3rd Interlude

With the beginning of a new year, Yennefer and Velstar must leave Highwind and return to the Citadel. Unlike the first time however, Fedler and Yen say their goodbyes with hope in their eyes; after all, they'll be able to see each other again in only four months. Everyone present at the birthday party are also there to say goodbye. When her turn comes to say her farewells, Zelk is perfect image of the poised mage, right up until she smirks and asks Yennefer to relay a message for her to professor Thomen: "Me and Steve are still studying the book he recommended to us, 69 Positions of Power. Tell him we're making good progress." As for Breeze, she is giving her standard face hugs to the departing guests, promising to visit them at the first occasion. "We gotta visit that new library too!"

There is however another person who has come to say goodbye; a 14 years old girl with short auburn hair who wears leather boots a size too large for her. She introduces herself as Amber Windscarf and explains to Zelk that she is Mihai's little sister, a fact that might surprise a few people judging by the way she talks. The very first thing she says when she meets Konrad is, "Dude. What happened to your face?"

However, even amusing banter cannot stop the inevitable; the ship taking Yennefer back to the Citadel is on a tight schedule. Velstar and her young student board the Steady, but there are no tears this time, only smiles. And as the ship begins to sail away, Yen waves goodbye one last time and shouts, "See you all later! Thank you for everything!"

Konrad's gotten plenty of looks with the same question played across many a stranger's eye, but few ever openly asked it, let alone with a marked lack of meekness. He represses a laugh and answers, "My treacherous hussy of a former lover tried to kill me." With a meager bow and a cocksure grin, he introduces himself. "Konrad Granger, a pleasure."

Konrad's answer perplexes Amber and she isn't quite sure how to respond to his greeting. "Uh... yeah, nice to meet you." She pauses, thinks for a second, and then says, "Wait, what's a hussy?"

"It's a bad woman," Breeze replies. "Very bad."

"So..." She approaches the fairy and whispers in her ear so Yen cannot hear them. "It's the polite word for ‘bitch’?"

"Yeah!"

"Got it."

"Hmm?" Yen stares curiously at the duo.

"Nothing!" Amber responds.

Amber hesitates for a moment and says, "Some jerks didn't want to let me leave."

She then shrugs.

"......"

"Indeed?" He puts his hand up to his chin to stroke his scar with his thumb. Coupled with the observation that getting a reunion was treated as a reward or a boon... "They sound dangerous. I wonder if I'll have the pleasure of making their acquaintance."

"Get on a boat and find out." - Mihai interjects in a way that indicates he wants the topic to end.

"Only if you pay the fare." Cynically without a hint of impertinence, Konrad continues to rub the scar. "So, 'Windscarf', that's an interesting surname. Sounds 'fun'."

Zeiss wrote:

Everyone present at the birthday party are also there to say goodbye. When her turn comes to say her farewells, Zelk is perfect image of the poised mage, right up until she smirks and asks Yennefer to relay a message for her to professor Thomen: "Me and Steve are still studying the book he recommended to us, 69 Positions of Power. Tell him we're making good progress."

Steve is sad to see Yen go but when Zelk sends along her joke regards with Yen, he blushes and laughs at the same time. Quite the feat. "Yeah. Fascinating book that. Please pass it along."

RorytheRomulan wrote:

"So, 'Windscarf', that's an interesting surname. Sounds 'fun'."

"What, you haven't heard of the old Windscarf family of Baguette-les-Frites? It's an old Lofellon family of some prestige. Clearly Mihai has been holding out on us when it comes to personal history." He winks at Amber and grins.

Mihai is confused for a second, but then just shrugs - "You know me."

Konrad feigns a look of surprise. "I see. I won't question your lack of confidence in me, but as your fellow comrade in arms, I hope one day you'll come to trust us more with the pertinent trivialities of your life, my prince."

"Oh man," Amber exclaims. "Well, just make sure to call me your Highness from now on."
____________

A few days later, the party receives news from the weavers who've developed an improved version of the microphone; the prototype is now complete and ready to be tested. Fedler being the only one with enough experience to judge the value of such a device, she asks Steve to bring his guitar and to join her at the weaving workshop. Everyone else is also invited of course (unless some party members do not wish to see how well their investment fares).

The test is initially quite boring, as Fedler asks Steve to play of his guitar while she and the weavers determine how high or low the volume should be and where the audio speakers should be placed. That alone takes two whole hours, but once it is done, the sound is clearer than before without being deafening. At Fedler's request, the weavers install two more microphones so that she can join Steve on the improvised stage with her harp. After a few more minutes of fine-tuning, she tells Steve they will play that song they've practiced together.

The song:

Once the song ends, Breeze predictably flies up into the air and claps as loud as she can. Even Amber, who's been quite bored until now and hasn't said a lot, is now clapping for this small performance. Fedler smiles and nods at Steve. "Nice work."

She then massages her throat, visibly uncomfortable by the exertion this caused on her, but she reassures everyone this isn't serious. She just needs some rest.
____________

The weavers explain that the design of the microphone and the audio speakers is quite modular; they can be woven so they won't require charges of magic to function, but it'll increase the cost of weaving. The bigger the audio speakers are, the more sound they can project, but that will also increase the cost of weaving. The three weavers have also discussed the idea of creating instruments that could be directly connected to the audio speakers, but this would require more research - and money.

Since the party has financed the construction of this device, the weavers hand you a document that proves that the patent of the Enhanced microphone is yours. However, they also warn you that companies from other nations are not bound by the laws of the Free Feathers, and sooner or later, there will be knocks-off. Even in the Free Feathers, some weavers are bound to simply copy the design or appeal to the courts that this design be freely used by others.

If you wish to commercialize this device, your partners estimate that you have a six to twelve months head start before the first knock-offs appear - assuming your device is successful enough to warrant envy from potential competitors.
_____________

Once the party members meet in private, Breeze exclaims with a merry tone that if you're all going on a joint venture together, you should choose a name for your company. "Something like Blue Sound!"

OOC:

"Wait, we're really going to use Blue Sound?" Breeze is dumbfounded by this, but also flattered. She blushes a little and says, "Glad I could help."
____________

When the party asks Zelk if she knows any business manager that would agree to oversee the commercialization of their product, she is understandably surprised. She tells the group that it will take a few weeks, but she'll manage to find a few candidates that she judges to be trustworthy.

And as promised, two weeks later, three people show up at a small conference room that the party rented for the afternoon. Here are the candidates:

Van Willis
Age: 56
Species: human
Gender: male
Work history:

• 2 years as a salesman for a clothing shop in Walkerfree, and 4 more years as manager.
  
• 6 years as a manager for a supplying company, and 3 more years as regional manager.
  
• 8 years as CEO for the supplying company.
  
• 5 years as an advisor on the Economic Board for the Free government.
  
• 7 years as Chairman of the Economic Board.
  

An unassuming man with clean cut grey hair and dark blue eyes, Van Willis sports an elegant white tunic with frills at the neck and the hands, all of it covered by an elegant blue shirt and a long coat of a darker blue on top of that. To top it off, a very nice trilby.

"Oh, thank you for receiving me." He enters the room and approaches each and everyone of you to shake your hand. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Van Willis, but please call me Van, I insist. Anything to make me feel younger than I really am!" He chuckles. "Oh, is this my chair? Wait, I think I'm supposed to wait until you sit down before I do. My apologies. I'm quite rusty at this, aren't I?"

He laughs at himself and rubs the back of his head in embarrassment.
____________

Edna Heilprin
Age: 35
Species: human
Gender: female
Work history:

• 2 years as an assistant manager for a shop specialized in musical instruments in Diskret, Lorinth; then 7 more years as manager.
  
• 8 years as manager and owner of this shop.
  

A small and gaunt woman, Edna Heilprin appears almost ten years older than she is, but judging by her sharp eyes and scowling expression, it'd probably be safer not to tell her this. Her clothes are as unfashionable as her haircut (a bun at the back of her head). However, she is also... captivating when she talks.

"Well, this room is quite dreadful," she says with a thick Lorinthian accent. She makes her way to the chair and immediately sits down while continuing her examination of the room. "You'll have to excuse me darlings, but this room is simply atrocious. I don't know how much you've paid to rent it, but I assure you, you've been overcharged. There isn't even a plant." She sighs and then turns her full attention to the five of you. "It will have to do. Now, let us start. I'm sure your time is quite precious."
_____________

Doodad
Age: 1 years, 11 months and four days
Species: fairy
Gender: man
Work history:

• 6 months as an assistant for Denis, a merchant who owns a caravan in Lorinth.
  
• Has since started his own caravan business by taking a loan from a criminal syndicate and paid back all of it, including the interests, in only 2 months.
  
• His caravan, named Happy Wheels, now employs 2 employees and 10 mini-employees.
  

Doodad's short white hair contrast heavily with his youthful looks; just like Breeze, he appears to be no older than 18, maybe 19 years old. He wears a green tunic and a pair of beige trousers, all tailor-made, just like Breeze's clothes.

He flies into the room, lands on the chair and clears his throat.

"Greetings. My name is Doodad." His tone is confident but also practiced, as if he's expecting a derisive comment from one of you. He catches sight of Breeze - she enthusiastically waves at him - and his body seems to relax a little. He continues his introduction. "I would like to thank you for the opportunity you're offering me. Few companies are willing to take an entrepreneur such as myself seriously."

OOC:

Mihai seems disarmed by Van Willis' humble and friendly demeanor.

"Uh, not at all. Quite honestly, sir, your record is..." - an impressed Mihai looks at his notes. Blinks a few times. - "...intimidating. What drew you to our venture, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, two reasons." He lifts up two fingers and smiles. He then retracts one of them and says, "The first reason for my presence here is because I find retirement to be extremely boring. It's been a few years since I've started looking for a place that might need my expertise, which leads me to the second reason..." He raises his two fingers again. "Curiosity. The true nature of your venture is a mystery to me, and when I heard the five of you were the ones behind it, I simply had to come offer my services."

Mihai raises an eyebrow - "The five of us?"

"I do apologize if this is making you uncomfortable, but for a person such as myself, it is sometimes impossible to not learn about certain things; and judging by your actions, the five of you are truly remarkable."

Breeze smiles, delighted by the compliment. Fedler glances at her companions but doesn't comment.

"Of course," says the scarred fellow from one of the chairs on the end, paying idle attention. "Clearly you did not get where you are today by going unprepared to any meetings with strangers."

Whether this was a compliment or not, Van smiles like he just received one and nods back at Konrad.

Doodad meeting


"Oh, we take you seriously." - Mihai frankly admits - "Gotta admit i'm surprised, though. Didn't expect a Fairy to be drawn to your line of work. Why did you want go into Business, of all things?"

Doodad briefly thinks about his answer, as if he was making sure the one he had prepared was the right one.

"I think I've always wanted to. It's as if I was born for this. Doing something else wouldn't feel right."

Breeze can't help but nod at these words.

"And on that note, weren't you scared? I'm sure you have an idea how a crime syndicate approaches debt collection."

Edna meeting

Steve looks at his notes one more time to confirm Edna's name. He doesn't want to mess it up the first time he ever talks to her. Impressions, impressions. "So, Ms. Heilprin, by all accounts you've been very successful with your own shop, what interests you about our offer?"