(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 6)

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hi there!"
>Offer a handshake. "I'm Nazrin."

[DracoOmega]

>"Hi there!"
>Offer a handshake. "I'm Nazrin."

>You say hello the girl and offer your hand. She seems to hesitate a moment, then cautiously opens the door and extends her hand equally cautiously. Now that you can get a proper look at her, you're definitely inclined to think she's shorter than you, though somewhat heavy-set. She is wearing a jaunty black beret on top of a rather tousled mop of brown hair that all but obscures her eyes, though you can still make out her squinting at you through a pair of thick-lensed glasses.
>"Momoka," she says, tentatively accepting your handshake.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Hey, can I ask you a few things? I didn't think there was anyone down here."

[DracoOmega]

>"Hey, can I ask you a few things? I didn't think there was anyone down here."

>"Well, this is my house..." She frowns a little.

[Hello Purvis]

>"It looks nice, from what I've seen. How long have you been down here?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It looks nice, from what I've seen. How long have you been down here?"

>"Um... about twenty years," she replies, adjusting her glasses. "Why?"

[Hello Purvis]

>About how far are we from the hole in the cellar?
>Frown. "Do you live alone down here?"

[DracoOmega]

>About how far are we from the hole in the cellar?
>Frown. "Do you live alone down here?"

>Given how twisting the passages were on the way here, it's very difficult to estimate the overland distance. You would say it's a couple blocks away at least, and possibly quite a bit further.
>She nods. "Just me, yes."

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod. "Huh, must be lonely. Or do you spend a lot of time in town."
>If we get a chance without tipping off that we're doing it, discreetly look at her hands to see how clawful they are.

[DracoOmega]

>Nod. "Huh, must be lonely. Or do you spend a lot of time in town."
>If we get a chance without tipping off that we're doing it, discreetly look at her hands to see how clawful they are.

>"I like it here," she says. "But I also manage a small used book store, and-" She pauses, and squints at you again. "...why are you asking me this? And can you please tell me what you're doing in my cellar?"
>You take a discrete glance at her hands while you talk. They look quite normal in appearance, perhaps a little chubby. No claws are in evidence.

[Hello Purvis]

>What's the name of the place we're working for?

[DracoOmega]

>What's the name of the place we're working for?

>The Wild Rose.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Did you know there's a tunnel connecting this place to The Wild Rose?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Did you know there's a tunnel connecting this place to The Wild Rose?"

>She flinches slightly. "Er, um, there is?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's how I got in here."

[DracoOmega]

>"That's how I got in here."

>"I... see." She frowns uncomfortably.

[Hello Purvis]

Should we point out she said it's just her again, or play oblivious?

[Oldmansour]

I'm thinking the first option.

>"Don't suppose you have any hole-digging neighbours down here, do ya?"
>Obvious exits in the room she's in.
>Come to think of it, does she look... thin enough to squeeze through that hole in the Rose's basement?

[DracoOmega]

>"Don't suppose you have any hole-digging neighbours down here, do ya?"
>Obvious exits in the room she's in.
>Come to think of it, does she look... thin enough to squeeze through that hole in the Rose's basement?

>"No, it's just-" She pauses and fidgets a moment, then adds more meekly. "...it's just me."
>You can't see enough of the room behind her to see any exits at all, but the place looks quite well-furnished and finished in a fairly conventional manner. You can see a rocking chair and a large throw rug, and several pictures hung on the walls, though those are still largely of bare earth construction. The place seems lit by a few warmly flickering lamps, though these are not presently in sight. All in all, it has a fairly cozy atmosphere.
>You're pretty sure she could. Her build may be less slight than yours, but she's still fairly small.

[Hello Purvis]

>"You understand how suspicious this seems, I hope?"

[DracoOmega]

>"You understand how suspicious this seems, I hope?"

>She nods slowly, looking dreadfully uncomfortable.

[Oldmansour]

>Gently, "Is there something you'd like to tell me, or shall I say it myself?"

[DracoOmega]

>Gently, "Is there something you'd like to tell me, or shall I say it myself?"

>Momoka is silent for a moment, then all but bawls out "I'm really sorry! It was an accident, I swear. I'll pay for whatever damages I caused!"
>Behind the mess of hair and thick glasses, her eyes look almost tearful.

[Oldmansour]

>Okay, THAT was unexpected.
>Hold an arm up and say, "Okay, just... calm down. Tell me what happened."
>"Would you rather sit down?"

[DracoOmega]

>Okay, THAT was unexpected.
>Hold an arm up and say, "Okay, just... calm down. Tell me what happened."
>"Would you rather sit down?"

>"No, no," she says waving a hand dismissively, "I'm okay. It's just I... Well, I suppose you've seen them, if you came here from there. But these tunnels are mine. All of them." For a moment, you can see a trace of quiet pride on her face. "Most people go for a walk when they want to clear their head. I dig places. I just always feel so comfortable down here - a little instinctual memory of how I used to live, I suppose; I'm sure you're probably the same, right?" She looks at you hopefully.
>"Anyway, a couple weeks ago, I ended up breaking through into a- a storage cellar of some sort. The... Wild Rose, you said it was?"
>She raises her hands defensively. "Y- you have to understand, I never expected to cause anyone any harm. No one builds down nearly this deep." She frowns. "Uh, I mean, I didn't think anyone did. It had never happened before! As soon as I realized what I'd done, I sealed the tunnel back up after me and, uh, well..." She averts her face. "...kind of hoped no one would notice. But I guess it must have collapsed somehow, anyway..."

[Hanzo K.]

>"I can understand that a fair bit actually. Heck, we aren't so different really, Mouse y'know."
>Smile a bit.
>"I tell ya though, you're a lot politer than the last Youkai I ended up finding in an underground place while on the job. Cave Spiders are a nasty lot they are."
>"At least this solves the mystery of the tunnels though, and proves that you didn't take the wines."


Say, if she dug all these tunnels, then maybe she could help us find the thief?

[Oldmansour]

I'm with ya there, Hanzo. She knows the place inside and out, she'd be able to tell us if there's any new tunnels, or what have you.

>"It's a nice tunnel system you've made here, but, I think you're not the only one using it. If you didn't take the wine crate, then someone else did."
>"By any chance, you didn't break a crate of potatoes when you found the Rose's cellar, did you?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I can understand that a fair bit actually. Heck, we aren't so different really, Mouse y'know."
>Smile a bit.

>Momoka gives you a tentative smile in return.

>"I tell ya though, you're a lot politer than the last Youkai I ended up finding in an underground place while on the job. Cave Spiders are a nasty lot they are."
>"At least this solves the mystery of the tunnels though, and proves that you didn't take the wines."

>"That's... that's good," she says, her expression easing a little.

>"It's a nice tunnel system you've made here, but, I think you're not the only one using it. If you didn't take the wine crate, then someone else did."

>"I don't see how anyone else would have come through my tunnels but me, and I-" Her eyes widen and she lets out a little gulp. "I- I don't mean that I had anything to do with it! I just don't know what else to tell you..."

>"By any chance, you didn't break a crate of potatoes when you found the Rose's cellar, did you?"

>She squints at you and adjusts her glasses. "Potatoes? Whatever would I do that for?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"Okay, so that pretty much clears you on everything short of just making the tunnel. That means that whatever took the wines might've been in the crate."
>Pause for a moment.
>"Or maybe something else could be down here. Not to worry you or anything, but I'd be careful down here all the same."
>That's a pretty grim thought, something else down here...That'd be just our luck wouldn't it? Let's hope our new friend will be okay.

[DracoOmega]

>"Okay, so that pretty much clears you on everything short of just making the tunnel. That means that whatever took the wines might've been in the crate."
>Pause for a moment.
>"Or maybe something else could be down here. Not to worry you or anything, but I'd be careful down here all the same."

>Momoka frowns uncomfortably. "I, um... you mean you think someone... dangerous is down here?"

>That's a pretty grim thought, something else down here...That'd be just our luck wouldn't it? Let's hope our new friend will be okay.

>You've had more than enough with dangerous thieves living in tunnels, and Momoka certainly isn't inspiring any belief that she can defend herself.