Spring Thaw, or is it?

Fukaziroh comes to Eas with a proposal, one which might be welcome as the weather begins to warm up...

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    Fukaziroh looks around the area dubiously. She'd asked for an audience, having made an effort to be presentable and everything. She's actually considerably better-groomed right now than she was at the last gathering she attended, though perhaps not quite so glamorous as she was at the duelling tournament parties. In fact she's rather distinctly unglamorous right now, looking a little pathetic really. Well-groomed, but her eyes are ringed with dark circles that make her look almost more tanuki than sylph.

    She sighs, looking around once again. Could it be that she's been stood up? That being told to meet out in the village like this was a possibly-gentle way to get rid of her? Absently Fuka sniffs herself, trying to decide if she forgot to bathe again. No, surely not. She made a very specific point to be presentable before coming to ask and offer favours to the noble thought so highly-of by her friend Kauchemar.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    There are many places for people to meet in Eas. The Dome of Truth, one of the many castle buildings, along the lakeshore, near the main road, the market, etc. Wake elects to meet instead at the recently constructed Inn. It's the tallest structure in the Village of Eas, and the one at which common folk most regularly gather for a meal or a drink. Wake likes it because it is so.. normal. It gets people used to approaching her and seeing her. There is a time and place for being a remote, revered leader. It hasn't come yet.

    While she waits at her usual table, she has sent a young girl (one of her pages) to guide Fukaziroh to the meeting place. The age of the girl isn't terribly important for this task, but she is certainly on the path to womanhood.

    "Pardon me, Lady Fukaziroh. The Baroness Wake sent me to guide you to her. She is waiting for you." The young woman leads the way, demonstrating a bit more than the usual, relaxed pace of a Lander involved in an escort quest.

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    Fuka certainly wasn't expecting to be approached by a girl little more than half her age, so the page's appearance catches her off-guard. Quick to adapt however, she nods in an attempt to be gracious. "Certainly, Miss..." she leaves the statement unfilled, prompting the girl to fill in the blank.

    It's an unexpected act, but seems Fuka wasn't stood up after all! Now, as long as she can manage to pull this off without acting the fool. She's no Uta, dolled up merely to impress nobility. But she has taken considerable care to ensure that this, a stop along the way towards her obsession being fulfilled, isn't one doomed to derailment.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    The young girl pauses to answer, as if talking and walking at once might be a bit too sophisticated for her. Landers have variable levels of complexitiy. Perhaps that is why?

    "I am Emma, my Lady." She bobs into a curtsey, her skirts spread out. She's trained well, it seems.

    That done, the young woman leads onwards, holding open the door for Fukaziroh before entering the inn. Though at this point it is obvious where the Baroness Wake is, Emma leads the rest of the way.

    Baroness Wake is dressed impeccably. Her gown-a blue as dark as the midnight sky-is decorated with fine trails of crystal dust forming the Rose of Eas on her chest and along both arms. A dusting of the crystal glistens like dew when she rises to glide into a curtsey.

    "Lady Fukaziroh, thank you for coming to visit. You are most welcome." Wake's voice is calm and warm, her exression softened by a friendly smile. "Please join me." Wake doesn't just gesture to a seat, but draws it out for her visitor.

    As she does, she nods to Emma and says, "Thank you, my dear. You have done so well! Please go and tell your mother how pleased I am with your work and how grateful I am for your service. If you could return in about two hours, I will have need of your help again."

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    Fukaziroh hides a grin as she sees her words seemingly confuse the young page. Ah youth. Or possibly this is a Lander/NPC thing. No matter, she's fond of Landers in general. Even if they sometimes respond like NPCs in a video game with repetitive dialog, they're still people in her books. And of course the cleverer Landers are pretty much indistinguishable from Adventurers, save in their ability to cheat death.

    A case in point, Fuka has no idea how to deal with Baroness Wake. Gone is the flirty, pleasure-seeking girl who did such a remarkable (and remarked-on) job as a mistress of ceremonies. But having no idea isn't about to stop her! Plans are for those who aren't prepared to handle anything, or something like that.

    "Baroness! Thank you for agreeing to speak with me!" Fuka greets, her tone formal. If she's not as spritely as she was the last time they'd met, well, perhaps that's understandable. She looks at the seat Wake presents for her, a little confused. Do nobility DO that sort of thing? Not in the games she's played or the stories she's read. But her hesitation is brief and fleeting. It would be rude to ignore the gesture, so she allows herself to be seated. "And my thanks as well, Mistress Emma! Perhaps we'll talk later, and you can tell me what it's like here in Eas?" she asks, both to be nice and because she might be spending a bit of time here, if she's lucky.

    When the girl departs, Fuka's impatience gets the better of her. She's never been a particularly patient girl herself, and her fey mood makes that considerably worse. Still, perhaps it's for the best. "I have need of your libraries, my lady. And possibly a work space. I am working on a project of potentially great worth to all, and I hope you might be interested in seeing it completed." she asks, perhaps a lot more formally than she was speaking before. Very cautious she is, at least now. Not at all the typical Fukaziroh really.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    Emma nods agreeably to Fukaziroh. How well she can speak about Eas is up for debate, but she's certainly got a pleasant attitude. With an extra skip in her step, she departs, glowing (as much as a simple Lander can) over the praise she just received.

    Wake settles herself in her original place, smoothing out her skirts with casual grace. She manages to arrange the pattern perfectly with just a brush of her hand.

    At the somewhat abrupt declaration from her guest, the Baroness laughs gently. Her eyes are piercing as she studies Fukaziroh. "I understand what you seek. The Library is of great value to many kinds of work. You are most welcome to use it. As for work space.. before I commit, I would like to better understand what you seek to achieve and what facilities you require. Do not fear! We have no shortage of space, and I understand that right now you are blessed with absolute focus on some matter of great personal importance. We in Eas honor those who are so devoted."

    The Baroness shares a brief look with a woman working at the bar. Perhaps Fukaziroh will recognize Tae, Wake's fiancee, but perhaps not, considering things. Tae, however, knows quite well what she is meant to do, and in very short order food and drink are brought to the table.

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    "Oh, of course!" Fukaziroh agrees, having expected to explain her project in some detail. And she would recognize Tae if she got a fair look at her, but is suffering from a certain degree of excessive focus right now. Tae, being entirely in an unexpected place, does not get sufficient scrutiny. She's too focussed on Wake, and on trying to explain her idea to someone she doesn't actually realize shares her origin on a foreign world.

    "It's known, in Yamato and beyond, that keeping food cool keeps it better protected, both from spoilage and infestation." Fuka begins. "And of course, I've no doubt you have seen mages use their spells to preserve food with ice. This isn't a terribly difficult task for a mage, but it's time-intensive. They have to keep working to keep the food preserved, so often it's better to pack foods in ice, or store them underground where a day's heat can't get to them." she explains. "I'm creating a way to prepare storage boxes that can be charged with mana, and then the mage is freed to go elsewhere, or do other tasks. They're no longer bound for extended periods. It will allow both cold storage and, hopefully, transportation. Foods can be better preserved when brought to market. They'll last longer. And be able to travel further, to distant markets where they might be considered exotic."
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "So you have a way to make refridgerators," Wake replies. She looks thoughtful, but she already sees possibilities. "There are fresh water fish here that we could trade with others if we had this kind of ability. The people of Eas, remote though our home may be, would be able to partake in wonders from every corner of the world. Not to mention how helpful it would be to preserve food against spoilage for use in our time of need. Does it work as well as freezing in the dream before, or is it even better here?"

    Tae arrives at this time, setting the table with the grace of a dancer. She is humming a soft tune (which is absolutely not one of the songs Landers know) as her work continues. It's far from a modest meal that is set out. There are numerous dishes, a sampling of everything that Eas has to offer. Fish, vegetables, bread, and butter. And some thinly cut strips of grunty meat.

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    "Well, I'm working on creating them, yes." Fuka agrees. She hasn't succeeded yet. She seems fairly sure of herself however. "I'm a good enchanter and I can see how a runic spell form and a suitable battery would do the job. I've got a draft of the spell form, but I'm still working on the power source. I've got a lead on someone who's built mana crystals though, so that's an enginee...."

    Pausing in her technobabble, about to say how she needs very little further research and is down to practical details, a certain something suddenly screams inside her mind for attention. "I didn't call it a refrigerator." she observes, eyes narrowing. She studies Wake, uncertain. "And you said..." inspiration strikes suddenly, and she remembers actually seeing Wake participate in a quest. Something she'd wondered about at the time, but then of course she knows the Hunters Guild couldn't be for JUST Adventurers. It was a Lander organization since before there WERE Adventurers!

    Fukaziroh slumps in her chair, suddenly weary and perhaps suspiciously relieved, but not quite sure she should be. "Are you actually an Adventurer then? You know of the .... the Dream?" she asks, still cautious.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "I believe I am the one who started calling it that," replies Wake softly. She certainly did enjoy the run down of all of Fukaziroh's work. Certainly it is beyond her depth. She is no enchanter. But she admires and enjoys hearing someone share something they are passionate about. Perhaps that is why so many come to her for help.

    "The dream before.. what some call the real world. I have my doubts of its reality being deeper than this world's, but," and here she looks to Tae with a smile that is more than simply fond, "all that really matters is the depth of feeling, which could be no greater."

    Tae smiles back and reaches out, setting her hand gently on Wake's cheek. The gesture lasts only a moment, but in that time it conveys everything that lies between them.

    Tae turns her attention to lighting a small grill at the table and it is on this that she starts to grill the strips of grunty meat. It isn't long at all before Fukaziroh finds her plate filled with selections of vegetables, meat, fish, and bread. It is arranged in a beautiful balance of color.

    "And though I love Landers dearly, I came from the dream before. They say if I die, I shall return, though I have never tested it. My days of adventuring are largely behind me, though I will defend the people of Eas tirelessly and without reservation."

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    "Oh thank fu..." Fukaziroh drops her head to her hands, muffling the next bit. "Thank *you* I mean." she mumbles from between her fingers. "I've never tried explaining this to a Lander, and I'm trying to be really careful with this! I don't want to disrupt this world or bring anything terrible, but working with existing magic and tech here, doing what's been done before but better, lasting longer..." she shakes her head, finally lifting it out of her hands.

    She takes note of Tae, actually sees her at this point, and better yet she recognizes her. It's a surprise, but of course it's not surprising. "Hello my lady." she greets the woman, clear relief painted on her face, and perhaps unsurprisingly her eyes are glimmering. Unshed tears, possibly of relief, possibly of seeing the end of the path opening before her. "I see you have set aside your ballroom shoes. This, I must say, suits you well!" she adds gallantly. Maybe slightly flirtaceously. Something she'd never do if she hadn't just seen the warm gesture between the two. It makes flirting with Tae, or Wake for that matter, *safe*.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    Tae laughs gently and looks at Fukaziroh more carefully. It's a deep study from a keen set of eyes, used to taking care of the likes of Uta and succeeding. "Please eat, dear. And I will find you a place to sleep. The village is a bit too far from the library. We have quarters in the Dome of Stars, and we already have sleeping rooms in both the library and whatever work space you are granted will be likewise set up appropriately. We understand the importance of your work. My role is to ensure you eat and sleep."

    The Baroness laughs gently, appreciating just how lucky she is to have a woman who matches her so well. "I imagine that will leave the matter of hygiene to me. I've a knack for that. And I appreciate your methods. I fear my zealous support of steam technology was a grave error. Going forward, I would rather we focus on tapping into the more appropriate means when building a bright, new future."

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    A careful examination of Fukaziroh would show that she's not actually handling her fey mood quite as well as she presents herself. She's showing signs of high stress and exhaustion, and quite probably some malnutrition by now though she's got a ways to go before it would actually harm her. She's clean, but her grooming isn't entirely consistent or up to her normal neat standards. She made a serious effort to be presentable (and that means good things for her state of mind) but honestly that can be entirely attributed to her feeling that she needed to be presentable in order to advance her project.

    Perhaps her reaction to the stress and sudden relief, being seemingly on the edge of tears of relief or joy, should make it clear that she's just different from the normal sort of obsessed Adventurer. Not 'better'. She does seem relieved though, and still quite easygoing even among those she probably should probably be more formal with. She *can* be formal, but it's not really a comfortable fit for her.

    She does eat, though without the joy she would normally approach really good grilled food with. It's a mechanical thing, something she can do while her brain churns instead of focusing on enjoying it. It's obvious she's hungry, but she seems more eager to fill her mind right now. "Steam ... ah yes." she nods, envisioning it. "If I knew more about engineering, or if I was a race more suited to such things, might've done that instead." she admits. "But I've had this idea stuck in my head for a while. When a friend discussed openly that he wanted to create explosives, others more like me tried to strongly discourage him. I... I guess I'm just lucky, in that I had an idea more in harmony with this world and its advantages. And when it got stuck in my head and wouldn't let go, I had ... well, support." she grins. It's a good feeling.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    "You will have the full support of Eas," replies the Baroness. Though the nation might be little more than a fledgling, the power of Wake herself in promoting these efforts is considerable. "Not only in maintaining your health and basic needs, but in everything else you might require."

    Wake herself eats and enjoys the food quite thoroughly. She knows that if she eats well her fiancee is happier. And happy Tae is one of her life goals.

    Tae considers what she has seen and looks at Wake for a moment. "I'll.. make some of the arrangements, lest the work suffer from unacceptable delays." Due to adventurer collapse, in this case.

    The Baroness watches Tae go, sighing wistfully. A few seconds later and her attention again settles completely on Fukaziroh. "Tae will arrange quarters for you near the library and where you can setup a workshop. If you have a list of what is needed, please let me know. I will set my people in motion to gather it immediately. With luck, you will have everything you need to get started within a day. More exotic needs may take longer, of course, but everything moves swiftly along Goldenblade's road."

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    Fukaziroh nods. "Research for now, I think. I'd like to make sure my spell form is sound." she says. It shouldn't be too hard, and it represents the core of her work. "Then I think I'm going to try to seek out a lead on mana crystals. With those, when I return, perhaps if you can arrange suitable storages to enchant? Ideally I'd like to try a room, size doesn't really matter, for the cold storage. And an enclosed wagon for testing transportation. I could sketch out the designs but... ah, I'm not that good at construction or woodworking. Might be you have people far better at such things than me, and could explain the goal of having an enclosed insulated structure with an accessible surface for inscribing the spellform. The rest, after that, is just figuring out how many crystals would be needed to keep a given volume cold for how long. I think I can even work out a variable temperature system, so you can choose between colder storage and longer-lasting charges..."

    Yeah, Fuka's kind of blathering on, talking out her obsession. But hey, doesn't it sound like she knows what she's doing? Maybe she actually does! Or maybe somehow she's tapped into something deeper than her ordinary conscious mind. Uta certainly seemed to think so.
Baroness Wake
Village of Eas



    Somewhere during that avalanche of shoptalk, Wake scoots closer. Then a little bit closer yet. And then she's casually cutting the meat on Fukaziroh's plate and casually lifting the food with her chopsticks and feeding the girl. She saw Tae do it with Uta. The mechanical process of chewing and swallowing seems even more automatic here than in the dream before.

    "It sounds like you have a lot to do. Of course, if you are to make it anywhere, you need to approve the quarters here and ensure they are adequate." Which is of course going to involve getting near a bed and being left with no choice but to sleep.. after a hot bath.

Fukaziroh
Village of Eas


    Shop talk is fun, and productive when she's telling her sponsor what she needs to do and have. Enough so Fuka forgets to eat until prompted to open her mouth and chew. Yes, that seems to be a necessary thing. Fuka may appear to be well-adjusted and easy to convince to do things - and that's relatively true - but she makes up for it with how easily she slides back within her own obsession. She's no stranger to it though. Perhaps surprisingly, she's also entirely appreciative of someone interrupting her to force her to do something she knows she should do! She's always been dutiful, spending time on her studies and engaging in tennis practice every day before she lost herself in her beloved escape into gaming. This, keeping clean and eating and sleeping on something approaching a healthy schedule, is likewise a chore... but she's used to doing chores before indulging.