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We can't begin to express how grateful we are for your support. I wasn't sure if the Rangers were still operating.'
Seven nods shortly. 'We're less… centralised than we used to be.'
'Well, we wouldn't have made it through without you.' The man clasps her hands in his and holds them for slightly longer than Seven would really like. She does see his eyes flit ever so briefly to her left hand and wonders if the lingering is to show that he's good and strong and can see past her xB qualities. 'I hope that our repairs to your vessel will be adequate.'
'She's been in worse shape. I'm sure it'll be fine.' Seven clears her throat and folds her arms. 'Is there a tavern or bar somewhere I can wait?'
'Ah. No. This is a dry area, I'm afraid. No mood-altering substances.'
She's not entirely sure she hides her snort of derision. 'Well, how far to the… not dry area?' The emotional weight of a firefight at a school really, really needs a glass of something.
The species has particular facial divots and an unusually low brow that makes his expression hard to read – apologetic or judgemental, she can't be sure. 'This whole continent.'
So no bourbon, then. 'I see. Well, a cafe? Tea house?'
He shakes his head. 'Caffeine is a mood-altering substance, Ranger Seven. There is no coffee, raktajino or tea. We are happy to provide you with our local beverage of choice. Many find the taste quite remarkable.'
She wants to grumble that a remarkable taste sounds suspiciously like something that would alter one's mood but decides risking another lecture. 'That's fine. Look, I'll just head back to my ship and see if they have any questions.' And retrieve my stash.
'Very well. Thank you again.' He shakes her hand. 'Oh, and just so you're aware, we do have a detoxification field in place.'
She narrows her eyes. 'Excuse me?'
He holds his hands up. 'I only want to be transparent. If you happened, say, to have inadvertantly smuggled contraband products here, and you were going to check on their whereabouts to make sure they were appropriately locked away or, preferably, disposed of. You would find that any such items have been… neutralised.'
Seven doesn't even bother to hide her expression. 'And I'm to assume that this field is permanently altering, rather than only affecting such products while within it?'
'You would be correct.'
Goddamn it. 'Right. Sure.' She takes a breath, thinking about her latest personal supply run, the hermetically sealed coffee beans she'd acquired on a recent call-out and was holding onto to give to Kathryn. 'Keep an eye out for an invoice for services rendered.'
He blanches. 'Services rend– the Fenris Rangers charge for their services?'
She smiles thinly. 'Only for unforeseen costs incurred in the line of duty that arise due to active detrimental choices made by those asking for our help.'
'Detrimental choices?' She finds his spluttering satisfying.
'Prohibition never works.'