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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 22:57:20 GMT -6
"No," said Roku. For a moment, nothing happened. Seveth's brain refused to register what was being said. And then, slowly, it sank in, and his eye twitched. Still, he kept smiling. "Aww, come on, Roku! You like that sort of thing, don't you?" "No," said Roku, closing his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I do not." "What?" Now the smile slipped off Seveth's face, replaced by a look of despair. "But you're a cat, aren't you? You're supposed to love going after little scurrying things!" "Recreationally, maybe," said Roku. He was curled up pretty as you please in a patch of sunlight on the bookshelf, looking perfectly round and cat-like. And also lazy and complacent. Hadn't he been part of the same organization that San and Rei had belonged to? How come he was so content to lay about like this? Rei and San were the two most restless people Seveth knew. 1
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 22:57:30 GMT -6
It was part of why Seveth had sort of assumed that Roku would be down to help him for this job. He didn't usually have much to do with Roku, admittedly; the cat wasn't the sort that would let the likes of Seveth pet him, which sort of defeated the purpose of most of what Seveth wanted to do with him. And, he was realizing in retrospect, Roku was also generally pretty good at making himself scarce when Seveth got one of his ideas. Maybe it was some sort of secret assassin's sixth sense. Or assassin's assistant, anyway, since Seveth couldn't really picture Roku killing anybody.
"But what you're asking me to do is a job, and that means it's an employer setting a quota. And you said it was a farm, hmm? That's a lost cause. Trying to fight the rodent infestations in a barn is a losing battle." Roku flicked an ear, and settled himself more comfortably on his perch.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 22:57:51 GMT -6
Seveth opened his mouth to argue, but there was nothing he could really say in the face of that statement. It wasn't as if he knew a lot about farming or running a barn or anything... Though he did know a little about rodent infestations, and in his own limited experience he had never had any luck at resolving them either.
As if to deal the finishing blow, Roku said, "Oh, and by the way, the idea that all cats like to chase mice is a stereotype. It's not very nice to assume, you know."
Seveth sighed. "It's no use arguing with you, is it?"
"Well, so long as you've learned your lesson," Roku replied complacently. Seveth glared at him petulantly for a moment, but of course Roku didn't even give him the satisfaction of observing the expression on his face, what with the cat's eyes being closed and all.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 22:58:03 GMT -6
Seveth deflated. "What am I going to do? I've already accepted the job." Honestly, he really did think that Roku would go for it. He thought that since they had the right kind of creature for the job, all he would have to do was transport Roku to the barn in question and then... well, that would be it.
"I'm sure he wouldn't be happy to hear me say so, but weren't you just going to leave it to San? That's what you usually do." Now Roku did crack open one eye, perhaps to gauge Seveth's reaction.
Seveth blinked, then broke out into a big grin. "Hey, you know, you're right! What am I worrying about? I'll just leave him a note in our journal. He's always doing things that are a pain in the ass." Like that time San went to that dig, and Seveth woke up with blisters and probably the worst shoulder pain he had ever, ever felt.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 22:58:45 GMT -6
With his good humor restored, Seveth went off to do just that. Roku watched him go, then closed his eyes again, and settled down for a nice peaceful nap, free of any further distractions or interruptions. ----- "Roku. You..." The next day, the demeanor of the young man regarding Roku was very different, even though his face was the same. But the cat was unrepentant in the face of a second round of accusatory looks. "Oh, did you hear about the job then?" San glowered at him a moment longer, then sighed. He had known Roku for longer, and knew a lost cause when he saw one. Besides, it was true that this sort of thing happened on a regular basis, and in a sense it was a good thing that Seveth was trying to find jobs, even if he wasn't exactly trying to do the actual work of doing those jobs. 5
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 23:33:35 GMT -6
There was no use trying to convince Roku to go with him, but... it occurred to San that he might ask Ichaival. Normally he'd go alone, or ask Rei to come with him at most, but she was busy with something else today and he didn't know whether this was something she could assist him with anyway. He always enjoyed the company, but even so. It made him uncomfortable to approach Ichaival, but the worst the dragon could do was refuse. And then he would be no worse off than when he had started, with only the prospect of having to do the job himself. When he found the dragon in a park clearing, and proposed the idea, Ichaival looked contemplative, more than anything. San was a little surprised; he hadn't expected it to be so easy. {I suppose I have nothing better to do today. Very well,} Ichaival said. 6
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 23:33:59 GMT -6
San realized afterwards that he hadn't actually thought Ichaival would agree. But seeing as Ichaival had acquiesced, there was nothing to do but to go to the barn in question. It was something of a walk, which passed mostly in stoic silence, but San found it preferable to making awkward small talk. It was often silent between them when he went places with Rei too, and the only difference in the quality was his level of familiarity with his traveling partner.
Once they arrived, the two of them regarded the barn in question. {So? You needed to do... what, exactly? Eradicate the rodents in this place?}
It seemed that Seveth had not filled Ichaival in on the specifics of the job. But then again, Seveth probably hadn't intended to enlist Ichaival's assistance with the job in the first place. San could understand why Roku might have been his first choice, but that hadn't worked out as he had hoped, clearly.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 23:39:49 GMT -6
San... didn't know if he would have made the attempt. Cats were supposed to catch mice, but Roku wasn't really the type that anyone could ask to do anything outside of what he saw as his job. And so he had always done the work they had had as Watchful Ones, but...
... Not for the first time, San wondered how Roku had entered the service in the first place.
But that wasn't the problem at hand. Regarding the barn, San said, "That would probably be the best outcome, but... as I understood it, if we can scare away the mice, that would also be acceptable."
{Scare them, hmm?} Ichaival looked at the barn appraisingly. {Perhaps I could...}
San glanced at Ichaival, but before he could ask what the dragon meant by that, he saw Ichaival take in a sharp inhale of breath. That was all the warning he had before an ear-splitting roar rang out.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 23:45:25 GMT -6
If it had been just a roar, maybe things wouldn't have gone so badly. But apparently it had been some time since Ichaival last flexed its abilities, so to speak. And it just so happened that the muscles that were involved in roaring had some significant overlap with the muscles that controlled its ability to breathe fire...
... And so, in short...
"You burned down my barn?!"
"Ah... Sir, we're really sorry," said Linyü, bowing for what felt like the hundredth time. "I-It was an accident, but, well... We can help rebuild--"
{The rodents are gone,} Ichaival offered, cutting off Linyü's offer to rebuild what they had destroyed. {That was the extent of the request, was it not? A new barn would be a separate contract, with compensation to be negotiated.}
Linyü turned and gave Ichaival an indescribable look. The dragon seemed unruffled, however, even as it was saying these ludicrous things.
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Post by Linyü on Nov 30, 2021 23:52:51 GMT -6
It was especially egregious considering Ichaival was the one who had burned down the barn to begin with. It seemed that the dragon and the cat were of a type, in some sense. Not that Roku had the capacity to burn down a barn, but if he did, it wasn't difficult to imagine him presenting the same unrepentant reaction.
The farmer simply looked between the two of them for a moment, before throwing up his hands and walking away. As he did, he muttered something under his breath about the 'second time this month', but it was too quiet to hear clearly.
At this rate, even the question of whether they would get paid was up in the air, but... There was clearly nothing else to be done about the situation. All they could do now was wash their hands of the situation, and try to find another job elsewhere.
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Post by NPC on Dec 6, 2021 16:11:45 GMT -6
Congratulations, you have successfully completed the quest! Your QP will be added to the bank.
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