[X] Go get a fucking drink
[X] Light up a joint
[X] Talk to Tomas? He can probably use a friendly ear too.
[X] Talk to Monika? She can probably use a friendly ear too.
[X] Cautiously indulge in some music with Edgar.
[X] Run into angry locals concerned over Riya
[X] Hang out with Gunther and Ria and Dipak. Gamble on the birds.
[X] Clear used penalty (-4th, +4 max strain)
Wasn't sure exactly what a lot of you meant by the person who was rescued, since you rescued two people, so I'm including them both.
Oh also, Fame! This made the world a better place, and it definitely made you look skilled as a circus, so you now have 3 fame total!
"Look, you've sustained structural damage over basically every support structure in the wings. Plus, I took a look in the fuselage and the wood is rotting. I don't know how this thing holds together on the runway, disregarding the fact you flew home with a wing a single support wire snap away from falling apart." The head mechanic of the runway explained to you, presenting you your half-dead monoplane covered in dripping ice and scorch marks. "Point is, your repairs are gonna cost you."
"Can you fix it?" You ask simply.
"Of course I can! I can patch the canvas and replace some support structures as part of the usual repair fee. But I can restore the plane too, and give it some more integrity, so you're not flying around with a rotting plane. I'd hate to lose a customer like you." He said with a small laugh.
"And how much would that run me?" You ask, opening your very full purse of money.
"4þ for the restoration, one more for basic repairs, and another for general maintenance." You looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Sweet Elba…" you said softly.
"You're new to this, aren't you?" He said, grinning. "A lot of circuses coming through here drop Thaler in the double digits after every mission. It's an expensive field. Look, if you stop flying planes but still want to be rich, become a mechanic in a trade hub."
___________________________
You went to the local bathhouse to wash off and hopefully feel like yourself again after a mission like that. You were feeling on edge. Not right. Not like yourself. After handing a couple metal coins to the woman working the front desk, you were pointed towards the women's half of the bathhouse. It was only around four in the afternoon, but a skyborn convoy had landed in the early afternoon, so there were quite a few other
very naked women around. Nudity wasn't something that made you uncomfortable, but you felt a bit self conscious seeing how thin and/or fit nearly all of them were, while you were a bit plump and not very strong looking at all. You found solace sitting in the hot, steaming bath, regardless. You probably just sat there for around an hour, letting the water relax your strained, sore muscles from the 6 hours of flight. Flying was a serious workout, a fact you hadn't considered until after your first flight. Banking and honestly just holding yourself level was difficult and exhausting in a long enough time scale. Then you noticed the tattoo of Gunther you'd gotten the previous night on your upper arm. You put your hand or your face and let out a groan.
You have discovered beauty in the relaxing nature of the bathhouse, -1 Stress.
After blow drying your hair and dress with a simple wind spell after taking it from the washing facilities, you thought it would be a good idea to check in on Monika, so you headed over to the town hospital, asked to visit, and given that you were literally one of the people that saved her life, it wasn't hard to talk your way in. This time you actually got to see her, she was a middle aged Fischer woman with short black hair and many glowing tattoos. In her room, she was wearing a simple tank top, with much of her exposed skin was covered in bandages, most likely terrible frostbite, and her right leg in a cast.
"Are you a nurse?" She asked in a scratchy, sleepy sounding voice.
"Uh… no, I'm Hilda. I'm one of the pilots that found you today." You explained, stepping over to the chair next to her hospital bed, and sitting down next to her in it. "I just thought I should check in on you." She held out a hand to you, her fingers covered in black or dark blue patches. You reluctantly took her freezing cold hand.
"I don't know how I can thank your crew." She said simply, laughing slightly, and then coughing loudly.
"You don't need to." Was all you could think to say too, smiling back at her.
"No, really. Hilda. You saved my life today. If you hadn't come I would have died, even if that survivor had pulled me out." She explained, looking at you seriously. "I don't know how long you've been flying, but it's not common you save someone's life that directly as an air-mercenary." You took a moment to think about that. Honestly, this probably was the most morally righteous thing you'd done in your entire life, diving into a frozen hellscape cloaked in poison to save one person, and saving two in the process.
"Thank you…" you said, smiling again.
"How did you even find me?" She asked, sitting up more and wincing.
"Oh, I just cast a spell of seeking, specified to detect heat. I thought that would be the best way of finding you." You responded, rubbing her hand.
"Did you have any other way of finding me?" She asked before clearing her throat. You shook your head.
"Not unless you shot up a flare or something."
"So… you were the one that found me then?"
"…I guess?"
"Hilda, you saved my life." You looked down at your feet. "Have you ever done something like that before?"
"No." You responded honestly. "I've been flying for… 3 days now. I've been in a plane three times."
"Well, keep at it."
_____________________________
You decided to check in on that survivor you met back in the city, so next you went to that hotel Riya rented him a room at, again asked to see the person you saved, and were allowed to. You knocked gently on the door to his room, and after a few seconds the door opened a crack, and he peaked out at you. He was still in his gas mask.
"Hey… Tomas, right? I just wanted to check in on you." He didn't respond, just staring at you. "You don't need that mask, you know, the air here is clean." You said, forcing a smile.
"I know that." He simply responded. "I like having it on."
"Right, ok. Is there anything I can do for you?" You asked next, not really sure what to do here. "Is there anything you want?"
"I want to fly my plane." He responded.
"Well-… you can definitely do that, but it's expensive, you're gonna need to work. Like, not just working somewhere, you're probably gonna need to join up with like, a trade company, or circus or something." You say, feeling weird that you were explaining this to someone after being in this position literally 2 days ago.
"Do you know where I could join up?"
[ ] "You could join up with us." (Gain Tomas the Survivor as part of your circus, he has a
Ritter "Ersatz S")
[ ] "I'm sure I could ask around." (Roll Get Stuff to get this baby a new home with a trade company or other circus.)
Regardless of the choice, partying will happen in the next post!