Nue Quest II: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> If our trident is not sheathed, sheath it. The last thing we want to do is fly into a buzzing hornet's nest looking like we want a fight.
> Fly toward the person outside the cabin.

[Hello Purvis]

> If our trident is not sheathed, sheath it. The last thing we want to do is fly into a buzzing hornet's nest looking like we want a fight.
> Fly toward the person outside the cabin.

>You make sure your weapon is not in hand, then head toward the cabin. The faeries do not seem to take much notice of you, which is no doubt a blessing.
>Drawing closer to the cabin, you can make out two figures. One is a blonde woman dressed in fairly bright blue dress with white sleeves, easy to pick out in from a distance. The other is green-haired and wears a somewhat muted red dress. Both are sitting in chairs near the cabin's front door, apparently enjoying a drink while watching the faeries. The blond seems to be fiddling with something in her hands. The cabin itself is a simple little place with white walls and a large flower garden off to the side. Several dolls, moving of their own volition, flit around the area and seem to be dealing with weeds.
>Both of the people look toward you as you approach. "Do you need something?" asks the blonde.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Eh, kinda and kinda not. I'm out this way to check on the Scarlet Devil Mansion, see if they know anything new about Gensokyo's money problem since I figured they're one of the angriest about it and thus one of the most likely to get up and try to fix it. But if either if you two know anything about it, or simply want to know what's going on, well, I figured it could be worth swinging by here."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Eh, kinda and kinda not. I'm out this way to check on the Scarlet Devil Mansion, see if they know anything new about Gensokyo's money problem since I figured they're one of the angriest about it and thus one of the most likely to get up and try to fix it. But if either if you two know anything about it, or simply want to know what's going on, well, I figured it could be worth swinging by here."

>"I don't think we would know much more than you," says the blue-dressed one. Drawing closer, you note that she seems to be whittling on a piece of wood.
>"We learned about it when the faeries went into a tizzy some hours ago," says the green-haired woman, giving you a warm smile. "I'm afraid we don't really know any details about it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, there aren't many details yet. Money's gone, obviously, turned into gems of roughly equal value. Everyone's angry. You should've seen the oni, hoo boy. They don't even know how precious stones work. Seems like rocks are all the same to them. I've found out that Hakugyokurou was affected, and that Higan can't tell. A satori youkai got affected without noticing a culprit, and a donation box got hit while a perceptive dowser mouse youkai was watching it the entire time. The Yakumo kitsune mentioned sensing something very faint the moment before everyone in the human village. She also thinks that the force responsible 'isn't magic as we understand it', whatever that means."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, there aren't many details yet. Money's gone, obviously, turned into gems of roughly equal value. Everyone's angry. You should've seen the oni, hoo boy. They don't even know how precious stones work. Seems like rocks are all the same to them. I've found out that Hakugyokurou was affected, and that Higan can't tell. A satori youkai got affected without noticing a culprit, and a donation box got hit while a perceptive dowser mouse youkai was watching it the entire time. The Yakumo kitsune mentioned sensing something very faint the moment before everyone in the human village. She also thinks that the force responsible 'isn't magic as we understand it', whatever that means."

>"I'm afraid I have nothing to add to that," says the woman in blue. "In fact, much of that is news to me. Thank you."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "No prob."
> Point at the woman in blue's hands.
> "If I can ask, then, what're you making?"

[Shadoweh]

> Take a better look at the piece of wood the woman in blue is whittling.

[Hello Purvis]

> "No prob."
> Point at the woman in blue's hands.
> "If I can ask, then, what're you making?"

> Take a better look at the piece of wood the woman in blue is whittling.

>"It's just a little project to keep me going," says the woman in blue.
>Taking a closer look at it, it seems to be a rough rod. There is an odd thing at the end, giving you a feeling that it is meant to connect to something.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. Huh. All right then. Ah, would either of you happen to know Patchouli's schedule? I'm also out here headed to the SDM because I have a message for her regarding some meeting tonight that she's involved in."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. Huh. All right then. Ah, would either of you happen to know Patchouli's schedule? I'm also out here headed to the SDM because I have a message for her regarding some meeting tonight that she's involved in."

>"She is probably awake," says the one in blue, "But I can't imagine you'd get into there right now."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. That sucks. Hopefully I can just relay the message through someone else, then."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. That sucks. Hopefully I can just relay the message through someone else, then."

>"It shouldn't be a problem to leave it with the guard, should it?" says green-haired woman.
>The one in blue shakes her head. "It shouldn't."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. That works. Thanks for the info."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. That works. Thanks for the info."

>"You're welcome," says the green-haired woman, while her companion nods.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "All right, I'll head on over there and leave you two alone now."
> Assuming no objections to our departure from other woman, take flight again and head around the lake to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Do not head directly across the lake; we have no time for fairy shenanigans.

[Hello Purvis]

> "All right, I'll head on over there and leave you two alone now."
> Assuming no objections to our departure from other woman, take flight again and head around the lake to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Do not head directly across the lake; we have no time for fairy shenanigans.

>"Bye!" says the green-haired woman as you depart. "Try not to stumble into any bad omens!"
>You continue to circle around the lake, and find yourself flying along the wall. Up ahead, you see a tall, red-haired woman clad in a green cheongsam stranding at the gates. Beside her is a little blonde girl in a red dress, carrying a parasol and her hair drawn in a ponytail off the side of her head. Most notably, she has some very odd wings made of what seem to be wood and colorful crystals; and you have a thing or two to say about odd wings! As you fly closer to the gate, the blonde girl throws out a hand and says, "Halt! No one enters! So give it up or I'll break ya in three pieces!"
>She then looks to her companion and says, "Like that, Miss Hong?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Is there anything else notable about the little blonde girl?
> If we haven't stopped flying yet, do so. Either way, look over to 'Miss Hong' with an expectant expression on our face.

[Hello Purvis]

> Is there anything else notable about the little blonde girl?
> If we haven't stopped flying yet, do so. Either way, look over to 'Miss Hong' with an expectant expression on our face.

>This is why we don't edit while IMing.
>Most notably, she has some very odd wings made of what seem to be wood and colorful crystals; and you have a thing or two to say about odd wings!
>"About like that, Flan," says Miss Hong. She looks over toward you as you slow down. "Flan's summed it up pretty well: we are closed to all visitors, no matter what. Orders from the very top, no exceptions."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Nod.
> "Figured. I'm guessing the top is just as unhappy about what happened to their money as everyone else?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Nod.
> "Figured. I'm guessing the top is just as unhappy about what happened to their money as everyone else?"

>Miss Hong's expression darkens.
>"She knows!" Flan cries. "Let's get her!"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "It happened to me too. Of course I know. It happened to everyone."

[Rin Kagamine]

> "Humans, Kappa, Oni, Tengu, hell even the ghosts in Hakugyokurou got hit.  The worst part is that no one seems to have any idea how it happened."

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "It happened to me too. Of course I know. It happened to everyone."

> "Humans, Kappa, Oni, Tengu, hell even the ghosts in Hakugyokurou got hit.  The worst part is that no one seems to have any idea how it happened."

>Flan advances , scowling in a way that's difficult not to laugh at, until Miss Hong puts a  hand on her shoulder. "She's probably telling the truth," says the taller woman.
>"Oh, okay," says Flan, as she stops. She looks back to you. "Sorry. But you still don't get to come in! Sister's orders."
>She then looks back to her companion. "Like that, Miss Hong?"
>"Almost," Miss Hong replies. "You should use Mistress there. It's less confusing for people."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shake head.
> "That's fine. Don't need to go in. I'm looking into fixing things, so I'm here to see if you know anything I haven't found yet. So far, I've learned that the origin is on the surface, and that, whatever it is, it worked across realms. Higan and Bhava-Agra didn't notice since I guess they don't use money, but Hakugyokurou was affected."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shake head.
> "That's fine. Don't need to go in. I'm looking into fixing things, so I'm here to see if you know anything I haven't found yet. So far, I've learned that the origin is on the surface, and that, whatever it is, it worked across realms. Higan and Bhava-Agra didn't notice since I guess they don't use money, but Hakugyokurou was affected."

>"We're working hard on the case right now," says Miss Hong. "Mistress isn't going to settle for less. Unfortunately, news never really makes its way out here until it's not really really news anymore."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I see. Well, I can tell you a couple of interesting things just from underground. A satori youkai got hit without detecting anyone around her house. A perceptive dowser mouse youkai's donation box got hit while she was staring at it the entire time. And then, on the surface, it seems the Yakumo kitsune detected a very faint sensation or some sort. She couldn't really describe it clearly. Most everyone else I've mentioned it too didn't notice anything, though Byakuren Hijiri wasn't sure one way or the other. Whatever happened, the kitsune doesn't seem to think the means were magic 'as we know it', whatever that means."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I see. Well, I can tell you a couple of interesting things just from underground. A satori youkai got hit without detecting anyone around her house. A perceptive dowser mouse youkai's donation box got hit while she was staring at it the entire time. And then, on the surface, it seems the Yakumo kitsune detected a very faint sensation or some sort. She couldn't really describe it clearly. Most everyone else I've mentioned it too didn't notice anything, though Byakuren Hijiri wasn't sure one way or the other. Whatever happened, the kitsune doesn't seem to think the means were magic 'as we know it', whatever that means."

>Miss Hong nods. "Well, that's something, I guess."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't suppose any of you noticed anything strange? Maybe that sensation the kitsune mentioned, or perhaps someone was looking at some currency when the culprit struck?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I don't suppose any of you noticed anything strange? Maybe that sensation the kitsune mentioned, or perhaps someone was looking at some currency when the culprit struck?"

>"I didn't find out until Sakuya told me," says Miss Hong with a shrug.
>Flan crosses her arms. "The maids were being very loud, so I went to see what was the matter. When I was there, so was big sister and they here talking about how we got robbed. I wanted to help, and we got in an argument, and eventually Kuya said I could come out here and help Meiling!" She gives a firm nod at the end. "Nobody's getting inside on my watch!"

>_