Ran Quest: A Z-Machine Sidestory

[Hello Purvis]

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

>"Five spades," the faerie says, not bothering to stop cleaning her nails.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Resist temptation to set Yukari down and teach this fairy a lesson using some danmaku. Since that would risk waking Yukari.
> Try to search for someone else that might be able to help, instead of dealing with... This.

[Hello Purvis]

> Resist temptation to set Yukari down and teach this fairy a lesson using some danmaku. Since that would risk waking Yukari.
> Try to search for someone else that might be able to help, instead of dealing with... This.

>You never get this kind of sass mouth back home, that's for sure!
>You look around. You can see a couple of other faeries and youkai, going about their business. They don't really to give you much better of a feeling than the faerie with the stiletto does.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Great..."
> Try to think about what to do now. Would heading down the road in the other direction be a good idea? ...Or at least, would it be any worse than other options we have right now?

[E-Nazrin]

>if any of them are talking with one another, try to overhear a conversation or two
>failing that, consider whether it'd be worth taking flight for a little bit to get a broader look around

[Hello Purvis]

>if any of them are talking with one another, try to overhear a conversation or two
>failing that, consider whether it'd be worth taking flight for a little bit to get a broader look around

>You see a couple of Youkai talking to each other outside the place that the faerie called a pub. They are a little far away to hear, but given the occasional glance in your direction, you think they are talking about you.
>You can't see the harm in learning more about the layout of the land. But at the same time, it would make you stand out even more than you already are, which may not be beneficial.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>are there any other landmarks visible on the horizon, so to speak?

[Hello Purvis]

>are there any other landmarks visible on the horizon, so to speak?

>You look around, trying to see if there is anything else of interest. There are some mountains to the west. Further east, things seem to get darker. To the north and south, it seems to be more fields; both empty ones and ones that seem to be cultivated for one use or another.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Head down road the way we came, and keep going until we find something

[Hello Purvis]

> Head down road the way we came, and keep going until we find something

>You decide to leave the village, and head west.
>Walking along the fence line again, near where you saw the goats, you hear a piercing whistle, some distance away.

>_

[Seian Verian]

> Investigate

[Hello Purvis]

> Investigate

>You look toward the whistling.
>In the field, you see a blonde woman in red herding the goats, which seems to involve a fair deal of whistling, cajoling, and use of a stick.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

Who...?

>a lone encounter might fare better, but best remain careful
>approach the herding, but don't try and confront her

[Hello Purvis]

>a lone encounter might fare better, but best remain careful
>approach the herding, but don't try and confront her

>You fly over the fence, and approach the goatherder.
>As you approach, you can see her red clothes are more of a red and white maid's outfit, complete with the hair band. It's not in very good condition. Her hair is blonde and wavy, rather like Yukari's when she lets it down, if shorter.
>She notices your approach, and shouts, "What're you doing on my land!"

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "I'm sorry, I was trying to find a way out of this place when I heard your whistling, so I thought I might be able to ask you a few questions. I mean no harm whatso ever."
> Land on the ground gently, while trying to look non-threatening.

[Hello Purvis]

> "I'm sorry, I was trying to find a way out of this place when I heard your whistling, so I thought I might be able to ask you a few questions. I mean no harm whatso ever."
> Land on the ground gently, while trying to look non-threatening.

>The woman in maid's clothes gives you an appraising look. "Fine, fine," she mutters. "What do you-HEY!" She whacks one of the goats that was trying to walk off with her stick.

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "First things first, my name is Ran. Ran Yakumo." Only say that last bit if the Yakumo's aren't hated/disliked within Makai/whatever the name of the place we are in is called.(Doesn't Makai mean sumthin like Demon World?)
> "Well for one, do you know where this place is? I'm not exactly from around here."

[Hello Purvis]

> "First things first, my name is Ran. Ran Yakumo." Only say that last bit if the Yakumo's aren't hated/disliked within Makai/whatever the name of the place we are in is called.(Doesn't Makai mean sumthin like Demon World?)
> "Well for one, do you know where this place is? I'm not exactly from around here."

>You don't think anyone around here recognizes you, so you give your full name.
>"Yumeko," says the maid, as she whacks another goat in line. "You're in Esoterica. Pretty much as far as you can get from anywhere worthwhile in Makai."

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "M-makai?! Your not kidding are you?"
> "Umm, Yumeko, would you perhaps know how I could get out of Makai?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "M-makai?! Your not kidding are you?"
> "Umm, Yumeko, would you perhaps know how I could get out of Makai?"

>You were really hoping you were wrong, too...
>Yumeko gives you a look. "Do I look like I'm in any mood to kid? If you don't want to believe me, the road's over there."
>"I hear dying works wonders," she says. Yumeko then allows herself a short, sardonic "Heh." She gives the goats a look to make sure they're staying in line, then says, "Where do you want go?"

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Back to Gensokyo, and I would like to not die anytime soon, thank you." Give a little "heh" sort of laugh. "I need to bring mi'lady here back with me as well, and waking her as is could be dangerous, she was outright sleep-walking untill recently."
> Does Yukari look like she's truly asleep, and thus safe-ish to wake up, or does she look ready to start sleep-walking at anytime soon?

[Hello Purvis]

> "Back to Gensokyo, and I would like to not die anytime soon, thank you." Give a little "heh" sort of laugh. "I need to bring mi'lady here back with me as well, and waking her as is could be dangerous, she was outright sleep-walking untill recently."
> Does Yukari look like she's truly asleep, and thus safe-ish to wake up, or does she look ready to start sleep-walking at anytime soon?

>"There's a tunnel somewhere in those mountains," says Yumeko. "I hear the barrier is pretty strong, but that is your problem."
>She still moves or murmurs every so often, but it's been getting less frequent.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>resist urge to snuggle Yukari
>"I've had experience with barriers before. We'll figure out something."
>Do we know why this barrier was put in place? If not, ask if she does.

[Hello Purvis]

>resist urge to snuggle Yukari
>"I've had experience with barriers before. We'll figure out something."
>Do we know why this barrier was put in place? If not, ask if she does.

>It's not a hard urge to resist, given the circumstances. If you back home, it would be much more of a struggle.
>"Good for you," says Yumeko.
>You are pretty sure it's in place to keep things from Makai from getting into Gensokyo. You're reasonably sure that's what that incident was about.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Is there anything else you think I should know before I go investigate that myself?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Is there anything else you think I should know before I go investigate that myself?"

>Yumeko shrugs. "Probably a guardian of some sort around there. No one bothers with it, so maybe she won't be there?"

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>... no, she probably wouldn't know anything else about the guardian
>"Thanks for your help, Yumeko. I'll go see about this guardian."
>head for the mountains, if she has nothing substantial to add to that

[Hello Purvis]

>... no, she probably wouldn't know anything else about the guardian
>"Thanks for your help, Yumeko. I'll go see about this guardian."
>head for the mountains, if she has nothing substantial to add to that

>She seems pretty apathetic in general. Except for herding goats.
>Yumeko gives you a look for a moment, then quirks her lips into kind of a confused grimace. "You're welcome."
>Finding she doesn't have anything to add that doesn't involve yelling at the goats, you depart and continue westward. Soon,  scraggly-looking trees begin to rise up from the scrub plain, quickly becoming a light forest. You can hear the occasional sound of faeries going about their business, but it doesn't seem quite so active as the Forest of Magic.
>Soon you come to a wide river with a fair amount of pond scum on the top of it. Spanning this river a dilapidated covered bridge. Most curiously, a house as been build into the eastern side of the bridge, facing you. The house isn't much better condition than the bridge, but it seems to be inhabited; but you would have to pass right beside it to get over the bridge. You note a side door that opens into the bridge itself from the house, in addition to its front door. Obvious exits are East, West 1 and West 2.

>_

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>consider going a few dozen yards down and flying over the river away from the bridge and the house to avoid it entirely
>meh, check out the house anyway. Shouldn't be too dangerous.
>As in, take a look around, and maybe call out a 'hello'; don't rush into this...

[Hello Purvis]

>consider going a few dozen yards down and flying over the river away from the bridge and the house to avoid it entirely
>meh, check out the house anyway. Shouldn't be too dangerous.
>As in, take a look around, and maybe call out a 'hello'; don't rush into this...

>You consider flying over the river. It certainly seems possible.
>You have a look around the house. It's a squarish place, held together mostly by being too stubborn to fall apart. There are a couple windows, glancing into them reveals the occupant/s hang up blankets to make de facto rooms, much like you do.
>You call out, "Hello!"
>"Just a minute~" answers a cheery voice inside. A moment later, the front door opens. A tall demon with long red hair and bat-winged ears pokes her head out and smiles at you. "Hello dearies! You'll be want to cross, then?"

>_