Keine Quest (Part 5): Broken History

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I wouldn't mind your help with something, but I'm not here to drag you back or anything if you don't want to. Really, I don't even know if we can."
>Look around for addresses.

>"Long story, I guess," Reimu says. "Well, may as well hear it once I get there, anyway."
>A brief look around reveals a street address on one of storefront's signs.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay, here's an address."
>Read it off.

[DracoOmega]

>"Okay, here's an address."
>Read it off.

>You give Reimu the address.
>"Ok, got it," she says. "Don't wander off, and I'll be by in a bit."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Alright, I'll be by this phone."

[DracoOmega]

>"Alright, I'll be by this phone."

>"Fine," she says. "See you."
>You hear a clicking sound and Reimu falls silent.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Okay, I'll be here. Reimu? Reimu? ...Did it break or something? Reimu?"
>Put the talky bit back where it was.
>Examine the phonebook!

[DracoOmega]

>"Okay, I'll be here. Reimu? Reimu? ...Did it break or something? Reimu?"
>Put the talky bit back where it was.
>Examine the phonebook!

>You call out into the phone but get no response. Eventually, it starts making an angry sounding beeping noise into your ear. Did you do something wrong?
>You decide that perhaps you should cut your losses, and put the talky bit back where you got it. Thankfully the noise stops when you do so.
>You take a closer look at the phonebook. It is a thick green-covered book whose pages are made of very thin and somewhat rough paper. In addition to the innumerable names and numbers, you also notice a section at the back containing advertising for numerous businesses, sorted by the type of good or service that they offer. There's an amazing number of these, as well. The book itself is contained within some sort of hard shell, attached to the phone by a cord, presumably so that it cannot be removed from it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Examine some of these services while waiting.
>Try to get an idea where Ran is.

[DracoOmega]

>Examine some of these services while waiting.
>Try to get an idea where Ran is.

>There seem to be services of almost every conceivable description, many of which are familiar to you, but a great many that are not. People specializing in the repair of air conditioners, and computers, whatever those are, IT consultants, and far too many others to enumerate. Strangely, there seem to be no blacksmiths or millers at all listed in this book. Are they called something else these days?
>You can still easily sense Ran, although she remains quite a ways away from you. You get the definite impression that she's moving in your direction, however. Although, at that speed, you wonder if it might take an hour or two. If only you could fly here without attracting unwanted attention...

[Hello Purvis]

>Check the grimoire to see if there's a map in it.
>If so, try to estimate where Ran might be.

[DracoOmega]

>Check the grimoire to see if there's a map in it.
>If so, try to estimate where Ran might be.

>There do appear to be a few, relatively low-detail maps in the book. Not that this comes as any surprise to you at this point, but the city seems practically endless.
>However, your sense of her is not nearly specific enough to tell where Ran is by looking it them. With some effort you manage to find your own location on one of the maps, and roughly figure out your current orientation. But the best you can do by combining this information is get a line along which she could be. You can tell her direction fairly precisely, her distance somewhat more vaguely, and nothing else beyond that at this distance.
>While you're busy pondering the map, you hear a voice call out behind you. "Well, you stick out like a sore thumb." It sounds like Reimu.

[Hello Purvis]

>Turn around.
>"I imagine anyone from Gensokyo would."

[DracoOmega]

>Turn around.
>"I imagine anyone from Gensokyo would."

>You turn around. Reimu is standing a few feet behind you. She's wearing a loose-fitting short sleeved shirt, and a pair of those textured blue pants you've seen a lot of people wearing. If you didn't recognize her face, she wouldn't look the slightest bit out of place among the people you've seen here so far. She's vaguely frowning at you while she examines you.
>"Yeah, probably," she says. "At least you can pass for human. I'd hate to have to figure out a way to explain you if you couldn't."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Hopefully the illusion Ran set up to hide her tails is working, then. I doubt she'd have an easy time with that."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Ran being the other person who came here with me...I'm not sure if you met her or not, come to think of it. As for you...I don't even think I would have recognized you if I passed you by you."

[DracoOmega]

>"Hopefully the illusion Ran set up to hide her tails is working, then. I doubt she'd have an easy time with that."

>"Tails?" Reimu frowns. "Well, I hope it's working, too. I do not want to pick up the newspaper tomorrow and see some youkai plastered across it."

>"Ran being the other person who came here with me...I'm not sure if you met her or not, come to think of it. As for you...I don't even think I would have recognized you if I passed you by you."

>"Name doesn't ring a bell," she says. "And, well..." she takes a takes a look at herself. "suppose this is a bit different than what I used to wear back then. It's been a long time since I dressed like that."

[Kasu]

> "Eh?  Why doesn't it ring a be- Oh...  Right."

[E-Nazrin]

>"Should we, uh, 'pick up' Ran and Marisa, as well?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"I've been trying to figure out where she is using the map in this book, and the spell she put on me so we could find each other. She's about an hour or two away in that direction."
>Point the appropriate way.

[DracoOmega]

> "Eh?  Why doesn't it ring a be- Oh...  Right."

>Reimu raises an eyebrow. "Oh right what?"

>"Should we, uh, 'pick up' Ran and Marisa, as well?"

>"You know her, too? Not too surprised, I guess." She pauses. "She might be working now, though. Where's this Ran, anyway?"

>"I've been trying to figure out where she is using the map in this book, and the spell she put on me so we could find each other. She's about an hour or two away in that direction."
>Point the appropriate way.

>You point out the direction that Ran is located on the map.
>Reimu frowns. "An hour or two? That would put her out of-" She looks at you critically. "I suppose you don't mean by car, do you?"

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm afraid I don't even know how fast those go, though it would probably be much faster that way."
>"... wait, do you have one?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm afraid I don't even know how fast those go, though it would probably be much faster that way."
>"... wait, do you have one?"

>"You can't expect to get across the city on foot, unless you want to spend the whole day at it. And flying's well..." she frowns. "Flying's not worth the risks, here."
>"Yeah, over there." Reimu points to a small red car, sitting amongst the other cars in front of the stores. "How'd you think I got here this fast? Wait, wait, sorry." She puts a hand to her head and sighs. "I forgot, you're clueless."

[Kasu]

> Oh God.  We have to ride in one of those things?
> "If you want a response to my confused comment...  Well...  Its a long story."

[Hello Purvis]

>"And confusing. So, let's begin with a confusing part. Do you know me, at all? Even a little bit?"

[E-Nazrin]

>Or maybe we should hold off explaining until Marisa's around as well? Eh... might as well give her the short version, at least.

[DracoOmega]

> Oh God.  We have to ride in one of those things?
> "If you want a response to my confused comment...  Well...  Its a long story."

>You shudder at the thought of sitting in one of those barreling things. Well, maybe they're safer on the inside....
>Reimu shakes her head. "Why am I not surprised? C'mon, let's go. You can tell me on the way." She walks towards her car.

>"And confusing. So, let's begin with a confusing part. Do you know me, at all? Even a little bit?"

>"Nope, sorry." She stops. "Wait, you said you were a historian in the human village? Since when would a youkai be living there?"

>Or maybe we should hold off explaining until Marisa's around as well? Eh... might as well give her the short version, at least.

>"Eh, she'd probably be curious, anyway. It's what she does." Reimu shrugs. "I'll give her a call after we find this friend of yours. How'd you two get separated so far from each other, anyway?" She opens a door in the side of her car, and gestures towards it. "C'mon, get it."

[Hello Purvis]

>Get in and have a seat. Look around!

[DracoOmega]

>Get in and have a seat. Look around!

>You get into the car and sit down. There are a pair of upholstered seats in the front, and a longer one in the back. The seat next to you has a number of displays and devices near it. You see a few levers and a wheel of some sort. The rear seat seems to be a bit cluttered with random minutia and other junk. There's an empty box in the space between the seats with a few crumbs and a piece of wilted lettuce in it.
>Reimu enters from the other side of the car and sits in the seat opposite you. She takes a key out of her pocket, inserts it into a slot, and turns it. Suddenly the car makes a loud noise! Reimu seems not to notice, however. Maybe it's supposed to do that?
>"Put a seat belt on," she says, as she reaches and pulls on a belt affixed to the wall and secures into a small slot to her side.

[Hello Purvis]

>Mimic this action!
>Brace self.

[DracoOmega]

>Mimic this action!
>Brace self.

>You grab a similar belt on your side of the car. It snaps into place securely.
>You brace yourself, and not a moment too soon as Reimu does something and the car lurches forward. She navigates it out of the lot and towards the road.
>"So, you said there was some kinda spell on you that let's you know where she is?" Reimu looks out at the road. "Which way?"