['Complete'] Rumia Quest V: The Further Adventures

[Raikaria]

>Nod with a smile. "Yeah, but don't think I won't visit to keep in touch with you guys. For all we know, she might need to relearn how spellcards and such work. If that's a thing, then don't hesitate to send another letter my way, I'll be glad to help! She's gonna need someone to serve as an opponent in practice matches if that's the case, and I'm used to teaching people by now."
>Man, that could've gone real badly. "Oh yeah, if something goes wrong, like she freaks out again and relapses, send for me. I'm usually always in the area, so I can react pretty well to any problems."

> "It's not like her being insane would have stopped you visiting anyway." Patchouli says.

> "She shouldn't freak out and relapse." Satori says.

> "Even if she verges towards it, mistress can prevent it, unless the fall is very quick. A small slip towards madness can be tweaked back by a little nudge from fate." Sakuya says.

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's laugh a bit. "That's true! Here's hoping she doesn't take a header back into insanity, eh? She's a good kid, I'd hate to see her snap again."
>Come to think of it, since we're at full power, with all our old memories back, did we ever figure out just how old we are?
>Come to think of it, is there anything we can't do with our powers? Maybe we should learn a little more magic to balance things out, seein' as we tend to solve things with the overwhelming power method.

[Raikaria]

>Let's laugh a bit. "That's true! Here's hoping she doesn't take a header back into insanity, eh? She's a good kid, I'd hate to see her snap again."
>Come to think of it, since we're at full power, with all our old memories back, did we ever figure out just how old we are?
>Come to think of it, is there anything we can't do with our powers? Maybe we should learn a little more magic to balance things out, seein' as we tend to solve things with the overwhelming power method.

> "I think everyone would hate to see an insane vampire with the power to destroy anything again." Reimu replies.

> You cannot calculate it, since time flows differently in Makai, and the various other realms and dimensions you went to before Gensokyo.

> There's a lot of things you can't do. For example, you can't kill Rika, her metal armor is too strong for you to blow it up with dark energy. You can't blot out the sun. You have finite energy, and larger scale things take more energy. You can't manipulate minds, or control people in any way.

> You can shape dark energy almost as you see fit, although small fiddly objects like keys are impossible for the temperamental energy to form. [Not to mention being volatile it would blow up on contact with a keyhole anyway].

> You are not that physically adept... by youkai standards, you are slightly above average. If you were to get into a fistfight against an Oni, Wolf Tengu or Yuuka, as well as a few others, you would certainly lose. That said, you can create a weapon of dark energy, stable enough to not blow up on impact.

> Likewise, you're not invincible in danmaku. But no-one is. The whole idea of the system is to allow a way for the weak to fight the strong.

[Hanzo K.]

>Alright then, we should work on improving our physical power. And we know plenty of folks for the job.
>"Well, how's about we all make for Mysty's? I've got a Deluxe Eel Bowl I'm lookin' forward to~!"

[Raikaria]

>Alright then, we should work on improving our physical power. And we know plenty of folks for the job.
>"Well, how's about we all make for Mysty's? I've got a Deluxe Eel Bowl I'm lookin' forward to~!"

> Indeed, quite a few do spring to mind. Although ones that could teach you are another matter. You doubt Yuuka gives out hand-to-hand classes.

> Sakuya states she already has something cooking for Remilia, Flandre, and Patchouli, and the latter wouldn't leave anyway. Flandre isn't safe to let out quite yet. Let alone into the human village, and Remilia is pretty much the only youkai hated by humans still because she still sucks their blood. Not that she has much choice.

> Reimu says "Only if you're paying."

> Sanae decides to come.

> Marisa wants to come, but considering she eats and runs usually you're not too sure about bringing her.

> Satori says she needs to go home before Okku burns it down. Koishi states she's going with her sister.

> Reisen is worried Kaguya needs her for something, but also thinks there's no harm getting four take-aways [For herself, Eirin, Kaguya and Tewi]. If they even do those.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Do they? We probably know, right?

[Hanzo K.]

>Do we actually have an income now these days? Or do we just bum free meals off Mysty because we're friends?

[Raikaria]

>Do they? We probably know, right?

> You don't know. You never asked.

>Do we actually have an income now these days? Or do we just bum free meals off Mysty because we're friends?

> This was a major issue about humans and youkai coming together. Youkai tended to trade in favors. Humans tended to trade in items of currency they had.

> Eventually, Yukari came up with an idea, and, over several days, twisted multiple boundaries to create Gensokyo's new currency: The Yukarin.

> What is special about the Yukarin is that it is technically non-physical. Everyone has a coin with Yukari's face on. This coin works akin to a credit card, however, it accrues value according to your actions. Doing stuff will generally make the value rise, it doesn't seem to care if it's good or bad stuff. There's also sorts of other things the Yukarin does, such as calculate the worth of an item to a person for item-to-item trades to make it fair, and value of favors too.

> The coin can't be stolen, it can gap back to it's owner at their whim. Even fairies use the Yukarin, since the boundary of understanding has been trifled with enough to make even fairies understand it.

> When you last checked you had about 5,000 Yukarins. You guess the amount changed after helping Remilia.

> Of course, some people are suspicious of the Yukarin, and think Yukari is always watching through the coins. These are a minority, especially after several of Gensokyo's brightest, such as the Kappa, and several magicians, checked and confirmed this is not the case.

> It is worth noting that due to being in charge of the biggest food outlet in Gensokyo, and having a massive horde of shiny stuff from before the Yukarin, that Mystcia is actually Gensokyo's richest person. Not that she cares much about material value, she just likes shiny stuff, and frequently trades for various shiny objects that wind up at Rinnosuke's shop.

[Hanzo K.]

>So how much do we have now then? If it's enough to treat everyone, then we can.

[Raikaria]

>So how much do we have now then? If it's enough to treat everyone, then we can.

> You check. It has risen to 8,000 Yukarin. This is more than enough.

> In fact, about the only thing you ever buy is Mystcia's food. Unless you broke something and need to fix it. Which doesn't happen anywhere near as often as it does for some other people, like Marisa.

> Speaking of, it's a mystery how Marisa manages to eat and run with the Yukarin in place, as the funds should transfer. Within not even two weeks of the Yukarin being in place, Mystica started complaining Marisa was showing up and stealing food again. She had stopped during the two weeks before. Not even Yukari seems to know how Marisa does this.

[Hanzo K.]

>It's Marisa, she's allowed some shenanigans apparently.
>"Yeah, I got more than enough. All I ever use it on is food from Mysty's anyhow, so it's all good."
>Grin. "So what're we waitin' for you guys? Let's go!"
>Fistpalm. "I'll have to remember to see about getting take-out for next time I visit though, the stuff's way better when eaten with friends after all."
>Let's roll for Mystia's!

[Raikaria]

>It's Marisa, she's allowed some shenanigans apparently.
>"Yeah, I got more than enough. All I ever use it on is food from Mysty's anyhow, so it's all good."
>Grin. "So what're we waitin' for you guys? Let's go!"
>Fistpalm. "I'll have to remember to see about getting take-out for next time I visit though, the stuff's way better when eaten with friends after all."
>Let's roll for Mystia's!

> Everyone knows Marisa has sticky fingers.

> "Yay!" Reimu says.

> The ones going follow you.

> "Well, I'll be asking about that anyway." Reisen says.

> You all head to Mystcia's being sure to pick up Wriggle, Daiyousei and Cirno on the way.

> When you arrive, someone pops their head out of the door.

> "Surprise!" Kogasa says. She appears to be holding a serving tray and is wearing some waitress-like variation of her usual outfit. Not that it's a real outfit, being an apperation that's merely an extension of the umbrella, she can change the appearance of it pretty freely. Except Kogasa never really does change her appearance much at all.

> You guess Kogasa decided since so many people use this place, she could work here part-time and surprise people while doing it. She did mention last time you saw her she had 'Got into a place where she can surprise a lot of people'.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"Hi, Kogasa."

[Hanzo K.]

>Grin in our typically roguish way. "Been a while huh? Glad to see you're doin' well!"
>Chuckle a bit. "Just got done helpin' out down at the Mansion. I'll talk more once we're up at the usual table."
>Let's take everyone to the usual table and have a seat.

[Raikaria]

>"Hi, Kogasa."

> "Awwww, you're not surprised?" she says sadly.

>Grin in our typically roguish way. "Been a while huh? Glad to see you're doin' well!"
>Chuckle a bit. "Just got done helpin' out down at the Mansion. I'll talk more once we're up at the usual table."
>Let's take everyone to the usual table and have a seat.

> "I saw you last week." Kogasa points out. This is true.

> Kogasa looks confused. "I only started here a couple of days ago. I don't know what your usual table is!". The karakasa looks around, thinking. "Although with all you lot here you'd probably need a table with enough seats for all of you! I mean, there's Reimu, Marisa, Sanae, Reisen, Cirno, Wriggle, Dai and you!"

> You follow Kogasa to a table with eight seats. Reimu promptly sits down in one and lets out a tired sigh before Kogasa even actually says this is the table.

> You're not too sure if Cirno would actually stay in a chair for more than five seconds.

[Hanzo K.]

>Grin. "True enough."
>Fistpalm. "Hey, they've got take-out here, right?"

[Raikaria]

>Grin. "True enough."
>Fistpalm. "Hey, they've got take-out here, right?"

> "Yep!" Kogasa says cheerfully.

> "Uhhhh... I'll have to ask the manager." Kogasa says, flying off and returning a few moments later.

> "If the bowls are promised to be returned!" Kogasa says.

> "Don't worry about that issue." Reisen says.

> You wonder who the 'manager' is, but it's probably not that important.

[Hanzo K.]

>Hmm...Bet they'd make a killing if they had a way that made them not have to worry about getting the bowls back. S'probably Mysty anyhow, she always was good at this thing.
>"So guys, what'll you be having? I've got a Deluxe Eel Bowl that's callin' my name. Maybe I'll get a little more in the way of drink than I usually do, a successful problem resolution means enjoying a little booze with your food after all."


(Side Note: After listening to this, and rereading the part of RQ4 where we went up against the old us, I concluded that while the Old us was the Hyde to our Jekyll, we too were in turn the Hyde to it. Strange, isn't it? I also feel compelled to make a slideshow Rumia vid set to this.)

[Raikaria]

>Hmm...Bet they'd make a killing if they had a way that made them not have to worry about getting the bowls back. S'probably Mysty anyhow, she always was good at this thing.
>"So guys, what'll you be having? I've got a Deluxe Eel Bowl that's callin' my name. Maybe I'll get a little more in the way of drink than I usually do, a successful problem resolution means enjoying a little booze with your food after all."


(Side Note: After listening to this, and rereading the part of RQ4 where we went up against the old us, I concluded that while the Old us was the Hyde to our Jekyll, we too were in turn the Hyde to it. Strange, isn't it? I also feel compelled to make a slideshow Rumia vid set to this.)

> "Well, it's a little hard to serve eels in anything else but a bowl. I guess if there was some youkai who could use their powers to make a suitable container..." Reimu says.

> Everyone makes their orders. Sanae being the only one to voluntarily keep from any alchohol, with Reisen not ordering any simply because she wouldn't be able to carry back four bowls and four jugs, and they have some at home anyway, and Cirno being banned from having any, because last time she had drink in the human village the district the restaurant is in became covered in ice. In the middle of summer.

> That incident was funny. Especially because Keine happened to be at the table next door. The result was a fight between Keine and the drunken, freezing everything Cirno, which Keine eventually won. Although half the time Cirno was just flying erratically freezing stuff and Keine was trying to catch up or protect humans.

[Hanzo K.]

>Yeah, that was fun to watch. Good times. We'll have to remember to figure out how to use a drunken Cirno to resolve incidents. At the very least, it'd be out of left field for even Gensokyo.
>"There's bound to be something, so maybe Rika, Eirin, or Yukari would know. I'll have to remember to ask Rika next time we have a fight."

[Raikaria]

>Yeah, that was fun to watch. Good times. We'll have to remember to figure out how to use a drunken Cirno to resolve incidents. At the very least, it'd be out of left field for even Gensokyo.
>"There's bound to be something, so maybe Rika, Eirin, or Yukari would know. I'll have to remember to ask Rika next time we have a fight."

> Weaponizing Drunken fairies. !!SCIENCE!! Gensokyo Style! [Dwarf Fortress Reference in the event you don't know]

> "You seriously think Rika would do anything that would help any Youkai? Including Mystcia's business?" Sanae says.

> "I think she's the one being that 'can' eat that hasn't eaten here. She doesn't even want to trade with Youkai." Reimu says.

> "No. She turned herself into a robot, remember? She probably can't eat. Doesn't have the necessary biological parts." Daiyousei says.

> "Oh yeah, forgot that."

>  "I've not eaten here!" Kogasa chimes up. Everyone ignores her because everyone knows she is incapable of eating anyway.
 

[Hanzo K.]

>Chuckle a bit. "Eh, I never was much of a thinker, better to leave that sort of stuff to folks like Dai. Though that little scheme I came up with back in the Lunarian Incident was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself."
>Fistpalm. "Hey, Dai. Since you got smarter, maybe you can figure something out!"

[Raikaria]

>Chuckle a bit. "Eh, I never was much of a thinker, better to leave that sort of stuff to folks like Dai. Though that little scheme I came up with back in the Lunarian Incident was a stroke of genius if I do say so myself."
>Fistpalm. "Hey, Dai. Since you got smarter, maybe you can figure something out!"

> "Yeah, I'd hate to think of what would have happened if they fought on Earth." Reimu says.

> "Just because I'm smarter doesn't mean I can pluck bowl substitutes out of thin air. Maybe if the Kappa's Antigravity Devices they were working on were commercially viable, and the Kappa had enough resources to allow them to be mass produced and used for such a mundane reason, then yes, bowls wouldn't be needed, but until then..." Daiyousei explains.

> The Kappa have finished their experimental Anti-Gravity Field Deployers recently, and are using them right now to do heavy lifting for them, so they can build a full power station to transfer the KappaTech Reactor's power to a grid that will cover Gensokyo. In the past, this would have been beyond their ability, as they simply wouldn't have been able to construct such a massive project.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I meant that maybe you could think of something."

[Hanzo K.]

>Grin. "Well, it'd take some thinkin', but you should be able to come up with something. After all, you were always the brains behind the old group."
>Looks like Gensokyo's heading for a Magitek Future, huh? We don't need anything like that though, we got our strength, and our Darkness Powers, we can just mimic the cool stuff.
>"Man, peace sure is something to treasure, huh? Wonder what the next big-time incident will be? Rika already tried stealing the reactor way back when, those moonfolk should be busy with all the red tape of running a world, Shinki's doing alright, and then there's everyone else."
>Laugh a little. "What's next, me kicking one off to keep everyone on their toes?"
>Beat.
>"Nah, think someone else already did that."

[Raikaria]

>"I meant that maybe you could think of something."

> "Nope. I mean, if you don't hold the food in a bowl, then there's nothing holding it. You'd need the antigravity device, and even that would be a bowl made of anti-gravity. I guess if whatever technology made the Yukarins gap back to their owners was fused with the bowls so they could gap back home when empty it would make things easier, but no-one can do gap stuff but Yukari."

>Grin. "Well, it'd take some thinkin', but you should be able to come up with something. After all, you were always the brains behind the old group."
>Looks like Gensokyo's heading for a Magitek Future, huh? We don't need anything like that though, we got our strength, and our Darkness Powers, we can just mimic the cool stuff.
>"Man, peace sure is something to treasure, huh? Wonder what the next big-time incident will be? Rika already tried stealing the reactor way back when, those moonfolk should be busy with all the red tape of running a world, Shinki's doing alright, and then there's everyone else."
>Laugh a little. "What's next, me kicking one off to keep everyone on their toes?"
>Beat.
>"Nah, think someone else already did that."

> "Just because I can think doesn't mean I can make something." Daiyouisei says. "About the best I could do is use Wind Magic to hold the eels in the air. That's draining to keep up."

> Yes, Magitek seems to be the way forward in Gensokyo. Technology and magic come together and help each other progress, according to the Kappa. Unlike the humans in the outside world, who sought to use Technology to make Magic obsolete, the Kappa and other scientists in Gensokyo, like Rikako, seek to enhance magic. Rika is not like that, she seeks pure technology, and eradication of magic and youkai.

> Indeed, during the brief time you had in Lunaria, the Moon's Capital, you could tell it was 'Magitek'.

> "Well, all it takes is for someone to get bored..." Marisa says.

> Reimu gives you a 'Don't even think about it' look.

> "Yeah! I think so too!" Kogasa says. "Oh wait that's my imagination. I think."

> Somewhere, Yukari is repairing the fourth wall, curing Kogasa.

[Hanzo K.]

>Fistpalm. "Yukari should be able to do something then! We should get a Think Tank of gensokyo's smartest together to figure this out."
>Grin at Reimu in our usual playful way. "Hey, even if I kicked something like that off, I'd keep it simple, nothing world-breaking like some of the bigger ones."
>Then flash a slightly more devious grin for a brief moment. "I think I got an idea too, nothing too big. Just a Battle Tournament."
>"But if someone else kicks something off before that, I'll have to put it on hold I guess."

[Raikaria]

>Fistpalm. "Yukari should be able to do something then! We should get a Think Tank of gensokyo's smartest together to figure this out."
>Grin at Reimu in our usual playful way. "Hey, even if I kicked something like that off, I'd keep it simple, nothing world-breaking like some of the bigger ones."
>Then flash a slightly more devious grin for a brief moment. "I think I got an idea too, nothing too big. Just a Battle Tournament."
>"But if someone else kicks something off before that, I'll have to put it on hold I guess."

> "Yes. Except we know that Yukari is Gensokyo's biggest mystery in herself. I doubt even Yukari understands Yukari." Daiyousei says.

> Reimu still gives you the same look.

> "I get a feeling that's something Yuugi would try and do if she ever tried to kick something off." Reimu says.

> "Hey, kick two things off at once! Make Reimu have to work!" Marisa jokes.

> At this point Kogasa arrives with Reisen's dishes, then flies off and returns multiple times with everyone else's. Reisen shows her Yukarin coin to Kogasa, which glows, before putting it away.

> "I better go before this starts to cool." Reisen says.

[Hanzo K.]

>CHuckle a bit, and dig in!
>"Well, I was considerin' visiting her later today anyhow. So I guess I can run that idea past her. Been meaning to work on my Physical ability anyhow for safety reasons, you guys know the bulk of my power comes from my Darkness Control after all. That one moonbroad was a real terror to go up against with just physical ability. I had to hold out until Shinki saved my bacon after all."
>Mmmm...Bacon...Fistpalm! "Eel Bacon! I'm sure that hasn't been tried yet!"

[Raikaria]

>CHuckle a bit, and dig in!
>"Well, I was considerin' visiting her later today anyhow. So I guess I can run that idea past her. Been meaning to work on my Physical ability anyhow for safety reasons, you guys know the bulk of my power comes from my Darkness Control after all. That one moonbroad was a real terror to go up against with just physical ability. I had to hold out until Shinki saved my bacon after all."
>Mmmm...Bacon...Fistpalm! "Eel Bacon! I'm sure that hasn't been tried yet!"

> You start eating.

> "You wanna go underground? Be sure to let Byakuren know how things are down there when you come back then, she's been too busy to check up." Reimu says.

> "I'm not sure if any of us could fight in melee with someone who's physical power ruins the landscape." Sanae admits.

> "I'll try that!" you hear Mystcia's voice from the kitchen say. "I gotta think up the recipe to go with it though."