Ran Quest: A Z-Machine Sidestory

[Hello Purvis]

>"... mugger? Really is still dangerous down here, isn't it. Alright, I'll be careful if I see her again. Thanks again, Parsee."
>head back aboveground, that was a wash!

>"Sure is. Good luck." With that, she returns to her house and closes the door.
>You leave the same way you came, returning to the surface. You don't see that green-haired youkai anywhere; she must have run off somewhere.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>wonder if she went to try and mug Rinnosuke
>look

[Hello Purvis]

>wonder if she went to try and mug Rinnosuke
>look

>That would be very foolhardy of her. Even Yukari when she was sleepwalking was willing to pay.
>You look about. You are near the entrance. or exit in your case, of the Underground

>_

[Janitor Morgan]

> Go find the geyser.

[Hello Purvis]

> Go find the geyser.

>This is an excellent idea! How do you intend to go about doing it?

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>try taking flight and scouting the lands between here and the Hakurei Shrine? Or would that be unsafe?

[Hello Purvis]

>As long as the flying ship doesn't slam into you, you think that you ought to be fine.

[E-Nazrin]

>take off! Sleevehands optional.

[Hello Purvis]

>take off! Sleevehands optional.

>You take to the air, tucking your hands into your sleeves as is your custom.
>You quickly see what seems to be a pool a little ways to the west, on a rocky outcropping on the Northern Edge of the Bamboo Forest.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>investigate. Hope this doesn't make you look like a pervert.

[Hello Purvis]

>investigate. Hope this doesn't make you look like a pervert.

>It's a public place. How're you going to look like a pervert? Well, at least you hope this line of argument works.
>You land near the pool and approach it. The air here is warming and a bit humid, while the ground is rocky. The pool itself is shaped roughly like a paint easel, with the currently inactive geyser about where the hole would be. There is a youkai with tiger-striped hair soaking in the pool, looking quite pleased with herself. She doesn't seem to have noticed you yet.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>stripping to make things fair might work...?

[Hello Purvis]

>stripping to make things fair might work...?

>You decide that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And who needs to beat 'em anyways? You strip down.
>The youkai overhears you and looks curiously in your direction, before politely looking away.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Pardon the intrusion. I was looking for the springs since I thought Yukari would have gone here, but I might as well take advantage of the visit."
>get in
>leave clothes nearby and watch them carefully for possible theft, especially by Yukari

[Hello Purvis]

>"Pardon the intrusion. I was looking for the springs since I thought Yukari would have gone here, but I might as well take advantage of the visit."
>get in
>leave clothes nearby and watch them carefully for possible theft, especially by Yukari

>"Oh, no worries," says the youkai. "I'm Shou. And, did you say Yukari? As in the gap youkai? She's still around?"

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>raise an eyebrow at that. 'Still around?' or would most youkai not really know her?
>"Ah... yes. I'm her shikigami, and right now she's... acting up. Sleepwalking, apparently. But with her powers, it's... problematic. I'm hoping to manage some sort of damage control and get her back to bed."
>Did anyone else mention the name Shou..?

[Hello Purvis]

>raise an eyebrow at that. 'Still around?' or would most youkai not really know her?
>"Ah... yes. I'm her shikigami, and right now she's... acting up. Sleepwalking, apparently. But with her powers, it's... problematic. I'm hoping to manage some sort of damage control and get her back to bed."
>Did anyone else mention the name Shou..?

>That is pretty weird. Yukari's pretty infamous by reputation.
>Shou giggles a little bit, while you enter the hot spring, leaving your clothes where you can keep an eye on them. It feels very nice, but it's going to take forever to dry your tails off.  "She's not caused any problems,  I hope."
>The name does sound a little familiar...oh yes! That hooded youkai with the nyuudou mentioned her!

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Not yet, I think, but she can be the mischievous sort when she feels like it."
>sigh
>"... pardon me, but do you know anything about that thing flying through the sky?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Not yet, I think, but she can be the mischievous sort when she feels like it."
>sigh
>"... pardon me, but do you know anything about that thing flying through the sky?"

>"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," says Shou with a wave of her hand.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"I hope so, but I'd like to know what the story behind it is. I didn't get too much detail when I risked the fairy cloud to talk to Ichirin there."
>bust size evaluation

[Hello Purvis]

>"I hope so, but I'd like to know what the story behind it is. I didn't get too much detail when I risked the fairy cloud to talk to Ichirin there."
>bust size evaluation

>"Oh, you were up there?" says Shou, more attentive now. "I hope Ichirin made a good impression. She can be a little flighty. Did she tell you the story?"
>Shou's not that busty. But she does well with what she has.

>_

[Fightest]

> Hide uncharacteristic nosebleed. Don't want to mess up the pool, after all.
> "Yes, something about finding and releasing Hijiri, right? Well, good for them, but it's not my business, really - I've really got to find the Mistress, though this seems to be becoming a wild goose chase, in my opinion."

[Hello Purvis]

> Hide uncharacteristic nosebleed. Don't want to mess up the pool, after all.
> "Yes, something about finding and releasing Hijiri, right? Well, good for them, but it's not my business, really - I've really got to find the Mistress, though this seems to be becoming a wild goose chase, in my opinion."

>"Oh, I can sympathize with that!" says Shou.  "I've been on one of my own. The best thing I can suggest is to stop and take a little break, just like this, and try to plan ahead. Also it helps if you have someone helping you out.  And yes, you have the general idea down. Things have been...well, kind of falling apart lately. I think the confinement got to Murasa, and she launched the ship a bit earlier than we planned."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Confinment and such can do that to people. Although you and your partners are tracking objects that, far as i know of, do not move on their own. I am tracking someone who could be nearly anywhere at anytime, she could have even left Gensokyo for all I know "
> "But it's not all that bad, if I had to pick between, say... getting into fights daily, new enemies daily, or chasing Yukari down, I'd decide to chase her down in a heartbeat."
> "At the rate you and your partners have been going at recently, how long do you think it will be before Hijiri is released?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Confinment and such can do that to people. Although you and your partners are tracking objects that, far as i know of, do not move on their own. I am tracking someone who could be nearly anywhere at anytime, she could have even left Gensokyo for all I know "
> "But it's not all that bad, if I had to pick between, say... getting into fights daily, new enemies daily, or chasing Yukari down, I'd decide to chase her down in a heartbeat."
> "At the rate you and your partners have been going at recently, how long do you think it will be before Hijiri is released?"

>Shou nods along as you lay out your woes. "How long? Well, I have Nazrin out hunting for everything right now; she's very skilled. But,  likely a few days yet." She sighs. "Which is why I wish Murasa could have been just a tiny bit more patient."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "A few days is better then a few weeks or months, correct? Besides, if Murasa couldn't wait any longer, then you may as well make the best of the situation, and put the downsides into the back of your head. What's done, is done. Besides, unless someone tries to stop you, everything should be fine."

[E-Nazrin]

>"What's Hijiri like?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "A few days is better then a few weeks or months, correct? Besides, if Murasa couldn't wait any longer, then you may as well make the best of the situation, and put the downsides into the back of your head. What's done, is done. Besides, unless someone tries to stop you, everything should be fine."

>Shou nods. "Quite. But I do reserve the right to be a little bitter about the plan going awry."

>"What's Hijiri like?"

>"She's the kindest person I ever met," says Shou, "There's no other woman more deserving to be called a saint."

>_

[Jana]

>Consider whether Yukari has any saintly qualities about herself; chuckle.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Hijiri... Byakuren Hijiri? The human who helped various youkai? Yes, she is very kind, from what I have heard. She alone can prove that humans and youkai actually can get along."