Ran Quest: A Z-Machine Sidestory

[Seian Verian]

> "My 'evasion' probably has something to do with the fact that no matter what I say, you will find a way to misrepresent it, as you always do. Perhaps you should ask someone how you could get your newspaper to be taken seriously before you start bombarding people with questions and just send more when they aren't in a mood to talk."

[Hello Purvis]

> "My 'evasion' probably has something to do with the fact that no matter what I say, you will find a way to misrepresent it, as you always do. Perhaps you should ask someone how you could get your newspaper to be taken seriously before you start bombarding people with questions and just send more when they aren't in a mood to talk."

>"Misinterpretation is just the cry of people who let slip what the wanted to hide," says Aya. Then she shrugs. "But alright, be like that. Just understand the most damning thing in cases like this is silence. I suppose you won't believe me, though."

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "...Are you really that stupid? Nearly everything has more than one way to be interpreted. The way that you want it to be isn't necessarily the way it actually is. But if you want to know how things went? Fine. I'll tell you."
> "I found out that Yukari was missing, went all across Gensokyo to find her, found out that she was gapping in her sleep, had to search her out multiple times before she gapped me into Makai with her, then I had to search for somewhere for her to rest. I saw the ship and they let me rest there. I then went to see what was going on at the seal, stopped two youkai from ambushing Reimu and Marisa..."
> "Now, do you want to waste any more of my time after all of that? You can get the details from someone who doesn't have more valuable things to do with their time than talk to a stubborn reporter who refuses to see the world any way other than how she wants to."

[Hello Purvis]

> "...Are you really that stupid? Nearly everything has more than one way to be interpreted. The way that you want it to be isn't necessarily the way it actually is. But if you want to know how things went? Fine. I'll tell you."
> "I found out that Yukari was missing, went all across Gensokyo to find her, found out that she was gapping in her sleep, had to search her out multiple times before she gapped me into Makai with her, then I had to search for somewhere for her to rest. I saw the ship and they let me rest there. I then went to see what was going on at the seal, stopped two youkai from ambushing Reimu and Marisa..."
> "Now, do you want to waste any more of my time after all of that? You can get the details from someone who doesn't have more valuable things to do with their time than talk to a stubborn reporter who refuses to see the world any way other than how she wants to."

>"Oh, very much so. But you realize that applies equally to you. Well, more than equally. You've not devoted your life to ferreting these things out as I have, so there's a definite edge of learning and experience on my side of the equation."
>She writes rather furiously, then says, "See, what that so hard? And I doubt I would have gotten much of that from anyone else. And there's so many more things I could ask. Has Yukari done this before? What was it like in Makai? Who were those two who were trying to lay the ambush?"
>You reach the stands at the edge of the river. You note three of them selling useful fish; one has bass, another bluegills, and a third lampreys.

>_

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "I honestly do not knwo wether or not Yukari has done this before, so I'll assume she hasn't. Makai was different from Gensokyo, that is certain. But it's definately a nice place for the most part with plenty of nice enough people, the two who ambushed me being the only real downside. The two who ambushed me refered to eachother as Yuki and Mai."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I honestly do not knwo wether or not Yukari has done this before, so I'll assume she hasn't. Makai was different from Gensokyo, that is certain. But it's definately a nice place for the most part with plenty of nice enough people, the two who ambushed me being the only real downside. The two who ambushed me refered to eachother as Yuki and Mai."

>She writes furiously.
>"Is Miss Yukari in good health? What sorts of things did she do while sleep gapping? Are you worried about those two youkai? Do you think there is any chance of another incident with Makaians coming to Gensokyo?"

>_

[Seian Verian]

> "Yukari has shown no signs of illness. I wasn't with her for much of the time, so I would not know just what she did. As for the youkai I confronted... Not really. They weren't much of a threat when I faced them then, and that was with many of my spellcards expended already. As for the chances of Makaians coming to Gensokyo... No, I do not believe that there is any notable risk. There are always chances of strange things happening, such as someone being struck by a meteor from the sky, but such chances are negligible enough that even those who recognize it find no cause to worry. Truly, I saw no evidence that would suggest such a thing might happen, so I would recommend not worrying."
> "Also, miss Shameimaru, some friendly advice, as I have no ill will against you, even as irritable as I may have seemed. You may wish to try and examine all the possibilities relating to something you know, and try to look at what is most likely, rather than what seems the most interesting. If you truly wish to reveal the truth, then stating conjecture as fact does nothing of the sort. Perhaps state what you actually know, and list a few possibilities? There also are people who happen to just value their privacy. Something doesn't have to be shady for someone to not wish the world to know, and perhaps they would just rather not spend their time explaining things that they don't believe important?"
> "Make of that what you will. I'm not asking for you to tell me why you do as you do right now. As much as I enjoy a good debate, I currently would like to get back to gathering the ingredients for the meal I plan on making once I return home. And if you have more questions... Perhaps we can schedule another interview later?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yukari has shown no signs of illness. I wasn't with her for much of the time, so I would not know just what she did. As for the youkai I confronted... Not really. They weren't much of a threat when I faced them then, and that was with many of my spellcards expended already. As for the chances of Makaians coming to Gensokyo... No, I do not believe that there is any notable risk. There are always chances of strange things happening, such as someone being struck by a meteor from the sky, but such chances are negligible enough that even those who recognize it find no cause to worry. Truly, I saw no evidence that would suggest such a thing might happen, so I would recommend not worrying."
> "Also, miss Shameimaru, some friendly advice, as I have no ill will against you, even as irritable as I may have seemed. You may wish to try and examine all the possibilities relating to something you know, and try to look at what is most likely, rather than what seems the most interesting. If you truly wish to reveal the truth, then stating conjecture as fact does nothing of the sort. Perhaps state what you actually know, and list a few possibilities? There also are people who happen to just value their privacy. Something doesn't have to be shady for someone to not wish the world to know, and perhaps they would just rather not spend their time explaining things that they don't believe important?"
> "Make of that what you will. I'm not asking for you to tell me why you do as you do right now. As much as I enjoy a good debate, I currently would like to get back to gathering the ingredients for the meal I plan on making once I return home. And if you have more questions... Perhaps we can schedule another interview later?"

>She writes down things more furiously.
>"Maybe you should take your own advice on assumptions and presumptions?" Aya says, waggling a finger at you. "With an extra note of I don't tell you how to clean house or make dinner. Anyways, this should do for now. Thank you for your time, Miss Yakumo!"
>With that she speeds away.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Why in the world would you tell Aya of all people that Yukari gaps in her sleep?  That's probably the biggest mistake you've made in recent memory.
> Inquire about bass and bluefish

[Hello Purvis]

> Why in the world would you tell Aya of all people that Yukari gaps in her sleep?  That's probably the biggest mistake you've made in recent memory.
> Inquire about bass and bluefish

>Oh hell. You did tell that to Aya. ...You might have to do something about that.
>You inquire at the stand selling Bass, it is being run by an older kappa with streaks of gray in her hair and a permanent sour look. "Oh, hello there!" she says. "I caught a few whoppers today, would you like one? Plenty to feed the family with, and leftovers for tomorrow~"
>"Don't even bother with those things," says the Bluegill seller, a younger kappa with her hair styled into a number of tails and a grin that is uncomfortably close to Yukari's grin when she's planning something bad. "They're all tough and stringy this time of year. Didn't even give them a second glance myself. Now these fishies? Nice and tender. They'll melt right in your mouth."
>"Oh pish tosh," says the sour-faced older kappa. "You'd have to pay twice as much to get the amount of meat one of my bass has with those little things. And stringy? Perhaps if you cook them like a fool."

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> What are we using the fish for?
> Lament telling Aya about Yukari's habit.  Vow to speak with Reimu about what to do.

[Hello Purvis]

> What are we using the fish for?
> Lament telling Aya about Yukari's habit.  Vow to speak with Reimu about what to do.

>Onigiri. You could use either of them for it, really.
>You think Reimu would probably have an idea of what to do about Aya. The two tolerate each other for some reason.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> And Reimu already knows about Yukari's sleep-gapping, so that's a plus.
> "Which of these fish will keep longer and better?"

[Hello Purvis]

> And Reimu already knows about Yukari's sleep-gapping, so that's a plus.
> "Which of these fish will keep longer and better?"

>Also a plus.
>"Smaller ones always keep longer," says the bluegill seller.
>"But once you cut them up, it doesn't matter so much," the bass seller adds. "It's about how big the stuff left over is, now how big the fish was to start. Besides, you can always dry the leftovers if its a problem."

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> How much is the bass and the bluefish?

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Which would be better for onigiri, or a similar dish?"
> "What would be the price on your fish, bluegill and bass?"

[Hello Purvis]

> How much is the bass and the bluefish?

>Bass seems to be 12☼ each, Bluegill 5☼ each. You would probably need one bass or three bluegill.

> "Which would be better for onigiri, or a similar dish?"
> "What would be the price on your fish, bluegill and bass?"

>"Oh, bluegill for sure," says the younger kappa. She shakes her head, sending her hair-tails waggling like a wind chime. "Bass is too stringy right now."
>"Either will do," says the older kappa.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> What could we do with one bluefish?  Snacks?

[Hello Purvis]

> What could we do with one bluefish?  Snacks?

>You could feed yourself, given what a busy day it's been. Maybe Chen with a little left over, if she's not in a ravenous mindset.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Could we buy a bass for onigiri and a bluefish for a light lunch tomorrow/our own personal consumption?

[Hello Purvis]

> Could we buy a bass for onigiri and a bluefish for a light lunch tomorrow/our own personal consumption?

>You certainly could.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> How much money do we have on us?

[Hello Purvis]

> How much money do we have on us?

>Shit you left the household money at home, nice job.
>You are of course a very intelligent person and wouldn't dream of going shopping without bringing a little household money with you. You have 20☼ with you. There is 300☼ overall in the household money, including that 20☼. You can use 25☼ of it however you like, the rest is ostensibly for the home. You could borrow it, but you'd need to pay it back.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Hm, better not spend that much, even if we are hungry.  Just buy the bass.

[Hello Purvis]

> Hm, better not spend that much, even if we are hungry.  Just buy the bass.

>You obtain: Bass!
>"Thank you very much," says the sour-faced old kappa as she takes your money.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Head home to deposit our fish, since we'd rather not be carrying around a fish for longer than we have to.
> Inventory an examine
> Quests and examine
> Skills and examine

[Hello Purvis]

> Head home to deposit our fish, since we'd rather not be carrying around a fish for longer than we have to.
> Inventory an examine
> Quests and examine
> Skills and examine

>You head straight home, and place the fish on the counter.
>Your Inventory Contains
>Long-sleeved robe: (Worn as clothes)
>Your favorite robe; its sleeves are perfect for concealing your hands.
>Shikigami: Wizard Fox Thoughts (Significantly expended)
>It creates thick leafy danmaku that one must move very little to endure.
>Shikigami's Radiance: Fox-Tanuki Youkai Laser (expended)
>An aimed burst of danmaku that leaves lasers in its wake.
>5 Ruined Spellcards
>These Spellcards have been ruined by water and are now useless.
>Shikigami's Radiance: Charming Siege from All Sides (Expended)
>Entraps your foe on all sides, forcing the them backwards if they wish to survive.
>Shikigami's Shot: Unilateral Contact (Expended)
>Sends out many shots, then has them rotate quickly.
>Illusion God: Descent of Izuna Gongen (Water damaged)
>A spellcard that starts simply, and slowly piles on more and more shots until there is hardly any space left.
>Your Quests are:
>Repo Ran
>Sanae owes Rinnosuke a shipment of Red Lily Pads. She is either to deliver today, or return the payment. Rinnosuke does not care which.
>Information Wants to be Free
>Aya knows that Yukari has been sleepwalking and sleepgapping. You must find a way to keep her from printing this!
>Your skills are:
>Premier Housemaking
>You can keep a home like no other.
>Mathematitastic
>Your skills at math are top notch
>Black Magicmatics
>You are very knowledgeable about black magic.
>Trainspotting.
>You know your trains at a glance
>History
>Your talks with Yukari and personal research give you a good idea of Gensokyo's history.
>Tennis
>You favorite sport!

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> With Yukari asleep, we won't need to cook for her, right?
> Gather supplies for making onigiri.  How many can we make using the one bass?

[Hello Purvis]

> With Yukari asleep, we won't need to cook for her, right?
> Gather supplies for making onigiri.  How many can we make using the one bass?

>If Yukari is asleep, it should be no problem. But you have gotten into the habit of making a little snack for her during these times, just in case.
>You should be able to make a good two dozen with one bass, enough for yourself, Chen, Yukari, and a few extra.

>_

[Rin Kagamine]

> Prepare the onigiri
> Separate the extra and wrap them up somehow to take with us.  We can eat later, but we may need to offer Ran's Onigiri to someone today.