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It's getting a little later in the day and the sun has begun to set. What would you like to do now? Speaking to the crew is still an option, as well as seeing Wong about either the job or searching for Neil. Going through proper channels to find the missing bandit leader is pretty much off the table, as you don't currently have much faith in Kakei. Could he really be behind the disappearance, or is something else at work here?

>>47122688
Go see Wong about Neil.

>>47122688
Search for the Neil.

>>47122740
>>47122776
Writing!

You head to Wong's "tea shop" to see if there's anything he can do about a missing person. He appears to have connections to the underground, at least. Maybe he's heard of something.

The tiny shop is right where you left it; smashed in the middle of a dingy alley where you're sure no one goes looking for herbal remedies. You push open the door with a gentle ring of a bell and the medicinal scent of dried leaves and roots hits you. Not unpleasant, but strong.

"Ahhh, Mr. Isaac!" the aging man greets you from behind his counter, the well-dressed, but dangerous looking men watching you carefully from across the room, "Welcome back! I trust my services were of help to you. Perhaps you're back to take me up on that job I offered?" he folds his hands neatly, smiling.

You should choose your words carefully here. He helped you before, but is still a dangerous man. What do you say to him?

>>47122909
Ask him if he can help us find a 'missing' person first, and then about the job.

>>47122909
Not today Mr. Wong. I am actually looking for someone that disappeared on me. A Neil.

>>47123016
Writing.

>>47123016
"Not today Mr. Wong." you say, returning the smile, "I am actually looking for someone that disappeared on me. A Neil."

"'A Neil'?" Wong says, leaning back slightly, "That's a rather vague request, Isaac. I doubt anyone in the business of finding people would be able to do much with just a name."

You nod. "Well, this Neil is a person of interest. He was the leader of the bandits that were recently hanged. Only Neil wasn't. Neil 'died' in his cell, but the body itself has disappeared. No records of it being moved, no evidence of foul play, just...gone."

Wong strokes his thin beard thoughtfully. "Mmmm, I see...well, should someone be interested in doing such a job, I imagine it would be expensive. Quite expensive indeed, in fact. Thooough, certain favors are often rewarded with favors in return."

You give him a "how much" look with a knowing smirk. He chuckles. "Seven thousand. As usual, no haggling, no discounts. This is my price. Buuut, if you were willing to take on my job, free of charge, I would be willing to scratch your back, as the old adage goes. You see, my young friend, you have a ship. A ship that lets you leave and enter the city unmolested. One that, if my information is accurate, is currently being worked on at the docks right now. All I ask is for you to transport some important cargo to some associates in a few cities.

It's nothing inherently dangerous, of course. No explosives or weaponry of the like. You have nothing to worry about. But I have important clients who are waiting for this delivery and have my hands tied. So, what do you say?"

>Pay him the money
>Take the job
>Neither, I'll look elsewhere
>Other (write in)

>>47123307
>>Pay him the money
If we keep doing business together do I eventually get a discount?

>>47123307
>Pay him the money
How much do we have left anyway?

>>47123400
I keep an up-to-date record in the Beast pastebin. After paying, you will be at 48,300G.

Writing.

You decide to pony up the cash in lieu of the job, handing over the money to which Wong seems a little disappointed, but not entirely so. He does still get a large amount in his pocket.

"Very well, then." he says, weighing the coins and writing some notes on a ledger, "Though maybe I can convince you to take up the job later?"

"Gonna stick with maybe for now." you say, "But I'm curious, if we were to keep doing business together, any chance of a discount eventually? Loyal customer, and all."

Wong frowns at you. "No discounts. Discounts encourage greediness. Greediness encourages aggression. Aggression encourages my protection to do their jobs more than necessary." he smiles again, "So I'm sure you understand. Anyway, for now, I will look into your 'Neil' problem. It will probably take a few days depending on how resourceful man is. I'll send for you if I find anything." he places the money below the counter after weighing it, closing his ledger, "Now, I have much work to do and some people to talk to. We will speak again later. Good day, Mr. Isaac."

You leave the store with the soft tinkling of the bell once again, the blinds being drawn and door locked behind you. That's that, then, you suppose. It's evening now. Not everything is closed, but most people are turning in for the night. What would you like to do? Odds are the airship rental place is open late, though you'd have to travel through the night to reach Blakkaz by morning.

>>47123661
Go back to the ship and check everyone is doing fine. Blakkaz can wait till tommorow.

>>47123661
Go to the airship rental anyways

>>47123661
Do some research on smaller planes, the ones we've got onboard, what we can buy, and what training will be needed to fly them.

>>47123702
>>47123717
>>47123754
Conflicting ideas here. Also, your ship is outfitted with, as far as you can tell, 40 standard fighters. You're not super knowledgeable about them, but they look dangerous enough. You'd probably need to find someone either ex-military or with extensive knowledge of military machinery to get anything else. Porphyra isn't too keen on handing out sensitive information on their armaments. And if you wanted to get anything above a civilian transport vehicle, you'll either need connections on the black market or, being a pirate, steal them.

>>47123702
I'd say do this to break the tie.

>>47123856
but we could get training on civilian transports, and just improvise from there?

>>47123884
Understood. Writing!

>>47123904
As much as flying a civilian plane would help you learn to pilot an F-16, but it'd be a start.

>>47123926
well there's time to hash things out before we actually start getting the hanger online.

You head back to the ship, the mechanics having finished for the day, granting you merciful silence for the night. Your crew have begun turning in, Freyja is tucking Lisa in, reading her a story. You figure she's too busy to talk right now. Tabby is sleeping off her eventful day for now, Weiss and Tia in their beds as well. Ruul is putting the finishing touches on the barrier with Wella, but they probably have some time to talk right now.

Up on the roof, Rei and Kei are meditating quietly in Ay'ia's miniature forest and the dryad herself is watching them quietly from the branches curiously.

Who would you like to speak to right now?

>>47124013
Ruul and Wella see whats up.

>>47124013
The engineers.

>>47124051
>>47124147
Writing!

You head down to engineering to check on your hard working mechanics. You find Ruul yelling at Wella, referring to her as "assistant", barking various orders to which she happily obliges with a bit of a spring in her step. They're both in their element, Ruul working on heavy machinery and Wella helping him. They're an odd dynamic, but they make a good team.

"Hey, cap'n." Ruul says, not taking his attention away from his work. A sizable pile of scrap parts lying around him with various metal shavings and tools mixed in. They seem to appreciate the tool boxes you got them.

Wella turns to actually look at you. "Hello, Isaac! Oh, um, or should I call you captain?"

You wave it off, not really minding either way. "How're the repairs coming? Everything on schedule?"

"They will be once my assistant learns to do less chatting and more assisting." Ruul grumbles, wiping grease from his hands onto his jumpsuit. "But yeah, it'll be fine."

"This is an incredible machine, Isaac!" Wella says, apparently ignoring his obvious chides, "So many intricate parts all working together for the good of the whole. It's just like clockwork machinery, only on a much, much grander scale!" she's beaming, truly loving what she does.

"It's neat, yeah." Ruul agrees, "Though it could be cooler. I mean, there's more than a few areas that could do with improvement."

"Like what?" you ask.

"Like more guns." Ruul says matter-of-factly, "Bigger guns, too. And maybe some more accommodations. We've got a bunch of unused space that's just gathering dust. We could always add in some cool shit there. Like, I was thinking since we're basically a small flying town covered in guns, maybe we could bring in some commerce. Bring in money rather than spend it, y'know? Nobody's gonna fuck with a flying fortress, so we'd have free reign to buy, sell and trade whatever the fuck we want, right?"

(cont)

"Or we could add something the crew would like, like a commons room or something." Wella adds, "Morale's important, right? We could make a little home within home. A few tweaks here and there could make everything a little more livable. Not that I don't mind cold, metal walls everywhere, but it is a little bit of a downer every day."

"I LIKE the cold, metal walls." Ruul huffs.

What do you say? Both sound doable, but time-consuming.

>>47124445
Common rooms sound nice, we can get the commerce stuff happening later.

>>47124445
Both but get the crew rooms done first.

>>47124445
Both are great ideas, encourage them to keep coming up with stuff.

For now, the commerce area would be good, eapecially if we can get it up and running to restock in the town before we lift off.

>>47124486
>>47124516
Commons would take up one (1) empty room and require four days to complete, as well as cost 1,500 for furnishings.
>>47124566
Commerce would require one large room (2 rooms total) and only take 2 days to set up, but you'd need to find some merchants and traders willing to set up shop aboard the Beast.

Should they set up the rooms after they finish the barrier, or would you like to work on another project first?
Current projects available, for future reference:
Mechanical Knight: 1 day
Hangar: 4 days
Bombing bay: 3 days
Long-range radio: 2 days
Commerce room: 2 days
Commons: 4 days, -1,500G

>>47124622
Finish barrier, then commons.

>>47124622
Finish the barrier then the commons followed by the hangar.

>>47124622
Finish barrier first, then Knight.

In the mean time, get around asking everyone what KIND of furniture they want. Keep things within budget, of course.

>>47124648
>>47124658
Understood! Starting tomorrow the commons will begin construction!

Would you like to speak to anyone else, or would you prefer to begin the next day?

>>47124721
Set up a small box that people can drop ideas into. Nothing that expensive though.

>>47124721
Dryad. Just....sit there, and calm down. small talk about plants, I guess.

>>47124740
That's not a problem. Your crew will most definitely have their opinions heard...though you can't be sure said opinions will be of much help. Certain parties may or may not be full of idiots. ELF
>>47124745
To the leafy lady it is!

Writing.

>>47124622
Continue work on the barriers

>>47124801
Shit. I completely forgot those idiots. Set up one especially for them.

You thank the mechanics for their input and tell them to come up with more ideas. Anything is welcome as far as ideas go, you're kinda flying by the seat of your pants here.

You decide to head up to the roof to speak with the enigmatic dryad. She's sociable enough, but it's easy to forget she's there. You find her in her usual spot, watching the twins in their meditations, her wound closing up rather nicely over the last few days. Several more of her flowers have started to bloom as well. She waves to you.

"Isaac," she says quietly as you approach, pointing to the girls, "they have been coming up here to do this every night. They are so quiet and still. Aspects I can appreciate. So many of your species rush about so much, it must be so strenuous for you. This is a welcome change of pace, do you not agree?" she smiles.

You nod in agreement, looking around the trees she calls home. They're all adjusting very well considering they're...well, a bunch of trees on top of an airship. You can even see a few of them growing the beginnings of fruit. Her abilities are awe inspiring to say the least.

"They will be ready soon." she says, stroking the branch shes on eliciting a happy shake from the tree, "They're grateful to you, Isaac. They cannot wait to show their gratitude once their strength has returned in full! Though they do have some concerns regarding one of the crew." she has a worried look on her bark-clad face now, but is still watching Rei and Kei, "Today some very...unpleasant emotional radiations have been in the air. Malice, violent urges, a dangerous aura of death and destruction...but at the same time, joy and a corrupted sense of...an emotion I am not familiar with. Peace? Relief? A powerful form of enjoyment? It is difficult to express. Has something happened?"

(cont)

You're confused for a moment, but it clicks after a second. "Ah, yeah...that'd be Tabby. She uh...she learned some things about herself today...she seems to have a thing for hurting others." Ay'ia gasps, recoiling in fear, "She's harmless to you, don't worry! She's getting help for it. Believe me, I'm just as worried as you. But she has a lot of pent up anger from a rather nasty past, but it will be corrected soon enough. She has experienced teachers that will find a way to calm her anger." you motion to the twins, which the dryad looks over once more, nodding. She smiles at this.

"That is good to hear, Isaac." she says, relaxing, "They have clouds of unrest in them, but are in control. Their lives have seen strife, but also quiet. They are like a forest recovering from a fire. Steady and sure. You humans are a bevvy of emotions and thoughts. They are most entertaining. You, in particular. I look forward to seeing how you grow in the coming days."

"Thanks, I think?" you say, unsure how to take that comment, "Is there anything you need at all? I feel a little guilty leaving you up here all alone with nothing to do."

"I am a dryad, Isaac." she smiles down at you, "This is how we are. Quiet and still are our lives. However...I would not mind a way to perhaps converse with you and the others aboard the ship at times...you are fascinating."

A radio is easily doable up here, just a matter of a quick purchase and install. What do you say?

>>47125090
A radio should be easy enough to get for you.

>>47125090
Do it.

It'll also have the opportunity for the grove to act as permanent sentries on the topside of the ship.

>>47125090
Sure. Simple enough.

>>47125126
>>47125123
>>47125116
Writing!

"I'll get a radio for you up here." you say, happily. You notice being in her presence has a sort of calming effect. Maybe it's some form of magical thing or just because she's pleasant company. Either way, you should come up here more often.

"That would be most appreciated, Isaac." the dryad replies happily, "It would be lovely to hear about everyone's day. I occasionally get shouts from the men working on the ship over the last few days. They are friendly enough, though I do not understand much of what they say. They often compliment my 'gams' and offer to assist in planting seeds. What are these 'gams' they speak of? I am afraid I do not have any seeds for them to plant at the moment, but I will be more than happy to share once I do." she grins innocently.

"Yeah they..." you begin, not sure how to go about this, "They're just being friendly...they're...it's a human thing. Don't think too much about it. We'll be leaving soon enough anyway. I wouldn't worry."

"Very well, then." Ay'ia says, though still a little confused, "Perhaps I shall discover more in time. Humans are so fun to learn of!"

You bid the dryad farewell, though find her wishing you well and telling you that you 'have nice gams too' difficult to not laugh at.

It's gotten late and you figure you'd best turn in for the night. You have a full day of doing whatever the hell ends up going wrong for you in the morning...

(cont)

You are woken up by your trusty mechanic whom swears he doesn't know the first thing about picking locks, though you don't exactly trust his word on that.

"Cap'n, news." Ruul says, tossing the morning paper onto your chest, "Figure you'd be interested in this."

You stare, wide-eyed. The headline is shocking to say the least:

PROMINENT MERCHANT AND ENTOURAGE FOUND DEAD EARLY THIS MORNING. NO SUSPECT AS OF YET. SUSPECT SINGLE KILLER.

The picture they use is one you recognize; it's the Class A woman from the guild when you first arrived in Ao. Her throat's been slit.

"Oh shit..." you murmur.

"This could be bad for us, y'know." says Ruul, an actual worried look on his face, "Kakei might look to us to find out if we're behind it...and I don't wanna be the buzzkill or nothin', but...we do currently have a kill-horny woman on board..."

Shit again...

What now? You could always feign ignorance and act like nothing happened and hope they don't come your way, talk to Tabby or speak to Kakei about it directly.

>>47125493
Go talk to Tabby.

>>47125493
talk to Tabby. Doubt she did it. If it was just the merchant, i'd be a bit suspicious but the merchant's guards as well? Highly doubt it.

>>47125493
Shit. Call Kakei. Get Tabby here with the twins.

>>47125517
>>47125584
Writing! I'm sure the bloodgasms had nothing to do with it.

>>47125493
I bet it was Neil, that Kakei set us up to fall. Which would explain why he was so forthcoming with allowing us use of their docks if he could pull this.

good thing we didn't leave in the night, but it would have been better if we left before the execution.

You head to Tabby's room, knocking and waiting for a response. Eventually a sleepy-eyed Tia answers.

"Isaac?" the elf asks, blinking slowly, "What is it? Something wrong?"

"Is Tabby up?" you say, "I need to speak to her."

"Yeah, I think so..." she looks back into the room, waving Tabby over. She heads back inside, most likely into bed again.

"What is it?" Tabby asks, rubbing her eyes. They have bags under them and she looks exhausted. She hasn't been sleeping well, you assume.

"Something's come up..." you say, unsure of how to go about it, "I just...I wanted to ask you...and I trust you on this, but I need to know...you were here last night, right?"

She goes a little wide-eyed for a second, but quickly stammers out a reply. "Y-yeah, of course. I was asleep! Wh-why?" she looks scared.

>Be direct and tell her about the murder
>Just making sure everything's okay...
>Other (write in)

>>47125775
>Sound relieved.
Even if she looks tired, she doesn't seem like she's got afterglow or anything. I'm willing to believe.
>And suggest she tries going to see the dryad. Might be more calming than these metal walls.

>>47125775
>Just making sure everything's okay...

>>47125775
>>Be relived but be truthful.

>>Be direct and tell her about the murder

>>47125806
>>47125827
She sounds innocent! Writing.

>>47125775
>>Be direct and tell her about the murder

You sigh, relieved. "Alright, I was just making sure. Your...uh...condition and all...to be honest, Tabby, uh...there was a murder last night. They found the whole scene this morning and...sorry...I just wanted to make sure you...sorry..." you feel pretty sheepish now.

"Killed?! Really? I... No, no, it's..." she's still a little wide-eyed and unsure of herself, "It's fine, Isaac. I get it... That's a pretty serious thing to hear, though. Scary... Do they know who killed her yet? I mean...are there any like...suspects or witnesses or anything?"

"No, nothing yet." you say, shaking your head, "Just that it was most likely one person. I'm worried Kakei might start asking questions. We're already on rocky terms and all. I wanna make sure everyone's nose is clean here."

"Yeah..." the redhead says, nodding, "Yeah, I got you...I'll be careful..."

"Maybe you should visit Ay'ia up on the roof?" you say, putting a calming hand on her shoulder, she winces a little, but doesn't pull away, "I don't know what it is, but something about her company helps me relax. Maybe you'll benefit from it."

"Um...sure." Tabby says, "I'll give it a try." she nods, "But uh, I think I should get ready. I have...the thing with Rei and Kei and all that. Sorry."

You nod and bid her farewell.

What should you do next? Do you confront Kakei or head elsewhere?

>>47126043
We may need to stick around longer so we don't implicate ourselves.

Get that civilian transport training thing going.

>>47126043
Call Kakei but no meeting face to face.

>>47126043
Just go about do our thing.

No need to call Kakei but if he does come knocking, we'll entertain him and provide all assistance.

I think Neil did it.

>>47126094
Writing.
>>47126081
Just so you know, if you wanted to buy a whole fleet of ships, you'd still need to get the hangar up and running first. Not to mention it would be rather pricey.

>>47126269
no not buy, just train.

You figure you'd be better off talking to Kakei first. It might be better to go to him first, you think. You head over to the comms and give a call to Kakei's office. It takes some talking and radio tag, but you manage to get through. Kakei's voice crackles through the line.

"Isaac?" he asks, sounding concerned, but still remaining pleasant, "How can I help you?"

"Hey, so..." you begin carefully, "I guess you've heard about the whole...uh...thing at the trader's guild, and-"

"We're not implicating you, Isaac." he says, "I know you don't like it, but I do still have my eyes on you. You were there all night. You're in the clear."

You sigh. "Thank god, I just-"

"But," he cuts you off again, "there is another matter we need to discuss..."

Uh oh. "What's that? Something wrong?"

"While you never left the ship last night, the Nine Tails did notice one of your crew did. They were heavily robed and hooded, so details are iffy, but they believe it was a woman. They weren't able to follow her, but whomever it was returned about two hours later. Timeframe does put it within the believed time of the murder, but they don't have any proof she did it. Did you send any of your crew on any late night...errands for you?" he sounds serious, a grave tone implying some rather nasty things.

>No, I didn't send anyone out last night
>Yeah, I needed them to pick up a few things for a construction job we're working on with the ship, that's all [lie]
>Other (write in)

>>47126447
How about you shut the fuck and let me finish fucking speaking asshole. If he tries to again speak over him. If anyone did that would be my concern Kakei and I would deal with them. But get your hoddamned spies off my ship.

>>47126447
>>No, I didn't send anyone out last night

>>47126447
>I dunno, I'd like to hear it first out of your Nine Tails. Maybe there's a distinct feature that just needs some reminding.
Fuck you Kakei, I know your game.

>>47126491

Stop it, sleepy. You're making a bad situation worse.

>>47126447
>No, I didn't send anyone out last night
Then confront tabby about her bullshit. If she's going to go all murder hobo we might be better off dropping her

>>47126447
>No, I didn't send anyone out last night
better to be straight about this.
I seriously doubt Tabby would be able to successfully sneak to where the woman and her entourage where and kill them and get back to the ship undetected.

>>47126447
>No, I didn't send anyone out last night

>>47126491
Stop with your fuckign hateboner for Kakei, jesus christ Sleepy.

>>47126447
>>No, I didn't send anyone out last night

>> Other
Was anything missing from the possession of the trader?

>>47126510
No I won't. He's been doing whatever the hell he wants in regard to us with no consequences. Fuck that.

>>47126512
>Class A merchant
>adventurer tier, gets into some deep shit
>dying to a freshly bloodied girl with no training and no evidence
yeah, no.

AND IF IT NEEDS REMINDING, HE BASICALLY ADMITTED THAT A NINE TAILS IS IN OUR CREW.

>>47126534
We already know, anyways.

>>47126534
Actually, she wasn't "adventurer tier". If you recall her from before, she was actually rather plump and well-dressed. The kind of woman who has all the dirty work done for her, then sits behind a cushy desk and letting her money and business sense doing the rest.

Writing!

>>47126561
which means she would have her own group of hired fighters as bodyguards.

>>47126561
oh. From what you said before about Class As....

>>47126560
but now we can twist this to revealing who it is....>>47126561
fuck

>>47126583
Some are adventurous. The "Indiana Jones" type who like to get their hands dirty for big scores and a life of action. But most are the fancy-dress, high society types who just want to make money.

>>47126578
this. any high ranking merchant would have some veteran bodyguards with or near her

"No," you say honestly, "I didn't send anyone out last night. Though this brings up another issue. You have some of your spies on my ship and I want them the hell off. Following me around the city is one thing, but these people are invading my personal privacy. Not cool, Kakei."

"I..." Kakei sighs, "You're right, Isaac. Boarding your ship is...I'm sorry. It's a mix of pressure from my advisors and a general paranoia that my brother's supporters might be out there gunning for me. Running a city is hard work, Isaac. I've been getting next to no sleep and running around ragged because of this. Things keep going wrong or changing at the last minute...you don't need my excuses, though. Alright, you're right. I'll give the order for them to withdraw immediately...though...ah, I can't help but ask, and I will be completely understanding if you refuse, but..."

"But?" you ask, getting a little impatient.

"Would you consider letting the ones I have on board stay for now? I will have them come forward of course and they will definitely stay out of your hair. You will know their comings and goings as if they were your own crew...but if one of your people is responsible for for the murder here, we're going to have to discuss that. I'd like to think it was against your wishes and without your knowledge. And if so, we can figure this out together. I'm asking for your help once again, Isaac. To clear the name of your crew and bring evil to justice. Can I count on your assistance?"

What do you say?

>>47126769
"Alright. I can work with that."

>>47126769
No. Get them off. The pressure of being a governor only gets so much sympathy.

>>47126769
"Fine, but only until this murder business is sorted out."
What if it was one of the ELF people?
Or maybe it was Wella?
Or maybe the person who left the ship had nothing to do with the murders.

>>47126769
"Deal."

Tell him about Neil. Tell him what we found. We all come clean.

>>47126837
I'll place money on it being an ELF!!!
but seriously those guys were getting pretty bloodthirsty last we saw.

Writing!

Though should you tell him about what you know about Neil or leave it for now?

>>47126769
Definitely, but add the caveat that there's no hard proof the person going off the ship was involved in the murder. It's just a lead for now, nothing more.

>>47126904
Leave it for now. We're not yet certain he's really on the level with us.

>>47126904
Don't inform him. We've already been burned by Kakei, this time we're holding our cards close to our chest.

Did we have any contact with Ms. Class A besides the time we were attempting to smuggle the girls in to see the governor?

I doubt that would be a reason to kill the lady, and unless she was being shady on her own and Kakei killed her this whole murder might be an unrelated coincidence.

>>47126904
Tell him

>>47126904

Give and take. Inform him about the niel.

"Alright, fine. I can work with that." you say, sighing and wiping your face, "But only until this murder business is sorted out. Deal?"

"Absolutely, Isaac." Kakei responds, relieved, "Thank you for being so understanding. I realize much of this is hard to handle and I will do my best to keep more of this from falling your way. You have my word. I will have the girls come forward as soon as I can and they will work with you in figuring everything out. Then, once we have everything smoothed out, they will leave without incident and return to me."

"I'll hold that to you, governor, but I will admit there is a part of me that is very unhappy with you." you give him a stern tone, "VERY unhappy. For now, though, I'm going to trust you. Things will be sorted, the murderer will be found and we will be done with this whole thing."

"I agree." Kakei responds, "For now, though, do you have any information that would be helpful to us? Anyone on your crew that may have had a grudge against the deceased? Or perhaps someone you don't particularly trust? Anything would be helpful to go on. This has a lot of people with a lot of important influence on edge, Isaac. I don't have to tell you how important the trade guild is for the city."

What do you say? You could point the finger at Tabby, but you don't have any solid evidence she did anything. You could also implicate the ELFs, who have been violent and unruly in the past, but are also without any proof to their actions. Maybe someone else you suspect the killer to be? Or you could simply say you have nothing and conduct your own investigation in private.

>>47127130
I don't really have anything at the moment. I will however run my own investigation on my ship.

>>47127146
This.

>>47127130
Need more information before pointing fingers. What can you tell me about the crime scene and the body?

>>47127130
Tell him truthfully that we have no one that comes to mind. Ask for more information as to the murder that might help our investigation.

Let him know we'll keep him in the loop as to what we find.

>>47127130
Definitely don't point the finger at Tabby. She's been through enough as is. If she really is a killer we'll catch her on our terms.

>>47127182
The intrigue! Writing.

"Nothing yet, no. Though I'll be doing my own investigation aboard my ship." you say, "Is there anything you can tell me about the crime scene? Body? Anything?"

"There are a few things that haven't been made public yet, but not a lot." Kakei says, the sound of papers rustling can be heard, "The attack was most likely a surprise. They waited for late night. Cover of darkness when most of the people were gone or asleep. The guards were well trained, but ambushed. Whoever did it got the jump on the guards, slit one's throat before he could scream, stabbed the other in the heart through a gap in the armor under the arm, then broke into the carriage she was sleeping in and slashed her across the neck.

When the other two guards came to investigate they were most likely jumped as well. One was knocked out with a weapon, we believe. Unsure of what yet, but the nasty mark on his head leads to believe it was something heavy and hard. The other was stabbed through the eye. His scream is what drew attention to the scene in the first place. The killer then finished off the unconscious one, grabbed some valuables and money, then escaped into the night. No one saw or heard anything besides the scream. Who did it was fast and efficient...or at least very lucky.

Only one pair of footprints were found, which is how we know it was a single attacker, which is odd. A professional or veteran would probably have known to hide their tracks better than that."

"Alright, that's a start then." you say, scratching your chin, "Thanks, then. I'll keep in touch."

"Thank you again for understanding, Isaac." Kakei says, "You won't regret it. Good luck in your investigations."

With that out of the way, how would you like to go about this? Should you start questioning crew? Look for clues somewhere? You at least have an idea of how it was done.

>>47127359
Look around the murder scene for clues. Follow that with looking at the bodies.

>>47127359
The twins should help out, and we need to find out who it was that actually left the ship last night.

>>47127359
Question the crew I gues?

>>47127359
Check with our two girls. See about what they think of the weapon used and the style of the attack. Is it familiar?

Check with the posted guards at the ship entrance or any work crews last night. Who might have seen the person exiting the ship.

>>47127385
>>47127406
>>47127408
>>47127419
Understood, writing. Though one question: How will you get to the crime scene? It's sure to be on lockdown by the local authorities and you're not exactly a detective. Will you sneak in, via disguise or other such guile, or will you find another way through?

>>47127460
Can we just, not? We should focus on working out who it was that left our ship.

>>47127471
This seems like a better idea

>>47127460
have the girls sneak in and check it out. They should be able to do it. Also pretty sure this rules out Tabby as the suspect. One guard i could believe but four guards and experienced ones at that beaten by a village girl who is still probably recovering from being a sex slave. Not buying it

>>47127460
I don't know why you think 1 vote for the crime scene and 3 for doing stuff on the ship equals going to the crime scene.

>>47127460
Arrr, we pirates be following our own rules. Secure the poop deck.

>>47127493
Two votes for it, actually. >>47127419 asked about the weapon used and style of attack etc. Things you couldn't do without actually being at the scene.

>>47127516
We could just relay to them what Kakei told us.

We can ask the dryad too.She might have caught glimpse of emotions that night

You start by heading to the crew listed as guards last night to question them. Asking about who they saw entering or exiting the ship. All of them shrug or say they didn't see anyone. Nobody left or came back after all the dock workers went home for the night, though they admit their job is a lot more of a pain since they started. They have scaffolding all over the sides of the ship so they can get around. They do their best to keep watch, but it's not easy and a lot of ground to cover. Someone could have possibly left the ship through the roof, but you doubt anyone unfamiliar could've gotten past Ay'ia. Maybe ask her?

You thank them for their time and let them continue about their duties.

So, I'm seeing some conflicting ideas regarding what else you should do. Do you go check out the crime scene or speak to Ay'ia or any other possible crewmen who might know something?

>>47127570
Talk to the dryad.

>>47127570
Speak to the crew and dryad lady.

>>47127570
Dryad's our best bet if someone actually did it.

>>47127570
Let's send Ruul and the twins to examine the body. We'll continue to investigate the ship.

At some point we should look into Class A's business dealings. She might've just got offed for being too aggressive during a turbulent political upheaval.

>>47127578
>>47127580
>>47127588
Flowery femme it is! Writing.

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You head up to the roof to speak with Ay'ia, who is lounging in the soft carpet of grass that's begun to grow among her trees, her body splayed out peacefully. The copse shakes in announcement of your arrival and she sits up, happily waving to you.

"Hello, Isaac!" she says pleasantly, "Your gams are quite lovely today!"

"I uh..." you say, thinking you're going to have to come clean about this eventually, but you have more pressing matters at the moment, "Hey, Ay'ia. You...too, I guess. I actually wanted to ask you something about last night. Pretty late at night, but did you happen to see or...sense anyone leaving or entering through here? They would've been wearing a robe or cloak, hooded, possibly female?"

She thinks for a moment, then nods. "Yes, I believe so. It was very dark and I was sleeping, but something did rouse me. Someone with that same malicious joy I felt yesterday, though this one was different somehow...troubled. Scared, I believe. Maybe worried? It was experience a whorl of emotions, a little difficult to pin down. I saw a figure leave, but couldn't get a good look. Dryads don't have the best night vision, but it was definitely a familiar aura. Not a stranger.

They were gone for some time, but when they returned, that malicious joy was increased somewhat, but the troubled feeling was replaced by much more fear. Panic, I believe. Something may have happened to them during their time away. There was the sound of ragged...hah hah sound humans make..."

"Breathing?" you offer.

"Yes!" she says, nodding, "Breathing! The figure was doing much breathing as it returned. It returned to the depths of the ship and did not return here. The malicious joy is currently lost among the many other auras of the ship, though. I could pick it out if you brought them here, though."

What do you do next?

>>47127742
Ask Tabby to come up to the deck?

>>47127742
Bring Tabby up. The fear part concerns me.

>>47127742
Dont single tabby out. Have all the captured girls, our two assassins, our mechanics and the mother daughter pair to come to the top deck.

We'll brief our command core on the deck as to the current situation to enjoy the sun abit.

>>47127788
>>47127819
>>47127832
Time for some Beast suspect lineup!

Writing.

>>47127893
It is very important that we do not reveal what we're doing. We let our flower sniff then have her talk to us after everyone has left.

"Ay'ia," you ask, "if I were to, say, bring some people up here...do you think you'd be able to discretely pick out which of them has the aura I you felt last night? I need to figure out which one it was, but I don't want them to realize it."

"Oh, yes, I can do that for you, Isaac." Ay'ia says, though she seems concerned, "Is something the matter? You are tense. Is there cause for alarm?"

"Hopefully not," you say, sighing deeply, "but I need to be sure...I'll bring a small group up here. All I need you to do is act normal, but quietly pick out who the aura belongs to. Once everyone is gone, let me know."

"Very well," the dryad says with a nod, "I will do my best, Isaac. And it will be pleasant to have some company here. My friends and I would love dearly to speak at length with the ship's crew. Humans are so odd!" she says with a small giggle.

You manage to get your group of suspects up to the roof under the pretense of a picnic lunch and to have a simple chat among your most trusted crewmen. Ruul seems a little unhappy to be out of his element, but the food's good and conversation is friendly. You do notice, though, that Tabby is sticking a little closer to you than usual and she still has that tired, slightly sad look to her. But she converses well enough. She even mentions enjoying meditation with the twins, saying it's been helping her mood quite a bit.

She is also the last to leave, but eventually she is called away by Rei and Kei and bids you farewell. She almost looks like she has something she wants to say, but changes her mind at the last moment and takes her leave.

(cont)

"The red one," Ay'ia says once everyone has left, "Tabby, yes? Her name? The aura I sensed was most definitely her. It is...pained. She is conflicted about something. Still scared. But she feels less so around you. You have a calming affect on her, Isaac. She must think highly of you." she smiles, but it quickly turns to sadness, "But the malicious joy never leaves. It is ever present with her. I'm unsure if she even notices it herself much of the time. She fights it at times, the conflicting emotions within her are causing her duress. She loves what she hates, and hates what she loves. It is a...difficult existence, most assuredly...I am...sad for her, Isaac. Her life is not an easy one."

So Tabby was the one who left last night for sure. She lied to you. You're not sure what to believe anymore. Could she really have taken out those guards by herself? She's untrained and, until very recently, never done anything of the sort. Did her affliction really drive her to commit this act?

Should you confront her? Or perhaps turn her over as a suspect? What do you do?

>>47128067
Confront her on it. But do NOT turn her over.

>>47128067
Go and ask her what she was really doing last night. Hpefully it wasn't murder.

>>47128067
Confront her about lying about leaving, but do not insinuate that she is the murderer.

>>47128067
Doesnt make sense.

She might have gone out but i seriously doubt shes the killer.

Trust tabby for now. Continue with our investigations. Go with our two pet assassins to the crime scene to investigate the assailants combat style.

More likely i believe she was a witness to the crime. Considering whether we want her to come with us.

>>47128086
>>47128092
>>47128096
Confronting time. Writing.

>>47128067
Confront her about it, but emphasize that if she needs someone to talk to, we're here. Did she get jumped by a mugger?

You thank Ay'ia for her help, assuring her you'll get her that radio to talk with the crew while she's up here. She wishes you luck in your endeavors and to be gentle with Tabby. She is emotionally fragile at the moment.

You head down to where the trio usually does their exercises and lessons on focus and find them doing just that. They are showing her how to properly maintain a weapon currently; oil, cleaning, storage and the like. You ask to borrow Tabby for a moment and she agrees to follow. You take her to your room to make sure you have privacy, which grants you an odd look from the girl, but she doesn't say anything.

"So, I suppose I have something to admit." you say, taking a seat on the bed and inviting her to join you.

"Oh Isaac, you don't mean..." she says, the odd look only increasing in intensity.

"Wh...oh!" you realize the implications, "No, no! Not that! I want to talk to you. About today. Please." you motion for her to sit, to which she obliges, though still confused, "When I had everyone come up to the roof, I had ulterior motives. Last night, someone left the ship late at night." she visibly tenses at this, but you continue, "They didn't return for a long time. A very unusual time, as well. But, Ay'ia said she could sense who it was. She knows emotions like people know...sounds or sights, I guess. So, I had everyone join me up there so she could pick out who it was...who left in the middle of the night." you give her a sad, but serious look. Like a parent that has to tell a child they know what they did wrong, "It was you, Tabby. You lied about leaving earlier. You were out last night..."

"I w..." she starts, tears forming in her eyes as she does, "I wasn't...I...it wasn't me...I didn't..." the look on her face betrays her words. She's panicking.

(cont)

"Tabby, come clean with me." you say, trying to sound sympathetic, "I'll work with you on this. I'll listen to what you have to say, but I need to know why you left, where you went and what you did. I've been nothing but good to you, haven't I? I think I deserve the truth. Otherwise I have to assume the worst. Please. Tell me and I'll do what I can to work this out."

Tabby is a sobbing mess now, her breath strained and her body shaking. She can't look you in the eye and she can barely form words. She keeps trying to deny, but even that is too much for her. This continues for a few minutes, but she eventually composes herself enough to give you a straight answer, looking up at you with puffy, red, tear-filled eyes that are clearly pleading with you.

"I did...I did go out..." she stammers, her hands wringing together, "I went out last night...I'm sorry I lied...I'm sorry...I was scared...because I...I went out to...it's hard...it's so hard and I'm trying...I'm trying...but...I wanted it...so badly. It hurt. She needed to...I needed to..."

"Tabby," you say, your worry rising, "what did you do?"

She takes a few gasping breaths, looks you dead in the eye and confesses. "I left last night..."

You nod slowly, waiting with baited breath.

Tabby shakily finishes her words. "To kill someone..."

And with that, my friends, I will call it a night for now. I hope you all had fun playing! If you enjoyed the thread, please vote for it on the archive and follow me on Twitter! I can stick around for a little bit to answer any questions, but if not, have a good night and thanks again!

>>47128328
Thanks for running AM.
This is still lewd.

>>47128328
it didn't sound like she killed more than one person....hopefully. Not the worst case scenario.

>>47128337
If crying girls confessing to murders is your kink, I guess.

>>47128366
I'm 30% certain this will end with Tabby swearing unwavering loyalty, 10% her wanting in MC's pants, and 3% certain that this talk will end in sex.

>>47128366
Isn't it everyones?

>>47128401
What percentage you think it'll end in blood?

>>47128477
Is it Tabby's time of the month?

>>47128501
Hah! Oh you.

Oh by the way, here's Tabby's theme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpuhy8iBvVo

>>47128517
Speaking of themes, should I add the different crew's themesongs to their profiles on the pastebin? Do people even care? I figure they add a little bit of depth to them.

>>47128549
I'm not too into theme songs, but wait to see if other anons are.

>>47128517
Does Tabby also wear an animal mask when she kills people?

>>47128549
Sure, I like them.

>>47128578
Hahaha, ignore the video. Gunship's stuff is great, though. Especially if you're into a retro 80's synthpop feel.

>>47128477
100%

>>47126043
>Do they know who killed her yet?
>her
We're not very good detectives.

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Dammit missed the thread
Things are going to get worse, isn't it?

>>47130751
I'm thinking either
Neil killed the merchant in exchange for freedom to go back into hiding so Kakei could implicate us and kick us out while extending friendship on unofficial terms.

Tabby went out and was used as implicating evidence, but was really baiting and eventually attacked by muggers, whom she killed horrifically, not cleanly. Enough that the other muggers ran away and she just stared at herself in realization.


or


Tabby killed one of the guards, and Neil capitalised on this to kill the merchant and stir up trouble, have someone else take the fall, and to allow his escape