Kisume Quest IX - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. Well, uh, your straight face is too good."

>"Oh well," she says, smiling slightly. "I suppose there's more to delivery than I expected."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Giggle.
> "Of course. The delivery is everything."

[Hello Purvis]

> Giggle.
> "Of course. The delivery is everything."

>"Back on the prior topic," says Shikieiki, as you start to pass by the first booths and reenter the carnival, "I hope, aside from sparse meals, that you have been safe?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Of course. You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to wander into the Ancient City if you didn't have to, and I almost never have to."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Of course. You'd have to be a special kind of stupid to wander into the Ancient City if you didn't have to, and I almost never have to."

>"And outside the city?" says Shikieiki. "I've met more than my share of oni who have met their end out in the wilds. And there are always evil spirits."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shrug.
> "Even outside, trouble doesn't normally come my way unless I'm dumb enough to go looking for it. There was that one time with the red-white, I guess, but that's about it, really."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I live in the tunnel, near the aboveground entrance. Oni don't really come that way too often."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shrug.
> "Even outside, trouble doesn't normally come my way unless I'm dumb enough to go looking for it. There was that one time with the red-white, I guess, but that's about it, really."

>"I suppose she doesn't really count," says Shikieiki.

>"I live in the tunnel, near the aboveground entrance. Oni don't really come that way too often."

>"I suppose that is true, but aren't they also becoming more active on the surface lately?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Have they? We'd have a good vantage point of oni coming and going.

[Hello Purvis]

> Have they? We'd have a good vantage point of oni coming and going.

>At the very least, you've seen a lot more of one of the devas coming and going in the past year or so. You can't immediately recall any other oni coming or going, but it's possible you just don't recall them. You don't make it a point to try your luck with them.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I guess one of the Devas has been back and forth a lot lately. She doesn't pay any attention to me, though, and I'm not about to give her a reason to."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I guess one of the Devas has been back and forth a lot lately. She doesn't pay any attention to me, though, and I'm not about to give her a reason to."

>Shikieiki looks like she is about to reply, when you hear a familiar voice cry, "Hey! There you are!"
>Looking toward one side of the impromptu street made by the festival booths, you see Komachi jogging toward you.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give her a wave.

[O4rfish]

>"Of course, I got angry at this one human and tracked him down, it ended with me saving Gensokyo from an invasion. So safe may not be the best measurement."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Of course, I got angry at this one human and tracked him down, it ended with me saving Gensokyo from an invasion. So safe may not be the best measurement."

>"Come again?" says Shikeiki.

> Give her a wave.

>You wave at Komachi as she bustles over to join you. "Where'd you two run off to?" she says.
>"We wanted to speak in private, and have a moment to gather our thoughts beforehand," says Shikieiki.
>"Heh, I can understand that," says Komachi.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah. So, I'm willing to try this again if you are."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah. So, I'm willing to try this again if you are."

>Komachi reaches down and ruffles your hair. "Good to hear, kiddo. I figured things would turn out for the better when you both came back under your own power."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Where's VIVIT?

[Hello Purvis]

> Where's VIVIT?

>You do not immediately see her.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Wait until the hair ruffling stops, then speak up.
> "Oh, where did VIVIT go?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Wait until the hair ruffling stops, then speak up.
> "Oh, where did VIVIT go?"

>This takes a moment or two to come to an end.
>"She ran off somewhere," says Komachi. "I think she had her eye on a ball toss game."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Good."
> Let a small grin creep in.
> "So did you notice anything unusual about her?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Good."
> Let a small grin creep in.
> "So did you notice anything unusual about her?"

>"She seems kind of awkward sometimes," says Komachi. "I figure that is unusual for a maid who keeps their job."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "There's a reason for that. Did you happen to listen to her? Not anything she said, just her herself."

[Hello Purvis]

> "There's a reason for that. Did you happen to listen to her? Not anything she said, just her herself."

>"Not really," says Komachi. "Was there something I was supposed to hear?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "It would have been easier to hear in a quiet area, I guess. VIVIT's not just a person, she's also a machine. You can sometimes hear her body making machine noises."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It would have been easier to hear in a quiet area, I guess. VIVIT's not just a person, she's also a machine. You can sometimes hear her body making machine noises."

>"Oh, so those kinds of things do exist?" says Komachi. "I've heard some stories from the passengers, but you hear all kinds of stories."
>She grins at Shikieiki. "You gotta go judge her, Shiki. We've never had one of those before, have we?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Look to Eiki ourselves.
> "I gotta admit, I've been wondering how that would work myself."

[Hello Purvis]

> Look to Eiki ourselves.
> "I gotta admit, I've been wondering how that would work myself."

>Shikieiki nods. "While I am curious myself, and would be happy to offer her any advise she may need, I don't think it is proper to make such a show out it."
>"It's not a show, Shiki," says Komachi, "We're just curious."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

 > Shrug.
> "Maybe we could just ask her later, once we're not longer in a public setting. Or you could ask Sariel's replacement."