Maribel Quest Succeeding - A Z-Machine Adventure

[DracoOmega]

>"And does that mean that the store's in no condition to open now, then?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Rats? Like, the literal kind?"

> Probably not the best idea to say this, it'll probably only irritate them more, and irritated oni = bad.

>You consider asking for clarification, but you fear she might be able to paint the walls with you, too.

>"And does that mean that the store's in no condition to open now, then?"

>"Can't have shop when you've got zoggin' vermin about when the customers are tryin' to have a look, can you now?"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Have you tried proper traps for them? Or calling an exterminator or something?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Have you tried proper traps for them? Or calling an exterminator or something?"

>"Been meaning to get some traps," she says. "But then I'd have to yank out the floorboards to get at their nest. Don't have the money for an ratcatcher.""

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Sounds pretty unfortunate. I wish I knew something that would help with that. But I guess it's a pretty reasonable reason for not being able to pay at the moment."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sounds pretty unfortunate. I wish I knew something that would help with that. But I guess it's a pretty reasonable reason for not being able to pay at the moment."

>"Been hoping to flag down a bum with decent danmaku skills to pop the things," she says. "Horrible at it, myself. Much better with my fists. Wouldn't get the nest, but it'd give me some breathing room to open up again."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Remember that oni generally don't lie - odds are very good that she DOES have rats.
>"I'm no expert, but since I seem to be the go-to girl for a lot of stuff today, I might as well have a look. Still pretty new at danmaku, but I can give it a shot."
>"You're sure you can't afford to pay Yuugi right now? Or is it that you still haven't opened yet, so you don't have to pay yet anyway?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Remember that oni generally don't lie - odds are very good that she DOES have rats.
>"I'm no expert, but since I seem to be the go-to girl for a lot of stuff today, I might as well have a look. Still pretty new at danmaku, but I can give it a shot."
>"You're sure you can't afford to pay Yuugi right now? Or is it that you still haven't opened yet, so you don't have to pay yet anyway?"

>It's an interesting excuse, if nothing else, but you get the feeling it's real.
>"You're welcome to have a go at it, just don't break nothin'."
>She frowns. "Had to have food and drink..."

[DracoOmega]

>"No promises at getting rid of them, but I'll do my best."
>Step inside

[Hello Purvis]

>"No promises at getting rid of them, but I'll do my best."
>Step inside

>You step inside.
>In shape, the place is much like Mari's home, just a box really not suitable for even one person in your opinion. However, where Mari's was sparse, this place is crammed with junk. The front half is full of shelves with vases, musical instruments, pots and pans, small arty items such as carvings and wallscrolls, and so on. You notice a couple of interesting-looking item as well, a geode in particular. The back is hidden by a screen, and you imagine she keeps her bed and such back there.
>You also notice a gray rat under one of the shelves sniffing at a pot.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"To display how new I am at this, how much collateral damage would danmaku cause for your pots if it struck one?"
>raise a palm at the rat.
>Note familiars as a great way to flank the pests.

[Hello Purvis]

>"To display how new I am at this, how much collateral damage would danmaku cause for your pots if it struck one?"
>raise a palm at the rat.
>Note familiars as a great way to flank the pests.

>"If it's fast, it'd only probably break one," says the shopkeeper. "...I'll just put them into a corner, shall I?"
>You raise your palm at the unsuspecting rat.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>If we can line up a shot that wouldn't hit the pot, or anything but the floor, if the rat moves, shoot it. Make it something fast and precise, even if it's small.

[Hello Purvis]

>If we can line up a shot that wouldn't hit the pot, or anything but the floor, if the rat moves, shoot it. Make it something fast and precise, even if it's small.

>You line up the shot, picture a small, precise bullet, and let it fly!
>It soars at the unwary rodent and smacks right into its flank, tumbling it over with an angry squeal. The shopkeeper quickly collects it, and places it in a basket.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Well, it's a start. You said the nest is probably under the floorboards? Where else would they be hiding?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, it's a start. You said the nest is probably under the floorboards? Where else would they be hiding?"

>"They come up from time to time," she says, as she starts shifting pots into the corner. "There's a few of them about; I've all but torn the place apart, and I don't know how they're getting in."

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Holes of the right size would be the obvious thing to look for... plugging them might work as a temporary solution, but odds are good they'll chew out another one sooner or later. Let's look for one of those. Try behind anything that wouldn't get moved often..."
>Any heavy furniture that might fit that description?
>stalk the bottom of the walls, looking for mouseholes. Might be smaller than in those cartoons.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Holes of the right size would be the obvious thing to look for... plugging them might work as a temporary solution, but odds are good they'll chew out another one sooner or later. Let's look for one of those. Try behind anything that wouldn't get moved often..."
>Any heavy furniture that might fit that description?
>stalk the bottom of the walls, looking for mouseholes. Might be smaller than in those cartoons.

>She nods. "I've had a lookaround for those, and checked the paper on shoji. But maybe there's a one hiding from me.
>The shelves are fairly heavy, but aside from that, everything seems fairly light.
>You stalk along the walls, looking for holes, when you see a black rat poke its head around the corner of a shelf, then pull back.

>_

[UncertainJakutten]

> See if we can detect any borders a mouse could cross.

[E-Nazrin]

>"Bingo. Just saw one behind the shelf. Or maybe it's just hiding, after its buddy got hit."
>How big are our familiars? Would one fit behind there?

[Hello Purvis]

> See if we can detect any borders a mouse could cross.

>You concentrate on your border awareness. You can feel a definite sense of the edges of this shop extending to the walls, and no further. At a glance, you can't feel anything unusual.

>"Bingo. Just saw one behind the shelf. Or maybe it's just hiding, after its buddy got hit."
>How big are our familiars? Would one fit behind there?

>Your familiar was about the size of your hand. You don't know if it's tangible or not, really. But at least, you should be able to send it around the corner of the shelf. You don't know if it would fit behind.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"How easy would it be to move these shelves aside for a few minutes? Or have you checked behind them for holes already?"
>If nothing else, the light would make the rats wary of exiting that way...
>Are there other exits to the back of that shelf, or at least the place that rat was hiding?

[Hello Purvis]

>"How easy would it be to move these shelves aside for a few minutes? Or have you checked behind them for holes already?"
>If nothing else, the light would make the rats wary of exiting that way...
>Are there other exits to the back of that shelf, or at least the place that rat was hiding?

>"Not especially so," says the shopkeep. "They're rather laden and there's not much room...I have looked behind them, though.
>You have a look around the shelf corner where you saw the rat, and see it has vanished. It could have fled behind the shelf, or possibly slipped past the folding screen.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"It'd probably be the easiest way to force them out of hiding... I think. And we might have to anyway to plug any holes there."
>"... or maybe we can seal off the exits to the back. That might do the trick. But for now..."
>Check behind the folding screen. If it's not there, put a familiar at the entrance/exit to the shelf and look in the other end.
>Do we know anyone with an affinity for rodents? Or a proper exterminator?

[Hello Purvis]

>"It'd probably be the easiest way to force them out of hiding... I think. And we might have to anyway to plug any holes there."
>"... or maybe we can seal off the exits to the back. That might do the trick. But for now..."
>Check behind the folding screen. If it's not there, put a familiar at the entrance/exit to the shelf and look in the other end.
>Do we know anyone with an affinity for rodents? Or a proper exterminator?

>"Right," she says. "Let's not be too hasty though.
>Looking behind the folding screen, you see a cramped space with a futon, a small brazier, and a chamberpot in the corner. You also notice the futon is moving  just a little.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>Is there another way to get behind the folding screen? If so, tell our oni friend that it's probably in the futon and ask her to cut it off at the other exit/entrance.
>"Would a shot knock it out through the sheets?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Is there another way to get behind the folding screen? If so, tell our oni friend that it's probably in the futon and ask her to cut it off at the other exit/entrance.
>"Would a shot knock it out through the sheets?"

>There are two ends to the screen, you call the oni to take care of the other end.
>"It would put a burn on my bed," she says.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>"Let's not do that then. Sneak up carefully... grab it if it tries to run out, or pin down the sheets so we can wrap it up in 'em."
>Stalk forwards! Stay low. Pounce if it flees.

>Do we know anyone with an affinity for rodents? Or a proper exterminator?

[Hello Purvis]

>"Let's not do that then. Sneak up carefully... grab it if it tries to run out, or pin down the sheets so we can wrap it up in 'em."
>Stalk forwards! Stay low. Pounce if it flees.

>Do we know anyone with an affinity for rodents? Or a proper exterminator?

>The merchant nods, and approaches the futon.
>She tries to pin the rodent down in the sheets, but it does not  as intended, and a white rat bursts out, running for the other side of the room!
>You do not know anyone with an affinity for rodents or an exterminator. Then again, you recall from the potrait you saw that Orin has cat ears and tails. But you have a suspicion that asking her to take up mousing duties has a risk of getting you punched.

>_

[E-Nazrin]

>panic-burst of small danmaku at the rat/where it's headed! Shotgun effect is probably safer than a clumsy shot or diving for it. Unless there's something other than wood floor there, in which case dive if it's getting closer or guide it toward getting pinned in a smaller area.

Man all these times chasing escaped hamsters comes in handy at last