Ran Quest: A Z-Machine Sidestory

[Hello Purvis]

> "Crap."
> Try to light the place up with a bit of danmaku.

>You summarize your feelings in a single, pithy word.
>You consider some danmaku to light things up if needs be, but you don't think it will be necessary. Your eyes are starting to adjust to the gloom
>You and Yukari are standing in the middle of an empty field. Sparse patches of tough-looking grass, scrub brush, and sizable rocks rocks dot the otherwise bare and parched soil. The sky overhead is a sort of dull red color, with occasional patches of brighter red that sort of remind you of clouds.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Are we... Inside the gap?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Are we... Inside the gap?"

>Yukari doesn't answer, she just leans against you more heavily.
>Looking around, you don't think this is a gap. You've been through them quite a few times with Yukari, and they tend to have more eyes and wilder colors. That being said, while you think you might be able to rule out being in a gap, you really can't say more than that, other than you are hopelessly lost.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> ...Ponder if there might be a way to wake Yukari up without actually startling her in such a way that her power will make things more difficult. Or catastrophic.

[Hello Purvis]

> ...Ponder if there might be a way to wake Yukari up without actually startling her in such a way that her power will make things more difficult. Or catastrophic.

>It's possible. It's also possible to fall off a building and not be severely hurt. Unfortunately, it's not really one of those things you can plan for, it just happens. And whatever happens, you'd be pretty close to it.
>However, now that you have her, you might be able to make it more difficult for her to move around, and possible allow her to settle back into proper sleep.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "...Well, this is a rather... Interesting substitute for home."
> Try and figure out just how we will restrict her movement and guide her back into normal sleep.
> Hope that she doesn't gap without us and leave us stranded here

[Hello Purvis]

> "...Well, this is a rather... Interesting substitute for home."
> Try and figure out just how we will restrict her movement and guide her back into normal sleep.
> Hope that she doesn't gap without us and leave us stranded here

>"Mrph," Yukari mutters. You don't think it's proper response, but it seems to underscore things nicely.
>It shouldn't be hard to carry her. Yukari is tall and a bit meaty, but you're quite strong enough to lift her without too much trouble.
>As long as you stay close to her, you should be able to follow through them.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Pick her up and carry her
> Meanwhile, walk around, looking for... Anything that isn't barren, freaky wasteland

[Hello Purvis]

> Pick her up and carry her
> Meanwhile, walk around, looking for... Anything that isn't barren, freaky wasteland

>You gently hook your left arm behind Yukari's knees, and your right around her back, and lift her off the ground. She snuggles against you, murmuring some nonsense noise.
>You start to rove around, trying to get some sort of bearing on this place. Soon, you see an old wooden fence in the distance, running along what seems to be an old dirt road. You aren't sure what direction the road goes, and arbitrarily label them east and west.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Go  "east"

[Hello Purvis]

> Go  "east"

>You reach the road, and head to the east.
>The road is not in very good condition, parts of it are overgrown, and a few rocks have been exposed here and there. Traveling on, you note some animals in the distance, past the fence. You can't see them too well, but they look something like goats. You think you can also see a house in the middle of the field as well. Up ahead, you see what looks like the outskirts of a village.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Head into village

[Hello Purvis]

> Head into village

>You continue on toward the village.
>Drawing closer, you can see it's a rather ramshackle place with a handful of old shacks. You doubt any of these buildings have seen any kind of maintenance for decades. You see what looks something like a faerie with bone-white skin and strange red wings, sitting on an old barrel at the end of town, cleaning her fingernails with a stiletto. She notices you and gives a toothy grin.

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> Try and find a place to "dress" Yukari if she is still in her "birthday suit."

[Hello Purvis]

> Try and find a place to "dress" Yukari if she is still in her "birthday suit."

>She is, and you lack anything to cover her with. It would be difficult to do and not wake her.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Talk to fairy
> "Is there anywhere that I can set down this person here to rest?

[Hello Purvis]

> Talk to fairy
> "Is there anywhere that I can set down this person here to rest?

>"The two of you looking for a place to rest for awhile, eh?" she asks through a smirk. Then she gestures at Yukari with the stiletto. "Or many she doesn't get a say in the issue?"

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "I'm waiting for her to wake up, since if I startle her too badly in trying to do so myself, the consequences could be disastrous. She... Doesn't seem to be fully aware of her surroundings, so I suppose that she doesn't have a say, no. But once she wakes up, I don't expect to be staying much longer."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'm waiting for her to wake up, since if I startle her too badly in trying to do so myself, the consequences could be disastrous. She... Doesn't seem to be fully aware of her surroundings, so I suppose that she doesn't have a say, no. But once she wakes up, I don't expect to be staying much longer."

>You try to lay out your situation in as clear of a manner as you can. You try to overlook that waiting for Yukari to wake up can take quite awhile. The faerie cackles. "That how it is, is then then? S'lot jumping around, isn't it? Well, there's a bed at the pub, if you got enough spades for it." She gestures with the stiletto toward one of the buildings. "Ought be right enough to have your fun."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Hmm, can I assume the pub is rather lively?"
> "I have two questions for you. First of all, may I ask your name?"
> "Second of all, where is this place?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Hmm, can I assume the pub is rather lively?"
> "I have two questions for you. First of all, may I ask your name?"
> "Second of all, where is this place?"

>"Naw," says the faerie, "But you'll have t' keep her quiet yourself. Mind you, no one's gonna butt in. But some might light listenin'." She smirks.
>"You could ask," says the faerie, "Might even tell you for a couple of spades."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

Just in case it isn't clear to anyone, it seems we've been stranded in Makai and apparently the skeleton fairy is wondering if we're planning to rape Yukari.

You may have a moment to recover.

>"How many 'spades' are we talking, here?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"How many 'spades' are we talking, here?"

>"A fiver will do," says the Faerie, twirling her stiletto between her fingers.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>does this location remotely resemble the human village?
>"Hmmm... I'll consider it. Though I think I could stand to take a look around, first."

[Hello Purvis]

>does this location remotely resemble the human village?
>"Hmmm... I'll consider it. Though I think I could stand to take a look around, first."

>"I'll knock it down to three."
>Not really. The human village is designed better. This is built more along the lines of putting a building wherever one feels like it.

>_

[Serela]

>Do we even have "spades", or is it just slang for yen?
>If we're able to pay, just do it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Do we even have "spades", or is it just slang for yen?
>If we're able to pay, just do it.

>You have only your own guesses as to what spades are. You are, however, broke. You gave your last few ☼ to that green-haired youkai beggar.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "...It seems I have no money."
> Wonder what to do now.

[Hello Purvis]

> "...It seems I have no money."
> Wonder what to do now.

>"Welp," says the faerie,  as she returns to cleaning her nails, "Good luck with that."
>While you have your theories on where you are, the presence of faeries suggests that it's not too far removed from Gensokyo. It should be possible to return without Yukari's abilities, should you not want to wait for the time it would take for her to wake up.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "...Where are we, by the way? Where is this place? We were in Gensokyo before... And how might we return?"