Touhouventure 14.Z

[21:55]	GM-Mizi	[Zeke, exhausted by Chen's antics, lie down on the wooden floor, spent. It's tiring to have a bunchloads of cats chasing you nonstop, clawing and whatnot, but you manage to get it done. Chen is entertained, and left elsewhere. All that is left is to leave this place and go to that ominous sounding place... 'scarlet devil mansion.']
[22:01]	Zeke	slumps against the porch of an abandoned house, totally exhausted.
[22:01]	Ran	"So I hope you are ready?"
[22:01]	Ran	enters the porch.
[22:01]	Zeke	continuously catches his breath, and is suddenly surprised by Ran's presence.
[22:02]	Zeke	"Oh, woah! Snuck up on me."
[22:02]	Ran	"Thank you for taking care of my Shikigami. She can be quite a handful."
[22:02]	Zeke	wipes the sweat off his brow and nods.
[22:03]	Zeke	"You know you're old when you can't keep up with kids anymore."
[22:03]	Ran	"She doesn't like being called a kid, however. You might want to note that."
[22:03]	Ran	sits nearby.
[22:05]	Ran	"I can send you there now, if you wish. Yukari already set everything up, including the portal. My job is to activate it when you are ready."
[22:05]	Zeke	glances at her, but she's hard to look at. It's those eyes...
[22:05]	Ran	"So, what do you say?"
[22:06]	Zeke	"Uuugh, well... I'm SUPPOSED to meet back up with Shingyoku first..."
[22:06]	Zeke	doesn't sound super-enthused about that exactly.
[22:07]	Zeke	"But, I mean, come on, I'm 22. I don't need Mom and Dad waiting in the room while I do my interview. How tacky is that?"
[22:07]	Ran	"I don't see her around."
[22:07]	Ran	state that matter of factly.
[22:07]	Ran	"And it's not like she's your girlfriend."
[22:07]	Ran	"Oh wait... is he your boyfriend?"
[22:08]	Ran	"Apologies. I didn't know."
[22:08]	Zeke	massages his temple and sighs wearily.
[22:08]	Zeke	"That's just it. How'm I supposed to feel about someone who's both AND neither?"
[22:08]	Ran	"Beats me."
[22:08]	Ran	shrugs.
[22:09]	Zeke	"Teleportation, energy manipulation, see, that's easy magic. I can deal with that."
[22:09]	Zeke	"THIS is the sort of physical ambiguity that really makes you think. The everyday problems of life, you know?"
[22:10]	Ran	"I don't think you should concern yourself with that."
[22:10]	Ran	"It doesn't effect you, does it?"
[22:12]	Zeke	wiggles his mouth and looks at the weathered wood of the porch.
[22:12]	Zeke	"Well, it does if Shin wants to keep escorting me all over the dang place."
[22:12]	Ran	"..."
[22:13]	Ran	know better to just stay silent in this situation.
[22:14]	Ran	[time passes. No one speaks anything for a while.]
[22:14]	Ran	[Chen can be heard meowing somewhere.]
[22:14]	Ran	[Yukari is... dunno. Doing stuff? Maybe NOT doing stuff.]
[22:15]	Zeke	stretches and stands back up.
[22:15]	Zeke	"Weeellll, no point in delaying the inevitable."
[22:15]	Zeke	"Let me just grab my stuff, if you don't mind."
[22:15]	Ran	"Sure."
[22:16]	Ran	"You look like you don't want to go."
[22:17]	Zeke	shrugs as he walks inside and looks for his pack and walking staff.
[22:18]	Zeke	"Do you play chess, Ms. Ran?"
[22:18]	Ran	"Sometimes. Why?"
[22:19]	Zeke	"It's early game and I just got put into check out of nowhere."
[22:19]	Zeke	"So... I'm a little strung out right now."
[22:19]	Ran	"You are... being pressured?"
[22:19]	Ran	"By who?"
[22:20]	Ran	"Ah. Never mind. It's not my business to inquire."
[22:21]	Zeke	"Really? Huh. I thought it was."
[22:22]	Ran	"...good point."
[22:22]	Ran	opens the gate. That weird gap is there again.
[22:23]	Ran	"Let us chat sometimes. You seem like a decent person."
[22:23]	Zeke	stares into the abyss. And the abyss stares back.
[22:23]	Zeke	nods and stares are something besides the abyss. Like this lady. She's a proper lady.
[22:24]	Zeke	"Thank you, ma'am, I really appreciate that. You're very decent yourself, if I may say so."
[22:24]	Ran	"I have to be, lest I can't keep up with her company."
[22:24]	Ran	sighs.
[22:25]	Ran	"Fare thee well."
[22:25]	Zeke	"Until next we meet."
[22:25]	Zeke	bows rather elegantly.
[22:26]	Ran	[the purple void engulfs Zeke's sense. Once again, he enters the distorted reality. At the other end, there is light, and he is dropped towards it.]
[22:27]	AussiBandMinusC	〜8╼∎❚▇█ ʘ º ⊙ ゜ o ◉ ༠ ▇▆❚∎╾8〜
[22:27]	Zeke	shouts meaningful things!
[22:27]	Zeke	"NON-EUCLIDEAN!"
[22:28]	Zeke	"IA IA, CTHULHU FHTAGN!"
[22:29]	Zeke	"...Can you actually hear me...?"
[22:29]	Ran	[And dropped he is. He landed face first, greeted by the stone pavement. Thankfully it's not high, but it hurts nonetheless. Right in front of him is the gate that belongs to a gigantic manor, and one person is right by the gate...]
[22:30]	Zeke	"Mmiiuum m'oukaugh!"
[22:31]	Zeke	lifts himself to a hunched crouching position using the staff for support.
[22:32]	Meiling	is tall, clad in a traditional green Chinese dress which her form fits well. Her lengthy red hair shifts as she nearly jumps. She leans forward, looking at the new arrival.
[22:32]	Meiling	Uh...
[22:33]	Meiling	Who are you?
[22:34]	Meiling	Are you alright?
[22:35]	Zeke	"Yes, yes, just a moment..."
[22:35]	Zeke	gets himself standing and brushes himself off. He is totally not dressed for a job interview.
[22:37]	Zeke	looks around to make sure this is the right place. There is lots of red past that gate; looks like what he was told about.
[22:37]	Zeke	"E. X. Pike, ma'am. I was told to inquire at the front gate."
[22:37]	Zeke	fishes around for Sakuya's business card and shows it to her.
[22:46]	Meiling	takes it with moderate suprise.
[22:47]	Meiling	Eh? Just a moment...
[22:50]	Meiling	rushes over to the gate and touches a the wall, producing a light magical "ringing" noise.
[22:52]	Zeke	tucks in his shirt and tries to smooth his hair a little. Neither has all that much effect.
[22:55]	AussiBandMinusC	Oh, the Outsider.
[22:55]	AussiBandMinusC	is there.
[22:56]	AussiBandMinusC	is out of smoke bombs. No dramatic entrance. :<
[22:56]	AussiBandMinusC	Finally come to apply for the job, have you?
[22:56]	Zeke	has steeled his will for this crap now. He has to get the playing field level again. They are NOT making him work here until he CHOOSES to work here!
[22:57]	Meiling	doesn't seem particularly surprised by her sudden appearance and merely takes her spot by the gate.
[22:57]	Zeke	"Cast thine bread upon the waters, as it is said."
[22:57]	AussiBandMinusC	hands Meiling lunch. And a blue rose.
[22:58]	Zeke	"May I inquire as to what job openings you have available, exactly?"
[22:58]	Meiling	takes both happily, smiling.
[23:02]	Meiling	's smile remains wide despite the distraction of eating lunch.
[23:04]	AussiBandMinusC	Well, that depends. Would you prefer several veiled references to some unclear but terrible fate, or shall I forgo the drama?
[23:04]	AussiBandMinusC	It's quite popular around Halloween.
[23:06]	Zeke	nods and smirks.
[23:06]	Zeke	"Rather predictable too, if I might add. The best drama is the drama you don't expect, no?"
[23:08]	AussiBandMinusC	knuckle-flip-flip-flips a 50-yen coin around back and forth.
[23:08]	AussiBandMinusC	Well spoken, sir.
[23:08]	AussiBandMinusC	Let's see.
[23:08]	AussiBandMinusC	How are your managerial skills?
[23:10]	Zeke	"I would say above average, though in previous jobs I was not usually given the chance to use them as management was, shall we say, below my pay grade?"
[23:11]	Zeke	"But I manage what I can when I can; every position needs some organization to run smoothly."
[23:11]	AussiBandMinusC	holds up a finger to indicate a pause, then coughs once into her unoccupied fist.
[23:12]	Zeke	stops. That's right... She backhand-insulted his mouth early today.
[23:12]	AussiBandMinusC	pulls her hand away to reveal a white rose on a short, de-thorned stem.
[23:12]	AussiBandMinusC	...Pardon me. Been under the weather a bit, lately. Do go on?
[23:14]	Zeke	isn't really sure what that's supposed to mean...
[23:15]	AussiBandMinusC	twirls the rose in her fingers a little. Meanwhile, at some point the 50-yen coin flipping across other hand's knuckles became a 2-rupee coin.
[23:15]	Zeke	"Ahh, well, I hope you get better. But yes, I feel that given the proper background I can manage something relatively small-scale."
[23:15]	AussiBandMinusC	Hmm.
[23:15]	Zeke	"I do very well with people, and I enjoy working with them."
[23:15]	AussiBandMinusC	thinks about this.
[23:16]	AussiBandMinusC	Define "small-scale".
[23:17]	AussiBandMinusC	Small-scale on the small scale, or small-scale on the broad scale?
[23:18]	AussiBandMinusC	tilts her head slightly, and flicks the white rose away into the air. It lands a few seconds later in Meiling's hair, neatly tucked behind her ear.
[23:19]	Zeke	"Well, I'm not entirely sure what needs you have in your establishment, but I feel I could manage a group of about a dozen without much trouble. It would of course be my hope to manage more as I became more familiar with the job."
[23:20]	Zeke	"May I ask what needs you DO have in this establishment? I might be able to help direct where I feel I'd be best suited."
[23:22]	Zeke	hates having to sit so bloody still in interviews. It's so BORING.
[23:22]	Zeke	does wonder what's the deal with the roses, though...
[23:23]	AussiBandMinusC	mmmm's a bit.
[23:24]	AussiBandMinusC	A dozen... Maybe if I assigned you to one particular group, but that wouldn't make much of a dent...
[23:25]	AussiBandMinusC	looks back at him.
[23:26]	AussiBandMinusC	Well, Mr. Pike. Consider the size of this overly ostentatious residence.
[23:26]	Zeke	looks out at the mansion. And looks... And looks... And looks...
[23:26]	Zeke	"Mhmm, quite impressive."
[23:28]	AussiBandMinusC	While there are only five actual /residents,/ there are many more servants: consider the work that must be done to maintain a place this large. Now consider that they also need to maintain it to the standards required for this lavish lifestyle.
[23:29]	Zeke	nods and shows a look of pensive consideration.
[23:30]	AussiBandMinusC	And that's not even considering the... Hang on, you've got something in your ear.
[23:31]	AussiBandMinusC	plucks out a krugerrand from Zeke's ear. She pauses, looks at the 10-yuan coin in her other hand, and switches them, handing the Chinese coin to him, and putting the newly obtained gold coin through its paces.
[23:33]	Zeke	takes the coin. Come on, sleight of hand as a time mage? Like he's going to be impressed by that NOW.
[23:33]	Zeke	"Thank you, ma'am. I didn't know I was carrying that around with me."
[23:34]	AussiBandMinusC	Sorry about that. And that's not even considering the library. Which is functionally infinite, if the librarian is feeling cranky. But the reason it's not considered is because she maintains it herself. In fact, this whole tangent has been a feint. I'm on a chair.
[23:34]	AussiBandMinusC	is, in fact, on a chair. There wasn't one here before. There is now.
[23:35]	Meiling	finishes her lunch and fiddles a bit with the rose in her hair, looking pleased. She stands by holding the other rose behind her back.
[23:36]	Zeke	"To be fair, ma'am, I disagree. You make a valid point."
[23:37]	Zeke	"What good is management of a dozen when you need hundreds?"
[23:38]	Zeke	"But to that I say, what matters to ME is that the one dozen do their jobs."
[23:38]	Zeke	"I'll be honest. I've worked in some thankless jobs. Bad ones with bad managers."
[23:39]	Zeke	"And in those situations the only way to work is to manage yourself; hold yourself to your OWN standard, y'know?"
[23:39]	Zeke	"I couldn't worry about other people's jobs; my job was to do MY job."
[23:40]	Zeke	"If my job is to manage one dozen, I do that job the best I can, regardless of how much difference it's making in the long run."
[23:41]	Zeke	"And if I manage correctly then it WILL make a difference. Even one raindrop raises the sea; imagine what a dozen can do to it."
[23:42]	Zeke	takes a somewhat deep breath. She actually let him talk for once; that was refreshing.
[23:42]	Meiling	leans back on the gate and rests her eyes. Seems they'll be chatting for a while...
[23:45]	AussiBandMinusC	...Ever considered municipal politics?
[23:45]	AussiBandMinusC	Or speechwriter.
[23:46]	Zeke	smirks.
[23:46]	AussiBandMinusC	You're missing your real calling.
[23:46]	Zeke	"Politics isn't really my thing; that's a jungle that'll eat you alive."
[23:47]	Zeke	"But I've dabbled in a bit of writing. Kind of tough to make a living out of it in my world, though."
[23:48]	Zeke	shrugs.
[23:49]	AussiBandMinusC	Mmm.
[23:50]	Zeke	"Our world doesn't care about GOOD writing. It cares about RELIABLE writing."
[23:50]	Zeke	"And reliable tends to get boring rather fast in my eyes."
[23:50]	AussiBandMinusC	Gosh. What a strange and fantastic world you must come from!
[23:51]	Zeke	"Wait until you see the horseless flying carriages."
[23:51]	AussiBandMinusC	says it so seriously that it's only slightly obvious he's being made fun of.
[23:52]	Zeke	catches it; intonation or no intonation, he's heard that line too much to EVER take it seriously.
[23:52]	AussiBandMinusC	Ooooh. ...And to think, I've only been to the /moon./
[23:53]	AussiBandMinusC	says it like she may as well have been saying "the 7-11 down by the corner."
[23:53]	Zeke	tilts his head from side to side in a not-nod.
[23:53]	AussiBandMinusC	Surely the Outside is a world of wonders.
[23:54]	Zeke	"Yeah, I get that a lot."
[23:55]	Zeke	says it like she may as well have said "That's a nice shirt you've got there".
[23:55]	AussiBandMinusC	Has that world of wonders prepared you for the task of attempting to commandeer twelvestrong maidens of little wit and fleeting attention span?
[23:56]	Zeke	"Ahh, hmmm, now hold on, you're going a little fast for me here."
[23:56]	Zeke	leans back a little.
[23:56]	Zeke	"You still haven't told me just what sort of jobs you're looking for."
[23:57]	Zeke	"I don't want to commit to anything without knowing all the facts, you see; I might be more of a hindrance to you than I would to myself, you see, and we wouldn't want that."
[23:58]	Zeke	is trying his best to keep smooth; she's being awful stubborn for an interviewer.
[23:58]	Meiling	has drifted off. She hugs the blue rose to her chest.
[00:01]	AussiBandMinusC	glances back for a moment, then resumes talking to Zeke. Nobody shall ever know how loud her mental squeeing was.
[00:01]	AussiBandMinusC	But of course.
[00:02]	AussiBandMinusC	However, the duties here are many and manifest.
[00:02]	AussiBandMinusC	We already have plenty of hired help, you see.
[00:02]	AussiBandMinusC	There is a slight problem, however.
[00:03]	Zeke	"Oh?"
[00:04]	Zeke	is relieved. At least she's finally getting to "The Catch".
[00:11]	AussiBandMinusC	flickers slightly, and then is all of a sudden holding up two young girls in maid outfits (much less abbreviated than her own in the skirt department) by the scruff of their collar. They seem confused for a moment-- one appears to be trying to sweep with a broom that's no longer in her hands, while another makes clothes-folding motions for a moment before noticing the lack of linens before her
[00:12]	Zeke	can't hide a small shock at their sudden appearance; he's seen fairies around here and there, but that was still kind of abrupt.
[00:12]	GM-Mizi	[it is indeed the catch.]
[00:13]	AussiBandMinusC	They make various cute sounds of confusion, then realize they're being held like a pair of kittens by the silver-haired woman. They look at her, then at the human in front of them, and shrink back slightly, if by slightly, one means "a lot."  They have long, translucent --but still quite visible-- wings.
[00:14]	AussiBandMinusC	MANNERS.
[00:14]	AussiBandMinusC	hisses at them.
[00:14]	Zeke	"Oh, woah, okay, waaaasn't expect that. Hello."
[00:15]	AussiBandMinusC	They bow slightly, trying not to look nervous, and pretty much failing.
[00:15]	Zeke	bows back. Apparently these are the problem, or are these examples of the problem?
[00:16]	Zeke	"Good afternoon, misses."
[00:16]	Zeke	"Isn't that a little rude, ma'am, moving them like this?"
[00:17]	Zeke	asks Sakuya, and does so by looking at her eye level, not theirs.
[00:17]	AussiBandMinusC	lets go of them, but they both vanish into the air. The first hint of a note of their respective yelps lingers in the air.
[00:17]	AussiBandMinusC	shrugs.
[00:17]	AussiBandMinusC	They're fairies.
[00:17]	Zeke	's eyebrows show skepticism.
[00:18]	AussiBandMinusC	And that is the crux of the issue, Mr. Pike.
[00:18]	AussiBandMinusC	A better question might have been: "How are you with children?"
[00:18]	Zeke	has somehow still missed exactly what "the problem" is with fairies.
[00:19]	AussiBandMinusC	...Of course, this would have given you entirely the wrong impression, which is why it was not asked earlier.
[00:19]	AussiBandMinusC	admits.
[00:20]	Zeke	wants her to expound on the fairy problem, but he thinks he gets the basics, and it'd be unprofessional to ask.
[00:20]	Zeke	"You could have just explained the job description; I would have understood."
[00:21]	Zeke	"So... Management."
[00:21]	Zeke	says it like it's a question, but doesn't inflect as such.
[00:23]	AussiBandMinusC	Then you shouldn't have skipped the vague-and-terrible-fate option.
[00:24]	AussiBandMinusC	folds her arms. The quarter (Canadian) disappears.
[00:25]	AussiBandMinusC	Management of fairies is a little like running a daycare, but with fewer heartwarming moments, and more stress.
[00:25]	AussiBandMinusC	holds out a hand to the side.
[00:26]	AussiBandMinusC	But at least there are fewer throwing up and "oh god what did you just put in your mouth" type incidents.
[00:26]	Zeke	nods.
[00:26]	Zeke	"A fair trade, I'd say."
[00:27]	AussiBandMinusC	Indeed.
[00:27]	Zeke	"So are they MENTALLY children, or just distractable?"
[00:27]	AussiBandMinusC	Maybe.
[00:27]	AussiBandMinusC	shrugs.
[00:28]	AussiBandMinusC	They're terrible workers, in my estimation. But if you're willing to help me out with an experiment, I'd like to see how accurate that estimation was.
[00:31]	AussiBandMinusC	Fairies are about as distractable and diligent as children. Their mental capacity can be anywhere from a dog to a teenager. I've made a point of only hiring those that can speak and follow directions.
[00:32]	Zeke	"If you don't mind, could I get a tour before committing to anything? It'd help me assess the situation, I think."
[00:33]	AussiBandMinusC	flickers again.
[00:33]	AussiBandMinusC	stays gone, this time.
[00:34]	Zeke	blinks. Aww crap.
[00:34]	AussiBandMinusC	reappears about twenty seconds later.
[00:35]	Zeke	can be found looking at the sleeping Meiling.
[00:35]	AussiBandMinusC	The Mistress has decided to grant your request.
[00:36]	AussiBandMinusC	Expect to be toyed with.
[00:37]	Zeke	turns back to Sakuya.
[00:37]	Zeke	"I'll stay professional. Thank you, ma'am."
[00:41]	AussiBandMinusC	slips over to Meiling, and taps her on the nose.
[00:41]	AussiBandMinusC	Mi belle rouge~
[00:42]	AussiBandMinusC	It is gate-opening time~
[00:42]	Meiling	jumps awake.
[00:42]	Meiling	Ah-sorry!
[00:42]	Meiling	offers a slight bow before leaping over the gate and opening it.
[00:44]	Zeke	knows that feel; you fight to stay awake, and you don't even know you're asleep when you are.
[00:46]	Meiling	quickly gets the gate open.
[00:48]	Meiling	Please come on in.
[00:48]	Meiling	bows. When she looks up, her sincere smile has recomposed itself.
[00:50]	Zeke	"Thank you, ma'am."
[00:50]	Zeke	walks inside. There is no sense of foreboding as he passes the gate; he's already got that.
[00:53]	GM-Mizi	[And in he goes, right into the belly of the beast. Walking straight into the fate unknown. who is this 'mistress' the silver-haired lady speak of? Expec to be toyed with? is she some sort of evil incarnate,a s the name of the manor implies? One can only wonder, as Zeke keep moving forward.]
[00:54]	GM-Mizi	[That, gentlemen, is a story for the next time. Until then...]
[00:54]	GM-Mizi	[*curtain closes.*]