don't worry!"
>And with that, she ducks off into another aisle in search of shoe laces.
-
>While we're waiting, let us ponder a moment. Assuming that everything goes well here, we get our cure and get to go home. Let us further assume that things didn't go well with the spiders, and that when we go back, we have to go back into that hole after them. What didn't we have that we missed the last time?
-
>While we're waiting, let us ponder a moment. Assuming that everything goes well here, we get our cure and get to go home. Let us further assume that things didn't go well with the spiders, and that when we go back, we have to go back into that hole after them. What didn't we have that we missed the last time?
>A small army.
>More seriously, there are all manner of things which might be useful for tackling a horde of giant spiders in a network of dark caves. Acid-repellent clothing, potent antivenoms, a light source that wouldn't require a limb to hold, wide-area incendiary weapons.... Frankly, you don't know that you're the best person for the task. If Marisa couldn't handle the place, well... you can't really hold a candle to her destructive abilities; if the spiders are still a clear and present danger, it's not going to be a one-woman job.
-
>Certainly not on a budget of 44 guilders.
>Let's just wait for our guide-dog then, and head back to the guild when she's ready.
-
>Certainly not on a budget of 44 guilders.
>Let's just wait for our guide-dog then, and head back to the guild when she's ready.
>Oh, the things you could do with more money and more time.
>You go pay for your purchases while Kyouko putters around the store for a few more minutes, eventually reappearing at your side with a brightly-colored water bottle in tow.
>"It's kinda cheerful-looking, don't you think? And bigger than the one I have at home, too; we've got a long trip ahead, after all. Gotta stay hydrated! Oh, and I bought one of these things," she says, shaking a thin corded bracelet with one hand and frowning thoughtfully in its direction. "It's supposed to keep mosquitoes away from you. I'm not sure how well it works, but it might be handy. I guess we'll see!"
>Kyouko begins to expound on just how good a bargain the shoe laces were as you start plodding back towards the guild, although you scarcely hear her. Well, it would be hard to miss that voice, but her words are vague and it takes too much effort to pay attention to them all. Streets and shops and bands of people pass by in a murky haze and somehow you find yourself in front of the guildhall once more.
>"That was pretty silly of him," Kyouko says. "Don't you think?"
-
>Blink. "What?"
-
>Blink. "What?"
>"About the balloons," she says.
-
>Going to go out on a limb and wager we didn't catch any of that?
-
>Going to go out on a limb and wager we didn't catch any of that?
>You think... there was something about a... parade, maybe? Or was it some kind of concert? You... may have glazed over most of that one.
-
>"Sorry, Kyouko, I'm.... I'm not really with it."
-
>"Sorry, Kyouko, I'm.... I'm not really with it."
>"Oh." Her ears wilt. "Oh, I'm sorry."
-
>Rest our hand on her shoulder. "Nothing to be sorry about, kiddo. Nothing you did. Just my body's way of telling me that I need sleep sooner rather than later."
>"Which reminds me, I'm going to need a place to moor up for the night, aren't I."
-
>Rest our hand on her shoulder. "Nothing to be sorry about, kiddo. Nothing you did. Just my body's way of telling me that I need sleep sooner rather than later."
>"Which reminds me, I'm going to need a place to moor up for the night, aren't I."
>"My bed is yours," she says instantly.
-
>"I'm glad you said that, actually. My purse is getting a bit thin."
-
>"I'm glad you said that, actually. My purse is getting a bit thin."
>"Well, Casa Kasodani is available at a bargain price!" she says with a giggle, then frowns abruptly. "Um, I mean, it's free. I wouldn't charge you anything for a bed."
>Is she worried your mind is fuzzy enough to have misunderstood? Well, she mightn't be completely off-base there....
-
>Chuckle. "I read you, Kyouko. I'm not too out of it, all in all, I just need to focus a bit more than normal. Sorry for spacing on ya before."
-
>Chuckle. "I read you, Kyouko. I'm not too out of it, all in all, I just need to focus a bit more than normal. Sorry for spacing on ya before."
>"Oh, that's okay!" she says gently. "I'll just have to tell you the story again when you're all better."
-
>"I'll take you up on that."
>Head inside and check for word from Ringo.
-
>"I'll take you up on that."
>Head inside and check for word from Ringo.
>"You better!"
>You ascend the stairs and enter the guildhall. The green-haired woman at the front desk perks up nearly as soon as you walk in the door.
>"I think that message you were looking for came in," she says. "Not that they had a lot to say."
-
>"Oh?"
-
>"Oh?"
>"Just told you to meet her by the cherry tree at Tachibana Park after 1 o'clock. Alone." She grins at you. "How very clandestine."
-
>What time is it now?
-
>What time is it now?
>It's got to be past midnight by now, anyway.
-
>"AM or PM?"
-
>"AM or PM?"
>"AM," she replies.
-
>"As in, within the hour?"
>Location of park, if we know it?
-
>"As in, within the hour?"
>Location of park, if we know it?
>"Probably less than that, now."
>You have no idea.
-
>"Where's it to?"
-
>"Where's it to?"
>"About a mile and a half south of the Academy, off Forth."
>"I know where it is," Kyouko offers. "The cherry tree, too! It's just a small little park, but it's really nice and peaceful."
-
>Do we know enough of the city geography to get there on our own in our current state?
-
>Do we know enough of the city geography to get there on our own in our current state?
>Well, you know where the Academy is, and even if the park is small, surely it covers some amount of area you might be able to see from a distance. But frankly, without asking further questions or wandering around, that's not nearly specific enough to take you right to its doorstep. Though you could probably just walk south of the Academy for a while, and then stop someone on the street for directions.
-
>"Then I'd better hurry, hadn't I?"
>Say to Kyouko as we turn, "Let's move, partner."
>Move thusly. And once we get outside, "Just get me close, Kyouko, though. They did say 'alone' after all."
-
>"Then I'd better hurry, hadn't I?"
>Say to Kyouko as we turn, "Let's move, partner."
>Move thusly. And once we get outside, "Just get me close, Kyouko, though. They did say 'alone' after all."
>"Hey, it's your secret meeting," the attendant says with a grin. "You tell me."
>Kyouko nods. "Let's move, partner!"
>"Roger, roger. You can count on me!"
>And so the two of you track southward, with purpose and perhaps even a little hope. Your limbs are weary, your mind is hazy, and the streets grow jumbled together, but if Ringo has good news for you, perhaps the night will end well, after all. Eventually, Kyouko stops and points off into the distance.
>"That's the park, over there," she says. You cannot see a trace of green beneath the grey, but you can tell in what direction she's pointing, at least. "The cherry tree is... over that way. I think." Her finger shifts several degrees to the right. "It shouldn't be hard to spot, though!"
-
>"I sure hope not."
>Advance on the park.
-
>"I sure hope not."
>Advance on the park.
>"Good luck!" Kyouko says as you take the last steps forward alone.
>The park is surprisingly cloistered for a small wedge of green squeezed into the middle of a city block, framed with broad willows and a little masonary fence. Crushed stone paths wind around shrubs and beneath canopies; it reminds you a little of Ozukitei's grounds, albeit more populated with benches and plaques. There are still a few people here, despite the hour; you pass a couple holding hands, and a fairy hanging upside-down from the limb of a tree, reading a... book? Surely that must be murder on her calves?
>The cherry tree is less easy to spot than it would be in the spring, but it is set enough apart to draw attention to itself, ringed with a small wrought iron railing and then a circular path. There is a bench opposite it, but no actual person in evidence.
-
>Then we can sit. Most likely heavily.
-
>Then we can sit. Most likely heavily.
>With a sigh and a weight disproportionate to your own body, you collapse onto the bench and wait. You are not waiting very long.
>"It's a nice spot, isn't it?" Ringo says as she settles onto the bench beside you. You're barely sure where she came from, and you don't know you would even have recognized her if she hadn't spoken; she's lost the hat and swapped her flagrant yellow pants for something more subdued and earthy.
-
>"I'm grateful it was close, too."
-
>"I'm grateful it was close, too."
>"And private." A pause. "Your story checks out. Or well enough, anyway. If you're a liar, you're good at what you do."
-
>"Dare I ask how you checked that out?"
-
>"Dare I ask how you checked that out?"
>"Oh, we have our sources," she says. "And you've talked to a lot of people about this by now."
-
>Wryly, "And here I thought I was erring on the discreet side."
-
>Wryly, "And here I thought I was erring on the discreet side."
>"You should probably be glad you weren't more discreet or we wouldn't be having this conversation."
>And with that, she reaches into her satchel and withdraws a small cylindrical container of lacquered wood, black with a stylized lunar motif.
>"I'm putting my butt on the line for you here, so there's going to be some conditions."
-
>"I'm listening."
-
>"I'm listening."
>"Nobody sees this, nobody hears of this, and nobody gets a hold of this. They never leave Houraisan property for any reason and they didn't today. And if I ever find it ended up in someone else's possession, they won't have paid you enough to make up for the world of trouble you'll be in. So, for both our sakes, please don't do anything stupid."
-
>"If that ends up in anyone else's hands, then it means I'm dead. I'm not out to be the richest corpse on the continent."
-
>"If that ends up in anyone else's hands, then it means I'm dead. I'm not out to be the richest corpse on the continent."
>Ringo laughs. "No, that sounds like a pretty lousy deal to me. And I'd like to believe you, so... here."
>She hands you the container.
>"Don't make me regret this now, okay?"
-
>Accept the container. "I promise. And when I... If I get back, I'll make this up to you, if I can. This Seeker pays what she owes."
-
>Accept the container. "I promise. And when I... If I get back, I'll make this up to you, if I can. This Seeker pays what she owes."
>You accept the container. It is cool to the touch, and heavy with promise.
>"Eh, it's just a flower," Ringo says with a shrug. "Nobody will even notice it missing, I hope. Wouldn't exactly feel right collecting a debt on you not dying. But hey, if you want to swing back once you're better, I might be able to find something for you to do."
-
>Does it appear to be sealed or locked or bearing any kind of magic we can sense?
-
>Does it appear to be sealed or locked or bearing any kind of magic we can sense?
>None of these things. It appears to be a perfectly mundane (if classy-looking) cylindrical wooden container. You think the top pulls off.
-
>"Do I need to keep it watered, or anything else between here and there?"
-
>"Do I need to keep it watered, or anything else between here and there?"
>Ringo shrugs and shakes her head. "I told you I'm no gardener. A little water probably wouldn't hurt, but it's only going to be a few days, right? I'm sure it can't be that fragile. But what do I know?"
-
>"Yeah.... A few days. A few days.... One way or the other."
-
>"Yeah.... A few days. A few days.... One way or the other."
>"You take care, okay? Would hate to have gone to all this trouble for nothing."
-
>Chuckle wryly. "Trust me, that makes two of us."
>Extend our hand. "And thank you again. You really came through for me."
-
>Chuckle wryly. "Trust me, that makes two of us."
>Extend our hand. "And thank you again. You really came through for me."
>Ringo accepts your hand and shakes it firmly.
>"Don't mention it." Then she grins wrly. "Literally don't, please."
-
>Return her grin. "Mention what?"
-
>Return her grin. "Mention what?"
>Ringo pauses a moment, then chuckles. "Good question! Why am I even here, anyway? I must have gotten lost."
-
>"I think I might have, too. Not a bad place to get lost, though."
>Tuck the cylinder away, carefully, most carefully. We can examine the flower we don't have later.
>"But I suppose I'd better try to find my way out of this place."
>Assuming Ringo has nothing else to add, let's go rejoin Kyouko.
-
>"I think I might have, too. Not a bad place to get lost, though."
>Tuck the cylinder away, carefully, most carefully. We can examine the flower we don't have later.
>"But I suppose I'd better try to find my way out of this place."
>Assuming Ringo has nothing else to add, let's go rejoin Kyouko.
>"It's a nice tree," she says simply.
>You carefully stow the canister in your pack and stand up.
>"That makes two of us," she says. "I've still got paperwork to take care of. There's always paperwork to take care of."
>You say your farewells to Ringo, then make your way back out of the park to where you parted ways with Kyouko. She is still standing dutifully beside the lamppost where you left her, and looks at you expectantly as you approach.
>"...how'd it go?"
-
>"No shouting, now, okay?"
-
>"No shouting, now, okay?"
>She looks at you pensively. "Okay...."
-
>Give her a thumbs up. "She did it. Ringo came through."
-
>Give her a thumbs up. "She did it. Ringo came through."
>Kyouko's entire face lights up and then she makes a visible effort to stifle her own response, which comes out as a kind of stilted mutter. "Hooray!"
-
>"I can hardly believe it. All this time, and I... I was still worried about what I'd do if she didn't, and now..."
-
>"I can hardly believe it. All this time, and I... I was still worried about what I'd do if she didn't, and now..."
>"And now you have it," she says in a hushed tone. "It's that wonderful?"
>And then, without warning, she give you a hug.
-
>"I... I...."
>We're about to get emotional, aren't we?
>Yes. Yes we are. But maybe we deserve it.
-
>"I... I...."
>We're about to get emotional, aren't we?
>Yes. Yes we are. But maybe we deserve it.
>You sputter out a response to this sudden act of affection, but the warmth of the woman's arms around you and the cheerful optimism in their squeeze touches upon the weariness in your heart. You have struggled so long, so hard, against pain and injury and callous indifference. You have felt the life slowly leaving you, your limbs and vision failing you, and still the world will not let you rest. The only reason the weight of it hasn't crushed you yet is that you can't afford to let it. But you're so, so tired.
>You feel the tear running down your cheek before you even realize you're crying. The cool night air brushes across where Kyouko's arms had been just moments before and you find yourself wishing she hadn't let go.
-
>"Damn..."
>Brush away tear.
>"That's not like me."
-
>"Damn..."
>Brush away tear.
>"That's not like me."
>You curse and hastily brush the tears from your eyes. You know it's too late to hope she didn't see them, but their very presence makes you feel... vulnerable. Weak.
>"It's okay to cry," Kyouko says gently.
-
>"I'm not the... the emotional kind. The normal me'd... probably be calling me out for getting soft."
>"I guess I really have changed, since this all started."
-
>"I'm not the... the emotional kind. The normal me'd... probably be calling me out for getting soft."
>"I guess I really have changed, since this all started."
>"Soft is good," she protests. "It doesn't mean you're any less brave or strong. You've already stared down scarier things than most people ever meet, and sent them packing!" She swishes a fist through the air for emphasis. "Soft just means your heart's still there."
-
>"Yeah. And louder than it used to be, too."
>"But I should mention, Ringo swore me to secrecy on this one. She didn't want anyone to know that she did this for me. Obviously I'm not going to even try to keep you in the dark about it, but it stays between us."
-
>"Yeah. And louder than it used to be, too."
>"But I should mention, Ringo swore me to secrecy on this one. She didn't want anyone to know that she did this for me. Obviously I'm not going to even try to keep you in the dark about it, but it stays between us."
>"Absolutely. Cross my heart." She traces a finger across her chest with a most solemn expression. "But... why didn't she want anyone to know?"
-
>"Those flowers aren't supposed to leave Houraisan grounds. They don't give them or sell them to anyone. She's really sticking her neck out for me."
-
>"Those flowers aren't supposed to leave Houraisan grounds. They don't give them or sell them to anyone. She's really sticking her neck out for me."
>"Oooooh...." Kyouko is silent for a moment, then smiles. "She must be a good person!"
-
>"I'll find a way to pay her back for it, too. Somehow. This Seeker makes good when she owes someone something."
>"Just... not right now, obviously."
-
>"I'll find a way to pay her back for it, too. Somehow. This Seeker makes good when she owes someone something."
>"Just... not right now, obviously."
>"Not right now," Kyouko nods. "We've got a garden to get back to, first!"
-
>"Actually, Kyouko, first, I need some sleep. Probably, needed sleep a while ago, but I couldn't, not until I knew what Ringo was going to say."
-
>"Actually, Kyouko, first, I need some sleep. Probably, needed sleep a while ago, but I couldn't, not until I knew what Ringo was going to say."
>"Then let's get you a nice comfy bed," she says as she turns around and beckons with one hand. "C'mon."
-
>"I like the sound of that."
>Back to Maison Kasodani.
-
>"I like the sound of that."
>Back to Maison Kasodani.
>You amble after Kyouko as she leads you back to her apartment, the streets and houses blurring vaguely at the edge of your vision. How many hours now have you spent traipsing from one end of this city to the other? The steady impact of the cobbles beneath your feet feels concussive, the weight of your body leaden. Somehow, you stumble up a staircase and step inside a door she holds open.
>Kyouko's home is much as you remember it: small, cozy, tidily arranged. You spot the bellflowers you bought her, looking vibrant and cheerful beside her window; the faintest trace of a smile tugs wearily at the corner of your mouth.
>"I'll get you some fresh sheets," Kyouko says as she ducks into the bedroom, "and then you can drop right off to sleep, if you want."
-
>"Thanks."
-
>"Thanks."
>You thank Kyouko and sag onto the bench while she putters about in the bedroom; at least you don't hear any clattering this time. Though you nearly jump when she somehow materializes beside you once more, cradling a bundle of blankets in her arms. Did you... did you just nod off in the chair?
>"Bed's all changed and ready!" she says. "You're sick, so this time you get the better one." She looks rather insistent about this.
-
>Pause. "I get the feeling that you're going to insist, right?"
-
>Pause. "I get the feeling that you're going to insist, right?"
>"I am." She can look surprisingly determined when she wants to.
-
>"Not a lot of point in me arguing?"
-
>"Not a lot of point in me arguing?"
>"Absolutely none. You're sick; you need the best rest you can get. I'll be perfectly fine on the floor."
>And with that, she dumps the pile of blankets in the corner.
-
>Not that we have the energy to argue anyway.
>Sigh, smile, stand. "You win."
>Now let's go collapse for a while.
-
>Not that we have the energy to argue anyway.
>Sigh, smile, stand. "You win."
>Now let's go collapse for a while.
>You concede this round to Kyouko, who nods as if this were only right and proper. Then you drag yourself off into her bedroom and collapse into bed. At some point, you must have undressed, but the only memory that lingers before your awareness slips away is the gentle scent of lilac on the pillow.
>Consciousness returns to you so gradually that at first you think you must be drunk, and the dimness in the room a product of nightfall and not your failing eyesight. It would be a better fate. For the minutes you drift between waking and sleep, you are merely miserable, but not afraid. Not burdened beneath the weight of one last impossible task. But the gentle strains of a woman's voice eventually penetrate your stupor and remind you of where you are, and why you're here. You shift in the bed, your muscles creaking more loudly than the mattress. You think it would be warm and comfortable, if anything still could be; even your modest weight is enough to sink gently into its soft embrace. Your mouth tastes like rotting parchment.
-
>I know we're a mouse, but how do we know what rotting parchment tastes like?
-
>I know we're a mouse, but how do we know what rotting parchment tastes like?
>It tastes like over-analyzed metaphor. Also, you have a good sense of smell.
-
>That we do.
>Or, do we? It was fading on us yesterday, is there any improvement today?
-
>That we do.
>Or, do we? It was fading on us yesterday, is there any improvement today?
>It still seems mostly okay. You think. You're really not very awake yet, to be honest.
-
>Let's see if we can find some water, work on getting that taste out of mouth.
-
>Let's see if we can find some water, work on getting that taste out of mouth.
>You haul yourself upright on creaky legs and put your clothes back on before stumbling out into the living room in search of water. Kyouko is puttering around the middle of it, apparently in search of something. She looks up as you emerge and smiles brightly at you.
>"Good morning! Well, more like afternoon now, I guess," she says, glancing at the window. "I hope you got a good rest?"
-
>"Afternoon?"
>Blink.
>"How long was I out?"
-
>"Afternoon?"
>Blink.
>"How long was I out?"
>"Well, I think it's around 1 now, so...." She counts off fingers. "Eleven hours, maybe? Don't worry, I've already booked both our tickets for the ferry, just in case!" She seems rather pleased with herself.
-
>"Good thinking."
>"When do we head out?"
-
>"Good thinking."
>"When do we head out?"
>Kyouko beams.
>"We've still got a couple hours, don't worry. Plenty of time to wake up and have something to eat. I left some breakfast out for you, in case you woke up while I was out. Want me to get it for you?"
-
>Do we have an appetite?
-
>Do we have an appetite?
>You're not even sure. Maybe a halfhearted one?
-
>We're gonna need food anyway, appetite or no.
>"It is the proper way to start the day. Even if it did start without you."
-
>We're gonna need food anyway, appetite or no.
>"It is the proper way to start the day. Even if it did start without you."
>Your body does still need food to continue functioning - as much as anything about your current state can be considered 'functioning'.
>"Well, you needed your rest," Kyouko says as she ducks into the kitchen and returns with a plate bearing a few scones and butter, a neatly sliced orange, and several fresh plums. "It's nothing fancy, but I can cook you up something else, if you'd like! Rice, miso - we're out of carrots, though. Oh, I might still have some sausage in the ice box!"
-
>Simple, but effective. But does the quantity seem sufficient?
-
>Simple, but effective. But does the quantity seem sufficient?
>At the moment, you question your desire to finish even that much.
-
>"I am many things, but picky isn't one of em. I think this'll do nicely."
>Sit down and dig in.
>"It was a good idea to book passage for later in the day, too. If for nothing else to give us time to take stock of what we have to travel, and what we might still need to pick up before we go."
-
>"I am many things, but picky isn't one of em. I think this'll do nicely."
>Sit down and dig in.
>"It was a good idea to book passage for later in the day, too. If for nothing else to give us time to take stock of what we have to travel, and what we might still need to pick up before we go."
>"Great!" Kyouko deposits the plate and then resumes puttering around the room.
>'Digging in' feels well beyond your appetite at present, but you pick up a scone and start nibbling on it; the buttery pastry tastes better than the parchment did, at any rate.
>"I'm already half-packed!" she says. "Got in a little last-minute shopping, too! Just need to dig through my closet for a couple last things, now. I didn't want to wake you up," she adds with a gentle smile.
-
>"Thanks. You were right, I did need some rest. What did you pick up while you were out?"
-
>"Thanks. You were right, I did need some rest. What did you pick up while you were out?"
>"Oh, just a few snacks for the road, mostly. And some cooking oil - I was almost out! I think I already have everything else I need for the trip right here. Just need to find it." You hear her start rummaging through the closet.
-
>At the risk of asking a silly question, we still need to replenish our food stores, don't we?
>Cooking oil on the road?
>We DO have everything that we need to complete the medicine apart from the bittercress, yes?
-
>At the risk of asking a silly question, we still need to replenish our food stores, don't we?
>Cooking oil on the road?
>We DO have everything that we need to complete the medicine apart from the bittercress, yes?
>You'd need to take stock to be sure; you weren't completely out of supplies, at any rate.
>You're going to assume that was just for the house - but who knows?
>Yes.
-
>Speaking of supplies, do we have pen and paper with us?
-
>Speaking of supplies, do we have pen and paper with us?
>You have a pencil, but the only paper you have with you is in the form of maps and business cards and notes people jotted down for you - there's room enough to jot a few more things on most of them, but none of them are blank.
-
>How long does it usually take us to write a letter?
-
>How long does it usually take us to write a letter?
>That depends greatly on what you want to write, and you're feeling slow-witting at the moment to boot. But you certainly have the time to write something before you'd need to catch the boat out of town.
-
>Time enough to write something for Ichirin? Something for Kyouko to mail in case we fail? We owe the woman that much, and more.
-
>Time enough to write something for Ichirin? Something for Kyouko to mail in case we fail? We owe the woman that much, and more.
>There's certainly time to say something. Maybe not all the things you'd want to say, and maybe not as well as you'd want to say them, but you can certainly leave a message for her.
-
>Well, we can finish breakfast first, before our thoughts turn excessively maudlin.
>Where did we leave our pack? If in Kyouko's room, ask her to kindly bring it out to us when she's finished. Please.
-
>Well, we can finish breakfast first, before our thoughts turn excessively maudlin.
>Where did we leave our pack? If in Kyouko's room, ask her to kindly bring it out to us when she's finished. Please.
>You continue slowly working on your breakfast, the texture of the food on your tongue somehow unpleasant. Blight or no, you still need to you eat. You stifle a yawn; it feels more like you underslept than overslept. You suppose it's fortunate that you'll have more time to rest up on the ferry, before the hiking starts again in earnest. Maybe you'll even be able to save up some meager ounce of strength for your final trek; if feels like your reserves of energy have sprung a serious leak.
>...final trek.
>The scone leaves a lump in your throat as you swallow. Too dry. Maybe some orange will help.
>You slowly and mechanically make your way through the plate of food, only half-tasting it, and never quite enjoying it. The last plum, you swallow more through pragmatic determination than any actual desire. Kyouko emerges from her bedroom as you do so, carrying a pack nearly as large as your own, and surprisingly sturdy-looking.
>"All done, I think!" She gives it a friendly pat. "More than enough to get us there and back again!"
>Your own pack is currently resting in the corner of the living room; Kyouko must have tidied it out of the way from where you unslung it last night.
-
>"Let's see how close to that I am right now. Oh, thanks for breakfast, too."
>Take stock of our own stores.
-
>"Let's see how close to that I am right now. Oh, thanks for breakfast, too."
>Take stock of our own stores.
>"My pleasure!" she says brightly.
>You sift through your own pack and estimate how much food you have left. There's still some, though not a huge lot; it might get you to Yuuka's again - particularly if you appetite remains the same - but it wouldn't get you back without some good foraging along the way.
-
>"I might still have to do a little shopping before we leave. I think I've got enough supplies to last to Yuuka's, but pretty much nothing beyond that."
-
>"I might still have to do a little shopping before we leave. I think I've got enough supplies to last to Yuuka's, but pretty much nothing beyond that."
>"If you mean food, we can split mine!" she replies. "I packed extra."
-
>Can we smell what sort of grub she's stowed away?
-
>Can we smell what sort of grub she's stowed away?
>Some nuts and seeds and several varieties of dried fruit and biscuits. Something chocolate, some anpan - that won't keep the whole trip, sun-dried tomatoes, ....even a little cheese.
-
>In sufficient quantity to do the both of us when we're returning?
-
>In sufficient quantity to do the both of us when we're returning?
>Your nose isn't that good.
-
>"Thoughtful. And helpful as well, I can use the extra time to take care of something else I think I need to do, before we set off."
>"Do you have a bit of paper I can use?"
-
>"Thoughtful. And helpful as well, I can use the extra time to take care of something else I think I need to do, before we set off."
>"Do you have a bit of paper I can use?"
>"A bit of paper I can use...."
>Kyouko putters over to the other end of the room and produces a couple sheets of it from a drawer. "Did you need something to write with?"
-
>Produce pencil and examine its useful duration.
>Assuming sufficient quantity of pencil remaining, "I'm good there."
-
>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.
-
>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?
-
>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.
-
>Do we know what the rate of postage is between here and Estval continent?
-
>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.
-
>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.
-
>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."
-
>Take a moment to collect ourselves.
>"Kyouko?"
-
>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?"
-
>"I've finished writing. And I need to ask you a favor."
-
>"I've finished writing. And I need to ask you a favor."
>"A favor? What is it?"
-
>"I need- Actually remind me first, I've talked about Ichirin before, right?"
-
>"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?"
-
>"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."
-
>"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!"
-
>"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, 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."
-
>"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."
-
>"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.
-
>"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."
-
>"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.
-
>"Oh, I thought you were- Well, all right, then."
>Retrieve own pack, invite her to lead the way, and then follow.
-
>"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.
-
>Does that kind of ticket cost extra?
-
>Does that kind of ticket cost extra?
>It does - same as last two times you bought one. You think it was... 44 guilders?
-
>Oh my.
>"I'll pay you for this, Kyouko. When I can."
-
>Oh my.
>"I'll pay you for this, Kyouko. When I can."
>"Was that... too expensive?" she asks.
-
>"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."
-
>"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."
-
>"And yes, it is alright. It'll give me a chance to get all the rest I can get. I will need it."
-
>"And yes, it is alright. It'll give me a chance to get all the rest I can get. I will need it."
>You accept the ticket as Kyouko nods. "Right!" Then she looks out at the waiting vessel, placid and colorful, and grins.
>"I've never taken the ferry before. I'm sure it'll be fun! Uh, not to make light of any of this," she adds sheepishly. "...sorry."
-
>"Don't worry about it."
>"In fact, I think we oughta clear something up while it's come up. You're an energetic girl, Kyouko, and I like that about you. Don't feel like you need to try not to be that while we're making this trip. It's a quest, not a funeral march. A little enthusiasm can go a long way sometimes."
-
>"Don't worry about it."
>"In fact, I think we oughta clear something up while it's come up. You're an energetic girl, Kyouko, and I like that about you. Don't feel like you need to try not to be that while we're making this trip. It's a quest, not a funeral march. A little enthusiasm can go a long way sometimes."
>A tentative smile tugs at her face. "It's a quest, not a funeral march. Right!"
>And with that she bounds over to the ferry attendant and brandishes her ticket with a grin. "Here you go!"
-
>Well we can't match her energy, we can match her course. Do likewise.
-
>Well we can't match her energy, we can match her course. Do likewise.
>Trailing lethargically behind Kyouko, you hand in your own ticket and ascend the gangway after her.
>?I'm going to take a look around!? she says as you step onto the ferry and is almost halfway across the deck before you can even finish replying.
>While your energetic companion explores her new surroundings, you head straight for your cabin and dump your pack onto the floor with a weary sigh. You've hardly been up yet today, and already the bed looks tempting. You swear someone's been loading your pack down with rocks; just how much of this stuff do you even need for the rest of the trip, anyway? You collapse heavily on the edge of your berth and peer out the window. What a useless, grey, and blurry day it is. At least you don't have to go anywhere or do anything for another 28 hours or so; maybe you can squeeze a few days worth of rest into one and actually have enough energy to make it back to Yuuka's.
>Time passes. You don't really have much to occupy your attention, but the idea of milling around with your fellow travellers holds even less appeal. Your room, at least, is peaceful, private, and quiet ? well, mostly. Your ears are still in better shape than your eyes, and every now and again you can hear Kyouko's excitable voice floating to you from one end of the ferry and then the other. Is she stopping to strike up a conversation with every single person on the boat? Well, that's fine, you guess. You even find yourself smiling a little. This isn't a funeral march, after all. ...at least not for her.
>Eventually, you hear the rumble of the engines spinning up as your ship begins its departure. For want of anything else to do, you stare out the window and watch the city drift by, but the longer you struggle with your dying eyesight, the more frustrated you become, and eventually just yank the curtain closed again. Somewhere overhead, Kyouko seems to be vigorously debating her favorite variety of orange.
>At some point, you may have nodded off ? the malaise in your mind makes little distinction between waking and sleep ? but the pang in your stomach grows more insistent the longer you ignore it. You've actually eaten very little lately, and haven't really wanted to eat any more than that, to be honest, but it seems your body isn't quite ready to subsist on mist just yet. With a leaden sigh, you hoist yourself off the berth and step outside your little sanctuary in search of food. Your timing is uncanny.
>?Oh! Hi, Nazrin!? Kyouko waves from the staircase at the end of the hall, and is beside you in just a couple of breaths. ?I was just going to go get something to eat. Do you want to have supper together??
>Strictly speaking, you don't really want to have supper where anyone else can see you, but... well.... Maybe you'll make an exception this once. For her.
>?Great!? Kyouko's face lights up; even her ears seem to mirror her smile. You might have asked just how prehensile those really are, if she hadn't started marching down the hallway almost immediately.
?I hear their alfredo is really, really good, and every time I've walked past the dining room, I've just gotten hungrier and hungrier. How do the cooks handle it, I wonder? I know if I was a cook, it'd take all the willpower I had not to keep stopping to eat my own work.? She giggles.
>The ship's restaurant is a little busy when you arrive, and bright enough with idle chatter to be grating, but you still manage to find an unoccupied table a comfortable distance from your fellow travellers. Kyouko defers to your choice without complaint, though you're sure she'd be just as happy to sit in the middle of the bustle.
>?How are you feeling?? she asks in a more subdued tone.
>Not great, of course. Maybe a little better for your idleness, maybe not. Probably as good as you can expect under the circumstances. Though she can't quite keep the stirrings of concern from her face, she nods, and then the waiter is there to take your orders.
>You reprise last trip's meal, and even then only make it through your sandwich a nibble at a time, though it does satisfy. Kyouko, on the other hand.... Well, the alferdo's a must, and the grilled chicken veloute sounds awfully tasty, and you say the red pepper bisque comes highly recommended? Well, I'll have a bowl of that, too, and some of those little crostini things, and that strawberry cheesecake the woman over there is eating looks delicious, and sure I'll have a glass of sherry! Ooo, lemony!
>?Would almost be worth the trip just to eat here,? she says as she puckers her lips at the astringent aftertaste. ?I've never really been on a cruise before, so I ought to try and enjoy it to the fullest, don't you think? Waiter, another glass of sherry!?
>And so the meal passes, pleasant food and pleasant company. Though half-blind and weary to your soul, for just a moment you could almost forget what lies ahead and find something in the now worth enjoying. It's... not a bad feeling.
>?You want to go look at the stars? There's a full moon out, and the clouds were all gone last time I was on deck.? She swirls the last of the sherry in her glass, watching the lights dance upon its surface.
>There's a dozen reasons to say no. The crowds, the exhaustion, the fact that you need every bit of rest you can get if you're going to survive the next few days. It's not like you haven't seen stars before; they haven't moved in an awfully long time, after all.
>And yet, you say none of these things. At first, you're not even sure why. You can't blame the alcohol this time ? Kyouko's the only one who's been drinking. You can't even blame the blight, and the way it's left your mind addled and foggy ? not if you're honest with yourself. In truth, the reason is as simple as it is sentimental.
>You said yes because you didn't want to leave.
>And so Kyouko deposits her glass beside the stack of empty dishes, the two of you settle your bill, and then she leads you up to the furthest tip of the observation deck, nearly to the end of the bow. The scent of fresh spray tickles your nose as the ferry churns the river before it. Along either side, forested hills drift gently by. The night air is cool, but there is a peaceful cheer on Kyouko's face as she gazes up at the sky.
>?They're so pretty, aren't they? Out here, away from all the lights of the city.?
>You don't have the heart to tell her that you can't see them anymore. Even the full moon is just a vague suggestion of light now. But, of all the people you've met on this journey, if this is the one with whom you spend your last peaceful evening... well, you suppose that's not so bad. Before you even realize what you're doing, your fingers have crept along the railing to brush against hers. You hesitate, and then she places her hand on top of yours and holds it gently, delicate fingers slipping in between your own. You swallow.
>?Yeah. Yeah, they are.?
>The light of the next day is already fading when you hear the first gentle knock upon your door, though in truth, you've already been awake for a while ? just not quite awake enough to leave the comfort of your bed. But the engines have slowed nearly to a crawl now, and you know you must be close to your destination. You take a deep breath and steel yourself. It's time to go get that flower and put an end to this.
-
>Let's head back up on deck.
>How much longer has our hair grown since we started this whole sleigh ride?
-
>Let's head back up on deck.
>You grab your pack, get dressed, and head for the deck. You... actually feel improved, the weariness in your body less total. You can do this. You will do this.
>Kyouko meets you on deck, a smile on her face as always.
>"We're here!" she says, stating the obvious. "It's a little more quiet than I thought it'd be."
>How much longer has our hair grown since we started this whole sleigh ride?
>Not very much. It's only been about two weeks, after all.
-
>Do we have time for breakfast before docking?
>Does this boat offer breakfast before docking?
-
>Do we have time for breakfast before docking?
>Does this boat offer breakfast before docking?
>You're already docked. Also, it's just about sunset, so there isn't likely to be breakfast for anyone at this point. It's still possible some establishment in town would be able to serve you something that could pass for breakfast, though.
-
>Well, then.
>"This place is a lot more low-key than the big city."
-
>Well, then.
>"This place is a lot more low-key than the big city."
>"A lot more low-key." She takes a sharp breath of air and looks out upon the town. "It's kind of quaint, though, with all the houses nestled in the hillside. And everyone has a riverfront view. Well, almost."
-
>"Have you ever been to a place like this before?"
-
>"Have you ever been to a place like this before?"
>"I haven't done a lot of traveling," she says. "I really do mean to someday. But the village by my mountain is even smaller, if that's what you mean."
-
>"That is one of the bigger upsides of being a Seeker, is the journeys. I'm sure that someone like me could find jobs enough to keep me in a place like Val Razua through my life, but that wouldn't be as interesting as hitting the road." Quickly, "Not that Val R's boring, of course, but.. Well you know what I mean."
-
>"That is one of the bigger upsides of being a Seeker, is the journeys. I'm sure that someone like me could find jobs enough to keep me in a place like Val Razua through my life, but that wouldn't be as interesting as hitting the road." Quickly, "Not that Val R's boring, of course, but.. Well you know what I mean."
>She grins. "A true explorer."
-
>Grin wryly. "Well, not for a while once this is over. After I get home, I'm taking a vacation."
-
>Grin wryly. "Well, not for a while once this is over. After I get home, I'm taking a vacation."
>"A well-earned vacation, I think!" She grins. "Well, shall we get started?"
-
>Presumably we have discussed the route we'll be taking with her to get where we're going, yes?
>If not, we can do so after we disembark.
>So, disembark.
-
>Presumably we have discussed the route we'll be taking with her to get where we're going, yes?
>If not, we can do so after we disembark.
>So, disembark.
>You've discussed it briefly and showed her your maps, though in truth most of the trip could be summed up by 'lots and lots of trees and hills' and apparently she was born somewhere not so dissimilar to that. She may not have your navigational skills, but she's assured you she can keep pace with you.
>You descend the gangway with Kyouko and disembark, feeling better than you have for several days. Maybe you'll pull this off, after all.
-
>We're pretty well rested, so we probably don't need to spend the night here in town, do we?
-
>We're pretty well rested, so we probably don't need to spend the night here in town, do we?
>You've barely been awake an hour now, and you got plenty of sleep on the ferry. Any delay like that seems counterproductive.
-
>So we can just hit the road right away?
>If so, then do just that.
-
>So we can just hit the road right away?
>If so, then do just that.
>Feeling energized and in no mood to delay, the two of you set forth from Isir's Cross immediately. You'll need to stop for food before too long, but you can do that after putting a few miles between you and the ferry. With purpose in your stride and Kyouko trailing just behind, you cross the bridge, make it past the fort, and are firmly into the woods before the sun is fully down.
>You're making pretty good time, all things considered ? not as fast as your first expedition into the woods, but better than the return trip. It's enough to spark an ember of hope, even if your failing eyesight is causing more trouble than you'd like to admit. Fortunately, most of the truly important landmarks are still too large for even that damnable haze to obscure them.
>Kyouko keeps pace with you easily, and seems to be genuinely enjoying the hike; she bends to look at flowers, smiles at the flutter of birds, and bursts into a spirited rendition of a passing thrush with a carefree smile on her face.
>?It's been a long time since I've been away from the city,? she says, taking a deep breath of the mossy air. ?It's nice out here. Reminds me a little of my old home, actually. And it's nice not to have to hold back, sometimes.?
>It's slightly unnerving at first, hearing her speaking words to you one moment, then echoing fragments of birdsong the next, but it's with such carefree earnestness that you can't really bring yourself to object. She's already come a very long way on very little notice. If she can manage to find some happiness in this emergency expedition, well... so much the better, you suppose.
>Your path across the Grau is more pedestrian this time. Even if you were in good enough shape to pull off that trick with the grappling hook (which, frankly, you're probably not), you're certainly not about to ask Kyouko to replicate it. Fortunately, it seems the trail comes to a natural ford when one doesn't leave it behind to chase after fairies. You carefully tread the rocks that bridge the banks and Kyouko follows lightly after you, giggling when an errant spray from the river splashes an ankle.
>You stop for a light snack about an hour later, nibbling at some of your rations while Kyouko tosses back at least three times as much of her own ? though a quick glance inside her pack suggests she's provisioned herself quite amply.
>As you nurse a strip of jerky, you find your thoughts drifting back to Kagerou; though the most direct route doesn't pass by her house, you're not so far away from it it right now. After all this time, she probably thinks you're dead, doesn't she? Well, she's only half wrong. But despite that somber thought, you find the traces of a wry grin creeping onto your face. She still owes you a room and a meal, doesn't she? A meal might be a dangerous thing to owe with Kyouko's in tow. You'd never assume someone so slight would have such a big appetite; she must burn it all off again with that boundless enthusiasm of hers.
>The last leg of the trip before the underwater passage is slower without Kagerou to lead the way, but a river is a hard thing to miss when your hearing still works. It's just... slower. But that's okay; you're slower, too.
>Actually, that's not really okay at all, but it's the reality you're stuck with, and there's no point in pretending otherwise.
>Eventually, you emerge onto the river again and follow it eastward. You're definitely in the general vicinity of the passage now, but as the minutes pass without sighting that distinctive quartz formation, you start to grow concerned. Are you not yet at the right part of the river, or are you too blind now to spot it?
-
Apologies for the long and unexpected delay, folks. The family had a couple of medical issues that took my time and attention away from this site, culminating in me developing a migraine from which I'm only now mostly recovered from.
>We can douse for quartz, yes?
-
>We can douse for quartz, yes?
>You can. And while quartz is one of the most abundant minerals around, such a large formation should still be easy to discern from this range. Well, under ordinary circumstances, anyway.
-
>Assuming our extra senses aren't malfunctioning as much as our more mundane ones are, let us pause and see if we can scan for that formation.
-
>Assuming our extra senses aren't malfunctioning as much as our more mundane ones are, let us pause and see if we can scan for that formation.
>Dowsing is precise, exacting work that calls for intense focus and keen perception. A few weeks ago, you would have rated yourself very highly in those areas. These days, you consider things to be going pretty well if you can simply walk in a straight line for an hour or two without falling over. But maybe you can still dowse for that quartz more easily than you can spot it with your eyes; it would certainly be hard for your dowsing to be much worse. You already know the general direction, which helps, and you know what it is you're looking for, which helps even more. If all the resonances around you blend into static, that's okay - they don't matter. Tune them out. You can still do that, right? Kyouko watches silently as you slowly sweep your rods across the far bank of the river, straining to discern that single, clear note from an entire wall of rock.
>...a little under half a mile eastward. Probably. No, definitely. You were already going in the right direction, it seems - you just emerged onto the river further up than you expected.
-
>Mutter, "That could've been worse."
>Wait a sec, had we mentioned our dousing power to Kyouko before?
-
>Mutter, "That could've been worse."
>Wait a sec, had we mentioned our dousing power to Kyouko before?
>"Are you alright?" she asks with an expression of concern.
>It's come up in brief. It's not an altogether unique skill, even if you'd considered yourself a cut above most. You doubt you're the first dowser she's heard of.
-
>"Just needed to get my bearings, that's all." Offer up a grin. "Exploration's all well and good, but it pays to go the right way."
-
>"Just needed to get my bearings, that's all." Offer up a grin. "Exploration's all well and good, but it pays to go the right way."
>You offer Kyouko a grin. The energy you felt when you set out from the ferry may already be fading, but you're still on your feet.
>"There's no time to waste, after all!" she agrees, then stares out across the river. "Are we getting close to that tunnel you mentioned?"
-
>"Indeed we are." Point ahead. "My distances were a bit off, but we are indeed going the right way."
>Let us proceed the right way.
-
>"Indeed we are." Point ahead. "My distances were a bit off, but we are indeed going the right way."
>Let us proceed the right way.
>"Indeed going the right way!" she says cheerfully, and then resumes marching along the shoreline before you've barely stowed your dowsing rods again.
>A few minutes later, she pauses and points out across the river. "Is that it over there?" she asks. You... wish you could actually answer that with any confidence, but it seems your eyes really are that bad.
-
>If we're that bad off now, how are we supposed to be effective in the water?
-
>If we're that bad off now, how are we supposed to be effective in the water?
>You can see the cliff on the other side of the river easily, but the quartz just blends in with the rest of the rock at this distance - at least assuming Kyouko is even looking at the right thing. As for the tunnel, you never navigated it by sight in the first place. Of course, you also had Kagerou's hand to guide you.
-
>This is gonna be interesting, isn't it.
>"...I think so."
-
>This is gonna be interesting, isn't it.
>"...I think so."
>For certain values of interesting.
>"So the tunnel's right below it, right?" Kyouko peers intently at the water, but you know you couldn't actually see the tunnel from here, even when your eyes still worked properly.
-
>"That one, I'm not sure. I didn't see the tunnel from here last time. Kagerou sort of held my hand the last time."
-
>"That one, I'm not sure. I didn't see the tunnel from here last time. Kagerou sort of held my hand the last time."
>"Oh. Well." She frowns. "We will be able to find it, right?"
-
>"Well we've got to be close, I'm sure of that. My eyes aren't working brilliantly right now, but my dousing sense is still good, so I know we're in the ballpark."
>Does that expression work in this canon?
-
>"Well we've got to be close, I'm sure of that. My eyes aren't working brilliantly right now, but my dousing sense is still good, so I know we're in the ballpark."
>Does that expression work in this canon?
>"Close is a little scary when you're underwater. But we'll make it work!"
>There are still balls and parks and games people play with balls in parks, so it's all good.
-
>Have we asked if she can swim, or has she said as much?
>If not, "Ever done much swimming?"
-
>Have we asked if she can swim, or has she said as much?
>If not, "Ever done much swimming?"
>It came up when you discussed travel arrangements earlier. You don't think she has a lot of experience, but she seemed comfortable enough with the idea.
-
>Now we did see the tunnel underwater last time, though, right? At least enough to see if there were any distinctive features around it to look for?
>If so, describe them to Kyouko so our seeing eye dog has some waypoints to look for.
-
>Now we did see the tunnel underwater last time, though, right? At least enough to see if there were any distinctive features around it to look for?
>If so, describe them to Kyouko so our seeing eye dog has some waypoints to look for.
>The distinctive feature is on the outside: the quartz formation directly above it. The tunnel itself is about five feet beneath the water's surface, so Kagerou said, but you didn't get much of a look at it yourself, between the dark and being underwater.
-
>Well, faffing about on the shore isn't going to get us anywhere.
>Summon Seaponies.
>Let's go swimmin'.
-
>Well, faffing about on the shore isn't going to get us anywhere.
>Summon Seaponies.
>Let's go swimmin'.
>As you start to take off your stocks and shoes, Kyouko slips out of her outerwear and then pulls her undershirt off over her head in a single motion, displaying absolutely none of the reservation Kagerou did. She... she has a tail? It's very short, but did you really manage not to notice that in all this time? And also cheerful taste in undergarments, it seems. There's ruffles....
>You feel a slight flush tickling your face, but before you can finish processing that thought, she's stuffed the last of her clothing neatly into her pack and waded into the river. As the water rises up to her torso, she lets out a little gasp and her ears quiver slightly. ?Ooo... colder than I thought.?
>Chastening yourself, you quickly stow the last of your own clothing away and follow after her, water trickling coldly between your toes. You glance down at your midsection, marred from end to end with ragged black claw marks. The Blight is truly devouring you, isn't it? In another week's time, would there even be so much as an inch of flesh left untainted?
>You take another stride into the river and Kyouko turns around with a grin on her face, gently treading water. Does the smile on her face waver when she looks at you? It doesn't matter. You step forward and let the water engulf you.
-
>Well at least we can still see SOME important things in life.
>Submerge head. Are our eyes any worse down here beneath the surface?
-
>Well at least we can still see SOME important things in life.
>Submerge head. Are our eyes any worse down here beneath the surface?
>It was... well, you think you'd rather like it if there were chance in future to take a closer look with better eyes.
>You dip your head underwater and what little vision you still have blurs into virtual uselessness. Of course, that's not exactly unexpected, but you certainly can't navigate for the cavern by sight.
-
>Is Kyouko's head still above water?
>If so, "Yeah, you're definately going to have to lead the way down there, my friend. I can barely see my head in front of my face underwater."
-
>Is Kyouko's head still above water?
>If so, "Yeah, you're definately going to have to lead the way down there, my friend. I can barely see my head in front of my face underwater."
>It is.
>"Well, you said the tunnel's right under there, right?" She points at something on the cliff face at the opposite bank. You can only assume it must be the quartz formation.
-
>"Uh... Pretty sure."
-
>"Uh... Pretty sure."
>"And it's about... 25 feet before we can come up for air again?"
-
>Does that sound about right?
>If so, "As far as I know."
-
>Does that sound about right?
>If so, "As far as I know."
>It was your best guess from personal observations. Kyouko seems to have recalled it accurately.
>She stares at the cliff for a moment, then nods. "Right. Let's go!" She starts swimming in that direction.
-
>Chase that tail.
-
>Chase that tail.
>You follow after Kyouko as she swims towards the cliff. Her stroke is a little awkward and lacks Kagerou's confidence and speed, but she nonetheless keeps herself afloat. As you reach the edge of the cliff, she pauses and looks up. You can just barely make out the bloom of smokey quartz jutting from between the rocks, a smudge of amber against the cloudy sky.
>"I think that would be really pretty if the moon were out," she says.
-
>Has our swimming capacity been terribly impacted?
>"Maybe we'll get to see it on the way back."
-
>Has our swimming capacity been terribly impacted?
>"Maybe we'll get to see it on the way back."
>You're noticeably slower than the first time you came through here, and it feels like actual effort to propel your body through the water with any force, but you're managing alright. It might mean you'll have to be underwater for longer, though - especially with someone less experienced leading the way.
>She smiles. "Maybe we'll get to see it on the way back." Then she looks at you and holds out a hand. "Ready?"
-
>Take a few measured, deep breaths, then take her hand. "As I'm gonna be."
-
>Take a few measured, deep breaths, then take her hand. "As I'm gonna be."
>You take a few steady breaths then take hold of Kyouko's hand.
>She gives you a sheepish smile. "I've never actually gone diving before. But it'll be okay! I can do this!"
>With a determined look, she takes a deep lungful of air, squeezes your hand tightly, then plunges beneath the river's surface.
>You follow after her, full breath in your lungs, and firm grip on her hand. Your vision is nearly useless here, the world a blur of midnight blue with a splash of beige and green beside you. You hope that Kyouko can see the tunnel ahead; the best you can manage is to estimate your own descent. Kyouko's swimming is without grace, and there is some tugging and near-collisions between the two of you as you try to match each other's pace.
>Surely that must be more than five feet by now? This isn't the wrong spot, is it? You never did get a good look at that quartz. But then you feel Kyouko gently pulling you forward and the world around you grows dark.
>The weight of the rock above you is oppressive, even as you cannot see it. Your pack feels like a heavy weight behind you, the water thick before you, and your next breath locked far away. Something hits your shin - a leg? You try to angle away from it, only to scrap your shoulder roughly against the tunnel wall. The coarse rock drags a wince from you, a few bubbles of air escaping through your nose alongside it.
>The tunnel feels far longer than it did before, though maybe that's just the blight stealing breath from your lungs; there is a strain there you hadn't felt the first time. The world around you is black and sightless, but the water beside you churns with the movement of your companion's limbs, as sure a sign of her presence as the hand still held tightly in yours.
>You drift forward through the darkness together, one foot and then another. You're growing convinced you haven't been swimming in an entirely straight line, though it's hard to tell for sure. Your lungs remind you that it would be nice to breathe again, and you feel the fingers around your own grip tighter - simple kindness or fear? A few more feet.
>Has the world grown brighter?
>Then you feel a sharp tug upward and you follow it.
>Kyouko crests the surface of the water with a splash, panting. You emerge beside her, only slightly less winded. Well, that may have been a bit rougher than the first time, but it seems like you've made it.
-
>Is our normal lung capacity superior to that of an average human?
-
>Is our normal lung capacity superior to that of an average human?
>Ordinarily. At the moment, you're not so sure.
-
>Assess situation. Are we where we're supposed to be? And intact? As much as we were.
-
>Assess situation. Are we where we're supposed to be? And intact? As much as we were.
>You take a look around. Though less brightly-lit than last time, you do seem to be in the same grotto you've passed through before. You have no injures, and are only a little bit short on breath.
>Kyouko gives you a little smile, still catching her breath. "That was... kind of exciting!"
-
>"Bet you never thought that's how you'd spend your first diving trip, eh."
-
>"Bet you never thought that's how you'd spend your first diving trip, eh."
>She giggles. "Can't say I did." Then she takes a look around the grotto and her eyes slowly widen with delight. "Ooo... it's so pretty!"
-
>"Not bad, is it."
-
>"Not bad, is it."
>She nods vigorously, then slowly paddles over to the other side of the pool and stares up at the ceiling. "That one's sparkling! Kinda."
-
>She does bounce back quick, don't she.
>Did we stop to enjoy the view the last time? The memory is hazy.
-
>She does bounce back quick, don't she.
>Did we stop to enjoy the view the last time? The memory is hazy.
>You're honestly not quite sure how she does it. And for her first diving experience to be leading a half-blind person through an underwater tunnel in the dark, she handled herself pretty well.
>Everything is hazy lately. But you did spend some time huddled around a torch on your first visit, slowly drying off. The crystal formations here were indeed rather striking - probably even moreso, since the moonlight was better then.
-
>Since the cold water is likely to affect us more now than it did before, best follow our previous example and dry off.
>Head to shore.
-
>Since the cold water is likely to affect us more now than it did before, best follow our previous example and dry off.
>Head to shore.
>Eager to leave the water behind, you make for dry ground - or at least, ground less submerged. Kyouko does not follow immediately - still gazing at the scenery, perhaps - and you've already retrieved a torch from your pack and lit it for warmth before you hear wet footsteps on the rocks behind you.
>"This is such a wonderful little hideaway," she says. "I wonder how many people have ever seen it?"
-
>Glance around for something to make a bigger fire out of. More heat means we'll get back on the move faster.
>"Can't be too many. I got the impression from the folks I talked to that this part of the world doesn't see a heap of traffic."
-
>Glance around for something to make a bigger fire out of. More heat means we'll get back on the move faster.
>"Can't be too many. I got the impression from the folks I talked to that this part of the world doesn't see a heap of traffic."
>As before, there are no trees or other wood to be found in the grotto. You would need to traverse most of the length of it to reach the woods again.
>"And it's all so tucked away. An underwater passage!" Her voice twinkles. "Though I guess someone could find it from this side."
>You hear rustling behind you, then Kyouko asks "Did you need a towel? I packed a spare, just in case!"
-
>Smile. "Smart call. Yes, please."
-
>Smile. "Smart call. Yes, please."
>Kyouko roots around in her pack. "Now where did I.... Ah, there it is. Here you go!"
>She holds the towel out for you. Or at least, you assume she does; you still haven't turned around to look. For some reason, her state of undress leaves you feeling more self-conscious than you were with Kagerou.
-
>Didn't Kagerou have a more.... apt-to-cause-self-consciousness figure than Kyouko here?
-
>Didn't Kagerou have a more.... apt-to-cause-self-consciousness figure than Kyouko here?
>You were respectful enough of Kagerou's desire for privacy not to get a good look at her in her underwear, but there's no question she's better-endowed than Kyouko is. And yet....
-
>Kagerou was a fair bit more self-conscious than Kyouko, as well. It's almost like Kyouko here hasn't been... marked, for want of a better word, by civilization, by life, like the rest of us have. A bright spirit.
>Well, the rest of us that aren't fairies, anyway.
>Gauge hunger/fatigue status.
-
>Kagerou was a fair bit more self-conscious than Kyouko, as well. It's almost like Kyouko here hasn't been... marked, for want of a better word, by civilization, by life, like the rest of us have. A bright spirit.
>Well, the rest of us that aren't fairies, anyway.
>Gauge hunger/fatigue status.
>You feel fortunate your paths crossed when they did.
>You're more than a little weary, which is only to be expected, but a bit of that renewed energy you felt on the boat still remains. You don't feel very hungry.
-
>Then we can make some more progress after we get dried off and dressed again. So let's get down to that bit of business.
-
>Then we can make some more progress after we get dried off and dressed again. So let's get down to that bit of business.
>You turn and accept the proffered towel as briskly as you can, though for whose modesty exactly, you're no longer sure - Kyouko certainly doesn't seem the slightest bit abashed. Though was she... frowning again? You probably look dreadful. It was bad enough to have to see your lesions through hazy eyes, but with good ones? Well, all the more reason to get some clothes back on.
>Banishing all these thoughts to the back of your mind, you set to drying yourself, running the towel firmly up one arm and then the other. It's awfully fluffy, isn't it? You stifle a snicker; would she really have packed any other kind?
>Before very long, you're dressed and mostly dry, sitting on a rock and enjoying the warmth of the torch against the parts of you still chilly.
>Kyouko buffs her tail vigorously with her own towel, then gives it a few shakes in the air and pulls the last of her clothing back on. Her hair is still a bit damp, of course. When she looks at you again, there is a gleam of sympathy in her eyes that even your own failing ones don't miss, but she smiles still.
>"Did you want to sit and rest for a bit?" she asks.
-
>Shake head slightly. "Not yet. I actually don't feel quite as bad as I think I look. We'll take a minute or three to warm up, then I want to press on."
>"Unless of course, you want to rest for a bit?"
-
>Shake head slightly. "Not yet. I actually don't feel quite as bad as I think I look. We'll take a minute or three to warm up, then I want to press on."
>"Unless of course, you want to rest for a bit?"
>She shakes her head. "Unless of course, you want to rest for a bit." She can't quite keep from grinning.
-
>"Oh no. She's stuck in an infinite loop, and she's an idiot."
>Chuckle quietly. And after a few minutes, once we're warmed up and Kyouko's done admiring the view, resume course for the Garden of Yuuka.
-
>"Oh no. She's stuck in an infinite loop, and she's an idiot."
>Chuckle quietly. And after a few minutes, once we're warmed up and Kyouko's done admiring the view, resume course for the Garden of Yuuka.
>"Oh no. She's stuck in an infinite loop, and she's an- ...hey!!"
>You give yourself another few minutes to rest and dry while Kyouko putters around the grotto, then hoist off your perch and set course to the west once more.
>"Onward!" she cries, thrusting a finger at the sliver of sky peeking through he rocks. If only you felt half as energized as that.
>Slowly, the rock beneath your feet gives way to soil and moss and coarse grasses. The colorful bands of minerals are replaced with reedy birch and aspen, their leaves rustling in the night breeze. You do your best to recall the landmarks Kagerou pointed out on your first expedition - the hill with the pair of dead oaks, the... the... there was something else, wasn't there? A fallen log? A pointy boulder? It's all so fuzzy now.
>The miles pass, but each more slowly than the last, each fought and conquered at greater cost. The wilderness stars to blur into an endless tableaux of green and brown, speckled with starlight and the calls of distant birds. You are silently grateful that Kyouko decides not to join in; sound seems to come in two varieties now - indistinct and assaulting. Even your own footsteps feel too loud. There was a glen you were trying to reach, wasn't there? Where was it again?
>You feel Kyouko's arms catch you before you fully register that you've stumbled. It takes a moment to recognize it, but the look of concern in her eyes makes you wonder just how exhausted you must look.
>"Maybe we should call it a night?" she offers.
-
>"Uh... How far've we got?"
-
>"Uh... How far've we got?"
>"How far've we got behind us or how far've we got to go?" she asks uncertainly.
-
>"The second one."
-
>"The second one."
>"Well, I think we're a long way yet...." she says. "But you look exhausted, and we've been at it a while."
-
>"Ahhh...... Maybe you're right."
-
>"Ahhh...... Maybe you're right."
>She gives you a gentle smile, almost like she were trying to reassure someone. "There's still plenty of time in tomorrow."
-
>Look around. As much as we can. Is this a decent enough place to bivouac?
-
>Look around. As much as we can. Is this a decent enough place to bivouac?
>Looks much the same as everywhere else - trees and rocks and more trees. It's not particularly ideal - certainly not as good as that glen, wherever it is - and lacks for shelter if it decides to rain, but there's bare enough ground to toss your sleeping bags.
-
>"Your eyes're better than mine right now. Anywhere around us look more accommodating?"
-
>"Your eyes're better than mine right now. Anywhere around us look more accommodating?"
>"Well, the ground looks a little flatter over there." She points somewhere to your right.
-
>We bought a spyglass back in town, right? Let's have a look through that in the direction she points.
-
>We bought a spyglass back in town, right? Let's have a look through that in the direction she points.
>You fumble around in your pack for the spyglass you bought. Your movements feel sluggish, and for a moment you have trouble remembering where you put it, but your fingers brush across it eventually.
>As you bring it to your eye, Kyouko giggles. "It's only right over there, you know." Then a frown slowly forms on her face. She looks away.
-
>"... I knew that."
>"I'll leave it you then, Kyouko. If you say here's good, then here's good. Same for there."
-
>"... I knew that."
>"I'll leave it you then, Kyouko. If you say here's good, then here's good. Same for there."
>You try to salvage some of what little face you still have left; old habits die hard.
>"Then just follow me," she says gently, holding out a hand.
-
>Accept hand and follow.
-
>Accept hand and follow.
>You take Kyouko's hand and follow her on weary legs as she guides you somewhere more or less the same as everywhere else, as far as you can tell. Then she stops, smiles encouragingly at you, and says "Here we are."
>She shrugs off her pack and starts to dig her sleeping bag out of it.
-
>Wise move. Let's do that, too.
-
>Wise move. Let's do that, too.
>You unload the leaden weight from your back - your body seems almost to float in its absence - then free your sleeping bag and unfurl it upon the ground. Kyouko fusses with her own, shifting it a few inches in one direction and then the other and prodding the ground with her fingers as if to find the flattest and most comfortable spot on which to sleep. You're too tired now to even care, and slump heavily upon the first patch of ground your sleeping bag lands on, barely managing to coordinate your limbs well enough to slip inside it. And frankly, that ridge of dirt digging into your back is no more discomforting than merely remaining conscious for another minute. Kyouko is fluffing a pillow she seems to have also conjured from somewhere. You are vaguely aware of her saying something, and then of absolutely nothing at all.
>Your sleep is thick, your dreams muddy, a jumble of disordered fragments - half unseen and half disquieting. There is a face you cannot place, a promise made and then forgotten, something lost that you cannot find again. Was it important?
>You walk. You have always been walking. There is nothing else left once the horizon eats the world. The haze is stifling, like syrupy smoke on a midsummer day. Vines grasp at your throat, tar bubbles in your lungs, someone is shouting too softly to be heard. Is it you?
>You wake up gasping for air.
-
>Goddammit Lancer
>Catch breath.
-
>Goddammit Lancer
>Catch breath.
>Your lungs heave and grasp at breath while your heart hammers in your ears. You can feel a sheen of sweat soaking your forehead and the world around you is hazy. Where is everyone? What happened? Why can't you move your arms?
>A sudden voice beside you nearly makes you jump. "Are you okay?"
-
>Settle down, Naz. Not getting anywhere all messed up like that.
>First of all, see who's asking.
-
>Settle down, Naz. Not getting anywhere all messed up like that.
>First of all, see who's asking.
>You chasten yourself. Whatever is wrong, wherever you are, you need to keep your wits about you. You try to steady your breathing, as much as your heart seems to want to leap out of your chest.
>...it's Kyouko, of course. Who else could it be, all the way out here? What 'everyone' were you even thinking about? Their faces are already gone, but hers looks worried.
-
>Damnations of three gods, when was the last time we had a good dream?
>Extricate arm from sleeping bag and wipe at our eyes, and mutter "Bad dream."
-
>Damnations of three gods, when was the last time we had a good dream?
>Extricate arm from sleeping bag and wipe at our eyes, and mutter "Bad dream."
>It's... it's been too long.
>You wrestle your arms out of the sleeping bag. So that's why you couldn't move them; you seem to have somehow twisted your sleeping bag up and under yourself and pinned them beneath your own body. One of them is actually kind of numb and you still feel breathless and achy.
>"You're sure you're okay?" Kyouko asks.
-
>"I'll admit, I've felt better."
-
>"I'll admit, I've felt better."
>"You want me to fetch you something to drink?"
-
>Make it a strong- Oh wait, we don't really get along with alcohol, do we?
>"Please."
-
>Make it a strong- Oh wait, we don't really get along with alcohol, do we?
>"Please."
>You don't drink much, as a rule, but you don't think you're a terrible lightweight. But the last thing you need right now is to dampen what few wits you have left.
>Kyouko nods. "Right."
>And then she's off, quickly fetching a canteen from your pack and handing it over to you. It's slowly dawning on you how bright it is. Have you slept the night away already? It sure doesn't feel like it.
-
>"What time is it?"
>Drink.
>"And how long've you been up?"
-
>"What time is it?"
>Drink.
>"And how long've you been up?"
>Kyouko squints up at the sun. "Uh... maybe 11-ish? I'm not sure."
>You take a sip of water. Your mouth tastes like something crawled in and died, and the drink does disappointingly little to fix this, but you do feel less parched, at least. Your stomach is vaguely discontent.
>"Oh, a little while," she says evasively, "but that's okay. It's a nice day, and I was enjoying the sounds. A pair of squirrels were having a really spirited argument a little while ago! In that big tree over there."
-
>Hungry discontent or the other kind?
>Offer her a grin. "Sure wish I could speak squirrel."
-
>Hungry discontent or the other kind?
>Offer her a grin. "Sure wish I could speak squirrel."
>More the latter, but possibly some of the former, too. You're still not very clear-headed.
>"Oh, I can speak it," Kyouko replies, then giggles. "Just not understand it. I... hope I didn't wake you, earlier?"
-
>Shake head.
-
>Shake head.
>"That's good." She gives you a sheepish smile. "I tried not to make too much noise."
-
>Our brain didn't slosh out with a head shake? We're in better shape than we think.
>"You're good."
>Take another drink, then look around. Is there a stream of some kind around we can stick our face into for a bit?
-
>Our brain didn't slosh out with a head shake? We're in better shape than we think.
>"You're good."
>Take another drink, then look around. Is there a stream of some kind around we can stick our face into for a bit?
>You weren't especially vigorous, but at least you're not reeling with dizziness anyway, you guess.
>"Good."
>You take another sip of water and survey your surroundings, or at least as much of them as you can still see. There doesn't seem to be any water nearby, but that's not really a surprise; past the Grau, this part of the wilderness didn't have a great many bodies of water to go around. And you're maybe starting to regret not finding a less lumpy spot of ground to collapse upon....
-
>Any signs of Kyouko having cooked breakfast?
-
>Any signs of Kyouko having cooked breakfast?
>Not that you can either see or smell. She may have snacked on some of the food she brought, but there's no signs of anything cooked.
-
>Then we'd best get started before we lose anymore daylight.
>Once we coax some more life back into us, do what we need to to prepare for more hiking.
-
>Then we'd best get started before we lose anymore daylight.
>Once we coax some more life back into us, do what we need to to prepare for more hiking.
>After a few more minutes of feeling weighted down to the ground, you drag yourself upright, force down a few morsels of food, and resume moving westward.
>The day's journey is... not as good as yesterday's. Whatever energy you managed to save up on the ferry is long gone now, and only a couple hours into the day's journey, you already feel like you're dragging your feet forward. Breaks are frequent, breath is labored, muscles throb. If time were not so vital, you would honestly have packed it in by lunchtime. Instead, you nibble on a tiny bit of cheese, splash some water on your face, and try to look less dead on your feet than you're staring to feel.
>Kyouko is... worried. Though she still puts on a cheerful face, the cracks in it are showing more and more. You're not eating right, you're stumbling too often, you're too slow to respond to her words, and too easily confused by them. She lends you her arm, which helps a little with one of those problems, but makes it even harder to pretend you're okay. And when she looks at you with those eyes....
>You don't have time to think about that. You don't have mind to think about anything, really. Just keep moving, Nazrin. Just keep moving.
>By nightfall, you're growing uncertain of your bearings. Even obvious landmarks are hard to see without Kyouko's help, and your navigational skills are being slowly devoured along with the rest of your mind. Sometimes, you think you can even feel it happen - parts of yourself being lost. And when you find yourself staring at your compass for several long seconds before you can remember which way is marked west, you have to force back tears. You're not going to make it, are you? After all this, after all this struggle, all you're going to accomplish is dying out here in the middle of nowhere. You may not know where you are right now, but one thing you are sure of is that you haven't covered nearly enough ground. Another five days of this? A week? It feels like a cruel joke. The universe just wants to torment you one last time before it finally kills you.
>"Are you... alright?" Kyouko asks softly.
-
>"I.... I don't know..."
-
>"I.... I don't know..."
>"What is it?" she asks. "Is there anything I can do?"
-
>"I...."
>Pause, breathe. "I'm.. having some trouble figuring out just where we are."
-
>"I...."
>Pause, breathe. "I'm.. having some trouble figuring out just where we are."
>"Oh." A pause. "Oh." A frown, then an attempt at a smile. "Well, it's still mostly west of here, right? Even if you don't know exactly where we are."
-
>"That's not the point! I, I'm falling apart, Kyouko. I- No. No, I haven't come this far to start despairing now. I made a promise, that I'd come home. I can't let her down now, not when I'm so close."
>"...I mean, I can't let THEM down. Ichirin, Marisa, Neu, Minoriko. And, you. Not a chance in all the hells there are that I'd drag you this far for nothing."
>"Sorry, Kyouko, I... I guess I, had a moment of weakness."
-
>"That's not the point! I, I'm falling apart, Kyouko. I- No. No, I haven't come this far to start despairing now. I made a promise, that I'd come home. I can't let her down now, not when I'm so close."
>"...I mean, I can't let THEM down. Ichirin, Marisa, Neu, Minoriko. And, you. Not a chance in all the hells there are that I'd drag you this far for nothing."
>"Sorry, Kyouko, I... I guess I, had a moment of weakness."
>"Well, I think you deserve a few of those after all you've gone through! And don't worry about me, whatever happens." She grins, and thrusts an arm at the sky. "I can take it!"
>"But," she adds in a softer tone, "maybe we should... call it a night for now?"
-
>All doubt and determination to one side, are we realistically in any shape to make anymore headway tonight?
-
>All doubt and determination to one side, are we realistically in any shape to make anymore headway tonight?
>You could... walk a few more steps, you assume? You don't know if you should. At the moment, 'headway' doesn't feel very realistic either tonight or tomorrow.
-
>Tomorrow is tomorrow's problem. Least we still HAVE a tomorrow left.
>Nod to Kyouko. "Definately."
-
>Tomorrow is tomorrow's problem. Least we still HAVE a tomorrow left.
>Nod to Kyouko. "Definately."
>You hope.
>She returns your nod. "Definitely." Then she scans your surroundings and points to the north. "Looks kinda mossy over there, if you think you can manage another hundred feet or so?"
-
>In an attempt to sound more game than we probably are, "I can try."
-
>In an attempt to sound more game than we probably are, "I can try."
>You say you can try. That remains technically true, after all.
>Kyouko offers her hand to you. "Here."
-
>Take her hand.
>Come to think of it, how often have we done that on this little vacation? Can we even remember?
-
>Take her hand.
>Come to think of it, how often have we done that on this little vacation? Can we even remember?
>You take Kyouko's hand as she ushers you over to tonight's campsite. You've relied on her so much this trip, at first for positivity, and then functional eyesight, and now physical support. If you'd come this far alone.... Well, at least there'll be someone with you when you die. It's a small comfort.
>Kyouko lays out your sleeping bag for you this time and all you have to do is fall asleep inside it, which you succeed at approximately as soon as you stop moving. Your dreams are less memorable this time - a small mercy - but you still wake up feeling battered and exhausted. Did the rest even help? Maybe a little. Not enough. Need to keep moving.
>The day passes, and then the next. You don't think you're truly aware of your surroundings anymore - at least most of the time. Hours pass in a haze of delirium, broken only by a few transient moments of lucidity you use to confirm you're still on the right path. You're glad you explained the notes on your map to Kyouko when you had the chance; it's... hard to explain things now. It's hard even to think. You struggle to gag down a small bite of cheese for lunch, though some distant part of you knows this isn't nearly enough to sustain you.
>Your body is shutting down. All the faith in that sword and your medicine can't hold the blight back any longer. This is the last of you, a blackened husk shambling mindlessly forward, barely able to see the ground beneath your own feet. How long have you been walking? Why are you even here? It's hard to remember. Someone is speaking. Who are they talking to?
>You feel much too hot. Or was it cold? Need to put on some different clothes. These aren't... aren't right.
>Why won't your legs stop trembling?
-
>Just shaky, or are they numb and shaky?
-
>Just shaky, or are they numb and shaky?
>Numb....? ....no, no you don't think so. Not numb. Numb feels... different. You're too cold to be numb. But then why are they shaking? It makes it hard to walk. Need to keep walking. Always need to keep walking.
-
>Focus. That's what we need, focus. Something to focus on, that isn't body rot.
>A thought. Have we heard Kyouko singing before or after we left? And if she, was she any good at it?
-
>Focus. That's what we need, focus. Something to focus on, that isn't body rot.
>A thought. Have we heard Kyouko singing before or after we left? And if she, was she any good at it?
>Focus. Focus. Need to keep walking. Need to keep focused. Good idea.
>Singing....? Was she... yeah, she said she was in a choir once... right? That sounds right, somehow. But you don't think... Birdsong. Yeah, birdsong - that was it. Does that... count as singing? Does humming count as singing?
-
>Assuming our voice still works, "Kyouko?"
-
>Assuming our voice still works, "Kyouko?"
>Your voice feels quiet and slow, your tongue thick, but words still come out of your mouth when you tell them to.
>"Yes, what is it?" she answers instantly. You are almost startled by how close her voice is.
-
>"I need you to do something for me."
-
>"I need you to do something for me."
>"Just say the word."
-
>"Sing for me. Sing about life, sing a song, sing out loud."
-
>"Sing for me. Sing about life, sing a song, sing out loud."
>"Are you... are you alright?" she asks, pausing. You nearly stumble when you fail to pause with her.
-
>"I need something to focus my mind, my attention on. Something that isn't my status, or how far we still have to go."
-
>"I need something to focus my mind, my attention on. Something that isn't my status, or how far we still have to go."
>"Oh, um, sure! I can do that! Let's see...."
>And so she sings to you, of snowy mountains and lavender fields, of wistful promises and joyful reunions, of heroes and hijinks, feasts and festivals, and even a fairy marching chant.
>"I always liked that one," she says. "It's fun to sing."
>Though her voice may not be the most melodious you've ever heard, there is an earnestness to it, each note crisp and sharp and full of spirit - perhaps a little too full, in fact. After all the quiet, the sudden chorus of sound feels a little assaulting, but either you grow accustomed to it quickly or Kyouko dials back the volume upon noticing your expression - you're honestly not coherant enough to know which. And just what kind of lung capacity does she have, anyway, to never miss a note even while hiking uphill? But it's... nice. Something still cheerful in this blackened world, something to hold onto.
>And so you let your consciousness drift upon the melody, trailing one foot after another in Kyouko's shadow. Hours may have passed, but you can no longer distinguish between them. There is only the sound of her voice and the endless wilderness beneath your feet.
>At some point, you must have stopped. You can feel Kyouko helping you down to bed beneath a rocky canopy. She smiles, or at least you can imagine her smile beneath that impenetrable curtain of grey.
>"Goodnight, Nazrin."
-
>"Thank you, Kyouko."
-
>"Thank you, Kyouko."
>"You're welcome," she replies gently.
>Sleep claims your hollow body quickly, drowning the last few glimmers of consciousness in deepest black; there is not enough left of you even to dream.
>When you drift upon awareness again, like so much flotsam washing ashore, it is impossible to tell how long has passed. It is nearly impossible even to stand; your legs feel like hollow reeds beneath you, and even bracing yourself against the rock, the exertion leaves you breathless. Your mouth is a desert and your body is sweltering beneath the sun. Need... water. There was water here, right? Somewhere. Has to be somewhere, yes.
-
>
Where's Jetsam?
>Get enwatered.
-
>Where's Jetsam?
>Get enwatered.
>You assume that part of you is still adrift at sea somewhere.
>You... where did you...? There was... Your eyes search for something, though your mind is not yet sure what. There are only suggestions of forms here, hints of color in the shadows - foreign, meaningless.
>You take another step forward and stumble, falling onto something lumpy, yet too soft to be a rock. Is that... is that a backpack? Your backpack? Your fingers fumble with it, tracing the protrusions of its surface, trying to remember which of them you're looking for. You feel the cool metal of your dowsing rods, the bump of snaps and fasteners, the rigid forms of tools and supplies through the leather. Where was it? Why can't you remember?
>You work open the pack, rummaging an arm among the minutia and scattering it clumsily across the ground. You'd curse, but it hurts too much to swallow. It was right here, wasn't it? Wasn't it?
-
>Stop it, Naz. You'll end up danaging that flower we hauled out here. Settle down, woman.
-
>Stop it, Naz. You'll end up danaging that flower we hauled out here. Settle down, woman.
>You catch yourself, pause, and take a deep breath, though it rasps against your arid throat. You can't risk damaging that flower. It's too important. Far too important.
-
>That's better. If we do die out here, it's not going be a frantic, panicky mess.
>Still, let's... try to avoid looking at our reflection whenever possible. If we look as bad as we feel...
>Look up from our pack. Try to gauge the landscape condition around us.
-
>That's better. If we do die out here, it's not going be a frantic, panicky mess.
>Still, let's... try to avoid looking at our reflection whenever possible. If we look as bad as we feel...
>Look up from our pack. Try to gauge the landscape condition around us.
>Even if it's hopeless, you resolve to die with dignity.
>You might look worse, by this point, though you probably couldn't make out much from your reflection, even if you tried. A small mercy? Of course, Kyouko sees your face all the time....
>You're in some kind of shallow rocky nook, somewhat sheltered from the elements. It's... you think it's sunny out, but it's no longer easy to distinguish the grey within from the grey without. It's not raining or after sundown, at any rate. Your immediate surroundings are mostly bare dirt, but you can just barely make out grass and scrub a few feet beyond.
>There's... no sign of Kyouko. You wouldn't trust your eyes to tell you this, but you can't hear anything, either.
-
>Can we make a guess at how much farther we have to go?
-
>Can we make a guess at how much farther we have to go?
>You scarcely have a clue. Too far.
-
>Well, Kyouko wouldn't have abandoned us. Not after we've come this far. She's far too earnest to just up and abandon us.
>But we are certain that we aren't there yet? To Yuuka's, I mean.
-
>Well, Kyouko wouldn't have abandoned us. Not after we've come this far. She's far too earnest to just up and abandon us.
>But we are certain that we aren't there yet? To Yuuka's, I mean.
>No, she wouldn't do that. You... can't explain why she isn't here, but it can't be that.
>No, no you can't have come that far. ...can you? How many days has it been now? You can't.... you can't quite remember. Three? Four? ...five?
-
>The upshot of that is Yuuka won't have done something to her while we were out. And this wilderness wasn't hostile enough to have harmed her.
>Wait a second. The flower, the lunar orchid. Is it still here, where it's supposed to be?
-
>The upshot of that is Yuuka won't have done something to her while we were out. And this wilderness wasn't hostile enough to have harmed her.
>Wait a second. The flower, the lunar orchid. Is it still here, where it's supposed to be?
>Yes, that's right. It's safe here. For her. Only for her....
>It's... it's....! You feel a shot of panic, but your fingers soon find the smooth lacquerware container. It's still here.
-
>Again, good. That means she didn't get the idea of trying to make the exchange for us.
>Although now that we're thinking.....
>Assume we still have a day to travel. Assume we'll be worse than we are. Assume we make it to Yuuka's. Will we be physically able to make the medicine we need?
-
>Again, good. That means she didn't get the idea of trying to make the exchange for us.
>Although now that we're thinking.....
>Assume we still have a day to travel. Assume we'll be worse than we are. Assume we make it to Yuuka's. Will we be physically able to make the medicine we need?
>You don't... you think Yuuka's is still more than a day away still. But who can tell, anyway? And... to be honest, with as much effort as it takes to ponder this issue, you don't think you'd trust yourself to perform proper measures even now. Recipe better be simple....
-
>Could Kyouko?
-
>Could Kyouko?
>Maybe? Was... supposed to be simple... you think?
>Why is there so little air in here?
-
>Perhaps we really should start considering our options. Since searching for Kyouko is probably not a good idea, we can check the recicipe to see if our guide can indeed mix it in our stead.
>And since our brain isn't firing on all cylinders, we'd better check the recipie itself. Assuming we have it written down somewhere. Try to find it.
-
>Perhaps we really should start considering our options. Since searching for Kyouko is probably not a good idea, we can check the recicipe to see if our guide can indeed mix it in our stead.
>And since our brain isn't firing on all cylinders, we'd better check the recipie itself. Assuming we have it written down somewhere. Try to find it.
>You're not certain your brain is firing on any cylinders at the moment, but you nonetheless search through your pack for the recipe. It's only after you've been at it for several minutes that you start to have the sinking recollection that you never wrote it down in the first place....
>It was... it was too simple to bother with, wasn't it? Just... just put... just put something....
-
>Let me see if I get this straight. We didn't write it down, and now we can't remember it?
-
>Let me see if I get this straight. We didn't write it down, and now we can't remember it?
>You shake your head. No. No way. Like hell you're gonna let this disease steal the memories from your head! It was... it was... one part Athran's Vigor... four parts Aqua Veritatis... you had to steep the bittercress flowers in it. The book never said how many, or how long. Just... slowly? Yeah, slowly.
>Why is everything so damn slow? The flowers, this walk, your own damn mind. Everything but your fluttering heartbeat.
-
>Better write that down, then. Before it slips away. Again.
-
>Better write that down, then. Before it slips away. Again.
>Yeah, should... write that down. Good idea. ...where was that pencil again? Nothing is where it's supposed to be, and you don't know why. Nothing is where it's supposed to be....
>"Oh, you're awake!" comes a voice. "...are you alright?"
-
>"Kyouko?"
>"Where were you?"
-
>"Kyouko?"
>"Where were you?"
>You attempt to respond to Kyouko, but your words come out as a strangled rasp, your parched throat seizing up around the sound. You start coughing.
>Kyouko rushes over towards you as you find just breath enough to whisper out a question.
>"I heard a little brook nearby," she says, "so I went to refill our canteens. Here, have something to drink."
>She hands you a canteen.
-
>Drink. If possible.
>Can we hear said brook?
>If not, "Good ears."
-
>Drink. If possible.
>Can we hear said brook?
>If not, "Good ears."
>You accept the canteen and fumble the cap off, pressing it against your lips and tilting back your head shakily. The cool sensation of the water against your parched throat spurs on primal instincts, and you have to restrain yourself from gulping down more than you have breath left in you. As it is, you almost have another coughing fit.
>You cannot hear any running water from here.
>Taking a quick breath, you squeak out a compliment. The ears in question perk up, and Kyouko smiles faintly, but says "Well, I couldn't hear it from here, either. I just took a little stroll while you were sleeping. I didn't expect you to be awake so soon," she adds, frowning.
-
>"How long?"
-
>"How long?"
>"How long what?" she asks.
-
>"How long was I out?"
-
>"How long was I out?"
>"Oh. Well, um... it's a couple hours past dawn now, anyway. But these last few days, you've slept... a lot."
>How can Kyouko stand wearing so much clothing in this sweltering heat, anyway? You'd strip off more if it weren't for... weren't for... not polite. Yeah. And if you weren't so damn cold.
>You take another swig of water while Kyouko frowns at you again. This is the right canteen, right? Wait, was it this... round?
>As you try to get a better look at it, the canteen slips from your fingers and clatters onto the ground, bubbling water onto the soil for a moment before Kyouko scoops it up.
>"Whoopsie!"
-
>"How much more ground to cover?"
-
>"How much more ground to cover?"
>"Oh, we're... making good time!" she says with a smile, brushing dirt off the canteen with one hand.
-
>"Not sure... it's been good enough."
-
>"Not sure... it's been good enough."
>"Don't worry!" she says brightly. "I already told you that I'm not going to let you die on me, remember?"
>She hands you back the canteen. "Here you go!"
-
>Accept the canteen.
>Do we thirst still?
>Accept the next thread., then perform a naked dance to joy in praise of the Sun God Ra.
-
>Accept the next thread., then perform a naked dance to joy in praise of the Sun God Ra.
>It really is... too damn hot in here. Need to get out of these clothes.
>Wasn't there... wasn't there some reason you hadn't done that already?
>Doesn't matter. Need to cool down. Need to... need to praise the sun. Yeah, that's right.
>"Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?" Kyouko protests, her face growing grossly incandescent. "That's... that's not- you're not- why are you- what's going on??"