Kisume Quest VIII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Hello Purvis]

> "Apparently there's a whole lot of them. Something in the hundreds. I guess it's the benefit of being a machine person."

>"...Machine person?" says Kasen.

>"Way I see it, they're like ants. All identical, all pretty cold. Never liked ants really, reminds me too much of Higan."

>"She didn't seem that cold," says Kasen. "Just, well, a professional, I suppose."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

>" Yeah. She's a person, but she's also a machine. If you listened closely back when we were in Gensokyo, you could hear her body making machine noises."

[Hello Purvis]

>" Yeah. She's a person, but she's also a machine. If you listened closely back when we were in Gensokyo, you could hear her body making machine noises."

>"That's what that sound was?" says Kasen. "I...am not sure what to make of that."

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>"And now you see why I made the comparison to Ants. From what I've found out, they got some kinda communal mind-thingy going on too. If one of 'em finds out something the others don't know, they go back to something and connect to it. And when the others go back to connect too, they get the info as well."

I believe we were told something to this effect.

[Hello Purvis]

>"And now you see why I made the comparison to Ants. From what I've found out, they got some kinda communal mind-thingy going on too. If one of 'em finds out something the others don't know, they go back to something and connect to it. And when the others go back to connect too, they get the info as well."

>"I don't think I understand," says Kasen. "Are you saying that they share memories?"

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>Shrug. "Something like that. S'why I'm using Ants as a reference, all hive-ish and such. They all look alike too."

[Hello Purvis]

>Shrug. "Something like that. S'why I'm using Ants as a reference, all hive-ish and such. They all look alike too."

>"I think it's a bit too much for me to comprehend," says Kasen.

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>"Just think of 'em as being like Bees or Ants. Makes it a lot easier."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Just think of 'em as being like Bees or Ants. Makes it a lot easier."

>"I think we may have to differ on that idea," says Kasen, as she sits up and regards her plate.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Take a crack at our plate. The hair can wait.

[Hanzo K.]

>But be sure to make sure it didn't get slipped anything. Can't be too careful.

[Hello Purvis]

> Take a crack at our plate. The hair can wait.

>You start on your meal. It consists of what you think is some variant of eggs, which have a curious sharp taste to them, a set of fluffy disks that are kind of like flat buns, covered with a sugary syrup, and strips of what you think are crisped meat. Despite the oddity of it all, it's quite delicious. There is a strange, pale brown kind of tea to drink as well, with a rather robust flavor.

>But be sure to make sure it didn't get slipped anything. Can't be too careful.

>How do you intend to do this, beyond eat it and hope for the best?

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's have just a little of it, then wait for a few moments. If we don't feel off, then we know it's good.

[Hello Purvis]

>Let's have just a little of it, then wait for a few moments. If we don't feel off, then we know it's good.

>You sample a few bits, and nothing feels awry.
>Kasen, you note, has had no such restraints, and seems fine as well.

>_

[Hanzo K.]

>Well, it's clear then. Let's dig in! Maybe we'll ask what these fluffy things are called. They ain't half bad.
>Drink's pretty strong though. What's it smell like?

[Hello Purvis]

>Well, it's clear then. Let's dig in! Maybe we'll ask what these fluffy things are called. They ain't half bad.
>Drink's pretty strong though. What's it smell like?

>You dig in! The food is quite delicious, if unfamiliar.
>The drink smells like a very strong tea.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Have a sip of it.

[Hello Purvis]

> Have a sip of it.

>You sip the tea, and are reasonably sure that you raise your eyebrows and response. Its flavor is strong and robust as the smell led you to believe, with little subtly. However, it is quite good for all its lack of the typical tea niceties.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Huh. What do you make of this tea?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Huh. What do you make of this tea?"

>Kasen samples it, and frowns a bit. "It's really quite overpowering, isn't it? It almost has more in common with cheap sake than tea. Without the alcohol, of course."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Might explain why I like it so much."
> Have another couple of sips.

[Hello Purvis]

> "Might explain why I like it so much."
> Have another couple of sips.

>She shakes her head, but grins despite that, while you have some more tea. As coarse as it is, you could see yourself developing a taste for it.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Are there any mirrors visible in the room?

[Hello Purvis]

> Are there any mirrors visible in the room?

>There is a decorative mirror on the wall opposite of the door that you came in through.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Set the weird tea aside for a bit, and move the pitcher of water and washbin closer to us.
> "Might as well get this over with."
> Pull out Chiyuri's hair wash stuff and wash our hair with it to get the black stuff out of it.

[Hello Purvis]

> Set the weird tea aside for a bit, and move the pitcher of water and washbin closer to us.
> "Might as well get this over with."
> Pull out Chiyuri's hair wash stuff and wash our hair with it to get the black stuff out of it.

>You set the tea side and collect the Silver Pitcher and the Basin. You apply the some of the strong-smelling dye remover on your hands and begin to run your fingers through your hair, and find that them coming back with deep black stains on them. With a little work, and Kasen telling you when you missed a spot, you soon fill the basin with noxious-looking black liquid that is one part dye remover and one part water.  From what you can see, your hair appears to be back to its natural color.
>"That's quite impressive," says Kasen. "I wonder what kind of magic they used to make it?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "From what I can tell, they don't use magic. We could ask Yumemi about it next time we see them, though."

[Hello Purvis]

> "From what I can tell, they don't use magic. We could ask Yumemi about it next time we see them, though."

>"I think they do and don't realize it," says Kasen.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That'd be pretty funny if true, since a major reason we're a big huge deal is because we use magic."

[Hello Purvis]

> "That'd be pretty funny if true, since a major reason we're a big huge deal is because we use magic."

>"Perhaps they just have a different way of casting?" says Kasen.

>_