Face, meet fist. This is Akyu Quest!

[Fightest]

> Rinnosuke holds up a hand without turning to you. The gesture is equally a greeting and a stopping motion.
> "Shh."
> He beckons you over gently.
> "Look, can you see it? Right there." He points at a series of lines of ink that are warping and shifting. You understand the characters, of course, but they're arranged in, at least to you, meaningless patterns. Still, Rinnosuke seems glued to it.
> The shelves are weighed down with all sorts of miscellaneous stuff. You could probably find anything you could ever want here.

>Considering enemies, we may want something that makes an especially loud noise. If Red-Eyes will be involved, mirrored polarized sunglasses may help. Or at least makes us look cooler. Maybe some baseballs to bean the Neetcess during spell cards.  Also, considering rabbits have powerful legs and we like keeping our teeth, check mouth guard stock.

> You spot:
> An air horn. Complexity: 0. A brightly-coloured and exceptionally-crafted metal container with a horn on top. The attached instructions tell of its sound-blasting properties when the back of the horn is pressed.
> Mirrored sunglasses. Complexity: 0. Guaranteed to make their wearer at least 25% cooler. Do not look directly at the sun.
> Snooker balls. Complexity: 1. Heavy, hard balls, painted in pastel colours, with numbers on them. There are fifteen in total, held together in a single unit by a rigid, yet flexible frame.
> Baseball. Complexity: 1. A lonely white leather ball with careful stitching along its seams sits on the shelf.
> Hockey mask. Complexity: 0. A white mask with slits for eyes that covers the entire face, made of a hard and smooth material. Looks a bit creepy.
> Mouth guard. Complexity: 1. The instructions claim that keeping this object in your mouth correctly will protect your teeth. Looks uncomfortable.

[Hello Purvis]

>Check the prices.
>Look around for a compass
>Consider throwing ability, or lack thereof.

[Fightest]

> You do not see any prices on the items. A sign over the till says "Inquire here for all item pricings."
> You spot:
> Compass. Complexity: 0. A magnetised metallic strip with one end painted red is encased in a finely-crafted glass container. There are markings engraved in the glass. The arrow always points in one direction.
> After lugging around those gauntlets all day, lobbing something with any degree of force shouldn't present much of an issue. No trick-shots, though.

[Hello Purvis]

>Indicate the aforementioned items. "How much for these?"
>"As well, have you heard much about this tournament going on? I imagine it's made your business somewhat erratic."

[Fightest]

> Rinnosuke keeps staring at the scroll on the wall, the characters still shifting and changing. He acknowledges your question with a raised finger, which he then uses to point at a jumble of characters that are shifting far more quickly than the ones around them.
> "Hold on. Hold on. Look, there, do you see it? Unbelievable. First time since that peak when the tournament started. Odds have shot up, especially if it's her. Five to one? Ten to one? No, no, it's going to be more dynamic than that..."
> He feels around for a catalogue on the floor and opens it on a random page. He still doesn't look at anything other than the scroll.
> "Miscellaneous trinkets, limited use, good craftsmanship, unusual materials, no age damage. 10 each, 30 for the ball set."
> You have 60 currently.

[Hello Purvis]

>We definitely need the airhorn. The compass will be nice if we do need it. Buy those.
>"What does that scroll say about me?"

[Fightest]

> Rinnosuke scoops your money into the counter without giving it a second glance.
> "You? Nothing much of interest. Value shot up recently, but fell soon afterward to post-entry levels. Odds are low, payout small, not worth betting on. This, however...this, this, this!"
> Rinnosuke leans forward in his chair.
> "Hasn't been this close since..."
> Rinnosuke slumps back.
> "Oh. Hakurei girl used that. Bets are off."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Which that? She has access to many things which could fall under such dark tones."
>"Have you made any bets yourself? Done well?"

[Fightest]

> Rinnosuke has already focused on another patch of text.
> "The Hakurei girl has a certain stance. We think she's augmenting it with Spell Cards, but nobody's sure. She's a tough fight as she is, her Standing will tell you that, but her value just keeps dropping because every time she uses that stance, odds become infinite."
> Rinnosuke twirls his finger in the air idly.
> "Can't bet on someone who's invincible."

>"Have you made any bets yourself? Done well?"

> "Aside from the Hakurei fiasco, pretty well. I can see the patterns, the conditions in the scroll. After a while, I stopped seeing the symbols. Now it's just a stance here, a technique there. Want to place a bet yourself? That hell crow seems up to something..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I presume it's no coincidence that you mentioned her right after mentioning me. Would you care to elaborate, or does this violate the spirit of things?"

[Fightest]

> "Nothing but coincidence. I've been watching this fight ever since you came in. Exciting fight, high stakes."
> Rinnosuke waves his hand non-committally.
> "All for nothing."

[Hello Purvis]

>"You bet on the faeries, then?"
>Shrug.
>"Well, I wouldn't blame you. I am curious though, what are your coincidences telling you about the rest of my day?"

[Fightest]

> "Fairies? Possibility there, though ultimately fruitless. Going to hit a ceiling which no numbers can break through, that's clear as day. Question isn't if, but when to cut and run. And let that be my advice to you, if you want to get anywhere - you should learn to outgrow them, and do it quickly."

[theshirn]

> Punch Rinnosuke in the face to establish superiority

[Kasu]

> Punch Rinnosuke in the face to establish superiority

> Er...  Lets not and say we didn't.
> Check with Rinnosuke if we have enough for the Mirrored Sunglasses.

[Fightest]

> Punch Rinnosuke in the face to establish superiority

> You feel, completely and utterly, that you cannot. You can't even raise your arm to wind up the punch, you literally cannot make any aggressive movements towards him. It's a very unnatural feeling.

> Check with Rinnosuke if we have enough for the Mirrored Sunglasses.

> Mirrored Sunglasses were worth 10, you still have 40 left.

[Kasu]

> Buy the sunglasses.
> Ask him how that match he was commenting on earlier is going.

[MysTeariousYukari]

> "Rinnosuke, has Hakurei used a move where 7 orb-like objects appeared, and just float around her for a bit before dealing out crazy damage? Or where she became see-through?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I think you're selling the faeries a little short, myself. Historically, even the likes of Reimu has been defeated by them from time to time."
>Look into medical supplies.

[theshirn]

> Look for something else to take out pent-up aggression on
> Resist urge to froth

[Fightest]

> Buy the sunglasses.
> Ask him how that match he was commenting on earlier is going.

> Rinnosuke takes your money without looking and tosses it into the register.
> Current purchases: Air Horn, Compass, Sunglasses.
> "Oh, that? It's over. Opponents have broken up, Hakurei girl wins. Again."

> "Rinnosuke, has Hakurei used a move where 7 orb-like objects appeared, and just float around her for a bit before dealing out crazy damage? Or where she became see-through?"

> Rinnosuke turns away from the scroll and looks at you, surprised.
> "Something like the latter, but how do you know about that?"

>"I think you're selling the faeries a little short, myself. Historically, even the likes of Reimu has been defeated by them from time to time."
>Look into medical supplies.

> Rinnosuke shrugs. "I just call it as I see it."
> You spot:
> First Aid Kit. Complexity: varies. A bright-orange box with a white cross on the front. Inside it is full of all sorts of bottles, bandages, sutures, splints and everything else you might need to treat a wound.
> "General use item. High-quality craftsmanship, no age damage, rare or unusual materials and equipment. 50."

> Look for something else to take out pent-up aggression on
> Resist urge to froth

> You've got a raid coming up, that feels like it could allow you to let loose on someone's face.

[theshirn]

> We have failed to resist.  Commence frothing.

[Hello Purvis]

>Rage? Frothing? This is Akyu we're talking about. =I
>Do we have 50 currencies at home? If so: "Would you allow me to get that first aid kit on credit? I would like to think I have a good enough reputation that I won't just run away on the bill."

[theshirn]

>Rage? Frothing? This is Akyu we're talking about. =I

>Froth nonetheless.

[Fightest]

>Rage? Frothing? This is Akyu we're talking about. =I
>Do we have 50 currencies at home? If so: "Would you allow me to get that first aid kit on credit? I would like to think I have a good enough reputation that I won't just run away on the bill."

> Who knows what happened during those ten minutes? You might have indeed frothed.
> Rinnosuke feels around for a notebook on the floor, then leafs through it without looking at the pages. He stop on one briefly, then gives you a thumbs-up.

>Froth nonetheless.

> You don't really feel the berserker rage necessary to froth. You would need an actual opponent to rage against. But you do think you've got what it takes to pull together a good rage in that situation.
> Stance developed: Nerd Rage. Complexity: 1. The user enters a maddened frenzy, focused only on crushing their enemies, seeing them driven before them, and hearing the lamentations of their women. All defense is sacrificed for a boost to strength and speed, and the user does not feel the effects of fatigue and pain until they are unconscious. The rage does not stop until the user has defeated everyone within sight or is unconscious. As Brawling improves, so does the rage, leading to greater bonuses and greater control.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you."
>Take the medical kit. Resolve to put up some good stones for throwing purposes.
>"Can you tell me where Keine and Eirin are? I want to make sure that Keine is alright, and I fear I will need Eirin's services before long."

[Fightest]

> "Keine, Keine, Keine... Good value, potential for explosive growth in stakes upon meeting certain conditions... Average Standing, but going strong. There, in a one-on-three fight, northern plains on the road to the mountains. One on three? Hmm... excellent payoff if she succeeds."
> "Eirin? Strange, no recent entry. She doesn't have immunity, so it should be there..."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I see. Well, Keine can handle herself."
>Prepare to leave, then stop.
>"Might I ask that you keep my visit confidential?"

[Fightest]

> Rinnosuke waves his hand at you, already absorbed in Keine's fight.

[Hello Purvis]

>Sigh, check the time. Ponder how much is left before it's time for the invasion, including the time it'd take to get there.