(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest (Part 14)

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have an appetite?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we have an appetite?

>You're not even sure. Maybe a halfhearted one?

[Oldmansour]

>We're gonna need food anyway, appetite or no.
>"It is the proper way to start the day. Even if it did start without you."

[DracoOmega]

>We're gonna need food anyway, appetite or no.
>"It is the proper way to start the day. Even if it did start without you."

>Your body does still need food to continue functioning - as much as anything about your current state can be considered 'functioning'.
>"Well, you needed your rest," Kyouko says as she ducks into the kitchen and returns with a plate bearing a few scones and butter, a neatly sliced orange, and several fresh plums. "It's nothing fancy, but I can cook you up something else, if you'd like! Rice, miso - we're out of carrots, though. Oh, I might still have some sausage in the ice box!"

[Oldmansour]

>Simple, but effective. But does the quantity seem sufficient?

[DracoOmega]

>Simple, but effective. But does the quantity seem sufficient?

>At the moment, you question your desire to finish even that much.

[Oldmansour]

>"I am many things, but picky isn't one of em. I think this'll do nicely."
>Sit down and dig in.
>"It was a good idea to book passage for later in the day, too. If for nothing else to give us time to take stock of what we have to travel, and what we might still need to pick up before we go."

[DracoOmega]

>"I am many things, but picky isn't one of em. I think this'll do nicely."
>Sit down and dig in.
>"It was a good idea to book passage for later in the day, too. If for nothing else to give us time to take stock of what we have to travel, and what we might still need to pick up before we go."

>"Great!" Kyouko deposits the plate and then resumes puttering around the room.
>'Digging in' feels well beyond your appetite at present, but you pick up a scone and start nibbling on it; the buttery pastry tastes better than the parchment did, at any rate.
>"I'm already half-packed!" she says. "Got in a little last-minute shopping, too! Just need to dig through my closet for a couple last things, now. I didn't want to wake you up," she adds with a gentle smile.

[Oldmansour]

>"Thanks. You were right, I did need some rest. What did you pick up while you were out?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Thanks. You were right, I did need some rest. What did you pick up while you were out?"

>"Oh, just a few snacks for the road, mostly. And some cooking oil - I was almost out! I think I already have everything else I need for the trip right here. Just need to find it." You hear her start rummaging through the closet.

[Oldmansour]

>At the risk of asking a silly question, we still need to replenish our food stores, don't we?
>Cooking oil on the road?
>We DO have everything that we need to complete the medicine apart from the bittercress, yes?

[DracoOmega]

>At the risk of asking a silly question, we still need to replenish our food stores, don't we?
>Cooking oil on the road?
>We DO have everything that we need to complete the medicine apart from the bittercress, yes?

>You'd need to take stock to be sure; you weren't completely out of supplies, at any rate.
>You're going to assume that was just for the house - but who knows?
>Yes.

[Oldmansour]

>Speaking of supplies, do we have pen and paper with us?

[DracoOmega]

>Speaking of supplies, do we have pen and paper with us?

>You have a pencil, but the only paper you have with you is in the form of maps and business cards and notes people jotted down for you - there's room enough to jot a few more things on most of them, but none of them are blank.

[Oldmansour]

>How long does it usually take us to write a letter?

[DracoOmega]

>How long does it usually take us to write a letter?

>That depends greatly on what you want to write, and you're feeling slow-witting at the moment to boot. But you certainly have the time to write something before you'd need to catch the boat out of town.

[Oldmansour]

>Time enough to write something for Ichirin? Something for Kyouko to mail in case we fail? We owe the woman that much, and more.

[DracoOmega]

>Time enough to write something for Ichirin? Something for Kyouko to mail in case we fail? We owe the woman that much, and more.

>There's certainly time to say something. Maybe not all the things you'd want to say, and maybe not as well as you'd want to say them, but you can certainly leave a message for her.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, we can finish breakfast first, before our thoughts turn excessively maudlin.
>Where did we leave our pack? If in Kyouko's room, ask her to kindly bring it out to us when she's finished. Please.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, we can finish breakfast first, before our thoughts turn excessively maudlin.
>Where did we leave our pack? If in Kyouko's room, ask her to kindly bring it out to us when she's finished. Please.

>You continue slowly working on your breakfast, the texture of the food on your tongue somehow unpleasant. Blight or no, you still need to you eat. You stifle a yawn; it feels more like you underslept than overslept. You suppose it's fortunate that you'll have more time to rest up on the ferry, before the hiking starts again in earnest. Maybe you'll even be able to save up some meager ounce of strength for your final trek; if feels like your reserves of energy have sprung a serious leak.
>...final trek.
>The scone leaves a lump in your throat as you swallow. Too dry. Maybe some orange will help.

>You slowly and mechanically make your way through the plate of food, only half-tasting it, and never quite enjoying it. The last plum, you swallow more through pragmatic determination than any actual desire. Kyouko emerges from her bedroom as you do so, carrying a pack nearly as large as your own, and surprisingly sturdy-looking.
>"All done, I think!" She gives it a friendly pat. "More than enough to get us there and back again!"

>Your own pack is currently resting in the corner of the living room; Kyouko must have tidied it out of the way from where you unslung it last night.

[Oldmansour]

>"Let's see how close to that I am right now. Oh, thanks for breakfast, too."
>Take stock of our own stores.

[DracoOmega]

>"Let's see how close to that I am right now. Oh, thanks for breakfast, too."
>Take stock of our own stores.

>"My pleasure!" she says brightly.
>You sift through your own pack and estimate how much food you have left. There's still some, though not a huge lot; it might get you to Yuuka's again - particularly if you appetite remains the same - but it wouldn't get you back without some good foraging along the way.

[Oldmansour]

>"I might still have to do a little shopping before we leave. I think I've got enough supplies to last to Yuuka's, but pretty much nothing beyond that."

[DracoOmega]

>"I might still have to do a little shopping before we leave. I think I've got enough supplies to last to Yuuka's, but pretty much nothing beyond that."

>"If you mean food, we can split mine!" she replies. "I packed extra."

[Oldmansour]

>Can we smell what sort of grub she's stowed away?

[DracoOmega]

>Can we smell what sort of grub she's stowed away?

>Some nuts and seeds and several varieties of dried fruit and biscuits. Something chocolate,  some anpan - that won't keep the whole trip, sun-dried tomatoes, ....even a little cheese.

[Oldmansour]

>In sufficient quantity to do the both of us when we're returning?

[DracoOmega]

>In sufficient quantity to do the both of us when we're returning?

>Your nose isn't that good.

[Oldmansour]

>"Thoughtful. And helpful as well, I can use the extra time to take care of something else I think I need to do, before we set off."
>"Do you have a bit of paper I can use?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Thoughtful. And helpful as well, I can use the extra time to take care of something else I think I need to do, before we set off."
>"Do you have a bit of paper I can use?"

>"A bit of paper I can use...."
>Kyouko putters over to the other end of the room and produces a couple sheets of it from a drawer. "Did you need something to write with?"