"Noted, will do my best avoid them and-or avoid pissing them off."

whyyy does this place have it's own Immaculate Order.

"Well... If you go to the top-deck and wait a few minutes I'll fetch up your package and the first half of your payment."

"Sounds good!"

She goes to the top deck.

And a few minutes later Rost hands her a package and a note with an address and some money. With a messy salute he says, "Directly into Mrs. Crenshaw's hands, if you can. I'll be sending her a hinty note to be expecting someone like you."

She gives an over-elaborate salute. "Can do."

You know what's awesome about being able to put things Elsewhere? No one else can grab it! So handy.

"Have a nice day making more waves, then." He waves her off.

She heads off back to the airfield.

The airfield: Exists. Her flight back isn't for another hour or so. There's bureaucrats, guards, postal workers (still no sign of that one guy), and idle witches around.

Are any of the idle witches chatting with each other? If so, she heads over to insinuate herself in their group.

There's a pair over there chatting and playing with fire. Literally, one is cupping a little flame and passing it hand to hand.

"-Was wounded and taken to a hospital in Venezia. At least he's not dead."

"Still stinks."

"He didn't need to go off and fight. I'm too much of a coward to go off and fight... But he's safe now." She glances over at Marena and lets the fire go out. "Hello. Haven't seen you before."

"Hi! Yeah, I'm fairly new around here, just getting my feet and such."

Fire witch says, "Indie? Good for you, the army types are really annoying. Goddamn army."

"Hey, it's not that bad! Someone needs to kill the Neuroi."

"Right, sorry. Just... Sorry." She sighs.

"Yeah, I get it. It sucks. Let's pick a new topic."

Yep, let's all be new topic buddies! Topics that don't require working out what 'Indie' is!

"So, where are you two based?"

"I wander around taking odd deliveries, o fellow indie. Army can't hold me down," sing-songs fire-witch.

The other one says, "My permanent post is in Newcastle. I do medium to long distance hauls. Due for a combat deployment in two months."

Yep, now she definitely can't admit she has no idea what an indie is, other than it's some sort of person. Maybe it's another word for witch?

"Well, that sounds exciting-and-or-worrying."

"Worrying. Definitely worrying."

"Yeah, I feel that. I wouldn't want to run into the Neuroi on a cold dark night, even if there were other people at my back."

"People having your back is big. They do months of squad teamwork in combat school. But yeah."

"It's also good that they're not just throwing you in the deep end, but-- yeah, it's a big change. Dangerous one too, from what I've heard."

"Can we not talk about how I'm maybe gonna die?"

"We could... talk about Newcastle?"

"It's a city. It's cold."

Fire girl goes fishing with the question, "Any good bars?"

"No clue. I don't drink."

"...Any good churches?"

"Ugh. Just because I don't drink doesn't mean I'm crazy about sin and righteousness."

O...kay, didn't expect a hornet's nest there.

"Is there anything... home-y about it, or is it just cold all the time? Honestly, everywhere here is pretty cold--"

The gloomy upset one snorts. "Well, it's got fishing and Scots visiting sometimes. And there's a weapons testing field. Cold? You haven't been to Orussia, have you?"

"Dark skin. From the south somewhere probably."

"Oh, right."

"I've heard of Orussia? Never been though; doesn't sound that appealing."