Ran Quest: A Z-Machine Sidestory

[Hello Purvis]

> "Hello Momiji. Do you think that you would have time to search for Yukari?"
> "You see, she's sleepwalking. I'm... Rather afraid of what would happen."
> "I... Apologize for just coming out of nowhere with this. I thought that I might ask a Tengu for help, but you were the only one I could really think of besides... Well... Aya."

>You approach Momiji, and lay out the situation in a manner that causes her to flatten her ears for a moment.
>"I'd really prefer not to get tangled up with the likes of her," Momiji says with a frown, "I would say that Aya would be your best bet, but she's off covering that floating ship right now."
>She ponders for a moment, rubbing her chin. "Hm. I think I heard Hatate cackling over getting the scoop on something happening at the shrine earlier, much as that little cad can scoop anything. If Yukari's out causing trouble, that might be it."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Well I had to ask, and I thought I should start with you since your help wouldn't cost me self-respect or anything of that sort."
> "If I ask Aya, she would likly sooner turn this into something to make news out of then help," look around to ensure Aya isn't nearby "and the last thing I want to see in the Bunbunmaru is something like "Youkai of Boundries on uncontrollable rampage"... Lady Yukari would kill me if she saw that in the news, no doubt about it. That or she would brutally kill Aya, then kill me."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well I had to ask, and I thought I should start with you since your help wouldn't cost me self-respect or anything of that sort."
> "If I ask Aya, she would likly sooner turn this into something to make news out of then help," look around to ensure Aya isn't nearby "and the last thing I want to see in the Bunbunmaru is something like "Youkai of Boundries on uncontrollable rampage"... Lady Yukari would kill me if she saw that in the news, no doubt about it. That or she would brutally kill Aya, then kill me."

>"It's a good thing Aya's off covering the floating ship story, then." Says Momiji. She grins. "Though to be honest, she'll probably find out anyways."

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Then I'll have to come back and make sure that the paper mysteriously doesn't get printed. Not with such a story anyway."
> "...Would you happen to know where Hatate is? If she does know where Yukari is, I'd rather not just take my time searching for her."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then I'll have to come back and make sure that the paper mysteriously doesn't get printed. Not with such a story anyway."
> "...Would you happen to know where Hatate is? If she does know where Yukari is, I'd rather not just take my time searching for her."

>"Hatate's a stale hack. Don't bother with her." says Momiji. "But if you're determined to waste your time, she lives on the south side of town, in a little one-floor house.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Is there anything that's been happening up at the shrine, in the meantime?"
>Didn't Shou say she was looking for a lantern, while Yukari asked for a lamp? And she visited both Reimu and Marisa, apparently just before they left to check out the flying ship. So... is she trying to stop them, or help them?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Is there anything that's been happening up at the shrine, in the meantime?"
>Didn't Shou say she was looking for a lantern, while Yukari asked for a lamp? And she visited both Reimu and Marisa, apparently just before they left to check out the flying ship. So... is she trying to stop them, or help them?

>"It's been pretty peaceful, except for whatever hubbub there was this morning," says Momiji.
>You have no idea what her intentions are, but it does seem she's subconsciously up to something.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Thank you for your time Momiji. I won't take up any more of it. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

> Is Hatate's house on the way to the Moriya Shrine?
> If so, head there.
> If not, head to Moriya Shrine first.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Thank you for your time Momiji. I won't take up any more of it. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

> Is Hatate's house on the way to the Moriya Shrine?
> If so, head there.
> If not, head to Moriya Shrine first.

>Not really, it's more or less a straight go through town to the Moriya Shrine.
>You head to the Shrine. It is, as always, a fairly impressive and well maintained wooden building, whose architecture is both archaic and clearly assembled with much love. You can see a pathway to the north, leading behind the shrine to a pond with several onbashira towering over it. The shrine's doors are presently closed, and there doesn't seem to be anyone around in the shrine yard. Obvious exits are North, East, and West.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Head into the shrine, looking for people.

[Hello Purvis]

> Head into the shrine, looking for people.

>You decide to enter the shrine.
>Sliding open the doors, you come to the front hall with another hall branching from it, and many doors. You also see Kanako at the far end of the main hall, regarding you with a frown.
>"You shouldn't trespass so freely," she says.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "I apologize if I disturbed you. I've been searching for Yukari, as she's sleepwalking, and I have been trying to obtain some clue as to her whereabouts."
> "Therefore, I must ask... Might you have heard or seen anything regarding her today?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I apologize if I disturbed you. I've been searching for Yukari, as she's sleepwalking, and I have been trying to obtain some clue as to her whereabouts."
> "Therefore, I must ask... Might you have heard or seen anything regarding her today?"

>"Very well, I accept your apology," says Kanako. "And yes, Yukari was here earlier. She spoke with Sanae." She pauses for a moment. " Well, that's not quite true, she technically spoke with the wash basin as though it were Sanae, but Sanae was there to hear it."

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "I see. Did Sanae say what Yukari about? If not, where is she, that I might ask?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I see. Did Sanae say what Yukari about? If not, where is she, that I might ask?"

>"She did," says Kanako. "Yukari interested her in chasing after that ship that's been floating around, saying something to the nature that if the chief maid at the Scarlet Devil Mansion wasn't going to act, this was her chance to steal the spotlight from her and the Hakurei Maiden. Suwako and I gave her our blessings to go. As for where she is, I am not certain at the moment."

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "I see. Thank you, I believe this information may be helpful. I shall not disturb you any longer."
> Hm... There is definitely a pattern here. And it revolves around that ship.
> Head to the flying ship again

[Hello Purvis]

> "I see. Thank you, I believe this information may be helpful. I shall not disturb you any longer."
> Hm... There is definitely a pattern here. And it revolves around that ship.
> Head to the flying ship again

>You say your thanks. Kanako nods. "Please knock when the door is close in the future."
>You leave, mulling over things. Unfortunately, you don't know where the flying ship is at the moment.
>Thankfully, that resolves itself rather quickly as you catch a glimpse of it flying eastward over the distant human village.
>You start to fly toward the ship, adjusting altitude as necessary to keep the lower atmospheric winds from playing too much hell with your flight path. As you make your way over the forest at the foot of the mountain, you hear a voice cry "BOO!" behind you.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Calmly turn toward the source of the voice.
> "I'm in a bit of a hurry. Do you need something?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Calmly turn toward the source of the voice.
> "I'm in a bit of a hurry. Do you need something?"

>You turn around to see Tenshi hovering a few yards from you, the Sword of Hisou in hand and grinning. She points at you. "You're gonna loot the ship before me? I don't think so! You're going down. You're going down hard."

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "...It's you. I don't have time to play games. I'm looking for Yukari, and whatever she's been doing, it has something to do with this ship."
> Brace self for the idiot "angel's" attack anyway.

[E-Nazrin]

>try very hard not to panic

[Hello Purvis]

> "...It's you. I don't have time to play games. I'm looking for Yukari, and whatever she's been doing, it has something to do with this ship."
> Brace self for the idiot "angel's" attack anyway.

>"You think I'm gonna fall for that?" Tenshi says, then swoops toward you!
>Your preparations are not without reason. You swoop to the side as Tenshi tries to slash you. dodging cleanly

>try very hard not to panic

>It does take a little effort not to panic, but you are Ran Yakumo, and nothing to be trifled with yourself.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Of course you'd never fall for the truth... Too stupid to recognize when something's not a lie and realize that not everyone is after such shallow things."
> Use kunai danmaku

[Hello Purvis]

> "Of course you'd never fall for the truth... Too stupid to recognize when something's not a lie and realize that not everyone is after such shallow things."
> Use kunai danmaku

>"Naw, I just figured out a long time ago Yukari's never up to any good, an-HEY!" Tenshi says with a smirk, before your danmaku forces her back and onto the defensive. "See?!" She cries, as she starts frantically weave them them as best she can. You can tell she's already off balance; she must not be very good at dodging.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Surrender and the danmaku stops. I assure you, I am not attempting to play any sort of trick, as you seem to suspect."
> Until that happens, or the battle ends in some other way, feel completely awesome as this song plays in our head.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Surrender and the danmaku stops. I assure you, I am not attempting to play any sort of trick, as you seem to suspect."
> Until that happens, or the battle ends in some other way, feel completely awesome as this song plays in our head.

>"I didn't go into debt to Iku just to give up to you!" Tenshi shouts, and she draws out a spellcard. "Temperment: High Spirited Sword!"
>Oh hell the air is suddenly full of huge red bullets!

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>keep tabs on what style of dodging she seems to prefer (to see if Wizard Fox Thoughts would school her to death)
>mental note: Tenshi relying on manipulation of earth for combat may mean she's weaker up here. And that it could be worth 'looking out below' in case she tries to force it into relevance. At least the rocks have further to go to get here.
>try to get somewhere with a little space and figure out how the card operates
>have Fox-Tanuki Youkai Laser ready as an all-around starter
>how effective will Izuna Gongen be waterlogged?

[Hello Purvis]

>keep tabs on what style of dodging she seems to prefer (to see if Wizard Fox Thoughts would school her to death)
>mental note: Tenshi relying on manipulation of earth for combat may mean she's weaker up here. And that it could be worth 'looking out below' in case she tries to force it into relevance. At least the rocks have further to go to get here.
>try to get somewhere with a little space and figure out how the card operates
>have Fox-Tanuki Youkai Laser ready as an all-around starter
>how effective will Izuna Gongen be waterlogged?

>Given how frantically she's moving, you get the feeling it'd certainly give her a hard time.
>You back away from Tenshi, but the red shots are moving significantly faster than you can! One of them slams into your stomach painfully. Tenshi cackles and seems to be charging another wave; as a number of red shots are left slowly moving through the sky in the larger bullets' wake. She's certainly got the power aspect down.
>You don't know what being damaged will do to the spellcard. You expect, however, that it won't survive the use.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>are they easy enough to repair from water damage that it'd make a difference whether it got destroyed or not?
>fox thoughts, get some distance - don't forget about up and down as escape options

[Fightest]

>get some distance

> Make that double. We're at our best in artillery range, what with most of our spellcards being homing.