A Walk and Answers
(Ayaz Ata POV)
Hmm, I always hated this place.
Veliky Ustyug was as always a fairly busy place spiritually and by gift-giving standards; if only because Ded Moroz kept fairly considerable tabs on the city, property, and other such things that made him a fairly prominent figure in local politics.
Not just culturally, though time and again he flexed his considerable political sway on local markets.
But you were not here to meander around or break bread with Christmas's Russian Oligarch, you were here for…information, something that only one other person in the world could provide given the situation at large and the time of the year.
It wasn't that you didn't enjoy Snegurka's company it was her choices that she made after the USSR fell that disquieted you.
You get it times were hard, but it wasn't right to become…a damned mystical knowledge broker. You considered it a waste of her talents, but as of today…it had it's uses.
And she loved hiding in plain sight. A quiet cafe with a Christmas deal going on for half priced hot chocolate.
How very original.
Snegurka's true trade lay beneath the surface. Secrets had a way of finding her, and for a price, she could make them yours.
You hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. The air inside was warmer than you expected, filled with the faint scent of pine and old paper and…peppermint.
"Ayaz," she said, a knowing smile curling her lips. "I wondered when you'd come knocking."
You sighed. This was going to be a long conversation.
Diplomacy Check: Without Riddles and Games
DC:20/40/60/80/100/120
Rolled: D100 + 19 => 119
Crit!: D100 => 72
Total: 191!
"Enough of the charades and the games my friend we have far more important things to do tonight. This is just a social visit for information."
"Come to check your list twice as it were." Snegurka's snark and sarcasm was evident, and she seemed to have practiced this matter well enough to throw barbs today.
"Something like that…its only a family appointment." You said, "There will be enough time for that."
She smiled. "I get it you want to mend your bridges, as it were, but the fact you came to me tells me you lost track of her to meet your appointments."
"It's not my fault, she wanted to leave and go on with her life…I blame modern media and all that crap their spewing about independence and shit…She was happy and we made people happy wasn't it enough?" You said partly venting.
"Ayaz it was the 1930s, and you were trying to help children during the Kazakh Genocide; she wanted to take more direct action and well, we all know how that ended," Snegurka said.
"I know…If I remember correctly she shot you in the ass. Is the scar still there?" You said.
"I'm talking about the two years into the Russian Christmas Gulag we threw her into…and then she broke out and well she jumped off the face of the earth to god knows where," Snegurka said. "Come on it's still there."
"I thought we burned it down when Gorby killed the USSR?" You said.
"You did…Ded just bought the land and redeveloped it." Snegurka said.
"So beyond talking me in circles where the hell is Kar? I know she moved somewhere far away, Don't tell me she moved into Father Christmas's domain in France of all places." You asked.
"She ran off with some North American Scoundral, culture, or literary hero, you don't know the Yankees anymore. Still doing some giving but not with the same passion as the old days." Snegurka said sadly. "Shame she was good at it."
Oh…so she ran off to the USA, that was…
How Stereotypical of her.
Then again…she always enjoyed traveling more then you did.
"Thank you…I'd personally like to say, a group of good folk in Central Asia could use some honest cheer these days." You said handing over a small list of names and how they had acted.
Snegurka nodded. "Noted and catagorized, have a happy holiday Ayaz."
Reward: You have a location, she's in America…how obviously unobvious.
Ayaz flexes some old diplomatic chops. +1 Diplomacy stat.
AN: And now the Second Part of our Ayaz's Christmas Journey, hopefully I'll have the third part up before present opening.
Enjoy.
