Nitori Quest 2 - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Specific flight paths and goals. I noticed some preeeeeetty interesting stuff in the sky last night, after all. Interesting enough to get an audience with a daitengu about how to handle it while I'm up there."

[It's Purvis!]

> "Specific flight paths and goals. I noticed some preeeeeetty interesting stuff in the sky last night, after all. Interesting enough to get an audience with a daitengu about how to handle it while I'm up there."

>"That would be the situation brewing that I mentioned, yes," says Aya.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "What, the circumstances in the sky that led to that meeting, or the fact that the meeting happened at all?"

[It's Purvis!]

> "What, the circumstances in the sky that led to that meeting, or the fact that the meeting happened at all?"

>"The former, please," Aya says, scribbling down some more things.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Do we know about Aya's special gallery?

> "..."
> Look deep in thought.
> "...Well...that's complicated. I'm not personally too opposed to answering, but...if you haven't already been told what's going on by your higher-ups, I don't know that I'm at liberty to talk about what we discussed."

[It's Purvis!]

> Do we know about Aya's special gallery?

> "..."
> Look deep in thought.
> "...Well...that's complicated. I'm not personally too opposed to answering, but...if you haven't already been told what's going on by your higher-ups, I don't know that I'm at liberty to talk about what we discussed."

>It's kind of an open secret. Not exactly widespread knowledge, but it's known.
>"If they know anything," Aya says, waggling her pen between her fingers, "then it's fine that I know too, since we're all part of the same organization."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "So you wouldn't print anything that would allow readers to deduce why I might have had a meeting with one of them without their approval?"

[It's Purvis!]

> "So you wouldn't print anything that would allow readers to deduce why I might have had a meeting with one of them without their approval?"

>"Well," she says, continuing to waggle the pen. "It's not necessarily relevant to the question at hand... I'm more interested in hearing about the problem itself and advances made there."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...Alright, but if I get an earful about this, I'm holding you responsible. I was checking the sky last night when I noticed that a couple of stars were missing."

[It's Purvis!]

> "...Alright, but if I get an earful about this, I'm holding you responsible. I was checking the sky last night when I noticed that a couple of stars were missing."

>Aya nods, scribbling some notes down. "And then?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Uh, that's it. I haven't been to space yet to find out why they're gone."

[It's Purvis!]

> "Uh, that's it. I haven't been to space yet to find out why they're gone."

>"Oh. So there weren't actually new developments," she says, putting the pen and notepad away with speed and precision. "I suppose we'll have to see what we can find."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "..."
> Blink.
> "...Ah. ...Does that mean you intend on going?"

[It's Purvis!]

> "..."
> Blink.
> "...Ah. ...Does that mean you intend on going?"

>"You did invite me, yes," says Aya.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Right. I did say I'd let you know this morning if there's room. As it turns out, I do actually have two other agreements in place, and there isn't really room for four on a single flight. I'd be glad to take you on the second flight if you're amenable to that. Alternatively, if you can convince one of the other two to wait until the second flight, you could take their place."

[It's Purvis!]

> "Right. I did say I'd let you know this morning if there's room. As it turns out, I do actually have two other agreements in place, and there isn't really room for four on a single flight. I'd be glad to take you on the second flight if you're amenable to that. Alternatively, if you can convince one of the other two to wait until the second flight, you could take their place."

>The notepad comes back out. "Who are you traveling with?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That depends on when this is getting published, specifically whether or not my opponents will be able to see it before their launch."

[It's Purvis!]

> "That depends on when this is getting published, specifically whether or not my opponents will be able to see it before their launch."

>"If I'm not going to be going myself," Aya says, "I'm not going to let my competition scoop me, that's for sure," Aya says. "I am sure we can work to keep what needs to be under wraps under wraps."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "...Alright, I'll trust you to use discretion."
> "One is a fellow kappa, one that grills a mean braised cucumber. The other is the Scarlet Devil Mansion demon familiar."

[It's Purvis!]

> "...Alright, I'll trust you to use discretion."
> "One is a fellow kappa, one that grills a mean braised cucumber. The other is the Scarlet Devil Mansion demon familiar."

>Aya starts to write as you speak, then looks up midsentence. "Her?" she says. "Really?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Really."

[It's Purvis!]

> "Really."

>"May I ask what lead to that decision?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "She came by and asked to join. For my part, based on our conversation, I trust she won't betray me. You'd have to ask her for her part, I don't want to speak on her behalf."

[It's Purvis!]

> "She came by and asked to join. For my part, based on our conversation, I trust she won't betray me. You'd have to ask her for her part, I don't want to speak on her behalf."

>She nods. "I see, I see. Hmm, well, next time I may accompany, if the time is open."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I'll be glad to have you. It's entirely possible I won't be able to solve this in one pass, too."

[It's Purvis!]

> "I'll be glad to have you. It's entirely possible I won't be able to solve this in one pass, too."

>Aya nods. "Well, I'll keep that in mind-"
>"Hey," comes Koa's voice from behind, "What're we doing for break-ah!"
>You glance back just in time to see Koa jump back into the kitchen and around the door frame; seeing just enough to tell she did not bother to get dressed.
>Looking back, Aya has her camera in hand, and an annoyed expression on her face. You think if she weren't holding that notepad previously, she may have been fast enough to use that camera before Koa dove back into the other room.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Give Aya a blank look of restrained displeasure.
> "Really?"

[Branneg Xy]

>Aya nods. "Well, I'll keep that in mind-"
>"Hey," comes Koa's voice from behind, "What're we doing for break-ah!"
>You glance back just in time to see Koa jump back into the kitchen and around the door frame; seeing just enough to tell she did not bother to get dressed.
>Looking back, Aya has her camera in hand, and an annoyed expression on her face. You think if she weren't holding that notepad previously, she may have been fast enough to use that camera before Koa dove back into the other room.

>_

> Give Aya a blank look of restrained displeasure.
> "Really?"

// We should be double-careful  not to be suspected or misunderstood in being involved in something... untoward and tasteless//

> Say it to Aya as a genuine question without displeasure, however restrained it may be, because appearances, and potential misunderstandings,  are mostky against us at the moment...

> Turn for a moment in the direction of the, now-hidden Koakuma,  then turn back to Aya and say to her : " Truly,no need to invite misunderstandings or annoyances about curiosity over a particular sleeping habit... "
"

>"If I'm not going to be going myself," Aya says, "I'm not going to let my competition scoop me, that's for sure," Aya says. "I am sure we can work to keep what needs to be under wraps under wraps."

>_

>She nods. "I see, I see. Hmm, well, next time I may accompany, if the time is open."

>_

> Follow-up, as soon as possible,  with: "...  returning back on the topics to be agreed upon... the 1st id to be as discreet as not giving any info edge to my comoetitors while still allowing an early-bird coverage,  the 2nd is that my experimental space-voyage will be left open for you and another eventual passenger as soon as I am free of any eventuall greater obligation,  after the eventual maintenance and new adjustments".

[It's Purvis!]

> Give Aya a blank look of restrained displeasure.
> "Really?"

// We should be double-careful  not to be suspected or misunderstood in being involved in something... untoward and tasteless//

> Say it to Aya as a genuine question without displeasure, however restrained it may be, because appearances, and potential misunderstandings,  are mostky against us at the moment...

> Turn for a moment in the direction of the, now-hidden Koakuma,  then turn back to Aya and say to her : " Truly,no need to invite misunderstandings or annoyances about curiosity over a particular sleeping habit... "
"
> Follow-up, as soon as possible,  with: "...  returning back on the topics to be agreed upon... the 1st id to be as discreet as not giving any info edge to my comoetitors while still allowing an early-bird coverage,  the 2nd is that my experimental space-voyage will be left open for you and another eventual passenger as soon as I am free of any eventuall greater obligation,  after the eventual maintenance and new adjustments".

>"In the world of photography, you snap first and ask questions later," Aya says. "Otherwise you'll miss the shot you wanted to take."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Sigh and pinch the bridge of our nose.
> "I guess. And I guess nothing actually happened in this instance."