Beast in the Sky Quest 7: God please don't move this to /qst/

She might be in a few years. She doesn't agree with your races viewpoints. Quite aggressively.

She needs time. And counseling, a lot of that.

What she needs the most right now is a mother figure, but even that won't be possible until she puts a stop to her constant hatred of the world. Maybe a pet, a job, or just helping people.

Kids might help too, but that would be irresponsible to the kids.

Audible sigh. "The fat arsehole did a number on her and the slavers did kill her father infront of her. So no, shes not fine. She doesn't hate you but shes in a bad way. I hope to fix that down the road. Shes gonna need a lot of help."

"She might be in a few years." you say, sighing softly, "She doesn't agree with your race's viewpoints. Quite aggressively.

She needs time. And counseling, a lot of that.

What she needs the most right now is a mother figure, but even that won't be possible until she puts a stop to her constant hatred of the world. Maybe a pet, a job, or just helping people.

Kids might help too, but that would be irresponsible to the kids." You shrug at this, noticing the uncomfortable look she's giving you while Lisa is trying to cram one of the weird sets of sticks they use in lieu of silverware here up her nose.

"The fat a-uh, guy..." you say, catching yourself in front of the kid, "did a number on her and the slavers did kill her father in front of her. So no, shes not fine. She doesn't hate you but shes in a bad way. I hope to fix that down the road. Shes gonna need a lot of help."

Rei and Kei nod at this. "We have been in...similar situations to hers. Hatred only breeds itself. She will get angrier and more...disagreeable as time goes on unless she has an outlet." Rei says, looking at her sword with a troubled look on her face.

"My sister and I found peace in our work." Kei continues, "Learning to focus ourselves and hone our minds through swordplay, martial arts and the discipline that comes with them. Perhaps the same can be done for her?"

Freyja frowns at this. "You want to teach the angry, violent girl to be more dangerous?"

Rei seems indignant, but lets it pass. "You learn to fight so that you don't have to, Miss Freyja. The way we were taught explains when force is necessary and when it isn't. We have no issues with hate or violence and haven't for years."

What do you say? Should Rei and Kei teach Tabby the ways of the sword, or is it too dangerous for her right now?

See if they can talk to her first. Be friends with her by their choice not an order from me.

"I'll leave her instruction to you then. I''d like to ask that you have a greater focus on the discipline and mental focus required. If her mind is greater disciplined, she'll be not so volatile.

In any case, I intend to bring her to her hometown while we're stuck in port. Let her bury her family. I also sort of offered to speak to your lord about letting her pull the drop lever in the hanging of the slavers."

yes, teach her.

If neither Freyja nor Lisa herself are willing to step up to the task, then this is for the best. That dryad is too ignorant of human ways, and the other former slaves aren't worldly.

Not sure what good a 6 year old girl could do to quell the rage of a woman wronged in many ways.

Writing!

She could be cute!

not really quell, but distract. Divert attention away with babysitting tasks.

"I'll leave her instruction to you then. I''d like to ask that you have a greater focus on the discipline and mental focus required. If her mind is greater disciplined, she'll be not so volatile.

In any case, I intend to bring her to her hometown while we're stuck in port. Let her bury her family. I also sort of offered to speak to your lord about letting her pull the drop lever in the hanging of the slavers." you say.

"The mind and body are sharpened together." Kei says, balancing one of the sticks on the tip of her finger, "To focus on one without the other leaves a person off-balance, more focused on one, leaving the other to stagnate and keep them held back. She will be in good hands, I promise."

Rei frowns at your second point. "Letting her be the executioner? It's...very unorthodox, sir. I'm unsure master Kakei will approve of this. It takes a very specific type of person to be the one to end the lives of many people and still maintain a healthy mind. They are trained, schooled and prepared for a long time before they are allowed to do so. But...if you think it's best, that is your decision."

"Where's her hometown?" Freyja asks, "Is it near here?"

"Blakkaz." you say sadly. News of it's destruction traveled fast. Almost no survivors. "I've been thinking of heading there in a rental or something while we wait for the work to be finished. You're welcome to come, if..."

Freyja shakes her head at this. You're not surprised. "I think I'll just enjoy the sights here in Ao. Maybe do a little shopping."

Not long after, your food arrives. A feast of fish, vegetables, meats and a large amount of rice fill the table. It smells wonderful and you waste no time digging in.

Rei and Kei share a few laughs as you learn to use the strange sticks to eat. Something you don't really get down completely, but well enough. However, at a few points you notice their attention grabbed by something else. They seem a little concerned by something...

Roll 1d100. Best of 3.

Rolled 86 (1d100)

Rolled 70 (1d100)

Rolling

MY FIRST PAGE REAL ESTATE REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

MOOOODS!

Rolled 89 (1d100)

Rolled 28 (1d100)

Writing!

Your eyes follow to what the twins have been eyeing and you see a woman near the back wearing the same robes as they do, only hers are all black and she has a hood hiding most of her features. Her clothes have no real identifying features beyond their color, though she has what appears to be a fox tail hanging from a chain on the side of her belt, sort of like a charm of some sort the way some people keep rabbit's feet in their air ships for luck.

However, you take your eye off her for a moment and as soon as you look back, she's gone. A quick scan of the restaurant and she's nowhere to be found, as if she simply disappeared into thin air. You turn to the girls and give them a worried look, nodding to where she was.

"Nothing to concern yourself about right now, sir." Rei says, taking another mouthful of food.

"We will discuss it another time." Kei continues, following suit. They seem outwardly calm, but you know a bluff when you see one; something's up with that girl and they don't want to talk about it.

>Press the issue. If something's up that will require action, you need to know.
>Let it go. You trust their judgement here.
>Other (write in)

>Let it go. You trust their judgement here.

>>Let it go. You trust their judgement here.

>Press the issue.
>Unless they have something else to talk about, or it requires privacy.
what else IS there to talk about?

I dunno, the weather?

Writing.

Where to next after this obviously.

This is basically most of our command crew.

You let it go for now, though it still worries you at the back of your mind. The woman wasn't doing anything, just sort of...standing there. Troubling, to say the least. Still, the girls know their stuff. If there was danger, you're sure they'd be the first to say something.

You spend the rest of the meal with polite conversation and general friendliness. The twins talk about their lives working under Kakei. He took them in when they were young and taught them to fight. Afterward they became his muscle whenever someone, only very bad people, they assured you, needed to be dealt with. Freyja disapproves, but true to her word, let it be. They change the subject and talk about their other skills; apparently they're rather good at song and dance, as often their jobs required them to pose as entertainers to get closer to their targets. It worked better than you'd think, so they say.

You finish your food and leave after paying, stepping out back into the hustle and bustle of the streets of Ao. Still in the back of your mind is that woman and you occasionally glance around, expecting to see her again, but find nothing. Oh well.

Where to next? It's early evening, but the sun hasn't begun to set quite yet. There's still the Red Light, as well as the more commercial districts and the trader's guild. You could also check out the docks and see about renting an air ship to visit Blakkaz, though you'd get there rather late if you left now.

Head to the palace.

See if we can delay the execution till we get back from Blakkaz or if we can get Tabby to be the executioner.

Get in your containment board.

Commercial districts please.

Commercial District

SHOPPING!

Writing.

You decide a little shopping will do you some good. Maybe the girls will find something interesting. Honestly, the idea of shopping just for shopping's sake never terribly interested you. You prefer to make a profit, rather than spend it.

The commercial district is absolutely packed with people, running, yelling, pushing heavy carts, trying to attract customers and just generally being busy. There's everything from street vendors and peddlers to large chain shops and merchant headquarters. The twins seem disinterested, idly checking a few places out, but no real excitement for anything. Freyja, however, is bursting at the seams with all they have to offer. She runs from window to window, having a comment for everything she sees, Lisa following her example.

There are plenty of things to see, but what do you do first? There's a clothing shop that seems pretty busy, a blacksmith with few customers, but what appears to be high-quality merchandise.
A man and small group of people are having a very heated debate next to a closed down building with no signs on it and a rather wiry looking fellow attempting to push, pull or otherwise move his heavily-loaded cart full of covered goods. It doesn't seem to be working.

See what's up with cart-man.

See the blacksmith.

>Hand Freyja some change and suggest she buy a new outfit for her daughter. You and The girls will check out the blacksmith in the meantime.

I'll take it.

Writing.

You hand Freyja some spending money and tell her to go nuts. She accepts gratefully and rushes off into the nearest store, her daughter in tow. You chuckle at the way she almost squeals at this and that.

You and the twins check out the blacksmith, curious as to his lack of business, though the moment you enter you're hit with one reason. The thick stench of tobacco fills the air from the burly man's large cigar, which he puffs quite contently as he works on getting a hilt wrapped. He doesn't even glance in your direction as he grunts in welcome. You get the feeling his winning personality doesn't bring in much in the way of foot traffic either. Lastly, the prices he has on the gear is...outlandish, to say the least. A single sword has the price of three of it's type. Armor of various degrees almost double it's usual rate. He has a few tools for upkeep, such as whet stones and oils, but they're few in number and a little low in quality. Still, barring that, his gear looks rather impressive. Good weight, sharp edges, sturdy frames and everything else you'd look for in a good product that would move units. His problem lies entirely in the salesmanship and pricing.

"Gonna stand there and gawk all day or you gonna buy sum'in?" the man grumbles in a voice only a heavy smoker could have.

What are you looking for, if anything?

Look into buying upgrades for the twins. Maybe something suitably impressive for the captain of the beast as well.

Ask about the pricing and look for something for us. Does he have any fancy pistols?

This is going to be hard to sort out.

Can you give us like concrete options as to what the shop might have next time?

Look into tools. Things that can help our engineers produce better work faster.

If you want a more concrete list, this should suffice.

Swords (both curved and straight): 2,000G
Hammers (war hammers, the two-handed kind) 2,500G
Armors ranging from medium to heavy: (Light armor is pretty much a leather worker's job, as they have little to no metal on them.) 3,000-5,000G
Pistols: 1,200G
Rifles: 1,900G
Tools (essentially a tool box filled with an assortment): 1,500G

All of these prices are things you'd expect from a master craftsman's shop. His stuff is good, but not THAT good.

How does his stuff compare to the stuff we have and that of our companions?

k

Custom commissions are also a thing if you want him to make something a little more personalized, though odds are that'll be even moreso.
Your gear is, with the exception of Ruul's "customized" rifle and Rei & Kei's swords, is pretty generic mass-produced stuff. A focus on quantity over quality to arm the entire Porphyran military.

The pick up a set of 3 pistols. Nice ones.

One each to the Rei and Kei. A sidearm is always a good thing to have.

Then 2 sets of good tools for our mechanics.

Works for me.

Writing.

You order up some gear for you and the twins, as well as some nice new tool sets for your hard-working engineers. The twins thank you for the gesture, though they usually focus on close-quarters combat with their swords.

You step out of the smithy, all to happy to be free of the smoke-filled air and heat of his shop, only to catch something out of the corner of your eye. A quick glance reveals that same woman from the restaurant...at least, you assume it's her. You still can't exactly see her face, but she has the same clothes and fox tail charm. The moment you spot her, she ducks down a nearby alley. The twins give you "don't do it" looks.

>Follow her. Nobody is that sneaky for no reason.
>Head elsewhere, this could be trouble. (write in)
>Other (write in)

Answers now twins.

>Other (write in)
>Well? It is currently "later".
Get that explanation over with. Does it have anything to do with the execution?

>Check to see if the argument from before has been settled. DO NOT ENGAGE.

I'd rather get in a fistfight than risk it all following her. Last time I checked alleys are where you get mugged, killed, or raped. I'm not a fan of any of those things.

Writing.

I meant don't engage the woman, rather than the man and his cart.

"Alright," you say, turning to look the girls in the eyes, "answers. It's currently 'later'."

The two shuffle their feet uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with you. A firm "Well?" brings them out of it and they gently drag you into a separate alleyway, carefully making sure no one is watching.

"So..." Rei begins slowly, "The...the woman...is...harmless...uhm, to you..." she seems to be having a difficult time finding the words.

Kei fills in the blanks, thankfully. "She's ah...an observer. Her job is to keep tabs on...you. She won't interfere...she's just making sure things are going smoothly. Just a precaution, you know how these things are!" she laughs nervously, hoping you share the same sentiment.

"You are in no danger." Rei continues, "They...she is just going to be watching as you spend time in the city. It's not unheard of, right? The ones in charge keeping tabs on people of interest, right?"

You're not sure how you feel about this. What's your response?

If it was just that, you wouldn't be so shifty about this. What. is it. Now?

If they wanted an observer, they could have easily notify us beforehand with a friendly representative who "asks" for permission to do it.

AND YOU COULDNT FUCKING TELL ME THAT BEFORE! Except that is not what is happening is it? No way you would be this evasive if it was or they would have asked me about it beforehand.

Answer the Question!

Writing.

>"And somehow she's in a better position to do that than you two?"

This is a breach of trust that came out of left field. I'm starting to think our crew was given to collar us rather than as an act of appreciation.

"If it was just that, you wouldn't be so shifty about this. What. Is it. Now?" you ask, scowling at the two, who wince in reaction. "No way you would be this evasive if it was or they would have asked me about it beforehand."

The two shift uneasily, slowly backing away from you, but not making any motions to run, just put some distance between you. A bit of red blush spreads across their faces.

"W-well..." Rei starts. Kei attempts to stop her, but Rei shakes her head. "He has a right to know...he's our master now. Kakei made that very clear."

Kei sighs heavily. "I suppose..."

Rei squares her shoulders, but still can't look you in the eye. "She is an observer, yes. But...she's moreso. They're moreso, actually. It's a small group the governing body uses for espionage. Spies, I suppose you could say. And...assassins, like us. We were actually next in line to join their ranks... They're called the Nine Tails, hence the..." she mimes the foxtail hanging from their belts, "And Kakei...Kakei trusts you, sir. He is very thankful, indebted to you deeply and absolutely. But...you are a pirate. You have fought the government before. Stolen from them, possibly killed. He is an understanding man, but he cannot take any chances with his city being reborn..."

"They aren't going to hurt you!" Kei speaks up quickly, "They have no orders to harm you or interact with you in anyway! As things are now, they are not your enemy. They are simply insurance. Keep tabs on you, make sure you are what you say you are and don't try anything...dangerous."

"And if I do?" you ask, arms folding over your chest. "What then? What if I did something he didn't like?"

"Then uhm...they would...deal with you..."

You have assassins watching over you that are ready to kill you the moment you step out of line. Fantastic.

What now?

Well...it's one of the baggage of being a pirate.
Just continue do our things and wave at the spy if we saw her again

Cuss like only a sky-pirate can. Once we leave here I don't feel much like coming back. 'Safe port' my ass.

Write a letter to Kakei later. What he's done isn't surprising, and is in fact acceptable, but that he didn't even have the politeness to notify us is rather rude.

Hope he will send someone to "discourage" us before he goes full balls to the walls assassination, because we aren't going to ask him for permission for every little fucking thing.

"Ok, thanks."

Now walk over to the foxy lady.

"Hi there. Don't suppose we could have a chat?"

So you kept this from me even though YOU WORK FOR ME NOW! Just walk away from them and find Freyja. Don't answer them.

Supporting that.

Do it.

They want info, why not get inside our brain. They can talk to us. And it'll make surveillance interesting.

How much you wanna bet one of our 'gifted' crew members is a Nine Tails?

Are we young enough?
If we are we can yell"Mama! why you leave me?" when she run

Probably at least two or three.

You're in your mid 20's and have a bit of roguish stubble going on.

Writing.

hmm...We can cause a scene by saying"Honey, I didnt cheat on you with them twins! this isnt what its look like"

You sigh deeply, putting your head into your hands. The twins attempt to comfort you, but are interrupted by a rather loud "FUCK!" and kick of a nearby trash can you use to vent your frustrations. You brought that dick his brother AND the bandits plaguing his town and this is how he treats you? He's getting a strongly-worded letter for sure. Asshole.

Screw it, you have questions and little miss foxtail has answers. The twins can either help or piss off, but you're getting yourself some tail...you're really glad you didn't say that out loud.

You take off running, heading directly for the alley the woman ducked down. The twins gasp in surprise, but don't have time to stop you. You can only hear "Isaac!" and "Wait!" before you're in the alley. You see the girl sprinting down they alley away from you. She's got a good head start, but with a little luck and legwork, you could catch her.

Roll 1d100 to catch the spy. Best of 3.

Rolled 37 (1d100)

We are the best runner

Rolled 41 (1d100)

"Hey wait up! i just want to talk. You're here to keep an eye on me right? Well what better way to tell my intentions than to get inside my mind."

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>d100
are we using the airship?

damn did we catch her
Sleepy saves the day

YES!!!

As usual. Haha. No but seriously what the fuck seem to post WAY above what I should when rolling.

Damn, sick save.
Nah, I've decided to just stick with d100's. Keeps things more streamlined and less confusing. Easier for everybody.

Writing!

The name of the airship is Isaac after all.

you are like wrenloft 2.0
I wonder if dice gods favors the namefags?

Even without the name I still seem to roll a bit higher than average but nothing like when the SleepyAnon is sitting there

If all that time as a merchant taught us anything, it's that cardio saves lives.

You hurry after your quarry, realizing she is much faster, more agile and just generally better at doing physical stuff than you are. However, the crowds make it harder for her to navigate the streets and she is slowed down considerably. You duck and weave, jumping over carts and boxes, cutting corners and taking shortcuts when you can. You lose her a few times, but only momentarily, her options limited as far as escape routes go.

You head down a side path as she continues running through the main street, taking a gamble that this alley connects to another down the way. They're extensive, but small. A minute or so of running and you literally slam into the girl, being bigger than her aiding in knocking her down. You quickly tackle her, pinning her to the ground and at your mercy. She struggles, but is clearly at a disadvantage. If only all your Aoan grabs were this easy.

You have her held down and she's not going anywhere soon. What do you ask her?

"Alright hold up for a minute. I have no intention of hurting you and I apologise for scaring you. I just wanted to talk. If I let go of you, will you not run away?"

>Got a message for Kakei
relay what I intended for the letter, I suppose

>NOW, is there anything YOU would like to know? You are supposed to obtain information about me, yes?

"I will give you info about me so coffee or tea?

So this is how I get treated? Even after bringing that fuck his brother and ridding him of the slavers? People ready to assassinate me if I step out of a fucking line I don't know is there? You do know if I wasn't such a nice person I could have leveled this entire shitstain of a city? Now take me to Kakei now.

Oh come on, no need to be antagonistic right off the bat like that. If they're there to observe, we just talk to them for now.

this is fine

>Remove her fox tail and send her back with a message for Kakei. Something like "This wasn't a good way to treat a business partner. You won't see me again."

That's dumb.

Writing!
The best part about this scene is that Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf" just came on my playlist. Nice timing, Spotify.