Okuu Quest After - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Sigh, oh well, guess we have to wait till day time, land in Yamames backyard

[Hello Purvis]

> Sigh, oh well, guess we have to wait till day time, land in Yamames backyard

>You land in Yamame's back yard. It is pretty overgrown, and filled with debris from the occasional party that never gets cleaned up. Up ahead, you can see Yamame's house. It is small and kind of rundown, missing some siding and the like, but serviceable. You don't know who she rents it from. A tall wooden fence surrounds the yard. An old back door allows admittance to the house. Obvious exits are East 1and East 2

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Go knock on the door

[Kilgamayan]

> Be prepared to apologize for not letting her know we were coming.

workpostan

[Hello Purvis]

>Go knock on the door

>You knock.
>After a moments, the door opens. Yamame, a blone, brown-eyed woman with her hair in a bun. She is wearing usual garb, a brown poofy shirt flared pants that have not been in style for some time. "Hey buddy," she says, "Whacha doin' in the back yard? And what's with the dumb costume? That's just gonna get the police's attention!"

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Did... she not even notice the wings?
>"Yeah, this... isn't just for show, I'm afraid. It's a long story, but I'll do my best to explain."
>Enter the house

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Ah yeah, I'll explain later, is Orin here yet?"

> Observe your surrounding

[Hello Purvis]

>Did... she not even notice the wings?
>"Yeah, this... isn't just for show, I'm afraid. It's a long story, but I'll do my best to explain."
>Enter the house

> "Ah yeah, I'll explain later, is Orin here yet?"

> Observe your surrounding

>Maybe not?
>You walk inside. "That's some cape," says Yamame, closing the door behind. "Where'd you get the wings? They look real. And what is up with all this ghost business Orin's on about, huh? And that break-in and stuff. Was that really you?"

> "Ah yeah, I'll explain later, is Orin here yet?"
> Observe your surrounding

>"Yeah, buddy, she's in the den."
>You look around. You are in a dining that hasn't been swept in awhile. You can see a few spider webs about as well. An old table with metal chairs sits in the middle of the small room.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>Head towards the den.
>"Yeah, it really was me. Although I doubt most of the police have any idea why I was actually there. You know I'm not a common criminal."
>"Oh, and the wings? They, uh, ARE real."
>Spread them and close them again, by way of a demonstration
>"Like I said, this story will take a bit of explaining."

[Hello Purvis]

>Head towards the den.
>"Yeah, it really was me. Although I doubt most of the police have any idea why I was actually there. You know I'm not a common criminal."
>"Oh, and the wings? They, uh, ARE real."
>Spread them and close them again, by way of a demonstration
>"Like I said, this story will take a bit of explaining."

>You head toward the den, demonstrating your wings. "...What." says Yamame flatly. "That ain't right..."
>The den is the most familiar room of the house to you. An old leather couch on one side, a rather nice PC on the other a -ten year old TV with all sorts of scavenged parts keeping it going along the wall. This has been your second home for many a day. Orin sits on the couch. She stares at you with open-mouth shock.

>_

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "Uh, hello...so I guess you guys want an explanation now huh?"

[DracoOmega]

>Wave at her
>"Hey, sis. I hope I'm not freaking you out too much."
>"Is it too much to hope for that any of this looks at all familiar to you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>Wave at her
>"Hey, sis. I hope I'm not freaking you out too much."
>"Is it too much to hope for that any of this looks at all familiar to you?"

>You wave to her and say a few things. "Well, I'm surprised," she says. "But, it doesn't seem like a bad thing. I guess it kinda suits you, even."

> "Uh, hello...so I guess you guys want an explanation now huh?"

>Orin nods. "Uh, yeah...pretty much," says Yamame.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, that's something positive, anyway."

>"Ok, Yamame. Orin's filled you in about the whole 'world being wrong' thing, right? Well, I went to the research institute because I felt there might be some sort of connection there. And I was right. Deep in the basement, they were housing some unidentified objects they'd found. Some sort of secret black-ops foundation thing. But I recognized this stuff I'm wearing as soon as I saw it. I didn't know why, but I knew it was mine. And when I put it back on, I finally remembered all the things that I'd been struggling to figure out for the past few days."

>"This Gensokyo we live in is not the same Gensokyo any of us were born in. History and the world itself have been altered, and our memories changed along with it. None of us are human. Or supposed to be human, at any rate. Not me, not either of you. Someone did this. Someone changed the world and all of us."

>"The fact that the ghost who tagged along with you is a two-tailed cat is not coincidence, Orin. You're a kasha. You used to hang out as a cat a lot, in our old life. We lived underground, in the Ancient City, in the Palace of the Earth Spirits. I hope I don't just sound crazy. I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to you, Orin"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, that's something positive, anyway."

>"Ok, Yamame. Orin's filled you in about the whole 'world being wrong' thing, right? Well, I went to the research institute because I felt there might be some sort of connection there. And I was right. Deep in the basement, they were housing some unidentified objects they'd found. Some sort of secret black-ops foundation thing. But I recognized this stuff I'm wearing as soon as I saw it. I didn't know why, but I knew it was mine. And when I put it back on, I finally remembered all the things that I'd been struggling to figure out for the past few days."

>"This Gensokyo we live in is not the same Gensokyo any of us were born in. History and the world itself have been altered, and our memories changed along with it. None of us are human. Or supposed to be human, at any rate. Not me, not either of you. Someone did this. Someone changed the world and all of us."

>"The fact that the ghost who tagged along with you is a two-tailed cat is not coincidence, Orin. You're a kasha. You used to hang out as a cat a lot, in our old life. We lived underground, in the Ancient City, in the Palace of the Earth Spirits. I hope I don't just sound crazy. I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to you, Orin"

>Yamame nods. "Yeah, she told me about the world being wrong stuff, buddy. And ghosts and things. Crazy stuff."
>You tell them about your findings in the Research Institute, and the things you remembered. Orin nods along, Yamame just seems incredulous.
>You then tell Orin what you remember about her and her old life. She frowns. "I don't know. I guess it kinda feels...not wrong. it's just a lot to swallow, you know?"
>"Crazy stuff," says Yamame, shaking her head. "Kinda wondering why you didn't tell me anything, buddy?"

>_

[UncertainJakutten]

> "At first I didn't really have any proof, and I kinda figured you'd think I was crazy. You probably do right now even with the wings, just you're more amenable to listening. As I got proof, it became more apparent that I couldn't tell everyone because I might put them in danger. And now I've been forced into a situation where I have to involve someone else. I'm really sorry for inflicting this on you, actually. It wasn't really a trust thing, more a trying to protect you thing, since I'd really rather not lose friends."

[Kasu]

>"Crazy stuff," says Yamame, shaking her head. "Kinda wondering why you didn't tell me anything, buddy?"

> "I would've contacted you sooner, but a lot of crazy stuff just kept happening."
> Unyu.

[DracoOmega]

>"Don't take it personally. I didn't tell very many people who weren't directly involved, already. For one thing, it's kind of hard getting people to believe that you're not just crazy, without any proof. And I also didn't want to drag any more people into this for their own sake. There are dangerous people on the other side of this. I feel bad enough dragging you into it now, but we needed a safe place away from my own house. I'm sure the police have their eyes on it. Did they really not question you or Satori, yet, Orin?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I would've contacted you sooner, but a lot of crazy stuff just kept happening."
> Unyu.

>"Oh, okay," says Yamame. "I guess that happens."
>Unyu, indeed. She might have been helpful...

>"Don't take it personally. I didn't tell very many people who weren't directly involved, already. For one thing, it's kind of hard getting people to believe that you're not just crazy, without any proof. And I also didn't want to drag any more people into this for their own sake. There are dangerous people on the other side of this. I feel bad enough dragging you into it now, but we needed a safe place away from my own house. I'm sure the police have their eyes on it. Did they really not question you or Satori, yet, Orin?"

>Yamame nods again. "But we're tight, Okuu," she says, she holds up two of her fingers, crossed. "Like this." She uncrosses them "Not like this," then crosses them again. "Like this. Don't worry, buddy."
>"Not yet," says Orin. "It was only been like an hour or such, right? Probably just haven't gotten to you, yet. Wouldn't be surprised if they've come since I left, though."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Okay, in that case, we need a good story for you two. The people in charge want to come down swift and hard on anyone even remotely responsible. Boss Nitori's vanished, according to computer records. I feel bad for Dean Okazaki, too, since she's probably in huge trouble just for letting her ID get stolen for this."
> "I don't know how long I'll be here, but I sure don't want to be when police pull up, if they ever do. Orin, I suggest you say you saw me on the news, couldn't get in contact with me, and decided to come herein the hopes I was here instead. Neither of you know where I am now since Yamame's been gaming for the past while, so you're keeping each other company. That should be enough to keep them off both your cases. Yamame, you might want to delete those texts I sent. Also, Orin, if they offer to take you to the Moriya Shrine for an exorcism, tell them you changed your mind and are willing to live like this. You do NOT want to get involved with them right now."

[DracoOmega]

>"Ok, here's the lay of the land at the moment. After awakening, I got into a fight with the shrine maiden of the Moriya Shrine. They're the ones responsible for this. They're the ones that reshaped the world. They're also the only ones, to my knowledge, that retain their memories of the old world. She wanted to force me to have my memories and power suppressed again."
>"Problem is that, although I beat her, she's still got two actual gods back at the shrine, and I can't imagine they're happy. Or Kanako, anyway. I still don't quite know Suwako's role in all this."
>"I might be able to beat Kanako. I don't know. But I'm not confident enough to rush into this without looking for some backup. If I lose, I'm sure they'll make me forget everything, and I'll never get it back. I only got as far as I did because they figured I'd never pull it off. They won't make that mistake again."

[Kilgamayan]

> "By the way, Yamame, if you're curious, you're an Earth Spider in the real Gensokyo. You look basically the same as you do now, you're just a youkai instead of a human. I admit I don't know a whole lot about the old you, since we didn't see each other very often, but that makes me glad we've had a chance in this world, at least."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Okay, in that case, we need a good story for you two. The people in charge want to come down swift and hard on anyone even remotely responsible. Boss Nitori's vanished, according to computer records. I feel bad for Dean Okazaki, too, since she's probably in huge trouble just for letting her ID get stolen for this."
> "I don't know how long I'll be here, but I sure don't want to be when police pull up, if they ever do. Orin, I suggest you say you saw me on the news, couldn't get in contact with me, and decided to come herein the hopes I was here instead. Neither of you know where I am now since Yamame's been gaming for the past while, so you're keeping each other company. That should be enough to keep them off both your cases. Yamame, you might want to delete those texts I sent. Also, Orin, if they offer to take you to the Moriya Shrine for an exorcism, tell them you changed your mind and are willing to live like this. You do NOT want to get involved with them right now."

>"Is Nitori okay?" asks Orin.
>Both nod as you give your instructions.

>"Ok, here's the lay of the land at the moment. After awakening, I got into a fight with the shrine maiden of the Moriya Shrine. They're the ones responsible for this. They're the ones that reshaped the world. They're also the only ones, to my knowledge, that retain their memories of the old world. She wanted to force me to have my memories and power suppressed again."
>"Problem is that, although I beat her, she's still got two actual gods back at the shrine, and I can't imagine they're happy. Or Kanako, anyway. I still don't quite know Suwako's role in all this."
>"I might be able to beat Kanako. I don't know. But I'm not confident enough to rush into this without looking for some backup. If I lose, I'm sure they'll make me forget everything, and I'll never get it back. I only got as far as I did because they figured I'd never pull it off. They won't make that mistake again."

>"Wait...you mean that shrine maiden knew?" says Orin. "And...gods? You think you could beat them?! ...What happened to you to make you think that?"

> "By the way, Yamame, if you're curious, you're an Earth Spider in the real Gensokyo. You look basically the same as you do now, you're just a youkai instead of a human. I admit I don't know a whole lot about the old you, since we didn't see each other very often, but that makes me glad we've had a chance in this world, at least."

>"Trippy," says Yamame. "And thanks, buddy. Same here."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I don't know how Nitori is. She's been completely erased. No records or anything, and Kawashiro Heating and Air...isn't. The location is owned by some name we think is just a government placeholder to cover up Nitori's disappearance. I need to get there at some point tonight. Do you still have her home phone?"
> "As for beating the gods, well, among other things, I can do this."
> Create a small ball of fusion. Away from things it might destroy, preferably.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'm pretty powerful, myself. I was just about the strongest person in the underground, with... a possible exception or two. I can control the power of nuclear fusion."
>Give a small, non-dangerous demonstration of this
>"I've never fought Kanako, though. And she's bound to be tougher than Sanae was. I also don't have my spellcards, here, and no idea where I could even find them. They may not even exist in this Gensokyo."
>"I talked to the one person who I know has fought Kanako and won, but... she doesn't remember a damn thing."

>"You know that crow ghost that was following me around? When I found this stuff, it merged with me and gave me my true form back. I wonder if your ghost can do the same to you? But I'm not sure we could find an object you have enough connection to to trigger it."

[Doll.S CUBE]

> "I'm not sure about Nitori, when I got a friend of mine to check on her, she apparently didn't appear in the records and her shop was owned by some other person"

> "Well for one me and Kanako are both stage 6 bosses but my spell card patterns were harder and I have this extremely cool music, and when I use my spell card instead of normal sound its Nuclear alert Klaxons" "Lets just say I didn't always have this control rod originally"

[Hello Purvis]

> "I don't know how Nitori is. She's been completely erased. No records or anything, and Kawashiro Heating and Air...isn't. The location is owned by some name we think is just a government placeholder to cover up Nitori's disappearance. I need to get there at some point tonight. Do you still have her home phone?"
> "As for beating the gods, well, among other things, I can do this."
> Create a small ball of fusion. Away from things it might destroy, preferably.

>"That's...really strange," says Orin. "Wouldn't they want to make you not exist, first?"
>You demonstrate a bit of fusion for them. Yamame seems speechless. "...What is that?" asks Orin.

>"Well, I'm pretty powerful, myself. I was just about the strongest person in the underground, with... a possible exception or two. I can control the power of nuclear fusion."
>Give a small, non-dangerous demonstration of this
>"I've never fought Kanako, though. And she's bound to be tougher than Sanae was. I also don't have my spellcards, here, and no idea where I could even find them. They may not even exist in this Gensokyo."
>"I talked to the one person who I know has fought Kanako and won, but... she doesn't remember a damn thing."

>"You know that crow ghost that was following me around? When I found this stuff, it merged with me and gave me my true form back. I wonder if your ghost can do the same to you? But I'm not sure we could find an object you have enough connection to to trigger it."

>You try to explain, but quickly lose them. "You're totally a magical girl, buddy," says Yamame at length.
>"I don't know anything Kanako or spellcards," says Orin. "And...I'm not sure about this awakening thing, either. What did you do?"

> "I'm not sure about Nitori, when I got a friend of mine to check on her, she apparently didn't appear in the records and her shop was owned by some other person"

> "Lets just say I didn't always have this control rod originally"

>"Maybe it happened before all of this?" Orin says.
>Yamame looks at your control rod. "Yeah, say that again, buddy."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "They can't erase me, they need me as Public Enemy #1 right now. Nitori was far more expendable, especially since she used to work for them and quit out of disgust. They probably think she told me classified information."
> "I 'woke up' simply by putting my old stuff back on. I imagine the same would happen to anyone that's been touched by a spirit that represents their former selves. Unfortunately, the only other thing I have is a time-slowing watch, and I don't know who it belongs to."
> "Actually, now that I think of it, Yamame, do you have a wheelbarrow?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It's a fusion orb. Think of it as a very tiny sun. I can make them much, much bigger, but I don't want to melt your house down or anything."

>"About the awakening, all I did was put the stuff I'm wearing on, and then the crow merged with me somehow, and I remembered everything. You don't really have anything as unusual that you were associated with, except maybe that wheelbarrow you carted around. It wasn't particularly magical, but nothing else comes to mind.

>"And yeah, I'm not sure even these people could change all these records this quickly. I'm not sure what's up with Nitori."

[Doll.S CUBE]

> Hmmm, could Nitori possibly never exited in the records in the first place? but that could only mean she doesn't want to exist on paper in the first place, and that is very shady