The Midnight Sun

Jun poked at her demon crow, which was now contentedly sitting on her shoulder. "... I'm gonna have to work on my transfiguration magic so I can make you bigger again- OW!" Blackbean poked at her ear with his beak.

She looked at Maelik and Lum'Valia. "I think it's time I go find Doobie and leave you two love birds alone." She gives Lummie a hug. Then she turns to Arya. "It was good traveling with you. You're amazing. I hope we can team up again sometime."

When she's done hugging everyone (including Jeffery) she waves everyone off.

Maybe it was time for a more normal quest, like finding a magic sword or something.

<exits>

Ugh, another stomach pain.

"That sounds wonderful sweetie! Would you mind if I come with you seeing as I'm already awake? I can hold them down for you while you do your work!"

With a flick of his wrist his armor came flying out of his room and slammed into his bulky frame, clicking and sliding into place to cloth him in his preferred attire.

"That way they'll have to accept your help!"

(Perhaps exits to The Streets and Connecting Alleyways)

Artemis lets out a comically exaggerated gasp of exhale, followed by a chuckle, as Kate embraces her. She returns the hug for a few moments, before breaking it off, for Kate's own comfort. Hugging Artemis, at least while she was dressed for the day, was rather less cuddly than one might imagine. Hard corners and poky bits lurked just out of sight under her jacket at every turn, a testament to the weapons, potions, and other items she carries at virtually all times.

"Don't mention it. I'm not your girlfriend, after all," she responds, with a light smile. I doubt anyone in this room really is.

“Things here are going swimmingly; every day results in more profit than the last. Mr. Ulscisor was doing well when I spoke with him yesterday, and I believe he has a guest over at the moment- a decidedly personal guest, at that, though I don’t mean to gossip.”

Adjusting the way her shirt rests on her shoulders, Naoki takes a half step sideways into arm’s reach, leans on the side of one of the rooms side tables, and idly takes a lock of silvery pink hair to twirl between her fingers. A fleeting musing passes through Naoki’s mind, regarding how or why Kate’s hair is colored in the way it is, in that particular color, so reminiscent of cherry blossoms or a lotus.

“Things with me, personally, have also been going well, if a bit busily for my taste. The most noteworthy thing to mention would be that last week, I took a trip up to the Citadel, and was appointed as Head of the Treasury Department; managing the money of the city, as I seem to be proficient in doing.”

She pauses for a moment, considering how to best continue. When she does speak, she does so rather emphatically, allowing a large portion of her own thoughts on the matter to affect her inflection.

“You would not believe the deplorable state of this nation’s finances. It all seems to function and be perfectly fine on the surface, but there’s nobody behind it! The Treasury Department, as of this moment, consists only of yours truly, and a few office spaces filled with disorganized and outdated tax paperwork. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how the nation and its government continues to function, and pay all of the soldiers and government employees. Lord Ildesias Xen Torsal has been doing doing what he can, and I suppose that has been enough to keep things afloat so far, but imagine the things I will be able to accomplish, with a group of financial experts at my back and a goal to create the most economically stable and prosperous nation this world has ever seen! It’s going to be excellent, assuming that I both find enough talent to execute on my plans, and encounter no major complications in enacting them. This city of ours will see a new and refreshed age and state of being as one of even grander wealth and success than it already has, at my hands."

“Well, I don’t quite rule the city…” At least not in name.

“I will only direct the portions of the government responsible for managing money. I have no say beyond a standard minister’s vote when it comes to any matters not within my designated areas of the economy, taxes, and the finances of the government at large. I suspect that a portion of the reason that I was appointed was because there were no other suitable, qualified candidates, and Lord Ildesias needed someone to fill the position as soon as possible. As I understand it, I am the first Treasurer- and everything before now was managed just by Ildesias and a handful of his assistants- none of whom, it seems, were particularly well versed in finances.”

Realizing what she just implied, Naoki backpedals a bit, attempting to amend her statement.

“I mean to say, I have nothing against them- they did very well, considering, the nation does indeed function, but such a massive responsibility as the finances of an entire city-state... sort of ought to be headed by someone who at the very least, has some experience managing money. He has enough responsibilities as it stands, and was never really meant to be functioning as a makeshift Treasury Department anyway. My status as owner of a bar isn’t quite as odd as all that, either- it’s a qualification, if anything, and more than most people can claim in terms of prior, practical financial experience. The Assembly is a large group, and there are a lot of individuals on it that I have more reason to be a member than.”

She pauses, and decides to continue in a lower tone.

“There’s this one fellow, Wallace. Robert K. Wallace. Strictly between the few of us, he’s an idiot, I feel justified in stating. He has no skills that are relevant to his station, and the only reason he’s on The Assembly is because he owns some scummy bank. They attempted to, in the initial formation of the government, to choose individuals based on both merits and holdings, it seems, and apparently Wallace’s bank was enough to earn him a spot. And I respect that the government should bear in mind the interests of its people, and including wealthy individuals in the decision making process is probably an excellent way to make sure all of their meetings are well catered, but… The man has no merits. Nobody likes him, he has no wisdom, no skills, and no good reason to be there. He hardly even attends the meetings, as I understand. He just spends his money frivolously, and acts an immature fool. If I ever do end up running the city, one of the first things I would do is to trim the fat out of the government. Some of those people have no reason at all to be where they are.”

Leaning back, she puffs a disgruntled sort of huff. That sort of inefficiency is despicable; especially so when the body in question is responsible for so many people.

“I don’t think I’d like to, though. Run the whole city, that is. I speak with Ildesias, and the fatigue is obviously apparent in each word and movement he makes. There must so, so many things that he has to do- so many difficult decisions to make and responsibilities to attend to. I like having the opportunity to make my voice heard within the government, and look forward to building a strong economy because it will directly benefit the city at large, as well as all of my friends in it, but to manage the entire city? ... That’s too much. I already have enough power and influence to get what I want done, and this appointment is a nice platform from which I can exert my influence on the state in person, but I don’t want any more than what I have. You raise an excellent point about not getting caught up with too many responsibilities, and it’s not something I plan on doing.”

“And to be honest, I'm already faced with a daunting enough task as it stands. I’m going to have to construct the department from the ground up, creating most of the systems and procedures myself. But I think that in doing so, it’ll be an excellent opportunity to make sure it’s all done correctly, the first time, for all future generations. I would much rather create something new and efficient, than try to salvage some dysfunctional and decrepit existing system.”

“That all doesn't start for a while yet, though. Before I can do very much at all to run the Treasury Department, I’ll need individuals to compose it. I put out some listings a few days ago: ‘Now Hiring, Finance Experts’. Next week, I’ll be meeting with the candidates that come to apply, and selecting the members of my new department. Until then, all I need to do is square things away around here, and make sure The Sun is prepared to operate with a lower level of involvement on my part. Which is going quite well, actually. Skarlet… you’ve met Skarlet, haven’t you?”

She ponders for a moment, and cannot recall any such meeting.

“No, I don’t believe you have, at least not in my presence. Skarlet is our floor manager downstairs; she’s very good at what she does. You’ve probably seen her at least, in the bunny suit. Hard to miss, that one. But I brought her up was in the context of preparing The Sun to operate in my partial absence, and Skarlet is going to be a major part of that. I’m delegating to her most of the low level administrative tasks, the simple sorts of things that don’t require much knowledge beyond how to accomplish the task. Signing for deliveries, managing the shifts, paying salaries, that sort of thing. She seems to be pretty good at it, and I hope to allow her to succeed me as manager eventually, if she continues to show promise as an effective administrator.”

Here, Naoki drops her tone of casualness for one of decidedly more personal conversation, makes eye contact, and broaches a new topic.

“Which leads very nicely into the next thing I’d like to ramble at you about, if you’ll endure my prattling for a while longer. As I just mentioned, my next week is essentially wide open. I have no outstanding appointments or obligations until next Tuesday, once I’m finished with what I was working on just before you came in. I thought that we might go and do something special, you and I. I have something in mind, but before I go into it, what do you think? Do you have anything planned, or any objections to the concept before I go on?"

The fairy stood and listened quietly on the back of a nearby chair as Naoki spoke of her new responsibility to the state of Isra. Yet at the mention of what seemed to be essentially a vacation house, it flew around in excited circles before eventually coming to settle on Naoki's left shoulder. The fairy wasn't sure if it was invited to come along, but if there was any choice in the matter, never was a chance missed to see somewhere new...

Pushing off the cabinet she had been leaning against, Naoki rights the chair before it topples, and giggles a bit.

“I just have, your highness. They should be up here in a couple minutes. Start thinking about what sorts of things will need to be done to tend your shop for a few days, and what sorts of things you’ll want to bring.”

A couple minutes…

With a single decisive stride, Naoki moves to wrap her arms about Kate’s torso in tight embrace. She speaks softly, “This is going to be the best.”

The door swings inward and Naoki nods in greeting to the group. Behind her, the desk has been completely cleared, the silver box with the dress in has been stashed away, and she has changed into some more modest traveling clothes. Kate is presumably still in the room, and the fairy still on her shoulder.

Noting the sleeping orc child, she speaks in a whisper, “Ms. Lum’Valia, I presume. Good to meet you in person. I would offer to shake your hand, but it seems you’re a bit occupied there. Who’s this? Did you steal someone’s child, Maelik?”