(Skyseas of Gensokyo) Nazrin Quest

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, where are they usually at?"
>Claim pie.

>"I think Cloudy Meadow lives down by the apple trees waaay to the south." She gestures for added effect. "I don't know about Mint Blossom. But they hang out by the old bridge, or sometimes around the fountain over by the clock maker's. Oh, and they've got this super neat hideout they're building by that abandoned warehouse, you know the one that used to be-" She stops, then frowns. "Wait, I wasn't suppose to tell anyone about that place. You better forget I said anything, ok?"
>You go and select a satisfyingly delicious looking lemon pie.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, you better tell me everything so I can be sure to forget all of it."
>Examine pie.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, you better tell me everything so I can be sure to forget all of it."
>Examine pie.

>"Well, first you go waaay over that way, up past the harbor and the place they keep all the food before shipping it out, and then you turn right and there's these three big buildings in a row, right? It's-" She gives you a suspicious look. "Wait, does it really work that way?
>It is a well-stuffed lemon pie with a lattice crust. It was baked only a couple hours ago, you believe, and smells rather mouth-watering.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sure it does. It'd be like baking a pie without using flour otherwise."
>Do we think we can find this secret hide-out with what she's told us?
>How large is this pie?

[DracoOmega]

>"Sure it does. It'd be like baking a pie without using flour otherwise."
>Do we think we can find this secret hide-out with what she's told us?
>How large is this pie?

>"Well, you can't do that!" she says. "Everyone knows that."
>You know the general area she's referring to, roughly between the port and the Oni district, where a lot of the warehouses for goods entering or leaving Braston are located. You don't know of a specific abandoned warehouse, but you could probably find it if you poked your nose about.
>You think it's about 9 or 10 inches in diameter and about 2 and half inches high.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, I suppose I'll leave it at that, then. Do you have a knife and fork I could borrow?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I suppose I'll leave it at that, then. Do you have a knife and fork I could borrow?"

>"Uh, why?" she says, giving you something of an odd look. "You're not gonna try to eat it here, are you?"

[Hello Purvis]

>"Well, maybe jut to try a little bit. But I promised some to a couple friends outside, and I don't want to leave them out in the cold."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, maybe jut to try a little bit. But I promised some to a couple friends outside, and I don't want to leave them out in the cold."

>"Well, uh, I suppose I could get you one, since you promised to forget all about the secret hideout and all."
>She turns and ducks into the kitchen, glancing around her a little furtively. A few moments later, she creeps out with a knife and fork in her hands.
>"Now, uh, you still have to pay for that first, you know," she says.

[Hello Purvis]

>Give her her two bits. Then cut out a small piece of pie, and shave off two large-for-a-mouse-sized bits. Then sample what's left of that piece.

[DracoOmega]

>Give her her two bits. Then cut out a small piece of pie, and shave off two large-for-a-mouse-sized bits. Then sample what's left of that piece.

>You pay the fairy 2 guilders for the pie, and she hands you the knife and fork. You cut out a small piece of pie and shave off two appropriately sized pieces for the mice. With a satisfying sniff of the aroma, you jab the fork into the remaining section and take a bite. Oh, wow... It tastes every bit as good as it smells. You may need to remember this place.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Oh, that is special! I'll definitely have to come back here."
>Return the tableware. "Thank you!"
>Head outside, and assuming the mice aren't squabbling, give them their pie pieces.

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, that is special! I'll definitely have to come back here."
>Return the tableware. "Thank you!"
>Head outside, and assuming the mice aren't squabbling, give them their pie pieces.

>"Hehe," the fairy says with a satisfied grin on its face. "You're always welcome."
>You return the knife and fork and thank the fairy, who nods at you. "Have a nice day!" she calls out as you leave.
>You head outside and return to where you left the mice. They aren't squabbling as such, but the brown one seems to be getting a little testy, and the grey one kind of agitated; he's backed a fair bit further away than when you left him, and seems to be twitching a little nervously. As you approach, he runs over and squeaks at you, roughly translated as "Yay, you're back!"
>You put down the two pie pieces, one for each mouse. The grey one digs in with gusto, muttering about how amazing you are to be able to get all these yummies from the yummy place. The brown one is a little more reserved, but still quietly nibbles away at the piece you offer him.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Sorry I left you waiting so long. I had a hunch. You've both been a big helps, thanks!"

[DracoOmega]

>"Sorry I left you waiting so long. I had a hunch. You've both been a big helps, thanks!"

>The grey mouse gives another "Yay!", somewhat muffled by the pie it's scarfing down. You get a sort of reluctant acknowledgment from the brown mouse.

[Hello Purvis]

>Chuckle at the brown mouse.
>"You should be nicer. No one's going to want to be friends with you when you're like that."
>Let them finish, then escort the gray mouse home.

[DracoOmega]

>Chuckle at the brown mouse.
>"You should be nicer. No one's going to want to be friends with you when you're like that."
>Let them finish, then escort the gray mouse home.

>You chuckle a little at the brown mouse, and then encourage him to be friendlier. He mumbles something about doing just fine on his own.
>You let the mice finish, and then walk the gray mouse back to the alleyway where you found him first. He scampers around your feet as you walk, squeaking enthusiastically about how yummy the yummies were and how awesome you are and how he wants to grow up to be a mouse like you someday and how that would just be amazing! When you reach the pile of trash and boxes, he seems almost reluctant to squirm back into them again. He chitters out an open welcome; any time you want to come back, his boxes are your boxes.

[Hello Purvis]

>Would keeping rodents violate whatever terms we happen to be living under at home?

[DracoOmega]

>Would keeping rodents violate whatever terms we happen to be living under at home?

>You very much suspect so; certainly the guild goes to some lengths to ensure that the area stays free of wild rodents. That doesn't mean you mightn't be able to sneak one in under the radar, though.

[Hello Purvis]

>Oh well. No need to get evicted over the little guy.
>"I might drop back in, if I ever need help. Just remember, stay healthy, and keep thinking about things."
>Depart, and head toward that warehouse area.

[DracoOmega]

>Oh well. No need to get evicted over the little guy.
>"I might drop back in, if I ever need help. Just remember, stay healthy, and keep thinking about things."
>Depart, and head toward that warehouse area.

>You decide that even if you wouldn't mind having the mouse around, it's not worth risking trouble over him.
>The mouse squeaks an enthusiastic affirmative. It will!
>You leave and head off to the northwest, past the road beside the bakery and through another couple blocks of houses before you start to approach the warehouse area, just beyond the port. Activity here is mixed; some sections are bustling with humans and more than a few oni, lugging crates and other containers of goods, while other blocks are almost entirely bare. You imagine it has something to do with what goods have come in recently, or which are scheduled to ship out. Retracing the directions the fairy gave you, you soon find a series of three medium sized nondescript  warehouses in a row, all of the same design. You can see a few people about, but not many.

[Hello Purvis]

>Do any of the warehouses seem like they're not in use?
>Does a cause glance reveal any signs of rodents?

[DracoOmega]

>Do any of the warehouses seem like they're not in use?
>Does a cause glance reveal any signs of rodents?

>While none of them have any traffic at the moment, none of them seem obviously in disuse, either; at least, they're all still in good condition.
>You don't catch sight of any rodents in your immediate vicinity.

[Hello Purvis]

>Circle around them. Keep an eye out for faeries, cats, or dockhands that don't look too busy or surly.

[DracoOmega]

>Circle around them. Keep an eye out for faeries, cats, or dockhands that don't look too busy or surly.

>You circle around the warehouses, keeping an eye out for workers, cats, and fairies. While the warehouses themselves aren't obviously labeled, you notice a few crates bearing a logo of one of the major shipping groups stacked up by against a side entrance of the leftmost warehouse. The warehouses back onto the rear of a strip of low-lying row buildings and another larger warehouse, forming something of a narrow and angular alleyway.
>As you circle around to the other side of the buildings, a large box suddenly flies out from around a blind corner and collides with you before you have a chance to sidestep. You hear a high pitched squawk.

[Hello Purvis]

>Try not to die.

[DracoOmega]

>Try not to die.

>You make a valiant effort not to die. This turns out to be rather easy, as the impact is much less than anticipated. The box seems to have only been made of cardboard, and empty; you're more startled than hurt. You hear a groaning sound, and notice a tiny fairy, smaller than the box itself, awkwardly holding onto the other side of it. She seems dazed.

[Kasu]

> "Uh...  Hello."
> Smooth out any ruffled clothing.

[DracoOmega]

> "Uh...  Hello."
> Smooth out any ruffled clothing.

>You give your capelet a little brush, and say hello to the fairy. She blinks a couple times and shakes her head. "Who moved that wall...?" she says woozily.

[E-Nazrin]

>"I'm normally not a wall, but I apologize for acting as one."
>"Are you alright?"