The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens
Date of Scene:	31 January 2013
Location:	Fluorgis
Synopsis:	Emi Dennou meets with the Mayor of Fluorgis, secures proper recompense, and investigates the strange goings-on in the city. The relation between the shadows over Fluorgis and the Fire Crystal is discussed, and the source of the darkness is pondered. A mystery is solved -- but not quite the one most relevant.
Cast of Characters:	Emi Dennou, the Mayor of Fluorgis, Councilman Averroe, Maria Averroe
Tinyplot:	Shadows Over Fluorgis

---

Baigan has posed:
Mayor Bartholomew Bates is in a pickle.

And Fluorgis is the pickling barrel, the portly bespectacled man reflects, as he gazes out his large office window on the top floor of city hall, up at the sky. The dark clouds which have shrouded the city for a month now have briefly parted, blown by a wind from the east, but he knows that the shadows will return, and with them the Heartless. The mystery of this curse is paralleled in its inscrutability only by the city's government and bureaucracy, which continues to struggle to adapt to the city's new circumstances and possibilities.

Fluorgis, after all, was not originally a desert city. The miracle of its success lies with the Fire Crystal, which powers the city's complex water pump system, and the engineers of Karnak who emerged with it. But while the politics of Fluorgis are atypically enlightened, adjustment still has not been easy. Traditionally, the Mayorship rotates between an elected council of equals, representing various communities and organizations within the city. Yet these communities have been scattered and undergone radical change, and new migrants to the city -- such as the engineers, and many others -- are not yet represented, leading to tensions and frustrations on all sides. Lead engineer Cid Previa's somewhat, shall we say, undiplomatic attitude toward the traditionalists has not alleviated the issues.

Most of this is fairly common knowledge in Fluorgis. What isn't is the massive headache this has caused for Mr. Bates. With a sigh, he reaches up to rub his temples, nudging his spectacles up on his forehead. As regards their curse and its oppressive and meddling effects, Fluorgis can only do what it has always done: rely on adventurers.

But even /that/ has grown complicated...

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Well at least he isn't Master Bartholomew Bates.

Emi Dennou is a detective, not a politician, but a lot of skills within politics are used by other disciplines. Even so, it wasn't too difficult to get a basic understanding of the political spectrum and situation of Fluorgis.

The dark cloud has been there for some time but it's still unclear what these monsters and heartless are after. Is it a Fire Crystal? Sure, that seems like an easy answer, but Emi isn't so sure. The Fire Crystal has been here some time, after all, and it doesn't feel like there's some manner of central intelligence guiding all these problems. So either it's NOT the Fire Crystal, or there's more to these seemingly unrelated occurances than Emi presently understands.

Legion was made to be subserviant and docile and while they have not strictly followed this, following the rules is something they excel at. The Network has filed its paperwork in order to see the mayor and provided a brief but accurate summary of why--a desire to negotiate payment with regards to their long term occupational work within Fluorgis. There are other questions, of course, but part of following the rules is not showing all your cards because you might not get to be shown in at all with that attitude.

She arrives five minutes early and informs Mr. Bates' secretary--or whomever filters in arrivals--that she has arrived. She has not brought along other Dennous to make this easier and simpler. Politics.

Baigan has posed:
"Mayor Bates, sir," quacks the secretary, a talking duck neatly dressed in a tailored suit, peeking his feathered head in the door. "Your appointment..."

"Ah, yes," Bart mumbles, pushing his spectacles back onto his nose and turning, sighing weightily before pacing back toward his desk, settling his paunch down in his fine leather chair. "The representative of the 'Twilight Detective Agency', wasn't it? Do show her in. I always appreciate punctuality," he adds, withdrawing a pocket watch from his jacket, its delicate chain glintng, and glancing at it before returning it to his pocket.

He blinks twice, takes a deep breath, and then manages a polite smile as Emi enters, inclining his head in greeting. "Miss Emi Dennou, wasn't it? Please sit." The mayor of Fluorgis looks more like a balding merchant trying to pay down his mortgage, but he possesses the weary composure that bespeaks a politician of the better breed. "Your services in defense of Fluorgis are much appreciated, as are those of VALKYRI and the... ah... the Shard Seekers." He shifts in his seat. "So many of our official Clans have lost their members or leaders in the fusion of worlds, and our closest neighbor, Rabanastre, draws adventurers as well." Two cities with clan systems just across the desert, who would've thought? "Were it not for the actions of independent agents and groups from across the stars, Fluorgis would not be experiencing this moment of peace."

He taps a finger on the desk unconsciously, showing one plain ring.

"But I fear we must continue to rely on your assistance for the foreseeable future... the dark clouds show no sign of abating for good."

Pumpkinhead has posed:
The mayor seems more like a man of money than of politics, but that suits Emi just fine. Money is something concrete and easy to understand. It is neccessary, for instance, to feed her sisters and while they can buy in bulk they do have some restrictions and complexities in their diet that don't make it exactly cheap for someone who primarily suppliments their income with part time jobs.

She bows her head to the merchant--her face remaining impassive, her eyes have this naturally 'blank' quality to them that make her hard to read, a sort of deadpan face though there does not seem to be malice with her, it's more like she's naturally nonexpressive.

She sits down where designated. "The Network thanks you and quickly apologizes for our 'quirk' in dialogue."
Shehe raises her head and adds, "The Network does not mean to panic you, but we feel this is no random series of unfortunate events. The Network can't help but suspect these events are connected. If nothing else, these Clouds of Darkness," which hopefully isn't secretly Luneth's final boss. "--don't seem like something that can simply be waited out."

"To further complicate matters, the TDA does require payment for its services, ultimately. While it is true we are unlikely to turn a blind eye even without payment." She feels being frank on this point will be more beneficial than hiding it. "Some manner of financial investment will encourage more support from our offices and ultimately, if this does go on long enough, if it gets in the way of being able to feed our sisters--our time resource will have to be skewed towards other tasks until we have a safety buffer in that regard again."

She lets out a low breath and adds, "We understand these are troubled times and we are not an official clan. Nevertheless, this one has thought of two hypothesis as to why you may be undergoing this current trouble."

"The first," She says. "Is the presence of the Fire Crystal. That 'light' may be sought out by these forces, in which case as long as it is present in the city, it is in danger. Unfortunately as removing it is not truly feasible for the city, as such if this is the case it will be required to properly deal with the cloud. The problem with this theory is that you've had the Crystal for some time and have had no problems, so we would suspect these dangers are--if they are related to the Fire Crystal--directed rather than incidental."

She glances down at the ring. He paused when he mentioned the Shard Seekers. And for all they did, they weren't a proper clan in Fluorgis just yet. She holds off for the moment on pointing that out, as this other stuff is arguably more important.

Baigan has posed:
The poor mayor looks a little baffled by Emi's so-called 'quirk'. "The Bartholomew... er, that is, no, by all means," he harumphs, tweaking the corner of his mustache. These adventurers are from entirely different worlds, after all. Who knows what manner of cultural mannerisms they've cultivated. "Speak as you please." He seems a genial sort, though no doubt put upon by his current straits, and attempts not to be thrown off by her odd indifferent expression.

Mr. Bates exhales through his nostrils as the young woman continues, leaning back in his chair. "It does seem to be the inevitable conclusion," he wearily concedes. "However dissimilar the problems themselves, it can't be a coincidence that so many vital areas of our city have been attacked almost simultaneously." Had the water treatment facility and the sky port been disabled by the Hypnotoad and the Court of Bomb, Fluorgis might have been rendered practically defenseless. "We have been making preparations under the presumption that we will have to hire adventurers for an extended period, rather than pay them mission by mission."

So it seems that Emi's request is unsurprising. He smiles wanly and waves his hand, as though to put her at ease. "Have no fear. It took some doing, but the Council has agreed that, in our time of crisis, most groups of adventurers will be recompensed at Clan rates until the shadows pass, retroactively applicable to prior accomplishments. You may discuss the specifics with my secretary."

'Most' groups?

'Sharing theories' wasn't in his appointment book, but they are detectives, after all. Bart adjusts his spectacles and folds his hands upon his desk. "I think it is safe to tell you," he says, "that we believe much the same. The power of the Fire Crystal sustains us in the desert, and it is well-protected within the heart of the city." He smiles slightly. "We even have a contingency plan for transporting it from the city, if need be, though I cannot offer specifics." He leans forward. "But it is a target for other forces in this world. That we have gone unmolested for some time, I think, proves little. Even we have yet to fully adjust to this new world, or enter formal relations with all its many kingdoms. If someone seeks the Crystals, it is possible other targets were appraised before we were settled on. ...These are not my own ideas, of course," the mayor confesses, reaching up to fumble with his spectacles again.

He pauses for a moment, and then frowns. "I must have your secrecy on this," he says quietly, looking more serious than he has before. "The Council would not approve of my sharing this information, and you must not disseminate it among the general populace, even if you inform your peers. The shadows above the city have..." He hesitates. "...begun to repress the Crystal's light, somehow. We fear that the malaise that has settled upon Fluorgis is more than fear and frustration at the Heartless and the dark. If this continues, it's possible that, even if the assaults continue to be repulsed, we will begin to lose power anyway."

He then sighs. "But I know not if this is ploy, or coincidence, or..." For a moment, Mayor Bates looks very tired. But he snaps back to it, shaking his head. "Er, I'm sorry, you were saying... there was something else?"

Pumpkinhead has posed:
Most groups? It's not Emi's job to look out for the Shard Seekers and, indeed, doing so could harm her own position here. He didn't SAY it was the Shard Seekers who would not be paid fully, but that pause before saying their names certainly painted a few arrows in that direction. But even so, Reize was about to leave. He was about to leave and she convinced him to stay. Well, perhaps the better word would be 'guilted'. So maybe, in a sense, it is her job after all.

But how is she going to go about it? Reize has mentioned this matter before to her and she guessed that he probably accidentally groped someone important, but she is not comfortable simply accepting that idea as truth. Look at her, she thinks to herself, worrying about the Shard Seekers when there may not even be a Fluorgis in a month or two.

She hadn't mentioned the other alternative theory she thought of. Because ... well because she considered they might try to eject Zia if she mentioned that. Can't risk that, even if it is for Fluorgis.

"Mm..." The mayor brings up some good points. "That is--true, if someone was after it, it may have simply taken them this long to get the idea in their head, or to acclimate to the new world, or any number of things." And if the Crystal's light is dimming, her second theory may very well be totally incorrect. It's a sad day when the power source of a city may be the easier problem to deal with than a princess.

"They have struck at your transportation, your infrastructure, and your adventurers--the chief source of your protection. They have yet to succeed, but as you noted--the light seems to be dimming from the crystal. That is not a good sign, The Network admits, and also admits that even if we repel every attack..." It seems these people have thought what she thought already. Not too surprising, this is their home after all. They have a lot more at stake here than Emi does!

She is given a secret. It is always important to not betray your contacts. "We will not inform the public of what you have shared. It would simply aid the invading force at this time if there was a panic on top of everything else."

He asks if there's something else. And Emi, after arguing with herselves on the matter, eventually nods.

"The Shard Seekers. You paused before you said their name, and you noted only 'most groups' would receive proper compensation. We suspect that is to say, the Shard Seekers will not be receiving full compensation?"

Hey, detective.

"The Network wonders why."

Baigan has posed:
The mayor himself may not be a brilliant man, but given his willingness to indulge Emi, he does seem the sort to listen to good ideas. What he presents to her is the outcome of both Fluorgis administrators and Karnak engineers putting their heads together to attempt to imagine who or what might be causing these disasters. And even so-- "Even if the Crystal is the target, and not just a means to an end, or an accidental side-effect," Bates says, half to himself, his gaze drifting, "/who/ or /what/ is behind it? Fluorgis has no political enemies, and no nation has attempted to intervene. We continue to be harried, and suffer from attrition, with no means of tracking from whence these clouds came..."

They may have done their homework too, but at the end of the day, the Fluorgis leadership seems to have hit an insurmountable obstacle. The portly man shakes his head slowly before looking back at her, and nodding with relief at her response to his trust. "We... er, I agree. The people of Fluorgis are a lively sort, on which we pride ourselves. But this darkness... my highest concern," he admits, "even above the security of the city itself, is the morale of our people. Perhaps that sounds absurd, but I have never seen spirits so low. Even I feel unusually fatigued..." Well, he's just been working hard. "Do not those Heartless prey upon the faint of heart?"

He expected to hear her second theory, but her question so takes him aback that he forgets all about her ever mentioning it. Detective Powers /Critical Hit/. "Er, ah, no, that's... why would... oh, I see..." Bartholomew Bates harumphs again, gaze flickering about the room, before settling back on the young lady before him and, feeling foolish for letting Emi agitate him, sighs weightily again. "Yes, I suppose you must be familiar with them. I'm afraid that's the case. I assure you, I tried to persuade the Council otherwise, but..."

There is a frenzied quacking faintly from outside.

"...well, I should not say--"

And the door swings wide open, slamming against the opposite wall.

"What's the meaning of this, Bates!?"

Standing there, red-faced, is a veritable tree of a man, right up to the bushy hair and beard, his stocky build trunk-like and workman's hands gnarled like roots. The mayor, in response to this violent invasion, just sighs again and takes another glance at his pocket watch as though for confirmation. As the door swings back from inertia, the wall beside it shows numerous dents in the paint.

"Councilman Averroe," the mayor says mildly, the exhaustion in his voice at its thickest. "And the young lady, lovely as ever." It's only then that, overshadowed by the big man, the girl entering behind him registers. Her blonde pigtails bob as she curtseys in her ruffled dress, and the warmth of her smile is unaffected by the man's wrath. The liveliness to her eyes speaks to what the mayor had said of the nature of Fluorgis's people.

"You went behind my back!" Averroe barges on, heedless that anyone is in the room other than himself and the mayor. "I don't know what those damn Shard Seekers paid you, but I've already told you, they're not welcome in this city, and it's high time we ejected those foreign scoundrels!"

"I sought only to apply the law equally, without exceptions," Bates continues, his mild tone unchanging. "Your influence, however, seems to be too great."

"It's not a question of /influence/," Averroe shouts, shaking a meaty fist, "but of /justice/! The council knows what that Seeker tried to do to my daughter!!"

At this, the girl lowers her gaze, but the light in her eyes does not fade, and a faint sweet smile still flickers around her lips. "Oh, Father," she says, voice confident despite her demure expression, "do be calm."

Pumpkinhead has posed:
No political enemies--but... "...There are those that would strike a city for power regardless of not being your enemy." Emi says. She can frankly think of some without even trying hard. And that's the problem, too many possibilities, by the time she finishes investigating them all Fluorgis will probably be in ruins. It's luckily a wealthy city. A poor city would not have been able to handle this for this long. Which nations would see this as the best avenue for taking down Fluorgis and nabbing its crystal? The Shadow Lords are the obvious option, maybe even Crime Inc--so it might not even be one of the empires. Perhaps its proximity to Archades is encouraging this route? Hard to say. She wishes Mercade were here. He'd probably have figured it out by now.

One thing is clear though. They can't keep on the defense. And that's what sh'es going to have to tell the Shard Seekers and the TDA both. The Shard Seekers might especially be ideal due to their varied backgrounds making them have no doubt many strange resources that would make them hard to anticipate.

"Mm...The Network admits to not knowing much about the Heartless, but they are attracted to great light. They no doubt would feast on this land if given the opportunity."

SUDDENLY TOWERING MAN AND LITTLE ADORABLE GIRL

She stands up, half expecting an ASSASSIN, but she is not precisely much calmer once she understands what's going on. For a moment that lazy look in her eyes is very focused indeed. and it stays this way.

"Hello there." She says to the girl. "This one approves of pigtails." She bobs her head. Truly, this is a child who knows how to accessorize.

But she straightens, stiffening faintly. "This one is not of the Shard Seekers. I am from the TDA."

But it's hard even for a Dennou to say 'hey get over it' when it comes to protecting ones daught--

"Get over it, The Network advises." Oh right, The Network's experience with parenting is being sent off to die horribly for science! They don't really have the frame of reference here to worry about familial duty.

"If Reize broke some law, then it only pertains to him," His name wasn't even mentioned BUT SHE KNOWS. "The Shard Seekers is an organization that has saved this city's water supplies, it has protected its airfields, it rescued the world from evil fear dimension mirrors. The Network could go on about their services to this city, but it is clear they have more than proven themselves--even to a casual observer such as ourselves."

She looks to the young lady, then back to the Councilman. "If the Shard Seekers move to another city due to feeling unwelcome here--and at this point in your troubles, they have very good reasons besides that not to stay, then your city will fall even more quickly than it already is. The Network is not a Shard Seeker, but is advising this because in her sister's sort time here, she has fallen in love with the City of Flowers. She does not wish for this city to fall." She lowers her head and sighs. "Nor does this one, The Network admits. This one admits she anticipated this reason might be the purpose behind the Shard Seekers' troubles--but Reize is not a malicious individual. He is a klutz, he may even be a fool, but his intentions are noble. He was, in fact, set to leave this city. This one suspects part of it is his nature, but part of it was surely not that he was mistreated, but his people--the Shard Seekers--have been. What convinced him to stay, in spite of this, was because he truly wishes to help your people in spite of his own desires. But the truth is, he has already saved this city. The TDA may have helped, but we would not have known of this city's troubles without their presence here."

She doubts that the Shard Seekers will actually leave, but that doesn't mean she can't use something Max taught her.

Half truths.

In order to make them think they might.

Baigan has posed:
"Aren't they cute?" the girl enthuses to Emi, looking up from the floor at the compliment, the daughter's veneer of well-bred manners easily overcome by her high spirits. "They're my favorite!" That and the opportunity to talk about hair with another girl instead of listening to her father rant.

And rant he does. "/Reize/," he snarls, as the mayor looks at Emi in obvious shock and ponders whether she is a detective or simply a mind-reader. How little the mayor understands. But Councilman Averroe clenches his fist, gazing off into the distance through the window, at any moment likely to initiate a dissolve effect into a crimson-tinted flashback.

"Reize," the girl sighs. Her flashback might be rose-tinted instead.

"Th-the detective is quite right, of course," Bates begins, seeking to steer the subject onto a somewhat more reasonable matter. "The Shard Seekers might be only one group upon many to help us fight off the invaders, but they were the first to settle here, and they are partly responsible for summoning their allies to the cause. With the ranks of our usual Clans, depleted, we can't afford to--"

"REIZE SEATLAN!" Averroe roars, having stared into the distance all this time, at last snapping back to glare at Emi and the mayor, or at least in their general direction. "When Maria went missing while the Heartless were at their most numerous, I would have given anything to get her back! But that scoundrel took advantage of my generous spirit! When I came with the search party to retrieve her, he was all over her!!"

"I told you, Father," Maria exclaims, his daughter's tone growing heated, pigtails bouncing as her hands clench at her sides. "He didn't do anything! He rescued me from the Heartless. You saw us just as I caught him to prevent him from falling off the bridge!"

"And /why/," her father retorts, "would he be backing off a bridge like a fool!?" He seems no more impressed now than when he first heard this explanation, and his daughter's expression, momentarily defiant, grows furtive.

"I dunno," she replies.

"Regardless, that boy can't be trusted with the fate of our city," Averroe concludes, crossing his broad arms. "Shall the noble tradition of clanhood be bequeathed to nothing more than miscreants and brigands?"

Yet the mayor, normally so indulgent, is ignoring him, staring instead at Emi. "You mean... the leader of the Shard Seekers considered leaving the city?" The detective has cleverly omitted some important details, and from the unusually intense expression on the merchant's face, doing so has proven effective. "If any of the major groups abandon us now..." The speech sinks in, and Bates closes his eyes for a moment before, with a flash of resolution, he looks at her again. "I shall speak again with the Council," he says firmly, "and inform him of the dire situation. If Fluorgis falls, nothing else matters. Let the heroes of our city prove themselves in deed, and not be judged by rumor and reputation."

"Rumor and rep--" Averroe sputters, his face flushing red again. "BATES!" he shouts, the room seeming to shake slightly, one of the pictures on the wall slipping diagonal. The mayor has to readjust his spectacles. "I won't let you get away with this! For my daughter's honor, I see to it that the Council has you replaced! Good /day/!" The man storms out, but this time, Bartholomew Bates doesn't even seem to notice. He's smiling slightly at Emi, his fatigue abated by a resurgence of spirit.

"It seems I owe the... TDA... for yet another favor," he murmurs. "If there's anything more I can offer in the way of information..."

"Do you..." Speaking of information, Maria of the pigtails has not, it appears, left with her father. She lingers at the doorway, looking at Emi, her hands folded behind her back. She bites her lower lip, but her eyes sparkle with happiness. "Are you... a friend of Reize's?"

Pumpkinhead has posed:
"They are." Emi says, nodding firmly. "Pigtails are the best hairstyle, though The Network admits there is no consensus on this topic." See she has pigtails because she's Emi so she's like the second one alphabetically (even if that has no impact on who was actulaly made first) and well okay Legion has weird reasons for doing things sometimes. Emi cannot read minds, but she doesn't explain that she has outside information than just this conversation. Like her first real meeting with Reize where he managed to tumble into Lenn's breasts.

THAT LITTLE GIRL IS HIDING SOMETHING!!!!!!!! However she has pigtails so Emi just assumes she is a wonderful person. DETECTIVE CRITICAL MISS? Or maybe she'd rather not worry about this reason. AT least she can tell Reize why his clan's been having difficulties. Knowing what the problem is can sometimes be a relief in of itself. At least then you know.

"You appear to be risking much with this." She tells the mayor, a small shift in her expression readily becoming apparent. "...You are a good mayor. Looking out for your people in this time cannot be easy." she bows her head lightly again. "This one thanks you." The shift is a bit more apparent--she has started smiling back. It's a bit melancholic this time, because fathers have reminded her of parentage and parentage has reminded her of how she cannot understand this man who came in yelling and that while perhaps today that was for the best--most people would have understood him, right?

"Please let us know how the discussions go. If you need any detective work done--" She draws out one of the new business cards, setting it down. It leads to the office rather than Emi herself, but really the others are far more experienced than her anyway. "--It seems we have to figure out how to deal with these clouds. Anything you might know about how they are constructed, where they might be coming from, or what they are composed of would be helpful, though we do not mean to suggest you neccessarily have such information at your disposal."

She is about to add more when the girl is talking to her. She had thought she left. She turns around to face the girl head on.

"Yes. More than that, he has my respect." There isn't any lovey dovey stuff from her on this matter. She specifies respect because she considers that greater than friendship, at least in this case--it's easy to like Reize, but harder to respect him in a sense. "Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to him?" She assumes a thank you or something since apparently he had saved her. "...This one apologizes for speaking as such to your father, in any event. We do not really know how to deal with fathers."

Baigan has posed:
"Oh, it's always like this," Mayor Bates humbly demurs, but he puffs up a little at the compliment nevertheless, visibly pleased. Given that it is the council members that are elected, and not the mayor himself -- being drawn in turns from that group -- it's possible that Bart here doesn't get much face time with the populace of Fluorgis at large. Praise is a delicacy. "Still, this one... er, we... that is, the Mayor... hmm." He squints, confounded. But upon the flourish of the card, he straightens in his chair. "Thank you, Detective. If and when any new information reveals itself, I shall refer it to your office. If, by any chance, you are thereby able to track down the source of these dark clouds, all of Fluorgis will be in your debt."

For all the fraught nature of his encounter with Averroe, Bates seems in a better mood than he was when she entered. No doubt his position is one weighted with worries. But could his faltering heart be the result of the malaise that he believes to spread throughout the city now, too? The adventurers which come from afar bring their strength of arms and keen wits, but they bestow upon the citizens of Fluorgis a yet more precious gift: hope.

He already seems to be lost in thought, taking up a pen from his desk and scratching away at a memo, planning for his upcoming rematch with the council. But Maria was just waiting for Emi to ask. "If your investigations turn up how to deal with overbearing fathers," the pigtailed girl lightly replies, "be sure to tell me too." Maybe Emi isn't the only one, for all her inexperience. "Please, give Reize this! Tell him it's from Maria." She withdraws from her dress an envelope of fine -- and rather cute -- stationary, 'To Reize' written in elegant cursive on the front.

The 'i' in 'Reize' is dotted with a heart.

"And..."

Her eyes sparkle, her smile widening.

"Give him a kiss from me!"

Whereupon she bursts into giggles.

Pumpkinhead has posed:
That really seems to be the crux of what they have to do, find where those clouds are coming from. Hopefully that is an option, that could be a lot easier than trying to figure out how to break them otherwise. Forever. Until time itself ends. The light is dimming. That's not good. It's so not good that Emi has thought this repeatedly.

"We do not know the answer to that one." Emi admits. "But will be sure to search for answers." This is, of course, in reference to how to deal with overbearing fathers. She suspects, however, that while she does not have the answer, that girl is not in any trouble. "Though a friend said that the key to just about anything is to 'Look, Listen, and Think For Yourself'. We suspect you will be fine."

Certainly in less trouble than Emi who now has been given the job of kissing Reize, something Emi had more or less vowed to not do. This could be Emi's toughest case yet. At least handing a letter over and saying it is from Maria should be simple enough. Right. What's the worst that could happen?

Emi has yet to learn that one does not think such thoughts.

"Good luck, sir." She tells the mayor, bobbing her head. "And thank you again for your time." The smile is gone because that little girl is terrifying and will no doubt be a terrifying politician one day.

Even a Dennou can shiver as she heads out the door.