Nue Quest 7 - Serpent Isle: A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> Wring it out in the washtub, then take it to the kitchen.

>You wring your dress out, then cross the hall to the kitchen.
>You nose had already been hinting at the meal being concocted here, but as you enter the kitchen, the smells of radish, tofu, and other such things is enough to make your mouth water a bit. The kitchen is pleasantly warm, due to the stove in the corner that Kana is hovering over, checking a sizable tureen positioned on top of it. "Rikako already told me," she says, "Just hang your dress and things on that bar under the spice rack." She gestures toward a shelf with a metal bar underneath it that hangs over the stove, "and you can put your shoes and socks right here beside it. Then you can help me move the table in here, kay?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Sure."
> Drape our stuff across the indicated bar, doing the best we can with the shoes.
> "How heavy is the table? If you need to watch the food and can give me a few minutes, I could probably get it myself."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Sure."
> Drape our stuff across the indicated bar, doing the best we can with the shoes.
> "How heavy is the table? If you need to watch the food and can give me a few minutes, I could probably get it myself."

>You place your things near the stove. It is deliciously warm here and you have a hard time wanting to pull yourself away from it.
>"It's not heavy," says Kana, "It's just big."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> How long can we stretch our arms out?

[Hello Purvis]

> How long can we stretch our arms out?

>You can get them about twice your normal length. But it takes time, you have to strengthen muscles and such to work with it, and you feel terribly off balance using them if you do it more than a little bit.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh, all right. Whenever you're ready, then."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh, all right. Whenever you're ready, then."

>Kana gives the tureen a final stir and sets her chopsticks aside. "Let's get it."
>She heads out of the room.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give a quick longing look at the stove and its glorious heat, then follow the ghosty.

[Hello Purvis]

> Give a quick longing look at the stove and its glorious heat, then follow the ghosty.

>You follow Kana back to the front room.
>Moving the table is a simple exercise; it's not really heavy at all, just a little tricky to maneuver through the door frames. But you get it in place without any real trouble.
>"Thanks!" says Kana, "Just have a seat, and we'll have this ready in a bit."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Okay."
> Sit down and soak up as much warmth as possible while waiting.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Okay."
> Sit down and soak up as much warmth as possible while waiting.

>You sit down as close as you can to the stove and soak up the warmth; while trying not to let the smell of food distract you too badly. Thankfully, the table is set reasonably close to it. The chills begin to leave you, and you can focus on the general soreness, which is thankfully fading away. Then there's that niggling bud of a headache that hopefully isn't going to blossom into the full deal. Thankfully, you note Kana preparing to summon the others to dinner when she claims two unused pots and walks into the hallway, and cover your ears in time. You also become aware of how badly you need a bath. At least some of the mud is drying...
>Rika and Rikako come in a few moments later, while Kana sets out bowls of stew. Rika is still wearing the apron, now bearing a few more stains. "So, you mentioned a flying machine?" says Rikako, as Kana sets a bowl of thin stew in front of you. It is swimming with rice, vegetables, and tofu, and smells absolutely wonderful  at the moment.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Yeah, some speedy noisy thing. Had wings and a glass dome, and a girl I know was sitting inside. I'm guessing she was in control of the thing."
> Might as well dig in. Try not to behave too ravenously, we're already unkempt enough.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Yeah, some speedy noisy thing. Had wings and a glass dome, and a girl I know was sitting inside. I'm guessing she was in control of the thing."
> Might as well dig in. Try not to behave too ravenously, we're already unkempt enough.

>You dig in. You try to keep some sense of propriety, but also you're starving, and this stuff tastes so good right now...
>"And you think it was a machine, and not some sort of magic thing?" says Rika.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "It was very much physical metal. It certainly seemed like a machine, but I'll admit I'm not an expert. It might've been pure machine or magic. Hell, for all I know, it might've been both."

[Hello Purvis]

> "It was very much physical metal. It certainly seemed like a machine, but I'll admit I'm not an expert. It might've been pure machine or magic. Hell, for all I know, it might've been both."

>"It's definitely both," says Rikako. "There's no way they could do that without cheating."
>Rika nods. "Yeah. It might look like a machine, but there's definitely magic at work."
>She looks at Rikako. "You don't think they got into our stuff, do you?"
>"I don't...think so," says the lavender-haired woman, stopping midway through lifting a chunk of tofu to her mouth and frowning.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Well, the girl inside is from the mountain. I'd be very surprised if they nicked stuff from you instead of just making the kappa do whatever."
> Have another spoonful or two of that stew.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Well, the girl inside is from the mountain. I'd be very surprised if they nicked stuff from you instead of just making the kappa do whatever."
> Have another spoonful or two of that stew.

>You have a bit more of the stew. And frankly, it's difficult to stop there before answering the heretics.
>Rika groans. "Oh, they definitely did not do it right, then," says Rikako. "Shame. They'll probably act like they got all the credit, too."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Shrug.
> "Like I said, not my strong area."
> Have a bit more of the stew.
> "Wow. I should break into houses in the middle of the night more often if this is how things work out."

[Hello Purvis]

> Shrug.
> "Like I said, not my strong area."
> Have a bit more of the stew.
> "Wow. I should break into houses in the middle of the night more often if this is how things work out."

>"Think we should investigate?" says Rika to her companion.
>Rikako shrugs. "I think we might just have to. Besides, if it's kappa, they probably haven't discovered half of the ways they messed it up."
>You have some more stew. You really needed this, after the kind of day you've had.
>"Well..." says Rika, "It's not like you did it for the wrong reasons. And we try to be good hosts when we get guests."
>"Which is never!" says Kana from her side of the table.
>"Shut up," says Rika.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Frown.
> "Do you think that machine is unsafe, or what?"

[Hello Purvis]

> Frown.
> "Do you think that machine is unsafe, or what?"

>"No, it's not that," says Rikako.
>"It's that if kappa are involved, there's no way that they dis it the right way," says Rika. "Kappa don't figure out how things work before trying it, they just try until they make it work. Or they use magic and what's the point of that?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Oh. So it's more a sense of accomplishment, then? Doing it while limiting your resources?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Oh. So it's more a sense of accomplishment, then? Doing it while limiting your resources?"

>"It's about doing it the proper way," says Rikako. "If you're going to use magic in the first place, what's the point of building a machine? It just cheapens what the machine is for."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I guess."
> More food!

[Hello Purvis]

> "I guess."
> More food!

>You continue dining. You'll be needing another course soon, and you are okay with this.
>"Not only that," says Rika, "It's insulting the world when you have to break its rules to get things done. But what do you expect, eh?"

[Kilgamayan]

> Oh boy. Is this conversation really about to happen?
> "Well, that aside, I actually didn't swing by because of the machine. I came by to find out what's southwest of here."

[Hello Purvis]

> Oh boy. Is this conversation really about to happen?
> "Well, that aside, I actually didn't swing by because of the machine. I came by to find out what's southwest of here."

>Ugh, really. No wonder they don't get guests...
>"Southwest?" says Rikako. "Um, nothing special that I know of."
>"I've heard faeries talk about some weird trees out that way," says Rika. "Nothing special, just unusual."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Hmm, okay. I ask because I think there may be something related to this out there."
> Pull out the broken sword handle and blade carefully. Keep a hold on them unless there is enough room to set them on the table and they're not too dirty.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Hmm, okay. I ask because I think there may be something related to this out there."
> Pull out the broken sword handle and blade carefully. Keep a hold on them unless there is enough room to set them on the table and they're not too dirty.

>You show them the Broken Sword Handle and Broken Sword Blade .
>"I couldn't tell you anything about that," says Rika. "I don't mess with magic. But, I've never heard of anything sword related out that way."
>"Would you like some more?" says Kana.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Turn to Kana.
> "Please."
> Turn back to Rika.
> "Well, to be honest, that may be because the sword's apparently not even from Gensokyo."