(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 12)

[DracoOmega]

>How many do we feel we can eat?
>As for the drinks, they're better than nothing I suppose. Which one sounds the most appealing at the moment?

>The pancakes look pretty substancial to you, so you don't think you'd want more than two.
>Either is probably fine; you're not really in the mood to be choosy.

[Hanzo K.]

>"Two's good enough. And any of the drinks is fine by me."

[DracoOmega]

>"Two's good enough. And any of the drinks is fine by me."

>"Help yourself! The cups are in that cupboard over there," she says, brandishing the spatula at one of them before applying it to the simmering pancake. "And this one'll be ready in just a minute or two, now!"

[Hello Purvis]

>Go get a cup, and pick whichever we feel is least pricey, unless that one is about gone.
>Ponder: Out of all the greenhouses and such that we visited yesterday, which one seemed to have the best knowledge on the subject of the bittercress?

[DracoOmega]

>Go get a cup, and pick whichever we feel is least pricey, unless that one is about gone.
>Ponder: Out of all the greenhouses and such that we visited yesterday, which one seemed to have the best knowledge on the subject of the bittercress?

>You walk over to the cupboard Kyouko pointed at and produce a ceramic cup from among its tidy contents, then squeeze in around the apron-clad yamabiko and open the ice box. While the appliance itself is modestly sized, what it contains might be even less-so - a small portion of grilled chicken, a few eggs, some cooked rice, and the aforementioned beverages, along with just a couple other items. The sparkling grape juice looks to have only a cupful left, so you put that aside and try to decide between the other two. It's hard to guess exactly which might be cheapest, but you soon settle upon the mango juice and pour yourself a tall sunny glass.
>If you had to pick, you'd probably say the one that actually had a bittercress for sale, and from which you purchased both your seeds and the pot they currently reside in; it's possible someone else might know more, you guess, but they at least had the product.

>"First one's ready!" Kyouko chimes.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Great!" Go get a piece of that pancake!
>Once we're properly settled into breakfast: "What are you going to be up to today?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Great!" Go get a piece of that pancake!
>Once we're properly settled into breakfast: "What are you going to be up to today?"

>You go accept the pancake as Kyouko scoops it off the griddle and deposits it onto a plate with a satisfied smile.
>"Help yourself to the syrup," she says, gesturing to the small pitcher beside her, a thick trail of the honeyed substance already dribbling down its side. You take fork and syrup in hand and apply the both of them to your meal.

>"I have today off!" she says, pouring some more batter onto the griddle. It sizzles crisply on contact and another whiff of the warm scent of breakfast rises in the air. "Well, mostly. I have choir practice at 6 and I volunteered to help replant some of the flower beds at the Academy after someone turned them into sour taffy again. They were kinda tasty, though... Oh, and I have a couple deliveries I promised to make before that! But nothing much, really." She smiles as she gives the griddle a little shake to spread the batter around. "What about you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I think I'm going to visit a greenhouse, ask them some things about my little friend, there."
>Gesture offhandedly toward the plant.
>"After that, I'll have to plan my next move."

[Hanzo K.]

>Then raise an eyebrow. "Sour taffy? Seriously? You get all kinds of weird things when magic's involved huh? Then again, I've had to deal with Marisa a lot, so I should know this by now."

[DracoOmega]

>"I think I'm going to visit a greenhouse, ask them some things about my little friend, there."
>Gesture offhandedly toward the plant.
>"After that, I'll have to plan my next move."

>"What sort of things?" she asks cheerfully.

>Then raise an eyebrow. "Sour taffy? Seriously? You get all kinds of weird things when magic's involved huh? Then again, I've had to deal with Marisa a lot, so I should know this by now."

>"All kinds of neat stuff happens at the Academy," she responds sagely. "It's a fun place! I don't know if this was supposed to be a prank or if someone just had an accident, but most of the flowers were already eaten by the time I heard about it. The Headmistress was, uh, not very happy about it, though...."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Just need to make sure it's coming in properly. Were they special flowers or just some normal ones? It seems like a weird thing to get upset over."

[DracoOmega]

>"Just need to make sure it's coming in properly. Were they special flowers or just some normal ones? It seems like a weird thing to get upset over."

>"I think they were a donation from some bigwig," she replies. "I don't remember who. But I'm sure we can get something just as nice-looking again!"
>She nibbles another bite of her pancake.

[Hello Purvis]

>"That explains it. What a weird thing to donate, though."
>Continue devouring.

[DracoOmega]

>"That explains it. What a weird thing to donate, though."
>Continue devouring.

>"Well, people donate all kinds of stuff," Kyouko replies as the both of you munch on your breakfast. "Or they give money and ask the Academy to put up something to show they did, like a statue or naming a building after them or something like that. I guess this person really liked petunias?" She skewers another bit of pancake and smears it in syrup. "Well, there'll be even nicer petunias there soon enough!"

>Lingering grogginess notwithstanding, you work through your pancakes at a good clip and are nearly finished the first by the time Kyouko produces the second. She herself has three and then grabs a small rice ball to nibble on once she's done. You are feeling quite sated by the time you reach the end of two. It was a pretty simple breakfast and maybe a touch sweeter than you'd have opted for in isolation, but it was still nice enough and the mango juice was a cold and crisp contrast.
>Kyouko starts to tidy away the dishes as you finish up eating, humming to herself as she does so.

[Hello Purvis]

>Help tidy up a bit; as much as we can without getting into space issues.

[DracoOmega]

>Help tidy up a bit; as much as we can without getting into space issues.

>You go and try to help Kyouko tidy up a little, though the closed quarters leave you without a great deal you can do unless you planned to clean up instead of her. Still, Kyouko smiles brightly and thanks you as you do.
>"Want a rice ball?" she asks, pointing to small pile of wrapped ones resting in the cupboard.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you, but maybe later, I'm full right now."

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you, but maybe later, I'm full right now."

>"Well, take one for the road at least," she says, plucking one out of cupboard and placing it on the counter. "They make a nice little snack for when you're on the go!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"That's a good idea! When do they expect you in to deal with that flowerbed, by the way? And those deliveries?"

[DracoOmega]

>"That's a good idea! When do they expect you in to deal with that flowerbed, by the way? And those deliveries?"

>"Sometime this afternoon," she replies. "They weren't that specific and I'm sure there'll still be plenty to help out with if I get there by 2 or 3 or so. And it's really only a couple things I have to deliver, so.... maybe 1 or 1:30?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay, we should have enough time to get to where I need to go before all that. Want to come with me?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Okay, we should have enough time to get to where I need to go before all that. Want to come with me?"

>Her ears perk up slightly. "To go visit a greenhouse?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Yeah, if you want. I'm not gonna put you in a headlock and make you come, though."

[DracoOmega]

>"Yeah, if you want. I'm not gonna put you in a headlock and make you come, though."

>Kyouko giggles a little, then smiles at you. "Sure, I can do that. Maybe I'll even pick up a little something for myself while we're there."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ready to head out?"
>If so, make the necessary preparations and head out! Be sure to take the plant, best to have it with us rather than leave it here.
>Should she not be, collapse on the blanket pile until she is ready to go.

[DracoOmega]

>"Ready to head out?"
>If so, make the necessary preparations and head out! Be sure to take the plant, best to have it with us rather than leave it here.
>Should she not be, collapse on the blanket pile until she is ready to go.

>Kyouko doffs her apron and tosses it over a hook on the wall. "Ready to head out!"
>You gather up your things and take bittercress in hand, than the two of you depart.

>"So.... are we heading to a particular greenhouse?" she asks once you're on the street. "Because there's a really nice one just a couple blocks in... that direction." She points.

[Hello Purvis]

>"How nice? Does the owner know her stuff?"

[DracoOmega]

>"How nice? Does the owner know her stuff?"

>"I've never met the owner, but it's really big and they have all kinds of plants there. And it's always so green and fresh." She takes a deep and satisfied sniff of the air, almost as it had slipped her mind that she was surrounded by brick and stonework rather than greenery. Not that this seems to faze the peaceful cheer on her face as she does so.

[Hello Purvis]

>Nod.
>"Well, it's not too far out of the way, I guess. Just as long as they have someone who knows their botany onhand."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod.
>"Well, it's not too far out of the way, I guess. Just as long as they have someone who knows their botany onhand."

>"Someone who knows their botany!" Kyouko declares with a nod, then adds more quietly: "Well, they'd have to, wouldn't they? Or it wouldn't be nearly so green. That takes a lot of care!"