Scene #5976: Discussions about a Certain Businessman

Owner	Pose
Lemeza Kosugi	It's kind of quiet in the Village of Departure. Tours are closed, unfortunately, due to reports of monsters hanging out near the entrance to the ruins of La-Mulana, but the surface at least is peaceful, for the most part. Lemeza Kosugi has chosen today to sprawl out near the hot spring, lazily poking around on his MSX3 laptop and hmming occasionally. After conferring with his fellow Concord members and coming up short on hackers, he'd contacted Orchid of the Paladins to come on over -- although, he'd planned to make the contact anyway, since she had objections to a certain someone's actions. That someone was Gideon Kaspar, businessman and dealer of weapons, and as far as Lemeza was concerned, an existential threat to any and all historical sites. Thus, contact was made, and now he waits for Orchid's arrival so they can begin discussion in earnest about what to do about the rogue warlord.
Orchid	Among other hobbies, Orchid has a strong interest in archaeology. Admittedly for her it involves more recent ruins than for some, and (maybe) more high technology. So when Lemeza asked her for some time to discuss a certain mutual annoyance, she agreed to come. Thus, she turns the final bend towards the hot springs... But she heard about the hot springs it seems, and has chosen to come wearing not her normal armor, but a purple bikini, a box under one arm. "Hello hello!" she calls out as she comes into view of the springs.
Lemeza Kosugi	Lemeza was not expecting a... presumable robot to come in swimwear. He himself was at least partially in his usual explorer's outfit, though with his shoes off and shirt unbuttoned for maximum relaxation. There's some sky-blue crisscross straps kind of visible under his shirt, suspenders maybe? In any case, he's rather curious about Orchid's choice of attire - and the box she brought. "Hey! Glad you could make it. Man, adventuring's great, but it's nice to wind down in between, you know? And you've certainly come prepared." Okay, he's got to ask. "So... what's in the box?" He's pulled up some files he's typed up concerning Kaspar; visible on his screen, they are part coherent plan and part rambling rant about how dangerous he is. However, the archaeologist doesn't immediately address the topic.
Orchid	Why not? It is a hot spring. Orchid seems to notice his clothing, eyes narrowing a little. Just a little plotting and greed there. Still, she grins at the greeting. "I quite agree," she says, and hefts the box. "And this? This contains a few little tools, and a spare dress and towel." She puts this down next to the hot spring, before she enters the water. "And I see you've been doing your homework about the mercenary," she adds, looking over his shoulder at the computer.
Lemeza Kosugi	"As much homework as I can manage without knowing how to hack into Kaspar's computer network." Lemeza's looking through his files a bit more intently now, properly catching himself up to speed. "I'm sure any encryption he has is no match for my Moble Super Xelp--er... Mobile Super /Ecks/," he emphasizes the X pretty damn hard, "but it's no good if I don't know where his databases are." He eyes Orchid playing in the water, noting a distinct lack of short-circuiting. "Anyway. I figure someone like him has some dirt /somewhere/. Shady transactions, coverups, that sort of thing." He adjusts his shirt, and looks like he's considering taking it off, but keeps it on after another glance at the robit. "Um... huh. Is that relaxing for you? I didn't expect a robot would be interested in the hot spring."
Orchid	Orchid takes note of the change in words, but makes no comment on that. And yeah, her externals are sealed well enough against water that she can submerge safely. "I'm sure he's done something we could nail him for, and hacking into his files might reveal it, but there's a sticking point before I can hack his files... and it's quite relaxing, actually. It thins the oil in my joints, and lets me back off the pressure to maintain position." She stretches out in the water, not quite floating, although her breasts seem more buoyant than the rest of her body. "Sealed externals, so might as well enjoy when I get the chance."
Lemeza Kosugi	"Hm, not a bad setup then. Today I learn robots need to relax too." Lemeza seems just a little impressed by Orchid's explanation on how she's waterproofed. He isn't fazed either, when she says she's got a sticking point; she's a Paladin after all, held back by strict adherence to legality and such. "What's the sticking point you speak of?" While he's talking, Lemeza finally takes off his shirt, and gets to removing his trousers as well, revealing underneath a sky-blue slingshot bikini clearly designed for a woman instead of a man. His movements are casual through all this, though, and he hops in to the hot spring across from Orchid, bringing his laptop close by for proper referencing. He seems quite comfortable in his swimwear of choice once he settles in the spring.
Orchid	"Huh. That's a nice swimsuit," Orchid comments, looking at Lemeza's bikini with a smile. "As for that sticking point, in two words, 'probable cause.' I can't do anything official without evidence, not proof, mind you, but sufficient evidence that a serious crime has been, or is being, committed." She sighs. "And trying to claim that what he did at the temple was within the Paladin's jurisdiction because it was 'unclaimed' is a can of worms I don't want to open." Now that she can see the bikini up close, she thinks it might look good on her well formed figure. Better than on Lemeza at least.
Lemeza Kosugi	"Oh? You're reacting much better than I expected." Lemeza's a bit relieved that Orchid's not turning scarlet over his choice of wardrobe, like Maaka did when she visited. "And, I figured. Paladins are a bit limited. However!" He turns back to the matter at hand. "I have a proposition. My MSX is exceptionally good at decrypting unknown languages with little information. It's also proven effective at breaking computer encryption as well, though I've only done that to see if I could. If it'll help, and if you're fine with making this unofficial, you can use my equipment to hack in, so Kaspar's systems will register me instead of you. As a bonus, it'll let him know I haven't forgotten his actions." His tone gets a little aggressive toward the end. He continues, "I don't want to wait until he commits a serious crime. By then it's too late, and he's smashed the temple or broken novel technology." A brief pause. "Or started a war just so he can profit..."
Orchid	"You do realize that you're pitting the letter of the law against the spirit, right?" Orchid asks, clearly torn. She closes an eye, bringing one hand to her forehead. "Morals are the rules we follow even when no one is looking... but... He did show no regret about that killing..." Orchid's head sinks below the water as she tries to find the right course.
Lemeza Kosugi	"I've made the offer. It's your decision whether to accept or decline; I'd be grateful for the help, but can manage if you decide against this." Lemeza does his best to address Orchid's concerns. "You mention morality. For my part... if you want to use law as morality, I have a rather horrific track record. Killing the creator of all life is pretty serious. But, she'd threatened to wipe out the existing civilization in order to start over, so I kind of had to kill her to ensure my world's continued existence. And I had to steal, from a museum, the crystal she left behind in death, to... well, hopefully to make life myself, as a safety net in case society extincts itself regardless." He sounds pretty dang serious, and maybe a bit regretful. "I seriously doubt a weapons seller like Kaspar would consider any of this. He seems just a bit too proud of his killing machines, and might even orchestrate a war just so he can sell more product."
Orchid	Orchid's head stays under, but she can still hear Lemeza. Once he's done, she breaches the surface. "FINE. But I expect some payment for this. Something to make it worth the risk I'll be taking for you." Strangely, her hair seems to not just dry quickly, but falls into place around her head. "Something off the books, something fun..." she trails off, narrowing her eyes at Lemeza. Specifically, at his bikini.
Lemeza Kosugi	Lemeza's face goes scarlet once he realizes what Orchid's indicating. "Uhhhhh... wait just a moment now! I may be divorced but I'm not in the market for that!" From serious to flustered just like that. "Come on, can't you just take standard monetary compensation, here?" Okay, maybe he misunderstood just a /little/.
Orchid	"Wait. What? No! No no no. Well maybe." Orchid seems equally flustered as the right angle this conversation just went in. "I ah. No, not money, not that either. That wouldn't be in payment." Dangit, now that he's put THAT thought in her head, the other thoughts are not working as well as they should be. "No, I didn't want to ask for what's IN your swimsuit," she finally manages to say, blushing a little. "I wanted to ask FOR the swimsuit."
Lemeza Kosugi	"OH THANK GOD." Lemeza yells out that line of relief loud enough to make the nearby villagers glance over at the situation, before going about their business. "Ugh... this meeting has definitely been interesting, at least. And, no. This swimsuit is mine. I can have the village tailor Dracuet make one specifically for you, though, if you'd like." He then sinks into the water to about eye level, sighing.
Orchid	There's a pause, then Orchid laughs. "I think that will work. I'll email you my measurements, so we can be sure it'll fit. And interesting is the least of it." She shakes her head, but she's still smiling. "So, how would this... investigation begin?"
Lemeza Kosugi	Oof. There's a question Lemeza hadn't planned to answer. "So, I'll be honest here. I investigate abandoned ruins for a living. Sneaking into guarded facilities... not so much. I do have some fellow Concord interested in this, though, and they ought to have more of an idea than I do of how to proceed. I'll ask and let you know. Until then, let's just enjoy nature for now, yeah?" He sits back up and leans back, closing his eyes in relaxation.
Orchid	Orchid takes a deep breath, and slowly lets it out. She nods "Sounds reasonable. Wanting to make sure you have all the pieces before you start the game. And yes, today is a good day to relax." She leans back in the spring, looking up into the air, only her face out of the water.