>"You misunderstand. I don't give a rat's backside at some noblewoman's ego or image or pocketbook. Matter of fact, I don't especially care for nobility in general. But you didn't steal from HER. You didn't break into HER basement, attack HER people, and leave them battered and bound. You did all that to US. And if I read you right, it wouldn't matter who had this relic. You wanted it, and so you were going to take it. No matter who you had to go through to get it."
>"But I will grant that you're no ordinary thief. Someone else in your position would have had us all run through by now." Jerk our thumb back towards Chisato. "Someone else wouldn't have bothered pretending to care about one, or any, of their victims. And that leaves me wondering: What happens now?"
>"What happens now?" She pauses thoughtfully. "Well, some of that's up to you. No one had to get hurt in the first place, I should point out. If you hadn't tried to hurt
us, this whole mess could have been finished without a single bump or bruise on anyone. I remind you that it was
your side that struck the first blow."
>"Choke on a cucumber, you pompom-hatted windbag!" Ishi shouts, then thrusts a finger accusingly at the Maiden's damaged turbine, a jagged gash torn across its side. "Look at that rotor! Look at it! That's
your fault!"
>"Our fault, hmm?" The tengu gives her a playfully indulgent look. "And who exactly chose to fly under there in the first place? Even then, I'm sure you'd have come out the other side with barely a scratch if you'd just let us tow you when we tried."
>"Not enough choking!"
>"This is immaterial," Neu interjects, throwing a sidelong glance in Ishi's direction. "And I'd like an answer to the mouse's question myself."
>"Of course." The tengu leader pauses for another moment, musing at the sky. Neu maintains a calm, but extremely serious expression through the silence, while Miyuki appears to be bravely concealing deep worry.
>"Well, we'll be retrieving what we come for, of course," the tengu continues eventually. "If you have any other serious injuries, we can share medical supplies and help tend to them. No one's going to get hurt any more unless they try to start another fight. But we're going to have to take a few more things to make up for the wreck of the Bunbunmaru. I'm sure you understand." She throws Neu an injured-looking frown. "The ship meant a lot to me, you know. She's been with me since the beginning, back when I was just a clerk in the information corps. And now there's a good chance she'll never fly again."
>The moth maintains a professionally neutral expression. "You'll forgive me for not being terribly sympathetic to its loss, at the moment." Fortunately, her captor doesn't seem particularly put off by this response.
>The pirate opens her mouth to continue, but then an idea appears to strike her and she turns slowly towards Ishi instead, an appraising look on her face. "Although... if you help out with the repairs, I might be able to cut our damage fee by a nice bit. What do you say?"
>Ishi just glares at her. "Still not enough choking..."
