The Gold Saucer, Eastern Thanalan ~ Early Evening
Perspective: Kisusu Kisu
I never was much of a betting woman, much less blessed with great luck as some of my colleagues oft complained. And since it effectively cost me nothing to play the Mini Cactpot at the Gold Saucer anyways, so there was no reason not to play every time I passed by.
Today's attempts was well within expectations. The first one was a bust, and the second one wasn't too much better. But for the third and final one, I had the luck to reveal the 3 and 1 spaces in the same line. Of course, that setup wasn't always the winning one, but after marking my card and handing in to the clerk, the smile on his face told me that once again, I had hit the cactpot. Sure, ten thousand MGP was a drop in the bucket compared to some of the high rollers, but a win is a win in my book.
Grinning, I had put my hand up to my ear to announce my minor windfall over the Pekoe Academy linkshell, but before I could say I word, the pearl in my ear rang out to tell me I had someone trying to contact me directly. I accepted the hail and listened expectantly, clapping my other ear shut to block out the ambient sound of the Gold Saucer.
"K-...Kisusu...?"
Barely audible was a faint and weak voice, followed by a series of heavy coughs.. It took me a while to recognize who was at the other end. Fuyuki Fuyo, a fellow professor at the Academy. However, for her to be calling me by my name instead of the nickname borne from an embarrassing typo put me on edge. Frowning, I responded.
"Fuyu? What's up?"
"I'm...I'm at the Academy's entrance..." Fuyuki's voice replied, interrupted by coughing again. "I...I need you to heal me a bit..."
I couldn't help but stagger at the request. Aside from myself and Porom, Fuyuki was one of the most skilled healers among the Pekoe staff. How is it that she couldn't treat her own wounds? My frown intensified as I took a deep and concerned sigh. I closed my eyes as I concentrated my mind, focusing on the miniature aetheryte at the Academy.
"...Yeah, hang on. I'll be right there." I said as I started to feel my aether get pulled away, adding on with a cheeky grin. "Oh, by the way, Cactpot.
The world seemed to pull away and the rushing sound of wind and the high pitch whine of magic filled my ears, but it was not enough to drown out Fuyuki's biting laugh, cursing me over the linkshell as she always had.
"Bloody demon's luck..."
Pekoe Academy, Shirogane - Early Evening
In a moment I felt myself on solid ground, the carpeted flooring and bright lights of the Gold Saucer replaced by the dimly-lit stone streets of Shirogane. With Fuyuki's earlier description of 'at the entrance', I had expected to to be somewhere near the archway, but it only took a few more steps to see the form of a Raen woman in Doman garb face-down on the lawn, halfway between the Academy's front door and the entryway arch. It wasn't the first time I had come across her like this, and far from like to be the last. But there was another immediate problem: her usually snow-white hair was tinted an icy blue.
"Wow. What in the seven hells happened to you?" I muttered as I skittered beside her. Without knowing what exactly was wrong, I turned my friend over so that she could lie on her back and held my hands over her chest to start channeling a minor healing spell.
"Remember the first time my hair turned like this?" Fuyuki replied. Based on her voice, whatever she had injured to cause her cough seemed to have been repaired for now. In fact, it seemed like she had suffered very little -physical- damage overall, rather she aetherial makeup had been, for lack of a better term, shaken up.
I blinked and shook my head with a sigh, maintaining the healing processes. "Yep. A very bad idea, girl."
For reasons still incomprehendable to me, she had attempted to use Flow. A forbidden spell, albeit because it was needlessly risky. Teleportation spells were simple enough and carried very little risk nowadays, albeit limited by the need to target and Aetheryte and by the caster's only anima strength. Apparently, she had need to work around those to limitations.
"Remember the other bad idea I had?" Fuyuki continued. Her eyes opened and she looked at me with a wry grin. Her limbal rings were still that icy blue, instead of the pure white like her hair used to be.
"You mean what Sev told us, the last time you ended up unvoluntarily face-down?" I rolled my eyes and laughed, before sighing as she joined me in laughter, covering her mouth. Based on what Seventh Heaven (yeah, she wasn't entirely happy with the name, yet she never bothered to change it on the registrar), Fuyuki had been researching geomantic charms and other Far Eastern magics. While the movement of her arm should have been a good thing, meaning her strength was returning, I noticed several rectangular burn marks on her her arm.
"And now you had third bad idea, made up of the first two?!" I exclaimed, shifting my healing to focus on her arms. As the burn marks on the pale-skinned woman's arm faded, Fuyuki laughed again and nodded. "I don't know whether to call you a genius for managing to use that spell twice, and living, or a dumbass for even thinking about it at all!" I said, the most I could really do in admonishment.
"How about, 'madwoman', as a compromise?" Fuyuki quipped in return. I took out my staff and lightly tapped her on her horn. While she winced, due to her horn being oddly a weakpoint, the Raen's own spirit seemed to be undimmed.
"Tch. More like 'reckless gambler'" I grumbled, bracing myself for the retort that I knew was going to happen.
"Says the girl who just came in from the Gold Saucer!"
Predictable. Honestly, despite nearly mangling herself again, I found myself rather unable to get too upset. I eased up on my healing spells and offered my friend a hand.
"Pfft. I need to drag you there one time," I said as I pulled her to her feet, then smirked. "Maybe there you'll learn to make a smaller bets in a safer setting."
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Eccentricity Rationale
Pekoe Academy, Shirogane ~ Approaching Midnight
Perspective: Seventh Heaven
"Of all the flowers my parents could have named me after, it had to be this one."
That thought always struck me every time I passed by the large bundle of Seventh Heaven in our Free Company's storeroom. In anticipation for the influx of new, the Headmaster and some of the other professors had stockpiled those flowers, along with Astral Moraine and bear's fat for the Astral Oil that was needed for the construction of Aetherial Wheels. While the influx came and went as expected, the stockpile far outstripped our needs, and now it was taking precious space inside our storeroom.
Initially, my plan was to restock the Free Company's supply of dyes, for both student and teacher were rather rapt followers of Masked Rose's weekly competition. But among the other sundries were materials for the multitude of company projects, from orchestrion restoration, gardening supplies and harvests, and the company's airship. Any space that we could spare was valuable, so even if the Astral Oil was not needed immediately, it would probably best to process the last batch for the sake of freeing up capacity for the rest of the company's plans.
We did have a workshop for Disciples of the Hand with various workstations inside the Academy, but that was reserved primarily for students. Most of the professors who had commissions either worked outside or in the downstairs lounge if their task allowed. And that was where I was headed this night, bag of reagents over my shoulder and portable alembic in hand. Despite how late at night it was, it seemed like I wasn't alone.
For sprawled about face-down on the tatami flooring was a white-haired Raen woman in the middle of a rather comically towering pile of books. Based on the way she was lying down, it looked like she was standing before suddenly passing out from exhausted, which was unsurprising. Fuyuki, or Fuu-chan as I called her, had the unfortunate curse of not knowing when to take a break, so this was far from the first time we had seen her like this. What was surprising was the garb she had on, an old Doman Shrine Maiden's attire. She had gotten herself a set when the first Domans arrived in Mor Dhona, but put it away after a while. Why? I wasn't inclined to ask.
With a tired groan, I set down my alembic in a free space in the lounge and started to prepare the first batch of Astral Oil. As I started the compressor, I said with a chuckle, "Hey, Fuu-chan, you know, we really ought to get you a proper room."
"Sev, please die twice in a fire."
Amused, I looked up from my hands. Fuyuki's voice was still muffled by how she was speaking right into the floor, though I could see her tail curling up ever so slightly. The fact that she had responded so quickly and with such amiable vitriol told me she was likely conscious even before I walked downstairs.
"Eh. I'll see if I can fit in into my schedule," I quipped in return. A huff and a chuckle was the reply I received as I looked back to my alembic. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Fuyuki sit back up again, shaking her head and knocking on the side of her left horn in frustration. "Lemme guess, even after your nap you're still stumped?" I asked.
"Mn...I have the theory down. I got several...possible things. But what I was thinking of using it for...probably won't work."
I looked up again to the books she was poring over. From what I could tell, it was related to something geomantic, mentions of 'kami' and such. It explained Fuyuki's outfit, but I still had to ask, "This for your demon-slaying project?" The white-haired girl nodded as she took a seat on a nearby sofa and stared into the wall across from her. About a month or so ago, I had noticed her oddly disappearing after classes were finished, only to explain it as part of some sensitive project for a friend. I knew better than to pry further at that time.
After a bit of awkward silence, punctuated by the press of my alembic, I asked, "So, what now?"
"I mean, the most I've lost is time," Fuyuki said, frowning more than usual and with a shrug. "I've learned a lot. I'm glad that I have. It's been a good nostalgia trip, I mean...I'm back in my old Shrine Maiden outfit." The white-haired girl chuckled and I chuckled with her as I poured out the oil from the alembic's chamber. "I'm just upset that this is the second time in short order where I've had an idea, pursued it, and now I really don't have anything useful for what I thought...would be useful."
"First time is your teleportation experiment gone awry?" I asked, capping off the bottle. Fuyuki sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, then nodded. Even at a distance and through her eyelids that were narrowed in frustration, I could see the one-white limbal rings of my friend glowing faintly blue, the last mark of evidence that she tried that absurd spell. Then those eyes looked right at me, then at the alembic that I was operating.
"Astral Oil?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah. Just wanted to clear up space." I responded, shrugging as a set up for the next batch. "I mean, eh....Headmaster Kaus hasn't set up anything for more Wheels, and at this point it may not even be worth making, but I figured...better to have it on hand now and never use it versus feeling regretful over not doing something when I had the chance."
I could feel the icy stare from the corner of my eye, though it broke off and looked contemplatively towards the mess of books, red ink, and strips of paper at the other end of the lounge. I shrugged it off and focused on my work until I heard the rustle of movement and Fuyuki muttering in a tone somewhere between impressed and annoyed. Pausing, I looked up to see her take a seat in front of a few strips of paper.
"That's the spirit, Fuu-chan" I said with a chuckle. Fuyuki grabbed a brush and tilted her head to look back towards me so that she could roll her eyes with a grin which I dared matched with my own.
Perspective: Seventh Heaven
"Of all the flowers my parents could have named me after, it had to be this one."
That thought always struck me every time I passed by the large bundle of Seventh Heaven in our Free Company's storeroom. In anticipation for the influx of new, the Headmaster and some of the other professors had stockpiled those flowers, along with Astral Moraine and bear's fat for the Astral Oil that was needed for the construction of Aetherial Wheels. While the influx came and went as expected, the stockpile far outstripped our needs, and now it was taking precious space inside our storeroom.
Initially, my plan was to restock the Free Company's supply of dyes, for both student and teacher were rather rapt followers of Masked Rose's weekly competition. But among the other sundries were materials for the multitude of company projects, from orchestrion restoration, gardening supplies and harvests, and the company's airship. Any space that we could spare was valuable, so even if the Astral Oil was not needed immediately, it would probably best to process the last batch for the sake of freeing up capacity for the rest of the company's plans.
We did have a workshop for Disciples of the Hand with various workstations inside the Academy, but that was reserved primarily for students. Most of the professors who had commissions either worked outside or in the downstairs lounge if their task allowed. And that was where I was headed this night, bag of reagents over my shoulder and portable alembic in hand. Despite how late at night it was, it seemed like I wasn't alone.
For sprawled about face-down on the tatami flooring was a white-haired Raen woman in the middle of a rather comically towering pile of books. Based on the way she was lying down, it looked like she was standing before suddenly passing out from exhausted, which was unsurprising. Fuyuki, or Fuu-chan as I called her, had the unfortunate curse of not knowing when to take a break, so this was far from the first time we had seen her like this. What was surprising was the garb she had on, an old Doman Shrine Maiden's attire. She had gotten herself a set when the first Domans arrived in Mor Dhona, but put it away after a while. Why? I wasn't inclined to ask.
With a tired groan, I set down my alembic in a free space in the lounge and started to prepare the first batch of Astral Oil. As I started the compressor, I said with a chuckle, "Hey, Fuu-chan, you know, we really ought to get you a proper room."
"Sev, please die twice in a fire."
Amused, I looked up from my hands. Fuyuki's voice was still muffled by how she was speaking right into the floor, though I could see her tail curling up ever so slightly. The fact that she had responded so quickly and with such amiable vitriol told me she was likely conscious even before I walked downstairs.
"Eh. I'll see if I can fit in into my schedule," I quipped in return. A huff and a chuckle was the reply I received as I looked back to my alembic. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Fuyuki sit back up again, shaking her head and knocking on the side of her left horn in frustration. "Lemme guess, even after your nap you're still stumped?" I asked.
"Mn...I have the theory down. I got several...possible things. But what I was thinking of using it for...probably won't work."
I looked up again to the books she was poring over. From what I could tell, it was related to something geomantic, mentions of 'kami' and such. It explained Fuyuki's outfit, but I still had to ask, "This for your demon-slaying project?" The white-haired girl nodded as she took a seat on a nearby sofa and stared into the wall across from her. About a month or so ago, I had noticed her oddly disappearing after classes were finished, only to explain it as part of some sensitive project for a friend. I knew better than to pry further at that time.
After a bit of awkward silence, punctuated by the press of my alembic, I asked, "So, what now?"
"I mean, the most I've lost is time," Fuyuki said, frowning more than usual and with a shrug. "I've learned a lot. I'm glad that I have. It's been a good nostalgia trip, I mean...I'm back in my old Shrine Maiden outfit." The white-haired girl chuckled and I chuckled with her as I poured out the oil from the alembic's chamber. "I'm just upset that this is the second time in short order where I've had an idea, pursued it, and now I really don't have anything useful for what I thought...would be useful."
"First time is your teleportation experiment gone awry?" I asked, capping off the bottle. Fuyuki sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, then nodded. Even at a distance and through her eyelids that were narrowed in frustration, I could see the one-white limbal rings of my friend glowing faintly blue, the last mark of evidence that she tried that absurd spell. Then those eyes looked right at me, then at the alembic that I was operating.
"Astral Oil?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah. Just wanted to clear up space." I responded, shrugging as a set up for the next batch. "I mean, eh....Headmaster Kaus hasn't set up anything for more Wheels, and at this point it may not even be worth making, but I figured...better to have it on hand now and never use it versus feeling regretful over not doing something when I had the chance."
I could feel the icy stare from the corner of my eye, though it broke off and looked contemplatively towards the mess of books, red ink, and strips of paper at the other end of the lounge. I shrugged it off and focused on my work until I heard the rustle of movement and Fuyuki muttering in a tone somewhere between impressed and annoyed. Pausing, I looked up to see her take a seat in front of a few strips of paper.
"That's the spirit, Fuu-chan" I said with a chuckle. Fuyuki grabbed a brush and tilted her head to look back towards me so that she could roll her eyes with a grin which I dared matched with my own.
Itinerant Apothecary
Errant Star Sundries, Radz-at-Han ~ A Tense Early Evening
1st Day of 5th Umbral Moon
Perspective: Noémie Clement
-All containers must be labeled with exact content and proper method of handling. Include all potential hazards and instructions in case of accident.-
That was one of the first things that I was taught when I first joined the Errant Star Sundries. While the more cynical would point to it being merely a method of reducing monetary loss, it was more to protect us employees. Among the myriad of mining and quarrying companies, the Errant Star specialized in the more magical and arcane materials, things that could detonate if you so much as looked at it funny.
Of course, there was always going to be an exception, and the exception this past month was a was small crate tucked into the far corner of the storeroom. By the container only, it would be easily missable, but there more than a few conspicuous wards set up around it. Unlike the other shipments we've received, it was personally carried in by my boss, owner, and founder of the Errant Star, Quentin Deschamps. He had walked in, a wild grin on his face, placed several powerful arcane wards on it, then finally told me that he and he alone would handle when the time came.
The reason for the secrecy eluded me. More than a fair share of rare metals, magicked stones, and esoteric implements have passed through our halls, and being responsible for keeping tabs on our stock, I generally was given at least the slightest hint as to the contents if I wasn't allowed to be fully privy. All I was allowed to write down in the ledger was the following:
-Special Parcel - To be hand-delivered.-
Of course, today had to be one of those days that could serve as an excellent example of why we were such sticklers for proper labeling.
As scheduled, we had a large order to fill for the Four Seasons, one of the most prominent apothecaries in Radz-at-Han and owned by the Fuyo clan, one of the few Domans living in Radz-at-Han. The Errant Star had a long relationship with that shop, Quentin being a longtime friend of the Fuyo family, and especially with Tadashi Fuyo, the father of the family. Even I myself was a good friend of one of the daughters, Chiaki Fuyo, who ended up being the liaison who would pick up their weekly orders.
This time around, however, was plagued by a pileup of clerical errors, errors that caused the crate that was meant to be handed off to be filled with all the wrong items. Thankfully, Chiaki was as diligent as always and opened the lid, allowing us to spot the grave mistake and quickly compose the proper contents. Sure, she was a childhood friend, but it did not make that frantic half-hour of tracking down and packing any less awkward.
Even though Chiaki had walked out the door with a grin as large as the crate she held in, I was still drowning in embarassment as I fixed up the storeroom that was thrown into disarray. As I moved boxes and crates and coffers, I kept mentally recounting the number of crystals and stones we had packed; despite checking twice, no, three times, there was still a lingering doubt that I had miscounted and not given enough. Over the sound of shuffling sundries, I could still hear the front door open and close, paying it it no heed until I heard Quentin speak, in his usual cheery voice, a dreaded line.
"Well well, Miss Fuyo. You came back earlier than expected."
In the safety of the storeroom, there would be no one to hear my deflated and embarrassed sigh. Definitely, definitely, there was a miscount.
"Apologies, Master Deschamps," replied a soft voice. "My impatience got the better of me, and I wanted to square away this matter as soon as possible."
I blinked, not sure of what I was hearing, except that it was not Chiaki's voice at all. A mix of of curiosity and worry quickly bubbled as I swiftly strode to the entrance of the storeroom and peeked into the lobby. In the distance, I saw a Raen girl clad in what looked like a worn and faded poncho and bandanna, sporting a cold glare on her face, and carrying with her what I suspected as a staff, all wrapped up in rough linen cloth. If the girl in front of me was a daughter of the Fuyo family, there was only had that unmistakable appearance and demeanor.
"F-Fuyuki?" I asked, incredulous. The chilling stare on the other girl melted as she looked towards me, turning into a smile as she bowed in the way that the people in the Far East did.
"Ah. Noémie-chi. It's been too long." Fuyuki replied, her voice rather chipper. Too long indeed...it was five years since she had left for Eorzea without a single word, and I hadn't seen her since. But before I could say anything more, Fuyuki spoke up again. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this time I'll be only here for...a short while."
Only a short while? Again? I had to frown. Chiaki would always tell me after the fact that Fuyuki had visited, and even then, it seemed like the youngest of the four Fuyo sisters only returned to drop off whatever treasures and tomes she had acquired from her various jobs in Eorzea. I found my earlier voice stolen by the disappointing news, though thankfully Quentin was quick on the draw and proceeded with business, motioning for Fuyuki to follow, then pointed to me as if to tell me to prepare the ledger again.
"Thankfully, I figured you would need a little bit more." Quentin laughed as she stepped through the doorway to the storeroom. As Fuyuki followed after, I could see her eyebrow raise, rather amused. It was a silently-asked question that was swiftly answered. "Well, if your project failed, you'd need more to try again. And if it succeeded, you'd probably were in need to make far more. And so, I figured I could save you some time and cut out the middleman."
Something wasn't adding up. If Fuyuki had put in an order, I surely would have been able to see it. From what Chiaki had told me, Fuyuki had branched out from the family's trade and dove into metalworking, so I had expected Quentin to turn towards the metal section of the storeroom. But as he kept walking on, suspicion slowly crept up on me as I tailed behind my childhood friend.
"I appreciate the forethought." Fuyuki replied, starting to chuckle. "I gave myself enough time for a length chat and note-taking session. So if you have have I was looking for already, what I am to do until the next ferry?"
Immediately, my mind had an answer. "Well, your sisters miss you so much, Fuyu."
"If they miss me that much, then they should go back to practicing their aim," the white-hair girl quipped before chuckling. The retort was immediate, but that chuckle was short lived as Quentin added in.
"And your parents, too."
I looked to where Quentin had finally stopped and flinched in surprise, though in hindsight I shouldn't have been so surprised. Right in front of the magick-bound crate. Even though the mystery of that crate was finally to be revealed, I felt a certain sense of unease instead of relief.
"Then they can keep missing for all I care."
Fuyuki shot back with a more bitter retort, her face back to that icy glare. I knew her well enough that she was still joking for the most part, but I understood why there was still a little bit of vitriol left. As far as I was aware, the decision to journey to Eorzea was making good on an ultimatum that her family did not expect her to take. Thankfully, Quentin also took it in stride as well as he kneeled in front of the crate and started to dispel the wards.
"...look, I know Tadashi has been always been a stubborn, prideful man. But after you left for Eorzea, something in him broke. He really was at a loss for...a few years really." Quentin explained. Fuyuki sighed and shook her head, walking up to stand behind Quentin and watch the wards being dispelled. From the start she was gifted with magicks, and constantly curious about it. Meanwhile, I took a step back, tapping my fingers against the wall nervously. I wasn't expecting to get caught in family matters.
Quentin continued to effortlessly dispel the wards one by one, affording him the luxury of talking at the same time. "Want to know something? A while go, maybe a few months, he commissioned a small box to hold your letters in. Not too big, but still sizable. Black lacquer, with silver inlays in the shape of snowflakes."
From where I stood, I could see Fuyuki grind her teeth and shake her head. I stepped forward and placed a hand on my friend's shoulder and it seemed to have an immediate effect, at least easing the tension in the air until a sharp snap pierced the air. Both of us flinched and looked to Quentin who was dusting his hands with a chuffed expression before picking up the crate and walking over to the two of us.
"Here's the deal," Quentin chuckled, handing over the crate to Fuyuki as he spoke. "Stay in Han a little longer and at least greet the old man. And if it doesn't go well, I'll give you a refund."
Fuyuki grimaced and shook her head, replying with a faint laugh, "...you know I wouldn't have the heart to come back for the gil."
"Of course I know. And I know where in Kugane to send it anyways."
There was a wicked smirk on Quentin's face, and in horror I looked to Fuyuki for her reaction, only to be taken aback by the sight of a similarly twisted grin. My boss nodded and gestured at the crate, and to sate my curiosity, walked back to Fuyuki, peering over her shoulder as she opened the box. At first the sight of the stones seemed unremarkable, like lumps of dirty snow. Then, the realization hit me.
"W-white Auracite?!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the walls of the storeroom and causing Fuyuki to flinch, nearly dropping the box. After a quick apology from me, the Raen shut the lid and nodded with a tired smile.
"Indeed. This bit was bound for the Isle of Val before it...vanished." Quentin winked at the last word before becoming serious again. "Long story short, since the original recipient had, ahem, no longer a need of it, I was able to take possession of it for only a...nominal fee. The seller seemed to not appreciate the value of it as much as one would have expected, but that's business."
"And the fee?" Fuyuki asked, matching Quentin's serious face. "I only brought the original amount you quoted, but if you have it here-"
My boss shook his head and smiled. "I had your order ready long before you came to ask. But if you insist on paying the difference...go see your old man."
A wry smile spread across my friend's face as she tucked the crate under one arm and reached for a small sack of gil with her free hand, unceremoniously throwing it into Quentin's hand. "Well. Since you insisted."
Quentin smiled brightly and nodded to me. I rolled my eyes with a grin as I took out my notebook, scratching one line and replacing it with another:
-Special Parcel - Paid in Full.-
1st Day of 5th Umbral Moon
Perspective: Noémie Clement
-All containers must be labeled with exact content and proper method of handling. Include all potential hazards and instructions in case of accident.-
That was one of the first things that I was taught when I first joined the Errant Star Sundries. While the more cynical would point to it being merely a method of reducing monetary loss, it was more to protect us employees. Among the myriad of mining and quarrying companies, the Errant Star specialized in the more magical and arcane materials, things that could detonate if you so much as looked at it funny.
Of course, there was always going to be an exception, and the exception this past month was a was small crate tucked into the far corner of the storeroom. By the container only, it would be easily missable, but there more than a few conspicuous wards set up around it. Unlike the other shipments we've received, it was personally carried in by my boss, owner, and founder of the Errant Star, Quentin Deschamps. He had walked in, a wild grin on his face, placed several powerful arcane wards on it, then finally told me that he and he alone would handle when the time came.
The reason for the secrecy eluded me. More than a fair share of rare metals, magicked stones, and esoteric implements have passed through our halls, and being responsible for keeping tabs on our stock, I generally was given at least the slightest hint as to the contents if I wasn't allowed to be fully privy. All I was allowed to write down in the ledger was the following:
-Special Parcel - To be hand-delivered.-
Of course, today had to be one of those days that could serve as an excellent example of why we were such sticklers for proper labeling.
As scheduled, we had a large order to fill for the Four Seasons, one of the most prominent apothecaries in Radz-at-Han and owned by the Fuyo clan, one of the few Domans living in Radz-at-Han. The Errant Star had a long relationship with that shop, Quentin being a longtime friend of the Fuyo family, and especially with Tadashi Fuyo, the father of the family. Even I myself was a good friend of one of the daughters, Chiaki Fuyo, who ended up being the liaison who would pick up their weekly orders.
This time around, however, was plagued by a pileup of clerical errors, errors that caused the crate that was meant to be handed off to be filled with all the wrong items. Thankfully, Chiaki was as diligent as always and opened the lid, allowing us to spot the grave mistake and quickly compose the proper contents. Sure, she was a childhood friend, but it did not make that frantic half-hour of tracking down and packing any less awkward.
Even though Chiaki had walked out the door with a grin as large as the crate she held in, I was still drowning in embarassment as I fixed up the storeroom that was thrown into disarray. As I moved boxes and crates and coffers, I kept mentally recounting the number of crystals and stones we had packed; despite checking twice, no, three times, there was still a lingering doubt that I had miscounted and not given enough. Over the sound of shuffling sundries, I could still hear the front door open and close, paying it it no heed until I heard Quentin speak, in his usual cheery voice, a dreaded line.
"Well well, Miss Fuyo. You came back earlier than expected."
In the safety of the storeroom, there would be no one to hear my deflated and embarrassed sigh. Definitely, definitely, there was a miscount.
"Apologies, Master Deschamps," replied a soft voice. "My impatience got the better of me, and I wanted to square away this matter as soon as possible."
I blinked, not sure of what I was hearing, except that it was not Chiaki's voice at all. A mix of of curiosity and worry quickly bubbled as I swiftly strode to the entrance of the storeroom and peeked into the lobby. In the distance, I saw a Raen girl clad in what looked like a worn and faded poncho and bandanna, sporting a cold glare on her face, and carrying with her what I suspected as a staff, all wrapped up in rough linen cloth. If the girl in front of me was a daughter of the Fuyo family, there was only had that unmistakable appearance and demeanor.
"F-Fuyuki?" I asked, incredulous. The chilling stare on the other girl melted as she looked towards me, turning into a smile as she bowed in the way that the people in the Far East did.
"Ah. Noémie-chi. It's been too long." Fuyuki replied, her voice rather chipper. Too long indeed...it was five years since she had left for Eorzea without a single word, and I hadn't seen her since. But before I could say anything more, Fuyuki spoke up again. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid this time I'll be only here for...a short while."
Only a short while? Again? I had to frown. Chiaki would always tell me after the fact that Fuyuki had visited, and even then, it seemed like the youngest of the four Fuyo sisters only returned to drop off whatever treasures and tomes she had acquired from her various jobs in Eorzea. I found my earlier voice stolen by the disappointing news, though thankfully Quentin was quick on the draw and proceeded with business, motioning for Fuyuki to follow, then pointed to me as if to tell me to prepare the ledger again.
"Thankfully, I figured you would need a little bit more." Quentin laughed as she stepped through the doorway to the storeroom. As Fuyuki followed after, I could see her eyebrow raise, rather amused. It was a silently-asked question that was swiftly answered. "Well, if your project failed, you'd need more to try again. And if it succeeded, you'd probably were in need to make far more. And so, I figured I could save you some time and cut out the middleman."
Something wasn't adding up. If Fuyuki had put in an order, I surely would have been able to see it. From what Chiaki had told me, Fuyuki had branched out from the family's trade and dove into metalworking, so I had expected Quentin to turn towards the metal section of the storeroom. But as he kept walking on, suspicion slowly crept up on me as I tailed behind my childhood friend.
"I appreciate the forethought." Fuyuki replied, starting to chuckle. "I gave myself enough time for a length chat and note-taking session. So if you have have I was looking for already, what I am to do until the next ferry?"
Immediately, my mind had an answer. "Well, your sisters miss you so much, Fuyu."
"If they miss me that much, then they should go back to practicing their aim," the white-hair girl quipped before chuckling. The retort was immediate, but that chuckle was short lived as Quentin added in.
"And your parents, too."
I looked to where Quentin had finally stopped and flinched in surprise, though in hindsight I shouldn't have been so surprised. Right in front of the magick-bound crate. Even though the mystery of that crate was finally to be revealed, I felt a certain sense of unease instead of relief.
"Then they can keep missing for all I care."
Fuyuki shot back with a more bitter retort, her face back to that icy glare. I knew her well enough that she was still joking for the most part, but I understood why there was still a little bit of vitriol left. As far as I was aware, the decision to journey to Eorzea was making good on an ultimatum that her family did not expect her to take. Thankfully, Quentin also took it in stride as well as he kneeled in front of the crate and started to dispel the wards.
"...look, I know Tadashi has been always been a stubborn, prideful man. But after you left for Eorzea, something in him broke. He really was at a loss for...a few years really." Quentin explained. Fuyuki sighed and shook her head, walking up to stand behind Quentin and watch the wards being dispelled. From the start she was gifted with magicks, and constantly curious about it. Meanwhile, I took a step back, tapping my fingers against the wall nervously. I wasn't expecting to get caught in family matters.
Quentin continued to effortlessly dispel the wards one by one, affording him the luxury of talking at the same time. "Want to know something? A while go, maybe a few months, he commissioned a small box to hold your letters in. Not too big, but still sizable. Black lacquer, with silver inlays in the shape of snowflakes."
From where I stood, I could see Fuyuki grind her teeth and shake her head. I stepped forward and placed a hand on my friend's shoulder and it seemed to have an immediate effect, at least easing the tension in the air until a sharp snap pierced the air. Both of us flinched and looked to Quentin who was dusting his hands with a chuffed expression before picking up the crate and walking over to the two of us.
"Here's the deal," Quentin chuckled, handing over the crate to Fuyuki as he spoke. "Stay in Han a little longer and at least greet the old man. And if it doesn't go well, I'll give you a refund."
Fuyuki grimaced and shook her head, replying with a faint laugh, "...you know I wouldn't have the heart to come back for the gil."
"Of course I know. And I know where in Kugane to send it anyways."
There was a wicked smirk on Quentin's face, and in horror I looked to Fuyuki for her reaction, only to be taken aback by the sight of a similarly twisted grin. My boss nodded and gestured at the crate, and to sate my curiosity, walked back to Fuyuki, peering over her shoulder as she opened the box. At first the sight of the stones seemed unremarkable, like lumps of dirty snow. Then, the realization hit me.
"W-white Auracite?!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the walls of the storeroom and causing Fuyuki to flinch, nearly dropping the box. After a quick apology from me, the Raen shut the lid and nodded with a tired smile.
"Indeed. This bit was bound for the Isle of Val before it...vanished." Quentin winked at the last word before becoming serious again. "Long story short, since the original recipient had, ahem, no longer a need of it, I was able to take possession of it for only a...nominal fee. The seller seemed to not appreciate the value of it as much as one would have expected, but that's business."
"And the fee?" Fuyuki asked, matching Quentin's serious face. "I only brought the original amount you quoted, but if you have it here-"
My boss shook his head and smiled. "I had your order ready long before you came to ask. But if you insist on paying the difference...go see your old man."
A wry smile spread across my friend's face as she tucked the crate under one arm and reached for a small sack of gil with her free hand, unceremoniously throwing it into Quentin's hand. "Well. Since you insisted."
Quentin smiled brightly and nodded to me. I rolled my eyes with a grin as I took out my notebook, scratching one line and replacing it with another:
-Special Parcel - Paid in Full.-
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