Shadowing For A Shadow Lord

Shadowing For A Shadow Lord
Date of Scene:	15 September 2013
Location:	Costa Del Sol
Synopsis:	Under orders from Admiral Rakassa, Queegmaa hires Faruja and Freya to shadow an outlaw who's been plaguing the empire for years, one who apparently has the grandeur to outgun their elite Mtek knights with minimal backup. Power-hungry, and eager to try and seize the marauder's talents for herself, in whatever capacity possible, the Arch-Admiral now has Faruja and Freya tailing this enigmatic monstrosity's right-hand-man with the intent to get clues as to the location of the primary quarry in question. All the while, Que makes a sunny day at the beach a gloomy one, for the Burmecian Templar!
Cast of Characters:	Faruja Senra, Freya Crescent, Queegmaa

---

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa was sitting in a fancy outdoor cafe in Costa Del Sol, which happened to be one of his favorite places in the World of Ruin-- if there was beachfront property, then surely, the planet was not as bad off as it could hypothetically be! The palm trees swayed in the breeze, and as if the fresh sea-borne air wasn't enough of a mood booster, the kappa had a nice umbrella that sprung from the center of the table, which blocked the sun from fully drying him out in the heat of the day. He was still sure to hydrate himself, but today he was indulging in fruity little drinks with tiny umbrellas mimicking the very one granting him shade, besides the fact that he was indulging in some exotic dessert that involved a couple scoops of sorbet conveniently placed snuggly inside a half-canteloupe, which was locally grown, and thus..... provided the pinnacle of sugary satisfaction for one who had a sweet tooth, easily competing with the sherbert that was comprised of some artificial ingredients, no doubt. This probably came at the expense of the Vectorite taxpayer, too, which made the whole experience for Que all the more delightful; if there was one thing he loved spending, it was other people's munny! Equally enjoyable, he could forget about his troubles for a bit because he didn't have the admiral belittling him, and having such a high rank in his own right, within the naval fleet, it meant that the staff at this little resort had to pamper him to the height of their capability, since his influence could easily enhance, or ruin their reputation, which would in turn effect the flow of income that sustained any particular business. When the empress was not anywhere to be seen, the king got to be in charge, and the imp could forget about his troubles for at least the briefest of intervals.

No alcohol, though, in his beverages, because liquor made the taste bitter, and when considering that he was virtually immune to toxins anyway, given his unique biology, the normally noxious nectar of the drunkard's world would do almost nothing to improve the experience..... beyond that, he had to be on top of his game if he was to negotiate terms with the folks who would be sent from the very tiny Cleyran embassy to meet up with him to discuss prices for their services; being on the same continent, Nezumi were a bit more plentiful in Costa, at times, than they might've been in other, substantially distant realms. At least one of the rat-anthros involved wouldn't have to go through the channel of a third-party bounty agency, since the other individual was allegedly dispatched by Bishopess Emerald, who was in direct communication(and perhaps cahoots) with Rakassa, which meant that the admiral's flunky would have to do far less negotiating when he, or she 'got to the table'. Queegmaa plucked the green-colored cherry off of the top of his citrus-soaked delicacy, and narrowed his eyes, as it was brought to him, "Da hell is this?" Evidently, in this venue, to be more zesty, they decided to decorate their luscious confections with green-cherries, instead of red ones, but, the kappa was not impressed, "....You tryin' ta turn me inta a human or somethin' ridilicous like that? Didn'tcha know that green-cherries reverse da 'effects of the 'Imp' status, and has unpredictyible interactions with my kind?!"

He growls at the server, who bows apologetically in response, inwardly irritated that Que insinuated that humans were inferior to the kappa's kind, "Sir, we did not know of this; would you like for me to take it back, and redo it?" The green-skinned fellow shook his head, feeling a little bit on the generous side, because of the fact that he was so relaxed from being on his miniature vacation, and scoffed at her, "Ferget it. I dun got time ta wait for you to remake this sh*t. You can continya doin' whatever menial tasks yer slave-master has set out for ya, you miserable peon!" Eye twitching, and lips trembling with anger that was obviously being suppressed, the waitress bowed her head once more and went back inside, most likely to gossip to the other personnel about her obnoxious customer. The cyborg-imp, on the other hand, props his leg(the organic one, at least) up on the bench on the opposing side of the one upon which he sits, on the other side of the table, and uncaringly chucks the cherry over his shoulder, which just happens to plunge into somebody else's drink, not far off; due to concerns of sanitation, the victim of Que's reckless behavior now finds himself unwilling to drink his draft, and grumbles in frustration, twisting his head to see who caused his misfortune. Seeing the residual motion of Que's arm as it retracted, the rather hefty fellow got up from his table, and started to make his way towards the kappa, but it would take a moment for him to reach the culprit, so Queegmaa was at total ease, in spite of the fact that he just made two enemies for the measly price of one tiny cherry!

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja Senra would like Costa Del Sol so much more if it wasn't so blasted hot, and he wasn't here on official business. Official business meant looking like a Templar. Which meant wearing armor. Even /with/ enchantments to help keep him cool, plate mail of the gold-plated variety is hot. And so, as the Burmecian clanks into the cafe, he eyes the various drinks with relish.

Passing the poor waitress, he stops her, quickly inquiring as to a Mr. Queegmaa's table. Soon enough, after a sour look from the waitress lessened by the ratling's polite manner, she gives him directions. And off he goes, to notice the portly man about to accost (verbally or otherwise) the strange techno-kappa.

At first, the rat recoils at such a strange combination of metal and flesh. Thankfully, before he can get things started off on the wrong foot, there's a situation in progress. Time to intervene!

Smile! Taking a few steps forward, the rat steps beside the Kappa's chair.

"Lord bless, and good 'eve Ser! Please pardon my intrusion, however, you seem quite perturbed with my companion. All a simple misunderstanding, certainly. Here...M'Lady!" Turning, he motions to the nearest waitress. Pointing to the angry man, he nods.

"If 'tis no trouble, I would like to pay for the gentleman's meal. Drinks, dessert...whatever 'twould be pleasing."

Back to the man. "No ill will afford, hmm, by Ajora's grace?"

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa didn't mind the heat too much, because he was always moist, due to being a frequent user of oils, when he wasn't busy actually soaking himself in actual water. Presently, he was staying cool by way of munching on some rather delicious sherbert, but sooner or later, he'd have to dunk himself or else end up in a similar predicament as Faru, since the kappa was also adorned in a good bit of metal, being a cybernetic being. When Faruja decides to intercede on his behalf, he groans, "Your companion? What da hell are ya talkin' about? You ain't even given me no intro, or sat at da table here!"

Not entirely ungrateful for the fact that Faru was trying to defuse an inflamed patron, he didn't like the fact that he was being referred to as though they were actually on tolerable terms; true, they would've eventually broken bread together, now that Que was able to determine that Faruja was one of the Nezumi who was supposed to rendezvous with him, but prematurely calling himself the imp's 'companion' caused him mild irritation. He had to curb -some- of his effrontery, nonetheless, because the fate of a successful mission hinged on being able to cooperate with the emissary of Glabados! The distressed customer is satisfied with Faru's concession, and the waitress acknowledges that whatever the man purchases will come out of the Burmecian's pocket. The large man returns to his seat, and Queegmaa raises a brow at Faruja curiously, "Ya paid fer somebody ya dun even know nothin' about. I thought the church was 'sposed ta be gittin' donations, 'stead of giving dem out, less it's to paupers. Ain't nobody in this town hurtin' for munny.... ha!"

He cackles, then offers a seat to the Nezumi. "Ya know bud.... if ya were planning on coming to a place where you knew it'd be hot as the dickens, you mighta considered gettin' a furcut.... maybe jus' a 'lil trim or somethin'? Either that or brought one of dem eastern-style hand-held paper fans....." After he says this, his eye twitches just a sliver, as he remembers the last person in explicit who carried a fan with her; Rosemarie. The kappa promptly banishes the witch from his mind as he tries to reclaim the semi-serene feelings he was experiencing, due to the ambience of the Costa Del Sol experience, which was minus the regular stresses that he had to deal with, that included Shadow Lords, vampires, and endlessly hungry drows.

Faruja Senra has posed:
~ Several Hours Ago ~

Faruja stands at attention while he's briefed by the Bishopess Emerald. The meeting winds down. A crossing of his chest, a 'Your Holiness', and the rat's about to step out of the room. Emerald calls to him.

"Oh, and Child? Try to watch your temper. Your contact is..." She pauses, visibly hunting for a word. "Trying."

"I shall do my utmost, M'Lady Bishop."

As the door shuts behind him, he can't help but wonder if the contact will really be all that bad.

~ Now ~

After successfully diffusing the situation, Faruja Senra's unburnt brow twitches in irritation. His face is what is best called 'distantly polite and friendly'. Inwardly, he wants to reach over and strangle the Kappa. With a feigned cough, he manages to hold onto his temper. For now.

"A mistake for which I must apologize. However, 'twas all in the effort of calming the good gentleman. 'Twould do neither of us good to have to deal with an enraged customer while business is afoot. Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados. Well met, Ser, and may Faram and the Holy Prophet watch over thee always. If I may?" Indicating a seat, he'll wait for the invitation.

"A small sacrifice for peace, methinks." Shrug. The rat doesn't seem too bothered, really.

Then, the invitation comes, and the rat sits. He crosses his legs, tail swaying.

"Oh, I assure thee, such a thing shall be rectified quickly. It shan't do to pass out in the middle of an operation. My appointment to this, however, was a touch short notice. I thought it better to suffer momentarily than to be less than prompt."

"Thy name, Ser?" Seems he's at least wiling to see to introductions properly!

Queegmaa has posed:
"You-thinks is a pretteh-d*mn good way ta put it. Ya got no idea what that guy may order now that the bill's on you, and this place ain't exactily da Motel Eight....." he sneers, finding amusement at the fact that Faruja may just have to pay a king's ransom, if the customer decides to go the full nine yards and wallow in the pleasures that the little cafe had to offer-- there /was/ a tiny massage parlor area owned attached to the cafe, and technically, if the waitress conspired to make a few extra bucks for her establishment, a suggestion could easily be made, and an extra fee appended to the 'food' service. It wasn't a four-star hotel with every amenity known to mankind, but this little venue did have a few nice features for those inclined towards decadence; this was Costa Del Sol, after all! The imp wasn't about to disclose all this, though, because the deed was said and done.... and it wasn't -his- money, so Que wasn't about to suffer as a result of the Nezumi's mistake, which made life all the better!

Whenever Rakassa made an error, which was a rarity, often she took it out on the kappa, even if Queegmaa was completely innocent, so, seeing someone else suffer was a dandy change of pace. "I'm Queegmaa." He flaps his hand unimpressedly, "But let's dissipense with the niceties n' all that. You and yer well-mets, and your me-thinks, and yer thys, and thees, twoulds, sers, and that outdated cr*p has got me thinkin' dat da last thing I wanna do is end up gettin' ta know ya, and feel oblygated to try 'n be pals....."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Inwardly, Faruja prays to Faram to give him the strength to not knock the block off of this Kappa. Every word screams 'toady' and 'arrogance'. The ratling's face falls into smolder, stoic peering at the metal-bearing creature before him. The swish of his tail picks up.

"Then mayhaps when he next passes Mullonde, he shall remember the kindness of one of its knights."

His clawed hands fold. Faruja orders a drink from the waitress. He'll need it for this one.

"Fine then. To business. Now, I am to understand there has been an...altercation regarding one of my countrymen?" the rat doesn't bother hiding his displeasure here. Sullying the good name of his fallen kingdom doesn't sit right with him, even if he doesn't like its king.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa leans forward a little, idly fingering the sorbet spoon, stirring it around as he remarks, "Dun get me wrong..... I'm not lookin' ta make ya into a mortal nemezis, either, cuz yer institution is a good one....." he finally relents a little-- well, at least the kappa showed favor to the flag for which Faruja stood, which had to earn a few good marks for Que, even if the imp wasn't altogether friendly towards Faruja on an individual basis; mayhap the reptilian wasn't wholly irredeemable! He doesn't do it to score with Faruja, but merely to annul the happenstance that a certain Nezumi might try to poison his executives against the empire, because Queegmaa made a remarkably bad impression.

Whether the amphibious stooge actually does admire the church is another question entirely, but he can always /claim/ that he spoke highly of Glabados, if Faruja tries to besmirch the attitude of the kappa towards the templars, for if a naval captain of the Gestahlian Empire were to put his word against Faru, and it came to be known that it was just a personal dislike of the rodent and not the institution itself.... well, who would dare accuse the kappa of harboring disdain for Glabados, when it was just a mere enforcer with whom Que took issue? A very convenient backdoor is now available if Faruja tries to 'frame' Queegmaa as some sort of heretical sympathizer! As if to further anchor his authenticity, he takes a bite of his dessert, then chimes in a second time, on the same topic, to reaffirm his 'obvious' inclination towards a faithful approach to life, "Ya know.... my peeps were real devout types, believin' in deities 'n whatnot. Kinda hard to think dat this big shibang is all by chance, so I'll try ta honor their ways 'n guesstimate that dem sendin' someone as senshimental as you is all part of da Great One's plan....."

He shrugs. Little insurance policies to back-up his piety aside, Que proceeded, "Somethin' like that. A guy of some notoriety named Fraggo Larsony.... or somethin' thereabouts, has been helpin' a dude named Rohy with his regular mischief; and for your information, Rohy's been causing trouble fer da empire for some time, but he ain't one bit sloppy. We're hopin' to send a rat to catch one..... We may not be able to find Ro, but if you can find Go, then we'll be sittin' pretty."

Faruja Senra has posed:
At first, Queeg's wit only serves to further steam the rat, but as he begins to speak of his country, the rat's look softens. While not much on pride of self, pride of country still lingers well in his heart. By the time the kappa's done speak of Church and Country, Faruja is mostly smiles. After all, he'd been betrayed by both organizations, even if he loves them still.

"Thy people's piety speaks much for their heart. Mayhaps one day they shall come to know of Holy Ajora and Faram." A nod, and a crossing of his chest. At least, the silver-tongued toady has managed to calm the furious rat!

"A strange blade to wield, if 'tis true. I would hope for one sharper, but as the Lord wills."

The mere name, has Faruja nearly snarling. Squeezing his hand, he shakes his head.

"Frego Larson, the bomber. Yes. 'Twould be my honor to assist in the hunt for the vile, dishonorable wretch. Puts my entire people to shame."

Freya Crescent has posed:
""I can't say I'm used to this sort of work," Freya announced as she had entered the doorway and began walking toward the cyborg and the other burmecian--who she assumed was another of her kingdom's, anyway, at first. Her footfalls were gentle and graceful, stepping alongside the other two and doffing her hat momentarily, revealing her long furred ears and long straight white hair. "Freya Crescent--I had heard there was work to be done in locating a criminal, was it?" her accent was decidedly English, voice a high feminine alto. "If it's someone like that then I wouldn't be opposed to working to find them, though I am not sure if I can work as an assassin, if that's what's needed..." she replaced her hat, nodding to the two fellows.

Queegmaa has posed:
Faruja was oblivious to the fact that Que's people would never come to know of the Holy Faram,, for, they were all but abolished after a few poorly executed stunts by Queegmaa himself, but this is not something he cares to elaborate on, since it only would cause him to shudder in emotional agony, if he dwelt upon it heavily, so instead, the kappa decides to try and shuffle the notion to the back of his mental deck of cards, and move on to more pragmatic ordeals.

When the templar speaks of how Frego had dishonorably put his people to shame, Que feels an inward pang, reminding him that the one they are to hunt is probably no less fiendish than himself, but.... the kappa already knew there were folks who probably had it out for him-- his objective was to keep the eye on the prize, and do what it took to get there, even if sometimes that meant capturing fugitives no worse than him, in order to amass more wealth to line his pockets, or the kappa equivalent. When Freya emerged from the doorway, not far off, Queegmaa shook his head, "No assassins needed..... besides, if the empire wants ta take out da threat, then dey'll figure a way on doin' it with their special forces. We dun want Frego dead...."

The imp snaps his fingers, "....If Fracko can't speak, or move.... den we can't really have him lead us ta Rohy..... or tell us where da guy is, so all you and Faru's gotta do here is find 'em, and follow 'em for awhile..... Get ta know his routine checkpoints, and his routes. We found some bodies in a forest not far from us, an' we think Rohy kidnapped some of our crew, and some of Frelko's signature ingredients were left behind, so they gotta be working together, again." Since Frego was an independent contractor, it was known he had few true loyalties, but, one of his most common employers was rumored to be none other than Rohy, the rogue ronin-- this was well known to those from the imperial capital, and presumably the Returners, but beyond those from the World of Balance, Rohy was hardly famous.

Faruja Senra has posed:
As the female nezumi makes her appearance, the Burmecian stands. A brow quirks, the rat's jaw setting briefly. A Royal Dragon Knight. And perhaps a noble at that. With some effort, he manages to look welcoming, though his tail swishes a bit more violently than necessary. Faruja pulls out a chair for Freya.

Standing aside, he waits for Freya to sit first, offering a crossing of his chest in Ajoran fashion. "Well met, Dame Crescent. Temple Knight Faruja Senra of the Most Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados, at thy service. 'Tis a pleasure to see a countrywoman here." At least, in that, he's being honest.

Every now and then, despite himself, he shoots Freya a curious glance. Did the King send her? 'Not used to this sort of work' indeed!

Thankfully, he's listening, and offers most of his attention to Que.

"Ahh, well. Shadow him, and find his accomplice. Then, an ambush mayhaps? Capture the lot of them, and turn them over to rightful authorities for proper judgement. But tell me more of his associate, and the ones whom hath been so cruelly taken. Are they one to slay hostages? We must know how lightly to tread for fear of their lives."

Freya Crescent has posed:
Freya likewise is silent as she listened to the task set forth to them, nodding her head as she took in various details. "Alright, he is to be alive then--I too am concerned also about those he has kidnapped, perhaps we might need to use stealth in this in some way... hrm," gears are churning in that mouse lady's head, likely--and there are gears to turn, not one to simply be complacent and not ask questions.

"Perhaps one of us could act as a distraction while the hostages are seen to, before we confront him?" Freya turned more to Faruja then to ask this, not trying to seem like she is ignoring their employer, but she's already scheming on how to get this done bloodlessly.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa knows just shy of nothing about Nezumi, so while Faruja cordially behaves in a formal manner, greeting Freya, who could very well be of aristocratic stock, the kappa doesn't bequeath any more courtesy to the woman than he did Faru.... at least, not intentionally; being that the he-dragoon tried to engage in pleasantries, the lizardly one had verbally chastised him right off the bat, yet, since Freya was doing an expert job at adhering mostly to business, instead of trying to get friendly, it keeps Que's mind focused on his target. Finally, when Faruja asks the big questions, Que rubs the back of his neck, sheepishly, and nervously begins to make an admission, "I..... would not say that you should be partaking in the ambush, since.... our beloved emperor, or rather, his representatives, don't want to regard the lives of its hopeful ally with such thoughtlessness."

He tries to think of an optimal way to word what he's about to say, while trying to tone down the nationalistic arrogance that the empire is always known for, "Our Magitek Knights are the most elite of the elite, and even in the World of Ruin, I'd dare say that our prime members could contend with some of the less-experienced Shadow Lords." Which was about as massive as a boast as one could make, while still /trying/ to stay within the realm of feasibility, though, maybe Que was exaggerating on their mettle just a tad. Whatever the case may be, he accommodates both Nezumi further, "They would be equal to, say.... the Sword Saints of the Ivalician world, or, somethin' around that level 'o power." Definitely an exaggeration, if he's putting Mteks on the same level as Cidolfas, about whom Faruja has surely been educated-- on the other hand, Celes was a 'Rune Knight', and so she might've qualified as being roughly on par with Ivalician Rune Knights, who were only a notch below Sword Saints, in caliber. "Ta get ta my point.... we had no less than two Magitek Knights of considerable fame in that troupe, and it was, as far as we know, decimated. What we're dealin' with here is sumfin' a lot worse than your everyday warlord."

The maritime beast nods, solemnly, "You two jus' need ta chart what Fragle is up to, and then give yer findings to us as soon as you both think ya notice patterns emergin', at which point we'll get our think-tanks to do a more in-depth exmanination to figure out where he's goin' and what he's doin'. No disrespect intended....", at this juncture, Que actually demonstrates a bit of courtesy and apologetically bows his head. "You guys mebbe gonna be offered a subsqueant commission ta help catch Frego along with a few of our troops.... /after/ we figure out his movements.... but we dun wanna spook Rohy and make him change up his tactics-- and yeah.... if you guys screw it up, it could impact the hostages, so.... don't get found out, capiche?"

Faruja Senra has posed:
"...Warriors of the same skill as 'Thunder God' Cid." Faruja states quietly. For a long moment, the Burmecian merely stares as Queegmaa. Finally, he smiles. "'Twould be a great honor to assist in seeing such skillful, honorable knights freed. Indeed, it would please me greatly to meet them. Thy most benevolent ruler's concern for our well being is most assuredly appreciated. Indeed. No duo of knights could defeat such a foe."

Any thoughts of pleasantries are out the window, the rat's face grim now that he's been told the full weight of the operation. "A Temple Knight and.." He pauses, indicating the woman beside him. "A Knight of the Royal Highness are flexible enough methinks." The ratling turns to his fellow knight, nodding to Freya. If nothing else, she's likely to be competent.

"The lives of the hostages, and the information to find and rescue them, shall be the highest priority. As for capturing him, I would love nothing more than to see such criminals brought to justice. Agreed, Ser Queegmaa."

Freya Crescent has posed:
F"Hm, so we are to ferret out this ruffian so that he can be better taken care of, I see," Freya nodded slowly after being reaffirmed of the task at hand. "I think that can be accomplished--finding out where he goes and where he's been, and making note of his habits... must be getting food and supplies from somewhere, possibly leaning on a settlement for such," she shrugged, pauldrons clinking a little against the spear haft against her back. "Well then, shall we go? we likely have much to speak of," she raised a brow to Faruja, smiling a little as she seemed to have noted the other burmecian's looks at her throughout the conversation.

Queegmaa has posed:
Que shook his head, and remarked, "Rohy's power is so otherworldly that its source is bein' soug....." he stops himself, as he almost slips, and secretly recognizes that his little blunder could haunt him someday, but, since he didn't say anything more than what was mentioned vocally, his sentiments could be attributed to anything, including alcoholic beverages, which, unbeknownst to Freya and Faruja, the kappa does not actually drink! He shakes his head, "To get my point across, there are forces that would love to ally, or manipulate Rohy, and this should be evident in light of the fact that he managed to capture two nigh-peerless soldiers augmented to the maximum capacity of our empire. The truth is, we wanna apprehend Rohy and figure out what da hell is makin' him so tough, so that dangerous weaponry dun fall inta da wrong hands..... And Bishopess Emerald is fully behind us on dis line of thinkin!"

He peers directly at Faruja as he refers to Emerald, but then says no more-- perhance Que's, and the empire's refusal to treat the two Nezumi like expendables was symbolic of their interest at remaining in Glabados' good graces, and.... that of the Nezumi race, in a universal sense? Else.... why would he care what happened to Freya? Maybe the empire wasn't so bad after all, regardless of what some gossipers had let loose? Peering at Freya, Queegmaa grins, "I hope ya ain't thinkin' of leapin' headfirst without some sorta game plan.... Eager, are we?" He chuckles, then pulls out some documents, "Dis is what we got on Frelkro. You both need ta study it and send us some kinda proposal on how ya intend to go about this, so ya don't end up givin' away everyding we've worked hard to compile on Frekol, so far. That should prolly take ya both like a day or so.... then, it'll go through our nerd-department, then.... we'll give you a green light or tell ya that we wanna make some modifications." He takes another bite of his delicacy, "Jus' that y'all are rodent-folks, which is why we're askin' you to help ta begin with. We know about Rohy and Fracko, and you all know about Nuzemi, so we gotta put our heads tagether if we're gonna do dis right, yeah?...."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Siip. Faruja drinks. Perhaps too much at times! The ratling takes a sip to steady himself a bit. Such power in one being...it's a frightening thought in a criminal.

Letting the Lady Dragoon hold down the fort, he listens to the pair as he thinks.

"Well then, if the Lady Bishop approves..." The rat follows, nodding to Quee. He'll have to keep an eye on his superior. Who knows if she's one of the corrupt ones.

At Freya's eagerness, the rat honestly smiles. "'Tis hardly in the heart of any right-thinking nezumi to abide by criminals and dishonor. Yet, a Royal Dragon Knight certainly can temper themselves." Adds the rat, attempting to boost the woman's stature a bit. Freya doesn't come off as immediately dislikable as most Royal Dragon Knights to the Templar, and he'll hardly let his fellow countryrat be chastised by a foreigner.

"We shall review this information, and get back to thee swiftly. Ahh...where be thee staying, Lady Freya? Shall we convene tonight over the issue?" Seems the rat's just as eager to get started as Freya!

Freya Crescent has posed:
"An inn I suppose, but yes, we must review the information before we make any move, lest we embarrass our orders, can't have that now," Freya nodded as she rose from her seat, nodding to the cyborg imp and then to her partner in all this, as it would appear. "You are under orders from your bishop to undertake these matters?" she asked off-handedly to Faruja, as she pushed her chair in and turned to him, apparently addressing him directly and casually since it seemed they were done with the imp.

"Might seem a bit odd for us to room together, but I think it might help cut traveling costs if we were to do so, then," she added to Faruja, was she teasing him? Oh my.

Queegmaa has posed:
It was indeed an unsettling thought that a criminal had such monstrosity at his disposal, but then.... what if it fell into the hands of one who was already a certified nightmare to begin with?! Precisely why Rakassa sought it..... so that -she- could become that nightmare, instead of one of her competitors, but then, all the Shadow Lords were probably conspiring against one another to a degree, which was what made them so intelligent, and capable; years compounded on years of literal and metaphorical backstabbing had to have made the order of the Shadow Lords quick-witted and handy enough to maintain those positions of authority, which was precisely why Queegmaa was thus far, resigned to the possibility of being kept forever in check-mate by Rakassa, with his only real purpose in life to serve /her/ ambitions, and expand on her dreams, rather than following his own.

This wasn't to say he didn't have the same insidious designs that his master had, but at the present, the one at the helm was /not/ the water demon..... but a human whose diabolic nature exceeded that of her flunkey who'd been /born/ a mephistophelian creature of the supernatural brand. When the suggestion is made that they room together, Que takes the opportunity to become snarky, and cackles, "Hehe.... By next week, I suspect the Nezumi population will number in the thousands, given how prolific vermin tend to be, when in close quarters.... eh? Good luck on dat, you lovebirds!" Certainly, Que would have fun with this little aggregate, since Freya's thoughts had been voiced aloud! With that, Que waves his hand, "Now.... why dun you two find some cozy place to do yer infesting.... I wanna get back to doin' my own thing, here, 'n no offense to either of ya, but I like ta drink alone!" Not exactly true, since he didn't utilize liquor, but, not absolutely false, since he didn't specify what kind of beverages he liked to swallow in solitude-- all that aside, he says it with flawless certainty, for.... truth or lie matters little with Queegmaa, seeing that he can lie as well as the best of Zozoians the world over.....in the World of Balance, specifically, surmising that in some alternate reality, it still existed!

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's face flushes lightly, the ratling coughing. "Quite, M'Lady, I merely mean which hotel. Worry naught, I shan't do anything scandalous, upon my honor as a Temple Knight, and as a former soldier of our country. Nor give the appearance of such!" The ratling even bows! Teasing effective.

Then, the rat turns to Quee. Finally, his temper breaks. "...I am quite taken, Ser Queegmaa. Strictly professional, I assure thee, no doubt others of my kin are quite suitably seeing our population woes done away with."

And with Queegma on the way out? Faruja takes a slow, quiet breath. "Send thy regards to thy Emperor, Ser. Ajora guide thy path."

Then, the rat turns to Freya. Smile! He'll take a dragon knight over a rude kappa any day. "Yes, the Lady Bishop Emerald ordered me to see to this matter, though she gave precious little information. Not normally something the Holy Church is tasked with when it is not our priests. Mayhaps...no, no, nevermind." Faruja shuts up before he speculates too much. "A opportunity to do good in the world, no doubt."