Patchy Quest One More Time: A Z-Machine Adventure

[UncertainJakutten]

>Oh, forgot, Gaphax. Sure, as long as we can gap right back.
>Ask Yukari if she's sure she can't gap the bees once they are summoned?

[Serela]

>Note that we haven't heard Jeff at all since we've gotten to the house. That's not good.

[Hello Purvis]

>Oh, forgot, Gaphax. Sure, as long as we can gap right back.
>Ask Yukari if she's sure she can't gap the bees once they are summoned?

>"If my understanding is correct," says Yukari, "They don't come to you so much as you come to them."

>Note that we haven't heard Jeff at all since we've gotten to the house. That's not good.

>It does not bode well.

>We can go check on Suwako, at least. Maybe Suwako/Kanako/Sanae might come. Wriggle is an insect person, as well... bees.
>Go through gap to the Moriya Shrine, attempt to gather all four of them up and explain situation
>See if Suwako/Kanako remember what happened
>Ask if anyone will come help fight the cosmic bee horror

>You decide to follow Yukari to the Moriya Shrine. You emerge at Suwako's pond, you see Suwako laying on the bank, surrounded by Wriggle, Sanae, and Kanako, who are fussing over her.
>Kanako turns to face you as you arrive. "You came. I owe you my thanks once again."
>You start to explain, but Kanako shakes her head. "I've told them as much as I can, and I imagine thatyou do not wish to linger."
>"Sounds like you drew an ace of spades, cowboy," says Wriggle. "'Nako said those bees are way chromed up, so I don't think I can do anything about 'em. Sorry."
>"I'll go," Sanae says firmly.

>_

[Serela]

>"I'm glad to have your help, Sanae."
>Hmm... so Yuyuko said she would come too, didn't she? Is there anyone else we think might come?

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm glad to have your help, Sanae."
>Hmm... so Yuyuko said she would come too, didn't she? Is there anyone else we think might come?

>If you were willing to take the time, you could probably convince all kinds of people. But that involves finding them, explaining things, and convincing them.

>_

[Jana]

>Recall that Rumia was also affected by the bees, and ask Yukari if she would be willing to let you check on her.

[Hello Purvis]

>Recall that Rumia was also affected by the bees, and ask Yukari if she would be willing to let you check on her.

>"If you must," says Yukari.
>"I would advise against taking too much time," says Kanako, as she kneels down by Suwako while Sanae moves to join you. "When left, my own connection to that place faded. I have no idea how much time you might have."

>_

[Serela]

>"You're right, Kanako. As soon as Rumia decides to come or not, we must go to face the bees. All we'll need is to get to a mirror and say the words!"
>...gah, Rumia isn't particularly smart, is she? Better keep this simple.
>Go through a gap to Rumia after it is opened
>"Hey Rumia! Me, Sanae, and Yuyuko are about to go fight a cosmic bee horror... do you think you could help us? I found your hairbow, by the way."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You're right, Kanako. As soon as Rumia decides to come or not, we must go to face the bees. All we'll need is to get to a mirror and say the words!"
>...gah, Rumia isn't particularly smart, is she? Better keep this simple.
>Go through a gap to Rumia after it is opened
>"Hey Rumia! Me, Sanae, and Yuyuko are about to go fight a cosmic bee horror... do you think you could help us? I found your hairbow, by the way."

>You emerge in the alleyway, and find it abandoned. However, a brief look around reveals that Rumia is across the street, looking around the fence of the school playground.
>"It's haunted there!" Rumia shouts, "You should get out of there!"

>_

>_

[Kuma]

> Tell Rumia that it wasn't a ghost, it was us in another world, and we need her help so save Gensokyo

[Hello Purvis]

> Tell Rumia that it wasn't a ghost, it was us in another world, and we need her help so save Gensokyo

>"Nuh-uh!" she says.

>_

[Kuma]

> "Ok, I'll tell Jeff you said Hi"

> Procede to consider how exactly we're going to get back to the frozen world.

> OH, IDEA! Get Youmu and Remilia to stop fighting for a moment, Fix the Dream Cutlass, and have them clang it out for a bit

[Toasty]

>gap to kanako
>stare at her chest mirror and say GUY MADE OF BEES

[Hello Purvis]

> "Ok, I'll tell Jeff you said Hi"

> Procede to consider how exactly we're going to get back to the frozen world.

> OH, IDEA! Get Youmu and Remilia to stop fighting for a moment, Fix the Dream Cutlass, and have them clang it out for a bit

>gap to kanako
>stare at her chest mirror and say GUY MADE OF BEES

>"Okay!" Rumia answers, before ducking back behind the fence.
>You consider ways to get back to where you need to be. Given the consideration of time, you decide to take the fastest way you can think of.
>You ask Yukari to take you back to Kanako. She frowns for a moment, then says, "I don't think it would be wise to drag her along with you."

>_

[Kuma]

> Go into a bathroom and turn off the lights and say "GUY MADE OF BEES" 3 times.

[Hello Purvis]

> Go into a bathroom and turn off the lights and say "GUY MADE OF BEES" 3 times.

>You direct Yukari to take you to one of bathrooms in Scarlet Devil Mansion, they should be private enough.
>She opens a gap, and gestures for you to walk on through.
>You enter the gap, and appear in the aforementioned bathroom, Yuyuko and Sanae follow you through without a word.
>Facing mirror, you say The Words three times. They hang heavily in the air. Only two more need be said to complete the invocation.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Say The Words 2 more times.

[Hello Purvis]

> Say The Words 2 more times.

>You make sure that Yuyuko and Sanae are ready, and say The Words twice more.
>The world goes still, and you can hear distant buzzing. Everything grows dark, as your reflection in the mirror starts to twist and discolor into something else. You hear Sanae start to whimper in obvious terror, not unlike Jeff before, but you only feel a sense of tenseness in the air. Then bees begin to flow from the mirror. Both Sanae and Yuyuko cry out, as you back away. They seem transfixed by the events around you, and you back into them. Then seems to break them from their revere, and they withdraw quickly. The swarm continues to spill out, the distorted face within it watching you with a penetrating glare.
>It is hard to see very far in the darkness, but you are on the ground floor of the Maid's Wing of Scarlet Devil Mansion. However, the mansion is falling apart; doors hang off their hinges and huge sections of it have collapsed into rubble. This place feels like the space around Suwako before she was able to extract herself from the Swarm, rather than the gray space where you found Jeff; it also more exactly matches what he described to you.

>_

>

[Fightest]

> Ready all spellcards available.
> In fact, this isn't really Gensokyo any more - ready all firepower available.
> Tell Yuyuko and Sanae to do the same.
> Wait for swarm to form something coherent.
> Shout: "Could you please leave us alone and, well, leave? Forever?"
> If negative or hostile response, open fire, ALL WEAPONS.
> If neither of the above, wait.

[Hello Purvis]

> Ready all spellcards available.
> In fact, this isn't really Gensokyo any more - ready all firepower available.
> Tell Yuyuko and Sanae to do the same.
> Wait for swarm to form something coherent.
> Shout: "Could you please leave us alone and, well, leave? Forever?"
> If negative or hostile response, open fire, ALL WEAPONS.
> If neither of the above, wait.

>You ready both your spellcards.
>You order the others to prepare as well. Sanae nods blankly, still obviously terrified by what is going on. Yuyuko produces a card, looking quite a bit more grim than you've ever seen her, and says, "Please, allow me."

>_

[Fightest]

> Click fingers in front of Sanae's face.
> "Now's not the time to be spacing out, girl. You're in this now, so see it through all the way. Don't you have some pride in your power?"
> Grab her by the shoulders.
> "Suwako and Kanako are counting on you. They're what you've got, and your strength is who you are. Now, are you going to panic like a mewling babe, or are you going to stand up for the people you love?"
> Nod at Yuyuko.
> "You'd better decide quickly..."
> Turn away, adjust cap to a cool slant, and face the swarm.
> "Because it's go time."

[Hello Purvis]

> Click fingers in front of Sanae's face.
> "Now's not the time to be spacing out, girl. You're in this now, so see it through all the way. Don't you have some pride in your power?"
> Grab her by the shoulders.
> "Suwako and Kanako are counting on you. They're what you've got, and your strength is who you are. Now, are you going to panic like a mewling babe, or are you going to stand up for the people you love?"
> Nod at Yuyuko.
> "You'd better decide quickly..."
> Turn away, adjust cap to a cool slant, and face the swarm.
> "Because it's go time."

>Sanae doesn't react as strongly to your snap as you like. But she nods along as you try to talk her out of her terror. "I-I'll do my best!" she says.
>Yuyuko, in the meantime, approaches the swarm, card in one hand and covering her face with a fan with her free hand. "Losing Hometown:," she intones, "Lost Soul's Village -Fatal Sin-!"
>Nothing happens, as the swarm continues to gather. "Oh dear..." says Yuyuko.

>_

[Fightest]

> "The Spell Card System probably doesn't work here."
> Can we access raw magic?

[Hello Purvis]

> "The Spell Card System probably doesn't work here."
> Can we access raw magic?

>"Unfortunate," says Yuyuko. "Well then, shall we run?"
>You aren't sure. But you do know, given how busy of a day that you've had, you're not going to be able to do much on the fly.

>_

[Fightest]

>"Unfortunate," says Yuyuko. "Well then, shall we run?"
>You aren't sure. But you do know, given how busy of a day that you've had, you're not going to be able to do much on the fly.

>_

> "Run? Okay, let's try to get to a higher position, so we can better judge this thing's development. Maybe we can throw together a spell or two while we're there."
> Look for a place with a nice view.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Run? Okay, let's try to get to a higher position, so we can better judge this thing's development. Maybe we can throw together a spell or two while we're there."
> Look for a place with a nice view.

>You agree to withdraw.
>You are not able to find anywhere that has a nice view. Much of the mansion is in ruins, and it is so oppressively dark that it is hard to see anywhere. You outside, just to prevent the possibility of the remain parts of the mansion from falling on you.

>_

[Fightest]

> "Sanae, your spellcards are imbued with power from your patron gods, right? Maybe they'll work here, Kanako could contact me in this realm after all. See if they work, and if they do, try to bring the mansion down, maybe it'll slow the swarm down a bit."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Sanae, your spellcards are imbued with power from your patron gods, right? Maybe they'll work here, Kanako could contact me in this realm after all. See if they work, and if they do, try to bring the mansion down, maybe it'll slow the swarm down a bit."

>"Won't it be exciting to find out what this does to the mansion in reality?" asks Yuyuko.
>"I'll try to bring it down," says Sanae. She produces a card, and cries, "Miracle: God's Wind!" >Nothing happens.
>"I'm sorry," says Sanae. "It just doesn't want to work."
>You can hear the swarm buzzing within the shadowy confines of the ruined mansion and drawing closer.

>_

[Fightest]

> "Let's keep moving, see if the bees stay in one swarm or if they tend to separate."
> Start moving away from the mansion.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Let's keep moving, see if the bees stay in one swarm or if they tend to separate."
> Start moving away from the mansion.

>You move away from the mansion, dashing over the perimeter where the walls once were. You are not able to see the swarm, and that is probably for the best.
>"You were really brave back there," says Sanae. "I...totally fell apart. That wasn't like me. I'm sorry I let you down. It's just..."
>"So, what do you have in mind to deal with this monstrosity?" asks Yuyuko.
>You can see the shores of the lake up ahead. The water, that which you can see at the edge of the darkness, is gray and entirely unhealthy-looking.

>_